A man who writes: Amma ba'd

Muhammad bin Suqah said: I came to Nu'aym bin Abi Hind, and he took out a scroll and showed it to me. In it was written: "From Abu Ubaydah bin al-Jarrah and Mu'adh bin Jabal to Umar bin al-Khattab. Peace be upon you. Amma ba'd (after praise and salutation)." Then, when Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote his reply to them both, it read: "From Umar bin al-Khattab to Abu Ubaydah bin al-Jarrah and Mu'adh bin Jabal. Peace be upon you both. Amma ba'd."

Al-Sha'bi said that Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) wrote a letter to Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), and in it she wrote: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Abu Qilabah said: One who read the letter of Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), or to whom the letter of Sayyiduna Uthman was read, related to me that he had written in this way: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Abdah bin Sulayman said that Hisham bin Urwah said: I read the letters of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Whenever a matter came to an end, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would say: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Amir said that Ziyad said: Indeed, the decisive speech (fasl al-khitab) that was given to Dawud is this: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Ja'far bin Burqan said that Umar bin Abd al-Aziz wrote in a letter: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Then he (Umar bin Abd al-Aziz) said: In the letters of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) there was written: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Zayd bin Aslam said: My father sent me to Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), and I saw him writing a letter, and he wrote: 'Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim, amma ba'd' (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; to proceed).

Abu Usamah said that Hisham said: I read some of the letters of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Whenever a matter was completed, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would say: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Sayyiduna Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon and said: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Sayyiduna Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon and said: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke and said: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon and said: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Sayyiduna al-Tufayl bin Sakhbarah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the foster brother of Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Sayyiduna Zayd bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon to the Companions and said: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Ibn Abi Layla said that Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a letter to Sayyiduna Maslamah bin Mukhallad (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the governor of Egypt, and in it he wrote: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Abdullah bin Hubayrah said that Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote in a letter to Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him): "Amma ba'd (to proceed)," and Sayyiduna Salman wrote in a letter to Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda: "Amma ba'd."

Sa'id bin Abi Burdah said that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote in a letter to Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him): "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Abdullah bin Ukaym said that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a sermon to us and said: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Sayyiduna Bilal bin al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a sermon and said: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."

Muhammad (Ibn Sirin) said that Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote in a letter to Amir bin Abdullah, who was called Ibn Abd al-Qays: "Amma ba'd (to proceed)."