English Translation

Affan told us: Hammad ibn Salamah told us: Ali ibn Zayd informed us, from Abu Uthman, who said: I was with Salman al-Farisi under a tree, and he took a dry branch from it and shook it until its leaves fell off. Then he said: "O Abu Uthman, will you not ask me why I do this?" I said: "Why do you do it?" He said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did this while I was with him under a tree. He took a dry branch from it and shook it until its leaves fell off, then said: 'O Salman, will you not ask me why I do this?' I said: 'Why do you do it?' He said: 'When a Muslim performs ablution and performs it well, then prays the five prayers, his sins fall away as these leaves fall away.'" And he said: {And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and in the early hours of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.}