Compiled by Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari
حَدَّثَنَا يُوسُفُ بْنُ بُهْلُولٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي حُصَيْنُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَالزُّبَيْرَ بْنَ الْعَوَّامِ وَأَبَا مَرْثَدٍ الْغَنَوِيَّ وَكُلُّنَا فَارِسٌ فَقَالَ " انْطَلِقُوا حَتَّى تَأْتُوا رَوْضَةَ خَاخٍ، فَإِنَّ بِهَا امْرَأَةً مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ مَعَهَا صَحِيفَةٌ مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ ". قَالَ فَأَدْرَكْنَاهَا تَسِيرُ عَلَى جَمَلٍ لَهَا حَيْثُ قَالَ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ قُلْنَا أَيْنَ الْكِتَابُ الَّذِي مَعَكِ قَالَتْ مَا مَعِي كِتَابٌ. فَأَنَخْنَا بِهَا، فَابْتَغَيْنَا فِي رَحْلِهَا فَمَا وَجَدْنَا شَيْئًا، قَالَ صَاحِبَاىَ مَا نَرَى كِتَابًا. قَالَ قُلْتُ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ مَا كَذَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَالَّذِي يُحْلَفُ بِهِ لَتُخْرِجِنَّ الْكِتَابَ أَوْ لأُجَرِّدَنَّكِ. قَالَ فَلَمَّا رَأَتِ الْجِدَّ مِنِّي أَهْوَتْ بِيَدِهَا إِلَى حُجْزَتِهَا وَهْىَ مُحْتَجِزَةٌ بِكِسَاءٍ فَأَخْرَجَتِ الْكِتَابَ ـ قَالَ ـ فَانْطَلَقْنَا بِهِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " مَا حَمَلَكَ يَا حَاطِبُ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ ". قَالَ مَا بِي إِلاَّ أَنْ أَكُونَ مُؤْمِنًا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَمَا غَيَّرْتُ وَلاَ بَدَّلْتُ، أَرَدْتُ أَنْ تَكُونَ لِي عِنْدَ الْقَوْمِ يَدٌ يَدْفَعُ اللَّهُ بِهَا عَنْ أَهْلِي وَمَالِي، وَلَيْسَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ هُنَاكَ إِلاَّ وَلَهُ مَنْ يَدْفَعُ اللَّهُ بِهِ عَنْ أَهْلِهِ وَمَالِهِ. قَالَ " صَدَقَ فَلاَ تَقُولُوا لَهُ إِلاَّ خَيْرًا ". قَالَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ إِنَّهُ قَدْ خَانَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ، فَدَعْنِي فَأَضْرِبَ عُنُقَهُ. قَالَ فَقَالَ " يَا عُمَرُ وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ قَدِ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَقَدْ وَجَبَتْ لَكُمُ الْجَنَّةُ ". قَالَ فَدَمَعَتْ عَيْنَا عُمَرَ وَقَالَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ.
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent me, Az-Zubair bin Al-Awwam and Abu Marthad Al-Ghanawi, and all of us were horsemen, and he said, "Proceed till you reach Rawdat Khakh, where there is a woman from the pagans carrying a letter sent by Hatib bin Abi Balta'a to the pagans (of Mecca)." So we overtook her while she was proceeding on her camel at the same place as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) told us. We said (to her) "Where is the letter which is with you?" She said, "I have no letter with me." So we made her camel kneel down and searched her mount (baggage etc) but could not find anything. My two companions said, "We do not see any letter." I said, "I know that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not tell a lie. By Allah, if you (the lady) do not bring out the letter, I will strip you of your clothes' When she noticed that I was serious, she put her hand into the knot of her waist sheet, for she was tying a sheet round herself, and brought out the letter. So we proceeded to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) with the letter. The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to Habib), "What made you o what you have done, O Hatib?" Hatib replied, "I have done nothing except that I believe in Allah and His Apostle, and I have not changed or altered (my religion). But I wanted to do the favor to the people (pagans of Mecca) through which Allah might protect my family and my property, as there is none among your companions but has someone in Mecca through whom Allah protects his property (against harm). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Habib has told you the truth, so do not say to him (anything) but good." `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "Verily he has betrayed Allah, His Apostle, and the believers! Allow me to chop his neck off!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O `Umar! What do you know; perhaps Allah looked upon the Badr warriors and said, 'Do whatever you like, for I have ordained that you will be in Paradise.'" On that `Umar wept and said, "Allah and His Apostle know best."