Uthman bin Affan intended to rebuild the mosque, but the people disliked the idea and preferred that he leave it as it was. He said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'Whoever builds a mosque for the sake of Allah, Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise.'"
أن عثمان بن عفان أراد بناء المسجد. فكره الناس ذلك. فأحبوا أن يدعه على هيئته. فقال: سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: من بنى مسجدا الله بنى الله له في الجنة مثله.
Muslim narrated it in "The Masjids" (533/25) via Dahhak bin Makhlad, who said, "Abdul-Hameed bin Jafar informed us," he said, "My father narrated to me, from Mahmud bin Labeed," and he related it as mentioned.The two sheikhs, Bukhari in "Prayer" (450) and Muslim, both narrated it via Ibn Wahb, who said, "Amr bin Harith informed me, that Bukayr narrated to him, that Asim bin Umar bin Qatada narrated to him, that he heard Ubaydullah Khawlani say that he heard Uthman bin Affan say," in response to what people were saying about him when he built the masjid of the Messenger ﷺ,"You have spoken a great deal against me, yet I heard the Prophet ﷺ say, 'Whoever builds a masjid,'" Bukayr said, "I think he said, 'seeking Allah's pleasure thereby, Allah will build for him the like of it in Paradise.'" In a narration by Muslim it reads, "a house in Paradise."His saying, "when he intended to build," means to expand the masjid of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, as Abdullah bin Umar said that the masjid, in the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, was built of mud brick, its roof of palm branches, and its pillars of palm wood. Abu Bakr did not add anything to it. Umar expanded it and rebuilt it upon its original structure from the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, using mud brick and palm branches, and he restored its pillars in wood. Then Uthman changed it, adding to it considerably, building its wall with carved stone and plaster, making its pillars of carved stone, and its roof of teak.Bukhari narrated it in "Prayer" (446) from Ali bin Abdullah, who said, "Yaqub bin Ibrahim bin Saad narrated to us," he said, "My father narrated to me, from Salih bin Kaysan," he said, "Nafi narrated to us, that Abdullah informed him," and he related the same.His saying, "Umar expanded it and rebuilt it upon its original structure," means using the same kind of materials mentioned, without changing anything of its form except to expand it. His saying, "Then Uthman changed it," means in both respects, the expansion and the change of materials. His saying, "al-qassa," with a fatha on the qaf and a doubled sad, refers to plaster in the language of the people of Hijaz. Teak is a well known type of wood brought from India. See Fath al-Bari (1/540).