Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 4702 — A man raising his head before

Mutarrif bin Abdullah bin al-Shikhkhir said: I came to Syria and saw a man praying, bowing and prostrating without any separation. I thought that I should sit down so that I could guide this elderly man. So I sat down. When he had finished the prayer, I said: "O servant of Allah, did you end your prayer on an odd number of rak'ahs or an even number?" He said: "I have been relieved of that." I asked: "Who has relieved you of it?" He said: "The noble angels who record deeds, for whenever I have performed a prostration, Allah Almighty has raised me one degree and removed one sin from me." I said: "O servant of Allah, who are you?" He said: "I am Abu Dharr." I at once said: "May Mutarrif's mother lose him! He teaches the Sunnah to Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him)!" When I arrived at the house of Ka'b, I was told that he had been asking about me. When I met him, I mentioned to him what Sayyiduna Abu Dharr had said, and he said: "He is right."