Jabalah bin Suhaim (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that we were in Madinah, during the time when an army was being sent towards the people of Iraq. We were afflicted by famine. Abdullah bin Zubair (may Allah be pleased with both of them) gave us dates. Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) passed by us and said: Do not eat by combining two or three together, because the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade eating by combining (dates), unless a man takes permission from his brother. Imam Shu’bah says: In my opinion, this sentence about taking permission is the statement of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both of them) himself, (and not part of the hadith).