Send your son to my residence (to carry this haudaj), and my father said to me: Carry it (for him). So I carried it and there went along with him (with Abu Bakr) my father in order to fetch its price and he ('Azib) said to Abu Bakr: Abu Bakr, narrate to me what you both did on the night when you set out on a journey along with Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said: We set out during the night and went on walking until it was noon, and the path was vacant and so none passed by that (until) there appeared prominently before us a large rock. It had its shade and the rays of the sun did not reach that place. So we got down at that place. I then went to the rock and levelled the ground with my hands at the place where the Prophet ﷺ would take rest under its shade. I then set the bedding and said: Messenger of Allah, go to sleep and I shall keep a watch around you. I went out and watched around him. There we saw a shepherd moving towards that rock with his flock and he intended what we intended (i. e. taking rest). I met him and said to him: Young boy, to which place do you belong? He said: I am a person from Medina. I said, is there any milk in the udders of your sheep and goats? He said: Yes. He took hold of a goat, and I said to him: Clean the udder well so that it should be free from hair, dust and impurity. I saw al-Bara' striking his hand upon the other (to give an indication) how he did that. He milked the goat for me in a wooden cup which he had with him and I had with me a bucket in which I kept water for drinking and for performing ablution. I came to Allah's Apostle ﷺ and did not like to awaken him from sleep but he was accidentally startled from the sleep. I poured water upon the milk (till It was cold) and I said: Messenger of Allah, take this milk. He then took It and I was delighted and he (the Holy Prophet) said: Is now not the time to march on? I said: Of course. So he marched on after the sun had passed the meridian and Suraqa b. Malik pursued us and we had been walking on soft, level ground. I said: Messenger of Allah, we are about to be overtaken by them. Thereupon he said: Be not grieved. Verily, Allah is with us. Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ cursed him and his horse sank into the earth. I think he also said: I know you have hurled curse upon me. So supplicate Allah for me and I take an oath that I shall turn everyone away who would come in search of you. So he (Messenger of Allah) supplicated Allah and he was rescued and he came back and to everyone he met, he said: I have combed all this side. In short, he diverted everyone whom he met and he in fact fulfilled his promise.  

لِعَازِبٍ ابْعَثْ مَعِيَ ابْنَكَ يَحْمِلْهُ مَعِي إِلَى مَنْزِلِي فَقَالَ لِي أَبِي احْمِلْهُ فَحَمَلْتُهُ وَخَرَجَ أَبِي مَعَهُ يَنْتَقِدُ ثَمَنَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبِي يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ حَدِّثْنِي كَيْفَ صَنَعْتُمَا لَيْلَةَ سَرَيْتَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ نَعَمْ أَسْرَيْنَا لَيْلَتَنَا كُلَّهَا حَتَّى قَامَ قَائِمُ الظَّهِيرَةِ وَخَلاَ الطَّرِيقُ فَلاَ يَمُرُّ فِيهِ أَحَدٌ حَتَّى رُفِعَتْ لَنَا صَخْرَةٌ طَوِيلَةٌ لَهَا ظِلٌّ لَمْ تَأْتِ عَلَيْهِ الشَّمْسُ بَعْدُ فَنَزَلْنَا عِنْدَهَا فَأَتَيْتُ الصَّخْرَةَ فَسَوَّيْتُ بِيَدِي مَكَانًا يَنَامُ فِيهِ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فِي ظِلِّهَا ثُمَّ بَسَطْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرْوَةً ثُمَّ قُلْتُ نَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَأَنَا أَنْفُضُ لَكَ مَا حَوْلَكَ فَنَامَ وَخَرَجْتُ أَنْفُضُ مَا حَوْلَهُ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِرَاعِي غَنَمٍ مُقْبِلٍ بِغَنَمِهِ إِلَى الصَّخْرَةِ يُرِيدُ مِنْهَا الَّذِي أَرَدْنَا فَلَقِيتُهُ فَقُلْتُ لِمَنْ أَنْتَ يَا غُلاَمُ فَقَالَ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ قُلْتُ أَفِي غَنَمِكَ لَبَنٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ أَفَتَحْلُبُ لِي قَالَ نَعَمْ فَأَخَذَ شَاةً فَقُلْتُ لَهُ انْفُضِ الضَّرْعَ مِنَ الشَّعَرِ وَالتُّرَابِ وَالْقَذَى قَالَ فَرَأَيْتُ الْبَرَاءَ يَضْرِبُ بِيَدِهِ عَلَى الأُخْرَى يَنْفُضُ فَحَلَبَ لِي فِي قَعْبٍ مَعَهُ كُثْبَةً مِنْ لَبَنٍ قَالَ وَمَعِي إِدَاوَةٌ أَرْتَوِي فِيهَا لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ لِيَشْرَبَ مِنْهَا وَيَتَوَضَّأَ قَالَ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أُوقِظَهُ مِنْ نَوْمِهِ فَوَافَقْتُهُ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَصَبَبْتُ عَلَى اللَّبَنِ مِنَ الْمَاءِ حَتَّى بَرَدَ أَسْفَلُهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اشْرَبْ مِنْ هَذَا اللَّبَنِ قَالَ فَشَرِبَ حَتَّى رَضِيتُ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلرَّحِيلِ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ فَارْتَحَلْنَا بَعْدَ مَا زَالَتِ الشَّمْسُ وَاتَّبَعَنَا سُرَاقَةُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ قَالَ وَنَحْنُ فِي جَلَدٍ مِنَ الأَرْضِ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أُتِينَا فَقَالَ لاَ تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا فَدَعَا عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَارْتَطَمَتْ فَرَسُهُ إِلَى بَطْنِهَا أُرَى فَقَالَ إِنِّي قَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكُمَا قَدْ دَعَوْتُمَا عَلَىَّ فَادْعُوَا لِي فَاللَّهُ لَكُمَا أَنْ أَرُدَّ عَنْكُمَا الطَّلَبَ فَدَعَا اللَّهَ فَنَجَى فَرَجَعَ لاَ يَلْقَى أَحَدًا إِلاَّ قَالَ قَدْ كَفَيْتُكُمْ مَا هَا هُنَا فَلاَ يَلْقَى أَحَدًا إِلاَّ رَدَّهُ قَالَ وَوَفَى لَنَا  

