أَخْبَرَنَا
عُمَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ ، حَدَّثَنَا
أَبُو طَاهِرٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا
ابْنُ وَهْبٍ ، أَخْبَرَنِي
مُسْلِمُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ ، عَنِ
الْعَلاءِ ، عَنْ
أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ
أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ : أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَلا هَذِهِ الآيَةَ : وَإِنْ تَتَوَلَّوْا يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ ثُمَّ لا يَكُونُوا أَمْثَالُكُمْ ، قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، مَنْ هَؤُلاءِ الَّذِينَ إِنْ تَوَلَّيْنَا اسْتُبْدِلُوا بِنَا ، ثُمَّ لا يَكُونُوا أَمْثَالَنَا ؟ فَضَرَبَ عَلَى فَخِذِ سَلْمَانَ الْفَارِسَيِّ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : " هَذَا وَقَوْمُهُ لَوْ كَانَ الدِّينُ عِنْدَ الثُّرَيَّا ، لَتَنَاوَلَهُ رِجَالٌ مِنْ فَارِسٍ " .
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse: "If you turn away, Allah will bring another people in your place, and they will not be like you." The people asked: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who are these people, if we turn away, who will come in our place and will not be like us? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) struck the thigh of Sayyiduna Salman al-Farsi (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: These and the people of his nation (are meant). If the religion were to reach the Pleiades (the highest stars), some people from Persia would attain it (i.e., they would reach it even there).