English Translation

Abu Mu'awiyah told us - and al-A'mash told us - from Salim ibn Abi al-Ja'd, from Jabir ibn Abdullah, who said: I was with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, on a journey, and when we drew near Madinah, I said: "O Messenger of Allah, I am newly married, so give me permission to hasten ahead to my family." He said: "Have you indeed married?" I said: "Yes." He said: "A virgin or a previously married woman?" I said: "A previously married woman." He said: "Why not a virgin, so you could play with her and she with you?" I said: "Abdullah (my father) died and left daughters in my care, so I disliked bringing to them another like themselves." He said: "Do not come upon your family unexpectedly at night." He said: I was riding a camel, and it grew weary. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, caught up with me while I was at the rear of the people. He said: "What is wrong with you, O Jabir?" I said: "My camel has grown weary." He said: So he took hold of its tail and struck it, and thereafter I remained at the front of the people, its head troubling me to hold it back. When we drew near Madinah, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me: "What happened to the camel?" I said: "Here it is." He said: "Sell it to me." I said: "No, rather it is yours." He said: "Sell it to me." I said: "It is yours." He said: "No, I have taken it for an uqiyyah (a measure of silver); ride it, and when you arrive, bring it to us." When I arrived in Madinah I brought it to him, and he said: "O Bilal, weigh out an uqiyyah for him and add a qirat." I said: "This is the qirat the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, added for me; it will never leave me until I die." He said: So I put it in a purse, and it remained with me until the people of Syria came on the Day of al-Harrah and took it along with what else they took.