Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ قَالَ قَعَدْتُ إِلَى نَفَرٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ فَجَعَلَ يُصَلِّي يَرْكَعُ وَيَسْجُدُ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ ثُمَّ يَرْكَعُ وَيَسْجُدُ لَا يَقْعُدُ فَقُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ مَا أَرَى هَذَا يَدْرِي يَنْصَرِفُ عَلَى شَفْعٍ أَوْ وِتْرٍ فَقَالُوا أَلَا تَقُومُ إِلَيْهِ فَتَقُولَ لَهُ قَالَ فَقُمْتُ فَقُلْتُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ مَا أَرَاكَ تَدْرِي تَنْصَرِفُ عَلَى شَفْعٍ أَوْ عَلَى وَتْرٍ قَالَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَدْرِي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ مَنْ سَجَدَ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهَا حَسَنَةً وَحَطَّ بِهَا عَنْهُ خَطِيئَةً وَرَفَعَ لَهُ بِهَا دَرَجَةً فَقُلْتُ مَنْ أَنْتَ فَقَالَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى أَصْحَابِي فَقُلْتُ جَزَاكُمْ اللَّهُ مِنْ جُلَسَاءَ شَرًّا أَمَرْتُمُونِي أَنْ أُعَلِّمَ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
English Translation
Affan narrated to us: Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Ali ibn Zayd, from Mutarrif, who said: I sat with a group of Quraysh, and a man came and began to pray, bowing and prostrating, then standing, then bowing and prostrating again, without sitting [in between as usual]. I said: "By Allah, I do not think this man knows whether he will finish on an even or odd number [of units]." They said: "Why do you not go to him and tell him?" So I got up and said: "Servant of Allah, I do not think you know whether you will finish on an even or an odd number." He said: "But Allah knows. I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: 'Whoever prostrates to Allah in a single prostration, Allah records for him thereby a good deed, removes thereby a sin from him, and raises him thereby a degree.'" I said: "Who are you?" He said: "Abu Dharr." So I returned to my companions and said: "May Allah repay you with harm as companions -- you told me to instruct a man from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him!"