The Light of Certainty in the Biography of the Master of the Messengers [1]

The Light of Certainty in the Biography of the Master of the Messengers. Introduction to the Third Edition. In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Before the Hijra. Before the Hijra. The Noble Lineage. The Marriage of Abdullah to Amina and Her Pregnancy. The Nursing. The Incident of the Splitting of the Chest. The Death of Amina and the Custody of Abdul Muttalib and His Death, and the Custody of Abu Talib. The Journey to Syria. The War of Fijar. The Alliance of the Virtuous ¹. His Journey to Syria the Second Time. His Marriage to Khadija. The Building of the House ². His Life, Peace Be Upon Him, Before the Mission. His Conduct Among His People Before the Mission. What God Honored Him With Before Prophethood. The Annunciation of the Torah About Him. The Annunciation of the Gospel. The Movement of Ideas Before the Mission. The Beginning of Revelation. The Interruption of Revelation. The Return of Revelation. The Secret Call. The Open Proclamation. The Persecution. The Conversion of Hamza. The First Hijra to Abyssinia. The Conversion of Umar. The Return of the Emigrants from Abyssinia. The Writing of the Pact ³. The Second Hijra to Abyssinia. The Abrogation of the Pact. The Delegation of Najran. The Death of Khadija, May God Be Pleased With Her. The Marriage to Sawda. The Marriage to Aisha, May God Be Pleased With Her. The Hijra to Ta'if. The Protection of Mut'im ibn Adi. The Delegation of Daws. The Isra' and Mi'raj ⁴. The Presentation to the Tribes. The Beginning of the Conversion of the Ansar ⁵. The First Pledge of Aqaba. The Second Pledge of Aqaba. The Hijra of the Muslims to Medina. The House of Counsel ⁶. The Hijra of the Chosen One, Peace Be Upon Him. The Descent at Quba'. The Hijra of the Prophets. The Works of Mecca. The Mosque of Quba'. The Arrival in Medina. The First Friday. The Descent at Abu Ayyub's. The Descent of the Emigrants. The Brotherhood of Islam. The Hijra of the Family of the Prophet. The Sanctuary of Medina. The Prevention of the Weak from Emigrating. The First Year. The First Year. The Building of the Mosque. The Beginning of the Call to Prayer. The Jews of Medina. The Hypocrites. The Treaty with the Jews. The Legitimacy of Fighting. The Beginning of Fighting. The Expedition ⁷. The Expedition. The Deaths of the Second Year. The Second Year. The Expedition of Waddan. The Expedition of Buwat. The Expedition of al-Ashira. The First Battle of Badr. The Expedition. The Change of the Qibla ⁸. The Fasting of Ramadan. The Alms of Breaking the Fast. The Alms of Wealth. The Great Battle of Badr. The Great Battle of Badr. The Captives of Badr. The Ransom. The Rebuke Concerning the Ransom. The Expedition of Qaynuqa'. The Expedition of Qaynuqa'. The Expulsion of Qaynuqa'. The Expedition of al-Sawiq. The Prayer of the Feast. The Marriage of Ali to Fatima, Peace Be Upon Them. The Third Year. The Third Year. The Killing of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf. The Expedition of Ghatafan. The Expedition of Bahran. The Expedition. The Battle of Uhud. The Battle of Hamra' al-Asad. Events of the Fourth Year. The Fourth Year. (Expedition). Expedition. Expedition. The Expedition of Banu al-Nadir. The Expedition of Dhat al-Riqa'. The Later Battle of Badr. Events of the Fifth Year. The Fifth Year. The Expedition of Dumat al-Jandal. The Expedition of Banu al-Mustaliq. The Hadith of the Slander ⁹. The Battle of the Trench. The Battle of the Trench. The Deception in War. The Defeat of the Confederates. The Expedition of Banu Qurayza. The Marriage to Zaynab bint Jahsh. The Veil. The Obligation of the Veil. The Sixth Year. The Sixth Year. (Expedition). The Expedition of Banu Lahyan. The Expedition of al-Ghaba. Expedition. Expedition. Expedition. Expedition. Expedition. Expedition. Expedition. Expedition. The Killing of Abu Rafi'. Expedition. The Story of 'Ukl and 'Urayna. Expedition. The Expedition of al-Hudaybiyya. The Pledge of Good Pleasure ¹⁰. The Treaty of al-Hudaybiyya. The Correspondence with the Kings. The Correspondence with the Kings. The Letter to Caesar. The Letter to Caesar. The Hadith of Abu Sufyan. The Letter to the Governor of Busra. The Letter to al-Harith ibn Abi Shamr. The Letter to the Muqawqis ¹¹. The Letter to the Negus ¹². The Letter to Chosroes ¹³. The Letter to al-Mundhir ibn Sawa. The Letter to the Two Kings of Oman. The Letter to Hawdha ibn Ali. The Seventh Year. The Seventh Year. The Expedition of Khaybar. The Marriage to Safiyya. The Prohibition of Temporary Marriage. The Return of the Emigrants from Abyssinia. The Conquest of Fadak. The Treaty of Tayma'. The Conquest of Wadi al-Qura. The Conversion of Khalid and His Two Companions. Expedition. Expedition. Expedition. Expedition. (The Umra of Fulfillment ¹⁴). The Marriage to Maymuna. The Eighth Year. The Eighth Year. Expedition. Expedition. Expedition. The Expedition of Mu'ta. Expedition. Expedition. The Great Conquest of Mecca. The Great Conquest of Mecca. The Pardon When Able. The Delegation of Ka'b ibn Zuhayr. The Pledge of Women. The Destruction of al-'Uzza. The Destruction of Suwa'. The Destruction of Manat. The Battle of Hunayn. The Battle of Hunayn. Expedition. The Battle of Ta'if. The Battle of Ta'if. The Division of the Captives. The Delegation of Hawazin. The Umra of al-Ji'rana. Expedition. Expedition. The Delegation of Suda'. Expedition. Expedition. The Delegation of Tamim. Expedition. Expedition. The Ninth Year. The Ninth Year. Expedition. Expedition. The Delegation of 'Adi ibn Hatim. The Expedition of Tabuk. The Expedition of Tabuk. The Delegation of the Ruler of Ayla. The Delegation of the Ruler of Ayla. The Letter of the Ruler of Ayla. The Letter of the People of Adhruh and Jarba'. The Mosque of Harm ¹⁵. The Mosque of Harm. The Hadith of the Three Who Were Left Behind ¹⁶. The Delegation of Thaqif. The Delegation of Thaqif. The Letter of the People of Ta'if. The Destruction of al-Lat. The Pilgrimage of Abu Bakr. The Death of Ibn Ubayy ¹⁷. The Death of Umm Kulthum. The Tenth Year. The Tenth Year. Expedition. Expedition. The Sending of Officials to Yemen. The Farewell Pilgrimage. The Farewell Sermon. The Delegations. The Delegations. The Delegation of Najran. The Delegation of Dhimam ibn Tha'laba. The Delegation of 'Abd al-Qays. The Delegation of Banu Hanifa. The Delegation of Tayy'. The Delegation of Kinda. The Delegation of Azd Shanu'a. The Delegation of the Messenger of the Kings of Himyar. The Letter of the Kings of Himyar. The Delegation of Hamdan. The Delegation of Tajib. The Delegation of Tha'laba. The Delegation of Banu Sa'd ibn Hudhaym. The Delegation of Banu Fazara. The Delegation of Banu Asad. The Delegation of Banu 'Udhra. The Delegation of Banu Muharib. The Delegation of Ghassan. The Death of Ibrahim, the Son of the Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him. The Eleventh Year. The Eleventh Year. Expedition. The Illness of the Messenger of God, Peace Be Upon Him. The Prayer of Abu Bakr with the People. The Death of the Messenger of God, Peace Be Upon Him. His Characteristics, Peace Be Upon Him. His Characteristics, Peace Be Upon Him. The Cleanliness of His Body and the Pleasantness of His Scent. The Abundance of His Intellect. The Eloquence of His Tongue. His Speech and Eloquence. The Nobility of His Lineage and the Honor of His City. His Status and Rank. The Acquired Traits of Praiseworthy Character: Forbearance, Tolerance, Forgiveness When Able, and Patience in What He Disliked. His Courage. His Modesty. His Good Companionship and Etiquette. His Compassion and Kindness. His Loyalty and Ties of Kinship. His Humility. His Justice. His Trustworthiness, Chastity, and Truthfulness of Speech. His Dignity, Peace Be Upon Him, and His Silence, Deliberateness, and Manliness. His Asceticism in This World. His Fear of His Lord, His Obedience to Him, and the Intensity of His Worship. His Miracles, Peace Be Upon Him. His Miracles, Peace Be Upon Him. The Inimitability of the Noble Quran. The Inimitability of the Noble Quran. First: The Beauty of Its Composition, the Harmony of Its Words, and Its Eloquence. The Second Aspect of the Inimitability of the Quran: The Form of Its Wondrous Structure. The Third Aspect of Inimitability: What It Contains of News of the Unseen. The Fourth Aspect: What It Informs of the Stories of Past Generations. Among His Miracles, Peace Be Upon Him: The Splitting of the Moon. Among His Miracles, Peace Be Upon Him: The Gushing Forth of Water from Between His Fingers and Its Multiplication Through His Blessing. Among His Miracles, Peace Be Upon Him: The Story of the Yearning Trunk ¹⁸. Among His Miracles, Peace Be Upon Him: The Healing of the Sick and Those with Disabilities. Footnotes.

1. ḥilf al-fuḍūl : A pre-Islamic alliance in Mecca for the protection of the oppressed and upholding justice.
2. al-bayt : The Kaaba, the sacred house of God in Mecca.
3. al-ṣaḥīfa : The pact of boycott imposed by the Quraysh against the Muslims and Banu Hashim.
4. al-isrā' wa al-miʿrāj : The Night Journey and Ascension of the Prophet to the heavens.
5. al-anṣār : The Helpers, the Muslims of Medina who supported the emigrants.
6. dār al-nadwa : The assembly house of the Quraysh where they plotted against the Prophet.
7. sariyya : A military expedition led by a companion, not the Prophet himself.
8. al-qibla : The direction of prayer, changed from Jerusalem to Mecca.
9. ḥadīth al-ifk : The incident of slander against Aisha, the Prophet's wife.
10. bayʿat al-riḍwān : The Pledge of Good Pleasure taken under a tree at Hudaybiyya.
11. al-muqawqis : The title of the Coptic governor of Egypt.
12. al-najāshī : The title of the king of Abyssinia.
13. kisrā : The title of the Persian emperor.
14. ʿumrat al-qaḍā' : The compensatory Umra performed in lieu of the one prevented at Hudaybiyya.
15. masjid al-ḍirār : A mosque built by hypocrites to cause harm and division.
16. al-thalātha alladhīna khullifū : The three companions who were left behind from Tabuk and later forgiven.
17. ibn ubayy : Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the leader of the hypocrites in Medina.
18. ḥanīn al-jidhʿ : The miracle of the palm trunk that yearned for the Prophet.

The Light of Certainty in the Biography of the Master of the Messengers [1]

Source: https://shamela.ws/book/23692 Date of extraction: 2026-06-17

Introduction to the Third Edition

Introduction to the Third Edition Praise be to God, and peace and blessings be upon the best prophet ever sent. He delivered the message, fulfilled the trust, advised the community, and strove for God with true striving until he met the Highest Companion ¹. And upon the Companions who followed his path and those who followed them until the Day of Judgment. To proceed: Indeed, the character of the noble Messenger is a beacon for everyone who wishes to be guided to the straight path. This man devoted his life to goodness wherever he was and wherever he went. Since the Islamic community is required to follow the path of the Messenger because he is the interpreter of the Qur'an, and due to the Almighty's saying: "Indeed, in the Messenger of God you have a good example" ², the Companions were extremely keen to study his life for their children, so much so that Sayyiduna Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas said: "We used to teach our children the biography of the Messenger and his military expeditions just as we taught them the Qur'an." Therefore, the community must know his life from beginning to end. There is no book that covers this subject like the book "Nur al-Yaqin" ³ by Sheikh Muhammad al-Khudari. It is one of the most widely circulated books on the Prophetic biography in the Islamic world. The author adopted a new methodology in explaining the life of the Greatest Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, in a way not previously known in books of biography. However, the book needs some biographies of men, the correct spelling of some names, verification and completion of some historical narrations, citation of verses and Prophetic hadiths, and explanation of ambiguous titles and words. For this reason, I undertook this work, relying on God and hoping for His success. Indeed, He is all-powerful over what He wills. I placed all of this at the bottom of each page. To avoid confusion, I placed the author's words at the end of his speech. If I inserted something into his speech, I placed it between parentheses. When I found a demand for this book, I printed it a third time. The third edition is distinguished from its predecessors by avoiding all previous typographical errors. It also provides more explanation of important aspects and more precise spelling of words and proper names. God is the granter of success. The Editor

1. ar-Rafīq al-Aʿlā : The Highest Companion; a term referring to God, used in the context of death, meaning meeting God in the afterlife.
2. us'wa ḥasana : A good example; a Qur'anic phrase (33:21) indicating that the Prophet Muhammad is the perfect model to emulate.
3. Nūr al-Yaqīn : The Light of Certainty; a famous book on the Prophetic biography by Sheikh Muhammad al-Khudari.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful [1]

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. We praise You, O He who has clarified for us the paths of guidance and removed from our insights the veil of misguidance. And we send blessings and peace upon him whom You sent as a witness, a bearer of good tidings, and a warner, and as one inviting to Allah by His permission and as a luminous lamp. And upon the Companions who abandoned their homlands seeking from Allah the best and His pleasure, and the Helpers who gave shelter and supported and expended for the strengthening of the religion all that they had gathered and saved. Now then: Muhammad al-Khidri ibn the late Shaykh 'Afifi al-Bajuri says: I have found within myself since early youth a comfort in reading the histories of those who have passed and the stories of those who have gone before, and I find them for the human intellect the best discipliner and the most sincere teacher. And I have seen in the history of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and what he endured of harm from his people when he called them to the truth, and his great patience until he abandoned his homeland and his country, the greatest educator for the minds of Muslims. For it guides them to what must be followed and what must be avoided so that they may prevail as their predecessors prevailed, especially concerning rulers—how to attract reluctant souls and reconcile differing hearts; concerning military commanders—how to organize men and perfect equipment until victory over their enemies is achieved; and concerning the common people—how to unite their hearts and make them a single hand against others. I found great comfort in reading it, and my soul often regretted that Muslims had abandoned it! For rarely do I find anyone occupied with it, but I used to excuse them due to the length of the books written on this subject. When I came to the city of al-Mansura, gatherings brought me together with Mahmud Bek Salim, the judge at the Mixed Court of al-Mansura, and I found in him knowledge of his religion that the champions of men fall short of and the heroes lag behind in competing with. Hardly was a religious question posed but I found him excelling in it, clearly expressing the answer. As for his knowledge of the biography of the Most Noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, he possesses certain knowledge of it. I often heard him yearning for the production of a biography free of padding and complexity, from which the general public of Muslims could benefit. So I said: O Allah! This noble master has agreed with what is in my soul.

Before the Hijra [1]

Yet I perceived in my resolve a shortcoming in executing his desire and fulfilling his wish, for the station is great and its difficulties greater. But I saw no alternative in the face of what I heard from the senior men of al-Mansurah, for they multiplied their wishes for the composition of this book of widespread benefit and abundant utility. So I arose, relying upon God, hoping from Him that He would grant me success in what pleases Him, and I continued traveling by night until I attained the goal, and it came, by God’s praise, easy of attainment, sweet of source, from which the common people benefit and to which the elite return. My source in its composition was the Noble Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah as narrated by the two Imams, al-Bukhari and Muslim, and I did not depart from them except where clarification of expressions was unavoidable. So “al-Shifa” by al-Qadi ‘Iyad, “al-Sira al-Halabiyya,” “al-Mawahib al-Laduniyya” by al-Qastallani, and “Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din” by al-Ghazali assisted me. This being so, I ask God from the abundance of His bounty to grant success to our imams and rulers in emulating our master and lord, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and in reviving the landmarks of His religion, so that they may be supported with a spirit from God. And it is time to begin what we intended, seeking aid from God’s power, and we say: [The Noble Lineage] The most noble master who honored people with his existence is (Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah (1)) from his wife Amina bint Wahb al-Zuhriyya (2) al-Qurashiyya (ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (3)) from his wife Fatima bint ‘Amr al-Makhzumiyya (4) al-Qurashiyya. And ‘Abd al-Muttalib was a greatly revered elder among Quraysh; they followed his opinion in their difficulties and put him forward in their important matters. (Ibn Hashim (5)) from his wife Salma bint ‘Amr al-Najjariyya al-Khazrajiyya (ibn ‘Abd Manaf (6)) from his wife ‘Atika bint Murra al-Sulamiyya (7)). (Ibn Qusayy (8)) from his wife Hubba bint Hulayl al-Khuza‘iyya. And to Qusayy in the pre-Islamic era belonged the guardianship of the House (9), the watering of pilgrims, their feeding called al-Rifada, the council (al-Nadwa) which was the consultation—no matter was concluded except in his house—and the banner (al-Liwa’): no war banner was tied except in his hand. When he approached death, he placed these in the hand of one of his sons, ‘Abd al-Dar, but the Banu ‘Abd Manaf unanimously resolved not to leave their cousins Banu ‘Abd al-Dar to monopolize these honors, and the matter nearly led to fighting, had not the wise men of both sides intervened. So they gave the Banu ‘Abd Manaf the watering and feeding, which remained with them until they reached al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, then his sons after him. As for the guardianship, it remained in the hands of Banu ‘Abd al-Dar, and the Law confirmed it for them, so it is with them until now (and they are the Banu Shayba ibn ‘Uthman ibn Abi Talha ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzza ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Abd al-Dar). As for the banner (10), it remained with them until Islam abolished it, making it a right of the caliph over the Muslims to place it with whomever he deems suitable for it, and likewise the council. (And Qusayy ibn Kilab (11)) from his wife Fatima bint Sa‘d, who was a Yamaniyya from Azd Shanu’a (ibn Murra (12)) from his wife Hind bint Sirir from Banu Fihr ibn Malik (ibn Ka‘b (13)) from his wife Wahshiyya bint Shayban from Banu Fihr as well (ibn Lu’ayy (14)) from his wife Umm Ka‘b Mariya bint Ka‘b from Quda‘a (ibn Ghalib (15)) from his wife Umm Lu’ayy Salma bint ‘Amr al-Khuza‘i (ibn Fihr (16)) from his wife Umm Ghalib Layla bint Sa‘d from Hudhayl. And Fihr is Quraysh—according to the majority—and Quraysh consisted of twelve tribes: Banu ‘Abd Manaf, Banu ‘Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy, Banu Asad ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzza ibn Qusayy, Banu Zuhra ibn Kilab, Banu Makhzum ibn Yaqaza ibn Murra, Banu Taym ibn Murra, Banu ‘Adiyy ibn Ka‘b, Banu Sahm ibn Husays ibn ‘Amr ibn Ka‘b, Banu ‘Amir ibn Lu’ayy, Banu Taym ibn Ghalib, Banu al-Harith ibn Fihr, and Banu Muharib ibn Fihr. Those residing in Mecca are called “Quraysh al-Bitah,” and those in its outskirts “Quraysh al-Zawahir.” (Ibn Malik) from his wife Jandala bint al-Harith from Jurhum (ibn al-Nadr (17)) from his wife ‘Atika bint ‘Adwan from Qays ‘Aylan (ibn Kinana) from his wife Barra bint Murr ibn Ad (ibn Khuzayma (18)) from his wife ‘Awana bint Sa‘d from Qays ‘Aylan (ibn Mudrika (19)) from his wife Salma bint Aslam from Quda‘a (ibn Ilyas (20)) from his wife Khindif, who is proverbial for honor and invincibility (ibn Mudar (21)) from his wife al-Rabab bint Junda ibn Ma‘add (ibn Nizar (22)) from his wife Sawda bint ‘Akk (ibn Ma‘add (23)) from his wife Mu‘ana bint Jawsham from Jurhum (ibn ‘Adnan (24)). This is the lineage agreed upon as authentic by historians and hadith scholars. As for the lineage above that, no reliable path exists for it; the utmost is that they agreed that the lineage of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, ends with Isma‘il ibn Ibrahim (25), the father of the Arabized Arabs. A noble lineage, as you see: pure fathers and pure mothers. He, peace and blessings be upon him, continued to transfer from the loins of those to the wombs of these until God chose him as a guiding and guided one from the most central of the Arabs in lineage. For he is from the core of Quraysh, which holds the foremost rank in honor and high standing among the Arabs. You find in the chain of his fathers only noble ones, none among them despicable; rather, all are chiefs and leaders. Likewise, the mothers of his fathers are from the highest of their tribes in status. There is no doubt that nobility of lineage and purity of birth are among the conditions of prophethood, and every union between his fathers and mothers was lawful according to Arab principles. His lineage was not touched by any fornication of the pre-Islamic era; rather, God purified it from that, and praise be to God. [The Marriage of ‘Abd Allah to Amina and Her Pregnancy] ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib was among the most beloved of his father’s children to him, so he married him to Amina bint Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manaf ibn Zuhra ibn Kilab, when he was eighteen years old, and she was at that time among the best of Quraysh women in lineage and position. When he entered upon her, she became pregnant with the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace. His father did not remain long; he died two months after the pregnancy, and was buried in Medina among his maternal uncles, the Banu ‘Adiyy ibn al-Najjar, for he had gone with trade to Syria. His death overtook him in Medina on his return (26). When the term of Amina’s pregnancy was completed, she gave birth to her child, and the world rejoiced at this noble newborn (27) who spread in its regions the spirit of good manners and perfected noble character. The late Mahmud Pasha al-Falaki confirmed that this was on the morning of Monday, the ninth of Rabi‘ al-Awwal, corresponding to the twentieth of April in the year 571 CE, which coincides with the first year of the Year of the Elephant (28). His birth was in the house of Abu Talib in the quarter of Banu Hashim (29). His midwife was al-Shifa’, the mother of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf. When he was born, his mother sent to his grandfather to give him the good news, so he came rejoicing and named him Muhammad (30), and this name was not common among the Arabs before. But God willed to fulfill what He had decreed and mentioned in the books brought by the prophets, such as the Torah and the Gospel, so He inspired his grandfather to name him thus in execution of His command. His nurse was Umm Ayman Baraka al-Habashiyya, the slave-girl of his father ‘Abd Allah, and the first to suckle him was Thuwayba (31), the slave-girl of his uncle Abu Lahab. [The Nursing] It was the custom of the Arabs to seek wet nurses for their newborns in the countryside, as it was more beneficial for the child (32), and they used to say that one raised in cities becomes dull-minded and weak-willed. So women from Banu Sa‘d ibn Bakr came seeking infants to nurse, and the praiseworthy nursling fell to the lot of Halima bint Abi Dhu’ayb al-Sa‘diyya, and her husband’s name was Abu Kabsha (33), to whom Quraysh used to attribute the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, when they wanted to mock him, saying: “This is the son of Abu Kabsha, speaking from heaven!” Blessings poured upon the people of that house who nursed him during his stay among them (34), which exceeded four years (35). [The Incident of the Splitting of the Chest] A significant incident occurred to him while he was among them: the splitting of his chest and the removal of the devil’s share from him (36). This caused fear in Halima, so she returned him to his mother and told her, saying: “While he and his brothers were with our lambs (37) behind our houses, his brother came running and said to me and his father: ‘That brother of mine, the Qurashiyy, has been taken by two men in white garments; they laid him down and split open his belly, and they are stirring it (38).’ So I and his father went out to him and found him pale in color (39). I embraced him and his father embraced him, and we said to him: ‘What is the matter with you, my son?’ He said: ‘Two men in white garments came to me; one said to the other: “Is he the one?” He said: “Yes.” So they came rushing to me (40), laid me down, split open my belly, and sought something in it; they took it and threw it away (41), and I do not know what it was.’” [The Death of Amina, the Guardianship of ‘Abd al-Muttalib, His Death, and the Guardianship of Abu Talib] Then his mother took him from her and set out with him to Medina to visit his father’s maternal uncles, the Banu ‘Adiyy ibn al-Najjar. While she was returning, her death overtook her on the road, and she died at al-Abwa’ (42). So Umm Ayman nursed him, and his grandfather ‘Abd al-Muttalib took charge of him, showing him a tenderness not known for his own children, due to what appeared in him indicating that he would have a great future. He honored him greatly, but ‘Abd al-Muttalib did not remain long; he died when the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, was eight years old (43). So his paternal uncle Abu Talib took charge of him, being compassionate to him and protective of him. Abu Talib was of little wealth, but God blessed him in his scantiness. The Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, during the period of his uncle’s guardianship, was an example of contentment and avoidance of the trivialities that children usually occupy themselves with, as Umm Ayman, his nurse, narrated: when mealtime came, the children would rush, while he was content with what God would provide for him (44). [The Journey to Syria] When his age, peace and blessings be upon him, reached twelve years, his uncle and guardian wanted to travel with trade to Syria. The Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, felt the separation greatly, so he took pity on him and took him along. This was the first journey. They did not stay long therein. The monk Bahira (45) came out to the men of the caravan while they were near Busra (46), and asked them about what he saw in their sacred books concerning the mission of a prophet from the Arabs at that time. They said he had not appeared yet (47). This expression was often uttered by the People of the Book, both Jews and Christians, before the mission of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace: “So when there came to them what they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so the curse of God be upon the disbelievers” (48). [The War of al-Fijar] When his age, peace and blessings be upon him, reached twenty years, he witnessed the War of al-Fijar, a war between Kinana, along with Quraysh, and Qays. Its cause was that al-Nu‘man ibn al-Mundhir, the king of the Arabs in al-Hira (49), had trade goods he sent every year to the market of ‘Ukaz (50) to be sold for him, and he would send them under the protection of a man of influence and honor among his people to escort them (51). One day he sat with al-Barrad ibn Qays al-Kinani, who was a reckless outlaw—his people had cast him out for his great evil—and ‘Urwa ibn ‘Utba al-Rahhal. He said: “Who will escort this trade of mine until it reaches ‘Ukaz?” Al-Barrad said: “I will escort it against the Banu Kinana.” Al-Nu‘man said: “I only want someone who will escort it against all people.”

He said: 'Urwa, may you be safe from curses ¹, is a base dog to permit it for you? I permit it for the people of the shrub and chamomile ² of Najd ³ and Tihama.' Al-Barrad said: 'Do you permit it against Kinana, O 'Urwa?' He said: 'And against all people.' So he kept it secret in himself, and lay in wait for him until he went out with the trade, then killed him treacherously. Then they sent a messenger to inform his people, Kinana, of the news, and to warn them against Qays, the people of 'Urwa. As for Qays, no sooner had the news reached them than they intended to take revenge, until they caught up with Quraysh and Kinana at Nakhla ⁴ and fought. When the battle became fierce and Qays was enraged, Quraysh sought refuge in their sanctuary, and among them was the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Then Qays said to their opponents: 'We will not abandon the blood of 'Urwa. So our appointment is at 'Ukaz next year.' And they returned to their lands, inciting one another. When the year passed, Qays gathered their forces, along with Thaqif and others, and Quraysh gathered their forces from Kinana and the Ahabish (the allies of Quraysh). The chief of Banu Hashim was al-Zubayr ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, with his brothers Abu Talib, Hamza, al-'Abbas, and his nephew, the noble Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. Over Banu Umayya was Harb ibn Umayya, who had overall command due to his status in Quraysh in honor and age. Thus each clan of Quraysh had a chief. Then they engaged in war ⁵, and it was one of the most terrible days of the Arabs, because of the sanctities of Mecca that were violated, which were sacred to the Arabs, so it was called the Day of Fujjar. The tide nearly turned against Qays until some of their tribes were defeated, but they were saved by those who called the warring parties to peace ⁶ on the condition that they count the dead of both sides. Whoever had more dead would take blood money for the excess. Qays had more, so they took blood money from Quraysh, guaranteed by Harb ibn Umayya, who pawned his son Abu Sufyan to pay it. Thus ended this war, which often resembled the wars of the Arabs, starting from small matters, until God united their hearts and removed these errors through the spread of the light of Islam among them. The Hilf al-Fudul ⁷ When Quraysh returned from the war of Fujjar, they called for the Hilf al-Fudul, which was concluded in the house of 'Abd Allah ibn Jud'an al-Tamimi ⁸, one of the chiefs of Quraysh. The allies were Banu Hashim, Banu al-Muttalib (sons of 'Abd Manaf), Banu Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, Banu Zuhra ibn Kilab, and Banu Taym ibn Murra. They allied and covenanted that they would not find anyone wronged in Mecca, whether from its people or others, except they would stand with him until his grievance was redressed. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, attended this alliance with his uncles. After God honored him with prophethood, he said: 'I witnessed an alliance in the house of 'Abd Allah ibn Jud'an with my uncles which I would not exchange for the best of camels ⁹, and if I were called to it in Islam, I would respond ¹⁰.' This is because he, peace be upon him, was sent with noble morals, and this is part of them. Islam affirmed many of them, as indicated by his saying, peace be upon him: 'I was sent to perfect noble morals ¹¹.' Many people called for this alliance and were treated justly. His Second Journey to Syria When he, peace be upon him, reached the age of twenty-five, he traveled to Syria for the second time. This was because Khadija bint Khuwaylid al-Asadiyya was a noble merchant woman of honor and wealth. She hired men to work with her wealth and engaged in mudaraba ¹² with them. When she heard of the master's trustworthiness and truthfulness, which she had not known in others—so much so that his people called him al-Amin—she hired him to go out with her wealth to Syria as a trader, and gave him more than she gave others. He traveled with her slave Maysara, and they sold and bought, earning great profit. During this journey, the noble master showed such blessings that endeared him to the heart of Maysara, Khadija's slave ¹³. [His Marriage to Khadija] When they returned to Mecca and Khadija saw her great profit, she was pleased with al-Amin, peace be upon him, and sent to propose to him. She was about forty years old, of the noblest ¹⁴ lineage of Quraysh and the wealthiest. Al-Amin, peace be upon him, went with his uncles to her uncle 'Amr ibn Asad and proposed to her through his uncle Abu Talib, and her uncle married her. Abu Talib gave a speech that day, saying: 'Praise be to God who made us from the progeny of Ibrahim, the offspring of Isma'il, the root ¹⁵ of Ma'add and the essence of Mudar, and made us the custodians of His House and the guardians of His Sanctuary, and made it a visited House and a secure sanctuary, and made us rulers over people. Then this nephew of mine, Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah, no man can be compared to him in honor, nobility, and virtue, though he may have little wealth, for wealth is a fleeting shadow, a transient thing, and a borrowed trust. By God, after this he will have a great destiny and a momentous matter. He has sought your noble daughter Khadija in marriage, and he has offered a dowry (thus) ¹⁶.' And so the matter was concluded. She had been married before him to Abu Hala, who died, leaving her a son named Hala, who was the stepson ¹⁷ of the Chosen One, peace be upon him. Rebuilding the House ¹⁸ When he, peace be upon him, reached the age of thirty-five, a torrential flood cracked the walls of the Ka'ba after they had been weakened by a fire that had struck it earlier. Quraysh wanted to demolish it to raise it and roof it, for it was a low structure ¹⁹ above the height of a man. So their tribes gathered for that purpose, but they feared to demolish it because of its place in their hearts. Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira said to them: 'Do you intend reform or harm by demolishing it?' They said: 'Reform.' He said: 'God does not destroy the reformers.' And he began to demolish, and they followed him until they reached the foundation of Isma'il ²⁰. There they found inscribed tablets containing much wisdom ²¹, as was the custom of those who lay the foundation of a famous building as a reminder for later generations of the work of the predecessors. Then they began building, and they prepared for it funds that did not include the dowry of a prostitute or usurious gain ²². The nobles of Quraysh carried stones on their necks, and al-'Abbas and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, were among those carrying. The builder was a Roman carpenter named Baqum ²³. Each corner was assigned a group of nobles to bring stones to it. The pure funds were insufficient to complete it on the foundations of Isma'il, so they excluded the Hijr ²⁴ from it and built a low wall as a sign that it was part of the Ka'ba. When the building reached eighteen cubits—an increase of nine cubits over its original height—and the door was raised above the ground so that one could only enter by a ladder, they wanted to place the Black Stone in its position. The nobles differed over who would place it, and they competed until war nearly broke out among them. This dispute lasted four nights. The oldest man in Quraysh at that time was Abu Umayya ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi, the uncle of Khalid ibn al-Walid. He said: 'O people, do not dispute, and appoint as arbiter among you someone you accept.' They said: 'We leave the matter to the first to enter.' The first to enter was al-Amin, the Trustworthy, peace be upon him. Everyone was reassured by him because of the trustworthiness and truthfulness they knew in him, and they said: 'This is al-Amin, we accept him. This is Muhammad.' For they used to refer to him for judgment, as he neither flattered nor argued. When they told him the news, he spread out his cloak and said: 'Let each tribe take a corner of the garment.' Then he placed the stone ²⁵ in it and ordered them to lift it until they reached its position, then he took it and placed it. Thus ended this problem, which often caused huge wars among the Arabs, had God not blessed them with a wise man like Abu Umayya to guide them to good, and a wise judge like the Messenger, peace be upon him, to decide among them in a way that satisfied all. It is not surprising that Quraysh competed in this, for the House is the qibla of the Arabs and their Ka'ba to which they perform pilgrimage. Every work concerning it brings great pride and leadership, and it is the first house established for worship, as testified by the noble Qur'an. God Almighty said in Surat Al 'Imran: 'Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakka, blessed and a guidance for the worlds. In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it is safe ²⁶.' After the sons of Isma'il, the tribe of Jurhum was in charge of it. When they became oppressive and wronged those who entered Mecca, Khuza'a gathered against them and expelled them from the House, and Khuza'a took charge of it for a time. Then Quraysh took it from them during the time of Qusayy ibn Kilab, and because of it they were secure in their land, so the Arab tribes feared them. When they sought refuge in it, it was a secure fortress against the aggression of oppressors. God Almighty bestowed this upon them in His revelation, saying in Surat al-'Ankabut: 'Have they not seen that We made [Mecca] a secure sanctuary, while people are taken away from all around them ²⁷?' [His Livelihood, peace be upon him, before the Mission]

He (peace and blessings be upon him) inherited nothing from his father. Rather, he was born an orphan and poor ²⁸, so he was nursed among the Banu Sa'd. When he reached an age that enabled him to work, he used to tend sheep with his foster brothers in the desert, and likewise when he returned to Mecca, he tended sheep for its people for a few qirats ²⁹, as al-Bukhari mentioned in his Sahih. The existence of prophets in a state of detachment from the world and its preoccupations is an absolute necessity, because if they were wealthy, the world would distract them and occupy them from eternal happiness. Therefore, you see all divine laws agreeing on the commendation of asceticism in it and distancing from it, and the state of the earlier prophets is the greatest evidence of that. Jesus (peace and blessings be upon him) was the most ascetic of people in the world, and likewise were Moses and Abraham. Their state in their youth was not one of abundance, but all were equal. That is a profound wisdom that God manifested through His prophets so that they would be a model for their followers in refraining from scrambling for the world and rushing towards it, which is the cause of trials and tribulations. Likewise, shepherding sheep: there is no prophet who did not shepherd them, as the truthful and confirmed one informed in a hadith of al-Bukhari. This is also among the profound wisdoms, for when a person shepherds sheep, which are the weakest of animals, his heart becomes settled with compassion and kindness out of sympathy. Then when he moves from that to shepherding the creation, he is refined from the natural harshness and innate injustice, thus being in the most balanced state. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) grew up, he engaged in trade, and his partner was al-Sa'ib ibn Abi al-Sa'ib. He went with trade for Khadija (may God be pleased with her) to Syria for a fee ³⁰ he would take. When Khadija was honored by marrying him, and she was wealthy, he worked with her wealth and ate from the result of his labor. God fulfilled what He bestowed upon him in Surat al-Duha by His exalted saying: "Did He not find you an orphan and give you shelter? And He found you lost and guided you? And He found you poor and enriched you?" ³¹ through sheltering and enrichment before prophethood, and guidance through prophethood. He guided him to the Book, faith, and the religion of Abraham (peace be upon him), and he did not know that before. God Almighty said in Surat al-Shura: "And thus We have revealed to you a spirit of Our command. You did not know what the Book is, nor what faith is, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants." ³² [His Conduct Among His People Before the Mission] He (peace and blessings be upon him) was the best of his people in character, the most truthful in speech, the greatest in trustworthiness, the farthest from obscenity and traits that defile men, until he was the most chivalrous of his people, the most generous in companionship, the best in neighborliness, the greatest in forbearance, and the most truthful in speech. They called him al-Amin ³³ because of the good and praiseworthy qualities God had gathered in him, and the sound deeds of forbearance, patience, gratitude, justice, humility, chastity, generosity, courage, and modesty. Even his most bitter enemy, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith ³⁴ of Banu 'Abd al-Dar, testified to that, saying: "Muhammad was among you a young man, the most pleasing to you, the most truthful in speech, and the greatest in trustworthiness. When you saw gray hair in his temples and he brought you what he brought, you said: 'A sorcerer!' No, by God, he is not a sorcerer." He said that in the context of agreeing on what they would say to the Arabs who attended the season so that they would be united on an acceptable statement they would say. When Heraclius, the king of the Romans, asked Abu Sufyan, saying: "Did you accuse him of lying before he said what he said?" He said: "No." Heraclius said: "He would not leave lying to people and lie about God." This is recorded at the beginning of Sahih al-Bukhari. God protected him in his youth from all the practices of the Jahiliyyah ³⁵ that his noble law came to oppose, and he was made to intensely detest idols so much so that he never attended any celebration or festival held by their worshippers. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When I grew up, idols were made hateful to me, and poetry was made hateful to me. I never intended anything that the Jahiliyyah used to do except twice, and each time God prevented me from what I desired. Then after that, I never intended any evil until God honored me with His message. One night I said to a boy who was shepherding with me: 'Would you watch my sheep so I can enter Mecca and stay up as the youth stay up?' So I went out for that until I reached the first house of Mecca, where I heard music with drums and flutes for a wedding of some people. I sat down for that, but God struck my ears, and I fell asleep. Nothing woke me except the touch of the sun, and I did not accomplish anything. Then a similar thing happened to me another time." He (peace and blessings be upon him) would not eat what was slaughtered on altars ³⁶ and forbade himself from drinking wine, despite its widespread prevalence among his people. All of these are qualities with which God adorns His prophets so that they are fully prepared to receive His revelation. They are infallible from impurities before prophethood and after it: before prophethood to be qualified for the great task that will be entrusted to them, and after it to be role models for their nations. Upon them be the best prayers and complete salutations from God. [What God Honored Him With Before Prophethood] The first gift from God was the blessings that came upon the family of Halima ³⁷ with whom he was nursed. Before his arrival among them, they were suffering drought, but when he came among them, their sheep would return from pasture with udders full of milk. May God have mercy on al-Busiri, who said in his Hamziyya: "When God subjugates people for a fortunate one, they are fortunate." Then followed what happened of the splitting of his chest and the removal of the share of Satan from him ³⁸. This is not strange to the power of God Almighty. Whoever considers it unlikely has little insight and knows nothing of God's power, because breaking customs for prophets is neither unprecedented nor strange. Among the divine honors was the subjugation of a cloud to him on his journey to Syria, which shaded him on a hot day, and no one else in the caravan shared it with him, as reported by Maysara, Khadija's servant, who accompanied him on that journey. This endeared him to Khadija until she proposed marriage to him, and she became certain that he would have a great future. Therefore, when prophethood came to him, she was the fastest of people to believe in him and did not wait for another miracle beyond what she knew of his noble character and what she heard of supernatural events. Among God's favors upon him was what he heard of greetings from stones and trees ³⁹. When he went out for his needs, he would go far until he was not seen by any building and would go to mountain passes and valleys, and he would not pass by a stone or tree without hearing: "Peace and blessings be upon you, O Messenger of God" ⁴⁰. He would look to his right and left and behind him but see no one, and he narrated that about himself. There is no great difficulty in this, for God subjugated inanimate objects to prophets before him. Moses' staff swallowed what the magicians of Pharaoh had made after it turned into a moving serpent, then returned as it was. When he struck the stone with it, twelve springs gushed forth, one for each tribe ⁴¹ of the Children of Israel. Likewise, other prophets had various types of inanimate objects subjugated to them by God to indicate to the intelligent their great status and importance. [The Torah's Glad Tidings of Him] God revealed the Torah to Moses, containing laws suitable for the people of that time, and mentioned in it many prophets whom God knew He would send. Among what came in it as glad tidings of our noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is an address to our master Moses (peace be upon him) ⁴²: "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he will speak to them everything I command him. Whoever does not listen to his words that he speaks in My name, I will take vengeance on him. But the prophet who presumes to speak in My name anything I have not commanded, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall be put to death. If you wish to distinguish between the true prophet and the false, this is your sign: what that prophet says in the name of the Lord and does not happen, he is a false prophet seeking to exalt himself; therefore, do not fear him." The Jews claim that this prophecy refers to Joshua son of Nun, the successor of Moses (peace be upon him), yet they were expecting, at the time of the Messiah, another prophet besides the Messiah. For they ⁴³ sent to John the Baptist (Yahya) asking him about himself, saying: "Are you Elijah?" ⁴⁴ He said: "No." They said: "Are you the Messiah?" He said: "No." They said: "Are you the Prophet?" He said: "No." They said: "Then why do you baptize if you are not Elijah, nor the Messiah, nor the Prophet?" This indicates that the Torah gives glad tidings of Elijah, the Messiah, and a Prophet who had not come until the time of the Messiah. Moreover, the Torah describes the Prophet as being like Moses, and it states at the end of Deuteronomy that no prophet like Moses has arisen in Israel ⁴⁵. This prophecy also mentions that the prophet who fabricates lies against God will be killed, similar to what is in the Quran in Surat al-Haqqa: "And if he had fabricated against Us some sayings, We would have seized him by the right hand, then cut his aorta" ⁴⁶. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained among his bitterest enemies, polytheists and Jews, for twenty-three years calling them to God, yet God protected him from them and revealed to him to reassure his heart in Surat al-Ma'ida: "And God will protect you from the people" ⁴⁷. Is God, who is capable of everything, unable to punish one who attributes to Him what He did not say? He said in Surat al-Shura: "Or do they say, 'He has fabricated a lie against God'? If God willed, He could seal your heart. And God eliminates falsehood and establishes the truth by His words. Indeed, He is Knowing of what is within the breasts" ⁴⁸. This prophecy informs us of the sign by which the truthfulness of a prophet is known from his falsehood: news of what will come. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed of many things, and they happened as he informed. Among them is what cannot be attained by guesswork or conjecture, such as the news that the Romans would prevail after the Persians had severely defeated them, nearly conquering Constantinople, the capital of their kingdom. The news that the Romans would regain what they had lost after a few years could only come from God. Therefore, some polytheists of Quraysh found it very strange and made a bet with Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may God be pleased with him) about it. God fulfilled the news, and al-Siddiq won the bet. This is a small part of much that will come in detail, God willing. Al-Qadi 'Iyad narrated in al-Shifa' that 'Ata' ibn Yasar asked 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As about the description of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). He said: "Yes, by God, he is described in the Torah with some of his description in the Quran: 'O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good tidings, and a warner' ⁴⁹: 'And a refuge for the unlettered. You are My servant and My Messenger. I have named you al-Mutawakkil ⁵⁰. He is not harsh nor coarse..."

He was neither harsh nor clamorous ⁵¹ in the markets, nor did he repay evil with evil, but rather he pardoned and forgave. And God will not take him until He straightens through him the crooked creed, so that they say: 'There is no god but Allah,' and through him He opens blind eyes, deaf ears, and sealed hearts ⁵². Similar is narrated from Abdullah ibn Salam ⁵³, may God be pleased with him, who was the chief of the Jews, but leadership did not blind him to abandon the upright religion, and likewise Ka'b al-Ahbar ⁵⁴. In some versions of the hadith: 'Nor clamorous in the markets, nor a speaker of obscenity. I guide him to every good, and bestow upon him every noble character. I make tranquility his garment, piety his emblem, righteousness his conscience, wisdom his speech, truthfulness and loyalty his nature, forgiveness and goodness his character, justice his conduct, truth his law, guidance his path, Islam his creed. His name is Ahmad. Through him I guide after misguidance, teach after ignorance, raise after lowliness, make known after obscurity, multiply after scarcity, enrich after poverty, unite after division, and reconcile differing hearts, scattered desires, and divided nations. And I make his community the best community brought forth for mankind.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, informed of his description in the Torah, saying—and he is truthful and trustworthy: 'My servant Ahmad, the chosen one; his birthplace is Mecca, his emigration is to Medina—or he said Tayba—and his community are those who praise God in every circumstance.' [The Gospel's Glad Tidings] Jesus, peace be upon him, gave his people glad tidings in the Gospel of the Paraclete ⁵⁵, whose meaning is close to Muhammad or Ahmad. And the Qur'an confirms this in the words of God Almighty in Surah al-Saff: 'And when Jesus, son of Mary, said: O Children of Israel, I am the messenger of God to you, confirming what came before me of the Torah, and giving glad tidings of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad' ⁵⁶. The Messiah described this Paraclete with attributes that apply only to our Prophet, saying: 'He will reprove the world of its sin, and he will teach you all truth, for he does not speak on his own, but speaks whatever he hears.' This is what is mentioned in the Noble Qur'an in Surah al-Najm: 'Nor does he speak from [his own] desire; it is but a revelation revealed' ⁵⁷. And in the Gospel of Barnabas, which appeared recently and was hidden by veils of ignorance ⁵⁸, the name of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is explicitly mentioned. [The Movement of Ideas Before the Mission] This makes it easy for you to understand the great movement among the rabbis and monks just before the mission. The Jews used to seek victory over the Arabs of Medina through an awaited messenger. Asim ibn Amr ibn Qatada narrated from men of his people: 'What invited us to Islam, with God's mercy, was what we used to hear from the Jewish rabbis. We were polytheists and idol worshippers, while they were people of scripture with knowledge we lacked. There was constant enmity between us. When we harmed them in some way, they would say: 'The time of a prophet is near; he will be sent now, and we will kill you with him like the killing of 'Ad and Iram.' We often heard this from them. When God sent His messenger Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, we responded when he called us to God, recognizing what they used to threaten us with. So we hastened to him and believed, while they disbelieved.' The Jews said 'we will kill you with him like the killing of 'Ad and Iram' because his description, peace and blessings be upon him, in their books is that this prophet will eradicate the polytheists by force. They did not think that envy and transgression would take hold of their hearts, causing them to abandon the true religion, thus deserving punishment in this world and the next. Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt ⁵⁹, the Arab Christian convert, often said: 'I find in the books the description of a prophet who will be sent in our land.' Salman al-Farisi, may God be pleased with him, narrated about himself that he accompanied a priest ⁶⁰ who would say: 'O Salman, God will send a messenger named Ahmad, who will emerge from the mountains of Tihama. His sign is that he accepts gifts but not charity.' This hadith was one of the reasons for Salman's conversion. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, corresponded with the kings of the earth, only Chosroes, who had no knowledge of scripture, disrespected his letter. All the Christian kings, such as the Negus of Abyssinia, the Muqawqis of Egypt, and Caesar of Rome, honored his envoys. Some believed, like the Negus; some responded gently and almost converted, like Caesar, had it not for the dominance of kingship; some sent gifts, like the Muqawqis. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was not in a position of power to intimidate these kings—only because they knew that Christ, peace be upon him, had given glad tidings of a messenger after him. The attributes of our Messenger matched what they had, so they responded in the best manner. As for the voices and soothsayers heard before his time, they are beyond enumeration. After what I have mentioned, there is no need for more. Yet, the deeds that God accomplished through him and the words he brought are the greatest support for his proof and confirmation of his call. All of this will be explained to you with the clearest exposition; ponder it, and you will be guided, may God guide you to the straight path. [The Beginning of Revelation] When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, reached the age of perfection—forty years ⁶¹—God sent him as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner to all worlds, to bring them out of the darkness of ignorance into the light of knowledge. This was in early February 610 CE, as clarified by the late Mahmud Pasha al-Falaki. After careful research, it was determined that it was on the 17th of Ramadan, 13 years before the Hijra, corresponding to July 610 CE. The first thing he received of revelation was true dreams; he would not see a dream except that it came true like the break of dawn ⁶². This is due to God's custom with His creation of gradualness in all matters until they reach perfection. It is very difficult for humans to receive revelation from the angel for the first time. Then, solitude became beloved to him, peace and blessings be upon him ⁶³, to distance himself from the darkness of this world and detach from creation to God, for in solitude there is purity of the inner self. He used to retreat to the cave of Hira ⁶⁴ and worship there for several nights, sometimes ten, sometimes more, up to a month. His worship was according to the religion of his father Abraham, peace be upon him, and he would take provisions for it. When he finished, he would return to Khadija and take provisions for another retreat, until the truth came to him while he was in the cave of Hira. One day, while he was standing on the mountain, a person appeared to him and said: 'Rejoice, O Muhammad, I am Gabriel, and you are the messenger of God to this nation.' Then he said: 'Read!' He replied: 'I am not a reader,' for he, peace and blessings be upon him, was unlettered, having never learned to read before. So he seized him and pressed him ⁶⁵ with the cloak he was sleeping on until he was exhausted, then released him and said: 'Read!' He said: 'I am not a reader.' He seized him and pressed him a second time, then released him and said: 'Read!' He said: 'I am not a reader.' He seized him and pressed him a third time, then released him and said: 'Read in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know' ⁶⁶. He returned with this, his heart trembling from the terror ⁶⁷ that accompanied meeting the angel for the first time. He entered upon Khadija, his wife, and said: 'Cover me! Cover me!' ⁶⁸ to remove this shivering ⁶⁹. They covered him until the terror left him. He told Khadija the news: 'I feared for myself' ⁷⁰, because the angel had pressed him until he nearly died, and he had no prior knowledge of Gabriel or his form. She said: 'No, by God, God will never disgrace you. You uphold ties of kinship, carry burdens, earn for the destitute ⁷¹, entertain the guest ⁷², and help in the calamities of truth ⁷³. God will not let the devils and illusions overpower you.' There is no doubt that God has chosen you for the guidance of your people. To confirm her assumption, Khadija wanted to verify with those who had knowledge of the messengers and had studied the books of the ancients. So she took him to Waraqa ibn Nawfal, Khadija's cousin, who had become a Christian in the pre-Islamic period and used to write the Hebrew scripture, writing from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as God willed. He was an old man who had become blind ⁷⁴. Khadija said: 'O cousin, listen to your nephew' ⁷⁵. He said: 'O nephew, what do you see?' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, told him what he had seen. Waraqa said: 'This is the Namus ⁷⁶ that God sent down to Moses,' because he knew that God's messenger to His prophets is Gabriel. Then he said: 'Would that I were young (strong youth) when your people expel you from your native land due to their enmity and hatred for you when you demand that they change the beliefs they found their fathers upon.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was surprised at this, given the love they had for him due to his noble character and truthfulness, to the extent that they called him al-Amin. He said: 'Will they expel me?' ⁷⁷ He said: 'No man has ever brought what you have brought except that he was opposed.' The Noble Qur'an states this. God Almighty said in Surah Ibrahim: 'Those who disbelieved said to their messengers: We will surely expel you from our land, or you must return to our religion' ⁷⁸. To complete Waraqa's confirmation of the message of the Most Honorable Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, he said: 'If I live to see your day, I will support you with mighty support' ⁷⁹ (strongly). Then Waraqa soon died. [The Interruption of Revelation] Revelation ceased for a period on which historians do not agree; the most likely opinion is forty days, to intensify the Prophet's longing for revelation, which indeed happened. His condition became so severe that whenever he came to the peak of a mountain, he would consider throwing himself from it, fearing that God had cut him off after showing him His greatest favor—choosing him as an intermediary between Him and His creation. Then the angel would appear to him, saying: 'You are truly the messenger of God,' so his heart would be at ease and he would abandon his intention, until God willed to manifest the light of religion, and revelation returned to him. [The Return of Revelation] While he was walking, he heard a voice from heaven. He looked up and saw the angel who had come to him in Hira sitting between heaven and earth. He was terrified, remembering what he had done the first time, so he returned and said: 'Wrap me up! Wrap me up!' ⁸⁰ Then God Almighty revealed to him: 'O you wrapped up, arise and warn' ⁸¹—warn people of God's punishment if they do not turn from their error and what their fathers worshipped—'and your Lord magnify' ⁸²—single Him out for glorification and do not associate anyone with Him—'and your garments purify' ⁸³—to be ready to stand before God, for it is not fitting for a believer to be unclean—'and the abomination shun' ⁸⁴—i.e., shun the causes of punishment by obeying God and carrying out His command—'and do not confer favor to acquire more' ⁸⁵—do not give a gift expecting more in return, for this is not the way of the noble—'and for your Lord be patient' ⁸⁶—upon the harm that will come from your people when you call them to God. [The Secret Call]

He, peace and blessings be upon him, undertook the command and called to the worship of God a people who were harsh and had no religion, except that they prostrated to idols that neither benefit nor harm, and they had no argument except that they followed what their fathers used to worship. They possessed none of the noble traits of character except what was connected to pride and haughtiness, which was often the cause of raids, wars, and bloodshed. So the Messenger of God came to them with what they did not know. Those with sound intellects hastened to believe and cast off the idols, while those blinded by leadership turned away and were arrogant, lest their greatness be stripped from them. The first upon whom the light of Islam shone was Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, his wife ⁸⁷, and Ali ibn Abi Talib, his cousin ⁸⁸, who was staying with him, being fed and watered by him, and attending to his affairs, because the Quraysh had suffered a famine, and Abu Talib was poor with many children. So he, peace and blessings be upon him, said to his uncle al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib: 'Your brother Abu Talib has many dependents, and the people are in hardship as you see. Let us go and lighten his burden; you take one and I will take one.' So they went and presented the matter to him. Al-Abbas took Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, and he, peace and blessings be upon him, took Ali. So Ali was under his guardianship like one of his own children until prophethood came when he was nearing puberty. He followed the Prophet in all his deeds and was not defiled by the filth of the Jahiliyyah [pre-Islamic ignorance], such as idol worship and following desires. Also responded Zayd ibn Harithah ibn Sharahil al-Kalbi, his freed slave, peace and blessings be upon him, who was called Zayd ibn Muhammad because when he bought him, he emancipated him and adopted him. The adopted son was considered like a real son, inheriting and being inherited from. Also responded Umm Ayman, his nursemaid, whom he married to his freed slave Zayd. The first to respond to him from outside his household was Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafah ibn Amir ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym ibn Murrah al-Taymi al-Qurashi ⁸⁹. He was a friend of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, before prophethood, knowing the noble traits of character he possessed, and he had never known him to lie since they became companions. When he first informed him of God's message, he hastened to believe ⁹⁰ and said: 'May my father and mother be your ransom! You are truthful. I bear witness that there is no god but God and that you are the Messenger of God.' He, may God be pleased with him, was a prominent figure among Quraysh, possessing abundant wealth and noble character. He was one of the most chaste people, generous, spending wealth, beloved among his people, and pleasant in company. For all this, he held the position of a vizier to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, who consulted him in all his affairs. He said concerning him: 'I never invited anyone to Islam without him having some hesitation, except Abu Bakr' ⁹¹. The call to Islam was secret, out of caution against suddenly confronting the Arabs with such a serious matter, which would make their submission difficult. So he, peace and blessings be upon him, only invited those he trusted. Abu Bakr invited to Islam those he trusted among the men of Quraysh, and a group of them responded, including: Uthman ibn Affan ⁹² ibn Abi al-As ibn Umayyah ibn Abd Shams ibn Abd Manaf al-Umawi al-Qurashi. When his uncle al-Hakam learned of his Islam, he bound him tightly and said: 'Do you turn away from the religion of your fathers to a new religion?! By God, I will not release you until you abandon what you are upon.' Uthman said: 'By God, I will not abandon it nor leave it.' When al-Hakam saw his firmness in the truth, he left him. He was a middle-aged man nearing thirty. (Among them) al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam ⁹³ ibn Khuwaylid ibn Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza ibn Qusayy al-Qurashi. His mother was Safiyyah bint Abd al-Muttalib. Al-Zubayr's uncle would send smoke upon him while he was bound, to make him return to the religion of his fathers, but God strengthened him with steadfastness. He was a youth not yet past puberty. (Among them) Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf ⁹⁴ ibn Abd Awf ibn al-Harith ibn Zuhrah ibn Kilab al-Qurashi al-Hashimi. His name in the Jahiliyyah was Abd Amr, so he, peace and blessings be upon him, named him Abd al-Rahman. (Among them) Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas ⁹⁵ Malik ibn Uhayb ibn Abd Manaf ibn Zuhrah ibn Kilab al-Qurashi. When his mother, Hannah bint Abi Sufyan ibn Umayyah, learned of his Islam, she said to him: 'O Sa'd, I have heard that you have become a Sabian ⁹⁶. By God, no roof of heat or cold shall shelter me, and food and drink are forbidden to me until you disbelieve in Muhammad.' She remained like that for three days. So Sa'd came to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and complained to him about his mother's matter. Then, as instruction, God's words in Surat al-Ankabut were revealed: 'And We have enjoined upon man goodness to his parents. But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. To Me is your return, and I will inform you of what you used to do' ⁹⁷. He, exalted be His mention, enjoined him to be good to his parents, whether they are believers or disbelievers. But if they call him to associate partners with God, then disobedience is obligatory. For every right, however great, falls here; there is no obedience to a creature in disobedience to the Creator ⁹⁸. Then He said: 'To Me is your return'—whoever among you believes and whoever associates partners, I will recompense you with your due recompense. At the end of this verse are two benefits: a reminder that recompense is from God, so do not let yourself be harsh with them because of their association, and an encouragement to be steadfast in religion, lest one receive an evil recompense in the Hereafter. (Among them) Talhah ibn Ubayd Allah ⁹⁹ ibn Uthman ibn Amr ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym ibn Murrah al-Taymi al-Qurashi. He had learned from monks about the mention of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and his description. So when Abu Bakr invited him and he heard from the Messenger of God what benefited him, and he saw the religion as strong and far from the defects ¹⁰⁰ of the Arabs, he hastened to Islam. (Among those who preceded in Islam) Suhayb al-Rumi ¹⁰¹, who was among the freed slaves, and Ammar ibn Yasir al-Ansi ¹⁰². He, may God be pleased with him, said: 'I saw the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, with only five slaves, two women, and Abu Bakr.' Likewise, his father Yasir and his mother Sumayyah embraced Islam. Among the early forerunners: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud ¹⁰³. He used to tend sheep for some polytheists of Quraysh. When he saw the manifest signs and what Islam calls to of noble character, he abandoned idol worship and clung to the Messenger of God. He, may God be pleased with him, frequently entered upon the Messenger, not being prevented, walked before him, screened him when he bathed, woke him when he slept, and put on his sandals when he stood. When he sat, he would put them in his arms. Among the early forerunners: Abu Dharr al-Ghifari ¹⁰⁴. He was a Bedouin from the desert, eloquent and sweet in speech. When news of the Messenger of God's mission reached him, he said to his brother: 'Ride to this valley and find out for me about this man who claims to be a prophet, to whom news comes from heaven. Listen to his speech, then come to me.' So the brother set out until he came to Mecca, heard some of the Messenger's speech, then returned to Abu Dharr and said: 'I saw him commanding noble character and saying words that are not poetry.' He said: 'You have not satisfied what I wanted.' So he provisioned himself, carried a waterskin with water, and came to Mecca. He entered the mosque and sought the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, but did not know him. He disliked asking about him because he knew of the Quraysh's dislike for anyone who spoke to the Messenger of God. When night overtook him, Ali saw him and recognized him as a stranger, so he hosted him. Neither asked the other about anything (according to the Arab custom of hospitality, the guest is not asked about the reason for his arrival until after three days). In the morning, he took his waterskin and provisions to the mosque and stayed there that day without seeing the Messenger until evening. He returned to his sleeping place. Ali passed by him and said: 'Is it not time for the man to know his lodging where he was hosted last night?' So he stood him up and went with him, neither asking the other about anything. On the third day, Ali did the same, then said to him: 'Will you not tell me what brought you here?' He said: 'If you give me a covenant and pledge that you will guide me, I will do so.' He did, so he told him. He said: 'He is the truth, and he is the Messenger of God. When morning comes, follow me. If I see something I fear for you, I will stop as if to urinate ¹⁰⁵. If I continue, follow me until you enter my place of entry.' He did so. He followed his tracks until he entered upon the Prophet, and he entered with him. He heard his speech and embraced Islam on the spot. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: 'Return to your people and inform them until my command comes to you.' He said: 'By Him in whose hand is my soul, I will proclaim it among them ¹⁰⁶.' So he went out until he came to the mosque and called out at the top of his voice: 'I bear witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.' The people rose up and beat him until they knocked him down ¹⁰⁷. Al-Abbas came and bent over him, saying: 'Woe to you! Do you not know that he is from Ghifar, and your trade route to Syria passes through them?' So he rescued him from them. The next day he did the same, and they beat him and rose against him, and al-Abbas bent over him (narrated by al-Bukhari) ¹⁰⁸. He, may God be pleased with him, was among the most truthful in speech and most ascetic in this world. Among the forerunners: Sa'id ibn Zayd al-Adawi al-Qurashi ¹⁰⁹ and his wife Fatimah bint al-Khattab, sister of Umar; and Umm al-Fadl Lubabah bint al-Harith al-Hilaliyyah, wife of al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib; and Ubaydah ibn al-Harith ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Abd Manaf, cousin of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him ¹¹⁰; and Abu Salamah ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Asad al-Makhzumi al-Qurashi ¹¹¹, son of the Messenger of God's maternal aunt, and husband of Umm Salamah; and Uthman ibn Maz'un al-Jumahi al-Qurashi ¹¹² and his brothers Qudamah and Abdullah; and al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam al-Makhzumi al-Qurashi ¹¹³. Among the early forerunners: Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-As ibn Umayyah ibn Abd Shams al-Umawi al-Qurashi ¹¹⁴. His father was the chief of Quraysh; when he wore a turban, no Qurashi would wear one out of reverence for him. Khalid ibn Sa'id had seen in a dream that he would fall into an abyss, but the Messenger of God caught him and saved him. So he came to him and said: 'To what do you call, O Muhammad?' He said: 'I call you to worship God alone, with no partner, and to abandon what you are upon of worshipping a stone that neither hears nor sees, nor harms nor benefits; to be good to your parents; not to kill your child for fear of poverty; not to approach immorality, whether open or secret; not to kill a soul that God has forbidden except by right; not to approach the orphan's property except in the best manner until he reaches maturity; to give full measure and weight with justice; to be just in your speech even if you judge against your relatives; and to fulfill your covenants.' So he embraced Islam, may God be pleased with him. Then his father became angry with him and harmed him, even preventing him from sustenance. So he went to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and stayed with him, living with him, and staying away from his father in the outskirts of Mecca. After him, his brother Amr ibn Sa'id embraced Islam. Thus these nobles entered the religion of Islam, and the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, had no sword with which to strike their necks to make them obey.

while they were humiliated, and he had nothing desirable with him so that these great men would leave their fathers and the wealthy among them and follow the Messenger to eat from the surplus of his wealth. Rather, many of them were more wealthy than him, peace and blessings be upon him, such as Abu Bakr, 'Uthman, Khalid ibn Sa'id, and others. And those who followed him from among the freed slaves chose harm, hunger, and hardships while following the Messenger, such that if they had followed their masters, they would have been more at ease and more comfortable in this world. O Allah, this is nothing but the guidance of Allah and the shining of the lights of religion upon them, until they realized the misguidance they were in and the guidance that the Messenger of Allah was upon. [Open Proclamation] All this time passed while the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not display the call in the public assemblies of Quraysh, and the Muslims were not able to manifest their worship for fear of the bigotry of Quraysh. So whenever he wanted to worship, he would go to the ravines of Mecca and pray in secret. When those who entered the religion exceeded thirty, and it became necessary for the Messenger to gather them to guide and teach them, he chose for that the house of al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam ¹¹⁵, who was among those we mentioned as having embraced Islam. And the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, continued to call secretly until the revelation of the verse in Surah al-Hijr: "Then proclaim what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists" (15:94) ¹¹⁶. So he changed the call from secret to open, obeying the command of his Lord and trusting in His promise and victory. He ascended Safa ¹¹⁷ and began to call out: "O Banu Fihr, O Banu 'Adi," addressing the clans of Quraysh. When a man could not come out, he would send a messenger to see the news. Abu Lahab ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib came with Quraysh, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Do you see that if I told you that cavalry in the valley intended to attack you, would you believe me?" They said: "Yes, we have never experienced any lie from you." He said: "Indeed, I am a warner to you before a severe punishment." Abu Lahab said: "May you perish! Is it for this that you gathered us?" So Allah revealed concerning him: "May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he. His wealth will not avail him nor what he earned. He will burn in a fire of flame, and his wife as well, the carrier of firewood, around her neck a rope of twisted fiber" (111:1-5) ¹¹⁸. The meaning of "carrying firewood" is spreading slander, because she used to utter lies about the Messenger of Allah in women's gatherings. Then the revelation came in Surah al-Shu'ara': "And warn your closest kindred" (26:214) ¹¹⁹, who are Banu Hashim, Banu al-Muttalib, Banu Nawfal, and Banu 'Abd Shams, the sons of 'Abd Manaf. "And lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers. And if they disobey you, then say, 'Indeed, I am free of what you do'" (26:215-216). So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, gathered them and said: "Indeed, the scout does not lie to his people. By Allah, if I were to lie to all people, I would not lie to you; and if I were to deceive all people, I would not deceive you. By Allah, there is no god but Him, I am the Messenger of Allah to you specifically and to all people generally. By Allah, you will surely die as you sleep, and you will surely be resurrected as you wake, and you will surely be held accountable for what you do, and you will surely be recompensed for good with good and for evil with evil. And it is either Paradise forever or Hell forever." ¹²⁰ The people spoke softly, except for his uncle Abu Lahab, who was a bitter opponent. He said: "Seize his hands before the Arabs gather against him. If you hand him over, you will be humiliated; and if you protect him, you will be killed." Abu Talib said: "By Allah, we will protect him as long as we live." Then the gathering dispersed. When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, proclaimed the call openly, Quraysh mocked him and ridiculed him in their assemblies. Whenever he passed by them, they would say: "This is the son of Abu Kabsha ¹²¹, speaking from the sky!" and "This is the slave of 'Abd al-Muttalib, speaking from the sky!" and nothing more. But when he criticized their gods, belittled their intellects, and said: "By Allah, O people, you have contradicted the religion of your father Abraham," the pride of the Jahiliyyah ¹²² stirred in their heads, out of zeal for those gods that their fathers used to worship. So they went to his uncle Abu Talib, the chief of Banu Hashim, who had taken upon himself to protect him from his enemies, and asked him to either hand him over to them or stop him from what he was saying. He gave them a polite refusal, and they left. The Messenger of Allah continued with what he intended, nothing deterring him from his goal. The matter escalated, and Quraysh harbored hatred and enmity for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, urging each other on. Then they went to Abu Talib again and said: "You have age, honor, and status among us. We asked you to stop your nephew, but you did not stop him from us. By Allah, we cannot bear this: the insulting of our fathers, the belittling of our intellects, and the criticizing of our gods." For when they argued by blind imitation ¹²³ in persisting not to follow the truth, he condemned them for not using their intellects for what they were created for. Allah said in Surah al-Baqarah: "And when it is said to them, 'Follow what Allah has revealed,' they say, 'Rather, we follow that which we found our fathers doing.' Even if their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?" (2:170) ¹²⁴. And in Surah al-Ma'idah: "And when it is said to them, 'Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger,' they say, 'Sufficient for us is that which we found our fathers doing.' Even if their fathers knew nothing, nor were they guided?" (5:104) ¹²⁵. And in Surah Luqman: "And when it is said to them, 'Follow what Allah has revealed,' they say, 'Rather, we follow that which we found our fathers doing.' Even if Satan was inviting them to the punishment of the Blaze?" (31:21) ¹²⁶. And in Surah al-Zukhruf, explaining their false argument: "Its affluent ones said, 'Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following.'" (43:23) ¹²⁷. And when he compared them to previous nations in this statement indicating bigotry and stubbornness, He said: "He said, 'Even if I brought you better guidance than that which you found your fathers upon?' They said, 'Indeed we, in that with which you have been sent, are disbelievers.'" (43:24) ¹²⁸. When they clung to the argument of imitating their fathers, that led to describing their fathers as lacking intellect and guidance. This stirred up their rancor, and they said to Abu Talib: "Either you stop him, or we will fight him and you over this until one of the two parties perishes." Then they left. Abu Talib found it hard to part from his people and was not willing to abandon his nephew. He said: "O son of my brother, the people came to me and said such and such. Spare yourself and do not burden me with what I cannot bear." The Messenger thought that his uncle had abandoned him, so he said: "By Allah, O uncle, if they placed the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left to abandon this matter, I would not do so until Allah makes it prevail or I perish in its cause." Then he wept and turned away. Abu Talib said: "Come back, O son of my brother." He came back, and he said: "Go and say what you love. By Allah, I will never hand you over." ¹²⁹ [Persecution] The Messenger of Allah experienced much harm and great severity from the polytheists, especially when he went to pray at the House ¹³⁰. Among the greatest in harming the Messenger of Allah was a group called the mockers ¹³¹ due to the abundance of their harm. The first and most severe of them was Abu Jahl ¹³² 'Amr ibn Hisham ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi al-Qurashi. One day he said: "O assembly of Quraysh, Muhammad has come with what you see: criticizing your religion, insulting your gods, belittling your intellects, and cursing your fathers. I vow to Allah that tomorrow I will sit for him with a stone that I cannot carry, and when he prostrates in his prayer, I will smash his head with it. Then either hand me over or protect me. After that, let Banu 'Abd Manaf do with me as they wish." In the morning, he took a stone as described and sat waiting for the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, went as usual to his prayer, while Quraysh were in their assemblies waiting for what Abu Jahl would do. When the Prophet prostrated, Abu Jahl lifted the stone and approached him. When he drew near, he retreated, terrified, his face pale with fear, and threw the stone from his hand. Some men of Quraysh went to him and said: "What is the matter with you, O Abu al-Hakam?" He said: "I went to do what I told you, but when I approached him, a huge camel appeared before me. By Allah, I have never seen anything like it! It was about to eat me!" When that was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, he said: "That was Gabriel. If he had come closer, he would have seized him." ¹³³ Abu Jahl often forbade the Messenger from praying at the House. Once, after seeing him pray, he said: "Did I not forbid you from this?" The Messenger of Allah spoke harshly to him and threatened him. He said: "Do you threaten me while I am the most attended in the valley?" ¹³⁴ So Allah revealed a threat against him at the end of Surah al-'Alaq: "No! If he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock, a lying, sinning forelock. Then let him call his associates; We will call the angels of punishment. No! Do not obey him. But prostrate and draw near [to Allah]." (96:15-19) ¹³⁵. Among his harm to the Messenger is what 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud narrated in a hadith from al-Bukhari: "We were with the Messenger of Allah in the mosque while he was praying. Abu Jahl said: 'Is there any man who will go to the dung of the camel of Banu so-and-so and throw it on Muhammad while he is prostrating?' So 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt ¹³⁶ went and brought that dung and threw it on the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was prostrating. None of the Muslims in the mosque could remove it from him due to their weakness against their enemy. The Prophet remained prostrating until his daughter Fatima came, removed the filth, and threw it away. When he stood up, he prayed against the one who did this ugly deed, saying: 'O Allah, upon you are the chiefs of Quraysh,' and he named some people." ¹³⁷ Ibn Mas'ud said: "I saw them killed on the day of Badr." ¹³⁸ Among what happened to the Messenger of Allah with Abu Jahl was that the latter bought some camels from a man called al-Irashi and delayed paying their price. The man came to the assembly of Quraysh seeking help to get his money, and they directed him to the Messenger of Allah to get justice from Abu Jahl, mocking him because they knew the actions of that wretched man towards the Messenger. The man went to him and asked for his help against Abu Jahl. He went out with him and knocked on Abu Jahl's door. He said: "Who is this?" He said: "Muhammad." He came out, his face pale. The Messenger said to him: "Give this man his due." Abu Jahl said: "Do not leave until you take it." So the man did not leave until he took his due. Quraysh said: "Woe to you, O Abu al-Hakam! We have never seen anything like what you did!" He said: "Woe to you! By Allah, it was only that he knocked on my door, and I heard a voice that filled me with terror, and above my head was a huge camel the like of which I have never seen." ¹³⁹ Among the group of mockers was Abu Lahab ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Messenger of Allah. He was more severe against him than strangers. He used to throw filth at his door because he was his neighbor. The Messenger would remove it and say: "O Banu 'Abd Manaf, what kind of neighborliness is this?" His wife, Umm Jamil bint Harb ibn Umayya ¹⁴⁰, shared in his ugly deeds. She often insulted the Messenger of Allah and spread slander about him, especially after the revelation of Surah al-Masad concerning her and her husband.

Among the mockers was 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt, who was the second neighbor of the Messenger of Allah and used to work with him like Abu Lahab. Once he prepared a feast and invited the nobles of Quraysh, including the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "By Allah, I will not eat your food until you believe in Allah." So 'Uqbah pronounced the testimony of faith. This reached Ubayy ibn Khalaf al-Jumahi al-Qurashi, who was his friend, and he said: "What is this I have heard about you?" He replied: "Nothing. A noble man entered my house and refused to eat my food until I testified for him, so I was ashamed that he should leave my house without eating, so I testified for him." Ubayy said: "My face is forbidden to your face if you meet Muhammad and do not trample his neck, spit in his face, and strike his eye." So when 'Uqbah saw the Messenger of Allah, he did that to him. Then Allah revealed concerning him in Surah al-Furqan: "And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] and say, 'Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way. Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one as a friend. He led me away from the remembrance after it had come to me. And ever is Satan, to man, a deserter.'" ¹⁴¹ Among the most severe things that wretched one did to the Messenger of Allah is what al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih: "While the Prophet was praying in the enclosure of the Ka'bah, 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt came and placed his garment around the neck of the Messenger of Allah and strangled him severely. Then Abu Bakr came, took him by the shoulder, and pushed him away from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: 'Would you kill a man because he says, "My Lord is Allah," and he has come to you with clear proofs from your Lord?'" ¹⁴² Among the group of mockers was al-'As ibn Wa'il al-Sahmi al-Qurashi, the father of 'Amr ibn al-'As. He was intensely hostile to the Messenger of Allah and used to say: "Muhammad has deceived his companions that they will live after death. By Allah, nothing destroys us but time." So Allah replied to his claim in Surah al-Jathiyah: "And they say, 'There is not but our worldly life; we die and live, and nothing destroys us except time.' And they have of that no knowledge; they are only assuming." ¹⁴³ He owed a debt to Khabbab ibn al-Aratt, one of the Muslim men ¹⁴⁴. Khabbab demanded payment, and al-'As said: "Does not Muhammad, whose religion you follow, claim that in Paradise there is whatever its inhabitants desire of gold, silver, clothes, and servants?" Khabbab said: "Yes." He said: "Then give me respite until that day, for I will be given wealth and children and I will repay your debt." So Allah revealed concerning him in Surah Maryam: "Then have you seen he who disbelieved in Our verses and said, 'I will surely be given wealth and children'? Has he looked into the unseen, or has he taken from the Most Merciful a covenant? No! We will record what he says and extend for him from the punishment extensively. And We will inherit from him what he says, and he will come to Us alone." ¹⁴⁵ Among the group of mockers was al-Aswad ibn 'Abd Yaghuth al-Zuhri al-Qurashi, from Banu Zuhrah, the maternal uncles of the Messenger of Allah. When he saw the companions of the Prophet approaching, he would say, "The kings of the earth have come to you," mocking them because they were ascetics: their clothes were shabby and their life was harsh. He used to say to the Messenger of Allah sarcastically: "Are there any words from heaven today?" Among them was al-Aswad ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib al-Asadi, the cousin of Khadijah. He and his followers, when Muslims passed by them, would wink at each other. Concerning them, it was revealed in Surah al-Mutaffifin: "Indeed, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed. And when they passed by them, they would wink at one another. And when they returned to their people, they would return jesting. And when they saw them, they would say, 'Indeed, these are surely astray.'" ¹⁴⁶ Among them was al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, the paternal uncle of Abu Jahl. He was one of the great men of Quraysh and lived in luxury. He heard the Quran once from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said to his people, Banu Makhzum: "By Allah, I have recently heard from Muhammad speech that is not the speech of humans nor of jinn. It has sweetness, and it has grace. Its top is fruitful, and its bottom is abundant. It rises and nothing rises above it." Quraysh said: "By Allah, al-Walid has apostatized. All of Quraysh will surely apostatize." Abu Jahl said: "I will handle him for you." So he went and sat with him sadly and spoke to him until he angered him. Then al-Walid stood and came to them and said: "You claim that Muhammad is mad; have you seen him raving? You say he is a soothsayer; have you seen him soothsaying? You say he is a poet; have you ever seen him composing poetry? You say he is a liar; have you ever experienced any lie from him?" They said to all that: "O Allah, no." Then they said: "Then what is he?" He thought for a while and said: "He is nothing but a sorcerer. Have you not seen him separate a man from his wife, his children, and his clients?" The assembly was filled with joy. ¹⁴⁷ So Allah revealed concerning al-Walid in Surah al-Muddaththir, addressing His Messenger: "Leave Me with the one I created alone. And I made for him extensive wealth. And children present [with him]. And I spread out for him [life] smoothly. Then he aspires that I should increase. No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate. I will burden him with a difficult climb. Indeed, he thought and deliberated. So may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated. Then may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated. Then he looked. Then he frowned and scowled. Then he turned back and was arrogant. And said, 'This is not but magic imitated [from others]. This is not but the word of a human being.' I will drive him into Saqar." ¹⁴⁸ And He also revealed concerning him in Surah Nun: "And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer [who swears much] — and enough is this as a deterrent for those accustomed to swearing — a despicable [person], a slanderer, going about with malicious gossip, a preventer of good, transgressing and sinful, cruel, moreover, an illegitimate intruder, because he is a possessor of wealth and children. When Our verses are recited to him, he says, 'Legends of the former peoples.' We will brand him on the snout." ¹⁴⁹ This is a metaphor for humiliation and degradation, because the face is the noblest organ and the nose is the most honorable part of it; hence they derived from it everything that indicates greatness, such as 'anafah (pride). So branding on the noblest organ indicates humiliation and disgrace. Among the mockers was al-Nadr ibn al-Harith al-'Abdari, from Banu 'Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy. When the Messenger of Allah sat in a gathering and spoke to them and reminded them of what had befallen those before them, al-Nadr would say: "Come, O Quraysh, for I can tell a better story than his." Then he would tell stories about the kings of Persia. He knew their stories and would say: "Muhammad's stories are nothing but legends of the ancients." Concerning him, it was revealed in Surah Luqman: "And of the people is he who buys the amusement of speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge and who takes it in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment. And when Our verses are recited to him, he turns away arrogantly as if he had not heard them, as if in his ears is deafness. So give him tidings of a painful punishment." ¹⁵⁰ Allah took revenge on all of them, as He said in Surah al-Hijr: "Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers who make with Allah another deity. But they are going to know." ¹⁵¹ Allah, exalted be His mention, placed the promise in the form of the past tense to confirm its occurrence, because the verse is Meccan and the destruction of this group occurred after the Hijrah. Some of them were killed, like Abu Jahl, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, and 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt. Some of them were afflicted by Allah with severe diseases and died from them, like Abu Lahab, al-'As ibn Wa'il, and al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah. [The Conversion of Hamzah] Some of this harm was the cause of the conversion of his uncle Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib. He was moved by tribal pride when some maidservants reproached him for Abu Jahl's harming of his nephew. So he went to that wretched one, confronted him, insulted him, and said: "How dare you insult Muhammad while I follow his religion?" Then Allah illuminated his insight with the light of certainty until he became one of the best in Islam, the most zealous for the Muslims, and the strongest in determination against the enemies of the religion, so he was called the Lion of Allah. ¹⁵² Just as the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, was harmed, so were his companions harmed for following him, especially those who had no clan to protect them and repel the harm of their enemy. All this harm was sweet in their eyes as long as it involved the pleasure of Allah. They did not turn away from their religion; rather, Allah made them steadfast until He completed His affair through them, and they became the kings of the earth after being oppressed therein, as He said in Surah al-Qasas: "And We wanted to confer favor upon those who were oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them the inheritors." ¹⁵³ And He fulfilled what He willed. Among those who were harmed for the sake of Allah was Bilal ibn Rabah ¹⁵⁴. He was a slave of Umayyah ibn Khalaf al-Jumahi al-Qurashi. Umayyah would put a rope around his neck and hand him over to the boys to play with him, while he said: "One, One." His being in that state did not distract him from affirming the oneness of Allah. Umayyah would take him out at noon in the midday heat — the intensely hot sand on which if a piece of meat were placed it would cook — then he would order a huge rock to be placed on his chest. Then he would say to him: "You will remain like this until you die or disbelieve in Muhammad and worship al-Lat and al-'Uzza." He would say: "One, One." One day Abu Bakr passed by him and said: "O Umayyah, do you not fear Allah regarding this poor soul? How long will you torture him?" He said: "You corrupted him, so save him from what you see." So he bought him from him and freed him. Then Allah revealed concerning him and Umayyah in Surah al-Layl: "So I have warned you of a blazing Fire. None will [enter to] burn therein except the most wretched one — Umayyah ibn Khalaf — who had denied and turned away. And the most righteous one — al-Siddiq — will be removed from it, who gives his wealth to purify himself. And not for anyone who has a favor to be repaid, but only seeking the countenance of his Lord, the Most High. And he is going to be satisfied." ¹⁵⁵ with what Allah will give him in the Hereafter as a reward for his deeds. Allah, exalted be His mention, pointed out that the giving of al-Siddiq's wealth in purchasing and freeing Bilal was only seeking the countenance of his Lord. This is sufficient honor and virtue for al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him and grant him His pleasure ¹⁵⁶. He freed, besides Bilal, a group of slaves who had converted to Islam, and their masters criticized them. Among them was Hamamah, the mother of Bilal, and 'Amir ibn Fuhayrah ¹⁵⁷, who was tortured until he did not know what he was saying, and Abu Fukayhah ¹⁵⁸, who was a slave of Safwan ibn Umayyah ibn Khalaf. Among them was a woman named Zunnirah ¹⁵⁹, who was tortured for the sake of Allah until she became blind, but that only increased her in faith. Abu Jahl used to say: "Do you not wonder at these people and their followers? If what Muhammad has brought were good, they would not have preceded us to it. Would Zunnirah precede us to guidance?" So Allah revealed in Surah al-Ahqaf: "And those who disbelieve say of those who believe, 'If it had [truly] been good, they would not have preceded us to it.' And when they are not guided by it, they will say, 'This is an ancient falsehood.'" ¹⁶⁰ Among those whom Abu Bakr freed after purchasing them was Umm 'Unays ¹⁶¹, who was a slave of Banu Zuhrah and was tortured by al-Aswad ibn 'Abd Yaghuth.

Among those tortured for the sake of God was 'Ammar ibn Yasir, his brother, his father, and his mother. They were tortured with fire. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by them and said: "Patience, O family of Yasir, for your promised place is Paradise. O God, forgive the family of Yasir," and He did. As for 'Ammar's father and mother, they died under torture—may God have mercy on them. As for him, the torture became severe upon him, and he uttered a word of disbelief with his tongue. For Abu Jahl would place iron armor on him on a scorching hot day and make him wear it. The Muslims said: "'Ammar has disbelieved." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "'Ammar is filled with faith from his crown to his feet." And God revealed concerning his case an exception in the ruling on the apostate, for He, Glorious is His mention, said in Surat al-Nahl: "Whoever disbelieves in God after his belief—except for one who is compelled while his heart is at rest with faith—but whoever opens his breast to disbelief, upon them is wrath from God, and for them is a great punishment" (16:106). Among those harmed for the sake of God was Khabbab ibn al-Aratt. He was captured as a slave in the pre-Islamic period, and Umm Anmar bought him. He was a blacksmith, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was fond of him before prophethood. When God honored him with it, Khabbab embraced Islam. His mistress would torture him with fire, bringing a heated iron rod and placing it on his back to make him disbelieve, but it only increased him in faith. Once, Khabbab came to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was reclining on a cloak in the shade of the Kaaba and said: "O Messenger of God, will you not supplicate to God for us?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) sat up, his face reddening, and said: "Indeed, among those before you, a man would be combed with iron combs until nothing of his flesh and sinews remained on his bones, and a saw would be placed on the crown of his head and split him in two, yet that would not turn him away from his religion. And God will certainly make this matter prevail until a rider travels from San'a to Hadramawt, fearing none but God and the wolf for his sheep." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said this while in such a severe state that no one, even the most intelligent and noble, could imagine any awaited strength or future happiness—unless it was revelation inspired to him. Then God revealed, to strengthen the believers, the beginning of Surat al-'Ankabut: "Alif, Lam, Mim. Do the people think that they will be left to say, 'We believe,' and they will not be tried? And We certainly tried those before them, so God will surely know those who are truthful and will surely know the liars" (29:1-3). Among those harmed for the sake of God was Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. When the harm became severe upon him, he resolved to emigrate from Mecca toward the land of Abyssinia. He set out until he reached Bark al-Ghimad, where he met Ibn al-Dughunnah (the chief of a great tribe called al-Qarah), who said: "Where are you going, O Abu Bakr?" He replied: "My people have driven me out, so I wish to wander the earth and worship my Lord." Ibn al-Dughunnah said: "Someone like you, O Abu Bakr, should not be driven out. You provide for the destitute, maintain family ties, bear burdens, host guests, and assist in the causes of truth. I am your protector, so return and worship your Lord in your own land." So he returned, and Ibn al-Dughunnah traveled with him and went around among the nobles of Quraysh, saying to them: "Abu Bakr—someone like him should not be driven out. Would you drive out a man who provides for the destitute, maintains family ties, bears burdens, hosts guests, and assists in the causes of truth?" Quraysh did not reject Ibn al-Dughunnah's protection and said: "Tell Abu Bakr to worship his Lord in his house, pray there as he wishes, and recite as he wishes, but let him not harm us with it or do it openly, for we fear that he may tempt our women and children." Ibn al-Dughunnah conveyed that to Abu Bakr, and he remained thus, worshiping his Lord in his house, not praying openly or reciting outside his home. Then it occurred to Abu Bakr to build a mosque in the courtyard of his house, where he would pray and recite the Quran. The women and children of the polytheists would gather around him, marveling at him and looking at him. He was a man who wept easily, unable to control his eyes when reciting the Quran. This alarmed the nobles of Quraysh, so they sent for Ibn al-Dughunnah. When he came to them, they said: "We had granted Abu Bakr protection through your guarantee on condition that he worship his Lord in his house, but he has exceeded that. He built a mosque in his courtyard and made prayer and recitation public there. We fear that he may tempt our women and children. If he is willing to confine himself to worshiping his Lord in his courtyard, he may do so; but if he refuses to stop doing it openly, then ask him to return your guarantee to you, for we dislike breaking your pact and will not tolerate Abu Bakr's public display." Ibn al-Dughunnah went to Abu Bakr and said: "You know the agreement I made with you. Either confine yourself to that, or return my guarantee to me, for I do not want the Arabs to hear that I broke a pact for a man I guaranteed." Abu Bakr said: "Then I return your protection to you and am content with the protection of God." (Narrated by al-Bukhari.) This was a cause for great harm to be inflicted upon Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him. In short, not one of the Muslims was free from harm that befell them, but all of that was in vain against their steadfastness and immense faith. For they did not submit for a worldly purpose they hoped to attain, which would have made it easy to turn them back; rather, God guided them to grasp the reality of faith, so they saw everything else as insignificant compared to it. When the disbelievers of Quraysh saw that this harm did not benefit them, but rather, the more they harmed the Muslims, the more their certainty increased, they gathered to consult among themselves. 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah al-'Abshami, of the Banu 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf, who was a respected chief among his people, said: "O assembly of Quraysh, shall I go to Muhammad and speak to him, presenting him with some proposals? Perhaps he will accept some of them, and we will give them to him, and he will leave us alone." They said: "O Abu al-Walid, go to him and speak to him." So he went to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was praying in the mosque and said: "O son of my brother, you are, as you know, among the best of us in lineage and status. Yet you have brought a great matter to your people, dividing their community, belittling their intellects, reviling their gods and religion, and declaring their forefathers disbelievers. Listen to me; I will present some proposals for you to consider—perhaps you will accept some of them." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Speak, O Abu al-Walid, I am listening." He said: "O son of my brother, if by this matter you seek wealth, we will gather for you from our wealth until you become the wealthiest among us. If you seek honor, we will make you our leader so that we decide nothing without you. If you seek kingship, we will make you our king. If this thing that comes to you is a vision from the jinn that you cannot repel, we will seek medicine for you and spend our wealth on it until we cure you of it, for sometimes a companion overcomes a man until he is treated." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Have you finished, O Abu al-Walid?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Then listen to me." So the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) recited the beginning of Surat Fussilat: "Ha, Mim. A revelation from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A Book whose verses are detailed, an Arabic Quran for a people who know, a bearer of good news and a warner. But most of them turn away, so they do not hear. And they say: 'Our hearts are veiled from what you call us to, and in our ears is deafness, and between us and you is a barrier. So act; indeed, we are acting.' Say: 'I am only a man like you, to whom it is revealed that your God is one God. So take a straight path to Him and seek His forgiveness. And woe to the polytheists, who do not give zakah and who disbelieve in the Hereafter. Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds will have a reward never to be cut off.' Say: 'Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days and attribute equals to Him? That is the Lord of the worlds. And He placed therein firm mountains above it and blessed it and determined therein its provisions in four days, equal for those who ask. Then He turned to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth: "Come willingly or unwillingly." They said: "We come willingly." And He completed them as seven heavens in two days and inspired in each heaven its command. And We adorned the nearest heaven with lamps and as protection. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.' But if they turn away, say: 'I warn you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt of 'Ad and Thamud, when the messengers came to them from before them and from behind them, saying: "Worship none but God." They said: "If our Lord had willed, He would have sent down angels. So indeed, we disbelieve in what you have been sent with"'" (41:1-14). 'Utbah put his hand over his mouth and adjured him by kinship to stop. When 'Utbah returned, they asked him, and he said: "By God, I have heard words the like of which I have never heard. By God, it is not poetry, nor sorcery, nor divination. O assembly of Quraysh, obey me and leave this matter to me. Leave the man to what he is doing and withdraw from him. For by God, the words I have heard will have a great outcome. If the Arabs overcome him, you will be spared by others; if he prevails over the Arabs, his honor is your honor." They said: "Muhammad has bewitched you." He said: "This is my opinion." Then after that, they offered him to share in their worship, and they would share in his worship. So God revealed concerning that: "Say: 'O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship, nor do you worship what I worship. Nor will I worship what you have worshipped, nor will you worship what I worship. To you is your religion, and to me is my religion'" (109:1-6). So do not imagine that I will answer your request for associating partners with God. They despaired of that, and after that they asked him to remove from the Quran what angered them—the condemnation of idols and the severe threats—and to bring a different Quran or have God change it. In response to them, in Surat Yunus: "Say: 'It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me'" (10:15). And there occurred with him and the disbelievers of Quraysh a remarkable incident that serves as a lamp for those who belittle the weak. It is that while the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was with the great and noble men of Quraysh, seeking to win them over and presenting to them the Quran and the religion he had brought, 'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum came to him.

Ibn Umm Maktūm, the blind man (218)—and he was among those who had embraced Islam early—while the Prophet was occupied with the [noble] people, having found from them a sense of companionship such that he hoped for their conversion to Islam. [ʿAbdullāh] said to him: "O Messenger of Allāh, teach me from what Allāh has taught you," and he spoke at length to him. This weighed heavily upon the Messenger, and he disliked interrupting his speech, and he—peace and blessings be upon him—feared that turning his attention to that poor man might alienate the hearts of those nobles from him. So he turned away from him. Then Allāh reproached him for that with His words at the beginning of Sūrat ʿAbasa: "He frowned and turned away because the blind man came to him. And what would make you perceive that perhaps he might purify himself or be reminded, and the reminder would benefit him? As for he who thinks himself self-sufficient, to him you give attention, though you are not to blame if he does not purify himself. But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge] while he fears [Allāh], from him you are distracted." (219) After that, the Messenger of Allāh—peace and blessings be upon him—never frowned in the face of a poor person, and whenever ʿAbdullāh ibn Umm Maktūm came to him, he would say to him: "Welcome to the one for whose sake my Lord has reproached me." When the polytheists saw that these demands which they were presenting were not accepted from them, they wanted to enter through another door, namely, incapacitating the Messenger by requesting signs. So they gathered and said: "O Muḥammad, if you are truthful, show us a sign that we request from you, which is that you split the moon into two halves for us." So Allāh granted him this miracle, and the moon split into two halves. The Messenger of Allāh said: "Bear witness." This story was narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd—and he was among the earliest forerunners—narrated from him through many chains, and it was also narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās and others, and a great multitude narrated from them until the ḥadīth became nearly mutawātir (220). The Noble Qurʾān mentioned it in the words of Allāh Most High at the beginning of Sūrat al-Qamar: "The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split." When the obstinate ones saw this great sign, some of them said: "Ibn Abī Kabshah has bewitched you." So Allāh revealed concerning them: "And if they see a sign, they turn away and say, 'Continuous magic.'" (221) Then after that, they asked the Messenger for signs, intending nothing thereby but obstinacy and stubbornness. Among them was what they said, as in Sūrat al-Isrāʾ: "We will not believe you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us, or you have a garden of palm trees and grapevines and cause rivers to gush forth within it in abundance, or you cause the sky to fall upon us in pieces as you have claimed, or you bring Allāh and the angels before [us] face to face, or you have a house of gold, or you ascend into the sky. And we will not believe in your ascension until you send down to us a book that we can read." And Allāh did not answer them except with His words: "Say, 'Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever anything but a human messenger?'" (222) Because Allāh knew what their hearts concealed of bigotry and stubbornness, that they would not believe no matter what clear proofs came to them, as He—Glorious is His mention—said in Sūrat al-Anʿām: "And what will make you perceive that when it comes, they will not believe?" (223) And how can good be hoped from those who said, as in Sūrat al-Anfāl: "O Allāh, if this is the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment." (224) And they did not say: "If this is the truth from You, then guide us to it." This is a sunnah (way) of the prophets: when they see stubbornness from those requesting signs, and that they request them to incapacitate, they do not ask Allāh to bring about these signs, lest destruction befall their people, as happened to ʿĀd, Thamūd, and others. This is what is meant by the words of Allāh Most High in Sūrat al-Isrāʾ: "And nothing prevented Us from sending the signs except that the former peoples denied them." (225) It also occurred with the Messiah—peace be upon him—that when he stood before Herod, he asked him for a sign, and he did not respond to his request. When he saw that, he mocked him and sent him back to Pilate after he had been sorry for him and wished to meet him. This is mentioned in the twenty-third chapter of the Gospel of Luke. (This) When the polytheists saw their weakness in resisting the Muslims with proof, they turned to the policy of force, which the people of Abraham chose when they were unable to [argue] against him, as they said: "Burn him and support your gods," as in Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ (226). As for these [polytheists], they increased in harming everyone who had embraced Islam, hoping to deter them from following the Messenger—peace be upon him—and they left no door unentered. So he—peace and blessings be upon him—said to his Companions: "Disperse in the land, for Allāh will gather you together." They asked him about the direction, and he pointed to Abyssinia. [The First Hijrah to Abyssinia] Thereupon, people prepared to leave their homes and wealth, fleeing with their religion as he—peace and blessings be upon him—had indicated. This was the first hijrah (emigration) from Mecca, and the number of its Companions was ten men and five women, and they were: ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān and his wife Ruqayyah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allāh; Abū Salamah and his wife Umm Salamah; his maternal brother Abū Sabrah ibn Abī Ruhm and his wife Umm Kulthūm; ʿĀmir ibn Rabīʿah and his wife Laylā; Abū Ḥudhayfah ibn ʿUtbah ibn Rabīʿah and his wife Sahlah bint Suhayl; ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf; ʿUthmān ibn Maẓʿūn; Muṣʿab ibn ʿUmayr; Suhayl ibn al-Bayḍāʾ; and al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām. Most of them were from Quraysh (227). According to what Ibn Hishām narrated, their leader was ʿUthmān ibn Maẓʿūn. They set out with the blessing of Allāh, and when they reached the sea, they hired a ship that brought them to their destination. They remained safe from the harm that would have befallen them from the polytheists, and only a few remained with the Prophet—peace be upon him. The Conversion of ʿUmar (228) At that time, the valiant and noble ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb al-ʿAdawī al-Qurashī (229) embraced Islam, after having been [known for] his hatred of the Muslims and his severe harm to them. Laylā (230)—one of the women who had emigrated to the land of Abyssinia with her husband—said: "ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb was among the harshest people towards us in our Islam. When I mounted my camel, intending to set out for the land of Abyssinia, suddenly he came upon me and said: 'Where are you going, O Umm ʿAbdillāh?' I said: 'You have harmed us in our religion; we are going to the land of Allāh where we will not be harmed.' He said: 'May Allāh accompany you.' When my husband ʿĀmir came, I told him what I had seen of ʿUmar's tenderness. He said: 'Do you hope that he will convert? By Allāh, he will not convert until the donkey of al-Khaṭṭāb converts!'" This was due to what he had seen of his harshness and severity towards the Muslims. But the blessing of the supplication of the Chosen One—peace and blessings be upon him—came to him, for he had said shortly before his conversion: "O Allāh, strengthen Islam with ʿUmar" (231). His conversion took place in the house of al-Arqam ibn Abī al-Arqam, where the Muslims used to gather, and Allāh fulfilled through his conversion what the Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—had hoped for. ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd said, according to a narration from al-Bukhārī: "We have been mighty ever since ʿUmar converted." For he asked the Messenger of Allāh to announce his prayer in the mosque, and he did so. The disbelievers experienced intense grief when they saw that ʿUmar had converted. They had intended to kill him until a crowd gathered around his house waiting for him. Then al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wāʾil al-Sahmī (and he was from Banū Sahm, allies of Banū ʿAdī, the people of ʿUmar) came, wearing a ḥullah ḥibarah (232) and a shirt hemmed with silk. He said to ʿUmar: "What is the matter with you?" He said: "Your people claim that they will kill me if I convert." He said: "There is no way to you; I am your protector." So ʿUmar was safe. Al-ʿĀṣ went out and found the people filling the valley. He said: "Where are you going?" They said: "We are going to this son of al-Khaṭṭāb who has apostatized." He said: "There is no way to him." So the people returned from where they had come (233). [The Return of the Emigrants to Abyssinia] Three months after the departure of the emigrants to Abyssinia, they returned to Mecca, where residence was not easy for them because they were few in number—and in numbers there is some comfort—and add to that they were nobles of Quraysh with their women, and such people would not find life pleasant in a land of exile in this condition. Some historians are fond of a story they make the cause of the return of the emigrants to Abyssinia, namely that news reached them of the conversion of their people when the Messenger recited Sūrat al-Najm to them, and he spoke well about their gods, saying after "Have you considered al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā and Manāt, the third, the other?" (234): "Those are the high gharanīq (plural of ghurnūq, meaning birds, by which angels are intended) (235), and indeed their intercession is hoped for." So they prostrated in veneration of that and joy. This is something that may not be narrated except by those of little understanding who transmit everything they find without verifying its authenticity. Here we present to you the textual and rational proofs of the falsehood of what was mentioned. As for the ḥadīth, its chain of transmission and its text are both shaky. Regarding the chain, al-Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ said in al-Shifāʾ: "None of the people of authenticity have transmitted it, nor has any trustworthy narrator reported it with a sound chain" (236). As for the text, neither the Companions of the Messenger of Allāh nor the polytheists were insane such that they would hear praise amidst blame and consider that permissible. After mentioning the idols, He said: "They are but names which you have named, you and your fathers, for which Allāh has sent down no authority." So the speech is inconsistent. If that had occurred, the disbelievers would have taken it as an argument against him during disputes, and we know their stubbornness regarding matters where there is not even the slightest proof, so how about this? And that saying is not less than the change of the qiblah to the Kaʿbah, about which they said what they said until Allāh called them fools and revealed concerning them in Sūrat al-Baqarah: "The foolish among the people will say, 'What has turned them away from their qiblah which they used to face?'" (237). But no report is heard from any of their prominent men and those who were foremost in stubbornness saying: "Why did you revile our gods after praising them?" That would have been more fitting for them than drawing swords and sacrificing men's lives. Moreover, the historians who transmit this statement and make it the cause of the return of the emigrants to Abyssinia say during their speech that the hijrah was in Rajab, and the return was in Shawwāl.

