Volume 2, Book 21, Number 279:
Narrated Mahmud bin Ar-rabi’ Al-Ansari,
that he remembered Allah’s Apostle 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 Apostle 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
Apostle and said, ‘I have weak eye-sight 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 Apostle said, ‘I will do so.’ So Al –
lah’s Apostle and Abu Bakr came to my house in the (next) morning after the sun had risen high. Al –
lah’s Apostle 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 Apostle stood up for the prayer and started the prayer with Takbir and we aligned
in rows behind him; and he offered two Rakat, and finished them with Taslim, and we also per –
formed 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 Apostle 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 wor –
shipped 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 Apostle replied, ‘No
doubt, whoever says. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and by that he wants the pleas –
Volume 2 – 271 / 1700
SAHIH BUKHARI VOLUME 2 > BOOK 21: PRAYER AT NIGHT (TAHAJJUD)
ures of Allah, then Allah will save him from Hell.” Mahmud added, “I told the above narration to
some people, one of whom was Ab-u Aiyub, the companion of Allah’s Apostle in the battle in which
he (Ab-u Aiyub) died and Yazid bin Mu’aw7ya was their leader in Roman Territory. Abu Aiyub de –
nounced the narration and said, ‘I doubt that Allah’s Apostle 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 as –
sumed 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.”