Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) sent us (on an expedition) and appointed Abu 'Ubaida our chief that we might intercept a caravan of the Quraish and provided us with a bag of dates. And he found for us nothing besides it. Abu Ubaida gave each of us one date (everyday). I (Abu Zubair, one of the narrators) said: What did you do with that? He said: We sucked that just as a baby sucks and then drank water over that, and it sufficed us for the day until night. We beat off leaves with the help of our staffs, then drenched them with water and ate them. We then went to the coast of the sea, and there rose before us on the coast of the sea something like a big mound. We came near that and we found that it was a beast, called al-'Anbar (spermaceti whale). Abu 'Ubaida said. It is dead. He then said: No (but it does not matter), we have been sent by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the path of Allah and you are hard pressed (on account of the scarcity of food), so you eat that. We three hundred in number stayed there for a month, until we grew bulky. He (Jabir) said: I saw how we extracted pitcher after pitcher full of fat from the cavity of its eye, and sliced from it compact piece of meat equal to a bull or like a bull. Abu 'Ubaida called forth thirteen men from us and he made them sit in the cavity of its eye, and he took hold of one of the ribs of its chest and made it stand and then saddled the biggest of the camels we had with us and it passed under it (the arched rib), and we provided ourselves with pieces of boiled meat (especially for use in our journey). When we came back to Medina, we went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and made a mention of that to him, whereupon he said: That was a provision which Allah had brought forth for you. Is there any piece of meat (left) with you, so tnat you give to us that? He (Jabir) said: We sent to Messenger of Allah ﷺ tome of that (a piece of meat) and he ate it.  

بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْنَا أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ نَتَلَقَّى عِيرًا لِقُرَيْشٍ وَزَوَّدَنَا جِرَابًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ لَمْ يَجِدْ لَنَا غَيْرَهُ فَكَانَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ يُعْطِينَا تَمْرَةً تَمْرَةً قَالَ فَقُلْتُ كَيْفَ كُنْتُمْ تَصْنَعُونَ بِهَا قَالَ نَمَصُّهَا كَمَا يَمَصُّ الصَّبِيُّ ثُمَّ نَشْرَبُ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ فَتَكْفِينَا يَوْمَنَا إِلَى اللَّيْلِ وَكُنَّا نَضْرِبُ بِعِصِيِّنَا الْخَبَطَ ثُمَّ نَبُلُّهُ بِالْمَاءِ فَنَأْكُلُهُ قَالَ وَانْطَلَقْنَا عَلَى سَاحِلِ الْبَحْرِ فَرُفِعَ لَنَا عَلَى سَاحِلِ الْبَحْرِ كَهَيْئَةِ الْكَثِيبِ الضَّخْمِ فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ دَابَّةٌ تُدْعَى الْعَنْبَرَ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ مَيْتَةٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ لاَ بَلْ نَحْنُ رُسُلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَدِ اضْطُرِرْتُمْ فَكُلُوا قَالَ فَأَقَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ شَهْرًا وَنَحْنُ ثَلاَثُ مِائَةٍ حَتَّى سَمِنَّا قَالَ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا نَغْتَرِفُ مِنْ وَقْبِ عَيْنِهِ بِالْقِلاَلِ الدُّهْنَ وَنَقْتَطِعُ مِنْهُ الْفِدَرَ كَالثَّوْرِ أَوْ كَقَدْرِ الثَّوْرِ فَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ مِنَّا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ثَلاَثَةَ عَشَرَ رَجُلاً فَأَقْعَدَهُمْ فِي وَقْبِ عَيْنِهِ وَأَخَذَ ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلاَعِهِ فَأَقَامَهَا ثُمَّ رَحَلَ أَعْظَمَ بَعِيرٍ مَعَنَا فَمَرَّ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا وَتَزَوَّدْنَا مِنْ لَحْمِهِ وَشَائِقَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ هُوَ رِزْقٌ أَخْرَجَهُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ فَهَلْ مَعَكُمْ مِنْ لَحْمِهِ شَىْءٌ فَتُطْعِمُونَا قَالَ فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْهُ فَأَكَلَهُ  

