It is narrated from Habib bin Aws that Sayyiduna Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) directly told me that when we returned from the Battle of Ahzab from the trench, I gathered some of those Quraysh people who understood my status and listened to me attentively. I said to them: By Allah! You know that in my view, Muhammad’s call will surely prevail over all, and we do not like it. I have an opinion; now you tell me what you think about it? They said: Yes, what is your opinion? I said: I think we should go to Najashi and stay there. If Muhammad prevails over our people, we will be with Najashi, and being under Najashi is more preferable to us than being under Muhammad. And if our people prevail, we are well-known, and we will receive only good from them. The people said: Indeed, your opinion is appropriate. Then I said to them: Gather wealth to give him gifts; he liked the leather from our region as a present very much. So we collected a lot of leather to give him and set out and reached him. By Allah! We were with him when Amr bin Umayyah al-Damri also arrived there. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had sent him there to discuss the matter of Ja’far and his companions. He came to him and then left. Now I said to my companions: This is Amr bin Umayyah al-Damri; if I go to Najashi and ask him to hand him over to me, he will do so, and I will kill him, and the Quraysh will acknowledge that I have fulfilled their right by killing Muhammad’s envoy. So I went to his court and, as soon as I entered, performed a prostration of respect, as I used to do before. He said: Welcome, friend! Have you brought any gift for me from your homeland? I said: Yes, O King! I have brought a large quantity of leather for you. Then I presented it to him; he liked it very much and expressed that he needed it. After that, I said: O King! I saw a man here who has just left your place; he is the envoy of our enemy. Hand him over to me so that I may kill him; he is the killer of our honorable and best people. Hearing this, Najashi became enraged. He stretched out his hand and struck his own nose so hard that I feared he might have broken his nasal bone. Out of fear, I felt that if the earth were to split open, I would enter it. Then I said: O King! By Allah, if I had known that this would displease you so much, I would never have made such a request. Najashi said: The angel who used to come to Musa (peace be upon him) now comes to the man you speak of; should I hand over his envoy to you so that you may kill him? I said: O King! Is he really like that? He said: O Amr! Woe to you, obey me and follow him. By Allah, he is surely upon the truth, and he will certainly prevail over his opponents, just as Musa (peace be upon him) prevailed over Pharaoh and his armies. I said: Take my pledge of allegiance for Islam in his favor. Najashi said: Very well. So he extended his hand, and I pledged allegiance to him for Islam. Then I went back to my companions, while my opinion had completely changed from before, but I concealed my acceptance of Islam from my companions. Then I set out towards the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to become Muslim. I met Khalid bin Walid, who was coming from Makkah; this was before the conquest of Makkah. I asked him: Abu Sulaiman! Where are you coming from? He said: By Allah! The path has become clear; Muhammad is surely a Prophet. By Allah, I am going to become Muslim. How long will I keep wandering here and there? I said: By Allah, I too have come only to accept Islam. We reached the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Khalid bin Walid went ahead. He accepted Islam and pledged allegiance. After him, I also approached and said: O Messenger of Allah! I pledge allegiance to you on the condition that all my previous sins are forgiven, and I forgot to mention the sins that may occur later. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Amr! Pledge allegiance; indeed, Islam wipes out all previous sins, and migration erases all previous sins. So I pledged allegiance to him and then returned. Ibn Ishaq says: A man whom I consider trustworthy narrated to me that Sayyiduna Uthman bin Talha bin Abi Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) was also with both of them; when these two entered Islam, he also became Muslim with them.

It is narrated from Khalid bin Shumair that Abdullah bin Rabah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to us. I found him in such a state that people were gathered around him. He said that the horseman of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him), narrated to us that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent the army of commanders and said: "Zaid bin Harithah (may Allah be pleased with him) will be your commander. If he is martyred, then after him, Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) will be the commander. If he too is martyred, then Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) will be the commander." Upon hearing this, Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) jumped up and said, "O Prophet of Allah, may my father be sacrificed for you! I did not expect that you would appoint Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) as commander over me." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Set out, you do not know which matter is better." The army set out. They remained on the journey as long as Allah willed, then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ascended the pulpit and ordered that the announcement for prayer be made. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "A news has spread. Shall I not inform you about the army engaged in battle?" They went, met the enemy, and Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred. Pray for his forgiveness." So the people prayed for his forgiveness. After him, Ja'far bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) took the flag. He attacked the enemy until he too was martyred. Bear witness to his martyrdom." The people also prayed for his forgiveness. Then Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) took the flag. He too stood firm against the enemy until he was also honored with martyrdom. The companions also prayed for his forgiveness. After them, Khalid bin Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) took the flag. He was not among the commanders appointed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Due to the circumstances, he became the commander on his own. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his fingers and said: "O Allah! He is one of Your swords, so help him." Abdur Rahman, the narrator, said that due to the blessing of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) supplication, he was victorious. From that day, Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) was called "the Sword of Allah." Then the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Set out and go help your brothers, and let none of you remain behind." The people set out, on foot and mounted, in the intense heat.

