عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ لُحَيٍّ الْهَوْزَنِيُّ، عَنْ بِلَالٍ
I met Bilal, the Mu'adhdhin of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at Aleppo, and said: Bilal, tell me, what was the financial position of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? He said: He had nothing. It was I who managed it on his behalf since the day Allah made him Prophet of Allah ﷺ until he died. When a Muslim man came to him and he found him naked, he ordered me (to clothe him). I would go, borrow (some money), and purchase a cloak for him. I would then clothe him and feed him. A man from the polytheists met me and said: I am well off, Bilal. Do not borrow money from anyone except me. So I did accordingly. One day when I performed ablution and stood up to make call to prayer, the same polytheist came along with a body of merchants. When he saw me, he said: O Abyssinian. I said: I am at your service. He met me with unpleasant looks and said harsh words to me. He asked me: Do you know how many days remain in the completion of this month? I replied: The time is near. He said: Only four days remain in the completion of this month. I shall then take that which is due from you (i.e. loan), and then shall return you to tend the sheep as you did before. I began to think in my mind what people think in their minds (on such occasions). When I offered the night prayer, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned to his family. I sought permission from him and he gave me permission. I said: Messenger of Allah, may my parents be sacrificed for you, the polytheist from whom I used to borrow money said to me such-and-such. Neither you nor I have anything to pay him for me, and he will disgrace me. So give me permission to run away to some of those tribes who have recently embraced Islam until Allah gives His Apostle ﷺ something with which he can pay (the debt) for me. So I came out and reached my house. I placed my sword, waterskin (or sheath), shoes and shield near my head. When dawn broke, I intended to be on my way. All of a sudden I saw a man running towards me and calling: Bilal, return to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. So I went till I reached him. I found four mounts kneeling on the ground with loads on them. I sought permission. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: Be glad, Allah has made arrangements for the payment (of your debt). He then asked: Have you not seen the four mounts kneeling on the ground? I replied: Yes. He said: You may have these mounts and what they have on them. There are clothes and food on them, presented to me by the ruler of Fadak. Take them away and pay off your debt. I did so. He then mentioned the rest of the tradition. I then went to the mosque and found that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting there. I greeted him. He asked: What benefit did you have from your property? I replied: Allah Most High paid everything which was due from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Nothing remains now. He asked: Did anything remain (from that property)? I said: Yes. He said: Look, if you can give me some comfort from it, for I shall not visit any member of my family until you give me some comfort from it. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ offered the night prayer, he called me and said: What is the position of that which you had with you (i.e. property)? I said: I still have it, no one came to me. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed the night in the mosque. He then narrated the rest of the tradition. Next day when he offered the night prayer, he called me and asked: What is the position of that which you had (i.e. the rest of the property)? I replied: Allah has given you comfort from it, Messenger of Allah. He said: Allah is Most Great, and praised Allah, fearing lest he should die while it was with him. I then followed him until he came to his wives and greeted each one of them and finally he came to his place where he had to pass the night. This is all for which you asked me. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 3055)