The revelation of Surah An-Najm occurred in Ramadan, so the period between the revelation of the surah and the return of the emigrants was one month. Upon the slightest reflection, one sees that a month was insufficient at that time for traveling from Mecca to Abyssinia and back, because there were no steamships to facilitate sea travel, nor telegraphs to convey the news of Quraysh's conversion to those in Abyssinia. So it is no wonder after that if we say: this myth is among the fabrications of the people of whims with whom God has afflicted this religion. But praise be to God, He has favored us with the preservation of our glorious Book, which judges between us and every lying slanderer. In the surah itself: "Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination" ¹⁶². What Satan casts is among the ugliest of narrations; how then could the Prophet, peace be upon him, say it or have it pass his lips, thereby planting doubts about revelation? That is what the foolish desire—may God return their plot against their own throats. What is authentically reported regarding this prostration is what Abdullah ibn Mas'ud narrated: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, recited Surah An-Najm and prostrated, and those with him prostrated except for a man ¹⁶³ who took a handful of pebbles, placed them on his forehead, and said: 'This suffices me.' I later saw him killed as a disbeliever" ¹⁶⁴. There is not the slightest indication in this hadith that those who prostrated with him were polytheists; rather, what it indicates is his statement: "I later saw him killed as a disbeliever"—that he was a Muslim and then I saw him apostatize. This happened to some weak-hearted individuals who could not bear the harm, so they disbelieved, among them Ali ibn Umayyah ibn Khalaf. When the emigrants of Abyssinia returned to Mecca, none could enter except those who found a protector. Abu Salamah entered under the protection of his maternal uncle Abu Talib, and Uthman ibn Maz'un entered under the protection of Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughirah, who later revoked his protection when he saw what he did to the Muslims, as he did not wish to be at ease while his brothers were being tortured ¹⁶⁵. [Writing of the Pact] When the schemes of the Quraysh disbelievers failed, they offered the Banu Abd Manaf, from whom the Prophet, peace be upon him, came, double blood money to hand him over, but they refused. Then they offered Abu Talib to give him a noble youth ¹⁶⁶ from among their young men to adopt, in exchange for handing over his nephew. He said: "Amazing! You give me your son to raise for you, and I give you my son to kill?" When they saw that, they unanimously agreed to boycott the Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib, the two sons of Abd Manaf, expelling them from Mecca and imposing a siege on them: not to sell them anything nor buy from them until they handed over Muhammad for execution. They wrote a pact to that effect and placed it inside the Kaaba ¹⁶⁷. The Banu Hashim then withdrew to the mountain pass of Abu Talib, and the Banu Al-Muttalib joined them, both Muslims and disbelievers among them, except Abu Lahab, who sided with Quraysh. Their cousins Banu Abd Shams and Banu Nawfal, sons of Abd Manaf, seceded from them. The people suffered so much that they ate tree leaves ¹⁶⁸, and their enemies prevented merchants from trading with them, foremost among them Abu Lahab. [Second Emigration to Abyssinia] After the Prophet and his people entered the pass, he ordered all Muslims to emigrate to Abyssinia so that they could help each other in exile. Most of them emigrated, numbering about eighty-three men and eighteen women. Among the men were Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and his wife Asma bint Umays, Al-Miqdad ibn Al-Aswad, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh and his wife Umm Habiba bint Abu Sufyan. Those who had embraced Islam from Yemen, the Ash'aris: Abu Musa and his cousins ¹⁶⁹, also headed there. When Quraysh saw that, they sent after them Amr ibn Al-As and Umara ibn Al-Walid with gifts to the Negus to hand over the Muslims, but they returned in disgrace, gaining nothing from the Negus except humiliation for what they said about breaching his protection of people who had sought refuge with him. As for Banu Hashim, they remained in the pass for nearly three years in severe hardship and affliction, with no food reaching them except secretly. [Annulment of the Pact] Five nobles of Quraysh rose to demand the annulment of this unjust pact: Hisham ibn Amr ibn Al-Harith Al-Amiri, who was the greatest in this endeavor; Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah Al-Makhzumi, the Prophet's maternal aunt's son; Al-Mut'im ibn Adi Al-Nawfali; Abu Al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham Al-Asadi; and Zam'a ibn Al-Aswad Al-Asadi. They agreed on this at night. In the morning, Zuhayr, wearing a cloak, circumambulated the Kaaba and then addressed the people: "O people of Mecca! Shall we eat food and wear clothes while Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib are perishing, unable to sell or buy? By God, I will not sit until this unjust, severing pact is torn!" Abu Jahl said: "You lie!" Zam'a said to Abu Jahl: "By God, you are the liar! We were not pleased with its writing when it was written." Abu Al-Bakhtari said: "Zam'a has spoken the truth." Al-Mut'im ibn Adi said: "You both have spoken the truth, and whoever says otherwise lies." Hisham ibn Amr confirmed what was said. Then Al-Mut'im ibn Adi went to the pact and tore it, and termites had eaten it, leaving only what contained the name of God ¹⁷⁰. The Prophet, peace be upon him, had informed his uncle Abu Talib of this before it happened. After this hardship, the people returned to their homes ¹⁷¹. [Delegation of Najran] After leaving the pass, a delegation of Christians from Najran ¹⁷² came to the Prophet, having heard about him from the emigrants of Abyssinia. They hastened to come to him to see his attributes as mentioned in their scriptures. They were twenty men or thereabouts. He recited the Quran to them, and they all believed. Abu Jahl ¹⁷³ said to them: "We have never seen a more foolish group than you! Your people sent you to learn about this man, and you have converted!" They said: "Peace be upon you. We will not behave ignorantly with you. You have what you are upon, and we have what we have chosen." God revealed concerning that in Surah Al-Qasas ¹⁷⁴: "Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it, they are believers in it. And when it is recited to them, they say, 'We have believed in it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed we were, before it, Muslims [in submission to God].' Those will be given their reward twice for what they patiently endured, and they repel evil with good, and from what We have provided them they spend. And when they hear ill speech, they turn away from it and say, 'For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. Peace be upon you. We seek not the ignorant.'" ¹⁷⁵ When the people of Mecca were unable to deal with the Prophet and could not counter argument with argument, they accused him of sorcery, lying, madness, and soothsaying—all of which is the way of the helpless obstinate who, due to his stubbornness, does not hesitate to say: "O God, if this is the truth from You, then rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful punishment." ¹⁷⁶ [Death of Khadijah, may God be pleased with her] Shortly after the Prophet left the pass, three years before the Hijra, Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, his wife, may God be pleased with her, passed away. The Prophet, peace be upon him, often mentioned her and asked for mercy for her. No wonder, for she was the first pure soul to believe the Messenger of God in what he brought from his Lord. She bore him all his children except Ibrahim ¹⁷⁷. Among them was Zaynab, his eldest daughter, who married Abu Al-As ibn Al-Rabi' ¹⁷⁸ in the pre-Islamic period, and she bore him Umamah, whom Ali ibn Abi Talib married after Fatimah's death ¹⁷⁹. Among them was Ruqayyah ¹⁸⁰ and Umm Kulthum, both married to Uthman—the first in Mecca before the Hijra, and she emigrated with him to Abyssinia; the second in Medina after her sister's death. Among them was Fatimah, his youngest daughter, who married Ali ibn Abi Talib. Khadijah bore children who died young, and none of the Prophet's children survived him except Fatimah, who lived a short while after him. When Khadijah died, the Messenger of God grieved deeply for her because of her tenderness toward him and her defense against the disbelievers, due to her status among her clan, Banu Asad. Among them was Al-Qasim, after whom the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, was nicknamed, and Abdullah, nicknamed Al-Tayyib and Al-Tahir. [Marriage to Sawdah] In the same month Khadijah died, the Prophet, peace be upon him, contracted marriage with Sawdah bint Zam'ah Al-Amirah Al-Qurashiyyah ¹⁸¹, after her husband and cousin As-Sakran ibn Amr had died. She had believed in God and His Messenger, opposed her relatives and cousins, and emigrated with her husband to Abyssinia in the second migration for fear of persecution. After his return from his emigration, he died. There was nothing more fitting than what the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, did for the husband of a man who believed in him. Had she been left to her people, with their harshness and hatred of Islam, they would have tempted her. Her noble lineage among her people prevented her from marrying a man of lesser lineage and honor. [Marriage to Aisha, may God be pleased with her] A month later, he contracted marriage with Aisha, daughter of his friend Abu Bakr, when she was no more than seven years old. He never married a virgin other than her. He consummated the marriage with her in Medina, while with Sawdah he consummated in Mecca. About a month after Khadijah's death, his uncle Abu Talib died. He had protected him from the harm of his enemies. Although he did not disbelieve the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, in what he brought, but rather believed in his truthfulness, he did not utter the two testimonies until the last moment of his life. Concerning him was revealed in Surah Al-Qasas: "Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like, but God guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided." ¹⁸² However, due to his great deeds for the Messenger of God, we hope that he will be granted leniency ¹⁸³. The fact that he and most of the Prophet's relatives did not embrace Islam contains wisdom that is not hidden. For if they had hastened to follow him, it would have been said: "A people seeking leadership and glory not theirs have brought this fabricated matter." But when the obstinate saw that his followers were strangers unrelated to him, sometimes even from his enemies like Uthman ibn Affan from Banu Umayyah, they had no argument to present, except their false claims that they clung to when argument confounded them, such as saying: "A sorcerer who separates a man from his wife," or "A soothsayer who divines the unseen." The Prophet, peace be upon him, called this year in which he lost his wife and uncle "the Year of Sorrow." When Abu Talib died, Quraysh inflicted upon the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, what they could not during Abu Talib's lifetime. Matters became so severe that they would throw dust on his head as he walked, place sheep entrails on him during his prayer, and once the disbelievers of Quraysh seized him, pulling him and saying: "Are you the one who wants to make the gods one God?" None of the Muslims stepped forward to rescue him due to their weakness, except Abu Bakr, who came forward and said: "Would you kill a man for saying: My Lord is God?!" [Emigration to Ta'if]

When he—peace and blessings be upon him—saw the Quraysh’s disregard for him, he wished to go to Thaqif in Ta’if (261), hoping for their support against his people and their assistance so that he might fulfill his Lord’s command, because they were the closest people to Mecca and he had maternal uncles among them (262), for the mother of Hashim ibn ‘Abd Manaf, ‘Atikah al-Sulamiyyah, was from the tribe of Banu Sulaym ibn Mansur, and they were allies of Thaqif. When he set out to them, accompanied by his freedman Zayd ibn Harithah, he met their chiefs, who were three: ‘Abd Yalayl, Mas‘ud, and Habib, the sons of ‘Amr ibn ‘Umayr al-Thaqafi. He presented to them his request for support so that he might deliver his call, but they gave him a harsh reply, and he saw no good from them. At that time, he asked them not to spread news of this about him, lest the Quraysh learn of it and intensify their harm, because he had sought aid against them from their enemies. But Thaqif did not do what he—peace and blessings be upon him—had hoped from them; rather, they sent their foolish ones and their youths to block his path and pelt him with stones until they made his heels bleed. Zayd ibn Harithah shielded him until he reached a grapevine and sought shade beneath it, which was near a garden belonging to ‘Utbah and Shaybah, the sons of Rabi‘ah, who were among his enemies and were in the garden. The Messenger of God disliked being near them, so he supplicated to God, saying: “O God, I complain to You of my weakness of strength, my scarcity of resourcefulness, and my lowliness before people. O Most Merciful of the merciful, to whom do You entrust me? To an enemy who would glower at me (263), or to a relative to whom You have given control of my affair? If You are not angry with me, then I care not, except that Your well-being is more ample for me. I seek refuge in the light of Your noble Face, by which the heavens and the earth are illuminated, the darknesses are brightened, and the affairs of this world and the Hereafter are set aright, from Your wrath descending upon me or Your displeasure befalling me. To You belongs the right to reproach until You are pleased, and there is no power nor strength except through You” (264). When the two sons of Rabi‘ah saw him, they felt compassion for him and sent him a cluster of grapes with a Christian slave of theirs named ‘Addas. When the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—began to eat, he said: “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.” ‘Addas said: “This speech is not what the people of this land say.” He—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “From which land are you, and what is your religion?” He said: “I am a Christian from Nineveh” (265). He—peace and blessings be upon him—said to him: “From the town of the righteous man Jonah son of Matta?” He said: “What do you know about Jonah?” (266) So he recited to him from the Qur’an what contains the story of Jonah. When ‘Addas heard that, he embraced Islam. Then Gabriel came with a message from God—exalted be His mention—and said: “God has commanded me to obey you regarding your people for what they did to you.” So he—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “O God, guide my people, for they do not know.” Gabriel said: “He who called you the Kind, the Merciful has spoken truly” (267). When he was at Nakhla (268), a group of jinn came to him listening to the Qur’an, and they were among those who followed Moses—peace be upon him. When they heard it, they listened attentively to him and returned to their people as warners, informing them of the news of the Messenger of God. Concerning them was revealed in Surah al-Ahqaf: “And [mention] when We directed to you a group of the jinn, listening to the Qur’an. And when they attended it, they said, ‘Listen attentively.’ And when it was concluded, they turned back to their people as warners. They said, ‘O our people, indeed we have heard a book revealed after Moses, confirming what was before it, guiding to the truth and to a straight path. O our people, respond to the caller of God and believe in him; He will forgive you your sins and protect you from a painful punishment. And whoever does not respond to the caller of God will not cause failure [to God] on earth, and he will not have besides Him any protectors. Those are in manifest error’” (269). And God related the story of the jinn in a longer expression in a surah named after them, the beginning of which is: “Say, ‘It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, “Indeed, we have heard a wondrous Qur’an, guiding to right conduct, so we have believed in it, and we will never associate anyone with our Lord”’” (270). **Seeking Protection from al-Mut‘im ibn ‘Adiyy** When he—peace be upon him—returned from Ta’if in this state, he was unable to enter Mecca because the disbelievers of Quraysh knew that he had gone to Ta’if seeking support from its people against them. So he—peace and blessings be upon him—sent word to al-Mut‘im ibn ‘Adiyy ibn Nawfal ibn ‘Abd Manaf, informing him that he would enter Mecca under his protection. He agreed to that (271), and he and his sons armed themselves and went with the Messenger of God to the place of circumambulation. Some of the polytheists said to him: “Are you a protector or a follower?” He said: “Rather, a protector.” They said: “Then your covenant will not be violated.” **The Delegation of Daws** While he was in Mecca, al-Tufayl ibn ‘Amr al-Dawsi (272) came to the Messenger of God from the tribe of Daws, the clan of the famous Companion Abu Hurayrah. Al-Tufayl was a nobleman among his people, a distinguished poet. When he recited the Qur’an to him, he embraced Islam (273). The Messenger of God said to him: “Go to your people and call them to Islam.” And the Messenger of God supplicated for them, saying: “O God, guide Daws” (274). So al-Tufayl went to them and called them, and many of them believed through his call. His second delegation to the Messenger with his people in Medina will come later. **The Night Journey and the Ascension (275)** Before the emigration, God honored him with the Night Journey (al-Isra’) and the Ascension (al-Mi‘raj). As for the Night Journey, it was his going by night to the Sacred House in Jerusalem (Ilya’) and his return that same night. As for the Ascension, it was his ascent to the higher realm. The majority of the People of the Sunnah said that this was with his noble body (276). ‘A’ishah—may God be pleased with her—denied that the Messenger of God saw his Lord, and she said: “Whoever claims that Muhammad saw his Lord has fabricated a great lie against God” (277). The Night Journey is mentioned in the Noble Qur’an. He—exalted be He—said at the beginning of Surah al-Isra’: “Exalted is He who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” As for the Ascension, it is reported in the authentic Sunnah, and the most authentic of its hadiths is what the two Shaykhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim) narrated, and al-Qadi ‘Iyad transmitted in his *al-Shifa’* from Anas ibn Malik—may God be pleased with him—who said: The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—said: “I was brought al-Buraq (a beast above a donkey and below a mule, placing its hoof at the farthest extent of its sight).” He said: “I rode it until I reached the Sacred House in Jerusalem. I tied it to the ring by which the prophets tie [their mounts]. Then I entered the mosque and prayed two rak‘ahs there. Then I came out, and Gabriel brought me a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. I chose the milk. Gabriel said: ‘You have chosen the natural disposition (al-fitrah)’ (278). Then he ascended with me to the heaven. Gabriel asked for it to be opened. It was said: ‘Who are you?’ He said: ‘Gabriel.’ It was said: ‘And who is with you?’ He said: ‘Muhammad.’ It was said: ‘Has he been sent for?’ He said: ‘He has been sent for.’ So it was opened for us, and there was Adam. He welcomed me and prayed for good for me. Then he ascended with me to the second heaven. Gabriel asked for it to be opened. It was said: ‘Who are you?’ He said: ‘Gabriel.’ It was said: ‘And who is with you?’ He said: ‘Muhammad.’ It was said: ‘Has he been sent for?’ He said: ‘He has been sent for.’ So it was opened for us, and there were the two maternal cousins, John and Jesus son of Mary. They welcomed me and prayed for good for me. Then he ascended with me to the third heaven. He mentioned the like of the first. So it was opened for us, and there was Joseph. He had been given half of beauty. He welcomed me and prayed for good for me. Then he ascended with me to the fourth heaven. He mentioned the like of that. And there was Idris. He welcomed me and prayed for good for me. He—exalted be He—said in Surah Maryam: ‘And We raised him to a high station’ (279). Then he ascended with me to the fifth heaven. He mentioned the like of that. And there was Aaron. He welcomed me and prayed for good for me. Then he ascended with me to the sixth heaven. He mentioned the like of that. And there was Moses. He welcomed me and prayed for good for me. Then he ascended with me to the seventh heaven. He mentioned the like of that. And there was Abraham, leaning his back against the Much-Frequented House (al-Bayt al-Ma‘mur). And indeed, seventy thousand angels enter it daily, never returning to it (280). Then

1. أبيت اللعن : A phrase used to address a king or chief, meaning 'may you be safe from curses' or 'may you be free from blame'.
2. الشيح والقيصوم : Types of desert plants (Artemisia and Achillea), symbolizing the desert regions of Najd.
3. نجد : The central plateau of Arabia.
4. نخلة : A valley near Mecca.
5. تناجزوا : Engaged in close combat or war.
6. دعا المتحاربين للصلح : Those who called the warring parties to peace; possibly referring to peacemakers.
7. حلف الفضول : The Alliance of the Virtuous, a pre-Islamic pact to defend the oppressed.
8. عبد الله بن جدعان التميمي : A wealthy and generous chief of Quraysh from the tribe of Taym.
9. حمر النعم : Red camels, considered the best and most valuable type of camel.
10. لو دعيت به في الإسلام لأجبت : If I were called to such an alliance in Islam, I would respond; indicating the pact's compatibility with Islamic principles.
11. بعثت لأتمم مكارم الأخلاق : I was sent to perfect noble morals; a hadith emphasizing the Prophet's mission.
12. تضاربهم : Engage in mudaraba, a form of partnership where one provides capital and the other labor.
13. غلام خديجة : Khadija's slave or servant named Maysara.
14. أوسط : Meaning the best or most noble in lineage.
15. ضئضيء : Root or origin; from the same root as 'progeny'.
16. الصداق : Dowry or bridal gift; the text says 'kadha' meaning 'thus' or 'such and such'.
17. ربيب : Stepchild; a child from a previous marriage.
18. بناء البيت : Rebuilding of the Ka'ba.
19. رضيمة : A low structure built of stones without mortar.
20. أساس إسماعيل : The foundation laid by Prophet Ishmael.
21. صحاف نقش فيها كثير من الحكم : Tablets inscribed with wisdom; possibly referring to ancient inscriptions.
22. مهر بغي ولا بيع ربا : Dowry of a prostitute or usurious gain; prohibited sources of income.
23. باقوم : A Roman carpenter who supervised the construction.
24. الحجر : The Hijr, a semicircular area adjacent to the Ka'ba, considered part of it.
25. الحجر : The Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad).
26. آية : Qur'anic verse from Surah Al 'Imran (3:96-97).
27. آية : Qur'anic verse from Surah al-'Ankabut (29:67).
28. ʿāʾilan : Poor, needy; one who has dependents but lacks means.
29. qarārīṭ : Plural of qīrāṭ; a small unit of weight or coin, used here metaphorically for a small wage.
30. juʿl : A fee or payment for services rendered.
31. Sūrat al-Ḍuḥā : Quran 93:6-8.
32. Sūrat al-Shūrā : Quran 42:52.
33. al-Amīn : The Trustworthy; a title given to the Prophet Muhammad before his prophethood due to his honesty and integrity.
34. al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith : A prominent polytheist of Quraysh known for his hostility to the Prophet.
35. Jāhiliyyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance and paganism.
36. nuṣub : Plural of naṣb; stone altars or idols upon which animals were sacrificed in pre-Islamic times.
37. Ḥalīma : Halima al-Sa'diyya, the Prophet's foster mother from the Banu Sa'd tribe.
38. shaqq ṣadrih : The splitting of the Prophet's chest as a child, a miracle where angels purified his heart.
39. al-ḥijāra wa al-ashjār : Stones and trees; inanimate objects that greeted the Prophet.
40. al-ṣalātu wa al-salāmu ʿalayka yā Rasūla Llāh : Peace and blessings be upon you, O Messenger of God.
41. sibṭ : Tribe; specifically one of the twelve tribes of Israel.
42. Mūsā : Moses (peace be upon him), a major prophet in Islam.
43. Yūḥannā al-Maʿmadān : John the Baptist (Yahya), a prophet in Islam.
44. Ilyās : Elijah, a prophet in Islam.
45. Sifr al-Tathniya : The Book of Deuteronomy in the Torah.
46. Sūrat al-Ḥāqqa : Quran 69:44-46.
47. Sūrat al-Māʾida : Quran 5:67.
48. Sūrat al-Shūrā : Quran 42:24.
49. Sūrat al-Aḥzāb : Quran 33:45.
50. al-Mutawakkil : The one who relies on God; a name given to the Prophet in earlier scriptures.
51. ṣakhāb : Clamorous, noisy, or shouting in the markets.
52. ghulf : Sealed or covered hearts, i.e., hearts that are veiled from truth.
53. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām : A Jewish rabbi who converted to Islam and became a companion of the Prophet.
54. Kaʿb al-Aḥbār : A Jewish scholar from Yemen who converted to Islam and narrated many traditions.
55. al-Fāraqliṭ : Paraclete, a term used in the Gospel to refer to the Comforter or Advocate, identified by Muslims as Prophet Muhammad.
56. Sūrat al-Ṣaff 61:6 : Qur'anic verse mentioning Jesus' prophecy of a messenger named Ahmad.
57. Sūrat al-Najm 53:3-4 : Qur'anic verse stating that the Prophet does not speak from desire but by revelation.
58. ḥujub : Veils or coverings; here referring to the concealment of the Gospel of Barnabas.
59. Umayya ibn Abī al-Ṣalt : A pre-Islamic Arab poet who sought the truth and believed in one God but did not accept Islam.
60. qissīs : A Christian priest or monk.
61. arbaʿūn sana : Forty years, the age at which Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation.
62. mithl falaq al-ṣubḥ : Like the break of dawn, meaning clear and true.
63. al-khalā' : Solitude or seclusion for worship.
64. ghār Ḥirā' : The Cave of Hira, a cave on Mount Nur near Mecca where Prophet Muhammad used to meditate.
65. ghaṭṭahu : He pressed him or squeezed him tightly.
66. Sūrat al-ʿAlaq 96:1-5 : The first verses revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
67. al-rawʿ : Terror or fear.
68. zammilūnī : Cover me or wrap me up.
69. qashʿarīra : Shivering or goosebumps from fear.
70. khashītu ʿalā nafsī : I feared for myself.
71. taksib al-maʿdūm : You earn for the destitute, i.e., you provide for the needy.
72. taqrī al-ḍayf : You entertain the guest.
73. nuwā'ib al-ḥaqq : Calamities of truth, i.e., helping in times of hardship.
74. ʿamiya : He became blind.
75. ibn akhīk : Your nephew; here referring to the Prophet as Khadija's relative.
76. al-Nāmūs : The angel of revelation, identified as Gabriel.
77. aw mukhrijī hum : Will they expel me?
78. Sūrat Ibrāhīm 14:13 : Qur'anic verse about messengers being threatened with expulsion.
79. naṣran mu'azzaran : Mighty or strong support.
80. daththirūnī : Cover me or wrap me up.
81. Sūrat al-Muddaththir 74:1-2 : Qur'anic verses commanding the Prophet to arise and warn.
82. wa-rabbaka fakabbir : And your Lord magnify.
83. wa-thiyābaka faṭahhir : And your garments purify.
84. wal-rujza fahjur : And the abomination shun.
85. wa-lā tamnun tastakthir : And do not confer favor to acquire more.
86. wa-li-rabbika faṣbir : And for your Lord be patient.
87. Khadijah bint Khuwaylid : First wife of the Prophet Muhammad, the first person to embrace Islam.
88. Ali ibn Abi Talib : Cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet, the fourth caliph, and the first male to embrace Islam.
89. Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafah : Close companion and father-in-law of the Prophet, the first caliph.
90. hastened to believe : Abu Bakr is known for his immediate and unwavering faith in the Prophet's message.
91. Hadith : A saying of the Prophet Muhammad, recorded in hadith collections.
92. Uthman ibn Affan : Third caliph, known for his modesty and generosity.
93. al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam : Companion of the Prophet, cousin of the Prophet, and one of the ten promised Paradise.
94. Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf : Companion known for his wealth and generosity, one of the ten promised Paradise.
95. Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas : Companion and military commander, one of the ten promised Paradise.
96. Sabian : A term used by polytheists to refer to early Muslims, implying they had abandoned their ancestral religion.
97. Quran 29:8 : Verse commanding kindness to parents but disobedience if they demand shirk (associating partners with God).
98. no obedience to a creature in disobedience to the Creator : Islamic legal principle that obedience to parents or rulers is not required if it involves sin.
99. Talhah ibn Ubayd Allah : Companion known for his bravery, one of the ten promised Paradise.
100. defects : Refers to the moral and social shortcomings of pre-Islamic Arab society.
101. Suhayb al-Rumi : Companion of Byzantine origin, known for his piety and trade.
102. Ammar ibn Yasir : Companion known for his steadfastness, one of the early converts.
103. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud : Companion known for his knowledge of the Quran and hadith.
104. Abu Dharr al-Ghifari : Companion known for his asceticism and outspokenness.
105. as if to urinate : A ruse to avoid suspicion while guiding Abu Dharr to the Prophet.
106. proclaim it among them : Abu Dharr insisted on publicly declaring his faith despite the danger.
107. knocked him down : The polytheists beat Abu Dharr severely for his public declaration.
108. narrated by al-Bukhari : Reference to the hadith collection of Imam al-Bukhari, one of the most authentic.
109. Sa'id ibn Zayd : Companion, one of the ten promised Paradise.
110. Ubaydah ibn al-Harith : Companion and cousin of the Prophet, martyred at Badr.
111. Abu Salamah : Companion, husband of Umm Salamah (later wife of the Prophet).
112. Uthman ibn Maz'un : Companion known for his asceticism, one of the early converts.
113. al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam : Companion whose house was used as a meeting place for early Muslims.
114. Khalid ibn Sa'id : Companion, one of the early converts, later served as a governor.
115. al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam : A companion of the Prophet; his house in Mecca was used as a secret meeting place for early Muslims.
116. 15:94 : Quranic verse commanding the Prophet to proclaim the message openly.
117. Safa : A hill in Mecca, part of the Sa'i ritual; here, the Prophet used it as a platform to address Quraysh.
118. 111:1-5 : Surah al-Masad (or al-Lahab), condemning Abu Lahab and his wife for their opposition to the Prophet.
119. 26:214 : Quranic verse commanding the Prophet to warn his closest relatives.
120. Paradise forever or Hell forever : Reference to the eternal nature of the afterlife in Islamic belief.
121. Abu Kabsha : A derogatory nickname used by Quraysh to mock the Prophet, implying he was a follower of a man named Abu Kabsha, a monotheist.
122. Jahiliyyah : The period of ignorance before Islam; here, the pre-Islamic tribal pride and customs.
123. blind imitation : Taqlid; following ancestral traditions without evidence or reason.
124. 2:170 : Quranic verse criticizing those who blindly follow their ancestors.
125. 5:104 : Similar verse condemning blind imitation.
126. 31:21 : Another verse on blind imitation, linking it to Satan's call.
127. 43:23 : Verse describing the affluent who follow their fathers' religion.
128. 43:24 : Response to the affluent: even if better guidance is brought, they reject it.
129. I will never hand you over : Abu Talib's pledge to protect the Prophet despite pressure from Quraysh.
130. the House : The Kaaba in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam.
131. mockers : A group of Quraysh leaders who ridiculed and persecuted the Prophet.
132. Abu Jahl : Meaning 'Father of Ignorance'; nickname of 'Amr ibn Hisham, a staunch opponent of Islam.
133. Gabriel : The angel Jibril, who appeared to protect the Prophet from Abu Jahl's attack.
134. most attended in the valley : Reference to Abu Jahl's large following and influence among Quraysh.
135. 96:15-19 : Verses threatening Abu Jahl with punishment for forbidding the Prophet's prayer.
136. 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt : A Quraysh leader who persecuted the Prophet; later killed at Badr.
137. he named some people : The Prophet prayed against specific individuals; they were later killed at Badr.
138. day of Badr : The Battle of Badr in 624 CE, where many Quraysh leaders were killed.
139. a huge camel : A miraculous vision that terrified Abu Jahl, preventing him from harming the Prophet.
140. Umm Jamil bint Harb ibn Umayya : Wife of Abu Lahab; known for spreading thorns and slander against the Prophet.
141. سورة الفرقان : Surah al-Furqan, verses 27-29.
142. أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلًا أَنْ يَقُولَ رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ : Quran 40:28, part of a verse.
143. سورة الجاثية : Surah al-Jathiyah, verse 24.
144. خبّاب بن الأرتّ : Khabbab ibn al-Aratt, a companion of the Prophet.
145. سورة مريم : Surah Maryam, verses 77-80.
146. سورة التطفيف : Surah al-Mutaffifin, verses 29-32.
147. فارتج النادي فرحا : The assembly was filled with joy.
148. سورة المدثر : Surah al-Muddaththir, verses 11-26.
149. سورة ن : Surah al-Qalam, verses 10-16.
150. سورة لقمان : Surah Luqman, verses 6-7.
151. سورة الحجر : Surah al-Hijr, verse 95.
152. أسد الله : Lion of Allah, a title given to Hamzah.
153. سورة القصص : Surah al-Qasas, verse 5.
154. بلال بن رباح : Bilal ibn Rabah, a companion and the first muezzin.
155. سورة الليل : Surah al-Layl, verses 14-21.
156. رضي الله عنه وأرضاه : May Allah be pleased with him and grant him His pleasure.
157. عامر بن فهيرة : 'Amir ibn Fuhayrah, a companion.
158. أبو فكيهة : Abu Fukayhah, a companion.
159. زنيّرة : Zunnirah, a female companion.
160. سورة الأحقاف : Surah al-Ahqaf, verse 11.
161. أم عنيس : Umm 'Unays, a female companion.
162. وما ينطق عن الهوى : Quran 53:3, meaning 'Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination.'
163. رجلا : The man referred to is Umayyah ibn Khalaf, a polytheist.
164. فرأيته قتل بعد كافرا : I later saw him killed as a disbeliever, i.e., he apostatized and was killed in that state.
165. يعذبون : Being tortured for their faith.
166. سيدا : A noble youth, referring to a prominent young man from Quraysh.
167. جوف الكعبة : Inside the Kaaba, the sacred sanctuary in Mecca.
168. ورق الشجر : Tree leaves, indicating extreme hunger.
169. الأشعريون: أبو موسى وبنو عمه : The Ash'ari tribe, including Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and his cousins.
170. اسم الله : The name of God, indicating the pact was miraculously eaten by termites except for the phrase 'In Your name, O God.'
171. هذه الشدة : This hardship, referring to the siege.
172. نصارى نجران : Christians of Najran, a region in Yemen.
173. أبو جهل : Abu Jahl, a prominent leader of Quraysh and opponent of Islam.
174. سورة القصص : Surah Al-Qasas, the 28th chapter of the Quran.
175. الَّذِينَ آتَيْناهُمُ الْكِتابَ ... لا نَبْتَغِي الْجاهِلِينَ : Quran 28:52-55, describing those who believed in previous scriptures and then embraced Islam.
176. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كانَ هذا هُوَ الْحَقَّ ... بِعَذابٍ أَلِيمٍ : Quran 8:32, a prayer of the disbelievers challenging the Prophet.
177. إبراهيم : Ibrahim, the Prophet's son from Maria al-Qibtiyya, who died in infancy.
178. أبو العاص بن الربيع : Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi', a merchant and the husband of Zaynab.
179. أمامة : Umamah, daughter of Zaynab, whom Ali married after Fatimah's death.
180. رقية : Ruqayyah, the Prophet's daughter who married Uthman.
181. سودة بنت زمعة العامرية القرشية : Sawdah bint Zam'ah, a widow whom the Prophet married.
182. إِنَّكَ لا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ ... بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ : Quran 28:56, revealed regarding Abu Talib.
183. يخفف عنه : May his punishment be lightened, a hope expressed by some scholars for Abu Talib due to his support of the Prophet.

Before the Hijra [1]

He took me to the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ¹. Its leaves were like the ears of elephants, and its fruits were like large earthenware jars ². When there covered it that which covered it from the command of my Lord, it changed, and no one among Allah's creation can describe it because of its beauty. Then Allah revealed to me what He revealed, and He enjoined upon me and upon my community fifty prayers every day and night. I descended to Moses, and he said: 'What has your Lord enjoined upon your community?' I said: 'Fifty prayers.' He said: 'Return to your Lord and ask Him for a reduction, for your community cannot bear that. I have tested the Children of Israel before you and have experience with them.' So I returned to my Lord and said: 'O my Lord, lighten for my community.' So He reduced five for me. I returned to Moses and said: 'He has reduced five for me.' He said: 'Your community cannot bear that. Return to your Lord and ask Him for a reduction.' I kept going back between my Lord, Exalted is He, and Moses until He, Glorified is He, said: 'O Muhammad, they are five prayers every day and night, each prayer counts as ten, so that is fifty prayers. Whoever intends a good deed and does not do it, a good deed is recorded for him; whoever intends a good deed and does it, ten are recorded for him; whoever intends an evil deed and does not do it, nothing is recorded for him; and whoever intends an evil deed and does it, one evil deed is recorded for him.' Then I descended until I reached Moses and informed him. He said: 'Return to your Lord and ask Him for a reduction.' I said: 'I have returned to my Lord until I am ashamed before Him.' Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, returned that night. When morning came, he went to the assembly of Quraysh. Abu Jahl ibn Hisham came to him, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told him what had happened. Abu Jahl said: 'O sons of Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy, come!' So the disbelievers of Quraysh gathered, and the Messenger informed them of the news. They were divided between those who clapped their hands and those who placed their hands on their heads in astonishment and denial. Some people who had believed in him, weak of heart, apostatized. Some men went to Abu Bakr and said: 'Do you believe him in this?' He said: 'If he said it, he has spoken the truth.' They said: 'Do you believe him in that?' He said: 'I believe him in something even more distant than that.' So from that day he was called al-Siddiq ³. Then the disbelievers stood up to test the Messenger of Allah and asked him to describe the Sacred House ⁴ in Jerusalem, among them men who had seen it. The Messenger of Allah had not seen it before, but Allah made it clear to him, so he began to describe it to them, door by door and place by place. They said: 'As for the description, he has got it right. Now tell us about our caravan.' They had a caravan coming from Syria. He informed them of the number of its camels and its condition, and said: 'It will come on such-and-such a day at sunrise, led by a grey camel ⁵.' They went out that day towards the mountain pass. One of them said: 'By Allah, the sun has risen.' Another said: 'By Allah, the caravan has come, led by a grey camel, as Muhammad said.' But that only increased them in arrogance and stubbornness, until they said: 'This is clear magic.' On the morning of the night of the Isra', Gabriel came and taught the Messenger of Allah the manner of prayer and its times: two rak'ahs at the appearance of dawn, four rak'ahs when the sun declines, the same when the shadow of an object doubles, three at sunset, and four when the red twilight disappears. Before the prescription of prayer, he, peace and blessings be upon him, used to pray two rak'ahs in the morning and the same in the evening, as Abraham, peace be upon him, used to do. [Presentation to the Tribes] When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw that he was prevented by Quraysh from delivering the message and that pride and arrogance dominated their hearts, Allah willed that the religion should appear through other Arabs. So he, peace and blessings be upon him, used to go out during the Arab seasons (which were markets held by the Arabs for trade and boasting) ⁶ and present himself to the tribes, asking them to protect him so that he could deliver the message of his Lord. Some responded with a good response, others with an evil one. Among the worst in response were Banu Hanifa ⁷ (the clan of Musaylima the Liar). Banu 'Amir asked him, if they believed in him, to make the leadership after him for them. He said: 'The matter is for Allah; He places it where He wills.' Among those who performed the pilgrimage to the House were Arabs of Yathrib (a city between Mecca and Syria), inhabited by two tribes: one from the descendants of al-Aws, and the second from the descendants of al-Khazraj (two brothers). Between their descendants there was such enmity that war never ceased between the two groups. They were always in discord and conflict. In the city, there also lived communities of Jews: Banu Qaynuqa', Banu Qurayza, and Banu al-Nadir. Initially, they had the upper hand in Yathrib, but the Arabs fought them until they became the influential and powerful ones. When the Jews were defeated, they used to seek victory over their enemies by invoking the name of a prophet who was about to be sent. When the Arabs differed among themselves and the staff of unity was broken, they allied with the Jews against each other. Al-Aws allied with Banu Qurayza, and al-Khazraj allied with Banu al-Nadir and Banu Qaynuqa'. The last of their days was the Day of Bu'ath ⁸, in which most of their leaders were killed, leaving only 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul of al-Khazraj and Abu 'Amir al-Rahib of al-Aws. Therefore, 'A'isha used to say: 'The Day of Bu'ath was a day that Allah brought forward for His Messenger.' The leaders of al-Aws thought of allying with Quraysh against al-Khazraj, so they sent Iyas ibn Mu'adh and Abu al-Haysar Anas ibn Rafi' with a group seeking that alliance with Quraysh. When they came to Mecca, the Messenger of Allah came to them and said: 'Would you like something better than what you have come for? Believe in Allah alone and do not associate anything with Him. Allah has sent me to all people.' Then he recited the Quran to them. Iyas ibn Mu'adh said: 'O people, by Allah, this is better than what we have come for.' Abu al-Haysar threw pebbles at him and said: 'Leave us alone; we have come for something else.' So he fell silent. [Beginning of the Islam of the Ansar] When the season came, the Messenger of Allah presented himself to a group of six men, all from al-Khazraj: As'ad ibn Zurara ⁹, 'Awf ibn al-Harith from Banu al-Najjar, Rafi' ibn Malik from Banu Zurayq, Qutba ibn 'Amir from Banu Salama, 'Uqba ibn 'Amir from Banu Haram, and Jabir ibn 'Abdullah from Banu 'Ubayd ibn 'Adi. He called them to Islam and to help him in delivering the message of his Lord. Some of them said to others: 'This is the prophet that the Jews used to promise you; do not let them precede you to him.' So they believed in him and affirmed him. They said: 'We have left our people, among whom there is enmity as you see. If Allah unites them through you, no man will be mightier than you.' They promised to meet him the following season. This was the beginning of Islam among the Arabs of Yathrib. [The First Pledge of al-'Aqaba] ¹⁰ The following year, twelve men came, ten from al-Khazraj and two from al-Aws: As'ad ibn Zurara, 'Awf and Mu'adh, sons of al-Harith, Rafi' ibn Malik, Dhakwan ibn Qays, 'Ubada ibn al-Samit, Yazid ibn Tha'laba, al-'Abbas ibn 'Ubada, 'Uqba ibn 'Amir, and Qutba ibn 'Amir—these from al-Khazraj—and Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan and 'Uwaym ibn Sa'ida—these from al-Aws. They met him at al-'Aqaba, embraced Islam, and pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah on the pledge of women ¹¹, before war was prescribed: that they would not associate anything with Allah, not steal, not commit adultery, not kill their children, not bring a slander they forge between their hands and feet, and not disobey him in what is right. If they fulfilled, they would have Paradise; if they concealed something of that, their affair was with Allah, Exalted and Glorified: if He willed, He would forgive, and if He willed, He would punish. This was the First Pledge of al-'Aqaba. He sent with them Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr al-'Abdari ¹² and 'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum—who was the maternal cousin of Khadija—to teach them the Quran and instruct them in religion. Mus'ab stayed with one of those who had pledged, Abu Umama As'ad ibn Zurara, and began to call the rest of al-Aws and al-Khazraj to Islam. While he was in a garden with As'ad ibn Zurara, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh ¹³, the chief of the tribe of al-Aws, said to Usayd ibn Hudayr ¹⁴, the cousin of Sa'd: 'Will you not go to these two men who have come to make fools of our weak ones and drive them away?' So Usayd took his spear and went to them. When As'ad saw him, he said to Mus'ab: 'This is the chief of his people; he has come to you, so be truthful with Allah concerning him.' When he stood before them, he said: 'What has brought you here, making fools of our weak ones? Leave us if you care for yourselves.' Mus'ab said: 'Will you sit and listen? If you approve of the matter, you will accept it; if you dislike it, we will refrain from what you dislike.' Then Mus'ab recited the Quran to him. He admired the religion of Islam, and Allah guided him to it, so he testified and returned to Sa'd. Sa'd asked him what he had done. He said: 'By Allah, I saw no harm in the two men.' Sa'd became angry and went to them in a rage. Mus'ab did with him as he had done before, and Allah guided him to Islam. He returned to the men of Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal (a branch of al-Aws) and said to them: 'What do you consider me among you?' They said: 'Our chief and the son of our chief.' He said: 'The speech of your men and women is forbidden to me until you embrace Islam.' So no house of Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal remained but that it responded. Islam spread in the houses of Yathrib until there was no talk among them except the matter of Islam. [The Second Pledge of al-'Aqaba] When the time of the pilgrimage came in the year following the first pledge, many of them came to Mecca for the pilgrimage, including many of their polytheists. When their delegation met the Messenger of Allah, he appointed a meeting with them at night at al-'Aqaba. He ordered them not to wake a sleeper at that time and not to wait for an absent one, because all these actions were hidden from Quraysh, lest they learn of the matter and seek to undo what had been done, as was their habit with the Messenger of Allah at the beginning of his affair. When the Ansar finished their pilgrimage, they went to their appointed place, concealing their matter from the polytheists who were with them. This was after the first third of the night had passed. They slipped away one by one until their number reached seventy-three men, sixty-two from al-Khazraj and eleven from al-Aws, along with two women: Nusayba bint Ka'b from Banu al-Najjar and Asma' bint 'Amr from Banu Salama. The Messenger of Allah met them there, accompanied only by his uncle al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, who was still on the religion of his people, but he wanted to attend the matter of his nephew to be assured for him. When they gathered, al-'Abbas informed them that his nephew was still protected by his people, as they had not allowed anyone who showed enmity and hatred to harm him, and they had endured great hardship for that. Then he said: 'If you think you will fulfill what you have called him to and protect him from those who oppose him, then you and what you undertake; otherwise, leave him with his clan, for he is in a place of honor.' Their spokesman, al-Bara' ibn Ma'rur ¹⁵, said: 'By Allah, if we had anything in ourselves other than what we say, we would say it. But we intend loyalty, truthfulness, and the sacrifice of our lives for the Messenger of Allah.' Then they said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: 'Take for yourself and for your Lord what you wish.' He said: 'I stipulate for my Lord that you worship Him alone and associate nothing with Him, and for myself that you protect me from what you protect your women and children, when I come to you.' Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan ¹⁶ said to him: 'O Messenger of Allah, between us and the men there are treaties, and we are going to break them. If we do that and then Allah gives you victory, will you perhaps return to your people and leave us?' He, peace and blessings be upon him, smiled and said: 'Rather, blood is blood, and destruction is destruction' ¹⁷—meaning: if you demand blood, I demand it; if you shed blood, I shed it.

Then the pledge began, which was the second pledge of al-‘Aqaba. The men pledged allegiance to him as requested. The first to pledge were As‘ad ibn Zurara, and it is also said al-Bara’ ibn Ma‘rur. Then he selected from them twelve representatives ¹⁸, one for each clan: nine from al-Khazraj and three from al-Aws—namely Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan, As‘ad ibn Zurara, Usayd ibn Hudayr, al-Bara’ ibn Ma‘rur, Rafi‘ ibn Malik, Sa‘d ibn Abi Khaythama ¹⁹, Sa‘d ibn al-Rabi‘, Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubada ²⁰, ‘Abdullah ibn Rawaha ²¹, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, ‘Ubada ibn al-Samit ²², and al-Mundhir ibn ‘Amr. Then he said to them: “You are guarantors over your people, like the guarantorship of the disciples ²³ for Jesus son of Mary, and I am guarantor over my people.” For a purpose that Allah willed, the news of this pledge reached the polytheists of Quraysh. They came and entered the valley of the Ansar and said: “O company of al-Khazraj, we have heard that you have come to our companion to take him out of our land and pledge allegiance to him for war against us ²⁴?” They denied that, and some polytheists who had not attended the pledge swore to them that nothing had happened from them that night. ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the chief of al-Khazraj, said: “My people would not do such a thing without consulting me ²⁵.” [The Migration of the Muslims to Medina] When the Ansar returned to Medina, Islam spread among them more than the first time. As for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his companions, the harm from the polytheists increased upon them when they heard that he had made an alliance with a people against them. So he, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered all the Muslims to migrate to Medina. They began to slip away secretly, fearing that Quraysh would prevent them. The first to leave was Abu Salama al-Makhzumi, the husband of Umm Salama ²⁶, along with his wife. Her people had prevented her from going with him, but later they released her and she joined him. The emigrants followed one after another, fleeing ²⁷ with their religion to be able to worship Allah, whose love had mingled with their flesh and blood, so much so that they cared not about leaving their homelands and being separated from their fathers and children, as long as it pleased Allah and His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. None remained except Abu Bakr, ‘Ali, Suhayb, Zayd ibn Haritha, and a few of the weak who were unable to migrate. Abu Bakr wanted to migrate, but the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: “Wait, for I hope that permission will be given to me.” Abu Bakr said: “Do you hope for that? May my father be sacrificed for you?” He said: “Yes.” So Abu Bakr restrained himself to accompany the Messenger of Allah, and he fed two she-camels he had with the leaves of the samur tree ²⁸ in preparation for that. [Dar al-Nadwa] As for Quraysh, it was as if they had been struck by the touch of Satan when the news of the Ansar’s pledge to defend him to the death reached their ears. So their chiefs ²⁹ and leaders gathered in Dar al-Nadwa (the house of Qusayy ibn Kilab, in which Quraysh would not decide any matter except there) to consult on what to do about the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when they feared him. One of them said: “We will expel him from our land so that we may be rid of him.” This opinion was rejected because they said: “If he leaves, crowds will gather around him due to the sweetness of his speech and the pleasantness of his words.” Another said: “We will bind him and imprison him until death overtakes him, as it did the poets before him.” This opinion was rejected like the previous one because they said: “The news will soon reach his supporters, and we know best those who have entered his religion—they prefer him over fathers and sons. If they hear that, they will come to free him, and this might bring war upon us, which we can do without.” Their tyrant ³⁰ said: “Rather, we will kill him. And we will prevent the sons of his father from seeking vengeance. We will take from each tribe a strong young man, and they will gather before his door. When he comes out, they will strike him with a single blow, so that his blood will be divided among the tribes. Then the Banu ‘Abd Manaf will not be able to fight all of Quraysh; rather, they will accept blood money.” So they approved this opinion. This was their plot, but the will of Allah is above every will: “And they plot, and Allah plots, and Allah is the best of plotters” ³¹. So He informed His Prophet of what the enemies had secretly devised and ordered him to go to his place of emigration, a place where Islam would spread and where the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would have honor and protection. This was of great wisdom, for if Islam had spread in Mecca, the detractors would have said: “Quraysh wanted the kingship of the Arabs, so they appointed a man from among them and instructed him to claim this cause as a means to achieve their goals.” But they were his bitterest enemies, harming him severely until Allah chose for him to leave their land and be away from them. [The Migration of the Chosen One, may Allah bless him and grant him peace] He went immediately to his friend Abu Bakr and informed him that Allah had permitted him to migrate. Abu Bakr asked: “May I accompany you?” He said: “Yes.” Then he offered him one of his two she-camels that had been prepared for that purpose. He prepared them with the utmost preparation ³², and made a provision bag ³³ for them in a leather sack. Asma’ bint Abi Bakr ³⁴ cut her waistband ³⁵ and tied it around the mouth of the sack. They hired ‘Abdullah ibn Urayqit from the Banu al-Dil ibn Bakr, who was a skilled guide, and he was still on the religion of the polytheists of Quraysh. They trusted him and gave him their two she-camels, and they appointed to meet him at the Cave of Thawr after three nights. Then the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, left Abu Bakr and appointed to meet him at night outside Mecca. That night was the night when Quraysh prepared to execute their plan. They gathered around the door of the house, while the Messenger of Allah was inside. When the time for departure came, he ordered his cousin ‘Ali to sleep in his place so that they would not suspect his absence during the night, for they kept looking through the cracks of the door to know if he was there. Then he covered ³⁶ ‘Ali with his cloak and went out among the people, reciting: “And We have put before them a barrier and behind them a barrier, and We have covered them, so they do not see” ³⁷. Allah cast sleep upon them so that no one saw him. He, peace and blessings be upon him, continued walking until he met al-Siddiq, and they walked until they reached the Cave of Thawr ³⁸ and hid there. As for the polytheists, when they learned that their plot had failed and that they had only been guarding ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, not Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah, their emotions were stirred. They sent search parties in every direction and offered rewards to anyone who brought Muhammad or gave information about him. They even reached the cave where their quarry was, so that if anyone had looked under his feet, he would have seen them. This made Abu Bakr weep, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: “Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us” ³⁹. Allah blinded the eyes of the polytheists so that none of them turned to look at that cave ⁴⁰; rather, their worst enemy, Umayya ibn Khalaf, considered it unlikely that the fugitives would hide in such a cave ⁴¹. They stayed there for three nights until the search subsided. ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ⁴² (a young man who was clever ⁴³ and quick-witted ⁴⁴) would spend the night with them, then leave at dawn ⁴⁵ and be among Quraysh in Mecca as if he had spent the night there ⁴⁶. He would not hear any plan that concerned them ⁴⁷ without memorizing it, and he would bring them the news when darkness fell. ‘Amir ibn Fuhayra would bring them a flock of goats, grazing them when the evening hour passed, and he would take them to them in the morning. When ‘Abdullah left them, ‘Amir would follow his tracks with the goats so that no trace of his feet would appear. When the search subsided, they left after the guide ⁴⁸ brought them the two she-camels on the morning of the third night, and they traveled along the coastal route. On the way, a pursuer caught up with them: Suraqa ibn Malik al-Mudliji ⁴⁹. He had seen the messengers of the polytheists of Quraysh offering a reward for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr—a blood-wit for each of them for whoever killed or captured them. While he was in a gathering of his people, Banu Mudlij, a man came and stood over them while they were sitting and said: “O Suraqa, I have just seen some black shapes ⁵⁰ on the coast; I think they are Muhammad and his companions.” Suraqa knew they were them, but he wanted to discourage the informer from pursuing them, so he said: “You saw so-and-so and so-and-so; they went out looking for their lost animals.” Then he stayed in the gathering for a while, then got up, mounted his horse, and rode until he drew near the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and those with him. His horse stumbled and threw him off. He mounted it again and rode until he could hear the recitation of the Chosen One, who did not turn around, while Abu Bakr kept turning around. Then the forelegs of Suraqa’s horse sank into the ground up to the knees, and he fell off. He spurred it until it got up, but its legs barely came out, and dust rose from its tracks like smoke. Then Suraqa knew that his effort was in vain, and great fear entered him. He called out to them for safety. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and those with him stopped until he came to them. Suraqa said: “When I encountered what I encountered, I realized that the matter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would prevail. I said: ‘Your people have offered a reward for you,’ and I told them what the people intended for them. He offered them provisions and goods, but they took nothing from him; rather, they said: ‘Keep us hidden.’” Suraqa asked him to write a document of security for him, so he ordered Abu Bakr to write ⁵¹. Thus ended this problem, in which Allah showed His special care for His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The people of Medina, when they heard of the Messenger of Allah’s departure and his coming to them, would go out to the lava plain ⁵² until the midday heat forced them back. One day, after they had waited long, they returned. When they entered their homes, a Jewish man climbed one of their forts ⁵³ to look at something. He saw the Messenger of Allah and his companions, with the mirage making them appear and disappear. The Jew shouted at the top of his voice: “O company of Arabs, this is your good fortune ⁵⁴ that you have been waiting for!” So they rushed to their weapons and met the Messenger of Allah at the edge of the lava plain ⁵⁵. [Alighting at Quba’] He turned to the right and alighted among the Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf in Quba’. According to the research of the late Mahmud Pasha al-Falaki, this was on the second day of Rabi‘ al-Awwal, corresponding to September 20, 622 CE. This is the first new date ⁵⁶ for the emergence of Islam after thirteen years had passed, during which it was oppressed by the polytheists of Quraysh, and the Messenger of Allah was prevented from openly worshipping his Lord. Now, Allah had given refuge to him and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, after they had been few and people snatched them away. [The Migration of the Prophets]

By this emigration, the Sunnah ⁵⁷ of his brothers among the prophets before him was fulfilled for our Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace. There was no prophet among them except that the land of his origin rejected him ⁵⁸, so he emigrated from it, from Ibrahim ⁵⁹, the father of the prophets, the Khalil ⁶⁰ of God, to Isa ⁶¹, the Word of God and His Spirit. All of them, despite their great ranks and lofty stations, were humiliated by their clans, but they were patient to be an example for those who would come after them among their followers in steadfastness and patience in the face of hardships as long as they are in obedience to God. Ask Egypt and its history, it will tell you about Isra'il ⁶² and his sons: they emigrated to it when they saw from its people a welcome for them, and they left them and what they worshipped out of honor for Yusuf ⁶³ and his wisdom. And when years passed, in which the Egyptians forgot Yusuf's management and his favor upon them, they persecuted the Children of Isra'il and harmed them. Musa ⁶⁴ and Harun ⁶⁵ took them out so that they could give God His right in worship. And the Messiah ⁶⁶, peace be upon him, fled from the Jews when they denied him, and they sought to kill him, until it was among his teachings to his disciples: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Then he said: "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets who were before you." And ask the towns that were struck by God's wrath due to the disbelief of their people, such as the dwellings of Lut ⁶⁷, 'Ad ⁶⁸, and Thamud ⁶⁹, they will tell you about the prophets' emigration from them before the wrath descended. So it is no wonder that he, peace and blessings be upon him, emigrated from a land whose people prevented him from completing what God willed. "Such was the Sunnah of God among those who passed away before; and you will never find any change in the Sunnah of God." ⁷⁰ [Deeds in Mecca] Now, let us explain to you the summary of what the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, called to in Mecca from the fundamentals of religion. There are two matters: First: Belief in the Oneness of God ⁷¹ and that no one is associated with Him in worship, whether that other is an idol as the polytheists of Mecca did, or a father, wife, or daughter as some other sects like the Christians do. Were it not for the belief in the Oneness of God, no one would burden themselves with the duties of life from the etiquettes of morality; rather, they would follow what their soul commands of desires and pleasures as long as it is hidden from people. Second: Belief in the Resurrection ⁷² and the Gathering ⁷³, and that there is a second day for man in which he is recompensed for what he did in this world: if good, then good; if evil, then evil. Most of the Meccan revelations came concerning these two matters. Rarely do we see a Meccan surah ⁷⁴ that is not filled with evidence for them and rebuke of those who abandon them. All of this is done with methods that engage the intellect and proofs that do not require the philosophy of those who occupy themselves with fruitless matters that waste time in vain. Most of the Qur'an was revealed to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, in Mecca, except for twenty-three surahs: Al-Baqara, Al 'Imran, An-Nisa', Al-Ma'ida, Al-Anfal, At-Tawba, Al-Hajj, An-Nur, Al-Ahzab, Al-Qital ⁷⁵, Al-Fath, Al-Hujurat, Al-Hadid, Al-Mujadila, Al-Hashr, Al-Mumtahina, As-Saff, Al-Jumu'a, Al-Munafiqun, At-Taghabun, At-Talaq, At-Tahrim, and An-Nasr. These are all Medinan, and the rest of the Qur'an is Meccan. When he, peace and blessings be upon him, alighted at Quba' ⁷⁶, he stayed with the chief of Banu 'Amr, Kulthum ibn al-Hadm ⁷⁷, and he used to sit with the people and speak to them in the house of Sa'd ibn Khaythama ⁷⁸ because he was unmarried. Abu Bakr ⁷⁹ alighted at as-Sanh—a district in Medina—with Kharija ibn Zayd ⁸⁰ of Banu al-Harith of al-Khazraj ⁸¹. [Mosque of Quba'] The Messenger of God stayed in Quba' for some nights ⁸², during which he founded the Mosque of Quba', which God described as a mosque founded on piety from the first day ⁸³. He prayed there, peace and blessings be upon him, with those with him from the Ansar ⁸⁴ and the Muhajirun ⁸⁵, while they were secure and at ease. The mosques at the time of the Messenger of God were extremely simple, containing nothing of what mosque builders in later centuries have become accustomed to, because the Messenger and his companions had their main concern directed toward beautifying hearts and cleansing them from the share of Satan. So the wall of the mosque did not exceed the height of a man, and above it was a canopy to protect from the heat of the sun. [Arrival in Medina] Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, moved to Medina, with the Ansar surrounding him, their swords girded. Here, speak and do not be sparing about the joy of the people of Medina. The day of his move to them was a blessed day; they had never seen themselves rejoicing at anything as they rejoiced at the Messenger of God. The women, children, and slave girls came out saying: "The full moon has risen upon us... from the Thaniyyat al-Wada' ⁸⁶ Gratitude is incumbent upon us... as long as a caller calls to God. O you who are sent among us... you have come with a command to be obeyed." The people walked behind the Messenger of God, some on foot, some riding, vying for the reins of his she-camel, each wanting him to be his guest. [First Friday] ⁸⁷ The Friday prayer overtook him, peace and blessings be upon him, in Banu Salim ibn 'Awf ⁸⁸, so he dismounted and prayed it. This was his first Friday prayer, peace and blessings be upon him, and his first sermon. He praised God and extolled Him, then said: "To proceed: O people, send forth for yourselves. By God, each of you will surely be stunned, then he will surely leave his sheep without a shepherd. Then his Lord will say to him, with no interpreter or veil to screen Him: 'Did My messenger not come to you and convey to you? I gave you wealth and bestowed favors upon you. So what have you sent forth for yourself?' He will look to his right and left and see nothing. Then he will look ahead and see nothing but Hellfire. So whoever can protect his face from the Fire, even with half a date, let him do so. Whoever cannot, then with a kind word, for by it a good deed is rewarded tenfold up to seven hundred times. Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings." ⁸⁹ [Staying with Abu Ayyub] ⁹⁰ Then they proceeded, and whenever they passed by a house of the Ansar's houses, its inhabitants would beseech him to stay with them, taking hold of the she-camel's reins. He would say: "Leave her, for she is commanded." She continued walking until she arrived at the courtyard of Banu 'Adi ibn an-Najjar—they were his maternal uncles, from whom his grandfather Hashim ⁹¹ had married—and she knelt in one of their districts in front of the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, whose name was Khalid ibn Zayd ⁹². That is the site of his noble mosque. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Here is the dwelling, if God wills. 'My Lord, cause me to alight a blessed alighting, and You are the best of those who bring to alight.'" ⁹³ So Abu Ayyub took his saddle and placed it in his house. As'ad ibn Zurara ⁹⁴ came and took the reins of his she-camel, and she stayed with him. The slave girls of an-Najjar came out saying: "We are maidens from Banu an-Najjar... How beloved is Muhammad as a neighbor!" The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, went out to them and said: "Do you love me?" They said: "Yes." He said: "God knows that my heart loves you." ⁹⁵ He, peace and blessings be upon him, chose to stay in the lower floor of Abu Ayyub's house to be more comfortable for his visitors. But Abu Ayyub, may God be pleased with him, was not content with that out of honor for the Messenger of God, due to what might befall him from the dust caused by footsteps or the water that might be spilled. It happened that his wife broke a water jar at night, so he and his wife got up with their cloak, which was their only one, wiping up the water for fear of the Messenger of God. Therefore, Abu Ayyub kept pleading with him until he moved to the upper floor. Large bowls of food ⁹⁶ would come to him every night from the nobles ⁹⁷ of the Ansar, such as Sa'd ibn 'Ubada ⁹⁸, As'ad ibn Zurara, and the mother of Zayd ibn Thabit ⁹⁹. There was no night except that at his door were three or four bowls of tharid ¹⁰⁰. [Settlement of the Muhajirun] When most of the Muhajirun moved with the Messenger of God, the Ansar vied for them, and they made the lot decide among them. No Muhajir settled with an Ansari except by lot. [Brotherhood in Islam] Whoever reflects on this love, which could not possibly be the effect of a human being but rather a favor from God and His mercy, will understand how these peoples triumphed over their opponents among the polytheists and the People of the Book ¹⁰¹, despite their small numbers and few resources. The Ansar preferred their brothers the Muhajirun over themselves. God Almighty said in Surat al-Hashr: "And those who were settled in the abode and in faith before them love those who emigrated to them and find in their breasts no need for what they were given and give preference over themselves, even if they are in poverty. And whoever is saved from the stinginess of his soul, it is those who are the successful." ¹⁰² This is the highest degree of brotherhood. All of this they considered little compared to what was incumbent upon them for their brothers. For the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, established brotherhood among them; he made the Muhajirun and the Ansar brothers. So every Ansari and his guest were brothers in God. It is futile to task the pen to explain to the reader that this brotherhood was far superior to the brotherhood of partisanship; rather, we leave that to the Islamic sentiment, for it is more eloquent in expression than the pen. In summary, those were hearts that God united until they became one thing in separate bodies. May God grant the Muslims of our time this brotherhood so that they may dominate as those who were united dominated. This brotherhood was based on mutual support and truth, and they would inherit from each other after death to the exclusion of blood relatives. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, would say to every two who became brothers in God: "You are brothers, brothers." ¹⁰³ This inheritance continued until God Almighty revealed His saying in Surat al-Ahzab: "But those of kinship are more entitled to each other in the decree of God." ¹⁰⁴ [Emigration of the Family] When he, peace and blessings be upon him, settled in Medina, he sent Zayd ibn Haritha ¹⁰⁵ and Abu Rafi' ¹⁰⁶ to Mecca to bring those of his family who had remained behind. He sent with them 'Abdullah ibn Urayqit ¹⁰⁷ to guide them on the way. They brought Fatima ¹⁰⁸ and Umm Kulthum ¹⁰⁹, his two daughters, peace be upon him; Sawda ¹¹⁰, his wife; Umm Ayman ¹¹¹, Zayd's wife, and her son Usama ¹¹². As for Zaynab ¹¹³, her husband Abu al-'As ibn ar-Rabi' ¹¹⁴ prevented her. 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ¹¹⁵ went out with all of them, bringing Umm Ruman ¹¹⁶, his father's wife; 'A'isha ¹¹⁷, his sister; and Asma' ¹¹⁸, the wife of az-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam ¹¹⁹, who was pregnant with her son 'Abdullah ¹²⁰, the first child born to the Muhajirun in Medina. [Fever of Medina] At first, the climate of Medina was not suitable for the Muhajirun from Mecca, so many of them were afflicted with fever ¹²¹. The Messenger of God used to visit them. When they complained to him about it, he said: "O God, make Medina beloved to us as You made Mecca beloved to us, and even more so. Bless its mudd ¹²² and its sa' ¹²³, and transfer its fever to al-Juhfa ¹²⁴." God Almighty answered his supplication, and the Muhajirun lived in Medina in peace. [Prevention of the Weak from Emigrating] The polytheists of Mecca prevented some Muslims from emigrating, imprisoned them, and tortured them, among them al-Walid ibn al-Walid ¹²⁵, 'Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'a ¹²⁶, and Hisham ibn al-'As ¹²⁷. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, would supplicate for them in his prayer. This is the origin of al-Qunut ¹²⁸. It occurred at various times and in various places in the prayer, sometimes in the witr ¹²⁹ of the 'isha' ¹³⁰ prayer, and sometimes in the morning prayer after the bowing or before it. Each companion narrated what he saw. This is the reason for the difference among the imams ¹³¹ regarding the place of al-Qunut ¹³².

1. Sidrat al-Muntaha : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a tree in the seventh heaven marking the boundary beyond which no creation can pass.
2. qilal : Large earthenware jars used for storing water or dates.
3. al-Siddiq : The Truthful, a title given to Abu Bakr for his unwavering belief in the Prophet's accounts.
4. Bayt al-Maqdis : The Sacred House in Jerusalem, referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
5. awraq : A grey camel, specifically one with a mixture of black and white.
6. mawasim : Seasonal markets held by Arabs for trade, poetry, and boasting.
7. Banu Hanifa : A tribe from which Musaylima the Liar came, who later claimed prophethood.
8. Yawm Bu'ath : A battle between the Aws and Khazraj tribes before Islam, resulting in heavy losses.
9. As'ad ibn Zurara : A prominent early Muslim from the Khazraj tribe, one of the first to pledge allegiance.
10. al-'Aqaba al-Ula : The First Pledge of al-'Aqaba, a meeting where twelve Medinans pledged to follow Islam.
11. bay'at al-nisa' : The pledge of women, a covenant similar to that taken from women, excluding fighting.
12. Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr al-'Abdari : A companion sent to Medina to teach Islam before the Hijra.
13. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh : A chief of the Aws tribe who later became a prominent Muslim.
14. Usayd ibn Hudayr : A companion from the Aws tribe, known for his eloquence and leadership.
15. al-Bara' ibn Ma'rur : A companion from the Khazraj tribe, one of the leaders at the Second Pledge.
16. Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan : A companion from the Aws tribe, known for his sincerity.
17. al-dam al-dam wa al-hadm al-hadm : A phrase meaning complete solidarity: 'blood for blood, destruction for destruction.'
18. naqīb : A representative or leader chosen to be responsible for a group; here, twelve leaders were appointed to oversee the clans.
19. Sa‘d ibn Abī Khaythama : A companion from the Aws tribe; his name is sometimes spelled with a variant.
20. Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubāda : A prominent companion and chief of the Khazraj tribe; known for his leadership.
21. ‘Abdullāh ibn Rawāḥa : A companion and poet; one of the twelve representatives.
22. ‘Ubāda ibn al-Ṣāmit : A companion from the Khazraj; participated in the second pledge of al-‘Aqaba.
23. al-ḥawāriyyūn : The disciples of Jesus; the term implies pure and sincere followers.
24. ḥarbinā : War against us; the polytheists accused the Ansar of pledging to fight Quraysh.
25. yaf tatū : To do something without consulting someone; here, Ibn Ubayy claims they would not act without his consent.
26. Umm Salama : A wife of the Prophet; her name was Hind bint Abi Umayya.
27. firāran : Fleeing; the emigrants left Mecca secretly to escape persecution.
28. waraq al-samur : Leaves of the samur tree (Acacia tortilis), used as fodder for camels.
29. ru’asā’uhum : Their chiefs; the leaders of Quraysh.
30. ṭāghiyatuhum : Their tyrant; refers to Abu Jahl or another leader who proposed killing the Prophet.
31. Wa yamkurūna wa yamkuru Allāhu wa Allāhu khayru al-mākirīn : Quran 8:30: 'And they plot, and Allah plots, and Allah is the best of plotters.'
32. aḥaththa al-jihāz : The utmost preparation; meaning they prepared the camels as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
33. sufra : A provision bag or food pouch for a journey.
34. Asmā’ bint Abī Bakr : Daughter of Abu Bakr; she later became a prominent companion.
35. niṭāqahā : Her waistband or belt; she tore it to use as a strap.
36. sajjā : Covered; the Prophet covered ‘Ali with his cloak to make him appear as himself.
37. Wa ja‘alnā min bayni aydīhim saddan wa min khalfihim saddan fa-aghshaynāhum fahum lā yubṣirūn : Quran 36:9: 'And We have put before them a barrier and behind them a barrier, and We have covered them, so they do not see.'
38. ghār Thawr : The Cave of Thawr; a cave on Mount Thawr near Mecca where the Prophet and Abu Bakr hid.
39. Lā taḥzan inna Allāha ma‘anā : Quran 9:40: 'Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.'
40. a‘mā Allāhu abṣār al-mushrikīn : Allah blinded the eyes of the polytheists; a miraculous protection.
41. yub‘id lahum ikhtifā’ al-maṭlūbayn fī mithl hādhā al-ghār : He considered it unlikely that the fugitives would hide in such a cave.
42. ‘Abdullāh ibn Abī Bakr : Son of Abu Bakr; he acted as a spy for the Prophet during the migration.
43. thaqif : Clever, intelligent.
44. laqin : Quick-witted, sharp-minded.
45. yadliju : To leave at dawn or during the last part of the night.
46. ka-bā’itin bihā : As if he had spent the night there; he blended in with the Quraysh.
47. yaktādān bihi : That concerned them; any plot against the Prophet.
48. al-dalīl : The guide; ‘Abdullah ibn Urayqit.
49. Surāqa ibn Mālik al-Mudlijī : A man from the Mudlij tribe who pursued the Prophet but later converted to Islam.
50. aswida : Black shapes; referring to people or figures seen from a distance.
51. fa-amara Abā Bakr fa-kataba : He ordered Abu Bakr to write; the Prophet dictated a document of security for Suraqa.
52. al-ḥarra : A lava plain or volcanic rocky area; here, the outskirts of Medina.
53. uṭum : A fort or stronghold; plural: āṭām.
54. jaddukum : Your good fortune; the Jew announced the arrival of the Prophet.
55. bi-ẓahri al-ḥarra : At the edge of the lava plain; the place where they met the Prophet.
56. tārīkh jadīd : A new date; the beginning of the Islamic calendar (Hijra).
57. Sunnah : The established practice or way of the Prophet Muhammad, often referring to his actions, sayings, and approvals.
58. rejected him : Literally 'sprouted from him' (nabata bihi), meaning the land caused him to leave due to rejection.
59. Ibrahim : Abraham, the patriarch of monotheism and father of the prophets.
60. Khalil : Intimate friend; a title of Abraham meaning 'the friend of God'.
61. Isa : Jesus, son of Mary, considered a prophet and messenger in Islam.
62. Isra'il : Jacob, son of Isaac, also known as Israel; the patriarch of the Israelites.
63. Yusuf : Joseph, son of Jacob, a prophet known for his wisdom and management in Egypt.
64. Musa : Moses, a major prophet who led the Israelites out of Egypt.
65. Harun : Aaron, brother of Moses and a prophet.
66. Messiah : Jesus, referred to as al-Masih in Arabic, meaning the anointed one.
67. Lut : Lot, a prophet sent to the people of Sodom.
68. 'Ad : An ancient Arabian tribe destroyed for their disbelief.
69. Thamud : An ancient Arabian tribe destroyed for their disbelief.
70. Sunnah of God : God's established way or pattern in dealing with nations.
71. Oneness of God : Tawhid, the belief in the absolute unity and uniqueness of God.
72. Resurrection : Al-Ba'th, the raising of the dead on the Day of Judgment.
73. Gathering : An-Nushur, the gathering of all creatures for judgment.
74. surah : A chapter of the Qur'an.
75. Al-Qital : Another name for Surat Muhammad (chapter 47), meaning 'fighting'.
76. Quba' : A village on the outskirts of Medina where the Prophet first stayed.
77. Kulthum ibn al-Hadm : A companion and chief of Banu 'Amr in Quba'.
78. Sa'd ibn Khaythama : A companion from the Ansar, known for his hospitality.
79. Abu Bakr : The first caliph and close companion of the Prophet.
80. Kharija ibn Zayd : A companion from the Ansar.
81. al-Khazraj : One of the two main tribes of the Ansar in Medina.
82. some nights : Traditionally reported as 14 nights, but varying accounts exist.
83. mosque founded on piety : Reference to Qur'an 9:108, describing the Mosque of Quba'.
84. Ansar : The 'helpers', the Muslim inhabitants of Medina who supported the Prophet.
85. Muhajirun : The 'emigrants', Muslims who migrated from Mecca to Medina.
86. Thaniyyat al-Wada' : A mountain pass near Medina, meaning 'the pass of farewell'.
87. First Friday : The first Friday prayer led by the Prophet in Medina.
88. Banu Salim ibn 'Awf : A clan of the Ansar.
89. First sermon : The Prophet's first Friday sermon in Medina.
90. Abu Ayyub : Khalid ibn Zayd al-Ansari, a companion with whom the Prophet stayed.
91. Hashim : The Prophet's great-grandfather, from the Quraysh tribe.
92. Khalid ibn Zayd : Abu Ayyub al-Ansari's full name.
93. Qur'an 23:29 : The Prophet's supplication upon arriving.
94. As'ad ibn Zurara : A prominent companion from the Ansar.
95. love you : The Prophet's response to the slave girls.
96. large bowls of food : Jifan, large bowls used for serving food.
97. nobles : Sarat, the chiefs or leaders of the Ansar.
98. Sa'd ibn 'Ubada : A chief of the Khazraj tribe and companion.
99. mother of Zayd ibn Thabit : An-Nawar bint Malik, a companion.
100. tharid : A dish of bread soaked in broth.
101. People of the Book : Jews and Christians, who possess revealed scriptures.
102. Qur'an 59:9 : Verse praising the Ansar's generosity.
103. brothers : The Prophet's declaration of brotherhood between pairs.
104. Qur'an 33:6 : Verse abrogating inheritance through brotherhood.
105. Zayd ibn Haritha : The Prophet's adopted son and companion.
106. Abu Rafi' : A freed slave of the Prophet.
107. 'Abdullah ibn Urayqit : A guide hired by the Prophet.
108. Fatima : The Prophet's daughter, wife of Ali.
109. Umm Kulthum : Another daughter of the Prophet.
110. Sawda : The Prophet's wife, Sawda bint Zam'a.
111. Umm Ayman : Baraka, the Prophet's nursemaid and mother of Usama.
112. Usama : Usama ibn Zayd, a companion and military commander.
113. Zaynab : The Prophet's eldest daughter, wife of Abu al-'As.
114. Abu al-'As ibn ar-Rabi' : A companion and son-in-law of the Prophet.
115. 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr : Son of Abu Bakr and brother of 'A'isha.
116. Umm Ruman : Wife of Abu Bakr and mother of 'A'isha.
117. 'A'isha : Daughter of Abu Bakr and wife of the Prophet.
118. Asma' : Daughter of Abu Bakr and wife of az-Zubayr.
119. az-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam : A prominent companion and cousin of the Prophet.
120. 'Abdullah : First child born to the Muhajirun in Medina.
121. fever : Medina's climate caused illness among the Meccan emigrants.
122. mudd : A unit of dry measure, approximately 0.5 liters.
123. sa' : A unit of dry measure, approximately 3 liters.
124. al-Juhfa : A place near Mecca, where the fever was transferred.
125. al-Walid ibn al-Walid : A companion who was persecuted in Mecca.
126. 'Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'a : A companion who was imprisoned.
127. Hisham ibn al-'As : A companion who was tortured.
128. al-Qunut : A supplication recited during prayer, often in times of distress.
129. witr : An odd-numbered prayer performed after the night prayer.
130. 'isha' : The night prayer.
131. imams : Leaders of prayer; here referring to the founders of the Islamic legal schools.
132. place of al-Qunut : Disagreement on whether qunut is recited before or after bowing.

The first year [1]

[The First Year] Building the Mosque (1) Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, began building his mosque at the resting place of his she-camel in front of the settlement of Banu al-Najjar. The site was a date-drying yard belonging to two orphan boys ¹ under the guardianship of As‘ad ibn Zurarah. He called the boys and negotiated to buy the yard to make it a mosque. They said, "Rather, we give it to you as a gift, O Messenger of Allah." But he, peace and blessings be upon him, refused to accept it as a gift from them; rather, he purchased it from them. On it were graves of polytheists, some pits, and palm trees. He ordered the graves to be dug up, the pits to be leveled, and the palm trees to be cut down. Then he ordered the making of mud bricks, which were made, and they began construction. They made the doorposts of stone, roofed it with palm fronds, and made its pillars from palm trunks. Its height was only slightly more than a man's stature. The Messenger of Allah himself worked on it to encourage the Muslims to work, and they would chant while he said with them: "O Allah, there is no good except the good of the Hereafter... So have mercy on the Ansar and the Muhajirun." The qibla of the mosque was placed on its north side toward Jerusalem. It had three doors. Then its floor was graveled because rain had affected it, so he, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered it to be graveled. He did not adorn the mosque with carpets, not even with mats. Next to it, he built two rooms: one for Sawda bint Zam‘a and the other for ‘Aisha. At that time, he, peace and blessings be upon him, was married only to them. The two rooms were adjacent and attached to the mosque, matching its construction style. Rooms continued to be built whenever a wife came ². [The Beginning of the Call to Prayer] Allah obligated prayer upon the Muslims so that they would constantly remember the greatness of the Most High, follow His commands, and avoid His prohibitions. Therefore, He said in His clear Book in Surah al-‘Ankabut: "Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing" ³. He made the best prayer that performed in congregation, so that Muslims would consult each other about their affairs and needs, and strengthen the bonds of familiarity and unity among them. When the time for prayer came, there had to be something to alert the heedless and remind the forgetful so that the gathering would be general. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, consulted with the Companions about what to do for that purpose. Some said, "We raise a flag when the time for prayer comes so that people can see it." But they were not satisfied with that because it would not benefit the sleeping or the heedless. Others said, "We light a fire on a high hill." That was also not accepted. Others suggested a horn, which the Jews used for their prayers—but the Messenger of Allah disliked it because he did not like imitating the Jews in any practice. Some suggested a bell, which the Christians used—but the Messenger also disliked it. Some suggested a call, so that when the time for prayer came, someone would stand and call out. This opinion was accepted. One of the callers was ‘Abdullah ibn Zayd al-Ansari ⁴. While he was between sleep and wakefulness ⁵, a person appeared to him and said, "Shall I teach you words to say when calling to prayer?" He said, "Yes." He said, "Say: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar twice, and the testimony twice, then say: Hayya ‘ala al-salah twice, then Hayya ‘ala al-falah twice, then magnify your Lord twice, then say: La ilaha illa Allah." When he woke up, he went to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and told him about his dream. He said, "It is a true dream." Then he said, "Teach it to Bilal, for he has a more melodious voice ⁶ than you." While Bilal was giving the call, ‘Umar came dragging his cloak and said, "By Allah, I saw the same thing, O Messenger of Allah" ⁷. Bilal was one of his mu’adhdhins in Medina, and the other was ‘Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum. Bilal would say in the call for the dawn prayer after Hayya ‘ala al-falah: "Prayer is better than sleep" twice, and the Messenger approved of that. During Ramadan, he, peace and blessings be upon him, would order two calls for the dawn prayer: the first to wake the heedful so they would prepare for suhur, and the second for the prayer. As for the call for Friday, it was initially given when the imam sat on the pulpit during the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, Abu Bakr, and ‘Umar. When ‘Uthman became caliph and the people increased, he added another call at al-Zawra’. Narrated by al-Bukhari. When Hisham ibn ‘Abd al-Malik became caliph, he took the call that ‘Uthman had added at al-Zawra’ and placed it on the minaret. Then he moved the call that was on the minaret to before the imam's ascent to the pulpit, as in the early period. Thus it is known that the call to prayer in the mosque before the preacher is an innovation introduced by Hisham ibn ‘Abd al-Malik. This call has no meaning because it is a call to prayer; for those inside the mosque, there is no point in calling them, and for those outside, they cannot hear the call if it is made inside the mosque. This was mentioned by Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Hajj in al-Madkhal. Al-Hafiz said in Fath al-Bari: "As for what people have innovated before Friday of calling to it with dhikr and blessings upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, it is done in some regions but not others, and following the righteous predecessors is better." From all this, it is known that the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, regarding the Friday call was that when he sat on the pulpit, his mu’adhdhin would give the call from the minaret. When the sermon ended, the iqama would be given. Anything beyond that is innovation ⁸. As for the iqama, which is the call to prayer in the mosque, the reports differ regarding its wording. Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i narrated it as single except for the phrase "Qad qamat al-salah" which is repeated twice. Malik ibn Anas narrated it all as single. Abu Hanifa al-Nu‘man narrated it all as repeated twice. [The Jews of Medina] Just as Allah tested the Muslims in Mecca with the polytheists of Quraysh, He tested them in Medina with its Jews—namely, Banu Qaynuqa‘, Qurayza, and al-Nadir. They showed enmity and hatred out of envy from themselves after it had become clear to them that it was the truth. Before the coming of the Messenger, they used to seek victory over the polytheists of the Arabs, when war broke out between the two parties, by [mentioning] a prophet who would be sent, whose time had drawn near. But when what they recognized came to them, their leaders deemed it too great that prophethood should be among the descendants of Isma‘il. So they disbelieved in what Allah had revealed, out of transgression, even though they saw that the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, came only confirming what was with them of the Books of Allah revealed to those before him, clarifying what interpretation had corrupted. But they cast it behind their backs as if they did not know. Among the things they criticized about Islam was the abrogation of rulings. They did not realize that the All-Powerful, All-Knowing knows what humans need better than they do, for humans are naturally inclined to progress. The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, initially found himself among a group of illiterate Arabs who had no divine beliefs. Wisdom dictated that legislation be gradual for them. For if Allah had forbidden them wine and usury, and commanded them to pray and give zakat, and so on to the end of the commands and prohibitions brought by Islamic law, none of those with hardened hearts and diverse desires, who were immersed in many misguidances, would have responded. So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, brought the command step by step until their minds were trained and their souls refined. Rulings were only revealed to him after events that necessitated them, so that the impact on souls would be stronger. But the Jews wanted to restrain the hand of power from doing anything except what they desired. The noble Qur’an argued against them, showing that they themselves knew they were far from the truth. He said in Surah al-Baqara: "Say, 'If the home of the Hereafter with Allah is for you alone, excluding the [other] people, then wish for death, if you should be truthful'" ⁹. Then He, exalted be His mention, decreed that they would not respond, saying: "But Allah refuses except to perfect His light, even if the disbelievers dislike it" ¹⁰. If they had known themselves to be upon the truth, they would not have delayed what was asked of them, given its ease and their eagerness to deny the truthful and trustworthy. It has not been reported that any of them wished for that, even verbally. Guidance became clear to one of the leaders of Banu Qaynuqa‘, ‘Abdullah ibn Salam. He abandoned his desire and embraced Islam after hearing the Qur’an, even though the Jews had considered him one of their leaders. They considered him one of their fools when they learned of his Islam. "How evil is that for which they have sold themselves—that they disbelieve in what Allah has revealed, out of envy that Allah would bestow His favor upon whom He wills among His servants." When enmity toward Islam became entrenched in their hearts, they strove to extinguish His light. "But those who wronged changed the word to other than what was said to them. So We sent down upon those who wronged a punishment from the sky because they were defiantly disobedient" ¹¹. [The Hypocrites] They were aided in their aims by a group of Medinan Arabs whose insight Allah had blinded. They concealed their disbelief out of fear for their lives. The leader of this group was ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul al-Khazraji, who had been a candidate for leadership of the people of Medina before the Hijra of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. There is no doubt that the harm of the hypocrites to the Muslims is more severe than that of the disbelievers, because the former enter among the Muslims, learn their secrets, and spread them among the enemies, the Jews and others, as happened repeatedly. The principle upon which the Messenger acted was to accept what was apparent and leave what was hidden to Allah. Nevertheless, he, peace and blessings be upon him, did not trust them in any matter. He often left Medina and appointed some of the Ansar over it, but it is not recorded that he ever appointed a man known for hypocrisy, because he, peace and blessings be upon him, knew what they would do if given authority. Without doubt, they would take that as an opportunity to harm the Muslims. This is an important lesson for Muslim leaders, teaching them not to entrust important matters except to those who show no sign of hypocrisy or contradiction between their outward and inward. [Treaty with the Jews] It is known that two groups opposed the Muslims in Medina: the Jews and the hypocrites. But the Messenger accepted the outward appearance of the latter and made a treaty with the former, stipulating the cessation of war and harm: he would not fight them nor harm them, nor would they assist anyone against him; if an enemy attacked him in Medina, they would support him. He confirmed them in their religion. Legitimacy of Fighting ¹²

It has been established from the foregoing that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, did not fight anyone to force them to enter the religion; rather, his mission was confined to giving glad tidings and warning. Allah, exalted be He, would reveal to him verses that strengthened him to endure the harm he faced from Quraysh. Among these is His saying in Surah Al-Ahqaf: "So be patient, as were those of determination among the messengers, and do not be impatient for them" ¹³. And Allah would often relate to him the stories of his fellow messengers before him to strengthen his heart. When the tyranny of the people of Mecca increased, they forced him to leave his home after plotting to kill him. Thus, they were the ones who initiated hostility against the Muslims by expelling them from their homes unjustly. After the emigration, Allah permitted the emigrants to fight the polytheists of Quraysh by His saying in Surah Al-Hajj: "Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory. [They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right except that they say, 'Our Lord is Allah'" ¹⁴. Then He commanded them to fight in Surah Al-Baqarah: "Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors. And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah ¹⁵ is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al-Haram ¹⁶ until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers. And if they cease, then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is for Allah. But if they cease, then there is to be no aggression except against the wrongdoers" ¹⁷. Thus, the Messenger did not initially target anyone except Quraysh, not other Arabs. But when the polytheists of Arabia other than the people of Mecca conspired against the Muslims and united with the enemies against them, Allah commanded fighting all polytheists by His saying in Surah At-Tawbah: "Fight against the polytheists collectively as they fight against you collectively" ¹⁸. Thus, jihad became general against all idolaters who have no scripture. This is confirmed by his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: "I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establish prayer, and give zakah ¹⁹. If they do that, they protect their blood and property from me except by the right of Islam, and their reckoning is with Allah" ²⁰. When the Muslims found treachery from the Jews, as they aided the polytheists in their wars, Allah commanded fighting them by His saying in Surah Al-Anfal: "If you fear treachery from a people, throw back [their treaty] to them on equal terms. Indeed, Allah does not like the treacherous" ²¹. Fighting them is obligatory until they submit or pay the jizyah ²² willingly while they are humbled, so that the Muslims may be secure from their side. The fighting of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, against the enemies was based on the following principles: (1) The polytheists of Quraysh were considered combatants because they initiated aggression; thus, the Muslims were permitted to fight them and confiscate their trade until Allah decreed the conquest of Mecca or a temporary truce was made between the two parties. (2) Whenever treachery and partisanship with the polytheists were observed from the Jews, they were fought until their side was secured through exile or execution. (3) Whenever an Arab tribe attacked the Muslims or aided Quraysh, they were fought until they submitted to Islam. (4) Anyone from the People of the Book ²³, such as Christians, who initiated hostility was fought until they submitted to Islam or paid the jizyah willingly while humbled. (5) Whoever embraced Islam, his blood and property were inviolable except by its right. Islam erases what came before it. Allah revealed many verses in the Noble Qur'an inciting courage in fighting the enemies and forbidding flight from battle. He said on the first topic in Surah An-Nisa: "So let those fight in the cause of Allah who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter. And whoever fights in the cause of Allah and is killed or achieves victory, We will bestow upon him a great reward" ²⁴. And He said on the second topic in Surah Al-Anfal: "O you who have believed, when you meet those who disbelieve advancing [for battle], do not turn your backs to them. And whoever turns his back to them on such a day, unless swerving [as a strategy] for battle or joining [another] company, has certainly incurred wrath from Allah, and his refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination" ²⁵. [The Beginning of Fighting] It was the custom of Quraysh to send their trade caravans to Syria to buy and sell, and the caravan traveling with this trade was called 'ir ²⁶. Many of the nobles and leaders of the people would accompany it for protection. To reach Syria, they had to pass by the abode of the emigration ²⁷. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, saw fit to confiscate their trade both going and coming. This would serve as punishment for the polytheists of Mecca, weakening their financial power, which would contribute to their defeat in the inevitable battlefield. For Quraysh would not remain silent about those who ridiculed their intellect and criticized their worship, especially since they were the leaders of the Arabs in religion. [Expedition] ²⁸ In the month of Ramadan, he sent his uncle Hamza ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib with thirty men from the emigrants, and he gave them a white banner carried by Abu Marthad ²⁹, an ally of Hamza, to intercept a Quraysh caravan returning from Syria, in which were Abu Jahl and three hundred of his polytheist companions. Hamza marched until he reached the coast of the sea near al-'Is ³⁰, where he encountered the caravan. When they lined up for battle, Majdi ibn 'Amr al-Juhani intervened between the two groups, and they obeyed him and dispersed. The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, thanked Majdi for his action, given the small number of Muslims and the large number of their enemy. [Expedition] ³¹ In Shawwal ³², he sent 'Ubayda ibn al-Harith ³³, the cousin of Hamza, with eighty riders ³⁴ from the emigrants, and he gave him a white banner carried by Misṭaḥ ibn Uthatha ³⁵, to intercept a Quraysh caravan containing two hundred men. They met the caravan at Baṭn Rabigh ³⁶, and there was an exchange of arrows. Then the polytheists feared that the Muslims might have an ambush, so they fled, and the Muslims did not pursue them. Among the polytheists who deserted to the Muslims were al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad and 'Utba ibn Ghazwan, who had already embraced Islam and left to join the Muslims. [Deaths] In this year, among the emigrants, 'Uthman ibn Maẓ'un died. He was the foster brother of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had embraced Islam early, and had made both emigrations ³⁷. When he was buried, the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered that his grave be sprinkled with water, and he placed a stone on his grave, saying: "I mark my brother's grave, and I will bury near him whoever of my family dies." This was the purpose of placing stones on graves, not what people of later ages intended by erecting structures over graves and adorning them with images that appear to the beholder like idols, so that the relatives of the deceased come and hold grand celebrations there, resembling what the polytheists of Mecca did at their temples. It is futile to do something that the Messenger of Allah did not do concerning matters of the Hereafter. Among the Ansar ³⁸, As'ad ibn Zurara died. He was one of the twelve naqibs ³⁹, may Allah be pleased with him, the naqib of Banu al-Najjar. When he died, the Messenger chose himself to be their naqib because he was the maternal cousin of the people. Also, al-Bara' ibn Ma'rur, one of the naqibs, died. He was the one who spoke on behalf of the people at the second 'Aqaba ⁴⁰. Among the polytheists of Mecca, al-Walid ibn al-Mughira died in this year. When he was on his deathbed, he was distressed. Abu Jahl said to him, "O uncle, what distresses you?" He replied, "By Allah, it is not the distress of death, but I fear that the religion of Ibn Abi Kabsha ⁴¹ will prevail in Mecca." Abu Sufyan said, "Do not fear; I guarantee that it will not prevail." In this year also died al-'As ibn Wa'il al-Sahmi. Allah sufficed the Muslims the evil of these two wretched ones.

1. yatīmayn : Two orphans; the boys were Sahl and Suhayl, sons of ‘Amr.
2. zawj : Wife; the Prophet later married multiple wives, each having a separate room.
3. Sūrat al-‘Ankabūt : Chapter 29 of the Qur’an; verse 45.
4. ‘Abd Allāh ibn Zayd al-Ansārī : A Companion from the Ansar who saw the call to prayer in a dream.
5. bayna al-nā’im wa al-yaqẓān : Between sleep and wakefulness; a state of drowsiness.
6. andā : More melodious or louder; Bilal had a beautiful voice.
7. ra’aytu mithlahu : I saw the same; ‘Umar had a similar dream.
8. ibtidā‘ : Innovation; religious practices not based on the Qur’an or Sunnah.
9. Sūrat al-Baqara : Chapter 2 of the Qur’an; verse 94.
10. Sūrat al-Tawba : Chapter 9 of the Qur’an; verse 32.
11. Sūrat al-Baqara : Chapter 2; verse 59.
12. mashrū‘iyyat al-qitāl : Legitimacy of fighting; the permission to engage in defensive warfare.
13. أُولُوا الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ : The messengers of strong will, generally considered to be Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them).
14. أُذِنَ لِلَّذِينَ يُقاتَلُونَ... : Quran 22:39-40, the first permission to fight given to the Muslims.
15. الْفِتْنَةُ : Fitnah: persecution, trial, or discord; here referring to polytheism and oppression of Muslims.
16. الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرامِ : Al-Masjid al-Haram: the Sacred Mosque in Mecca.
17. وَقاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ... : Quran 2:190-193.
18. وَقاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَافَّةً... : Quran 9:36.
19. الزَّكَاةَ : Zakah: obligatory alms-giving, one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
20. أمرت أن أقاتل الناس... : Hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.
21. وَإِمَّا تَخافَنَّ مِنْ قَوْمٍ خِيانَةً... : Quran 8:58.
22. الْجِزْيَةَ : Jizyah: a tax paid by non-Muslims living under Muslim rule in exchange for protection and exemption from military service.
23. أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ : People of the Book: Jews and Christians, who possess revealed scriptures.
24. فَلْيُقاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ... : Quran 4:74.
25. يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذا لَقِيتُمُ... : Quran 8:15-16.
26. عِيرًا : A trade caravan, typically of camels.
27. دَارِ الْهِجْرَةِ : The abode of emigration: Medina, where the Prophet and his companions emigrated.
28. سَرِيَّة : A military expedition led by a commander other than the Prophet himself.
29. أَبُو مَرْثَدٍ : Abu Marthad: a companion of the Prophet, whose full name is Kanz ibn Husayn al-Ghanawi.
30. الْعِيصِ : Al-'Is: a location on the Red Sea coast.
31. سَرِيَّة : Another expedition; the text numbers them but the numbers are not part of the original.
32. شَوَّال : The tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
33. عُبَيْدَةَ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ : Ubayda ibn al-Harith: a companion and cousin of the Prophet.
34. رَاكِبًا : Rider; here meaning a horseman or camel rider.
35. مِسْطَحِ بْنِ أُثَاثَةَ : Misṭaḥ ibn Uthatha: a companion of the Prophet.
36. بَطْنِ رَابِغٍ : Baṭn Rabigh: a valley near Medina.
37. الْهِجْرَتَيْنِ : The two emigrations: the first to Abyssinia and the second to Medina.
38. الأَنْصَارِ : Ansar: the 'Helpers,' the Muslims of Medina who supported the emigrants.
39. النُّقَبَاءِ : Naqibs: leaders or representatives chosen by the Prophet from the Ansar to oversee the affairs of their tribes.
40. الْعَقَبَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ : The second pledge at 'Aqaba, where the Ansar pledged allegiance to the Prophet before the emigration.
41. ابْنِ أَبِي كَبْشَةَ : Ibn Abi Kabsha: a derogatory nickname used by Quraysh for the Prophet Muhammad, likening him to a man who had abandoned the religion of his people.

