Messenger of Allah ﷺ made a small room (with a palm leaf mat). Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out (of his house) and prayed in it. Some men came and joined him in his prayer. Then again the next night they came for the prayer, but Messenger of Allah ﷺ delayed and did not come out to them. So they raised their voices and knocked the door with small stones (to draw his attention). He came out to them in a state of anger, saying, "You are still insisting (on your deed, i.e. Tarawih prayer in the mosque) that I thought that this prayer (Tarawih) might become obligatory on you. So you people, offer this prayer at your homes, for the best prayer of a person is the one which he offers at home, except the compulsory (congregational) prayer."  

احْتَجَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حُجَيْرَةً مُخَصَّفَةً أَوْ حَصِيرًا فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي فِيهَا فَتَتَبَّعَ إِلَيْهِ رِجَالٌ وَجَاءُوا يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلاَتِهِ ثُمَّ جَاءُوا لَيْلَةً فَحَضَرُوا وَأَبْطَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْهُمْ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ فَرَفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَهُمْ وَحَصَبُوا الْبَابَ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ مُغْضَبًا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا زَالَ بِكُمْ صَنِيعُكُمْ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيُكْتَبُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالصَّلاَةِ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ صَلاَةِ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةَ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ  

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)  

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  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ made an apartment with the help of the leaves of date trees or of mats. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out to pray in it. People followed him and came to pray with him. Then they again came one night and waited (for him), but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ delayed in coming out to them. And when he did not come out, they cried aloud and threw pebbles at the door. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out in anger and said to them: By what you have been constantly doing, I was inclined to think that it (prayer) might not become obligatory for you. So you must observe prayer (optional) in your houses, for the prayer observed by a man in the house is better except an obligatory prayer.  

احْتَجَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حُجَيْرَةً بِخَصَفَةٍ أَوْ حَصِيرٍ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُصَلِّي فِيهَا قَالَ فَتَتَبَّعَ إِلَيْهِ رِجَالٌ وَجَاءُوا يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلاَتِهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ جَاءُوا لَيْلَةً فَحَضَرُوا وَأَبْطَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْهُمْ قَالَ فَلَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ فَرَفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَهُمْ وَحَصَبُوا الْبَابَ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُغْضَبًا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا زَالَ بِكُمْ صَنِيعُكُمْ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيُكْتَبُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالصَّلاَةِ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ صَلاَةِ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلاَّ الصَّلاَةَ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ  

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.'"  

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  

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.  

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  

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. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1447)   

احْتَجَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ حُجْرَةً فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَكَانَ يُصَلِّي فِيهَا فَرَآهُ رَجُلٌ فَصَلُّوا بِصَلَاتِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتْ لَيْلَةٌ حَضَرُوهُ وَهُوَ لَمْ يَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِمْ فَتَنَحْنَحُوا وَحَصَبُوا الْبَابَ وَرَفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَهُمْ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مُغْضَبًا فَقَالَ «أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ مَا زَالَ بِكُمْ صَنِيعُكُمْ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَتُكْتَبُ فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالصَّلَاةِ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ صَلَاةِ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلَّا الْمَكْتُوبَةَ»