حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ حَاتِمٍ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانُ، حَدَّثَنَا قُرَّةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بُرْدَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَعِي رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي وَالآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي فَكِلاَهُمَا سَأَلَ الْعَمَلَ وَالنَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَسْتَاكُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ مَا تَقُولُ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتَ شَفَتِهِ وَقَدْ قَلَصَتْ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ لَنْ أَوْ لاَ نَسْتَعْمِلُ عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ وَلَكِنِ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَبَعَثَهُ عَلَى الْيَمَنِ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ مُعَاذَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ انْزِلْ وَأَلْقَى لَهُ وِسَادَةً وَإِذَا رَجُلٌ عِنْدَهُ مُوثَقٌ قَالَ مَا هَذَا قَالَ هَذَا كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا فَأَسْلَمَ ثُمَّ رَاجَعَ دِينَهُ دِينَ السَّوْءِ فَتَهَوَّدَ قَالَ لاَ أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ قَضَاءُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَقَالَ اجْلِسْ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ لاَ أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ قَضَاءُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ ‏.‏ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَقُتِلَ ثُمَّ تَذَاكَرَا الْقِيَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا مُعَاذٌ أَمَّا أَنَا فَأَنَامُ وَأَقُومُ وَأَرْجُو فِي نَوْمَتِي مَا أَرْجُو فِي قَوْمَتِي ‏.‏

I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and with me were two men from the Ash'ari tribe. One of them was on my right hand and the other on my left. Both of them made a request for a position (of authority) while the Prophet (ﷺ) was brushing his teeth with a tooth-stick. He said (to me): Abu Musa (or 'Abdullah b. Qais), what do you say (about the request they have made)? I said: By God Who sent thee on thy mission with truth, they did not disclose to me what they had in their minds, and I did not know that they would ask for a position. The narrator says (while recalling this hadith): I visualise as if I were looking at the miswak of the Prophet (ﷺ) between his lips. He (the Holy Prophet) said: We shall not or shall never appoint to the public offices (in our State) those who with to have them, but you may go, Abu Musa (or Abdullah b. Qais) (to take up your assignment). He sent him to Yemen as governor. then he sent Mu'adh b. jabal in his wake (to help him in the discharge of duties). When Mu'adh reached the camp of Abu Musa, the latter (received him and) said: Please get yourself down; and he spread for him a mattress, while there was a man bound hand and foot as a prisoner. Mu'adh said: Who is this? Abu Musa said: He was a Jew. He embraced Islam. Then he reverted to his false religion and became a Jew. Mu'adh said: I won't sit until he is killed according to the decree of Allah and His Apostle (ﷺ) (in this case). Abu Musa said: Be seated. It will be done. He said: I won't sit unless he is killed in accordance with the decree of Allah and His Apostle (ﷺ). He repeated these words thrice. Then Abu Musa ordered him (to be killed) and he was kilied. Then the two talked of standing in prayer at night. One of them, i. e. Mu'adh, said: I sleep (for a part of the night) and stand in prayer (for a part) and I hope that I shall get the same reward for steeping as I shall get for standing (in prayer).