Hadith 1290
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ، عَنْ بِلاَلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ الأَشْعَرِيِّ، أَنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ كَتَبَ إِلَى أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ: اكْتُبْ إِلَيَّ فُسَّاقَ دِمَشْقَ، فَقَالَ: مَا لِي وَفُسَّاقُ دِمَشْقَ؟ وَمِنْ أَيْنَ أَعْرِفُهُمْ؟ فَقَالَ ابْنُهُ بِلاَلٌ: أَنَا أَكْتُبُهُمْ، فَكَتَبَهُمْ، قَالَ: مِنْ أَيْنَ عَلِمْتَ؟ مَا عَرَفْتَ أَنَّهُمْ فُسَّاقٌ إِلاَّ وَأَنْتَ مِنْهُمْ، ابْدَأْ بِنَفْسِكَ، وَلَمْ يُرْسِلْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ.
It is narrated from Bilal bin Sa’d Al-Ash’ari (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) asking him to send the names of the wicked (evil) people of Damascus. He replied: What concern do I have with the wicked people of Damascus? How would I recognize them? His son Bilal (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I will write their names. So he wrote their names. Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: How did you come to know about them? How did you know that they are wicked, unless you are one of them? Therefore, write your own name first. And so, he did not send the names.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Usman Muneeb
Benefits and Issues:
The chain of narration of this report is weak; in it, the narrator Abdullah bin Uthman is unknown (majhool). However, for administrative necessity, the names of sinful and evil people may be recorded, and their surveillance (espionage) may also be conducted, so that any potential tribulation (fitnah) can be preemptively addressed.
The chain of narration of this report is weak; in it, the narrator Abdullah bin Uthman is unknown (majhool). However, for administrative necessity, the names of sinful and evil people may be recorded, and their surveillance (espionage) may also be conducted, so that any potential tribulation (fitnah) can be preemptively addressed.
Source: Fadlullah al-Ahad: Urdu Commentary on al-Adab al-Mufrad, Page: 1290
