Mu'jam Kabir Tabarani 4041 — the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, while we

Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, while we were in Madinah: "I have been informed that the caravan of Abu Sufyan is approaching. Are you ready to go out towards this caravan? Perhaps Allah will grant it to us as spoils." We said: Yes. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) went out, and we went out too. When we had travelled for a day or two, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to us: "What is your opinion about those people? They have been informed of your setting out." We said: No, by Allah, we do not have the strength to fight the enemy; we only intended (to take) the caravan. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What is your opinion about fighting those people?" We gave the same reply again. At that, al-Miqdad bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah, we will never say to you what the people of Musa said to Musa (peace be upon him): "So go, you and your Lord, and fight; indeed, we are remaining right here" [Surah al-Ma'idah: 24]. (Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him)) said: We, the Ansar, wished that we too had said what al-Miqdad said; that was dearer to us than having great wealth. So Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): "Just as your Lord brought you out of your home with the truth, while indeed a party among the believers were averse, arguing with you about the truth after it had become clear, as if they were being driven towards death while they were looking on." Then Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed: "I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike above the necks and strike from them every fingertip" [Surah al-Anfal: 12], and He said: "And when Allah promised you that one of the two groups would be yours, and you wished that the unarmed one would be yours" [Surah al-Anfal: 7]. And (the mentioned) 'armed group' means the fighting army, and the 'unarmed group' means the caravan. So when Allah promised us one of the two groups, either the (fighting) people or the caravan, our hearts were at ease. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a man to see how far the people had come. He said: I saw a dark mass (of an army), and I know nothing more. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is them, it is them. Come, let us count ourselves." We did so, and we turned out to be three hundred and thirteen men. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was told our number, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased, praised Allah and said: "This is the number of the companions of Talut." Then we gathered facing the people and formed ranks, and one man among us stepped ahead of the rank. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) looked at them and said: "Stay with me, stay with me." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated: "O Allah, I implore You for Your promise." At that, Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah, I want to give you some advice, though the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is the best of those who give advice: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, is far too great for you to implore Him for His promise. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Ibn Rawahah, I will certainly implore Allah for His promise, for indeed Allah does not break His promise." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) took a handful of dust and threw it towards the faces of the people, and they were routed. So Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed: "And (O Prophet) you did not throw when you threw, but it was Allah who threw" [Surah al-Anfal: 17]. So we killed (enemies) and took captives. At that, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah, my opinion is not that you should keep captives; we are only those who call (people to Islam) and win their hearts. We, the Ansar, said (among ourselves): It is envy of us that drives Umar to say this. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) slept, then woke up and said: "Call Umar to me." So he was called, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has revealed to me: 'It is not for a Prophet to have captives until he has thoroughly subdued (the enemy) in the land. You desire the goods of this world, while Allah desires the Hereafter, and Allah is Almighty, All-Wise'" [Surah al-Anfal: 67].