Book: Dalail an-Nubuwwah by Bayhaqi

باب ما جاء في المجاهد في سبيل الله الذي بعث حماره بعد ما نفق.

Chapter: Chapter on What is Mentioned about the Warrior in the Path of God who sent his Donkey after it had Died.

Volume: 6 (Page:48)

English:

Chapter on the Story of the Mujahid Whose Donkey Was Revived

Reported to us by Abu Abdullah: Al-Husayn ibn Umar ibn Barhan, Abu al-Husayn ibn al-Fadl al-Qattan, and Abu Muhammad al-Shukri, they said: "Narrated to us Ismail ibn Muhammad al-Saffar, told us Al-Hasan ibn Arafah, told us Abdullah ibn Idris, from Ismail ibn Abi Khalid, from Abu Sabra al-Nakha'i, he said: A man from Yemen set out on a journey, and when he reached a certain point on the road, his donkey collapsed. He then performed ablution, prayed two rak'ahs, and said: 'O Allah, I have come from a distant land as a Mujahid in Your path seeking Your pleasure. I bear witness that You give life to the dead and resurrect those in the graves. Today, do not favor anyone upon me. I ask You to revive my donkey.' The donkey then got up shaking its ears."

This is an authentic chain of transmission, and such miracles are a sign of the deep faith of the person following the Sharia, as explained in previous chapters. This was narrated by Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Zuhli and others, from Muhammad ibn Ubaid, from Ismail, from al-Sha'bi, as if he heard it from them.

  1. In some sources it is mentioned as "ad-Dathanah" instead of "ad-Dathaniyyah."
  2. Ibn Kathir recorded this incident in his "Al-Tarikh" (6:153).
  3. In some manuscripts it says "I said."

Arabic:

بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِي الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ الَّذِي بُعِثَ حِمَارُهُ بَعْدَ مَا نَفَقَ.أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ: الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ بَرْهَانَ، وَأَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ الْقَطَّانُ، وَأَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الشُّكْرِيُّ، قَالُوا: أَنْبَأَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّفَّارُ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَرَفَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَبْرَةَ النَّخَعِيِّ، قَالَ:أَقْبَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي بَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ نَفَقَ حِمَارُهُ، فَقَامَ فَتَوَضَّأَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: اللهُمَّ إِنِّي جِئْتُ مِنَ الدَّثَنِيَّةِ [ (١) ] مُجَاهِدًا فِي سَبِيلِكَ وَابْتِغَاءِ مَرْضَاتِكَ، وَأَنَا أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى، وَتَبْعَثُ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ، لَا تَجْعَلْ لِأَحَدٍ عَلَيَّ الْيَوْمَ مِنَّةً، أَطْلُبُ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ تَبْعَثَ لِي حِمَارِي، فَقَامَ الْحِمَارُ يَنْفُضُ أُذُنَيْهِ [ (٢) ] .هَذَا إِسْنَادٌ صَحِيحٌ، وَمَثَلُ هَذَا يَكُونُ كَرَامَةً لِصَاحِبِ الشَّرِيعَةِ حَيْثُ يَكُونُ فِي أُمَّتِهِ مِثْلُ هَذَا كَمَا مَضَى فِي الْبَابِ قَبْلَهُ، [ (٣) ] وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الذُّهْلِيُّ وَغَيْرُهُ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، وكأنه سمعه منهما.[ (١) ] كذا في الأصول وفي «البداية والنهاية» : «الدفينة» .[ (٢) ] نقله ابن كثير في «التاريخ» (٦: ١٥٣) .[ (٣) ] في (ح) : «قلت» .

Volume: 6 (Page:49)

English:

Story of the Donkey Revived by Allah's Might

Abu al-Husayn ibn Bishran in Baghdad informed us that Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn Safwan narrated to us, who in turn heard it from Ibn Abi Dunya, who was relayed the tale by Ishaq ibn Ismail, Ahmad ibn Bujayr, and others. They reported that Muhammad ibn Ubayd said, on the authority of Ismail ibn Abi Khalid, who narrated from al-Sha'bi:

Among a group of volunteers who came from Yemen in the way of Allah, one man's donkey died. They wished to him join them, but he refused. He then arose, performed ablution, prayed, and said, "O Allah, I have come from Dathaniyya or Dafinah, striving in Your path, seeking Your pleasure. I bear witness that You give life to the dead, and resurrect those in the graves. Do not bestow any favor on me, and I ask You to send me my donkey." He then went to the donkey, hit it, and it stood up shaking its ears. He saddled and bridled it, mounted, and chased after his companions. When they asked him what had changed his mind, he replied, "Allah has sent my donkey back to me."

