عَنْ أَبِي ثَوْرٍ قَالَ بَعَثَ عُثْمَانُ يَوْمَ الْجَرَعَةِ بِسَعِيدِ بْنِ الْعَاصِ قَالَ فَخَرَجُوا إِلَيْهِ فَرَدُّوهُ قَالَ فَكُنْتُ قَاعِدًا مَعَ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ وَحُذَيْفَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا فَقَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ مَا كُنْتُ أَرَى أَنْ يَرْجِعَ لَمْ يُهْرِقْ فِيهِ دَمًا قَالَ فَقَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَلَكِنْ قَدْ عَلِمْتُ لَتَرْجِعَنَّ عَلَى عُقَيْبِهَا لَمْ يُهْرِقْ فِيهَا مَحْجَمَةَ دَمٍ وَمَا عَلِمْتُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا إِلَّا شَيْئًا عَلِمْتُهُ وَمُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَيٌّ حَتَّى إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيُصْبِحُ مُؤْمِنًا ثُمَّ يُمْسِي مَا مَعَهُ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ وَيُمْسِي مُؤْمِنًا وَيُصْبِحُ مَا مَعَهُ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ يُقَاتِلُ فِئَتُهُ الْيَوْمَ وَيَقْتُلُهُ اللَّهُ غَدًا يُنَكِّسُ قَلْبَهُ تَعْلُوهُ إِسْتُهُ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ أَسْفَلُهُ قَالَ إِسْتُهُ
Abu Thawr says: The Commander of the Faithful, Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), sent Sayyiduna Sa'id bin 'As (may Allah be pleased with him) to quell the fitnah of Jarra'ah. People came out to confront him and drove him back. Abu Thawr says: I was sitting with Sayyiduna Abu Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Abu Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I did not think that these people would turn back just like that without blood being shed. Upon hearing this, Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I certainly knew that these people would turn back just like that, and not even as much blood would be shed in this campaign as is drawn in cupping. And I came to know of this at the time when Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was alive, (such a situation would also arise that a man would begin the morning in a state of faith, but by evening nothing of that faith would remain with him; similarly, a man would spend the evening in a state of faith, but by morning nothing of faith would remain with him. His army would fight with someone today, and the next day Allah Almighty would kill him, turning his heart in such a way that his backside would be on top). I said: Its lower side? He replied: Its backside.