Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 5949
وَعَنْ ابْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ أَنَّ سَفِينَةَ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخْطَأَ الْجَيْشَ بِأَرْضِ الرُّومِ أَوْ أُسِرَ فَانْطَلَقَ هَارِبًا يَلْتَمِسُ الْجَيْشَ فَإِذَا هُوَ بِالْأَسَدِ. فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا الْحَارِثِ أَنَا مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِي كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ فَأَقْبَلَ الْأَسَدُ لَهُ بَصْبَصَةٌ حَتَّى قَامَ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ كُلَّمَا سَمِعَ صَوْتًا أَهْوَى إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ يَمْشِي إِلَى جَنْبِهِ حَتَّى بَلَغَ الْجَيْشَ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ الْأَسَدُ. رَوَاهُ فِي «شَرْحِ السُّنَّةِ»
Ibn al-Munkadir reported that Safinah, the freedman of the Messenger of God ﷺ, lost track of the army in Roman territory—or was captured—and ran away looking for the army. Suddenly he came upon a lion. He said, ‘Abu al-Harith, I am the freedman of the Messenger of God ﷺ. This and that happened to me.’ The lion came toward him, wagging its tail, and stood beside him. Whenever it heard a sound, it rushed toward it, then returned and walked beside him until he reached the army. Then the lion went back. [Reported in Sharh al-Sunnah]