Al-Sha'bi added, "I saw the donkey being sold in the marketplace known as Kufah."

Continuation of the Story

Abu al-Husayn was further informed by Abu Ali, who heard from Abdullah ibn Abi Dunya, who narrated from al-Abbas ibn Hisham, from his father, from his grandfather, who heard from Muslim ibn Abdullah ibn Sharik al-Nakha'i:

A man from Nakha' named Nubatah ibn Yazid, known as the owner of the donkey, went out during the era of Umar as a warrior. When his donkey died near Amira, he sold it for Kufah. People said to him, "You sell a donkey brought back to life by Allah?" He asked, "What should I do?" One of his companions recited three verses, among which was:

"And from us is He who brought back to life His God His donkey, While every limb and joint of it was dead."

Ibn Abi Dunya mentioned this incident in his book "The Lives After Death," and Ibn Kathir also noted it in his historical work.

Arabic:

أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ بْنُ بِشْرَانَ بِبَغْدَادَ، أَنْبَأَنَا أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ صَفْوَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي الدُّنْيَا، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ بُجَيْرٍ، وَغَيْرُهُمَا، قَالُوا: أَنْبَأَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ: أَنَّ قَوْمًا أَقْبَلُوا مِنَ الْيَمَنِ مُتَطَوِّعِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ، فَنَفَقَ حِمَارُ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ، فَأَرَادُوهُ أَنْ يَنْطَلِقَ مَعَهُمْ، فَأَبَى، فَقَامَ فَتَوَضَّأَ، وَصَلَّى، ثُمَّ قَالَ: اللهُمَّ إِنِّي جِئْتُ مِنَ الدَّثَنِيَّةِ أَوْ قَالَ الدَّفِينَةِ مُجَاهِدًا فِي سَبِيلِكَ، وَابْتِغَاءِ مَرْضَاتِكَ، وَإِنِّي أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى، وَتَبْعَثُ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ، لَا تَجْعَلْ لِأَحَدٍ عَلَيَّ مِنَّةً، وَإِنِّي أَطْلُبُ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ تَبْعَثَ لِي حِمَارِي، ثُمَّ قَامَ إِلَى الْحِمَارِ فَضَرَبَهُ فَقَامَ الْحِمَارُ يَنْفُضُ أُذُنَيْهِ، فَأَسْرَجَهُ وَأَلْجَمَهُ، ثُمَّ رَكِبَهُ، فَأَجْرَاهُ، فَلَحِقَ بِأَصْحَابِهِ، فَقَالُوا:مَا شَأْنُكَ؟ قَالَ، مَا شَأْنِي إِنَّ اللهَ بَعَثَ لِي حِمَارِي.قَالَ الشَّعْبِيُّ فَأَنَا رَأَيْتُ الْحِمَارَ بِيعَ أَوْ يُبَاعُ بِالْكُنَاسَةِ مَوْضِعٍ مَشْهُورٍ بِالْكُوفَةِ [ (٤) ] .وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ، أَنْبَأَنَا أَبُو عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ أَبِي الدُّنْيَا، أَخْبَرَنِي الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، عَنْ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ شَرِيكٍ النَّخَعِيِّ:أَنَّ صَاحِبَ الْحِمَارِ رَجُلٌ مِنَ النَّخَعِ، يُقَالُ لَهُ: نُبَاتَةُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، خَرَجَ فِي زَمَنِ عُمَرَ غَازِيًا، حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ بِسِرِّ عَمِيرَةَ نَفَقَ حِمَارُهُ، فَذَكَرَ الْقِصَّةَ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: فَبَاعَهُ بَعْدُ بِالْكُنَاسَةِ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: تَبِيعَ حِمَارًا أَحْيَاهُ اللهُ لَكَ! قَالَ: فَكَيْفَ أَصْنَعُ؟ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ رَهْطِهِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَبْيَاتٍ، فَحَفِظْتُ هَذَا الْبَيْتَ:وَمَنَّا الَّذِي أَحْيَا الْإِلَهُ حِمَارَهُ* وَقَدْ مَاتَ مِنْهُ كل عضو ومفصل [ (٥) ][ (٤) ] ذكره ابن أبي الدنيا في جزء «من عاش بعد الموت» ، ونقله ابن كثير في التاريخ (٢: ١٥٣- ١٥٤) .[ (٥) ] «البداية والنهاية» (٦: ١٥٤) .

Vols: Intro, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Chapters