Messenger of Allah, I have lost my eyesight and I lead my people in prayer. When there is a downpour there is then a current (of water) in the valley that stands between me and them and I find it impossible to go to their mosque and lead them in prayer. Messenger of Allah, I earnestly beg of you that you should come and observe prayer at a place of worship (in my house) so that I should then use it as a place of worship. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Well, it God so wills. I would soon do so. 'Itban said: On the following day when the day dawned, the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) came along with Abu Bakr at-Siddiq, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked permission (to get into the house). I gave him the permission, and be did not sit after entering the house, when he said: At what place in your house you desire me to say prayer? I ('Itban b. Malik) said: I pointed to a corner in the house, The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood (at that place for prayer) and pronounced Allah-o-Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) (as an expression for the commencement of prayer). We too stood behind him, and he said two rak'ahs and then pronounced salutation (marking the end of the prayer). We detained him (the Holy Prophet) for the meat curry we had prepared for, him. The people of the neighbouring houses came and thus there was a good gathering in (our house). One of them said: Where is Malik b. Dukhshun? Upon this one of them remarked: He is a hypocrite; he does not love Allah and His Messenger. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Do not say so about him. Don't you see that he utters La ilaha ill-Allah (There is no god but Allah) and seeks the pleasure of Allah through it? They said: Allah and His Messenger know beet. One (among the audience) said: We see his inclination and wellwishing for hypocrites only. Upon this the Messenger of Allah' ﷺ again said: Verily Allah has forbidden the Fire for one who says: There is no god but Allah, thereby seeking Allah's pleasure. Ibn Shihab said: I asked Husain b. Muhammad al-Ansar (he was one of the leaders of Banu Salim) about the hadith transmitted by Mahmud b. Rabi' and he testified it. (Using translation from Muslim 33c)

أَنَّ عِتْبَانَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ وَهُوَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مِمَّنْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّهُ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي قَدْ أَنْكَرْتُ بَصَرِي وَأَنَا أُصَلِّي لِقَوْمِي وَإِذَا كَانَتِ الْإِمْطَارَاتُ سَالَتِ الْوَادِيَ الَّذِي بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُمْ وَلَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ آتِي مَسْجِدَهُمْ فَأُصَلِّيَ لَهُمْ وَوَدِدْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَنَّكَ تَأْتِيَنِي فَتُصَلِّيَ فِي مُصَلًّى أَتَّخِذُهُ مُصَلًّى فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «سَأَفْعَلُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ» قَالَ عِتْبَانُ فَغَدَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ حِينَ ارْتَفَعَ النَّهَارُ فَاسْتَأْذَنَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَذِنْتُ لَهُ فَلَمْ يَجْلِسْ حَتَّى دَخَلَ الْبَيْتَ ثُمَّ قَالَ «أَيْنَ تُحِبُّ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ مِنْ بَيْتِكَ؟» فَأَشَرْتُ إِلَى نَاحِيَةٍ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ فَقَامَ فَكَبَّرَ فَقُمْنَا وَرَاءَهُ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ وَحَبَسْنَاهُ عَلَى خَزِيرَةٍ صَنَعْنَاهَا فَنَالَ رِجَالٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الدَّارِ حَوْلَنَا حَتَّى اجْتَمَعَ فِي الْبَيْتِ رِجَالٌ ذُو عَدَدٍ فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ مِنْهُمْ أَيْنَ مَالِكُ بْنُ الدُّخْشُنِ؟ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ ذَاكَ مُنَافِقٌ لَا يُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «لَا تَفْعَلْ أَلَا تَرَاهُ قَدْ قَالَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ يُرِيدُ بِذَلِكَ وَجْهَ اللهِ؟» فَقَالُوا اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ فَإِنَّمَا وَجْهُهُ ونُصْحَتُهُ لِلْمُنَافِقِينَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَإِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ حَرَّمَ عَلَى النَّارِ مَنْ قَالَ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ يَبْتَغِي بِذَلِكَ وَجْهَ اللهِ ﷻ قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُ الْحُصَيْنَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيَّ وَهُوَ أَحَدُ بَنِي سَالِمٍ عَنْ حَدِيثِ مَحْمُودِ بْنِ الرَّبِيعِ فَصَدَّقَهُ بِذَلِكَ قَالَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ أَوْ تَقُولُونَ الدُّخْشُمَ وَهُوَ الصَّوَابُ

that he remembered Messenger of Allah 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 ʿItban bin Malik, who was present with Messenger of Allah 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 Messenger of Allah 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.' Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'I will do so.' So Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abu Bakr came to my house in the (next) morning after the sun had risen high. Messenger of Allah 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 Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up for the prayer and started the prayer with Takbir and we aligned in rows behind him; and he offered two rakʿat, 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 Messenger of Allah 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.' Messenger of Allah 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 Messenger of Allah 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 Messenger of Allah 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 ʿItban bin Malik if he was still living in the mosque of his people. So when he returned, I assumed Ihram for Hajj or ʿUmra and then I proceeded on till I reached Medina. I went to Bani Salim and ʿItban 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." (Using translation from Bukhārī 1185)

