Sahih al-Bukhari

Sahih al-Bukhari 4194

Arabic hadith text

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمٌ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَلَمَةَ بْنَ الأَكْوَعِ، يَقُولُ خَرَجْتُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُؤَذَّنَ، بِالأُولَى، وَكَانَتْ لِقَاحُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَرْعَى بِذِي قَرَدٍ ـ قَالَ ـ فَلَقِيَنِي غُلاَمٌ لِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ فَقَالَ أُخِذَتْ لِقَاحُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قُلْتُ مَنْ أَخَذَهَا قَالَ غَطَفَانُ‏.‏ قَالَ فَصَرَخْتُ ثَلاَثَ صَرَخَاتٍ ـ يَا صَبَاحَاهْ ـ قَالَ فَأَسْمَعْتُ مَا بَيْنَ لاَبَتَىِ الْمَدِينَةِ، ثُمَّ انْدَفَعْتُ عَلَى وَجْهِي حَتَّى أَدْرَكْتُهُمْ وَقَدْ أَخَذُوا يَسْتَقُونَ مِنَ الْمَاءِ، فَجَعَلْتُ أَرْمِيهِمْ بِنَبْلِي، وَكُنْتُ رَامِيًا، وَأَقُولُ أَنَا ابْنُ الأَكْوَعْ، الْيَوْمُ يَوْمُ الرُّضَّعْ‏.‏ وَأَرْتَجِزُ حَتَّى اسْتَنْقَذْتُ اللِّقَاحَ مِنْهُمْ، وَاسْتَلَبْتُ مِنْهُمْ ثَلاَثِينَ بُرْدَةً، قَالَ وَجَاءَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَالنَّاسُ فَقُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ قَدْ حَمَيْتُ الْقَوْمَ الْمَاءَ وَهُمْ عِطَاشٌ، فَابْعَثْ إِلَيْهِمُ السَّاعَةَ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ يَا ابْنَ الأَكْوَعِ، مَلَكْتَ فَأَسْجِحْ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ ثُمَّ رَجَعْنَا وَيُرْدِفُنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى نَاقَتِهِ حَتَّى دَخَلْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ‏.‏

Translation

I set out before the first call to prayer, while the Messenger of Allah’s milch camels were grazing at Dhū Qard. A servant of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf met me and said, “The Messenger of Allah’s camels have been taken.” I asked, “Who took them?” He said, “Ghatafān.” I shouted three times, “Help! The raid!” so loudly that I was heard across the two lava fields of Medina. Then I rushed after them until I caught up with them while they were drawing water. I began shooting at them with my arrows, for I was an archer, saying, “I am the son of al-Akwaʿ; today is the day of the suckling ones!” I kept chanting until I recovered the camels from them and seized thirty cloaks. The Prophet and the people arrived. I said, “Prophet of Allah, I kept them from the water, and they are thirsty. Send people against them now.” He said, “Son of al-Akwaʿ, you have gained control, so be gentle.” Then we returned, and the Messenger of Allah carried me behind him on his camel until we entered Medina.