Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 37415 — The words of Abu Dharr

It is narrated from Salim bin Abi al-Ja'd that Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) sent a messenger to Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him). The messenger came and said to Sayyiduna Abu Dharr: Your brother Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) sends you greetings of peace and says to you: Fear Allah and fear the people. At this Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: What have I to do with the people? I have left to them their silver and their gold. Then he said to the messenger: Come along to the house. He went along with him. When he entered his house, there was a little food in a cloak, which was scattered. The narrator says: Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) began to gather it up and collect it in the cloak. Then he said: It is part of a man's understanding that he deals gently with his livelihood. Then a little food was brought and placed before them. He said to me: Eat. The man disliked putting his hand into that food, because it looked so little. Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the man: Put your hand in. By Allah, we do not fear scarcity of food as much as we fear its abundance. So the man ate, then went back to Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) and described the whole situation to him. Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him), no sky has shaded and no earth has carried any man more truthful than you.