that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Take as examples the two after me from my Companions, Abu Bakr and 'Umar. And act upon the guidance of 'Ammar, and hold fast to the advice of Ibn Mas'ud."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اقْتَدُوا بِاللَّذَيْنِ مِنْ بَعْدِي مِنْ أَصْحَابِي أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَاهْتَدُوا بِهَدْىِ عَمَّارٍ وَتَمَسَّكُوا بِعَهْدِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ وَيَحْيَى بْنُ سَلَمَةَ يُضَعَّفُ فِي الْحَدِيثِ وَأَبُو الزَّعْرَاءِ اسْمُهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ هَانِئٍ وَأَبُو الزَّعْرَاءِ الَّذِي رَوَى عَنْهُ شُعْبَةُ وَالثَّوْرِيُّ وَابْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ اسْمُهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ عَمْرٍو وَهُوَ ابْنُ أَخِي أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ صَاحِبُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ  

"My brother and I arrived from Yemen, and we did not see a period except that we thought 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud was a man from the people of the house of the Prophet ﷺ, due to what we would see of him entering, and his mother's entering, upon the Prophet ﷺ."  

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا مُوسَى يَقُولُ لَقَدْ قَدِمْتُ أَنَا وَأَخِي مِنَ الْيَمَنِ وَمَا نُرَى حِينًا إِلاَّ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لِمَا نَرَى مِنْ دُخُولِهِ وَدُخُولِ أُمِّهِ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ  

"We came to Hudhaifah and said: 'Inform us of the closest to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in guidance and conduct, so that we may take from him and hear from him.' He said: 'The closest of the people in guidance, conduct, and character used to be 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud, until he would hide from us in his house. And the guarded ones (guarded by Allah from straying in word and deed) from the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ know that Ibn Umm 'Abd (a nickname for 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud) is from among the most intimately close to Allah of them.'  

حَدِّثْنَا مَنْ بِأَقْرَبِ النَّاسِ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَدْيًا وَدَلاًّ فَنَأْخُذَ عَنْهُ وَنَسْمَعَ مِنْهُ قَالَ كَانَ أَقْرَبَ النَّاسِ هَدْيًا وَدَلاًّ وَسَمْتًا بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ حَتَّى يَتَوَارَى مِنَّا فِي بَيْتِهِ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَ الْمَحْفُوظُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّ ابْنَ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ هُوَ مِنْ أَقْرَبِهِمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ  

that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "If I was going to appoint anyone of them as a leader without any consultation, I would appoint Ibn Umm 'Abd over them."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُؤَمِّرًا أَحَدًا مِنْ غَيْرِ مَشُورَةٍ مِنْهُمْ لأَمَّرْتُ عَلَيْهِمُ ابْنَ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ  

that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "If I was going to appoint anyone as a leader without any consultation, I would appoint Ibn Umm 'Abd."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَوْ كُنْتُ مُؤَمِّرًا أَحَدًا مِنْ غَيْرِ مَشُورَةٍ لأَمَّرْتُ ابْنَ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ  

that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Take the Qur'an from four: From Ibn Mas'ud, Ubayy bin Ka'b, Mu'adh bin Jabal, and Salim the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifah."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خُذُوا الْقُرْآنَ مِنْ أَرْبَعَةٍ مِنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَأُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ وَمُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ وَسَالِمٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ  

"I came to Al-Madinah, so I asked Allah to make it easy for me to sit with one who is righteous. He made Abu Hurairah accessible to me, so I sat with him and said to him: 'Indeed, I asked Allah to make it easy for me to sit with one who is righteous, and it is to you that I was guided.' So he said to me: 'From where are you?' I said: 'From the people of Al-Kufah, I came to search out good and to seek it.' So he said: 'Is there not among you Sa'd bin Malik whose supplication is answered, Ibn Mas'ud, the one who used to carry the water for purification and the sandals of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and Hudhaifah, the keeper of the secrets of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and 'Ammar whom Allah has guarded from Shaitan upon the tongue of His Prophet, and Salman the companion of the Two Books?'"  

أَنْ يُيَسِّرَ لِي جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا فَيَسَّرَ لِي أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ فَجَلَسْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنِّي سَأَلْتُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُيَسِّرَ لِي جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا فَوُفِّقْتَ لِي فَقَالَ لِي مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ قُلْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ جِئْتُ أَلْتَمِسُ الْخَيْرَ وَأَطْلُبُهُ قَالَ أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمْ سَعْدُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ مُجَابُ الدَّعْوَةِ وَابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ صَاحِبُ طَهُورِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَنَعْلَيْهِ وَحُذَيْفَةُ صَاحِبُ سِرِّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَعَمَّارُ الَّذِي أَجَارَهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّهِ وَسَلْمَانُ صَاحِبُ الْكِتَابَيْنِ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ وَالْكِتَابَانِ الإِنْجِيلُ وَالْقُرْآنُ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ وَخَيْثَمَةُ هُوَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي سَبْرَةَ نُسِبَ إِلَى جَدِّهِ