(may Allah have mercy on him) - In his book *Riyad al-Salihin*: "The Chapter on the Virtue of Walking to the Mosques"
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book *Riyad al-Salihin*: "The Chapter on the Virtue of Walking to the Mosques":
Walking to the mosques means walking to pray in them. Walking to the mosques is done for multiple reasons: for example, to attend a lesson, to read the Qur'an in them, to fix something in them, or for other reasons. But the one who comes to the mosques for prayer is the one intended in this chapter. In the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:: "Ghada" means he went in the morning, and "rāḥa" means he went in the evening after the sun has passed its zenith. So a lodging in Paradise is recorded for him every time he goes in the morning or in the evening.
And we, praise be to Allah, go to the mosques in the morning and in the evening five times every day and night. So a lodging in Paradise is recorded for the person, meaning hospitality in Paradise, every time he goes in the morning or in the evening. This is among the virtues of walking to the mosques.
And among the virtues of that is also that if a person performs ablution in his home and goes out to the mosque, and nothing other than prayer takes him out, then in the hadith the author cited here:, but in another hadith: Sunan Ibn Majah 777Hasan (Darussalam): he gains in a single step the raising of a degree and the erasing of a sin, on the condition that he performs ablution in his home and completes the ablution, then goes out to the mosque, and nothing other than prayer takes him out. So for every step he takes, Allah raises for him a degree and erases for him a sin. This is a great blessing from Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
And among the benefits of that is that it is recommended for a person to come to the mosque on foot and return on foot. This is the best. The evidence for that is the story of the Ansari man whose home was far away. It was said to him: "Why don't you buy a donkey to ride in the darkness and in the heat?" He said: "No, I will not buy one. I seek reward from Allah for my steps going and returning." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:: This indicates that coming to the mosque on foot is better than coming on a mount, because the reward for the steps is calculated for you. But if a person has an excuse, there is no harm in coming by car. And a step of the car is one rotation of the wheel: if it rotates once, this is considered a step, because when it rotates, the part that touched the ground is lifted, then it rotates until it returns to the ground a second time. So it is like lifting the foot from the ground and placing it down a second time. So if a person has an excuse, there is no harm in coming by car, and each rotation of the wheel is like a step of the foot. This is also among the virtues of walking to the mosques: that Allah the Exalted records for the person the steps every time he goes and every time he returns.
Yes, and what also indicates the virtue of walking to the mosques, even if they are far, is the hadith of Jabir regarding the Banu Salimah. He says: meaning from the houses : meaning stay in your homes and do not move closer, your footprints will be recorded. This indicates that the farther a person's home is from the mosque, the more reward he gets, because he said: But this does not mean that a person should intentionally settle far from the mosque. But if it happens that he can only find a place far away, or if the homes of his people are there, or something similar, then his footprints are recorded for him.
This indicates the virtue of walking to the mosques. And the mercy of Allah the Exalted is vast, and His good is abundant, praise be to Allah. He rewards a little deed with a great reward. We ask Allah for us and for you of His great mercy.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book *Riyad al-Salihin*: "The Chapter on the Virtue of Walking to the Mosques":
Walking to the mosques means walking to pray in them. Walking to the mosques is done for multiple reasons: for example, to attend a lesson, to read the Qur'an in them, to fix something in them, or for other reasons. But the one who comes to the mosques for prayer is the one intended in this chapter. In the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
Whoever goes to the mosque in the morning or in the evening, Allah will record for him a lodging in Paradise every time he goes in the morning or in the evening.
من غدا إلى المسجد أو راح كتب الله له نزلا في الجنة كلما غدا أو راحAnd we, praise be to Allah, go to the mosques in the morning and in the evening five times every day and night. So a lodging in Paradise is recorded for the person, meaning hospitality in Paradise, every time he goes in the morning or in the evening. This is among the virtues of walking to the mosques.
And among the virtues of that is also that if a person performs ablution in his home and goes out to the mosque, and nothing other than prayer takes him out, then in the hadith the author cited here:
That he does not take a step but Allah raises for him a degree by it, and in the second step He erases for him a sin by it.
أنه لم يخط خطوة إلا رفعه الله له بها درجة وفي الخطوة الثانية يحط بها عنه خطيئةbut for every step that he takes, Allah raises him in status one degree thereby, and takes away one of his sins.
أنه لا يخطو خطوة إلا رفع الله له بها درجة وحط عنه بها خطيئةAnd among the benefits of that is that it is recommended for a person to come to the mosque on foot and return on foot. This is the best. The evidence for that is the story of the Ansari man whose home was far away. It was said to him: "Why don't you buy a donkey to ride in the darkness and in the heat?" He said: "No, I will not buy one. I seek reward from Allah for my steps going and returning." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
Allah has recorded all of that for you.
قد كتب الله لك ذلك كلهYes, and what also indicates the virtue of walking to the mosques, even if they are far, is the hadith of Jabir regarding the Banu Salimah. He says:
The areas around the mosques became empty.
خلا ما حول المساجدSo the Banu Salimah wanted to come to the mosque and get closer to it. This reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he asked them about it. They said: "Yes, we wanted to move to get closer to the mosque." He said: "O Banu Salimah, your homes record your footprints, your homes record your footprints."
فأرد بنو سلمة أن يأتوا إلى المسجد ويقربوا منه ، فبلغ ذلك النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم فسألهم عن ذلك فقالوا : نعم أردنا أن نتحول لنقرب من المسجد ، فقال : يا بني سلِمة دياركم تكتب آثاركم ، دياركم تكتب آثاركمYour footprints are recorded
تكتب آثاركمThis indicates the virtue of walking to the mosques. And the mercy of Allah the Exalted is vast, and His good is abundant, praise be to Allah. He rewards a little deed with a great reward. We ask Allah for us and for you of His great mercy.