The Prophetic Biography of Ibn Hisham [1]

السيرة النبوية لابن هشام مقدمة التحقيق مقدمة التحقيق (المغازي والسير) : (التاريخ عند العرب) : (بدء التأليف في السيرة) : (علم السيرة في أدواره المختلفة) : (نشأة الموالد) : (السير والنقد) : (مؤلفون جمعوا بين السيرة والتاريخ) : سيرة ابن إسحاق سيرة ابن إسحاق (سبب وضع سيرة ابن إسحاق) : (أثر ابن هشام في سيرة ابن إسحاق) : (السهيلي وغيره من شراح سيرة ابن هشام) : (مختصر وسيرة ابن إسحاق) : (ناظمو سيرة ابن إسحاق) : ابن إسحاق ابن إسحاق (نسبه) : (مولده ووفاته) : (نشأته وحياته) : (منزلته ومكانته) : ابن هشام ابن هشام (نسبه) : (نشأته) : (مولده ووفاته) : (منزلته) : (آثاره) : السهيلي السهيلي (اسمه ولقبه) : (موطنه والبلاد التي تنقل فيها) : (مولده ووفاته) : (مؤلفاته وعلمه وأخلاقه) : أبو ذر الخشني أبو ذر الخشني (نسبه) : (منزلته ومؤلفاته وشيء عنه) : (مولده ووفاته) : عملنا في السيرة ذكر سرد النسب الزكي من محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم، إلى آدم عليه السلام ذكر سرد النسب الزكي من محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم، إلى آدم عليه السلام (نهج ابن هشام في هذا الكتاب) : سياقة النسب من ولد إسماعيل عليه السلام سياقة النسب من ولد إسماعيل عليه السلام (أولاد إسماعيل عليه السلام ونسب أمهم) : (عمر إسماعيل عليه السلام ومدفنه) : (موطن هاجر) : (وصاة الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم بأهل مصر وسبب ذلك) : (أصل العرب) : (أصل العرب) : (أولاد عدنان) : (موطن عك) : (أولاد معد) : (قضاعة) : (قنص بن معد، ونسب النعمان بن المنذر) : (نسب لخم بن عدي) : أمر عمرو بن عامر في خروجه من اليمن وقصة سد مارب أمر ربيعة بن نصر ملك اليمن وقصة شق وسطيح الكاهنين معه أمر ربيعة بن نصر ملك اليمن وقصة شق وسطيح الكاهنين معه (رؤيا ربيعة بن نصر) : (نسب سطيح وشق) : (نسب بجيلة) : (ربيعة بن نصر وسطيح) . (ربيعة بن نصر وشق) : (هجرة ربيعة بن نصر إلى العراق) : (نسب النعمان بن المنذر) : استيلاء أبى كرب تبان أسعد على ملك اليمن وغزوة إلى يثرب استيلاء أبى كرب تبان أسعد على ملك اليمن وغزوة إلى يثرب (شيء من سيرة تبان) : (غضب تبان على أهل المدينة، وسبب ذلك) : (نسب عمرو بن طلة) : (سبب قتال تبان لأهل المدينة) : (انصراف تبان عن إهلاك المدينة، وشعر خالد في ذلك) : (اعتناق تبان النصرانية، وكسوته البيت وتعظيمه وشعر سبيعة في ذلك) : (دعوة تبان قومه إلى النصرانية، وتحكيمهم النار بينهم وبينه) . (رئام وما صار إليه) : ملك ابنه حسان بن تبان وقتل عمرو أخيه (له) ملك ابنه حسان بن تبان وقتل عمرو أخيه (له) (سبب قتله) : (ندم عمرو وهلاكه) : وثوب لخنيعة ذي شناتر على ملك اليمن وثوب لخنيعة ذي شناتر على ملك اليمن (توليه الملك، وشيء من سيرته، ثم قتله) : (توليه الملك، وشيء من سيرته، ثم قتله) : ملك ذي نواس (النصرانية بنجران) : (النصرانية بنجران) : ابتداء وقوع النصرانية بنجران ابتداء وقوع النصرانية بنجران (فيميون وصالح ونشر النصرانية بنجران) : أمر عبد الله بن الثامر، وقصة أصحاب الأخدود أمر عبد الله بن الثامر، وقصة أصحاب الأخدود (فيميون وابن الثامر واسم الله الأعظم) : (ابن الثامر ودعوته إلى النصرانية بنجران) : (ذو نواس وخد الأخدود) : (ذو نواس وخد الأخدود) : (الأخدود لغة) : (مقتل ابن الثامر) : (ما يروى عن ابن الثامر في قبره) : أمر دوس ذي ثعلبان، وابتداء ملك الحبشة وذكر أرباط المستولى على اليمن أمر دوس ذي ثعلبان، وابتداء ملك الحبشة وذكر أرباط المستولى على اليمن (فرار دوس واستنصاره بقيصر) : (انتصار أرياط وهزيمة ذي نواس وموته) : (شعر في دوس وما كان منه) : (نسب زبيد) : (سبب قول عمرو بن معديكرب هذا الشعر) : (صدق كهانة سطيح وشق) : غلب أبرهة الأشرم على أمر اليمن، وقتل أرياط غلب أبرهة الأشرم على أمر اليمن، وقتل أرياط (ما كان بين أرياط وأبرهة) : (غضب النجاشي على أبرهة لقتله أرياط ثم رضاؤه عنه) : أمر الفيل، وقصة النسأة أمر الفيل، وقصة النسأة (بناء القليس) : (معنى النسأة) : (المواطأة لغة) : (تاريخ النسء عند العرب) : (إحداث الكناني في القليس، وحملة أبرهة على الكعبة) : (هزيمة ذي نفر أمام أبرهة) : (ما وقع بين نفيل وأبرهة) : (ابن معتب وأبرهة) : (نسب ثقيف وشعر ابن أبى الصلت في ذلك) : (استسلام أهل الطائف لأبرهة) : (اللات) : (معونة أبى رغال لأبرهة وموته وقبره) : (الأسود واعتداؤه على مكة) : (حناطة وعبد المطلب) : (ذو نفر وأنيس وتوسطهما لعبد المطلب لدى أبرهة) : (عبد المطلب وحناطة وخويلد بين يدي أبرهة) : (عبد المطلب في الكعبة يستنصر بالله على رد أبرهة) : (شعر لعكرمة في الدعاء على الأسود بن مقصود) : (دخول أبرهة مكة، وما وقع له ولفيله، وشعر نفيل في ذلك) : (ما ذكر في القرآن عن قصة الفيل، وشرح ابن هشام لمفرداته) : (ما أصاب قائد الفيل وسائسه) : ما قيل في صفة الفيل من الشعر ما قيل في صفة الفيل من الشعر (إعظام العرب قريشا بعد حادثة الفيل) : (شعر ابن الزبعري في وقعة الفيل) : (شعر ابن الأسلت في وقعة الفيل) : (شعر طالب في وقعة الفيل) : (شعر أبى الصلت في وقعة الفيل) : (شعر الفرزدق في وقعة الفيل) : (شعر ابن الرقيات في وقعة الفيل) : (ملك يكسوم ثم مسروق على اليمن) : خروج سيف بن ذي يزن وملك وهرز على اليمن خروج سيف بن ذي يزن وملك وهرز على اليمن (ابن ذي يزن عند قيصر) : (توسط النعمان لابن ذي يزن لدى كسرى) : (ابن ذي يزن بين يدي كسرى، ومعاونة كسرى له) : (وهرز وسيف بن ذي يزن وانتصارهما على مسروق وما قيل في ذلك من الشعر) : (هزيمة الأحباش، ونبوءة سطيح وشق) : ذكر ما انتهى إليه أمر الفرس باليمن ذكر ما انتهى إليه أمر الفرس باليمن (ملك الحبشة في اليمن وملوكهم) : ملوك الفرس على اليمن) : (كسرى وبعثة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (إسلام باذان) : (سلمان منا) : (بعثة النبي، ونبوءة سطيح وشق) : (الحجر الذي وجد باليمن) : (شعر الأعشى في نبوءة سطيح وشق) : قصة ملك الحضر قصة ملك الحضر (نسب النعمان، وشيء عن الحضر، وشعر عدي فيه) : (دخول سابور الحضر، وزواجه بنت ساطرون، وما وقع بينهما) : ذكر ولد نزار بن معد ذكر ولد نزار بن معد (أولاده في رأى ابن إسحاق وابن هشام) : (أولاد أنمار) : (أولاد مضر) : (أولاد إلياس) : (شيء عن خندف وأولادها) : قصة عمرو بن لحي وذكر أصنام العرب قصة عمرو بن لحي وذكر أصنام العرب (رآه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يجر قصبه في النار) : (جلب الأصنام من الشام إلى مكة) : (أول عبادة الحجارة كانت في بنى إسماعيل) : (الأصنام عند قوم نوح) : (القبائل وأصنامها، وشيء عنها) : (رأى ابن هشام في نسب كلب بن وبرة) : (يغوث وعبدته) : (رأى ابن هشام في أنعم، وفي نسب طيئ) : (يعوق وعبدته) : (همدان ونسبه) : (نسر وعبدته) : (نسب خولان) : (سعد وعبدته) : (صنم دوس) : (نسب دوس) : (هبل) : (إساف ونائلة، وحديث عائشة عنهما) : (ما كان يفعله العرب مع الأصنام) : (العزى وسدنتها) : (معنى السدنة) : (اللات وسدنتها) : (مناة وسدنتها وهدمها) : (ذو الخلصة وسدنته وهدمه) : (فلس وسدنته وهدمه) : (رئام) : (رضاء وسدنته) : (المستوغر وعمره) : (ذو الكعبات وسدنته) : أمر البحيرة والسائبة والوصيلة والحامى أمر البحيرة والسائبة والوصيلة والحامى (رأى ابن إسحاق فيها) : (رأى ابن هشام فيها) : (البحيرة والسائبة والوصيلة والحامى لغة) : عدنا إلى سياقة النسب عدنا إلى سياقة النسب (نسب خزاعة) : (أولاد مدركة وخزيمة) : (أولاد كنانة وأمهاتهم) : (أولاد النضر وأمهاتهم) : (ولد مالك بن النضر وأمه) : (أولاد فهر وأمهاتهم) : (أولاد غالب وأمهاتهم) : (أولاد لؤي وأمهاتهم) : أمر سامة أمر سامة (رحلته إلى عمان وموته) : أمر عوف بن لؤي ونقلته أمر عوف بن لؤي ونقلته (سبب انتمائه إلى بنى ذبيان) : (نسب مرة) : (سادات مرة) : (هاشم بن حرملة، وعامر الخصفى) : (مرة والبسل) : أمر البسل أمر البسل (تعريف البسل، ونسب زهير الشاعر) : (أولاد كعب وأمهم) : (أولاد مرة وأمهاتهم) : (نسب بارق) : (ولدا كلاب وأمهما) : (نسب جعثمة) : (بقية أولاد كلاب) : (أولاد قصي وأمهم) : (أولاد عبد مناف وأمهاتهم) : (نسب عتبة بن غزوان) : (عود إلى أولاد عبد مناف) : (أولاد هاشم وأمهاتهم) : أولاد عبد المطلب بن هاشم أولاد عبد المطلب بن هاشم (عددهم وأمهاتهم) : (رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأمهاته) : إشارة إلى ذكر احتفار زمزم إشارة إلى ذكر احتفار زمزم (شيء عن زمزم) : أمر جرهم ودفن زمزم أمر جرهم ودفن زمزم (ولاة البيت) : (جرهم وقطوراء، وما كان بينهما) : (أولاد إسماعيل وجرهم بمكة) : استيلاء قوم كنانة وخزاعة على البيت وفي جرهم استيلاء قوم كنانة وخزاعة على البيت وفي جرهم (بغى جرهم بمكة وطرد بنى بكر لهم) : (بكة لغة) : استبداد قوم من خزاعة بولاية البيت تزوج قصي بن كلاب حبي بنت حليل تزوج قصي بن كلاب حبي بنت حليل (أولاد قصي) : (تولى قصي أمر البيت ونصرة رزاح له) : ما كان يليه الغوث بن مر من الإجازة للناس بالحج ما كان يليه الغوث بن مر من الإجازة للناس بالحج (صوفة ورمى الجمار) : (تولى بنى سعد أمر البيت بعد صوفة) : (نسب صفوان) : (صفوان وكرب والإجازة في الحج) : ما كانت عليه عدوان من إفاضة المزدلفة ما كانت عليه عدوان من إفاضة المزدلفة (شعر ذي الإصبع في إفاضتهم بالناس) : (أبو سيارة وإفاضته بالناس) : أمر عامر بن ظرب بن عمرو بن عياذ بن يشكر بن عدوان أمر عامر بن ظرب بن عمرو بن عياذ بن يشكر بن عدوان (قضاؤه في خنثى ومشورة جاريته سخيلة) : غلب قصي بن كلاب على أمر مكة وجمعه أمر قريش ومعونة قضاعة له غلب قصي بن كلاب على أمر مكة وجمعه أمر قريش ومعونة قضاعة له (هزيمة صوفة) : (محاربة قصي لخزاعة وبنى بكر وتحكيم يعمر بن عوف) : (سبب تسمية يعمر بالشداخ) : (قصي أميرا على مكة وسبب تسميته مجمعا) : (شعر رزاح في نصرته قصيا ورد قصي عليه) : (ما كان بين رزاح وبين نهد وحوتكة، وشعر قصي في ذلك (ما آثر به قصي عبد الدار) : (الرفادة) : ذكر ما جرى من اختلاف قريش بعد قصي وحلف المطيبين ذكر ما جرى من اختلاف قريش بعد قصي وحلف المطيبين (الخلاف بين بنى عبد الدار وبنى أعمامهم) : (من ناصروا بنى عبد الدار، ومن ناصروا بنى أعمامهم.) : (من دخلوا في حلف المطيبين) : (من دخلوا في حلف الأحلاف) : (توزيع القبائل في الحرب) : (ما تصالح القوم عليه) : حلف الفضول حلف الفضول (سبب تسميته كذلك) : (حديث رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن حلف الفضول) : (نازع الحسين الوليد في حق، وهدد بالدعوة إلى حلف الفضول) : (سأل عبد الملك محمد بن جبير عن عبد شمس وبنى نوفل ودخولهما في حلف الفضول، فأخبره بخروجهما منه) : (ولاية هاشم الرفادة والسقاية وما كان يصنع إذا قدم الحاج) : (شيء من أعمال هاشم) : (ولاية المطلب الرفادة والسقاية) : (زواج هاشم) : (ميلاد عبد المطلب وسبب تسميته كذلك) : (موت المطلب وما قيل في رثائه من الشعر) : (ولاية عبد المطلب السقاية والرفادة) : ذكر حفر زمزم وما جرى من الخلف فيها ذكر حفر زمزم وما جرى من الخلف فيها (الرؤيا التي أريها عبد المطلب في حفر زمزم) : (الرؤيا التي أريها عبد المطلب في حفر زمزم) : (عبد المطلب وابنه الحارث وما كان بينهما وبين قريش عند حفرهما زمزم) : ذكر بئار قبائل قريش بمكة ذكر بئار قبائل قريش بمكة (الطوى ومن حفرها) : (بذر ومن حفرها) : (سجلة ومن حفرها) : (الحفر ومن حفرها) : (سقية ومن حفرها) : (أم أحراد ومن حفرها) : (السنبلة ومن حفرها) : (الغمر ومن حفرها) : (رم وخم والحفر وأصحابها) : (فضل زمزم وما قيل فيها من شعر) : ذكر نذر عبد المطلب ذبح ولده ذكر نذر عبد المطلب ذبح ولده (الضرب بالقداح عند العرب) : (عبد المطلب وأولاده بين يدي صاحب القداح) : (خروج القدح على عبد الله وشروع أبيه في ذبحه، ومنع قريش له) : (عرافة الحجاز وما أشارت به أم عبد المطلب) : (نجاة عبد الله من الذبح) : ذكر المرأة المتعرضة لنكاح عبد الله بن عبد المطلب ذكر المرأة المتعرضة لنكاح عبد الله بن عبد المطلب (رفض عبد الله طلب المرأة التي عرضت نفسها عليه) : (زواج عبد الله من آمنة بنت وهب) : (أمهات آمنة بنت وهب) : (ما جرى بين عبد الله والمرأة المتعرضة له بعد بنائه بآمنة) : ذكر ما قيل لآمنة عند حملها برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم (موت عبد الله) : ولادة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ورضاعته ولادة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ورضاعته (رأى ابن إسحاق مولده صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (رواية قيس بن مخرمة عن مولده صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (رواية حسان بن ثابت، عن مولده صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (إعلام أمه جده بولادته صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (فرح جده به صلى الله عليه وسلم، والتماسه له المراضع) : (نسب حليمة، ونسب أبيها) : (نسب أبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم في الرضاع) : (إخوته صلى الله عليه وسلم من الرضاع) : (حديث حليمة عما رأته من الخير بعد تسلمها له صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (حديث الملكين اللذين شقا بطنه صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (رجوع حليمة به صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى أمه) : (تعريفه صلى الله عليه وسلم بنفسه، وقد سئل عن ذلك) : (هو والأنبياء قبله رعوا الغنم) : (اعتزازه صلى الله عليه وسلم بقرشيته، واسترضاعه في بنى سعد) : (افتقدته حليمة صلى الله عليه وسلم حين رجوعها به، ووجده ورقة بن نوفل) : وفاة آمنة وحال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مع جده عبد المطلب بعدها وفاة آمنة وحال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مع جده عبد المطلب بعدها (وفاة آمنة) : (سبب خؤولة بنى عدي بن النجار لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (إكرام عبد المطلب له صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو صغير) : وفاة عبد المطلب. وما رثى به من الشعر وفاة عبد المطلب. وما رثى به من الشعر (وفاة عبد المطلب، وما قيل فيه من الشعر) : (رثاء صفية لأبيها عبد المطلب) : (رثاء برة لأبيها عبد المطلب) : (رثاء عاتكة لأبيها عبد المطلب) : (رثاء أم حكيم لأبيها عبد المطلب) : (رثاء أميمة لأبيها عبد المطلب) : (رثاء أروى لأبيها عبد المطلب) : (نسب المسيب) : (رثاء حذيفة لعبد المطلب) : (رثاء مطرود لعبد المطلب وبنى عبد مناف) : (ولاية العباس على سقاية زمزم) : كفالة أبى طالب لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كفالة أبى طالب لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم (ولاية أبى طالب لأمر الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (نبوءة رجل من لهب عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم) : قصة بحيرى [٢] قصة بحيرى [٢] (نزول أبى طالب ورسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ببحيرى) : (رجوع أبى طالب برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وما كان من زرير وصاحبيه) : (حديثه صلى الله عليه وسلم عن عصمة الله له في طفولته) : حرب الفجار [١] حرب الفجار [١] (سببها) : (نشوب الحرب بين قريش وهوازن) : (حضور رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو صغير فيها وعمره) : (سبب تسميتها بذلك) : (قواد قريش وهوازن فيها ونتيجتها) : حديث تزويج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خديجة رضى الله عنها حديث تزويج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم خديجة رضى الله عنها (سنه صلى الله عليه وسلم عند تزوجه من خديجة) : (خروجه صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى الشام في تجارة خديجة، وما كان من بحيرى) : (رغبة خديجة في الزواج منه) : (نسب خديجة) : (زواجه صلى الله عليه وسلم من خديجة) : (أولاده صلى الله عليه وسلم من خديجة) : (أم إبراهيم) : (حديث خديجة مع ورقة وصدق نبوءة ورقة فيه صلى الله عليه وسلم) : حديث بنيان الكعبة وحكم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بين قريش في وضع الحجر حديث بنيان الكعبة وحكم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بين قريش في وضع الحجر (سبب بنيان قريش للكعبة) : (ما حدث لأبى وهب عند بناء قريش الكعبة) : (قرابة أبى وهب لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (تجزئة الكعبة بين قريش، ونصيب كل فريق منها) : (الوليد بن المغيرة وهدم الكعبة، وما وجدوه تحت الهدم) : (اختلاف قريش فيمن يضع الحجر ولعقة الدم) : (إشارة أبى أمية بتحكيم أول داخل فكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (شعر الزبير في الحية التي كانت قريش تهاب بنيان الكعبة لها) : (ارتفاع الكعبة وأول من كساها الديباج) : حديث الحمس حديث الحمس (الحمس عند قريش) : (القبائل التي دانت مع قريش بالحمس) : (يوم جبلة) : (يوم ذي نجب) : (ما زادته العرب في الحمس) : (اللقى عند الحمس وشعر فيه) : (حكم الإسلام في الطواف، وإبطال عادات الحمس فيه) : إخبار الكهان من العرب، والأحبار من يهود والرهبان من النصارى إخبار الكهان من العرب، والأحبار من يهود والرهبان من النصارى (معرفة الكهان والأحبار والرهبان بمبعثه صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (قذف الجن بالشهب، وآية ذلك على مبعثه صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (فزع ثقيف من رمى الجن بالنجوم، وسؤاله عمرو بن أمية) : (حديثه صلى الله عليه وسلم مع الأنصار في رمى الجن بالنجوم) : (الغيطلة وما حدثت به بنى سهم) : (نسب الغيطلة) : (حديث كاهن جنب عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (ما جرى بين عمر بن الخطاب وسواد بن قارب) : إنذار يهود برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إنذار يهود برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم (إنذار اليهود به صلى الله عليه وسلم، ولما بعث كفروا به) : (حديث سلمة عن اليهودي الذي أنذر بالرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (إسلام ثعلبة وأسيد ابني سعية، وأسد بن عبيد) : حديث إسلام سلمان رضى الله عنه حديث إسلام سلمان رضى الله عنه (كان سلمان مجوسيا، فمر بكنيسة فتطلع إلى النصرانية) : (اتفاق سلمان والنصارى على الهرب) : (سلمان وأسقف النصارى السيئ) : (سلمان والأسقف الصالح) : (سلمان وصاحبه بالموصل) : (سلمان وصاحبه بنصيبين) : (سلمان وصاحبه بعمورية) : (سلمان ونقلته إلى وادي القرى ثم إلى المدينة، وسماعه ببعثة الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (نسب قيلة) : (سلمان بين يدي الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم بهديته يستوثق) : (أمر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لسلمان بالمكاتبة ليخلص من الرق) : (سلمان والرجل الذي كان يخرج بين غيضتين بعمورية) : ذكر ورقة بن نوفل بن أسد بن عبد العزى وعبيد الله بن جحش وعثمان بن الحويرث وزيد بن عمرو بن نفيل [٢] ذكر ورقة بن نوفل بن أسد بن عبد العزى وعبيد الله بن جحش وعثمان بن الحويرث وزيد بن عمرو بن نفيل [٢] (بحثهم في الأديان) : (ما وصل إليه ورقة وابن جحش) : (ما كان يفعله ابن جحش بعد تنصره بمسلمى الحبشة) : (زواج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من امرأة ابن جحش بعد موته) : (تنصر ابن الحويرث، وذهابه إلى قيصر) : (زيد بن عمرو وما وصل إليه، وشيء عنه) : (شعر زيد في فراق دين قومه) : (نسب الحضرمي) : (شعر زيد في عتاب زوجته على اتفاقها مع الخطاب في معاكسته) : (شعر زيد حين كان يستقبل الكعبة) : (الخطاب ووقوفه في سبيل زيد بن نفيل، وخروج زيد إلى الشام وموته) : (رثاء ورقة لزيد) : صفة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من الإنجيل صفة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من الإنجيل (تبشير يحنس الحواري برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم) : مبعث النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم تسليما (أول ما بدئ به الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم الرؤيا الصادقة) : (تسليم الحجارة والشجر عليه صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (ابتداء نزول جبريل عليه السلام) : (بحث لغوي لابن هشام في معنى التحنث) : (رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقص على خديجة ما كان من أمر جبريل معه) : (خديجة بين يدي ورقة تحدثه حديث رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (امتحان خديجة برهان الوحي) : ابتداء تنزيل القرآن إسلام خديجة بنت خويلد إسلام خديجة بنت خويلد (تبشير الرسول لخديجة ببيت من قصب) : (جبريل يقرئ خديجة السلام) : (فترة الوحي ونزول سورة الضحى) : (تفسير ابن هشام لمفردات سورة الضحى) : ابتداء فرض الصلاة [٢] ابتداء فرض الصلاة [٢] (افترضت الصلاة ركعتين ركعتين ثم زيدت) : (تعليم جبريل الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم الوضوء والصلاة) : (تعليم الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم خديجة الوضوء والصلاة) : (تعيين جبريل أوقات الصلاة للرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم) : ذكر أن على بن أبى طالب رضى الله عنه أول ذكر أسلم ذكر أن على بن أبى طالب رضى الله عنه أول ذكر أسلم (نشأته في حجر الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم وسبب ذلك) : (خروج على مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى شعاب مكة يصليان، ووقوف أبى طالب على أمرهما) : إسلام زيد بن حارثة ثانيا إسلام زيد بن حارثة ثانيا (نسبه وسبب تبنى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم له) : (شعر حارثة حين فقد ابنه زيدا، وقدومه على الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم يسأله رده عليه) : إسلام أبى بكر الصديق رضى الله عنه وشأنه إسلام أبى بكر الصديق رضى الله عنه وشأنه (نسبه) : (إسلامه) : (منزلته في قريش، ودعوته للإسلام) : ذكر من أسلم من الصحابة بدعوة أبى بكر رضى الله عنه ذكر من أسلم من الصحابة بدعوة أبى بكر رضى الله عنه (إسلام عثمان، والزبير وعبد الرحمن وسعد وطلحة) : (إسلام أبى عبيدة، وأبى سلمة، والأرقم، وأبناء مظعون، وعبيدة ابن الحارث، وسعيد بن زيد وامرأته، وأسماء، وعائشة، وخباب) : (إسلام عمير وابن مسعود وابن القاري) : (شيء عن القارة) : (إسلام سليط وأخيه، وعياش وامرأته، وخنيس، وعامر) : (إسلام ابني جحش، وجعفر وامرأته، وأولاد الحارث ونسائهم، والسائب، والمطلب وامرأته) : (إسلام نعيم ونسبه) : (إسلام عامر بن فهيرة ونسبه) : (إسلام خالد بن سعيد وامرأته أمينة) : (إسلام حاطب وأبى حذيفة وإسلام واقد، وشيء عنه) : (إسلام بنى البكير، وعمار بن ياسر) : (إسلام صهيب ونسبه) : مباداة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قومه، وما كان منهم مباداة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قومه، وما كان منهم (أمر الله له صلى الله عليه وسلم بمباداة قومه) : (تفسير ابن هشام لبعض المفردات) : (خروج الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم بأصحابه إلى شعاب مكة، وما فعله سعد) : (إظهار قومه صلى الله عليه وسلم العداوة له، وحدب عمه أبى طالب عليه) (وفد قريش مع أبى طالب في شأن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم) : (استمرار رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في دعوته، ورجوع وفد قريش إلى أبى طالب ثانية) : (طلب أبى طالب إلى الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم الكف عن الدعوة وجوابه له) : (مشى قريش إلى أبى طالب ثالثة بعمارة بن الوليد المخزومي) : (شعر أبى طالب في التعريض بالمطعم ومن خذله من بنى عبد مناف) : (ذكر ما فتنت به قريش المؤمنين وعذبتهم على الإيمان) : (شعر أبى طالب في مدح قومه لحدبهم عليه) : تحير الوليد بن المغيرة فيما يصف به القرآن تحير الوليد بن المغيرة فيما يصف به القرآن (اجتماعه بنفر من قري

The Prophetic Biography by Ibn Hisham [1]

Source: https://shamela.ws/book/23833 Date of extraction: 2026-06-17

The Introduction

The Prophetic Biography ¹ Author: Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham ibn Ayyub al-Himyari al-Ma'afiri, Abu Muhammad, Jamal al-Din (d. 213 AH) Edited by: Mustafa al-Saqqa, Ibrahim al-Abyari, and Abd al-Hafiz al-Shalabi Publisher: Mustafa al-Babi al-Halabi and Sons Library and Printing Company, Egypt Edition: Second, 1375 AH - 1955 CE Number of volumes: 2 [Book numbering matches the printed edition]

1. al-Sira al-Nabawiyya : The traditional Muslim biography of the Prophet Muhammad, from which his life and teachings are derived.

Introduction to the Critical Edition [1]

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. [Volume One] Introduction [Editorial] Praise be to Allah for His abundant favors, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad and his family. To proceed: This is the book "The Biography of the Messenger of Allah" (peace be upon him), which Imam Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham al-Mu'afiri extracted from the book "Al-Sirah" by Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Muttalibi. It is the oldest and most authentic comprehensive biography ¹. (Al-Maghazi wa al-Siyar): When the terms "al-Maghazi" and "al-Siyar" are used absolutely, what is meant by them among Muslim historians is that first page of the history of the Arab nation: the page of jihad in establishing the edifice of Islam and gathering the Arabs under the banner of the Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), along with what is added to that of discourse about the Prophet's birth, mention of his forefathers, and events preceding his life that are connected to his affair and the lives of his Companions who struggled with him in establishing the religion and carried his message to the East and West. The emergence of the Muhammadan message is the greatest event in the history of the Arabs specifically, and of humanity generally: Because the lives of the Arabs, both leaders and commoners, during the time of the Messenger were for him and his religion. No assembly of them gathered or dispersed except concerning him, nor did they speak in their councils except about him, nor did their battalions and armies move except for him, until the ultimate outcome of his trial among them was their unification upon Islam and their abandonment of what they were in of ignorant Jahiliyyah ² and blind misguidance. Then this Arab nation, which the other nations had denied and people from around them had plundered, emerged into the arenas of life, fulfilling its mission in guiding humanity, establishing justice among people, and setting the highest example in loftiness of ambition, heroism, altruism, supporting truth, cooperating in righteousness and piety, and adhering to noble morals. This is a summary of what the biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the first generation of his Companions, who followed him in guidance and the religion of truth, contains. They preceded others in recording the pages of Arab glory and honor through what they immortalized of their deeds upon the face of time. Then some of the leaders who came after them were afflicted with envy and hatred, lack of mutual support and cooperation, so the paths became divided for the nation, and the regions scattered them. Thus, alongside that history, they had another history, and this history became divided as the nation split into states, each state having its own particular history in its new location and its connection with other states. (History among the Arabs): The Arabs before the mission of the Prophet (peace be upon him) had no material for history except what they inherited through oral transmission, from what was common among them of reports of the early Jahiliyyah ², such as their talk about their fathers and grandfathers, their genealogies, and what was in the lives of fathers and grandfathers of stories containing heroism, generosity, and loyalty. Then their talk about the House ³, Zamzam ⁴, and Jurhum ⁵, and what happened concerning them. Then what occurred regarding the houses that alternated in leadership over Quraysh, and what happened with the dam of Ma'rib ⁶, and what followed of the dispersal of people in the lands, and similar matters where memory stood in place of writing, and the tongue in place of the pen; people learned from it, memorized, and then transmitted. Then a new source appeared with the emergence of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his call: the hadiths of the Companions and the Successors about his birth (peace be upon him) and his life, and what this life was filled with of jihad in the path of Allah, clashes with the polytheists and those not on his religion, and the call to tawhid ⁷, and what was in it of the effect of tongues and swords. This and that were material for history first, and then for the biography second. Nothing was recorded in Arab history or biography until the days of the Caliphs had passed. Rather, nothing was recorded in this period except the Qur'an and the beginnings of grammar. We see that the Muslims were driven by their eagerness to preserve the Qur'an to write it down during the Prophet's life and after, just as they were driven by their fear of the spread of barbarism ⁸ in tongues to record grammar, when the Arabs mixed with others upon the expansion of the Islamic territory. (The Beginning of Authorship in Biography): When the days of Mu'awiyah came, he wanted a book to be written in history, so he summoned 'Ubayd ibn Shariyyah al-Jurhumi from San'a', and he wrote for him the book of kings and reports of the past. After this, we see more than one scholar turning to the science of history from its specific aspect, not the general one, which is the biography of the Messenger. Perhaps they found in recording what pertains to him (peace and blessings be upon him) something that fulfills what was in themselves of attachment to him and love for immortalizing his traces, after they had been prevented from recording his hadiths until the days of 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, for fear that hadith would mix with the Qur'an. So more than one man came, all of them muhaddithun ⁹, and they wrote books on biography. We mention among them: 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam, the jurist and muhaddith ⁹, whose lineage from his father al-Zubayr and his mother Asma' bint Abi Bakr enabled him to narrate many reports and hadiths about the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the life of early Islam. Suffice it for you to know that Ibn Ishaq, al-Waqidi, and al-Tabari took much from him, especially regarding the hijrah ¹⁰ to Abyssinia and Medina, and the battle of Badr. 'Urwah died, it is thought, in the year 92 AH. Then Aban ibn 'Uthman ibn 'Affan al-Madani, who died in 105 AH. He authored pages on biography in which he collected hadiths of the Messenger's life. Then Wahb ibn Munabbih al-Yamani, who died in 110 AH. In Heidelberg, Germany, there is a portion of his book that he authored on al-Maghazi. And many others besides these, some of whom passed away near the end of the first quarter of the second century, such as Shurahbil ibn Sa'd, who died in 123 AH, and Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, who died in 124 AH, and 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatadah, who died in 120 AH. And some of them exceeded that by years, such as 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Hazm, who died in 135 AH. These four were among those who concerned themselves with the reports of al-Maghazi and what relates to them. And among them are those who lived until they nearly reached the middle of the second century, or exceeded it slightly, such as Musa ibn 'Uqbah, who died in 141 AH, then Ma'mar ibn Rashid, who died in 150 AH, then the master of the men of biography, Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who died in 152 AH. After these came others, we mention among them: Ziyad al-Bakka'i, who died in 183 AH, and al-Waqidi, the author of al-Maghazi, who died in 207 AH, and Muhammad ibn Sa'd, the author of al-Tabaqat al-Kubra ¹¹, who died in 230 AH. Before death took Ibn Sa'd, it overtook Ibn Hisham in the year 218 AH. Ibn Hisham is the man to whom the biography of Ibn Ishaq ultimately came, so it became known through him and its mention spread through him. (The Science of Biography in Its Various Stages): Attention to authorship in biography has not ceased until our present day. However, the subject itself is not a matter based on experiments, or an idea that a proof establishes and another proof refutes, as is the case with scientific theories that we see scholars engaging with in a process of renewal and change over the years. Rather, it is a matter whose foundation is transmission and narration. Thus, those who worked on it first were muhaddithun ⁹ and transmitters. Then we saw those who came after them as collectors and categorizers. When what the earlier ones had collected was established for the later ones, the stage of criticism and commentary came, as Ibn Hisham did in the biography of Ibn Ishaq. So this heritage, in the hands of those who came after them, was something not susceptible to newness in its essence; every effort in it was in form and appearance, not touching the essence except to a certain extent. We have seen the authors in it to be of two types: a group that lived in the shadow of the books of the earlier ones, dealing with them through commentary, abridgment, or versification to facilitate their memorization. And a group that colored itself with the attribute of the innovative author, so they gathered before them the books of biography and produced from them a book that is outwardly theirs, but in reality is for more than one of those who preceded them. We mention from the second group: Ibn Faris ¹², the linguist who died in Rayy in 395 AH, and Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Yusuf al-Shafi'i al-Shami, who died in 600 AH, and Ibn Abi Tayy Yahya ibn Hamid, who died in 630 AH, and Zahir al-Din 'Ali ibn Muhammad Kazaruni, who died in 694 AH, and 'Ala' al-Din 'Ali ibn Muhammad al-Khilati al-Hanafi, who died in 708 AH, and Ibn Sayyid al-Nas ¹³ al-Basri al-Shafi'i, born in 661 AH and died in 734 AH, and Shihab al-Din al-Ru'ayni al-Gharnati ¹⁴, who died in 779 AH, and Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn 'Ali ibn Jabir al-Andalusi ¹⁵, who died in 780 AH. Then Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Salihi, the author of al-Sirah al-Shamiyyah ¹⁶, who died in 942 AH, and 'Ali ibn Burhan al-Din, the author of al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah ¹⁷, born in Egypt in 975 AH and died in 1044 AH, and others besides these; we limit ourselves to what we have mentioned.

We mention among the men of the first group: al-Suhaylī and Abū Dharr, both of whom commented on Ibn Hishām's Sīra; Quṭb al-Dīn ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Jamāʿīlī ¹⁸ (d. 735 AH), who commented on the Sīra of Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Yūsuf; Qāsim ibn Quṭlūbughā, who summarized the Sīra of Mughulṭāy ¹⁹; ʿIzz al-Dīn ibn ʿUmar al-Kinānī, who had an abridgment of it; and Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Aḥmad al-Masʿūdī (d. 911 AH in Medina). Among those who versified the Sīra and composed it in poetry are ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Aḥmad, known as Saʿd al-Dayrī (d. ca. 607 AH); Abū al-Ḥasan Fatḥ ibn Mūsā al-Qaṣrī (d. 668 AH); and Ibn al-Shahīd (d. 793 AH). [The Emergence of Mawlid Works] There is another type of composition on the Sīra, which is a kind of summary, but specifically summarizing a particular aspect of the Prophet: his birth and what pertains to this noble birth, the portents preceding it, his upbringing in childhood, the miracles associated with that childhood that occurred in connection with him (peace be upon him), then his life from youth until he reached the age when prophethood was entrusted to him and he undertook the burden of the message, and the good character and praiseworthy qualities he was naturally endowed with, and his avoidance of what young men of his time were accustomed to. This work—call it, if you will, a concise biography of the first part of the Prophet's life, and a brief glimpse of his history after the prophethood. Some people call it "al-Mawlid al-Nabawī" ²⁰, and it is of the kind that religious scholars prepare to deliver in the official annual season, year after year, in mosques or elsewhere. The treasury of compositions has abounded with this type, so much so that the treatises written on it are beyond counting. [Sīra and Criticism] Perhaps the view of the heritage of the predecessors, especially what pertains to the science of Sīra, a view containing much veneration, is what prevented these and those from adopting a stance toward this science that we have missed in all earlier authors, despite their different ranks. For we have not seen among them anyone who examined what the Sīra contains between its covers—reports that are far from the truth—and criticized them, pointing out their weak points. Perhaps those who dealt with the Sīra by summarizing and abridging, when they omitted some of these reports, omitted them because they did not believe in their authenticity, not merely to lighten the book. This is what this science has been deprived of in all its past periods until shortly before our own time, when we saw belief that the Sīra contains reports that have no connection to the truth, whether little or much, accompanied by boldness and then initiative; and we saw a new idea being pursued by renewed pens, whose authors take up one or two reports from the Sīra—those that were used as a point of criticism against us concerning the person of the Prophet (peace be upon him) or what pertains to him—and they purified them from what had clung to them that was not of them, and erected around them a fence of proofs and evidences, by which they became sound and became a proof against those who criticize him. An example of this is what the teacher, the Imām, Shaykh Muḥammad ʿAbduh did concerning the story of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his marriage to Zaynab bint Jaḥsh from Zayd ibn Ḥāritha, and then what happened regarding the Prophet's (peace be upon him) marriage to her after Zayd divorced her—something about which the critics spread rumors and indulged in much idle talk. Some of them dealt with the book in one or two stories, recasting them in a new style, presenting the report to people in a narrative form, departing from its chains of transmission and mention of its transmitters—that method which is the secret of the veneration of these reports in these books. Thus the meanings appeared in this new form as a body appears in a thin garment, hardly concealing anything. This new style, with its mockery of the flawed idea and the worthless report, creates in the reader a spirit of caution in accepting and receiving ideas. Some of them followed Ibn Isḥāq in his course, treating the Sīra as Ibn Isḥāq did, beginning with the birth of the Prophet and the events that preceded or coincided with it, then proceeding to mention the life of the Prophet until God took him to His proximity, transmitting from the reports what he saw as close to the truth, and omitting what did not accord with his idea and belief, refuting the claims of the critics and responding to the deniers. Thus his book became a Sīra of the Prophet, new in its style, pure of idle talk and nonsense. As we present to the people the Sīra of Ibn Hishām, we present it with what it contains of this and that, seeking only to place before scholars a correct text of the oldest comprehensive book on his Sīra and his campaigns. [Authors Who Combined Sīra and History] There are other authors who connected the Sīra of the Prophet with the events and reports that followed it, in the successive times and consecutive years, so that the Sīra of the Prophet in their books became something not intended for its own sake, but rather a link in the chain of general history, which some of them began from the beginning of existence, like Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, and another group began with the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him), like the Imām, the Ḥāfiẓ Abū Shujāʿ Shīrūyah, author of the book Riyāḍ al-Uns (d. 509 AH). [The Sīra of Ibn Isḥāq] (The Reason for Composing Ibn Isḥāq's Sīra) Ibn Isḥāq was among the prominent figures of the second century, possessing vast knowledge and abundant familiarity with the reports of the past. Fate decreed that Ibn Isḥāq should enter upon al-Manṣūr in Baghdad—and it is said in al-Ḥīra—with his son al-Mahdī before him. Al-Manṣūr said to him: "Do you know this one, O Ibn Isḥāq?" He said: "Yes, this is the son of the Commander of the Faithful." He said: "Go and compose for him a book from the time God created Adam (peace be upon him) until this day of yours." So Ibn Isḥāq went and composed this book for him. Al-Manṣūr said to him: "You have made it too long, O Ibn Isḥāq. Go and abridge it." So he abridged it, and placed the large book in the treasury of the Commander of the Faithful ²¹. But some scholars hold that Ibn Isḥāq did not compose his book by order of the caliph ²², nor in Baghdad or al-Ḥīra, but rather composed it in Medina before his stay with the Abbasids. They adduce as evidence that all those from whom he narrated were Medinans and Egyptians, none of them being from Iraq, and that Ibrāhīm ibn Saʿd, his Medinan student, narrated the book from him. Moreover, we see in the book events that the Abbasids would not have approved of, such as the participation of al-ʿAbbās with the disbelievers in the Battle of Badr and his capture by the Muslims—a report that Ibn Hishām later omitted out of fear of the Abbasids. It is evident from Ibn Hishām's Sīra and what al-Ṭabarī and others excerpted from Ibn Isḥāq's Sīra that it was originally divided into three parts: al-Mubtadaʾ ²³, al-Mabʿath ²⁴, and al-Maghāzī ²⁵. Al-Mubtadaʾ deals with pre-Islamic history and is divided into four sections: the first covers the history of previous revelations before Islam; the second, the history of Yemen in the pre-Islamic period; the third, the history of the Arab tribes and their worship; and the fourth, the history of Mecca and the ancestors of the Prophet (peace be upon him). In this part, Ibn Isḥāq rarely pays attention to the chains of transmission of his reports, drawing from myths and Isrāʾīliyyāt ²⁶. As for al-Mabʿath, it covers the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Mecca and the Hijra ²⁷. Here we see the author prefacing individual reports with a brief summary, and recording complete sets of lists: a list of those who embraced Islam among the Companions at the call of Abū Bakr, another of those who migrated to the land of Abyssinia, a third of those who returned from Abyssinia when they heard of the conversion of the people of Mecca, and others. He pays attention to the chronological order of events, and his concern for chains of transmission increases. As for al-Maghāzī, it covers the life of the Prophet in Medina. He proceeds by beginning a report with a brief summary of its contents, then follows it with a report from all the statements he took from his transmitters, then completes it with what he himself collected from various sources. Lists also abound, of the various campaigns. He is committed to presenting chains of transmission and chronological order. (Ibn Hishām's Impact on Ibn Isḥāq's Sīra) Then God ordained for this effort—the effort of Ibn Isḥāq—a man of importance, namely Ibn Hishām al-Muʿāfirī, who collected this Sīra and recorded it. He had a pen that did not cease to follow up much of what Ibn Isḥāq had presented with revision, abridgment, criticism, or mention of another narration that Ibn Isḥāq had missed, in addition to a supplement he added and reports he brought. The statement with which Ibn Hishām prefaced the book of the Sīra reveals to you Ibn Hishām's constitution and method. He said: "I, God willing, shall begin this book with the mention of Ismāʿīl ibn Ibrāhīm, and of those from his offspring from whom the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) was born, and their children, generation after generation, from Ismāʿīl to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), and what is related of their stories..."

And he omitted mentioning others among the descendants of Ishmael, in this manner for brevity, up to the account of the biography of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. And he omitted some of what Ibn Ishaq mentions in this book that has no mention of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, nor does any part of the Qur'an pertain to it, nor is it a cause for anything in this book, nor an explanation of it, nor a witness to it, due to the brevity I mentioned. And [he omitted] some poems that he mentioned, which I have not seen any scholar of poetry recognize, and some things that are objectionable in narration, and some that would upset some people to mention, and some that al-Bakka'i ²⁸ did not confirm to us as his narration. And he will be thorough, God willing, in what remains of it, to the extent of the narration and knowledge of it. So you see that he excluded from Ibn Ishaq's work the history of the prophets from Adam to Abraham, and other than this from the descendants of Ishmael, who are not in the prophetic lineage, just as he omitted from the reports what is objectionable and from the poetry what was not confirmed to him. Then he was thorough and added what he possessed of knowledge and sought guidance from reflection. Thus the Sira ²⁹ came as you see, known by it, attributed to him, until people almost forget with it its first author: Ibn Ishaq. (Al-Suhayli ³⁰ and other commentators of Ibn Hisham's Sira): Then came Abu al-Qasim 'Abd al-Rahman al-Suhayli, who died in the year 581 AH, and he attended to this book, treating it in a new manner and another path, and it is in the position of a commentary and gloss upon it. So he wrote his book "Al-Rawd al-Unuf" ³¹ in the shadow of the efforts of Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham, following them in what they reported with correction and verification, then with commentary and addition. So this work of his became another book on the Sira, in its size and the abundance of opinions it contained, testifying to its author's extensive knowledge and wide reading. And on the pattern of al-Suhayli's effort came—as is thought—the effort of Badr al-Din Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-'Ayni al-Hanafi, who wrote his book "Kashf al-Litham" ³² upon it, and he finished it in the year 805 AH. But we do not have a copy of this book to judge its author and learn his work. Then we should not forget the effort of Abu Dharr al-Khushani ³³, for he undertook the book, explaining its obscure words, and did not forget to present what errors it contained. So his work, along with al-Suhayli's, became complementary to a great effort that preceded them by Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham. (Abridgments and the Sira of Ibn Ishaq): After these, we have not seen a man of their knowledge who treated the book with something new in commentary and gloss; rather, we saw aspirations turning from this to abridgment. So Burhan al-Din Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Murahhil al-Shafi'i came and abridged the book of the Sira, adding some things to it, and arranged it into eighteen sessions. He named it "Al-Dhakhira fi Mukhtasar al-Sira" ³⁴. He finished it in the year 611 AH. Then after him came 'Imad al-Din Abu al-'Abbas Ahmad ibn Ibrahim ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Wasiti, who abridged it in a book he named "Mukhtasar Sirat Ibn Hisham" ³⁵, and he finished it—it is said—in the year 711 AH. (Those who versified the Sira of Ibn Ishaq): Then after these we saw a group of versifiers whose only concern was to pour it into a new mold, that is, poetry. So it was versified by Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-Damiri al-Dirini, who died around the year 607 AH, and Abu Nasr al-Fath ibn Musa ibn Muhammad Najm al-Din al-Maghribi al-Khadrawi, who died in the year 663 AH, as well as by Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Nabulsi, known as Ibn al-Shahid, who died in the year 793 AH. He named his book "Al-Fath al-Qarib" ³⁶. Then also by Abu Ishaq al-Ansari al-Tilimsani. This is the fortune of Ibn Ishaq's book: it was handled hand after hand, once by compilation and critique as you saw, another by commentary and detail, a third by abridgment, and a fourth by placing it in a new garment, that is, poetry. So Ibn Ishaq—in truth—is the pillar of the authors who worked on writing the Sira after him, to the extent that we can say: There is no book written on the Sira after Ibn Ishaq except that it is a ladle from his ocean. This is if we exclude one or two men like al-Waqidi and Ibn Sa'd. Ibn Ishaq [(His lineage):] He is Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar ibn Khiyar, and it is said: ibn Kuthan, Abu Bakr, and it is said: Abu 'Abd Allah, al-Madani al-Qurashi, the client of Qays ibn Makhrama ibn al-Muttalib ibn 'Abd Manaf. His grandfather Yasar was among the captives of 'Ayn al-Tamr, which is an ancient town near al-Anbar, west of Kufa, on the edge of the desert. It was conquered by the Muslims during the time of Abu Bakr in the year 12 AH, at the hands of Khalid ibn al-Walid. In the church of 'Ayn al-Tamr, Khalid ibn al-Walid found this grandfather of Ibn Ishaq among the boys who were held as pledges in the hands of Kisra ³⁷, and with him were the grandfather of 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Ishaq al-Hadrami the grammarian, and the grandfather of al-Kalbi the scholar. So Yasar was brought to Medina. [(His birth and death):] Ibn Ishaq was born in Medina, and history books suggest that his birth was in the year 85 AH. As for his death, the opinions are confined between the year 150 and 153, hardly exceeding these four years. [(His upbringing and life):] There is no doubt that Ibn Ishaq cast off the garment of his youth in Medina. The narrators tell us that he was a handsome young man, with an attractive face, Persian in appearance, with fine hair. And concerning his youth and frivolity—if what is said about him is true—is what Ibn al-Nadim related: that the governor of Medina was informed that Muhammad was flirting with women, so he ordered him to be brought and whipped with lashes, and forbade him from sitting in the back of the mosque. Ibn Ishaq left Medina and traveled to other places, moving through more than one city. We think that his journey to Alexandria—which was in the year 115 AH—was the first of his journeys that he began. In Alexandria, he narrated from a group of Egyptians, among them: 'Ubayd Allah ibn al-Mughira, Yazid ibn Habib, Thumama ibn Shufayy, 'Ubayd Allah ibn Abi Ja'far, al-Qasim ibn Qazman, and al-Sakan ibn Abi Karima. Ibn Ishaq was unique in narrating hadiths from them that no one else narrated from them. Then he traveled to Kufa, al-Jazira, al-Rayy, al-Hira, and Baghdad. In Baghdad—most likely—he settled down, met al-Mansur, and wrote the book of the Sira for his son al-Mahdi as we mentioned earlier. The narrators of Ibn Ishaq from these cities are more numerous than those who narrated from him among the people of Medina. In fact, it is known that no one from Medina narrated from him except Ibrahim ibn Sa'd. He lived in Baghdad until his death came to him there, and he was buried in the Khayzuran cemetery. (His rank and status): Indeed, the one who follows the reports of the narrators about Ibn Ishaq finds, alongside the excess in attacking him, an excess in praising him. So you find a great scholar like Imam Malik ibn Anas, and another like Hisham ibn 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, almost expelling him from the enclosure of hadith transmitters, the people of truthfulness and trustworthiness, and they spare no effort in accusing him of lying and deception. This is in addition to other accusations leveled at Ibn Ishaq, such as tadlis ³⁸, belief in qadar ³⁹, tashayyu' ⁴⁰, narrating from unreliable sources, composing poetry and inserting it into his book, and errors in genealogies. At the same time, you find more than one of the leading imams, such as Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, Shu'ba ibn al-Hajjaj, Sufyan al-Thawri, and Ziyad al-Bakka'i, who vouch for him and do not accuse him of any of this. In truth, the sum of those who attacked him was not free from bias, nor was it based on truth. For we know about Ibn Ishaq that he criticized the lineage of Malik ibn Anas and his knowledge, saying: "Bring me some of his books so that I may point out their defects; I am the veterinarian of his books." So Malik confronted him, and he too searched for his defects, calling him a "dajjal" ⁴¹. Thus there was this verbal war between them. Likewise, Hisham ibn 'Abd al-Malik was angered by Ibn Ishaq because he claimed to narrate from his wife, and in Hisham's opinion, narration must be accompanied by sight, and he was protective of his wife being seen by anyone. But Hisham overlooked that narration could be from behind a curtain, or that Ibn Ishaq might have heard from her as a child. Moreover, why should this bother Hisham, when the age of his wife at the time Ibn Ishaq could have heard from her was no less than fifty years? So she preceded him in existence by about 37 years. This, in addition to the fact that it was not strange in that era for a man to narrate from a woman. As for what Ibn Ishaq was accused of, such as tadlis and others, al-Khatib in his book "Tarikh Baghdad" and Ibn Sayyid al-Nas in his book "'Uyun al-Athar" devoted two chapters in which they presented a refutation of all the criticisms directed at him. We summarize from them what follows: As for what he was accused of, such as tadlis, qadar, and tashayyu', these do not necessitate rejecting his narration, nor do they cause significant weakness in it. As for tadlis, some of it is harmful and some is not, and what occurred here of absolute tadlis should not be interpreted as the restricted tadlis that harms credibility. Similarly, qadar and tashayyu' do not necessitate rejection unless accompanied by another factor, which we do not find here.

Then they proceeded to refute the objections of the critics one by one, such as the statement of Makki ibn Ibrahim that he abandoned the hadith of Ibn Ishaq and did not return to it, and the statement of Yazid ibn Harun that he narrated to the people of Medina about some people, but when he narrated from him (meaning Ibn Ishaq) they refrained. And the statement of Ibn Numayr that he narrated false hadiths from unknown narrators, and many other objections besides these, of which we suffice with what we have mentioned, and we will follow it with what has been said in refutation. For the discourse on this matter is similar, and excessive repetition is tiresome. The most we can say about the man is that the judgment in his favor is more preponderant than the judgment against him. They said: As for the statement of Makki ibn Ibrahim that he abandoned his hadith and did not return to it, this was explained by the fact that he heard him narrating hadiths about the attributes ⁴² and was repelled by them. But there is no great matter in that, for a group of the Salaf ⁴³ permitted the narration of problematic ⁴⁴ content of that kind, and there is no need for its interpretation, especially if the hadith contains a ruling or another matter. And such hadiths may be of this category. As for the report from Yazid ibn Harun that he narrated to the people of Medina about some people, but when he narrated from him they refrained, there is no mention of the reason for their refraining. And when it is not mentioned, nothing remains but conjecture, and we are not allowed to oppose established reliability ⁴⁵ with what we might suspect as a defect ⁴⁶. As for the statement of Ibn Numayr that he narrated false hadiths from unknown narrators, if his authentication ⁴⁷ and declaration of reliability ⁴⁸ had not been transmitted, the matter would be uncertain regarding the accusation against him and against those from whom he transmitted them. But with authentication and declaration of reliability, the burden falls on the unknown narrators referred to, not on him. There remains one issue: the accusation that Ibn Ishaq had poems composed for him, brought to him, and he was asked to include them in his book on the Sira ⁴⁹, and he did so. In truth, this is a point of criticism against Ibn Ishaq; if not in the method of transmission and reception, then it is a defect in the extent of his knowledge of poetry, and that he accepted poems, both good and bad, false and authentic. If Ibn Ishaq had applied his taste and taken a critical stance toward these poems, he would have purified his book of poems that are most likely fabricated, and he would have saved himself from a damaging defect that the book records against him over the years. Since we have reached this point in the life of Ibn Ishaq, we find nothing better to conclude this article than the statement of Ibn 'Adi, who said: 'If Ibn Ishaq had no merit other than that he diverted kings from occupying themselves with books that yield nothing to occupying themselves with the Maghazi ⁵⁰ of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and his mission, and the beginning of creation, this would be a merit by which Ibn Ishaq preceded others. I have examined his many hadiths and found nothing that could be definitively considered weak. He may have erred and been accused in one thing or another, as others err. The trustworthy and the imams did not refrain from narrating from him. Muslim included him in the Book of Transactions, al-Bukhari cited him as a witness in several places, and Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah narrated from him.' Ibn Hisham [His Lineage]: He is Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham ibn Ayyub al-Himyari. Some genealogies trace him to Ma'afir ibn Ya'fur, a large tribe, a great number of whom migrated to Egypt. Others trace him to Dhuhl, and still others to Sadus. You will hardly find a definitive opinion on this. Such is the case with every man claimed by more than one country, who did not live where his household was established and his family settled, and whose family, moreover, was not of such noble lineage that people would be keen to preserve and transmit it. [His Upbringing]: Ibn Hisham grew up in Basra, then settled in Egypt. Thus the narrators tell us about him, and they do not mention a life for him in any other two cities. But we think that Ibn Hisham's life was not confined to these two cities, especially in an era when knowledge was acquired through hearing ⁵¹ and travel in its pursuit was the practice of scholars. [His Birth and Death]: The statement about Ibn Hisham's death is not definitive. While one group holds that his death was in 218 AH, another group tells you that his death was in 213 AH. If this is the case with his death, what about the birth of a man who migrated, most likely passing through other lands before settling in Egypt? For this reason, the birth of Ibn Hisham remained a secret hidden in the bosom of time. [His Status]: He was, may God have mercy on him, an imam in grammar, language, and Arabic philology. Al-Dhahabi and Ibn Kathir relate that when he came to Egypt, al-Shafi'i met him and they recited many poems of the Arabs to each other. It is strange to hear this, knowing that when Ibn Hisham transmits poems from Ibn Ishaq in this book that are clearly fabricated and corrupt, he cannot give a definitive opinion and says: 'Thus the people of knowledge of poetry narrated to us,' transmitting from them, without applying a refined taste acquired from such proficiency in poetry. [His Works]: Ibn Hisham has more than one work in more than one field. Besides his work on the Sira of Ibn Ishaq, he has: 'Sharh ma waqa'a fi Ash'ar al-Sira min al-Gharib' ⁵², and 'Kitab al-Tijan li Ma'rifat Muluk al-Zaman' ⁵³, which has been recently printed. This is our word about him. We have already given another word about him during the discussion of the Sira, that he was the man of the Sira to whom the Sira of Ibn Ishaq ultimately came, and his name became dominant over it, so it became known by him, and that his merit in it was no less than the merit of Ibn Ishaq. Al-Suhayli [His Name and Title]: He is 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Asbagh ibn al-Husayn ibn Sa'dun ibn Ridwan ibn Futuh, the imam, the scholar, Abu al-Qasim, and Abu Zayd, and it is said: Abu al-Hasan, son of the khatib ⁵⁴ Abu Muhammad, son of the khatib Abu 'Amr, son of Abu al-Hasan al-Khath'ami al-Suhayli al-Andalusi al-Malaqi. [His Homeland and the Lands He Traveled To]: Suhayl, to which 'Abd al-Rahman is attributed, is a valley in Andalusia in the district of Malaga, containing villages. In one of these villages 'Abd al-Rahman was born ⁵⁵. He lived in Andalusia for a long time, drinking from the seas of knowledge as much as he did, and acquiring as much knowledge as he could. He attained a high status, and people came to him seeking knowledge. His fame spread to Marrakesh, and its governor summoned him, treated him well, and favored him. He appointed him as chief judge ⁵⁶, and his conduct was good. Al-Suhayli stayed in Marrakesh for three years, then his death came to him there. [His Birth and Death]: The sources tell us that the year in which Abu al-Qasim was born was 508 AH, and they also tell us that he died in 581 AH. Ibn al-'Imad al-Hanbali mentions in his book 'Shadharat al-Dhahab' ⁵⁷ that Abu al-Qasim was among those who died in 581, and he also mentions that his death was in Sha'ban of that year, and that he lived seventy-two years. [His Works, Knowledge, and Character]: The most famous of al-Suhayli's works is his book 'al-Rawd al-Unuf' ⁵⁸. Al-Safadi said in 'Nukat al-Himyan' ⁵⁹: 'It is a magnificent book in which he excelled as he wished, and he mentioned at its beginning that he extracted it from over one hundred and twenty diwans ⁶⁰.' He also wrote 'Kitab al-Ta'rif wa al-I'lam bima fi al-Qur'an min al-Asma' al-A'lam' ⁶¹, 'Kitab Nata'ij al-Nazar' ⁶², 'Mas'alat Ru'yat Allah 'Azza wa Jalla wa Ru'yat al-Nabi Salla Allah 'Alayhi wa Sallam fi al-Manam' ⁶³, 'Mas'alat al-Sirr fi 'Uwar al-Dajjal' ⁶⁴, 'Sharh Ayat al-Wasiyya' ⁶⁵, 'Sharh al-Jumal' ⁶⁶ (unfinished), and many other works that biographers have merely indicated without naming. We have only 'al-Rawd al-Unuf' by al-Suhayli, which he composed in Malaga before his journey to Marrakesh, as he began dictating it in Muharram of the year 569 AH, and finished it in Jumada al-Ula of that year. This book alone suffices for al-Suhayli, for in it he demonstrated extensive knowledge, abundant erudition in various fields, and mastery in many types of sciences. He was in it a historian, a linguist, a literary scholar, a grammarian, a traditionist, and a scholar of qira'at ⁶⁷. Moreover, al-Suhayli was a poet. His famous verses on relief ⁶⁸ are attributed to him: Ibn Dihya said about al-Suhayli: 'He recited them to me and said: No one asks God by them for a need except that He grants it to him.' They are: O He who sees what is in the heart and hears, You are the preparer for all that is awaited. O He who is hoped for in all hardships, O He to whom is the complaint and the refuge. O He whose treasures of provision are in the word 'Be', Bestow, for all good is with You. I have no recourse but to knock at Your door; if You turn me away, which door shall I knock? I have no means but my poverty before You; by poverty before You I ward off my poverty. Who is there that I call and invoke by name, if Your favor withholds from Your poor? Far be it from Your majesty to disappoint a sinner; grace is more abundant and gifts are more ample. He has many other poems besides these, as mentioned by Ibn al-'Imad, but he only gave us his verses on relief. Al-Safadi in 'Nukat al-Himyan' and al-Maqqari in 'Nafh al-Tib' ⁶⁹ mentioned some of his fragments.

A single glance at the works of al-Suhaylī ⁷⁰ is enough to give you an idea of his moral character, and that a man who lived for religion, dedicating his life to it—between studying it and writing about it—is worthy of being known among people for righteousness and renowned for piety and God-consciousness. Such was al-Suhaylī. Moreover, he was chaste and content, satisfied with sufficiency. It is known about him that he was of the Mālikī school ⁷¹, and that he was blind, having lost his sight at the age of seventeen. He studied the various readings of the Qur’ān ⁷² under a group of scholars, and narrated from Abū Bakr ibn al-‘Arabī ⁷³ and the leading scholars of al-Andalus in his time. He studied language and literature under Ibn al-Ṭarāwa ⁷⁴ and debated with him on the book of Sībawayh ⁷⁵. Abū Dharr al-Khushanī ⁷⁶ [His Lineage:] He is Muṣ‘ab ibn Muḥammad ibn Mas‘ūd ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Mas‘ūd al-Jayyānī al-Khushanī, also known as Ibn Abī al-Rukb. Al-Jayyānī: a relative attribution to a large district in al-Andalus, encompassing many villages, adjoining the district of Ilbīra, inclining from it toward the interior, east of Cordoba, with a distance of seventeen parasangs ⁷⁷ between them and Cordoba. Al-Khushanī: a relative attribution to Khushayn, like Quraysh, a village in al-Andalus, and a tribe of Quḍā‘a, namely Khushayn ibn al-Namir ibn Wabra ibn Taghlib ⁷⁸. It is known that Abū Dharr remained in Jayyān until he grew up, having heard from his father and taken from him, and that he did not leave Jayyān until after his father moved to Granada at the end of his life, and that his age at that time was that of a boy—if he reached ten, he would not exceed it by much—for the period between Abū Dharr’s birth and his father’s death was approximately eleven years. Then he traveled to Fes to hear from Abū ‘Ubayd Allāh al-Numayrī ⁷⁹, Abū al-Ḥasan ibn Ḥusayn, and Abū ‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Rumāma. Then to Tlemcen to hear from Abū al-Qāsim ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Yaḥyā ibn al-Ḥasan al-Qurashī and Abū Marwān ‘Ubayd Allāh ibn Hishām al-Ḥaḍramī. Then to Béjaïa to hear from Abū Bakr ibn Rizq, Abū al-‘Abbās al-Kharrūbī, Abū Isḥāq ibn Malkūn, and Abū Muḥammad ‘Abd al-Ḥaqq ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān al-Ishbīlī. It appears that his journeys to these three lands were in the order we have presented; no preference for this is established with us, except that Ibn al-Abbār ⁸⁰ thus presented them arranged in this manner when discussing Abū Dharr’s teachers, beginning with Fes, then Tlemcen, and concluding with Béjaïa. Whether this or otherwise, we know that Abū Dharr resided in these three lands. Then after that he settled in Seville, not as a listener, but as a khaṭīb ⁸¹ of its mosque, and remained there for a time. Alongside the khaṭāba ⁸², he taught Arabic, and many students sought him out. Then he left Seville for Jayyān after having been absent for this long period, and he was appointed its judge and sat there to adjudicate among people and decide their disputes. Then he yearned for Fes a second time, so he left Jayyān for it and settled there, becoming the leading authority in Arabic and ḥadīth ⁸³, with people learning from him until his death came to him there. [His Status, Works, and Something About Him:] Perhaps, having told you about Abū Dharr’s teachers from whom he heard—all of whom were among the eminent scholars—and his journey to them, you have recognized the ambition of this soul for more knowledge and mastery in it, and that its owner was not satisfied with little. And when you know the positions that Abū Dharr held after his early life—the life of study and acquisition—you will realize with us that he attained such a level of knowledge that elevated him to first being appointed khaṭīb of the Great Mosque of Seville, then judge of Jayyān, and then to his final seat in Fes, enjoying widespread fame and extensive renown. Indeed, the biographers described him, among other things, as the author of works that traveled with caravans ⁸⁴. Such a description is not too much for Abū Dharr, but we have only found his published book on the explanation of obscure terms in the Sīra ⁸⁵ of Ibn Isḥāq ⁸⁶, which Ibn Fartūn ⁸⁷ heard from him, another book on prosody mentioned by Ibn al-Abbār without naming it, and a third book mentioned by al-Suyūṭī ⁸⁸ in al-Bughya ⁸⁹ during his discussion of Abū Dharr, where he said: "... it is repeated in Jam‘ al-Jawāmi‘ ⁹⁰ from his works: al-Imlā’ ‘alā Sīrat Ibn Hishām ⁹¹." This is all we know about Abū Dharr’s works, except that we do not forget that he was the standard-bearer of Arabic in al-Andalus, that he was knowledgeable in literature and languages, and that he was one of those who composed poetry and was a critic of it, as he was unrestrained in his knowledge of Arab history, their days, their poetry, and their languages, excelling in all that, and that there was no one in his time more precise than him, nor more proficient in all sciences, in memory and writing. As for the character of Abū Dharr, the Mālikī in school, he was dignified and solemn, possessing virtue, religion, and chivalry, very modest, dignified in his gatherings, known for his guidance following the path of the Salaf ⁹². It is related that he prevented his students from being expansive in their questions and restricted them to what he imparted to them—something not done by anyone of his time—out of awe and fear of him. [His Birth and Death:] The orientalist Paulus Brönnle ⁹³ mentions that Abū Dharr was born in 533 AH—that is, eleven years before his father’s death, since his father died in 544 AH—and that Abū Dharr’s death was in 604 AH. Ibn al-Abbār agrees with him on the year of Abū Dharr’s death, adding that it occurred on the morning of Monday, the 11th of Shawwāl, and that he was buried after the afternoon prayer on the same day on the bank of the Qarawiyyīn ⁹⁴ in Fes. As for his birth, Ibn al-Abbār says: "... and his birth was in the year five, and it is said in the year three and thirty and five hundred [535 AH], and the first is more correct." We incline toward Ibn al-Abbār’s statement regarding Abū Dharr’s birth, for Ibn al-‘Imād ⁹⁵ mentioned that Abū Dharr died at the age of seventy. If this is correct and it is established with us that Abū Dharr—as Ibn al-Abbār said—died in Shawwāl of 604 AH, then what Ibn al-Abbār held regarding Abū Dharr’s birth being in 535 AH is closer to correctness. Our Work on the Sīra Here is the book of the Sīra before the readers in its new garb, telling of the effort we have expended in its production. Our primary concern was to collate the Egyptian edition in our hands with all other copies, whether manuscript or printed. We have used the following letters to refer to these copies: A: for the edition printed in Göttingen, Germany, in 1276 AH / 1862 CE. Its publisher, the eminent orientalist Wüstenfeld ⁹⁶, relied on the manuscript copy of al-Suhaylī, which he took from his teacher Abū Bakr ibn al-‘Arabī al-Ishbīlī. B: for the edition printed in Būlāq in 1259 AH. T: for a manuscript copy in the Taymūriyya Library ⁹⁷, of which the first part exists, missing some folios at the beginning, and ending with the poetry of ‘Uthmān ibn Maẓ‘ūn ⁹⁸ in reproaching Umayya ibn Khalaf ⁹⁹. R: for the edition printed in the margin of al-Rawḍ al-Unuf ¹⁰⁰ in the Jamāliyya Press in Egypt in 1332 AH / 1914 CE. Ṭ: for the manuscript copy in the handwriting of al-Qāsim ibn Zayd al-Mutawakkil ‘alā Allāh Ismā‘īl ibn al-Qāsim, which was completed in 1144 AH, preserved in Dār al-Kutub ¹⁰¹. ‘A: for the manuscript copy in the handwriting of Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān al-Shāfi‘ī al-Dimashqī, who died in 749 AH. It is missing from the beginning and middle. Its first part is from the section on the names of those who attended the Second Pledge of al-‘Aqaba ¹⁰², and it is preserved in Dār al-Kutub. M: for the edition printed in Egypt in the Khayriyya Press in 1329 AH. N: for a manuscript copy whose scribe and year of writing are unknown, of which only the first and second parts exist, ending with the end of the poems said in the Battle of Uḥud ¹⁰³, preserved in Dār al-Kutub. Then we sought help in clarifying obscure passages and explaining ambiguous points from books that dealt with the Sīra in this manner, such as al-Rawḍ al-Unuf by al-Suhaylī and the commentary on the Sīra by Abū Dharr al-Khushanī. In many places where we lacked our desired information in these two references, we turned to the references we have indicated in the footnotes of the book. We provided biographies of the notable figures mentioned, and we followed them with correction and diacritical marking. What remained after that was the division of the book into chapters under the headings we have established. When we saw that most copies had omitted many of them, while the European copy had overdone it, we adopted a middle path, taking headings that could distinguish an independent chapter from others, and excluding those that did not align with this idea. We placed the headings in small letters within parentheses above each new idea, to aid us in preparing the detailed general index that we appended to the book. Here we are, after having exerted our utmost effort in the Sīra, presenting the second edition in this elegant form, hoping to be closer to success and nearer to correctness. Muṣṭafā al-Saqqā / Ibrāhīm al-Abyārī / ‘Abd al-Ḥafīẓ Shalabī

1. sirah : Biography of the Prophet Muhammad, encompassing his life, teachings, and military campaigns.
2. Jahiliyyah : The period of ignorance before Islam, characterized by polytheism and moral corruption.
3. al-Bayt : The Kaaba in Mecca, the sacred house of worship built by Abraham and Ishmael.
4. Zamzam : The sacred well in Mecca, believed to have sprung forth for Hagar and Ishmael.
5. Jurhum : An ancient Arab tribe that settled in Mecca and controlled the Kaaba before Quraysh.
6. dam of Ma'rib : A great dam in Yemen, whose collapse led to the dispersal of tribes.
7. tawhid : The oneness of God; the core Islamic belief in the absolute unity of Allah.
8. barbarism : Refers to non-Arabic speech or linguistic corruption due to foreign influence.
9. muhaddithun : Scholars specializing in the study and transmission of hadith (prophetic traditions).
10. hijrah : The emigration of the Prophet and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE.
11. al-Tabaqat al-Kubra : The major biographical dictionary by Ibn Sa'd, categorizing early Muslims by generation.
12. Ibn Faris : Abu al-Husayn Ahmad ibn Faris, a renowned lexicographer and philologist.
13. Ibn Sayyid al-Nas : Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Sayyid al-Nas, a scholar known for his commentary on the Sirah.
14. Shihab al-Din al-Ru'ayni al-Gharnati : A scholar from Granada, author of a biographical work.
15. Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn 'Ali ibn Jabir al-Andalusi : An Andalusian scholar and author of a biographical work.
16. al-Sirah al-Shamiyyah : A comprehensive biography of the Prophet by Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Salihi.
17. al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah : A famous biography of the Prophet by 'Ali ibn Burhan al-Din al-Halabi.
18. al-Jamāʿīlī : A nisba referring to Jamāʿīl, a place in Egypt or Syria; the scholar is known as Quṭb al-Dīn ʿAbd al-Karīm al-Jamāʿīlī.
19. Mughulṭāy : A prominent Ḥanafī scholar and historian (d. 762/1361), known for his works on ḥadīth and sīra.
20. al-Mawlid al-Nabawī : Literally 'the Prophetic birth'; a genre of literature focusing on the birth of the Prophet Muḥammad, often recited or composed for Mawlid celebrations.
21. Commander of the Faithful : Title of the caliph, here referring to al-Manṣūr.
22. caliph : The Islamic ruler; here al-Manṣūr, the second Abbasid caliph.
23. al-Mubtadaʾ : The beginning; the first part of Ibn Isḥāq's work covering pre-Islamic history from creation to the advent of Islam.
24. al-Mabʿath : The mission; the second part covering the Prophet's life from the beginning of his prophethood in Mecca until the Hijra.
25. al-Maghāzī : The military expeditions; the third part covering the Prophet's campaigns and life in Medina.
26. Isrāʾīliyyāt : Reports and stories derived from Jewish sources, often incorporated into early Islamic historical and exegetical works.
27. Hijra : The emigration of the Prophet Muḥammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, marking the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
28. al-Bakka'i : Ziyad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Bakka'i, a narrator and transmitter of Ibn Ishaq's Sira.
29. Sira : Biography of the Prophet Muhammad.
30. Al-Suhayli : Abu al-Qasim 'Abd al-Rahman al-Suhayli (d. 581 AH), a scholar known for his commentary on Ibn Hisham's Sira.
31. Al-Rawd al-Unuf : Title of al-Suhayli's commentary on Ibn Hisham's Sira, meaning 'The Fragrant Garden'.
32. Kashf al-Litham : Title of al-'Ayni's commentary, meaning 'Unveiling the Cover'.
33. Abu Dharr al-Khushani : A scholar who wrote a commentary on Ibn Hisham's Sira, focusing on obscure words and errors.
34. Al-Dhakhira fi Mukhtasar al-Sira : Title of an abridgment of the Sira, meaning 'The Treasure in the Abridgment of the Sira'.
35. Mukhtasar Sirat Ibn Hisham : An abridgment of Ibn Hisham's Sira by al-Wasiti.
36. Al-Fath al-Qarib : Title of a versified Sira by Ibn al-Shahid, meaning 'The Near Victory'.
37. Kisra : Title of the Sasanian Persian kings.
38. tadlis : Concealing defects in hadith transmission, such as omitting a weak link.
39. qadar : Belief in predestination; often associated with the Qadariyya sect.
40. tashayyu' : Pro-Shi'a inclinations or bias.
41. dajjal : A term meaning 'deceiver' or 'impostor', often used as a strong insult.
42. ṣifāt : Attributes of God, often referring to anthropomorphic descriptions in hadith.
43. Salaf : The early generations of Muslims, including the Companions and their successors.
44. mushkil : Problematic or ambiguous texts that require interpretation.
45. ʿadāla : Moral integrity and reliability of a narrator in hadith criticism.
46. jarḥ : A defect or criticism that impairs a narrator's credibility.
47. tawthīq : Authentication of a narrator as trustworthy.
48. taʿdīl : Declaration of a narrator's reliability and integrity.
49. Sīra : Biography of the Prophet Muhammad, especially his military expeditions.
50. Maghāzī : The military campaigns of the Prophet Muhammad.
51. samāʿ : Oral transmission of knowledge through hearing from a teacher.
52. Sharḥ mā waqaʿa fī Ashʿār al-Sīra min al-Gharīb : Explanation of obscure words in the poems of the Sira.
53. Kitāb al-Tījān li Maʿrifat Mulūk al-Zamān : Book of Crowns on the Knowledge of the Kings of Time.
54. khaṭīb : A preacher or orator who delivers the Friday sermon.
55. 12 : The number 12 in the original text likely refers to a footnote or source.
56. qaḍāʾ al-jamāʿa : Chief judgeship or supreme judicial authority.
57. Shadharāt al-Dhahab : Gold Nuggets, a biographical dictionary by Ibn al-ʿImād.
58. al-Rawḍ al-Unuf : The Fragrant Garden, a commentary on the Sira of Ibn Hisham.
59. Nukat al-Himyān : Anecdotes of the Girdle, a work by al-Ṣafadī.
60. dīwān : A collection of poems, often by a single poet.
61. Kitāb al-Taʿrīf wa al-Iʿlām bimā fī al-Qurʾān min al-Asmāʾ al-Aʿlām : Book of Definition and Notification of Proper Names in the Quran.
62. Kitāb Nataʾij al-Naẓar : Book of the Results of Reflection.
63. Masʾalat Ruʾyat Allāh ʿAzza wa Jalla wa Ruʾyat al-Nabī Ṣallā Allāh ʿAlayhi wa Sallam fī al-Manām : The Issue of Seeing God and Seeing the Prophet in Dreams.
64. Masʾalat al-Sirr fī ʿUwar al-Dajjāl : The Issue of the Secret in the One-Eyedness of the Antichrist.
65. Sharḥ Āyat al-Waṣiyya : Commentary on the Verse of Bequest (Quran 2:180).
66. Sharḥ al-Jumal : Commentary on the Sentences, a grammatical work.
67. qirāʾāt : The various canonical readings of the Quran.
68. al-faraj : Relief from distress or hardship.
69. Nafḥ al-Ṭīb : The Breath of Perfume, a work by al-Maqqarī.
70. al-Suhaylī : Abū al-Qāsim ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Suhaylī (d. 581/1185), a renowned Andalusian scholar of Qur’ān, ḥadīth, and sīra, known for his work al-Rawḍ al-Unuf.
71. Mālikī school : One of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence, founded by Mālik ibn Anas (d. 179/795), prevalent in North Africa and al-Andalus.
72. various readings of the Qur’ān : The different canonical methods of reciting the Qur’ān, traced back to the Prophet Muḥammad, known as qirā’āt.
73. Abū Bakr ibn al-‘Arabī : Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn al-‘Arabī al-Ma‘āfirī (d. 543/1148), a prominent Andalusian scholar of ḥadīth and law.
74. Ibn al-Ṭarāwa : Abū al-Ḥasan ‘Alī ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Ṭarāwa (d. 528/1134), a famous Andalusian grammarian.
75. Sībawayh : ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthmān Sībawayh (d. 180/796), the founder of Arabic grammar, author of al-Kitāb.
76. Abū Dharr al-Khushanī : Muṣ‘ab ibn Muḥammad al-Khushanī (d. 604/1208), an Andalusian scholar of Arabic, ḥadīth, and sīra, known for his commentary on Ibn Hishām’s Sīra.
77. parasangs : A unit of distance, approximately 3-4 miles, used in medieval Islamic geography.
78. Khushayn ibn al-Namir ibn Wabra ibn Taghlib : A genealogical chain indicating the tribal affiliation of al-Khushanī.
79. Abū ‘Ubayd Allāh al-Numayrī : A scholar from Fes, from whom Abū Dharr heard ḥadīth.
80. Ibn al-Abbār : Abū ‘Abd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn al-Abbār (d. 658/1260), an Andalusian historian and biographer.
81. khaṭīb : The person who delivers the Friday sermon (khuṭba) in a mosque.
82. khaṭāba : The office or function of a khaṭīb.
83. ḥadīth : The sayings, actions, and approvals of the Prophet Muḥammad, forming a primary source of Islamic law and theology.
84. traveled with caravans : A metaphor indicating that his works were widely circulated and famous.
85. Sīra : The biography of the Prophet Muḥammad, often referring to the work of Ibn Isḥāq as edited by Ibn Hishām.
86. Ibn Isḥāq : Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq (d. 150/767), the earliest biographer of the Prophet Muḥammad, author of al-Sīra al-Nabawiyya.
87. Ibn Fartūn : A student of Abū Dharr who heard the commentary on the Sīra from him.
88. al-Suyūṭī : Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī (d. 911/1505), a prolific Egyptian scholar of many disciplines.
89. al-Bughya : Al-Suyūṭī’s biographical dictionary Bughyat al-Wu‘āt fī Ṭabaqāt al-Lughawiyyīn wa al-Nuḥāt.
90. Jam‘ al-Jawāmi‘ : A comprehensive work by al-Suyūṭī on principles of Islamic jurisprudence.
91. al-Imlā’ ‘alā Sīrat Ibn Hishām : Abū Dharr’s commentary on Ibn Hishām’s Sīra, also known as Sharḥ al-Sīra.
92. Salaf : The early generations of Muslims, including the Companions and their successors, considered exemplary in piety and practice.
93. Paulus Brönnle : A German orientalist (d. 1931) who studied Islamic history and sīra.
94. Qarawiyyīn : The Qarawiyyīn Mosque and University in Fes, a major center of learning.
95. Ibn al-‘Imād : ‘Abd al-Ḥayy ibn Aḥmad ibn al-‘Imād (d. 1089/1679), a Hanbalī historian and biographer.
96. Wüstenfeld : Heinrich Ferdinand Wüstenfeld (d. 1899), a German orientalist who edited many Arabic texts.
97. Taymūriyya Library : A library in Cairo founded by Aḥmad Taymūr Pasha, containing many manuscripts.
98. ‘Uthmān ibn Maẓ‘ūn : A Companion of the Prophet Muḥammad, known for his piety and asceticism.
99. Umayya ibn Khalaf : A leading Qurayshite opponent of the Prophet Muḥammad, killed at Badr.
100. al-Rawḍ al-Unuf : A commentary by al-Suhaylī on Ibn Hishām’s Sīra.
101. Dār al-Kutub : The Egyptian National Library and Archives in Cairo.
102. Second Pledge of al-‘Aqaba : A pledge of allegiance made by the Medinan converts to the Prophet Muḥammad before the Hijra, committing to protect him.
103. Battle of Uḥud : A battle in 3/625 between the early Muslims and the Quraysh of Mecca, resulting in a Muslim setback.

The narration of the pure lineage from Muhammad, may God bless him and his family and grant them peace, to Adam, peace be upon him.

The mention of the pure lineage from Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to Adam, peace be upon him. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and His blessings be upon our master Muhammad and all his family. Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham ¹ said: This is the book of the biography of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said: Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib—and the name of 'Abd al-Muttalib is Shayba ² ibn Hashim, and the name of Hashim is 'Amr ibn 'Abd Manaf, and the name of 'Abd Manaf is al-Mughira ibn Qusayy, (and the name of Qusayy is Zayd) ¹ ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ³ ibn Malik ibn al-Nadr ⁴ ibn Kinana ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika—and the name of Mudrika is 'Amir ⁵ ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma'add ibn 'Adnan ⁶ ibn (Udd, and it is said) ⁷: Udad ⁸ ibn Muqawwim ⁹ ibn Nahur ibn Tayrah ibn Ya'rub ibn Yashjub ibn Nabt ¹⁰ ibn Isma'il ibn Ibrahim—the Friend of the Merciful—ibn Tarikh ¹¹, who is Azar ¹² ibn Nahur ibn Sarugh ¹³ ibn Ra'u ¹⁴ ibn Falakh ¹⁵ ibn 'Aybar ¹⁶ ibn Shalakh ¹⁷ ibn Arfakhshad ¹⁸ ibn Sam ibn Nuh ibn Lamk ¹⁹ ibn Mutawashlikh ²⁰ ibn Akhnukh, who is Idris the Prophet—as they claim, and Allah knows best, and he was the first of the children of Adam to be given prophethood and to write with the pen—ibn Yard ibn Mahlayil ²¹ ibn Qaynan ²² ibn Yanish ibn Shith ibn Adam, peace be upon him. Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham said: Ziyad ²³ ibn 'Abd Allah al-Bakka'i narrated to us from Muhammad ibn Ishaq ²⁴ al-Muttalibi this lineage of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to Adam, peace be upon him, and what it contains of the account of Idris and others. Ibn Hisham said: And Khallad ibn Qurra ibn Khalid al-Sadusi narrated to me from Shayban ibn Zuhayr ibn Shaqiq ibn Thawr from Qatada ibn Di'ama that he said: Isma'il ibn Ibrahim—the Friend of the Merciful—ibn Tarikh, who is Azar ibn Nahur ibn Asragh ²⁵ ibn Arghu ibn Falakh ibn 'Abir ibn Shalakh ibn Arfakhshad ²⁶ ibn Sam ibn Nuh ibn Lamk ibn Mattushalakh ibn Akhnukh ibn Yard ibn Mahlayil ibn Qayin ²⁷ ibn Anush ibn Shith ibn Adam, peace be upon him. (Ibn Hisham's Method in This Book): Ibn Hisham said: And I, Allah willing, will begin this book with the mention of Isma'il ibn Ibrahim, and those of his descendants who gave birth to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and their children in direct lineage, the first then the first, from Isma'il to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and what appears of their accounts, and I will omit the mention of others from the descendants of Isma'il, in this manner for brevity, until the account of the biography of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and I will omit some of what Ibn Ishaq mentioned in this book, which contains no mention of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, nor any revelation of the Qur'an concerning it, nor is it a cause for anything in this book, nor an explanation of it, nor a witness to it, due to the brevity I mentioned, and some poems he mentioned which I have not seen any scholar of poetry recognize, and some things some of which are objectionable in narration, and some whose mention displeases some people, and some which al-Bakka'i did not confirm to us as his narration, and I will fully cover, Allah willing, what is other than that from it, to the extent of the narration and knowledge of it. The Sequence of the Lineage from the Descendants of Isma'il, Peace Be Upon Him (The Sons of Isma'il, Peace Be Upon Him, and the Lineage of Their Mother): Ibn Hisham said: Ziyad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Bakka'i narrated to us from Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Muttalibi, who said: Isma'il ibn Ibrahim, peace be upon them, fathered twelve men: Nabt, who was the eldest of them, Qaydhar ²⁸, Adhbul ²⁹, Mabishsh ³⁰, Misma', Mashi ³¹, Dimma ³², Adhar ³³, Tayma ³⁴, Yatur ³⁵, Nabish ³⁶, and Qaydhuma ³⁷. Their mother was Ra'la ³⁸ bint Mudad ibn 'Amr al-Jurhumi—Ibn Hisham said: And it is said: Midad. And Jurhum ibn Qahtan, and Qahtan is the father of all Yemen, and to him their lineage traces—ibn 'Amir ibn Shalakh ibn Arfakhshad ibn Sam ibn Nuh. Ibn Ishaq said: Jurhum ibn Yaqtan ibn 'Aybar ibn Shalakh. And (Yaqtan is) ³⁹ Qahtan ibn 'Aybar ibn Shalakh. (The Age of Isma'il, Peace Be Upon Him, and His Burial Place): Ibn Ishaq said: And the age of Isma'il—as they mention—was one hundred and thirty years, then he died, may the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon him, and he was buried in al-Hijr ⁴⁰ with his mother Hagar, may Allah Almighty have mercy on them. (The Homeland of Hagar): Ibn Hisham said: The Arabs say Hagar and Ajar, substituting the alif for the ha, as they said: Haraqa al-ma'a and Araqa al-ma'a and other than that. And Hagar was from the people of Egypt. (The Prophet's, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, Recommendation Concerning the People of Egypt and the Reason for That): Ibn Hisham said: 'Abd Allah ibn Wahb narrated to us from 'Abd Allah ibn Lahi'a ⁴¹, from 'Umar, the freed slave of Ghufra ⁴², that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Allah, Allah concerning the people of the dhimma ⁴³, the people of the black mud-brick town, the dark-skinned, curly-haired ones, for they have lineage and marriage-tie." 'Umar, the freed slave of Ghufra, said: Their lineage is that the mother of Isma'il the Prophet—peace be upon him—is from them. And their marriage-tie is that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—took a concubine ⁴⁴ from among them. Ibn Lahi'a said: The mother of Isma'il: Hagar, from Umm al-'Arab ⁴⁵, a village that was in front of al-Farama ⁴⁶ in Egypt. And the mother of Ibrahim: Mariya ⁴⁷, the concubine of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, whom al-Muqawqis gifted to him from Hafn ⁴⁸ in the district of Ansina ⁴⁹. Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn 'Ubayd Allah ibn Shihab al-Zuhri narrated to me that 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Ka'b ibn Malik al-Ansari, then al-Sulami, narrated to him that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "When you conquer Egypt, treat its people well, for they have a covenant and a kinship." I said to Muhammad ibn Muslim al-Zuhri: What is the kinship that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned for them? He said: Hagar, the mother of Isma'il, was from them. (The Origin of the Arabs): Ibn Hisham said: All the Arabs are from the descendants of Isma'il and Qahtan. And some of the people of Yemen say: Qahtan is from the descendants of Isma'il, and they say: Isma'il is the father of all the Arabs. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Ad ibn 'Aws ibn Iram ibn Sam ibn Nuh, and Thamud and Jadhis, the two sons of 'Abir ⁵⁰ ibn Iram ibn Sam ibn Nuh, and Tasm and 'Imlaq and Umaym, the sons of Lawidh ibn Sam ibn Nuh: all of them are Arabs. Nabt ibn Isma'il fathered Yashjub ibn Nabt, and Yashjub fathered Ya'rub ibn Yashjub, and Ya'rub fathered Tayrah ibn Ya'rub, and Tayrah fathered Nahur ibn Tayrah, and Nahur fathered Muqawwim ibn Nahur, and Muqawwim fathered Udad ibn Muqawwim, and Udad fathered 'Adnan ibn Udad ⁵¹. Ibn Hisham said: And it is said: 'Adnan ibn Udd. (The Sons of 'Adnan): Ibn Ishaq said: From 'Adnan the tribes from the descendants of Isma'il ibn Ibrahim, peace be upon them, branched out. 'Adnan fathered two men: Ma'add ibn 'Adnan and 'Akk ibn 'Adnan. (The Homeland of 'Akk):

Ibn Hisham said: Thus 'Akk settled in the land of Yemen, because 'Akk married among the Ash'aris and stayed with them, so the land and language became one. The Ash'aris are the descendants of Ash'ar ibn Nabt ibn Udad ibn Zayd ⁵² ibn Humaysi' ⁵³ ibn 'Amr ibn 'Arib ⁵⁴ ibn Yashjub ibn Zayd ibn Kahlan ibn Saba' ibn Yashjub ibn Ya'rub ibn Qahtan. It is also said: Ash'ar ⁵⁵ is Nabt ibn Udad, and it is said: Ash'ar is ibn Malik. And Malik is Madhhij ibn Udad ibn Zayd ibn Humaysi'. It is also said: Ash'ar is ibn ⁵⁶ Saba' ibn Yashjub. Abu Muhriz Khalaf al-Ahmar and Abu 'Ubayda recited to me the verses of 'Abbas ibn Mirdas, one of the Banu Sulaym ibn Mansur ibn 'Ikrima ibn Khasafa ibn Qays ibn 'Aylan ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma'add ibn 'Adnan, boasting of 'Akk: "And 'Akk ibn 'Adnan, who were nicknamed ⁵⁷ ... after Ghassan, until they were driven out in all directions." This verse is from a poem of his. Ghassan is a water source at the Ma'rib dam ⁵⁸ in Yemen, which was a drinking place for the descendants of Mazin ibn al-Asad ibn al-Ghawth, so they were named after it. It is also said: Ghassan is a water source at al-Mushallal ⁵⁹ near al-Juhfa ⁶⁰. Those who drank from it ⁶¹ and were named after it are tribes from the descendants of Mazin ibn al-Asad ⁶² ibn al-Ghawth ibn Nabt ibn Malik ibn Zayd ibn Kahlan ibn Saba' ibn Yashjub ibn Ya'rub ibn Qahtan. Hassan ibn Thabit al-Ansari—and the Ansar are the Banu al-Aws and al-Khazraj, the two sons of Haritha ibn Tha'laba ibn 'Amr ibn 'Amir ibn Haritha ibn Imri' al-Qays ibn Tha'laba ibn Mazin ibn al-Asad ibn al-Ghawth—said: "If you ask, then we are a noble people, ... al-Asad is our lineage, and the water is Ghassan." ⁶³ This verse is from a poem of his. Then Yemen said: And some of 'Akk—those who are in Khurasan among them—are 'Akk ibn 'Adnan ibn 'Abd Allah ibn al-Asad ibn al-Ghawth ⁶⁴, and it is said: 'Udthan ⁶⁵ ibn 'Abd Allah ⁶⁶ ibn al-Asad ibn al-Ghawth. (The Children of Ma'add): Ibn Ishaq said: Ma'add ibn 'Adnan ⁶⁷ had four sons: Nizar ibn Ma'add, Quda'a ibn Ma'add—and Quda'a was the firstborn ⁶⁸ of Ma'add, after whom he was nicknamed, as they claim—Qunus ibn Ma'add, and Iyad ibn Ma'add. As for Quda'a, they moved to Yemen to Himyar ibn Saba'—and Saba's name was 'Abd Shams; he was only called Saba' because he was the first to take captives ⁶⁹ among the Arabs—ibn Yashjub ⁷⁰ ibn Ya'rub ibn Qahtan. (Quda'a): Ibn Hisham said: Yemen and Quda'a said: Quda'a is the son of Malik ibn Himyar ⁷¹. And 'Amr ibn Murra ⁷² al-Juhani—and Juhayna is the son of Zayd ibn Layth ibn Sawd ibn Aslam ibn al-Haf ⁷³ ibn Quda'a—said: "We are the sons of the noble, pure, radiant elder ⁷⁴ ... Quda'a ibn Malik ibn Himyar ⁷⁵, Of well-known lineage, not denied, ... in the inscribed stone under the pulpit." ⁷⁶ (Qunus ibn Ma'add and the Lineage of al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir): Ibn Ishaq said: As for Qunus ibn Ma'add, their remnants perished—according to the genealogists of Ma'add—and among them was al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir, the king of al-Hira. Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Shihab al-Zuhri told me that al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir was from the descendants of Qunus ibn Ma'add. Ibn Hisham said: It is also said: Qanas. Ibn Ishaq said: Ya'qub ibn 'Utba ibn al-Mughira ibn al-Akhnas told me, from a shaykh of the Ansar from the Banu Zurayq, that he narrated: When 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, was brought the sword of al-Nu'man ⁷⁷ ibn al-Mundhir, he summoned Jubayr ibn Mut'im ibn 'Adi ibn Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy—and Jubayr was among the most knowledgeable of Quraysh about the genealogy of Quraysh and all the Arabs, and he used to say: I only learned genealogy from Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, who was the most knowledgeable of the Arabs—and he armed him with it ⁷⁸, then said: "O Jubayr, from whom was al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir?" He said: "He was from the remnants ⁷⁹ of Qunus ibn Ma'add." ⁸⁰ Ibn Ishaq said: As for the rest of the Arabs, they claim that he was a man from Lakhm, from the descendants of Rabi'a ibn Nasr. Allah knows best which of these was the case. (The Lineage of Lakhm ibn 'Adi): Ibn Hisham said: Lakhm is the son of 'Adi ibn al-Harith ibn Murra ibn Udad ibn Zayd ibn Humaysi' ibn 'Amr ibn 'Arib ibn Yashjub ibn Zayd ibn Kahlan ibn Saba'. It is also said: Lakhm is the son of 'Adi ibn 'Amr ibn Saba'. And it is said: Rabi'a ibn Nasr ⁸¹ ibn Abi Haritha ibn 'Amr ibn 'Amir, who remained in Yemen after the departure of 'Amr ibn 'Amir from Yemen. The Matter of 'Amr ibn 'Amir's Departure from Yemen and the Story of the Ma'rib Dam The reason for 'Amr ibn 'Amir's departure from Yemen—according to what Abu Zayd al-Ansari told me—was that he saw a rat ⁸² digging in the Ma'rib dam, which held back the water for them, and they directed it wherever they wished in their land. He knew that the dam would not last after that, so he resolved to move from Yemen. He plotted with his people: he ordered his youngest son, if he [the father] was harsh with him and slapped him, to get up and slap him back. His son did as he was commanded. Then 'Amr said: "I will not stay in a land where my youngest son slapped my face." He offered his property for sale. Some nobles of Yemen said: "Seize the opportunity of 'Amr's anger," and bought his property. He moved with his children and grandchildren. The Azd said: "We will not stay behind from 'Amr ibn 'Amir," so they sold their property and went out with him. They traveled until they camped in the land of 'Akk, passing through and seeking out lands. The tribe of 'Akk fought them, and their battles were alternating ⁸³. Concerning that, 'Abbas ibn Mirdas said the verse we have recorded ⁸⁴. Then they departed from them and dispersed throughout the lands. The family of Jafna ibn 'Amr ibn 'Amir settled in Syria; the Aws and Khazraj settled in Yathrib; Khuza'a settled in Marr ⁸⁵; Azd al-Sarat settled in al-Sarat ⁸⁶; and Azd 'Amman settled in 'Amman. Then Allah the Exalted sent the flood upon the dam and destroyed it. Concerning that, Allah the Blessed and Exalted revealed to His Messenger Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "Indeed, there was for Saba' in their dwelling place a sign: two gardens on the right and on the left. Eat from the provision of your Lord and be grateful to Him. A good land and a forgiving Lord. But they turned away, so We sent upon them the flood of the dam." [36:15-16] Al-'Arim means the dam; its singular is 'arima, according to what Abu 'Ubayda told me. Al-A'sha—A'sha of Banu Qays ibn Tha'laba ibn 'Ukaba ibn Sa'b ibn 'Ali ibn Bakr ibn Wa'il ibn Hinb ibn Afsa ibn Jadila ibn Asad ibn Rabi'a ibn Nizar ibn Ma'add—said: "In that is an example for the one who seeks to follow ⁸⁷ ... and Ma'rib, which the dam ⁸⁸ has effaced, A marble structure built for them by Himyar ... when its gushing water came, it did not cease ⁸⁹, So it irrigated the crops and their vines ... in abundance, their water when it was distributed. Then they became [like] hands ⁹⁰ unable to obtain ... from it a drink for a weaned child ⁹¹." These verses are from a poem of his. And Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt al-Thaqafi—and Thaqif's name is Qasiy ibn Munabbih ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin ibn Mansur ibn 'Ikrima ibn Khasafa ibn Qays ibn 'Aylan ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma'add ibn 'Adnan—said: "From Saba', the dwellers of Ma'rib, when ... they built the dam ⁹² against its flood."

