2317 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us, saying, “I found in my father’s book, penned in his own hand: I was informed by Muhammad ibn Shuʿayb—meaning Ibn Shabur—and ʿAmr ibn Waqid, and others, from a group of the elders of Damascus, that Abū Muslim al-Khawlānī was once in Byzantine territory. He said: The governor dispatched a military detachment and fixed a deadline for their return. When they failed to come back on time, their delay troubled Abū Muslim.

While he was performing wuḍūʾ (ritual ablution) on the bank of a river, turning the matter over in his mind, a crow perched on a tree and said, “O Abū Muslim, are you worried about the detachment?” He replied, “Indeed.” The crow said, “Do not be concerned; they have gained booty and returned safely, and they will be with you at such-and-such a time.” Abū Muslim asked it, “Who are you? May Allah have mercy on you!” It answered, “I am Artiaʾīl, the one who gladdens the hearts of the believers.” The narrator adds: The troops returned at exactly the time he had indicated, just as he had described.