Yūnus, Muḥammad b. Isḥāq, narrated as follows: Regarding the story of Abū Ḥadred and his raid directed toward the forest, Jaʿfar b. ʿAbd Allāh b. Ashlam transmitted that Abū Ḥadred said:
"I married a woman from my tribe and told her I would give her a mahr (bridal gift) of 200 dirhams. I went to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) to seek his help with my marriage. He asked me:
- How much mahr did you promise?
- 200 dirhams....
- Subḥānallāh! Even if you gathered the dirhams from the sands of a valley, do not increase the mahr. By Allah, I have nothing with me to help you."
Thereupon, I waited a few days. Then a man from Banū Jusham b. Muʿāwiya set out. He was called Rifāʿa b. Qays (or Qays b. Rifāʿa?). He was from a large clan of Banū Jusham. Eventually, he and those who came with him encamped in the forest. He was trying to gather the Qays tribe to fight the Messenger of God (peace be upon him). He was a man of name and honor among the Jusham tribe. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) summoned me and two men from among the Muslims and said to us:
"Go out toward that man and bring back information and news about him."
He sent us a weak camel. One of us mounted it, but by Allah, the camel could not stand up due to its weakness. The men behind supported it with their hands and managed to raise it with difficulty. We were almost unable to set out. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: "Gather information while riding this, and take turns riding."
We set out. Our weapons consisted only of bows and swords. Toward evening, as the sun set, we reached a place near their camp. I hid on one side and ordered my companions to hide on the other. They concealed themselves there. I told them: "When you hear me utter the takbīr (Allāhu akbar) and run on one side of their troops, you also run and utter the takbīr with me."
By Allah, we were thus waiting, hoping to catch them off guard or seize something from them. Finally, the first darkness of night passed. They had a shepherd who was grazing their animals in that land. He was late in returning to them, and they began to worry about him. Then their man, Rifāʿa b. Qays, stood up. He took his sword and hung it around his neck. Then he said:
- By Allah, I will go to look for our shepherd and find out what has happened to him. Surely, some misfortune has befallen him.
Some of those with him said:
- By Allah, do not go. We will go in your place.
- By Allah, no one but me will go.
- Then let us go with you.
- By Allah, none of you shall follow me.
Then he left the house. He encountered me. When I had the opportunity, I struck him with my arrow and it pierced his lung. He fell dead without making a sound. I went to him and cut off his head. I ran toward the camp uttering the takbīr. My two companions also began to run and utter the takbīr. By Allah, those present fled. They shouted: "Quickly, quickly, take whatever women, children, and light goods you can and flee!" We drove a large herd of camels and a great flock of sheep before us and brought them to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him). I also had the head of Rifāʿa b. Qays with me. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) gave me thirteen of those camels as a contribution to my mahr. I then brought my family to me."