The Book of the Merits of the Companions — Hadith 6266

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى التَّمِيمِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، قَالَ شَهِدَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ لَسَمِعَ أَبَا أُسَيْدٍ الأَنْصَارِيَّ يَشْهَدُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ خَيْرُ دُورِ الأَنْصَارِ بَنُو النَّجَّارِ ثُمَّ بَنُو عَبْدِ الأَشْهَلِ ثُمَّ بَنُو الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْخَزْرَجِ ثُمَّ بَنُو سَاعِدَةَ وَفِي كُلِّ دُورِ الأَنْصَارِ خَيْرٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قَالَ أَبُو أُسَيْدٍ أُتَّهَمُ أَنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَوْ كُنْتُ كَاذِبًا لَبَدَأْتُ بِقَوْمِي بَنِي سَاعِدَةَ ‏.‏ وَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ سَعْدَ بْنَ عُبَادَةَ فَوَجَدَ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَقَالَ خُلِّفْنَا فَكُنَّا آخِرَ الأَرْبَعِ أَسْرِجُوا لِي حِمَارِي آتِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏ وَكَلَّمَهُ ابْنُ أَخِيهِ سَهْلٌ فَقَالَ أَتَذْهَبُ لِتَرُدَّ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَعْلَمُ أَوَلَيْسَ حَسْبُكَ أَنْ تَكُونَ رَابِعَ أَرْبَعٍ ‏.‏ فَرَجَعَ وَقَالَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ وَأَمَرَ بِحِمَارِهِ فَحُلَّ عَنْهُ ‏.‏

English Translation

Abu Usaid Ansar reported: I bear witness to the fact that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: The best settlements of the Ansar are of those of Banu Najjar, then of Banu 'Abu al-Aslihal and then of Banu Harith b. Khazraj, then of Banu Sa'ida and there is in every settlement of the Ansar good. Abu Salama reported that Abu Usaid said: Can I tell a Iie about Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)? And if I were a liar, I would have started with my tribe Banu Sa'ida. This was conveyed to Sa'd b. 'Ubida and he found (rankling) in his mind and said: We have been left behind (in the sense) that we have been (mentioned) last of the four. He (Sa'd) sid: Saddle my pony so that I should go to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). His nephew saw him and said: Are you going to contradict (the order of) precedence set by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), whereas Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has the best knowledge of it? Is it not sufficient for you that you are the fourth amongst the four (best tribes of the Ansar)? So he returned and said: Allah and His Messenger know best, and he commanded that his pony should be unsaddled.