It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, said: Those who are farthest from the mosque, then those who are farther than them, are the most virtuous in reward and merit.

Abu Zubair says: I asked Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) if he had heard the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say anything about a person who walks more steps towards the mosque. He said: We ourselves wanted to move our houses in Madinah closer to the mosque, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us and said: Do not leave the outskirts of Madinah empty; surely, for every step you take, there is a rank of virtue for you, more than those who live near the mosque.

(Second Chain) Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) says: Some space around the mosque became vacant, so the Banu Salamah intended to move closer to the mosque. When this news reached the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he asked them: I have heard that you want to move closer to the mosque? They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah! We intend to do so. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Banu Salamah! Remain in your homes, your footsteps are recorded, remain in your homes, your footsteps are recorded.

A similar hadith is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, in which the words are as follows: When this matter reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he disliked the outskirts of Madinah becoming deserted, he said to them: O Banu Salamah! Do you not hope for reward from Allah Almighty for the traces of your (footsteps) towards the mosque? They said: O Messenger of Allah! Why not. Then they remained in the same place.

Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) says: There was a man in Madinah who, to my knowledge, lived the farthest from the mosque, but he would attend all the prayers with the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Someone said to him: If you buy a donkey and ride it during intense heat and darkness, you could come more easily. But he said: I am not pleased even if my house were right next to the mosque. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) learned of all this, he asked him: You said that you would not be pleased even if your house were next to the mosque—what did you mean by that? He said: My intention is that when I come to the mosque, my coming, and when I return to my house, my returning, both be recorded. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah the Exalted has granted you all of that. He said: The reward you were hoping for, Allah the Exalted has granted it all to you.