Chapter: The Virtues Of Habib Bin Abi Baltaah And The People Of Badr (RA)

I heard 'Ali (Allah be pleased with him) as saying: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent me and Zubair and Miqdad saying: Go to the garden of, Khakh [it is a place between Medina and Mecca at a distance of twelve miles from Medina] and there you will find a woman riding a camel. She would be in possession of a letter, which you must get from her. So we rushed on horses and when we met that woman, we asked her to deliver that letter to us. She said: There is no letter with me. We said: Either bring out that letter or we would take off your clothes. She brought out that letter from (the plaited hair of) her head. We delivered that letter to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in which Hatib b. Abu Balta'a had informed some people amongst the polytheists of Mecca about the affairs of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Hatib, what is this? He said: Allah's messenger, do not be hasty in judging my intention. I was a person attached to the Quraish. Sufyan said: He was their ally but had no relationship with them. (Hatib further said): Those who are with you amongst the emigrants have blood-relationship with them (the Quraish) and thus they would protect their families. I wished that when I had no blood-relationship with them I should find some supporters from (amongst them) who would help my family. I have not done this because of any unbelief or apostasy and I have no liking for the unbelief after I have (accepted) Islam. Thereupon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said: You have told the truth. 'Umar said: Allah's Messenger, permit me to strike the neck of this hypocrite. But he (the Holy Prophet) said: He was a participant in Badr and you little know that Allah revealed about the people of Badr: Do what you like for there is forgiveness for you. And Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said:" O you who believe, do not take My enemy and your enemy for friends" (lx. 1). And there is no mention of this verse in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Abu Bakr and Zubair and Ishaq has in his narration made a mention of the recitation of this verse by Sufyan.

Ride on until you reach the garden of Khakh for there is a woman amongst the polytheists and there is a letter with her sent by Hatib to the polytheists; the rest of the hadith is the same.

Hatib will definitely go to Hell. (But) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said : You tell a lie ; he would not get into that for he had taken part in Badr and in (the expedition of) Hudaibiya.