“What will you do, O Abu Dharr, when death overwhelms the people to such an extent that a grave will be equal in value to a slave?” I said: “Whatever Allah and His Messenger choose for me, or Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said “Be patient.” He said: ‘What will you do when famine strikes the people so that you will go to the place where you pray and will not be able to return to your bed, or you will not be able to get up from your bed to go to the place where you pray?” He said: “I said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best, or whatever Allah and His Messenger choose for me.” He said: “You must refrain from forbidden things.” He said: “What will you do when killing befalls the people so that Hijaratuz-Zait*is covered with blood?” I said: “Whatever Allah and His Messenger choose for me.” He said: “Stay with those whom you belong to.” He said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, should I not take my sword and strike those who do that?’” He said: “Then you will be just like the people. Rather enter your house.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, what if they enter my house?” He said: “If you are afraid that the flashing of the sword will dazzle you, then put the edge of your garment over your face, and let him carry his own sin and your sin, and he will be one of the people of the Hellfire.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ وَمَوْتًا يُصِيبُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يُقَوَّمَ الْبَيْتُ بِالْوَصِيفِ يَعْنِي الْقَبْرَ قُلْتُ مَا خَارَ اللَّهُ لِي وَرَسُولُهُ أَوْ قَالَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ تَصَبَّرْ قَالَ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ وَجُوعًا يُصِيبُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَ مَسْجِدَكَ فَلاَ تَسْتَطِيعَ أَنْ تَرْجِعَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ وَلاَ تَسْتَطِيعَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ فِرَاشِكَ إِلَى مَسْجِدِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ أَوْ مَا خَارَ اللَّهُ لِي وَرَسُولُهُ قَالَ عَلَيْكَ بِالْعِفَّةِ ثُمَّ قَالَ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ وَقَتْلاً يُصِيبُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى تُغْرَقَ حِجَارَةُ الزَّيْتِ بِالدَّمِ قُلْتُ مَا خَارَ اللَّهُ لِي وَرَسُولُهُ قَالَ الْحَقْ بِمَنْ أَنْتَ مِنْهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَفَلاَ آخُذُ بِسَيْفِي فَأَضْرِبَ بِهِ مَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ شَارَكْتَ الْقَوْمَ إِذًا وَلَكِنِ ادْخُلْ بَيْتَكَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ دُخِلَ بَيْتِي قَالَ إِنْ خَشِيتَ أَنْ يَبْهَرَكَ شُعَاعُ السَّيْفِ فَأَلْقِ طَرَفَ رِدَائِكَ عَلَى وَجْهِكَ فَيَبُوءَ بِإِثْمِهِ وَإِثْمِكَ فَيَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: O AbuDharr. I replied: At thy service and at thy pleasure, Messenger of Allah. He then mentioned the tradition in which he said: What will you do when there the death of the people (in Medina) and a house will reach the value of a slave (that is, a grave will be sold for a slave). I replied: Allah and His Apostle know best. Or he said: What Allah and His Apostle choose for me. He said: You must show endurance. Or he said; you may endure. He then said to me: What will you do, AbuDharr, when you see the Ahjar az-Zayt covered with blood? I replied: What Allah and His Apostle choose for me. He said: You must go to those who are like-minded. I asked: Should I not take my sword and put it on my shoulder? He replied: you would then associate yourself with the people. I then asked: What do you order me to do? You must stay at home. I asked: (What should I do) if people enter my house and find me? He replied: If you are afraid the gleam of the sword may dazzle you, put the end of your garment over your face in order that (the one who kills you) may bear the punishment of your sins and his. Abu Dawud said: No one mentioned al-Mush'ath in the chain of this tradition except Hammad b. Zaid. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4261)   

