Reports on the virtue of the Ansar

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The angels accepted Islam willingly, the Ansar accepted Islam willingly, and Abd al-Qays accepted Islam willingly."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat from his teacher Ali bin Sa'id bin Bashir, in whom there is some weakness; the remaining narrators of this narration are thiqat (trustworthy).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa'id bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, this tribe of the Ansar is a mihnah (that is, a test): loving them is faith, and hating them is hypocrisy."
Imam Ahmad, Imam al-Tabarani and Imam al-Bazzar recorded this narration. Among the narrators of Imam Ahmad there is a narrator who is not named, and the other two dropped him; the remaining narrators of Imam Ahmad are thiqat (trustworthy).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever loves me will love the Ansar, and whoever hates me will hate the Ansar. No hypocrite will love them and no believer will hate them. Whoever loves them, Allah Almighty will love him, and whoever hates them, Allah Almighty will hate him. The people are the outer garment and the Ansar are the inner garment. If the people were to travel through one valley and the Ansar through another, I would travel through the valley of the Ansar." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: From this Companion there is a hadith in the "Sahih" other than this narration.
Imam al-Bazzar recorded this narration with two chains, both of which contain Atiyyah, whose hadith is written down despite his weakness; the remaining narrators of this narration are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "No man who believes in Allah Almighty and the Last Day will hate the Ansar."
Imam Ahmad recorded this narration with several chains, most of whose narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Loving the Ansar is faith, and hating them is hypocrisy."
Imam Ahmad recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave various gifts to Quraysh and also to the other tribes of the Arabs, and gave nothing of them to the Ansar, the Ansar felt some unease about it, to the point that they talked about it among themselves, and one of them said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has met his own people." Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! This tribe of the Ansar feels some unease about what you have done with this fay' (spoils) that you obtained: you distributed it among your own people and bestowed great gifts on the people of various Arab tribes, but gave nothing to the people of the Ansar." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "O Sa'd! What is your view on this?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah! I too am one member of my people, and I am one of them." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Gather your people for me in a place." The narrator says: Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) went out and gathered the people in one place. The narrator narrates: A man from the Muhajirun came and he let them be, so they came in; then some others came and he turned them back. When they had gathered, Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "I have gathered the people of the tribe of the Ansar for you." The narrator narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to them; he (peace and blessings be upon him) praised and extolled Allah Almighty as befits His majesty, then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"O company of the Ansar! What is this talk of yours that has reached me, and what is this unease you feel in your hearts? Is it not so that you were astray and Allah Almighty guided you, you were poor and Allah Almighty made you prosperous, you were enemies of one another and He created affection between you?" They said: "Yes! The favour and grace of Allah and His Messenger are greatest." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O company of the Ansar! Why do you not answer me?" They said: "O Messenger of Allah! What answer should we give you, when favour and grace belong to Allah and His Messenger?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By Allah! If you wished, you could say, and you would be speaking the truth and your words would be confirmed: 'You (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us when you were being denied, and we believed you; you had been forsaken, and we helped you; you had been driven out, and we gave you shelter; you were in hardship, and we treated you kindly.' O company of the Ansar! Do you feel unease in your hearts over the goods of this world? I used them to win over the hearts of some people so that they would become Muslims, and I entrusted you to your Islam. O company of the Ansar! Are you not pleased that the people should take away sheep, goats and camels while you take the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) back to your homes? By the One in whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), were it not for the Hijrah, I would have been one of the Ansar; and if the people travel through one valley, I will travel through the valley of the Ansar. O Allah! Have mercy on the Ansar, on the children of the Ansar, and on the children of the children of the Ansar."
The narrator says: Those present began to weep until their beards were soaked, and they said: "We are pleased with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) as our share and portion." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went back, and the people too dispersed here and there.

