Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 15970

Sa'id bin Jumhan narrates that, in the time of al-Hajjaj, he met Sayyiduna Safinah (may Allah be pleased with him) at a place called "Batn Nakhlah." The narrator says: I stayed with him for eight days so that I could keep asking him about the hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The narrator says: I asked him: "What is your name?" He said: "I will not tell you, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave me the name 'Safinah' (ship)." I asked: "Why did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) give you the name 'Safinah'?" He told me: Once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set out, and his Companions were with him. Their belongings were heavy. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "Spread out your cloak!" I spread it out, and they placed their belongings in that cloak; then they loaded those belongings onto me. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "Carry this load! For you are a ship." Sayyiduna Safinah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: Had I carried at that time the load of one camel, or two camels, or three camels, or four, or five, or six, or seven camels, it would not have been a burden for me; however, if they had been on foot, the matter would be different.
Ahmad, al-Bazzar and al-Tabarani recorded it with various chains, and the narrators of Ahmad and al-Tabarani are thiqat (trustworthy).