al-Muhallab, when he was appointed governor of Khurasan, said: “Show me a man who possesses every virtuous quality.” He was directed to Ibn Abī Burdah ibn Abī Mūsā al-Ashʿarī. When he came to him, he found him to be an outstanding man; and when he spoke with him, he found his inner qualities better than his outward appearance. He said: “I have appointed you to such-and-such a post in my administration.” But Ibn Abī Burdah asked to be excused, and he refused to excuse him. He said: “O commander, shall I not tell you something my father narrated to me, which he heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him?” He replied: “Bring it forth.” He said: “He heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say: ‘Whoever assumes an office while knowing that he is not qualified for it, let him take his seat in the Fire.’” He said: “And I bear witness, O commander, that I am not qualified for what you have called me to.” Yazīd said to him: “You have only made me more eager to appoint you and increased our desire for you. So go out to your post, for I will not excuse you.” He then went out—thus it appears in the original, though the correct wording is probably: “He went out, then”—and remained there for as long as Allah willed him to remain. Then he asked his permission to come to him, and he permitted him. He said: “O commander, shall I not narrate to you something my father narrated to me, which he heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him?” He replied: “Bring it forth.” He then mentioned it. He said: “And I ask you by the Face of Allah, O commander, to excuse me from your appointment.” So he excused him.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission. Its narrators are trustworthy and are among Muslim’s narrators. There is weakness in ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAyyāsh due to his memory, and Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān is likewise. But, it seems to me, he has a supporting parallel, based on al-Mundhirī’s remarks in his documentation of this hadith in al-Targhīb (2/17). He said: “Al-Ṭabarānī narrated it, and its narrators are those of the Ṣaḥīḥ, except for his shaykh Yaḥyā ibn ʿUthmān ibn Ṣāliḥ, who is trustworthy.”

I say: He belongs to the same generation as Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, so he apparently serves as a corroborating parallel for him. Al-Haythamī said in al-Majmaʿ (3/103): “Al-Ṭabarānī narrated it in al-Kabīr, and its chain is good, despite some weakness in it, alongside accreditation.” I say: He seems to be referring to ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAyyāsh. And Allah knows best.