stick to your homes, your steps (to the mosque) are recorded
Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
The tribe Banu Salimah wanted to move nearer to the mosque. On learning this Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to them, "I heard that you intend to move nearer to the mosque". They said, "That is so, O Messenger of Allah, we do want to do that". He said, "O Banu Salimah, stick to your homes, your steps (to the mosque) are recorded".
When the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, migrated to the Madina and built his mosque, the immigrants gathered around him and built their houses near him. Many of the Ansar did as they did to be next to the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, so that they offer the congregational prayer with him and learn the rulings of Islam. Banu Salama whose homes were distant from the Prophetic mosque wanted to leave their homes to live near the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, yet he loved to keep these areas empty for Muslims to benefit from for other purposes such as training on fighting, tying the captives and so on.
He said to them: "I was told that you want to move near the mosque" to make sure the validity of the news he heard, and to guide them to what they should do.
They said: Yes. O Messenger of Allah! We indeed wanted to do so.
They have confirmed the word "indeed" which indicates that they expect this very thing to happen, such as the saying of Allah (which means):
{ Certainly has Allah heard the speech of the one who argues with you, [O Muhammad], concerning her husband and directs her complaint to Allah . And Allah hears your dialogue; indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing.}
Quran (58:1)
And as s the muezzin says: (indeed he prayer has been established) that is; what you have been waiting for will surely happen.
The Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: O Banu Salamah, keep to your homes, your steps (to the mosque) are recorded that is stick to your homes and do not leave them for Allah will record your steps to the mosque. The sons of Salamah rejoiced with this good tiding and thanked Allah that they did not leave their homes, as stated in another wording in the Sahih book of Imam Muslim: (it would not please us that we left our homes to live near the Prophetic mosque).
