Hadith 6200

`Alqama said: I went to Damascus, and when I had prayed two rak'as I asked God to provide me with a good companion. I then came to some people and sat with them, and an old man came and sat down beside me. When I had asked who was he and was told that he was Abud Darda' I said, "I asked God to provide me with a good companion and He has provided me with you." He asked me who I was, and when I told him I belonged to al-Kufa he said, "Do you not have among you Ibn Umm `Abd who looked after the sandals, cushion and ablution i.e., vessel[1], and the one whom God protected from the devil at the tongue of his Prophet (meaning `Ammar[2])? And do you not have among you the one who was entrusted with the Prophet's secrets which no one but he knew" (meaning Hudhaifa[3])? 1. The suggestion lying behind the words is that one who was in close attendance on the Prophet must have had opportunities of becoming well-versed in fiqh. 2. 'Ammar b. Yasir, who was sent to Kufa by 'Umar in 21 A.H. The meaning is that the Prophet prayed God to protect him from the devil. 3. Hudhaifa b. al-Yaman. Bukhari transmitted it.