Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزٌ وَأَبُو النَّضْرِ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ الْمُغِيرَةِ حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدٌ هُوَ ابْنُ هِلَالٍ قَالَ أَبُو النَّضْرِ فِي حَدِيثِهِ حَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ هِلَالٍ حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَاصِمٍ اللَّيْثِيُّ قَالَ أَتَيْتُ الْيَشْكُرِيَّ فِي رَهْطٍ مِنْ بَنِي لَيْثٍ قَالَ فَقَالَ مَنْ الْقَوْمُ قَالَ قُلْنَا بَنُو لَيْثٍ قَالَ فَسَأَلْنَاهُ وَسَأَلَنَا ثُمَّ قُلْنَا أَتَيْنَاكَ نَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ حَدِيثِ حُذَيْفَةَ قَالَ أَقْبَلْنَا مَعَ أَبِي مُوسَى قَافِلِينَ وَغَلَتْ الدَّوَابُّ بِالْكُوفَةِ فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُ أَنَا وَصَاحِبٌ لِي أَبَا مُوسَى فَأَذِنَ لَنَا فَقَدِمْنَا الْكُوفَةَ بَاكِرًا مِنْ النَّهَارِ فَقُلْتُ لِصَاحِبِي إِنِّي دَاخِلٌ الْمَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا قَامَتْ السُّوقُ خَرَجْتُ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ فَدَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا فِيهِ حَلْقَةٌ كَأَنَّمَا قُطِعَتْ رُءُوسُهُمْ يَسْتَمِعُونَ إِلَى حَدِيثِ رَجُلٍ قَالَ فَقُمْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ قَالَ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ فَقَامَ إِلَى جَنْبِي قَالَ قُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا قَالَ أَبَصْرِيٌّ أَنْتَ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ قَدْ عَرَفْتُ لَوْ كُنْتَ كُوفِيًّا لَمْ تَسْأَلْ عَنْ هَذَا هَذَا حُذَيْفَةُ بْنُ الْيَمَانِ قَالَ فَدَنَوْتُ مِنْهُ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ كَانَ النَّاسُ يَسْأَلُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ الْخَيْرِ وَأَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ الشَّرِّ وَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّ الْخَيْرَ لَنْ يَسْبِقَنِي قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَبَعْدَ هَذَا الْخَيْرِ شَرٌّ قَالَ يَا حُذَيْفَةُ تَعَلَّمْ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَاتَّبِعْ مَا فِيهِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَبَعْدَ هَذَا الشَّرِّ خَيْرٌ قَالَ هُدْنَةٌ عَلَى دَخَنٍ وَجَمَاعَةٌ عَلَى أَقْذَاءٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ الْهُدْنَةُ عَلَى دَخَنٍ مَا هِيَ قَالَ لَا تَرْجِعُ قُلُوبُ أَقْوَامٍ عَلَى الَّذِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَبَعْدَ هَذَا الْخَيْرِ شَرٌّ قَالَ فِتْنَةٌ عَمْيَاءُ صَمَّاءُ عَلَيْهَا دُعَاةٌ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ النَّارِ وَأَنْتَ أَنْ تَمُوتَ يَا حُذَيْفَةُ وَأَنْتَ عَاضٌّ عَلَى جِذْلٍ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ أَنْ تَتَّبِعَ أَحَدًا مِنْهُمْ.
English Translation
Bahz and Abu al-Nadr told us, they said: Sulayman b. al-Mughirah told us, Humayd - that is, Ibn Hilal - told us; Abu al-Nadr in his hadith said: Humayd - meaning Ibn Hilal - told me: Nasr b. 'Asim al-Laythi told us, he said: I came to al-Yashkuri among a group of Banu Layth. He said: "Who are these people?" We said: "Banu Layth." He said: So he asked us and we asked him, then we said: "We have come to you to ask you about the hadith of Hudhayfah." He said: We came back with Abu Musa, returning from a journey, and the price of mounts had risen in Kufah, so I and a companion of mine asked Abu Musa's permission, and he permitted us. We arrived at Kufah early in the day, and I said to my companion: "I am going into the mosque, and when the market opens, I will come out to you." So I entered the mosque, and there was a circle of people as if their heads had been cut off, listening to the speech of a man. I stood over them. Then a man came and stood beside me. I said: "Who is this?" He said: "Are you from Basra?" I said: "Yes." He said: "I knew it - if you were from Kufah you would not have asked about this; this is Hudhayfah b. al-Yaman." So I drew near to him and heard him saying: "People used to ask the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) about good, while I asked him about evil, for I knew that good would not pass me by. I said: 'O Messenger of God, is there evil after this good?' He said: 'O Hudhayfah, learn the Book of God and follow what is in it' - three times. I said: 'O Messenger of God, is there good after this evil?' He said: 'A truce upon a smoldering rancor, and unity upon impurities.' I said: 'O Messenger of God, what is this truce upon smoldering rancor?' He said: 'Hearts of peoples will not return to what they were upon before.' I said: 'O Messenger of God, is there evil after this good?' He said: 'A blind, deaf tribulation, with callers at the gates of the Fire, and for you to die, O Hudhayfah, while biting on a tree-stump, would be better for you than to follow any of them.'"