Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ هُوَ ابْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حَيَّانَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ شَيْخًا بِالْمَدِينَةِ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أَبِي أَوْفَى كَتَبَ إِلَى عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ إِذْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَغْزُوَ الْحَرُورِيَّةَ فَقُلْتُ لِكَاتِبِهِ وَكَانَ لِي صَدِيقًا انْسَخْهُ لِي فَفَعَلَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَقُولُ لَا تَمَنَّوْا لِقَاءَ الْعَدُوِّ وَسَلُوا اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الْعَافِيَةَ فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُوهُمْ فَاصْبِرُوا وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ تَحْتَ ظِلَالِ السُّيُوفِ قَالَ فَيَنْظُرُ إِذَا زَالَتْ الشَّمْسُ نَهَدَ إِلَى عَدُوِّهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ مُنْزِلَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُجْرِيَ السَّحَابِ وَهَازِمَ الْأَحْزَابِ اهْزِمْهُمْ وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ.
English Translation
Isma'il, that is Ibn Ibrahim, narrated to us, Abu Hayyan narrated to us, he said: I heard a shaykh in Madinah narrating that Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa wrote to 'Ubaydullah when he intended to fight the Haruriyyah, so I said to his scribe, who was a friend of mine, "Copy it for me," and he did: Indeed the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say: "Do not wish to meet the enemy, and ask Allah, Mighty and Sublime, for well-being; but if you meet them, then be steadfast, and know that Paradise is beneath the shade of swords." He said: Then he would watch, and when the sun had passed its zenith, he would advance against his enemy, then say: "O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Driver of the clouds, Defeater of the confederates, defeat them and grant us victory over them."