Al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 4082 — The merits of Thabit bin Qais bin Shammas

It is narrated from Ata al-Khurasani that he came to Madinah, and a man took him to the daughter of Sayyiduna Thabit bin Qays bin Shammas (may Allah be pleased with him), who, relating to him the story of Sayyiduna Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him), told him that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had said to him: "Rather, you will live a praiseworthy life, you will attain the rank of martyrdom, and Allah Almighty will admit you to Paradise." Then, when the Battle of al-Yamamah came, he went out with Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) against Musaylimah the Liar (for jihad). The narrator relates: When the Muslims faced the enemy and the enemy launched a fierce attack on them, causing the Muslims to lose their footing, Sayyiduna Thabit said to Sayyiduna Salim (may Allah be pleased with him), the freed slave of Sayyiduna Abu Hudhayfah: "This is not how we used to fight (in such disorder) alongside the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." Then each of the two dug a pit in the ground (for himself), stood firm against the enemy's attacks and kept fighting until both were martyred, 'Rahmatullahi 'alayhima' (may Allah have mercy on them both). Sayyiduna Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) had a very fine coat of mail. A man from among the Muslims passed by there and took it. Then, while a Muslim man was asleep, Sayyiduna Thabit bin Qays (may Allah be pleased with him) came to him in his dream and said: "I am giving you an instruction (a bequest); beware, do not waste it by regarding it as a mere dream. When I was martyred yesterday, a Muslim man passed by me and took away my coat of mail. His lodging is in the farthest part of the army camp; beside his tent there is a horse, tied with a long rope, circling about; he has turned a cooking pot upside down over my coat of mail and has placed a camel saddle on top of it. Go to Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) and tell him to send someone to fetch my coat of mail. And when you reach the Caliph of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him)), tell him that I owe such-and-such a debt, and that people owe me such-and-such a debt, and that such-and-such slaves (of mine) are free. Beware, do not waste it by regarding it as a mere dream."
So that man came to Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) and informed him of this. He sent a man to fetch the coat of mail, who saw a tent at the farthest edge of the army camp, beside which a horse was circling on its long rope. He looked into the tent and there was no one in it. They went in, and when they lifted the saddle, they found beneath it an overturned cooking pot; and when they lifted it, the coat of mail was beneath it. The coat of mail was brought to Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him). Then, when that man reached Madinah, he told Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) his dream, and so he executed Sayyiduna Thabit's bequest after his death. And we do not know of any Muslim whose bequest was executed after his death (on the basis of a dream) other than Sayyiduna Thabit bin Qays bin Shammas (may Allah be pleased with him).