The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me, az-Zubair and Abu Marthad on a mission, and we were all horsemen. He said: “Set out until you reach Rawdat Khakhʿ - this is how Abu ʿAwanah said it - “and there you will find a woman who has a letter from Hatib bin Abi Baltaʿah to the mushrikeen.” And he quoted the hadeeth at length.
بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَالزُّبَيْرَ وَأَبَا مَرْثَدٍ وَكُلُّنَا فَارِسٌ فَقَالَ انْطَلِقُوا حَتَّى تَبْلُغُوا رَوْضَةَ حَاجٍّ كَذَا قَالَ أَبُو عَوَانَةَ فَإِنَّ فِيهَا امْرَأَةً مَعَهَا صَحِيفَةٌ مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ بِطُولِهِ