He came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "Messenger of Allah, my eyesight has weakened, and I lead my people in prayer. When it rains, the valley between me and them floods, and I am unable to reach their mosque to lead them in prayer. I would love it, Messenger of Allah, if you would come and pray in a place in my house so that I may take it as a place of prayer."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, "I will do so, if Allah wills."Itban said, The Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq came to me the next morning after the day had grown bright. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sought permission to enter, and I granted it. He did not sit down until he had entered the house, then he asked, "Where in your house would you like me to pray?"I pointed to a corner of the house, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood and said the takbir. We stood behind him, and he prayed two units, then gave the closing salam. We had kept him for a meal of khazira we had prepared for him.Some men of the household gathered around us until a number of men had assembled in the house. One of them asked, "Where is Malik bin Dukhshun?"Another replied, "He is a hypocrite who does not love Allah and His Messenger."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Do not say that about him. Do you not see that he has said, 'There is no god but Allah,' seeking by that the face of Allah?"They said, "Allah and His Messenger know best."He said, "What we see of him is only his attentiveness and friendliness toward the hypocrites."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Allah has forbidden the Fire to 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 Banu Salim and among their leading men, about the hadith of Mahmud bin Rabi, and he confirmed it.
حدثني حرملة بن يحيى التجيبي أخبرنا ابن وهب أخبرني يونس عن ابن شهاب أن محمود بن الربيع الأنصاري حدثه أن
أنه أتى رسول الله ﷺ فقال يا رسول الله إني قد أنكرت بصري وأنا أصلي لقومي وإذا كانت الأمطار سال الوادي الذي بيني وبينهم ولم أستطع أن آتي مسجدهم فأصلي لهم وددت أنك يا رسول الله تأتي فتصلي في مصلى فأتخذه مصلى قال فقال رسول الله ﷺ سأفعل إن شاء الله قال عتبان فغدا رسول الله ﷺ وأبو بكر الصديق حين ارتفع النهار فاستأذن رسول الله ﷺ فأذنت له فلم يجلس حتى دخل البيت ثم قال أين تحب أن أصلي من بيتك قال فأشرت إلى ناحية من البيت فقام رسول الله ﷺ فكبر فقمنا وراءه فصلى ركعتين ثم سلم قال وحبسناه على خزير صنعناه له قال فثاب رجال من أهل الدار حولنا حتى اجتمع في البيت رجال ذوو عدد فقال قائل منهم أين مالك بن الدخشن فقال بعضهم ذلك منافق لا يحب الله ورسوله فقال رسول الله ﷺ لا تقل له ذلك ألا تراه قد قال لا إله إلا الله يريد بذلك وجه الله قال قالوا الله ورسوله أعلم قال فإنما نرى وجهه ونصيحته للمنافقين قال فقال 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 فصدقه بذلك