Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ أَبِي الْفَيْضِ عَنْ سُلَيْمِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ قَالَ كَانَ مُعَاوِيَةُ يَسِيرُ بِأَرْضِ الرُّومِ وَكَانَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدٌ فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَدْنُوَ مِنْهُمْ فَإِذَا انْقَضَى الْأَمَدُ غَزَاهُمْ فَإِذَا شَيْخٌ عَلَى دَابَّةٍ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَفَاءٌ لَا غَدْرٌ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ كَانَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ قَوْمٍ عَهْدٌ فَلَا يَحِلَّنَّ عُقْدَةً وَلَا يَشُدَّهَا حَتَّى يَنْقَضِيَ أَمَدُهَا أَوْ يَنْبِذَ إِلَيْهِمْ عَلَى سَوَاءٍ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَرَجَعَ وَإِذَا الشَّيْخُ عَمْرُو بْنُ عَبَسَةَ.
English Translation
Muhammad ibn Ja'far told us, saying: Shu'bah told us, from Abu al-Fayd, from Sulaym ibn Amir, who said: Mu'awiyah was marching in the land of the Byzantines; there was a truce-term between him and them, and he wanted to draw near to them so that when the term expired he could raid them. Then behold, an old man on a mount was saying: "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar — faithfulness (to the covenant), not treachery! The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Whoever has a covenant between himself and a people should neither loosen a knot (of it) nor tighten it until its term expires, or he renounces it to them on equal terms (openly).'" That reached Mu'awiyah, so he turned back; and behold, the old man was Amr ibn Abasah.