لَقِيتُ بِلَالًا مُؤَذِّنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا بِلَالُ حَدِّثْنِي كَيْفَ كَانَتْ نَفَقَةُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ فَقَالَ مَا كَانَ لَهُ شَيْءٌ كُنْتُ أَنَا الَّذِي أَلِي ذَاكَ مِنْهُ مُنْذُ بَعَثَهُ اللهُ ﷻ حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَ وَكَانَ إِذَا أَتَاهُ الْإِنْسَانُ الْمُسْلِمُ فَرَآهُ عَارِيًا يَأْمُرُنِي بِهِ فَأَنْطَلِقُ فَأَسْتَقْرِضُ فَأَشْتَرِي الْبُرْدَةَ فَأَكْسُوهُ وَأُطْعِمُهُ حَتَّى اعْتَرَضَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَقَالَ يَا بِلَالُ إِنَّ عِنْدِي سَعَةً فَلَا تَسْتَقْرِضْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا مِنِّي فَفَعَلْتُ فَلَمَّا كَانَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ تَوَضَّأْتُ ثُمَّ قُمْتُ لِأُؤَذِّنَ بِالصَّلَاةِ فَإِذَا الْمُشْرِكُ قَدْ أَقْبَلَ فِي عِصَابَةٍ مِنَ التُّجَّارِ فَلَمَّا رَآنِي قَالَ يَا حَبَشِيُّ قُلْتُ يَا لَبَّيْكَ فَتَجَهَّمَنِي وَقَالَ لِي قَوْلًا عَظِيمًا فَقَالَ أَتَدْرِي كَمْ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الشَّهْرِ قُلْتُ قَرِيبٌ قَالَ إِنَّمَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ أَرْبَعٌ وَآخُذُكَ بِالَّذِي لِي عَلَيْكَ فَإِنِّي لَمْ أُعْطِكَ الَّذِي أَعْطَيْتُكَ مِنْ كَرَامَتِكَ وَلَا كَرَامَةِ صَاحِبِكَ عَلَيَّ وَلَكِنْ إِنَّمَا أَعْطَيْتُكَ لِأَتَّخِذَكَ لِي عَبْدًا فَأَرُدُّكَ تَرْعَى الْغَنَمَ كَمَا كُنْتَ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ فَأَخَذَ فِي نَفْسِي مَا يَأْخُذُ فِي أَنْفُسِ النَّاسِ فَانْطَلَقْتُ ثُمَّ أَذَّنْتُ بِالصَّلَاةِ حَتَّى إِذَا صَلَّيْتُ الْعَتَمَةَ رَجَعَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأَذِنَ لِي فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ الْمُشْرِكَ الَّذِي كُنْتُ ادَّنْتُ مِنْهُ قَالَ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا وَلَيْسَ عِنْدَكَ مَا تَقْضِي عَنِّي وَلَيْسَ عِنْدِي وَهُوَ فَاضِحِي فَائْذَنْ لِي أَنْ آبَقَ إِلَى بَعْضِ هَؤُلَاءِ الْأَحْيَاءِ الَّذِينَ قَدْ أَسْلَمُوا حَتَّى يَرْزُقَ اللهُ رَسُولَهُ ﷺ مَا يَقْضِي عَنِّي فَخَرَجْتُ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُ مَنْزِلِي فَجَعَلْتُ سَيْفِي وَجِرَابِي وَمِجَنِّي وَنَعْلِي عِنْدَ رَأْسِي وَاسْتَقْبَلْتُ بِوَجْهِي الْأُفُقَ فَكُلَّمَا نِمْتُ سَاعَةً انْتَبَهْتُ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُ عَلَيَّ لَيْلًا نِمْتُ حَتَّى يَنْشَقَّ عَمُودُ الصُّبْحِ الْأَوَّلِ فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَنْطَلِقَ فَإِذَا إِنْسَانٌ يَسْعَى يَدْعُو يَا بِلَالُ أَجِبْ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَانْطَلَقْتُ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُهُ فَإِذَا أَرْبَعُ رَكَائِبَ مُنَاخَاتٌ عَلَيْهِنِّ أَحْمَالُهُنُّ فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُ فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَبْشِرْ فَقَدْ جَاءَكَ اللهُ بِقَضَائِكَ» فَحَمِدْتُ اللهَ ﷻ وَقَالَ «أَلَمْ تَمُرَّ عَلَى الرَّكَائِبِ الْمُنَاخَاتِ الْأَرْبَعِ؟» قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ «إِنَّ لَكَ رِقَابَهُنَّ وَمَا عَلَيْهِنَّ كِسْوَةٌ وَطَعَامٌ أَهْدَاهُنَّ إِلَيَّ عَظِيمُ فَدَكَ فَاقْبِضْهُنَّ ثُمَّ اقْضِ دَيْنَكَ» فَفَعَلْتُ فَحَطَطْتُ عَنْهُنَّ أَحْمَالَهُنَّ ثُمَّ عَقَلْتُهُنَّ ثُمَّ قُمْتُ إِلَى تَأْذِينِي صَلَاةَ الصُّبْحِ حَتَّى إِذَا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ خَرَجْتُ إِلَى الْبَقِيعِ فَجَعَلْتُ إِصْبَعَيَّ فِي أُذُنِيَّ فَنَادَيْتُ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ كَانَ يَطْلُبُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ بِدَيْنٍ فَلْيَحْضُرْ فَمَا زِلْتُ أَبِيعُ وَأَقْضِي حَتَّى لَمْ يَبْقَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ دَيْنٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ حَتَّى فَضَلَ فِي يَدِي أُوقِيَّتَانِ أَوْ أُوقِيَّةٌ وَنِصْفٌ ثُمَّ انْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ وَقَدْ ذَهَبَ عَامَّةُ النَّهَارِ وَإِذَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قَاعِدًا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَحْدَهُ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لِي «مَا فَعَلَ مَا قِبَلَكَ؟» قُلْتُ قَدْ قَضَى اللهُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ كَانَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَلَمْ يَبْقَ شَيْءٌ فَقَالَ «أَفْضَلُ شَيْءٍ» فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ «انْظُرْ أَنْ تُرِيحَنِي مِنْهَا فَإِنِّي لَسْتُ دَاخِلًا عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِي حَتَّى تُرِيحَنِي مِنْهُ» فَلَمْ يَأْتِنَا أَحَدٌ حَتَّى أَمْسَيْنَا فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الْعَتَمَةَ دَعَانِي فَقَالَ لِي «مَا فَعَلَ الَّذِي قِبَلَكَ؟» قُلْتُ هُوَ مَعِي لَمْ يَأْتِنَا أَحَدٌ فَبَاتَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ فَظَلَّ الْيَوْمَ الثَّانِيَ حَتَّى كَانَ فِي آخِرِ النَّهَارِ جَاءَ رَاكِبَانِ فَانْطَلَقْتُ بِهِمَا وَأَطْعَمْتُهُمَا وَكَسَوْتُهُمَا حَتَّى إِذَا صَلَّى الْعَتَمَةَ دَعَانِي فَقَالَ «مَا فَعَلَ الَّذِي قِبَلَكَ؟» فَقُلْتُ قَدْ أَرَاحَكَ اللهُ مِنْهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَكَبَّرَ وَحَمِدَ اللهَ ﷻ شَفَقًا مِنْ أَنْ يُدْرِكَهُ الْمَوْتُ وَعِنْدَهُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ اتَّبَعْتُهُ حَتَّى جَاءَ أَزْوَاجُهُ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ امْرَأَةٍ حَتَّى أَتَى مَبِيتَهُ فَهُوَ الَّذِي سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْهُ