حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرُ بْنُ حَازِمٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ يَعْنِي ابْنَ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ حُسَيْنٍ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ كَانَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ رَجُلَانِ يَحْفِرَانِ الْقُبُورَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ يَحْفِرُ لِأَهْلِ مَكَّةَ وَأَبُو طَلْحَةَ يَحْفِرُ لِلْأَنْصَارِ وَيَلْحَدُ لَهُمْ قَالَ فَلَمَّا قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَعَثَ الْعَبَّاسُ رَجُلَيْنِ إِلَيْهِمَا فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ خِرْ لِنَبِيِّكَ فَوَجَدُوا أَبَا طَلْحَةَ وَلَمْ يَجِدُوا أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ فَحَفَرَ لَهُ وَلَحَدَ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 2661
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas (RA) said: There were two men in Madinah who dug graves: Abu 'Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah, who dug graves for the people of Makkah and Abu Talha who dug graves for the Ansar and made a niche (lahd) for them. When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) died, al- ' Abbas send two men to them, and said: O Allah, choose for Your Prophet. They found Abu Talha but they did not find Abu 'Ubaidah, so he dug a grave for him and made a niche.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020