"The Messenger of Allah sent us with Abu Ubaidah and we numbered over three hundred men. He supplied us with a sack of dates and gave them out by the handful. When he ran short, he gave us one date at a time, until we used to suck on it like an infant, and we would drink water with it. When we ran out of them it became very difficult for us. We used to hit the Khabat leaves with our bows to knock them down) and swallow them, then drink water with it. We became known as Jaish Al-Khabat (the Khabat army). Then, when we were about to turn inland, we saw a beast like a hill, caloled Al-'Anbar. Abu 'Ubaidah said: 'It is dead meat, do not eat it.' Then he said: 'The army of the Messenger of Allah in the cause of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, and we are forced by necessity; eat in the name of Allah. 'So we arte from it and we made some if it into jerked meat. Thirteen men could sit in its eye-socket. Abu Ubaidah took one of its ribs and seated a man on the biggest camel that the people had, and they passed beneath it. When we came to the Messenger of Allah, he said: 'What kept you so long?' We said: The Quraish' and we told him about the beast. He said: 'That is provision that Allah granted to you. Do you have anything of it with you? "We said: ' Yes."  

بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَعَ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ وَنَحْنُ ثَلاَثُمِائَةٍ وَبِضْعَةَ عَشَرَ وَزَوَّدَنَا جِرَابًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ فَأَعْطَانَا قَبْضَةً قَبْضَةً فَلَمَّا أَنْ جُزْنَاهُ أَعْطَانَا تَمْرَةً تَمْرَةً حَتَّى إِنْ كُنَّا لَنَمُصُّهَا كَمَا يَمُصُّ الصَّبِيُّ وَنَشْرَبُ عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ فَلَمَّا فَقَدْنَاهَا وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهَا حَتَّى إِنْ كُنَّا لَنَخْبِطُ الْخَبَطَ بِقِسِيِّنَا وَنَسَفُّهُ ثُمَّ نَشْرَبُ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَاءِ حَتَّى سُمِّينَا جَيْشَ الْخَبَطِ ثُمَّ أَجَزْنَا السَّاحِلَ فَإِذَا دَابَّةٌ مِثْلُ الْكَثِيبِ يُقَالُ لَهُ الْعَنْبَرُ فَقَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ مَيْتَةٌ لاَ تَأْكُلُوهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ جَيْشُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ﷻ وَنَحْنُ مُضْطَرُّونَ كُلُوا بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْهُ وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُ وَشِيقَةً وَلَقَدْ جَلَسَ فِي مَوْضِعِ عَيْنِهِ ثَلاَثَةَ عَشَرَ رَجُلاً قَالَ فَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلاَعِهِ فَرَحَلَ بِهِ أَجْسَمَ بَعِيرٍ مِنْ أَبَاعِرِ الْقَوْمِ فَأَجَازَ تَحْتَهُ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَا حَبَسَكُمْ قُلْنَا كُنَّا نَتَّبِعُ عِيرَاتِ قُرَيْشٍ وَذَكَرْنَا لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ الدَّابَّةِ فَقَالَ ذَاكَ رِزْقٌ رَزَقَكُمُوهُ اللَّهُ ﷻ أَمَعَكُمْ مِنْهُ شَىْءٌ قَالَ قُلْنَا نَعَمْ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent us on an expedition and made Abu ‘Ubaidah b. al-Jarrah our leader. We had to meet a caravan of the Quraish. He gave us a bag of dates as a light meal during the journey. We had nothing except that. Abu ‘Ubaidah would give each of us one date. We used to suck them as a child sucks, and drink water after that and it sufficed us that day till night. We used to beat leaves off the trees with our sticks (for food), wetted them with water and ate them. We then went to the coast of the sea. There appeared to us a body like a great mound. When we came to it, we found that it was an animal called al-anbar. Abu ‘Ubaidah said: It is a carrion, and it is not lawful for us. He then said: No, we are the Messengers of the Apostel of Allah ﷺ and we are in the path of Allah. If you are forced by necessity (to eat it), then eat it. We stayed feeding on it for one mouth, till we became fat, and we were three hundred in number. When we came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we mentioned it to him. He said : It is a provision which Allah has brought forth for you, and give us some to eat if you have any meat of it with you. So we sent some of it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he ate (it).  

بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْنَا أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ نَتَلَقَّى عِيرًا لِقُرَيْشٍ وَزَوَّدَنَا جِرَابًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ لَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُ غَيْرَهُ فَكَانَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ يُعْطِينَا تَمْرَةً تَمْرَةً كُنَّا نَمُصُّهَا كَمَا يَمُصُّ الصَّبِيُّ ثُمَّ نَشْرَبُ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ فَتَكْفِينَا يَوْمَنَا إِلَى اللَّيْلِ وَكُنَّا نَضْرِبُ بِعِصِيِّنَا الْخَبَطَ ثُمَّ نَبُلُّهُ بِالْمَاءِ فَنَأْكُلُهُ وَانْطَلَقْنَا عَلَى سَاحِلِ الْبَحْرِ فَرُفِعَ لَنَا كَهَيْئَةِ الْكَثِيبِ الضَّخْمِ فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ دَابَّةٌ تُدْعَى الْعَنْبَرَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ مَيْتَةٌ وَلاَ تَحِلُّ لَنَا ثُمَّ قَالَ لاَ بَلْ نَحْنُ رُسُلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَدِ اضْطُرِرْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ فَكُلُوا فَأَقَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ شَهْرًا وَنَحْنُ ثَلاَثُمِائَةٍ حَتَّى سَمِنَّا فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ هُوَ رِزْقٌ أَخْرَجَهُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ فَهَلْ مَعَكُمْ مِنْ لَحْمِهِ شَىْءٌ فَتُطْعِمُونَا مِنْهُ فَأَرْسَلْنَا مِنْهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَكَلَ  

Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) sent us (on an expedition) and appointed Abu 'Ubaida our chief that we might intercept a caravan of the Quraish and provided us with a bag of dates. And he found for us nothing besides it. Abu Ubaida gave each of us one date (everyday). I (Abu Zubair, one of the narrators) said: What did you do with that? He said: We sucked that just as a baby sucks and then drank water over that, and it sufficed us for the day until night. We beat off leaves with the help of our staffs, then drenched them with water and ate them. We then went to the coast of the sea, and there rose before us on the coast of the sea something like a big mound. We came near that and we found that it was a beast, called al-'Anbar (spermaceti whale). Abu 'Ubaida said. It is dead. He then said: No (but it does not matter), we have been sent by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the path of Allah and you are hard pressed (on account of the scarcity of food), so you eat that. We three hundred in number stayed there for a month, until we grew bulky. He (Jabir) said: I saw how we extracted pitcher after pitcher full of fat from the cavity of its eye, and sliced from it compact piece of meat equal to a bull or like a bull. Abu 'Ubaida called forth thirteen men from us and he made them sit in the cavity of its eye, and he took hold of one of the ribs of its chest and made it stand and then saddled the biggest of the camels we had with us and it passed under it (the arched rib), and we provided ourselves with pieces of boiled meat (especially for use in our journey). When we came back to Medina, we went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and made a mention of that to him, whereupon he said: That was a provision which Allah had brought forth for you. Is there any piece of meat (left) with you, so tnat you give to us that? He (Jabir) said: We sent to Messenger of Allah ﷺ tome of that (a piece of meat) and he ate it. (Using translation from Muslim 1935a)  

بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْنَا أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ يَتَلَقَّى عِيرًا لِقُرَيْشٍ وَزَوَّدَنَا جِرَابَ تَمْرٍ لَمْ يَجِدْ لَنَا غَيْرَهُ فَكَانَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ يُطْعِمُنَا تَمْرَةً تَمْرَةً قُلْتُ فَكَيْفَ كُنْتُمْ تَصْنَعُونَ بِهَا؟ قَالَ نَمُصُّهَا كَمَا يَمُصُّ الصَّبِيُّ ثُمَّ نَشْرَبُ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ فَيَكْفِينَا يَوْمَنَا إِلَى اللَّيْلِ قَالَ وَكُنَّا نَضْرِبُ بِعِصِيِّنَا الْخَبَطَ ثُمَّ نَبُلُّهُ بِالْمَاءِ فَنَأْكُلُهُ قَالَ فَانْطَلَقْنَا فَرُفِعَ لَنَا عَلَى سَاحِلِ الْبَحْرِ كَهَيْئَةِ الْكَثِيبِ الضَّخْمِ فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ دَابَّةٌ تُدْعَى الْعَنْبَرَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ مَيْتَةٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَا نَحْنُ رُسُلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَدِ اضْطُرِرْتُمْ فَكُلُوا قَالَ فَأَقَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ شَهْرًا وَنَحْنُ ثَلَاثُ مِائَةٍ حَتَّى سَمِنَّا وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا نَغْتَرِفُ مِنْ وَقَبِ عَيْنَيْهِ بِالْقِلَالِ وَنَقْطَعُ مِنْهُ الْفِدَرَ كَالثَّوْرِ أَوْ كَقَدْرِ الثَّوْرِ وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ مِنَّا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ رَجُلًا فَأَقْعَدَهُمْ فِي وَقَبِ عَيْنِهِ وَأَخَذَ ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلَاعِهِ فَأَقَامَهَا ثُمَّ أَرْحَلَ أَعْظَمَ بَعِيرٍ مِنَّا فَمَرَّ تَحْتَهَا قَالَ وَتَزَوَّدْنَا مِنْ لَحْمِهِ وَشَائِقَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ «هُوَ رِزْقٌ أَخْرَجَهُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ فَهَلْ مِنْ لَحْمِهِ مَعَكُمْ شَيْءٌ تُطْعِمُونَا؟ » فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِ مِنْهُ فَأَكَلَهُ  

Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) sent us (on an expedition) and appointed Abu 'Ubaida our chief that we might intercept a caravan of the Quraish and provided us with a bag of dates. And he found for us nothing besides it. Abu Ubaida gave each of us one date (everyday). I (Abu Zubair, one of the narrators) said: What did you do with that? He said: We sucked that just as a baby sucks and then drank water over that, and it sufficed us for the day until night. We beat off leaves with the help of our staffs, then drenched them with water and ate them. We then went to the coast of the sea, and there rose before us on the coast of the sea something like a big mound. We came near that and we found that it was a beast, called al-'Anbar (spermaceti whale). Abu 'Ubaida said. It is dead. He then said: No (but it does not matter), we have been sent by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the path of Allah and you are hard pressed (on account of the scarcity of food), so you eat that. We three hundred in number stayed there for a month, until we grew bulky. He (Jabir) said: I saw how we extracted pitcher after pitcher full of fat from the cavity of its eye, and sliced from it compact piece of meat equal to a bull or like a bull. Abu 'Ubaida called forth thirteen men from us and he made them sit in the cavity of its eye, and he took hold of one of the ribs of its chest and made it stand and then saddled the biggest of the camels we had with us and it passed under it (the arched rib), and we provided ourselves with pieces of boiled meat (especially for use in our journey). When we came back to Medina, we went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and made a mention of that to him, whereupon he said: That was a provision which Allah had brought forth for you. Is there any piece of meat (left) with you, so tnat you give to us that? He (Jabir) said: We sent to Messenger of Allah ﷺ tome of that (a piece of meat) and he ate it. (Using translation from Muslim 1935a)   

بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْنَا أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ نَتَلَقَّى عِيرًا لِقُرَيْشٍ وَزَوَّدَنَا جِرَابًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ لَمْ يَجِدْ لَنَا غَيْرَهُ فَكَانَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ يُعْطِينَا تَمْرَةً تَمْرَةً فَقُلْنَا كَيْفَ كُنْتُمْ تَصْنَعُونَ بِهَا؟ قَالَ نَمُصُّهَا كَمَا يَمُصُّ الصَّبِيُّ ثُمَّ نَشْرَبُ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ فَيَكْفِينَا يَوْمَنَا إِلَى اللَّيْلِ وَكُنَّا نَضْرِبُ الْخَبَطَ بِعِصِيِّنَا ثُمَّ نَبُلُّهُ بِالْمَاءِ فَنَأْكُلُهُ فَأَصَبْنَا عَلَى سَاحِلِ الْبَحْرِ مِثْلَ الْكَثِيبِ الضَّخْمِ دَابَّةً تُدْعَى الْعَنْبَرَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ مَيْتَةٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَا بَلْ نَحْنُ رُسُلُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَقَدِ اضْطُرِرْتُمْ فَكُلُوا فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْهُ شَهْرًا وَنَحْنُ ثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ حَتَّى سَمِنَّا وَلَقَدْ كُنَّا نَغْتَرِفُ مِنْ وَقْبِ عَيْنَيْهِ بِالْقِلَالِ الدُّهْنَ وَنَقْطَعُ مِنْهُ الْفِدَرَ كَالثَّوْرِ وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ مِنَّا ثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ رَجُلًا فَأَقَامَهُمْ فِي وَقْبِ عَيْنَيْهِ وَأَخَذَ ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلَاعِهِ فَأَقَامَهَا ثُمَّ رَحَلَ أَعْظَمَ بَعِيرٍ فَمَرَّ تَحْتَهَا وَتَزَوَّدْنَا مِنْ لَحْمِهِ وَشَائِقَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ هُوَ رِزْقٌ