In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Uways ibn Āmir ibn Juzʾ ibn Mālik al-Qaranī al-Murādī al-Yamānī – may Allah have mercy upon him 

Umar Ibn Al-Khattab Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I heard Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying: “Indeed, the best of the Tabi’in [i.e. followers of the companions] would be a person who would be a man called Uways. He would have his mother (living with him) and he would have (a small) sign of leprosy (on his skin). If you meet him, ask him to seek Allah’s forgiveness for you”.

Usair Bin Jabir, may  have mercy upon him, reported that whenever the people from Yemen came to help (the Muslim army at the time of jihad), Umar would ask: “Is Uways ibn Āmir among you?” When he found Uways, he said: “Are you Uways ibn Āmir?” He said: “Yes”. He said: “Are you from Murad then from Qaran?” He said: “Yes”. He said: “Did you have leprosy, then you recovered from it except for a spot the size of a dirham?” He said: “Yes”. He said: “Do you have a mother?” He said: “Yes”. He said: “I heard Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying:

“There will come to you Uways ibn Āmir with the reinforcements from Yemen, from Murad then from Qaran. He had leprosy but he recovered from it except for a spot the size of a dirham. He has a mother and he honours her. If he were to swear in the name of Allah that something should happen, Allah would cause it to happen. If you can ask him to supplicate for forgiveness for you then do so”. Seek forgiveness for me. So, he supplicated for forgiveness for him. Umar said to him: “Where are you headed?”  He said: “Kufa”. He said: “Shall I write to the governor for you?” He said: “Being among the common folk is dearer to me”.

The following year, a man from among their nobles performed Hajj and he met Umar, who asked him about Uways. He said: “I left him in a shabby house with meagre provisions”. He said: “I heard Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say: “There will come to you Uways ibn Āmir with the reinforcements from Yemen, from Murad then from Qaran. He had leprosy but he recovered from it except for a spot the size of a dirham. He has a mother and he honours her. If he were to swear in the name of Allah that something should happen, Allah would cause it to happen. If you can ask him to pray for forgiveness for you then do so”. So he went to Uways and said: “Supplicate for forgiveness for me”. He said: “You have just come from a sacred journey, supplicate for forgiveness for me”. He said: “Supplicate for forgiveness for me”.  He said: “You have just come from a sacred journey, supplicate for forgiveness for me”. He said: “Did you meet Umar?” He said: “Yes”. Then he supplicated for forgiveness for him, and the people came to know of his piety, so he left. Usayr said: “His garment (allocated annually by the state) was a cloak (burdah) and every time anyone saw him he would say: ‘From where did Oways get this cloak?'” [Sahih Muslim 2542]

Imam An-Nawawi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

This story of Uways is a clear miracle of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. The Messenger’s statement “If you meet him, ask him to ssupplicate for Allah’s forgiveness for you” is a manifest virtue of Uway’s, and this hadith shows that it is desired for one to ask for the supplication of the righteous people, even if the one who is asking is more virtuous than the one who is asked to supplicate.

The statement of the Messenger “The best of the Tabi’in is a man called Uways” is very clear regarding the fact that he is the best of the Tabi’in. But if it is said, “Indeed, Ahmad Bin Hanbal did say that the best of the Tabi’in is Sa’eed Ibn Al- Musayyib”, so the response to this is that what they intended is that Sa’eed Ibn Al- Musayyib is the best in the Shariah sciences, such Tafsir, hadith and other than it, but not the best with regards to being virtuous in the sight of Allah, The Most High.

When Umar Ibn Al-Khattab Khattaab met Uways, he said to him, “Where are you headed?” Uways said, “Kufa”. Umar said, “Shall I write to the governor for you?” He said, “Being among the common folk is dearer to me”. This is preferring to be unknown and hiding one’s state of affairs.

An Excerpt from Sharh Sahjh Muslim by Imam An-Nawawi. Vol 15. Pages 76-78.