Abū Ṣāliḥ—(reporting from Abū Saʿīd) (1), or from Abū Hurayrah; al-Aʿmash was uncertain—stated:

When the expedition of Tabūk took place, the people were struck by famine. They said, “O Messenger of Allah, would you allow us to slaughter our draught camels so that we might eat their meat and use their fat as ointment?” He replied, “Do it.” ʿUmar then arrived and said, “O Messenger of Allah, if they do that, our mounts will become scarce. Instead, summon them with whatever remains of their provisions, then ask Allah to bless it; perhaps Allah will place blessing in it.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered that a leather cloth be spread out and called for the remnants of their supplies. One man would come with a handful of dates, another with a scrap of bread, until only a small amount had accumulated on the cloth. He invoked Allah’s blessing over it, and then said, “Fill your containers.” They filled every container in the camp—none was left unfilled—ate until they were satisfied, and still a surplus remained. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then declared:

“I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah. No servant meets Allah with these words, free of doubt, and finds Paradise withheld from him.” (2)

Muslim likewise narrated this (3) through Sahl ibn ʿUthmān and Abū Kurayb, both from Abū Muʿāwiyah, from al-Aʿmash, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from either Abū Saʿīd or Abū Hurayrah, with the same wording.

Another report on this incident

Imām Aḥmad related: ʿAlī ibn Isḥāq narrated to us; ʿAbdullāh—meaning Ibn al-Mubārak—told us, from al-Awzāʿī, from al-Muṭṭalib ibn Ḥaṭṭab al-Makhzūmī; ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī ʿAmrah al-Anṣārī narrated to me, saying that his father said:

We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on a campaign when the people were overcome by severe hunger (4). They asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for permission to slaughter some of their mounts, saying, “Through them Allah will carry us onward.” When ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb noticed that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was inclined to grant permission, he said, “O Messenger of Allah, what will become of us tomorrow if we meet the enemy hungry and on foot? Rather, if you agree, O Messenger of Allah, summon the remnants of their provisions, gather them together, and then supplicate that Allah bless them. Allah will deliver us by your supplication, or He will bless what we have through it.”

The Prophet ﷺ called for the remaining provisions. People began bringing a single grain of food and a little more; the most anyone brought was a sâʿ of dates. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gathered it all, then stood and supplicated for as long as Allah willed. He next summoned the army with their vessels and ordered them to scoop. Not a single vessel in the army was left unfilled, and an equal amount remained besides. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ laughed until his molars were visible and said:

“I testify that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah. Any servant who meets Allah believing in these words will find the Fire screened from him on the Day of Resurrection.” (5)