Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me, Abu Marthad and Az-Zubair, and all of us were riding horses, and said, "Go till you reach Raudat-Khakh where there is a pagan woman carrying a letter from Hatib bin Abi Balta' a to the pagans of Mecca." So we found her riding her camel at the place which Messenger of Allah ﷺ had mentioned. We said (to her),"(Give us) the letter." She said, "I have no letter." Then we made her camel kneel down and we searched her, but we found no letter. Then we said, "Messenger of Allah ﷺ had not told us a lie, certainly. Take out the letter, otherwise we will strip you naked." When she saw that we were determined, she put her hand below her waist belt, for she had tied her cloak round her waist, and she took out the letter, and we brought her to Messenger of Allah ﷺ Then ʿUmar said, "O Allah's Apostle! (This Hatib) has betrayed Allah, His Apostle and the believers! Let me cut off his neck!" The Prophet asked Hatib, "What made you do this?" Hatib said, "By Allah, I did not intend to give up my belief in Allah and His Apostle but I wanted to have some influence among the (Mecca) people so that through it, Allah might protect my family and property. There is none of your companions but has some of his relatives there through whom Allah protects his family and property." The Prophet ﷺ said, "He has spoken the truth; do no say to him but good." ʿUmar said, "He as betrayed Allah, His Apostle and the faithful believers. Let me cut off his neck!" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Is he not one of the Badr warriors? May be Allah looked at the Badr warriors and said, 'Do whatever you like, as I have granted Paradise to you, or said, 'I have forgiven you."' On this, tears came out of ʿUmar's eyes, and he said, "Allah and His Apostle know better."  

بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَبَا مَرْثَدٍ وَالزُّبَيْرَ وَكُلُّنَا فَارِسٌ قَالَ انْطَلِقُوا حَتَّى تَأْتُوا رَوْضَةَ خَاخٍ فَإِنَّ بِهَا امْرَأَةً مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ مَعَهَا كِتَابٌ مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَأَدْرَكْنَاهَا تَسِيرُ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ لَهَا حَيْثُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْنَا الْكِتَابُ فَقَالَتْ مَا مَعَنَا كِتَابٌ فَأَنَخْنَاهَا فَالْتَمَسْنَا فَلَمْ نَرَ كِتَابًا فَقُلْنَا مَا كَذَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَتُخْرِجِنَّ الْكِتَابَ أَوْ لَنُجَرِّدَنَّكِ فَلَمَّا رَأَتِ الْجِدَّ أَهْوَتْ إِلَى حُجْزَتِهَا وَهْىَ مُحْتَجِزَةٌ بِكِسَاءٍ فَأَخْرَجَتْهُ فَانْطَلَقْنَا بِهَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ خَانَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَدَعْنِي فَلأَضْرِبْ عُنُقَهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ قَالَ حَاطِبٌ وَاللَّهِ مَا بِي أَنْ لاَ أَكُونَ مُؤْمِنًا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ﷺ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِي عِنْدَ الْقَوْمِ يَدٌ يَدْفَعُ اللَّهُ بِهَا عَنْ أَهْلِي وَمَالِي وَلَيْسَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ إِلاَّ لَهُ هُنَاكَ مِنْ عَشِيرَتِهِ مَنْ يَدْفَعُ اللَّهُ بِهِ عَنْ أَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ صَدَقَ وَلاَ تَقُولُوا لَهُ إِلاَّ خَيْرًا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ إِنَّهُ قَدْ خَانَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَدَعْنِي فَلأَضْرِبَ عُنُقَهُ فَقَالَ أَلَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ اطَّلَعَ إِلَى أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَقَدْ وَجَبَتْ لَكُمُ الْجَنَّةُ أَوْ فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكُمْ فَدَمَعَتْ عَيْنَا عُمَرَ وَقَالَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ  

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. (Using translation from Aḥmad 827)   

سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا يَقُولُ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ بَعَثَنِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَأَبَا مَرْثَدٍ السُّلَمِيَّ وَكِلَانَا فَارِسٌ قَالَ «انْطَلِقُوا حَتَّى تَأْتُوا رَوْضَةَ خَاخٍ فَإِنَّ بِهَا امْرَأَةً وَمَعَهَا صَحِيفَةٌ مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَأْتُونِي بِهَا فَأَدْرَكْنَاهَا وَهِيَ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ لَهَا حَيْثُ قَالَ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ أَيْنَ الْكِتَابُ الَّذِي مَعَكِ؟ فَقَالَتْ مَا مَعِي كِتَابٌ قَالَ فَأَنَخْنَا بَعِيرَهَا وَفَتَّشْنَا رَحْلَهَا فَقَالَ صَاحِبِي مَا نَرَى مَعَهَا شَيْئًا فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا كَذِبَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالَّذِي يُحْلَفُ بِهِ لَتُخْرِجِنَّهُ أَوْ لَأَجُزَّنَّكِ بِالسَّيْفِ فَلَمَّا رَأَتِ الْجِدَّ أَهْوَتْ إِلَى حُجْزَتِهَا وَعَلَيْهَا إِزَارٌ مِنْ صُوفٍ فَأَخْرَجَتِ الْكِتَابَ فَأَتَيْنَا بِهِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ » يَا حَاطِبُ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى الَّذِي صَنَعْتَ؟ «فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا بِي أَنْ لَا أَكُونَ مُؤْمِنًا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَلَكِنِّي أَرَدْتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِي عِنْدَ الْقَوْمِ يَدٌ يَدْفَعُ اللَّهُ بِهَا عَنْ أَهْلِي وَمَالِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ » صَدَقَ لَا تَقُولُوا لَهُ إِلَّا خَيْرًا « فَقَالَ عُمَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ قَدْ خَانَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَدَعْنِي حَتَّى أَضْرِبَ عُنُقَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ » أَوَ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ؟ مَا يُدْرِيكَ يَا عُمَرُ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ « فَقَالَ » اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَقَدْ وَجَبَتْ لَكُمُ الْجَنَّةُ « فَدَمَعَتْ عَيْنُ عُمَرَ وَقَالَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ  

" عَنْ جَابِرٍ: أَنَّ حَاطِبَ بن أَبِى بَلتَعَة كَتَبَ إِلَى أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ يَذْكُرُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ الله ﷺ آتٍ لِغَزْوِهِمْ، فَدَلَّ رَسُول الله ﷺ عَلَى الْمَرأَةِ الَّتِى مَعَهَا الكِتَابُ

فَأرْسلَ إِلَيْهَا فَأَخَذَ كِتَابَهَا مِنْ رَأسِهَا، فَقَالَ: يَا حَاطبُ فَعَلْتَ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، أَمَا إِنِّى لَمْ أَفْعَله غِشّا لِرَسُولِ الله ﷺ وَلاَ نِفَاقًا، قَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ الله يُظْهِرُ رَسُولَهُ وَيُتمُّ لَهُ أمْرَهُ غَيْرَ أَنِّى كنتُ غَرِيبًا بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهمْ، وَكَانَتَ ولدى (*) مَعَهُمْ، فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَتَخِذَهَا عِنْدَهُم، فَقَالَ عُمَرُ: أَلاَ أَضْرِبُ رَأسَ هَذَا؟ ! فَقَالَ: أتَقْتُلُ رَجُلًا مِنْ أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ؟ مَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَل الله اطَّلَعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ: اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُم ".