We were on a military expedition to the borderlands of Sham, and Khalid bin Walid had been placed in command over us. A man from the auxiliary troops of Himyar joined us and stayed at our camp. He had nothing with him except a sword, no other weapon at all.A Muslim slaughtered a camel, and this man kept asking for a piece of it until he was given a portion of its hide. He stretched it out on the ground in the shape of a shield, then dried it over a fire until it hardened. He fitted it with a handle so it resembled a shield.It happened that we encountered our enemy, who included a mixed force of Romans and Arabs from the tribe of Qudaah. They fought us fiercely. Among the enemy was a Roman man on a chestnut horse with a gilded saddle, a belt embroidered with gold, and a sword to match. He kept charging at our men and harassing them.That Himyari auxiliary watched for an opportunity against this Roman until he passed by him. He came up behind him and struck the hamstring of his horse with the sword. The horse fell, then he kept striking the Roman with the sword until he killed him.When Allah granted the victory, the man came forward to claim the spoils of the one he had killed, and the people testified that he was indeed his killer. But Khalid gave him only part of the spoils and kept the rest.When the man returned to Awf's camp, he mentioned this to him.Awf said to him, "Go back to him so he gives you what remains."He went back, but Khalid refused.So Awf himself walked over to Khalid and said, "Don't you know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ruled that the spoils belong to the killer?"Khalid replied, "Yes."Awf said, "Then what prevents you from handing over to him the spoils of the man he killed?"Khalid said, "I considered it too much for him."Awf said, "If I see the face of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I will mention this to him."When they arrived in Madinah, Awf sent the man to seek redress from the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ summoned Khalid while Awf was sitting there.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "What prevents you, Khalid, from handing over to this man the spoils of the one he killed?"Khalid said, "I considered it too much for him, Messenger of Allah."He said, "Hand it over to him."Khalid then passed by Awf, and Awf tugged at his cloak and said, "Didn't I get for you what I told you I would mention to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard him and became angry. He said, "Do not give it to him, Khalid. Will you not leave my commanders alone for me? Your example and theirs is like a man entrusted with camels or sheep. He pastured them, then chose the time to water them and brought them to a trough. They went down to it and drank the clear water, leaving the murky water behind. So the clear is for you, and the murky is upon them."
حدثنا أبو المغيرة قال حدثنا صفوان قال حدثني عبد الرحمن بن جبير بن نفير عن أبيه جبير
غزونا غزوة إلى طرف الشام فأمر علينا خالد بن الوليد قال فانضم إلينا رجل من أمداد حمير فأوى إلى رحلنا ليس معه شيء إلا سيف ليس معه سلاح غيره فنحر رجل من المسلمين جزورا فلم يزل يحتل حتى أخذ من جلده كهيئة المجن حتى بسطه على الأرض ثم وقد عليه حتى جف فجعل له ممسكا كهيئة الترس فقضي أن لقينا عدونا فيهم أخلاط من الروم والعرب من قضاعة فقاتلونا قتالا شديدا وفي القوم رجل من الروم على فرس له أشقر وسرج مذهب ومنطقة ملطخة ذهبا وسيف مثل ذلك فجعل يحمل على القوم ويغري بهم فلم يزل ذلك المددي يحتال لذلك الرومي حتى مر به فاستقفاه فضرب عرقوب فرسه بالسيف فوقع ثم أتبعه ضربا بالسيف حتى قتله فلما فتح الله الفتح أقبل يسأل للسلب وقد شهد له الناس بأنه قاتله فأعطاه خالد بعض سلبه وأمسك سائره فلما رجع إلى رحل عوف ذكره فقال له عوف ارجع إليه فليعطك ما بقي فرجع إليه فأبى عليه فمشى عوف حتى أتى خالدا فقال أما تعلم أن رسول الله ﷺ قضى بالسلب للقاتل قال بلى قال فما يمنعك أن تدفع إليه سلب قتيله قال خالد استكثرته له قال عوف لئن رأيت وجه رسول الله ﷺ لأذكرن ذلك له فلما قدم المدينة بعثه عوف فاستعدى إلى النبي ﷺ فدعا خالدا وعوف قاعد فقال رسول الله ﷺ ما يمنعك يا خالد أن تدفع إلى هذا سلب قتيله قال استكثرته له يا رسول الله فقال ادفعه إليه قال فمر بعوف فجر عوف بردائه فقال ليجزي لك ما ذكرت لك من رسول الله ﷺ فسمعه رسول الله ﷺ فاستغضب فقال لا تعطه يا خالد هل أنتم تاركي أمرائي إنما مثلكم ومثلهم كمثل رجل استرعي إبلا أو غنما فرعاها ثم تخير سقيها فأوردها حوضا فشرعت فيه فشربت صفوة الماء وتركت كدره فصفوه لكم وكدره عليهم