2/26. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 484 — Keeping the Mosque Clean
Spitting In A Masjid Is Disliked
Hadith About Cleaning the Mosque Mat After Spitting
Sunan Abi Dawud : 484
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 484
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْفَرَجُ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ وَاثِلَةَ بْنَ الأَسْقَعِ فِي مَسْجِدِ دِمَشْقَ بَصَقَ عَلَى الْبُورِيِّ ثُمَّ مَسَحَهُ بِرِجْلِهِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ لِمَ فَعَلْتَ هَذَا قَالَ لأَنِّي رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَفْعَلُهُ .
Wathilah bin Al-Asqa' Narrated from:
AbuSa'id said: I saw Wathilah ibn al-Asqa' in the mosque of Damascus. He spat at the mat and then rubbed it with his foot. He was asked: Why did you do so? He said: Because I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) doing so.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 484In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 94English translation : Book 2, Hadith 485
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 484
This hadith about mosque cleanliness reports that Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’ spat on a mat in the mosque of Damascus and then rubbed it with his foot. When people asked why he did that, he answered that he had seen the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم doing so. The narration is brief, but it gives a clear message. If a person spits, he should not leave the place dirty. He should remove or rub away the mark. The hadith also shows how the Companions followed what they had seen from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. For searches like hadith about cleaning the mosque or mosque manners in Islam, this report points to simple respect for a worship space. The mosque is not only a place to enter; it is a place to keep clean.
What we learn from this hadith
- A mosque should not be left dirty after spitting.
- Wathilah followed what he saw from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
- Cleaning after oneself is part of good mosque manners.
- Questions about actions can be answered by pointing to the Prophet’s example.
