From al-Malfūdh Sharīf, Pg 84-85:
One day the eminent as’hāb were assembled around the Beloved Messenger of Allāh şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam and a person came by and stood at the edge of the Majlis Sharīf [blessed gathering]. He glanced at the Majlis Sharīf and proceeded to the Masjid. The Beloved Messenger of Allah şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam said to the blessed Sahaba, “Who amongst you will go and kill him?” Sayyidunā Abū Bakr al-Siddîq rađiyAllāhu ánhu got up and went towards this person. He found him engaged in salāh. He could not kill someone engaged in salāh and therefore, returned to the Beloved Messenger of Allah şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam and explained the situation. The Beloved Nabī of Allāh şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam again said, “Who is it that will kill him?” Sayyidunā Umar al-Farūq rađiyAllāhu ánhu got up and went towards him. He too found him in the same situation and returned. For the third time, the Beloved Messenger of Allah şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam stated, “Who is that will kill him?” Sayyidunā Alī al-Murtada rađiyAllāhu ánhu got up and said, “I will kill him.” The Beloved Messenger of Allah şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam said, “Yes you would, if you find him. He will not be there.” When Sayyidunā Alī rađiyAllāhu ánhu went into the Masjid Sharif, he found nobody there. The man had already left us, as predicted by the Glorious Prophet şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. The exalted Habīb şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam remarked, “If you had killed him, then verily a very great fitna would have been removed from this ummah.”
This man was the gather of Wahabīsm whose contemporaries are found today. They are soiling this earth and causing fitna in this ummah. That rude person stood on the edge of the Majlis Sharīf and looked at everyone present there; his egotism led him to believe that there is no one in this Majlis better than he is. He was very proud and boastful of his salāh ad piety. Least did he realize that salāh or any other virtue is nothing but the mercy of the Glorious Prophet of Allah şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. One can never be a devout servant of Allāh Almighty until one sincerely pledges one’s allegiance to the Beloved of Allāh şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. Allāh Almighty places great emphasis in the Holy Qur’ān concerning the respect and honour of His Beloved Nabī şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam before His worship. Therefore Allāh Almighty states, So that you may believe in Allah Almighty and His Messenger (Rasūl), and respect and honour him, and glorify Allah day and night (reference to salāh).[1]
[1] al-Quran al-Karim, Surah al-Fatah, Ayah 9
