Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 5650

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah in the mosque of Mina. A man from the Ansar and a man from the tribe of Thaqif came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They both greeted him with peace and, addressing him in a fine manner, said: "O Messenger of Allah! We have come to you to ask something." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If the two of you wish, I will tell you both what you have come to ask about, and if you both wish, I will remain silent and you ask me; I will do that." They both said: "O Messenger of Allah! Tell us, so that our faith (the narrator is in doubt, or perhaps the words are:) our certainty may increase." This doubt is from the narrator named Isma'il; he says: I do not know which of the two words it is, faith or certainty. (Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:) The Ansari said to the man from Thaqif: "You ask the Messenger of Allah." The man from Thaqif said: "No! Rather, you ask, for I recognise your right." The Ansari asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saying: "O Messenger of Allah! Tell me." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have come to ask me about your going out from your house intending to go to the Sacred House, what reward you will get for it; what reward you will get for your circumambulation (tawaf) of the House; what reward you will get for your offering two rak'ahs after the circumambulation; what reward you will get for your going between Safa and Marwah; what reward you will get for your standing on the evening of Arafah; what reward you will get for your stoning of the Jamarat; what reward you will get for your sacrifice; what reward you will get for having your head shaved; and what reward you will get for your circumambulation of the House after that, that is, the Tawaf al-Ifadah." He said: "By the One who sent you with the truth, it is about this very thing that I have come to ask you." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you go out from your house intending to go to the Sacred House, then for every foot that your she-camel puts down and every foot it lifts, Allah Almighty will record a good deed for you in return, remove one of your evil deeds because of it, and raise your rank. As for your offering two rak'ahs after the circumambulation, it is like freeing a slave from the descendants of Sayyiduna Isma'il (peace be upon him). As for your going between Safa and Marwah after that, it is like freeing seventy slaves. As for your standing on the evening of Arafah, indeed Allah Almighty descends to the lowest heaven and, taking pride in you before the angels, says: 'These are My servants who have come with dishevelled hair from distant regions; they hope for My mercy and My forgiveness. Even if your sins were as many as the grains of sand, or as many as the drops of rain, or like the foam of the sea, I have forgiven them. O My servants! Go back in such a state that you have been forgiven, and the one for whom you have interceded has also been forgiven.' As for your stoning of the Jamarat, every pebble that you throw will become an expiation for a major sin, one that leads to destruction. As for the sacrifice, it will be kept in store with your Lord. As for having your own head shaved, for every hair that you have shaved you will get a good deed in return, and because of it one of your faults will be removed." The people said: "O Messenger of Allah! What if the sins are fewer than that?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "In that case it will be stored up for you among your good deeds. As for your circumambulation of the House after that (the narrator says: that is, the Tawaf al-Ifadah), when you circumambulate, no sin of yours will remain. An angel will come, place his hands between your two shoulders and then say: 'From here on, begin acting anew, for the past sins have been forgiven.'"
The man from Thaqif said: "O Messenger of Allah! Tell me as well." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have come to ask me about prayer." He said: "By the One who sent you with the truth, it is about this very matter that I have come to ask you." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you stand for prayer, perform ablution (wudu) thoroughly. When you rinse your mouth, sins will come out from your nostrils; when you wash your face, sins will come out from your eyes; when you wash your two arms, sins will come out from your nails; when you wipe your head, sins will come out from your head; and when you wash your feet, sins will come out from your toenails. Then, when you stand for prayer, recite whatever portion of the Qur'an you wish. Then, when you go into bowing, place your two hands firmly on your knees and keep your fingers spread apart, until you bow with composure. Then, when you go into prostration, keep your forehead firmly placed in prostration and prostrate with composure, and do not peck. Pray in the early and the last part of the day." That man said: "O Messenger of Allah! What is your view if I keep praying the whole day?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then you are you" (that is, how excellent that would be).
Imam al-Bazzar recorded this narration; its chain contains a narrator, Isma'il bin Rafi', who is da'if (weak).