Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Salama ibn Abdar-Rahman ibn Awf that Abu Hurayra used to lead them in prayer and would say "Allah is greater" whenever he lowered himself and raised himself. When he had finished he would say, "By Allah, I am the person whose prayer most resembles the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If you are uncertain in the prayer and do not know whether you have prayed three or four rakas, then pray a raka and make two prostrations from the sitting position before the taslim. If the raka that you prayed was the fifth, then you make it even by these two sajdas, and if it was the fourth, then the two prostrations spite Shaytan."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from al-Araj that Abdullah ibn Buhayna said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed two rakas with us and then stood without sitting and the people stood with him. When he had finished the prayerand we had seen him say the taslim, he said 'Allah is greater' and did two sajdas from the sitting position and then said the taslim again."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Salama ibn Abdar-Rahman ibn Awf from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you stand in prayer, Shaytan comes to you and confuses you until you do not know how much you have prayed. If you find that happening do two sajdas from the sitting position."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Damra ibn Said al-Mazini from Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud that ad-Dahhak ibn Qays asked an-Numan ibn Bashir, "What did the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, use to recite on the day of jumua after suratal-Jumua (Sura 62)?" He said, "He used to recite al-Ghashiya (Sura 88)."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Sharik ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Namir that Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman said, "Some people heard the iqama and started to pray. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came out and said, 'Are you doing two prayers at the same time? Are you doing two prayers at the same time?' That was about the subh prayer and the two rakas before subh."

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard from Jabir ibn Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Let anyone who cannot find two garments pray in one garment and wrap himself in it, and if the garment is short, let him wrap it around his waist."

Malik said, "In my view it is preferable for someone who prays in a single shirt to put a garment or a turban over his shoulders."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud that Abdullah ibn Abbas said, "I approached, riding on a donkey, while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was leading the people in prayer at Mina, and I was, at that time, nearing puberty. I passed in front of part of the row, dismounted, sent the donkey off to graze, and then joined the row, and no one rebuked me for doing so."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that Abdullah ibn al-Arqam used to lead his companions in prayer. The time for prayer came one day and he went to relieve himself. When he returned, he said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'If you wish to defecate, you should do so before the prayer.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nuaym ibn Abdullah al-Mujmir that he heard Abu Hurayra say, "If any one of you prays and then sits down in the spot where he has prayed, the angels ask blessings on him saying, 'Allah, forgive him. Allah, have mercy on him.' And if he moves from the spot where he has prayed and sits elsewhere in the mosque waiting for the prayer, he remains in prayer until he prays."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Said ibn al-Musayyab said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not pray dhuhr and asr on the day of the Trench until after the sun had set."

Malik said, "The hadith of al- Qasim ibn Muhammad from Salih ibn Khawwat is the one I like most out of what I have heard about the fear prayer."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Dinar that Abdullah ibn Umar said, "On one occasion when the people were praying subhat Quba a man came to them and said, 'A piece of Qur'an was sent down to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, last night, and he was ordered to face the Kaba, so face it.' They had been facing ash-Sham, so they turned round and faced the Kaba.''

Yahya related to me from Malik from Jafar ibn Muhammad ibn Ali from his father that Umar ibn al-Khattab mentioned the magians and said, "I do not know what to do about them." Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf said, "I bear witness that I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Follow the same sunna with them that you follow with the people of the Book . ' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from lyad ibn Abdullah ibn Sad ibn Abi Sarh al-Amiri that he had heard Abu Said al- Khudri say, "We used to pay the zakat al-fitr with a sa of wheat, or a sa of barley, or a sa of dates, or a sa of dried sour milk, or a sa of raisins, using the sa of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace . "

Yahya related to me from Malik that he used to hear the people of knowledge say,"There is no harm in fasting continuously as long as one breaks the fast on the days on which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade fasting, namely, the days of Mina, the day of Adha and the day of Fitr, according to what we have heard."

