My uncle Anas b. al-Nadr was absent from the battle of Badr, so he said, “O Messenger of Allah, I was absent from the first battle in which you fought the polytheists. If Allah lets me witness fighting the polytheists, Allah will surely see what I will do.”

Then, when it was the day of Uhud and the Muslims were driven back, he said, “O Allah, I apologize to You for what these have done”—meaning his companions—“and I dissociate myself before You from what these have done”—meaning the polytheists. Then he advanced, and Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh met him. He said, “O Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh, (to) Paradise—by the Lord of al-Nadr! I can smell its fragrance from before Uhud.” Sa‘d said, “O Messenger of Allah, I could not do what he did.”

Anas said, “We found on him more than eighty wounds: sword strikes, spear thrusts, or arrow shots. We found him killed, and the polytheists had mutilated him. No one recognized him except his sister, by his fingertips.” Anas said, “We used to think—or we supposed—that this verse was revealed about him and those like him: ‘Among the believers are men who have been true to what they pledged to Allah…’ to the end of the verse.”

He also said that his sister—whose name was al-Rubayyi‘—broke a woman’s incisor tooth, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered qisas (a retaliatory penalty). Anas said, “O Messenger of Allah, by the One who sent you with the truth, her incisor shall not be broken.” So they accepted compensation and left the penalty. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Indeed among Allah’s servants are those who, if they were to swear an oath by Allah, He would fulfill it for them.”

غَابَ عَمِّي أَنَسُ بْنُ النَّضْرِ عَنْ قِتَالِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ غِبْتُ عَنْ أَوَّلِ قِتَالٍ قَاتَلْتَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ لَئِنِ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدَنِي قِتَالَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ لَيَرَيَنَّ اللَّهُ مَا أَصْنَعُ.

فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ أُحُدٍ وَانْكَشَفَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعْتَذِرُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا صَنَعَ هَؤُلاَءِ يَعْنِي أَصْحَابَهُ وَأَبْرَأُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا صَنَعَ هَؤُلاَءِ - يَعْنِي الْمُشْرِكِينَ - ثُمَّ تَقَدَّمَ فَاسْتَقْبَلَهُ سَعْدُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ. فَقَالَ: يَا سَعْدُ بْنَ مُعَاذٍ الْجَنَّةَ وَرَبِّ النَّضْرِ إِنِّي أَجِدُ رِيحَهَا مِنْ دُونِ أُحُدٍ. قَالَ سَعْدٌ: فَمَا اسْتَطَعْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا صَنَعَ.

قَالَ أَنَسٌ: فَوَجَدْنَا بِهِ بِضْعًا وَثَمَانِينَ ضَرْبَةً بِالسَّيْفِ أَوْ طَعْنَةً بِرُمْحٍ أَوْ رَمْيَةً بِسَهْمٍ وَوَجَدْنَاهُ قَدْ قُتِلَ وَقَدْ مَثَّلَ بِهِ الْمُشْرِكُونَ فَمَا عَرَفَهُ أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ أُخْتُهُ بِبَنَانِهِ. قَالَ أَنَسٌ: كُنَّا نَرَى أَوْ نَظُنُّ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ نَزَلَتْ فِيهِ وَفِي أَشْبَاهِهِ {مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ } إِلَى آخِرِ الآيَةِ

وَقَالَ إِنَّ أُخْتَهُ وَهْىَ تُسَمَّى الرُّبَيِّعَ كَسَرَتْ ثَنِيَّةَ امْرَأَةٍ فَأَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالْقِصَاصِ فَقَالَ أَنَسٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ لاَ تُكْسَرُ ثَنِيَّتُهَا فَرَضُوا بِالأَرْشِ وَتَرَكُوا الْقِصَاصَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «إِنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ مَنْ لَوْ أَقْسَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ لأَبَرَّهُ»

His uncle (Anas bin An-Nadr) was absent from the battle of Badr and he said, "I was absent from the first battle of the Prophet (i.e. Badr battle), and if Allah should let me participate in (a battle) with the Prophet, Allah will see how strongly I will fight." So he encountered the day of Uhud battle. The Muslims fled and he said, "O Allah ! I appeal to You to excuse me for what these people (i.e. the Muslims) have done, and I am clear from what the pagans have done." Then he went forward with his sword and met Sad bin Mu'adh (fleeing), and asked him, "Where are you going, O Sad? I detect a smell of Paradise before Uhud." Then he proceeded on and was martyred. No-body was able to recognize him till his sister recognized him by a mole on his body or by the tips of his fingers. He had over 80 wounds caused by stabbing, striking or shooting with arrows.

