72/12. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5494 — Army of Khabt and Sea Provision
"Lawful to you is water-game and its use for food .... For the benefit of yourselves
وَقَالَ عُمَرُ صَيْدُهُ مَا اصْطِيدَ، وَطَعَامُهُ مَا رَمَى بِهِ، وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الطَّافِي حَلاَلٌ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ طَعَامُهُ مَيْتَتُهُ إِلاَّ مَا قَذِرْتَ مِنْهَا، وَالْجِرِّيُّ لاَ تَأْكُلُهُ الْيَهُودُ وَنَحْنُ نَأْكُلُهُ. وَقَالَ شُرَيْحٌ صَاحِبُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ فِي الْبَحْرِ مَذْبُوحٌ. وَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ أَمَّا الطَّيْرُ فَأَرَى أَنْ يَذْبَحَهُ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ صَيْدُ الأَنْهَارِ وَقِلاَتِ السَّيْلِ أَصَيْدُ بَحْرٍ هُوَ قَالَ نَعَمْ، ثُمَّ تَلاَ: {هَذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ سَائِغٌ شَرَابُهُ وَهَذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَمِنْ كُلٍّ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا}. وَرَكِبَ الْحَسَنُ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ- عَلَى سَرْجٍ مِنْ جُلُودِ كِلاَبِ الْمَاءِ. وَقَالَ الشَّعْبِيُّ لَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلِي أَكَلُوا الضَّفَادِعَ لأَطْعَمْتُهُمْ. وَلَمْ يَرَ الْحَسَنُ بِالسُّلَحْفَاةِ بَأْسًا. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ كُلْ مِنْ صَيْدِ الْبَحْرِ مَا صَادَهُ نَصْرَانِيٌّ أَوْ يَهُودِيٌّ أَوْ مَجُوسِيٌّ. وَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ فِي الْمُرِي ذَبَحَ الْخَمْرَ النِّينَانُ وَالشَّمْسُ.
Army of Khabt Hadith: Al-Anbar Fish and Relief From Hunger
Sahih Bukhari : 5494
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5494
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ جَابِرًا، يَقُولُ بَعَثَنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثَلاَثَمِائَةِ رَاكِبٍ وَأَمِيرُنَا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ نَرْصُدُ عِيرًا لِقُرَيْشٍ فَأَصَابَنَا جُوعٌ شَدِيدٌ حَتَّى أَكَلْنَا الْخَبَطَ، فَسُمِّيَ جَيْشَ الْخَبَطِ وَأَلْقَى الْبَحْرُ حُوتًا يُقَالُ لَهُ الْعَنْبَرُ فَأَكَلْنَا نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ وَادَّهَنَّا بِوَدَكِهِ حَتَّى صَلَحَتْ أَجْسَامُنَا قَالَ فَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ضِلَعًا مِنْ أَضْلاَعِهِ فَنَصَبَهُ فَمَرَّ الرَّاكِبُ تَحْتَهُ، وَكَانَ فِينَا رَجُلٌ فَلَمَّا اشْتَدَّ الْجُوعُ نَحَرَ ثَلاَثَ جَزَائِرَ، ثُمَّ ثَلاَثَ جَزَائِرَ، ثُمَّ نَهَاهُ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ.
Jabir Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) sent us as an army unit of three hundred warriors under the command of Abu 'Ubaida to ambush a caravan of the Quraish. But we were struck with such severe hunger that we ate the Khabt (desert bushes), so our army was called the Army of the Khabt.Then the sea threw a huge fish called Al-`Anbar and we ate of it for half a month and rubbed our bodies with its fat till our bodies became healthy. Then Abu Ubaida took one of its ribs and fixed it over the ground and a rider passed underneath it. There was a man amongst us who slaughtered three camels when hunger became severe, and he slaughtered three more, but after that Abu 'Ubaida forbade him to do so.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5494In-book reference : Book 72, Hadith 20USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 67, Hadith 402
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5494
This Army of Khabt hadith gives more detail about the hardship and the sea provision. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم sent three hundred riders under Abu Ubaida to watch a Quraysh caravan. The group faced severe hunger, to the point that they ate Khabt, so they became known as the Army of the Khabt. Then the sea threw out a huge fish called Al-Anbar. They ate from it for half a month and rubbed their bodies with its fat until their bodies became healthy. The narration also says Abu Ubaida fixed one of its ribs so a rider could pass beneath it. A man slaughtered camels as hunger increased, but Abu Ubaida later stopped him. The hadith shows hardship, leadership, and relief through food from the sea.
What we learn from this hadith
- The army faced hunger so severe that they ate Khabt.
- The sea cast out Al-Anbar, and they ate from it for half a month.
- Its fat helped their bodies recover in the report.
- Abu Ubaida managed the group’s resources during hardship.
