Arabic (Original)
أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْأَزْدِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ قَالَ كُنْتُ قَاعِدًا عِنْدَ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ إِذْ جَاءَهُ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ يَشْكُونَ سَعْدًا حَتَّى قَالُوا لَهُ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحْسِنُ الصَّلَاةَ فَقَالَ عَهْدِي بِهِ وَهُوَ حَسَنُ الصَّلَاةِ فَدَعَاهُ فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ «أَمَّا صَلَاةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَدْ صَلَّيْتُ بِهِمْ أَرْكُدُ فِي الْأُولَيَيْنِ وَأَحْذِفُ فِي الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ» فَقَالَ ذَاكَ الظَّنُّ بِكَ أَبَا إِسْحَاقَ فَبَعَثَ مَعَهُ مَنْ يَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ بِالْكُوفَةِ فَطِيفَ بِهِ فِي مَسَاجِدِ الْكُوفَةِ فَلَمْ يُقَلْ لَهُ إِلَّا خَيْرًا حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى مَسْجِدِ بَنِي عَبْسٍ فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ يُدْعَى أَبَا سَعْدَةَ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّهُ كَانَ لَا يَنْفِرُ فِي السَّرِيَّةِ وَلَا يَقْسِمُ بِالسَّوِيَّةِ وَلَا يَعْدِلُ فِي الْقَضِيَّةِ قَالَ فَغَضِبَ سَعْدٌ وَقَالَ «اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ كَاذِبًا فَأَطِلْ عُمْرَهُ وَشَدِّدْ فَقْرَهُ وَاعْرِضْ عَلَيْهِ الْفِتَنَ» قَالَ فَزَعَمَ ابْنُ عُمَيْرٍ أَنَّهُ رَآهُ قَدْ سَقَطَ حَاجِبَاهُ عَلَى عَيْنَيْهِ قَدِ افْتَقَرَ وَافْتُتِنَ فَلَمْ يَجِدْ شَيْئًا يُسْأَلُ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ أَبَا سَعْدَةَ؟ فَيَقُولُ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ مَفْتُونٌ أُجِيبَتْ فِيَّ دَعْوَةُ سَعْدٍ
English Translation
Jabir ibn Samurah said: I was sitting with Umar ibn al-Khattab when people from Kufa came to him complaining about Sa'd, until they said to him, 'He does not pray well.' He said, 'I knew him as one who prayed well,' so he summoned him and informed him. He (Sa'd) said: 'As for the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I prayed with them, prolonging the first two rak'ahs and shortening the last two.' He (Umar) said, 'That is what we thought of you, Abu Ishaq.' He sent someone with him to ask about him in Kufa, and he was taken around the mosques of Kufa. Nothing but good was said about him until he came to the mosque of Banu 'Abs, where a man called Abu Sa'dah said, 'O Allah, he did not march with the expeditions, nor distribute fairly, nor judge with justice.' Sa'd became angry and said: 'O Allah, if he is lying, prolong his life, intensify his poverty, and expose him to trials.' Ibn 'Umayr claimed that he saw him with his eyebrows fallen over his eyes, impoverished and afflicted with trials. Whenever he was asked, 'How are you, Abu Sa'dah?' he would say, 'An old, afflicted man - the supplication of Sa'd was answered regarding me.'