عَنْ أَوَّلِ قِتَالِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لَئِنْ أَشْهَدَنِي اللَّهُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لَيَرَيَنَّ اللَّهُ مَا أُجِدُّ فَلَقِيَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ فَهُزِمَ النَّاسُ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعْتَذِرُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا صَنَعَ هَؤُلاَءِ يَعْنِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَبْرَأُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا جَاءَ بِهِ الْمُشْرِكُونَ فَتَقَدَّمَ بِسَيْفِهِ فَلَقِيَ سَعْدَ بْنَ مُعَاذٍ فَقَالَ أَيْنَ يَا سَعْدُ إِنِّي أَجِدُ رِيحَ الْجَنَّةِ دُونَ أُحُدٍ فَمَضَى فَقُتِلَ فَمَا عُرِفَ حَتَّى عَرَفَتْهُ أُخْتُهُ بِشَامَةٍ أَوْ بِبَنَانِهِ وَبِهِ بِضْعٌ وَثَمَانُونَ مِنْ طَعْنَةٍ وَضَرْبَةٍ وَرَمْيَةٍ بِسَهْمٍ

"My paternal uncle was absent from the fighting of Badr, so he said: 'I was absent from the first fight the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fought with idolaters, so if Allah grants me to participate in a fight with the idolaters, then Allah will see what I will do!' So on the Day of Uhud, when the Muslims were driven back he said: 'O Allah! Indeed I am innocent before you of what these people - meaning the idolaters - have done, and I beg of You to excuse these people for what they have done - meaning the Companions. Then he went forward and met up with Sa'd. He said: 'O my brother! Whatever you do, I am with you!' But he was not able to do the same as him. He was found with more than eighty wounds, between blows with the sword, thrusts of a spear, or arrow wounds. We would say: 'It was about him and his companions that (the following) was revealed: 'Of them some have fulfilled their vow, and some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed in the least (33:23). (One of the narrators) Yazid said: "Meaning this Ayah."

عَنْ أَوَّلِ قِتَالٍ قَاتَلَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمُشْرِكِينَ لَئِنِ اللَّهُ أَشْهَدَنِي قِتَالاً لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ لَيَرَيَنَّ اللَّهُ كَيْفَ أَصْنَعُ فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ أُحُدٍ انْكَشَفَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَبْرَأُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا جَاءَ بِهِ هَؤُلاَءِ يَعْنِي الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَأَعْتَذِرُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا يَصْنَعُ هَؤُلاَءِ يَعْنِي أَصْحَابَهُ ثُمَّ تَقَدَّمَ فَلَقِيَهُ سَعْدٌ فَقَالَ يَا أَخِي مَا فَعَلْتَ أَنَا مَعَكَ فَلَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ أَصْنَعَ مَا صَنَعَ فَوُجِدَ فِيهِ بِضْعٌ وَثَمَانُونَ مِنْ ضَرْبَةٍ بِسَيْفٍ وَطَعْنَةٍ بِرُمْحٍ وَرَمْيَةٍ بِسَهْمٍ فَكُنَّا نَقُولُ فِيهِ وَفِي أَصْحَابِهِ نَزَلَتْ (فمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَضَى نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ ) قَالَ يَزِيدُ يَعْنِي هَذِهِ الآيَةَ

