Zirr bin Hubaish (may Allah have mercy on him) says that one day I went to Hazrat Safwan bin Assal (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask about the ruling of wiping over leather socks. He asked, "What brings you here?" I said, "I have come in pursuit of knowledge." He said, "Shall I not give you glad tidings? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Allah's angels spread their wings for the seeker of knowledge, expressing happiness for what he seeks.'" Then he mentioned the entire hadith.

Zirr bin Hubaysh (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I came to Madinah Munawwarah during the caliphate of Hazrat Uthman Ghani (may Allah be pleased with him). The purpose of the journey was to meet Hazrat Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) and other noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them). I met Hazrat Safwan bin Assal (may Allah be pleased with him). I asked him, "Have you seen the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?" He replied, "Yes! I have participated in twelve (12) battles with the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)."

Zirr bin Hubaish (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I presented myself before Hazrat Safwan (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him about the ruling of wiping over leather socks. He said: We were with the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) on a journey, and he used to command us not to remove our leather socks for three days, except if someone became junub (in a state of major ritual impurity). But for urination, defecation, and sleep, there was no command to remove them. And a loud-voiced Bedouin came and said, "O Muhammad! (peace and blessings be upon him) If a man loves a people but is not included among them, what is the ruling?" The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: A person (on the Day of Judgment) will be with those whom he loves.

It is narrated from Hazrat Safwan (may Allah be pleased with him) that once a Jew said to his companion, "Come! Let us go to this Prophet and ask him about this verse: 'We gave Moses nine clear signs.'" His companion said, "Do not call him a Prophet, because if he hears this, he will have four eyes." Nevertheless, they asked the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about this verse. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), explaining its details, said: "Do not associate anyone with Allah, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not unjustly kill anyone whom Allah has forbidden to kill, do not practice magic, do not consume usury, do not hand over an innocent person to a powerful one so that he may kill him, do not accuse a chaste person of adultery (or he said: do not flee from the battlefield), and O Jews! You are especially commanded not to transgress regarding the matter of the Sabbath." Hearing this, both of them kissed the blessed hand and feet of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "We bear witness that you are the Prophet." The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Then why do you not follow me?" They replied, "Hazrat Dawood (peace be upon him) prayed that prophets would always be born in his lineage. We fear that if we accept Islam, the Jews will kill us."

Zirr bin Hubaish (may Allah have mercy on him) says that one day I went to Hazrat Safwan bin Assal (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask about the ruling of wiping over the leather socks (khuffain). He asked, "What brings you here?" I said, "I have come in pursuit of knowledge." He said, "Shall I not give you glad tidings? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'The angels of Allah spread their wings for the seeker of knowledge, expressing happiness for his pursuit of knowledge.'" Then he mentioned the entire hadith. Zirr bin Hubaish (may Allah have mercy on him) says, "I said to him, 'I have come to ask you about wiping over the leather socks.'" He said, "Alright, I was in that army which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us that if we wore the leather socks in a state of purity and we were travelers, we could wipe over them for three days, and if we were residents, then for one day and night, except if someone becomes junub (in a state requiring major ritual purification). But for urination, defecation, and sleep, there was no command to remove them." And I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "In the west, there is a door which is open for repentance; its width is the distance of seventy years. It will not be closed until the sun rises from the west."

It is narrated from Hazrat Safwan (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent us with a detachment and said: Set out in the name of Allah, in the way of Allah, and fight against the enemies of Allah. Do not be treacherous and do not kill any child. And it is permitted for a traveler to wipe over his leather socks for three days and nights, provided he put them on while in a state of ablution, and for a resident, the permission is for one day and night.

Zar bin Hubaysh (may Allah have mercy on him) says that one day I presented myself before Hazrat Safwan bin Assal (may Allah be pleased with him), so he asked, "What brings you here?" I said, "I have come in pursuit of knowledge." He said, "Allah’s angels, out of joy for the seeker of knowledge, spread their wings for him." Zar bin Hubaysh (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I presented myself before Hazrat Safwan (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him, "I have some doubt in my heart regarding wiping over leather socks after urinating or defecating. Since you are a companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), I have come to ask you whether you heard anything from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding this?" He replied, "We used to be with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on journeys, and he would command us not to remove our leather socks for three days, except if someone became junub (in a state of major ritual impurity). But for urination, defecation, and sleep, there was no command to remove them." I asked him, "Did you hear the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mention 'desire'?" He replied, "Yes! Once we were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on a journey when a loud-voiced Bedouin came and said, 'O Muhammad! (peace and blessings be upon him)' We said to him, 'Hey! Lower your voice, for it has been forbidden.' He said, 'I will not lower my voice.' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'Say what you wish,' and answered him in the same manner as he had asked. He said, 'Tell me, if a man loves a people but is not among them, what is the ruling?' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'A person (on the Day of Judgment) will be with those whom he loves.' Then he continued narrating hadiths to us until he said, 'In the west there is a door which is open for repentance, its width is seventy years’ journey. Allah opened it on the day He created the heavens and the earth, and it will not be closed until the sun rises from the west.'"

It is narrated from Hazrat Safwan (may Allah be pleased with him) that once a Jew said to his companion, "Come! Let us go to this Prophet and ask him about this verse: 'We gave Moses nine clear signs.'" His companion said, "Do not call him a Prophet, because if he hears this, he will have four eyes." Nevertheless, they asked the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) about this verse. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), explaining its details, said: "Do not associate anyone with Allah, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not unjustly kill anyone whom Allah has forbidden to kill, do not practice magic, do not consume usury, do not hand over an innocent person to a powerful one so that he kills him, do not accuse a chaste woman of adultery (or he said: do not flee from the battlefield), and O Jews! You are especially commanded not to transgress regarding the matter of the Sabbath." Hearing this, both of them said, "We bear witness that you are indeed a Prophet."

It is narrated from Hazrat Safwan (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent us with a detachment and said: Set out in the name of Allah, in the way of Allah, and fight against the enemies of Allah. Do not be treacherous, do not deceive, do not mutilate bodies, and do not kill any child. And it is permitted for a traveler to wipe over his leather socks for three days and nights, and for a resident, the permission is for one day and night.

It is narrated from Hazrat Safwan bin Assal (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Allah's angels spread their wings for the seeker of knowledge, expressing happiness over the pursuit of knowledge.