Musnad Ahmad 5:265

'Affan narrated to us, Abu 'Awanah narrated to us, Husayn narrated to us, Sa'd ibn 'Ubaydah narrated to me, he said: Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami and Hibban ibn 'Atiyyah disputed. Abu 'Abd al-Rahman said to Hibban: "I know what emboldened your companion"—meaning 'Ali. He said: "And what is it, may you have no father?" He said: "A statement I heard him say. He said: 'The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent me, al-Zubayr, and Abu Marthad—and we were all horsemen—and said: "Go until you reach Rawdat Khakh, for there is a woman there with a letter from Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah to the polytheists, so bring it to me."'" "We set off on our horses until we caught up with her where the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told us, traveling on a camel of hers. He said: 'And he had written to the people of Makkah about the march of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).' We said to her: 'Where is the letter that is with you?' She said: 'There is no letter with me.' We made her camel kneel, and we searched her baggage, but we did not find anything in it. My two companions said: 'We do not see a letter with her.' I said: 'You both know that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not lie.' Then I swore: 'By the One by whom I swear, if you do not bring out the letter, I will strip you.' She reached toward her waist-wrapper—and she was girded with a cloak—and brought out the letter." "They brought it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and they said: 'O Messenger of Allah, he has betrayed Allah, His Messenger, and the believers; let me strike his neck.' He said: 'O Hatib, what compelled you to do what you did?' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, it is not that I am not a believer in Allah and His Messenger, but I wanted to have a favor with the people by which Allah might defend my family and my wealth, and there was no one among your companions except that he had someone there from his people by whom Allah the Exalted defends his family and his wealth.' He said: 'He has spoken the truth, so do not say anything to him but good.'" 'Umar said: "O Messenger of Allah, he has betrayed Allah, His Messenger, and the believers; let me strike his neck." He said: "Is he not of the people of Badr? And what do you know, perhaps Allah the Exalted looked upon them and said: 'Do what you wish, for Paradise has been made mandatory for you.'" 'Umar’s eyes welled up with tears, and he said: "Allah the Exalted and His Messenger know best." *** Harun ibn Ma'ruf narrated to us—'Abdullah said: And I heard it myself from Harun—Ibn Wahb informed us, Sa'id ibn 'Abdullah al-Juhani narrated to me, that Muhammad ibn 'Umar ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib narrated to him, from his father, from his grandfather, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Three things, O 'Ali, do not delay them: the prayer when it arrives, the funeral when it is present, and the unmarried woman when you find a match for her."