Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent Abu Musa and Muʿadh bin Jabal to Yemen. He sent each of them to administer a province as Yemen consisted of two provinces. The Prophet ﷺ said (to them), "Facilitate things for the people and do not make things difficult for them (Be kind and lenient (both of you) with the people, and do not be hard on them) and give the people good tidings and do not repulse them. So each of them went to carry on his job. So when any one of them toured his province and happened to come near (the border of the province of) his companion, he would visit him and greet him. Once Muʿadh toured that part of his state which was near (the border of the province of) his companion Abu Musa. Muʿadh came riding his mule till he reached Abu Musa and saw him sitting, and the people had gathered around him. Behold! There was a man tied with his hands behind his neck. Muʿadh said to Abu Musa, "O ʿAbdullah bin Qais! What is this?" Abu Musa replied. "This man has reverted to Heathenism after embracing Islam." Muʿadh said, "I will not dismount till he is killed." Abu Musa replied, "He has been brought for this purpose, so come down." Muʿadh said, "I will not dismount till he is killed." So Abu Musa ordered that he be killed, and he was killed. Then Muʿadh dismounted and said, "O ʿAbdullah (bin Qais)! How do you recite the Qur'an ?" Abu Musa said, "I recite the Qur'an regularly at intervals and piecemeal. How do you recite it O Muʿadh?" Muʿadh said, "I sleep in the first part of the night and then get up after having slept for the time devoted for my sleep and then recite as much as Allah has written for me. So I seek Allah's Reward for both my sleep as well as my prayer (at night).  

بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَبَا مُوسَى وَمُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ قَالَ وَبَعَثَ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا عَلَى مِخْلاَفٍ قَالَ وَالْيَمَنُ مِخْلاَفَانِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَسِّرَا وَلاَ تُعَسِّرَا وَبَشِّرَا وَلاَ تُنَفِّرَا فَانْطَلَقَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا إِلَى عَمَلِهِ وَكَانَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا إِذَا سَارَ فِي أَرْضِهِ كَانَ قَرِيبًا مِنْ صَاحِبِهِ أَحْدَثَ بِهِ عَهْدًا فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ فَسَارَ مُعَاذٌ فِي أَرْضِهِ قَرِيبًا مِنْ صَاحِبِهِ أَبِي مُوسَى فَجَاءَ يَسِيرُ عَلَى بَغْلَتِهِ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ وَإِذَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ وَقَدِ اجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ النَّاسُ وَإِذَا رَجُلٌ عِنْدَهُ قَدْ جُمِعَتْ يَدَاهُ إِلَى عُنُقِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مُعَاذٌ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ أَيَّمَ هَذَا قَالَ هَذَا رَجُلٌ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ إِسْلاَمِهِ قَالَ لاَ أَنْزِلُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا جِيءَ بِهِ لِذَلِكَ فَانْزِلْ قَالَ مَا أَنْزِلُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَقُتِلَ ثُمَّ نَزَلَ فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ قَالَ أَتَفَوَّقُهُ تَفَوُّقًا قَالَ فَكَيْفَ تَقْرَأُ أَنْتَ يَا مُعَاذُ قَالَ أَنَامُ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ فَأَقُومُ وَقَدْ قَضَيْتُ جُزْئِي مِنَ النَّوْمِ فَأَقْرَأُ مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لِي فَأَحْتَسِبُ نَوْمَتِي كَمَا أَحْتَسِبُ قَوْمَتِي  

