Itban bin Malik, who was one of the companions of the Prophet ﷺ and among the Ansar who had witnessed 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 me and them floods, and I cannot reach their mosque to lead them in prayer. I would dearly love, Messenger of Allah, for you to come and pray in my house so that I may take it as a place of prayer."The Prophet ﷺ replied, "I will do so, Allah willing."Itban said, The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abu Bakr came the next morning once the day had risen. The Prophet ﷺ asked permission to enter, and I granted it. He did not sit down until he had entered the house, then he said to me, "Where in your house would you like me to pray?"I pointed to a corner of the room. The Prophet ﷺ stood and said the takbir, and we formed a row behind him. He prayed two cycles, then gave the salam. We kept him with us for a dish of khazirah we had prepared, and a number of men of the household gathered in the house.One of them asked, "Where is Malik bin Dukhshun?"Another replied, "That one is a hypocrite who does not love Allah and His Messenger."The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do not say that. Do you not see that he says 'There is no god but Allah,' seeking by it the face of Allah?"The man said, "Allah and His Messenger know best."We said, "But we see his attention and goodwill directed toward the hypocrites."The Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah has forbidden the Fire to anyone who says 'There is no god but Allah,' seeking by it 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, and he confirmed it.
حدثنا يحيى بن بكير حدثنا الليث عن عقيل عن ابن شهاب قال أخبرني
أن عتبان بن مالك وكان من أصحاب النبي ﷺ ممن شهد بدرا من الأنصار أنه أتى رسول الله ﷺ فقال يا رسول الله إني أنكرت بصري وأنا أصلي لقومي فإذا كانت الأمطار سال الوادي الذي بيني وبينهم لم أستطع أن آتي مسجدهم فأصلي لهم فوددت يا رسول الله أنك تأتي فتصلي في بيتي فأتخذه مصلى فقال سأفعل إن شاء الله قال عتبان فغدا رسول الله ﷺ وأبو بكر حين ارتفع النهار فاستأذن النبي ﷺ فأذنت له فلم يجلس حتى دخل البيت ثم قال لي أين تحب أن أصلي من بيتك فأشرت إلى ناحية من البيت فقام النبي ﷺ فكبر فصففنا فصلى ركعتين ثم سلم وحبسناه على خزير صنعناه فثاب في البيت رجال من أهل الدار ذوو عدد فاجتمعوا فقال قائل منهم أين مالك بن الدخشن فقال بعضهم ذلك منافق لا يحب الله ورسوله قال النبي ﷺ لا تقل ألا تراه قال لا إله إلا الله يريد بذلك وجه الله قال الله ورسوله أعلم قال قلنا فإنا نرى وجهه ونصيحته إلى المنافقين فقال فإن الله حرم على النار من قال لا إله إلا الله يبتغي بذلك وجه الله قال ابن شهاب ثم سألت الحصين بن محمد الأنصاري أحد بني سالم وكان من سراتهم عن حديث محمود فصدقه