The severe hunger of the early Muslims

I was one of (the first) seven (who had embraced Islam) with Messenger of Allah ﷺ and we had nothing to eat then, except the leaves of the Habala or Hubula tree, so that our stool used to be similar to that of sheep. Now the tribe of Bani Asad wants to teach me Islam; I would be a loser and all my efforts would be in vain (if I learn Islam anew from them).

رَأَيْتُنِي سَابِعَ سَبْعَةٍ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مَا لَنَا طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ وَرَقُ الْحُبْلَةِ أَوِ الْحَبَلَةِ حَتَّى يَضَعَ أَحَدُنَا مَا تَضَعُ الشَّاةُ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحَتْ بَنُو أَسَدٍ تُعَزِّرُنِي عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ خَسِرْتُ إِذًا وَضَلَّ سَعْيِي

I was the first man among the Arabs to throw an arrow for Allah's Cause. We used to fight in Allah's Cause while we had nothing to eat except the leaves of the Hubla and the Sumur trees (desert trees) so that we discharged excrement like that of sheep (i.e. unmixed droppings). Today the (people of the) tribe of Bani Asad teach me the laws of Islam. If so, then I am lost, and all my efforts of that hard time had gone in vain.

سَمِعْتُ سَعْدًا يَقُولُ إِنِّي لأَوَّلُ الْعَرَبِ رَمَى بِسَهْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَرَأَيْتُنَا نَغْزُو وَمَا لَنَا طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ وَرَقُ الْحُبْلَةِ وَهَذَا السَّمُرُ وَإِنَّ أَحَدَنَا لَيَضَعُ كَمَا تَضَعُ الشَّاةُ مَا لَهُ خِلْطٌ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحَتْ بَنُو أَسَدٍ تُعَزِّرُنِي عَلَى الإِسْلاَمِ خِبْتُ إِذًا وَضَلَّ سَعْيِي

"I was the first man among the Arabs to shoot an arrow in Allah's cause. I saw that we battled along with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and there was no food for us but Al-Hubla and this Samur, such that one of us would leave droppings like the droppings of a sheep. Then Banu Asad appeared wanting to instruct me in religion. I would be a loser and have wasted my efforts."

سَمِعْتُ سَعْدَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ إِنِّي أَوَّلُ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ رَمَى بِسَهْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا نَغْزُو مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَمَا لَنَا طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ الْحُبُلَةَ وَهَذَا السَّمُرَ حَتَّى إِنَّ أَحَدَنَا لَيَضَعُ كَمَا تَضَعُ الشَّاةُ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحَتْ بَنُو أَسَدٍ يُعَزِّرُونِي فِي الدِّينِ لَقَدْ خِبْتُ إِذًا وَضَلَّ عَمَلِي

By Allah, I am the first person amongst the Arabs to throw an arrow in the cause of Allah and we used to go with Messenger of Allah ﷺ and there was no food for us to eat but only the leaves of hubla and samur trees (they are wild trees) and as a result thereof one amongst us would relieve himself as does the goat. (How strange it is) that now the people of Banu Asad (the progeny of Zubair) instruct me in religion and try to impose punishment upon me (in regard to it). If it is so (that I am so ignorant of religion), then indeed, I am undone and my deeds have been lost. Ibn Numair, however, did not make a mention of the word (idhan) thus? (in his narration). (Using translation from Muslim 2966a)

قَالَسَمِعْتُ سَعْدَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ وَاللهِ إِنِّي لأوَّلُ الْعَرَبِ رَمَى بِسَهْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ لَقَدْ كُنَّا نَغْزُو مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَمَا لَنَا طَعَامٌ نَأْكُلُهُ إِلا وَرَقَ الْحُبْلَةِ وَهَذَا السَّمُرَ حَتَّى إِنَّ أَحَدَنَا لَيَضَعُ كَمَا تَضَعُ الشَّاةُ مَا لَهُ خِلْطٌ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحَتْ بَنُو أَسَدٍ يُعَزِّرُونِي عَلَى الدِّينِ لَقَدْ خِبْتُ إِذَنْ وَضَلَّ عَمَلِي

"I was the first man among the Arabs to shoot an arrow in Allah's cause. I saw that we battled along with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and there was no food for us but Al-Hubla and this Samur, such that one of us would leave droppings like the droppings of a sheep. Then Banu Asad appeared wanting to instruct me in religion. I would be a loser and have wasted my efforts." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 2366)

سَمِعْتُ سَعْدَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ إِنِّي لأوَّلُ الْعَرَبِ رَمَى بِسَهْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا نَغْزُو مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَمَا لَنَا طَعَامٌ نَأْكُلُهُ إِلا وَرَقَ الْحُبْلَةِ وَهَذَا السَّمُرَ حَتَّى إِنَّ أَحَدَنَا لَيَضَعُ كَمَا تَضَعُ الشَّاةُ مَا لَهُخِلْطٌ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحَتْ بَنُو أَسَدٍ يُعَزِّرُونِي عَلَى الدِّينِ لَقَدْ خِبْتُ إِذَنْ وَضَلَّ عَمَلِي

[Machine] "We used to go on military expeditions with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with no food except for dates and the leaves of Hurbah, to the extent that one of us would place his hand on his stomach like a sheep because of hunger. Then, the Banu Asad became strong and they started to oppress me. I felt weak and my work was lost."

«كُنَّا نَغْزُو مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا لَنَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا هَذَا السَّمُرُ وَوَرَقُ الْحُبْلَةِ حَتَّى إِنَّ أَحَدَنَا لَيَضَعُ كَمَا تَضَعُ الشَّاةُ مَا لَهُ خِلْطٌ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحَتْ بَنُو أَسَدٍ يُعَزِّرُونِي لَقَدْ خِبْتُ إِذَنْ وَضَلَّ عَمَلِي»

[Machine] "I have seen us with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ seven times where we had no food except for the leaves of the hablata, to the point that one of us would place it on the ground like a sheep would do."

«لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ سَابِعَ سَبْعَةٍ مَا لَنَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا وَرَقُ الْحَبَلَةِ حَتَّى إِنَّ أَحَدَا لَيَضَعُ كَمَا تَضَعُ الشَّاةُ»