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English translation
4359. It was narrated that Jâbir said: “The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ sent us with Abû ‘Ubaidah and we numbered over three hundred men.
He supplied us with a sack of dates and gave them out by the handful. When he ran short, he gave us one date at a time, until we used to suck on it like an infant, and we would drink water with it. When we ran out of them it became very difficult for us. We used to hit the Khabat leaves with our bows (to knock them down) and swallow them, then drink water with it. We became known as Jaish Al-Khabat (the Khabat army). Then, when we were about to turn inland, we saw a beast like a hill, called Al-Anbar. Abū 'Ubaidah said: 'It is dead meat, do not eat it.' Then he said: 'The army of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ in the cause of Allāh, the Mighty and Sublime, and we are forced by necessity; eat in the name of Allāh.' So we ate from it and we made some of it into jerked meat. Thirteen men could sit in its eye-socket. Abū 'Ubaidah took one of its ribs and seated a man on the biggest camel that the people had, and they passed beneath it. When we came to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, he said: 'What kept you so long?' We said: 'We were waiting for the caravans of the Quraish,' and we told him about the beast. He said: 'That is provision that Allāh granted to you. Do you have anything of it with you?' We said: 'Yes.'" (Ṣaḥīḥ)
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Commentary
1. 'We were more than three hundred and ten,' meaning less than three hundred and twenty.
2. 'Thirteen men': In the previous narration, 'four' was mentioned, but the number four does not negate the thirteen. Four might have been walking around it, and thirteen might have sat in it together.
3. 'Al-Anbar': Whale. It is a colossal creature, which is capable of shattering a ship if it strikes a blow to it. Only Allāh knows what sort of tremendous creatures are concealed in the depths of the sea. The whale is also such a creature. Glory be to Allāh!
