This tradition has been narrated on the authority of Salama who said: We fought by the side of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) at Hunain. When we encountered the enemy, I advanced and ascended a hillock. A man from the enemy side turned towards me and I shot him with an arrow. He (ducked and) hid himself from me. I could not understand what he did, but (all of a sudden) I saw that a group of people appeared from the other hillock. They and the Companions of the Prophet (may peace be upon him) met in combat, but the Companions of the Prophet turned back and I too turned back defeated. I had two mantles, one of which I was wrapping round the waist (covering the lower part of my body) and the other I was putting around my shoulders. My waist-wrapper got loose and I held the two mantles together. (In this downcast condition) I passed by the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) who was riding on his white mule. He said: The son of Akwa’ finds himself to be utterly perplexed. Wher. the Companions gathered round him from all sides. the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) got down from his mule. picked up a handful of dust from the ground, threw it into their (enemy) faces and said: May these faces be deformed 1 There was no one among the enemy whose eyes were not filled with the dust from this handful. So they turned back fleeing. and Allah the Exalted and Glorious defeated them, and the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) distributed their booty among the Muslims.
Hadith In Arabic Text :
وحدثنا زهير بن حرب، حدثنا عمر بن يونس الحنفي، حدثنا عكرمة بن عمار، حدثني إياس بن سلمة، حدثني أبي قال، غزونا مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حنينا فلما واجهنا العدو تقدمت فأعلو ثنية فاستقبلني رجل من العدو فأرميه بسهم فتوارى عني فما دريت ما صنع ونظرت إلى القوم فإذا هم قد طلعوا من ثنية أخرى فالتقوا هم وصحابة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فولى صحابة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وأرجع منهزما وعلى بردتان متزرا بإحداهما مرتديا بالأخرى فاستطلق إزاري فجمعتهما جميعا ومررت على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم منهزما وهو على بغلته الشهباء فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ” لقد رأى ابن الأكوع فزعا ” . فلما غشوا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نزل عن البغلة ثم قبض قبضة من تراب من الأرض ثم استقبل به وجوههم فقال ” شاهت الوجوه ” . فما خلق الله منهم إنسانا إلا ملأ عينيه ترابا بتلك القبضة فولوا مدبرين فهزمهم الله عز وجل وقسم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم غنائمهم بين المسلمين .
Chapter : The Book of Jihad and Expedition – كتاب الجهاد والسير