A dispute arose between Hudhayfah and a man from the people of Aqaba, of the kind that occurs between people. Hudhayfah said to him, "I adjure you by Allah, how many were the people of Aqaba?"The people said to the man, "Tell him, since he has asked you."The man said, "We were told that they were fourteen."Abu Naeem's version has, the man said, "We were told that they were fourteen."Hudhayfah said, "If you were one of them," and Abu Naeem's version has, "If you were among them, then the group numbered fifteen. And I bear witness by Allah that twelve of them are at war with Allah and His Messenger in the life of this world and on the Day when the witnesses arise."Abu Ahmad said, the witnesses promised us were three. They said, "We did not hear the caller of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, nor did we know what the people intended."Abu Ahmad said in his version, he was in a lava field and walked ahead, saying to the people, "The water is scarce, so let no one reach it before me." But he found a group who had gone ahead of him to it, so he cursed them on that day.
حدثنا محمد بن عبد الله بن الزبير وأبو نعيم قالا حدثنا الوليد يعني ابن جميع قال أبو نعيم عن أبي الطفيل مثل جميع حدثنا
كان بين حذيفة وبين رجل من أهل العقبة ما يكون بين الناس فقال أنشدك الله كم كان أصحاب العقبة فقال له القوم أخبره إذ سألك قال إن كنا نخبر أنهم أربعة عشر وقال أبو نعيم فقال الرجل كنا نخبر أنهم أربعة عشر قال فإن كنت منهم وقال أبو نعيم فيهم فقد كان القوم خمسة عشر وأشهد بالله أن اثني عشر منهم حرب لله ولرسوله في الحياة الدنيا ويوم يقوم الأشهاد قال أبو أحمد الأشهاد وعدنا ثلاثة قالوا ما سمعنا منادي رسول الله ﷺ وما علمنا ما أراد القوم قال أبو أحمد في حديثه وقد كان في حرة فمشى فقال للناس إن الماء قليل فلا يسبقني إليه أحد فوجد قوما قد سبقوه فلعنهم يومئذ