Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 9974

Imam al-Sha'bi narrates: A man named Hawdhah came to Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "O Hawdhah, were you present at Badr?" He replied: "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful, and that counts against me, not in my favour." Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: "How old were you at that time?" He said: "In those days I was a strong and sturdy man, like a great bare rock. It is as if I am still looking at them as they formed a long rank in front of us, and as if I am still looking at the gleam of their swords, which was like the rays of the sun through the clouds. Meanwhile some men came upon us who belonged to the vanguard. Among them was Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), who was like a lion, and he was saying: 'Now these people will not eat the dates of Makkah' (that is, they will not return from here alive). Behind him was Hamzah bin Abd al-Muttalib, who had a white feather on his chest by which he was marked; he was like a camel that smashes down a building. I moved out of the way of those two and left them to Hanzalah," that is, the brother of Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah. Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah said to him (that is, Hawdhah): "May Allah Almighty be pleased with you; there should be no ingratitude to Allah Almighty. I wish I knew, O Hawdhah, when you found rest." He replied: "By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I found no rest until I had seen the hills of Arbad. Then I thought: 'Alas, what has become of Hanzalah?'" Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him: "You mention Hanzalah the way a well-off man mentions his poor brother: he hardly mentions him except when drowsy or pretending to be drowsy."
Al-Tabarani recorded it. Its chain contains Rahmah bin Mus'ab, who is da'if (weak).