Musnad Ahmad
Musnad Ahmad 1239
Arabic hadith text
حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ، أَنْبَأَنَا أَشْعَثُ بْنُ سَوَّارٍ، عَنْ ابْنِ أَشْوَعَ، عَنْ حَنَشِ بْنِ الْمُعْتَمِرِ، أَنَّ عَلِيًّا، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ بَعَثَ صَاحِبَ شُرْطَتِهِ فَقَالَ أَبْعَثُكَ لِمَا بَعَثَنِي لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا تَدَعْ قَبْرًا إِلَّا سَوَّيْتَهُ وَلَا تِمْثَالًا إِلَّا وَضَعْتَهُ.
Translation
It was narrated from Hanash Abul-Mu`tamir that ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) sent his chief of police on a mission and said
I am sending you on a mission as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me: Do not leave any grave without levelling it or any statue without knocking it down.