He who builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise.'

Chapter: (The superiority of) whoever built a mosque

Authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 450

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرٌو، أَنَّ بُكَيْرًا، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عَاصِمَ بْنَ عُمَرَ بْنِ قَتَادَةَ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّهُ، سَمِعَ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ الْخَوْلاَنِيَّ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ عَفَّانَ، يَقُولُ عِنْدَ قَوْلِ النَّاسِ فِيهِ حِينَ بَنَى مَسْجِدَ الرَّسُولِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِنَّكُمْ أَكْثَرْتُمْ، وَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏

مَنْ بَنَى مَسْجِدًا ـ قَالَ بُكَيْرٌ حَسِبْتُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ ـ يَبْتَغِي بِهِ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ، بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ مِثْلَهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ ‏"

Mahmūd ibn Labīd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

'Uthmān ibn' Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to build the mosque, but the people did not like this idea, and they wished that he should keep it as it was. Thereupon, he said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'He who builds a mosque for Allah, Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise.'"

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 450), Muslim (No. 533a, 533b, 533c, 533d), At-Tirmidhi (No. 318), Ibn Majah (No. 736), Ahmad (No. 406, 407, 433, 474, 475) and Ad-Darimi (No. 1356).

Explanation

'Uthmān ibn' Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) wanted to rebuild the Prophet's Mosque in a better way than its former state. But the people disliked that, as it would involve a change to the earlier condition of the Mosque's structure during the Prophet's lifetime. The Mosque was made of mud bricks, and its ceiling was made of palm branches. 'Uthmān, however, wanted to build it with stones and plaster. So, 'Uthmān (may Allah be pleased with him) informed them that he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: Whoever builds a mosque to win the pleasure of Allah Almighty, not for show-off or reputation, Allah will give him the best reward of the same kind of his deed. The reward is that Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise.

Lessons

The Hadīth urges the construction of mosques and demonstrates the merit of doing so.
The expansion and renovation of a mosque fall under the merit of building a mosque.
It stresses the importance of sincerity to Allah Almighty in all deeds.

Explanation in Arabic

أراد عثمانُ بن عفان رضي الله عنه إعادةَ بناءِ مسجدِ النبيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم على وجهٍ أحسن من بنائه الأول، فكَرِه الناسُ ذلك؛ لِمَا فيه من تغيير بناء المسجد عن هيئةِ بُنْيانِه في عهد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فكان المسجد مَبْنِيًّا باللَّبِن، وسَقْفُه كان من الجَرِيْد، ولكن عثمان أراد أن يَبنيَه بالأحجار والجَصّ، فأخبرهم عثمان رضي الله عنه، أنه سمع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: مَن بَنى مسجدًا طلبًا لمرضاته تعالى لا رياء ولا سمعة، جزاه الله أفضلَ جزاءٍ مِن جِنسِ عملِه، وهذا الجزاء هو بناءُ الله له مثلَه في الجنة.

الحث على بناء المساجد وفضل ذلك.
توسيع المسجد وتجديده داخِلٌ في فضل البناء.
أهمية الإخلاص لله تعالى في جميع الأعمال.

Classical commentary

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani — Fath al-Bari

قَوْله : ( أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرو ) هُوَ اِبْن الْحَارِثِ وَبُكَيْرٌ بِالتَّصْغِيرِ هُوَ اِبْن عَبْد اللَّه بْن الْأَشَجِّ وَعُبَيْد اللَّهِ هُوَ اِبْنُ الْأَسْوَدِ. وَفِي هَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ ثَلَاثَة مِنْ التَّابِعِينَ فِي نَسَق : بُكَيْر وَعَاصِم وَعُبَيْد اللَّه وَثَلَاثَة مِنْ أَوَّلِهِ مِصْرِيُّونَ , وَثَلَاثَة مِنْ آخِرِهِ مَدَنِيُّونَ وَفِي وَسَطِهِ مَدَنِيّ سَكَن مِصْر وَهُوَ بُكَيْرٌ , فَانْقَسَمَ الْإِسْنَاد إِلَى مِصْرِيٍّ وَمَدَنِيّ. قَوْله : ( عِنْدَ قَوْلِ النَّاسِ فِيهِ ) وَقْع بَيَانُ ذَلِكَ عِنْد مُسْلِم حَيْثُ أَخْرَجَهُ مِنْ طَرِيقِ مَحْمُود بْن لَبِيد الْأَنْصَارِيّ - وَهُوَ مِنْ صِغَار الصَّحَابَة - قَالَ " لَمَّا أَرَادَ عُثْمَان بِنَاءَ الْمَسْجِدِ كَرِهَ النَّاس ذَلِكَ وَأ…

Scholar	Grade	Applies to	Work
Al-Bukharid. 256 AH	Authenticصحيح	The hadith	صحيح البخاري No. 450

Grades of other versions (3)

Authentic chainShu'ayb al-Arna'ut إسناده صحيح على شرط مسلم — تخريج صحيح ابن حبان (1609)
AuthenticMuslim صحيح — صحيح مسلم (533)
AuthenticIbn Hibban أخرجه في صحيحه — صحيح ابن حبان (1609)

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 533a

'Uthman b. 'Affan listened to the opinion of the people (which was not favourable) when he rebuilt the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Thereupon he said: You have not been fair to me for I have heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: He who built a mosque for Allah, the Exalted, Allah…

مَنْ بَنَى مَسْجِدًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى - قَالَ بُكَيْرٌ حَسِبْتُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ - يَبْتَغِي بِهِ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ - بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ ‏"

Narrated by Uthmān ibn ‘Affān

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 533b

When 'Uthman b. 'Affan intended to build the mosque (of the Prophet) the people did not approve of it. They liked that it should be kept in the same state. Thereupon he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: He who built a mosque for Allah, Allah would build a house for him like it in…

مَنْ بَنَى مَسْجِدًا لِلَّهِ بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ مِثْلَهُ ‏"

Narrated by Uthmān ibn ‘Affān

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 533c

You discuss it very much whereas I have heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who builds a mosque-- and the narrator Bukair said: I think he also said: (for) seeking the pleasure of Allah- Allah would build (a similar house for him in Paradise). and in the narration of Harun (the words are):" A…

مَنْ بَنَى مَسْجِدًا - قَالَ بُكَيْرٌ حَسِبْتُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ - يَبْتَغِي بِهِ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ مِثْلَهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ هَارُونَ ‏"‏ بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ ‏"

Narrated by Uthmān ibn ‘Affān

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 533d

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who builds a mosque for Allah, Allah would build for him (a house) in Paradise like it.

مَنْ بَنَى مَسْجِدًا لِلَّهِ بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ مِثْلَهُ ‏"

Narrated by Uthmān ibn ‘Affān

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Jami' at-Tirmidhi 318

he heard Allah's Messenger say: "Whoever builds a Masjid for (the sake of) Allah, then Allah will build a similar house for him in Paradise."

"‏ مَنْ بَنَى لِلَّهِ مَسْجِدًا بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ مِثْلَهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ ‏"

Narrated by Uthmān ibn ‘Affān

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Ibn Majah 736

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'Whoever builds a mosque for the sake of Allah, Allah will build something similar for him in Paradise.'"

"‏ مَنْ بَنَى لِلَّهِ مَسْجِدًا بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ مِثْلَهُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ ‏"

Narrated by Uthmān ibn ‘Affān

See all 13 versions

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Musnad Ahmad 406