Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ عَنْ دَاوُدَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا بِأَرْضٍ مَضَبَّةٍ فَمَا تَأْمُرُنَا أَوْ مَا تُفْتِينَا قَالَ ذُكِرَ لِي أَنَّ أُمَّةً مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُسِخَتْ فَلَمْ يَأْمُرْ وَلَمْ يَنْهَ قَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ عُمَرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَيَنْفَعُ بِهِ غَيْرَ وَاحِدٍ وَإِنَّهُ لَطَعَامُ عَامَّةِ الرِّعَاءِ وَلَوْ كَانَ عِنْدِي لَطَعِمْتُهُ وَإِنَّمَا عَافَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
English Translation
Ibn Abi Adiyy told us, from Dawud, from Abu Nadrah, from Abu Sa'id, who said: A man said: "O Messenger of Allah, we are in a land infested with lizards; what do you command us, or what is your ruling for us?" He said: "I have been told that a community of the Children of Israel was transformed," and he neither commanded nor forbade it. Abu Sa'id said: Afterward, Umar said: "Allah indeed benefits many people through it; it is the food of most of the shepherds. Had I had some, I would have eaten it; it was only that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, found it distasteful."