أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ حَازِمٍ، حَدَّثَنِي عَمِّي جَرِيرُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ تُبَيْعًا يُحَدِّثُ، عَنْ كَعْبٍ، قَالَ: "إِنِّي لَأَجِدُ نَعْتَ قَوْمٍ يَتَعَلَّمُونَ لِغَيْرِ الْعَمَلِ، وَيَتَفَقَّهُونَ لِغَيْرِ الْعِبَادَةِ، وَيَطْلُبُونَ الدُّنْيَا بِعَمَلِ الْآخِرَةِ، وَيَلْبَسُونَ جُلُودَ الضَّأْنِ، وَقُلُوبُهُمْ أَمَرُّ مِنْ الصَّبْرِ، فَبِي يَغْتَرُّونَ، أَوْ إِيَّايَ يُخَادِعُونَ ؟ فَحَلَفْتُ بِي لَأُتِيحَنَّ لَهُمْ فِتْنَةً تَتْرُكُ الْحَلِيمَ فِيهَا حَيْرَانَ".
Ka‘b (al-Ahbar) said: In the earlier scriptures, I find the description of a people who will seek knowledge without action, and will learn jurisprudence for purposes other than worship, and will seek the world in exchange for deeds of the Hereafter, who will wear sheepskins, whose hearts will be more bitter than aloes, they will deceive through me and will deceive me myself, I have sworn that I will raise such a trial among them that even the forbearing and patient will be astonished.