Arabic (Original)
قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي السَّائِبِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي حَيَّانُ أَبُو النَّضْرِ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ مَعَ وَاثِلَةَ بْنِ الْأَسْقَعِ عَلَى أَبِي الْأَسْوَدِ الْجُرَشِيِّ فِي مَرَضِهِ الَّذِي مَاتَ فِيهِ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ وَجَلَسَ قَالَ فَأَخَذَ أَبُو الْأَسْوَدِ يَمِينَ وَاثِلَةَ فَمَسَحَ بِهَا عَلَى عَيْنَيْهِ وَوَجْهِهِ لِبَيْعَتِهِ بِهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ لَهُ وَاثِلَةُ وَاحِدَةٌ أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْهَا قَالَ وَمَا هِيَ قَالَ كَيْفَ ظَنُّكَ بِرَبِّكَ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْأَسْوَدِ وَأَشَارَ بِرَأْسِهِ أَيْ حَسَنٌ قَالَ وَاثِلَةُ أَبْشِرْ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي فَلْيَظُنَّ بِي مَا شَاءَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ وَهِشَامُ بْنُ الْغَازِ أَنَّهُمَا سَمِعَاهُ مِنْ حَيَّانَ أَبِي النَّضْرِ يُحَدِّثُ بِهِ وَلَا يَأْتِيَانِ عَلَى حِفْظِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ.
English Translation
Al-Walid b. Muslim narrated to us: al-Walid b. Sulayman — that is Ibn Abi al-Sa'ib — narrated to me: Hayyan Abu al-Nadr narrated to me, who said: I entered with Wathilah b. al-Asqa' upon Abu al-Aswad al-Jurashi during the illness in which he died. He greeted him and sat down. He said: Abu al-Aswad took Wathilah's right hand and wiped it over his eyes and face, because of his having given the pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, with it. Wathilah said to him, "One thing I will ask you." He said, "What is it?" He said, "What is your opinion of your Lord?" Abu al-Aswad gestured with his head, meaning good. Wathilah said, "Rejoice, for I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: 'Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: I am as My servant thinks of Me, so let him think of Me whatever he wishes.'" Al-Walid b. Muslim narrated to us: Sa'id b. Abd al-Aziz and Hisham b. al-Ghaz narrated to me, that they both heard Hayyan Abu al-Nadr relating it, but they do not match the precision of al-Walid b. Sulayman's memorization.