حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، حَدَّثَهُ حَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ، أَخْبَرَهُ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، - وَكَانَ كَاتِبًا لِعَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ - قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا، عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَا وَالزُّبَيْرَ وَالْمِقْدَادَ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ انْطَلِقُوا حَتَّى تَأْتُوا رَوْضَةَ خَاخٍ فَإِنَّ بِهَا ظَعِينَةً مَعَهَا كِتَابٌ فَخُذُوهُ مِنْهَا فَانْطَلَقْنَا تَتَعَادَى بِنَا خَيْلُنَا حَتَّى أَتَيْنَا الرَّوْضَةَ فَإِذَا نَحْنُ بِالظَّعِينَةِ فَقُلْنَا هَلُمِّي الْكِتَابَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ مَا عِنْدِي مِنْ كِتَابٍ ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ لَتُخْرِجِنَّ الْكِتَابَ أَوْ لَنُلْقِيَنَّ الثِّيَابَ ‏.‏ فَأَخْرَجَتْهُ مِنْ عِقَاصِهَا فَأَتَيْنَا بِهِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَإِذَا هُوَ مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى نَاسٍ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ يُخْبِرُهُمْ بِبَعْضِ أَمْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏"‏ مَا هَذَا يَا حَاطِبُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لاَ تَعْجَلْ عَلَىَّ فَإِنِّي كُنْتُ امْرَأً مُلْصَقًا فِي قُرَيْشٍ وَلَمْ أَكُنْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهَا وَإِنَّ قُرَيْشًا لَهُمْ بِهَا قَرَابَاتٌ يَحْمُونَ بِهَا أَهْلِيهِمْ بِمَكَّةَ فَأَحْبَبْتُ إِذْ فَاتَنِي ذَلِكَ أَنْ أَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ يَدًا يَحْمُونَ قَرَابَتِي بِهَا وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا كَانَ بِي مِنْ كُفْرٍ وَلاَ ارْتِدَادٍ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ صَدَقَكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ دَعْنِي أَضْرِبْ عُنُقَ هَذَا الْمُنَافِقِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ قَدْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَاعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكُمْ‏"‏ ‏.‏

‘Ali said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me, along with Az-Zubair and Al-Miqdad, and said, 'Go until you reach the meadow of Khakh, for there is a woman traveling upon a camel who has a letter with her. Take it from her.' We set off, and our horses raced with one another until we reached the meadow. There we found the woman, and we said, 'Hand over the letter.' She said, 'I have no letter.' I said, 'You will either bring out the letter or we will strip off your clothes.' So she brought it out from her braids. We brought it to the Prophet (ﷺ), and behold, it was from Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah to some of the polytheists, informing them about some of the affairs of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, 'What is this, O Hatib?' He replied, 'O Messenger of Allah, do not be hasty with me. I was a man closely attached to Quraysh and was not of their lineage, whereas the rest of the Muhajirun have relatives in Makkah who protect their families. So, since I lacked that lineage, I wanted to do them a favor by which they would protect my relatives. By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I have not committed disbelief or apostasy.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'He has told you the truth.' Umar said, 'Allow me to strike the neck of this hypocrite.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'He was present at Badr, and what makes you know? Perhaps Allah looked upon the people of Badr and said: "Do what you wish, for I have forgiven you."'"