:حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْقَوَارِيرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، قَالَ
Narrated to us by Ubaydullah ibn Umar al-Qawariri, who said: Hammād ibn Zayd narrated to us, from Ayyub, from Abu Qilabah, who said:
كُنْتُ بِالشَّامِ فِي حَلْقَةٍ فِيهَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ يَسَارٍ فَجَاءَ أَبُو الأَشْعَثِ قَالَ قَالُوا أَبُو الأَشْعَثِ أَبُو الأَشْعَثِ . فَجَلَسَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ حَدِّثْ أَخَانَا حَدِيثَ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ .
I was in Syria, in a gathering where Muslim ibn Yasar was present. Then Abu al-Ash’ath came, and they said, “Abu al-Ash’ath, Abu al-Ash’ath,” and he sat down. I said to him, “Relate to our companion the narration of Ubadah ibn al-Samit.” He said:
قَالَ نَعَمْ غَزَوْنَا غَزَاةً وَعَلَى النَّاسِ مُعَاوِيَةُ فَغَنِمْنَا غَنَائِمَ كَثِيرَةً فَكَانَ فِيمَا غَنِمْنَا آنِيَةٌ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ فَأَمَرَ مُعَاوِيَةُ رَجُلاً أَنْ يَبِيعَهَا فِي أَعْطِيَاتِ النَّاسِ فَتَسَارَعَ النَّاسُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَبَلَغَ عُبَادَةَ بْنَ الصَّامِتِ فَقَامَ فَقَالَ
“Yes, we participated in a campaign, and Mu’awiyah was in charge of the people. We acquired many spoils, and among the spoils were silver vessels. Mu’awiyah ordered a man to sell them in exchange for the people’s stipends. The people rushed to do so. This reached Ubadah ibn al-Samit, who stood up and said:
إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَنْهَى عَنْ بَيْعِ الذَّهَبِ بِالذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ بِالْفِضَّةِ وَالْبُرِّ بِالْبُرِّ وَالشَّعِيرِ بِالشَّعِيرِ وَالتَّمْرِ بِالتَّمْرِ وَالْمِلْحِ بِالْمِلْحِ إِلاَّ سَوَاءً بِسَوَاءٍ عَيْنًا بِعَيْنٍ فَمَنْ زَادَ أَوِ ازْدَادَ فَقَدْ أَرْبَى .
‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbidding the sale of gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for dates, and salt for salt, except in equal measure, hand to hand. Whoever increases or seeks an increase has engaged in usury (riba).’
فَرَدَّ النَّاسُ مَا أَخَذُوا فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَقَامَ خَطِيبًا فَقَالَ أَلاَ مَا بَالُ رِجَالٍ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَحَادِيثَ قَدْ كُنَّا نَشْهَدُهُ وَنَصْحَبُهُ فَلَمْ نَسْمَعْهَا مِنْهُ .
The people returned what they had taken, and this reached Mu’awiyah. He stood up to deliver a speech and said: ‘What is the matter with men who narrate traditions from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that we did not witness, even though we accompanied him and were in his company, yet we did not hear them from him?’
فَقَامَ عُبَادَةُ بْنُ الصَّامِتِ فَأَعَادَ الْقِصَّةَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَنُحَدِّثَنَّ بِمَا سَمِعْنَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَإِنْ كَرِهَ مُعَاوِيَةُ – أَوْ قَالَ وَإِنْ رَغِمَ – مَا أُبَالِي أَنْ لاَ أَصْحَبَهُ فِي جُنْدِهِ لَيْلَةً سَوْدَاءَ . قَالَ حَمَّادٌ هَذَا أَوْ نَحْوَهُ
Ubadah ibn al-Samit stood up and repeated the incident, then said: ‘We will narrate what we heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), even if Mu’awiyah dislikes it—or even if he is angered. I do not care if I never accompany him in his army during a dark night.’
Hammād said: This or something similar to it.”
Explanation:
(فِي حَلْقَةٍ) أي: في جماعة اجتمعوا مستديرين
“(In a circle) that is, a group gathered in a circular formation.”
(فِيهَا) أي: في تلك الحلقة (مُسْلِمُ بْنُ يَسَارٍ) البصريّ، نزيل مكة، أبو عبد الله الفقيه، مولى بني أمية،..، ثقة عابد
“(Init), meaning in that circle, was Muslim ibn Yasar, from Basra, a resident of Mecca, Abu Abdullah the jurist, a freedman of the Umayyads, … He was a trustworthy and devout man.”
