327 – Zayd ibn Thābit (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ partitioned off a small space with a palm-fiber mat and prayed inside it. Some men noticed and followed him, coming to pray behind him …” — the ḥadīth.
It also contains the saying: “The best prayer a person can offer is in his house, except for the prescribed prayers.” Agreed upon (1).
Lexical notes
– “Partitioned off a ḥujrah”: he set up something resembling a small enclosure.
– “With a khaṣafah”: a mat woven from palm fronds.
– “Some men followed him”: they sought him out to join his prayer.
– “The prescribed (al-maktūbah)”: the obligatory five daily prayers.
Points derived from the ḥadīth
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A worshipper may follow an imam even if the imam is inside an enclosure where the follower cannot see him, or if one is on an upper floor and the other below, provided both are inside the mosque and it is possible to follow the imam’s movements. This is a point of unanimous agreement among the jurists.
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It is permissible to reserve a place in the mosque for worship or rest when there is a need and the space is not thereby narrowed for other worshippers.
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Performing voluntary prayers at home is superior, for it brings light to the house and protects one from showing off. The obligatory prayers, however, must be offered in the mosque by legally responsible men unless they have an excuse.
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It is permissible for both imam and follower to formulate the intention of praying in congregation during the prayer itself, even if that intention had not been expressed