Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

It is narrated from Hazrat Jarir that I was in Yemen when I met two men from among the people of Yemen whose names were Dhu’l-Kila‘ and Dhu ‘Amr. So I began to tell them about the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and both of them said, “If what you are saying is true, then your companion (the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him) completed his lifespan three days ago.” So I set out, and they also set out, until when we had covered some distance, an army was coming towards us from the direction of Madinah. We asked them, and they replied, “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, has passed away, and Hazrat Abu Bakr has been appointed as the Caliph. All the people are committed to righteousness.” The narrator says: Then both of them said to me, “Inform your companion (Hazrat Abu Bakr) that we came, and perhaps we will return, Insha’Allah.” And then both of them went towards Yemen. The narrator says: I informed Hazrat Abu Bakr of what they had said, so he said, “Why did you not bring them with you?!” The narrator says: After that, Dhu ‘Amr said to me, “O Jarir! You have a certain honor and nobility over me, and I will tell you something. You, the people of Arabia, will always remain in a state of goodness as long as your condition is such that when your leader passes away, you appoint another as leader. But when the sword comes, then your leaders will be kings, and their anger will be like the anger of kings, and their pleasure will be like the pleasure of kings.”