Somebody said to Usama, "Will you go to so-and-so (i.e. ʿUthman) and talk to him (i.e. advise him regarding ruling the country)?" He said, "You see that I don't talk to him. Really I talk to (advise) him secretly without opening a gate (of affliction), for neither do I want to be the first to open it (i.e. rebellion), nor will I say to a man who is my ruler that he is the best of all the people after I have heard something from Allah s Apostle ." They said, What have you heard him saying? He said, "I have heard him saying, "A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown in the (Hell) Fire, so that his intestines will come out, and he will go around like a donkey goes around a millstone. The people of (Hell) Fire will gather around him and say: O so-and-so! What is wrong with you? Didn't you use to order us to do good deeds and forbid us to do bad deeds? He will reply: Yes, I used to order you to do good deeds, but I did not do them myself, and I used to forbid you to do bad deeds, yet I used to do them myself."

قِيلَ لأُسَامَةَ لَوْ أَتَيْتَ فُلاَنًا فَكَلَّمْتَهُ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ لَتَرَوْنَ أَنِّي لاَ أُكَلِّمُهُ إِلاَّ أُسْمِعُكُمْ إِنِّي أُكُلِّمُهُ فِي السِّرِّ دُونَ أَنْ أَفْتَحَ بَابًا لاَ أَكُونُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ فَتَحَهُ وَلاَ أَقُولُ لِرَجُلٍ أَنْ كَانَ عَلَىَّ أَمِيرًا إِنَّهُ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ بَعْدَ شَىْءٍ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالُوا وَمَا سَمِعْتَهُ يَقُولُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ يُجَاءُ بِالرَّجُلِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيُلْقَى فِي النَّارِ فَتَنْدَلِقُ أَقْتَابُهُ فِي النَّارِ فَيَدُورُ كَمَا يَدُورُ الْحِمَارُ بِرَحَاهُ فَيَجْتَمِعُ أَهْلُ النَّارِ عَلَيْهِ فَيَقُولُونَ أَىْ فُلاَنُ مَا شَأْنُكَ أَلَيْسَ كُنْتَ تَأْمُرُنَا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ قَالَ كُنْتُ آمُرُكُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلاَ آتِيهِ وَأَنْهَاكُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَآتِيهِ رَوَاهُ غُنْدَرٌ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ

Someone said to Usama, "Will you not talk to this (Uthman)?" Usama said, "I talked to him (secretly) without being the first man to open an evil door. I will never tell a ruler who rules over two men or more that he is good after I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'A man will be brought and put in Hell (Fire) and he will circumambulate (go around and round) in Hell (Fire) like a donkey of a (flour) grinding mill, and all the people of Hell (Fire) will gather around him and will say to him, O so-and-so! Didn't you use to order others for good and forbid them from evil?' That man will say, 'I used to order others to do good but I myself never used to do it, and I used to forbid others from evil while I myself used to do evil.' "

أَنْ أَفْتَحَ بَابًا أَكُونُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ يَفْتَحُهُ وَمَا أَنَا بِالَّذِي أَقُولُ لِرَجُلٍ بَعْدَ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَمِيرًا عَلَى رَجُلَيْنِ أَنْتَ خَيْرٌ بَعْدَ مَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ يُجَاءُ بِرَجُلٍ فَيُطْرَحُ فِي النَّارِ فَيَطْحَنُ فِيهَا كَطَحْنِ الْحِمَارِ بِرَحَاهُ فَيُطِيفُ بِهِ أَهْلُ النَّارِ فَيَقُولُونَ أَىْ فُلاَنُ أَلَسْتَ كُنْتَ تَأْمُرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ فَيَقُولُ إِنِّي كُنْتُ آمُرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلاَ أَفْعَلُهُ وَأَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأَفْعَلُهُ

He (Usamah) was told: Why don’t you go in to ʿUthmān and speak to him? He said: Do you think I speak to him only so that you may hear me? By Allah, I have spoken to him privately, without initiating a matter that I would not like to be the first to open, and I do not say of anyone who might be my ruler that he is the best of people,

after I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown into the Fire, and the intestines of his belly will spill out, and he will go around with them as a donkey goes around a millstone. The people of the Fire will gather around him and say, 'So-and-so, what is wrong with you? Did you not used to command what is right and forbid what is wrong?' He will say, 'Yes; I used to command what is right but I did not do it, and I used to forbid what is wrong yet I would do it.”’

