When news reached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that Abu Sufyan was approaching, he consulted his companions.Abu Bakr spoke, but the Prophet ﷺ turned away from him.Then Umar spoke, and he turned away from him as well.Then Saad bin Ubada stood and said, "Is it us you mean, Messenger of Allah? By the One in whose hand is my soul, if you commanded us to plunge our horses into the sea, we would plunge them in. And if you commanded us to drive them to Bark al-Ghimad, we would do it."So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called the people to march, and they set out until they camped at Badr. The water-carriers of Quraysh came to them, and among them was a black slave belonging to the family of Hajjaj. They seized him, and the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ began questioning him about Abu Sufyan and his men.He said, "I have no knowledge of Abu Sufyan, but here are Abu Jahl, Utba, Shayba, and Umaya bin Khalaf."When he said this, they beat him.Then he said, "Yes, I will tell you. This is Abu Sufyan."But when they let him go and questioned him again, he said, "I have no knowledge of Abu Sufyan, but here are Abu Jahl, Utba, Shayba, and Umaya bin Khalaf among the people."When he said this again, they beat him.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was standing in prayer. When he saw what was happening, he finished his prayer and said, "By the One in whose hand is my soul, you beat him when he tells you the truth and let him go when he lies to you."Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "This is where so-and-so will fall," placing his hand on the ground, "here, and here." And not one of them fell anywhere other than the spot where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had placed his hand.
حدثنا أبو بكر بن أبي شيبة حدثنا عفان حدثنا حماد بن سلمة عن ثابت
أن رسول الله ﷺ شاور حين بلغه إقبال أبي سفيان قال فتكلم أبو بكر فأعرض عنه ثم تكلم عمر فأعرض عنه فقام سعد بن عبادة فقال إيانا تريد يا رسول الله والذي نفسي بيده لو أمرتنا أن نخيضها البحر لأخضناها ولو أمرتنا أن نضرب أكبادها إلى برك الغماد لفعلنا قال فندب رسول الله ﷺ الناس فانطلقوا حتى نزلوا بدرا ووردت عليهم روايا قريش وفيهم غلام أسود لبني الحجاج فأخذوه فكان أصحاب رسول الله ﷺ يسألونه عن أبي سفيان وأصحابه فيقول ما لي علم بأبي سفيان ولكن هذا أبو جهل وعتبة وشيبة وأمية بن خلف فإذا قال ذلك ضربوه فقال نعم أنا أخبركم هذا أبو سفيان فإذا تركوه فسألوه فقال ما لي بأبي سفيان علم ولكن هذا أبو جهل وعتبة وشيبة وأمية بن خلف في الناس فإذا قال هذا أيضا ضربوه ورسول الله ﷺ قائم يصلي فلما رأى ذلك انصرف قال والذي نفسي بيده لتضربوه إذا صدقكم وتتركوه إذا كذبكم قال فقال رسول الله ﷺ هذا مصرع فلان قال ويضع يده على الأرض هاهنا هاهنا قال فما ماط أحدهم عن موضع يد رسول الله ﷺ