Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 36002 — The affair of al-Qadisiyyah

Muhammad bin Sa'd said: During the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, one day Abu Mihjan the poet (may Allah be pleased with him) was brought to Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) for the offence of drinking wine. Sayyiduna Sa'd ordered him to be bound in shackles. At that time Sayyiduna Sa'd was wounded and could not go out to the people, so he chose the area of the spring called al-Udhayb to oversee his fighters, and began to observe them. He had appointed Sayyiduna Khalid bin Urfutah (may Allah be pleased with him) commander of the cavalry. When the battle began, Abu Mihjan composed a verse whose meaning is: "It is grief enough that the horsemen charge with their lances, while I am left bound in shackles." Then he said to Sayyiduna Sa'd's wife, bint Khasafah: "Set me free. I swear that if I remain alive, I will come back and bind myself in this shackle myself, and if I am killed, you will be rid of me." So bint Khasafah untied him, while the battle on the field was raging. He leapt and mounted Sayyiduna Sa'd's horse named al-Balqa', took a spear and attacked the enemy. Wherever he went he routed the enemy, until the people began saying: "This is an angel!" And Sayyiduna Sa'd was saying: "The leap is that of my horse al-Balqa' and the spear-thrust is that of Abu Mihjan, yet Abu Mihjan is in captivity!" When the enemy was defeated, Abu Mihjan returned and bound himself in the shackle. Bint Khasafah told Sayyiduna Sa'd the whole story, and he said: "By Allah, I cannot apply the prescribed punishment to a man through whom Allah Almighty granted the Muslims victory." Then Sayyiduna Sa'd set Abu Mihjan free. At this Abu Mihjan said: "When the prescribed punishment used to be applied to me, I would drink wine and be purified by the punishment. Now that you have exempted me from the punishment, by Allah I will never drink it."