To offer Nawafil in congregation

Mahmud said that he had heard Itban bin Malik, who was present with Allah's Apostle in the battle of Badr saying, "I used to lead my people at Bani Salim in the prayer and there was a valley between me and those people. Whenever it rained it used to be difficult for me to cross it to go to their mosque. So I went to Allah's Apostle and said, 'I have weak eye-sight and the valley between me and my people flows during the rainy season and it becomes difficult for me to cross it;
I wish you would come to my house and pray at a place so that I could take that place as a praying place.' Allah's Apostle ﷺ said, 'I will do so.' So Allah's Apostle and Abu Bakr came to my house in the (next) morning after the sun had risen high. Allah's Apostle asked my permission to let him in and I admitted him. He did not sit before saying, 'Where do you want us to offer the prayer in your house?' I pointed to the place where I wanted him to pray. So Allah's Apostle stood up for the prayer and started the prayer with Takbir and we aligned in rows behind him;
and he offered two Rakat, and finished them with Taslim, and we also performed Taslim with him. I detained him for a meal called "Khazir" which I had prepared for him.--("Khazir" is a special type of dish prepared from barley flour and meat soup)-- When the neighbors got the news that Allah's Apostle was in my house, they poured it till there were a great number of men in the house. One of them said, 'What is wrong with Malik, for I do not see him?' One of them replied, 'He is a hypocrite and does not love Allah and His Apostle.' On that Allah's Apostle ﷺ said, 'Don't say this. Haven't you seen that he said, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah for Allah's sake only.' The man replied, 'Allah and His Apostle know better;
but by Allah, we never saw him but helping and talking with the hypocrites.' Allah's Apostle replied, 'No doubt, whoever says. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and by that he wants the pleasures of Allah, then Allah will save him from Hell." Mahmud added, "I told the above narration to some people, one of whom was Ab-u Aiyub, the companion of Allah's Apostle in the battle in which he (Ab-u Aiyub) died and Yazid bin Mu'aw7ya was their leader in Roman Territory. Abu Aiyub denounced the narration and said, 'I doubt that Allah's Apostle ever said what you have said.' I felt that too much, and I vowed to Allah that if I remained alive in that holy battle, I would (go to Medina and) ask Itban bin Malik if he was still living in the mosque of his people. So when he returned, I assumed Ihram for Hajj or 'Umra and then I proceeded on till I reached Medina. I went to Bani Salim and Itban bin Malik, who was by then an old blind man, was leading his people in the prayer. When he finished the prayer, I greeted him and introduced myself to him and then asked him about that narration. He told that narration again in the same manner as he had narrated it the first time."

فَزَعَمَ مَحْمُودٌ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عِتْبَانَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ الأَنْصَارِيّ َ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ وَكَانَ مِمَّنْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي لِقَوْمِي بِبَنِي سَالِمٍ، وَكَانَ يَحُولُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُمْ وَادٍ إِذَا جَاءَتِ الأَمْطَارُ فَيَشُقُّ عَلَىَّ اجْتِيَازُهُ قِبَلَ مَسْجِدِهِمْ، فَجِئْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنِّي أَنْكَرْتُ بَصَرِي، وَإِنَّ الْوَادِيَ الَّذِي بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِي يَسِيلُ إِذَا جَاءَتِ الأَمْطَارُ فَيَشُقُّ عَلَىَّ اجْتِيَازُهُ، فَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّكَ تَأْتِي فَتُصَلِّي مِنْ بَيْتِي مَكَانًا أَتَّخِذُهُ مُصَلًّى. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " سَأَفْعَلُ ". فَغَدَا عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ بَعْدَ مَا اشْتَدَّ النَّهَارُ فَاسْتَأْذَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَذِنْتُ لَهُ فَلَمْ يَجْلِسْ حَتَّى قَالَ " أَيْنَ تُحِبُّ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ مِنْ بَيْتِكَ ". فَأَشَرْتُ لَهُ إِلَى الْمَكَانِ الَّذِي أُحِبُّ أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ فِيهِ، فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَكَبَّرَ وَصَفَفْنَا وَرَاءَهُ، فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ وَسَلَّمْنَا حِينَ سَلَّمَ، فَحَبَسْتُهُ عَلَى خَزِيرٍ يُصْنَعُ لَهُ فَسَمِعَ أَهْلُ الدَّارِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي بَيْتِي فَثَابَ رِجَالٌ مِنْهُمْ حَتَّى كَثُرَ الرِّجَالُ فِي الْبَيْتِ. فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ مَا فَعَلَ مَالِكٌ لاَ أَرَاهُ. فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ ذَاكَ مُنَافِقٌ لاَ يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " لاَ تَقُلْ ذَاكَ أَلاَ تَرَاهُ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ. يَبْتَغِي بِذَلِكَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ ". فَقَالَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ. أَمَّا نَحْنُ فَوَاللَّهِ لاَ نَرَى وُدَّهُ وَلاَ حَدِيثَهُ إِلاَّ إِلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ. قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ حَرَّمَ عَلَى النَّارِ مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ. يَبْتَغِي بِذَلِكَ وَجْهَ اللَّهِ ". قَالَ مَحْمُودٌ فَحَدَّثْتُهَا قَوْمًا فِيهِمْ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي غَزْوَتِهِ الَّتِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهَا وَيَزِيدُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِأَرْضِ الرُّومِ، فَأَنْكَرَهَا عَلَىَّ أَبُو أَيُّوبَ قَالَ وَاللَّهِ مَا أَظُنُّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَا قُلْتَ قَطُّ. فَكَبُرَ ذَلِكَ عَلَىَّ فَجَعَلْتُ لِلَّهِ عَلَىَّ إِنْ سَلَّمَنِي حَتَّى أَقْفُلَ مِنْ غَزْوَتِي أَنْ أَسْأَلَ عَنْهَا عِتْبَانَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ إِنْ وَجَدْتُهُ حَيًّا فِي مَسْجِدِ قَوْمِهِ، فَقَفَلْتُ فَأَهْلَلْتُ بِحَجَّةٍ أَوْ بِعُمْرَةٍ، ثُمَّ سِرْتُ حَتَّى قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَأَتَيْتُ بَنِي سَالِمٍ، فَإِذَا عِتْبَانُ شَيْخٌ أَعْمَى يُصَلِّي لِقَوْمِهِ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ مِنَ الصَّلاَةِ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَخْبَرْتُهُ مَنْ أَنَا، ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ الْحَدِيثِ فَحَدَّثَنِيهِ كَمَا حَدَّثَنِيهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ.