Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

Amr bin Salamah al-Hamdani says: We used to sit at the door of Abdullah bin Mas’ud’s (may Allah be pleased with him) house before the Fajr prayer. When he came out, we would walk with him towards the mosque. One day, Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us and asked: Has Abu Abdur-Rahman (Ibn Mas’ud) not come to you yet? We said: No. He also sat with us. (We kept waiting) until Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived. When he came, we stood up towards him. Abu Musa said to him: Abu Abdur-Rahman! Just now I saw something in the mosque that amazed me, but by the grace of Allah, it seems to be a form of goodness. He asked: What is it? Abu Musa said: If you live, you will see it yourself. I saw people sitting in circles waiting for prayer, with pebbles in front of them. In each circle, a (specific) man says: Say “Allahu Akbar” a hundred times. Upon hearing this, the people in the circle say “Allahu Akbar” a hundred times. Then he says: Say “Subhan Allah” a hundred times. Upon hearing this, they say “Subhan Allah” a hundred times. He asked: What did you say to them about this action? Abu Musa said: I did not say anything, waiting for your opinion. He said: Why did you not tell them to count their sins (instead of such good deeds), and why did you not guarantee that none of their good deeds would ever be wasted (but only if they are truly good deeds)? Then he set off, and we went with him. He went to one of the circles, stood by them, and said: What are you people doing? They said: O Abu Abdur-Rahman! These are pebbles, and we are counting takbirs, tahlils, and tasbihs with them. He said: Consider such (good deeds) as sins. I guarantee that none of your good deeds will be wasted (provided) it is a good deed. O Ummah of Muhammad! May you perish, you have hastened to your destruction. The companions of the Messenger are still present in large numbers among you, the clothes of your Prophet have not yet worn out, nor have his vessels broken (meaning the time of the Prophet’s death is still near). By the One in Whose hand is my soul! Have you adopted a religion better than that of Muhammad (peace be upon him), or are you opening the door of misguidance and deviation? They said: O Abu Abdur-Rahman! Our intention was only to do good. He said: How many people intend to do good, but do not reach it. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told us this hadith: “Some people will recite the Qur’an, but its recitation will not go below their throats (into their hearts). They will leave the religion (become alien to it) as an arrow passes through its prey.” By Allah! I do not understand, perhaps most of you are among those (meant in this hadith). Then he left from there. Amr bin Salamah says: We saw most of those people of the circles fighting against us with the Khawarij on the day of Nahrawan.