حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ قُرَّةَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَعِي رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ، أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي، وَالآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَسْتَاكُ فَكِلاَهُمَا سَأَلَ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى ‏"‏‏.‏ أَوْ ‏"‏ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا، وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ‏.‏ فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتِ شَفَتِهِ قَلَصَتْ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ لَنْ ـ أَوْ ـ لاَ نَسْتَعْمِلُ عَلَى عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهُ، وَلَكِنِ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ يَا أَبَا مُوسَى ـ أَوْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ قَيْسٍ ـ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ ‏"‏‏.‏ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ أَلْقَى لَهُ وِسَادَةً قَالَ انْزِلْ، وَإِذَا رَجُلٌ عِنْدَهُ مُوثَقٌ‏.‏ قَالَ مَا هَذَا قَالَ كَانَ يَهُودِيًّا فَأَسْلَمَ ثُمَّ تَهَوَّدَ‏.‏ قَالَ اجْلِسْ‏.‏ قَالَ لاَ أَجْلِسُ حَتَّى يُقْتَلَ‏.‏ قَضَاءُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ‏.‏ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ، فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَقُتِلَ، ثُمَّ تَذَاكَرْنَا قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ، فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَمَّا أَنَا فَأَقُومُ وَأَنَامُ، وَأَرْجُو فِي نَوْمَتِي مَا أَرْجُو فِي قَوْمَتِي‏.‏

Abu Musa said, "I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) along with two men (from the tribe) of Ash`ariyin, one on my right and the other on my left, while Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was brushing his teeth (with a Siwak), and both men asked him for some employment. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'O Abu Musa (O `Abdullah bin Qais!).' I said, 'By Him Who sent you with the Truth, these two men did not tell me what was in their hearts and I did not feel (realize) that they were seeking employment.' As if I were looking now at his Siwak being drawn to a corner under his lips, and he said, 'We never (or, we do not) appoint for our affairs anyone who seeks to be employed. But O Abu Musa! (or `Abdullah bin Qais!) Go to Yemen.'" The Prophet then sent Mu`adh bin Jabal after him and when Mu`adh reached him, he spread out a cushion for him and requested him to get down (and sit on the cushion). Behold: There was a fettered man beside Abu Muisa. Mu`adh asked, "Who is this (man)?" Abu Muisa said, "He was a Jew and became a Muslim and then reverted back to Judaism." Then Abu Muisa requested Mu`adh to sit down but Mu`adh said, "I will not sit down till he has been killed. This is the judgment of Allah and His Apostle (for such cases) and repeated it thrice. Then Abu Musa ordered that the man be killed, and he was killed. Abu Musa added, "Then we discussed the night prayers and one of us said, 'I pray and sleep, and I hope that Allah will reward me for my sleep as well as for my prayers.'"