حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا الْمَسْعُودِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا عُبَيْدُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ يَقُصُّ وَعِنْدَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ فَقَالَ عُبَيْدُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ كَشَاةٍ مِنْ بَيْنِ رَبِيضَيْنِ إِذَا أَتَتْ هَؤُلَاءِ نَطَحْنَهَا وَإِذَا أَتَتْ هَؤُلَاءِ نَطَحْنَهَا فَقَالَ ابْنُ عُمَرَ لَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّمَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَشَاةٍ بَيْنَ غَنَمَيْنِ قَالَ فَاحْتَفَظَ الشَّيْخُ وَغَضِبَ فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ قَالَ أَمَا إِنِّي لَوْ لَمْ أَسْمَعْهُ لَمْ أَرُدَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْكَ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 4872
It was narrated that Abu Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn 'Ali said whilst 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr was telling a story, and 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar was with him, 'Ubayd ibn Umayr said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The likeness of the hypocrite is that of a sheep that is between two sheep-pens. If it goes to one group, they will push it away, and if it goes to the other group, they will push it away." Ibn 'Umar said: That is not how the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) if - Rather the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Like a sheep between two flocks." The old man got angry and when 'Abdullah saw that, he said: If I had not heard it, I would not have corrected you.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020