Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
nasai:4ʿAmr b. ʿAlī > Yaḥyá / Ibn Saʿīd > Qurrah b. Khālid > Ḥumayd b. Hilāl > Abū Burdah > Abū Mūsá > Aqbalt

"I came to the Prophet ﷺ when he was using the Siwak and with me were two men of the Ash'aris - one on my right and the other on my left - who were seeking to be appointed as officials. I said: 'By the One Who sent you as a Prophet with the truth, they did not tell me why they wanted to come with me and I did not realize that they were seeking to be appointed as officials.' And I could see his Siwak beneath his lip, then it slipped and he said: 'We do not' - or; 'We will never appoint as an official anyone who seeks that. Rather you should go.'" So he sent his (Abu Musa) to Yemen, then he sent Mu'adh bin Jabal to go after him - may Allah be pleased with them.  

النسائي:٤أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى وَهُوَ ابْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قُرَّةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بُرْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ

أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَمَعِي رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي وَالآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَسْتَاكُ فَكِلاَهُمَا سَأَلَ الْعَمَلَ قُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ نَبِيًّا مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتَ شَفَتِهِ قَلَصَتْ فَقَالَ إِنَّا لاَ أَوْ لَنْ نَسْتَعِينَ عَلَى الْعَمَلِ مَنْ أَرَادَهُ وَلَكِنِ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ فَبَعَثَهُ عَلَى الْيَمَنِ ثُمَّ أَرْدَفَهُ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ ؓ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṭabarānī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
bukhari:6923Musaddad > Yaḥyá > Qurrah b. Khālid > Ḥumayd b. Hilāl > Abū Burdah > Abū Mūsá

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.'"  

البخاري:٦٩٢٣حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى عَنْ قُرَّةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ حَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بُرْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ

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  

ahmad:19666Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Qurrah b. Khālid > Ḥumayd b. Hilāl > Abū Burdah

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)  

أحمد:١٩٦٦٦حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا قُرَّةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلَالٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بُرْدَةَ قَالَ قَالَ

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  

ذِكْرُ الْإِبَاحَةِ لِلْإِمَامِ أَنْ يَسْتَاكَ بِحَضْرَةِ رَعِيَّتِهِ إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ يَحْتَشِمُهُمْ فِيهِ

ibnhibban:1071Muḥammad b. Isḥāq b. Khuzaymah And ʿUmar b. Muḥammad al-Hamdānī > ʿAmr b. ʿAlī > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Qurrah b. Khālid > Ḥumayd b. Hilāl > Abū Burdah > Abū Mūsá

"I came to the Prophet ﷺ when he was using the Siwak and with me were two men of the Ash'aris - one on my right and the other on my left - who were seeking to be appointed as officials. I said: 'By the One Who sent you as a Prophet with the truth, they did not tell me why they wanted to come with me and I did not realize that they were seeking to be appointed as officials.' And I could see his Siwak beneath his lip, then it slipped and he said: 'We do not' - or; 'We will never appoint as an official anyone who seeks that. Rather you should go.'" So he sent his (Abu Musa) to Yemen, then he sent Mu'adh bin Jabal to go after him - may Allah be pleased with them. (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4)  

ابن حبّان:١٠٧١أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ خُزَيْمَةَ وَعُمَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قُرَّةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلَالٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بُرْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ

أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَمَعِيَ رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الْأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي وَالْآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَسْتَاكُ فَكِلَاهُمَا سَأَلَا الْعَمَلَ قُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتَ شَفَتِهِ قَلَصَتْ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِنَّا لَا أَوْ لَنْ نَسْتَعِينَ عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ لَكِنِ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ» فَبَعَثَهُ عَلَى الْيَمَنِ ثُمَّ أَرْدَفَهُ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ  

tabarani:17263[Chain 1] Muʿādh b. al-Muthanná > Musaddad [Chain 2] ʿAbdullāh b. Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal > Abū And ʿAbd al-Aʿlá b. Ḥammād al-Narsī > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Qurrah b. Khālid > Ḥumayd b. Hilāl > Abū Burdah > Abū Mūsá > Aqbalt

[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.  

الطبراني:١٧٢٦٣حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى ثنا مُسَدَّدٌ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي وَعَبْدُ الْأَعْلَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ النَّرْسِيُّ قَالَا ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ قُرَّةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ حَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلَالٍ ثنا أَبُو بُرْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ

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  

nasai-kubra:8ʿAmr b. ʿAlī > Yaḥyá > Qurrah > Ḥumayd b. Hilāl > Abū Burdah > Abū Mūsá

"I came to the Prophet ﷺ when he was using the Siwak and with me were two men of the Ash'aris - one on my right and the other on my left - who were seeking to be appointed as officials. I said: 'By the One Who sent you as a Prophet with the truth, they did not tell me why they wanted to come with me and I did not realize that they were seeking to be appointed as officials.' And I could see his Siwak beneath his lip, then it slipped and he said: 'We do not' - or; 'We will never appoint as an official anyone who seeks that. Rather you should go.'" So he sent his (Abu Musa) to Yemen, then he sent Mu'adh bin Jabal to go after him - may Allah be pleased with them. (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4)   

الكبرى للنسائي:٨أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قُرَّةُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلَالٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بُرْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَمَعِي رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الْأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي وَالْآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي وَرَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَسْتَاكُ فَكِلَاهُمَا سَأَلَ الْعَمَلَ قُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتَ شَفَتِهِ قَلَصَتْ قَالَ «إِنَّا لَا أَوْ لَنْ نَسْتَعْمِلَ عَلَى عَمِلْنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ»  

nasai-kubra:5900ʿAmr b. ʿAlī > Yaḥyá > Qurrah b. Khālid > Ḥumayd b. Hilāl > Abū Burdah > Abū Mūsá

"I came to the Prophet ﷺ when he was using the Siwak and with me were two men of the Ash'aris - one on my right and the other on my left - who were seeking to be appointed as officials. I said: 'By the One Who sent you as a Prophet with the truth, they did not tell me why they wanted to come with me and I did not realize that they were seeking to be appointed as officials.' And I could see his Siwak beneath his lip, then it slipped and he said: 'We do not' - or; 'We will never appoint as an official anyone who seeks that. Rather you should go.'" So he sent his (Abu Musa) to Yemen, then he sent Mu'adh bin Jabal to go after him - may Allah be pleased with them. (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٥٩٠٠أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قُرَّةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلَالٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بُرْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ

أَقْبَلْتُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَمَعِي رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الْأَشْعَرِيِّيِّنَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي وَالْآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي ورَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَسْتَاكُ فَكِلَاهُمَا سَأَلَ الْعَمَلَ قُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتَ شَفَتِهِ قَلُصَتْ قَالَ «إِنَّا لَا أَوْ لَنْ نَسْتَعْمِلَ عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ وَلَكِنْ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ» فَبَعَثَهُ عَلَى الْيَمَنِ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