The second year [1]

[The Second Year] Expedition of Waddān On the twelfth night of the second year, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, left Medina after appointing Saʿd ibn ʿUbāda as his deputy, to intercept a Quraysh caravan. He marched until he reached Waddān ¹, carrying his banner with his uncle Ḥamza. He encountered no battle there because the caravan had already passed. In this expedition, he made a treaty with the Banū Ḍamra, stipulating that they would be safe in their persons and would have his support against anyone who attacked them, and that they must support the Muslims if called upon. Then he returned to Medina after fifteen nights. [Expedition of Buwāṭ] Shortly after his return, he learned that a Quraysh caravan was returning from Syria, carrying Umayya ibn Khalaf and a hundred Quraysh men, and two thousand five hundred camels. He set out against it with two hundred Muhājirūn ² in Rabīʿ al-Awwal, carrying his banner with Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ. He marched until he reached Buwāṭ ³, but found the caravan had escaped him, so he returned without encountering any hostility ⁴. All this was because the polytheists were extremely cautious and diligent in concealing their news from the people of Medina. Expedition of al-ʿUshayra ⁵ After his return, Quraysh sent out their greatest caravan, gathering all their wealth so that no Quraysh man or woman in Mecca who possessed a mithqāl ⁶ or more failed to send it with that caravan. It was led by Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb ⁷, accompanied by about twenty men. The Messenger set out for it in Jumādā al-Ūlā with one hundred and fifty Muhājirūn, appointing Abū Salama ibn ʿAbd al-Asad over Medina, and carrying his banner with his uncle Ḥamza. He continued marching until he reached al-ʿUshayra, but found the caravan had already passed. In this expedition, the Messenger, peace be upon him, made an alliance with the Banū Mudlij and their allies, then returned to Medina to await this caravan when it came back. [The First Badr] Shortly after his return, Kurz ibn Jābir al-Fihrī ⁸ raided the grazing livestock ⁹ of Medina and fled. The Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, set out in pursuit, appointing Zayd ibn Ḥāritha al-Anṣārī over Medina, and carrying his banner with ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib. He marched until he reached Safwān ¹⁰, but Kurz escaped him, so he encountered no battle. This expedition is called the First Badr. Sariyya ¹¹ In Rajab of this year, he sent a sariyya of eight men, led by ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jaḥsh ¹², and gave him a sealed letter that he was not to open until after traveling two days, then look into it. ʿAbd Allāh traveled two days, then opened the letter, which read: "When you see this letter of mine, proceed until you dismount at Nakhl ¹³, and lie in wait there for Quraysh, and gather news of them for us." The Messenger, peace be upon him, had not informed them of their objective while they were in Medina, for fear that the news would spread and some enemy among the hypocrites or Jews would inform Quraysh, who would then lie in wait for them. It is obvious that the sariyya was small and could not resist. Then ʿAbd Allāh, may God be pleased with him, marched. During the journey, Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ and ʿUtba ibn Ghazwān fell behind because they lost the camel they were riding alternately. The rest continued until they reached Nakhl, where a Quraysh caravan heading to Mecca passed by, carrying ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥaḍramī, ʿUthmān ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Mughīra and his brother Nawfal, and al-Ḥakam ibn Kaysān. The Muslims resolved to attack them and take what they had. They attacked them on the last day of Rajab, killed ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥaḍramī ¹⁴, captured ʿUthmān and al-Ḥakam, while Nawfal escaped, and they drove off the caravan—the first spoils the Muslims took from their Quraysh enemies. Then they returned, and the polytheists were unable to catch up with them. When they arrived in Medina and it became known that they had fought during the sacred months, Quraysh and the Jews reproached them for it. The Muslims rebuked them, and the Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "I did not command you to fight during the sacred months," so they regretted it. Then God revealed in Sūrat al-Baqara: "They ask you about the sacred month—fighting therein. Say, 'Fighting therein is great [sin], but averting [people] from the way of God and disbelief in Him and [preventing access to] al-Masjid al-Ḥarām and expelling its people therefrom are greater [sin] in the sight of God, and fitna ¹⁵ is greater than killing'" ¹⁶. So they were relieved. The polytheists demanded ransom for their two captives. The Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "Not until Saʿd and ʿUtba return." When they returned, the Messenger, peace be upon him, accepted the ransom for the two captives. As for al-Ḥakam ibn Kaysān, he embraced Islam and his Islam was good among the Muslims. As for ʿUthmān, he returned to Mecca as a disbeliever. Change of the Qibla ¹⁷ The Messenger, peace be upon him, remained in Medina for sixteen months, facing Bayt al-Maqdis ¹⁸ in his prayer. He wished that his qibla would be the Kaʿba, and he would turn his face toward the sky, supplicating God for that. While he was in prayer, God revealed to him the change of the qibla to the Kaʿba, so he turned, and those behind him turned. This event caused some Muslims with weak hearts to fall into fitna and apostatize. The Jews greatly denounced Islam because of this change, but they did not know that to God belong the east and the west; He guides whom He wills to a straight path. Fasting of Ramaḍān ¹⁹ In Shaʿbān of this year, God made fasting the month of Ramaḍān obligatory upon the Muslim community. Before that, the Messenger, peace be upon him, used to fast three days every month. Fasting is one of the pillars of this religion and the obligations by which order is perfected. For man is created with a love for himself and a striving for what brings him personal benefit, neglecting the needs of the weak and poor beyond that. Thus, there must be a deterrent that restrains him for the needs of a people whose strength has failed them to attain their needs. Nothing is stronger than tasting the pangs of hunger and thirst, for through them his soul softens and his character is refined, making it easy for him to give charity. [Zakāt al-Fiṭr] Therefore, the Wise Lawgiver made obligatory after the fast Zakāt al-Fiṭr ²⁰, so you see a person giving it generously with pure love. Zakāt on Wealth ²¹ In this year, zakāt on wealth was made obligatory. This is the only system by which the poor and needy eat from their wealthy brothers without harming the latter. If the dinars reach twenty or the dirhams two hundred, and a year passes over them, you must pay one-quarter of a tenth—i.e., two and a half percent—and whatever exceeds that is calculated accordingly. If sheep reach forty, cattle thirty, camels five, and a year passes over them, you must also pay from them a specific portion defined by the Lawgiver ²². Similarly, trade goods and agricultural produce—all of this the imam collects and distributes to those entitled to it among the poor, the needy, and the rest mentioned in the verse of charity: "Zakāt expenditures are only for the poor, the needy, those employed to collect [zakāt], those whose hearts are to be reconciled, for [freeing] slaves, for debtors, in the cause of God, and for the traveler [in need]—an obligation [imposed] by God. And God is Knowing, Wise" ²³. The intelligent, rational person free from bigotry will judge at first glance that this system, while not harming the rich, reduces the afflictions of poverty that have driven many poor people of nations to oppose the systems of their states and establish principles of undermining civilization and security, as the socialists and others do. The Great Battle of Badr ²⁴ Not long after that great caravan for which the Messenger, peace be upon him, had set out while it was heading to Syria, he did not catch it and kept awaiting its return. When he heard of its return, he called his companions to it and said: "This is the Quraysh caravan; go out to it, perhaps God will grant it to you as spoils." Some people responded, while others were reluctant, thinking that the Messenger, peace be upon him, did not intend war, for he did not make elaborate preparations but said: "Whoever has a mount ready, let him ride with us." He did not wait for those whose mounts were absent. He set out on the third night of Ramaḍān, after appointing ʿAbd Allāh ibn Umm Maktūm over Medina. He had three hundred and thirteen men: over two hundred and forty from the Anṣār ²⁵, and the rest from the Muhājirūn, with two horses and seventy camels that they rode alternately ²⁶. The standard-bearer was Muṣʿab ibn ʿUmayr al-ʿAbdarī. When Abū Sufyān learned of the Messenger's departure, he hired a rider ²⁷ to go to Quraysh and inform them. When they learned of this, their tribal pride was aroused, and they feared for their trade, so they rushed out quickly. None of their nobles stayed behind except Abū Lahab ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, who sent al-ʿĀṣ ibn Hishām ibn al-Mughīra ²⁸ in his place. Umayya ibn Khalaf wanted to stay behind because of a conversation he had with Saʿd ibn Muʿādh when the latter was performing ʿumra shortly after the hijra, in which Saʿd said, as related by al-Bukhārī: "I heard the Messenger of God say that they will fight you in Mecca?" He said, "I do not know." So he was alarmed and swore not to go out. Abū Jahl reproached him and kept at him until he went out, intending to return shortly. But God's will is above every will; his fate led him to his death despite himself. Similarly, a group of nobles ²⁹ resolved to stay put, but they were reproached for that. Thus, the men of Quraysh unanimously decided to go out, so they went out on every strong and weak mount, with singing girls ³⁰ in front of them singing satires against the Muslims. "And [remember] when Satan made their deeds pleasing to them and said, 'No one can overcome you today, and I am your protector'" ³¹. God made this act of Satan an example for those of sound opinion to heed thereafter, saying in Sūrat al-Ḥashr: "Like [the example of] Satan when he says to man, 'Disbelieve.' But when he disbelieves, he says, 'Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I fear God, Lord of the worlds'" ³². Thus was his action in this incident: "But when the two armies sighted each other, he turned on his heels and said, 'Indeed, I am disassociated from you. Indeed, I see what you do not see. Indeed, I fear God, and God is severe in penalty'" ³³. The number of polytheists who went out was nine hundred and fifty men, with one hundred horses and seven hundred camels ³⁴. As for the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, he did not know anything of what the polytheists had done, and his departure was only for the caravan. He camped at the houses of al-Suqyā outside Medina, reviewed the army, and sent back those who were not capable of fighting. Then he sent two men to spy ³⁵ for news of the caravan. When he reached al-Rawḥāʾ ³⁶, news came of Quraysh's march to protect their caravan. The leaders of the army came to him, and he said: "O people, God has promised me one of the two parties: either the caravan or the army." It became clear to him, peace be upon him, that some of them wanted the less formidable party, i.e., the caravan, to use its wealth, for they said: "Why did you not mention fighting so we could prepare?" Confirmation of this came in God's words in Sūrat al-Anfāl: "And [remember] when God promised you one of the two groups—that it would be yours—and you wished that the unarmed one would be yours" ³⁷. Then al-Miqdād ibn al-Aswad ³⁸, may God be pleased with him, stood up and said:

O Messenger of God, proceed with what God has commanded you. For by God, we will not say to you as the Children of Israel said to Moses: "Go, you and your Lord, and fight; we will sit here." Rather, go, you and your Lord, and fight; we will fight with you both. By God, if you were to march with us to Bark al-Ghimad (32), we would fight alongside you until you reached it. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed for good for him. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Advise me, O people," intending the Ansar, because the Pledge of al-Aqabah might be understood to mean that they were not obligated to support him except as long as he remained among them. For in it [the pledge] was: "O Messenger of God, we are free from your protection until you reach our abode. When you reach it, you are under our protection; we will protect you as we protect our sons and women." So Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, the chief of the Aws, said: "It seems you mean us, O Messenger of God?" He said: "Yes." Sa'd said: "We have believed in you and affirmed you, and we have given you our covenants. So proceed with what God has commanded you. For by Him who sent you with the truth, if you were to take us to this sea and plunge into it, we would plunge into it with you. We do not dislike that you should meet the enemy with us tomorrow. Indeed, we are patient in war, truthful in encounter. Perhaps God will show you from us what will delight your eye. So go forth with the blessing of God." Then his face (peace and blessings be upon him) brightened, and he was pleased with that. He said, as in the narration of al-Bukhari: "Rejoice! By God, it is as if I see the places of the people's fall." So the people knew from this sentence that war was inevitable, and indeed it occurred. For when Abu Sufyan learned of the Muslims' departure, he left the usual road and traveled along the coast, thus escaping. He sent word to Quraysh informing them of that and advising them to return. But Abu Jahl said: "We will not return until we attend Badr (33) and stay there for three days, slaughtering camels (34), feeding people, drinking wine, and the Arabs will hear of us and will forever fear us." Then al-Akhnas ibn Shuraiq al-Thaqafi said to Banu Zuhrah, with whom he was an ally: "Return, O people, for God has saved your wealth." So they returned, and no Zuhri or 'Adawi witnessed Badr. Then the army marched until they reached the valley of Badr and camped at its far bank (35) from Medina, on soft, level ground. As for the Muslim army, when it approached Badr, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam to gather news (36). They encountered some water-carriers of Quraysh, among them a slave of Banu al-Hajjaj and a slave of Banu al-'As al-Sahmiyyin. They brought them to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was standing in prayer. Then he questioned them about themselves. They said: "We are water-carriers for Quraysh; they sent us to bring them water." But they struck them, thinking the two slaves were for Abu Sufyan. So the two slaves said: "We are for Abu Sufyan," and they left them. When the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) completed his prayer, he said: "When they told you the truth, you struck them; and when they lied to you, you left them?! They told the truth (37). By God, they are indeed of Quraysh." Then he said to them: "Tell me about Quraysh." They said: "They are behind this sand dune." He said to them: "How many are they?" They said: "We do not know." He said: "How many do they slaughter each day?" They said: "One day nine, and one day ten." He said: "The people are between nine hundred and a thousand." Then he asked them about the nobles of Quraysh among the expedition. They mentioned a great number (38). Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companions: "This is Mecca casting its liver pieces (39) at you." Then they marched until they camped at the near bank of the valley from Medina, far from the water, on salty ground (40). The Muslims awoke thirsty; some were in a state of major impurity (junub) and some in a state of minor impurity (muhdith). Then Satan whispered to them his insinuation. Were it not for God's favor and mercy upon them, their resolve would have been turned. For he said to them: "What do the polytheists await from you but that thirst will cut your throats and your strength will go, so they will dominate you as they wish." So God sent them rain until the valley flowed. They drank, made cisterns on the bank of the valley, bathed, performed ablution, filled the water skins, and the ground became compacted so that their feet were firm upon it. At the same time, this rain was a calamity for the polytheists, for it made the ground muddy so that they could no longer move. The confirmation of this is the saying of the Most High in Surat al-Anfal: "And He sent down upon you from the sky water to purify you thereby and remove from you the filth of Satan and to make firm your hearts and thereby make firm your feet" (41). And God showed His Messenger in his dream the enemies as He showed them to him at the time of encounter as few in number, so that the Muslims would not falter, and so that God might accomplish a matter already destined. The Most High said in Surat al-Anfal: "When God showed them to you in your dream as few; and if He had shown them to you as many, you would have faltered and disputed over the matter, but God saved you. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts. And when He showed them to you, when you met, as few in your eyes, and He made you appear few in their eyes, so that God might accomplish a matter already destined. And to God are returned all matters" (42). Then the Muslim army marched until they camped at the nearest water source of Badr. Al-Hubab ibn al-Mundhir (43) al-Ansari, who was renowned for sound judgment, said: "O Messenger of God, is this a station that God has caused you to alight at, such that we cannot advance beyond it or retreat from it, or is it [a matter of] opinion, war, and strategy?" He said: "Rather, it is opinion, war, and strategy." He said: "O Messenger of God, this is not a suitable station for you. Proceed with the people until you reach the nearest water source to the enemy. For I know its abundant water and plenty. We will camp there and block up (44) the other wells, then build a cistern upon it, fill it with water, and drink while they do not drink." The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have advised well." He proceeded until he reached the nearest water source to the enemy. Then he ordered the wells behind them to be blocked up, so as to cut off the polytheists' hope of drinking from behind the Muslims, and he built a cistern at the well (qalib) upon which he camped. Then Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, the chief of the Aws, said to him: "O Prophet of God, shall we not build for you a shelter (45) in which you may stay, and prepare your riding beasts near you? Then we will meet our enemy. If God grants us victory and makes us prevail over our enemy, that will be as we desire. If the other [outcome] occurs, you may mount your riding beasts and join those of our people who are behind us. For some people have stayed behind, O Prophet of God, who are not less in love for you or obedience to you than we are. They have desire for jihad and intention. Had they thought you would meet a battle, they would not have stayed behind. They only thought it was the caravan. God will protect you through them, and they will be sincere to you and strive with you." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Or may God decree better than that." Then a shelter was built for the Messenger on a hill overlooking the battlefield. When they gathered, he (peace and blessings be upon him) straightened their ranks, their shoulders touching, so that they became like a compact building. Then he looked at Quraysh and said: "O God, this is Quraysh. They have come with their arrogance (46) and pride, contending with You (47) and denying Your Messenger. O God, [grant] Your victory which You have promised me." At this time, a dispute occurred among the leaders of the polytheist army. For 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah wanted to prevent the people from fighting, to bear the blood money for his ally 'Amr ibn al-Hadrami, who had been killed in the expedition of 'Abdullah ibn Jahsh, and to bear the loss of his caravan, and he called the people to that. When Abu Jahl heard the news, he accused him of cowardice and said: "By God, we will not return until God judges between us and Muhammad." Before the war fully ignited, al-Aswad ibn 'Abd al-Asad al-Makhzumi came out from the polytheist ranks and said: "I covenant with God that I will drink from their cistern, or destroy it, or die trying." Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib went out to him and struck him a blow that cut off his foot at the middle of his shin, and he fell on his back. He crawled to the cistern and plunged into it to fulfill his oath, but Hamzah followed him and killed him. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) stood exhorting the people to steadfastness and patience. Among what he said was: "Patience in moments of hardship is what relieves distress and delivers from grief." Then the fighting began with single combat. Three men came out from the polytheist ranks: 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, his brother Shaybah, and his son al-Walid. They sought their equals. Three men from the Ansar (48) went out to them. They said: "We have no need of you. We only want our equals from among our cousins." So he (peace and blessings be upon him) sent out to them 'Ubaydah ibn al-Harith ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib for the first, Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib for the second, and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib for the third. As for Hamzah and 'Ali, they killed their opponents. As for 'Ubaydah and 'Utbah, they exchanged two blows, each wounding his opponent. Then 'Ubaydah's two companions carried 'Utbah and finished him off. 'Ubaydah was carried between the ranks, wounded, with the marrow of his shin flowing. They laid him down beside the station of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Messenger of God placed his noble foot under his cheek. He put his cheek upon it, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave him glad tidings of martyrdom. He said: "By God, I wish Abu Talib were alive to know that we are more deserving of his words: 'We will protect him until we fall around him, and we will forget our sons and wives.'" After this single combat concluded, he (peace and blessings be upon him) stood between the ranks, straightening them with a staff in his hand. He passed by Sawwad ibn Ghaziyyah, an ally of Banu al-Najjar, who was out of line. He struck him in the belly with the staff and said: "Stand straight, O Sawwad." He said: "You have hurt me, O Messenger of God, and you have been sent with truth and justice. So let me take retaliation from yourself." The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) uncovered his belly and said: "Take retaliation, O Sawwad." Sawwad embraced him and kissed his belly. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What made you do that?" He said: "O Messenger of God, what you see has come to pass. I wanted my last contact to be that my skin touches your skin (49)." So he prayed for good for him. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) began to instruct the army, saying: "Do not attack until I command you. If the enemy surrounds you, then shower them with arrows (50). Do not draw your swords until they come upon you." Then he urged them to patience and steadfastness. Then he returned to his shelter with his companion Abu Bakr, while his guard Sa'd ibn Mu'adh stood at the door of the shelter, girded with his sword. Among the supplications of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) at that time, as narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari, was: "O God, I implore You by Your covenant and Your promise. O God, if You wish, You will not be worshipped." Abu Bakr said: "Enough for you. God will fulfill His promise to you (51)." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) came out of the shelter saying: "The multitude will be defeated, and they will turn their backs" (52). Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, exhorting the army: "By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no man fights them today and is killed, patient and seeking reward, advancing not retreating, but God will admit him to Paradise. And whoever kills an enemy, his spoils are his." 'Umayr ibn al-Humam (53) said, with some dates in his hand that he was eating: "Excellent! Excellent! (54) What is between me and entering Paradise except that these kill me?" Then he threw the dates from his hand, took his sword, and fought until he was killed (55). The fighting intensified, and the battle became fierce. God supported the Muslims with angels as glad tidings for them and to reassure their hearts. It was not but an hour until the multitude was defeated, and they turned their backs. The Muslims followed them, killing and capturing. About seventy of the polytheists were killed, among them from Quraysh: 'Utbah (56) and Shaybah, the two sons of Rabi'ah, and al-Walid ibn 'Utbah, who were killed in single combat at the beginning of the battle.

and Abu al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham ³⁹, and al-Jarrah, the father of Abu 'Ubayda, was killed by his son after he distanced himself from him and did not heed the warning. Umayya ibn Khalaf and his son 'Ali were killed, and a group of the Ansar participated in their killing along with Bilal ibn Rabah and 'Ammar ibn Yasir, who sought that because of what Umayya had done to them in Mecca. Among the slain was Hanzala ibn Abi Sufyan, and Abu Jahl ibn Hisham was wounded by two young boys from the Ansar ⁴⁰, because of what they had heard about his severe harm to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud finished him off. Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid was killed by 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. 'Ubayda and al-'As ⁴¹, the father of Abu Uhayha Sa'id ibn al-'As ibn Umayya, were killed, and many others were killed. As for the captives, they were also seventy. Among them, he, peace be upon him, killed on his return 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt ⁴² and al-Nadr ibn al-Harith ⁴³, who were among the most severe mockers in Mecca. This event took place on the 17th of Ramadan, which is the day when the revelation of the Quran began, and between the two dates there are fourteen complete lunar years. He, peace be upon him, ordered regarding the slain that they be moved from their places of death, which the Messenger, peace be upon him, had informed of before the battle, to the well of Badr. For it was his practice in his military expeditions that when he passed by the corpse of a person, he ordered it to be buried, without asking whether he was a believer or an unbeliever ⁴⁴. When 'Utba, the father of Abu Hudhayfa ⁴⁵, one of the early Muslims, was thrown in, his son's face changed, and the Messenger, peace be upon him, noticed that and said: "Perhaps something about your father has entered your heart?" He said: "No, by God, but I knew my father to be of sound opinion, forbearance, and virtue, and I hoped that God would guide him to Islam. When I saw what he died upon, that saddened me." So the Messenger, peace be upon him, prayed for good for him. Then he, peace be upon him, ordered his riding camel to be saddled, and he mounted it until he stood at the edge of the well into which the polytheists had been thrown, and he began to call them by their names and the names of their fathers: "O so-and-so son of so-and-so, and O so-and-so son of so-and-so, would it please you that you had obeyed God and His Messenger? For we have found what our Lord promised us to be true. Have you found what your Lord promised to be true?" 'Umar said: "O Messenger of God, are you speaking to bodies without souls?" He said: "By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, you are not more able to hear what I say than they." And 'A'isha, may God be pleased with her, said: "He only said that they now know that what I used to say to them is true." Then she recited: "For indeed, you cannot make the dead hear ⁴⁶ nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs." ⁴⁷ She said: "They know that when they take their places in the Fire." - narrated by al-Bukhari. Then he, peace be upon him, sent the bearers of good news. He sent 'Abdullah ibn Rawaha to the people of al-'Aliya ⁴⁸, and he sent Zayd ibn Haritha to the people of al-Safila, riding the she-camel of the Messenger of God. The hypocrites and the disbelievers among the Jews had been spreading false rumors about the Messenger, peace be upon him, and the Muslims, as is the habit of enemies in spreading harm, intending thereby to cause discord among the Muslims. Then those bearers of good news came with what delighted the people of Medina, and that was at the time of their return from burying Ruqayya, the daughter of the Messenger of God, the wife of 'Uthman. Then the Messenger of God returned. At this point, a dispute occurred among some Muslims regarding the division of the spoils. The young men said: "We directly engaged in the fighting, so it is exclusively ours." The elders said: "We were a support for you, so we share with you." Since this disagreement was a cause of weakness and sowed enmity and hatred in hearts, leading to disunity, God revealed, to settle this dispute, the beginning of Surah al-Anfal: "They ask you about the spoils of war. Say, 'The spoils are for God and the Messenger.' So fear God and amend that which is between you. And obey God and His Messenger, if you should be believers." ⁴⁹ So the light of the Quran shone upon their hearts, and they became united after they had almost separated. They left the matter of the spoils to the Messenger of God to distribute as he wished, as the Quran decreed. So he, peace be upon him, distributed them equally: the foot soldier with the foot soldier, and the horseman with the horseman. He included in the shares some who were not present due to a task assigned to them. They were: Abu Lubaba al-Ansari ⁵⁰, because he was left in charge of the people of Medina; al-Harith ibn Hatib ⁵¹, because the Messenger, peace be upon him, left him in charge of Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf to investigate a matter that had reached him; al-Harith ibn al-Simma ⁵² and Khawwat ibn Jubayr, because they were injured at al-Rawha' and could not travel; Talha ibn 'Ubaydullah and Sa'id ibn Zayd, because they were sent to gather intelligence and did not return until after the war ended; 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, because the Messenger, peace be upon him, left him to care for his daughter Ruqayya during her illness; and 'Asim ibn 'Adi ⁵³, because he was left in charge of the people of Quba' and al-'Aliya. He also gave shares to those who were killed at Badr, who were fourteen, including 'Ubayda ibn al-Harith ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, who was wounded in the first duel and died, may God be pleased with him, upon the Muslims' return from Badr and was buried at al-Safra' ⁵⁴. When he, peace be upon him, approached Medina, the young girls came out with tambourines, saying: "The full moon has risen upon us... from the mountain passes of Wada' Gratitude is incumbent upon us... as long as any caller calls to God O you who are sent among us... you have come with a command to be obeyed." [The Captives of Badr] When they entered Medina, he, peace be upon him, consulted his companions about what to do with the captives. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said: "O Messenger of God, they denied you, fought you, and expelled you. I think you should give me permission to strike the neck of so-and-so, a relative of mine, and give Hamza permission to strike the neck of his brother al-'Abbas, and 'Ali permission to strike the neck of his brother 'Aqil ⁵⁵. Thus, until the people know that there is no affection in our hearts for the polytheists. I do not think you should keep captives; rather, strike their necks. These are their leaders, their imams, and their commanders." Sa'd ibn Mu'adh and 'Abdullah ibn Rawaha agreed with him. Abu Bakr said: "O Messenger of God, these are your family and your people. God has given you victory and triumph over them. I think you should spare them and take ransom from them. What we take from them will be a strength for us against the disbelievers, and perhaps God will guide them through you, and they will become a support for you." He, peace be upon him, said: "Indeed, God softens the hearts of some people until they become softer than milk, and indeed God hardens the hearts of some people until they become harder than stone. Your example, O Abu Bakr, is like that of Abraham, who said: 'So whoever follows me, then he is of me; and whoever disobeys me, indeed You are Forgiving and Merciful.' ⁵⁶ And your example, O 'Umar, is like that of Noah, who said: 'My Lord, leave not upon the earth any inhabitant of the disbelievers.' ⁵⁷" He, peace be upon him, adopted the opinion of Abu Bakr after praising both companions, because the goal was one: to strengthen the religion and weaken the polytheists. Then he said to his companions: "Today you are needy ⁵⁸, so do not let any of your captives escape without ransom." News of what the Messenger had decided regarding the captives reached Quraysh. They mourned the slain for a month, but then their elders advised them not to do so, lest Muhammad and his companions learn of their grief and gloat over them. So they fell silent and resolved not to weep for their slain until they took revenge. They advised each other not to be hasty in seeking ransom, lest the Muslims demand too much. [The Ransom] But al-Muttalib ibn Abi Wada'a al-Sahmi did not heed this. His father was among the captives, so he went out secretly until he reached Medina and ransomed his father for four thousand dirhams. At that, Quraysh sent for the ransom of their captives, and it was four thousand dirhams. Whoever did not have ransom but could read and write was given ten boys of Medina to teach, and that was his ransom. Among the captives was 'Amr ibn Abi Sufyan. When his father was asked for his ransom, he refused and said: "By God, Muhammad will not combine my son and my money. Let them keep him as long as they wish." While Abu Sufyan was in Mecca, he encountered Sa'd ibn al-Nu'man al-Ansari, who was performing 'Umra, so he seized him and imprisoned him in exchange for his son 'Amr. Sa'd's people went to the Messenger of God and informed him, so he gave them 'Amr, and they freed Sa'd with him. Among the captives was Abu al-'As ibn al-Rabi', the husband of Zaynab, the daughter of the Messenger. He, peace be upon him, had spoken well of him regarding his marriage. When enmity between Quraysh and the Messenger of God intensified in Mecca, they asked Abu al-'As to divorce Zaynab, as the two sons of Abu Lahab had done with the Messenger's daughters, but he refused and said: "By God, I will not separate from my wife, and I would love to have a woman from Quraysh in her place." When he was captured, Zaynab sent for his ransom a necklace that her mother Khadija had adorned her with on her wedding night. When he, peace be upon him, saw that necklace, he felt great tenderness for it and said to his companions: "If you see fit to release her captive for her and return her necklace to her, do so." The companions agreed, so he, peace be upon him, released him on the condition that he let Zaynab emigrate to Medina. When he reached Mecca, he ordered her to join her father, and the Messenger sent someone to bring her, and they took her. Later, when Abu al-'As ibn al-Rabi' embraced Islam shortly before the conquest of Mecca, he returned his wife to him with the first marriage ⁵⁹. Among the captives was Suhayl ibn 'Amr ⁶⁰, who was one of the orators and eloquent speakers of Quraysh and had often harmed the Muslims with his tongue. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said: "Let me, O Messenger of God, pull out Suhayl's front teeth so that his tongue will hang out ⁶¹ and he will never stand as a speaker against you in any place." He, peace be upon him, said: "No, I will not mutilate, lest God mutilate me, even though I am a prophet. Perhaps he will stand in a position that you will not blame." Mikraz ibn Hafs came with his ransom, and after he agreed with them on the amount, he detained himself as a substitute until the ransom came. Indeed, God fulfilled the Messenger's statement about Suhayl. When the Messenger, peace be upon him, died, the people of Mecca wanted to apostatize, as other Bedouins did. Suhayl stood up as a speaker and said, after praising God and sending blessings on His Messenger: "O people, whoever used to worship Muhammad, Muhammad has died. And whoever worships God, God is alive and does not die. Do you not know that God said: 'Indeed, you are to die, and indeed, they are to die' ⁶² and 'Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels?' ⁶³ Then he said: 'By God, I know that this religion will spread like the sun in its rising. Do not let this one deceive you' - meaning Abu Sufyan among yourselves - 'for he knows of this matter what I know, but his heart has been sealed due to envy of Banu Hashim. Rely on your Lord, for the religion of God is established, His word is complete, and God supports whoever supports Him and strengthens His religion. God has gathered you for your best' - meaning Abu Bakr - 'and that only increased Islam in strength. Whoever we see apostatize, we will strike his neck.' So the people retracted from what they had intended. This report was among the miracles of our Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.

Among the captives was al-Walīd ibn al-Walīd ⁶⁴, whom his brothers Khālid and Hishām ransomed. When he was freed and returned to Mecca, he embraced Islam. It was said to him: 'Why did you not embrace Islam before the ransom?' He replied: 'I feared they would consider my Islam as fear [of captivity].' When he wanted to emigrate, his brothers prevented him, so he fled to the Prophet during the 'Umrah of al-Qaḍā' ⁶⁵. Among the captives was al-Sā'ib ibn Yazīd ⁶⁶, who was the standard-bearer in that battle. He ransomed himself, and he is the fifth grandfather of Imam Muḥammad ibn Idrīs al-Shāfi'ī. Among them was Wahb ibn 'Umayr al-Jumaḥī ⁶⁷. His father 'Umayr was a devil among the devils of Quraysh, causing much harm to the Messenger of Allah. One day after the end of this war, he sat with Ṣafwān ibn Umayyah ⁶⁸ recalling the casualties of Badr. 'Umayr said: 'By Allah, were it not for a debt I owe that I cannot repay, and dependents I fear would become poor after me, I would go to Muḥammad and kill him, for my son is a captive in their hands.' Ṣafwān said: 'Your debt is upon me, and your dependents are with my dependents.' So 'Umayr took his sword, sharpened it, and poisoned it, then set out until he reached Medina. While 'Umar was with a group of Muslims, he saw 'Umayr with his sword slung over his shoulder. He said: 'This dog, the enemy of Allah, has come only with evil.' Then he said to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: 'This is the enemy of Allah, 'Umayr, who has come with his sword slung over his shoulder.' He said: 'Bring him in to me.' So 'Umar took hold of the sword strap ⁶⁹ and brought him in. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saw him, he said: 'Release him, O 'Umar. Come closer, O 'Umayr.' He came closer and said: 'May you have a good morning.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Allah has given us a better greeting than yours: al-Salām ⁷⁰.' Then he said: 'What has brought you, O 'Umayr?' He said: 'I came for this captive who is in your hands, so treat him well.' He said: 'Then what about the sword?' He said: 'May Allah disgrace such swords! Have they availed us anything?' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Tell me the truth: what did you come for?' He said: 'I came only for that.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'No, rather you and Ṣafwān sat in al-Ḥijr ⁷¹ and said such and such.' So 'Umayr embraced Islam and said: 'We used to deny you regarding what you brought from the news of the heaven and what was revealed to you of revelation, and this matter was witnessed only by me and Ṣafwān!' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Teach your brother his religion, teach him the Qur'an, and release his captive.' So 'Umayr returned to Mecca and declared his Islam. Among the captives was Abū 'Azīz ibn 'Umayr ⁷², the brother of Muṣ'ab ibn 'Umayr. His brother passed by him and said to the one who had captured him: 'Tie him firmly, for his mother has wealth; perhaps she will ransom him from you.' He said: 'O my brother, is this your advice to me?' Then his mother sent his ransom of four thousand dirhams. Among the captives was al-'Abbās ibn 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib, the uncle of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. He had been forced to go out for this war. When he was taken captive, he asked for a ransom for himself and his nephew 'Aqīl ibn Abī Ṭālib. He said: 'Why should we pay when we were forced to go out?' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'You were outwardly against us.' So he took a ransom from him for himself and his nephew. Then he said to the messenger: 'You have left me the poorest of Quraysh as long as I live.' He said: 'How is that, when you left wealth for Umm al-Faḍl and said to her: If I die, I have left you rich?' Al-'Abbās said: 'By Allah, no one knew of that.' This action is the utmost of justice and equality, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not exempt his uncle despite knowing that he had gone out under compulsion, while he exempted others whose poverty he knew. Such is justice, and it is not surprising, for that is the teaching of His words: 'O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives' ⁷³. Among the captives was Abū 'Azzah al-Jumaḥī, the poet. He had caused great harm to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in Mecca. When he was captured, he said: 'O Muḥammad, I am poor, have dependents, and have a need that you know, so grant me a favor.' So he granted him a favor out of his bounty. [Rebuke Regarding the Ransom] When the ransom was completed, Allah revealed concerning it: 'It is not for a prophet to have captives until he has thoroughly subdued the land. You desire the goods of this world, while Allah desires the Hereafter. And Allah is Exalted in Might, Wise. If not for a decree from Allah that preceded, you would have been touched for what you took by a great punishment' ⁷⁴. He, exalted, forbade taking captives before thoroughly subduing those who hinder from the path of Allah and prevent the spread of Allah's religion, and He rebuked some Muslims for desiring the goods of this world, i.e., the ransom. And were it not for a prior decree from Allah that a mujtahid ⁷⁵ is not punished for his ijtihād ⁷⁶ as long as his intention is good, the punishment would have come. Then He permitted them to consume from that ransom, which was taken based on sound judgment. This is among the strongest proofs of the truthfulness of our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in what he brought, for if it were from himself, he would not have rebuked himself for an action done based on the opinion of many Companions. And Allah promised the captives in whose hearts He knows goodness that He would give them better than what was taken from them and forgive them, saying: 'O Prophet, say to those captives in your hands: If Allah knows any good in your hearts, He will give you better than what was taken from you and forgive you. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful' ⁷⁷. This battle is the one by which Allah honored Islam and strengthened its people, and in which He crushed polytheism and destroyed its place, despite the small number of Muslims and the large number of their enemies. It is a manifest sign of Allah's care for Islam and its people, despite the enemy's strength with their coats of mail, complete equipment, branded horses, and excessive pride. Therefore, Allah said, bestowing this victory upon His servants: 'And Allah had certainly helped you at Badr while you were few' ⁷⁸, meaning your number was small, so that you may know that victory is only from Allah. It is the greatest of the battles of Islam, for through it Islam emerged, and after its occurrence, its light shone upon the horizons. For in it were killed the chiefs of Quraysh ⁷⁹ who were the most bitter enemies of Islam, and terror entered the hearts of other Arabs. Thus the Muslims gained a prestige by which they broke armies and defeated men. It is therefore incumbent upon us to thank the Most High, the Most Exalted, for this care, and to take the day of victory at Badr, which is the seventeenth of Ramaḍān, as a festival in which we remember Allah's favor upon His Messenger and upon the Muslims. [The Expedition of Qaynuqā'] Now, if a person has two enemies and defeats one of them, that stirs the grief ⁸⁰ of the other and agitates his heart, so he shows his hatred without caring about the consequences of his enmity. This is what happened with the Jews of Banū Qaynuqā' when the victory at Badr was complete. They broke their covenant with the Muslims and revealed what was hidden in their hearts, so hatred appeared from their mouths, and they violated the honor of a woman from the Anṣār ⁸¹. This called upon the Muslims to be cautious of them and not to trust them in the future if war broke out in Medina between the Muslims and others. So Allah revealed in Sūrat al-Anfāl: 'If you fear treachery from a people, throw back to them on equal terms. Indeed, Allah does not like the treacherous' ⁸². So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, called their leaders and warned them of the consequences of transgression and breaking the covenant. They said: 'O Muḥammad, do not let what you encountered from your people deceive you, for they have no knowledge of war. If you were to meet us, you would know that we are the [real] men.' They were the bravest of the Jews. So Allah revealed in Sūrat Āl 'Imrān: 'Say to those who disbelieve: You will be overcome and gathered to Hell, and wretched is the resting place. There has already been for you a sign in the two armies that met: one fighting in the cause of Allah and another disbelieving; they saw them [to be] twice their number, [as] seen by the eye. And Allah supports with His victory whom He wills. Indeed in that is a lesson for those of insight' ⁸³. At that point, 'Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit, one of the leaders of al-Khazraj, disassociated himself from their alliance, while 'Abdullāh ibn Ubayy clung to the alliance, saying: 'I am a man who fears the vicissitudes of time.' So Allah revealed, teaching the Muslims, in Sūrat al-Mā'idah: 'O you who have believed, take not the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you, then indeed he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people. So you see those in whose hearts is disease hastening into [association with] them, saying: We fear that a disaster may strike us. But perhaps Allah will bring about a conquest or a matter from Him, and they will become, over what they have concealed in themselves, regretful' ⁸⁴. When the Jews of Qaynuqā' openly showed enmity and fortified themselves in their fortresses, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, marched against them in the middle of Shawwāl of this year, carrying his banner with his uncle Ḥamzah, and left Abū Lubābah al-Anṣārī ⁸⁵ in charge of Medina. He besieged them for fifteen nights. [The Expulsion of Qaynuqā'] When they saw themselves incapable of resisting the Muslims and were seized with terror, they asked the Messenger of Allah to let them go, so that they could leave Medina with their women and children, while the Muslims would take their wealth. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, accepted that, and appointed 'Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit to oversee their expulsion, giving them three nights' respite. They went to Adhri'āt ⁸⁶, and before a year had passed, they perished. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, took one-fifth of their wealth and gave the share of the relatives ⁸⁷ to Banū Hāshim and Banū al-Muṭṭalib, excluding the two branches of their brothers, 'Abd Shams and Nawfal. When asked about that, he said: 'Banū Hāshim and Banū al-Muṭṭalib are one thing in the Jāhiliyyah ⁸⁸ and in Islam,' and he interlaced his fingers. [The Expedition of al-Sawīq] ⁸⁹ Abū Sufyān was agitated because he had not witnessed Badr, in which his son and relatives were killed. He swore that he would not touch his head with water ⁹⁰ until he raided Muḥammad. To fulfill his oath, he set out with two hundred of his companions, heading for Medina. When he approached it, he wanted to meet the Jews of Banū al-Naḍīr to incite them and seek their help against the Muslims. He went to their leader, Ḥuyayy ibn Akhṭab, but he refused to meet him. Then he went to Sallām ibn Mishkam, who allowed him and met with him. Then he left him and sent men from Quraysh to Medina, who burned some of its palm trees, found an Anṣārī man, and killed him. When the Messenger of Allah learned of this, he set out in pursuit of them with two hundred of his companions, five days before the end of Dhū al-Ḥijjah, after appointing Bashīr ibn 'Abd al-Mundhir ⁹¹ over Medina. However, he did not catch them because they fled, and they began to lighten their loads to be able to speed up. They threw away the sacks of sawīq ⁹² they had with them, which the Muslims took. For this reason, this expedition was called the Expedition of al-Sawīq. [The 'Īd Prayer]

In this year, Allah instituted for the Islamic world a great tradition, by which the Muslims of the same country can renew their bonds of brotherhood and strengthen the firmest bond of religion—namely, gathering on the days of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would gather the Muslims in one open space, lead them in two rak'ahs of prayer in supplication to Allah that He not break their bond and that He grant them victory over their enemy, then deliver a sermon urging them to unity and reminding them of their duties toward themselves. Then the Muslims would shake hands with one another, and afterward they would go out to give alms to the poor and needy, so that joy would be general for all Muslims. For after al-Fitr there is its zakat, and after al-Adha its sacrifice. We ask Him, the Exalted, to unite our hearts and grant us success in the deeds of our predecessors. The Marriage of Ali and Fatima (peace be upon them) In this year, Ali ibn Abi Talib, at the age of twenty-one, married Fatima, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, who was fifteen years old. From her came the progeny of the Messenger of Allah: his sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn, and Zaynab. In this year, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also consummated his marriage with Aisha bint Abi Bakr, who was then nine years old.

1. Waddān : A location between Mecca and Medina, also known as al-Abwāʾ.
2. Muhājirūn : The early Muslims who emigrated from Mecca to Medina.
3. Buwāṭ : A mountain in the direction of Syria, near Medina.
4. kayd : Hostility or harm.
5. al-ʿUshayra : A place between Mecca and Medina, near Yanbuʿ.
6. mithqāl : A unit of weight for gold and silver, approximately 4.25 grams.
7. Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb : A prominent Quraysh leader who later embraced Islam after the conquest of Mecca.
8. Kurz ibn Jābir al-Fihrī : A polytheist who later became Muslim.
9. saraḥ : Livestock that grazes freely during the day.
10. Safwān : A place near Badr, also known as Badr al-Ūlā.
11. Sariyya : A military detachment sent by the Prophet without his personal participation.
12. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jaḥsh : A companion and maternal cousin of the Prophet; he was the first to lead a sariyya.
13. Nakhla : A place between Mecca and Ta'if.
14. ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥaḍramī : The first polytheist killed by Muslims in battle.
15. fitna : Trial, persecution, or discord; here referring to polytheism and oppression.
16. Qur'an 2:217 : The verse revealed regarding the fighting in the sacred month.
17. Qibla : The direction faced during prayer; changed from Jerusalem to the Ka'ba in Mecca.
18. Bayt al-Maqdis : Jerusalem, the first qibla of Islam.
19. Ramaḍān : The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which fasting is obligatory.
20. Zakāt al-Fiṭr : A mandatory charity given at the end of Ramadan before the Eid prayer.
21. Zakāt : Obligatory alms-giving on wealth, one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
22. shāriʿ : The Lawgiver, i.e., God or the Prophet as the source of Islamic law.
23. Qur'an 9:60 : The verse specifying the categories of zakāt recipients.
24. Badr al-Kubrā : The major battle of Badr, fought on 17 Ramadan 2 AH (13 March 624 CE).
25. Anṣār : The Muslim inhabitants of Medina who supported the Prophet after the hijra.
26. yaʿtaqibūnahā : They rode the camels alternately due to scarcity.
27. rākib : A rider or messenger hired to deliver news.
28. al-ʿĀṣ ibn Hishām : A Quraysh notable; his father Hishām was the brother of Abū Jahl.
29. ashrāf : Nobles or chiefs of the Quraysh tribe.
30. qaynāt : Singing slave girls who accompanied the army to incite with poetry.
31. Qur'an 8:48 : The verse describing Satan's temptation of the polytheists before Badr.
32. Qur'an 59:16 : The verse comparing Satan's deception to that of a hypocrite.
33. Qur'an 8:48 : The continuation of the verse showing Satan's abandonment.
34. baʿīr : A camel, used for riding or transport.
35. tajassasā : To spy or gather intelligence.
36. al-Rawḥāʾ : A place about 40 miles from Medina on the way to Mecca.
37. Qur'an 8:7 : The verse referring to the promise of one of the two groups.
38. al-Miqdād ibn al-Aswad : A prominent companion known for his bravery and eloquence.
39. Abu al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham : A Qurayshite leader killed at Badr; he was initially inclined towards Islam but remained a polytheist.
40. two young boys from the Ansar : Mu'adh ibn 'Amr and Mu'adh ibn 'Afa', who wounded Abu Jahl; 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud finished him off.
41. al-'As : Al-'As ibn Umayya, father of Sa'id ibn al-'As; killed at Badr.
42. 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt : A Qurayshite who mocked the Prophet; executed after Badr on the Prophet's order.
43. al-Nadr ibn al-Harith : A Qurayshite who mocked the Quran; executed after Badr.
44. believer or an unbeliever : The Prophet ordered burial of the dead regardless of faith, as a sign of respect for human dignity.
45. Abu Hudhayfa : Abu Hudhayfa ibn 'Utba, a companion who embraced Islam early; his father 'Utba was killed at Badr.
46. you cannot make the dead hear : Quran 27:80, indicating that the dead cannot hear; the Prophet's address was a metaphor or a miracle.
47. nor can you make the deaf hear : Quran 27:80, continuation of the verse.
48. al-'Aliya : The upper part of Medina, referring to the suburbs and villages.
49. Surah al-Anfal : Quran 8:1, revealed to resolve disputes over the spoils of Badr.
50. Abu Lubaba al-Ansari : A companion left in charge of Medina during the battle; given a share of the spoils.
51. al-Harith ibn Hatib : A companion left to investigate a matter; given a share.
52. al-Harith ibn al-Simma : A companion who was injured and could not participate; given a share.
53. 'Asim ibn 'Adi : A companion left in charge of Quba' and al-'Aliya; given a share.
54. al-Safra' : A location between Mecca and Medina where 'Ubayda was buried.
55. 'Aqil : 'Aqil ibn Abi Talib, brother of 'Ali, captured at Badr; later ransomed and embraced Islam.
56. Abraham's prayer : Quran 14:36, where Abraham asks forgiveness for those who follow him.
57. Noah's prayer : Quran 71:26, where Noah asks for the destruction of the disbelievers.
58. needy : Meaning in need of the ransom money to strengthen the Muslim community.
59. first marriage : The Prophet returned Zaynab to Abu al-'As without a new marriage contract, as her conversion did not dissolve the marriage.
60. Suhayl ibn 'Amr : A Qurayshite orator captured at Badr; later embraced Islam and became a prominent speaker for Islam.
61. hang out : Literally 'protrude his tongue', meaning he would be unable to speak eloquently.
62. Indeed, you are to die : Quran 39:30.
63. Muhammad is not but a messenger : Quran 3:144.
64. al-Walīd ibn al-Walīd : A companion of the Prophet, brother of Khālid ibn al-Walīd.
65. 'Umrah of al-Qaḍā' : The 'Umrah of fulfillment, performed by the Prophet in 7 AH after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.
66. al-Sā'ib ibn Yazīd : A companion and standard-bearer at Badr; ancestor of Imam al-Shāfi'ī.
67. Wahb ibn 'Umayr al-Jumaḥī : A companion who later embraced Islam.
68. Ṣafwān ibn Umayyah : A prominent Quraysh leader who initially opposed Islam but later embraced it after the conquest of Mecca.
69. sword strap : The strap or belt from which the sword hangs.
70. al-Salām : The Islamic greeting 'Peace be upon you.'
71. al-Ḥijr : The area near the Kaaba where the Quraysh used to hold meetings.
72. Abū 'Azīz ibn 'Umayr : A companion, brother of Muṣ'ab ibn 'Umayr.
73. Qur'an 4:135 : Verse emphasizing justice even against oneself or relatives.
74. Qur'an 8:67-68 : Verses rebuking the taking of captives for ransom before subduing the enemy.
75. mujtahid : One who performs ijtihād, independent legal reasoning.
76. ijtihād : Independent reasoning in Islamic law.
77. Qur'an 8:70 : Verse promising good to captives with faith.
78. Qur'an 3:123 : Verse reminding of Allah's help at Badr despite small numbers.
79. chiefs of Quraysh : The leading polytheists of Mecca who were killed at Badr.
80. grief : Emotional pain or sorrow.
81. Anṣār : The Muslim inhabitants of Medina who supported the Prophet.
82. Qur'an 8:58 : Verse permitting breaking treaties if treachery is feared.
83. Qur'an 3:12-13 : Verses warning the disbelievers and citing the lesson of Badr.
84. Qur'an 5:51-52 : Verses forbidding alliance with Jews and Christians and criticizing hypocrites.
85. Abū Lubābah al-Anṣārī : A companion from the Anṣār.
86. Adhri'āt : A town in Syria (modern-day Daraa).
87. share of the relatives : The portion of war booty allocated to the Prophet's relatives as per Qur'an 8:41.
88. Jāhiliyyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance.
89. al-Sawīq : A type of roasted barley or wheat flour mixed with dates or honey.
90. not touch his head with water : An oath meaning he would not bathe or cleanse himself until he fulfilled his vow.
91. Bashīr ibn 'Abd al-Mundhir : A companion from the Anṣār.
92. sawīq : A food made from roasted barley or wheat, often carried as provisions.

The third year [1]

O God, He decrees that the wretched one persists in his wretchedness until he neither hears nor sees, taking treachery as a garment and betrayal as a banner, so that nothing succeeds with him except ridding the world of his evil. This is Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, the Jew, chief of Banu al-Nadir, blinded by enmity toward the Muslims until he cast off the veil of modesty, inciting Quraysh against the Messenger of God, satirizing him in poetry, and striving to stir up hatred ¹ among the Muslims. Whenever he [the Prophet] mended a breach, this wretched one would break it with the venom of his tongue. [The Killing of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf] When the Muslims were victorious at Badr and he saw the captives bound in ropes, he went out to Quraysh weeping over their slain and inciting them to war against the Muslims. The Prophet said: "Who will deal with Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf? For he has harmed God and His Messenger ²!" Muhammad ibn Maslamah ³ al-Ansari al-Awsi said: "Would you like me to kill him?" He said: "Yes." He said: "I will do it for you, but permit me to say something to gain access." He permitted him. Then he went out with four of his people until he came to Ka'b and said: "This man [the Messenger of God] has asked us for charity, and it has become burdensome for us ⁴. I have come to you to borrow." He said: "By God, you will soon be weary of him ⁵." He said: "We have followed him, and we do not wish to leave him until we see how his affair turns out. We want you to lend us a wasq or two ⁶." He said: "Yes, but give me a pledge." They said: "What do you want?" He said: "Pledge your women to me." They said: "How can we pledge our women to you when you are the most handsome of the Arabs?" He said: "Then pledge your sons to me." They said: "How can we pledge our sons to you, so that one of them may be insulted and it be said, 'Pledged for a wasq or two'? That is a disgrace for us. But we will pledge our weapons to you." He agreed, and they appointed a night for him to come. He came at night with Abu Na'ilah ⁷, Ka'b's foster brother, 'Abbad ibn Bishr ⁸, al-Harith ibn Aws ⁹, and Abu 'Abs ibn Jabr—all from Aws. Muhammad ibn Maslamah called him, and he wanted to come down, but his wife said: "Where are you going at this hour? You are a man at war." He said: "It is only my nephew Muhammad ibn Maslamah and my foster brother Abu Na'ilah. A noble man, if invited to a stab in the dark, would respond." Then Muhammad said to his companions: "When he comes, I will take hold of his hair and smell it. When you see me get a firm grip on his head, strike him." Ka'b came down to them, wearing his sword, exuding the scent of musk. Muhammad said: "I have never seen a more pleasant fragrance than today. Will you permit me to smell your head?" He said: "Yes." He smelled it, and when he had a firm grip, he said: "At him! Kill him!" And they did ¹⁰. God gave the Muslims respite from the evil of his deeds that he intended against them. Then they came to the Prophet and informed him. The killing of this wretched one occurred in Rabi' al-Awwal of this year. Whenever the Prophet saw treachery, evil intentions, and love of stirring up war from a leader, he would send someone to rid him of his evil. He did the same with Abu 'Afak the Jew, who was like Ka'b in evil. [The Expedition of Ghatafan ¹¹] News reached the Messenger of God that Banu Tha'labah and Muharib from Ghatafan had gathered under the leadership of a chief named Du'thur ¹², intending to raid Medina. The Prophet wanted to thwart them so they could not carry out this aggression. He set out from Medina with four hundred and fifty men on the twelfth night of Rabi' al-Awwal, leaving 'Uthman ibn 'Affan in charge of Medina. When they heard of the Prophet's march, they fled to the mountain tops. The Muslims continued until they reached a watering place called Dhu Amarr, where they camped. It happened that the Prophet took off his garment to dry it from rain that had wet it and rested under a tree while the Muslims were scattered. Du'thur saw him and approached with his sword until he stood over his head and said: "Who will protect you from me, O Muhammad?" He said: "God." Awe and terror seized the man, causing the sword to fall from his hand. The Prophet took it and said to Du'thur: "Who will protect you from me?" He said: "No one." So he forgave him. The man embraced Islam and called his people to Islam. God turned his heart from enmity toward the Messenger of God and gathering people to fight him, to love for him and gathering people for him. That is the bounty of God which He gives to whom He wills ¹³. This is the result of good treatment and avoidance of harshness and hardness of heart. "So by mercy from God, you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter" ¹⁴. [The Expedition of Bahran ¹⁵] News reached the Prophet that a group from Banu Sulaym intended to raid Medina. He set out with three hundred of his companions on the sixth of Jumada al-Ula, leaving Ibn Umm Maktum in charge of Medina. When he reached Bahran ¹⁶, they dispersed, and he encountered no hostility, so he returned. [Sariyyah ¹⁷] When Quraysh became certain that the Syrian trade route via Medina was blocked to their caravans, and they could not bear to abandon it because their livelihood depended on it, they sent a caravan to Syria via Iraq. Among them were Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, Safwan ibn Umayyah, and Huwaytib ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza. News of them reached the Messenger of God, so he sent Zayd ibn Harithah with one hundred horsemen to watch for them. This was in Jumada al-Akhirah. The sariyyah set out and encountered the caravan, but the men fled. The Prophet divided the spoils into fifths when they reached him. [The Battle of Uhud ¹⁸] When Quraysh suffered what they did at Badr and the trade routes were blocked to them, the remaining nobles gathered to Abu Sufyan, the leader of that caravan which had brought calamities upon them—it was halted at Dar al-Nadwah and had not yet been delivered to its owners. They said: "Muhammad has wronged us ¹⁹ and killed our best men. We are content to forgo the profit of our wealth in it to prepare for war against Muhammad and his companions." All who had a share in it agreed. Its profit was about fifty thousand dinars. They gathered men for this purpose. Three thousand men from Quraysh assembled, along with the Ahabish—their allies from Banu al-Mustaliq and Banu al-Hawn ibn Khuzaymah—and with them was Abu 'Amir al-Rahib al-Awsi, who had left Medina out of hatred for the Messenger of God, along with a number of like-minded people. Groups from the Bedouins of Kinanah and Tihamah also went out with them. Safwan ibn Umayyah said to Abu 'Azzah al-Shair, whom the reader will remember the Prophet had pardoned at Badr and released without ransom: "You are a poet; help us with your tongue." He said: "I have made a covenant with Muhammad not to assist against him, and I fear that if I fall into his hands a second time, I will not escape." Safwan persisted until he obeyed him, and he went to incite people to war against the Muslims. Jubayr ibn Mut'im called a black slave of his named Wahshi, a skilled marksman who rarely missed, and said: "Go out with the people. If you kill Hamzah in revenge for my uncle Tu'aymah, you are free." Then the army set out, with singing girls, tambourines, flutes, and wine. The nobles took their women with them to prevent flight. They continued until they camped opposite Medina at Dhu al-Hulayfah. As for the Messenger of God, news had reached him through a letter sent by his uncle al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, who did not go out with the polytheists in this war, excusing himself by what had happened to him on the day of Badr. When news of the polytheists' approach arrived, the Prophet gathered his companions and informed them. He said: "If you think it best to stay in Medina and leave them where they have camped, if they stay, they will stay in a bad place, and if they enter upon us, we will fight them." The elders of the Muhajirun and Ansar agreed with his opinion, as did 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy. However, the young men, especially those who had not witnessed Badr, advised him to go out. Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib was among those who agreed with them. They kept pressing the Prophet until he followed their opinion, because they were more numerous and stronger in endurance. He led the Friday prayer on that day, ten days before the end of Shawwal, and in his sermon he urged them to steadfastness and patience, saying: "Victory is yours as long as you are patient." Then he entered his chamber, put on his armor, wearing two coats of mail ²⁰, girded his sword, and slung his shield behind his back. When the wise men of the Ansar saw that the young men had forced the Prophet to go out, they rebuked them and said: "Refer the matter back to the Messenger of God; whatever he commands, we will obey." When the Prophet came out, they said: "O Messenger of God, we follow your opinion." He said: "It is not for a prophet, once he has put on his armor, to remove it until God judges between him and his enemies." Then he tied the banners. He gave the banner of the Muhajirun to Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr, the banner of Khazraj to al-Hubab ibn al-Mundhir, and the banner of Aws to Usayd ibn Hudayr. He left Medina with a thousand men. When they reached the top of the pass, the Prophet saw a large detachment and asked about it. He was told: "These are the allies of 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy from the Jews." He said: "We do not seek help from an unbeliever against a polytheist." He ordered them to be sent back, because he did not trust them, given their long history of treachery. Then he reviewed the army and sent back those who were too young ²¹. Among those sent back were Rafi' ibn Khadij ²² and Samurah ibn Jundab ²³. Then he allowed Rafi' to go when he was told that he was an archer. Samurah wept and said to his stepmother: "The Messenger of God allowed Rafi' but sent me back, even though I can wrestle him." The Prophet heard of this and ordered them to wrestle. Samurah prevailed, so he allowed him. Then the Prophet spent the night there on Saturday. He appointed Muhammad ibn Maslamah as guard of the army and Dhakwan ibn 'Abd Qays ²⁴ as his personal guard. At dawn, the army marched until, when they were at al-Shawt—a garden between Uhud and Medina—'Abdullah ibn Ubayy turned back with three hundred of his men, saying: "He disobeyed me and obeyed the boys. Why should we kill ourselves?" 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, the father of Jabir, followed them and said: "O people, I remind you of God not to abandon your people and your Prophet." They said: "If we knew there would be fighting, we would follow you" ²⁵. He said: "May God distance you! God will suffice His Prophet against you." When 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy did this, two groups of believers nearly faltered: Banu Harithah from Khazraj and Banu Salamah from Aws, but God protected them. The Muslims split into two factions regarding what to do with the deserters. Some said: "Fight them," others said: "Leave them." Then God revealed in Surah al-Nisa: "What is [the matter] with you [that you are] two groups concerning the hypocrites, while God has made them fall back [into error and disbelief] for what they earned. Do you wish to guide those whom God has led astray? And he whom God leads astray – never will you find for him a way [to guidance]" ²⁶. Then the army marched until they camped in the defile of Uhud ²⁷, with their backs to the mountain and facing Medina. As for the polytheists, they camped in the valley bottom facing Uhud. On their right flank was Khalid ibn al-Walid.

Al-Walid ²⁸ was on the right wing, and on the left wing was 'Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl ²⁹. The infantry was led by Safwan ibn Umayyah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, placed al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam opposite Khalid, and placed others in front of the remaining troops. He summoned the archers, who were fifty men under the command of 'Abdullah ibn Jubayr ³⁰ al-Ansari, and stationed them behind the army on the mountain, saying: 'Do not leave your position: if you see us victorious over them, do not leave; and if you see them victorious over us, do not leave ³¹.' Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, straightened the ranks and addressed the Muslims. Among what he said was: 'The Trustworthy Spirit ³² has cast into my heart that no soul will die until it has received its full provision, not diminished in the least, even if it is slow in coming. So fear your Lord and be moderate in seeking provision; let not its delay lead you to seek it through disobedience to God. The believer is to the believer like the head to the body: when it aches, the rest of the body aches in response.' Then the battle began with single combat. A man ³³ from the ranks of the polytheists came forward, and al-Zubayr went out to him and killed him. Then Talhah ibn Abi Talhah carried the banner, and 'Ali killed him. His brother 'Uthman then carried it, and Hamzah killed him. Another brother of theirs named Abu Sa'id carried it, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas shot him with an arrow, finishing him off. Then four sons of Talhah ibn Abi Talhah took turns carrying the banner, and all of them were killed. 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr ³⁴ came out from the ranks of the polytheists seeking single combat, and his father wanted to go out to him, but the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Let us enjoy your company, O Abu Bakr.' Then the cavalry of the polytheists charged the Muslims three times, and each time the Muslims repelled them with arrows, forcing them to retreat. When the ranks met and the battle became fierce, the women of the polytheists began beating tambourines and reciting poetry to stir up the emotions of the men. Whenever the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, heard the women's chanting, he would say: 'O God, by You I turn, by You I attack, and in You I fight ³⁵; God is sufficient for me, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.' In this battle, Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Messenger of God and the master of the martyrs, was killed. Wahshi ³⁶ caught him off guard while he was moving through the ranks and struck him with a spear that pierced his lower abdomen. When the standard-bearers of the polytheists were killed and no one could approach the banner, they turned their backs, while their women wept and wailed. The Muslims pursued them, collecting spoils and weapons. When the archers who were protecting the Muslims' rear on the mountain saw this, they said: 'We have no need to stay here,' and they forgot the command of the wise master, may God bless him and grant him peace. Their leader reminded them, but they paid no attention and went off to plunder. Their leader, however, remained with a few of them. When Khalid ibn al-Walid, one of the leaders of the polytheists, saw that the mountain was empty of archers, he advanced with part of the army, killed those archers who had stayed, and attacked the Muslims from behind while they were preoccupied with worldly gains. When they saw this calamity, they were stunned, dropped what they had in their hands, their ranks broke, and they became confused without realizing it, even striking one another. One of the polytheist women ³⁷ raised the banner, and they gathered around her. Among the polytheists was a man called Ibn Qami'ah, who killed Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr, the standard-bearer, and spread the rumor that Muhammad had been killed. Despair entered the hearts of the Muslims, and some said: 'Why should we fight if Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, has been killed? Return to your people, and they will grant you safety.' Another group said: 'If Muhammad has been killed, then fight for your religion.' As a result of this despair, a group of Muslims fled, including al-Walid ibn 'Uqbah, Kharijah ibn Zayd, Rifa'ah ibn al-Mu'alla, and 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, and they headed toward Medina. But they were too ashamed to enter it and returned after three days. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, remained steadfast with a group, including: Abu Talhah al-Ansari ³⁸, who stayed in front of him, shielding him with his shield ³⁹. He was a strong archer. He emptied his quiver ⁴⁰ before the Messenger of God and said: 'My face be a ransom for your face.' Whenever someone passed by with a quiver, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would say: 'Empty it for Abu Talhah.' He would look at the people to see what they were doing, and Abu Talhah would say: 'O Prophet of God, may my father and mother be your ransom, do not look, lest an arrow from the people hit you! My throat is before your throat.' Among those who remained steadfast was Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would say to him: 'Shoot, Sa'd! May my father and mother be your ransom.' Among them was Sahl ibn Hunayf ⁴¹, a famous archer who shot arrows in defense of the Messenger of God until the people dispersed from around him. Among them was Abu Dujanah Simak ibn Kharashah al-Ansari ⁴², who shielded the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, with his body, so that arrows fell on his back while he was bent over, until many arrows stuck in him. He fought in defense of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, along with Ziyad ibn al-Sakan ⁴³, who was fatally wounded. The Prophet ordered that he be brought near, and he placed his foot as a pillow for him until he died. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, suffered great hardships, which he endured with the steadfastness God had given him. Ubayy ibn Khalaf came forward intending to kill him. The Prophet took a spear from those with him and said: 'Let him through.' When he came near, he struck him a blow that caused his death as he retreated. The Messenger of God killed no one else, neither in this battle nor in any other. Abu 'Amir the monk had dug pits and covered them so that the Muslims would fall into them. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, fell into one of these pits, lost consciousness, and his knees were scratched. 'Ali took his hand, and Talhah ibn 'Ubaydullah lifted him, both of them among those who remained steadfast, until he stood upright. 'Utbah ibn Abi Waqqas threw a stone at him, breaking his incisor tooth. Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah ⁴⁴ pursued him and killed him. 'Abdullah ibn Shihab al-Zuhri struck his face, and his cheeks were wounded by the rings of the helmet that penetrated them from a blow struck by Ibn Qami'ah, may God's anger be upon him. Abu 'Ubaydah came and worked on the rings until he removed them, breaking his two front teeth in the process. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then said: 'How can a people who have stained their Prophet's face succeed?' Then God revealed in Surah Al 'Imran: 'You have no part in the matter, whether He turns to them in mercy or punishes them; for they are wrongdoers.' The first to recognize the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, after this confusion was Ka'b ibn Malik al-Ansari ⁴⁵, who called out: 'O Muslims, rejoice!' The Prophet gestured to him to be silent. Then he walked between Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah, heading toward the mountain pass, with a group including Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Ali, Talhah, al-Zubayr, and al-Harith ibn al-Simmah. At that moment, 'Uthman ibn 'Abd al-Mughirah approached, saying: 'Where is Muhammad? May he not be saved if he is saved.' His horse stumbled, and he fell into a pit. Al-Harith ibn al-Simmah went to him and killed him. When they reached the mountain pass, Fatimah came and washed the blood from him, while 'Ali poured water. Then she took a piece of matting, burned it, and placed it on the wound, and the bleeding stopped. Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, wanted to climb the rock in the pass, but he could not stand due to the amount of blood he had lost. Talhah ibn 'Ubaydullah carried him until he ascended. He looked at a group of polytheists on top of the mountain and said: 'They should not be above us. O God, we have no strength except through You.' Then he sent 'Umar ibn al-Khattab with a group, and they brought them down. The Muslims who were protecting the Messenger of God suffered many wounds, because each person would receive arrows for fear that they might reach the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Talhah had over seventy wounds, and his hand was paralyzed. Ka'b ibn Malik received seventeen wounds. The number of martyrs was over seventy, including six from the Emigrants and the rest from the Helpers. Among the Emigrants were Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib and Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr. Among the Helpers were Hanzalah ibn Abi 'Amir ⁴⁶, 'Amr ibn al-Jamuh, his son Khallad ibn 'Amr, and the brother of his wife, the father of Jabir ibn 'Abdullah. The wife of 'Amr, Hind bint Haram, carried her husband, her son, and her brother on a camel to bury them in Medina, but the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade burial outside Uhud, so they returned. Sa'd ibn al-Rabi' was killed, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent someone to bring news of him. He found him among the dead, still breathing. It was said to him: 'The Messenger of God asks about you.' He said to the messenger: 'Tell my people: Sa'd ibn al-Rabi' says to you: God, God, and the covenant you made with His Messenger on the night of 'Aqabah. By God, you have no excuse before me.' Anas ibn al-Nadr ⁴⁷, the uncle of Anas ibn Malik, was killed. When he heard of the Prophet's death, he said: 'O people, what will you do with life after him? Die for what your brothers died for.' He continued fighting until he was killed, may God be pleased with him. Quraysh mutilated the dead of Uhud. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan ⁴⁸, ripped open Hamzah's belly, took his liver to eat it, chewed it, then spat it out. They did similar things to his fellow martyrs. Then Abu Sufyan climbed the mountain and called out loudly: 'Well done! War is a game of turns: a day for Badr, a day for Uhud. Our meeting place is Badr next year.' Then he said: 'You will find among your dead some mutilation that I did not order, but it does not displease me ⁴⁹.' Then the polytheists returned to Mecca and did not go to Medina. This indicates that the Muslims were not defeated that day; otherwise, the polytheists would have pursued them to attack their city. Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, inspected the dead and grieved deeply for his uncle Hamzah. All the martyrs were buried at Uhud, each in the clothes he was killed in. Two or three men were buried in a single grave because of the fatigue the Muslims were suffering; it was difficult for them to dig a grave for each martyr. When the Muslims returned to Medina, the Jews and hypocrites mocked them and revealed the hatred in their hearts, saying to their brothers: 'If they had been with us, they would not have died or been killed ⁵⁰.' This trial that befell the Muslims is an important lesson, reminding them of two great matters that they neglected, leading to their affliction: First: obedience to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in his command. He had told the archers: 'Do not leave your position, whether we are victorious or defeated.' But they disobeyed his command and descended. Second: that all actions should be for God, without regard for this world, which often causes great calamities. These people desired worldly gain and were distracted by spoils, so they were punished. In this regard, God revealed in Surah Al 'Imran, which details the Battle of Uhud: 'And God certainly fulfilled His promise to you when you were killing them by His permission until you lost courage and disputed about the command and disobeyed after He had shown you what you love. Among you are those who desire the world, and among you are those who desire the Hereafter. Then He turned you away from them to test you. And He has pardoned you, and God is full of bounty to the believers ⁵¹.' The cause of this trial was: dispute, so there should be agreement; failure of courage, so there should be steadfastness; and disobedience, so there should be obedience to the leader. We ask God for success.

When he (peace and blessings be upon him) returned to Medina, he became cautious lest the polytheists return to Medina to complete their victory. So he called upon his Companions to go out after the enemy, and that none should go out except those who had been with him the day before. They responded to Allah and His Messenger after the wound had afflicted them (52). They bandaged their wounds and set out, with the banner still tied and not untied. He gave it to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, and appointed over Medina Ibn Umm Maktum. Then the army marched until they reached Hamra’ al-Asad (53). And what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had suspected proved true. For the polytheists blamed one another for leaving the Muslims without launching a raid on Medina to complete their victory, and they insisted on returning. But when they learned of the Messenger’s departure in pursuit, they thought that those who had not been present the day before had now joined him, and Allah cast terror into their hearts. So they continued on their way to Mecca. And he (peace and blessings be upon him), while at Hamra’ al-Asad, gained victory over Abu ‘Azzah the poet, whom he had spared at Badr after he had pledged not to act against the Muslims. He ordered his execution. He said: “O Muhammad, spare me, and grant me favor, and leave me for my daughters, and I will give you a pledge not to return to what I have done.” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “No, by Allah, you shall not wipe your cheeks in Mecca saying, ‘I have deceived Muhammad twice.’ The believer is not stung from the same hole twice (54). Strike his neck, O Zayd (55).” So he struck his neck. In this is a great lesson from the master of the noble Law, for a man who does not guard against what has befallen him is not wise. Resoluteness is necessary to establish the pillars of dominion. [Events] In this year, he (peace and blessings be upon him) married his daughter Umm Kulthum to ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan after Ruqayyah had died while with him. For this reason, he was called “Possessor of the Two Lights.” In it, he (peace and blessings be upon him) married Hafsah bint ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, and her mother was the sister of ‘Uthman ibn Maz‘un. She had been previously married to Khunays ibn Hudhafah al-Sahmi (56) (may Allah be pleased with him), who died from a wound he sustained at Badr. In it, he (peace and blessings be upon him) married Zaynab bint Khuzaymah (57) al-Hilaliyyah, from the Banu Hilal ibn ‘Amir. She was called in the Jahiliyyah “Mother of the Poor” due to her compassion and kindness toward them. She had been previously married to ‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh, who was killed at Uhud, leaving her a widow. She was the maternal sister of Maymunah bint al-Harith. In it, al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (58) (may Allah be pleased with them both) was born. In it, wine was forbidden. Its prohibition was gradual because of the Arabs’ intense love for it, making it difficult to forbid all at once. This prohibition followed events that repelled people from it, because when the prohibition of an evil is linked to an incident that makes everyone acknowledge its ugliness, it has a stronger effect on the soul. The first thing clarified about it was the saying of the Exalted in Surat al-Baqarah: “They ask you about wine and gambling. Say: In them is great sin and benefit for people” (59). The benefit of gambling was giving its profit in charity to the poor, as was the custom of the Arabs, and the benefit of wine was strengthening the body (60). When some Muslims drank it and became confused in recitation, prayer was forbidden for the intoxicated, so the Exalted said in Surat al-Nisa’: “O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying” (61). When, due to drinking it, some Muslims committed aggression against their brothers, it was definitively forbidden by the saying of the Exalted in Surat al-Ma’idah: “O you who have believed, indeed, wine, gambling, [sacrificing to] stones (62), and [divining by] arrows (63) are an abomination of Satan’s work, so avoid it that you may be successful. Satan only wants to cause between you enmity and hatred through wine and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?” (64) The Muslims responded to that by saying: “We desist.” So let the Muslims now respond.

1. shahna' : Hatred, enmity, or rancor.
2. adha Allah wa rasulahu : Harmed God and His Messenger; a phrase indicating severe transgression.
3. Muhammad ibn Maslamah : A companion from the Aws tribe, known for his role in the killing of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf.
4. a'nana : Became burdensome or caused hardship.
5. la tamallunnahu : You will surely become weary of him.
6. wasq : A measure of capacity, approximately 60 sa' (about 130-150 kg).
7. Abu Na'ilah : Salamah ibn Salamah ibn Waqsh, a companion and foster brother of Ka'b.
8. 'Abbad ibn Bishr : A companion from the Aws, known for his bravery.
9. al-Harith ibn Aws : A companion from the Aws, also known as al-Harith ibn Aws ibn Mu'adh.
10. dunakum faqtuluhu fafa'alu : At him! Kill him! And they did.
11. Ghazwah Ghatafan : The expedition against the Ghatafan tribe.
12. Du'thur : A chief of Ghatafan; also known as Du'thur ibn al-Harith.
13. dhalika fadlu Allahi yu'tihi man yasha' : Quran 57:29: 'That is the bounty of Allah which He gives to whom He wills.'
14. fabi ma rahmatin mina Allahi linta lahum... : Quran 3:159: 'So by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them...'
15. Ghazwah Bahran : The expedition to Bahran, a place in the Hijaz.
16. Bahran : A watering place in the region of the Banu Sulaym.
17. Sariyyah : A military expedition or detachment sent by the Prophet without his personal participation.
18. Ghazwah Uhud : The Battle of Uhud, fought in Shawwal 3 AH (March 625 CE).
19. watara : Wronged, harmed, or caused loss.
20. zahara bayna dir'ayn : Wore two coats of mail, one over the other, for extra protection.
21. man istasghara : Those deemed too young to fight; the Prophet sent back boys under fifteen.
22. Rafi' ibn Khadij : A young companion from the Ansar, later a narrator of hadith.
23. Samurah ibn Jundab : A young companion, later a governor and narrator.
24. Dhakwan ibn 'Abd Qays : A companion from the Khazraj tribe.
25. law na'lamu qitalan la ittaba'nakum : Quran 3:167: 'If we knew there would be fighting, we would follow you.'
26. fa ma lakum fi al-munafiqina fi'atayni... : Quran 4:88: 'What is [the matter] with you [that you are] two groups concerning the hypocrites...'
27. al-shi'b min Uhud : The mountain pass or defile of Mount Uhud, where the Muslim army positioned itself.
28. al-Walid : Al-Walid ibn 'Uqbah, a companion of the Prophet, later known for his role in early Islamic history.
29. 'Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl : Son of Abu Jahl, a prominent opponent of Islam who later converted.
30. 'Abdullah ibn Jubayr : A companion of the Prophet, leader of the archers at Uhud.
31. Do not leave your position... : The Prophet's explicit command to the archers to remain at their post regardless of the battle's outcome.
32. Trustworthy Spirit : Reference to the Angel Gabriel (Jibril), who is often called the Trustworthy Spirit in Islamic tradition.
33. a man : Identified as 'Amr ibn 'Abd Wudd, a famous warrior of Quraysh.
34. 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr : Son of Abu Bakr, not yet a Muslim at the time of Uhud; he later converted.
35. By You I turn... : A supplication (du'a) of the Prophet during battle, expressing reliance on God.
36. Wahshi : An Ethiopian slave who killed Hamzah; later converted to Islam.
37. one of the polytheist women : Identified as 'Umm 'Atiyyah or Hind bint 'Utbah, who raised the banner.
38. Abu Talhah al-Ansari : A companion known for his bravery and archery; his real name was Zayd ibn Sahl.
39. shield : The Arabic word 'juhfah' refers to a shield or protective covering.
40. quiver : A container for arrows; the Arabic 'kinanah' means quiver.
41. Sahl ibn Hunayf : A companion and skilled archer from the Ansar.
42. Abu Dujanah Simak ibn Kharashah al-Ansari : A companion known for his bravery and distinctive red headband in battle.
43. Ziyad ibn al-Sakan : A companion from the Ansar who died protecting the Prophet at Uhud.
44. Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah : A companion who participated in the Battle of Uhud and later events.
45. Ka'b ibn Malik al-Ansari : A companion and poet, known for his role in the Battle of Tabuk and his repentance.
46. Hanzalah ibn Abi 'Amir : A companion who was martyred at Uhud; he was a son of Abu 'Amir the monk.
47. Anas ibn al-Nadr : Uncle of Anas ibn Malik, known for his zeal and martyrdom at Uhud.
48. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan : Hind bint 'Utbah, a prominent Qurayshi woman who later converted to Islam.
49. mutilation that I did not order... : Abu Sufyan's statement disavowing responsibility for the mutilation of the Muslim dead.
50. If they had been with us... : A verse from the Quran (3:156) referring to the hypocrites' words.
51. And God certainly fulfilled His promise... : Quranic verse 3:152, which addresses the events of Uhud.

The Fourth Year [1]

In the beginning of the fourth year, the Messenger of God was informed that Talha and Salama, the two sons of Khuwaylid al-Asadi, were calling their people, the Banu Asad, to fight him, peace and blessings be upon him. So he called Abu Salama ibn Abd al-Asad al-Makhzumi, gave him a banner, and said: "Go until you reach the land of Banu Asad ibn Khuzayma, then raid them." He sent men with him. He set out at the beginning of Muharram until he reached Qatan ¹, where he raided them. They fled from their homes, and Abu Salama found camels and sheep, which he took. He did not encounter any fighting and returned after ten days from his departure. Also at its beginning, he, peace and blessings be upon him, was informed that Sufyan ibn Khalid ibn Nubayh al-Hudhali, residing at Arana ², was gathering forces to fight him. So he sent Abdullah ibn Unays al-Juhani alone to kill him. Abdullah asked the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, for permission to speak falsely to gain access, and he permitted him, saying: "Claim to be from Khuza'a." He left on the fifth of Muharram. When he reached him, Sufyan said: "Who are you, man?" He said: "From Khuza'a. I heard that you are gathering forces against Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, so I came to join you." He said: "Yes, I am indeed gathering forces against him." So Abdullah walked with him and talked with him, and Sufyan found his conversation pleasant. When they reached his tent, the people dispersed, and Abdullah sat with him until he fell asleep. Then he got up and killed him. Then he departed until he reached Medina, and no one pursued him. God sufficed the believers from fighting. In Safar, he, peace and blessings be upon him, sent ten men as spies ³ against Quraysh with a group ⁴ of Adal and al-Qara ⁵, who had come to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, asking for someone to teach them religion. He appointed Asim ibn Thabit al-Ansari ⁶ as their commander. They set out, traveling by night and hiding by day, until they reached al-Raji' ⁷. There, that group betrayed them and informed Hudhayl, the people of Sufyan ibn Khalid al-Hudhali whom Abdullah ibn Unays had killed, about them. They set out against them with nearly two hundred archers and followed their tracks until they drew near. When the men of the expedition sensed them, they took refuge on a mountain there. The enemies said: "Come down, and you have a covenant that we will not kill you." Three of them, deceived by their covenant, came down. The remaining ones, including Asim, fought them, not agreeing to come down under the protection of polytheists. When the three who had surrendered saw the treachery, one of them resisted, and they killed him. As for the two, they sold them in Mecca to those who had vengeance against the Muslims, and there they were killed. One of them, Khubayb ibn Adi ⁸, said when they wanted to kill him: ⁹ "I do not care, when I am killed as a Muslim, on which side I fall for God's sake. That is for the sake of God, and if He wills, He blesses the limbs of a torn body." In Safar, Abu Bara' Amir ibn Malik Mula'ib al-Asinna ¹⁰ came to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. He was one of the chiefs of Banu Amir. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, invited him to Islam, but he did not accept nor reject. Rather, he said: "I see this matter of yours as good and noble. If you would send some of your companions with me to the people of Najd to invite them to your matter, I hope they would respond to you." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "I fear for them from the people of Najd." Abu Bara' said: "I am their protector." So he sent with him al-Mundhir ibn Amr ¹¹ with seventy of his companions, who were called the Reciters ¹² because of their extensive memorization of the Quran. They set out until they camped at Bi'r Ma'una ¹³. They sent Haram ibn Milhan ¹⁴ with a letter to Amir ibn al-Tufayl, the chief of Banu Amir. When he reached him, he did not pay attention to the letter but attacked Haram and killed him ¹⁵. Then he called for help against the rest of the expedition from his people, Banu Amir, but they refused to break the protection of Mula'ib al-Asinna. So he called for help from tribes of Banu Sulaym, namely Ri'l, Dhakwan, and Usayya, and they responded and went with him. When they met the Reciters, they surrounded them and fought them until they killed them all, after a fierce defense that did not avail them due to their small number. None escaped except Ka'b ibn Zayd ¹⁶, who fell among the dead until they thought he was dead, and Amr ibn Umayya ¹⁷, who was with the livestock ¹⁸ of the people. The news of the Reciters reached the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, so he addressed his companions and said among other things: "Your brothers have met the polytheists and they killed them, and they said: 'Our Lord, convey to our people that we have met our Lord, and we are pleased with Him and He is pleased with us.'" The news of this expedition and the expedition of al-Raji' arrived on the same day, and he, peace and blessings be upon him, grieved deeply for them. He continued to curse those who betrayed them for a month in the prayer. Oh, what an evil consequence of rashness! A community may be at ease and tranquil until a group of its leaders commit an act of treachery, thinking they will succeed, but it brings evil upon them and disperses them from their homes. This is what happened to the Jews of Banu al-Nadir, the allies of the Khazraj who lived near Medina. There were treaties between them and the Muslims, ensuring mutual security, but Banu al-Nadir did not fulfill these treaties out of envy and transgression. While the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and some of his companions ¹⁹ were in the territory of Banu al-Nadir, a group of them conspired to kill him by having one of them ²⁰ take a rock and drop it on him from above. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, learned of their intention and returned, followed by his companions. Then he sent Muhammad ibn Maslama to tell them: "Leave my land, for you have intended treachery." "Indeed, complete prudence is not to be lenient with one known for treachery." The people prepared to leave, but their brothers, the hypocrites, sent them word: "Do not leave your homes; we are with you. If you are expelled, we will surely go out with you, and we will never obey anyone against you. And if you are fought, we will surely support you." But God witnesses that they are liars. If they are expelled, they will not go out with them, and if they are fought, they will not support them. And if they support them, they will turn their backs, then they will not be helped ²¹. However, the Jews were tempted by this promise and delayed their departure. So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered preparation to fight them. When the people gathered, he went out with them, appointing Ibn Umm Maktum over Medina, and gave his banner to Ali. As for Banu al-Nadir, they fortified themselves in their fortresses, thinking they would protect them from God. He, peace and blessings be upon him, besieged them for six nights, then ordered their palm trees to be cut down to induce their surrender. God cast terror into their hearts, and they saw no help from Abdullah ibn Ubayy. Rather, he abandoned them as he had abandoned Banu Qaynuqa' before them. So they asked the Messenger of God to let them leave, spare their blood, and take whatever their camels could carry of their wealth, except for weapons. He did so, and the Jews began demolishing their houses with their own hands so that Muslims would not inhabit them. When the Jews left, some settled in Khaybar, among them their leaders Huyayy ibn Akhtab and Sallam ibn Abi al-Huqayq, and some went to Adhri'at in Syria. Two of them embraced Islam: Yamin ibn Amr ²² and Abu Sa'd ibn Wahb. The Messenger of God did not take a fifth of what was taken from Banu al-Nadir, for it was fay' ²³ for which no horse or camel was ridden ²⁴. Such property is for military equipment, and the Prophet provides for his family from it, and for relatives, orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer, as God Almighty said in Surat al-Hashr: "What God has bestowed on His Messenger from the people of the towns belongs to God, to the Messenger, to relatives, orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer, so that it may not circulate among the rich among you" ²⁵. So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, gave from this fay' to the poor Emigrants ²⁶ who were expelled from their homes and wealth, and returned to their brothers, the Helpers, what they had taken from them during the emigration. He, peace and blessings be upon him, took land to cultivate and store from it the yearly provision for his family. In Rabi' al-Akhir, he, peace and blessings be upon him, was informed that tribes from Najd were preparing to fight him, namely Banu Muharib and Banu Tha'laba. So he prepared and set out with seven hundred fighters, appointing Uthman ibn Affan ²⁷ over Medina. They continued traveling until they reached the territory of the people, but found no one there except women, whom they took. The news reached their men, who became afraid and scattered in the mountain peaks. Then a group of them gathered and came to fight. The two sides drew near, and each feared the other. When the time for the afternoon prayer came, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, feared that the enemies would attack them while they were praying, he led the Muslims in the prayer of fear ²⁸. God cast terror into the hearts of the enemies while they were praying. Their forces dispersed in fear of him, peace and blessings be upon him. Imam al-Bukhari inclined to the view that this expedition took place in the fourth year, but the historians agree otherwise. When Sha'ban of this year began, the appointed time with Abu Sufyan arrived. After the Battle of Uhud, he had said to the Muslims: "Our appointment is at Badr next year." The Prophet agreed to that. Badr was a market held every year in Sha'ban, where merchants would stay for eight days. When the time came, Quraysh were suffering from drought, and Abu Sufyan could not fulfill his promise. He wanted to discourage the Muslims from going out so that he would not be accused of breaking his word. So he hired Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud al-Ashja'i ²⁹ to go to Medina and spread rumors about the great forces Abu Sufyan had gathered. Nu'aym came to Medina and said to the Muslims: "Indeed, the people have gathered against you, so fear them." But it increased them in faith, and they said: "Sufficient for us is God, and He is the best Disposer of affairs" ³⁰. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not pay attention to this rumor, relying on his Lord. Rather, he set out with one thousand five hundred of his companions, appointing Abdullah ibn Abdullah ibn Ubayy ³¹ over Medina. They continued traveling until they came to Badr, but found no one, because Abu Sufyan had advised Quraysh to set out with the intention of returning after traveling one or two nights, thinking that Nu'aym's rumor would cause the Muslims to stay behind. He traveled until he came to Majanna, a well-known market near Marr al-Zahran ³², and said to his people: "This is a year of drought, and only a year of plenty suits us. So return." As for the Muslims, they stayed at Badr, with no one sharing in their trade. "So they returned with grace and bounty from God; no harm touched them, and they followed the pleasure of God. And God is the possessor of great bounty" ³³. When Safwan ibn Umayya heard of this, he said to Abu Sufyan: "By God, I forbade you to promise the people. They have become bold against us and see that we have broken our promise."

In this year, al-Husayn ibn Ali ³⁴ was born, and in it Zaynab bint Khuzayma, Mother of the Believers ³⁵, died, and in it Abu Salama ³⁶, may God be pleased with him, the cousin of the Messenger of God ³⁷, peace and blessings be upon him, and his foster brother, and the first to emigrate to Abyssinia, died, and in it he, peace be upon him, married Umm Salama ³⁸, Hind, the wife of Abu Salama, after his death.

1. Qatan : A place in the land of Banu Asad.
2. Arana : A place near Mecca.
3. spies : Literally 'uyun, meaning scouts or spies.
4. group : Literally raht, meaning a group of men.
5. Adal and al-Qara : Two tribes.
6. Asim ibn Thabit al-Ansari : A companion from the Helpers.
7. al-Raji' : A place between Mecca and Medina.
8. Khubayb ibn Adi : A companion from the Helpers.
9. poem : These lines are from a poem by Khubayb ibn Adi.
10. Mula'ib al-Asinna : A nickname meaning 'player with spears'.
11. al-Mundhir ibn Amr : A companion from the Helpers.
12. Reciters : Literally qurra', meaning those who recited the Quran.
13. Bi'r Ma'una : A well in the land of Banu Amir.
14. Haram ibn Milhan : A companion from the Helpers.
15. killed him : Amir ibn al-Tufayl killed Haram.
16. Ka'b ibn Zayd : A companion from the Helpers.
17. Amr ibn Umayya : A companion from the Helpers.
18. livestock : Literally sarh, meaning grazing livestock.
19. some of his companions : Including Abu Bakr, Umar, and Ali.
20. one of them : The plan was for Amr ibn Jihash to drop the rock.
21. verse : Quran 59:11-12.
22. Yamin ibn Amr : A Jewish man who embraced Islam.
23. fay' : Property taken from non-Muslims without fighting.
24. no horse or camel was ridden : Meaning no military expedition was undertaken.
25. verse : Quran 59:7.
26. poor Emigrants : The Muhajirun who had left their wealth in Mecca.
27. Uthman ibn Affan : The future third caliph.
28. prayer of fear : A shortened prayer performed during battle.
29. Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud al-Ashja'i : A companion who later embraced Islam.
30. verse : Quran 3:173.
31. Abdullah ibn Abdullah ibn Ubayy : The son of the hypocrite leader.
32. Marr al-Zahran : A place near Mecca.
33. verse : Quran 3:174.
34. al-Husayn ibn Ali : The grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, son of Ali and Fatima.
35. Mother of the Believers : Title given to the wives of the Prophet Muhammad.
36. Abu Salama : Abdullah ibn Abd al-Asad, a companion of the Prophet and his foster brother.
37. Messenger of God : The Prophet Muhammad.
38. Umm Salama : Hind bint Abi Umayya, one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad.

The fifth year [1]

[The Fifth Year] **The Expedition to Dumat al-Jandal (1)** In Rabi' al-Awwal of this year, news reached the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that a group of Bedouins in Dumat al-Jandal were oppressing those who passed by them, and that they intended to approach Medina. So he prepared for an expedition against them and set out with a thousand of his Companions, having appointed over Medina Suba' ibn 'Arfatah al-Ghifari (2). He continued traveling by night and concealing himself by day until he drew near them. When the news reached them, they dispersed. The Muslims then fell upon their flocks and shepherds; some were captured, others fled. He then encamped in their courtyard but found no one. He sent out raiding parties, but they found none of them. So he (peace and blessings be upon him) returned, having gained spoils. On his way back, he made a treaty with 'Uyaynah ibn Hisn al-Fazari—the one whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to call "the fool obeyed" (3), because a thousand lances followed him—and granted him land to pasture his livestock (4), at a distance of thirty-six miles from Medina, because his land had become barren. **The Expedition to Banu al-Mustaliq (5)** In Sha'ban, news reached him (peace and blessings be upon him) that al-Harith ibn Dirar, the chief of Banu al-Mustaliq—who had aided Quraysh in their war against the Muslims at Uhud—was gathering forces to fight him. So he set out against him with a large company, appointing Zayd ibn Harithah over Medina. He took with him from his wives 'A'ishah and Umm Salamah. Also accompanying him were some of the hypocrites who had never before gone out on an expedition, hoping to gain some worldly goods. During his journey, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encountered a spy of Banu al-Mustaliq. He asked him about the enemy's situation, but he did not answer, so he ordered him killed. When al-Harith, the army commander, learned of the Muslims' approach to fight him and that they had killed his spy, he and his army became extremely fearful, to the point that some of them deserted him. When the Muslims reached al-Muraysi' (6), the two sides lined up for battle after he had offered them Islam and they had refused. They exchanged arrows for a while, then the Muslims charged as one man, leaving no room for any of the enemy to flee. They killed ten of them and captured the rest, along with the women and children, and seized the camels and sheep. The camels numbered two thousand, and the sheep five thousand. The Messenger appointed his freedman Shuqran (7) to oversee them, and Buraydah (8) over the captives. Among the polytheist women was Barrah bint al-Harith (9), the chief of the people; two hundred captive girls had been taken from her people and distributed among the Muslims. Here appears excellent policy and utmost generosity. For Banu al-Mustaliq were among the most honored Arabs in lineage, so capturing their women in this manner was very difficult. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wanted the Muslims to voluntarily grant the women freedom. So he married Barrah bint al-Harith, whom he renamed Juwayriyyah. The Muslims then said: "The in-laws of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) should not remain captives in our hands," and they granted them freedom. Thus, Juwayriyyah was the most blessed woman for her people (10), as 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said. This great generosity and noble treatment caused Banu al-Mustaliq to embrace Islam entirely, and they became for the Muslims after having been against them. During this expedition, two remarkable incidents occurred, which, had it not been for the wisdom of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), would have led to division among the Muslims. The first was that a hired man (11) of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab quarreled with an ally of the Khazraj (12). The hired man struck the ally until he bled. The ally called for help from his people, the Khazraj, and the hired man called for help from the Muhajirun. Panic arose among the two groups, and they nearly fought each other, had not the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) come out to them and said: "What is this call of Jahiliyyah?"—referring to the cry for help, "O so-and-so!" He was told what happened, and he said: "Leave this word, for it is foul." Then he spoke to the injured man until he waived his right, and thus the fitnah subsided. When 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy heard of this quarrel, he became angry. He had a group of the Khazraj with him, and he said: "I have never seen anything like today's humiliation. Have they done this? They outnumber us (13) in our own land. By Allah, we and the Muhajirun are like the saying: 'Fatten your dog, and it will eat you.' By Allah, if we return to Medina, the more honorable will surely expel the more abject therefrom (14)." Then he turned to those with him and said: "This is what you have done to yourselves. You allowed them to settle in your land and shared your wealth with them. By Allah, if you had withheld what you have, they would have moved to another land. And not content with what you did, you made yourselves targets for death for Muhammad's sake. You have orphaned your children, reduced your numbers, and increased theirs. So do not spend on them until they disperse from him." Present in his gathering was a young man of strong faith named Zayd ibn Arqam (15). He informed the Messenger of Allah of this, and his face changed color. He said: "O boy, perhaps you were angry with him and said what you said?" He replied: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I heard him." He said: "Perhaps your hearing misled you." 'Umar asked the Messenger for permission to kill Ibn Ubayy or to order someone else to do so, but he forbade him, saying: "How would it be, O 'Umar, if people said that Muhammad kills his Companions?" Then he gave the order to march at a time when they would not normally march, when the heat was intense, intending thereby to occupy the people from discussing this matter. Usayd ibn Hudayr came to him and asked why he was marching at this time. He said: "Has not the news reached you of what your companion said? He claimed that if he returned to Medina, the more honorable would expel the more abject." Usayd said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, you will expel him if you wish. By Allah, he is the abject, and you are the honorable." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) marched the people swiftly until the sun troubled them. He then halted, and no sooner had they felt the ground than they fell asleep. Some men of the Ansar spoke to 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy, asking him to seek the Messenger's forgiveness, but he turned his head arrogantly. Then the Surah of the Munafiqun was revealed to the Messenger, exposing 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy and his ilk, and confirming Zayd ibn Arqam. When 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy heard of this, he asked the Messenger's permission to kill his father, fearing that someone else might be tasked with it, which would cause rancor and hatred. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to treat his father kindly (17). **[The Incident of the Slander (Ifk)]** The second incident, more grievous and calamitous than the first, was the slander against 'A'ishah al-Siddiqah, the wife of the Messenger of Allah, accusing her of adultery with Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal (18) al-Sulami. This occurred when they were nearing Medina. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the march one night. Lady 'A'ishah had gone to relieve herself until she passed the army. When she finished, she returned to her camel litter. She felt her chest and found that her necklace of Zafar (19) onyx had broken. She went back to search for it, and her search delayed her. The men who used to load her camel came and carried her howdah (20), thinking she was inside it, because women at that time were light and not yet heavy with flesh, so they did not notice the lightness of the howdah. 'A'ishah was a young girl. She returned to the army's camp after finding her necklace, but found no one there. Sleep overcame her, and she slept. Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal, who used to march behind the army looking for lost items, came upon her place at dawn. He recognized her because he had seen her before the hijab. He exclaimed, "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un!" She woke up at his exclamation (21) and covered her face with her jilbab (22). He made his camel kneel, mounted her without exchanging a word, then led the camel until he caught up with the army, which was halting for rest. Then the uproar of the slanderers began. They said what they said about 'A'ishah and Safwan. The one who took the lead in the slander was 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy. When they arrived in Medina, 'A'ishah fell ill for a month, while the people were engrossed in the talk of the slanderers, and she was unaware of anything. She used to notice the Prophet's tenderness when she was ill, but during this illness, he did not show her any of it. He would only pass by the door of her room and say, "How are you?" This made her very suspicious. When she recovered (23), she went out with Umm Mistah ibn Uthathah (24), one of the slanderers, to relieve themselves outside the houses. Umm Mistah tripped over her cloak (25) and said, "May Mistah perish!" 'A'ishah said, "What an evil thing to say! Do you curse a man who witnessed Badr?" She replied, "O you (26), have you not heard what they said?" 'A'ishah asked her about it, and she told her the story. This increased her illness. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to her as usual, she asked his permission to go to her father's house to be nursed, and he allowed her. She asked her mother what people were saying. Her mother said, "O my daughter, take it easy. By Allah, rarely has a beautiful woman (27) been with a man who loves her and has co-wives, but they talk much about her." 'A'ishah said, "Glory be to Allah! Are people talking about this?" She wept that night until morning, her tears never drying, and she never slept. Meanwhile, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) consulted the senior members of his household about what to do. Usamah ibn Zayd (28), knowing of 'A'ishah's innocence, said, "Your family, your family—we know nothing but good about them." 'Ali ibn Abi Talib said, "Allah has not restricted you. There are many women other than her. Ask the slave girl; she will tell you the truth." So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called Burayrah (29), 'A'ishah's slave girl, and said, "Have you seen anything that might raise suspicion?" She said, "By Him who sent you with the truth, I have never seen anything about her that I could fault (30) except that she is a young girl who falls asleep over her dough, and the domestic animal (31) comes and eats it." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood up that day, ascended the pulpit while the Muslims were gathered, and said, "Who will excuse me (32) regarding a man whose harm has reached me concerning my family? By Allah, I know nothing but good about my family. And they have mentioned a man of whom I know nothing but good, and he never entered my house except with me." Sa'd ibn Mu'adh said, "I will excuse you from him, O Messenger of Allah. If he is from the Aws, I will strike his neck; if he is from our brothers, the Khazraj, command us, and we will do your bidding." Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah al-Khazraji stood up and said, "You lie! By Allah, you will not kill him, nor can you kill him. If he were from your clan, you would not want him killed." Usayd ibn Hudayr stood up and said to Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah, "You lie! By Allah, we will kill him. You are a hypocrite arguing for the hypocrites." A fitnah nearly broke out between the Aws and the Khazraj, had not the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) descended from the pulpit and calmed them until they fell silent. As for 'A'ishah, she remained for two nights, her tears never drying, and she never slept. While she was with her parents, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) entered, greeted, and sat down. He said, "Now then, O 'Aishah, such-and-such has reached me about you. If you are innocent, Allah will declare your innocence. If you have committed a sin, seek Allah's forgiveness and repent to Him, for when a servant acknowledges his sin and repents, Allah accepts his repentance." 'A'ishah's tears ceased (33), and she said to her parents, "Answer the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." They said, "By Allah, we do not know what to say." She said, "By Allah, I know that you have heard this story until it has settled in your hearts and you have believed it. If I tell you I am innocent—and Allah knows I am innocent—you will not believe me. And if I confess to something—and Allah knows I am innocent—you will believe me. By Allah, I find no example for me and you except the example of Joseph's father: 'So patience is most fitting. And Allah is the one sought for help against that which you describe' (Quran 12:18)." Then she turned away and lay down on her bed. She said, "By Allah, I knew that you were innocent, and Allah would declare your innocence. But if I were to die, I would not speak of it." While he was speaking, the revelation came upon him. He was covered with a garment, and a leather cushion was placed under his head. When the revelation ceased, he sat up, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and said, "Rejoice, O 'Aishah! Allah has declared your innocence." She said, "Praise be to Allah!" He went out to the people and recited to them what had been revealed: the verses from Surah al-Nur (24:11-20). Then he ordered that Mistah ibn Uthathah, Hassan ibn Thabit, and Hamnah bint Jahsh—who had spread the slander—be flogged with eighty lashes each. As for 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy, the leader of the hypocrites, he was not flogged because he was the source of the slander, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not flog him, fearing that the hypocrites would cause trouble. And Allah knows best.

