Abu ʿAbdur-Rahman and Hibban bin 'Atiyya had a dispute. Abu ʿAbdur-Rahman said to Hibban, "You know what made your companions (i.e. ʿAli) dare to shed blood." Hibban said, "Come on! What is that?" ʿAbdur-Rahman said, "Something I heard him saying." The other said, "What was it?" ʿAbdurRahman said, "ʿAli said, Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent for me, Az-Zubair and Abu Marthad, and all of us were cavalry men, and said, 'Proceed to Raudat-Hajj (Abu Salama said that Abu 'Awana called it like this, i.e., Hajj where there is a woman carrying a letter from Hatib bin Abi Balta'a to the pagans (of Mecca). So bring that letter to me.' So we proceeded riding on our horses till we overtook her at the same place of which Messenger of Allah ﷺ had told us. She was traveling on her camel. In that letter Hatib had written to the Meccans about the proposed attached of Messenger of Allah ﷺ against them. We asked her, "Where is the letter which is with you?' She replied, 'I haven't got any letter.' So we made her camel kneel down and searched her luggage, but we did not find anything. My two companions said, 'We do not think that she has got a letter.' I said, 'We know that Messenger of Allah ﷺ has not told a lie.'" Then ʿAli took an oath saying, "By Him by Whom one should swear! You shall either bring out the letter or we shall strip off your clothes." She then stretched out her hand for her girdle (round her waist) and brought out the paper (letter). They took the letter to Messenger of Allah ﷺ. ʿUmar said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! (Hatib) has betrayed Allah, His Apostle and the believers; let me chop off his neck!" Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "O Hatib! What obliged you to do what you have done?" Hatib replied, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Why (for what reason) should I not believe in Allah and His Apostle? But I intended to do the (Mecca) people a favor by virtue of which my family and property may be protected as there is none of your companions but has some of his people (relatives) whom Allah urges to protect his family and property." The Prophet ﷺ said, "He has said the truth; therefore, do not say anything to him except good." ʿUmar again said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! He has betrayed Allah, His Apostle and the believers; let me chop his neck off!" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Isn't he from those who fought the battle of Badr? And what do you know, Allah might have looked at them (Badr warriors) and said (to them), 'Do what you like, for I have granted you Paradise?' " On that, ʿUmar's eyes became flooded with tears and he said, "Allah and His Apostle know best."
أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ لِحِبَّانَ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ الَّذِي جَرَّأَ صَاحِبَكَ عَلَى الدِّمَاءِ يَعْنِي عَلِيًّا قَالَ مَا هُوَ لاَ أَبَا لَكَ قَالَ شَىْءٌ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُهُ قَالَ مَا هُوَ قَالَ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَالزُّبَيْرَ وَأَبَا مَرْثَدٍ وَكُلُّنَا فَارِسٌ قَالَ انْطَلِقُوا حَتَّى تَأْتُوا رَوْضَةَ حَاجٍ قَالَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ هَكَذَا قَالَ أَبُو عَوَانَةَ حَاجٍ فَإِنَّ فِيهَا امْرَأَةً مَعَهَا صَحِيفَةٌ مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَأْتُونِي بِهَا فَانْطَلَقْنَا عَلَى أَفْرَاسِنَا حَتَّى أَدْرَكْنَاهَا حَيْثُ قَالَ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ تَسِيرُ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ لَهَا وَكَانَ كَتَبَ إِلَى أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ بِمَسِيرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقُلْنَا أَيْنَ الْكِتَابُ الَّذِي مَعَكِ قَالَتْ مَا مَعِي كِتَابٌ فَأَنَخْنَا بِهَا بَعِيرَهَا فَابْتَغَيْنَا فِي رَحْلِهَا فَمَا وَجَدْنَا شَيْئًا فَقَالَ صَاحِبِي مَا نَرَى مَعَهَا كِتَابًا قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا مَا كَذَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ثُمَّ حَلَفَ عَلِيٌّ وَالَّذِي يُحْلَفُ بِهِ لَتُخْرِجِنَّ الْكِتَابَ أَوْ لأُجَرِّدَنَّكِ فَأَهْوَتْ إِلَى حُجْزَتِهَا وَهْىَ مُحْتَجِزَةٌ بِكِسَاءٍ فَأَخْرَجَتِ الصَّحِيفَةَ فَأَتَوْا بِهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ خَانَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ دَعْنِي فَأَضْرِبَ عُنُقَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَا حَاطِبُ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَالِي أَنْ لاَ أَكُونَ مُؤْمِنًا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَلَكِنِّي أَرَدْتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِي عِنْدَ الْقَوْمِ يَدٌ يُدْفَعُ بِهَا عَنْ أَهْلِي وَمَالِي وَلَيْسَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ لَهُ هُنَالِكَ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ مَنْ يَدْفَعُ اللَّهُ بِهِ عَنْ أَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ قَالَ صَدَقَ لاَ تَقُولُوا لَهُ إِلاَّ خَيْرًا قَالَ فَعَادَ عُمَرُ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَدْ خَانَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ دَعْنِي فَلأَضْرِبَ عُنُقَهُ قَالَ أَوَلَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ اطَّلَعَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَقَدْ أَوْجَبْتُ لَكُمُ الْجَنَّةَ فَاغْرَوْرَقَتْ عَيْنَاهُ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