Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحٌ حَدَّثَنَا زَمْعَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ شِهَابٍ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ وَهْبِ بْنِ زَمْعَةَ عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ خَرَجَ تَاجِرًا إِلَى بُصْرَى وَمَعَهُ نُعَيْمَانُ وَسُوَيْبِطُ بْنُ حَرْمَلَةَ وَكِلَاهُمَا بَدْرِيٌّ وَكَانَ سُوَيْبِطٌ عَلَى الزَّادِ فَجَاءَهُ نُعَيْمَانُ فَقَالَ أَطْعِمْنِي فَقَالَ لَا حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَكَانَ نُعَيْمَانُ رَجُلًا مِضْحَاكًا مَزَّاحًا فَقَالَ لَأَغِيظَنَّكَ فَذَهَبَ إِلَى أُنَاسٍ جَلَبُوا ظَهْرًا فَقَالَ ابْتَاعُوا مِنِّي غُلَامًا عَرَبِيًّا فَارِهًا وَهُوَ ذُو لِسَانٍ وَلَعَلَّهُ يَقُولُ أَنَا حُرٌّ فَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَارِكِيهِ لِذَلِكَ فَدَعُونِي لَا تُفْسِدُوا عَلَيَّ غُلَامِي فَقَالُوا بَلْ نَبْتَاعُهُ مِنْكَ بِعَشْرِ قَلَائِصَ فَأَقْبَلَ بِهَا يَسُوقُهَا وَأَقْبَلَ بِالْقَوْمِ حَتَّى عَقَلَهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلْقَوْمِ دُونَكُمْ هُوَ هَذَا فَجَاءَ الْقَوْمُ فَقَالُوا قَدْ اشْتَرَيْنَاكَ قَالَ سُوَيْبِطٌ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ أَنَا رَجُلٌ حُرٌّ فَقَالُوا قَدْ أَخْبَرَنَا خَبَرَكَ وَطَرَحُوا الْحَبْلَ فِي رَقَبَتِهِ فَذَهَبُوا بِهِ فَجَاءَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَأُخْبِرَ فَذَهَبَ هُوَ وَأَصْحَابٌ لَهُ فَرَدُّوا الْقَلَائِصَ وَأَخْذُوهُ فَضَحِكَ مِنْهَا النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَصْحَابُهُ حَوْلًا.
English Translation
Rawh told us: Zam'ah b. Salih told us: I heard Ibn Shihab relate, from Abdullah b. Wahb b. Zam'ah, from Umm Salamah, that Abu Bakr went out as a merchant to Busra, accompanied by Nu'ayman and Suwaybit b. Harmalah, both of whom were veterans of Badr. Suwaybit was in charge of the provisions. Nu'ayman came to him and said, "Feed me." He said, "Not until Abu Bakr comes." Now Nu'ayman was a jesting, joking man, so he said, "I will vex you." He went to some people who had brought pack animals for trade and said, "Buy from me a clever Arab slave; he is eloquent, and perhaps he will say, 'I am a free man' - if you would abandon him for that reason, then leave me alone and do not spoil my slave for me." They said, "No, we will buy him from you for ten young she-camels." So he came leading them, and brought the people along until he tied up the camels, then said to the people, "There he is, take him." The people came and said, "We have bought you." Suwaybit said, "He is lying, I am a free man." They said, "He has already told us about you," and they threw a rope around his neck and took him away. Then Abu Bakr came and was informed, so he went with some companions of his, returned the she-camels, and took him back. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his companions laughed about it for a year.