Muhammad informed us, Waki' reported to us, from al-Rabi', from al-Hasan, that 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah said: The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "O 'Abd al-Rahman, do not ask for authority (imara), for if you are given it because you asked for it, you will be left to rely on yourself, and if you are given it without having asked for it, you will be helped in it. And if you take an oath and then see that something else is better than it, then do that which is better and offer expiation for your oath."
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، أَنْبَأَ وَكِيعٌ، عَنِ الرَّبِيعِ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ سَمُرَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ، لَا تَسْأَلِ الْإِمَارَةَ؛ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ أُعْطِيتَهَا عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ وُكِلْتَ إِلَيْهَا، وَإِنْ أُعْطِيتَهَا عَنْ غَيْرِ مَسْأَلَةٍ أُعِنْتَ عَلَيْهَا، وَإِذَا حَلَفْتَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ، فَرَأَيْتَ غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا، فَائْتِ الَّذِي هُو خَيْرٌ، وَكَفِّرْ عَنْ يَمِينِكِ»
