“Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awf was a table companion of ours, and an excellent table companion was he! After he had returned from a journey with us one day, we entered his house. Then he went inside and performed the major ritual ablution, and came out again. We brought a vessel containing bread and meat, and when it was served, Abd ar-Rahman wept, so I said: ‘O Abu Muhammad, what is making you weep?’ He replied: Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) has died. When he was alive, he and the people of his household did not even eat their fill of barley-bread. But I do not think our circumstances are any better for 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.’”
"Allah’s Messenger said (Allah bless him and give him peace): “I have been put in fear for Allah’s sake, while no one was afraid, and I have been troubled for Allah’s sake, while no one was troubled. Thirty intervals between a night and a day came upon me, and for me and Bilal there was no food for the owner of a liver to eat, except something tucked beneath the Bilal’s armpit.”
حدثنا محمد بن بشار , حدثنا صفوان بن عيسى , حدثنا محمد بن عمرو بن عيسى أبو نعامة العدوي , قال: سمعت خَالِدِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ , وشويسًا , أبا الرقاد قالا: بعث عمر بن الخطاب عُتْبَةُ بْنُ غَزْوَانَ وقَالَ انطلق أنت ومن معك , حتى إذا كنتم في أقصى أرض العرب , وأدنى بلاد أرض العجم , فأقبلوا حتى إذا كانوا بالمربد وجدوا هذا المكان , فقالوا: ما هذه؟ هذه البصرة. فسارواحتى إذا بلغوا حيال الجسر الصغير , فقالوا: هاهنا أمرتم , فنزلوا فذكروا الحديث بطوله..
Narrated Khalid ibn 'Umair and Shuwais Abur-Ruqad said:
“'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.”