Abu Musa said, "I came to the Prophet ﷺ along with two men (from the tribe) of Ashʿariyin, one on my right and the other on my left, while Messenger of Allah ﷺ was brushing his teeth (with a Siwak), and both men asked him for some employment. The Prophet ﷺ said, 'O Abu Musa (O ʿAbdullah bin Qais!).' I said, 'By Him Who sent you with the Truth, these two men did not tell me what was in their hearts and I did not feel (realize) that they were seeking employment.' As if I were looking now at his Siwak being drawn to a corner under his lips, and he said, 'We never (or, we do not) appoint for our affairs anyone who seeks to be employed. But O Abu Musa! (or ʿAbdullah bin Qais!) Go to Yemen.'" The Prophet then sent Muʿadh bin Jabal after him and when Muʿadh reached him, he spread out a cushion for him and requested him to get down (and sit on the cushion). Behold: There was a fettered man beside Abu Muisa. Muʿadh asked, "Who is this (man)?" Abu Muisa said, "He was a Jew and became a Muslim and then reverted back to Judaism." Then Abu Muisa requested Muʿadh to sit down but Muʿadh said, "I will not sit down till he has been killed. This is the judgment of Allah and His Apostle (for such cases) and repeated it thrice. Then Abu Musa ordered that the man be killed, and he was killed. Abu Musa added, "Then we discussed the night prayers and one of us said, 'I pray and sleep, and I hope that Allah will reward me for my sleep as well as for my prayers.'"  

أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَمَعِي رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي وَالآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَسْتَاكُ فَكِلاَهُمَا سَأَلَ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتِ شَفَتِهِ قَلَصَتْ فَقَالَ لَنْ أَوْ لاَ نَسْتَعْمِلُ عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ وَلَكِنِ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ أَلْقَى لَهُ وِسَادَةً قَالَ انْزِلْ وَإِذَا رَجُلٌ عِنْدَهُ مُوثَقٌ قَالَ مَا هَذَا قَالَ كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا فَأَسْلَمَ ثُمَّ تَهَوَّدَ قَالَ اجْلِسْ قَالَ لاَ أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ قَضَاءُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَقُتِلَ ثُمَّ تَذَاكَرْنَا قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَمَّا أَنَا فَأَقُومُ وَأَنَامُ وَأَرْجُو فِي نَوْمَتِي مَا أَرْجُو فِي قَوْمَتِي  

I went to the Prophet ﷺ and with me were two men from the Ash'ari tribe. One of them was on my right hand and the other on my left. Both of them made a request for a position (of authority) while the Prophet ﷺ was brushing his teeth with a tooth-stick. He said (to me): Abu Musa (or 'Abdullah b. Qais), what do you say (about the request they have made)? I said: By God Who sent thee on thy mission with truth, they did not disclose to me what they had in their minds, and I did not know that they would ask for a position. The narrator says (while recalling this hadith): I visualise as if I were looking at the miswak of the Prophet ﷺ between his lips. He (the Holy Prophet) said: We shall not or shall never appoint to the public offices (in our State) those who with to have them, but you may go, Abu Musa (or Abdullah b. Qais) (to take up your assignment). He sent him to Yemen as governor. then he sent Mu'adh b. jabal in his wake (to help him in the discharge of duties). When Mu'adh reached the camp of Abu Musa, the latter (received him and) said: Please get yourself down; and he spread for him a mattress, while there was a man bound hand and foot as a prisoner. Mu'adh said: Who is this? Abu Musa said: He was a Jew. He embraced Islam. Then he reverted to his false religion and became a Jew. Mu'adh said: I won't sit until he is killed according to the decree of Allah and His Apostle ﷺ (in this case). Abu Musa said: Be seated. It will be done. He said: I won't sit unless he is killed in accordance with the decree of Allah and His Apostle ﷺ. He repeated these words thrice. Then Abu Musa ordered him (to be killed) and he was kilied. Then the two talked of standing in prayer at night. One of them, i. e. Mu'adh, said: I sleep (for a part of the night) and stand in prayer (for a part) and I hope that I shall get the same reward for steeping as I shall get for standing (in prayer).  