This verse is from a poem of his. It is also attributed to al-Nabigha al-Ja'di, whose name is Qays ibn 'Abd Allah, one of the Banu Ja'da ibn Ka'b ibn Rabi'a ibn 'Amir ibn Sa'sa'a ibn Mu'awiya ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin. It is a long account, but I have refrained from detailing it due to the brevity I mentioned. The affair of Rabi'a ibn Nasr, king of Yemen, and the story of Shiqq and Satih, the two soothsayers, with him. (The dream of Rabi'a ibn Nasr): Ibn Ishaq said: Rabi'a ibn Nasr was a king of Yemen among the Tubba' kings ⁹³. He saw a dream that terrified and distressed him. He gathered every soothsayer, sorcerer, augur ⁹⁴, and astrologer in his kingdom and said to them: 'I have seen a dream that terrified and distressed me. Tell me what it was and its interpretation.' They said: 'Tell it to us, and we will inform you of its interpretation.' He said: 'If I tell you, I will not be reassured by your interpretation, for only one who knows it before I tell him can interpret it.' One of them said: 'If the king desires this, let him send for Satih ⁹⁵ and Shiqq ⁹⁶, for no one is more knowledgeable than them. They will inform him of what he asks.' (The lineage of Satih and Shiqq): Satih's name was Rabi' ibn Rabi'a ibn Mas'ud ibn Mazin ibn Dhi'b ibn 'Adi ibn Mazin Ghassan. Shiqq: ibn Sa'b ibn Yashkur ibn Ruhm ibn Afrak ibn Qasr ⁹⁷ ibn 'Abqar ibn Anmar ibn Nizar ⁹⁸, and Anmar is the father of Bajila and Khath'am. (The lineage of Bajila): Ibn Hisham said: The Yemenis and Bajila say: (the sons of) Anmar ibn Arash ibn Lahyan ⁹⁹ ibn 'Amr ibn al-Ghawth ibn Nabt ¹⁰⁰ ibn Malik ibn Zayd ibn Kahlan ibn Saba'. It is also said: Arash ibn 'Amr ibn Lahyan ibn al-Ghawth ¹⁰¹. The homeland of Bajila and Khath'am is in Yemen. (Rabi'a ibn Nasr and Satih): Ibn Ishaq said: He sent for them. Satih came to him before Shiqq. He said to him: 'I have seen a dream that terrified and distressed me. Tell me what it was, for if you get it right, you will get its interpretation right.' He said: 'I will. I saw embers ¹⁰² coming out of darkness ¹⁰³, falling on your lowland ¹⁰⁴, and devouring every creature with a head ¹⁰⁵.' The king said: 'You have not missed anything, O Satih. What is its interpretation?' He said: 'I swear by the snakes between the two lava fields ¹⁰⁶, the Abyssinians ¹⁰⁷ will descend upon your land and will rule over everything between Abyan ¹⁰⁸ and Jurash ¹⁰⁹.' The king said: 'By your father, O Satih, this is grievous and painful for us. When will it happen? In my time or after?' He said: 'No, after a while, more than sixty or seventy years from now.' He said: 'Will their rule last or end?' He said: 'No, it will end after about seventy years, then they will be killed and driven out fleeing.' He said: 'Who will be responsible for killing and expelling them?' He said: 'Iram ¹¹⁰ ibn Dhi Yazan ¹¹¹ will rise against them from Aden and will not leave a single one of them in Yemen.' He said: 'Will his rule last or end?' He said: 'No, it will end.' He said: 'Who will end it?' He said: 'A pure prophet ¹¹² to whom revelation comes from the Most High.' He said: 'From whom is this prophet?' He said: 'A man from the descendants of Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn al-Nadr. Kingship will remain among his people until the end of time.' He said: 'Does time have an end?' He said: 'Yes, a day when the first and the last will be gathered, when the righteous will be happy and the wicked will be miserable.' He said: 'Is what you tell me true?' He said: 'Yes, by the twilight and the darkness, and the dawn when it spreads, what I have told you is true.' (Rabi'a ibn Nasr and Shiqq): Then Shiqq came to him. He said to him what he had said to Satih, but concealed what Satih had said to see if they would agree or differ. He said: 'Yes, I saw embers coming out of darkness, falling between a meadow and a hillock, and devouring every breathing creature.' When he said that, the king realized they agreed, except that Satih said: 'falling on your lowland, devouring every creature with a head,' while Shiqq said: 'falling between a meadow and a hillock, devouring every breathing creature.' The king said: 'You have not missed anything, O Shiqq. What is its interpretation?' He said: 'I swear by the humans between the two lava fields, the blacks ¹¹³ will descend upon your land, will overcome every tender-fingered ¹¹⁴ one, and will rule over everything between Abyan and Najran.' The king said: 'By your father, O Shiqq, this is grievous and painful for us. When will it happen? In my time or after?' He said: 'No, after a time. Then a great man of high standing will rescue you from them and make them taste the severest humiliation.' He said: 'Who is this great man of high standing?' He said: 'A youth, neither base nor ignoble ¹¹⁵, will rise against them from the house of Dhi Yazan, and will not leave a single one of them in Yemen.' He said: 'Will his rule last or end?' He said: 'No, it will end with a sent messenger who will bring truth and justice among the people of religion and virtue. Kingship will remain among his people until the Day of Decision.' He said: 'What is the Day of Decision?' He said: 'A day when rulers will be recompensed, when calls will be made from heaven, heard by the living and the dead, when people will be gathered for the appointed time, when success and goodness will be for those who fear God.' He said: 'Is what you say true?' He said: 'Yes, by the Lord of heaven and earth and what is between them of high and low, what I have told you is true, without any doubt ¹¹⁶.' Ibn Hisham said: 'Amdi' means doubt in the language of Himyar. Abu 'Amr said: 'Amdi' means false. (The emigration of Rabi'a ibn Nasr to Iraq): What they said made an impression on Rabi'a ibn Nasr. He prepared his sons and household for Iraq with provisions and wrote to a king of Persia named Sabur ibn Khurrazadh, who settled them in al-Hira. (The lineage of al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir): Among the descendants of Rabi'a ibn Nasr is al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir. According to Yemeni genealogy and knowledge, he is al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir ibn al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir ibn 'Amr ibn 'Adi ibn Rabi'a ibn Nasr, that king. Ibn Hisham said: Al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir ibn al-Mundhir, according to what Khalaf al-Ahmar told me. The seizure of power by Abu Karib Tibban As'ad over the kingdom of Yemen and his campaign to Yathrib Ibn Ishaq said: When Rabi'a ibn Nasr died, the entire kingdom of Yemen returned to Hassan ibn Tibban As'ad ¹¹⁷ Abu Karib—and Tibban As'ad is the latter Tubba'—ibn Kuli Karib ¹¹⁸ ibn Zayd, and Zayd is the first Tubba' ibn 'Amr Dhi al-Adh'ar ¹¹⁹ ibn Abraha Dhi al-Manar ¹²⁰ ibn al-Rish—Ibn Hisham said: also called al-Ra'ish—Ibn Ishaq said: ibn 'Adi ¹²¹ ibn Sayfi ibn Saba' al-Asghar ibn Ka'b, Kahf al-Zulm ¹²², ibn Zayd ibn Sahl ibn 'Amr ibn Qays ibn Mu'awiya ibn Jusham ibn 'Abd Shams ibn Wa'il ibn al-Ghawth ibn Qatan ibn 'Urayb ibn Zuhayr ibn Ayman ibn al-Humaysi' ibn al-'Aranjaj, and al-'Aranjaj ¹²³ is Himyar ibn Saba' al-Akbar ibn Ya'rub ibn Yashjub ibn Qahtan. Ibn Hisham said: Yashjub: ibn Ya'rub ibn Qahtan ¹²⁴. (Something from the biography of Tibban): Ibn Ishaq said: Tibban As'ad Abu Karib is the one who came to Medina, brought the two rabbis from the Jews of (Medina) to Yemen, and maintained the Sacred House ¹²⁵ and clothed it. His reign was before that of Rabi'a ibn Nasr ¹²⁶.

Ibn Hisham said: It is of which it is said: Would that my share from Abi Karib ... were that his good might compensate for his defect. (129) (Tubban's anger against the people of Medina, and the reason for that): Ibn Ishaq said: He had set his route—when he came from the east—through Medina, and he had passed by it on his first journey without harming its people, leaving behind among them a son of his, who was killed by treachery. So he arrived intending to destroy it, exterminate its people, and cut down its palm trees ¹²⁷. The clan of the Ansar ¹²⁸ gathered against him, led by 'Amr b. Talla, a brother of the Banu al-Najjar, then one of the Banu 'Amr b. Mabdhal. The name of Mabdhal is 'Amir b. Malik b. al-Najjar, and al-Najjar's name is Taym Allah b. Tha'laba b. 'Amr b. al-Khazraj b. Haritha b. Tha'laba b. 'Amr b. 'Amir. (The lineage of 'Amr b. Talla): Ibn Hisham said: 'Amr b. Talla: 'Amr b. Mu'awiya b. 'Amr b. 'Amir b. Malik b. al-Najjar, and Talla is his mother, who is the daughter of 'Amir b. Zuraiq ¹²⁹ b. 'Abd Haritha b. Malik b. Ghadb b. Jusham b. al-Khazraj. (The reason for Tubban's fighting the people of Medina): Ibn Ishaq said: A man from the Banu 'Adi b. al-Najjar, called Ahmar, had attacked a man from Tubba's companions when he camped among them and killed him. That was because he found him in his palm tree ¹³⁰ cutting dates ¹³¹, so he struck him with his sickle and killed him, saying: "Dates belong only to the one who pollinated them ¹³²." This increased Tubba's rage against them, and they fought. The Ansar claim that they fought him by day and hosted him ¹³³ by night, which pleased him, and he said: "By Allah, our people are indeed noble." (Tubban's turning away from destroying Medina, and Khalid's poem about that): While Tubba' was thus engaged in fighting them, two rabbis from the Jewish rabbis, from the Banu Qurayza—and Qurayza, al-Nadir, al-Najjam ¹³⁴, and 'Amr, who is Hadal ¹³⁵, are the sons of al-Khazraj b. al-Sarih b. al-Taw'aman ¹³⁶ b. al-Sibt b. al-Yasa' b. Sa'd b. Lawi b. Khayr b. al-Najjam b. Tanhum b. 'Azar b. 'Uzra b. Harun b. 'Imran b. Yas'har b. Qahith ¹³⁷ b. Lawa b. Ya'qub, who is Isra'il b. Ishaq b. Ibrahim, the Friend of the Merciful, peace be upon them—two deeply learned scholars, came to him when they heard what he intended to do regarding the destruction of Medina and its people. They said to him: "O king, do not do it, for if you insist on what you intend, a barrier will be placed between you and it, and we do not feel safe from immediate punishment for you." He said to them: "Why is that?" They said: "It is the place of emigration of a Prophet who will come from this Sanctuary ¹³⁸ from Quraysh at the end of time; it will be his home and abode." So he desisted from that, saw that they had knowledge, was pleased with what he heard from them, and turned away from Medina, following them in their religion. Then Khalid b. 'Abd al-'Uzza b. Ghaziyya b. 'Amr (b. 'Abd) ¹³⁹ b. 'Awf b. Ghunm b. Malik b. al-Najjar boasted about 'Amr b. Talla: Is he sound, or has memory forbidden him? ... Or has he fulfilled a desire and need? Or do you remember youth, and what ... is your remembrance of youth or its times? It is a war of four years ¹⁴⁰ ... the like of which brings lessons to a youth. Ask 'Imran or Asad ... when it came hostilely ¹⁴¹ with al-Zuhara ¹⁴². A mighty army ¹⁴³ in which was Abu Karib ... with long mail-shirts, their bodies fragrant ¹⁴⁴. Then they said: "Whom do we intend with it? ... The Banu 'Awf or al-Najara ¹⁴⁵?" Rather the Banu al-Najjar, for we have ... among them slain, and indeed a blood-revenge ¹⁴⁶. Then they met them with swords ... whose extent was like a heavy downpour ¹⁴⁷. Among them was 'Amr b. Talla, may Allah ... prolong ¹⁴⁸ his people's life. A chief towering ¹⁴⁹ over kings, and whoever ... seeks 'Amr's like will not find his worth. And this clan of the Ansar claim that Tubba's rage was only against this clan of Jews who were among them, and that he only intended to destroy them, but they prevented him from doing so until he turned away from them. That is why he said in his poem: In rage against two tribes who settled in Yathrib ... woe to them from the punishment of a corrupting day. Ibn Hisham said: The poem containing this verse is fabricated, and that is why we did not include it. (Tubban's embracing Christianity, his clothing of the House, his veneration of it, and Subay'a's poem about that): Ibn Ishaq said: Tubba' and his people were idolaters, worshipping idols. He set out for Mecca, which was on his way to Yemen, until when he was between 'Usfan and Amaj ¹⁵⁰, a group from Hudhayl b. Mudrika b. Ilyas b. Mudar b. Nizar b. Ma'add came to him and said: "O king, shall we guide you to a ruined treasure house that previous kings neglected, containing pearls, chrysolite, rubies, gold, and silver?" He said: "Yes." They said: "A house in Mecca that its people worship and pray at." The Hudhaliyyun only intended his destruction by that, because they knew of the destruction of any king who sought it and acted tyrannically there. When he resolved to do what they said, he sent for the two rabbis and asked them about that. They said to him: "The people only intended your destruction and the destruction of your army. We know of no house that Allah has taken for Himself on earth other than it. If you do what they invite you to, you will surely perish, and all who are with you will perish." He said: "What do you command me to do when I arrive there?" They said: "Do what its people do: circumambulate it, venerate it, honor it, shave your head there, and humble yourself before it until you leave it." He said: "What prevents you two from doing that?" They said: "By Allah, it is indeed the house of our father Abraham, and it is as we have told you, but its people have prevented us from it by the idols they have set up around it and the blood they spill there, and they are impure, polytheists"—or as they said to him. So he recognized their sincerity and the truth of their words, brought forward the group from Hudhayl, cut off their hands and feet, then proceeded until he arrived at Mecca. He circumambulated the House, sacrificed there, shaved his head, and stayed in Mecca for six days—as they mention—sacrificing for the people, feeding its inhabitants, and giving them honey to drink. He saw in a dream that he should clothe the House, so he clothed it with palm-leaf mats ¹⁵¹; then he saw that he should clothe it with something better, so he clothed it with Ma'afir garments ¹⁵²; then he saw that he should clothe it with something better, so he clothed it with fine linen and striped cloth ¹⁵³. Thus Tubba'—as they claim—was the first to clothe the House ¹⁵⁴, and he entrusted it to his governors from Jurhum, commanding them to purify it and not to bring near it blood, a corpse, or a menstrual cloth ¹⁵⁵—which are the places of menstruation ¹⁵⁶—and he made for it a door and a key ¹⁵⁷. And Subay'a bint al-Ahabb ¹⁵⁸ b. Zubayna ¹⁵⁹ b. Judhayma b. 'Awf b. Nasr b. Mu'awiya b. Bakr b. Hawazin b. Mansur b. 'Ikrima b. Khasafa b. Qays b. 'Aylan, who was married to 'Abd Manaf b. Ka'b b. Sa'd b. Taym b. Murra b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. Ghalib b. Fihr b. Malik b. al-Nadr b. Kinana, and had a son from him called Khalid, said, emphasizing to him the sanctity of Mecca and forbidding him from transgression there, mentioning Tubba' and his humility before it and what he did there ¹⁶⁰: O my son, do not wrong in Mecca ... neither the small nor the great. And guard its sacred things, my son ... and let not the deceiver deceive you. O my son, whoever wrongs in Mecca ... will meet the edges of evils. O my son, his face will be struck ... and the fire will glow on his cheeks. O my son, I have tried it ... and found its wrongdoer perishes ¹⁶¹. Allah made it secure, and ... no palaces were built in its courtyard. And Allah made its birds secure ... and the mountain goats ¹⁶² are safe in Thabir ¹⁶³.

And indeed Tubba' invaded it... and clothed its structure with the Habir ¹⁶⁴. And my Lord humiliated his kingdom... therein, and he fulfilled his vows. He walked to it barefoot... with a thousand camels in its courtyard. And he would feed its people... the meat of the Mahari ¹⁶⁵ and the Jazur ¹⁶⁶. He gave them to drink pure honey... and the Rahid ¹⁶⁷ of barley. And the elephant, his army was destroyed... they were pelted therein with stones. And the kingdom in the farthest lands... and among the Ajam ¹⁶⁸ and the Khazir ¹⁶⁹. So listen when you are told and understand... how is the end of affairs. Ibn Hisham said: One stops at its rhymes; they are not inflected ¹⁷⁰. (The call of Tubba' to his people to Christianity, and their arbitration by fire between them and him). Then he left it heading to Yemen with his troops and the two rabbis, until when he entered Yemen, he called his people to enter into what he had entered, but they refused until they would arbitrate with him by the fire that was in Yemen. Ibn Ishaq said: Abu Malik ibn Tha'laba ibn Abi Malik al-Qurazi narrated to me, saying: I heard Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Talha ibn 'Ubayd Allah narrating: That when Tubba' approached Yemen to enter it, Himyar prevented him from that and said: "You shall not enter it over us, for you have left our religion." So he called them to his religion and said: "It is better than your religion." They said: "Then arbitrate with us by the fire." He said: "Yes." He said: And there was in Yemen—according to what the people of Yemen claim—a fire that judged between them in their disputes, consuming the wrongdoer and not harming the wronged. So his people came out with their idols and what they used to draw near with in their religion, and the two rabbis came out with their scriptures ¹⁷¹ around their necks, wearing them, until they sat before the fire at its outlet from which it emerged. Then the fire came out toward them. When it approached them, they shied away from it and feared it. Then those present among the people rebuked them ¹⁷² and ordered them to be patient with it. So they were patient until it covered them, and it consumed the idols and what they had brought with them, and those men of Himyar who carried that. And the two rabbis came out with their scriptures around their necks, their foreheads sweating, and it did not harm them. So at that, Himyar agreed ¹⁷³ to his religion. From that and because of that was the origin of Judaism in Yemen. Ibn Ishaq said: And a narrator told me that the two rabbis and those of Himyar who came out only followed the fire to turn it back, and they said: "Whoever turns it back is more deserving of the truth." So men of Himyar approached it with their idols to turn it back, but it approached them to consume them, so they shied away from it and could not turn it back. Then the two rabbis approached it after that, reciting the Torah, and it retreated from them until they turned it back to its outlet from which it had emerged. So at that, Himyar agreed to their religion. And Allah knows best which of that occurred. (Ri'am ¹⁷⁴ and what became of it): Ibn Ishaq said: And Ri'am was a temple ¹⁷⁵ for them which they venerated, sacrificing at it, and they would be spoken to (from it) while they were in their polytheism. So the two rabbis said to Tubba': "It is only a devil that tempts them with that, so let us deal with it." He said: "Then it is your affair." So they extracted from it—according to what the people of Yemen claim—a black dog and slaughtered it, then demolished that temple. Its remnants today—as was mentioned to me—have traces of the blood that was spilled upon it. The reign of his son Hassan ibn Tubban and the killing of his brother 'Amr (The reason for his killing): When his son Hassan ibn Tubban As'ad Abi Karib reigned, he marched with the people of Yemen intending to tread with them the land of the Arabs and the land of the Ajam, until when they were in some part of the land of Iraq—Ibn Hisham said: in Bahrain, according to what some people of knowledge mentioned to me—Himyar and the tribes of Yemen disliked marching with him and wanted to return to their land and families. So they spoke to a brother of his called 'Amr, who was with him in his army, and said to him: "Kill your brother Hassan and we will make you king over us, and you will return us to our land." So he agreed to them. And they all agreed on that except Dhu Ru'ayn ¹⁷⁶ al-Himyari, for he forbade him from that, but he did not accept from him. So Dhu Ru'ayn said: "Oh, who buys sleeplessness with sleep? ... Fortunate is he who spends the night with a cool eye. As for Himyar, they betrayed and were treacherous ... So the excuse of God is with Dhu Ru'ayn." Then he wrote them in a scroll, sealed it, then brought it to 'Amr and said: "Keep this document for me." So he did. Then 'Amr killed his brother Hassan and returned with those with him to Yemen. So a man of Himyar said: "May the eyes of him who saw the like of Hassan ... be blinded, a slain man in the bygone ages. The chieftains ¹⁷⁷ killed him, fearing imprisonment ... in the morning when they said: 'Labab, Labab ¹⁷⁸.' Your dead is the best of us, and your living ... is a lord over us, and all of you are my lords." Ibn Ishaq said: And his saying "Labab, Labab" means "No harm, no harm" in the language of Himyar ¹⁷⁹. Ibn Hisham said: And it is also narrated as "Libab, Libab." ('Amr's regret and his destruction): Ibn Ishaq said: When 'Amr ibn Tubban alighted in Yemen, sleep was prevented from him and sleeplessness was imposed upon him. When that distressed him, he asked the physicians and the diviners ¹⁸⁰ among the soothsayers and fortune-tellers ¹⁸¹ about what afflicted him. One of them said to him: "Indeed, by Allah, no man has ever killed his brother or his kinsman wrongfully for such a reason as you killed your brother, except that his sleep leaves him and sleeplessness is imposed upon him." When that was said to him, he began to kill everyone who had ordered him to kill his brother Hassan from the nobles of Yemen, until he reached Dhu Ru'ayn. Dhu Ru'ayn said to him: "I have a discharge with you." He said: "What is it?" He said: "The document I gave you." So he brought it out, and there were the two verses in it. So he spared him and saw that he had advised him. And 'Amr perished, and the affair of Himyar became disordered ¹⁸² at that, and they dispersed. The usurpation of Lakhnī'a Dhu Shanatir over the kingship of Yemen (His assumption of kingship, something of his conduct, then his killing): A man of Himyar who was not from the royal houses, called Lakhnī'a ¹⁸³ Yanuf Dhu Shanatir ¹⁸⁴, rose against them, killed their best, and tampered with the houses of the royal family among them. So a speaker of Himyar said to Lakhnī'a: "You kill its sons and exile its nobles ... and build with their hands humiliation for it, O Himyar. You destroy its world with the folly of their minds ... and what they have lost of their religion is greater. Thus the generations before that, by their injustice ... and excess, evils come and they lose." And Lakhnī'a was a licentious man who practiced the deed of the people of Lot. He would send for a boy from the sons of kings, then have intercourse with him in an upper chamber ¹⁸⁵ he had built for that purpose, so that he would not rule thereafter. Then he would come out from that upper chamber to his guards and those present from his troops, having taken a tooth-stick and put it in his mouth, meaning to let them know that he had finished with him. Until he sent for Zur'a Dhu ¹⁸⁶ Nuwas ibn Tubban As'ad, the brother of Hassan, who had been a small child when Hassan was killed, then grew up to be a handsome, comely ¹⁸⁷ young man, of good appearance and intellect. When his messenger came to him, he knew what he wanted from him. So he took a fine iron knife and hid it between his foot and his sandal. Then he came to him. When he was alone with him, he sprang at him, and Dhu Nuwas wrestled with him and stabbed him ¹⁸⁸ until he killed him. Then he cut off his head, placed it in the niche ¹⁸⁹ from which he used to look out, and put his tooth-stick in his mouth. Then he came out to the people. They said to him: "O Dhu Nuwas, is it ripe or dry? ¹⁹⁰" He said: "Ask Nakhmas ¹⁹¹ whether Dhu Nuwas has ripened ¹⁹². Dhu Nuwas has ripened, no harm ¹⁹³."

Ibn Hisham: This is the speech of Himyar. And "nakhmas" means the head ¹⁹⁴. So they looked at the window and there was the head of Lakhani'a cut off. Then they went out in pursuit of Dhu Nuwas until they caught up with him. They said: "No one else should rule us, since you have relieved us of this wicked man." The reign of Dhu Nuwas So they made him king, and Himyar and the tribes of Yemen united behind him. He was the last of the kings of Himyar, and he is the one associated with the ditch ¹⁹⁵. He called himself Yusuf, and he remained in his kingdom for a time. (Christianity in Najran) In Najran there were remnants of the followers of the religion of Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him, who adhered to the Gospel. They were people of virtue and righteousness among their coreligionists. They had a leader called 'Abdullah ibn al-Thamir. The origin of that religion in Najran occurred when it was in the heart of the Arab lands at that time, while its inhabitants and all the other Arabs were idolaters. A man from the remnants of that religion, called Faymiyun ¹⁹⁶, came among them and converted them, so they adopted it. The beginning of Christianity in Najran (Faymiyun, Salih, and the spread of Christianity in Najran) Ibn Ishaq said: Al-Mughira ibn Abi Labid, the client of al-Akhnas, narrated to me from Wahb ibn Munabbih al-Yamani that he told them: The origin of that religion in Najran was that a man from the remnants of the followers of the religion of Jesus son of Mary, called Faymiyun, was a righteous, devout man, ascetic in worldly life, whose prayers were answered. He was a wanderer, moving between villages, not staying in any village without leaving for another where he was unknown. He ate only from the work of his hands, and he was a builder who worked with clay. He venerated Sunday, so on Sunday he would do no work but would go out to a desert place to pray until evening. He was in a village in Syria, doing his work in secret, but a man from that village called Salih became aware of his situation. Salih loved him with a love he had never felt for anyone before, and he would follow him wherever he went without Faymiyun noticing. One Sunday, Faymiyun went out to a desert place as usual, and Salih followed him without Faymiyun knowing. Salih sat where he could see him, hiding from him, not wanting to be discovered. Faymiyun stood to pray, and while he was praying, a dragon—a serpent with seven heads ¹⁹⁷—approached him. When Faymiyun saw it, he prayed against it and it died. Salih saw it but did not know what had happened to it. He feared for Faymiyun and was greatly distressed ¹⁹⁸, so he cried out: "O Faymiyun, the dragon is coming toward you!" But Faymiyun did not turn to him and continued his prayer until he finished. When evening came, he left. He realized that he had been discovered, and Salih knew that Faymiyun had seen him. So Salih said to him: "O Faymiyun, by God, I have never loved anyone as I love you. I wish to accompany you and be with you wherever you go." Faymiyun replied: "As you wish. My situation is as you see. If you think you can bear it, then yes." So Salih stayed with him. The people of the village had almost become aware of his situation. Whenever a slave ¹⁹⁹ suffering from an affliction was brought to him, he would pray for him and he would be healed. But if he was invited to someone with an affliction, he would not go. A man from the village had a blind son. He inquired about Faymiyun's situation and was told: "He does not go to anyone who invites him, but he is a man who builds for people for wages." So the man took his son, placed him in a room, and covered him with a cloth. Then he came to Faymiyun and said: "O Faymiyun, I want to do some work in my house. Come with me to look at it so I can agree on terms with you." Faymiyun went with him until he entered the room. Then the man said: "What do you want to do in this house of yours?" Faymiyun replied: "Such and such." Then the man quickly removed ²⁰⁰ the cloth from the boy and said: "O Faymiyun, a servant of God has been afflicted as you see. Pray to God for him." So Faymiyun prayed for him, and the boy stood up, completely well. Faymiyun realized that he had been recognized, so he left the village, and Salih followed him. While he was walking in some part of Syria, he passed by a large tree. A man called out to him from it: "O Faymiyun!" He replied: "Yes." The man said: "I have been watching you ²⁰¹ and saying, 'When will he come?' until I heard your voice and knew it was you. Do not leave until you attend to me, for I am about to die." So he died, and Faymiyun attended to him until he buried him. Then he left, and Salih followed him until they entered some Arab territory. They were attacked, and a caravan of some Arabs captured them and took them to Najran and sold them there. At that time, the people of Najran followed the Arab religion, worshipping a tall palm tree among them. They had a festival every year. When that festival came, they would hang on it every beautiful garment they could find and women's jewelry, then go out to it and devote themselves to it for a day. Faymiyun was bought by a nobleman among them, and Salih was bought by another. When Faymiyun would get up at night to pray in a room his master had given him, the room would be illuminated with light until morning without any lamp. His master saw this and was impressed by what he observed. He asked Faymiyun about his religion, and Faymiyun informed him, saying: "You are following falsehood. This palm tree can neither harm nor benefit. If I were to pray to my God, whom I worship, against it, He would destroy it. He is God alone, with no partner." His master said: "Do it. If you do, we will adopt your religion and abandon what we are upon." So Faymiyun purified himself, prayed two rak'as, and then prayed to God against it. God sent a wind that uprooted it ²⁰² from its base and threw it down. At that, the people of Najran followed him in his religion, and he imposed upon them the law of the religion of Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him. Then the same innovations that had entered the religion of their coreligionists in every land entered upon them. That is how Christianity came to Najran in the Arab lands. Ibn Ishaq said: This is the account of Wahb ibn Munabbih concerning the people of Najran. The affair of 'Abdullah ibn al-Thamir and the story of the companions of the ditch (Faymiyun, Ibn al-Thamir, and the Greatest Name of God) Ibn Ishaq said: Yazid ibn Ziyad narrated to me from Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Quradhi, and also some people of Najran narrated to me from their people: The people of Najran were polytheists who worshipped idols. In one of their villages near Najran—Najran being the main town to which all the people of that region belonged—there was a sorcerer who taught the boys of Najran sorcery. When Faymiyun came to that region—though they did not name him to me by the name Wahb ibn Munabbih gave him; they said: "A man came to it"—he pitched a tent between Najran and that village where the sorcerer was. The people of Najran would send their boys to that sorcerer to learn sorcery. Al-Thamir sent his son 'Abdullah ibn al-Thamir with the boys of Najran. Whenever he passed by the man in the tent, he was impressed by what he saw of his prayer and worship. So he began to sit with him and listen to him until he submitted to God, affirming His oneness and worshipping Him. He asked him about the laws of Islam until he understood them. Then he asked him about the Greatest Name ²⁰³, which he knew, but he concealed it from him and said:

O son of my brother, you will not be able to bear it; I fear for you that you are too weak for it. And al-Thāmir Abū ʿAbd Allāh thought only that his son was going to the sorcerer as the boys go. When ʿAbd Allāh saw that his companion had withheld it from him and feared his weakness in it, he took some arrows and gathered them, then left no name of God that he knew except he wrote it on an arrow ²⁰⁴, and for each name an arrow, until when he had enumerated them, he kindled a fire for them, then began to throw them into it, arrow by arrow, until when he came to the Greatest Name ²⁰⁵, he threw its arrow into it, and the arrow leaped out of the fire, unharmed. He took it, then went to his companion and told him that he had learned the name which he had concealed. He said: 'What is it?' He said: 'It is such-and-such.' He said: 'And how did you learn it?' So he told him what he had done. He said: 'O son of my brother, you have hit upon it, so keep it to yourself, but I do not think you will.' (Ibn al-Thāmir and his call to Christianity in Najrān): So ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Thāmir, whenever he entered Najrān, would meet no one afflicted with a malady but he would say to him: 'O servant of God, do you affirm the oneness of God and enter my religion, and I will call upon God to heal you from the affliction you are in?' He would say: 'Yes.' So he would affirm the oneness of God and submit, and he would pray for him and he would be healed. Until there remained no one in Najrān afflicted with a malady but he came to him and followed his command, and he prayed for him and he was cured, until his reputation reached the king of Najrān. He summoned him and said: 'You have corrupted my people against me and opposed my religion and the religion of my fathers; I will surely mutilate you.' He said: 'You cannot do that.' So he began to send him to a high mountain and he would be thrown from its top, but he would fall to the ground unharmed. And he began to send him to waters in Najrān, seas into which nothing fell but perished, and he would be thrown into them and come out unharmed. When he overcame him, ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Thāmir said to him: 'By God, you will never be able to kill me until you affirm the oneness of God and believe in what I believe. For if you do that, you will be given power over me and you will kill me.' So that king affirmed the oneness of God Almighty and bore witness to the testimony of ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Thāmir, then struck him with a staff in his hand, inflicting a not-too-large wound on his head, and killed him. Then the king died on the spot, and the people of Najrān united upon the religion of ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Thāmir, which was according to what Jesus son of Mary brought from the Gospel and its judgment. Then they were afflicted with the same events that befell the people of their religion. From that time originated Christianity in Najrān. And God knows best about that. Ibn Isḥāq said: This is the account of Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb al-Quraẓī and some of the people of Najrān concerning ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Thāmir. And God knows best which of that was true. (Dhū Nuwās and the trench of the ditch): So Dhū Nuwās marched against them with his armies and called them to Judaism, giving them the choice between that and death. They chose death. So he dug a trench for them, burned some with fire, killed others with the sword, and mutilated them, until he killed nearly twenty thousand of them. Concerning Dhū Nuwās and his army on that occasion, God Almighty revealed to His Messenger, our master Muḥammad, may God bless him and grant him peace: 'Cursed were the companions of the ditch, the fire with abundant fuel, when they sat by it, and they were witnesses of what they did to the believers. And they resented them not except that they believed in God, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy.' [Qurʾān 85:4-8] (The ditch linguistically): Ibn Hishām said: Al-ukhdūd is an elongated excavation in the ground, like a trench, a stream, or the like. Its plural is akhādīd. Dhū al-Rumma, whose name is Ghaylān ibn ʿUqba, one of the Banū ʿAdī ibn ʿAbd Manāf ibn Add ibn Ṭābikha ibn Ilyās ibn Muḍar, said: 'From the Iraqi women who turn aside for it... between the desert and the palm trees is an ukhdūd,' meaning a stream. This verse is from a poem of his. He said: The trace of a sword, knife, whip, or the like on the skin is called ukhdūd, and its plural is akhādīd. (The killing of Ibn al-Thāmir): Ibn Isḥāq said: It is said that among those killed by Dhū Nuwās was ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Thāmir, their leader and imam ²⁰⁶. (What is narrated about Ibn al-Thāmir concerning his grave): Ibn Isḥāq said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Bakr ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr ibn Ḥazm ²⁰⁷ told me that he was told: That a man from the people of Najrān, in the time of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may God be pleased with him, was digging a ruin among the ruins of Najrān for some need of his, and they found ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Thāmir under a burial mound there, sitting, with his hand placed over a wound on his head, holding it. When his hand was removed from it, blood would flow, and when his hand was released, he would put it back, and it would stop the blood. On his hand was a ring inscribed with: 'My Lord is God.' So they wrote to ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb informing him of his condition. ʿUmar, may God be pleased with him, wrote back to them: 'Leave him as he is, and replace the burial mound that was over him.' So they did. (The affair of Daws Dhū Thaʿlabān and the beginning of the rule of the Abyssinians, and mention of Aryāṭ the conqueror of Yemen): (Flight of Daws and his seeking help from Caesar): Ibn Isḥāq said: A man from Sabaʾ escaped from them, called Daws Dhū Thaʿlabān ²⁰⁸, on his horse. He took the sandy route and eluded them. He continued on his way until he came to Caesar, the king of Rome, and sought his help against Dhū Nuwās and his armies, and informed him of what they had done. Caesar said to him: 'Your country is far from us, but I will write to the king of Abyssinia, for he follows this religion, and he is closer to your country.' So he wrote to him, commanding him to help him and seek vengeance for him. (Victory of Aryāṭ and defeat and death of Dhū Nuwās): So Daws came to the Negus ²⁰⁹ with Caesar's letter. He sent with him seventy thousand Abyssinians, and appointed over them a man called Aryāṭ, and with him in his army was Abraha al-Ashram. Aryāṭ sailed the sea until he landed on the coast of Yemen, with Daws Dhū Thaʿlabān. Dhū Nuwās marched against him with Ḥimyar and those of the Yemeni tribes who obeyed him. When they met, Dhū Nuwās and his companions were defeated. When Dhū Nuwās saw what had befallen him and his people, he turned his horse toward the sea, then struck it and entered it, wading through the shallow water of the sea until he reached its deep, and entered it. That was the last of him. Aryāṭ entered Yemen and ruled it. (Poetry about Daws and what happened): A man from Yemen said, mentioning what Daws had brought upon them from the Abyssinian affair: 'Not like Daws, nor like the trappings of his saddle'—and it became a proverb in Yemen to this day. And Dhū Jadan al-Ḥimyarī said: 'Take it easy, tears cannot bring back what is lost... Do not perish in grief after those who have died. After Baynūn, no eye nor trace, and after Silḥīn, people build houses.' Baynūn, Silḥīn, and Ghumdān ²¹⁰ were fortresses of Yemen that Aryāṭ destroyed, and there were none like them among people. And Dhū Jadan also said: 'Leave me, may you have no father, you cannot... May God mend you, you have exhausted my saliva. I have the playing of singing girls when we engaged, and we were given to drink of pure wine. Drinking wine is no disgrace to me, as long as my companion does not complain of me in it. For death no one can forbid, even if one drinks the cure with snuff. Nor a monk in a pillar, whose walls the eggs of the vulture strike. And Ghumdān, which you have heard about, they built it raised high on a peak, On a high place, and its base is a ravine, and the free part of the slippery, muddy ground. Lamps of oil flicker in it at evening like the flashing of lightning.'

And his palm tree that was planted for him... almost does the ease bend ²¹¹ with clusters. So it became, after its freshness, ashes, and the flame of the fire changed its beauty. And Dhu Nuwas ²¹² surrendered humbly, and warned his people of the strait of distress. And Ibn al-Dhi'ba al-Thaqafi ²¹³ said concerning that. Ibn Hisham said: al-Dhi'ba was his mother, and his name is Rabi'a ibn 'Abd Ya Layl ibn Salim ibn Malik ibn Hutayt ibn Jusham ibn Qasi: By your life, a youth has no escape from death that overtakes him and old age. By your life, a youth has no refuge ²¹⁴; by your life, he has no shelter ²¹⁵. After tribes of Himyar ²¹⁶ were destroyed in the morning at Dhat al-'Abar ²¹⁷, with a thousand thousands and a hurraba ²¹⁸ like the sky before rain, whose clamor deafens the swift mounts ²¹⁹ and they repel those they fight with stench ²²⁰, sa'ali ²²¹ like the number of dust, from whom the moist branches of trees dry up. And 'Amr ibn Ma'dikarib ²²² al-Zubaydi said concerning something that was between him and Qays ibn Makshuh al-Muradi ²²³, when he heard that he was threatening him. He said, mentioning Himyar and its might, and what had passed of its kingdom from them: Do you threaten me as if you were Dhu Ru'ayn ²²⁴ with the best of life, or Dhu Nuwas? And how many before you were there of bliss and established kingdom, firm among people, ancient in time from the time of 'Ad ²²⁵, great, overpowering in might, harsh? Then their people perished, and it was transferred from people to people. (Genealogy of Zubayd): Ibn Hisham said: Zubayd ibn Salama ibn Mazin ibn Munabbih ibn Sa'b ibn Sa'd al-'Ashira ibn Madhhij, and it is said Zubayd ibn Munabbih ibn Sa'b ibn Sa'd al-'Ashira, and it is said Zubayd ibn Sa'b. And Murad: Yuhabir ibn Madhhij. (Reason for 'Amr ibn Ma'dikarib's composing this poetry): Ibn Hisham said: Abu 'Ubayda narrated to me, saying: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, wrote to Salman ibn Rabi'a al-Bahili—and Bahila is ibn Ya'sur ibn Sa'd ibn Qays ibn 'Aylan—who was in Armenia, commanding him to give preference to owners of Arabian horses over owners of mixed-breed horses ²²⁶ in stipends. So he reviewed the horses, and the horse of 'Amr ibn Ma'dikarib passed by him. Salman said to him: This horse of yours is mixed-breed. So 'Amr became angry and said: A base-born recognizes his like. Then Qays leaped at him and threatened him, so 'Amr composed these verses ²²⁷. (The truth of the soothsaying of Satih ²²⁸ and Shiqq ²²⁹): Ibn Hisham said: This is what Satih the soothsayer meant by his saying: 'The Abyssinians will certainly descend upon your land, and they will certainly rule what is between Abyan ²³⁰ and Jurash ²³¹.' And what Shiqq the soothsayer meant by his saying: 'The blacks will certainly descend upon your land, and they will certainly overcome every tender-fingered girl ²³², and they will certainly rule what is between Abyan and Najran ²³³.' Abraha al-Ashram ²³⁴ gained mastery over the affairs of Yemen and killed Aryat. (What happened between Aryat and Abraha): Ibn Ishaq ²³⁵ said: Aryat remained in the land of Yemen for years in that authority of his. Then Abraha the Abyssinian—who was in his army—disputed with him over the command of the Abyssinians in Yemen, until the Abyssinians split over them. A faction of them joined each one. Then one of them marched against the other. When the people drew near, Abraha sent to Aryat: 'You gain nothing by having the Abyssinians fight each other until they annihilate themselves. So come out to me and I will come out to you, and whichever of us strikes his opponent, his army will join him.' So Aryat sent to him: 'You have been fair.' So Abraha came out to him. He was a short, fleshy, stout man ²³⁶, and he was religious in Christianity. And Aryat came out to him. He was a handsome, great, tall man, and in his hand was his spear. Behind Abraha was a slave of his, called 'Atwada ²³⁷, protecting his back. Aryat raised the spear and struck Abraha, aiming for his fontanelle ²³⁸, but the spear struck Abraha's forehead, splitting his eyebrow, nose, eye, and lip. For that he was called Abraha al-Ashram ²³⁹. And 'Atwada charged at Aryat from behind Abraha and killed him. Aryat's army joined Abraha, and the Abyssinians in Yemen united behind him. And Abraha paid blood money ²⁴⁰ for Aryat. (The Negus's ²⁴¹ anger at Abraha for killing Aryat, then his satisfaction with him): When that reached the Negus, he became very angry and said: 'He transgressed against my commander and killed him without my order.' Then he swore that he would not leave Abraha until he trod upon his land and cut his forelock. So Abraha shaved his head completely and filled a leather bag with soil from Yemen, then sent it to the Negus. Then he wrote to him: 'O king, Aryat was your slave, and I am your slave. We differed concerning your command, and each was obedient to you, except that I was stronger over the affairs of the Abyssinians, more controlling of them, and more managing than he. And I have shaved my entire head when I learned of the king's oath, and I have sent to him a bag of soil from my land, for him to place under his feet, so that his oath concerning me may be fulfilled.' When that reached the Negus, he was pleased with him and wrote to him: 'Remain in the land of Yemen until my command comes to you.' So Abraha stayed in Yemen. The affair of the Elephant ²⁴² and the story of the Nasa'a ²⁴³. (Building of al-Qullays ²⁴⁴): Then Abraha built al-Qullays in San'a' ²⁴⁵, building a church the like of which had not been seen in its time anywhere on earth. Then he wrote to the Negus: 'I have built for you, O king, a church the like of which was not built for any king before you, and I will not stop until I divert the pilgrimage of the Arabs to it.' When the Arabs heard of Abraha's letter to the Negus, a man from the Nasa'a, one of the Banu Fuqaym ibn 'Adi ibn 'Amir ibn Tha'laba ibn al-Harith ibn Malik ibn Kinana ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika ibn Ilyas from Mudar, became angry. (Meaning of al-Nasa'a): The Nasa'a were those who used to postpone the months among the Arabs in the Jahiliyya ²⁴⁶, making lawful a month from the sacred months and making sacred in its place a month from the profane months, and delaying that month. Concerning this, God, blessed and exalted, revealed: 'Indeed, the postponing [of sacred months] is an increase in disbelief, by which those who have disbelieved are led astray. They make it lawful one year and unlawful another year, to adjust the number of months which God has made sacred' (Qur'an 9:37). (Al-Muwata'a linguistically): Ibn Hisham said: 'Li-yuwati'u' means 'to agree.' Al-muwata'a is agreement. The Arabs say: 'Wata'tuka 'ala hadha al-amr,' i.e., I agreed with you on it. And al-i'ta' in poetry is agreement, which is the concurrence of two rhymes from the same word and same type, like the saying of al-'Ajjaj—and al-'Ajjaj's ²⁴⁷ name is 'Abd Allah ibn Ru'ba, one of the Banu Sa'd ibn Zayd ibn Manat ibn Tamim ibn Murr ibn Udd ibn Tabikha ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar: 'In the serpent of the possessed, the released' ²⁴⁸. Then he said: 'The extension of the canal ²⁴⁹ in the released canal.' These two lines are from a rajaz poem of his. (History of al-Nas' among the Arabs):

Ibn Ishaq said: The first who practiced the nasi' ²⁵⁰ of the months among the Arabs, making lawful what was lawful and unlawful what was unlawful, was al-Qalammas ²⁵¹, namely Hudhayfa ibn 'Abd ibn Fuqaym ibn 'Adi ibn 'Amir ibn Tha'laba ibn al-Harith ibn Malik ibn Kinana ibn Khuzayma. Then after him his son 'Abbad ibn Hudhayfa took over this office, then after 'Abbad: Qala' ibn 'Abbad, then after Qala': Umayya ibn Qala', then after Umayya: 'Awf ibn Umayya, then after 'Awf: Abu Thumama Junada ibn 'Awf, who was the last of them, and Islam came during his time ²⁵². When the Arabs had completed their pilgrimage, they would gather to him, and he would declare the four sacred months sacred: Rajab, Dhu al-Qa'da, Dhu al-Hijja, and al-Muharram. When he wished to make one of them profane, he would make al-Muharram profane and they would consider it profane, and in its place he would declare Safar sacred, so that they would maintain the count of four sacred months. When they wished to depart ²⁵³, he would stand among them and say: 'O God, I have made one of the two Safars lawful for You, the first Safar, and I have postponed the other for the coming year ²⁵⁴.' Concerning this, 'Umayr ibn Qays 'Jidhl al-Ta''an' ²⁵⁵, one of the Banu Firas ibn Ghanm ibn Tha'laba ibn Malik ibn Kinana, boasted of the nasi' over the Arabs: 'Ma'add ²⁵⁶ has known that my people are the noble ones of the people, that they have nobility. So which people have surpassed us in vengeance? And which people have we not bridled? Are we not those who practice the nasi' over Ma'add, making the profane months sacred?'

So 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib set off with him, along with some of his sons, until he reached the army. He asked about Dhū Nafr, who was a friend of his, and entered upon him while he was in his prison. He said to him: 'O Dhū Nafr, do you have any help for what has befallen us?' Dhū Nafr replied: 'What help can a prisoner give, in the hands of a king who expects to kill him morning or evening? I have no help for anything that has befallen you, except that Unays, the elephant driver, is a friend of mine. I will send to him and commend you to him, and emphasize your right, and ask him to seek permission for you to see the king, so that you may speak to him as you see fit. And he will intercede for you with him if he can.' He said: 'That is enough for me.' So Dhū Nafr sent to Unays, saying: 'Indeed, 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib is the chief of Quraysh, the master of the caravans of Mecca, who feeds people on the plain and wild beasts on the mountaintops. The king has taken two hundred camels from him. So seek permission for him to see the king, and help him with him as much as you can.' He said: 'I will do so.' So Unays spoke to Abraha, saying: 'O king, this is the chief of Quraysh at your door, seeking permission to see you. He is the master of the caravans of Mecca, who feeds people on the plain and wild beasts on the mountaintops. So grant him permission to see you, that he may speak to you about his need, and be good to him.' He said: So Abraha granted him permission. ('Abd al-Muṭṭalib, Ḥunāṭa, and Khuwaylid before Abraha) He said: 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib was the most handsome, most beautiful, and greatest of people. When Abraha saw him, he honored, magnified, and respected him too much to seat him beneath him, and he disliked that the Abyssinians should see him sitting with him on his throne. So Abraha descended from his throne, sat on his carpet, and seated him beside him on it. Then he said to his interpreter: 'Tell him: What is your need?' The interpreter said that to him, and he replied: 'My need is that the king return to me the two hundred camels he took from me.' When he said that, Abraha said to his interpreter: 'Tell him: I was impressed by you when I saw you, but then I became disappointed in you when you spoke to me. Do you speak to me about two hundred camels I took from you, and leave aside a house that is your religion and the religion of your fathers, which I have come to destroy? You do not speak to me about it!' 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib said to him: 'I am the lord of the camels, and the house has a Lord who will protect it.' He said: 'He cannot protect it from me.' He said: 'You and that.' And among what some scholars claim is that Ḥunāṭa, Ya'mur ibn Nufātha ibn 'Adī ibn al-Du'il ibn Bakr ibn Manāt ibn Kināna, who was then the chief of Banī Bakr, and Khuwaylid ibn Wāthila al-Hudhalī, who was then the chief of Hudhayl, went with 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib to Abraha when he sent for him. They offered Abraha one-third of the wealth of Tihāma on condition that he return from them and not destroy the house, but he refused them. God knows whether that happened or not. So Abraha returned to 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib the camels he had taken from him. ('Abd al-Muṭṭalib at the Ka'ba seeking God's help against Abraha) When they left him, 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib returned to Quraysh, told them the news, and ordered them to leave Mecca and take refuge in the mountain peaks and ravines, fearing for them from the harm of the army. Then 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib stood up, took hold of the ring of the door of the Ka'ba, and with him stood a group of Quraysh, calling upon God and seeking His help against Abraha and his army. 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib said, while holding the ring of the door of the Ka'ba: 'O God, the servant protects his own mount, so protect Your sacred precincts. Let not their cross and their guile overcome Your guile tomorrow.' (Al-Wāqidī added:) 'If You are going to leave them and our qibla, then do as You will.' Ibn Hishām said: This is what he confirmed of it. (Poetry of 'Ikrima in supplication against al-Aswad ibn Maqṣūd) Ibn Isḥāq said: 'Ikrima ibn 'Āmir ibn Hāshim ibn 'Abd Manāf ibn 'Abd al-Dār ibn Quṣayy said: 'O God, disgrace al-Aswad ibn Maqṣūd, Who took the herd with their necklaces, Between Ḥirā' and Thabīr and the desert, Holding them back while they were swift, Gathering them to dark-skinned barbarians. Disgrace him, O Lord, for You are praised.'

1. Ibn Hisham : Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham, a renowned early Muslim historian and biographer of the Prophet Muhammad, known for his recension of Ibn Ishaq's Sira.
2. Shayba : The original name of 'Abd al-Muttalib, meaning 'the old man' or 'the gray-haired'.
3. Fihr : An ancestor of the Quraysh tribe, also known as Quraysh himself according to some genealogists.
4. al-Nadr : Also known as Qays, an ancestor of the Quraysh.
5. 'Amir : The given name of Mudrika, meaning 'one who perceives'.
6. 'Adnan : The traditional ancestor of the northern Arabs, from whom the Prophet Muhammad's lineage is traced.
7. Udd, and it is said : A variant in the genealogy; some say 'Udd' while others say 'Udad'.
8. Udad : An alternative name for the ancestor between 'Adnan and Muqawwim.
9. Muqawwim : An ancestor in the lineage, meaning 'the one who establishes'.
10. Nabt : Son of Isma'il, considered the eldest and from whom the northern Arabs descend.
11. Tarikh : The name of Ibrahim's father, also known as Azar.
12. Azar : The name of Ibrahim's father, identified with Terah in the Bible.
13. Sarugh : An ancestor, corresponding to Serug in the Bible.
14. Ra'u : An ancestor, corresponding to Reu in the Bible.
15. Falakh : An ancestor, corresponding to Peleg in the Bible.
16. 'Aybar : An ancestor, corresponding to Eber in the Bible.
17. Shalakh : An ancestor, corresponding to Shelah in the Bible.
18. Arfakhshad : An ancestor, corresponding to Arpachshad in the Bible.
19. Lamk : An ancestor, corresponding to Lamech in the Bible.
20. Mutawashlikh : An ancestor, corresponding to Methuselah in the Bible.
21. Mahlayil : An ancestor, corresponding to Mahalalel in the Bible.
22. Qaynan : An ancestor, corresponding to Kenan in the Bible.
23. Ziyad : Ziyad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Bakka'i, a narrator of Ibn Ishaq's Sira.
24. Muhammad ibn Ishaq : The famous early biographer of the Prophet Muhammad, whose work 'Sirat Rasul Allah' is the basis for Ibn Hisham's recension.
25. Asragh : A variant name in the genealogy, possibly corresponding to Serug.
26. Arfakhshad : Same as note 18; a variant spelling.
27. Qayin : An ancestor, corresponding to Kenan; a variant of Qaynan.
28. Qaydhar : A son of Isma'il, traditionally considered the ancestor of the northern Arabs, corresponding to Kedar in the Bible.
29. Adhbul : A son of Isma'il, possibly corresponding to Adbeel in the Bible.
30. Mabishsh : A son of Isma'il, possibly corresponding to Mibsam in the Bible.
31. Mashi : A son of Isma'il, possibly corresponding to Mishma in the Bible.
32. Dimma : A son of Isma'il, possibly corresponding to Dumah in the Bible.
33. Adhar : A son of Isma'il, possibly corresponding to Hadar in the Bible.
34. Tayma : A son of Isma'il, corresponding to Tema in the Bible.
35. Yatur : A son of Isma'il, corresponding to Jetur in the Bible.
36. Nabish : A son of Isma'il, possibly corresponding to Naphish in the Bible.
37. Qaydhuma : A son of Isma'il, possibly corresponding to Kedemah in the Bible.
38. Ra'la : The wife of Isma'il, from the Jurhum tribe; also said to be named Midad's daughter.
39. Yaqtan is : Ibn Ishaq identifies Yaqtan with Qahtan, the ancestor of the southern Arabs.
40. al-Hijr : The semicircular area adjacent to the Kaaba in Mecca, also known as the Hijr of Isma'il.
41. Ibn Lahi'a : 'Abd Allah ibn Lahi'a, a narrator from Egypt, known for his transmissions.
42. Ghufra : A freed slave of the Prophet's family, a narrator of hadith.
43. dhimma : A covenant of protection for non-Muslims living under Islamic rule.
44. tasarra : To take a concubine; the Prophet had a concubine named Mariya from Egypt.
45. Umm al-'Arab : A village in Egypt, literally 'Mother of the Arabs'.
46. al-Farama : An ancient city in Egypt, identified with Pelusium.
47. Mariya : Mariya al-Qibtiyya, a Coptic slave girl gifted to the Prophet, who bore him a son, Ibrahim.
48. Hafn : A village in Upper Egypt.
49. Ansina : A district in Upper Egypt, also known as Antinoopolis.
50. 'Abir : An ancestor, corresponding to Eber; father of Thamud and Jadhis according to this genealogy.
51. 'Adnan ibn Udad : The lineage from 'Adnan to Isma'il; note the variant 'Udd' earlier.
52. Zayd : A common name in genealogies; here it is a link in the chain of descent.
53. Humaysi' : A name in the genealogy; variant readings exist.
54. 'Arib : A name in the genealogy; possibly a variant of 'Arib or 'Urayb.
55. Ash'ar : The eponymous ancestor of the Ash'ari tribe; his identity is disputed.
56. ibn : Arabic for 'son of'; used in genealogies.
57. talabbaqū : They were nicknamed; here referring to being called Ghassan.
58. Ma'rib : An ancient city in Yemen, site of the famous dam.
59. al-Mushallal : A location near Mecca, possibly a valley.
60. al-Juhfa : A place near Mecca, a miqat for pilgrimage.
61. sharibū minhu : They drank from it; i.e., they used that water source.
62. al-Asad : Here al-Asad is a personal name, not the lion.
63. al-Asdu nisbatunā wa al-mā'u Ghassānu : A line of poetry: 'Al-Asad is our lineage, and the water is Ghassan.'
64. al-Ghawth : A personal name in the genealogy.
65. 'Udthan : A variant name for 'Akk or a related figure.
66. 'Abd Allah : A common name; here a link in the genealogy.
67. Ma'add ibn 'Adnan : A key figure in Arab genealogy, ancestor of the northern Arabs.
68. bikr : Firstborn; used to indicate the eldest son.
69. sabā : He took captives; the name Saba' is derived from this verb.
70. Yashjub : A name in the genealogy of the southern Arabs.
71. Himyar : An ancient South Arabian kingdom; also an eponymous ancestor.
72. 'Amr ibn Murra : A poet from the Juhayna tribe.
73. al-Hāf : A name in the genealogy of Quda'a.
74. al-hijān al-azhar : The noble, pure, radiant one; epithets for the ancestor.
75. Himyar : Here Himyar is the ancestor, not the kingdom.
76. al-minbar : The pulpit; refers to the pulpit of the Prophet's mosque in Medina.
77. al-Nu'mān : Al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir, the Lakhmid king of al-Hira.
78. sallahahu : He armed him with it; i.e., gave him the sword as a gift.
79. ashlā' : Remnants; used for the remaining descendants of a tribe.
80. Qunus ibn Ma'add : A son of Ma'add whose line is said to have produced al-Nu'man.
81. Rabi'a ibn Nasr : A king of Yemen from the tribe of Lakhm.
82. juradh : A rat or mole; an animal that digs.
83. sijāl : Alternating; i.e., the battles were back and forth.
84. katabnā : We have recorded; refers to the verse cited earlier.
85. Marr : A place near Mecca; also called Marr al-Zahran.
86. al-Sarāt : A mountain range in western Arabia.
87. al-mu'tasī : One who seeks to follow an example.
88. al-'arim : The dam; specifically the Ma'rib dam.
89. lam yarim : Did not cease; i.e., the water flow was continuous.
90. ayādī : Hands; metaphor for being powerless.
91. ṭifl fuṭim : A weaned child; i.e., even a small child could not get water.
92. al-'arimā : The dam; variant form of al-'arim.
93. Tubba' : Title of Himyarite kings of Yemen.
94. augur : A diviner who interprets omens, often from bird flight.
95. Satih : A famous pre-Islamic soothsayer (kahin) known for his cryptic predictions.
96. Shiqq : Another famous pre-Islamic soothsayer, often paired with Satih.
97. Qasr : A tribal name; variant reading Qasr or Qusr.
98. Nizar : Ancestor of the northern Arab tribes.
99. Lahyan : A tribal name; also read as Lahyan or Lihyan.
100. Nabt : A name; also read as Nabt or Nabat.
101. al-Ghawth : A tribal name; also read as al-Ghawth or al-Ghaws.
102. embers : Literally 'humamah', meaning glowing coals or embers, symbolizing fire or destruction.
103. darkness : Literally 'zulmah', meaning darkness, symbolizing obscurity or evil.
104. lowland : Literally 'Tihamah', the coastal lowland of western Arabia.
105. head : Literally 'jumjumah', meaning skull or head, referring to living beings.
106. two lava fields : Refers to the Harrah, volcanic black rock fields near Medina.
107. Abyssinians : People from Abyssinia (Ethiopia), who invaded Yemen.
108. Abyan : A region in southern Yemen, near Aden.
109. Jurash : A town in northern Yemen, near the border with Saudi Arabia.
110. Iram : A Himyarite king; also read as Iram or Yaram.
111. Dhi Yazan : A Himyarite dynasty; Dhi Yazan is a title meaning 'possessor of Yazan'.
112. prophet : Referring to the Prophet Muhammad, as predicted by the soothsayers.
113. blacks : Refers to the Abyssinians (Ethiopians), who were dark-skinned.
114. tender-fingered : Literally 'tiflatu al-banani', meaning delicate-fingered, referring to women or children.
115. ignoble : Literally 'mudannin', meaning base or lowly.
116. doubt : The word 'amdi' is explained by Ibn Hisham as meaning doubt in Himyarite, and by Abu 'Amr as false.
117. Tibban As'ad : A Himyarite king; Tibban is a title, As'ad his name.
118. Kuli Karib : A name; also read as Kuli Karib or Kula Karib.
119. Dhi al-Adh'ar : Title meaning 'possessor of the locks' or 'of the forelocks'.
120. Dhi al-Manar : Title meaning 'possessor of the lighthouse' or 'of the beacon'.
121. 'Adi : A name; also read as 'Adi or 'Adiyy.
122. Kahf al-Zulm : Title meaning 'cave of oppression' or 'refuge of darkness'.
123. al-'Aranjaj : A name; also read as al-'Aranjaj or al-'Aranjaj, identified with Himyar.
124. Qahtan : Ancestor of the southern Arabs, considered the father of the Yemeni tribes.
125. Sacred House : The Kaaba in Mecca.
126. before : The text says his reign was before Rabi'a ibn Nasr, but chronologically it is after; possibly a textual error.
127. nakhlihā : Palm trees, a key agricultural resource in Medina.
128. al-Anṣār : The Helpers, the Medinan converts who supported the Prophet Muhammad after the Hijra.
129. Zuraiq : A clan of the Khazraj tribe in Medina.
130. ʿadhaq : A palm tree, specifically a date palm.
131. yajudduhu : Cutting or harvesting dates from the palm tree.
132. abbarahu : Pollinated it; refers to the artificial pollination of date palms.
133. yaqrūnahu : They hosted him, i.e., provided hospitality.
134. al-Najjām : A Jewish tribe or clan in Medina.
135. Hadalu : A name or epithet for a Jewish clan.
136. al-Tawʾamān : The Twin; a proper name in the genealogy.
137. Qāhith : Biblical Kohath, son of Levi.
138. al-Ḥaram : The Sacred Sanctuary in Mecca.
139. b. ʿAbd : Ibn Hisham's insertion to complete the lineage.
140. rabāʿiyya : A war lasting four years or occurring in the fourth year.
141. ʿadwan : Hostilely, aggressively.
142. al-Zuhara : The planet Venus; used here as a time marker or poetic reference.
143. faylaq : A large army or military division.
144. dhafira : Fragrant; describing the soldiers' bodies or armor.
145. al-Najara : Variant of al-Najjar, the clan name.
146. tira : Blood revenge or vendetta.
147. al-ghabya al-nathira : A heavy downpour or scattered rain.
148. mallā : May Allah prolong or grant; a supplication.
149. sāmī : Towering, exalted, high in status.
150. ʿUsfān wa Amaj : Two locations near Mecca on the road to Yemen.
151. al-khaṣaf : Palm-leaf mats used for roofing or covering.
152. al-Maʿāfir : A type of Yemeni garment or cloth.
153. al-mulāʾ wa al-waṣāʾil : Fine linen and striped cloth; luxurious fabrics.
154. awwalu man kasā al-bayt : The first to clothe the Kaaba; a historical claim.
155. miʾlāh : A menstrual cloth or rag.
156. al-maḥāyiḍ : Places of menstruation; i.e., menstrual cloths.
157. bāban wa miftāḥan : A door and a key; indicating institutionalized care.
158. al-Aḥabb : A proper name; possibly meaning 'the beloved'.
159. Zabīna : A proper name; a clan or person.
160. tubbaʿan : Referring to the Yemeni king Tubba'.
161. yabūr : Perishes, is ruined.
162. al-ʿuṣm : Mountain goats or ibexes.
163. Thabīr : A mountain near Mecca.
164. al-Ḥabīr : A type of fine striped Yemeni cloth, often used for covering the Kaaba.
165. al-Mahārī : A breed of swift camels, also known as Mahri camels, prized for speed.
166. al-Jazūr : A camel that is slaughtered for food; a sacrificial camel.
167. ar-Raḥīḍ : A drink made from barley, possibly a type of beer or fermented beverage.
168. al-Aʿājim : Non-Arabs, especially Persians; often used to refer to the Persian Empire.
169. al-Khazīr : A dish made from meat and flour, similar to porridge or stew.
170. lā tuʿrabu : The rhymes are not inflected; i.e., they are treated as pausal forms and not given full grammatical endings.
171. maṣāḥif : Scriptures; here referring to copies of the Torah.
172. dhamarahum : Rebuked or urged them; from the root dhamara meaning to blame or incite.
173. uṣfiqat : Agreed or submitted; literally 'clapped' or 'applauded', but here meaning they consented.
174. Ri'ām : A famous temple in Yemen, possibly dedicated to a deity, later destroyed by the two rabbis.
175. bayt : House; here meaning a temple or sanctuary.
176. Dhū Ruʿayn : A Himyarite noble; his name means 'the one of the two peaks' or similar.
177. maqāwil : Chieftains or leaders; plural of maqwal, a Himyarite term for a tribal chief.
178. Labāb Labāb : A Himyarite phrase meaning 'No harm, no harm' or 'It's fine, it's fine'.
179. bi-lughati Ḥimyar : In the language of Himyar; the Himyarite dialect of Arabic.
180. al-ḥuzāh : Diviners or soothsayers; those who practice augury.
181. al-ʿarrāfīn : Fortune-tellers or seers; those who claim knowledge of the unseen.
182. maraja : Became disordered or confused; from the root maraja meaning to mix or confuse.
183. Lakhnīʿa : A name meaning 'the base' or 'the ignoble'; a derogatory epithet.
184. Dhū Shanātir : A title meaning 'the one with the lips' or 'the one with the cleft lip'.
185. mashraba : An upper chamber or a place for drinking; here a secluded room.
186. Dhū Nuwās : A famous Himyarite king, known for his persecution of Christians; his name means 'the one with the locks of hair'.
187. wasīm : Comely or handsome; having a pleasing appearance.
188. waja'ahu : Stabbed or pierced him; from the root waja'a meaning to cause pain.
189. al-kuwwa : A niche or alcove in a wall; a small opening.
190. araṭbun am yabās : A metaphorical question: 'Is it ripe (i.e., ready for intercourse) or dry (i.e., not ready)?'
191. Nakhmas : A name; possibly a guard or attendant.
192. istarṭabān : Has ripened; a Himyarite word meaning 'he has become ripe' i.e., ready for the act.
193. lā bās : No harm; a phrase meaning 'it's fine' or 'no problem'.
194. nakhmas : A Himyarite word meaning 'head'.
195. al-ukhdud : The ditch; refers to the story of the persecution of Christians in Najran, where a trench filled with fire was used to execute them.
196. Faymiyun : A Christian missionary who brought Christianity to Najran; possibly a variant of 'Phemion' or 'Fimion'.
197. al-tinnin : A dragon or serpent, often depicted with multiple heads in Arabian lore.
198. fa 'ila 'awlu : An expression meaning 'he was greatly distressed' or 'his distress became extreme'.
199. al-'abd : Here means 'servant' or 'slave', but in context refers to a person afflicted with illness or disability.
200. intashata : Means 'he quickly removed' or 'he snatched away'.
201. anzuruka : The text has 'anzuruka' (I look at you) but the context suggests 'I have been watching for you'.
202. ja'afatha : Means 'uprooted it' or 'threw it down'.
203. al-ism al-a'zam : The Greatest Name of God, believed to have special power when invoked.
204. qidḥ : An arrow or lot used for divination or writing names.
205. al-ism al-aʿẓam : The Greatest Name of God, believed to have special power.
206. imām : Leader, especially in religious matters.
207. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Bakr ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr ibn Ḥazm : A narrator of traditions from Medina.
208. Daws Dhū Thaʿlabān : A man from Sabaʾ who escaped the massacre.
209. al-Najāshī : The title of the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
210. Ghumdān : A famous fortress in Yemen.
211. al-yusr : Ease; here possibly a proper name or a personification.
212. Dhu Nuwas : A Himyarite king who persecuted Christians and was defeated by the Abyssinians.
213. Ibn al-Dhi'ba al-Thaqafi : A poet from Thaqif; his mother was al-Dhi'ba.
214. suhra : Refuge or protection.
215. wazar : Shelter or refuge.
216. Himyar : An ancient South Arabian tribe that ruled Yemen.
217. Dhat al-'Abar : A place name; possibly a location of a battle.
218. hurraba : A type of military formation or a large number; possibly a banner.
219. al-muqrabat : Swift horses or mounts.
220. al-dhafar : Stench; here referring to a foul smell used to repel enemies.
221. sa'ali : Plural of sa'la, meaning a group or crowd; possibly a type of warrior.
222. 'Amr ibn Ma'dikarib : A famous pre-Islamic and early Islamic poet and warrior from Zubayd.
223. Qays ibn Makshuh al-Muradi : A companion of the Prophet and a leader from Murad.
224. Dhu Ru'ayn : A Himyarite king; Ru'ayn is a place or tribe.
225. 'Ad : An ancient Arabian tribe mentioned in the Qur'an as destroyed for their disbelief.
226. al-muqarif : Mixed-breed horse; from qarafa, to mix.
227. al-abyat : Verses of poetry.
228. Satih : A famous pre-Islamic soothsayer (kahin) known for his prophecies.
229. Shiqq : Another famous pre-Islamic soothsayer.
230. Abyan : A region in Yemen.
231. Jurash : A town in Yemen.
232. tiflati al-banani : Tender-fingered girl; a metaphor for young women.
233. Najran : A city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border.
234. Abraha al-Ashram : An Abyssinian viceroy of Yemen; al-Ashram means 'the one with a split nose/lip'.
235. Ibn Ishaq : Muhammad ibn Ishaq, an early Muslim historian and author of a biography of the Prophet.
236. lahiman hadiran : Fleshy and stout; describing a short, thick-set person.
237. 'Atwada : A slave of Abraha; name possibly means 'gift'.
238. yafukh : Fontanelle; the soft spot on an infant's skull, here used for the top of the head.
239. al-Ashram : The one with a split nose or lip; a nickname for Abraha.
240. wada : Blood money; compensation paid for killing.
241. al-Najashi : The Negus, the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
242. al-Fil : The Elephant; refers to the Year of the Elephant when Abraha attacked Mecca with elephants.
243. al-Nasa'a : Those who practiced nas', the intercalation or postponement of months in the pre-Islamic calendar.
244. al-Qullays : A church built by Abraha in San'a'; from Greek ekklesia.
245. San'a' : The capital of Yemen.
246. al-Jahiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance.
247. al-'Ajjaj : A famous pre-Islamic and early Islamic poet known for his rajaz poetry.
248. al-mursal : Released; here part of a poetic line.
249. al-khalij : Canal or channel; here used metaphorically.
250. nasi' : The practice of intercalating or postponing months to adjust the lunar calendar, often for political or religious reasons.
251. al-Qalammas : A title meaning 'the one who intercalates' or 'the one who postpones', referring to the person responsible for the nasi'.
252. Islam came during his time : Meaning that the advent of Islam occurred while he held the office of nasi'.
253. when they wished to depart : Referring to the departure from the pilgrimage rites.
254. postponed the other for the coming year : The practice of postponing the sacred month of Muharram to a later time, effectively shifting the calendar.
255. Jidhl al-Ta''an : A nickname meaning 'the root of the stabber' or 'the stump of the striker', indicating a fierce warrior.
256. Ma'add : A collective term for the northern Arab tribes, often considered the ancestors of the Adnanite Arabs.

The narration of the pure lineage from Muhammad, may God bless him and his family and grant them peace, to Adam, peace be upon him.

Ibn Hisham said: This is what he verified from it, and al-ṭamāṭim ¹ are the ʿalāj ². Ibn Isḥāq said: Then ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib released the ring of the door of the Kaʿba, and he and those with him from Quraysh went to the mountain peaks and took refuge there, waiting to see what Abraha would do to Mecca when he entered it. (Abraha's entry into Mecca, what happened to him and his elephant, and Nufayl's poetry about that): When morning came, Abraha prepared to enter Mecca, readied his elephant and marshaled ³ his army. The elephant's name was Maḥmūd, and Abraha was determined to destroy the House and then return to Yemen. When they directed the elephant toward Mecca, Nufayl ⁴ ibn Ḥabīb al-Khathʿamī ⁵ came forward until he stood beside the elephant, then took its ear and said: "Kneel, Maḥmūd, or return safely from where you came, for you are in the sacred land of Allah." Then he released its ear. The elephant knelt ⁶, and Nufayl ibn Ḥabīb went out running until he ascended ⁷ the mountain. They struck the elephant to make it stand, but it refused. They struck its head with a tabarzīn ⁸ to make it stand, but it refused. They inserted their maḥājin ⁹ into its soft parts ¹⁰ and pierced ¹¹ it with them to make it stand, but it refused. They turned it back toward Yemen, and it stood and trotted. They turned it toward Syria, and it did the same. They turned it toward the east, and it did the same. They turned it toward Mecca, and it knelt. Then Allah Almighty sent upon them birds from the sea like swallows and balasān ¹², each bird carrying three stones: one stone in its beak and two stones in its claws, like chickpeas and lentils. They did not strike anyone among them without destroying him, though not all of them were struck. They fled, rushing along the road from which they had come, asking about Nufayl ibn Ḥabīb to guide them to the road to Yemen ¹³. Nufayl said when he saw what Allah had inflicted upon them of His vengeance: "Where is the escape, when the God is the Pursuer? / And al-Ashram ¹⁴ is vanquished, not the victor." Ibn Hisham said: His saying "not the victor" is from other than Ibn Isḥāq. Ibn Isḥāq said: Nufayl also said: "O, may you be greeted from us, O Rudaynā ¹⁵! / We have favored you ¹⁶ with the morning as an eye. A firebrand ¹⁷ came to us from you at evening, / But your firebrand was not available to us. Rudaynā, if you had seen—but you will not see— / Beside al-Muḥaṣṣab ¹⁸ what we saw, You would have excused me and praised my affair, / And not grieved over what passed between us. I praised Allah when I saw birds, / And feared stones thrown upon us. And all the people ask about Nufayl, / As if I owe a debt to the Abyssinians." So they left, falling along every road, perishing at every place of destruction at every watering hole. Abraha was afflicted in his body, and they carried him with them, his fingers ¹⁹ falling off one by one ²⁰; whenever a finger fell, a pus-filled matter ²¹ followed it, oozing ²² pus and blood, until they brought him to Ṣanʿāʾ while he was like a fledgling bird. He did not die until his chest split open from his heart, as they claim. Ibn Isḥāq said: Yaʿqūb ²³ ibn ʿUtba told me that he was told: The first time measles and smallpox were seen in the land of the Arabs was that year, and that the first time the bitter plants ²⁴ of ḥarmal ²⁵, ḥanẓal ²⁶, and ʿushar ²⁷ were seen there was that year. (What is mentioned in the Qur'an about the story of the elephant, and Ibn Hisham's explanation of its vocabulary): Ibn Isḥāq said: When Allah Almighty sent Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, part of the favor and grace that Allah counted upon Quraysh was what He turned away from them of the matter of the Abyssinians, for the preservation of their affair and their term. So Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said: "Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant? Did He not make their plan go astray? And He sent against them birds in flocks ²⁸, pelting them with stones of baked clay ²⁹, and He made them like eaten straw ³⁰" (105:1-5). And He said: "For the ilāf ³¹ of Quraysh, their ilāf of the winter and summer journey, let them worship the Lord of this House, who has fed them against hunger and made them secure from fear" (106:1-4). That is, so that nothing would change their state which they were in, because of the good that Allah intended for them if they had accepted it. Ibn Hisham said: al-abābīl ²⁸ are groups, and the Arabs have not used a singular form for it that we know of. As for al-sijjīl ²⁹, Yūnus al-Naḥwī and Abū ʿUbayda told me that according to the Arabs it means the hard, solid. Ruʾba ibn al-ʿAjjāj said: "And what touched the companions of the elephant touched them, / pelting them with stones of sijjīl, / and birds played with them in flocks." These verses are in a rajaz poem of his. Some exegetes mentioned that they are two Persian words that the Arabs made into one word, namely sanj and gil, meaning by sanj: stone, and gil: clay. That is, stones of these two types: stone and clay. al-ʿaṣf ³⁰ is the leaf of the crop that has not been stalked, and its singular is ʿaṣfa. He said: Abū ʿUbayda al-Naḥwī told me that it is called al-ʿuṣāfa and al-ʿaṣīfa. He recited to me from ʿAlqama ibn ʿAbada, one of the Banū Rabīʿa ibn Mālik ibn Zayd ibn Manāt ibn Tamīm: "Watering places ³² whose straw ³³ has bent, / their downhill ³⁴ from one who comes ³⁵ to the water is blocked." This verse is in a poem of his. And the rajaz poet said: "So they became like eaten straw." Ibn Hisham said: This verse has a grammatical explanation ³⁶. And ilāf Quraysh ³¹ is their ilāf of going out to Syria for their trade, and they had two journeys: a journey in winter and a journey in summer. Abū Zayd al-Anṣārī told me that the Arabs say: aliftu al-shayʾa ilfan, and ālaftuhu īlāfan, with the same meaning. He recited to me from Dhū al-Rumma: "From those that are familiar with ³⁷ the sand, a free, dark one, / the midday heat in her color becomes clear." This verse is in a poem of his. And Maṭrūd ibn Kaʿb al-Khuzāʿī said: "Those who bestow favors when the stars change, / and those who depart for the journey of ilāf." This verse is in some verses of his that I will mention in their place, if Allah Almighty wills. al-īlāf also means that a person has an alf ³⁸ of camels, or cattle, or sheep, or other things. It is said: ālafa fulānun īlāfan. Al-Kumayt ibn Zayd, one of the Banū Asad ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika ibn Ilyās ibn Muḍar ibn Nizār ibn Maʿadd, said: "In a year that those who have an alf ³⁸ say: / This is the one that makes us rich ³⁹ and abundant ⁴⁰." This verse is in a poem of his. al-īlāf also means that a group becomes a thousand. It is said: ālafa al-qawmu īlāfan. Al-Kumayt ibn Zayd said: "And the family of Muzayqiyāʾ, on the day they met / the Banū Saʿd ibn Ḍabba, making us a thousand ⁴¹." This verse is in a poem of his. al-īlāf also means that you attach something to something so that it becomes familiar with it and adheres to it. It is said: ālaftuhu iyyāhu īlāfan. al-īlāf also means that you make what is less than a thousand into a thousand. It is said: ālaftuhu īlāfan. (What befell the elephant's driver and keeper): Ibn Isḥāq said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Bakr told me, from ʿAmra ⁴² bint ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Saʿd ⁴³ ibn Zurāra, from ʿĀʾisha, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: I saw the elephant's driver and its keeper in Mecca as two blind and crippled men begging from people. (What was said in poetry about the elephant) (The Arabs' veneration of Quraysh after the elephant incident):

Ibn Ishaq said: When Allah repelled the Abyssinians from Mecca and inflicted upon them the punishment He did, the Arabs held Quraysh in great esteem and said, 'They are the people of Allah; Allah fought on their behalf and spared them the burden of their enemy.' They composed poems about what Allah had done to the Abyssinians and how He had thwarted their plot against Quraysh. (Poetry of Ibn al-Ziba'ra on the Year of the Elephant) 'Abdullah ibn al-Ziba'ra ibn 'Adi ibn Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'd ⁴⁴ ibn Sahm ibn 'Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr said: They retreated ⁴⁵ from the valley of Mecca, for indeed Its sanctuary was inviolable from ancient times. The star Sirius was not created on the nights it was forbidden, When no noble among mankind could approach it ⁴⁶. Ask the commander of the army what he saw, And soon its knowledgeable one will inform the ignorant. Sixty thousand did not return to their land ⁴⁷, And none of its sick survived after the return ⁴⁸. There were 'Ad and Jurhum before them ⁴⁹, And Allah above His servants establishes it. Ibn Ishaq said: By his words 'after the return, its sick,' Ibn al-Ziba'ra meant Abraha, for they carried him with them when he was struck by what struck him, until he died in San'a'. (Poetry of Ibn al-Aslat on the Year of the Elephant) Abu Qays ibn al-Aslat al-Ansari, then al-Khatmi, whose name was Sayfi, said: Ibn Hisham said: Abu Qays was Sayfi ibn al-Aslat ibn Jusham ibn Wa'il ibn Zayd ibn Qays ibn 'Amira ⁵⁰ ibn Murra ibn Malik ibn al-Aws: And from His doing on the day of the elephant of the Abyssinians, Whenever they urged it on, it knelt down ⁵¹. Their goads were under its belly, And they slit its nose, so it was cut off ⁵². They made its whip a dagger ⁵³, When they aimed at its back, it was wounded. So it turned and retreated in its tracks, And he who was there incurred injustice. Then He sent from above them a storm of pebbles, And wrapped them up like the wrapping of a bundle ⁵⁴. Their priests urged patience, But they bleated like the bleating of sheep ⁵⁵. Ibn Hisham said: These verses are from a poem of his. The poem is also attributed to Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt. Ibn Ishaq said: Abu Qays ibn al-Aslat also said: So stand and pray to your Lord and wipe yourselves Against the corners of this House among the rugged hills ⁵⁶. For you have from Him a confirmed proof On the morning of Abu Yaksum, the leader of the battalions. His battalion spends the evening on the plain ⁵⁷, and his foot soldiers On the heights ⁵⁸ atop the mountain passes. When the help of the Lord of the Throne came to you, He repelled them, The armies of the King amidst dust and storm ⁵⁹. So they fled swiftly, and none returned To his family from the Abyssinians ⁶⁰ except scattered groups ⁶¹. Ibn Hisham said: Abu Zayd al-Ansari recited to me his words: 'On the heights atop the mountain passes.' These verses are from a poem of Abu Qays, which I will mention in its place, Allah willing. His words 'on the morning of Abu Yaksum' refer to Abraha, who was nicknamed Abu Yaksum. (Poetry of Talib on the Year of the Elephant) Ibn Ishaq said: Talib ibn Abi Talib ⁶² ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib said: Do you not know what happened in the war of Dahis ⁶³ And the army of Abu Yaksum when they filled the mountain pass ⁶⁴? Had it not been for Allah's defense, nothing else, You would have been unable to protect your livestock ⁶⁵. Ibn Hisham said: These two verses are from a poem of his on the day of Badr, which I will mention in its place, Allah Almighty willing. (Poetry of Abu al-Salt on the Year of the Elephant) Ibn Ishaq said: Abu al-Salt ibn Abi Rabi'a al-Thaqafi said concerning the elephant, mentioning the Hanifiyya ⁶⁶, the religion of Abraham, peace be upon him. Ibn Hisham said: It is attributed to Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt ibn Abi Rabi'a al-Thaqafi: Indeed, the signs of our Lord are clear ⁶⁷, None disputes them except the disbeliever. The night and day were created, and each Has a manifest reckoning, decreed. Then a merciful Lord brings forth the day With a brilliant radiance, its glow spreading ⁶⁸. The elephant was detained at al-Mughammas until It crawled as if it were hamstrung. Clinging to the ring of its chest like A rock rolled down from a mountain ⁶⁹. Around it were kings of Kinda, heroes, Brave ⁷⁰ in wars, like hawks. They abandoned it and scattered ⁷¹ all together, Each with the bone of his leg broken. Every religion on the Day of Resurrection, except The religion of Hanifiyya ⁷², is worthless ⁷³. (Poetry of al-Farazdaq on the Year of the Elephant) Ibn Hisham said: Al-Farazdaq—whose name was Hammam ibn Ghalib, one of the Banu Mujashi' ibn Darim ibn Malik ibn Hanzala ibn Malik ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim—said, praising Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, satirizing al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, and mentioning the elephant and its army: When al-Hajjaj became tyrannical, when his wealth ⁷⁴ made him tyrannical, He said, 'I am ascending the ladders.' So he was like the son of Noah who said, 'I will ascend To a mountain that will protect me from the water.' Allah cast into his body something like what He cast Against the white qibla ⁷⁵, the inviolable sanctuary, Armies driving the elephant until He turned them Into dust, though they were arrogant ⁷⁶. You were helped as the House was helped when its elephant was driven To it by the great polytheist of the non-Arabs. These verses are from a poem of his. (Poetry of Ibn al-Ruqayyat on the Year of the Elephant) Ibn Hisham said: 'Abdullah ibn Qays al-Ruqayyat, one of the Banu 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib, said, mentioning Abraha—who was al-Ashram—and the elephant: Al-Ashram plotted against it, who came with the elephant, But he turned back, his army defeated. The birds showered them with pebbles Until he became as if stoned ⁷⁷. Whoever among people attacks it will return Broken ⁷⁸ and despised from the armies. These verses are from a poem of his. (The rule of Yaksum, then Masruq, over Yemen) Ibn Ishaq said: When Abraha died, the Abyssinians appointed his son Yaksum ibn Abraha as king—after whom he was nicknamed. When Yaksum ibn Abraha died, his brother Masruq ibn Abraha ruled Yemen among the Abyssinians. The departure of Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan and the rule of Wahriz over Yemen (Ibn Dhi Yazan before Caesar) When the affliction upon the people of Yemen became prolonged, Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari—who was nicknamed Abu Murra—set out until he came to Caesar, the king of the Romans. He complained to him about their situation and asked him to expel the Abyssinians and take over Yemen himself, sending whomever he wished from the Romans, so that he would have the rule of Yemen. But Caesar did not relieve him [and he found nothing with him of what he wanted] ⁷⁹. (Al-Nu'man's mediation for Ibn Dhi Yazan before Kisra) So he left until he came to al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir, who was Kisra's ⁸⁰ governor over al-Hira and the adjoining lands of Iraq. He complained to him about the Abyssinians. Al-Nu'man said to him: 'I have an audience with Kisra every year, so stay until that time.' He did so, then he went with him and brought him before Kisra. Kisra used to sit in the iwan of his audience hall, where his crown was. His crown was like a great qanqal ⁸¹—as they claim—studded with rubies, pearls, and emeralds set in gold and silver, suspended by a golden chain from the top of an arch in that hall. His neck could not bear the crown; he would be covered with clothes until he sat in that hall, then he would insert his head into the crown. When he was seated, the clothes were removed, and no one who had not seen him before would see him without prostrating out of awe. When Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan entered upon him, he prostrated. (Ibn Dhi Yazan before Kisra, and Kisra's assistance to him) Ibn Hisham said: Abu 'Ubayda narrated to me:

