Compiled by Imam Abu Dawud as-Sijistani
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، وَمُسَدَّدٌ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، - قَالَ مُسَدَّدٌ - حَدَّثَنَا قُرَّةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بُرْدَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَعِي رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي وَالآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي فَكِلاَهُمَا سَأَلَ الْعَمَلَ وَالنَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَاكِتٌ فَقَالَ " مَا تَقُولُ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى " . أَوْ " يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ " . قُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ . قَالَ وَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتَ شَفَتِهِ قَلَصَتْ قَالَ " لَنْ نَسْتَعْمِلَ - أَوْ لاَ نَسْتَعْمِلُ - عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ وَلَكِنِ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ " . فَبَعَثَهُ عَلَى الْيَمَنِ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ قَالَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ مُعَاذٌ قَالَ انْزِلْ . وَأَلْقَى لَهُ وِسَادَةً فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ عِنْدَهُ مُوثَقٌ قَالَ مَا هَذَا قَالَ هَذَا كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا فَأَسْلَمَ ثُمَّ رَاجَعَ دِينَهُ دِينَ السُّوءِ . قَالَ لاَ أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ قَضَاءُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ . قَالَ اجْلِسْ نَعَمْ . قَالَ لاَ أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ قَضَاءُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ . ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَقُتِلَ ثُمَّ تَذَاكَرَا قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ أَمَّا أَنَا فَأَنَامُ وَأَقُومُ - أَوْ أَقُومُ وَأَنَامُ - وَأَرْجُو فِي نَوْمَتِي مَا أَرْجُو فِي قَوْمَتِي .
I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) while two men who were Ash’ arIs were with me. One of them was on my right and the other on my left side. Bothe of them asked him for employment. The prophet (ﷺ) was silent. He asked : What do you say Abu Musa, or ‘Abd Allah b. Qais (Abu Musa’s name)? I replied: By him who has sent you with truth, they did not inform me of what they had in their hearts, and I did not know that they would ask for an employment. He said : I have the scene before my eyes that he had his toothstick below his lip which receded. He (the prophet) said: We will never or will not put in charge of our work anyone who asks for it. But go, ye, Abu Musa, or ‘Abd Allah b. Qais. He then sent him as a Governor of the Yemen, After him he sent Muadh b. Jabal. When Muadh came to him, he said: come down , and he put a cushion for him. He saw that a man was chained with him. He asked : What is this? He replied: He was a Jew and he accepted Islam. He then converted to his religion, an evil religion. He said: I will not sit until he is killed according to the decision of Allah and his Apostle (ﷺ). He said: Yes, be seated. He said: I will not sit until he is killed according to the decision of Allah and his Apostle (peace be upon him). He said it three times. He then commanded for it and he was killed. Both of them then discussed the question of prayer and vigilance at night. One of them, probably Muadh, said : So far as I am concerned, I sleep and I keep vigilance: I keep vigilance and I sleep: I hope for the same reward for my sleep as for my vigilance.