Abu ʿAbdur-Rahman as-Sulami and Hibban bin ʿAtiyyah had a dispute. ʿAbdur-Rahman said to Hibban: I know what made your companion - meaning ʿAli ؓ - audacious. He said: What is it, may you be bereft of your father? He said. Something I heard ʿAli ؓ say. He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me, az-Zubair and Abu Marthad on a mission, and we were all horsemen. He said: ʿGo to Rawdat Khakh, for there you will find a woman who has a letter with her from Hatib bin Abi Baltaʿah to the mushrikeen; bring it to me.ʿ So we went on our horses until we caught up with her where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had told us, travelling on a camel of hers. He [Hatib] had written to the people of Makkah, telling them about the march of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. We said to her. Where is the letter you have with you? She said: I do not have any letter. We made her camel kneel down and searched her luggage for it, but we did not find anything. My two companions said: We do not see any letter with her, I said: You know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not tell a lie. Then I swore: By the One by whom oaths are sworn, you will give us the letter or we will remove your clothes. She stretched out her hand to her girdle, which was wrapped around her, and brought out the letter. I brought it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and they said: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he has betrayed Allah and His Messenger and the believers; let me strike his neck. He said: ʿO Hatib, what made you do what you did?ʿ He said: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, by Allah, it is not that I do not believe in Allah and His Messenger, but I wanted to do a favour for the people by means of which Allah might protect my family and my property, for every one of your Companions has some of his people there through whom Allah will protect his family and his property. He said: You have spoken the truth, do not say anything to him but good.ʿ ʻUmar said: O, Messenger of Allah, he betrayed Allah and His Messenger and the believers, let me strike his neck. He said. ʿls he not one of the people of Badr? How do you know? Perhaps Allah looked upon them and said. “Do what you like, for Paradise is guaranteed for you.ʻʼ ʻUmarʻs eyes filled with tears and he said: Allah, may He be exalted, and His Messenger know best.
أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ لِحِبَّانَ قَدْ عَلِمْتُ مَا الَّذِي جَرَّأَ صَاحِبَكَ يَعْنِي عَلِيًّا قَالَ فَمَا هُوَ لَا أَبَا لَكَ؟ قَالَ قَوْلٌ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُهُ قَالَ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَالزُّبَيْرَ وَأَبَا مَرْثَدٍ وَكُلُّنَا فَارِسٌ قَالَ انْطَلِقُوا حَتَّى تَبْلُغُوا رَوْضَةَ خَاخٍ فَإِنَّ فِيهَا امْرَأَةً مَعَهَا صَحِيفَةٌ مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَأْتُونِي بِهَا فَانْطَلَقْنَا عَلَى أَفْرَاسِنَا حَتَّى أَدْرَكْنَاهَا حَيْثُ قَالَ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ تَسِيرُ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ لَهَا قَالَ وَكَانَ كَتَبَ إِلَى أَهْلِ مَكَّةَبِمَسِيرِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْنَا لَهَا أَيْنَ الْكِتَابُ الَّذِي مَعَكِ؟ قَالَتْ مَا مَعِي كِتَابٌ فَأَنَخْنَا بِهَا بَعِيرَهَا فَابْتَغَيْنَا فِي رَحْلِهَا فَلَمْ نَجِدْ فِيهِ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ صَاحِبَايَ مَا نَرَى مَعَهَا كِتَابًا فَقُلْتُ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمَا مَا كَذَبَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ ثُمَّ حَلَفْتُ وَالَّذِي أَحْلِفُ بِهِ لَئِنْ لَمْ تُخْرِجِي الْكِتَابَ لاجَرِّدَنَّكِ فَأَهْوَتْ إِلَى حُجْزَتِهَا وَهِيَ مُحْتَجِزَةٌ بِكِسَاءٍ فَأَخْرَجَتِ الصَّحِيفَةَ فَأَتَوْا بِهَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَدْ خَانَ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ دَعْنِي أَضْرِبْ عُنُقَهُ قَالَ يَا حَاطِبُ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ؟ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ وَاللهِ مَا بِي أَنْ لَا أَكُونَ مُؤْمِنًا بِاللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَلَكِنِّي أَرَدْتُ أَنْ تَكُونَ لِي عِنْدَ الْقَوْمِ يَدٌ يَدْفَعُ اللهُ بِهَا عَنْ أَهْلِي وَمَالِي وَلَمْ يَكُنْ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ إِلَّا لَهُ هُنَاكَ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ مَنْ يَدْفَعُ اللهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ عَنْ أَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ قَالَ صَدَقْتَ فَلا تَقُولُوا لَهُ إِلا خَيْرًا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّهُ قَدْ خَانَ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ دَعْنِي أَضْرِبْ عُنُقَهُ قَالَ أَوَلَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ؟ وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ اللهَ ﷻ اطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَقَدْ وَجَبَتْ لَكُمِ الْجَنَّةُ فَاغْرَوْرَقَتْ عَيْنَا عُمَرَ وَقَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