"My paternal uncle was absent from the fighting of Badr, so he said: 'I was absent from the first fight the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fought with idolaters, so if Allah grants me to participate in a fight with the idolaters, then Allah will see what I will do!' So on the Day of Uhud, when the Muslims were driven back he said: 'O Allah! Indeed I am innocent before you of what these people - meaning the idolaters - have done, and I beg of You to excuse these people for what they have done - meaning the Companions. Then he went forward and met up with Sa'd. He said: 'O my brother! Whatever you do, I am with you!' But he was not able to do the same as him. He was found with more than eighty wounds, between blows with the sword, thrusts of a spear, or arrow wounds. We would say: 'It was about him and his companions that (the following) was revealed: 'Of them some have fulfilled their vow, and some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed in the least (33:23). (One of the narrators) Yazid said: "Meaning this Ayah." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 3201)

عَنْ أَوَّلِ قِتَالٍ قَاتَلَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ الْمُشْرِكِينَ لَئِنِ اللهُ أَشْهَدَنِي قِتَالًا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ لَيَرَيَنَّ اللهُ مَا أَصْنَعُ فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ أُحُدٍ انْكَشَفَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فَقَالَ اللهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعْتَذِرُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا صَنَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ يَعْنِي أَصْحَابَهُ وَأَبْرَأُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا جَاءَ بِهِ هَؤُلَاءِ يَعْنِي الْمُشْرِكِينَ ثُمَّ تَقَدَّمَ فَلَقِيَهُ سَعْدٌ لِأُخْرَاهَا دُونَ أُحُدٍ وَقَالَ يَزِيدُ بِبَغْدَادَ بِأُخْرَاهَا دُونَ أُحُدٍ فَقَالَ سَعْدٌ أَنَا مَعَكَ قَالَ سَعْدٌ فَلَمْ أَسْتَطِعْ أَنْ أَصْنَعَ مَا صَنَعَ فَوُجِدَ فِيهِ بِضْعٌ وَثَمَانُونَ مِنْ بَيْنِ ضَرْبَةٍ بِسَيْفٍ وَطَعْنَةٍ بِرُمْحٍ وَرَمْيَةٍ بِسَهْمٍ قَالَ فَكُنَّا نَقُولُ فِيهِ وَفِي أَصْحَابِهِ نَزَلَتْ {فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَضَى نَحْبَهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ} [الأحزاب 23]

[Machine] About the first battle of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ against the pagans, when they said: "If Allah witnesses me with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , Allah will see what I will do." And when it was the day of Uhud, he met the pagans and the people were defeated, so he said, "O Allah, I apologize to you for what these Muslims did, and I declare my innocence to you from what these pagans have done." Then he took a sword and met Sa'd bin Muadh and said, "O Sa'd, indeed, I can smell the fragrance of Paradise from Uhud." So he went and was killed and he was not recognized until his sister recognized him by his beautiful face, and he had been stabbed eighty-two times with a spear, struck with a sword, and shot with an arrow.

عَنْ أَوَّلِ قِتَالِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ الْمُشْرِكِينَ لَئِنْ أَشْهَدَنِي اللهُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ لَيَرَيَنَّ اللهُ مَا أَصْنَعُ» فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ أُحُدٍ لَقِيَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَهُزِمَ النَّاسُ فَقَالَ «اللهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعْتَذِرُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا صَنَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ يَعْنِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَبْرَأُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا جَاءَ بِهِ هَؤُلَاءِ» يَعْنِي الْمُشْرِكِينَ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ السَّيْفَ فَلَقِيَ سَعْدَ بْنَ مُعَاذٍ فَقَالَ «أَيْ سَعْدُ إِنِّي لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ الْجَنَّةِ دُونَ أُحُدٍ» فَمَضَى فَقُتِلَ فَمَا عُرِفَ حَتَّى عَرَفَتْهُ أُخْتُهُ مِنْ حُسْنِ بَنَانِهِ وَإِذَا بِهِ بِضْعٌ وَثَمَانُونَ مِنْ طَعْنَةٍ بِرُمْحٍ وَضَرْبَةٍ بِسَيْفٍ وَرَمْيَةٍ بِسَهْمٍ

[Machine] About the first battle fought by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ against the polytheists, he said, "If Allah witnesses me in a battle, He will show what I am capable of." So on the day of Uhud, the Muslims were exposed, and he said, "O Allah, I apologize to You for what these people, referring to the polytheists, have done, and I excuse myself to You for what these people, referring to the Muslims, have done." Then he walked with his sword and met Sad bin Muadh, who said, "Who is Sad? By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, I can smell the fragrance of Paradise from Uhud." Sad said, "What could I do, O Messenger of Allah, when I saw what happened?" So we found him among the dead with eighty-two wounds from sword strikes, spear stabs, and arrow shots. His sister recognized him by his wounds. Anas said, "We used to say that this verse was revealed about him and his companions." In my book, it is mentioned that Anas bin An-Nadr said this.

