Arabic (Original)
قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هَاشِمُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ حَدَّثَنَا عِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِيَاسُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الْأَكْوَعِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ قَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ زَمَنَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَخَرَجْنَا أَنَا وَرَبَاحٌ غُلَامُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِظَهْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَخَرَجْتُ بِفَرَسٍ لِطَلْحَةَ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ كُنْتُ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُبْدِيَهُ مَعَ الْإِبِلِ فَلَمَّا كَانَ بِغَلَسٍ غَارَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَلَى إِبِلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقَتَلَ رَاعِيَهَا وَخَرَجَ يَطْرُدُهَا هُوَ وَأُنَاسٌ مَعَهُ فِي خَيْلٍ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَبَاحُ اقْعُدْ عَلَى هَذَا الْفَرَسِ فَأَلْحِقْهُ بِطَلْحَةَ وَأَخْبِرْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ أُغِيرَ عَلَى سَرْحِهِ قَالَ وَقُمْتُ عَلَى تَلٍّ فَجَعَلْتُ وَجْهِي مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَدِينَةِ ثُمَّ نَادَيْتُ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ يَا صَبَاحَاهْ ثُمَّ اتَّبَعْتُ الْقَوْمَ مَعِي سَيْفِي وَنَبْلِي فَجَعَلْتُ أَرْمِيهِمْ وَأَعْقِرُ بِهِمْ وَذَلِكَ حِينَ يَكْثُرُ الشَّجَرُ فَإِذَا رَجَعَ إِلَيَّ فَارِسٌ جَلَسْتُ لَهُ فِي أَصْلِ شَجَرَةٍ ثُمَّ رَمَيْتُ فَلَا يُقْبِلُ عَلَيَّ فَارِسٌ إِلَّا عَقَرْتُ بِهِ فَجَعَلْتُ أَرْمِيهِمْ وَأَنَا أَقُولُ أَنَا ابْنُ الْأَكْوَعِ وَالْيَوْمُ يَوْمُ الرُّضَّعِ فَأَلْحَقُ بِرَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ فَأَرْمِيهِ وَهُوَ عَلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ فَيَقَعُ سَهْمِي فِي الرَّحْلِ حَتَّى انْتَظَمْتُ كَتِفَهُ فَقُلْتُ خُذْهَا وَأَنَا ابْنُ الْأَكْوَعِ وَالْيَوْمُ يَوْمُ الرُّضَّعِ فَإِذَا كُنْتُ فِي الشَّجَرِ أَحْرَقْتُهُمْ بِالنَّبْلِ فَإِذَا تَضَايَقَتْ الثَّنَايَا عَلَوْتُ الْجَبَلَ فَرَدَيْتُهُمْ بِالْحِجَارَةِ فَمَا زَالَ ذَاكَ شَأْنِي وَشَأْنَهُمْ أَتْبَعُهُمْ فَأَرْتَجِزُ حَتَّى مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ شَيْئًا مِنْ ظَهْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَّا خَلَّفْتُهُ وَرَاءَ ظَهْرِي فَاسْتَنْقَذْتُهُ مِنْ أَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ لَمْ أَزَلْ أَرْمِيهِمْ حَتَّى أَلْقَوْا أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ثَلَاثِينَ رُمْحًا وَأَكْثَرَ مِنْ ثَلَاثِينَ بُرْدَةً يَسْتَخِفُّونَ مِنْهَا وَلَا يُلْقُونَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا إِلَّا جَعَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ حِجَارَةً وَجَمَعْتُ عَلَى طَرِيقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى إِذَا امْتَدَّ الضُّحَى أَتَاهُمْ عُيَيْنَةُ بْنُ بَدْرٍ الْفَزَارِيُّ مَدَدًا لَهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي ثَنِيَّةٍ ضَيِّقَةٍ ثُمَّ عَلَوْتُ الْجَبَلَ فَأَنَا فَوْقَهُمْ فَقَالَ عُيَيْنَةُ مَا هَذَا الَّذِي أَرَى قَالُوا لَقِينَا مِنْ هَذَا الْبَرْحَ مَا فَارَقَنَا بِسَحَرٍ حَتَّى الْآنَ وَأَخَذَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فِي أَيْدِينَا وَجَعَلَهُ وَرَاءَ ظَهْرِهِ قَالَ عُيَيْنَةُ لَوْلَا أَنَّ هَذَا يَرَى أَنَّ وَرَاءَهُ طَلَبًا لَقَدْ تَرَكَكُمْ لِيَقُمْ إِلَيْهِ نَفَرٌ مِنْكُمْ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْهُمْ أَرْبَعَةٌ فَصَعِدُوا فِي الْجَبَلِ فَلَمَّا أَسْمَعْتُهُمْ الصَّوْتَ قُلْتُ أَتَعْرِفُونِي قَالُوا وَمَنْ أَنْتَ قُلْتُ أَنَا ابْنُ الْأَكْوَعِ وَالَّذِي كَرَّمَ وَجْهَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا يَطْلُبُنِي مِنْكُمْ رَجُلٌ فَيُدْرِكُنِي وَلَا أَطْلُبُهُ فَيَفُوتُنِي قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ إِنْ أَظُنُّ قَالَ فَمَا بَرِحْتُ مَقْعَدِي ذَلِكَ حَتَّى نَظَرْتُ إِلَى فَوَارِسِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَتَخَلَّلُونَ الشَّجَرَ وَإِذَا أَوَّلُهُمْ الْأَخْرَمُ الْأَسَدِيُّ وَعَلَى أَثَرِهِ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ فَارِسُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَعَلَى أَثَرِ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ الْمِقْدَادُ الْكِنْدِيُّ فَوَلَّى الْمُشْرِكُونَ مُدْبِرِينَ وَأَنْزِلُ مِنْ الْجَبَلِ فَأَعْرِضُ لِلْأَخْرَمِ فَآخُذُ بِعِنَانِ فَرَسِهِ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَخْرَمُ ائْذَنْ الْقَوْمَ يَعْنِي احْذَرْهُمْ فَإِنِّي لَا آمَنُ أَنْ يَقْطَعُوكَ فَاتَّئِدْ حَتَّى يَلْحَقَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَصْحَابُهُ قَالَ يَا سَلَمَةُ إِنْ كُنْتَ تُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَتَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْجَنَّةَ حَقٌّ وَالنَّارَ حَقٌّ فَلَا تَحُلْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ الشَّهَادَةِ قَالَ فَخَلَّيْتُ عِنَانَ فَرَسِهِ فَيَلْحَقُ بِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ وَيَعْطِفُ عَلَيْهِ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ فَاخْتَلَفَا طَعْنَتَيْنِ فَعَقَرَ الْأَخْرَمُ بِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَطَعَنَهُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ فَقَتَلَهُ فَتَحَوَّلَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ فَرَسِ الْأَخْرَمِ فَيَلْحَقُ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ بِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ فَاخْتَلَفَا طَعْنَتَيْنِ فَعَقَرَ بِأَبِي قَتَادَةَ وَقَتَلَهُ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ وَتَحَوَّلَ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ عَلَى فَرَسِ الْأَخْرَمِ ثُمَّ إِنِّي خَرَجْتُ أَعْدُو فِي أَثَرِ الْقَوْمِ حَتَّى مَا أَرَى مِنْ غُبَارِ صَحَابَةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ شَيْئًا وَيُعْرِضُونَ قَبْلَ غَيْبُوبَةِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَى شِعْبٍ فِيهِ مَاءٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ ذُو قَرَدٍ فَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَشْرَبُوا مِنْهُ فَأَبْصَرُونِي أَعْدُو وَرَاءَهُمْ فَعَطَفُوا عَنْهُ وَاشْتَدُّوا فِي الثَّنِيَّةِ ثَنِيَّةِ ذِي بِئْرٍ وَغَرَبَتْ الشَّمْسُ فَأَلْحَقُ رَجُلًا فَأَرْمِيهِ فَقُلْتُ خُذْهَا وَأَنَا ابْنُ الْأَكْوَعِ وَالْيَوْمُ يَوْمُ الرُّضَّعِ قَالَ فَقَالَ يَا ثُكْلَ أُمِّ أَكْوَعَ بَكْرَةً قُلْتُ نَعَمْ أَيْ عَدُوَّ نَفْسِهِ وَكَانَ الَّذِي رَمَيْتُهُ بَكْرَةً فَأَتْبَعْتُهُ سَهْمًا آخَرَ فَعَلِقَ بِهِ سَهْمَانِ وَيَخْلُفُونَ فَرَسَيْنِ فَجِئْتُ بِهِمَا أَسُوقُهُمَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمَاءِ الَّذِي جَلَّيْتُهُمْ عَنْهُ ذُوْ قَرَدٍ فَإِذَا بِنَبِيِّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي خَمْسِ مِائَةٍ وَإِذَا بِلَالٌ قَدْ نَحَرَ جَزُورًا مِمَّا خَلَّفْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْوِي لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ كَبِدِهَا وَسَنَامِهَا فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ خَلِّنِي فَأَنْتَخِبَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ مِائَةً فَآخُذَ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ عَشْوَةً فَلَا يَبْقَى مِنْهُمْ مُخْبِرٌ إِلَّا قَتَلْتُهُ قَالَ أَكُنْتَ فَاعِلًا ذَلِكَ يَا سَلَمَةُ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَالَّذِي أَكْرَمَكَ فَضَحِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى رَأَيْتُ نَوَاجِذَهُ فِي ضُوءِ النَّارِ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّهُمْ يُقْرَوْنَ الْآنَ بِأَرْضِ غَطَفَانَ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ غَطَفَانَ فَقَالَ مَرُّوا عَلَى فُلَانٍ الْغَطَفَانِيِّ فَنَحَرَ لَهُمْ جَزُورًا قَالَ فَلَمَّا أَخَذُوا يَكْشِطُونَ جِلْدَهَا رَأَوْا غَبَرَةً فَتَرَكُوهَا وَخَرَجُوا هَرَبًا فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحْنَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَيْرُ فُرْسَانِنَا الْيَوْمَ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ وَخَيْرُ رَجَّالَتِنَا سَلَمَةُ فَأَعْطَانِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَهْمَ الرَّاجِلِ وَالْفَارِسِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ أَرْدَفَنِي وَرَاءَهُ عَلَى الْعَضْبَاءِ رَاجِعِينَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهَا قَرِيبًا مِنْ ضَحْوَةٍ وَفِي الْقَوْمِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ الْأَنْصَارِ كَانَ لَا يُسْبَقُ جَعَلَ يُنَادِي هَلْ مِنْ مُسَابِقٍ أَلَا رَجُلٌ يُسَابِقُ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَأَعَادَ ذَلِكَ مِرَارًا وَأَنَا وَرَاءَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُرْدِفِي قُلْتُ لَهُ أَمَا تُكْرِمُ كَرِيمًا وَلَا تَهَابُ شَرِيفًا قَالَ لَا إِلَّا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي خَلِّنِي فَلَأُسَابِقُ الرَّجُلَ قَالَ إِنْ شِئْتَ قُلْتُ أَذْهَبُ إِلَيْكَ فَطَفَرَ عَنْ رَاحِلَتِهِ وَثَنَيْتُ رِجْلَيَّ فَطَفَرْتُ عَنْ النَّاقَةِ ثُمَّ إِنِّي رَبَطْتُ عَلَيْهَا شَرَفًا أَوْ شَرَفَيْنِ يَعْنِي اسْتَبْقَيْتُ نَفْسِي ثُمَّ إِنِّي عَدَوْتُ حَتَّى أَلْحَقَهُ فَأَصُكَّ بَيْنَ كَتِفَيْهِ بِيَدَيَّ قُلْتُ سَبَقْتُكَ وَاللَّهِ أَوْ كَلِمَةً نَحْوَهَا قَالَ فَضَحِكَ وَقَالَ إِنْ أَظُنُّ حَتَّى قَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ.
English Translation
He said: Hashim ibn al-Qasim narrated to us: 'Ikrimah ibn 'Ammar narrated to us, who said: Iyas ibn Salamah ibn al-Akwa' narrated to us, from his father, who said: We arrived at Madinah at the time of al-Hudaybiyah with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. So I and Rabah, the servant boy of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, went out with the Messenger of Allah's baggage-camels, and I went out with a horse belonging to Talhah ibn 'Ubaydullah, intending to let it graze along with the camels. When it was still dim before dawn, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Uyaynah raided the camels of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and killed their herdsman, and rode off driving them, he and some people with him on horses. I said: "O Rabah, mount this horse and take it to Talhah, and inform the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, that his grazing herd has been raided." He said: And I stood on a hillock and turned my face toward Madinah, then I called out three times: "O disaster this morning!" Then I followed the people with my sword and my arrows, and I began shooting at them and hamstringing their mounts, and that was when the trees grew thick. Whenever a horseman turned back toward me, I sat at the base of a tree, then shot, so that no horseman would approach me except that I hamstrung him. So I kept shooting at them, saying: "I am Ibn al-Akwa', and today is a day of reckoning!" I would catch up to a man of theirs and shoot him while he was on his mount, and my arrow would land in the saddle until I pierced his shoulder. I said: "Take that! I am Ibn al-Akwa', and today is a day of reckoning!" When I was among the trees I would harass them with arrows, and when the mountain passes narrowed, I would climb the mountain and pelt them with stones. This remained my affair and theirs - I followed them, chanting verse, until Allah had not left anything of the Messenger of Allah's baggage-train except that I had brought it back behind me, rescuing it from their hands. Then I continued shooting at them until they threw away more than thirty spears and more than thirty cloaks, to lighten their load, and they did not throw away anything except that I put a stone upon it and gathered it on the path of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. When the forenoon had lengthened, 'Uyaynah ibn Badr al-Fazari came to them as reinforcement, while they were in a narrow mountain pass; then I climbed the mountain, so I was above them. 'Uyaynah said: "What is this that I see?" They said: "We have suffered from this man's hardship, which has not left us from before dawn until now, and he has taken everything in our hands and put it behind him." 'Uyaynah said: "Were it not that this one thinks there is a pursuing force behind him, he would surely have left you alone. Let a group of you go up to him." So four of them went up, climbing the mountain. When I made them hear my voice, I said: "Do you know me?" They said: "Who are you?" I said: "I am Ibn al-Akwa', and by the One who ennobled the face of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, none of you shall pursue me and catch me, nor shall I pursue him and he escape me." A man among them said: "I think that is true." He said: I did not move from that position until I saw the horsemen of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, weaving through the trees, and the first of them was al-Akhram al-Asadi, followed by Abu Qatadah, the horseman of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and following Abu Qatadah