Shi’aa and Sonni have quoted this famous Hadith from Prophet (s.a.) that he said: “The earth has been chosen for me as place of prostration and purity (Taharat) (Tayammum (dry ablution))”.1
Some people assumed that the meaning of Hadith is that all around the earth is the place for worshiping God and it is not limited to a specific place, as Jews and Christians believed that worship has to be performed only in church or other specific temples; but with little attention it is discovered that this interpretation is not compatible with the real meaning of Hadith, because Prophet (s.a.) said: The earth is pure and also the mosque” and we know that things which are pure and it is possible to perform Tayammum (dry ablution) with them are dust and stone of the earth, therefore the place for prostration should also be dust and stone.
If holy Prophet (s.a.) wanted to say the meaning which some of Sonni Faqihs recognized from Hadith, he would say: All around the earth is mosque for me and its dust is for my purity and dry ablution”, but he did not say that.
Therefore, there is no doubt that here the meaning of mosque (مسجد ) is place of prostration (محل سجده) and that place should be the thing which it is possible to perform Tayammum with that.
Thereupon, if Shiites are insisting on prostrate on the ground and they do not accept prostration of carpet are not doing anything wrong, because they are following the order of prophet of Allah (s.a.)
1- Sahih of Bokhari, vol. 1, page 91 and Sunan of Beihaghi, vol. 2, page 433 (this Hadith has been quoted in several other books).
