Compiled by Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَفْلَحَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ، مَوْلَى أَبِي قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ خَرَجْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَامَ حُنَيْنٍ، فَلَمَّا الْتَقَيْنَا كَانَتْ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ جَوْلَةٌ، فَرَأَيْتُ رَجُلاً مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ عَلاَ رَجُلاً مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَاسْتَدَرْتُ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ حَتَّى ضَرَبْتُهُ بِالسَّيْفِ عَلَى حَبْلِ عَاتِقِهِ، فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَىَّ فَضَمَّنِي ضَمَّةً وَجَدْتُ مِنْهَا رِيحَ الْمَوْتِ، ثُمَّ أَدْرَكَهُ الْمَوْتُ فَأَرْسَلَنِي، فَلَحِقْتُ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ فَقُلْتُ مَا بَالُ النَّاسِ قَالَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ، ثُمَّ إِنَّ النَّاسَ رَجَعُوا، وَجَلَسَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " مَنْ قَتَلَ قَتِيلاً لَهُ عَلَيْهِ بَيِّنَةٌ فَلَهُ سَلَبُهُ ". فَقُمْتُ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ يَشْهَدُ لِي ثُمَّ جَلَسْتُ ثُمَّ قَالَ " مَنْ قَتَلَ قَتِيلاً لَهُ عَلَيْهِ بَيِّنَةٌ فَلَهُ سَلَبُهُ " فَقُمْتُ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ يَشْهَدُ لِي ثُمَّ جَلَسْتُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ الثَّالِثَةَ مِثْلَهُ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ صَدَقَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَسَلَبُهُ عِنْدِي فَأَرْضِهِ عَنِّي. فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ ـ رضى الله عنه لاَهَا اللَّهِ إِذًا يَعْمِدُ إِلَى أَسَدٍ مِنْ أُسْدِ اللَّهِ يُقَاتِلُ عَنِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُعْطِيكَ سَلَبَهُ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " صَدَقَ ". فَأَعْطَاهُ فَبِعْتُ الدِّرْعَ، فَابْتَعْتُ بِهِ مَخْرِفًا فِي بَنِي سَلِمَةَ، فَإِنَّهُ لأَوَّلُ مَالٍ تَأَثَّلْتُهُ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ.
We set out in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on the day (of the battle) of Hunain. When we faced the enemy, the Muslims retreated and I saw a pagan throwing himself over a Muslim. I turned around and came upon him from behind and hit him on the shoulder with the sword He (i.e. the pagan) came towards me and seized me so violently that I felt as if it were death itself, but death overtook him and he released me. I followed `Umar bin Al Khattab and asked (him), "What is wrong with the people (fleeing)?" He replied, "This is the Will of Allah," After the people returned, the Prophet (ﷺ) sat and said, "Anyone who has killed an enemy and has a proof of that, will posses his spoils." I got up and said, "Who will be a witness for me?" and then sat down. The Prophet (ﷺ) again said, "Anyone who has killed an enemy and has proof of that, will possess his spoils." I (again) got up and said, "Who will be a witness for me?" and sat down. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said the same for the third time. I again got up, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O Abu Qatada! What is your story?" Then I narrated the whole story to him. A man (got up and) said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! He is speaking the truth, and the spoils of the killed man are with me. So please compensate him on my behalf." On that Abu Bakr As-Siddiq said, "No, by Allah, he (i.e. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ) will not agree to give you the spoils gained by one of Allah's Lions who fights on the behalf of Allah and His Apostle." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Abu Bakr has spoken the truth." So, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) gave the spoils to me. I sold that armor (i.e. the spoils) and with its price I bought a garden at Bani Salima, and this was my first property which I gained after my conversion to Islam.