مَنْ يُكَنَّى أَبَا زَمْعَةَ، أَبُو زَمْعَةَ الْبَلَوِيُّ يُقَالُ اسْمُهُ عَبْدُ بْنُ أَرْقَمَ كَانَ يَسْكُنُ مِصْرَ

[Machine] I heard Abu Zam'a Al-Balawi, who was one of the companions of the tree, pledging allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ beneath it. One day, he came to the Fustat Mosque and stood in the courtyard. He had heard from Abdullah bin Amr some strong words of admonition, so he said, "Do not be too harsh on the people, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'A man from the Children of Israel killed ninety-seven people and then went to a monk and asked, 'Can I repent?' The monk said, 'No,' so he killed the monk. Then he went to another monk and asked him the same question, and he responded, 'No,' so he killed him too. Finally, he went to a third monk and asked him the same question, and he replied, 'Yes, but you have done a tremendous amount of evil. Though, if you say, 'Verily, Allah is not Forgiving, Merciful,' then indeed you have lied, so repent to Allah.' The man said, 'As for myself, I will always be with you after saying this.' Therefore, he served that man in obedience. One day, a man died, and people spoke ill of him. When he was buried, Abu Zam'a sat on his grave and wept greatly. Then another man died, and people praised him. When he was buried, Abu Zam'a sat on his grave and burst into loud laughter. His companions disapproved of this behavior, so they gathered around him, and he said, 'Why do you come to me, the killer of souls? Indeed, I have done what you have seen.' Then he began to regret his actions, as did they. He went to his friend, who had a servant with him, and spoke to him, 'What do you command me?' The friend replied, 'Go and light a fire.'' Abu Zam'a did as he was instructed. Then his friend asked him, 'Go and throw yourself in it.' The monk ignored him, and the other man went and threw himself into the fire. Later, the monk woke up and said, 'I think the man threw himself in the fire because of what I said to him.' So he went to him and found him alive in the fire, sweating. The monk grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the fire, saying, 'I am not worthy for you to serve me, but I am your servant. Tell me why you wept at the person who died first and why you laughed at the second.' He replied, 'When the first person was buried, I saw the evil that he received, and I remembered my sins, so I cried. As for the second person, I saw the good that he received, so I laughed. After that incident, he became one of the great leaders of the Children of Israel."  

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا زَمْعَةَ الْبَلَوِيَّ وَكَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ الشَّجَرَةِ يُبَايِعُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ تَحْتَهَا وَأَتَى يَوْمًا بِمَسْجِدِ الْفُسْطَاطِ فَقَامَ فِي الرَّحَبَةِ وَقَدْ كَانَ بَلَغَهُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو بَعْضُ التَّشْدِيدِ فَقَالَ لَا تَشْتَدُّوا عَلَى النَّاسِ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «قَتَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ سَبْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَذَهَبَ إِلَى رَاهِبٍ» فَقَالَ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ سَبْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَهَلْ تَجِدُ لِي مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ قَالَ لَا فَقَتَلَ الرَّاهِبَ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلَى رَاهِبٍ آخَرَ فَقَالَ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ ثَمَانِيَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا فَهَلْ تَجِدُ لِي مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ قَالَ لَا فَقَتَلَهُ ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلَى الثَّالِثِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي قَتَلْتُ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ نَفْسًا مِنْهُمْ رَاهِبَانِ فَهَلْ تَجِدُ لِي مِنْ تَوْبَةٍ؟ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ عَمِلَتْ شَرًّا وَلَئِنْ قُلْتُ «إِنَّ اللهَ لَيْسَ بِغَفُورٍ رَحِيمٍ لَقَدْ كَذَبْتُ فَتُبْ إِلَى اللهِ» قَالَ أَمَّا أَنَا فَلَا أُفَارِقُكَ بَعْدَ قَوْلِكَ هَذَا فَلَزِمَهُ عَلَى أَنْ لَا يَعْصِيَهُ فَكَانَ يَخْدُمُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ وَهَلَكَ يَوْمًا رَجُلٌ وَالثَّنَاءُ عَلَيْهِ قَبِيحٌ فَلَمَّا دُفِنَ قَعَدَ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ فَبَكَى بُكَاءً شَدِيدًا ثُمَّ تُوُفِّيَ آخَرُ وَالثَّنَاءُ عَلَيْهِ حَسَنٌ فَلَمَّا دُفِنَ قَعَدَ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ فَضَحِكَ ضَحِكًا شَدِيدًا فَأَنْكَرَ أَصْحَابُهُ ذَلِكَ فَاجْتَمَعُوا إِلَى رَأْسِهِمْ فَقَالُوا كَيْفَ تَأْوِي إِلَيْكَ هَذَا قَاتَلُ النُّفُوسِ؟ وَقَدْ صَنَعَ مَا رَأَيْتَ فَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ فَأَتَى إِلَى صَاحِبِهِمْ مَرَّةً مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَمَعَهُ صَاحِبٌ لَهُ فَكَلَّمَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا تَأْمُرُونِي؟ فَقَالَ اذْهَبْ فَأَوْقِدْ تَنُّورًا فَفَعَلَ ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ بِخَبَرِهِ أَنْ قَدَ فَعَلَ قَالَ اذْهَبْ فَأَلْقِ نَفْسَكَ فِيهَا فَلَهِيَ عَنْهُ الرَّاهِبُ وَذَهَبَ الْآخَرُ فَأَلْقَى نَفْسَهُ فِي التَّنُّورِ ثُمَّ اسْتَفَاقَ الرَّاهِبُ فَقَالَ «إِنِّي لَأَظُنُّ الرَّجُلَ قَدْ أَلْقَى نَفْسَهُ فِي التَّنُّورِ بِقَوْلِي لَهُ» فَذَهَبَ إِلَيْهِ فَوَجَدَهُ حَيًّا فِي التَّنُّورِ يَعْرَقُ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِهِ فَأَخْرَجَهُ مِنَ التَّنُّورِ فَقَالَ «مَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ تَخْدِمَنِي وَلَكِنْ أَنَا أَخْدِمُكَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَنْ بُكَائِكَ عَلَى الْمُتَوَفَّى الْأَوَّلِ وَعَنْ ضَحَكِكَ عَلَى الْآخَرِ» قَالَ أَمَّا الْأَوَّلُ فَإِنَّهُ لَمَّا دُفِنَ رَأَيْتُ مَا يَلْقَى مِنَ الشَّرِّ فَذَكَرْتُ ذُنُوبِي فَبَكَيْتُ وَأَمَّا الْآخَرُ فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ مَا يَلْقَى بِهِ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ فَضَحِكْتُ وَكَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عُظَمَاءِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