Malik said, "This is what I like most out of what I have heard about the matter."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Alqama ibn Abi Alqama that his mother said, "I heard A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, being asked whether some one in ihram could scratch their body or not, and she said, 'Yes, he can scratch it and do so as hard as he pleases. I would scratch even if my hands were tied and I could only use my feet.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father said, "I was sitting with Usama ibn Zayd when some one asked him, 'How did the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, travel when he went from Arafa to Muzdalifa during the farewell hajj?' and he replied, 'He went at a medium pace, but when he found a gap (in the crowds) he speeded up.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that Hafsa, umm al-muminin, once said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Why is it that everyone has left ihram and you still have not left ihram from your umra?" and he replied, "I have matted my hair and garlanded my sacrificial animal and will not leave ihram until I have sacrificed the animal."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O Allah, have mercy on those who shave their hair." They said, "And those who shorten (their hair), Messenger of Allah." He said, "O Allah, have mercy on those who shave." They said, "And those who shorten, Messenger of Allah." He said, "And those who shorten."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Hazm from his father that Abu'l-Baddah ibn Asim ibn Adi told him from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, allowed the camel-herders to spend the night outside of Mina, and they threw the stones (once) on the day of sacrifice, and (once) for the following day and the day after that, and (once) on the day when they left Mina.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim from his father from A'isha umm al-muminin that Safiyya bint Huyy began menstruating and so she mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he asked, "Will she delay us?" and he was told, "She has already done the tawaf al-ifada," and he said, "Then she will not delay us. "

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said, ''Ubada ibn al-Walid ibn Ubada ibn as-Samit informed me from his father that his grandfather (Ubada) said, 'We made a contract with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to hear and obey in ease and hardship, enthusiasm and reluctance, and not to dispute with people in authority and to speak or establish the truth wherever we were without worrying about criticism.'"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "By He in whose hand my self is! I would like to fight in the way of Allah and be killed, then be brought to life again so I could be killed, and then be brought to life again so I could be killed." Abu Hurayra said three times, "I testify to it by Allah!"

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stimulated people for jihad and mentioned the Garden. One of the Ansar was eating some dates in his hand, and said, "Am I so desirous of this world that I should sit until I finish them?" He threw aside what was in his hand and took his sword, and fought until he was slain .

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim from his father from Abd ar-Rahman and Mujamma the sons of Yazid ibn Jariya al-Ansari from Khansa bint Khidam al-Ansariya that her father gave her in marriage and she had been previously married. She disapproved of that, and went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he revoked the marriage.

The Talbiya of Allah's Apostle was : 'Labbaika Allahumma labbaik, Labbaika la sharika Laka labbaik, Inna-l-hamda wan-ni'mata Laka walmulk, La sharika Laka' (I respond to Your call O Allah, I respond to Your call, and I am obedient to Your orders, You have no partner, I respond to Your call All the praises and blessings are for You, All the sovereignty is for You, And You have no partners with you.

"When the Prophet (saws) ate, he would lick his three fingers, and he said: 'If one of you drops a piece (of food) then let him remove any harm (dirt) from it and eat it, and do not leave it for Ash-Shaitan.' And he would order us to finish (clean) the dish. And he said: 'Indeed you do not know in which part of your food is the blessing.'

[Abu 'Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Gharib Sahih.

I went along with the Prophet to Khaibar so as to serve him. (Later on) when the Prophet returned he, on seeing the Uhud mountain, said, "This is a mountain that loves us and is loved by us." Then he pointed to Medina with his hand saying, "O Allah! I make the area which is in between Medina's two mountains a sanctuary, as Abraham made Mecca a sanctuary. O Allah! Bless us in our Sa` and Mudd (i.e. units of measuring)."

