Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ أَخْبَرَنَا الْمَسْعُودِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ حَفْصِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَامِرِ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَكَانَ بَدْرِيًّا قَالَ لَقَدْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَبْعَثُنَا فِي السَّرِيَّةِ يَا بُنَيَّ مَا لَنَا زَادٌ إِلَّا السَّلْفُ مِنْ التَّمْرِ فَيَقْسِمُهُ قَبْضَةً قَبْضَةً حَتَّى يَصِيرَ إِلَى تَمْرَةٍ تَمْرَةٍ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَتِ وَمَا عَسَى أَنْ تُغْنِيَ التَّمْرَةُ عَنْكُمْ قَالَ لَا تَقُلْ ذَلِكَ يَا بُنَيَّ فَبَعْدَ أَنْ فَقَدْنَاهَا فَاخْتَلَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا.
English Translation
Amir ibn Rabi'ah, who was a participant at Badr, said: 'The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to send us on expeditions, my son, and we had no provision except a meager supply of dates. He would divide it handful by handful until it came down to one date per person.' He said: 'I said to him: O father, how much could one date benefit you?' He said: 'Do not say that, my son. After we lost it, we truly felt the need for it.'