382 – Mus‘ab ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn Mus‘ab al-Zubayrī related: My father, ‘Abdullāh ibn Mus‘ab, narrated to me, from Rabī‘a ibn ‘Uthmān al-Hudayrī, from Zayd ibn Aslam, from his father, who said:

We went out with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb to Harrat Wāqim. When we reached Sirār, we saw a fire. He said: “Aslam ⦗291⦘, I see some travellers over there whom the night and cold have prevented from continuing their journey. Come with me.”

We hurried over until we drew near them. There was a woman with young children and a pot set over a fire, and her children were crying. ‘Umar said: “Peace be upon you, people of the light!” He disliked saying, “People of the fire.”

She replied: “And peace be upon you.”

He asked: “May I come closer?”

She said: “Come closer if you mean well; otherwise, leave us.”

He approached and asked: “What has happened to you?”

She replied: “The night and cold have prevented us from continuing our journey.”

He asked: “Why are these children crying?”

She replied: “Hunger.”

He asked: “What is in this pot?”

She replied: “Something to keep them quiet until they fall asleep. Allah will judge between us and ‘Umar.”

He said: “But may Allah have mercy on you, how could ‘Umar know about you?”

She replied: “‘Umar takes charge of our affairs, then neglects us!”

He turned to me and said: “Come with me.” We hurried to the flour storehouse, where he took out a sack of flour and a lump of fat. He said: “Load it onto my back.”

I said: “I will carry it for you.”

He replied: “Will you carry my burden of sin for me on the Day of Resurrection? For shame!”

So I loaded it onto his back, and he set off. I went with him, hurrying back to her. He put the provisions down beside her and took out some flour, saying: “Sprinkle it in while I stir it for you.” He began blowing beneath the pot, then took it off the fire and said: “Bring me something.” She brought him a large dish, and he emptied the pot into it. He kept saying to her: “Feed them while I spread it out for them.” He continued until they had eaten their fill, leaving the remaining provisions with her.

He rose, and I rose with him. She began saying: “May Allah reward you with good! You are more deserving of this office than the Commander of the Faithful.”

He replied: “Speak kindly when you come to the Commander of the Faithful, and speak to me there, Allah willing.”

Then he moved some distance away from her, turned to face her and crouched down. We said to him: “We have other matters to attend to.” But he would not speak to me until I saw the children wrestling with one another; then they fell asleep and grew quiet.

He said: “Aslam, hunger kept them awake and made them cry. I did not want to leave until I had seen what I have now seen.”