Sa'id bin Amr bin Sa'id bin al-As narrated: After Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) took the water vessel and used to accompany the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) had fallen ill. Once, while Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), during his ablution he raised his head and looked at Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) twice, and then said: "O Mu'awiyah! If you are put in charge of government, then keep fearing Allah and act with justice." Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: After that I continually expected that I would attain government, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had said so, until I was put to that test.
Ahmad recorded it, and this wording is his.
This report is mursal.
Abu Ya'la recorded it as a mawsul (connected) report, and in it he narrated these words: "Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Perform ablution!' He said: When the people had performed ablution, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) looked at me and said: 'O Mu'awiyah! If you are put in charge of government, then keep fearing Allah and act with justice.'" The rest of the report is as before.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat and al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat he narrated these words: "Accept the good of the good among them, and overlook the wrongdoing of the wrongdoer among them." He narrated it in abridged form. The narrators of Ahmad and Abu Ya'la are the narrators of the Sahih.
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب المناقب / 15914