"Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent an army towards the east coast and appointed Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah as their chief, and the army consisted of three-hundred men including myself. We marched on till we reached a place where our food was about to finish. Abu- 'Ubaida ordered us to collect all the journey food and it was collected. My (our) journey food was dates. Abu 'Ubaida kept on giving us our daily ration in small amounts from it, till it was exhausted. The share of everyone of us used to be one date only." I said, "How could one date benefit you?" Jabir replied, "We came to know its value when even that too finished." Jabir added, "When we reached the sea-shore, we saw a huge fish which was like a small mountain. The army ate from it for eighteen days. Then Abu 'Ubaida ordered that two of its ribs be fixed and they were fixed in the ground. Then he ordered that a she-camel be ridden and it passed under the two ribs (forming an arch) without touching them."  

أَنَّهُ قَالَ بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْثًا قِبَلَ السَّاحِلِ فَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ وَهُمْ ثَلاَثُمِائَةٍ وَأَنَا فِيهِمْ فَخَرَجْنَا حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا بِبَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ فَنِيَ الزَّادُ فَأَمَرَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بِأَزْوَادِ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشِ فَجُمِعَ ذَلِكَ كُلُّهُ فَكَانَ مِزْوَدَىْ تَمْرٍ فَكَانَ يُقَوِّتُنَا كُلَّ يَوْمٍ قَلِيلاً قَلِيلاً حَتَّى فَنِيَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُصِيبُنَا إِلاَّ تَمْرَةٌ تَمْرَةٌ فَقُلْتُ وَمَا تُغْنِي تَمْرَةٌ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهَا حِينَ فَنِيَتْ قَالَ ثُمَّ انْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى الْبَحْرِ فَإِذَا حُوتٌ مِثْلُ الظَّرِبِ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشُ ثَمَانِيَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ أَمَرَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بِضِلَعَيْنِ مِنْ أَضْلاَعِهِ فَنُصِبَا ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِرَاحِلَةٍ فَرُحِلَتْ ثُمَّ مَرَّتْ تَحْتَهُمَا فَلَمْ تُصِبْهُمَا  

Jabir bin ʿAbdullah said, "Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent troops to the sea coast and appointed Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah as their commander, and they were 300 (men). We set out, and we had covered some distance on the way, when our journey food ran short. So Abu 'Ubaida ordered that all the food present with the troops be collected, and it was collected. Our journey food was dates, and Abu Ubaida kept on giving us our daily ration from it little by little (piecemeal) till it decreased to such an extent that we did not receive except a date each." I asked (Jabir), "How could one date benefit you?" He said, "We came to know its value when even that finished." Jabir added, "Then we reached the sea (coast) where we found a fish like a small mountain. The people (i.e. troops) ate of it for 18 nights (i.e. days). Then Abu 'Ubaida ordered that two of its ribs be fixed on the ground (in the form of an arch) and that a she-camel be ridden and passed under them. So it passed under them without touching them."  

أَنَّهُ قَالَ بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْثًا قِبَلَ السَّاحِلِ وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ وَهُمْ ثَلاَثُمِائَةٍ فَخَرَجْنَا وَكُنَّا بِبَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ فَنِيَ الزَّادُ فَأَمَرَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بِأَزْوَادِ الْجَيْشِ فَجُمِعَ فَكَانَ مِزْوَدَىْ تَمْرٍ فَكَانَ يَقُوتُنَا كُلَّ يَوْمٍ قَلِيلٌ قَلِيلٌ حَتَّى فَنِيَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُصِيبُنَا إِلاَّ تَمْرَةٌ تَمْرَةٌ فَقُلْتُ مَا تُغْنِي عَنْكُمْ تَمْرَةٌ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهَا حِينَ فَنِيَتْ ثُمَّ انْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى الْبَحْرِ فَإِذَا حُوتٌ مِثْلُ الظَّرِبِ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهَا الْقَوْمُ ثَمَانَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ أَمَرَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بِضِلَعَيْنِ مِنْ أَضْلاَعِهِ فَنُصِبَا ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِرَاحِلَةٍ فَرُحِلَتْ ثُمَّ مَرَّتْ تَحْتَهُمَا فَلَمْ تُصِبْهُمَا  

