Itban bin Malik, who was one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and among those of the Ansar who fought at Badr, came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "Messenger of Allah, my eyesight has weakened, and I lead my people in prayer. When the rains come, the valley between us floods, and I cannot reach their mosque to lead them in prayer. I would love it, Messenger of Allah, if you would come to my house and pray in it so that I may take that spot as a place of prayer."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him, "I will do so, if Allah wills."Itban said, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abu Bakr came in the morning, after the day had risen. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked permission to enter, and I granted it. He did not sit down until he entered the house, then he asked, "Where in your house would you like me to pray?"I pointed out a corner of the house to him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood and said the takbir, so we stood and formed a row behind him. He prayed two rakahs, then said the salam.We had detained him for a dish of khazirah we had prepared for him. Some men from the household, a good number of them, had returned and gathered in the house.One of them said, "Where is Malik bin Dukhayshin?" or "Ibn Dukhshun?"Another 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 has said, 'There is no god but Allah,' seeking by that the face of Allah?"The man said, "Allah and His Messenger know best."He continued, "But we see his attention and counsel directed toward the hypocrites."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Allah has forbidden the Fire from touching anyone who says, 'There is no god but Allah,' seeking by that the face of Allah."Ibn Shihab said, I then asked Husayn bin Muhammad al-Ansari, one of the Banu Salim and among their leading men, about the hadith of Mahmud bin Rabi al-Ansari, and he confirmed it.
حدثنا سعيد بن عفير قال حدثني الليث قال حدثني عقيل عن ابن شهاب قال أخبرني
أن عتبان بن مالك وهو من أصحاب رسول الله ﷺ ممن شهد بدرا من الأنصار أنه أتى رسول الله ﷺ فقال يا رسول الله قد أنكرت بصري وأنا أصلي لقومي فإذا كانت الأمطار سال الوادي الذي بيني وبينهم لم أستطع أن آتي مسجدهم فأصلي بهم ووددت يا رسول الله أنك تأتيني فتصلي في بيتي فأتخذه مصلى قال فقال له رسول الله ﷺ سأفعل إن شاء الله قال عتبان فغدا رسول الله ﷺ وأبو بكر حين ارتفع النهار فاستأذن رسول الله ﷺ فأذنت له فلم يجلس حتى دخل البيت ثم قال أين تحب أن أصلي من بيتك قال فأشرت له إلى ناحية من البيت فقام رسول الله ﷺ فكبر فقمنا فصفنا فصلى ركعتين ثم سلم قال وحبسناه على خزيرة صنعناها له قال فآب في البيت رجال من أهل الدار ذوو عدد فاجتمعوا فقال قائل منهم أين مالك بن الدخيشن أو ابن الدخشن فقال بعضهم ذلك منافق لا يحب الله ورسوله فقال رسول الله ﷺ لا تقل ذلك ألا تراه قد قال لا إله إلا الله يريد بذلك وجه الله قال الله ورسوله أعلم قال فإنا نرى وجهه ونصيحته إلى المنافقين قال رسول الله ﷺ فإن الله قد حرم على النار من قال لا إله إلا الله يبتغي بذلك وجه الله قال ابن شهاب ثم سألت الحصين بن محمد الأنصاري وهو أحد بني سالم وهو من سراتهم عن حديث محمود بن الربيع الأنصاري فصدقه بذلك