حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي الْفُرَاتِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الْأَسْوَدِ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ أَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَوَافَيْتُهَا وَقَدْ وَقَعَ فِيهَا مَرَضٌ فَهُمْ يَمُوتُونَ مَوْتًا ذَرِيعًا فَجَلَسْتُ إِلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ جَنَازَةٌ فَأُثْنِيَ عَلَى صَاحِبِهَا خَيْرًا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مُرَّ بِأُخْرَى فَأُثْنِيَ عَلَى صَاحِبِهَا خَيْرًا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَجَبَتْ ثُمَّ مُرَّ بِالثَّالِثَةِ فَأُثْنِيَ عَلَيْهَا شَرًّا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَجَبَتْ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْأَسْوَدِ مَا وَجَبَتْ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَ قُلْتُ كَمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّمَا مُسْلِمٍ شَهِدَ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةٌ بِخَيْرٍ أَدْخَلَهُ اللَّهُ الْجَنَّةَ قَالَ فَقُلْنَا وَثَلَاثَةٌ قَالَ فَقَالَ وَثَلَاثَةٌ قَالَ قُلْنَا وَاثْنَانِ قَالَ وَاثْنَانِ قَالَ ثُمَّ لَمْ نَسْأَلْهُ عَنْ الْوَاحِدِ‏.‏

I came to Madinah and found that sickness was occurring in it and death was widespread. I sat with 'Umar bin al-Khattab and a funeral passed by him. People spoke well of the deceased and ‘Umar said: It is guaranteed. Then another funeral passed by and people spoke well of the deceased and ‘Umar said: It is guaranteed. Then a third funeral passed by and people spoke badly of the deceased and ‘Umar said: It is guaranteed. Abul-Aswad said: What is guaranteed, O Ameer al-Mu'mineen? He said: I am saying what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: `Any Muslim in whose favour four people testify, Allah will admit him to Paradise.` We said: And three? He said: `And three.` We said: And two? He said: `And two ` Then we did not ask him about one.