09. Masjid-e-Nabwi ki fazeelat aur is mein Namaaz ka sawaab [The Virtue of the Prophet’s Mosque and offering Prayer in it and the Manners required when visiting it]

  The Virtue of the Prophet’s Mosque and offering Prayer in it

and the Manners required when visiting it

 

The Noble Prophet’s Mosque possesses an elevated status and a high rank and great virtue; and its elevated status, high rank and great virtue have been mentioned in the Book (of Allâh) and the Sunnah. Allâh the Most High says:

 

لَمَسْجِدُ أُسْسَ عَلَى التَّقْوَى مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِ فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُوا وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُطَهِّرِينَ

 

“Verily, the mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety is more worthy that you stand therein (to pray). In it are men who love to clean and to purify themselves. And Allâh loves those who make themselves clean and pure.” [At-Taubah 9:108]

As-Samhudi said: “It holds true for both Al-Madinah Mosque and Quba’ Mosque that they were established upon a foundation of piety from the first day of their foundation, as is well known and that they are both intended by this Verse.”[112]

Also among the virtues of this Mosque is that prayer therein is better than a thousand prayers, so one prayer in this Mosque is better than six months of prayer in any other mosque (except the Sacred Mosque in Makkah), for Ibn “Umar(رضي الله عنه) has reported from the Prophet(ﷺ) that he said:

 

” صَلَاةٌ فِي مَسْجِدِي هَذَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفِ صَلَاةٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ إِلَّا المسجِدَ الْحَرَام

 

“Prayer in this Mosque of mine is better than a thousand prayers in any other mosque, except the Sacred Mosque,[113]

And Al-Bazzar and At-Tabarani reported the Hadith of Abud-Darda’ in a Marfu’ form:

 

الصَّلَاةُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ بِمَائَةِ أَلْفِ صَلَاةٍ، وَالصَّلَاةُ فِي مَسْجِدِي بِأَلْفِ صَلَاةٍ، وَالصَّلَاةُ فِي بَيْتِ الْمُقَدِسِ بِخَمْسِمِائَةِ صَلَاةٍ .

 

“Prayer in the Sacred Mosque is equivalent to a hundred thousand prayers and prayer in my Mosque is equivalent to a thousand prayers and prayer in Baitul- Maqdis is equivalent to five hundred prayers. [114]

And it is reported on the authority of Al-Arqam(رضي الله عنه) that he prepared himself to travel to Baitul-Maqdis and after he had prepared, he went to the Prophet(ﷺ) in order to bid farewell to him and he said to him:

“Where are you intending to go?” He said: “I wish to travel to Baitul-Maqdis.” The Prophet(ﷺ) asked him: “And why?” He said: “In order to pray there. “He said: “(Prayer) here is a thousand times better than prayer there.”

(Reported by At-Tabarani with a chain of reliable narrators, on the authority of

Al-Arqam(رضي الله عنه) with the words: “Prayer here is better than a thousand prayers there.”)

 

[112: Regarding this Verse, Ibn Kathir says: “A group of the Pious Predecessors have said that the mosque is Quba’ Mosque…but has it been reported in an authentic Hadith that the first mosque is that of the Prophet(ﷺ), which is in the heart of Al-Madinah that is the mosque which was built upon a foundation of piety and this is correct. Imam Ahmad says in his Musnad that the Prophet(ﷺ) said: “The mosque which was laid upon a foundation of piety is this, my Mosque.” In another narration of Imam Ahmad, he(ﷺ) said: “Concerning the mosque which is referred to, it is this, my Mosque.” This was also the opinion of Ibn Jarir At-Tabari. However, Shaikh Muhammad Nasir Ad-Din Al-Albani says in his book Ath-Thamar Al-Mustatab that it is Quba’ Mosque and he cites as evidence the preceding Verse which refers to the mosque built by the hypocrites near to Quba’ Mosque and he says that therefore Verse 108 must be understood in context with Verse 107. And Allah knows better.]

[113: Al-Bukhari (1190) and Muslim (1394).]

[114: Majma’uz-Zawa’id (4/7).]

 

✿Prayer in the Additions which have been made to the Mosque

 

The additions which have been made to the Prophet’s Mosque take the same ruling as the Prophet’s Mosque regarding the multiplying (of the reward) of prayer and the Pious Predecessors (the Salaf) are agreed upon this and it is the opinion of the majority of the later scholars. Al-Muhibb At-Tabari said: “The mosque referred to in the Hadith of the multiplication (of reward) is that which was present in his time and whatever was added, according to the narrations from Companions in this regard,”[115]

Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyah may Allah have mercy on him-said: “His mosque was smaller than it is today, as was the Sacred Mosque, but the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and those who came after them increased them both, and the ruling of the additions is the same as the ruling on (those carly) additions in all matters.[116]

 

✿The Ruling on Prayer in the Open Spaces

 

When it is crowded, the rows (of worshippers) might be extended outside the Mosque to the open spaces and the surrounding streets. So, the one who offers prayer inside the mosque, will receive an increased reward, because the rows are connected; the compiler of Tafsir Adhwa Al-Bayan said: “The increased reward is a bounty from Allah and grace upon His slaves, so the believers enjoy the abundance of Allah’s Favor, therefore there will not be two men standing side-by-side in the row, one of them on the threshold of the Mosque on the outside of it, while the other is on the threshold just inside it and He gives this one (i.e., the one outside) a single reward when their shoulders are touching[117]

 

[115: Tarikh Al-Masjid An-Nabawi Ash-Sharif (p. 11).]

