While I was in the mosque in the front row a man pulled me from behind, moved me aside and took my place, with the result, I swear by God, that I did not know what prayers I said. When he had finished I saw that he was Ubayy b. Ka'b. He said, “Young man, God does not wrong you, for this is a charge from the Prophet to us that we should be near him.” He then faced the qibla and said three times, “May ahl al-'aqd perish, by the Lord of the Ka'ba!” Then he said, “I swear by God that I do not grieve for them, but for those they have led astray.” I asked, “Abu Ya'qub, what do you mean by ahl al-'aqd?”* He replied, “The commanders.” * One of the meanings of 'aqd is “responsibility.’’ The phrase literally means “the people bf responsibility”, i.e. those who are in responsible positions. A chief ruler may be called sahib al-'aqd wal hall, i.e. he who binds and looses. Nasa’i transmitted it.