Hadith #492

Arabic Text

English Translation

ʿAbd al-Razzāq narrated to us, from Maʿmar, from al-Zuhrī — al-Zuhrī said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Mālik al-Mudlajī informed me — and he is the nephew of Surāqah ibn Mālik ibn Juʿshum — that his father informed him that he heard Surāqah say: "The envoys of the Quraysh disbelievers came to us offering the blood money for each of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه — for whoever killed or captured them. While I was sitting in a gathering of my people, Banū Mudlaj, a man from them came and stood over us saying: 'O Surāqah, I have just now seen dark figures by the coast. I believe they are Muḥammad and his companions.' Surāqah said: I knew it was them, so I said: 'They are not them. Rather, you saw so-and-so and so-and-so who just departed.' Then I lingered in the gathering for a while, stood up, entered my house, and ordered my slave girl to bring out my horse — she was behind a hillock — and to hold her for me. I took my spear and went out from the back of the house, dragging the spear tip along the ground and lowering it until I reached my horse. I rode her and spurred her into a gallop until I saw their dark figures. When I drew close enough for them to hear my voice, my horse stumbled and I fell off her. I got up and reached into my quiver, drew out the divination arrows, and cast lots whether to harm them or not. The result I disliked came out — that I should not harm them. But I rode my horse and disobeyed the arrows, spurring her into a gallop. When I drew close again, my horse stumbled and I fell. I reached into my quiver, drew the arrows, and cast lots — the result I disliked came out again. I disobeyed the arrows and rode my horse, spurring her on. When I could hear the recitation of the Prophet ﷺ — and he was not looking back, while Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه kept looking back frequently — the forelegs of my horse sank into the earth up to the knees and I fell off her. I urged her and she rose, but could barely pull her legs out. When she stood upright, there was a trail of dust rising to the sky like smoke." Maʿmar said: I asked Abū ʿAmr ibn al-ʿAlāʾ what ʿuthān means. He was silent for a moment, then said: 'It is smoke without fire.' Al-Zuhrī said in his narration: I cast lots with the arrows and the result I disliked came out. So I called out to them offering safe passage. They stopped. I rode my horse and came to them. When I encountered what I had encountered of being prevented from reaching them, it occurred to me that the cause of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would prevail. I said to him: 'Your people have placed a bounty on you.' I informed them of the news of their journey and what people intended for them. I offered them provisions and goods, but they took nothing from me and asked only: 'Keep our location secret.' I asked him to write me a letter of safe conduct, so he ordered ʿĀmir ibn Fuhayrah, who wrote it for me on a piece of leather. Then he went on his way."