I passed by Rabadhah and there I found Abu Dharr, so I said to him, "What brought you down to settle in this place?"He said, "I was in Syria, and Muawiya and I differed over the verse 'And those who hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah' [Tawbah 9:34].Muawiya said, 'It was revealed concerning the People of the Book.'I said, 'It was revealed concerning us and them.'So there was a dispute between him and me about that, and he wrote to Uthman complaining about me. Uthman then wrote to me to come to Madinah. So I came, and the people crowded around me so much that it was as though they had never seen me before that. I mentioned this to Uthman, and he said to me, 'If you wish, you may withdraw and stay somewhere nearby.'That is what brought me down to this place. And even if they appointed an Abyssinian over me as commander, I would listen and obey."
مررت بالربذة، فإذا أنا بأبي ذر، فقلت له: ما أنزلك منزلك هذا؟ قال: كنت بالشام، فاختلفت أنا ومعاوية في {والذين يكنزون الذهب والفضة ولا ينفقونها في سبيل الله}. قال معاوية: نزلت في أهل الكتاب فقلت: نزلت فينا وفيهم. فكان بيني وبينه في ذاك، وكتب إلى عثمان يشكوني، فكتب إلي عثمان أن اقدم المدينة. فقدمتها، فكثر علي الناس حتى كأنهم لم يروني قبل ذلك، فذكرت ذاك لعثمان، فقال لي: إن شئت تنحيت فكنت قريبا. فذاك الذي أنزلني هذا المنزل، ولو أمروا علي حبشيا، لسمعت وأطعت.