I am innocent, do not believe me. And if I confess to you something—while Allah knows that I am innocent of it—you would believe me. By Allah, I find no example for me and you except that of Abu Yusuf when he said: 'So patience is beautiful, and Allah is the One sought for help against what you describe.' ¹ Then she turned and lay down on her bed. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, did not leave his seat until the verses from Surat al-Nur were revealed to him, declaring the innocence of the pure and truthful lady Aisha: 'Indeed, those who came with the slander are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you; rather, it is good for you. For every person among them is what sin he has earned; and the one who took upon himself the greater part thereof—for him is a great punishment. Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of themselves and say, "This is an obvious slander"? Why did they not bring four witnesses for it? So when they did not bring the witnesses, they are in the sight of Allah the liars. And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy in this world and the Hereafter, you would have been touched by a great punishment for that in which you engaged. When you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous. And why, when you heard it, did you not say, "It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You! This is a great slander"? Allah admonishes you never to return to the like of it, if you should be believers. And Allah makes clear to you the verses, and Allah is Knowing and Wise. Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you do not know. And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy and that Allah is Kind and Merciful. O you who have believed, do not follow the footsteps of Satan. And whoever follows the footsteps of Satan—indeed, he enjoins immorality and wrongdoing. And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have been pure, ever, but Allah purifies whom He wills, and Allah is Hearing and Knowing.' ² So relief came to the Messenger as he laughed, and he gave Aisha the good news of her innocence. ³ Her mother said to her: 'Get up and thank the Messenger of Allah.' She said: 'No, by Allah, I will thank only Allah, who has declared me innocent.' ⁴ After that, he, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered that those who openly spread the slander be flogged eighty lashes—the punishment for slanderers. They were three: Hamna bint Jahsh ⁵, Mistah ibn Uthatha, and Hassan ibn Thabit. Abu Bakr used to support Mistah ibn Uthatha ⁶ due to his kinship with him. When Mistah spoke about the slander, Abu Bakr cut off his support. Then Allah revealed: 'And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give to the near of kin and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah. And let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.' ⁷ So Abu Bakr said: 'Yes, we love that, O Messenger of Allah,' and he resumed his support for Mistah. These are the harms of the hypocrites who enter among nations, showing them love while their hearts are filled with hatred, waiting for trials. Whenever they see an opening for it, they enter it. So we seek refuge in Allah from them. The Battle of the Trench ⁸ The leaders of Banu al-Nadir found no rest after their expulsion from their homes and the Muslims' inheritance of them. Rather, they always sought to take revenge and reclaim their land. So a group of them went to Mecca, met with the leaders of Quraysh, incited them to war against the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and promised them help. They found acceptance from them for what they requested. Then they came to the tribe of Ghatafan and incited their men as well, informing them of Quraysh's pledge to war. They found them receptive. So Quraysh and their followers prepared, led by Abu Sufyan, with their banner carried by Uthman ibn Talha ibn Abi Talha al-Abdari. Their number was four thousand, with three hundred horses and a thousand camels. Ghatafan prepared, led by Uyayna ibn Hisn, who repaid the Messenger of Allah's kindness with ingratitude. As mentioned earlier, the Messenger had granted him land to graze his livestock, until when his hoof and foot grew fat, he stood leading armies to fight the one who had favored him. He had a thousand horsemen. Banu Murra prepared, led by al-Harith ibn Awf al-Murri, numbering four hundred. Banu Ashja' prepared, led by Abu Mas'ud ibn Rukhayla ⁹. Banu Sulaym prepared, led by Sufyan ibn Abd Shams, numbering seven hundred. Banu Asad prepared, led by Tulayha ibn Khuwaylid al-Asadi. The total number was ten thousand warriors, with their supreme commander being Abu Sufyan. When the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, received news of these preparations, he consulted his companions about what to do: should he stay in Medina or go out to meet this massive army? Salman al-Farisi advised him to dig a trench, a tactic unknown to the Arabs. So the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered the Muslims to do it, and they began digging it north of Medina, from the eastern lava plain to the western lava plain. This was the vulnerable side from which Medina could be attacked. As for the other borders, they were intertwined with houses and palm trees, making it impossible for the enemy to attack from that direction. The Muslims endured great hardships in digging the trench, as they were not living in abundance to make the work easy. The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, worked with them, carrying dirt while reciting the poetry of Ibn Rawaha: 'O Allah, without You we would not be guided, nor give charity, nor pray. So send down tranquility upon us, and make firm our feet when we meet [the enemy]. The polytheists have transgressed against us, but if they desire tribulation, we refuse.' ¹⁰ The army camped on the eastern side, with their backs to Sala', a mountain overlooking Medina. Their number was three thousand. The banner of the Emigrants was with Zayd ibn Haritha, and the banner of the Helpers was with Sa'd ibn Ubada. Quraysh camped at Majma' al-Asyal ¹¹, while Ghatafan camped near Uhud. The polytheists were amazed by the trench stratagem, which the Arabs had not known, and they began shooting arrows at the Muslims. When the siege dragged on, a group of them was forced to cross the trench, including Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl, Amr ibn Wudd, and others. Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, came forward to face Amr ibn Wudd and killed him, and his brothers fled. Nawfal ibn Abd Allah fell into the trench and broke his neck, and he was thrown ¹². Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, may Allah be pleased with him, was struck by an arrow that severed his median vein, the artery of the forearm. The skirmishing and archery continued for a whole day, causing the Muslims to miss that day's prayers, which they made up later. The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, appointed guards over the trench so that the polytheists would not cross it at night. He himself guarded a gap ¹³ in it despite the severe cold. He would give his companions glad tidings of victory and success and promise them good. As for the hypocrites, they revealed what was in their hearts during this hardship, saying: 'Allah and His Messenger did not promise us but delusion.' ¹⁴ They withdrew, saying: 'Our houses are exposed, and we fear that the enemy may attack them.' 'But they were not exposed; they only wanted to flee.' ¹⁵ The situation became severe for the Muslims, as this siege brought hardship to the poor of Medina. What increased their difficulty was the news that the Jews of Banu Qurayza, who lived among them in Medina, had seized this opportunity to break their covenants. The reason was that Huyayy ibn Akhtab, the leader of the expelled Banu al-Nadir, went to Ka'b ibn Asad al-Qurazi, the leader of Banu Qurayza, and was like a devil to him, saying to a person: 'Disbelieve.' He made breaking the covenant seem good to him and kept at him until he agreed to fight the Muslims. When this news reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, he sent Muslama ibn Aslam ¹⁶ with two hundred men and Zayd ibn Haritha with three hundred to guard Medina, fearing for the women and children. He sent al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam to investigate the news. When he reached them, he found them angry, with evil showing on their faces. They insulted the Messenger of Allah and the Muslims in his presence. He returned and informed the Messenger of that. At that point, the Muslims' fear intensified, and they were shaken severely, for the enemy came from above them and from below them, their eyesight wavered, their hearts reached their throats, and they thought about Allah various thoughts. The hypocrites spoke whatever occurred to them. The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, wanted to send to Uyayna ibn Hisn and make a peace treaty with him, offering him one-third of Medina's fruits so that Ghatafan would withdraw. But the Helpers refused, saying: 'They used to get only a little of our fruits when we were disbelievers. Now, after Islam, should they share them with us?' When Allah wants to care for a people, He prepares for them the means of victory from where they do not expect. Look at this care from Allah for those who adhere to His straight religion. Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud al-Ashja'i came, who was a friend of Quraysh, the Jews, and Ghatafan. He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I have embraced Islam, and my people do not know of my Islam. Command me with your order so that I may help you.' He said: 'You are one man, and what can you do? But create dissension among them as much as you can, for war is deception.' ¹⁷ [Deception in War] So he left him and went to Banu Qurayza, who had broken their covenants with the Muslims. When they saw him, they honored him due to his friendship with them. He said: 'O Banu Qurayza, you know my love for you and my concern for you. I will tell you something, but keep it secret from me.' They said: 'Yes.' He said: 'You have seen what happened to Banu Qaynuqa' and al-Nadir—they were expelled and their property and homes were taken. Quraysh and Ghatafan are not like you. When they see an opportunity, they seize it; otherwise, they return to their lands. As for you, you live with the man who wants the Messenger, and you have no power to fight him alone. So I think you should not enter this war until you are certain that Quraysh and Ghatafan will not leave you and go to their lands. You should take hostages from them—seventy of their nobles—so that they will not abandon you.' They approved his opinion and agreed to it. Then he left them and went to Quraysh. He met with their leaders and said: 'You know my love for you and my affection for you. I will tell you something, but keep it secret from me.' They said: 'We will.' He said: 'Banu Qurayza have regretted what they did with Muhammad and fear that you will leave and abandon them to him. They said to him: "Would it please you if we take a group of their nobles and give them to you, and you restore our broken wing?"—meaning Banu al-Nadir. He agreed to that from them. Now they are sending to you, so beware of them, and do not mention a word of what I have told you.' Then he went to Ghatafan.

So he informed them of what he had informed Quraysh. Abu Sufyan sent a delegation ¹⁸ to Qurayza calling them to fight the next day. They replied: "We cannot fight on the Sabbath, and he sent them on the eve of Saturday—and nothing befell us except due to transgression against it. Nevertheless, we will not fight until you give us hostages from among you, so that you do not abandon us and go back to your lands." ¹⁹ Thus the words of Nu'aym ibn Mas'ud were confirmed for Quraysh and Ghatafan, and hearts were divided, each fearing the other. The Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] had supplicated to Allah, the One with no refuge except Him, saying: "O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Swift in reckoning, defeat the confederates. O Allah, defeat them and grant us victory over them." ²⁰ Allah answered his supplication and sent upon the enemies a cold wind in a dark night. The Arabs feared that the Jews might unite with the Muslims and attack them in the pitch-black night, ²¹ so they resolved to depart before dawn. When the Prophet heard the commotion in the enemy army, he said to his companions: "Something must have happened. Who among you will go and bring us news of the people?" They remained silent until he repeated it three times. Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman was among them. The Prophet said: "I have heard your voice since tonight, yet you did not respond!" He said: "O Messenger of Allah, the cold is severe." He said: "Go on the mission of the Messenger of Allah and bring us news of the people." So he risked his life in service of his Prophet until he obtained clear news that the enemies were determined to depart. ²² [Defeat of the Confederates] Such was their fear that their leader Abu Sufyan said to them: "Let each of you recognize his brother and hold his hand, lest an enemy infiltrate among you." He untied the hobble of his camel, intending to be the first to depart. Safwan ibn Umayya said to him: "You are the leader of the people, do not leave them and go." So Abu Sufyan dismounted and gave the order to depart, leaving Khalid ibn al-Walid with a group to protect the rear of those departing, lest they be attacked from behind. Allah removed from the Muslims this distress caused by the confederates of Arabs and Jews. Had it not been for Allah's grace and care for this religion, as a favor and bounty from Him, the situation would have been dire. The departure of the confederates occurred in Dhu al-Qa'dah. It was truly incumbent upon Allah to call it a blessing in His words in Surat al-Ahzab: "O you who have believed, remember the favor of Allah upon you when armies came to [attack] you and We sent upon them a wind and armies you did not see. And ever is Allah, of what you do, Seeing. [Remember] when they came at you from above you and from below you, and when eyes shifted [in fear], and hearts reached the throats, and you assumed about Allah [various] assumptions. There the believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking. And [remember] when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease said, 'Allah and His Messenger did not promise us except delusion.' And [remember] when a faction of them said, 'O people of Yathrib, there is no stability for you [here], so return [home].' And a party of them asked permission of the Prophet, saying, 'Indeed, our houses are exposed,' while they were not exposed. They intended not but to flee." ²³ [Expedition against Banu Qurayza] When the Prophet returned with his companions and intended to remove his armor, Allah commanded him to go after Banu Qurayza ²⁴ to purify His land from a people with whom covenants were no longer beneficial, treaties did not bind them, and the Muslims could not feel safe from their side in times of hardship. He said to his companions: "Let none of you pray the afternoon prayer except at Banu Qurayza." So they hurried, and the Prophet followed riding his donkey, with his banner carried by 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, and his deputy over Medina was 'Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum. The number of Muslims was three thousand. Some companions caught the afternoon prayer on the way and prayed it, interpreting the Prophet's command as urging speed, while others did not pray it until they reached Banu Qurayza after its time had passed, taking the command literally. He did not rebuke either group. ²⁵ When Banu Qurayza saw the Muslim army, Allah cast terror into their hearts. They wanted to exonerate themselves from their evil deed of betraying those with whom they had a covenant during preoccupation with another enemy, but how could they, when their treachery was proven to the Muslims? Seeing this, they fortified themselves in their strongholds, and the Muslims besieged them for twenty-five nights. When they saw no escape from war and that if they continued they would die of hunger, they asked the Muslims to let them depart as the Banu al-Nadir had departed, taking their wealth and leaving their weapons. The Prophet did not accept. Then they asked to depart with their persons but without weapons, but he also refused, saying: "You must surrender and accept whatever judgment is passed upon you, whether good or bad." They said: "Send us Abu Lubaba to consult." He was from Aws and an ally of Banu Qurayza, having children and property among them. When he went to them, they consulted him about surrendering to the Prophet's judgment. He said: "Surrender," and gestured with his hand to his throat, indicating slaughter. Abu Lubaba said: "I had not left my place until I realized that I had betrayed Allah and His Messenger." ²⁶ He went down from their place heading to Medina, ashamed to face the Prophet. When the Prophet asked about him and was told what he had done, he said: "Had he come to me, I would have asked forgiveness for him. But since he did what he did, we leave him until Allah decides about him." ²⁷ Then, when Banu Qurayza saw no alternative but to surrender to the Prophet's judgment, they did so. He ordered their men to be tied up. Men from Aws came and asked him to treat them as he had treated Banu Qaynuqa', the allies of their brothers from Khazraj. He said: "Would it not please you that one of your own men judge them?" They said: "Yes." They chose their leader Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, who was wounded by an arrow in the Battle of the Trench and was staying in a tent in the mosque prepared for treating the wounded. The Prophet sent someone to bring him. They carried him on his donkey, and a group of Aws surrounded him, saying: "Be good to your allies. Do you not see what Ibn Ubayy did for his allies?" Sa'd said: "It is time for Sa'd not to be swayed by any blame in the matter of Allah." When he approached the Prophet and his companions who were sitting, the Prophet said: "Stand up for your chief and help him down." They did so and said to him: "The Messenger of Allah has appointed you over your allies to judge them." The Prophet said to him: "Judge them, O Sa'd." Sa'd turned to the side where the Prophet was not and said: "Are you bound by the covenant of Allah and His pledge that the judgment will be as I judge?" They said: "Yes." Then he turned to the side where the Prophet was and said: "And those here as well?" while lowering his gaze out of reverence. They said: "Yes." He said: "Then I judge that their men be killed, their women and children taken captive." The Prophet said: "You have judged them with the judgment of Allah." ²⁸ For this is the recompense of the treacherous betrayer. Then he ordered the execution of the judgment, and it was carried out. Their spoils were collected: one thousand five hundred swords, three hundred shields, two thousand spears, five hundred shields and other items. Much furniture, vessels, and camels for carrying water ²⁹ and sheep were found. He divided all that into fifths, including the palm trees and captives. A foot soldier received a third of a horseman's share. He gave [some] to the women who nursed the wounded. Among the spoils were jars of wine, which were poured out. After this matter was completed, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh's wound burst open and he died. ³⁰ May Allah be pleased with him. He was among the Ansar like Abu Bakr among the Muhajirun. He had firm resolve in all the battles before the Trench, and the Prophet loved him greatly and gave him glad tidings of Paradise for his great deeds. After the Muslims returned to Medina, Allah accepted the repentance of Abu Lubaba with His words: "And [there are] others who have acknowledged their sins. They mixed a righteous deed with another that was bad. Perhaps Allah will turn to them in forgiveness. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." ³¹ He had made a covenant with Allah to abandon the houses of Banu Qurayza where this slip occurred. With the completion of this expedition, Allah gave the Muslims relief from the evil of neighboring the Jews, who were accustomed to treachery and betrayal. Only a remnant of their leaders remained in Khaybar and its people, who were the cause of stirring up the confederates. The reader will soon learn of the day they were punished. [Marriage to Zaynab bint Jahsh] In this year, the Prophet married Zaynab bint Jahsh—her mother Umayma was his aunt—after his freedman Zayd ibn Haritha divorced her. The matter of her marriage to Zayd was that the Prophet proposed to her for him, but her family was reluctant due to her high status, for the Arabs disliked marrying their daughters to freedmen, considering them not equals. Although the Prophet had adopted Zayd, this did not make him a noble. Then the verse in Surat al-Ahzab was revealed: "It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error." ³² So they had no choice but to accept. When Zayd entered upon her, she showed him pride and haughtiness that he could not bear. He complained to the Prophet, who advised him to keep her and be patient, until he became distressed. He informed the Prophet of his decision to divorce her and did so. Since the union between such spouses was a form of futility, Allah commanded His Prophet to marry Zaynab after her divorce, both to end this discord and to preserve her honor after her marriage to a freedman. But the Prophet feared blame from the Jews and Arabs for marrying his son's wife. ³³ He said to Zayd: "Keep your wife and fear Allah," and concealed in himself what Allah would reveal. Allah decisively abolished this custom—the prohibition of marrying the wife of an adopted son—with His words in Surat al-Ahzab: "So when Zayd had completed his desire from her, We married her to you so that there would be no blame upon the believers concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they have completed their desire from them. And ever is the command of Allah accomplished." ³⁴ Then Allah prohibited adoption for Muslims due to its harm, and revealed in Surat al-Ahzab: "Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the prophets. And ever is Allah, of all things, Knowing." ³⁵ From then on, Zayd was called "Zayd ibn Haritha" instead of "Zayd ibn Muhammad." In exchange, his name was mentioned in a Qur'an that would be recited throughout the ages. ³⁶

Historians and those with base intentions among them have said about this story things that are only permissible from someone who has lost his reason and does not understand the reality of what he says. They mention that the Messenger ³⁷ one day went to visit Zayd ³⁸ and saw his wife by chance because the wind lifted the curtain from her, and she fell into his heart, so he said: "Glory be to God." When her husband came, she mentioned that to him, and he saw it as his duty to separate from her. He went and informed the Messenger of his resolve, but he forbade him from doing so, etc. This is belied by the fact that the women of the Arabs before that did not know the veiling of faces, and Zaynab ³⁹, the daughter of his paternal aunt, had embraced Islam early while the Messenger of God was in Mecca. How could he not have seen her, given that about ten years had passed since her conversion and she was his cousin, except when the wind lifted the curtain by chance? And the Messenger of God was the one who married her to Zayd. If he had had any desire or love for her, he would have married her himself, and there was no obstacle preventing him from that. Who among us can imagine that the Noble Master ⁴⁰ says to his people: "I am sent from my Lord," and recites to them morning and evening God's command to him in the Meccan Surah Al-Hijr: "Do not extend your eyes toward what We have given enjoyment to certain categories of them" ⁴¹ and in the Meccan Surah Ta-Ha also: "And do not extend your eyes toward what We have given enjoyment to certain categories of them, the splendor of the worldly life" ⁴², and then after that he enters the house of a man among his followers, sees his wife by chance, and then desires to marry her? This matter is grave; our breasts feel it. If something like this happened from the least of people, he would be blamed. How then with the one upon whom the historians have agreed that he was the best of people in character, the farthest from base deeds, and the most intelligent and perceptive, until God praised him with His saying in Surah Nun: "And indeed, you are of a great moral character" ⁴³? There is no doubt that this myth is attached to the myth of the Gharaniq ⁴⁴, fabricated by the enemies of religion to achieve their goals. Praise be to God, it contradicts transmitted and rational evidence, so no doubt remains that the truth is what we first narrated to you, which is what is derived from the Noble Quran. God Almighty said in Surah Al-Ahzab: "And when you said to the one upon whom God had bestowed favor and you had bestowed favor, 'Keep your wife and fear God,' and you concealed within yourself what God would disclose, and you feared the people, while God has more right that you fear Him. So when Zayd had completed his need of her, We married her to you so that there would be no blame upon the believers concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they have completed their need of them. And ever is the command of God accomplished" ⁴⁵. What God disclosed was his marriage to her, and He disclosed nothing else. And this Quran is the greatest witness. [The Veil] Concerning it, the verse of the veil ⁴⁶ was revealed, which is specific to the wives of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him ⁴⁷. Umar ibn al-Khattab ⁴⁸, before its revelation, loved it and mentioned it often ⁴⁹, and wished that a Quranic verse would be revealed about it. He used to say: "If only He would obey me regarding you, no eye would see you." Then was revealed in Surah Al-Ahzab: "And when you ask them for something, ask them from behind a veil. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts" ⁵⁰. Some said: "Are we forbidden to speak to our cousins except from behind a veil? If Muhammad dies, I will surely marry Aisha!" Then after the previous verse was revealed: "And it is not for you to harm the Messenger of God or to marry his wives after him, ever. Indeed, that would be in the sight of God an enormity" ⁵¹. As for his wives, peace and blessings be upon him, from among the believing women ⁵², they were commanded to lower their gaze and guard their private parts, just as men were commanded, and they were commanded not to display their adornment to strangers except what is apparent of it, such as the ring on the finger, the dye on the hand, and the kohl on the eye. As for what is hidden, it is not permissible to display it, such as the bracelet on the forearm, the armlet on the upper arm, the anklet on the leg, the necklace on the neck, the diadem on the head, the sash on the chest, and the earring on the ear. What is meant by apparent and hidden adornment is its place. They were also commanded to draw their headcovers over their bosoms so that their chests would not remain uncovered, for women at that time had wide necklines from which their necks and chests and what was around them appeared, and they used to let their headcovers hang behind them. They were forbidden to stamp their feet so that it would be known that they were wearing anklets. If the prohibition of showing the sound of jewelry comes after the prohibition of showing the jewelry itself, then it is understood that the prohibition of showing the places of jewelry is even more emphatic. God Almighty said in Surah An-Nur: "And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not display their adornment except what is apparent of it, and to draw their headcovers over their bosoms and not display their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers, their brothers' sons, their sisters' sons, their women, what their right hands possess, or those male attendants having no physical desire, or children who are not yet aware of the private aspects of women. And let them not stamp their feet to make known what they conceal of their adornment. And turn to God in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed" ⁵³. In early Islam, women were as they were in the Jahiliyyah ⁵⁴, carelessly dressed; a woman would appear in a shift and a headcover, with no distinction between a free woman and a slave girl. Young men and rogues ⁵⁵ would accost slave girls when they went out at night to attend to their needs in the palm groves and fields ⁵⁶, and sometimes they would accost a free woman on the pretext that she was a slave girl, saying: "We thought she was a slave girl." So they were commanded to differ in their dress from that of slave girls by drawing their cloaks over themselves to cover the face and shoulders ⁵⁷ so that they would be modest and feared, and no one would covet them. God Almighty said in Surah Al-Ahzab: "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks over themselves. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is God Forgiving and Merciful" ⁵⁸. As for veiling a woman from someone who wants to propose to her, this is something that was not done in the time of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, nor in the time of the righteous predecessors ⁵⁹. For the Wise Lawgiver ⁶⁰ prescribed that so that a man would be aware of what he is undertaking, so that harmony and concord would be achieved between the spouses in a matter on which the imams of the religion have agreed. The Proof of Islam al-Ghazali ⁶¹ said in the Ihya' ⁶²: "The Law has encouraged observing the causes of affection, and therefore recommended looking, saying: 'If God casts into the heart of one of you something regarding a woman, let him look at her, for that is more likely to bring about harmony between them' ⁶³ — that is, to unite them — than the occurrence of al-adama ⁶⁴ upon al-adama. Al-adama is the inner skin, and al-bashara ⁶⁵ is the outer skin. He mentioned this for emphasis on harmony. And he, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Indeed, in the eyes of the Ansar ⁶⁶ there is something, so if any of you wants to marry one of them, let him look at them' ⁶⁷. It is said that there was a weakness in their eyes, and it is said smallness. Some righteous people would not marry their noble women except after looking, to avoid deception. Al-A'mash ⁶⁸ said: 'Every marriage that takes place without looking ends in worry and grief.' It is not unlikely that the corruption of the times and the departure from religious education that leads to noble morals have made it seem good to the general Muslims in the early centuries to veil women absolutely, to cut off evils and ward off temptation. [The Obligation of Hajj] ⁶⁹ In this year, according to the majority ⁷⁰, God obligated upon the Islamic nation the Hajj ⁷¹ to the House ⁷² for whoever is able to find a way, so that Muslims from all regions may gather, turn to God, and supplicate to Him to support them with His victory and help them to follow His upright religion. In that is the strengthening of the bond and the unity of hearts, which brings great benefit to the Muslims.

1. Yusuf 12:18 : Reference to the Quranic verse where Jacob says 'So patience is beautiful, and Allah is the One sought for help against what you describe.'
2. Surah al-Nur 24:11-20 : Verses from the Quran revealed regarding the slander against Aisha.
3. Aisha : Aisha bint Abi Bakr, the wife of Prophet Muhammad, who was accused of adultery in the incident of al-Ifk.
4. Aisha's response : Aisha's refusal to thank the Prophet, emphasizing that only Allah cleared her name.
5. Hamna bint Jahsh : A woman who spread the slander against Aisha; she was flogged.
6. Mistah ibn Uthatha : A relative of Abu Bakr who participated in the slander; Abu Bakr initially cut off his financial support.
7. Quran 24:22 : Verse urging forgiveness and generosity, which led Abu Bakr to resume supporting Mistah.
8. Ghazwat al-Khandaq : The Battle of the Trench, also known as the Battle of the Confederates, in 627 CE.
9. Abu Mas'ud ibn Rukhayla : Leader of Banu Ashja' during the Battle of the Trench.
10. Poetry of Ibn Rawaha : Verse recited by the Prophet while digging the trench, attributed to the companion Abdullah ibn Rawaha.
11. Majma' al-Asyal : A location near Medina where Quraysh camped during the battle.
12. Nawfal ibn Abd Allah : A Quraysh leader who fell into the trench and died.
13. thulma : Arabic for 'gap' or 'breach' in the trench.
14. Quran 33:12 : Verse describing the hypocrites' statement during the battle.
15. Quran 33:13 : Verse describing the hypocrites' excuse about their houses being exposed.
16. Muslama ibn Aslam : A companion sent to guard Medina during the battle.
17. al-harbu khud'a : Hadith: 'War is deception,' meaning stratagems are permissible in warfare.
18. wafd : A delegation or envoy sent to negotiate or deliver a message.
19. rahā'in : Hostages given as a guarantee of good faith.
20. ib'tahala : To supplicate earnestly and humbly to Allah.
21. al-laylati al-mud'limah : The pitch-black night, referring to the severe darkness.
22. jaliyyat al-khabar : Clear and certain news or information.
23. Sūrat al-Aḥzāb : Chapter 33 of the Qur'an, 'The Confederates'.
24. Banū Qurayẓa : A Jewish tribe in Medina that broke their treaty with the Muslims.
25. lam yu'annif : He did not rebuke or criticize them.
26. Abū Lubāba : A companion of the Prophet who inadvertently revealed the fate of Banu Qurayza.
27. yasta'firu lahu : To ask Allah's forgiveness for someone.
28. ḥukm Allāh : The judgment of Allah, indicating divine approval.
29. nawāḍiḥ : Camels used for carrying water.
30. in'afajara jurḥu Sa'd : Sa'd's wound burst open, leading to his death.
31. tāba Allāhu 'alayhi : Allah accepted his repentance.
32. Sūrat al-Aḥzāb : Chapter 33 of the Qur'an.
33. zawj ibnihi : His son's wife, referring to the pre-Islamic custom of adoption.
34. Sūrat al-Aḥzāb : Chapter 33 of the Qur'an.
35. Sūrat al-Aḥzāb : Chapter 33 of the Qur'an.
36. qur'ān yutlā : A Qur'an that is recited, meaning the verses remain as a permanent revelation.
37. al-rasūl : The Messenger, i.e., the Prophet Muhammad.
38. Zayd : Zayd ibn Harithah, the adopted son of the Prophet Muhammad.
39. Zaynab : Zaynab bint Jahsh, the Prophet's cousin and later wife.
40. al-sayyid al-akram : The Noble Master, referring to the Prophet Muhammad.
41. Sūrat al-Ḥijr : Quran 15:73, but the correct reference is 15:88.
42. Sūrat Ṭā Hā : Quran 20:131.
43. Sūrat Nūn : Quran 68:4.
44. kharāfat al-gharānīq : The myth of the Gharaniq, a fabricated story about the Prophet allegedly praising pagan goddesses.
45. Sūrat al-Aḥzāb : Quran 33:37.
46. āyat al-ḥijāb : The verse of the veil, referring to Quran 33:53.
47. ṣallā llāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam : Peace and blessings be upon him, a formula used after mentioning the Prophet Muhammad.
48. ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb : The second Caliph, a prominent companion of the Prophet.
49. yuḥibbuhu wa-yadhkuruhu kathīran : He loved it and mentioned it often, referring to the concept of veiling.
50. Sūrat al-Aḥzāb : Quran 33:53.
51. Sūrat al-Aḥzāb : Quran 33:53, but the correct reference for the second part is 33:53.
52. azwājuhu ʿalayhi l-ṣalātu wa-l-salām : His wives, peace and blessings be upon him.
53. Sūrat al-Nūr : Quran 24:31.
54. al-Jāhiliyyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance.
55. ahl al-shaṭārah : Rogues or mischievous people.
56. al-nakhīl wa-l-ghayṭān : Palm groves and fields.
57. al-aʿṭāf : Shoulders or sides of the body.
58. Sūrat al-Aḥzāb : Quran 33:59.
59. al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ : The righteous predecessors, the early generations of Muslims.
60. al-shāriʿ al-ḥakīm : The Wise Lawgiver, i.e., God.
61. Ḥujjat al-Islām al-Ghazālī : Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, a renowned Islamic theologian and mystic.
62. al-Iḥyāʾ : Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din, al-Ghazali's major work on Islamic spirituality.
63. aḥrā an yuʾdama baynahumā : More likely to bring about harmony between them.
64. al-adama : The inner skin, used metaphorically for deep harmony.
65. al-bashara : The outer skin.
66. al-Anṣār : The Helpers, the Medinan converts who supported the Prophet.
67. ḥadīth : A saying of the Prophet.
68. al-Aʿmash : Sulayman ibn Mihran al-A'mash, a famous tabi'i and hadith narrator.
69. farḍ al-ḥajj : The obligation of the pilgrimage to Mecca.
70. ʿalā mā ʿalayhi al-aktharūn : According to the majority of scholars.
71. al-ḥajj : The pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam.
72. al-bayt : The House, i.e., the Kaaba in Mecca.

The sixth year [1]

[The Sixth Year] (Expedition) ¹ On the tenth of Muharram of the sixth year, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Muhammad ibn Maslamah with thirty horsemen to raid the Banu Bakr ibn Kilab, who were encamped in the region of Dharibah ². He marched to them, hiding by day and traveling by night, until he fell upon them. He killed ten of them, and the rest fled. The expedition seized the camels and sheep and returned to Medina. On their way back, they encountered Thumamah ibn Uthal al-Hanafi ³, one of the chiefs of Banu Hanifah, and captured him without knowing who he was. When they brought him to the Messenger of God, he recognized him and treated him with the utmost noble character. He released him after three days, during which Thumamah refused to submit to Islam despite being invited. When Thumamah saw this treatment and these noble qualities, he considered it futile to follow his desires and abandon a religion founded on praiseworthy traits. So he returned to the Messenger of God and embraced Islam without coercion, addressing the Prophet: "O Muhammad, by God, there was no face on earth more hateful to me than your face, but now your face has become the most beloved of all faces to me. By God, there was no religion on earth more hateful to me than your religion, but now it has become the most beloved of all religions to me. By God, there was no land more hateful to me than your land, but now it has become the most beloved of all lands to me." The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, was greatly pleased with his conversion, for behind him were a people who would obey him. When Thumamah returned to his homeland, he passed through Mecca to perform 'Umrah and openly declared his Islam there. The Quraysh wanted to harm him, but they remembered their need for the grains of al-Yamamah, from which Thumamah came, so they left him alone. Nevertheless, he swore that he would not send them any grain from al-Yamamah until they believed. They struggled greatly and saw no alternative but to appeal to the Messenger of God, who treated them with the compassion and mercy inherent in his nature. He sent word to Thumamah to restore to them what he used to supply from the provisions of al-Yamamah, and he did so. This man of noble origin had a firm footing in Islam after the death of the Prophet, when most of his people apostatized. He forbade his people from following Musaylimah, saying to them: "Beware of a dark matter with no light in it; it is a misery that God has decreed for those who follow him." Many of his people remained steadfast with him, may God be pleased with him. [Expedition of Banu Lahyan] Banu Lahyan were those who killed 'Asim ibn Thabit and his companions. The Messenger of God remained grieved for them and eager for revenge against their enemy until Rabi' al-Awwal of this year. He ordered his companions to prepare, without revealing his intention, as was his custom in most expeditions, to conceal news from the enemy. He appointed Ibn Umm Maktum over Medina and set out with two hundred riders, including twenty horses. He continued marching until he reached the place where the companions of al-Raji' were killed. He prayed for mercy upon them and supplicated for them. When Banu Lahyan heard of him, they scattered into the mountains. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, stayed in their territory for two days, sending out patrols, but they found no one. Then he sent some of his companions to go to 'Usfan ⁴ so that the people of Mecca would hear of them and be filled with fear. They went to Kara' al-Ghamim ⁵, then the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, returned to Medina, saying: "We are returning, repenting, worshipping our Lord, and praising Him. I seek refuge in God from the hardship of travel, the sorrow of return, and the evil sight in family and wealth." ⁶ [Expedition of al-Ghabah] ⁷ The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had twenty milch camels grazing at al-Ghabah ⁸. 'Uyaynah ibn Hisn raided them with forty riders and seized them from their shepherd. News reached the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, conveyed by Salamah ibn al-Akwa' ⁹, one of the archers of the Ansar, who was a fast runner. The Prophet ordered him to go out after the people to occupy them with arrows until the Muslims could catch up. He went out running after them until he caught up with them, and he began shooting arrows at them. When the horsemen turned toward him, he would flee, and they could not catch him. When the horsemen entered some narrow passes, he would climb the mountain and throw stones at them until they dropped many of their spears and cloaks ¹⁰ to lighten themselves so that the army would not catch them ¹¹. Salamah continued this until the army caught up with him. The Prophet called his companions, and they responded ¹². The first to reach him was al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad. He said to him: "Go out in pursuit of the people until I catch up with you," and gave him the banner. He went out, and the horsemen followed until they caught up with the rear of the enemy. Skirmishes occurred, in which one Muslim and two polytheists were killed. The Muslims recovered most of the camels, while the vanguard of the enemy fled with the remainder. Salamah ibn al-Akwa' asked the Messenger of God to send him with a group to pursue the people and take them by surprise while they were at one of their watering places. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: "You have prevailed, so be lenient." ¹³ Then he returned after five nights. (Expedition) ¹⁴ Banu Asad, who have been mentioned before, often harmed Muslims who passed by them. So the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, sent 'Ukashah ibn Mihsan with forty riders to raid them. When they approached their territory, the Banu Asad learned of them and fled. There they found a sleeping man, whom they granted safety so that he would guide them to the people's camels. He guided them, and they seized them, amounting to one hundred camels. Then they returned to Medina without encountering any resistance. (Expedition) ¹⁵ In Rabi' al-Awwal, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, learned that those at Dhi al-Qissah ¹⁶ intended to raid the Muslims' camels grazing at al-Hayfa' ¹⁷. So he sent Muhammad ibn Maslamah with ten Muslims. They reached their territory at night, but the polytheists had learned of them and lay in ambush. The Muslims slept and were unaware until arrows struck them. They sprang to their weapons, but the enemy overpowered them and killed them all except Muhammad ibn Maslamah, whom they left, thinking he was dead. He returned to Medina and informed the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. So he sent Abu 'Ubaydah 'Amir ibn al-Jarrah in Rabi' al-Akhir to take revenge on the enemy. When he reached their territory, he found them scattered in flight, so he seized their camels and returned. (Expedition) ¹⁸ Banu Sulaym, who had been among the confederates in the Battle of the Trench, opposed the Muslims in their movements. So the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Zayd ibn Harithah in Rabi' al-Akhir to raid them at al-Jumum ¹⁹. When they reached their territory, they found them scattered. There they found a woman ²⁰ from Muzaynah who guided them to the dwellings of Banu Sulaym. They seized camels and sheep from them, and found men whom they captured, including the husband of that woman. They returned with this to Medina. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, granted the woman her freedom and that of her husband. (Expedition) ²¹ News reached the Messenger of God that a Quraysh caravan had come from Syria heading to Mecca. He sent Zayd ibn Harithah with one hundred and seventy riders to intercept it. He seized it and its contents and captured the men with it, including Abu al-'As ibn al-Rabi', the husband of Zaynab, the daughter of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. He was one of the notable men of Mecca in trade, wealth, and trustworthiness. He sought refuge with his wife Zaynab, and she granted him refuge. She announced this in the assembly of Quraysh. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The Muslims are one hand; the lowest of them can grant protection. We have granted protection to whom you have granted protection." This is the most profound statement regarding equality among individual Muslims. He returned all of his property to him, not losing anything. He went to Mecca, paid every rightful claimant their due, and returned to Medina as a Muslim. The Messenger of God returned his wife to him. (Expedition) ²² In Jumada al-Akhirah, the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, sent Zayd ibn Harithah with fifteen men to raid Banu Tha'labah, who had killed the companions of Muhammad ibn Maslamah while they were staying at al-Tarf ²³. The expedition set out for this purpose. When the enemy saw them, they thought they were the vanguard of the army of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. They fled, leaving their camels and sheep. The Muslims seized them and returned to Medina after four nights. (Expedition) ²⁴ In Rajab, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Zayd ibn Harithah to raid Banu Fazarah because they had attacked Zayd while he was returning with trade goods from Syria. They seized what he had and nearly killed him. When he came to Medina and informed the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, he sent him with his men to take revenge on the Fazarah residing in Wadi al-Qura ²⁵. They marched until they fell upon the enemy, surrounded them, killed many of them, and captured a woman from their chiefs as a prisoner. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, requested her from the one who captured her and ransomed her for a prisoner who was in Mecca. (Expedition) ²⁶ In Sha'ban, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, sent 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf with seven hundred companions to raid Banu Kalb at Dumah al-Jandal ²⁷. Before the journey, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, advised them, saying: "Fight all together in the way of God; fight those who disbelieve in God. Do not be treacherous, do not mutilate, and do not kill children. This is the covenant of God and the practice of His Prophet among you." ²⁸ Then he gave him the banner. They set out with God's blessing until they reached the enemy's territory. They called them to Islam for three days. On the fourth day, the chief of the people, al-Asbagh ibn 'Amr ²⁹ al-Nasrani, embraced Islam, and a group of his people converted with him. Others remained, content to pay the jizyah. 'Abd al-Rahman married the daughter of their chief, as the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, had commanded him. This is the closest means of establishing bonds of friendship between leaders, so that each cares about what concerns the other. What an excellent policy of peace and love! (Expedition) ³⁰ In Sha'ban, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, sent 'Ali ibn Abi Talib with one hundred men to raid Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr at Fadak ³¹, because he had learned that they were gathering armies to help the Jews of Khaybar fight the Muslims in exchange for dates from Khaybar. The expedition set out. While they were marching, they encountered a spy of the enemy. They sent him to Khaybar to conclude a treaty with its Jews. They asked him to guide them to the people, and he was granted safety. He guided them to their location. The Muslims seized the people's camels, and the shepherds fled. Their people were warned, so fear overcame them and they scattered. The Muslims returned with five hundred camels and two thousand sheep. God thwarted the plot of the polytheists, and they did not provide any support to the Jews. [The Killing of Abu Rafi']

The one who incited the people of Khaybar to fight the Muslims was their master, Abu Rafi‘ Sallam ibn Abi al-Huqayq, nicknamed the merchant of the Hijaz because of his skill in trade. He possessed immense wealth, with which he manipulated the hearts of the Jews as he wished. So the Prophet ³² commissioned someone to kill him. Five men from the Khazraj ³³ responded, led by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Atik, so that they might have a reward similar to that of their brothers from the Aws ³⁴ who had killed Ka‘b ibn al-Ashraf. For it was among God’s blessings upon His Messenger that the Aws and Khazraj vied with each other in carrying out the wishes of the Messenger of God; whenever the Aws did a deed, the Khazraj would strive to do the like. The Messenger of God ordered them to do this after instructing them not to kill any child or woman. They set out until they reached Khaybar. ‘Abdullah said to his companions, "Stay where you are. I will go to the gatekeeper and act kindly toward him, hoping to enter." He approached until he drew near the gate, then wrapped himself in a garment as if he were relieving himself, while people were entering. The gatekeeper called out to him, "Enter, O ‘Abdullah, if you wish to enter, for I want to close the gate." So he entered and hid until the gatekeeper fell asleep. Then he took the keys and opened [the gate] to facilitate his escape. Then he headed to the house of Abu Rafi‘ and began opening the doors leading to him. Whenever he opened a door, he locked it from inside until he reached him. There he was in a dark room amidst his family, and he could not distinguish him. So he called out, "O Abu Rafi‘!" He said, "Who is it?" He struck with the sword toward the voice but it did nothing. At that, his wife said, "This is the voice of Ibn Abi ‘Atik." He said to her, "May your mother lose you! Where is Ibn Abi ‘Atik now?" So ‘Abdullah called out again, changing his voice, saying, "What is this sound we hear, O Abu Rafi‘?" He said, "Woe to your mother! A man in the house struck me with a sword." So he aimed at him and struck him again, but it did nothing. Then he hid, then came to him as if to help, changing his voice. He found him lying on his back, so he placed the sword in his belly and leaned on it until he heard the sound of bone. Then he left the house. His eyesight was weak, so he fell from the ladder and broke his leg. He bandaged it with his turban, then went to his companions and said, "Escape! By God, Abu Rafi‘ is killed." They came to the Messenger and told him. Then he said to ‘Abdullah, "Stretch out your leg." The Prophet ³² wiped it, and it was as if he had never complained of it ³⁴, and it became better than before. So consider, may God preserve you, how the Muslims took difficulties lightly as long as it was to please the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. May God be pleased with them and please them. Expedition ³⁵ When Ka‘b was killed, the Jews appointed Usayr ibn Rizam in his place. The Prophet ³² sent someone to investigate his news. News came that he had said to his people, "I will do to Muhammad what no one before me has done. I will go to Ghatafan ³⁶ and gather them to fight him," and he strove for that. So the Prophet ³² sent ‘Abdullah ibn Rawaha ³⁷ of the Khazraj with thirty Ansar ³⁸ to win him over. They set out until they reached Khaybar and said to Usayr, "We are safe until we present to you what we have come for." He said, "Yes, and I have the same assurance." They agreed, then they offered him to come to the Messenger of God and abandon his resolve to fight, and the Messenger would appoint him over Khaybar, so that its people would live in peace. He agreed and set out with thirty Jews, each Jew riding behind a Muslim. While they were on the way, Usayr regretted his coming and sought to escape from what he had done by betraying those who had given him safety. He reached for the sword of ‘Abdullah ibn Rawaha. He said, "Treachery, O enemy of God!" Then he dismounted and struck him with the sword, cutting off most of his thigh. He soon died. The Muslims attacked the Jews with him and killed them all. This is the consequence of treachery. [The Story of ‘Ukl and ‘Uraynah] In Shawwal ³⁹, a group from ‘Ukl and ‘Uraynah came to the Messenger of God. They professed Islam and pledged allegiance to the Messenger of God. They were sick, with yellow complexions and swollen bellies. The climate of Medina did not suit them. So the Prophet ³² ordered them to take some camels with a shepherd and ordered them to go to their pasture to drink their milk and urine. They did so. When they were cured, they repaid kindness with ingratitude: they killed the shepherd, mutilated him, and drove away the camels. When the Messenger of God heard of this, he sent Karz ibn Jabir al-Fihri with twenty horsemen after them. They caught up with them and captured them all. When they were brought to Medina, the Prophet ³² ordered that they be mutilated as they had mutilated the shepherd. So their hands and feet were cut off, their eyes were gouged out, and they were thrown onto the stony ground ⁴⁰ until they died. Such is the recompense for the traitor from whom no good is expected. The evil deed of these wicked ones indicates the corruption of their origin and the baseness of their tribe. After that, the Messenger of God forbade mutilation ⁴¹. Expedition ⁴² One day, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb ⁴³ sat in the assembly of his people and said, "Is there no man who will go to Muhammad and kill him tomorrow? For he walks in the markets, so that we may be rid of him." A man stepped forward and pledged to do what he wanted. He gave him a mount, provisions, and equipped him for that. The man set out and reached Medina at dawn on the sixth day of his journey. He asked about the Messenger of God and was directed to him in the mosque of Banu ‘Abd al-Ashhal ⁴⁴. When the Prophet ³² saw him, he said, "This man intends treachery, but God will protect me from him." The man went to lean over the Messenger, but Usayd ibn Hudayr ⁴⁵ grabbed him by his lower garment, and the dagger fell. The man regretted his deed. Then the Prophet ³² asked him about the reason for his action, and he told the truth after securing assurance of safety for his life. The Prophet ³² let him go. The man said, "By God, O Muhammad, I was not afraid of men, but as soon as I saw you, my mind left me and my soul weakened. Then you became aware of what I intended, which no one knew, so I knew that you are protected, that you are upon the truth, and that the party of Abu Sufyan is the party of Satan." Then he embraced Islam. At that, the Prophet ³² sent ‘Amr ibn Umayyah al-Damri ⁴⁶, who was a bold and reckless man in the Jahiliyyah ⁴⁷, and gave him a companion, to kill Abu Sufyan by treachery as a recompense for his aggression. When they reached Mecca, they headed to circumambulate the Kaaba ⁴⁸ before carrying out their mission. A man from Mecca recognized ‘Amr and said, "This is ‘Amr ibn Umayyah; he has come only for evil." When they saw that they were known, they found no escape but to flee. So he took his companion and returned to Medina. It seems that God, glorified be He, wanted Abu Sufyan to live until he handed over the keys of Mecca to the Muslims and embraced the upright Hanif ⁴⁹ religion. Expedition of Hudaybiyyah ⁵⁰ The Prophet ³² saw in a dream that he and his companions entered the Sacred Mosque ⁵¹ safely, shaving their heads and cutting their hair short. He informed the Muslims that he intended to perform the ‘Umrah ⁵² and called upon the Bedouins around Medina to accompany him, fearing that Quraysh ⁵³ would prevent them from their ‘Umrah. But these Bedouins were slow to respond because they thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families. They excused themselves by saying, "Our wealth and our families occupied us, so ask forgiveness for us." The Prophet ³² set out with those with him from the Muhajirun ⁵⁴ and Ansar ³⁸, numbering one thousand five hundred ⁵⁵. He appointed Ibn Umm Maktum ⁵⁶ over Medina and took his wife Umm Salamah ⁵⁷ with him. He brought the sacrificial animals ⁵⁸ to let people know that he had not come to fight. His companions carried no weapons except swords in sheaths, for the Prophet ³² did not allow them to carry unsheathed swords while they were in a state of ihram ⁵⁹ for ‘Umrah. The army marched until they reached ‘Usfan ⁶⁰. His spy ⁶¹ came to inform him that Quraysh had unanimously decided to prevent the Muslims from entering Mecca and that they would never let them enter by force. They prepared to block the Muslims from advancing. The Prophet ³² said, "Is there any man who can take us by a different route?" A man from Aslam ⁶² said, "I can, O Messenger of God." So he led them through a rugged path, then brought them out onto a level plain that commanded Mecca from below. When Khalid ⁶³ saw what the Muslims had done, he returned to Quraysh and informed them. When the Prophet ³² was at Thaniyyat al-Murar ⁶⁴, his she-camel knelt down. He urged her but she would not get up. They said, "Al-Qaswa’ ⁶⁵ has become stubborn." The Prophet ³² said, "She has not become stubborn, nor is that in her nature. But the One who restrained the elephant ⁶⁶ has restrained her. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, if Quraysh ask me for any plan that respects the sanctities of God, I will agree to it ⁶⁷." Even though if the Muslims had fought their enemies at such a time, they would have prevailed over them. But God restrained the hands of the Muslims from Quraysh and the hands of Quraysh from the Muslims, lest the sanctities of the House ⁶⁸ be violated, which God intended to be a secure sanctuary where Muslims from all regions would strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. Then the Prophet ³² ordered them to camp at the far end of Hudaybiyyah ⁶⁹. There came Budayl ibn Warqa’ al-Khuza‘i ⁷⁰ as a messenger from Quraysh, asking about the reason for the Muslims’ coming. The Prophet ³² informed him of his intention. When Budayl returned to Quraysh and told them, they did not trust him because he was from Khuza‘ah ⁷¹, who were allies of the Messenger of God as they had been of his forefathers. They said, "Does Muhammad want to enter upon us with his troops for ‘Umrah, so that the Arabs hear that he entered upon us by force, while there is war between us and him? By God, this will never happen, and we will prevent him from entering ⁷²!" Then they sent Hulays ibn ‘Alqamah, the chief of the Ahabish ⁷³—the allies of Quraysh. When the Prophet ³² saw him, he said, "This is from a people who venerate the sacrificial animals. Send him out to face them." They did so, and the people met him reciting the talbiyah ⁷⁴. When Hulays saw that, he returned and said, "Glory be to God! It is not fitting to prevent these people. Do the tribes of Lakhm, Judham, and Himyar ⁷⁵ perform Hajj, while the son of ‘Abd al-Muttalib ⁷⁶ is prevented from the House? By the Lord of the Kaaba, Quraysh are doomed! These people have come for ‘Umrah!" When Quraysh heard that from him, they said, "Sit down. You are just a Bedouin with no knowledge of stratagems." Then they sent ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ud al-Thaqafi ⁷⁷, the chief of Ta’if ⁷⁸. He went to the Messenger of God and said, "O Muhammad, you have gathered the rabble ⁷⁹ and then come to your origin and tribe to break them with them! Quraysh have come out, swearing by God that you will never enter upon them by force. By God, I can almost see these people abandoning you." Abu Bakr ⁸⁰ rebuked him, saying, "We will abandon him?"

Woe to you! And 'Urwa was speaking while touching the beard of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba ⁸¹ would strike his hand when he tried to do that. Then 'Urwa returned, having seen what the Companions did with the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace: they would almost fight over his ablution water to rub themselves with it; when they spoke, they lowered their voices in his presence; and they did not stare at him. He said: 'By God, O assembly of Quraysh, I have visited Chosroes in his kingdom and Caesar in his majesty, but I have never seen a king among his people like Muhammad among his Companions. I have seen a people who will never surrender him for anything. So consider your opinion. He has offered you good counsel; accept what he has offered you, for I am a sincere advisor to you, though I fear you will not prevail against him ⁸².' Quraysh said: 'We will not speak of this, but we will send him back this year, and he may return next year.' Then the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, chose 'Uthman ibn 'Affan as his envoy to Quraysh to inform them of his purpose. He set out, and with him went ten men who had asked the Messenger's permission to visit their relatives. The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, instructed 'Uthman to go to the weak believers in Mecca and give them glad tidings of the imminent conquest and that God would manifest His religion. 'Uthman entered Mecca under the protection of Aban ibn Sa'id al-Umawi ⁸³ and delivered what he had been charged with. They said: 'Muhammad will never enter it against our will.' Then they asked him to circumambulate the House, but he said: 'I will not circumambulate while the Messenger of God is prevented.' Then they detained him, and it spread among the Muslims that 'Uthman had been killed. When the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, heard that, he said: 'We will not leave until we engage them in battle ⁸⁴.'

He said: "He is of noble lineage among us." He said: "Did anyone among you say this before him?" He said: "No." He said: "Did you accuse him of lying before he said what he said?" He said: "No." He said: "Were any of his ancestors kings?" He said: "No." He said: "Do the nobles follow him or the weak?" He said: "Rather the weak." He said: "Are they increasing or decreasing?" He said: "Rather increasing." He said: "Does any of them apostatize out of displeasure with his religion?" He said: "No." He said: "Does he break his covenant?" He said: "No, and we are now in a covenant with him, not knowing what he will do." He said: "Have you fought him?" He said: "Yes." He said: "How is your war and his war?" He said: "The war between us and him is alternating, sometimes for us and sometimes against us." He said: "What does he command you?" He said: "He says: Worship Allah alone and do not associate anything with Him, and he forbids what our fathers used to worship, and he commands prayer, truthfulness, chastity, fulfillment of the covenant, and rendering of trusts." Then the king said: "I asked you about his lineage, and you claimed that he is of noble lineage among you. Likewise, messengers are sent among the nobility of their people. I asked you if anyone among you said this before him, and you claimed no. If someone had said this before him, I would have said he is a man following a saying said before him. I asked you if you accused him of lying before he said what he said, and you claimed no. So I said: He would not leave off lying to people and then lie about Allah. I asked you if any of his ancestors were kings, and you said no. If any of his ancestors were kings, I would have said he is a man seeking his father's kingdom. I asked you whether the nobles follow him or the weak, and you said the weak, and they are the followers of the messengers. I asked you if they are increasing or decreasing, and you said rather increasing. Likewise, faith increases until it is complete. I asked you if any of them apostatizes out of displeasure with his religion, and you said no. Likewise, faith when its sweetness mixes with hearts. I asked you if you have fought him, and you said yes, and the war between you and him is alternating. Likewise, the messengers are tested, then the final outcome is for them. I asked you what he commands, and you claimed that he commands prayer, truthfulness, chastity, fulfillment of the covenant, and rendering of trusts. I asked you if he breaks his covenant, and you mentioned that he does not. Likewise, the messengers do not break covenants. So I know that he is a prophet, and I knew that he would be sent, but I did not think he would be among you. If what you have told me is true, he will rule the place of these two feet of mine. If I knew that I could reach him, I would undertake that." Abu Sufyan said: "The voices of those around him rose and their clamor increased, so I do not know what they said. He ordered us to be taken out. When Abu Sufyan left with his companions, he said: 'The matter of Ibn Abi Kabsha ⁸⁵ has reached such that the king of the Banu al-Asfar ⁸⁶ fears him!'" When Caesar ⁸⁷ marched to Hims ⁸⁸, he permitted the nobles of Rome to enter a daskara ⁸⁹ of his, then ordered its doors closed and said: "O Romans, do you desire success and guidance and that your kingdom be established? Then pledge allegiance to this prophet." They recoiled like wild asses toward the doors, but found them locked. When Caesar saw their aversion, he said: "Bring them back to me." He said to them: "I said what I said to test your steadfastness in your religion." So they fell silent and were pleased with him. His love for his kingdom overcame Islam, so he went with his sin and the sin of his subjects, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said. But he dismissed Dihya ⁹⁰ with a good dismissal. [The Book of the Governor of Busra ⁹¹] The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent al-Harith ibn Umayr al-Azdi with a letter to the governor of Busra. When he reached Mu'ta ⁹²—a village in the Balqa ⁹³ region of Syria—Shurahbil ibn Amr al-Ghassani ⁹⁴ confronted him and said: "Where are you going?" He said: "Syria." He said: "Perhaps you are one of the messengers of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him?" He said: "Yes." So he ordered him to be beheaded. No other messenger of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was killed. He was extremely grieved by that. [The Letter to al-Harith ibn Abi Shamir ⁹⁵] The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Shuja' ibn Wahb ⁹⁶ to the governor of Damascus under Heraclius, al-Harith ibn Abi Shamir, who resided in its Ghuta ⁹⁷. The letter said: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to al-Harith ibn Abi Shamir. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance and believes in Allah and affirms. I invite you to believe in Allah alone, with no partner, so that your kingdom may remain." When he read the letter, he threw it away and said: "Who will take my kingdom from me?" He prepared to send an army to fight the Muslims and said to Shuja': "Inform your companion of what you see." Then he sent to Caesar to seek his permission for that. It happened that Dihya was with him, so Caesar wrote to him dissuading him from that intention and ordering him to prepare in Ilya ⁹⁸ what was necessary for his visit, for after he had defeated the Persians, he had vowed to visit it. When al-Harith saw Caesar's letter, he dismissed Shuja' ibn Wahb with kindness and gave him provisions and clothing. [The Letter to al-Muqawqis ⁹⁹] The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Hatib ibn Abi Balta'a ¹⁰⁰ with a letter to al-Muqawqis, the ruler of Egypt under Caesar. It contained: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to al-Muqawqis, the great one of the Copts. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance. To proceed: I invite you with the call of Islam. Submit and be safe; Allah will give you your reward twice. If you turn away, then upon you is the sin of the Copts. O People of the Scripture, come to a word ¹⁰¹..." Hatib delivered it to him in Alexandria. When he read it, he said: "What prevents him, if he is a prophet, from calling upon Allah against those who oppose him and expelled him from his land?" Hatib said: "Do you not bear witness that Jesus son of Mary is the Messenger of Allah? What prevented him, when his people seized him and wanted to kill him, from calling upon Allah to destroy them until Allah raised him to Himself?" He said: "You have spoken well. You are a wise man who has come from a wise man." Then he said: "I have examined the matter of this prophet and found that he does not command what is despised nor forbid what is desired. I did not find him to be a misguided sorcerer or a lying soothsayer. I found with him the instrument of prophethood ¹⁰²: revealing the hidden and the secret, and informing about private conversations. I will consider." Then he wrote a reply saying: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. To Muhammad ibn Abdullah from al-Muqawqis, the great one of the Copts. Peace be upon you. To proceed: I have read your letter and understood what you mentioned and what you invite to. I know that a prophet has remained, and I thought he would appear in Syria. I have honored your messenger and sent you two slave girls who hold a great position among the Copts, and some clothes, and I have gifted you a mule to ride. Peace be upon you." One of the two slave girls was Mariya ¹⁰³, whom the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, took as a concubine, and from whom came his son Ibrahim. The other he gave to Hassan ibn Thabit ¹⁰⁴. Al-Muqawqis did not accept Islam. [The Letter to the Negus ¹⁰⁵] The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Amr ibn Umayya al-Damri ¹⁰⁶ with a letter to the Negus, the king of Abyssinia. It contained: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to the Negus, the great one of Abyssinia. Peace be upon you. To proceed: I praise to you Allah, besides whom there is no god, the King, the Holy, the Peace, the Faithful, the Protector. I bear witness that Jesus son of Mary is the Spirit of Allah and His Word, which He cast into Mary, the virgin, the good, the chaste, so that she conceived Jesus from His Spirit and His breath, just as He created Adam with His hand. I invite you to Allah alone, with no partner, and to allegiance in obedience to Him, and that you follow me and believe in what has come to me, for I am the Messenger of Allah. I invite you and your armies to Allah Almighty. I have conveyed and advised, so accept my advice. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance." When the letter reached him, he honored it greatly and said to Amr: "I know, by Allah, that Jesus gave glad tidings of him, but my supporters in Abyssinia are few. Wait for me until I increase supporters and soften hearts." Amr offered the remaining emigrants of Abyssinia to return to the Messenger of Allah in Medina. Among the emigrants was Umm Habiba bint Abi Sufyan ¹⁰⁷, the wife of Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh ¹⁰⁸, who had accepted Islam and emigrated with her, but misery overcame him and he became Christian. So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, married Umm Habiba while she was in Abyssinia, and the Negus married her to him on behalf of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. [The Letter to Kisra ¹⁰⁹] The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Abdullah ibn Hudhafa al-Sahmi ¹¹⁰ with a letter to Kisra, the king of Persia. It contained: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Kisra, the great one of Persia. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance and believes in Allah and His Messenger and bears witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I invite you with the call of Allah, for I am the Messenger of Allah to all people, to warn whoever is alive and that the word may be fulfilled against the disbelievers. Submit and be safe. If you refuse, then upon you is the sin of the Magians." When the letter reached him, he tore it up out of arrogance. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, heard of that, he said: "May Allah tear apart his kingdom completely." And it happened. His kingdom was the first to fall. This wretched one began aggression by sending to his governor in Yemen to send someone to bring the Prophet to him. But Allah hastened his end through his son Shiruya ¹¹¹, who rose against him and killed him. Then he sent to his governor in Yemen forbidding him from what his father had ordered. [The Letter to al-Mundhir ibn Sawa ¹¹²] The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent al-Ala' ibn al-Hadrami ¹¹³ with a letter to al-Mundhir ibn Sawa, the king of Bahrain, inviting him to Islam. It contained: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Submit, for I praise to you Allah, besides whom there is no god. To proceed: Whoever prays our prayer and faces our qibla ¹¹⁴ and eats our slaughtered meat, that is the Muslim. He has the protection of Allah and the protection of His Messenger. Whoever among the Magians likes that is safe. Whoever refuses must pay the jizya ¹¹⁵." He accepted Islam and wrote in reply: "To proceed, O Messenger of Allah, I have read your letter to the people of Bahrain. Some of them liked Islam and were pleased with it and entered it. Some disliked it. In my land are Magians and Jews, so inform me of your command regarding them." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, wrote to him: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to al-Mundhir ibn Sawa. Peace be upon you. I praise to you Allah, besides whom there is no god, and I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. To proceed: I remind you of Allah Almighty. Whoever is sincere is sincere for himself. Whoever obeys my messengers and follows their command has obeyed me. Whoever is sincere to them has been sincere to me. My messengers have praised you well. I have accepted your intercession for your people. Leave for the Muslims what they have accepted Islam upon. I have pardoned the people of sins, so accept from them. As long as you set things right, we will not change you from your position. Whoever remains upon his Judaism or Magianism must pay the jizya." [The Letter to the Two Kings of Oman ¹¹⁶] The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Amr ibn al-As ¹¹⁷ with a letter to Jayfar and Abd, the sons of al-Julanda ¹¹⁸, the two kings of Oman. It contained: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Jayfar and Abd, sons of al-Julanda. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance. To proceed: I invite you both with the call of Islam. Submit and be safe, for I am the Messenger of Allah to all people, to warn whoever is alive and that the word may be fulfilled against the disbelievers. If you acknowledge Islam, I will appoint you both. If you refuse, your kingdom will vanish, my horses will camp in your courtyard, and my prophethood will prevail over your kingdom."

When 'Amr entered their assembly, 'Abd ibn al-Julanda asked him what the Messenger commanded and forbade. He said: 'He commands obedience to Allah Almighty and forbids disobedience to Him; he commands righteousness and upholding family ties, and forbids injustice, aggression, fornication, drinking wine, and the worship of stone, idol, and cross.' He said: 'How excellent is this to which he calls! If my brother would follow me, we would ride until we believe in Muhammad and affirm him. But my brother is too possessive of his kingdom ¹¹⁹ to give it up and become a follower.' 'Amr said: 'If your brother accepts Islam, the Messenger of Allah will make him ruler over his people, and he will take the alms ¹²⁰ from the rich and give them back to the poor among them.' 'Abd said: 'This is indeed a good practice. What is the alms?' So he informed him of what Allah has prescribed as alms on wealth. When he mentioned livestock, he said: 'O 'Amr, will it be taken from our grazing livestock that feed on trees and drink from the waters?' He said: 'Yes.' 'Abd said: 'By Allah, I do not think my people, despite the remoteness of their land and their great numbers, will be satisfied with this.' Then 'Abd brought 'Amr to his brother Jayfar, and 'Amr spoke to him with such words that softened his heart until he and his brother embraced Islam, and they allowed him to collect the alms. [The Letter of Hawdha ibn 'Ali] The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Salit ibn 'Amr al-'Amiri with a letter to Hawdha ibn 'Ali, the ruler of al-Yamama, containing: 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Hawdha ibn 'Ali. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance. Know that my religion will prevail to the farthest reach of the hoof and the sandal ¹²¹. So accept Islam and be safe, and I will grant you what is under your control.' When the letter came, he wrote in reply: 'How excellent and beautiful is what you call to! I am the poet and orator of my people, and the Arabs stand in awe of my position. So give me some share of authority, and I will follow you.' When this reached the Messenger of Allah, he said: 'If he had asked me for a piece of land, I would not have given it. He is doomed, and what is in his hands is doomed.' He did not delay until he died after the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, had departed from the conquest of Mecca. The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to appoint the chief of every people who accepted Islam as their leader.

1. sariyyah : A military expedition or raiding party sent by the Prophet Muhammad, typically smaller than a ghazwah (campaign led by the Prophet himself).
2. Dharibah : A location in Najd, in the Arabian Peninsula.
3. Thumamah ibn Uthal al-Hanafi : A chief of the Banu Hanifah tribe, initially captured by Muslims, later embraced Islam and became a prominent figure.
4. 'Usfan : A location near Mecca, on the road between Mecca and Medina.
5. Kara' al-Ghamim : A valley near 'Usfan, on the road to Mecca.
6. Du'a' al-safar : The supplication recited by the Prophet upon returning from a journey, seeking refuge from the hardships of travel and its consequences.
7. Ghazwat al-Ghabah : The Expedition of al-Ghabah, also known as the Expedition of Dhu Qarad, a military campaign led by the Prophet against the Banu Fazarah.
8. al-Ghabah : A wooded area near Medina, used for grazing livestock.
9. Salamah ibn al-Akwa' : A companion of the Prophet known for his bravery and speed; he was a skilled archer.
10. al-burad : Cloaks or garments made of striped cloth, often worn by Arabs.
11. al-jaysh : The army; here referring to the Muslim force pursuing the enemy.
12. fa-ajabuhu : They responded to his call; the companions answered the Prophet's summons to join the pursuit.
13. malakta fa-asjih : An Arabic phrase meaning 'You have prevailed, so be lenient' or 'You have gained mastery, so be gentle.'
14. sariyyah : A military expedition or raiding party sent by the Prophet Muhammad, typically smaller than a ghazwah.
15. sariyyah : A military expedition or raiding party sent by the Prophet Muhammad.
16. Dhu al-Qissah : A location near Medina, possibly a watering place or region.
17. al-Hayfa' : A place where the Muslims' camels grazed, likely near Medina.
18. sariyyah : A military expedition or raiding party sent by the Prophet Muhammad.
19. al-Jumum : A location in the region of Najd, inhabited by the Banu Sulaym tribe.
20. imra'ah : A woman; here, a woman from the Muzaynah tribe who guided the Muslims.
21. sariyyah : A military expedition or raiding party sent by the Prophet Muhammad.
22. sariyyah : A military expedition or raiding party sent by the Prophet Muhammad.
23. al-Tarf : A location in the region of Najd, possibly a valley or settlement.
24. sariyyah : A military expedition or raiding party sent by the Prophet Muhammad.
25. Wadi al-Qura : A valley north of Medina, inhabited by Jewish tribes and others.
26. sariyyah : A military expedition or raiding party sent by the Prophet Muhammad.
27. Dumah al-Jandal : An ancient city in northern Arabia, now in Saudi Arabia, known for its fortress.
28. hadith : A saying or instruction of the Prophet Muhammad; here, his advice before the expedition.
29. al-Asbagh ibn 'Amr : A Christian chief of the Banu Kalb who converted to Islam during this expedition.
30. sariyyah : A military expedition or raiding party sent by the Prophet Muhammad.
31. Fadak : An oasis north of Medina, known for its date palms; later a source of dispute between the Prophet's family and the caliphs.
32. عليه الصلاة والسلام : Arabic phrase meaning 'upon him be prayers and peace,' used after mentioning the Prophet Muhammad.
33. الخزرج : One of the two main Arab tribes in Medina (the other being Aws), who supported the Prophet after the Hijra.
34. الأوس : The other main Arab tribe in Medina, rivals of the Khazraj, both became Ansar (helpers) of the Prophet.
35. سرية : A military expedition or raiding party sent by the Prophet without his personal participation.
36. غطفان : A powerful Bedouin tribe in northern Arabia, often allied with the Jews against the Muslims.
37. عبد الله بن رواحة : A prominent companion of the Prophet from the Khazraj tribe, known for his poetry and bravery.
38. الأنصار : The 'Helpers,' the Muslim converts from Medina (both Aws and Khazraj) who supported the Prophet.
39. شوال : The tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
40. الحرّة : A volcanic stony plain or lava field, often used as a place of punishment.
41. المثلة : Mutilation of the dead or living, forbidden in Islam after this incident.
42. سرية : See note [4].
43. أبو سفيان بن حرب : A leading figure of Quraysh and a staunch opponent of Islam before his conversion later.
44. بني عبد الأشهل : A clan of the Aws tribe in Medina, known for their early conversion to Islam.
45. أسيد بن حضير : A prominent companion from the Aws tribe, known for his wisdom and leadership.
46. عمرو بن أمية الضمري : A companion known for his bravery and daring missions for the Prophet.
47. الجاهلية : The 'Age of Ignorance' before the advent of Islam in Arabia.
48. الكعبة : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam.
49. الحنيفي : The pure monotheistic faith of Abraham, often used to refer to Islam.
50. الحديبية : A place near Mecca where the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was signed between the Muslims and Quraysh in 6 AH.
51. المسجد الحرام : The Sacred Mosque in Mecca, surrounding the Kaaba.
52. العمرة : The lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, performed at any time of the year.
53. قريش : The dominant tribe in Mecca, initially opposed to the Prophet.
54. المهاجرون : The 'Emigrants,' Muslims who migrated from Mecca to Medina with the Prophet.
55. ألفا وخمسمائة : One thousand five hundred, the number of Muslims in the expedition.
56. ابن أم مكتوم : A blind companion of the Prophet, often appointed as governor of Medina in his absence.
57. أم سلمة : One of the Prophet's wives, known for her wisdom and narrations of hadith.
58. الهدي : Sacrificial animals brought to Mecca for the pilgrimage.
59. الإحرام : The sacred state of consecration for pilgrimage, with specific dress and prohibitions.
60. عسفان : A location between Mecca and Medina.
61. عينه : A spy or scout sent to gather intelligence.
62. أسلم : A tribe allied with the Muslims, known for their loyalty.
63. خالد : Khalid ibn al-Walid, a famous Muslim general, then still a Quraysh leader opposing the Muslims.
64. ثنيّة المرار : A mountain pass near Mecca.
65. القصواء : The name of the Prophet's she-camel.
66. حابس الفيل : Reference to the Year of the Elephant (570 CE) when Abraha's army with elephants was stopped from attacking Mecca.
67. لا تدعوني قريش... : The Prophet's statement indicating his willingness to negotiate for peace.
68. البيت : The Kaaba, the House of God.
69. الحديبية : See note [19].
70. بديل بن ورقاء الخزاعي : A chief of Khuza'ah, a tribe allied with the Muslims.
71. خزاعة : A tribe in the Hijaz, allied with the Prophet's tribe of Hashim.
72. منّاعين تطرف : Phrase meaning 'preventing him from entering' or 'obstructing his approach.'
73. الأحابيش : Allied tribes or mercenaries supporting Quraysh.
74. التلبية : The chant recited by pilgrims: 'Labbayk, Allahumma labbayk...'
75. لخم وجذام وحمير : South Arabian tribes who performed pilgrimage.
76. عبد المطلب : The Prophet's grandfather, a respected leader of Quraysh.
77. عروة بن مسعود الثقفي : A chief of Thaqif, later converted to Islam after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.
78. الطائف : A city in the Hijaz, home to the Thaqif tribe.
79. أوباش الناس : Pejorative term meaning 'the rabble' or 'riffraff.'
80. أبو بكر : The first Caliph, a close companion and father-in-law of the Prophet.
81. al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba : A companion of the Prophet, known for his intelligence and eloquence; later a governor under the Umayyads.
82. an la tanṣurū ʿalayhi : Literally 'that you will not be helped against him'; meaning 'you will not overcome him' or 'you will not be victorious over him'.
83. Aban ibn Sa'id al-Umawi : A companion from the Umayyad clan; he later embraced Islam and participated in the conquests.
84. nunājizahum : From the root n-j-z, meaning to fight or engage in battle; specifically, to meet in combat.
85. Ibn Abi Kabsha : A derogatory nickname used by Quraysh for the Prophet Muhammad, likening him to a man who abandoned the religion of his people.
86. Banu al-Asfar : A term used for the Byzantines, literally 'sons of the yellow one'.
87. Caesar : Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor.
88. Hims : Homs, a city in Syria.
89. daskara : A palace or fortified residence.
90. Dihya : Dihya ibn Khalifa al-Kalbi, a companion sent as a messenger to Heraclius.
91. Busra : Bosra, a city in southern Syria.
92. Mu'ta : A village near the Dead Sea in modern-day Jordan.
93. Balqa : A region in Jordan.
94. Shurahbil ibn Amr al-Ghassani : A Ghassanid governor under the Byzantines.
95. al-Harith ibn Abi Shamir : The Ghassanid ruler of Damascus under Heraclius.
96. Shuja' ibn Wahb : A companion of the Prophet.
97. Ghuta : The fertile oasis surrounding Damascus.
98. Ilya : Jerusalem.
99. al-Muqawqis : The title of the Byzantine governor of Egypt, likely Cyrus of Alexandria.
100. Hatib ibn Abi Balta'a : A companion of the Prophet.
101. a word : Reference to Quran 3:64: 'Come to a word that is common between us and you: that we worship none but Allah...'
102. instrument of prophethood : Signs of prophethood, such as knowledge of the unseen.
103. Mariya : Mariya al-Qibtiyya, a Coptic slave girl who became the mother of the Prophet's son Ibrahim.
104. Hassan ibn Thabit : A companion and poet of the Prophet.
105. Negus : The title of the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), here Ashama ibn Abjar.
106. Amr ibn Umayya al-Damri : A companion of the Prophet.
107. Umm Habiba bint Abi Sufyan : A wife of the Prophet, daughter of Abu Sufyan.
108. Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh : A companion who apostatized and became Christian in Abyssinia.
109. Kisra : The title of the Sassanid emperor of Persia, here Khosrow II.
110. Abdullah ibn Hudhafa al-Sahmi : A companion of the Prophet.
111. Shiruya : Kavad II, son of Khosrow II, who overthrew and killed his father.
112. al-Mundhir ibn Sawa : The ruler of Bahrain who accepted Islam.
113. al-Ala' ibn al-Hadrami : A companion of the Prophet.
114. qibla : The direction of prayer towards Mecca.
115. jizya : A tax levied on non-Muslims under Islamic rule.
116. Oman : A region in southeastern Arabia.
117. Amr ibn al-As : A prominent companion and later conqueror of Egypt.
118. Jayfar and Abd, sons of al-Julanda : The two brothers who ruled Oman jointly.
119. aḍanna : Literally 'to be stingy with'; here it means being possessive or unwilling to give up his kingship.
120. ṣadaqah : Obligatory alms or charity prescribed by Islam, also known as zakah.
121. al-khaff wa al-ḥāfir : A metaphorical expression meaning 'to the farthest extent of the land,' where 'khaff' refers to the hoof of a camel and 'ḥāfir' to the hoof of a horse.

The Seventh Year [1]

The seventh year. The expedition of Khaybar ¹. In Muharram of the seventh year, he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered preparations for an expedition against the Jews of Khaybar, who were the greatest instigators of the Confederates against the Messenger of God during the Battle of the Trench, and who continued to strive to ally the Bedouins against the Messenger of God, as we have mentioned earlier in the story of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf. The Messenger of God summoned for this purpose those around him from the Bedouins who were with him at al-Hudaybiyya. Those who had stayed behind came to ask his permission, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'You shall not go out with me unless you desire jihad; as for the spoils, I will give you nothing of them.' He ordered a crier to announce this. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) set out after appointing over Medina Suba' ibn 'Arfata al-Ghifari ². With him was one of his wives, Umm Salama. When the Muslim army reached Khaybar, which is about one hundred miles northwest of Medina, they raised their voices with takbir and supplication. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Be gentle with yourselves, for you are not calling upon one who is deaf or absent; you are calling upon One who is Hearing, Near, and He is with you' ³. The fortresses of Khaybar were three, separate from each other: the fortresses of al-Natat, the fortresses of al-Katiba, and the fortresses of al-Shaqq. The first group comprised three: Fort Na'im, Fort al-Sa'b, and Fort Qulla. The second group comprised two: Fort Abi and Fort al-Bari'. The third group comprised three: Fort al-Qamus, Fort al-Watih, and Fort al-Sulalim. He (peace and blessings be upon him) began with the fortresses of al-Natat, and the Muslims camped east of them, beyond the range of arrows. He (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that their palm trees be cut down to intimidate them until they surrendered. The Muslims cut down about four hundred palm trees. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw the Jews' determination to fight, he forbade further cutting. Then fighting began with Fort Na'im through archery. The banner of the Muslims was in the hand of one of the Emigrants, but he accomplished nothing that day. On that day, Mahmud ibn Maslama ⁴, the brother of Muhammad ibn Maslama, was killed. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) would go out every day with part of the army for skirmishing, leaving one of the Muslims in charge of the camp. On the seventh night, the guard of the army, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, captured a Jew who came out in the middle of the night and brought him to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). When fear overcame the man, he said: 'If you grant me safety, I will guide you to a matter that will bring you success.' They said: 'Guide us, for we have granted you safety.' He said: 'The people of this fortress have become weary and exhausted, and I left them sending their children to Fort al-Shaqq. Tomorrow they will come out to fight you. If you conquer this fortress tomorrow, I will guide you to a house containing a mangonel ⁵, siege shields ⁵, armor, and swords, which will make it easy for you to conquer the remaining fortresses. You can set up the mangonel, and the men can enter under the siege shields, breach the fortresses, and conquer them in a day.' The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Muhammad ibn Maslama: 'Tomorrow I will give the banner to a man who loves God and His Messenger and whom they love.' That night, the Emigrants and the Ansar all hoped for it, so much so that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said: 'I never wished for command except that night.' The next day, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) asked about 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. He was told that he had sore eyes. He sent for him, and when he came, he spat in his eyes, and God healed them as if there had been no ailment ⁶. Then he gave him the banner. He proceeded with the Muslims to fight. There they found the Jews prepared. A Jew came out seeking a duel, and 'Ali killed him. Then Marhab, the bravest of the people, came out, and 'Ali sent him to join his companion. Then his brother Yasir came out, and al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam killed him. Then the Muslims charged against the Jews until they drove them from their positions and pursued them until they entered the fortress by force. The enemies fled to the next fortress, Fort al-Sa'b. The Muslims gained much bread and dates as spoils from Fort Na'im. Then they pursued the Jews to Fort al-Sa'b. The Jews fought fiercely there until the Muslims were repelled, but al-Hubab ibn al-Mundhir and those with him stood firm and fought fiercely until they defeated the Jews. They pursued them until they conquered the fortress. There they found abundant food spoils. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered a crier to announce: 'Eat, feed your animals, but do not take anything away.' Then those who had fled from this fortress went to Fort Qulla. The Muslims followed them and besieged them for three days, but found it difficult to conquer. On the fourth day, a Jew guided them to the water channels from which the Jews drew water. They cut them off, so the Jews came out and fought fiercely, ending with their defeat to the fortresses of al-Shaqq. The Muslims followed them and began with Fort Abi. Its people came out and fought fiercely. Abu Dujana performed excellently until he managed to enter the fortress by force. The Muslims found much furniture, goods, sheep, and food there. The defeated fled from it to Fort al-Bari', where they fortified themselves strongly. Its people were the most skilled Jews in shooting arrows and stones, and some of them hit the Messenger of God. The Muslims set up a mangonel against it, and terror fell into the hearts of its people, so they fled without much difficulty. The Muslims found there copper and pottery vessels belonging to the Jews. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Wash them and cook in them.' Then the Muslims pursued the remnants of the enemy to the fortresses of al-Katiba. They began with Fort al-Qamus and besieged it for twenty nights. Then God granted its conquest at the hands of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. From it, Safiyya bint Huyayy ibn Akhtab was taken captive. Then the Muslims marched to besiege the two forts of al-Watih and al-Sulalim. Their people did not resist but surrendered, asking that their blood be spared and that they be allowed to leave the land of Khaybar with their children, each taking only one garment on his back. The Messenger of God granted them that. The Muslims gained from these two forts one hundred coats of mail, four hundred swords, one thousand spears, five hundred Arab bows, and they found scrolls of the Torah, which they returned to those who asked for them. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the killing of Kinana ibn Abi al-Huqayq because he denied the treasure of Huyayy ibn Akhtab, which the Muslims had found. In it they found bracelets, armlets, anklets, earrings, gold rings, necklaces of jewels, emeralds, and other things. The number of Muslims martyred at Khaybar was fifteen men ⁷, and ninety-three Jews were killed. During this expedition, one of the Jewish women ⁸ presented a poisoned roasted sheep to the Messenger of God. He took a morsel but then spat it out when he was informed it was poisoned. Bishr ibn al-Bara' ⁹ ate from it and died instantly. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) had himself cupped. The woman who did this was brought to him. He asked her why she did it. She replied: 'I thought: if he is a prophet, it will not harm him; if he is a liar, we will be rid of him.' So he (peace and blessings be upon him) forgave her ¹⁰. Marriage to Safiyya ³. After complete victory and triumph, he (peace and blessings be upon him) married Safiyya bint Huyayy, the chief of the Banu al-Nadir, and made her manumission her dowry. She embraced Islam (may God be pleased with her) and was honored as a Mother of the Believers. Prohibition of temporary marriage ¹¹. While at Khaybar, he (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited temporary marriage (which is marriage for a fixed term). It had been permissible in the pre-Islamic period and was practiced in early Islam until the Law prohibited it in this year. He also prohibited eating the meat of domestic donkeys, so the Muslims overturned their cooking pots after the meat had cooked and did not eat it. [Return of the emigrants to Abyssinia]. When the Muslims returned from Khaybar, Ja'far ibn Abi Talib arrived from Abyssinia, along with the Ash'aris: Abu Musa and his people, after they had stayed there for about ten years, safe and secure. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) rejoiced greatly at their arrival and gave the Ash'aris a share of the spoils from the fortresses conquered by treaty. With Ja'far was Umm Habiba bint Abi Sufyan, the Mother of the Believers. At this time, the Dawsites, brothers of Abu Hurayra (may God be pleased with him), came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he also gave them gifts. [Conquest of Fadak]. After the complete conquest, he (peace and blessings be upon him) sent someone to demand submission and obedience from the Jews of Fadak ¹². They made peace with the Messenger of God on condition that their blood be spared and they leave the property. This land of Fadak was exclusively for the Messenger of God; he would spend from it on himself, support the young of the Banu Hashim, and marry off their unmarried women. [Treaty of Tayma']. When the Jews of Tayma' ¹³ heard what the Muslims had done to the Jews of Khaybar, they made peace on condition of paying jizya and remained in their land, safe and secure. [Conquest of Wadi al-Qura ¹⁴]. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) called the Jews of Wadi al-Qura to surrender, but they refused and fought. The Muslims fought them, killed eleven of them, and gained much spoils. He (peace and blessings be upon him) divided them into fifths and left the land in the hands of its owners to cultivate it for half of its produce. He did the same with the land of Khaybar. He would send 'Abdullah ibn Rawaha to assess the fruit, and his assessment was harsh on them. They tried to bribe him, but he said: 'O enemies of God, you offer me illicit gain ¹⁵! By God, I have come to you from the most beloved of people to me, and you are more hateful to me than monkeys and pigs. But my hatred for you and my love for him will not make me unjust.' With the submission of all the neighboring Jews of Medina, the Muslims were relieved from the evil of an enemy who had been lying in wait for them, despite the covenants and treaties between the two parties. The Muslims returned victorious and triumphant. [Conversion of Khalid and his two companions]. Following this expedition and manifest victory, three men embraced Islam who had long led armies against the Muslims: Khalid ibn al-Walid al-Makhzumi, 'Amr ibn al-'As al-Sahmi, and 'Uthman ibn ¹⁶ Talha al-'Abdari. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) rejoiced greatly at their arrival and said to Khalid: 'Praise be to God who has guided you. I have always seen in you intelligence that I hoped would lead you only to good.' Khalid said: 'O Messenger of God, pray to God to forgive those positions where I opposed you.' He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Islam erases what came before it' ¹⁷. Expedition ¹⁸. In Sha'ban, he (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed that a group of Hawazin at Turaba ¹⁹ were showing hostility to the Muslims. He sent 'Umar ibn al-Khattab with thirty men. They marched to them. When the news reached them, they dispersed, and 'Umar found no one there, so he returned. Expedition ²⁰. Then he sent Bashir ibn Sa'd al-Ansari ²¹ to fight the Banu Murra in the region of Fadak. When he reached their land, he saw none of them, so he took their camels and headed back to Medina. The people were in the valley, and the alarm reached them. They caught up with Bashir at night while he was returning. They exchanged arrows. When morning came, the two groups fought fiercely until most of the Muslims were killed, and Bashir was severely wounded, so much so that he was thought dead. When the enemy left him, he struggled to reach the Messenger of God and informed him of the news. Expedition ²².

In Ramadan, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Ghālib ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Laythī ²³ to the people of al-Mīfaʿa ²⁴ with 130 men. They marched until they attacked the people, killing some and capturing others. During the battle, Usāma ibn Zayd pursued a polytheist. When the polytheist saw death at Usāma’s hands, he pronounced the shahāda ²⁵. Usāma thought his enemy only said that to escape, so he killed him. When the Muslims returned to Medina and the Prophet (peace be upon him) was informed of Usāma’s deed, he said: “Did you kill him after he said ‘There is no god but Allah’? What will you do with ‘There is no god but Allah’?” Usāma said: “O Messenger of Allah, he only said it out of fear of being killed.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Why did you not split open his heart to know whether he was truthful or lying?” Usāma said: “O Messenger of Allah, ask forgiveness for me.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “What about ‘There is no god but Allah’?” He kept repeating it until Usāma wished he had not embraced Islam before that day ²⁶. Then Allah revealed concerning that the verse from Sūrat al-Nisā’: “And do not say to one who offers you peace, ‘You are not a believer,’ seeking the goods of worldly life; for with Allah are many acquisitions” ²⁷. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered Usāma to free a slave as expiation because he had killed by mistake. A Raid ²⁸ In Shawwāl, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was informed that ʿUyayna ibn Ḥiṣn had gathered a group of Ghatafān who were staying near Khaybar in a land called Yaman and Jabbār, intending to attack Medina. So he sent Bashīr ibn Saʿd with 300 men. They marched, hiding by day and traveling by night, until they reached their settlement. They seized many camels, and the shepherds fled. The shepherds informed their people, who panicked and fled to the highlands of their land. The Muslims only captured two men, who embraced Islam, and then they returned to Medina. (The Fulfilled ʿUmra) ²⁹ When a year had passed since the ʿUmra of al-Ḥudaybiyya, the Prophet (peace be upon him) set out with those who had accompanied him then to perform his ʿUmra. He appointed Abū Dharr al-Ghifārī as his deputy over Medina. He drove sixty sacrificial camels and took weapons with him, fearing treachery from Quraysh. He had a hundred horses under the command of Bashīr ibn Saʿd. The Prophet (peace be upon him) entered the state of iḥrām ³⁰ from the gate of the Medina mosque. When he reached Dhū al-Ḥulayfa ³¹, he sent the horses ahead. It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, you have brought weapons, but they stipulated that you should not bring them.” He said: “We will not enter the Sacred Precinct with them, but they will be near us. If an attack occurs, we will have recourse to them.” When he was at Marr al-Ẓahrān ³², a group from Quraysh met him. They were alarmed by this force and hurried to their people to inform them. Some young men from Quraysh came to him and said: “By Allah, O Muhammad, we have not known you to be treacherous, young or old, and we have not committed any offense!” He said: “We will not enter the Sacred Precinct with weapons.” When it was time for him to enter Mecca, its inhabitants left, unwilling to see the Muslims circumambulating the House. The Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions entered, with their swords wrapped in their garments, from the hill of Kudā ³³, with ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rawāḥa ahead of him reciting: “There is no god but Allah alone, He fulfilled His promise, supported His servant, and strengthened His army, and defeated the confederates alone.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) circumambulated the House riding his mount, and touched the Black Stone with his curved stick ³⁴. He ordered his Companions to hasten in three circuits to show strength, because the polytheists had said: “Today a people weakened by the fever of Yathrib will circumambulate the Kaʿba.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “May Allah have mercy on a person who shows them his strength.” He exposed his right shoulder ³⁵ with his cloak and bared his right upper arm, as is the custom of youth, and the Muslims did likewise. The Muslims completed their circumambulation of the House, secure, having shaved their heads or cut their hair short, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) had seen in his dream. Marriage to Maymūna ³⁶ While in Mecca, the Prophet (peace be upon him) married Maymūna bint al-Ḥārith al-Hilāliyya, the wife of his uncle Ḥamza ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, the martyr of Uḥud, and the maternal aunt of ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-ʿAbbās. She was the last of his wives he married, and he did not consummate the marriage until after leaving Mecca, at Sarif ³⁷. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) left, he ordered those he had left to guard the horses to go and circumambulate, and they did so. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) returned to Medina, joyful and happy with what Allah had granted him of the fulfillment of his dream.

1. Khaybar : An oasis north of Medina, inhabited by Jewish tribes.
2. Suba' ibn 'Arfata al-Ghifari : A companion appointed as governor of Medina during the expedition.
3. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; the wording is from Sahih al-Bukhari.
4. Mahmud ibn Maslama : A companion killed by a millstone thrown from a fortress.
5. Mangonel and siege shields : Mangonel: a type of catapult; siege shields: protective covers used by attackers.
6. Miracle of healing : The Prophet's spittle healed 'Ali's eye ailment instantly.
7. Fifteen martyrs : Some sources mention different numbers; this is the commonly cited figure.
8. Jewish woman : Zaynab bint al-Harith, who poisoned the sheep.
9. Bishr ibn al-Bara' : A companion who died from the poisoned meat.
10. Forgiveness : The Prophet forgave her; some accounts say she was later executed.
11. Temporary marriage (mut'a) : A marriage contract for a fixed period, later permanently prohibited.
12. Fadak : A village north of Khaybar, conquered peacefully.
13. Tayma' : An oasis in northwestern Arabia.
14. Wadi al-Qura : A valley north of Medina, inhabited by Jews.
15. Illicit gain (suht) : Bribery or unlawful earnings.
16. 'Uthman ibn Talha : The keeper of the Ka'ba before Islam.
17. Islam erases what came before : A principle that conversion to Islam forgives previous sins.
18. Expedition (sariyya) : A military detachment without the Prophet's presence.
19. Turaba : A location in the region of Najd.
20. Expedition : Another sariyya.
21. Bashir ibn Sa'd al-Ansari : A companion from the Ansar.
22. Expedition : The text ends abruptly; likely a continuation.
23. Ghālib ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Laythī : A companion of the Prophet, known for leading military expeditions.
24. al-Mīfaʿa : A location in Arabia, possibly a region or a tribe.
25. shahāda : The Islamic declaration of faith: 'There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.'
26. before that day : Usāma wished he had not embraced Islam before that day because of the Prophet's severe rebuke.
27. Sūrat al-Nisā’ : Qur'an 4:94, which prohibits killing those who offer peace or greet with salām.
28. A Raid : A military expedition (sariyya) led by a companion, not the Prophet himself.
29. The Fulfilled ʿUmra : The ʿUmra al-Qaḍā', the compensatory lesser pilgrimage performed in lieu of the one prevented at al-Ḥudaybiyya.
30. iḥrām : The sacred state of consecration for pilgrimage, involving specific dress and prohibitions.
31. Dhū al-Ḥulayfa : The miqāt (station for entering iḥrām) for pilgrims from Medina, about 10 km from Medina.
32. Marr al-Ẓahrān : A valley near Mecca, about 20 km from the city.
33. Kudā : A hill or pass in Mecca, one of the entrances to the city.
34. curved stick : A mahjan, a staff with a curved end used for touching the Black Stone without crowding.
35. exposed his right shoulder : Iḍṭibā‘, a practice of draping the upper garment under the right arm and over the left shoulder, exposing the right shoulder during circumambulation.
36. Maymūna : Maymūna bint al-Ḥārith, one of the Prophet's wives, married in 7 AH.
37. Sarif : A location about 10 km from Mecca, where the Prophet consummated his marriage to Maymūna.

