I asked my father, the Master of Worshipers (as), and I said to him: O father! Inform me about my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (s): When he ascended to heaven, and his Lord commanded him to do fifty prayers, why did he not ask Him to lighten the load on his Nation until Musa b. `Imran (as) told him: "Return to your Lord and ask him to lighten the load, for surely, your Nation cannot fulfill this"? So, he said: O my son! Surely, the Messenger of Allah (s) would not make suggestions to his Lord, nor would he return to Him with regards to something He had commanded him. So, when Musa (as) asked him, he became the intercessor of his Nation through him, and [thus] he was unable to reject the intercession of his brother Musa (as) (i.e. Musa interceded on behalf of the Muslim Nation, and the Prophet was unable to reject the plea of Musa). So, he returned to his Lord to ask him to lighten the burden, until it became five prayers. He said: So, I said to him: O father! Then why did he not return to his Lord to lighten it to less than five prayers, for Musa (as) told him to return to his Lord [again] to ask him to lighten it [further]? So, he said: O my son! He (s) wanted to lighten the burden on his Nation through the reward of fifty prayers, as Allah says, "He who comes with a good deed will have ten like it." (6:160) When he (s) descended to the Earth, Gabriel (as) came down to him and said: "O Muhammad! Surely, your Lord recites the salaam to you, and says: 'Surely, they are five [prayers worth] fifty. My words have not been exchanged, and I am not oppressive to the worshipers.'" He said: So, I said to him: O father! Isn't it the case that Allah is not described with a place? So, he said: Of course. May Allah be exalted above that. So, he said: So, what is the meaning of the saying of Musa (as) to the Messenger of Allah (s): "Return to your Lord"? So, he said: Its meaning is the [same] meaning as the saying of Ibrahim (as): "Surely, I am going to my Lord for guidance" (37:99), and the meaning of the saying of Musa (as): "I hasten to You, my Lord, so that You may be pleased." (20:84), and His saying, "So, hasten to Allah" (50:51) - meaning, make pilgrimage to the House of Allah. O my son! The Ka`ba is the House of Allah. Whoever makes pilgrimage to the House of Allah has made his intention toward Allah. The mosques are the houses of Allah, so whoever goes to them has gone to Allah and made his intention toward Him. The one who prays stands before Allah for the duration of his prayer. Those who stand at `Arafa stand before Allah. Surely, for Allah there are places in His heavens; whoever ascends to a place of His therein has ascended to Him. Have you not heard the saying of Allah, "The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him" (70:4)? He says in the story of `Isa (as), "Rather, Allah raised him to Himself" (4:158), and He says, "Goodly words ascend to Him and righteous deeds are raised up by Him" (35:10).