When Sayf entered upon him, he lowered his head. The king said: 'This fool enters upon me through this tall door, then lowers his head?' That was said to Sayf, who replied: 'I did this only because of my grief, for it narrows everything.' Ibn Ishaq said: Then he said to him: 'O king, the foreigners have overcome us in our land.' Kisra asked him: 'Which foreigners: the Abyssinians or the Sind?' He said: 'Rather the Abyssinians. I have come to you so that you may help me, and the rule of my land will be yours.' He said: 'Your land is distant, with little good, and I would not expose a Persian army to the land of the Arabs. I have no need of that.' Then he gave him ten thousand full dirhams ⁸² and clothed him with a fine garment. When Sayf received that from him, he went out and began to scatter those coins among the people. This reached the king, who said: 'This man has a matter.' Then he sent for him and said: 'You took the king's gift and scattered it to the people?' He said: 'What should I do with this? The mountains of my land from which I came are nothing but gold and silver'—making him desire it. Kisra gathered his marzubans ⁸³ and said to them: 'What do you see concerning this man and what he has come for?' One speaker said: 'O king, in your prisons there are men whom you have imprisoned for execution. If you were to send them with him, if they perish, that is what you intended for them; and if they triumph, it is a kingdom you have added.' So Kisra sent with him those who were in his prisons, and they were eight hundred men. (Warz and Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan and their victory over Masruq, and what was said in poetry about that): He appointed over them a man called Warz, who was advanced in age among them and the noblest in lineage and house. They set out in eight ships; two ships sank, and six ships reached the coast of Aden ⁸⁴. Sayf gathered to Warz whoever he could from his people and said to him: 'My foot is with your foot until we die together or triumph together.' Warz said to him: 'You have been fair.' Masruq ibn Abraha, the king of Yemen, came out against him and gathered his army. Warz sent a son of his to fight them and test their fighting; Warz's son was killed, which increased his rage against them. When the people stood in battle array, Warz said: 'Show me their king.' They said to him: 'Do you see a man on an elephant, his crown tied on his head, with a red ruby between his eyes?' He said: 'Yes.' They said: 'That is their king.' He said: 'Leave him.' They waited a long time, then he said: 'What is he on?' They said: 'He has moved to a horse.' He said: 'Leave him.' They waited a long time, then he said: 'What is he on?' They said: 'He has moved to a mule.' Warz said: 'The daughter of a donkey—base is he and base is his kingdom. I will shoot him. If you see his companions not moving, then stay until I inform you, for I have missed the man; but if you see the people circling and gathering around him, then I have hit the man, so charge against them.' Then he strung his bow—which, they claim, no one else could string due to its strength—and ordered his eyebrows to be bound for him. Then he shot him, and the arrow struck the ruby between his eyes, penetrated his head until it came out from his nape, and he fell from his mount. The Abyssinians circled and gathered around him, and the Persians charged against them. They were defeated, killed, and fled in every direction. Warz advanced to enter San'a ⁸⁵, until when he came to its gate, he said: 'My banner shall never enter lowered. Demolish the gate.' So it was demolished, and he entered it with his banner raised. Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari said: "The people think of the two kings... that they have reconciled ⁸⁶. And whoever hears of their reconciliation... indeed the matter has become great ⁸⁷. We killed the Qayl ⁸⁸ Masruq... and watered the sand dune with blood. And indeed the Qayl, the Qayl of the people... and Warz has sworn an oath. He will taste a mixed drink until... he returns the captives and the blessings ⁸⁹." Ibn Hisham said: These verses are among his verses. Khallad ibn Qurra al-Sadusi recited to me the last verse of them as belonging to A'sha of Banu Qays ibn Tha'laba in one of his odes, but other scholars of poetry deny it for him. Ibn Ishaq said: Abu al-Salt ibn Abi Rabi'a al-Thaqafi said—Ibn Hisham said: It is also attributed to Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt: "Let the likes of Ibn Dhi Yazan seek vengeance... he sailed ⁹⁰ in the sea against enemies for conditions. He headed for Caesar when his journey came... but did not find with him some of what he asked ⁹¹. Then he turned ⁹² towards Kisra after a tenth ⁹³... of years, wasting soul and wealth. Until he brought the free-born sons, carrying them... by your life, you have indeed hastened a commotion ⁹⁴. God bless them, a band that set out... no one has seen their like among people. White-skinned marzubans, sturdy, armoured ⁹⁵... lions raising cubs in thickets ⁹⁶. They shoot from fortresses like hills ⁹⁷... with a piercing ⁹⁸ that hastens the target. You sent lions against black dogs, and now... their scattered ones are broken in the land ⁹⁹. So drink in welcome, with the crown upon you, reclining... in the head of Ghumdan ¹⁰⁰, a dwelling from you, a place of settlement. And drink in welcome, for their ostrich has departed ¹⁰¹... and let down today your two robes in flowing ¹⁰². Those are the noble deeds, not two bowls of milk... mixed with water, then becoming urine ¹⁰³." Ibn Hisham said: This is what was authenticated for him from what Ibn Ishaq narrated of them, except the last verse, his saying: "Those are the noble deeds, not two bowls of milk"—for it belongs to al-Nabigha al-Ja'di. His name is Hibban ibn ¹⁰⁴ Abdullah ibn Qays, one of Banu Ja'da ibn Ka'b ibn Rabi'a ibn Amir ibn Sa'sa'a ibn Mu'awiya ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin, in one of his odes. Ibn Ishaq said: Adi ibn Zayd al-Hiri said—he was one of Banu Tamim. Ibn Hisham said: Then one of Banu Imri al-Qays ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim, and it is said: Adi was from the 'Ibad ¹⁰⁵ of the people of al-Hira ¹⁰⁶: "What is after San'a, which used to be inhabited... by rulers of generous, abundant gifts ¹⁰⁷. Raised by one who built upon a patch of... clouds, and its altars drip with musk ¹⁰⁸. Surrounded by mountains, beyond the reach of... the schemer, its heights unclimbable ¹⁰⁹. In it, the sound of the camel is heard when... its flute answers in the evening ¹¹⁰. The causes brought to it ¹¹¹ the army of the sons of... the free, their horsemen in processions. And it was sent by mules loaded with death... and their swift camels hasten with it ¹¹². Until the chiefs saw it from the edge of... the pass, its battalions green ¹¹³. On the day they call: 'O family of Barbar ¹¹⁴ and... al-Yaksum ¹¹⁵, their fugitives will not succeed.' And it was a day of the rest of the story, and there vanished... a blessing, its ranks established ¹¹⁶. And the courier ¹¹⁷ was replaced by the giraffe ¹¹⁸, and the days... are dark ¹¹⁹, full of wonders. After the Tubba's ¹²⁰, there are chiefs ¹²¹... whose marzubans have settled in it." Ibn Hisham said: These verses are in one of his odes. Abu Zayd al-Ansari ¹²² recited to me—and he narrated it to me from al-Mufaddal al-Dabbi—his saying: "On the day they call: 'O family of Barbar and al-Yaksum...'" etc. (The defeat of the Abyssinians, and the prophecy of Satih and Shiqq): This is what Satih meant by his saying: 'He will be followed by Iram Dhi Yazan, who will come out against them from Aden, and will not leave any of them in Yemen.' And what Shiqq meant by his saying: 'A boy, not base nor lowly, who will come out against them from the house of Dhi Yazan.' Mention of what became of the Persians in Yemen (The rule of the Abyssinians in Yemen and their kings)

Ibn Ishaq said: Wahriz and the Persians remained in Yemen, and from the remnants of that Persian army are the Abna' ¹²³ who are in Yemen today. The rule of the Abyssinians over Yemen, from the time Aryat entered it until the Persians killed Masruq ibn Abraha and the Abyssinians were expelled, was seventy-two years, inherited by four of them: Aryat, then Abraha, then Yaksum ibn Abraha, then Masruq ibn Abraha. (The Persian kings over Yemen): Ibn Hisham said: Then Wahriz died, and Kisra ¹²⁴ appointed his son al-Marzuban ibn Wahriz over Yemen. Then al-Marzuban died, and Kisra appointed his son al-Taynujan ibn al-Marzuban over Yemen. Then al-Taynujan died, and Kisra appointed the son of al-Taynujan over Yemen. Then he dismissed him and appointed Badhan, and Badhan remained over it until Allah sent Muhammad the Prophet (126) ¹²⁵, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. (Kisra and the mission of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): It reached me from al-Zuhri that he said: Kisra wrote to Badhan: 'It has reached me that a man from Quraysh has appeared in Mecca, claiming to be a prophet. Go to him and call him to repent; if he does, [well and good], otherwise send me his head.' So Badhan sent Kisra's letter to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah wrote to him: 'Allah has promised me that Kisra will be killed on such-and-such a day of such-and-such a month.' When the letter reached Badhan, he waited to see, and said: 'If he is a prophet, then what he said will happen.' So Allah killed Kisra on the day the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had said. Ibn Hisham said: He was killed by his son Shiruyah. Khalid ibn Hiqq al-Shaybani said: And Kisra, when his sons divided him With swords, as the butcher divides meat (127) The fates conceived for him a day How [terrible]! For every pregnant one has a completion (128) (The conversion of Badhan): Al-Zuhri said: When that reached Badhan, he sent [word of] his conversion (129) and the conversion of the Persians with him to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The messengers from the Persians said to the Messenger of Allah: 'To whom do we belong, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'You are from us and to us, O people of the House.' (Salman is from us): Ibn Hisham said: It reached me from al-Zuhri that he said: Hence the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Salman is from us, the people of the House.' (The mission of the Prophet, and the prophecies of Satih and Shiqq): Ibn Hisham said: This is what Satih meant by his saying: 'A pure prophet, to whom revelation comes from the Most High.' And what Shiqq meant by his saying: 'Rather, it will cease with a sent messenger, who brings truth and justice, from (130) the people of religion and virtue; kingship will be among his people until the Day of Decision.' (The stone found in Yemen): Ibn Ishaq said: There was a stone in Yemen—as they claim—with an inscription in the Zabur ¹²⁶ written in ancient times: 'To whom belongs the kingdom of Dhimar? To the good Himyar (131). To whom belongs the kingdom of Dhimar? To the evil Abyssinians (132). To whom belongs the kingdom of Dhimar? To the free Persians (133). To whom belongs the kingdom of Dhimar? To the merchant Quraysh.' Dhimar is Yemen or San'a. Ibn Hisham said: Dhimar, with a fatha, according to what Yunus told me (134). (Poetry of al-A'sha on the prophecies of Satih and Shiqq): Ibn Ishaq said: Al-A'sha, A'sha of Banu Qays ibn Tha'laba, said regarding the fulfillment of what Satih and his companion said: No one with eyelashes looked like her look Truly, as the Dhi'bi ¹²⁷ spoke truth when he chanted (135) The Arabs used to call Satih 'al-Dhi'bi' because he was Satih ibn Rabi'a ibn Mas'ud ibn Mazin ibn Dhi'b. Ibn Hisham said: This verse is from a poem of his. The story of the king of al-Hadr (The lineage of al-Nu'man, and something about al-Hadr, and the poetry of 'Adi about it): Ibn Hisham said: Khallad ibn Qurra ibn Khalid al-Sadusi told me, from Jannad, or from some scholars of Kufa regarding lineage, that it is said: Al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir is from the descendants of Satirun (136), the king of al-Hadr. Al-Hadr is a great fortress like a city, on the bank of the Euphrates. It is what 'Adi ibn Zayd mentioned in his saying: And the brother of al-Hadr when he built it, and Tigris and Khabur were brought to him (137) He built it with marble and coated it with lime, So birds have nests in its heights (138) The vicissitudes of fate did not spare him, so he departed, And his gate is deserted (139) Ibn Hisham said: These verses are from a poem of his. And what Abu Dawud al-Iyadi (140) mentioned in his saying: And I see death has descended from al-Hadr Upon the lord of its people, al-Satirun This verse is from a poem of his. It is said that it is by Khalaf al-Ahmar, and it is said by Hammad al-Rawiya. (The entry of Sabur into al-Hadr, his marriage to the daughter of Satirun, and what happened between them): Kisra Sabur Dhu al-Aktaf ¹²⁸ attacked Satirun, the king of al-Hadr, and besieged him for sixty [days]. One day, the daughter of (141) Satirun looked out and saw Sabur wearing brocade garments, with a crown of gold studded with emeralds, rubies, and pearls on his head; he was handsome. She sent word to him: 'Will you marry me if I open the gate of al-Hadr for you?' He said: 'Yes.' When evening came, Satirun drank until he was drunk, and he never spent the night except drunk. She took the keys of the gate of al-Hadr from under his head and sent them with a freedman of hers, who opened the gate (142). Sabur entered, killed Satirun, plundered al-Hadr and destroyed it, and took her with him and married her. One night, while she was sleeping on her bed, she began to toss and turn and could not sleep. He called for a candle, and her bed was searched; a myrtle leaf (143) was found on it. Sabur said to her: 'Is this what kept you awake?' She said: 'Yes.' He said: 'What did your father do for you?' She said: 'He would spread brocade for me, clothe me in silk, feed me marrow, and give me wine to drink.' He said: 'Was that the reward for your father for what you did to him? You would do that to me sooner.' Then he ordered that the locks (144) of her hair be tied to the tail of a horse, and the horse was spurred until it killed her (145). Concerning this, A'sha of Banu Qays ibn Tha'laba said: Did you not see (146) al-Hadr when its people Were in bliss? And is any bliss eternal? Shahbur (147) camped with his armies around it For two years, striking with feet (148) When he called upon his Lord with a call, He responded to him and did not take revenge These verses are from a poem of his. And 'Adi ibn Zayd said concerning that: And al-Hadr—a calamity befell it From above, a strong one whose shoulders [towered] (149) A young woman (150) who did not protect her father From her fate (151) when her guardian failed (152) When she gave him to drink (153) a pure, amber-colored [wine] And wine—does (154) its drinker become infatuated? (155) So she betrayed her family that night, Thinking that the chief was her suitor And the bride's lot, when the morning dawned (156), Was blood flowing in streams (157) And al-Hadr was ruined and plundered, while Her garments were burned in her curtained litter (158) These verses are from a poem of his. Mention of the children of Nizar ibn Ma'add (His children according to Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham): Ibn Ishaq said: Nizar ibn Ma'add had three sons: Mudar (159) ibn Nizar, Rabi'a ibn Nizar, and Anmar ibn Nizar. Ibn Hisham said: And Iyad ibn Nizar. Al-Harith ibn Daws al-Iyadi said—and it is also attributed to Abu Dawud al-Iyadi, whose name is Jariya (160) ibn al-Hajjaj: And young men (161) with beautiful faces From Iyad ibn Nizar ibn Ma'add This verse is from a poem of his. The mother of Mudar and Iyad is Sawda bint 'Akk ibn 'Adnan. The mother of Rabi'a and Anmar is Shufayqa bint 'Akk ibn 'Adnan, and it is said Jumu'a bint 'Akk ibn 'Adnan. (The children of Anmar):

Ibn Isḥāq said: Anmār is the father of Khath‘am and Bajīla ¹²⁹. Jarīr ibn ‘Abd Allāh al-Bajalī, who was the chief of Bajīla, said—and it is to him that the poet said: “Were it not for Jarīr, Bajīla would have perished; what a fine youth, and what a wretched tribe!” And he engaged in a contest of honor ¹³⁰ with al-Furāfiṣa ¹³¹ al-Kalbī before al-Aqra‘ ibn Ḥābis al-Tamīmī (ibn ‘Iqāl ibn Mujāshi‘ ibn Dārim ibn Mālik ibn Ḥanẓala ibn Mālik ibn Zayd Manāt): “O Aqra‘ ibn Ḥābis, O Aqra‘, if your brother is thrown, you will be thrown.” And he said: “O sons of Nizār, support your brother; indeed, you have found my father to be your father. A brother who befriends you will not be defeated today.” And they turned towards Yemen and joined the Yemenites. Ibn Hishām said: The Yemenites said: Bajīla is Anmār ibn Irāsh ibn Liḥyān ibn ‘Amr ibn al-Ghawth ibn Nabt ibn Mālik ibn Zayd ibn Kahlān ibn Saba’. It is also said: Irāsh ibn ‘Amr ibn Liḥyān ibn al-Ghawth. The homeland of Bajīla and Khath‘am is Yemeni. (Children of Muḍar) Ibn Isḥāq said: Muḍar ibn Nizār had two sons: Ilyās ibn Muḍar and ‘Aylān ¹³² ibn Muḍar. Ibn Hishām said: Their mother was a Jurhumite ¹³³. (Children of Ilyās) Ibn Isḥāq said: Ilyās ibn Muḍar had three sons: Mudrika ibn Ilyās, Ṭābikha ibn Ilyās, and Qam‘a ibn Ilyās. Their mother was Khindif, a woman from Yemen. (Something about Khindif and her children) Ibn Hishām said: Khindif ¹³⁴ was the daughter of ‘Imrān ibn al-Ḥāf ibn Quḍā‘a. Ibn Isḥāq said: Mudrika’s name was ‘Āmir, and Ṭābikha’s name was ‘Amr. They claim that they were with their camels, grazing them, when they hunted some game and sat down to cook it. A raiding party attacked their camels. ‘Āmir said to ‘Amr: “Will you go after the camels or cook this game?” ‘Amr said: “I will cook.” So ‘Āmir went after the camels and brought them back. When they returned to their father and told him what had happened, he said to ‘Āmir: “You are Mudrika (the one who overtakes),” and to ‘Amr: “You are Ṭābikha (the cook).” (Their mother went out when the news reached her, hurrying, and he said to her: “You are Khindif (one who hurries),” so she was called Khindif.) ¹³⁵ As for Qam‘a ¹³⁶, the genealogists of Muḍar claim that Khuza‘a is from the descendants of ‘Amr ibn Luḥayy ibn Qam‘a ibn Ilyās. The story of ‘Amr ibn Luḥayy and mention of the idols of the Arabs (The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, saw him dragging his intestines in the Fire) Ibn Isḥāq said: ‘Abd Allāh ibn Abī Bakr ibn Muḥammad ibn ‘Amr ibn Ḥazm narrated to me from his father, who said: I was told that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “I saw ‘Amr ibn Luḥayy dragging his intestines ¹³⁷ in the Fire. I asked him about the people between me and him, and he said: ‘They have perished.’” Ibn Isḥāq said: Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ḥārith al-Taymī narrated to me that Abū Ṣāliḥ al-Sammān narrated to him that he heard Abū Hurayra—Ibn Hishām said: Abū Hurayra’s name is ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Āmir, and it is said his name is ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Ṣakhr—saying: I heard the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, say to Aktham ibn al-Jawn al-Khuza‘ī: “O Aktham, I saw ‘Amr ibn Luḥayy ibn Qam‘a ibn Khindif dragging his intestines in the Fire. I have not seen a man more resembling a man than you resemble him, nor you resembling him.” Aktham said: “O Messenger of God, will his resemblance harm me?” He said: “No, you are a believer and he is an unbeliever. He was the first to change the religion of Ishmael, set up idols, slit the ears of the Bahīra ¹³⁸, let loose the Sā’iba ¹³⁹, join the Waṣīla ¹⁴⁰, and protect the Ḥāmī ¹⁴¹. (The bringing of idols from Syria to Mecca) Ibn Hishām said: Some scholars narrated to me that ‘Amr ibn Luḥayy went out from Mecca to Syria on some business. When he arrived at Ma’āb in the land of al-Balqā’, where the Amalekites—the descendants of ‘Imlaq, also said ‘Imliq ibn Lāwidh ibn Sām ibn Nūḥ—were at that time, he saw them worshipping idols. He said to them: “What are these idols that I see you worshipping?” They said: “These are idols we worship. We ask them for rain and they give us rain; we ask them for victory and they give us victory.” He said: “Will you not give me one of them to take to the land of the Arabs so that they may worship it?” ¹⁴² So they gave him an idol called Hubal, and he brought it to Mecca, set it up, and commanded the people to worship and venerate it. ¹⁴³ (The first worship of stones among the Banū Ismā‘īl) Ibn Isḥāq said: They claim that the first worship of stones among the Banū Ismā‘īl was that whenever a traveler left Mecca—when it became too crowded for them and they sought open spaces in the land—he would carry with him a stone from the stones of the Sanctuary out of veneration for the Sanctuary. Wherever they settled, they would set it up and circumambulate it as they circumambulated the Ka‘ba, until this led them ¹⁴⁴ to worship whatever stones they found pleasing and admirable. Then later generations succeeded ¹⁴⁵, forgot what they had been upon, and replaced the religion of Abraham and Ishmael with something else. They worshipped idols and adopted the same errors as the nations before them. Yet among them, there remained remnants from the covenant of Abraham that they held onto, such as venerating the House, circumambulating it, performing the Hajj and ‘Umra, standing at ‘Arafa and Muzdalifa, offering sacrificial camels, and pronouncing the talbiya for Hajj and ‘Umra, while also introducing innovations not part of it. Thus Kināna and Quraysh, when they pronounced the talbiya, would say: “Here I am, O God, here I am. Here I am, You have no partner, except a partner that is Yours; You possess him and what he possesses.” They would affirm His oneness in the talbiya, then include their idols with Him, placing their ownership in His hand. God, blessed and exalted, said to Muḥammad, may God bless him and grant him peace: “And most of them do not believe in God except while associating others with Him” (Qur’an 12:106). That is, they do not affirm My oneness in recognition of My right without associating a partner from My creation with Me. (The idols of the people of Noah) The people of Noah had idols that they devoted themselves to. God, blessed and exalted, related their story to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, saying: “And they said, ‘Do not abandon your gods, nor abandon Wadd, nor Suwā‘, nor Yaghūth, Ya‘ūq, and Nasr.’ And they have led many astray” (Qur’an 71:23-24). (The tribes and their idols, and something about them) Those who adopted these idols from among the descendants of Ishmael and others, and named themselves after them when they departed from the religion of Ishmael, were: Hudhayl ibn Mudrika ibn Ilyās ibn Muḍar, who adopted Suwā‘, which was in their possession at Buraḥāṭ ¹⁴⁶. And Kalb ibn Wabra from Quḍā‘a adopted Wadd at Dūmat al-Jandal ¹⁴⁷. Ibn Isḥāq said: Ka‘b ibn Mālik al-Anṣārī said: “And we forget al-Lāt and al-‘Uzzā and Wadd, and we strip them of their necklaces and earrings.” ¹⁴⁸ Ibn Hishām said: This verse is from a poem of his that I will mention in its place, God willing. (Ibn Hishām’s view on the lineage of Kalb ibn Wabra) Ibn Hishām said: Kalb ibn Wabra ibn Taghlib ibn Ḥulwān ibn ‘Imrān ibn al-Ḥāf ibn Quḍā‘a. (Yaghūth and its worshippers) Ibn Isḥāq said: An‘um of Ṭayyi’ and the people of Jurash ¹⁴⁹ from Madhḥij adopted Yaghūth at Jurash ¹⁵⁰. (Ibn Hishām’s view on An‘um and the lineage of Ṭayyi’) Ibn Hishām said: It is also said: An‘um. Ṭayyi’ is the son of Udad ibn Mālik, and Mālik is Madhḥij ibn Udad. It is also said: Ṭayyi’ ibn Udad ibn Zayd ibn Kahlān ibn Saba’. (Ya‘ūq and its worshippers) Ibn Isḥāq said: Khaywān ¹⁵¹, a sub-tribe of Hamdān, adopted Ya‘ūq in the land of Hamdān in Yemen ¹⁵². Ibn Hishām said: Mālik ibn Namat al-Hamdānī ¹⁵³ said: “God provides feathers and fletches in the world, but Ya‘ūq neither fletches nor provides feathers.” ¹⁵⁴ This verse is from a poem of his.

(Hamdan and His Lineage): Ibn Hisham said: The name of Hamdan is Awsalah ibn Malik ibn Zayd ibn Rabi'ah ibn Awsalah ibn al-Khiyar ibn Malik ibn Zayd ibn Kahlan ibn Saba'. It is also said: Awsalah ibn Zayd ibn Awsalah ibn al-Khiyar. And it is said: Hamdan ibn Awsalah ibn Rabi'ah ¹⁵⁵ ibn Malik ibn al-Khiyar ibn Malik ibn Zayd ibn Kahlan ibn Saba' ¹⁵⁶. (Nasr and Its Worshippers): Ibn Ishaq said: And Dhu al-Kula' ¹⁵⁷ from Himyar adopted Nasr in the land of Himyar ¹⁵⁸. (‘Umyanis and Its Worshippers): And Khaulan had an idol called ‘Umyanis ¹⁵⁹ in the land of Khaulan. They would allocate a portion of their cattle and crops to it, dividing between it and Allah, as they claimed. Whatever of Allah's right—which they had designated for Him—fell into the share of ‘Umyanis, they left it for it; and whatever of ‘Umyanis's right fell into Allah's share, they returned it to it. They are a sub-tribe of Khaulan, called al-Adim. Concerning them, Allah—blessed and exalted—revealed, as they mention: "And they assign to Allah, from what He has created of crops and cattle, a share, and they say, 'This is for Allah,' according to their claim, 'and this is for our partners.' But what is for their partners does not reach Allah, while what is for Allah reaches their partners. Evil is what they judge." [6:136] (Lineage of Khaulan): Ibn Hisham said: Khaulan ibn ‘Amr ibn al-Haf ibn Quda'ah. It is also said: Khaulan ibn ‘Amr ibn Murrah ¹⁶⁰ ibn Udad ibn Zayd ibn Mihsa‘ ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Arib ibn Zayd ibn Kahlan ibn Saba'. And it is said: Khaulan ibn ‘Amr ibn Sa‘d al-‘Ashirah ibn Madhhij. (Sa‘d and Its Worshippers): Ibn Ishaq said: And the Banu ¹⁶¹ Milkan ¹⁶² ibn Kinanah ibn Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar had an idol called Sa‘d, a tall rock in a desert ¹⁶³ of their land. A man from Banu Milkan came with his camels—which were reserved ¹⁶⁴—to stop them before it, seeking its blessing, as he claimed. When the camels saw it—they were pastured and not ridden, and blood was poured over it—they shied away from it and scattered in every direction. The Milkani, its owner, became angry, took a stone, and threw it at the idol, then said: "May Allah not bless you! You have scattered my camels!" Then he went out in search of them until he gathered them. When they were assembled, he said: "We came to Sa‘d to unite our scattered state, but Sa‘d scattered us, so we are not of Sa‘d. And what is Sa‘d but a rock in a barren plain ¹⁶⁵ of the land, that calls not ¹⁶⁶ to error or guidance?" (Idol of Daws): And Daws had an idol ¹⁶⁷ belonging to ‘Amr ibn Humamah al-Dawsi. Ibn Hisham said: I will mention his story in its place, if Allah wills. (Lineage of Daws): Daws ibn ‘Udthan ¹⁶⁸ ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Zuhran ibn Ka‘b ibn al-Harith ibn Ka‘b ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Malik ibn Nasr ibn al-Asad ibn al-Ghawth. It is also said: Daws ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Zuhran ibn al-Asad ibn al-Ghawth. (Hubal): Ibn Ishaq said: And Quraysh had adopted an idol over a well inside the Ka‘bah called Hubal ¹⁶⁹. Ibn Hisham said: I will mention its story in its place, if Allah wills. (Isaf and Na'ilah, and the Hadith of ‘A'ishah about Them): Ibn Ishaq said: And they adopted Isaf ¹⁷⁰ and Na'ilah at the site of Zamzam ¹⁷¹, sacrificing near them. Isaf and Na'ilah were a man and a woman from Jurhum—Isaf ibn Baghy ¹⁷² and Na'ilah bint ¹⁷³ Dik—and Isaf had intercourse with Na'ilah in the Ka‘bah, so Allah transformed them into two stones. Ibn Ishaq said: ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn Hazm narrated to me from ‘Amrah bint ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa‘d ibn Zurarah that she said: I heard ‘A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, say: We kept hearing that Isaf and Na'ilah were a man and a woman from Jurhum who committed a sin ¹⁷⁴ in the Ka‘bah, so Allah—exalted—transformed them into two stones. And Allah knows best. Ibn Ishaq said: And Abu Talib ¹⁷⁵ said: "And where the Ash‘arites ¹⁷⁶ make their camels kneel at the confluence of torrents from Isaf and Na'il." Ibn Hisham said: This verse is from a poem of his that I will mention in its place, if Allah—exalted—wills. (What the Arabs Used to Do with Idols): Ibn Ishaq said: And the people of every house adopted an idol in their house that they worshipped. When a man among them intended a journey, he would wipe himself against it when mounting, and that was the last thing he did when setting out on his journey. When he returned from his journey, he would wipe himself against it, and that was the first thing he did before entering upon his family. When Allah sent His Messenger Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—with monotheism, Quraysh said: "Has he made the gods one God? Indeed, this is a strange thing." And the Arabs had adopted, besides the Ka‘bah, taghuts [false deities]—houses that they venerated as they venerated the Ka‘bah, with attendants and guardians, to which they offered gifts as they offered to the Ka‘bah, and around which they circumambulated as they circumambulated it, and at which they sacrificed. Yet they recognized the superiority of the Ka‘bah over them, because they knew it was the house of Ibrahim the Friend and his place of worship. (al-‘Uzza and Its Guardians): And al-‘Uzza ¹⁷⁷ belonged to Quraysh and Banu Kinanah at Nakhla ¹⁷⁸, and its attendants and guardians were Banu Shayban ¹⁷⁹ from Sulaym, allies of Banu Hashim. Ibn Hisham said: Allies of Banu ¹⁸⁰ Abi Talib specifically. And Sulaym: Sulaym ibn Mansur ibn ‘Ikrimah ibn Khasafah ibn Qays ibn ‘Aylan. Ibn Ishaq said: And a poet from the Arabs said: "Indeed, Asma' was married to the head of a small cow ¹⁸¹ of the admi [wild cows], sent by a man from Banu Ghanm ¹⁸². He saw a defect ¹⁸³ in its eye as he drove it to the slaughter-place of al-‘Uzza, so he was generous ¹⁸⁴ in the division." And thus they used to do when they sacrificed a gift: they divided it among those present. Al-Ghabghab is the place of sacrifice and blood-pouring. Ibn Hisham said: These two verses are by Abu Khirash ¹⁸⁵ al-Hudhali, whose name is Khuwaylid ibn Murrah, in a poem of his. (Meaning of al-Sadanah): Al-Sadanah are those who manage the affairs of the Ka‘bah. Ru'bah ibn al-‘Ajjaaj said: "No, by the Lord of the secure ones, the dwellers ¹⁸⁶ at the detention of the sacrificial animals and the house of the sanctuary." These two verses ¹⁸⁷ are in a rajaz poem of his, and I will mention its story in its place, if Allah—exalted—wills. (al-Lat and Its Guardians): Ibn Ishaq said: And al-Lat ¹⁸⁸ belonged to Thaqif at al-Ta'if, and its attendants and guardians were Banu Mu‘attib ¹⁸⁹ from Thaqif. Ibn Hisham said: I will mention its story in its place, if Allah—exalted—wills. (Manat and Its Guardians and Its Destruction): Ibn Ishaq said: And Manat ¹⁹⁰ belonged to al-Aws and al-Khazraj, and those who followed their religion from the people of Yathrib, on the coast of the sea in the direction of al-Mushallal at Qudayd ¹⁹¹. Ibn Hisham said: And al-Kumayt ibn Zayd, one of Banu Asad ibn Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah, said: "And the tribes have sworn not to turn their backs to Manat, turning away from us." This verse is in a poem of his. Ibn Hisham said: Then the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—sent Abu Sufyan ibn Harb to it, and he destroyed it. It is also said: ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib ¹⁹². (Dhu al-Khalasah and Its Guardians and Its Destruction): Ibn Ishaq said: And Dhu al-Khalasah ¹⁹³ belonged to Daws, Khath‘am, and Bajilah, and those Arabs who were in their lands at Tabalah ¹⁹⁴. Ibn Hisham said: It is also said: Dhu al-Khulusah. A man from the Arabs said: "If you, O Dhu al-Khulus the bereaved, were like me, and your buried elder were like mine, you would not forbid the killing of enemies falsely."

He said: His father had been killed, so he sought to avenge him. He came to Dhu al-Khalasa ¹⁹⁵ and sought an oracle by divination arrows ¹⁹⁶, and the arrow came out forbidding him from that. So he recited these verses. Some people attribute them to Imru' al-Qays ibn Hujr al-Kindi ¹⁹⁷. Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, sent Jarir ibn 'Abdullah al-Bajali to him, and he demolished it. (Fils ¹⁹⁸ and its custodians and its demolition): Ibn Ishaq said: Fils belonged to Tayy and those adjacent to them in the two mountains of Tayy, meaning Salma and Aja. Ibn Hisham said: Some scholars told me that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, sent 'Ali ibn Abi Talib to it, and he demolished it. He found in it two swords, one called al-Rasub ¹⁹⁹ and the other al-Mikhdham ²⁰⁰. He brought them to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and he gave them to him, so they are the two swords of 'Ali, may God be pleased with him. (Ri'am ²⁰¹): Ibn Ishaq said: Himyar and the people of Yemen had a house in Sana'a called Ri'am. Ibn Hisham said: I have mentioned its story previously. (Ruda' ²⁰² and its custodians): Ibn Ishaq said: Ruda' was a house for Banu Rabi'a ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim. Concerning it, al-Mustawghir ²⁰³ ibn Rabi'a ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd said when he demolished it in Islam: "And indeed I attacked Ruda' with a fierce attack, and left it desolate in a black plain." Ibn Hisham said: His saying "and left it desolate in a black plain" is from a man of Banu Sa'd. (Al-Mustawghir and his age): It is said that al-Mustawghir lived three hundred and thirty years, and he was the longest-lived of all Mudar ²⁰⁴. He is the one who says: "And indeed I have grown weary of life and its length, and I have lived hundreds of years. A hundred, then two hundred after that for me, and I increased from the count of months years. What remains is only like what has passed us, a day that passes and a night that drives us." Some people attribute these verses to Zuhayr ibn Janab al-Kalbi ²⁰⁵. (Dhu al-Ka'bat ²⁰⁶ and its custodians): Ibn Ishaq said: Dhu al-Ka'bat belonged to Bakr and Taghlib, the two sons of Wa'il, and Iyad, in Sindad ²⁰⁷. Concerning it, al-A'sha of Banu Qays ibn Tha'laba said: "Between al-Khawarnaq ²⁰⁸ and al-Sadir ²⁰⁹ and Bariq ²¹⁰, and the house of the Ka'bat in Sindad." Ibn Hisham said: This verse is by al-Aswad ibn Ya'fur al-Nahshali, of Nahshal ibn Darim ibn Malik ibn Hanzala ibn Malik ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim, in a poem of his. Abu Muhriz Khalaf al-Ahmar recited to me: "People of al-Khawarnaq and al-Sadir and Bariq, and the house of the lofty structures in Sindad." (The matter of al-Bahira ²¹¹, al-Sa'iba ²¹², al-Wasila ²¹³, and al-Hami ²¹⁴): (Ibn Ishaq's opinion on them): Ibn Ishaq said: As for al-Bahira, she is the daughter of al-Sa'iba. Al-Sa'iba is the she-camel that, if she gives birth to ten females consecutively with no male between them, is left free, so her back is not ridden, her wool is not cut, and her milk is not drunk except by a guest. Then whatever female she gives birth to after that, its ear is split, then it is left free with its mother, its back is not ridden, its wool is not cut, and its milk is not drunk except by a guest, as was done with its mother. That is al-Bahira, daughter of al-Sa'iba. Al-Wasila is the ewe that gives birth to ten females consecutively in five pregnancies, with no male between them, and is made a wasila. They say: she has connected. So whatever she gives birth to after that is for their males, not their females, unless something of it dies, then they share in eating it, their males and females. Ibn Hisham said: It is narrated: "So whatever she gives birth to after that is for their sons, not their daughters." Ibn Ishaq said: Al-Hami is the stallion that, if ten females are born from him consecutively with no male between them, his back is protected, so he is not ridden, his wool is not cut, and he is left among his camels to mate, with no other benefit taken from him. (Ibn Hisham's opinion on them): Ibn Hisham said: This is all different among the Arabs except al-Hami, for it is as Ibn Ishaq said. Al-Bahira among them is the she-camel whose ear is split, so her back is not ridden, her wool is not cut, and her milk is not drunk except by a guest, or it is given in charity, and she is left for their idols. Al-Sa'iba is the one that a man vows to set free if he recovers from his illness, or if he achieves something he seeks. So if he sets free a she-camel from his camels or a camel for some of their idols, it is left free and grazes, with no benefit taken from it. Al-Wasila is the one whose mother gives birth to two in each pregnancy, so its owner gives the females to his idols and keeps the males for himself. So its mother gives birth to it along with a male in one pregnancy, and they say: she has connected with her brother. So her brother is left free with her, with no benefit taken from him. Ibn Hisham said: Yunus ibn Habib al-Nahwi and others narrated this to me, some relating what others did not. Ibn Ishaq said: When God, blessed and exalted, sent His Messenger Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, He revealed to him: "God has not appointed any Bahira or Sa'iba or Wasila or Hami, but those who disbelieve invent lies against God, and most of them do not understand" [5:103]. And God revealed: "And they say: What is in the bellies of these cattle is exclusively for our males and forbidden to our wives. But if it is stillborn, they all share in it. He will punish them for their description; indeed, He is Wise, Knowing" [6:139]. And He revealed to him: "Say: Have you seen what God has sent down to you of provision, and you have made some of it unlawful and some lawful? Say: Has God permitted you, or do you invent lies against God?" [10:59]. And He revealed to him: "Of the sheep two and of the goats two. Say: Has He forbidden the two males or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain?" [6:143] "Or were you witnesses when God enjoined this upon you? So who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against God to mislead people without knowledge? Indeed, God does not guide the wrongdoing people" [6:144]. (Al-Bahira, al-Sa'iba, al-Wasila, and al-Hami linguistically): Ibn Hisham said: The poet said: "Around the wasa'il ²¹⁵ in a shuraif ²¹⁶ is a hiqqa ²¹⁷, and the hamiyat ²¹⁸ their backs and the suyyab ²¹⁹." And Tamim ibn Ubayy ibn Muqbil, one of Banu 'Amir ibn Sa'sa'a, said: "In it from the akhraj ²²⁰ al-mirba' ²²¹ is a qarqara ²²², like the bellowing of a diyafi ²²³ amidst the hajma ²²⁴ of buhur ²²⁵." This verse is in a poem of his. The plural of bahira is baha'ir and buhur. The plural of wasila is wasa'il and wusal. The plural of sa'iba (most commonly) is sawa'ib and suyyab. The plural of hami (most commonly) is huwwam. We return to the sequence of genealogy. (Genealogy of Khuza'a ²²⁶): Ibn Ishaq said: Khuza'a says: We are the sons of 'Amr ibn 'Amir, from Yemen. Ibn Hisham said: Khuza'a says: We are the sons of 'Amr ibn Rabi'a ibn Haritha ibn 'Amr ibn 'Amir ibn Haritha ibn Imru' al-Qays ibn Tha'laba ibn Mazin ibn al-Asad ibn al-Ghawth, and Khindif ²²⁷ is their mother, according to what Abu 'Ubayda and other scholars told me. It is said Khuza'a: the sons of Haritha ibn 'Amr ibn 'Amir. They were called Khuza'a because they separated ²²⁸ from the descendants of 'Amr ibn 'Amir when they came from Yemen heading for Syria, and they stopped at Marr al-Zahran ²²⁹ and settled there. 'Awn ibn Ayyub al-Ansari, one of Banu 'Amr ibn Sawad ibn Ghanm ibn Ka'b ibn Salama of al-Khazraj, said in Islam: "When we descended the valley of Murr ²³⁰, Khuza'a separated from us among sturdy horses ²³¹. They protected every valley of Tihama ²³² and fortified themselves with solid spears and sharp swords." These two verses are in a poem of his.

Abu al-Mutahhar Isma'il ibn Rafi' al-Ansari, one of the Banu Haritha ibn al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj ibn 'Amr ibn Malik ibn al-Aws, said: When we descended into the valley of Mecca, Khuzā'ah praised the home of the oppressive devourer. They settled in scattered groups ²³³ and dispersed ²³⁴ companies ²³⁵ against every tribe between Najd and the coast. They expelled Jurhum from the valley of Mecca and took pride in the might of a Khuzā'ī with strong shoulders. Ibn Hishām said: These verses are from a poem of his, and I will, God willing, mention their expulsion of Jurhum in its proper place. (The Children of Mudrikah and Khuzaymah): Ibn Ishāq said: Mudrikah ibn Ilyās fathered two men: Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah and Hudhayl ibn Mudrikah, and their mother was a woman from Qudā'ah. Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah fathered four: Kinānah ibn Khuzaymah, Asad ibn Khuzaymah, Asadah ibn Khuzaymah, and al-Hawn ibn Khuzaymah. The mother of Kinānah was 'Uwānah bint Sa'd ibn Qays ibn 'Aylān ibn Mudar. Ibn Hishām said: It is also said al-Hawn ibn Khuzaymah. (The Children of Kinānah and Their Mothers): Ibn Ishāq said: Kinānah ibn Khuzaymah fathered four: al-Nadr ibn Kinānah, Mālik ibn Kinānah, 'Abd Manāt ibn Kinānah, and Milkān ibn Kinānah ²³⁶. The mother of al-Nadr was Barrah bint Murr ibn Adī ibn Tābikhah ibn Ilyās ibn Mudar, and the rest of his sons were from another woman. Ibn Hishām said: The mother of al-Nadr, Mālik, and Zamlkān was Barrah bint Murr, and the mother of 'Abd Manāt was Hālah bint Suwayd ibn al-Ghitrif from Azd Shanū'ah. Shanū'ah is 'Abd Allāh ibn Ka'b ibn 'Abd Allāh ibn Mālik ibn Nasr ibn al-Asad ibn al-Ghawth. They were called Shanū'ah because of the shan'ān ²³⁷ that existed among them. Shan'ān means hatred. Ibn Hishām said: Al-Nadr is Quraysh. Whoever is from his descendants is a Qurashī, and whoever is not from his descendants is not a Qurashī. Jarīr ibn 'Atiyyah, one of the Banu Kulayb ibn Yarbū' ibn Hanzalah ibn Mālik ibn Zayd Manāt Tamīm, said, praising Hishām ibn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwān: Neither the mother who gave birth to Quraysh is of base lineage nor barren ²³⁸, Nor is there a chief ²³⁹ more noble than your father, nor a maternal uncle more generous than Tamīm. He meant Barrah bint Murr, the sister of Tamīm ibn Murr, the mother of al-Nadr. These two verses are from a poem of his. It is also said: Fihr ibn Mālik is Quraysh. Whoever is from his descendants is a Qurashī, and whoever is not from his descendants is not a Qurashī. Quraysh was named Quraysh from al-taqarrush, and al-taqarrush means trade and acquisition. Ru'bah ibn al-'Ajjāj said: Fat and pure milk, not adulterated, would have sufficed them instead of shughūsh ²⁴⁰ and khashl ²⁴¹ from the falling of qurūsh ²⁴². Ibn Hishām said: Shughūsh is wheat, called shughūsh. Khashl are the heads of anklets, bracelets ²⁴³, and the like. Qurūsh means trade and acquisition. He says: Fat and pure milk would have sufficed them instead of this. Al-mahd is pure fresh milk. These verses are from a rajaz poem of his. Abū Jildah ²⁴⁴ al-Yashkurī, and Yashkur is from Bakr ibn Wā'il, said: Brothers who heaped sins upon us in recent and ancient times of our life. This verse is from a poem of his. Ibn Ishāq said: It is also said that Quraysh was named Quraysh because of their gathering after their dispersal, and gathering is called al-taqarrush. (The Children of al-Nadr and Their Mothers): Al-Nadr ibn Kinānah fathered two men: Mālik ibn al-Nadr and Yakhlud ibn al-Nadr. The mother of Mālik was 'Ātikah bint 'Adwān ibn 'Amr ibn Qays ibn 'Aylān, and I do not know if she was the mother of Yakhlud or not. Ibn Hishām said: And al-Salt ibn al-Nadr—according to what Abū 'Amr al-Madanī said—and their mother was all the daughter of Sa'd ibn Zarb al-'Adwānī. 'Adwān is ibn 'Amr ibn Qays ibn 'Aylān. Kathīr ibn 'Abd al-Rahmān, who is Kathīr 'Azzah, one of the Banu Mulayh ibn 'Amr from Khuzā'ah, said: Is not my father al-Salt? Are not my brothers for every noble one from the Banu al-Nadr, bright ²⁴⁵? I saw the garments of 'asb ²⁴⁶ with mixed warp ²⁴⁷ among us and them, and the Hadramī embroidered ²⁴⁸. If you are not from the Banu al-Nadr, then leave the arāk trees at the tails of al-Fawā'ij ²⁴⁹ green. These verses are from a poem of his. Those who trace their lineage to al-Salt ibn al-Nadr from Khuzā'ah are the Banu Mulayh ibn 'Amr, the clan of Kathīr 'Azzah. (The Children of Mālik ibn al-Nadr and His Mother): Ibn Ishāq said: Mālik ibn al-Nadr fathered Fihr ibn Mālik, and his mother was Jandalah bint al-Hārith ibn Mudād al-Jurhumī. Ibn Hishām said: He is not the son of Mudād the elder. (The Children of Fihr and Their Mothers): Ibn Ishāq said: Fihr ibn Mālik fathered four: Ghālib ibn Fihr, Muhārib ibn Fihr, al-Hārith ibn Fihr, and Asad ibn Fihr. Their mother was Laylā bint Sa'd ibn Hudhayl ibn Mudrikah. Ibn Hishām said: And Jandalah bint Fihr, who is the mother of Yarbū' ibn Hanzalah ibn Mālik ibn Yad ²⁵⁰ Manāt ibn Tamīm, and her mother was Laylā bint Sa'd. Jarīr ibn 'Atiyyah ibn al-Khatafī—and al-Khatafī's name is Hudhayfah ibn Badr ibn Salamah ibn 'Awf ibn Kulayb ibn Yarbū' ibn Hanzalah—said: When I become angry, the sons of Jandalah throw pebbles behind me, like the best of jandal ²⁵¹. This verse is from a poem of his. (The Children of Ghālib and Their Mothers): Ibn Ishāq said: Ghālib ibn Fihr fathered two men: Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib and Taym ibn Ghālib. Their mother was Salmā ²⁵² bint 'Amr al-Khuzā'ī. Taym ibn Ghālib are those called Banu al-Adram ²⁵³. Ibn Hishām said: And Qays ibn Ghālib, and his mother was Salmā bint Ka'b ²⁵⁴ ibn 'Amr al-Khuzā'ī, and she is the mother of Lu'ayy and Taym, the sons of Ghālib. (The Children of Lu'ayy and Their Mothers): Ibn Ishāq said: Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib fathered four: Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy, 'Āmir ibn Lu'ayy, Sāmah ibn Lu'ayy, and 'Awf ²⁵⁵ ibn Lu'ayy. The mother of Ka'b, 'Āmir, and Sāmah was Māwiyyah ²⁵⁶ bint Ka'b ibn al-Qayn ibn Jasr, from Qudā'ah. Ibn Hishām said: It is also said: al-Hārith ibn ²⁵⁷ Lu'ayy, and they are Jusham ibn al-Hārith, among Hizzān from Rabī'ah. Jarīr said: O Banu Jusham, you are not from Hizzān, so trace yourselves to the highest heights ²⁵⁸ of Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib ²⁵⁹. Do not marry your women into the family of Dawr, nor into Shukays—evil is the abode of strangers ²⁶⁰. And Sa'd ibn Lu'ayy, and they are Bunānah, among Shaybān ibn Tha'labah ibn 'Ukābah ibn Sa'b ibn 'Alī ibn Bakr ibn Wā'il, from Rabī'ah. Bunānah is a nurse of theirs from the Banu al-Qayn ibn Jasr ibn Shay' Allāh, and it is also said Say' Allāh, ibn al-Asad ibn Wabrah ibn Tha'labah ²⁶¹ ibn Hulwān ibn 'Imrān ibn al-Hāf ibn Qudā'ah. It is also said: the daughter of al-Namir ibn Qāsit, from Rabī'ah. It is also said: the daughter of Jarm ibn Rabbān ibn Hulwān ibn 'Imrān ibn al-Hāf ibn Qudā'ah. And Khuzaymah ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib, and they are 'Ā'idhah, among Shaybān ibn Tha'labah. 'Ā'idhah is a woman from Yemen, and she is the mother of the Banu ²⁶² 'Ubayd ibn Khuzaymah ibn Lu'ayy. The mother of all the Banu Lu'ayy except 'Āmir ²⁶³ ibn Lu'ayy was Māwiyyah bint Ka'b ibn al-Qayn ibn Jasr. The mother of 'Āmir ibn Lu'ayy was Makhshiyyah bint Shaybān ibn Muhārib ibn Fihr, and it is also said: Laylā bint Shaybān ibn Muhārib ibn Fihr. The Affair of Sāmah (His Journey to 'Ammān and His Death):

Ibn Isḥāq said: As for Sāmah b. Lu’ayy, he went out to ʿUmān and remained there. They claim that ʿĀmir b. Lu’ayy drove him out, because there was something between them, and Sāmah gouged out ʿĀmir’s eye, so ʿĀmir frightened him, and he went out to ʿUmān. They claim that while Sāmah b. Lu’ayy was riding his she-camel, she lowered her head to graze, and a snake seized her upper lip and squeezed it until the camel fell on its side, then bit Sāmah and killed him. Sāmah said when he felt death, as they claim: "Eye, weep for Sāmah b. Lu’ayy—the clinging thing ²⁶⁴ has clung to Sāmah’s leg. I see no one like Sāmah b. Lu’ayy on the day they left him slain by a she-camel. Convey to ʿĀmir and Kaʿb a message: my soul yearns for them. If my home is in ʿUmān, I am a Ghālibī ²⁶⁵, I left without a she-camel. Many a cup you spilled, O son of Lu’ayy, fearing death, though it was not to be spilled. You sought to repel death, O son of Lu’ayy—no one who seeks that has power over fate. And the silent one of the night journey ²⁶⁶ you left dead, after vigor, strength, and elegance." Ibn Hishām said: It reached me that one of his descendants came to the Messenger of God ﷺ and traced his lineage to Sāmah b. Lu’ayy. The Messenger of God ﷺ said: "The poet?" One of his Companions said to him: "O Messenger of God, you seem to mean his saying: 'Many a cup you spilled, O son of Lu’ayy, fearing death, though it was not to be spilled.'" He said: "Yes." The affair of ʿAwf b. Lu’ayy and his transfer (the reason for his affiliation to Banū Dhubyān): Ibn Isḥāq said: As for ʿAwf b. Lu’ayy, he went out—as they claim—in a caravan of Quraysh, until when he was in the land of Ghatafān b. Saʿd b. Qays b. ʿAylān, he was delayed, and those of his people who were with him left. Then Thaʿlabah b. Saʿd came to him—he being his brother in the lineage of Banū Dhubyān ²⁶⁷—Thaʿlabah b. Saʿd b. Dhubyān b. Baghīḍ b. Rayth b. Ghatafān. And ʿAwf b. Saʿd b. Dhubyān b. Baghīḍ b. Rayth b. Ghatafān—so he detained him and his wife, attached him ²⁶⁸, and made him a brother. His lineage became widespread among Banū Dhubyān. Thaʿlabah—as they claim—is the one who said to ʿAwf when he was delayed and his people left him: "Detain ²⁶⁹ for me, O son of Lu’ayy, your camel—the people left you and you have no place ²⁷⁰." Ibn Isḥāq said: Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar ²⁷¹ b. al-Zubayr, or Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAbd Allāh b. Ḥuṣayn, narrated to me that ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb said: "If I were to claim a living tribe of the Arabs, or to affiliate them to us, I would claim Banū Murrah b. ʿAwf. Indeed, we recognize in them the likenesses, along with what we know of the place where that man fell," meaning ʿAwf b. Lu’ayy. The lineage of Murrah: Ibn Isḥāq said: He is in the lineage of Ghatafān: Murrah b. ʿAwf b. Saʿd b. Dhubyān b. Baghīḍ b. Rayth b. Ghatafān. And they say when this lineage is mentioned to them: "We do not deny it nor reject it; indeed, it is the most beloved lineage to us." Al-Ḥārith b. Ẓālim b. Judhaymah b. Yarbūʿ—Ibn Hishām said: one of Banū Murrah b. ʿAwf—said when he fled from al-Nuʿmān b. al-Mundhir and joined Quraysh: "My people are not Thaʿlabah b. Saʿd, nor Fazārah of the thin necks ²⁷². My people, if you ask, are Banū Lu’ayy in Mecca, who taught Muḍar how to strike. We foolishly followed Banū Baghīḍ and left the nearest kin to us in lineage. The foolishness of one who fails ²⁷³ what is watered—he spilled water and followed a mirage. If you had been given power, by your life, you would have been among them, and I would not be found seeking the clouds ²⁷⁴. And the Qurayshī traveler ²⁷⁵ carried my saddle on a swift she-camel, not seeking reward." Ibn Hishām said: This is what Abū ʿUbaydah recited to me of it. Ibn Isḥāq said: Al-Ḥuṣayn b. al-Ḥumām al-Murrī, then one of Banū Sahm b. Murrah, replied to al-Ḥārith b. Ẓālim, claiming affiliation to Ghatafān: "Are you not from us, and we are not from you? We disown you from Lu’ayy b. Ghālib. We remain in the might of the Ḥijāz, while you are in the turbulent lowland ²⁷⁶ among the rocky hills ²⁷⁷," meaning Quraysh. Then al-Ḥuṣayn regretted what he said, and recognized what al-Ḥārith b. Ẓālim said, so he claimed affiliation to Quraysh and belied himself, saying: "I regret a saying that passed, which I uttered—I realized it was the saying of a liar. Would that my tongue were two halves: one mute ²⁷⁸ and the half at the path of the stars. Our father is a Kinānī ²⁷⁹ in Mecca, his grave in the turbulent lowland among the rocky hills. We have the quarter of the Sacred House by inheritance, and the quarter of the plains near the house of Ibn Ḥāṭib." Meaning that Banū Lu’ayy were four: Kaʿb, ʿĀmir, Sāmah, and ʿAwf. Ibn Isḥāq said ²⁸⁰: One whom I do not suspect narrated to me that ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb, may God be pleased with him, said to men of Banū Murrah: "If you wish to return to your lineage, return to it." The chiefs of Murrah: Ibn Isḥāq said: The people were nobles in Ghatafān, and they were their chiefs and leaders. Among them: Harim b. Sinān b. Abī Ḥārithah [b. Murrah b. Nushbah] ²⁸¹, Khārijah b. Sinān b. Abī Ḥārithah, al-Ḥārith b. ʿAwf, al-Ḥuṣayn b. al-Ḥumām, and Hāshim b. Ḥarmalah, about whom the poet said: "He revived his father Hāshim b. Ḥarmalah ²⁸² on the day of dust-clouds ²⁸³ and the day of the well-trodden path ²⁸⁴. You see kings at his place sifted ²⁸⁵; he kills the guilty and the guiltless ²⁸⁶." Ibn Hishām said: Abū ʿUbaydah recited these verses to me as by ʿĀmir al-Khaṣafī, Khaṣafah b. Qays b. ʿAylān: "He revived his father Hāshim b. Ḥarmalah on the day of dust-clouds and the day of the well-trodden path. You see kings at his place sifted; he kills the guilty and the guiltless. And his spear makes mothers childless." And he narrated to me ²⁸⁷ that Hāshim said to ʿĀmir: "Say a good verse about me, and I will reward you." So ʿĀmir said the first verse, but it did not please Hāshim; then he said the second, but it did not please him; then he said the third, but it did not please him; when he said the fourth: "He kills the guilty and the guiltless," it pleased him, so he rewarded him. Ibn Hishām said: That is what al-Kumayt b. Zayd intended in his saying: "And Hāshim of Murrah, who destroys kings without guilt towards him, and guilty ones." And this verse is in a poem of his. ʿĀmir's saying "on the day of dust-clouds" is from other than Abū ʿUbaydah. Murrah and the Basl ²⁸⁸: Ibn Isḥāq said: A people with renown and fame in all of Ghatafān and Qays. They remained on their lineage ²⁸⁹, and among them was the Basl. The affair of the Basl (Definition of the Basl, and the lineage of Zuhayr the poet): The Basl—as they claim—are eight ²⁹⁰ sacred months, for them from every year, among the Arabs, which the Arabs recognized for them, not denying nor rejecting it. They travel with it to any land of the Arabs they wish, fearing nothing from them. Zuhayr b. Abī Sulmā said, meaning Banū Murrah: —Ibn Hishām said: Zuhayr is one of Banū Muzaynah b. Udd b. Ṭābikhah b. Ilyās ²⁹¹ b. Muḍar, and it is said Zuhayr b. Abī Sulmā is from Ghatafān, and it is said a confederate in Ghatafān— "Reflect ²⁹²—if the water-troughs ²⁹³ become desolate of them, and their circular sand-dunes, they do not become desolate of them when the palm-trees ²⁹⁴ are there. A land where I kept their company and befriended them—if they become desolate of them, they are Basl." He says: They traveled in their sacred months. Ibn Hishām said: These two verses are in a poem of his. Ibn Isḥāq said: Aʿshā b. Qays b. Thaʿlabah said: "Your protected neighbor is Basl, sacred to us, while our protected neighbor is lawful to you, and her husband." Ibn Hishām said: This verse is in a poem of his. The children of Kaʿb and their mother:

Ibn Ishaq said: Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy had three sons: Murra ibn Ka'b, 'Adi ibn Ka'b, and Husays ibn Ka'b. Their mother was Wahshiyya ²⁹⁵ bint Shayban ibn Muharib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn al-Nadr. (Children of Murra and their mothers): Murra ibn Ka'b had three sons: Kilab ibn Murra, Taym ibn Murra, and Yaqaza ²⁹⁶ ibn Murra. The mother of Kilab was Hind bint Surayr ibn Tha'laba ibn al-Harith ibn Fihr ²⁹⁷ ibn Malik.

1. الطَّمَاطِمُ : Non-Arab, foreign people, often used derogatorily for non-Arabic speakers.
2. الْأَعْلَاجُ : Plural of ʿilj, meaning a strong, coarse non-Arab, often used for Persians or non-Arabs.
3. عَبَّى : To marshal or arrange troops in battle formation.
4. نُفَيْلُ : Nufayl ibn Habib al-Khathʿami, a poet and warrior from the Khathʿam tribe.
5. الْخَثْعَمِيُّ : From the Khathʿam tribe, a South Arabian tribe.
6. بَرَكَ : To kneel down, as a camel does.
7. أَصْعَدَ : To ascend, go up.
8. الطَّبَرْزِينَ : A type of axe or hatchet, from Persian tabarzīn.
9. مَحَاجِنَ : Plural of miḥjan, a curved stick or hook used to prod animals.
10. مَرَاقِّهِ : Soft parts of the body, such as the flanks or underbelly.
11. بَزَغُوهُ : They pierced or stabbed him.
12. الْبَلَسَانِ : Balsam, a type of tree or its resin; here used to describe birds resembling swallows and balsam.
13. الطَّرِيقَ إلَى الْيَمَنِ : The road to Yemen, indicating the Abyssinians sought guidance back.
14. الْأَشْرَمُ : Al-Ashram, a title for Abraha, meaning 'the one with a slit nose or lip'.
15. رُدَيْنَا : Rudaynā, a woman's name, possibly Nufayl's wife or beloved.
16. نَعِمْنَاكُمْ : We have favored you, from naʿima, to be pleasant or favorable.
17. قَابِسٌ : A firebrand or one who brings fire; metaphor for a messenger or news.
18. الْمُحَصَّبِ : Al-Muḥaṣṣab, a place near Mecca between Mina and the Kaaba.
19. أَنَامِلَهُ : His fingertips or fingers.
20. أُنْمُلَةً أُنْمُلَةً : One finger joint at a time.
21. مِدَّةٌ : Pus or matter from a wound.
22. تَمُثُّ : Oozing or flowing out.
23. يَعْقُوبُ : Yaʿqūb ibn ʿUtba, a narrator of hadith and historical reports.
24. مَرَائِرُ : Bitter plants, plural of marīr.
25. الْحَرْمَلِ : Harmal, Peganum harmala, a bitter plant used in traditional medicine.
26. الْحَنْظَلِ : Hanẓal, colocynth, a bitter fruit.
27. الْعُشَرِ : ʿUshar, Calotropis procera, a plant with bitter latex.
28. أَبَابِيلَ : Abābīl, flocks or groups; used in Qur'an 105:3 for birds.
29. سِجِّيلٍ : Sijjīl, baked clay or stones; from Persian sang (stone) and gil (clay).
30. عَصْفٍ مَأْكُولٍ : Eaten straw or chaff, as in Qur'an 105:5.
31. إِيلَافِ : Ilāf, the covenant or custom of safe passage for trade; from alifa, to be familiar.
32. مَذَانِبَ : Plural of madhnab, a watering place or channel.
33. عَصِيفَتُهَا : Its straw or chaff; from ʿaṣīfa.
34. حَدُورُهَا : Its downhill or slope.
35. أَتَّى : Came or arrived; variant of atā.
36. تَفْسِيرٌ فِي النَّحْوِ : A grammatical explanation; Ibn Hisham refers to a syntactic analysis.
37. الْمُؤْلِفَاتِ : Those that are familiar with; from ālafa, to become accustomed.
38. أَلْفٌ : A thousand; also used for a large number of livestock.
39. الْمُعِيمُ : One who makes rich or abundant; from ʿāma, to be abundant.
40. الْمُرْجِلُ : One who makes abundant; from rajula, to be numerous.
41. مُؤْلِفِينَا : Making us a thousand; from ālafa, to make into a thousand.
42. عمْرَة : ʿAmra bint ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, a female narrator of hadith.
43. سَعْدِ : Saʿd ibn Zurāra, a companion of the Prophet from the Ansar.
44. Sa'd : A clan of Quraysh, part of the Banu Sahm.
45. Tanakkalū : They retreated or withdrew.
46. Yarūmuhā : Approach or seek it.
47. Lam yathūbū arḍahum : Did not return to their land.
48. Lam : Not.
49. Kānat : There were.
50. ʿĀmira : A clan of the Aws tribe.
51. Razam : Knelt down or crouched.
52. Sharramū anfahu fānkharam : They slit its nose, so it was cut off.
53. Mighwal : A dagger or sharp instrument.
54. Al-quzum : A bundle or rolled-up cloth.
55. Tha'ajū kathu'āj al-ghanam : They bleated like the bleating of sheep.
56. Al-akhāshib : The rugged hills or rocky areas around Mecca.
57. Tumsī : Spends the evening.
58. Al-qādhi fāt : Heights or elevated places.
59. Sāfin wa ḥāṣib : Dust and storm (of pebbles).
60. Milḥabish : The Abyssinians.
61. ʿAṣā'ib : Scattered groups or bands.
62. Ṭālib ibn Abī Ṭālib : The brother of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, not to be confused with the Prophet's uncle.
63. Ḥarb Dāḥis : A famous pre-Islamic war between the tribes of 'Abs and Dhubyan.
64. Al-shi'b : The mountain pass or valley.
65. Sarb : Livestock or herd.
66. Al-Ḥanīfiyya : The monotheistic religion of Abraham, considered the original pure faith.
67. Thāqibāt : Clear, penetrating, or brilliant.
68. Mahāt shu'ā'uhā mabshūr : A brilliant radiance, its glow spreading.
69. Kabkab maḥdūr : A rock rolled down from a mountain.
70. Malāwīth : Brave or steadfast in war.
71. Ibdha'arrū : Scattered or dispersed.
72. Dīn al-Ḥanīfa : The religion of the Hanif, i.e., monotheism.
73. Būr : Worthless or null.
74. Ghinā : Wealth or riches.
75. Al-qibla al-bayḍā' : The white qibla, referring to the Kaaba in Mecca.
76. Muṭrakhamī al-ṭarākhim : Arrogant or haughty.
77. Marjūm : Stoned or pelted.
78. Fall : Broken or defeated.
79. Lam yushkihi : Did not relieve him or answer his complaint.
80. Kisrā : Title of the Sassanid Persian emperor.
81. Qanqal : A large vessel or container, possibly a cauldron.
82. dirham : A silver coin used as currency in the Islamic world.
83. marzuban : A Persian title for a military governor or margrave, responsible for defending a frontier province.
84. Aden : A port city in Yemen, historically a major trading hub.
85. San'a : The capital city of Yemen, known for its ancient history.
86. ilta'ama : To be reconciled or united; here referring to the two kings coming to an agreement.
87. faquma : To become great or serious; the matter has become momentous.
88. Qayl : A title for a king or ruler in ancient Yemen.
89. na'ma : Blessings, favours, or good things; here referring to spoils of war.
90. rayyama : To sail or travel by sea; also can mean to intend or aim.
91. sala : To ask or request; here meaning what he sought.
92. inthana : To turn or return; here meaning he turned his attention.
93. ashira : A tenth; here referring to a period of ten years.
94. qilqal : Commotion, agitation, or haste; here meaning a swift movement.
95. asawira : Armoured knights or cavalrymen; plural of 'uswari' (Persian: aswar).
96. ghaydat : Thickets or dense vegetation; here a place where lions raise their cubs.
97. shuduf : Fortresses or high places; also means a kind of howdah on a camel.
98. zamkhar : Piercing, sharp; here describing a type of arrow or weapon.
99. fullal : Broken, scattered; here meaning the remnants of the defeated army.
100. Ghumdan : The famous palace in San'a, Yemen, built by the Himyarite kings.
101. shaalat na'amatahum : An idiom meaning their good fortune has departed or their luck has run out.
102. isbal : Letting down or trailing a garment; here meaning to wear robes with dignity.
103. abwal : Urine; here a metaphor for something worthless or degraded.
104. Hibban ibn : The name of al-Nabigha al-Ja'di; the text has a lacuna, but it is filled as 'Hibban ibn'.
105. al-'Ibad : A Christian Arab tribe from al-Hira, known for their learning and piety.
106. al-Hira : An ancient city in Mesopotamia, capital of the Lakhmid kingdom.
107. jazl : Generous, abundant; here describing the gifts of the rulers.
108. maharih : Altars or places of worship; here meaning the walls or chambers of the palace.
109. ghawarib : Heights or summits; here meaning the inaccessible parts of the mountains.
110. qasib : A flute or pipe; here referring to a musical instrument played in the evening.
111. asbab : Causes, means; here meaning the reasons or forces that brought the army.
112. tawalib : Swift camels; plural of 'talib' meaning a fast camel.
113. mukhdarra : Green; here meaning lush or flourishing, possibly referring to banners or troops.
114. Barbar : A reference to the Berber people; here used as a battle cry or tribal name.
115. al-Yaksum : A name or title; possibly a reference to the Abyssinian king or a tribe.
116. imma : Blessing, favour; here meaning a state of prosperity that vanished.
117. fayj : A courier or messenger; also a type of military unit.
118. zarafa : Giraffe; here meaning a strange or exotic animal, symbolizing change.
119. jun : Dark, black; here meaning the days are dark or troubled.
120. Tubba' : A title for Himyarite kings of Yemen.
121. nakhawira : Chiefs or leaders; plural of 'nakhwar' meaning a noble or leader.
122. Abu Zayd al-Ansari : A famous grammarian and scholar of Arabic from Basra.
123. al-Abna' : Literally 'the sons'; a term for the descendants of Persian soldiers who settled in Yemen.
124. Kisra : Title of the Sassanid Persian kings, equivalent to 'Chosroes'.
125. (126) : Marginal number indicating a section or page reference in the original text.
126. al-Zabur : The Psalms; here referring to an ancient scripture or inscription.
127. al-Dhi'bi : A nickname for Satih, derived from his ancestor Dhi'b (wolf).
128. Dhu al-Aktaf : Title of the Sassanid king Shapur II, meaning 'he of the shoulders' (possibly referring to his broad shoulders or a battle injury).
129. Anmār : Anmār is the eponymous ancestor of the tribes Khath‘am and Bajīla.
130. munāfara : A pre-Islamic contest of honor and boasting between two individuals, often judged by a third party.
131. al-Furāfiṣa : A nickname for a man from the Kalb tribe, known for his boastfulness.
132. ‘Aylān : Also known as ‘Aylān, the ancestor of the Qays ‘Aylān tribes.
133. Jurhumite : A member of the ancient Arab tribe of Jurhum, which once controlled Mecca.
134. Khindif : The matronymic name of the wife of Ilyās, meaning 'one who hurries'.
135. Khindif : The story explains how the names Mudrika, Ṭābikha, and Khindif originated from this incident.
136. Qam‘a : The third son of Ilyās, from whom the tribe of Khuza‘a is said to descend.
137. quṣbahu : His intestines; a graphic description of punishment in Hell.
138. Baḥīra : A she-camel whose ear was slit after bearing a certain number of young, then set free and forbidden to be used.
139. Sā’iba : A camel set free for a vow or for idols, not to be ridden or milked.
140. Waṣīla : A ewe that gave birth to a male and female twin, considered sacred and not to be slaughtered.
141. Ḥāmī : A male camel that had sired a certain number of offspring, then set free and protected.
142. Hubal : A major idol brought from Syria to Mecca and placed inside the Ka‘ba.
143. Hubal : Hubal was a large idol made of red agate, later replaced by a statue.
144. salakha dhālika bihim : Literally 'that stripped them', meaning it gradually led them to idolatry.
145. khalafa al-khulūf : Later generations succeeded the earlier ones.
146. Buraḥāṭ : A place in the territory of Hudhayl, near Mecca.
147. Dūmat al-Jandal : An ancient oasis city in northern Arabia, now al-Jawf.
148. al-Lāt, al-‘Uzzā, Wadd : Three pre-Islamic goddesses worshipped by the Arabs.
149. Jurash : A town in Yemen, near the border with Tihama.
150. Yaghūth : An idol worshipped by the tribes of Madhḥij and others.
151. Khaywān : A sub-tribe of Hamdān, also the name of a place in Yemen.
152. Ya‘ūq : An idol worshipped by Hamdān.
153. Mālik ibn Namat al-Hamdānī : A poet from the Hamdān tribe.
154. yarīshu... yabrī : A poetic expression: God provides feathers (for arrows) and fletches them, while the idol Ya‘ūq does nothing.
155. Rabi‘ah : A name; here part of a genealogical chain.
156. Saba' : Biblical Sheba; ancient kingdom in Yemen.
157. Dhu al-Kula‘ : A man from Himyar; lit. 'the one of the collar'.
158. Nasr : An idol of the pre-Islamic Arabs; means 'vulture'.
159. ‘Umyanis : An idol of the tribe of Khaulan.
160. Murrah : A name; part of genealogical chain.
161. Banu : Sons of; used to denote a tribe or clan.
162. Milkan : A sub-tribe of Kinanah.
163. Falah : A desert or barren land.
164. Mu'abbala : Camels reserved for breeding or sacrifice, not ridden.
165. Tanufah : A barren, waterless plain.
166. Tad‘u : Calls; here meaning 'invites'.
167. Sanam : Idol; a physical object of worship.
168. ‘Udthan : A name; part of genealogical chain.
169. Hubal : A major idol of Quraysh, placed inside the Ka‘bah.
170. Isaf : An idol; originally a man transformed into stone.
171. Zamzam : The sacred well in Mecca.
172. Baghy : A name; means 'transgression'.
173. Bint : Daughter of.
174. Ahdatha : Committed a sin; here refers to illicit sexual intercourse.
175. Abu Talib : Uncle of Prophet Muhammad and father of ‘Ali.
176. Ash‘arites : Tribe of al-Ash‘ar; here refers to pilgrims.
177. al-‘Uzza : A pre-Islamic goddess; one of the three chief goddesses of Mecca.
178. Nakhla : A valley near Mecca.
179. Banu Shayban : A clan of the tribe of Sulaym.
180. Banu : Sons of; here 'Banu Abi Talib' means the clan of Abu Talib.
181. Ra's buqayrah : Lit. 'head of a small cow'; a metaphor for a prized animal.
182. Banu Ghanm : A tribe; Ghanm means 'sheep'.
183. Qada‘a : A defect or blemish in the eye.
184. Wassa‘a : To be generous; here means he gave a large share.
185. Abu Khirash : A pre-Islamic poet of the Hudhayl tribe.
186. al-Quttan : Those who dwell in the sanctuary; pilgrims.
187. al-Baytan : The two verses; a dual form.
188. al-Lat : A pre-Islamic goddess; one of the three chief goddesses.
189. Banu Mu‘attib : A clan of Thaqif.
190. Manat : A pre-Islamic goddess of fate; one of the three chief goddesses.
191. Qudayd : A place between Mecca and Medina.
192. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib : Cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad; fourth caliph.
193. Dhu al-Khalasah : A pre-Islamic idol; also called Dhu al-Khulusah.
194. Tabalah : A town in Yemen.
195. Dhu al-Khalasa : A pre-Islamic idol and sanctuary of the tribe of Khath'am, located in Tabala.
196. divination arrows : Azlam: arrows used for seeking omens or decisions, often associated with pagan practices.
197. Imru' al-Qays ibn Hujr al-Kindi : A famous pre-Islamic poet, known as the 'wandering king'.
198. Fils : A pre-Islamic idol of the tribe of Tayy.
199. al-Rasub : A sword name, meaning 'the penetrating' or 'the firm'.
200. al-Mikhdham : A sword name, meaning 'the cutter' or 'the sharp'.
201. Ri'am : A pre-Islamic temple in Yemen, dedicated to the god of the Himyarites.
202. Ruda' : A pre-Islamic idol of the tribe of Tamim.
203. al-Mustawghir : A pre-Islamic poet from the tribe of Tamim, known for his long life.
204. Mudar : A major tribal confederation in pre-Islamic Arabia, considered the northern Arabs.
205. Zuhayr ibn Janab al-Kalbi : A pre-Islamic poet from the tribe of Kalb.
206. Dhu al-Ka'bat : A pre-Islamic temple or idol, literally 'the one of the cubes'.
207. Sindad : A location in Iraq, near the Euphrates.
208. al-Khawarnaq : A famous pre-Islamic palace in Iraq, built by the Lakhmids.
209. al-Sadir : A pre-Islamic palace or fortress in Iraq.
210. Bariq : A place name, possibly a mountain or region.
211. al-Bahira : A she-camel with a split ear, set free for idols; also a term for a specific type of sacrificial animal.
212. al-Sa'iba : A she-camel set free due to a vow or for idols, not to be used.
213. al-Wasila : A ewe that has given birth to a certain number of females, considered sacred.
214. al-Hami : A stallion camel that has sired a certain number of females, protected from work.
215. wasa'il : Plural of wasila, referring to the sacred ewes.
216. shuraif : A type of camel or a place name; possibly a breed.
217. hiqqa : A young she-camel in her third year.
218. hamiyat : Plural of hami, the protected stallions.
219. suyyab : Plural of sa'iba, the freed she-camels.
220. akhraj : A type of camel, possibly one with a specific color or trait.
221. mirba' : A camel that gives birth in spring, or a term for a specific type.
222. qarqara : A bellowing sound made by camels.
223. diyafi : A type of camel or a proper name; possibly a breed.
224. hajma : A herd of camels, typically around a hundred.
225. buhur : Plural of bahira, the sacred she-camels.
226. Khuza'a : A tribe that settled in Mecca after the Jurhum, claiming descent from 'Amr ibn 'Amir.
227. Khindif : A legendary ancestress of the Mudar tribe, often considered the mother of certain tribes.
228. separated : The name Khuza'a is derived from the verb 'takhazza'a', meaning to cut off or separate.
229. Marr al-Zahran : A valley near Mecca, also known as Marr al-Zahran.
230. Murr : Another name for Marr al-Zahran.
231. sturdy horses : Karākir: strong, sturdy horses.
232. Tihama : The coastal lowland of western Arabia, including Mecca.
233. akārīs : Plural of kurs, meaning scattered groups or detachments.
234. shattat : They dispersed or scattered.
235. qanābil : Plural of qanbal, meaning companies or groups of people.
236. Milkān : A proper name; variant reading.
237. shan'ān : Hatred or enmity.
238. muqrifah : Of base or low lineage.
239. qarm : Chief or noble leader.
240. shughūsh : A type of wheat.
241. khashl : The heads of anklets or bracelets.
242. qurūsh : Trade and acquisition.
243. aswirah : Plural of siwār, meaning bracelets.
244. Abū Jildah : A poet from the tribe of Yashkur.
245. azharā : Bright or luminous; metaphor for noble.
246. al-'asb : A type of striped garment from Yemen.
247. sadā : The warp of a fabric.
248. al-mukhaṣṣarā : Embroidered or decorated with a pattern from Hadramawt.
249. al-Fawā'ij : A place name; literally 'the openings'.
250. Yad : Variant reading; possibly a name.
251. al-jandal : Stones or rocks; metaphor for strength.
252. Salmā : A female proper name.
253. al-Adram : A nickname meaning 'the dark-skinned' or 'the one with a defect'.
254. Ka'b : A proper name; here the father of Salmā.
255. 'Awf : A proper name.
256. Māwiyyah : A female proper name.
257. al-Hārith ibn : Variant reading; al-Hārith as a son of Lu'ayy.
258. al-rawābī : The high hills or heights; metaphor for nobility.
259. Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib : Ancestor of Quraysh.
260. al-gharā'ib : Strangers or foreigners.
261. Tha'labah : A proper name.
262. Banu : Sons of; tribe of.
263. 'Āmir : A proper name; son of Lu'ayy.
264. al-ʿallāqah : The 'clinging thing' refers to the snake that bit him.
265. Ghālibī : Attributed to Ghālib, an ancestor of Quraysh.
266. kharūs al-sarā : Literally 'the silent one of the night journey'; a metaphor for a she-camel that does not grunt while traveling at night.
267. Banū Dhubyān : A subtribe of Ghatafān.
268. iltāṭahu : He attached him to himself, i.e., made him a close associate or ally.
269. iḥbis : Imperative of ḥabasa, meaning 'detain' or 'keep'.
270. manzil : Place to stay or home.
271. Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar : A narrator in the chain of transmission.
272. al-shuʿur al-riqābā : Literally 'the thin necks'; a descriptive epithet for Fazārah.
273. mukhlif : One who fails to fulfill a promise or expectation.
274. antaṭiʿ al-saḥāb : Seeking clouds, i.e., seeking rain or bounty from others.
275. rawāḥah al-Qurashī : The Qurayshī traveler; rawāḥah means one who travels in the afternoon.
276. muʿtalaj al-baṭḥāʾ : The turbulent lowland of the valley.
277. al-akhāshib : Rocky hills or rugged terrain around Mecca.
278. bakīm : Mute, unable to speak.
279. Kinānī : Belonging to the tribe of Kinānah, an ancestor of Quraysh.
280. qāla Ibn Isḥāq : Ibn Isḥāq said; a formula introducing a narration.
281. b. Murrah b. Nushbah : A textual addition to complete the lineage.
282. Hāshim b. Ḥarmalah : A notable of Banū Murrah.
283. al-habāʾāt : Dust-clouds; days of dust-storms or battles.
284. al-yaʿmalah : The well-trodden path; a day of travel or battle.
285. mugharbalah : Sifted, i.e., scattered or humiliated.
286. lā dhanba lahu : Without guilt; innocent.
287. ḥaddathanī : He narrated to me; a transmission formula.
288. al-Basl : A term for a set of sacred months observed by Banū Murrah.
289. nasabihim : Their lineage; they remained in their claimed lineage.
290. thamāniyah : Eight; the number of sacred months.
291. Ilyās : An ancestor of Muḍar.
292. taʾammal : Reflect or consider.
293. al-marūrāt : Water-troughs or places where water is collected.
294. nakhlu : Palm-trees; a place name or feature.
295. Wahshiyya : A female proper name, meaning 'wild' or 'savage'.
296. Yaqaza : A male proper name, meaning 'alert' or 'awake'.
297. Fihr : An ancestor of the Quraysh tribe, also known as Quraysh himself according to some genealogists.

He mentioned the noble lineage from Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, to Adam, peace be upon him.

Ibn al-Naḍr ibn Kināna ibn Khuzayma. Umm Yaqaẓa was al-Bāriqiyya ¹, a woman from Bāriq, of al-Asad from Yemen. It is also said she was Umm Taym. And it is said Taym was for Hind bint Surayr, the mother of Kilāb. (The Lineage of Bāriq): Ibn Hishām said: Bāriq are the Banū ‘Adī ibn Ḥāritha ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Āmir ibn Ḥāritha ibn Imri’ al-Qays ibn Tha‘laba ibn Māzin ibn al-Asad ibn al-Ghawth, and they are in Shanū’a. Al-Kumayt ibn Zayd said: “And Azd Shanū’a attacked us ² ... with a multitude they thought had horns ³. We did not say to Bāriq, ‘You have done wrong,’ nor did we say to Bāriq, ‘Make amends with us.’” ⁴ He said: These two verses are in a poem of his. They were named Bāriq because they followed the lightning (al-barq). (The Two Sons of Kilāb and Their Mother): Ibn Isḥāq said: Kilāb ibn Murra fathered two men: Quṣayy ⁵ ibn Kilāb and Zuhra ⁶ ibn Kilāb. Their mother was Fāṭima bint Sa‘d ibn Sayal ⁷, one of the Banū al-Jadara ⁸, from Ju‘thuma ⁹ al-Azd, from Yemen, allies of the Banū al-Dayl ¹⁰ ibn Bakr ibn ‘Abd Manāf ibn Kināna. (The Lineage of Ju‘thuma): Ibn Hishām said: It is also said Ju‘thuma al-Asad, and Ju‘thuma al-Azd, and he is Ju‘thuma ibn Yashkur ibn Mubashshir ibn Ṣa‘b ibn Duhmān ibn Naṣr ibn Zahrān ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Ka‘b ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Mālik ibn Naṣr ibn al-Asad ibn al-Ghawth. And it is said Ju‘thuma ibn Yashkur ibn Mubashshir ibn Ṣa‘b ibn Naṣr ibn Zahrān ibn al-Asad ibn al-Ghawth. They were called al-Jadara because ‘Āmir ibn ‘Amr ¹¹ ibn Ju‘thuma married the daughter of al-Ḥārith ibn Muḍāḍ al-Jurhumī, and Jurhum were the custodians of the Ka‘ba. He built a wall (jidār) for the Ka‘ba, so ‘Āmir was called al-Jādir, and his children were called al-Jadara for that reason ¹². Ibn Isḥāq said: Concerning Sa‘d ibn Sayal, a poet said: “We see no single person among the people, of those we know, like Sa‘d ibn Sayal: A knight, firm, with some difficulty, and when he faces the opponent, he dismounts ¹³. A knight who lures the horses as the noble al-Qaṭāmī ¹⁴ lures the partridges.” Ibn Hishām said: His saying “as the noble al-Qaṭāmī lures” is from some scholars of poetry. (The Remaining Children of Kilāb): Ibn Hishām said: And Nu‘m bint Kilāb, who was the mother of As‘ad and Su‘ayd, the two sons of Sahm ibn ‘Amr ibn Huṣayṣ ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ayy, and her mother was Fāṭima bint Sa‘d ibn Sayal. (The Children of Quṣayy and Their Mother): Ibn Isḥāq said: Quṣayy ¹⁵ ibn Kilāb fathered four men and two women: ‘Abd Manāf ibn Quṣayy, ‘Abd al-Dār ibn Quṣayy, ‘Abd al-‘Uzzā ibn Quṣayy, and ‘Abd Quṣayy ¹⁶ ibn Quṣayy, and Takhmur ¹⁷ bint Quṣayy, and Barra bint Quṣayy. Their mother was Ḥubbā bint Ḥulayl ibn Ḥabashiyya ibn Salūl ibn Ka‘b ibn ‘Amr al-Khuzā‘ī. Ibn Hishām said: It is also said Ḥubshiyya ¹⁸ ibn Salūl. (The Children of ‘Abd Manāf and Their Mothers): Ibn Isḥāq said: ‘Abd Manāf—whose name was al-Mughīra ibn Quṣayy—fathered four men: Hāshim ¹⁹ ibn ‘Abd Manāf, ‘Abd Shams ²⁰ ibn ‘Abd Manāf, al-Muṭṭalib ibn ‘Abd Manāf, and their mother was ‘Ātika ²¹ bint Murra ibn Hilāl ²² ibn Fālij ²³ ibn Dhakwān ibn Tha‘laba ibn Bahtha ibn Sulaym ibn Manṣūr ibn ‘Ikrima, and Nawfal ibn ‘Abd Manāf, whose mother was Wāqida bint ‘Amr al-Māziniyya. Māzin ibn Manṣūr ibn ‘Ikrima. (The Lineage of ‘Utba ibn Ghazwān): Ibn Hishām said: By this lineage, ‘Utba ibn Ghazwān ibn Jābir ibn Wahb ibn Tusayb ²⁴ ibn Mālik ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Māzin ibn Manṣūr ibn ‘Ikrima differed from them. (Return to the Children of ‘Abd Manāf): Ibn Hishām said: And Abū ‘Amr, Tumāḍir, Qilāba, Ḥayya, Rayṭa, Umm al-Akhtham, and Umm Sufyān: the children of ‘Abd Manāf. The mother of Abū ‘Amr was Rayṭa, a woman from Thaqīf. The mother of the rest of the women was ‘Ātika bint Murra ibn Hilāl, the mother of Hāshim ibn ‘Abd Manāf. Her mother was Ṣafiyya bint Ḥawza ibn ‘Amr ibn Salūl ibn Ṣa‘ṣa‘a ibn Mu‘āwiya ibn Bakr ibn Hawāzin. The mother of Ṣafiyya was the daughter of ‘Ā’idh Allāh ²⁵ ibn Sa‘d ²⁶ al-‘Ashīra ibn Madhḥij. (The Children of Hāshim and Their Mothers): Ibn Hishām said ²⁷: Hāshim ibn ‘Abd Manāf fathered four men and five women: ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim, Asad ibn Hāshim, Abū Ṣayfī ibn Hāshim, Naḍla ibn Hāshim, al-Shifā’, Khālida, Ḍa‘īfa, Ruqayya, and Ḥayya. The mother of ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib and Ruqayya was Salmā ²⁸ bint ‘Amr ²⁹ ibn Zayd ibn Labīd ³⁰ ibn Ḥarām ³¹ ibn Khidāsh ibn ‘Āmir ³² ibn Ghanm ibn ‘Adī ibn al-Najjār. The name of al-Najjār is Taym Allāh ibn Tha‘laba ibn ‘Amr ibn al-Khazraj ibn Ḥāritha ibn Tha‘laba ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Āmir. Her mother was ‘Amīra bint Ṣakhr ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Tha‘laba ibn Māzin ibn al-Najjār. The mother of ‘Amīra was Salmā bint ‘Abd al-Ashhal al-Najjāriyya. The mother of Asad was Qayla bint ‘Āmir ibn Mālik al-Khuzā‘ī. The mother of Abū Ṣayfī and Ḥayya was Hind bint ‘Amr ibn Tha‘laba al-Khazrajiyya ³³. The mother of Naḍla and al-Shifā’ was a woman from Quḍā‘a. The mother of Khālida and Ḍa‘īfa was Wāqida bint Abī ‘Adī al-Māziniyya. (The Children of ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim) (Their Number and Mothers): Ibn Hishām said: ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim fathered ten men and six women: al-‘Abbās, Ḥamza, ‘Abd Allāh, Abū Ṭālib—whose name was ‘Abd Manāf—al-Zubayr ³⁴, al-Ḥārith, Ḥajl ³⁵, al-Muqawwim, Ḍirār, Abū Lahab ³⁶—whose name was ‘Abd al-‘Uzzā—and Ṣafiyya, Umm Ḥakīm al-Bayḍā’, ‘Ātika, Umayma, Arwā, and Barra. The mother of al-‘Abbās and Ḍirār was Nukayla ³⁷ bint Janāb ibn Kulayb ³⁸ ibn Mālik ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Āmir ³⁹ ibn Zayd Manāt ibn ‘Āmir—who is al-Ḍaḥyān—ibn Sa‘d ibn al-Khazraj ibn Taym al-Lāt ibn al-Namir ibn Qāsiṭ ibn Hinb ibn Afṣā ibn Jadīla ibn Asad ibn Rabī‘a ibn Nizār. It is also said Afṣā ibn Du‘mī ibn Jadīla. The mother of Ḥamza, al-Muqawwim, and Ḥajl—who was nicknamed al-Ghaydāq for his abundant goodness and wealth—and Ṣafiyya was Hāla ⁴⁰ bint ⁴¹ Wahayb ibn ‘Abd Manāt ⁴² ibn Zuhra ibn Kilāb ibn Murra ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ayy. The mother of ‘Abd Allāh, Abū Ṭālib, al-Zubayr, and all the women except Ṣafiyya was Fāṭima bint ‘Amr ibn ‘Ā’idh ibn ‘Imrān ibn Makhzūm ibn Yaqaẓa ibn Murra ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib ibn Fihr ibn Mālik ibn ⁴³ al-Naḍr. Her mother was Ṣakhra bint ‘Abd ibn ‘Imrān ibn Makhzūm ibn Yaqaẓa ibn Murra ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib ibn Fihr ibn Mālik ibn al-Naḍr. The mother of Ṣakhra was Takhmur bint ‘Abd ibn Quṣayy ibn Kilāb ibn Murra ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib ibn Fihr ibn Mālik ibn al-Naḍr. The mother of al-Ḥārith ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib was Samrā’ bint Jundub ibn Juḥayr ibn Ri’āb ibn Ḥabīb ibn Suwā’a ibn ‘Āmir ibn Ṣa‘ṣa‘a ibn Mu‘āwiya ibn Bakr ibn Hawāzin ibn Manṣūr ibn ‘Ikrima. The mother of Abū Lahab was Lubnā bint Hājar ibn ‘Abd Manāf ibn Ḍāṭir ibn Ḥubshiyya ibn Salūl ibn Ka‘b ibn ‘Amr al-Khuzā‘ī. (The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and his mothers):

Ibn Hisham said: 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib fathered the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the master of the children of Adam, Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib—may Allah's blessings, peace, mercy, and benedictions be upon him and his family. His mother was Aminah bint Wahb ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Zuhrah ⁴⁴ ibn Kilab ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn al-Nadr. Her mother was Barrah bint 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn 'Uthman ibn 'Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn al-Nadr. The mother of Barrah was Umm Habib bint Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn al-Nadr. The mother of Umm Habib was Barrah ⁴⁵ bint 'Awf ibn 'Ubayd ibn 'Uwayj ibn 'Adiyy ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn al-Nadr. Ibn Hisham said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is the noblest of the children of Adam in lineage and the most excellent in descent from both his father and his mother—may Allah bless him and grant him peace ⁴⁶. Reference to the digging of Zamzam (Something about Zamzam): Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Muttalibi ⁴⁷ said: While 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim was sleeping in the Hijr ⁴⁸, he was visited and commanded to dig Zamzam. It was a buried well between the two idols of Quraysh, Isaf and Na'ilah, near the place of sacrifice of Quraysh. Jurhum had buried it when they departed from Mecca. It is the well of Isma'il ibn Ibrahim, peace be upon them, from which Allah gave him water when he was thirsty as a child. His mother sought water for him but did not find it. She went to al-Safa, calling upon Allah and seeking His help for Isma'il, then she went to al-Marwah and did likewise. Allah sent Jibril, peace be upon him, who struck the ground with his heel ⁴⁹, and water appeared. His mother heard the sounds of wild beasts and feared for him, so she came running towards him. She found him scraping ⁵⁰ the water with his hand from under his cheek and drinking. She made it into a pool ⁵¹. The affair of Jurhum and the burying of Zamzam (Guardians of the House): Ibn Hisham said: Regarding the story of Jurhum, their burying of Zamzam, their departure from Mecca, and who took charge of Mecca after them until 'Abd al-Muttalib dug Zamzam, what Ziyad ibn 'Abdullah al-Bakka'i narrated to us from Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Muttalibi, who said: When Isma'il ibn Ibrahim died, his son Nabit ibn Isma'il took charge of the House for as long as Allah willed. Then after him, Mudad ibn 'Amr al-Jurhumi took charge of the House. (Jurhum and Qatura, and what happened between them): Ibn Hisham said: It is said: Mudad ibn 'Amr al-Jurhumi. Ibn Ishaq said: The Banu Isma'il and Banu Nabit were with their grandfather Mudad ibn 'Amr and their maternal uncles from Jurhum ⁵². Jurhum and Qatura ⁵³ were at that time the inhabitants of Mecca. They were cousins. They had set out from Yemen as a caravan. Mudad ibn 'Amr was over Jurhum, and over Qatura was al-Samayda' ⁵⁴, a man from them. Whenever they left Yemen, they would only leave with a king to manage their affairs. When they alighted at Mecca, they saw a land with water and trees, which pleased them, so they settled there. Mudad ibn 'Amr and those with him from Jurhum settled in the upper part of Mecca at Qu'ayqi'an ⁵⁵ and what it encompassed. Al-Samayda' and Qatura settled in the lower part of Mecca at Ajyad ⁵⁶ and what it encompassed. Mudad would tithe ⁵⁷ anyone entering Mecca from above, and al-Samayda' would tithe anyone entering Mecca from below. Each was among his people, neither entering upon the other. Then Jurhum and Qatura began to oppress one another and competed for kingship there. With Mudad at that time were the Banu Isma'il and Banu Nabit, and the guardianship of the House was his, not al-Samayda's. So they marched against each other. Mudad ibn 'Amr set out from Qu'ayqi'an with his troop, heading toward al-Samayda'. With his troop were their equipment of spears, shields, swords, and quivers, making a clattering noise. It is said that Qu'ayqi'an was only named Qu'ayqi'an because of that. Al-Samayda' set out from Ajyad with horses and men. It is said that Ajyad was only named Ajyad because of the horses ⁵⁸ that came out with al-Samayda' from it. They met at Fadih ⁵⁹ and fought fiercely. Al-Samayda' was killed, and Qatura was disgraced. It is said that Fadih was only named Fadih because of that. Then the people called for peace. They marched until they alighted at al-Matabikh ⁶⁰, a mountain pass in upper Mecca, and made peace there, surrendering the authority to Mudad. When the rule of Mecca was gathered to him and became his kingdom, he slaughtered animals for the people and fed them. The people cooked ⁶¹ and ate. It is said that al-Matabikh was only named al-Matabikh because of that. Some scholars claim that it was only named al-Matabikh when Tubba' ⁶² slaughtered there and fed people, and it was his residence. What happened between Mudad and al-Samayda' was the first oppression in Mecca, as they claim. (The children of Isma'il and Jurhum in Mecca): Then Allah spread the children of Isma'il in Mecca, and their maternal uncles from Jurhum were the guardians of the House and the rulers in Mecca. The children of Isma'il did not dispute that with them, due to their maternal relationship and kinship, and out of reverence for the sanctity, lest there be oppression or fighting there. When Mecca became too narrow for the children of Isma'il, they spread out in the lands. They did not attack any people except that Allah gave them victory over them through their religion, and they subdued them. (The takeover of the House by the people of Kinanah and Khuza'ah, and concerning Jurhum) (The oppression of Jurhum in Mecca and the expulsion of them by Banu Bakr): Then Jurhum oppressed in Mecca and violated some of the sanctities. They wronged those who entered it from outside its people and consumed the wealth of the Ka'bah that was donated ⁶³ to it, so their situation deteriorated. When Banu Bakr ibn 'Abd Manat ibn Kinanah and Ghubshan from Khuza'ah saw that, they agreed to fight them and expel them from Mecca. They declared war on them. They fought, and Banu Bakr and Ghubshan defeated them and expelled them from Mecca. In the Jahiliyyah, Mecca did not tolerate injustice or oppression. If anyone committed oppression there, it expelled him. It was called al-Nassasah ⁶⁴. No king who sought to violate its sanctity would remain except that he perished on the spot. It is said that it was only called Bakkah ⁶⁵ because it would break ⁶⁶ the necks of tyrants when they introduced anything therein. (Bakkah linguistically): Ibn Hisham said: Abu 'Ubaydah informed me that Bakkah is a name for the valley of Mecca, because they crowd ⁶⁷ there, i.e., they press together. He recited to me: "When the drinker ⁶⁸ is seized by his thirst ⁶⁹, then leave him until he crowds his crowding ⁷⁰" Meaning: leave him until he crowds his camels, i.e., lets them go to the water so they crowd upon it. It is the location of the House and the Mosque. These two lines are by 'Amman ibn Ka'b ibn 'Amr ibn Sa'd ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Amr ibn al-Harith ibn Mudad al-Jurhumi departed with the two gazelles of the Ka'bah and the Black Stone ⁷¹ and buried them in Zamzam. He and those with him from Jurhum went to Yemen, grieving intensely over what they had left behind of Mecca and its rule. 'Amr ibn al-Harith (ibn 'Amr) ⁷² ibn Mudad said concerning that—and he is not the elder Mudad: "And a woman said, while tears poured forth rapidly, and her eyes were choked with tears: 'As if there had never been, between al-Hajun ⁷³ and al-Safa, any companion, nor did any night-company gather in Mecca.' So I said to her, while my heart was as if a bird fluttered ⁷⁴ between my sides:"

