Abu Umair says that Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) had a friend. Once, he went to visit him at his house, but could not meet him there. He sought permission from his family and greeted them with salam, and asked them for some water to drink. The family sent a maid to the neighbors to fetch water. She delayed in returning, so the woman cursed her. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) immediately left the house. In the meantime, Abu Umair arrived and said: O Abu Abdur Rahman! There is no need for modesty when a person like you comes to the house (because we have complete trust in you). Why did you not enter your brother’s house and sit down, and why did you not drink water, etc.? Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: That is exactly what I did. The family sent a maid to bring water. She was delayed in coming back, perhaps because those to whom she was sent did not have water either, or because they had little and needed it themselves. Meanwhile, the family cursed her, and I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say:“When a curse is sent upon someone, it heads towards him. If it finds a way to reach him, it falls upon him; otherwise, it turns to Allah and says: O Lord! I was directed towards so-and-so, but I found no way to reach him. What should I do now? It is said to it: Return to where you came from.”I feared that perhaps the maid had some excuse, and the curse would return here and I would become its cause.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was taught opening and comprehensive words regarding goodness and virtue. For example, we did not know what we should recite in prayer; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us to say: «التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلّٰهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللّٰهِ الصَّالِحِينَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ» "All verbal, physical, and bodily acts of worship are for Allah alone. O Prophet (peace and blessings be upon you), may peace, Allah's mercy, and blessings descend upon you. May peace descend upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is Allah's servant and His Messenger."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If I were to take anyone as a close friend (khalil), I would have taken Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him)."

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would turn to the right and to the left in such a manner while saying salam that the whiteness of his blessed cheeks would become visible.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "I declare disassociation from the friendship of every friend; if I were to take anyone as a close friend (khalil), I would have taken Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and your Prophet is the close friend (khalil) of Allah, the Exalted."

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the one who consumes usury and the one who gives it to be consumed, the one who writes it down and its witnesses when they know (what it is), and women who tattoo and get themselves tattooed for the sake of beauty, those who conceal zakat, and the Bedouin who becomes apostate after migration, have all been declared accursed by the tongue of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) until the Day of Resurrection. The narrator says: I mentioned this hadith to Ibrahim, so he narrated from Alqamah that Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The one who consumes usury and the one who gives it are both equal.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) led us in the prayer of fear (Salat al-Khawf). The noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) stood in two rows: one row behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the other row facing the enemy. Altogether, they were all engaged in prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said the takbir, and all the people said the takbir with him. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) led those standing in the row behind him in one rak'ah. Then these people stood up and went to stand in front of the enemy in place of the others, and the second row came and stood in the place of the first row. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also led them in one rak'ah and then said the salam. Then these people stood up and themselves prayed one rak'ah and, after saying the salam, went to stand in front of the enemy in place of the first row, and the first row returned to their place and prayed one rak'ah.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led five rak'ahs in Zuhr or Asr prayer. When it was realized, he performed two prostrations of forgetfulness (sujood as-sahw) and said, "These two prostrations are for the one who fears any deficiency or excess in his prayer."

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that in the beginning, we used to greet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with salam during prayer, and he would reply to us. But when we returned from (the land of) Najashi and greeted him with salam, he did not reply and said: "In fact, there is engagement in prayer."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that I used to greet the Prophet (peace be upon him) with salam during prayer and he would respond to me. But one day I greeted him with salam and he did not respond. This saddened me greatly. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) finished the prayer, I said: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)! Previously, when I greeted you during prayer, you would respond to my salam? He replied: "Allah the Exalted sends new commands in His matters as He wills."