[Machine] Umar ibn Al-Khattab wrote a letter to Hattib ibn Abi Balta'ah to deliver it to the people of Makkah. Allah, the Most High, revealed to His Prophet ﷺ what had happened. So the Prophet sent Ali and Zubayr to chase after them. They caught up with a woman riding a camel and they took the letter she had concealed in one of the humps. They brought it to the Prophet ﷺ who read it and then sent for Hattib. The Prophet asked him, "O Hattib, did you write this letter?" Hattib replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." The Prophet asked him, "What prompted you to do this?" Hattib replied, "O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I am loyal to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, but I was a stranger among the people of Makkah and my family was still there. So I feared for their safety and wrote a letter that would not harm Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. Perhaps it will be of benefit to my family." Umar said, "I drew my sword and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, allow me to strike his neck, for he has committed disbelief.' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'O Ibn Al-Khattab, what makes you think that Allah has not seen the people of this group from the Battle of Badr? Do as you please, for I have forgiven you all.'"  

عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ كَتَبَ حَاطِبُ بْنُ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ فَأَطْلَعَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ نَبِيَّهُ ﷺ فَبَعَثَ عَلِيًّا وَالزُّبَيْرَ فِي أَثَرِ الْكِتَابِ فَأَدْرَكَا امْرَأَةً عَلَى بَعِيرٍ فَاسْتَخْرَجَاهُ مِنْ قَرْنٍ مِنْ قُرُونِهَا فَأَتَيَا بِهِ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُرِئَ عَلَيْهِ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى حَاطِبٍ فَقَالَ «يَا حَاطِبُ إِنَّكَ كَتَبْتُ هَذَا الْكِتَابَ؟» قَالَ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَمَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَنَاصِحٌ لِلَّهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ ﷺ وَلَكِنِّي كُنْتُ غَرِيبًا فِي أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ وَكَانَ أَهْلِي بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْهِمْ فَخَشِيتُ عَلَيْهِمْ فَكَتَبْتُ كِتَابًا لَا يَضُرُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ شَيْئًا وَعَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ فِيهِ مَنْفَعَةٌ لِأَهْلِي قَالَ عُمَرُ فَاخْتَرَطْتُ سَيْفِي وَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَمْكِنِّي مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ كَفَرَ فَأَضْرِبْ عُنُقَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّابِ وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ قَدِ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ هَذِهِ الْعِصَابَةِ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَإِنِّي قَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكُمْ