While I was at Yemen, I met two men from Yemen called Dhu Kala and Dhu ʿAmr, and I started telling them about Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Dhu ʿAmr said to me, "If what you are saying about your friend (i.e. the Prophet) is true, then he has died three days ago." Then both of them accompanied me to Medina, and when we had covered some distance on the way to Medina, we saw some riders coming from Medina. We asked them and they said, "Messenger of Allah ﷺ has died and Abu Bakr has been appointed as the Caliph and the people are in a good state.' Then they said, "Tell your friend (Abu Bakr) that we have come (to visit him), and if Allah will, we will come again." So they both returned to Yemen. When I told Abu Bakr their statement, he said to me, "I wish you had brought them (to me)." Afterwards I met Dhu ʿAmr, and he said to me, "O Jarir! You have done a favor to me and I am going to tell you something, i.e. you, the nation of 'Arabs, will remain prosperous as long as you choose and appoint another chief whenever a former one is dead. But if authority is obtained by the power of the sword, then the rulers will become kings who will get angry, as kings get angry, and will be delighted as kings get delighted."  

كُنْتُ بِالْبَحْرِ فَلَقِيتُ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ ذَا كَلاَعٍ وَذَا عَمْرٍو فَجَعَلْتُ أُحَدِّثُهُمْ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لَهُ ذُو عَمْرٍو لَئِنْ كَانَ الَّذِي تَذْكُرُ مِنْ أَمْرِ صَاحِبِكَ لَقَدْ مَرَّ عَلَى أَجَلِهِ مُنْذُ ثَلاَثٍ وَأَقْبَلاَ مَعِي حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا فِي بَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ رُفِعَ لَنَا رَكْبٌ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَسَأَلْنَاهُمْ فَقَالُوا قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَاسْتُخْلِفَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَالنَّاسُ صَالِحُونَ فَقَالاَ أَخْبِرْ صَاحِبَكَ أَنَّا قَدْ جِئْنَا وَلَعَلَّنَا سَنَعُودُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَرَجَعَا إِلَى الْيَمَنِ فَأَخْبَرْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ بِحَدِيثِهِمْ قَالَ أَفَلاَ جِئْتَ بِهِمْ فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدُ قَالَ لِي ذُو عَمْرٍو يَا جَرِيرُ إِنَّ بِكَ عَلَىَّ كَرَامَةً وَإِنِّي مُخْبِرُكَ خَبَرًا إِنَّكُمْ مَعْشَرَ الْعَرَبِ لَنْ تَزَالُوا بِخَيْرٍ مَا كُنْتُمْ إِذَا هَلَكَ أَمِيرٌ تَأَمَّرْتُمْ فِي آخَرَ فَإِذَا كَانَتْ بِالسَّيْفِ كَانُوا مُلُوكًا يَغْضَبُونَ غَضَبَ الْمُلُوكِ وَيَرْضَوْنَ رِضَا الْمُلُوكِ  

[Machine] I was in Yemen with Dhu Kalaa' and Dhu 'Amr, so I approached them to inform them about the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . Dhu 'Amr said, "O Jarir, if your companion is as you mentioned, surely his appointed time has come, it has been three days. Then a man stood up and said to us, 'What is the news?' We said, 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has passed away and Abu Bakr has been appointed as his successor.' And the people are righteous." Then we returned and they said, "Give your companion our greetings." Then Dhu 'Amr said, "O Jarir, you will continue to be righteous as long as a leader dies and another leader arises. But if swords are unsheathed, then you will be kings who are pleased with the satisfaction of kings and become angered by their anger."  

كُنْتُ بِالْيَمَنِ وَمَعِي ذُو كَلَاعٍ وَذُو عَمْرٍو فَأَقْبَلْتُ أُخْبِرُهُمْ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ ذُو عَمْرٍو يَا جَرِيرُ إِنْ يَكُ صَاحِبُكَ كَمَا تَذْكُرُ لَقَدْ أَتَى عَلَى أَجَلِهِ مُنْذُ ثَلَاثٍ فَرَفَعَ لَنَا رَجُلٌ فَقُلْنَا مَا الْخَبَرُ قَالُوا قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَاسْتُخْلِفَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ ؓ وَالنَّاسُ صَالِحُونَ ثُمَّ رَجَعْنَا فَقَالَا أَقْرِئْ صَاحِبَكَ السَّلَامَ ثُمَّ قَالَ ذُو عَمْرٍو يَا جَرِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَزَالُوا صَالِحَينَ مَا إِذَا هَلَكَ أَمِيرٌ قَامَ أَمِيرٌ فَإِذَا مَا كَانَ سُيُوفًا كُنْتُمْ مُلُوكًا تَرْضَوْنَ رِضَا الْمُلُوكِ وَتَغْضَبُونَ غَضَبَ الْمُلُوكِ  

"عَنْ جَرِيرٍ قَالَ: كُنْتُ بِالْيَمَنِ فَلَقِيتُ رَجُلَيْن مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ: ذَا كَلَاعٍ، وَذَا عَمْرٍو، فَجَعَلْتُ أُحَدَّثُهُم عَنْ رسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَا: إِنْ كَانَ مَا تَقُولُ حَقّا فَقَدْ مَرَّ صَاحِبُكَ عَلَى أَجَلِهِ مُنْذُ ثَلَاثٍ، فَأَقْبَلْتُ وَأَقبَلَا مَعِى حتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا في بَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ رُفِعَ لَنَا رَكْبٌ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَدِينَةِ، فَسَأَلْنَاهُم؟ فقَالُوا: قُبِضَ رسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَاسْتُخْلِفَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، وَالنَّاسُ صَالِحُونَ، فَقَالَا لِى: أَخْبِرْ صَاحِبَكَ أنَّا قَدْ جِئْنَا، وَلَعَلَّنَا سَنَعُودُ إنْ شَاءَ اللهُ، وَرَجَعَا إِلَى الْيَمَنِ، فَأَخْبَرْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ بِحَدِيثِهمْ، قَالَ: أَفَلَا جِئْتَ بِهِمْ؟ فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدُ قَالَ لى ذُو عَمْرٍو: يَا جِريرُ! إِنَّ بِكَ عَلَىَّ كرَامَةً، وَإنِّي مُخْبِرُكَ خَبَرًا، إِنَّكُم مَعْشَرَ العَرَبِ لَنْ تَزَالُوا بِخَيْرٍ مَا كُنْتُم إِذَا هَلَكَ أَمِيرٌ تَأَمَّرْتُمْ في آخر، فَإِذَا كَانُوا بِالسَّيْفِ كَانُوا مُلُوكًا يَغْضَبُونَ غَضَبَ الْمُلُوكِ، وَيرْضَوْنَ رِضَاءَ الْمُلُوكِ".