Musnad Ahmad 18459

Translation

✧ I came to the Messenger of God ﷺ and he called me to Islam, so I entered it and affirmed it. Then he called me to give zakat, and I affirmed it. I said, 'O Messenger of God, shall I return to my people and call them to Islam and to paying zakat? Whoever responds to me, I will collect his zakat, and the Messenger of God ﷺ will send me a messenger at such-and-such a time to bring you what I have collected of zakat.' When al-Harith had collected the zakat from those who responded to him and the time at which the Messenger of God ﷺ wanted to send to him arrived, the messenger was delayed from him and did not come. Al-Harith thought that an anger from God, Mighty and Majestic, and His Messenger had occurred. So he summoned the nobles of his people and said to them, 'The Messenger of God ﷺ had set a time for me to send his messenger to collect the zakat I had. There is no backsliding with the Messenger of God ﷺ, and I see no reason for holding back his messenger except because of some anger that occurred. So let us go and come to the Messenger of God ﷺ.' Meanwhile, the Messenger of God ﷺ sent al-Walid b. 'Uqbah to al-Harith to collect the zakat he had gathered. When al-Walid had traveled part of the way, he became afraid and returned. He came to the Messenger of God ﷺ and said, 'O Messenger of God, al-Harith prevented me from taking the zakat and wanted to kill me.' So the Messenger of God ﷺ dispatched an expedition against al-Harith. Al-Harith approached with his companions when the expedition met him and departed from Madinah. Al-Harith met them, and they said, 'This is al-Harith.' When he came upon them, he said, 'To whom have you been sent?' They said, 'To you.' He said, 'Why?' They said, 'The Messenger of God ﷺ had sent al-Walid b. 'Uqbah to you, and he claimed that you prevented him from taking the zakat and wanted to kill him!' He said, 'No, by the One who sent Muhammad with the truth, I never saw him at all, nor did he come to me!' When al-Harith entered upon the Messenger of God ﷺ, he said, 'Did you prevent the zakat and try to kill my messenger?!' He said, 'No, by the One who sent you with the truth, I did not see him and he did not come to me, and I only came when the messenger of the Messenger of God ﷺ was delayed from me, fearing that there might have been anger from God, Mighty and Majestic, and His Messenger.' He said, 'Then al-Hujurat was revealed: "O you who believe, if a wicked person comes to you with news, verify it, lest you harm a people in ignorance and become regretful over what you have done" up to this point, as a bounty from God and a favor, and God is all-knowing, all-wise.'

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