Give alms, give alms, give alms, and the majority that gave alms was of women. He then returned and this (practice) remained (in vogue) till Marwan b. al- Hakam (came into power). I went out hand in hand with Marwan till we came to the place of worship and there Kathir b. Salt had built a pulpit of clay and brick. Marwan began to tug me with his hand as though he were pulling me towards the pulpit, while I was pulling him towards the prayer. When I saw him doing that I said: What has happened to the practice of beginning with prayer? He said: No, Abu Sa'id, what you are familiar with has been abandoned. I thereupon said (three times and went back): By no means, by Him in Whose hand my life is, you are not doing anything better than what I am familiar with.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَخْرُجُ يَوْمَ الأَضْحَى وَيَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ فَيَبْدَأُ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَإِذَا صَلَّى صَلاَتَهُ وَسَلَّمَ قَامَ فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَهُمْ جُلُوسٌ فِي مُصَلاَّهُمْ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُ حَاجَةٌ بِبَعْثٍ ذَكَرَهُ لِلنَّاسِ أَوْ كَانَتْ لَهُ حَاجَةٌ بِغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ أَمَرَهُمْ بِهَا وَكَانَ يَقُولُ تَصَدَّقُوا تَصَدَّقُوا تَصَدَّقُوا وَكَانَ أَكْثَرَ مَنْ يَتَصَدَّقُ النِّسَاءُ ثُمَّ يَنْصَرِفُ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى كَانَ مَرْوَانُ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ فَخَرَجْتُ مُخَاصِرًا مَرْوَانَ حَتَّى أَتَيْنَا الْمُصَلَّى فَإِذَا كَثِيرُ بْنُ الصَّلْتِ قَدْ بَنَى مِنْبَرًا مِنْ طِينٍ وَلَبِنٍ فَإِذَا مَرْوَانُ يُنَازِعُنِي يَدَهُ كَأَنَّهُ يَجُرُّنِي نَحْوَ الْمِنْبَرِ وَأَنَا أَجُرُّهُ نَحْوَ الصَّلاَةِ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ قُلْتُ أَيْنَ الاِبْتِدَاءُ بِالصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ لاَ يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ قَدْ تُرِكَ مَا تَعْلَمُ قُلْتُ كَلاَّ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لاَ تَأْتُونَ بِخَيْرٍ مِمَّا أَعْلَمُ ثَلاَثَ مِرَارٍ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