حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا شَبَابَةُ بْنُ سَوَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ الْمُغِيرَةِ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنِ الْمِقْدَادِ، قَالَ أَقْبَلْتُ أَنَا وَصَاحِبَانِ، لِي وَقَدْ ذَهَبَتْ أَسْمَاعُنَا وَأَبْصَارُنَا مِنَ الْجَهْدِ فَجَعَلْنَا نَعْرِضُ أَنْفُسَنَا عَلَى أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَيْسَ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ يَقْبَلُنَا فَأَتَيْنَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَانْطَلَقَ بِنَا إِلَى أَهْلِهِ فَإِذَا ثَلاَثَةُ أَعْنُزٍ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " احْتَلِبُوا هَذَا اللَّبَنَ بَيْنَنَا " . قَالَ فَكُنَّا نَحْتَلِبُ فَيَشْرَبُ كُلُّ إِنْسَانٍ مِنَّا نَصِيبَهُ وَنَرْفَعُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَصِيبَهُ - قَالَ - فَيَجِيءُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمًا لاَ يُوقِظُ نَائِمًا وَيُسْمِعُ الْيَقْظَانَ - قَالَ - ثُمَّ يَأْتِي الْمَسْجِدَ فَيُصَلِّي ثُمَّ يَأْتِي شَرَابَهُ فَيَشْرَبُ فَأَتَانِي الشَّيْطَانُ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ وَقَدْ شَرِبْتُ نَصِيبِي فَقَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ يَأْتِي الأَنْصَارَ فَيُتْحِفُونَهُ وَيُصِيبُ عِنْدَهُمْ مَا بِهِ حَاجَةٌ إِلَى هَذِهِ الْجُرْعَةِ فَأَتَيْتُهَا فَشَرِبْتُهَا فَلَمَّا أَنْ وَغَلَتْ فِي بَطْنِي وَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ إِلَيْهَا سَبِيلٌ - قَالَ - نَدَّمَنِي الشَّيْطَانُ فَقَالَ وَيْحَكَ مَا صَنَعْتَ أَشَرِبْتَ شَرَابَ مُحَمَّدٍ فَيَجِيءُ فَلاَ يَجِدُهُ فَيَدْعُو عَلَيْكَ فَتَهْلِكُ فَتَذْهَبُ دُنْيَاكَ وَآخِرَتُكَ . وَعَلَىَّ شَمْلَةٌ إِذَا وَضَعْتُهَا عَلَى قَدَمَىَّ خَرَجَ رَأْسِي وَإِذَا وَضَعْتُهَا عَلَى رَأْسِي خَرَجَ قَدَمَاىَ وَجَعَلَ لاَ يَجِيئُنِي النَّوْمُ وَأَمَّا صَاحِبَاىَ فَنَامَا وَلَمْ يَصْنَعَا مَا صَنَعْتُ - قَالَ - فَجَاءَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَلَّمَ كَمَا كَانَ يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ أَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى ثُمَّ أَتَى شَرَابَهُ فَكَشَفَ عَنْهُ فَلَمْ يَجِدْ فِيهِ شَيْئًا فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَقُلْتُ الآنَ يَدْعُو عَلَىَّ فَأَهْلِكُ . فَقَالَ " اللَّهُمَّ أَطْعِمْ مَنْ أَطْعَمَنِي وَأَسْقِ مَنْ أَسْقَانِي " . قَالَ فَعَمَدْتُ إِلَى الشَّمْلَةِ فَشَدَدْتُهَا عَلَىَّ وَأَخَذْتُ الشَّفْرَةَ فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى الأَعْنُزِ أَيُّهَا أَسْمَنُ فَأَذْبَحُهَا لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَإِذَا هِيَ حَافِلَةٌ وَإِذَا هُنَّ حُفَّلٌ كُلُّهُنَّ فَعَمَدْتُ إِلَى إِنَاءٍ لآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا كَانُوا يَطْمَعُونَ أَنْ يَحْتَلِبُوا فِيهِ - قَالَ - فَحَلَبْتُ فِيهِ حَتَّى عَلَتْهُ رَغْوَةٌ فَجِئْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " أَشَرِبْتُمْ شَرَابَكُمُ اللَّيْلَةَ " . قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اشْرَبْ . فَشَرِبَ ثُمَّ نَاوَلَنِي فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اشْرَبْ . فَشَرِبَ ثُمَّ نَاوَلَنِي فَلَمَّا عَرَفْتُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ رَوِيَ وَأَصَبْتُ دَعْوَتَهُ ضَحِكْتُ حَتَّى أُلْقِيتُ إِلَى الأَرْضِ - قَالَ - فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِحْدَى سَوْآتِكَ يَا مِقْدَادُ " . فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِي كَذَا وَكَذَا وَفَعَلْتُ كَذَا . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَا هَذِهِ إِلاَّ رَحْمَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ أَفَلاَ كُنْتَ آذَنْتَنِي فَنُوقِظَ صَاحِبَيْنَا فَيُصِيبَانِ مِنْهَا " . قَالَ فَقُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أُبَالِي إِذَا أَصَبْتَهَا وَأَصَبْتُهَا مَعَكَ مَنْ أَصَابَهَا مِنَ النَّاسِ .
