Musnad Ahmad 3
It was narrated that al-Bara' bin 'Azib said:
Abu Bakr bought a saddle from ‘Azib for thirteen dirhams, then Abu Bakr said to 'Azib. Tell al-Bara to carry it to my house. He said: No, not until you tell us what happened when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out and you were with him. Abu Bakr said: We started our journey at the beginning of the night and we hastened for one day and one night, until it was midday. I looked into the distance to see whether there was anywhere to seek shade, and I saw a rock, so I went to it and it had a little shade. I smoothed the ground for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and spread a garment of camel hair for him, and said: Lie down and rest, O Messenger of Allah. So he lay down, and I went out to see if I could spot anyone looking for us. Then I saw a shepherd and I said: Who do you belong to, O boy? He said: To a man of Quraish. He mentioned his name and I recognised it. I said: Is there any milk in your sheep? He said: Yes | said: Will you milk some for me? He said: Yes. I told him to do that, so he caught a sheep, then I told him to brush the dust from its teat, then to brush the dust off his hands. I had a small vessel with me on the neck of which was a cloth. He milked a little bit of milk for me and I poured it into the vessel until it cooled down. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). When I reached him, he had already woken up. I said: Drink, O Messenger of Allah. He drank until I was pleased, then I said: Is it time to move on? So we moved on and the people were coming after us but none of them caught up with us except Suraqah bin Malik bin Ju'shum, who was riding a horse of his, I said: O Messenger of Allah, someone has caught up with us. He said: `Do not be afraid, for Allah is with us.` When he got close to us, and there was no more between us and him then the length of a spear or two or three spears, I said: O Messenger of Allah, this pursuer has caught up with us, and I wept. He said: `Why are you weeping?` I said: I am not weeping for myself; rather I am weeping for you. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed against him [the pursuer] and said: “O Allah, protect us from him by whatever means You will.” Then his horse's legs sank into the solid ground up to its belly, and he fell off it. He said: O Muhammad, I know that this is because of you; pray to Allah to save me from my predicament, and by Allah I shall divert away from you any one who is behind me of those who are seeking you. Here is my quiver, take one arrow. You are going to pass by some camels and sheep of mine in such and such a place, take whatever you need from thern. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `I have no need of it.“ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prayed for him and he was released, and he went back to his companions. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and I continued on our way until we came to Madinah, where the people met him. They came out on the road and on the roofs, and a lot of servants and children crowded the road saying: Allahu Akbar, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has come, Muhammad has come. The people disputed as to who he would stay with. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: `Tonight I will stay with Banun-Najjar, the maternal uncles of 'Abdul-Muttalib, to honour them thereby.” The next morning, he went where he was instructed. Al-Bara' bin 'Azib said: The first of the Muhajireen to come to us was Mus'ab bin 'Umair, the brother of Banu 'Abdud-Dar. Then Ibn Umm Maktoom, the blind man and brother of Banu Fihr, came to us. Then 'Umar bin al-Khattab, came to us with twenty riders and we said: What happened to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? He said: He is behind me. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came and Abu Bakr was with him. Al-Bara said: the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not come until I had read some soorahs from al-Mufassal [Al-Mufassal is that portion of the Qur'an which goes from Qaf to an-Nas]. Isra'eel said: al-Bara' was one of the Ansar from Banu Harithah.
