English Translation

Ubayda ibn Humayd told us, from Humayd al-Tawil, from Anas ibn Malik, who said: There were young men of the Ansar, seventy men, called the Reciters. He said: They used to be in the mosque, and when evening came they would go to a part of Medina and study the Qur'an together and pray, so that their families thought they were in the mosque, and the people of the mosque thought they were with their families, until, at the approach of dawn, they would draw fresh water and gather firewood and bring it and lean it against the chamber of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent them all out together, and they were struck down on the day of Bi'r Ma'una. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, invoked curses against their killers for fifteen days in the morning prayer. Aswad ibn Amir told us: Sharik told us, from Humayd al-Tawil, from Anas, who said: There were young men in Medina called the Reciters, and he mentioned its meaning.