English Translation

Ya'qub told us, my father told us, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, Wahb ibn Kaysan told me, from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah, who said: I went out with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, on the expedition of Dhat al-Riqa', traveling on a weak camel of mine. When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, turned back, the groups of riders began to move on, and I kept falling behind, until the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, caught up with me and said, "What is the matter with you, O Jabir?" I said, "O Messenger of Allah, this camel of mine has slowed me down." He said, "Make it kneel," and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, made his own mount kneel too. Then he said, "Give me this stick from your hand" — or he said, "Cut me a stick from a tree" — so I did. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, took it and jabbed the camel several times with it, then said, "Ride," so I rode, and I set off — by the One Who sent him with the truth — keeping pace with his she-camel, matching her stride. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, spoke with me and said, "Will you sell me this camel of yours, O Jabir?" I said, "O Messenger of Allah, rather I give it to you as a gift." He said, "No, but sell it to me." I said, "Then name your price for it." He said, "I have already said: I will take it for one dirham." I said, "No, then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would be cheating me." He said, "Then for two dirhams." I said, "No." The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, kept raising the price for me until he reached an ounce of gold. I said, "Now I am satisfied." He said, "Are you satisfied?" I said, "Yes." I said, "It is yours." He said, "I have taken it." Then he said to me, "O Jabir, have you married since your father's death?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "A previously married woman, or a virgin?" I said, "Rather, a previously married woman." He said, "Why not a young girl who would play with you and you with her?" I said, "O Messenger of Allah, my father was killed on the Day of Uhud and left seven daughters, so I married a woman who could gather them together and take charge of them." He said, "You have done well, if Allah wills. When we reach Sirar, we will order a camel to be slaughtered, and we will stay there that day, and when word reaches her, she will shake out her cushions." I said, "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, we have no cushions." He said, "There will be, so when you arrive, act shrewdly." When we reached Sirar, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered a camel to be slaughtered, and we stayed there that day. When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, entered in the evening, we entered too. I informed my wife of what had happened and what the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had said to me. She said, "Then obey, hearing and obeying." In the morning, I took hold of the camel's head and brought it, making it kneel at the door of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then I sat in the mosque nearby. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came out and saw the camel and said, "What is this?" They said, "O Messenger of Allah, this is the camel Jabir brought." He said, "Where is Jabir?" So I was called for him. He said, "Come, O son of my brother, take the head of your camel, for it is yours." Then he called Bilal and said, "Go with Jabir and give him an ounce." I went with him, and he gave me an ounce and added a little more. By Allah, it kept increasing with us, and we would see its place in our house, until yesterday it was lost along with what the people lost — meaning on the Day of al-Harra.