Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 1487
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى الصَّنْعَانِيُّ، أَنْبَأَنَا مُعْتَمِرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى الْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي حَرِيزٍ، أَنَّ أَبَا بُرْدَةَ، حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ أَوْصَى أَبُو مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيُّ حِينَ حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ فَقَالَ لاَ تُتْبِعُونِي بِمِجْمَرٍ . قَالُوا لَهُ أَوَ سَمِعْتَ فِيهِ شَيْئًا قَالَ نَعَمْ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Abd al-A‘la al-San‘ani narrated to us; Mu‘tamir ibn Sulayman informed us and said: I read to al-Fudayl ibn Maysarah, from Abu Hariz, that Abu Burdah related to him: ‘When Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari was near death, he left instructions: “Do not have a censer carried behind me.” They asked him, “Did you hear anything about that?” He replied, “Yes, from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).”’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The source gives Abu Musa’s instruction and his confirmation that he heard this from the Prophet; it does not include the specific teaching in this wording.
A censer is an incense burner; this identifies the object without adding the English witness’s footnote.