حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ، أَنْبَأَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ ذُكِرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ كَانَ أَحْسَنَ النَّاسِ وَكَانَ أَجْوَدَ النَّاسِ وَكَانَ أَشْجَعَ النَّاسِ وَلَقَدْ فَزِعَ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ لَيْلَةً فَانْطَلَقُوا قِبَلَ الصَّوْتِ فَتَلَقَّاهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَدْ سَبَقَهُمْ إِلَى الصَّوْتِ وَهُوَ عَلَى فَرَسٍ لأَبِي طَلْحَةَ عُرْىٍ مَا عَلَيْهِ سَرْجٌ فِي عُنُقِهِ السَّيْفُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ ‏"‏ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ لَنْ تُرَاعُوا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ يَرُدُّهُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلْفَرَسِ ‏"‏ وَجَدْنَاهُ بَحْرًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ أَوْ ‏"‏ إِنَّهُ لَبَحْرٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ حَمَّادٌ وَحَدَّثَنِي ثَابِتٌ أَوْ غَيْرُهُ قَالَ كَانَ فَرَسًا لأَبِي طَلْحَةَ يُبَطَّأُ فَمَا سُبِقَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ ‏.‏

“He was the best of people, the most generous of people, the most courageous of people. The people of Al-Madinah became alarmed one night, and he was the first of them to investigate the noise and din. He was riding a horse belonging to Abu Talhah, bareback, with no saddle. His sword was hanging from his neck and he was saying: ‘O people, do not be afraid,’ sending them back to their houses. Then he said of the horse, ‘We found it like a sea,’ or, ‘It is a sea.’”*