Some people from the Asharis came to me and said, "Come with us to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, for we have a need."So I went with them, and they said, "Messenger of Allah, employ us in your service."Abu Musa said, I excused myself from what they had said and explained that I did not know what their need was. He believed me and accepted my excuse.Then he said, "We do not employ in our service anyone who asks for it."
أخبرنا عمرو بن منصور قال حدثنا سليمان بن حرب قال حدثنا عمر بن علي عن أبي عميس عن سعيد بن أبي بردة عن أبيه
أتاني ناس من الأشعريين فقالوا اذهب معنا إلى رسول الله ﷺ فإن لنا حاجة فذهبت معهم فقالوا يا رسول الله استعن بنا في عملك قال أبو موسى فاعتذرت مما قالوا وأخبرت أني لا أدري ما حاجتهم فصدقني وعذرني فقال إنا لا نستعين في عملنا بمن سألنا
[Its chain is sahih] Ahmad recorded it, 4/417, from Sulayman bin Harb, with this wording. It also appears in Kubra, hadith 5935, and see hadith 4 of this book.Umar bin Ali bin Muqaddam Muqaddami stated explicitly that he heard it directly. Abu Umays is Utba bin Abd Allah Hudhali Masudi.