197 – ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded that mosques be built in the dūr and that they be kept clean and scented.” Reported by Aḥmad, Abū Dāwūd, and al-Tirmidhī, who considered the mursal version sound.⦗1⦘
Hadith status
The report is authentic. Ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī states in al-Muḥarrar that one of its chains satisfies the criteria of al-Bukhārī and Muslim. Ibn Ḥibbān declared it authentic, and al-Sāʿātī likewise judged its chain sound, although al-Tirmidhī regarded the mursal form as preferable.
Key terms
• al-dūr (sing. dār): may refer either to individual houses or to residential quarters. The second meaning—that a mosque be established in every quarter—is the stronger and nearer sense.
• tuṭayyab: to perfume them; their fragrance is maintained with incense and the like.
Points of benefit
- The term dūr here admits two interpretations. It may denote tribal quarters, in which case it is recommended to build mosques in every inhabited neighborhood so that the residents gather there for prayer. The merit of this act is immense, as attested by the narration in al-Bukhārī (450) and Muslim (533) from ʿUthmān (may Allah be pleased with him): “Whoever builds a mosque, Allah will build a similar dwelling for him in Paradise.”