[116: Majmu’ Fatawa Ibn Taimiyah (26/146)]

[117: Tarikh Al-Masjid An-Nabawi Ash-Sharif by Muhammad Ilyas ‘Abdul-Ghani (12-13)]

 

✿The Required Manner of Visiting the Prophet’s Mosque

 

There are general manners and customs required when visiting all mosques, and others required when visiting the Mosque of the Messenger of Allah; and the Muslim is required, when visiting his Mosque to observe these manners and customs, among which are the following:

– To smarten himself and to wear nice clothes and perfume, for Allah the Most High says:

 

                                                       يَنبَنِي ءَادَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ                                                     

     

“O Children of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean clothes) while praying…” [Al- A’raf 7:31]

– To make sure that his body and his garments are free from any bad odors, for the Prophet(ﷺ) said:

“Whoever ate onion or garlic, should stay away from our Mosque and remain in his house. [118]

– It is a Sunnah to enter the mosque with one’s right foot and to say:

 

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ

 

“Bismillahi was-salamu ‘ala Rasulillahi. Allâhummaftah li abwaba Rahmatik.”

(In the Name of Allah and may the Peace of Allah be upon His Messenger. O Allah! Open for me the Gates of Your Mercy.)

– He should not raise his voice, whether in prayer, or when delivering salutations of peace, or when reciting the Qur’ân.

– It is highly recommended for him to pray two Rak’ahs as salutation to the Mosque in the noble Rawdah, but if he is not able to find space there, he may pray in any place in the Mosque.

-He should not pray towards the grave of the Prophet(ﷺ), because prayer must not be performed except towards the Qiblah, nor should he circumambulate the noble chamber, because circumambulation should not be made except of the Ka’bah.

 

✿A Journey may be undertaken to it

 

In keeping with its importance and its elevated status, journeys should not be undertaken except to it, the Sacred

Mosque (in Makkah) and Al-Aqsa Mosque (in Jerusalem); the Prophet(ﷺ) said:

 

لَا تُشَدُّ الرِّجَالُ إِلَّا إِلَى ثَلَاثَةِ مَسَاجِدَ المَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ، وَمَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ، وَمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى

 

“Do not saddle up your riding beasts except to go to three mosques: The Sacred Mosque, and the Mosque of the Messenger Al-Aqsa Mosque, [119]

And from the time the Muslim directs his feet towards the Prophet’s Mosque, he is earning a reward until he reaches it, when he also earns a reward. It was reported by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, on the authority of Abu Hurairah(رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet(ﷺ) said:

 

مِنْ حِينِ يَخْرُجُ أَحَدُكُمْ مِنْ مَنْزِلِهِ إِلَى مَسْجِدِي فَرِجُلٌ تُكْتَبُ لَهُ حَسَنَةً، وَرِجْلٌ تُحَطُّ عَنْهُ سَيِّئَةً حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ

 

“Verily, from the time one of you leaves his house to go to the mosque, his foot records a good deed and his (other) foot removes a sin from him. “[120]

Abu Hurairah(رضي الله عنه) narrated that he heard Allâh’s Messenger(ﷺ) saying:

 

مِنْ جَاءَ مَسْجِدِي هَذَا لَمْ يَأْتِهِ إِلَّا لِخَيْرِ يَتَعَلَّمُهُ أَوْ يُعَلِّمُهُ فَهُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْجَاهِدِ ي فی سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، وَمَنْ جَاءَ لِغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الرَّجُلِ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى مَتَاعِ غَيْرِهِ

 

“Whoever came to this mosque of mine intending only to learn something good or to teach it, he has the status of a Mujahid[121] in the path of Allah; and whoever came to it for another purpose, he has the status of a man who looks at the property of another.[122]

And it is reported on the authority of Abu Umamah Al-Bahili(رضي الله عنه) that he said:

 

مَنْ غَدًا إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ لَا يُرِيدُ إِلَّا أَن يَتَعَلَّمَ خَيْرًا أَوْ يَعْلَمَهُ كَانَ لَهُ كَأَجْرِ حَاجٌ تَامَّا حَجَّتَهُ

 

“Whoever went out in the morning to the mosque, desiring naught but to learn something good or to teach it, he has a reward like the reward of a pilgrim who has completed his Hajj[123].

 

[118: Al-Bukhari (855) and Muslim (564).]

[119: Al-Bukhari (1189) and Muslim (1397).]

[120: Sahih Ibn Hibban (4/405-1622).]

[121: Mujahid: One who strives in Allah’s cause.]

[122: Ibn Majah (227) and authenticated by Al-Albani.]

[123: Majma’uz-Zawa’id (1/123).]

 

REFERENCE:

Book: “History of Madina Munawwarah”

Prepared by a group of Scholars  under the supervision of  Shaikh Safir ur Rahman Mubarak puri. (Darussalam)