2/16. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 448 — Mosque Simplicity
On (The Reward) Of Building Masajid
High Mosques Hadith: Simplicity in Mosque Building
Sunan Abi Dawud : 448
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 448
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ بْنِ سُفْيَانَ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي فَزَارَةَ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ الأَصَمِّ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَا أُمِرْتُ بِتَشْيِيدِ الْمَسَاجِدِ " . قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ لَتُزَخْرِفُنَّهَا كَمَا زَخْرَفَتِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى .
Abdullah ibn Abbas Narrated from:
I was not commanded to build high mosques. Ibn Abbas said: You will certainly adorn them as the Jews and Christians did.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 448In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 58English translation : Book 2, Hadith 448
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 448
This hadith speaks about mosque simplicity. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم says, “I was not commanded to build high mosques.” Ibn Abbas then adds that people would surely adorn them as the Jews and Christians did. The wording keeps the focus on height and decoration, not on the basic need for mosques. For anyone searching for a hadith about high mosques or mosque decoration in Islam, this narration points to a serious reminder: a mosque is not meant to become a place of show. The text does not reject building mosques. It warns against turning mosque building into height, display, and ornament. The core message is to keep the purpose of the mosque clear and not let appearance take over.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was not commanded to build high mosques.
- Ibn Abbas warned that people would adorn mosques.
- The narration points toward simplicity rather than display.
