Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah

Sayyiduna Amr ibn Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I came to the service of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the early days of his Prophethood, when he was residing in Makkah Mukarramah, and he was engaged in secretly inviting people (to Islam). So I asked, "Who are you?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "I am a Prophet." I asked, "What is a Prophet?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "(A Prophet) is a Messenger of Allah." I asked, "Has Allah sent you?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "Yes." I asked, "With what has He sent you?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "(Allah has sent me with the command) that we worship Allah, break the idols, destroy the idol-houses, and maintain the ties of kinship." I said, "Allah has sent you with a magnificent message." I asked, "Who has accepted your message?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, "A free man and a slave have accepted it, that is, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Bilal (may Allah be pleased with them both)." Sayyiduna Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say, "I consider myself the fourth Muslim." He says, "I became Muslim." He says, "O Messenger of Allah, should I stay in Makkah Mukarramah and follow you?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "No, (for now) go back to your people, then when you hear that I have become dominant and have appeared openly, then follow me." He says, "I went back to my people and began to wait for the dominance and public appearance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Until a caravan came from Yathrib, so I met them and asked them about the news (of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him). They said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has left Makkah Mukarramah and gone to Madinah Munawwarah." So I asked, "Has he reached Madinah Munawwarah?" They replied, "Yes." He says, "I set out (towards Madinah Munawwarah) until I reached the service of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). I asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, do you recognize me?' He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'Yes, you are the one who came to me in Makkah Mukarramah.'" So I began to look for an opportunity to meet him in private. Then, when he (peace and blessings be upon him) was alone, I said, "O Messenger of Allah, teach me that knowledge which Allah has taught you, for I am an ignorant person." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Ask whatever you wish." I asked, "Which part of the night is most accepted (for worship)?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "The last part of the night (is most accepted). Pray as much as you wish, for (at that time) the angels are present in the prayer and it is recorded. Until you perform the morning prayer, then remain seated until the sun rises, until it has risen to the height of one or two spears, for it rises between the two horns of Satan and the disbelievers worship it at that time. Then pray as much as you wish, for (at that time) the angels are present in the prayer and it is recorded, that is, its reward is written for the one who prays, until the spear becomes equal to its shadow. Then stop (praying), for (at that time) Hell is kindled and its doors are opened. Then when the sun declines, pray as much as you wish, for the angels are present in the prayer and it is recorded, until you perform the Asr prayer. Then when the sun is about to set, stop (praying), for it sets between the two horns of Satan and (at that time) the disbelievers worship it. And when you perform ablution, wash your hands, for when you wash your hands, your sins will come out from the ends of your fingers. Then when you wash your face, your sins will come out from your face. Then when you rinse your mouth and clean your nose, your sins will come out from your nostrils. Then when you wash your elbows, your sins will come out from your wrists. Then when you wipe your head, your sins will come out from the ends of your hair. Then when you wash your feet, your sins will come out from your feet. Then if you remain seated in your gathering, this is your share from ablution (i.e., you will get the reward of ablution), and if you stand and remember your Lord and praise Him, and perform two units of prayer with attention of your heart, you will become as purified from your sins as you were on the day your mother gave birth to you." He says, "I said, 'O Amr, think carefully before you speak, for you are narrating a great matter.' He replied, 'By Allah, I have become old, my death is near, and indeed I am free from lying (i.e., I have no need for it), and if I had heard this statement from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) only once or twice, I would not have narrated it, but I have heard it many times.' Abu Salam narrated to me in the same way from Abu Umamah, except that if I make a mistake in something unintentionally, then I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him."