[Machine] I came to the city in search of knowledge. When I entered the mosque of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , I saw people sitting in circles, talking to each other. I started walking between the circles until I reached one circle where there was a young man wearing two garments, as if he had just arrived from a journey. I heard him saying, "The people of Al-Uqda have perished, and the Lord of the Kaaba is not saddened by them." He continued talking about this, and I sat down next to him. He told me what had been decreed for him, and then he stood up. I asked, "Who is this?" They said, "The leader of the Muslims, Ubayy ibn Ka'b." I followed him until he reached his house. His house was in a dilapidated state, and he himself was an ascetic, detached from worldly matters. I greeted him and he returned the greeting. Then he asked me, "Where are you from?" I said, "From Iraq." He said, "Most of the questions come from there." I became angry and turned towards the Qibla, and fell on my knees, raising my hands like this (demonstrates). I said, "O Allah, we complain to You that we spend our wealth, exhaust our bodies, and travel long distances in search of knowledge. But when we meet them, they ignore us and say, 'Who are you?' " Ubayy ibn Ka'b started to cry a lot, and he kept praising and thanking me, saying, "Woe to you, I shouldn't have gone there!" Then he said, "O Allah, I promise You that if I remain until Friday, I will speak about what I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ without fearing any blame." When we heard his words, I left and waited for Friday. I went out on Thursday and saw the streets crowded with people. I couldn't find a way except that people were pushing me towards it. I asked, "What is this?" They said, "We see you as a strange man." I said, "Indeed." They said, "The leader of the Muslims, Ubayy ibn Ka'b, has died." When they said that, I became sad and went to Abdullah ibn Masud. I told him about what had happened, and he himself expressed regret for not being able to meet him. May Allah's mercy be upon him. He was a servant who wanted to protect his Lord's secret.
أَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ ابْتِغَاءَ الْعِلْمِ فَلَمَّا دَخَلْتُ مَسْجِدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا النَّاسُ حَلَقًا يَتَحَدَّثُونَ فَجَعَلْتُ أَمْضِي الْحِلَقَ حَتَّى انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى حَلْقَةٍ فِيهَا رَجُلٌ شَابٌّ فِي ثَوْبَيْنِ كَأَنَّمَا قَدِمَ مِنْ سَفَرٍ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ هَلَكَ أَهْلُ الْعُقْدَةِ وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ وَلَا آسَى عَلَيْهِمْ قَالَ فَجَلَسْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَحَدَّثَ مَا قُضِيَ لَهُ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالُوا سَيِّدُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أُبَيُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ حَتَّى أَتَى مَنْزِلَهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ رَثُّ الْمَنْزِلِ رَثُّ الْهَيْئَةِ رَجُلٌ زَاهِدٌ مُنْقَطِعٌ يُشْبِهُ أَمْرُهُ بَعْضُهُ بَعْضًا فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ السَّلَامَ ثُمَّ سَأَلَنِي فَقَالَ مِمَّنْ أَنْتَ؟ قُلْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ قَالَ أَكْثَرُ شَيْءٍ سُؤَالًا قَالَ فَغَضِبْتُ فَاسْتَقْبَلْتُ الْقِبْلَةَ وَجَثَوْتُ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيَّ فَرَفَعْتُ يَدَيَّ هَكَذَا ثُمَّ قُلْتُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَشْكُو إِلَيْكَ أَنَّا نُنْفِقُ نَفَقَاتِنَا وَنُتْعِبُ أَبْدَانَنَا وَنُرْحِلُ مَطَايَانَا ابْتِغَاءَ الْعِلْمِ فَإِذَا لَقِينَاهُمْ يَجْهَلُونَا وَقَالُوا لَنَا قَالَ فَبَكَى أُبَيٌّ بُكَاءً كَثِيرًا وَجَعَلَ يَتَرَضَّانِي فَيَقُولُ وَيْحَكَ لَمْ أَذْهَبْ هُنَاكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أُعَاهِدُكَ لَئِنْ بَقِيتُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ لَأَتَكَلَّمَنَّ بِمَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَا تَأْخُذُنِي فِيهِ لَوْمَةُ لَائِمٍ قَالَ فَلَمَّا سَمِعْنَا الْكَلَامَ مِنْهُ انْصَرَفْتُ وَجَعَلْتُ أَنْتَظِرُ الْجُمُعَةَ فَخَرَجْتُ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ وَإِذَا السِّكَكُ غَاصَّةٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ لَا أَجِدُ سِكَّةً إِلَّا تَلْقَانِي مِنْهَا النَّاسُ قُلْتُ مَا هَذَا؟ قَالُوا إِنَّا نَرَاكَ رَجُلًا غَرِيبًا قُلْتُ أَجَلْ قَالَ مَاتَ سَيِّدُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أُبَيُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ ؓ قَالَ فَلَمَّا قَالُوا ذَلِكَ حَزِنْتُ وَاسْتَرْجَعْتُ قَالَ جُنْدُبٌ فَلَقِيتُ أَبَا مُوسَى فَحَدَّثْتُهُ بِهَذَا فَقَالَ وَانَفْسَاهُ أَلَا يَكُونُ حَيًّا يُبَلِّغُنَا مَقَالَتَهُ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ هُوَ عَبْدٌ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ ﷻ سَتْرَهُ