Today a man came to me and asked about a matter, and I did not know how to answer him. He said, "What do you say about a devout and energetic man who goes out with our commanders on military expeditions, and they impose obligations upon us in matters too numerous to count?"I said to him, "By Allah, I do not know what to say to you, except that we were with the Prophet ﷺ, and he would hardly impose any matter upon us more than once before we carried it out. One of you will continue to be in a good state as long as he fears Allah, and whenever something troubles his heart, he asks a man who relieves him of it. Soon you will not find such a person. By the One besides whom there is no god, I do not regard what remains of this world except as a pool whose clear water has been drunk and only its murky dregs remain."
حدثنا عثمان بن أبي شيبة حدثنا جرير عن منصور عن أبي وائل قال قال
لقد أتاني اليوم رجل فسألني عن أمر ما دريت ما أرد عليه فقال أرأيت رجلا مؤديا نشيطا يخرج مع أمرائنا في المغازي فيعزم علينا في أشياء لا نحصيها فقلت له والله ما أدري ما أقول لك إلا أنا كنا مع النبي ﷺ فعسى أن لا يعزم علينا في أمر إلا مرة حتى نفعله وإن أحدكم لن يزال بخير ما اتقى الله وإذا شك في نفسه شيء سأل رجلا فشفاه منه وأوشك أن لا تجدوه والذي لا إله إلا هو ما أذكر ما غبر من الدنيا إلا كالثغب شرب صفوه وبقي كدره