‘Uthman b. Mazun said,“Messenger of God, grant us permission to become eunuchs." God’s Messenger replied,“He who makes another a eunuch or becomes one himself does not belong to us; fasting serves that purpose among my people." He then said, "Grant us permission to lead the wandering life of the devotee." He replied, "The wandering life of the devotee among my people is jihad in God’s path." He said, "Grant us permission to adopt monkery.”He replied, "Monkery among my people consists of sitting in mosques waiting for the time of prayer." Baghawi transmitted it in Sharh as-sunna.

‘Abd ar-Rahman b. ‘A’ish reported God’s Messenger as saying:I saw my Lord in the most beautiful form, and He said, "What do the angels near My presence dispute about?" I replied," Thou knowest best.”Then He placed the palm of His hand between my shoulder-blades and I felt the coolness of it between my nipples! Then I knew what was in the heavens and the earth. And he recited, "Thus did We show Abraham the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and it was so that he might have certainty (Al-Qur’an; 6:75).” Darimi transmitted it in mursal form.

Tirmidhi has something similar from ‘Abd ar-Rahman, and from Ibn ‘Abbas and Mu'adh b. Jabal, in which he had additions:He asked, "Muhammad, do you know what the angels near My presence dispute about?" I replied, "Yes, about expiations, and they are remaining in the mosques after the prayers are over, walking on foot to the congregational prayers, and performing elaborate ablution in unpleasant circumstances (Cf. p. 151). Whoever does that will live and die righteously, and as far as his sin is concerned, he will be as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him." He said, "Muhammad, when you pray say, ‘O God, I ask Thee to enable me to do good deeds, abandon objectionable things, and love the poor, and when Thou intendest to test Thy servants, take me to Thyself without being led astray.'" He said, "People are raised in degree by saluting all and sundry, providing food, and praying at night when people are asleep." The wording of this tradition is as it occurs in al-Masabih, but I found it traced to ‘Abd ar-Rahman only in Sharh as-sunna.

Abu Umama reported God’s Messenger as saying, "Three people are all in God’s safe keeping:a man who goes out to fight in God’s path, who is in God’s safe keeping till He takes his soul and brings him into paradise, or sends him home with the reward or booty he has obtained; a man who goes out to the mosque, who is in God’s safe keeping; and a man who enters his house in peace,* who is in God’s safe keeping.”* The translation above is given on the analogy of Al-Qur’an; 15:46. The phrase might, however, mean one who gives a salutation when he enters his house. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

He also reported God’s Messenger as saying,“If one goes out from his house to a stated prayer in a state of purity, his reward will be like that of the pilgrim in the sacred state; if one goes out to devotions in the forenoon, nothing else causing him to go out, his reward will be like that of him who performs the ‘umra;1 and a prayer following another with no idle talk between them will be a deed recorded in llliyun,”2 1. The little pilgrimage, consisting of the rites at the Ka'ba and the running between al-Safa and al-Marwa. 2. See Al-Qur’an, 83:18 ff. Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying,“When you pass one of the gardens of paradise, feed there.”When asked what the gardens of paradise were he replied that they were the mosques, and when asked what the feeding consisted of, he replied,“Glory be to God; Praise be to God; there is no god but God; and God is most great.”Tirmidhi transmitted it.

He also reported God’s Messenger as saying,“If anyone comes to a mosque for a purpose, he will attain it.”Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Fatima daughter of al-Husain said on the authority of her grand-mother, Fatima the elder,* that when the Prophet entered the mosque he would pray for blessings and safety for himself and say,“My Lord, forgive me my sins, and open to me the gates of Thy mercy.”And when he went out he would pray for blessings and safety for himself and say,“My Lord, forgive me my sins, and open to me the gates of Thy abundance.”*The daughter of the Prophet who married ‘Ali. Tirmidhi, Ahmad and Ibn Majah transmitted it. In the version of the last two she said that when he entered the mosque, and also when he came out, he said,“In the name of God, and peace be upon God’s Messenger,”instead of“he would pray for blessings and safety for himself.”Tirmidhi said that its isnad is not connected, for Fatima daughter of al-Husain was not born in the lifetime of Fatima the elder.

‘Amr b. Shu'aib on his father’s authority reported his grandfather as saying that God’s Messenger prohibited the recitation of poems in a mosque, buying and selling in it, and sitting in a circle in a mosque on Friday before the prayer. Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s Messenger as saying:When you see anyone buying or selling in a mosque, say,“May God not make your trading profitable!”And when you see anyone calling out in it about something lost, say,“May God not restore it to you.”Tirmidhi and Darimi transmitted it.