The Messenger of Allah ﷺ set out for Makkah in Ramadan during the Year of the Conquest, until he reached Kura al-Ghamim. The people fasted along with him, both those on foot and those riding. Then he was told, "The fast has become difficult for the people, and they are watching to see what you will do."So he called for a cup of water, raised it to his mouth so the people could see, and drank. Some of the people then broke their fast, while others continued fasting.The Prophet ﷺ was told, "Some of them are still fasting."He said, "Those are the disobedient ones."The companions who were traveling on foot gathered and said, "We expose ourselves to the supplications of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, yet the journey has grown harder and the hardship has stretched on."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to them, "Help yourselves by walking briskly, for it shortens the distance of the earth and makes the journey lighter for you."The narrator said, "We did so, and it eased our journey."
أن رسول الله ﷺ خرج عام الفتح إلى مكة في رمضان حتى بلغ كراع الغميم. قال: فصام الناس، وهم مشاة وركبان، فقيل له: إن الناس قد شق عليهم الصوم، إنما ينظرون ما تفعل، فدعا بقدح، فرفعه إلى فيه، حتى نظر الناس، ثم شرب، فأفطر بعض الناس وصام بعض، فقيل للنبي ﷺ: إن بعضهم صام، فقال: أولئك العصاة. واجتمع المشاة من أصحابه، فقالوا: نتعرض لدعوات رسول الله ﷺ، وقد اشتد السفر، وطالت المشقة، فقال لهم رسول الله ﷺ: استعينوا بالنسل؛ فإنه يقطع علم الأرض، وتخفون له. قال: ففعلنا، فخففنا له.
Abu Yaala (1880) reported it, and Ibn Hibban (2706) reported it from him, from Abdullah bin Umar bin Aban, who said, Abdul-Wahhab Thaqafi narrated to us, from Jafar bin Muhammad, from his father, from Jabir bin Abdullah, who said, then he mentioned it.Ibn Khuzayma also reported it in his Sahih (2536) through another route from Abdul-Wahhab, in abridged form. He also reported it (2537) through the route of Ibn Jurayj, who said, Jafar bin Muhammad informed me, in abridged form, and it contains the phrase "you must walk briskly." The word "brisk walking" (nasl) means hastening one's pace while walking.