In a narration also reported from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), the words are: "A man from the Ansar said to his companions: 'By Allah! I used to tell you that when matters became settled, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would give others preference over you.' The narrator says: They rebuked him harshly. The narrator narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed of this, he came to them and said various things to them which I do not remember, and the people said: 'Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah!' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'And did you not use to ride horses before?' Whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said anything to them, they would say only: 'Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah!' When he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw that they were not giving him any reply—" (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: After this the narrator mentioned the narration as before, in which the words are: "The Ansar are my confidants (or my very closest ones), they are my household, and they are my place of refuge in which I took shelter; so overlook those of them who do wrong and accept the good from them." Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I said to Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him): "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told us that we would soon see others being given preference over us." Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "Then what did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instruct you to do?" I said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed us to be patient." Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Then be patient."

In one narration the words are: "Be patient until you meet me at the Hawd (the Pond)." Imam Ahmad recorded all of these narrations, and Imam Abu Ya'la recorded the first of them, in which the words are: "A man from the Ansar said to his companions." The narrators of the first narration recorded by Imam Ahmad are the narrators of the Sahih, except for Muhammad bin Ishaq, and he explicitly stated that he heard it directly. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say:
This narration is found in the "Sahih" without this context.

A narration similar to the one that preceded is reported in abridged form from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him).
Imam Ahmad recorded this narration, and the narrators of both are the narrators of the Sahih, except for Ibn Ishaq, and he explicitly stated that he heard it directly.

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had conquered Hunayn and sent out his detachments, they brought back camels and goats, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) distributed all of them among Quraysh. We, the Ansar, felt uneasy about this. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed of this; The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered us and addressed us, saying: "Are you not pleased that you have been given the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? By Allah! If the people were to travel through a valley and you through a mountain pass, I would go through your mountain pass." The people said: "We are pleased, O Messenger of Allah! O Sayyiduna Muhammad! May Allah Almighty send blessings upon you."
Imam Ahmad recorded this narration. Its chain contains Ibn Lahi'ah, who is hasan al-hadith (fair in hadith), and the remaining narrators of this narration are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna al-Sa'ib bin Yazid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Allah Almighty had granted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) fay' (spoils) at Hunayn from the war booty of Hawazin, and he distributed it; he distributed it (the goods and wealth) among the people of Makkah from Quraysh and others. The Ansar became angry at this. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed of it, he came to them in their dwellings and said: "Whoever is present here who is not from the Ansar should go out to his own dwelling." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited the testimony of faith; he (peace and blessings be upon him) praised Allah Almighty, then he said:
"O company of the Ansar! What you have been saying about these spoils of war has reached me, with which I gave preference to some people. I wanted by this to draw those people closer to Islam; perhaps after today they will bear witness (to Islam), and Allah Almighty has entered Islam into their hearts." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"O company of the Ansar! Has Allah Almighty not favoured you with faith, and singled you out for special honour? He has named you with the finest of names: the helpers of Allah and the helpers of His Messenger. Were it not for the Hijrah, I would have been one of the Ansar. If the people travel through one valley and you through another, I will travel through your valley. Are you not then pleased that the people should take away these spoils of war, take away the sheep, goats and camels, while you take away the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?"
When the Ansar heard this, they said: "We are pleased." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Answer me regarding what I have said to you." The Ansar said: "O Messenger of Allah! You found us in darkness, and Allah Almighty, through you, brought us out of it into light. You found us on the edge of the pit of Hell, and Allah Almighty, through you, saved us from it. You found us astray, and Allah Almighty, through you, guided us. We are pleased with Allah Almighty as Lord, with Islam as religion and with Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as Prophet. O Messenger of Allah! Do whatever you wish, however you wish." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By Allah! Had you given me some other answer than this, I would have said that you spoke rightly. Had you said: 'Did you not come to us when you had been driven out, and we gave you shelter; when you were being denied, and we believed you; when you had been forsaken, and we helped you; and when the people had rejected you, we accepted you?' Had you said this, you would have been truthful." The Ansar said: "Rather, the grace and favour belong to Allah Almighty and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), upon us and upon others besides us." Then they began to weep until their weeping became very great, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also wept with them. Then they felt even greater pride on this account, and what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had said to them was, in their eyes, more excellent than every kind of wealth.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration. Its chain contains Rishdin bin Sa'd, whose hadith on subjects that soften the heart and similar subjects is counted as hasan (fair); the remaining narrators of this narration are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: At the Battle of Hunayn, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) obtained spoils of war, and he distributed them among the people. The Ansar said: "We do the fighting and the spoils go to other people!" When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed of this, he sent them a message summoning them: "Gather together." Then he went to them and said: "O company of the Ansar! Is there anyone among you who is not one of you?" They said: "No! There is a nephew of ours (a sister's son) and a freed slave of ours." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The nephew (sister's son) of a people is one of them, and the freed slave of a people is one of them." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O company of the Ansar! Are you not pleased that the people should take away sheep, goats and camels while you take Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to your homes?" They said: "We are pleased with that."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration. Its chain contains Muhammad bin Jabir al-Suhaymi, who is da'if (weak), though he has also been declared trustworthy.

Abdullah bin Jubayr narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the Ansar: "Are you not pleased that the people are the outer garment worn on top and you are the garment that touches the body? Are you not pleased that if the people travel through one valley and you through another, I will go through your valley and leave the people? Were it not that Allah Almighty has counted my name among the Muhajirun, I would have loved to be one of the Ansar." They said: "Yes indeed! We are pleased with that."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration. It is said of Abdullah bin Jubayr that he is a Tabi'i (Successor), and he is thiqah (trustworthy); the remaining narrators of this narration are the narrators of the Sahih.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abbad bin Bishr al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O company of the Ansar! You are the garment that touches the body and the other people are the outer garment, and I have no fear of harm from your side."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration. Its chain contains a narrator from whom only one person narrated, and the remaining narrators of this narration are thiqat (trustworthy).

Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Aqil narrates: Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to Madinah al-Munawwarah, and there he met Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said (to the Ansar): 'After me you will face others being given preference over you.'" Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "Then what did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) command you to do?" Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded us to be patient." Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Then be patient."
Imam Ahmad recorded this narration. The narrator named Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Aqil is hasan al-hadith (fair in hadith), and the remaining narrators of this narration are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Every prophet has a close circle, and my close circle is this group of the Ansar. Were it not for the Hijrah, I would have been one of the Ansar. If the people travel through a valley and the Ansar through a mountain pass, I will travel through the mountain pass of the Ansar. The Ansar are the garment that touches the body and the people are the outer garment worn on top. Whoever is put in charge of any of the people's affairs should do good to the good among the Ansar and overlook the wrongdoer among them."
Imam al-Bazzar recorded this narration, and its chain contains a narrator whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out to us; he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Beware! Every prophet has those he leaves behind and those close to him, and those I leave behind and those close to me are the Ansar; so guard my rights concerning them."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its chain is jayyid (good).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard something, and then, while delivering a sermon, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the Ansar:
"Is it not so that you were of lowly standing and Allah Almighty honoured you because of me? Is it not so that you were astray and Allah Almighty guided you through me? Is it not so that you were living in fear and Allah Almighty granted you security because of me? Will you not answer me?" The people said: "What answer should we give you?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Answer me by saying: 'Did your people not abandon you, and we gave you shelter? Did your people not deny you, and we believed you?'" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) enumerated several such things, and they rose onto their knees and said: "Our wealth and our lives belong to you." Then this verse was revealed concerning this:
"Say: I do not ask of you any payment for it, except affection for kinship."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat from his teacher Ali bin Sa'id bin Bashir, in whom there is some weakness; the remaining narrators of this narration have been declared trustworthy.

