The Reward of Prayer in Masjid al-Aqsa

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question:  Please clafify whether the hadith stating the reward of 100,000 (al-Masjid al-Haram), 1000 (al-Masjid an-Nabawi), and 500 (Masjid al-Aqsa) is related in Sahih Bukhari or by Imam al-Bayhaqi and Imam as-Suyuti in their respective collections?

Also please comment about the authenticity of this narration stating that prayer in Masjid al-Aqsa is worth 500 prayers prayed elsewhere.

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

I pray that you are in the best of health and spirits, insha’Allah.

The narration (hadith) mentioning the reward, in number, of praying within Masjid al-Aqsa is recorded by Imam Ibn Majah in his Sunan.

The Narration of Imam Bukhari

The narration (hadith), as recorded by Imam Bukhari, is related by Abu Hurairah in which he narrated that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “A prayer in this mosque of mine is a thousand times greater than a prayer in other than it, except for the Masjid al-Haram.”

The Narration of Ibn Majah

As for the narration which includes Masjid al-Aqsa, it is recorded by Imam Ibn Majah in his Sunan in which Anas Ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of God (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, as part of a longer narration, “… his prayer in Masjid Al-Aqsa is akin to fifty thousand prayers…”

However, in al-Sindi’s commentary on Ibn Majah, it is stated that this narration’s chain of transmission is weak due to the unknown state of one of the narrators. This is confirmed, in different wording, by al-Mundhiri, as quoted by Mulla `Ali al-Qari in his Mirqat al-Mafatih.

The Narration specifically mentioning the Reward of Five Hundred Prayers

Nevertheless, there is a different narration, recorded by Tabarani in his Mu`jam al-Kabir and al-Bazzar in his Musnad, in which Abu’l Darda’ (Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The prayer prayed in the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) is akin to one hundred thousand prayers, and the prayer in my mosque is akin to one thousand prayers and the prayer in Jerusalem is akin to five hundred prayers.” Ibn Hajar continues that al-Bazzar said its chain of transmission is sound (hasan).

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani