[AI] Uways ibn ʿĀmir al-Qaranī was a man from Qaran; he was one of the Successors and was from the people of Kūfah. He was afflicted with vitiligo, so he supplicated to God—Exalted and Glorified is He—to remove it from him, and He removed it. Then he said, “O God, leave for me on my body something by which I may remember Your favor upon me,” so He left on his body something by which he would remember His favor upon him. He was a man who kept to the main congregational mosque along with some of his companions. He had a cousin who kept close to the authorities and was enamored of them; whenever he saw him with wealthy people he would say, “He is only trying to live off them,” and whenever he saw him with poor people he would say, “He is only deceiving them.” And Uways would say nothing about his cousin except good, except that when he passed by him he would hide himself, for fear of committing a sin because of him.
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb used to ask the delegations that came to him from Kūfah, “Do you know Uways ibn ʿĀmir al-Qaranī?” and they would say, “No.” Then a delegation from Kūfah came to him in which was that cousin of his. He said, “Do you know Uways ibn ʿĀmir al-Qaranī?” He replied, “He is my cousin, and he is a corrupt, vile man; he has not amounted to anything—how would you know him, O Commander of the Faithful?” ʿUmar said to him, “Woe to you! You are ruined. When you go to him, convey my greetings to him and tell him to come to me.”
When he returned to Kūfah, he did not even take off his travel clothes before going to him. He found him in the mosque, but he did not follow him in prayer. He said to him, “Ask forgiveness for me, O my cousin.” He replied, “May God forgive you, O my cousin.” He said, “And you—may God forgive you, O Uways ibn ʿĀmir. The Commander of the Faithful sends you greetings.” He said, “And who mentioned me to the Commander of the Faithful?” He replied, “He mentioned you and commanded me to deliver this to you—so go to him.” He said, “Hearkening and obedience to the Commander of the Faithful.”
So he went as part of a delegation to ʿUmar and entered upon him. ʿUmar said to him, “Are you Uways ibn ʿĀmir al-Qaranī?” He said, “Yes.” He said, “Are you the one who was afflicted with vitiligo, so you supplicated God—Exalted and Glorified is He—to remove it from you and He removed it, and you said, ‘O God, leave for me on my body something by which I may remember Your favor upon me,’ and He left on your body something by which you remember God’s favor upon you?” He said, “How did you know, O Commander of the Faithful? By God, no human being has come to know this.” He said, “The Messenger of God ﷺ informed us that among the Successors there will be a man from Qaran called Uways ibn ʿĀmir al-Qaranī. He will be afflicted with vitiligo and will supplicate God to remove it, and He will remove it from him. Then he will say, ‘O God, leave for me on my body something by which I may remember Your favor upon me,’ and He will leave on his body something by which he remembers His favor upon him. Whoever among you meets him and is able to ask him to seek forgiveness for him, let him do so. So seek forgiveness for me, O Uways ibn ʿĀmir.” He said, “May God forgive you, O Commander of the Faithful.” He said, “And you—may God forgive you, O Uways ibn ʿĀmir.”
When the people heard from ʿUmar what he had related from the Messenger of God ﷺ, one man said, “Seek forgiveness for me,” and another said, “Seek forgiveness for me, O Uways.” When they became many around him, he slipped away and left, and he has not been seen to this hour.