CHAPTER 42: HE BUILDING OF HIS NOBLE MOSQUE DURING HIS STAY AT THE RESIDENCE OF ABU AYYOOB AL-ANSARI
THE BUILDING OF HIS NOBLE MOSQUE DURING HIS STAY AT THE RESIDENCE OF ABU AYYOOB AL-ANSARI
Al-Bukhari related that Anas Ibn Malik said: When Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) arrived at Madinah, he alighted at the upper part of Madinah among the people called Banu Amr Ibn ‘Awf and he stayed with them for fourteen nights. Then he sent for the chiefs of Banu An-Najjar, and they came, carrying their swords. As if I am just now looking at Allah’s Messenger on his she-camel with Abu Bakr riding behind him (on the same camel) and the chiefs of Bani An-Najjar around him till he dismounted in the courtyard of Abu Ayyoob’s home. The Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) used to offer the prayer wherever the prayer was due, and he would pray even in sheepfolds. Then he ordered that the mosque be built. He sent for the chiefs of Banu an-Najjaar, and when they came, he said, “O Banu An-Najjar! Suggest to me the price of this garden of yours.” They replied “No! By Allah, we do not demand its price except from Allah.”
In that garden there were the (following) things that I will tell you: Graves of pagans, unleveled land with holes and pits etc., and date-palm trees. Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) ordered that the graves of the pagans be dug up and, the unleveled land be leveled and the date-palm trees be cut down. The trunks of the trees were arranged so as to form the wall facing the Qiblah. The stone pillars were built at the sides of its gate. The companions of the Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) were carrying the stones and reciting some lyrics, and Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) was with them and they were saying, “O Allah! There is no good except the good of the Hereafter, so bestow victory on the Ansar and the Muhajiroon.” Al-Bukhari has related this Hadith in another place and Muslim. We have stated earlier in Saheeh Al-Bukhari through Urwah that the location where the mosque was sited used to be a place for drying dates belonging to two orphan boys living in the quarters of As’ad Ibn Zurarah, Sahl and Suhail. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) bargained the price of the piece of land with them but they said: “We will rather give it to you free of charge O Messenger of Allah,” but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) declined and bought it from them instead and he built a mosque on it.
Abu Dawood related that Ibn Umar narrated: In the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger the mosque was built of adobes, its roof of the leaves of date-palms and its pillars of the stems of date-palms. Abu Bakr did not alter it. Umar expanded it on the same pattern as it was in the lifetime of Allah’s Messenger by using adobes, leaves of date-palms and changing the pillars into wooden ones. ‘Uthman changed it by expanding it to a great extent and built its walls with engraved stones and lime and made its pillars of engraved stones and its roof of teak wood.” This is how Al-Bukhari has related from Ali Ibn Al-Madini from Ya’qoob Ibn Ibrahim.
I said: Uthman extended it based on his interpretation of the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) that: “He who built a mosque for Allah (as small) as the hole of a sand grouse, Allah would build a house for him like it in Paradise” and the other Companions present agreed with him on that and they did not change it after his demise.
Scholars have used this as evidence that the extension (of a mosque) takes the same ruling as the main structure. Thus the ruling of the entire Mosque in terms of multiplication of reward for praying in it is equally applicable to it according to a more correct opinion.
It was also extended during the time of Al-Waleed Ibn Abdul-Malik. On his orders, Umar Ibn Abdul-Azeez extended it when he was the Governor of Madinah and the apartment of the Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) was included as shall be explained in due course in the discussion on his death. There were several other extensions after that. The direction of Qiblah was also extended till the Rawdah and the minbar (pulpit) are located behind several front rows as can be observed today.
Abdur-Razzaq related that Umm Salamah said: When Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) and his Companions were building the Mosque, the other Companions would lift a brick each but Ammar would lift two bricks at a time, one brick for himself and the other on behalf of Allah’s Messenger. The Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) massaged his back and said: “The son of Sumayyah, while the people earn one reward each, your own reward will be doubled. Your last drink in this world will be a drink of milk and then a transgressing group will kill you.” This chain comfirms to the rules of the Saheehain.
By Ibn Katheer
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