Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النَّضْرِ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ بَهْرَامٍ حَدَّثَنَا شَهْرُ بْنُ حَوْشَبٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ غَنْمٍ أَنَّهُ زَارَ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ بِحِمْصَ فَمَكَثَ عِنْدَهُ لَيَالِيَ وَأَمَرَ بِحِمَارِهِ فَأُوكِفَ فَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ مَا أَرَانِي إِلَّا مُتَّبِعَكَ فَأَمَرَ بِحِمَارِهِ فَأُسْرِجَ فَسَارَا جَمِيعًا عَلَى حِمَارَيْهِمَا فَلَقِيَا رَجُلًا شَهِدَ الْجُمُعَةَ بِالْأَمْسِ عِنْدَ مُعَاوِيَةَ بِالْجَابِيَةِ فَعَرَفَهُمَا الرَّجُلُ وَلَمْ يَعْرِفَاهُ فَأَخْبَرَهُمَا خَبَرَ النَّاسِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ قَالَ وَخَبَرٌ آخَرُ كَرِهْتُ أَنْ أُخْبِرَكُمَا أُرَاكُمَا تَكْرَهَانِهِ فَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ فَلَعَلَّ أَبَا ذَرٍّ نُفِيَ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَاللَّهِ فَاسْتَرْجَعَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ وَصَاحِبُهُ قَرِيبًا مِنْ عَشْرِ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ ارْتَقِبْهُمْ وَاصْطَبِرْ كَمَا قِيلَ لِأَصْحَابِ النَّاقَةِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَذَّبُوا أَبَا ذَرٍّ فَإِنِّي لَا أُكَذِّبُهُ اللَّهُمَّ وَإِنْ اتَّهَمُوهُ فَإِنِّي لَا أَتَّهِمُهُ اللَّهُمَّ وَإِنْ اسْتَغَشُّوهُ فَإِنِّي لَا أَسْتَغِشُّهُ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَأْتَمِنُهُ حِينَ لَا يَأْتَمِنُ أَحَدًا وَيُسِرُّ إِلَيْهِ حِينَ لَا يُسِرُّ إِلَى أَحَدٍ أَمَا وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ بِيَدِهِ لَوْ أَنَّ أَبَا ذَرٍّ قَطَعَ يَمِينِي مَا أَبْغَضْتُهُ بَعْدَ الَّذِي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ مَا أَظَلَّتْ الْخَضْرَاءُ وَلَا أَقَلَّتْ الْغَبْرَاءُ مِنْ ذِي لَهْجَةٍ أَصْدَقَ مِنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ.
English Translation
Abu al-Nadr told us: Abd al-Hamid ibn Bahram told us: Shahr ibn Hawshab told us: Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanm told us, that he visited Abu al-Darda at Homs and stayed with him some nights, and he ordered his donkey to be saddled with a pack-saddle. Abu al-Darda said: 'I see myself as nothing but your follower,' so he ordered his own donkey to be saddled, and they traveled together on their two donkeys. They met a man who had attended the Friday prayer the day before with Mu'awiyah at al-Jabiyah. The man recognized them, but they did not recognize him, and he told them the news of the people. Then the man said: 'And there is other news that I dislike to tell you both, for I think you would dislike it.' Abu al-Darda said: 'Perhaps Abu Dharr has been exiled?' He said: 'Yes, by Allah.' So Abu al-Darda and his companion said the words of returning to Allah upon calamity nearly ten times. Then Abu al-Darda said: 'Watch for them and be patient, as was said to the companions of the she-camel. O Allah, if they have belied Abu Dharr, I do not belie him; O Allah, if they have accused him, I do not accuse him; O Allah, if they have deemed him deceitful, I do not deem him deceitful. For the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to trust him when he would trust no one else, and would confide in him when he would confide in no one else. By the One in whose hand is the soul of Abu al-Darda, if Abu Dharr were to cut off my right hand, I would not hate him after what I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: "Neither has the green sky shaded, nor has the dusty earth carried, anyone more truthful of speech than Abu Dharr."'