Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Book 55, Hadith 9
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ، عَنْ بِلاَلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ الأَشْعَرِيِّ، أَنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ كَتَبَ إِلَى أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ: اكْتُبْ إِلَيَّ فُسَّاقَ دِمَشْقَ، فَقَالَ: مَا لِي وَفُسَّاقُ دِمَشْقَ؟ وَمِنْ أَيْنَ أَعْرِفُهُمْ؟ فَقَالَ ابْنُهُ بِلاَلٌ: أَنَا أَكْتُبُهُمْ، فَكَتَبَهُمْ، قَالَ: مِنْ أَيْنَ عَلِمْتَ؟ مَا عَرَفْتَ أَنَّهُمْ فُسَّاقٌ إِلاَّ وَأَنْتَ مِنْهُمْ، ابْدَأْ بِنَفْسِكَ، وَلَمْ يُرْسِلْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Musa ibn Isma‘il related to us: Hammad ibn Salamah related to us: ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah informed us, from Bilal ibn Sa‘d al-Ash‘ari, that Mu‘awiyah wrote to Abu al-Darda’: ‘Write to me the names of the immoral people of Damascus.’ He said: ‘What have I to do with the immoral people of Damascus? How would I know them?’ His son Bilal said: ‘I will write them down,’ and he did so. Abu al-Darda’ asked: ‘How did you know? You could only know that they are immoral if you are one of them. Begin with yourself.’ He did not send their names.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic names Abu al-Darda’ as Mu‘awiyah’s correspondent and says that the names were ultimately not sent.
أَنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ كَتَبَ إِلَى أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ: اكْتُبْ إِلَيَّ فُسَّاقَ دِمَشْقَ،
The source says Abu al-Darda’; the English witness says Abu Dharr.
None; the translation follows the named recipient in Arabic.