I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "Messenger of Allah, shall I fight those of my people who have turned away, with the help of those who have come forward?"He replied, "Yes."Then it occurred to me, so I said, "Messenger of Allah, no, rather let it be the people of Saba, for they are mightier and stronger."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then commanded me and gave me permission to fight them. But when I left his presence, Allah revealed concerning Saba what He revealed. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "What has Ghutayfi done?" He sent for me at my home and found that I had already set out, so I was called back.When I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I found him sitting with his companions. He said, "Rather, invite the people. Whoever responds, accept it from him, and whoever does not respond, do not be hasty against him until you consult me."A man from the gathering said, "Messenger of Allah, tell us about Saba. Is it a land or a woman?"He answered, "It is neither a land nor a woman. Rather, he was a man who fathered ten Arab tribes. Six of them went to the south, and four of them went to the north. As for those who went north, they are Lakhm, Judham, Ghassan, and Amilah. As for those who went south, they are Azd, Kindah, Himyar, the Asharis, Anmar, and Madhhij."A man asked, "Messenger of Allah, who are Anmar?"He replied, "They are the ones from whom come Khatham and Bajilah."
أتيت رسول الله ﷺ فقلت: يا رسول الله ألا أقاتل من أدبر من قومي بمن أقبل منهم؟ قال: بلي ثم بدا لي، فقلت: يا رسول الله، لا، بل أهل سبأ، فهم أعز وأشدقوة. قال: فأمرني رسول الله ﷺ، وأذن لي في قتالهم، فلما خرجت من عنده أنزل الله في سبأ ما أنزل، فقال رسول الله ﷺ: ما فعل الغطيفي؟ فأرسل إلى منزلي، فوجدني قد سرت فرددت، فلما أتيت رسول الله ﷺ وجدته قاعدا ومعه أصحابه، قال فقال: بل ادع القوم، فمن أجاب فاقبل منه، ومن لم يجب فلا تعجل عليه، حتى تحدث إلي قال: فقال رجل من القوم: يا رسول الله أخبرنا عن سبأ، أرض هي أو امرأة؟ قال: ليست بأرض ولا امرأة، ولكنه رجل ولد عشرة من العرب، فتيامن منهم ستة، وتشاءم منهم أربعة، فأما الذين تشاءموا: فلخم، وجذام، وغسان، وعاملة، وأما الذين تيامنوا: فالأزد، وكندة، وحمير، والأشعريون، وأنمار، ومذحج. فقال رجل: يا رسول الله، وما أنمار؟ قال: الذين منهم خثعم وبجيلة
Reported by Abu Dawud (3988), Tirmidhi (3222), and Ahmad (24009/89) - and this is his wording - all of them through Abu Usama (Hammad bin Usama), who said, Hasan bin Hakam Nakhai narrated to me, he said, Abu Sabra Nakhai informed us, from Farwa bin Musayk Ghutayfi, and he mentioned it.Abu Sabra Nakhai Kufi is said to have been named Abdullah bin Aabis. Three narrators transmitted from him, and Ibn Hibban listed him among the trustworthy narrators. For this reason Hafiz said about him, "Maqbul," meaning acceptable when corroborated, otherwise his hadith is soft (layyin). And indeed he has been corroborated.Reported by Ahmad (24009/88) and Tabarani (323/18), both of them through chains going back to Abu Janab Yahya bin Abu Haya Kalbi, from Yahya bin Hani bin Urwa, from Farwa bin Musayk, and he mentioned it.Abu Janab Yahya bin Abu Haya Kalbi has been criticized. Hafiz said about him, "They graded him daif because of his frequent tadlis." However, there is no harm in him for the purpose of corroboration, and with these two chains the hadith rises to the level of hasan.Tirmidhi said, "This is a hasan gharib hadith." Ibn Kathir likewise graded it hasan in his Tafsir.