قِيلَ لَهُ: أَلَا تَدْخُلُ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ فَتُكَلِّمَهُ؟ فَقَالَ: أَتَرَوْنَ أَنِّي لَا أُكَلِّمُهُ إِلَّا أُسْمِعُكُمْ؟ وَاللَّهِ، لَقَدْ كَلَّمْتُهُ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ، مَا دُونَ أَنْ أَفْتَتِحَ أَمْرًا لَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ فَتَحَهُ، وَلَا أَقُولُ لِأَحَدٍ يَكُونُ عَلَيَّ أَمِيرًا إِنَّهُ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ.

بَعْدَ مَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «يُؤْتَى بِالرَّجُلِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، فَيُلْقَى فِي النَّارِ، فَتَنْدَلِقُ أَقْتَابُ بَطْنِهِ، فَيَدُورُ بِهَا كَمَا يَدُورُ الْحِمَارُ بِالرَّحَى، فَيَجْتَمِعُ إِلَيْهِ أَهْلُ النَّارِ، فَيَقُولُونَ: يَا فُلَانُ، مَا لَكَ؟ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ تَأْمُرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ؟ فَيَقُولُ: بَلَى، قَدْ كُنْتُ آمُرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَا آتِيهِ، وَأَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَآتِيهِ».

Why don't you visit 'Uthman and talk to him? Thereupon he said: Do you think that I have not talked to him but that I have made you hear? By Allah. I have talked to him (about things) concerning me and him and I did not like to divulge those things about which I had to take the initiative and I do not say to my ruler: "You are the best among people," after I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown in Hell-Fire and his intestines will pour forth in Hell and he will go round along with them, as an ass goes round the mill stone. The denizens of Hell would gather round him and say: O, so and so, what has happened to you? Were you not enjoining us to do what was reputable and forbid us to do what was disreputable? He will say: Of course, it is so; I used to enjoin (upon people) to do what was reputable but did not practise that myself. I had been forbidding people to do what was disreputable, but practised it myself. (Using translation from Muslim 2989a)

قِيلَ لِأُسَامَةَ أَلَا تُكَلِّمُ عُثْمَانَ؟ فَقَالَ إِنَّكُمْ تَرَوْنَ أَنْ لَا أُكَلِّمَهُ إِلَّا سَمْعَكُمْ إِنِّي لَأُكَلِّمُهُ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ مَا دُونَ أَنْ أَفْتَتِحَ أَمْرًا لَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ افْتَتَحَهُ وَاللهِ لَا أَقُولُ لِرَجُلٍ إِنَّكَ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ وَإِنْ كَانَ أَمِيرًا بَعْدَ إِذْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ قَالُوا وَمَا سَمِعْتَهُ يَقُولُ؟ قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ يُجَاءُ بِالرَّجُلِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيُلْقَى فِي النَّارِ فَتَنْدَلِقُ بِهِ أَقْتَابُهُ فَيَدُورُ بِهَا فِي النَّارِ كَمَا يَدُورُ الْحِمَارُ بِرَحَاهُ فَيُطِيفُ بِهِ أَهْلُ النَّارِ فَيَقُولُونَ يَا فُلَانُ مَا لَكَ؟ مَا أَصَابَكَ؟ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ تَأْمُرُنَا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَانَا عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ؟ فَقَالَ كُنْتُ آمُرُكُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَا آتِيهِ وَأَنْهَاكُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَآتِيهِ

