حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْمَرٍ، قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنِي الْجُرَيْرِيُّ، قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْعَلاَءِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ، عَنْ نُعَيْمِ بْنِ قَعْنَبٍ قَالَ‏:‏ أَتَيْتُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ فَلَمْ أُوَافِقْهُ، فَقُلْتُ لِامْرَأَتِهِ‏:‏ أَيْنَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ‏؟‏ قَالَتْ‏:‏ يَمْتَهِنُ، سَيَأْتِيكَ الْآنَ، فَجَلَسْتُ لَهُ، فَجَاءَ وَمَعَهُ بَعِيرَانِ، قَدْ قَطَرَ أَحَدَهُمَا بِعَجُزِ الْآخَرِ، فِي عُنُقِ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا قِرْبَةٌ، فَوَضَعَهُمَا ثُمَّ جَاءَ، فَقُلْتُ‏:‏ يَا أَبَا ذَرٍّ، مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ كُنْتُ أَلْقَاهُ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ لُقْيًا مِنْكَ، وَلاَ أَبْغَضَ إِلَيَّ لُقْيًا مِنْكَ، قَالَ‏:‏ لِلَّهِ أَبُوكَ، وَمَا جَمَعَ هَذَا‏؟‏ قَالَ‏:‏ إِنِّي كُنْتُ وَأَدْتُ مَوْءُودَةً فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ أَرْهَبُ إِنْ لَقِيتُكَ أَنْ تَقُولَ‏:‏ لاَ تَوْبَةَ لَكَ، لاَ مَخْرَجَ لَكَ، وَكُنْتُ أَرْجُو أَنْ تَقُولَ‏:‏ لَكَ تَوْبَةٌ وَمَخْرَجٌ، قَالَ‏:‏ أَفِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ أَصَبْتَ‏؟‏ قُلْتُ‏:‏ نَعَمْ، قَالَ‏:‏ عَفَا اللَّهُ عَمَّا سَلَفَ‏.‏ وَقَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ‏:‏ آتِينَا بِطَعَامٍ، فَأَبَتَ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَهَا فَأَبَتَ، حَتَّى ارْتَفَعَتْ أَصْوَاتُهُمَا، قَالَ‏:‏ إِيهِ، فَإِنَّكُنَّ لاَ تَعْدُونَ مَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، قُلْتُ‏:‏ وَمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ فِيهِنَّ‏؟‏ قَالَ‏:‏ إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ خُلِقَتْ مِنْ ضِلَعٍ، وَإِنَّكَ إِنْ تُرِدْ أَنْ تُقِيمَهَا تَكْسِرُهَا، وَإِنْ تُدَارِهَا فَإِنَّ فِيهَا أَوَدًا وَبُلْغَةً، فَوَلَّتْ فَجَاءَتْ بِثَرِيدَةٍ كَأَنَّهَا قَطَاةٌ، فَقَالَ‏:‏ كُلْ وَلاَ أَهُولَنَّكَ فَإِنِّي صَائِمٌ، ثُمَّ قَامَ يُصَلِّي، فَجَعَلَ يُهَذِّبُ الرُّكُوعَ، ثُمَّ انْفَتَلَ فَأَكَلَ، فَقُلْتُ‏:‏ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ، مَا كُنْتُ أَخَافُ أَنْ تَكْذِبَنِي، قَالَ‏:‏ لِلَّهِ أَبُوكَ، مَا كَذَبْتُ مُنْذُ لَقِيتَنِي، قُلْتُ‏:‏ أَلَمْ تُخْبِرْنِي أَنَّكَ صَائِمٌ‏؟‏ قَالَ‏:‏ بَلَى، إِنِّي صُمْتُ مِنْ هَذَا الشَّهْرِ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَكُتِبَ لِي أَجْرُهُ، وَحَلَّ لِيَ الطَّعَامُ‏.‏

Nu'aym ibn Qa'nab said, "I went to Abu Dharr and did not find him at home. I asked his wife, 'Where is Abu Dharr?' 'Fetching some things for the house. He will be back presently.' I sat down to wait for him and he came with two camels. One of them was lined up behind the other and each of the camels had a waterskin on its neck. Abu Dharr took them off. Then he came and I said, 'Abu Dharr! There was no man who I desired to meet more than you and there was none that I hated to meet more than you!' He said, 'Your father is for Allah! How can these two be joined together?' I replied, 'In the Jahiliyya, a buried a daughter alive and I feared that I would meet you and you would say, "There is no way for you to repent. There is no way out." On the other hand, I used to hope that you would say, "There is a way for you to repent. There is a way out."' He asked," Did you do that in the Jahiliyah?" And Nuaym said "Yes.". Abu Dharr (ra) said," Allah has forgiven the sins committed earlier (before the Islamic times)". He then said to his wife," Bring us the meal." But she refused to do so. He then commanded her but she again refused to bring it and their voices were soon raised. Abu Dharr (ra) said," You will not go beyond what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has said". Nuaym asked," What has the Messenger of Allah said about them?" Abu Dharr (ra) said," The Messenger of Allah has said that a woman is created from a crooked rib and if you attempt to straighten it you will break it but if you leave her alone you will enjoy her while the crookedness remains in her". His wife then turned her back to them and went away and brought thareed as though she matched the bird Qatah (in swiftness). He then said," you go ahead, eat the food. And do not worry (about eating alone). For I am fasting," he stood up to offer prayers and hurried to the bowing posture. After he had finished his prayer, he began to eat. Nuaym exclaimed, "We belong to Allah! I had given no thought to it that you would lie to me. You said just now that you were fasting and you have come to eat". He said,"Your father is for Allah! Ever since I have met you, I have not spoken a lie." Nuaym said, "Did you not tell me that you were fasting?" He said,"Yes. I have kept three fasts in this month so that the reward for it is written down for me while it is lawful for me to eat too.