Sahih Muslim Book - 33, Hadith - 4718

حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ حَاتِمٍ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا قُرَّةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ حَدَّثَنِى أَبُو بُرْدَةَ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى النَّبِىِّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وَمَعِى رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِى وَالآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِى فَكِلاَهُمَا سَأَلَ الْعَمَلَ وَالنَّبِىُّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَسْتَاكُ فَقَالَ « مَا تَقُولُ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ ». قَالَ فَقُلْتُ وَالَّذِى بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَطْلَعَانِى عَلَى مَا فِى أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ. قَالَ وَكَأَنِّى أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتَ شَفَتِهِ وَقَدْ قَلَصَتْ فَقَالَ « لَنْ أَوْ لاَ نَسْتَعْمِلُ عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ وَلَكِنِ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسِ ». فَبَعَثَهُ عَلَى الْيَمَنِ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ انْزِلْ وَأَلْقَى لَهُ وِسَادَةً وَإِذَا رَجُلٌ عِنْدَهُ مُوثَقٌ قَالَ مَا هَذَا قَالَ هَذَا كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا فَأَسْلَمَ ثُمَّ رَاجَعَ دِينَهُ دِينَ السَّوْءِ فَتَهَوَّدَ قَالَ لاَ أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ قَضَاءُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَقَالَ اجْلِسْ نَعَمْ. قَالَ لاَ أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ قَضَاءُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ. فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَقُتِلَ ثُمَّ تَذَاكَرَا الْقِيَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا مُعَاذٌ أَمَّا أَنَا فَأَنَامُ وَأَقُومُ وَأَرْجُو فِى نَوْمَتِى مَا أَرْجُو فِى قَوْمَتِى.

Abu Musa said: "I came to the Prophet (s.a.w), with two men of the Ash'aris, one on my right and one on my left, and both of them asked for a position of authority. The Prophet (s.a.w) was using a Siwak (tooth stick) and he said: 'What are you saying, O Abu Musa (or O 'Abdullah bin Qais)?' I said: 'By the One Who has sent you with the truth, they did not tell me what was on their minds, and I did not realize that they were going to ask for positions of authority."' He said: "It is as if I can see his Siwak between his lips. He said: 'We will never appoint to this work those who want it. Rather you should go, O Abu Musa (or O 'Abdullah bin Qais)."' And he sent him to be in charge of Yemen, then he sent Mu'adh bin Jabal after him. When (Mu'adh) reached him he said: "Dismount," and he spread a mattress for him. There was a man with him who was tied up. He said: "What is this?" He said: "This man was a Jew who became Muslim, then he went back to his old false religion, and became a Jew again." He said: "I will not sit down until he is executed in accordance with the decree of Allah and His Messenger (s.a.w)." He said: "Sit down, it will be done." He said: "I will not sit down until he is killed in accordance with the decree of Allah and His Messenger (s.a.w)," (and he said that) three times. So he ordered that he be killed. Then they spoke of praying Qiyam at night, and one of them, that is, Mu'adh, said: "As for me, I sleep and I pray Qiyam, and I hope that I will get the same (reward) for my sleep as for my prayer."