5/13. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 552b — Cleanliness in the Mosque
The prohibition of spitting in the masjid, during prayer and at other times. The prohibition of a praying person spitting in front of him or to his right
Spitting in the Mosque Hadith: Cleanliness and Expiation
Sahih Muslim : 552b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 552b
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَبِيبٍ الْحَارِثِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ الْحَارِثِ - حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ قَتَادَةَ عَنِ التَّفْلِ، فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " التَّفْلُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ خَطِيئَةٌ وَكَفَّارَتُهَا دَفْنُهَا " .
Shu'ba Narrated from:
I asked Qatada about spitting, in the mosque. He said: I heard Anas b. Malik say: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Spitting in the mosque is a sin, and its expiation is that it should be buried.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 552bIn-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 70USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 4, Hadith 1125
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 552b
This narration repeats the clear teaching that spitting in the mosque is a sin, and its expiation is to bury it. Shu'ba asked Qatada about spitting in the mosque, and Qatada narrated what he heard from Anas b. Malik from the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. The Hadith is useful because it shows the matter was asked about directly and answered through a Prophetic statement. For anyone searching for a Hadith about mosque cleanliness, the lesson is plain: the masjid must not be dirtied, and if spit is found there, it should be buried. The focus is not on blame alone. It also teaches how to fix the mistake in a way that restores cleanliness.
What we learn from this hadith
- Questions about mosque manners should be answered with clear evidence.
- Spitting in the mosque is not a small matter in this Hadith.
- Burying it is named as the expiation.
- Cleanliness is part of respecting the masjid.
