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.

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»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Nasāʾī, Aḥmad, Ṭabarānī, Bayhaqī
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  

The best voluntary salah is the salah prayed at home

bukhari:731ʿAbd al-Aʿlá b. Ḥammād > Wuhayb > Mūsá b. ʿUqbah > Sālim Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Zayd b. Thābit

Messenger of Allah ﷺ made a small room in the month of Ramadan (Saʿid said, "I think that Zaid bin Thabit said that it was made of a mat") and he prayed there for a few nights, and so some of his companions prayed behind him. When he came to know about it, he kept on sitting. In the morning, he went out to them and said, "I have seen and understood what you did. You should pray in your houses, for the best prayer of a person is that which he prays in his house except the compulsory prayers."  

البخاري:٧٣١حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ عَنْ سَالِمٍ أَبِي النَّضْرِ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ اتَّخَذَ حُجْرَةً قَالَ حَسِبْتُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ مِنْ حَصِيرٍ فِي رَمَضَانَ فَصَلَّى فِيهَا لَيَالِيَ فَصَلَّى بِصَلاَتِهِ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ بِهِمْ جَعَلَ يَقْعُدُ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ قَدْ عَرَفْتُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ مِنْ صَنِيعِكُمْ فَصَلُّوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الصَّلاَةِ صَلاَةُ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلاَّ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ  

قَالَ عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى سَمِعْتُ أَبَا النَّضْرِ عَنْ بُسْرٍ عَنْ زَيْدٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ
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  

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  

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:4607[Chain 1] Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. Aḥmad b. ʿAbdān > Aḥmad b. ʿUbayd al-Ṣaffār > Aḥmad b. Qādim al-Marwazī And ʾAḥmad b. Bishr al-Mirthadī [Chain 2] Abū ʿAbdullāh Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > ʿImrān b. Mūsá > ʿAbd al-Aʿlá b. Ḥammād > Wuhayb > Mūsá b. ʿUqbah > Abū al-Naḍr > Busr b. Saʿīd > Zayd b. Thābit

Messenger of Allah ﷺ made a small room in the month of Ramadan (Saʿid said, "I think that Zaid bin Thabit said that it was made of a mat") and he prayed there for a few nights, and so some of his companions prayed behind him. When he came to know about it, he kept on sitting. In the morning, he went out to them and said, "I have seen and understood what you did. You should pray in your houses, for the best prayer of a person is that which he prays in his house except the compulsory prayers." (Using translation from Bukhārī 731)   

البيهقي:٤٦٠٧أنبأ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَبْدَانَ أنبأ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الصَّفَّارُ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ قَادِمٍ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ الْمِرْثَدِيُّ (ح) وَأنبأ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ ثنا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا عِمْرَانُ بْنُ مُوسَى قَالُوا ثنا عَبْدُ الْأَعْلَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ ثنا وُهَيْبٌ ثنا مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا النَّضْرِ عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ اتَّخَذَ حُجْرَةً قَالَ حَسِبْتُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ مِنْ حَصِيرٍ فِي رَمَضَانُ فَصَلَّى فِيهَا لَيَالِيَ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ الْمِرْثَدِيِّ لَيْلَتَيْنِ فَصَلَّى بِصَلَاتِهِ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَلَمَّا عَلِمَ بِهِمْ جَعَلَ يَقْعُدُ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ قَدْ عَرَفْتُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ مِنْ صَنِيعِكُمْ فَصَلُّوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الصَّلَاةِ صَلَاةُ الْمَرْءِ فِي بَيْتِهِ إِلَّا الْمَكْتُوبَةَ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ الْمَرْوَزِيِّ وَالْمِرْثَدِيِّ عَنْ سَالِمٍ أَبِي النَّضْرِ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْأَعْلَى بْنِ حَمَّادٍ وَرَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ عَنْ بَهْزٍ عَنْ وُهَيْبٍ