and let him deal with people in the very way he would love them to deal with him. Whoever pledges allegiance to an imam, giving him the clasp of his hand and the pure commitment of his heart, must obey him as far as he is able; but if someone else comes along to dispute his authority, then strike the neck of that latter man.”

It was recorded by Muslim (6/18)—whose wording is adopted here—as well as by al-Nasāʾī (2/185), Ibn Mājah (2/466-467) and Aḥmad (2/191), through various chains from al-Aʿmash, from Zayd ibn Wahb, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd Rabb al-Kaʿbah, who said:

“I entered the mosque and found ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ sitting in the shade of the Kaʿbah with the people gathered around him. I joined them and sat with him, and he said:

‘We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey. When we halted at a campsite, some of us began pitching our tents, some were practising archery, and others were tending to their livestock. Then a herald of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called out: “The congregational prayer is about to be held!” We therefore gathered around the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he spoke’—and he mentioned the ḥadīth. At the end he added:

‘I drew near to him and said, “I adjure you by Allah: did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)?” He touched his ears and his heart with his hands and said, “My ears heard it and my heart retained it.” I said, “Your cousin Muʿāwiyah is commanding us to consume our wealth among ourselves unlawfully and to kill one another, whereas Allah says, ‘O you who believe! Do not consume your wealth among yourselves unjustly, unless it be trade conducted by mutual consent among you, and do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allah has always been Merciful to you.’” He fell silent for a while, then said, “Obey him in that which pleases Allah and disobey him in that which displeases Allah.”’

No transmitter besides Muslim includes his statement, “I said to him: Your cousin …” and what follows.

Aḥmad also recorded it through al-Shaʿbī from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd Rabb al-Kaʿbah, and Muslim relates it in another version as well, but in both cases they omit the wording of the ḥadīth itself and merely refer back to the narration of al-Aʿmash.