The man who took the Prophet’s sword and the prayer of fear

"We were in the company of the Prophet (during the battle of) Dhat-ur-Riqa', and we came across a shady tree and we left it for the Prophet (to take rest under its shade). A man from the pagans came while the Prophet's sword was hanging on the tree. He took it out of its sheath secretly and said (to the Prophet ﷺ ), 'Are you afraid of me?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'No.' He said, 'Who can save you from me?' The Prophet ﷺ said, Allah.' The companions of the Prophet ﷺ threatened him, then the Iqama for the prayer was announced and the Prophet ﷺ offered a two rakʿat Fear prayer with one of the two batches, and that batch went aside and he offered two rakʿa-t with the other batch. So the Prophet ﷺ offered four rakʿat but the people offered two rakʿat only." (The subnarrator) Abu Bishr added, "The man was Ghaurath bin Al-Harith and the battle was waged against Muharib Khasafa."

كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِذَاتِ الرِّقَاعِ فَإِذَا أَتَيْنَا عَلَى شَجَرَةٍ ظَلِيلَةٍ تَرَكْنَاهَا لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَسَيْفُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مُعَلَّقٌ بِالشَّجَرَةِ فَاخْتَرَطَهُ فَقَالَ تَخَافُنِي قَالَ لاَ قَالَ فَمَنْ يَمْنَعُكَ مِنِّي قَالَ اللَّهُ فَتَهَدَّدَهُ أَصْحَابُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَأُقِيمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَصَلَّى بِطَائِفَةٍ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ تَأَخَّرُوا وَصَلَّى بِالطَّائِفَةِ الأُخْرَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَكَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَرْبَعٌ وَلِلْقَوْمِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَقَالَ مُسَدَّدٌ عَنْ أَبِي عَوَانَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بِشْرٍ اسْمُ الرَّجُلِ غَوْرَثُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ وَقَاتَلَ فِيهَا مُحَارِبَ خَصَفَةَ

We went forward with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and when we reached Dhat ar-Riqa', we came to a shady tree which -we left for him One of the polytheists came there and, seeing the sword of the Messenger ﷺ hanging by a free. took it up. drew it from the scabbard and said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: Are you afraid of Me? He (the Holy Prophet) said: No. He again said: Who would protect you from me? He said: Allah will protect me from you. The Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ threatened him. He sheathed the sword and hung it up. Then call to prayer was made and he (the Holy Prophet) led a group in two rak'ah. Then (the members of this group) withdrew and he led the second group in two rak'ah. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ observed four rak'ah and people observed two rak'ah. (Using translation from Muslim 843a)

أَقْبَلْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا بِذَاتِ الرِّقَاعِ قَالَ كُنَّا إِذَا أَتَيْنَا عَلَى شَجَرَةٍ ظَلِيلَةٍ تَرَكْنَاهَا لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَسَيْفُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مُعَلَّقٌ بِشَجَرَةٍ فَأَخَذَ سَيْفَ نَبِيِّ اللهِ ﷺ فَاخْتَرَطَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِرَسُولِاللهِ ﷺ أَتَخَافُنِي؟ قَالَ لَا قَالَ فَمَنْ يَمْنَعُكَ مِنِّي؟ قَالَ اللهُ يَمْنَعُنِي مِنْكَ قَالَ فَتَهَدَّدَهُ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَغْمَدَ السَّيْفَ وَعَلَّقَهُ فَنُودِيَ بِالصَّلَاةِ فَصَلَّى بِطَائِفَةٍ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَتَأَخَّرُوا وَصَلَّى بِالطَّائِفَةِ الْأُخْرَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَكَانَتْ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَرْبَعُ رَكَعَاتٍ وَلِلْقَوْمِ رَكْعَتَانِ

[Machine] We accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until we reached a certain plain. Whenever we would come across a shaded tree, we would leave it for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. So a man from the polytheists came and found the sword of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ hanging from a tree. He took the sword of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ and unsheathed it. He then said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "Are you afraid of me?" The Prophet of Allah ﷺ replied, "No." The man asked, "Then who will protect you from me?" The Prophet of Allah ﷺ replied, "Allah will protect me from you." Upon hearing this, the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ threatened the man. The man sheathed the sword and placed it back on the tree. Then, the call for prayer was made. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed two units of prayer, then delayed, and then prayed another two units of prayer with the other group. So the Prophet of Allah ﷺ prayed four units of prayer, while the others prayed two units of prayer.

أَقْبَلْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا بِذَاتِ الرِّقَاعِ كُنَّا إِذَا أَتَيْنَا شَجَرَةً ظَلِيلَةً تَرَكْنَاهَا لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَسَيْفُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مُعَلَّقٌ بِشَجَرَةٍ فَأَخَذَ سَيْفَ نَبِيِّ اللهِ ﷺ فَاخْتَرَطَهُ فَقَالَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ تَخَافُنِي؟ قَالَ لَا قَالَ فَمَنْ يمْنَعُكَ مِنِّي؟ قَالَ اللهُ يَمْنَعُنِي مِنْكَ قَالَ فَتَهَدَّدَهُ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ فَغَمَدَ السَّيْفَ وَعَلَّقَهُ قَالَ فَنُودِيَ بِالصَّلَاةِ قَالَ فَصَلَّى بِطَائِفَةٍ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ تَأَخَّرُوا فَصَلَّى بِالطَّائِفَةِ الْأُخْرَى رَكْعَتَيْنِ قَالَ فَكَانَتْ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَرْبَعُ رَكَعَاتٍ وَلِلْقَوْمِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