Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا هَاشِمٌ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، حَدَّثَنِي زُهْرَةُ بْنُ مَعْبَدٍ الْقُرَشِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، مَوْلَى عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُثْمَانَ، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَقُولُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي كَتَمْتُكُمْ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَرَاهِيَةَ تَفَرُّقِكُمْ عَنِّي ثُمَّ بَدَا لِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمُوهُ لِيَخْتَارَ امْرُؤٌ لِنَفْسِهِ مَا بَدَا لَهُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ رِبَاطُ يَوْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ يَوْمٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ مِنْ الْمَنَازِلِ.
English Translation
It was narrated that Abu Salih (upon him be peace), the freed slave of Hadrat 'Uthman bin `Affan {رضي الله عنه) said: I heard `Hadrat Uthman (may Allah be well pleased with him) say on the minbar: O people, I concealed from you a hadeeth that I heard from the Beloved Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for fear that you would scatter away from me, then I thought that I should tell it to you, and let each one choose for himself what he thinks is best. I heard the Beloved Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: `Guarding the border for one day for the sake of Allah is better than a thousand other days doing other deeds.`