Sahih al-Bukhari 428

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كتاب الصلاة ›

Chapter: Is it permissible to dig the graves of pagans of the period of Ignorance, and to use that place as a mosque?

Narrated Anas:When the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived Medina he dismounted at `Awali-i-Medina amongst a tribe called Banu `Amr bin `Auf. He stayed there For fourteen nights. Then he sent for Bani An-Najjar and they came armed with their swords. As if I am looking (just now) as the Prophet (ﷺ) was sitting over his Rahila (Mount) with Abu Bakr riding behind him and all Banu An-Najjar around him till he dismounted at the courtyard of Abu Aiyub's house. The Prophet (ﷺ) loved to pray wherever the time for the prayer was due even at sheep-folds. Later on he ordered that a mosque should be built and sent for some people of Banu-An-Najjar and said, "O Banu An-Najjar! Suggest to me the price of this (walled) piece of land of yours." They replied, "No! By Allah! We do not demand its price except from Allah." Anas added: There were graves of pagans in it and some of it was unleveled and there were some date-palm trees in it. The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered that the graves of the pagans be dug out and the unleveled land be level led and the date-palm trees be cut down . (So all that was done). They aligned these cut date-palm trees towards the Qibla of the mosque (as a wall) and they also built two stone side-walls (of the mosque). His companions brought the stones while reciting some poetic verses. The Prophet (ﷺ) was with them and he kept on saying, "There is no goodness except that of the Hereafter, O Allah! So please forgive the Ansars and the emigrants. "

Reference

In-book reference

Book 8, Hadith 78

USC-MSA web (English)

Vol. 1, Book 8, Hadith 420

Translation by Dr. M. Muhsin Khan · Language: EN Sahih

It is related that Anas said, "When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Madina, he stopped at 'Awali al-Madina in an area lived in by a clan called the Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stayed among them for fourteen nights. Then he sent for the Banu'n-Najjar who came with their swords girded on. It is as if I could see them now, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on his camel and Abu Bakr riding behind him with the Banu'n-Najjar all gathered around him, continuing until he arrived at the courtyard of Abu Ayyub. He liked to pray wherever he was when the prayer time came. He would even pray in sheepfolds. He ordered the mosque to be built and sent for some of the Banu'n-Najjar saying, 'Banu'n-Najjar, tell me the price of this walled garden of yours.' They said, 'No, by Allah! We ask for no payment except from Allah!" Anas said, "The place I am telling you about contained pagan graves and some ruins and also some palm-trees. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered the graves of the pagans to be dug up and the ruins to be levelled and the palm-trees to be cut down. The palm trunks were lined up to form the mosque's qibla and its two sides walls were made of stone. They used to recite rhyming verses while carrying the stones. And the Prophet was with them saying: 'O Allah, there is no good except the good of the Next World so grant forgiveness to the Ansar and the Muhajirun.'"

Reference

Sahih al-Bukhari 428

In-book reference

Book 8, Hadith 78

USC-MSA web (English)

Vol. 1, Book 8, Hadith 420

Translation by Aisha Bewley · Language: EN Sahih

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنْ أَبِي التَّيَّاحِ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ فَنَزَلَ أَعْلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، فِي حَىٍّ يُقَالُ لَهُمْ بَنُو عَمْرِو بْنِ عَوْفٍ‏.‏ فَأَقَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِيهِمْ أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ إِلَى بَنِي النَّجَّارِ فَجَاءُوا مُتَقَلِّدِي السُّيُوفِ، كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ رِدْفُهُ، وَمَلأُ بَنِي النَّجَّارِ حَوْلَهُ، حَتَّى أَلْقَى بِفِنَاءِ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ، وَكَانَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ حَيْثُ أَدْرَكَتْهُ الصَّلاَةُ، وَيُصَلِّي فِي مَرَابِضِ الْغَنَمِ، وَأَنَّهُ أَمَرَ بِبِنَاءِ الْمَسْجِدِ، فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى مَلإٍ مِنْ بَنِي النَّجَّارِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ يَا بَنِي النَّجَّارِ ثَامِنُونِي بِحَائِطِكُمْ هَذَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا لاَ وَاللَّهِ، لاَ نَطْلُبُ ثَمَنَهُ إِلاَّ إِلَى اللَّهِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ أَنَسٌ فَكَانَ فِيهِ مَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ، قُبُورُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، وَفِيهِ خَرِبٌ، وَفِيهِ نَخْلٌ، فَأَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِقُبُورِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَنُبِشَتْ، ثُمَّ بِالْخَرِبِ فَسُوِّيَتْ، وَبِالنَّخْلِ فَقُطِعَ، فَصَفُّوا النَّخْلَ قِبْلَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ، وَجَعَلُوا عِضَادَتَيْهِ الْحِجَارَةَ، وَجَعَلُوا يَنْقُلُونَ الصَّخْرَ، وَهُمْ يَرْتَجِزُونَ، وَالنَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَعَهُمْ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ ‏"‏ اللَّهُمَّ لاَ خَيْرَ إِلاَّ خَيْرُ الآخِرَهْ فَاغْفِرْ لِلأَنْصَارِ وَالْمُهَاجِرَهْ ‏"‏