‘O Messenger of Allah, which deed is best?’ He replied, ‘Prayer at its appointed times.’ I asked, ‘Then which?’ He replied, ‘Kindness to one’s parents.’ I asked, ‘Then which?’ He replied, ‘Jihad in the cause of Allah.’” He said, “I asked him about these, and had I asked him for more, he would have told me more.”

In the Musnad and Sunan Ibn Mājah, Thawbān reports that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Remain steadfast, though you will not attain complete steadfastness. Know that the best of your deeds is prayer, and none but a believer consistently maintains his ablution.”

The community has been instructed to establish mosques for prayer. These are the places most beloved to Allah, as is authentically reported from him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in Sahīh Muslim and elsewhere:

“The places most beloved to Allah are the mosques, and the places most hateful to Allah are the marketplaces.”

Nevertheless, during his final illness, he cursed those who turn the graves of prophets and righteous people into mosques, out of sincere concern for the community and eagerness to guide it. This accords with Allah’s description of him:

“There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; he is deeply concerned for you, and kind and merciful to the believers.”

In the two Sahīh collections, ‘Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:

“During the illness from which he never recovered, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘May Allah curse the Jews and Christians: they turned the graves of their prophets into mosques.’”

‘Ā’ishah said, “Were it not for that, his grave would have been left exposed, but he disliked the prospect of its being made into a mosque.”

Another version reads: “But he feared that it would be made into a mosque.” In a version recorded by al-Bukhārī: “Except that I fear it would be made into a mosque.”

‘Ā’ishah and Ibn ‘Abbās said:

“When death came upon the Messenger of Allah