Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا حَسَنٌ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ جَابِرًا أَسَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ فِي كَثْرَةِ خُطَا الرَّجُلِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ هَمَمْنَا أَنْ نَنْتَقِلَ مِنْ دُورِنَا إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لِقُرْبِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَزَجَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَقَالَ لَا تُعْرُوا الْمَدِينَةَ فَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فَضِيلَةً عَلَى مَنْ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ بِكُلِّ خُطْوَةٍ دَرَجَةً.
English Translation
Hasan told us, Ibn Lahi'ah told us, Abu al-Zubayr told us, who said: I asked Jabir whether he had heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say anything about the number of a man's steps to the mosque. He said: We intended to move from our homes to be closer within Medina, for proximity to the mosque, but the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade us from that and said, "Do not leave Medina empty; for you have a merit over those near the mosque - a degree for every step."