Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

It is narrated from Abdul Aziz bin Rafi’ that when Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) set out for the Battle of Siffin, he appointed Abu Mas’ud as deputy over the people in his absence. So, on Friday, Abu Mas’ud delivered a sermon and noticed the small number of people. Then he said, “O people! Go forth; whoever goes forth will find safety. By Allah, we are observing your inclination in this burdensome matter. Go forth; whoever goes forth will find safety. By Allah, we do not consider it well-being that the two armies clash and one avoids his companion; rather, we consider well-being to be that Allah reforms the Ummah of Muhammad and establishes love and affection among them. Shall I not tell you about Hazrat Uthman and why people became displeased with him? Shall I not tell you? People did not leave Hazrat Uthman and his mistake to Allah, that He might punish or forgive him, nor did they attain what they sought, because they envied him for what Allah had granted him. When Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived, he said to him, ‘You have said something that has reached me. O chick, your mind has gone astray.’ Hazrat Abu Mas’ud replied, ‘My mother gave me a better name than this. Has my mind gone astray, when Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) have made Paradise obligatory for me? Do you know? It is because of what remains of my mind that we used to say that every other thing is evil.’ Saying this, he left. When Abu Mas’ud appeared before the people at Sailheen or Qadisiyyah, water was dripping from his locks; people saw that he had prepared for Ihram, and when he placed his foot in the stirrup and held the saddle, people stood around him and began to say, ‘Please advise us.’ So Abu Mas’ud said, ‘Adhere to piety and adhere to the congregation, for surely Allah will not unite the Ummah of Muhammad upon misguidance.’ They again requested advice, so he again said, ‘Adhere to piety and adhere to the congregation! Surely, only the righteous find peace,’ or he said, ‘Peace is found with the wicked.’