The Prophet ﷺ once said to Abu Dharr—despite Abu Dharr’s physical strength and courage—“O Abu Dharr, I see you to be weak, and I love for you what I love for myself: do not ever assume authority over even two people, and do not take charge of an orphan’s property.” (1)
This is to be understood as a weakness in judgment; had he been made responsible for an orphan’s wealth, he would have spent it all in charitable causes and left the orphan penniless. We have already mentioned that he did not deem it lawful to hoard either of the two metals, gold or silver.
Anyone who exercises authority over people must possess forbearance and tact, whereas Abu Dharr—Allah be pleased with him—had a certain sharpness of temper, as we have noted; therefore the Prophet ﷺ offered him this counsel.
He transmitted 281 hadith reports. (2) Of these, the two Imams agreed upon 12; al-Bukhari alone narrated two, while Muslim narrated 19 exclusively. (3)
Ibn Saʿd said: “ʿAffan told us, Wuhaib told us, ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿUthman ibn …”
(1) Reported by Muslim, no. 1826, Kitab al-Imara, chapter “Disapproval of seeking authority without necessity”; also by Ahmad, Musnad, 5/180, and by Ibn Saʿd, 4/231, through the chain: ʿAbd Allah b. Yazid → Saʿid b. Ayyub → ʿUbayd Allah b. Abi Jaʿfar → Salim b. Abi Salim al-Jayshani → his father → Abu Dharr.
(2) In the printed edition the word is corrupted to “ittafaq”.
(3) See al-Bukhari, Sahih: 6/393 (Virtues of Quraysh); 5/105 (Manumission); 10/238 (Dress); 13/350 (Tawhid); 3/394 (Hajj); 6/290–291 (Stories of the Prophets); 2/15 (Prayer Times); 3/256 and 3/218–219 (Zakat); 1/81 (Faith); 6/400 (Virtues); 7/231 (Military Campaigns). See also Muslim, Sahih: nos. 61, 84, 94, 159, 163 (Book of Faith); 250, 616 (Mosques); 990, 992 (Zakat); 1661 (Faith); 2474 (Virtues). Further parallel places include al-Bukhari 10/388 (Good Manners) and Muslim: 106, 178, 190 (Faith); 510 (Prayer); 553, 648 (Mosques); 720 (Travellers’ Prayers); 1006, 1067 (Zakat); 1224 (Hajj); 1825, 1837 (Imara); 2300, 2473 (Virtues); 2514, 2543 (Merits of the Companions); 2577, 2625 (Righteousness and Ties of Kinship); 2729, 2731 (Remembrance and Supplication).