Allah's Apostle said, "The thing I am afraid of most for your sake, is the worldly blessings which Allah will bring forth to you." It was said, "What are the blessings of this world?" The Prophet said, "The pleasures of the world." A man said, "Can the good bring forth evil?" The Prophet kept quiet for a while till we thought that he was being inspired divinely. Then he started removing the sweat from his forehead and said," Where is the questioner?" That man said, "I (am present)." Abu Sa`id added: We thanked the man when the result (of his question) was such. The Prophet said, "Good never brings forth but good. This wealth (of the world) is (like) green and sweet (fruit), and all the vegetation which grows on the bank of a stream either kills or nearly kills the animal that eats too much of it, except the animal that eats the Khadira (a kind of vegetation). Such an animal eats till its stomach is full and then it faces the sun and starts ruminating and then it passes out dung and urine and goes to eat again. This worldly wealth is (like) sweet (fruit), and if a person earns it (the wealth) in a legal way and spends it properly, then it is an excellent helper, and whoever earns it in an illegal way, he will be like the one who eats but is never satisfied."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn al- Hadi from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Harith at-Taymi from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman that Abu Said al-Khudri said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to do itikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan. One year he was doing itikaf and then, when it came to the night of the twenty-first, which was the night before the morning when he would normally have finished his itikaf, he said, 'Whoever has done i'tikaf with me should continue doing itikaf for the last ten days. I saw a certain night and then I was made to forget it. I saw myself prostrating the following morning in water and clay. Look for it in the last ten days, and look for it on the odd days.' "

Abu Said continued, "The sky poured with rain that night and the mosque had a roof (made of palm fronds) and the mosque was soaked. With my own eyes I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, leave with traces of water and clay on his forehead and nose, in the morning after the night of the twenty- first."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whenever a man sells wares and then the buyer becomes bankrupt and the seller has not taken any of the price and he finds some of his property intact with the buyer, he is more entitled to it than anyone else. If the buyer dies, then the seller is the same as other creditors with respect to it."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Suhayl ibn Abi Salih from his father from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The doors of the Garden are opened on Monday and Thursday. Every muslim slave who does not associate anything with Allah is forgiven except for the man who has enmity between him and his brother. It is said, 'Leave these two until they have made a reconciliation. Leave these two until they have made a reconciliation.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu Bakr ibn Nafi from his father Nafi, the mawla of Ibn Umar that Safiyya bint Abi Ubayd informed him that Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that when the lower garment of women was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, he said, "She lets it down a handspan." Umm Salama said, "If it leaves her uncovered?" He said, "Then the length of a forearm and let her not increase it."

Malik related to me from Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha that Rafi ibn Ishaq, the mawla of ash-Shifa informed him that he and Abdullah ibn Abi Talha had gone to visit Abu Said al-Khudri while he was ill. Abu Said said to them, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, informed us, 'The angels do not enter a house which contains pictures or images.' " Ishaq was not sure which of them Abu Said said.

Malik related to me that he heard that when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, set foot in the stirrup intending to travel, he would say, "In the name of Allah. O Allah! You are my companion in the journey and the Khalifa of my family. O Allah! Spread out the earth for us and make the journey easy for us. O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the hardship of the journey and from returning to sorrow and a distressing sight regarding property and family."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa that his father made all the teeth the same in the blood-money and did not prefer any kind over others.

Malik said, "What is done in our community is that the front teeth, molars, and eye-teeth have the same blood-money. That is because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'The tooth has five camels.' The molar is one of the teeth and he did not prefer any kind over the others."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar and from Busr ibn Said and from al-Araj-all of whom related it from Abu Hurayra - that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Whoever manages to do a raka of subh before the sun has risen has done subh in time, and whoever manages to do a raka of asr before the sun has set has done asr in time."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman, from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If people knew what was in the adhan and the first row of the prayer and could only draw lots for it, they would draw lots. And if they knew what was in doing dhuhr early, they would race each other to it. And if they knew what was in isha and subh, they would go to them even if they had to crawl."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud from Abdullah ibn Abbas that Umm al- Fadl bint al-Harith heard him reciting al Mursalat (sura 77) and she said to him, "My son, you have reminded me by reciting this sura that it was what I last heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recite in the maghrib prayer."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Amir ibn Abdullah ibn az- Zubayr from Amr ibn Sulaym az-Zuraqi from Abu Qutada al-Ansari that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray carrying Umama, who was the daughter of his daughter Zaynab by Abu'l As ibn Rabia ibn Abd Shams. When he prostrated, he put her down, and when he got up he carried her.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to make dua saying, "O Allah, I askYou for good actions and for leaving what is disapproved of and for love of the poor. And if You wish to try people, then bring me to You without being tried."