Certainly. Here is the faithful translation of the provided Arabic text, adhering to all specified conventions. --- Yes, we were its people, but the vicissitudes of the nights and the stumbling fates (71) removed us. And we were the guardians of the House after Nabit, circumambulating that House while goodness was apparent (72). And we assumed authority over the House after Nabit, with might, so the one who seeks to vie in abundance does not prosper with us. We ruled, and we strengthened, so how great is our dominion! For no other tribe has any boast there. Did you not give in marriage from the best of persons (73) I have known (74)? And we gave them our daughters, while we are the in-laws. If the world turns against us in its state, then indeed it has a state, and therein is discord. So the King expelled us from it by His power; thus, O people, do the decrees run. I say, when the carefree one sleeps and I do not sleep: O Possessor of the Throne, may Suhayl and 'Amir not be far. And I have been exchanged for it with faces I do not love, tribes among them Himyar and Yuhabir (75). And we have become tales, while we were in bliss; with that, the passing years have bitten us. So the tears of the eye flow, weeping for a land wherein is a secure sanctuary and the rites (76). And it weeps for a House whose doves are not harmed, where the sparrows remain secure (77). And in it are wild beasts, tame, not to be approached; when they leave it, they do not depart. Ibn Hisham said: His saying "and we gave them our daughters" is from other than Ibn Ishaq. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Amr ibn al-Harith also said, mentioning Bakr and Ghubshan, and the inhabitants of Mecca who succeeded them there: O people, travel on! For your limit (78) is that one day you will become those who do not travel. Urge on the mounts and loosen their reins before death, and fulfill what you are fulfilling. We were people just as you were, then time changed us, and you are as we used to be (79). Ibn Hisham said: This is what was authenticated for him from it. And some scholars of poetry narrated to me that these verses are the first poetry spoken among the Arabs, and that they were found inscribed on a stone in Yemen, and he did not name its poet for me (80). **The Usurpation of the Guardianship of the House by a People from Khuza'ah** Ibn Ishaq said: Then Ghubshan of Khuza'ah assumed guardianship of the House, excluding the Banu Bakr ibn 'Abd Manat. The one who administered it from among them was 'Amr ibn al-Harith al-Ghubshani. Quraysh at that time were scattered settlements and clans (81), and families dispersed among their people of Banu Kinanah. So Khuza'ah administered the House, inheriting that from father to son, until the last of them was Hulayl ibn Habashiyyah ibn Salul ibn Ka'b ibn 'Amr al-Khuza'i. Ibn Hisham said: It is said Hubshiyyah ibn Salul. **The Marriage of Qusayy ibn Kilab to Hubba bint Hulayl** **(The Children of Qusayy):** Ibn Ishaq said: Then Qusayy ibn Kilab proposed to Hulayl ibn Hubshiyyah for his daughter Hubba. Hulayl was pleased with him and married her to him. She bore him 'Abd al-Dar, 'Abd Manaf, 'Abd al-'Uzza, and 'Abd. When the children of Qusayy multiplied, his wealth increased, and his honor became great, Hulayl died. **(Qusayy's Assumption of the House's Affairs and Rizah's Support for Him):** Qusayy saw that he was more entitled to the Ka'bah and the authority over Mecca than Khuza'ah and the Banu Bakr, and that Quraysh were the pure stock (82) of Isma'il ibn Ibrahim and his genuine offspring. So he spoke to men of Quraysh and Banu Kinanah, and called them to expel Khuza'ah and Banu Bakr from Mecca, and they responded to him. Rabi'ah ibn Haram from (83) 'Udhrah ibn Sa'd ibn Zayd had come to Mecca after the death of Kilab, and married Fatimah bint Sa'd ibn Sayl, while Zuhrah was then a man and Qusayy was a weaned child. He took her to his country, and she carried Qusayy with her, leaving Zuhrah behind. She bore for Rabi'ah, Rizah. When Qusayy reached maturity and became a man, he came to Mecca and settled (84) there. When his people responded to what he called them to, he wrote to his maternal half-brother, Rizah ibn Rabi'ah, calling him to his support and to stand with him. So Rizah ibn Rabi'ah set out with his brothers: Hunn ibn Rabi'ah, Mahmud ibn Rabi'ah, and Julhumah ibn Rabi'ah – they were not from Fatimah – along with those who followed them from Quda'ah during the Arab pilgrimage, all united for the support of Qusayy. Khuza'ah claims that Hulayl ibn Hubshiyyah had bequeathed that to Qusayy and commanded him to do so when the children from his daughter had multiplied. He said: "You are more entitled to the Ka'bah, to its care, and to the authority over Mecca than Khuza'ah." So it was then that Qusayy sought what he sought. We have not heard that from anyone else (85), and Allah knows best which of that was the case. **What al-Ghawth ibn Murr Administered Regarding Permission for the People during the Hajj** Al-Ghawth ibn Murr ibn Add ibn Tabikhah ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar administered the permission (86) for the people during the Hajj from (87) 'Arafah, and his descendants after him. He and his descendants were called Sufah (88). Al-Ghawth ibn Murr only administered that because his mother was a woman from Jurhum, and she was barren. She vowed to Allah that if she gave birth to a male, she would dedicate him to the Ka'bah as a servant for it, to serve it and attend to it. So she gave birth to al-Ghawth, and he attended to the Ka'bah in the earliest times with his maternal uncles from Jurhum. He then administered the permission for the people from 'Arafah, because of his position with the Ka'bah, and his descendants after him until they became extinct (89). Murr ibn Add said, fulfilling his mother's vow: Indeed, I have made the Lord of the House, A devoted servant in lofty Mecca. So bless me with it, O God (90), And make him for me among the righteous creation. Al-Ghawth ibn Murr – as they claimed – when he gave the people permission to depart, said: O Allah, I am following a follower (91), If there is sin, then it is upon Quda'ah (92). Ibn Ishaq said: Yahya (93) ibn 'Abbad ibn 'Abdillah ibn al-Zubayr narrated to me from his father ('Abbad) (94). He said: **(Sufah and the Stoning of the Jamarat):** Sufah used to give the people permission to depart from 'Arafah, and they would let them pass when they departed from Mina. On the day of departure, they would come for the stoning of the Jamarat, and a man from Sufah would stone for the people; they would not stone until he stoned (95). Those with urgent needs who wished to hasten would come to him and say: "Get up and stone so that we may stone with you." He would say: "No, by Allah, not until the sun declines." So those with urgent needs who wished to hasten would pelt him with stones, urging him to do so, saying: "Woe to you! Get up and stone!" But he would refuse them. When the sun declined, he would get up and stone, and the people would stone with him. **(The Banu Sa'd's Assumption of the House's Affairs after Sufah):** Ibn Ishaq said: When they finished stoning the Jamarat and wanted to depart from Mina, Sufah would take hold of the two sides of al-'Aqabah and block the people, saying: "Grant passage to Sufah!" So no one would pass until they had passed. When Sufah departed and went on, the way was cleared for the people, and they would go after them. They continued like that until they became extinct. Then they were succeeded in that by the Banu Sa'd ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim (96), who were from the Banu Sa'd in the family of Safwan ibn al-Harith ibn Shijnah (97). **(The Lineage of Safwan):** Ibn Hisham said: Safwan ibn Junab ibn Shijnah ibn 'Utarid ibn 'Awf ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim. **(Safwan and Karib and the Permission during the Hajj):** Ibn Ishaq said: Safwan was the one who gave the people permission during the Hajj from 'Arafah. Then his descendants did so after him, until the last of them, upon whom Islam came, was Karib ibn Safwan. Aws ibn Tamim ibn Maghra' al-Sa'di said: The people, as long as they perform Hajj at their 'Arafah, will not cease, Until it is said: "Grant passage, O family of Safwan!" Ibn Hisham said: This verse is in a poem by Aws ibn Maghra'. **What 'Adwan Used to Do Regarding the Departure from Muzdalifah** **(The Poetry of Dhu al-Isba' Regarding Their Leading the People):**

As for the saying of Dhu al-Isba‘ al-‘Adwani, whose name is Harthan (from ‘Adwan) ⁷⁵ ibn ‘Amr, and he was called Dhu al-Isba‘ because he had a finger and cut it off: ‘Adhir ⁷⁶ al-Hayy min ‘Adwan ... they were the serpent of the earth ⁷⁷ Some of them transgressed oppressively ... and did not heed ⁷⁸ one another Among them were the chiefs ... and those who fulfilled their pledges ⁷⁹ Among them were those who judged the people ... according to the Sunnah and the obligatory duties Among them was a judge who decreed ... and his decree was not overturned (Abu Sayyara and his leading the people in the ifada): - These verses are from a poem of his - because the ifada from Muzdalifah was in the hands of ‘Adwan - according to what Ziyad ibn ‘Abdullah al-Bakka’i narrated to me from Muhammad ibn Ishaq - they inherited it from generation to generation. Until the last of them, whom Islam reached, was Abu Sayyara, ‘Umayla ibn al-A‘zal ⁸⁰. Concerning him, a poet of the Arabs said: We defended Abu Sayyara ... and his clients, the Banu Fazara ⁸¹ Until his donkey passed safely ... facing the qibla, calling his neighbor ⁸² He said: Abu Sayyara used to lead the people in the ifada on his she-donkey ⁸³, so he said: "his donkey passed safely." The matter of ‘Amir ibn Zarib ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Iyadh ibn Yashkur ibn ‘Adwan (His judgment concerning a hermaphrodite and the consultation of his slave-girl Sukhayla): Ibn Ishaq said: And his saying "a judge who decrees" refers to ‘Amir ibn Zarib ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Iyadh ibn Yashkur ibn ‘Adwan al-‘Adwani. The Arabs, whenever there was a dispute ⁸⁴ or a difficult matter ⁸⁵ of judgment among them, they would refer it to him and then accept his verdict. A dispute was brought to him concerning a hermaphrodite, who had both male and female organs. They said: "Do you consider him a man or a woman?" They had not brought him a matter more difficult than this. He said: "Wait until I consider your matter. By Allah, nothing like this has come to me from you, O Arabs!" So they withdrew from him. He spent the night sleepless, turning over the matter, considering it, but no solution came to him. He had a slave-girl named Sukhayla who tended his sheep. He used to rebuke her when she went out to pasture, saying: "You have gone early, by Allah, O Sukhayl!" And when she brought them back, he said: "You have come late, by Allah, O Sukhayl!" This was because she would delay the departure until some people had preceded her, and delay the return until some had preceded her. When she saw his sleeplessness and restlessness, she said: "What is wrong with you, may you have no father! What has befallen you this night?" He said: "Woe to you! Leave me alone, it is a matter that does not concern you." Then she repeated her words. He said to himself: "Perhaps she will bring relief in what I am facing." So he said: "Woe to you! A dispute has been brought to me concerning the inheritance of a hermaphrodite: should I consider him a man or a woman? By Allah, I do not know what to do, and no solution comes to me." She said: "Glory be to Allah! May you have no father! Follow the judgment of urination ⁸⁶. Seat him; if he urinates from where a man urinates, he is a man; if he urinates from where a woman urinates, she is a woman." He said: "Come late or early, O Sukhayl, you have relieved me, by Allah!" Then he went out to the people in the morning and judged according to what she had suggested. Qusayy ibn Kilab’s domination over the affairs of Mecca and his unification of Quraysh, and the assistance of Quda‘a to him (Defeat of Sufa): Ibn Ishaq said: When that year came, Sufa did as they used to do, and the Arabs recognized that right for them, as it was a religious practice in their view during the time of Jurhum and Khuza‘a and their rule. Qusayy ibn Kilab came to them with his people from Quraysh, Kinana, and Quda‘a at al-‘Aqaba, and said: "We are more entitled to this than you." So they fought him. The people fought fiercely, then Sufa was defeated, and Qusayy overcame them in what they had held. (Qusayy’s war against Khuza‘a and Banu Bakr and the arbitration of Ya‘mur ibn ‘Awf): Thereupon Khuza‘a and Banu Bakr withdrew from Qusayy, knowing that he would prevent them as he had prevented Sufa, and that he would come between them and the Ka‘ba and the affairs of Mecca. When they withdrew from him, he attacked them ⁸⁷ and prepared for war against them (and his brother Rizah ibn Rabi‘a stood with him with his people from Quda‘a) ⁸⁸. Khuza‘a and Banu Bakr came out against him, and they met and fought fiercely (at al-Abtah) ⁸⁹, until many were killed on both sides. Then they called for peace and to appoint an arbiter from among the Arabs. They appointed Ya‘mur ibn ‘Awf ibn Ka‘b ibn ‘Amir ⁹⁰ ibn Layth ibn Bakr ibn ‘Abd Manat ibn Kinana. He judged between them that Qusayy was more entitled to the Ka‘ba and the affairs of Mecca than Khuza‘a, and that every blood (revenge) that Qusayy had incurred from Khuza‘a and Banu Bakr was waived, he crushed it ⁹¹ under his feet, and that what Khuza‘a and Banu Bakr had incurred from Quraysh, Kinana, and Quda‘a, the blood money was to be paid, and that Qusayy should be left in charge of the Ka‘ba and Mecca. (Reason for naming Ya‘mur al-Shaddakh): So Ya‘mur ⁹² ibn ‘Awf was called on that day al-Shaddakh, because of the blood he crushed and waived. Ibn Hisham said: It is also said al-Shudakh. (Qusayy as prince over Mecca and the reason for his being called Mujammi‘): Ibn Ishaq said: So Qusayy took charge of the House and the affairs of Mecca, gathered his people from their dwellings to Mecca, and became ruler over his people and the people of Mecca, and they made him their king. However, he maintained for the Arabs what they had been doing, because he considered it a religious practice that should not be changed. So he left the families of Safwan, ‘Adwan, al-Nasa’a, and Murra ibn ‘Awf as they were, until Islam came and Allah destroyed all that through it. Qusayy was the first of Banu Ka‘b ibn Lu’ayy to attain kingship, to which his people submitted. He held the offices of al-Hijaba ⁹³, al-Siqaya ⁹⁴, al-Rifada ⁹⁵, al-Nadwa ⁹⁶, and al-Liwa’ ⁹⁷, thus acquiring all the honor of Mecca. He divided Mecca into quarters among his people, settling each clan of Quraysh in their dwellings in Mecca, which they still occupy. People claim that Quraysh were afraid to cut the trees of the Haram for their dwellings, so Qusayy cut them with his own hand and his helpers ⁹⁸. Therefore, Quraysh called him Mujammi‘ (the unifier) because he unified their affairs. They sought blessing from his authority: no woman was married, no man of Quraysh married, they did not consult about any matter that befell them, nor did they tie a banner for war against any people except in his house, where one of his sons would tie it for them; and no girl of Quraysh, when she reached the age to wear a shift ⁹⁹, would wear it except in his house, where her shift would be cut for her, then she would put it on, then she would go to her family. So his authority among his people of Quraysh, during his life and after his death, was like a followed religion, with no deviation. He built for himself the House of al-Nadwa and made its door facing the Mosque of the Ka‘ba; in it Quraysh would decide their affairs. Ibn Hisham said: The poet said: Qusayy, by my life, was called Mujammi‘ ... through him Allah gathered the tribes from Fihr ¹⁰⁰. Ibn Ishaq said: ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Rashid narrated to me from his father, who said: I heard al-Sa’ib ¹⁰¹ ibn Khabbab, the owner of the maqsura, narrating that he heard a man narrating to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, when he was Caliph, the story of Qusayy ibn Kilab, how he unified the affairs of his people, expelled Khuza‘a and Banu Bakr from Mecca, and took charge of the House and the affairs of Mecca, and he did not reject it nor deny it. (Poetry of Rizah in support of Qusayy and Qusayy’s reply):

Ibn Isḥāq said: When Quṣayy had finished his war, his brother Rizāḥ ibn Rabīʿah returned to his own land with those of his people who were with him. Rizāḥ said in response to Quṣayy: When a messenger came from Quṣayy, And the messenger said, “Answer the friend,” We rose up to him, driving the swift horses, And casting off from us the wearying, heavy burden. We traveled with them by night until dawn, And concealed (125) [them] by day, lest we should alight. They are swift, like the arrival (126) of the sandgrouse, Answering with us the messenger from Quṣayy. We gathered from the secret place, from the two mountain peaks (127), And from every tribe we gathered a company. O what a troop! What a night, Which adds to a thousand a flowing cause (128)! When they passed by ʿAsjad (129), And they descended from a resting-place, a way (130), And they passed by the corner of Warqān (131), And they passed by al-ʿArj (132) a settled tribe, They passed by al-Ḥill (133), not tasting it, And they struggled with the passage of a long night. We brought near to the mother-camels their young, Desiring that they might steal the neighing. When we reached Mecca, We made lawful the men, tribe by tribe. We exchanged blows with them, then the edges of swords, And in every return we snatched away the minds (135). We baked them with the hardness of vultures, The baking of the strong, the mighty, the abased (136). We killed Khuzāʿah in their abode, And Bakr we killed, generation after generation. We expelled them from the land of the King, As they may not settle in any easy land. So their captives became in chains, And from every tribe we quenched the rancor. And Thaʿlabah ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Dhubyān ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Saʿd (137) Hudhaym al-Quḍāʿī said concerning that matter of Quṣayy, when he called them and they answered him: We brought the horses, trained, racing (138), From al-Aʿrāf (139), the Aʿrāf of al-Jināb (140), To the lowlands of Tihāmah, and we met From the desert in a desolate hollow (141). As for Ṣūfah al-Khunthā, they abandoned Their dwellings, fearing the striking. And the Banū ʿAlī stood, when they saw us, To the swords, like the maddened camels (142). And Quṣayy ibn Kilāb said: I am the son of the protectors (143), the Banū Luʾayy, In Mecca is my dwelling, and there I was raised. To al-Baṭḥāʾ, as Maʿadd knows, And its Marwah, I am content, I am content. I am not of Ghālib if there are not established (144) Therein the children of Qaydhar and al-Nabīt (145). Rizāḥ is my helper, and by him I am exalted, So I fear no oppression as long as I live. (What occurred between Rizāḥ and Nahd and Ḥawtakah, and Quṣayy’s poetry concerning that): When Rizāḥ ibn Rabīʿah settled in his land, God spread them and spread us, so they are the two tribes of ʿUdhrah (146) today. There had been something between Rizāḥ ibn Rabīʿah, when he came to his land, and Nahd ibn Zayd and Ḥawtakah ibn Aslum (147), who are two clans of Quḍāʿah, so he frightened them until they joined the Yemen and were expelled from the land of Quḍāʿah, and they are today in Yemen. Quṣayy ibn Kilāb said—and he loved Quḍāʿah and their growth and their gathering in their land, because of the kinship between him and Rizāḥ, and for their service (148) to him when they answered him when he called them to his support, and he disliked what Rizāḥ had done to them: Oh, would that one inform Rizāḥ from me, For I have blamed you (149) for two things. I blamed you concerning the Banū Nahd ibn Zayd, As you separated between them and me. And Ḥawtakah ibn Aslum—indeed, a people Who were harmed by harm have harmed me. Ibn Hishām said: These verses are also attributed to Zuhayr ibn Janāb al-Kalbī. (What Quṣayy bestowed upon ʿAbd al-Dār): Ibn Isḥāq said: When Quṣayy grew old and his bones became frail—and ʿAbd al-Dār was his firstborn, while ʿAbd Manāf had become honored in his father’s time and had gone every path, as had ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā and ʿAbd—Quṣayy said to ʿAbd al-Dār: “By God, O my son (150), I will surely join you to the people, even if they have become honored above you: No man among them shall enter the Kaʿbah until you open it for him, no banner shall be tied for Quraysh for their war except by your hand, no one shall drink in Mecca except from your watering-place, no one among the people of the season shall eat food except from your food, and Quraysh shall not decide any of their affairs except in your house.” So he gave him his house, the House of Assembly (Dār al-Nadwah), in which Quraysh would decide none of their affairs except therein, and he gave him the guardianship (al-Ḥijābah), the banner (al-Liwāʾ), the watering (al-Siqāyah), and the provisioning (al-Rifādah). (Al-Rifādah): The provisioning (al-Rifādah) was a levy that Quraysh would contribute from their wealth every season to Quṣayy ibn Kilāb, and he would make food from it for the pilgrims, so that whoever had no means or provisions would eat. That was because Quṣayy had made it obligatory upon Quraysh, saying to them when he commanded them to do it: “O company of Quraysh, you are the neighbors of God, the people of His House, and the people of the Sanctuary. The pilgrims are the guests of God and the visitors of His House, and they are the most deserving of guests for honor. So make for them food and drink during the days of the Hajj, until they depart from you.” And they did so. They would contribute a levy from their wealth every year and give it to him, and he would make it into food for the people during the days of Minā. This practice of his continued among his people in the Jāhiliyyah until Islam came, then it continued in Islam until this day of yours. It is the food that the ruler makes every year at Minā for the people until the Hajj concludes. Ibn Isḥāq said: My father, Isḥāq ibn Yasār, narrated to me this account of Quṣayy ibn Kilāb and what he said to ʿAbd al-Dār concerning what was entrusted to him of what was in his hand, from al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (may God be pleased with them). He said: I heard him say that to a man of the Banū ʿAbd al-Dār, called Nubayh ibn Wahb ibn ʿĀmir ibn ʿIkrimah ibn ʿĀmir ibn Hāshim ibn ʿAbd Manāf ibn ʿAbd al-Dār ibn Quṣayy. Al-Ḥasan said: So Quṣayy entrusted to him all that was in his hand concerning the affairs of his people, and Quṣayy was not opposed, nor was anything he did rejected. Mention of what occurred of the disagreement of Quraysh after Quṣayy and the Alliance of the Perfumed Ones (Ḥilf al-Muṭayyabīn) (The Disagreement between the Banū ʿAbd al-Dār and their Cousins): Ibn Isḥāq said: Then Quṣayy ibn Kilāb died, and his sons after him maintained his authority among his people and others. They divided Mecca into quarters (151)—after what he had cut (152) for his people therein—and they would cut them (153) for their people and for others among their allies and sell them. Quraysh continued with them in that state, with no disagreement or conflict among them. Then the Banū ʿAbd Manāf ibn Quṣayy ²—ʿAbd Shams, Hāshim, al-Muṭṭalib, and Nawfal (154)—agreed together to take what was in the hands of the Banū ʿAbd al-Dār ibn Quṣayy of what Quṣayy had entrusted to ʿAbd al-Dār: the guardianship, the banner, the watering, and the provisioning. They considered themselves more entitled to that than them because of their honor over them and their superiority among their people. At that, Quraysh became divided. One faction was with the Banū ʿAbd Manāf in their opinion, considering them more entitled to it than the Banū ʿAbd al-Dār because of their position among their people. Another faction was with the Banū ʿAbd al-Dār, considering that what Quṣayy had entrusted to them should not be taken from them. (Those who supported the Banū ʿAbd al-Dār, and those who supported their cousins): The leader of the Banū ʿAbd Manāf was ʿAbd Shams ibn ʿAbd Manāf, for he was the eldest of the Banū ʿAbd Manāf. The leader of the Banū ʿAbd al-Dār was ʿĀmir ibn Hāshim ibn ʿAbd Manāf ibn ʿAbd al-Dār. The Banū Asad ibn ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā ibn Quṣayy, the Banū Zuhrah ibn Kilāb, the Banū Taym ibn Murrah ibn Kaʿb, and the Banū al-Ḥārith ibn Fihr ibn Mālik ibn al-Naḍr were with the Banū ʿAbd Manāf.

The Banu Makhzum ibn Yaqazah ibn Murrah, the Banu Sahm ibn Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b, the Banu Jumah ibn Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b, and the Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b sided with the Banu 'Abd al-Dar. The Banu 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy and the Banu Muharib ibn Fihr withdrew and did not join either party. Each group made a binding pact among themselves, swearing not to abandon one another and not to surrender any of their members as long as the sea moistens wool ¹⁰². (Those who entered the Pact of the Perfumed Ones ¹⁰³): The Banu 'Abd Manaf brought out a bowl filled with perfume. It is claimed that some women of the Banu 'Abd Manaf brought it out for them. They placed it for their allies in the mosque near the Ka'bah. Then the people dipped their hands in it, making a covenant and pledge with their allies. They then wiped the Ka'bah with their hands to confirm the oath upon themselves. Thus they were called the Perfumed Ones. (Those who entered the Pact of the Confederates ¹⁰⁴): The Banu 'Abd al-Dar made a covenant and pledge with their allies at the Ka'bah, a binding pact not to abandon one another and not to surrender any of their members. Thus they were called the Confederates. (Distribution of Tribes in War): Then the tribes were paired and attached to one another. The Banu 'Abd Manaf were assigned to face the Banu Sahm; the Banu Asad were assigned to face the Banu 'Abd al-Dar; Zuhrah was assigned to face the Banu Jumah; the Banu Taym were assigned to face the Banu Makhzum; and the Banu al-Harith ibn Fihr were assigned to face the Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b. Then they said: "Let each tribe annihilate those assigned to them." (What the People Agreed Upon for Reconciliation): While the people were thus resolved for war, they called for peace on the condition that they give the Banu 'Abd Manaf the right to provide water ¹⁰⁵ and the right to provide provisions ¹⁰⁶, and that the custodianship of the Ka'bah ¹⁰⁷, the banner ¹⁰⁸, and the council ¹⁰⁹ remain with the Banu 'Abd al-Dar as before. They did so, and each party was satisfied with that. The people refrained from war, and each group remained with their allies. They continued thus until Allah brought Islam. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Any pact made in the pre-Islamic period, Islam only strengthens it." ¹¹⁰ The Pact of the Virtuous ¹¹¹ (Reason for Its Name): Ibn Hisham said: As for the Pact of the Virtuous, Ziyad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Bakka'i narrated to me from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who said: Some tribes of Quraysh called for a pact. They gathered for it in the house of 'Abd Allah ibn Jud'an ibn 'Amr ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy, due to his nobility and age. Their pact took place at his house: the Banu Hashim, the Banu al-Muttalib, Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, Zuhrah ibn Kilab, and Taym ibn Murrah. They made a covenant and pledge that they would not find anyone wronged in Mecca, whether from its people or others who entered it from all people, except that they would stand with him and be against the one who wronged him until his grievance was redressed. Quraysh called this pact the Pact of the Virtuous. (Hadith of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the Pact of the Virtuous): Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Zayd ibn al-Muhajir ibn Qunfudh al-Taymi narrated to me that he heard Talhah ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Awf al-Zuhri say: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I witnessed a pact in the house of 'Abd Allah ibn Jud'an which I would not exchange for red camels ¹¹². If I were called to it in Islam, I would respond." (Al-Husayn Disputed with al-Walid over a Right and Threatened to Call for the Pact of the Virtuous): Ibn Ishaq said: Yazid ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Usamah ibn al-Hadi al-Laythi narrated to me that Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith al-Taymi narrated to him: There was a dispute between al-Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with them both, and al-Walid ibn 'Utbah ibn Abi Sufyan—al-Walid at that time was the governor of Medina appointed by his uncle Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan—over some property they shared at Dhu al-Marwah ¹¹³. Al-Walid, due to his authority, was oppressive toward al-Husayn, may Allah be pleased with him, regarding his right. Al-Husayn said to him: "I swear by Allah, you must give me justice regarding my right, or I will take my sword, then stand in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and call for the Pact of the Virtuous." 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, who was with al-Walid when al-Husayn, may Allah be pleased with him, said that, said: "And I swear by Allah, if he calls for it, I will take my sword and stand with him until he is given justice regarding his right, or we die together." This reached al-Miswar ibn Makhramah ibn Nawfal al-Zuhri, and he said the same. It reached 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Uthman ibn 'Ubayd Allah al-Taymi, and he said the same. When that reached al-Walid ibn 'Utbah, he gave al-Husayn justice regarding his right until he was satisfied. ('Abd al-Malik Asked Muhammad ibn Jubayr about 'Abd Shams and Banu Nawfal and Their Entry into the Pact of the Virtuous, and He Informed Him of Their Withdrawal from It): Ibn Ishaq said: Yazid ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Usamah ibn al-Hadi al-Laythi narrated to me from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith al-Taymi, who said: Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im ibn 'Adi ibn Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manaf—and Muhammad ibn Jubayr was the most knowledgeable of Quraysh—came to 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ibn al-Hakam after he had killed Ibn al-Zubayr and the people had united behind 'Abd al-Malik. When he entered upon him, 'Abd al-Malik said: "O Abu Sa'id, were we not—meaning the Banu 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf and the Banu Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manaf—in the Pact of the Virtuous?" He said: "You know best." 'Abd al-Malik said: "You must tell me the truth about that, O Abu Sa'id." He said: "No, by Allah, we and you withdrew from it." He said: "You have spoken the truth." The account of the Pact of the Virtuous is complete. (The Appointment of Hashim to the Provision and Water Supply, and What He Used to Do When the Pilgrims Arrived): Ibn Ishaq said: Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf was entrusted with the provision and water supply. This was because 'Abd Shams was a traveler who rarely stayed in Mecca, and he was poor with many children, while Hashim was wealthy. It is claimed that when the pilgrims arrived, he would stand among Quraysh and say: "O assembly of Quraysh, you are the neighbors of Allah and the people of His House. The visitors of Allah and the pilgrims of His House come to you during this season. They are the guests of Allah, and the most deserving of guests for honor are His guests. So collect for them what you will prepare as food during these days when they must stay here. For, by Allah, if my wealth could suffice for that, I would not burden you with it." So they would contribute a levy from their wealth, each person according to his means, and with it he would prepare food for the pilgrims until they departed from there. (Some of Hashim's Deeds): Hashim is claimed to be the first to institute the two journeys for Quraysh: the winter and summer journeys. He was also the first to serve tharid ¹¹⁴ in Mecca. His name was 'Amr, but he was only called Hashim because he crumbled [hashama] bread [for tharid] in Mecca for his people. A poet from Quraysh or some Arabs said: 'Amr who crumbled tharid for his people, a people in Mecca, destitute and emaciated. To him were instituted both journeys: the winter journey and the summer journey. Ibn Hisham said: Some scholar of poetry from the people of the Hijaz recited to me: "a people in Mecca, destitute and emaciated." (The Appointment of al-Muttalib to the Provision and Water Supply):

Ibn Ishaq said: Then Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf died in Gaza ¹¹⁵ in the land of Syria as a merchant, so after him al-Muttalib ibn 'Abd Manaf took charge of the siqaya ¹¹⁶ and the rifada ¹¹⁷. He was younger than 'Abd Shams and Hashim, and he possessed honor and excellence among his people. The Quraysh used to call him al-Fayd ¹¹⁸ because of his generosity and excellence. (Marriage of Hashim): Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf had come to Medina and married Salma bint 'Amr, one of the Banu 'Adi ibn al-Najjar ¹¹⁹. Before him, she had been married to Uhayhah ibn al-Julah ibn al-Harish ¹²⁰. Ibn Hisham said: It is also said: al-Haris—ibn Jahjabi ibn Kulfah ibn 'Awf ibn 'Amr ibn 'Awf ibn Malik ibn al-Aws. She bore him 'Amr ibn Uhayhah. She would only marry men on the condition that she retained control over herself; if she disliked a man, she could leave him. (Birth of 'Abd al-Muttalib and the reason for his naming): She bore Hashim 'Abd al-Muttalib, and named him Shaybah ¹²¹. Hashim left him with her until he was a young lad ¹²² or older. Then his uncle al-Muttalib came to take him and bring him to his own land and people. Salma said to him: "I will not send him with you." Al-Muttalib replied: "I will not leave until I take him with me. My nephew has grown up, and he is a stranger among people not his own. We are a family of honor among our people, managing many of their affairs. His people, land, and tribe are better for him than staying among others," or words to that effect. Shaybah said to his uncle al-Muttalib—as they claim—: "I will not leave her unless she permits me." So she permitted him and handed him over. He took him and entered Mecca with him, riding behind him on his camel. The Quraysh said: "'Abd al-Muttalib ¹²³ has bought him." Thus Shaybah was named 'Abd al-Muttalib. Al-Muttalib said: "Woe to you! He is my brother's son, Hashim's son. I brought him from Medina." (Death of al-Muttalib and what was said in elegy for him in poetry): Then al-Muttalib died at Radman ¹²⁴ in the land of Yemen. A certain Arab man said in lament for him: "The pilgrims have thirsted after al-Muttalib, after the basins and the flowing drink ¹²⁵. Would that Quraysh after him were in hardship ¹²⁶." And Matrud ibn Ka'b al-Khuza'i said, lamenting al-Muttalib and all the sons of 'Abd Manaf when the news of the death of Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manaf reached him—Nawfal was the last of them to die: "O night that stirred my nights, one of the hard nights ¹²⁷! And what I endure of cares and what I have suffered from the blows of fate! When I remember my brother Nawfal, he reminds me of the first ones. He reminds me of the red cloaks and the yellow, worn-out garments ¹²⁸. Four, all of them lords, sons of lords of lords: one dead at Radman, one dead at Salman ¹²⁹, and one dead near Gaza ¹³⁰, and one ¹³¹ laid in a grave near the veiled ¹³², east of the little buildings ¹³³. The most sincere of them is 'Abd Manaf; they are safe from the blame of any blamer. Indeed, al-Mughira ¹³⁴ and his sons are among the best of the living and the dead." And the name of 'Abd Manaf was al-Mughira. The first of the sons of 'Abd Manaf to die was Hashim, at Gaza in Syria; then 'Abd Shams at Mecca; then al-Muttalib at Radman in Yemen; then Nawfal at Salman in the region of Iraq. It was said to Matrud—as they claim—: "You have spoken well, and if you had said something more eloquent, it would have been better." He said: "Give me a few nights." He waited some days, then said: "O eye, weep and shed tears and pour forth, and weep for the secret of Ka'b ibn al-Mughirat ¹³⁵! O eye, flow copiously with tears and be profuse ¹³⁶, and weep for the hidden one of my soul in calamities ¹³⁷! And weep for every generous man, trustworthy brother, great in gift-giving, bestower of abundant things ¹³⁸, pure in origin, high in ambition, distinguished, strong in resolve, bearing great burdens ¹³⁹, difficult in improvisation, neither base nor negligent, resolute in purpose, squandering noble things ¹⁴⁰, a falcon who dwells in the midst of Ka'b, when they are traced, in the center of glory and the lofty heights ¹⁴¹. Then lament al-Fayd and al-Fayyad ¹⁴², Muttalib, and wail after abundant outpourings with torrents ¹⁴³. He has become, at Radman, far from us today; alas for my soul over him among the dead! And weep—woe to you—if you are a weeper, for 'Abd Shams east of the little buildings, and Hashim in a grave in a barren plain ¹⁴⁴, over which the winds blow sand, near Gaza. And Nawfal, who was the most sincere of the people to me, has become at Salman in a tomb in a desert ¹⁴⁵. I have not found their like among non-Arabs or Arabs, when the reddish she-camels ¹⁴⁶ set off with them. Their dwellings have become empty of them, though they were an adornment in expeditions ¹⁴⁷. Time has destroyed them, or their swords have grown blunt, or every living being has provisions of death ¹⁴⁸. I have become content, after them, with the people's cheerful faces and the offering of greetings. O eye, weep for Abu al-Sha'th al-Shajiyyat ¹⁴⁹! They weep for him, exhausted, like calamities ¹⁵⁰. They weep for the most generous of those who walk on foot; they cry for him with tears after sobs ¹⁵¹. They weep for a tall person, long-armed, possessing fajr ¹⁵², refusing humiliation, reliever of great matters ¹⁵³. They weep for 'Amr al-'Ula ¹⁵⁴ when his death came, easy-natured, smiling in the evenings ¹⁵⁵. They weep for him, humbled in grief; how long that grief and wailing! They weep, when time has stripped them for him, with green cheeks like hot coals ¹⁵⁶, girded around their waists because of what time has brought of calamitous events. I spend my night watching the stars in pain, weeping, and with me weep my daughters in my sorrow. There is no equal or match for them among the noble chiefs, nor for those they left behind, a substitute in the tents ¹⁵⁷. Their sons are the best of sons, and their souls are the best of souls in the struggle of oaths ¹⁵⁸. How many a swift, prancing horse ¹⁵⁹ they gave, and a mare plundered in raids ¹⁶⁰, and swords of Indian steel refined, and spears like the poles of wells ¹⁶¹, and followers ¹⁶² of what they bestow in giving gifts when asked! If I counted, and the counters counted with me, I could not finish their deeds, those pleasant ones. They are the ones who boast, if a group boasts, with pure lineages. The adornment of the houses they left behind, their dwellings have become desolate and empty. I say, while my eyes' tears do not stop: 'May God not remove the people of the afflictions ¹⁶³!'" Ibn Hisham said: Al-fajr means gift. Abu Khirash al-Hudhali ¹⁶⁴ said: "My guests were made thin by Jamil ibn Ma'mar, with a fajr ¹⁶⁵ to which the widows resort." Ibn Ishaq said: Abu al-Sha'th al-Shajiyyat is Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf. ('Abd al-Muttalib's assumption of the siqaya and rifada): He said: Then 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim took charge of the siqaya and the rifada after his uncle al-Muttalib. He maintained them for the people and upheld for his people what his fathers before him had upheld for them concerning their affairs. He attained an honor among his people that none of his fathers had reached. His people loved him, and his standing among them became great. Account of the digging of Zamzam ¹⁶⁶ and what occurred of dispute concerning it. (The vision shown to 'Abd al-Muttalib concerning the digging of Zamzam): Then, while 'Abd al-Muttalib was sleeping in the Hijr ¹⁶⁷, he was visited and commanded to dig Zamzam. Ibn Ishaq said: The first beginning of 'Abd al-Muttalib's digging of it was, as Yazid ¹⁶⁸ ibn Abi Habib al-Misri narrated to me from Muthanna ¹⁶⁹ ibn 'Abd Allah al-Yazani from 'Abd Allah...

Ibn Zurair al-Ghafiqi ¹⁷⁰ reported that he heard 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, narrate the story of Zamzam when 'Abd al-Muttalib was commanded to dig it. He said: 'Abd al-Muttalib said: I was sleeping in the Hijr ¹⁷¹ when a visitor came to me and said: Dig Taybah ¹⁷². He said: I asked: What is Taybah? Then he left me. The next day I returned to my sleeping place and slept there, and he came to me and said: Dig Barrah ¹⁷³. I asked: What is Barrah? Then he left me. The next day I returned to my sleeping place and slept there, and he came to me and said: Dig al-Madhnunah ¹⁷⁴. I asked: What is al-Madhnunah? Then he left me. The next day I returned to my sleeping place and slept there, and he came to me and said: Dig Zamzam. I asked: What is Zamzam? He said: It never runs dry ¹⁷⁵ and is never blamed ¹⁷⁶; it gives drink to the great pilgrimage; it is between dung and blood, at the pecking place of the white-footed crow ¹⁷⁷, near the ant's nest ¹⁷⁸. ('Abd al-Muttalib and his son al-Harith, and what happened between them and Quraysh when they dug Zamzam): Ibn Ishaq said: When its matter was clarified to him, and he was guided to its location, and he knew that he had been confirmed, he went with his pickaxe, accompanied by his son al-Harith ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib—he had no other son at that time—and he dug in it. When the masonry ¹⁷⁹ appeared to 'Abd al-Muttalib, he said Allahu Akbar, and Quraysh knew that he had achieved his goal. They came to him and said: O 'Abd al-Muttalib, this is the well of our father Isma'il, and we have a right in it, so let us share with you in it. He said: I will not do that; this matter has been singled out for me over you, and I have been given it from among you. They said to him: Then treat us fairly, for we will not leave you until we dispute with you over it. He said: Then appoint between me and you whomever you wish, and I will submit to his judgment. They said: The priestess of Banu Sa'd Hudhaym ¹⁸⁰. He said: Yes. He said: She was in Ashraf ¹⁸¹ of Syria. So 'Abd al-Muttalib rode, accompanied by a group from his father's clan, Banu 'Abd Manaf, and a group from each tribe of Quraysh rode. He said: The land at that time was a desert. He said: They set out until, when they were in some of those deserts between the Hijaz and Syria, the water of 'Abd al-Muttalib and his companions ran out, and they became thirsty until they were certain of destruction. They asked for water from those with them from the tribes of Quraysh, but they refused them, saying: We are in a desert, and we fear for ourselves the same as has befallen you. When 'Abd al-Muttalib saw what the people did and what he feared for himself and his companions, he said: What do you think? They said: Our opinion is only a follower of your opinion; command us as you wish. He said: I think that each man among you should dig his own grave with the strength you have now, and whenever a man dies, his companions should push him into his grave and cover him, until the last of you remains one man; the loss of one man is easier than the loss of a whole company. They said: Excellent is what you have commanded. So each one of them stood and dug his grave, then they sat waiting for death from thirst. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib said to his companions: By Allah, throwing ourselves into death like this, without striking the earth or seeking water for ourselves, is weakness. Perhaps Allah will provide us with water in some part of the land. Move on. So they moved on. When they had finished, and those with them from the tribes of Quraysh were watching what they would do, 'Abd al-Muttalib went forward to his mount and rode it. When it set off with him, a spring of fresh water burst forth from under its hoof. 'Abd al-Muttalib said Allahu Akbar, and his companions said Allahu Akbar. Then he dismounted, drank, and his companions drank, and they drew water until they filled their waterskins. Then he called the tribes of Quraysh and said: Come to the water; Allah has given us water, so drink and draw water. They came, drank, and drew water. Then they said: By Allah, judgment has been given in your favor against us, O 'Abd al-Muttalib. By Allah, we will never dispute with you over Zamzam. Indeed, He who gave you this water in this desert is the One who gave you Zamzam. Return to your watering place, rightly guided. So he returned, and they returned with him, without reaching the priestess, and they left him and the well. Ibn Ishaq said: This is what has reached me of the hadith of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, concerning Zamzam. And I have heard someone narrate from 'Abd al-Muttalib that when he was commanded to dig Zamzam, it was said to him: Then call for the abundant water ¹⁸², not turbid, Giving drink to the pilgrims of Allah ¹⁸³ in every place of descent ¹⁸⁴, Nothing harmful is feared from it as long as it lasts ¹⁸⁵. So 'Abd al-Muttalib went out, when that was said to him, to Quraysh and said: Know that I have been commanded to dig Zamzam for you. They said: Has it been clarified to you where it is? He said: No. They said: Return to your sleeping place where you saw what you saw; if it is truly from Allah, it will be clarified to you, and if it is from Satan, it will not return to you. So 'Abd al-Muttalib returned to his sleeping place and slept there, and he was visited and told: Dig Zamzam; if you dig it, you will not regret it. It is an inheritance from your great forefather; it never runs dry and is never blamed; it gives drink to the great pilgrimage, like a full milch camel ¹⁸⁶ that has not been divided; a vow is made in it by a vower for a benefactor; it will be an inheritance and a firm covenant; it is not like some of what you know; it is between dung and blood. Ibn Hisham said: This speech and the speech before it, from the hadith of 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the digging of Zamzam, from his saying: 'It never runs dry and is never blamed' to his saying: 'near the ant's nest,' is in our view rhymed prose, not poetry. Ibn Ishaq said: They claimed that when that was said to him, he said: And where is it? It was said to him: Near the ant's nest, where the crow will peck tomorrow. And Allah knows best which of that was. So 'Abd al-Muttalib hurried, accompanied by his son al-Harith—he had no other son at that time—and he found the ant's nest, and found the crow pecking near it between the two idols: Isaf and Na'ilah, at which Quraysh used to slaughter their sacrifices. He brought the pickaxe and stood to dig where he was commanded. Quraysh stood up to him when they saw his determination and said: By Allah, we will not leave you to dig between these two idols of ours at which we slaughter. 'Abd al-Muttalib said to his son al-Harith: Ward them off from me until I dig, for by Allah, I will certainly carry out what I have been commanded. When they realized that he would not desist ¹⁸⁷, they left him and the digging, and refrained from him. He had dug only a little when the masonry appeared to him, so he said Allahu Akbar, and they knew that he had been confirmed. When the digging continued, he found in it two golden gazelles—the two gazelles that Jurhum had buried in it when they left Mecca—and he found in it Qal'i swords ¹⁸⁸ and coats of mail. Quraysh said to him: O 'Abd al-Muttalib, we have a share and a right with you in this. He said: No, but come to a fair arrangement ¹⁸⁹ between me and you: we will cast lots with arrows ¹⁹⁰ over them. They said: How will you do it? He said: I will assign two arrows for the Ka'bah, two for me, and two for you; whoever's two arrows come out for something, it is his, and whoever's two arrows are left out, he gets nothing. They said: You have been fair. So he assigned two yellow arrows for the Ka'bah, two black arrows for 'Abd al-Muttalib, and two white arrows for Quraysh. Then they gave the arrows to the keeper of the arrows who cast them before Hubal ¹⁹¹ (and Hubal was...).

An idol inside the Kaaba, and it was the greatest of their idols. It was the one that Abu Sufyan ibn Harb meant on the day of Uhud when he said: "U'li Hubal!" ¹⁹² meaning: "Make your religion manifest." And 'Abd al-Muttalib stood supplicating to Allah Almighty, and he cast the divination arrows ¹⁹³, and the two yellow arrows came out for the two gazelles of the Kaaba, and the two black arrows came out for the swords and the coats of mail for 'Abd al-Muttalib, and the two arrows of Quraysh were left behind. So 'Abd al-Muttalib made the swords into a door for the Kaaba, and he placed the two golden gazelles on the door. That was the first gold with which the Kaaba was adorned, as they claim. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib established the watering of Zamzam for the pilgrims. Mention of the wells of the tribes of Quraysh in Mecca (The wells and who dug them): Ibn Hisham said: Before the digging of Zamzam, Quraysh had dug wells in Mecca, according to what Ziyad ibn 'Abdullah al-Bakka'i narrated to us from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who said: 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf dug al-Tawiyy ¹⁹⁴, which is the well at the upper part of Mecca near al-Bayda', the house of Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi. (Badhdhar and who dug it): Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf dug Badhdhar, which is the well near al-Mustandhar, Khatm al-Khandama ¹⁹⁵ at the mouth of Shi'b Abi Talib. They claim that when he dug it, he said: "I will make it a provision for the people." Ibn Hisham said: The poet said: "May Allah water waters whose place I know: Jurab ¹⁹⁶, and Malkum ¹⁹⁷, and Badhdhar, and al-Ghamr ¹⁹⁸." (Sajlah and who dug it): Ibn Ishaq said: And he dug Sajlah ¹⁹⁹, which is the well of al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi ibn Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manaf from which they water today. The Banu Nawfal claim that al-Mut'im bought it from Asad ibn Hashim, and the Banu Hashim claim that he gave it to him as a gift when Zamzam appeared, and they became independent of those wells. (al-Hafr and who dug it): Umayyah ibn 'Abd Shams dug al-Hafr ²⁰⁰ for himself. (Suqayyah and who dug it): The Banu Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza dug Suqayyah ²⁰¹, which is the well of Banu Asad. (Umm Ahrad and who dug it): The Banu 'Abd al-Dar dug Umm Ahrad ²⁰². (al-Sunbulah and who dug it): The Banu Jumah dug al-Sunbulah, which is the well of Khalaf ibn Wahb. (al-Ghamr and who dug it): The Banu Sahm dug al-Ghamr, which is the well of Banu Sahm. (Rumm, Khumm, al-Hafr and their owners): There were ancient wells outside Mecca from the time of Murrah ibn Ka'b and Kilab ibn Murrah and the early leaders of Quraysh from whom they drank, and they are: Rumm, and Rumm is the well of Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy; and Khumm, and Khumm is the well of Banu Kilab ibn Murrah; and al-Hafr ²⁰³. Hudhayfah ²⁰⁴ ibn Ghanim, brother of Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy, said: Ibn Hisham said: He is the father of Abu Jahm ibn Hudhayfah: "And we lived long before that a long time, and we only drew water from Khumm or al-Hafr." Ibn Hisham said: This verse is in a poem of his which I will mention in its place, God willing. (The excellence of Zamzam and what was said about it in poetry): Ibn Ishaq said: Zamzam prevailed over the wells that had been used for watering the pilgrims before it, and the people turned to it because of its location in the Sacred Mosque, and its superiority over other waters, and because it is the well of Isma'il ibn Ibrahim, peace be upon them. The Banu 'Abd Manaf boasted of it over all of Quraysh and over the rest of the Arabs. Musafir ²⁰⁵ ibn Abi 'Amr ibn Umayyah ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf said, boasting over Quraysh of the watering and provisioning ²⁰⁶ that they had been entrusted with, and what they had established for the people in that regard, and of Zamzam when it appeared to them—for the Banu 'Abd Manaf were one household, the honor of some of them being honor for all, and the merit of some of them being merit for all: "We inherited glory from our fathers, so it increased us in ascent. Did we not water the pilgrims and sacrifice the swift, generous camels? ²⁰⁷ And we meet at the turning of fates, strong and generous? ²⁰⁸ If we perish, we were not owned ²⁰⁹—and who is immortal forever? ²¹⁰ And Zamzam is in our lineage ²¹¹, and we gouge out the eye of the envious." Ibn Hisham said: These verses are in a poem of his. Ibn Ishaq said: Hudhayfah ibn Ghanim, brother of Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy, said: "And the waterer of the pilgrims, then for good, is Hashim, and 'Abd Manaf, that noble Qurayshi leader. ²¹² He dug Zamzam near the Maqam ²¹³, so his watering became a boast over every boaster." Ibn Hisham said: He means 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim. These two verses are in a poem of Hudhayfah ibn Ghanim which I will mention in its place, God Almighty willing. Mention of 'Abd al-Muttalib's vow to sacrifice his son Ibn Ishaq said: 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim—as they claim, and God knows best—had vowed, when he encountered from Quraysh what he encountered during the digging of Zamzam, that if he were granted ten sons, and they grew up with him until they could protect him, he would sacrifice one of them to God at the Kaaba. When his sons reached ten, and he knew that they would protect him, he gathered them, informed them of his vow, and called them to fulfill it for God. They obeyed him and said: "How shall we do it?" He said: "Let each of you take an arrow, write his name on it, and bring them to me." They did so, then came to him. He entered with them to Hubal inside the Kaaba. Hubal was placed over a well inside the Kaaba, and that well was where the offerings to the Kaaba were collected. (Casting lots with arrows among the Arabs): Hubal had seven arrows, each of which had an inscription. One arrow had "al-'Aql" ²¹⁴—if they disputed about who should bear the blood money, they would cast the seven arrows, and if "al-'Aql" came out, the one on whom it fell had to bear it. Another arrow had "Na'am" (Yes) for a matter they desired—they would cast it among the arrows, and if the arrow of "Yes" came out, they would act accordingly. Another arrow had "La" (No)—if they desired a matter, they would cast it among the arrows, and if that arrow came out, they would not do that matter. Another arrow had "Minkum" (From among you), another had "Mulṣaq" (Attached), another had "Min ghayrikum" (From outside you), and another had "al-Miyah" (Waters)—if they wanted to dig for water, they would cast the arrows, including that arrow, and wherever it came out, they would act accordingly. When they wanted to circumcise a boy, or marry a marriage, or bury a dead person, or doubted the lineage of one of them, they would take him to Hubal with a hundred dirhams and a camel, give them to the keeper of the arrows who cast them, then bring forward the person they intended for whatever they intended, and say: "O our god, this is so-and-so son of so-and-so; we intend for him such-and-such; so bring out the truth concerning him." Then they would say to the keeper of the arrows: "Cast." If "Minkum" came out for him, he was of their lineage and a full member ²¹⁵; if "Min ghayrikum" came out, he was an ally; if "Mulṣaq" came out, he remained in his status among them, having neither lineage nor alliance; and if something else came out, such as "Na'am" for what they intended, they would act accordingly; if "La" came out, they would postpone it for that year until they brought him again. They would abide by whatever the arrows brought out in their affairs. ('Abd al-Muttalib and his sons before the keeper of the arrows):

Then 'Abd al-Muttalib said to the keeper of the divination arrows: 'Cast lots for these my sons with their arrows,' and informed him of the vow he had made. So each man gave him the arrow with his name on it. 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib was the youngest of his father's sons ²¹⁶; he, al-Zubayr, and Abu Talib were the sons of Fatima bint 'Amr ibn 'A'idh ibn 'Abd ibn 'Imran ibn Makhzum ibn Yaqazah ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr. Ibn Hisham said: 'A'idh ibn 'Imran ibn Makhzum ²¹⁷. (The arrow fell upon 'Abd Allah, his father began to slaughter him, and the Quraysh prevented him.) Ibn Ishaq said: 'Abd Allah—as they claim—was the most beloved of 'Abd al-Muttalib's children to him, and 'Abd al-Muttalib used to think that if the arrow missed him, it had missed its mark ²¹⁸; and he was the father of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. When the keeper of the arrows took the arrows to cast lots, 'Abd al-Muttalib stood by Hubal ²¹⁹ praying to God. Then the keeper cast lots, and the arrow fell upon 'Abd Allah. 'Abd al-Muttalib took him by the hand and took the knife, then proceeded with him to Isaf and Na'ila ²²⁰ to slaughter him. The Quraysh rose from their assemblies and said: 'What do you intend, O 'Abd al-Muttalib?' He said: 'I will slaughter him.' The Quraysh and his sons said to him: 'By God, you shall never slaughter him until you have an excuse for it. If you do this, no man will cease to bring his son to be slaughtered, so how will people survive?' And al-Mughirah ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr ibn Makhzum ibn Yaqazah—and 'Abd Allah was the nephew of the tribe—said to him: 'By God, you shall never slaughter him until you have an excuse for it. If his ransom is with our wealth, we will ransom him.' The Quraysh and his sons said: 'Do not do it. Go with him to the Hijaz, for there is a soothsayer ²²¹ there who has a familiar spirit. Ask her, then you will be free to act: if she commands you to slaughter him, slaughter him; if she commands you something that brings relief for you and him, accept it.' (The soothsayer of the Hijaz and what she advised 'Abd al-Muttalib) So they set out until they came to Medina, but they found her—as they claim—in Khaybar. They rode until they came to her, asked her, and 'Abd al-Muttalib told her his story, the story of his son, what he intended to do with him, and his vow concerning him. She said to them: 'Leave me today until my familiar spirit comes to me, and I will ask him.' So they left her. When they had gone out from her, 'Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to God. Then they came to her in the morning, and she said to them: 'The news has come to me. How much is the blood-wit among you?' They said: 'Ten camels.' And that was the custom ²²². She said: 'Return to your land, then bring your companion and ten camels, and cast lots ²²³ on them and on him. If the lot falls on your companion, add more camels until your Lord is satisfied; if it falls on the camels, slaughter them for him, for your Lord is satisfied and your companion is saved.' (The deliverance of 'Abd Allah from slaughter) So they set out until they came to Mecca. When they agreed on that course of action, 'Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to God. Then they brought 'Abd Allah and ten camels, while 'Abd al-Muttalib stood by Hubal praying to God Almighty. Then they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon 'Abd Allah. So they added ten camels, making the camels twenty. 'Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to God Almighty, then they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon 'Abd Allah. So they added ten camels, making the camels thirty. 'Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to God, then they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon 'Abd Allah. So they added ten camels, making the camels forty. 'Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to God, then they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon 'Abd Allah. So they added ten camels, making the camels fifty. 'Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to God, then they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon 'Abd Allah. So they added ten camels, making the camels sixty. 'Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to God, then they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon 'Abd Allah. So they added ten camels, making the camels seventy. 'Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to God, then they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon 'Abd Allah. So they added ten camels, making the camels eighty. 'Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to God, then they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon 'Abd Allah. So they added ten camels, making the camels ninety. 'Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to God, then they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon 'Abd Allah. So they added ten camels, making the camels one hundred. 'Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to God, then they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon the camels. The Quraysh and those present said: 'Your Lord is satisfied, O 'Abd al-Muttalib.' They claim that 'Abd al-Muttalib said: 'No, by God, until I cast lots three times.' So they cast lots on 'Abd Allah and the camels, and 'Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to God, and the arrow fell upon the camels. Then they did it a second time, with 'Abd al-Muttalib standing praying to God, and they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon the camels. Then they did it a third time, with 'Abd al-Muttalib standing praying to God, and they cast lots, and the arrow fell upon the camels. So they were slaughtered, and then left, with no person or beast ²²⁴ being prevented from them. Ibn Hisham said: It is said: 'no person or wild beast.' Ibn Hisham said: Within this tradition there is some rajaz ²²⁵ poetry that we do not consider authentic from any of the scholars of poetry. (The mention of the woman who sought to marry 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib) ('Abd Allah's rejection of the woman who offered herself to him) Ibn Ishaq said: Then 'Abd al-Muttalib departed, taking 'Abd Allah by the hand, and passed by—as they claim—

1. al-Bāriqiyya : A woman from the tribe of Bāriq, a subdivision of Azd.
2. indara’ū : They rushed or attacked fiercely.
3. bijummin yaḥsibūna lahā qurūnā : With a multitude they thought had horns, i.e., a large and formidable force.
4. a‘tibūnā : Make amends with us, i.e., apologize or compensate.
5. Quṣayy : Ancestor of the Quraysh, also known as Quṣayy ibn Kilāb.
6. Zuhra : Ancestor of the Banū Zuhra clan of Quraysh.
7. Sayal : A name; possibly a variant of Sayyāl.
8. al-Jadara : A clan of Ju‘thuma, named after ‘Āmir al-Jādir who built a wall (jidār) for the Ka‘ba.
9. Ju‘thuma : A tribe from Azd, also known as Ju‘thuma al-Azd.
10. al-Dayl : A clan of Bakr ibn ‘Abd Manāf ibn Kināna.
11. ‘Āmir ibn ‘Amr : Ancestor of al-Jadara, known for building the wall of the Ka‘ba.
12. al-Jādir : The builder of the wall; a nickname for ‘Āmir.
13. nazala : He dismounted, i.e., he alighted to fight on foot.
14. al-Qaṭāmī : A famous pre-Islamic poet and hunter.
15. Quṣayy : Same as note 5.
16. ‘Abd Quṣayy : A son of Quṣayy named after his father.
17. Takhmur : A female name.
18. Ḥubshiyya : A variant of Ḥabashiyya.
19. Hāshim : Ancestor of the Banū Hāshim clan of Quraysh.
20. ‘Abd Shams : Ancestor of the Banū ‘Abd Shams clan of Quraysh.
21. ‘Ātika : A female name.
22. Hilāl : An ancestor of the Banū Hilāl tribe.
23. Fālij : A name.
24. Tusayb : A name; variant of Tasīb.
25. ‘Ā’idh Allāh : A name meaning 'refuge of God'.
26. Sa‘d al-‘Ashīra : A tribe of Madhḥij.
27. Ibn Hishām said : The text attributes this to Ibn Hishām, but it is a continuation of Ibn Isḥāq's account.
28. Salmā : A female name.
29. ‘Amr : A name.
30. Labīd : A name.
31. Ḥarām : A name.
32. ‘Āmir : A name.
33. al-Khazrajiyya : A woman from the Khazraj tribe.
34. al-Zubayr : A son of ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, not to be confused with al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwām.
35. Ḥajl : A name; also known as al-Ghaydāq.
36. Abū Lahab : An uncle of the Prophet, known for his opposition to Islam.
37. Nukayla : A female name.
38. Kulayb : A name.
39. ‘Āmir : A name.
40. Hāla : A female name.
41. bint : Daughter of.
42. ‘Abd Manāt : A name; a pre-Islamic deity.
43. Mālik ibn al-Naḍr : Ancestor of Quraysh.
44. Zuhrah : A clan of Quraysh, the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad.
45. Barrah : A common female name in pre-Islamic Arabia, meaning 'pious' or 'righteous'.
46. ṣallā llāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam : Arabic phrase meaning 'may Allah bless him and grant him peace', used after mentioning the Prophet Muhammad.
47. al-Muṭṭalibī : A nisba referring to descent from al-Muttalib, a clan of Quraysh.
48. al-Ḥijr : The semicircular area adjacent to the Ka'bah, also known as the Hijr Isma'il.
49. hamaza lahu bi-ʿaqibihi : Literally 'struck for him with his heel', meaning Jibril struck the ground with his heel to bring forth water.
50. yafḥaṣu : From the root f-ḥ-ṣ, meaning to scrape or scratch the ground.
51. ḥisyan : A pool or basin of water, often naturally formed.
52. Jurhum : An ancient Arab tribe that settled in Mecca and were the guardians of the Ka'bah before being expelled.
53. Qaṭūrāʾ : Another ancient Arab tribe, often mentioned alongside Jurhum.
54. al-Samaydaʿ : A proper name; the leader of the Qatura tribe.
55. Quʿayqiʿān : A mountain or hill in upper Mecca, named for the clattering of weapons.
56. Ajyād : A place in lower Mecca, named for the horses (jayyid meaning excellent horse) that came out from there.
57. yaʿthuru : From the root ʿ-sh-r, meaning to take a tenth, i.e., to levy a tithe or tax.
58. al-jīād : Plural of jayyid, meaning excellent or noble horses.
59. Fāḍiḥ : A place name meaning 'disgracer', because the battle there disgraced Qatura.
60. al-Maṭābikh : A place name meaning 'the kitchens', because food was cooked there.
61. iṭṭabakha : From the root ṭ-b-kh, meaning to cook.
62. Tubbaʿ : A title for Himyarite kings of Yemen.
63. yuhdā : Passive verb meaning 'is donated' or 'is offered as a gift'.
64. al-Nassāsah : A name for Mecca meaning 'the expeller', because it expelled wrongdoers.
65. Bakkah : An alternative name for Mecca, often associated with the Ka'bah.
66. tabukku : From the root b-k-k, meaning to break or crush.
67. yatabākūna : From the root b-k-k, meaning to crowd or press together.
68. al-sharīb : One who drinks, or a drinker of water.
69. akkatuhu : Meaning his thirst or his need for water.
70. yabukka bakkah : A phrase meaning 'he crowds his crowding', i.e., he lets his camels crowd at the water.
71. al-Ḥajar al-Aswad : The Black Stone, a sacred stone set into the eastern corner of the Ka'bah.
72. ibn ʿAmr : A patronymic; the text has a variant reading including 'ibn 'Amr'.
73. al-Ḥajūn : A mountain or place in Mecca, near the cemetery of al-Ma'la.
74. yulajlijuhu : From the root l-j-l-j, meaning to flutter or move about restlessly.
75. ‘Adwan : A tribe of the Arabs, from which Dhu al-Isba‘ hailed.
76. ‘Adhir : An exclamation meaning 'woe' or 'alas', used to express regret or lament.
77. serpent of the earth : A metaphor for a formidable and dangerous group.
78. lam yur‘i : He did not heed or pay attention.
79. al-qard : A loan or pledge; here referring to fulfilling obligations.
80. Abu Sayyara, ‘Umayla ibn al-A‘zal : A man from the tribe of ‘Adwan who was the last to perform the ifada from Muzdalifah before Islam.
81. Banu Fazara : A tribe of the Arabs, clients of Abu Sayyara.
82. calling his neighbor : Referring to the practice of the ifada, where the leader would call out to the people.
83. atan : A she-donkey.
84. na’ira : A dispute or conflict.
85. ‘udla : A difficult or intricate matter.
86. al-mabal : Urination; the place of urination.
87. badahum : He attacked them suddenly or initiated hostilities.
88. Rizah ibn Rabi‘a : Brother of Qusayy from the tribe of Quda‘a.
89. al-Abtah : A place in Mecca, the valley between the mountains.
90. Ya‘mur ibn ‘Awf ibn Ka‘b ibn ‘Amir : An arbiter from the tribe of Kinana.
91. yashdakhuhu : He crushes or tramples it, meaning he waived the blood revenge.
92. Ya‘mur : Also known as al-Shaddakh or al-Shudakh, meaning 'the crusher'.
93. al-Hijaba : The office of guarding the Ka‘ba and its keys.
94. al-Siqaya : The office of providing water to pilgrims.
95. al-Rifada : The office of providing food to pilgrims.
96. al-Nadwa : The assembly or council; also the house where Quraysh held their meetings.
97. al-Liwa’ : The banner or standard of war.
98. a‘wanuhu : His helpers or assistants.
99. taddari‘ : To wear a shift or garment; a coming-of-age ritual for girls.
100. Fihr : An ancestor of Quraysh; Fihr ibn Malik.
101. al-Sa’ib : A companion of the Prophet, known as al-Sa’ib ibn Khabbab.
102. مَا بَلَّ بَحْرَ صُوفَةَ : An Arabic expression meaning 'as long as the sea moistens wool,' i.e., forever.
103. الْمُطَيَّبِينَ : Al-Mutayyabun: 'The Perfumed Ones,' a group of Quraysh who made a pact by dipping their hands in perfume.
104. الْأَحْلَافَ : Al-Ahlaf: 'The Confederates,' the opposing group to the Perfumed Ones.
105. السِّقَايَةَ : Al-Siqayah: The office of providing water to pilgrims.
106. الرِّفَادَةَ : Al-Rifadah: The office of providing provisions to pilgrims.
107. الْحِجَابَةُ : Al-Hijabah: The custodianship of the Ka'bah.
108. اللِّوَاءُ : Al-Liwa': The banner, a symbol of military command.
109. النَّدْوَةُ : Al-Nadwah: The council, the assembly for decision-making.
110. مَا كَانَ مِنْ حِلْفٍ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَإِنَّ الْإِسْلَامَ لَمْ يَزِدْهُ إلَّا شِدَّةً : A hadith meaning that Islam upholds and strengthens pre-Islamic pacts that are just.
111. حِلْفُ الْفُضُولِ : Hilf al-Fudul: 'The Pact of the Virtuous,' a pre-Islamic alliance to protect the oppressed.
112. حُمْرَ النَّعَمِ : Humr al-Na'am: 'Red camels,' a metaphor for the most valuable possessions.
113. ذِي الْمَرْوَةِ : Dhu al-Marwah: A place near Mecca.
114. الثَّرِيدَ : Tharid: A dish of bread soaked in broth.
115. Ghazzah : Gaza, a city in Palestine.
116. siqaya : The provision of water to pilgrims.
117. rifada : The provision of food to pilgrims.
118. al-Fayd : The overflowing, a nickname for his generosity.
119. Banu 'Adi ibn al-Najjar : A clan of the Khazraj tribe in Medina.
120. Uhayhah ibn al-Julah ibn al-Harish : A notable of the Aws tribe.
121. Shaybah : Literally 'white-haired', his given name.
122. wasif : A young servant or adolescent.
123. 'Abd al-Muttalib : Literally 'servant of al-Muttalib', a name given by the Quraysh.
124. Radman : A place in Yemen.
125. al-muntha'ib : Flowing or poured out drink.
126. nasab : Hardship or toil.
127. al-qasiyyat : Hard or severe nights.
128. al-qashibat : Worn-out or old garments.
129. Salman : A place in Iraq.
130. Ghazzat : Gaza.
131. Mayyit : Dead person; here referring to Nawfal.
132. al-mahjub : The veiled or concealed; possibly a place name.
133. al-bunayyat : Little buildings; possibly a place name.
134. al-Mughira : The original name of 'Abd Manaf.
135. Ka'b ibn al-Mughirat : Ka'b, son of al-Mughira; i.e., 'Abd Manaf.
136. is'hanfiri : Flow copiously or be profuse.
137. al-mulimmat : Calamities or distressing events.
138. al-jazilat : Abundant or generous things.
139. al-'azimat : Great matters or burdens.
140. al-karimat : Noble or precious things.
141. al-shum al-rafi'at : The lofty heights.
142. al-Fayyad : Another nickname for a generous person.
143. jammat : Torrents or abundant flows.
144. balqa' : A barren plain or desert.
145. mawmat : A desert or desolate place.
146. udm al-matiyyat : Reddish she-camels used for riding.
147. al-sariyyat : Expeditions or raiding parties.
148. azwad al-maniyyat : Provisions of death; i.e., death is inevitable.
149. Abu al-Sha'th al-Shajiyyat : Father of the sorrowful ones; a title for Hashim.
150. al-baliyyat : Calamities or afflictions.
151. 'abarat : Sobs or tears.
152. fajr : Generosity or gift.
153. al-jalilat : Great or important matters.
154. 'Amr al-'Ula : A name meaning 'the lofty one'.
155. al-'ashiyyat : Evenings.
156. al-hamiyyat : Hot coals or embers.
157. qubbat : Tents or domed structures.
158. al-aliyyat : Oaths or solemn pledges.
159. timarr : A swift horse.
160. timurrah : A mare; 'nahb' means plundered.
161. ashṭan al-rakkiyyat : Poles of wells; i.e., long and straight.
162. tawabi' : Followers or dependents.
163. al-raziyyat : Afflictions or calamities.
164. Abu Khirash al-Hudhali : A poet from the Hudhayl tribe.
165. fajr : Here meaning a gift or provision.
166. Zamzam : The sacred well in Mecca.
167. Hijr : The semicircular area adjacent to the Kaaba.
168. Yazid : Yazid ibn Abi Habib, a scholar.
169. Muthanna : Muthanna ibn 'Abd Allah al-Yazani, a narrator.
170. Ibn Zurair al-Ghafiqi : A narrator of hadith, possibly Abu al-Zubayr al-Makki or another; the exact identity is unclear.
171. Hijr : The semicircular walled area adjacent to the Ka'bah, also known as Hatim, considered part of the original Ka'bah built by Abraham.
172. Taybah : One of the names of Zamzam, meaning 'good' or 'pleasant'.
173. Barrah : Another name for Zamzam, meaning 'pious' or 'righteous'.
174. al-Madhnunah : Another name for Zamzam, meaning 'the treasured' or 'the precious'.
175. la tanzifu : It never runs dry; i.e., its water is inexhaustible.
176. wa la tudhammu : It is never blamed; i.e., its water is pure and praiseworthy.
177. al-ghurab al-a'sam : A crow with white feet or white feathers; a legendary marker for the location of Zamzam.
178. qaryat al-naml : Literally 'the ant's village'; a term for an ant colony or nest, used as a landmark.
179. al-tayy : The masonry or stone lining of the well, indicating the ancient structure.
180. Kahinat Banu Sa'd Hudhaym : A priestess of the tribe Banu Sa'd ibn Hudhaym, known for divination.
181. Ashraf : A region in Syria, possibly meaning 'the noblest' or a specific location.
182. al-ma' al-riwa : Abundant water that quenches thirst.
183. hajij : Pilgrims performing the Hajj.
184. kull mabar : Every place of descent or stopping place during the pilgrimage.
185. ma 'amar : As long as it lasts; i.e., forever.
186. na'am hafil : A full milch camel, i.e., one with abundant milk.
187. nazi' : Desisting or withdrawing; here, not giving up.
188. sayf qal'i : Swords from Qal'a, a place known for sword-making, possibly in Yemen or Syria.
189. amr nasaf : A fair or equitable arrangement.
190. qidah : Arrows used for divination or casting lots, often without heads.
191. Hubal : A major idol of the Quraysh, placed inside or near the Ka'bah before Islam.
192. هُبَل : Hubal: A major idol of the pre-Islamic Arabs, placed inside the Kaaba.
193. الْقِدَاح : Divination arrows: Arrows used for casting lots to seek divine guidance or resolve disputes.
194. الطَّوِيُّ : Al-Tawiyy: A well dug by 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf.
195. خَطْمُ الْخَنْدَمَةِ : Khatm al-Khandama: A location in Mecca, possibly a mountain or a pass.
196. جُرَابًا : Jurab: A well or water source mentioned in the poem.
197. مَلْكُومًا : Malkum: A well or water source mentioned in the poem.
198. الْغَمْرَا : Al-Ghamr: A well or water source mentioned in the poem.
199. سَجْلَةَ : Sajlah: A well dug by al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi.
200. الْحَفْرَ : Al-Hafr: A well dug by Umayyah ibn 'Abd Shams.
201. سُقَيَّةَ : Suqayyah: A well dug by Banu Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza.
202. أُمَّ أَحْرَادٍ : Umm Ahrad: A well dug by Banu 'Abd al-Dar.
203. الْحَفْرُ : Al-Hafr: An ancient well outside Mecca.
204. حُذَيْفَةُ : Hudhayfah ibn Ghanim: A poet from the tribe of Banu 'Adi.
205. مُسَافِرُ : Musafir ibn Abi 'Amr: A poet from Banu 'Abd Manaf.
206. الرّفادة : Al-Rifada: The provision of food and supplies to pilgrims.
207. الدَّلَّافَةَ الرُّفُدَا : Al-Dallafa al-Rufada: Swift, generous camels offered as sacrifices.
208. شُدَّدًا رُفُدَا : Shudda Rafuda: Strong and generous (people) in facing fate.
209. لَمْ نُمْلَكْ : Lam numlak: We were not owned or controlled.
210. أَبَدَا : Abadan: Forever, eternally.
211. أَرُومَتِنَا : Arumatina: Our lineage or root.
212. الفِهري : Al-Fihri: Referring to Quraysh, descended from Fihr.
213. الْمَقَامِ : Al-Maqam: The Station of Abraham, a sacred site near the Kaaba.
214. الْعَقْلُ : Al-'Aql: Blood money or compensation for homicide.
215. وَسِيطًا : Wasitan: A full member of the tribe with established lineage.
216. banī : Sons; children; used here to refer to his male offspring.
217. Ibn Hishām : The editor and commentator of Ibn Ishaq's biography of the Prophet Muhammad.
218. ashwā : To miss the mark; a term used in archery or divination.
219. Hubal : A major idol worshipped by the Quraysh in pre-Islamic Mecca, placed inside the Kaaba.
220. Isāf and Nā'ilah : Two idols near the Kaaba, associated with divination and sacrifice.
221. ‘arrāfah : A female soothsayer or diviner, believed to have a familiar spirit (tābi‘).
222. kadhālika : Thus; meaning that ten camels was the standard blood-wit (diyah) at the time.
223. bi’l-qidāḥ : By means of divination arrows; a pre-Islamic practice of casting lots using marked arrows.
224. sabu‘ : Wild beast; referring to predators that might eat the meat.
225. rajaz : A meter of Arabic poetry, often used for short, improvisational verses.

The narration of the pure lineage from Muhammad, may God bless him and his family and grant them peace, to Adam, peace be upon him.

They claim—concerning a woman from Banu Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr, who was the sister of Waraqa ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza—that she was at the Ka'ba and said to him when she looked at his face: "Where are you going, O 'Abdullah?" He said: "With my father." She said: "You have the like of the camels that were sacrificed for you; have intercourse with me now." He said: "I am with my father, and I cannot disobey him or leave him." (The marriage of 'Abdullah to Amina bint Wahb): So 'Abd al-Muttalib took him until he brought him to Wahb ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Zuhra ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr, who was at that time the chief of Banu Zuhra in lineage and honor, and he married him to his daughter Amina bint Wahb, who was at that time the best woman in Quraysh in lineage and position. (The mothers of Amina bint Wahb): She is the daughter of Barra bint 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn 'Uthman ibn 'Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr. And Barra is the daughter of Umm Habib bint Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr. And Umm Habib is the daughter of Barra bint 'Awf ibn 'Ubayd ibn 'Uwayj ibn 'Adi ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr. (What happened between 'Abdullah and the woman who propositioned him after his consummation with Amina): They claim that he entered upon her when he was given her in marriage ¹ in his place, and he had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Then he left her and went to the woman who had offered him what she had offered. He said to her: "What is the matter with you? Do you not offer me today what you offered me yesterday?" She said to him: "The light that was with you yesterday has left you, so I have no need of you today." And she had heard from her brother Waraqa ibn Nawfal—who had become a Christian and followed the scriptures—that there would be a prophet in this community. Ibn Ishaq said: My father Ishaq ibn Yasar ² told me that he was told: That 'Abdullah had entered upon a woman who was his wife along with Amina bint Wahb, and he had been working with clay, and there were traces of clay on him. He invited her to himself, but she delayed for him because of the traces of clay she saw on him. So he left her, performed ablution, and washed off that clay. Then he set out heading for Amina, and passed by her (the other woman), and she invited him to herself, but he refused her and went to Amina, entered upon her, and had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant with Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace. Then he passed by that wife of his and said to her: "Would you like (to)?" She said: "No. You passed by me and between your eyes was a white blaze, and I invited you but you refused me, and you entered upon Amina and she took it." Ibn Ishaq said: They claim that that wife of his used to relate: "He passed by me and between his eyes was a blaze like the blaze of a horse." She said: "I invited him hoping that it would be with me, but he refused me and entered upon Amina and had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace." So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was the most noble of his people in lineage and the greatest in honor from his father's and mother's side, may God bless him and grant him peace. Mention of what was said to Amina at the time of her pregnancy with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace: And they claim—according to what people relate, and God knows best—that Amina bint Wahb, the mother of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, used to relate:

1. umlikaha : Literally 'he was given her in marriage'; refers to the formal transfer of guardianship in marriage.
2. Ishaq ibn Yasar : A narrator and the father of the famous historian Ibn Ishaq.

The birth of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his suckling [1].

That she was told, when she became pregnant with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), 'You have conceived the master of this community. When he falls to the ground, say: I seek protection for him with the One, from the evil of every envier. Then name him Muhammad.' And she saw, when she became pregnant with him, that a light came out of her by which she saw the palaces of Busra in the land of Syria. (The Death of Abdullah): Then Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib ¹, the father of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), did not tarry long before he died, while the mother of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was pregnant with him ². The Birth of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and His Nursing (Ibn Ishaq Saw His Birth): Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was born on Monday, the twelfth night of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal, in the Year of the Elephant ³. (Narration of Qays ibn Makhrama about His Birth): Ibn Ishaq said: Al-Muttalib ibn Abdullah ibn Qays ibn Makhrama narrated to me from his father, from his grandfather Qays ibn Makhrama, who said: I and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) were born in the Year of the Elephant, so we are age-mates ⁴. (Narration of Hassan ibn Thabit about His Birth): Ibn Ishaq said: Salih ibn Ibrahim ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf narrated to me from Yahya ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'd ibn Zurara al-Ansari. He said: One whom I wished from among the men of my people narrated to me from Hassan ibn Thabit, who said: By Allah, I was a young boy ⁵ of seven or eight years, understanding everything I heard, when I heard a Jew shouting at the top of his voice from a fortress ⁶ in Yathrib: 'O assembly of Jews!' When they gathered to him, they said, 'Woe to you, what is the matter?' He said: 'Tonight the star of Ahmad has risen, the one with whose birth he was born.' Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: I asked Sa'id ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Hassan ibn Thabit, 'How old was Hassan ibn Thabit when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) arrived in Medina?' He said: 'Sixty years old ⁷, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) arrived when he was fifty-three years old. So Hassan heard what he heard when he was seven years old.' (His Mother Informing His Grandfather of His Birth): Ibn Ishaq said: When his mother gave birth to him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), she sent word to his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib: 'A boy has been born to you, so come and look at him.' He came and looked at him, and she told him what she had seen when she became pregnant with him, what was said to her about him, and what she was commanded to name him. (His Grandfather's Joy at Him and His Seeking Wet Nurses for Him): They claim that Abd al-Muttalib took him, entered the Ka'ba with him, stood supplicating Allah and thanking Him for what He had given him, then came out with him to his mother and handed him to her ⁸. And he sought wet nurses for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Ibn Hisham said: 'Al-maradi' (wet nurses). And in the Book of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, in the story of Moses (peace be upon him): 'And We had forbidden him the wet nurses' [28:12] ⁹. (The Lineage of Halima and Her Father's Lineage): Ibn Ishaq said: So he sought a wet nurse for him ¹⁰ from among the women of Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr, called Halima bint Abi Dhu'ayb. And Abu Dhu'ayb is Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Shijna ibn Jabir ibn Rizam ibn Nasira ibn Fusayya ¹¹ ibn Nasr ¹² ibn Sa'd ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin ibn Mansur ibn Ikrima ibn Khasafa ibn Qays ibn Aylan. (His Father's Lineage in Nursing): The name of his father who nursed him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is: al-Harith ibn Abd al-Uzza ibn Rifa'a ibn Mallan ibn Nasira ibn Fusayya ¹³ ibn Nasr ibn Sa'd ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin ¹⁴. Ibn Hisham said: It is also said: Hilal ibn Nasira. (His Siblings from Nursing): Ibn Ishaq said: His siblings from nursing are: Abdullah ibn al-Harith, Unaysa bint al-Harith, and Hudhafa ¹⁵ bint al-Harith, who is al-Shayma' ¹⁶; this name prevailed over her so she is not known among her people except by it. They are the children of Halima bint Abi Dhu'ayb, Abdullah ibn al-Harith, the mother of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). They mention that al-Shayma' used to nurse him with her mother ¹⁷ when he was with them ¹⁸. (The Account of Halima about the Good She Saw After Receiving Him): Ibn Ishaq said: Jahm ibn Abi Jahm, the freed slave of al-Harith ibn Hatib al-Jumahi, narrated to me from Abdullah ibn Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, or from one who narrated to him from him, who said: Halima bint Abi Dhu'ayb al-Sa'diyya, the mother of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) who nursed him, used to relate: She set out from her land with her husband and a young son ¹⁹ she was nursing, among women of Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr, seeking wet nurses. She said: That was in a barren year ²⁰ that left us nothing. She said: I set out on a grayish she-donkey ²¹ of mine, with a she-camel ²² of ours, and by Allah, it did not give a drop ²³, and we could not sleep all night because of our baby with us, from his crying due to hunger; there was nothing in my breasts to satisfy him, and nothing in our she-camel to feed him—Ibn Hisham said: It is also said: 'yughadhdhihi' ²⁴—but we were hoping for rain and relief. So I set out on that she-donkey of mine, and by Allah, I lagged behind ²⁵ the caravan until that became difficult for them due to weakness and emaciation ²⁶, until we arrived in Mecca seeking ²⁷ wet nurses. There was no woman among us to whom the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was not presented, but she refused him when it was said to her that he was an orphan. That was because we only hoped for kindness from the father of the child, and we would say: 'An orphan! What can his mother and grandfather do?' So we disliked him for that. No woman who came with me remained except she took a nursing child other than me. When we resolved to depart, I said to my husband: 'By Allah, I hate to return among my companions without having taken a nursing child. By Allah, I will go to that orphan and take him.' He said: 'There is no harm in your doing so; perhaps Allah will make a blessing for us in him.' She said ²⁸: So I went to him and took him, and nothing made me take him except that I found no other. She said: When I took him, I returned with him to my baggage. When I placed him in my lap ²⁹, his breasts ³⁰ flowed with as much milk as he wished, so he drank until he was satisfied, and his brother drank with him until he was satisfied. Then they slept, whereas before that we could not sleep with him. My husband went to that she-camel of ours, and behold, she was full of milk, so he milked from her what he drank, and I drank with him until we reached satiety and fullness. So we spent the best night. She said: My husband said when morning came: 'Know ³¹, by Allah, O Halima, you have taken a blessed soul.' She said: I said: 'By Allah, I hope so.' She said: Then we set out, and I rode ³² my she-donkey, carrying him with me. By Allah, she outran the caravan, and they could not keep up with her ³³.

Something of their donkeys, until my companions would say to me: 'O daughter of Abu Dhu'ayb, woe to you! Restrain yourself ³⁴ with us. Is this not your she-donkey on which you used to go out?' I would say to them: 'Yes, by Allah, it is indeed the same one.' They would say: 'By Allah, it has a special matter.' She said: Then we arrived at our dwellings in the land of Banu Sa'd, and I knew no land of Allah more barren than it. My goats would come back to me when we brought him with us, full-bellied and full of milk, so we would milk and drink, while no one else could milk a drop of milk nor find it in the udder, until the people of our tribe would say to their shepherds: 'Woe to you! Graze where the shepherd of the daughter of Abu Dhu'ayb grazes.' So their flocks would return hungry, not yielding a drop of milk, while my goats returned full-bellied and full of milk. We continued to experience increase and goodness from Allah ³⁵ until his two years ³⁶ passed and I weaned him. He grew in a way that other boys did not; before he reached two years, he was a sturdy boy ³⁷. She said: We brought him to his mother, while we were most eager for him to stay with us because of the blessing we saw from him. We spoke to his mother and I said to her: 'If only you would leave my son with me until he grows stronger, for I fear the plague ³⁸ of Mecca for him.' She said: We kept at her until she sent him back with us. (The Hadith of the Two Angels Who Split His Belly, peace be upon him): She said: So we returned with him. By Allah, a few months after our arrival (with him), while he was with his brother among our lambs ³⁹ behind our tents, his brother came running ⁴⁰ to me and his father and said: 'That Qurayshi brother of mine has been taken by two men in white garments; they laid him down and split his belly, and they are stirring him ⁴¹.' She said: So I and his father went out to him, and we found him standing, his face pale ⁴². She said: I embraced him and his father embraced him, and we said to him: 'What is the matter, my son?' He said: 'Two men in white garments came to me, laid me down, split my belly, and sought something inside it, I do not know what.' She said: So we returned (with him) to our tent. (Return of Halimah with him, peace be upon him, to his mother): She said: His father said to me: 'O Halimah, I fear that this boy has been afflicted, so take him back to his family before this becomes apparent in him.' She said: So we carried him and brought him to his mother. She said: 'What has brought you with him, O wet nurse ⁴³, when you were so eager for him and for him to stay with you?' She said: I said: 'Allah has caused my son to reach his goal, and I have fulfilled my duty, but I feared events for him, so I have delivered him to you ⁴⁴ as you wish.' She said: 'This is not your concern; tell me the truth.' She said: She did not leave me until I told her. She said: 'Did you fear Satan for him?' She said: I said: 'Yes.' She said: 'No, by Allah, Satan has no way to him, and my son has a special matter. Shall I not tell you his story?' She said: (I said) 'Yes.' She said: 'When I became pregnant with him, I saw a light come out of me that illuminated for me the palaces of Busra ⁴⁵ in the land of Syria. Then I became pregnant with him, and by Allah, I never saw any pregnancy lighter or easier than it. When I gave birth to him, he fell with his hands on the ground, raising his head to the sky. Leave him and go, guided aright.' (His, peace be upon him, description of himself, when asked about that): Ibn Ishaq said: Thawr ⁴⁶ ibn Yazid narrated to me from some people of knowledge, and I think it is from Khalid ibn Ma'dan ⁴⁷ al-Kula'i: That a group of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to him: 'O Messenger of Allah, tell us about yourself.' He said: 'Yes, I am the answer to the prayer of my father Abraham ⁴⁸, and the glad tidings of (my brother) Jesus ⁴⁹. My mother, when she became pregnant with me, saw a light come out of her that illuminated for her the palaces of Syria ⁵⁰. I was nursed among Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr. While I was with a brother of mine behind our tents, tending our lambs, two men in white garments came to me with a golden basin filled with snow. Then they took me, split my belly, extracted my heart, split it, and took out a black clot from it and threw it away. Then they washed my heart and belly with that snow until they cleansed them ⁵¹. Then one of them said to his companion: 'Weigh him against ten of his community.' So he weighed me against them, and I outweighed them. Then he said: 'Weigh him against a hundred of his community.' So he weighed me against them, and I outweighed them. Then he said: 'Weigh him against a thousand of his community.' So he weighed me against them, and I outweighed them. Then he said: 'Leave him, for by Allah, if you weighed him against his entire community, he would outweigh them ⁵².' (He and the prophets before him tended sheep): Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, used to say: 'There is no prophet but has tended sheep.' It was said: 'And you, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'And I ⁵³.' (His pride, peace be upon him, in his Quraysh lineage and his nursing among Banu Sa'd): Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, used to say to his Companions: 'I am the most eloquent among you; I am Qurayshi, and I was nursed among Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr.' (Halimah lost him, peace be upon him, when she returned with him, and Waraqah ibn Nawfal found him): Ibn Ishaq said: People claim, in what they narrate—and Allah knows best—that when his Sa'di mother brought him to Mecca, she lost him among the people as she was heading toward his family. She searched for him but did not find him. So she went to 'Abd al-Muttalib and said to him: 'I brought Muhammad tonight. When I was at the upper part of Mecca, I lost him. By Allah, I do not know where he is.' So 'Abd al-Muttalib stood at the Ka'bah, calling upon Allah to return him. They claim that Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad and another man from Quraysh found him and brought him to 'Abd al-Muttalib, saying: 'This is your son; we found him at the upper part of Mecca.' So 'Abd al-Muttalib took him, placed him on his neck, and circumambulated the Ka'bah, seeking refuge for him and praying for him. Then he sent him to his mother Aminah. Ibn Ishaq said: Some people of knowledge narrated to me: That among what prompted his Sa'di mother to return him to his mother, besides what she told his mother about him, was that a group of Ethiopian Christians saw him with her when she returned with him after his weaning. They looked at him, asked her about him, and examined him. Then they said to her: 'We will surely take this boy and bring him to our king and our land, for this boy will have a great matter; we know his affair.' The one who narrated to me claimed that she barely escaped from them with him.

1. ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib : The father of the Prophet Muhammad, who died before the Prophet's birth.
2. ḥāmilun bihī : Pregnant with him; refers to Amina, the Prophet's mother, being pregnant at the time of Abdullah's death.
3. ʿĀm al-Fīl : The Year of the Elephant, traditionally 570 CE, when Abraha's army with elephants attacked Mecca but was repelled.
4. lidān : Age-mates; born in the same year.
5. ghulām yafaʿa : A young boy who has reached puberty or near it; here, a boy of seven or eight.
6. aṭama : A fortress or high place; in Medina, a fortified structure.
7. sittīn (sanah) : Sixty years old; the age of Hassan ibn Thabit when the Prophet arrived in Medina.
8. dafaʿahu ilayhā : He handed him to her; Abd al-Muttalib returned the infant to his mother.
9. al-marāḍiʿ : Wet nurses; plural of murḍiʿa. Quranic reference: 28:12.
10. istarḍaʿa lahu : He sought a wet nurse for him; i.e., for the Prophet.
11. Fuṣayya : A name in the lineage of Halima; variant spelling.
12. Naṣr : A name in the lineage; part of the Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr.
13. Fuṣayya : Same as note 13; appears again in the father's lineage.
14. Hawāzin : A large Arab tribe; the Banu Sa'd are a branch of Hawazin.
15. Ḥudhāfa : Name of a daughter of al-Harith; also known as al-Shayma'.
16. al-Shaymāʾ : The name by which Hudhafa was commonly known; meaning 'the one with a beauty mark'.
17. taḥḍunuhu maʿa ummihā : She used to nurse him with her mother; i.e., help care for him.
18. ʿindahum : With them; i.e., in the household of Halima.
19. ibn lahā ṣaghīr : A young son of hers; Halima's own child.
20. sanah shahbāʾ : A barren year; a year of drought and famine.
21. atān qamrāʾ : A grayish she-donkey; 'qamra' means gray or white.
22. shārif : An old she-camel; here, a camel that had stopped giving milk.
23. mā tanbuḍu bi-qaṭrah : It did not give a drop; i.e., the camel had no milk.
24. yughadhdhīhi : Alternative reading: 'yughadhdhīhi' meaning 'to feed him'.
25. adamtu : I lagged behind; from 'adama' meaning to delay or stay behind.
26. ḍaʿfan wa-ʿajafan : Weakness and emaciation; describing the donkey's condition.
27. naltamisu : We seek; from 'iltamasa' meaning to seek or request.
28. qālat : She said; Halima continues her narration.
29. ḥijrī : My lap; the area between the arms and chest.
30. thadyayā : My two breasts; dual form of 'thady'.
31. taʿallamī : Know (feminine imperative); used to draw attention.
32. rakibtu : I rode; Halima mounted the donkey.
33. mā yaqdiru ʿalayhā : They could not keep up with her; the donkey outran the caravan.
34. ارْبَعِي : Literally 'restrain yourself' or 'be gentle'; a request to slow down or be patient.
35. الزِّيَادَةَ وَالْخَيْرَ : Increase and goodness from Allah, referring to the blessings and abundance they experienced.
36. سَنَتَاهُ : His two years, i.e., the period of breastfeeding, typically two years in Islamic tradition.
37. غُلَامًا جَفْرًا : A sturdy, strong boy; 'jafr' indicates a child who has grown strong and robust.
38. وَبَأَ : Plague or epidemic disease; here referring to the unhealthy climate of Mecca.
39. بَهْمٍ : Lambs or young sheep; the plural of 'bahmah'.
40. يَشْتَدُّ : Running quickly; from 'shatta' meaning to run or hasten.
41. يَسُوطَانِهِ : They are stirring him; from 'sawta' meaning to mix or stir, possibly referring to the angels' action.
42. مُنْتَقَعًا : Pale or changed in color; indicating paleness due to fear or shock.
43. ظِئْرُ : Wet nurse; a woman who breastfeeds a child not her own.
44. أَدَّيْتُهُ إلَيْكَ : I have delivered him to you; fulfilling the duty of returning the child.
45. بُصْرَى : Busra, a city in southern Syria, known for its Roman ruins.
46. ثَوْرُ : Thawr ibn Yazid, a narrator of hadith from the generation of the Followers.
47. خَالِدِ بْنِ مَعْدَانَ : Khalid ibn Ma'dan al-Kula'i, a prominent scholar and narrator from the Followers.
48. دَعْوَةُ أَبِي إبْرَاهِيمَ : The prayer of my father Abraham; referring to Abraham's prayer for a prophet from his descendants (Quran 2:129).
49. بُشْرَى (أَخِي) عِيسَى : The glad tidings of (my brother) Jesus; Jesus foretold the coming of Muhammad (Quran 61:6).
50. قُصُورَ الشَّامِ : The palaces of Syria; a miraculous sign seen by Aminah at the Prophet's conception.
51. أَنْقَيَاهُ : They cleansed it; from 'anqa' meaning to purify or clean thoroughly.
52. لَوَزَنَهَا : He would outweigh them; indicating the Prophet's spiritual weight and merit.
53. وَأَنَا : And I; the Prophet confirms that he also tended sheep, a common trait of prophets.

After the death of Amina, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was taken care of by his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib.

The death of Amina and the state of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib after her. (The death of Amina): Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was with his mother Amina bint Wahb and his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim under Allah's protection and care, and Allah caused him to grow in a goodly manner for the honor He intended for him. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reached six years of age, his mother Amina bint Wahb died. Ibn Ishaq said: Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm narrated to me that the mother of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Amina, died when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was six years old at al-Abwa ¹, between Mecca and Medina. She had brought him to his maternal uncles from the Banu Adi ibn al-Najjar to visit them, and she died while returning with him to Mecca. (The reason for the maternal uncle relationship of Banu Adi ibn al-Najjar to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Hisham said: The mother of Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim was Salma bint Amr al-Najjariyya. This is the maternal uncle relationship that Ibn Ishaq mentioned for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, among them. (The honoring of Abd al-Muttalib for him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he was young): Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was with his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim. A bed was placed for Abd al-Muttalib in the shade of the Kaaba, and his sons would sit around that bed until he came out to them; none of his sons would sit on it out of reverence for him. He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would come as a young boy and sit on it. His uncles would take him to move him away, but Abd al-Muttalib, when he saw that from them, would say: "Leave my son, for by Allah, he has a great matter." Then he would seat him with him on the bed, rub his back with his hand, and be pleased with what he saw him doing.

1. al-Abwa' : A place between Mecca and Medina, approximately 23 km from Medina, known as the burial site of Amina bint Wahb, the mother of the Prophet Muhammad.

The death of Abd al-Muttalib [1]. And the poetry composed in his elegy.

The death of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib and the poetry composed in his elegy. (The death of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib and the poetry said about him): When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, reached eight years of age, ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim died. That was eight years after the Year of the Elephant. Ibn Isḥāq said: al-ʿAbbās ¹ ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Maʿbad ibn al-ʿAbbās narrated to me from some of his family: That ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib died when the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was eight years old ². Ibn Isḥāq said: Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib narrated to me: That when death approached ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib and he knew he was dying, he gathered his daughters, who were six women: Ṣafiyya, Barra, ʿĀtika, Umm Ḥakīm al-Bayḍāʾ, Umayma, and Arwā. He said to them: "Weep over me so that I may hear what you say before I die." Ibn Hishām said: I have not seen any scholar of poetry who knows this poetry, except that when ³ it was narrated from Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib, we wrote it down. (The elegy of Ṣafiyya for her father ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib): Ṣafiyya bint ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said, weeping for her father: I lay awake at the sound of a wailing woman at night / over a man in the open plain. Then my tears flowed at that / upon my cheek like a descending bead ⁴. Over a noble man, not a base one ⁵, / possessing manifest excellence over the servants. Over the generous Shayba ⁶, possessor of high qualities, / your good father, heir of all generosity ⁷. Truthful in situations, not a weakling, / nor one of mean station, nor a follower ⁸. Long-armed, majestic, a shayẓamī ⁹, / obeyed in his clan, praiseworthy. Lofty of house, radiant, possessing abundant virtues, / and a rain for people in the barren time ¹⁰. Noble of lineage, without blemish ¹¹, / pleasing to both the master and the servant. Great of forbearance, from a noble people, / generous, persistent, lions ¹². If any man could be immortal for ancient glory, / but there is no way to immortality, He would be immortal for the rest of the nights / for the excellence of glory and inherited honor. (The elegy of Barra for her father ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib): Barra bint ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said, weeping for her father: O my two eyes, pour forth streaming tears / over the good-natured and the virtuous ¹³. Over the noble of lineage, whose fire-stick kindles ¹⁴, / beautiful of face, great of importance. Over Shayba of praise, possessor of noble deeds, / of glory, might, and pride. Possessor of forbearance and decisive judgment in calamities, / abundant in noble qualities, full of generosity ¹⁵. He has an excellence of glory over his people, / radiant, shining like the light of the moon. Death came to him and did not miss him ¹⁶ / with the vicissitudes of nights and the treachery of fate. (The elegy of ʿĀtika for her father ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib): ʿĀtika bint ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said, weeping for her father: O my two eyes, pour forth and do not be stingy / with your tears after the sleep of those who sleep. O my two eyes, flow copiously and shed tears, / and mix weeping with wailing ¹⁷. O my two eyes, sob and pour forth / over a man not weak or worthless ¹⁸. Over the abundant host in calamities, / noble of endeavors, faithful to pledges ¹⁹. Over Shayba of praise, whose fire-stick kindles, / and possessor of truthfulness, firm of station. And a sword in war, sharp, / and a subduer of the opponent in dispute. Easy of disposition, open-handed, / and of pure, genuine lineage ²⁰. He built high his house, / lofty of summit, difficult to reach. (The elegy of Umm Ḥakīm for her father ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib): Umm Ḥakīm al-Bayḍāʾ bint ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said, weeping for her father: Ah, O eye, pour forth and flow / and weep for the possessor of generosity and noble deeds ²¹. Ah, O eye, woe to you, help me / with tears from pouring rains ²². And weep for the best of those who ride mounts, / your good father, the torrent of the Euphrates ²³. Long-armed, Shayba of high qualities, / noble of nature, praised for gifts ²⁴. Kinship-connector, a lion-like hero ²⁵, / and a rain in the years of drought ²⁶. And a lion when the lances clash, / pleasing to the eyes of onlookers ²⁷. O noble of Banū Kināna, and the hoped-for / when time brings calamities ²⁸. And their refuge when a tumult arises / with a disaster, and the resolver of intractable problems ²⁹. So weep for him and do not cease from grief, / and let the weeping women weep as long as you remain ³⁰. (The elegy of Umayma for her father ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib): Umayma bint ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said, weeping for her father: Ah, the shepherd of the tribe, the one of loss, has perished, / and the waterer of pilgrims, the defender of glory ³¹. And he whose houses welcome the stranger guest / when the sky of people is stingy with rain. You have earned and acquired the best that a young man earns, / so you did not cease to increase, O Shayba of praise. Abū al-Ḥārith the generous has left his place, / so do not be far, for every living thing goes to distance. For I will weep as long as I live and grieve, / and he was worthy of what I feel of longing ³². May the Guardian of people water you in the grave with rain, / for I will weep for him even if he is in the tomb. For he was an adornment for the whole tribe, / and he was praiseworthy wherever praise was given. (The elegy of Arwā for her father ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib): Arwā bint ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said, weeping for her father: My eyes wept, and weeping was due for them / over a generous one whose nature is modesty ³³. Over the easy-natured, an Abṭaḥī ³⁴, / noble of nature, whose aim is highness ³⁵. Over the generous Shayba of high qualities, / your good father, who has no equal ³⁶. Long-armed, smooth, a shayẓamī ³⁷, / radiant, as if his brightness were light ³⁸. Slender-waisted, majestic, possessing abundant virtues, / to him belongs precedence in glory and sublimity ³⁹. Proud against oppression, radiant, a lion-like hero ⁴⁰, / ancient in glory, nothing is hidden from him ⁴¹. And the refuge of Mālik, and the spring of Fihr, / and their decider when judgment is sought ⁴². And he was the young man in generosity and liberality / and valor when blood is shed. When the warriors fear death until / the hearts of most of them are like air ⁴³. He advanced forward with a swift, cutting sword ⁴⁴, / upon which, when you see it, is splendor ⁴⁵. Ibn Isḥāq said: Muḥammad ibn Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib claimed to me that he nodded his head, having become silent ⁴⁶: "Thus weep for me." (The lineage of al-Musayyib): Ibn Hishām said: al-Musayyib ⁴⁷ ibn Ḥazn ⁴⁸ ibn Abī Wahb ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿĀʾidh ibn ʿImrān ibn Makhzūm. (The elegy of Ḥudhayfa for ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib): Ibn Isḥāq said: Ḥudhayfa ⁴⁹ ibn Ghānim, brother of Banū ʿAdī ibn Kaʿb ibn Luʾayy, said, weeping for ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim ibn ʿAbd Manāf, and mentioning his virtue and the virtue of Quṣayy over Quraysh, and the virtue of his children after him over them—and that was because he was taken for a debt of four thousand dirhams in Mecca, and he stood there, and Abū Lahab ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib passed by and ransomed him: O my two eyes, pour forth tears over the breast / and do not tire; may you be watered with the rain of the clouds ⁵⁰. And pour forth tears and shed them every morning / with the weeping of a man whom the calamity of time did not miss ⁵¹. (And pour and flow and shed as long as you remain / over a man of modesty from Quraysh and of concealment) ⁵². Over a man strong of power, possessor of protective zeal, / beautiful of face, not weak or loquacious ⁵³. Over the noble, the generous, possessor of long arm and liberality, / the spring of Luʾayy in ease and hardship ⁵⁴. Over the best of those who walk barefoot or shod from Maʿadd, / noble of name, pure of nature and origin ⁵⁵. And the best of them in root, branch, and mine, / and the most fortunate in honors and remembrance. And the most worthy of glory, forbearance, and intellect, / and of excellence in the overwhelming trials of the dusty times ⁵⁶. Over Shayba of praise, whose face / illuminated the darkness of night like the full moon. And the waterer of pilgrims, then for good Hāshim ⁵⁷, / and ʿAbd Manāf, that noble Fihrī ⁵⁸. He folded Zamzam at the Station ⁵⁹, and so his / watering became a pride over every possessor of pride. ⁶⁰

Que pleure sur lui tout opprimé accablé de détresse... et la famille de Quṣayy, tant le pauvre que le riche (62). Ses fils, nobles parmi eux, l'adulte comme le jeune... se sont séparés d'eux comme se fend la coquille de l'œuf du faucon (63). Quṣayy, qui s'opposa à toute la tribu de Kinānah... et demeura inébranlable auprès de la Maison de Dieu dans l'adversité comme dans l'aisance. Si les destinées et leur cours l'ont emporté... il a vécu, béni dans son augure et son commandement (64). Et il a laissé des hommes, des seigneurs, non dépourvus d'armes... vaillants, pareils aux lances de roseau brunes (65). Abū ‘Utbah, dont le don m'est parvenu... au front blanc, au teint pur, issu d'une race illustre (66). Et Ḥamzah, semblable à la pleine lune, frémissant de générosité... aux vêtements et à l'honneur purs de toute trahison. Et ‘Abd Manāf, magnanime, doué de vigilance... liant pour le parent, miséricordieux envers l'allié (67). Leurs vieillards sont les meilleurs des vieillards, et leur descendance... est comme la descendance des rois : elle ne périt ni ne se corrompt (68). Quand tu rencontres, au fil du temps, un jeune parmi eux... tu le trouves suivant la voie de ses ancêtres, généreux (69). Ils ont empli la Baṭḥā’ de gloire et de puissance... quand les bonnes actions étaient en compétition dans les siècles passés. Parmi eux se trouvent des bâtisseurs de hauts faits et de constructions... et ‘Abd Manāf, leur ancêtre, est celui qui répare les brisures. En mariant sa fille à ‘Awf pour nous protéger... de nos ennemis, quand les Banū Fihr nous eurent abandonnés. Nous voyageâmes alors dans les terres du Tihāmah et du Najd (70)... sous sa protection, jusqu'à ce que les caravanes traversent la mer (71). Et ils étaient présents, alors que les gens étaient dispersés en groupes... et qu'il n'y avait là que les vieillards des Banū ‘Amr (72-73). Ils y bâtirent des demeures nombreuses et y creusèrent... des puits déversant l'eau comme d'un flot marin (74). Afin que les pèlerins et d'autres y boivent... quand ils s'y précipitent au matin du jour du sacrifice. Trois jours durant, leurs montures demeurent... entravées entre les rochers et le Ḥijr (75-76). Et autrefois, nous fûmes riches avant cela, une époque... et nous ne puisions l'eau qu'à la Khumm ou au Ḥafr (77). Et ils pardonnent la faute dont on se plaint... et ils excusent les paroles de sottise et d'insulte (78). Et ce sont eux qui ont rassemblé toute la ligue des Aḥābīsh... et ce sont eux qui ont repoussé loin de nous les égarés des Banū Bakr (79). Ô Khārij ! Si tu péris, ne cesse jamais... de leur être reconnaissant, jusqu'à ce que tu sois enseveli dans la tombe. Et n'oublie pas ce qu'a fait Ibn Lubnā, car il... a accompli un acte qui mérite pleinement ta gratitude (80). Et toi, Ibn Lubnā, tu es issu de Quṣayy, quand ils se réclament... là où aboutit l'intention du cœur dans la poitrine. Et tu as atteint la haute gloire, et tu l'as rassemblée... à une origine de noblesse, d'une vaste étendue et d'une grande force (81). Tu as devancé et surpassé les gens par ta générosité et tes dons... et tu as dominé, et tu as été plus généreux que tout possesseur d'une noblesse débordante. Et ta mère est un secret de Khuzā‘ah, un joyau... quand les experts en généalogie examinent un jour les lignées (82). Elle remonte et se rattache aux héros de Saba’... Quelle noble origine, élevée parmi les astres brillants ! Abū Shamar est parmi eux, ainsi que ‘Amr ibn Mālik... et Dhū Jadan, de son peuple, et Abū al-Jabr (83). Et As‘ad guida les gens pendant vingt pèlerinages... soutenu par la victoire dans ces lieux (84). Ibn Hishām dit : « Ta mère est un secret de Khuzā‘ah », il veut dire Abū Lahab, dont la mère est Lubnā bint Hājir al-Khuzā‘ī. Et son propos : « suivant la voie de ses ancêtres » vient d'autre qu'Ibn Isḥāq. (Élégie de Maṭrūd pour ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib et les Banū ‘Abd Manāf) : Ibn Isḥāq dit : Maṭrūd ibn Ka‘b al-Khuzā‘ī dit, pleurant ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib et les Banū ‘Abd Manāf : Ô toi, homme qui détournes ta monture... N'as-tu pas demandé des nouvelles de la famille de ‘Abd Manāf ? Que ta mère te perde ! Si tu avais séjourné dans leur demeure... ils t'auraient protégé de tout crime et de toute faute (85). (Eux qui mêlent leur riche à leur pauvre... jusqu'à ce que leur pauvre devienne comme l'homme suffisant) (86). Eux qui prodiguent leurs bienfaits quand les astres changent... et qui partent pour le voyage du commerce. Eux qui nourrissent quand les vents soufflent en sens contraire... jusqu'à ce que le soleil disparaisse dans la mer mugissante (87). Si tu es mort, ô Père des actions, rien n'a coulé... au-dessus de ton pareil, un pacte d'alliance (88). Sinon ton père, le frère des nobles actions, seul... et le généreux Muṭṭalib, père des hôtes (89). (La charge d'al-‘Abbās sur la siqāyah de Zamzam) : Ibn Isḥāq dit (90) : Lorsque ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim mourut, la charge de Zamzam et de la siqāyah (91) auprès d'elle revint après lui à al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, qui était alors le plus jeune de ses frères en âge. Il ne

1. al-ʿAbbās : Al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Maʿbad ibn al-ʿAbbās, a narrator from the family of al-ʿAbbās, the Prophet's uncle.
2. eight years old : The Prophet's age at the death of his grandfather ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib.
3. except that when : Ibn Hishām expresses doubt about the authenticity of the poetry but includes it because it was narrated.
4. descending bead : A metaphor for tears flowing like a bead falling from a string.
5. base one : Waġl: a low, ignoble person.
6. Shayba : Shayba is the given name of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib; it means 'white-haired'.
7. heir of all generosity : Jūd: generosity; ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib is praised as the inheritor of all generous qualities.
8. nor a follower : Sanīd: one who leans on others, a dependent or follower.
9. shayẓamī : A tall, handsome, and noble man; also a type of tree.
10. barren time : Ḥarūd: a year of drought and hardship.
11. without blemish : Wuṣūm: defects or blemishes.
12. generous, persistent, lions : Khaḍārima: generous and noble; malāwitha: persistent in battle; usūd: lions, i.e., brave men.
13. the good-natured and the virtuous : Ṭayyib al-khim: good-natured; al-muʿtaṣar: the virtuous or chaste.
14. whose fire-stick kindles : Wārā al-zinād: a metaphor for a man of noble lineage whose fire-stick quickly kindles, i.e., he is generous and quick to help.
15. full of generosity : Jamm al-fajar: abundant in generosity; fajar can mean 'generosity' or 'bounty'.
16. did not miss him : Lam tushwihi: death did not miss him; i.e., it struck him directly.
17. with wailing : Iltidām: wailing or beating the face in grief.
18. not weak or worthless : Niks: a weak, contemptible man; kahām: a worthless, useless person.
19. faithful to pledges : Wafī al-dhimām: one who fulfills his covenants and protects those under his protection.
20. pure, genuine lineage : ʿAdmalī: pure and genuine; ṣamīm: solid, genuine; luhām: noble lineage.
21. possessor of generosity and noble deeds : Dhā al-nadā wa al-makrumāt: the one characterized by generosity and noble qualities.
22. pouring rains : Hāṭilāt: rains that pour down heavily.
23. the torrent of the Euphrates : Tayyār al-Furāt: a metaphor for abundant generosity, like the flowing Euphrates.
24. praised for gifts : Maḥmūd al-hibāt: praised for his gifts and generosity.
25. a lion-like hero : Hibrizī: a lion; also a strong, courageous man.
26. years of drought : Al-sinīn al-mumḥilāt: years of drought and famine.
27. pleasing to the eyes of onlookers : Tarūqu lahu ʿuyūn al-nāẓirāt: his appearance pleases the eyes of those who look at him.
28. calamities : Al-hanāt: calamities or misfortunes.
29. resolver of intractable problems : Khaṣm al-muʿḍilāt: one who settles difficult disputes.
30. as long as you remain : Mā baqīti: as long as you (the weeping woman) live.
31. defender of glory : Al-muḥāmī ʿan al-majd: the one who defends and protects glory.
32. what I feel of longing : Wajd: intense grief or longing.
33. modesty : Ḥayāʾ: modesty, shame, or a sense of honor.
34. Abṭaḥī : One from al-Abṭaḥ, a valley in Mecca; refers to a Meccan of noble lineage.
35. highness : Al-ʿalāʾ: highness, loftiness, or exalted status.
36. no equal : Kifāʾ: equal or match.
37. shayẓamī : See note 9.
38. brightness : Ḍiyāʾ: light or radiance.
39. precedence in glory and sublimity : Al-majd al-muqaddam wa al-sanāʾ: the foremost glory and high status.
40. a lion-like hero : Hibrizī: see note 25.
41. nothing is hidden from him : Laysa lahu khafā: nothing is concealed from him; he is perceptive.
42. their decider when judgment is sought : Fāṣiluhā: the one who decides or judges when a ruling is sought.
43. like air : Hawāʾ: empty or hollow; hearts become like air from fear.
44. a swift, cutting sword : Dhī rubadin khashīb: a sword that is swift and cuts; rubad: speed; khashīb: a cutting sword.
45. splendor : Bahāʾ: beauty, splendor, or radiance.
46. having become silent : Aṣmata: he became silent, i.e., he was unable to speak due to illness or near death.
47. al-Musayyib : Al-Musayyib ibn Ḥazn, a narrator and ancestor of the famous scholar Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib.
48. Ḥazn : Ḥazn ibn Abī Wahb, a Qurayshite from the clan of Makhzūm.
49. Ḥudhayfa : Ḥudhayfa ibn Ghānim, a poet from the Banū ʿAdī clan of Quraysh.
50. rain of the clouds : Sabal al-qaṭr: the pouring rain from clouds.
51. did not miss : Lam yushwihi: see note 16.
52. of concealment : Sitr: concealment, i.e., a man who protects his honor and does not expose himself to shame.
53. loquacious : Hadhr: one who talks too much or is frivolous.
54. spring of Luʾayy : Rabīʿ Luʾayy: a metaphor for a generous provider, like the spring rains, for the tribe of Luʾayy (an ancestor of Quraysh).
55. origin : Najr: origin, root, or nature.
56. dusty times : Al-ghubr: dusty or difficult times; al-mujḥifāt: overwhelming calamities.
57. for good Hāshim : Hāshim: the great-grandfather of the Prophet, known for his generosity.
58. Fihrī : One from the tribe of Fihr, an ancestor of Quraysh.
59. folded Zamzam at the Station : Ṭawā Zamzama ʿinda al-Maqām: a reference to ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib's rediscovery of the Zamzam well near the Station of Abraham.
60. pride : Fakhr: pride or boast; the line is incomplete in the original.

The sponsorship of Abu Talib for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him [1].

He kept coming to him until Islam was established, and it was in his hand. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, confirmed it for him regarding his past governance, so it belongs to the family of al-‘Abbas, by virtue of al-‘Abbas’s governance of it, until this very day. The Guardianship of Abu Talib over the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace After ‘Abd al-Muttalib, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was with his uncle Abu Talib. ‘Abd al-Muttalib—as they claim—used to entrust him to his uncle Abu Talib, because ‘Abdullah, the father of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Talib were full brothers, their mother being Fatimah bint ‘Amr ibn ‘A’idh ibn ‘Abd ibn ‘Imran ibn Makhzum. Ibn Hisham said: ‘A’idh ibn ‘Imran ibn Makhzum. (The Governance of Abu Talib over the Affairs of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Ishaq said: Abu Talib was the one who managed the affairs of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, after his grandfather, so he was under his care and with him. (The Prophecy of a Man from Lahab concerning the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Ishaq said: Yahya ibn ‘Abbad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr narrated to me that his father told him: That a man from Lahab—Ibn Hisham said: Lahab is from Azd Shanu’a—

The story of Bahira [1]

A 'ā'if ¹, and whenever he came to Mecca, the men of Quraysh would bring their boys to him for him to look at them and make auguries about them. He was brought Abu Talib while he was a boy, along with those who came to him. He looked at the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, then something distracted him from him. When he finished, he said: 'Bring the boy to me.' When Abu Talib saw his eagerness for him, he hid him from him. He began to say: 'Woe to you, bring back to me the boy I saw just now, for by God, he will have a great matter.' Then Abu Talib left. The Story of Bahira ² (Abu Talib and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, alight at Bahira's) Ibn Ishaq said: Then Abu Talib set out in a caravan as a merchant to Syria. When he prepared for departure and resolved to travel, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, clung to him—so they claim—and Abu Talib felt compassion for him and said: 'By God, I will take him out with me; he will not leave me, nor will I ever leave him,' or words to that effect. So he took him out with him. When the caravan alighted at Busra ³ in the land of Syria, and there was a monk called Bahira in his hermitage, to whom belonged the knowledge of the Christians, and there had always been a monk in that hermitage, to whom their knowledge passed from a book in it—so they claim—inherited from one generation to the next. That year, when they alighted at Bahira's—and they had often passed by him before without him speaking to them or paying them any attention—until that year. When they alighted near his hermitage, he prepared a great deal of food for them. That, so they claim, was because of something he saw while in his hermitage. They claim that he saw the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, in the caravan as they approached, with a cloud shading him from among the people. Then they came and alighted in the shade of a tree near him. He looked at the cloud when it shaded the tree, and the branches of the tree bent down over the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, until he was shaded beneath it. When Bahira saw that, he came down from his hermitage, then sent to them, saying: 'I have prepared food for you, O company of Quraysh, and I would like you all to attend, young and old, slave and free.' One of them said to him: 'By God, O Bahira, you have something unusual today; you never used to do this for us, and we have often passed by you. What is the matter with you today?' Bahira said to him: 'You are right; it is as you say. But you are guests, and I wanted to honor you and prepare food for you so that you may all eat from it.' So they gathered to him, but the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, stayed behind among the people because of his young age, at the baggage of the people under the tree. When Bahira looked at the people, he did not see the description that he knew and found with him. He said: 'O company of Quraysh, let none of you stay away from my food.' They said: 'O Bahira, no one who should come to you has stayed away except a boy, the youngest of the people, who stayed behind with their baggage.' He said: 'Do not do that; call him, let him attend this food with you.' So a man from Quraysh among the people said: 'By al-Lat and al-'Uzza ⁴, it would be disgraceful for us if the son of 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib stayed away from food among us.' Then he went to him, embraced him, and seated him with the people. When Bahira saw him, he began to look at him intently and observe things about his body that he had found in his description. When the people finished their meal and dispersed, Bahira went to him and said: 'O boy, I ask you by al-Lat and al-'Uzza to tell me what I ask you.' Bahira only said that because he heard his people swearing by them. They claim that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him: 'Do not ask me by al-Lat and al-'Uzza, for by God, I have never hated anything as much as I hate them.' Bahira said to him: 'Then by God, tell me what I ask you.' He said: 'Ask me what you will.' So he began to ask him about things concerning his sleep, his appearance, and his affairs, and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, would inform him, and that would match what Bahira had of his description. Then he looked at his back and saw the seal of prophethood ⁵ between his shoulders, in the place described in his description. Ibn Hisham said: It was like the mark of a cupping glass ⁶. Ibn Ishaq said: When he finished, he turned to his uncle Abu Talib and said: 'What is this boy to you?' He said: 'My son.' Bahira said: 'He is not your son, nor should this boy's father be alive.' He said: 'He is my nephew.' He said: 'What happened to his father?' He said: 'He died while his mother was pregnant with him.' He said: 'You have spoken the truth. Return with your nephew to his country, and beware of the Jews against him, for by God, if they see him and recognize in him what I have recognized, they will surely do him harm. For this nephew of yours will have a great matter. Hurry with him to his land.' (Abu Talib's return with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and what happened with Zurair and his two companions) So his uncle Abu Talib set out with him quickly until he brought him to Mecca when he had finished his trade in Syria. They claim, according to what people have narrated, that Zurair, Tammam, and Daris—a group of the People of the Book—had seen of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, the same as Bahira had seen on that journey in which he was with his uncle Abu Talib. They sought him, but Bahira turned them away from him, reminded them of God and what they found in the Book concerning his mention and description, and that if they persisted in what they intended for him, they would not reach him. He kept at them until they recognized what he said to them and believed him in what he said, so they left him and departed from him. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, grew up, with God Almighty protecting him, guarding him, and shielding him from the filth of the Jahiliyya ⁷, for what He intended for him of His honor and His message, until he became a man, the most excellent of his people in manliness, the best in character, the noblest in lineage, the best in neighborliness, the greatest in forbearance, the most truthful in speech, the greatest in trustworthiness, the farthest from obscenity and the morals that defile men, in purity and nobility, until he was known among his people only as al-Amin ⁸, because of the good qualities God had gathered in him. (His, may God bless him and grant him peace, narration about God's protection of him in his childhood) And the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace—according to what was related to me—used to narrate about how God protected him in his childhood and during the time of Jahiliyya. He said: 'I saw myself among the boys of Quraysh carrying stones for some game the boys played. All of us had taken off our clothes and put our waist-wrappers on our necks, carrying stones on them. I was going back and forth like that when someone I did not see struck me a painful blow and said: "Tie your waist-wrapper on!" So I took it and tied it on myself, and then I began to carry stones on my neck while my waist-wrapper was on me, unlike my companions.'

1. عَائِفًا : A diviner or augur who interprets omens, especially from birds.
2. بَحِيرَى : A Christian monk known for recognizing the prophethood of Muhammad during his childhood.
3. بُصْرَى : A city in southern Syria, historically a center of Christianity and trade.
4. اللَّاتِ وَالْعُزَّى : Two major goddesses worshipped by the pre-Islamic Arabs.
5. خَاتَمَ النُّبُوَّةِ : The seal of prophethood, a physical mark on Muhammad's back believed to be a sign of his prophethood.
6. أَثَرِ الْمِحْجَمِ : The mark left by a cupping glass, used in traditional medicine; here describing the appearance of the seal.
7. الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance, characterized by polytheism and moral corruption.
8. الْأَمِينُ : The Trustworthy, a title given to Muhammad by his people due to his honesty and integrity.

The war of al-Fijar [1]

The Sacrilegious War ¹ (Its Cause): Ibn Hisham said: When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, reached fourteen or fifteen years of age—according to what Abu Ubayda al-Nahwi related to me from Abu Amr ibn al-Ala—the Sacrilegious War broke out between Quraysh and those with them from Kinana, and between Qays Aylan. What sparked it was that Urwa al-Rahhal ibn Utba ibn Ja'far ibn Kilab ibn Rabi'a ibn Amir ibn Sa'sa'a ibn Mu'awiya ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin granted protection ² to a caravan ³ belonging to al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir ⁴. Al-Barrad ibn Qays, one of the Banu Damra ibn Bakr ibn Abd Manat ibn Kinana, said to him: "Do you grant it protection ⁵ against Kinana?" He said: "Yes, and against all creation ⁶." So Urwa al-Rahhal set out with it, and al-Barrad set out seeking to catch him off guard. When he was at Tayman ⁷ Dhi Tilal in al-Aliya, Urwa became heedless, so al-Barrad leaped upon him and killed him during the sacred month ⁸; for that reason it was called the Sacrilegious War. Al-Barrad said ⁹ concerning that: "Many a calamity that troubled people before me— I braced the ribs of Banu Bakr against it ¹⁰. I demolished with it the houses of Banu Kilab And made the clients suckle from the udders ¹¹. I raised my hand ¹² against him at Dhi Talal ¹³, And he fell, swaying like a felled trunk." Labid ibn Rabi'a ibn Malik ibn Ja'far ibn Kilab said: "Inform, if you pass by, Banu Kilab And Amir—for calamities are their masters— And inform, if you pass by, Banu Numayr And the maternal uncles of the slain, Banu Hilal, That the traveler al-Rahhal has become A resident at Tayman Dhi Tilal." These verses are among his verses, as mentioned by Ibn Hisham. (The Outbreak of War between Quraysh and Hawazin): Ibn Hisham said: A messenger came to Quraysh and said: "Al-Barrad has killed Urwa, and they are in the sacred month at Ukaz." So they departed while Hawazin were unaware ¹⁴. Then the news reached them, and they followed them. They caught up with them before they entered the sanctuary, and they fought until nightfall, and they entered the sanctuary. Hawazin then refrained from them. After this day, they met for several days, with each tribe from Quraysh and Kinana having a leader from among them, and each tribe from Qays having a leader from among them. (The Presence of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, as a Young Boy, and His Age): The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, witnessed some of their days; his uncles took him out with them. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "I used to collect arrows ¹⁵ for my uncles," meaning I would return to them the arrows of their enemy when they shot them. (The Reason for Its Name): Ibn Ishaq said: The Sacrilegious War broke out when the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was twenty years old. It was called the Day of Sacrilege because these two tribes, Kinana and Qays Aylan, violated sacred prohibitions between them. (The Commanders of Quraysh and Hawazin in It and Its Outcome): The commander of Quraysh and Kinana was Harb ibn Umayya ibn Abd Shams, and victory was...

1. ḥarb al-fijār : The Sacrilegious War; a pre-Islamic war between the Quraysh and Kinana tribes against the Qays Aylan tribe, fought during the sacred months, violating the traditional truce.
2. ajāra : Granted protection or safe passage to a caravan or person.
3. laṭīma : A caravan carrying goods, especially perfume or trade items.
4. al-Nuʿmān ibn al-Mundhir : The Lakhmid king of al-Hira, a pre-Islamic Arab kingdom in Mesopotamia.
5. atujīruhā : Do you grant it protection? (addressing Urwa)
6. ʿalā al-khalq kullihi : Against all creation; a hyperbolic expression meaning against everyone.
7. Tayman : A place name; possibly a location in the region of al-Aliya near Mecca.
8. al-shahr al-ḥarām : The sacred month; one of the four months (Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, Rajab) during which fighting was forbidden in pre-Islamic Arabia.
9. al-Barrāḍ : Al-Barrad ibn Qays, a poet and warrior from the Banu Damra clan of Kinana.
10. shadadtu lahā banī bakrin ḍulūʿī : I braced the ribs of Banu Bakr against it; a metaphor for preparing for battle.
11. arḍaʿtu al-mawālī bi-al-ḍurūʿ : I made the clients suckle from the udders; a metaphor for providing sustenance or support to allies.
12. rafaʿtu lahu : I raised (my hand) against him; i.e., struck him.
13. Dhī Ṭilāl : A place name; possibly a location in al-Aliya.
14. lā tashʿuru : Unaware; not knowing.
15. anbulu : I used to collect arrows; from the root n-b-l, meaning to gather or retrieve arrows.

The hadith of the marriage of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to Khadija, may Allah be pleased with her.

At the beginning of the day, Qays had the upper hand over Kinanah, until midday, when victory turned to Kinanah over Qays. Ibn Hisham said: The story of the Fijar ¹ is longer than what I have mentioned, and what prevented me from recounting it in full is that it would interrupt the narrative of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. The account of the marriage of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, to Khadijah, may God be pleased with her. (His age, may God bless him and grant him peace, at the time of his marriage to Khadijah): Ibn Hisham said: When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, reached the age of twenty-five ², he married Khadijah bint Khuwaylid ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib, according to what more than one scholar related to me from Abu 'Amr al-Madani. (His departure, may God bless him and grant him peace, to Syria ³ for Khadijah's trade, and what happened with Bahira ⁴): Ibn Ishaq said: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid was a businesswoman of noble lineage and wealth. She would hire men to work with her capital on a commenda ⁵ basis, giving them a share of the profits. The Quraysh were a trading people. When she heard about the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace—what she heard of his truthfulness, great trustworthiness, and noble character—she sent for him and proposed that he take her merchandise to Syria as a trader, offering him more than she had ever given any other trader, along with a slave of hers named Maysarah. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, accepted this from her, and set out with her merchandise, accompanied by her slave Maysarah, until they reached Syria. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, halted in the shade of a tree near a monk's cell ⁶. The monk looked at Maysarah and asked, "Who is this man who has halted beneath this tree?" Maysarah replied, "This is a man of Quraysh, from the people of the Sanctuary ⁷." The monk said, "No one has ever halted beneath this tree except a prophet ⁸." (Khadijah's desire to marry him): Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, sold the goods he had brought and bought what he wished to buy. Then he set out on the return journey to Mecca with Maysarah. It is claimed that Maysarah saw, when the midday heat was intense, two angels shading him from the sun as he rode on his camel. When he arrived in Mecca with Khadijah's property, she sold what he had brought, and the profit was double or thereabouts ⁹. Maysarah told her about the monk's words and about the angels shading him. Khadijah was a resolute, noble, and intelligent woman, along with what God intended for her of His honor. When Maysarah informed her of what he had told her, she sent for the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said to him—as they claim—"O cousin, I have desired you because of your kinship, your standing ¹⁰ among your people, your trustworthiness, your good character, and your truthfulness." Then she offered herself in marriage to him. At that time, Khadijah was the most noble in lineage among the women of Quraysh, the greatest in honor, and the wealthiest; all of her people were eager for that [marriage] if they could attain it. (The lineage of Khadijah): She is Khadijah bint Khuwaylid ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr. Her mother was Fatimah bint Za'idah ¹¹ ibn al-Asamm ibn Rawahah ibn Hajar ibn 'Abd ibn Ma'is ibn 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr. The mother of Fatimah was Halah bint 'Abd Manaf ibn al-Harith ibn 'Amr ibn Munqidh ibn 'Amr ibn Ma'is ibn 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr. The mother of Halah was Qilabah bint Sa'id ibn Sa'd ibn Sahm ibn 'Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr. (His marriage, may God bless him and grant him peace, to Khadijah): When she said that to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, he mentioned it to his uncles. His uncle Hamzah ¹² ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, may God have mercy on him, went out with him until they entered upon Khuwaylid ¹³ ibn Asad, and he proposed to her, and he married her. Ibn Hisham said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, gave her a dowry of twenty young she-camels. She was the first woman the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, married, and he did not marry any other woman while she was alive until she died, may God be pleased with her. (His children, may God bless him and grant him peace, from Khadijah): Ibn Ishaq said: She bore to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, all his children except Ibrahim: al-Qasim—after whom he was called Abu al-Qasim ¹⁴—al-Tahir ¹⁵, al-Tayyib, Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah, peace be upon them. Ibn Hisham said: The eldest of his sons was al-Qasim, then al-Tayyib, then al-Tahir. The eldest of his daughters was Ruqayyah, then Zaynab, then Umm Kulthum, then Fatimah. Ibn Ishaq said: As for al-Qasim, al-Tayyib, and al-Tahir, they died in the Jahiliyyah ¹⁶. As for his daughters, all of them lived to see Islam, embraced it, and emigrated with him, may God bless him and grant him peace. (The mother of Ibrahim): Ibn Hisham said: As for Ibrahim, his mother was Mariyah al-Qibtiyyah ¹⁷. 'Abdullah ibn Wahb related to us from Ibn Lahi'ah, who said: The mother of Ibrahim was Mariyah, the concubine ¹⁸ of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, whom al-Muqawqis ¹⁹ gave to him from Hafn, a district of Ansina ²⁰. (The account of Khadijah with Waraqah ²¹ and the confirmation of Waraqah's prophecy concerning him, may God bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Ishaq said: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid had mentioned to Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza—who was her cousin, a Christian who had studied the scriptures and learned from the knowledge of the people—what her slave Maysarah had told her about the monk's words and what he had seen of the two angels shading him. Waraqah said, "If this is true, O Khadijah, then Muhammad is the prophet of this community. I know that a prophet is awaited for this community, and this is his time," or words to that effect. He said: Waraqah began to grow impatient for the event and said, "How long?" Waraqah composed these verses: I have persisted, and in remembrance I am persistent, For a grief that has long stirred sobbing. And a description from Khadijah after a description, For long has been my waiting, O Khadijah. In the valley of the two Meccas ²², hoping For your news that I might see it emerge ²³.

1. al-Fijār : The sacrilegious war(s) fought between the Quraysh and the Hawāzin tribe in the pre-Islamic period, in which the Prophet Muhammad participated as a young man.
2. khamsan wa 'ishrīna sanah : Twenty-five years old; the age at which the Prophet married Khadijah according to most sources.
3. al-Shām : Greater Syria, including modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine.
4. Baḥīrā : A Christian monk who recognized the Prophet Muhammad as a future prophet during his journey to Syria.
5. muḍārabah : A commenda or profit-sharing partnership, where one party provides capital and the other labor.
6. ṣawma'ah : A monk's cell or hermitage, often a small tower or room used for Christian ascetic retreat.
7. ahl al-ḥaram : People of the Sanctuary, i.e., the inhabitants of Mecca, which is considered a sacred precinct.
8. nabī : Prophet; one who receives divine revelation to convey to his people.
9. aḍ'afa aw qarīban : Doubled or approximately; the profit was twice the capital or close to it.
10. sīṭatuka : Your standing or middle position; refers to noble lineage and social status.
11. Zā'idah : Variant reading: Zā'idah or Zā'id; the name of Khadijah's maternal grandfather.
12. Ḥamzah : Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, the Prophet's uncle, later a prominent companion and martyr at the Battle of Uhud.
13. Khuwaylid : Khuwaylid ibn Asad, Khadijah's father; some sources say he was deceased by the time of the marriage.
14. Abū al-Qāsim : The Prophet's kunyah (patronymic), meaning 'father of Qasim,' after his eldest son.
15. al-Ṭāhir : Meaning 'the pure'; one of the Prophet's sons, also called al-Ṭayyib ('the good').
16. al-Jāhiliyyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance, before the advent of Islam.
17. Māriyah al-Qibṭiyyah : Mariyah the Copt, a slave girl sent as a gift to the Prophet by al-Muqawqis, the Byzantine governor of Egypt. She became the mother of his son Ibrahim.
18. surriyyah : A concubine or slave woman who bears a child to her master, thus becoming a 'mother of a child' (umm walad).
19. al-Muqawqis : The title of the Byzantine governor of Egypt at the time of the Prophet; identified as Cyrus of Alexandria.
20. Ḥafn min Kūrat Ansīnā : Hafn, a village in the district of Ansina (modern-day Antinoöpolis) in Upper Egypt.
21. Waraqah : Waraqah ibn Nawfal, a cousin of Khadijah, a Christian scholar who recognized the Prophet's prophethood.
22. al-Makkatayn : The two Meccas; a poetic expression possibly referring to Mecca and its surrounding valley.
23. kharūjan : Emergence or fulfillment; Waraqah awaited the coming of the awaited prophet.

The hadith of the building of the Kaaba and the judgment of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, among the Quraysh regarding the placement of the Black Stone [1].

From what a priest ¹ told us, of the monks, I dislike that it should be crooked ²: that Muhammad will rule among us and overcome whoever argues against him; a light of radiance will appear in the land, by which the people will be established, lest they surge ³. Then whoever fights him will meet loss, and whoever makes peace with him will meet success ⁴. O would that when that happens, I were present and were the first of them to enter ⁵—to enter into that which Quraysh disliked, even if they clamor in Mecca with a great clamor ⁶. They all ascend ⁷ to the Owner of the Throne, from what they disliked, if they descend ⁸. And is the matter of baseness anything but disbelief in Him who chooses from the heights of the constellations ⁹? If they remain and I remain, there will be affairs at which the disbelievers will clamor greatly. And if He destroys, then every youth will meet from the fates a destructive ¹⁰ narrowness ¹¹. The story of the building of the Kaaba and the judgment of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, among Quraysh concerning the placement of the Black Stone. (The reason for Quraysh's building of the Kaaba): Ibn Ishaq said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reached thirty-five years of age, Quraysh gathered for the building of the Kaaba ¹². They were eager to do so in order to roof it, but they feared demolishing it. It had only been a pile of stones ¹³ above the height of a man, so they wanted to raise it and roof it ¹⁴. This was because some people had stolen a treasure of the Kaaba, which had been in a well inside the Kaaba. The one with whom the treasure was found was Duwayk ¹⁵, a client of Banu Mulayh ibn Amr of Khuza'a. Ibn Hisham said: Quraysh cut off his hand. Quraysh claim that those who stole it placed it with Duwayk. The sea had cast up a ship at Jeddah belonging to a Roman merchant; it was wrecked, so they took its wood and prepared it for roofing. There was in Mecca a Coptic carpenter ¹⁶, and some of what was needed for its repair became ready in their minds. There was a snake that came out every day from the well of the Kaaba, into which offerings were thrown, and it would bask ¹⁷ on the wall of the Kaaba. They feared it, for whenever anyone approached it, it would bristle, hiss ¹⁸, and open its mouth. One day, while it was basking on the wall as usual, Allah sent a bird that snatched it and carried it away. Quraysh said: "We hope that Allah has approved what we intend. We have a skilled worker, we have wood, and Allah has spared us the snake." (What happened to Abu Wahb during Quraysh's building of the Kaaba): When they resolved to demolish and rebuild it, Abu Wahb ibn Amr ibn A'idh ibn Abd ibn Imran ibn Makhzum—Ibn Hisham said: A'idh ibn Imran ibn Makhzum—stood up and took a stone from the Kaaba, but it leaped from his hand until it returned to its place. He said: "O company of Quraysh, do not put into its construction anything but what is lawful; let no dowry from fornication, no usurious sale, and no injustice to anyone enter it ¹⁹." Some people attribute this saying to al-Walid ibn al-Mughira ibn Abd Allah ibn Umar ibn Makhzum. Ibn Ishaq said: Abdullah ibn Abi Najih al-Makki told me that he was told by Abdullah ibn Safwan ibn Umayya ibn Khalaf ibn Wahb ibn Hudhafa ibn Jumah ibn Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy: He saw a son of Ja'da ibn Hubayra ibn Abi Wahb ibn Amr circumambulating the House, and asked about him. He was told: "This is a son of Ja'da ibn Hubayra." Abdullah ibn Safwan said: "This one's grandfather—meaning Abu Wahb—is the one who took a stone from the Kaaba when Quraysh resolved to demolish it, and it leaped from his hand until it returned to its place. He then said: 'O company of Quraysh, do not put into its construction anything but what is lawful; do not put into it any dowry from fornication, any usurious sale, or any injustice to anyone.'" (Abu Wahb's kinship to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Ishaq said: Abu Wahb was the maternal uncle of the father of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He was noble, and a poet of the Arabs said of him: "If I had halted my mount at Abu Wahb's, his generosity would have left my saddle not disappointed—by a white one ²⁰ from the two branches of Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib, when their lineages are refined among the locks ²¹; one who refuses to accept humiliation, eager for generosity; his two grandfathers ²² are central among the branches of the good; great is the ash of his pot; his bowls are filled with bread, topped with something like white cloths ²³." (Division of the Kaaba among Quraysh, and each group's share): Then Quraysh divided ²⁴ the Kaaba: the side ²⁵ of the door was for Banu Abd Manaf and Zuhra; the area between the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner was for Banu Makhzum and some tribes of Quraysh who joined them; the back of the Kaaba was for Banu Jumah and Sahm, the two sons of Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy; the side of the Hijr ²⁶ was for Banu Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy, Banu Asad ibn al-Uzza ibn Qusayy, and Banu Adi ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy—this is al-Hatim ²⁷. (Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira and the demolition of the Kaaba, and what they found beneath the demolition): Then the people feared to demolish it and were afraid. Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira said: "I will begin the demolition for you." He took the pickaxe, stood upon it, and said: "O Allah, do not let anything terrible happen ²⁸"—Ibn Hisham said: it is also said: "We have not deviated ²⁹—O Allah, we only intend good." Then he demolished from the side of the two corners. The people waited that night and said: "Let us see; if he is struck, we will not demolish anything and will restore it as it was; if nothing happens to him, then Allah has approved our deed, and we will demolish." Al-Walid arose the next morning going to his work, and he demolished, and the people demolished with him. When the demolition reached the foundation—the foundation of Abraham, peace be upon him—they came upon green stones like camel humps ³⁰, interlocked with one another. Ibn Ishaq said: Someone who narrates the tradition told me that a man of Quraysh, among those demolishing it, inserted a crowbar between two stones to pry one loose. When the stone moved, all of Mecca shook, so they stopped at that foundation. Ibn Ishaq said: I was told that Quraysh found in the corner a writing in Syriac, which they did not understand until a Jewish man read it for them. It said: "I am Allah, the Lord of Bakka ³¹; I created it on the day I created the heavens and the earth, and formed the sun and the moon; I surrounded it with seven righteous angels; it will not cease until its two mountains ³² cease; blessed for its people in water and milk." Ibn Hisham said: "Its two mountains" means its two mountains. Ibn Ishaq said: I was told that they found in the Maqam ³³ a writing: "Mecca is the sacred House of Allah; its provision comes to it from three ways; the first of its people will not make it lawful ³⁴." Ibn Ishaq said: Layth ibn Abi Sulaym claimed—if what he mentioned is true—that they found a stone in the Kaaba forty years before the Prophet's mission, inscribed with: "Whoever sows good will reap happiness; whoever sows evil will reap regret. You do evil deeds and are rewarded with good deeds! Indeed, just as grapes are not gathered from thorns." (The dispute of Quraysh over who would place the Black Stone, and the blood pact):

Ibn Ishaq said: Then the tribes of Quraysh gathered stones for its construction, each tribe collecting separately, and they built it until the construction reached the place of the Black Stone ³⁵. Then they disputed over it, each tribe wanting to raise it to its place without the other, until they became hostile ³⁶ and formed alliances, and prepared for battle. The Banu 'Abd al-Dar brought a bowl filled with blood, and they and the Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy made a pact of death, plunging their hands into that blood in the bowl, and they were called the 'Lickers of Blood.' Quraysh remained in that state for four or five nights. Then they gathered in the mosque, consulted, and sought a fair resolution. (Abu Umayya's suggestion to arbitrate by the first to enter, and it was the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him): Some narrators claim that Abu Umayya ibn al-Mughira ³⁷ ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum, who was at that time the oldest of all Quraysh, said: 'O assembly of Quraysh, make the first person to enter through the gate ³⁸ of this mosque the judge among you regarding what you dispute over.' So they did. The first to enter upon them was the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. When they saw him, they said: 'This is the Trustworthy One, we are satisfied. This is Muhammad.' When he reached them and they informed him of the matter, he, peace be upon him, said: 'Bring me a cloth.' So it was brought, and he took the Black Stone and placed it in it with his own hand, then said: 'Let each tribe take hold of a side ³⁹ of the cloth, then raise it all together.' They did so, until when they reached its place, he placed it with his own hand, then built upon it ⁴⁰. (Poetry of al-Zubayr about the serpent that Quraysh feared to build the Ka'ba because of it): Before revelation came down to him, Quraysh used to call the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, 'the Trustworthy One.' When they finished the construction and built it as they intended, al-Zubayr ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib said, regarding the matter of the serpent that Quraysh feared to build the Ka'ba because of it: I marvel at how the eagle swooped down upon the serpent, while it was writhing. It used to hiss, and sometimes it would leap. When we stood to lay the foundation, it would tighten, frightening us from building, though it was feared. When we feared the calamity ⁴¹, an eagle came, swooping down upon it ⁴². It clasped it to itself, then left for us the building, with no veil. So we stood, hastening to a building whose foundations and earth were ours. On the morning we raised its foundation, while those who leveled it ⁴³ had no garments ⁴⁴. The King honored thereby the Banu Lu'ayy, so their root shall never perish. The Banu 'Adi gathered there, and Murra, preceded by Kilab. Thus the King granted us honor, and with Allah is the reward sought. Ibn Hisham said: It is also narrated: 'while those who built it ⁴⁵ had no garments.' (The height of the Ka'ba and the first to clothe it with brocade): During the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, the Ka'ba was eighteen cubits high.

1. qiss : A Christian priest or monk, often used for a learned religious figure.
2. ya'ūja : Literally 'to become crooked'; metaphorically, to deviate from truth or righteousness.
3. tamūja : To surge or be in turmoil; here, the people are established so they do not fall into chaos.
4. fulūj : Success, victory, or prosperity.
5. walūj : Entering; here, entering into the faith or community of Muhammad.
6. ʿajīj : Loud clamor or outcry, often of distress or opposition.
7. ʿurūj : Ascension; here, spiritual ascent or turning to God.
8. safalū : They descended; metaphorically, they became lowly or humbled.
9. samak al-burūj : The heights of the constellations; refers to the highest celestial spheres, symbolizing divine majesty.
10. mutlifa : Destructive; causing perdition or ruin.
11. ḥarūj : Narrowness, distress, or a difficult situation.
12. al-Ka'ba : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, the qibla of Muslims.
13. radm : A pile of stones without mortar; a rough stone structure.
14. tasqīf : Roofing; providing a ceiling or roof.
15. Duwayk : A name; a client (freed slave) of Banu Mulayh.
16. qibṭī : Coptic; an Egyptian Christian, often skilled in carpentry.
17. tatasharraq : To bask in the sun; to lie in the sun.
18. kaffat : To hiss (of a snake); to make a warning sound.
19. muzlima : Injustice; wrongful taking of property or rights.
20. abyaḍ : White; here, a metaphor for a noble or pure person.
21. al-dhawā'ib : Locks of hair; metaphorically, the highest or most noble lineages.
22. jaddāhu : His two grandfathers; i.e., his paternal and maternal grandfathers.
23. sabā'ib : White cloths; here, a metaphor for clarified butter or fat on food.
24. jazz'at : Divided into portions or shares.
25. shiq : Side or section; a portion of a building.
26. al-Ḥijr : The semicircular wall adjacent to the Kaaba; also called al-Hatim.
27. al-Ḥaṭīm : The low wall around the Kaaba's foundation; originally part of the Kaaba.
28. lam tur' : Do not let anything terrible happen; a plea for safety.
29. lam nazigh : We have not deviated; we have not gone astray.
30. asnima : Camel humps; describing the shape of the green stones.
31. Bakka : An ancient name for Mecca, meaning 'place of crowding' or 'valley'.
32. akhshabāhā : Its two mountains; referring to the mountains surrounding Mecca.
33. al-Maqām : The Station of Abraham; the stone upon which Abraham stood while building the Kaaba.
34. lā yuḥilluhā : Will not make it lawful; i.e., will not violate its sanctity.
35. al-rukn : The Black Stone, set in the eastern corner of the Ka'ba.
36. tahāwazū : They became hostile and prepared for conflict.
37. Abū Umayya ibn al-Mughīra : A prominent elder of Quraysh from the Banu Makhzum clan.
38. bāb : Gate of the Sacred Mosque (al-Masjid al-Haram).
39. nāḥiya : Side or corner of the cloth.
40. banā ʿalayhi : He built the wall upon it, i.e., placed the stone and continued construction.
41. al-rijz : Calamity, punishment, or divine wrath.
42. tatalaʾibbu : Swooping down or descending rapidly.
43. musawwīnā : Those who level or make even (the construction).
44. thiyāb : Garments; here referring to the lack of clothing due to the sacred state (ihram) or modesty.
45. masāwīnā : Those who build or construct (variant reading).

The Ḥums [1]

It was draped in Coptic cloth ¹, then in striped Yemeni cloth ², and the first to drape it in silk brocade was al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf ³. The Ḥums ⁴ Tradition (The Ḥums among the Quraysh): Ibn Isḥāq said: The Quraysh—I do not know whether before or after the Elephant ⁵—had innovated the idea of the Ḥums, an opinion they devised and circulated. They said: 'We are the sons of Abraham, the people of the Sanctuary, the custodians of the House, the inhabitants ⁶ of Mecca and its residents. No one among the Arabs has a right like ours, nor a status like ours, nor do the Arabs acknowledge for anyone what they acknowledge for us. So do not magnify anything from the profane territory ⁷ as you magnify the Sacred Territory, for if you do that, the Arabs will belittle your sanctity and say, "They have magnified from the profane territory what they magnify from the Sacred Territory."' So they abandoned standing at ʿArafāt and the departure from it, while they knew and acknowledged that it was among the rites ⁸ of the pilgrimage and the religion of Abraham (peace be upon him), and they considered it permissible for the rest of the Arabs to stand there and depart from it. However, they said: 'We are the people of the Sanctuary, so it is not fitting for us to leave the sacred precincts nor to magnify anything other than it as we magnify it. We are the Ḥums, and the Ḥums are the people of the Sanctuary.' Then they decreed that those born to them from the Arabs, whether residing in the profane or sacred territory, would have the same status as themselves by virtue of their birth, so that what was lawful for them became lawful for them, and what was forbidden for them became forbidden for them. (The tribes that adopted the Ḥums along with Quraysh): Kinānah and Khuzāʿah had joined them in this. Ibn Hishām said: Abū ʿUbaydah al-Naḥwī told me that the Banū ʿĀmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿah ibn Muʿāwiyah ibn Bakr ibn Hawāzin joined them in this, and he recited to me from ʿAmr ibn Maʿdīkarib: 'O ʿAbbās, if our horses had been fat and fine ⁹ at Tathlīth ¹⁰, you would not have faced the Aḥāmis ¹¹ after me.' Ibn Hishām said: Tathlīth is a place in their land. Al-shiyār ¹² means the fat, beautiful ones. By al-Aḥāmis he meant the Banū ʿĀmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿah. By ʿAbbās he meant ʿAbbās ibn Mirdās al-Sulamī, who had raided the Banū Zubayd at Tathlīth. This verse is from a poem by ʿAmr. And he recited to me from Laqīṭ ibn Zurārah al-Dārimī concerning the Day of Jabalah ¹³: 'Strike ¹⁴ towards them, for they are the Banū ʿAbs, the noble people ¹⁵ among the Ḥums.' Because the Banū ʿAbs on the Day of Jabalah were allies of the Banū ʿĀmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿah. (The Day of Jabalah): The Day of Jabalah was a day of battle between the Banū Ḥanẓalah ibn Mālik ibn Zayd Manāt ibn Tamīm and the Banū ʿĀmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿah ¹⁶. The victory went to the Banū ʿĀmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿah over the Banū Ḥanẓalah. On that day Laqīṭ ibn Zurārah ibn ʿUdas ¹⁷ was killed, Ḥājib ibn Zurārah ibn ʿUdas was captured, and ʿAmr ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿUdas ibn Zayd ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Dārim ibn Mālik ibn Ḥanẓalah fled. Concerning this, Jarīr said to al-Farazdaq: 'As if you were not present at Laqīṭ and Ḥājib, and ʿAmr ibn ʿAmr when they called, "O Banū Dārim!"' This verse is from a poem of his. (The Day of Dhī Najab ¹⁸): Then they met on the Day of Dhī Najab, and the victory went to Ḥanẓalah over the Banū ʿĀmir. On that day Ḥassān ibn Muʿāwiyah al-Kindī, the son of ¹⁹ Kabshah, was killed. Yazīd ibn al-Ṣaʿiq al-Kilābī was captured, and al-Ṭufayl ibn Mālik ibn Jaʿfar ibn Kilāb, the father of ʿĀmir ibn al-Ṭufayl, fled. Concerning this, al-Farazdaq said ²⁰: 'And among them is when Ṭufayl ibn Mālik was saved on a Qurzul ²¹, a man fleeing with broken ranks, and we struck the head of Ibn Khulayd ²², adding to the mother of chicks ²³ the crouching ones ²⁴.' These two verses are from a poem of his. Then Jarīr said: 'And we dyed the crown of Ibn Kabshah, and he met a man in the press of horses who was eloquent ²⁵.' This verse is from a poem of his. The account of the Day of Jabalah and the Day of Dhī Najab is longer than what we have mentioned. I refrained from detailing it for the same reason I mentioned in the account of the Day of al-Fijār. (What the Arabs added to the Ḥums): Ibn Isḥāq said: Then they innovated matters that were not originally theirs, until they said: 'It is not fitting for the Ḥums, while in a state of iḥrām ²⁶, to collect dried curds ²⁷, nor to clarify butter ²⁸, nor to enter a tent of hair, nor to seek shade unless in houses of leather ²⁹.' Then they went further and said: 'It is not fitting for the people of the profane territory to eat any food they brought with them from the profane territory into the Sacred Territory when they come as pilgrims or for ʿumrah ³⁰, nor to circumambulate the House upon their arrival for their first circumambulation except in the garments of the Ḥums. If they cannot find any such garments, they must circumambulate the House naked. If a generous person, man or woman, cannot find garments of the Ḥums and circumambulates in the clothes they brought from the profane territory, they must discard them after finishing their circumambulation, and neither they nor anyone else may ever use them again.' (The Laqā ³¹ among the Ḥums and poetry about it): The Arabs called those garments al-laqā. They imposed this on the Arabs, who adopted it. They stood at ʿArafāt and departed from it, and circumambulated the House naked: the men circumambulated naked, while the women removed all their clothes except a loose shift ³² and circumambulated in that. A woman ³³ from the Arabs, while circumambulating the House in such a state, said: 'Today part of it or all of it appears, and what appears of it I do not allow.' Whoever among them circumambulated in the clothes they came in from the profane territory discarded them, and neither they nor anyone else could use them. A poet from the Arabs said, mentioning something he had discarded of his clothes and would not approach, though he loved it ³⁴: 'Enough for us is the shame ³⁵ upon it, as if it were a laqā among the circumambulators, forbidden ³⁶.' He means: it may not be touched. (The ruling of Islam regarding circumambulation and the abolition of the Ḥums' customs therein): They continued in this state until Allāh, exalted be He, sent Muḥammad (peace be upon him). He revealed to him, when He established his religion for him and prescribed the rites of his pilgrimage: 'Then depart from the place from where the people depart and ask forgiveness of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful' (Qurʾān 2:199), meaning Quraysh. 'The people' refers to the Arabs. Thus He elevated them in the rite of pilgrimage to ʿArafāt, standing there, and departing from it. And Allāh revealed to him concerning what they had forbidden to the people of their food and clothing at the House, when they circumambulated naked and forbade what they brought from the profane territory of food: 'O children of Adam, take your adornment at every mosque, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He does not like the excessive. Say, "Who has forbidden the adornment of Allāh which He has brought forth for His servants and the good things of provision?" Say, "They are for those who believe during the life of this world, exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection." Thus do We detail the verses for a people who know' (Qurʾān 7:31-32). Thus Allāh, exalted be He, abolished the practice of the Ḥums and what Quraysh had innovated concerning the people through Islam, when Allāh sent His Messenger (peace be upon him) with it. Ibn Isḥāq said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Bakr ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr ibn Ḥazm narrated to me...

1. qabāṭī : Fine linen or cotton cloth from Egypt, often used for garments.
2. burūd : Striped Yemeni cloth, a type of garment.
3. al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf : A prominent Umayyad governor (d. 714 CE) known for his harsh rule and patronage of building projects, including the Kaaba.
4. al-Ḥums : A pre-Islamic Qurayshite movement that considered themselves the 'people of the sanctuary' and imposed special religious practices, including restrictions on standing at ʿArafāt and wearing specific garments during pilgrimage.
5. al-Fīl : The Year of the Elephant (c. 570 CE), when Abraha's army with elephants attacked Mecca but was repelled, traditionally the birth year of Muhammad.
6. quṭṭān : Inhabitants or settlers of a place.
7. al-ḥill : The profane territory outside the sacred precincts of Mecca.
8. al-mashāʿir : The sacred rites or places of pilgrimage, such as ʿArafāt, Muzdalifah, and Minā.
9. al-shiyār : Fat, beautiful horses; also interpreted as 'fine horses'.
10. Tathlīth : A place in the region of the Banū ʿĀmir, possibly in Najd.
11. al-Aḥāmis : Plural of Ḥums; refers to the tribes that adopted the Ḥums practices, here specifically the Banū ʿĀmir.
12. al-shiyār : See note 9.
13. Yawm Jabalah : A battle between the Banū Ḥanẓalah and Banū ʿĀmir, part of the pre-Islamic tribal wars.
14. ajdhim : Imperative meaning 'strike' or 'attack'.
15. al-jillah : Noble, great, or eminent people.
16. Banū ʿĀmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿah : A large Arab tribe from the Hawāzin confederation, prominent in pre-Islamic and early Islamic times.
17. Laqīṭ ibn Zurārah ibn ʿUdas : A pre-Islamic poet and warrior from the Banū Dārim.
18. Yawm Dhī Najab : A battle between the Banū Ḥanẓalah and Banū ʿĀmir, following the Day of Jabalah.
19. ibn : Son of; here used in a genealogical context.
20. al-Farazdaq : A famous Umayyad poet (d. 728 CE), known for his panegyrics and satires.
21. Qurzul : A proper name, possibly a horse or a person.
22. Ibn Khulayd : A person killed in the battle, possibly a leader of the opposing tribe.
23. Umm al-Firākh : Literally 'mother of chicks', a poetic epithet for a woman or a tribe.
24. al-jawāthim : Crouching or sitting birds; here used metaphorically for defeated enemies.
25. miṣqaʿ : Eloquent or fluent speaker; also interpreted as 'one who strikes with the sword'.
26. iḥrām : The state of ritual consecration during pilgrimage, involving specific dress and prohibitions.
27. al-aqiṭ : Dried curds, a type of preserved dairy product.
28. yasla'ū al-samn : To clarify butter by melting and straining it.
29. buyūt al-adam : Houses made of leather, i.e., tents or structures of animal skins.
30. ʿumrah : The lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, which can be performed at any time of the year.
31. al-laqā : Discarded garments that were considered taboo after being used in circumambulation by non-Ḥums pilgrims.
32. dirʿ mufarraj : A loose shift or chemise with an opening, worn by women.
33. imra'ah : A woman; the specific identity is not given.
34. yuḥibbuhu : He loves it; the poet expresses attachment to the discarded garment.
35. jazanā : Shame or disgrace; the poet feels shame for the discarded garment.
36. ḥarīm : Forbidden or sacred; here meaning the garment is untouchable.

The reports of the soothsayers among the Arabs, the rabbis among the Jews, and the monks among the Christians [1].

On the authority of ‘Uthmān ibn Abī Sulaymān ibn Jubayr ibn Mut‘im, from his uncle Nāfi‘ ibn Jubayr, from his father Jubayr ibn Mut‘im, who said: I saw the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, before revelation came down upon him, standing on his camel at ‘Arafāt ¹ with the people from among his tribe, until he departed with them from it, by the guidance of God for him—may God bless him and his family and grant him abundant peace. The report of the soothsayers ² among the Arabs, the rabbis ³ among the Jews, and the monks ⁴ among the Christians (The knowledge of the soothsayers, rabbis, and monks about his mission, may God bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Isḥāq said: The rabbis among the Jews, the monks among the Christians, and the soothsayers among the Arabs had spoken about the matter of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, before his mission, when his time drew near. As for the rabbis among the Jews and the monks among the Christians, it was based on what they found in their scriptures of his description and the description of his time, and what the covenant of their prophets had entrusted to them concerning him. As for the soothsayers among the Arabs, the devils ⁵ among the jinn ⁶ brought it to them through what they eavesdropped from the heaven, since they were not prevented from that by being pelted with stars. The male soothsayer and the female soothsayer would constantly mention some of his affairs, but the Arabs paid no attention to that until God, exalted be He, sent him, and those matters they used to mention occurred, and they recognized them. (The pelting of the jinn with meteors, and the sign of that upon his mission, may God bless him and grant him peace): When the matter of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, drew near and his mission approached, the devils were prevented from hearing, and a barrier was placed between them and the seats they used to sit in for eavesdropping, and they were pelted with stars. The jinn knew that this was due to an event that had occurred from God’s command concerning the servants ⁷. God, blessed and exalted be He, says to His Prophet Muḥammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, when He sent him, relating to him the story of the jinn when they were prevented from hearing, and they recognized what they recognized, and what they denied of that when they saw what they saw: “Say, ‘It has been revealed to me that a group of jinn listened, and they said, “Indeed, we have heard a wondrous Qur’an ⁸ (72:1) guiding to righteousness, so we have believed in it, and we will never associate anyone with our Lord. (72:2) And that exalted is the majesty ⁹ of our Lord; He has not taken a wife nor a son. (72:3) And that the foolish among us used to speak atrociously about God. (72:4) And we had thought that mankind and jinn would never speak a lie about God. (72:5) And that there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they increased them in burden ¹⁰ (72:6)”’... up to His saying: “And we used to sit in positions for hearing, but whoever listens now finds a flame lying in wait for him. (72:9) And we do not know whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them guidance. (72:10)” When the jinn heard the Qur’an, they knew that they had been prevented from hearing before that so that the revelation would not be confused with any news from heaven, and thus what came to the people of the earth from God therein would be ambiguous, for the establishment of proof and the cutting off of doubt. So they believed and affirmed, then “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.’ (46:29-30)” ... the verse. And the saying of the jinn: “And that there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they increased them in burden (72:6)” means that a man from the Arabs, from Quraysh and others, when he traveled and camped in a valley of the land to spend the night there, would say: “I seek refuge in the mighty one of this valley from the jinn tonight, from the evil of what is in it.” Ibn Hishām said: “Burden” (al-rahq) means transgression and foolishness. Ru’ba ibn al-‘Ajjāj said: “When the bewildered one, burdened, is captivated” ¹¹ And this verse is in one of his rajaz poems. “Burden” also means your seeking something until you draw near to it, then you take it or do not take it. Ru’ba ibn al-‘Ajjāj said, describing wild donkeys: “They blinked ¹² and bristled from fear of the burden” And this verse is in one of his rajaz poems. “Burden” also is a verbal noun from a man’s saying to another: “I have burdened (rahiqtu) sin or difficulty,” meaning “I have carried sin or difficulty that you burdened me with, a heavy burden.” And in the Book of God, exalted be He: “So we feared that he would overburden them ¹³ with transgression and disbelief” (18:80), and His saying: “And do not overburden me ¹⁴ in my affair with difficulty” (18:73). (The fear of Thaqīf ¹⁵ from the pelting of the jinn with stars, and the question of ‘Amr ibn Umayyah): Ibn Isḥāq said: Ya‘qūb ¹⁶ ibn ‘Utba ibn al-Mughīra ibn al-Akhnas narrated to me that he was told that the first of the Arabs to be alarmed by the pelting with stars, when they were pelted, was this tribe of Thaqīf, and that they came to a man among them called ‘Amr ibn Umayyah, one of the Banū ‘Ilāj—he said: he was the most astute and most extraordinary ¹⁷ in opinion among the Arabs—and they said to him: “O ‘Amr, have you not seen what has happened in the sky of pelting with these stars?” He said: “Yes. Look: if the landmarks of the stars ¹⁸ by which one is guided on land and sea, and by which the seasons ¹⁹ of summer and winter are known for what benefits people in their livelihoods, are the ones being pelted, then by God, it is the folding up of the world and the destruction of this creation in it. But if they are other stars, and they remain fixed in their state, then this is for a matter that God intends for this creation—so what is it?” ²⁰ (His speech, may God bless him and grant him peace, with the Anṣār ²¹ about the pelting of the jinn with stars): Ibn Isḥāq said: Muḥammad ibn Muslim ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī mentioned, on the authority of ‘Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, on the authority of ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Abbās, on the authority of a group of the Anṣār, that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to them: “What did you used to say about this star that is pelted?” They said: “O Prophet of God, we used to say when we saw it being pelted: ‘A king has died, a king has been given kingship, a child has been born, a child has died.’” The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “That is not so. Rather, God, blessed and exalted be He, when He decrees a matter concerning His creation, the bearers of the Throne ²² hear it, and they glorify ²³, and those beneath them glorify, and those beneath that glorify in response to their glorification. The glorification continues descending until it reaches the lowest heaven, and they glorify. Then some of them say to others: ‘Why did you glorify?’ They say: ‘Those above us glorified, so we glorified in response to their glorification.’ They say: ‘Will you not ask those above you why they glorified?’ They say the same, until they reach the bearers of the Throne. It is said to them: ‘Why did you glorify?’ They say: ‘God has decreed such and such concerning His creation,’ regarding the matter that occurred. Then the news descends from heaven to heaven until it reaches the lowest heaven, and they speak about it. The devils eavesdrop on it, with conjecture and discrepancy, then they come to the soothsayers among the people of the earth and tell them about it, and they err and hit the mark. The soothsayers then speak about it, hitting some and missing some. Then God, mighty and majestic, prevented the devils with these stars with which they are pelted, so soothsaying has been cut off today, and there is no soothsaying ²⁴. Ibn Isḥāq said: ‘Amr ibn Abī Ja‘far narrated to me, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Labība ²⁵, on the authority of ‘Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī, may God be pleased with him, similar to the hadith of Ibn Shihāb from him. (Al-Ghayṭala ²⁶ and what the Banū Sahm ²⁷ narrated about it)

Ibn Ishaq said: Some people of knowledge narrated to me that a woman from Banu Sahm, called al-Ghaytala, was a soothsayer ²⁸ in the Jahiliyya ²⁹. Her familiar ³⁰ came to her one night and swooped down ³¹ beneath her, then said: "Adri ma adri ³²! A day of slaughter and sacrifice." When Quraysh heard that, they said: "What does he mean?" Then he came to her another night and swooped down beneath her, then said: "Shu'ub ³³! What is Shu'ub? In it Ka'b ³⁴ is struck down, a deep wound." When Quraysh heard that, they said: "What does he mean? This is surely something that will happen. Look into it." But they did not understand it until the battle of Badr and Uhud at the ravine ³⁵, then they knew that it was what he had brought to his female companion. (Genealogy of al-Ghaytala) Ibn Hisham said: Al-Ghaytala is from Banu Murra ibn 'Abd Manat ibn Kinana, the brothers of Mudlij ibn Murra. She is the mother of the Ghayātil ³⁶ whom Abu Talib mentioned in his verse: "Indeed the minds of a people have become foolish who exchanged Banu Khalaf, a substitute ³⁷ for us, and the Ghayātil." So her children were called al-Ghayātil, and they are from Banu Sahm ibn 'Amr ibn Husays. This verse is from a poem of his which I will mention in its place, God willing. (Story of the soothsayer of Janb about the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace) Ibn Ishaq said: 'Ali ibn Nafi' al-Jurashi narrated to me that Janb ³⁸, a sub-tribe of Yemen, had a soothsayer in the Jahiliyya. When the matter of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was mentioned and spread among the Arabs, Janb said to him: "Look into this man's affair for us." They gathered for him at the foot of his mountain. He descended to them when the sun rose, stood before them leaning on his bow, raised his head to the sky for a long time, then began to leap ³⁹, then said: "O people, God has honored Muhammad and chosen him, purified his heart and filled it. His stay among you, O people, is short." Then he ascended ⁴⁰ his mountain, returning from where he had come. (What happened between 'Umar ibn al-Khattab and Sawad ibn Qarib) Ibn Ishaq said: Someone I do not suspect narrated to me from 'Abdullah ibn Ka'b, the freedman of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, that he related: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab was sitting among the people in the mosque of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, when a man ⁴¹ from the Arabs entered the mosque, heading for 'Umar ibn al-Khattab. When 'Umar, may God be pleased with him, saw him, he said: "This man is still in his polytheism ⁴², he has not left it yet, or he was a soothsayer in the Jahiliyya." The man greeted him and sat down. 'Umar, may God be pleased with him, said to him: "Have you embraced Islam?" He said: "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful." He said: "Were you a soothsayer in the Jahiliyya?" The man said: "Glory be to God, O Commander of the Faithful! You have thought ill of me ⁴³ and greeted me with something I do not think you have said to any of your subjects since you assumed your authority." 'Umar said: "O God, forgive ⁴⁴! We were in the Jahiliyya in a worse state than this, worshipping idols and embracing statues, until God honored us with His Messenger and with Islam." He said: "Yes, by God, O Commander of the Faithful, I was a soothsayer in the Jahiliyya." He said: "Then tell me what your familiar brought you." He said: "He came to me a month or so before Islam ⁴⁵ and said: 'Do you not see the jinn and their despair ⁴⁶, and their hopelessness ⁴⁷ of their religion, and their clinging to the saddle-girths ⁴⁸ and their saddles ⁴⁹?'" Ibn Hisham said: This speech is rhymed prose ⁵⁰, not poetry. 'Abdullah ibn Ka'b said: Then 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said at that, narrating to the people: "By God, I was at an idol of the Jahiliyya with a group of Quraysh. A man from the Arabs had slaughtered a calf for it, and we were waiting for its division so that he could give us a share of it, when I heard from inside the calf a voice..."

1. ‘Arafāt : A plain near Mecca where pilgrims gather on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah during Hajj.
2. kuhhān : Plural of kāhin; soothsayers or diviners who claimed knowledge of the unseen through jinn.
3. aḥbār : Plural of ḥibr; Jewish scholars or rabbis.
4. ruhbān : Plural of rāhib; Christian monks or ascetics.
5. shayāṭīn : Plural of shayṭān; devils or rebellious jinn.
6. jinn : Invisible beings created from smokeless fire, possessing free will like humans.
7. servants : Referring to God's servants (humans and jinn).
8. Qur’an : The holy book of Islam, revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
9. majesty : Arabic 'jadd'; here meaning the majesty or grandeur of God.
10. burden : Arabic 'rahaq'; meaning sin, transgression, or difficulty.
11. burdened : Arabic 'murahaq'; one who is burdened with sin or difficulty.
12. blinked : Arabic 'baṣbaṣa'; to blink or look around in fear.
13. overburden them : Arabic 'yurhiqahumā'; to cause them to become oppressive or sinful.
14. overburden me : Arabic 'turhiqnī'; to cause me difficulty or hardship.
15. Thaqīf : A prominent Arab tribe from Ta'if.
16. Ya‘qūb : Ya‘qub ibn ‘Utba, a narrator of hadith.
17. most extraordinary : Arabic 'ankaraha'; meaning most strange or remarkable in opinion.
18. landmarks of the stars : Stars used for navigation and determining seasons.
19. seasons : Arabic 'anwā'; plural of naw', a star or asterism used to predict weather and seasons.
20. so what is it? : Indicating the need to investigate the cause of the celestial phenomenon.
21. Anṣār : The 'Helpers'; Muslim inhabitants of Medina who supported the Prophet after his migration.
22. bearers of the Throne : Angels who carry the Throne of God, as mentioned in the Quran.
23. glorify : Arabic 'sabbaḥa'; to declare God's perfection and praise Him.
24. no soothsaying : Meaning that after the revelation, soothsaying became invalid due to the jinn being prevented from eavesdropping.
25. Ibn Abī Labība : Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Labība, a narrator.
26. Al-Ghayṭala : A place or event; possibly a location or a story about the Banū Sahm.
27. Banū Sahm : A clan of the Quraysh tribe in Mecca.
28. kāhin : A soothsayer or diviner in pre-Islamic Arabia, believed to receive information from jinn.
29. Jāhiliyya : The period of ignorance before Islam.
30. ṣāḥib : The familiar spirit or jinn that inspires a soothsayer.
31. inqaḍḍa : Swooped down; a term used for the descent of a jinn or inspiration.
32. adri mā adri : A cryptic phrase meaning 'I know what I know' or 'I know not what I know'.
33. Shu'ūb : A place name or possibly meaning 'tribes' or 'divisions'.
34. Ka'b : Refers to the tribe of Ka'b or a person; here likely the Banu Ka'b.
35. al-shi'b : The ravine or mountain pass; refers to the location of the battles.
36. al-Ghayāṭil : Plural of Ghayṭala; her descendants.
37. qayḍan : A substitute or replacement; here used derogatorily.
38. Janb : A sub-tribe of Yemen.
39. yanzū : Leaps or jumps; a movement associated with soothsayers during inspiration.
40. asnada : Ascended or leaned; here meaning he went back up.
41. rajul : The man is Sawād ibn Qārib.
42. shirk : Polytheism or associating partners with God.
43. khilta : You thought ill of me or suspected me.
44. ghufran : Forgiveness; an expression of seeking God's pardon.
45. shay'ihi : Or something like it; approximately a month.
46. iblāsihā : Their despair or despondency.
47. iyāsihā : Their hopelessness or giving up.
48. qilāṣ : Saddle-girths or young she-camels; here meaning the saddles.
49. aḥlās : Saddles or packsaddles.
50. saj' : Rhymed prose, a form of speech used by soothsayers.

The warning to the Jews about the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace [1].

I have never heard a voice more piercing than his, and that was about a month or so before Islam, saying: "O Dharīḥ ¹, a successful matter, a man crying out, saying: 'There is no god but Allah.'" Ibn Hishām said: And it is said: "A man crying out, with an eloquent tongue, saying: 'There is no god but Allah.'" And one of the scholars of poetry recited to me: "I marvel at the jinn and their despair, and their saddling the camels with their saddles, rushing to Mecca seeking guidance; the believing jinn are not like their impure ones." Ibn Isḥāq said: This is what has reached us from the soothsayers of the Arabs. **The Warning of the Jews about the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace** (The warning of the Jews about him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and when he was sent they disbelieved in him): Ibn Isḥāq said: And ʿĀṣim ibn ʿUmar ² ibn Qatāda narrated to me, from men of his people, who said: Among the things that called us to Islam, along with the mercy of Allah the Exalted and His guidance for us, was what we used to hear from Jewish men. We were polytheists, worshippers of idols, while they were People of the Book, possessing knowledge that we did not have. There were constant conflicts between us and them. When we inflicted on them something they disliked, they would say to us: "The time of a prophet is near; he will be sent now, and we will kill you along with him like the killing of ʿĀd and Iram." We often heard that from them. When Allah sent His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, we responded to him when he called us to Allah the Exalted, and we recognized what they had been threatening us with. So we hastened to him, believed in him, while they disbelieved in him. Concerning us and them were revealed these verses from Sūrat al-Baqara: "And when there came to them a Book from Allah confirming what was with them—although before they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieved—yet when there came to them what they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers" (2:89). Ibn Hishām said: "Yastaftiḥūn" means they seek victory, and also "yastaftiḥūn" means they seek judgment. And in the Book of Allah the Exalted: "Our Lord, judge between us and our people with truth, and You are the best of judges" (7:89). **(The Hadith of Salama about the Jew who warned of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace)** Ibn Isḥāq said: And Ṣāliḥ ibn Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf narrated to me, from Maḥmūd ibn Labīd, brother of Banū ʿAbd al-Ashhal, from Salama ³ ibn Salāma ibn Waqsh ⁴, and Salama was among the Companions of Badr, who said: We had a Jewish neighbor among Banū ʿAbd al-Ashhal. He said: One day he came out of his house until he stood before Banū ʿAbd al-Ashhal—Salama said: At that time I was the youngest among them, wearing a cloak of mine, lying in it in the courtyard of my family—and he mentioned the Resurrection, the Reckoning, the Balance, Paradise, and Hell. He said that to a people who were polytheists, worshippers of idols, who did not believe that any resurrection would occur after death. They said to him: "Woe to you, O so-and-so! Do you think this will happen, that people will be raised after their death to a realm containing Paradise and Hell, where they will be recompensed for their deeds?" He said: "Yes, by the One by whom one swears, and I wish that I had, for my share of that Fire, the greatest oven in the house; they would heat it, then put me in it and seal it over me, so that I might be saved from that Fire tomorrow." They said to him: "Woe to you, O so-and-so! What is the sign of that?" He said: "A prophet sent from the direction of this land," and he pointed with his hand toward Mecca and Yemen. They said: "When do you see him?" He said: He looked at me, for I was the youngest of them, and said: "If this boy lives out his life, he will reach him." Salama said: By Allah, night and day had not passed until Allah sent Muḥammad as His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was alive among us. We believed in him, but he disbelieved in him out of transgression and envy. He said: We said to him: "Woe to you, O so-and-so! Are you not the one who said to us about him what you said?" He said: "Yes, but he is not the one." **(The Conversion of Thaʿlaba and Usayd, the two sons of Saʿya, and Asad ibn ʿUbayd)** Ibn Isḥāq said: And ʿĀṣim ibn ʿUmar ibn Qatāda narrated to me, from a shaykh of Banū Qurayẓa, who said to me: Do you know what was the reason for the conversion of Thaʿlaba ibn Saʿya, Usayd ⁵ ibn Saʿya, and Asad ibn ʿUbayd ⁶—a group from Banū Hidal, brothers of Banū Qurayẓa, who were with them in the Jāhiliyya and then became their leaders in Islam? He said: I said: No, by Allah. He said: A Jewish man from Syria, called Ibn al-Haybān ⁷, came to us a few years before Islam and settled among us. By Allah, we never saw a man who did not pray the five prayers better than him. He stayed with us, and when we suffered from drought, we would say to him: "Go out, O Ibn al-Haybān, and ask for rain for us." He would say: "No, by Allah, until you give charity before your departure." We would say: "How much?" He would say: "A ṣāʿ of dates or two mudds of barley." He said: So we would give it, then he would go out with us to the open area of our lava plain and ask Allah for rain for us. By Allah, he would not leave his seat until clouds passed and we were watered. He did that more than once, twice, or thrice. He said: Then death came to him while he was with us. When he knew he was dying, he said: "O company of Jews, what do you think brought me out of the land of wine and leavened bread to the land of hardship and hunger?" He said: We said: "You know best." He said: "I only came to this land awaiting a prophet who will be sent; this is the time of his coming." And he said: "O company of Jews, do not let anyone beat you to him, for he will be sent with the shedding of blood and the taking of captives and wealth." He said: Then he died. When the night of the battle of the clans came, and the Quraysh and the Arabs gathered against us, and the Jews broke their covenant with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and they did what they did, Thaʿlaba and Usayd, the two sons of Saʿya, and Asad ibn ʿUbayd said: "By Allah, this is the very prophet that Ibn al-Haybān promised us." So they went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and converted to Islam. Their people said to them: "You have left your religion?" They said: "We have embraced a better religion; we have believed in Allah and His Messenger." And they remained firm in their Islam.

1. Dharīḥ : A proper name; possibly a person or a place.
2. ʿĀṣim ibn ʿUmar : A narrator of hadith, from the generation of the Successors.
3. Salama : Salama ibn Salāma ibn Waqsh, a Companion of the Prophet who participated in the Battle of Badr.
4. Salāma ibn Waqsh : Father of Salama, also a Companion.
5. Usayd : Usayd ibn Saʿya, a Jewish convert to Islam from Banū Qurayẓa.
6. Asad ibn ʿUbayd : A Jewish convert to Islam from Banū Qurayẓa.
7. Ibn al-Haybān : A Jewish scholar from Syria who settled in Medina before Islam and predicted the coming of a prophet.

The hadith of Salman's [1] embrace of Islam, may God be pleased with him.

I was waiting for the emergence of a prophet whose time had drawn near, and this town was to be his place of migration. So I hoped that he would be sent and I would follow him. His time has now come upon you, so do not let yourselves be preceded to him, O company of Jews, for he will be sent with the shedding of blood and the taking of captives—children and women—from those who oppose him. Do not let that deter you from him. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was sent and besieged Banu Qurayza, these young men—who were youths—said: 'O Banu Qurayza, by Allah, he is indeed the prophet concerning whom Ibn al-Hayyaban made a covenant with you.' They said: 'He is not.' They said: 'Yes, by Allah, he is exactly as described.' So they descended and embraced Islam, thereby preserving their blood, wealth, and families. Ibn Ishaq said: This is what has reached us of the reports of the Jews. **The Story of the Conversion of Salman (may Allah be pleased with him)** (Salman was a Magian, then he passed by a church and became interested in Christianity): Ibn Ishaq said: And 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatada al-Ansari narrated to me from Mahmud ibn Labid, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, who said: Salman al-Farisi narrated to me while I was listening from his own mouth. He said: I was a Persian man from the people of Isfahan, from a village called Jayy. My father was the dihqan of his village, and I was the most beloved of Allah's creation to him. His love for me never ceased until he confined me in his house as a maiden is confined. I strove hard in Magianism until I became the qatn al-nar who kindles it, never letting it go out for an hour. He said: My father had a large estate, and one day he was occupied with building something. He said to me: 'O my son, I am occupied today with this building of mine and cannot attend to my estate. Go to it and inspect it.' He ordered me to do something there, then said: 'Do not be delayed from me, for if you are delayed from me, it will be more concerning to me than my estate, and it will distract me from everything else.' He said: So I set out for his estate to which he had sent me. I passed by a church of the Christians and heard their voices as they were praying. I did not know what the people were about, because my father had confined me in his house. When I heard their voices, I entered to see what they were doing. When I saw them, their prayer impressed me and I became desirous of their religion. I said: 'By Allah, this is better than the religion we are on.' By Allah, I did not leave them until the sun set, and I neglected my father's estate and did not go to it. Then I said to them: 'Where is the origin of this religion?' They said: 'In Syria.' So I returned to my father, who had sent people looking for me, and I had distracted him from all his work. When I came to him, he said: 'O my son, where were you? Did I not make a covenant with you as I did?' I said: 'O father, I passed by some people praying in a church of theirs, and I was impressed by what I saw of their religion. By Allah, I stayed with them until the sun set.' He said: 'O my son, there is no good in that religion. Your religion and the religion of your forefathers is better than it.' I said: 'No, by Allah, it is better than our religion.' He said: So he feared me, and he put a shackle on my leg, then confined me in his house. (Salman's agreement with the Christians to escape): He said: I sent word to the Christians and said to them: 'When a caravan from Syria comes to you, inform me about them.' He said: A caravan of Christian merchants from Syria came to them, and they informed me about them. I said to them: 'When they finish their business and want to return to their country, let me know.' He said: When they wanted to return to their country, they informed me. So I removed the iron from my legs, then went out with them until I arrived in Syria. When I arrived there, I said: 'Who is the most knowledgeable of the people of this religion?' They said: 'The bishop in the church.' (Salman and the evil bishop of the Christians): He said: So I went to him and said: 'I have become desirous of this religion, and I would like to be with you, serve you in your church, learn from you, and pray with you.' He said: 'Enter.' So I entered with him. He said: He was an evil man. He would command them to give charity and encourage them to do so, but when they collected something from it for him, he would hoard it for himself and not give it to the poor, until he had amassed seven jars of gold and silver. He said: I hated him intensely for what I saw him doing. Then he died, and the Christians gathered to bury him. I said to them: 'This was an evil man. He commanded you to give charity and encouraged you to do so, but when you brought it to him, he hoarded it for himself and gave nothing to the poor.' They said: 'How do you know that?' I said: 'I will show you his treasure.' They said: 'Show us.' So I showed them its location, and they extracted from it seven jars filled with gold and silver. When they saw them, they said: 'By Allah, we will never bury him.' So they crucified him and stoned him with stones, and brought another man and put him in his place. (Salman and the righteous bishop): He said: Salman says: I have never seen a man who did not pray the five prayers ¹ whom I considered more excellent than him, nor more ascetic in this world, nor more desirous of the Hereafter, nor more diligent night and day than him. He said: I loved him with a love I had never felt for anything before. He said: I stayed with him for a long time. Then death came to him. I said to him: 'O so-and-so, I was with you and loved you with a love I never felt for anyone before you. You are now facing what you see of Allah's command. To whom do you entrust me? What do you command me?' He said: 'O my son, by Allah, I know no one today who is upon what I was upon. People have perished, changed, and abandoned most of what they were upon, except a man in Mosul, who is so-and-so. He is upon what I was upon, so go to him.' (Salman and his companion in Mosul): He said: When he died and was buried, I went to the man in Mosul and said: 'O so-and-so, so-and-so entrusted me to you at his death and told me that you are upon his path.' He said: 'Stay with me.' So I stayed with him and found him to be an excellent man, following the path of his companion. He did not stay long before he died. When death came to him, I said: 'O so-and-so, so-and-so entrusted me to you and commanded me to come to you. You are now facing what you see of Allah's command. To whom do you entrust me? What do you command me?' He said: 'O my son, by Allah, I know no man upon what we were upon except a man in Nusaybin, who is so-and-so. Go to him.' (Salman and his companion in Nusaybin): When he died and was buried, I went to the man in Nusaybin and told him my story and what his companion had commanded me. He said: 'Stay with me.' So I stayed with him and found him to be upon the path of his two companions. I stayed with an excellent man. By Allah, he did not stay long before death came to him. When he was dying, I said: 'O so-and-so, so-and-so entrusted me to so-and-so, then so-and-so entrusted me to you. To whom do you entrust me? What do you command me?' He said: 'O my son, by Allah, I know no one remaining upon our path whom I can command you to go to except a man in 'Amuriyya in the land of the Romans. He is upon what we are upon. If you wish, go to him, for he is upon our path.' (Salman and his companion in 'Amuriyya): When he died and was buried, I went to the man in 'Amuriyya and told him my story. He said: 'Stay with me.' So I stayed with an excellent man, following the guidance and path of his companions. He said: I earned a living until I had some cows and sheep. Then Allah's command came to him. When he was dying, I said: 'O so-and-so, I was with so-and-so, and he entrusted me to so-and-so, then so-and-so entrusted me to so-and-so, then so-and-so entrusted me to you. To whom do you entrust me? What do you command me?'