The eighth year [1]

In the eighth year ¹, in Safar, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Ghālib ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Laythī to the Banū al-Mulawwaḥ, a group of Arabs dwelling at al-Kadīd ². They marched until, when they were at Qudayd ³, they encountered al-Ḥārith ibn Mālik al-Laythī ⁴, known as Ibn al-Barṣā’, a fierce adversary, and they captured him. He said to them, 'I have only come to embrace Islam.' They replied, 'If you are a Muslim, a night's binding will not harm you; otherwise, we will secure you.' Then they proceeded until they reached the settlement of Banū al-Mulawwaḥ, where they drove off camels and sheep. The alarm was raised to the people, who came with a force too great for the Muslims, but God granted victory to the Muslims: He sent a severe flood that came between them and their enemy, so that the polytheists saw their livestock being driven away but were unable to prevent it. Another expedition ⁵: When Ghālib returned to Medina victorious, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent him with two hundred men to exact retribution from the Banū Murra at Fadak, who had attacked the expedition of Bashīr ibn Sa‘d. They marched until, when they were near the enemy, Ghālib addressed those with him. After praising God, he said: 'To proceed: I enjoin you to fear God alone, with no partner, and to obey me and not disobey my command, for there is no opinion for one who is not obeyed.' Then he paired the soldiers, saying, 'O so-and-so, you are with so-and-so; O so-and-so, you are with so-and-so. Let none of you leave his companion. Beware that any of you should return and I ask him, "Where is your companion?" and he says, "I do not know." When I say the takbīr, say the takbīr.' When they surrounded the enemy and he said the takbīr, they said the takbīr and drew their swords. Not one of their enemies escaped, and they drove off their livestock. Each of the raiders received ten camels. Another expedition ⁶: In Rabī‘ al-Awwal, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Ka‘b ibn ‘Umayr al-Ghifārī ⁷ to Dhāt Aṭlāḥ ⁸ in the land of Syria with fifteen men. They found a large gathering and called them to Islam, but they did not respond and fought. They were more numerous, and all the Muslims were martyred except their leader Ka‘b ibn ‘Umayr, who escaped and brought the news to the Messenger of God. This distressed him, and he wanted to send a force to exact retribution, but he learned that they had moved from their place, so he abandoned the plan. [The Expedition of Mu’ta] In Jumādā al-Ūlā, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prepared an army to exact retribution for those who had killed al-Ḥārith ibn ‘Umayr al-Azdī, his messenger to the governor of Busrā. He appointed Zayd ibn Ḥāritha as commander, saying, 'If he is killed, the commander is Ja‘far ibn Abī Ṭālib; if he is killed, then ‘Abd Allāh ibn Rawāḥa.' The army numbered three thousand. They set out, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw them off. Among his instructions were: 'Fight in the name of God; fight the enemies of God and your enemies in Syria. You will find there men in monasteries who have withdrawn; do not molest them. Do not kill a woman, a child, or a blind old man. Do not cut down trees or destroy buildings.' They continued marching until they reached Mu’ta ⁹, the place where al-Ḥārith ibn ‘Umayr was killed. There they found the Byzantines had gathered a great host ¹⁰ against them, including both Byzantines and Arab Christians. The men of the army debated what to do: should they send word to the Messenger of God asking for reinforcements, or should they advance to battle? ‘Abd Allāh ibn Rawāḥa said, 'O people, by God, what you dislike is precisely what you came for: you came seeking martyrdom. We do not fight with numbers, strength, or multitude; we fight only with this religion with which God has honored us. There are only two good outcomes: victory or martyrdom.' The people said, 'By God, Ibn Rawāḥa has spoken the truth.' They proceeded to battle and encountered these massive hosts. Zayd ibn Ḥāritha (may God be pleased with him) fought until he was martyred. Then Ja‘far ibn Abī Ṭālib took the banner, reciting: "How excellent is Paradise and its nearness! Good and cool is its drink. The Byzantines are near, their punishment has come, Disbelieving, distant in lineage. When I meet them, I will strike them." He continued fighting until he was martyred (may God be pleased with him) ¹¹. Then ‘Abd Allāh ibn Rawāḥa took the banner. He advanced but hesitated a little, then addressed himself: "I swear, O soul, you will descend [to battle] Willingly or unwillingly. Though the people clamor and raise the cry, Why do I see you disliking Paradise? Long have you been at ease, Are you but a drop in a waterskin?" ¹² Then he plunged his horse into the thick of battle and continued fighting until he was martyred (may God be pleased with him). Some Muslims thought of retreating, but ‘Uqba ibn ‘Āmir ¹³ said, 'O people, to be killed advancing is better than to be killed retreating.' So they rallied and agreed to appoint the brave and skillful Khālid ibn al-Walīd as commander. Through his determination and military skill, he saved this army from destruction, for what can three thousand do against one hundred and fifty thousand? When he took the banner, he fought fiercely that day. The next day, he changed the army's formation, making the rear the vanguard, the vanguard the rear, the right wing the left, and the left wing the right. The Byzantines thought reinforcements had come to the Muslims and were terrified. Then Khālid took the army and withdrew until he reached Mu’ta. He remained there, skirmishing with the enemy for seven days. Then the two sides separated, for the disbelievers thought reinforcements would continue to come to the Muslims and feared being drawn into the desert where they could not escape. Thus the fighting ended. 'The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) announced the deaths of Zayd, Ja‘far, and Ibn Rawāḥa to the people before their news arrived, saying: "Zayd took the banner and was struck; then Ja‘far took it and was struck; then Ibn Rawāḥa took it and was struck." The eyes of the Messenger of God were shedding tears ¹⁴. Then he said: "Then a sword from among the swords of God took it until God granted them victory." A man came and said, "O Messenger of God, the women of Ja‘far are weeping." He ordered him to forbid them. The man went and then returned, saying, "I forbade them, but they did not obey." He ordered him again, and he went and returned, saying, "By God, they have overcome us." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Throw dust into their mouths." When the army approached Medina, the Muslims met them, saying, "O fugitives!" ¹⁵ The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Rather, they are the ones who return [to fight]!" Those who remained in Medina thought that Khālid's withdrawal with the army was a defeat, but the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) showed them that it was a war stratagem and praised Khālid's skill. Another expedition ¹⁶: In Jumādā al-Ākhira, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) learned that a group of Quḍā‘a were gathering in their territory beyond Wādī al-Qurā to attack Medina. He sent ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ with three hundred men from the elite ¹⁷ of the Emigrants. Then he reinforced him with Abū ‘Ubayda ibn al-Jarrāḥ with two hundred Emigrants, including Abū Bakr and ‘Umar. They caught up with ‘Amr before he reached the enemy. Some men in the army wanted to light a fire, but ‘Amr forbade them. ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb objected, but Abū Bakr said, 'The Messenger of God appointed him as our leader because he knows war better than we do; do not disobey him.' So he complied. When they arrived at the enemy's camp, they attacked, and within an hour the enemies were scattered in flight. They gathered their spoils and wanted to pursue them, but their commander forbade them. Then they returned to Medina victorious. While they were on the way, ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ became ritually impure on a cold night. In the morning, he said, 'If I wash, I will perish, and God says, "Do not throw yourselves into destruction" ¹⁸.' Then he performed tayammum and prayed, then ordered the march. When they reached Medina, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) asked about the news of their journey, as was his custom. They told him what they disapproved of in ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ: his forbidding them to light a fire, his forbidding them to pursue the enemy, and his praying while impure. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him about this, and he replied, 'I forbade them to light a fire so that the enemy would not see our small number and become emboldened against them. I forbade them to pursue the enemy lest they have an ambush. I prayed while impure because God says, "Do not throw yourselves into destruction," and if I had washed, I would have perished.' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled and praised ‘Amr. Another expedition ¹⁹: In Rajab, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Abū ‘Ubayda ‘Āmir ibn al-Jarrāḥ with three hundred horsemen to raid the tribe of Juhayna, who lived on the coast ²⁰. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) supplied this army with a bag of dates. They marched until they reached the coast, where they stayed for about half a month waiting for the enemy. Their provisions ran out, and they ate khabaṭ—the leaves of the samur tree, which they moistened with water and ate until their mouths became sore ²¹. Among the company was the noble son of a noble, Qays ibn Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubāda ²², who slaughtered three camels for them, one each day. On the fourth day, he wanted to slaughter another, but his commander Abū ‘Ubayda forbade him, because Qays had taken those camels on credit from his father, and Abū ‘Ubayda feared that his father would not repay the debt. Qays said, 'Do you think that Sa‘d would repay people's debts and feed during famine but would not repay a debt I incurred for mujāhidīn in the path of God?' When they despaired of meeting their enemy, they returned to Medina. Qays ibn Sa‘d said to his father, 'I was in the army, and they became hungry.' He said, 'Slaughter.' He said, 'I slaughtered.' He said, 'Then they became hungry.' He said, 'Slaughter.' He said, 'I slaughtered.' He said, 'Then they became hungry.' He said, 'Slaughter.' He said, 'I slaughtered.' He said, 'Then they became hungry.' He said, 'Slaughter.' He said, 'I was forbidden.' [The Expedition of the Great Conquest] When God wills a matter, He prepares its means and removes its obstacles. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) knew that the Arabs would not be humbled until Quraysh was humbled, and the lands would not submit until Mecca submitted. So he looked forward to its conquest, but he was prevented by the covenants he had given to Quraysh at al-Ḥudaybiyya, and he was the master of fulfillment. But when God wills a matter, He prepares its means. You know that the tribe of Khuzā‘a entered into the covenant of the Messenger of God, and the tribe of Banū Bakr entered into the covenant of Quraysh. There had been blood feuds between Khuzā‘a and Banū Bakr in the pre-Islamic period, whose fire had been smoldering ²³ with the advent of Islam. When the truce was made, a man from Banū Bakr ²⁴ began to sing satirizing the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) within earshot of a Khuzā‘ī man. The latter struck him, stirring up the smoldering hatred. Banū Bakr remembered their vengeance and resolved to fight their opponents. They sought help from their allies among Quraysh, who secretly aided them with equipment and men. Then they attacked Khuzā‘a while they were secure, killing over twenty of them. When the allies of the Trustworthy Prophet saw this, they sent a delegation led by ‘Amr ibn Sālim al-Khuzā‘ī ²⁵ to inform the Messenger of God of what Banū Bakr and Quraysh had done to them. When they stood before him and told him, he said, 'By God, I will protect you as I protect myself.' As for Quraysh, when they realized that what they had done was a breach of the covenants they had made, they regretted their action and wanted to heal this wound. So they sent their leader Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb to Medina to strengthen the covenant ²⁶ and extend the term. He rode his camel, thinking that no one had preceded him, until he came to Medina. He stayed with his daughter, the Mother of the Believers Umm Ḥabība. He wanted to sit on the bedding of the Messenger of God, but she folded it away from him. He said, 'O my daughter,'

Did you desire me instead of him, or did you desire him instead of me? She said: It was not for you to sit on the bed of the Messenger of God while you were an impure polytheist. He said: Evil has befallen you after me. Then he left her and went to the Prophet in the mosque, and presented to him what he had come for. The Prophet ²⁷ said to him: Has anything happened? He said: No. He ²⁷ said: Then we are still on our treaty and peace, and he said nothing more. So Abu Sufyan stood up and went to the senior Emigrants ²⁸ from Quraysh, hoping they would help him with his purpose, but he found no supporter among them, and all of them said: Our protection is in the protection of the Messenger of God. So he returned to his people without achieving anything, and they accused him of betraying them and embracing Islam, so he devoted himself to the idols to refute this accusation. As for the Messenger of God ²⁷, he prepared for the journey and ordered his companions to do likewise, and informed al-Siddiq ²⁹ of the destination. He said: O Messenger of God, is there not a treaty between you and Quraysh? He said: Yes, but they betrayed and broke it. Then he ²⁷ summoned the Bedouins around Medina and said: Whoever believes in God and the Last Day, let him attend Ramadan in Medina. So a group from the tribes of Aslam, Ghifar, Muzayna, Ashja‘, and Juhayna came. And he ²⁷ concealed the news about the army so that the matter would not spread, lest Quraysh learn and prepare for war. The Messenger of God ²⁷ did not want to wage war in Mecca but rather wanted its people to submit without violating its sanctity. So he called upon his Lord, Exalted be His mention, and said: O God, take away the eyes and news from Quraysh until we take them by surprise in their land. Then Hatib ibn Abi Balta‘a, one of those who witnessed Badr, wrote a letter to Quraysh informing them of some of the matter of the Messenger of God ²⁷, and sent it with a slave girl to deliver it to Quraysh for a fee. God informed His Messenger of that, so he sent ‘Ali, al-Zubayr, and al-Miqdad after her, saying: Go until you reach Rawdat Khakh ³⁰, for there is a woman ³¹ with a letter; take it from her. So they went until they reached the meadow, and found the woman there. They said to her: Bring out the letter. She said: I have no letter! They said: You will surely bring out the letter, or we will strip you. So she brought it out from her hair braids ³², and they brought it to the Messenger of God. He ²⁷ said: O Hatib, what is this? He said: O Messenger of God, do not be hasty with me. I was an ally of Quraysh, not one of their own kin. Those of the Emigrants ²⁸ who are with you have relatives who protect their families and property. Since I lacked that kinship, I wanted to obtain a favor from them to protect my relatives. I did not do it as apostasy from my religion, nor out of satisfaction with disbelief after Islam. He ²⁷ said: Indeed, he has told you the truth. ‘Umar said: O Messenger of God, let me strike the neck of this hypocrite! He said: Indeed, he witnessed Badr. What do you know? Perhaps God has looked upon those who witnessed Badr and said: Do as you wish, for I have forgiven you. And concerning that, God revealed Surah al-Mumtahana: "O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth, driving out the Messenger and yourselves because you believe in God, your Lord. If you have come out for jihad in My cause and seeking My pleasure, [do not take them as friends]. You confide to them affection, but I know best what you conceal and what you declare. And whoever does so among you has certainly strayed from the straight path." ³³ Then he ²⁷ set out with this great army in the middle of Ramadan, after appointing Ibn Umm Maktum ³⁴ over Medina. The number of the army was ten thousand fighters. When he reached al-Abwa’, two of his most bitter enemies met him: his cousin Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, the brother of ‘Ubayda ibn al-Harith who was martyred at Badr, and his brother-in-law ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Umayya ibn al-Mughira ³⁵, the brother of his wife Umm Salama. They wanted to embrace Islam, so he ²⁷ accepted them and rejoiced greatly, saying: "No blame will there be upon you today. God will forgive you; and He is the most merciful of the merciful." ³⁶ When he ²⁷ reached al-Kadid ³⁷, he saw that fasting was difficult for the Muslims, so he ordered them to break their fast, and he himself broke his fast. On the way, he ²⁷ met his uncle al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib migrating with his family, and ordered him to return with him to Mecca and send his family to Medina. When he ²⁷ reached Marr al-Zahran, he ordered the lighting of ten thousand fires. Quraysh had heard that Muhammad was advancing with a great army, but they did not know its destination. So they sent Abu Sufyan ibn Harb ³⁸, Hakim ibn Hizam, and Budayl ibn Warqa’ to seek news of the Messenger of God. They set out until they came to Marr al-Zahran, and behold, they saw fires like the fires of ‘Arafa. Abu Sufyan said: What is this? It looks like the fires of ‘Arafa! Budayl ibn Warqa’ said: The fires of the Banu ‘Amr ³⁹. Abu Sufyan said: ‘Amr is less than that. Then some of the guards of the Messenger of God saw them, caught them, and brought them to the Messenger of God. Abu Sufyan embraced Islam. When he ²⁷ moved on, he said to al-‘Abbas: Detain Abu Sufyan at the narrow pass of the cavalry ⁴⁰ so that he may see the Muslims. So al-‘Abbas detained him, and the tribes passed by in battalions before Abu Sufyan, while he asked and said: What have I to do with them? Until the battalion of the Ansar ⁴¹ passed by, with Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubada carrying their banner. Sa‘d said: O Abu Sufyan, today is the day of battle ⁴², today the Kaaba will be violated. Abu Sufyan said: O ‘Abbas, how excellent is the day of defense ⁴³! Then came a battalion that was the smallest of the battalions ⁴⁴, with the Messenger of God and his companions, and the banner-bearer was al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam. Abu Sufyan informed the Messenger of God of Sa‘d’s statement. He ²⁷ said: Sa‘d has lied. Rather, this is a day in which God will magnify the Kaaba, and a day in which the Kaaba will be draped. Then he ²⁷ ordered that his banner be planted at al-Hajun ⁴⁵, and ordered Khalid ibn al-Walid to enter from the lower part of Mecca from Kudi ⁴⁶, while he himself entered from the upper part from Kada’. His herald proclaimed: Whoever enters his house and closes his door is safe; whoever enters the mosque is safe; whoever enters the house of Abu Sufyan is safe. This was the greatest favor to him. He exempted from this a group whose sins were great and who had harmed Islam and its people greatly, and declared their blood lawful even if they clung to the curtains of the Kaaba. Among them were: ‘Abdullah ibn Sa‘d ibn Abi Sarh, who had embraced Islam and written down revelation for the Messenger of God, then apostatized and fabricated lies against the Trustworthy and Faithful, claiming that Muhammad would order him to write "All-Knowing, All-Wise" and he would write "Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful," and Muhammad would say: It is all good!; ‘Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl; Safwan ibn Umayya; Hubar ibn al-Aswad; al-Harith ibn Hisham; Zuhayr ibn Umayya; Ka‘b ibn Zuhayr ⁴⁷; Wahshi, the killer of Hamza; Hind bint ‘Utba, the wife of Abu Sufyan; and a few others. He forbade the killing of anyone other than these except those who fought. As for the army of Khalid ibn al-Walid, terror from Quraysh confronted them, trying to repel him, so he fought them, killing twenty-four of them, while two of his army were killed. He entered by force from that side. As for the army of the Messenger of God ²⁷, they encountered no resistance. He ²⁷ was riding his mount, leaning forward on the saddle, humbling himself before God and thanking Him for this blessing, until his forehead almost touched the saddle, with Usama ibn Zayd riding behind him. That was on the morning of Friday, the twentieth of Ramadan, until he reached al-Hajun, the place of his banner. A tent had been set up for him there containing Umm Salama and Maymuna. He rested a little, then proceeded with Abu Bakr beside him conversing, reciting Surah al-Fath until he reached the House ⁴⁸. He circumambulated seven times on his mount, touched the Black Stone with his curved stick ⁴⁹. Around the Kaaba at that time were three hundred and sixty idols. He ²⁷ began to poke them with a stick in his hand, saying: "Truth has come and falsehood has vanished; indeed falsehood is ever bound to vanish." ⁵⁰ Then he ordered the idols to be brought out of the House, including images of Ishmael and Abraham holding divination arrows. He ²⁷ said: May God fight them! They knew that they never divined with them! This was the first day the Kaaba was purified of these false objects of worship. With the purification of the Kaaba, sacred to all Arabs, both nomads and settled, from these impurities, the worship of idols fell throughout the Arab lands except for a few. We shall soon mention to the reader the disappearance of their traces and the complete eradication of their worship. [Forgiveness When Able] Then the Prophet ²⁷ entered the Kaaba and proclaimed the takbir ⁵¹ in its corners. Then he came out to the Station of Abraham ⁵², prayed there, drank from Zamzam, and sat in the mosque with the people around him, their eyes fixed on him, waiting to see what he would do with the polytheists of Quraysh who had harmed him, driven him out of his land, and fought him. But here the noble morals that a Muslim must learn appear: that his pleasure and anger are for God, not for personal whim. He ²⁷ said: "O company of Quraysh, what do you think I will do with you?" They said: Good; you are a noble brother, the son of a noble brother. He ²⁷ said: "Go, for you are free." May God have mercy on Imam al-Busiri, who said: "When severing and joining are for God, then drawing near and keeping far are equal. And it is the same to him, in what he receives from others, whether blame or praise. If his vengeance were for the sake of the soul, then separation and estrangement would persist. He acted for God in all matters, so God was pleased with him; divergence and loyalty [are from Him]. All his deeds are beautiful; does anything succeed except what the vessel contains?" Then he ²⁷ delivered a sermon in which he elucidated many Islamic rulings, including: a Muslim is not killed for a disbeliever; people of two different religions do not inherit from each other; a woman may not be married along with her paternal aunt or maternal aunt; the burden of proof is on the claimant, and the oath is on the denier; a woman may not travel for three days except with a mahram ⁵³; there is no prayer after dawn and after ‘asr ⁵⁴; and fasting is not observed on the days of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. Then he said: "O company of Quraysh, God has removed from you the pride of the Jahiliyya ⁵⁵ and its boasting about ancestors. People are from Adam, and Adam is from dust." Then he recited this verse: "O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you. Indeed, God is All-Knowing, All-Aware." ⁵⁶ Then the people began to pledge allegiance to the Messenger of God ²⁷ upon Islam. Among those who embraced Islam on that day were Mu‘awiya ibn Abi Sufyan and Abu Quhafa ⁵⁷, the father of al-Siddiq ²⁹. The Messenger rejoiced greatly at his Islam. A man came trembling with fear, and he ²⁷ said to him: "Take it easy, for I am not a king; I am only the son of a woman from Quraysh who used to eat dried meat." ⁵⁸

As for those whose blood the Messenger of God had deemed lawful, the earth, vast as it is, became straitened for them. Among them were those upon whom the word of punishment was decreed, so they were killed; and among them were those whom God's care reached, so they embraced Islam. Thus, 'Abdullah ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Sarh sought refuge with his foster-brother 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, asking him to seek safe-conduct from the Messenger of God. 'Uthman hid him until the people calmed down, then brought him to the Prophet and said, 'O Messenger of God, I have granted him safe-conduct, so accept his pledge.' The Prophet turned away from him repeatedly, then accepted his pledge. When 'Uthman and 'Abdullah left, the Prophet said, 'I turned away so that one of you would rise and strike his neck.' They said, 'Why did you not signal to us?' He said, 'It is not befitting for a prophet to have treacherous eyes.' ⁵⁹ As for 'Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl, he fled, and his wife and cousin Umm Hakim bint al-Harith ibn Hisham went after him. She had embraced Islam before the Conquest ⁶⁰ and had obtained a safe-conduct for him from the Messenger of God. She caught up with him when he was about to board a ship ⁶¹ and said, 'I have come to you from the most pious and best of people. Do not destroy yourself. I have obtained safe-conduct for you from him.' So he returned. When the Prophet saw him, he stood up joyfully and said, 'Welcome to him who has come to us as an emigrant and a Muslim.' Then he embraced Islam, may God be pleased with him, and asked the Messenger of God to seek forgiveness for him for every enmity he had shown him, and he did so. Thereafter, he became one of the best of Muslims and the most zealous for Islam. ⁶² As for Hubar ibn al-Aswad, he fled and hid until the Messenger of God was at al-Ji'ranah ⁶³, when he came to him as a Muslim and said, 'O Messenger of God, I fled from you and intended to join the non-Arabs, but then I remembered your kindness, generosity, and forgiveness toward those who acted ignorantly toward you. We were people of polytheism, and God guided us through you and saved us from destruction. So forgive with gracious forgiveness.' The Prophet said, 'I have pardoned you.' As for al-Harith ibn Hisham and Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah al-Makhzumi, Umm Hani' bint Abi Talib granted them protection, and the Prophet ratified her protection. When the Messenger of God met al-Harith ibn Hisham as a Muslim, he said, 'Praise be to God who has guided you. Someone like you should not be ignorant of Islam.' Thereafter, he became one of the distinguished Companions. As for Safwan ibn Umayyah, he hid and intended to go and throw himself into the sea. His cousin 'Umayr ibn Wahb al-Jumahi came and said, 'O Prophet of God, Safwan is the chief of his people. He has fled to throw himself into the sea. Grant him safe-conduct, for you have granted safe-conduct to the red and the black.' The Prophet said, 'Go and catch up with your cousin; he is safe.' He said, 'Give me a sign.' So he gave him his turban. 'Umayr took it and when he met Safwan, he said, 'May my father and mother be your ransom. I have come to you from the best of people, the most pious, the most forbearing, and the best of people. He is your cousin; his might is your might, his honor is your honor, his kingdom is your kingdom.' Safwan said, 'I fear for my life.' He said, 'He is more forbearing and generous than that.' He showed him the turban as a sign of safe-conduct. So he returned to the Messenger of God and said, 'He claims that you have granted me safe-conduct.' He said, 'He speaks the truth.' He said, 'Give me a choice of two months.' He said, 'You have a choice of four months.' Then he embraced Islam, may God be pleased with him, and his Islam was good. As for Hind bint 'Utbah, she hid, then embraced Islam and came to the Messenger of God. He welcomed her, and she said, 'By God, O Messenger of God, there was no family on the face of the earth that I wished to be humiliated more than your family. But today, there is no family that I wish to be honored more than your family.' ⁶⁴ [The Delegation of Ka'b ibn Zuhayr] As for Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, when the earth became straitened for him and he found no refuge, he came to Medina after the Messenger of God had returned from Mecca ⁶⁵, embraced Islam, and recited his poem in which he said: "And every friend I hoped for said, 'Let me not distract you ⁶⁶, I am busy away from you.' So I said, 'Leave me alone, may you have no father ⁶⁷, For whatever the Merciful has decreed will be done. Every son of a woman, though his safety be prolonged, One day on a humpbacked mount ⁶⁸ will be carried. I was told that the Messenger of God threatened me, But forgiveness from the Messenger of God is hoped for. Gently, may He who gave you the supererogatory ⁶⁹ Qur'an guide you, In which are admonitions and detailed explanations.'" And in it he praised: "Indeed, the Messenger is a sword by which light is sought, A polished Indian sword from among the swords of God." When he recited this verse, the Messenger gave him his cloak. As for Wahshi, the killer of Hamzah, he also embraced Islam and his Islam was good. The Prophet accepted him. The sons of Abu Lahab, 'Utbah and Mu'attib, came and embraced Islam, and the Prophet rejoiced at their coming. Among those who hid was Suhayl ibn 'Amr. His son 'Abdullah sought safe-conduct for him, and the Prophet granted it, saying, 'Suhayl has intelligence and honor. Someone like Suhayl should not be ignorant of Islam.' When this statement reached Suhayl, he said, 'By God, he was righteous as a child and righteous as an adult.' Then he embraced Islam afterwards. [The Pledge of Women] When the pledge of the men was completed, the women pledged allegiance to him. They pledged not to associate anything with God, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to kill their children, not to bring a slander they invent between their hands and feet, and not to disobey the Messenger in what is right. ⁷⁰ Then the Prophet ordered Bilal to give the call to prayer atop the Ka'bah. This was the beginning of the manifestation of Islam atop the Sacred House. So it is no wonder that Muslims took this day as a festival, praising God as He deserves for this great blessing and mighty victory. The Prophet stayed in Mecca after its conquest for nineteen days, shortening the prayer each day. He appointed 'Attab ibn Asid ⁷¹ as governor and set his daily stipend at one dirham. 'Attab, may God be pleased with him, used to say, 'May God never satisfy a belly that goes hungry for one dirham a day.' [Destruction of al-'Uzza] On the fifth day of his stay in Mecca, the Prophet sent Khalid ibn al-Walid with thirty horsemen to destroy the temple of al-'Uzza, the greatest idol of Quraysh, whose temple was in Batn Nakhlah. Khalid went and destroyed it. [Destruction of Suwa'] The Prophet sent 'Amr ibn al-'As to destroy Suwa', the greatest idol of Hudhayl, whose temple was three miles from Mecca. He went and destroyed it. [Destruction of Manat] He sent Sa'd ibn Zayd al-Ash'ali with twenty horsemen to destroy Manat, the idol of Kalb and Khuza'ah, whose temple was at al-Mushallal, a mountain on the coast from which one descends to Qudayd. They went and destroyed it. [The Expedition of Hunayn] ⁷² With this great conquest and the fall of the state of idols, the masses of Arabs submitted to Islam and entered it in droves. However, the two tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif were seized by the fervor of the pre-Islamic era. Their nobles gathered for consultation and said, 'Muhammad has finished fighting his people and nothing prevents him from attacking us. Let us attack him before he attacks us.' They agreed on this and appointed Malik ibn 'Awf al-Nasri as their leader. Large numbers from the tribes gathered under him, including Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr, among whom the Messenger of God had been fostered. Among the people was Durayd ibn al-Simmah, renowned for sound judgment and great valor in war. Due to his advanced age, he only contributed counsel in this war. Then Malik ibn 'Awf ordered the people to bring their women, children, and wealth. When Durayd learned of this, he asked Malik the reason. He said, 'I have brought the people's wealth, children, and women so that behind every man I place his family and property, and he will fight for them.' Durayd said, 'Can anything turn back a fleeing man? If you win, only a man with his sword and spear will benefit you; if you lose, you will be disgraced in your family and property.' But Malik did not accept his advice. He arranged the women in rows behind the fighters, and behind them the camels, then the cows, then the sheep, so that none of the fighters would flee. As for the Messenger of God, when he learned that Hawazin and Thaqif were preparing to fight him, he decided to march against them. He set out with twelve thousand fighters, including two thousand from Mecca, and the rest were those who had come with him from Medina. The people of Mecca went out riding and walking, even women walked without weakness, hoping for spoils. Eighty polytheists went out with the army, including Safwan ibn Umayyah and Suhayl ibn 'Amr. When the army approached the enemy camp, the Prophet arranged the fighters and appointed the banners. He gave the banner of the Emigrants to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, the banner of the Khazraj to al-Hubab ibn al-Mundhir, the banner of the Aws to Usayd ibn Hudayr, and similarly gave banners to the other Arab tribes. Then the Prophet mounted his mule, wearing two coats of mail, a helmet ⁷³, and a headpiece ⁷⁴. The Muslims were impressed by their large numbers, but it availed them nothing. The Muslim vanguard advanced toward the enemy, but an ambush that had been hidden in the mountain passes and narrow valleys of the wadi came out and met them with arrows like scattered locusts. They turned the reins of their horses and retreated. When they reached those behind them, they followed them in flight due to the shock. But the Messenger of God remained steadfast on his mule in the battlefield, and with him remained a few Emigrants and Helpers, including Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Ali, al-'Abbas and his son al-Fadl, Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith ⁷⁵ and his brother Rabi'ah ibn al-Harith, and Mu'attib ibn Abi Lahab. Al-'Abbas held the reins of the mule ⁷⁶, and Abu Sufyan held the stirrup. The Prophet called out, 'Come to me, O people!' but no one heeded him. The earth, vast as it was, became straitened for the fleeing ones. As for the men of Mecca who were new in Islam and had not yet shed the bonds of polytheism, some rejoiced, while others were distressed by this retreat. Abu Sufyan ibn Harb said, 'Their flight will not stop until they reach the sea.' A brother of Safwan ibn Umayyah said, 'Now sorcery is invalidated.' Safwan, who was still a polytheist, said to him, 'Be quiet! May God stop your mouth ⁷⁷! By God, that a man from Quraysh should rule me ⁷⁸ is better than that a man from Hawazin should rule me.' A man from Quraysh passed by him saying, 'Rejoice at the defeat of Muhammad and his companions! By God, they will never recover from it.' Safwan became angry and said, 'Woe to you! Do you rejoice at the victory of the Bedouins?' 'Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl said to that man, 'Your saying that they will never recover is not in your hands. The matter is in God's hands. Nothing of Muhammad's affair is in his hands if He gives victory over him ⁷⁹ today, for the outcome will be his tomorrow.' Suhayl ibn 'Amr said, 'By God, your opposition to him is recent.' He replied, 'O Abu Yazid, we were upon nothing, and our minds were lost, worshipping a stone that neither harms nor benefits.' The flight of some of the fugitives reached Mecca. All this while, the Messenger of God stood in his place saying: "I am the Prophet, no lie, I am the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib."

Then he said to al-‘Abbās, who had a loud voice: 'Call out to the Anṣār, O ‘Abbās!' So he called out: 'O company of the Anṣār! O companions of the Pledge of Riḍwān!' ⁸⁰ He made those in the valley hear, and the Anṣār began saying: 'At your service, at your service!' Each one of them wanted to turn his camel’s reins, but the large number of fleeing bedouins prevented him from doing so. So he would take his coat of mail, throw it around his neck, take his sword and shield, dismount from his camel, let it go free, and head toward the voice, until a great multitude of them gathered around the Messenger of Allah. And Allah sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the believers, and sent down troops which they did not see. ⁸¹ Then the Muslims turned against their enemy as one man, and the twisted rope of the polytheists unraveled, and they scattered in every direction, not caring about any of the wealth, women, or children. The Muslims pursued them, killing and capturing, and they took the women and children, and captured many of the fighters. Those who fled fled, and on that day Khālid ibn al-Walīd received severe wounds. Many people from the polytheists of Mecca embraced Islam when they saw Allah’s care for the Muslims. This, and what happened in this expedition, is an important lesson in the lessons of war. For this army included many mixed elements: polytheists, bedouins, and recent converts to Islam. For these, the victory or defeat of Islam was the same. Therefore, at the first shock, they rushed to flee, and the matter was almost decided against the Muslims, were it not for Allah’s grace. So there should be in the army only those who fight purely and sincerely from their hearts, to be true defenders of their religion, so that their souls do not incline to flee for fear of the painful punishment Allah has prepared for those who flee. Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered the collection of the captives and spoils. They amounted to about twenty-four thousand camels, more than forty thousand sheep, and four thousand ounces of silver. All of this was gathered at al-Ji‘rānah. ⁸² As for the polytheists, they split into three groups: a group that went to Ṭā’if, a group that went to Nakhlah, and a group that camped at Auwṭās." [Expedition] He, peace and blessings be upon him, sent against this group Abū ‘Āmir al-Ash‘arī with a group including Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī. ⁸³ He marched against them, scattered them, and seized the spoils that remained with them. Abū ‘Āmir was martyred in this expedition, and he left his nephew Abū Mūsā in charge of the fighters, who returned victorious and triumphant. The Expedition of Ṭā’if ⁸⁴ He, peace and blessings be upon him, marched with those with him to Ṭā’if, to finish off the remaining life of Thaqīf and those of Hawāzin who had gathered with them. He placed Khālid ibn al-Walīd at the head of his vanguard. He, peace and blessings be upon him, passed by a fortress of ‘Awf ibn Mālik al-Naṣrī, ⁸⁵ and ordered it demolished. He passed by a garden of a man from Thaqīf who had fortified himself in it, and sent to him: 'Come out, or we will burn your garden down on you.' The man refused, so he, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered it burned. When the Muslims reached Ṭā’if, they found the enemies had fortified themselves in it and had brought in their year’s supply of food. The Muslims camped near the fortress, and the polytheists shot arrows at them fiercely, wounding many, including ‘Abdullāh ibn Abī Bakr. His wound lingered until it killed him during the caliphate of his father. Among them was Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb, whose eye was gouged out. Twelve men from the Muslims died from wounds. ⁸⁶ When the Messenger of Allah saw that the enemy was able to shoot them, he moved to the site of the current mosque of Ṭā’if, and pitched two tents for Umm Salamah and Zaynab there. The siege lasted eighteen days, during which Khālid ibn al-Walīd called for single combat, but no one answered him. ‘Abd Yālīl, the chief of Thaqīf, called out: 'No one from us will come down to you. But we will stay in our fortress, for it contains enough food for years. If you stay until this food is exhausted, we will come out to you with our swords, all of us, until we die to the last man.' So he, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered the mangonel set up against them, and it was set up. ⁸⁷ A group of Companions entered under two testudos ⁸⁸ to breach the fortress, but Thaqīf sent red-hot iron bars down on them until they drove them back. He, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered their vines and palm trees cut down, and the Muslims cut them down extensively. The people of the fortress called out: 'Leave them for Allah and for kinship!' He said: 'I leave them for Allah and for kinship.' Then he ordered a crier to announce that whoever left the fortress and came down would be safe. So about a dozen men came out to him. When he, peace and blessings be upon him, saw that Thaqīf’s resistance was strong and that victory had not been granted, he consulted Nawfal ibn Mu‘āwiyah al-Dīlī ⁸⁹ about leaving or staying. He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, a fox in its hole: if you stay, you will catch it; if you leave it, it will not harm you.' So he, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered the departure. ⁹⁰ Some Companions asked him to curse Thaqīf, but he said: 'O Allah, guide Thaqīf and bring them as Muslims.' ⁹¹ [Division of the Captives] Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, returned to al-Ji‘rānah, where the captives were left. He counted them, took one-fifth, and gave a great deal of it to some people whose Islam was weak, to win their hearts, and gave to some who had not yet embraced Islam to make Islam beloved to them. Among the former: Abū Sufyān, to whom he gave forty ounces of gold and one hundred camels, and likewise his two sons Mu‘āwiyah and Yazīd. He said: 'May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! You are generous in peace and war.' Among them was Ḥakīm ibn Ḥizām, to whom he gave as he gave Abū Sufyān. He asked for more, and he gave him more. Then he asked for more, and he gave him the like. He said: 'O Ḥakīm, this wealth is green and sweet. Whoever takes it with a generous heart will be blessed in it; whoever takes it with an eager soul will not be blessed in it, like one who eats but is not satisfied. The upper hand is better than the lower hand.' ⁹² So Ḥakīm took the first hundred and left the rest. Then he said: 'By Him who sent you with the truth, I will not ask anyone for anything after you until I leave this world.' So the caliphs after the Messenger of Allah would offer him the stipend he deserved from the treasury, but he would not take it. He, peace and blessings be upon him, gave ‘Uyaynah ibn Ḥiṣn one hundred camels, and likewise al-Aqra‘ ibn Ḥābis, ⁹³ and al-‘Abbās ibn Mirdās. ⁹⁴ He gave Ṣafwān ibn Umayyah a valley filled with livestock and sheep, which he was eyeing. ⁹⁵ He said to him: 'Does this please you?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'It is yours.' Ṣafwān said: 'No one’s soul has been purified by such a thing.' This was the cause of his embracing Islam. ⁹⁶ He, peace and blessings be upon him, intended by these gifts to win hearts and unite them upon the straight religion. This is a kind of religious policy, so much so that he made a portion of the alms for those whose hearts are to be reconciled. This brought great benefit, for many of those who were given on that day, who had not yet imbibed love of Islam in their hearts, later became among the most eminent Muslims and the most beneficial, such as Ṣafwān ibn Umayyah, Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān, al-Ḥārith ibn Hishām, and others. Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered Zayd ibn Thābit to count the remaining spoils and divide them among the fighters. After the bedouins gathered around him, they said to him: 'Divide among us!' until they forced him against a tree, and his cloak was caught. He said: 'Give me back my cloak, O people! By Allah, if I had as many camels as the trees of Tihāmah, I would divide them among you. Then you would not find me miserly, cowardly, or lying.' Then he went to his camel, took a hair from its hump, and said: 'O people, by Allah, I have no share of your spoils, not even this hair, except the fifth, and the fifth is returned to you. So give back even the needle and thread, for embezzlement ⁹⁷ will be a disgrace, a shame, and a fire on the Day of Resurrection for its people.' So everyone who had taken something from the spoils secretly returned it, even if it was insignificant. Then he began to divide, and each man got four camels and forty sheep, and a horseman got three times that. A man from the hypocrites ⁹⁸ said: 'This is a division by which the face of Allah is not intended.' He, peace and blessings be upon him, became angry until his face reddened and said: 'Woe to you! Who will be just if I am not just?' ⁹⁹ His anger did not lead him to take revenge for himself—far be it from him, peace and blessings be upon him—but he only advised and warned. ‘Umar and Khālid ibn al-Walīd said: 'O Messenger of Allah, let us strike his neck!' He said: 'No! Perhaps he prays.' Khālid said: 'How many a prayer says with his tongue what is not in his heart!' He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'I have not been commanded to probe into people’s hearts ¹⁰⁰ or to split open their bellies.' When the Messenger of Allah gave those gifts to Quraysh and the Arab tribes, and left out the Anṣār, some of them became angry, saying: 'This is indeed strange! He gives to Quraysh and leaves us while our swords are still dripping with their blood!' This reached him, so he ordered them to be gathered, with no one else present. When they gathered, he said: 'O company of the Anṣār, what is this statement that has reached me about you? Did I not find you astray and Allah guided you through me? Poor and Allah enriched you through me? Enemies and Allah united your hearts through me? Quraysh are recent in disbelief and affliction, and I wanted to compensate them and win their hearts. Are you angry, O company of the Anṣār, in your souls over a little of this world with which I won over a people to become Muslims, and entrusted you to your firm Islam that cannot be shaken? Are you not pleased, O company of the Anṣār, that the people go with the sheep and the camel, and you return with the Messenger of Allah to your homes? By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muḥammad, had it not been for the emigration, I would have been a man from the Anṣār. If the people took one path and the Anṣār took another, I would take the path of the Anṣār. ¹⁰¹ O Allah, have mercy on the Anṣār and the children of the Anṣār.' ¹⁰² Then the people wept until their beards became wet, and they said: 'We are pleased with the Messenger of Allah as our portion and lot.' Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, departed, and they dispersed. [Delegation of Hawāzin] After about twenty nights, the delegation of Hawāzin came to him, peace and blessings be upon him, headed by Zuhayr ibn Ṣurad. They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, among those you have taken are mothers, aunts, and maternal aunts, and they are the shame of the people. We desire from Allah and from you, O Messenger of Allah.' Zuhayr said: 'In the enclosures are your aunts, maternal aunts, and foster mothers who used to nurse you.' Then he recited verses appealing to him: "Bestow favor upon us, O Messenger of Allah, in generosity, / For you are the man we hope for and await. Bestow favor upon women whom you once nursed, / When your mouth was filled with the milk of their butter. We are grateful for blessings, even if we are ungrateful, / And with us after this day is stored. We hope for pardon from you, which we wear, / These people, that you pardon and triumph. So put on the garment of pardon for those you once nursed / From your mothers, for pardon is renowned." He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'The most beloved speech to me is the truest. Choose one of the two groups: either the captives or the wealth. I have been waiting for you until I thought you would not come.' They said: 'We would never prefer anything over honor. Return to us our women and children, for that is dearer to us, and we will not speak of a sheep or a camel.' He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'As for what is mine and the Banū ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib’s, it is yours. When I pray the noon prayer, stand up and say: "We ask the Messenger of Allah to intercede for us with the Muslims, and the Muslims to intercede for us with the Messenger of Allah." So when they prayed the noon prayer, they stood up and said that. The Messenger of Allah said: 'As for what is mine and the Banū ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib’s, it is yours.' The Muhājirūn said: 'What is ours is for the Messenger of Allah.' The Anṣār said: 'What is ours is for the Messenger of Allah.' Al-Aqra‘ ibn Ḥābis said: 'As for what is mine and the Banū Tamīm’s, it is for the Messenger of Allah.' ‘Uyaynah ibn Ḥiṣn said: 'As for what is mine and the Banū Fazārah’s, it is for the Messenger of Allah.' Al-‘Abbās ibn Mirdās said: 'As for what is mine and the Banū Sulaym’s, it is for the Messenger of Allah.' But Banū Sulaym said: 'What is ours is for the Messenger of Allah.' Al-‘Abbās said: 'They have put me in a difficult position.' Then the Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever holds onto his share of the captives, we will give him six camels from the first booty that Allah gives us.' So they all let go, and he returned their women and children to them.

I prayed the noon prayer, then stand up and say: 'We seek intercession through the Messenger of God with the Muslims, and through the Muslims with the Messenger of God,' after you have professed your Islam and said: 'We are your brothers in religion.' So they did. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said to his companions: 'Now then, these your brothers have come repentant, and I have decided to return their captives to them. Whoever among you wishes to do so willingly, let him do so; and whoever among you wishes to keep his share until we give it to him from the first spoils that God grants us, let him do so.' ¹⁰³ The Emigrants and Helpers said: 'What is ours is for the Messenger of God.' But a group of Bedouins, such as al-Aqra' ibn Habis, 'Uyayna ibn Hisn, and al-'Abbas ibn Mirdas, refused. So the Messenger took it from them as a loan, and ordered that the family of Malik ibn 'Awf al-Nasri, the leader of that war, be detained in Mecca with their aunt, the mother of 'Abdullah ibn Umayya. The delegation said: 'Those are our chiefs.' The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'I only intend good for them.' Then he asked about Malik, and they said: 'He fled with Thaqif.' He said: 'Inform him that if he comes to me as a Muslim, I will return his family and property to him and give him one hundred camels.' When that reached Malik, he descended from the fortress secretly until he came to the Messenger of God at al-Ji'rana, embraced Islam, and secured his property. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, appointed him over those of Hawazin who had embraced Islam. [The 'Umra of al-Ji'rana] Then the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, performed 'Umra. He entered the state of ihram from al-Ji'rana and entered Mecca at night, performed the circumambulation, touched the Black Stone, then returned that same night. His stay at al-Ji'rana was thirteen nights. Then he ordered the departure, and the army marched safely and securely until they entered Medina with three days remaining in Dhu al-Qa'da. The expedition of Hunayn is the one through which God scattered the gatherings of polytheism, reversed their state, and deprived their nobles of their lives. For Hawazin left behind no man capable of fighting except they brought him, and they left behind no camel or sheep except they brought it with them. God wanted to strengthen Islam by humiliating His enemies and taking their wealth. Thus the sharpness of the polytheists was broken, and none among them remained to resist or defend. Therefore we can say that the breaking of Hawazin was the conclusion of the Arab wars. There remained among them only small groups whom recklessness drove to draw weapons, but they soon sheathed their swords when the radiant power of truth appeared to them. Expedition ¹⁰⁴ When the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, returned to Medina, he sent Qays ibn Sa'd with four hundred men to call Sada'—a tribe residing in Yemen—to Islam. A man from them came to the Messenger of God and said: 'O Messenger of God, I have come as a delegate for those behind me. Send back the army, and I will guarantee my people for you.' So he ordered the army to be sent back. [The Delegation of Sada'] The man went out to his people and brought fifteen men from them. They stayed as guests of Sa'd ibn 'Ubada. Then they pledged allegiance to the Messenger of God upon Islam and said: 'We are for you over those of our people who are behind us.' When they returned, Islam spread among them, and one hundred of them came to the Messenger of God during the Farewell Pilgrimage. Expedition ¹⁰⁵ Then the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Bushr ibn Sufyan al-'Adawi to Banu Ka'b of Khuza'a to collect the alms from their wealth. But the neighboring Banu Tamim prevented them from paying what was obligatory upon them. When the Messenger of God learned of this, he sent 'Uyayna ibn Hisn ¹⁰⁶ with fifty horsemen from the Bedouins. He came to them, fought them, and captured eleven men, twenty-one women, and thirty boys. He headed with all of them to Medina. The Messenger of God ordered them to be placed in the house of Ramla bint al-Harith. ¹⁰⁷ [The Delegation of Tamim] Following them came the delegation of Tamim, including 'Atarid ibn Hajib, al-Zibriqan ibn Badr ¹⁰⁸, and 'Amr ibn al-Ahtam. They sat waiting for the Messenger. When he delayed, they called out from behind the apartments in a harsh voice: 'O Muhammad, come out to us so we may vie with you in glory. For our praise is an adornment, and our blame is a blemish.' So the Messenger came out to them, annoyed by their shouting. Concerning them was revealed at the beginning of Sura al-Hujurat: 'Indeed, those who call you from behind the apartments—most of them do not reason. And if they had been patient until you came out to them, it would have been better for them. And God is Forgiving and Merciful.' ¹⁰⁹ It was the time of noon prayer. Bilal gave the call to prayer, and the Prophet entered to pray. They clung to him, saying: 'We are people from Tamim. We have come with our poet and our orator to vie with you in poetry and glory.' The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'We were not sent for poetry, nor were we commanded to vie in glory.' Then he prayed, and the men of the delegation gathered around him, boasting of their glory and the glory of their fathers. 'Amr ibn al-Ahtam praised al-Zibriqan ibn Badr, saying: 'He is obeyed in his assemblies, a chief among his tribe.' Al-Zibriqan said: 'He envies me, O Messenger of God, for my honor, and he knows better than what he said.' 'Amr said: 'He is narrow in manliness, constricted in disposition, foolish of father, ignoble of maternal uncle.' Anger was seen on the face of the Messenger of God due to the discrepancy in 'Amr's statements. 'Amr said: 'O Messenger of God, I spoke the truth in the first and did not lie in the second. I was pleased, so I said the best I knew; and I became angry, so I said the worst I knew.' The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Indeed, some eloquence is magic.' ¹¹⁰ Then the people embraced Islam. The Prophet returned their captives to them and gave them generous gifts. They stayed for a period learning the Qur'an and gaining understanding in religion. Expedition ¹¹¹ Then the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, sent al-Walid ibn 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt ¹¹² to collect the alms from Banu al-Mustaliq. When they learned of his arrival, twenty men came out to him, girded with their weapons, to celebrate his arrival, and with them were the camels of alms. When he saw them, he thought they intended to fight him because of the enmity between him and them in the pre-Islamic period. So he quickly returned to Medina and informed the Messenger of God that the people had apostatized and refused to pay zakat. The Messenger sent Khalid ibn al-Walid to investigate the matter. He marched to them with a concealed force until he reached their encampment. He heard their muezzin giving the call to prayer for dawn. Khalid came to them and saw nothing but obedience. He returned and informed the Messenger of God. The Messenger sent someone else to collect the alms instead of al-Walid. Concerning al-Walid was revealed at the beginning of Sura al-Hujurat: 'O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become regretful over what you have done.' ¹¹³ Expedition ¹¹⁴ Then news reached the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, that a group of Abyssinians had been seen by the people of Jeddah in their ships, intending to raid it. So he sent 'Alqama ibn Mujazziz ¹¹⁵ with three hundred men. He went until he reached Jeddah and boarded ships to catch them. The Abyssinians were fortified on an island there. When they saw the Muslims intending to attack them, they fled, and the Muslims encountered no resistance. 'Alqama returned with his men. While on the way, he gave permission for some of the men to hurry ahead, and he appointed 'Abdullah ibn Hudhafa al-Sahmi over them. He was a playful person. ¹¹⁶ He lit a fire on the road and said to them: 'Are you not commanded to obey me?' They said: 'Yes.' He said: 'I adjure you to jump into this fire.' Some of them said: 'We only embraced Islam to escape the fire.' Some of them intended to do it, but 'Abdullah prevented them and said: 'I was joking.' When they mentioned that to the Messenger of God, he said: 'There is no obedience to a creature in disobedience to the Creator.' ¹¹⁷

1. السنة الثامنة : The eighth year after the Hijra (migration to Medina).
2. الكديد : Al-Kadīd: a place between Mecca and Medina.
3. قديد : Qudayd: a place near Mecca.
4. الحارث بن مالك الليثي : Al-Ḥārith ibn Mālik al-Laythī: a companion of the Prophet known as Ibn al-Barṣā’.
5. سرية : Sariyya: a military expedition led by the Prophet or sent by him without his personal participation.
6. سرية : Sariyya: a military expedition.
7. كعب بن عمير الغفاري : Ka‘b ibn ‘Umayr al-Ghifārī: a companion of the Prophet.
8. ذات أطلاح : Dhāt Aṭlāḥ: a location in Syria.
9. مؤتة : Mu’ta: a town in present-day Jordan, site of the famous battle.
10. جمعا عظيما : A great host: traditionally reported as 100,000 to 200,000 Byzantine and Arab Christian troops.
11. رضي الله عنه : Raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu: may God be pleased with him, a formula used for companions.
12. شنّة : Shanna: a waterskin, referring to the human origin from a drop of fluid.
13. عقبة بن عامر : ‘Uqba ibn ‘Āmir: a companion of the Prophet.
14. تذرفان : Tadhrufān: shedding tears, indicating the Prophet's grief.
15. يا فرّار : Yā farrār: O fugitives! A reproach for retreating.
16. سرية : Sariyya: a military expedition.
17. سراة : Sirāt: the elite, noble ones.
18. وَلا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ : Qur'an 2:195: 'And do not throw yourselves into destruction.'
19. سرية : Sariyya: a military expedition.
20. ساحل البحر : The coast of the Red Sea near Medina.
21. أشداقهم : Ashdāquhum: their mouths (literally, sides of the mouth) became sore from eating coarse leaves.
22. قيس بن سعد بن عبادة : Qays ibn Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubāda: a companion known for his generosity.
23. كمت : Kamat: smoldered, remained hidden.
24. رجل من بني بكر : A man from Banū Bakr: the incident that triggered the breach of the treaty.
25. عمرو بن سالم الخزاعي : ‘Amr ibn Sālim al-Khuzā‘ī: a leader of Khuzā‘a who came to the Prophet for help.
26. يشد العقد : Yashuddu al-‘aqd: to strengthen the covenant, renew the treaty.
27. alayhi al-salatu wa al-salam : Peace and blessings be upon him; a formula of respect used after mentioning the Prophet Muhammad.
28. Muhajirun : The early Muslims who emigrated from Mecca to Medina.
29. al-Siddiq : The Truthful; a title of Abu Bakr, the first caliph.
30. Rawdat Khakh : A meadow located between Mecca and Medina.
31. za‘ina : A woman traveling in a litter (howdah) on a camel.
32. ‘iqas : The braids or locks of hair in which women hide things.
33. Surah al-Mumtahana : Chapter 60 of the Quran, verses 1-2.
34. Ibn Umm Maktum : A blind companion of the Prophet, appointed as governor of Medina.
35. ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Umayya : Brother of Umm Salama, the Prophet's wife.
36. Quran 12:92 : Part of the story of Joseph; the Prophet quoted this verse.
37. al-Kadid : A place between Mecca and Medina.
38. Abu Sufyan ibn Harb : Leader of Quraysh; later embraced Islam at the conquest of Mecca.
39. Banu ‘Amr : A tribe; here referring to the tribe of ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf.
40. khatm al-khayl : The narrow pass or defile where cavalry lines up.
41. Ansar : The Helpers; the Muslims of Medina who supported the Prophet.
42. yawm al-malhama : Day of battle or great slaughter.
43. yawm al-dhimar : Day of defense or vengeance.
44. The smallest battalion : Referring to the Prophet's own battalion, which was small in number.
45. al-Hajun : A mountain or cemetery in Mecca.
46. Kudi : A lower pass into Mecca.
47. Ka‘b ibn Zuhayr : A poet who later embraced Islam and composed the famous poem 'Banat Su'ad'.
48. al-Bayt : The Kaaba, the sacred house of God in Mecca.
49. mihjan : A curved stick or staff.
50. Quran 17:81 : Truth has come and falsehood has vanished.
51. takbir : Saying 'Allahu Akbar' (God is the Greatest).
52. Maqam Ibrahim : The Station of Abraham; a stone near the Kaaba where Abraham stood.
53. mahram : A male relative whom a woman cannot marry, such as father, brother, son.
54. ‘asr : The afternoon prayer.
55. Jahiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance.
56. Quran 49:13 : Verse on human equality and piety.
57. Abu Quhafa : The father of Abu Bakr; he embraced Islam at an old age.
58. qadid : Dried meat, a simple food.
59. خائنة الأعين : A treacherous glance; a reference to a prophetic tradition that a prophet does not use deceitful signals or secret signs.
60. الفتح : The Conquest of Mecca, which occurred in 8 AH (630 CE).
61. يركب البحر : To board a ship; indicating his intention to flee by sea.
62. رضي الله عنه : May God be pleased with him; a formula used for Companions of the Prophet.
63. الجعرانة : Al-Ji'ranah, a location near Mecca where the Prophet distributed the spoils of the Hunayn expedition.
64. أهل خباء : People of a tent; meaning family or household.
65. قدمها : Returned from; the Prophet had returned to Medina after the Conquest of Mecca.
66. لا ألهينك : Let me not distract you; a phrase meaning 'do not count on me'.
67. لا أبالكم : May you have no father; an expression used in reproach or to express frustration.
68. الة : A mount; here referring to a bier or a conveyance for the dead.
69. نافلة : Supererogatory; additional, beyond what is obligatory. Here it refers to the Qur'an as a gift.
70. معروف : What is right or good; in Islamic context, acts of obedience and virtue.
71. عتّاب بن أسيد : Attab ibn Asid, a young Companion appointed as governor of Mecca.
72. غزوة حنين : The Expedition of Hunayn, a battle in 8 AH (630 CE) between the Muslims and the tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif.
73. البيضة : A helmet; literally 'egg', referring to the dome-shaped part of a helmet.
74. المغفر : A headpiece or chainmail hood worn under the helmet for protection.
75. أبو سفيان بن الحارث : Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith, a cousin of the Prophet who embraced Islam at the Conquest of Mecca.
76. اللجام : The bridle or bit of a horse or mule.
77. فضّ الله فاك : May God stop your mouth; an expression of rebuke or anger.
78. يربّني : To rule over me or to be my master; from the root 'to nurture'.
79. أديل عليه : If He gives victory over him; meaning if God grants the enemy victory over him.
80. Bay‘at al-Riḍwān : The Pledge of Good Pleasure, a pledge of allegiance taken under a tree at al-Ḥudaybiyah in 6 AH, where the Companions swore to fight the Quraysh to the death.
81. Sakīnah : Divine tranquility or peace sent by Allah to reassure the believers.
82. al-Ji‘rānah : A place between Mecca and Ṭā’if where the Prophet distributed the spoils of Ḥunayn.
83. Abū ‘Āmir al-Ash‘arī : A Companion and uncle of Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī, martyred at Ḥunayn.
84. Ghazwat al-Ṭā’if : The expedition to Ṭā’if in 8 AH after the Battle of Ḥunayn.
85. ‘Awf ibn Mālik al-Naṣrī : A Companion from the tribe of Naṣr.
86. Shahīd : Martyr; one who dies in the cause of Allah.
87. Manjanīq : A mangonel or catapult used for siege warfare.
88. Dabbābah : A testudo or movable shelter used to protect soldiers during a siege.
89. Nawfal ibn Mu‘āwiyah al-Dīlī : A Companion from the tribe of Dīl.
90. Ralīl : Departure or withdrawal from a siege.
91. Allāhumma ihdi Thaqīfan wa’ti bihim muslimīn : O Allah, guide Thaqīf and bring them as Muslims.
92. al-yad al-‘ulyā khayr min al-yad al-suflā : The upper hand (giving) is better than the lower hand (receiving).
93. al-Aqra‘ ibn Ḥābis : A Companion and chief of the Banū Tamīm.
94. al-‘Abbās ibn Mirdās : A Companion and poet from the Banū Sulaym.
95. Yarmuq : To look at something with desire or covetousness.
96. Sabab Islāmih : The cause of his embracing Islam.
97. Ghalūl : Embezzlement or taking unlawfully from the spoils before division.
98. Munāfiq : Hypocrite; one who outwardly professes Islam but inwardly disbelieves.
99. Wayḥaka man ya‘dilu idhā lam a‘dil? : Woe to you! Who will be just if I am not just?
100. Anqib ‘an qulūb al-nās : To probe or search into people’s hearts.
101. Shi‘b : A mountain path or valley.
102. Allāhumma irḥam al-Anṣār wa abnā’ al-Anṣār : O Allah, have mercy on the Anṣār and the children of the Anṣār.
103. ṣallā llāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam : Arabic phrase meaning 'peace and blessings be upon him,' used after mentioning the Prophet Muhammad.
104. sariyya : A military expedition or detachment sent by the Prophet Muhammad, typically smaller than a ghazwa (campaign).
105. sariyya : See note [2].
106. ʿUyayna ibn Ḥiṣn : A prominent Bedouin chief who initially opposed Islam but later converted; known for his role in various expeditions.
107. Ramla bint al-Ḥārith : A female Companion of the Prophet, known for her hospitality; her house was used as a detention place.
108. al-Zibriqān ibn Badr : A notable poet and chief of Banu Tamim; he later embraced Islam.
109. Sūra al-Ḥujurāt : Chapter 49 of the Qur'an, titled 'The Apartments,' which includes verses about proper conduct towards the Prophet.
110. inna min al-bayāni la-siḥran : A hadith meaning 'Indeed, some eloquence is magic,' indicating the powerful effect of eloquent speech.
111. sariyya : See note [2].
112. al-Walīd ibn ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ : A Companion who was later appointed as a governor; known for his role in the incident of false accusation.
113. Sūra al-Ḥujurāt : See note [7]; the verse quoted is 49:6.
114. sariyya : See note [2].
115. ʿAlqama ibn Mujazziz : A Companion of the Prophet, known for leading this expedition.
116. ʿAbdullāh ibn Ḥudhāfa al-Sahmī : A Companion known for his sense of humor; he was appointed as a commander on this occasion.
117. lā ṭāʿata li-makhlūqin fī maʿṣiyati l-khāliq : A hadith meaning 'There is no obedience to a creature in disobedience to the Creator,' emphasizing that obedience to God takes precedence.

The ninth year [1]

[The Ninth Year] A Raid ¹ In Rabi' al-Awwal, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent 'Ali ibn Abi Talib with one hundred riders and one hundred and fifty horsemen to destroy al-Fals ²—an idol of Tayyi'. He marched to it, destroyed it, and burned it. When he fought its worshippers, he defeated them and took their cattle, sheep, and captives. Among them was Saffanah bint Hatim al-Tayyi ³. When 'Ali returned to Medina, Saffanah asked the Messenger of Allah to grant her freedom, and he granted it because it was his practice to honor the noble. She prayed for him, and among her supplications was: "May a hand that became needy after wealth never thank you, and may a hand that became wealthy after poverty never be in need of your position. May Allah place your kindness in its proper places, and may He not make you in need of a vile person, nor deprive a noble person of a blessing without making you the means of its restoration." This treatment by the Messenger of Allah was the reason for the conversion of her brother, 'Adi ibn Hatim al-Tayyi ⁴, who had fled to Syria when he saw the Islamic banners heading toward his land. The story of his coming is that his sister went to him in Syria and told him how she had been treated with generosity. He asked her: "What do you think of this man?" She said: "I think you should join him quickly. If he is a prophet, then the one who precedes has merit; if he is a king, then you are you." He said: "By Allah, this is the right opinion." [The Delegation of 'Adi ibn Hatim] He set out until he came to Medina and met the Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Who is the man?" He said: "'Adi ibn Hatim." He took him to his house. While they were walking, an old woman met the Messenger of Allah and stopped him. He stood with her for a long time as she spoke to him about her need. 'Adi said: "By Allah, he is not a king." Then the Messenger of Allah continued until he entered his house. He took a leather cushion stuffed with palm fibers and offered it to 'Adi, saying: "Sit on this." 'Adi said: "Rather, you sit on it." But the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, refused and gave it to him, sitting on the ground. Then he said: "O 'Adi, accept Islam and be safe," repeating it three times. 'Adi said: "I follow a religion." He was a Christian. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "I know your religion better than you." 'Adi said: "You know my religion better than I?" He said: "Yes." Then he enumerated things that 'Adi used to do following Arab customs, not from the religion of Christ, such as taking al-mirba' ⁵, which is a quarter of the spoils. Then he said: "O 'Adi, what prevents you from entering the religion is what you see. You say: 'Only the weak and those without power follow him, and the Arabs have fought them despite their need.' By Allah, soon wealth will flow among them until no one can be found to take it. Perhaps what prevents you from entering it is what you see of the multitude of their enemies and the smallness of their numbers. Do you know al-Hirah?" He said: "I have not seen it, but I have heard of it." He said: "By Allah, this matter will be completed until a woman will go out from al-Hirah to circumambulate the House without needing anyone's protection. Perhaps what prevents you from entering it is that you see kingship and authority in others. By Allah, soon you will hear that the white palaces of the land of Babylon have been opened to them ⁶." So 'Adi accepted Islam, may Allah be pleased with him, and lived to see all of that. The Expedition of Tabuk ⁷ The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, learned that the Byzantines had gathered forces intending to invade his land. This was at a time of hardship for the people, drought in the land, and intense heat, when the fruits had ripened and the people loved to stay in their fruits and shade. He, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered preparation. He rarely went on an expedition without concealing his true destination ⁸ to confuse the enemy, except in this expedition, for he announced his destination due to the great distance ⁹ and the strength of the enemy, so that the people would take their provisions accordingly. He sent to Mecca and the Arab tribes to mobilize them, and urged the wealthy to equip the needy. 'Uthman ibn 'Affan donated ten thousand dinars, provided three hundred camels with their saddles and packsaddles ¹⁰, and fifty horses. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "O Allah, be pleased with 'Uthman, for I am pleased with him" ¹¹. Abu Bakr came with all his wealth—four thousand dirhams. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Have you left anything for your family?" He said: "I have left Allah and His Messenger for them." 'Umar ibn al-Khattab came with half his wealth. 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf came with one hundred uqiyyas ¹². Al-'Abbas and Talhah came with much wealth. 'Asim ibn 'Adi ¹³ gave in charity seventy wasqs ¹⁴ of dates. The women sent all the jewelry they could. Seven of the learned Companions came to him, peace and blessings be upon him, asking him to provide mounts for them. He said: "I do not find anything to mount you on." They turned away with their eyes overflowing with tears, grieving that they could not find anything to spend. 'Uthman equipped three of them, al-'Abbas equipped two, and Yamin ibn 'Amr equipped two. When the men gathered, the Messenger of Allah set out with them, numbering thirty thousand. He appointed Muhammad ibn Maslamah over Medina and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib over his family. Many hypocrites stayed behind, led by 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy, who said: "Muhammad goes to fight the Byzantines ¹⁵ despite the difficulty, the heat, and the distant land! Does Muhammad think that fighting the Byzantines is play? By Allah, it is as if I see his companions tied up in ropes." A group of them gathered and said what they wished against the Messenger of Allah and his Companions, spreading rumors. When he learned of this, he sent 'Ammar ibn Yasir to ask them about what they had said. They said: "We were only joking and playing." A group came to him, including al-Jadd ibn Qays, apologizing for not going out. They said: "O Messenger of Allah, permit us and do not tempt us, for we do not trust ourselves with the women of the Byzantines." The excusers among the Bedouins—those with valid excuses of weakness or lack of means—came to ask permission, and he granted it. Similarly, many hypocrites asked permission, and he granted it. Allah reproached him for that permission in His words in Surah Bara'ah: "May Allah pardon you, [O Muhammad]. Why did you give them permission [to remain] before it became evident to you who were truthful and you knew the liars?" ¹⁶ Then He said regarding them: "Only those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day ask permission of you [to stay behind], and their hearts are in doubt, so they waver in their doubt." ¹⁷ Then Allah denied their excuses, saying: "And if they had intended to go forth, they would have prepared for it [some] preparation. But Allah disliked their being sent, so He held them back, and it was said, 'Stay with those who stay.'" ¹⁸ Then, so that the Muslims would not grieve over the hypocrites' staying behind, He, exalted be His mention, said: "If they had gone forth with you, they would not have increased you except in confusion, and they would have been active among you, seeking to cause you fitnah. And among you are avid listeners to them. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers." ¹⁹ Some Muslims who were not suspected in their faith also stayed behind, including Ka'b ibn Malik ²⁰, Hilal ibn Umayyah ²¹, Murarah ibn al-Rabi' ²², and Abu Khaythamah ²³. When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, left 'Ali behind, the hypocrites said: "He found him burdensome and left him." So 'Ali hurried to the Messenger of Allah and complained about what he had heard. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Are you not content to be to me as Aaron was to Moses?" ²⁴ Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, marched with the army and gave his great banner to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. In giving the banner to Abu Bakr in the last expedition of the Messenger and leaving 'Ali over his family, there is a subtle wisdom that the reader will understand. He, peace and blessings be upon him, distributed the flags. He gave the flag of the Muhajirun to al-Zubayr, the flag of Aws to Usayd ibn Hudayr, and the flag of Khazraj to al-Hubab ibn al-Mundhir. When the army passed by al-Hijr, the land of Thamud, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to his Companions: "Do not enter the dwellings of those who wronged themselves unless you are weeping" ²⁵ to make their hearts feel the awe of Allah. He appointed 'Abbad ibn Bishr as the guard of the army. Abu Bakr led the army in prayer. When they reached Tabuk, a land with no cultivation, the Messenger said to Mu'adh ibn Jabal: "If you live long, you will soon see this place filled with gardens" ²⁶, and it happened. When the army rested, Abu Khaythamah caught up with them. The story of his coming is that he entered upon his family on a hot day and found two of his wives in two arbors in a garden, each having sprinkled her arbor, cooled water, and prepared food. It was a very hot day. When he saw that, he said: "The Messenger of Allah is in the heat, while Abu Khaythamah is in cool shade, prepared water, and beautiful women! This is not fair." Then he said: "By Allah, I will not enter any arbor of yours until I join the Messenger of Allah. Prepare provisions for me." They did so. He mounted his camel, took his sword and spear, and set out seeking the Messenger of Allah, finding him when he had alighted at Tabuk. [The Delegation of the Ruler of Aylah] The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, did not see an army at Tabuk as he had heard. He stayed there for some days. During that time, Yuhanna ²⁷, the ruler of Aylah, came to him, accompanied by the people of Jarba' ²⁸, Adhruh ²⁹, and Mina'. Yuhanna made a treaty with the Messenger of Allah to pay the jizyah ³⁰ without converting to Islam. The Messenger wrote him a letter, the text of which is: [Letter to the Ruler of Aylah] "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is a covenant of security from Allah and Muhammad, the Prophet, the Messenger of Allah, to Yuhanna and the people of Aylah: their ships and their caravans on land and sea are under the protection of Allah and Muhammad, the Prophet. And whoever among them is from Syria, Yemen, or the sea, if any of them commits an offense, his wealth shall not be taken without his person. It is permissible for whoever takes it from the people. It is not lawful to prevent them from water they come to or a road they wish to take, by land or sea." [Letter to the People of Adhruh and Jarba'] He wrote to the people of Adhruh and Jarba' a letter, the text of which is: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is a letter from Muhammad, the Prophet, to the people of Adhruh and Jarba'. They are secure under the protection of Allah and the protection of Muhammad. They are to pay one hundred dinars every Rajab, full and good. Allah is the guarantor of sincerity and kindness to the Muslims." He made a treaty with the people of Mina' for a quarter of their fruits. Then the Messenger consulted his Companions about advancing beyond Tabuk into the lands of Syria. 'Umar said: "If you have been commanded to march, then march." He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "If I had been commanded to march, I would not have consulted you." 'Umar said: "O Messenger of Allah, the Byzantines have large numbers, and there is no Muslim in Syria. We have drawn near and our approach has frightened them. Perhaps we should return this year until we see what Allah will ordain." The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, followed his advice and ordered the return. So the army returned to Medina. The Mosque of Harm ³¹ When he was near Medina, news reached him about the Mosque of Harm, a mosque built by a group of hypocrites ³² in opposition to the Mosque of Quba', to divide the Muslim community. A group of them came to the Messenger asking him to pray in it. He asked them about the reason for its construction. They swore by Allah: "We intended nothing but good." But Allah bears witness that they are liars. He, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered a group of his Companions ³³ to go to it and demolish it, and they did so. When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, settled in Medina, groups of those who had stayed behind came to him with false excuses. He, peace and blessings be upon him, accepted their outward appearance, entrusted their consciences to Allah, and asked forgiveness for them. The Story of the Three Who Were Left Behind ³⁴

Ka'b ibn Malik al-Khazraji, and Murara ibn al-Rabi', and Hilal ibn Umayya al-Awsi came to him, confessing their sins. When Ka'b entered upon him, he smiled a smile of anger and said, 'What kept you back?' He said, 'O Messenger of Allah, if I had sat before someone else from the people of this world, I would have thought that I could escape his anger with an excuse, for I have been given eloquence ³⁵. But by Allah, I know that if I tell you today a lying tale to please you, Allah will soon make you angry with me for it; and if I tell you a truthful tale at which you are angry, I hope for Allah's forgiveness in it. By Allah, I had no excuse.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'As for this one, he has spoken the truth. Rise until Allah judges concerning you.' And his two companions said similar words, so the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to them as he said to Ka'b, and forbade the Muslims from speaking to them. So the people avoided them, and he ordered them to separate from their wives. The wife of Hilal ibn Umayya asked permission to serve her husband because he was an old man with no servant, and he permitted her. They remained in that state until the earth, vast as it is, became straitened for them, and their souls became straitened for them, and they thought that there was no refuge from Allah except in Him. Then He turned to them in forgiveness, so the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent someone to give them glad tidings of this great blessing. The people met them in crowds, congratulating them on Allah's forgiveness. When Ka'b entered the mosque, the Messenger of Allah met him joyfully and said, 'Rejoice, O Ka'b, in the best day that has passed over you since your mother bore you.' He said, 'Is it from you, O Messenger of Allah, or from Allah?' He said, 'Rather, from Allah.' Ka'b said, 'O Messenger of Allah, part of my repentance is that I divest myself of my wealth as charity for Allah and His Messenger.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'Keep some of your wealth for yourself; that is better for you.' Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, recited the verses in which his repentance and that of his two companions are mentioned in Surah Bara'ah ³⁶: 'And [He also turned in forgiveness] to the three who were left behind, until the earth, vast as it is, became straitened for them, and their souls became straitened for them, and they thought that there was no refuge from Allah except in Him. Then He turned to them in forgiveness so that they might repent. Indeed, Allah is the Oft-Returning, the Most Merciful.' ³⁷ [The Delegation of Thaqif] Following his return, peace and blessings be upon him, from Tabuk, the delegation of Thaqif came to him. The story of them was that when the Messenger of Allah departed from besieging them, 'Urwa ibn Mas'ud al-Thaqafi followed him until he caught up with him before he reached Medina. He embraced Islam and asked him to return to his people and call them to Islam. He said, 'They will kill you.' He said, 'O Messenger of Allah, I am more beloved to them than their virgins.' So he went out to his people, hoping for their obedience due to his rank among them, for he was beloved and obeyed among them. When he came to Ta'if and showed them what he had brought, they shot him with arrows and killed him. A month after his murder, they consulted among themselves and saw that they had no power to fight the Arabs around them. So they agreed to send a man to the Messenger of Allah to speak with him. They asked 'Abd Yalil ibn 'Amr to be that man, but he refused, saying, 'I will not do it until you send men with me.' So they sent with him five of their nobles ³⁸. They set out heading for Medina. When they met the Messenger of Allah, he pitched a tent for them in a corner of the mosque so that they could hear the Quran and see the people when they prayed. They would go to the Messenger of Allah every day and leave behind in their camp the youngest among them, 'Uthman ibn Abi al-'As ³⁹. When they returned, he would go to the Prophet and ask him to recite the Quran, and if he saw him sleeping, he would ask Abu Bakr to recite until he memorized some of the Quran, concealing this from his companions. Then the people embraced Islam and asked that someone be appointed to lead them in prayer. So he appointed 'Uthman ibn Abi al-'As over them, because he saw his eagerness for Islam, recitation of the Quran, and learning the religion. [The Document of the People of Ta'if] Then he wrote a document for them, part of which was: 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Prophet, the Messenger of Allah, to the believers: Indeed, the 'idah ⁴⁰ of Wajj ⁴¹ and its game are sacred; its trees shall not be cut. Whoever is found doing any of that shall be flogged and his clothes taken.' Then they asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, to postpone the demolition of their idol for a month until Islam entered the hearts of the people and the foolish among the women would not be alarmed by its demolition. He agreed, peace and blessings be upon him. When they left him, their leader said, 'I am the most knowledgeable among you of Thaqif. Conceal your Islam from them, frighten them with war and fighting, and tell them that Muhammad demanded great things which we refused him: he asked us to demolish the Taghut ⁴², and to abandon adultery, drinking wine, and usury.' When they arrived in their land, Thaqif came to them. The delegation said, 'We came to a harsh, stern man who has prevailed with the sword, and the people have submitted to him. He proposed difficult matters to us,' and they mentioned what has been said. They said, 'By Allah, we will never obey him.' They said to them, 'Mend your weapons, repair your fortresses, and prepare for battle.' So they responded and continued like that for two or three days. Then Allah cast terror into their hearts, and they said, 'By Allah, we have no power to fight him. Go back to him and give him what he asked.' The delegation said, 'We have made a treaty with him and embraced Islam.' They said, 'Why did you conceal that from us?' They said, 'So that the pride of Satan would leave you.' Then they embraced Islam. [Demolition of al-Lat] When the news of Thaqif's Islam reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, he sent Abu Sufyan and al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba al-Thaqafi to demolish al-Lat, the idol of Thaqif in Ta'if. They went and demolished it until they leveled it to the ground. [Abu Bakr's Hajj] In the latter part of Dhu al-Qa'dah, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Abu Bakr to lead the people in Hajj. He set out with three hundred men from Medina, and with him were the sacrificial animals: twenty badanahs ⁴³ offered by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and Abu Bakr drove five badanahs. When he had departed, the opening verses of Surah Bara'ah were revealed to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, so he sent 'Ali with them to recite them to the people on the Day of the Greater Hajj, saying, 'No one conveys on my behalf except a man from my own family.' He caught up with Abu Bakr on the road. Al-Siddiq said, 'Did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, appoint you over the Hajj?' He said, 'No, but he sent me to recite or proclaim Bara'ah to the people.' When they gathered at Mina on the Day of Sacrifice, 'Ali recited to them thirteen verses from the beginning of Surah Bara'ah ⁴⁴, which included the renunciation of treaties with all the polytheists who had not fulfilled their covenants, granting them four months to move freely in the land as they wished, and the fulfillment of the treaty of those polytheists who had not aided anyone against the Muslims nor betrayed them until their term. Then he proclaimed: 'No polytheist shall perform Hajj after this year, and no one shall circumambulate the House naked.' ⁴⁵ During this journey, 'Ali prayed behind Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them both. [Death of Ibn Ubayy] In Dhu al-Qa'dah, 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy died. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed over him a prayer unlike any other in length, and followed his funeral procession until he stood at his grave. He did this only to soothe the heart of his son 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdullah and to win over the hearts of the Khazraj, due to the status of 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy among them. After that day, many of the hypocrites ⁴⁶ threw off the yoke of hypocrisy, seeing the deeds of the noble master, peace and blessings be upon him. Allah had forbidden His Messenger to pray over the hypocrites, saying in Surah Bara'ah: 'And never pray over any of them who has died, nor stand at his grave.' ⁴⁷ [Death of Umm Kulthum] In this year, Umm Kulthum, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and the wife of 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with them both, passed away.

1. sariyyah : A military expedition or raiding party sent by the Prophet without his personal participation.
2. al-Fals : An idol worshipped by the tribe of Tayyi'.
3. Saffanah bint Hatim al-Tayyi : The daughter of Hatim al-Tayyi, a famous pre-Islamic Arab poet known for his generosity.
4. 'Adi ibn Hatim al-Tayyi : A prominent companion of the Prophet, known for his conversion after initial hesitation.
5. al-mirba' : A pre-Islamic custom where the chief took one quarter of the spoils of war.
6. the white palaces of the land of Babylon have been opened to them : A prophecy referring to the future conquest of the Sassanid Empire.
7. Ghazwat Tabuk : The expedition to Tabuk in 9 AH (630 CE), the last military campaign led by the Prophet.
8. concealing his true destination : The Prophet often kept the destination of expeditions secret to maintain strategic surprise.
9. great distance : Tabuk is about 700 km north of Medina.
10. ahlas and aqtab : Saddles and packsaddles for camels.
11. O Allah, be pleased with 'Uthman... : A well-known hadith praising 'Uthman's generosity.
12. uqiyyah : A unit of weight; one uqiyyah equals approximately 40 dirhams.
13. 'Asim ibn 'Adi : A companion from the Ansar.
14. wasq : A measure of volume; one wasq equals 60 sa' (approximately 130 kg).
15. Bani al-Asfar : A term used for the Byzantines, literally 'sons of the yellow one'.
16. Quran 9:43 : Surah al-Tawbah, verse 43.
17. Quran 9:45 : Surah al-Tawbah, verse 45.
18. Quran 9:46 : Surah al-Tawbah, verse 46.
19. Quran 9:47 : Surah al-Tawbah, verse 47.
20. Ka'b ibn Malik : A companion who stayed behind from Tabuk and later repented; his story is detailed in the Quran (9:118).
21. Hilal ibn Umayyah : One of the three who stayed behind and were forgiven.
22. Murarah ibn al-Rabi' : One of the three who stayed behind and were forgiven.
23. Abu Khaythamah : A companion who initially stayed behind but later caught up with the army.
24. Are you not content to be to me as Aaron was to Moses? : A famous hadith indicating 'Ali's high status, similar to Aaron's relationship with Moses.
25. Do not enter the dwellings of those who wronged themselves unless you are weeping : A warning to reflect on the punishment of past nations.
26. If you live long, you will soon see this place filled with gardens : A prophecy fulfilled later when Tabuk became fertile.
27. Yuhanna : The Christian ruler of Aylah (modern Aqaba).
28. Jarba' : A location near Aylah.
29. Adhruh : A town in southern Jordan.
30. jizyah : A tax paid by non-Muslims under Islamic rule.
31. Masjid al-Dirar : The 'Mosque of Harm' built by hypocrites to cause division.
32. hypocrites : Munafiqun, those who outwardly professed Islam but secretly opposed it.
33. a group of his Companions : Including Malik al-Dar and others.
34. The Story of the Three Who Were Left Behind : Refers to Ka'b ibn Malik, Hilal ibn Umayyah, and Murarah ibn al-Rabi', whose repentance is mentioned in Quran 9:118.
35. jadalan : Eloquence or argumentative skill; the ability to argue convincingly.
36. Surah Bara'ah : Surah at-Tawbah (Repentance), the ninth chapter of the Quran, also known as Bara'ah (Disavowal).
37. Quran 9:118 : The verse referring to the three who were left behind: Ka'b ibn Malik, Murara ibn ar-Rabi', and Hilal ibn Umayya.
38. ashrafihim : Their nobles or chiefs; the most prominent and respected members of the tribe.
39. 'Uthman ibn Abi al-'As : A young companion from Thaqif who later became a governor under the caliphs.
40. 'idah : A type of acacia tree found in the region of Ta'if; its wood was used for making arrows.
41. Wajj : The valley of Ta'if, known for its abundant vegetation and wildlife.
42. Taghut : False deity or idol; anything worshipped besides Allah.
43. badanah : A sacrificial camel or cow; plural badanat.
44. Surah Bara'ah : Surah at-Tawbah; the first thirteen verses were recited by 'Ali at Mina.
45. la yatufu bi'l-bayti 'uryan : A prohibition against circumambulating the Kaaba naked, a pre-Islamic practice.
46. munafiqun : Hypocrites; those who outwardly profess Islam but inwardly conceal disbelief.
47. Quran 9:84 : The verse forbidding the Prophet from praying over hypocrites and standing at their graves.

The tenth year [1]

[The Tenth Year] Expedition (1) In Rabi' al-Akhir, he, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Khalid ibn al-Walid with a group to the Banu 'Abd al-Madan in Najran, in the land of Yemen, and commanded him to call them to Islam three times; if they refused, he was to fight them. When he arrived, he sent riders in every direction calling them to Islam, saying: "Accept Islam and you will be safe." So they accepted Islam and entered the religion of God in multitudes. Khalid stayed among them teaching them Islam and the Quran, and wrote to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, about that. He sent word for him to come with their delegation, and he did. When they gathered with him, peace and blessings be upon him, he asked them: "How did you prevail over those who fought you in the Jahiliyyah?" They said: "We would unite and not disperse, and we would not wrong anyone first." He said: "You have spoken the truth," and appointed Zayd ibn al-Husayn over them. (2) Expedition (3) In Ramadan, he, peace and blessings be upon him, sent 'Ali with a group to the Banu Madhhij, a Yemeni tribe, and turbaned him with his own hand, saying: "Go until you descend in their courtyard, then call them to the declaration: 'There is no god but Allah.' If they say yes, then command them to pray, and seek nothing else from them. For if God guides a single man through you, it is better for you than all that the sun rises upon. (4) Do not fight them unless they fight you." When he reached them, he encountered their hosts and called them to Islam, but they refused and shot arrows at the Muslims. So 'Ali lined up his companions and ordered them to fight. They fought until they defeated their enemy, then he stopped pursuing them. Then he caught up with them and called them to Islam, and they responded. Their leaders gave him their allegiance, saying: "We are responsible for those behind us of our people. Here are our sadaqat; take from them God's due." He did so, then returned to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and met him in Mecca during the Farewell Pilgrimage. [Sending of Governors to Yemen] Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, sent governors to Yemen from his side. He sent Mu'adh ibn Jabal to the upper region near Aden (5), and sent Abu Musa al-Ash'ari to the lower region. He advised them both, peace and blessings be upon him, saying: "Make things easy, not difficult; give glad tidings, do not cause aversion." (6) And he said to Mu'adh: "You will come to a people of the Book. When you come to them, call them to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. If they obey you in that, then inform them that God has prescribed for them five prayers each day and night. If they obey you in that, then inform them that God has prescribed for them sadaqah, taken from their rich and given to their poor. If they obey you in that, then beware of their valuable property, and fear the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no veil between it and God." (7) Mu'adh remained in Yemen until the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, passed away. As for Abu Musa, he came to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, during the Farewell Pilgrimage. [The Farewell Pilgrimage] In the tenth year, he, peace and blessings be upon him, performed the Hajj with the people, a pilgrimage in which he bade farewell to the Muslims, and he performed no other. He set out on Saturday, with five days remaining in Dhu al-Qa'dah. He appointed Abu Dujanah al-Ansari over Medina. With the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, was a great multitude, reaching ninety thousand. He entered the state of ihram for Hajj when his she-camel stood up, then he pronounced the talbiyah, saying: "Labbaik Allahumma labbaik, la sharika laka labbaik, inna al-hamda wa an-ni'mata laka wa al-mulk, la sharika lak." (8) He continued traveling until he entered Mecca at forenoon from the upper pass, which is the pass of Kada'. When he saw the House, he said: "O Allah, increase it in honor, veneration, awe, and righteousness." Then he circumambulated the House seven times, touched the Black Stone, prayed two rak'ahs at the Station of Ibrahim, drank from Zamzam water, then performed the sa'y between Safa and Marwah seven times, riding his she-camel. When he ascended Safa, he would say: "La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu akbar, la ilaha illa Allah wahdahu, anjaza wa'dahu, wa nasara 'abdahu, wa hazama al-ahzaba wahdahu." (9) On the eighth of Dhu al-Hijjah, he headed to Mina and spent the night there. [The Farewell Sermon] On the ninth, he headed to 'Arafat, and there he delivered his noble sermon in which he explained the entire religion, its foundation and branches. Here is its text: "All praise is due to God. We praise Him, seek His help, ask His forgiveness, and repent to Him. We seek refuge in God from the evils of our souls and from the evil consequences of our deeds. Whomsoever God guides, none can lead astray; and whomsoever He leads astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I advise you, servants of God, to fear God, and I urge you to obey Him. I begin with that which is good. To proceed: O people, listen to me, for I will explain to you, for I do not know if I will meet you after this year in this place of mine. O people, your blood and your wealth are sacred to you until you meet your Lord, like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this land of yours. Have I conveyed? O Allah, bear witness. So whoever has a trust, let him fulfill it to the one who entrusted him. The riba of the Jahiliyyah is abolished (10), and the first riba I abolish is the riba of my uncle al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib. The blood feuds of the Jahiliyyah are abolished, and the first blood I abolish is that of 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah ibn al-Harith (11). The vaunted glories of the Jahiliyyah are abolished, except for the custodianship of the Kaaba and the watering of pilgrims. Intentional killing is subject to retaliation, and semi-intentional killing, done with a stick or stone, requires a hundred camels; whoever increases is from the people of the Jahiliyyah. O people, Satan has despaired of being worshipped in this land of yours, but he is content to be obeyed in other matters that you deem insignificant. O people, the nasi' (12) is an increase in disbelief, by which those who disbelieve are led astray; they permit it one year and forbid it another, to adjust the number of months that God has made sacred. Indeed, time has completed its cycle as it was on the day God created the heavens and the earth. The number of months with God is twelve months in God's Book, on the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred: three consecutive and one single: Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, al-Muharram, and Rajab, which lies between Jumada and Sha'ban. Have I conveyed? O Allah, bear witness. O people, your wives have a right over you, and you have a right over them: they should not let anyone you dislike step on your beds, nor allow anyone you dislike into your homes without your permission, and they should not commit clear indecency. If they do, God has permitted you to forsake them in bed and to strike them, but not severely. If they desist and obey you, then you are responsible for their provision and clothing in a fitting manner. Women are like captives with you (14); they do not own anything for themselves. You have taken them as a trust from God, and you have made their private parts lawful by God's word. So fear God concerning women and treat them well. Have I conveyed? O Allah, bear witness. (15) O people, the believers are brothers. It is not lawful for a man to take his brother's property except with his willing consent. Have I conveyed? O Allah, bear witness. Do not revert to disbelief after me, striking one another's necks (16). For I have left among you that which, if you hold fast to it, you will never go astray: the Book of God. Have I conveyed? O Allah, bear witness. O people, your Lord is one, and your father is one. All of you are from Adam, and Adam was from dust. The most honorable of you with God is the most God-fearing. No Arab has superiority over a non-Arab except through piety. Have I conveyed? O Allah, bear witness. Let those present convey to those absent. O people, God has allotted to each heir his share of the inheritance. No bequest to an heir is permitted beyond one-third. The child belongs to the bed, and the fornicator gets the stone (17). Whoever claims to be the son of someone other than his father, or attaches himself to other than his masters, upon him is the curse of God, the angels, and all people; no recompense or justice will be accepted from him. Peace be upon you and the mercy of God." On this day, God bestowed a favor upon the believers by His saying in Surat al-Ma'idah: "This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion." (18) So it is no wonder that Muslims took it as a festival and a blessed day, showing gratitude to God for this great blessing. Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, performed the rites of Hajj: stoning the jamarat, sacrificing, shaving, and circumambulation. After staying in Mecca for ten days, he returned to Medina. When he saw it, he said the takbir three times and said: "La ilaha illa Allah wahdahu la sharika lah, lahu al-mulk wa lahu al-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shay'in qadir, ayyibuna ta'ibun 'abidun sajidun li rabbina hamidun, sadaqa Allah wa'dahu wa nasara 'abdahu wa hazama al-ahzaba wahdahu." (19) [The Delegations] In this year and the one before, the Arabs came in delegations to the Messenger of God to pledge allegiance to him for Islam, arriving in groups. Since the accounts of these delegations contain praiseworthy teachings that a person of refinement needs to know, we thought to mention for you some of them that increase your certainty and enlighten your insight. So we say: [The Delegation of Najran] (20) Among the delegations was the delegation of the Christians of Najran. They were sixty riders. They entered the mosque wearing garments of hibrah, silk cloaks, and gold rings, and with them were carpets containing images and monastic garments (21) which they brought as a gift for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. He did not accept the carpets, but accepted the monastic garments. When the time for their prayer came, they prayed in the mosque facing Jerusalem. After completing their prayer, he, peace and blessings be upon him, called them to Islam, but they refused, saying: "We were Muslims before you." He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Three things prevent you from Islam: your worship of the cross, your eating of pork, and your claim that God has a son." They said: "Who is like Jesus, created without a father?" So God revealed concerning that Surat Al 'Imran: "Indeed, the example of Jesus with God is like that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, 'Be,' and he was." (22) And to show them that they were in doubt about their matter, He revealed: "Then whoever argues with you about him after knowledge has come to you, say, 'Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then supplicate earnestly and invoke the curse of God upon the liars.'" (23) So he, peace and blessings be upon him, called them to that, but they refrained and agreed to pay the jizyah: one thousand garments in Safar and one thousand garments in Rajab, with each garment an uqiyah of gold. Then they said: "Send with us a trustworthy man." So he sent with them Abu 'Ubaydah 'Amir ibn al-Jarrah, who was therefore called the trustee of this ummah. (24) [The Delegation of Dimam ibn Tha'labah] (25) Among the delegations was Dimam ibn Tha'labah. While the Messenger of God was reclining among his companions, a man from the desert came with disheveled hair, his voice booming but unintelligible. He made his camel kneel in the mosque, then said: "Which of you is the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib?" They pointed him out. He approached him and said: "I will ask you and be severe in questioning, so do not be upset with me." He said: "Ask whatever you wish." He said: "I adjure you by God: Did God send you to all people?" He said: "Yes." He said: "I adjure you by God: Did God command you that we should pray five prayers each day and night?" He said: "O God, yes." He said: "I adjure you by God: Did God command you to take from the wealth of our rich and give it to our poor?" He said: "O God, yes." He said: "I adjure you by God: Did God command you that we should fast this month out of twelve months?" He said: "O God, yes." He said: "I adjure you by God: Did God command you that we should perform Hajj to this House, whoever is able to find a way?" He said:

O Allah, yes. He said: I have believed and affirmed, and I is Damam ibn Tha'laba ¹. When he turned away, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The man has understood. Then Damam went to his people, called them to Islam and to abandon idol worship, and they all embraced Islam. [Delegations of 'Abd al-Qays] Among the delegations was that of 'Abd al-Qays. Their story is that the Messenger was sitting among his companions one day and said to them: A group of riders will appear to you from here; they are the best of the people of the East, they were not forced into Islam, they have worn out their mounts ² and exhausted their provisions. O Allah, forgive 'Abd al-Qays ³. When they came and saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), they threw themselves off their mounts at the door of the mosque and rushed to greet the Messenger of Allah. Among them was 'Abdullah ibn 'Awf al-Ashajj, who was the youngest. He stayed behind with the mounts until he made them kneel, gathered the luggage, took out two white garments, put them on, then came walking calmly until he greeted the Messenger of Allah. He was a man of plain appearance, and he noticed the Prophet's gaze at his plainness. He said: O Messenger of Allah, water is not drawn from the skins of men's bodies ⁴; a man is only his two smaller parts: his heart and his tongue. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: You possess two qualities that Allah and His Messenger love: forbearance and deliberation ⁵. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also said to this delegation: Welcome to a people who are neither disgraced nor regretful. They said: O Messenger of Allah, we have come to you from a distant land ⁶, and between us and you lies this tribe of the polytheists of Mudar. We can only reach you during a sacred month. So command us with a decisive matter. He said: I command you to believe in Allah. Do you know what belief in Allah is? It is the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, giving zakat, fasting Ramadan, and giving one-fifth of the spoils. And I forbid you from ad-dubba' ⁷, al-hantam ⁸, an-naqir ⁹, and al-muzaffat ¹⁰—meaning what is steeped in these vessels. Al-Ashajj said: O Messenger of Allah, our land is heavy and unwholesome ¹¹, and if we do not drink these beverages, our bellies become swollen. So he permitted us something like this—and he pointed with his hand. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gestured with his palms and said: O Ashajj, if I permit you something like this, you will drink it in something like this—and he spread his hands apart—until when one of you becomes intoxicated from his drink, he will stand up and strike his cousin's leg with a sword ¹². The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) specifically forbade them what he mentioned because of the abundance of drinks among them. [Delegation of Banu Hanifa] Among the delegations was that of Banu Hanifa, and with them was Musaylima the Liar. Musaylima used to say: If he makes me his successor after him, I will follow him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came forward with Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas, and in the hand of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was a piece of a palm branch until he stopped before Musaylima among his companions and said: If you asked me for this piece, I would not give it to you. And I see that you are the one about whom I had a vision. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had seen in a dream that he had two gold bracelets on his arm, and their matter troubled him. Then Allah revealed to him: Blow on them. So he blew on them and they flew away. He interpreted them as two liars who would appear after him ¹³. Musaylima was one of them, and the other was al-Aswad al-'Ansi, the ruler of San'a'. Banu Hanifa embraced Islam. [Delegation of Tayy] Among the delegations was that of Tayy, including Zayd al-Khayl ¹⁴, their chief. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said about him: No man among the Arabs has been mentioned to me but I found him less than what was said about him, except Zayd al-Khayl. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) named him Zayd al-Khayr. [Delegation of Kinda] Among them was the delegation of Kinda, including al-Ash'ath ibn Qays ¹⁵, who was a respected and obeyed leader among his people. When they entered upon the Messenger of Allah, they hid something from him and said: Tell us what we have hidden from you. He said: Glory be to Allah! Only a soothsayer does that, and the soothsayer and the one who seeks soothsaying are in the Fire. Then he said: Allah has sent me with the truth and revealed to me a Book that falsehood cannot approach from before or behind. They said: Let us hear it. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited: "By those who range themselves in ranks, and those who drive away (evil) with reproof, and those who recite the Reminder: Surely your God is One, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, and the Lord of the Easts" ¹⁶. Then he fell silent and became still, with tears flowing onto his beard. They said: We see you weeping? Are you weeping out of fear of the One who sent you? He said: My fear of Him made me weep. He sent me on a straight path like the edge of a sword; if I deviate from it, I am destroyed. Then he recited: "And if We willed, We could take away that which We have revealed to you, then you would find no guardian for you against Us" ¹⁷. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: Have you not embraced Islam? They said: Yes. He said: What is this silk on your necks? At that, they tore it off and threw it away. [Delegation of Azd Shanu'a ¹⁸] Among them was the delegation of Azd Shanu'a, led by Surrad ibn 'Abdullah al-Azdi. They embraced Islam, and he appointed him as their leader and commanded him to wage jihad with those who had embraced Islam against the polytheists in his vicinity. [Delegation of the Messengers of the Kings of Himyar] Among them was the delegation of the messengers of the kings of Himyar: al-Harith ibn 'Abd Kulal, Nu'aym ibn 'Abd Kulal, and al-Nu'man, qayl ¹⁹ of Dhu Ra'in, Ma'afir, and Hamdan. They had embraced Islam and sent their messenger with that news. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wrote to them. [Letter of the Kings of Himyar] "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to al-Harith ibn 'Abd Kulal, to al-Nu'man, qayl of Dhu Ra'in, Ma'afir, and Hamdan. To proceed: I praise Allah to you, besides whom there is no god. To proceed: Your messenger met us on our return from the land of the Romans ²⁰; we met him in Medina, and he delivered what you sent, informed us of your situation, and told us of your embracing Islam and your killing of the polytheists, and that Allah has guided you with His guidance. If you are righteous and obey Allah and His Messenger, establish prayer, give zakat, give to Allah the fifth of the spoils, the share of the Prophet and his chosen portion ²¹, and what is prescribed for the believers of charity. To proceed: Muhammad the Prophet sent to Zur'a ibn Dhi Yazan ²²: When my messengers come to you, I enjoin you to treat them well: Mu'adh ibn Jabal, 'Abdullah ibn Zayd, Malik ibn 'Ubada, 'Uqba ibn Nimr, Malik ibn Murra, and their companions. And collect what you have of charity and jizya from those who oppose you, and deliver it to my messengers. And their leader is Mu'adh ibn Jabal; let him not return except satisfied. To proceed: Muhammad testifies that there is no god but Allah and that he is His servant and Messenger. Then Malik ibn Murra al-Ruhawi has told me that you embraced Islam from the beginning of Himyar and killed the polytheists. So rejoice in good, and command Himyar to do good. Do not betray and do not be remiss, for the Messenger of Allah is the protector of your rich and your poor. And charity is not lawful for Muhammad or for his household; it is only a zakat by which the poor Muslims and the wayfarer are purified. And Malik has conveyed the news, preserved the unseen, and commanded you to do good. Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings." [Delegation of Hamdan] Among them was the delegation of Hamdan, including Malik ibn Namat, who was an excellent poet. They met the Messenger of Allah on his return from Tabuk, wearing striped Yemeni garments ²³ and 'Adani turbans. Malik recited to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "I swear by the Lord of the camels trotting to Mina, returning with riders from the hill of Qardad ²⁴, that the Messenger of Allah among us is truthful, a Messenger sent from the Lord of the Throne, guided. No she-camel has carried on its saddle a man more severe against his enemies than Muhammad." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed him over those of his people who had embraced Islam. The Messenger said about Hamdan: "Excellent is the tribe of Hamdan—how quick they are to victory, how patient in hardship! Among them are substitutes ²⁵ and among them are pegs ²⁶." [Delegation of Tujib ²⁷] Among them was the delegation of Tujib, a sub-tribe of Kinda. Thirteen men from them came to the Messenger of Allah, bringing with them the charity of their wealth that Allah had prescribed for them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was pleased with them and honored their stay. They said: O Messenger of Allah, we have brought to you the right of Allah from our wealth. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Return it and distribute it among your poor." They said: O Messenger of Allah, we have only come to you with what is surplus to our poor. Abu Bakr said: O Messenger of Allah, no delegation from among the Arabs has come to us like this. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Guidance is in the hand of Allah; if He desires good for someone, He opens his heart to faith." They began asking him about the Qur'an, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became even more desirous of them. Then they wanted to return to their families. It was said to them: What makes you hurry? They said: We return to those behind us to inform them of seeing the Messenger of Allah, meeting him, and what he replied to us. Then they came to the Messenger of Allah and bid him farewell. He rewarded them with the best he used to reward delegations. Then he said: "Is there anyone left among you?" They said: A young boy we left behind at our camp; he is the youngest of us. He said: "Send him to us." So they sent him. The boy came and said: O Messenger of Allah, I am among the group that came to you earlier; you fulfilled their need, so fulfill my need. He said: "What is your need?" He said: Ask Allah to forgive me, have mercy on me, and make contentment in my heart. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, forgive him, have mercy on him, and make contentment in his heart ²⁸." Then he ordered for him the same as he ordered for any of his companions. [Delegation of Tha'laba] Among them was the delegation of Tha'laba. Four of them came to the Messenger of Allah, affirming Islam. They greeted him and said: O Messenger of Allah, we are messengers from those behind us of our people, and we affirm Islam. It has been said to us that you say: There is no Islam for one who does not emigrate. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Wherever you are, if you fear Allah, it will not harm you." Then he said to them: How are your lands? They said: They are fertile. He said: Praise be to Allah. Then they stayed as his guests for some days. When they wanted to leave, he gave each of them five ounces of silver ²⁹. [Delegation of Banu Sa'd ibn Hudhaym ³⁰] Among them was the delegation of Banu Sa'd ibn Hudhaym of Quda'a. Al-Nu'man, one of them, said: I came to the Messenger of Allah as a delegate with a group of my people, after the Messenger of Allah had subdued the lands and driven away the Arabs ³¹. People were of two kinds: either entering Islam desiring it, or fearing the sword. We camped on the outskirts of Medina, then we set out heading for the mosque ³² until we reached its door. We found the Messenger of Allah praying over a funeral in the mosque. We stood behind him to one side, not joining the people in their prayer, and we said: We will wait until the Messenger of Allah finishes praying and then pledge allegiance to him. Then the Messenger of Allah finished and looked at us. He called us and said: "From which tribe are you?" We said: From Banu Sa'd ibn Hudhaym. He said: "Are you Muslims?" We said: Yes. He said: "Why did you not pray over your brother?" We said: O Messenger of Allah, we thought that was not permissible until we pledged allegiance to you. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Wherever you embrace Islam, you are Muslims."

He said: So we submitted and pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah with our hands, then we returned to our dwellings. We had left behind our youngest, so he—peace and blessings be upon him—sent for us, and we were brought to him. Our companion stepped forward and pledged allegiance to him—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—upon Islam. We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, he is the youngest of us and he is our servant.' He said: 'The master of a people is their servant ³³. May Allah bless him.' Al-Nu'man said: He was the best of us and the most reciter of the Qur'an due to the Prophet's supplication for him. Then he gave them gifts and they departed. [The Delegation of Banu Fazarah] Among them was the delegation of Banu Fazarah. A group of them came to the Messenger of Allah, acknowledging Islam, and they were suffering from drought ³⁴. He—peace and blessings be upon him—asked them about their land. A man among them said: 'O Messenger of Allah, our land has become drought-stricken, our livestock have perished, our region has become barren ³⁵, and our families are hungry. So supplicate to your Lord to send us rain, and intercede for us with your Lord, and let your Lord intercede for us with you.' He—peace and blessings be upon him—said: 'Glory be to Allah! Woe to you! This—I intercede with my Lord, but who is there to intercede with our Lord for us? There is no god but Allah, the Most High, the Supreme. His Kursi ³⁶ encompasses the heavens and the earth, and they groan ³⁷ from His majesty and grandeur, just as a new saddle groans under a heavy load.' Then he—peace and blessings be upon him—ascended the pulpit and supplicated to Allah Almighty until He sent abundant rain and complete mercy upon the land of this delegation. [The Delegation of Banu Asad] Among them was the delegation of Banu Asad, including Dirar ibn al-Azwar and Tulayha ibn Abdullah ³⁸, who later claimed prophethood. They submitted and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, we have come to you, traversing the pitch-black night in a year of drought ³⁹, and you did not send any expedition to us.' So Allah revealed concerning that: "They consider it a favor to you that they have submitted. Say, 'Do not consider your submission a favor to me; rather, Allah confers favor upon you that He has guided you to faith, if you should be truthful'" ⁴⁰. They asked the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—about what they used to do in the Jahiliyyah: augury ⁴¹, divination ⁴², and casting pebbles. He forbade them from that. Then they asked him about geomancy ⁴³. He said: 'A prophet taught it; whoever encounters knowledge like his, then that is it, otherwise not.' Then they stayed for some days learning the obligatory duties. After that, they bade farewell and departed after receiving gifts. [The Delegation of Banu 'Udhrah] Among them was the delegation of Banu 'Udhrah, the delegation of Banu Baliyy, the delegation of Banu Murrah, and the delegation of Khawlan—these are tribes in Yemen. He—peace and blessings be upon him—commanded them to fulfill covenants, to render trusts, to treat neighbors well, and not to wrong anyone, for wrongdoing is darknesses on the Day of Resurrection. [The Delegation of Banu Muharib] Among them was the delegation of Banu Muharib. They were among those who gave an ugly rejection when the Messenger of Allah was in 'Ukaz calling the tribes to Allah. How great is Allah's favor that brought these, who were the fiercest enemies, as submissive Muslims. [The Delegation of Ghassan] Among them was the delegation of Ghassan, the delegation of Banu 'Abs, and the delegation of al-Nakha'. The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—would receive these delegations with the cheerfulness and noble character that Allah had bestowed upon him, give them gifts to satisfy them, and teach them faith and the laws, so that they might teach those behind them. These delegations were the greatest means of spreading the religion among the Bedouins in the deserts. [Death of Ibrahim, the Prophet's Son] In this year, Ibrahim, the son of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—died ⁴⁴.

