1175 - Ibrahim ibn Mustamirr narrated to us, saying: 'Amr ibn 'Asim narrated to us, saying: Hammam narrated to us, saying: Qatada was asked about a mosque that is on a bridge (qantarah)? He disapproved of it.

1176 - Hammam said: I mentioned that to Matar, and he said: "Al-Hasan used to see no harm in it."

Chapter: Working in the Mosque regarding Worldly Matters

• Ahmad was asked about working in the mosque, such as a tailor and others working [there]? He said—and it was as if he disapproved of it—but it is not that severe.

1177 - Nusayr ibn al-Faraj narrated to us, saying: Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us, saying: Hisham informed us, saying: A man known as Abu al-Qasim from the people of Medina narrated to us, that a sheikh from the Ansar told him that he saw 'Uthman ibn 'Affan—may Allah be pleased with him—enter the mosque while he had companions with him, and he saw a tailor and a cobbler working in the mosque. He said: He came to him until he stood over him, and said: "Have you taken the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the prayer place of the Muslims as a seat where you throw your scraps?" He said: So he and his companions pelted him with pebbles until they expelled him.

Chapter: The Virtue of the Ancient Mosque over the Newly Established One

• I asked Ahmad ibn Hanbal, I said: "A man has a mosque at his door, and he gives the adhan (call to prayer) in it, but no congregation attends it except one man or someone like that?" He said: "If it is an ancient mosque that has always been there, then I see no harm in it. But if it is newly established, then it is as if it is more beloved to me that he should go to another one if there is no congregation." He said: "Anas ibn Malik—may Allah be pleased with him—used to pass by the newly established mosques and go to the ancient one," and Abu 'Abd Allah [Ahmad] considered this desirable.