أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُقَدَّمٍ الْمُقَدَّمِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَعَ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ وَنَحْنُ ثَلَاثُ مِائَةٍ وَبِضْعَةَ عَشَرَ وَزَوَّدَنَا جِرَابًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ فَأَعْطَانَا قَبْضَةً قَبْضَةً فَلَمَّا أَنْ جُزْنَاهُ أَعْطَانَا تَمْرَةً تَمْرَةً حَتَّی إِنْ کُنَّا لَنَمُصُّهَا کَمَا يَمُصُّ الصَّبِيُّ وَنَشْرَبُ عَلَيْهَا الْمَائَ فَلَمَّا فَقَدْنَاهَا وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهَا حَتَّی إِنْ کُنَّا لَنَخْبِطُ الْخَبَطَ بِقِسِيِّنَا وَنَسَفُّهُ ثُمَّ نَشْرَبُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ الْمَائِ حَتَّی سُمِّينَا جَيْشَ الْخَبَطِ ثُمَّ أَجَزْنَا السَّاحِلَ فَإِذَا دَابَّةٌ مِثْلُ الْکَثِيبِ يُقَالُ لَهُ الْعَنْبَرُ فَقَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ مَيْتَةٌ لَا تَأْکُلُوهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ جَيْشُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَنَحْنُ مُضْطَرُّونَ کُلُوا بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ فَأَکَلْنَا مِنْهُ وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُ وَشِيقَةً وَلَقَدْ جَلَسَ فِي مَوْضِعِ عَيْنِهِ ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ رَجُلًا قَالَ فَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ضِلْعًا مِنْ أَضْلَاعِهِ فَرَحَلَ بِهِ أَجْسَمَ بَعِيرٍ مِنْ أَبَاعِرِ الْقَوْمِ فَأَجَازَ تَحْتَهُ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا عَلَی رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَا حَبَسَکُمْ قُلْنَا کُنَّا نَتَّبِعُ عِيرَاتِ قُرَيْشٍ وَذَکَرْنَا لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ الدَّابَّةِ فَقَالَ ذَاکَ رِزْقٌ رَزَقَکُمُوهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَمَعَکُمْ مِنْهُ شَيْئٌ قَالَ قُلْنَا نَعَمْ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 4369
It was narrated that Jabir said: The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم sent us with Abu Ubaidah and we numbered over three hundred men. He supplied us with a sack of dates and gave them out by the handful. When he ran short, he gave us one date at a time, until we used to suck on it like an infant, and we would drink water with it. When we ran out of them it became very difficult for us. We used to hit the Khabat leaves with our bows (to knock them down) and swallow them, then drink water with it. We became known as faith Al-Khabat (the Khabat army). Then, when we were about to turn inland, we saw a beast like a hill, called Al ‘Anbar. Abu ‘Ubaidah said: ‘It is dead meat, do not eat it.’ Then he said: ‘The army of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم in the cause of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, and we are forced by necessity; eat in the name of Allah.’ So we ate from it and we made some of it into jerked meat. Thirteen men could sit in its eye socket. Abu ‘Ubaidah took one of its ribs and seated a man on the biggest camel that the people had, and they passed beneath it. When we came to the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم he said: ‘What kept you so long?’ We said: ‘We were waiting for the caravans of the Quraish,’ and we told him about the beast. He said: ‘That is provision that Allah granted to you. Do you have anything of it with you?’ We said: ‘Yes.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020