1013 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; Hudbah ibn Khalid narrated to us; Sallam ibn Miskin narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Sirin, that ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) used, whenever he appointed a governor, to write in his letter of appointment:

“Listen to him and obey him as long as he is just among you.”

He then appointed Hudhayfah over al-Madaʾin, and in his letter he wrote:

“Listen to him and obey him, and give him whatever he asks of you.”

They went out to welcome him and found him riding a donkey covered only with a simple cloth, holding in his hand a bone with some meat from which he was eating. He read to them his commission—the letter of ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him). They said, “What is it that you need? The Commander of the Believers has never written to us anything like what he has written about you.” He replied, “My need is that you feed me bread for as long as I am among you, provide fodder for my donkey, and collect your land-tax.”

When his term ended he returned to Madinah. When news of his arrival reached ʿUmar, he sat for him along the road to see whether his state was the same as when he had departed. When he saw him in that very condition, he embraced him and said, “You are my brother and I am yours; you are my brother and I am yours.”