(فَجَاءَ أَبُو الأَشْعَثِ) شراحيل بن آدة الصنعانيّ (قَالَ) أبو قلابة: (قَالُوا) أي: الناس الحاضرون في الحلقة (أَبُو الأَشْعَثِ أَبُو الأَشْعَثِ)؛ أي: جاء أبو الأشعث، وإنما كرّروه تنويهًا بشأنه، وتعظيمًا له (فَجَلَسَ) أبو الأشعث، قال أبو قلابة: (فَقُلْتُ لَهُ)؛ أي: لأبي الأشعث (حَدِّثْ) أمر من التحديث (أَخَانَا) يريد مسلم بن يسار (حَدِيثَ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ) ﵁ (قَالَ) أبو الأشعث: «نَعَمْ».. معناها: التَّصْدِيقُ
“(Then Abu al-Ash’ath came) meaning Sharahil ibn Ādah al-San’ani. (Abu Qilabah said:) (They said) meaning the people present in the circle (Abu al-Ash’ath, Abu al-Ash’ath); meaning, Abu al-Ash’ath has arrived, and they repeated it to highlight his significance and show respect for him. (He sat down) Abu al-Ash’ath, and Abu Qilabah said: (I said to him) meaning, to Abu al-Ash’ath (Relate) as a command to narrate (to our brother) referring to Muslim ibn Yasar (the hadith of ‘Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit), may Allah be pleased with him. (Abu al-Ash’ath said:) (Yes) means confirmation.”
(غَزَوْنَا غَزَاة) (وَعَلَى النَّاسِ مُعَاوَيةُ) أي: أميرًا، لا خليفةً؛ فإن زمان خلافته متأخّر عن ذلك بكثير
“(We went on a military expedition) ‘ghazā’
(And Mu‘āwiyah was in charge of the people) meaning, as a commander, not as a caliph, because his caliphate came much later after that.”
(فَغَنِمْنَا) وهي ما نِيل من أهل الشرك عَنْوةً، والحرب قائمة، أما ما نيل منهم بعد أن تضع الحرب أوزارها، فيُسمّى فيئًا
“(We gained spoils) which refers to what is taken from the disbelievers by force while the war is ongoing. However, what is acquired from them after the war has ended and hostilities have ceased is called ‘fay’.'”
(كَثِيرَةً، فَكَانَ فِيمَا غَنِمْنَا آنِيَةٌ) (مِنْ فِضَّةٍ) بيان لـ «ما غَنِمنا» (فَأَمَرَ مُعَاوِيةُ) ﵁ (رَجُلًا) لم يُعرف اسمه (٣). (أَنْ يَبِيعَهَا فِي أَعْطِيَاتِ النَّاسِ) جمع أعطية، قال المجد ﵀: العطا، وقد يُمدّ: نولك السَّمْحَ، وما يُعطَى
“(A great amount, and among the spoils we acquired were vessels) (Made of silver) is an explanation of ‘what we acquired.’ (Mu‘āwiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, ordered) (a man) whose name is not known. (To sell them in the people’s stipends) which is the plural of ‘ʿaṭiya’ (allowance). Al-Majd, may Allah have mercy on him, said: ‘ʿAṭā’ (allowance), which may also be extended, meaning your generous share or what is given.
والمراد هنا ما يعطاه الجند من المال المرتّب لهم من الدولة شهريًّا، أو سنويًّا، يعني أنه أمر أن تباع آنية الفضة تلك بالدراهم نسيئة إلى أن يخرج عطاء المشتري،
Meaning here is the salary payment allocated to the soldiers by the state, monthly or annually. Meaning Mu‘awiyah ordered that the silver vessels be sold for dirhams on credit, to be paid once the buyer’s (i.e soldiers) salary was issued.
قال القرطبيّ ﵀: هذا البيع لهذه الآنية كان بالذراهم، ولذلك أنكره عبادة بن الصامت ﵁، واستَدَلّ عليه بقوله: «الفضة بالفضة»، ولو كان بذهب أو عَرْض لَمَا كان للإنكار، ولا للاستدلال وجه
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This sale of the vessels was by their dirhams (silver coins), and that is why Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) objected to it. He justified with the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Silver for silver.”
