Arabic (Original)
قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُلَازِمٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سِرَاجُ بْنُ عُقْبَةَ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بَدْرٍ وَحَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ طَلْقٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ جِئْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَصْحَابُهُ يَبْنُونَ الْمَسْجِدَ قَالَ فَكَأَنَّهُ لَمْ يُعْجِبْهُ عَمَلُهُمْ قَالَ فَأَخَذْتُ الْمِسْحَاةَ فَخَلَطْتُ بِهَا الطِّينَ فَكَأَنَّهُ أَعْجَبَهُ أَخْذِي الْمِسْحَاةَ وَعَمَلِي فَقَالَ دَعُوا الْحَنَفِيَّ وَالطِّينَ فَإِنَّهُ أَضْبَطُكُمْ لِلطِّينِ.
English Translation
He said: 'Abd al-Samad told us: Mulazim told us: Siraj ibn 'Uqbah and 'Abd Allah ibn Badr told us — and Yunus ibn Muhammad told us: Ayyub told us, from Qays ibn Talq, from his father, who said: I came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while his companions were building the mosque. It seemed their work did not please him. He said: So I took the spade and mixed the clay with it, and it seemed my taking the spade and my work pleased him, and he said: Leave the Hanafi to the clay, for he is the most skillful of you with clay.