يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي الْمُسْتَهِلِّ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ قَالَ سَأَلَنِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (عليه السلام) فَقَالَ مَا دَعَاكُمْ إِلَى الْمَوْضِعِ الَّذِي وَضَعْتُمْ فِيهِ زَيْداً قَالَ قُلْتُ خِصَالٌ ثَلَاثٌ أَمَّا إِحْدَاهُنَّ فَقِلَّةُ مَنْ تَخَلَّفَ مَعَنَا إِنَّمَا كُنَّا ثَمَانِيَةَ نَفَرٍ وَ أَمَّا الْأُخْرَى فَالَّذِي تَخَوَّفْنَا مِنَ الصُّبْحِ أَنْ يَفْضَحَنَا وَ أَمَّا الثَّالِثَةُ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ مَضْجَعَهُ الَّذِي كَانَ سَبَقَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ كَمْ إِلَى الْفُرَاتِ مِنَ الْمَوْضِعِ الَّذِي وَضَعْتُمُوهُ فِيهِ قُلْتُ قَذْفَةُ حَجَرٍ فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ أَ فَلَا كُنْتُمْ أَوْقَرْتُمُوهُ حَدِيداً وَ قَذَفْتُمُوهُ فِي الْفُرَاتِ وَ كَانَ أَفْضَلَ فَقُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ لَا وَ اللَّهِ مَا طُقْنَا لِهَذَا فَقَالَ أَيَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ كُنْتُمْ يَوْمَ خَرَجْتُمْ مَعَ زَيْدٍ قُلْتُ مُؤْمِنِينَ قَالَ فَمَا كَانَ عَدُوُّكُمْ قُلْتُ كُفَّاراً قَالَ فَإِنِّي أَجِدُ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَإِذا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَضَرْبَ الرِّقابِ حَتَّى إِذا أَثْخَنْتُمُوهُمْ فَشُدُّوا الْوَثاقَ فَإِمَّا مَنًّا بَعْدُ وَ إِمَّا فِداءً حَتَّى تَضَعَ الْحَرْبُ أَوْزارَها فَابْتَدَأْتُمْ أَنْتُمْ بِتَخْلِيَةِ مَنْ أَسَرْتُمْ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَنْ تَسِيرُوا بِالْعَدْلِ سَاعَةً.
351. Yahya Al-Halby, from Abu Al-Mustahal, from Suleyman Bin Khalid who said: Abu Abdullah  questioned me: ‘What was the place in which you placed (the body of) Zayd?’ I said, ‘There were three issues. As for one of them, so there were very few of us who were left behind with us, but rather, we were eight persons. As for the other one, so we were afraid from the morning, which would have exposed us. And as for the third, so it was his bed (resting place) which he proceeded to’. So he  said: ‘How far was the Euphrates from the place in which you placed (buried) him?’ I said, ‘A stone’s throw away’. So he  said: ‘Glory be to Allah (azwj)! So why did you all not tie a (piece of) iron to him, and throw him in the Euphrates, and that would have been preferable?’ I said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you , no, by Allah (azwj), we had no way for this’. So he  said: ‘Which thing (were you on) on the day you all came out with Zayd?’ I said, ‘We were Believers’. He  said: ‘Who were your enemies?’ I said, ‘Infidels’. He  said: ‘I  found in the Book of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic: "[47:4] So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks until when you have overcome them, then make (them) prisoners, and afterwards either set them free as a favour or let them ransom (themselves) until the war terminates”. You all began by evacuating yourselves from captivity. Glory be to Allah (azwj)! You did not have the ability to travel with the justice even for a while’.