Hadith 17:570
Ali ibn Mushir narrated to us, from Abu Hayyan al-Taymi, from Abu al-Zinba’, from Abu al-Dehqana, who said: It was said to Umar ibn al-Khattab, "There is here a young man from the people of al-Hira; no one has ever been seen more retentive of memory than him, nor more skilled in writing than him. If you see fit to take him as a scribe before you, so that when you have a need, he may be present with you." He said: So Umar said, "I would then have taken an inner circle (bitana) from other than the believers."
حدثنا علي بن مسهر عن أبي حيان التيمي عن أبي الزنباع عن أبي الدهقانة قال قيل لعمر بن الخطاب إن ها هنا غلاما من أهل الحيرة لم ير قط أحفظ منه ولا أكتب منه فإن رأيت أن تتخذه كاتبا بين يديك إذا كانت لك الحاجة شهدك قال فقال عمر قد اتخذت إذن بطانة من دون المؤمنين