Kathir ibn Murra related, "I entered the mosque on Friday and
found 'Awf ibn Malik al-Ashja'i sitting in a circle of men. He stretched
out his feet in front of him. When he saw me, he pulled his feet back in.
Then he said to me, 'Do you know why I put my foot out? So that a righteous
man might come and sit down.'"
Ibn 'Abbas said, "The most precious of people in my opinion is
my sitting companion. This is so much the case that he can step over the
shoulders of people until he sits with me."
Al-Harith ibn 'Amr as-Sahmi related, "I came to the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he was at Mina or at 'Arafa.
People crowded around him and some Bedouins arrived. When they saw his
face, they said, 'This is a blessed face.' I said, 'Messenger of Allah,
pray for forgiveness for me.' He said, 'O Allah, forgive us!' I said, 'Ask
forgiveness for me.' He said, 'O Allah, forgive us!' I turned and said,
Ask forgiveness for me.' He said, 'O Allah, forgive us!' He spat on his
hand and wiped it on his sandal. He did not want it to get on anyone around
him."
