Chapter

The Book on Government

كتاب الإمارة

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنِي حَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو تَوْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ سَلاَّمٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ سَلاَّمٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا سَلاَّمٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي النُّعْمَانُ بْنُ بَشِيرٍ، قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ مِنْبَرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مَا أُبَالِي أَنْ لاَ أَعْمَلَ عَمَلاً بَعْدَ الإِسْلاَمِ إِلاَّ أَنْ أُسْقِيَ الْحَاجَّ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ آخَرُ مَا أُبَالِي أَنْ لاَ أَعْمَلَ عَمَلاً بَعْدَ الإِسْلاَمِ إِلاَّ أَنْ أَعْمُرَ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ آخَرُ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَفْضَلُ مِمَّا قُلْتُمْ ‏.‏ فَزَجَرَهُمْ عُمَرُ وَقَالَ لاَ تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ عِنْدَ مِنْبَرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ يَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا صَلَّيْتُ الْجُمُعَةَ دَخَلْتُ فَاسْتَفْتَيْتُهُ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ ‏.‏ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ‏{‏ أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ الْحَاجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ‏}‏ الآيَةَ إِلَى آخِرِهَا ‏.‏

English Translation

It has been narrated on the authority of Nu'man b. Bashir who said:

As I was (sitting) near the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), a man said: I do not care if, after embracing Islam, I do not do any good deed (except) distributing drinking water among the pilgrims. Another said: I do not care if, after embracing Islam, I do not do any good deed beyond maintenance service to the Sacred Mosque. Another said: Jihad in the way of Allah is better than what you have said. 'Umar reprimanded them and said: Don't raise your voices near the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on Friday. When prayer was over, I entered (the apartment of the Holy Prophet) and asked his verdict about the matter in which they had differed. (It was upon this that) Allah, the Almighty and Exalted, revealed the Qur'anic verse:" Do you make the giving of drinking water to the pilgrims and the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque equal to (the service of those) who believe in Allah and the Last Day and strive hard in the cause of Allah. They are not equal in the sight of God. And Allah guides not the wrongdoing people" (ix. 20).