[Machine] A man entered upon us at noon, so I said, "O Abdullah, where have you come from?" He replied, "I came with my companion to a brothel, where my companion went in seeking pleasure. Meanwhile, I entered to find some shade and have a drink." Then, I went to a sour pit and perhaps she may have said to me, "Then, I went to a sour pit and gave him some to drink from it, so he drank and I drank." She said, "And I observed him, so I said, 'O Abdullah, who are you?' He said, 'I am Abu Bakr.' I said, 'Are you Abu Bakr, the companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ whom I have heard about?' He said, 'Yes.' She said, 'Then, I mentioned the conquest of Khaybar and our expedition against each other during the pre-Islamic period, and what Allah brought us of unity and severing the ties of those who opposed us. Ibn 'Awn showed us his fingers and described it for us. Mu'adh and Ahmad also showed it for us.' So I said, 'O Abdullah, until when do you think this matter of the people will continue?' He said, 'As long as the Imams are upright.' I said, 'Who are the Imams?' He said, 'Have you not seen a chief among a group, and they follow him and obey him? Such are not the upright ones.'"

دَخَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ بِالظَّهِيرَةِ فَقُلْتُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَيْنَ أَقْبَلْتَ؟ قَالَ «أَقْبَلْتُ أَنَا وَصَاحِبٌ لِي فِي بُغَاءٍ لَنَا فَانْطَلَقَ صَاحِبِي يَبْغِي وَدَخَلْتُ أَنَا أَسْتَظِلُّ بِالظِّلِّ وَأَشْرَبُ مِنَ الشَّرَابِ» فَقُمْتُ إِلَى لُبَيْنَةٍ حَامِضَةٍ ورُبَّما قَالَتْ فَقُمْتُ إِلَى ضَيْحَةٍ حَامِضَةٍ فَسَقَيْتُهُ مِنْهَا فَشَرِبَ وَشَرِبْتُ قَالَتْ وَتَوَسَّمْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ فَقَالَ «أَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ» قُلْتُ أَنْتَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الَّذِي سَمِعْتُ بِهِ؟ قَالَ «نَعَمْ» قَالَتْ فَذَكَرْتُ غَزْوَنَا خَثْعَمًا وَغَزْوَةَ بَعْضِنَا بَعْضًا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَمَا جَاءَ اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنَ الْأُلْفَةِ وَأَطْنَابِ الْفَسَاطِيطِ وَشَبَّكَ ابْنُ عَوْنٍ أَصَابِعَهُ وَوَصَفَهُ لَنَا مُعَاذٌ وَشَبَّكَ أَحْمَدُ فَقُلْتُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ حَتَّى مَتَى تَرَى أَمْرَ النَّاسِ هَذَا؟ قَالَ «مَا اسْتَقَامَتِ الْأَئِمَّةُ» قُلْتُ مَا الْأَئِمَّةُ؟ قَالَ «أَمَا رَأَيْتَ السَّيِّدَ يَكُونُ فِي الْحِوَاءِ فَيَتَّبِعُونَهُ وَيُطِيعُونَهُ؟ فَمَا اسْتَقَامَ أُولَئِكَ»

[Machine] A man entered upon me in the afternoon and I said, "O Abdullah, what do you need?" He replied, "I arrived and my companion and I have a need for sheltering our camels, so I entered to seek shade and drink some water." So I got up and went to a sour, acidic pasture and gave him water to drink. I asked him, "O Abdullah, who are you?" He said, "I am Abu Bakr, the companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whom you have heard about." I then mentioned some battles and raids we had in the pre-Islamic era, and how Allah has brought unity and peace among us. He said, "That's right" and interlaced his fingers. I asked him, "O Abdullah, how long will people be in this state?" He replied, "As long as the leaders are upright." I said, "And who are the leaders?" He said, "Do you not see how a specific person is followed by and obeyed by the noble ones, as long as they remain upright?"

دَخَلَ عَلَيَّ رَجُلٌ بِالظَّهِيرَةِ قُلْتُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ مَا حَاجَتُكَ؟ قَالَ «أَقْبَلْتُ وَصَاحِبٌ لِي فِي بُغَاءِ إِبِلٍ لَنَا فَدَخَلْتُ أَسْتَظِلُّ بِالظِّلِّ وَاشْرَبُ مِنَ الشَّرَابِ» فَقُمْتُ إِلَى ضَيْحَةٍ حَامِضَةٍ وَلَبِينَةٍ حَامِضَةٍ فَسَقَيْتُهُ وَقُلْتُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ قَالَ «أَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الَّذِي سَمِعْتِ بِهِ» قَالَ فَذَكَرْتُ خَثْعَمًا وَغَزْوَ بَعْضِنَا بَعْضًا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَمَا جَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الِإِلْفَةِ وَأَطْنَابِ الْفَسَاطِيطِ هَكَذَا وَشَبَّكَ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ قَالَتْ فَقُلْتُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ حَتَّى مَتَى أَمْرُ النَّاسِ هَكَذَا؟ قَالَ «مَا اسْتَقَامَتِ الْأَئِمَّةُ» قَالَتْ قُلْتُ وَمَا الْأَئِمَّةُ؟ قَالَ «أَلَمْ تَرَيْ إِلَى الْحُوَى يَكُونُ فِيهِ السَّيِّدُ يَتَّبِعُونَهُ وَيُطِيعُونَهُ مَا اسْتَقَامَ أُولَئِكَ»