he stayed with us until he came out. When he came out, we all stood up to him. Abū Mūsā said to him: O Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, I saw something in the mosque just now that I disapproved of, but I have seen nothing but good, all praise is due to Allāh. He said: What is it? He replied: If you live, you will see it. He said: I saw people in the mosque sitting in circles waiting for the prayer, with a man in each circle, and in their hands were pebbles. He would say: Say "Allāhu Akbar" a hundred times, and they would say it a hundred times. He would say: Say "Lā ilāha illā Allāh" a hundred times, and they would say it a hundred times. He would say: Say "Subḥān Allāh" a hundred times, and they would say it a hundred times. He said: What did you say to them? He replied: I did not say anything to them, waiting for your opinion or your command. He said: Why did you not command them to count their sins, and assure them that none of their good deeds would be lost? Then he went on, and we went with him until he came to one of those circles and stood over them and said: What is this that I see you doing? They said: O Abū ʿAbd Allāh, these are pebbles by which we count the takbīr, the tahlīl, and the tasbīḥ. He said: Then count your sins, for I guarantee you that none of your good deeds will be lost. Woe to you, O nation of Muḥammad, how quickly you have perished! These are the Companions of your Prophet (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) still numerous, and his garments have not yet decayed, and his vessels have not yet broken. By the One in whose hand is my soul, you are either upon a guidance more correct than the guidance of Muḥammad, or you are opening a door of misguidance! They said: By Allāh, O Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, we only intended good. He said: And how many intend good but do not achieve it. The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) told us that there will be people who recite the Quran but it does not go beyond their throats, and by Allāh, perhaps most of them are from among you. Then he turned away from them. ʿAmr ibn Salamah said: We saw most of those circles fighting us on the Day of Nahrawān with the Khawārij. This is the end of what was available
معنا حتى خرج. فلما خرج قمنا إليه جميعا. فقال له أبو موسى: يا أبا عبد الرحمن، إني رأيت في المسجد آنفا أمرا أنكرته، ولم أر والحمد لله إلا خيرا. قال: فما هو؟ فقال: إن عشت فستراه. قال: رأيت في المسجد قوما حلقا جلوسا ينتظرون الصلاة، في كل حلقة رجل، وفي أيديهم حصى، فيقول: كبروا مائة، فيكبرون مائة، فيقول: هللوا مائة، فيهللون مائة، ويقول: سبحوا مائة، فيسبحون مائة. قال: فماذا قلت لهم؟ قال: ما قلت لهم شيئا انتظار رأيك أو انتظار أمرك. قال: أفلا أمرتهم أن يعدوا سيئاتهم، وضمنت لهم أن لا يضيع من حسناتهم شيء؟ ثم مضى ومضينا معه حتى أتى حلقة من تلك الحلق فوقف عليهم فقال: ما هذا الذي أراكم تصنعون؟ قالوا: يا أبا عبد الله حصى نعد به التكبير والتهليل والتسبيح. قال: فعدّوا سيئاتكم، فأنا ضامن أن لا يضيع من حسناتكم شيء. ويحكم يا أمة محمد ما أسرع هلكتكم! هؤلاء صحابة نبيكم ﷺ متوافرون، وهذه ثيابه لم تبل، وآنيته لم تكسر، والذي نفسي بيده إنكم لعلى ملة هي أهدى من ملة محمد أو مفتتحو باب ضلالة؟! قالوا: والله يا أبا عبد الرحمن ما أردنا إلا الخير. قال: وكم من مريد للخير لن يصيبه. إن رسول الله ﷺ حدثنا أن قوما يقرؤون القرآن لا يجاوز تراقيهم، وأيم الله لعل أكثرهم منكم. تم تولى عنهم. فقال عمرو بن سلمة: رأينا عامة أولئك الحلق يطاعنوننا يوم النهروان مع الخوارج ١". هذا آخر ما تيسر.