209 – Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad b. Khalaf b. Salih al-Kufi al-Taymi wrote to me, saying: Shu‘ayb b. Ibrahim al-Tamimi narrated to us, saying: Saif b. ‘Umar al-Usaydi narrated to me, from Badr b. ‘Uthman, from his uncle, who said:

“The last sermon that ‘Uthman delivered before a gathering was:

‘Indeed, Allah has only granted you this world so that by means of it you may seek the Hereafter; He did not give it to you so that you would lean upon it. This world will perish, whereas the Hereafter will endure. Let not the fleeting one intoxicate you, nor distract you from the everlasting one. Prefer that which remains to that which passes away, for this world is destined to end, and the return is to Allah. Fear Allah, keep to your communal unity, and do not become factions.

“ ‘And remember Allah’s favor upon you: when you were enemies and He joined your hearts together, so that by His grace you became brothers…’ (Āl ‘Imrān 103) — to the end of the two verses.”