English Translation

Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd al-Samad al-Ammi told us: Abu Imran al-Jawni told us, from Abd Allah ibn al-Samit, from Abu Dharr, who said: I was behind the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when we went out from the outskirts of Medina, and he said: "O Abu Dharr, pray the prayer at its proper time; and if you come and the imam has already prayed, you will have secured your prayer before that; and if you come and he has not yet prayed, pray with him, and your prayer will be a supererogatory prayer for you, and you will have secured your prayer. O Abu Dharr, what do you think if the people become so hungry from hardship that you cannot reach your mosque, or cannot return to your bed from hardship - what would you do?" I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: "Be patient. O Abu Dharr, what do you think if the people die until a house has only a slave left in it - what would you do?" I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: "Restrain yourself." He said: "O Abu Dharr, what do you think if the people are killed until the stones of al-Zayt are drowned in blood - what would you do?" I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: "Enter your house." I said: O Messenger of Allah, what if someone breaks in on me? He said: "Go to whoever you belong to." I said: And shall I carry a weapon? He said: "Then you would have shared in it." I said: What should I do then, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "If you fear that the gleam of the sword will dazzle you, then throw a fold of your cloak over your face; he will bear the burden of your sin and his sin."