English Translation

Hajjaj told us, Sulayman -- meaning Ibn al-Mughirah -- told us, from Thabit, from Anas ibn Malik, who said: I said, "Tell us of something amazing that you yourself witnessed -- do not tell us of it from someone else." He said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed the noon prayer and sat on the seats where Gabriel, peace be upon him, used to come to him. Then Bilal came and informed him of the time for the afternoon prayer. He said, "Whoever has family far off in Medina, let him go attend to his need and perform ablution"; but there remained people among the Emigrants who had no families in Medina. He said: Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was brought a vessel that had a pleasant smell, with a little water in its bottom. He said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, put his palm in the vessel, but it did not fit his hand, so he placed these four fingers of his in it, then said, "Come close and perform ablution." He said: So they performed ablution until not one of them remained without having done so. We said, "O Abu Hamzah, how many do you think they were?" He said, "Between seventy and eighty."