We went out in a campaign and the army was called The Army of the Khabt, and Abu 'Ubaida was our commander. We were struck with severe hunger. Then the sea threw a huge dead fish called Al- ʿAnbar, the like of which had never been seen. We ate of it for half a month, and then Abu 'Ubaida took one of its bones (and made an arch of it) so that a rider could easily pass under it.
أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرًا ؓ يَقُولُ غَزَوْنَا جَيْشَ الْخَبَطِ وَأُمِّرَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ فَجُعْنَا جُوعًا شَدِيدًا فَأَلْقَى الْبَحْرُ حُوتًا مَيِّتًا لَمْ يُرَ مِثْلُهُ يُقَالُ لَهُ الْعَنْبَرُ فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْهُ نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ فَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ عَظْمًا مِنْ عِظَامِهِ فَمَرَّ الرَّاكِبُ تَحْتَهُ