The Book on Government — Hadith 4673

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ كُنَّا يَوْمَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ أَلْفًا وَأَرْبَعَمِائَةٍ فَبَايَعْنَاهُ وَعُمَرُ آخِذٌ بِيَدِهِ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ وَهِيَ سَمُرَةٌ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ بَايَعْنَاهُ عَلَى أَلاَ نَفِرَّ ‏.‏ وَلَمْ نُبَايِعْهُ عَلَى الْمَوْتِ.

English Translation

It has been narrated on the authority of Jabir who said: We were one thousand and four hundred on the Day of Hudaibiya. We swore fealty to hiin (the Holy Prophet) and 'Umar was holding the latter's hand (when he was sitting) under the tree (called) Samura (to administer the oath to the Companions). The narrator added: We took oath to the effect that we would not flee (from the battlefield if there was an encounter with the Meccans), but we did not take oath to fight to death.