So-and-so, then so-and-so entrusted me to you, so to whom do you entrust me? And what do you command me?” He said: “My son, by Allah, I do not know anyone today who remains upon what we were. I would command you to go to him, but the time of a Prophet has overshadowed you, and he will be sent with the religion of Abraham, peace be upon him. He will emerge in the land of the Arabs, and his migration will be to a land between two lava fields ², between which are palm trees. He has signs that are not hidden: he accepts gifts but does not accept charity, and between his shoulders is the seal of prophethood ³. If you are able to reach that land, do so.” (Salman and his transfer to Wadi al-Qura then to Medina, and his hearing of the mission of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): He said: “Then he died and was buried. I remained in Amuriyya as long as Allah willed. Then a group of traders from Kalb passed by me, and I said to them: ‘Carry me to the land of the Arabs, and I will give you these cows and these sheep.’ They said: ‘Yes.’ So I gave them to them, and they carried me with them until, when they reached Wadi al-Qura, they wronged me and sold me as a slave to a Jewish man. I was with him, and I saw the palm trees, so I hoped that this might be the land my companion had described to me, but I was not certain. While I was with him, a cousin of his from Banu Qurayza in Medina came to him and bought me from him, and he took me to Medina. By Allah, as soon as I saw it, I recognized it by the description of my companion. So I settled there. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent, and he stayed in Mecca as long as he stayed, while I heard no mention of him due to my preoccupation with slavery. Then he migrated to Medina. By Allah, I was at the top of a palm tree ⁴ working for my master, and my master was sitting below me, when a cousin of his came and stood before him and said: ‘O so-and-so, may Allah destroy Banu Qayla! By Allah, they are now gathered at Quba’ ⁵ around a man who has come to them from Mecca today, claiming to be a prophet.’” (The lineage of Qayla): Ibn Hisham said: Qayla is the daughter of Kahil ibn ‘Udhra ibn Sa‘d ibn Zayd ibn Layth ibn Sud ibn Aslam ibn al-Haf ibn Quda‘a, the mother of al-Aws and al-Khazraj. Al-Nu‘man ibn Bashir al-Ansari said, praising al-Aws and al-Khazraj: “Nobles ⁶ from the children of Qayla, no associate has found fault with them in association. Generous heroes, they go to generosity in the evening, considering the deeds of their fathers as a vow upon them.” (These two lines are from a poem of his): Ibn Ishaq said: ‘Asim ibn ‘Umar ibn Qatada al-Ansari narrated to me from Mahmud ibn Labid from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, who said: Salman said: “When I heard that, a shivering ⁷ seized me.” Ibn Hisham said: “Al-‘uruwa’ is shivering from cold and trembling; if accompanied by sweat, it is al-ruhada’, both are long vowels—until I thought I would fall upon my master. So I came down from the palm tree and began saying to his cousin: ‘What are you saying? What are you saying?’ My master became angry and struck me a severe blow, then said: ‘What business is this of yours? Get back to your work.’ He said: I said: ‘Nothing, I only wanted to confirm what he said.’” (Salman before the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with his gift to verify): He said: “I had some things I had collected. When evening came, I took them and went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was at Quba’ ⁸. I entered upon him and said: ‘I have heard that you are a righteous man, and you have companions with you who are strangers in need. This is something I had for charity, and I considered you more deserving of it than others.’ I brought it near him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to his companions: ‘Eat,’ but he kept his hand back and did not eat. He said: I said to myself: ‘This is one.’ He said: Then I left him, collected some more things, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, moved to Medina. Then I came to him with it and said: ‘I saw that you do not eat charity, and this is a gift I honor you with.’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ate from it and ordered his companions to eat with him. He said: I said to myself: ‘These are two.’ Then I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was at Baqi‘ al-Gharqad ⁹, having followed the funeral of a man from his companions ¹⁰. I was wearing two cloaks ¹¹, and he was sitting with his companions. I greeted him, then turned around to look at his back, to see the seal that my companion had described to me. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw me turning around ¹², he knew that I was seeking confirmation of something described to me, so he threw his cloak from his back. I looked at the seal and recognized it, then I fell upon it, kissing it and weeping. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me: ‘Come around.’ So I came around and sat before him, and I told him my story as I have told you, O Ibn ‘Abbas. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was pleased for his companions to hear that. Then Salman was occupied with slavery until he missed Badr and Uhud with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. (The command of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to Salman to make a contract of manumission ¹³ to be freed from slavery): Salman said: “Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me: ‘Make a contract of manumission, O Salman.’ So I made a contract with my master for three hundred palm trees to cultivate for him with al-Faqir ¹⁴, and forty uqiyyas ¹⁵. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to his companions: ‘Help your brother.’ So they helped me with palm trees: one man with thirty young palm trees ¹⁶, another with twenty, another with fifteen, another with ten—each man helping according to what he had—until I had collected three hundred young palm trees. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me: ‘Go, O Salman, and dig holes ¹⁷ for them. When you finish, come to me so that I may plant them with my own hands.’ He said: So I dug holes, and my companions helped me, until when I finished, I came and told him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out with me to them, and we brought the young palm trees to him, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, planted them with his hand until we finished. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Salman, not a single young palm tree died ¹⁸. He said: So I paid the palm trees, and the money remained due from me. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was brought a piece of gold like a hen’s egg from some mines ¹⁹, and he said: ‘What has the Persian who made a contract of manumission done?’ He said: So I was summoned to him, and he said: ‘Take this and pay off what is due from you with it, O Salman.’ He said: I said: ‘And where does this fall with regard to what is due from me, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘Take it, for Allah will pay it off for you.’ He said: So I took it and weighed out for them from it—by Him in whose hand is the soul of Salman—forty uqiyyas, and I paid them their due from it, and Salman became free. Then I attended the Battle of the Trench with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as a free man, and thereafter I never missed any battle with him.” Ibn Ishaq said: Yazid ibn Abi Habib narrated to me from a man of ‘Abd al-Qays from Salman that he said: “When I said: ‘And where does this fall with regard to what is due from me, O Messenger of Allah?’”

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took it ²⁰ and turned it over on his tongue, then said: 'Take it and give them full measure from it.' So I took it and gave them their full right from it, forty uqiyas ²¹. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Asim ibn Umar ibn Qatada narrated to me, saying: One whom I do not suspect narrated to me from Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz ibn Marwan, who said: I was told from Salman al-Farisi ²² that he said:' (Salman and the man who used to come out between two thickets in Amuriyya ²³): I was told from Salman al-Farisi that he said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he told him his story: 'The master of Amuriyya said to him: Go to such-and-such a place in the land of Syria, for there is a man there between two thickets, who comes out every year from this thicket to that thicket, passing through. People with ailments confront him, and he does not supplicate for any of them except that they are healed. Ask him about this.'

1. al-khams : The five daily prayers in Islam.
2. ḥarratayn : Dual of ḥarra, meaning a volcanic lava field. Refers to the two lava fields surrounding Medina.
3. khātam al-nubuwwa : The seal of prophethood, a physical mark between the shoulder blades of the Prophet Muhammad, described as a fleshy protrusion or mole.
4. ʿidhq : A palm tree branch or the top of a palm tree.
5. Qubāʾ : A place on the outskirts of Medina where the Prophet Muhammad first stayed upon his migration, and where the Quba Mosque was built.
6. bahālīl : Plural of buhlūl, meaning noble, generous, or excellent in character.
7. al-ʿuruāʾ : A shivering or trembling, often from cold or fear; if accompanied by sweat, it is called al-ruḥaḍāʾ.
8. Qubāʾ : See note [4].
9. Baqīʿ al-Gharqad : The cemetery of Medina, also known as Jannat al-Baqīʿ.
10. janāza : Funeral bier or the funeral procession.
11. shamlatān : Dual of shamla, a type of cloak or wrap.
12. istadabartuhu : Meaning 'I turned my back to him' or 'I went behind him'.
13. mukātaba : A contract of manumission whereby a slave agrees to pay a sum to the master in exchange for freedom.
14. al-Faqīr : A place or canal in Medina; also interpreted as a type of palm tree or a method of irrigation.
15. ūqiyya : A unit of weight, approximately 40 grams or 1/12 of a ratl.
16. wadiyya : A young palm tree, especially one that is transplanted.
17. faqqara : To dig holes for planting palm trees.
18. wadiyya : See note [15].
19. maʿādin : Plural of maʿdin, meaning mines or mineral deposits.
20. أَخَذَهَا : Refers to a handful of dates or something similar given as payment.
21. أُوقِيَّة : An uqiya is a unit of weight, approximately 40 dirhams or about 125 grams.
22. سَلْمَانَ الْفَارِسِيِّ : Salman al-Farisi, a companion of the Prophet, originally from Persia.
23. عَمُورِيَّة : Amuriyya, a city in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), known as Amorium in Byzantine times.

Mention of Waraqa ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzzā, and ‘Ubayd Allāh ibn Jaḥsh, and ‘Uthmān ibn al-Ḥuwayrith, and Zayd ibn ‘Amr ibn Nufayl [1].

The religion you seek, he will inform you about it." Salman said: "So I went out until I came to the place described to me, and I found the people gathered there with their sick, until he came out to them that night, crossing from one thicket to another. The people crowded around him with their sick; he would pray for no sick person but that he was healed. They overwhelmed me, and I could not reach him until he entered the thicket he intended to enter, except for his shoulder." He said: "So I touched him, and he said: 'Who is this?' and turned to me. I said: 'May God have mercy on you, tell me about the Hanifiyya ¹, the religion of Abraham.' He said: 'You ask about something that people do not ask about today. The time of a prophet who will be sent with this religion from the people of the Sanctuary ² has come upon you, so go to him, for he will guide you to it.' Then he entered." He said: "The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to Salman: 'If you have told me the truth, O Salman, you have met Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon our Prophet and upon him.'" Mention of Waraqa ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, 'Ubaydallah ibn Jahsh, 'Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith, and Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl ³. (Their Investigation of Religions) Ibn Ishaq said: The Quraysh gathered one day for a festival of theirs at one of their idols, which they venerated, sacrificed to, and around which they performed circumambulation ⁴. That was an annual festival for them. Four men withdrew privately ⁵ and said to one another: "Be truthful with each other, and let each of you keep the others' secrets." They said: "Yes." They were: Waraqa ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy; 'Ubaydallah ibn Jahsh ibn Ri'ab ibn Ya'mur ibn Sabra ibn Murra ibn Kabir ibn Ghanm ibn Dudan ⁶ ibn Asad ibn Khuzayma, whose mother was Umayma bint 'Abd al-Muttalib; 'Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy; and Zayd ⁷ ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn 'Abdallah ibn Qurt ibn Riyyah ⁸ ibn Razah ⁹ ibn 'Adiyy ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy. They said to one another: "By God, you know that your people are upon nothing! They have strayed from the religion of their father Abraham. What is a stone that we circumambulate, which neither hears nor sees, nor harms nor benefits? O people, seek for yourselves a religion ¹⁰, for by God, you are upon nothing." So they dispersed throughout the lands seeking the Hanifiyya, the religion of Abraham. (What Waraqa and Ibn Jahsh Attained) As for Waraqa ibn Nawfal, he became firmly established in Christianity and followed the scriptures from their people until he acquired knowledge from the People of the Book. As for 'Ubaydallah ibn Jahsh, he remained in his state of confusion until he embraced Islam, then he migrated with the Muslims to Abyssinia, along with his wife Umm Habiba bint Abu Sufyan, who was a Muslim. When he arrived there, he became a Christian and abandoned Islam, until he died there as a Christian. (What Ibn Jahsh Did to the Muslims in Abyssinia After His Conversion) Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn al-Zubayr told me: When 'Ubaydallah ibn Jahsh became a Christian, he would pass by the companions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, while they were there in the land of Abyssinia, and say: "We have opened our eyes wide, while you are blinking ¹¹," meaning: "We have seen, while you are still seeking sight, and you have not yet seen." This is because when a puppy wants to open its eyes to look, it blinks to see. His saying "opened his eyes wide" means he opened his eyes. (The Marriage of the Messenger of God to Ibn Jahsh's Wife After His Death) Ibn Ishaq said: After his death, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, married his wife Umm Habiba bint Abu Sufyan ibn Harb. Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Husayn told me that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, sent 'Amr ibn Umayya al-Damri to the Negus ¹² concerning her, and the Negus proposed to her on his behalf and married her to him, and gave her a dowry on behalf of the Messenger of God of four hundred dinars. Muhammad ibn 'Ali said: "We think that 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan set the bridal dowry at four hundred dinars only because of that." The one who gave her in marriage to the Prophet ¹³, may God bless him and grant him peace, was Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As. (The Conversion of Ibn al-Huwayrith and His Journey to Caesar) Ibn Ishaq said: As for 'Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith, he went to Caesar, the king of the Byzantines, became a Christian, and attained a high status with him. Ibn Hisham said: 'Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith has a story with Caesar that I refrained from mentioning due to what I mentioned in the account of the Sacrilegious War ¹⁴. (Zayd ibn 'Amr and What He Attained, and Something About Him) Ibn Ishaq said: As for Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, he stopped and did not enter into Judaism or Christianity, and he abandoned the religion of his people. He withdrew from idols, carrion, blood, and the sacrifices offered to idols ¹⁵, and forbade the killing of infant girls ¹⁶. He said: "I worship the Lord of Abraham," and he openly criticized his people for what they were upon. Ibn Ishaq said: Hisham ibn 'Urwa told me from his father, from his mother Asma' bint Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with them both, who said: "I saw Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, an old man leaning his back against the Ka'ba ¹⁷, saying: 'O Quraysh, by Him in whose hand is the soul of Zayd ibn 'Amr, none of you is upon the religion of Abraham except me.' Then he would say: 'O God, if I knew which face is most beloved to You, I would worship You with it, but I do not know it.' Then he would prostrate on his palm." Ibn Ishaq said: I was told that his son, Sa'id ibn Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, who was his cousin, said to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace: "Shall we ask forgiveness ¹⁸ for Zayd ibn 'Amr?" He said: "Yes, for he will be raised as a nation alone." (Zayd's Poetry on Abandoning His People's Religion) Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl said, concerning his abandonment of his people's religion and what he suffered from them in that regard: One Lord or a thousand lords Shall I worship when matters are divided? I have set aside al-Lat and al-'Uzza ¹⁹ altogether, Thus does the resolute, patient one act. I do not worship al-'Uzza nor her two daughters, Nor do I visit the two idols of Banu 'Amr ²⁰. Nor do I worship Hubal ²¹, though he was a lord To us in time past, when my discernment was weak. I marvel—and in the nights are wonders, And in the days, which the discerning know— That God has destroyed many men Whose way was wickedness ²², And spared others through the piety of a people, So that the small child among them thrives ²³. While a man smiles ²⁴, a day comes back ²⁵ As the watered branch sways ²⁶. But I worship the Merciful, my Lord, That the Forgiving Lord may forgive my sin. So fear God, your Lord; preserve it, For if you preserve it, you will not perish. You see the righteous, their abode is gardens, And for the disbelievers a blazing fire. And disgrace in life, and if they die, They meet what makes breasts constrict. Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl also said—Ibn Hisham said: These verses are by Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt in one of his odes, except for the first two verses, the fifth verse, and the last verse. The second hemistich of the first verse is from other than Ibn Ishaq—: To God I direct my praise and my thanks, And a firm ²⁷ saying that will not cease, enduring through time ²⁸, To the Most High King, above whom there is no god, nor any Lord who can be compared. O man, beware of destruction ²⁹, For you cannot hide anything from God.

And do not set up any other with God... for the path of guidance has become clear. Your mercy ³⁰! Indeed, the jinn ³¹ were their hope... and You, my God, our Lord, are my hope. I am content with You, O God, as a Lord, so I will never see... myself worshipping any deity ³² other than You, God ³³, as a second. (I worship a Lord who answers, and I do not see... myself worshipping one who has not heard a caller throughout time) ³⁴. And You are the One who, out of favor, grace, and mercy... sent to Moses a messenger, a caller. I said to him: "Go ³⁵, you and Aaron ³⁶, and call... to God, Pharaoh, who was a tyrant. And say to him: 'Did you level this ³⁷... without a peg until it settled as it is? And say to him: 'Did you raise this ³⁸... without pillars? Be gentle, then, if you are a builder ³⁹. And say to him: 'Did you place within it... a luminous [guide] when the night darkens, a guide? And say to him: 'Who sends the sun in the morning... so that whatever it touches of the earth becomes bright? And say to him: 'Who causes the grain to grow in the soil... so that from it the vegetation rises, quivering, growing ⁴⁰? And brings forth from it its grain at its heads... and in that are signs for those who are mindful. And You, by Your favor, saved Jonah... while he spent nights in the belly of a fish. And indeed, I ⁴¹ (and) ⁴² if I were to glorify Your name, our Lord... I would increase—except for what You have forgiven—my sins ⁴³. So, Lord of servants, bestow blessing and mercy ⁴⁴... upon me, and bless my children and my wealth." And Zayd ibn 'Amr said, reproaching his wife Safiyya bint al-Hadrami— (The lineage of al-Hadrami): Ibn Hisham said: The name of al-Hadrami is 'Abdullah ibn 'Imad ⁴⁵ (ibn Akbar ⁴⁶), one of al-Sadaf, and the name of al-Sadaf is 'Amr ibn Malik, one of al-Sakun ibn Ashras ibn Kinda. It is also said: Kinda ibn Thawr ibn Muratti' ibn 'Ufayr ibn 'Adi ibn al-Harith ibn Murra ibn Adad ibn Zayd ibn Mihsa' ibn 'Amr ibn 'Urayb ibn Zayd ibn Kahlan ibn Saba'. It is also said: Muratti' ibn Malik ibn Zayd ibn Kahlan ibn Saba'. (Zayd's poetry in reproaching his wife for her collusion with al-Khattab in opposing him): Ibn Ishaq said: Zayd ibn 'Amr had resolved to leave Mecca to travel the earth seeking the Hanifiyya ⁴⁷, the religion of Abraham, peace be upon him. Whenever Safiyya bint al-Hadrami saw that he was prepared to leave and intended to do so, she informed al-Khattab ibn Nufayl, who was his paternal uncle ⁴⁸ and his maternal brother, and he would reproach him for abandoning the religion of his people. Al-Khattab had appointed Safiyya over him, saying: "If you see him intending something, inform me." So Zayd said: "Do not detain me in humiliation... Safiyya, what is my affair and his ⁴⁹? Indeed, if I fear humiliation... I am one who follows the easy paths of his mounts ⁵⁰. A diver ⁵¹ at the doors of kings... and a traverser of lands, his garment worn out ⁵². A cutter of ties that are humbled... without peers, their difficulties ⁵³. Humiliation only takes... the camel when its hide is weakened ⁵⁴. And he says: I will not be humiliated... by the striking of its sides, its firm ones ⁵⁵. And my brother, my mother's son, then... my uncle, his speech does not agree with me ⁵⁶. And when he reproaches me with evil... I say: His answer has exhausted me. And if I wished, I would say what... I have, whose keys and door are with me ⁵⁷." (Zayd's poetry when he used to face the Ka'ba): Ibn Ishaq said: It was narrated from ⁵⁸ some of Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl's family that when Zayd faced the Ka'ba inside the mosque, he said: "Here I am, truly, truly, in worship and servitude. I seek refuge in what Abraham sought refuge... facing the qibla ⁵⁹ while standing." When he said: "My nose is for You, O God, submissive and humbled... Whatever You burden me with, I will bear ⁶⁰. I seek righteousness, not the maternal uncle ⁶¹; one who emigrates is not like one who said ⁶²." Ibn Hisham said: It is also said: "Righteousness is more lasting, not the maternal uncle; one who emigrates is not like one who said." He said: And his saying "facing the Ka'ba" is from some scholars. Ibn Ishaq said: And Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl said: "And I submit my face to Him to whom... the earth submits, carrying heavy rocks. He spread it ⁶³, and when He saw it settled... upon the water, He fixed the mountains upon it. And I submit my face to Him to whom... the clouds submit, carrying fresh, pure water ⁶⁴. When they are driven to a land... they obey, and pour down upon it torrents ⁶⁵." (Al-Khattab's opposition to Zayd ibn Nufayl, and Zayd's journey to Syria and his death): Al-Khattab had harmed Zayd until he drove him to the upper part of Mecca, so he settled at Hira' ⁶⁶, opposite Mecca. Al-Khattab appointed over him some young men of Quraysh and their foolish ones, saying to them: "Do not let him enter Mecca." So he would only enter it secretly from them. When they learned of that, they informed al-Khattab, who would expel him and harm him, disliking that he should corrupt their religion for them or that anyone among them should follow him in abandoning it. So he said, magnifying his sanctity against those who deemed lawful what they did to him from his people: "O Lord, I am in a state of ihram ⁶⁷, not of halal ⁶⁸... and indeed my house is in the middle of the settlement, Near al-Safa, not misleading." Then he set out seeking the religion of Abraham, peace be upon him, and questioning the monks and rabbis, until he reached Mosul and all of the Jazira ⁶⁹. Then he returned and traversed all of Syria, until he came to a monk at Mayfa'a ⁷⁰ in the land of al-Balqa' ⁷¹, to whom, they claimed, the knowledge of the Christians was ultimately traced. He asked him about the Hanifiyya, the religion of Abraham. He said: "You are seeking a religion for which you will find no one to guide you today. But the time of a prophet has drawn near, who will emerge from your land from which you came, sent with the religion of Abraham, the Hanifiyya. So return to it, for he is now about to be sent; this is his time." He had examined Judaism and Christianity but was not satisfied with either. So he set out quickly, when that monk said what he said, heading for Mecca. When he reached the middle of the land of Lakhm, they attacked him and killed him. Waraqa ibn Nawfal ibn Asad said, weeping for him: (Waraqa's elegy for Zayd): "You have attained guidance and done well, O son of 'Amr, for indeed... you have avoided a blazing oven of fire. By your religion, a Lord like whom there is no Lord... and your abandonment of the idols of the tyrants ⁷² as they are. And your attainment of the religion you sought... and you were not heedless of your Lord's oneness. So you have come to an abode whose dwelling is honorable... where you are entertained with generosity, rejoicing. You meet the Friend of God ⁷³ there, and you were not... a tyrant among people, falling into the fire. And a person may attain the mercy of his Lord... even if he were under the earth seventy valleys ⁷⁴." Ibn Hisham said: The first two verses are attributed to Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt, and the last verse is from a poem of his. His saying "idols of the tyrants" is from other than Ibn Ishaq. Description of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, from the Gospel (John the Apostle's announcement of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Ishaq said: There was, according to what has reached me, what Jesus son of Mary placed, from what came to him from God in the Gospel for the people of the Gospel, concerning the description of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, which John the Apostle confirmed for them when he copied the Gospel for them from the covenant of Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him.

In the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to them, that he said: "Whoever hates me has hated the Lord, and were it not that I performed before them acts of beneficence that no one before me had performed, they would have had no sin, but from now on they have become insolent and thought that they honor me (68), and also the Lord, but the word that is in the Law must be fulfilled: 'They hated me without cause' (69), that is, in vain. So when the Paraclete (al-Munḥamannā) comes, whom Allah sends to you from the Lord, (and) (70) the Holy Spirit (71), this one who came forth from the Lord, he is a witness for me and you also, because from of old you were with me in this; I said to you: so that you may not complain." And al-Munḥamannā (in Syriac) ³: Muḥammad; and in Greek: the Paraclete (al-Barqalīṭis), may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace. **The Mission of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace and safety)** Ibn Isḥāq (72) said: When Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), reached forty years of age, Allah the Exalted sent him as a mercy to the worlds, and as a bringer of glad tidings to all people. And Allah, Blessed and Exalted, had taken a covenant from every prophet He had sent before him, to believe in him, to affirm him, and to support him against those who opposed him, and He took from them that they should convey that to everyone who believed in them and affirmed them. So they fulfilled what was incumbent upon them of the right therein. Allah the Exalted says to Muḥammad (may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace): "And when Allah took the covenant of the prophets: 'Whatever I give you of the Book and wisdom, then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you must believe in him and support him'" (3:81). He said: "Do you affirm and take upon that My burden?" (3:81), i.e., the weight of My covenant that I have laid upon you. They said: "We affirm." He said: "Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses" (3:81). So Allah took the covenant of all the prophets to affirm him and to support him against those who opposed him, and they conveyed that to those who believed in them and affirmed them from the people of these two scriptures. **(The First Thing with Which the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) Was Begun Was the True Vision):** Ibn Isḥāq said: Al-Zuhrī mentioned from ʿUrwa ibn al-Zubayr, from ʿĀʾisha (may Allah be pleased with her), that she told him: The first thing with which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was begun of prophethood, when Allah intended honor for him and mercy for the servants through him, was the true vision; the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would not see a vision in his sleep except that it came like the break of dawn. She said: And Allah the Exalted made seclusion beloved to him, so there was nothing more beloved to him than to be alone. **(The Greeting of Stones and Trees to Him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)):** Ibn Isḥāq said: And ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿUbayd Allah ibn Abī Sufyān ibn al-ʿAlāʾ ibn Jāriya al-Thaqafī, who was a retainer of knowledge (74), told me from the people of knowledge: That when Allah intended honor for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and began him with prophethood, whenever he went out for his need, he would go far until the houses were hidden from him (75) and he would reach the ravines (shiʿāb) (76) of Mecca and the hollows of its valleys. And the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would not pass by a stone or a tree except that it said: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah" (77). He said: Then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would turn around, to his right, his left, and behind him, and he would see nothing but trees and stones. So the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) remained thus, seeing and hearing, for as long as Allah willed. Then Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him with what came to him of Allah's honor, while he was in Ḥirāʾ in the month of Ramaḍān. **(The Beginning of the Descent of Gabriel (peace be upon him)):** Ibn Isḥāq said: And Wahb ibn Kaysān (78), the client of the family of al-Zubayr, told me. He said: I heard ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Zubayr saying to ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr ibn Qatāda al-Laythī: "Tell us, O ʿUbayd, how was the beginning of what was begun with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) of prophethood, when Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him?" He said: Then ʿUbayd said—and I was present, narrating to ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Zubayr and those with him of the people—: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to retreat (yujāwir) (79) in Ḥirāʾ for a month every year, and that was part of what Quraysh used to do as taḥannuth in the pre-Islamic period. And taḥannuth means tabarrur (seeking righteousness)." Ibn Isḥāq said: And Abū Ṭālib said: "By Thawr and Him who made Thabīr firm in its place, / And the one who ascends to climb in Ḥirāʾ and the one who descends." **(A Linguistic Investigation by Ibn Hishām on the Meaning of Taḥannuth):** Ibn Hishām said: The Arabs say: al-taḥannuth and al-taḥannuf, meaning al-ḥanīfiyya (the religion of Abraham), substituting the fāʾ (80) for the thāʾ, just as they said: jadath and jadaf, meaning the grave. Ruʾba ibn al-ʿAjjāj said: "If my stones were with the ajdāf (81)," meaning al-ajdāth (graves). And this verse is in one of his rajaz poems. And the verse of Abū Ṭālib is in a poem of his, which I will mention, Allah willing, in its place. Ibn Hishām said: And Abū ʿUbayda told me that the Arabs say: famm, in place of thumm (then), substituting the fāʾ for the thāʾ. Ibn Isḥāq said: And Wahb ibn Kaysān told me, he said: ʿUbayd said: So the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) would retreat for that month every year, feeding the poor who came to him. And when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) completed his retreat of that month, the first thing he would begin with, when he returned from his retreat, was the Kaʿba, before entering his house. He would circumambulate it seven times, or as Allah willed of that, then return to his house. Until when it was the month in which Allah the Exalted intended for him what He intended of His honor, from the year in which Allah the Exalted sent him—and that month was the month of Ramaḍān—the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) went out to Ḥirāʾ, as he used to go out for his retreat, with his family. Until when it was the night in which Allah honored him with His message and had mercy on the servants through it, Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him with the command of Allah the Exalted. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Then Gabriel came to me, while I was asleep, with a brocade cloth (namaṭ) (83) of silk (dībāj) in which was a book (84), and he said: 'Recite!' He said: I said: 'I do not recite (mā aqraʾ)' (85). He said: Then he pressed me (ghattanī) (86) with it until I thought it was death, then he released me and said: 'Recite!' He said: I said: 'I do not recite.' He said: Then he pressed me with it until I thought it was death, then he released me and said: 'Recite!' He said: I said: 'What shall I recite (mādhā aqraʾ)?' He said: Then he pressed me with it until I thought it was death, then he released me (87) and said: 'Recite!' He said: I said: 'What shall I recite?' I only said that out of fear (iftidāʾan) from him that he might do to me again what he had done. Then he said: 'Recite in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clot. Recite, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know' (96:1-5). He said: Then I recited it, then he finished and departed from me, and I awoke (hababtu) from (88) my sleep, and it was as if a book had been inscribed in my heart. He said: Then I went out until, when I was on the middle of the mountain, I heard a voice from heaven saying: 'O Muḥammad, you are the Messenger of Allah, and I am Gabriel.' He said: I raised my head to heaven looking, and behold, Gabriel in the form of a man, with his feet set (ṣāffin qadamayhi) on the horizon of heaven, saying: 'O Muḥammad, you are the Messenger of Allah, and I am Gabriel.' He said: I stood looking at him, neither advancing nor retreating, and I began to turn my face away from him in the horizons of heaven." He said:

So I did not look in any direction of it without seeing him in that state. I kept standing, neither advancing forward nor retreating backward, until Khadijah sent her messengers in search of me. They reached the highest part of Mecca and returned to her, while I was still standing in that same place. Then he departed from me. (The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, relates to Khadijah what happened with Gabriel): I returned to my family until I came to Khadijah and sat beside her thigh, leaning ⁷⁵ towards her. She said: 'O Abu al-Qasim ⁷⁶, where have you been? By God, I sent my messengers in search of you until they reached Mecca.'

1. al-Ḥanīfiyya : The primordial monotheistic religion of Abraham, often associated with pure monotheism before the advent of Judaism and Christianity.
2. al-Ḥaram : The Sacred Sanctuary in Mecca, referring to the area around the Ka'ba.
3. Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl : A pre-Islamic monotheist (hanif) who rejected idolatry and sought the religion of Abraham.
4. yudīrūna : They performed circumambulation (ṭawāf) around the idol.
5. najiyyan : Privately, in secret counsel.
6. Dudān : A sub-tribe of Asad.
7. Zayd : Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl.
8. Riyāḥ : A name in the genealogy.
9. Razāḥ : A name in the genealogy.
10. dīnan : Religion or way of life.
11. faqqaḥnā wa ṣaʾṣaʾtum : A metaphor: 'We have opened our eyes wide (seen clearly), while you are blinking (still seeking sight).'
12. al-Najāshī : The title of the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) at the time.
13. al-Nabī : The Prophet Muhammad.
14. Ḥarb al-Fijār : The Sacrilegious War, a pre-Islamic conflict during the sacred months.
15. al-dhabāʾiḥ allatī tudhbaḥu ʿalā al-awthān : Animals sacrificed to idols.
16. al-mawʾūda : Infant girls buried alive, a pre-Islamic practice.
17. al-Kaʿba : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, the direction of prayer for Muslims.
18. anastaghfir : Shall we ask forgiveness (from God) for him?
19. al-Lāt wa al-ʿUzzā : Two major pre-Islamic Arabian goddesses.
20. ṣanamay Banī ʿAmr : Two idols worshipped by the tribe of Banu 'Amr.
21. Hubal : A major pre-Islamic idol worshipped in the Ka'ba.
22. al-fujūr : Wickedness, immorality.
23. fayarbulu minhum al-ṭifl al-ṣaghīr : The small child among them thrives (literally: grows up well).
24. yaftarru : Smiles, showing teeth.
25. thāba : Returns, comes back (i.e., a day of reckoning).
26. al-ghuṣn al-maṭīr : The watered branch (that sways).
27. raṣīnan : Firm, solid, well-constructed.
28. lā yanī al-dahra bāqiyā : It will not cease, enduring forever.
29. al-radā : Destruction, ruin.
30. ḥanānayka : An expression of seeking mercy or compassion, often translated as 'Your mercy' or 'Have mercy'.
31. al-ḥinn : A type of jinn; here referring to beings that were worshipped or relied upon by some.
32. ilāhan : A deity or god; in Islamic context, the one true God is Allah.
33. Allāhu : The Arabic name for God, the Supreme Being in Islam.
34. adīnu li-rabbin yustajābu... : A parenthetical statement emphasizing worship of a responsive Lord versus one who does not hear.
35. yā-dhhab : A variant reading or poetic form of 'idhhab' (go).
36. Hārūn : Aaron, the brother of Moses, a prophet in Islam.
37. hādhihī : Refers to the earth or the heavens; the context is God's creation.
38. hādhihī : Refers to the sky or heavens.
39. arfiq idhā bika bāniyā : A rhetorical challenge: 'Be gentle if you are a builder'—implying Pharaoh cannot create.
40. yahhtazzu rābiyā : Describes vegetation quivering and growing luxuriantly.
41. wa-innī : The speaker is Zayd ibn 'Amr, addressing God.
42. wa : The conjunction 'and' here is part of the poetic structure.
43. khaṭā'iyā : Sins or errors; the poet acknowledges his sins except those forgiven.
44. sayban wa-raḥmatan : Sayb means blessing or favor; raḥma is mercy.
45. ʿImād : A proper name; the father of 'Abdullah.
46. Akbar : A proper name; the grandfather of 'Abdullah.
47. al-ḥanīfiyya : The monotheistic religion of Abraham, considered the original pure faith.
48. ʿammuhu : Paternal uncle; al-Khattab was Zayd's uncle and also his maternal half-brother.
49. mā dābī wa-dābuhu : A phrase meaning 'what is my affair and his affair?'—expressing frustration.
50. mushayyaʿun dhulula rikābihi : One who follows easy paths; a traveler with compliant mounts.
51. daʿmūṣ : A diver; metaphorically, one who penetrates into affairs.
52. jā'ibun lil-khiraqi nābuhu : A traverser of lands, his garment worn out from travel.
53. qaṭṭāʿu asbābin tadhillu... : One who cuts ties that are humbled, without peers, their difficulties.
54. al-ʿīru idh yūhā ihābuhu : The camel when its hide is weakened—humiliation only affects the weak.
55. bi-ṣakki janbayhi ṣilābuhu : By the striking of its sides, its firm parts—the poet refuses to be humiliated.
56. lā yuwātīnī khiṭābuhu : His speech does not agree with me—referring to al-Khattab's reproaches.
57. mā ʿindī mafātiḥuhu wa-bābuhu : Metaphor for having control over something; the poet could reveal secrets if he wished.
58. ʿan : The preposition 'from' indicating the source of narration.
59. al-qibla : The direction of prayer, initially toward Jerusalem, later toward Mecca.
60. jāshim : One who bears or endures; the poet accepts whatever God imposes.
61. al-khāl : Maternal uncle; here possibly a reference to a person or concept.
62. man qāla : One who said—referring to someone who merely speaks without action.
63. daḥāhā : He spread it out; refers to God spreading the earth.
64. ʿadhaban zulālan : Fresh, pure, and sweet water.
65. sijālan : Torrents or heavy rain.
66. Ḥirā' : A mountain near Mecca where the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation.
67. muḥrim : In a state of ritual consecration for pilgrimage; here meaning sanctified or inviolable.
68. ḥillah : The state of being outside the sacred state; permissible.
69. al-Jazīra : The region of Upper Mesopotamia, including parts of modern Iraq, Syria, and Turkey.
70. Mayfaʿa : A place in the region of al-Balqa'.
71. al-Balqā' : A region in modern-day Jordan, near Amman.
72. aṭ-ṭawāghī : Plural of ṭāghūt, meaning tyrants or false gods.
73. Khalīl Allāh : The Friend of God, a title for Abraham.
74. sabʿīna wādiyā : Seventy valleys—a hyperbolic expression for great depth or distance.
75. muḍīfan : Leaning or inclining; here it indicates a posture of intimacy and trust.
76. Abu al-Qasim : The kunya (patronymic) of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'father of Qasim', his eldest son who died in infancy.

Khadijah, before Waraqah, relating to him the account of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

Then they returned to me, and I told her what I had seen. She said: 'Rejoice, O cousin, and be steadfast. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Khadijah, I truly hope that you will be the prophet of this nation.' (Khadijah before Waraqah, relating to him the account of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): Then she arose and gathered her garments about her, and set out to Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy, who was her cousin. Waraqah had become a Christian and read the scriptures, and had heard from the people of the Torah and the Gospel. She informed him of what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had told her—that he had seen and heard. Waraqah ibn Nawfal said: 'Holy, holy ¹! By Him in whose hand is the soul of Waraqah, if you have told me the truth, O Khadijah, then the greatest Namus ² has come to him, the same that came to Moses. Indeed, he is the prophet of this nation. Tell him to be steadfast.' Then Khadijah returned to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and informed him of Waraqah ibn Nawfal's words. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, completed his seclusion and departed, he did as he used to do: he began with the Ka'bah and circumambulated it. Waraqah ibn Nawfal met him while he was circumambulating the Ka'bah and said: 'O son of my brother, tell me what you have seen and heard.' So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told him. Waraqah said to him: 'By Him in whose hand is my soul, you are indeed the prophet of this nation. The greatest Namus has come to you, the same that came to Moses. You will be denied, harmed, expelled, and fought ³. If I live to see that day, I will surely support Allah with a support that He knows.' Then he brought his head close to him and kissed his crown ⁴. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned to his home. (Khadijah's test of the proof of revelation): Ibn Ishaq said: Isma'il ibn Abi Hakim ⁵, the freed slave of the family of al-Zubayr, narrated to me that he was told...

1. Quddūs : A term meaning 'Holy' or 'Sanctified', used to express awe and reverence for God.
2. Nāmūs : Refers to the angel of revelation (Gabriel) or the divine law; here it means the angel who brought revelation to Moses.
3. la-tukadhdhabannahu wa-la-tu'dhayannahu wa-la-tukhrajannahu wa-la-tuqātalannahu : Prophetic prediction that the Prophet Muhammad would be denied, harmed, expelled, and fought.
4. yāfūkh : The crown of the head or the fontanelle; a gesture of honor and affection.
5. Ismā'īl ibn Abī Hakīm : A narrator of hadith, a freed slave of the family of al-Zubayr, known for transmitting early Islamic history.

The commencement of the revelation of the Quran [1]

From Khadija ¹, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said to the Messenger of Allah ², may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "O cousin, can you inform me about this companion of yours who comes to you when he comes?" He said: "Yes." She said: "When he comes to you, inform me of him." So Jibril ³, peace be upon him, came to him as he used to do. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Khadija: "O Khadija, this is Jibril who has come to me." She said: "Stand up, O cousin, and sit on my left thigh." He said: So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up and sat on it. She said: "Do you see him?" He said: "Yes." She said: "Then move and sit on my right thigh." She said: So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, moved and sat on her right thigh. She said: "Do you see him?" He said: "Yes." She said: "Then move and sit in my lap." She said: So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, moved and sat in her lap. She said: "Do you see him?" He said: "Yes." She said: Then she uncovered herself and threw off her khimar ⁴ while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sitting in her lap. Then she said to him: "Do you see him?" He said: "No." She said: "O cousin, be firm and rejoice, for by Allah, he is an angel and this is not a devil." Ibn Ishaq ⁵ said: I narrated this hadith to Abdullah ibn Hasan ⁶, and he said: I heard my mother Fatima bint Husayn ⁷ narrating this hadith from Khadija, except that I heard her say: She brought the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, between her and her garment, and at that Jibril left. She said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "This is an angel and he is not a devil." The Beginning of the Revelation of the Qur'an Ibn Ishaq said: The revelation began for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the month of Ramadan, by the word of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "The month of Ramadan in which the Qur'an was revealed" [2:185].

1. Khadija : Khadija bint Khuwaylid, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad and the first person to believe in his message.
2. Messenger of Allah : A title for the Prophet Muhammad, meaning the one sent by Allah with the message of Islam.
3. Jibril : The angel Gabriel, who brought divine revelation to the prophets.
4. khimar : A head covering worn by Muslim women, covering the hair and neck.
5. Ibn Ishaq : Muhammad ibn Ishaq, an early Muslim historian and author of the first major biography of the Prophet Muhammad.
6. Abdullah ibn Hasan : Abdullah ibn Hasan ibn Hasan ibn Ali, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through his grandson Hasan.
7. Fatima bint Husayn : Fatima bint Husayn ibn Ali, a granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and Ali.

The Islam of Khadija bint Khuwaylid [1]

A guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and the criterion ¹ [2:185]. And Allah the Exalted said: "Indeed, We sent it down during the Night of Decree ². And what will make you know what the Night of Decree is? The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit ³ descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter. Peace it is until the emergence of dawn" [97:1-5]. And Allah the Exalted said: "Ha, Meem ⁴. By the clear Book, indeed We sent it down during a blessed night. Indeed, We were ever warning. On that night is made distinct every wise matter, a command from Us. Indeed, We were ever sending messengers" [44:1-5]. And He the Exalted said: "If you have believed in Allah and what We sent down upon Our Servant on the Day of the Criterion ⁵, the day when the two armies met" [8:41]. That was the meeting of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the polytheists at Badr. Ibn Ishaq said: Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Husayn narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, met the polytheists at Badr on Friday, the morning of the seventeenth of Ramadan. Ibn Ishaq said: Then the revelation continued to come to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was a believer in Allah, affirming the truth of what came to him from Him, accepting it with acceptance, and bearing from it what he bore despite the pleasure or anger of people. Prophethood is burdens and toil; none bears it nor can endure it except those of strength and resolve among the messengers, with the help of Allah the Exalted and His success, because of what they encounter from people and the rejection of what they brought from Allah, glorified and exalted be He. He said: So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, proceeded on the command of Allah, despite what he encountered from his people of opposition and harm. **The Acceptance of Islam by Khadijah bint Khuwaylid** Khadijah bint Khuwaylid believed in him, affirmed the truth of what came to him from Allah, and supported him in his affair. She was the first to believe in Allah and His Messenger and to affirm the truth of what came from him. By that, Allah lightened the burden of His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; whenever he heard something he disliked of rejection or denial that grieved him, Allah would relieve him through her when he returned to her. She would strengthen him, lighten his burden, affirm his truth, and make people's matter easy for him. May Allah the Exalted have mercy on her. **The Messenger's Glad Tidings to Khadijah of a House of Qasab ⁶** Ibn Ishaq said: Hisham ibn 'Urwa narrated to me from his father 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr from 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I was commanded to give glad tidings to Khadijah of a house of qasab, wherein there is no clamor and no fatigue." Ibn Hisham said: Al-qasab (here) means hollowed pearls. **Gabriel Conveys Greetings to Khadijah** Ibn Hisham said: One whom I trust narrated to me that Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: "Convey greetings of peace to Khadijah from her Lord." So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "O Khadijah, this is Gabriel conveying greetings of peace to you from your Lord." Khadijah said: "Allah is Peace, and from Him is peace, and upon Gabriel be peace." **The Interruption of Revelation and the Revelation of Surat al-Duha ⁷** Ibn Ishaq said: Then revelation was interrupted for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for a period, which distressed him and grieved him. Then Gabriel came to him with Surat al-Duha, by which his Lord swore to him—He who had honored him with what He honored him—that He had not forsaken him nor hated him. He the Exalted said: "By the morning brightness, and by the night when it covers with darkness, your Lord has not forsaken you, nor has He hated [you]" [93:1-3]. He says: He has not cut you off and abandoned you, nor has He hated you since He loved you. "And the Hereafter is better for you than the first [life]" [93:4]: that is, what is with Me of your return to Me is better for you than the honor I have hastened for you in the world. "And your Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied" [93:5] of triumph in the world and reward in the Hereafter. "Did He not find you an orphan and give [you] refuge? And He found you lost and guided [you], and He found you poor and made [you] self-sufficient" [93:6-8]. Allah informs him of what He had initiated for him of His honor in his immediate affair, and His favor upon him in his orphanhood, poverty, and being lost, and His rescue of him from all that by His mercy. **Ibn Hisham's Explanation of Vocabulary of Surat al-Duha** Ibn Hisham said: Saja ⁸: stillness. Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt al-Thaqafi said: "When our resting place came, while my companions had slept, and the night grew still with pitch-black darkness." This verse is from a poem of his. The eye is called sajiya when its lid is still, and its lid has become still. Jarir (ibn al-Khatafa) said: "And indeed we shot you, when they departed, with eyes that kill from within the curtains, still." This verse is from a poem of his. Al-'a'il ⁹: the poor. Abu Khirash al-Hudhali said: "To his house comes the destitute when winter comes, and the one who seeks hospitality, worn out in two garments, poor." Its plural is 'ala and 'ayl. This verse is from a poem of his which I will mention in its place, if Allah wills. Al-'a'il (also): the one who supports a family. Al-'a'il (also): the fearful. In the Book of Allah the Exalted: "That is more suitable that you not be unjust" [4:3]. Abu Talib said: "With a just balance that does not diminish a grain, having a witness from itself, not unjust." This verse is from a poem of his which I will mention in its place, if Allah wills. Al-'a'il (also): the thing that is burdensome and exhausting. A man says: "This matter has 'ala-ni," meaning it has burdened and exhausted me. Al-Farazdaq said:

1. al-furqān : The Criterion; a name for the Qur'an, indicating it distinguishes truth from falsehood.
2. laylat al-qadr : The Night of Decree; a night in Ramadan when the Qur'an was first revealed, better than a thousand months.
3. al-rūḥ : The Spirit; often interpreted as the angel Gabriel or a special angel.
4. ḥā mīm : Disjointed letters (muqatta'at) at the beginning of some Qur'anic chapters; their meaning is known only to Allah.
5. yawm al-furqān : The Day of the Criterion; the day of the Battle of Badr, when truth was distinguished from falsehood.
6. qaṣab : Hollowed pearls; a metaphor for a house in Paradise made of pearls.
7. sūrat al-ḍuḥā : Chapter 93 of the Qur'an, revealed to comfort the Prophet after a pause in revelation.
8. sajā : Stillness; the night when it becomes calm and dark.
9. al-‘ā’il : The poor; also can mean one who supports a family, or one who is fearful or unjust.

The obligation of prayer was initiated [1]

You see the noble chiefs of Quraysh ¹ ... when the matter in the vicissitudes of time becomes grave. (1) This verse is from a poem of his. "So as for the orphan, do not oppress [him]. And as for the beggar, do not repel [him]" [93:9-10]: meaning, do not be tyrannical, arrogant, or harsh and foul-mouthed towards the weak among Allah's servants. "And as for the favor of your Lord, proclaim [it]" [93:11]: meaning, with what has come to you from Allah of His favor and honor, i.e., prophethood, proclaim it, i.e., mention it and call to it. So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, began to mention what Allah had bestowed upon him and upon the servants through him of prophethood, secretly to those of his family whom he trusted. "The Beginning of the Obligation of Prayer" (2) And prayer was made obligatory upon him. So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace and his family, and peace be upon him and them and the mercy of Allah and His blessings, prayed. "Prayer was made obligatory as two rak'ahs [3] each, then it was increased": Ibn Ishaq said: Salih ibn Kaysan narrated to me from 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, from 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: Prayer was made obligatory upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at first as two rak'ahs each prayer. Then Allah, exalted is He, completed it as four [rak'ahs] when resident, and confirmed it in travel upon its original obligation of two rak'ahs (3). "Gabriel's Teaching the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Ablution and Prayer": Ibn Ishaq said: Some people of knowledge narrated to me that when prayer was made obligatory upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Gabriel came to him while he was in the upper part of Mecca. He struck the ground with his heel in a side of the valley, and a spring gushed forth from it. Gabriel, peace be upon him, performed ablution, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, watched him to show him how purification for prayer is done. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, performed ablution as he saw Gabriel perform ablution. Then Gabriel led him in prayer, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed with his prayer. Then Gabriel, peace be upon him, departed. "The Messenger's Teaching Khadija Ablution and Prayer": So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Khadija and performed ablution for her to show her how purification for prayer is done, just as Gabriel had shown him. So she performed ablution as the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had performed ablution for her. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, led her in prayer as Gabriel had led him, so she prayed with his prayer (4).

1. Quraysh : The dominant tribe of Mecca at the time of the Prophet Muhammad, to which he belonged.

It is reported that Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, was the first male to embrace Islam [1].

The assignment of Gabriel to teach the prayer times to the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace: Ibn Ishaq said: 'Utba ibn Muslim, the freedman of the Banu Tamim, narrated to me from Nafi' ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im—and Nafi' was a frequent transmitter—from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: When prayer was made obligatory for the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him and led him in the noon prayer when the sun had passed its zenith, then led him in the afternoon prayer when his shadow was equal to his height, then led him in the sunset prayer when the sun had set, then led him in the night prayer when the twilight had disappeared, then led him in the dawn prayer when the dawn had risen. Then he came to him the next day and led him in the noon prayer when his shadow was equal to his height, then led him in the afternoon prayer when his shadow was twice his height, then led him in the sunset prayer at the same time as the previous day, then led him in the night prayer when the first third of the night had passed, then led him in the dawn prayer when it was light but not yet bright. Then he said: O Muhammad, prayer is between your prayer today and your prayer yesterday.' ¹ Mention that 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, was the first male to embrace Islam: Ibn Ishaq said: Then the first male among people to believe in the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and to pray with him and affirm what came to him from God Almighty was 'Ali ibn Abi Talib ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, may God's pleasure and peace be upon him, and he was at that time ten years old. His upbringing in the care of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, and the reason for that: Among the blessings that God bestowed upon 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, was that he was in the care of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, before Islam. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Abdullah ibn Abi Najih narrated to me from Mujahid ibn Jabr ² Abu al-Hajjaj, who said: Among God's favors upon 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, and what God did for him and intended for him of good, was that Quraysh suffered a severe famine, and Abu Talib had many dependents. So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to his uncle al-'Abbas, who was among the wealthiest of Banu Hashim: O 'Abbas, your brother Abu Talib has many dependents, and the people are suffering from this famine as you see. Let us go to him and lighten his burden by taking one of his sons each, so that we may relieve him ³. Al-'Abbas said: Yes. So they went until they came to Abu Talib and said: We wish to lighten your burden until the people's hardship is alleviated. Abu Talib said to them: If you leave me 'Aqil, do as you wish. Ibn Hisham said: It is also said: 'Aqil and Talib ⁴. So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, took 'Ali and kept him with him, and al-'Abbas took Ja'far and kept him with him. 'Ali remained with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, until God, blessed and exalted, sent him as a prophet, and 'Ali followed him, believed in him, and affirmed him. Ja'far remained with al-'Abbas until he embraced Islam and became independent of him. 'Ali's going out with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, to the mountain passes of Mecca to pray, and Abu Talib's awareness of their affair: Ibn Ishaq said: Some scholars mentioned that when the time for prayer came, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, would go out to the mountain passes of Mecca, and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib would go out with him, hiding from his father Abu Talib and from all his uncles and the rest of his people, and they would pray the prayers there.

1. shafaq : The twilight; the redness in the sky after sunset, which marks the beginning of the night prayer time.
2. Mujahid ibn Jabr : A prominent early Muslim scholar and exegete of the Qur'an, known as a student of Ibn 'Abbas.
3. azmah : A severe drought or famine that afflicted the Quraysh tribe.
4. Aqil and Talib : Two of Abu Talib's sons; 'Aqil was older than 'Ali, and Talib was another son. The variant reading mentions both.

The Islam of Zayd ibn Harithah, secondly [1]

When evening came, they returned. They remained thus for as long as Allah willed. Then one day Abu Talib came upon them while they were praying, and said to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): 'O son of my brother! What is this religion that I see you following?' He replied: 'O uncle, this is the religion of Allah, the religion of His angels, the religion of His messengers, and the religion of our father Ibrahim'—or as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said—'Allah sent me as a messenger to His servants, and you, O uncle, are the most deserving of my sincere advice and invitation to guidance, and the most deserving to respond to me and assist me in it,' or as he said. Abu Talib said: 'O son of my brother, I cannot abandon the religion of my fathers and what they were upon, but by Allah, nothing you dislike will reach you as long as I live.' They also mentioned that he said to Ali: 'O my son, what is this religion that you follow?' He replied: 'O father, I believe in Allah and the Messenger of Allah, I affirm the truth of what he brought, I pray with him to Allah, and I follow him.' They claim that he said to him: 'Indeed, he has only called you to good, so adhere to it.' **The Conversion of Zayd ibn Harithah ¹** Ibn Ishaq said: Then Zayd ibn Harithah ibn Sharhabil ibn Ka'b ibn Abd al-Uzza ibn Imru' al-Qays al-Kalbi, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), embraced Islam. He was the first male to embrace Islam and prayed after Ali ibn Abi Talib. **His Lineage and the Reason the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) Adopted Him** Ibn Hisham said: Zayd ibn Harithah ibn Sharahil ibn Ka'b ibn Abd al-Uzza ibn Imru' al-Qays ibn Amir ibn al-Nu'man ibn Amir ibn Abd Wudd ibn Awf ibn Kinanah ibn Bakr ibn Awf ibn Udhrah ibn Zayd al-Lat ² ibn Rufaydah ibn Thawr ibn Kalb ibn Wabrah. Hakim ibn Hizam ibn Khuwaylid had brought some slaves ³ from Syria, among whom was Zayd ibn Harithah as a young servant. His aunt Khadijah bint Khuwaylid—who was then with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)—came to him, and he said to her: 'Choose, O aunt, whichever of these boys you wish, he is yours.' She chose Zayd and took him. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw him with her and asked her for him, so she gave him to him. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) then freed him and adopted him, and that was before revelation came to him. **The Poetry of Harithah When He Lost His Son Zayd, and His Arrival to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) Asking for His Return** His father Harithah had grieved intensely over him and wept for him when he lost him, saying: I wept for Zayd, not knowing what he did, / Alive, so hope remains, or has death come? By Allah, I know not, though I ask, / Did the plain consume you after me, or the mountain? ⁴ Would that I knew, will you ever return? / Enough for me in this world is your return, indeed. ⁵ The sun reminds me of him at its rising, / And his memory appears when it sets. ⁶ When the winds blow, they stir his memory, / Oh, how long my grief and fear for him! ⁷ I will urge on the swift camels across the land, striving, / And I will not tire of roaming until the camels tire, ⁸ All my life, until my death comes to me, / For every man perishes, though hope deludes him. ⁹ Then he came to him while he was with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: 'If you wish, stay with me; if you wish, go with your father.' He said: 'Rather, I will stay with you.' He remained with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) until Allah sent him as a prophet, and he believed in him ¹⁰ and embraced Islam.

1. Zayd ibn Harithah : Zayd ibn Harithah was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and the only companion mentioned by name in the Quran (Surah al-Ahzab, 33:37). He was adopted by the Prophet before the prohibition of adoption in Islam.
2. Zayd al-Lat : Zayd al-Lat is a pre-Islamic name meaning 'Zayd of al-Lat', where al-Lat was a pagan goddess worshipped in pre-Islamic Arabia.
3. raqiq : Raqiq refers to slaves or captives, often used for young male servants or slaves.
4. ghalaka : A poetic expression meaning 'consumed you' or 'took you away', referring to the land or mountain hiding or destroying the person.
5. bajal : An Arabic word meaning 'sufficient' or 'enough', used here to emphasize that the return of Zayd would be enough for Harithah.
6. gharbuha afal : A poetic phrase meaning 'its setting has set', i.e., the sun has set, evoking the memory of Zayd at sunset.
7. wajal : A word meaning 'fear' or 'anxiety', expressing the poet's deep emotional state.
8. nasṣ al-‘īs : A phrase meaning 'urging on the swift camels', where 'nasṣ' means to urge or press forward, and 'al-‘īs' refers to fast, strong camels.
9. gharrahu al-amal : Meaning 'hope deludes him', indicating that hope can deceive a person into thinking he will not die.
10. saddaqahu : Meaning 'he believed him' or 'affirmed his truth', referring to Zayd's faith in the Prophet's message.

The conversion of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, and his affair [1].

He prayed with him. Then when Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed: 'Call them by their fathers' [33:5], he said: 'I am Zayd, son of Harithah.' [The Islam of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, and his affair] (His lineage): Ibn Ishaq said: Then Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafah embraced Islam. His name is 'Atiq, and the name of Abu Quhafah is 'Uthman ibn 'Amir ibn 'Amr ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr. Ibn Hisham said: The name of Abu Bakr is 'Abdullah, and 'Atiq is a nickname due to the beauty of his face and his freedom ¹. (His Islam): Ibn Ishaq said: When Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, embraced Islam, he made his Islam public and called to Allah and to His Messenger.

1. ‘Atiq : A nickname meaning 'liberated' or 'noble-faced'; also interpreted as 'one freed from Hellfire'.

Mention of those among the Companions who embraced Islam at the invitation of Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him.

His status among Quraysh and his call to Islam: Abu Bakr ¹ was a man well-liked by his people, beloved and easy-going. He was the most knowledgeable of Quraysh about their lineages and the most aware of their good and evil. He was a merchant, of good character and known for his kindness. The men of his tribe would come to him and feel at ease with him for many reasons: his knowledge, his trade, and his pleasant company. He began to call to God and to Islam those among his people whom he trusted, those who frequented him and sat with him. Mention of those Companions who embraced Islam through the call of Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him: The conversion of Uthman, al-Zubayr, Abd al-Rahman, Sa'd, and Talha: He said: Through his call—as has reached me—the following embraced Islam: Uthman ibn Affan ², al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam ³, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf ⁴, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas ⁵, and Talha ibn Ubayd Allah ⁶. He brought them to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, when they responded to him, and they embraced Islam and prayed. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, used to say—as has reached me: "I never called anyone to Islam without there being in him some hesitation ⁷, reflection, and wavering, except for Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafa; he did not hesitate when I mentioned it to him, nor did he waver." Ibn Hisham said: His words "through his call" are from other than Ibn Ishaq. Ibn Hisham said: His words "he did not hesitate" (ma 'akama): he did not delay. Ru'ba ibn al-'Ajaj said: "And he turned away swiftly with it and did not hesitate." Ibn Ishaq said: These were the eight individuals who preceded the people in Islam; they prayed and affirmed the truth of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, regarding what came to him from God. The conversion of Abu Ubayda, Abu Salama, al-Arqam, the sons of Maz'un, Ubayda ibn al-Harith, Sa'id ibn Zayd and his wife, Asma', Aisha, and Khabbab: Then embraced Islam: Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah ⁸; Abu Salama ⁹; al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam ¹⁰; Uthman ibn Maz'un ¹¹ and his brothers Qudama and Abd Allah, the sons of Maz'un; Ubayda ibn al-Harith ¹²; Sa'id ibn Zayd ¹³ and his wife Fatima bint al-Khattab; Asma' bint Abi Bakr ¹⁴; Aisha bint Abi Bakr, who was then young; and Khabbab ibn al-Aratt ¹⁵, an ally of the Banu Zuhra. Ibn Hisham said: Khabbab ibn al-Aratt was from the Banu Tamim, and it is said he was from Khuza'a. The conversion of Umayr, Ibn Mas'ud, and Ibn al-Qarri: Ibn Ishaq said: And Umayr ibn Abi Waqqas ¹⁶, the brother of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas; and Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud ¹⁷; and Mas'ud ibn al-Qarri ¹⁸. Something about al-Qarra: Ibn Hisham said: Al-Qarra ¹⁹ is a nickname for them, and of them it is said: "He has done justice to al-Qarra who shoots at them." They were a people of archers. The conversion of Salit and his brother, Ayyash and his wife, Khunays, and Amir: Ibn Ishaq said: And Salit ibn Amr ²⁰; and his brother Hatib ibn Amr; and Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'a ²¹ and his wife Asma' bint Salama; and Khunays ibn Hudhafa ²²; and Amir ibn Rabi'a ²³, from 'Anz ibn Wa'il, an ally of the family of al-Khattab. Ibn Hisham said: 'Anz ibn Wa'il is the brother of Bakr ibn Wa'il, from Rabi'a ibn Nizar. The conversion of the two sons of Jahsh, Ja'far and his wife, the children of al-Harith and their wives, al-Sa'ib, and al-Muttalib and his wife: Ibn Ishaq said: And Abd Allah ibn Jahsh ²⁴ and his brother Abu Ahmad ibn Jahsh, allies of the Banu Umayya; and Ja'far ibn Abi Talib ²⁵ and his wife Asma' bint Umays; and Hatib ibn al-Harith ²⁶ and his wife Fatima bint al-Mujallal; and his brother Khattab ibn al-Harith and his wife Fukayha bint Yasar; and Ma'mar ibn al-Harith; and al-Sa'ib ibn Uthman ibn Maz'un; and al-Muttalib ibn Azhar ²⁷ and his wife Ramla bint Abi Awf; and al-Nahham, whose name is Nu'aym ibn Abd Allah ²⁸, a brother of the Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b. The conversion of Nu'aym and his lineage: Ibn Hisham said: He is Nu'aym ibn Abd Allah ibn Asid... He was called al-Nahham because the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "I have heard his Nahm ²⁹ in Paradise." Ibn Hisham said: His Nahm: his voice. (And his Nahm): his sound. The conversion of Amir ibn Fuhayra and his lineage:

Ibn Ishaq said: 'Amir ibn Fuhayra, the freed slave of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him.' Ibn Hisham said: 'Amir ibn Fuhayra ³⁰ was a client ³¹ of the Asad tribe, a black man whom Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, purchased from them.' (The Conversion of Khalid ibn Sa'id and his wife Amina): Ibn Ishaq said: 'Khalid ibn Sa'id ³² ibn al-'As ibn Umayya ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy, and his wife Amina ³³ bint Khalaf ibn As'ad ibn 'Amir ibn Bayada ibn Subay' ibn Ju'thuma ³⁴ ibn Sa'd ibn Mulayh ibn 'Amr, from Khuza'a.' Ibn Hisham said: 'It is also said: Humayna ³⁵ bint Khalaf.' (The Conversion of Hatib and Abu Hudhayfa, and the Conversion of Waqid, and something about him): Ibn Ishaq said: 'Hatib ibn 'Amr ³⁶ ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr. And Abu Hudhayfa, whose name is Muhashsham ³⁷ — according to Ibn Hisham — ibn 'Utba ibn Rabi'a ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy. And Waqid ³⁸ ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn 'Urayn ibn Tha'laba ibn Yarbu' ibn Hanzala ibn Malik ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim, an ally of the Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b.' Ibn Hisham said: 'Bahila brought him and sold him to al-Khattab ibn Nufayl, who adopted him. When Allah Almighty revealed: "Call them by their fathers" [33:5], he said: "I am Waqid ibn 'Abd Allah," according to Abu 'Amr al-Madani.' (The Conversion of the Banu al-Bakir, and 'Ammar ibn Yasir): Ibn Ishaq said: 'Khalid ³⁹, 'Amir ⁴⁰, 'Aqil ⁴¹, and Iyas ⁴², the sons of al-Bakir ⁴³ ibn 'Abd Yalil ibn Nashib ibn Ghayra ibn ⁴⁴ Sa'd ibn Layth ibn Bakr ibn 'Abd Manat ibn Kinana, allies of the Banu ⁴⁵ 'Adi ibn Ka'b. And 'Ammar ibn Yasir ⁴⁶, an ally of the Banu Makhzum ibn Yaqaza.' Ibn Hisham said: ''Ammar ibn Yasir was an 'Ansi from Madhhij ⁴⁷.' (The Conversion of Suhayb and his Lineage): Ibn Ishaq said: 'Suhayb ibn Sinan ⁴⁸, one of the Namir ibn Qasit, an ally of the Banu Taym ibn Murra.' Ibn Hisham said: 'Al-Namir ibn Qasit ibn Hinb ibn Afsa ibn Jadila ibn Asad ibn Rabi'a ibn Nizar, and it is said: Afsa ibn Du'miyy ibn Jadila ibn Asad. And it is said: Suhayb was the freed slave of 'Abd Allah ⁴⁹ ibn Jud'an ibn 'Amr ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym.'

1. Abu Bakr : Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, the first Caliph and close companion of the Prophet Muhammad.
2. Uthman ibn Affan : The third Caliph, known for his compilation of the Quran.
3. al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam : A prominent companion and cousin of the Prophet, one of the ten promised Paradise.
4. Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf : A wealthy companion and one of the ten promised Paradise.
5. Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas : A companion and military commander, one of the ten promised Paradise.
6. Talha ibn Ubayd Allah : A companion and one of the ten promised Paradise.
7. kabwa : A stumble or hesitation; here meaning reluctance or delay in accepting Islam.
8. Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah : A companion and military commander, known as the 'trustee of the community.'
9. Abu Salama : Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Asad, a companion and early Muslim.
10. al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam : A companion whose house was used as a meeting place for early Muslims.
11. Uthman ibn Maz'un : A companion known for his piety and asceticism.
12. Ubayda ibn al-Harith : A companion and cousin of the Prophet, martyred at Badr.
13. Sa'id ibn Zayd : A companion and one of the ten promised Paradise.
14. Asma' bint Abi Bakr : Daughter of Abu Bakr, known for her courage and role in the migration.
15. Khabbab ibn al-Aratt : A companion who was among the early Muslims and endured persecution.
16. Umayr ibn Abi Waqqas : A companion and brother of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas.
17. Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud : A companion and renowned Quran reciter and scholar.
18. Mas'ud ibn al-Qarri : A companion from the tribe of al-Qarra.
19. al-Qarra : A tribe known for archery; the name is a nickname.
20. Salit ibn Amr : A companion from the Banu 'Amir.
21. Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'a : A companion and early Muslim.
22. Khunays ibn Hudhafa : A companion and early Muslim.
23. Amir ibn Rabi'a : A companion and ally of the family of al-Khattab.
24. Abd Allah ibn Jahsh : A companion and cousin of the Prophet, martyred at Uhud.
25. Ja'far ibn Abi Talib : A companion and cousin of the Prophet, known as Ja'far al-Tayyar.
26. Hatib ibn al-Harith : A companion from the Banu Jumah.
27. al-Muttalib ibn Azhar : A companion from the Banu Zuhra.
28. Nu'aym ibn Abd Allah : A companion known as al-Nahham, meaning 'the one with a pleasant voice.'
29. Nahm : A low, pleasant sound or voice; here referring to the sound of recitation or prayer.
30. ʿĀmir b. Fuhayra : A companion of the Prophet, known for his early conversion and martyrdom at Bi'r Ma'una.
31. muwallad : A client or freed slave born into the tribe, often of non-Arab origin.
32. Khālid b. Saʿīd : An early convert to Islam, later a governor under the Prophet.
33. Amīna : Wife of Khalid ibn Sa'id, also an early convert.
34. Juʿthuma : A sub-tribe of Khuza'a.
35. Humayna : Variant name for Amina bint Khalaf.
36. Ḥāṭib b. ʿAmr : An early convert from the Quraysh.
37. Muhashsham : Name of Abu Hudhayfa, meaning 'the one with a broken front tooth'.
38. Wāqid b. ʿAbd Allāh : An early convert, originally a slave adopted by al-Khattab.
39. Khālid : Son of al-Bakir, an early convert.
40. ʿĀmir : Son of al-Bakir, an early convert.
41. ʿĀqil : Son of al-Bakir, an early convert.
42. Iyās : Son of al-Bakir, an early convert.
43. al-Bakīr : A clan from Kinana, allies of the Banu 'Adi.
44. Ghayra : Ancestor in the lineage of al-Bakir.
45. Banū : Sons of; used to denote a tribe or clan.
46. ʿAmmār b. Yāsir : A prominent companion, known for his steadfastness in faith.
47. ʿAnsī : Belonging to the 'Ans tribe of Madhhij.
48. Ṣuhayb b. Sinān : A companion of the Prophet, known as Suhayb al-Rumi (the Roman).
49. ʿAbd Allāh b. Judʿān : A wealthy Qurayshite, known for his generosity.

The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, initiated [1] his people, and what transpired from them.

It is said that he was a Roman. Some of those who mentioned that he was from al-Namir ibn Qāsiṭ said that he was only a captive in the land of the Romans, and was purchased from them. It has come in the ḥadīth (tradition) from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "Ṣuhayb is the forerunner of the Romans." **The Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) Open Proclamation to His People, and What Occurred from Them** **(Allah's Command to Him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to Openly Proclaim to His People):** Ibn Isḥāq said: Then people entered Islam in groups, men and women, until the mention of Islam spread in Mecca and it was spoken of. Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, commanded His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to proclaim openly what had come to him from Him, to confront the people with His command, and to call them to it. Between the time when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) concealed his affair and kept it secret until Allah Most High commanded him to make his religion manifest was three years—according to what has reached me—from his mission. Then Allah Most High said to him: "So proclaim openly (iṣdaʿ) (1) what you are commanded, and turn away from the polytheists" (15:94). And He Most High said: "And warn (6:51) your nearest kinsmen. And lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers" (26:214-215). "And say, 'Indeed I am the clear warner'" (15:89). **(Ibn Hishām's Explanation of Some Terms):** Ibn Hishām said: "iṣdaʿ" means: separate between truth and falsehood. Abū Dhu'ayb al-Hudhalī, whose name is Khuwaylid ibn Khālid, said, describing wild she-asses (2) and their stallion: "And they are like a *ribābah* (a leather vessel for milk), and he is like a *yasar* (a divider of arrows) who distributes (yufīḍu) upon the divination arrows and makes clear (yaṣdaʿu)" (3) Meaning: he distributes upon the arrows and makes clear their shares. This verse is in a poem of his. Ru'bah ibn al-'Ajjāj said: "You are the forbearing one and the avenging commander, you make clear (taṣdaʿu) the truth and repel those who wrong." These two verses (4) are in a *urjūzah* (a poem in *rajaz* meter) of his. **(The Messenger's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) Departure with His Companions to the Mountain Passes of Mecca, and What Sa'd Did):** Ibn Isḥāq said: When the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) prayed, they would go into the mountain passes and conceal their prayers from their people. While Sa'd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ was with a group of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in one of the mountain passes of Mecca, a group of polytheists came upon them while they were praying. They reproached them and criticized what they were doing until they fought them. On that day, Sa'd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ struck a man from the polytheists with the jawbone (5) of a camel, splitting his head (shajjahū) (6). This was the first blood shed in Islam. **(His People's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) Manifestation of Enmity Towards Him, and His Uncle Abū Ṭālib's Protection of Him):** Ibn Isḥāq said: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) openly proclaimed Islam to his people and made it clear (ṣadaʿa bihī) as Allah commanded him, his people did not distance themselves from him nor reject him—according to what has reached me—until he mentioned their gods and criticized them. When he did that, they considered it grave, reproached him, and unanimously agreed upon opposing him and showing enmity towards him, except for those whom Allah Most High protected through Islam, and they were few and concealed themselves. The Messenger of Allah's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) uncle, Abū Ṭālib, protected him (ḥadiba) (7), defended him, and stood in his defense. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) continued upon Allah's command, making his affair manifest, with nothing turning him back from it. When Quraysh saw that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) did not appease them (lā yaʿtibuhum) (8) regarding anything they disapproved of in him—his separation from them and his criticism of their gods—and they saw that his uncle Abū Ṭālib had protected him and stood in his defense, not surrendering him to them, some men from the nobles of Quraysh went to Abū Ṭālib: 'Utbah and Shaybah, the sons of Rabī'ah ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manāf ibn Quṣayy ibn Kilāb ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib; Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb ibn Umayyah ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manāf ibn Quṣayy ibn Kilāb ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib ibn Fihr. Ibn Hishām said: Abū Sufyān's name is Ṣakhr. Ibn Isḥāq said: And Abū al-Bakhtarī, whose name is al-'Āṣ ibn Hishām ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzzā ibn Quṣayy ibn Kilāb ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy. Ibn Hishām said: Abū al-Bakhtarī: al-'Āṣ ibn Hāshim (9). Ibn Isḥāq said: And al-Aswad ibn al-Muṭṭalib ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzzā ibn Quṣayy ibn Kilāb ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy; Abū Jahl—whose name is 'Amr, and he was known by the *kunya* (patronymic) Abū al-Ḥakam—ibn Hishām ibn al-Mughīrah ibn 'Abd Allāh ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzūm ibn Yaqaẓah ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy; al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah ibn 'Abd Allāh ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzūm ibn Yaqaẓah ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy; Nabīh and Munabbih, the sons of al-Ḥajjāj ibn 'Āmir ibn Ḥudhayfah ibn Sa'd ibn Sahm ibn 'Amr ibn Huṣayṣ ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy; and al-'Āṣ ibn Wā'il. Ibn Hishām said: al-'Āṣ ibn Wā'il ibn Hāshim (10) ibn Sa'īd ibn Sahm ibn 'Amr ibn Huṣayṣ ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy. **(The Delegation of Quraysh with Abū Ṭālib Concerning the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)):** Ibn Isḥāq said: Or whoever among them went. They said: "O Abū Ṭālib, your nephew has insulted our gods, criticized our religion, deemed our intellects foolish, and led our forefathers astray. Either you restrain him from us, or you leave us and him alone. For you are upon the same as we are in opposing him, and we will suffice you against him." Abū Ṭālib spoke to them gently and gave them a gracious reply, so they departed from him. **(The Messenger of Allah's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) Continuation in His Call, and the Return of the Quraysh Delegation to Abū Ṭālib a Second Time):** The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) continued as he was, manifesting the religion of Allah and calling to it. Then the matter intensified (sharā) (11) between him and them until the men became estranged and harbored rancor (taḍāghanū) (12). Quraysh frequently mentioned the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) among themselves, so they incited each other (tadhāmarū) (13) against him, and some urged others on against him. Then they went to Abū Ṭālib a second time and said to him: "O Abū Ṭālib, you have age, honor, and status among us. We have asked you to restrain your nephew, but you have not restrained him from us. By Allah, we cannot bear this—the insulting of our forefathers, the deeming foolish of our intellects, and the criticism of our gods—until you restrain him from us, or we will contend with him and you in this matter until one of the two parties perishes," or as they said to him. Then (14) they departed from him. The separation from his people and their enmity weighed heavily upon Abū Ṭālib, but he was not content to surrender the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to them nor to abandon him. **(Abū Ṭālib's Request to the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to Cease the Call, and His Response to Him):**

Ibn Ishaq said: Ya'qub ibn 'Utba ibn al-Mughira ibn al-Akhnas narrated to me that he was told: When Quraysh said these words to Abu Talib, he sent for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said to him: 'O son of my brother, your people came to me and said such-and-such'—referring to what they had said to him—'so spare me and yourself, and do not burden me with what I cannot bear.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, thought that his uncle had changed his mind about him ¹, that he would abandon him and hand him over, and that he had grown weak in supporting him and standing with him. So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'O uncle, by Allah, if they placed the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left ² on condition that I abandon this matter until Allah makes it prevail, or I perish in it, I would not abandon it.' Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, became choked with emotion and wept, then stood up. When he turned away, Abu Talib called him and said: 'Come back, O son of my brother.' So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned to him, and he said: 'Go, O son of my brother, and say whatever you wish, for by Allah, I will never hand you over to anything.' (Quraysh's third approach to Abu Talib with 'Umara ibn al-Walid al-Makhzumi) Ibn Ishaq said: Then when Quraysh realized that Abu Talib had refused to abandon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or hand him over, and had resolved to part ways with them in that matter and oppose them, they went to him with 'Umara ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira and said to him—as I have been told—'O Abu Talib, this is 'Umara ibn al-Walid, the most vigorous ³ and handsome young man in Quraysh. Take him; you will have his intelligence and support, and adopt him as a son, for he is yours. And hand over to us this nephew of yours, who has opposed your religion and the religion of your fathers, divided your people, and belittled their intellect, so that we may kill him. It is only a man for a man.' He said: 'By Allah, what an evil thing you are asking of me ⁴! You give me your son to raise for you, and I give you my son to kill? By Allah, this will never happen.' Then al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi ibn Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy said: 'By Allah, O Abu Talib, your people have been fair to you and have striven to relieve you of what you dislike, but I see you do not want to accept anything from them.' Abu Talib said to al-Mut'im: 'By Allah, they have not been fair to me, but you have resolved to abandon me and support the people against me. So do as you wish,' or words to that effect. Then the matter became difficult ⁵, war flared up, the people became hostile, and some confronted others. (Abu Talib's poetry alluding to al-Mut'im and those of Banu 'Abd Manaf who abandoned him) So Abu Talib said at that time, alluding to al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi and including those of Banu 'Abd Manaf who abandoned him and those of the Quraysh tribes who opposed him, and mentioning what they had asked and how far their demands were: "Oh, say to 'Amr and al-Walid and Mut'im: Would that my share of your protection were a young camel ⁶, From the soft ⁷, bleating ⁸, with much braying, that sprinkles on the legs drops of its urine, That lags behind the herd, not catching up; when it climbs the desert plain, it is called a rock rabbit ⁹. I see our two brothers from our father and mother—when asked, they say, 'The matter is for others.' Yes, they have a say, but they have been evasive ¹⁰, as rocks are evaded from the head of a blood-clot ¹¹. I specify in particular 'Abd Shams and Nawfal; they cast us aside like embers are cast. They winked ¹² at the people against their two brothers, so their hands have become empty ¹³ of them ¹⁴. They associated in glory one who has no father among people, unless his memory is established ¹⁵. And Taym, Makhzum, and Zuhra among them were our allies when victory was sought. By Allah, enmity will never cease from us, nor from them as long as our progeny has a lip ¹⁶. Their intellects and minds have become foolish, and they were like a young camel—how evil is what the young camel did!" Ibn Hisham said: We omitted two verses from it in which he was abusive. (Mention of what Quraysh used to tempt and torture the believers for their faith) Ibn Ishaq said: Then Quraysh incited one another against those among the tribes who were companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who had embraced Islam with him. So every tribe attacked the Muslims among them, torturing them and tempting them away from their religion. But Allah protected His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from them through his uncle Abu Talib. And Abu Talib, when he saw Quraysh doing what they did to Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib, stood up and called them to what he was upon—protecting the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and standing in his defense. So they gathered to him, stood with him, and responded to his call, except for Abu Lahab, the enemy of Allah, the accursed. (Abu Talib's poetry praising his people for their support of him) When Abu Talib saw from his people what pleased him in their striving with him and their support for him, he began to praise them, mention their past, and mention the virtue of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, among them and his position with them, to strengthen their resolve and to make them support him in his matter. He said: "When Quraysh gather one day for boasting, 'Abd Manaf is their secret and their core ¹⁷. And if the nobles of 'Abd Manaf are singled out, then in Hashim are their nobles and their ancient glory. And if they boast one day, then Muhammad is the chosen one from their secret and their noble. Quraysh, both the worthless and the valuable, conspired against us, but they did not succeed, and their minds were confused ¹⁸. We have never, from ancient times, accepted injustice; when they turn their cheeks away, we straighten them ¹⁹. We protect its sanctuary every day of battle, and we strike at those who seek to approach its lairs ²⁰. Through us the withered branch revived, and only in our sides do its roots become moist and grow ²¹."

1. badā’ : A change of opinion or intention; here, Abu Talib's apparent shift in stance.
2. shams…qamar : Sun and moon; a rhetorical expression meaning the most valuable things in the world.
3. anhada : Most vigorous, strong, or prominent young man.
4. tasūmūnani : You are asking of me; literally 'you are imposing on me'.
5. ḥaqaba : Became difficult, serious, or entangled.
6. bakr : A young male camel.
7. khawr : Soft, weak, or cowardly (of camels).
8. ḥabḥāb : A camel that bleats or brays much.
9. wabr : A rock rabbit or hyrax; a small, weak animal.
10. tajarjamā : They were evasive or ambiguous; from the root meaning to translate or interpret.
11. ‘alaq : A blood-clot; here referring to a mountain pass or difficult terrain.
12. aghmazā : They winked or made signs; i.e., they incited secretly.
13. akuffuhumā : Their hands; i.e., they gained nothing.
14. ṣifr : Empty; i.e., they got nothing from their betrayal.
15. yurassa : Established or fixed; i.e., unless his lineage is recorded.
16. shafr : Lip; metaphor for progeny or existence.
17. ṣamīm : Core, essence, or purest part.
18. ṭāshat ḥulūmuhā : Their minds became confused or strayed.
19. nuqīmuhā : We straighten them; i.e., we correct injustice.
20. ajḥār : Lairs or dens; metaphor for the sanctuary of the tribe.
21. urūm : Roots; metaphor for lineage or foundation.

Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira was perplexed as to how to describe the Quran [1].

The perplexity of al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra regarding how to describe the Qur’an (His gathering with a group of Quraysh to spend the night plotting against the Prophet ¹, and Quraysh’s agreement to describe the Messenger ¹ as a sorcerer, and what Allah revealed concerning them): Then al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra gathered a group of Quraysh to him—he was an elder among them—and the season ² had arrived. He said to them: “O company of Quraysh, this season has come, and the delegations of the Arabs will come to you in it. They have heard about this affair of your companion. So agree upon a single opinion concerning him, and do not differ, lest some of you contradict others and your words refute each other.” They said: “So you, O Abū ‘Abd Shams, speak and give us an opinion to say.” He said: “Rather, you speak and I will listen.” They said: “We say he is a soothsayer ³.” He said: “No, by Allah, he is not a soothsayer. We have seen soothsayers, and he is not like the murmuring of a soothsayer nor his rhymed prose.” They said: “Then we say he is mad.” He said: “He is not mad. We have seen madness and known it, and he is not like its choking, its convulsions, or its whisperings.” They said: “Then we say he is a poet.” He said: “He is not a poet. We have known all poetry—its rajaz ⁴, its hazaj ⁵, its qarīḍ ⁶, its maqbūḍ ⁷, and its mabsūṭ ⁸—and he is not poetry.” They said: “Then we say he is a sorcerer.” He said: “He is not a sorcerer. We have seen sorcerers and their sorcery, and he is not like their blowing or their tying of knots ⁹.” They said: “Then what do we say, O Abū ‘Abd Shams?” He said: “By Allah, his speech has sweetness, its root is a fruitful palm tree ¹⁰, and its branches are laden ¹¹—Ibn Hishām said: it is also said ‘laden with moisture’ ¹²—and whatever you say of this will be known to be false. The closest statement concerning him is that you say he is a sorcerer, who has brought a speech that is sorcery, by which he separates a man from his father, a man from his brother, a man from his wife, and a man from his clan.” So they dispersed by that means. They began to sit along the paths of the people when they came to the season, and no one passed by them without them warning him against him and mentioning his affair. Then Allah the Exalted revealed concerning al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra and that statement of his: “Leave Me with whom I created alone, and to whom I granted extensive wealth and sons present [with him], and I smoothed things for him smoothly. Then he aspires that I should increase. No! Indeed, he has been stubbornly hostile to Our verses ¹³” (74:11–16). Ibn Hishām said: ‘Anīd means obstinate, opposing. Ru’ba ibn al-‘Ajjāj said: “And we are smiters of the head of the obstinate ¹⁴.” This verse is in one of his rajaz poems. “I will burden him with a difficult climb ¹⁵. Indeed, he thought and deliberated. So may he be destroyed—how he deliberated! Then may he be destroyed—how he deliberated! Then he looked, then he frowned and scowled ¹⁶” (74:17–22). Ibn Hishām said: Basara means he made his face ugly. Al-‘Ajjāj said: “With a strong jaw, frowning, biting ¹⁷,” describing the ugliness of his face. This verse is in one of his rajaz poems. “Then he turned back and was arrogant, and said, ‘This is not but magic transmitted [from others]. This is not but the word of a human being’” (74:23–25). (What Allah revealed concerning the group who were with al-Mughīra): Ibn Isḥāq said: And Allah the Exalted revealed concerning the group who were with him, classifying statements about the Messenger of Allah ¹ and what he brought from Allah the Exalted: “As We sent down upon the dividers ¹⁸, who made the Qur’an into portions ¹⁹. So by your Lord, We will surely question them all about what they used to do” (15:90–93). Ibn Hishām said: The singular of ‘iḍīn is ‘iḍah. He says: They cut it up—they divided it. Ru’ba ibn al-‘Ajjāj said: “And the religion of Allah is not divided ²⁰.” This verse is in one of his rajaz poems. (The dispersal of the group among Quraysh to discredit the message of the Messenger ¹): Ibn Isḥāq said: So those men began to say that about the Messenger of Allah ¹ to whomever they met among the people. The Arabs departed from that season with news of the Messenger of Allah ¹, and his mention spread throughout all the lands of the Arabs. (Poetry of Abū Ṭālib seeking to appease Quraysh): When Abū Ṭālib feared that the masses of the Arabs would attack him along with his people, he recited his poem in which he sought refuge in the sanctuary of Mecca and his position therein, and sought the affection of the nobles of his people, while still informing them and others in his poetry that he would not surrender the Messenger of Allah ¹ nor abandon him for anything, ever, until he perished defending him. He said: When I saw the people had no affection, and had cut every bond and tie, And they openly showed us enmity and harm, and obeyed the command of the separating enemy, And they allied with a people against us, suspicious, biting their fingers in rage behind us, I steeled myself against them with a tawny, generous [sword], and a white, sharp blade from the legacy of the chiefs ²¹, And I brought to the House my clan and brothers, and I clung to its curtains ²², Standing together, facing its door, where every pilgrim fulfills his oath, And where the Ash‘arites ²³ make their camels kneel at the confluence of torrents from Isāf and Nā’ila ²⁴, With branded shoulders or their upper parts, mixed among the six-year-old and the full-grown ²⁵, You see cowrie shells and marble and adornment on their necks, tied like clusters ²⁶. I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind from every slanderer against us with evil, or persistent in falsehood, And from a secret enemy who strives to defame us, and from one who attributes to the religion what we did not seek, And by Thawr ²⁷ and Him who fixed Thabīr ²⁸ in its place, and the one who ascends to ascend in Ḥirā’ ²⁹ and descends, And by the House—the right of the House—from the valley of Mecca, and by Allah—indeed Allah is not heedless, And by the Black Stone when they wipe it, when they surround it at midday and at evening ³⁰, And by the place of Ibrāhīm’s ³¹ feet on the rock, moist, barefoot, without sandals, And by the circuits between al-Marwa and al-Ṣafā ³², and what is in them of images and likenesses, And by every rider who performs pilgrimage to the House of Allah, and every one with a vow, and every pedestrian, And by the farthest place of sacrifice ³³ when they head for it, leading to the confluence of the valleys facing them, And by their standing on the mountains in the evening, steadying the chests of the mounts with their hands, And by the night of Jam‘ ³⁴ and the stations of Minā—are there above them any sanctity and stations? And by Jam‘ when the swift [camels] pass through it swiftly, as they emerge from the impact of a downpour ³⁵, And by the great Jamra ³⁶ when they aim for it, heading to pelt its top with pebbles, And by Kinda ³⁷ when they are at the pebbles in the evening, the pilgrims of Bakr ibn Wā’il ³⁸ passing through them, Two allies who tightened the bond of their alliance and restored to it the connecting ties, And by their breaking the brown [spears] of the blades and their letting loose... and the Shabraqa ³⁹ and the swift stride of fleeing ostriches ⁴⁰. Is there after this any protector for a seeker of protection? And is there any protector who fears Allah, a reproacher? The enemies are obeyed against us, and they wish that we would block the gates of Turk and Kābul ⁴¹. You lie—by the House of Allah—we will not leave Mecca, nor depart unless your affair is in confusion ⁴². You lie—by the House of Allah—we will not give up Muḥammad, nor have we fought and struggled in his defense, Nor will we surrender him until we are struck down around him, and we forget our sons and wives ⁴³, And a people in armor ⁴⁴ rise against you, like the rising of water-skins under the clanking [chains] ⁴⁵, Until you see the spiteful one riding his own blood from stabbing, like the action of the wounded, aggressive one ⁴⁶. And indeed, by the life of Allah, if what I see becomes serious, our swords will surely become entangled with the noble ones, In the hands of a youth like a meteor, a valiant chief, a trustworthy brother, a protector of the truth, a lion ⁴⁷, For months and days and a complete year ⁴⁸ upon us, and a pilgrimage will come after the next.”

And what is the abandonment of a people—may you have no father—of a lord... who protects the honor, not one who is negligent or procrastinating? ⁴⁹ And a white-faced one ⁵⁰ through whose face rain is sought from the clouds, a refuge for orphans, a protection for widows. ⁵¹ The destitute of the clan of Hashim seek refuge in him, and they are with him in mercy and abundance. By my life, Usayd ⁵² and his son have hastened to hate us, and they have recompensed us as one who eats. ⁵³ And 'Uthman ⁵⁴ and Qunfudh ⁵⁵ did not refrain from us, ⁵⁶ but they obeyed the command of those tribes. They obeyed Ubayy ⁵⁷ and Ibn 'Abd Yaghuth ⁵⁸ of theirs, and they did not regard among us the word of any speaker. As we have already encountered from Subay' ⁵⁹ and Nawfal ⁶⁰, and each turned away without showing kindness. If they both meet ⁶¹ or if God gives us power over them, we will repay them measure for measure like those who measure. And that is Abu 'Amr ⁶²; he refused nothing but hatred of us, to make us depart among people of sheep and camels. ⁶³ He whispers about us every evening and morning, so whisper about us to Abu 'Amr, then act deceitfully. ⁶⁴ And he swears ⁶⁵ to us by God that he does not deceive us; indeed, we see him openly, without concealment. Our hatred has made every valley narrow for him, from the mountains of Akhshab ⁶⁶ to Mujadil. ⁶⁷ And ask Abu al-Walid ⁶⁸ what you have bestowed upon us through your effort among us, turning away like a deceiver. You were a man whose opinion one could live by, and his mercy toward us—and you are not ignorant. So 'Utba ⁶⁹, do not listen to the words of a slanderer ⁷⁰, envious, lying, hateful, full of deceit. ⁷¹ And Abu Sufyan ⁷² passed by me turning away, as a chief ⁷³ of the great chiefs passes. He flees to Najd and the coolness of its waters, and claims that I am not heedless of you. And he informs us of the action of a sincere advisor, that he is compassionate, while concealing the fierce ⁷⁴ inner feelings. ⁷⁵ O Mut'im ⁷⁶, I did not forsake you on a day of battle, nor on a day of great matters. Nor on a day of dispute ⁷⁷ when they come to you as stubborn opponents ⁷⁸, people of argument among the disputants. ⁷⁹ O Mut'im, the people have offered you a plan, and if I am entrusted, I am not one to fail. ⁸⁰ May God recompense 'Abd Shams ⁸¹ and Nawfal ⁸² on our behalf with an immediate punishment of evil, not delayed. With a just balance that does not diminish ⁸³ a grain, having a witness from itself, not unjust. ⁸⁴ Indeed, the minds of a people have become foolish who exchanged us for the sons of Khalaf ⁸⁵ as a substitute and the Ghayatif ⁸⁶. ⁸⁷ And we are the core of the forelock of Hashim and the clan of Qusayy ⁸⁸ in the earliest affairs. And Sahm ⁸⁹ and Makhzum ⁹⁰ conspired and incited against us the enemies from every tall and obscure man. ⁹¹ So O 'Abd Manaf ⁹², you are the best of your people, so do not associate in your affair every intruder. ⁹³ By my life, you have become weak and powerless, and you have come with a matter that misses the joints. ⁹⁴ You were recently the firewood of a cooking pot, and now you are the firewood of cooking pots and cauldrons. ⁹⁵ May the sons of 'Abd Manaf enjoy our disobedience and abandonment, and our leaving in the fortresses. If we are a people who take revenge for what you have done ⁹⁶, you will milk it as a full-uddered she-camel, not one that is dry. ⁹⁷ And there were intermediaries among Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ⁹⁸ whom every noble and generous hawk drove away to us. ⁹⁹ And the clan of Nufayl ¹⁰⁰ are the worst of those who tread on pebbles, and the most ignoble of those who go barefoot or shod among Ma'add ¹⁰¹. So inform Qusayy that our matter will be spread, and give Qusayy glad tidings after us of mutual abandonment. And if a great calamity befell Qusayy by night, we would have sought refuge before them in the entrances. And if they had truly struck blows among their houses, we would have been captives among the nursing women. ¹⁰² So every friend and nephew we count—by my life, we found its consequence to be of no avail. Except that a group from Kilab ibn Murra ¹⁰³ are innocent ¹⁰⁴ toward us of the blame of a forsaker. And we showed leniency to them until their assembly dispersed, and every aggressor and ignorant one despaired of us. ¹⁰⁵ And we had the watering trough among them, and we are the humps ¹⁰⁶ of Ghalib ¹⁰⁷ and the shoulders. Youths from the Mutayyabun ¹⁰⁸ and Hashim, like white swords in the hands of polishers. They have not avenged a blood feud nor shed blood, nor have they allied except with the worst of tribes. With a strike that makes the youths seem like predatory lions upon scattered meat. ¹⁰⁹ O sons of a beloved slave woman, a Hindiyya ¹¹⁰, O sons of Jumah ¹¹¹, servants of Qays ibn 'Aqil ¹¹². But we are a noble progeny of masters, by whom peoples are known at times of falsehood. And excellent is the nephew of the people, without denial, Zuhayr ¹¹³, a sword drawn from its scabbard. A lofty one among the lofty, the noble, tracing his lineage to a noble origin in the thick of glory. By my life, I have been burdened with longing for Ahmad ¹¹⁴ and his brothers, like the habit of a constant lover. May he never cease in this world to be an adornment for its people and an ornament for those who befriend him, the Lord of difficulties. ¹¹⁵ Who is like him among people? What hope is there when judges compare him in excellence? Forbearing, wise, just, not reckless, he befriends a God of whom he is not heedless. By God, were it not that I would bring a tradition ¹¹⁶ that would bring blame upon our elders in assemblies, We would have followed him in every circumstance of time, seriously, not in jest. They have known that our son is not accused among us, nor does he care for the words of falsehood. So Ahmad has become among us in a rootstock that the assault of the arrogant falls short of. ¹¹⁷ I shielded him with myself and protected him, and defended him with my chest and collarbones. ⁷⁸ So the Lord of servants supported him with His victory and manifested a religion whose truth is not false. ⁷⁹ Noble men, not deviant, whom noble fathers of pure origin raised to goodness. ⁸⁰ If Ka'b ¹¹⁸ of Lu'ayy is a small branch ⁸¹, then inevitably one day there will be separation. Ibn Hisham said: This is what has been verified for me of this poem, and some scholars of poetry deny most of it. (He, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed for the people when they were stricken with drought, and rain fell, and he wished that Abu Talib were alive to see that): Ibn Hisham said: Someone I trust told me: The people of Medina were stricken with drought, so they came to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and complained to him. So the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, ascended the pulpit and prayed for rain. It was not long before rain came so heavily that the people of the outskirts ⁸² came complaining of flooding. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "O God, around us and not upon us" ⁸³. So the clouds parted from Medina and formed around it like a crown. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "If Abu Talib had seen this day, he would have been pleased." One of his companions said: "It seems, O Messenger of God, you meant his words: 'And a white-faced one through whose face rain is sought from the clouds, a refuge for orphans, a protection for widows.'" He said: "Yes" ⁸⁴. Ibn Hisham said: And his words "and Shabriqah" are from other than Ibn Ishaq. (The names that appear in Abu Talib's poem): Ibn Ishaq said: Al-Ghayatif: from Banu Sahm ibn 'Amr ibn Husays. And Abu Sufyan ibn Harb ibn Umayya. And Mut'im ibn 'Adi ibn Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manaf. And Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayya ibn al-Mughira ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum, and his mother was 'Atika bint 'Abd al-Muttalib. Ibn Ishaq said: And Usayd and his son: 'Attab ibn Usayd ibn Abi al-'Is ibn Umayya ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy. And 'Uthman ibn 'Ubayd Allah, brother of Talha ibn 'Ubayd Allah al-Taymi. And Qunfudh ibn 'Umayr ibn Jud'an ibn 'Umar ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym ibn Murra. And Abu al-Walid 'Utba ibn Rabi'a. And Ubayy: al-Akhnas ibn Shariq al-Thaqafi, ally of Banu Zuhra ibn Kilab. Ibn Hisham said: He was only called al-Akhnas because he withdrew (khanasa) with the people on the day of Badr. His name is Ubayy, and he is from Banu 'Ilaj, and 'Ilaj is ibn Abi Salama ibn 'Awf ibn 'Uqba.

