English translation
[1562] 311 - (681) It was narrated from Thâbit, from 'Abdullāh bin Rabāh, from Abū
Qatâdah, who said: "The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ addressed us and said: 'You will travel all evening and all night, and you will come to some water tomorrow, if Allâh wills.' The people set off without paying heed to one another." Abû Qatâdah said: "The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ traveled until halfway through the night, and I was by his side. Then the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ became drowsy and leaned to one side on his mount. I came to him and supported him without waking him up, until he sat upright on his mount. Then he traveled on until most of the night had passed, and he leaned to one side on his mount. I supported him without waking him up, until he sat upright on his mount. Then he traveled on until it was nearly dawn, and he leaned again, more so than on the two previous occasions, until he was about to fall. I came to him and supported him, and he raised his head and said: 'Who is this?' I said: 'Abû Qatâdah.' He said: 'How long have you been travelling with me like this?' I said: 'I have been travelling like this all night.' He said: 'May Allâh take care of you as you have taken care of His Prophet.' Then he said: 'Do you think that we are hidden from the people?' Then he said: 'Do you see anyone?' I said: 'Here is a rider.'
Then I said: 'Here is another rider, until more gathered and we were seven riders in all.' The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ turned off the road and lay down his head, then he said: 'Guard our prayer for us.' The first one to wake up was the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ, when the sun was on his back. We woke up, startled, then he said: 'Ride on.' So we rode on and traveled until the sun had risen, then he stopped and called for the water vessel I had with me, in which there was a little water. He performed Wudû' from it, using less water than usual. A little water was left in it, and he said to Abû Qatâdah, 'Guard your water vessel for us, for you will see something happen with it.' Then Bilâl called the Adhân and the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ prayed two Rak'ah, then he prayed Al-Ghadâh (Fajr), and did (in prayer) as he did every day. The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ rode on and we rode with him, and we began to whisper to one another, saying: 'What expiation is there for what we have done by neglecting our prayer?' Then he said: 'Do you not have an example in me?' Then he said: 'There is no negligence in sleep, rather negligence is the fault of one who does not pray until the time for the next prayer is due. Whoever does that, let him pray when he remembers it, and if it is
the following day, then let him pray at the time of the prayer (that he missed).’ Then he said: ‘What do you think the people have done?’ Then he said: ‘In the morning the people saw that their Prophet ﷺ was not there. Abû Bakr and ‘Umar said: ‘The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ is behind you; he would not leave you behind.’ But the people said: ‘The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ is ahead of you. If you had obeyed Abû Bakr and ‘Umar, you would have been on the right path.’”
“We reached the people when the sun had risen fully and everything was hot, and they were saying: ‘O Messenger of Allâh, we are dying, we are thirsty.’ He said: ‘You will not die.’ Then he said: ‘Bring me my small cup.’ He called for the vessel of water, and the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ started pouring it, and Abû Qatâdah gave them to drink. As soon as the people saw what was in the vessel they fell upon it, and the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ said: ‘Behave properly, for you will all have enough.’ So they did that. The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ began to pour and I gave it to them to drink, until there was no one left but myself and the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ. Then the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ poured some for me and said: ‘Drink.’ I said: ‘I will not drink until you drink, O Messenger of Allâh.’ He
said: 'The one who pours water is the last of them to drink.' So I drank and the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ drank, then the people reached the oasis having drunk their fill of water."
He said: "Abdullāh bin Rabāh said: 'I will narrate this Hadīth in the Jāmi' Masjid' and 'Imrān bin Ḥuṣain said: 'Watch what you are narrating, O young man, for I was one of the riders that night.' I said: 'Then you know more about the Hadīth.' He said: 'Who are you?' I said: 'One of the Anṣār.' He said: 'Then narrate it, for you know more about your Aḥadīth.'" He said: "So I narrated it to the people, and 'Imrān said: 'I was present that night and I did not think that anyone remembered it as I remember it.'"
