I was near the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when a man said, "I would not mind doing no other deed after embracing Islam except providing water to the pilgrims."Another said, "I would not mind doing no other deed after embracing Islam except maintaining the Sacred Mosque."Another said, "Striving in the path 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," for it was Friday. He added, "But once I have prayed the Friday prayer, I will go in and ask him for a ruling concerning what you have differed about."So Allah revealed, "Have you made the providing of water for the pilgrims and the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque equal to one who believes in Allah and the Last Day" [Tawba 9:19], to the end of the verse.
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، 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} [التوبة: ١٩] الآية إلى آخرها.
Muslim narrated it in the Book of Leadership (1879:111), from Hasan 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, who said, and then he mentioned it.