حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي الْفُرَاتِ، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الْأَسْوَدِ الدِّيْلِيِّ
قَالَ أَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ وَقَدْ وَقَعَ بِهَا مَرَضٌ فَهُمْ يَمُوتُونَ مَوْتًا ذَرِيعًا فَجَلَسْتُ إِلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ جَنَازَةٌ فَأُثْنِيَ عَلَى صَاحِبِهَا خَيْرٌ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مُرَّ بِأُخْرَى فَأُثْنِيَ عَلَى صَاحِبِهَا خَيْرٌ فَقَالَ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مُرَّ بِالثَّالِثَةِ فَأُثْنِيَ عَلَى صَاحِبِهَا شَرٌّ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَجَبَتْ فَقُلْتُ وَمَا وَجَبَتْ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَ قُلْتُ كَمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّمَا مُسْلِمٍ شَهِدَ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةٌ بِخَيْرٍ أَدْخَلَهُ اللَّهُ الْجَنَّةَ قَالَ قُلْنَا أَوْ ثَلَاثَةٌ قَالَ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةٌ فَقُلْنَا أَوْ اثْنَانِ قَالَ أَوْ اثْنَانِ ثُمَّ لَمْ نَسْأَلْهُ عَنْ الْوَاحِدِ
When I came to Madinah, sickness was occurring in the city and they were dying quickly. I sat with Umar bin al Khattab (رضي الله عنه) and a funeral passed by, Good things were said about (the deceased) and Umar (رضي الله عنه) said: It is due.
Then another (funeral) passed by; good things were said about (the deceased) and he said: It is due. Then a third funeral passed by: bad things were said about the deceased and Umar said: It is due.
I said: What is due, O Ameer al Mumineen? He said: I said what the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Any Muslim in whose favour four people testify, Allah will admit him to Paradise.’
We said: Or three? He said: “Or three.” We said: Or two? He said: ‘Or two.’ Then we did not ask him about one.