We arrived at Madinah at the time of Hudaybiyyah with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Then I went out, along with Rabah, the servant of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, with the riding camels of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I also went out with a horse belonging to Talha bin Ubaydullah, intending to take it to pasture along with the camels.When it was still dark, Abdul-Rahman bin Uyayna raided the camels of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, killed their herder, and set off driving them away with some men accompanying him on horseback.I said, "Rabah, mount this horse, take it to Talha, and inform the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that his grazing camels have been raided."Then I stood on a hill, faced toward Madinah, and called out three times, "Help! Help!" Then I followed the raiders with my sword and arrows. I began shooting arrows at them and hamstringing their mounts. This was where the trees grew thick, so whenever a horseman turned back toward me, I would sit at the base of a tree and shoot, and no horseman would advance toward me without my hamstringing his horse. I kept shooting at them, saying, "I am the son of al-Akwa, and today is the day the lowly perish!"I would catch up to one of them and shoot him while he was on his mount, and my arrow would lodge in the saddle until it pierced his shoulder. I would say, "Take that! I am the son of al-Akwa, and today is the day the lowly perish!"When I was among the trees, I would scorch them with arrows, and when the mountain passes narrowed, I would climb up the mountain and pelt them with stones. This continued to be my situation with them, pursuing them while reciting rajaz verses, until Allah did not leave a single camel of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ except that I had left it behind my back, having rescued it from their hands. Then I kept shooting at them until they discarded more than thirty spears and more than thirty cloaks to lighten their load. They did not throw down anything except that I placed stones over it as a marker, gathering them along the path of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.When the morning had stretched on, Uyayna bin Badr al-Fazari came as reinforcement for them while they were in a narrow pass. Then I climbed the mountain so I was above them.Uyayna asked, "What is this I see?"They said, "We have suffered such hardship from this man. He has not left us since dawn until now, and he has taken everything from our hands and placed it behind him."Uyayna said, "If this man did not believe that there was a pursuing party behind him, he would have left you alone by now. Let a group of you stand against him."Four of them stood up and climbed the mountain toward me. When my voice could reach them, I said, "Do you recognize me?"They asked, "Who are you?"I said, "I am the son of al-Akwa. By the One who has honored the face of Muhammad ﷺ, not one of you can pursue me and catch me, nor can I pursue him and lose him."One of them said, "I think so too."I did not move from my position until I saw the horsemen of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ threading their way through the trees. Their leader was al-Akhram al-Asadi, followed by Abu Qatada, the horseman of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, followed by Miqdad al-Kindi. The polytheists turned and fled.I came down from the mountain and intercepted al-Akhram, taking hold of his horse's rein. I said, "Akhram, beware of these people, meaning warn them off, for I do not feel safe that they may cut you off. Wait until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his companions catch up."He said, "Salama, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day and know that Paradise is real and the Fire is real, do not stand between me and martyrdom."So I let go of his horse's rein. He caught up with Abdul-Rahman bin Uyayna, and Abdul-Rahman wheeled around toward him. They exchanged two thrusts. Al-Akhram hamstrung Abdul-Rahman's horse, and Abdul-Rahman struck him and killed him. Then Abdul-Rahman switched to al-Akhram's horse.Abu Qatada then caught up with Abdul-Rahman, and they exchanged two thrusts. Abdul-Rahman hamstrung Abu Qatada's horse, and Abu Qatada killed him. Abu Qatada then switched to al-Akhram's horse.Then I set out running on foot, following the raiders, until I could no longer see any dust from the Prophet's ﷺ companions. They turned, before sunset, toward a ravine with water in it called Dhu Qarad, intending to drink from it. But they saw me running behind them, so they veered away and pressed hard up the pass, the pass of Dhu Bir, and the sun set.I caught up with one man and shot him. I said, "Take that! I am the son of al-Akwa, and today is the day the lowly perish!"He said, "May the mother of Akwa be bereaved! Is this the same Akwa from this morning?"I said, "Yes, you enemy of yourself." He was the one I had shot in the morning. I followed up with another arrow, so two arrows became lodged in him. They left behind two horses, and I came driving them both before me to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who was at the very water from which I had driven them off, Dhu Qarad.I found the Prophet of Allah ﷺ with five hundred men, and Bilal had slaughtered one of the camels I had recovered and was roasting some of its liver and hump for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "Messenger of Allah, let me select a hundred men from your companions, and I will take the disbelievers by surprise during the night, so that not one of them will remain to bring back news, except that I will have killed him."He asked, "Would you really do that, Salama?"I said, "Yes, by the One who has honored you."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ laughed until I saw his back teeth in the firelight. Then he said, "They are now being entertained in the land of Ghatafan."Then a man from Ghatafan came and said, "They passed by so-and-so the Ghatafani, and he slaughtered a camel for them. When they began to skin it, they saw dust rising, so they abandoned it and fled."When morning came, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The best of our horsemen today is Abu Qatada, and the best of our footmen is Salama." Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave me both the foot soldier's share and the horseman's share.Then he had me ride behind him on al-Adba, returning to Madinah. When we were about a forenoon's distance from it, there was a man among the people from the Ansar who was unbeatable in racing. He began calling out, "Is there anyone who will race? Is there no man to race me to Madinah?" He repeated this several times. I was behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, riding behind him.I said to him, "Do you not honor a noble man or show respect to anyone of standing?"He said, "No, except for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."I said, "Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, let me race the man."He said, "If you wish."I said, "Go ahead." He leaped from his mount, and I bent my leg and leaped from the camel. Then I held back over a rise or two, meaning I paced myself, then I ran until I caught up with him and struck him between the shoulders with my hand. I said, "I have beaten you, by Allah!" or words to that effect.He laughed and said, "I think so too." We continued until we reached Madinah.
قال حدثنا هاشم بن القاسم حدثنا عكرمة بن عمار قال حدثنا
