I met Bilal, the muezzin of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, at Aleppo, and I said, "Bilal, tell me, how did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ manage his expenses?"He replied, "He had nothing of his own. I was the one who handled that for him from the time Allah sent him until he passed away. Whenever a person came to him as a Muslim and he saw him without clothing, he would order me, so I would go and borrow money, then buy him a cloak and clothe him and feed him.Then a man from the polytheists approached me and said, 'Bilal, I have plenty of wealth, so do not borrow from anyone but me.' So I did. Then one day, I performed ablution and stood up to call the prayer, when suddenly the polytheist appeared with a group of merchants. When he saw me, he called out, 'Ethiopian!'I said, 'At your service.'He scowled at me and spoke to me harshly, saying, 'Do you know how much time is left between you and the end of the month?'I said, 'It is near.'He said, 'There are only four days between you and it. Then I will take you for what you owe and return you to herding sheep as you were before.' So my heart sank as people's hearts sink in such situations.When I had prayed the night prayer, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned to his family. I asked permission to enter and he granted it. I said, 'Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransomed for you, the polytheist from whom I have been borrowing said such and such to me, and you have nothing with which to pay on my behalf, nor do I, and he will disgrace me. So permit me to flee to some of these tribes who have accepted Islam until Allah provides His Messenger ﷺ with the means to pay what I owe.'So I went out, and when I reached my house, I placed my sword, my satchel, my sandals, and my shield by my head. When the first column of dawn broke, I was about to set off when suddenly a man came running, calling, 'Bilal, answer the Messenger of Allah ﷺ!'So I went until I came to him, and there were four mounts kneeling, loaded with their burdens. I asked permission to enter, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, 'Rejoice, for Allah has brought you what will settle your debt.' Then he said, 'Did you see the four mounts kneeling outside?'I said, 'Yes.'He said, 'They and what is on them are yours. They carry clothing and food which the chief of Fadak has gifted to me. Take them and pay off your debt.' So I did."He then continued the account, "Then I went to the mosque, and there was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sitting in the mosque. I greeted him with peace, and he asked, 'What has happened with what you had?'I said, 'Allah has settled everything that was owed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Nothing remains.'He asked, 'Is there a surplus?'I said, 'Yes.'He said, 'See that you relieve me of it, for I will not enter upon any of my family until you relieve me of it.'When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had prayed the night prayer, he called me and asked, 'What happened with what you had?'I said, 'It is still with me. No one has come to us.' So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ spent the night in the mosque."He continued the account, "When he had prayed the night prayer the next day, he called me and asked, 'What happened with what you had?'I said, 'Allah has relieved you of it, Messenger of Allah.'He said the takbir and praised Allah, fearing that death might overtake him while it was still with him. Then I followed him until he came to his wives and greeted each one of them, until he reached the place where he would spend the night.This is what you asked me about."
حدثنا أبو توبة الربيع بن نافع حدثنا معاوية يعني ابن سلام عن زيد أنه سمع أبا سلام قال
لقيت بلالا مؤذن رسول الله ﷺ بحلب فقلت يا بلال حدثني كيف كانت نفقة رسول الله ﷺ قال ما كان له شيء كنت أنا الذي ألي ذلك منه منذ بعثه الله إلى أن توفي وكان إذا أتاه الإنسان مسلما فرآه عاريا يأمرني فأنطلق فأستقرض فأشتري له البردة فأكسوه وأطعمه حتى اعترضني رجل من المشركين فقال يا بلال إن عندي سعة فلا تستقرض من أحد إلا مني ففعلت فلما أن كان ذات يوم توضأت ثم قمت لأؤذن بالصلاة فإذا المشرك قد أقبل في عصابة من التجار فلما أن رآني قال يا حبشي قلت يا لباه فتجهمني وقال لي قولا غليظا وقال لي أتدري كم بينك وبين الشهر قال قلت قريب قال إنما بينك وبينه أربع فآخذك بالذي عليك فأردك ترعى الغنم كما كنت قبل ذلك فأخذ في نفسي ما يأخذ في أنفس الناس حتى إذا صليت العتمة رجع رسول الله ﷺ إلى أهله فاستأذنت عليه فأذن لي فقلت يا رسول الله بأبي أنت وأمي إن المشرك الذي كنت أتدين منه قال لي كذا وكذا وليس عندك ما تقضي عني ولا عندي وهو فاضحي فأذن لي أن آبق إلى بعض هؤلاء الأحياء الذين قد أسلموا حتى يرزق الله رسوله ﷺ ما يقضي عني فخرجت حتى إذا أتيت منزلي فجعلت سيفي وجرابي ونعلي ومجني عند رأسي حتى إذا انشق عمود الصبح الأول أردت أن أنطلق فإذا إنسان يسعى يدعو يا بلال أجب رسول الله ﷺ فانطلقت حتى أتيته فإذا أربع ركائب مناخات عليهن أحمالهن فاستأذنت فقال لي رسول الله ﷺ أبشر فقد جاءك الله بقضائك ثم قال ألم تر الركائب المناخات الأربع فقلت بلى فقال إن لك رقابهن وما عليهن فإن عليهن كسوة وطعاما أهداهن إلي عظيم فدك فاقبضهن واقض دينك ففعلت فذكر الحديث ثم انطلقت إلى المسجد فإذا رسول الله ﷺ قاعد في المسجد فسلمت عليه فقال ما فعل ما قبلك قلت قد قضى الله كل شيء كان على رسول الله ﷺ فلم يبق شيء قال أفضل شيء قلت نعم قال انظر أن تريحني منه فإني لست بداخل على أحد من أهلي حتى تريحني منه فلما صلى رسول الله ﷺ العتمة دعاني فقال ما فعل الذي قبلك قال قلت هو معي لم يأتنا أحد فبات رسول الله ﷺ في المسجد وقص الحديث حتى إذا صلى العتمة يعني من الغد دعاني قال ما فعل الذي قبلك قال قلت قد أراحك الله منه يا رسول الله فكبر وحمد الله شفقا من أن يدركه الموت وعنده ذلك ثم اتبعته حتى إذا جاء أزواجه فسلم على امرأة امرأة حتى أتى مبيته فهذا الذي سألتني عنه