Yahya related to me from Malik from Wahb ibn Kaysan that Jabir ibn Abdullah said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a delegation to the coast. Abu Ubayda ibn al- Jarrah was in command of them. There were 300 people and I was among them. We went out until we had gone part of the way and our provisions were finished. Abu Ubayda ordered that the provisions of the army be gathered up and they amounted to two containers of dates. He used to give us a little provision from it each day until it was finished, and we used to have only a single date each. I said, 'What use is one date?' He said, 'We will certainly feel its loss when they are finished.' " Jabir continued, "Then we reached the sea and there was a fish like a small mountain. The army ate from it for eighteen nights. Then Abu Ubayda ordered two ribs from it to be set up. Then he commanded that a camel be ridden underneath them and it did not touch them."  

أَنَّهُ قَالَ بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْثًا قِبَلَ السَّاحِلِ فَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ وَهُمْ ثَلاَثُمِائَةٍ قَالَ وَأَنَا فِيهِمْ قَالَ فَخَرَجْنَا حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا بِبَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ فَنِيَ الزَّادُ فَأَمَرَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بِأَزْوَادِ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشِ فَجُمِعَ ذَلِكَ كُلُّهُ فَكَانَ مِزْوَدَىْ تَمْرٍ قَالَ فَكَانَ يُقَوِّتُنَاهُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ قَلِيلاً قَلِيلاً حَتَّى فَنِيَ وَلَمْ تُصِبْنَا إِلاَّ تَمْرَةٌ تَمْرَةٌ فَقُلْتُ وَمَا تُغْنِي تَمْرَةٌ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهَا حِينَ فَنِيَتْ قَالَ ثُمَّ انْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى الْبَحْرِ فَإِذَا حُوتٌ مِثْلُ الظَّرِبِ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشُ ثَمَانِيَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ أَمَرَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بِضِلَعَيْنِ مِنْ أَضْلاَعِهِ فَنُصِبَا ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِرَاحِلَةٍ فَرُحِلَتْ ثُمَّ مَرَّتْ تَحْتَهُمَا وَلَمْ تُصِبْهُمَا  

[Machine] He informed him that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a raiding party of three hundred men, and he appointed Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah as their leader. We ran out of provisions, so Abu Ubaidah gathered our supplies and put them in a container, and our only sustenance was one date per day. A man said to him, "O Abu Abdullah, how can one date suffice for you?" He replied, "We have found satisfaction in its absence when it is gone. We even reached the shore and came across a whale as big as a mountain. Abu Ubaidah ordered the army to eat from it, and they ate from it for eighteen nights. Then, Abu Ubaidah took two ribs from it and tied them up, and he ordered for a camel to be prepared, and we rode on it. As it passed underneath the whale, nothing touched it."  

أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ بَعَثَ سَرِيَّةً ثَلَاثَ مِائَةٍ وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ فَنَفِدَ زَادُنَا فَجَمَعَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ زَادَهُمْ فَجَعَلَهُ فِي مِزْوَدٍ فَكَانَ يَقُوتُنَا حَتَّى كَانَ يُصِيبُنَا كُلَّ يَوْمٍ تَمْرَةٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ وَمَا كَانَتْ تُغْنِي عَنْكُمْ تَمْرَةٌ؟ قَالَ قَدْ وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهَا حِينَ ذَهَبَتْ حَتَّى انْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى السَّاحِلِ فَإِذَا حُوتٌ مِثْلُ الظَّرِبِ الْعَظِيمِ قَالَ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشُ ثَمَانِيَ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ أَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ضِلَعَيْنِ مِنْ أَضْلَاعِهِ فَنَصَبَهُمَا ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِرَاحِلَةٍ فَرُحِلَتْ فَمَرَّتْ تَحْتَهُمَا فَلَمْ يُصِبْهَا شَيْءٌ  

"Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent an army towards the east coast and appointed Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah as their chief, and the army consisted of three-hundred men including myself. We marched on till we reached a place where our food was about to finish. Abu- 'Ubaida ordered us to collect all the journey food and it was collected. My (our) journey food was dates. Abu 'Ubaida kept on giving us our daily ration in small amounts from it, till it was exhausted. The share of everyone of us used to be one date only." I said, "How could one date benefit you?" Jabir replied, "We came to know its value when even that too finished." Jabir added, "When we reached the sea-shore, we saw a huge fish which was like a small mountain. The army ate from it for eighteen days. Then Abu 'Ubaida ordered that two of its ribs be fixed and they were fixed in the ground. Then he ordered that a she-camel be ridden and it passed under the two ribs (forming an arch) without touching them." (Using translation from Bukhārī 2483)  

أَنَّهُ قَالَ «بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْثًا قِبَلَ السَّاحِلِ وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْنَا أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ وَهُمْ ثَلَاثُ مِائَةٍ وَأَنَا فِيهِمْ قَالَ فَخَرَجْنَا حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا بِبَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ فَنِيَ الزَّادُ فَأَمَرَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بِأَزْوَادِ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشِ فَجُمِعَ كُلُّهُ فَكَانَ مِزْوَدَ تَمْرٍ فَكَانَ يُقَوِّتُنَا كُلَّ يَوْمٍ قَلِيلًا قَلِيلًا حَتَّى فَنِيَ وَلَمْ يُصِبْنَا إِلَّا تَمْرَةً تَمْرَةً فَقُلْتُ وَمَا تُغْنِي تَمْرَةٌ قَالَ لَقَدْ وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهَا حَيْثُ فَنِيَتْ قَالَ ثُمَّ انْتَهَى إِلَى الْبَحْرِ فَإِذَا حُوتٌ مِثْلُ الظَّرِبِ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشُ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ أَمَرَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بِضِلْعَيْنِ مِنْ أَضْلَاعِهِ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِرَاحِلَةٍ فَرُحِّلَتْ ثُمَّ مَرَّتْ تَحْتَهُمَا وَلَمْ تُصِبْهُمَا»  

"Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent an army towards the east coast and appointed Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah as their chief, and the army consisted of three-hundred men including myself. We marched on till we reached a place where our food was about to finish. Abu- 'Ubaida ordered us to collect all the journey food and it was collected. My (our) journey food was dates. Abu 'Ubaida kept on giving us our daily ration in small amounts from it, till it was exhausted. The share of everyone of us used to be one date only." I said, "How could one date benefit you?" Jabir replied, "We came to know its value when even that too finished." Jabir added, "When we reached the sea-shore, we saw a huge fish which was like a small mountain. The army ate from it for eighteen days. Then Abu 'Ubaida ordered that two of its ribs be fixed and they were fixed in the ground. Then he ordered that a she-camel be ridden and it passed under the two ribs (forming an arch) without touching them." (Using translation from Bukhārī 2483)  

بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَعْثًا قِبَلَ السَّاحِلِ فَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ وَهُمْ ثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ وَأَنَا فِيهِمْ فَخَرَجْنَا حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا بِبَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ فَنِيَ الزَّادُ فَأَمَرَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ بِأَزْوَادِ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشِ فَجَمَعَ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ فَكَانَ مِزْوَدِي تَمْرٌ كَانَ يَقُوتُنَاهُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ قَلِيلًا قَلِيلًا حَتَّى فَنِيَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُصِيبُنَا إِلَّا تَمْرَةً تَمْرَةً فَقُلْتُ «وَمَا تُغْنِي تَمْرَةٌ» قَالَ «لَقَدْ وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهَا حِينَ فَنِيَتْ ثُمَّ انْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى الْبَحْرِ فَإِذَا حُوتٌ مِثْلُ الضَّرْبِ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهُ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشُ ثَمَانِ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ أَمَرَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بِضِلْعَيْنِ مِنْ أَضْلَاعِهِ فَنُصِبَا ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِرَاحِلَةٍ فَرَحَلَتْ ثُمَّ مَرَّتْ تَحْتَهُمَا وَلَمْ تُصِبْهُمَا»