If the sale had been done in exchange for gold or for goods (other than silver), there would have been no grounds for objection or for extrapulating this evidence.
(فَتَسَارَعَ النَّاسُ فِي ذَلِكَ) أي: في شراء تلك الآنية بالدَّراهم
(The people rushed to it)—meaning, In purchasing those silver vessels for their dirhams.
قال القرطبيّ: معاوية ﵁ قد جَهِل ذلك مع صحبته، وكونه من كُتَّاب الوحي
Imam Qurtubi said: Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) was unaware of this ruling, despite his companionship with the Prophet ( ﷺ) and his position as one of the scribes of revelation?
(فَبَلَغَ عُبَادَةَ بْنَ الصَّامِتِ) ﵁ (فَقَامَ) عبادة (فَقَالَ: إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَنْهَى عَنْ بَيْعِ الذَّهَبِ بِالذَّهَبِ، وَالْفِضَّةِ بِالْفِضَّةِ، وَالْبُرِّ بِالْبُرِّ، وَالشَّعِيرِ بِالشَّعِيرِ) قال القرطبيّ ﵀: فيه دليل على أنهما نوعان مختلفان؛ كمخالفة التمر للبُرِّ؛ وهو قول الشافعيّ، وأبي حنيفة، والثوريّ، وابن عُلّيَّة، وفقهاء أهل الحديث، وذهب مالك، والأوزاعيّ، والليث، ومعظم علماء المدينة، والشام إلى أنهما صنف واحد، وهو مرويّ عن عمر، وسعيد، وغيرهما من السَّلف متمسكين، بتقاربهما في المنبت، والمحصد، والمقصود؛ لأن كل واحد منهما في معنى الآخر، والاختلاف الذي بينهما إنما هو من باب مخالفة جيِّد الشيء لرديئه. انتهى
(It reached Ubaadah ibn al-Samit) (may Allah be pleased with him), (so he stood up and said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbidding the sale of gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, and barley for barley…)
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) commented: This is evidence that wheat and barley are considered two different categories, just as dates and wheat are different. This is the view of al-Shafi‘i, Abu Hanifa, al-Thawri, Ibn Ulayyah, and the jurists among the Ahle-Hadith.
On the other hand, Malik, al-Awza‘i, al-Layth, and the majority of the scholars of Medina and Syria held that they are one and the same category. This view is also reported from Umar, Sa‘id, and others among the early generations. They based their opinion on the fact that wheat and barley are similar in their origin, harvest, and purpose, as each serves the same fundamental purpose (as staple foods). The differences between them, according to this view, are merely akin to the differences between a good-quality item and an inferior-quality one.
(إِلا سَوَاءً بِسَوَاءٍ) أي: إلا في حالة كونهما متساويين، ففيه النهي عن التفاضل (عَيْنًا بِعَيْنٍ) يعني معاينة، ومشاهدة، ففيه النهي عن بيع الغائب بالغائب، أو بالحاضر، وهذا معنى ما سبق بلفظ: «ولا تبيعوا منها غائبًا بناجز»
(Except equal for equal)—meaning, unless the two items being exchanged are of equal measure. This contains a prohibition against tafāḍul (disparity in quantity or value).
(Hand to hand)—meaning, the exchange must be immediate, in person, and observable. This implies a prohibition against selling something absent (unseen or undelivered) for something present (available at the time of the transaction).
This is similar in meaning to the previously mentioned statement: “Do not sell a deferred item for an immediate one.”
(فَمَنْ زَادَ) أي: أعطى الزيادة، وقدّمه لأن الأمر باختياره أوّلًا (أَوِ ازْدَادَ) أي: أخذ الزيادة
(So whoever gives more)—meaning, the one who offers an increase (beyond the equal measure). This is mentioned first because the act of offering an increase is typically initiated by choice.
(Or takes more)—meaning, the one who receives the excess amount. This implies a prohibition against both giving and taking an unequal increase in such transactions.
(فَقَدْ أَرْبَى) يقال: أربى الرجل بالألف: إذا دخل في الربا، والمراد أنه أكل الربا، فيدخل تحت الوعيد الوارد في آكل الربا، يعني أن الربا لا يتوقّف على أخذ الزيادة فقط، بل يتحقّق بإعطاء الزيادة أيضًا، فكلّ من المعطي والآخذ عاصٍ، وقال النوويّ ﵀: معناه: فَعَل الربا المحرّم، فدافع الزيادة، وآخذها عاصيان مربيان
(Then he has committed usury)—It is said, “A man has engaged in usury (arba) when he enters into a transaction involving riba.” The intended meaning here is that he has consumed or engaged in riba, thus falling under the severe warnings given to those who consume usury.
