عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللّهِ صَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «تَجِدُونَ النَّاسَ مَعَادِنَ: خِيَارُهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ خِيَارُهُمْ فِي الْإِسْلامِ إِذَا فَقُهُوا، وَتَجِدُونَ خِيارَ النَّاسِ في هذا الشَّأْنِ أَشَدَّهُمْ لَهُ كَرَاهِيَةً، وَتَجِدُونَ شَرَّ النَّاسِ ذَا الْوَجْهَيْنِ، الَّذِي يَأْتِي هَؤُلاءِ بِوَجْهٍ، وَهَؤُلاءِ بِوَجْهٍ» مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You will find people to be like mines: the best of them in the pre-Islamic era are the best of them in Islam, once they attain understanding [of the religion]. And you will find the best of people regarding this matter [of authority] to be those most averse to it. And you will find the worst of people to be the two-faced one, who comes to these with one face and to those with another face." Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
تجدون الناس معادن: أي ذوي أصول ينسبون إليها ويتفاخرون بها. فقهوا: علموا الأحكام الشرعية. في هذا الشأن: أي في الإمارة والخلافة.
"you will find people to be like mines": that is, possessors of lineages to which they are ascribed and by which they take pride. "attain understanding": they come to know the rulings of the Sacred Law. "regarding this matter": that is, in [matters of] leadership and the caliphate.
الدروس · lessons
أنّ أصحاب الأصول الحسنة في الجاهلية يزيدون بدخولهم في الإسلام أصالة وشرفًا، إذا علموا أحكام الشرع. أنّ خير الناس لتولي منصب الحكم الزاهد في ذلك، لأنّه إن ولي وقف عند حدود اللّه وكان حريصًا على تنفيذها. المراد من ذي الوجهين الذي يأتي كل طائفة ويظهر لهم أنّه منهم ومخالف للآخرين، فهو من شر الناس، وأما من أتى كل طائفة وحاول الإصلاح فهذا محمود.
Those of noble origins in the pre-Islamic era increase in nobility and honor by entering Islam, if they learn the rulings of the Sacred Law. The best of people for assuming the office of rule is the one who has no desire for it, because if he does take charge, he will observe the limits of Allah and be keen to enforce them. What is meant by the two-faced person is the one who comes to each group and shows them that he is one of them and opposed to the others—he is among the worst of people. But as for one who comes to each group seeking to reconcile them, that is praiseworthy.