The Etiquette and Behavior to Adopt within the Mosque

808. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “These mosques are not a suitable place for any of this urine or filth. They are for remembrance of Allah the Almighty and reciting the Qur’an.” (Sahih Muslim, Taharah, 100).
Annotation: Let us relate the context of the hadith first. A Bedouin came to the mosque probably for asking something to the Prophet. However, as the man acted upon nomadic manners, he squatted at a corner of the mosque to answer a call of nature (the dresses they wore served as a screen). As the Companions of the Prophet got angry with the man, the Prophet calmed them down and told them to clean the spot by pouring a bucket of water. After that, he made the warning above and stated that mosques need to be kept clean. Another aspect of the issue is the Prophet’s forbearing approach even in the face of such outrageous behaviors.

809. Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “When you see someone buying or selling in the mosque, then say, ‘May Allah not give you any profit in your trading.’ When you see someone asking there about a lost animal, then say, ‘May Allah not restore it to you.’” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Buyu, 75).

811. Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Anyone who eats garlic and onions should keep away from us (or he said, “should keep away from our mosque”). (Sahih al-Bukhari, At’ima, 49; Sahih Muslim, Masajid, 73).

812. Mu’adh ibn Anas al-Juhani, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade people to sit with their legs up against their chest on the day of Jumu’ah while the Imam was giving the khutba.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, Salah, 228; Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Jumu’ah, 18).

 

Nawawi, Imam. Riyad As-Salihin; The Gardens of the Righteous: A collection of authentic hadiths. Tughra Books Press, Inc. 2014