She said that the sunna for one who is observing a period of private devotion in a mosque is not to visit an invalid, or attend a funeral, or touch or embrace one’s wife, or go out for anything but necessary purposes. There is no period of private devotion in a mosque without fasting, and it must be carried out in a congregational mosque. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar said that when the Prophet observed a period of private devotion in the mosque his bedding was placed for him, or a couch was put down for him, behind the column of repentance.* *A column in the Prophet's mosque in Medina, said to have got this name because the repentance of Abu Lubaba was accepted beside it. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying about one who observes a period of private devotion in a mosque,“He turns away from sins and he is rewarded for good deeds like one who does all good deeds.”Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Uthmān reported God’s messenger as saying,“The best among you is he who learns and teaches the Qur’ān.”Bukhārī transmitted it.

‘Uqba b. ‘Āmir said:When we were in the Suffa (A kind of verandah at the mosque in Medina where certain poor people lived) God’s mes­senger came out and asked,“Which of you would like to go out every morning to Buthān or al-‘Aqīq (Two wādis not far from Medina where camels were sold) and bring two large-humped she-camels without being guilty of sin or severing ties of relationship?”We replied,“Messenger of God, we would all like that.”He said,“Does not one of you go out in the morning to the mosque and teach or recite two verses of God’s Book? That is better for him than two she- camels, and three verses are better for him than three she-camels, and four verses are better for him than four she-camels, and so on than their numbers in camels.”Muslim transmitted it.

Abū Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying,“Would one of you like, when he returns to his family, to find there three large, fat pregnant she-camels? When we replied that we would, he said,“Three verses which one of you recites in his prayer are better for him than three large, fat, pregnant she-camels.”Muslim transmitted it.

‘Ā’isha reported God’s messenger as saying,“One who is skilled in the Qur’ān is associated with the noble, upright recording angels; and he who falters when reciting the Qur’ān and finds it difficult for him will have a double reward.”(Bukhārī and Muslim.)

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying,“Envy is justified only regarding two types:a man who, having been given [knowledge of] the Qur’ān by God, stands reciting it during the night and during the day; and a man who having been given property by God, spends on others from it during the night and during the day.”(Bukhārī and Muslim.)

Abū Mūsa al-Ash'ari reported God’s messenger as saying,“A be­liever who recites the Qur’ān is like a citron whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is sweet, a believer who does not recite the Qur’ān is like a date which has no fragrance but has a sweet state, a hypocrite who does not recite the Qur’ān is like the colocynth which has no fragrance and has a better taste, and the hypocrite who recites the Qur’ān is like basil whose fragrance is sweet but whose taste is bitter.”A version has,“A believer who recites the Qur’ān and acts according to it is like a citron, and a believer who does not recite the Qur’ān but acts according to it is like a date.”(Bukhārī and Muslim.)

‘Umar b. al Khattāb reported God’s messenger as saying,“By this Book God exalts some peoples and lowers others.”Muslim trans­mitted it.