Abu Bakr purchased a saddle from me for thirteen dirhams; the rest of the hadith is the same, and in the narration of Uthman b. 'Umar, the words are: He (Suraqa b. Malik) drew near Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he (the Holy Prophet) cursed him and his camel sank in the earth up to the belly and he jumped from that and said: Muhammad, I am fully aware of It that it is your doing. Supplicate Allah that He should rescue me from it in which I am (pitchforked) and I give you a solemn pledge that I shall keep this as a secret from all those who are coming after me. Take hold of an arrow out of it (quiver) for you will find my camels and my slaves at such and such place and you can get whatever you need (on showing this arrow). He (the Holy Prophet) said: I don't need your camels. And we (the Prophet and Abu Bakr) came to Medina during the night and the people began to contend as to where Messenger of Allah ﷺ should reside and he encamped in the tribe of Najjar who were related to 'Abd ul-Muttalib from the side of mother. Messenger of Allah ﷺ honoured them, then people climbed upon house-top and women also and boys scattered in the way, and they were all crying: Muhammad, Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, Messenger of Allah.  

اشْتَرَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ مِنْ أَبِي رَحْلاً بِثَلاَثَةَ عَشَرَ دِرْهَمًا وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ بِمَعْنَى حَدِيثِ زُهَيْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ وَقَالَ فِي حَدِيثِهِ مِنْ رِوَايَةِ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عُمَرَ فَلَمَّا دَنَا دَعَا عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَسَاخَ فَرَسُهُ فِي الأَرْضِ إِلَى بَطْنِهِ وَوَثَبَ عَنْهُ وَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ قَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ هَذَا عَمَلُكَ فَادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُخَلِّصَنِي مِمَّا أَنَا فِيهِ وَلَكَ عَلَىَّ لأُعَمِّيَنَّ عَلَى مَنْ وَرَائِي وَهَذِهِ كِنَانَتِي فَخُذْ سَهْمًا مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ سَتَمُرُّ عَلَى إِبِلِي وَغِلْمَانِي بِمَكَانِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَخُذْ مِنْهَا حَاجَتَكَ قَالَ لاَ حَاجَةَ لِي فِي إِبِلِكَ فَقَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ لَيْلاً فَتَنَازَعُوا أَيُّهُمْ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَنْزِلُ عَلَى بَنِي النَّجَّارِ أَخْوَالِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ أُكْرِمُهُمْ بِذَلِكَ فَصَعِدَ الرِّجَالُ وَالنِّسَاءُ فَوْقَ الْبُيُوتِ وَتَفَرَّقَ الْغِلْمَانُ وَالْخَدَمُ فِي الطُّرُقِ يُنَادُونَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ يَا مُحَمَّدُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