Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 35829 — Using one's kunyah in war

Qays bin Bishr said: My father used to sit in the gathering of Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) in Damascus. In Damascus there was a Companion of the Ansar named Ibn al-Hanzaliyyah. One day, when I was with Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him), he passed by us. Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Tell us something that will benefit us and will not harm you." He said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a military expedition for jihad. When it returned, one of its men came and sat in the gathering of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and after a while he said to the man beside him, "If only you had seen that scene when we met the enemy! So-and-so speared the enemy, saying, 'Take this, I am the Ghifari youth.'" The other man said, "I think he has wasted his reward." The first man said, "I think there is no harm in it." They disputed over this and differed until the matter reached the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as well. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah; as an expression of surprise)! There is no harm in his being rewarded and being praised." The narrator said: I saw that Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) was very pleased on hearing this, until he rose up and was about to sit on his knees, and he asked, "Did you (may Allah be pleased with him) yourself hear this from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?" He said, "Yes, I heard it myself."