was al-Miqdad al-Kindi. The polytheists then turned in flight, and I came down from the mountain and confronted al-Akhram, taking hold of the reins of his horse, and said: "O Akhram, beware of the people - for I fear they may cut you down, so wait until the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and his companions catch up." He said: "O Salamah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day, and know that Paradise is true and the Fire is true, do not come between me and martyrdom." He said: So I released the reins of his horse, and he caught up with 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Uyaynah, and 'Abd al-Rahman turned upon him, and they exchanged two thrusts, and al-Akhram wounded 'Abd al-Rahman while 'Abd al-Rahman thrust him and killed him. Then 'Abd al-Rahman turned from al-Akhram's horse, and Abu Qatadah caught up with 'Abd al-Rahman, and they exchanged two thrusts, and 'Abd al-Rahman wounded Abu Qatadah, but Abu Qatadah killed him, and Abu Qatadah then took al-Akhram's horse. Then I went out running in pursuit of the people until I could no longer see any dust of the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and they were turning aside before sunset toward a mountain pass with water called Dhu Qarad, wishing to drink from it. But they caught sight of me running behind them, so they turned away from it and hurried on into the pass of Dhu Bi'r, and the sun set. I caught up with a man and shot him, saying: "Take that! I am Ibn al-Akwa', and today is a day of reckoning!" He said: "O bereavement of Umm Akwa' - so early!" I said: "Yes, O enemy of himself" - and the one I had shot was a young camel-rider. I followed up with another arrow, and two arrows became lodged in him, and they left behind two horses; so I came, driving them, to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, who was at the water from which I had driven them away, Dhu Qarad. There was the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, with five hundred men, and Bilal had slaughtered a young camel from what I had left behind and was roasting some of its liver and hump for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: "O Messenger of Allah, let me choose a hundred of your companions and take the disbelievers by surprise at dusk, so that not one of them survives to bring news." He said: "Would you really do that, O Salamah?" I said: "Yes, by the One who honors you." So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, laughed until I saw his molars in the light of the fire, then said: "They are now being given hospitality in the land of Ghatafan." Then a man from Ghatafan came and said: "They passed by so-and-so of Ghatafan, and he slaughtered a young camel for them; but when they began skinning it, they saw dust and left it and fled in fear." When morning came, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The best of our horsemen today is Abu Qatadah, and the best of our foot-soldiers is Salamah." The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, gave me the share of both the foot-soldier and the horseman together, then he made me ride behind him on al-'Adba', returning to Madinah. When we were near it, at about mid-morning, there was a man from the Ansar among the people who could never be outrun, and he began calling out: "Is there any competitor? Will no man race to Madinah?" He repeated that several times, while I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. I said to him: "Will you not honor someone honorable, nor show deference to someone noble?" He said: "No, except the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him." I said: "O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, let me go and race the man." He said: "If you wish." I said: "I will go to you" - and he leapt down from his mount, and I bent my legs and leapt down from the she-camel. Then I ran a stretch or two, holding back at first - meaning I paced myself - then I ran until I caught up with him, and I struck him between his shoulders with my hands and said: "I have beaten you, by Allah!" or words to that effect. He said: So he laughed and said: "I think so," until we arrived at Madinah.