from you the evil of human beings and jinn.”

He then set off, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “He will be raised one span above the scholars.” (1)

Saʿīf reported: Jābir ibn Yazīd al-Juʿfī narrated to us—through Abū Burdah—from Abū Mūsā:

“The Prophet ﷺ sent me as the fifth of five over the districts of Yemen: myself, Muʿādh, Khālid ibn Saʿīd, Ṭāhir ibn Abī Hālah, and ʿUkkāshah ibn Thawr. He instructed us, ‘Make things easy and do not make them hard.’ ” (2)

Shuʿbah transmitted—from Saʿīd ibn Abī Burdah, from his father, from Abū Mūsā:

“When the Prophet ﷺ dispatched me and Muʿādh to Yemen he said to the two of us, ‘Facilitate matters and do not create hardship; cooperate with each other and do not repel people.’

Abū Mūsā said to him, ‘In our land we have a drink made from honey called bitʿ, and another made from barley called mizr.’

He replied, ‘Every intoxicant is prohibited.’

Muʿādh then asked me, ‘How do you recite the Qur’an?’

I answered, ‘I recite it in my prayer, on my mount, standing and sitting, portion by portion—little by little.’

Muʿādh said, ‘As for me, I sleep and then rise for prayer, and I hope for reward for my sleep just as I hope for reward for my standing.’

The narrator added, “It was as though Muʿādh was thereby shown preference over him.” (3)

Saʿīf also reported: Jābir al-Juʿfī narrated to us—from his maternal aunt Umm Juhayš—who said:

“While we were at Dathīnah, between al-Janad and Aden, someone announced, ‘This is the envoy of the Messenger (4) of Allah ﷺ.’ We reached the settlement and saw a man leaning on his spear, sword at his side, a small shield hanging from him, and a bow slung over his shoulder.”