During the year of the expedition of Tabuk, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ rose at night to pray. Some men from among his companions gathered behind him to keep watch over him. When he had finished his prayer and turned to them, he said:"I have been granted five things tonight that no one before me was given.As for me, I have been sent to all people in general, whereas those before me were sent only to their own people.I have been aided against the enemy through fear, so that even if there were a month's journey between me and them, they would be filled with terror.War spoils have been made lawful for me to eat, while those before me considered eating them a grave matter and used to burn them.The earth has been made for me a place of prayer and a means of purification, so wherever the time of prayer overtakes me, I wipe and pray, whereas those before me considered this a serious matter and would only pray in their churches and synagogues.As for the fifth, it is what it is. I was told, 'Ask, for every prophet has asked.' So I deferred my request until the Day of Resurrection. It is for you and for whoever bears witness that there is no god but Allah."
أن رسول الله ﷺ عام غزوة تبوك قام من الليل يصلي، فاجتمع وراءه رجال من أصحابه يحرسونه حتى إذا صلى وانصرف إليهم، فقال لهم: لقد أعطيت الليلة خمسا ما أعطيهن أحد قبلي: أما أنا فأرسلت إلى الناس كلهم عامة، وكان من قبلي إنما يرسل إلى قومه، ونصرت على العدو بالرعب، ولو كان بيني وبينهم مسيرة شهر لملئ منه رعبا، وأحلت لي الغنائم أكلها، وكان من قبلي يعظمون أكلها كانوا يحرقونها، وجعلت لى الأرض مساجد وطهورا أينما أدركتني الصلاة تمسحت وصليت، وكان من قبلي يعظمون ذلك إنما كانوا يصلون في كنائسهم وبيعهم، والخامسة هي ما هي قيل لي: سل فإن كل نبي قد سأل، فأخرت مسألتي إلى يوم القيامة، فهي لكم ولمن شهد أن لا إله الا الله.
Imam Ahmad related it (7068) from Qutayba bin Saeed, who said, Bakr bin Mudar told us, from Ibn Hadi, from Amr bin Shuayb, from his father, from his grandfather, and he mentioned it. Its chain of transmission is hasan because of Amr bin Shuayb, for his hadith is hasan. Haythami said in Majma (10/367), "Ahmad related it and its narrators are trustworthy."On this subject there is also a report from Abu Musa, as a raised hadith, "I have been given five things. I was sent to the red and the black, the earth was made pure and a masjid for me, spoils of war were made lawful for me though they were not lawful for anyone before me, I was given victory through terror for the distance of a month's journey, and I was given intercession. There is no prophet but that he has asked for intercession, but I have kept mine in reserve, then I have set it aside for whoever among my community dies without having associated anything with Allah."Imam Ahmad related it (19735) from Husayn bin Muhammad, who said, Israel told us, from Abu Ishaq, from Abu Burda, from Abu Musa Ashari. Abu Ishaq was a mudallis and became confused in his later years, and Israel heard from him after this confusion set in, as Imam Ahmad stated. For this reason he was inconsistent in narrating it as a raised hadith versus a stopped one. Imam Ahmad related it (19736) by another route from Israel, from Abu Ishaq, from Abu Burda, as a mursal report, without mentioning Abu Musa. This may go back to his confusion, so it could not be determined which was more likely to be correct, whether the raised or the disconnected version, even though the rule is that an addition from a trustworthy narrator is accepted. But here, although Abu Ishaq was trustworthy, he became confused toward the end of his life.Likewise on this subject there is a report from Awf bin Malik, as a raised hadith, "I have been given four things that no one before us was given, and I asked my Lord for a fifth and He gave it to me. A prophet used to be sent only to his own people and not beyond them, but I have been sent to all of mankind without exception. Our enemy is struck with terror of us from a distance of a month's journey. The earth has been made pure for me and masjids. The fifth of the spoils has been made lawful for us, though it was not lawful for anyone before us. And I asked my Lord for the fifth thing, I asked Him that no servant of my community who affirms His oneness should meet Him without being admitted into Paradise, and He granted it to me."Ibn Hibban related it in his Sahih (6399) from Abu Yaala, who said, Harun bin Abdullah Hammal told us, who said, Ibn Abu Fudayk told us, from Ubaydullah bin Abdul-Rahman bin Mawhab, from Abbas bin Abdul-Rahman bin Mina Ashjai, from Awf bin Malik, and he mentioned it.Abbas bin Abdul-Rahman bin Mina Ashjai was not deemed reliable by anyone. Ibn Hibban merely mentioned him in his book Thiqat, and cited him in his Sahih. For this reason Hafiz said of him, "Acceptable," meaning if corroborated, but he was not corroborated, so his hadith is weak in reliability.As for the narrator from him, Ubaydullah bin Abdul-Rahman bin Mawhab, Nasai said of him, "He is not strong," and Hafiz was content with Nasai's statement, even though Ibn Adi said, "His hadith is hasan, his hadith is written down."