English Translation

Yahya ibn Abi Bukayr told us, al-Fudayl ibn Marzuq told us, from Atiyya al-Awfi, who said: Abu Sa'id said: "A man of the Ansar said to his companions: 'By Allah, I used to tell you that if matters had gone straight, he would have favored others over you.'" He said: "So they responded to him harshly." He said: "So that reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. So he came to them and said things to them that I do not remember." He said: "They said: 'Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah.'" He said: "'Were you not those who did not ride horses?'" He said: "Whenever he said something to them, they said: 'Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah.'" He said: "When he saw that they were not responding to him with anything, he said: 'Will you not then say: You came fighting your own people, so we supported you, and your own people expelled you, so we sheltered you?'" They said: "'We will not say that, O Messenger of Allah; you say it.'" He said: "'O company of the Ansar, are you not content that the people go away with this world, while you go away with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him?'" They said: "'Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah.'" He said: "'O company of the Ansar, are you not content that if the people took one valley and you took another valley, I would take the valley of the Ansar?'" They said: "'Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah.'" He said: "'Were it not for the migration, I would have been a man from the Ansar. They are my inner core, my household, and my private quarter to which I retreat. So forgive their wrongdoers and accept from their good-doers.'" Abu Sa'id said: "I said to Mu'awiya: 'Indeed the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, told us that we would see, after him, favoritism toward others.'" Mu'awiya said: "'So what did he command you?'" I said: "'He commanded us to be patient.'" He said: "'Then be patient.'"