A Night with the Prophet

I heard al-Bara' ibn 'Azib say.

Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, came to my father in his house.

So he bought a pack-saddle from him.

He said to 'Azib, "Send your son to carry it with me."

He said, so I carried it with him.

And my father went out to haggle over its price.

So my father said to him, "O Abu Bakr."

Tell me how you two behaved when you set out with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace.

He said, "Yes, we spent the night."

And from the morning until the noon watchman stood up,

And the road lay deserted; no one passed along it.

Then a long rock was raised for us.

It had a shade that the sun did not come upon, so we descended by it.

And I smoothed out a place with my two hands for the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, to sleep on it.

And I spread in it a fur.

And I said, 'Sleep, O Messenger of God.'

And I was brushing off for you whatever was around you, so he slept.

And I went out, shaking off what was around him.

Then I came upon a shepherd approaching the rock with his flock.

He wants from her the same thing we wanted.

So I said, 'Who do you belong to, O boy?'

Then he said to a man from Medina or Mecca.

I said, "Is there milk in your flock?"

He said, 'Yes.'

I said, "Shall I milk?"

He said yes.

Then he took a sheep.

I said, "Shake the udder free of dirt, hair, and grit."

He said: I saw al-Bara' strike one of his hands against the other and shake it off.

Then he milked into a small container a lump of milk.

I had with me a waterskin that I had carried for the Prophet, may God send blessings and peace upon him, to drink from.

He drank and performed ablution.

So I went to the Prophet, may Allah send blessings and peace upon him, and I was reluctant to wake him.

So I came upon him when he woke up,

So I poured water over the milk until its bottom cooled.

So I said, "Drink, O Messenger of God." He said so, and he drank.

Until I was satisfied.

Then he said, "Is it not time to depart?"

I said, 'Yes.'

So we set out after the sun had inclined.

And Suraaqah ibn Malik followed us.

So I said, "We have come, O Messenger of Allah."

So he said, "Do not be sad; Allah is with us."

Then the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, prayed against him, and his mare struck him in the belly.

He was seen in a layer of earth, and Zuhayr doubted.

So he said, "I see that you two have prayed against me, so pray for me."

By God, I will withdraw the request from you both.

The Prophet prayed for him, and he was saved.

So he arranged that whenever he met anyone, he would say, "I have taken care of you regarding what is here."

He would not meet anyone without sending him back.