Numan bin Bashir said, I was near the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when a man said, "I would not mind if I did no deed after embracing Islam other than providing water to the pilgrims."Another said, "I would not mind if I did no deed after embracing Islam other than maintaining the Sacred Mosque."A third said, "Striving in the cause of Allah is better than what you have mentioned."Umar rebuked them and said, "Do not raise your voices near the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, especially on Friday. But once I have prayed the Friday prayer, I will go in and ask him for a ruling on what you have disputed."So Allah revealed, "Have you made the providing of water to the pilgrims and the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque equal to one who believes in Allah and the Last Day" [Tawbah 9:19], to the end of the verse.
قال كنت عند منبر رسول الله ﷺ، فقال رجل: ما أبالي أن لا أعمل عملا بعد الإسلام، إلا أن أسقي الحاج. وقال آخر: ما أبالي أن لا أعمل عملا بعد الإسلام إلا أن أعمر المسجد الحرام. وقال آخر: الجهاد في سبيل الله أفضل مما قلتم. فزجرهم عمر، وقال: لا ترفعوا أصواتكم عند منبر رسول الله ﷺ، وهو يوم الجمعة، ولكن إذا صليت الجمعة دخلت، فاستفتيته فيما اختلفتم فيه. فأنزل الله عز وجل {أجعلتم سقاية الحاج وعمارة المسجد الحرام كمن ءامن بالله واليوم الآخر} الآية إلى آخرها.
Reported by Muslim in the Book of Leadership (1879:111), from Husayn bin Ali Hulwani, who said, Abu Tuba narrated to us, who said, Muawiya bin Salam narrated to us, from Zayd bin Salam, that he heard Abu Salam say, Numan bin Bashir narrated to me, saying, then he mentioned it.