Hammad ibn Salamah, on the authority of ʿAli ibn Zayd, from al-Hasan, from al-Ahnaf ibn Qays, relates:

“While I was performing tawaf (circumambulation) around the Kaʿbah in the time of ʿUthman, a man of Banu Layth met me, took hold of my hand, and said, ‘Shall I give you glad tidings?’

I replied, ‘Certainly.’

He said, ‘Do you not recall when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me to your people, Banu Saʿd, to invite them to Islam? I set about informing them and presenting the message, and you remarked, “He is calling to goodness; I hear nothing but good.” I later mentioned that to the Prophet ﷺ, and he said, “O Allah, forgive al-Ahnaf.”’

Al-Ahnaf would often say, ‘There is nothing I hope for more than that supplication.’

It was recorded by Ahmad in his Musnad (1).

Al-ʿAlaʾ ibn al-Faḍl al-Minqarī reported: al-ʿAlaʾ ibn Jarīr told us, ‘ʿUmar ibn Muṣʿab ibn al-Zubayr, from his uncle ʿUrwah, narrated to me that al-Ahnaf said:

He came to ʿUmar with news of the conquest of Tustar. ʿUmar said, “Allah has granted you the opening of Tustar, a land that belongs to Basra.”

A man from among the Muhājirīn remarked, “Commander of the Believers, this man—meaning al-Ahnaf—is the one who restrained the Banu Murrah from assailing us when the Messenger of Allah sent us to collect their alms; they had been on the verge of attacking us.”

Al-Ahnaf continued: ‘ʿUmar kept me with him for a full year. He would visit me every day and night, and nothing reached him about me except what pleased him. Then he summoned me and said, “Ahnaf, do you know why I kept you here?” I replied, “No, Commander of the Believers.” He said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ warned us about every hypocrite who is learned (2), and I feared you might be one of them. So praise Allah, O Ahnaf.”’

Hammad, on the authority of Ibn Judʿān, from al-Hasan, from al-Ahnaf, said: ‘ʿUmar detained me…’