Skip to content
Assabile
English

Sahih MuslimThe Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer

There was a man who, as far as I know, lived farther from the mosque than anyone else, and he never missed a prayer

Chapter: The virtue of taking many steps to the masjid

Authentic hadith of Sahih Muslim Sahih Muslim 663a

Narrator:’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْثَرٌ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيِّ، عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، قَالَ كَانَ رَجُلٌ لاَ أَعْلَمُ رَجُلاً أَبْعَدَ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ مِنْهُ وَكَانَ لاَ تُخْطِئُهُ صَلاَةٌ - قَالَ - فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَوْ قُلْتُ لَهُ لَوِ اشْتَرَيْتَ حِمَارًا تَرْكَبُهُ فِي الظَّلْمَاءِ وَفِي الرَّمْضَاءِ ‏.‏ قَالَ مَا يَسُرُّنِي أَنَّ مَنْزِلِي إِلَى جَنْبِ الْمَسْجِدِ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ لِي مَمْشَاىَ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ وَرُجُوعِي إِذَا رَجَعْتُ إِلَى أَهْلِي ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏

قَدْ جَمَعَ اللَّهُ لَكَ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ ‏"

’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

There was a man who, as far as I know, lived farther from the mosque than anyone else, and he never missed a prayer. He said: It was said to him, or I said to him: If only you would buy a donkey so that you may ride it in the darkness and the scorching heat. He said: I do not like that my house be near the mosque, for I want the steps I take to the mosque and back from it to my family to be recorded for me. Upon this, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, Allah has gathered all of that for you."

Reported by Muslim (No. 663a, 663b).

Copy
Copy:
Report an error

Explanation

’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that a man from the Ansār lived farthest from the Prophet's Mosque, yet he never missed a prayer—he would attend every prayer with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So it was said to him: If you were to buy a donkey to ride during the darkness of night and the heat of the ground in the daytime, he replied: It would not please me for my house to be next to the mosque. I want Allah to record for me my walking to the mosque for prayer and my return when I go back to my family. His words reached the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who said: "Verily, Allah has gathered all of that for you."

Lessons

  • The intense keenness of the Companions to pursue goodness, increase in it, and earn reward.
  • An-Nawawi said: "This indicates that reward is affirmed for the steps taken when returning from the prayer, just as it is for those taken when going to it."
  • Muslims should encourage one another toward goodness and offer sincere advice in righteousness. So if someone sees that his brother is experiencing hardship, he should offer him advice to help relieve it.
  • Living far from the mosque is not an excuse for missing the congregational prayer, as long as one can hear the call to prayer.

Explanation in Arabic

أخبر أبي بن كعب رضي الله عنه أن رجلًا من الأنصار من أبعد الناس دارًا من المسجد النبوي، وكان لا تفوته صلاة؛ بل يحضر كل صلاة مع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقيل له:

لو اشتريت حمارًا تركبه في ظلماء الليل، وفي حر الأرض في النهار، قال:

ما يسرني أن منزلي إلى جنب المسجد، إني أريد أن يكتب الله لي ممشاي إلى الصلاة في المسجد، ورجوعي إذا رجعت إلى أهلي، فوصل كلامه إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال:

«قد جمع الله لك ذلك كله».

  • شدة حرص الصحابة على الخير والازدياد منه وكسب الأجر.
  • قال النووي: فيه إثبات الثواب في الخُطا في الرجوع من الصلاة كما يثبت في الذهاب.
  • تواصي المسلمين بالخير والتناصح بالبر، فمن رأى أن أخاه تلحقه مشقة فليقدم له النصح في إزالتها.
  • بُعد الدار عن المسجد ليس عذرًا في ترك الجماعة، ما دام يسمع النداء.

Classical commentary

An-Nawawi — Sharh Sahih Muslim

قَوْله : ( إِنِّي أُرِيدَ أَنْ يُكْتَب لِي مَمْشَايَ إِلَى الْمَسْجِد وَرُجُوعِي إِذَا رَجَعْت إِلَى أَهْلِي فَقَالَ رَسُول اللَّه صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : قَدْ جَمَعَ اللَّه لَك ذَلِكَ كُلّه ) فِيهِ : إِثْبَات الثَّوَاب فِي الْخُطَا فِي الرُّجُوع مِنْ الصَّلَاة كَمَا يَثْبُت فِي الذَّهَابِ.…

Read more

Scholars’ grades

ScholarGradeApplies toWork
Muslimd. 261 AH Authenticصحيح The hadith صحيح مسلم No. 663

Other versions

Authentic Sahih Muslim 663b

This hadith has been transmitted by Taimi with the same chain of narrators.

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنِ التَّيْمِيِّ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ ‏.‏ بِنَحْوِهِ ‏.‏

On the same subject

Authentic Sunan Abu Dawud 557

There was a certain person, out of all people of Medina, who used to pray in the mosque. I do not know that any one of them lived at a farther distance than that man. Still he never missed the prayer in congregation in the mosque. I said: it would be better if you buy a donkey and ride it in heat…

أَعْطَاكَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ أَنْطَاكَ اللَّهُ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ مَا احْتَسَبْتَ كُلَّهُ أَجْمَعَ ‏"

Narrated by ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b

Not graded Musnad Ahmad 20267

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ التَّيْمِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ قَالَ كَانَ رَجُلٌ بِالْمَدِينَةِ لَا أَعْلَمُ رَجُلًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ مِنْهُ مَنْزِلًا أَوْ قَالَ دَارًا مِنْ الْمَسْجِدِ…

Narrated by ’Ubayy ibn Ka‘b + 2 other versions Arabic only

Topics

English
Sunday, October 11, 2026 30 ربيع الآخر 1448 هـ

About Privacy