nor even a scrap.’ He then said:

“Yaḥyā ibn Abī al-Muṭāʿ related it to me; he had heard it from al-ʿIrbāḍ.”

Baqiyyah also transmitted the report, from Baḥīr ibn Saʿd, from Khālid, solely through ʿAbd al-Raḥmān.

Ibn Wahb said: “Saʿīd ibn Abī Ayyūb told us, from Saʿd ibn Ibrāhīm, from ʿUrwah ibn Ruwaym, from al-ʿIrbāḍ ibn Sāriyah—who was fond of the idea of being taken (in death). His regular supplication was:

‘O Allah, my age has advanced and my bones have grown weak, so take me back to You.’

He said: ‘One day, while I was in the Mosque of Damascus praying and asking to be taken, I suddenly saw a youth—one of the most handsome of men—wearing a green duwāj (1) cloak. He asked, “What is this supplication you are making?”

I replied, “How should I supplicate, nephew?”

He said, “Say: O Allah, perfect my deeds and let my appointed term reach its full measure.”

I asked, “And who are you—may Allah have mercy on you?”

He said, “I am Rutbābīl, the one who removes sorrow from the hearts of the believers.”

I turned around, but saw no one.’

Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal said: ‘Al-ʿIrbāḍ’s kunya was Abū Najīḥ.’

Muḥammad ibn ʿAwf said: ‘His residence was in Ḥimṣ, by the Ethiopian Aqueduct. He and ʿAmr ibn ʿAbasah (2) each used to say, “I represent one quarter of Islam,” though it is unknown which of them accepted Islam first.’

I say: It has not been soundly established that al-ʿIrbāḍ made that claim. (3)

Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAyyāsh transmitted from Ḍamḍam ibn Zurʿah, from Shurayḥ ibn ʿUbayd, who said:

ʿUtbah ibn ʿAbd related: ‘We came to the Prophet ﷺ—seven men from Banū Sulaym; the eldest of us was al-ʿIrbāḍ ibn Sāriyah—and we pledged allegiance to him.’ (4)

Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAyyāsh also said: ‘Abū Bakr ibn ʿAbd Allāh related to us, from Ḥabīb ibn ʿUbayd…’