Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (6/136)

for there you will come upon a woman carrying a letter from Ḥāṭib to the idolaters.”

We caught up with her while she was riding a camel that was trotting briskly. We said, “Where is the letter?”

She answered, “I have no letter.”

We made her dismount and searched her saddle and baggage but found nothing. Then we said, “The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—does not speak falsely. Hand over the letter or we will strip you.”

When she saw that I had reached toward the belt at her waist—she was wrapped in a cloak—she produced the letter from within her braids. We took it and brought it to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. In it were the words: “From Ḥāṭib ibn Abī Baltaʿah to a number of the idolaters in Mecca, informing them of part of the plans of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.”

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “O Ḥāṭib, what is this?”

He replied, “Do not be hasty with me; I was a man…"

فَإِنَّ بِهَا امْرَأَةً مَعَهَا كِتَابٌ مِنْ حَاطِبٍ إِلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ. فَأَدْرَكْنَاهَا تَسِيرُ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ لَهَا خَبَبٌ فَقُلْنَا لَهَا: أَيْنَ الْكِتَابُ؟ فَقَالَتْ: مَا مَعِي كِتَابٌ. قَالَ: فَأَنَخْنَا بِهَا، فَالْتَمَسْنَا الْكِتَابَ فِي رَحْلِهَا، فَلَمْ نَرَ كِتَابًا، قَالَ: قُلْنَا: مَا كَذَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، لَتُخْرِجِنَّ الْكِتَابَ أَوْ لَنُجَرِّدَنَّكِ. قَالَ: فَلَمَّا رَأَتْ أَنِّي أَهْوَيْتُ إِلَى حُجْزَتِهَا، وَهِيَ مُحْتَجِزَةٌ بِكِسَاءٍ، أَخْرَجَتِ الْكِتَابَ مِنْ عِقَاصِهَا، فَأَخَذْنَا الْكِتَابَ فَأَتَيْنَا بِهِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِذَا فِيهِ: مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى نَاسٍ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ بِمَكَّةَ يُخْبِرُهُمْ بِبَعْضِ أَمْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: يَا حَاطِبُ، مَا هَذَا؟ قَالَ: لَا تَعْجَلْ عَلَيَّ، إِنِّي كُنْتُ امْرَأً