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‘Abdur-Rahmān Ibn ‘Abdi Rabb al-Ka‘bah said:
"I entered the masjid and came upon ‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Amr Ibn al- ‘Ās رضي الله عنهما sitting in the shade of the Ka‘bah, whilst the people had gathered around him. So, I approached them and sat next to him, and he said,
'We were with the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ on a journey, and we camped at a place. From us were those setting up his tent, some of us were competing in shooting arrows and some of us with their grazing beasts when the caller of Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ out ‘The prayer will be congregated!’ So, we gathered around the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, and he said,
'Verily, there was not a Prophet before me except that it was a right over him to guide his nation to the good that he knows and warn them of the evil he knows. And verily, this nation of yours, its well-being has been placed in its earliest part. The latter part of it will be tested with trials and affairs you will condemn. There will come Fitan (trials and afflictions) one after another, one making the previous seem insignificant. A trial will come, and one will say this will lead to my destruction. Then it will cease, and another trial will come to which he says this, this (will lead to his destruction). So, whoever would love to save himself from the Hellfire and enter Paradise, let his death reach him whilst believing in Allāh and the Last Day; and he should treat people as he would love to be treated. And whoever pledges allegiance to a ruler, let him give his hand (in obedience), his heart and obey him as much as he is able. If another individual comes, disputing him (the ruler) then strike his neck (meaning fight the other).' '
So, I came to close to him and said, 'I ask you by Allāh, did you hear this from the Messenger of Allāh?'
He pointed to his ears and heart saying, ‘My ears heard it, and my heart understood and retained it.’
So, I said, ‘Your cousin Mu’āwiyah, he commands us to consume our wealth amongst us unjustly and kill one another whilst Allāh says:
یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَأۡكُلُوۤا۟ أَمۡوَ ٰلَكُم بَیۡنَكُم بِٱلۡبَـٰطِلِ إِلَّاۤ أَن تَكُونَ تِجَـٰرَةً عَن تَرَاضࣲ مِّنكُمۡۚ وَلَا تَقۡتُلُوۤا۟ أَنفُسَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُمۡ رَحِیمࣰا
O you who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves unjustly except it be a trade amongst you, by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allāh is Most Merciful to you.
[Sūrah Al-Nisā': 29]
He (Abdullāh) remained quite for a period and then said,
'Obey him in what is obedience to Allāh and don’t obey him in what is disobedience to Allāh.'"
Translated by Abu Abdur-Raḥmān Hilāl