Itban bin Malik reported,

Itban bin Malik was among those who fought at Badr alongside the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He used to say, "I would lead my people, the tribe of Banu Salim, in prayer. There was a valley separating me from them, and whenever the rains came, it became difficult for me to cross it to reach their mosque. So I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said to him, 'I have begun to lose my eyesight, and the valley between me and my people overflows when the rains come, making it hard for me to cross. I would love it if you came and prayed in some part of my house that I could take as a place of prayer.'"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I will do so."Itban continued, "The next morning, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abu Bakr came to me after the day had grown hot. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked permission to enter, and I gave him permission. He did not sit down until he asked, 'Where in your house would you like me to pray?' I pointed to the spot where I wished him to pray. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood, said the takbir, and we lined up behind him. He prayed two rakahs, then made the salam, and we made salam when he did. I had detained him for a dish of khazirah being prepared for him.The people of the neighborhood heard that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was in my house, and men began to gather until there were many in the house. One of them asked, 'What has become of Malik? I do not see him.'Another man replied, 'That one is a hypocrite who does not love Allah and His Messenger.'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Do not say that. Do you not see that he says 'There is no god but Allah,' seeking thereby the face of Allah?"The man said, "Allah and His Messenger know best. As for us, by Allah, we see his affection and his conversation directed only to the hypocrites."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Indeed, Allah has forbidden the Fire to anyone who says 'There is no god but Allah,' seeking thereby the face of Allah."Mahmud bin Rabi said, "I related this hadith to a group of people that included Abu Ayub, the companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, during the campaign in which he died, with Yazid bin Muawiya commanding them in the land of the Romans. Abu Ayub rejected the report from me and said, 'By Allah, I do not think the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ever said what you have said.' This weighed heavily on me, so I made a vow to Allah that if He brought me home safely from my campaign, I would ask Itban bin Malik about it, if I found him still alive in his people's mosque.So I returned and entered the state of ihram for hajj or umrah, then I journeyed until I reached Medina. I went to Banu Salim, and there was Itban, an old, blind man, leading his people in prayer. When he made the salam ending the prayer, I greeted him and told him who I was, then I asked him about that hadith. He related it to me just as he had related it the first time."

فزعم محمود أنه سمع

عتبان بن مالك الأنصاري رضي الله عنه

وكان ممن شهد بدرا مع رسول الله ﷺ يقول كنت أصلي لقومي ببني سالم وكان يحول بيني وبينهم واد إذا جاءت الأمطار فيشق علي اجتيازه قبل مسجدهم فجئت رسول الله ﷺ فقلت له إني أنكرت بصري وإن الوادي الذي بيني وبين قومي يسيل إذا جاءت الأمطار فيشق علي اجتيازه فوددت أنك تأتي فتصلي من بيتي مكانا أتخذه مصلى فقال رسول الله ﷺ سأفعل فغدا علي رسول الله ﷺ وأبو بكر رضي الله عنه بعد ما اشتد النهار فاستأذن رسول الله ﷺ فأذنت له فلم يجلس حتى قال أين تحب أن أصلي من بيتك فأشرت له إلى المكان الذي أحب أن أصلي فيه فقام رسول الله ﷺ فكبر وصففنا وراءه فصلى ركعتين ثم سلم وسلمنا حين سلم فحبسته على خزير يصنع له فسمع أهل الدار رسول الله ﷺ في بيتي فثاب رجال منهم حتى كثر الرجال في البيت فقال رجل منهم ما فعل مالك لا أراه فقال رجل منهم ذاك منافق لا يحب الله ورسوله فقال رسول الله ﷺ لا تقل ذاك ألا تراه قال لا إله إلا الله يبتغي بذلك وجه الله فقال الله ورسوله أعلم أما نحن فوالله لا نرى وده ولا حديثه إلا إلى المنافقين قال رسول الله ﷺ فإن الله قد حرم على النار من قال لا إله إلا الله يبتغي بذلك وجه الله قال محمود بن الربيع فحدثتها قوما فيهم أبو أيوب صاحب رسول الله ﷺ في غزوته التي توفي فيها ويزيد بن معاوية عليهم بأرض الروم فأنكرها علي أبو أيوب قال والله ما أظن رسول الله ﷺ قال ما قلت قط فكبر ذلك علي فجعلت لله علي إن سلمني حتى أقفل من غزوتي أن أسأل عنها عتبان بن مالك رضي الله عنه إن وجدته حيا في مسجد قومه فقفلت فأهللت بحجة أو بعمرة ثم سرت حتى قدمت المدينة فأتيت بني سالم فإذا عتبان شيخ أعمى يصلي لقومه فلما سلم من الصلاة سلمت عليه وأخبرته من أنا ثم سألته عن ذلك الحديث فحدثنيه كما حدثنيه أول مرة