Arabic (Original)
أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو نَصْرِ بْنُ قَتَادَةَ أنا أَبُو الْفَضْلِ بْنُ خَمِيرَوَيْهِ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ نَجْدَةَ ثنا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ ثنا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ الْمُغِيرَةِ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ هِلَالٍ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الْبَاهِلِيُّ حَدَّثَنِي ضَبَّةُ بْنُ مِحْصَنٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ أَبُو مُوسَى اصْطَفَى أَرْبَعِينَ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ الْأَسَاوِرَةِ لِنَفْسِهِ فَقَدِمَ عَلَيْهِ أَبُو مُوسَى فَقَالَ مَا بَالُ أَرْبَعِينَ اصْطَفَيْتَهُمْ لِنَفْسِكَ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ الْأَسَاوِرَةِ؟ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اصْطَفَيْتُهُمْ وَخَشِيتُ أَنْ يُخْدَعَ عَنْهُمُ الْجُنْدُ فَفَادَيْتُهُمْ وَاجْتَهَدْتُ فِي فِدَائِهِمْ ثُمَّ خَمَّسْتُ وَقَسَمْتُ فَقَالَ ضَبَّةُ فَصَادِقٌ وَاللهِ فَمَا كَذَبَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَا كَذَّبْتُهُ
English Translation
Dabbah ibn Mihsan said to Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him): 'Abu Musa selected forty of the sons of the Asawirah (Persian nobles) for himself.' When Abu Musa came before him, Umar said: 'What about the forty from the sons of the Asawirah you selected for yourself?' He said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, I selected them fearing the army would be cheated out of them. I ransomed them and did my best in their ransom, then I took the fifth and distributed the rest.' Dabbah said: 'He spoke the truth, by Allah. He did not lie to the Commander of the Faithful, and I did not call him a liar.'