1. ضمام بن ثعلبة : Damam ibn Tha'laba: A companion who came to the Prophet as a delegate from his tribe and embraced Islam.
2. أنضوا : Anḍaw: They have worn out their mounts from travel.
3. عبد القيس : 'Abd al-Qays: A tribe from eastern Arabia.
4. لا يستقى في مسوك جلود الرجال : Water is not drawn from the skins of men's bodies: A proverb meaning that a man's worth is not in his outward appearance.
5. الحلم والأناة : al-Ḥilm wa al-Anāh: Forbearance and deliberation.
6. شقّة بعيدة : Shuqqa ba'īda: A distant land or a long journey.
7. الدباء : al-Dubbā': Gourd vessels used for fermenting drinks.
8. الحنتم : al-Ḥantam: Green earthenware jars used for fermenting drinks.
9. النقير : al-Naqīr: A hollowed-out palm trunk used for fermenting drinks.
10. المزفت : al-Muzaffat: Vessels coated with pitch (tar) used for fermenting drinks.
11. ثقيلة وخمة : Thaqīla wa wakhima: Heavy and unwholesome (land).
12. ضرب ساقه بالسيف : Strike his cousin's leg with a sword: Indicating violence due to intoxication.
13. كذابين يخرجان من بعده : Two liars who would appear after him: Referring to Musaylima and al-Aswad al-'Ansi.
14. زيد الخيل : Zayd al-Khayl: A famous pre-Islamic poet and chief of Tayy, later renamed Zayd al-Khayr by the Prophet.
15. الأشعث بن قيس : al-Ash'ath ibn Qays: A prominent companion and leader of Kinda.
16. رب المشارق : Lord of the Easts: Referring to the various points of sunrise.
17. وَلَئِنْ شِئْنا لَنَذْهَبَنَّ بِالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنا إِلَيْكَ : Qur'an 17:86: 'And if We willed, We could take away that which We have revealed to you.'
18. أزدشنوءة : Azd Shanu'a: A tribe from Yemen.
19. قيل : Qayl: A title for a ruler or chief in Himyar.
20. أرض الروم : Land of the Romans: Referring to the Byzantine Empire.
21. صفيّه : Ṣafiyyuh: The Prophet's chosen portion from the spoils.
22. زرعة بن ذي يزن : Zur'a ibn Dhi Yazan: A Himyarite king.
23. الحبرات : al-Ḥibarāt: Striped Yemeni garments.
24. هضب قردد : Haḍb Qardad: A mountain or hill in the region of Mina.
25. أبدال : Abdāl: Substitutes; a term in Islamic spirituality for certain righteous individuals.
26. أوتاد : Awtād: Pegs; a term for spiritual pillars or saints.
27. تجيب : Tujīb: A sub-tribe of Kinda.
28. اجعل غناه في قلبه : Make contentment in his heart: i.e., make him content with what he has.
29. خمس أواق من فضة : Five ounces of silver: An ūqiyya (ounce) is approximately 40 grams.
30. بني سعد بن هذيم : Banī Sa'd ibn Hudhaym: A tribe from Quda'a.
31. أزاح العرب : Azāḥa al-'Arab: He drove away the Arabs (i.e., subdued them).
32. نؤم : Na'ummu: Heading for (the mosque).
33. sayyid al-qawm khadimuhum : A hadith meaning 'The master of a people is their servant,' indicating that true leadership is through service.
34. musintun : Plural of musinn, meaning those afflicted by drought or a year of scarcity.
35. ajdaba janabuna : Our region has become barren or drought-stricken.
36. Kursi : The Footstool or Throne of Allah, mentioned in Qur'an 2:255, signifying His sovereignty and vastness.
37. ta'ittu : They groan, referring to the heavens and earth groaning under the weight of Allah's majesty.
38. Tulayha ibn Abdullah : A companion who later apostatized and claimed prophethood during the Ridda wars, but later repented.
39. sanatin shahba' : Literally 'a gray year,' meaning a year of drought and barrenness.
40. Qur'an 49:17 : The verse rebuking the Banu Asad for considering their Islam a favor to the Prophet.
41. iyafah : Augury or divination by interpreting the flight of birds or other omens.
42. kihanah : Soothsaying or divination, often involving contact with jinn.
43. darb al-raml : Geomancy, a form of divination by interpreting patterns in sand or earth.
44. Ibrahim ibn al-Nabi : The son of Prophet Muhammad from Mariyah al-Qibtiyyah, who died in infancy.

The eleventh year [1]

[The Eleventh Year] Expedition (1) With four days remaining in Safar, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prepared an army under the command of Usama ibn Zayd to go to Abna (2) where Zayd ibn Haritha, Usama's father, had been killed. He said to him: "Go to the place where your father was killed, and trample them with horses. I have appointed you over this army. Attack the people of Abna in the morning and set fire to them. Travel quickly so that news does not precede you. If God grants you victory, do not stay long among them. Take guides, and send scouts and vanguards ahead with you." With Usama in this army were the senior Muhajirun and Ansar, including Abu Bakr, Umar (3), Abu Ubayda, and Sa'd. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) tied the banner for Usama and said: "Fight in the name of God in the way of God, and fight those who disbelieve in God." Some people criticized the appointment of Usama, a young man not yet seventeen, over an army containing senior Muhajirun. When the Prophet heard this talk, he became very angry and went out, saying: "O people, what is this talk I have heard from some of you regarding my appointment of Usama? If you criticize my appointment of Usama, you have criticized my appointment of his father before him! By God, he was worthy of command, and his son after him is worthy of it (4). He was among the most beloved of people to me (5), and both of them are worthy of every good. So treat him well, for he is among the best of you." This army did not set out during the lifetime of the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him) because his illness began, and God chose him for the Highest Companion. The reader will see, God willing, the completion of this army's departure in our book "Itmam al-Wafa bi Sirat al-Khulafa". The Illness of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) completed what he was tasked with, delivered what he was entrusted with, and God guided his community through him, God chose him for the Highest Companion. He once sat on the pulpit and said: "Indeed, a servant of God was given the choice between the splendor of this world and what is with God, and he chose what is with God" (6). Abu Bakr wept and said: "O Messenger of God, may we ransom you with our fathers and mothers." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most generous of people to me in his companionship and wealth is Abu Bakr. If I were to take a close friend, I would take Abu Bakr, but it is the brotherhood of Islam. Let every door in the mosque be closed except the door of Abu Bakr" (7). His illness began in late Safar of the eleventh year of the Hijra in the house of Maymuna, and he remained ill for thirteen days, during which he moved between the houses of his wives. When his illness worsened, he sought permission from them to be nursed in the house of Aisha al-Siddiqa, and they allowed him. When he entered her house and his pain intensified, he said: "Pour over me water from seven water skins whose openings have not been untied, so that I may give my final instructions to the people." He was seated in a basin (8) and water was poured over him until he signaled with his hand that they had done so (9). This water was to reduce the heat of the fever that would affect him when one placed a hand over his garment. [Abu Bakr Leading the People in Prayer] When he was unable to go out for prayer, he said: "Tell Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer" (10). Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) approved him as his successor during his lifetime. When the Ansar saw the severity of the Prophet's illness, they gathered in the mosque. Al-Abbas entered and informed him of their presence and concern. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out leaning on Ali and al-Fadl (11), with al-Abbas walking ahead of them. The Prophet's head was bandaged, and he was dragging his feet until he sat on the lower step of the pulpit. The people crowded around him. He praised God and then said: "O people, I have heard that you fear the death of your Prophet. Was any prophet before me immortal among those sent by God, so that I would be immortal among you? Indeed, I am going to my Lord, and you will join me. I advise you to treat the early Muhajirun well, and I advise the Muhajirun to treat each other well. God Almighty says: 'By the declining day, indeed mankind is in loss, except for those who believe and do righteous deeds and advise each other to truth and advise each other to patience' (12). Matters proceed by God's will. Do not let your impatience for a matter lead you to hasten it, for God Almighty is not hastened by anyone's haste. Whoever contends with God will be overcome, and whoever deceives God will be deceived. 'Then, if you turn away, would you perhaps cause corruption on earth and sever your family ties?' I advise you to treat the Ansar well, for they are those who settled in the city and embraced faith before you. Be good to them. Did they not share their fruits with you? Did they not make room for you in their homes? Did they not prefer you over themselves, even though they were in need? Whoever is appointed to judge between two people, let him accept the good from the good-doer and overlook the mistakes of the wrongdoer. Do not take more than your share from them. Indeed, I am your forerunner (13), and you will join me. Your appointed meeting is at the Basin. Whoever wishes to come to me at the Basin tomorrow, let him restrain his hand and tongue except in what is proper." While the Muslims were praying the dawn prayer on Monday, the 13th of Rabi' al-Awwal, with Abu Bakr leading them, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lifted the curtain (14) of Aisha's room and looked at them as they stood in rows of prayer. Then he smiled and laughed. Abu Bakr stepped back to join the row, thinking that the Messenger of God wanted to come out for prayer. The Muslims were about to be distracted in their prayer out of joy at seeing the Messenger of God, but he gestured to them to complete their prayer. Then he entered the room and lowered the curtain (15). The Death of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) Before the forenoon of that day, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) departed from this world and joined his Lord. This occurred on Monday, 13 Rabi' al-Awwal, year 11 (June 8, 633 CE). His age was 63 lunar years and three days, or 61 solar years and 84 days. Abu Bakr was away at al-Sunh, the dwellings of Banu al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj, at the home of his wife Habiba bint Kharija ibn Zayd. Umar drew his sword and threatened anyone who said the Messenger of God had died, saying: "He has only been summoned as Moses was summoned; he stayed away from his people for forty nights. By God, I hope that the hands and feet of some men will be cut off." When Abu Bakr arrived and was informed, he entered Aisha's house, uncovered the Prophet's face, knelt down, kissed him, and wept, saying: "He has died, by the One in Whose hand is my soul. May God's blessings be upon you, O Messenger of God. How pure you are alive and dead! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you. God will not combine two deaths for you (16)." Then he went out, praised God, and said: "Whoever worshipped Muhammad, Muhammad has died. Whoever worshipped God, God is alive and does not die." He recited the verse: "Indeed, you are to die, and indeed, they are to die" (17) and "Muhammad is not but a messenger; [other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm God at all; and God will reward the grateful" (18). Umar said: "It was as if I had never recited this verse before" (19). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained in his house for the rest of Monday, Tuesday night and day, and Wednesday night until the Muslims finished appointing a caliph over them. Then he was washed and buried. Those who washed him were Ali ibn Abi Talib, assisted by al-Abbas and his sons al-Fadl and Qutham (20), Usama ibn Zayd, and Shuqran (21), the freed slave of the Messenger of God. He was shrouded in three garments, without a shirt or turban. When they finished preparing him, he was placed on his bed in his house, and people entered in groups, one after another, to pray over him, with no one leading them. Then a niche was dug for him in Aisha's room where he died, and Ali and al-Abbas lowered him into the grave.

His noble qualities [1], peace be upon him.

His two sons were al-Fadl and Qutham, and Bilal sprinkled his grave with water, and raised his grave about a handspan above the ground. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, passed away, leaving for the Muslims that which, if they followed it, nothing would harm them: the Book of God, to which falsehood cannot come from before it or behind it, a revelation from the Wise, the Praiseworthy. And he left his righteous and noble Companions to clarify the religion, complete the conquest of lands, and manifest in the world the sun of the upright Islamic religion until God fulfills His word and realizes His promise, which He has done. So we ask God to enable us to thank Him for this great favor and immense blessing. [His Noble Qualities, peace be upon him] God Almighty granted our Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, such perfections of this world and the Hereafter as He has granted to no other before or after him. We must present to you in this chapter ¹ a brief selection of his excellent attributes and beautiful manners, to serve as a model for you to follow, so that you may be upon the path of your Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and thus deserve praise in this world and treasure in the Hereafter. Know—may God guide me and you and lead us to the straight path—that the qualities of majesty and perfection in humans are of two types: necessary worldly qualities required by nature and the necessities of life, and acquired religious qualities, which are praiseworthy and bring one closer to God. As for the necessary qualities, they are those over which a person has no choice or acquisition, such as what was in his innate nature, peace be upon him, of perfection of form, beauty of appearance, strength of intellect, soundness of understanding, eloquence of tongue, strength of senses and limbs, moderation of movements, nobility of lineage, honor of tribe, and generosity of land. To this are attached what the necessities of life require in terms of food, sleep, clothing, dwelling, wealth, and status. As for the acquired qualities pertaining to the Hereafter: They are all the lofty morals and legal etiquettes, such as: religion, knowledge, forbearance, patience, gratitude, justice, asceticism, humility, forgiveness, chastity, generosity, courage, modesty, manliness, silence, deliberation, dignity, mercy, good manners, companionship, and their like, which are encompassed by good character. If you consider—may God protect you—the qualities of perfection that are not acquired but are innate in creation, you will find that he, peace be upon him, possessed all of them and encompassed all their scattered beauties. As for his form and its beauty, and the proportion of his limbs in their comeliness, there are many authentic and well-known traditions regarding that. It is reported that he, may God bless him and grant him peace, was fair-skinned ², with large, black eyes ³, wide-eyed ⁴, with a reddish tint in the whites of his eyes ⁵, with long eyelashes ⁶, with a bright, radiant forehead ⁷, with arched eyebrows ⁸, with a nose that was high-bridged and slightly hooked ⁹, with a gap between his front teeth ¹⁰, round-faced, broad-browed, with a thick beard that filled his chest, with a straight belly and chest, broad-shouldered ¹¹, large-boned, with thick upper arms and forearms ¹², and thick lower limbs, with spacious palms and feet, with tapering extremities ¹³, with a luminous body where uncovered ¹⁴, with a fine line of hair from chest to navel ¹⁵, of medium stature ¹⁶, neither excessively tall ¹⁷ nor short and stunted ¹⁸, yet no one who walked with him and was considered tall could surpass him, may God bless him and grant him peace. His hair was wavy ¹⁹. When he smiled, he would reveal teeth like a flash of lightning or hailstones. When he spoke, light seemed to emanate from between his front teeth. He had the most beautiful neck, neither too thick ²⁰ nor too fleshy ²¹, with a firm body and compact flesh ²². Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib said: "I have never seen anyone with long hair ²³ in a red cloak more handsome than the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace." Abu Hurayra said: "I have never seen anything more handsome than the Messenger of God; it was as if the sun was running on his face, and when he laughed, it glistened on the walls." In the hadith of Ibn Abi Hala: "His face shone like the full moon." 'Ali, may God be pleased with him, said at the end of his description: "Whoever saw him suddenly was awed by him, and whoever associated with him knew him and loved him. His describer said: 'I have never seen anyone like him before or after him,' may God bless him and grant him peace ²⁴." [The Cleanliness of His Body and the Fragrance of His Scent, peace be upon him] As for the cleanliness of his body, the fragrance of his scent and sweat, and his purity from filth and bodily defects ²⁵, God Almighty had distinguished him in this regard with characteristics not found in others, and then completed them with the cleanliness of the Law. He, peace be upon him, said: "Religion is built on cleanliness ²⁶." Anas said: "I have never smelled ambergris, musk, or anything more fragrant than the scent of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace." Jabir ibn Samura reported that he, peace be upon him, wiped his cheek; he said: "I found his hand cool and fragrant, as if he had taken it out of a perfumer's chest ²⁷." Another said: "Whether he had touched perfume or not, whoever shook hands with him would smell its fragrance all day; he would place his hand on a child's head, and the child would be recognized among other children by its fragrance." Al-Bukhari narrated in his Great History from Jabir: "The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, never passed through a path that anyone followed without knowing that he had taken it because of his fragrance ²⁸." [The Abundance of His Intellect, peace be upon him] As for the abundance of his intellect, may God bless him and grant him peace, the sharpness of his mind, the strength of his senses, the eloquence of his tongue, the moderation of his movements, and the beauty of his noble qualities, there is no doubt ²⁹ that he was the most intelligent and sharpest of people. Whoever reflects on his management of the inner and outer states of creation, his governance of the common and elite, along with his wondrous qualities and unique conduct, in addition to the knowledge he imparted and the law he established without prior learning, previous practice, or study of books, will have no hesitation in acknowledging the superiority of his intellect and the penetration of his understanding ³⁰ at first glance. When he stood in prayer, he could see behind him as he saw in front of him. This is how the verse "And your movements among those who prostrate" ³¹ was interpreted. 'Aisha said: "He, peace be upon him, could see in the dark as in the light ³²." He could count eleven stars in the Pleiades ³³. Reports have come that he wrestled Rukana ³⁴, the strongest man of his time, and called him to Islam. Abu Hurayra said: "I have never seen anyone faster in walking than the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace; it was as if the earth was folded for him. We would exert ourselves while he was unconcerned ³⁵." In his description, peace be upon him, it is said that his laughter was a smile; when he turned, he turned entirely; when he walked, he walked with a brisk, lifting gait ³⁶, as if descending a slope ³⁷. [The Eloquence of His Tongue, peace be upon him] As for eloquence of tongue and rhetorical skill, he, may God bless him and grant him peace, occupied the highest station and a position that is not unknown: smoothness of nature, brilliance of style, conciseness of expression, eloquence of wording, strength of speech, soundness of meaning, and lack of affectation. He was given the comprehensive words [Jawami' al-Kalim] ³⁸, endowed with exquisite wisdom, and taught the languages of the Arabs, addressing each nation in its own tongue, conversing in its dialect, and competing in its rhetorical style, so much so that many of his Companions would ask him on various occasions to explain his words and interpret his speech. Whoever examines his hadith and conduct will know and verify this. His speech to Quraysh was not like his speech to the kings ³⁹ of Hadramawt, the rulers of Yemen, and the chiefs of Najd; rather, he used with each tribe the words they admired and the rhetorical methods they followed, to clarify to the people what was revealed to them and to speak to them according to their understanding. [His Speech and Eloquence, peace be upon him] As for his customary speech, his well-known eloquence, his comprehensive words, and his transmitted wisdom, people have compiled collections of them, and books have been written on their words and meanings. Among them are sayings that are unmatched in eloquence and unrivaled in rhetoric, such as his saying: "The blood of Muslims is equal; the lowest of them can grant protection [to a non-Muslim] which is binding on all; and they are united against others ⁴⁰." His saying: "People are like the teeth of a comb ⁴¹." "A person is with whom he loves ⁴²." "There is no good in the company of one who does not see for you what you see for him ⁴³." "People are like mines [of gold and silver] ⁴⁴." "No one who knows his own worth is ruined ⁴⁵." "The one consulted is trusted ⁴⁶." "May God have mercy on a servant who speaks good and gains, or remains silent and is safe ⁴⁷." His saying: "Accept Islam and be safe; accept Islam and God will give you your reward twice ⁴⁸." "The most beloved of you to me and the closest to me in seating on the Day of Resurrection are those with the best character, who are gentle and easy to get along with, who are affectionate and loved ⁴⁹." His saying: "Perhaps he spoke about what did not concern him and was stingy with what would not enrich him ⁵⁰." His saying: "The two-faced person will not be esteemed with God ⁵¹." His prohibition of "idle talk, excessive questioning, wasting wealth, refusing to give, demanding what is not due, disobedience to mothers, and burying daughters alive ⁵²." His saying: "Fear God wherever you are, follow up a bad deed with a good deed and it will erase it, and treat people with good character ⁵³." "The best of affairs is the middle course ⁵⁴." His saying: "Love your beloved moderately, for one day he may become your enemy ⁵⁵." His saying: "Oppression is darkness on the Day of Resurrection ⁵⁶." His saying in one of his supplications: "O God, I ask You for mercy that guides my heart, gathers my affairs, repairs my disarray, rectifies my unseen, raises my witnessed, purifies my deeds, inspires me with my right guidance, restores my affection, and protects me from every evil. O God, I ask You for success in judgment, the abode of the martyrs, the life of the blessed, and victory over enemies ⁵⁷." And other such sayings transmitted by the many from the many, from his sermons, discourses, speeches, supplications, addresses, and covenants, regarding which there is no dispute that he attained a rank that no one else can match, and achieved a precedence whose value cannot be measured. His Companions said: "We have not seen anyone more eloquent than you." He replied: "What would prevent me? The Quran was revealed in my tongue, a clear Arabic tongue ⁵⁸." He also said on another occasion: "I am the most eloquent among those who speak the letter dad [Arabic], but I am from Quraysh and was raised among Banu Sa'd ⁵⁹." Thus he combined the strength and robustness of Bedouin speech ⁶⁰ with the clarity and elegance of urban speech, along with the divine support whose source is revelation, which no human can fully comprehend. [The Nobility of His Lineage and the Generosity of His City, peace be upon him] As for the nobility of his lineage and the generosity of his city and birthplace, this does not require proof or clarification of any difficulty or obscurity. For he is the choicest of Banu Hashim, the pure lineage of Quraysh ⁶¹, the noblest of the Arabs, the most honorable in family from his father's and mother's side, and from the people of Mecca, the most honorable land of God to God and to His servants. We have already presented sufficient material on this topic at the beginning of the book. As for what the necessities of life require, some of them are better in scarcity, some in abundance, and some vary according to circumstances. The first category includes food and sleep, and the Arabs have always...

The wise men of old used to praise scarcity of food and drink and blame their abundance, because eating and drinking excessively indicate voracity ⁶², greed, gluttony, and the dominance of desire, causing harm in this world and the next, bringing bodily ailments, coarseness of the soul ⁶³, and fullness of the brain. Scarcity of them indicates contentment, self-mastery, and suppression of desire, causing health, clarity of mind, and sharpness of intellect. Similarly, excessive sleep indicates laziness ⁶⁴, weakness, lack of intelligence and acumen, causing indolence, habitual incapacity, wasting life without benefit, hardness of heart, heedlessness, and death of the heart. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) adopted the minimum in eating and sleeping and urged it. He said, 'The son of Adam fills no vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to eat a few morsels to keep his back straight. But if he must, then one third for his food, one third for his drink, and one third for his breath' ⁶⁵. And because excessive sleep results from excessive eating and drinking. 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) said, 'The stomach of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was never filled to satiety. He would not ask his family for food or crave it; if they fed him, he ate, and whatever they gave him he accepted, and whatever they gave him to drink he drank' ⁶⁶. In a sound hadith: 'As for me, I do not eat while reclining' ⁶⁷. Reclining means settling down to eat and sitting cross-legged or in similar postures where the sitter rests on what is beneath him. One who sits in this manner calls for food and eats a lot. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to sit for eating in a squatting posture ⁶⁸ and said, 'I am only a servant; I eat as a servant eats and sit as a servant sits' ⁶⁹. Likewise, his sleep was little, yet he said, 'My eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep' ⁷⁰. As for what is praiseworthy in abundance, such as status [al-jah], it is generally praised by the wise, and one's greatness in hearts is according to one's status. Allah Almighty said describing Jesus (peace be upon him): 'Distinguished in this world and the Hereafter' ⁷¹. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was granted awe, status in hearts, and greatness before prophethood during the Jahiliyya and after it, even though they denied him and harmed his Companions, and sought to harm him secretly, but when they faced him, they magnified his matter and fulfilled his need, as we have mentioned repeatedly. He would inspire awe and fear in those who saw him for the first time, as narrated from Qayla: when she saw him, she trembled with fear, and he said, 'O poor one, be calm' ⁷². In the hadith of Abu Mas'ud, a man stood before him trembling, and he said, 'Take it easy, for I am not a king' ⁷³. [His Rank and Station] As for his great rank through prophethood, noble station through messengership, and lofty degree ⁷⁴ through election and honor in this world, it is a matter of utmost degree. Moreover, in the Hereafter he is the master of the children of Adam ⁷⁵. As for what varies in being praised, boasted about, and preferred, such as abundance of wealth, its owner is generally respected by the common people because they believe it enables him to fulfill his needs and achieve his aims; otherwise, it is not a virtue in itself. When it is in this form and its owner spends it on his important matters and the needs of those who seek him, directing it appropriately, buying with it high status, good repute, and place in hearts, then it is a virtue in its owner in the eyes of worldly people. And if he spends it on acts of piety and in the way of goodness, intending thereby Allah and the Hereafter, then it is a virtue for everyone in every case. But if its owner hoards it, not directing it properly, and is greedy to accumulate it, then its abundance becomes like non-existence, and it becomes a deficiency in its owner, not keeping him on the path of safety; rather, it throws him into the pit ⁷⁶ of the vice of miserliness and the blame of baseness ⁷⁷. Thus, praise for wealth is not for its essence, but for what it enables and its proper use. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was given the treasures of the earth and the keys of the lands, and spoils were made lawful for him, which were not lawful for any prophet before him. During his lifetime, the lands of Hijaz, Yemen, and the entire Arabian Peninsula were conquered, as well as parts of Syria and Iraq. He was brought much of their fifths, jizya, and sadaqat, and he received gifts ⁷⁸ from many regional kings. Yet he did not keep anything for himself, nor did he hold onto a single dirham; rather, he distributed it, enriched others, strengthened the Muslims, and said, 'It would not please me to have a mountain of gold, and have a single dinar left with me overnight, except a dinar I set aside for debt' ⁷⁹. Once, dinars were brought to him, and he distributed them, leaving a remainder. He gave it to one of his wives, but he could not sleep until he got up and distributed it, saying, 'Now I am at rest.' He died while his armor was pawned for the expenses of his family ⁸⁰. He limited his spending, clothing, and dwelling to what necessity required, and renounced everything else. He would wear whatever he found, often wearing a woolen cloak ⁸¹, coarse garments, and thick outer wraps ⁸². He would distribute silk brocade robes embroidered with gold ⁸³ to those present and send some to those absent. Thus, you see that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) attained the virtue of wealth through renouncing it and spending it on those who deserved it. [Acquired Traits of Praiseworthy Character] As for the acquired traits of praiseworthy character and noble manners, which are called good character, all of them were the character of our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to the utmost perfection and balance, to the extent that Allah Almighty praised him for it, saying: 'And indeed, you are of a great moral character' ⁸⁴. 'A'isha said: 'His character was the Qur'an; he was pleased with what it pleased and angered with what it angered' ⁸⁵. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'I was sent to perfect noble character traits' ⁸⁶. Anas said: 'The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was the best of people in character.' These noble manners were innate in him, as they were in his brothers the prophets. Then the matter was established for them, and the breaths of Allah came successively upon them, and the lights of knowledge shone in their hearts until they reached the goal and attained, through Allah's selection of them for prophethood, the ultimate in acquiring these noble traits without practice. These praiseworthy traits and beautiful qualities are many, but we will mention their principles, indicate all of them, and verify his description (peace and blessings be upon him) with them, Allah willing. The root of their branches, the source of their springs, and the center of their circle is intellect, from which knowledge and cognition emanate. From this branch out penetrating opinion, sharpness of insight, correctness, true conjecture, consideration of consequences and personal interests, struggle against desire, good governance and management, acquisition of virtues, and avoidance of vices. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) attained the utmost limit in intellect and knowledge that no human besides him has reached. This is known by tracing the course of his states, the consistency of his conduct, reading his comprehensive sayings, his beautiful traits, the wonders of his biography, the wisdom of his speech, his knowledge of the Torah, the Gospel, and the revealed books, the wisdom of the wise, the histories of past nations and their days, the striking of parables, the governance of peoples, the establishment of laws, the foundation of personal manners and noble qualities, and various sciences whose practitioners took his words as models and his indications as proofs—such as medicine, arithmetic, inheritance law, genealogy, and others—without teaching, study, reading the books of predecessors, or sitting with their scholars. Rather, he was an unlettered prophet who knew none of this, until Allah expanded his breast, clarified his affair, and taught him. According to his intellect were his cognitions (peace and blessings be upon him) of all that Allah taught him and revealed to him of the knowledge of what will be and what was, the wonders of His power, and the greatness of His dominion. Allah said: 'And He taught you that which you did not know, and ever has the favor of Allah upon you been great.' [Forbearance, Tolerance, Forgiveness, Power, and Patience in Adversity] As for forbearance, tolerance, forgiveness, power, and patience in adversity, these are among the manners with which Allah disciplined His Prophet, saying: 'Take forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant' ⁸⁷. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Gabriel about its interpretation, and he said: 'O Muhammad, Allah commands you to maintain ties with those who sever them, give to those who deprive you, and forgive those who wrong you' ⁸⁸. He also said: 'And be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, that is of the matters of determination' ⁸⁹. And: 'Let them pardon and overlook. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful' ⁹⁰. And: 'And whoever is patient and forgives—indeed, that is of the matters of determination' ⁹¹. Reports have concurred that he (peace and blessings be upon him) possessed the utmost of these attributes. No forbearing person is known without some slip or lapse ⁹², but our Prophet only increased in patience with increasing harm and in forbearance with the excesses of the ignorant. 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: 'The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was never given a choice between two matters but he chose the easier of them, as long as it was not sinful. If it was sinful, he was the furthest of people from it. He never took revenge for himself unless the sanctity of Allah was violated, then he would take revenge for Allah's sake' ⁹³. When the polytheists did what they did at Uhud, and he was asked to supplicate against them, he said: 'O Allah, guide my people, for they do not know' ⁹⁴. Sufficient for you in this regard is what he did with the polytheists of Quraysh who harmed him, mocked him, expelled him and his Companions from their homes, fought him, and incited other Arab polytheists against him until they all conspired against him. Then when Allah granted him victory over Mecca, he did no more than forgive and pardon, saying: 'What do you think I will do with you?' They said: 'Good, a noble brother and a noble nephew.' He said: 'Go, for you are free' ⁹⁵. Anas narrated: 'I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was wearing a thick-bordered cloak. A Bedouin pulled him so hard that the border left a mark on his neck. Then he said: 'O Muhammad, give me some of Allah's wealth that you have, for you do not give me from your own wealth or your father's wealth.' The Prophet remained silent, then said: 'The wealth is Allah's, and I am His servant.' Then he said: 'Will you be requited, O Bedouin, for what you did to me?' He said: 'No.' He asked: 'Why?' He said: 'Because you do not repay evil with evil' ⁹⁶. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) laughed, then ordered that he be given a camel load of barley and another of dates.' 'A'isha said: 'I never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) taking revenge for any wrong done to him, unless the sanctity of Allah was violated. He never struck anything with his hand except when fighting in the way of Allah, and he never struck a servant or a woman' ⁹⁷. May Allah bless him and grant him peace, and delight his eyes by the Muslims following his Sunnah. As for generosity, munificence, liberality, and magnanimity, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was unmatched in these noble traits, and no one could rival him in this description, as all who knew him attest. Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'He was never asked for anything and said no' ⁹⁸. Ibn 'Abbas said:

He, peace and blessings be upon him, was the most generous of people in goodness, and he was most generous in the month of Ramadan. When Gabriel met him, he was more generous in goodness than the sent wind ⁹⁹. Khadijah described him, peace and blessings be upon him, saying to him: 'You carry the burden, and you earn for the destitute ¹⁰⁰.' Sufficient for you as a witness in this regard is what he did with Hawazin in returning the captives to them, and what he did on the day of distributing the captives in giving great gifts to those whose hearts are to be reconciled. We have covered this fully in its place. Ninety thousand [dirhams] were brought to him, peace and blessings be upon him, and he placed them on a mat and began to distribute them, and he did not stand until he had finished. A man came to him and asked him, and he said: 'I have nothing with me, but buy on credit for me, and when something comes to us, we will pay it.' 'Umar said to him: 'Allah has not burdened you with what you cannot afford.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, disliked this, and a man from the Ansar said to him: 'O Messenger of Allah, spend and do not fear from the Lord of the Throne any reduction.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, smiled, and joy was seen on his face, and he said: 'I have been commanded to do this ¹⁰¹.' The reports of his generosity and kindness, peace and blessings be upon him, are many, and what we have mentioned is sufficient for your instruction. [His Bravery] Among them is bravery and valor. He, peace and blessings be upon him, was in a position regarding them that is not unknown. He attended difficult situations, and the brave ¹⁰² and heroes fled from him more than once, while he was steadfast, not moving, advancing, not retreating, and not budging. There is no brave person except that his flight has been recorded, and his turning away has been noted, except him. Sufficient for you is what he did at Hunayn and Uhud, which we have covered in full. Ibn 'Umar said: 'I have not seen anyone braver, more valiant, more generous, or more pleasing than the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace ¹⁰³.' 'Ali said: 'When the battle became fierce and eyes reddened, we would seek protection with the Messenger of Allah, and no one was closer to the enemy than him. I saw myself on the day of Badr, and we were seeking refuge with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was the closest of us to the enemy, and he was the most severe of people that day in combat ¹⁰⁴.' Anas said: 'He, peace be upon him, was the most handsome of people, the most generous of people, and the bravest of people. One night the people of Medina were frightened, so some people went towards the sound, and they met him, peace and blessings be upon him, returning. He had preceded them to the sound and had investigated the news on a horse belonging to Abu Talhah that was unsaddled, with his sword around his neck, and he was saying: 'Do not be alarmed ¹⁰⁵.' [His Modesty] As for modesty and lowering the gaze, he, peace and blessings be upon him, was the most modest of people and the most lowering of gaze from faults. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: 'He, peace and blessings be upon him, was more modest than a virgin in her seclusion. When he disliked something, we recognized it in his face ¹⁰⁶.' He, peace and blessings be upon him, had delicate skin and a gentle exterior. He did not confront anyone with what he disliked, out of modesty and nobility of soul. 'A'ishah said: 'When he, peace and blessings be upon him, heard something about someone that he disliked, he did not say: 'What is wrong with so-and-so saying such-and-such?' but rather he would say: 'What is wrong with people who do or say such-and-such ¹⁰⁷?' forbidding it without naming the doer.' She, may Allah be pleased with her, said: 'He, peace and blessings be upon him, was not obscene, nor did he use obscene language, nor was he loud in the markets, nor did he repay evil with evil, but he would pardon and forgive ¹⁰⁸.' [His Good Companionship and Etiquette] As for his good companionship, etiquette, and expansive character with all kinds of people, authentic reports have spread about this. 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'He, peace and blessings be upon him, was the most broad-chested of people, the most truthful in speech, the gentlest in disposition ¹⁰⁹, and the most honorable in companionship. He, peace and blessings be upon him, would unite them and not repel them. He honored the noble of every people and appointed them over them. He warned people and guarded against them, without withholding his cheerfulness or character from anyone. He would check on his companions and give each of his sitting companions their due, so that no one sitting with him thought that anyone was more honored by him than him. Whoever sat with him or approached him for a need, he would bear with him until he himself left. Whoever asked him for a need, he would not send him away except with it or with a kind word. His expansiveness and character encompassed people, so he became like a father to them, and they became equal before him in truth. This is how Ibn Abi Halah described him ¹¹⁰. He was always cheerful, easy-going, gentle, not harsh or coarse, not loud, not obscene, not fault-finding, and not excessive in praise. He would overlook what he disliked and not despair of it. Allah Almighty said: 'It was by the mercy of Allah that you were lenient with them. Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have scattered from around you. So pardon them, ask forgiveness for them, and consult them in the matter ¹¹¹.' And He said: 'Repel [evil] with that which is better, and then the one between whom and you there is enmity will become like a devoted friend ¹¹².' He, peace and blessings be upon him, would respond to whoever invited him, accept gifts, even if it was a trotter ¹¹³, and reward for them. He would joke with his companions, mix with them, converse with them, play with their children, seat them on his lap, respond to the invitation of the free man, the slave, the slave girl, and the poor, visit the sick at the farthest end of Medina, and accept the excuse of the one who apologized. Anas said: 'No one ever put his mouth to the ear of the Prophet and he would move his head away until the man himself moved his head. No one ever took his hand and he would withdraw his hand until the other let go. He would greet whomever he met with peace, and he would initiate shaking hands with his companions. He was never seen stretching his legs between his companions so as to narrow the space for anyone ¹¹⁴. He honored whoever entered upon him, and sometimes he would spread his garment for him, give him the cushion he was sitting on, and insist that he sit on it if he refused. He would address his companions by their patronymics and call them by their most beloved names as an honor to them. He would not interrupt anyone's speech until he finished, and then he would end it with a prohibition or by standing up. He was the most smiling of people and the most pleasant in spirit, as long as revelation was not descending upon him, or he was preaching or delivering a sermon. [His Compassion and Mercy] As for compassion, kindness, and mercy for all creation, Allah described him with this in His saying: 'Grievous to him is your suffering; eager for you [is he]; to the believers, he is kind and merciful ¹¹⁵.' And He said: 'And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds ¹¹⁶.' It is narrated that a Bedouin came to him asking for something, and he gave it to him, then said: 'Have I done well by you?' The Bedouin said: 'No, and you have not done beautifully.' The Muslims became angry and rose against him, but he gestured to them: 'Stop.' Then he stood up, entered his house, sent for him, and added something more. Then he said: 'Have I done well by you?' He said: 'Yes, may Allah reward you well from your family and tribe.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'You said what you said, and my companions have something in their hearts about that. If you wish, say in front of them what you said in front of me, so that what is in their hearts against you may go away.' He said: 'Yes.' The next day—or in the evening—he came, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'This Bedouin said what he said, and we increased him, and he claims that he is satisfied. Is that so?' He said: 'Yes, may Allah reward you well from your family and tribe.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'My example and his example is like a man who had a she-camel that bolted from him. The people followed it, but they only increased it in flight. So its owner called out to them: 'Leave me and my she-camel, for I am gentler with it and know it better.' Then he went towards it, took some dust from the ground, and brought it back until it came and knelt down. He saddled it and mounted it. If I had left you when the man said what he said, and you had killed him, he would have entered the Fire.' He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Let none of you convey anything to me about my companions, for I love to come out to you with a sound heart ¹¹⁷.' He would hear the crying of a child and shorten his prayer. Ibn Mas'ud said: 'He, peace and blessings be upon him, would admonish us at intervals, fearing that we would become bored ¹¹⁸.' [His Loyalty and Ties of Kinship] As for his character, peace and blessings be upon him, in loyalty, good covenant, and maintaining family ties, it is narrated from 'Abdullah ibn Abi al-Hamsa' ¹¹⁹ who said: 'I made a sale with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, before he was sent [as a prophet], and I still owed him something. I promised to bring it to him at that place, but I forgot. Then I remembered after three days, and I came and found him in the same place. He said: 'O young man, you have caused me trouble. I have been here for three days waiting for you ¹²⁰!' When a gift was brought to him, he would say: 'Take it to the house of so-and-so, for she was a friend of Khadijah; she loved Khadijah ¹²¹.' He, peace and blessings be upon him, would maintain ties with his relatives without preferring them over those who were better than them. A delegation came to him, and he stood up to serve them himself. His companions said: 'Shall we suffice you?' He said: 'They honored our companions, and I love to repay them ¹²².' In the hadith of Khadijah: 'Rejoice, for by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You maintain family ties, carry the burden ¹²³, earn for the destitute, honor the guest, and help in the calamities of truth ¹²⁴.' [His Humility] As for his humility, peace and blessings be upon him, despite his high status and lofty rank, he was the most humble of people and the least arrogant. Sufficient for you is that he was given the choice between being a prophet-king or a prophet-servant, and he chose to be a prophet-servant ¹²⁵. Once he came out to his companions leaning on a staff, and they stood up for him. He said: 'Do not stand up as the non-Arabs stand up, exalting one another ¹²⁶.' He said: 'I am only a servant; I eat as a servant eats, and I sit as a servant sits ¹²⁷.' He would ride a donkey, let someone ride behind him, visit the poor, sit with the needy, respond to the invitation of a slave, and sit among his companions mixed with them, sitting wherever the gathering ended. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the son of Mary. I am only a servant, so say: 'The servant of Allah and His Messenger ¹²⁸.' He performed Hajj on a worn-out saddle, wearing a cloak worth no more than four dirhams, and said: 'O Allah, make it a Hajj with no hypocrisy or reputation-seeking ¹²⁹.' This was while the earth had been opened up for him, and he sacrificed one hundred camels during that Hajj ¹³⁰. When Mecca was opened for him and he entered it with the Muslim armies, he lowered his head on his saddle until it almost touched the front of it, out of humility to Allah Almighty ¹³¹. Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'I entered the market with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he bought a pair of trousers. He said to the weigher: 'Weigh and give extra.' Then he said: 'He jumped to kiss the hand of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, but he pulled his hand away and said: 'This is what the non-Arabs do with their kings. I am not a king; I am only a man from among you.' Then he took the trousers, and I went to carry them for him. He said: 'The owner of the thing has more right to carry it ¹³².' [His Justice, Trustworthiness, Chastity, and Truthfulness] As for his justice, peace be upon him, his trustworthiness, his chastity, and his truthful speech, he was the most trustworthy of people, the most just of people, the most chaste of people, and the most truthful in speech from his earliest days. His opponents and enemies acknowledged this ¹³³. Before his prophethood, he was called 'the Trustworthy.' We have already mentioned this in his biography before prophethood. In the hadith about him, peace and blessings be upon him: 'His hand never touched the hand of a woman he did not own ¹³⁴.' Abu al-'Abbas al-Mubarrad said: 'Kisra divided his days...'

The windy day is suitable for sleep, the cloudy day for hunting, the rainy day for drinking and amusement, and the sunny day for needs. But our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, divided his day into three parts: a part for God, a part for his family, and a part for himself. Then he divided his own part among the people, and he would seek help from the elite for the general public, saying: 'Convey the need of those who cannot convey it to me, for whoever conveys the need of one who cannot convey it, God will secure him on the Day of the Great Terror' ¹³⁵. And he, peace and blessings be upon him, would not hold anyone accountable for another's sin, nor would he believe anyone against another ¹³⁶. [His Dignity, Silence, Deliberateness, and Chivalry] As for his dignity, peace and blessings be upon him, his silence, his deliberateness, his chivalry, and his excellent conduct: he was the most dignified of people in his assembly, hardly moving any of his limbs ¹³⁷. When he sat, he would clasp his hands around his knees, and most of his sitting was in that posture ¹³⁸. He was often silent, not speaking without need, and he would turn away from anyone who spoke improperly. His laughter was a smile, and his speech was decisive, neither excessive nor deficient. The laughter of his companions in his presence was a smile, out of respect for him and emulation of him. His assembly was one of forbearance, modesty, goodness, and trustworthiness; voices were not raised therein, nor were sanctities violated ¹³⁹. When he spoke, his companions would lower their heads as if birds were perched on them. Ibn Abi Hala said: 'His silence, peace and blessings be upon him, was based on four things: forbearance, caution, estimation, and reflection.' Aisha, may God be pleased with her, said: 'He, peace and blessings be upon him, would speak in such a way that if someone counted his words, he could count them ¹⁴⁰. He loved perfume and pleasant fragrance, used them often, and encouraged others to do so.' Among his chivalrous acts, peace and blessings be upon him, were his prohibition of blowing on food and drink ¹⁴¹, his command to eat from what is nearest ¹⁴², his command to use the toothstick ¹⁴³, and to clean the knuckles ¹⁴⁴ and finger joints ¹⁴⁵. [His Asceticism in the World] As for his asceticism, peace be upon him, in the world, we have already provided sufficient evidence. It is enough proof of his scant regard for it and his turning away from its splendor that the world was brought to him in its entirety, and its conquests came to him successively, yet he died, peace and blessings be upon him, with his armor pawned with a Jew for his family's expenses ¹⁴⁶. He would pray, saying: 'O God, make the sustenance of the family of Muhammad sufficient for their needs' ¹⁴⁷. Aisha, may God be pleased with her, said: 'He, peace and blessings be upon him, never ate his fill of bread for three consecutive days until he passed away.' She also said: 'He left neither a dinar nor a dirham, nor a sheep nor a camel ¹⁴⁸. By God, he died and there was nothing in my house that a living creature could eat except a half barley loaf on a shelf of mine ¹⁴⁹. He said to me: 'I was offered that the valley of Mecca be turned into gold for me, but I said: No, my Lord, I will be hungry one day and full the next. On the day I am hungry, I will supplicate to You and call upon You, and on the day I am full, I will praise You and thank You' ¹⁵⁰. Aisha said: 'We, the family of Muhammad, would go for a month without lighting a fire; we had only dates and water' ¹⁵¹. Anas reported: 'He, peace and blessings be upon him, never ate from a dining cloth, nor from a small bowl, nor was thin bread baked for him, nor did he ever see a roasted sheep' ¹⁵². In a hadith of Hafsa: 'The bed of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, in his house was a coarse cloth which we folded double, and he would sleep on it. One night we folded it fourfold, and when morning came, he said: 'What have you spread for me?' We told him, and he said: 'Return it to its original state, for its softness kept me from my prayer last night' ¹⁵³. Aisha said: 'The stomach of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was never filled with food, nor did he complain to anyone. Poverty was dearer to him than wealth. He would go hungry, writhing all night from hunger, yet that did not prevent him from fasting during the day. If he had wished, he could have asked his Lord for all the treasures of the earth, its fruits, and its luxurious life. I would weep out of compassion for him due to what I saw, and I would rub my hand over his belly because of the hunger I saw, saying: 'May my soul be your ransom, if only you would take enough of the world to sustain you?' He would say: 'O Aisha, what have I to do with the world? My brothers among the resolute messengers ¹⁵⁴ endured what is more severe than this, and they passed on in their state, then came to their Lord, who honored them and gave them abundant reward. I would be ashamed if I lived in luxury and fell short of them tomorrow. Nothing is dearer to me than to join my brothers and friends.' She said: 'He did not remain after that except a few months until he died, may God's blessings and peace be upon him.' [His Fear of His Lord, His Obedience to Him, and His Intense Worship] As for his fear of his Lord, his obedience to Him, and his intense worship, it was commensurate with his knowledge of his Lord. Therefore he said: 'If you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much' ¹⁵⁵. 'I see what you do not see and hear what you do not hear. The heaven groans, and it has the right to groan; there is no space of four fingers in it except that an angel is prostrating his forehead to God. By God, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much, and you would not enjoy women on beds, and you would go out to the open spaces crying out to God Almighty. I wish I were a tree that is cut down' ¹⁵⁶. He, peace and blessings be upon him, would pray until his feet became swollen. It was said to him: 'Do you burden yourself like this when your past and future sins have been forgiven?' He said: 'Should I not be a grateful servant?' ¹⁵⁷. Aisha, may God be pleased with her, said: 'The work of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, was constant, and which of you can endure what he endured?' ¹⁵⁸. She also said: 'He would fast until we said he would not break his fast, and he would break his fast until we said he would not fast' ¹⁵⁹. Awf ibn Malik said: 'I was with the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, one night. He used the toothstick, then performed ablution, then stood to pray. I stood with him, and he began with Surah al-Baqara. He did not pass a verse of mercy without stopping and asking, nor a verse of punishment without stopping and seeking refuge. Then he bowed, and he remained in bowing for as long as he had stood, saying: 'Glory be to the Possessor of might, dominion, and majesty.' Then he prostrated, and said likewise. Then he recited Surah Al Imran, then another surah, doing the same' ¹⁶⁰. Some said: 'I came to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was praying, and his chest had a sound like the boiling of a pot' ¹⁶¹. In the description of Ibn Abi Hala: 'He was continuously sorrowful, always thoughtful, and had no rest' ¹⁶². Ali, may God be pleased with him, said: 'I asked the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, about his practice, and he said...'

1. باب : Chapter or section of a book.
2. أزهر اللون : Fair-skinned with a radiant complexion.
3. أدعج : Having large, black eyes with intense blackness.
4. أنجل : Wide-eyed, with large eyes.
5. أشكل : Having a reddish tint in the whites of the eyes.
6. أهدب الأشفار : Having long, thick eyelashes.
7. أبلج : Having a bright, radiant, and broad forehead.
8. أزج : Having arched, thin, and long eyebrows.
9. أقنى : Having a high-bridged nose with a slight curve.
10. أفلج : Having a gap between the front teeth.
11. عظيم المنكبين : Broad-shouldered, with large shoulders.
12. عبل : Thick, muscular, and fleshy.
13. سائل الأطراف : Having tapering extremities, i.e., fingers and toes that are long and slender.
14. أنور المتجرّد : Having a luminous body where uncovered, i.e., the skin was radiant.
15. دقيق المسربة : Having a fine, thin line of hair extending from the chest to the navel.
16. ربعة القد : Of medium stature, neither tall nor short.
17. الطويل البائن : Excessively tall.
18. القصير المتردّد : Short and stunted, with a disproportionate body.
19. رجل الشعر : Having wavy hair, neither straight nor curly.
20. مطهّم : Having a thick, fleshy neck.
21. مكلثم : Having a round, fleshy face.
22. ضرب اللحم : Having compact, firm flesh, not flabby.
23. ذي لمّة : Having long hair that reaches the earlobes or shoulders.
24. صلّى الله عليه وسلّم : May God bless him and grant him peace; a formula of respect used after mentioning the Prophet Muhammad.
25. عورات الجسد : Private parts or defects of the body.
26. بني الدّين على النظافة : Religion is built on cleanliness; a hadith emphasizing purity.
27. جؤنة : A chest or box used by perfumers to store perfumes.
28. طيبه : His fragrance; the Prophet's pleasant scent.
29. لا مرية : No doubt or uncertainty.
30. ثقوب فهمه : The penetration and sharpness of his understanding.
31. وَتَقَلُّبَكَ فِي السَّاجِدِينَ : Quran 26:219: 'And your movements among those who prostrate.'
32. يرى في الظلمة كما يرى في الضوء : He could see in the dark as in the light; a miraculous quality.
33. يعدّ في الثّريا أحد عشر نجما : He could count eleven stars in the Pleiades; indicating extraordinary eyesight.
34. صرع ركانة : He wrestled Rukana, a famous strongman, and threw him down.
35. غير مكترث : Unconcerned, not exerting himself.
36. تقلّعا : Walking with a brisk, lifting gait, as if pulling his feet from the ground.
37. ينحطّ من صبب : Descending a slope; walking with a forward-leaning, swift motion.
38. جوامع الكلم : Comprehensive words; concise speech conveying much meaning.
39. أقيال : Kings or rulers of Hadramawt in Yemen.
40. المسلمون تتكافأ دماؤهم... : A hadith: 'The blood of Muslims is equal; the lowest of them can grant protection; they are united against others.'
41. الناس كأسنان المشط : A hadith: 'People are like the teeth of a comb,' meaning all are equal.
42. المرء مع من أحبّ : A hadith: 'A person is with whom he loves.'
43. لا خير في صحبة من لا يرى لك ما ترى له : A saying: 'There is no good in the company of one who does not see for you what you see for him.'
44. الناس معادن : A hadith: 'People are like mines of gold and silver.'
45. ما هلك امرؤ عرف قدره : A saying: 'No one who knows his own worth is ruined.'
46. المستشار مؤتمن : A hadith: 'The one consulted is trusted.'
47. رحم الله عبدا قال خيرا فغنم، أو سكت فسلم : A saying: 'May God have mercy on a servant who speaks good and gains, or remains silent and is safe.'
48. أسلم تسلم، وأسلم يؤتك الله أجرك مرّتين : A hadith: 'Accept Islam and be safe; accept Islam and God will give you your reward twice.'
49. الموطؤون أكنافا : Those who are gentle, easy to get along with, and not harsh.
50. لعلّه كان يتكلّم بما لا يعنيه... : A saying: 'Perhaps he spoke about what did not concern him and was stingy with what would not enrich him.'
51. ذو الوجهين لا يكون عند الله وجيها : A hadith: 'The two-faced person will not be esteemed with God.'
52. قيل وقال، وكثرة السّؤال... : A hadith listing prohibitions: idle talk, excessive questioning, wasting wealth, etc.
53. اتق الله حيثما كنت... : A hadith: 'Fear God wherever you are, follow up a bad deed with a good deed, and treat people with good character.'
54. خير الأمور أوساطها : A saying: 'The best of affairs is the middle course.'
55. أحبب حبيبك هونا ما... : A saying: 'Love your beloved moderately, for one day he may become your enemy.'
56. الظلم ظلمات يوم القيامة : A hadith: 'Oppression is darkness on the Day of Resurrection.'
57. اللهم إني أسألك رحمة... : A supplication of the Prophet asking for mercy and various blessings.
58. وما يمنعني؟ وإنما نزل القران بلساني : The Prophet's statement: 'What would prevent me? The Quran was revealed in my tongue.'
59. أنا أفصح من نطق بالضاد... : The Prophet's statement: 'I am the most eloquent among those who speak the letter dad, but I am from Quraysh and was raised among Banu Sa'd.'
60. عارضة البادية وجزالتها : The strength and robustness of Bedouin speech.
61. صميمها : The pure, core lineage of Quraysh.
62. al-naham : Voracity; excessive eagerness for food.
63. khuthārat al-nafs : Coarseness or turbidity of the soul; spiritual dullness.
64. al-fasūla : Laziness; indolence.
65. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by al-Tirmidhi and others.
66. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
67. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by al-Bukhari.
68. mustawfiz muq‘iyyan : Squatting posture; sitting on the heels without leaning.
69. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by al-Bayhaqi.
70. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
71. Qur'an 3:45 : Reference to Jesus being distinguished in this world and the Hereafter.
72. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by Abu Dawud.
73. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by Ibn Majah.
74. anāfat rutbatihi : Loftiness of his rank; high station.
75. Sayyid walad Ādam : Master of the children of Adam; a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
76. hūwa : Pit; abyss.
77. al-nadhla : Baseness; lowliness.
78. hādāhu : Gave him gifts; from the root h-d-y.
79. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by al-Bukhari.
80. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
81. al-shamla : A woolen cloak or wrap.
82. al-burd : A striped outer garment or cloak.
83. al-dībāj al-mukhawwaṣ bi al-dhahab : Silk brocade embroidered with gold.
84. Qur'an 68:4 : Verse praising the Prophet's character.
85. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by Muslim.
86. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad.
87. Qur'an 7:199 : Verse commanding forgiveness and turning away from the ignorant.
88. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by al-Bayhaqi.
89. Qur'an 31:17 : Verse commanding patience.
90. Qur'an 24:22 : Verse urging forgiveness.
91. Qur'an 42:43 : Verse praising patience and forgiveness.
92. hafwa : Lapse; slip; mistake.
93. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
94. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
95. al-ṭulaqā’ : Those set free; the people of Mecca whom the Prophet pardoned.
96. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
97. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by Abu Dawud.
98. Hadith : Prophetic tradition; reported by Muslim.
99. ar-riḥ al-mursalah : The sent wind; a metaphor for swiftness and abundance in generosity.
100. taḥmil al-kull wa taksib al-maʿdūm : You carry the burden (of others) and earn for the destitute; i.e., you support the needy and provide for the lacking.
101. bi-hādhā umirtu : I have been commanded to do this; referring to spending without fear of poverty.
102. al-kumāh : The brave; plural of kumayt, meaning a courageous warrior.
103. ashjaʿ, anjad, ajwad, arḍā : Braver, more valiant, more generous, more pleasing.
104. ashadd al-nās baʾsan : The most severe of people in combat; i.e., the fiercest warrior.
105. lan turāʿū : Do not be alarmed; a reassurance given to the people.
106. ashadd ḥayāʾ min al-ʿadhrāʾ fī khidrihā : More modest than a virgin in her seclusion; a comparison emphasizing extreme modesty.
107. mā bāl aqwām : What is wrong with people; a rhetorical question used to criticize behavior without naming individuals.
108. lā fāḥishan wa lā mutafaḥḥishan : Not obscene nor using obscene language; avoiding vulgarity.
109. alyanuhum ʿarīkah : The gentlest in disposition; ʿarīkah refers to nature or temperament.
110. Ibn Abī Hālah : A companion known for describing the Prophet's physical and moral attributes.
111. Qur'an 3:159 : A verse commanding leniency, forgiveness, and consultation.
112. Qur'an 41:34 : A verse instructing to repel evil with good.
113. kurāʿ : A trotter; the lower part of an animal's leg, considered a humble gift.
114. mādda rijlayhi : Stretching his legs; a posture of relaxation that he avoided in company.
115. Qur'an 9:128 : A verse describing the Prophet's compassion and mercy.
116. Qur'an 21:107 : A verse stating that the Prophet was sent as a mercy to all worlds.
117. salīm al-ṣadr : Sound of heart; free from rancor or ill feelings.
118. yatakhawwalunā bi-l-mawʿiẓah : He would admonish us at intervals; i.e., he spaced out advice to avoid boredom.
119. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī al-Ḥamsāʾ : A companion who had dealings with the Prophet before prophethood.
120. shaqaqta ʿalayya : You have caused me trouble; expressing mild reproach for the delay.
121. ṣadīqah li-Khadījah : A friend of Khadijah; the Prophet maintained ties with her friends after her death.
122. ukāfiʾuhum : I repay them; i.e., reciprocate their kindness.
123. taḥmil al-kall : You carry the burden; i.e., support the weak and needy.
124. nuwwāb al-ḥaqq : Calamities of truth; i.e., hardships that befall people.
125. nabiyyan ʿabdan : A prophet-servant; the Prophet chose the status of a servant over a king.
126. al-aʿājim : The non-Arabs; specifically Persians and Byzantines who practiced excessive veneration.
127. ākulu kamā yaʾkulu al-ʿabd : I eat as a servant eats; emphasizing simplicity and humility.
128. lā tuṭrūnī : Do not exaggerate in praising me; warning against excessive veneration.
129. lā riyāʾa fīhi wa lā sumʿah : No hypocrisy or reputation-seeking; sincerity in worship.
130. badanah : A sacrificial camel; plural budn.
131. qādimatuhu : The front of the saddle; the Prophet bowed so low that his head nearly touched it.
132. ṣāḥib al-shayʾ aḥaqq bi-shayʾihi an yaḥmilah : The owner of the thing has more right to carry it; refusing help to maintain humility.
133. muḥāddūhu wa ʿidāhu : His opponents and enemies; those who opposed him.
134. lā yamliku riqqahā : Whom he does not own as a slave; i.e., he never touched a non-mahram woman.
135. yawm al-faza' al-akbar : The Day of the Great Terror, a reference to the Day of Judgment when people will be in great fear.
136. la ya'khudhu ahadan bi dhanbi ahad : He would not hold anyone accountable for another's sin, meaning he did not practice collective punishment.
137. awqar al-nas : The most dignified of people; 'awqar' implies gravity and composure.
138. ihtaba bi-yadayh : To sit with arms clasped around the knees, a posture of humility and composure.
139. tu'ban : From 'ta'bīn', meaning to defame or speak ill of someone, especially in their absence.
140. law 'addahu al-'add li-ahsahu : If someone counted his words, they could count them, indicating his speech was measured and not excessive.
141. al-nafkh fi al-ta'am wa al-sharab : Blowing on food or drink to cool it, which is discouraged due to hygiene and etiquette.
142. al-akl mimma yali : Eating from what is nearest, a rule of table manners to avoid reaching across.
143. al-siwak : A toothstick, traditionally from the arak tree, used for oral hygiene.
144. inqa' al-barajim : Cleaning the knuckles, i.e., the joints of the fingers, to remove dirt.
145. al-rawajib : The finger joints, specifically the middle joints of the fingers.
146. dir'uhu marhunah 'inda yahudi : His armor was pawned with a Jew, indicating his poverty despite being the leader of the Muslim community.
147. qutan : Sufficient sustenance, just enough to meet basic needs.
148. la dinaran wa la dirhaman : Neither a dinar (gold coin) nor a dirham (silver coin), meaning he left no wealth.
149. shatr sha'ir : Half a barley loaf, indicating extreme simplicity.
150. batha' Makka : The valley of Mecca, a reference to the entire area.
151. ma nastawqidu naran : We would not light a fire, meaning they had no cooked food.
152. khubz lahu murapqaq : Thin bread, i.e., refined bread; 'samit' refers to a roasted sheep.
153. masah : A coarse cloth, often made of hair or wool.
154. ulu al-'azm : The resolute messengers, a term for the prophets who showed great perseverance (e.g., Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad).
155. law ta'lamuna ma a'lam : If you knew what I know, a hadith emphasizing the Prophet's awareness of the afterlife.
156. shajara tu'ḍad : A tree that is cut down, expressing a wish to be free from worldly responsibilities.
157. afala akunu 'abdan shakuran : Should I not be a grateful servant? Indicating that gratitude is expressed through worship.
158. dima : Constant, regular, without interruption.
159. yasumu hatta naqul la yufṭir : He would fast so much that we thought he would never break his fast, and vice versa.
160. subhan dhi al-jabarut wa al-malakut wa al-'aẓama : Glory be to the Possessor of might, dominion, and majesty; a phrase of glorification.
161. aziz ka-aziz al-mirjal : A sound like the boiling of a pot, indicating intense weeping or inner turmoil during prayer.
162. mutawasil al-ahzan : Continuously sorrowful, reflecting his concern for his community and the afterlife.

His miracles, peace be upon him [1]

Knowledge is my capital, intellect is the foundation of my religion, love is my foundation, longing is my mount, remembrance of God is my companion, trust is my treasure. Sorrow is my friend. Knowledge is my weapon. Patience is my cloak. Contentment is my gain, poverty is my pride, asceticism is my craft, certainty is my strength, truthfulness is my intercessor, obedience is my sufficiency, striving is my nature, the delight of my eye is in prayer, and the fruit of my heart is in His remembrance. My concern is for my community. My longing is for my Lord.” ¹ May God reward him, a prophet for his community, with good, and may God have mercy on a servant who contemplates these noble qualities and beautiful traits, holds fast to them, and follows the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, to attain his intercession on the Day of the Great Terror and earn God’s pleasure. So we ask You, O God, for success in that which is good, by Your grace and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful. His Miracles ², peace be upon him When one reflects on what we have presented of the beautiful impact of this noble master, his praiseworthy conduct, the brilliance of his knowledge, the soundness of his intellect and forbearance, the totality of his perfection, all his traits, the witness of his state, and the correctness of his speech, he will not doubt ³ the truth of his prophethood and the sincerity of his call. This has sufficed for many in their acceptance of Islam and faith in him, such as ‘Abdullah ibn Salam. He said: When the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, arrived in Medina, I came to look at him; when I clearly saw his face, I knew that his face was not the face of a liar. Muslim narrated that when Dimad came to him, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him: “Indeed, praise is due to God; we praise Him and seek His help. Whomever God guides, none can lead astray, and whomever He leads astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but God alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.” Dimad said to him: “Repeat these words to me, for they have reached the depth of the sea. Give me your hand so that I may pledge allegiance to you.” When the king of Oman was informed that the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, was calling him to Islam, he said: “By God, this unlettered Prophet has indicated to me that he does not command anything good without being the first to act upon it, nor does he forbid anything without being the first to abandon it. He conquers but does not become arrogant, he is overcome but does not become impatient, he fulfills covenants, and he delivers on promises. I bear witness that he is a prophet.” Ibn Rawaha said: “If there were no clear signs in him, his appearance alone would inform you of the news.” How could it be otherwise, when God has manifested through his hands, in confirmation of his call, miracles beyond count? He is the most miraculous of the prophets and the clearest in proof. In this chapter, we will mention for you such miracles as will delight your eye and increase your certainty, as reported by a great multitude of the Companions, may God be pleased with them, and recorded by hadith scholars in their authentic collections. We begin with the most manifest in importance and the clearest in exposition: the Noble Qur’an and its inimitability. [The Inimitability of the Noble Qur’an] Know that the Mighty Book of God contains many aspects of inimitability, which can be summarized into four types: [First: Its beautiful composition, the harmony of its words, its eloquence, its conciseness, and its surpassing eloquence that defied the custom of the Arabs.] For they were the masters of this art, the knights of speech, endowed with eloquence and wisdom as no other nation had been, given a sharpness of tongue ⁴ that no human had been given, and a decisive speech that captivated minds. God made this innate and natural to them, a gift and a power, so that they could produce wonders extemporaneously and use it for every purpose. They would improvise speeches in assemblies and during severe ordeals, recite rajaz poetry ⁵ amidst thrusting and striking, praise and disparage, seek means and attain goals, elevate and debase. They produced what was considered lawful magic ⁶, and adorned their descriptions with the most beautiful necklace of pearls ⁷, deceiving minds, making difficulties easy, removing grudges ⁸, stirring up embers ⁹, emboldening the coward, and extending the hand of the knotty-fingered ¹⁰. They turned the deficient into perfect and left the eminent obscure. Among them was the Bedouin with his forceful speech ¹¹, decisive words, magnificent language, innate nobility, and strong style ¹²; and among them was the city-dweller with his brilliant eloquence, lucid expressions, comprehensive words, easy style, and effortless yet highly polished and refined speech. Both possessed compelling argument, overwhelming power, a winning arrow ¹³, and a clear path ¹⁴. They had no doubt that speech was subject to their will and eloquence was under their control; they had mastered its arts, extracted its gems, entered every door, and ascended every pinnacle to attain its means. They spoke of the important and the trivial, diversified in the worthless and the valuable, debated in little and much, and competed in poetry and prose. They were only startled by a noble Messenger with a Mighty Book, “Falsehood cannot approach it from before or behind it; [it is] a revelation from the Wise and Praiseworthy” ¹⁵. Its verses are perfected, its words detailed, its eloquence overwhelms minds, its clarity surpasses every utterance, its conciseness and inimitability reinforce each other, its literal and figurative meanings are manifest, its openings and endings vie in beauty, its comprehensive and novel expressions encompass all eloquence, its beautiful composition is balanced despite its conciseness, and its choice wording corresponds to its abundant benefits. They were at their most expansive in this field, most famous in oratory, most prolific in extemporaneous saj‘ and poetry ¹⁶, and most extensive in rare words and language. [The Qur’an came] in their own language, which they used to converse, and in their own styles, in which they competed, proclaiming at all times and challenging them for twenty-three years before the eyes of the entire elite: “Or do they say, ‘He invented it’? Say, ‘Then bring forth a surah like it and call upon whomever you can besides God, if you are truthful’” ¹⁷; “And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant, then produce a surah the like thereof and call your witnesses besides God, if you are truthful. But if you do not—and you will never [be able to]” ¹⁷; “Say, ‘If mankind and the jinn gathered together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants’” ¹⁸; “Say, ‘Then bring ten surahs like it that have been invented’” ¹⁹. He continued to rebuke them severely, reproach them intensely, belittle their intellects, lower their standards, disrupt their order, condemn their fathers and themselves, and declare their lands, homes, and wealth permissible, while they throughout all this retreated from opposing it ²⁰, refrained from imitating it, deluding themselves with clamor of denial, accusation of fabrication, and their saying: “This is not but magic transmitted ²¹,” “Persistent magic ²²,” “A lie he has invented ²³,” “Legends of the former peoples ²⁴,” and with bluffing and accepting humiliation, such as their saying: “Our hearts are wrapped ²⁵,” “In coverings from that to which you call us, and in our ears is deafness, and between us and you is a partition ²⁶,” “Do not listen to this Qur’an and speak noisily during it ²⁷,” and their claim despite inability: “If we willed, we could say the like of this ²⁸.” But He said to them: “You will never [be able to] ²⁹.” They did not do it, nor were they able. Whoever among their fools attempted it, like Musaylima, exposed his defect to all of them, and God stripped them of the eloquent speech they were accustomed to; otherwise, it was not hidden from those of discernment ³⁰ among them that it was not of the same type as their eloquence nor of the same kind as their rhetoric. Rather, they turned away from it in retreat, while those who were guided or deluded came to it in submission. If you contemplate His words: “And there is for you in legal retribution [saving of] life ³¹,” and His words: “If you could but see when they are terrified, and there is no escape, and they are seized from a place nearby ³²,” and His words: “Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend ³³,” and His words: “And it was said, ‘O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain].’ And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and the ship came to rest on the [mountain of] Judiyy. And it was said, ‘Away with the wrongdoing people ³⁴,” and His words: “So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast, and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And God would not have wronged them, but they were wronging themselves ³⁵,” and similar verses—indeed, most of the verses of the Qur’an—confirm what I have explained: the conciseness of their wording, the abundance of their meanings, the elegance of their expression, the beautiful arrangement of their letters, the harmony of their words, and that beneath every word lie many sentences, numerous sections, and abundant sciences; volumes have been filled with some of what has been derived from them, and numerous treatises have been written on what has been extracted from them. Moreover, in the narration of long stories and accounts of bygone nations—where eloquence usually falters and the water of rhetoric dries up—it is a sign for the contemplative: the coherence of speech, the harmony of its narration, and the balance of its aspects, such as the story of Joseph despite its length. Then, when its stories are repeated, the expressions vary despite their frequent repetition, until each one almost makes the other forgotten in eloquence. They balance in beauty when compared, and there is no aversion in souls to their repetition, nor hostility to their recurrence. [The Second Aspect of the Qur’an’s Inimitability: The Form of Its Wondrous Composition] and its unique style, different from the styles of Arab speech and the methods of their poetry and prose, upon which it came; the endings of its verses and the breaks of its words are fixed upon it; no parallel to it was found before or after, nor could anyone imitate anything of it. Rather, their intellects were bewildered by it, their minds were confounded ³⁶ by it, and they could not find its like in any genre of their speech—prose, poetry, saj‘, rajaz, or verse. Inimitability lies in each of the two types: conciseness and eloquence in themselves, or the unique style in itself. Each is a type of inimitability in truth; the Arabs were unable to produce either, for each is beyond their capacity and distinct from their eloquence and speech. The Third Aspect of Inimitability: What It Contains of Reports of the Unseen and of what was not and did not happen, yet it occurred as reported and in the manner described, such as His words: “You will surely enter the Sacred Mosque, if God wills, in safety ³⁷,” and His words concerning the Romans: “And they, after their defeat, will overcome within a few years ³⁸,” and His words: “That He may make it prevail over all religion ³⁹,” and His words: “God has promised”

Those who believe among you and do righteous deeds, He will surely grant them succession ⁴⁰ in the land, just as He granted succession to those before them, and He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and He will surely replace their fear with security ⁴¹ (40). And His saying: "When the victory of Allah and the conquest ⁴² comes, and you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes" (41). All of this occurred as He informed: the Romans ⁴³ overcame the Persians within a few years, and people entered Islam in multitudes, and the dominion of the Muslims expanded until at one time it stretched from the farthest lands of Andalusia ⁴⁴ in the west to the farthest reaches of India in the east, and from the lands of Anatolia ⁴⁵ in the north to the farthest reaches of the Sudan ⁴⁶ in the south. And His saying: "Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder ⁴⁷, and indeed, We will be its guardian" (42). And so it has been until now, praise be to Allah. And His saying: "The assembly will be defeated, and they will turn their backs" (43). And so it was at Badr ⁴⁸, and the verse was revealed in Mecca. And His saying: "Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands" (44). And so it was, as the reader of this biography ⁴⁹ will see, including the disclosure of the secrets of the hypocrites and the Jews, their sayings and their lies in their oaths, such as His saying: "And they say within themselves, 'Why does Allah not punish us for what we say?'" (45) And His saying: "They conceal within themselves what they do not disclose to you" (46) And His saying: "Among those who are Jews, they distort words from their [proper] places and say, 'We hear and disobey' and 'Hear but be not heard' and 'Ra'ina ⁵⁰,' twisting their tongues and defaming the religion" (47), and other clear verses. [The Fourth Aspect: What He Informed of the Accounts of Past Generations] And of the extinct nations and the vanished laws ⁵¹, such that not even a single story was known except to the rare few among the learned of the People of the Book ⁵², who spent their lives learning it. Yet he, peace and blessings be upon him, would relate it accurately and present it verbatim, so that the scholar would acknowledge its correctness and truth, and that the like of it could not have been attained through teaching. And they knew that he, peace and blessings be upon him, was unlettered ⁵³, unable to read or write, and had not engaged in study or companionship; he was not absent from them, nor was his condition unknown to any of them. And the People of the Book would often ask him, peace and blessings be upon him, about this, and there would be revealed to him from the Qur'an that which he would recite to them as a reminder: such as the stories of the prophets, the beginning of creation, and what is in the previous scriptures, which the scholars among them confirmed, and they were unable to deny what was mentioned of it. And it is not reported that any of them showed opposition to his words from their books, nor produced any sound or unsound [text] from their scrolls after he rebuked and reproached them with His saying: "Say, 'Bring the Torah and recite it, if you are truthful'" (49). And among the evidence that the People of the Book knew of his truthfulness is what Allah challenged them with in His saying: "Say, 'If the abode of the Hereafter with Allah is exclusively for you, not for [other] people, then wish for death, if you are truthful'" (50). Then He confirmed their lack of response with His saying: "But they will never wish for it, ever, because of what their hands have put forth" (51). And no one among them was heard to wish for that, even with his tongue, despite their being the most eager to deny him. Similar to that is what the people of Najran ⁵⁴ did when he called them to mutual cursing ⁵⁵, and they refused, as we have mentioned in the chapter on their delegation. And among the evidence that this Qur'an is not the speech of humans is the awe that seizes the hearts of its listeners, and the reverence that overcomes them upon its recitation, due to its powerful nature and lofty status; and it is even greater upon those who deny it, to the point that they found it burdensome to hear and it increased their aversion. For this reason, he, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The Qur'an is difficult and arduous for those who dislike it, and it is the judge ⁵⁶." As for the believer, his awe and reverence for it, while reciting it, never ceases to attract him and bestow upon him a freshness ⁵⁷ due to his heart's inclination and belief in it. Allah Almighty said: "Their skins shiver from fear of their Lord, then their skins and their hearts soften at the remembrance of Allah" (56). And He said: "If We had sent down this Qur'an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and split asunder from fear of Allah" (57). And among the aspects of the Qur'an's inimitability ⁵⁸ is that it is an enduring miracle, never ceasing as long as the world remains, with Allah guaranteeing its preservation, for He said: "Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian" (58). And He said: "Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it" (59). The other miracles of the prophets ended with their times, leaving only their reports ⁵⁹, while the Qur'an, up to our time, remains a compelling proof, its challenge ⁶⁰ unattainable. All ages are full of people of eloquence, bearers of linguistic knowledge, masters of rhetoric, knights of speech, and geniuses of excellence, and among them are many heretics and adversaries of the law, yet none have produced anything effective in opposing it, nor composed two words to contradict it, nor been able to find a valid criticism, nor has the one who strains his mind been able to strike a spark from a flint ⁶¹ in that regard. Rather, what is reported of everyone who attempted that is that they threw themselves into helplessness and retreated on their heels ⁶². And let us conclude this chapter with his hadith, peace and blessings be upon him, about the Qur'an: "Indeed, Allah has sent down this Qur'an as a command and a deterrent, as a precedent ⁶³ and a parable. In it is your news, the news of those before you, the news of those after you, and the judgment between you. It is not worn out by frequent repetition, nor do its wonders cease. It is the truth, not jest. Whoever speaks according to it speaks truth, whoever judges by it is just, whoever argues by it prevails, whoever judges by it is equitable, whoever acts by it is rewarded, whoever holds fast to it is guided to a straight path, and whoever seeks guidance from other than it, Allah leads astray. Whoever judges by other than it, Allah destroys. It is the wise Reminder, the clear light, the straight path, the strong rope of Allah, the beneficial cure, a protection for whoever holds fast to it, and a salvation for whoever follows it. It does not deviate to be straightened, nor does it swerve to be corrected ⁶⁴. Its wonders do not cease, nor does it wear out by frequent repetition." And among his miracles, peace and blessings be upon him: the splitting of the moon ⁶⁵, and we have already presented its hadith in full. And among his miracles, peace and blessings be upon him: the gushing of water from between his fingers, and its multiplication through his blessing. This has been reported by a great multitude of the Companions, including Anas, Jabir, and Ibn Mas'ud. Anas said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when the time for the afternoon prayer came, and the people sought water for ablution but found none. Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was brought some water for ablution, and he placed his hand in the vessel and ordered the people to perform ablution from it." He said: "I saw water gushing from between his fingers, and the people performed ablution until all of them had done so." It was asked: "How many were you?" He said: "About three hundred ⁶⁶." Ibn Mas'ud said: "While we were with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and we had no water, he said to us: 'Look for someone who has extra water.' So water was brought and he poured it into a vessel, then placed his palm in it, and water began to gush from between his fingers ⁶⁷." Jabir said: "The people became thirsty on the day of Hudaybiyyah ⁶⁸, and the Messenger of Allah had a small leather water-skin in front of him. He performed ablution from it, and the people came towards him, saying: 'We have no water except what is in your water-skin.' So the Prophet placed his hand in the water-skin, and water began to flow from between his fingers like springs." It was asked: "How many were you?" He said: "If we had been a hundred thousand, it would have sufficed us. We were fifteen hundred ⁶⁹." This story has been reported by a great number of Companions. Such incidents, in these crowded places and large gatherings, cannot be subject to suspicion regarding the narrator, because they were the quickest to deny him, due to the nature of human souls, and because they were not ones to remain silent about falsehood. These people reported this, spread it, and attributed the presence of a great multitude ⁷⁰ to it, and no one among the people denied what they narrated about themselves having done and witnessed. Thus, it became as if all of them confirmed it. Similar to this is the gushing of water through his blessing, and its emission by his touch and prayer, as reported by Mu'adh ibn Jabal in the story of the expedition of Tabuk ⁷¹: they came to a spring that was oozing a little water like a shoestring, so they scooped water from the spring with their hands until it collected in something. Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, washed his face and hands in it, and returned it to the spring, and it flowed with abundant water, and the people drank. In the narration of Ibn Ishaq: "Water burst forth with a sound like thunder, then he said: 'O Mu'adh, if you live long, you will see this place filled with gardens ⁷².'" We have already mentioned this in the expedition of Tabuk. It is also reported from al-Bara' and Salama ibn al-Akwa' about the multiplication of the water of the well of Hudaybiyyah through his prayer, peace and blessings be upon him. And Abu Qatada reported that the people complained to the Messenger of Allah about thirst on one of his journeys, so he called for a small vessel of water, placed it under his armpit, then put his mouth to its mouth—Allah knows whether he blew into it or not—and the people drank until they were satisfied, and filled every vessel they had. It seemed to me that it was as it was when he took it from me. And they were seventy-two men ⁷³. Similar stories have been reported by many Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, in various places, such that no one can doubt their truth after the reliable narrators have concurred in reporting them. And among these is the multiplication of food through his blessing and prayer, peace and blessings be upon him. Abu Talha reported that he, peace and blessings be upon him, fed eighty—or seventy—men from barley loaves that Anas brought under his arm, and he, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered them to be crumbled and said over them what Allah willed ⁷⁴. Jabir reported that he, peace and blessings be upon him, fed a thousand men on the day of the Trench ⁷⁵ from a sa' ⁷⁶ of barley and a young goat. Jabir said: "I swear by Allah, they ate until they left it and turned away, while our pot was bubbling as it was, and our dough was being baked." And he, peace and blessings be upon him, had spat into the dough and the pot, and blessed ⁷⁷. Abu Ayyub reported that he prepared food for the Messenger of Allah and Abu Bakr that would suffice them both, but he, peace and blessings be upon him, fed one hundred and eighty men from it ⁷⁸. Similar reports are found from many Companions, such as 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, Salama ibn al-Akwa', Abu Hurayra, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with them all. [And among his miracles, peace be upon him, is the story of the moaning of the palm trunk ⁷⁹.] Jabir ibn 'Abdullah said: "The mosque was roofed with palm trunks, and when he, peace and blessings be upon him, would deliver the sermon, he would stand..."

A trunk of it, and when the pulpit was made for him, we heard from that trunk a sound like the sound of a pregnant she-camel. In the narration of Anas: until the mosque shook with its bellowing. In the narration of Sahl: and the people wept much when they saw him in that state ⁸⁰. In the narration of al-Muttalib: until it cracked and split, until the Prophet ﷺ came and placed his hand on it, and it became silent. Another added: He ﷺ said, 'This wept for what it has lost of the remembrance [of Allah]' ⁸¹. Another added: 'By Him in Whose hand is my soul, if I had not embraced it, it would have remained like this until the Day of Resurrection, grieving for the Messenger of Allah.' So he ordered it to be buried under the pulpit. This hadith is recorded by the reliable scholars. Many Companions narrated it, and it was narrated from them by some Successors whom they considered weak. But for those concerned with this subject, knowledge is attained through the multitude of narrators. And Allah is the One Who establishes the truth. [Among his miracles, peace be upon him: healing the sick and those with disabilities.] On the day of Uhud, the eye of Qatada ibn al-Nu'man was injured until it fell onto his cheek. He ﷺ returned it, and it became the best and sharpest of his two eyes ⁸². He spat on the wound of an arrow in the face of Abu Qatada on the day of Dhu Qarad, and it neither festered nor suppurated ⁸³. Ibn Mula'ib al-Asinna suffered from dropsy, so he sent to the Prophet ﷺ. He took a handful of earth, spat on it, then gave it to his messenger. He took it, astonished, thinking he was being mocked, and brought it to him while he was on the verge of death. He drank it, and Allah cured him ⁸⁴. The hadith of Ali and his eye ailment during the expedition of Khaybar has preceded, and many other such things that our pen cannot count, narrated by trustworthy Muslim scholars. As for what Allah granted him of answered supplications, it is narrated from Anas ibn Malik: My mother Sulaym said, 'O Messenger of Allah, your servant Anas, supplicate to Allah for him.' He said, 'O Allah, increase his wealth and children, and bless him in what You have given him.' Anas said, 'By Allah, my wealth is abundant, and my children and grandchildren are counted today at nearly one hundred ⁸⁵.' He supplicated for 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf for blessing, so that the share of each of his four wives from his estate was eighty thousand. He once gave charity with a caravan ⁸⁶ containing seven hundred camels. A caravan came to him carrying everything, so he gave it in charity along with its loads, saddles, and saddlecloths ⁸⁷. He supplicated for Mu'awiya for authority in the land, so he attained the caliphate ⁸⁸. He supplicated for Sa'd for answered supplication. He never supplicated against anyone except that it was answered ⁸⁹. His supplication for 'Umar ibn al-Khattab that Allah strengthen Islam through him has preceded ⁹⁰. He said to Abu Qatada, 'May your face prosper! O Allah, bless his hair and skin.' He died at the age of seventy, looking like a fifteen-year-old ⁹¹. His answered supplications, peace be upon him, are too many to count; the reader of this biography will come across them. As for what Allah revealed to him of knowledge of what was not [yet], it is well-known. Hudhayfa, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood among us and gave a speech. He left nothing that would happen from that time until the Day of Resurrection except that he mentioned it. Those who memorized it memorized it, and those who forgot it forgot it. My companions here know it. Indeed, something happens and I recognize it and remember it, just as a man recognizes the face of a man when he is absent and then sees him ⁹². I do not know if my companions forgot or pretended to forget. By Allah, he ﷺ left no leader of tribulation until the end of the world, with three hundred or more followers, except that he named him for us, along with his father's name and his tribe ⁹³. The reliable scholars and imams have recorded what he informed his companions of, such as their victory over their enemies ⁹⁴, the conquest of Mecca ⁹⁵, Jerusalem ⁹⁶, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, the prevalence of security until a woman travels from al-Hira to Mecca fearing none but Allah ⁹⁷, that Medina will be attacked ⁹⁸, that Khaybar will be conquered by 'Ali the next day ⁹⁹, what Allah will open for his nation of the world, they will be given its splendor ¹⁰⁰, and the division of the treasures of Chosroes and Caesar ¹⁰¹. We have already presented much of this in this biography. We have also presented what is in the Qur'an regarding this. This suffices us from elaboration in this context; what you have heard is enough. Among what enlightens your insight, O reader, is what Allah bestowed upon our Messenger of protection from people and sufficiency from their harm. Allah said: 'And Allah will protect you from the people' ¹⁰², and 'And be patient for the judgment of your Lord, for indeed you are under Our eyes' ¹⁰³, and 'Is not Allah sufficient for His servant?' ¹⁰⁴, and 'Indeed, We have sufficed you the mockers' ¹⁰⁵. When 'And Allah will protect you from the people' was revealed, he dismissed his guards and said: 'Leave, for my Lord, Mighty and Majestic, has protected me' ¹⁰⁶. We have already mentioned the hadith of Du'thur and his attempt to kill the Prophet ﷺ, and Allah's protection of our Prophet. We have mentioned much of what happened with Abu Jahl when he tried to plot against the Messenger, and Allah sufficed him from his evil. And what He bestowed upon him on the night of the Hijra, and the hadith of Suraqa on the road. In summary, it suffices us from this chapter that he ﷺ remained among the enemies of the religion in Mecca for thirteen years, and among their likes of hypocrites and Jews for ten years. No one was able to cause him harm, peace be upon him. Rather, his Lord sufficed him from the evil of his enemies until He made the religion manifest and completed it. And praise be to Allah, praise that matches His blessings and equals His increase. We ask Him to guide the reader of this biography to follow the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions and supporters. Contents Introduction to the Third Edition 3 Noble Lineage 6 Marriage of 'Abdullah to Amina and Her Pregnancy 9 Breastfeeding 10 Incident of the Splitting of the Chest 11 Death of Amina, Custody of 'Abd al-Muttalib, His Death, and Custody of Abu Talib 11 Journey to Syria (First Time) 13 War of Fujjar 13 Alliance of al-Fudul 14 His Journey to Syria (Second Time) 15 His Marriage to Khadija 15 Building of the House 16 His Life, peace be upon him, before the Mission 18 His Conduct among His People before the Mission 19 What Allah Honored Him with before Prophethood 20 Announcement of the Torah about Him 21 Announcement of the Gospel 23 Movement of Ideas before the Mission 24 Beginning of Revelation 25 Interval of Revelation 28 Return of Revelation 28 Secret Call 29 Open Preaching 35 Persecution 38 Conversion of Hamza 43 First Migration to Abyssinia 51 Conversion of 'Umar 51 Return of the Migrants to Abyssinia 52 Writing of the Document 55 Second Migration to Abyssinia 55 Abrogation of the Document 56 Delegation of Najran 57 Death of Khadija, may Allah be pleased with her 58 Marriage to Sawda 58 Marriage to 'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her 59 Journey to Ta'if 60 Seeking Protection from al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi 62 Delegation of Daws 62 The Night Journey and Ascension 63 Presentation to the Tribes 66 Beginning of the Conversion of the Ansar 67 First Pledge of 'Aqaba 67 Second Pledge of 'Aqaba 69 Migration of the Muslims to Medina 70 House of al-Nadwa 71 Migration of the Chosen One ﷺ 72 Staying in Quba' 75 Migration of the Prophets 76 Deeds of Mecca 76 Mosque of Quba' 77 Arrival in Medina 78 First Friday 78 Staying with Abu Ayyub 79 Settlement of the Muhajirun 80 Brotherhood in Islam 80 Migration of the Family of the Prophet 81 Fever of Medina 81 Prevention of the Weak from Migration 81 Beginning of the Call to Prayer 84 Jews of Medina 86 Hypocrites 87 Treaty with the Jews 88 Legitimacy of Fighting 88 Beginning of Fighting 90 Expedition of 'Ubayda ibn al-Harith 90 Expedition 91 Deaths 91 Second Year: Expedition of Waddan 93 Expedition of Buwat 93 Expedition of al-'Ushayra 94 First Expedition of Badr 94 Expedition of 'Abdullah ibn Jahsh 95 Change of Qibla 96 Fasting of Ramadan 96 Charity of Fitr 97 Zakat on Wealth 97 Great Battle of Badr 97 Captives of Badr 107 Ransom 108 Rebuke concerning Ransom 112 Expedition of Qaynuqa' 113 Expulsion of Qaynuqa' 114 Expedition of al-Sawiq 114 Prayer of 'Eid 115 Marriage of 'Ali to Fatima, peace be upon them 115 Third Year 116 Killing of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf 116 Expedition of Ghatafan 118 Expedition of Bahran 118 Expedition of Zayd ibn Haritha to al-Qarda 119 Battle of Uhud 119 Expedition of Hamra' al-Asad 127 Events 128 Expedition of Abu Salama to Qatan 130 Expedition of Bi'r Ma'una 132 Expedition of Banu al-Nadir 133 Expedition of Dhat al-Riqa' 134 Expedition of Badr al-Akhira 135 Events 136 Expedition of Banu al-Mustaliq 137 Hadith of the Slander 140 Battle of the Trench 144 Deception in War 147 Defeat of the Confederates 148 Expedition of Banu Qurayza 149 Marriage of Zaynab bint Jahsh 151 Hijab 153 Obligation of Hajj 156 Expedition of Banu Lihyan 158 Expedition of al-Ghaba 158 Expedition of 'Ukasha ibn Mihsan to al-Ghamr 159 Expedition of Muhammad ibn Salama to Dhi al-Qassa 160 Expedition of Zayd ibn Haritha to al-Jumum 160 Expedition of Zayd ibn Haritha to al-'Is 161 Expedition of Zayd ibn Haritha to al-Taraf 161 Expedition of Zayd ibn Haritha to Wadi al-Qura 161 Expedition of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf to Dumat al-Jandal 162 Expedition of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib to Banu Sa'd 162 Killing of Abu Rafi' 163 Expedition of 'Abdullah ibn Rawaha to Usayr ibn Rizam 164 Story of 'Ukl and 'Urayna 164 Expedition of 'Umar ibn Umayya al-Damri to Abu Sufyan 165 Expedition of al-Hudaybiya 166 Pledge of Ridwan 169 Treaty of al-Hudaybiya 169 Correspondence with Kings 172 Letter to Caesar 173 Hadith of Abu Sufyan 173 Letter to the Governor of Busra 175 Letter to al-Harith ibn Abi Shamr 175 Letter to al-Muqawqis 175 Letter to the Negus 176 Letter to Chosroes 177 Letter to al-Mundhir ibn Sawa 178 Letter to the Kings of 'Uman 178 Letter to Hawdha ibn 'Ali 179 Marriage to Safiyya 183 Prohibition of Temporary Marriage 183 Return of the Migrants to Abyssinia 184 Conquest of Fadak 184 Treaty of Tayma' 184 Conquest of Wadi al-Qura 184 Conversion of Khalid and His Two Companions 185 Expedition of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab to Turaba 185 Expedition of Bashir ibn Sa'd 186 Expedition of Bashir to Banu Murra 186 Expedition of Ibn Sa'd to Yaman and Jabbar 187 'Umrat al-Qada' 187 Marriage to Maymuna 188 Eighth Year 189 Expedition of Ghailib ibn 'Abdullah al-Laythi to Banu al-Mulawwah 189 Expedition of Ghailib ibn 'Abdullah and Bashir ibn Sa'd to Fadak 190 Battle of Mu'ta 190 Expedition of Ka'b ibn 'Umayr al-Ghifari 192 Expedition of al-Khabt to Dhat Atlah 193 Conquest of the Great Victory 194 Pardon at the Time of Power 199 Delegation of Ka'b ibn Zuhayr 202 Pledge of Women 203 Destruction of al-'Uzza 203 Destruction of Suwa' 203 Destruction of Manat 203 Battle of Hunayn 204 Expedition of Abu 'Amir al-Ash'ari 207 Expedition of Ta'if 207 Division of Captives 209 Delegation of Hawazin 211 'Umrat al-Ji'rana 212 Expedition of Qays ibn Sa'd to Sada' 213 Delegation of Sada' 213 Expedition of 'Uyayna ibn Hisn to Banu Tamim 213 Delegation of Tamim 213 Expedition of al-Walid ibn 'Uqba to Banu al-Mustaliq 214 Expedition of 'Alqama ibn Mujazziz to 215 A Group of the Abyssinians Delegation of 'Adi ibn Hatim 217 Expedition of Tabuk 217 Delegation of the Ruler of Ayla 220 Letter to the People of Adhruh and Jarba' 221 Mosque of Dirar 221 Hadith of the Three Who Were Left Behind 222 Delegation of Thaqif 222 Letter to the People of Ta'if 223 Destruction of al-Lat 224 Hajj of Abu Bakr 224 Death of Ibn Ubayy 225 Death of Umm Kulthum 225 Expedition of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib 226 To Banu Madh'hij Appointment of Governors to Yemen 227 Farewell Pilgrimage 227 Farewell Sermon 228 Delegations 230 Delegation of Najran 230 Delegation of Dimam ibn Tha'laba 231 Delegation of 'Abd al-Qays 232 Delegation of Banu Hanifa 233 Delegation of Tayy' 233 Delegation of Kinda 233 Delegation of Azd Shanu'a 234 Delegation of the Messenger of the Kings of Himyar 234 Letter of the Kings of Himyar 234 Delegation of Hamdan 235 Delegation of Tujib 236 Delegation of Tha'laba 236 Delegation of Banu Sa'd ibn Hudhaym 237 Delegation of Banu Fazara 237 Delegation of Banu Asad 238 Delegation of Banu 'Udhra 239 Delegation of Banu Muharib 239

Delegations of Ghassan ¹⁰⁷ 239 Death of Ibrahim, son of the Prophet (peace be upon him) 239 The Eleventh Year 240 Expedition of Usama ibn Zayd to 240 The People of Abni ¹⁰⁸; Illness of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace 241 Abu Bakr Leading the People in Prayer 241 Death of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace 243 His Noble Characteristics (peace be upon him) 244 His Miracles (peace be upon him) 264 Contents 276

1. radiya Allahu 'anhu : May God be pleased with him; a formula of respect for a Companion or saint.
2. mu'jizat : Miracles performed by prophets as proof of prophethood, distinct from karamat (wonders of saints).
3. lam yamtar : He did not doubt; from the root m-y-r, meaning to be in doubt or hesitation.
4. dharabat al-lisan : Sharpness or fluency of tongue; eloquence and quickness in speech.
5. yarjazun : They recite rajaz, a meter of Arabic poetry often used in extemporaneous compositions, especially in battle.
6. sihr halal : Lawful magic; a metaphor for extraordinarily eloquent speech that captivates hearts without being forbidden.
7. simt al-la'al : Necklace of pearls; a metaphor for beautiful and precious descriptions.
8. ihan : Grudges or rancor; plural of ihnah.
9. diman : Embers or hidden fires; plural of dimnah, referring to latent passions or conflicts.
10. al-ja'd al-banan : The knotty-fingered; a description of a miserly or tight-fisted person.
11. al-lafdh al-jazl : Forceful or copious speech; eloquent and abundant wording.
12. al-manza' al-qawi : Strong style or approach; a powerful and effective manner of expression.
13. al-qidh al-falij : The winning arrow; a metaphor for a decisive and victorious argument.
14. al-mahya' al-nahij : The clear path; a well-trodden and obvious way of reasoning.
15. Qur'an 41:42 : Verse from Surah Fussilat: 'Falsehood cannot approach it from before or behind it; [it is] a revelation from the Wise and Praiseworthy.'
16. irtijal : Extemporaneous composition; spontaneous speech or poetry without prior preparation.
17. Qur'an 10:38 and 2:23-24 : Verses challenging the Arabs to produce a surah like the Qur'an.
18. Qur'an 17:88 : Verse stating that mankind and jinn together cannot produce the like of the Qur'an.
19. Qur'an 11:13 : Verse challenging to produce ten invented surahs like the Qur'an.
20. nakisun : Retreating or turning back; from nakasa, to go back or withdraw.
21. Qur'an 74:24 : Verse: 'This is not but magic transmitted.'
22. Qur'an 54:2 : Verse: 'Persistent magic.'
23. Qur'an 25:4 : Verse: 'A lie he has invented.'
24. Qur'an 25:5 : Verse: 'Legends of the former peoples.'
25. Qur'an 2:88 : Verse: 'Our hearts are wrapped.'
26. Qur'an 41:5 : Verse: 'In coverings from that to which you call us, and in our ears is deafness, and between us and you is a partition.'
27. Qur'an 41:26 : Verse: 'Do not listen to this Qur'an and speak noisily during it.'
28. Qur'an 8:31 : Verse: 'If we willed, we could say the like of this.'
29. Qur'an 2:24 : Verse: 'You will never [be able to].'
30. ahl al-mayz : People of discernment; those capable of distinguishing truth from falsehood.
31. Qur'an 2:179 : Verse: 'And there is for you in legal retribution [saving of] life.'
32. Qur'an 34:51 : Verse: 'If you could but see when they are terrified, and there is no escape, and they are seized from a place nearby.'
33. Qur'an 41:34 : Verse: 'Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend.'
34. Qur'an 11:44 : Verse: 'And it was said, “O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain].’ And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and the ship came to rest on the [mountain of] Judiyy. And it was said, “Away with the wrongdoing people.”'
35. Qur'an 29:40 : Verse: 'So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast, and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And God would not have wronged them, but they were wronging themselves.'
36. tadallahat : They were confounded or bewildered; from daliha, to be perplexed or stunned.
37. Qur'an 48:27 : Verse: 'You will surely enter the Sacred Mosque, if God wills, in safety.'
38. Qur'an 30:3-4 : Verse: 'And they, after their defeat, will overcome within a few years.'
39. Qur'an 9:33 : Verse: 'That He may make it prevail over all religion.'
40. istikhlaaf : Succession or vicegerency; God's granting of authority and dominion.
41. amnan : Security, safety; the replacement of fear with peace.
42. al-fath : The conquest; often refers to the conquest of Mecca.
43. al-Rum : The Romans, i.e., the Byzantine Empire.
44. al-Andalus : Islamic Spain and Portugal.
45. al-Anadol : Anatolia, modern-day Turkey.
46. al-Sudan : The Sudan region in Africa.
47. al-dhikr : The Reminder; a name for the Qur'an.
48. Badr : The Battle of Badr, the first major battle in Islam.
49. sirah : Biography of the Prophet Muhammad.
50. Ra'ina : A word used by Jews to mock the Prophet, meaning 'our shepherd' or 'listen to us' but with a derogatory connotation.
51. al-shara'i' al-dathirah : Vanished or obliterated laws and religious codes.
52. ahbar ahl al-kitab : Learned scholars among the Jews and Christians.
53. ummi : Unlettered; unable to read or write.
54. Najran : A Christian community in Yemen.
55. mubahalah : Mutual cursing or imprecation; a challenge to invoke God's curse on the liar.
56. al-hakam : The judge, the arbiter; the Qur'an as the decisive criterion.
57. hashashah : Freshness, liveliness, or joy.
58. i'jaz : Inimitability; the miraculous nature of the Qur'an.
59. khabaruha : Their reports or accounts; only the memory of the miracles remains.
60. mu'aradah : Challenge; the attempt to produce something similar to the Qur'an.
61. zind shahih : A weak flint; metaphor for a futile attempt to produce a spark.
62. al-nukus 'ala 'aqibayh : Retreating on one's heels; turning back in failure.
63. sunnah khaliyah : A precedent or example from the past.
64. la yazi'ghu fayusta'tab : It does not deviate to be corrected; i.e., it is straight and needs no correction.
65. inshiqaq al-qamar : The splitting of the moon; a miracle of the Prophet.
66. zuhaa thalathumi'ah : Approximately three hundred.
67. yanba'u min bayn asabi'ihi : Water gushing from between his fingers.
68. al-Hudaybiyyah : A place near Mecca where the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was signed.
69. khamsata 'ashara mi'ah : Fifteen hundred.
70. al-jamm al-ghafir : A great multitude or crowd.
71. Tabuk : An expedition in 9 AH against the Byzantine Empire.
72. jannat : Gardens; plural of jannah.
73. ithnayn wa sab'ina rajulan : Seventy-two men.
74. ma sha' Allah an yaqul : What Allah willed him to say; i.e., he recited some words of blessing.
75. al-Khandaq : The Battle of the Trench (also known as the Battle of the Confederates).
76. sa' : A unit of volume, approximately 2-3 kg.
77. baraka : Blessed; to invoke divine blessing.
78. mi'ah wa thamanin rajulan : One hundred and eighty men.
79. hanin al-jidh' : The moaning of the palm trunk; a miracle where a palm trunk used as a pulpit moaned when the Prophet left it.
80. al-ʿushar : A pregnant she-camel; the sound is a metaphor for intense weeping.
81. al-dhikr : Remembrance of Allah; here it refers to the Prophet's recitation of Qur'an and dhikr.
82. aḥaddahumā : The sharper of the two; meaning it became more acute in vision.
83. qāḥa : To suppurate or form pus; the wound healed without infection.
84. istisqāʾ : Dropsy or edema; a condition of abnormal fluid retention.
85. yuʿāddūna : They are counted; meaning they number nearly one hundred.
86. ʿīr : A caravan of camels; here a large number of camels.
87. aqtābihā wa aḥlāsihā : Its saddles and saddlecloths; the entire equipment of the camels.
88. al-tamkīn fī al-arḍ : Authority in the land; i.e., political power and dominion.
89. istujība lahu : It was answered for him; meaning his supplication was granted.
90. yuʿizzu al-islām bihi : Strengthen Islam through him; i.e., make Islam mighty by his conversion.
91. ka-annahu ibn khams ʿashrata : As if he were fifteen years old; meaning he looked youthful despite his age.
92. ʿarafahu : He recognized him; referring to recognizing a person after absence.
93. qāʾid fitna : Leader of tribulation; a person who will cause major discord or trials.
94. al-ẓuhūr ʿalā aʿdāʾihi : Victory over his enemies; the Muslims' triumph.
95. fatḥ Makka : Conquest of Mecca; the peaceful takeover in 8 AH.
96. Bayt al-Maqdis : Jerusalem; the holy city, conquered later by Muslims.
97. taẓʿanu : She travels; a woman journeying safely.
98. satughzā : Will be attacked; a prophecy about Medina being invaded.
99. ghad yawmihi : The next day; referring to the conquest of Khaybar.
100. zahratuhā : Its splendor; worldly wealth and beauty.
101. kunūz Kisrā wa Qayṣar : Treasures of Chosroes and Caesar; the wealth of the Persian and Byzantine empires.
102. yaʿṣimuka : Protect you; divine safeguarding from harm.
103. bi-aʿyuninā : Under Our eyes; under Allah's watchful care.
104. kāfin ʿabdahu : Sufficient for His servant; Allah suffices for His prophet.
105. al-mustahziʾīn : The mockers; those who ridiculed the Prophet.
106. ʿaṣamanī rabbī : My Lord has protected me; the Prophet dismissed his guards after revelation.
107. Ghassan : An ancient Arab tribe that established a kingdom in the Levant, often allied with the Byzantine Empire.
108. Abni : A place or region; possibly a variant of 'Abna' or 'Abni' referring to a location in the Arabian Peninsula.

