Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ حَدَّثَنَا كَثِيرُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ رُبَيْحِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ كُنَّا نَتَنَاوَبُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَنَبِيتُ عِنْدَهُ تَكُونُ لَهُ الْحَاجَةُ أَوْ يَطْرُقُهُ أَمْرٌ مِنْ اللَّيْلِ فَيَبْعَثُنَا فَيَكْثُرُ الْمُحْتَسِبُونَ وَأَهْلُ النُّوَبِ فَكُنَّا نَتَحَدَّثُ فَخَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ مَا هَذِهِ النَّجْوَى أَلَمْ أَنْهَكُمْ عَنْ النَّجْوَى قَالَ قُلْنَا نَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا فِي ذِكْرِ الْمَسِيحِ فَرَقًا مِنْهُ فَقَالَ أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِمَا هُوَ أَخْوَفُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ الْمَسِيحِ عِنْدِي قَالَ قُلْنَا بَلَى قَالَ الشِّرْكُ الْخَفِيُّ أَنْ يَقُومَ الرَّجُلُ يَعْمَلُ لِمَكَانِ رَجُلٍ.
English Translation
Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr told us: Kathir ibn Zayd told us, from Rubayh ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Sa'id al-Khudri, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: We used to take turns attending the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), spending the night near him in case he had a need or something happened to him at night, so he would send us out, and those who volunteered and those on watch duty grew numerous. So we were talking together, and the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) came out to us at night and said: "What is this private conversation? Did I not forbid you from private, secretive talk?" We said: "We turn to God in repentance, O Prophet of God; we were only discussing the false Messiah, in fear of him." He said: "Shall I not inform you of what I fear more for you than the false Messiah?" We said: "Yes." He said: "Hidden association of partners with God — that a man stands to perform a deed for the sake of another person seeing him."