Hadith from Sahih Bukhari & Muslim

Weeping By Ibn Rawaha (Radi'Allahu Anhu) At The Time Of His Departure For The Battle Of Mautta & His Couplets :

Urwah Ibn Zubair (Radi'Allahu Anhu) narrated, "The Messenger of ALLAH (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) despatched an army to Mautta in Jumadi Al-Ula in the eighth year of the Hijrah. He appointed Zaid Ibn Haritha as its commander and said, 'If Zaid is killed, Jafar Ibn Abi Talib will be the commander if Jafar is killed then Ad'dullah Ibn Rawaha (Radi'Allahu Anhuma) will be the commander. The people started preparations and then marched. They were three thousands in number. At the time of their departure the people bid farewell and offered Salams to the army and the Commanders, appointed by the Messenger of ALLAH (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). When they saw Abdullah ibn Rawaha off and those who were with him, he started to weep. The people asked, 'Why are you weeping? O Ibn Rawaha!' He replied, 'By ALLAH, I am neither weeping for the love of the world nor for your fervent longing, rather I have heard the Messenger of ALLAH (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam), reciting the following verse mentioning the Fire (of the Hell) :

{And there is none of you except he will come to it. This is upon your Lord an inevitability decreed.}[Surah Maryam Verse 71]

I do not know in what condition would I return after passing through it (From Hell).' The Muslims said, 'May ALLAH be with you, may He remove trials and calamities from you and bring you back to us in good and righteous condition.' Afterwards Abdullah Ibn Rawaha (Radi'Allahu Anhu) recited the following :

1. I ask the Rahman (ALLAH) : forgiveness and such a fight with the sword due to which the emotions of fighting be cooled down.

2. And such expertise in the lance (throwing) which would increase the thirst (of killing the enemy) and it (i.e. the lance) would pierce the enemy's intestine and liver.....until.

3. When the people would pass over my grave they would say : ALLAH guided the brave person and he was on the right path.'

Then these people began to march. Abdullah Ibn Rawaha (Radi'Allahu Anhu) came to the Messenger of ALLAH (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam), who bid farewell to him. Thereupon he recited the following couplets :

1. May ALLAH keep those virtues (in you) which He has bestowed to you, as He kept that for Moses; and may He help you as those people were helped.

2. Surely, I have seen the best of the goodness (and virtues) in you. ALLAH knows that my sight is correct.

3. You are the Messenger of ALLAH. There is none who can stop you from getting this excellence. I treat every other honour as lower to this excellence.

Then the army departed. The Messenger of ALLAH (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) also walked for some distance to see them off.

When the Prophet returned after the bidding them farewell, Abdullah Ibn Rawaha (Radi'Allahu Anhu) recited the following couplets :

My Last Salam be on that who was seen by me behind the date-palm trees : the one who was best of all those who bid farewell [to us]." [Transmitted by Ibn Is'haque; Al Bidayah vol-4, pg-241]