Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 39471 — The great Battle of Badr, how it came

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the news of Abu Sufyan's approach reached the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he (peace and blessings be upon him) took counsel. The narrator said: Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) turned away from him. Then Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) began to speak, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) turned away from him (too). Then Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), is it us you mean? By the One in whose hand is my soul, if you command us to drive the horses into the sea, we will drive the horses into the sea. And if you command us to race the horses as far as Bark al-Ghimad, we will do that too." The narrator said: Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) urged the people on. 2. The narrator said: So the Companions set out until they alighted at Badr, and the water-carrying camels of Quraysh came upon them, and among them was a black slave of Banu al-Hajjaj. The Companions seized him. The Companions of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about Abu Sufyan and his companions. He replied: "I have no knowledge of Abu Sufyan, but here are Abu Jahl, Utbah, Shaybah and Umayyah bin Khalaf (coming)." Whenever this slave said this, the Companions would beat him. And when the Companions beat him, he would say: "Yes, I will tell you. Here is Abu Sufyan (coming)." Then when the Companions let him go, he would say again: "I have no knowledge of Abu Sufyan, but here are Abu Jahl, Utbah, Shaybah and Umayyah bin Khalaf among the people (coming)." And when he said this, the Companions would beat him again. 3. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was standing in prayer. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw this affair, he (peace and blessings be upon him) turned and said: "By the One in whose hand is my soul, you beat him when he tells you the truth, and when he lies to you, you let him go." The narrator said: Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This is the place where so-and-so will be killed." He (peace and blessings be upon him) placed his hand on the ground and said: "Here, and here." And not one disbeliever was killed away from the spot he (peace and blessings be upon him) had marked.