I was praying with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. A man in the company sneezed, and I said: May Allah have mercy on you! The people gave me disapproving looks, so I said: Woe is to me! What do you mean by looking at me? They began to strike their hand on their thighs; then I realised that they were urging me to be silent. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ finished his prayer – for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom-he did not beat, scold or revile me, but said: No talk to people in lawful in this prayer, for it consists only in glorifying Allah, declaring His greatness, and reciting the Qur'an or words to that effect said by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I said: Messenger of Allah, we were only recently pagans, but Allah has brought Islam to us, and among us there are men who have recourse to soothsayers (kahins). He replied: Do not have recourse to them. I said: Among us are there are men who take omens. He replied: That is something which they find, but let it not turn them away (from what they intended to do). I said: among us there are men who draw lines. He replied: There was a prophet who drew lines; so if the line of anyone tallies with this line, that might come true. I said: A slave-girl of mine used to tend goats before (the mountain) Uhud and al-Jawaniyyah. Once when I reached her (suddenly) I found that a wolf had taken away a goat of them. I am a human being; I feel grieved as others do. But I gave her a good knocking. This was unbearable for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I asked: Should I set her free ? He replied: Bring her to me. So I brought her to him. He asked (her): Where is Allah ? She said: In the heaven. He said: Who am I ? She replied: You are the Messenger of Allah. He said: Set her free, for she is believer.  

صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَعَطَسَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ فَقُلْتُ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ فَرَمَانِي الْقَوْمُ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ فَقُلْتُ وَاثُكْلَ أُمِّيَاهُ مَا شَأْنُكُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ إِلَىَّ فَجَعَلُوا يَضْرِبُونَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ عَلَى أَفْخَاذِهِمْ فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُمْ يُصَمِّتُونِي فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُمْ يُسَكِّتُونِي لَكِنِّي سَكَتُّ قَالَ فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي مَا ضَرَبَنِي وَلاَ كَهَرَنِي وَلاَ سَبَّنِي ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ هَذِهِ الصَّلاَةَ لاَ يَحِلُّ فِيهَا شَىْءٌ مِنْ كَلاَمِ النَّاسِ هَذَا إِنَّمَا هُوَ التَّسْبِيحُ وَالتَّكْبِيرُ وَقِرَاءَةُ الْقُرْآنِ أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا قَوْمٌ حَدِيثُ عَهْدٍ بِجَاهِلِيَّةٍ وَقَدْ جَاءَنَا اللَّهُ بِالإِسْلاَمِ وَمِنَّا رِجَالٌ يَأْتُونَ الْكُهَّانَ قَالَ فَلاَ تَأْتِهِمْ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَمِنَّا رِجَالٌ يَتَطَيَّرُونَ قَالَ ذَاكَ شَىْءٌ يَجِدُونَهُ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ فَلاَ يَصُدُّهُمْ قُلْتُ وَمِنَّا رِجَالٌ يَخُطُّونَ قَالَ كَانَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ يَخُطُّ فَمَنْ وَافَقَ خَطَّهُ فَذَاكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ جَارِيَةٌ لِي كَانَتْ تَرْعَى غُنَيْمَاتٍ قِبَلَ أُحُدٍ وَالْجَوَّانِيَّةِ إِذِ اطَّلَعْتُ عَلَيْهَا إِطْلاَعَةً فَإِذَا الذِّئْبُ قَدْ ذَهَبَ بِشَاةٍ مِنْهَا وَأَنَا مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ آسَفُ كَمَا يَأْسَفُونَ لَكِنِّي صَكَكْتُهَا صَكَّةً فَعَظَّمَ ذَاكَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ أَفَلاَ أُعْتِقُهَا قَالَ ائْتِنِي بِهَا قَالَ فَجِئْتُهُ بِهَا فَقَالَ أَيْنَ اللَّهُ قَالَتْ فِي السَّمَاءِ قَالَ مَنْ أَنَا قَالَتْ أَنْتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَ أَعْتِقْهَا فَإِنَّهَا مُؤْمِنَةٌ  

what do you mean by looking at me with furtive glances. Then they glorified Allah. When the prophet ﷺ finished his prayer, he asked; who was the speaker? The Prophet told him; this Bedouin. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called me and said to me: Prayer is meant for the recitation of the Quran, and making mention of Allah. When you are in it (prayer), this should be your work therein. I never saw an instructor more lenient than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ  

لَمَّا قَدِمْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ عُلِّمْتُ أُمُورًا مِنْ أُمُورِ الإِسْلاَمِ فَكَانَ فِيمَا عُلِّمْتُ أَنْ قَالَ لِي إِذَا عَطَسْتَ فَاحْمَدِ اللَّهَ وَإِذَا عَطَسَ الْعَاطِسُ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ فَقُلْ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ قَالَ فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا قَائِمٌ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي الصَّلاَةِ إِذْ عَطَسَ رَجُلٌ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ فَقُلْتُ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ رَافِعًا بِهَا صَوْتِي فَرَمَانِي النَّاسُ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ حَتَّى احْتَمَلَنِي ذَلِكَ فَقُلْتُ مَا لَكُمْ تَنْظُرُونَ إِلَىَّ بِأَعْيُنٍ شُزْرٍ قَالَ فَسَبَّحُوا فَلَمَّا قَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الصَّلاَةَ قَالَ مَنِ الْمُتَكَلِّمُ قِيلَ هَذَا الأَعْرَابِيُّ فَدَعَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لِي إِنَّمَا الصَّلاَةُ لِقِرَاءَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَذِكْرِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ فَإِذَا كُنْتَ فِيهَا فَلْيَكُنْ ذَلِكَ شَأْنَكَ فَمَا رَأَيْتُ مُعَلِّمًا قَطُّ أَرْفَقَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