Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْمُغِيرَةِ حَدَّثَنَا صَفْوَانُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو حَدَّثَنِي شُرَيْحُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَائِذٍ الْأَزْدِيِّ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ عَبَسَةَ السُّلَمِيِّ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَعْرِضُ يَوْمًا خَيْلًا وَعِنْدَهُ عُيَيْنَةُ بْنُ حِصْنِ بْنِ بَدْرٍ الْفَزَارِيُّ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَا أَفْرَسُ بِالْخَيْلِ مِنْكَ فَقَالَ عُيَيْنَةُ وَأَنَا أَفْرَسُ بِالرِّجَالِ مِنْكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَكَيْفَ ذَاكَ قَالَ خَيْرُ الرِّجَالِ رِجَالٌ يَحْمِلُونَ سُيُوفَهُمْ عَلَى عَوَاتِقِهِمْ جَاعِلِينَ رِمَاحَهُمْ عَلَى مَنَاسِجِ خُيُولِهِمْ لَابِسُو الْبُرُودِ مِنْ أَهْلِ نَجْدٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَذَبْتَ بَلْ خَيْرُ الرِّجَالِ رِجَالُ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ وَالْإِيمَانُ يَمَانٍ إِلَى لَخْمٍ وَجُذَامَ وَعَامِلَةَ وَمَأْكُولُ حِمْيَرَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ آكِلِهَا وَحَضْرَمَوْتُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ بَنِي الْحَارِثِ وَقَبِيلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ قَبِيلَةٍ وَقَبِيلَةٌ شَرٌّ مِنْ قَبِيلَةٍ وَاللَّهِ مَا أُبَالِي أَنْ يَهْلِكَ الْحَارِثَانِ كِلَاهُمَا لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْمُلُوكَ الْأَرْبَعَةَ جَمَدَاءَ وَمِخْوَسَاءَ وَمِشْرَخَاءَ وَأَبْضَعَةَ وَأُخْتَهُمْ الْعَمَرَّدَةَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمَرَنِي رَبِّي عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ أَلْعَنَ قُرَيْشًا مَرَّتَيْنِ فَلَعَنْتُهُمْ وَأَمَرَنِي أَنْ أُصَلِّيَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَصَلَّيْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ قَالَ عُصَيَّةُ عَصَتْ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ غَيْرَ قَيْسٍ وَجَعْدَةَ وَعُصَيَّةَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَأَسْلَمُ وَغِفَارُ وَمُزَيْنَةُ وَأَخْلَاطُهُمْ مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ بَنِي أَسَدٍ وَتَمِيمٍ وَغَطَفَانَ وَهَوَازِنَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ثُمَّ قَالَ شَرُّ قَبِيلَتَيْنِ فِي الْعَرَبِ نَجْرَانُ وَبَنُو تَغْلِبَ وَأَكْثَرُ الْقَبَائِلِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ مَذْحِجٌ وَمَأْكُولُ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو الْمُغِيرَةِ قَالَ صَفْوَانُ حِمْيَرَ حِمْيَرَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ آكِلِهَا قَالَ مَنْ مَضَى خَيْرٌ مِمَّنْ بَقِيَ.
English Translation
Abu al-Mughirah narrated to us: Safwan ibn Amr narrated to us: Shurayh ibn Ubayd narrated to me, from Abd al-Rahman ibn A’idh al-Azdi, from Amr ibn Abasah al-Sulami, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was one day reviewing horses, with Uyaynah ibn Hisn ibn Badr al-Fazari beside him. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him, "I am more knowledgeable about horses than you." Uyaynah said, "And I am more knowledgeable about men than you." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him, "And how is that?" He said, "The best of men are men who carry their swords on their shoulders, placing their spears across the withers of their horses, wearing cloaks, from the people of Najd." The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "You have lied. Rather, the best of men are the men of the people of Yemen, and faith is Yemeni, up to Lakhm and Judham and Amilah; and the common people of Himyar are better than its rulers; and Hadramawt is better than Banu al-Harith; and one tribe is better than another tribe, and one tribe is worse than another tribe. By Allah, I do not care if the two branches of al-Harith perish, both of them. Allah’s curse be upon the four kings: Jamda’, Mikhwas, Mishrakh, and Ab’dha’ah, and their sister al-Amarradah." Then he said, "My Lord, Mighty and Sublime, commanded me to curse Quraysh twice, so I cursed them; and He commanded me to bless them, so I blessed them twice." Then he said, "Usayyah disobeyed Allah and His Messenger" — except Qays, and Ja’dah, and Usayyah. Then he said, "Aslam, Ghifar, and Muzaynah, and their allies from Juhaynah, are better than Banu Asad, Tamim, Ghatafan, and Hawazin, in the sight of Allah, Mighty and Sublime, on the Day of Resurrection." Then he said, "The worst two tribes among the Arabs are Najran and Banu Taghlib, and the most numerous of the tribes in Paradise are Madhhij and the common people of Himyar." Abu al-Mughirah said: Safwan said, "Himyar — the common people of Himyar are better than its rulers." He said, "Those who have passed away are better than those who remain."