Matar Abu Musa, the freed slave of the family of Sayyiduna Talhah bin Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him), narrates: Once Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) met together, and I was sitting with them both; I was a boy. He (that is, Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)) said: "O Abu Abd al-Rahman! People claim that I attribute lies to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). What earth would carry me and what sky would shade me (if I were to do that)?" Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "You are better than that." Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'If the people travel through one valley and the Ansar through another valley, I will travel with them in the valley of the Ansar.'" Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "I too heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say this." Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Were it not for the Hijrah, I would have been one of the Ansar.'" Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "You have spoken the truth; I too heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say this." On that day, whatever hadith Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) confirmed it.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its chain contains narrators whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) knew that a mountain pass is better than a valley.
Imam al-Bazzar recorded this narration, and its chain is hasan (fair).

Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say on the pulpit: "Beware! The other people are the outer garment worn on top (that is, the cloak), and the Ansar are the garment that touches the body. If the other people travel through a valley and the Ansar through a mountain pass, I will go through the mountain pass of the Ansar. Were it not for the Hijrah, I would have been one of the Ansar. Whoever is put in charge of anything of the people's affairs (that is, government) should do good to the good among the Ansar and overlook the wrongdoers. Whoever tries to frighten the Ansar will be counted as frightening that which is between these two." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said this while pointing to his chest, that is, his heart.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat from his teacher Miqdam bin Dawud, who is da'if (weak); Ibn Daqiq al-Id says that he has been declared trustworthy. The remaining narrators of this narration are thiqat (trustworthy).

Ibn Shafi', who was a physician, narrates: Sayyiduna Usayd bin Hudayr (may Allah be pleased with him) called me, and I cut the sciatic vein for him. He narrated two hadiths to me. He said: Members of my people came to me, one household from Banu Zafar and one household from Banu Mu'awiyah, and they said: "Speak to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on our behalf, so that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gives us something in the distribution too, or grants us something else," or they said something similar. I spoke to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about this, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes! I will give each household among them half a share, and if Allah Almighty gives us more, I will give them more."
The narrator says: I said: "O Messenger of Allah! May Allah Almighty reward you with good." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Rather, may Allah Almighty reward you people (that is, the Ansar) with good, for what I know of you is that you are people who refrain from asking and who are patient."
The narrator narrates: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say:
"Indeed, after me you will face others being given preference over you."
The narrator says: When the time of Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) came and he distributed some hullahs (garment sets) among the people, he sent one of those hullahs to me as well. I considered it small, so I gave it to my daughter. Once, while I was praying, a young man from Quraysh passed by me wearing one of those hullahs, and it was so large that he was dragging it. I remembered the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
"After me you will face others being given preference over you."
I said: "Allah Almighty and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) have spoken the truth." That man went to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and told him about it. He came while I was praying and said: "O Abu Usayd! Carry on with your prayer." When I had finished my prayer, he asked: "What was it that you said?" I told him about it, and he said: "That is a hullah which I sent to so-and-so, and he is a man who has the honour of having taken part in the Battle of Badr, the Battle of Uhud and the Pledge of Aqabah. Then this young man went to that man, bought the hullah from him and put it on. I did not expect that this (that is, preferential treatment) would happen in my time." The narrator says: I said: "By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful! I too did not think that this situation would arise in your time."
(Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: In the "Sahih" and other books, only this part of it is reported:
"Indeed, after me you will face others being given preference over you."
Imam Ahmad recorded this narration, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy), except that the narrator named Ibn Ishaq is a mudallis, and he is thiqah (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: My father ordered that "khazirah" be prepared, and it was prepared. Then my father instructed me, so I took it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The narrator says: When I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he was in his house. He asked me: "O Jabir! What do you have with you? Is this meat?" I said: "No." Then I came back to my father, and he asked: "Did you see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?" I said: "Yes." He asked: "Did you hear the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say anything?" I said: "Yes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: 'O Jabir! What do you have with you? Is this meat?'" My father said: "Perhaps the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was longing to eat meat." So he gave instructions about a goat of ours; it was slaughtered and then, at his order, it was roasted. Then he instructed me, and I took its meat to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "O Jabir! What do you have with you?" I told him (peace and blessings be upon him) about it, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May Allah Almighty reward the Ansar with good on our behalf, especially Abdullah bin Amr bin Haram and Sa'd bin Ubadah (may He reward them with good)."
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded this narration with two chains. The narrators of one of them are the narrators of the Sahih, except for Ibrahim bin Habib bin al-Shahid, and he is thiqah (trustworthy).