Why don't you visit 'Uthman and talk to him? Thereupon he said: Do you think that I have not talked to him but that I have made you hear? By Allah. I have talked to him (about things) concerning me and him and I did not like to divulge those things about which I had to take the initiative and I do not say to my ruler: "You are the best among people," after I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown in Hell-Fire and his intestines will pour forth in Hell and he will go round along with them, as an ass goes round the mill stone. The denizens of Hell would gather round him and say: O, so and so, what has happened to you? Were you not enjoining us to do what was reputable and forbid us to do what was disreputable? He will say: Of course, it is so; I used to enjoin (upon people) to do what was reputable but did not practise that myself. I had been forbidding people to do what was disreputable, but practised it myself. (Using translation from Muslim 2989a)

قَالُوا لَهُ أَلَا تَدْخُلُ عَلَى هَذَا الرَّجُلِ فَتُكَلِّمُهُ؟ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَلَا تَرَوْنَ أَنِّي لَا أُكَلِّمُهُ إِلَّا أُسْمِعُكُمْ؟ وَاللهِ لَقَدْ كَلَّمْتُهُ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ مَا دُونَ أَنْ أَفْتَحَ أَمْرًا لَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُونَ أَنَا أَوَّلَ مَنْ فَتَحَهُ وَلَا أَقُولُ لِرَجُلٍ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَيَّ أَمِيرًا إِنَّهُ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ بَعْدَ مَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ يُؤْتَى بِالرَّجُلِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيُلْقَى فِي النَّارِ فَتَنْدَلِقُ أَقْتَابُ بَطْنِهِ فَيَدُورُ بِهَا فِي النَّارِ كَمَا يَدُورُ الْحِمَارُ بِالرَّحَى قَالَ فَيَجْتَمِعُ أَهْلُ النَّارِ إِلَيْهِ فَيَقُولُونَ يَا فُلَانُ أَمَا كُنْتَ تَأْمُرُنَا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَانَا عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ؟ قَالَ فَيَقُولُ بَلَى قَدْ كُنْتُ آمُرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَا آتِيهِ وَأَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَآتِيهِ

[AI] "And I swear by Allah, I would never say to a man, 'Indeed, you are the best of people,' even if he were to be a ruler, after I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'They will be brought the man on the Day of Judgment, and he will be thrown into the fire, so his entrails will fall out, and he will revolve in the fire as a donkey revolves around a millstone. The people of the Fire will gather around him, and they will say, 'O so-and-so, what is wrong with you? What befell you? Did you not command us with good and forbid us from evil?' He will say, 'I used to command you with good, but I did not do it, and I used to forbid you from evil, but I did it myself.'"

وَاللهِ لَا أَقُولُ لِرَجُلٍ إِنَّكَ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ وَإِنْ كَانَ عَلَيَّ أَمِيرًا بَعْدَ إِذْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ قَالُوا وَمَا سَمِعْتَهُ يَقُولُ؟ قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ يُجَاءُ بِالرَّجُلِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيُلْقَى فِي النَّارِ فَتَنْدَلِقُ أَقْتَابُهُ فَيَدُورُ بِهَا فِي النَّارِ كَمَا يَدُورُ الْحِمَارُ بِرَحَاهُ فَيُطِيفُ بِهِ أَهْلُ النَّارِ فَيَقُولُونَ يَا فُلَانُ مَا لَكَ؟ مَا أَصَابَكَ؟ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ تَأْمُرُنَا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَانَا عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ؟ فَيَقُولُ كُنْتُ آمُرُكُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَا آتِيهِ وَأَنْهَاكُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَآتِيهِ

"يُؤْتَى بِرَجُلٍ كَانَ وَالِيًا فَيُلقَى فِى النَّارِ فَتَنْدَلِقُ أَقْتَابُهُ فَيَدُورُ فِى النَّارِ كَمَا يَدُورُ الْحِمَارُ بِالرَّحَى، فَيَجْتَمِعُ إِلَيْهِ أَهْلُ النَّارِ فَيقُولُونَ: أَلَسْتَ كُنْتَ تَأمُرُنَا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، وَتَنْهَانَا عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ؟ قَالَ: كُنْتُ آمُرُكُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَا آتِيهِ، وَأَنْهَاكُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَآتِيهِ".