Abu Ruhm and the stragglers of Ghifar and Aslam

Ibn Ishaq relates from al-Zuhri, from Ibn Ukayma al-Laythi, from the nephew of Abu Ruhm al-Ghifari that Abu Ruhm Kulthum ibn al-Husayn — one of those who pledged under the tree — campaigned to Tabuk. Riding one night near the Prophet at al-Akhdar his mount jostled the Prophet's, and the Prophet asked him about the Ghifar men who had stayed behind, then about a party of their Aslam allies, and said that the dearest of his people to him were those who did not stay behind: the Muhajirun of Quraysh, the Ansar, Ghifar and Aslam. ¹

Ibn Ishaq relates from al-Zuhri from Ibn Ukayma al-Laythi from Abu Ruhm al-Ghifari's nephew that he heard Abu Ruhm Kulthum ibn al-Husayn — one of the Prophet's Companions who pledged under the tree — say that he campaigned to Tabuk. ²

One night at al-Akhdar he rode near the Prophet, and God cast drowsiness over them until his mount drew so close that it jostled the Prophet's, his foot in the stirrup; he woke only to the Prophet's "easy!", begged his pardon, and the Prophet told him: ride on. ²

The Prophet began asking him about the Banu Ghifar men who had stayed behind, and he told him; then he asked about another party whose description he gave — Abu Ruhm did not know them, then remembered they were a party of Aslam who were allies among them. ¹

The Prophet said: what kept any of them, when he stayed behind, from mounting some brisk man in God's path on a camel of his? The dearest of my people to me are those who would not stay behind: the Muhajirun of Quraysh, the Ansar, Ghifar and Aslam. ³

• The chain: al-Zuhri from Ibn Ukayma al-Laythi from Abu Ruhm's nephew from Abu Ruhm (p. 172); the middle transmitter is unnamed in the text.
• The Prophet's description of the Aslam party by their physical traits is not transmitted here.