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Ja'far that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent out an army and appointed Zaid bin Harithah, may Allah be pleased with him, as their commander. He said, "If Zaid, may Allah be pleased with him, is martyred, then Ja'far bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, will be your commander. If he is also martyred, then Abdullah bin Rawahah, may Allah be pleased with him, will be your commander." The Muslims confronted the enemy. Zaid, may Allah be pleased with him, took up the flag and fought the enemy until he was martyred. After him, Ja'far, may Allah be pleased with him, took the flag and he too fought the enemy until he was martyred. After him, Abdullah bin Rawahah, may Allah be pleased with him, took up the flag and he too fought the enemy until he attained martyrdom. After them, Khalid bin Walid, may Allah be pleased with him, took up the flag, and Allah granted victory at his hands. News of this reached the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. He came out to the people, and after praising and glorifying Allah, he said, "Your brothers confronted the enemy. First, Zaid took up the flag and fought until he was martyred. After him, Ja'far bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, took up the flag and he too fought until he was martyred. After him, Abdullah bin Rawahah, may Allah be pleased with him, took up the flag and he too attained the rank of martyrdom. After them, one of Allah's swords, Khalid bin Walid, may Allah be pleased with him, took up the flag and Allah granted victory at his hands." The family of Ja'far waited for three days hoping that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would visit them. After the third day, he visited them and said, "Do not weep for my brother after today. Call my nephews to me." We were brought to him, and we were as small as chicks. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Call the barber." The barber was called and he shaved our heads. Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "This Muhammad resembles our uncle Abu Talib, and Abdullah resembles me in appearance and temperament." Then he took my hand, raised it, and said, "O Allah, appoint him as a successor among the family of Ja'far, and bless Abdullah in his trade." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, made this supplication three times. Our mother came to him and expressed that these children are now without support. He said, "Do you fear poverty for them? I am their guardian in this world and the Hereafter."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Rawahah, may Allah be pleased with him, with an army. It was Friday, so he sent his companions ahead and said about himself: I will stay behind so that I may perform the Friday prayer with the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and then join them. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saw him, he said: What prevented you from setting out with your companions in the morning? He said: My intention was to perform the Friday prayer with you and then join them. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Even if you spend everything that is in the earth, you will not attain the reward of their setting out in the morning.

It is narrated from ‘Amir that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) dispatched an army for Dhat al-Salasil, appointing Sayyiduna Abu ‘Ubaydah (may Allah be pleased with him) as the commander over the Muhajirun, and Sayyiduna ‘Amr ibn al-‘As (may Allah be pleased with him) as the commander over the Bedouins. Sayyiduna ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) went and attacked Banu Quda‘ah because Banu Bakr were his maternal uncles. Sayyiduna Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) went to Abu ‘Ubaydah (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has appointed you as our commander, whereas ‘Amr ibn al-‘As (may Allah be pleased with him) has shown favor to his own people, and you have no such relation with them. So Sayyiduna Abu ‘Ubaydah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We will obey the command that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has given us, so I will obey the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), even if ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) did not accept your statement.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Amr bin Al-Aas (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed me as the commander over the army sent towards Dhat al-Salasil. I came to the service of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked: O Messenger of Allah! Who among the people is most beloved to you? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Aisha. I asked: And among the men? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Her father (i.e., Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him). I asked: And after him? The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Umar. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned the names of other men.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a message to me saying, "Come to me with your clothes and weapons." When I reached the service of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he was performing ablution. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his gaze towards me and then lowered it, and then said: "I intend to appoint you as the commander over an army. Allah will protect you and grant you spoils of war. And I desire good for you regarding wealth." I said, "O Messenger of Allah! I did not become a Muslim to acquire wealth and riches. I became a Muslim solely out of desire for Islam. And my wish is to remain with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Good wealth is better for a righteous man."

It is narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent us as a detachment of three hundred men and appointed Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) as our leader, so that we might confront a caravan of the Quraysh. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave us a bag of dates. He had nothing else to give us besides that. Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) would give us one date each per day. Abu al-Zubair says: I asked, "What would you do with it?" He replied, "We would keep sucking it, just as a child keeps sucking something, and after that we would drink water. That would be our food for the whole day. And we would knock down leaves from the trees with sticks and soak them in water and eat them."

We reached the seashore, and there we saw a huge mound. When we got there, it turned out to be a creature called 'Anbar' (a type of large fish or whale). Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "This is dead (meaning, because it is dead, it is not lawful for us to eat it)." Imam Ahmad's teacher Hasan bin Musa says: Then Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "It is not unlawful; rather, we are the representatives of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." Imam Ahmad's other teacher, Hashim, narrates in his hadith: "Rather, we are the representatives of Allah and have set out in the way of Allah, and you are in a state of necessity, so eat it."

We were three hundred men. We stayed there for a month. We ate so much of it that we became well-fed and healthy. We would extract fat from its eye socket using pitchers, and we would cut pieces of meat from it as big as camels. Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) seated thirteen of us in its eye socket, and he set up one of its ribs upright. Then he saddled the largest camel in the army and it passed underneath it. We roasted pieces of its meat half-cooked and took them with us. When we reached Madinah, we presented ourselves before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioned this to him. He said, "This was a special provision which Allah sent for you. Do you have any of its meat left to feed us?" So we sent some of it to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set out towards Makkah Mukarramah in the month of Ramadan in the year of the conquest of Makkah. In one narration, it is mentioned that ten days of Ramadan had passed. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was fasting. At midday, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by a water reservoir. Since the people were thirsty, they were stretching their necks and longing for water. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had a cup of water brought to him and held it in his hand until everyone saw him in that state. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) drank it, and the people also drank water (and thus broke their fast).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that after this, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set out on a journey and appointed Sayyiduna Abu Ruhm Kulthum bin Husayn Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) as his deputy in Madinah Munawwarah. He began the journey on the tenth of Ramadan. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and all the companions were fasting. When they reached the place of Kudayd between ‘Usfan and Amj, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) broke his fast. After proceeding from there, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stopped at Mar al-Zahran. Ten thousand Muslims were accompanying the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on this journey.