He went to visit Abu Talha al-Ansari during his illness and found Sahl bin Hunayf there with him. Abu Talha called someone over and had a patterned cloth removed from beneath him.Sahl bin Hunayf asked him, "Why are you removing it?"Abu Talha replied, "Because it contains images, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said about such things what you already know."Sahl said, "Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ not say, 'Except what is woven as a pattern in a garment'?"Abu Talha answered, "Yes, he did, but this is more pleasing to my soul."
أنه دخل على أبي طلحة الأنصاري يعوده، قال: فوجد عنده سهل بن حنيف، فدعا أبو طلحة إنسانا، فنزع نمطا من تحته، فقال له سهل بن حنيف: لم تنزعه؟ قال: لأن فيه تصاوير، وقد قال فيها رسول الله ﷺ ما قد علمت، فقال سهل: ألم يقل رسول الله ﷺ: إلا ما كان رقما في ثوب، قال: بلى، ولكنه أطيب لنفسي.
Malik narrated it in the Book of Seeking Permission (7) from Abu Nadr, from Ubaydullah bin Abdullah bin Utba bin Masud, who mentioned it. Through his route, Tirmidhi (1750), Nasai (5349), and Ahmad (15979) also narrated it, and Ibn Hibban graded it sahih (5851).Tirmidhi said, "This is a hasan sahih hadith."I say, some scholars have pointed out a defect in this particular story, though the basic substance of the hadith is established.As for his saying "namat," it refers to a garment of wool used as a curtain, spread out as bedding, or placed over a howdah. And his saying "raqm" refers to a striped pattern of decorative weave, silk, or fine cloth.