أَنَّهُ عَقَلَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ وَعَقَلَ مَجَّةً مَجَّهَا مِنْ دَلْوٍ كَانَتْ فِي دَارِهِمْ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِتْبَانَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ الْأَنْصَارِيَّ ثُمَّ أَحَدَ بَنِي سَالِمٍ يَقُولُ كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي لِقَوْمِي بَنِي سَالِمٍ فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنِّي قَدْ أَنْكَرْتُ بَصَرِي وَإِنَّ السُّيُولَ تَحُولَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ مَسْجِدِ قَوْمِي فَلَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّكَ جِئْتَ فَصَلَّيْتَ فِي بَيْتِي مَكَانًا أَتَّخِذُهُ مَسْجِدًا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «أَفْعَلً إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ تَعَالَى» فَغَدَا عَلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ مَعَهُ بَعْدَمَا اشْتَدَّ النَّهَارُ فَاسْتَأْذَنَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَأَذِنْتُ لَهُ فَلَمْ يَجْلِسْ حَتَّى قَالَ «أَيْنَ تُحِبُّ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ مِنْ بَيْتِكَ؟» فَأَشَرْتُ لَهُ إِلَى الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي أُحِبُّ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ فِيهِ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَصَفَفَنَا خَلْفَهُ ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ وَسَلَّمْنَا حِينَ يُسَلِّمُ فَحَبَسْنَاهُ عَلَى خَزِيرٍ صُنِعَ لَهُ فَسَمِعَ بِهِ أَهْلُ الدَّارِ فَثَابُوا حَتَّى امْتَلَأَ الْبَيْتُ [407] فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ أَيْنَ مَالِكُ بْنُ الدُّخْشُمِ؟ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَّا ذَاكَ رَجُلٌ مُنَافِقٌ لَا يُحِبُّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَلَا تَقُولُونَهُ يَقُولُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ يَبْتَغِي بِذَلِكَ وَجْهَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ أَمَّا نَحْنُ فَنُرَى وَجْهَهُ وَحَدِيثَهُ إِلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَيْضًا أَلَا تَقُولُونَهُ يَقُولُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ يَبْتَغِي بِذَلِكَ وَجْهَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ بَلَى أَرَى يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لَنْ يُوَافِيَ عَبْدٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ يَبْتَغِي بِذَلِكَ وَجْهَ اللهِ إِلَّا حَرَّمَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ النَّارَ قَالَ مَحْمُودٌ فَحَدَّثْتُ قَوْمًا فِيهِمْ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي غَزْوَتِهِ الَّتِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهَا مَعَ يَزِيدَ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَأَنْكَرَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيَّ وَقَالَ مَا أَظُنُّ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَا قُلْتَ قَطُّ فَكَبُرَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيَّ فَجَعَلْتُ لِلَّهِ عَلَيَّ إِنْ سَلَّمَنِي حَتَّى أَقْفُلَ مِنْ غَزْوَتِي أَنْ أَسْأَلَ عَنْهَا عِتْبَانَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ إِنْ وَجَدْتُهُ حَيًّا فَأَهْلَلْتُ مِنْ إِيلِيَاءَ بِحَجٍّ وَعُمْرَةٍ حَتَّى قَدِمُتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَأَتَيْتُ بَنِي سَالِمٍ فَإِذَا عِتْبَانُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ قَدْ ذَهَبَ بَصَرُهُ وَهُوَ إِمَامُ قَوْمِهِ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ جِئْتُهُ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَخْبَرْتُهُ مَنْ أَنَا فَحَدَّثَنِي كَمَا حَدَّثَنِي بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ 10882 أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ الْحُصَيْنَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيَّ وَهُوَ أَحَدُ بَنِي سَالِمٍ وَهُوَ مِنْ سَرَاتِهِمْ عَنْ حَدِيثِ مَحْمُودٍ فَصَدَّقَهُ بِذَلِكَ