The Messenger of Allah ﷺ dispatched an army and placed Zayd bin Haritha in command over them. He said, "If Zayd is killed or martyred, then your commander is Jafar. If he is killed or martyred, then your commander is Abdullah bin Rawaha."They met the enemy, and Zayd took the banner and fought until he was killed. Then Jafar took the banner and fought until he was killed. Then Abdullah bin Rawaha took it and fought until he was killed. Then Khalid bin Walid took the banner, and Allah granted him victory.The news of them reached the Prophet ﷺ, so he went out to the people, praised Allah and extolled Him, and said, "Your brothers met the enemy. Zayd took the banner and fought until he was killed or martyred. Then Jafar bin Abu Talib took the banner after him and fought until he was killed or martyred. Then Abdullah bin Rawaha took the banner and fought until he was killed or martyred. Then a sword from among the swords of Allah, Khalid bin Walid, took the banner, and Allah granted him victory."He waited, and waited, then gave Jafar's family three days before coming to them. Then he came to them and said, "Do not weep for my brother after today." Then he said, "Bring me my brother's sons."We were brought to him as if we were chicks. He said, "Bring me the barber." The barber was brought, and he shaved our heads.Then he said, "As for Muhammad, he resembles our uncle Abu Talib. As for Abdullah, he resembles me in form and character." Then he took my hand and raised it and said, "Allah, be a guardian to Jafar's family in his stead, and bless Abdullah in the dealings of his right hand." He said this three times.Then our mother came and mentioned to him our orphanhood and began to grieve to him over them. He said, "Is it poverty you fear for them, when I am their guardian in this world and the next?"
حدثنا وهب بن جرير حدثنا أبي قال سمعت محمد بن أبي يعقوب يحدث عن الحسن بن سعد
بعث رسول الله ﷺ جيشا استعمل عليهم زيد بن حارثة وقال فإن قتل زيد أو استشهد فأميركم جعفر فإن قتل أو استشهد فأميركم عبد الله بن رواحة فلقوا العدو فأخذ الراية زيد فقاتل حتى قتل ثم أخذ الراية جعفر فقاتل حتى قتل ثم أخذها عبد الله بن رواحة فقاتل حتى قتل ثم أخذ الراية خالد بن الوليد ففتح الله عليه وأتى خبرهم النبي ﷺ فخرج إلى الناس فحمد الله وأثنى عليه وقال إن إخوانكم لقوا العدو وإن زيدا أخذ الراية فقاتل حتى قتل أو استشهد ثم أخذ الراية بعده جعفر بن أبي طالب فقاتل حتى قتل أو استشهد ثم أخذ الراية عبد الله بن رواحة فقاتل حتى قتل أو استشهد ثم أخذ الراية سيف من سيوف الله خالد بن الوليد ففتح الله عليه فأمهل ثم أمهل آل جعفر ثلاثا أن يأتيهم ثم أتاهم فقال لا تبكوا على أخي بعد اليوم أو غد ادعوا لي ابني أخي قال فجيء بنا كأنا أفرخ فقال ادعوا إلي الحلاق فجيء بالحلاق فحلق رءوسنا ثم قال أما محمد فشبيه عمنا أبي طالب وأما عبد الله فشبيه خلقي وخلقي ثم أخذ بيدي فأشالها فقال اللهم اخلف جعفرا في أهله وبارك لعبد الله في صفقة يمينه قالها ثلاث مرار قال فجاءت أمنا فذكرت له يتمنا وجعلت تفرح له فقال العيلة تخافين عليهم وأنا وليهم في الدنيا والآخرة
Its chain of transmission is sahih. It appears in Tarikh Ibn Kathir 4:251–252, quoting from the Musnad, and in Majma al-Zawaid 6:156–157, where it is stated, "Abu Dawud and others narrated part of it, and it was narrated by Ahmad and Tabarani, and the men of both are the men of the sahih." Ibn Kathir said, "Abu Dawud narrated part of it, and Nasai narrated it in full in Sunan, from the hadith of Wahb bin Jareer, with this wording."The word "said" is an addition from the margin of manuscript K, and it is confirmed in Ibn Kathir. In manuscript H it reads, "and if he is killed.""Then Abdullah bin Rawaha took it up" is how it appears in manuscript H and in Zawaid, while in manuscript K and in Ibn Kathir it reads, "took up the banner.""Call to me the son of my brother" appears in manuscript H as, "or tomorrow bring to me the son of my brother," which is a clear error."Fa-ashalaha" means he raised it up."And she began to farah for him" (with the letter ha), Nihaya states, "Abu Musa said, this is how I found it, with the plain ha, and Tabarani avoided this word and omitted it from the hadith." If it is with ha, it derives from afraha, meaning "he grieved him and removed joy from him," and also afrahahu ad-dayn, meaning "the debt burdened him heavily." But if it is with jim, it derives from al-mufraj, meaning one who has no clan or kinsmen, as though she meant that their father had died and they had no clan to support them. The confirmed reading in the Musnad and in Ibn Kathir is with the plain ha."Al-ayla," with fatha on the ayn, means destitution, poverty, and need.