عَنْ أَوَّلِ قِتَالٍ قَاتَلَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الْمُشْرِكِينَ لَئِنْ أَشْهَدَنِي اللهُ قِتَالًا لَيَرَيَنَّ اللهُ مَا أَصْنَعُ فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ أُحُدٍ انْكَشَفَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فَقَالَ اللهُمَّ إِنِّي أَبْرَأُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا جَاءَ بِهِ هَؤُلَاءِ يَعْنِي الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَأَعْتَذِرُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا صَنَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ يَعْنِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ ثُمَّ مَشَى بِسَيْفِهِ فَلَقِيَهُ سَعْدُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ فَقَالَ أَيْ سَعْدٌ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنِّي لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ الْجِنَّةِ دُونَ أُحُدٍ وَاهًا لِرِيحِ الْجَنَّةِ قَالَ سَعْدٌ فَمَا اسْتَطَعْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا صَنَعَ فَوَجَدْنَاهُ بَيْنَ الْقَتْلَى وَبِهِ بِضْعٌ وَثَمَانُونَ جِرَاحَةً مِنْ ضَرْبَةٍ بِسَيْفٍ وَطَعْنَةٍ بِرُمْحٍ وَرَمْيَةٍ بِسَهْمٍ وَقَدْ مَثَّلُوا بِهِ حَتَّى عَرَفَتْهُ أُخْتُهُ بِبَنَانِهِ قَالَ أَنَسٌ كُنَّا نَقُولُ أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ {مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللهَ عَلَيْهِ} [الأحزاب 23] فِيهِ وَفِي أَصْحَابِهِ كَذَا فِي كِتَابِي وَالصَّوَابُ أَنَسُ بْنُ النَّضْرِ

"غَابَ عَمِّى أنَسُ بْنُ النَّضْرِ عَنْ قِتَالِ بَدْرٍ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ قَالَ: غِبْتُ عَنْ أوَّل قِتَالٍ قَاتَلَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ المُشْرِكِينَ لَئنْ أَشْهَدَنى الله قِتَالًا لَيَريَنَّ الله مَا أصْنَعُ؛ فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ أُحُدٍ انْكَشَفَ النَّاسُ، فَقَال: الَّلهُمَّ إِنِّى أَبْرَأُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا جَاءَ بِهِ هَؤُلاَءِ، يَعْنِى المُشْرِكِينَ، وَأَعْتَذِرُ إِليْكَ مِمّا صنع هؤلاء يعنى المسلمين، ثم مشى بسيفه فلقيه سَعْدُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ فَقَالَ: أىْ سَعْدُ: وَالَّذِى نَفْسِى بِيَدِهِ إِنِّى لأجِد ريح الجنة دون أحد وَاهًا لِرِيح الجَنَّةِ ()،

قَالَ سَعْدٌ: فَمَا اسْتَطَعْتُ يَا رَسُولَ الله مَا صَنَعَ، قَالَ أَنَسٌ: فَوَجَدْنَاهُ بَيْنَ القَتْلَي بِهِ بِضْعٌ وَثَمَانُونَ مِنْ بَيْن ( ) ضَرْبَة بِسَيْفٍ، وَطَعْنَةٍ بِرُمْحٍ، وَرَمْيَة بِسَهْمٍ، قَدْ مَثَّلُوا به فَمَا عَرَفْنَاهُ حَتَّى عَرَفَتْهُ أُخْتُهُ بِبَنَانِهِ، قَال أنَسٌ: كُلُّنا نَقُولُ: أُنزلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ: {مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ} ( * *) إِنَّهَا فِيهِ وَفِي أصْحَابِهِ"