“I used to guide my father after he lost his sight, and when I took him out for the Friday (prayer), when he heard the Adhan he would pray for forgiveness for Abu Umamah As’ad bin Zurarah, and supplicate for him. I heard that from him for a while, then I said to myself: ‘By Allah! What is this weakness? Every time he heard the Adhan for Friday (prayer) I hear him praying for forgiveness for Abu Umamah and supplicate for him, and I do not ask him about why he does that.’ Then I took him out for Friday (prayer), as I used to take him out, and when he heard the Adhan he prayed for forgiveness as he used to do. I said to him: ‘O my father! I see you supplicating for As’ad bin Zurarah every time you hear the call for Friday; why is that?’ He said: ‘O my son, he was the first one who led us for the Friday prayer before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came from Makkah, in Naqi’ Al- Khadamat (a place near Al-Madinah), in the plain of Harrah Banu Bayadah.’ I asked: ‘How many of you were there at that time?’ He said: ‘Forty men.’”
كُنْتُ قَائِدَ أَبِي حِينَ ذَهَبَ بَصَرُهُ وَكُنْتُ إِذَا خَرَجْتُ بِهِ إِلَى الْجُمُعَةِ فَسَمِعَ الأَذَانَ اسْتَغْفَرَ لأَبِي أُمَامَةَ أَسْعَدَ بْنِ زُرَارَةَ وَدَعَا لَهُ فَمَكَثْتُ حِينًا أَسْمَعُ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ فِي نَفْسِي وَاللَّهِ إِنَّ ذَا لَعَجْزٌ إِنِّي أَسْمَعُهُ كُلَّمَا سَمِعَ أَذَانَ الْجُمُعَةِ يَسْتَغْفِرُ لأَبِي أُمَامَةَ وَيُصَلِّي عَلَيْهِ وَلاَ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ لِمَ هُوَ؟ فَخَرَجْتُ بِهِ كَمَا كُنْتُ أَخْرُجُ بِهِ إِلَى الْجُمُعَةِ فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ الأَذَانَ اسْتَغْفَرَ كَمَا كَانَ يَفْعَلُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَتَاهُ أَرَأَيْتَكَ صَلاَتَكَ عَلَى أَسْعَدَ بْنِ زُرَارَةَ كُلَّمَا سَمِعْتَ النِّدَاءَ بِالْجُمُعَةِ لِمَ هُوَ؟ قَالَ أَىْ بُنَىَّ كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ صَلَّى بِنَا صَلاَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ قَبْلَ مَقْدَمِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ مَكَّةَ فِي نَقِيعِ الْخَضِمَاتِ فِي هَزْمٍ مِنْ حَرَّةِ بَنِي بَيَاضَةَ قُلْتُ كَمْ كُنْتُمُ يَوْمَئِذٍ؟ قَالَ أَرْبَعِينَ رَجُلاً