Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:21582ʿAffān > Wuhayb > Mūsá b. ʿUqbah > Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Zayd b. Thābit

The Prophet ﷺ used some palm fiber mats to section off a small area in the masjid. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed in it for several nights until the people gathered around him. Then, one night they did not hear his voice, and they thought that he was sleeping, so they cleared their throats to make him come out to them. He said: 'You kept doing that until I feared that it would be made obligatory for you, and if it were made obligatory, you would not be able to do it. O people, pray in your houses, for the best prayer a person offers is in his house, apart from the prescribed (obligatory) prayers.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1599)  

أحمد:٢١٥٨٢حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا النَّضْرِ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ اتَّخَذَ حُجْرَةً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ مِنْ حَصِيرٍ فَصَلَّى فِيهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَيَالِيَ حَتَّى اجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ فَقَدُوا صَوْتَهُ فَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ قَدْ نَامَ فَجَعَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَتَنَحْنَحُ لِيَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ مَا زَالَ بِكُمُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ مِنْ صَنِيعِكُمْ حَتَّىخَشِيتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَوْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَا قُمْتُمْ بِهِ فَصَلُّوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ صَلَاةِ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلَّا الصَّلَاةَ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Nasāʾī, Abū Dāwūd, Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṭabarānī, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
bukhari:7290Isḥāq > ʿAffān > Wuhayb > Mūsá b. ʿUqbah > Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Zayd b. Thābit

The Prophet ﷺ took a room made of date palm leaves mats in the mosque. Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed in it for a few nights till the people gathered (to pray the night prayer (Tarawih) (behind him.) Then on the 4th night the people did not hear his voice and they thought he had slept, so some of them started humming in order that he might come out. The Prophet ﷺ then said, "You continued doing what I saw you doing till I was afraid that this (Tarawih prayer) might be enjoined on you, and if it were enjoined on you, you would not continue performing it. Therefore, O people! Perform your prayers at your homes, for the best prayer of a person is what is performed at his home except the compulsory congregational) prayer." (See Hadith No. 229,Vol. 3) (See Hadith No. 134, Vol. 8)  

البخاري:٧٢٩٠حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا النَّضْرِ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ اتَّخَذَ حُجْرَةً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ مِنْ حَصِيرٍ فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِيهَا لَيَالِيَ حَتَّى اجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ فَقَدُوا صَوْتَهُ لَيْلَةً فَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ قَدْ نَامَ فَجَعَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَتَنَحْنَحُ لِيَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ مَا زَالَ بِكُمُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ مِنْ صَنِيعِكُمْ حَتَّى خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَوْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَا قُمْتُمْ بِهِ فَصَلُّوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ صَلاَةِ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةَ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ  

nasai:1599Aḥmad b. Sulaymān > ʿAffān b. Muslim > Wuhayb > Mūsá b. ʿUqbah > Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Zayd b. Thābit

The Prophet ﷺ used some palm fiber mats to section off a small area in the masjid. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed in it for several nights until the people gathered around him. Then, one night they did not hear his voice, and they thought that he was sleeping, so they cleared their throats to make him come out to them. He said: 'You kept doing that until I feared that it would be made obligatory for you, and if it were made obligatory, you would not be able to do it. O people, pray in your houses, for the best prayer a person offers is in his house, apart from the prescribed (obligatory) prayers.'"  

النسائي:١٥٩٩أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُوسَى بْنَ عُقْبَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا النَّضْرِ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ اتَّخَذَ حُجْرَةً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ مِنْ حَصِيرٍ فَصَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِيهَا لَيَالِيَ حَتَّى اجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ النَّاسُ ثُمَّ فَقَدُوا صَوْتَهُ لَيْلَةً فَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ نَائِمٌ فَجَعَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَتَنَحْنَحُ لِيَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ مَا زَالَ بِكُمُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ مِنْ صُنْعِكُمْ حَتَّى خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَوْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَا قُمْتُمْ بِهِ فَصَلُّوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ صَلاَةِ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةَ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ  

abudawud:1447Hārūn b. ʿAbdullāh al-Bazzāz > Makkī b. Ibrāhīm > ʿAbdullāh / Ibn Saʿīd b. Abū Hind > Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Zayd b. Thābit

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ built a chamber in the mosque. He used to come out at night and pray there. They (the people) also prayed along with him. They would come (to prayer) every night. If on any night the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not come out, they would cough, raise their voices and throw pebbles and sand on his door. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out to time in anger and said: O People, you kept on doing this till I thought that it will be prescribed for you. Offer your prayers in your houses, for a man's prayer is better in his house except obligatory prayer.  

