Al Minah Al `Aliyyah (12)

Going to the mosque and there

are numerous Sunnan to be followed :

Since Fajr prayer is the first prayer of the day, the trip to the mosque requires various Sunnan including:

It is Sunnah to go to the mosque early because of the hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah t that the Prophet r said,

“If people were to know the virtues of the Fajr prayer, they would race one another for it.”^[1]

The pious predecessors (Salaf) were eager to hasten to the Fajr prayer. Sa’id Ibn al-Musayyeb (may Allah have mercy upon him) said,

“Since thirty years, the Muazzin did not make adhan, but I was already seated in the mosque.” ^[2]

He also said,

“I did not hear the adhan in my home for nearly thirty years (i.e. because he used to attend the prayer in the mosque).” ^[3]

That a person should go to the mosque even in the state of major and minor purity in order to have his sins erased and good deeds doubled. Abu Hurairah t reported that Allah’s Messenger said,

“The prayer of a man in congregation is twenty-five times more superior (in reward) to his prayer in his house or market - and this is because he performs ablution and perfects it and goes to the mosque with the sole purpose of performing the prayer. He does not take a step without being raised a degree and having one of his sins erased. When he prays, as long as he does not lose his ablution, the angels keep on praying [for him] ‘O Allah, bless him. O Allah, have mercy upon him.’ And he is considered in prayer as long as he is waiting for the next prayer.” ^[4]

To go for prayer in a state of serenity and humbleness. Abu Hurairah t narrated that the Prophet r said,

“When you hear the Iqamah, walk to the mosque slowly and humbly and with tranquillity and do not rush or run to catch the prayer. If you catch it from the beginning that is fine otherwise, make up the rak’ahs you missed.”^[5]

Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said,

“The word sakinah (tranquillity) mentioned in the above hadith means to walk with humbleness, respect, to avoid idle things, lowering one’s gaze, speaking softly and not looking left and right.” ^[6]

Upon leaving home, a man should say that adhakr attributed to the Prophet r. It is reported by Imam Muslim through Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said,

 “The Muezzin made the adhan and the Prophet r went out for prayer saying, ‘O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my tongue, light in my hearing, light in my sight, light behind me, light in front of me, light on my right, light on my left, light above me and light below me; place light in my sinew, in my flesh, in my blood, in my hair and in my skin; place light in my soul and make light abundant for me; make me light and grant me light.”^[7]

Enter the mosque with the right foot and leave it with the left foot:  Anas t said, “It is from the Sunnah that you enter the mosque with your right foot and leave with your left foot.”^[8]

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said the same thing. Al-Bukhari dedicated a chapter in his sahih collection to ahadith related to this issue and he called it “The chapter of entering with the right foot in the mosque and other places.”

‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated that, “The Messenger of Allah r used to like to start things with the right. He would accept things with his right hand and give things with his right hand, and he liked to start with the right in all his affairs.”^[9] The rule is that anything that leads to honouring the person, should be started with the right, otherwise, one should start with the left.

To utter the Sunnah adhkr upon entering and leaving the mosque: Abu Humaid or Abu Usaid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah said,

“If one of you enters the mosque he should say:

 اللّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ  

‘O Allah! Open Your gates of mercy for me,’

and if he leaves the mosque he should say:

اللّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ

‘O Allah! I ask You out of Your favors.”^[10]

That he should offer two rak’ahs to greet the mosque: This is in case if a person comes early to the mosque, it is Sunnah for him to offer two rak’ahs before sitting. Abu Qatadah t narrated that Allah’s Messenger r said,

“If anyone of you enters a Mosque, he should not sit until he has offered a two units of prayer.”^[11]

 Offering two rak’ahs would be enough to greet the mosque and the two Sunnah rak’ahs before Fajr, noon, or duha (forenoon) prayer would replace the rak’ahs for greeting the mosque. The same is said about the witr or even an obligatory prayer because the significance is that the person should not sit down before offering some rak’ahs as mosques were built mainly for prayer.

It is Sunnah for men to hasten to be in the first row as it is the best line, for women the last row is the best for them: Abu Hurairah t reported that Allah’s Messenger r said,

 “The best of the prayer lines for men are the first rows, the worst being the final rows. The best of the prayer lines for women are the final rows and the worst are the first rows.”^[12]

The best means with regards to having the greatest reward and the worst means with regards to having the least reward. This hadith applies in the case when men and women pray together with no separation. Thus, the last row would be the best as they are away from men’s eyes. However, if there was a barrier such as a curtain, wall, etc. or there is a separate room for women, the best line here would be the first for women of course as they are far away from men. There are many ahadith that indicate the virtues of the first row. Abu Hurairah t narrated that Allah’s Messenger r said,

“If the people knew the reward for pronouncing the adhan and for standing in the first row (in the congregational prayer) and found no other way to get it except by drawing lots they would do so, and if they knew the reward of offering the Dhuhr prayer early (in its stated time), they would race for it and if they knew the reward for ‘Isha’ and Fajr prayers in congregation, they would attend them even if they had to crawl.”^[13]

Also, the hadith of Jabir Ibn Samurah t that the Prophet r said,

“Why don’t you draw yourselves up in rows as angels do in the presence of their Lord?” We said, “Messenger of Allah, how do the angels draw themselves up in rows in the presence of their Lord?” He said, “They make the first rows complete and keep close together in the row.”^[14]

Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said,

“The first row is preferred then the next, then the next and so on. This applies to men’s rows in general and women who pray separately. However, if women pray at the same place with men without separation, the best row for women would be the last because of Abu Hurairah’s hadith, ‘The best of the prayer lines for men are the first rows, the worst being the final rows. The best of the prayer lines for women are the final rows and the worst are the first rows.’” ^{[15] [16]}

 It is a Sunnah to be close to the Imam: As we already mentioned that the best thing is to be in the first line and then it would be better to be close to the Imam. Hence, the best one is the nearest to the Imam. What indicates this is the following hadith of ‘Abudllah Ibn Mas’ud t as the Prophet r is reported to have said,

“Let those of you who are sedate and prudent be near me.”^[17]

This shows that it is required to be close to the Imam.

Ibn Muflih (may Allah have mercy upon him) in his book entitled al-Furu’ said, “There is no distinction or privilege whether the person stands right or next close to the Imam.” ^[18]

We ask Allah the Almighty to be among those who would follow the Qur’an and Sunnah, among those who fight the innovations (in the religion), for indeed Allah is fully Able to do that. What has been said are the Sunnan that precede prayer in addition to the Sunnan of the adhan. Yet, prayer has many Sunnan what I will show most of it.