وَعَنْ ابْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ أَنَّ سَفِينَةَ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخْطَأَ الْجَيْشَ بِأَرْضِ الرُّومِ أَوْ أُسِرَ فَانْطَلَقَ هَارِبًا يَلْتَمِسُ الْجَيْشَ فَإِذَا هُوَ بِالْأَسَدِ. فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا الْحَارِثِ أَنَا مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِي كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ فَأَقْبَلَ الْأَسَدُ لَهُ بَصْبَصَةٌ حَتَّى قَامَ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ كُلَّمَا سَمِعَ صَوْتًا أَهْوَى إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ يَمْشِي إِلَى جَنْبِهِ حَتَّى بَلَغَ الْجَيْشَ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ الْأَسَدُ. رَوَاهُ فِي «شَرْحِ السُّنَّةِ»
Ibn al-Munkadir told that Safina, God's messenger's client, missed the army in the land of the Byzantines, or was taken prisoner, and went in flight in search of the army. He met a lion and said, "Abul Harith[*], I am the client of God's messenger, and such and such has happened to me." The lion came forward wagging its tail and stood beside. him, and as often as it heard a sound it rushed towards it. It then went forward walking at his side till he reached the army, after which the lion went back. *This is a name in the form of a kunya commonly applied to a lion. It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.
Cited in Mishkat al-Masabih (No. 5949).