The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, while we were sitting on a mat, "There will surely be a tribulation."They asked, "What should we do, Messenger of Allah?"He extended his hand to the mat and grasped it, saying, "Do like this."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned to them one day that there would be a tribulation, but many of the people did not hear him.Muaz said, "Do you hear what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is saying?"They asked, "What did he say?"He replied, "He is saying, 'There will surely be a tribulation.'"They asked, "What shall we do then, Messenger of Allah? How shall we act?"He said, "You will return to your original state of affairs."
إن رسول الله ﷺ قال: ونحن جلوس على بساط: إنها ستكون فتنة قالوا: كيف نفعل يا رسول الله؟ قال: فرد يده إلى البساط فأمسك به قال: تفعلون هكذا، وذكر لهم رسول الله ﷺ يوما أنها ستكون فتنة فلم يسمعه كثير من الناس، فقال معاذ: تسمعون ما يقول رسول الله ﷺ؟ قالوا: ما قال؟ قال: يقول: إنها ستكون فتنة، قالوا: فكيف لنا يا رسول الله؟ أو كيف نصنع؟ قال: ترجعون إلى أمركم الأول.
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Tahawi narrated it in Sharh Mushkil (1184), and Tabarani in Al-Kabir (20/43–44), both through routes from Layth bin Saad, from Ayyash bin Abbas Qutbani, from Bukayr bin Ashaj, from Busr bin Saeed, from Abu Waqid Laythi, who related it. Its isnad is sahih.