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ يَعْنِي الْعَنْقَزِيَّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ، قَالَ اشْتَرَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ مِنْ عَازِبٍ سَرْجًا بِثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ دِرْهَمًا قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ لِعَازِبٍ مُرْ الْبَرَاءَ فَلْيَحْمِلْهُ إِلَى مَنْزِلِي فَقَالَ لَا حَتَّى تُحَدِّثَنَا كَيْفَ صَنَعْتَ حِينَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَنْتَ مَعَهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ خَرَجْنَا فَأَدْلَجْنَا فَأَحْثَثْنَا يَوْمَنَا وَلَيْلَتَنَا حَتَّى أَظْهَرْنَا وَقَامَ قَائِمُ الظَّهِيرَةِ فَضَرَبْتُ بِبَصَرِي هَلْ أَرَى ظِلًّا نَأْوِي إِلَيْهِ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِصَخْرَةٍ فَأَهْوَيْتُ إِلَيْهَا فَإِذَا بَقِيَّةُ ظِلِّهَا فَسَوَّيْتُهُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَفَرَشْتُ لَهُ فَرْوَةً وَقُلْتُ اضْطَجِعْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَاضْطَجَعَ ثُمَّ خَرَجْتُ أَنْظُرُ هَلْ أَرَى أَحَدًا مِنْ الطَّلَبِ فَإِذَا أَنَا بِرَاعِي غَنَمٍ فَقُلْتُ لِمَنْ أَنْتَ يَا غُلَامُ فَقَالَ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ فَسَمَّاهُ فَعَرَفْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ هَلْ فِي غَنَمِكَ مِنْ لَبَنٍ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ قُلْتُ هَلْ أَنْتَ حَالِبٌ لِي قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَأَمَرْتُهُ فَاعْتَقَلَ شَاةً مِنْهَا ثُمَّ أَمَرْتُهُ فَنَفَضَ ضَرْعَهَا مِنْ الْغُبَارِ ثُمَّ أَمَرْتُهُ فَنَفَضَ كَفَّيْهِ مِنْ الْغُبَارِ وَمَعِي إِدَاوَةٌ عَلَى فَمِهَا خِرْقَةٌ فَحَلَبَ لِي كُثْبَةً مِنْ اللَّبَنِ فَصَبَبْتُ يَعْنِي الْمَاءَ عَلَى الْقَدَحِ حَتَّى بَرَدَ أَسْفَلُهُ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَوَافَيْتُهُ وَقَدْ اسْتَيْقَظَ فَقُلْتُ اشْرَبْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَشَرِبَ حَتَّى رَضِيتُ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ هَلْ أَنَى الرَّحِيلُ قَالَ فَارْتَحَلْنَا وَالْقَوْمُ يَطْلُبُونَا فَلَمْ يُدْرِكْنَا أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا سُرَاقَةُ بْنُ مَالِكِ بْنِ جُعْشُمٍ عَلَى فَرَسٍ لَهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا الطَّلَبُ قَدْ لَحِقَنَا فَقَالَ ‏{‏لَا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَنَا‏}‏ حَتَّى إِذَا دَنَا مِنَّا فَكَانَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَهُ قَدْرُ رُمْحٍ أَوْ رُمْحَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا الطَّلَبُ قَدْ لَحِقَنَا وَبَكَيْتُ قَالَ لِمَ تَبْكِي قَالَ قُلْتُ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ مَا عَلَى نَفْسِي أَبْكِي وَلَكِنْ أَبْكِي عَلَيْكَ قَالَ فَدَعَا عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنَاهُ بِمَا شِئْتَ فَسَاخَتْ قَوَائِمُ فَرَسِهِ إِلَى بَطْنِهَا فِي أَرْضٍ صَلْدٍ وَوَثَبَ عَنْهَا وَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ قَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ هَذَا عَمَلُكَ فَادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُنْجِيَنِي مِمَّا أَنَا فِيهِ فَوَاللَّهِ لَأُعَمِّيَنَّ عَلَى مَنْ وَرَائِي مِنْ الطَّلَبِ وَهَذِهِ كِنَانَتِي فَخُذْ مِنْهَا سَهْمًا فَإِنَّكَ سَتَمُرُّ بِإِبِلِي وَغَنَمِي فِي مَوْضِعِ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَخُذْ مِنْهَا حَاجَتَكَ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا حَاجَةَ لِي فِيهَا قَالَ وَدَعَا لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأُطْلِقَ فَرَجَعَ إِلَى أَصْحَابِهِ وَمَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَنَا مَعَهُ حَتَّى قَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ فَتَلَقَّاهُ النَّاسُ فَخَرَجُوا فِي الطَّرِيقِ وَعَلَى الْأَجَاجِيرِ فَاشْتَدَّ الْخَدَمُ وَالصِّبْيَانُ فِي الطَّرِيقِ يَقُولُونَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ جَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَاءَ مُحَمَّدٌ قَالَ وَتَنَازَعَ الْقَوْمُ أَيُّهُمْ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْزِلُ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلَى بَنِي النَّجَّارِ أَخْوَالِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ لِأُكْرِمَهُمْ بِذَلِكَ فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ غَدَا حَيْثُ أُمِرَ قَالَ الْبَرَاءُ بْنُ عَازِبٍ أَوَّلُ مَنْ كَانَ قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ مُصْعَبُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ أَخُو بَنِي عَبْدِ الدَّارِ ثُمَّ قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ الْأَعْمَى أَخُو بَنِي فِهْرٍ ثُمَّ قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فِي عِشْرِينَ رَاكِبًا فَقُلْنَا مَا فَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ هُوَ عَلَى أَثَرِي ثُمَّ قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ مَعَهُ قَالَ الْبَرَاءُ وَلَمْ يَقْدَمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى حَفِظْتُ سُوَرًا مِنْ الْمُفَصَّلِ قَالَ إِسْرَائِيلُ وَكَانَ الْبَرَاءُ مِنْ الْأَنْصَارِ مِنْ بَنِي حَارِثَةَ‏.‏