The Barley Loaf That Fed Eighty

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سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ يَقُولُ

Anas ibn Malik reported:

قَالَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ لأُمِّ سُلَيْمٍ

Abu Talhah said to Umm Sulaym:

لَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ صَوْتَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ضَعِيفًا

I heard the voice of the Messenger of Allah faintly.

أَعْرِفُ فِيهِ الْجُوعَ فَهَلْ عِنْدَكِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ

I can tell he is hungry. Do you have anything?

فَأَخْرَجَتْ أَقْرَاصًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ ثُمَّ أَخْرَجَتْ خِمَارًا لَهَا

She brought out rounds of barley bread, then she brought out a headscarf for herself.

فَلَفَّتِ الْخُبْزَ بِبَعْضِهِ ثُمَّ دَسَّتْهُ تَحْتَ ثَوْبِي وَرَدَّتْنِي بِبَعْضِهِ

She wrapped the bread with some of it, then tucked it under my garment and sent me back with some of it.

ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَتْنِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Then she sent me to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

قَالَ فَذَهَبْتُ بِهِ فَوَجَدْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَمَعَهُ النَّاسُ

He said: So I took it to him and found the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in the mosque with the people.

فَقُمْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَرْسَلَكَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ

I stood up among them, and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to me, "Did Abu Talhah send you?"

فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ بِطَعَامٍ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ

I said, "Yes." He said, "With food." He said it again, and I said, "Yes."

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِمَنْ مَعَهُ قُومُوا

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah send blessings upon him and grant him peace, said to those with him, "Stand up."

فَانْطَلَقَ وَانْطَلَقْتُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ حَتَّى جِئْتُ أَبَا طَلْحَةَ

So he set off, and I moved among them until I reached Abu Talha.

فَقَالَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ يَا أُمَّ سُلَيْمٍ قَدْ جَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالنَّاسِ

So Abu Talha said, "O Umm Sulaym, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, has come with the people."

وَلَيْسَ عِنْدَنَا مِنَ الطَّعَامِ مَا نُطْعِمُهُمْ

We do not have any food to feed them.

فَقَالَتْ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ

So she said, "Allah and His Messenger know best."

قَالَ فَانْطَلَقَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ حَتَّى لَقِيَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

He said, so Abu Talha set out until he met the Messenger of God, may God send blessings and peace upon him.

فَأَقْبَلَ أَبُو طَلْحَةَ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَتَّى دَخَلَا

So Abu Talhah and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah send blessings and peace upon him, came forward and entered.

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ هِلَّمِي يَا أُمَّ سُلَيْمٍ مَا عِنْدَكِ

The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, "Come here, Umm Sulaym; what do you have?"

فَأَتَتْ بِذَلِكَ الْخُبْزِ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَفُتِّتَ

She brought that bread, and he ordered it to be crumbled.

وَعَصَرَتْ أُمُّ سُلَيْمٍ عُكَّةً لَهَا فَأَدَمَتْهُ

And Umm Sulaym squeezed a skin of clarified butter for her, and she seasoned it.

ثُمَّ قَالَ فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَقُولَ

Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said what God willed him to say.

ثُمَّ قَالَ ائْذَنْ لِعَشَرَةٍ فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ

Then he said, "Allow ten," and he permitted them.

فَأَكَلُوا حَتَّى شَبِعُوا ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا

So they ate until they were full, then they went out,

ثُمَّ قَالَ ائْذَنْ لِعَشَرَةٍ فَأَذَنَ لَهُمْ فَأَكَلُوا حَتَّى شَبِعُوا ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا

Then he said, "Allow ten." He granted them permission, and they ate until they were full. Then they went out.

ثُمَّ قَالَ ائْذَنْ لِعَشَرَةٍ فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ فَأَكَلُوا حَتَّى شَبِعُوا ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا

Then he said, "Permit ten." He permitted them, and they ate until they were full, then they went out.

ثُمَّ أَذِنَ لِعَشَرَةٍ فَأَكَلَ الْقَوْمُ كُلُّهُمْ وَشَبِعُوا

Then he permitted ten, and all the people ate and were satisfied.

وَالْقَوْمُ ثَمَانُونَ رَجُلًا

And the people were eighty men.