of Medina one night; so he mounted an unsaddled horse of Abu Talha’s (1). The people rushed out, only to find that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had already reached the source of the sound ahead of them, having ascertained what had happened. He was saying, “Do not be frightened!” and the Prophet ﷺ added, “We found it to be like a sea.” Thabit remarked, “From that night on that horse was never out-paced (2)—even though,” he said, “it had previously been slow” (3).

Another wording states: “He met the people while riding an unsaddled horse of Abu Talha’s, with a sword hanging from his neck” (4).

In the earlier scriptures his description ﷺ reads: “His might is upon his shoulder” (5)—an allusion to his bearing the sword. They likewise describe him and his community as girding on swords, as found in the Zabur (6), in one of the Psalms: “Therefore God has blessed you forever; so gird yourself, O …”