حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ نُفَيْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ لِلنَّاسِ: نَحْنُ أَعْرَفُ بِكُمْ مِنَ الْبَيَاطِرَةِ بِالدَّوَابِّ، قَدْ عَرَفْنَا خِيَارَكُمْ مِنْ شِرَارِكُمْ. أَمَّا خِيَارُكُمُ: الَّذِي يُرْجَى خَيْرُهُ، وَيُؤْمَنُ شَرُّهُ. وَأَمَّا شِرَارُكُمْ: فَالَّذِي لاَ يُرْجَى خَيْرُهُ، وَلاَ يُؤْمَنُ شَرُّهُ، وَلاَ يُعْتَقُ مُحَرَّرُهُ.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) that he used to say to the people: “We know you better than animal healers know animals. We know those among you who are good and those among you who are bad. Your good people are those from whom good is expected and from whose evil people are safe. And the bad ones are those from whom no good is expected and from whose evil there is no safety, and even their freed slave is not truly free.”