Sahih al-Bukhari 3007

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كتاب الجهاد والسير ›

Chapter: The spy

Narrated 'Ubaidullah bin Abi Rafi`:I heard `Ali saying, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent me, Az-Zubair and Al-Miqdad somewhere saying, 'Proceed till you reach Rawdat Khakh. There you will find a lady with a letter. Take the letter from her.' " So, we set out and our horses ran at full pace till we got at Ar-Rawda where we found the lady and said (to her). "Take out the letter." She replied, "I have no letter with me." We said, "Either you take out the letter or else we will take off your clothes." So, she took it out of her braid. We brought the letter to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and it contained a statement from Hatib bin Abi Balta a to some of the Meccan pagans informing them of some of the intentions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O Hatib! What is this?" Hatib replied, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Don't hasten to give your judgment about me. I was a man closely connected with the Quraish, but I did not belong to this tribe, while the other emigrants with you, had their relatives in Mecca who would protect their dependents and property . So, I wanted to recompense for my lacking blood relation to them by doing them a favor so that they might protect my dependents. I did this neither because of disbelief not apostasy nor out of preferring Kufr (disbelief) to Islam." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), said, "Hatib has told you the truth." `Umar said, O Allah's Apostle! Allow me to chop off the head of this hypocrite." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Hatib participated in the battle of Badr, and who knows, perhaps Allah has already looked at the Badr warriors and said, 'Do whatever you like, for I have forgiven you."

Reference

In-book reference

Book 56, Hadith 216

USC-MSA web (English)

Vol. 4, Book 52, Hadith 251

Translation by Dr. M. Muhsin Khan · Language: EN Sahih

It is related that 'Ubaydullah ibn Abi Rafi' said, "I heard 'Ali say, 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent me, az-Zubayr and al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad out, saying, "Go until you reach the meadow Khakh. There will be a woman in a howdah with a letter. Take it from her." We went out and made our horses gallop until we reached the meadow and found was the woman. We said, "Produce the letter." She answered, "I do not have a letter." We said, "You will bring out the letter or we will take off your clothes." She removed it out from her plaided hair. We took it to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and it contained something from Hatib ibn Abi Balta'a to some people of the idolaters of the people of Makka, informing them about some of the business of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "O Hatib, what is this?" He replied, "O Messenger of Allah, do not be hasty with me. I am a man with close connections to the Quraysh, but I was not one of them while those of the Muhajirun with you have relatives in Makka who will protect their family and property. Since I lacked that lineage among them, I wanted to have some favour with them with which to protect my relatives. I did not do it out of disbelief or apostasy, nor out of being pleased with disbelief after Islam." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "He has told you the truth." 'Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah, let me strike off the head of this hypocrite!" He answered, "He was present at Badr and what will inform you? Perhaps Allah looked down on the people of Badr and said, 'Do what you like. I have forgiven you.'"'" Sufyan said, "What greater isnad is there than this?"

Reference

Sahih al-Bukhari 3007

In-book reference

Book 56, Hadith 216

USC-MSA web (English)

Vol. 4, Book 52, Hadith 251

Translation by Aisha Bewley · Language: EN Sahih

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ دِينَارٍ، سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْهُ، مَرَّتَيْنِ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي حَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَا وَالزُّبَيْرَ وَالْمِقْدَادَ بْنَ الأَسْوَدِ قَالَ ‏"‏ انْطَلِقُوا حَتَّى تَأْتُوا رَوْضَةَ خَاخٍ، فَإِنَّ بِهَا ظَعِينَةً وَمَعَهَا كِتَابٌ، فَخُذُوهُ مِنْهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ فَانْطَلَقْنَا تَعَادَى بِنَا خَيْلُنَا حَتَّى انْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى الرَّوْضَةِ، فَإِذَا نَحْنُ بِالظَّعِينَةِ فَقُلْنَا أَخْرِجِي الْكِتَابَ‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ مَا مَعِي مِنْ كِتَابٍ‏.‏ فَقُلْنَا لَتُخْرِجِنَّ الْكِتَابَ أَوْ لَنُلْقِيَنَّ الثِّيَابَ‏.‏ فَأَخْرَجَتْهُ مِنْ عِقَاصِهَا، فَأَتَيْنَا بِهِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَإِذَا فِيهِ مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى أُنَاسٍ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ، يُخْبِرُهُمْ بِبَعْضِ أَمْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ يَا حَاطِبُ، مَا هَذَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، لاَ تَعْجَلْ عَلَىَّ، إِنِّي كُنْتُ امْرَأً مُلْصَقًا فِي قُرَيْشٍ، وَلَمْ أَكُنْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهَا، وَكَانَ مَنْ مَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ لَهُمْ قَرَابَاتٌ بِمَكَّةَ، يَحْمُونَ بِهَا أَهْلِيهِمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ، فَأَحْبَبْتُ إِذْ فَاتَنِي ذَلِكَ مِنَ النَّسَبِ فِيهِمْ أَنْ أَتَّخِذَ عِنْدَهُمْ يَدًا يَحْمُونَ بِهَا قَرَابَتِي، وَمَا فَعَلْتُ كُفْرًا وَلاَ ارْتِدَادًا وَلاَ رِضًا بِالْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ الإِسْلاَمِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ لَقَدْ صَدَقَكُمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ عُمَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ دَعْنِي أَضْرِبْ عُنُقَ هَذَا الْمُنَافِقِ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنَّهُ قَدْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا، وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَكُونَ قَدِ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ، فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكُمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ وَأَىُّ إِسْنَادٍ هَذَا‏.‏