Narrated Mahmud bin Ar-rabi' Al-Ansari:that he remembered Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he also remembered a mouthful of water which he had thrown on his face, after taking it from a well that was in their house. Mahmud said that he had heard `Itban bin Malik, who was present with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the battle of Badr saying, "I used to lead my people at Bani Salim in the prayer and there was a valley between me and those people. Whenever it rained it used to be difficult for me to cross it to go to their mosque. So I went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, 'I have weak eyesight and the valley between me and my people flows during the rainy season and it becomes difficult for me to cross it; I wish you would come to my house and pray at a place so that I could take that place as a praying place.' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'I will do so.' So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr came to my house in the (next) morning after the sun had risen high. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked my permission to let him in and I admitted him. He did not sit before saying, 'Where do you want us to offer the prayer in your house?' I pointed to the place where I wanted him to pray. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood up for the prayer and started the prayer with Takbir and we aligned in rows behind him; and he offered two rak`at, and finished them with Taslim, and we also performed Taslim with him. I detained him for a meal called "Khazir" which I had prepared for him.--("Khazir" is a special type of dish prepared from barley flour and meat soup)-- When the neighbors got the news that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was in my house, they poured it till there were a great number of men in the house. One of them said, 'What is wrong with Malik, for I do not see him?' One of them replied, 'He is a hypocrite and does not love Allah and His Apostle.' On that Allah's Apostle said, 'Don't say this. Haven't you seen that he said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah for Allah's sake only.' The man replied, 'Allah and His Apostle know better; but by Allah, we never saw him but helping and talking with the hypocrites.' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, 'No doubt, whoever says. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and by that he wants the pleasures of Allah, then Allah will save him from Hell." Mahmud added, "I told the above narration to some people, one of whom was Abu Aiyub, the companion of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the battle in which he (Abu Aiyub) died and Yazid bin Mu'awiya was their leader in Roman Territory. Abu Aiyub denounced the narration and said, 'I doubt that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ever said what you have said.' I felt that too much, and I vowed to Allah that if I remained alive in that holy battle, I would (go to Medina and) ask `Itban bin Malik if he was still living in the mosque of his people. So when he returned, I assumed Ihram for Hajj or `Umra and then I proceeded on till I reached Medina. I went to Bani Salim and `Itban bin Malik, who was by then an old blind man, was leading his people in the prayer. When he finished the prayer, I greeted him and introduced myself to him and then asked him about that narration. He told that narration again in the same manner as he had narrated it the first time."
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 1185, 1186
In-book reference
Book 19, Hadith 62
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 2, Book 21, Hadith 279
Translation by Dr. M. Muhsin Khan · Language: EN
Sahih
It is related from Mahmud ibn ar-Rabi' that he remembered the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and remembered him spitting a mouthful of water from a well in their house into his face. He said that he heard 'Itban ibn Malik al-Ansari, one of those who was present at Badr, say, 'I used to lead my people in prayer at Banu Salim and there was a river-bed between me and them. When the rains came, it was difficult for me to cross it to get to their mosque. So I went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said to him, "Messenger of Allah, my eyesight is weak and when it rains, the water floods the river-bed between me and them so that I am unable to get to their mosque and lead them in the prayer. Messenger of Allah, I would very much like you to come and pray in my house so that I could take it as a prayer-place." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I will do that." The following day when the sun was well up, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr came and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked for permission to enter and I gave him permission. He did not sit down when he entered the house but said, "Where in your house would you like me to pray." I pointed out to him the place where I wanted to pray. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood and said the takbir, and we formed rows behind him. He prayed two rak'ats and then said the taslim and we said the taslim when he did. I persuaded him stay with us to eat a dish of khazira [meat soup] which had been prepared for him. The people of the area heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was in our house and quite a number of their men gathered in the house and one of them said, "What has happened to Malik? I do not see him." Another of them said, "That man is a hypocrite who does not love Allah and His Messenger." The Messenger of Allah* said, "Do not say that. Do you not see that he has said, 'There is no god but Allah,' desiring by that nothing but the face of Allah?" The man said, "Allah and His Messenger know best, but, by Allah, we have only seen him loving and advising the hypocrites." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,said, "Allah has forbidden the Fire for anyone who says 'There is no god but Allah' desiring by that the face of Allah." ' " Mahmud said, "I related this to some people, one of whom was Abu Ayyub, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the expedition in which he died, and over which Yazid ibn Mu'awiya had command, in Byzantine territory. Abu Ayyub objected to me saying it and said, 'By Allah, I do not think that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ever said what you said.' That was hard for me to endure and I vowed to Allah that if I was spared, I would return from that expedition to ask 'Itban ibn Malik about it if I found him still alive in the mosque of his people. So I returned and put on ihram for hajj or 'umra and then travelled until I reached Madina. I went to the Banu Salim and 'Itban was an old blind man who still led his people in the prayer. When he said the taslim for the prayer, I greeted him and told him who I was and then asked him about that hadith. He related it to me as he had related it the first time."
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 1185, 1186
In-book reference
Book 19, Hadith 62
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 2, Book 21, Hadith 279
Translation by Aisha Bewley · Language: EN
Sahih