This indicates that riba is not limited to merely taking an increase; rather, it also applies to giving an increase. Both the giver and the taker are sinful.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) explained: Its meaning is that the individual has engaged in the prohibited act of riba. Both the one who gives the increase and the one who takes it are considered disobedient and guilty of practicing usury.
(فَرَدَّ النَّاسُ مَا أخَذُوا) أي: ما أخذوه من آنية الفضّة بسبب الشراء بالأجل، قال النوويّ: هذا دليل على أن البيع المذكور باطل (فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ) أي: ردّ الناس بيعهم بسبب ما حدّث به عبادة ﵁ (مُعَاوِيةَ) ﵁ (فَقَامَ خَطِيبًا، فَقَالَ: ألَا) أداة استفتاح وتنبيه (مَا) استفهاميّة (بَالُ) أي: حال (رِجَالٍ يَتَحَدَّثُونَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَحَادِيثَ قَدْ كنَّا نَشْهَدُهُ، وَنَصْحَبُهُ، فَلَمْ نَسْمَعْهَا مِنْهُ)
(So the people returned what they had taken)—meaning, they returned the silver vessels they had acquired through deferred payment.
Al-Nawawi commented: This indicates that the mentioned sale was invalid.
(This reached Mu‘awiyah)—meaning, the news of the people canceling their transactions due to what Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) had narrated.
(So he stood up to address the people, saying: “Indeed”)—a phrase used to open and draw attention.
(What)—used here as an interrogative.
(Is the matter)—referring to the condition or situation.
(Of men who speak…)—The continuation implies Mu‘awiyah questioning the narration being spread and its implications.
Publishers note: Words of Sindhi Omitted which Sheikh Adam Al-Ethipoee addresses below based on the Methodology of the Salaf.
وأنا أقول: سامح الله السنديّ في هذه الجراءة العظيمة على هذا الصحابيّ الجليل ﵁، ولو أن إمام مذهبه خالف الحديث الصحيح، لما استجاز أن يقول هذا الكلام في حقّه، بل يعتذر عنه باعذار، لا تُسْمِن، ولا تغني من جوع، فكيف استجاز هذا الكلام البَشِع على هذا الصحابيّ الجليل ﵁؟ بل الصواب أن مثل هذا كثيرًا ما يصدر عن غيره من الصحابة ﵃، إذا سمعوا بعض الأحاديث التي كانوا يظنون أن حكم الشرع بخلافها، ظنًّا منهم أن الذي حدّث بها ربما يَهِم، وربما يحذف نسيانًا بعض القيود، أو الشروط التي ذكرها النبيّ ﷺ، فتنبيهًا على هذا يصدر منهم إنكارٌ، لا لردّ ما ثبت عنه ﷺ، فحاشا معاوية ﵁ أن يُتّهم بمثل هذا، فقد أنكر عمر على عمّار ﵄ حديث التيمم للجنب، وأنكر على فاطمة بنت قيس ﵄ حديثها: ليس للمطلقة البائن نفقة، ولا سكنى، وأنكرت عائشة ﵂ على ابن عمر وغيره أحاديث كثيرة، فالواجب علينا إذا سمعنا مثل هذا صدر عن الصحابة ﵃ أن نعتذر عنهم، ولا نطوّل ألستنا، بل نقول: ﴿مَا يَكُونُ لَنَا أَنْ نَتَكَلَّمَ بِهَذَا سُبْحَانَكَ هَذَا بُهْتَانٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ [النور: ١٦]، والله تعالى المستعان على من تطاول على الصحابة الكرام ﵃، ولا حول ولا قوّة إلا بالله العزيز الحكيم
And I say: May Allah forgive Al-Sindi for this grave audacity against this noble companion (may Allah be pleased with him). If the Imam of his school had contradicted an authentic hadith, he would not have dared to say such words about him, but would have offered excuses that neither satisfy nor benefit. So, how could he allow himself to speak in such an ugly manner about this great companion? The truth is, such things often happen with other companions (may Allah be pleased with them) when they hear some hadiths that they mistakenly believed contradicted the rulings of Sharia, thinking that the one narrating it might have erred, or omitted some conditions or stipulations mentioned by the Prophet ( ﷺ). In such cases, they would object not to reject the established Hadith, but to point out a potential misunderstanding.
