Mishkat al-Masabih 30 Fine Qualities كتاب المناقب 289

عَن ابْنِ حَوَالَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسلم: «سيصير الْأَمر إِلَى أَنْ تَكُونُوا جُنُودًا مُجَنَّدَةً جُنْدٌ بِالشَّامِ وَجُنْدٌ بِالْيَمَنِ وَجُنْدٌ بِالْعِرَاقِ» . فَقَالَ ابْنُ حَوَالَةَ: خِرْ لِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. إِنْ أَدْرَكْتُ ذَلِكَ. فَقَالَ: «عَلَيْك بِالشَّامِ فَإِنَّهَا خِيَرَةُ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَرْضِهِ يَجْتَبِي إِلَيْهَا خِيَرَتَهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ فَأَمَّا إِنْ أَبَيْتُمْ فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِيَمَنِكُمْ وَاسْقُوا مِنْ غُدَرِكُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَكَّلَ لِي بِالشَّامِ وَأَهْلِهِ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَأَبُو دَاوُد

Ibn Hawala reported God’s messenger as saying, “It will turn out tha t you will be armed troops, one in Syria, one in the Yemen, and one in al-`Iraq.” Ibn Hawala said, “Choose for me, messenger of God, if I reach that time.” He replied, “Go to Syria, for it is God’s chosen land to which His best servants will be gathered; but if you are unwilling, go to your Yemen and draw water from your tanks, for God who is great and glorious has on my account taken special charge of Syria and its people.” Ahmad and Abu Dawud transmitted it.