I and two of my companions were so much afflicted by hunger that we had lost our power of seeing and hearing. We presented ourselves (as guests) to the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), but none amongst them would entertain us. So we came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), and he took us to his residence and there were three goats. Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said: Milk these for us. So we milked them and every person amongst us drank his share and we set aside the share of Allah's Apostle (ﷺ). (It was his habit) to come during the night and greet (the people present there) in a manner that would not wake up one in sleep but make one who was awake hear it. He would then go to the mosque and say prayer, then go to the milk and drink it. Miqdad added: One night the Satan came to me when I had taken my share, and he said: Muhammad has gone to the Ansar, who would offer him hospitality and he would get what is with them, and he has no need for this draught (of milk). So I took (that milk) and drank it, and when it had penetrated deeply in my stomach and I was certain that there was no way out (but to digest it), the Satan aroused (my sense of) remorse and said: Woe be to thee! what have you done? You have taken the drink reserved for Muhammad! When he would come and he would not find it, he would curse you, and you would be ruined, and thus there would go (waste) this world and the Hereafter (for) you. There was a sheet over me; as I placed (pulled) it upon my feet, my head was uncovered and as I placed it upon my head, my feet were uncovered, and I could not sleep, but my two companions had gone to sleep for they had not done what I had done. There came Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), and he greeted as he used to greet (by saying as-Salamu 'Alaikum). He then came to the mosque and observed prayer and then came to his drink (milk) and uncovered it, but did not find anything in it. He raised his head towards the sky, and I said (to myself) that he (the Holy Prophet) was going to invoke curse upon me and I would be thus ruined; but he (the Holy Prophet) said: Allah, feed him who fed me and give drink to him who provided me drink. I held tight the sheet upon myself (and when he had supplicated), I took hold of the knife and went to the goats (possessed by the Holy Prophet) so that I may slauhter one for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) which was the fattest amongst them, and in fact all of them were milch goats; then I took hold of the vessel which belonged to the family of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in which they used to milk and drink therefrom, and milked them in that until it swelled up with foam. I came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he said: Have you taken your share of the milk during the night? I said: Drink it. and he drank it; he then handed over (the vessel) to me and I said: Allah's Messenger, drink it, and he drank it and handed over (the vessel) to me again, I then perceived that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) had been satiated and I had got his blessings. I burst into laughter (so much) so that I fell upon the ground, whereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Miqdad, it must be one of your mischiefs. I said: Allah's Messenger, this affair of mind is like this and this. and I have done so. Thereupon. Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said: This is nothing but a mercy from Allah. Why is it that you did not give me an opportunity so that we should have awakened our two friends and they would have got their share (of the milk)? I said: By Him Who has sent you with Truth. I do not mind whatever you give (to them), and whatever the (other) people happen to get, when I had got it along with you from among the people.