Chapter: The recommendation that, on returning, one should begin by entering the mosque that adjoins his home and pray two rakʿas therein

988 – Kaʿb ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came back from a journey, he would first go to the mosque and pray two rakʿas there.” Agreed upon.

[Commentary]
These two chapters address the etiquette of travel. The first establishes that when a person has been away from his family for an extended period, he should not come upon them at night—that is, he should not enter in the darkness unless there is a need or he has already announced his arrival. If hardship would befall him on the road were he to wait until morning, that constitutes a need permitting him to reach them at night, and there is no blame in doing so. Likewise, if he has informed them, “I will arrive on such-and-such a night,” it is permissible for him to come then. Otherwise, if his absence has been long, he should not appear unexpectedly at night, for the Prophet ﷺ explained the reason: so that the dishevelled wife may comb her hair and the one who has not removed her pubic hair may do so—in other words, to give the wife time to groom and adorn herself for her husband, lest he