English Translation

Musab ibn Sallam told us, Muhammad ibn Suqah told us: I heard Abu Ja'far say: Abdullah ibn Umar, whenever he heard something from the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, or witnessed an occasion with him, would not fall short of it nor go beyond it. He said: While he was sitting, and Ubayd ibn Umayr was relating stories to the people of Makkah, Ubayd ibn Umayr said: The likeness of the hypocrite is like a sheep between two flocks: if it goes toward this flock, it butts it, and if it goes toward that flock, it butts it. Abdullah ibn Umar said: It is not like that. Ubayd ibn Umayr became angry, and in the gathering was Abdullah ibn Safwan, who said: O Abu Abd al-Rahman, how is it then? He said: May Allah have mercy on you. He said: He said: The likeness of the hypocrite is like a sheep between two flocks: if it goes toward this flock, it butts it, and if it goes toward that flock, it butts it. He said to him: May Allah have mercy on you, they are the same thing. He said: That is how I heard it.