Abu Muhammad bin Bashir bin Aban bin Bashir bin al-Nu'man bin Bashir bin Sa'd al-Ansari narrates from his father, from his grandfather: Marwan bin al-Hakam sent Sayyiduna al-Nu'man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) a marriage proposal for his son Abd al-Malik, for Umm Aban, the daughter of Sayyiduna al-Nu'man (may Allah be pleased with him). In the letter that Marwan wrote to him, it was written:
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is from Marwan bin al-Hakam to al-Nu'man bin Bashir. Peace be upon you! I praise before you Allah, besides whom there is no god. To proceed: Allah Almighty is the Possessor of majesty, of honour, of greatness and of dominion. O company of the Ansar! Allah Almighty has granted you the distinction of having helped His religion and supported His Prophet, and Allah Almighty has placed you among them in the widespread house and the ancient branch. This has moved me to establish ties of marriage with you, and to prefer you over the equals among the children of my father. So I am of the view that you should marry your daughter Umm Aban bint al-Nu'man to my son Abd al-Malik bin Marwan. Her dower will be whatever your tongue names, whatever your lips pronounce and whatever you desire; I have already given orders (to the overseer of) the treasury about it."
When Sayyiduna al-Nu'man (may Allah be pleased with him) read that letter, he wrote to him in reply:
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is from al-Nu'man bin Bashir to Marwan bin al-Hakam. I have written my name first because this is the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say:
'When one of you writes to another, let him mention himself first.'
To proceed: Your letter has reached me, and I have understood what you mentioned in it of your love for us. Either you are truthful in this claim, in which case it is a gain you have obtained and a share you have taken, for we are a people whom Allah Almighty has made it so that love for us is faith and hatred for us is hypocrisy. As for what you mentioned of our nobility and our ancient standing, Allah Almighty has praised us and has mentioned us in this regard in His revealed Book, which Allah Almighty sent down upon His Prophet; after that we have no need of praise from anyone among the people. As for your mention that, for your son Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, you have preferred me over your equals among the children of your father, then my share from you shall go back to them and be given to them in full; no wrong will be done to them, and there will be no dispute with them over it. As for your mention that the girl's dower will be whatever my tongue names, whatever my lips move with and whatever I desire, and that you have even given orders about it to the officials of the treasury, then, praise be to Allah, the situation is that if you dealt justly regarding my share, my share in the treasury would be greater than your share, and my portion in it greater than your portion. So I say:
'If my soul obeyed me, it would have many servants, so many that they would be counted as numerous; but my soul is honourable in my eyes, and it finds it hateful to form ties of marriage with base and filthy people. We have ties of marriage with the sons of Anqa' and the two sons of Muharriq, through which both eminence and dowers were gained, and among the family of Imran and Amr bin Amir there are noble women whose laps have never been sullied.'"
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration. Its chain contains Aban bin Bashir bin al-Nu'man, whom I do not know, and the remaining narrators of this narration are thiqat (trustworthy), except that Ibn Hibban said about Abu Muhammad bin Bashir bin Aban that he is Bashir bin al-Nu'man bin Bashir bin Aban, so he added al-Nu'man to his lineage; and Allah knows best.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah Almighty has supported me through the two sons of Qaylah, who are the strongest of the Arabs in tongue and the strongest of them in arm: they are the people of the tribes of Aws and Khazraj."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration, and its chain contains a group of narrators whom I do not know.

