al-Ḥajjāj b. Minhāl > Ḥammād b. Salamah > Abū al-Zubayr > Jābir

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I saw as if I were in a fortified shield and I saw a cow being slaughtered. I interpreted the shield to be Madinah and the cow to be a group of people. By Allah, they are better off if we confront them when they enter upon us." They said, "By Allah, they have never entered upon us during the pre-Islamic times. Will they then enter upon us during Islam?" He said, "That is your concern then." Some of the Ansar said to each other, "We will discuss the Prophet's ﷺ matter in his presence." So they went to him and said, "O Messenger of Allah, what is your opinion?" He said, "Now, if a prophet wears an armor for his people, he should not take it off until he fights." – Sound Chain

أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ مِنْهَالٍ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «رَأَيْتُ كَأَنِّي فِي دِرْعٍ حَصِينَةٍ وَرَأَيْتُ بَقَرًا يُنْحَرُ فَأَوَّلْتُ أَنَّ الدِّرْعَ الْمَدِينَةُ وَأَنَّ الْبَقَرَ نَفَرٌ وَاللَّهِ خَيْرٌ وَلَوْ أَقَمْنَا بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَإِذَا دَخَلُوا عَلَيْنَا قَاتَلْنَاهُمْ» فَقَالُوا وَاللَّهِ مَا دُخِلَتْ عَلَيْنَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ أَفَتُدْخَلُ عَلَيْنَا فِي الْإِسْلَامِ قَالَ «فَشَأْنَكُمْ إِذًا» وَقَالَتْ الْأَنْصَارُ بَعْضُهَا لِبَعْضٍ رَدَدْنَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ رَأْيَهُ فَجَاءُوا فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ شَأْنُكَ فَقَالَ «الْآنَ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِنَبِيٍّ إِذَا لَبِسَ لَأْمَتَهُ أَنْ يَضَعَهُا حَتَّى يُقَاتِلَ» – إسناده صحيح