What is Sunan an-Nasa'i 4 about?

This hadith from Sunan an-Nasa'i (Book of The Book of Purification), narrated by It was narrated from Abu Burdah that Abu Musa said:, states: ""I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) when he was using the Siwak and with me were two men of the Ash'aris - one on my right and the other on my left - who were seeking to be appointed as officials. I said: 'By…"

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sunan an-Nasa'i, which contains 5,768 hadiths across 52 books. It is hadith number 4 in the Book of The Book of Purification.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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Sunan an-Nasa'i

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Sunan an-Nasa'i #4

The Book of Purification

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، - وَهُوَ ابْنُ سَعِيدٍ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قُرَّةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَعِي رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَنْ يَمِينِي وَالآخَرُ عَنْ يَسَارِي وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَسْتَاكُ فَكِلاَهُمَا سَأَلَ الْعَمَلَ قُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ نَبِيًّا مَا أَطْلَعَانِي عَلَى مَا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمَا وَمَا شَعَرْتُ أَنَّهُمَا يَطْلُبَانِ الْعَمَلَ فَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى سِوَاكِهِ تَحْتَ شَفَتِهِ قَلَصَتْ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ إِنَّا لاَ - أَوْ لَنْ - نَسْتَعِينَ عَلَى الْعَمَلِ مَنْ أَرَادَهُ وَلَكِنِ اذْهَبْ أَنْتَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَبَعَثَهُ عَلَى الْيَمَنِ ثُمَّ أَرْدَفَهُ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ رضى الله عنهما ‏.‏

"I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) when he was using the Siwak and with me were two men of the Ash'aris - one on my right and the other on my left - who were seeking to be appointed as officials. I said: 'By the One Who sent you as a Prophet with the truth, they did not tell me why they wanted to come with me and I did not realize that they were seeking to be appointed as officials.' And I could see his Siwak beneath his lip, then it slipped and he said: 'We do not' - or; 'We will never appoint as an official anyone who seeks that. Rather you should go.'" So he sent his (Abu Musa) to Yemen, then he sent Mu'adh bin Jabal to go after him - may Allah be pleased with them.

Narrated by It was narrated from Abu Burdah that Abu Musa said:

Context

In this hadith, Abu Musa narrates an incident where he approached the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) with two men from the Ash'ari tribe who were seeking positions of authority. The Prophet (ﷺ), while using a Siwak, indicated that those who seek leadership should not be appointed, emphasizing that leadership should not be a pursuit of personal ambition. This highlights the importance of humility and the right intentions in leadership roles.

Modern Application

In today's world, this principle can be applied by ensuring that individuals who seek leadership positions do so out of a genuine desire to serve others rather than for personal gain. Organizations and communities can benefit from leaders who prioritize the well-being of their constituents over their ambitions.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Leadership and Authority and Prophetic Conduct because it emphasizes the qualities of humility and selflessness in those who seek leadership roles.

Leadership and Authority Prophetic Conduct