Mukhtasar Bukhari

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the people of Kufa complained to the Commander of the Faithful, Umar Farooq, about Sayyiduna Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him), so the Commander of the Faithful removed Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) and appointed Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him) as their governor. The people made many complaints (against Sayyiduna Sa’d), to the extent that they said he does not lead the prayer well. So the Commander of the Faithful (may Allah be pleased with him) summoned him and said, “O Abu Ishaq!” (this is the kunyah of Sa’d, may Allah be pleased with him), “these people say that you do not lead the prayer well.” He replied, “Listen! By Allah, I lead them in prayer just as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to lead us. I would prolong the first two rak’ahs and shorten the last two.” Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “O Abu Ishaq! This is what I thought of you.” Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent a man or a delegation with Sayyiduna Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) to Kufa so that they could ask the people of Kufa about Sayyiduna Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him). (So they went) and did not leave any mosque without asking about Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him), and all the people praised him highly, until they came to the mosque of Banu Abs. There, a man stood up—his name was Usamah bin Qatadah and his kunyah was Abu Sa’dah. He said, “Since you have made us swear (to tell the truth), (I am compelled to say) that Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) would not go out with the army (for jihad himself), nor would he distribute (the spoils) equally, nor was he just in his judgments.” Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him), upon hearing this, said, “Look, I make three supplications against you: O Allah! If this servant is lying and has stood up for show and fame, then lengthen his life, increase his poverty, and subject him to trials.” (And so it happened.) Afterwards, when he was asked about his condition, he would say, “I am an old man, afflicted by trials; I have been struck by the supplication of Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him).” Abdul Malik (the narrator of the hadith) says, “I saw him in this state: his eyebrows had drooped over his eyes due to old age, he would harass girls in the streets and molest them.”