from us, and the crops and the date-palms have grown thirsty.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to his Companions, “Rise.” They rose and entered the orchard, the camel standing in one of its corners. The Prophet ﷺ walked toward it.

The Anṣār said, “O Messenger of Allah, it has become like a rabid dog and we fear it may charge at you.”

He replied, “It will not harm me.”

When the camel saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, it came toward him and fell prostrate before him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ took hold of its forelock; never had it been more submissive, and he put it back to work.

His Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, this irrational beast prostrates to you, while we are more entitled to prostrate to you.”

He said, “It is not permissible for a human being to prostrate to another human being. Had it been permissible, I would have ordered a wife to prostrate to her husband because of the greatness of his right over her. By Him in whose hand is my soul, if he were covered from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head with an ulcer that burst (1) with pus and matter, and she came and licked it clean, she still would not have fulfilled his right.”

This chain of transmission is sound, and al-Nasāʾī also reported part of it through Khalf ibn Khalīfah. (2)

Jābir’s version:

Imām Aḥmad (3) said: Muṣʿab ibn Sallām—whom I heard from my father twice—related to us; al-Ajlaḥ narrated to us from al-Dhiyāl ibn Ḥarmalah, from Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, who said:

We were returning with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from a journey. When we reached an orchard belonging to Banū al-Najjār we found a camel inside it that would attack anyone who tried to enter. They informed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, so he came to the orchard, called the camel, and it approached, lowering its muzzle to the ground until it knelt before him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Bring me a halter.” He haltered it and handed it over to its owner. Then he turned to the people and said, “There is nothing between heaven and earth that does not know that I am the Messenger of Allah—except the rebellious among jinn and humankind.”

Imām Aḥmad alone transmitted this report. (4) A narration from Jābir with another chain and context will appear later, God willing—and in Him we place our trust.

[The narration of Ibn ʿAbbās]

The ḥāfiẓ Abū al-Qāsim al-Ṭabarānī said: Bishr ibn Mūsā related to us; Yazīd ibn Mihrān, the brother of Khālid al-Jayyār, narrated to us; Abū Bakr ibn ʿAyyāsh narrated to us, from al-Ajlaḥ, from al-Dhiyāl ibn Ḥarmalah, from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said:

Some people came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “O Messenger of Allah, we have a camel that has run wild in an orchard.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to it and said, “Come here.” It came with its head lowered until he subdued it and handed it over to its owners. Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq then said to him—