In the Musnad of Haytham ibn Kulayb it is recorded, through the chain of ʿĀmir ibn Ṣāliḥ ibn Rustum, from his father, from al-Ḥasan, from Saʿd—the freedman of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ—who said: Safwān ibn al-Muʿaṭṭal was once complained about to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He (Saʿd) added that Safwān used to recite those very lines of poetry, whereupon the Prophet said, “Leave Safwān alone; his tongue is sharp, but his heart is sound.” (1)

That same collection also narrates, on the authority of Saʿd:

“We were on a journey and had with us a small store of dates. Safwān ibn al-Muʿaṭṭal came to me and said, ‘Give me some of those dates.’ I replied, ‘It is only a little, and I fear he—meaning, I think, the Prophet ﷺ—may ask for them; when the people halt and eat, you can eat with them.’ He insisted, ‘Feed me, for I am in real hardship.’ He kept pressing me until he drew his sword and hamstrung the mount. News of this reached the Prophet ﷺ, who said, ‘Tell Safwān to go on his way.’

“When the party encamped, he did not sleep that night; he moved about among the companions of the Prophet ﷺ until he reached ʿAlī and asked, ‘Where am I to go—into unbelief?’

“ʿAlī went in to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, ‘He has not let us sleep tonight.’ The Prophet replied, ‘Where is he to go—into unbelief?’ Then he added, ‘Tell Safwān to shave.’ (2)

A similar wording was transmitted by al-Qawārīrī, from Sulaym ibn Akhdar, from Ibn ʿAwn, from al-Ḥasan, from the keeper of the Prophet’s provisions.

ʿUrwah narrated from ʿĀʾishah that, during the Incident of the Slander (al-ifk), the Prophet ﷺ praised Allah and then said: (