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ» قُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَسَعْدَيْكَ قَالَ «كَيْفَ أَنْتَ إِذَا أَصَابَ النَّاسَ جُوعٌ تَأْتِي مَسْجِدَكَ فَلَا تَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تَرْجِعَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ وَتَأْتِي فِرَاشَكَ فَلَا تَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تَنْهَضَ إِلَى مَسْجِدِكَ» قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ أَوْ مَا خَارَ اللَّهُ لِي وَرَسُولُهُ قَالَ «عَلَيْكَ بِالْعِفَّةِ» ثُمَّ قَالَ «يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ» قُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَسَعْدَيْكَ قَالَ «كَيْفَ أَنْتَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَ أَحْجَارَ الزَّيْتِ قَدْ عُرِّفَتْ بِالدَّمِ؟» قُلْتُ مَا خَارَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ قَالَ تَلْحَقُ بِمَنْ أَنْتَ مِنْهُ أَوْ قَالَ عَلَيْكَ بِمَنْ أَنْتَ مِنْهُ قُلْتُ أَفَلَا آخُذُ سَيْفِي فَأَضَعُهُ عَلَى عَاتِقِي؟ قَالَ «شَارَكْتَ إِذًا» قُلْتُ فَمَا تَأْمُرُنِي؟ قَالَ «تَلْزَمُ بَيْتَكَ» قُلْتُ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ دَخَلَ عَلَيَّ بَيْتِي؟ قَالَ «فَإِنْ خَشِيتَ أَنْ يَبْهَرَكَ شُعَاعُ السَّيْفِ فَأَلْقِ رِدَاءَكَ عَلَى وَجْهِكَ يَبُوءُ بِإِثْمِهِ وَإِثْمِكَ»  

“What will you do, O Abu Dharr, when death overwhelms the people to such an extent that a grave will be equal in value to a slave?” I said: “Whatever Allah and His Messenger choose for me, or Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said “Be patient.” He said: ‘What will you do when famine strikes the people so that you will go to the place where you pray and will not be able to return to your bed, or you will not be able to get up from your bed to go to the place where you pray?” He said: “I said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best, or whatever Allah and His Messenger choose for me.” He said: “You must refrain from forbidden things.” He said: “What will you do when killing befalls the people so that Hijaratuz-Zait*is covered with blood?” I said: “Whatever Allah and His Messenger choose for me.” He said: “Stay with those whom you belong to.” He said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, should I not take my sword and strike those who do that?’” He said: “Then you will be just like the people. Rather enter your house.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, what if they enter my house?” He said: “If you are afraid that the flashing of the sword will dazzle you, then put the edge of your garment over your face, and let him carry his own sin and your sin, and he will be one of the people of the Hellfire.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3958)   

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ وَمَوْتٌ يُصِيبُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَكُونَ الْبَيْتُ بِالْوَصِيفِ؟» يَعْنِي الْقَبْرَ قُلْتُ مَا خَارَ اللَّهُ لِي وَرَسُولُهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ «كَيْفَ أَنْتَ وَجُوعٌ يُصِيبُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى تَأْتِيَ مَسْجِدَكَ فَلَا تَسْتَطِيعَ أَنْ تَرْجِعَ إِلَى فِرَاشِكَ وَلَا تَسْتَطِيعَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ فِرَاشِكَ إِلَى مَسْجِدِكَ؟» قُلْتُ مَا خَارَ اللَّهُ لِي وَرَسُولُهُ قَالَ «عَلَيْكَ بِالْعِفَّةَ» ثُمَّ قَالَ «كَيْفَ أَنْتَ وَقَتْلٌ يُصِيبُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى تُغْرَقَ حِجَارَةُ الزَّيْتِ بِالدَّمِ؟» قُلْتُ مَا خَارَ اللَّهُ لِي وَرَسُولُهُ أَوِ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ «الْزَمْ مَنْزِلَكَ» قَالَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَفَلَا آخُذُ سَيْفِي فَأَضْرِبُ بِهِ مَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ «فَقَدْ شَارَكْتَ الْقَوْمَ إِذًا» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ دَخَلَ بَيْتِي؟ قَالَ «إِنْ خَشِيتَ أَنْ يَبْهَرَكَ شُعَاعُ السَّيْفِ فَقُلْ هَكَذَا فَأَلْقِ طَرَفَ ثَوْبِكَ عَلَى وَجْهِكَ فَيَبُوءَ بِإِثْمِهِ وَإِثْمِكَ وَيَكُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ»