Home Hadith Hadith 5281
We went out in a campaign and the army was called The Army of the Khabt, and Abu 'Ubaida was
our commander. We were struck with severe hunger. Then the sea threw a huge dead fish called Al-
`Anbar, the like of which had never been seen. We ate of it for half a month, and then Abu 'Ubaida
took one of its bones (and made an arch of it) so that a rider could easily pass under it.
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 72, Hadith 19
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I was with the Prophet (on a journey) between Mecca and Medina, and all of them, (i.e. the Prophet (ﷺ)
and his companions) were in the state of Ihram, while I was not in that state. I was riding my horse
and I used to be fond of ascending mountains. So while I was doing so I noticed that the people were
looking at something. I went to see what it was, and behold it was an onager. I asked my companions,
"What is that?" They said, "We do not know." I said, "It is an onager.' They said, "It is what you have
seen." I had left my whip, so I said to them, "Hand to me my whip." They said, "We will not help you
in that (in hunting the onager)." I got down, took my whip and chased the animal (on my horse) and
did not stop till I killed it. I went to them and said, "Come on, carry it!" But they said, "We will not
even touch it." At last I alone carried it and brought it to them. Some of them ate of it and some
refused to eat of it. I said (to them), "I will ask the Prophet (ﷺ) about it (on your behalf)." When I met the
Prophet, I told him the whole story. He said to me, "Has anything of it been left with you?" I said,
"Yes." He said, "Eat, for it is a meal Allah has offered to you."
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The Prophet (ﷺ) sent us as an army unit of three hundred warriors under the command of Abu 'Ubaida to
ambush a caravan of the Quraish. But we were struck with such severe hunger that we ate the Khabt
(desert bushes), so our army was called the Army of the Khabt. Then the sea threw a huge fish called
Al-`Anbar and we ate of it for half a month and rubbed our bodies with its fat till our bodies became
healthy. Then Abu Ubaida took one of its ribs and fixed it over the ground and a rider passed
underneath it. There was a man amongst us who slaughtered three camels when hunger became
severe, and he slaughtered three more, but after that Abu 'Ubaida forbade him to do so.