Shama’il Muhammadiyah 362

“'Umar ibn al-Khattab dispatched 'Utba ibn Ghazwan, and he said: ‘Go away, you and whoever is with you, until you reach the most remote countries of the Arabs and the nearest countries of the non-Arabs!’ They therefore advanced until, when they reached al-Mirbad, they found this soft stone-like clay, so they said: ‘What is this?’ They were told: ‘This is Basra,’ so they traveled until they were in the vicinity of the small bridge. They said: ‘Here is our appointed destination,’ so they alighted and related the story from beginning to end. 'Utba ibn Ghazwan said: ‘I found myself the seventh of seven with Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace). We ate nothing but tree-leaves until the corners of our mouths were covered with ulcers, so I picked up a garment which I divided between me and Sa'd, for there was not one of us among those seven who was not the governor of a city, and you will put the governors to the test after us.”

"Neither a morning nor an evening meal of bread and meat was assembled in the presence of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), except in the case of a repast attended by a throng.’”

“I am the first man who shed blood in the cause of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), and I am the first man who shot an arrow in Allah’s cause. I had seen myself going forth to war in the troop of the Companions of Muhammad (blessing and peace be upon him). We ate nothing but tree-leaves and a kind of bean-fruit until the corners of our mouths were covered with ulcers, and one of us would excrete as the sheep and the camel excrete. The Banu Asad started instructing me in the religion. I had therefore failed and lost my way, and my work had come to naught.”