Riyad al-Salihin - Al-Nawawi - (1/190)

Riyad al-SalihinAl-Nawawi

do you intend to go?” He replied, “Kūfah.” ʿUmar said, “Shall I not write to its governor on your behalf?” He answered, “It is dearer to me to remain among the common folk (1).”

The following year one of Kūfah’s nobles performed the pilgrimage and happened to meet ʿUmar. ʿUmar asked him about Uways, and the man said, “I left him in a shabby dwelling with only a few belongings (1).” ʿUmar responded, “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:

“‘Uways ibn ʿĀmir will come to you with the reinforcements from Yemen. He is from Murād and then from Qarn. He once had leucoderma, and Allah cured him of it except for a spot the size of a dirham. He has a mother to whom he is devoted. Were he to swear by Allah, Allah would certainly fulfill his oath. So if you can have him ask forgiveness for you, then do so.’”

The man went to Uways and said, “Ask Allah to forgive me.” Uways replied, “You have only just returned from a righteous journey—rather, ask Allah to forgive me.” The man said, “Did you meet ʿUmar?” He replied, “Yes.” Uways then prayed for him. When people realized what had happened, he slipped away unnoticed (2). Related by Muslim.

Muslim also transmits—through Usayr ibn Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him)—that the people of Kūfah visited ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him), and among them was a man who used to mock Uways. ʿUmar asked, “Is anyone here from the Qarniyyīn?” That man stepped forward. ʿUmar said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“‘A man will come to you from Yemen named Uways. He has no relative in Yemen except his mother. He once had a white patch (3); he prayed to Allah and He removed it except for an area the size of a dinar or a dirham. Whoever among you meets him, let him ask him to seek forgiveness for you.’”

Another report in Muslim, on the authority of ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him), states: “I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘The best of the Successors is a man called Uways. He has a mother, and he once had a white patch. When you meet him, ask him to seek forgiveness for you.’”

His phrase “ghabrāʾ al-nās” (with an open ghayn, a silent bāʾ, and an extended vowel) refers to their poor, their downtrodden, and the anonymous members of the populace. As for “al-amdād,” the plural of madad, it denotes

(1) Meaning: shabby household goods; rath refers to items that are inferior or worn-out. (2) Meaning: outside. (3) Meaning: baras (vitiligo).

تُرِيدُ ؟ قال : الْكُوفَةُ ، قال : أَلَا أَكْتُبُ لَكَ إِلَى عَامِلِهَا ؟ قال : أَكُونُ فِي غَبْرَاءِ النَّاسِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنَ الْعَامِ الْمُقْبِلِ حَجَّ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَشْرَافِهِمْ ، فَوَافَقَ عُمَرَ ، فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ أُوَيْسٍ ، فقال : تَرَكْتُهُ رَثَّ الْبَيْتِ (١) قَلِيلَ الْمَتَاعِ ، قال : سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ : « يَأْتِي عَلَيْكُمْ أُوَيْسُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ مَعَ أَمْدَادٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ مِنْ مُرَادٍ ، ثُمَّ مِنْ قَرْنٍ ، كَانَ بِهِ بَرَصٌ فَبَرَأَ مِنْهُ إِلَّا مَوْضِعَ دِرْهَمٍ ، لَهُ وَالِدَةٌ هُوَ بِهَا بَرٌّ ، لَوْ أَقْسَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ لَأَبَرَّهُ ، فَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرَ لَكَ ، فَافْعَلْ » ، فَأَتَى أُوَيْسًا ، فقال : اسْتَغْفِرْ لِي قال : أَنْتَ أَحْدَثُ عَهْدًا بِسَفَرٍ صَالِحٍ ، فَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِي قال : لَقِيتَ عُمَرَ ؟ قال : نَعَمْ . فَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُ ، فَفَطِنَ لَهُ النَّاسُ ، فَانْطَلَقَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ (٢) . رواه مسلم . وفي رواية لمسلم أيضاً عن أُسَيْرِ بْنِ جَابِرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكُوفَةِ وَفَدُوا عَلَى عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ، وَفِيهِمْ رَجُلٌ مِمَّنْ كَانَ يَسْخَرُ بِأُوَيْسٍ ، فقال عُمَرُ : هَلْ هَهُنَا أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْقَرْنِيِّينَ ؟ فَجَاءَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ ، فقال عُمَرُ : إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قد قال : « إِنَّ رَجُلًا يَأْتِيكُمْ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ يُقَالُ لَهُ : أُوَيْسٌ ، لَا يَدَعُ بِالْيَمَنِ غَيْرَ أُمٍّ لَهُ ، قَدْ كَانَ بِهِ بَيَاضٌ (٣) فَدَعَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ، فَأَذْهَبَهُ إِلَّا مَوْضِعَ الدِّينَارِ أَوِ الدِّرْهَمِ ، فَمَنْ لَقِيَهُ مِنْكُمْ فَلْيَسْتَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ » . وفي رواية له عن عمر رضي الله عنه قال : إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يقول : « إِنَّ خَيْرَ التَّابِعِينَ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ : أُوَيْسٌ ، وَلَهُ وَالِدَةٌ وَكَانَ بِهِ بَيَاضٌ ، فَمُرُوهُ ، فَلْيَسْتَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ » . قوله « غَبْرَاءُ النَّاسِ » بفتح الغين المعجمة ، وإسكان الباء وبالمد ، وهم فُقَرَاؤُهُمْ وَصَعَالِيكُهُمْ وَمَنْ لَا يُعْرَفُ عَيْنُهُ مِنْ أَخْلَاطِهِمْ وَ« الْأَمْدَادُ » جَمْعُ مَدَدٍ وَهُمْ

(١) أي : رث متاع البيت . والرث : الدون أو الخلق البالي . (٢) أي : خارجاً . (٣) أي : برص .