English translation
4890. Narrated 'Ali رضي الله عنه: Allāh's Messenger ﷺ sent me along with Az-Zubair and Al-Miqdād and said, "Proceed till you reach a place called Rauḍat-Khākḥ where there is a lady travelling in a Howdah 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 Rauḍat-Khākḥ, 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 (to search for the letter)." So, she took the letter out of her hair braid. We brought the letter to the Prophet ﷺ, and behold, it was addressed by Hāṭib bin Abī Balta'a to some Al-Mushrikūn (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allāh and in His Messenger Muḥammad ﷺ) at Makkah, informing them of some of the plans and affairs of the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said, "What is this, O Hāṭib?" Hāṭib replied, "Do not be hasty with me, O Allāh's Messenger! I am an Anṣārī 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 Makkah. So, to compensate for not having blood relation with them, I intended to do them some favour so that they might protect my relatives (at Makkah), and I did not do this out of disbelief or an inclination to desert my religion." The Prophet ﷺ then said (to his Companions), "He (Hāṭib) has told you the truth." 'Umar said, "O Allāh's Messenger! Allow me to chop his head off?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "He is one of those who witnessed (fought in) the battle of Badr, and what do you know, perhaps Allāh looked upon the people of Badr (Badr warriors) and said, 'Do what you want as I have forgiven you.’” ‘Amr, a subnarrator, said: This Verse was revealed about him (Hāṭib): “O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies (i.e. disbelievers and polytheists) as friends...” (V.60:1) Narrated ‘Ali: Sufyān was asked whether (the Verse), “Take not My enemies and your enemies...” was revealed in connection with Hāṭib. Sufyān replied, “This occurs only in the narration of the people. I memorized the Hadīth from ‘Amr, not overlooking even a single letter thereof, and I do not know of anybody who remembered it by heart other than myself.”