The footnotes and comments [1]

(1) [p.6] He is the father of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and his kunya is Abu Qutham, and he is the youngest of the sons of 'Abd al-Muttalib. (2) [p.6] From the Banu Zuhrah ibn Kilab of Quraysh. The author. (3) [p.6] His name is Shaybah, and he was only intended to be named with this name for optimism. It is reported from him that he brought forth practices (sunan) that came in the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and he was the first to institute the blood-money for a life as one hundred camels, which then became established among Quraysh. He lived one hundred and forty years. (4) [p.6] From the Banu Makhzum ibn Yaqazah ibn Murrah of Quraysh. The author. (5) [p.6] He was named Hashim because a famine occurred among Quraysh, and he crumbled (hashama) for them bread-cakes, all crumbling them, and ground them finely, then made for the pilgrims a food resembling tharid (bread soaked in broth). (6) [p.6] Manaf is the name of an idol to which 'Abd was added, just as they say: 'Abd Yaghuth. He was named 'Abd Manah, then Qusayy looked and saw that it coincided with 'Abd Manah ibn Kinanah, so he changed it to 'Abd Manaf. The name of 'Abd Manaf is al-Mughirah, and it is derived from the description, and the ha' (letter) is in it. [p.6] (6) From the Banu al-Najjar of al-Khazraj, and al-Khazraj is one of the two tribes that resided in Medina, namely al-Aws and al-Khazraj, and they are two brothers. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, called both of them Ansar (Helpers). The author. (7) [p.7] From the Banu Sulaym ibn Mansur, one of the tribes of Qays 'Aylan ibn Mudar. The author. (8) [p.7] Qusayy: it is said his name is Zayd, and it is a diminutive of Qusayy, and it is said his name is Mujammi', and he was nicknamed Qusayy because he was distant from his family and homeland with his mother after the death of his father. (9) [p.7] That the keys of the House (the Kaaba) be with him, so no one enters it except with his permission. (10) [p.7] Meaning in war, because among them no one carried it except specific people. (11) [p.7] His name is Hakim, and it is said 'Urwah, and he was nicknamed Kilab because he used to hunt frequently with dogs (kilab). Or from kilab, the plural of kalb (dog), because they intend abundance. (12) [p.7] Derived from the description of al-Hanzalah and al-'Alqamah, and they often used to name him Hanzalah and 'Alqamah. (13) [p.7] Derived either from al-Ka'b, which is a piece of clarified butter, or from the ka'b of the foot (ankle), and the latter is more likely. He was the first to gather on the day of 'Arubah, and the day of 'Arubah was not called Friday (al-Jumu'ah) except since the advent of Islam. So they would gather to him on this day, and he would address them and remind them of the mission of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. (14) [p.7] Lu'ayy is a diminutive of al-La'y, which is the wild bull. (15) [p.7] Al-Suhayli did not mention (Ghalib) in the lineage of the Messenger. (16) [p.7] Al-Fihr: the smooth stone that fills the palm or similar, and he was generous. (17) [p.8] Red gold, and he was nicknamed with it for his radiance and beauty. (18) [p.8] Diminutive of Khuzamah, which is one of the khuzam (a type of plant). Abu Hanifah said: al-Khuzam is like ropes of doom-palm, made from its spathe. (19) [p.8] He was nicknamed Mudrikah because he caught up with (adraka) the camels that had gone astray, and al-Yas was his father. (20) [p.8] Al-Yas: there is disagreement about him. Some say al-Yas corresponds to that which is the opposite of hope (al-raja'), and it is the source of ya'isa (to despair). He was like Luqman al-Hakim among his people. He was the first to offer sacrificial camels (al-budn) to the House (the Kaaba). (21) [p.8] Mudar: derived from al-laban al-madir (sour milk), and he was named Mudar for his whiteness, and it is the sour milk. He was handsome and wise. He was the first to institute for the Arabs the singing (huda') to camels. In the hadith: "Do not insult Mudar nor Rabi', for they were both believers." Narrated by al-Daylami in Musnad al-Firdaws. (22) [p.8] Nizar: from al-nizarah, which is scarcity/littleness. He was the most handsome of the people of his time and the most balanced in intellect. The author of al-Aghani said: He was named that because he was unique in his era. (23) [p.8] Ma'add: from tam'ada (to become strong). Its origin is from al-ma'd (with sukun on the 'ayn), which is strength. He never fought anyone except that he returned with victory. (24) [p.8] 'Adnan: derived from 'adana fi al-makan (to reside in a place), and from it is Jannatu 'Adn (Gardens of Eden), i.e., gardens of residence and eternity. (25) [p.8] His mother is Hajar. Isma'il ibn Ibrahim fathered twelve men, so they are the Banu Mursal (the sent ones). God sent him to his maternal uncles, the Banu Jurhum. He lived one hundred and thirty years, then died, may God have mercy on him. He was mourned and buried in al-Hijr with his mother Hajar. (26) [p.9] He was buried in the house of al-Nabighah, in the small house, when you enter the house on your left in the room. He was twenty-five years old. (27) [p.9] Muslim narrated in his Sahih that a Bedouin asked the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, about fasting on Monday. He said: "That is a day on which I was born, and on which revelation was sent down to me." Ahmad narrated in a hadith unique to him that he was born on Monday, was sent as a prophet on Monday, and the Black Stone was raised on Monday. The majority (of scholars) hold that it was in Rabi' al-Awwal. Al-Nawawi said: Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir al-Khuza'i, the teacher of al-Bukhari, and Khalifah ibn Khayyat, and others transmitted consensus on it, i.e., that he was born in the Year of the Elephant. And they agreed that he was born on Monday in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal. (28) [p.9] A famous incident that occurred in Mecca, by which the Arabs dated events, as is their custom, and every nation dates by important matters. The Qur'an mentioned this incident in Surat al-Fil. Its summary is that a king from the kings of Abyssinia—who had taken possession of Yemen after Himyar—attacked Mecca intending to destroy its Kaaba. With him was a great elephant, the likes of which the Arabs had never seen. As an honor for the awaited Prophet and out of jealousy for His noble House, God made the plot of the enemies go astray, and sent upon them birds in flocks (ababil), striking them with stones of baked clay (sijjil), making them like eaten straw. He relieved Quraysh of the trouble of resisting them. End quote. The author. (29) [p.9] In the place known as Suq al-Layl, in the house that later became known as the house of Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi, the brother of... (30) [p.10] No one among the Arabs is known to have been named with this name before him, may God bless him and grant him peace, except three, whose fathers hoped, when they heard of the mention of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the nearness of his time, and that he would be sent in the Hijaz, that he would be a son to them. They are: Muhammad ibn Sufyan ibn Mujashi', the second: Muhammad ibn Uhayhah, and the last: Muhammad ibn Humran ibn Rabi'ah. (31) [p.10] She died in the year seven. Ibn Mandah said: There is disagreement about her embracing Islam. Abu Nu'aym said: I do not know anyone who mentioned it. (32) [p.10] His wet nurses were eight: Aminah, Thuwaybah, Khawlah, Umm Ayman, Sa'diyyah, and three women from the 'Awatik (women named 'Atikah). (33) [p.10] So that he might grow up. (34) [p.10] His name is al-Harith ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza. He embraced Islam after that, and his Islam was good. (35) [p.10] Al-Waqidi mentioned that they were ten women from the Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr seeking nurslings in a barren year (a year of drought). She (Halimah) came riding a grayish she-donkey (atan) that was slow (qamra'), which had delayed them (adhamat), and with me was a son of ours, and a weak old she-camel (sharif) that, by God, did not yield (tabddu) a drop. We could not sleep our entire night with our son who was with us due to his crying from hunger. There was nothing in my breasts to suffice him, nor in our she-camel to nourish him, but we were hoping for rain and relief... No sooner had I taken him and brought him to my saddle, than my breasts flowed towards him with as much milk as he wanted. He drank until he was satisfied, and his brother (her own son) drank until he was satisfied. My husband got up to that she-camel of ours, and behold, it was full of milk (hafil), so he milked from it what he drank, and I drank until we were satisfied. So we spent the best night. (36) [p.10] Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah. The author. (37) [p.11] It was in the third year. His chest was also split open on the night of the Isra' (Night Journey), as narrated by al-Bukhari. (38) [p.11] He refers to what was narrated by al-Bukhari, Muslim, and al-Tirmidhi: "No child is born except that Satan touches him, so he cries out loudly from the touch of Satan, except for the son of Mary and his mother." Abu Hurayrah said: Recite if you wish: "And I seek refuge for her and her offspring from the accursed Satan" (Qur'an 3:36). 'Iyad said: He means that God accepted her prayer, even though the prophets are infallible. Al-Nawawi said: 'Iyad indicated that all prophets share this particularity with Jesus. (39) [p.11] Al-Bahm: the young of sheep, one of which is a bahmah. (40) [p.11] They were moving it with a whip. The author. (41) [p.11] Resembling al-naq' (dust). The author. Meaning changed. It is said: intaqa'a wajhuhu and imtaqa'a (in the passive voice) if it changes color. (42) [p.11] He was tending me. (43) [p.11] Continuation: Then he clothed him as he was, and we returned with him. His father (of Halimah's household) said: O Halimah, I fear that my son has been afflicted, so take him and let us return him to his family before what we fear appears in him. Halimah said: So we carried him, and his mother (Aminah) was not alarmed except by his arrival. She said: What made you return him, O wet nurse (dha'r)? You were both so eager for him. They said: No, by God, except that God has fulfilled (our duty) for us, and we have paid what was upon us, and we said we fear loss and events, so we return him to his family. She said: That is not the matter with you. Be truthful with me about your affair. They did not leave her until they told her his story. She said: Did you fear Satan for him? No, by God, Satan has no way to him. By God, this son of mine will have a great matter. Shall I not tell you his story? We said: Yes. She said: I conceived him, and I never conceived a pregnancy lighter than him (this suggests she conceived others, which is not established). I saw in a dream when I conceived him, as if a light came out of me by which the palaces of Syria were illuminated. Then, when I gave birth to him, he fell in a fall that no newborn falls, supporting himself on his hands, raising his head to the sky. So leave him with you. This hadith has been narrated through other chains, and it is among the famous and widely circulated hadiths in the books of Sirah and Maghazi. (44) [p.11] A village between Mecca and Medina, and it is closer to Medina (the author). This occurred when he was six years old. (45) [p.12] He was buried in al-Hajun (a mountain in upper Mecca where the burial grounds of its people are, near the grave of his grandfather Qusayy). When death approached him, he entrusted him to his uncle. (46) [p.12] He used to say at the beginning of food: "Praise be to God." No lie, nor laughter (of ignorance), nor pre-Islamic behavior was seen from him, nor did he stand with boys playing. Tafsir al-Razi, vol. 6, p. 568. (47) [p.12] A village on the border between the lands of Syria and Jordan (it is a village in the district of Hawran). (48) [p.12] His name is Sarjis. He was a Christian monk who denied the divinity of Christ (he said that calling him God is not permissible). He was a priest, a scholar, an astronomer, and an astrologer. He had built his hermitage near the road leading to Syria, and he used to command the worship of God and forbid the worship of idols. (49) [p.12] Summary of the story: Bahira the monk prepared food and invited all of Quraysh to it, so they gathered except for the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Then he was brought after insistence from Bahira. When he saw from his descriptions what matched what he had, he turned to his uncle Abu Talib and advised him to return with his nephew, out of caution for him from the Jews. So Abu Talib did what Bahira had alerted him to. (50) [p.12] Surah al-Baqarah, verse 89. (51) [p.12] The meaning of al-mufajarah is like fighting and combat. That is because fighting occurred in the sacred month, so they committed sacrilege (fajjaru) in it. The days of al-Fijar were four. (52) [p.13] A town west of the Euphrates where the king of the Arabs, appointed by the kings of Persia, used to reside. It was conquered by Khalid ibn al-Walid in the twelfth year (refer to Itmam al-Wafa'). The author. (53) [p.13] A market that the Arabs used to hold every year to display their trade and what their eloquent speakers said of poems of pride and similar things from the boasts of the Arabs. It resembles in this the exhibitions of Europe today. The author. (54) [p.13] So that she might permit it to him (i.e., allow him that). (55) [p.13] An Arab greeting meaning: May you be removed from everything deserving of blame. The author. (56) [p.13] It is the elevated part of the land of the Arabs, and it is its center. The author.

It is the low-lying area of the coasts of the Arab lands and their eastern part, called the two seas ¹ separating Najd from Tihama al-Hijaz in the west and al-Yamama in the east. — Author It is a place between Mecca and al-Ta'if. — Author That is, they attended the war. He is 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, one of its chiefs. That is, they made an alliance that they would not leave anyone with a surplus while someone was wronged, but they would take it from him for him. He is known as Abu Zuhayr. He was the cousin of 'A'isha, may God be pleased with her. His beginning was as a brigand ². He was also a reckless killer until his tribe hated him and his father exiled him, swearing never to shelter him because of the debts that weighed him down. Then he became wealthy and generous, becoming one of the famous generous men of the Jahiliyya. The precious thing among animals, which are camels. Mentioned by Ibn Kathir in al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, vol. 2, p. 291. Reported by Malik in al-Muwatta' as a report from the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and Ibn 'Abd al-Barr said it is connected through sound chains from Abu Hurayra and others as marfu' ³. Mudaraba ⁴: a partnership between two parties, one providing capital and the other labor in trade. Khadija was a resolute, intelligent, and noble woman, in addition to what God willed of honor for her. When her servant Maysara informed her, she sent for the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said to him: 'O cousin, I have desired you because of your kinship, your honor among your people, your trustworthiness, and your good character.' At that time, Khadija was the most noble in lineage among Quraysh women, the greatest in honor, and the wealthiest; all her people were eager for that from her if they could attain it. Al-Wasat ⁵ is a term of praise and preference; thus al-wasat was praiseworthy in lineage. Original. 'Author' The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, gave her a dowry of twelve and a half uqiyyas ⁶ of gold, and the uqiyya is forty shar'i dirhams. The son of a man's wife from another man. Its construction occurred five times in history: first, when Seth son of Adam built it; second, when Abraham built it on the original foundations; third, when Quraysh built it before Islam; fourth, when it burned during the time of Ibn al-Zubayr; fifth, during the time of Abu Ja'far al-Mansur. Al-Radm ⁷: stacking stones on top of each other without clay. In Ibn Hisham: 'Abraham's foundation.' Among what they found was a stone inscribed with: 'Whoever sows good reaps joy, and whoever sows evil reaps regret. You do evil deeds and are rewarded with good deeds. Indeed, just as grapes are not gathered from thorns.' It was forbidden to them in the Jahiliyya; they knew that from remnants of the law of Abraham, peace be upon him, just as some rulings on divorce, manumission, etc., remained with them. And in His words, 'And God has permitted trade and forbidden usury' ⁸, there is evidence of the prior prohibition. 'O people' or 'O my people' or 'O word.' He, peace be upon him, said to 'Aisha: 'Were it not for the recentness of your people's departure from Jahiliyya, I would have demolished it, made for it a back door, attached its door to the ground, and included the Hijr ⁹ in it,' or as he said. Hadiths to this effect have been reported by al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa'i, and al-Tirmidhi. From Ibn 'Abbas, from the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, he said: 'The Black Stone descended from Paradise whiter than milk, then the sins of the children of Adam blackened it.' Reported by al-Tirmidhi. Verses 96-97. Verse 67. Poor, having no wealth. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'God did not send a prophet except that he shepherded sheep.' His companions said: 'And you?' He said: 'Yes, I used to shepherd them for qirats ¹⁰ for the people of Mecca.' Qirats is the plural of qirat, which is one part of a dinar. What is given to a person for an action he performs. Verses 6-8. Verse 52. He was killed on the day of Badr as an unbeliever, killed by 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. Al-Shifa' by al-Qadi 'Iyad. — Author They are stones set up, upon which blood of sacrifices is poured, and they are worshipped. — Author Drought, as opposed to fertility; land that hardly yields due to lack of water. That is, from his heart. Al-Sira al-Halabiyya. — Author The hadiths that mention stones speaking to the noble Messenger are many, including what Muslim reported: the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'I know a stone in Mecca that used to greet me before I was sent; I know it now.' The tribe of Jews. Chapter 8 of Deuteronomy. — 'Author' Chapter 1 of the Gospel of John, verse 46. — Author Ibn Kathir said in al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya: Ibn Qutayba mentioned in al-Ma'arif from Wahb ibn Munabbih that the name of al-Khidr is Bilya, and it is said Ilya ibn Balkaan, vol. 1, p. 326. These texts mentioned in the Torah and Gospel speak of the mission of our master Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Waraqa ibn Nawfal, the cousin of Khadija, informed of his mission, peace and blessings be upon him. A vein in the heart; if it is severed, its owner dies. — Author. Verses 44-46. Verse 67. Verse 24. Surah al-Ahzab, verse 45. Loud-voiced. — Author Reported by al-Bukhari. He is the son of Yusuf ibn Ya'qub ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Khalil. He was from the Jews of Medina. His name was al-Husayn, and the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, named him 'Abd Allah when he embraced Islam. His kunya is Abu Yusuf, named after his son. He was from Banu Qaynuqa'. The verse 'And a witness from the Children of Israel testified to its like, so he believed while you were arrogant' ¹¹ was revealed concerning him. Twenty-five hadiths are reported from him from the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. The Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, gave him glad tidings of Paradise. He died in 43 AH in Medina. He is the famous Tabi'i ¹². He is the son of Mani' ibn Hinaw'. He lived during the time of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, but did not see him. He embraced Islam during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, accompanied 'Umar, and narrated many hadiths from him. He lived in Hims. Scholars agree on his extensive knowledge and reliability. Before Islam, he followed the Jewish religion. He lived in Yemen. He died in 32 AH and was buried in Hims. It is mentioned in the saying of John, narrating from Christ, peace be upon him (p. 14, f. 25): 'If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Paraclete ¹³, that he may abide with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.' Verse 6. Verses 3-4. It has been translated into Arabic and is now printed in Egypt. — Author Ibn Ishaq said it. The master of 'Ammuriya ¹⁴. The Christians who accompanied Salman were upon the truth, following the religion of Jesus son of Mary, and they were about a dozen. In al-Bukhari: Salman was passed from one master to another, about a dozen masters. In al-Fath: According to the correct and well-known view, he was born in Rabi' al-Awwal, so when revelation came to him, he was forty years and six months old. In a hadith reported by al-Bukhari, Muslim, and al-Tirmidhi, he was sent at forty years, and he remained in Mecca for thirteen years receiving revelation. The dreams occurred before the descent of Gabriel to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, with the Qur'an. It is possible to reconcile the two hadiths by saying that Gabriel came to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, in a dream before coming to him while awake, as a preparation, facilitation, and kindness to him, because the matter of prophethood is great, its burden heavy, and humans are weak. The descent of revelation to him, may God bless him and grant him peace, occurred in various states: among them sleep, among them that speech was breathed into his heart, among them like the ringing of a bell, among them that the angel appeared to him as a man, among them that Gabriel appeared to him in his true form, and among them that God spoke to him from behind a veil, either while awake as on the night of the Ascension, or in sleep. So these are six states. 'And the cleaving of the dawn' ¹⁵: i.e., like its light and illumination. Seclusion. A mountain near Mecca. — Author. The cave is a hole in it, and it is the first place where the Qur'an was revealed. Al-Suhayli mentioned that al-Ghatt ¹⁶ is an indication that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, would experience three severe trials, then gradual ease after that. The first was Quraysh's confinement of him, may God bless him and grant him peace, in the mountain pass and their oppression of him; the second, their agreement to unite in killing him; the third, his departure from the most beloved land to him. 'Ghattahu' means he embraced and squeezed him. 'Iqra' ¹⁷ is the first thing revealed to him from the Qur'an, and this is correct according to the majority of the early and later scholars. Surah al-Falaq, verse 6. Terror. 'Wrap me in a garment' (Author) (due to the intensity of what happened to him, and usually trembling is alleviated by wrapping). That is, trembling. Scholars have discussed this fear: it was fear that he would not be able to bear the burdens of prophethood and would be too weak for it. Abu Bakr al-Isma'ili held that this fear occurred before he knew that the one who came to him was an angel from God, and the most difficult thing for him was that it would be said of him: 'He is mad.' One who has no wealth. That is, prepare hospitality for him. Hardships of matters. They were four who dispersed in the lands seeking the Hanifiyya ¹⁸, the religion of Abraham: Waraqa ibn Nawfal, 'Ubayd Allah ibn Jahsh (who embraced Islam then migrated to Abyssinia with his wife Habiba bint Abi Sufyan as a Muslim, then became Christian), 'Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith (who went to Caesar, the king of the Romans, and became Christian), and Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl (who followed the religion of Abraham). From Asma' bint Abi Bakr al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with her, she said: 'I saw Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl standing with his back against the Ka'ba, saying: 'O assembly of Quraysh, by God, none of you follows the religion of Abraham except me.' He used to keep alive the female infant buried alive; he would say to a man who wanted to kill his daughter: 'Do not kill her; I will suffice you her maintenance,' and he would take her.' Reported by al-Bukhari. The faith of Waraqa in Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, is established. It is reported in a hadith of al-Tirmidhi that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was given a dream in which he wore white garments, etc. She said that out of respect. The one entrusted with revelation, i.e., Gabriel, peace be upon him, and he is the keeper of the secret of the King.

It is necessary to emphasize the yā' in the word "makhārijī" because its original form is "makhārijūy" and the wāw was assimilated into the yā'. It is said in al-Mawāhib: its original is "makhrijūn", the lām was omitted for brevity, and the nūn of the plural was added due to its attribution to the yā' of the first person, so it became: or "makhārijūy". The wāw and yā' met, and the wāw was preceded by a sukūn, so it became a yā', then it was assimilated into the yā' of the first person, and the ḍamma was changed to a kasra to suit the yā'. Verse (13) Severe That is, its non-descent upon the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. The duration of this interval was two years, or two and a half years. Hence, what Anas ibn Mālik said—that his stay in Mecca was ten years—agrees with Ibn 'Abbās's statement of thirteen years. He had begun with true visions for six months. Whoever counts the period of the interval and adds to it the months as Ibn 'Abbās said, and whoever counts from the time the revelation became intense and continuous, as in the ḥadīth of Jābir, it was ten years. Sūrat al-Muddaththir, verses 1-7 She is the first of people to believe absolutely 'Alī, may God be pleased with him, embraced Islam when he was ten years old. Ibn Isḥāq narrates the manner of his conversion, saying: 'Alī was with the Prophet. Then after a day, he came and found the Prophet praying with Khadīja. 'Alī said: O Muḥammad, what is this? The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: The religion of God which He has chosen for Himself and sent His messengers with. I call you to God alone, with no partner, and to worship Him, and to disbelieve in al-Lāt and al-'Uzzā. 'Alī said: This is a matter I have not heard before today. I will not decide anything until I inform Abū Ṭālib. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, disliked that his secret be disclosed before his affair became public. So he said to him: O 'Alī, if you do not embrace Islam, then keep it secret. 'Alī stayed that night, and then God instilled Islam in his heart. Abū Bakr was born in 573 CE. He is the first of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the companion of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, in the cave and during the migration. He was nicknamed Abū Bakr because of his pioneering of praiseworthy qualities. He had lofty stances in Islam, including his story on the night of the Ascension, his migration with the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, his speech on the day of al-Ḥudaybiyya, his steadfastness upon the death of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, his concern and steadfastness in dispatching the army of Usāma, his standing to fight the apostates, and his preparation of armies for Syria. Among his greatest virtues is his appointment of 'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb as caliph over the Muslims. How many great stances did al-Ṣiddīq have that only God can enumerate! Among the reasons for God's granting him success—as mentioned—was a dream he saw before that. He saw the moon descending to Mecca, then he saw it scattered over all the houses of Mecca and their dwellings, and a portion of it entered every house. Then it was as if it was gathered in his lap. He narrated it to some of the People of the Book, and they interpreted it for him as meaning that the awaited Prophet, whose time had drawn near, would be followed by him. Narrated by Ibn al-Athīr al-Jazarī in Jāmi' al-Uṣūl from the additions of Razīn ibn Mu'āwiya on the virtues of Abū Bakr. He was born in the sixth year after the Year of the Elephant. He migrated to Abyssinia with his wife Ruqayya, and did not attend Badr because he stayed behind to nurse his wife Ruqayya by order of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. He is one of the ten who were promised Paradise. He, 'Alī, Ṭalḥa, and Sa'd were born in the same year. He was killed, may God have mercy on him, in the Battle of the Camel at the age of sixty-seven. He was born ten years after the Year of the Elephant and was among the early forerunners. He made both migrations, attended Badr and all the battles. Among his merits is that the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed behind him in the expedition of Tabūk when he caught up with him. He was wounded on the day of Uḥud with twenty-one wounds. He gave charity during the time of the Messenger with half of his wealth. He died in Medina in the year thirty-one and was buried in al-Baqī'. He was seventy-two years old. He is nicknamed Abū Isḥāq and is one of the ten. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed that his arrow be true and that his supplication be answered. In the ḥadīth, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Beware of the supplication of Sa'd. He died during the caliphate of Mu'āwiya. He went out from one religion to another. Verse (8) From a ḥadīth narrated by Aḥmad and al-Ḥākim from 'Imrān ibn Ḥuṣayn. He is nicknamed Abū Muḥammad al-Fayyāḍ. He is one of the ten who were given glad tidings of Paradise, one of the six members of the consultative council, and one of the early emigrants. He did not attend Badr, but the Messenger of God allotted him a share. He attended Uḥud and the battles after it. Abū Bakr, may God be pleased with him, when Uḥud was mentioned, said: That day was entirely for Ṭalḥa. He was killed on the day of the Camel at the age of sixty-four and was buried in Basra. Defects The Messenger nicknamed him Abū Yaḥyā. He was among those who faced torture after embracing Islam. He ransomed himself with all his wealth when Quraysh prevented him from migrating. His nickname is Abū al-Yaqṭān. He, his father, and his mother Sumayya were among the first to embrace Islam, and he embraced Islam after about thirty-three men. He migrated with the Messenger of God to Medina and attended Badr, Uḥud, the Trench, and all the battles. He was the first to build a mosque. He witnessed the battle of al-Yamāma. 'Umar appointed him over Kūfa. He was killed at Ṣiffīn with 'Alī and instructed that he be buried in his clothes. He was buried at the age of ninety-three. He was very short, light of flesh, with thin legs. He migrated and attended all the battles with the Messenger of God and witnessed al-Yarmūk. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, testified that he would be in Paradise. He was the keeper of the Messenger of God's sandals, which he would put on for him. He frequently visited the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and was known as the companion of the siwāk, the sandals, and the blackness. He died in Medina and was buried in al-Baqī' at the age of about sixty-three. His name is Jundab. It is confirmed in Muslim that he came to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, at the beginning of Islam, stayed in Mecca for thirty days, embraced Islam, then returned to his people, then migrated to Medina and accompanied him until he died in al-Rabadha in the year 32 AH. His son Mas'ūd prayed over him. That is, I stood by the wall as if I were urinating. That is, I will proclaim the word of tawḥīd loudly in their assembly. That is, throw him to the ground. Also narrated by Muslim. He is one of the early emigrants. His conversion to Islam was before 'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, and 'Umar's conversion took place in his house. He did not attend Badr because he was absent in Syria. He returned from there after the Battle of Badr, and the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, allotted him a share and his reward. He witnessed al-Yarmūk and the siege of Damascus. His supplication was answered. He is one of the ten who were promised Paradise. He died on his land in al-'Aqīq and was buried in Medina during the time of Mu'āwiya in the year fifty-five at the age of about seventy-three. He is nicknamed Abū al-Ḥārith. His conversion to Islam was before the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, entered the house of al-Arqam ibn Abī al-Arqam. He migrated with his brothers al-Ṭufayl and al-Ḥuṣayn. He had status and rank with the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. He attended Badr and performed excellently. He was the oldest of the Muslims on that day. 'Utba ibn Rabī'a cut off his leg, and he died in al-Ṣafrā' as a result at the age of sixty-three. One of the forerunners; he was the eleventh Muslim. He migrated with his wife Umm Salama to the land of Abyssinia. He attended Badr and was the foster brother of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. The Messenger of God appointed him as his deputy over Medina when he went out on the expedition of al-'Ushayra. Abū Salama died in the third year of the Hijra. Among the forerunners and early emigrants in Islam. He died after attending Badr in the second year of the Hijra. He was the first of the emigrants to die in Medina and the first of them to be buried in al-Baqī'. He embraced Islam after ten people. His house in Mecca was on al-Ṣafā. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was in his house until they reached forty. He died in the year fifty-five AH. Among those who migrated to the land of Abyssinia. He attended the 'Umra of al-Qaḍiyya and what followed. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, appointed him over the alms of Madhḥij. He was martyred on the day of Marj al-Ṣuffar, and God knows best. Verse 94 A high place on Mount Abū Qubays in Mecca. Narrated by Imam Aḥmad from Ibn 'Abbās; it is Sūrat al-Masad. Verses 214-215-216 Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim. They are: 'Utba, Shayba, Abū Sufyān, al-'Āṣ ibn Hishām, al-Aswad ibn 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib, Abū Jahl, al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra, Nubayh, Munabbih, and al-'Āṣ ibn Wā'il al-Sahmī. Verse 170 Verse 104 Verse 21 Verse 23 Sūrat al-Zukhruf, verse 24 Their rancor Narrated by al-Bayhaqī in Dalā'il al-Nubuwwa. Changed Narrated by Muslim. Narrated by Aḥmad, al-Tirmidhī, al-Nasā'ī, and Ibn Jarīr. This is his wording from the path of Dāwūd ibn Abī Hind. Al-Tirmidhī said: Ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ. Verse 19 The stomach He specified seven in his supplication. In most narrations, six of them are named: 'Utba, his brother Shayba, al-Walīd ibn 'Utba, Abū Jahl, 'Uqba ibn Abī Mu'ayṭ, and Umayya ibn Khalaf. Ibn Isḥāq said: I forgot the seventh. I say: He is 'Umāra ibn al-Walīd, as specified in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. It is narrated by al-Bukhārī in multiple places in his Ṣaḥīḥ. That is, he bought. This story is narrated from Yūnus Bukayr from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq from 'Abd al-Malik ibn Abī Sufyān al-Thaqafī. Verses 27-29 Narrated by al-Bukhārī from 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr: I asked 'Amr ibn al-'Āṣ and said: Tell me the worst thing the polytheists did to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him. The narration... Al-Bayhaqī said: Likewise, Sulaymān narrated from Bilāl ibn Hishām from 'Urwa as 'Abada narrated. This verse is from Sūrat Ghāfir, verse 28. Verse 24 He was captured in the Jāhiliyya and sold in Mecca. He was among the early forerunners and among those who were tortured for God's sake. He was the sixth in Islam. Then he attended all the battles. He settled in Kūfa, fell severely ill for a long time, and died there in the year thirty-seven at the age of seventy-three. Verses 77-80. The ḥadīth is narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim. Verses 29-32

In a narration from al-Bayhaqi, al-Walid ibn al-Mughira gathered with a group of Quraysh, being the eldest among them, and the season of pilgrimage had arrived. He said: 'The delegations of the Arabs will come to you during this season, and they have heard about this affair of your companion. So agree upon a single opinion regarding him, and do not differ, lest some of you belie others and some reject the words of others.' It was said: 'O Abu Abd Shams (al-Walid ibn al-Mughira), speak and give us an opinion to express.' He said: 'Rather, you speak and I will listen.' They said: 'We say he is a soothsayer.' He said: 'He is not a soothsayer; I have seen soothsayers, and he is not like the muttering of soothsayers.' They said: 'We say he is mad.' He said: 'He is not mad; we have seen madness and recognized it, and he does not have its choking, agitation, or whispering.' They said: 'We say he is a poet.' He said: 'He is not a poet.'

Al-Suhayli said: Regarding the scribe of the document, the genealogists of Quraysh have two opinions. One is that the scribe of this document was Bughayd ibn 'Amir, and the second opinion is that it was Mansur ibn 'Abd Shurahbil, which contradicts the statement of Ibn Ishaq ¹⁹. In a narration by Yunus, Sa'd said: I went out one night to urinate, and I heard a crackling sound under the urine, and there was a piece of dry camel skin. I took it, washed it, then burned it, then crushed it, and drank it with water, and it strengthened me for three days ²⁰. Narrated by al-Bukhari ²¹. Al-Hafiz says in the same place regarding what the termites ate of the document: Also, Ibn Ishaq, Musa ibn 'Uqba, and 'Urwa mentioned the opposite, that the termites did not leave any name of Allah except that they ate it, and what remained was the injustice and severance. Al-Burhan said, in summary: This is more established than the first. Refer to Sharh al-Mawahib al-Laduniyya, vol. 1, p. 290 ²². Ibn Hisham said: Some scholars mentioned that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Abu Talib: "O uncle, my Lord Allah has set the termites upon the document of Quraysh, and they did not leave any name that is for Allah except that they established it in it, and they removed from it injustice, severance, and slander." He said: "Did your Lord inform you of this?" He said: "Yes." He said: "By Allah, no one enters upon you." Then he went out to Quraysh and said: "O..." ²³. A town between Mecca and Yemen, about seven stages from Mecca ²⁴. It is mentioned in the Sira of Ibn Hisham: When they stood up from him, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham intercepted them with a group of Quraysh, and they said to them: "May Allah disappoint you, a caravan sent from behind you from your own people to seek news for them, and you did not settle in your gatherings with him until you left your religion and believed him in what he said. We know no caravan more foolish than you" ²⁵. Verses 52-55 ²⁶. Ibn Ishaq said: I asked Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri about these verses, regarding whom they were revealed. He said to me: I have not heard from our scholars that they were revealed concerning al-Najashi and his companions. The verse is from Surat al-Ma'ida, from His saying: "That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant" to His saying: "So write us among the witnesses" ²⁷. Surat al-Anfal, verse 32 ²⁸. She died three days after Abu Talib in the month of Ramadan at the age of sixty-five. Her stay with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, after he married her was twenty-four years and six months. He buried her in al-Hajun and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, grieved for her and descended into her grave ²⁹. He was from his wife Mariya, and he died at the age of seventeen months. When he died, the eyes of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, shed tears, and the Prophet ordered Ibrahim to be buried in al-Baqi', prayed over him, and said four takbirs over him. When he was buried, he ordered a waterskin of water to be poured over his grave ³⁰. He was the maternal cousin of Khadija, but he did not embrace Islam until after the Hijra. He was among the notable men of Mecca in wealth, trustworthiness, and trade. When Zaynab emigrated, she was under Abu al-'As on his religion. He came to Medina as a migrant and died during the caliphate of Abu Bakr ³¹. She was nicknamed al-Zahra' and was the youngest and most beloved of the Prophet's daughters to him. She married 'Ali after 'Aisha by four months. The lineage of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, continued only through Fatima. She was the first of the Prophet's household to join him, and she lived six months after the Prophet. She instructed 'Ali to wash her, and he and Asma' bint 'Umais did so. 'Ali prayed over her and buried her at night in al-Baqi' ³². She married 'Uthman and emigrated with him to Abyssinia, and she gave birth to 'Abdullah, after whom he was named. She fell ill in Medina when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out to Badr, so 'Uthman stayed behind with her. When Ruqayya died, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Join our predecessor 'Uthman ibn Maz'un." She was the eldest of his daughters after Zaynab ³³. She was the first woman he married after Khadija. He consummated the marriage with her in Mecca. She had a sharp temper and sometimes made him laugh with something. She was ascetic in worldly life and died at the end of the time of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab ³⁴. Verse 56. Al-Zajjaj said: The Muslims are unanimous that it was revealed concerning Abu Talib when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked him to say "There is no god but Allah," but he refused to say it for fear that Quraysh would reproach him for it. He had raised the Prophet as a child. It is well-known that he died a disbeliever. He had children: Ja'far, 'Ali, 'Aqil, Talib, and Umm Hani', whose name was Fakhta, and Jumana. All of them had descendants except Talib. Abu Talib was lame and died ten years after prophethood, three years before the Hijra, at the age of about eighty ³⁵. Narrated by al-Bukhari, chapter on the story of Abu Talib: Al-'Abbas said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "Did you not benefit your uncle? For he used to protect you and get angry for you?" He said: "He is in a shallow fire ³⁶. If it were not for me, he would have been in the lowest depth of the Fire." Al-Dahdah is water that is shallow on the surface of the earth up to the ankles, and it is used metaphorically for fire here. A town in the Hijaz, 65 miles southeast of Mecca, famous for its good climate, fruits, and flowing water. Mount Ghazwan overlooks it. It is a summer resort for Mecca and is the coldest place in the Hijaz ³⁷. Because they were his maternal uncles, and there was no enmity between him and them ³⁸. Meaning: he met me with harshness and an unpleasant face ³⁹. Narrated by al-Tabarani. The text is taken from al-Jami' al-Saghir by al-Suyuti verbatim ⁴⁰. A town on the bank of the Tigris, the farthest point of Iraq, opposite the city of Mosul (author) ⁴¹. The rest of the story: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "That is my brother; he was a prophet and I am a prophet." Then 'Addas leaned over the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, kissing his head, hands, and feet. He said: The two sons of Rabi'a said to each other: "Your slave has corrupted you." When 'Addas came, they said to him: "Woe to you, 'Addas, why do you kiss this man's head, hands, and feet?" He said: "My masters, there is nothing on earth better than this man. He has told me something that only a prophet knows." They said to him: "Woe to you, 'Addas, do not let him turn you away from your religion, for your religion is better than his religion" ⁴². In the two Sahihs, the summary is that Allah sent the angel of the mountains with Jibril, and the angel of the mountains said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "Allah has sent me to you to command me as you wish. If you wish, I will bring together the two mountains ⁴³ over them." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I hope that from their loins will come those who worship Allah alone, associating nothing with Him." A place a night's journey from Mecca ⁴⁴. From 29 to 32 ⁴⁵. Verses 1-2 ⁴⁶. In al-Tabari, the summary is that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sought protection from al-Akhnas ibn Shariq, Suhayl ibn 'Amr, and Mut'im ibn 'Adi. The first two refused, and the last accepted. One day he entered the Sacred Mosque while the polytheists were at the Ka'ba. When Abu Jahl saw him, he said: "This is your prophet, O Banu Manaf." 'Utba ibn Rabi'a said: "What do you deny? Could it be that a prophet or a king comes from us?" The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was informed of this or heard it, so he came to them and said: "As for you, O 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, by Allah, you did not defend Allah or His Messenger, but you defended your own pride. As for you, O Abu Jahl, by Allah, not much time will pass before you laugh little and weep much. As for you, O assembly of Quraysh, by Allah, not much time will pass before you enter into what you deny, unwillingly" ⁴⁷. He was nicknamed Dhu al-Nun. He embraced Islam and believed the Prophet in Mecca, then returned to his people and remained there until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, emigrated. Then he came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was in Khaybar, with those of his people who followed him. He remained with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, until he passed away. Then he was with the Muslims until he was martyred at al-Yamama. His son was wounded and later martyred at Yarmuk during the time of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab ⁴⁸. In the Sira of Ibn Hisham: I said, "O Prophet of Allah, I am a man obeyed among my people, and I am returning to them and calling them to Islam" ⁴⁹. Narrated by the two Shaykhs ⁵⁰. The Isra' was one year before the Hijra, and Ibn Hazm affirmed that it was on the night of the twenty-seventh of Rajab, which is well-known and upon which people act. It was on a Monday night, after his journey to Ta'if. Al-Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi said: The Isra' occurred twice: one was in his sleep, as a preparation and facilitation for him, just as the beginning of his prophethood was true dreams, to make it easy for him, for the matter of prophethood is great and human strength is too weak for it. Similarly, the Isra' was made easy for him through a dream, because it was great, so it came to him in wakefulness after a preparation and precedence, as a kindness from Allah to His servant and a facilitation for him ⁵¹. Imam al-Shawkani says: The scholars differed: Was the Isra' with his body and soul or only with his soul? The majority of the early and later scholars held the first view, while a group of scholars held the second, including 'Aisha, Mu'awiya, al-Husayn, Ibn Ishaq, and Ibn Jarir reported it from Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman. Another group held a detailed view, saying: The Isra' was with his body in wakefulness to Bayt al-Maqdis, and to the heaven with the soul. They argued for this detail by His saying: "to the farthest mosque," making it the destination of the Isra' with his self. If the Isra' from Bayt al-Maqdis to the heaven had occurred with his self, He would have mentioned it. What is indicated by the many authentic hadiths is what the majority of the early and later scholars held: that the Isra' was with his body and soul in wakefulness to Bayt al-Maqdis, then to the heavens, and there is no need for interpretation ⁵². It is narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw his Lord with his eyes, and similar from Abu Dharr and Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with them. Al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, used to swear to that. Among those who held the vision were also Ibn Mas'ud, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and a group of Companions. Al-Nawawi said in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, briefly: The basis of this chapter is the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas, the scholar of the community, the one referred to in difficult matters. The hadith of 'Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, does not detract from it. If the narrations from Ibn 'Abbas affirming the vision are authentic, then affirmation must be adopted, and affirmation takes precedence over negation. Ma'mar ibn Rashid said when mentioning the disagreement between 'Aisha and Ibn 'Abbas: 'Aisha is not more knowledgeable than Ibn 'Abbas in our view ⁵³. Islam ⁵⁴. Verse 57 ⁵⁵. Ibn Sinjar narrated from 'Ali, may Allah have mercy on him, who said: "al-Bayt al-Ma'mur is a house in the seventh heaven called al-Durrah." Ibn Sinjar also narrated via Abu Hurayra from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: "In the seventh heaven there is a house called al-Ma'mur, with the mountains of Mecca" ⁵⁶.

His intention is that its fruit in old age is like the jars that were placed in it, and this was known to the addressees. It is mentioned in Nayl al-Awtar by Imam al-Shawkani: As for the restriction to the jars of Hajar, it is only confirmed from the narration of al-Mughira ibn Siqlab according to Ibn 'Adi, and he is a denier of hadith. Al-Nufayl said: He was not trustworthy in hadith, and Ibn 'Adi said: He is not followed in the majority of his hadith. ^{57 58} Narrated by al-Bukhari. ⁵⁹ That which is between dust and black in color. ⁶⁰ They are 'Ukaz, Majanna, and Dhu al-Majaz. The Arabs used to stay at 'Ukaz during the month of Shawwal when they performed Hajj, then at Majanna for twenty days, and the days of Hajj at Dhu al-Majaz. ⁶¹ As it came in the hadith: The worst tribes of the Arabs are Banu Hanifa. ⁶ His kunya is Abu Umama. He was a naqib ⁵⁸ and witnessed the First and Second 'Aqaba. He died before Badr in the first year of the Hijra and was buried in al-Baqi', being the first of the Ansar buried there. ⁷ It is the 'Aqaba to which the jamra is attributed, so it is called Jamrat al-'Aqaba. It is on the left of the one heading from Mina to Mecca. This was in the twelfth year of the Prophethood (621 CE). ⁸ This is a hadith narrated by al-Bukhari, and its beginning is from 'Ubada ibn al-Samit: We pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the night of the First 'Aqaba... ⁹ One of the early converts to Islam, his kunya is Abu 'Abdullah. He embraced Islam early while the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was in the house of al-Arqam, and he concealed his Islam for fear of his mother and people. 'Uthman ibn Talha taught him, so he informed his family, and they bound him. He remained imprisoned until he fled with those who migrated to Abyssinia. Then he returned to Mecca, migrated to Medina, witnessed Badr, then witnessed Uhud carrying the banner, and was martyred. ¹⁰ His kunya is Abu 'Amr. He witnessed Badr, Uhud, and the Trench. On the day of the Trench, he was struck by an arrow and lived for a month, then his wound reopened and he died in the fifth year of the Hijra. ¹¹ His kunya is Abu Yahya. He was among the early converts to Islam. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made him a brother to Zayd ibn Haritha. He was among those who stood firm on the day of Uhud and was wounded with seven wounds at that time, and he died as a result. ¹² His kunya is Abu Bashir. He was one of the naqibs ⁵⁸ on the night of the First 'Aqaba. He was the chief of the Ansar and their elder. He was the first to face the Ka'ba in prayer, and the first to bequeath a third of his wealth. He died during the lifetime of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When death approached him, he said to his family: Face me towards the Ka'ba. ¹³ Al-Tayhan is his nickname, and his name is Malik. He is well-known by his kunya. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made him a brother to 'Uthman ibn Maz'un. He witnessed all the battles and was the first to pledge allegiance. He died in the year twenty. ¹⁴ He witnessed Badr and was martyred there. ¹⁵ He was a generous chief. He was the standard-bearer of the Ansar in all the battles. He was very jealous. He traveled to Syria and died in Hawran in the year fifteen. ¹⁶ He witnessed Badr and all the battles except the Conquest and what came after, and he was killed on the day of Mu'ta. ¹⁷ He witnessed Badr and all the battles. He had compiled the Quran during the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he used to teach the Quran to the People of the Suffa. He was the first to be appointed judge of Palestine. He died in the year thirty-four in al-Ramla, at the age of seventy-two. ¹⁸ Its completion: And by Allah, there is no tribe of the Arabs more hateful to us than you, that war should break out between us and them. ¹⁹ i.e., it will not be missed. ²⁰ The brother of the Chosen One ⁵⁹ through breastfeeding. He is the first to be given his book in his right hand. ²¹ Refer to the Sira of Ibn Hisham, for it has a long story. ²² In brief, they are: 'Amir ibn Rabi'a from his wife Layla, then 'Abdullah ibn Jahsh and his brother Abu Ahmad al-Darir. They stayed with Mubashshir ibn 'Abd al-Mundhir in Quba'. Then the emigrants came in groups. ²³ The trees. ²⁴ They are: 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, Shayba ibn Rabi'a, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, from Banu Nawfal: Tu'ayma ibn 'Adi, Jubayr ibn Mut'im, al-Harith ibn 'Amir; from Banu 'Abd al-Dar: al-Nadr ibn al-Harith; from Banu Asad: Abu al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham, Zam'a ibn al-Aswad, Hakim ibn Hizam; from Banu Makhzum: Abu Jahl ibn Hisham; from Banu Sahm: Nabih and Munabbih, sons of al-Hajjaj; from Banu Jumah: Umayya ibn Khalaf. ²⁵ Abu Jahl. ²⁶ Surah al-Anfal, verse 30. ²⁷ His departure, peace be upon him, from Mecca was on Thursday, the first day of Rabi' al-Awwal, and he arrived in Medina on the twelfth of that month, which was Monday at noon, fifty-three years after his birth, June 28, 622 CE. As confirmed by the widespread reports that he left on Monday and entered Medina on Monday. ²⁸ Faster. ²⁹ Provisions. ³⁰ Her mother is Qayla. Asma' was married to al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam. Her conversion to Islam was early. Ibn Ishaq said: She embraced Islam after seventeen people, and she migrated to Medina while pregnant with 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr. She gave birth to him in Quba', and he was the first newborn in Medina. She was called Dhat al-Nitaqayn ⁶⁰. She was called that because she made a provision bag for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he intended to migrate to Medina, and she found it difficult to tie it. So she tore her head covering, tied the bag with half of it, and girded herself with the other half. So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called her Dhat al-Nitaqayn. Her sight was lost, and she died at the age of one hundred. ³¹ Al-Nitaq is what is tied around the waist. ³² Covered. ³³ Surah Ya Sin, verse 9. ³⁴ A mountain in Mecca, about two kilometers east, known as Athal and Athal. ³⁵ Surah al-Tawba, verse 40. ³⁶ In Sahih al-Bukhari: (If one of you looked at his feet, he would see us. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him: What do you think of two when Allah is the third of them?) It was also narrated by Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, and Ahmad. ³⁷ In Musnad al-Bazzar: Allah commanded the spider to weave at the mouth of the cave, and sent two wild pigeons that stood at the mouth of the cave. ³⁸ His mother and the mother of Asma' are the same. His conversion to Islam was early. He witnessed Ta'if with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and was struck by an arrow shot by Abu Mihjan al-Thaqafi. His wound healed, then it reopened and he died from it at the beginning of his father's caliphate, in Shawwal of the year eleven. He was buried after noon, and his father prayed over him. ³⁹ Skilled. ⁴⁰ Quick understanding. ⁴¹ Goes out. ⁴² Due to the intensity of his returning in the darkness. ⁴³ i.e., he seeks for them what is disliked. ⁴⁴ He is 'Abdullah ibn Urayqit. ⁴⁵ His kunya is Abu Sufyan. Al-Bukhari narrated his story of catching up with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he migrated to Medina. He wrote a guarantee of safety for him, and he embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest. The Messenger of Allah said to Suraqa: "How will you be when you wear the bracelets of Kisra?" He said: When 'Umar brought the bracelets and crown of Kisra, he called Suraqa and dressed him in them. He said to him: Raise your hands and say: Praise be to Allah who stripped them from Kisra and dressed Suraqa in them. He died during the caliphate of 'Uthman in the year twenty-four. ⁴⁶ Used to refer to a person. ⁴⁷ Sank. ⁴⁸ In the Sira of Ibn Kathir from al-Zuhri: He commanded 'Amir ibn Fuhayra to write for him on a piece of leather. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went. In al-Bukhari, it is summarized. ⁴⁹ It is the land with black stones. Medina was surrounded by several harrahs ⁶¹. (Author) ⁵⁰ Hill. (Author) ⁵¹ Similar has preceded in the context of al-Bukhari, and likewise mentioned by Musa ibn 'Uqba in his Maghazi. ⁵² The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, arrived on Monday of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal near noon and stayed in Quba' with Kulthum ibn al-Hadm ibn Imru' al-Qays. He stayed with him for four days. The village of Quba' is two miles south of Medina, fertile with gardens. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stayed there for four days, during which he founded the Mosque of Quba'. ⁵³ When the Muslims during the caliphate of Amir al-Mu'minin 'Umar ibn al-Khattab wanted to establish a calendar, they made its beginning from this noble Hijra. To avoid discrepancy between the start of the Hijra and the beginning of the lunar year, they advanced the date of the Hijra by two months and some days, and made the beginning of the Hijra from Muharram of that year. (Author) ⁵⁴ He did not find stability there. ⁵⁵ Surah al-Ahzab, verse 62. ⁵⁶ Surah Muhammad. ⁵⁷ Known as the companion of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He was an old man who embraced Islam before the arrival of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in Medina. He stayed with him for four days. He died shortly before Badr and did not witness any of the battles. He was the first of the Ansar to die after the arrival of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. His house was called the house of al-A'zab. ⁵⁸ The Ansari al-Awsi, his kunya is Abu Khaythama. He was one of the naqibs ⁵⁸ at al-'Aqaba. He witnessed Badr and was martyred there. ⁵⁹ He was among those who witnessed Badr and was killed on the day of Uhud. He was the son-in-law of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. It is said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made him a brother to Abu Bakr. ⁶⁰ Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stayed in Quba' among Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and founded his mosque. Then Allah brought him out from among them on Friday. 'Abd al-Razzaq and al-Najjar narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that those who built the mosque founded on piety were Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf. However, it is narrated in Muslim, Ahmad, and al-Tirmidhi from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that it is the mosque of Medina. Imam Malik affirmed this. ⁶¹ He is the first of those who recognized Islam, and in it the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, worshipped his Lord securely, and began building the mosque. The opinion of the Companions agreed to begin the calendar from that day. From their action, we understand that the meaning of His saying "from the first day" is that it is the first day of the Islamic calendar. Al-Suhayli said this, and al-Hafiz comments on this saying: The apparent meaning is that "from the first day" means from the day the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions entered Medina. And Allah knows best. ⁶² The area reached by the mourners. ⁶³ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed the first Friday in Medina in the mosque that is in the bottom of the valley with the Muslims who were with him, numbering one hundred. This mosque was called Masjid al-Jumu'a. It is on the right of the traveler towards Quba'. ⁶⁴ Ibn Malik al-Ashja'i. He and his father have companionship. ⁶⁵ Other versions are found in the history of al-Tabarani, so refer to them. ⁶⁶ He died during the time of Mu'awiya during the siege of Constantinople and was buried there outside the city. (Author) He is (Ibn Zayd ibn Kulayb ibn Tha'laba ibn 'Awf ibn Ghanm ibn Malik ibn al-Najjar al-Ansari al-Khazraji al-Najjari. He witnessed al-'Aqaba, Badr, Uhud, the Trench, and all the battles. He campaigned during the time of Mu'awiya in the land of the Byzantines with Yazid ibn Mu'awiya). ⁶⁷ Surah al-Mu'minun, verse 29.

This hadith is strange from this chain; none of the authors of the Sunan narrated it. Al-Hakim recorded it in his Mustadrak as it is narrated. Ibn Majah narrated it from Hisham ibn Ammar from Isa ibn Yunus: 'And Allah knows that my heart loves you.' In Sahih al-Bukhari, from Muammar ibn Abd al-Warith from Abd al-Aziz from Anas, who said: The Prophet ﷺ saw women and children approaching—I think he said from a wedding—so the Prophet ﷺ stood up, standing tall, and said: 'O Allah, you are among the most beloved people to me.' He said it three times. (69) The bowl; its singular is jafnah. (70) The upper part of everything; they are the leaders. (71) She is al-Nuwar bint Malik. After Thabit, Ammara ibn Hazm married her. (72) Verse 9. (73) Muhammad ibn Ishaq said it. Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said: It is said that he established brotherhood between the Emigrants among themselves a second time, and in it he took Ali as his brother. (74) Verse 6. (75) Al-Laythi al-Du'li, the guide of the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr when they emigrated to Medina, and he followed the religion of his people. (76) She is the daughter of Amir, the wife of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and the mother of Aisha and Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them. She died during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the sixth year of the Hijra. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ descended into her grave and sought forgiveness for her. (77) Abu Bakr, Bilal, and Amir ibn Fuhayra. (78) A village eighty-two miles from Mecca; it is the miqat ⁶² of the people of Syria. (Author) (There were Jews there at that time.) The hadith is narrated by al-Bukhari in his Sahih. (79) Ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi, the brother of Khalid ibn al-Walid. He attended Badr with the polytheists and was captured; his two brothers Hisham and Khalid ransomed him. When he embraced Islam, his maternal uncles imprisoned him, so the Prophet ﷺ used to supplicate for him in the qunut ⁶³. Then he escaped from their captivity and joined the Prophet ﷺ during the Umrah of al-Qadiyya. When he died, the Prophet ﷺ shrouded him in his shirt. (80) Ibn Wail ibn Hisham ibn Said al-Qurashi al-Sahmi, the brother of Amr ibn al-As. He was an early Muslim; he embraced Islam in Mecca and emigrated to the land of Abyssinia. He came to Mecca when he heard of the Prophet's emigration, but his father detained him there until after the Battle of the Trench, when he came to the Prophet ﷺ. He was younger than his brother Amr. He was killed in Syria on the day of Ajnadayn during the caliphate of Abu Bakr in the year thirteen. (81) The qunut supplication is a sunnah according to Malik and al-Shafi'i. The Hanafi school holds that there is no supplication in all prayers, but there is no harm in supplication in the Fajr prayer during a calamity. The school of Ahmad holds that it is in Fajr except during a calamity. (1) The construction of the mosque during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had a roof of palm branches and pillars of palm trunks. Abu Bakr did not add anything to it. Umar added to it and built it as it was originally built. Then Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, changed it, added a great increase, built its wall with carved stones and plaster, made its pillars of carved stone, and roofed it with wood. It was expanded during the time of al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, and the Prophetic chamber was included in it. Then many expansions were made later, and it was expanded on the qibla side until the Rawdah ⁶⁴ and the pulpit became after the front rows, as is seen today. (2) In Sahih, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called the two boys (Sahl and Suhayl) and negotiated with them for the mirbad ⁶⁵ to take it as a mosque. They said: Rather, we give it to you as a gift, O Messenger of Allah. Then he built it as a mosque. In some narrations, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered Abu Bakr to give them its price. (3) Al-Dhahabi says in Bulbul al-Rawd: It has not reached us that he ﷺ built nine houses for himself when he built the mosque, nor do I think so after that. He only wanted one house at that time for Sawda, the Mother of the Believers. Then he did not need another house until he married Aisha in Shawwal of the year two. It seems that he ﷺ built them at different times. (4) Verse 45. (5) i.e., consult. (6) Abd Allah ibn Zayd, from Banu Amr ibn Mazin ibn al-Najjar. He attended Badr, and the Prophet ﷺ entrusted him with the supervision of the nafal ⁶⁶, which is the spoils brought back from Badr to Medina. It is mentioned that six or seven hadiths were collected from him in a separate volume. (7) In the narration of Muadh ibn Jabal in Ahmad: Or if I said: I was not asleep, I would have been truthful. (8) i.e., better and sweeter. (9) Ibn Hisham said: Umar went to the Prophet ﷺ to inform him of what he had seen. But the revelation had already come to the Prophet ﷺ about that. Umar was only startled by Bilal giving the adhan ⁶⁷. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said when he informed him: The revelation has preceded you in that. This indicates that the revelation came with the decree of what Abd Allah ibn Zayd ibn Abd Rabbih saw, and this was strengthened by the agreement of Umar's vision with that of the Ansari. Moreover, the sakina ⁶⁸ spoke on the tongue of Umar. Divine wisdom required that the adhan be on the tongue of someone other than the Prophet ﷺ from among the believers, because of the prophethood from Allah to His servant and the elevation of his mention. So that it be on another tongue is more eloquent and greater for his status. This meaning is clear, for Allah Almighty says: 'And We raised high for you your mention.' (10) The author's statement that it is a bid'ah ⁶⁹ or innovation, because everything that did not exist in the time of the Prophet ﷺ is a bid'ah, but some of it is... (11) Surah al-Baqarah, verse 94. (12) Surah al-Tawbah, verse 32. (13) Surah al-Baqarah, verse 59. (14) Permission to fight was given to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the night of the twelfth of Safar in the second year of the Hijra. The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, including Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, said: O Messenger of Allah, we were in honor while we were polytheists; when we believed, we became humiliated. So permit us to fight these people. He said: Restrain your hands from them, for I have not been commanded to fight them. When the Muslims emigrated to Medina, the Messenger permitted them to fight. The first revelation concerning fighting was: 'Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged...' the mentioned verse on the legislation of fighting. This is the first revelation concerning permission to fight after it was forbidden in over seventy verses. (15) Verse 35. (16) Verses 39-40. (17) Verses 190-193. (18) Verse 36. (19) Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. (20) Verse 58. (21) Verse 74. (22) Verses 15-16. (23) The sariyya ⁷⁰ is a detachment of the army; by it we mean every expedition in which the Messenger of Allah was not present; the one in which he was present is called a ghazwa ⁷¹. (Author) (24) He is Kinnaz ibn Husayn al-Ghanawi. He and his son attended Badr. Abu Marthad died in the year 12 AH. (25) A side of Medina, i.e., a direction of it. (Author) (26) This is the sariyya of Ubayda ibn al-Harith to Batn Rabigh. (27) In the original, 'the son of Hamza's uncle,' which is a mistake. (28) Ibn Kathir mentioned in his Sira that their number was sixty. (29) His name is Awf, and Misbah is his nickname. He embraced Islam early and died in the year 34 AH during the caliphate of Uthman. (30) A valley between the two sanctuaries near the sea. (Author) (1) A village between Mecca and Medina, six miles from al-Abwa. (Author) (It is a comprehensive village, one of the mother towns.) Ibn Hisham said: It is the first ghazwa he fought. (2) Mountains of Juhayna, a few miles from Medina towards Yanbu. (Author) And Buwat: two mountains, two branches of a root; one is Jalsi and the other Ghawri; in Jalsi are Banu Dinar. (3) He fought. (4) Al-Ushayra, diminutive, and it is also narrated with sin; and al-Ushayr, diminutive without ha at the end, also narrated with sin. And al-Ushayra', diminutive and lengthened, also narrated with sin. And al-Usayra', a diminutive name from al-Usra' or al-Usra; when diminutized by truncation, it is said Usayra. It is a plant that is first tender, then becomes a stalk, then is called al-Usra. Al-Bukhari narrated from Zayd ibn Arqam: It was said to him: How many ghazwas did the Prophet ﷺ fight? He said: Nineteen. It was said: How many did you fight with him? He said: Seventeen. I said: Which was the first? He said: Al-Usayra or al-Ushayr. (5) He is the father of Muawiya. He was born ten years before the Year of the Elephant. He was among the nobles of Quraysh in the Jahiliyya, and was a merchant. He embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest and attended Hunayn with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who gave him from its spoils one hundred camels and forty uqiyyas ⁷². He had another kunya: Abu Hanzala, after his son Hanzala who was killed as an unbeliever on the day of Badr. He attended the day of Ta'if and lost one eye there. He remained one-eyed until his other eye was lost on the day of Yarmuk. He died in the year thirty-three during the caliphate of Uthman. His son Muawiya prayed over him, and he was buried in al-Baqi'. He was eighty-eight years old. (6) He was one of the leaders of the polytheists before he embraced Islam, then he became Muslim. (7) A valley on the side of Badr. (Author) (8) This is the ghazwa of Safwan. Safwan is a valley on the side of Badr. Ibn Ishaq mentioned this ghazwa after al-Ushayra. Ibn Hazm said: Ten days later. (9) The sariyya of Abd Allah ibn Jahsh. (10) One of the early Muslims. He emigrated to Abyssinia and was martyred at Uhud. He and Hamza were buried in one grave. He lived about forty years. (11) Between Mecca and Ta'if. (12) Waqid ibn Abd al-Tamimi shot Amr ibn al-Hadrami with an arrow and killed him. (13) Verse 217. (14) The majority of scholars say: It was changed in the middle of Sha'ban, after eighteen months of the Hijra. (15) In al-Bukhari, from al-Bara: The Prophet ﷺ prayed toward Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen or seventeen months. Similarly in Muslim and Ibn Abi Hatim. Al-Qurtubi in his Tafsir reports from Ikrima and Abu al-Aliya and al-Hasan al-Basri that the direction toward Bayt al-Maqdis was by his own ijtihad ⁷³. Ibn Abbas and others hold that the direction was by Allah's command. He was pleased that his qibla be toward the Sacred House. He prayed the first prayer toward the Kaaba, the Asr prayer, and some people prayed with him. A man who was with him went out and passed by the people of a mosque while they were bowing. He said: I bear witness by Allah that I prayed with the Prophet ﷺ, so they turned toward the Kaaba while they were in prayer.

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, arrived in Medina and began fasting three days every month, and he fasted on Ashura ⁷⁴. Then Allah made fasting obligatory upon him and revealed: "O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you..." Then He revealed the other verse: "The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an..." up to His saying: "So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it." Thus He confirmed fasting for the resident who is healthy and granted a concession for the sick and the traveler, and He confirmed feeding [the poor] for the elderly who cannot fast. They used to eat, drink, and have relations with women as long as they did not sleep, but if they slept, they were prohibited [from these things] until Allah revealed: "It has been made permissible for you the night preceding fasting to go to your wives [for sexual relations]. They are clothing for you..." up to His saying: "Then complete the fast until the night." ^{75 17} [p.97] Linguistically, it means purification, rectification, growth, and praise. In Islamic law, it is the name for what is given from wealth or charity in a specific manner, and it is one of the pillars of Islam. Whoever denies it becomes a disbeliever, and the one who refuses to pay it is fought, and it is taken from him by force even if he does not fight. ^{76 18} [p.97] For every forty sheep up to one hundred and twenty sheep, one sheep [is due]; for thirty cattle, a tabi' ⁷⁷ (one year old); for every forty [cattle], a musinnah ⁷⁸ (two years old); for five camels up to twenty, a jadha'ah ⁷⁹ or a jadha' of sheep (one year old). ¹⁹ [p.97] Surah al-Tawbah, verse 60. ²⁰ [p.97] It occurred on the 17th of Ramadan in the second year of the Hijrah, year 924 CE, on a Friday, nineteen months after the Hijrah. Badr is a town in the Hijaz, southeast of the coast of the sea, and they call it Badr Hunayn. ^{80 21} [p.98] They took turns riding it. ²² [p.98] Damdam ibn 'Amr. ²³ [p.98] He hired him for four thousand dirhams that he owed him and had become bankrupt. ²⁴ [p.98] 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, Abu Sufyan, and Hakim ibn Hizam. ²⁵ [p.98] Surah al-Anfal, verse 48. [p.98] (6) Verse 16. ²⁶ [p.99] Surah al-Anfal, verse 48. ²⁷ [p.99] Al-Umawi said: The polytheists had sixty horses and six hundred coats of mail, while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had two horses and sixty coats of mail. ²⁸ [p.99] They were Busbas ibn 'Amr al-Juhani, an ally of the Banu Sa'idah, and 'Adi ibn Abi al-Zughba', an ally of the Banu al-Najjar. Musa ibn 'Uqbah said: 'Adi ibn Abi al-Zughba' died during the caliphate of 'Umar, and he had been present at Badr, Uhud, and the Trench with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. ²⁹ [p.99] A place thirty or forty miles south of Medina to the west (the author). (Al-Hazimi said: A place five nights from Mecca towards Yemen. Al-Bakri said: It is the farthest part of Hajar. Al-Hamdani said: It is in the farthest part of Yemen.) ³⁰ [p.99] Verse 7. ³¹ [p.99] He was known as Abu al-Aswad, embraced Islam early, made both migrations, and was present at Badr and the subsequent battles. He was a horseman, and they agreed that he died in the year 33 AH during the caliphate of 'Uthman, it is said at the age of seventy. ³² [p.99] With the dotted ghayn, it can be pronounced with damma or kasra, two dialects, followed by mim, alif, and dal without dots. Yaqut said in al-Mushtarak: "Bab al-Birk: eight places with kasra on the ba', sukun on the ra', and kaf, and it is the farthest part of Hajar in Yemen." ³³ [p.100] A place between Mecca and Medina, closer to Medina in the southwest on the main road. It had a market held every year for eight days (the author). ³⁴ [p.100] Al-jazr: what is slaughtered from sheep, one is called jazrah. The phrase in the Sirah of Ibn Hisham is: "We slaughter the jazur." ³⁵ [p.100] 'Udwat al-wadi: its bank (the author). ³⁶ [p.100] Ibn Ishaq added: Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas in a group of his companions, as Yazid ibn Ruman narrated from 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr. ³⁷ [p.100] Their names: Aslam, the slave of Banu al-Hajjaj, and 'Urayd, Abu Yasar. ³⁸ [p.101] They were: 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, Shaybah ibn Rabi'ah, Abu al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham, Hakim ibn Hizam, Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid, al-Harith ibn 'Amir ibn Nawfal, Tu'aymah ibn 'Adi ibn Nawfal, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, Zam'ah ibn al-Aswad, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, Nabih and Munabbih, the sons of al-Hajjaj, Suhayl ibn 'Amr, and 'Amr ibn 'Abd Wudd. ³⁹ [p.101] He cut its liver. ⁴⁰ [p.101] Salty. ⁴¹ [p.101] Verse 11. ⁴² [p.101] Verses 43-44. ⁴³ [p.101] He was known as Abu 'Amr, was present at Badr, and was called Abu al-Ra'y. He died during the caliphate of 'Umar, having passed fifty. ⁴⁴ [p.102] i.e., we bury and obliterate. ⁴⁵ [p.102] Al-'arsh: everything that shades you and is above you. ⁴⁶ [p.102] Its pride. ⁴⁷ [p.102] Your enmity. ⁴⁸ [p.103] They were: 'Awf and Mu'awwidh, the sons of al-Harith, and another man said to be 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah. ⁴⁹ [p.103] Narrated by Ibn Mandah, Abu Nu'aym, and Abu 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-Barr. Abu 'Umar said: This story has been narrated for Sawad ibn 'Amr, not for Sawad ibn Ghaziyyah. ⁵⁰ [p.103] Narrated by Ibn Ishaq. ⁵¹ [p.104] Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim and al-Tirmidhi. ⁵² [p.104] Surah al-Qamar, verse 45. ⁵³ [p.104] He was the first person killed in the cause of Allah in battle. In the hadith of Muslim and al-Bukhari, this story also occurred on the day of Uhud, but 'Umayr was not named there, nor anyone else, so Allah knows best. ⁵⁴ [p.104] It is a word meaning astonishment, with variant pronunciations: sukun on the kha', kasra with tanwin, and shaddah with tanwin or without. ⁵⁵ [p.104] Killed by Khalid ibn al-A'lam. ⁵⁶ [p.104] Ibn Hisham said: He, Hamzah, and 'Ali participated in killing him. ⁵⁷ [p.104] Killed by al-Mujadhdhir ibn Ziyad al-Balawi. ⁵⁸ [p.104] Mu'adh ibn 'Amr ibn al-Jamuh struck him and cut off his leg, and his son 'Ikrimah struck Mu'adh's hand and severed it. Then Mu'awwidh ibn 'Afra' struck him until he finished him off. Then he left him with some life left, and then 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud came upon him and cut off his head, when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered that he be sought among the slain. In Sahih Muslim, it is said that they were Mu'adh ibn 'Afra' and Mu'adh ibn 'Amr ibn al-Jamuh. But the most authentic of all is the hadith of Anas where the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Who will bring me news of Abu Jahl?" in the hadith, and it says that the sons of 'Afra' killed him. [p.104] (7) Ibn Ishaq said: Shaybah was killed by Hamzah, and al-Walid was killed by 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. ⁵⁹ [p.105] Killed by 'Umar ibn al-Khattab. ⁶⁰ [p.105] Killed by 'Asim ibn Thabit ibn Abi al-Aqlah. ⁶¹ [p.105] Killed by 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. ⁶² [p.105] Thus it occurs in al-Sunan of al-Daraqutni. ⁶³ [p.105] He was known as Salim, made both migrations, prayed towards both qiblas, embraced Islam after forty-three people, was present at Badr, and was martyred on the day of al-Yamamah at the age of fifty-six. ⁶⁴ [p.106] Surah al-Rum, verse 52. ⁶⁵ [p.106] Surah Fatir, verse 22. ⁶⁶ [p.106] Villages on the outskirts of Medina, which are al-'Awali (the author). ⁶⁷ [p.106] Verse number 1. ⁶⁸ [p.106] He was one of the naqibs ⁸¹ on the night of al-'Aqabah, and the banner of Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf on the day of the Conquest was with him. It is said he died during the caliphate of 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. ⁶⁹ [p.106] The brother of Tha'labah. Al-Tabarani narrated with a weak chain that he was present at Siffin with 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him. ⁷⁰ [p.106] The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made him and Suhayb ibn Sinan brothers, and he was present at Uhud next to the mountain. Ibn Ishaq narrated in al-Maghazi that he was martyred at Bi'r Ma'unah. ⁷¹ [p.107] An ally of the Ansar, he was the chief of Banu 'Ajlan, and he was the brother of Ma'n ibn 'Adi. He was known as Abu 'Amr, was present at Uhud and subsequent battles, and died in the year 45 AH at the age of one hundred and fifteen. ⁷² [p.107] A place between Mecca and Medina. ⁷³ [p.107] He embraced Islam in the year of al-Hudaybiyyah. In al-Isabah, his conversion is delayed to the year of the Conquest. He lived in Basra and died in Syria during the caliphate of Mu'awiyah. He narrated hadiths from the Prophet. He was ten years older than Ja'far, Ja'far was ten years older than 'Ali, and Talib was ten years older than 'Aqil. ⁷⁴ [p.108] Surah Ibrahim, verse 36. ⁷⁵ [p.108] Surah Nuh, verse 26. Narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad. ⁷⁶ [p.108] Poor. ⁷⁷ [p.109] He did not do anything after six years. This hadith is contradicted by what 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb narrated from his father from his grandfather that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned her to him with a new marriage contract. This latter hadith is the one acted upon, and from it the two hadiths are reconciled. The hadith of Ibn 'Abbas means: He returned her to him on the first marriage, i.e., like the first marriage in terms of dowry and modesty, without adding any condition or anything else. ⁷⁸ [p.109] The Qurashi al-'Amiri, the orator of Quraysh, Abu Yazid. Al-Bukhari said: He lived in Mecca then Medina. He was the one who undertook the matter of the treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah, his speech and his debate with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he stood a valuable stance at the death of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with the Muslims. He died of the plague in the year 18 AH. ⁷⁹ [p.109] He goes out. ⁸⁰ [p.109] Surah al-Zumar, verse 30. ⁸¹ [p.109] Surah Al 'Imran, verse 144. ⁸² [p.110] He was present at Badr with the polytheists and was captured. His brothers Hisham and Khalid ransomed him. When he embraced Islam, his maternal uncles imprisoned him, so the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to supplicate for him in the qunut ⁸². Then he escaped from their captivity and joined the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, during the 'Umrah of al-Qada'. It is said that he died at Bi'r Abi 'Utbah. ⁸³ [p.110] Known as Ibn Ukht al-Namr ibn Jabal. When he suffered from a headache, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wiped his head and supplicated for him. He performed ablution and drank from the Prophet's ablution water, and looked at the seal of prophethood. He narrated hadiths from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. 'Umar appointed him over the market of Medina, and he died in the year 82 AH. ⁸⁴ [p.110] He was present at the conquest of Egypt, and was governor of the sea of Egypt during the expedition of 'Amuriyyah. He was one of the most retentive people, so Quraysh used to say: "He has two hearts" due to his strong memory. ⁸⁵ [p.110] He was known as Abu Wahb, and his father was Umayyah ibn Khalaf. Safwan fled on the day of the Conquest, then returned to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and was present with him at Hunayn and al-Ta'if while still a disbeliever. His wife was a Muslim and embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest a month before Safwan. Then Safwan embraced Islam. He was one of the nobles in the Jahiliyyah, and one of those who provided food [to the pilgrims]. He was one of those whose hearts were reconciled [to Islam] ⁸³ and among those whose Islam became good. He was one of the most eloquent of Quraysh in speech, and died in Mecca in the year 42 AH at the beginning of the caliphate of Mu'awiyah. ⁸⁶ [p.111] Plural of himl, which is his load. ⁸⁷ [p.111] The name of this Abu 'Aziz is Zurarah. He has companionship and heard from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. It is said that he was killed with his brother at Uhud as a martyr. [p.111] (3) The uncle of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, known as Abu al-Fadl. He was born two years before the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. In the Jahiliyyah, he was responsible for providing water and maintaining the Ka'bah. He attended the pledge of al-'Aqabah with the Ansar before embracing Islam. Then he migrated shortly before the Conquest and was present at the Conquest. He stood firm on the day of Hunayn. Al-'Abbas was the greatest of people in the sight of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Companions acknowledged his virtue, consulted him, and took his opinion. He died in Medina in the year 32 AH. ⁸⁸ [p.112] Surah al-Nisa', verse 135.

And ⁸⁹ [p.112] Surah al-Anfal, verses 67-68. And ⁹⁰ [p.112] Surah al-Anfal, verse 70. And ⁹¹ [p.112] Surah Al 'Imran, verse 123. And ⁹² [p.113] Among them were Abu al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham, Umayya ibn Khalaf, Abu Jahl, 'Utba and Shayba, the two sons of Rabi'a, al-Walid ibn 'Utba, and al-'As ibn Hisham. And ⁹³ [p.113] It cast him into grief. And ⁹⁴ [p.113] That is, cast aside their covenant on a straight path, meaning to make known to them the repudiation of the covenants without hastening to war with them, or while they are under the illusion that the covenant remains, because that would be treachery. Hence He said: 'Indeed, Allah does not love the treacherous' (Qur'an 8:58). (Author) And ⁹⁵ [p.113] Verse 58. And ⁹⁶ [p.113] Verses 12-13. And ⁹⁷ [p.114] Verses 51-52. And ⁹⁸ [p.114] He was a naqib ⁸⁴ who witnessed the 'Aqaba pledge, witnessed Badr and the subsequent battles, and carried the banner of Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf in the Ghazwa of al-Sawiq. He died during the caliphate of 'Ali. And ⁹⁹ [p.114] A town in Syria (Author) (A village located between al-Suwayda and Damascus, now called Izra', part of the Hawran region, 100 km south of Damascus). And ¹⁰⁰ [p.114] It occurred in Dhu al-Hijja and is also called the Ghazwa of Qarqarat al-Kudr (al-qarqara: smooth land; al-kudr: the dullness in its colors). And ¹⁰¹ [p.114] That is, he does not approach women. And ¹⁰² [p.115] Known by the kunya Abu Lubaba. And ¹⁰³ [p.115] It is wheat or barley with clarified butter and honey. And ¹⁰⁴ [p.115] Fatima's mahr was a coat of mail worth four dirhams, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, equipped Fatima with a khumayl ⁸⁵, a waterskin, and a leather cushion stuffed with idhkhir ⁸⁶. And ¹⁰⁵ [p.115] Ibn Ishaq said: Fatima bore to 'Ali al-Hasan, al-Husayn, Muhsin (who died young), Umm Kulthum, and Zaynab. And (1) [p.116] Hatred. And (2) [p.116] He broke it again. And (3) [p.116] This is the narration of al-Bukhari from Jabir. Meaning: whoever volunteers to kill him. And (4) [p.116] Ibn al-Harithi, Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Madani. He was born 22 years before the prophethood, was named Muhammad in the Jahiliyya, and was known by the kunya Abu 'Abd Allah. He embraced Islam early at the hands of Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr. The Prophet made him and Abu 'Ubayda brothers. He witnessed all the battles except Tabuk, for which he was excused by the Messenger of Allah. He was among the virtuous Companions, and the Prophet appointed him over Medina in some of his expeditions. He was among those who kept away from fitna, not attending the battles of the Camel or Siffin. He died in Medina in the year 43 AH at the age of 77. And (5) [p.116] He tired us. And (6) [p.117] You will become annoyed with it. And (7) [p.117] A wasq ⁸⁷ is sixty sa' ⁸⁸ or a camel load. And (8) [p.117] His name is Sultan al-Ansari al-Awsi al-Ash'ali, brother of Salama ibn Salama ibn Waqsh. He witnessed Uhud and other battles, was a poet, and among the renowned archers. And (9) [p.117] He witnessed Badr and was martyred at al-Yamama at the age of 45. It is confirmed that the Prophet heard the voice of 'Abbad ibn Bishr and said: 'O Allah, have mercy on 'Abbad.' And (10) [p.117] Ibn 'Attab ibn 'Amr ibn 'Abd al-A'lam ibn 'Amir ibn Za'ura' ibn Jusham ibn al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj. He witnessed Badr and the Trench. And (11) [p.117] Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Al-Suhayli said: Among those who killed Ka'b were Abu 'Abs ibn Jabr, whose name is 'Abd al-Rahman, and Silkan ibn Salama, whose name is Sa'd. And (12) [p.118] Ibn Ishaq said: When the Messenger of Allah returned from the Ghazwa of al-Sawiq, he stayed in Medina for the remainder of Dhu al-Hijja or close to it. Then he set out for Najd, intending Ghatafan, which is Dhu Amr (a place in the territory of Ghatafan. Ibn Sa'd said: in the direction of al-Nakhil). He left Medina on Thursday. And (13) [p.118] Or Ghawrath ibn al-Harith. And (14) [p.118] Surah al-Ma'ida, verse 54. And (15) [p.118] Surah Al 'Imran, verse 159. And (16) [p.118] It is a place in the Hijaz in the direction of al-Far' (with a damma on the fa' and ra', and in al-Mawahib with a fatha). [p.118] (3) Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Al-Bayhaqi said: A similar story will come in the Ghazwa of Dhat al-Riqa'; perhaps they are two stories. Ibn Kathir said: If this is preserved, it is certainly different, because that man's name was Ghawrath ibn al-Harith, who did not embrace Islam but remained on his religion, and he had not made a covenant with the Prophet not to fight him. Allah knows best. And (17) [p.119] A place in the direction of al-Far'. This is one of the largest districts of Medina. (Author) (Bahran: with a damma on the ba' and fatha). And (18) [p.119] It is called the Sariyya ⁸⁹ of Zayd ibn Haritha to al-Qarada. And (19) [p.119] This Ghazwa occurred in Shawwal of year three. This was said by al-Zuhri, Qatada, Musa ibn 'Uqba, Muhammad ibn Ishaq, and Malik. Ibn Ishaq said: on the middle of Shawwal. Qatada said: on Saturday, the eleventh of it. Malik said: The battle took place at the beginning of the day, and it is well-known. It was named the Ghazwa of Uhud because of its proximity to Mount Uhud (named Uhud for its isolation among those mountains). It is a mountain in Arabia near Medina on the Syrian side. And (20) [p.119] One whose slain relative was not avenged. And (21) [p.120] That is, he wore a coat of mail over another coat of mail, namely Dhat al-Fudul and Fidda, which he obtained from the Banu Qaynuqa'. (Author) And (22) [p.121] Also reported: Ibn 'Umar, Usama ibn Zayd, Zayd ibn Thabit, al-Bara' ibn 'Azib, 'Umar ibn Hazm, Sa'd ibn Bujayr, Usayd ibn Zuhayr, 'Uraba ibn Aws ibn Qayzi, and Ibn Sa'd ibn Khaythama. All of them were permitted on the day of the Trench at the age of fifteen. And (23) [p.121] Known by the kunya Abu 'Abd Allah, Abu Khudayj. He was presented to the Prophet on the day of Badr, but he deemed him too young. He permitted him on the day of Uhud, so he went out with him and witnessed subsequent events. He settled in Medina until his wound reopened in early 74 AH, and he died at the age of 86. And (24) [p.121] Known by the kunya Abu Sulayman. He was among the allies of the Ansar. He memorized from the Messenger of Allah. Samura settled in Basra and died before the year 60. And (25) [p.121] Known by the kunya Abu Sab'. He witnessed the first 'Aqaba pledge and Badr, and was martyred on the day of Uhud, killed by Abu al-Hakam ibn al-Akhnas ibn Shariq. And (26) [p.121] Surah Al 'Imran, verse 167. And (27) [p.121] Verse number 88. And (28) [p.121] A mountain north of Medina, to the east. (Author) And (29) [p.122] The Sword of Allah, Abu Sulayman. He was one of the nobles of Quraysh in the Jahiliyya, and was in charge of the horses in the Jahiliyya. He fought alongside the Quraysh disbelievers until the 'Umra of al-Hudaybiyya. Then he embraced Islam in the year seven after Khaybar. He then witnessed the Ghazwa of Mu'ta. When 'Abd Allah ibn Rawaha was martyred, he took the banner, withdrew with the people, and saved the army. He witnessed the conquest of Mecca, then Hunayn and al-Ta'if in demolishing al-'Uzza. Abu Bakr sent him to fight the apostates, then appointed him over the war against Persia and Byzantium, where he had a great impact. He conquered Damascus and died in the city of Hims in the year 21. And (30) [p.122] Like his father, he was among the harshest against the Messenger of Allah. Then he embraced Islam in the year of the conquest, went to Medina, then to fight the apostates. Abu Bakr sent him to the army of Nu'man, and he prevailed over them. Then he went to Yemen, then returned and went out for jihad in the year of his death and was martyred. Al-Tabari mentioned that the Prophet appointed him over the sadaqat ⁹⁰ of Hawazin in the year of his death, and that he was killed at Ajnadayn. And (31) [p.122] He was the commander of the archers that day. He witnessed the 'Aqaba pledge, then Badr, and was martyred on the day of Uhud. He was the brother of Khawat ibn Jubayr ibn al-Nu'man by the same father and mother. And (32) [p.122] This has a witness in the two Sahihs. And (33) [p.122] He is called Talha ibn Abi Talha al-'Abdari. And (34) [p.122] He witnessed Badr or Uhud as a disbeliever, then embraced Islam and his Islam was good. He accompanied the Prophet during the Hudaybiyya truce. His name was 'Abd al-Ka'ba, so the Messenger of Allah changed it and named him 'Abd al-Rahman. He was among the bravest men of Quraysh and the best archer. He attended al-Yamama with Khalid ibn al-Walid and killed seven of their leaders. He witnessed the Battle of the Camel with his sister 'A'isha. He died in Mecca in the year 53. And (35) [p.123] Narrated by Abu Dawud (the wording is his), al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Hibban in his Sahih. Al-Tirmidhi said: Hasan gharib ⁹¹ with the wording: 'O Allah, You are my support and my helper; by You I move, by You I attack, and by You I fight.' And (36) [p.123] It is well-known that Wahshi is the one who killed Hamza, as narrated by Ibn Ishaq from 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar. Also narrated by al-Bukhari from Ibn 'Amr ibn Umayya al-Damri. Wahshi is Wahshi ibn Harb al-Habashi, a black slave from Mecca, a freedman of Tu'ayma ibn 'Adi, or, as Ibn Ishaq said, a freedman of Jubayr ibn Mut'im ibn 'Adi. He was known by the kunya Abu Dasma. He later embraced Islam after the conquest of al-Ta'if, witnessed al-Yamama, and killed Musaylima the Liar with the same javelin with which he killed Hamza. He then settled in Hims. And (37) [p.123] 'Amra bint 'Alqama. And (38) [p.124] Well-known by his kunya. He was among the virtuous Companions, the husband of Umm Sulaym, and witnessed Badr. He died in the year 34 AH, and 'Uthman prayed over him. And (39) [p.124] A shield made of leather. And (40) [p.124] It is the quiver in which arrows are placed. And (41) [p.124] Known by the kunya Abu Sa'd and Abu 'Abd Allah. He was among the people of Badr, one of the early Muslims. He witnessed Badr, stood firm on the day of Uhud when the people fled, and on that day pledged to die. He defended the Messenger of Allah with arrows, saying: 'Shoot arrows, Sah! ⁹² for Sah! is easy.' He also witnessed the Trench and all the battles. 'Ali appointed him over Basra after the Battle of the Camel, then he was with him at Siffin. He died in the year 38 AH. And (42) [p.124] One of the Banu Sa'ida ibn Ka'b ibn al-Khazraj. There is consensus that he witnessed Badr. 'Ali said: He was martyred at al-Yamama. He was among those who participated in killing Musaylima the Liar along with 'Abd Allah ibn Zayd ibn 'Asim and Wahshi ibn Harb. The Messenger of Allah had made him and 'Utba ibn Ghazwan brothers. And (43) [p.124] The original says: Ziyada ibn al-Harith, which is a mistake. And (44) [p.125] An ally of Banu Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza. There is consensus that he witnessed Badr. The Messenger of Allah sent him as a messenger to al-Muqawqis. Al-Marzubani said: He was one of the horsemen of Quraysh in the Jahiliyya and its poets. He died in the year 30. And (45) [p.125] Abu 'Abd Allah al-Ansari al-Sulami. Malik had no other child except Ka'b, the famous poet. He witnessed the 'Aqaba pledge and gave his pledge there. He missed Badr but witnessed Uhud and subsequent events, and missed Tabuk. Ibn Hibban said: He died during the days of the killing of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. [p.125] (2) Verse 128. And (46) [p.126] Known as 'the one washed by the angels' because he was martyred at Uhud in a state of janaba ⁹³, so the angels washed him. The hadith of the angels washing Hanzala is only narrated by Ibn Ishaq in his Maghazi, and it has been recorded by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak with a chain containing Mu'alla ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, who is abandoned; by al-Tabarani with a chain containing Hajjaj, who is a mudallis ⁹⁴; by al-Bayhaqi with a chain containing Abu Shayba al-Wasiti, who is very weak; and by al-Sarqati in his Gharibayn from the path of al-Zuhri as a mursal ⁹⁵. And (47) [p.126] The uncle of Anas ibn Malik, the servant of the Prophet. He missed Badr but witnessed Uhud, where he fought fiercely and was martyred. His body was mutilated and cut into small pieces so that no one recognized him except his sister by his fingers.

She embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest ⁹⁶ after her husband had already embraced Islam. She was a woman of pride and dignity. She witnessed the Battle of Uhud as a disbeliever alongside her husband, then her fate was sealed with Islam, so she embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest. She died during the caliphate of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab on the same day that Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, died. ⁹⁷ The narration of Ibn Ishaq in brief, and Ibn Abi Hatim, al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, and al-Bayhaqi in al-Dala'il. This is a strange hadith, and it is one of the mursal ⁹⁸ narrations of Ibn 'Abbas. It has supporting evidence from many sources. ⁹⁹ Surah Al 'Imran, verse 156. ¹⁰⁰ Verse 152. ¹⁰¹ Al-Jarh ¹⁰². ¹⁰³ A location eight miles from Medina on the road to Mecca (author). ¹⁰⁴ Narrated by al-Shaykhan ¹⁰⁵, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and al-'Askari, all from Abu Hurayra as a marfu' ¹⁰⁶ hadith, but the others do not have the exact wording. ¹⁰⁷ Ibn Hisham narrated that it was al-Zubayr. Ibn Hisham said: It reached me from Ibn al-Musayyib that he said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said (the hadith): "Strike his neck, O 'Asim ibn Thabit," so he struck his neck. ¹⁰⁸ He was among the early Muslims. He migrated to Abyssinia, then returned and migrated to Medina. He witnessed Badr, and was wounded on the day of Badr and died from it. ¹⁰⁹ Mother of the Believers ¹¹⁰. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, consummated his marriage with her after consummating with Hafsa bint 'Umar. She only stayed with him for two or three months and then died. ¹¹¹ The grandson of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, his sweet basil ¹¹², and the son of Fatima. He resembled the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. On the seventh day after his birth, he performed the 'aqiqa ¹¹³ for him, shaved his head, and ordered that silver equal to the weight of his hair be given in charity. He gave him the kunya ¹¹⁴ Abu Muhammad. He was intelligent, forbearing, generous, and eloquent, one of the most eloquent people in speech and improvisation. He performed the Hajj twenty times on foot. He relinquished the caliphate to Mu'awiya in the year 41 AH and returned to Medina, where he remained until he died poisoned in the year 49 AH. ¹¹⁵ Verse 219. ¹¹⁶ Wine does not strengthen the body but weakens it, by consensus of physicians, both believers and disbelievers. See the treatise on the harms of wine by Dr. Nabil al-Tawil. ¹¹⁷ Verse 43. ¹¹⁸ They are stones upon which blood of sacrifices was poured and which were worshipped. (Author) ¹¹⁹ They are the arrows by which they sought divination. The pairing of wine and gambling with ansab ¹²⁰ and azlam ¹²¹ is the ultimate deterrent. Therefore, he, peace be upon him, said: "The drinker of wine is like the worshipper of an idol." (Author) ¹²² Surah al-Ma'idah, verses 90-91. ¹²³ This is the expedition of Abu Salama 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Asad to Qatan. ¹²⁴ A mountain of Banu Asad in the region of Fayd, east of Medina. (Author) ¹²⁵ A place between Mina and 'Arafat, and it is not part of the standing ¹²⁶. ¹²⁷ The expedition of 'Asim ibn Thabit to al-Raji'. ¹²⁸ 'Uyun: spies. In Sahih al-Bukhari, they were ten. ¹²⁹ A group of less than ten. ¹³⁰ Al-Suhayli said: They are two subtribes of Banu al-Hawn, and al-Hawn are Banu al-Rish and Yathi', sons of al-Hawn ibn Khuzayma. Al-Mus'ab al-Zubayri said in the genealogy of Quraysh: As for al-Hawn ibn Khuzayma, they are 'Adl, Dush, and al-Qara. Banu Yathi' ibn al-Hawn are two subtribes of Khuza'a called al-Haya and al-Mustaliq. ¹³¹ The maternal grandfather of 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, one of the early Muslims. He killed a great man of Quraysh. When Quraysh heard of his killing, they sent a group to take something from his body to mutilate him, but Allah sent a cloud of bees over his body to protect him from them, so they could not take anything from his body. ¹³² A watering place of Banu Hudhayl between Mecca and 'Usfan (author) (eight miles from 'Usfan). ¹³³ He witnessed Badr. He was captured on the day of al-Raji' in the expedition in which Marthad ibn Abi Marthad, 'Asim ibn Thabit, and Khalid ibn al-Bukayr went out with seven men. They were killed, and Khubayb and Zayd ibn al-Dathina were captured. The polytheists took them to Mecca and sold them. Khubayb was bought by Banu al-Harith, as Khubayb had killed al-Harith ibn 'Amir on the day of Badr. He remained a prisoner with them until they agreed to kill him. They took him out of the sanctuary to kill him. He said: "Let me pray two rak'as." Then he said: "Were it not that you would think that I fear death, I would have prayed more." So he was the first to pray two rak'as at the time of execution. Then he said: "O Allah, count them one by one, and kill them one by one." ¹³⁴ Al-Suhayli said: It is mentioned that Abu Maysara was the one who stabbed Khubayb with the wooden stake, and with him was 'Uqba ibn al-Harith. ¹³⁵ Khubayb's poem in the Sira: al-Bukhari only narrated these two lines from it. Al-awsal: limbs. Al-shilw: the body. Al-mumazza': torn apart. ¹³⁶ The expedition of Bi'r Ma'una. ¹³⁷ The reason he was called "the one who plays with spears" was that his brother Tufayl ibn Malik had embraced Islam on that day and fled, so he was called "the one who plays with spears" on the day of Subal. ¹³⁸ The Khazraji Ansari al-Sa'idi. He witnessed al-'Aqaba and Badr. He was martyred at Bi'r Ma'una. ¹³⁹ East of Medina, between the land of Banu 'Amir and the lava plain of Banu Sulaym (author). ¹⁴⁰ He was the maternal uncle of Anas ibn Malik. The scholars of military expeditions agree that he was martyred on the day of Bi'r Ma'una. ¹⁴¹ In al-Bukhari: He gestured to a man, who came from behind him and stabbed him. Haram said: "Allahu Akbar, I have triumphed, by the Lord of the Ka'ba." ¹⁴² He witnessed Badr and was martyred at al-Khandaq. ¹⁴³ Ibn Hisham said: A man from the Ansar, al-Mundhir ibn Muhammad ibn 'Uqba ibn Uhayha ibn al-Julaj. Ibn Ishaq said: Nothing informed them of the calamity that had befallen their companions except the birds hovering over the camp. They said: "These birds must have a reason." So they approached to look, and there were the people in their blood, and the horses that had attacked them were standing. The Ansari said to 'Amr ibn Umayya: "What do you think?" He said: "I think we should join the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and inform him of the news." The Ansari said: "But I would not spare myself from a place where al-Mundhir ibn 'Amr was killed, and you would not inform me about him through men." Then he fought until he was killed, and they took 'Amr ibn Umayya prisoner. When he told them that he was from Mudar, they released him. ¹⁴⁴ (Saraha al-qawm) meaning their grazing animals. ¹⁴⁵ This is the one concerning which Allah revealed Surah al-Hashr. Al-Bukhari narrated from al-Zuhri from 'Urwa that he said: Banu al-Nadir [was expelled] six months after Badr, before Uhud. ¹⁴⁶ Among them were Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Ali. ¹⁴⁷ 'Amr ibn Jihash ibn Ka'b. ¹⁴⁸ Surah al-Hashr, verses 11-12. ¹⁴⁹ He was among the great Companions. He embraced Islam and preserved his wealth. No one else preserved his wealth from Banu al-Nadir except him and Abu Sa'd ibn 'Amr ibn Wahb. He was generous, spending his wealth in defense of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He gave money to a man to kill his cousin 'Amr ibn Jihash, who intended to kill the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. ¹⁵⁰ Al-Fay' ¹⁵¹ is everything taken from the disbelievers without fighting. Al-Ijaf ¹⁵² is speed, meaning they did not hasten in acquiring it with horses or camels, but it was obtained without fighting. Al-Rikab ¹⁵³ are the camels used for travel. ¹⁵⁴ Verse 7 of al-Hashr. As al-Raghib says: "It is the expulsion of a group from their homes and their displacement to war and the like." The most correct of all these opinions is what is narrated by al-Shaykhan via Abu Musa al-Ash'ari. He said: We went out with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on a campaign, and we were six men sharing one camel. We took turns riding it, and our feet became cracked, and my nails fell off. We wrapped rags around our feet, so it was called the campaign of Dhat al-Riqa' ¹⁵⁵, as we bandaged our feet with pieces of cloth. ¹⁵⁶ Al-Ashal ibn Hunayf and Abu Dujana Simak ibn Kharasha mentioned their poverty, so the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave them. ¹⁵⁷ Al-Hafiz said in al-Fath: There is disagreement about its timing. Rather, what should be certain is that it was after the campaign of Banu Qurayza, because it is established that the prayer of fear was not legislated during the campaign of al-Khandaq, and it is confirmed that the prayer of fear occurred in the campaign of Dhat al-Riqa' after al-Khandaq. ¹⁵⁸ Ibn Ishaq said: He appointed Abu Dharr over Medina. ¹⁵⁹ Ahmad, al-Shaykhan, and the authors of the three Sunan narrated from those who prayed with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the day of Dhat al-Riqa' that a group lined up with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and another group faced the enemy, i.e., watching them. He prayed one rak'a with the group with him, then remained standing while they completed their prayer by themselves. Then they left and faced the enemy, and the other group came. He led them in the remaining rak'a of his prayer, and they completed their prayer by themselves, and he made the taslim ¹⁶⁰ with them. ¹⁶¹ His kunya was Abu Salama. A famous Companion mentioned in al-Bukhari. He embraced Islam during the nights of al-Khandaq. He caused discord between the two tribes, Qurayza and Ghatafan, during the battle of al-Khandaq. He was killed at the beginning of 'Ali's caliphate before his arrival in Basra during the Battle of the Camel. ¹⁶² Surah Al 'Imran, verse 173. ¹⁶³ Ibn Salul. His father was the leader of the hypocrites. His name was al-Hubab, and his father was known by that kunya, so the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, named him 'Abdullah. He witnessed Badr, Uhud, and other battles. It is said that he asked the Prophet's permission to kill his father, but he said: "Rather, treat him well." When he died... ¹⁶⁴ It is one stage from Mecca. ¹⁶⁵ Surah Al 'Imran, verse 174. ¹⁶⁶ Abu 'Abdullah, the sweet basil of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his likeness from the chest downward. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recited the adhan ¹⁶⁷ in his ear. He is the master of the youth of Paradise. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, named him al-Husayn. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said concerning him: "Husayn is from me, and I am from Husayn. I love Husayn. Husayn is a grandchild among the grandchildren." Al-Husayn performed Hajj twenty-five times on foot. He was virtuous, often fasting, praying, performing Hajj, giving charity, and doing all good deeds. He was killed on Friday in the year 61 AH, which was the day of 'Ashura'. ¹⁶⁸ Mother of the Believers, well-known by her kunya. She was married to Abu Salama and migrated with him to Abyssinia, then migrated to Medina. It is said that she was the first woman to enter Medina as a migrant. Umm Salama narrated many hadiths from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and from Abu Salama. She instructed that Sa'id ibn Zayd, the governor of Medina, should lead her funeral prayer during an illness she had, but she recovered, and Sa'id died before her. ¹⁶⁹ A city five nights' journey from Damascus and fifteen nights from Tayba (author). (Dawmat with a damma on the dal according to linguists, but hadith scholars pronounce it with a fatha. Thus in al-Sihah. Al-Bakri said: It was named after Dumay ibn Isma'il, who settled there. It is ten stages from Medina, ten from Kufa, eight from Damascus, and twelve from Egypt. ¹⁷⁰ He is also called al-Kinani. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, appointed him over Medina while he was in Khaybar. ¹⁷¹ He embraced Islam, then apostatized and believed in Tulayha when he claimed prophethood. He was taken prisoner and brought to Abu Bakr as a captive, who granted him pardon. He continued to outwardly profess Islam despite his harshness, arrogance, and Bedouin coarseness until he died. ¹⁷² The young of his sheep.

