English translation
4361. Narrated Jābir bin 'Abdullāh رضي الله عنه: Allāh's Messenger ﷺ sent us and we were three hundred riders under the command of Abū 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrāh in order to watch the caravan of the Quraish Mushrikūn (pagans). We stayed at the seashore for half a month and were struck with such severe hunger that we ate even the Khabāt (i.e., the leaves of the Salām, a thorny desert tree), and because of that, the army was known as Jaish-ul-Khabāt. 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). Abū '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 Sufyān 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)]. Jābir 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 Abū 'Ubaida forbade him to do so. Narrated Abū Ṣāliḥ: 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 Abū 'Ubaida this time)."(1)