The camel speaks to clear the Bedouin of theft accusations

[AI] We were sitting around the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when a desert Arab—an eloquent Bedouin from Yemen—entered on a red she-camel. He made it kneel at the door of the mosque, then came in, greeted us, and sat down. When he had finished, they said, “O Messenger of Allah, the she-camel under the Bedouin is stolen.” He said, “Is there proof?” They said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said, “O ʿAlī, take Allah’s due from the Bedouin if the proof is established against him; and if it is not established, then return him to me.”

The Bedouin lowered his head for a while. Then the Prophet ﷺ said to him, “Stand, O Bedouin, for Allah’s matter; otherwise present your argument.” Whereupon the she-camel spoke from behind the door: “By Him who sent you with honor, O Messenger of Allah, this man did not steal me, and no one has owned me other than he.” The Prophet ﷺ said to him, “O Bedouin, by Him who made her speak in your defense—what was it that you said?” He replied, “I said: O Allah, You are not a Lord whom we have newly invented, nor is there with You a god who aided You in creating us, nor is there with You any lord such that we would doubt Your lordship. You are our Lord as we say, and above what those who speak can say. I ask You to send blessings upon Muhammad and to clear me by my innocence.”

The Prophet ﷺ said to him, “By Him who sent me with honor, O Bedouin, I have indeed seen the angels racing to the mouths of the alleys, writing down your words—so increase your prayers for blessings upon me.”

كُنَّا جُلُوسًا حَوْلَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذْ دَخَلَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ جَهْوَرِيٌّ بَدَوِيٌّ يَمَانِيٌّ عَلَى نَاقَةٍ حَمْرَاءَ فَأَنَاخَ بِبَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَدَخَلَ فَسَلَّمَ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ فَلَمَّا قَضَى نَحْبَهُ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ النَّاقَةَ الَّتِي تَحْتَ الْأَعْرَابِيِّ سَرِقَةٌ قَالَ «أَثَمَّ بَيِّنَةٌ؟» قَالُوا نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «يَا عَلِيُّ خُذْ حَقَّ اللَّهِ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِيِّ إِنْ قَامَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْبَيِّنَةُ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَقُمْ فَرُدَّهُ إِلَيَّ» 

قَالَ فَأَطْرَقَ الْأَعْرَابِيُّ سَاعَةً فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «قُمْ يَا أَعْرَابِيُّ لِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ وَإِلَّا فَادْلُ بِحُجَّتِكَ» فَقَالَتِ النَّاقَةُ مِنْ خَلْفِ الْبَابِ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْكَرَامَةِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ هَذَا مَا سَرَقَنِي وَلَا مَلَكَنِي أَحَدٌ سِوَاهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «يَا أَعْرَابِيُّ بِالَّذِي أَنْطَقَهَا بِعُذْرِكَ مَا الَّذِي قُلْتِ؟» قَالَ قُلْتُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِرَبٍّ اسْتَحْدَثْنَاكَ وَلَا مَعَكَ إِلَهٌ أَعَانَكَ عَلَى خَلْقِنَا وَلَا مَعَكَ رَبٌّ فَنَشُكُّ فِي رُبُوبِيَّتِكَ أَنْتَ رَبُّنَا كَمَا نَقُولُ وَفَوْقَ مَا يَقُولُ الْقَائِلُونَ أَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تُصَلِّيَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَنْ تُبَرِّئَنِي بِبَرَاءَتِي 

فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «وَالَّذِي بَعَثَنِي بِالْكَرَامَةِ يَا أَعْرَابِيُّ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ الْمَلَائِكَةَ يَبْتَدِرُونَ أَفْوَاهَ الْأَزِقَّةِ يَكْتُبُونَ مَقَالَتَكَ فَأَكْثِرِ الصَّلَاةَ عَلَيَّ»