Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) sent us (on an expedition). We were three hundred riders and our chief (leader) was 'Ubaida b. al-Jarrah. We were on the look out for a caravan of the Quraish. So we stayed on the coast for half a month, and were so much afflicted by extreme hunger that we (were obliged) to eat leaves. That is why it was called the Detachment of the Leaves. The ocean cast out for us an animal which was called al-'Anbar (whale). We ate of that for half of the month and rubbed its fat on our (bodies) until our bodies became stout. Abu 'Ubaida caught hold of one of its ribs and fixed that up. He then cast a glance at the tallest man of the army and the highest of the camels. and then made him ride over that, and that-tnan passed beneath it (the rib), and many a man could sit in its eye-socket, and we extracted many pitchers of fat from the cavity of its eye. We had small bags containing dates with us (before finding the whale). 'Ubaida gave every person amongst us a handful of dates (and when the provision ran short), he then gave each one of us one date. And when that (stock) was exhausted, we felt its loss.  

بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَنَحْنُ ثَلاَثُمِائَةِ رَاكِبٍ وَأَمِيرُنَا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ نَرْصُدُ عِيرًا لِقُرَيْشٍ فَأَقَمْنَا بِالسَّاحِلِ نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ فَأَصَابَنَا جُوعٌ شَدِيدٌ حَتَّى أَكَلْنَا الْخَبَطَ فَسُمِّيَ جَيْشَ الْخَبَطِ فَأَلْقَى لَنَا الْبَحْرُ دَابَّةً يُقَالُ لَهَا الْعَنْبَرُ فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْهَا نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ وَادَّهَنَّا مِنْ وَدَكِهَا حَتَّى ثَابَتْ أَجْسَامُنَا قَالَ فَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلاَعِهِ فَنَصَبَهُ ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إِلَى أَطْوَلِ رَجُلٍ فِي الْجَيْشِ وَأَطْوَلِ جَمَلٍ فَحَمَلَهُ عَلَيْهِ فَمَرَّ تَحْتَهُ قَالَ وَجَلَسَ فِي حَجَاجِ عَيْنِهِ نَفَرٌ قَالَ وَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْ وَقْبِ عَيْنِهِ كَذَا وَكَذَا قُلَّةَ وَدَكٍ قَالَ وَكَانَ مَعَنَا جِرَابٌ مِنْ تَمْرٍ فَكَانَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ يُعْطِي كُلَّ رَجُلٍ مِنَّا قَبْضَةً قَبْضَةً ثُمَّ أَعْطَانَا تَمْرَةً تَمْرَةً فَلَمَّا فَنِيَ وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهُ  

"I heard Jabir say: 'The Messenger of Allah sent us, three hundred riders led by Abu 'Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah, to lie in wait for the caravan of the Quraish. We stayed on the coast and became very hungry, so much so that we ate Khabat. Then the sea cast ashore a beast called (Al-'Anbar), and we ate from it for half a month, and daubed our bodies with its fat, and our health was restored. Abu 'Ubaidah took one it its ribs and looked for the tallest camel and the tallest man in the army, and he passed beneath it. Then they got hungry again and a man slaughtered three camels, then they got hungry and a man slaughtered three camels, then they got hungry and a man slaughtered three camels, then they got hungry and a man slaughtered three camels. Then Abu 'Ubaidah told him not to do that." (One of the narrators) Sufyan said: "Abu Az-Zubair said, narrating from Jabir: "We asked the Prophet and he said: 'Do you have anything left of it?"' he said; "We took out, such-and -such an amount of a fat from its (the whale's) eyes, and four men could fit into its eye socket. Abu 'Ubaidah had a sack of dates and he used to give them out by the handful, then he started to give one date at a time, and when we ran out of dates it became very difficult for us."  

بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ثَلاَثَمِائَةِ رَاكِبٍ أَمِيرُنَا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ نَرْصُدُ عِيرَ قُرَيْشٍ فَأَقَمْنَا بِالسَّاحِلِ فَأَصَابَنَا جُوعٌ شَدِيدٌ حَتَّى أَكَلْنَا الْخَبَطَ قَالَ فَأَلْقَى الْبَحْرُ دَابَّةً يُقَالُ لَهَا الْعَنْبَرُ فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْهُ نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ وَادَّهَنَّا مِنْ وَدَكِهِ فَثَابَتْ أَجْسَامُنَا وَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلاَعِهِ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى أَطْوَلِ جَمَلٍ وَأَطْوَلِ رَجُلٍ فِي الْجَيْشِ فَمَرَّ تَحْتَهُ ثُمَّ جَاعُوا فَنَحَرَ رَجُلٌ ثَلاَثَ جَزَائِرَ ثُمَّ جَاعُوا فَنَحَرَ رَجُلٌ ثَلاَثَ جَزَائِرَ ثُمَّ جَاعُوا فَنَحَرَ رَجُلٌ ثَلاَثَ جَزَائِرَ ثُمَّ نَهَاهُ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ قَالَ أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ فَسَأَلْنَا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ هَلْ مَعَكُمْ مِنْهُ شَىْءٌ قَالَ فَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْ عَيْنَيْهِ كَذَا وَكَذَا قُلَّةً مِنْ وَدَكٍ وَنَزَلَ فِي حِجَاجِ عَيْنِهِ أَرْبَعَةُ نَفَرٍ وَكَانَ مَعَ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ جِرَابٌ فِيهِ تَمْرٌ فَكَانَ يُعْطِينَا الْقَبْضَةَ ثُمَّ صَارَ إِلَى التَّمْرَةِ فَلَمَّا فَقَدْنَاهَا وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهَا  

Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) sent us (on an expedition). We were three hundred riders and our chief (leader) was 'Ubaida b. al-Jarrah. We were on the look out for a caravan of the Quraish. So we stayed on the coast for half a month, and were so much afflicted by extreme hunger that we (were obliged) to eat leaves. That is why it was called the Detachment of the Leaves. The ocean cast out for us an animal which was called al-'Anbar (whale). We ate of that for half of the month and rubbed its fat on our (bodies) until our bodies became stout. Abu 'Ubaida caught hold of one of its ribs and fixed that up. He then cast a glance at the tallest man of the army and the highest of the camels. and then made him ride over that, and that-tnan passed beneath it (the rib), and many a man could sit in its eye-socket, and we extracted many pitchers of fat from the cavity of its eye. We had small bags containing dates with us (before finding the whale). 'Ubaida gave every person amongst us a handful of dates (and when the provision ran short), he then gave each one of us one date. And when that (stock) was exhausted, we felt its loss. (Using translation from Muslim 1935b)   

بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي ثَلَاثِ مِائَةِ رَاكِبٍ وَأَمِيرُنَا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ نَرْصُدُ عِيرًا لِقُرَيْشٍ فَأَقَمْنَا بِالسَّاحِلِ نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ فَأَصَابَنَا جُوعٌ شَدِيدٌ حَتَّى أَكَلْنَا الْخَبَطَ قَالَ فَسُمِّيَ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشُ جَيْشَ الْخَبَطِ ثُمَّ أَلْقَى الْبَحْرُ دَابَّةً يُقَالُ لَهَا الْعَنْبَرُ فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْهُ نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ حَتَّى ثَابَتْ أَجْسَامُنَا وَادَّهَنَّا بِوَدَكِهِ فَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلَاعِهِ وَنَظَرَ إِلَى أَطْوَلِ جَمَلٍ فِي الْجَيْشِ وَأَطْوَلِ رَجُلٍ فَحَمَلَهُ عَلَيْهِ فَمَرَّ تَحْتَهُ «قَالَ سُفْيَانُ قَالَ أَبُو الزُّبَيْرٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ أَعْطَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ جِرَابًا فِيهِ تَمْرٌ فَلَمَّا نَفِدَ وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهُ فَجَعَلَ يَجِيءُ الرَّجُلُ بِالشَّيْءِ قَالَ وَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْ عَيْنَيْهِ كَذَا وَكَذَا حُبًّا مِنْ وَدَكٍ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ سَأَلَنَا » هَلْ مَعَكُمْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ «  

"I heard Jabir say: 'The Messenger of Allah sent us, three hundred riders led by Abu 'Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah, to lie in wait for the caravan of the Quraish. We stayed on the coast and became very hungry, so much so that we ate Khabat. Then the sea cast ashore a beast called (Al-'Anbar), and we ate from it for half a month, and daubed our bodies with its fat, and our health was restored. Abu 'Ubaidah took one it its ribs and looked for the tallest camel and the tallest man in the army, and he passed beneath it. Then they got hungry again and a man slaughtered three camels, then they got hungry and a man slaughtered three camels, then they got hungry and a man slaughtered three camels, then they got hungry and a man slaughtered three camels. Then Abu 'Ubaidah told him not to do that." (One of the narrators) Sufyan said: "Abu Az-Zubair said, narrating from Jabir: "We asked the Prophet and he said: 'Do you have anything left of it?"' he said; "We took out, such-and -such an amount of a fat from its (the whale's) eyes, and four men could fit into its eye socket. Abu 'Ubaidah had a sack of dates and he used to give them out by the handful, then he started to give one date at a time, and when we ran out of dates it became very difficult for us." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4352)  

بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ ثَلَاثَمِائَةِ رَاكِبٍ أَمِيرُنَا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ نَرْصُدُ عِيرَ قُرَيْشٍ فَأَقَمْنَا بِالسَّاحِلِ فَأَصَابَنَا جُوعٌ شَدِيدٌ حَتَّى أَكَلْنَا الْخَبَطَ فَأَلْقَى لَنَا الْبَحْرُ دَابَّةً يُقَالُ لَهَا الْعَنْبَرُ فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْهُ نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ وَادَّهَنَّا مِنْ وَدَكِهِ فَثَابَتْ أَجْسَامُنَا وَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ضِلْعًا مِنْ أَضْلَاعِهِ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى أَطْوَلِ جَمَلٍ وَأَطْوَلِ رَجُلٍ فِي الْجَيْشِ فَمَرَّ تَحْتَهُ ثُمَّ جَاعُوا فَنَحَرَ رَجُلٌ ثَلَاثَ جَزَائِرَ ثُمَّ جَاعُوا فَنَحَرَ رَجُلٌ ثَلَاثَ جَزَائِرَ ثُمَّ جَاعُوا فَنَحَرَ رَجُلٌ ثَلَاثَ جَزَائِرَ ثُمَّ نَهَاهُ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ قَالَ أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ فَسَأَلْنَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «هَلْ مَعَكُمْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ؟» قَالَ فَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْ عَيْنَيْهِ كَذَا وَكَذَا قُلَّةً مِنْ وَدَكٍ وَنَزَلَ فِي حَجَّاجِ عَيْنِهِ أَرْبَعَةُ نَفَرٍ وَكَانَ مَعَ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ جِرَابٌ فِيهِ تَمْرٌ فَكَانَ يُعْطِينَا الْقَبْضَةَ ثُمَّ صَارَ إِلَى التَّمْرَةِ فَلَمَّا فَقَدْنَاهَا وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهَا  

[Machine] We sent the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with three hundred riders. Our leader, Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, guided us to ambush the Quraysh caravan. We camped on the coast. Sufyan said another time, "So we went to the coast and camped there for half a month. We suffered from severe hunger until we ate rotting meat." He said, "So that army was called the Army of Rotting Meat. Then the sea threw a creature at us called al-Anbar, and we ate from it for half a month and used its fat to moisturize our bodies until our bodies were revitalized." He said, "So Abu Ubaidah took a rib from his ribs and erected it, attaching it to the longest of his companions." Sufyan said another time, "So Abu Ubaidah took another rib from his ribs and erected it, and took another man and a camel. He passed under it." Jabir said, "There was a man from the people who slaughtered three sheep, then slaughtered three more, then slaughtered three more. Abu Ubaidah prohibited him."  

بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فِي ثَلَاثِمِائَةِ رَاكِبٍ أَمِيرُنَا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ نَرْصُدُ عِيرَ قُرَيْشٍ فَأَقَمْنَا بِالسَّاحِلِ وَقَالَ سُفْيَانُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فَأَتَيْنَا السَّاحِلَ فَأَقَمْنَا بِهِ نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ فَأَصَابَنَا جُوعٌ شَدِيدٌ حَتَّى أَكَلْنَا الْخَبَطَ قَالَ فَسُمِّيَ ذَلِكَ الْجَيْشُ جَيْشَ الْخَبَطِ قَالَ فَأَلْقَى لَنَا الْبَحْرُ دَابَّةً يُقَالُ لَهَا الْعَنْبَرُ فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْهُ نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ وَادَّهَنَّا مِنْ وَدَكِهِ حَتَّى ثَابَتْ إِلَيْنَا أَجْسَامُنَا قَالَ فَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلَاعِهِ فَنَصَبَهُ وَعَمَدَ إِلَى أَطْوَلِ رَجُلٍ مَعَهُ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى وَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلَاعِهِ فَنَصَبَهُ وَأَخَذَ رَجُلًا وَبَعِيرًا فَمَرَّ مِنْ تَحْتِهِ قَالَ جَابِرٌ وَكَانَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ نَحَرَ ثَلَاثَ جَزَائِرَ ثُمَّ نَحَرَ جَزَائِرَ ثُمَّ نَحَرَ ثَلَاثَ جَزَائِرَ ثُمَّ إِنَّ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ نَهَاهُ