English Translation

Abdullah told us, my father told me, Abu al-Yaman told us, Shu'ayb informed us, Abdullah ibn Abi Husayn told me, Shahr ibn Hawshab told me, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanm - who is the one whom Umar ibn al-Khattab sent to Syria to teach the people jurisprudence - that Mu'adh ibn Jabal told him, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he rode one day on a donkey of his called Ya'fur, whose halter was made of palm fiber. Then he said, "Ride, O Mu'adh." I said, "Go on ahead, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Ride." So I rode behind him, and the donkey stumbled with us. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, stood up laughing, and I stood feeling regret within myself. Then it did that a second time, then a third time. Then he rode and the donkey carried us along, and he put his hand behind him and struck my back with a whip or a stick he had with him. Then he said, "O Mu'adh, do you know what is the right of Allah upon His servants?" I said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said, "The right of Allah upon His servants is that they worship Him and not associate anything with Him." Then he traveled as long as Allah willed, then he put his hand behind him and struck my back and said, "O Mu'adh, O son of Umm Mu'adh, do you know what is the right of the servants upon Allah if they do that?" I said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said, "The right of the servants upon Allah, if they do that, is that He will admit them to Paradise."