Sayyiduna Abu Waqid al-Laythi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), my knee touching his knee, when a man came to him, put his mouth close to his ear and said something. The face of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) changed and the blood spread through his veins (that is, the veins became prominent). He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This is the messenger of Amir bin al-Tufayl; he has threatened me and my companions, whereas against him Allah Almighty will help me through (some) of the descendants of Isma'il (that is, the Muhajirun) and (the descendants of) the two sons of Qaylah." By this the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) meant the Ansar.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; however, he recorded these words in it: "Allah Almighty will suffice His Prophet against him through (some) of the descendants of Isma'il (that is, the Muhajirun) and the two sons of Qaylah (that is, their descendants, the Ansar)." The chain of both contains Abdullah bin Yazid al-Bakri, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say on the pulpit to the Ansar: "Beware! The other people are the outer cloak worn on top and the Ansar are the garment that touches the body. If the people travel through a valley and the Ansar through a mountain pass, I will travel through the mountain pass of the Ansar; and were it not for the Hijrah, I would have been one of the Ansar. Whoever is put in charge of the affairs of the Ansar should do good to the good among them and overlook the wrongdoer among them. Whoever frightens them will be frightening that which is between these two." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said this while pointing to himself.
Imam Ahmad recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih, except for Yahya bin al-Nadr al-Ansari, and he is thiqah (trustworthy).

Abd al-Rahman bin Ka'b bin Malik, whose father was one of the three people whose repentance was accepted, narrates from one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up to deliver a sermon. He praised and extolled Allah Almighty, prayed for forgiveness for the martyrs of the Battle of Uhud, and then said: "O company of the Muhajirun! You will keep increasing, while the Ansar will not increase. The Ansar are my special companions, in whose shelter I took refuge; so honour the honourable among them and overlook the wrongdoer among them, for they have fulfilled what was due from them, and what is due to them now remains."
Imam Ahmad recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Malik al-Ansari narrates (this refers to Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Malik al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), who is one of the three people whose repentance was accepted). Abdullah narrates: One of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told him: One day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out with a bandage tied around his head (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said during his sermon: "To proceed: O company of the Muhajirun! You will keep increasing while the Ansar will not increase; they will remain in the state in which they are now. The Ansar are my close ones, whose shelter I took; so honour the honourable among them and overlook the wrongdoer among them."
Imam Ahmad recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Qudamah bin Ibrahim narrates: I saw al-Hajjaj beating Abbas bin Sahl on account of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him). Meanwhile Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) came to al-Hajjaj; he was an aged man with hair on both sides, and he was wearing two garments, a waist-wrap and a cloak. He came near, stood and said: "O Hajjaj! Will you not observe the instruction of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) concerning us?" Al-Hajjaj asked: "What instruction did the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) give concerning you?" He said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed that good be done to the good among the Ansar and that the wrongdoer among them be overlooked." The narrator says: So al-Hajjaj released Abbas.
Imam Abu Ya'la and Imam al-Tabarani, in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat and al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, recorded this narration with various chains. One of the chains contains Abdullah bin Mus'ab and another contains Abd al-Muhaymin bin Abbas, and both of them are da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Accept the good from the Ansar who do good, and overlook the wrongdoer among them."
Imam al-Bazzar recorded this narration. Its chain contains Sadaqah bin Abdullah al-Samin, whom Duhaym and Abu Hatim declared thiqah (trustworthy) while a group declared him da'if (weak); the remaining narrators of this narration are thiqat (trustworthy).

Zayd bin Sa'd narrates from his father: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed that he would soon depart from this world, he came out of his house with a cloth wrapped around his head, until he sat on the pulpit. The people learned of him and the people of the market learned of it, and they all came to the mosque. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), after praising and extolling Allah Almighty, said: "O people! Guard my rights concerning this tribe of the Ansar, for they are my special close companions. Accept the good of those among them who are good, and overlook the wrongdoer among them."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration. Its chain contains Zayd bin Sa'd bin Zayd al-Ashhali, whom I do not know, and the remaining narrators of this narration are thiqat (trustworthy).

