Authentic reports confirm that during the night prayer the Prophet was occasionally joined by Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him), Ibn Masʿūd, and Ḥudhayfah, though this was not his constant habit. Hence, holding a congregational supererogatory prayer from time to time is perfectly acceptable.

Among the lessons of this ḥadith is that a person may set aside a corner in his house which he frequents for prayer; this is not comparable to reserving a fixed spot inside the mosque and refusing to pray anywhere else there. The latter practice is prohibited, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade turning a place in the mosque into one’s exclusive “settling ground” like the camel that always returns to its watering-place.

The narration also teaches that one must restrain his tongue from branding others as hypocrites, unbelievers, or evildoers unless a genuine need makes clarification unavoidable. When someone described Mālik as a hypocrite, the Prophet replied, “Do not say that. Do you not know that he says: ‘There is no god but Allah,’ seeking thereby the Face of Allah?”

Of course, no one after the Prophet’s death can receive such a direct testimony of sincerity. We therefore judge only by what is outwardly apparent: if a person’s conduct seems upright, we are obliged to regard him as righteous, refrain from backbiting him, and avoid reviling him.

Finally, the ḥadith highlights the Companions’ deep love for the Messenger of Allah and their eagerness to sit in his company. Once they learned that he was in the house of ʿItbān b. Mālik, they flocked to him, gathered around him, and sought the blessing of his knowledge.