And al-Aswad ibn ‘Abd Yaghūth ibn Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manāf ibn Zuhra ibn Kilāb. And Subay‘ ibn Khālid, the brother of al-Ḥārith ibn Fihr. And Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid ibn Asad ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzzā ibn Quṣayy, and he is the son of al-‘Adawiyya. He was one of the devils ¹¹⁹ of Quraysh, and it was he who bound Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq and Ṭalḥa ibn ‘Ubayd Allāh, may God be pleased with them, together with a rope when they embraced Islam, and because of that they were called the two companions ¹²⁰; ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, peace be upon him, killed him on the day of Badr. And Abū ‘Amr Qaraẓa ibn ‘Abd ‘Amr ibn Nawfal ibn ‘Abd Manāf. “And a people suspicious of us” ¹²¹: the Banū Bakr ibn ‘Abd Manāt ibn Kināna; these are those whom Abū Ṭālib enumerated in his poetry among the Arabs. (The spread of the mention of the Messenger among the tribes, especially among al-Aws and al-Khazraj): When the affair of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, spread among the Arabs and reached the lands, he was mentioned in Medina. And there was no living group of Arabs more knowledgeable about the affair of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, when he was mentioned, and before he was mentioned, than this living group of al-Aws and al-Khazraj. That was because of what they used to hear from the rabbis ¹²² of the Jews, and they were their allies and with them in their lands. When his mention occurred in Medina and they spoke about the disagreement among Quraysh concerning him, Abū Qays ibn al-Aslat ¹²³, the brother of Banū Wāqif, said. (The lineage of Abū Qays ibn al-Aslat): Ibn Hishām said: Ibn Isḥāq traces the lineage of this Abū Qays here to Banū Wāqif, but traces his lineage in the account of the Elephant to Khaṭma, because the Arabs sometimes trace a man to his grandfather’s brother who is more famous than him. Ibn Hishām said: Abū ‘Ubayda narrated to me that al-Ḥakam ibn ‘Amr al-Ghifārī is from the descendants of Nu‘ayla, the brother of Ghifār. And he is Ghifār ibn Mulayl, and Nu‘ayla ibn Mulayl ibn Ḍamra ibn Bakr ibn ‘Abd Manāt. And they have said ‘Utba ibn Ghazwān al-Sulamī, and he is from the descendants of Māzin ibn Manṣūr and Sulaym ibn Manṣūr. Ibn Hishām said: So Abū Qays ibn al-Aslat is from Banū Wā’il, and Wā’il, Wāqif, and Khaṭma are brothers from al-Aws. (The poetry of Ibn al-Aslat in defense of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Isḥāq said: So Abū Qays ibn al-Aslat—and he loved Quraysh and was a son-in-law to them, for he had Arnaba bint Asad ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzzā ibn Quṣayy as his wife, and he used to stay with them for years with his wife—composed a poem in which he magnified the sacredness ¹²⁴, forbade Quraysh from war, commanded them to restrain one another, mentioned their virtue and forbearance, commanded them to refrain from [harming] the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and reminded them of God’s favor upon them and His repelling the Elephant and its plot from them. He said: O rider, if you pass by, convey A message from me to Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib ¹²⁵ A messenger of a man whose discord among you has distressed him, Far away, sorrowful and weary. I had a resting place for worries, But I have not fulfilled my need or my desires. I warn you of two halves ¹²⁶, every tribe Having a firebrand ¹²⁷ between a kindler and a gatherer. I adjure you by God from the evil of your doing, And the evil of your mutual hatred and the secret sowing of discord. And the manifestation of base morals and sickly whispers, Like the stabs of spears, whose impact is true and piercing. Remind them, first of all, by God And the violation of the sanctity of the fleeing gazelles ¹²⁸. And say to them—and God judges His judgment— Leave war, it will depart from you in the open spaces. Whenever you send it forth, you send it forth blameworthy; It is the ghoul ¹²⁹ for the distant or the near. It severs kinship ties and destroys a community, And strips the hump fat from the hump and the back. And you will exchange, after it, the soft garment ¹³⁰ For a coat of mail and rusty swords, the garments of the warrior. And for musk and camphor, dusty, ample coats of mail, Whose rivets are like locusts’ eyes. Beware of war, let it not cling to you, And a basin of foul water, bitter to drink. It adorns itself for the people, then they see it With a consequence, when it becomes clear, O mother of a companion ¹³¹. It burns but does not roast the weak, and it targets The mighty among you with fatal blows. Do you not know what happened in the war of Dāḥis ¹³², So take heed, or what happened in the war of Ḥāṭib ¹³³? How many a noble, chieftain has it struck, Tall of pillar, whose guest is not disappointed, Great of ash-heap, whose command is praised, Of pure character, noble in lineage. And bloodshed in error ¹³⁴, as if The east wind and the north winds had scattered it. A man who truly knows informs you about it, Knowing its days, and knowledge is the knowledge of experience. So sell the spears, O warriors, and remember Your reckoning, and God is the best of reckoners. Let every man who chooses a religion not be A watcher over you other than the Lord of the piercing stars ¹³⁵. Establish for us a pure religion ¹³⁶, for you are For us a goal, one is guided by the forelocks ¹³⁷. And you are for these people a light and a protection, Sought after, and your forbearance is not absent. And you, when people are refined, are the essence; You have the navel of the valley ¹³⁸, high-nosed ¹³⁹. You protect noble, ancient bodies, Of pure lineage, without admixture. You see the seekers of needs towards your houses, Bands of lost ones guided by banners. The peoples have known that your leaders, In every state, are the best of the people of the plains ¹⁴⁰. And the most excellent in opinion, the highest in conduct, And the most truthful in speaking the truth amidst the processions. So stand and pray to your Lord, and wipe yourselves Over the corners of this House ¹⁴¹ among the rugged mountains ¹⁴². For with you is a trial and a confirmation from Him On the morning of Abū Yaksūm ¹⁴³, the leader of the battalions. His battalion spends the night on the plain, and his foot soldiers On the heights ¹⁴⁴ on the tops of the mountain passes. When the help of the Lord of the Throne came to you, He repelled them, The armies of the King, between a scatterer and a pelter ¹⁴⁵. So they turned away fleeing swiftly, and none returned To his family from the Abyssinians ¹⁴⁶ except scattered groups. If you perish, we perish, and the seasons perish By which we live—the word of a truthful man. Ibn Hishām said: Abū Zayd al-Anṣārī and others recited to me his verse: “And bloodshed in error,” and his verse: “So sell the spears,” and his saying: “Let every man who chooses a religion,” and his saying: “On the heights on the tops of the mountain passes.” (The war of Dāḥis): Ibn Hishām said: As for his saying: “Do you not know what happened in the war of Dāḥis?” Abū ‘Ubayda al-Naḥwī narrated to me that Dāḥis was a horse belonging to Qays ibn Zuhayr ibn Jadhīma ibn Rawāḥa ibn Rabī‘a ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Māzin ibn Quṭay‘a ibn ‘Abs ibn Baghīḍ ibn Rayth ibn Ghatafān. He raced it against a horse belonging to Ḥudhayfa ibn Badr ibn ‘Amr ibn Zayd ¹⁴⁷ ibn Ju’ayya ibn Lawdhān ibn Tha‘laba ibn ‘Adī ibn Fazāra ibn Dhubyān ibn Baghīḍ ibn Rayth ibn Ghatafān, called al-Ghabrā’. Ḥudhayfa sent some men and ordered them to strike the face of Dāḥis if they saw it coming ahead. Dāḥis came ahead, so they struck its face, and al-Ghabrā’ came. When the rider of Dāḥis came, he informed Qays of the news. His brother Mālik ibn Zuhayr jumped up and slapped the face of al-Ghabrā’. Then Ḥamal ibn Badr stood up and slapped Mālik. Then Abū al-Junaydib al-‘Absī met ‘Awf ibn Ḥudhayfa and killed him. Then a man from Banū Fazāra met Mālik and killed him. So Ḥamal ibn Badr, the brother of Ḥudhayfa ibn Badr, said: “We killed Mālik for ‘Awf, and he is our vengeance; If you seek from us more than justice, you will regret.” And this verse is among his verses. And al-Rabī‘ ibn Ziyād al-‘Absī said: “After the killing of Mālik ibn Zuhayr, Do women hope for the outcomes of wombs ¹⁴⁸?” And this verse is in a poem of his.

Then war broke out between 'Abs and Fazārah, and Hudhayfah ibn Badr and his brother Ḥamal ibn Badr were killed. Qays ibn Zuhayr ibn Judhaymah said, eulogizing Hudhayfah and grieving over him: "How many a horseman is called a horseman but is not, / While upon al-Habā'ah ¹⁴⁹ is a true horseman. So weep for Hudhayfah—you will never find his like / Until tribes that have not been created perish." These two lines are from a longer poem of his. Qays ibn Zuhayr also said: "Indeed, the young man Ḥamal ibn Badr / Transgressed, and oppression ¹⁵⁰ is a foul pasture." This line is from a longer poem of his. Al-Ḥārith ibn Zuhayr, brother of Qays ibn Zuhayr, said: "I left upon al-Habā'ah, without boasting, / Hudhayfah, upon whom the lances' thrusts converge." This line is from a longer poem of his. Ibn Hishām said: It is said that Qays sent Dāḥis and al-Ghabrā', and Hudhayfah sent al-Khaṭṭār and al-Ḥanfā', but the first account is more correct. It is a long story, and I have refrained from recounting it fully because it would interrupt the narrative of the Sīrah of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. (The War of Ḥāṭib) Ibn Hishām said: As for his saying "The War of Ḥāṭib," he means Ḥāṭib ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Qays ibn Hayashah ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Umayyah ibn Mu'āwiyah ibn Mālik ibn 'Awf ibn 'Amr ibn 'Awf ibn Mālik ibn al-Aws. He had killed a Jew who was a neighbor of the Khazraj, so Yazīd ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Qays ibn Mālik ibn Aḥmar ibn Ḥārithah ibn Tha'labah ibn Ka'b ibn al-Khazraj ibn al-Ḥārith ibn al-Khazraj—who is called Ibn Fusḥum, and Fusḥum ¹⁵¹ was his mother, a woman from al-Qayn ibn Jasr—went out to him at night with a group from Banū al-Ḥārith ibn al-Khazraj and killed him. Then war broke out between al-Aws and al-Khazraj, and they fought fiercely. The victory went to al-Khazraj over al-Aws, and on that day Suwayd ibn Ṣāmit ibn Khālid ibn 'Aṭiyyah ibn Ḥawṭ ibn Ḥabīb ibn 'Amr ibn 'Awf ibn Mālik ibn al-Aws was killed. He was killed by al-Mujadhdhar ibn Dhiyād al-Balawī, whose name was 'Abd Allāh, an ally of Banū 'Awf ibn al-Khazraj. On the day of Uḥud, al-Mujadhdhar ibn Dhiyād went out with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and al-Ḥārith ibn Suwayd ibn Ṣāmit also went out with him. Al-Ḥārith ibn Suwayd caught al-Mujadhdhar off guard and killed him in retaliation for his father. I will mention his story in its place, God willing. Then there were wars between them, which I have refrained from mentioning and recounting fully for the reason I gave regarding the story of the War of Dāḥis. (Poetry of Ḥakīm ibn Umayyah in Deterring His People from Enmity toward the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace) Ibn Isḥāq said: Ḥakīm ibn Umayyah ibn Ḥārithah ibn al-Awqaṣ al-Sulamī, an ally of Banū Umayyah, who had embraced Islam, said, deterring his people from what they had agreed upon regarding enmity toward the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace—and he was a noble and obeyed man among them:

1. ṣallā llāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam : Arabic phrase meaning 'may Allah bless him and grant him peace,' used after mentioning the Prophet Muhammad.
2. al-mawsim : The pilgrimage season (ḥajj) when Arabs gathered at Mecca.
3. kāhin : A soothsayer or diviner, believed to have contact with jinn.
4. rajaz : A meter of Arabic poetry, often used for short, rhythmic verses.
5. hazaj : A meter of Arabic poetry, characterized by a specific rhythmic pattern.
6. qarīḍ : A type of Arabic poetry with a specific meter and rhyme.
7. maqbūḍ : A term for a type of poetic meter or verse; literally 'grasped'.
8. mabsūṭ : A term for a type of poetic meter or verse; literally 'extended'.
9. nafthihim wa-lā ʿaqdihim : Blowing and tying knots were practices of sorcerers in pre-Islamic Arabia.
10. ʿadhiq : A fruitful palm tree; metaphor for something with a good foundation.
11. junāh : Laden with fruit; metaphor for abundant yield.
12. laghadiq : Variant reading meaning 'laden with moisture' or 'luxuriant'.
13. ʿanīd : Stubbornly hostile, obstinate.
14. al-ʿunnad : Plural of ʿānid, meaning obstinate ones.
15. ṣaʿūd : A difficult climb; metaphor for severe punishment.
16. basara : To scowl or make an ugly face.
17. munhas : Biting; describing a fierce expression.
18. al-muqtaṣimīn : Those who divided the Qur’an into portions, rejecting some parts.
19. ʿiḍīn : Portions or fragments; singular ʿiḍah.
20. al-muʿaḍḍā : Divided or fragmented; from ʿaḍḍā, to cut up.
21. al-maqāwil : Chiefs or leaders; plural of maqwal.
22. al-waṣāʾil : Curtains or covers of the Ka‘ba.
23. al-Ashʿarūn : The Ash‘arites, a tribe or group.
24. Isāf wa-Nāʾila : Two idols that were worshipped near the Ka‘ba.
25. al-sadīs wa-bāzil : A six-year-old camel and a full-grown camel.
26. al-ʿathākil : Clusters or bunches, like of fruit.
27. Thawr : Mount Thawr, a mountain near Mecca.
28. Thabīr : A mountain in Mecca.
29. Ḥirāʾ : Mount Ḥirā’, where the Prophet received the first revelation.
30. al-aṣāʾil : Evenings; plural of aṣīl.
31. Ibrāhīm : Abraham, the prophet.
32. al-Ṣafā wa-l-Marwa : Two hills in Mecca, part of the pilgrimage rites.
33. al-mushʿar al-aqṣā : The farthest place of sacrifice, likely referring to Muzdalifah.
34. Jamʿ : Muzdalifah, a place where pilgrims spend the night.
35. wābil : Heavy rain.
36. al-jamra al-kubrā : The largest pillar at Minā, stoned during pilgrimage.
37. Kinda : A tribe or group.
38. Bakr ibn Wāʾil : A tribe.
39. Shabraqa : A type of plant or perhaps a place.
40. al-jawāfil : Fleeing ostriches.
41. Turk wa-Kābul : Turkestan and Kabul, distant lands.
42. balābil : Confusion or troubles.
43. al-ḥalāʾil : Wives; plural of ḥalīlah.
44. al-ḥadīd : Iron, meaning armor.
45. al-ṣalāṣil : Chains or clanking sounds.
46. al-mutaḥāmil : Aggressive or one who bears a grudge.
47. bāsil : Lion or brave man.
48. mujarraman : Completed or full year.
49. qayl : A chief or king among the Yemeni tribes.
50. abyad : Literally 'white', metaphorically meaning noble, generous, or radiant in character.
51. 'arimat : Plural of 'arimah, meaning fierce or intense feelings.
52. Usayd : Usayd ibn Abi al-'Is ibn Umayya, a Qurayshi opponent of the Prophet.
53. al-dawakhil : Inner feelings or secrets.
54. 'Uthman : 'Uthman ibn 'Ubayd Allah, brother of Talha ibn 'Ubayd Allah, a Companion.
55. Qunfudh : Qunfudh ibn 'Umayr, a Qurayshi opponent.
56. khasm : Dispute or litigation.
57. Ubayy : Al-Akhnas ibn Shariq, a Qurayshi opponent known for withdrawing at Badr.
58. Ibn 'Abd Yaghuth : A Qurayshi leader, possibly from the tribe of Sahm.
59. Subay' : A clan or individual from Quraysh, possibly Banu Subay'.
60. Nawfal : Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manaf, a clan of Quraysh.
61. alidah : Stubborn or obstinate opponents.
62. Abu 'Amr : Abu 'Amr, possibly a Qurayshi opponent.
63. al-masajil : Disputants or arguers.
64. wa'il : One who seeks refuge or fails; here meaning not failing.
65. yukhis : To diminish or reduce.
66. Akhshab : Two mountains near Mecca, al-Akhshaban.
67. 'a'il : Unjust or oppressive.
68. Abu al-Walid : 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, a Qurayshi leader.
69. 'Utba : 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, a Qurayshi opponent.
70. al-ghayatif : A clan of Banu Sahm.
71. al-timl : A tall man; metaphor for a prominent enemy.
72. Abu Sufyan : Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, a Qurayshi leader and later Companion.
73. al-khamil : An obscure or lowly man.
74. al-waghil : An intruder or one who imposes himself.
75. al-mafasil : Joints; metaphor for correctness or proper order.
76. Mut'im : Mut'im ibn 'Adi, a Qurayshi chief who protected the Prophet.
77. marajil : Plural of mirjal, a large cooking pot.
78. natta'ir : To take revenge or retaliate.
79. liqha : A she-camel with milk; metaphor for benefit or outcome.
80. bahil : A she-camel without milk; metaphor for something worthless.
81. 'Abd Shams : Clan of Quraysh, including Umayya.
82. Nawfal : Clan of Quraysh, brother of 'Abd Shams.
83. saw'iq : Plural of sa'iq, meaning driver or intermediary.
84. saw'iq : Plural of sa'iq, meaning driver or intermediary.
85. Khalaf : Khalaf ibn Wahb, a Qurayshi figure.
86. Ghayatif : A clan of Banu Sahm.
87. hulahl : A generous and noble man.
88. Qusayy : Qusayy ibn Kilab, ancestor of Quraysh.
89. Sahm : Clan of Quraysh.
90. Makhzum : Clan of Quraysh.
91. al-matafil : Nursing women; metaphor for captives.
92. 'Abd Manaf : Clan of Quraysh, ancestor of the Prophet.
93. bara' : Innocent or free from blame.
94. yahsur : To despair or give up.
95. al-kuda : Humps of a camel; metaphor for the elite or core.
96. al-kawahil : Shoulders; metaphor for strength or support.
97. kharadil : Scattered pieces of meat.
98. Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib : Ancestor of Quraysh.
99. hindikiyyah : Of Indian origin; referring to a slave woman.
100. Nufayl : Nufayl ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, a Qurayshi figure.
101. Ma'add : Ancestor of northern Arabs.
102. al-mashakil : Difficulties or problems.
103. Kilab ibn Murra : Ancestor of Quraysh.
104. sunnah : A practice or tradition; here possibly referring to a blameworthy custom.
105. sawrah : Assault or attack.
106. al-mutatawil : The arrogant or overbearing.
107. Ghalib : Ghalib ibn Fihr, ancestor of Quraysh.
108. Mutayyabun : A confederation of Quraysh clans who swore an oath of alliance.
109. al-kalakil : Collarbones; metaphor for chest or front.
110. al-mahamil : Plural of mahmal, meaning origin or source.
111. Jumah : Clan of Quraysh.
112. Qays ibn 'Aqil : A Qurayshi figure.
113. Zuhayr : Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayya, a Qurayshi poet and maternal cousin of the Prophet.
114. Ahmad : Another name for the Prophet Muhammad.
115. al-dawahi : Outskirts or rural areas.
116. hawalayna wa la 'alayna : A supplication meaning 'around us and not upon us', asking for rain to fall around but not directly on the city.
117. ajal : Yes; an affirmation.
118. Ka'b : Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy, ancestor of Quraysh.
119. shayāṭīn : Literally 'devils'; used figuratively to denote extremely cunning or wicked individuals.
120. al-qarīnayn : The two companions; refers to Abū Bakr and Ṭalḥa being bound together.
121. wa-qawmun ‘alaynā aẓinna : A poetic line meaning 'a people suspicious of us'; refers to Banū Bakr.
122. aḥbār : Jewish scholars or rabbis.
123. Abū Qays ibn al-Aslat : A poet from the Aws tribe.
124. al-ḥurma : The sacredness or sanctity, likely referring to the sacred months or the Kaaba.
125. Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib : An ancestor of Quraysh.
126. sharjayn : Two halves or two parties; refers to the divided state of Quraysh.
127. azmal : A firebrand or piece of burning wood; metaphor for inciting conflict.
128. ẓibā’ al-shawāzib : Fleeing gazelles; metaphor for women or sacred things.
129. al-ghūl : A mythical creature that leads travelers astray; metaphor for war's destructive nature.
130. al-atḥamiyya : A soft, comfortable garment; metaphor for peace.
131. umm ṣāḥib : Literally 'mother of a companion'; an exclamation of lament.
132. ḥarb Dāḥis : The war of Dāḥis, a famous pre-Islamic war between ‘Abs and Dhubyān.
133. ḥarb Ḥāṭib : Another pre-Islamic war; details uncertain.
134. mā’ hurīqa fī al-ḍalāl : Bloodshed in error or misguided conflict.
135. rabb al-thawāqib : Lord of the piercing stars; refers to God.
136. dīnan ḥanīfan : A pure, monotheistic religion; often refers to the religion of Abraham.
137. al-dhawā’ib : Forelocks; metaphor for guidance or leadership.
138. surrat al-baṭḥā’ : Navel of the valley; metaphor for the central or most noble part.
139. shumm al-arānib : High-nosed; metaphor for pride or nobility.
140. ahl al-jabājib : People of the plains; refers to the inhabitants of Mecca.
141. hādhā al-bayt : This House; refers to the Kaaba.
142. al-akhāshib : Rugged mountains; refers to the hills around Mecca.
143. Abū Yaksūm : Abraha, the Abyssinian commander who attacked Mecca with elephants.
144. al-qādhi fāt : Heights or elevated places; refers to the mountain passes.
145. sāfin wa-ḥāṣib : Scatterer and pelter; refers to the stones and wind that destroyed Abraha's army.
146. al-ḥubsh : Abyssinians; refers to the Ethiopian army.
147. Zayd : The text says 'Zayd' but the correct name is 'Zayd' as per lineage.
148. aṭhār : Wombs; metaphor for childbirth or offspring.
149. al-Habā'ah : A place name; also the name of a famous horse in pre-Islamic Arabia, belonging to the tribe of 'Abs.
150. al-Ẓulm : Injustice or oppression; here used metaphorically as a pasture that is foul and harmful.
151. Fusḥum : The mother of Yazīd ibn al-Ḥārith; a woman from the tribe of al-Qayn ibn Jasr.

He mentioned that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, suffered from his people [1].

Is one who speaks a word that is the truth ¹ seated ... upon it? And is an angry person a listener to guidance? And is a master whose benefit the tribe hopes for ... a gatherer of the farthest allies and relatives? I disavow [everything] except the face of the One who controls youth ², and I abandon you as long as there is one who brings near and one who removes ³. And I submit my face to God and my speech, even if terrifying things from a friend terrify me. [Section: Mention of the encounter of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, with his people] (The foolish ones of Quraysh and their accusation of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, of sorcery and madness): Ibn Ishaq said: Then the matter of Quraysh became severe due to the misery that befell them in their enmity toward the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and those who had embraced Islam with him. So they incited their foolish ones against the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace; they denied him, harmed him, and accused him of poetry, sorcery, divination, and madness. And the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was manifesting the command of God, not concealing it, openly declaring to them what they disliked: criticizing their religion, forsaking their idols, and separating from them in their unbelief. (The account of Ibn al-‘As about the worst treatment Quraysh inflicted on the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Ishaq said: Yahya ibn ‘Urwa ibn al-Zubayr narrated to me from his father ‘Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, who said: I asked him: What was the worst treatment you saw Quraysh inflict on the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, in what they openly showed of enmity toward him? He said: I was present with them one day when their nobles gathered in the Hijr ⁴, and they mentioned the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. They said: We have never seen anything like what we have endured from this man. He has belittled our intellects, insulted our fathers, criticized our religion, divided our community, and reviled our gods. We have indeed endured a great matter from him—or as they said. While they were thus, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, appeared, walking until he touched the Black Stone ⁵, then passed by them while circumambulating the House. When he passed by them, they made remarks about him ⁶. He said: I recognized that on the face of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Then he went on. When he passed by them a second time, they made similar remarks, and I recognized that on his face. Then he passed by them a third time, and they made similar remarks. So he stopped and said: Do you hear, O assembly of Quraysh? By Him in whose hand is my soul, I have brought you slaughter ⁷. He said: His words seized the people such that there was not a man among them but had a bird perched on his head ⁸. Even the one who had previously been harshest toward him began to soothe him with the best words he could find, saying: Go away, O Abu al-Qasim ⁹, for by God, you are not ignorant. He said: So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, left. The next day they gathered in the Hijr, and I was with them. Some of them said to others: You mentioned what you have endured from him and what he has done to you, until when he confronted you with what you dislike, you left him. While they were thus, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, appeared. They rushed at him as one man and surrounded him, saying: Are you the one who says such and such?—referring to what he used to say criticizing their gods and religion. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: Yes, I am the one who says that. He said: I saw a man among them grab the collar of his cloak. Then Abu Bakr, may God be pleased with him, stood up to defend him, weeping and saying: Would you kill a man for saying: My Lord is God? Then they left him. And that was the worst treatment I ever saw Quraysh inflict on him. (Some of what Abu Bakr suffered for the sake of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Ishaq said: Some of the family of Umm Kulthum bint Abi Bakr narrated to me that she said: Indeed, Abu Bakr returned that day with the part of his head ¹⁰ split open, because they had pulled him by his beard—and he was a man with much hair.

1. al-ḥaqq : The truth; often used in Islamic context to refer to God or absolute truth.
2. man yamliku al-ṣibā : Literally 'the one who possesses youth'; a Sufi term referring to God as the controller of spiritual states.
3. mudlin wa nāzi‘ : Terms in Sufi cosmology: mudlin (one who brings near) and nāzi‘ (one who removes), referring to spiritual states of approach and withdrawal.
4. al-Ḥijr : A semicircular area adjacent to the Kaaba in Mecca, also known as the Hijr Ismail.
5. al-rukn : The Black Stone set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba; touching it is a ritual act during circumambulation.
6. ghamazūhu : They made insinuating or mocking remarks about him.
7. al-dhabḥ : Slaughter; here used metaphorically to mean decisive defeat or destruction.
8. ka’annamā ʿalā ra’sihi ṭā’irun wāqi‘ : An Arabic idiom meaning extreme stillness and silence, as if a bird is perched on one's head.
9. Abā al-Qāsim : The kunya (patronymic) of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'father of Qasim'.
10. farq : The parting of the hair; here meaning the top of the head or the scalp.

The conversion of Hamza, may Allah have mercy on him [1].

(The most severe harm inflicted upon the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Hisham said: Some scholars told me that the most severe treatment the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, received from the Quraysh was that one day he went out and every person he met, free or slave, denied him and harmed him. So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, returned to his home and wrapped himself up ¹ because of the severity of what had befallen him. Then God, exalted be He, revealed to him: "O you who are wrapped up, arise and warn" (74:1-2). The Conversion of Hamza, may God have mercy on him ² (Abu Jahl's Harm to the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, and Hamza's Witnessing of It): Ibn Ishaq said: A man from Aslam, who was a reliable narrator, told me that Abu Jahl passed by the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, near al-Safa ³ and harmed and insulted him, saying some unpleasant things about his religion and belittling his affair. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, did not speak to him. A freedwoman of Abdullah ibn Jud'an ibn Amr ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym ibn Murra was in her dwelling and heard that. Then Abu Jahl left him and went to a gathering ⁴ of Quraysh near the Kaaba and sat with them. Soon after, Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, may God be pleased with him, came along carrying his bow ⁵, returning from a hunting expedition ⁶. He was a hunter who shot arrows and went out for game. When he returned from hunting, he would not go to his family until he had circumambulated the Kaaba. When he did that, he would not pass by any gathering of Quraysh without stopping, greeting, and talking with them. He was the most noble youth in Quraysh and the strongest in resolve. When he passed by the freedwoman, after the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, had returned to his home, she said to him: "O Abu Umara ⁷, if only you had seen what your nephew Muhammad just suffered from Abu al-Hakam ibn Hisham ⁸—he found him sitting here, harmed and insulted him, and said unpleasant things to him; then he left him, and Muhammad did not speak to him." (Hamza's Attack on Abu Jahl and His Conversion): Hamza was filled with anger, as God intended to honor him, and he went out quickly, not stopping for anyone, preparing to attack Abu Jahl when he met him. When he entered the mosque, he saw him sitting among the people. He approached him until he stood over his head, raised his bow, and struck him with it, causing a severe wound. Then he said: "Do you insult him while I follow his religion and say what he says? Let me see you do that to me if you can!" Some men from Banu Makhzum ⁹ rose to support Abu Jahl, but Abu Jahl said: "Leave Abu Umara alone, for by God, I have insulted his nephew shamefully." Hamza, may God be pleased with him, confirmed his conversion and his adherence to what the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said. When Hamza converted, the Quraysh realized that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, had become strong and protected, and that Hamza would defend him. So they refrained from some of the harm they used to inflict upon him ¹⁰.

1. al-muddaththir : The one wrapped in garments; a title given to the Prophet in Surah 74.
2. rahimahu Allah : May God have mercy on him; a phrase used for deceased Muslims.
3. al-Safa : A small hill near the Kaaba in Mecca, part of the Sa'i ritual.
4. nadi : A gathering place or assembly of a tribe.
5. mutawashshihan qawsahu : Carrying his bow slung over his shoulder.
6. qans : Hunting or game.
7. Abu Umara : Hamza's kunya (patronymic), meaning 'father of Umara'.
8. Abu al-Hakam ibn Hisham : Abu Jahl's real name; he was a leading opponent of Islam.
9. Banu Makhzum : A prominent clan of the Quraysh tribe, to which Abu Jahl belonged.
10. yanālūna : They used to inflict (harm) upon him.

The saying of Utbah ibn Rabi'ah concerning the matter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

The statement of Utbah ibn Rabi'ah concerning the matter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: (What transpired between Utbah and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Ishaq said: Yazid ibn Ziyad narrated to me from Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi, who said: I was told that Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, who was a chief, said one day while sitting in the assembly of Quraysh, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sitting alone in the mosque: "O company of Quraysh, shall I go to Muhammad and speak to him and present to him some matters, perhaps he will accept some of them, and we will give him whatever he wishes, and he will desist from us?" This was when Hamzah had embraced Islam, and they saw the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, increasing and multiplying. They said: "Yes, O Abu al-Walid, go to him and speak to him." So Utbah went to him until he sat with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: "O son of my brother, you are from us, as you know, of high standing ¹ in the clan and noble in lineage. You have brought to your people a grave matter, by which you have divided their community, deemed their intellects foolish, reviled their gods and religion, and declared the forefathers who have passed away as disbelievers. So listen to me, I will present to you some matters for you to consider; perhaps you will accept some of them." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him: "Speak, O Abu al-Walid, I am listening." He said: "O son of my brother, if what you have brought is for wealth, we will gather for you from our wealth until you become the wealthiest among us. If it is for honor, we will make you our chief so that we do not decide any matter without you. If it is for kingship, we will make you king over us. And if this that comes to you is a vision ² that you see and cannot repel from yourself, we will seek medicine for you and spend our wealth until you are cured."

1. al-sitah : High standing or noble rank within the tribe, indicating influence and respect.
2. ri'yan : A vision or apparition, often used to refer to a jinn or demonic possession, implying that the revelation might be from a supernatural source other than God.

What transpired between the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and the chiefs of Quraysh, and an interpretation of Surah al-Kahf.

Our wealth until we cure you of it, for perhaps the follower ¹ overcomes a man until he is treated for it—or as he said to him. When 'Utba finished, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was listening to him, he said: 'Have you finished, O Abu al-Walid?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Then listen to me.' He said: 'I will.' So he said: 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 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 listen. And they say: Our hearts are in coverings from that to which you call us' [41:1-5]. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) continued reciting it to him. When 'Utba heard it from him, he listened attentively, placed his hands behind his back leaning on them, listening to him. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) reached the prostration in it, so he prostrated, then said: 'You have heard, O Abu al-Walid, what you have heard, so you and that are your concern.' (What 'Utba suggested to his companions): 'Utba stood up and went to his companions. Some of them said to others: 'We swear by Allah, Abu al-Walid has come to you with a different face than the one he left with.' When he sat with them, they said: 'What is behind you, O Abu al-Walid?' He said: 'Behind me is that I have heard a speech—by Allah, I have never heard its like. By Allah, it is not poetry, nor sorcery, nor soothsaying. O company of Quraysh, obey me and let me handle it, and leave between this man and what he is doing, and withdraw from him. For by Allah, his speech that I have heard will have a great outcome. If the Arabs overcome him, then you will be spared by others; and if he prevails over the Arabs, then his kingdom is your kingdom, his honor is your honor, and you will be the most fortunate people with him.' They said: 'By Allah, he has bewitched you with his tongue, O Abu al-Walid.' He said: 'This is my opinion about him; do as you see fit.' (What transpired between the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the leaders of Quraysh, and an interpretation of Surah al-Kahf) (The continuation of Quraysh's torture of those who embraced Islam): Ibn Ishaq said: Then Islam began to spread in Mecca among the tribes of Quraysh, among men and women, while Quraysh imprisoned those they could and persecuted those they could among the Muslims. Then the nobles of Quraysh from every tribe—as some scholars narrated to me from Sa'id ibn Jubayr and from 'Ikrimah, the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both)—said: (The narration of the leaders of Quraysh with the Messenger (peace be upon him)): 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, Shayba ibn Rabi'a, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith (ibn Kalada) ² of Banu 'Abd al-Dar, Abu al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham, al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib ibn Asad, Zam'a ibn al-Aswad, al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, 'Abdullah ibn Abi Umayya, al-'As ibn Wa'il, Nabih and Munabbih sons of al-Hajjaj al-Sahmiyyayn ³, Umayya ibn Khalaf, or whoever among them gathered. He said: They gathered after sunset near the back of the Ka'ba, then some said to others: 'Send for Muhammad and speak to him and argue with him so that you may have an excuse against him.' So they sent to him: 'The nobles of your people have gathered for you to speak to you; come to them.' So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came quickly, thinking that they might have changed their minds regarding what he had spoken to them about, for he was eager for them, loving their guidance, and their hardship was grievous to him ⁴, until he sat with them. They said to him: 'O Muhammad, we have sent for you to speak to you. By Allah, we do not know of any man among the Arabs who has brought to his people what you have brought to your people. You have insulted the fathers, reviled the religion, cursed the gods, called the forefathers foolish, and divided the community. There is no evil thing left that you have not brought between us and you'—or as they said to him. 'If you have come with this speech seeking wealth, we will gather for you from our wealth until you become the wealthiest among us. If you seek honor among us, we will make you our leader. If you seek kingship, we will make you king over us. If this that comes to you is a familiar spirit ⁵ that you see—and they used to call the follower from the jinn a familiar spirit—then perhaps that is the case. We will spend our wealth to seek treatment for you until we cure you of it, or we will have an excuse regarding you.' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to them: 'I am not as you say. I have not brought what I brought to you seeking your wealth, nor honor among you, nor kingship over you. Rather, Allah has sent me to you as a messenger, revealed to me a Book, and commanded me to be a bearer of good news and a warner to you. So I have conveyed to you the messages of my Lord and advised you. If you accept from me what I have brought you, that is your share in this world and the Hereafter. If you reject it, I will be patient for the command of Allah until Allah judges between me and you'—or as he (peace be upon him) said. They said: 'O Muhammad, if you will not accept from us any of what we have offered you, then you know that there is no people more restricted in land, with less water, or harsher in living than us. So ask your Lord who sent you with what He sent you to move away from us these mountains that have constricted us, expand our land for us, cause rivers to flow in it like the rivers of Syria and Iraq ⁶, raise for us our forefathers who have passed away, and let Qusayy ibn Kilab be among those raised, for he was a truthful elder, so that we may ask them whether what you say is true or false. If they affirm you and you do what we ask, we will believe you and recognize your status with Allah, and that He sent you as a messenger as you claim.' He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to them: 'I was not sent to you for this. I have only come to you from Allah with what He sent me. I have conveyed to you what I was sent with. If you accept it, it is your share in this world and the Hereafter. If you reject it, I will be patient for the command of Allah Almighty until Allah judges between me and you.' They said: 'Since you will not do this for us, then...'

Take for yourself. Ask your Lord to send with you an angel to confirm what you say, and to argue with us on your behalf. And ask Him to grant you gardens, palaces, and treasures of gold and silver, to make you independent of what we see you seeking. For you go to the markets as we do, and seek a livelihood as we do, so that we may know your merit and your rank with your Lord, if you are a messenger as you claim." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to them: "I will not do that, nor will I ask my Lord for this. I was not sent to you with this. Rather, Allah sent me as a bearer of good tidings and a warner"—or as he said—"If you accept what I have brought you, that is your portion in this world and the Hereafter. If you reject it, I will be patient with Allah's command until Allah judges between me and you." They said: "Then cause the sky to fall upon us in pieces, as you claim your Lord can do if He wills. For we will not believe you unless you do that." He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "That is up to Allah. If He wills to do it to you, He will do it." They said: "O Muhammad, did your Lord not know that we would sit with you and ask you what we asked, and demand what we demanded, so that He might instruct you beforehand and teach you how to answer us, and inform you what He would do with us if we did not accept what you brought? We have heard that a man in al-Yamamah called al-Rahman teaches you this. By Allah, we will never believe in al-Rahman. We have given you our excuse, O Muhammad. By Allah, we will not leave you and what you have done to us until we overpower you or you destroy us." One of them said: "We worship the angels, and they are the daughters of Allah." Another said: "We will not believe you until you bring Allah and the angels before us as a guarantee." (The story of 'Abdullah ibn Abi Umayyah with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): When they said that to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he stood up from them, and 'Abdullah ibn Abi Umayyah ibn al-Mughirah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum stood with him—he was his maternal cousin, being the son of 'Atikah bint 'Abd al-Muttalib—and said to him: "O Muhammad, your people offered you what they offered, and you did not accept it from them. Then they asked you for themselves for things by which they might know your rank with Allah, as you claim, and believe you and follow you, but you did not do it. Then they asked you to take for yourself what would make them recognize your superiority over them and your rank with Allah, but you did not do it. Then they asked you to hasten for them some of the punishment you warn them of, but you did not do it"—or as he said to him—"By Allah, I will never believe in you until you take a ladder to heaven, then ascend it while I watch you until you reach it, then come back with four angels who testify for you that you are as you claim. By Allah, even if you did that, I would not think I would believe you." ⁷ Then he left the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. And the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned to his family, sad and grieved for what he had missed of what he had hoped for from his people when they called him, and for what he saw of their distancing themselves from him. (What Abu Jahl threatened the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with): When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up from them, Abu Jahl said: "O company of Quraysh, Muhammad insists on what you see: reviling our religion, insulting our fathers, belittling our intellects, and cursing our gods. I vow to Allah that tomorrow I will sit for him with a stone that I cannot carry"—or as he said—"and when he prostrates in his prayer, I will smash his head with it. Then surrender me to them or protect me. After that, let the Banu 'Abd Manaf do as they please." They said: "By Allah, we will never surrender you for anything. Go ahead with what you intend." (What happened to Abu Jahl when he intended to throw the stone at the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): When morning came, Abu Jahl took a stone as described, then sat waiting for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out as he used to. In Mecca, his prayer direction was toward Syria ⁸, and when he prayed, he prayed between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone, placing the Ka'bah between him and Syria. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood praying, and Quraysh had gone out and sat in their assemblies waiting for what Abu Jahl would do. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prostrated, Abu Jahl lifted the stone and advanced toward him. When he drew near him, he turned back, fleeing, his color changed ⁹, terrified, his hands dried up on his stone until he threw the stone from his hand. The men of Quraysh stood up to him and said: "What is the matter with you, O Abu al-Hakam?" He said: "I went to do to him what I told you last night. When I drew near him, a stallion camel appeared before me—by Allah, I have never seen such a hump, such a neck ¹⁰, or such fangs for any stallion—and it intended to eat me." ¹¹ Ibn Ishaq said: It was mentioned to me that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "That was Jibril, peace be upon him. If he had come closer, he would have seized him." (Al-Nadr's advice to Quraysh to reflect on what the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought): When Abu Jahl said that to them, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith ibn Kaladah ibn 'Alqamah ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn 'Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy stood up. Ibn Hisham said: It is also said al-Nadr ibn al-Harith ibn 'Alqamah ibn Kaladah ibn 'Abd Manaf. Ibn Ishaq said: He said: "O company of Quraysh, by Allah, a matter has befallen you for which you have not yet found a solution. Muhammad was among you as a young man, the most pleasing to you, the most truthful in speech, and the most trustworthy, until when you saw gray hair at his temples and he brought you what he brought, you said: 'A sorcerer.' By Allah, he is not a sorcerer. We have seen sorcerers and their blowing and knots ¹². You said: 'A soothsayer.' By Allah, he is not a soothsayer. We have seen soothsayers and their twitching and heard their rhymed prose. You said: 'A poet.' By Allah, he is not a poet. We have seen poetry and heard all its kinds: its meter and its rajaz. You said: 'Mad.' By Allah, he is not mad. We have seen madness, and he does not have its choking, whispering, or confusion. O company of Quraysh, look into your affair, for by Allah, a great matter has befallen you." (How al-Nadr ibn al-Harith used to harm the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): Al-Nadr ibn al-Harith was one of the devils of Quraysh and among those who harmed the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and showed enmity toward him. He had been to al-Hirah and learned there the stories of the Persian kings and the tales of Rustam and Isfandiyar ¹³. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sat in a gathering and reminded them of Allah and warned his people of what had befallen the nations before them of Allah's punishment, he would follow him in his gathering when he left, then say: "By Allah, O company of Quraysh, I am a better storyteller than he. Come to me, and I will tell you better stories than his." Then he would tell them about the kings of Persia, Rustam, and Isfandiyar ¹⁴, then say: "In what way is Muhammad a better storyteller than I?" Ibn Hisham said: It is he who said, as I have heard: "I will reveal the like of what Allah has revealed."

Ibn Isḥāq said: Ibn ʿAbbās, may God be pleased with them both, used to say, according to what has reached me: Eight verses of the Qur’an were revealed concerning him ¹⁵: the saying of God Almighty: {When Our verses are recited to him, he says, “Legends of the ancients.”} [68:15], and every mention of “legends” in the Qur’an. (Quraysh sent al-Naḍr and Ibn Abī Muʿayṭ to the Jewish rabbis to ask them about Muḥammad, may God bless him and grant him peace): When al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith said that to them, they sent him and sent with him ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ to the Jewish rabbis in Medina, and said to them both: “Ask them about Muḥammad, describe his description to them, and inform them of his saying, for they are the people of the earlier scripture, and they have knowledge that we do not have of the knowledge of the prophets.” So they set out until they arrived in Medina, and asked the Jewish rabbis about the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, described his affair to them, informed them of some of his sayings, and said to them: “You are the people of the Torah, and we have come to you so that you may inform us about this companion of ours.” The Jewish rabbis said to them: “Ask him about three things which we command you to ask. If he informs you about them, then he is a sent prophet; if he does not, then the man is a fabricator ¹⁶. Then form your own opinion about him. Ask him about some youths who went in ancient times—what was their affair? For they had a wondrous story. Ask him about a wandering man who reached the east of the earth and its west—what was his news? And ask him about the spirit—what is it? If he informs you about that, then follow him, for he is a prophet. If he does not, then he is a fabricator; so do in his affair as you see fit.” So al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith and ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ ibn Abī ʿAmr ibn Umayya ibn ʿAbd Shams ibn ʿAbd Manāf ibn Quṣayy returned until they arrived in Mecca to Quraysh, and said: “O company of Quraysh, we have brought you the decisive matter between you and Muḥammad. The Jewish rabbis told us to ask him about things they commanded us with. If he informs you about them, then he is a prophet; if he does not, then the man is a fabricator. So form your own opinion about him.” (Quraysh’s questioning of him, may God bless him and grant him peace, about the questions and his answering them): So they came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said: “O Muḥammad, inform us about some youths who went in ancient times—they had a wondrous story—and about a man who was a wanderer and reached the east of the earth and its west, and inform us about the spirit—what is it?” He said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to them: “I will inform you about what you have asked tomorrow,” and he did not say “if God wills” ¹⁷. So they left him. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, remained—according to what they mention—fifteen nights without God sending him any revelation in that regard, and Gabriel did not come to him, until the people of Mecca became distressed ¹⁸ and said: “Muḥammad promised us tomorrow, and now fifteen nights have passed, and we have woken up without him telling us anything about what we asked him.” And this continued until the delay of revelation saddened the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and what the people of Mecca were saying became difficult for him. Then Gabriel came to him from God Almighty with Sūrat al-Kahf ¹⁹, in which was His rebuke of him for his grief over them, and the news of what they had asked him about concerning the affair of the youths, the wandering man, and the spirit. (What God revealed concerning Quraysh when they asked the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and revelation was absent from him for a period): Ibn Isḥāq said: It was mentioned to me that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to Gabriel when he came to him: “You have delayed from me, O Gabriel, until I thought ill of you.” Gabriel said to him: {And we do not descend except by the command of your Lord. To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us and what is between that. And your Lord is not forgetful.} [19:64]. So He, blessed and exalted, opened the sūrah with His praise and the mention of the prophethood of His Messenger, because of what they had denied him regarding that. He said: {Praise be to God who sent down the Book to His servant} [18:1]—meaning Muḥammad, may God bless him and grant him peace—{and did not make it crooked, straight} [18:1-2]—meaning balanced, with no discrepancy in it—{to warn of severe punishment from Him} [18:2]—meaning the swift punishment in this world—{and a painful punishment in the Hereafter}—meaning from your Lord who sent a messenger—{and to give good news to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward, abiding therein forever} [18:2-3]—meaning the abode of eternity; they will not die therein—{those who believe in you with what you have brought, which others have denied, and act according to what you have commanded them. And to warn those who say, “God has taken a son.”} [18:4]—meaning Quraysh in their saying: “We worship the angels, and they are the daughters of God.” {They have no knowledge of it, nor did their fathers} [18:5]—who magnified separation from them and faulted their religion. {Great is the word that comes out of their mouths} [18:5]—for their saying that the angels are the daughters of God. {They say nothing but a lie. Then perhaps you will kill yourself} [18:5-6], O Muḥammad, {with grief over them, if they do not believe in this discourse} [18:6]—meaning his sorrow for them when what he had hoped from them eluded him—i.e., do not do that. Ibn Hishām said: “Kill yourself” means destroy yourself, according to what Abū ʿUbayda narrated to me. Dhū al-Rumma said: “Oh, this one who kills himself with longing / for something that fate has turned away from his hands.” Its plural is bākhiʿūn and bakhaʿa. This verse is in one of his poems. The Arabs say: “I have exhausted my sincere advice and myself for him,” meaning I have striven for him. {Indeed, We have made what is on the earth an adornment for it, that We may test them [to see] which of them is best in deed} [18:7]. Ibn Isḥāq said: Meaning which of them is most obedient to My command and acts in My obedience. {And indeed, We will make what is on it a barren plain} [18:8]—meaning the earth; indeed, what is on it is perishing and passing away, and the return is to Me, so I will reward each according to his deed. So do not grieve, and let not what you hear and see in it sadden you. Ibn Hishām said: al-Ṣaʿīd is the earth; its plural is ṣuʿud. Dhū al-Rumma said, describing a small gazelle: “As if, in the forenoon, a creeping thing with a trunk in the bones of the head / were throwing the earth at him.” This verse is in one of his poems. Al-Ṣaʿīd (also) means the road. It has come in the ḥadīth: “Beware of sitting on the roadsides,” meaning the roads. Al-Juruz is the land that does not grow anything; its plural is ajrāz. It is said: a barren year, and barren years, which are those in which there is no rain, and in which there is drought, dryness, and hardship. Dhū al-Rumma said, describing camels: “The wear and the barren years have consumed what was in their bellies, / so nothing remained but the rough ribs.” This verse is in one of his poems. (What God Almighty revealed concerning the story of the Companions of the Cave): Ibn Isḥāq said: Then He addressed the story of the news concerning what they had asked him about the affair of the youths, and said: {Or do you think that the Companions of the Cave and the Inscription ²⁰ were among Our signs a wonder?} [18:9]—meaning: There have been among My signs, in what I have placed upon the servants of My proofs, what is more wondrous than that. Ibn Hishām said: al-Raqīm is the book in which their story was inscribed; its plural is ruqum. al-ʿAjjāj said: “And the resting place of the inscribed book.” This verse is in one of his rajaz poems.

Ibn Ishaq said: Then Allah Almighty said: "When the youths sought refuge in the Cave, they said: 'Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance.' So We cast [a cover of sleep] over their ears in the Cave for a number of years. Then We awakened them that We might know which of the two factions was most accurate in counting what they had tarried." [18:10-12] Then Allah Almighty said: "We relate to you their story in truth" [18:13], i.e., with truthful news about them: "Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance. And We bound together their hearts when they stood up and said: 'Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Never will we call upon besides Him any deity. We would have certainly spoken, then, an excessive transgression.'" [18:13-14], i.e., they did not associate partners with Me as you associated with Me that of which you have no knowledge. Ibn Hisham said: "Al-shatat" is excess and transgression beyond the truth. A'sha of Banu Qays ibn Tha'laba said: "They do not desist, nor does one forbid those of transgression, / Like a thrust in which oil and twisting go." This verse is in one of his odes. "These, our people, have taken besides Him gods. Why do they not bring for them a clear authority?" [18:15]. Ibn Ishaq said: i.e., a conclusive proof. "Then who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah? And when you have withdrawn from them and that which they worship except Allah, then take refuge in the Cave; your Lord will spread out for you of His mercy and will prepare for you from your affair a facility. And you see the sun when it rises, inclining away from their Cave to the right, and when it sets, passing them by on the left, while they are in an open space [in the cave]." [18:15-17]. Ibn Hisham said: "Tatazawaru" means it inclines, from "al-zawr". Imru' al-Qays ibn Hujr said: "And indeed I am guarantor, if I return as a king, / For a journey from which you see the furaniq ²¹ as crooked." This verse is in one of his odes. Abu al-Zahf al-Kulaybi said, describing a land: "Rugged ²² of the place of refuge ²³ from our disgrace, crooked, / Its arduous journey ²⁴ wears out the mounts." These two verses are in a rajaz poem of his. "And when it sets, passing them by on the left" [18:17]: it passes them and leaves them on its left. Dhu al-Rumma said: "To women traveling who pass by the sides of Mushrif ²⁵, / On the left, and on their right are the horsemen." This verse is in one of his odes. "Al-fajwa" is spaciousness, and its plural is "al-fija'". The poet said: "You clothed your people with disgrace and deficiency, / Until they were vanquished and left the open space of the house." "That is from the signs of Allah" [18:17], i.e., in the proof for those who know that from their affair among the People of the Book, who commanded these [Quraysh] to ask you about them regarding the truth of your prophethood by the confirmation of the news about them. "Whoever Allah guides is the [rightly] guided, and whoever He leaves astray – never will you find for him a protecting guide." "And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance." [18:17-18]. Ibn Hisham said: "Al-wasid" is the door. Al-'Absi, whose name is 'Ubayd ibn Wahb, said: "In a barren land whose entrance is not blocked / Against me, and my kindness there is not denied." This verse is in some lines of his. "Al-wasid" (also) is the courtyard, and its plural is "wasa'id", "wusud", "wusdan", "usud", and "usdan". "Had you looked upon them, you would have turned from them in flight, and been filled with awe of them" [18:18] ... until His saying: "Those who prevailed over their affair said" [18:21], i.e., the people of authority and kingship among them: "We will surely build over them a masjid ²⁶." "They will say" [18:21-22], meaning the rabbis of the Jews who commanded them to ask about them: "[They were] three, the fourth of them being their dog." "And they say, 'Five, the sixth of them being their dog,' guessing at the unseen" [18:22], i.e., they have no knowledge. "And they say, 'Seven, and the eighth of them being their dog.' Say, 'My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few.' So do not argue about them except an obvious argument" [18:22], i.e., do not contend with them. "And do not ask about them among them anyone" [18:22], for they have no knowledge of them. "And never say of anything, 'Indeed, I will do that tomorrow,' except [when adding], 'If Allah wills.' And remember your Lord when you forget and say, 'Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer than this to right conduct.'" [18:23-24], i.e., do not say about anything they ask you about, as I said in this: I will inform you tomorrow. And make an exception by the will of Allah, and remember your Lord when you forget, and say, "Perhaps my Lord will guide me" [18:24] to better than what you asked me about in right conduct, for you do not know what I will do regarding that. "And they remained in their Cave three hundred years and exceeded by nine" [18:25], i.e., they will say that. "Say, 'Allah is most knowing of how long they remained. To Him belongs the unseen of the heavens and the earth. How Seeing is He and how Hearing! They have not besides Him any protector, and He shares not His legislation with anyone.'" [18:26], i.e., nothing of what they asked you about is hidden from Him. (What Allah Almighty revealed concerning the story of the traveling man): And He said regarding what they asked him about concerning the traveling man: "And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnayn ²⁷." [18:83] "Say, 'I will recite to you about him a mention. Indeed, We established him upon the earth, and We gave him from everything a means ²⁸. So he followed a means" [18:83-85] until the end of his story. And from the story of Dhul-Qarnayn is that he was given what no one else was given, and the means were extended for him until he reached from the lands to the east and west of the earth, not treading on any land without being given authority over its people, until he reached from the east and west to what has no creation beyond it. Ibn Ishaq said: Someone who narrates traditions from the Persians regarding what they inherited of his knowledge told me that Dhul-Qarnayn was a man from Egypt. His name was Marzuban ibn Mardhubah al-Yunani, from the descendants of Yunan ibn Yafith ibn Nuh. Ibn Hisham said: His name is al-Iskandar [Alexander], and he built Alexandria, which was named after him. Ibn Ishaq said: Thawr ibn Yazid narrated to me from Khalid ibn Ma'dan al-Kula'i, who was a man who had reached [the time of the Companions], that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about Dhul-Qarnayn and said: "A king who traversed the earth from beneath it by means." And Khalid said: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, heard a man saying, "O Dhul-Qarnayn!" So 'Umar said: "O Allah, forgive! Are you not content to be named after the prophets until you are named after the angels?" Ibn Ishaq said: Allah knows best which of that was, whether the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that or not. (If he said it), then the truth is what he said. (What Allah Almighty revealed concerning the matter of the Spirit): And Allah Almighty said regarding what they asked him about concerning the Spirit: "And they ask you about the Spirit. Say, 'The Spirit is of the command of my Lord, and you have not been given of knowledge except a little.'" [17:85]. (The question of the Jews of Medina to the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the intended meaning of His saying: "And you have not been given of knowledge except a little" [17:85]): Ibn Ishaq said: I was told from Ibn 'Abbas that he said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Medina, the rabbis of the Jews said: "O Muhammad, what do you think of your saying: 'And you have not been given of knowledge except a little' [17:85]? Do you mean us or your people?" He said: "Both." They said: "But you recite in what has come to you that we have been given the Torah, in which is the explanation of everything." So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "It is little in the knowledge of Allah, and you have in that what suffices you if you uphold it." He said: Then Allah Almighty revealed to him regarding what they asked him about that: "And if whatever trees upon the earth were pens and the sea [were ink], replenished thereafter by seven seas, the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise." [31:27], i.e., the Torah is little in this from the knowledge of Allah. (What Allah Almighty revealed concerning their request to move the mountains): He said: And Allah Almighty revealed to him regarding what his people asked for themselves concerning the moving of the mountains, the cutting of the earth, and the raising of the dead, that they might believe in him: "And if there was a Qur'an by which mountains could be moved or the earth could be cut asunder or the dead could be made to speak, [it would be this Qur'an], but to Allah belongs the affair entirely." [13:31]. So He informed them that if He willed, He would do that, but He has a wisdom in what He does.

And the splitting of the earth, and the raising of their forefathers from the dead: 'And if there were a Qur'an by which mountains could be moved, or the earth could be split, or the dead could be made to speak...' [13:31] ²⁹: meaning, I will not do any of that except what You will. (What Allah Most High revealed in response to their saying to the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: 'Take for yourself'): And He revealed to him concerning their saying: 'Take for yourself' what they asked him to take for himself: that He should make for him gardens, palaces, and treasures, and send with him an angel to confirm what he says and defend him: 'And they say: What is this Messenger that he eats food and walks in the markets? Why is not an angel sent down to him to be a warner with him? Or a treasure thrown down to him, or he have a garden from which he eats? And the wrongdoers say: You follow only a man bewitched. See how they strike for you comparisons; they have gone astray and cannot find a way. Blessed is He who, if He wills, can give you better than that' [25:7-10] ³⁰: meaning, than walking in the markets and seeking livelihood: gardens beneath which rivers flow, and make for you palaces [25:10]. And He revealed to him concerning that from their saying: 'And We sent not before you any of the messengers but that they ate food and walked in the markets. And We have made some of you a trial for others: will you be patient? And your Lord is ever Seeing' [25:20] ³¹: meaning, I have made some of you a trial for others so that you may be patient; and if I had willed to make the world accompany My messengers so that they would not be opposed, I would have done so. (What Allah Most High revealed in response to the saying of Ibn Abi Umayyah): And Allah revealed to him concerning what 'Abdullah ibn Abi Umayyah said: 'And they say: We will not believe you until you cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth. Or you have a garden of date palms and vines and cause rivers to gush forth in it abundantly. Or you cause the sky to fall upon us in pieces as you claim, or bring Allah 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 we can read. Say: Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever but a human messenger?' [17:90-93]. Ibn Hisham said: Al-yanbu' ³² is what gushes forth of water from the earth and elsewhere; its plural is yanabi'. Ibn Harmah, whose name is Ibrahim ibn 'Ali al-Fihri, said: 'And when you pour out at every abode a tear... the tear ducts are drained and your tears are a yanbu'' This verse is from a poem of his. Al-kisaf ³³ are pieces of punishment; its singular is kisafah, like sidrah and sidar. It is also the singular of kisf. Al-qabil ³⁴ can mean facing and seeing, as in His saying: 'Or the punishment comes upon them qabulan' [18:55] ³⁵: i.e., openly. Abu 'Ubaydah recited to me from A'sha Banu Qays ibn Tha'labah: 'I reconcile with you until you bring the like of it... like the cry of a pregnant woman whose qabiluha has eased her' Meaning the midwife, because she faces her and receives her child. This verse is from a poem of his. It is said: al-qabil, its plural is qubul, meaning groups. And in the Book of Allah Most High: 'And We gathered against them everything qubulan' [6:111] ³⁶; qubul is the plural of qabil, like subul is plural of sabil, and surur is plural of sarir, and qumus is plural of qamis. Al-qabil (also) appears in a proverb: their saying: 'He does not know qabil from dabil' ³⁷: i.e., he does not know what comes from what goes. Al-Kumayt ibn Zayd said: 'Matters diverged in their two directions... so they did not know al-dabir from al-qabil' This verse is from a poem of his. It is said that what is meant by this (al-qabil) is twisting: what is twisted toward the forearm is al-qabil, and what is twisted toward the fingertips is al-dabir, and this is from al-iqbal and al-idbar which I mentioned. It is also said: the twisting of the spindle. When the spindle is twisted toward the knee, it is al-qabil; when twisted toward the hip, it is al-dabir. Al-qabil (also) means a man's people. Al-zukhruf ³⁸ is gold. Al-muzakhraf is that which is adorned with gold. Al-'Ajaj said: 'From a relic that you think its traces are the mushaf... and the gilded and muzakhraf' These two verses are from a rajaz poem of his. It is also said of anything adorned: muzakhraf. (What Allah Most High revealed in response to their saying: 'Only a man in al-Yamamah teaches you'): Ibn Ishaq said: And He revealed to him concerning their saying: 'We have heard that only a man in al-Yamamah, called al-Rahman, teaches you, and we will never believe in him': 'Thus We have sent you to a nation before which other nations have passed away, to recite to them what We have revealed to you, while they disbelieve in the Most Gracious. Say: He is my Lord; there is no god but Him; in Him I put my trust, and to Him is my return' [13:30]. (What Allah Most High revealed concerning Abu Jahl and what he intended): And He revealed to him concerning what Abu Jahl ibn Hisham said and intended: 'Have you seen the one who forbids a servant when he prays? Have you seen if he is upon guidance or enjoins righteousness? Have you seen if he denies and turns away? Does he not know that Allah sees? Nay, if he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock, a lying, sinful forelock. Then let him call his council; We will call the Zabaniyah ³⁹. Nay, do not obey him, but prostrate and draw near' [96:9-19]. Ibn Hisham said: Lanasfa'an ⁴⁰: We will surely seize and drag. The poet said: 'A people who, when they hear the cry, you see them... between one bridling his colt and one dragging' Al-nadi ⁴¹ is the gathering place where people meet and conduct their affairs. In the Book of Allah Most High: 'And you commit evil in your nadikum' [29:29] ⁴²; it is also al-nadi. 'Abid ibn al-Abras said: 'Go away, for I am from Banu Asad... people of al-nadi and people of generosity and al-nadi' And in the Book of Allah Most High: 'And better in nadiyyan' [19:73] ⁴³; its plural is andiyah. 'Then let him call the people of his nadi' as Allah Most High said: 'And ask the village' [12:82] ⁴⁴, meaning the people of the village. Salamah ibn Jandal, one of Banu Sa'd ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim, said: 'Two days: a day of standings and andiyah... and a day of journeying to enemies with returning' This verse is from a poem of his. Al-Kumayt ibn Zayd said: 'Not talkative in the nadi, not boastful... nor silent in confusion' This verse is from a poem of his. It is said: al-nadi means the companions. Al-Zabaniyah ³⁹ are the harsh, severe ones; in this context, they are the keepers of Hellfire. Al-Zabaniyah (also) in this world are a man's assistants who serve and help him; the singular is zabaniyah. Ibn al-Ziba'ra said concerning that: 'Generous in hospitality, thrusting in battle... zabaniyah, tough, great in forbearance' He means severe. This verse is from a poem of his. Sakhr ibn 'Abd Allah al-Hudhali, who is Sakhr al-Ghayy, said: 'And from a great one, a group of zabaniyah' This verse is from a poem of his. (What Allah Most High revealed concerning what they offered him, peace and blessings be upon him, of their wealth): Ibn Ishaq said: And Allah Most High revealed to him concerning what they offered him of their wealth: 'Say: Whatever reward I have asked of you, it is for you. My reward is only from Allah, and He is Witness over all things' [34:47]. (The arrogance of Quraysh from believing in the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace):

When the Messenger of Allah ⁴⁵ came to them with the truth they recognized, and they knew his truthfulness in what he narrated, and the station of his prophethood in what he brought them of knowledge of the unseen when they asked him about what they asked, envy for him came between them and following him and believing him. So they rebelled against Allah and abandoned His command openly, and persisted in their disbelief. Their spokesman said: "Do not listen to this Quran and make noise during it, that you might prevail" [41:26], meaning make it worthless and false, and take it as mockery, that you might overcome him thereby, for if you debate or argue with him one day, he will overcome you. (Mockery of Abu Jahl ⁴⁶ of the Messenger and turning people away from him): One day Abu Jahl said, mocking the Messenger of Allah and the truth he brought: "O company of Quraysh ⁴⁷, Muhammad claims that the soldiers of Allah who will torment you in the Fire and detain you therein are nineteen, while you are the most numerous of people in number and multitude. Is every hundred of you unable to overcome one of them?" So Allah revealed concerning that: "And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels, and We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve" [74:31] to the end of the story. When they said that to one another, whenever the Messenger of Allah recited the Quran aloud while praying, they would disperse from him and refuse to listen to him. So if one of them wanted to hear some of what the Messenger of Allah recited from the Quran while he was praying, he would eavesdrop secretly, fearing them. If he saw that they

1. al-tābiʿ : A follower from the jinn that possesses a person, causing madness or epilepsy.
2. al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith (ibn Kalada) : A prominent Quraysh leader known for his opposition to the Prophet; some sources add 'ibn Kalada' to distinguish him.
3. al-Sahmiyyayn : Dual form referring to the two brothers Nabih and Munabbih, both from the Banu Sahm clan.
4. ʿanatahum : Their hardship or suffering; the Prophet was deeply distressed by their disbelief and its consequences.
5. riʾy : A familiar spirit or a jinn that accompanies a person, often used to explain inspiration or madness.
6. yufajjir : To cause rivers to flow; a request for miraculous transformation of the barren land.
7. Ibn Abi Umayyah : 'Abdullah ibn Abi Umayyah, a relative of the Prophet who initially rejected his message.
8. Syria : The direction of prayer (qibla) before it was changed to the Ka'bah in Mecca.
9. his color changed : Indicating extreme fear or terror.
10. neck : The neck of a camel; here describing the terrifying appearance of the angel.
11. eat me : A figure of speech meaning to attack or devour.
12. blowing and knots : Practices associated with sorcery, such as blowing on knots to cast spells.
13. Rustam and Isfandiyar : Persian epic heroes; al-Nadr used their stories to rival the Quran.
14. Rustam and Isfandiyar : Legendary heroes from Persian mythology, featured in the Shahnameh.
15. al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith : A prominent Qurayshite opponent of the Prophet, known for his eloquence and for spreading stories of Persian kings to counter the Qur'an.
16. muttaqawwil : One who fabricates speech, i.e., a false claimant to prophethood.
17. istithnā' : The act of saying 'if God wills' (in shā' Allāh) when promising something, as recommended in the Qur'an (18:23-24).
18. arḥafa : To become distressed or anxious; here, the Meccans became impatient and troubled.
19. Sūrat al-Kahf : The 18th chapter of the Qur'an, which includes the story of the Companions of the Cave.
20. al-Raqīm : A tablet or inscription bearing the names of the Companions of the Cave; also interpreted as the name of their dog or the valley.
21. furaniq : A type of bird or a swift horse; here used metaphorically.
22. ja'b : Rugged, rough, or hard ground.
23. al-munadda : The place of refuge or shelter.
24. al-'ashanzar : Arduous, difficult journey.
25. Mushrif : A place name or a high ground.
26. masjid : A place of prostration, mosque.
27. Dhul-Qarnayn : Literally 'the two-horned one'; a righteous king or prophet, often identified with Alexander the Great or Cyrus the Great in Islamic tradition.
28. sabab : Means, cause, or way; here referring to means of power or travel.
29. 13:31 : Qur'anic reference to Surah Ar-Ra'd, verse 31.
30. 25:7-10 : Qur'anic reference to Surah Al-Furqan, verses 7-10.
31. 25:20 : Qur'anic reference to Surah Al-Furqan, verse 20.
32. al-yanbu' : A spring or source of water gushing forth.
33. al-kisaf : Pieces or fragments, often of punishment.
34. al-qabil : Meaning facing, confronting, or a group; also used for midwife or the direction of twisting.
35. 18:55 : Qur'anic reference to Surah Al-Kahf, verse 55.
36. 6:111 : Qur'anic reference to Surah Al-An'am, verse 111.
37. qabil from dabil : A proverb meaning not knowing front from back or right from wrong.
38. al-zukhruf : Gold or adornment; muzakhraf means gilded or decorated.
39. Zabaniyah : The harsh angels of punishment in Hell; also used for assistants or enforcers.
40. Lanasfa'an : We will surely seize or drag by the forelock.
41. al-nadi : A gathering place or council; also the people gathered.
42. 29:29 : Qur'anic reference to Surah Al-Ankabut, verse 29.
43. 19:73 : Qur'anic reference to Surah Maryam, verse 73.
44. 12:82 : Qur'anic reference to Surah Yusuf, verse 82.
45. Rasul Allah : Messenger of Allah, referring to the Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings be upon him.
46. Abu Jahl : A prominent leader of the Quraysh tribe known for his intense hostility towards the Prophet Muhammad and Islam.
47. Quraysh : The dominant tribe in Mecca at the time of the Prophet Muhammad, to which he belonged.

The first to recite the Quran aloud [1].

They knew that he was listening to him, so he went fearing their harm and did not listen. And if the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, lowered his voice, the one listening would think that they heard nothing of his recitation, while he himself heard something below them and inclined to listen to him. (Reason for the revelation of the verse: "And do not be loud..." 17:110... etc.): Ibn Ishaq said: Dawud ibn al-Husayn, the freed slave of 'Amr ibn 'Uthman, narrated to me that 'Ikrimah, the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbas, narrated to them that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, narrated to them: This verse was revealed: "And do not be loud in your prayer, nor be silent therein, but seek a way between that" ¹ 17:110 because of those men. He says: Do not be loud in your prayer so that they disperse from you, nor be silent in it so that those who love to hear it from among those who eavesdrop ² without them may not hear it; perhaps he may be restrained by some of what he hears and benefit from it. The first to recite the Qur'an aloud ('Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and what he suffered from Quraysh for reciting the Qur'an aloud): Ibn Ishaq said: Yahya ibn 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr narrated to me from his father, who said: The first to recite the Qur'an aloud after the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in Mecca was 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him. He said: One day the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gathered and said: By Allah, Quraysh have never heard this Qur'an recited aloud to them. So who is a man who can make them hear it? 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: I will. They said: We fear them for you; we only want a man who has a clan to protect him from the people if they seek him. He said: Leave me, for Allah will protect me. He said: So Ibn Mas'ud went early until he came to the Maqam ³ in the forenoon, while Quraysh were in their assemblies, until he stood at the Maqam and then recited: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful" ⁴ 1:1, raising his voice with it, "The Most Gracious, taught the Qur'an" 55:1-2. He said: Then he faced them reciting it. He said: They stared at him and began saying: What did he say?

1. sabīlan : A way, path, or means; here referring to a moderate tone between loud and silent.
2. yastariqu : Literally 'steals'; refers to eavesdropping or secretly listening, often used for jinn or humans trying to overhear the Qur'an.
3. al-Maqām : The Station of Abraham; a sacred spot near the Kaaba in Mecca where Abraham stood during the construction of the Kaaba.
4. Bismillāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm : The Basmala; the Islamic phrase meaning 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,' recited at the start of each chapter of the Qur'an except one.

The story of the Quraysh listening to the recitation of the Prophet, peace be upon him.

**The Son of Umm ‘Abd?** He said: Then they said, “Indeed, he is reciting some of what Muhammad has brought.” So they rose against him and began striking his face, while he continued reciting until he had reached from it as much as Allah willed. Then he returned to his companions, and they had left marks on his face. They said to him, “This is what we feared for you.” He said, “The enemies of Allah were never more contemptible to me than they are now. And if you wish, I will confront them tomorrow with the like of it.” They said, “No, you have done enough; you have made them hear what they detest.” **The Story of Quraysh Listening to the Recitation of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)** **(Abu Sufyan, Abu Jahl, and al-Akhnas, and the Account of Their Listening to the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)):** Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn Shihab al-Zuhri narrated to me that he was told: Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, and al-Akhnas ibn Shariq ibn ‘Amr ibn Wahb al-Thaqafi, the ally of Banu Zuhrah, went out one night to listen to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as he prayed during the night in his house. Each man took a seat where he could listen, and none knew of the other’s location. They spent the night listening to him until dawn broke, then they dispersed. The road brought them together, and they reproached one another, saying to each other, “Do not return; if some of your foolish ones saw you, you would put something in his mind.” Then they left. When the second night came, each man returned to his seat, and they spent the night listening to him until dawn broke, then they dispersed. The road brought them together, and they said to each other the same as they had said the first time. Then they left. When the third night came, each man took his seat, and they spent the night listening to him until dawn broke, then they dispersed. The road brought them together, and they said to each other, “We will not leave until we pledge not to return.” So they pledged that, then they dispersed. **(Al-Akhnas Goes to Abu Sufyan to Ask Him About the Meaning of What He Heard):** When morning came, al-Akhnas ibn Shariq took his staff, then went out until he came to Abu Sufyan in his house. He said, “Tell me, O Abu Hanzalah, your opinion of what you heard from Muhammad.” He said, “O Abu Tha‘labah, by Allah, I heard things that I recognize and know what is intended by them, and I heard things whose meaning I did not know, nor what is intended by them.” Al-Akhnas said, “And I, by the One by Whom you swore, (am the same).” **(Al-Akhnas Goes to Abu Jahl to Ask Him About the Meaning of What He Heard):** He said: Then he left his presence until he came to Abu Jahl, and entered his house. He said, “O Abu al-Hakam, what is your opinion of what you heard from Muhammad?” He said, “What did I hear? We and Banu ‘Abd Manaf have contended for honor: they fed, so we fed; they provided mounts, so we provided mounts; they gave, so we gave; until when we were neck-and-neck on the mount, like two racehorses, they said, ‘Among us is a prophet to whom revelation comes from heaven.’ When will we ever attain the like of this? By Allah, we will never believe in him nor trust him.” He said: Then al-Akhnas left him and abandoned him. **(Quraysh’s Obstinacy in Refusing to Listen to the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and What the Exalted Revealed):** Ibn Ishaq said: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) recited the Qur’an to them and called them to Allah, they would mockingly say: “Our hearts are in coverings from that to which you call us” (41:5) — we do not understand what you say; “and in our ears is deafness” (41:5) — we do not hear what you say; “and between us and you is a veil” (41:5) — a barrier has come between us and you; “so work” (41:5) — on what you are; “indeed, we are working” (41:5) — on what we are; we do not comprehend anything from you. So Allah the Exalted revealed concerning that from their saying: “And when you recite the Qur’an, We place between you and those who do not believe in the Hereafter a concealed veil” (17:45) ... up to His saying: “And when you mention your Lord alone in the Qur’an, they turn their backs in aversion” (17:46): meaning, how could they understand your monotheism of your Lord if I had placed coverings over their hearts, deafness in their ears, and a veil between you and them, as they claim? That is, I did not do that. “We are most knowing of what they listen to when they listen to you and when they are in private conversation, when the wrongdoers say, ‘You follow not but a man bewitched’” (17:47): meaning, that is what they enjoined upon one another of rejecting what I sent you with to them. “Look how they strike for you comparisons; thus they have gone astray, so they cannot [find] a way” (17:48).

He mentioned the aggression of the polytheists against the weak among those who had embraced Islam, through harm and persecution [1].

That is, they missed the mark in the parable they struck for you ¹, so they do not attain guidance thereby, nor is their speech balanced in it. And they say, "When we are bones and crumbled dust, will we indeed be raised as a new creation?" [17:49] That is, you have come telling us that we will be resurrected after our death when we are bones and dust, and that is something that will not happen. Say, "Be stones or iron, or a creation that seems greater in your breasts." Then they will say, "Who will bring us back?" Say, "He who created you the first time." [17:50-51] That is, He who created you from what you know, so creating you from dust is not more difficult for Him than that. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Abdullah ibn Abi Najih narrated to me from Mujahid, from Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said: I asked him about the saying of Allah Most High: "or a creation that seems greater in your breasts" [17:51] — what did Allah intend by it? He said: Death. [Section: The Polytheists' Aggression Against the Weak Among Those Who Embraced Islam, Through Harm and Persecution] (The Harshness of Quraysh Against Those Who Embraced Islam) Ibn Ishaq said: Then they attacked those who had embraced Islam and followed the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from among his Companions. Every tribe set upon the Muslims among them, imprisoning them and torturing them with beating, hunger, and thirst, and on the scorching ground of Mecca when the heat was intense, targeting the weak among them, trying to turn them away from their religion. Some of them succumbed due to the severity of the trial that befell them, while others remained steadfast, and Allah protected them from them. (What Bilal Endured After His Islam, and What Abu Bakr Did to Free Him) Bilal, the freed slave of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them both, belonged to some of the Banu Jumah, born among their slaves. He was Bilal ibn Rabah, and his mother's name was Hamamah. He was sincere in Islam and pure of heart. Umayyah ibn Khalaf ibn Wahb ibn Hudhafah ibn Jumah used to take him out when the midday heat was intense, throw him on his back in the open plain of Mecca, then order a great rock to be placed on his chest, and then say to him: "No, by Allah ², you will remain like this until you die or you disbelieve in Muhammad and worship al-Lat and al-'Uzza." And he would say, while in that ordeal: "One, One." Ibn Ishaq said: Hisham ibn 'Urwah narrated to me from his father, who said: Waraqah ibn Nawfal used to pass by him while he was being tortured like that, and he was saying: "One, One," so he would say: "One, One, by Allah, O Bilal." Then he would turn to Umayyah ibn Khalaf and those of Banu Jumah who were doing that to him and say: "I swear by Allah, if you kill him on this, I will surely take him as a cherished token ³." Until one day Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (ibn Abi Quhafah) ¹, may Allah be pleased with him, passed by while they were doing that to him. Abu Bakr's house was among the Banu Jumah. He said to Umayyah ibn Khalaf: "Do you not fear Allah regarding this poor soul? How long?" He said: "You are the one who corrupted him, so rescue him from what you see." Abu Bakr said: "I will do it. I have a black slave who is stronger and more robust than him, following your religion; I will give him to you in exchange." He said: "I accept." He said: "He is yours." So Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, gave him that slave of his, took Bilal, and freed him. (Those Whom Abu Bakr Freed Along with Bilal) Then he freed along with him, for the sake of Islam, before the migration to Medina, six slaves, with Bilal being the seventh: 'Amir ibn Fuhayrah, who witnessed Badr and Uhud and was killed as a martyr on the day of Bi'r Ma'unah; Umm 'Ubays ⁴; and Zinnirah ⁵. Her sight was lost when he freed her, so Quraysh said: "Nothing took her sight except al-Lat and al-'Uzza." She said: "They lie; by the House of Allah, al-Lat and al-'Uzza neither harm nor benefit." So Allah restored her sight. He also freed al-Nahdiyyah and her daughter, who belonged to a woman from Banu 'Abd al-Dar. He passed by them when their mistress had sent them with some flour for her, and she was saying: "By Allah, I will never free you." Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Untie ⁶, O mother of so-and-so." She said: "Untie? You corrupted them, so free them." He said: "For how much are they?" She said: "For such and such." He said: "I have taken them, and they are free. Return her flour to her." They said: "Should we finish it first, O Abu Bakr, and then return it to her?" He said: "That is up to you." He passed by the slave girl of Banu Mu'ammil, a clan of Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b, who was a Muslim, and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab was torturing her to make her leave Islam. At that time, he was a polytheist, and he was beating her. When he grew tired, he said: "I apologize to you; I only stopped because I am weary." She said: "May Allah do the same to you." So Abu Bakr bought her and freed her. (Abu Quhafah Blamed His Son for Freeing Those He Freed, and He Responded) Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn Abi 'Atiq narrated to me from 'Amir ⁷ ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, from some of his family, who said: Abu Quhafah said to Abu Bakr: "O my son, I see you freeing weak slaves. If you were going to do what you did, you should have freed strong men who would protect you and stand up for you." Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "O father, I only seek what I seek ⁸ for Allah (Almighty and Glorious) ⁹." He said: It is related that these verses were revealed only about him and about what his father said: "As for he who gives and fears Allah, and believes in the best [reward]" [92:5-6] ... up to His saying: "And no one has with him any favor to be rewarded, except seeking the face of his Lord, the Most High. And he will be satisfied." [92:19-21] (Quraysh's Torture of Ibn Yasir, and the Messenger of Allah's, May Allah Bless Him and Grant Him Peace, Encouragement to Him) Ibn Ishaq said: The Banu Makhzum used to take out 'Ammar ¹⁰ ibn Yasir, and his father and mother ¹¹, who were a household of Islam, when the midday heat was intense, and torture them on the scorching ground ¹² of Mecca. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would pass by them and say, according to what has reached me: "Patience, O family of Yasir! Your promised place is Paradise." As for his mother, they killed her while she refused to abandon Islam. (What Abu Jahl Used to Do to Those Who Embraced Islam) Abu Jahl, the wicked one, used to incite against them, along with some men of Quraysh. When he heard of a man who had embraced Islam, if he had honor and protection, he would rebuke him and disgrace him ¹³ and say: "You have left the religion of your father, and he is better than you. We will surely disparage your intellect, and we will surely belittle ¹⁴ your opinion, and we will surely lower your status." If he was a merchant, he would say: "By Allah, we will surely make your trade slump, and we will surely destroy your wealth." If he was weak, he would beat him and incite others against him. (Ibn 'Abbas Was Asked About the Excuse of One Who Refrained from Islam Due to Torture, and He Allowed It) Ibn Ishaq said: Hakim ibn Jubayr narrated to me from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, who said: I said to 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas: "Did the polytheists inflict such torture on the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that they would be excused for abandoning their religion?" He said: "Yes, by Allah. They would beat one of them, and starve him, and make him thirsty, until he could not even sit upright ¹⁵ due to the severity of the affliction that had befallen him, until he gave them what they asked of apostasy. They would say to him: 'Are al-Lat and al-'Uzza your gods besides Allah?' He would say: 'Yes.' Even the dung beetle would pass by them, and they would say to him: 'Is this dung beetle your god besides Allah?' He would say: 'Yes,' to ransom themselves from the hardship they were enduring."

1. al-mathal : The parable or similitude; here referring to the example or comparison they made.
2. lā wa-llāhi : An oath meaning 'No, by Allah,' used for emphasis.
3. ḥanānan : A cherished token or object of affection; something held dear as a remembrance.
4. Umm 'Ubays : A female slave freed by Abu Bakr; her name means 'mother of 'Ubays'.
5. Zinnīrah : A female slave freed by Abu Bakr; her name is of Ethiopian origin.
6. ḥill : An imperative meaning 'untie' or 'release,' used here to command the freeing of the slaves.
7. ʿĀmir : A common Arabic name; here referring to a narrator in the chain.
8. mā urīdu : What I desire; Abu Bakr means he seeks only Allah's reward.
9. ʿazza wa-jalla : A phrase meaning 'Almighty and Glorious,' used after mentioning Allah.
10. ʿAmmār : A companion of the Prophet, known for his steadfastness; son of Yasir.
11. abīhi wa-ummihi : His father and mother; Yasir and Sumayyah, early Muslims.
12. ramḍāʾ : Scorching ground; the hot sand or earth of Mecca.
13. annabahu wa-akhzāhu : He rebuked him and disgraced him; verbal abuse and humiliation.
14. nufayyilanna : We will surely belittle or disparage; from the root f-y-l meaning to make insignificant.
15. yastawī : To sit upright; unable to sit properly due to extreme weakness.

He mentioned the first migration [1] to the land of Abyssinia [2].

