Jabir said that the area round the mosque was vacant and that the Banu Salima wanted to move near the mosque, but when the Prophet heard of that he said to them, “I have heard that you want to move near the mosque.” They replied, “Yes, Messenger of God, that was our desire.” He said, “Banu Salima, if you keep to your present houses, your footprints will be recorded; if you keep to your present houses, your footprints will be recorded.” Meaning you will receive a reward for the distance you have to go to the mosque.
This hadith, narrated by Muslim from Jabir bin Abdullah, highlights the great reward of going to the mosque, as follows:
- Witnessing of Faith
Those who go to the mosque are testified to have faith. Allah says, “The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day.” (At-Tawbah: 18) It was also narrated by Ibn Majah and At-Tirmidhi with a good chain of transmission from Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “When you see a man frequenting the mosque, testify that he is a believer.”
Regular visits to the mosque increase one’s faith, as evidenced by Al-Bazzar’s narration from Al-Hasan bin Ali: “Whoever continuously visits the mosque will gain a decisive wonder, expected mercy, beneficial knowledge, a guiding word, or something that protects him from harm or leads him to abandon sins out of fear or shyness.”
- Reward Recorded for Walking to and from the Mosque
Muslim narrated in his Sahih from Ubayy bin Ka'b: There was a man, and I do not know of any other man whose house was farther than his from the mosque, and he never missed Salat (in congregation). It was said to him (or I said to him): “If you buy a donkey you could ride it in the dark nights and in the burning sand.” He said: “I do not like my house to be by the side of the mosque, for I (eagerly) desire that my steps towards the mosque and back from it should be recorded when I return to my family.” Upon this Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Allah has granted you all the rewards for you.”
- Forgiveness of Sins and Raising of Ranks
In Sahih Muslim it is narrated that Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be' upon him) said, “He who purified himself in his house, and then he walked to one of the houses of Allah for the sake of performing a Fard (obligatory act) out of the Fara'id (obligatory acts) of Allah, both his steps (would be significant) as one of them would obliterate his sin and the second one would raise his status.”
Muslim also narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Shall I not tell you something by which Allah effaces the sins and elevates ranks (in Jannah)?” The Companions said; “Certainly, O Messenger of Allah.” He (ﷺ) said, “Performing the Wudu' thoroughly in spite of difficult circumstances, walking with more paces to the mosque, and waiting for the next As- Salat (the prayer) after observing Salat; and that is Ar-Ribat, and that is Ar-Ribat.”
Ibn Khuzaymah narrated with a sound chain of transmission that `Uthman bin `Affan said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Whoever does wudoo’ and does it properly, then goes to offer an obligatory prayer and offers it with the Imam, his sins will be forgiven.”
- Earning the Reward of Charity
Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from Abu Hurairah that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: “Sadaqa is due on every joint of a person, every day the sun rises. Administering of justice between two men is also a Sadaqa. And assisting a man to ride upon his beast, or helping him load his luggage upon it, is a Sadaqa; and a good word is a Sadaqa; and every step that you take towards prayer is a Sadaqa, and removing of harmful things from the pathway is a Sadaqa.”
- Deserving Allah’s Honor
Those who go to the mosque are guests of Allah (S.W.T). Since the mosques are Allah's houses on earth, their frequent visitors are His guests, and Allah honors His guests. At-Tabarani narrated, authenticated by Al-Albani, from Salman that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever does wudoo’ and does it properly, then goes to the mosque, he is Allah’s guest, and the Host will surely honor His guest.”
- Receiving Allah’s Acceptance
Ibn Khuzaymah narrated in his Sahih and authenticated by Al-Albani in Sahih At-Targheeb wa At-Tarheeb from Abu Hurairah: “When one of you performs ablution and does it well, then he comes to the mosque not seeking anything other than the prayer, but Allah feels happy with him just as the family of one who is absent feels happy when he comes back to them.”
- Remaining in Prayer as Long as One Waits in the Mosque
It is narrated in Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Everyone among you is constantly in prayer so long as the prayer detains him (for this noble objective) and nothing prevents him to return to his family but the prayer.”
- The Greatest Reward for Those Who Walk the Furthest
Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated in their Sahih from Abu Musa Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: “The most eminent among human beings (as a recipient of) reward (is one) who lives farthest away, and who has to walk the farthest distance, and he who waits for the prayer to observe it along with the Imam, his reward is greater than one who prays (alone) and then goes to sleep.”
- The Reward of a Complete Hajj
At-Tabarani narrated and authenticated by Al-Albani in Sahih At-Targheeb wa At-Tarheeb from Abu Umamah: “Whoever went to the mosque with the purpose of learning something good or teaching it, then for him is the rewards of a person who performs a perfect hajj.”
- Security and Crossing the Bridge on the Day of Judgment
Narrated by Al-Tabarani and Al-Bazzar with a good chain from Abu Al-Darda saying: “Let the mosque be your meeting place, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: 'Allah Almighty has guaranteed to those who take the mosques as their homes, comfort and safe passage over the bridge of Hell on the Day of Judgement.'”
- Perfect Light on the Day of Judgment
The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave glad tidings to those who walk to the mosque for Fajr prayer, as narrated by Ibn Majah and authenticated by Al-Albani from Anas bin Malik: “Announce to those who make a practice of walking to mosques during the times of darkness the good news that they will have complete light on the day of resurrection.”
- Allah Prepares a Place in Paradise
It is narrated in Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurairah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “He who goes to the mosque at dawn or dusk (for Salat), Allah prepares a hospitable abode for him in Jannah, every time when he walks to it or comes back from it.”
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