he invited me to give zakāh, so I acknowledged it and said: O Messenger of Allāh! I will return to my people and invite them to Islam and to give zakāh. Whoever responds to me, I will collect their zakāh, and the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) will send a messenger to me at such and such a time to receive what I have collected of the zakāh. When al-Ḥārith collected the zakāh from those who responded to him, and the appointed time came when the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) intended to send someone to him, the messenger was delayed and did not come to him. Al-Ḥārith thought that some displeasure from Allāh and His Messenger had occurred, so he called the leaders of his people and said to them: The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) had set a time for me to send his messenger to collect what I had of the zakāh, and it is not like the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) to break his promise; I see no reason for the delay of his messenger except for some displeasure that has occurred; so let us go to the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam). The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) sent al-Walīd ibn ʿUqbah to al-Ḥārith to collect what he had gathered of the zakāh. When al-Walīd set out and reached part of the way, he became afraid and returned to the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and said: O Messenger of Allāh! Al-Ḥārith prevented me from taking the zakāh and wanted to kill me! The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) dispatched a force to al-Ḥārith. Al-Ḥārith came with his companions. When they encountered the dispatched force and had left from Medina, al-Ḥārith met them and they said: This is al-Ḥārith! When he approached them, he asked: To whom have you been sent? They said: To you! He asked: Why?! They said: The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) had sent al-Walīd ibn ʿUqbah to you, and he claimed that you prevented him from taking the zakāh and wanted to kill him! He said: No, by the One who sent Muḥammad with the truth! I never saw him at all nor did he come to me. When al-Ḥārith entered upon the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), he said:
فدعاني إلى الزكاة فأقررت بها، وقلت: يا رسول الله! أرجع إلى قومي فأدعوهم إلى الإسلام وأداء الزكاة، فمن استجاب لي جمعت زكاته، فيرسل إلي رسول الله ﷺ رسولاً إبان كذا وكذا، ليأتيك ما جمعت من الزكاة. فلما جمع الحارث الزكاة ممن استجاب له، وبلغ (الإبان) الذي أراد رسول الله ﷺ أن يبعث إليه، احتبس عليه الرسول فلم يأته؛ فظن الحارث أنه قد حدث فيه سخطة من الله ﷿ ورسوله، فدعا بسرواتِ قومِهِ فقال لهم: إن رسول الله ﷺ -كان وَقَّتَ لي وَقْتاً يُرسلُ إليَّ رسوله ليقبض ما كان عندي من الزكاة، وليس من رسول الله ﷺ الخُلْفُ؛ ولا أرى حبس رسوله إلا من سُخطةٍ كانت؛ فانطلقوا فنأتي رسول الله- ﷺ. وبعث رسول- ﷺ الوليد بن عقبة إلى الحارث ليقبض ما كان عنده مما جمع من الزكاة، فلما أن سار الوليد حتى بلغ بعض الطريق فَرِقَ، فرجع فأتى رسول الله- ﷺ وقال: يا رسول الله! إن الحارث منعني الزكاة وأراد قتلي! فضرب رسول الله ﷺ البعث إلى الحارث. فأقبل الحارث بأصحابه. حتى إذا استقبل البعث وفصل من المدينة؛ لقيهم الحارث، فقالوا: هذا الحارث! فلما غشيهم قال لهم: إلى من بُعِثتُم؟ قالوا: إليك! قال: ولم؟! قالوا: إن رسول الله ﷺ كان بعث إليك الوليد بن عقبة، فزعم أنك منعته الزكاة وأردت قتله! قال: لا والذي بعث محمداً بالحق! ما رأيتُهُ بَتَّةَّ ولا أتاني. فلما دخل الحارث على رسول الله ﷺ قال: