Narrated `Ali:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent me along with AzZubair and Al-Miqdad and said, "Proceed till you reach a place called Raudat-Khakh where there is a lady travelling in a howda on a camel. She has a letter. Take the letter from her." So we set out, and our horses ran at full pace till we reached Raudat Khakh, and behold, we saw the lady and said (to her), "Take out the letter!" She said, "I have no letter with me." We said, "Either you take out the letter or we will strip you of your clothes." So she took the letter out of her hair braid. We brought the letter to the Prophet (ﷺ) and behold, it was addressed by Hatib bin Abi Balta'a to some pagans at Mecca, informing them of some of the affairs of the Prophet. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "What is this, O Hatib?" Hatib replied, "Do not be hasty with me, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I am an Ansari man and do not belong to them (Quraish infidels) while the emigrants who were with you had their relatives who used to protect their families and properties at Mecca. So, to compensate for not having blood relation with them.' I intended to do them some favor so that they might protect my relatives (at Mecca), and I did not do this out of disbelief or an inclination to desert my religion." The Prophet then said (to his companions), "He (Hatib) has told you the truth." `Umar said, "O Allah's Apostle! Allow me to chop his head off?" The Apostle said, "He is one of those who witnessed (fought in) the Battle of Badr, and what do you know, perhaps Allah looked upon the people of Badr (Badr warriors) and said, 'Do what you want as I have forgiven you.' " (`Amr, a sub-narrator, said,: This Verse was revealed about him (Hatib): 'O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies as friends or protectors.' (60.1) Narrated `Ali: Sufyan was asked whether (the Verse): 'Take not My enemies and your enemies...' was revealed in connection with Hatib. Sufyan replied, "This occurs only in the narration of the people. I memorized the Hadith from `Amr, not overlooking even a single letter thereof, and I do not know of anybody who remembered it by heart other than myself."
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 4890
In-book reference
Book 65, Hadith 410
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 412
Translation by Dr. M. Muhsin Khan · Language: EN
Sahih
It is related that 'Ubaydullah ibn Abi Rafi', the scribe of 'Ali, 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, 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 with us until we reached the meadow and there was the woman. We said to her, "Produce the letter." She said, "I do not have a letter." We said, "You will bring out the letter or we will take off your clothes." She brought 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 said, "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 who will protect their family and property in Makka. 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 from my deen." 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 his head!" He said, "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.'"' 'Amr said, "There was revealed about this, 'O you who believe! Do not take My enemy and your enemy as friends.' (60:1)" He said, "I do not know whether the ayat was in the hadith itself or was part of what 'Amr said." Sufyan was asked about the revelation of "Do not take My enemy and your enemy as friends." (60:1) Sufyan said, "This is in the narration of the people. I memorised it from 'Amr and did not leave out a single letter of it, and I do not know of anyone who memorised it other than me."
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 4890
In-book reference
Book 65, Hadith 410
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 412
Translation by Aisha Bewley · Language: EN
Sahih
