أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُقَدَّمٍ الْمُقَدَّمِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَعَ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ وَنَحْنُ ثَلاَثُمِائَةٍ وَبِضْعَةَ عَشَرَ وَزَوَّدَنَا جِرَابًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ فَأَعْطَانَا قَبْضَةً قَبْضَةً فَلَمَّا أَنْ جُزْنَاهُ أَعْطَانَا تَمْرَةً تَمْرَةً حَتَّى إِنْ كُنَّا لَنَمُصُّهَا كَمَا يَمُصُّ الصَّبِيُّ وَنَشْرَبُ عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ فَلَمَّا فَقَدْنَاهَا وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهَا حَتَّى إِنْ كُنَّا لَنَخْبِطُ الْخَبَطَ بِقِسِيِّنَا وَنَسَفُّهُ ثُمَّ نَشْرَبُ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَاءِ حَتَّى سُمِّينَا جَيْشَ الْخَبَطِ ثُمَّ أَجَزْنَا السَّاحِلَ فَإِذَا دَابَّةٌ مِثْلُ الْكَثِيبِ يُقَالُ لَهُ الْعَنْبَرُ فَقَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ مَيْتَةٌ لاَ تَأْكُلُوهُ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ جَيْشُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَنَحْنُ مُضْطَرُّونَ كُلُوا بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْهُ وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُ وَشِيقَةً وَلَقَدْ جَلَسَ فِي مَوْضِعِ عَيْنِهِ ثَلاَثَةَ عَشَرَ رَجُلاً - قَالَ - فَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلاَعِهِ فَرَحَلَ بِهِ أَجْسَمَ بَعِيرٍ مِنْ أَبَاعِرِ الْقَوْمِ فَأَجَازَ تَحْتَهُ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ مَا حَبَسَكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْنَا كُنَّا نَتَّبِعُ عِيرَاتِ قُرَيْشٍ وَذَكَرْنَا لَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ الدَّابَّةِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ ذَاكَ رِزْقٌ رَزَقَكُمُوهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَمَعَكُمْ مِنْهُ شَىْءٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْنَا نَعَمْ ‏.‏

"The Messenger of Allah sent us with Abu Ubaidah and we numbered over three hundred men. He supplied us with a sack of dates and gave them out by the handful. When he ran short, he gave us one date at a time, until we used to suck on it like an infant, and we would drink water with it. When we ran out of them it became very difficult for us. We used to hit the Khabat leaves with our bows to knock them down) and swallow them, then drink water with it. We became known as Jaish Al-Khabat (the Khabat army). Then, when we were about to turn inland, we saw a beast like a hill, caloled Al-'Anbar. Abu 'Ubaidah said: 'It is dead meat, do not eat it.' Then he said: 'The army of the Messenger of Allah in the cause of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, and we are forced by necessity; eat in the name of Allah. 'So we arte from it and we made some if it into jerked meat. Thirteen men could sit in its eye-socket. Abu Ubaidah took one of its ribs and seated a man on the biggest camel that the people had, and they passed beneath it. When we came to the Messenger of Allah, he said: 'What kept you so long?' We said: The Quraish' and we told him about the beast. He said: 'That is provision that Allah granted to you. Do you have anything of it with you? "We said: ' Yes."