Jabir b. 'Abdullah (Allah be pleased with them) reported: I went on an expedition with Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He overtook me and I was on a water-carrying camel who had grown tired and did not walk (trot). He (the Holy Prophet) said to me: What is the matter with your camel? I said: It is sick. He (the Holy Prophet) stepped behind and drove it and prayed for it, and then it always moved ahead of other camels. He (then) said: How do you find your camel? I said: It is, by the grace of your prayer, all right. He said: Would you sell this (camel) to me? I felt shy (to say him," No" ) as we had no other camel for carrying water, but (later on) I said: Yes, and to I sold it to him on the condition that (I would be permitted) to ride it until I reached Madina. I said to him: Allah's Messenger, I am newly married, so I asked his permission (to go ahead of the caravan). He permitted me, and I reached Medina well in advance of other people, until I reached my destination. There my maternal uncle met me and asked me about the camel, and I told him what I had done with regard to it. He reproved me in this connection. He (Jabir) said: When I asked his permission (to go ahead of the caravan) Messenger of Allah ﷺ inquired of me whether I had married a virgin or a non-virgin. I said to him: I have married a non-virgin. He said: Why did you not marry a virgin who would have played with you and you would have played with her? I said to him: Allah's Messenger, my father died (or he fell as a martyr), and I have small sisters to (look after), so I did not like the idea that I should marry a woman who is like them and thus be not able to teach them manners and look after them properly. So I have married a non-virgin so that she should be able to look after them and teach them manners, When Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Medina, I went to him in the morning with the camel. He paid me its price and returned that (the camel) to me.

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِعُثْمَانَ - قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ، عُثْمَانُ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مُغِيرَةَ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ غَزَوْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَتَلاَحَقَ بِي وَتَحْتِي نَاضِحٌ لِي قَدْ أَعْيَا وَلاَ يَكَادُ يَسِيرُ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي " مَا لِبَعِيرِكَ " . قَالَ قُلْتُ عَلِيلٌ - قَالَ - فَتَخَلَّفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَزَجَرَهُ وَدَعَا لَهُ فَمَازَالَ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ الإِبِلِ قُدَّامَهَا يَسِيرُ . قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي " كَيْفَ تَرَى بَعِيرَكَ " . قَالَ قُلْتُ بِخَيْرٍ قَدْ أَصَابَتْهُ بَرَكَتُكَ . قَالَ " أَفَتَبِيعُنِيهِ " . فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَنَا نَاضِحٌ غَيْرُهُ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ . فَبِعْتُهُ إِيَّاهُ عَلَى أَنَّ لِي فَقَارَ ظَهْرِهِ حَتَّى أَبْلُغَ الْمَدِينَةَ - قَالَ - فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي عَرُوسٌ فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فَأَذِنَ لِي فَتَقَدَّمْتُ النَّاسَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ حَتَّى انْتَهَيْتُ فَلَقِيَنِي خَالِي فَسَأَلَنِي عَنِ الْبَعِيرِ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِمَا صَنَعْتُ فِيهِ فَلاَمَنِي فِيهِ - قَالَ - وَقَدْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لِي حِينَ اسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ " مَا تَزَوَّجْتَ أَبِكْرًا أَمْ ثَيِّبًا " . فَقُلْتُ لَهُ تَزَوَّجْتُ ثَيِّبًا . قَالَ " أَفَلاَ تَزَوَّجْتَ بِكْرًا تُلاَعِبُكَ وَتُلاَعِبُهَا " . فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تُوُفِّيَ وَالِدِي - أَوِ اسْتُشْهِدَ - وَلِي أَخَوَاتٌ صِغَارٌ فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَتَزَوَّجَ إِلَيْهِنَّ مِثْلَهُنَّ فَلاَ تُؤَدِّبُهُنَّ وَلاَ تَقُومُ عَلَيْهِنَّ فَتَزَوَّجْتُ ثَيِّبًا لِتَقُومَ عَلَيْهِنَّ وَتُؤَدِّبَهُنَّ - قَالَ - فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةَ غَدَوْتُ إِلَيْهِ بِالْبَعِيرِ فَأَعْطَانِي ثَمَنَهُ وَرَدَّهُ عَلَىَّ .