صحیح مسلم · Hadith 1826

Zaid b. Thabit reported: The Messenger of Allah ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) made an apartment with the help of the leaves of date trees or of mats. The Messenger of Allah ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) went out to pray in it. People followed him and came to pray with him. Then they again came one night and waited (for him), but the Messenger of Allah ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) delayed in coming out to them. And when he did not come out, they cried aloud and threw pebbles at the door. The Messenger of Allah ( ‌صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم ‌ ) came out in anger and said to them: By what you have been constantly doing, I was inclined to think that it (prayer) might not become obligatory for you. So you must observe prayer (optional) in your houses, for the prayer observed by a man in the house is better except an obligatory prayer.

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020