Allahumma inniy asa'luka fala'l-khayrati, wa tarqa'l-munqarati, wa hubba'l-masakin, wa idha aradta fi'n-nasi fitnatan fa'qbithni ilayka ghayra maftun.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Every child is born on the fitra and it is his parents who make him a jew or a christian. Just as a camel is born whole - do you perceive any defect?" They said, "Messenger of Allah, what happens to people who die when they are (very) young?" He said, "Allah knows best what they used to do."

Yahya related to me from Malik from 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm from Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Bakr ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham from Khallad ibn as-Sa'ib al-Ansari from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Jibril came to me and told me to tell my companions, or whoever was with me, to raise their voices when doing talbiya."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Jafar ibn Muhammed ibn AIi from his father from Jabir ibn Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say, "Allah is greater" three times when he stopped on Safa, and "There is no god but Allah, alone, without any partner. To Him belong the Kingdom and praise, and He has power over everything" three times, and make dua. He would then do the same on Marwa.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed four raka prayers with only two rakas when at Mina, and that Abu Bakr prayed them at Mina with only two rakas, and that Umar ibn al-Khattab prayed them at Mina with only two rakas, and that Uthman prayed them at Mina with only two rakas for half of his khalifate, and then later completed them.

My aunt took me to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Apostle! This son of my sister has got a disease in his legs." So he passed his hands on my head and prayed for Allah's blessings for me; then he performed ablution and I drank from the remaining water. I stood behind him and saw the seal of Prophethood between his shoulders, and it was like the "Zir-al-Hijla" (means the button of a small tent, but some said 'egg of a partridge.' etc.)

The Messenger of Allah (saws) taught me some words that I say during the witr. (The version of Ibn Jawwas has: I say them in the supplication of the witr.) They were: "O Allah, guide me among those Thou hast guided, grant me security among those Thou hast granted security, take me into Thy charge among those Thou hast taken into Thy charge, bless me in what Thou hast given, guard me from the evil of what Thou hast decreed, for Thou dost decree, and nothing is decreed for Thee. He whom Thou befriendest is not humbled. Blessed and Exalted art Thou, our Lord."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) intended to perform hajj.

A woman said to her husband: Let me perform hajj along with the Messenger of Allah (saws).

He said: I have nothing on which I can let you perform hajj. She said: You may perform hajj on your such-and-such camel. He said: That is dedicated to the cause of Allah, the Exalted. He then came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and said: My wife has conveyed her greetings and the blessings of Allah to you. She has asked about performing hajj along with you. She said (to me): Let me perform hajj with the Messenger of Allah (saws). I said (to her): I have nothing upon which I can let you perform hajj. She said: Let me perform hajj on your such-and-such camel. I said: That is dedicated to the cause of Allah, The Exalted.

He replied: If you let her perform hajj on it, that would be in the cause of Allah.

He said: She has also requested me to ask you: What is that action which is equivalent to performing hajj with you?

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: Convey my greetings, the mercy of Allah and His blessings to her and tell her that umrah during Ramadan is equivalent to performing hajj along with me.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If someone changes his deen - strike his neck!"

The meaning of the statement of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in our opinion and Allah knows best, is that "if someone changes his deen, strike his neck!" refers to those who leave Islam for other than it - like the heretics and their like, about whom it is known. They are killed without being called to tawba because their tawba is not recognised. They were hiding their kufr and publishing their Islam, so I do not think that one calls such people to tawba, and one does not accept their word. As for the one who goes out of Islam to something else and divulges it, one calls him to tawba. If he does not turn in tawba, he is killed. If there are people in that situation, I think that one should call them to Islam and call them to tawba. If they turn in tawba, that is accepted from them. If they do not turn in tawba, they are killed. That does not refer as we see it, and Allah knows best, to those who come out of Judaism to Christianity or from Christianity to Judaism, nor to someone who changes his deen from the various forms of deen except for Islam. Whoever comes out of Islam to other than it and divulges that, that is the one who is referred to, and Allah knows best!

