that he said that he heard Abu Ruhm, who was one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ who pledged allegiance to him beneath the tree, saying: I went out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the expedition of Tabuk. One night I slept at al-Akhdar, and I drew near to him. Drowsiness overcame us, and I began to doze off and wake up, and my riding-beast had come close to his riding-beast. Its closeness kept alarming me for fear that it might strike his foot in the stirrup, so I began to pull my mount back until sleep overcame me for part of the night.

Then my mount pressed against the mount of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while his foot was in the stirrup, and I struck his foot. I did not wake up except at his saying, “Gently!” I said, “O Messenger of Allah, ask forgiveness for me.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Go on.” Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ began asking me about those of Banu Ghifar who had stayed behind, and I informed him. While he was asking me, he said, “What happened to the tall, ruddy, long-haired men?” I told him about their staying behind.

He said, “And what happened to the short, black, curly-haired men who have livestock at Shabakat Sharakh?” I recalled them among Banu Ghifar, but I did not mention them until I remembered that they were a group from Aslam, so I said, “O Messenger of Allah, those are from Aslam.” He said, “What prevents any one of them, when he stays behind, from putting on a camel from his own camels an able-bodied man in the path of Allah? For the dearest of my people to me are those who do not stay behind from me: the Emigrants from Quraysh, the Helpers, Ghifar, and Aslam.”

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا رُهْمٍ، وَكَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الَّذِينَ بَايَعُوهُ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ، يَقُولُ: غَزَوْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ غَزْوَةَ تَبُوكَ، فَنُمْتُ لَيْلَةً بِالْأَخْضَرِ، فَصِرْتُ قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ، فَأُلْقِيَ عَلَيْنَا النُّعَاسُ، فَطَفِقْتُ أَسْتَيْقِظُ، وَقَدْ دَنَتْ رَاحِلَتِي مِنْ رَاحِلَتِهِ، فَيُفْزِعُنِي دُنُوُّهَا خَشْيَةَ أَنْ تُصِيبَ رِجْلَهُ فِي الْغَرْزِ، فَطَفِقْتُ أُؤَخِّرُ رَاحِلَتِي حَتَّى غَلَبَتْنِي عَيْنِي بَعْضَ اللَّيْلِ.

فَزَاحَمَتْ رَاحِلَتِي رَاحِلَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَرِجْلُهُ فِي الْغَرْزِ، فَأَصَبْتُ رِجْلَهُ، فَلَمْ أَسْتَيْقِظْ إِلَّا بِقَوْلِهِ: «حَسِّ». فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، اسْتَغْفِرْ لِي، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «سِرْ». فَطَفِقَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ مِنْ بَنِي غِفَارٍ، فَأُخْبِرُهُ، فَقَالَ، وَهُوَ يَسْأَلُنِي: «مَا فَعَلَ النَّفْرُ الْحُمْرُ الطِّوَالُ الثِّطَاطُ؟». قَالَ: فَحَدَّثْتُهُ بِتَخَلُّفِهِمْ.

قَالَ: «فَمَا فَعَلَ السُّودُ الْجِعَادُ الْقِصَارُ الَّذِينَ لَهُمْ نَعَمٌ بِشَبَكَةِ شَرَخٍ؟». فَتَذَكَّرْتُهُمْ فِي بَنِي غِفَارٍ، فَلَمْ أَذْكُرْهُمْ حَتَّى ذَكَرْتُ أَنَّهُمْ رَهْطٌ مِنْ أَسْلَمَ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أُولَئِكَ مِنْ أَسْلَمَ. فَقَالَ: «فَمَا يَمْنَعُ أَحَدَ أُولَئِكَ حِينَ يَتَخَلَّفُ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ مِنْ إِبِلِهِ امْرَأً نَشِيطًا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ؟ فَإِنَّ أَعَزَّ أَهْلِي عَلَيَّ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفَ عَنِّي الْمُهَاجِرُونَ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ، وَالْأَنْصَارُ، وَغِفَارٌ، وَأَسْلَمُ».