946 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; Hudbah ibn Khalid narrated to me; Sulayman ibn al-Mughira narrated to us; from Humayd ibn Hilal; from Khalid ibn ʿUmayr who said:

ʿUtbah ibn Ghazwan once delivered a sermon. After praising Allah he said:

“To proceed: this dunya (worldly life) has announced its departure and is racing away; what remains of it is but the few drops left in a vessel which one of you tilts to obtain. You are on your way to a home that never perishes, so take from this world the best provision you can.

It has reached me that a stone hurled from the edge of Jahannam (Hell) falls for seventy years before reaching its bottom. By Allah, it will certainly be filled—does that surprise you? And I have been told that the distance between the two gate-posts of Jannah (Paradise) is a forty-year journey, yet a day will come when it will be congested with crowds.

I remember myself—one of only seven—with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; we had no food except tree leaves until the corners of our mouths became sore. I once found a cloak, tore it in two between myself and Saʿd: I fastened half around my waist and Saʿd fastened the other half around his. Today not one of us who is still alive fails to awaken as governor of some province.

I seek refuge in Allah from being great in my own eyes while small in His. Never has a prophethood arisen without being followed by dominion, and you will surely experience and test the rulers who succeed us.”