قدمنا المدينة زمن الحديبية مع رسول الله ﷺ فخرجنا أنا ورباح غلام رسول الله ﷺ بظهر رسول الله ﷺ وخرجت بفرس لطلحة بن عبيد الله كنت أريد أن أبديه مع الإبل فلما كان بغلس غار عبد الرحمن بن عيينة على إبل رسول الله ﷺ وقتل راعيها وخرج يطردها هو وأناس معه في خيل فقلت يا رباح اقعد على هذا الفرس فألحقه بطلحة وأخبر رسول الله ﷺ أنه قد أغير على سرحه قال وقمت على تل فجعلت وجهي من قبل المدينة ثم ناديت ثلاث مرات يا صباحاه ثم اتبعت القوم معي سيفي ونبلي فجعلت أرميهم وأعقر بهم وذلك حين يكثر الشجر فإذا رجع إلي فارس جلست له في أصل شجرة ثم رميت فلا يقبل علي فارس إلا عقرت به فجعلت أرميهم وأنا أقول أنا ابن الأكوع واليوم يوم الرضع فألحق برجل منهم فأرميه وهو على راحلته فيقع سهمي في الرحل حتى انتظمت كتفه فقلت خذها وأنا ابن الأكوع واليوم يوم الرضع فإذا كنت في الشجر أحرقتهم بالنبل فإذا تضايقت الثنايا علوت الجبل فرديتهم بالحجارة فما زال ذاك شأني وشأنهم أتبعهم فأرتجز حتى ما خلق الله شيئا من ظهر رسول الله ﷺ إلا خلفته وراء ظهري فاستنقذته من أيديهم ثم لم أزل أرميهم حتى ألقوا أكثر من ثلاثين رمحا وأكثر من ثلاثين بردة يستخفون منها ولا يلقون من ذلك شيئا إلا جعلت عليه حجارة وجمعت على طريق رسول الله ﷺ حتى إذا امتد الضحى أتاهم عيينة بن بدر الفزاري مددا لهم وهم في ثنية ضيقة ثم علوت الجبل فأنا فوقهم فقال عيينة ما هذا الذي أرى قالوا لقينا من هذا البرح ما فارقنا بسحر حتى الآن وأخذ كل شيء في أيدينا وجعله وراء ظهره قال عيينة لولا أن هذا يرى أن وراءه طلبا لقد ترككم ليقم إليه نفر منكم فقام إليه منهم أربعة فصعدوا في الجبل فلما أسمعتهم الصوت قلت أتعرفوني قالوا ومن أنت قلت أنا ابن الأكوع والذي كرم وجه محمد ﷺ لا يطلبني منكم رجل فيدركني ولا أطلبه فيفوتني قال رجل منهم إن أظن قال فما برحت مقعدي ذلك حتى نظرت إلى فوارس رسول الله ﷺ يتخللون الشجر وإذا أولهم الأخرم الأسدي وعلى أثره أبو قتادة فارس رسول الله ﷺ وعلى أثر أبي قتادة المقداد الكندي فولى المشركون مدبرين وأنزل من الجبل فأعرض للأخرم فآخذ بعنان فرسه فقلت يا أخرم ائذن القوم يعني احذرهم فإني لا آمن أن يقطعوك فاتئد حتى يلحق رسول الله ﷺ وأصحابه قال يا سلمة إن كنت تؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر وتعلم أن الجنة حق والنار حق فلا تحل بيني وبين الشهادة قال فخليت عنان فرسه فيلحق بعبد الرحمن بن عيينة ويعطف عليه عبد الرحمن فاختلفا طعنتين فعقر الأخرم بعبد الرحمن وطعنه عبد الرحمن فقتله فتحول عبد الرحمن عن فرس الأخرم فيلحق أبو قتادة بعبد الرحمن فاختلفا طعنتين فعقر بأبي قتادة وقتله أبو قتادة وتحول أبو قتادة على فرس الأخرم ثم إني خرجت أعدو في أثر القوم حتى ما أرى من غبار صحابة النبي ﷺ شيئا ويعرضون قبل غيبوبة الشمس إلى شعب فيه ماء يقال له ذو قرد فأرادوا أن يشربوا منه فأبصروني أعدو وراءهم فعطفوا عنه واشتدوا في الثنية ثنية ذي بئر وغربت الشمس فألحق رجلا فأرميه فقلت خذها وأنا ابن الأكوع واليوم يوم الرضع قال فقال يا ثكل أم أكوع بكرة قلت نعم أي عدو نفسه وكان الذي رميته بكرة فأتبعته سهما آخر فعلق به سهمان ويخلفون فرسين فجئت بهما أسوقهما إلى رسول الله ﷺ وهو على الماء الذي جليتهم عنه ذو قرد فإذا بنبي الله ﷺ في خمس مائة وإذا بلال قد نحر جزورا مما خلفت فهو يشوي لرسول الله ﷺ من كبدها وسنامها فأتيت رسول الله ﷺ فقلت يا رسول الله خلني فأنتخب من أصحابك مائة فآخذ على الكفار عشوة فلا يبقى منهم مخبر إلا قتلته قال أكنت فاعلا ذلك يا سلمة قال نعم والذي أكرمك فضحك رسول الله ﷺ حتى رأيت نواجذه في ضوء النار ثم قال إنهم يقرون الآن بأرض غطفان فجاء رجل من غطفان فقال مروا على فلان الغطفاني فنحر لهم جزورا قال فلما أخذوا يكشطون جلدها رأوا غبرة فتركوها وخرجوا هربا فلما أصبحنا قال رسول الله ﷺ خير فرساننا اليوم أبو قتادة وخير رجالتنا سلمة فأعطاني رسول الله ﷺ سهم الراجل والفارس جميعا ثم أردفني وراءه على العضباء راجعين إلى المدينة فلما كان بيننا وبينها قريبا من ضحوة وفي القوم رجل من الأنصار كان لا يسبق جعل ينادي هل من مسابق ألا رجل يسابق إلى المدينة فأعاد ذلك مرارا وأنا وراء رسول الله ﷺ مردفي قلت له أما تكرم كريما ولا تهاب شريفا قال لا إلا رسول الله ﷺ قال قلت يا رسول الله بأبي أنت وأمي خلني فلأسابق الرجل قال إن شئت قلت أذهب إليك فطفر عن راحلته وثنيت رجلي فطفرت عن الناقة ثم إني ربطت عليها شرفا أو شرفين يعني استبقيت نفسي ثم إني عدوت حتى ألحقه فأصك بين كتفيه بيدي قلت سبقتك والله أو كلمة نحوها قال فضحك وقال إن أظن حتى قدمنا المدينة