The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 2 of 4

206 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
INDICATIONS OF THE EXCELLENCE OF THIS NOBLE MOSQUE AND
THIS EXALTED PLACE.
Imam Abad stated, "Yahy b. Anis b. Abii Yahyn related to us, quoting his
father, as follows, 'I heard Abii Sa'id d-Khudari say, "Two men, one from the
Bana Khudra, the other from the Banii 'Amr b. 'Awf, disagreed over which
mosque was referred to by the words in the Qur'nn, 'the mosque founded in
piety' (smt al-Tamba or al-Barala; IX, v.108). The Khudari said, 'It is the
mosque of the Messenger of God (SAAS).' The 'Amri insisted, 'No, it's the
mosque at Qubnl.' So they went to the Messenger of God (SAAS) and asked him
about it. He replied, 'It is this mosque,' referring to that of the Messenger of
God (SAAS). 'In that one,' he went on, meaning the mosque at Qubal, 'there is
much good."""
Al-Tirmidhi related this from Qutayba, from Hntim b. Ism~'i1, from Anis b.
Abii Yahya al-Aslami. He characterized it as hasan, sahih, "good", "authentic".
Imw Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi and d-Nasal! related, from Ishnq b. 'is%, from
al-Laytb b. Sa'd, from Qutayba, from al-Layth from 'Imm b. Aba Anas, from
'Abd al-Rah~n b. Abo Sacid, from his father, who said: "Two men argued over
which was the mosque 'founded in piety'. Thereafter this account proceeded as
above.
In the jahih collection of Muslim, there is the hadith of Humayd d-Kharrq,
from Abii Salama b. 'Abd d-R&man, who is quoted as saying that he asked 'Abd
d-Rabm b. Abii Sacid, "What was it you heard your father say about the
'mosque founded in piety'?" He replied, "My father said, 'I went to the
Messenger of God (SAAS) and asked him about the "mosque founded in piety".
He picked up a handful of pebbles and dashed them to the ground, saying, 'Tt is
this, here, your mosque.""'
Imw Abad stated, "Waki' related to us, as did Rabi'a b. Wthmm
d-Tamimi, from %ran b. Abii Anas, from Sahl b. Sa'd, who said, 'Two men
alive at the time of the Messenger of God (SAAS) differed over which mosque
was "founded in piety". One of them said, "It is the mosque of the Messenger of
God (SAAS)." The other said, "No, it's the mosque at Qubnl." So they went to
the Messenger of God (SAAS) and asked him. He replied, "It is this mosque of
mine." "'
Imw Ahmad stated, "Abii Nu'aym related to us, quoting 'Abd Allah b. 'Amir
al-Aslami, from 'Imr?in b. Abii Anas, from Sahl b. Sa'd, from Ubayy b. Ka'b,
that the Prophet (SAAS) said, 'The mosque "founded in piety" was this mosque
of mine."'
These numerous sources come close to giving conclusive evidence that the
mosque in question is that of the Messenger of God (SAAS).
Wmar, his son 'Abd Allah, Zayd b. Thbit, SaFd b. al-Musayyab and Ibn
Jarir all agreed with this.