حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِعُثْمَانَ - قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ، عُثْمَانُ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مُغِيرَةَ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ غَزَوْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَتَلاَحَقَ بِي وَتَحْتِي نَاضِحٌ لِي قَدْ أَعْيَا وَلاَ يَكَادُ يَسِيرُ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي ‏"‏ مَا لِبَعِيرِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ عَلِيلٌ - قَالَ - فَتَخَلَّفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَزَجَرَهُ وَدَعَا لَهُ فَمَازَالَ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ الإِبِلِ قُدَّامَهَا يَسِيرُ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي ‏"‏ كَيْفَ تَرَى بَعِيرَكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ بِخَيْرٍ قَدْ أَصَابَتْهُ بَرَكَتُكَ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَفَتَبِيعُنِيهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَنَا نَاضِحٌ غَيْرُهُ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ فَبِعْتُهُ إِيَّاهُ عَلَى أَنَّ لِي فَقَارَ ظَهْرِهِ حَتَّى أَبْلُغَ الْمَدِينَةَ - قَالَ - فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي عَرُوسٌ فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فَأَذِنَ لِي فَتَقَدَّمْتُ النَّاسَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ حَتَّى انْتَهَيْتُ فَلَقِيَنِي خَالِي فَسَأَلَنِي عَنِ الْبَعِيرِ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِمَا صَنَعْتُ فِيهِ فَلاَمَنِي فِيهِ - قَالَ - وَقَدْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ لِي حِينَ اسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ ‏"‏ مَا تَزَوَّجْتَ أَبِكْرًا أَمْ ثَيِّبًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ تَزَوَّجْتُ ثَيِّبًا ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَفَلاَ تَزَوَّجْتَ بِكْرًا تُلاَعِبُكَ وَتُلاَعِبُهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تُوُفِّيَ وَالِدِي - أَوِ اسْتُشْهِدَ - وَلِي أَخَوَاتٌ صِغَارٌ فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَتَزَوَّجَ إِلَيْهِنَّ مِثْلَهُنَّ فَلاَ تُؤَدِّبُهُنَّ وَلاَ تَقُومُ عَلَيْهِنَّ فَتَزَوَّجْتُ ثَيِّبًا لِتَقُومَ عَلَيْهِنَّ وَتُؤَدِّبَهُنَّ - قَالَ - فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ غَدَوْتُ إِلَيْهِ بِالْبَعِيرِ فَأَعْطَانِي ثَمَنَهُ وَرَدَّهُ عَلَىَّ ‏.‏

I went on an expedition with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). He overtook me and I was on a water-carrying camel who had grown tired and did not walk (trot). He (the Holy Prophet) said to me: What is the matter with your camel? I said: It is sick. He (the Holy Prophet) stepped behind and drove it and prayed for it, and then it always moved ahead of other camels. He (then) said: How do you find your camel? I said: It is, by the grace of your prayer, all right. He said: Would you sell this (camel) to me? I felt shy (to say him," No" ) as we had no other camel for carrying water, but (later on) I said: Yes, and to I sold it to him on the condition that (I would be permitted) to ride it until I reached Madina. I said to him: Allah's Messenger, I am newly married, so I asked his permission (to go ahead of the caravan). He permitted me, and I reached Medina well in advance of other people, until I reached my destination. There my maternal uncle met me and asked me about the camel, and I told him what I had done with regard to it. He reproved me in this connection. He (Jabir) said: When I asked his permission (to go ahead of the caravan) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) inquired of me whether I had married a virgin or a non-virgin. I said to him: I have married a non-virgin. He said: Why did you not marry a virgin who would have played with you and you would have played with her? I said to him: Allah's Messenger, my father died (or he fell as a martyr), and I have small sisters to (look after), so I did not like the idea that I should marry a woman who is like them and thus be not able to teach them manners and look after them properly. So I have married a non-virgin so that she should be able to look after them and teach them manners, When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to Medina, I went to him in the morning with the camel. He paid me its price and returned that (the camel) to me.