Abu Tha'laba al-Khushani said that when the people encamped they scattered in the glens and <i>wadis</i>, but when God’s Messenger said, “Your scattering in these glens and <i>wadis</i> is only of the devil," they afterwards kept close together when they encamped to such an extent that it used to be said that if a cloth were spread over them it would cover them all. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَن أبي ثعلبَةَ الخُشَنيِّ قَالَ: كَانَ النَّاسُ إِذَا نَزَلُوا مَنْزِلًا تَفَرَّقُوا فِي الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ تَفَرُّقَكُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الشِّعَابِ وَالْأَوْدِيَةِ إِنَّمَا ذَلِكُمْ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ» . فَلَمْ يَنْزِلُوا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مَنْزِلًا إِلَّا انْضَمَّ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ حَتَّى يُقَالَ: لَوْ بُسِطَ عَلَيْهِمْ ثوبٌ لعمَّهم. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد