5/0. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 520a — First Mosques and Prayer Anywhere
The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer
First Mosque on Earth Hadith: Masjid al-Haram, Masjid al-Aqsa, and Prayer Anywhere
Sahih Muslim : 520a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 520a
حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو كَامِلٍ الْجَحْدَرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، ح قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ مَسْجِدٍ وُضِعَ فِي الأَرْضِ أَوَّلُ قَالَ " الْمَسْجِدُ الْحَرَامُ " . قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَىٌّ قَالَ " الْمَسْجِدُ الأَقْصَى " . قُلْتُ كَمْ بَيْنَهُمَا قَالَ " أَرْبَعُونَ سَنَةً وَأَيْنَمَا أَدْرَكَتْكَ الصَّلاَةُ فَصَلِّ فَهُوَ مَسْجِدٌ " . وَفِي حَدِيثِ أَبِي كَامِلٍ " ثُمَّ حَيْثُمَا أَدْرَكَتْكَ الصَّلاَةُ فَصَلِّهْ فَإِنَّهُ مَسْجِدٌ " .
Abu Dharr Narrated from:
I said: Messenger of Allah, which mosque was set up first on the earth? He said: Al-Masjid al-Haram (the sacred). I (again) said: Then which next? He said: It was the Masjid Aqsa. I (again) said: How long the space of time (between their setting up)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: It was forty years. And whenever the time comes for prayer, pray there, for that is a mosque; and in the hadith transmitted by Abu Kamil (the words are):" Whenever time comes for prayer, pray, for that is a mosque (for you)."
Reference : Sahih Muslim 520aIn-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 1USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1056
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 520a
This hadith answers a question about the first mosque set up on earth. Abu Dharr asked the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم), and he replied: Al-Masjid al-Haram. When asked which came next, he said: Masjid Aqsa. When asked about the time between them, he said: forty years. The hadith then gives a clear prayer lesson: whenever the time for prayer comes, pray there, for that is a mosque. The core topic is mosques and prayer anywhere. This is why people search for first mosque on earth hadith, Masjid al-Haram Masjid al-Aqsa hadith, and earth is a mosque hadith. The text teaches both a named order of two mosques and ease in offering prayer when its time arrives.
What we learn from this hadith
- Al-Masjid al-Haram is named as the first mosque set up on earth.
- Masjid al-Aqsa is named as the next mosque after it.
- The time between them is stated as forty years.
- When prayer time reaches a person, he should pray there.
