Musnad Ahmad 1012:103

Al-Hakam ibn Nafi’ Abu al-Yaman narrated to us, Isma’il ibn ‘Ayyash narrated to us, from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Uthman ibn Khuthaym, Isma’il ibn ‘Ubayd al-Ansari narrated to me, and he mentioned the hadith. He said: ‘Ubadah said to Abu Hurayrah: “O Abu Hurayrah, you were not with us when we pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). We pledged allegiance to him to hear and obey in times of energy and lethargy, to spend in times of ease and hardship, to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, to speak the truth regarding Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, fearing no blame from any critic, and to support the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) when he came to us in Yathrib, protecting him as we protect ourselves, our wives, and our children, and for us is Paradise. This is the pledge of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) which we gave him. Whoever breaks it, he only breaks it against his own soul, and whoever fulfills what he pledged to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), Allah will fulfill what He pledged to His Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).” Mu’awiyah wrote to ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan saying: “‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit has corrupted the Levant and its people for me, so either call ‘Ubadah back to you, or I will leave him and the Levant alone.” So he wrote to him: “Send ‘Ubadah away until you return him to his home in Medina.” He sent ‘Ubadah until he arrived in Medina and entered upon ‘Uthman in the house, and there was no one in the house except a man from the early predecessors or the followers who had met the people. ‘Uthman was not aware until he was sitting in the corner of the house. He turned to him and said: “O ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit, what is between us and you?” ‘Ubadah stood in the midst of the people and said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), Abu al-Qasim, Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), saying: ‘There will come after me men who will rule over your affairs; they will make known to you what you disapprove of, and they will disapprove of what you know. There is no obedience to one who disobeys Allah, so do not use your Lord as an excuse.’”