Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجٌ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي زِيَادُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زَيْدِ بْنِ الْمُهَاجِرِ بْنِ قُنْفُذٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سُنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ وَبَاعًا فَبَاعًا حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَدَخَلْتُمُوهُ قَالُوا وَمَنْ هُمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ قَالَ فَمَنْ.
English Translation
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you will surely follow the ways of those who came before you, span by span, cubit by cubit, and arm-length by arm-length, until if they entered the hole of a lizard, you would enter it too." They said: "O Messenger of Allah, who are they? The People of the Book?" He said: "Then who else?"