Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ حَدَّثَنَا قَيْسٌ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَعْدَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ إِنِّي لَأَوَّلُ الْعَرَبِ رَمَى بِسَهْمٍ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَقَدْ أَتَيْنَا نَغْزُو مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَمَا لَنَا طَعَامٌ نَأْكُلُهُ إِلَّا وَرَقَ الْحُبْلَةِ وَهَذَا السَّمُرَ حَتَّى إِنَّ أَحَدَنَا لَيَضَعُ كَمَا تَضَعُ الشَّاةُ مَا لَهُ خِلْطٌ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحَتْ بَنُو أَسَدٍ يُعَزِّرُونِي عَلَى الدِّينِ لَقَدْ خِبْتُ إِذَنْ وَضَلَّ عَمَلِي.
English Translation
Sa'd ibn Malik said: I am the first of the Arabs to shoot an arrow in the cause of Allah. We used to go on expeditions with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) having no food to eat except the leaves of the hubla tree and this samur tree, to the point that one of us would relieve himself like a sheep — it was unmixed with anything. Then Banu Asad came to criticize my practice of religion. I would truly be a loser and my efforts would have been in vain.