Muhajir bin Dinar narrates: Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) once passed by Marwan; this was at the time when fighting took place and he (Marwan) had been struck down. He said: "O son of al-Zarqa'! Had I known that you were alive, I would have finished you off." Abd al-Malik held this against him. Then, when Abd al-Malik became Caliph, he (Abu Sa'id) was brought to him, and Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Observe the instruction of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) concerning me." Abd al-Malik bin Marwan asked: "What is that?" He said: (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:) "Protect the good among them (that is, the Ansar) and overlook the wrongdoers." The narrator says: Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) was the husband of Sayyidah Asma' bint Yazid bin al-Sakan bin Amr bin Haram (may Allah be pleased with her).
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a letter to Sayyiduna Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him): "To proceed: You know the instruction that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave concerning the Ansar near his passing away: that you should accept the good of those among them who are good and overlook the wrongdoer among them."
Imam al-Bazzar recorded this narration and its chain is hasan (fair). Imam al-Tabarani also narrated it, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy, though there is disagreement about these narrators.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Once someone came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him that the men and women of the Ansar were in the mosque weeping. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Why are they weeping?" He was told: "They fear that you may pass away." The narrator says: He (peace and blessings be upon him) came out and sat on the pulpit. He had a cloth wrapped about him whose ends were falling over his shoulder, and he had a bandage of old cloth tied around his head. He praised and extolled Allah Almighty, then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "To proceed: O people! The other people will increase and the Ansar will keep decreasing, until they become like salt in food. So whoever is put in charge of anything of the people's affairs, let him accept the good of the good among the Ansar and overlook the wrong of the wrongdoer." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say:
This narration is mentioned in the "Sahih", but without its opening part up to: "He came out and sat."
Imam al-Bazzar recorded this narration from Ibn Karamah, from Ibn Musa, and at present I do not know the names of these two; the remaining narrators of this narration are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyidah Aishah al-Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out; he (peace and blessings be upon him) led the people in prayer, then he urged good treatment of the people, then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "To proceed: O company of the Muhajirun! You will keep increasing while the Ansar will not increase; they will remain just as they are at this time. The Ansar are my close ones, whose shelter I took; so honour the honourable among them and overlook the wrongdoer among them."
Imam al-Bazzar recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Abbas bin Sahl bin Sa'd narrates: Sayyiduna Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) came to al-Hajjaj while he was reclining on his hand. Sayyiduna Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said concerning the Ansar: 'Do good to the good among them and overlook the wrongdoer among them.'" Al-Hajjaj asked: "Who will bear witness for you?" He said: "These two who are sitting at your sides, Abdullah bin Ja'far and Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Hatib." The two of them replied: "Yes! (That is, it is so.)"
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration. Its chain contains Abd al-Muhaymin bin Abbas bin Sahl, who is da'if (weak).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Usayd bin Hudayr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The Ansar are my very closest ones and my confidants. The other people will keep increasing while they will keep decreasing; so accept the good of the good among them and overlook the wrongdoer among them."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this narration, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Abdul Rahman bin Ka'b bin Malik reports from his father, who was one of the three whose repentance was accepted. He says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up to deliver a sermon. He (peace and blessings be upon him) praised and glorified Allah Almighty and prayed for forgiveness for the martyrs who had been martyred at the Battle of Uhud. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O company of the Muhajirun! You will keep increasing, while the Ansar will not increase. The Ansar are my confidants, with whom I took refuge, so honour the honourable among them and overlook the wrongdoer among them."
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Malik reports his father's statement: The last sermon that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered to us: then the narrator reported the same narration as before in abbreviated form.
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.