The dislike of serving as a tribal overseer

Ghalib al-Abdi said that a man of the tribe of Banu Tamim reports from his father, from his grandfather or his father's grandfather, who said: I said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! My father sends you greetings of peace." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Peace be upon you and upon your father." I said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! My people want to appoint me as their overseer." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "An overseer is necessary, and the overseer will be in Hell."

Shu'bah reports from a man whom he did not name, who heard Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) say: "Woe to the overseers and the chiefs! Woe to the trustees! On the Day of Resurrection, one of them will wish that he were hanging from the Pleiades."

Abdullah bin Shaqiq said that Habib bin Haydah said: "That I be cut to pieces is dearer to me than that I be appointed overseer over ten men for one year."

Uthman bin Hakim said that Abdullah bin Uthman, a man of the tribe of Banu Salul, related that his people called him in order to appoint him as overseer, and chose him for this post. He refused and declined it. He went to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him), consulted him and asked his opinion. He said: "Do not on any account become an overseer over them." They came to him again the next morning and kept pressing him until they had appointed him to it. He went to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) and told him that he had been compelled. At this he said: "Its beginning is intercession, its middle is betrayal, and its end is the punishment of Hell."

Ghalib said: We were sitting when a man came in and said: "My father narrated to me from my grandfather that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Whoever is first to greet people with peace surpasses them by ten good deeds.'" The narrator said: My father sent me to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Go and convey greetings of peace to him (peace and blessings be upon him), and say to him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he requests of you (peace and blessings be upon him) that you (peace and blessings be upon him) grant him the position of overseer after him." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Oversight and management are rightful. Oversight and management are rightful. Appointing overseers is necessary, but the overseer will be in a bad position."

Humayd bin Hilal said that Abu al-Sawwar said: "By Allah! I would prefer that the pupil of my eye were lying in my lap, rather than becoming an overseer."

Al-Mahri said that Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me: "O Mahri! Do not be a collector of tribute, nor an overseer, nor a soldier."