وَحَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، أَنَّهُ دَخَلَ عَلَى أَبِي طَلْحَةَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ يَعُودُهُ قَالَ فَوَجَدَ عِنْدَهُ سَهْلَ بْنَ حُنَيْفٍ فَدَعَا أَبُو طَلْحَةَ إِنْسَانًا فَنَزَعَ نَمَطًا مِنْ تَحْتِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ سَهْلُ بْنُ حُنَيْفٍ لِمَ تَنْزِعُهُ قَالَ لأَنَّ فِيهِ تَصَاوِيرَ وَقَدْ قَالَ فِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا قَدْ عَلِمْتَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ سَهْلٌ أَلَمْ يَقُلْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِلاَّ مَا كَانَ رَقْمًا فِي ثَوْبٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ بَلَى وَلَكِنَّهُ أَطْيَبُ لِنَفْسِي ‏.‏

Malik related to me from Abu'n-Nasr that Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud went to visit Abu Talha al-Ansari when he was ill. He said, "I found Sahl ibn Hunayf with him. Abu Talha summoned a man and removed a rug which was under him. Sahl ibn Hunayf said to him, 'Why did you remove it?' He said, 'Because there were pictures on it, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said what you know about them.' Sahl replied, 'Didn't the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "except for markings on a garment?"' (A rug was considered a garment). He said, 'Yes, but it is more pleasing to myself