ʿUthmān therefore enlarged it substantially, building its walls of carved stone and plaster (qisṣah, gypsum), setting its pillars with similarly worked stone, and roofing it with sāj wood.

Al-Ḥāfiẓ said:
“Al-sāj is a well-known type of wood brought from India. Ibn Baṭṭāl and others commented: This shows that the prophetic practice in constructing a mosque is moderation and avoidance of excess in beautifying it. Although ʿUmar—despite the vast conquests and abundant wealth in his time—did not alter the mosque from its original form, he had to rebuild it only because the palm-frond beams had decayed. Later ʿUthmān—when even more wealth was available—refurbished it in a way that did not amount to ornamentation, and yet some Companions still objected to him, as will be mentioned shortly.

The first person to decorate mosques was al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān, toward the end of the Companions’ era. Many scholars refrained from denouncing this for fear of civil strife. Ibn al-Munīr said, ‘When people fortified and adorned their houses, it was appropriate to do the same for mosques so that they would not be treated with disdain.’ This was refuted by stating that if the prohibition aims to encourage following the early generations in eschewing luxury, then his point stands; but if it is due to fear that worshippers will be distracted by the ornamentation, the original reason remains. The ḥadith of Anas contains a sign of prophethood, for the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—informed us of what would occur, and it happened exactly as he said.”

Al-Shawkānī said:
“Among the arguments relied upon by those who permit decoration is that the early generations did not …”