a single step without Allah raising him by it one degree and erasing from him one sin. With that very step he earns the elevation of a degree and the removal of a sin—provided that he makes wuḍūʾ in his home, completes it thoroughly, and then sets out for the mosque with no motive except the prayer itself. For such a person, with every step he takes Allah raises him one degree and removes from him one sin. These are truly magnificent blessings from Allah, may He be exalted.

One of the lessons drawn from this is that a person should go to the mosque on foot and return on foot; this is the preferable course. The proof is the story of the Anṣārī whose house was far from the mosque. People said to him, “Why do you not buy a donkey to ride during the darkness of night or the intense heat of day?” He replied, “No; I seek my reward for every step from Allah.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said, “Allah has recorded all of that for you.” This shows that coming to the mosque on one’s two feet is better than coming on a mount, because the reward for each step is counted for you.

If, however, a person has a valid excuse, there is no harm in coming by car. One “step” of the car is a single revolution of its wheel: when the wheel makes a full turn, that counts as a step, for the part that touched the ground rises, revolves, and then returns to the ground—just like lifting the foot and setting it down again. Therefore, when someone is excused, there is no objection to his coming by car.

This, too, is among the virtues of walking to the mosques: Allah records a person’s steps each time he goes and each time he returns.