They said: Abu Mu'awiyah narrated to us, from al-A'mash, from Abu Salih, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "And thus We have made you a just nation." He said: Just (justice).
His saying, the Almighty: "To be witnesses over the people"
[The First Aspect]
1332 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Waki' narrated to us, from al-A'mash, from Abu Salih, from Abu Sa'id, who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Nuh (Noah) will be called on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said to him: 'Did you convey (the message)?' He will say: 'Yes.' Then his people will be called, and it will be said to them: 'Did he convey to you?' They will say: 'No warner came to us, and no one came to us.' Then it will be said to Nuh: 'Who will testify for you?' He will say: 'Muhammad and his nation.' That is His saying: 'We have made you a just nation.' The just (al-wasat) is the fair/just (al-'adl)." He said: "Then you will be called and you will testify for him regarding the conveyance, then He will testify against you after him."
1333 - Al-Hasan ibn Ahmad narrated to us, Ibrahim ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Bashshar narrated to us, Surur ibn al-Mughirah narrated to me, from 'Abbad ibn Mansur, from al-Hasan, regarding His saying: "To be witnesses over the people," meaning: just/fair over the people.
The Second Aspect:
1334 - Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Maymun al-Iskandarani narrated to us, al-Walid ibn Muslim narrated to us, from Abu 'Amr al-Awza'i, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, 'Abd Allah ibn Abi al-Fadl al-Madini narrated to me, Abu Hurayrah narrated to me, who said: A funeral was brought to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) for him to pray over it, and the people said: "A good man." The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "It has become binding (wajibah)." Another funeral was brought, and the people said: "An evil man." The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "It has become binding." Ubayy ibn Ka'b said: "What is your saying 'it has become binding'?" He said: "Allah the Almighty said: 'To be witnesses over the people.'"
His saying: "Over the people"
1335 - 'Isam ibn Rawwad narrated to us, Adam narrated to us, Abu Ja'far narrated to us, from al-Rabi', from Abu al-'Aliyah regarding "To be witnesses over the people," he says: To be witnesses over the nations that passed before you, regarding what their messengers brought to them and how they belied them.
(1). Al-Tirmidhi 5/190, who said: A hasan sahih hadith, number 2961, and Tafsir Sufyan al-Thawri, p. 51. (2). Al-Bukhari 6/26.