Al-Bukhari said: This is the Ghazwa ¹⁷³ of al-Muraysi‘. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: That was in the year six. Musa ibn ‘Uqba said: year four. There is disagreement about the time of this Ghazwa, but the preponderant view is that it was in Sha‘ban, as supported by authentic hadiths. ¹⁷⁴ A watering place of Khuza‘a, one day’s journey from al-Fur‘ (the author). ¹⁷⁵ Shuqran was an Abyssinian slave of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, who gave him as a gift to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He was among those present at the washing of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at his death, and witnessed Badr as a slave, so no share was given to him. He descended into the grave of the Messenger ﷺ. Shuqran had taken a cloak that the Prophet ﷺ used to wear and buried it in his grave. It is said he had a house in Basra. ¹⁷⁶ His kunya was Abu ‘Abd Allah. He embraced Islam before Badr but did not attend it. He witnessed al-Hudaybiyya and was among those who gave the pledge of al-Ridwan ¹⁷⁷. He learned some of the Qur’an. Then he came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ after Uhud and witnessed his subsequent campaigns. He was a resident of Medina, then moved to Basra, then left for Khurasan as a warrior and died in Marw during the governorship of Yazid ibn Mu‘awiya. ¹⁷⁸ The wife of the Prophet ﷺ. Before him, she was married to Musami‘ ibn Safwan al-Mustaliqi. Her name was Barra, but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ changed it and named her Juwayriyya. She memorized from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and narrated from him. She died in Rabi‘ al-Awwal, year fifty-six of the Hijra. ¹⁷⁹ Her father al-Harith ibn Abi Dirar came with the ransom for his daughter. When he reached al-‘Aqiq, he looked at the camels and desired two of them. ¹⁸⁰ From Banu Ghifar, called Jahjah ibn Mas‘ud. ¹⁸¹ Sinan ibn Wabr, an ally of Banu ‘Awf ibn al-Khazraj. ¹⁸² i.e., they overpowered us and outnumbered us in our land, and they denied our religion. ¹⁸³ Sura al-Munafiqun, verse 8. ¹⁸⁴ He was considered too young on the day of Uhud, and his first campaign was al-Khandaq. He fought with the Prophet ﷺ in seventeen campaigns. He has many hadiths. He witnessed Siffin with ‘Ali and died in Kufa in 66 AH. ¹⁸⁵ Quickly. ¹⁸⁶ In the narration of Ibn Ishaq: ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: O Messenger of Allah, it has reached me that you intend to kill ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy because of what you have heard about him. If you are going to do it, then order me to do it, and I will bring you his head. By Allah, the Khazraj know that there is no man more dutiful to his father than I. But I fear that you will order someone else to kill him, and then my soul will not let me look at the killer of ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy walking among the people without killing him, and then I would kill a believer for a disbeliever and enter the Fire. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Rather, we will be gentle with him and treat him well as long as he remains with us. ¹⁸⁷ Al-Suhayli said: He used to be at the rear of the army, picking up what fell from the belongings of the Muslims and bringing it to them. He lived in Medina, witnessed al-Khandaq and all the campaigns. His kunya was Abu ‘Amr. He was good, virtuous, brave, and heroic. He was chaste and abstained from women. He was martyred during the caliphate of Mu‘awiya. On the day he was killed, his leg was broken, and he fought with it broken until he died. ¹⁸⁸ Al-Jaz‘: beads. Zafar: a city in Yemen. ¹⁸⁹ A man’s people and his tribe, from three or seven to ten or less than ten. ¹⁹⁰ Women’s conveyance. ¹⁹¹ i.e., by saying: “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji‘un” ¹⁹². ¹⁹³ Al-Jilbab is the wrap that a woman wears over her shift and headcover. ¹⁹⁴ i.e., they wade. ¹⁹⁵ i.e., she recovered from illness. ¹⁹⁶ Ra’ita bint Sakhr, well-known for her lying. She embraced Islam and her Islam became good. She was among the harshest people against Mistah when he spoke about the people of the Ifk ¹⁹⁷. ¹⁹⁸ One of the al-Murut, which are woolen or silk garments used as waist-wraps. ¹⁹⁹ i.e., this. ²⁰⁰ i.e., good and beautiful. ²⁰¹ Al-Kalbi, al-Hubb ibn al-Hubb ²⁰². His kunya was Abu Muhammad. His mother was Umm Ayman, the nursemaid of the Prophet ﷺ. Usama was born in Islam, and the Prophet ﷺ died when he was twenty years old. He appointed him as commander of a great army, but the Prophet ﷺ died before he set out, so Abu Bakr sent him. ‘Umar used to honor and respect him. Usama withdrew from the fitna after the murder of ‘Uthman until he died at the end of Mu‘awiya’s caliphate. He lived in al-Mizza in the district of Damascus, then returned to Wadi al-Qura, then came down to Medina and died at al-Jurf in 54 AH. His virtues are great, and his hadiths are famous. ²⁰³ ‘A’isha bought her and freed her. She used to serve ‘A’isha before she bought her. Her story is in the two Sahihs. Al-Barira is the singular of al-Barir, which is the fruit of the arak tree. ²⁰⁴ I blame her for it. ²⁰⁵ It is the sheep that stays in the houses and does not go out to pasture. ²⁰⁶ i.e., he would help me if I requited him for his evil deed. ²⁰⁷ i.e., meaning it dried up from intense grief. ²⁰⁸ Sura Yusuf, verse 18. ²⁰⁹ Verses 11-21. ²¹⁰ Allah cleared four people by four: He cleared Yusuf by the testimony of a witness (And a witness from her family testified), He cleared Musa from the accusation of the Jews by the stone that took his garment, He cleared Maryam by making her child speak when he called from her cradle (Indeed, I am the servant of Allah), and He cleared ‘A’isha by these great verses. ²¹¹ In the Musnad, from the hadith of ‘A’isha: When Allah revealed her innocence, Abu Bakr came to her and kissed her head. She said to him: Why did you not excuse me? He said: Which sky would shade me and which earth would carry me if I said what I do not know? ²¹² She was the wife of Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr, who was killed on the day of Uhud. Then Talha ibn ‘Abd Allah married her, and she bore him Muhammad and ‘Amr. Abu ‘Umar said: She was among those who gave the pledge and witnessed Uhud, giving water to the thirsty and carrying and treating the wounded. She is the mother of Muhammad ibn Talha, known as al-Sajjad. ²¹³ His name was ‘Awf, and Mistah was his nickname. His mother was the daughter of the maternal aunt of Abu Bakr. She embraced Islam, and her father embraced Islam early. The hadith of al-Ifk is established in the two Sahihs in the long hadith of ‘A’isha about al-Ifk. In the report narrated by Abu Dawud from another chain from ‘A’isha, the Prophet ﷺ flogged those who slandered ‘A’isha, and he was among them. Mistah died in 34 AH during the caliphate of ‘Uthman. ²¹⁴ And he does not swear. ²¹⁵ Sura al-Nur, verse 22. This story is narrated by the two Shaykhs with the chain from ‘A’isha. ⁴⁴ The Ghazwa of al-Khandaq was in Shawwal, year five of the Hijra. This was stated by Ibn Ishaq, ‘Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, Qatada, al-Bayhaqi, and many other scholars, both early and late. Musa ibn ‘Uqba narrated from al-Zuhri that he said: Then the battle of al-Ahzab occurred in Shawwal, year four. Likewise, Imam Malik ibn Anas said, as narrated by Ahmad ibn Hanbal from Musa ibn Dawud from him. Al-Bayhaqi said: There is no real disagreement among them, because they mean that it was after four years had passed and before the completion of five. The correct view is that of the majority: that Uhud was in Shawwal, year three, and al-Khandaq was in Shawwal, year five of the Hijra. And Allah knows best. ⁴⁵ In the original: Abu Mas‘ud, which is a mistake. In al-Isaba and Usd al-Ghaba: Mas‘ud ibn Rukhayla al-Ashja‘i. Then he embraced Islam and his Islam became good. ⁴⁶ In al-Bukhari, and in another narration from al-Bara’: I heard him reciting the verses of Ibn Rawaha, then he mentioned the previous rajaz. ⁴⁷ The place where torrents gather. ⁴⁸ A man from Quraysh called Hayyan ibn al-‘Arfa shot him. ⁴⁹ The gap of the broken and demolished. ⁵⁰ Sura al-Ahzab, verse 12. ⁵¹ Sura al-Ahzab, verse 13. ⁵² He was killed on the day of the Bridge of Abu ‘Ubayd. ⁵³ With fath of the kha’ and damm; the fath is more eloquent. ⁵⁴ ‘Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl with a group from Quraysh and Ghatafan. ⁵⁵ Narrated by Ibn Ishaq in the meaning. ⁵⁶ Established in the two Sahihs. ⁵⁷ The darkness led them when it intensified. ⁵⁸ Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih from Yazid from his father. It is also narrated by al-Hakim and al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi in al-Dala’il. ⁵⁹ Verses 9 to 13. ⁶⁰ In al-Bukhari and Muslim from ‘A’isha, may Allah be pleased with her: When the Prophet ﷺ returned from al-Khandaq, he put down his weapons and bathed. Then Jibril came to him and said: You have put down your weapons? By Allah, we have not put them down. Go out to them. He said: Where? He pointed to Banu Qurayza. So he went out to them. ⁶¹ Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. This indicates that every mujtahid in subsidiary matters is correct. It is also narrated by al-Bayhaqi from two chains. This hadith has good chains from ‘A’isha and others. The scholars differed as to which of the Companions was correct on that day. Rather, there is consensus that both groups are rewarded and excused, not blamed. ⁶² He is Bashir ibn ‘Abd al-Mundhir al-Madani, one of the nuqaba’. He lived until the caliphate of ‘Ali. ⁶³ Narrated by Musa ibn ‘Uqba in his Maghazi from al-Zuhri. Likewise, it is narrated by Ibn Lahi‘a from Abu al-Aswad from ‘Urwa, as mentioned by Muhammad ibn Ishaq in his Maghazi in a similar context to that of Musa ibn ‘Uqba from al-Zuhri. The author mentioned it briefly. ⁶⁴ Narrated by the two Shaykhs and Abu Dawud. ⁶⁵ Al-Nawadih: plural of nadih. Ibn Hisham said: Al-Nadih is the camel used for carrying water to irrigate palm trees. ⁶⁶ The gates of heaven were opened for him, and the Throne shook. In another hadith: He ﷺ said: Seventy thousand angels descended for the death of Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh, who had never set foot on earth before. It is mentioned that his grave was found to have the scent of musk. Narrated by Ibn Sa‘d and Abu Nu‘aym. ⁶⁷ Sura al-Tawba, verse 102. ⁶⁸ Verse 36. ⁶⁹ It is narrated from Abu Hatim and al-Tabari from ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali: Allah informed His Prophet that Zaynab would be among his wives before he married her. When Zayd came to him complaining about her and said to him: “Fear Allah and keep your wife,” Allah said: I have told you that I will marry her to you, and you hide in yourself what Allah will reveal. This is what the verifying scholars of tafsir and others held in interpreting the fear, such as al-Zuhri, al-Qadi Bakr ibn al-‘Ala’ al-Qushayri, al-Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi, al-Qadi ‘Iyad in al-Shifa’, and the historian and hafiz Ibn Kathir in al-Tafsir and al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya. ⁷⁰ Verse 37. ⁷¹ Verse 40. ⁷² Narrated by al-Bukhari. ⁷³ Verse 88. ⁷⁴ Verse 131. ⁷⁵ Verse 4. ⁷⁶ Verse 37. ⁷⁷ The majority of commentators hold that although this verse is addressed to the wives of the Prophet ﷺ, its ruling applies to all women of the Ummah. The wives of the Prophet were specified because of their status, great virtue, and their position with the Prophet ﷺ.

Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I said, O Messenger of Allah, both the righteous and the wicked enter upon you, so if you could order the Mothers of the Believers to observe hijab ²¹⁶. Then the verse of hijab was revealed. Narrated by al-Bukhari. ^{79 80} The hijab is general for all believing women, as evidenced by His statement: "O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks over themselves" ⁸¹. For Allah commands the wives of the Prophet and the daughters of the Prophet, due to their honor, to draw their cloaks over themselves, and then includes the believing women. So that they may be distinguished from the characteristics of the women of the Jahiliyyah ⁸². The jilbab ⁸³ is the outer garment over the khimar ⁸⁴. Ibn Mas'ud and a group of the Companions and Successors said it is like the izār ⁸⁵ today. Al-Jawhari said: The jilbab is the mulḥafa ⁸⁶. Ibn Abbas said: Allah commanded the believing women, when they go out of their houses for a need, to cover their faces from above their heads with the jilbab, revealing one eye. Muhammad ibn Sirin said: I asked 'Abida al-Salmani about the saying of Allah: "to draw their cloaks over themselves," so he covered his face and head and exposed his left eye. When this verse was revealed, the women of the Ansar ⁸⁷ went out as if there were crows on their heads from tranquility, wearing black garments. Refer to the book Al-Hijab by Abu al-A'la al-Mawdudi. ^{82 83} Al-shāṭir ⁸⁸ is one who exhausts his family with wickedness. ⁸⁴ Al-ghayẓ ⁸⁹ is the entry of something into something. ⁸⁵ 'Aṭfan ⁹⁰ (with kasra) means the side of everything; and "turn away from the 'aṭf of the road" means its main path; it can also be with fatha. ^{86 87} Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah. ⁸⁸ Narrated by Muslim and al-Nasa'i. ⁸⁹ He is Sulayman ibn Mihran al-Kahili, his kunya is al-Kufi, a famous Successor, one of the eminent memorizers and reciters. ⁹⁰ Hajj ⁹¹ is the visitation of the sacred places for rituals. The obligation of Hajj was revealed, as established by al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him), at the time of al-Hudaybiyyah in His statement: "And complete the Hajj and 'Umrah for Allah." Therefore, he held that Hajj is obligatory on a delayed basis, not immediately, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not perform Hajj except in year ten. The other three—Malik, Abu Hanifa, and Ahmad—differed with him; according to them, Hajj is obligatory immediately for whoever is able. ⁹¹ It is also said in the sixth year, and al-Shafi'i held this view. ²¹⁶ The expedition of Muhammad ibn Maslamah to Najd; Ibn Kathir holds that this expedition was after Khaybar, while al-Bukhari holds it was in year seven after Khaybar. ²¹⁷ A place seven nights from Madinah on the road to Basra. (Author) ²¹⁸ Abu Umamah al-Yamami. When Banu Hanifah disobeyed his opinion and resolved to follow Musaylimah, he decided to leave them. He went out as reinforcement for al-'Ala' ibn al-Hadrami with his Muslim companions, which weakened the enemy. When the reinforcement of Banu Hanifah reached them, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent Furat ibn Hayyan to Thumamah to fight Musaylimah and kill him. ²¹⁹ A place near Makkah. (Author) It is called in our time Madraj 'Uthman, about three stages from Makkah. ²²⁰ A mountain south of 'Usfan, eight miles away. (Author) ²²¹ Narrated by al-Bukhari, Muslim, and al-Nasa'i. ²²² It has another name: Ghazwat Dhi Qarad. ²²³ A place one barid from Madinah towards Ghatafan. (Author) (Al-liqḥa: the milking she-camel). ²²⁴ Known as Ibn al-Akwa'. His first battle was al-Hudaybiyyah. He was one of the brave, outpacing horses in running. He pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace be upon him) under the tree to die. He settled in Madinah, then moved to al-Rabadhah after the killing of 'Uthman, married there, and had children. A few nights before his death, he came down to Madinah and died there in the year 74 AH. ²²⁵ Al-Abrad (pl. of burd) is a striped garment. On that day, he stripped thirty garments and thirty shields from the enemy while on foot before the cavalry caught up. He killed many with arrows. Whenever they fled, he caught them; whenever they shot at him, he escaped. ²²⁶ It is mentioned in a hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim: "I began to shoot them with my arrows, and I was a good archer, saying: 'I am the son of al-Akwa', and today is the day of the suckling.' I continued until I recovered the milch camels from them and stripped thirty garments." Al-Liqah are pregnant camels with milk. Imam Ahmad narrated it at length, including: "Then I kept shooting them until they abandoned more than thirty spears and more than thirty garments, seeking to lighten themselves." ¹² Then 'Abbad ibn Bishr, Sa'd ibn Zayd, Usayd ibn Zuhayr (doubtful), 'Ukashah ibn Mihsan, Muhriz ibn Nadlah, Abu Qatadah al-Harith ibn Rib'i, and Abu 'Ayyash 'Ubayd ibn Zayd ibn Samit responded to him. ¹³ Al-Asjah: the good and moderate; "I have power, so be lenient" means you have power, so be easy and forgive well; it is a common proverb. ¹⁴ This is the expedition of 'Ukashah ibn Mihsan to al-Ghamr. ¹⁵ This is the expedition of Muhammad ibn Maslamah to Dhi al-Qissah. ¹⁶ A place twenty-four miles from Madinah on the road to al-Rabadhah. (Author) ¹⁷ A place near Madinah. (Author) ¹⁸ This is the expedition of Zayd ibn Harithah to al-Jumum. ¹⁹ A region of Batn Nakhl. (Author) (The original is al-Humum). ²⁰ It is called Halimah. ²¹ This is the expedition of Zayd ibn Harithah to al-'Is. ²² This is the expedition of Zayd ibn Harithah to al-Taraf. ²³ A watering place thirty-six miles from Madinah on the road to Iraq. (Author) ²⁴ This is the expedition of Zayd ibn Harithah to Wadi al-Qura. ²⁵ A place north of Madinah. (Author) ²⁶ This is the expedition of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf to Dumah al-Jandal. ²⁷ A fortress and villages, five nights from Damascus and fifteen nights from Madinah. (Author) ²⁸ Narrated by the five except al-Bukhari. ²⁹ Ibn Tha'labah ibn Husayn (Husn) ibn Damdam ibn 'Adi ibn Janab al-Kalbi al-Quda'i. 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf married his daughter Tumadir, who later gave birth to Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman. ³⁰ This is the expedition of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib to Banu Sa'd. ³¹ A village six nights from Madinah towards Khaybar. (Author) The correct is that it is two days from Madinah and less than a stage from Khaybar. ³² They were 'Abdullah ibn 'Atik, Mas'ud ibn Sinan, 'Abdullah ibn Unays, Abu Qatadah al-Harith ibn Rib'i, and Khuzai' ibn Aswad, an ally of theirs from Aslam. ³³ Thus Imam Muhammad ibn Ishaq narrated this story, as did Imam al-Bukhari from al-Bara'. Al-Bukhari alone among the authors of the six books narrated these accounts. Musa ibn 'Uqbah mentioned in his Maghazi similar to Muhammad ibn Ishaq. ³⁴ This is the expedition of 'Abdullah ibn Rawahah to Usayr ibn Rizam. ³⁵ Qatadah said: It reached us that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), when he gave sermons after that, urged charity and forbade mutilation. This hadith has been narrated by a group from Qatadah and by a group from Anas ibn Malik. ³⁶ This is the expedition of 'Amr ibn Umayyah al-Damri to Abu Sufyan ibn Harb. ³⁷ A famous Companion with many hadiths. He was brave. His first battle was Bi'r Ma'unah. 'Amir ibn al-Tufayl captured him, shaved his forelock, and released him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent him to the Negus for the marriage of Umm Habibah, and to Makkah where he carried Khabib from his wooden cross. He is mentioned in several places. He was one of the most daring and courageous Arabs. He lived until the caliphate of Mu'awiyah and died in Madinah. ³⁸ Al-Khattabi said: The hadith scholars say al-Hudaybiyyah with tashdid, while the linguists say with takhfif. Al-Hudaybiyyah is a well in a village named after the battle. It is one stage from Makkah and nine stages from Madinah. It occurred in Dhu al-Qa'dah of year six without dispute. ³⁹ Al-Bukhari narrated from al-Bara' that they were 1,400. Al-Zuhri said the same. Al-Bukhari narrated from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib from Jabir that they were 1,500. In another narration from al-Bukhari, they were over 1,000. The point is that all these narrations contradict Ibn Ishaq's view that the companions at al-Hudaybiyyah were 700. Ibn al-Qayyim says: My heart inclines to this. In the two Sahihs, it is also narrated that they were 1,400 and some. ⁴⁰ Ibn Hisham said: He appointed over Madinah Numaylah ibn 'Abdullah al-Laythi. ⁴¹ A place two stages from Makkah. (Author) ⁴² He is Bishr ibn Sufyan al-Ka'bi. ⁴³ Al-Suhayli said: His name was Dhakwan; the Prophet (peace be upon him) named him Najiyah when he escaped from the disbelievers of Quraysh. He lived until the time of Mu'awiyah. ⁴⁴ The descent of al-Hudaybiyyah (Author) (from lower Makkah) is between al-Juhfah and Makkah. ⁴⁵ Khala'at: it shied and knelt without cause. ⁴⁶ Narrated by Imam Ahmad briefly, and by al-Bukhari and Abu Dawud. ⁴⁷ A well near Makkah; the land is named after it. (Author) ⁴⁸ Then they sent to him Mikraz ibn Hafs ibn al-Akhyaf, brother of Banu 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw him approaching, he said: "This is a treacherous man." When he reached the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and spoke to him, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to him similar to what he had said to Budayl and his companions. He returned to Quraysh and informed them of what the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had said. ⁴⁹ He was one of the great men of his people, and his mention is established in the authentic hadith of the story of al-Hudaybiyyah. He had the upper hand. ⁵⁰ Awbash al-nas: their mixed groups. ⁵¹ Abu 'Isa or Abu Muhammad. He embraced Islam before the 'Umrah of al-Hudaybiyyah and witnessed it and the Pledge of Ridwan. Ibn Sa'd said: He was called Mughirah al-Ra'y. He witnessed al-Yamamah and the conquests of Syria and Iraq. Al-Sha'bi said: He was one of the clever Arabs. Al-Baghawi said: He was the first to establish the diwan of Basra. Ibn Hibban said: He was the first to be greeted with the title of amir. Then 'Umar appointed him over Kufa, and 'Uthman confirmed him then dismissed him. When 'Uthman was killed, he withdrew from fighting until he attended with the two arbiters. Then he pledged allegiance to Mu'awiyah after the people united upon him. Then Mu'awiyah appointed him over Kufa, and he remained as its governor until he died.

Ibn Ishaq said: Some people of knowledge narrated to me that the Messenger of God ²²⁷ called Khirash ibn Umayya al-Khuza'i and sent him to the Quraysh in Mecca, mounting him on a camel called al-Tha'lab, to convey to their nobles what he had come for. They hamstrung the Messenger of God's camel and wanted to kill him, but the Ahabish ²²⁸ prevented them, so they let him go until he came to the Messenger of God. Then he called 'Umar ibn al-Khattab to send him to Mecca to convey to the nobles of Quraysh what he had come for. He said: 'O Messenger of God, I fear the Quraysh for myself, and there is none of the Banu 'Adi in Mecca to protect me. You know the Quraysh's enmity and my harshness towards them. But I can guide you to a man more honored there than I: 'Uthman ibn 'Affan.'

(34) [p188] (The sister of Umm al-Fadl Lubaba) Her name was Barra, but the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, named her Maymuna. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, married her in Dhu al-Qa‘da in the year seven ²²⁹ when he performed the ‘Umra of al-Qadiyya ²³⁰. She died at Sarif ²³¹ in the year 51 AH ²³².

1. al-bahrayn : Literally 'the two seas'; a region in Arabia.
2. su'luk : A brigand or outlaw; a pre-Islamic Arabian social type.
3. marfu' : A hadith attributed directly to the Prophet Muhammad.
4. mudaraba : A partnership where one party provides capital and the other labor.
5. al-wasat : The middle; a term of praise indicating nobility and balance.
6. uqiyya : An ounce; a unit of weight, here 40 dirhams.
7. al-radm : Stacking stones without mortar.
8. Qur'an 2:275 : Reference to the verse permitting trade and forbidding usury.
9. al-Hijr : The semicircular area adjacent to the Ka'ba.
10. qirat : A small weight; a fraction of a dinar.
11. Qur'an 46:10 : Verse referring to a witness from the Children of Israel.
12. Tabi'i : A follower; a Muslim who met a Companion of the Prophet.
13. Faraqlit : Paraclete; the Comforter, interpreted as a reference to Muhammad.
14. 'Ammuriya : Amorium; a city in Anatolia.
15. Qur'an 6:96 : Reference to 'cleaving of the dawn' as a sign.
16. al-Ghatt : Embracing or squeezing; a term used in the context of revelation.
17. Iqra' : The first word revealed: 'Read' or 'Recite'.
18. Hanifiyya : The monotheistic religion of Abraham, distinct from Judaism and Christianity.
19. ṣaḥīfa : Document or pact; here referring to the boycott document against the Banu Hashim.
20. radda : Crushed or ground into powder.
21. ṣaḥīfa : Document; the termite-eaten boycott document.
22. arḍa : Termites or wood-eating insects.
23. ṣaḥīfa : Document; the boycott pact.
24. Ṭāʾif : A town in the Hijaz, southeast of Mecca.
25. rakb : A caravan or group of riders.
26. āya : Verse of the Quran.
27. Najāshī : The Negus, king of Abyssinia.
28. sūra : Chapter of the Quran.
29. Ḥajūn : A cemetery in Mecca.
30. takbīr : Saying 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is the Greatest).
31. Hijra : The emigration of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina.
32. al-Zahrāʾ : The luminous; a title of Fatima.
33. Ruqayya : Daughter of the Prophet and wife of 'Uthman.
34. Sawda : Second wife of the Prophet.
35. Abū Ṭālib : Uncle of the Prophet who protected him but died a disbeliever.
36. ḍaḥḍāḥ : Shallow water; metaphorically, a shallow part of Hellfire.
37. Ṭāʾif : A town in the Hijaz.
38. akhwāl : Maternal uncles.
39. ghilẓa : Harshness or roughness.
40. al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr : A collection of hadith by al-Suyuti.
41. Dijla : The Tigris River.
42. ʿAddās : A Christian slave from Nineveh who embraced Islam.
43. akhshabān : The two mountains of Mecca: Abu Qubays and Qu'ayqi'an.
44. Nakhla : A place near Mecca.
45. āya : Verse of the Quran.
46. āya : Verse of the Quran.
47. Mutʿim ibn ʿAdī : A Qurayshi leader who granted protection to the Prophet.
48. Dhu al-Nūn : The one of the fish; title of Prophet Yunus (Jonah).
49. Islām : Submission to Allah; the religion of Islam.
50. Shaykhān : Al-Bukhari and Muslim, the two major hadith scholars.
51. Isrāʾ : The night journey of the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem.
52. Isrāʾ : The night journey.
53. ruʾya : Vision; seeing Allah with the eyes.
54. Islām : The religion of Islam.
55. āya : Verse of the Quran.
56. al-Bayt al-Maʿmūr : The Much-Frequented House; a celestial Ka'ba in the seventh heaven.
57. Hajar : A region in Arabia known for its large jars.
58. naqib : A leader or representative of a tribe or group, especially those who pledged allegiance at al-'Aqaba.
59. al-Mustafa : The Chosen One, a title of the Prophet Muhammad.
60. Dhat al-Nitaqayn : She of the two belts, a nickname for Asma' bint Abi Bakr.
61. harrah : A volcanic plain or lava field.
62. miqat : A designated station for entering the state of ihram for pilgrimage.
63. qunut : A supplication recited during prayer, often in the Witr or Fajr prayer.
64. Rawdah : The area between the Prophet's pulpit and his house in the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, considered a garden of Paradise.
65. mirbad : A place where dates are dried or stored.
66. nafal : Spoils of war; also refers to supererogatory acts of worship.
67. adhan : The Islamic call to prayer.
68. sakina : Divine tranquility or presence.
69. bid'ah : An innovation in religious matters, often considered blameworthy if it contradicts established teachings.
70. sariyya : A military expedition led by a companion without the Prophet's presence.
71. ghazwa : A military expedition led by the Prophet himself.
72. uqiyya : A unit of weight, approximately 40 grams of silver.
73. ijtihad : Independent legal reasoning by a qualified scholar.
74. Ashura : The 10th day of Muharram, a day of fasting.
75. p.96 : Page reference in the original text.
76. Zakat : Obligatory alms, one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
77. tabi' : A male calf in its second year.
78. musinnah : A female cow in its third year.
79. jadha'ah : A young camel or sheep in its second year.
80. Badr Hunayn : Another name for the Battle of Badr, though Hunayn is a different location.
81. naqib : A leader or representative of a group, chosen for the pledge.
82. qunut : A supplication recited during prayer, often in times of distress.
83. mu'allafatu qulubuhum : Those whose hearts are reconciled to Islam, often given a share of zakat.
84. naqib : A leader or representative of a tribe or group, responsible for overseeing affairs and pledges.
85. khumayl : A type of garment or cloak, often made of wool or hair.
86. idhkhir : A fragrant grass (Cymbopogon schoenanthus) used for stuffing cushions and as incense.
87. wasq : A unit of dry measure equal to 60 sa' (approximately 130-150 kg).
88. sa' : A unit of volume, approximately 2.5-3 kg of grain.
89. sariyya : A military expedition or detachment sent by the Prophet without his personal participation.
90. sadaqat : Obligatory alms or charity, often referring to zakat or voluntary contributions.
91. hasan gharib : A classification of hadith meaning 'good but rare' in terms of its chain or text.
92. Sah : A nickname for Sahl ibn Hunayf, meaning 'easy' or 'smooth'.
93. janaba : A state of ritual impurity requiring a full-body wash (ghusl), often due to sexual activity.
94. mudallis : A hadith transmitter who practices tadlis, i.e., concealing defects in the chain of narration.
95. mursal : A hadith where a Successor (Tabi'i) directly attributes a saying to the Prophet without mentioning the Companion.
96. al-Fatḥ : The Conquest of Mecca, which occurred in 8 AH.
97. Ibn Isḥāq : Muhammad ibn Ishaq, a prominent early Muslim historian and biographer of the Prophet.
98. mursal : A type of hadith where a Successor directly attributes a saying to the Prophet without mentioning the Companion.
99. Sūrat Āl ʿImrān : The third chapter of the Quran, 'The Family of Imran'.
100. Āyah : A verse of the Quran.
101. al-Jarḥ : Literally 'wounding'; in hadith criticism, it refers to the discrediting of a narrator.
102. al-Jarḥ : Literally 'wounding'; in hadith criticism, it refers to the discrediting of a narrator.
103. al-Shaykhān : Refers to the two most authoritative hadith collectors: al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
104. marfūʿ : A hadith attributed directly to the Prophet Muhammad.
105. al-Shaykhān : Refers to the two most authoritative hadith collectors: al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
106. marfūʿ : A hadith attributed directly to the Prophet Muhammad.
107. Ibn Hishām : Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham, a early Muslim historian who edited the biography of the Prophet by Ibn Ishaq.
108. al-Zubayr : Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, a prominent Companion and cousin of the Prophet.
109. Umm al-Muʾminīn : Title meaning 'Mother of the Believers', given to the wives of the Prophet.
110. Umm al-Muʾminīn : Title meaning 'Mother of the Believers', given to the wives of the Prophet.
111. Sabṭ : Grandson; also used for a tribe or community.
112. Rayḥāna : Sweet basil; used metaphorically to express love and closeness.
113. ʿaqīqa : The ritual sacrifice of an animal on the seventh day after a child's birth.
114. kunya : An honorific name beginning with 'Abu' (father of) or 'Umm' (mother of).
115. Āyah : A verse of the Quran.
116. Khamr : Wine or any intoxicating beverage.
117. Āyah : A verse of the Quran.
118. Anṣāb : Stones or pillars used for idol worship, often anointed with blood.
119. Azlām : Arrows used for divination or seeking omens.
120. Anṣāb : Stones or pillars used for idol worship, often anointed with blood.
121. Azlām : Arrows used for divination or seeking omens.
122. Sūrat al-Māʾida : The fifth chapter of the Quran, 'The Table Spread'.
123. Sariyya : A military expedition or detachment sent by the Prophet without his personal participation.
124. Jabal : Mountain.
125. Mawqif : The standing at 'Arafat during Hajj.
126. Mawqif : The standing at 'Arafat during Hajj.
127. Sariyya : A military expedition or detachment sent by the Prophet without his personal participation.
128. ʿUyūn : Spies or scouts.
129. Rahṭ : A group of men, usually less than ten.
130. Baṭn : A subtribe or clan.
131. Ṣaḥābī : A Companion of the Prophet.
132. Māʾ : Water; a watering place.
133. Badr : The first major battle in Islam, fought in 2 AH.
134. Khashaba : A wooden stake or piece of wood.
135. Sīra : The biography of the Prophet Muhammad.
136. Biʾr Maʿūna : A well-known expedition where many Muslims were martyred.
137. Malāʿib al-Asinna : A nickname meaning 'one who plays with spears', given for bravery.
138. Khazrajī : Belonging to the Khazraj tribe of Medina.
139. Ḥarra : A lava plain or volcanic field.
140. Khāl : Maternal uncle.
141. Allāhu Akbar : God is the Greatest.
142. al-Khandaq : The Battle of the Trench, which took place in 5 AH.
143. Anṣār : The Helpers, the Muslims of Medina who supported the Prophet.
144. Saraha : To let livestock graze freely.
145. Banū al-Naḍīr : A Jewish tribe expelled from Medina after a conspiracy.
146. Ṣaḥāba : Companions of the Prophet.
147. ʿAmr ibn Jihāsh : A Jewish man who plotted to kill the Prophet.
148. Sūrat al-Ḥashr : The 59th chapter of the Quran, 'The Exile'.
149. Ṣaḥābī : A Companion of the Prophet.
150. al-Fayʾ : Spoils taken from the enemy without fighting, often referring to land or property.
151. al-Fayʾ : Spoils taken from the enemy without fighting, often referring to land or property.
152. al-Ījāf : The act of urging horses or camels to run swiftly.
153. al-Rikāb : Camels used for riding, especially in travel.
154. Sūrat al-Ḥashr : The 59th chapter of the Quran, 'The Exile'.
155. Dhāt al-Riqāʿ : An expedition named after the rags (riqa') used to bandage wounded feet.
156. Faḳr : Poverty.
157. Ṣalāt al-Khawf : The prayer performed during times of fear or battle.
158. Abū Dharr : Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, a prominent Companion known for his piety.
159. Ṣalāt al-Khawf : The prayer performed during times of fear or battle.
160. Taslīm : The concluding salutation of the prayer, saying 'Peace be upon you'.
161. Kunya : An honorific name beginning with 'Abu' (father of) or 'Umm' (mother of).
162. Sūrat Āl ʿImrān : The third chapter of the Quran, 'The Family of Imran'.
163. Ibn Salūl : Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, the leader of the hypocrites in Medina.
164. Marḥala : A stage or day's journey.
165. Sūrat Āl ʿImrān : The third chapter of the Quran, 'The Family of Imran'.
166. Rayḥāna : Sweet basil; used metaphorically to express love and closeness.
167. Adhān : The Islamic call to prayer.
168. Umm al-Muʾminīn : Title meaning 'Mother of the Believers', given to the wives of the Prophet.
169. Dawmat al-Jandal : An ancient city in northern Arabia, known for its fortress.
170. Kinānī : Belonging to the Kinana tribe.
171. Ṭulayḥa : Tulayha ibn Khuwaylid al-Asadi, a false prophet who later repented.
172. Ghanam : Sheep or goats.
173. Ghazwa : A military expedition or raid led by the Prophet Muhammad.
174. Sha‘ban : The eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
175. Shuqran : A companion of the Prophet, originally a slave of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf.
176. Abu ‘Abd Allah : Kunya (patronymic) of a companion, meaning 'father of ‘Abd Allah'.
177. al-Ridwan : The pledge of allegiance given under a tree at al-Hudaybiyya, also known as Bay‘at al-Ridwan.
178. Juwayriyya : One of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad, daughter of al-Harith ibn Abi Dirar.
179. al-‘Aqiq : A valley near Medina.
180. Jahjah ibn Mas‘ud : A companion from Banu Ghifar.
181. Sinan ibn Wabr : A companion and ally of Banu ‘Awf ibn al-Khazraj.
182. al-Munafiqun : Surah 63 of the Qur'an, 'The Hypocrites'.
183. Siffin : A battle between ‘Ali and Mu‘awiya in 37 AH.
184. ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul : The leader of the hypocrites in Medina.
185. Al-Suhayli : A renowned scholar of sira and hadith, author of al-Rawd al-Unuf.
186. al-Jaz‘ : Beads or small stones used in jewelry.
187. Zafar : A city in Yemen, also known as Zafar.
188. al-Jilbab : An outer garment or cloak worn by women.
189. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji‘un : Qur'anic phrase meaning 'Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return'.
190. Ra’ita bint Sakhr : A woman known for lying, later embraced Islam.
191. al-Murut : Plural of mirt, a type of woolen or silk garment.
192. al-Ifk : The slander incident against ‘A’isha, mentioned in Sura al-Nur.
193. al-Barira : A female companion, a freed slave of ‘A’isha.
194. al-Barir : The fruit of the arak tree (Salvadora persica).
195. Sura Yusuf : Surah 12 of the Qur'an, 'Joseph'.
196. Musnad : A collection of hadith arranged by companion, e.g., Musnad Ahmad.
197. Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr : A prominent companion, martyred at Uhud.
198. Talha ibn ‘Abd Allah : A companion, possibly Talha ibn ‘Ubayd Allah, but here Talha ibn ‘Abd Allah is mentioned.
199. al-Sajjad : Muhammad ibn Talha, known for his frequent prostration.
200. Mistah : A companion, nickname of ‘Awf, involved in the slander incident.
201. Sura al-Nur : Surah 24 of the Qur'an, 'The Light'.
202. al-Ahzab : Surah 33 of the Qur'an, 'The Confederates'.
203. Mas‘ud ibn Rukhayla : A companion from Ashja‘.
204. Ibn Rawaha : ‘Abd Allah ibn Rawaha, a companion and poet.
205. Hayyan ibn al-‘Arfa : A Qurayshi who shot Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh.
206. Jibril : The angel Gabriel.
207. Banu Qurayza : A Jewish tribe in Medina.
208. Bashir ibn ‘Abd al-Mundhir : A companion, one of the nuqaba' (leaders) of the Ansar.
209. al-nuqaba' : Plural of naqib, the twelve leaders of the Ansar who pledged at ‘Aqaba.
210. Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh : A companion, chief of the Aws, died after the Battle of the Trench.
211. Sura al-Tawba : Surah 9 of the Qur'an, 'Repentance'.
212. Zayd : Zayd ibn Haritha, the adopted son of the Prophet.
213. Zaynab : Zaynab bint Jahsh, a wife of the Prophet.
214. al-Qadi ‘Iyad : A Maliki scholar, author of al-Shifa'.
215. Ibn Kathir : A renowned historian and exegete, author of Tafsir Ibn Kathir and al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya.
216. hijab : The Islamic dress code for women, specifically the veil or covering.
217. Jahiliyyah : The period of ignorance before Islam.
218. jilbab : A loose outer garment covering the body from head to toe.
219. khimar : A head covering or veil.
220. izār : A waist wrapper or lower garment.
221. mulḥafa : A wrap or cloak.
222. Ansar : The Helpers, the Muslim inhabitants of Madinah who supported the Prophet.
223. al-shāṭir : One who is wicked or mischievous.
224. al-ghayẓ : Rage or fury; literally, the entry of something into something.
225. 'Aṭfan : Side or flank; also the main path of a road.
226. Hajj : The pilgrimage to Makkah, one of the five pillars of Islam.
227. Rasul Allah : Messenger of God, a title for the Prophet Muhammad.
228. al-Ahabish : A confederation of tribes allied with the Quraysh, known for their military support.
229. Dhu al-Qa‘da : The eleventh month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
230. ‘Umra of al-Qadiyya : The lesser pilgrimage (umra) that the Prophet performed in lieu of the one he was prevented from completing in the year 6 AH, as part of the Treaty of Hudaybiyya.
231. Sarif : A place near al-Tan‘im, close to Mecca.
232. 51 AH : Year 51 of the Islamic calendar, corresponding to 671 CE.

Footnotes and comments [1]

Al-Hakim reports that Khalid fought them, inflicting heavy casualties and taking spoils. In Sahih al-Bukhari, Khalid said: 'On the day of Mu'tah, nine swords broke in my hand, and nothing remained in my hand except a Yemeni blade.' All this indicates that Khalid fought the Romans fiercely alongside the Muslims. The narration in Sahih states: 'Until the banner was taken by a sword from the swords of Allah, and Allah granted them victory.' This confirms the victory; this hadith and the previous one were recorded by al-Bukhari. ¹ This is the expedition of 'Amr ibn al-'As to Dhat al-Salasil. ² Plural of sariy ³, meaning the noble and honorable. Ibn al-Athir recorded it in al-Nihayah, and the plural is sara with a fatha, irregularly; it may also be pronounced with a damma. Al-Qamus records it with a fatha. It is named after a water source in the land of Judham called al-Salsal. ³ Surah al-Baqarah, verse 195. ⁴ This is the expedition of al-Khabt, and al-Bukhari called it the Ghazwa of Sayf al-Bahr. ⁵ As recorded in al-Bukhari and Muslim. ⁶ Plural of shidq, which is the side of the mouth. ⁷ Qays ibn Sa'd ibn 'Ubada al-Ansari al-Khazraji (his lineage was mentioned in his father's biography). Qays was large, handsome, tall, generous, noble, shrewd, and carried the banner of the Ansar with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. He was a man of opinion among the people, witnessed the conquest of Egypt, and held a position with the Prophet similar to that of a police chief with a governor. He served the Prophet for ten years, was the undisputed noble of his people, witnessed the battles with the Messenger of Allah, accompanied 'Ali and witnessed his battles, then was with al-Husayn ibn 'Ali until he made peace with Mu'awiya. Qays then returned to Medina and resided there, dying at the end of Mu'awiya's caliphate in Medina. ⁸ Disappeared. ⁹ He is Nawfal ibn Mu'awiya al-Dili. ¹⁰ He is 'Amr ibn Salim ibn Kulthum al-Khuza'i, and he was one of those who carried the banners of Khuza'a on the day of the Conquest. ¹¹ Meaning to renew the covenant. ¹² Meaning we will take them by surprise. ¹³ Al-Suhayli said: Hushaym used to narrate it as 'Hajj' (with ha and jim), and this is one of the instances of Hushaym's mispronunciations, although al-Bukhari mentioned from Abu 'Awana that he also said 'Hajj' when it was said from Hushaym. ¹⁴ The woman in the howdah. ¹⁵ Meaning her braid. ¹⁶ Thus Ibn Ishaq narrated this story as mursal. Al-Suhayli mentioned that in Hatib's letter it said: 'The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, has set out against you with an army like the night, moving like a torrent. I swear by Allah, if even one of them were to march against you, Allah would grant him victory over you, for He will fulfill what He has promised him.' Al-Bukhari narrated it, and the rest of the group except Ibn Majah also narrated it, and al-Tirmidhi said: Hasan Sahih. This indicates that whoever does such an act, not knowing that he will be killed... ¹⁷ Verse number 1. ¹⁸ Ibn Kathir mentioned that he appointed over Medina Aba Ruhm Kulthum ibn Husayn ibn 'Utba ibn Khalaf al-Ghifari. ¹⁹ He is the maternal brother of Umm Salama, his mother is 'Atika bint 'Abd al-Muttalib, and he is 'Amir ibn Qays al-Firasi, and the name of Abu Umayya is Hudhayfa. ²⁰ Surah Yusuf, verse 92. ²¹ It is the area between the two Harams. ²² Abu Sufyan was the foster brother of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him; Halima suckled both of them. He was very close to him before prophethood, never leaving him. When he was given prophethood, he was the farthest from him and the most satirical until he embraced Islam, after which he became the most perfect in faith and the most attached to him. Abu Sufyan died during the caliphate of 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and said at his death: 'Do not weep for me, for I have not uttered a sin since I embraced Islam.' ²³ Meaning Khuza'a. ²⁴ It is the protruding place on the road, so that he could see the entire army. ²⁵ Meaning a day of war. ²⁶ What must be preserved and protected. He meant to seek the compassion of al-'Abbas to protect him from being killed. ²⁷ Because the number of Muhajirun was less than that of the other tribes. ²⁸ This is what is mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari. Ibn Ishaq mentioned that this was at the time of entry, and what we prefer is what is in Sahih. ²⁹ A mountain in the upper part of Mecca (the author). It is a place near the cemetery of Mecca. ³⁰ Kuda (like Quwa) is a mountain in the lower part of Mecca on the road to Yemen. Kuda' (like Sahab) is a mountain in the upper part of Mecca (the author). Al-Suhayli said: Kuda is on the side of 'Arafa. In Sahih al-Bukhari: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, ordered Khalid that day to enter from the upper part of Mecca from Kuda'. ³¹ A portion of a hadith narrated by Muslim. ³² Al-Muzani, the famous poet—a well-known Companion whose blood was declared lawful by the Prophet, peace be upon him, then he embraced Islam and pledged allegiance to the Prophet, revealing his face and reciting his famous poem. The Prophet gave him a cloak. Ka'b ibn Zuhayr was an excellent poet, prolific in poetry, and was foremost in his class along with his brother Bujayr, with Ka'b being the more poetic of the two. ³³ Narrated by the two Shaykhs. ³⁴ Surah al-Hujurat, verse 13. ³⁵ His name is 'Uthman ibn 'Amir, and he had no male child except Abu Bakr, and we know of no daughter except Umm Farwa, whom Abu Bakr married to al-Ash'ath ibn Qays, and she was previously married to Tamim al-Dari. ³⁶ Narrated by al-Bayhaqi from Ibn Mas'ud. ³⁷ Then he embraced Islam and his Islam was good, and his virtue and jihad were known. He was on the right wing of 'Amr ibn al-'As when Egypt was conquered, and he was the one who conquered Ifriqiya. He withdrew from the fitna and prayed to Allah to take his soul after the Fajr prayer. He prayed Fajr, and his soul was taken between the two taslims, and his death was in 'Usfan. ³⁸ The correct is at the Conquest. ³⁹ Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i narrated that he sailed the sea and a violent wind struck them. 'Ikrima called upon al-Lat and al-'Uzza, and the people of the ship said: 'Be sincere, for your gods cannot help you here.' 'Ikrima said: 'By Allah, if nothing saves me from the sea except sincerity, then nothing will save me on land except it. O Allah, I make a covenant with You: if You save me from what I am in, I will go to Muhammad and place my hand in his, and I will find him forgiving, merciful, and generous.' ⁴⁰ He went out to fight the people of apostasy, and Abu Bakr sent him to the army of al-Nu'man, and he defeated them, then to Yemen, then returned and went out for jihad in the year of his death, and was martyred in Ajnadayn. ⁴¹ A place between Mecca and Ta'if; some record it with a sukun on the 'ayn and a fatha on the ra, with tashdid. (The author) ⁴² She pledged allegiance to the Prophet, peace be upon him, along with women of Quraysh who pledged allegiance to Islam. Narrated by the two Shaykhs. Al-Khiba': a tent made of wool or... ⁴³ He said: 'O Messenger of Allah (not recognizing him), Ka'b ibn Zuhayr has come to seek your protection as a repentant Muslim. Will you accept him if I bring him to you?' The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: 'Yes.' He said: 'I am Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, O Messenger of Allah.' ⁴⁴ I will not occupy you. ⁴⁵ Clear my way: leave my path. 'La abalahum': a curse on them, because they did not avail him anything. ⁴⁶ The bier on which the deceased is carried. ⁴⁷ The addition: and He called the Qur'an a supererogatory act, because it is an additional gift beyond prophethood. ⁴⁸ The pledge of women. From 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, she said: 'The Prophet used to pledge allegiance to women verbally with this verse—'that they associate nothing with Allah.' She said: 'The hand of the Messenger of Allah never touched the hand of a woman except a woman he owned.' Narrated by the two Shaykhs. ⁴⁹ He embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest at the age of twenty. ⁵⁰ It is a valley on the road to Ta'if next to Dhu al-Majaz, between it and Mecca three nights' journey. It is called the Ghazwa of Hawazin, and Hawazin is the name of a large Arab tribe with several branches. This Ghazwa took place on 10 Shawwal, year 8 of the Hijra, 630 CE. ⁵¹ It is the helmet placed on the head. ⁵² A cap woven to fit the head, worn under the skullcap. ⁵³ The cousin of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and his foster brother. He was among those who resembled the Messenger of Allah, and he used to harm the Prophet, satirize him, and harm the Muslims. He embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest and witnessed Hunayn. At the end of his life, he searched for the location of his grave until he could place it in his house, and he ordered that a grave be dug in its courtyard, which was done. He sat on it for a while, then left, and within two days he died and was buried there. ⁵⁴ Al-Suhayli said: The mule he was riding that day was called al-Bayda'. Muslim narrated that he was on a white mule, but in Muslim also that he was on his gray mule. Al-Nawawi said: al-Bayda' and al-Shahba' are the same, and no other mule is known for him. ⁵⁵ 'Fadda Allah fahu': meaning He knocked out his teeth. ⁵⁶ Yarubuni: be a lord over me, meaning a master over me. ⁵⁷ Meaning if we defeat him today, victory will be his tomorrow. ⁵⁸ Al-Suhayli said: This is metrical speech, and it is not poetry intended as poetry. Al-Khattabi in his book al-A'lam noted his saying: 'I am the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib.' He said: He specifically mentioned 'Abd al-Muttalib in this context, when the people had fled due to his prophethood, and to remove doubt because of the fame and recognition of 'Abd al-Muttalib's dream that gave glad tidings of the Prophet, peace be upon him, which is in the narration of al-Bukhari and Muslim. ⁵⁹ Ibn Ishaq said: Jubayr ibn Mut'im said: 'I saw white men on piebald horses, and they were the angels. Allah showed them to that Hawazini in the form of horses and men to terrify the enemy.' ⁶⁰ The 'ayn may be broken and the ra' may be shaddah. Al-Shafi'i said: The tashdid is a mistake. It is between Mecca and Ta'if. ⁶¹ The expedition of Abu 'Amir al-Ash'ari. ⁶² He had settled in al-Ramla and allied with Sa'id ibn al-'As, then embraced Islam and migrated to Abyssinia. He came to Medina after the conquest of Khaybar; his ship met Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and they all arrived together. The Prophet appointed him over some parts of Yemen, such as Zabid, 'Adan, and their districts. 'Umar appointed him over Basra after al-Mughira, and he conquered al-Ahwaz, then Isfahan. Then 'Uthman appointed him over Kufa. He was one of the two arbiters at Siffin, then withdrew from both parties. He had a beautiful voice and died at the age of over sixty. ⁶³ In al-Bukhari and Muslim: He said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, prayed for him: 'O Allah, forgive 'Ubayd Abi 'Amir. O Allah, make him above many of Your creation on the Day of Resurrection.' ⁶⁴ It is a town in Hijaz, about 65 miles southeast of Mecca, famous for its good climate and fertile land, and it is the summer resort of Mecca. It was named Ta'if because Malik ibn Malik shed blood among his people and took refuge with Thaqif, staying with them and saying: 'Shall I build for you a wall that surrounds your town?' So he built it, and it was named Ta'if. ⁶⁵ This is a mistake; the correct is Malik ibn 'Awf al-Nasri, as in Ibn Hisham and al-Sira al-Halabiyya. ⁶⁶ A valley in the land of Hawazin. (The author) ⁶⁷

Sa'id ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As, 'Abdullah ibn Abi Umayya, 'Abdullah ibn 'Amir ibn Rabi'a, al-Sa'ib ibn al-Harith and his brother 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith, Hulayha ibn 'Abdullah, and from the Ansar: Julayha ibn 'Abdullah, Thabit ibn al-Jadha', al-Harith ibn Sahl, al-Mundhir ibn 'Abdullah, and Ruqaym ibn Thabit. So seven from Quraysh, four from the Ansar, and one man from Banu Layth. ⁸³ It is one of the heavy siege engines and the like, and the first to use the mangonel ⁶⁸ in the Jahiliyya ⁶⁹ and Islam was the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. ⁸⁴ The dabbaba ⁷⁰ is a machine used in war, pushed to the base of a fortress so that those inside it can dig tunnels. (The author) It was covered with thick hides, so fireballs burned it. ⁸⁵ He embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest, performed Hajj with Abu Bakr in the year nine, and with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the year ten. He had reached one hundred years. Abu 'Umar said: He was among those who lived sixty years in the Jahiliyya and sixty in Islam, and died in the caliphate of Yazid ibn Mu'awiya. ⁸⁶ In the Two Sahihs ⁷¹: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, besieged the people of Ta'if but did not achieve anything against them. He said: "We are returning, if Allah wills." His Companions said: "You are returning without conquering it?" The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to them: "Go out to fight in the morning." So they went out in the morning and were wounded. Then the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to them: "We are returning tomorrow." He said: They were pleased with that, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, laughed. ⁸⁷ Narrated by al-Tirmidhi with the wording except for "and bring them as Muslims" with a sound chain. ⁸⁸ Narrated by the Two Shaykhs ⁷¹, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i with abridgment. ⁸⁹ Meaning: I will not take anything from anyone. ⁹⁰ He came as a delegate to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and witnessed the Conquest of Mecca, Hunayn, and Ta'if. He was among those whose hearts are reconciled ⁷². His Islam became good, and he witnessed al-Yamama, and with Shurahbil ibn Hasana at Dumah al-Jandal. He witnessed with Khalid the war of the people of Iraq and the conquest of al-Anbar. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amir appointed him over an army sent to Khurasan, and he was killed in al-Juzjan along with his army during the caliphate of 'Uthman. ⁹¹ Al-Sulami witnessed with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the Conquest and Hunayn. It is said that he was among those who forbade wine in the Jahiliyya. He was one of the bravest people in his poetry, and he lived in the desert near Basra. ⁹² Looking at him. ⁹³ He gave less than one hundred to men from Quraysh, among them: Makhrama ibn Nawfal ibn Nawfal al-Zuhri, 'Umayr ibn Wahb al-Jumahi, and Hisham ibn 'Amr. Ibn Ishaq said: I do not remember what he gave them. He gave Sa'id ibn Yarbu' fifty, and similarly al-Sahmi. ⁹⁴ Taking secretly from the spoils. (The author) ⁹⁵ Al-Suhayli said: The man is Dhu al-Khuwaysira ⁷³; thus his mention came in the Two Sahihs. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said about him: "From his loins will come a people whose prayers you will consider insignificant compared to your prayers, and your fasting compared to your fasting. They will pass through the religion as an arrow passes through the game." It happened as he said, and the truth of the hadith appeared in the Khawarij ⁷⁴, and the first of them was from his origin. ⁹⁶ Narrated by the Two Shaykhs in meaning. ⁹⁷ It is searching and examining. In Sahih Muslim: "I have not pierced the hearts of people, nor split open their bellies." ⁹⁸ Plural of 'a'il, meaning the poor. (The author) ⁹⁹ Narrated by al-Bukhari and al-Tirmidhi with some forward and backward, and Muslim in the Book of Zakat. ¹⁰⁰ Narrated by Muslim and al-Tirmidhi. ¹⁰¹ Narrated by al-Bukhari: The meaning of "yutib" is that he returns what was taken from the captives willingly without compensation. ¹⁰² This is the expedition of Qays ibn Sa'd to Suda'. ¹⁰³ This is the expedition of 'Uyayna ibn Hisn to Banu Tamim. ¹⁰⁴ He was known as Abu Malik. He embraced Islam after the Conquest. He was among the rough Bedouins. In the Jahiliyya, he was counted among the "jarrarin" ⁷⁵ leading ten thousand. 'Uthman ibn 'Affan married his daughter. ¹⁰⁵ Al-Ansariyya al-Najjariyya. Ibn Habib mentioned her among the women who gave the pledge. ¹⁰⁶ He had three names: al-Zibriqan, al-Qamar, and al-Husayn, and three kunyas: Abu al-'Abbas, Abu Shadhara, and Abu 'Ayyash. ¹⁰⁷ Verses 4-5. 'Umar and Abu Bakr had disagreed regarding the matter of al-Zibriqan and 'Amr ibn al-Ahtam. One suggested giving precedence to al-Zibriqan, the other suggested giving precedence to 'Amr ibn al-Ahtam, until their voices rose. Then Allah revealed Surah al-Hujurat. After that, whenever 'Umar spoke to the Prophet, peace be upon him, he would only speak like a whispering brother. Al-Bukhari and Muslim alone narrated this. ¹⁰⁸ Narrated by Malik, Ahmad, al-Bukhari, Abu Dawud, and al-Tirmidhi from Ibn 'Umar. Malik included it in the chapter on what is condemned of speech because sorcery is condemned by law. Others hold that it is praise for eloquence and winning hearts, like sorcery. ¹⁰⁹ This is the expedition of al-Walid ibn 'Uqba to Banu al-Mustaliq. ¹¹⁰ The maternal brother of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan. His father was killed after the Battle of Badr. He and his brother 'Umara embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest. Al-Walid was brave, a poet, and generous. When 'Uthman was killed, he withdrew from the conflict and settled in al-Raqqa until he died during the caliphate of Mu'awiya. ⁶⁹ A metaphor for narrowness of chest. ¹¹¹ Verse 6. ¹¹² This is the expedition of 'Alqama ibn Mujazziz to a group from Abyssinia. ¹¹³ He witnessed al-Yarmuk and attended the cavalry. He was 'Umar's governor over the war of Palestine. Then he sent him to Abyssinia, and he and his army perished. ¹¹⁴ That which is considered good from jesting. ¹¹⁵ Narrated by Ahmad and al-Hakim from 'Imran ibn al-Husayn, and narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i. The report of this expedition is narrated by the Two Shaykhs. ⁶⁸ This is the expedition of 'Ali to destroy the idol of Tayy. ⁶⁹ With damma on the fa' and lam, or sukun, or with fatha on the fa' and sukun on the lam. It was a red nose in the middle of Aja' resembling a human statue. ⁷⁰ Daughter of the famous generous man. She embraced Islam and her Islam was good. She was the cause of her brother 'Adi's Islam. ⁷¹ His lineage was mentioned in the biography of his sister Saffana. His kunya was Abu Tarif. He embraced Islam in the year nine. He was a Christian and remained firm in his Islam during the apostasy. He brought the zakat of his people to Abu Bakr. He witnessed the conquest of Iraq, then settled in Kufa. He witnessed Siffin with 'Ali, and died after sixty, at the age of one hundred and twenty. ⁷² Narrated by al-Bukhari with a similar wording. Al-Suhayli said: The hadith of his Islam is authentic and amazing, recorded by al-Tirmidhi. ⁷³ It is a place between Wadi al-Qura and Syria, fourteen stages from Medina towards Syria, and eleven stages from Damascus. It is the Expedition of Hardship, which took place in Rajab of the year nine of the Hijra, and it was the last of his expeditions, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Tabuk is named after the spring of Tabuk, which is the spring that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered the people not to touch any of its water. Two men preceded him to it, and it was oozing a little water. They began to insert two arrows into it to increase its water. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, cursed them and said: "You have been 'tabuking' it since today." Malik and Muslim narrated after this wording; see Fath al-Bari. ⁷⁴ In Muslim from the hadith of Ka'b ibn Malik. "Warra bi-ghubriha" means he concealed the news and showed something else, as if it is taken from "wara'" (behind) the person, as if he puts it behind him where it does not appear. ⁷⁵ After traveling. ⁹ Al-ahlas: plural of hils, a thin cloth under the saddle. Al-aqtad: plural of qatab, which is for the camel like the ikaf for others. ¹⁰ Narrated by al-Tirmidhi with the wording: "What 'Uthman did after today will not harm him" twice. ¹¹ He is the brother of Ma'n ibn 'Adi. His kunya is Abu 'Amr. They agreed on mentioning him among the Badriyyun. Al-Waqidi said: He witnessed Uhud. He died in the year 45 AH at the age of 115. ¹² Verse 43. ¹³ Surah al-Tawba, verse 45. ¹⁴ Surah al-Tawba, verse 46. ¹⁵ Surah al-Tawba, verse 47. Al-khabal: destruction and corruption that causes disorder. "La-awda'u khilalakum": they would have hastened to cause evil among you. ¹⁶ He witnessed al-'Aqaba and gave the pledge there. He stayed behind from Badr, witnessed Uhud and after, and did not participate in the war of 'Ali and Mu'awiya. He died in Syria during the caliphate of Mu'awiya. ¹⁷ Al-Ansari witnessed Badr and after. ¹⁸ Al-Ansari al-Awsi from Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf. He witnessed Badr according to the correct view. ¹⁹ Al-Ansari al-Salimi, one of Banu Salim from al-Khazraj. He witnessed Uhud with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and remained until the days of Yazid ibn Mu'awiya. ²⁰ Narrated by the Two Shaykhs, and its completion is: "but there is no prophet after me." ²¹ Narrated by the Two Shaykhs. Al-Hijr: the dwellings of Thamud between Tabuk and the Hijaz. Qana'a ra'sahu: he covered his head. ²² Meaning justice. Its wording: "O Mu'adh, if Allah prolongs your life, you will see what is here filled with gardens." ²³ Narrated by Muslim. ²⁴ A village in southern Syria. (The author) ²⁵ A city facing al-Sarat. (The author) ⁷¹ With damma on the first letter and fatha on the rest. Ibn Ru'ba with damma on the ra', sukun on the hamza, fatha on the ba', and ta' at the end. The king of Ayla in al-Qamus. ²⁶ Meaning from Medina at Dhi Awan, an hour's distance between it and Medina. The news of him came from heaven. ²⁷ Al-Suhayli said: Among them were mentioned: Jariya ibn 'Amir and his son Mujammi' ibn Jariya, Khudham ibn Khalid, Tha'laba ibn Hatib, Mu'attib ibn Qushayr, and Bintal ibn al-Harith. ²⁸ They are Malik ibn al-Dukhshum and Ma'n ibn 'Adi. ²⁹ Meaning eloquence and strength of speech. ³⁰ Verse 118. The story of Ka'b's repentance is mentioned in the Two Sahihs. ³¹ 'Abd Yalil al-Hakam ibn 'Amr, Shurahbil ibn Ghaylan, 'Uthman ibn Abi al-'As, Aws ibn 'Awf, and others: Qarsha ibn Rabi'a. ³² Mentioned by al-Baladhuri in al-Ansab. He said: His father was killed on the day of Badr as an unbeliever. Abu Bakr and 'Umar confirmed him, then 'Umar appointed him over 'Uman and Bahrain. Then he settled in Basra until he died there during the caliphate of Mu'awiya in the year 55 AH. ³³ 'Idah: every tree with thorns. Wajj: the land of Ta'if. Al-Suhayli said: Its 'idah and trees were forbidden to others, like the prohibition of Medina and Mecca. ³⁴ Surah Bara'a is al-Tawba. ³⁵ Narrated by the Two Shaykhs, as narrated by al-Tirmidhi who deemed it good, and Ahmad from the hadith of Anas: "The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent Bara'a with Abu Bakr, then called 'Ali and gave it to him, saying: 'No one should convey this except a man from my household.'" ³⁶ A thousand of them embraced Islam on that day. ³⁷ Verse 84. There is no prohibition in the Qur'an against praying over the hypocrites before the revelation of the verse "And do not pray." The apparent meaning is that 'Umar understood that from His saying, may He be exalted, "Ask forgiveness for them," or from His saying, may He be exalted, "It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to ask forgiveness for the polytheists." Sahih al-Bukhari, Surah al-Tawba, Chapter: "And do not pray." ⁶⁸ This is the expedition of Khalid ibn al-Walid to Najran. ⁶⁹ Al-Mazini, from Banu Madhhij. ⁷⁰ This is the expedition of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib to Banu Madhhij.

Narrated by al-Tabarani from Abu Rafi', and narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim and Abu Dawud: 'Better for you than red camels' ⁷⁶ in exchange for 'Better for you than what the sun has risen upon'. ⁷⁷ A mountain in the upper part of Mecca. ⁷⁸ Part of a hadith narrated by al-Bukhari when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent Abu Musa and Mu'adh to Yemen. ⁷⁹ Narrated by al-Bukhari, and the rest of the group ⁸⁰ also reported it through multiple chains. ⁸⁰ Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. ⁶ Narrated by Muslim in the Book of Hajj, Chapter: The Prophet's Pilgrimage. ⁷ i.e., false. ⁸ He was being nursed among Banu Sa'd, and Hudhayl killed him. ⁹ The Arabs used to forbid four months: three consecutive months—Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and al-Muharram—and the month of Rajab. Sometimes they would extend these consecutive months due to their need for war and fighting, so they would make al-Muharram permissible and forbid Safar of the following year. This is what the Qur'an criticized them for, following their desires in their belief. ¹⁰ 'Adl ¹⁰ means confinement and restriction. ¹¹ Plural of 'aniyya, meaning female captive. ¹² Narrated by Muslim in abridged form, as well as Abu Dawud; al-Nasa'i narrated it briefly; al-Bukhari and al-Tirmidhi have parts of it. ¹³ Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Hajj, Chapter: The Sermon on the Days of Mina. ¹⁴ i.e., the child belongs to the husband, the owner of the bed; the fornicator has no right to lineage, no share in the child, but only stoning with stones if he is muhsan ¹⁴ until death. ¹⁵ Verse 3. ¹⁶ Narrated by al-Bukhari. ¹⁷ With fatha on the nun: a large town seven stages from Mecca towards Yemen, with many villages around it. ¹⁸ A coarse garment made of hair. ¹⁹ Al-Sirah by Ibn Hisham, vol. 4, p. 306; Sahih Muslim with al-Nawawi's commentary, vol. 8, pp. 182-184; al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, vol. 5, pp. 170-171. ²⁰ Verse 59. ²¹ Surah Al 'Imran, verse 61. ²² Muslim's wording: 'This is the trustee of this nation.' ²³ Al-Sa'di from Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr; Ibn Hisham mentioned that his arrival was in year nine. ²⁴ i.e., do not get angry. ²⁵ Narrated by al-Bukhari and Ibn Majah. ²⁶ They became lean. ²⁷ Narrated by al-Tabarani; also narrated by Ibn Sa'd and al-Tabarani with the wording: 'O Allah, forgive 'Abd al-Qays when they submit willingly, not coerced, while some people did not submit except humiliated and vengeful.' ²⁸ i.e., do not drink from their skins. ²⁹ Narrated by Muslim and al-Tirmidhi. ³⁰ Because their lands were on the coast of the Persian Gulf, the lands of Rabi'ah, and between them and the Hijaz lies the land of Najd. ³¹ Pumpkins. ³² Jars coated with green paint. ³³ The trunk of a palm tree hollowed out. ³⁴ What is coated with pitch. The hadith is recorded by al-Bukhari in multiple places in his Sahih. ³⁵ i.e., its inferior kind. ³⁶ Narrated by Ahmad; 'thaml' means drunk, and 'ahdhaqihi al-sharab' means make him drink. ³⁷ Narrated by al-Bukhari. ³⁸ He is Zayd ibn Muhalhil, a poet, orator, brave, generous, nicknamed Abu Muknaf, and was one of the most handsome people. Abu 'Umar said: Zayd al-Khayl died on his way back from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He stayed at Qardada for three days and died. Al-Bakri says: He was called Zayd al-Khayl because of his many horses. ³⁹ Nicknamed Abu Muhammad; al-Ash'ath apostatized among those who apostatized from Kinda, was captured, brought to Abu Bakr, embraced Islam, was released, and Abu Bakr married him to his sister Umm Farwah. Then al-Ash'ath witnessed the battle of Yarmouk in Syria, al-Qadisiyyah, and others, settled in Kufa, witnessed Siffin with 'Ali, died forty days after 'Ali, and al-Hasan ibn 'Ali led his funeral prayer. ⁴⁰ Surah al-Saffat, verses 1-5. ⁴¹ Surah al-Isra', verse 86. ⁴² Shanu'a: a tribe, named for the animosity among them; al-shana'an means hatred. ⁴³ Al-qayl is one of the aqyal, who are kings below the supreme king. ⁴⁴ i.e., upon his return from the expedition of Tabuk. ⁴⁵ Al-safi is what the leader selects for himself from the spoils before they are divided. ⁴⁶ He embraced Islam and believed but did not see the Prophet. ⁴⁷ Al-raqisat are the female ostriches; al-raqs and al-raqasan are a type of gait with movement; sawadir means returning; al-hadb (plural of hadbah) is an extended flat mountain; al-qardad is elevated ground. ⁴⁸ Striped garments; al-hubarat are Yemeni garments. ⁴⁹ With damm on the first letter or fatha. ⁵⁰ Narrated by al-Daylami. ⁵¹ Narrated by Ibn Sa'd in al-Tabaqat and Ibn Kathir in al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah. ⁵² With damm on the ha' and fatha on the dhal. ⁵³ Awta'a: he made them subjugated by force and domination; azaha al-'arab: he took control of them. ⁵⁴ We intend. ⁵⁵ Narrated by Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami in Adab al-Suhbah. The hadith is weak, though it may be considered hasan li ghayrihi due to multiple chains. ⁵⁶ Narrated by Ibn Sa'd in al-Tabaqat in abridged form, and fully by Ibn Sayyid al-Nas in 'Uyun al-Athar. ⁵⁷ Drought-stricken. ⁵⁸ i.e., the area around our houses. ⁵⁹ i.e., it makes a sound. ⁶⁰ Narrated by Abu Dawud with a similar meaning. ⁶¹ The correct name is Tulayhah ibn Khuwaylid. ⁶² i.e., making the intensely dark night a shield for us in a barren year. 'Sanah shahba'' means a year of drought and famine. ⁶³ Surah al-Hujurat, verse 17. ⁶⁴ It is divination by birds and conjecture about the unseen. ⁶⁵ It is foretelling of events, i.e., in the future. ⁶⁶ He was sixteen months old, and the Prophet's grief for him was intense. He left him while he was in his death throes, and his eyes shed tears. It is confirmed that when Ibrahim died, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'He has a wet nurse in Paradise.' He was buried in al-Baqi', and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed over him. Al-Bukhari recorded in al-Jana'iz that the Prophet ﷺ took Ibrahim, kissed him, and smelled him while Ibrahim was in his death throes, and said: 'The eye weeps, the heart grieves, and we say only what pleases our Lord. Indeed, we are saddened by your separation, O Ibrahim.' ⁷⁶ It is the expedition of Usamah ibn Zayd to the people of Abna. ⁷⁷ A place near Mu'tah. ⁷⁸ The correct view is that Abu Bakr and 'Umar were not in the expedition of Usamah, as evidenced by their presence in Medina on the day of the Messenger of Allah's death, while Usamah's army was outside it. ⁷⁹ Most worthy. ⁸⁰ Narrated by Imam Malik; al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated that 'Umar said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent an expedition and appointed Usamah ibn Zayd over them. People criticized his command, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood and said: 'If you criticize his command, you used to criticize his father's command before. By Allah, he was worthy of command, and he was among the most beloved of people to me, and this one is among the most beloved to me after him.' ⁶ Narrated by al-Bayhaqi. ⁷ Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. The hadith 'If I were to take...' is narrated by al-Bukhari. Al-khukhah is a small door leading to the house, a passage between two houses, meaning a small door. ⁸ A large vessel used for bathing. ⁹ Narrated by al-Bukhari. Awkiyatuhunna: al-ukiyyah is the plural of wika', and al-wika' is the string with which the waterskin is tied. ¹⁰ Narrated by al-Bukhari. ¹¹ He was the eldest brother, and his father and mother were named after him. He was the oldest son of al-'Abbas, fought with the Prophet ﷺ in Mecca, Hunayn, and remained steadfast with him that day, witnessed the Farewell Pilgrimage with him, and was nicknamed Abu al-'Abbas. He died in the plague of 'Amwas. ¹² Surah al-'Asr. ¹³ With two fathas: the one who goes ahead to the watering place to repair the basin and the buckets. ¹⁴ The sutrah ¹⁴. ¹⁵ Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. ¹⁶ Surah Muhammad, verse 22. ¹⁷ Narrated by al-Bukhari; the completion of the hadith: 'forever' meaning in this world, but it is only one. ¹⁸ Surah al-Zumar, verse 30. ¹⁹ Surah Al 'Imran, verse 144. ²⁰ Narrated by al-Bukhari. ²¹ Ibn Hibban said: He went out with Sa'd and 'Uthman ibn 'Affan to Samarqand and was martyred there. ²² His biography was mentioned earlier. ⁷⁶ Most of what is mentioned regarding the physical characteristics and miracles is summarized from the book al-Shifa' by Qadi 'Iyad, may Allah have mercy on him. ⁷⁷ Brightness of color or beauty. ⁷⁸ Intense blackness of the pupil with width. ⁷⁹ Wide eyes with beauty. ⁸⁰ Redness in the white of the eye. ⁶ Abundant hair on the edges of the eyelids. ⁷ Radiant and luminous face. ⁸ Fine and long eyebrows. ⁹ High bridge of the nose with a slight curve. ¹⁰ Gaps between the front teeth and the incisors. ¹¹ Al-mankib is the joint of the upper arm and shoulder. ¹² Large. ¹³ i.e., long and hanging down. ¹⁴ i.e., what was uncovered of his body from clothing, meaning his body was radiant. ¹⁵ Al-masarrah is the fine hair from the chest to the belly. ¹⁶ Al-marbu' means neither tall nor short. ¹⁷ Excessively tall. ¹⁸ Extremely short. ¹⁹ i.e., between curliness and straightness. ²⁰ Al-mutahham is the one with abundant flesh. ²¹ Al-mukaltham is one with a small chin, i.e., round-faced. ²² i.e., light in flesh. ²³ The long hair on one side of the head. ²⁴ i.e., the light of his noble face would shine brightly, reaching the opposite walls as the sun does. ²⁵ Al-Shama'il al-Muhammadiyyah by al-Tirmidhi and al-Bukhari and Muslim. ²⁶ i.e., his faults. ²⁷ Narrated by Ibn Hibban in al-Du'afa' from 'A'ishah with the wording: 'Clean yourselves, for Islam is clean.' Al-Tabarani narrated it in al-Awsat and al-Daraqutni; al-Tirmidhi narrated it with a weak chain with the wording: 'Allah is clean and loves cleanliness.' ²⁸ Narrated by Muslim. It is the one in which perfume is renewed and stored. ²⁹ Narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Tarikh al-Kabir, al-Darami, al-Bazzar, al-Tabarani in al-Awsat, and Abu al-Shaykh; al-Suyuti authenticated its chain. ³⁰ i.e., no doubt. ³¹ Penetrating insight; looked at with precision. ³² Surah al-Shu'ara', 219. ³³ Narrated by Ibn 'Adi and al-Bayhaqi in al-Dala'il. He said: It is not strong. ³⁴ This is mentioned in a hadith narrated through al-'Abbas, cited by Ibn Khaythamah. Al-Suyuti said in al-Manahil: I did not find it.

Al-Qurashi embraced Islam on the day of the Conquest ⁸¹. He died in Medina in the year 42 AH. The hadith was narrated by Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim, and Abu Ya'la. Al-Tirmidhi said it is hasan gharib ⁸². Its chain is not strong. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi in his Shama'il ⁸³ and al-Bayhaqi in his Dala'il ⁸⁴. 'Nonchalant' means not caring about it. Raising the legs clearly without arrogance. 'As if descending from a slope' means as if coming down from a high place. What slopes down from the earth. One of the kings of Himyar ⁸⁵, below whom is the greatest king. Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i. It is a sahih hadith ⁸⁶ with supporting evidence. 'Their blood is equal' means they are equal in retaliation and blood money. Narrated by Ibn Lal in Makarim al-Akhlaq ⁸⁷, al-Quda'i in Musnad al-Shihab, Ibn 'Adi in al-Kamil, and it was cited by Ibn al-Jawzi in al-Mawdu'at ⁸⁸, al-Dulabi in al-Kuna, and al-Hasan ibn Sufyan in his Musnad. In its chain is Bakkar ibn Shu'ayb, who is weak. Narrated by al-Shaykhan ⁸⁹. Narrated by Ibn 'Adi in his Kamil with a weak chain. Narrated by al-Shaykhan. Narrated by Ibn al-Sam'ani in his Tarikh with a chain containing an unknown narrator. Narrated by the Four ⁹⁰, al-Hakim, and also al-Tirmidhi in al-Shama'il. Narrated by Ahmad and the authors of the Sunan ⁹¹. It is a hasan hadith ⁹² considering all its chains. Also narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Kabir, al-Quda'i, and others. Agreed upon ⁹³, and the rest of the hadith is from Muslim. The hadith is a part of the Prophet's letter to Heraclius, the great ruler of the Romans. Narrated by al-Bukhari and al-Tirmidhi, who said it is hasan gharib. Ibn Hibban declared it sahih. 'Those who are easily trodden upon' is a metaphor meaning those whose sides are soft, so that their companions can control them without being harmed. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Abu Ya'la, and others. Al-Tirmidhi said this hadith is gharib and its chain is weak. Narrated by al-Shaykhan with the wording: 'The two-faced person who comes to these with one face and to those with another.' Narrated by al-Shaykhan from the hadith of al-Mughira from Shu'ba. Narrated by Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim, and al-Bayhaqi from Abu Dharr. Al-Hakim declared it sahih and al-Dhahabi agreed. Al-Tirmidhi said this hadith is hasan sahih. In another wording: 'its middle.' Ibn al-Ghars said it is weak. In al-Maqasid, it is narrated by Ibn al-Sam'ani in Dhayl Tarikh Baghdad, but its chain contains an unknown narrator from 'Ali. Narrated by al-Shaykhan. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and others from Ibn 'Abbas. Al-Suyuti indicated it is hasan in al-Jami' al-Saghir. Narrated by al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman ⁹⁴. Narrated by the authors of strange hadiths, and no chain is known for it. It means strength and firmness in wording. Support for this is found in Sahih Muslim and al-Tirmidhi: the Prophet said: 'Indeed, Allah chose Kinana from the descendants of Isma'il, and chose Quraysh from Kinana, and chose Banu Hashim from Quraysh, and chose me from Banu Hashim.' Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and al-Bayhaqi from Abu Hurayra, and by al-Bukhari in his Tarikh. Al-Suyuti mentioned it in al-Jami' al-Saghir from a number of Companions, both marfu' ⁹⁵ and mawquf ⁹⁶ from 'Ali, and indicated it is hasan. Al-Tirmidhi said this hadith is gharib. Al-'Iraqi criticized al-Tirmidhi's claim of its gharaba and weakness, saying its narrators are the narrators of Muslim, but there is hesitation about its marfu' status. His greed for food intensified, and al-naham ⁹⁷ means excess of appetite. Its heaviness and lack of activity. Everything despicable and bad, and laziness of the soul. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and al-Nasa'i. Al-Hakim declared it sahih and al-Dhahabi agreed. Ibn Hibban declared it sahih. Al-Tirmidhi said this hadith is sahih. See Jami' al-Usul ⁹⁸ and the following hadith. Narrated by al-Bukhari and al-Tirmidhi, the wording is his. Narrated by Muslim. Al-mustawfir ⁹⁹ means one who is hasty and not settled in his sitting. Al-iq'a' ¹⁰⁰ means to sit on the buttocks and raise one leg. Narrated by al-Bazzar from Ibn 'Umar with a weak chain, and by Abu Ya'la. Al-Haythami declared its chain hasan in Majma' al-Zawa'id ¹⁰¹. Narrated by al-Shaykhan. Narrated by al-Hakim, who declared it sahih. It means it astonishes and frightens him. Part of a long hasan hadith. It was narrated in full by Ibn Manda and al-Tabarani in al-Kabir and others. The first part was narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi in al-Shama'il. 'She trembled from fear' means she shook and trembled from fear. Meaning I raised them and their backs. As in Sahih Muslim: the Prophet said: 'I am the master of the children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection.' Al-hawwa ¹⁰² means a deep hole. Baseness. They sent gifts to him. Narrated by al-Shaykhan. With a Jew for one year in exchange for thirty sa' ¹⁰³ of barley. A garment that he wraps himself in, wrapping it around his entire body. Plural of burda ¹⁰⁴, which is a black square garment. A Persian word arabicized, plural dhababij ¹⁰⁵, meaning an ornamented garment. Al-makhwusa ¹⁰⁶ means woven. Surah al-Qalam, verse 4. Al-Suyuti attributed it in al-Manahil to al-Bayhaqi, and it was also narrated by Muslim. Narrated by Ahmad, al-Bazzar, al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad, al-Quda'i in Musnad al-Shihab, and al-Hakim declared it sahih. Surah al-A'raf, verse 199. Narrated by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, and others via Muslim. It was also connected by Ibn Bar'uba from the hadith of Jabir. Surah Luqman, verse 17. Surah al-Nisa', verse 113. Surah al-Nur, verse 22. Surah al-Shura, verse 43. Meaning a mistake. Narrated by al-Shaykhan and Abu Dawud. Narrated by al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman as mursal ¹⁰⁷. Narrated by al-Shaykhan with the wording: 'O Allah, forgive my people, for they do not know.' Narrated by Ibn Sa'd, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Zanjawayh. Al-Hafiz al-'Iraqi said in Takhrij al-Ihya': narrated by Ibn al-Jawzi in al-Wafa' via Ibn Abi al-Dunya, and there is weakness in it. Up to here narrated by al-Shaykhan. Al-Bayhaqi narrated it with the wording of the author in al-Adab from the hadith of Abu Hurayra. Narrated with the wording of the author by al-Bayhaqi in al-Adab. Al-Shaykhan narrated it in abbreviated form. 'It will be taken from you' means retaliation will be taken from you. The first part was narrated by al-Tirmidhi in al-Shama'il and Abu Ya'la. It is in al-Shaykhan: 'The Messenger of Allah never took revenge for himself unless the sanctity of Allah was violated.' Narrated by al-Shaykhan. Narrated by al-Shaykhan. This is part of a sahih hadith narrated by al-Shaykhan. He is Bilal, but he is from the Muhajirun ¹⁰⁸. It is possible that both said it to him. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi in al-Shama'il, al-Bazzar, and al-Khara'iti in al-Muntaqa min Makarim al-Akhlaq. Al-Haythami said in al-Majma': In it is Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Hanafi, whom the majority declared weak, but Ibn Hibban declared him trustworthy and said he makes mistakes. Plural of kumayy ¹⁰⁹, meaning a brave warrior or one wearing armor. Narrated by al-Darimi. Its narrators are trustworthy. Narrated by Ahmad, al-Nasa'i, al-Tabarani, and al-Bayhaqi. Muslim narrated part of it. Also narrated by Abu Ya'la and Abu al-Shaykh. 'The eyes became red' is a metaphor for the intensity of fighting. Narrated by al-Shaykhan. 'You will not be frightened' means you will not fear anything harmful. Narrated by al-Shaykhan. Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Khara'iti in al-Muntaqa min Makarim al-Akhlaq. Its chain is hasan. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi in al-Sunan and al-Shama'il, and by Ahmad. Al-Tirmidhi said it is hasan sahih. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who said it is hasan sahih. 'Ariqa ¹¹⁰ means nature. He is Hind ibn Abi Hala, the stepson of the Messenger of Allah, and he is the son of Khadija from her husband Abu Hala, whom she married before the Prophet. Surah Al 'Imran, verse 159. Surah Fussilat, verse 34. It is the thin part of the leg in cows and sheep. Narrated by al-Daraqutni in Gharib Malik, and he declared it weak. Surah al-Tawba, verse 128. Surah al-Anbiya', verse 107. Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi from Ibn Mas'ud. Narrated by al-Shaykhan. Al-Tirmidhi said this hadith is gharib from this perspective. (With two open letters and a silent mim between them.) Narrated by al-Bazzar from Abu Hurayra with a weak chain, and by Ibn Hibban and Abu al-Shaykh with a weak chain. Al-Haythami said in Majma' al-Zawa'id: In it is Ibrahim ibn al-Hakam ibn Aban, who is abandoned. 'The she-camel shied' means it bolted and became stubborn. 'Qumam' is plural of qumama ¹¹¹, meaning trash. Narrated by Abu Dawud, Ibn Manda in al-Ma'rifa, and al-Khara'iti in Makarim al-Akhlaq. Al-'Iraqi said in Takhrij Ahadith al-Ihya': narrated by Abu Dawud, and there is disagreement about its chain. Ibn Mahdi said: I think Ibrahim ibn Tahman made a mistake in it. Narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad, al-Bazzar, and others. Ibn Hibban, al-Hakim, and al-Dhahabi declared it sahih. Narrated by al-Bayhaqi in Dala'il al-Nubuwwa ¹¹². She accepts the pregnancy. Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Narrated by Ahmad, al-Bayhaqi, and Abu Ya'la. Ibn Hibban declared it sahih. Al-Haythami said in Majma' al-Zawa'id: narrated by Ahmad, al-Bazzar, and Abu Ya'la, and the narrators of the first two are the narrators of the Sahih. Narrated by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah. Its chain is weak. Narrated by al-Bazzar. Al-Haythami said in Majma' al-Zawa'id: In it is Hafs ibn 'Umara al-Tahi, whom I do not know, and the rest of its narrators are trustworthy. Narrated by al-Bukhari. Al-itra' ¹¹³ means false praise. Narrated by Ibn Majah and al-Tirmidhi in al-Shama'il. Al-Diya' declared it sahih in al-Mukhtara. 'Rathth' means bad character. 'Qatifa' means a garment with nap. As narrated by Muslim about him. 'Badana' refers to a camel, she-camel, or cow. Narrated by Abu Ya'la. Al-Hakim declared it sahih and al-Dhahabi agreed. Al-Haythami said in Majma' al-Zawa'id: In it is 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Bakr al-Muqaddami, who is weak. 'Qadimatuhu' means the front piece of the camel saddle, like the pommel of a saddle. Narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Awsat. In it is Yusuf ibn Ziyad al-Basri, who is weak. In its chain is 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Wahib, whom al-Hafiz declared unknown in al-Taqrib. 'Awqar al-nas' from al-waqar ¹¹⁴ means forbearance and dignity. Meaning his opponents and enemies. Narrated by al-Shaykhan. Al-Tirmidhi's wording: 'The hand of the Messenger of Allah never touched the hand of a woman except a woman he owned.'

Narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Kabir with a good chain. A hadith whose narrators are trustworthy but it is mursal ¹¹⁵; Abu Dawud recorded it in al-Marasil ¹¹⁶.

(93) [p276] Narrated by al-Bukhari (tadha'an) you travel (al-Hira) a town in Iraq between al-Najaf and al-Kufa. (94) [p276] Narrated by the Two Shaykhs ¹¹⁷. (95) [p276] Narrated by the Two Shaykhs, and it has other chains from a number of Companions. (96) [p276] Narrated by the Two Shaykhs. (97) [p276] Narrated by the Two Shaykhs. (98) [p276] Surah al-Ma'idah, verse 67. (99) [p276] Surah al-Tur, verse 48. (100) [p276] Surah al-Zumar, verse 36. (101) [p276] Surah al-Hijr, verse 95. (102) [p276] Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, and authenticated by al-Hakim with the agreement of al-Dhahabi, and classed as good by al-Hafiz in al-Fath.

1. صفيحة يمانية : A Yemeni blade, a type of sword known for its quality.
2. ذات السلاسل : Dhat al-Salasil, a location in the region of Judham, named after a water source called al-Salsal.
3. سرى : Sariy (plural sara), meaning noble and honorable; also a water source in Judham.
4. سورة البقرة اية ١٩٥ : Quran 2:195: 'And spend in the way of Allah and do not throw yourselves into destruction...'
5. سرية الخبط : The expedition of al-Khabt, also called Ghazwa of Sayf al-Bahr (Sea Sword).
6. البخاري ومسلم : The two most authentic hadith collections by Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim.
7. الشدق : Shidq (plural ashdaq), the side of the mouth or cheek.
8. قيس بن سعد بن عبادة : Qays ibn Sa'd ibn 'Ubada, a prominent Companion known for his generosity and leadership.
9. اختفت : Disappeared; the text is missing or unclear.
10. نوفل بن معاوية الديلي : Nawfal ibn Mu'awiya al-Dili, a Companion.
11. عمرو بن سالم بن كلثوم الخزاعي : 'Amr ibn Salim ibn Kulthum al-Khuza'i, a standard-bearer of Khuza'a on the day of the Conquest.
12. يجدد العهد : To renew the covenant or treaty.
13. نفاجئها : We will take them by surprise.
14. هشيم : Hushaym, a narrator; the text notes a possible mispronunciation.
15. الهودج : Howdah, a carriage mounted on a camel for women.
16. ضفيرتها : Her braid or plait of hair.
17. مرسلة : Mursal, a hadith where a Successor narrates directly from the Prophet without mentioning the Companion.
18. اية رقم ١ : Verse number 1, likely referring to a specific Quranic verse.
19. أبا رهم كلثوم بن حصين : Aba Ruhm Kulthum ibn Husayn al-Ghifari, appointed over Medina during the Conquest.
20. عامر بن قيس الفراسي : 'Amir ibn Qays al-Firasi, maternal brother of Umm Salama.
21. سورة يوسف اية ٩٢ : Quran 12:92: 'He said, 'No blame upon you today...''
22. ما بين الحرمين : The area between the two Harams (Mecca and Medina).
23. أبو سفيان : Abu Sufyan, a prominent Quraysh leader who embraced Islam after the Conquest.
24. خزاعة : Khuza'a, a tribe allied with the Muslims.
25. المكان الناتىء : A protruding place on the road for better visibility.
26. يوم حرب : A day of war or battle.
27. ما يلزم حفظه وحمايته : What must be preserved and protected; here, seeking protection.
28. المهاجرين : The Muhajirun, the early Muslims who migrated from Mecca to Medina.
29. صحيح البخاري : Sahih al-Bukhari, the most authentic hadith collection.
30. جبل بمعلاة مكة : A mountain in the upper part of Mecca.
31. كدى وكداء : Kuda and Kuda', two mountains in Mecca; Kuda' is the upper one.
32. قطعة من حديث : A portion of a hadith.
33. كعب بن زهير : Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, a famous poet who embraced Islam and was pardoned by the Prophet.
34. الشيخان : The two Shaykhs, i.e., al-Bukhari and Muslim.
35. سورة الحجرات اية ١٣ : Quran 49:13: 'O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female...'
36. عثمان بن عامر : 'Uthman ibn 'Amir, father of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq.
37. البيهقي : Al-Bayhaqi, a hadith scholar and author of 'Sunan al-Kubra'.
38. عكرمة بن أبي جهل : 'Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl, a Companion who embraced Islam after the Conquest and became a great warrior.
39. الفتح : The Conquest of Mecca.
40. اللات والعزى : Al-Lat and al-'Uzza, two pre-Islamic Arabian goddesses.
41. أجنادين : Ajnadayn, a battle in Palestine where many Companions were martyred.
42. حنين : Hunayn, a valley between Mecca and Ta'if, site of the Battle of Hunayn.
43. الخباء : Khiba', a tent made of wool or hair.
44. كعب بن زهير : Ka'b ibn Zuhayr, the poet who sought protection and embraced Islam.
45. لا أشغلنك : I will not occupy you.
46. لا ابالهم : An expression of contempt, meaning 'may they have no father'.
47. النعش : The bier or stretcher on which the deceased is carried.
48. نافلة : Supererogatory act; here, the Qur'an is called a supererogatory gift.
49. بيعة النساء : The pledge of allegiance of women, based on Quran 60:12.
50. يوم الفتح : The day of the Conquest of Mecca.
51. هوازن : Hawazin, a large Arab tribe.
52. المغفر : Mighfar, a helmet.
53. الذرد : Dhard, a cap worn under the helmet.
54. عبد الله بن أبي سرح : 'Abdullah ibn Abi Sarh, a former apostate who later repented and embraced Islam.
55. البغلة البيضاء : The white mule of the Prophet, named al-Bayda'.
56. فض الله فاه : An expression meaning 'may Allah break his mouth' or knock out his teeth.
57. يربني : Be a lord over me, i.e., a master.
58. الغلبة : Victory or dominance.
59. أنا ابن عبد المطلب : I am the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib, a statement of pride and lineage.
60. رجالا بيضا على خيل بلق : White men on piebald horses, identified as angels.
61. أوطاس : Awtas, a valley between Mecca and Ta'if.
62. سرية أبي عامر الأشعري : The expedition of Abu 'Amir al-Ash'ari.
63. أبو موسى الأشعري : Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, a Companion and governor known for his beautiful voice.
64. عبيد أبي عامر : 'Ubayd Abi 'Amir, a Companion for whom the Prophet prayed.
65. الطائف : Ta'if, a city in Hijaz known for its climate and agriculture.
66. مالك بن عوف النصري : Malik ibn 'Awf al-Nasri, the leader of Hawazin at the Battle of Hunayn.
67. واد بديار هوازن : A valley in the land of Hawazin.
68. manjanīq : A large siege engine used to hurl stones or projectiles at fortifications.
69. Jāhiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance before the advent of Islam.
70. dabbāba : A covered siege engine used to protect soldiers digging tunnels under fortifications.
71. al-Shaykhān : Refers to the two most authoritative hadith collections: Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
72. mu'allafa qulūbuhum : Those whose hearts are reconciled to Islam, often given gifts to strengthen their faith or prevent harm.
73. Dhū al-Khuwayṣira : A companion known for criticizing the Prophet's distribution of spoils; his descendants became the Khawarij.
74. Khawārij : An early Islamic sect that rebelled against 'Ali, known for extreme piety and excommunication of sinners.
75. jarrārūn : Leaders who could mobilize large armies, literally 'pullers' of troops.
76. ḥumar an-niʿam : Red camels: a metaphor for the most valuable worldly possessions.
77. al-jamāʿah : The group: refers to the compilers of the six canonical hadith collections (al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah).
78. ʿaḍl : Confinement, restriction, or preventing a woman from marrying.
79. muḥṣan : A married person who has committed adultery; the prescribed punishment is stoning to death.
80. sutrah : An object placed in front of a person praying to mark the space and prevent passersby from crossing in front of him.
81. al-Fatḥ : The Conquest of Mecca in 8 AH.
82. ḥasan gharīb : A hadith classification: hasan (good) and gharib (strange, i.e., narrated through a single chain).
83. Shamā'il : A collection of hadiths describing the physical and moral characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad.
84. Dalā'il : Short for Dalā'il al-Nubuwwa, a work on the proofs of prophethood.
85. Ḥimyar : An ancient South Arabian kingdom.
86. ṣaḥīḥ : Authentic, a hadith classification indicating a sound chain of transmission.
87. Makārim al-Akhlāq : A work on noble character traits.
88. al-Mawḍū'āt : A collection of fabricated hadiths.
89. al-Shaykhān : Refers to al-Bukhari and Muslim, the two most authoritative hadith collectors.
90. al-Arba'a : The four hadith collectors: Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah.
91. aṣḥāb al-Sunan : The authors of the four Sunan collections: Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah.
92. ḥasan : A hadith classification meaning good, but not reaching the level of sahih.
93. Muttafaq 'alayh : Agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
94. Shu'ab al-Īmān : A work by al-Bayhaqi on the branches of faith.
95. marfū' : A hadith attributed directly to the Prophet Muhammad.
96. mawqūf : A hadith attributed to a Companion, not the Prophet.
97. al-naham : Excessive greed or appetite.
98. Jāmi' al-Uṣūl : A work by Ibn al-Athir collecting hadiths from the six major books.
99. al-mustawfir : One who is hasty and not settled in sitting.
100. al-iq'ā' : Sitting on the buttocks with legs raised.
101. Majma' al-Zawā'id : A collection by al-Haythami of additional hadiths not in the six major books.
102. al-hawwa : A deep hole or pit.
103. ṣā' : A unit of volume, approximately 2.5-3 kg.
104. burda : A striped cloak or garment.
105. dhabābīj : A type of silk or ornamented garment.
106. makhwūṣa : Woven or embroidered.
107. mursal : A hadith where a Successor narrates directly from the Prophet, omitting the Companion.
108. Muhājirūn : The early Muslims who migrated from Mecca to Medina.
109. kumayy : A brave warrior or one wearing armor.
110. 'arīka : Nature, disposition, or character.
111. qumāma : Trash, garbage, or sweepings.
112. Dalā'il al-Nubuwwa : A work by al-Bayhaqi on the proofs of prophethood.
113. al-iṭrā' : Excessive or false praise.
114. al-waqār : Dignity, forbearance, and calmness.
115. mursal : A hadith where the Successor (Tabi‘i) directly attributes a statement to the Prophet without mentioning the Companion.
116. al-Marasil : A collection of mursal hadith compiled by Abu Dawud.
117. al-Shaykhan : Refers to the two most authoritative hadith collectors: Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim.