until there was no camel created by Allāh from the back of the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) except that I left it behind me; and they left me alone with him. Then I pursued them, throwing at them, until they discarded more than thirty cloaks and thirty spears to lighten themselves, and they did not throw anything except that I marked it with stones so that the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and his Companions would recognize it, until they reached a narrow pass, and there they were met by so-and-so ibn Badr al-Fazārī. They sat down to rest (that is, to have lunch), and I sat on the top of a peak. Al-Fazārī said: What is this I see? They said: We have encountered hardship from this man, by Allāh! He has not left us since dawn, throwing at us, until he took everything from our hands. He said: Let four of you go to him. He said: So four of them climbed up to me on the mountain. He said: When they allowed me to speak, I said: Do you know me? They said: No, who are you? He said: I said: I am Salamah ibn al-Akwaʿ, by the One who honored the face of Muḥammad (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam)! I do not pursue any man from you except that I catch him, and no man from you pursues me and catches me. One of them said: I think so. He said: They returned, and I did not leave my place until I saw the horsemen of the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) weaving through the trees. He said: The first of them was al-Akhram al-Asadī, followed by Abū Qatādah al-Anṣārī, and then al-Miqdād ibn al-Aswad al-Kindī. He said: I took the reins of al-Akhram. He said: They turned back fleeing. I said: O Akhram! Beware of them lest they cut you off before the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and his Companions catch up. He said: O Salamah! If you believe in Allāh and the Last Day, and you know that Paradise is true and Hellfire is true, then do not stand between me and martyrdom! He said: So I let him go, and he met ʿAbd al-Raḥmān. He said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān hamstrung his horse, and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān stabbed him and killed him, and took his horse. Abū Qatādah, the horseman of the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), caught up with ʿAbd al-Raḥmān and stabbed him, killing him. By the One who honored the face of Muḥammad (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam)! I pursued them, running on foot, until I could not see behind me any of the Companions
حتى ما خلق الله من بعير من ظهر رسول الله ﷺ إلا خلفته وراء ظهري؛ وخلوا بيني وبينه، ثم اتبعتهم أرميهم، حتى ألقوا أكثر من ثلاثين بُردة وثلاثين رمحاً يستخفون، ولا يطرحون شيئاً إلا جعلت عليه آراماً من الحجارة يعرفها رسول الله ﷺ وأصحابه، حتى أتوا متضايقاً من ثنية، فإذا هم قد أتاهم فلان بن بدر الفزاري. فجلسوا يتضحون (أي: يتغدَّون) ، وجلست على رأس قرن، قال الفزاري: ما هذا الذي أرى؟ قالوا: لقينا من هذا البرح، والله! ما فارقنا منذ غلس يرمينا، حتى انتزع كل شيء في أيدينا، قال: فليقم إليه نفر منكم أربعة، قال: فصعد إلي منهم أربعة في الجبل، قال: فلما أمكنوني من الكلام؛ قال: قلت: هل تعرفوني؟ قالوا: لا، ومن أنت؟ قال: قلت: أنا سلمة بن الأكوع، والذي كرم وجه محمد ﷺ! لا أطلب رجلاً منكم إلا أدركته، ولا يطلبني رجل منكم فيدركني، قال أحدهم: أنا أظن.٩- قال: فرجعوا، فما برحت مكاني حتى رأيت فوارس رسول الله ﷺ يتخللون الشجر، قال: فإذا أولهم الأخرم الأسدي على إثره أبو قتادة الأنصاري، وعلى إثره المقداد بن الأسود الكندي. قال: فأخذت بعنان الأخرم.قال: فولوا مدبرين. قلت: يا أخرم! احذرهم لا يقتطعوك حتى يلحق رسول الله ﷺ وأصحابه. قال: يا سلمة! إن كنت تؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر، وتعلم أن الجنة حق والنار حق؛ فلا تحُل بيني وبين الشهادة! قال: فحليته، فالتقى هو وعبد الرحمن، قال: فعقر بعبد الرحمن فرسه، وطعنه عبد الرحمن فقتله، وتحول على فرسه.ولحق أبو قتادة فارس رسول الله ﷺ بعبد الرحمن، فطعنه فقتله، فوالذي كرم وجه محمد ﷺ! لتبعتهم أعدو على رجلي، حتى ما أرى ورائي من أصحاب