It is inconceivable that Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) would be accused of such a thing. For example, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) disagreed with Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the hadith about Tayammum for a Junub (a state of ritual impurity). Likewise, he disagreed with Fatimah bint Qays (may Allah be pleased with her) about her narration that a divorced woman who is no longer in the waiting period does not have the right to maintenance or accommodation. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) also objected to many hadiths narrated by Ibn Umar and others.
Therefore, when we hear such objections from the companions (may Allah be pleased with them), we should offer excuses for them, and not speak ill of them. Instead, we should say: “It is not for us to speak in this manner. Glory be to You, this is a great slander.” [Quran 24:16]. And Allah is the One whose help we seek in protecting the honor of the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them). There is no power and no strength except in Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.
وقال بعضهم: قوله: «فلم نسمعها منه» ظاهره أن معاوية ﵁ لم يسمع هذا الحديث، ولا علمه، كما لم يعلمه في البداية عبد الله بن عمر، وعبد الله بن عبّاس ﵃، وقد أخرج مالك، وأحمد، والشافعيُّ، عن عطاء بن يسار: «أن معاوية بن أبي سفيان باع سقاية من ذهب، أو ورق بأكثر من وزنها، فقال أبو الدرداء: سمعت رسول الله ﷺ ينهى عن مثل هذا إلا مثلًا بمثل، فقال له معاوية: ما أرى بمثل هذا بأسًا، فقال أبو الدرداء: مَن يَعذِرني من معاوية؛ أنا أخبره عن رسول الله ﷺ، ويخبرني عن رأيه، لا أساكنك بأرض أنت بها، ثم قَدِمَ أبو الدرداء على عمر بن الخطاب، فذكر ذلك له، فكتب عمر بن الخطاب إلى معاوية أن لا تبيع ذلك، إلا مثلًا بمثل، وزنا بوزن»
Some have said that the phrase “We did not hear it from him” (referring to the hadith) implies that Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) did not hear this hadith or was unaware of it, just as initially Abdullah ibn Umar and Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) did not know of it. It has been narrated by Malik, Ahmad, and al-Shafi‘i from ‘Ataa’ ibn Yasaar: “Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan sold a container of gold or silver for more than its weight.” Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbidding such transactions, except when the exchange is equal, like for like.” Mu‘awiyah replied, “I don’t see any problem with this.” Abu Darda responded, “Who will excuse me from Mu‘awiyah? I am telling him what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, and he is telling me his opinion. I cannot live in a land where you hold such views.”
Later, Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) went to Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) and mentioned the matter. Umar then wrote a letter to Mu‘awiyah, instructing him not to sell it unless it was equal for equal, and weight for weight.
قال ابن عبد البرّ ﵀: كان معاوية ﵁ يذهب إلى أن النهي والتحريم إنما ورد من رسول الله ﷺ في الدينار المضروب، والدرهم المضروب، لا في التبر من الذهب والفضة بالمضروب، ولا في المصوغ بالمضروب، وقيل: إن ذلك إنما كان منه في المصوغ خاصّة، والله أعلم، حتى وقع له مع عبادة ما ذُكر في هذا الباب، وقد سأل عن ذلك أبا سعيد بعد حين، فأخبره عن النبيّ ﷺ بتحريم التفاضل في الفضة بالفضة، والذهب بالذهب تبرهما وعينهما، وتبر كل واحد منهما بعينه، وإنما كان سؤاله أبا سعيد استثباتًا؛ لأنه كان يعتقد أن النهي إنما ورد في العين، ولم يكن -والله أعلم- عَلِمَ بالنهي حتى أعلمه غيره، وخفاءُ مثل هذا على مثله غير مُنكر؛ لأنه من علم الخاصّة، وذلك موجود لغير واحد من الصحابة ﵃
Ibn Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Mu‘awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) believed that the prohibition and prohibition on usury (riba) from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ applied specifically to minted gold dinars and minted silver dirhams, not to raw gold and silver (uncast or in the form of bullion) or to gold and silver objects that were crafted or worked. It was said that his position was specifically regarding crafted items. Allah knows best, until he had the encounter with ‘Ubadah, as mentioned in this chapter. After some time, Mu‘awiyah asked Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), and Abu Sa’id informed him that the Prophet ﷺ prohibited the exchange of silver for silver, and gold for gold, whether in raw form or in coin form, in a way where one exceeds the other. Mu‘awiyah’s question to Abu Sa’id was for confirmation, as he had previously believed that the prohibition was only on the actual coins (minted). He had not—may Allah know best—been aware of the prohibition until someone informed him about it. Such ignorance of this matter was not unusual, as it pertained to specialized knowledge, which is something that could have been unknown even to other companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
(فَقَامَ عُبَادَةُ بْنُ الصَّامِتِ) ﵁ (فَأَعَادَ الْقِصَّةَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: لَنُحَدِّثَنَّ بِمَا سَمِعْنَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ، وَإِنْ كَرِهَ مُعَاوِيةُ، أَوْ) للشكّ من الراوي (قَالَ: وَإِنْ رَغِمَ) أي: ذَلّ، يقال: رَغِم، بكسر الغين المعجمة، وفتحها: بمعنى ذَلَّ، وصار كاللاصق بالرُّغام، وهو التراب، وفيه الاهتمام بتبليغ السنن، ونشر العلم، وإن كرهه من كَرِهه، وفيه القول بالحقّ، وإن كان المقول كبيرًا (مَا أُبَالِي أَنْ لَا أَصْحَبَهُ) أي: في عدم مصاحبة معاوية (فِي جُنْدِهِ) أي: مع جنده (لَيْلَةً سَوْدَاءَ) أي: مظلمة.
وكان عبادة بن الصامت ﵁ ممن بايع رسول الله ﷺ أن لا يخاف في الله لومة لائم، كما رواه قتادة في هذا الحديث عند النسائيّ في «سننه»، وكان عمر ﵁ بعث ثلاثة من فقهاء الصحابة إلى الشام بطلب من يزيد بن أبي سفيان (٢)، فأقام أبو الدرداء بدمشق، ومعاذ بفلسطين، وعبادة بحمص، ثم لَمّا مات معاذ ﵁ انتقل عبادة إلى فلسطين، وأقام بها حتى تُوُفّي ﵁، وكان عبادة ﵁ يبادر إلى الإنكار على المنكرات وفاء لبيعته
(Then ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit) (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and repeated the story, then said: “We will tell what we heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, even if Mu‘awiyah dislikes it, or,”—there is a doubt from the narrator—”he said, ‘even if he dislikes it.'” The word “ragma” means “to humble oneself,” it is said that “ragima” (with a kasra on the “ghain”) or “raghima” (with a fatha on the “ghain”) means “to humble oneself,” and it is akin to being like something that sticks to the dirt or dust. This expression conveys the importance of conveying the Sunnah, spreading knowledge, and speaking the truth even if the person to whom it is spoken is someone of high status.
“I do not care if I do not accompany him” means that ‘Ubadah was not concerned about staying with Mu‘awiyah’s army if that meant having to withhold the truth. He was willing to speak the truth even at the cost of being away from Mu‘awiyah and his camp.
“In his army, on a dark night” signifies the hardship and difficulty of the situation, perhaps a metaphor for the darkness of the circumstances or the difficult environment in which this truth was being spoken.
‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of those who pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, swearing that he would not fear the blame of anyone for the sake of Allah, as narrated by Qatadah in this hadith, as found in al-Nasa’i’s Sunan.
Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) had sent three of the most learned companions to the Levant at the request of Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan. Abu al-Darda stayed in Damascus, Mu‘adh ibn Jabal was in Palestine, and ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit was in Homs. Then, when Mu‘adh (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, ‘Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) moved to Palestine and settled there until he passed away. ‘Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) was known for his promptness in forbidding evil, remaining true to his pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Paraphrased from the Explanation of the Sheikh Adam Al-Ethipoee’s book Al-Bahr Al-Muheet Al-Thajjaj fi Sharh Sahih Imam Muslim bin Al-Hajjaj – The vast ocean flowing abdundatly in the explanation of Sahih Imam Muslim Ibn Hajjaj.
لكتاب: البحر المحيط الثجاج في شرح صحيح الإمام مسلم بن الحجاج – المؤلف: محمد بن علي بن آدم بن موسى الإتيوبي الولوي
Ahlul-Hadith 