The Prophet (ﷺ) loved his Companions a great deal, always providing them with both the material and moral support they needed, especially during times of hardship. Knowing that Jaabir ibn Abdullah (RA) was poor, the Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to console him and help him out. Jabir’s father was martyred on the Day of Uhud, and he left behind a number of children, whose upkeep became Jaabir’s responsibility.
The opportunity to help Jabir presented itself after the Dhaat Ar-Riqaa’ expedition, when the Muslim army was returning to Al-Madeenah. All of the riders of the army rode onwards, but Jaabir lagged behind because his camel was weak and slow. The Prophet (ﷺ) rode back to Jaabir to ask him what was wrong, and Jaabir responded, “My camel is slowing me down.” The Prophet (ﷺ), said, “Make it kneel,” and after Jaabir did as he was told, the Prophet (ﷺ) asked Jaabir to hand him a stick. The Prophet (ﷺ) then struck the camel a number of times, after which He (ﷺ) said to Jabir, “Now ride it.” Much to Jaabir’s amazement, his camel began to move at a very fast speed, to the degree that it competed to ride past the Prophet’s camel.
The Prophet (ﷺ) and Jaabir then spoke to one another, and during the course of their discussion, the Prophet (ﷺ) asked, “Will you sell me this camel of yours, O Jaabir?” Jaabir said, “O Messenger of Allah, no, rather I will give it to you as a gift,” to which the Prophet (ﷺ) responded, “No, instead sell it to me.” Jaabir said, “Then offer me a price, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “I will take it for one dirham.” Jaabir said, “No, for then you will have the best of me in the sale, O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Then for two dirhams.” And again Jaabir said, “No.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) continued to raise his offer, until his offer reached the value of an Ooqiyyah, or forty dirhams. Jaabir asked, “And are you pleased (with that amount for the camel), O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Yes.” Jaabir said, “Then it is yours,” and the Prophet (ﷺ) concluded their verbal agreement by saying, “I have taken it,” even though the camel remained in the possession of Jaabir for a short while longer.
The Prophet (ﷺ) then asked, “O Jaabir, have you gotten married yet?” Jaabir said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, “To a woman who was previously married, or to a virgin?” Jaabir said, “Rather to a previously married woman.” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Should you not have married a virgin, whom you could play with, and who could play with you.” Jaabir then explained his situation, saying that his father had been martyred on the Day of Uhud, leaving behind seven daughters, and that he wanted to marry a mature woman who could raise them properly. Upon hearing Jaabir’s explanation, the Prophet (ﷺ), “You have done what is right, In’Sha’Allah (Allah Willing).”
The Prophet (ﷺ) then informed Jaabir that, once they reached a place called Siraar, which is situated approximately three miles outside of Al-Madeenah, they would hold a marriage banquet for him and slaughter a camel for the occasion. The Prophet (ﷺ) further told him that his wife would hear about their arrival and come, and that he should consummate his marriage with her. When that night arrived, Jaabir told his wife about what the Prophet (ﷺ) said, and she responded, “Then come closer, for I hear and obey.” The following morning, Jaabir took the camel he had sold to the Prophet (ﷺ), intending to give him full possession of it. Arriving at the door of the Prophet’s house, Jaabir made his camel kneel, and he then entered the Masjid and sat down. When the Prophet (ﷺ) later came out, he (ﷺ) saw the camel and asked, “What is this?” The people he asked responded, “O Messenger of Allah, this is a camel that Jaabir brought.” The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, “And where is Jaabir?”
Jaabir was then summoned, and the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, “O son of my brother, take your camel by its head, for it is yours.” The Prophet (ﷺ) then called Bilaal (RA) and said to him, “Go with Jaabir, and give him an Ooqiyyah (i.e., forty dirhams).” Bilaal then did as he was instructed. From the very beginning, the Prophet (ﷺ) was looking not actually to buy Jabir’s camel, but to help Jaabir. In a completely spontaneous manner, the Prophet (ﷺ) cured Jaabir’s camel by the permission of Allah, organized a marriage feast for him, and gave him forty dirhams, in fact, slightly more than forty dirhams, without taking his camel in return.[1]
This story sheds a great deal of light on the wonderful character of the Prophet (ﷺ) and on the concern he felt for the welfare of his Companions. From it one can learn the true meaning of Islamic brotherhood and the effects that brotherhood should have on one’s actions, character, and dealings.
[The Noble Life of the Prophet (ﷺ) by Dr. Ali Muhammad As-Sallaabee, vol. 2, p. 1295-1297]
Note:
[1] Refer to Saheeh Muslim (1466, 5080, 5245, 5246) as well as to Seerah Ibn Hishaam, to the chapter titled, “The Battle of Dhaat Ar-Riqaa””; above, the narration is summarized, though the quoted parts are taken from Ibn Hishaam’s narration of the story.