أَبُو مُوسَى أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَمَعِي رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي وَالآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي فَكِلاَهُمَا سَأَلَ الْعَمَلَ وَالنَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَسْتَاكُ فَقَالَ مَا تَقُولُ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ قَالَ وَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتَ شَفَتِهِ وَقَدْ قَلَصَتْ فَقَالَ لَنْ أَوْ لاَ نَسْتَعْمِلُ عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ وَلَكِنِ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسِ فَبَعَثَهُ عَلَى الْيَمَنِ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ انْزِلْ وَأَلْقَى لَهُ وِسَادَةً وَإِذَا رَجُلٌ عِنْدَهُ مُوثَقٌ قَالَ مَا هَذَا قَالَ هَذَا كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا فَأَسْلَمَ ثُمَّ رَاجَعَ دِينَهُ دِينَ السَّوْءِ فَتَهَوَّدَ قَالَ لاَ أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ قَضَاءُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَقَالَ اجْلِسْ نَعَمْ قَالَ لاَ أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ قَضَاءُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَقُتِلَ ثُمَّ تَذَاكَرَا الْقِيَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا مُعَاذٌ أَمَّا أَنَا فَأَنَامُ وَأَقُومُ وَأَرْجُو فِي نَوْمَتِي مَا أَرْجُو فِي قَوْمَتِي  

I went to the Prophet ﷺ while two men who were Ash’ arIs were with me. One of them was on my right and the other on my left side. Bothe of them asked him for employment. The prophet ﷺ was silent. He asked : What do you say Abu Musa, or ‘Abd Allah b. Qais (Abu Musa’s name)? I replied: By him who has sent you with truth, they did not inform me of what they had in their hearts, and I did not know that they would ask for an employment. He said : I have the scene before my eyes that he had his toothstick below his lip which receded. He (the prophet) said: We will never or will not put in charge of our work anyone who asks for it. But go, ye, Abu Musa, or ‘Abd Allah b. Qais. He then sent him as a Governor of the Yemen, After him he sent Muadh b. Jabal. When Muadh came to him, he said: come down , and he put a cushion for him. He saw that a man was chained with him. He asked : What is this? He replied: He was a Jew and he accepted Islam. He then converted to his religion, an evil religion. He said: I will not sit until he is killed according to the decision of Allah and his Apostle ﷺ. He said: Yes, be seated. He said: I will not sit until he is killed according to the decision of Allah and his Apostle (peace be upon him). He said it three times. He then commanded for it and he was killed. Both of them then discussed the question of prayer and vigilance at night. One of them, probably Muadh, said : So far as I am concerned, I sleep and I keep vigilance: I keep vigilance and I sleep: I hope for the same reward for my sleep as for my vigilance. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4354)  

أَبُو مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيُّ أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَمَعِي رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الْأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي وَالْآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي فَكِلَاهُمَا سَأَلَ الْعَمَلَ وَالنَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَسْتَاكُ قَالَ مَا تَقُولُ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعُرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ قَالَ فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتَ شَفَتِهِ قَلَصَتْ قَالَ إِنِّي أَوْ لَا نَسْتَعْمِلُ عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ وَلَكِنْ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ فَبَعَثَهُ عَلَى الْيَمَنِ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ انْزِلْ وَأَلْقَى لَهُ وِسَادَةً فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ عِنْدَهُ مُوثَقٌ قَالَ مَا هَذَا؟ قَالَ كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا فَأَسْلَمَ ثُمَّ رَاجَعَ دِينَهُ دِينَ السَّوْءِ فَتَهَوَّدَ قَالَ لَا أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ قَضَاءُ اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثَلَاثَ مِرَارٍ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَقُتِلَ ثُمَّ تَذَاكَرْنَا قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ أَمَّا أَنَا فَأَنَامُوَأَقُومُ أَوْ أَقُومُ وَأَنَامُ وَأَرْجُو فِي نَوْمَتِي مَا أَرْجُو فِي قَوْمَتِي  

[Machine] I came to the Prophet ﷺ with two men from the Ash'aris, one on my right and the other on my left. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was angry with them, so both of them asked about their actions. He said, "O Abu Musa or O Abdullah." I said, "By the One who sent you with the truth, I did not know what was in their hearts and I did not feel that they were seeking action. It was as if I saw a toothpick under his lips." He said to me, "We do not command anyone to carry out our actions if they do not desire it. But you, O Abu Musa or O Abdullah ibn Qais, go." So he sent him to Yemen and Mu'adh ibn Jabal followed him. When he arrived, he threw him a cushion and said, "Descend." Then a tied-up man appeared, and he asked, "What is this?" He said, "This was a Jew who embraced Islam but then converted back to his previous religion and said, 'I will not sit until the judgment of Allah and His Messenger kills him' three times." So he ordered him to be killed.  

أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَمَعِي رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الْأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي وَالْآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي وَرَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَسْتَاكُ فَكِلَاهُمَا سَأَلَ الْعَمَلَ فَقَالَ «يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ » فَقُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكَهِ تَحْتَ شَفَتِهِ فَقَالَ لِي «لَا نَسْتَعْمِلُ عَلَى عَمِلْنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ وَلَكِنِ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ » فبَعَثَهُ عَلَى الْيَمَنِ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ أَلْقَى لَهُ وِسَادَةً وَقَالَ «انْزِلْ» فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ مُوثَقٌ فَقَالَ «مَا هَذَا؟» قَالَ هَذَا كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا فَأَسْلَمَ ثُمَّ رَاجَعَ دِينَهُ دَيْنَ السُّوءِ فَقَالَ «لَا أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يَقْتُلَ قَضَاءُ اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ» ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَقَتِلَ  

I went to the Prophet ﷺ while two men who were Ash’ arIs were with me. One of them was on my right and the other on my left side. Bothe of them asked him for employment. The prophet ﷺ was silent. He asked : What do you say Abu Musa, or ‘Abd Allah b. Qais (Abu Musa’s name)? I replied: By him who has sent you with truth, they did not inform me of what they had in their hearts, and I did not know that they would ask for an employment. He said : I have the scene before my eyes that he had his toothstick below his lip which receded. He (the prophet) said: We will never or will not put in charge of our work anyone who asks for it. But go, ye, Abu Musa, or ‘Abd Allah b. Qais. He then sent him as a Governor of the Yemen, After him he sent Muadh b. Jabal. When Muadh came to him, he said: come down , and he put a cushion for him. He saw that a man was chained with him. He asked : What is this? He replied: He was a Jew and he accepted Islam. He then converted to his religion, an evil religion. He said: I will not sit until he is killed according to the decision of Allah and his Apostle ﷺ. He said: Yes, be seated. He said: I will not sit until he is killed according to the decision of Allah and his Apostle (peace be upon him). He said it three times. He then commanded for it and he was killed. Both of them then discussed the question of prayer and vigilance at night. One of them, probably Muadh, said : So far as I am concerned, I sleep and I keep vigilance: I keep vigilance and I sleep: I hope for the same reward for my sleep as for my vigilance. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 4354)   

قَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَمَعِي رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الْأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي وَالْآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي وَرَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَسْتَاكُ وَكِلَاهُمَا سَأَلَ الْعَمَلَ وَالنَّبِيُّ ﷺ سَاكِتٌ فَقَالَ مَا تَقُولُ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ؟ قُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ قَالَ وَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتَ شَفَتِهِ قَلَصَتْ قَالَ لَنْ أَسْتَعْمِلَ أَوْ لَا أَسْتَعْمِلُ عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ وَلَكِنِ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ فَبَعَثَهُ عَلَى الْيَمَنِ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ مُعَاذٌ قَالَ انْزِلْ وَأَلْقَى لَهُ وِسَادَةً وَإِذَا رَجُلٌ عِنْدَهُ مُوثَقٌ قَالَ مَا هَذَا؟ قَالَ هَذَا كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا فَأَسْلَمَ ثُمَّ رَاجَعَ دِينَهُ دِينَ السُّوءِ قَالَ لَا أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ قَضَاءَ اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ﷺ ثَلَاثَ مِرَارٍ وَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَقُتِلَ ثُمَّ تَذَاكَرَا قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ ؓ أَمَّا أَنَا فَأَنَامُ وَأَقُومُ أَوْ أَقُومُ وَأَنَامُ وَأَرْجُو فِي نَوْمَتِي مَا أَرْجُو فِي قَوْمَتِي