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Abu ‘Abdullāh Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) dispatched us to intercept a caravan belonging to Quraysh, and he appointed Abu ‘Ubaydah (may Allah be pleased with him) as our commander. He gave us a sack of dates as provision, other than which he did not find anything for us. Abu ‘Ubaydah used to give us one date at a time. He was asked: “What did you use to do with it?” He said: “We used to suck it just as a baby suckles, then we would drink some water after it, which would suffice us for a day until the night. We also used to beat off tree leaves with our sticks, then soak them in water and eat them.” He continued: “We then headed towards the sea coast, where something like a huge mound appeared to us. When we came to it, we found that it was an animal called 'Al-‘Anbar' (sperm whale). Abu ‘Ubaydah said: "It is a dead animal." Then he said: "No, rather we are the messengers of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and we have gone out in the cause of Allah. Now you are forced by necessity, so you can eat." We kept on eating from it for a month until we fattened up, and we were three hundred men. And indeed, I saw how we scooped out fat from the cavity of its eye in pitchers, then we would cut pieces from it like a bull or the size of a bull. Abu ‘Ubaydah took thirteen men from us and seated them in the cavity of its eye. He took one of its ribs and fixed it up, then saddled the largest camel of ours and it passed under it (the rib). We took large pieces of its meat as provision for our journey back home. When we arrived at Madīnah, we came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioned all of that to him. Thereupon, he said: "It is sustenance that Allah brought out for you. Do you have anything from its meat with you, so that you would feed us?" We sent some of its meat to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) which he ate.
Attribution: Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim
Grade: Authentic hadith
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent a detachment to overtake a caravan that was carrying wheat and food for Quraysh. He appointed Abu ‘Ubaydah as their commander. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave them a leather sack of dates, and their commander used to give each one of them one date, due to the scarcity of the provisions they had. They would suck the dates and drink water over them. They also used to pluck the leaves off the trees by their sticks, which are the camels' fodder, then soak them in water to soften them up. When they arrived at the sea shore, they saw something like a mound of sand. When they reached it, they found out that it was a large fish called 'Al-‘Anbar' (sperm whale). Their commander Abu ‘Ubaydah forbade them from eating from it because it was dead, and dead animals are unlawful according to the Qur’anic texts. Then, he changed his ruling and allowed them to eat from it, because it is permissible for the Muslim to eat dead animals when he is forced by necessity, particularly they were on a journey that was an act of obedience to Allah, the Exalted. They forgot that the dead animals of the sea are lawful. Based on necessity, they ate from it and carried some of its meat with them. When they arrived at Madīnah, they informed the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) of that incident, whereupon he approved their action and ate from it.
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