Al-Bukhārī also reported: “ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad narrated to us—he had heard it from Rūḥ ibn ʿUbādah—Saʿīd ibn Abī ʿArūbah narrated to us from Qatādah, who said:

‘Anas ibn Mālik related—on the authority of Abū Ṭalḥah—that on the Day of Badr the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered that twenty-four of Quraysh’s leading men be cast into a foul well among the wells of Badr. Whenever he prevailed over a people he would remain on the battlefield for three nights. On the third day at Badr he commanded that his mount be saddled, then set out on foot. His Companions followed him, saying, “We think he is going out for some personal need.” When he reached the brim of the well he began calling them by their names and their fathers’ names: “O so-and-so son of so-and-so, O so-and-so son of so-and-so! Would it have pleased you had you obeyed Allah and His Messenger? For we have found what our Lord promised us to be true—have you, too, found what your Lord promised you to be true?”

ʿUmar said, “O Messenger of Allah, are you speaking to bodies that have no souls?” He ﷺ answered, “By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, you do not hear what I am saying any better than they do.”’

Qatādah added: ‘Allah caused them to hear his words— as a rebuke, a humiliation, a punishment, a source of grief, and remorse.’

All the other compilers, except Ibn Mājah, recorded this report through various chains from Saʿīd ibn Abī ʿArūbah.

Imām Aḥmad likewise transmitted it from Yūnus ibn Muḥammad al-Muʾaddib, from Shaybān ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, from Qatādah, who said: ‘Anas ibn Mālik narrated…,’ giving the same account but without mentioning Abū Ṭalḥah. This chain is sound, though the former version is more authentic and clearer—Allah knows best.

Imām Aḥmad further said: ‘ʿAffān narrated to us; Ḥammād narrated to us from Thābit, from Anas that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ left the slain of Badr for three days until they had begun to decay. He then came to them, stood over them and said: “O Umayyah ibn Khalaf, O Abū Jahl ibn Hishām, O ʿUtbah ibn Rabīʿah, O Shaybah ibn Rabīʿah! Have you found what your Lord promised you to be true? For I have found what my Lord promised me to be true.”’

ʿUmar heard his voice and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, are you calling out to them after three days? Do they hear?—while Allah, Exalted is He, says: “Indeed, you cannot make the dead hear.”’

He replied, ‘By Him in whose hand is my soul, you do not hear what I am saying any better than they do, but they are unable to reply.’"}