Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ زَكَرِيَّا قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَامِرٌ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَخْطُبُ يَقُولُ وَأَوْمَأَ بِأُصْبُعِهِ إِلَى أُذُنَيْهِ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ مَثَلُ الْقَائِمِ عَلَى حُدُودِ اللَّهِ وَالْوَاقِعِ فِيهَا أَوْ الْمُدَّهِنِ فِيهَا مَثَلُ قَوْمٍ رَكِبُوا سَفِينَةً فَأَصَابَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَسْفَلَهَا وَأَوْعَرَهَا وَشَرَّهَا وَأَصَابَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَعْلَاهَا فَكَانَ الَّذِينَ فِي أَسْفَلِهَا إِذَا اسْتَقَوْا الْمَاءَ مَرُّوا عَلَى مَنْ فَوْقَهُمْ فَآذَوْهُمْ فَقَالُوا لَوْ خَرَقْنَا فِي نَصِيبِنَا خَرْقًا فَاسْتَقَيْنَا مِنْهُ وَلَمْ نُؤْذِ مَنْ فَوْقَنَا فَإِنْ تَرَكُوهُمْ وَأَمْرَهُمْ هَلَكُوا جَمِيعًا وَإِنْ أَخَذُوا عَلَى أَيْدِيهِمْ نَجَوْا جَمِيعًا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَثَلُ الْقَائِمِ عَلَى حُدُودِ اللَّهِ فَذَكَرَهُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّا قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَامِرًا يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَثَلُ الْقَائِمِ عَلَى حُدُودِ اللَّهِ فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ.
English Translation
Yahya b. Sa'id told us, from Zakariyya, who said: Amir told us, he said: I heard al-Nu'man b. Bashir delivering a sermon, saying - pointing with his finger to his ears - "I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: 'The likeness of one who observes the limits set by Allah, and one who falls into them, or compromises regarding them, is that of a people who boarded a ship. Some of them got its lower part, its roughest and worst part, and some of them got its upper part. Those in the lower part, whenever they wanted water, had to pass by those above them and disturb them, so they said, "What if we made a hole in our own portion and drew water from it, without disturbing those above us?" If the others leave them to do as they wish, they will all perish; but if they take hold of their hands, they will all be saved.'" Abu Mu'awiya told us: al-A'mash told us, from al-Sha'bi, from al-Nu'man b. Bashir, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "The likeness of one who observes the limits set by Allah..." and he related it. Abu Nu'aym told us: Zakariyya told us, he said: I heard Amir say: I heard al-Nu'man b. Bashir say: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "The likeness of one who observes the limits set by Allah..." and he related the hadith.