—carrying the letter with him, ascended the pulpit, read it aloud, and declared:
“People of Madinah! Abu ʿUbaydah is implicitly reproaching either you or me; therefore desire jihad.” (1)

Ibn Abī Fudayk narrated—through Hishām ibn Saʿd, from Zayd, from his father—who said:
“It reached me that Muʿādh heard a man remark, ‘Had Khālid ibn al-Walīd been here, the people would not be in such disarray.’ (2)
This took place during the siege that surrounded Abū ʿUbaydah. Muʿādh retorted, ‘May you be bereft of your father! Do you think a miracle must be forced to depend on Abū ʿUbaydah? By Allah, he is the finest man left upon the earth.’
Al-Bukhārī recorded it in his History, as did Ibn Saʿd. (3)

And in Ibn al-Mubārak’s al-Zuhd: Maʿmar narrated to us, from Hishām ibn ʿUrwah, from his father, who said:
“When ʿUmar arrived in Syria the commanders and dignitaries came out to receive him. He asked, ‘Where is my brother Abū ʿUbaydah?’
‘He will be with you presently,’ they replied.
Abū ʿUbaydah then appeared, riding a camel whose muzzle was tied with a rope. After greeting ʿUmar he said to the people, ‘Leave us.’
He walked on with ʿUmar until they reached his house, where ʿUmar alighted as his guest. Inside he saw nothing but a sword, a shield, and a saddle.
ʿUmar said to him, ‘If only you would acquire some household goods,’ or he said, ‘something.’
He replied, ‘O…’