It has been narrated on the authority of Anas that when (the news of) the advance of Abu Sufyan (at the head of a force) reached him. the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) held consultations with his Companions. The narrator said: Abu Bakr spoke (expressing his own views), but he (the Prophet) did not pay heed to him. Then spoke 'Umar (expressing his views), but he (the Prophet) did not pay heed to him (too). Then Sa'd b. 'Ubada stood up and said: Messenger of Allaah, you want us (to speak). By God in Whose control is my life, if you order us to plunge our horses into the sea, we would do so. If you order us to goad our horses to the most distant place like Bark al-Ghimad, we would do so. The narrator said: Now the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) called upon the people (for the encounter). So they set out and encamped at Badr. (Soon) the water-carriers of the Quraish arrived. Among them was a black slave belonging to Banu al-Hajjaj. The Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) caught him and interrogated him about Abu Sufyan and his companions. He said: I know nothing about Abu Sufyan, but Abu Jahl, Utba, Shaiba and Umayya b. Khalaf are there. When he said this, they beat him. Then he said: All right, I will tell you about Abu Sufyan. They would stop beating him and then ask him (again) about Abu Sufyan. He would again say', I know nothing about Abu Sufyan, but Abu Jahl. 'Utba, Shaiba and Umayya b. Khalaf are there. When he said this, they beat him likewise. The Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) was standing in prayer. When he saw this he finished his prayer and said: By Allaah in Whose control is my life, you beat him when he is telling you the truth, and you let him go when he tells you a lie. The narrator said: Then the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: This is the place where so and so would be killed. He placed his hand on the earth (saying) here and here; (and) none of them fell away from the place which the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) had indicated by placing his hand on the earth.
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