the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "The best prayer is the one with the longest standing (qunut)." Narrated by Muslim (118). And because the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to perform tahajjud (night prayer) as the majority of his prayer, and he would lengthen it, according to what has already been mentioned, and he would not persist in anything except that which is best. The third [view] is that they are equal, due to the contradiction of reports regarding that. And Allah knows best.
Section: Performing voluntary prayers (tatawwu') at home is better, due to the saying of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "You must pray in your homes, for the best of a person's prayer is in his home, except for the obligatory prayer." Narrated by Muslim (119). And from Zaid bin Thabit that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "A person's prayer in his home is better than his prayer in this mosque of mine, except for the obligatory [prayer]." Narrated by Abu Dawood (120). And he said: "If one of you completes the prayer in his mosque, let him give his home a share of his prayer; for Allah
= 2/179, 180. And al-Nasa'i, in: The chapter on the reward of one who prostrates a prostration to Allah the Almighty, from the Book of At-Tatbiq (Ruku'). Al-Mujtaba 2/180, 181. And Ibn Majah, in: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding the frequency of prostration, from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/457. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 5/276. (118) In: The chapter on the best prayer being the longest standing, from the Book of Travelers' Prayer. Sahih Muslim 1/520. It was also extracted by al-Tirmidhi, in: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding the length of standing in prayer, from the Chapters on Prayer. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/178, 179. And Ibn Majah, in: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding the length of standing in prayers, from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/456. And al-Darimi, in: The chapter on which prayer is best, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan al-Darimi 1/331. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 3/302, 391, 412. (119) In: The chapter on the recommendation of performing voluntary prayer in one's home and its permissibility in the mosque, from the Book of Travelers' Prayer. Sahih Muslim 1/540. It was also extracted by al-Bukhari, in: The chapter on night prayer, from the Book of Adhan, and in: The chapter on what is permissible regarding anger and intensity for the sake of Allah, from the Book of Etiquette, and in: The chapter on what is disliked regarding excessive questioning and taking on what does not concern one, from the Book of Adherence [to the Quran and Sunnah]. Sahih al-Bukhari 1/186, 8/34, 9/117. And Abu Dawood, in: The chapter on the virtue of voluntary prayer at home, from the Book of Witr. Sunan Abi Dawood 1/334. And al-Tirmidhi, in: The chapter on what has been narrated regarding the virtue of voluntary prayer at home, from the Chapters on Prayer. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/239. And al-Nasa'i, in: The chapter on urging prayer in homes and the virtue therein, from the Book of Night Prayer. Al-Mujtaba 3/161. And al-Darimi, in: The chapter on where voluntary prayer is better, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan al-Darimi 1/317. And Imam Malik, in: The chapter on the virtue of congregational prayer over the prayer of an individual, from the Book of Congregation. Al-Muwatta 1/130. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 5/182, 184, 186, 187. (120) We did not find it in [the collection of] Abu Dawood. See the previous footnote.
