Sa`d bin Abu Waqqas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: By Allah, I am the first Arab who shot an arrow in the Cause of Allah. We fought along with Messenger of Allah (PBUH) when our food was only the leaves of Hublah and Samur trees (wild trees) until one of us would defecate like the droppings of sheep.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
1. This Hadith offers justification for enumerating the Blessings of Allah and the hardships which one may have suffered in one's past life, provided one does not mention the latter by way of complaint. 2. Lack of provision does not mean that the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) did not make any arrangement for food when they used to go for Jihad, but that their provision would finish during their campaigns.
What it actually means is the scarcity of food. They did not have foodstuff which could last till the end of the war, nor had they any system for its supply according to the requirements, with the result that they sometimes had to live on the tree-leaves.
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