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from his father that he said to Umar ibn al-Khattab, "There is a blind she- camel behind the house,'' soUmar said, "Hand it over to a household so that they can make (some) use of it." He said, "But she is blind." Umar replied, "Then put it in a line with other camels." He said, "How will it be able to eat from the ground?" Umar asked, "Is it from the livestock of the jizya or the zakat?" and Aslam replied, "From the livestock of the jizya." Umar said, "By AIIah, you wish to eat it." Aslam said, "It has the brand of the jizya on it." So Umar ordered it to be slaughtered. He had nine platters, and on each of the platters he put some of every fruit and delicacy that there was and then sent them to the wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the one he sent to his daughter Hafsa was the last of them all, and if there was any deficiency in any of them it was in Hafsa's portion.

"He put meat from the slaughtered animal on the platters and sent them to the wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he ordered what was left of the meat of the slaughtered animal to be prepared. Then he invited the Muhajirun and the Ansar to eat it."

Malik said, "I do not think that livestock should be taken from people who pay the jizya except as jizya."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Uthman ibn Ishaq ibn Kharasha that Qabisa ibn Dhu'ayb said, "A grandmother came to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and asked him for her inheritance. Abu Bakr said to her, 'You have nothing in the Book of Allah, and I do not know that you have anything in the sunna of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Go away therefore, until I have questioned the people.' (i.e.the Companions). He questioned the people, and al-Mughira ibn Shuba said, 'I was present with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he gave the grandmother a sixth.' Abu Bakr said, 'Was there anybody else with you?' Muhammad ibn Maslama al-Ansari stood up and said the like of what al-Mughira said. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq gave it to her. Then the other grandmother came to Umar ibn al-Khattab and asked him for her inheritance. He said to her, "You have nothing in the Book of Allah, and what has been decided is only for other than you, and I am not one to add to the fixed shares, other than that sixth. If there are two of you together, it is between you. If eitherof you is left alone with it, it is hers."

Allah's Apostle ascended the pulpit and said, "Nothing worries me as to what will happen to you after me, except the temptation of worldly blessings which will be conferred on you." Then he mentioned the worldly pleasures. He started with the one (i.e. the blessings) and took up the other (i.e. the pleasures). A man got up saying, "O Allah's Apostle! Can the good bring about evil?" The Prophet remained silent and we thought that he was being inspired divinely, so all the people kept silent with awe. Then the Prophet wiped the sweat off his face and asked, "Where is the present questioner?" "Do you think wealth is good?" he repeated thrice, adding, "No doubt, good produces nothing but good. Indeed it is like what grows on the banks of a stream which either kills or nearly kills the grazing animals because of gluttony except the vegetation-eating animal which eats till both its flanks are full (i.e. till it gets satisfied) and then stands in the sun and defecates and urinates and again starts grazing. This worldly property is sweet vegetation. How excellent the wealth of the Muslim is, if it is collected through legal means and is spent in Allah's Cause and on orphans, poor people and travelers. But he who does not take it legally is like an eater who is never satisfied and his wealth will be a witness against him on the Day of Resurrection."

I went to Sham and offered a two-rak`at prayer and then said, "O Allah! Bless me with a good pious companion." So I went to some people and sat with them. An old man came and sat by my side. I asked, "Who is he?" They replied, "(He is) Abu-Ad-Darda.' I said (to him), "I prayed to Allah to bless me with a pious companion and He sent you to me." He asked me, "From where are you?" I replied, "From the people of Al-Kufa." He said, "Isn't there amongst you Ibn Um `Abd, the one who used to carry the shoes, the cushion(or pillow) and the water for ablution? Is there amongst you the one whom Allah gave Refuge from Satan through the request of His Prophet. Is there amongst you the one who keeps the secrets of the Prophet which nobody knows except him?" Abu Darda further asked, "How does `Abdullah (bin Mas`ud) recite the Sura starting with, 'By the Night as it conceals (the light)." (92.1) Then I recited before him: 'By the Night as it envelops: And by the Day as it appears in brightness; And by male and female.' (91.1-3) On this Abu Ad-Darda' said, "By Allah, the Prophet made me recite the Sura in this way while I was listening to him (reciting it).