Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ رِعْيَةَ السُّحَيْمِيِّ قَالَ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي أَدِيمٍ أَحْمَرَ فَأَخَذَ كِتَابَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَرَقَعَ بِهِ دَلْوَهُ فَبَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَرِيَّةً فَلَمْ يَدَعُوا لَهُ رَائِحَةً وَلَا سَارِحَةً وَلَا أَهْلًا وَلَا مَالًا إِلَّا أَخَذُوهُ وَانْفَلَتَ عُرْيَانًا عَلَى فَرَسٍ لَهُ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ قِشْرَةٌ حَتَّى يَنْتَهِيَ إِلَى ابْنَتِهِ وَهِيَ مُتَزَوِّجَةٌ فِي بَنِي هِلَالٍ وَقَدْ أَسْلَمَتْ وَأَسْلَمَ أَهْلُهَا وَكَانَ مَجْلِسُ الْقَوْمِ بِفِنَاءِ بَيْتِهَا فَدَارَ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْبَيْتِ قَالَ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ أَلْقَتْ عَلَيْهِ ثَوْبًا قَالَتْ مَا لَكَ قَالَ كُلُّ الشَّرِّ نَزَلَ بِأَبِيكِ مَا تُرِكَ لَهُ رَائِحَةٌ وَلَا سَارِحَةٌ وَلَا أَهْلٌ وَلَا مَالٌ إِلَّا وَقَدْ أُخِذَ قَالَتْ دُعِيتَ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ قَالَ أَيْنَ بَعْلُكِ قَالَتْ فِي الْإِبِلِ قَالَ فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ قَالَ كُلُّ الشَّرِّ قَدْ نَزَلَ بِهِ مَا تُرِكَتْ لَهُ رَائِحَةٌ وَلَا سَارِحَةٌ وَلَا أَهْلٌ وَلَا مَالٌ إِلَّا وَقَدْ أُخِذَ وَأَنَا أُرِيدُ مُحَمَّدًا أُبَادِرُهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُقَسِّمَ أَهْلِي وَمَالِي قَالَ فَخُذْ رَاحِلَتِي بِرَحْلِهَا قَالَ لَا حَاجَةَ لِي فِيهَا قَالَ فَأَخَذَ قَعُودَ الرَّاعِي وَزَوَّدَهُ إِدَاوَةً مِنْ مَاءٍ قَالَ وَعَلَيْهِ ثَوْبٌ إِذَا غَطَّى بِهِ وَجْهَهُ خَرَجَتْ اسْتُهُ وَإِذَا غَطَّى اسْتَهُ خَرَجَ وَجْهُهُ وَهُوَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُعْرَفَ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَعَقَلَ رَاحِلَتَهُ ثُمَّ أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَكَانَ بِحِذَائِهِ حَيْثُ يُصَلِّي فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْفَجْرَ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ابْسُطْ يَدَيْكَ فَلْأُبَايِعْكَ فَبَسَطَهَا فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَضْرِبَ عَلَيْهَا قَبَضَهَا إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ فَفَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثًا قَبَضَهَا إِلَيْهِ وَيَفْعَلُهُ فَلَمَّا كَانَتْ الثَّالِثَةُ قَالَ مَنْ أَنْتَ قَالَ رِعْيَةُ السُّحَيْمِيُّ قَالَ فَتَنَاوَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَضُدَهُ ثُمَّ رَفَعَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا مَعْشَرَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ هَذَا رِعْيَةُ السُّحَيْمِيُّ الَّذِي كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَأَخَذَ كِتَابِي فَرَقَعَ بِهِ دَلْوَهُ فَأَخَذَ يَتَضَرَّعُ إِلَيْهِ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَهْلِي وَمَالِي قَالَ أَمَّا مَالُكَ فَقَدْ قُسِّمَ وَأَمَّا أَهْلُكَ فَمَنْ قَدَرْتَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْهُمْ فَخَرَجَ فَإِذَا ابْنُهُ قَدْ عَرَفَ الرَّاحِلَةَ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ عِنْدَهَا فَرَجَعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ هَذَا ابْنِي فَقَالَ يَا بِلَالُ اخْرُجْ مَعَهُ فَسَلْهُ أَبُوكَ هَذَا فَإِنْ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَادْفَعْهُ إِلَيْهِ فَخَرَجَ بِلَالٌ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ أَبُوكَ هَذَا قَالَ نَعَمْ فَرَجَعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْتُ أَحَدًا اسْتَعْبَرَ إِلَى صَاحِبِهِ فَقَالَ ذَاكَ جَفَاءُ الْأَعْرَابِ.
English Translation
Muhammad ibn Bakr narrated to us, Isra'il narrated to us, Abu Ishaq narrated to us, from al-Sha'bi, from Ri'yah al-Suhaymi, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wrote to him on a piece of red leather, but he took the letter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and used it to patch his bucket. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent a military expedition that left him neither livestock returning at evening nor going out to pasture, neither family nor property, except that they took it. He escaped naked on a horse of his, with nothing on him, until he reached his daughter who was married among Banu Hilal. She and her family had embraced Islam. The gathering of the people was at the courtyard of her house, so he circled around and entered upon her from behind the house. When she saw him, she threw a garment over him and said: 'What has happened to you?' He said: 'All evil has befallen your father. Nothing was left for him - neither livestock returning at evening nor going out to pasture, neither family nor property - except it was taken.' She said: 'You were invited to Islam.' He said: 'Where is your husband?' She said: 'With the camels.' So he went to him and said: 'What happened to you?' He said: 'All evil has befallen him. Nothing was left for him - neither livestock returning at evening nor going out to pasture, neither family nor property - except it was taken. And I want to go to Muhammad to reach him before he divides my family and property.' He said: 'Take my riding camel with its saddle.' He said: 'I have no need for it.' So he took the shepherd's young camel and he provisioned him with a water-skin. He was wearing a garment such that if he covered his face with it, his rear was exposed, and if he covered his rear, his face was exposed, and he disliked being recognized, until he reached Madinah. He tethered his mount and went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), positioning himself across from where he prayed. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed Fajr, he said: 'O Messenger of Allah, extend your hands so I may pledge allegiance to you.' He extended them, but when he tried to strike upon them, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) withdrew them. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did this three times - withdrawing them and he would try again. On the third time, he said: 'Who are you?' He said: 'Ri'yah al-Suhaymi.' The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took hold of his arm, raised him, then said: 'O gathering of Muslims! This is Ri'yah al-Suhaymi to whom I wrote, and he took my letter and patched his bucket with it.' He began pleading with him, saying: 'O Messenger of Allah, my family and property!' He said: 'As for your property, it has been divided. As for your family, whomever you can find among them.' He went out and found his son had recognized the mount and was standing beside it. He returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: 'This is my son.' He said: 'O Bilal, go out with him and ask him: Is this your father? If he says yes, hand him over to him.' Bilal went out to him and said: 'Is this your father?' He said: 'Yes.' He returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I did not see either of them shed tears for his companion.' He said: 'That is the roughness of the Bedouins.'"