The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out on some errand and passed by a camel kneeling at the door of the mosque early in the day. He then passed by it again at the end of the day, and it was still in the same condition. He asked, "Where is the owner of this camel?" The owner was sought but could not be found.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said, "Fear Allah regarding these animals. Ride them while they are sound, and eat them while they are fat." This is part of the hadith.In another wording, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by a camel whose back had become joined to its belly, and he said, "Fear Allah regarding these mute beasts. Ride them while they are in good health."
خرج رسول الله ﷺ الله في حاجة فمر ببعير مناخ على باب المسجد من أول النهار، ثم مر به آخر النهار، وهو على حاله فقال: أين صاحب هذا البعير؟ فابتغي فلم يوجد، فقال رسول الله ﷺ: اتقوا الله في هذه البهائم ثم اركبوها صحاحا وكلوها سمانا… الحديث. وفي لفظ: مر رسول الله ﷺ ببعير قد لحق ظهره ببطنه، فقال: اتقوا الله في هذه البهائم المعجمة، فاركبوها صالحة.
Ahmad (17625) narrated it, and Ibn Hibban (545, 3394) graded it sahih, both of them through the route of Ali bin Abdullah, who said, Walid bin Muslim narrated to me, Abdul-Rahman bin Yazid bin Jabir narrated to me, who said, Rabia bin Yazid narrated to me, Abu Kabsha Saluli narrated to me, that he heard Sahl bin Hanzaliyya Ansari say, and he related it with the first wording, in a lengthy account. Its isnad is sahih.Abu Dawud (2548) also narrated it, and Ibn Khuzayma (2545) graded it sahih, from Abdullah bin Muhammad Nufayli, who said, Miskin bin Bukayr narrated to us, Muhammad bin Muhajir narrated to us, from Rabia bin Yazid, from Abu Kabsha, from Sahl bin Hanzaliyya, and he related it with the second wording. This isnad is hasan, because of Miskin bin Bukayr, for he is hasan al-hadith.