Home Hadith Hadith 4170
Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent troops to the sea coast and appointed Abu 'Ubaida bin
Al-Jarrah as their commander, and they were 300 (men). We set out, and we had covered some
distance on the way, when our journey food ran short. So Abu 'Ubaida ordered that all the food
present with the troops be collected, and it was collected. Our journey food was dates, and Abu
Ubaida kept on giving us our daily ration from it little by little (piecemeal) till it decreased to such an
extent that we did not receive except a date each." I asked (Jabir), "How could one date benefit you?"
He said, "We came to know its value when even that finished." Jabir added, "Then we reached the sea
(coast) where we found a fish like a small mountain. The people (i.e. troops) ate of it for 18 nights (i.e.
days). Then Abu 'Ubaida ordered that two of its ribs be fixed on the ground (in the form of an arch)
and that a she-camel be ridden and passed under them. So it passed under them without touching
them."
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 64, Hadith 386
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While I was at Yemen, I met two men from Yemen called Dhu Kala and Dhu `Amr, and I started
telling them about Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Dhu `Amr said to me, "If what you are saying about your friend
(i.e. the Prophet) is true, then he has died three days ago." Then both of them accompanied me to
Medina, and when we had covered some distance on the way to Medina, we saw some riders coming
from Medina. We asked them and they said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has died and Abu Bakr has been
appointed as the Caliph and the people are in a good state.' Then they said, "Tell your friend (Abu
Bakr) that we have come (to visit him), and if Allah will, we will come again." So they both returned
to Yemen. When I told Abu Bakr their statement, he said to me, "I wish you had brought them (to
me)." Afterwards I met Dhu `Amr, and he said to me, "O Jarir! You have done a favor to me and I am
going to tell you something, i.e. you, the nation of 'Arabs, will remain prosperous as long as you
choose and appoint another chief whenever a former one is dead. But if authority is obtained by the
power of the sword, then the rulers will become kings who will get angry, as kings get angry, and will
be delighted as kings get delighted."
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Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent us who were three-hundred riders under the command of Abu Ubaida bin Al-
Jarrah in order to watch the caravan of the Quraish pagans. We stayed at the seashore for half a month
and were struck with such severe hunger that we ate even the Khabt (i.e. the leaves of the Salam, a
thorny desert tree), and because of that, the army was known as Jaish-ul-Khabt. Then the sea threw
out, an animal (i.e. a fish) called Al-`Anbar and we ate of that for half a month, and rubbed its fat on
our bodies till our bodies returned to their original state (i.e. became strong and healthy). Abu Ubaida
took one of its ribs, fixed it on the ground; then he went to the tallest man of his companions (to let
him pass under the rib). Once Sufyan said, "He took a rib from its parts and fixed it, and then took a
man and camel and they passed from underneath it (without touching it). " Jabir added: There was a
man amongst the people who slaughtered three camels and then slaughtered another three camels and
then slaughtered other three camels, and then Abu 'Ubaida forbade him to do so.
Narrated Abu Salih: Qais bin Sa`d said to his father. "I was present in the army and the people were
struck with severe hunger." He said, "You should have slaughtered (camels) (for them)." Qais said, "I
did slaughter camels but they were hungry again. He said, "You should have slaughtered (camels)
again." Qais said, "I did slaughter (camels) again but the people felt hungry again." He said, "You
should have slaughtered (camels) again." Qais said, "I did slaughter (camels) again, but the people
again felt hungry." He said, "You should have slaughtered (camels) again." Qais said, "But I was
forbidden (by Abu 'Ubaida this time).