Explanation of the hadith of Thabit ibn 'Ubayd: (I have not seen anyone more dignified when sitting with the people, nor more amusing in his home, than Zayd ibn Thabit)

The Shaykh : The second and third hadiths are mawquf reports. That is, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is not mentioned in them, but they contain a description of one of the early prominent figures among the Companions, namely Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). Thabit ibn 'Ubayd said: . Zayd ibn Thabit is known to be one of the great Companions; indeed, he is the man whom Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab tasked when they agreed to collect the Qur'an from the sheets, the parchments, and the chests of men. They did not find among the thousands of Companions anyone more suitable or more fitting to undertake this obligatory duty of collecting the Qur'an from what was scattered among the parchments, bones, and chests of men. They did not find anyone more suitable for this important task than Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). The describer, Thabit ibn 'Ubayd, describes this noble man with two great, closely related qualities that rarely coexist in a righteous man. He says: . This means he is a dignified, great, and composed man; people revere him and give him his due. When he sits in a gathering, they look at him as if he were their elder, their shaykh, their chief, and their great one. No one can depart from the etiquette of the gathering as long as this noble Companion, Zayd ibn Thabit, is present in it. . Another quality on the opposite side of this first one, and rarely do they coexist. He adds to the first quality: "Nor more amusing in his home than Zayd ibn Thabit." So when he sits with the people, he is a dignified man, but in his home he is amusing, meaning... playful. He is not stern and dignified with his family, his wife, and his children as he is in the gathering of his people. Rather, he has two personalities: when he sits with the men, he is their elder, their great one, and their guide; and when he sits with his family, he is the most amusing among them and the closest to the hearts of his family. These two qualities rarely coexist in a person. Their coexistence indicates the excellence of this person. People are generally either a dignified man wherever he is, whether with his people in a gathering where humor and joking are not beneficial in public gatherings, where only firmness and resolve are appropriate; or the noble man is the opposite: easygoing, soft, joking, and playful, which people accept from him, but he cannot control the atmosphere, dominate it, and instill dignity and solemnity in the gathering. So it is either this way or that way. Combining the two qualities by giving each occasion its due is rare and precious. The coexistence of these two traits in a Muslim man indicates that he has reached the peak of good character. His character with people is not like his character with his family and children. Therefore, it came in some authentic hadiths: , . And naturally, this report that Zayd ibn Thabit was the most amusing of people with his family does not mean that he was lenient with them to the extent of not commanding them to do what is right or forbidding them from what is wrong. That is not the intention. Rather, the intention is that he does not be harsh with them, nor severe, nor treat them constantly with strictness and firmness, but rather sometimes one way and sometimes another. Also, the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): does not mean that a man should be lenient with his wife, allowing her to wear what she wishes, go wherever she wishes, and eat—also—according to her whim and how she likes, without considering the rule: . His saying (peace be upon him): means that he always walks with them within the limits of the Shari'ah. He does not be harsh with them where the Shari'ah does not permit harshness, nor does he be severe with them where the Shari'ah permits leniency. This was Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him). His good character reached the point that when he sat with his people, he was their most dignified and greatest, and when he sat with his family, he was their most amusing and closest to the hearts of his family.