أبو داود:١٤٤٧حَدَّثَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْبَزَّازُ حَدَّثَنَا مَكِّيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِنْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّهُ قَالَ احْتَجَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ حُجْرَةً فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَخْرُجُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيُصَلِّي فِيهَا قَالَ فَصَلَّوْا مَعَهُ بِصَلاَتِهِ يَعْنِي رِجَالاً وَكَانُوا يَأْتُونَهُ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ لَيْلَةً مِنَ اللَّيَالِي لَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَتَنَحْنَحُوا وَرَفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَهُمْ وَحَصَبُوا بَابَهُ قَالَ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُغْضَبًا فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ مَا زَالَ بِكُمْ صَنِيعُكُمْ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنْ سَتُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالصَّلاَةِ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ صَلاَةِ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةَ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ  

ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ صَلَاةَ الْمَرْءِ النَّوَافِلَ كُلَّهَا فِي بَيْتِهِ كَانَ أَعْظَمَ لِأَجْرِهِ

ibnhibban:2491Aḥmad b. ʿAlī b. al-Muthanná Bi-al-Mawṣil > ʿAbd al-Aʿlá b. Ḥammād > Wuhayb b. Khālid > Mūsá b. ʿUqbah > Sālim Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Zayd b. Thābit

[Machine] That the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took a room made of bricks during Ramadan and prayed in it during the nights. Some of his companions prayed with him. When he came to know about them, he made a gesture to sit and said, "I have come to know about what I saw from your actions. O people, pray in your houses, for the best prayer of a person is in his house except for the obligatory prayers."  

ابن حبّان:٢٤٩١أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْمُثَنَّى بِالْمَوْصِلِ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْأَعْلَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ عَنْ سَالِمٍ أَبِي النَّضْرِ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ اتَّخَذَ حُجْرَةً مِنْ حُصُرٍ فِي رَمَضَانَ فَصَلَّى فِيهَا لَيَالِيَ فَصَلَّى بِصَلَاتِهِ أُنَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ بِهِمْ جَعَلَ يَقْعُدُ قَالَ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ «قَدْ عَرَفْتُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ مِنْ صَنِيعِكُمْ فَصَلُّوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ صَلَاةِ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلَّا الْمَكْتُوبَةَ»  

tabarani:4892ʿAlī b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz > Muʿallá b. Asad al-ʿAmmī > ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. Mukhtār > Mūsá b. ʿUqbah > Sālim Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Zayd b. Thābit

[Machine] That the Prophet ﷺ made a room out of a piece of matting and prayed in it. Some people heard about it and started making noise. He went out to them and said, "What is the matter with you? I have never seen anything good from you until I feared that it would be written against you. Even if it were written against you, you would not have fulfilled it. O people, pray in your houses, for the best prayer of a person is in his house except for the obligatory prayer."  

الطبراني:٤٨٩٢حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ ثنا مُعَلَّى بْنُ أَسَدٍ الْعَمِّيُّ ثنا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُخْتَارٍ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ عَنْ سَالِمٍ أَبِي النَّضْرِ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ حَجَرَ حُجْرَةً حَسِبَهُ بِحَصِيرٍ فَصَلَّى فِيهَا فَسَمِعَ بِذَلِكَ قَوْمٌ فَجَعَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَتَنَحْنَحُ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ «مَا زَالَ بِكُمْ مَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ صَنِيعِكُمْ حَتَّى خَشِيتُ أَنْ تُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَوْ كُتِبَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ مَا قُمْتُمْ بِهَا فَصَلُّوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ صَلَاةِ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلَّا الصَّلَاةَ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ»  

bayhaqi:5236Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ

The Prophet ﷺ took a room made of date palm leaves mats in the mosque. Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed in it for a few nights till the people gathered (to pray the night prayer (Tarawih) (behind him.) Then on the 4th night the people did not hear his voice and they thought he had slept, so some of them started humming in order that he might come out. The Prophet ﷺ then said, "You continued doing what I saw you doing till I was afraid that this (Tarawih prayer) might be enjoined on you, and if it were enjoined on you, you would not continue performing it. Therefore, O people! Perform your prayers at your homes, for the best prayer of a person is what is performed at his home except the compulsory congregational) prayer." (See Hadith No. 229,Vol. 3) (See Hadith No. 134, Vol. 8) (Using translation from Bukhārī 7290)   

البيهقي:٥٢٣٦أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَعِيدٍ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الثَّقَفِيُّ ثنا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى الْعَنْبَرِيُّ ثنا عَفَّانُ ثنا وُهَيْبٌ ثنا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا النَّضْرِ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ اتَّخَذَ حُجْرَةً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ مِنْ حَصِيرٍ فَصَلَّى فِيهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ حَتَّى اجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ نَاسٌ ثُمَّ فَقَدُوا صَوْتَهُ فَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ قَدْ نَامَ فَجَعَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ يَتَنَحْنَحُ لِيَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ مَا زَالَ بِكُمُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ مِنْ صَنِيعِكُمْ حَتَّى خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَوْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَا قُمْتُمْ بِهِ فَصَلُّوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ صَلَاةِ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلَّا الصَّلَاةَ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ عَفَّانَ وَأَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ عَنْ وُهَيْبٍ
suyuti:18936a
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السيوطي:١٨٩٣٦a

"مَا زَال بِكُمْ الَّذِي رَأَيتُ مِن صَنِيعِكُمْ حَتَّى خَشِيتُ أَنْ يُكْتَبَ عَلَيكمْ، وَلَوْ كُتِبَ عَلَيكُمْ مَا قُمْتُمْ بِهِ، فَصَلّوا أيهَا النَّاسُ في بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنْ أفْضَلَ صَلاة المَرْء في بَيتِهِ إلا الصلاة المكْتُوبَةَ".  

[حم] أحمد وعبد بن حميد، [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم [ن] النسائي عن زيد بن ثابت