“You are emigrants wherever you may be.”

It was recorded by Aḥmad (4/55), al-Ṭaḥāwī in al-Mushkil (2/299), al-Ṭabarānī in al-Kabīr (7/26/6265), and likewise al-Bukhārī in al-Tārīkh (1/1/21). Its narrators are reliable and are narrators of Muslim, apart from Muḥammad—though al-Musnad has Saʿīd—ibn Iyās. Al-Bukhārī included an entry on him on the basis of this narration, as did Ibn Abī Ḥātim (3/2/305), but neither mentioned any criticism or accreditation concerning him. Al-Haythamī said: “It was narrated by Aḥmad and al-Ṭabarānī, and it contains Saʿīd ibn Iyās, whom I do not know; the rest of its narrators are reliable.”

I say: Saʿīd does not occur in the narration of al-Ṭabarānī or the others; rather, he occurs only in Aḥmad’s narration, as noted above, and this is an error made by one of the narrators.

Aḥmad then narrated, through Bakr ibn ʿAbd Allāh, from Yazīd, the freedman of Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ, from Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ, who said: “I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah!’ He replied, ‘You are the people of our desert, and we are the people of your settled land.’” Its chain of transmission is authentic.

ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ḥarmalah also narrated from Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥuṣayn, from ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Jurhud, who said: I heard a man ask Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, “Which of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, remain with you?” He replied, “Anas ibn Mālik and Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ remain.” A man then said, “As for Salamah, he has turned back from his Hijrah.” Jābir said, “Do not say that, for I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say to Aslam: ‘Live in the desert, O Aslam!’” They said, “O Messenger of Allah, we fear that we may turn back after our Hijrah.” He replied: