Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزُ بْنُ أَسَدٍ وَحَدَّثَنَا مَهْدِيُّ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي يَعْقُوبَ الضَّبِّيُّ عَنْ رَجَاءِ بْنِ حَيْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ قَالَ أَنْشَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَزْوًا فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ادْعُ اللَّهَ لِي بِالشَّهَادَةِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ سَلِّمْهُمْ وَغَنِّمْهُمْ قَالَ فَغَزَوْنَا فَسَلِمْنَا وَغَنِمْنَا قَالَ ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَزْوًا ثَانِيًا فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ادْعُ اللَّهَ لِي بِالشَّهَادَةِ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ سَلِّمْهُمْ وَغَنِّمْهُمْ قَالَ فَغَزَوْنَا فَسَلِمْنَا وَغَنِمْنَا قَالَ ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَزْوًا ثَالِثًا فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ أَتَيْتُكَ تَتْرَى مَرَّتَيْنِ أَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَدْعُوَ اللَّهَ لِي بِالشَّهَادَةِ فَقُلْتَ اللَّهُمَّ سَلِّمْهُمْ وَغَنِّمْهُمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَادْعُ اللَّهَ لِي بِالشَّهَادَةِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ سَلِّمْهُمْ وَغَنِّمْهُمْ قَالَ فَغَزَوْنَا فَسَلِمْنَا وَغَنِمْنَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مُرْنِي بِعَمَلٍ آخُذُهُ عَنْكَ يَنْفَعُنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ قَالَ عَلَيْكَ بِالصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا مِثْلَ لَهُ قَالَ فَكَانَ أَبُو أُمَامَةَ وَامْرَأَتُهُ وَخَادِمُهُ لَا يُلْفَوْنَ إِلَّا صِيَامًا فَإِذَا رَأَوْا نَارًا أَوْ دُخَانًا بِالنَّهَارِ فِي مَنْزِلِهِمْ عَرَفُوا أَنَّهُمْ اعْتَرَاهُمْ ضَيْفٌ قَالَ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ بَعْدُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ قَدْ أَمَرْتَنِي بِأَمْرٍ وَأَرْجُو أَنْ يَكُونَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ نَفَعَنِي بِهِ فَمُرْنِي بِأَمْرٍ آخَرَ يَنْفَعُنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ قَالَ اعْلَمْ أَنَّكَ لَا تَسْجُدُ لِلَّهِ سَجْدَةً إِلَّا رَفَعَ اللَّهُ لَكَ بِهَا دَرَجَةً أَوْ حَطَّ أَوْ قَالَ وَحَطَّ شَكَّ مَهْدِيٌّ عَنْكَ بِهَا خَطِيئَةً.
English Translation
Bahz ibn Asad told us -- and Mahdi ibn Maymun told us -- Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Ya'qub al-Dabbi told us, from Raja' ibn Hayw, from Abu Umamah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, set out on a military expedition, so I came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah for me for martyrdom." He said: "O Allah, bring them safely home and grant them spoils." He said: So we fought, and we returned safely and gained spoils. He said: Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, set out on a second expedition, so I came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah for me for martyrdom." He said: "O Allah, bring them safely home and grant them spoils." He said: So we fought, and we returned safely and gained spoils. He said: Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, set out on a third expedition, so I came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have come to you repeatedly, twice now, asking you to pray to Allah for me for martyrdom, and you said, 'O Allah, bring them safely home and grant them spoils' -- O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah for me for martyrdom." He said: "O Allah, bring them safely home and grant them spoils." He said: So we fought, and we returned safely and gained spoils. Then I came to him after that and said: "O Messenger of Allah, command me to a deed that I may take up from you, by which Allah may benefit me." He said: "You must fast, for there is nothing like it." He said: So Abu Umamah, his wife, and his servant were never found except fasting; and when they saw fire or smoke by day in their house, they knew that a guest had come upon them. He said: Then I came to him afterward and said: "O Messenger of Allah, you commanded me with something, and I hope Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has benefited me by it; so command me with another thing by which Allah may benefit me." He said: "Know that you do not prostrate to Allah with a single prostration, but Allah raises you a degree by it," or he said, "and removes" -- Mahdi was uncertain -- "removes from you by it a sin."