Jareer said, "I was in Yemen when I met two men from among the people of Yemen, Dhu Kalaa and Dhu Amr. I began telling them about the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."Dhu Amr said to him, "If what you describe about your companion is true, then he has passed away three days ago."The two of them set out with me, and when we were on part of the road, a group of riders appeared coming from the direction of Madinah. We asked them, and they replied, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has passed away, Abu Bakr has been appointed as successor, and the people are in good order."The two said, "Inform your companion that we came, and perhaps we shall return, Allah willing." Then they went back to Yemen.I told Abu Bakr about what they had said, and he said, "Why did you not bring them with you?"Sometime later, Dhu Amr said to me, "Jareer, you hold a place of honor with me, and I am going to tell you something. You Arabs will continue to prosper as long as, when one ruler dies, you consult among yourselves to appoint another. But once it is decided by the sword, your rulers will become kings, growing angry as kings grow angry and pleased as kings are pleased."
قال كنت باليمن، فلقيت رجلين من أهل اليمن: ذا كلاع وذا عمرو، فجعلت أحدثهم عن رسول الله ﷺ، فقال له ذو عمرو: لئن كان الذي تذكر من أمر صاحبك، لقد مر على أجله منذ ثلاث، وأقبلا معي حتى إذا كنا في بعض الطريق رفع لنا ركب من قبل المدينة، فسألناهم فقالوا: قبض رسول الله ﷺ، واستخلف أبو بكر، والناس صالحون فقالا: أخبر صاحبك أنا قد جئنا، ولعلنا سنعود إن شاء الله، ورجعا إلى اليمن فأخبرت أبا بكر بحديثهم، قال: أفلا جئت بهم فلما كان بعد قال لي ذو عمرو: يا جرير إن بك علي كرامة، وإني مخبرك خبرا: إنكم معشر العرب، لن تزالوا بخير ما كنتم إذا هلك أمير تأمرتم في آخر، فإذا كانت بالسيف كانوا ملوكا، يغضبون غضب الملوك، ويرضون رضا الملوك.
Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Military Expeditions (4359) from Abdullah bin Abu Shayba Absi, who said, Ibn Idris narrated to us (he is Abdullah), from Ismail bin Abu Khalid, from Qays (he is Ibn Abu Hazim), from Jareer, who said, and then he mentioned it.His statement, "If what you say about your companion is true," means, truly.His statement, "you consulted together," means, you deliberated among yourselves and appointed a leader whom you chose from among yourselves.His statement, "but if it comes down to the sword," means, leadership becomes a matter of domination and force.