fertile and the other barren. If you grazed them on the fertile side, would you not be grazing them by Allah’s decree? And if you grazed them on the barren side, would you not be grazing them by Allah’s decree?”

Then ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf came—he had been away attending to some need of his—and said, “I have knowledge concerning this. I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say…” He then related it as in the first narration.

It was recorded by Malik in al-Muwaṭṭa’ (3/89–91); and from him and others by al-Bukhari, in both its longer and shorter versions (2729, 2730, and 6973); Muslim (7/29–30); al-Nasa’i (7521–7523); ‘Abd al-Razzaq (20159); Ahmad (1/193–194); Abu Ya‘la (837 and 848); Abu ‘Amr al-Dani (fols. 42/2–43/1); and al-Tabarani (1/90–94), through various routes from him. The wording is Malik’s.

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said in al-Tamhid (10/65), referring to these hadiths and their routes: “The hadith is established, with a continuous chain, and authentic through several routes from Malik and others.”

Benefit: The previously cited statement of ‘Amr ibn Dinar regarding the plague—“…and for some people it is martyrdom”—refers only to believers who bear it patiently. Authentic hadiths have been reported on this subject, such as the Prophet’s saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “The plague is martyrdom for every Muslim.” It was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim and others, and is referenced in Ahkam al-Jana’iz (p. 52/1). There are other hadiths on the subject; consult them there if you wish (pp. 52–55), as well as al-Sahihah (1928) and al-Irwa’ (1637).

2932 — “He did little, yet was rewarded greatly.”

It was recorded by al-Bukhari (2808) and Ahmad (4/291 and 293), through Isra’il, from Abu Ishaq, who said: I heard al-Bara’, may Allah be pleased with him, say: