عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ كَانَ رَجُلٌ (وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ كَانَ ابْنُ عَمٍّ لِي) مَا أَعْلَمُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مِنْ إِنْسَانٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مِمَّنْ يُصَلِّي إِلَى الْقِبْلَةِ أَبْعَدَ بَيْتًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ مِنْهُ قَالَ فَكَانَ يَحْضُرُ الصَّلَوَاتِ كُلَّهُنَّ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لَوِ اشْتَرَيْتَ حِمَارًا تَرْكَبُهُ فِي الرَّمْضَاءِ وَالظَّلْمَاءِ (زَادَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ وَيَقِيكَ مِنْ هَوَامِّ الْأَرْضِ) قَالَ وَاللَّهِ مَا أُحِبُّ أَنَّ بَيْتِي يَلْزَقُ بِمَسْجِدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ (وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ فَقَالَ مَا يَسُرُّنِي أَنَّ بَيْتِي مُطَنَّبٌ بِبَيْتِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ فَمَا سَمِعْتُ كَلِمَةً أَكْرَهَ إِلَيَّ مِنْهَا) قَالَ فَأَخْبَرْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ لِكَيْمَا يُكْتَبَ أَثَرِي وَرُجُوعِي إِلَى أَهْلِي وَإِقْبَالِي إِلَيْهِ قَالَ أَنْطَاكَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ وَفِي لَفْظٍ إِنَّ لَهُ بِكُلِّ خُطْوَةٍ دَرَجَةً وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ فَقَالَ لَكَ مَا نَوَيْتَ أَوْ قَالَ لَكَ أَجْرُ مَا نَوَيْتَ
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I had a cousin, and I think that among all the Muslims of Madinah Munawwarah, his house was the farthest, yet despite this, he would be present with the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) for all the prayers. One day I said to him: If you buy a donkey, so that you can ride it in the heat and darkness and be protected from insects and pests. But he said: By Allah! I do not even wish that my house be adjacent to the Prophet's Mosque. In another narration, he said: It does not even please me that my house be joined to the house of Allah's Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). This statement of his seemed most unpleasant to me. Nevertheless, I told the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) the whole matter. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about it, he said: O Messenger of Allah! (I wish that when I come towards the mosque) and then return to my family, all the traces of my footsteps be recorded. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah Almighty has granted you all of this. In another narration: Surely, for this person, there is a rank for every step. And in another narration: For you is that which you intended, or the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The reward for which you intended is for you.