does not receive this specific promise because he lacks sincerity, even though he may still earn a reward in a general sense.

It is recommended that a person personally take part in constructing the mosque whenever possible, emulating the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He himself used to build his mosque while the Companions handed him the mud and stones, and he would say, “Truly, the only real life is the life of the Hereafter, so forgive the Helpers and the Emigrants.”

That line forms part of a longer ḥadith reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him):
“The site of the Prophet’s mosque ﷺ belonged to the clan of Banū al-Najjār. It contained date-palms and the graves of polytheists. The Prophet ﷺ said to them, ‘Sell it to me for a price,’ but they replied, ‘We will not take any payment for it.’ The Prophet ﷺ then began to build it, while they passed the bricks to him as he recited…,” and so on.

Anas added, “Before the mosque was built, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would pray wherever the time for prayer overtook him.”

Ibn Mājah and Aḥmad recorded this report from Wakīʿ, who said: Ḥammād ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Abū al-Tayyāḥ, from Anas. This chain is sound according to Muslim’s criteria. Muslim, al-Bukhārī, and others also transmitted it through additional routes from Abū al-Tayyāḥ in a longer version, but without the wording that serves as our point of evidence; that wording was quoted above.

Aḥmad likewise narrated—through the route of ʿAmr ibn Abī ʿAmr, from Ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ḥanṭab, from Abū Hurayrah—that they used to carry the bricks to build the mosque while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ worked alongside them. Abū Hurayrah said: “I met the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he was pressing a brick against his stomach, and I feared it might be too much for him, so I said, ‘Hand it to me, O Messenger of Allah.’ He replied, ‘Take another one, O…’”