On the authority of his father:

ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit once had a caravan (1) pass by him in Syria that was carrying wine. He asked, “What is this—oil?” They replied, “No, it is wine being sold for So-and-so.”

He picked up a blade from the marketplace, went over to the load, and did not leave a single wineskin without slitting it open. At that time Abū Hurayrah was also in Syria, so So-and-so sent word to him, saying, “Will you not hold back your brother ʿUbādah from us? In the mornings he goes to the market and ruins (2) the protected people’s businesses, and in the evenings he sits in the mosque with nothing to do but abuse our honour and expose our faults!”

Abū Hurayrah came to him and said, “O ʿUbādah, what have you to do with Muʿāwiyah? Leave him and whatever he brings.” ʿUbādah replied, “You were not with us when we pledged to listen and obey, to enjoin what is right, to forbid what is wrong, and not to fear the blame of any blamer for the sake of Allah.” Abū Hurayrah fell silent.

So So-and-so wrote to ʿUthmān: “Indeed, ʿUbādah has ruined Syria for me.” (3)

Al-Walīd ibn Muslim narrated to us from ʿUthmān ibn Abī al-ʿĀtikah: ʿUbādah ibn al-Ṣāmit passed by the village of Dumayr (4) and told his servant to cut him a tooth-stick from a willow tree on the Baradā River. The servant set off to do so, whereupon he (ʿUbādah) called him back and said, “Return. If it is not bought for a price, it will dry out and turn into ordinary firewood that must be paid for.”

And Abū Ḥazrah Yaʿqūb ibn Mujāhid narrated from ʿUbādah ibn al-Walīd ibn ʿUbādah, from his father, who said:

ʿUbādah was a tall, strongly built, and handsome man.

He died in Ramla in 34 AH at the age of seventy-two.