Hisham's refusal to hand over his brother to the Quraysh to be killed for his Islam, and his poetry on that: Ibn Ishaq said: Al-Zubayr ibn 'Ukasha ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Ahmad narrated to me that he was told that some men from Banu Makhzum went to Hisham ibn al-Walid when his brother al-Walid ibn al-Walid ¹ had embraced Islam, and they had agreed to take some young men from among them who had embraced Islam, including: Salama ibn Hisham and 'Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'a. He said: They said to him: And they feared their evil: "We intend to rebuke these young men for this religion they have adopted, for we will be safe from others by doing so." He said: "This is it; take him, rebuke him, and beware of him and his life." And he began to say: "Oh, let not my brother 'Uyays ² be killed, lest discord remain among us forever. Beware of his life, for I swear by Allah, if you kill him, I will kill the noblest man among you." He said: They said: "O Allah, curse him! Who would be deceived by this talk? By Allah, if he were to be harmed at our hands, the noblest among us would be killed." ³ So they left him and desisted. He said: That was among the means by which Allah repelled harm from them. Mention of the First Migration to the Land of Abyssinia (The Prophet's ⁴ Suggestion to His Companions to Migrate): Ibn Ishaq ⁵ said: When the Messenger of Allah saw the affliction befalling his Companions, and his own safety due to his standing with Allah and his uncle Abu Talib, and that he could not protect them from the affliction they were in, he said to them: "If you go to the land of Abyssinia, for there is a king under whom no one is wronged, and it is a land of truth, until Allah grants you relief from what you are in." So at that time the Muslims, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, went out to the land of Abyssinia, fearing persecution and fleeing to Allah with their religion. That was the first migration in Islam. (Those Who Migrated in the First Migration to Abyssinia): The first to go out among the Muslims from Banu Umayya ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr: 'Uthman ibn 'Affan ibn Abi al-'As ibn Umayya, with his wife Ruqayya bint the Messenger of Allah. And from Banu 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf: Abu Hudhayfa ibn 'Utba ibn Rabi'a ibn 'Abd Shams, with his wife Sahla bint Suhayl ibn 'Amr, one of Banu 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy; she bore him in the land of Abyssinia Muhammad ibn Abi Hudhayfa. And from Banu Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy: al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam ibn Khuwaylid ibn Asad. And from Banu 'Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy: Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr ibn Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn 'Abd al-Dar. And from Banu Zuhra ibn Kilab: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf ibn 'Abd 'Awf ibn 'Abd al-Harith ibn Zuhra. And from Banu Makhzum ibn Yaqaza ibn Murra: Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al-Asad ibn Hilal ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum, with his wife Umm Salama bint Abi Umayya ibn al-Mughira ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum. And from Banu Jumah ibn 'Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b: 'Uthman ibn Maz'un ibn Habib ibn Wahb ibn Hudhafa ibn Jumah. And from Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b: 'Amir ibn Rabi'a, an ally of the family of al-Khattab, from 'Anz ibn Wa'il—(Ibn Hisham said: It is also said: from 'Anaza ibn Asad ibn Rabi'a)—with his wife Layla bint Abi Hathma ibn Hudhafa ibn Ghanim ibn 'Amir ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Awf ibn 'Ubayd ibn 'Uwayj ibn 'Adi ibn Ka'b. And from Banu 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy: Abu Sabra ibn Abi Ruhm ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Abi Qays ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir; it is also said: rather Abu Hatib ibn 'Amr ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy; and it is said he was the first to arrive there. And from Banu al-Harith ibn Fihr: Suhayl ibn Bayda', who is Suhayl ibn Wahb ibn Rabi'a ibn Hilal ibn Uhayb ibn Dabba ibn al-Harith. These ten were the first to go out among the Muslims to the land of Abyssinia, as far as I have been told. Ibn Hisham said: Their leader was 'Uthman ibn Maz'un, according to what some scholars told me. Ibn Ishaq said: Then Ja'far ibn Abi Talib went out, and the Muslims followed one after another until they gathered in the land of Abyssinia. Among them were those who went out with their families, and those who went out alone without family. (Those Who Went Out to the Land of Abyssinia from Banu Hashim): From Banu Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr: Ja'far ibn Abi Talib ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, with his wife Asma' bint 'Umays ibn al-Nu'man ibn Ka'b ibn Malik ibn Quhafa ibn Khath'am; she bore him in the land of Abyssinia 'Abd Allah ibn Ja'far, a man. (Those Who Went Out to the Land of Abyssinia from Banu Umayya): From Banu Umayya ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf: 'Uthman ibn 'Affan ibn Abi al-'As ibn Umayya ibn 'Abd Shams, with his wife Ruqayya, daughter of the Messenger of Allah; and 'Amr ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As ibn Umayya, with his wife Fatima bint Safwan ibn Umayya ibn Muharith ibn Khaml ibn Shiqq ibn Raqaba ibn Mukhdij al-Kinani; and his brother Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As ibn Umayya, with his wife Amina bint Khalaf ibn As'ad ibn 'Amir ibn Bayada ibn Subay' ibn Ju'thuma ibn Sa'd ibn Mulayh ibn 'Amr, from Khuza'a. Ibn Hisham said: It is also said Humayna bint Khalaf. Ibn Ishaq said: She bore him in the land of Abyssinia Sa'id ibn Khalid and Ama bint Khalid; later al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam married Ama, and she bore him 'Amr ibn al-Zubayr and Khalid ibn al-Zubayr. (Those Who Migrated to Abyssinia from Banu Asad): And from their allies, from Banu Asad ibn Khuzayma: 'Abd Allah ibn Jahsh ibn Ri'ab ibn Ya'mur ibn Sabira ibn Murra ibn Kabir ibn Ghanm ibn Dudan ibn Asad; and his brother 'Ubayd Allah ibn Jahsh, with his wife Umm Habiba bint Abi Sufyan ibn Harb ibn Umayya; and Qays ibn 'Abd Allah, a man from Banu Asad ibn Khuzayma, with his wife Baraka bint Yasar, a freedwoman of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb ibn Umayya; and Mu'ayqib ibn Abi Fatima. These are the family of Sa'id ibn al-'As, seven persons. Ibn Hisham said: Mu'ayqib is from Daws. (Those Who Traveled to Abyssinia from Banu 'Abd Shams): Ibn Ishaq said: From Banu 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf: Abu Hudhayfa ibn 'Utba ibn Rabi'a ibn 'Abd Shams; and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, whose name is 'Abd Allah ibn Qays, an ally of the family of 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, two men. (Those Who Traveled to Abyssinia from Banu Nawfal): From Banu Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manaf: 'Utba ibn Ghazwan ibn Jabir ibn Wahb ibn Nasib ibn Malik ibn al-Harith ibn Mazin ibn Mansur ibn 'Ikrima ibn Khasafa ibn Qays ibn 'Aylan, an ally of theirs, one man. (Those Who Traveled to Abyssinia from Banu Asad):

And from the Banu Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy: al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam ibn Khuwaylid ibn Asad, and al-Aswad ibn Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid ibn Asad, and Yazid ibn Zam'a ibn al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib ibn Asad, and 'Amr ibn Umayya ibn al-Harith ibn Asad: four persons. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from the Banu 'Abd ibn Qusayy): And from the Banu 'Abd ibn Qusayy: Tulayb ibn 'Umayr ibn Wahb ibn Abi Kabir ⁶ ibn 'Abd (ibn Qusayy) ⁷: one man. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from the Banu 'Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy): And from the Banu 'Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy: Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr ibn Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn 'Abd al-Dar, and Suwaybit ⁸ ibn Sa'd ibn Harmala ibn Malik ibn 'Umayla ibn al-Sabbaq ibn 'Abd al-Dar, and Jahm ibn Qays ibn 'Abd Shurahbil ibn Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn 'Abd al-Dar, with him his wife Umm Harmala bint 'Abd al-Aswad ibn Judhayma ibn Uqaysh ibn 'Amir ibn Bayada ibn Subay' ibn Ju'thuma ⁹ ibn Sa'd ibn Mulayh ibn 'Amr, from Khuza'a, and his two sons 'Amr ibn Jahm and Khuzayma ¹⁰ ibn Jahm, and Abu al-Rum ibn 'Umayr ibn Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn 'Abd al-Dar, and Firas ibn al-Nadr ibn al-Harith ibn Kalada ibn 'Alqama ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn 'Abd al-Dar: five persons. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from the Banu Zuhra): And from the Banu Zuhra ibn Kilab: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf ibn 'Abd 'Awf ibn 'Abd ibn al-Harith ibn Zuhra, and 'Amir ibn Abi Waqqas and Abu Waqqas, Malik ibn Uhayb ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Zuhra, and al-Muttalib ibn Azhar ibn 'Abd 'Awf ibn 'Abd ibn al-Harith ibn Zuhra, with him his wife Ramla bint Abi 'Awf ibn Dubayra ibn Sa'id ibn Sa'd ibn Sahm, she gave birth to him in the land of Abyssinia 'Abd Allah ibn al-Muttalib. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from the Banu Hudhayl): And from their allies from Hudhayl: 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud ibn al-Harith ibn Shamkh ibn Makhzum ibn Sahila ibn Kahil ibn al-Harith ibn Tamim ibn Sa'd ibn Hudhayl. And his brother: 'Utba ibn Mas'ud. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from Bahra'): And from Bahra': al-Miqdad ibn 'Amr ibn Tha'laba ibn Malik ibn Rabi'a ibn Thumama ibn Matrud ibn 'Amr ibn Sa'd ibn Zuhayr ibn Lu'ayy ¹¹ ibn Tha'laba ibn Malik ibn al-Sharid ibn Abi Ahwaz ¹² ibn Abi Fa'ish ibn Duraym ibn al-Qayn ibn Ahwad ¹³ ibn Bahra' ibn 'Amr ibn al-Haff ibn Quda'a. Ibn Hisham said: And it is said Hazl ibn Fas ¹⁴ ibn Dhar, and Duhayr ¹⁵ ibn Thawr. Ibn Ishaq said: And he was called al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad ibn 'Abd Yaghuth (ibn Wahb) ¹⁶ ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Zuhra, because he adopted him in the Jahiliyya ¹⁷, and he made an alliance with six persons. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from the Banu Taym): And from the Banu Taym ibn Murra: al-Harith ibn Khalid ibn Sakhr ibn 'Amir (ibn 'Amr) ⁵ ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym, with him his wife Rayta bint al-Harith ibn Jabala ¹⁸ ibn 'Amir ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym, she gave birth to him in the land of Abyssinia Musa ibn al-Harith, and 'A'isha bint al-Harith, and Zaynab bint al-Harith, and Fatima bint al-Harith, and 'Amr ibn 'Uthman ibn 'Amr ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym: two men. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from the Banu Makhzum): And from the Banu Makhzum ibn Yaqaza ibn Murra: Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al-Asad ibn Hilal ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum, and with him his wife Umm Salama bint Abi Umayya ibn al-Mughira ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum, she gave birth to him in the land of Abyssinia Zaynab bint Abi Salama, and the name of Abu Salama is 'Abd Allah, and the name of Umm Salama is Hind: and Shammas (ibn) ⁵ 'Uthman ibn ¹⁹ al-Sharid ibn Suwayd ibn Harmi ibn 'Amir ibn Makhzum. (The name of Shammas and something about him): Ibn Hisham said: And the name of Shammas is 'Uthman, and he was only called Shammas because a Shammas ²⁰ from the Shamamisa ²¹ came to Mecca in the Jahiliyya, and he was handsome, and the people marveled at his beauty, so 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, who was the maternal uncle of Shammas, said: I will bring you a Shammas more handsome than him, so he brought his sister's son 'Uthman ibn 'Uthman, and he was called Shammas. According to what Ibn Shihab and others mentioned. Ibn Ishaq said: And Habbar ibn Sufyan ibn 'Abd al-Asad ibn Hilal ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum, and his brother 'Abd Allah ibn Sufyan, and Hisham ibn Abi Hudhayfa ibn al-Mughira ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum, and Salama ibn Hisham ibn al-Mughira ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum, and 'Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'a ibn al-Mughira ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from the allies of Banu Makhzum): And from their allies: Mu'attib ibn 'Awf ibn 'Amir ibn al-Fadl ibn 'Afif ibn Kulayb ibn Habashiyya ibn Salul ibn Ka'b ibn 'Amr, from Khuza'a, and he is the one who is called 'Ayhama: eight persons. Ibn Hisham said: And it is said Habashiyya ibn Salul, and he is the one who is called Mu'attib ibn Hamra'. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from the Banu Jumah): And from the Banu Jumah ibn 'Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b: 'Uthman ibn Maz'un ibn Habib ibn Wahb ibn Hudhafa ibn Jumah, and his son al-Sa'ib ibn 'Uthman, and his two brothers Qudama ibn Maz'un and 'Abd Allah ibn Maz'un, and Hatib ibn al-Harith ibn Ma'mar ibn Habib ibn Wahb ibn Hudhafa ibn Jumah, with him his wife Fatima bint al-Mujallal ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Qays ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir, and his two sons: Muhammad ibn Hatib and al-Harith ibn Hatib, and they are from bint al-Mujallal, and his brother Hattab ibn al-Harith, with him his wife Fukayha bint Yasar, and Sufyan ibn Ma'mar ibn Habib ibn Wahb ibn Hudhafa ibn Jumah, with him his two sons Jabir ibn Sufyan and Junada ibn Sufyan, and with him his wife Hasana, and she is their mother ²², and their brother from their mother Shurahbil ibn Hasana, one of al-Ghawth ²³. Ibn Hisham said: Shurahbil ibn 'Abd Allah, one of al-Ghawth ibn Murr, brother of Tamim ibn Murr. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from the Banu Sahm): Ibn Ishaq said: And 'Uthman ibn Rabi'a ibn Ahban ibn Wahb ibn Hudhafa ibn Jumah: eleven men. And from the Banu Sahm ibn 'Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b: Khunays ibn Hudhafa ibn Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'd ²⁴ ibn Sahm, and 'Abd Allah ibn al-Harith ibn Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'd ¹ ibn Sahl, and Hisham ibn al-'As ibn Wa'il ibn Sa'd ¹ ibn Sahm. Ibn Hisham said: al-'As ibn Wa'il ibn Hashim ibn Sa'd ¹ ibn Sahm.

Ibn Ishaq said: Qays ibn Hudhafa ibn Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'd ²⁵ ibn Sahm, Abu Qays ibn al-Harith ibn Qays (29) ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'd ²⁵ ibn Sahm, 'Abdullah ibn Hudhafa ibn Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'd ²⁵ ibn Sahm, al-Harith ibn al-Harith ibn Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'd ²⁵ ibn Sahm, Ma'mar ibn al-Harith ibn Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'd ²⁵ ibn Sahm, Bishr ibn al-Harith ibn Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'd ²⁵ ibn Sahm, and a maternal brother of his from Banu Tamim, called Sa'id ibn 'Amr, and Sa'id ibn al-Harith ibn Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'd ²⁵ ibn Sahm, and al-Sa'ib ibn al-Harith ibn Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'd ²⁵ ibn Sahm, and 'Umayr ibn Ri'ab ibn Hudhayfa ibn Muhashsham ibn Sa'd ²⁵ ibn Sahm. And Mahmiyya ibn al-Jaza' (30), an ally of theirs, from Banu Zubayd—fourteen men. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from Banu 'Adi) From Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b: Ma'mar ibn 'Abdullah ibn Nadla ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Harthan ibn 'Awf ibn 'Ubayd ibn 'Uwayj ibn 'Adi, and 'Urwa ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Harthan ibn 'Awf ibn 'Ubayd ibn 'Uwayj ibn 'Adi, and 'Adi ibn Nadla ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Harthan ibn 'Awf ibn 'Ubayd ibn 'Uwayj ibn 'Adi, and his son al-Nu'man ibn 'Adi, and 'Amir ibn Rabi'a, an ally of the family of al-Khattab, from 'Anz ibn Wa'il, with his wife Layla bint Abi Hathma ibn Ghanim—five persons. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from Banu 'Amir) From Banu 'Amir (31) ibn Lu'ayy: Abu Sabra ibn Abi Ruhm ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Abi Qays ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir, with his wife Umm Kulthum bint Suhayl ibn 'Amr ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir, and 'Abdullah ibn Makhrama ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Abi Qays ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir, and 'Abdullah ibn Suhayl ibn 'Amr ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir, and Sulayt ibn 'Amr ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir, and his brother al-Sakran ibn 'Amr, with his wife Sawda bint Zam'a ibn Qays ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir, and Malik ibn Zam'a (32) ibn Qays ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir, with his wife 'Amra bint al-Sa'di ibn Waqdan ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir, and Hatib (33) ibn 'Amr ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir, and Sa'd ibn Khawla, an ally of theirs—eight persons. Ibn Hisham said: Sa'd ibn Khawla was from Yemen. (Those who emigrated to Abyssinia from Banu al-Harith) Ibn Ishaq said: From Banu al-Harith ibn Fihr: Abu 'Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah, who is 'Amir ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Jarrah ibn Hilal ibn Uhayb ibn Dabba ibn al-Harith ibn Fihr (34), and Suhayl ibn Bayda', who is Suhayl ibn Wahb ibn Rabi'a ibn Hilal ibn Uhayb ibn Dabba ibn al-Harith, but his mother prevailed over his lineage, so he is attributed to her, and she is Da'd bint Jahdam ibn Umayya ibn Zarib ibn al-Harith ibn Fihr, and she was called Bayda', and 'Amr ibn Abi Sarh ibn Rabi'a ibn Hilal ibn Uhayb ibn Dabba ibn al-Harith, and 'Iyad ibn Zuhayr ibn Abi Shaddad ibn Rabi'a ibn Hilal ibn Uhayb ibn Dabba ibn al-Harith, and it is said: rather Rabi'a ibn Hilal ibn Malik ibn Dabba (ibn al-Harith) (35), and 'Amr ibn al-Harith ibn Zuhayr ibn Abi Shaddad ibn Rabi'a ibn Hilal ibn Malik ibn Dabba ibn al-Harith, and 'Uthman (36) ibn 'Abd Ghanm ibn Zuhayr ibn Abi Shaddad ibn Rabi'a ibn Hilal ibn Malik ibn Dabba ibn al-Harith, and Sa'd ibn 'Abd Qays ibn Laqit ibn 'Amir ibn Umayya ibn Zarib ibn al-Harith (ibn Fihr) ²⁵, and al-Harith ibn 'Abd Qays (37) ibn Laqit ibn 'Amir ibn Umayya ibn Zarib ibn al-Harith ibn Fihr—eight persons. (Number of emigrants to Abyssinia) The total number of Muslims who reached the land of Abyssinia and emigrated there, besides their children whom they took with them as infants and those born there, was eighty-three men, if 'Ammar ibn Yasir was among them, and there is doubt about him. (Poetry of 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith on the emigration to Abyssinia) Among the poetry composed in Abyssinia, 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'd (38) ibn Sahm, when they felt secure in the land of Abyssinia, praised the protection of the Negus, and worshipped Allah without fearing anyone for that, and the Negus had treated them well when they settled with him, said: O rider, convey from me a message ²⁶ ... to those who hope for Allah's fulfillment and the religion Every servant of Allah oppressed ... in the valley of Mecca, subdued and tested We found Allah's land vast ... delivering from humiliation, disgrace, and abasement So do not remain in the disgrace of life and shame ... in death and a fault not secure We followed the Messenger of Allah, and they rejected ... the Prophet's saying and weighed heavily in the scales ²⁷ So inflict Your punishment on the people ²⁸ who transgressed ... and I seek refuge in You ²⁹ lest they overcome ³⁰ and make me tyrannical 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith also said, mentioning the Quraysh's expulsion of them from their land, and reproaching some of his people for that: My liver refused—I would not lie to you—to fight them ... and my fingers refuse it for me And how can I fight a people who disciplined you ... upon the truth, that you not mix it with falsehood ³¹ The servants of the jinn expelled them from the heat of their land ... so they became in a matter of severe troubles ³² If there was in 'Adi a trust ... 'Adi ibn Sa'd, from piety or mutual support Then I had hoped that that would be among you ... by the praise of Him who is not sought by bribes ³³ And you exchanged a lion's cub for every evil ... in a valley, the refuge of the weak and widows ³⁴ 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith also said: And those Quraysh deny Allah His right ... as 'Ad, Madyan, and al-Hijr denied ³⁵ If I do not 'bring lightning' ³⁶, then let not contain me ... of the land, any spacious plain or sea In a land where Muhammad worshipped God ... I make clear what is in the soul when the matter is decided ³⁷ So 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith—may Allah have mercy on him—was called 'al-Mubriq' (the one who brings lightning) because of his verse. (Poetry of 'Uthman ibn Maz'un on that) 'Uthman ibn Maz'un said, reproaching Umayya ibn Khalaf ibn Wahb ibn Hudhafa ibn Jumah, who was his cousin, and used to harm him for his Islam, and Umayya was noble among his people at that time: O Taym ibn 'Amr, for what has come with hatred ³⁸ ... and before it are the two lips and the whole neck ³⁹ Did you expel me from the valley of Mecca secure ... and settle me in a white plain ⁴⁰ that casts ⁴¹? You feather arrows whose feathers do not suit you ⁴² ... and you shape arrows whose feathers are all for you And you fought noble, dear peoples ... and destroyed peoples by whom you were protected ⁴³ You will know, if one day a calamity befalls you ... and the rabble abandon you, what you will do ⁴⁴ And Taym ibn 'Amr, whom 'Uthman addresses, is Jumah; his name was Taym (58).

1. al-Walid ibn al-Walid : Al-Walid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, a companion who embraced Islam early and was persecuted by the Quraysh.
2. 'Uyays : A diminutive form of 'al-Walid', used here as a term of endearment or belittlement.
3. qāla : Parenthetical insertion by the editor indicating a break in the narrative.
4. Rasul Allah : The Messenger of Allah, i.e., the Prophet Muhammad.
5. Ibn Ishaq : Muhammad ibn Ishaq (d. 767 CE), early Muslim historian and author of the first major biography of the Prophet Muhammad.
6. Abi Kabir : Abu Kabir is a proper name; the text reads 'ibn Abi Kabir' meaning 'son of Abu Kabir'.
7. ibn Qusayy : The text has 'ibn Qusayy' in parentheses, likely a scribal addition to clarify lineage.
8. Suwaybit : A proper name; variant reading of the name.
9. Ju'thuma : A proper name; a tribe or clan name.
10. Khuzayma : A proper name; variant of Khuzaymah.
11. Lu'ayy : A proper name; a common name in Arab genealogy.
12. Abi Ahwaz : Abu Ahwaz is a proper name; 'ibn Abi Ahwaz' means 'son of Abu Ahwaz'.
13. Ahwad : A proper name; variant reading.
14. Fas : A proper name; variant reading.
15. Duhayr : A proper name; variant reading.
16. ibn Wahb : The text has 'ibn Wahb' in parentheses, likely a scribal addition.
17. Jahiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance before the advent of Islam.
18. Jabala : A proper name; variant reading.
19. ibn : The text has 'ibn' in brackets, indicating a scribal addition.
20. Shammas : A title meaning 'deacon' or 'servant' in Christian context; here used as a nickname.
21. Shamamisa : Plural of Shammas; Christian deacons or servants.
22. Ummuhuma : Arabic for 'their mother'.
23. al-Ghawth : A tribal name; al-Ghawth ibn Murr is a clan.
24. Sa'd : A proper name; the text has 'Sa'd' but later corrected to 'Sahl' in some manuscripts.
25. Sa'd : Sa'd ibn Sahm: a sub-tribe of Quraysh.
26. mughalghila : Mughalghila: a message or letter that is passed along.
27. 'alu fi al-mawazin : 'Alu fi al-mawazin: they weighed heavily in the scales, i.e., their sins were heavy.
28. al-qawm : Al-qawm: the people, here referring to the polytheists of Quraysh.
29. 'a'idhan bika : 'A'idhan bika: seeking refuge in You (Allah).
30. ya'lu : Ya'lu: they overcome or become dominant.
31. ta'shibuhu : Ta'shibuhu: you mix it (the truth) with falsehood.
32. al-balabil : Al-balabil: troubles, afflictions, or sorrows.
33. al-ja'il : Al-ja'il: bribes or inducements.
34. al-aramil : Al-aramil: widows, the helpless.
35. al-Hijr : Al-Hijr: the region of Thamud, a people who denied their prophet.
36. ubriq : Ubriq: I bring lightning, i.e., I make a sudden, decisive move.
37. buligha al-naqr : Buligha al-naqr: the matter is decided, or the bone is reached (idiom for reaching the core).
38. baghda : Baghda: hatred, enmity.
39. al-sharman wa al-bark : Al-sharman wa al-bark: the two lips and the neck (i.e., the whole face and neck).
40. bayda' : Bayda': white plain or desert.
41. taqdha' : Taqdha': it casts or throws (stones or blame).
42. tarishu nibal : Tarishu nibal: you feather arrows (prepare for conflict).
43. tafza' : Tafza': you seek protection or fear.
44. al-awbash : Al-awbash: the rabble, mixed multitude.

The Quraysh sent [1] to Abyssinia in pursuit of the emigrants who had fled there.

The sending of Quraysh to Abyssinia in pursuit of the emigrants who had gone there. (The two messengers of Quraysh to the Negus ¹ to demand the return of the emigrants): Ibn Ishaq said: When Quraysh saw that the companions of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) had become secure and at ease in the land of Abyssinia, and that they had found there a home and a place of settlement, they consulted among themselves about sending two strong men from Quraysh to the Negus to bring them back, so that they might tempt them from their religion and drive them out of the land where they had found peace and security. So they sent Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'a and Amr ibn al-As ibn Wa'il, and they collected for them gifts for the Negus and his patriarchs ², then they sent them to him concerning them. (Poetry of Abu Talib to the Negus urging him to protect the emigrants): Abu Talib, when he saw their plan and what they had sent them for, composed verses to the Negus urging him to treat them well and protect them: "Would that I knew how Ja'far and Amr are faring in that distant land ³, and the enemies who are kinsmen ⁴? Have the deeds of the Negus reached Ja'far and his companions, or has some mischief ⁵ prevented that? Know, may you be free from curse ⁶, that you are noble and generous; the one who seeks refuge with you will not be wretched. Know that God has increased your power and the means of goodness are all bound to you ⁷. And you are an overflowing fountain with abundant buckets ⁸; both enemies and kinsmen benefit from it." (The account of Umm Salama about the two messengers of Quraysh with the Negus): Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Muslim al-Zuhri narrated to me from Abu Bakr ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham al-Makhzumi, from Umm Salama bint Abi Umayya ibn al-Mughira, the wife of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him), who said: When we settled in the land of Abyssinia, we had the best of neighbors in the Negus; we were safe in our religion, and we worshipped God Almighty without being harmed or hearing anything we disliked. When Quraysh learned of this, they consulted among themselves about sending two strong men to the Negus concerning us, and to send gifts to the Negus of the rare commodities of Mecca. Among the most remarkable things they sent was leather ⁹; so they collected much leather for him, and they did not leave any of his patriarchs without giving him a gift. Then they sent Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'a and Amr ibn al-As with that, and instructed them, saying: Give each patriarch his gift before you speak to the Negus about them, then present the gifts to the Negus, then ask him to hand them over to you before he speaks to them. She said: So they set out until they came to the Negus, while we were with him in the best of homes, with the best of neighbors. They gave each patriarch his gift before speaking to the Negus, and said to each of them: Some foolish young men from us have taken refuge ¹⁰ in the king's land; they have left the religion of their people and have not entered your religion, and they have brought a new religion that neither we nor you know. Our people's nobles have sent us to the king concerning them to return them to us. So when we speak to the king about them, advise him to hand them over to us and not to speak to them, for their people are more aware of their faults ¹¹ and know better what they have criticized them for. They replied: Yes. Then they presented their gifts to the Negus, and he accepted them. Then they spoke to him, saying: O king, some foolish young men from us have taken refuge in your land; they have left the religion of their people and have not entered your religion, and they have brought a new religion that neither we nor you know. Our people's nobles—their fathers, uncles, and clans—have sent us to you to return them to them, for they are more aware of their faults and know better what they have criticized and blamed them for. She said: Nothing was more hateful to Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'a and Amr ibn al-As than that the Negus should hear their speech. She said: His patriarchs around him said: They have spoken the truth, O king; their people are more aware of their faults and know better what they have criticized them for. So hand them over to them, and let them return them to their land and people. She said: The Negus became angry and said: No, by God, I will not hand them over to them, nor will any people who have sought my protection, settled in my land, and chosen me over others be treated thus, until I summon them and ask them about what these two say concerning them. If they are as they say, I will hand them over to them and return them to their people; but if they are otherwise, I will protect them from them and treat them well as long as they remain with me. (The Negus summons the emigrants and asks them about their religion, and their response): She said: Then he sent for the companions of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) and summoned them. When his messenger came to them, they gathered and said to one another: What will you say to the man when you come to him? They said: By God, we will say what we know and what our Prophet (peace be upon him) has commanded us, whatever may happen. When they came, the Negus had summoned his bishops ¹², who had spread out their scriptures around him. He asked them: What is this religion for which you have left your people and have not entered my religion nor any of these other religions? She said: Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (may God be pleased with him) spoke to him, saying: O king, we were a people of ignorance ¹³, worshipping idols, eating carrion, committing indecencies, severing family ties, treating neighbors badly, and the strong among us devoured the weak. We remained in that state until God sent us a messenger from among us, whose lineage, truthfulness, trustworthiness, and chastity we knew. He called us to God, to affirm His oneness and worship Him, and to renounce what we and our fathers used to worship besides Him of stones and idols. He commanded us to speak truthfully, fulfill trusts, maintain family ties, treat neighbors well, refrain from forbidden things and bloodshed, and forbade us from indecencies, false speech, consuming orphans' wealth, and slandering chaste women. He commanded us to worship God alone, associating nothing with Him, and enjoined upon us prayer, almsgiving, and fasting—she said: he enumerated the obligations of Islam—so we believed him and trusted him, and followed him in what he brought from God. So we worshipped God alone, associating nothing with Him, forbade what He forbade us, and permitted what He permitted us. Then our people turned against us, torturing and persecuting us to turn us from our religion, to return us to the worship of idols instead of God Almighty, and to make us lawful what we had considered unlawful of abominations. When they overpowered us, wronged us, and restricted us, and came between us and our religion, we left for your land, chose you over others, sought your protection, and hoped not to be wronged with you, O king. She said: The Negus said to him: Do you have with you anything of what he brought from God? She said: Ja'far said: Yes. The Negus said: Recite it to me. She said: So he recited to him the opening of Surah Maryam ¹⁴. She said: By God, the Negus wept until his beard became wet, and his bishops wept until they wet their scriptures, when they heard what he recited to them. Then the Negus said: Indeed, this and what Jesus brought come from the same niche ¹⁵. Go, for by God, I will not hand them over to you, and they will not be harmed ¹⁶.

The statement of the Emigrants ¹⁷ concerning Jesus, peace be upon him, before the Negus ¹⁸: She said: When they left his presence, Amr ibn al-As said, "By Allah, I will go to him tomorrow with something that will uproot them entirely." She said: Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'a, who was the more prudent of the two men among us, said to him, "Do not do that, for they have kinship ties, even if they have opposed us." He said, "By Allah, I will inform him that they claim Jesus son of Mary is a servant." She said: Then the next day he went to him and said, "O King, they say a terrible thing about Jesus son of Mary. Send for them and ask them what they say about him." She said: So he sent for them to ask them about him. She said: Never had such a thing befallen us. The people gathered, then some said to others, "What will you say about Jesus son of Mary when he asks you?" They said, "By Allah, we will say what Allah said and what our Prophet brought us, whatever may come of it." She said: When they entered upon him, he said to them, "What do you say about Jesus son of Mary?" She said: Ja'far ibn Abi Talib said, "We say about him what our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought us: he is the servant of Allah, His Messenger, His Spirit, and His Word which He cast into Mary, the virgin, the chaste." She said: The Negus struck his hand on the ground, took a stick from it, then said, "By Allah, Jesus son of Mary does not exceed what you have said by this stick." She said: His patriarchs ¹⁹ snorted around him when he said what he said, so he said, "Even if you snort, by Allah, go, for you are shuyum ²⁰ in my land—and al-shuyum means the secure ones—whoever insults you will pay a fine." Then he said, "Whoever insults you will pay a fine." Then he said, "Whoever insults you will pay a fine. I would not like to have a mountain of gold and that I harm a man among you." Ibn Hisham said: It is also said "a mountain of gold" and it is said "you are suyum" and al-dabar in the Abyssinian language means "mountain." "Return their gifts to them, for I have no need of them. By Allah, Allah did not take a bribe from me when He returned my kingdom to me, so I would take a bribe in it, nor did He obey people concerning me, so I would obey them in it." She said: So they left his presence, humiliated, with their gifts returned to them, and we stayed with him in the best of abodes, with the best of neighbors. The joy of the Emigrants at the Negus's victory over his enemy: She said: By Allah, while we were in that state, a man from Abyssinia came to him to dispute his kingship. She said: By Allah, we never knew a grief more severe than the grief we felt at that time, fearing that that man would overcome the Negus, and a man would come who did not know our right as the Negus knew it. She said: The Negus marched toward him, with the width of the Nile between them. She said: The companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace, said, "Who will go out to witness the battle of the people and then bring us the news?" She said: Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam said, "I will." They said, "Then you." He was the youngest of them. She said: They inflated a waterskin for him, which he placed on his chest, then he swam on it until he reached the side of the Nile where the people were meeting, then he went until he witnessed them. She said: We called upon Allah Almighty for the Negus to triumph over his enemy and be established in his land. She said: By Allah, while we were awaiting what would happen, suddenly al-Zubayr appeared running, and he waved his garment, saying, "Rejoice! The Negus has triumphed, Allah has destroyed his enemy, and established him in his land." She said: By Allah, we never knew a joy like it. She said: The Negus returned, and Allah had destroyed his enemy, established him in his land, and the affairs of Abyssinia were consolidated for him. So we stayed with him in the best of abodes until we came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was in Mecca.

1. النَّجَاشِيِّ : The Negus: the title of the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) at the time.
2. بَطَارِقَتِهِ : Patriarchs: high-ranking Christian clergy or nobles in the Abyssinian court.
3. النَّأْيِ : Distant land: refers to Abyssinia.
4. أَعْدَاءُ الْعَدُوِّ الْأَقَارِبُ : Enemies who are kinsmen: a paradoxical phrase meaning that the Quraysh are both enemies and relatives.
5. شَاغِبُ : Mischief: one who causes trouble or discord.
6. أَبَيْتَ اللَّعْنَ : May you be free from curse: a traditional Arabic expression of respect and praise.
7. لَازِبُ : Bound to: firmly attached or necessary.
8. سِجَالٍ غَزِيرَةٍ : Abundant buckets: metaphor for generosity and abundant giving.
9. الْأُدْمُ : Leather: specifically, tanned leather or hides, a valuable commodity.
10. ضَوَى : Took refuge: literally 'sought shelter' or 'attached themselves'.
11. أَعْلَى بِهِمْ عَيْنًا : More aware of their faults: idiom meaning they have better knowledge of their shortcomings.
12. أَسَاقِفَتَهُ : Bishops: Christian religious leaders.
13. جَاهِلِيَّةٍ : Ignorance: the pre-Islamic period of polytheism and moral ignorance.
14. صَدْرًا مِنْ: «كهيعص ١٩: ١» : The opening of Surah Maryam: the first verse of Chapter 19 of the Quran, consisting of the Arabic letters Kaf, Ha, Ya, 'Ayn, Sad.
15. مِشْكَاةٍ : Niche: a lamp niche, symbolizing the same source of divine light.
16. وَلَا يُكَادُونَ : They will not be harmed: meaning they will not be handed over or mistreated.
17. al-Muhājirūn : The early Muslims who migrated from Mecca to Abyssinia to escape persecution.
18. al-Najāshī : The title of the Abyssinian king, here referring to Ashama ibn Abjar, who granted asylum to the Muslim emigrants.
19. baṭāriqatuhu : Patriarchs or high-ranking clergy of the Abyssinian Christian church, advisors to the Negus.
20. shuyūm : A term meaning 'secure' or 'safe' in the Abyssinian language, used by the Negus to declare the Muslims under his protection.

The story of the Negus's rule over Abyssinia [1]

The story of the Negus's ¹ seizure of power over Abyssinia. (The killing of the Negus's father and the appointment of his uncle): Ibn Ishaq said: Al-Zuhri said: I narrated to 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr the hadith of Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd al-Rahman from Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and he said: Do you know what his saying means: 'Allah did not take a bribe from me when He returned my kingdom to me, so that I would take a bribe regarding it, nor did the people obey me in it, so that I would obey the people regarding it'? He said: I said: No. He said: 'A'isha, the Mother of the Believers, told me that his father was the king of his people, and he had no child except the Negus. The Negus had an uncle who had twelve sons from his own loins, and they were the royal family of Abyssinia. The Abyssinians said among themselves: If we kill the Negus's father and make his brother king—for he has no child except this boy, and his brother has twelve sons from his loins—they will inherit his kingdom after him, and the Abyssinians will remain under him for a long time. So they attacked the Negus's father in the morning, killed him, and made his brother king. They remained in that state for a while. (The Negus's dominance over his uncle and the Abyssinians' attempt to remove him): The Negus grew up with his uncle, and he was an intelligent and resolute man. He gained influence over his uncle's affairs and attained every rank with him. When the Abyssinians saw his position with his uncle, they said among themselves: By Allah, this young man has gained control over his uncle's affairs, and we fear that he will make him king over us. If he becomes king over us, he will surely kill us all, for he knows that we killed his father. So they went to his uncle and said: Either you kill this young man, or you expel him from among us, for we fear him for ourselves. He said: Woe to you! Yesterday I killed his father, and today I should kill him? Rather, I will expel him from your land. So they took him to the market and sold him to a merchant for six hundred dirhams. The merchant put him on a ship and set off with him. When evening came, a cloud from the autumn clouds arose, and his uncle went out to seek rain under it. A thunderbolt struck him and killed him. The Abyssinians rushed to his sons, but they were foolish, with no good in them. So the affairs of the Abyssinians became disordered. (His accession to the throne with the consent of the Abyssinians): When they became distressed by their situation, some of them said to others: By Allah, the king who can set your affairs straight is none other than the one you sold this morning. If you care about the affairs of Abyssinia, go and retrieve him now. So they went out in search of him and the man to whom they had sold him, until they caught up with him. They took him from the merchant, brought him back, placed the crown on his head, seated him on the throne, and made him king. (The story of the merchant who bought the Negus): The merchant who had bought him came and said: Either you give me my money, or I will speak to him about it. They said: We will not give you anything. He said: Then, by Allah, I will speak to him. They said: Go ahead. So he came to him, sat before him, and said: O king, I bought a slave from some people in the market for six hundred dirhams. They handed over my slave and took my dirhams. Then, when I had set off with my slave, they caught up with me, took my slave, and refused to return my dirhams. The Negus said to them: You must give him his dirhams, or else his slave will place his hand in his hand and go with him wherever he wishes. They said: Rather, we will give him his dirhams. So that is why he says: 'Allah did not take a bribe from me when He returned my kingdom to me, so that I would take a bribe regarding it, nor did the people obey me in it, so that I would obey the people regarding it.' She said: That was the first indication of his firmness in his religion and his justice in his judgment. Ibn Ishaq said: Yazid ibn Ruman narrated to me from 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr from 'A'isha, who said: When the Negus died, it was said that light was always seen over his grave. The rebellion of the Abyssinians against the Negus Ibn Ishaq said: Ja'far ibn Muhammad narrated to me from his father, who said: The Abyssinians gathered and said to the Negus: You have abandoned our religion. And they rebelled against him. So he sent for Ja'far and his companions, prepared ships for them, and said: Board them and stay as you are. If I am defeated, go wherever you wish. If I am victorious, stay. Then he took a document and wrote in it: He bears witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, and he bears witness that Jesus son of Mary is His servant and messenger, His spirit, and His word which He cast into Mary. Then he placed it in his garment near his right shoulder. He went out to the Abyssinians, and they lined up against him. He said: O company of Abyssinians, am I not the most entitled to you? They said: Yes. He said: How have you found my conduct among you? They said: The best conduct. He said: Then what is wrong with you? They said: You have abandoned our religion and claimed that Jesus is a servant. He said: What do you say about Jesus? They said: We say he is the son of Allah. The Negus placed his hand on his chest over his garment and said: He bears witness that Jesus son of Mary—he added nothing more, meaning what he had written. So they were satisfied and dispersed from him. This reached the Prophet (peace be upon him), and when the Negus died, he prayed over him and asked forgiveness for him.

1. al-Najāshī : Title of the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) during the time of the Prophet Muhammad; also used as a proper name for the specific king who sheltered the Muslim emigrants.

The conversion of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him [1].

The Conversion of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him (The Muslims' Pride in 'Umar's Conversion): Ibn Ishaq said: When 'Amr ibn al-'As and 'Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'ah returned to Quraysh, having failed to achieve what they sought from the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Negus ¹ had sent them back with what they disliked, and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab had embraced Islam—he was a man of firm resolve, whose back was not to be challenged—the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gained strength through him and through Hamzah, until they prevailed over Quraysh. 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud used to say: We were not able to pray at the Ka'bah until 'Umar ibn al-Khattab embraced Islam. When he embraced Islam, he fought Quraysh until he prayed at the Ka'bah, and we prayed with him. 'Umar's conversion occurred after those who had emigrated to Abyssinia had left. Al-Buka'i ² said: Mis'ar ibn Kidam narrated to me from Sa'd ibn Ibrahim, who said: 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: Indeed, 'Umar's conversion was a conquest, his emigration was a victory, and his caliphate was a mercy. We were not able to pray at the Ka'bah until 'Umar embraced Islam. When he embraced Islam, he fought Quraysh until he prayed at the Ka'bah, and we prayed with him. (The Narration of Umm 'Abdullah about 'Umar's Conversion): Ibn Ishaq said: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'ah narrated to me from 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah, from his mother Umm 'Abdullah bint Abi Hathmah, who said: By Allah, we were preparing to travel to the land of Abyssinia, and 'Amir had gone for some of our needs, when 'Umar ibn al-Khattab approached and stopped by me, while he was still in his polytheism. She said: We used to suffer from him harm and severity. She said: He said, "So it is departure, O Umm 'Abdullah?" She said: I said, "Yes, by Allah, we will go out in Allah's land, for you have harmed us and oppressed us, until Allah provides a way out." She said: He said, "May Allah accompany you." And I saw in him a softness I had never seen before. Then he left, saddened—as I saw—by our departure. She said: Then 'Amir came with that need of his, and I said to him: "O Abu 'Abdullah, if only you had seen 'Umar just now, his softness and his grief for us." He said: "Do you hope for his conversion?" She said: I said, "Yes." He said: "The one you saw will not convert until the donkey of al-Khattab converts." She said: Out of despair for him, because of what he saw of his harshness and hardness against Islam. (Another Narration about 'Umar's Conversion): Ibn Ishaq said: 'Umar's conversion, as has reached me, was that his sister Fatimah bint al-Khattab—who was married to Sa'id ibn Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl—had embraced Islam, and her husband Sa'id ibn Zayd had also embraced Islam, and they were concealing their Islam from 'Umar. Nu'aym ibn 'Abdullah al-Nahham ³, a man from his people, from Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b, had also embraced Islam, and he too was concealing his Islam out of fear of his people. Khabbab ibn al-Aratt ⁴ used to visit Fatimah bint al-Khattab to teach her the Qur'an. One day, 'Umar set out, girded with his sword, intending to go to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and a group of his companions who, he had been told, had gathered in a house near al-Safa, about forty men and women. With the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, were his uncle Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafah al-Siddiq, and 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, among other Muslims, may Allah be pleased with them, who had remained with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in Mecca and had not emigrated to Abyssinia. Nu'aym ibn 'Abdullah met him and said, "Where are you going, O 'Umar?" He said, "I am going to Muhammad, this apostate who has divided Quraysh, insulted their intellects, reviled their religion, and cursed their gods, to kill him." Nu'aym said to him, "By Allah, your soul has deceived you, O 'Umar. Do you think Banu 'Abd Manaf would leave you walking on the earth after you have killed Muhammad? Why don't you return to your own household and set them straight?" He said, "Which household?" He said, "Your brother-in-law and cousin Sa'id ibn Zayd ibn 'Amr, and your sister Fatimah bint al-Khattab. By Allah, they have embraced Islam and followed Muhammad in his religion. So go to them." So 'Umar turned back, heading to his sister and brother-in-law. With them was Khabbab ibn al-Artt, who had a scroll containing "Ta Ha" ⁵ and was reciting it to them. When they heard 'Umar's footsteps, Khabbab hid in a closet ⁶ or in some part of the house, and Fatimah bint al-Khattab took the scroll and placed it under her thigh. 'Umar, when he approached the house, had heard Khabbab's recitation to them. When he entered, he said, "What is this humming ⁷ I heard?" They said, "You heard nothing." He said, "Yes, by Allah, I have been informed that you have followed Muhammad in his religion." Then he seized his brother-in-law Sa'id ibn Zayd. His sister Fatimah bint al-Khattab stood up to restrain him from her husband, but he struck her and wounded her head. When he did that, his sister and brother-in-law said, "Yes, we have embraced Islam and believed in Allah and His Messenger. Do as you please." When 'Umar saw the blood on his sister, he regretted what he had done, composed himself ⁸, and said to his sister, "Give me this scroll that I heard you reciting just now, so that I may see what Muhammad has brought." 'Umar was literate. When he said that, his sister said, "We fear you for it." He said, "Do not fear," and swore by his gods that he would return it to her after reading it. When he said that, she hoped for his conversion and said, "O my brother, you are impure in your polytheism, and none may touch it except the pure ⁹." So 'Umar stood up and washed himself, then she gave him the scroll, which contained "Ta Ha 20:1" ¹⁰. He read it, and when he read the beginning of it, he said, "How beautiful and noble is this speech!" When Khabbab heard that, he came out to him and said, "O 'Umar, by Allah, I hope that Allah has singled you out for the prayer of His Prophet. For I heard him yesterday saying, 'O Allah, strengthen Islam with Abu al-Hakam ibn Hisham ¹¹ or with 'Umar ibn al-Khattab.' So fear Allah, O 'Umar." At that, 'Umar said to him, "O Khabbab, guide me to Muhammad so that I may go to him and embrace Islam." Khabbab said to him, "He is in a house near al-Safa, with a number of his companions." So 'Umar took his sword, girded it, and then headed to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his companions. He knocked on the door. When they heard his voice, a man from among the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up and looked through the crack of the door. He saw him girded with the sword and returned to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, frightened, saying, "O Messenger of Allah, this is 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, girded with his sword." Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib said, "Let him in. If he has come seeking good, we will give it to him; if he has come seeking evil, we will kill him with his own sword." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Let him in." So the man let him in, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rose and went to meet him in the room. He took hold of his waist-wrapper ¹² or the edge of his cloak, then pulled him forcefully and said, "What has brought you, O son of al-Khattab? By Allah, I do not think you will stop until Allah sends down a calamity ¹³ upon you." 'Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have come to believe in Allah and His Messenger and what he has brought from Allah." Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allahu Akbar ¹⁴!" so loudly that the companions in the house knew that 'Umar had embraced Islam. Then the Muslims, those who were with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and those who were in the houses, rejoiced, for they knew that Islam would be strengthened and honored through 'Umar's conversion.

O Messenger of Allah, I have come to you to believe in Allah and His Messenger, and in what has come from Allah." He said: Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, uttered a takbir ¹⁵ such that the people of the household from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, knew that 'Umar had embraced Islam. Then the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, dispersed from their place, and they felt strengthened in themselves when 'Umar embraced Islam along with the Islam of Hamza, and they knew that the two of them would protect the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and that they would gain victory over their enemy through them. This is the narration of the transmitters from the people of Medina concerning the Islam of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab when he embraced Islam. (Narration of 'Ata' and Mujahid concerning the Islam of 'Umar): Ibn Ishaq said: 'Abdullah ibn Abi Najih al-Makki narrated to me from his companions: 'Ata' and Mujahid, or from whoever narrated that, that the Islam of 'Umar, according to what they related from him, was that he used to say: I was far removed from Islam, and I was a drinker of wine in the Jahiliyya ¹⁶, loving it and delighting in it. We had a gathering where men from Quraysh would meet in al-Hazwara ¹⁷, near the houses of the family of 'Umar ibn 'Abd ibn 'Imran al-Makhzumi. He said: One night I went out intending to join my companions in that gathering of theirs. He said: I came to them but found none of them there. He said: I said to myself: If only I would go to so-and-so the wine-seller, who was in Mecca selling wine, perhaps I would find some wine with him and drink from it. He said: So I went out and came to him but did not find him. He said: I said: Then if only I would go to the Ka'ba and circumambulate it seven or seventy times. He said: So I came to the mosque intending to circumambulate the Ka'ba, and there was the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, standing in prayer. When he prayed, he would face towards Syria, placing the Ka'ba between him and Syria, and his place of prayer was between the two corners: the Black Corner and the Yemeni Corner. He said: When I saw him, I said: By Allah, if only I would listen to Muhammad tonight to hear what he says! He said: I said: If I approach him to listen to him, I will surely frighten him. So I came from the direction of the Hijr ¹⁸, entered under its covering, and began to walk slowly, while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was standing in prayer reciting the Qur'an, until I stood in his qibla ¹⁹ facing him, with nothing between me and him except the covering of the Ka'ba. He said: When I heard the Qur'an, my heart softened, I wept, and Islam entered into me. I continued standing in that place until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, finished his prayer, then he departed. When he departed, he would go out by the house of Ibn Abi Husayn, which was his route, until he passed through the Mas'a ²⁰, then he would go between the house of 'Abbas ibn al-Muttalib and the house of Ibn Azhar ibn 'Abd 'Awf al-Zuhri, then by the house of al-Akhnas ibn Shariq, until he entered his house. His dwelling, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was in the house called al-Raqta' ²¹, which was in the possession of Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan. 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I followed him until, when he entered between the house of 'Abbas and the house of Ibn Azhar, I caught up with him. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, heard my footsteps, he recognized me, and thought that I had only followed him to harm him, so he rebuked me, then said: "What has brought you, O Ibn al-Khattab, at this hour?" He said: I said: "I have come to believe in Allah and His Messenger, and in what has come from Allah." He said: Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, praised Allah, then said: "Allah has guided you, O 'Umar." Then he wiped my chest and prayed for steadfastness for me. Then I left the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered his house. Ibn Ishaq said: And Allah knows best which of these accounts is correct. (Mention of 'Umar's strength in Islam and his endurance): Ibn Ishaq said: Nafi', the freed slave of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, narrated to me from Ibn 'Umar, who said: When my father 'Umar embraced Islam, he said: "Which of Quraysh is the most prolific in spreading news?" It was said to him: "Jamil ibn Ma'mar al-Jumahi." He said: So he went to him early in the morning. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said: I went out early following his footsteps, watching what he would do, and I was a boy who understood everything I saw, until he came to him and said to him: "Do you know, O Jamil, that I have embraced Islam and entered the religion of Muhammad?" He said: By Allah, he did not answer him until he stood up dragging his cloak, and 'Umar followed him, and I followed my father, until when he stood at the door of the mosque, he shouted at the top of his voice: "O company of Quraysh!" — and they were in their assemblies around the Ka'ba — "Indeed, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab has become a Sabi' ²²!" He said: And 'Umar said from behind him: "He lies, but I have embraced Islam and testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger." They rose against him, and he kept fighting them and they kept fighting him until the sun stood over their heads. He said: And he became exhausted, so he sat down, and they stood over his head while he said: "Do whatever you wish, for I swear by Allah that if we were three hundred men, we would have left it for you, or you would have left it for us." He said: While they were in that state, an old man of Quraysh approached, wearing a striped garment ²³ and an embroidered shirt, until he stood over them and said: "What is the matter with you?" They said: "'Umar has become a Sabi'." He said: "So what? A man has chosen a matter for himself. What do you want? Do you think that Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b would hand over their companion to you like this? Leave the man alone." He said: By Allah, it was as if they were a garment that had been stripped off. He said: I said to my father after he had migrated to Medina: "O father, who was the man who rebuked the people on your behalf in Mecca on the day you embraced Islam while they were fighting you?" He said: "That, my son, was al-'As ibn Wa'il al-Sahmi." Ibn Hisham said: Some scholar narrated to me that he said: "O father, who was the man who rebuked the people on your behalf in Mecca on the day you embraced Islam while they were fighting you? May Allah reward him with good."

1. Negus : Title of the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) at the time.
2. Al-Buka'i : A narrator in the chain of transmission; full name: 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak al-Buka'i.
3. Nu'aym ibn 'Abdullah al-Nahham : A companion who embraced Islam early and concealed his faith.
4. Khabbab ibn al-Aratt : A companion known for teaching the Qur'an and enduring persecution.
5. Ta Ha : The opening letters of Surah Ta-Ha (Chapter 20 of the Qur'an).
6. closet : A small storage room or hiding place.
7. humming : Low, indistinct sound of recitation.
8. composed himself : Regained self-control after his outburst.
9. none may touch it except the pure : Reference to Qur'an 56:79, indicating that only those in a state of ritual purity may touch the Qur'an.
10. Ta Ha 20:1 : The first verse of Surah Ta-Ha.
11. Abu al-Hakam ibn Hisham : Another name for Abu Jahl, a prominent opponent of Islam.
12. waist-wrapper : A garment worn around the waist, part of traditional Arab dress.
13. calamity : A severe punishment or disaster from Allah.
14. Allahu Akbar : Arabic phrase meaning 'Allah is the Greatest,' used as an expression of joy and praise.
15. takbir : The act of saying 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is the Greatest), often used as an expression of joy or praise.
16. Jahiliyya : The period of ignorance before the advent of Islam in Arabia.
17. al-Hazwara : A locality in Mecca near the Ka'ba, known as a gathering place for Quraysh.
18. Hijr : The semicircular wall or enclosure adjacent to the Ka'ba, also known as the Hijr Ismail.
19. qibla : The direction of prayer, facing the Ka'ba in Mecca.
20. Mas'a : The place of the ritual walking (sa'y) between Safa and Marwa during Hajj or Umra.
21. al-Raqta' : A house in Mecca where the Prophet Muhammad resided; its name means 'the spotted' or 'the speckled'.
22. Sabi' : A term used by the Quraysh to denote someone who abandoned their religion; derived from 'Sabi'un' (Sabians), a religious group mentioned in the Qur'an.
23. hulla hibra : A type of striped garment, often made of Yemeni cloth, worn as a sign of status.

The news of the scroll [1]

He said: O my son, that is al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wāʾil, may Allah not reward him. Ibn Isḥāq said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥārith narrated to me from some of the family of ʿUmar, or some of his household, who said: ʿUmar said: When I embraced Islam that night, I thought about who among the people of Mecca was the most hostile to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that I could go to him and inform him that I had embraced Islam. He said: I said: Abū Jahl—and ʿUmar was related to Ḥantamah bint Hishām ibn al-Mughīrah. He said: So I went in the morning until I knocked on his door. He said: Abū Jahl came out to me and said: Welcome, O son of my sister, what brings you? He said: I have come to inform you that I have believed in Allah and His Messenger Muḥammad, and I have affirmed what he brought. He said: Then he slammed the door in my face and said: May Allah disgrace you and disgrace what you have brought. The Story of the Document (The Pact of the Disbelievers Against the Messenger) Ibn Isḥāq said: When Quraysh saw that the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had settled in a land where they found security and stability, and that the Negus had protected those who sought refuge with him, and that ʿUmar had embraced Islam, so that he and Ḥamzah ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib were with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his companions, and Islam began to spread among the tribes, they gathered and consulted among themselves to write a document by which they would pledge against Banū Hāshim and Banū al-Muṭṭalib: that they would not marry their women to them nor give their women in marriage to them, nor sell them anything, nor buy anything from them. When they gathered for that, they wrote it in a document, then they pledged and covenanted to that, then they hung the document inside the Kaʿbah to confirm it upon themselves. The writer of the document was Manṣūr ibn ʿIkrimah ibn ʿĀmir ibn Hāshim ibn ʿAbd Manāf ibn ʿAbd al-Dār ibn Quṣayy—Ibn Hishām said: It is also said: al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith—so the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, invoked Allah against him, and some of his fingers became paralyzed. Ibn Isḥāq said: When Quraysh did that, Banū Hāshim and Banū al-Muṭṭalib withdrew to Abū Ṭālib ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, and entered with him into his ravine and gathered to him. But Abū Lahab, ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, left Banū Hāshim and went to Quraysh, supporting them. (Abū Lahab's Mockery of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and What Allah Revealed Concerning Him) Ibn Isḥāq said: Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh narrated to me that Abū Lahab met Hind bint ʿUtbah ibn Rabīʿah when he left his people and supported Quraysh against them, and said: O daughter of ʿUtbah, have you supported al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā, and left those who left them and supported against them? She said: Yes, may Allah reward you well, O Abū ʿUtbah. Ibn Isḥāq said: I was told that he used to say among what he said: Muḥammad promises me things that I do not see; he claims they will happen after death. So what has he placed in my hands after that? Then he would blow into his hands and say: Perish you two, I see nothing in you of what Muḥammad says. So Allah, Exalted, revealed concerning him: "Perish the hands of Abū Lahab, and perish he!" [111:1]. Ibn Hishām said: "Tabba" means lost. And "al-tabāb" is loss. Ḥabīb ibn Khudrah al-Khārijī, one of Banū Hilāl ibn ʿĀmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿah, said: O Ṭayyib, we are among a people whose efforts have gone to ruin and loss. This verse is from a poem of his. (Poetry of Abū Ṭālib Concerning Quraysh When They United Against the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace) Ibn Isḥāq said: When Quraysh united on that and did what they did, Abū Ṭālib said: Go and inform on my behalf, despite our kinship, Luʾayy and especially the Banū Kaʿb of Luʾayy. Do you not know that we have found Muḥammad a prophet like Moses, inscribed in the earlier scriptures? And that he has love among the servants, and there is no good in one whom Allah has not singled out for love. And that what you have attached from your document will be a misfortune for you, like the bleating of a she-camel that has lost her young. Come to your senses, come to your senses, before the earth is dug and the one who has not committed a sin becomes like the sinner. Do not follow the order of the slanderers and cut our bonds after affection and kinship. And do not bring upon yourselves a fierce war, and perhaps the calamity of war is bitter for those who taste it. For by the Lord of the House, we will not surrender Aḥmad to any harshness of time or distress. As long as there remain from us and from you old enmities and hands cut off by bright Indian swords, In a narrow battlefield where you see broken spear shafts and large vultures hovering like drinkers. As if the horses' course in its courtyards and the clamor of heroes is the battlefield of war. Is not our father Hāshim who strengthened his resolve and enjoined his sons to thrust and strike? We do not tire of war until it tires of us, nor do we complain of what befalls us of calamities. But we are people of resolve and intellect when the souls of brave men fly from fear. So they remained like that for two or three years, until they were exhausted, and nothing reached them except secretly and in hiding from those of Quraysh who wished to maintain ties with them. (Abū Jahl's Confrontation with Ḥakīm ibn Ḥizām and the Mediation of Abū al-Bakhtarī) And it is mentioned that Abū Jahl ibn Hishām met Ḥakīm ibn Ḥizām ibn Khuwaylid

An account of the harm inflicted upon the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, by his people.

Ibn Asad, with him a boy carrying wheat which he intended for his paternal aunt Khadījah bint Khuwaylid, and she was with the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), and he was with him in the mountain pass (al-shiʿb). So [Abu Jahl] seized him and said: “Do you take food to the Banū Hāshim? By God, you and your food shall not leave until I disgrace you in Mecca.” Then Abu al-Bakhtarī ibn Hāshim ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Asad came to him and said: “What is between you and him?” He replied: “He is carrying food to the Banū Hāshim.” Abu al-Bakhtarī said to him: “It is food belonging to his paternal aunt which she sent for; do you prevent him from bringing her her food? Let the man go.” But Abu Jahl refused until one of them struck his companion. So Abu al-Bakhtarī took the jawbone of a camel and struck him with it, wounding his head, and trampled him severely. Ḥamzah ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib was nearby, witnessing that, and they disliked that this should reach the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) and his Companions, lest they gloat over them. And the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), despite that, continued to call his people night and day, secretly and openly, openly declaring the command of God, fearing no one among the people in it. **Account of what the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) suffered from his people in the way of harm** **(What God Most High revealed concerning Abu Lahab):** When God protected him from them, and his uncle and his people from the Banū Hāshim and the Banū al-Muṭṭalib stood up for him and interposed themselves between them and what they desired of seizing him, Quraysh began to taunt him, mock him, and argue with him. And the Qur’an began to be revealed concerning Quraysh regarding their actions, and concerning those among them who set themselves up in enmity to him. Among them were those who were named for us, and among them were those concerning whom the Qur’an was revealed in the general category of the disbelievers whom God mentioned. Among those of Quraysh who were named for us, concerning whom the Qur’an was revealed, was his uncle Abu Lahab ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib and his wife Umm Jamīl bint Ḥarb ibn Umayyah, the carrier of firewood. God Most High only called her the carrier of firewood because—according to what has reached me—she used to carry thorns and throw them on the path of the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) where he passed. So God Most High revealed concerning them both: “Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he! His wealth and what he earned did not avail him. He will burn in a fire of flame, and his wife, the carrier of firewood, around her neck a rope of twisted fiber” (111:1-5). Ibn Hishām said: “Al-jīd” is the neck. Aʿshā Banī Qays ibn Thaʿlabah said: “On the day Qutaylah appears to us with a smooth neck, adorned by necklaces.” This verse is from one of his odes. Its plural is “ajyād.” “Al-masad” is a tree that is beaten like flax, from which ropes are twisted. Al-Nābighah al-Dhubyānī, whose name is Ziyād ibn ʿAmr ibn Muʿāwiyah, said: “Thrown with the compacted flesh, its young camel has a creaking sound like the creak of the pulley with the rope of twisted fiber (al-masad).” This verse is from one of his odes. Its singular is “masadah.” **(Umm Jamīl and God’s repelling of her plot from the Messenger (may God bless him and grant him peace)):** Ibn Isḥāq said: It was related to me that Umm Jamīl, the carrier of firewood, when she heard what had been revealed in the Qur’an concerning her and her husband, came to the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) while he was sitting in the mosque near the Kaʿbah with Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, and in her hand was a stone club (fihr). When she stopped before them, God took away her sight from the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), so she saw only Abu Bakr. She said: “O Abu Bakr, where is your companion? It has reached me that he satirizes me. By God, if I found him, I would strike his mouth with this stone club. By God, I am indeed a poetess.” Then she said: “Mudhammam we have disobeyed, and his command we have refused, and his religion we have detested (qalaynā).” Then she departed. Abu Bakr said: “O Messenger of God, do you not see that she saw you?” He replied: “She did not see me; God took away her sight from me.” Ibn Hishām said: Her saying “and his religion we have detested (qalaynā)” is from other than Ibn Isḥāq. Ibn Isḥāq said: Quraysh used to call the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) “Mudhammam” and then revile him. The Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) used to say: “Do you not marvel at how God averts from me the harm of Quraysh? They revile and satirize ‘Mudhammam,’ while I am Muḥammad.” **(Account of the harm with which Umayyah ibn Khalaf afflicted the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace)):** Umayyah ibn Khalaf ibn Wahb ibn Ḥudhāfah ibn Jumaḥ, whenever he saw the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), he would taunt him and slander him. So God Most High revealed concerning him: “Woe to every taunter (humazah), slanderer (lumazah), who has gathered wealth and counted it. He thinks that his wealth will make him immortal. No! He will surely be thrown into the Crusher. And what will make you know what the Crusher is? It is the fire of God, kindled, which rises over the hearts. Indeed, it is closed in upon them in extended columns” (104:1-9). Ibn Hishām said: “Al-humazah” is one who openly reviles a man, winks at him, and makes insinuations about him. Ḥassān ibn Thābit said: “I taunted you (hamaztuka), and you submitted to the humiliation of a soul, with a rhyme blazing like a flame.” This verse is from one of his odes. Its plural is “hamazāt.” “Al-lumazah” is one who secretly faults people and harms them. Ru’bah ibn al-ʿAjjāj said: “In the shadow of my time, my falsehood and my slandering (lamzī).” This verse is from one of his rajaz poems. Its plural is “lamazāt.” **(The harm with which al-ʿĀṣ afflicted the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), and what was revealed concerning him):** Ibn Isḥāq said: Al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wā’il al-Sahmī. Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt, the Companion of the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), was a blacksmith in Mecca, making swords. He had sold to al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wā’il some swords which he had made for him, until al-ʿĀṣ owed him money. So he came to him demanding payment. Al-ʿĀṣ said to him: “O Khabbāb, does not Muḥammad, this companion of yours, whose religion you follow, claim that in Paradise there is whatever its inhabitants desire of gold, or silver, or clothes, or servants?” Khabbāb said: “Yes.” He said: “Then give me respite until the Day of Resurrection, O Khabbāb, until I return to that abode, and I will repay you your due there. For by God, you and your companion, O Khabbāb, are not more favored with God than I, nor of greater fortune in that.” So God Most High revealed concerning him: “Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our signs and said, ‘I will surely be given wealth and children’? Has he looked into the unseen?” (19:77-78) up to His saying: “And We will inherit from him what he says, and he will come to Us alone” (19:80). **(The harm with which Abu Jahl afflicted the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), and what was revealed concerning him):** Abu Jahl ibn Hishām met the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace)—according to what has reached me—and said to him: “By God, O Muḥammad, you must stop reviling our gods, or we will surely revile your God whom you worship.” So God Most High revealed concerning him: “And do not revile those whom they invoke besides God, lest they revile God in transgression without knowledge” (6:108). It was related to me that the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) ceased reviling their gods and began to call them to God. **(The harm with which al-Naḍr afflicted the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), and what was revealed concerning him):**

Al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith ibn ʿAlqama ¹ ibn Kalada ibn ʿAbd Manāf ibn ʿAbd al-Dār ibn Quṣayy. Whenever the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) sat in a gathering, calling therein to God Almighty, reciting the Qur’an, and warning Quraysh of what had befallen the bygone nations, al-Naḍr would take his place after he left, and would tell them about Rustum al-Sindīd ² and about Isfandiyār ³ and the kings of Persia. Then he would say, “By God, Muḥammad is not a better storyteller than I; his stories are nothing but fables of the ancients which he has written down just as I have written them down.” So God revealed concerning him: “And they say, ‘Fables of the ancients which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and evening.’ Say, ‘He has sent it down who knows the secret in the heavens and the earth; indeed, He is ever Forgiving and Merciful’” (25:5-6). And concerning him was revealed: “When Our verses are recited to him, he says, ‘Fables of the ancients’” (68:15). And concerning him was revealed: “Woe to every sinful liar who hears the verses of God recited to him, then persists arrogantly as if he had not heard them” (45:7-8), “as if there were deafness in his ears, so give him tidings of a painful punishment” (31:7). Ibn Hishām said: “Al-afāk” means the liar. And in the Book of God Almighty: “Indeed, they, from their falsehood, say, ‘God has begotten,’ and indeed they are liars” (37:151-152). And Ru’ba ⁴ said: “What is there for a man who speaks falsely, a lie?” This line is from one of his rajaz poems. Ibn Isḥāq said: One day, as I have been told, the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) sat with al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra in the mosque. Al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith came and sat with them in the gathering, and there were several men of Quraysh present. The Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) spoke, and al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith confronted him. The Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) spoke to him until he silenced him. Then he recited to him and to them: “Indeed, you and what you worship besides God are fuel for Hell; you will go down into it. Had these been gods, they would not have gone down into it, and all will abide therein forever. For them therein is groaning, and they therein will not hear” (21:98-100). Ibn Hishām said: “Ḥaṣab of Hell” means everything with which it is kindled. Abū Dhu’ayb al-Hudhalī, whose name is Khuwaylid ibn Khālid, said: “So extinguish, and do not kindle, and be not a poker for the fire of enemies, lest its sparks fly.” This line is from one of his poems. It is also transmitted as “wa lā taku miḥḍa’an.” The poet said: “I poked my fire for him, and he saw its light; and he would not have been guided without the poking of the fire.” [The statement of Ibn al-Zibaʿrā and what God revealed concerning him] Ibn Isḥāq said: Then the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) stood up, and ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zibaʿrā al-Sahmī came and sat down. Al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra said to ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zibaʿrā: “By God, al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith did not stand up to Ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib just now, nor did he sit down. Muḥammad has claimed that we and what we worship of these gods are fuel for Hell.” So ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zibaʿrā said: “By God, if I had found him, I would have argued with him. Ask Muḥammad: Is everything that is worshipped besides God in Hell along with its worshipper? For we worship the angels, the Jews worship ʿUzayr ⁵, and the Christians worship Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon them).” Al-Walīd and those with him in the gathering were amazed at the words of ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zibaʿrā, and they thought that he had made an argument and prevailed. That was mentioned to the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) concerning the words of Ibn al-Zibaʿrā. The Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: “Everyone who loved to be worshipped besides God is with his worshipper. They only worship the devils and those who commanded them to worship him.” So God Almighty revealed concerning that: “Indeed, those for whom the best [reward] has preceded from Us, they will be removed far from it [Hell]. They will not hear its sound, and they will abide forever in what their souls desire” (21:101-102), meaning Jesus son of Mary, ʿUzayr, and those who were worshipped from among the rabbis and monks who passed away in obedience to God, but the people of misdirection took them as lords besides God. And concerning what they mention, that they worship the angels and that they are daughters of God, was revealed: “And they say, ‘The Most Merciful has taken a son.’ Exalted is He! Rather, they are honored servants. They do not precede Him in speech, and they act by His command” (21:26-27) up to His words: “And whoever among them says, ‘Indeed, I am a god besides Him,’ that one We will recompense with Hell. Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers” (21:29). And concerning what was mentioned of the matter of Jesus son of Mary, that he is worshipped besides God, and the amazement of al-Walīd and those present at his argument and disputation, was revealed: “And when the son of Mary is presented as an example, immediately your people cry out” (43:57), meaning they turn away from your command because of that, from their saying. Then He mentioned Jesus son of Mary and said: “He was not but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel. And if We willed, We could have made from you angels succeeding [one another] upon the earth. And indeed, he [Jesus] is a knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it and follow Me. This is a straight path” (43:59-61), meaning: what I placed at his hands of signs, such as reviving the dead and healing diseases, suffices as evidence for the knowledge of the Hour. He says: “So be not in doubt of it and follow Me. This is a straight path” (43:61). [Al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq and what God revealed concerning him] Ibn Isḥāq said: Al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq ibn ʿAmr ibn Wahb al-Thaqafī, an ally of Banū Zuhra, was among the nobles of the people and one whose opinion was heeded. He used to harm the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) and respond to him. So God Almighty revealed concerning him: “And do not obey every worthless swearer, a slanderer, a goer about with malicious gossip” (68:10-11) up to His words: “a zanīm ⁶” (68:13). He did not say “zanīm” because of a defect in his lineage, for God does not blame anyone for his lineage, but He thereby confirmed his description so that he might be known. Al-zanīm is the one who is attached to a people [as a follower]. Al-Khaṭīm al-Tamīmī said in the Jāhiliyya: “A zanīm, whom men call an addition, just as the shanks are added to the side of the hide.” [Al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra and what God Almighty revealed concerning him] Al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra said: “Is the revelation sent down to Muḥammad while I am left out, I who am the elder of Quraysh and its chief? And Abū Masʿūd ʿAmr ibn ʿUmayr al-Thaqafī, the chief of Thaqīf, is left out, while we are the two great ones of the two towns?” So God Almighty revealed concerning him, as I have been told: “And they said, ‘Why was this Qur’an not sent down upon a great man from the two towns?’” (43:31) up to His words: “from what they accumulate” (43:32). [Ubayy ibn Khalaf and ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ and what God revealed concerning them] Ubayy ibn Khalaf ibn Wahb ibn Ḥudhāfa ibn Jumaḥ and ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ were close friends, with good relations between them. ʿUqba had sat with the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) and heard from him. That reached Ubayy, so he came to ʿUqba and said to him: “Has it not reached me that you have sat with Muḥammad and heard from him? My face is forbidden to your face that I should speak to you” – and he made a strong oath – “if you sit with him or hear from him, or if you do not go to him and spit in his face.” So the enemy of God, ʿUqba ibn Abī Muʿayṭ – may God curse him – did that. So God Almighty revealed concerning them: “And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] and say, ‘O, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way’” (25:27) up to His words: “for man is a betrayer” (25:29). Ubayy ibn Khalaf went to the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) with a decayed bone that had crumbled, and said: “O Muḥammad, do you claim that God will resurrect this after it has become dust?” Then he crumbled it.

In his hand ⁷, then he blew it into the wind towards the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "Yes, I say that. God will resurrect you and him after you have become like this, then God will cast you into the Fire." So God Almighty revealed concerning him: "And he strikes for Us a likeness and forgets his own creation. He says: 'Who will give life to bones when they are decayed?' Say: 'He will give them life who produced them the first time, and He is, of all creation, Knowing.' [He is] the one who made for you from the green tree fire, and then from it you kindle." [36:78-80] (Reason for the revelation of Surah "Say, O Disbelievers"): The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was circumambulating the Kaaba—according to what has reached me—when al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, Umayya ibn Khalaf, and al-'As ibn Wa'il al-Sahmi intercepted him. They were elders among their people. They said: "O Muhammad, come, let us worship what you worship, and you worship what we worship, so that we and you may share in the matter. If what you worship is better than what we worship, we will have taken our share of it; and if what we worship is better than what you worship, you will have taken your share of it." So God Almighty revealed concerning them: "Say, O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you have worshipped. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion." [109:1-6] That is, if you do not worship God alone, unless I worship what you worship, then I have no need of that from you. For you is your religion entirely, and for me is my religion. (Abu Jahl and what God revealed concerning him): As for Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, when God Almighty mentioned the tree of Zaqqum as a warning to them, he said: "O tribe of Quraysh, do you know what the tree of Zaqqum is that Muhammad threatens you with?" They said: "No." He said: "It is the dates of Yathrib with butter. By God, if we get hold of it, we will surely gulp it down ⁸." So God Almighty revealed concerning him: "Indeed, the tree of Zaqqum is the food of the sinful, like molten brass, boiling in the bellies like the boiling of scalding water." [44:43-46] That is, not as he says. Ibn Hisham said: "Al-Muhl ⁹ is anything that you melt, whether copper, lead, or the like, according to what Abu 'Ubayda told me." (How Ibn Mas'ud interpreted "al-Muhl"): It has reached us from al-Hasan al-Basri ¹⁰ that he said: 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was a governor for 'Umar ibn al-Khattab over the treasury of Kufa. One day he ordered silver to be melted, and it began to change colors. He said: "Is there anyone at the door?" They said: "Yes." He said: "Let them in." So they were admitted, and he said: "The least resemblance to al-Muhl that you will see is this ¹¹." And the poet said: "My Lord gives him scalding water of al-Muhl to drink, gulping it down; it scorches faces, and in his belly it is molten ¹²." It is said that al-Muhl is the pus of the body. (Testimony in the interpretation of "al-Muhl" from a saying of Abu Bakr): It has reached us that when Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him, was on his deathbed, he ordered two worn-out garments to be washed so that he could be shrouded in them. 'A'isha said to him: "O my father, God has enriched you beyond them; buy a shroud." He said: "It is only a moment until it turns into al-Muhl." The poet said: "It became mixed with water, a repulsive al-Muhl, then it followed the backs after quenching ¹³." Ibn Ishaq said: So God Almighty revealed concerning him: "And the cursed tree [mentioned] in the Quran. And We warn them, but it only increases them in great transgression." [17:60] (Ibn Umm Maktum and the revelation of Surah 'Abasa): Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira stood with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, while the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was speaking to him, hoping for his conversion. While he was engaged in that, Ibn Umm Maktum passed by him.

1. al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith ibn ʿAlqama : A prominent opponent of the Prophet Muḥammad from the Quraysh tribe, known for his storytelling and rejection of the Qur'an.
2. Rustum al-Sindīd : A legendary Persian hero, often identified with Rostam, the mythical warrior from the Shahnameh.
3. Isfandiyār : Another legendary Persian hero from the Shahnameh, son of King Gushtasp.
4. Ru’ba : Ru’ba ibn al-ʿAjjāj, a famous Arab poet of the Umayyad period, known for his rajaz poetry.
5. ʿUzayr : The Islamic name for Ezra, a figure venerated by Jews; some traditions claim Jews worshipped him as the son of God, though this is disputed.
6. zanīm : A term meaning 'one who is attached to a people as a follower' or 'illegitimate child'; used here as a derogatory description of al-Akhnas.
7. fī yadihi : In his hand; refers to a bone or object held by the disbeliever.
8. natazaqqamannahā : We will gulp it down; a verb derived from 'zaqqūm'.
9. ʿajwat : A type of high-quality date from Medina.
10. al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī : A renowned early Islamic scholar and theologian.
11. hādhā : This; referring to the melted silver.
12. ṣihār : Molten or melted substance; here used poetically.
13. al-nihāl : Quenching; the act of drinking to satisfy thirst.

Mention of those who returned from the land of Abyssinia when they heard of the conversion of the people of Mecca to Islam [1].

Ibn Umm Maktum, the blind man, came and spoke to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and began to ask him to recite the Quran. This was hard on the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and annoyed him, because it distracted him from what he was doing with al-Walid ¹ and the hope he had for his conversion. When he persisted, the Prophet turned away from him, frowning, and left him. So Allah, exalted is He, revealed concerning him: "He frowned and turned away because the blind man came to him" [80:1-2] ... up to His words: "in honored sheets, exalted and purified" [80:13-14], meaning: I have only sent you as a bearer of good tidings and a warner; I have not singled you out for anyone over another, so do not prevent him who seeks it, nor seek to attract with it him who does not desire it. Ibn Hisham said: Ibn Umm Maktum was one of the Banu 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy; his name was 'Abdullah, and it is also said 'Amr. Mention of those who returned from the land of Abyssinia when they heard of the conversion of the people of Mecca (The reason for the return of the emigrants to Abyssinia): Ibn Ishaq said: The news of the conversion of the people of Mecca reached the companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, who had gone to the land of Abyssinia, so they set out because of what they had heard. When they drew near to Mecca, they learned that what they had been told about the conversion of the people of Mecca was false, so none of them entered except under protection or in hiding. (Those who returned from Banu 'Abd Shams and their allies): Among those who came to Mecca from them and stayed there until he migrated to Medina and witnessed with him Badr and Uhud, and those who were detained until they missed Badr and others, and those who died in Mecca from them, from Banu 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy: 'Uthman ibn 'Affan ibn Abi al-'As ibn Umayyah ibn 'Abd Shams, with his wife Ruqayyah, daughter of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. And Abu Hudhayfah ibn 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah ibn 'Abd Shams, with his wife Sahlah bint Suhayl ibn 'Amr. And from their allies: 'Abdullah ibn Jahsh ibn Ri'ab. (Those who returned from Banu Nawfal): And from Banu Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manaf: 'Utbah ibn Ghazwan, an ally of theirs, from Qays ibn 'Aylan. (Those who returned from Banu Asad): And from Banu Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy: al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam ibn Khuwaylid ibn Asad. (Those who returned from Banu 'Abd al-Dar): And from Banu 'Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy: Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr ibn Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn 'Abd al-Dar. And Suwaybit ibn Sa'd ibn Harmalah. (Those who returned from Banu 'Abd ibn Qusayy): And from Banu 'Abd ibn Qusayy: Tulayb ibn 'Umayr ibn Wahb ibn 'Abd. And from Banu Zuhrah ibn Kilab: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf ibn 'Abd 'Awf ibn 'Abd ibn al-Harith ibn Zuhrah, and al-Miqdad ibn 'Amr, an ally of theirs, and 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, an ally of theirs. (Those who returned from Banu Makhzum and their allies): And from Banu Makhzum ibn Yaqazah: Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Asad ibn Hilal ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Makhzum, with his wife Umm Salamah bint Abi Umayyah ibn al-Mughirah, and Shammas ibn 'Uthman ibn al-Sharid ibn Suwayd ibn Harmiyy ibn 'Amir ibn Makhzum. And Salamah ibn Hisham ibn al-Mughirah, his uncle detained him in Mecca, so he did not come until after Badr, Uhud, and al-Khandaq. And 'Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'ah ibn al-Mughirah, he migrated with him to Medina, and his two maternal brothers, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham and al-Harith ibn Hisham, caught up with him and took him back to Mecca, where they detained him until after Badr, Uhud, and al-Khandaq. And from their allies: 'Ammar ibn Yasir, about whom there is doubt whether he went to Abyssinia or not. And Mu'attib ibn 'Awf ibn 'Amir from Khuza'ah. (Those who returned from Banu Jumah): And from Banu Jumah ibn 'Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b: 'Uthman ibn Maz'un ibn Habib ibn Wahb ibn Hudhafah ibn Jumah. And his son al-Sa'ib ibn 'Uthman, and Qudamah ibn Maz'un, and 'Abdullah ibn Maz'un. (Those who returned from Banu Sahm): And from Banu Sahm ibn 'Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b: Khunays ibn Hudhafah ibn Qays ibn 'Adiyy, and Hisham ibn al-'As ibn Wa'il, who was detained in Mecca after the migration of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, to Medina until he came after Badr, Uhud, and al-Khandaq. (Those who returned from Banu 'Adiyy): And from Banu 'Adiyy ibn Ka'b: 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah, an ally of theirs, with his wife Layla bint Abi Hathmah ibn Hudhafah ibn Ghanim. (Those who returned from Banu 'Amir and their allies): And from Banu 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy: 'Abdullah ibn Makhramah ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Abi Qays. And 'Abdullah ibn Suhayl ibn 'Amr, who was detained from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he migrated to Medina, until the day of Badr, when he defected from the polytheists to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and witnessed Badr with him. And Abu Sabrah ibn Abi Ruhm ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, with his wife Umm Kulthum bint Suhayl ibn 'Amr. And al-Sakran ibn 'Amr ibn 'Abd Shams, with his wife Sawdah bint Zam'ah ibn Qays, who died in Mecca before the migration of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, to Medina, so the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, married his wife Sawdah bint Zam'ah. And from their allies: Sa'd ibn Khawlah. (Those who returned from Banu al-Harith): And from Banu al-Harith ibn Fihr: Abu 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, who is 'Amir ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Jarrah, and 'Amr ibn al-Harith ibn Zuhayr ibn Abi Shaddad, and Suhayl ibn Bayda', who is Suhayl ibn Wahb ibn Rabi'ah ibn Hilal, and 'Amr ibn Abi Sarh ibn Rabi'ah ibn Hilal. (The number of those who returned from Abyssinia, and those among them who entered under protection): The total number of his companions who came to Mecca from the land of Abyssinia was thirty-three men. Among those who entered under protection, as reported to us: 'Uthman ibn Maz'un ibn Habib al-Jumahi, entered under the protection of al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah; and Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Asad ibn Hilal ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum, entered under the protection of Abu Talib ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, who was his maternal uncle. The mother of Abu Salamah was Barrah bint 'Abd al-Muttalib.

1. al-Walīd : Al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, a prominent Quraysh leader whom the Prophet hoped would convert to Islam.

The story of 'Uthman ibn Maz'un in rejecting the protection of al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah.

The Story of 'Uthman ibn Maz'un in Returning the Protection of al-Walid (His distress at what afflicted his brothers in God, and what happened to him in the assembly of Labid): Ibn Ishaq said: As for 'Uthman ibn Maz'un, Salih ibn Ibrahim ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf narrated to me from someone who narrated to him from 'Uthman, who said: When 'Uthman ibn Maz'un saw the affliction that the companions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, were suffering, while he himself came and went in safety under the protection of al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, he said: "By God, my coming and going in safety under the protection of a man from the people of polytheism, while my companions and the people of my religion are suffering affliction and harm for God's sake that does not befall me, is a great deficiency in myself." So he went to al-Walid ibn al-Mughira and said to him: "O Abu 'Abd Shams, your covenant is fulfilled; I return your protection to you." Al-Walid said to him: "Why, O son of my brother? Perhaps someone from my people has harmed you?" He said: "No, but I am content with the protection of God, and I do not wish to seek protection from anyone else." He said: "Then go to the mosque and return my protection to me publicly, just as I granted you protection publicly." So they went until they came to the mosque, and al-Walid said: "This is 'Uthman, who has come to return my protection to me." He said: "He has spoken the truth. I found him faithful and noble in protection, but I have desired not to seek protection from anyone other than God, so I have returned his protection to him." Then 'Uthman departed, while Labid ibn Rabi'a ibn Malik ibn Ja'far ibn Kilab was in an assembly of Quraysh reciting poetry to them. 'Uthman sat with them, and Labid said: "Indeed, everything except God is false." 'Uthman said: "You have spoken the truth." Labid said ¹: "And every blessing inevitably vanishes." 'Uthman said: "You have lied; the blessings of Paradise do not vanish." Labid ibn Rabi'a said: "O assembly of Quraysh, by God, your companion was never harmed. When did this happen among you?" A man from the people said: "This is a fool among fools with him; they have abandoned our religion, so do not take offense at his words." 'Uthman replied to him until their matter became heated, and that man rose and struck 'Uthman's eye, blackening it.

1. Labid : Labid ibn Rabi'a, a pre-Islamic poet and contemporary of the Prophet, later embraced Islam.

The story of Abu Salama, may Allah be pleased with him, regarding his seeking of protection [1].

Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, a relative, saw what had befallen 'Uthman and said: 'By Allah, O son of my brother, your eye could well have done without what befell it; you were under a mighty protection.' 'Uthman replied: 'Nay, by Allah, my sound eye is in need of what befell its sister for the sake of Allah, and I am under the protection of One mightier and more powerful than you, O Abu 'Abd Shams.' Al-Walid said: 'Come, O son of my brother, if you wish, return to your protection.' He said: 'No.' The story of Abu Salama, may Allah be pleased with him, concerning his protection (The polytheists' annoyance with Abu Talib for his protection, and Abu Lahab's defense, and Abu Talib's poem about that) Ibn Ishaq said: As for Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al-Asad, my father Ishaq ibn Yasar narrated to me from Salama ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn Abi Salama that he narrated: When Abu Salama sought protection from Abu Talib, men from Banu Makhzum went to him and said: 'O Abu Talib, you have prevented us from your nephew Muhammad, so what is it to you and our companion that you prevent him from us?' He said: 'He sought my protection, and he is my sister's son; if I do not protect my sister's son, I would not protect my nephew.' Then Abu Lahab stood up and said: 'O tribe of Quraysh, by Allah, you have troubled this old man too much; you keep attacking him regarding his protection of one of his people. By Allah, if you do not desist from him, we will stand with him in everything he stands for until he achieves his goal.' They said: 'We will desist from what you dislike, O Abu 'Utba.' He was their ally and supporter against the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so they left him alone. Abu Talib became hopeful when he heard him say what he said, and hoped that he would stand with him in the matter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. So Abu Talib said, inciting Abu Lahab to support him and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: 'Indeed, a man whose uncle is Abu 'Utayba ¹ is in a garden where he is not subjected to wrongs. I say to him, and where is my advice from him? O Abu Mu'tib ², make firm your resolve, standing.'

1. Abu 'Utayba : A variant name for Abu Lahab, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, known for his hostility to Islam.
2. Abu Mu'tib : Another name for Abu Lahab, derived from 'Utba, his son's name.

Abu Bakr entered into the protection of Ibn al-Daghina, and his protection was returned to him.

And never accept, as long as you live, a course (khuṭṭah) by which you would be reviled if you descend to the assemblies (al-mawāsim). And leave the path of incapacity to others among them, for you were not created to be bound to incapacity. And fight, for war is half [of the matter], and you will never see the man of war given humiliation until he makes peace. And how [could it be otherwise] when they have not committed a grave offense against you, nor have they forsaken you, whether you are gaining or losing? May God requite on our behalf ‘Abd Shams and Nawfal, and Taym and Makhzūm, with disobedience and sin, For their dividing, after affection and intimacy, our community, so that they might attain the forbidden things (al-maḥārim). You have lied—by the House of God—we are stripped (nubzā) of Muḥammad, while you have not yet seen a day when he stood at the mountain-pass (al-shi‘b). Ibn Hishām said: "Nubzā means we are deprived (nuslab)." Ibn Hishām said: "And there remains a verse from it which we have omitted." The Entry of Abū Bakr into the Protection (jīwār) of Ibn al-Dughunnah and the Revocation of His Protection (The Reason for Ibn al-Dughunnah’s Protection of Abū Bakr): Ibn Isḥāq said: And Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq, may God be pleased with him—as Muḥammad ibn Muslim (ibn Shihāb) al-Zuhrī narrated to me, from ‘Urwah, from ‘Ā’ishah, may God be pleased with them both—when Makkah became constricted for him and he suffered harm therein, and he saw what he saw of the Quraysh’s mutual support against the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions, he sought permission from the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, to emigrate, and he granted him permission. So Abū Bakr set out as an emigrant (muhājiran), until, when he had traveled from Makkah for a day or two, Ibn al-Dughunnah, the brother of the Banū al-Ḥārith ibn ‘Abd Manāt ibn Kinānah, met him—and at that time he was the chief of the Aḥābīsh. (The Aḥābīsh): Ibn Isḥāq said: And the Aḥābīsh are: the Banū al-Ḥārith ibn ‘Abd Manāt ibn Kinānah, and al-Hūn ibn Khuzaymah ibn Mudrikah, and the Banū al-Muṣṭaliq from Khuzā‘ah. Ibn Hishām said: They all formed an alliance (taḥālafū), so they were called the Aḥābīsh (because they allied in a valley called al-Aḥbash at the lower part of Makkah) for the pact (al-ḥilf). And it is said: Ibn al-Dughaynah. Ibn Isḥāq said: Al-Zuhrī narrated to me, from ‘Urwah (ibn al-Zubayr), from ‘Ā’ishah, may God be pleased with her, who said: Ibn al-Dughunnah said: "Where are you going, O Abū Bakr?" He replied: "My people have driven me out, harmed me, and made things difficult for me." He said: "And why? For by God, you adorn the clan, you help in calamities, you do good deeds, you earn [provision] for the destitute. Return, for you are under my protection (jīwārī)." So he returned with him, until when he entered Makkah, Ibn al-Dughunnah stood and said: "O assembly of Quraysh, I have granted protection to Ibn Abī Quḥāfah, so let no one approach him except with good." She said: So they refrained from him. (The Reason for Abū Bakr’s Departure from Ibn al-Dughunnah’s Protection): She said: And Abū Bakr had a mosque (masjid) at the door of his house in the Banū Jumaḥ, and he would pray in it. He was a tender-hearted man; when he recited the Qur’an, he would weep. She said: The boys, slaves, and women would stand around him, marveling at what they saw of his state. She said: So some men from Quraysh went to Ibn al-Dughunnah and said to him: "O Ibn al-Dughunnah, you have not granted protection to this man so that he may harm us! He is a man who, when he prays and recites what Muḥammad has brought, becomes tender and weeps, and he has a certain appearance and manner. We fear for our boys, our women, and our weak ones that he may seduce them. So go to him and command him to enter his house and do therein what he wishes." She said: So Ibn al-Dughunnah went to him and said: "O Abū Bakr,"

The hadith of the tearing of the document [1].

I did not grant you protection so that you might harm your people. They have indeed come to dislike your presence among them and have been hurt by you because of it. So enter your house and do therein as you please." He said, "Shall I return your protection to you and be content with the protection of Allah?" He said, "Then return my protection to me." He said, "I have returned it to you." She said: So Ibn al-Dughunnah stood up and said, "O assembly of Quraysh, Ibn Abi Quhafah has returned my protection to me, so deal with your companion as you wish." Ibn Ishaq said: And 'Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Qasim narrated to me from his father al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, who said: A foolish person from among the fools of Quraysh met him as he was heading to the Ka'bah and threw dust on his head. He said: Then al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah or al-'As ibn Wa'il passed by Abu Bakr. He said: Abu Bakr said, "Do you not see what this fool is doing?" He said, "You have done that to yourself." He said: And he was saying, "O Lord, how forbearing You are! O Lord, how forbearing You are! O Lord, how forbearing You are!" [The story of the tearing up of the document] (The role of Hisham ibn 'Amr in tearing up the document): Ibn Ishaq said: And Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib were in their dwelling place where Quraysh had made a pact against them in the document that they had written. Then a group from Quraysh rose to tear up that document which Quraysh had written against Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib, and no one played a better role in it than Hisham ibn 'Amr ibn Rabi'ah ibn al-Harith ibn Habib ibn Nasr ibn Judhaymah ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy. That was because he was the maternal nephew of Nadlah ibn Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf, so Hisham was connected to Banu Hashim, and he was a man of honor among his people. He used—according to what has reached me—to bring a camel laden with food at night while Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib were in the mountain pass, and when he approached the mouth of the pass, he would remove its halter from its head, then strike its side, and it would enter the pass to them. Then he would bring another camel laden with cloth and do the same. (Hisham's effort to enlist Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah): Ibn Ishaq said: Then he went to Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah ibn al-Mughirah ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum, whose mother was 'Atikah bint 'Abd al-Muttalib, and said, "O Zuhayr, are you content to eat food, wear clothes, and marry women while your maternal uncles are in the state you know—neither buying nor selling, neither marrying nor being married to? By Allah, if they were the maternal uncles of Abu al-Hakam ibn Hisham, and he invited you to something like what he has invited you to regarding them, he would never respond to you." He said, "Woe to you, O Hisham! What can I do? I am only one man. By Allah, if I had another man with me, I would stand up to tear it up until I tore it." He said, "You have found a man." He said, "Who is he?" He said, "I am." Zuhayr said to him, "Find us a third man." (Hisham's effort to enlist al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi): So he went to al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi ibn Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manaf and said to him, "O Mut'im, are you content that two branches of Banu 'Abd Manaf perish while you are a witness to that, agreeing with Quraysh in it? By Allah, if you allow them to do this, you will find them quick to do the same to you." He said, "Woe to you! What can I do? I am only one man." He said, "You have found a second." He said, "Who is he?" He said, "I am." He said, "Find us a third." He said, "I have done so." He said, "Who is he?" He said, "Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah." He said, "Find us a fourth." (Hisham's effort to enlist Abu al-Bakhtari): So he went to al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham and said to him something similar to what he had said to al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi. He said, "Is there anyone to help with this?" He said, "Yes." He said, "Who is he?" He said, "Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah, al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi, and I am with you." He said, "Find us a fifth." (Hisham's effort to enlist Zam'ah): So he went to Zam'ah ibn al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib ibn Asad and spoke to him, mentioning their kinship and their right. He said to him, "Is there anyone else for this matter to which you are calling me?" He said, "Yes," and then he named the men. (What happened between Hisham and his companions and Abu Jahl when they resolved to tear up the document): So they appointed a meeting at the upper part of al-Hajun ¹ at night in the high ground of Mecca, and they gathered there. They agreed on their plan and made a covenant to stand up regarding the document until they tore it up. Zuhayr said, "I will begin you, and I will be the first to speak." When morning came, they went to their meeting places, and Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayyah went wearing a fine garment, circumambulated the House seven times, then turned to the people and said, "O people of Mecca, shall we eat food and wear clothes while Banu Hashim are perishing, neither buying nor selling from them? By Allah, I will not sit down until this oppressive, unjust document is torn up." Abu Jahl said—and he was in a corner of the mosque—"You lie, by Allah, it will not be torn up." Zam'ah ibn al-Aswad said, "You are the one who lies, by Allah; we were not pleased with its writing when it was written." Abu al-Bakhtari said, "Zam'ah has spoken the truth; we are not pleased with what was written in it, nor do we approve of it." Al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi said, "You two have spoken the truth, and whoever says otherwise lies; we disavow ourselves before Allah from it and from what was written in it." Hisham ibn 'Amr said something similar. Then Abu Jahl said, "This is a matter that was decided by night; it was consulted about elsewhere." He said: And Abu Talib was sitting in a corner of the mosque. Then al-Mut'im went to the document to tear it up, but he found that termites had eaten it, except for "In Your name, O Allah." (The scribe of the document and the paralysis of his hand): The scribe of the document was Mansur ibn 'Ikrimah. His hand became paralyzed, as they claim. (The Prophet's informing about the termites eating the document, and what the people did after that) Ibn Hisham said: Some scholars mentioned that the Messenger of Allah said to Abu Talib, "O uncle, my Lord Allah has set termites upon the document of Quraysh, and they have not left any name that is for Allah in it except that they have preserved it, and they have removed from it oppression, severance of ties, and slander." He said, "Did your Lord inform you of this?" He said, "Yes." He said, "By Allah, no one will enter upon you." Then he went out to Quraysh and said, "O assembly of Quraysh, my nephew has told me such and such. So bring your document. If it is as my nephew said, then desist from severing ties with us and abandon what is in it. If he is lying, I will hand over my nephew to you." The people said, "We are satisfied," and they made a covenant on that. Then they looked, and behold, it was as the Messenger of Allah had said. That only increased them in evil. At that point, the group from Quraysh did what they did in tearing up the document. (Poetry of Abu Talib praising the men who tore up the document): Ibn Ishaq said: When the document was torn up and what was in it was nullified, Abu Talib said, regarding the matter of those men who stood up to tear it up, praising them: "Has not the news reached our two seas ² of our Lord's deed, despite their distance, and Allah is slow with people? To inform them that the document was torn up, and that everything Allah does not approve is corrupt. Falsehood and collected sorcery alternate upon it, and no sorcery at the end of time ascends. Those who are not from it rallied to it, so its bird ³ hovers over its head. It was a patch of cloth with a sin, to cut off from it an arm and a neck. And the people of the two Meccas ⁴ would depart and flee, their flanks trembling from fear of evil."

And a plowman is left turning over his affair... Does he accuse them? [24] At that time, and he comes to help. [25] And a battalion ascends between the two rocky mountains [26]... Having litters [27], an arrow, a bow, and a spear. [28] So whoever seeks [29] his glory from the attendees of Mecca, our glory in the heart of Mecca is ancient. We grew up there when people were few, and we never ceased to increase in goodness and praise. [30] And we feed until people leave their surplus, when the hands of those who hasten tremble. [31] May Allah reward a group at al-Ḥajūn [32] who made a covenant openly, guiding to resolve and right conduct. Sitting at the edge of al-Ḥajūn as if they were chieftains, nay, they are more noble and glorious. [33] Every hawk helped in it, as if, when he walks in the folds of armor, he is bold. [34] Bold in the face of great [35] calamities, as if he is a meteor blazing in the hands of a fire-kindler. From the most honorable of the Banū Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib, when humiliation is imposed, his face darkens. [36] Long of sword-belt, half his shin exposed, on his face the clouds are watered and he is blessed. Great of ashes [37], a lord and son of a lord, he urges and hastens to entertain guests. And he builds righteousness for the sons of the tribe when we wander in the lands, and he paves the way. Persistent [38] in this peace is every blameless one, great of banner, whose affair is then praised. They accomplished what they accomplished in their night, then they arose leisurely while the rest of the people slept. They returned Sahl ibn Bayḍā' [39] satisfied, and Abū Bakr and Muḥammad were delighted by it. When will the people be partners in the core of our affair, while we were formerly, before it, showing affection? And we were formerly not tolerating injustice, and we attained what we wished without being harsh. So O Banū Quṣayy, do you have concern for yourselves? And do you have concern for what tomorrow brings? For I and you are as the saying goes: "You have the eloquence, if only you spoke, O black one." [40] (Poetry of Ḥassān in elegy for al-Muṭʿim, and mention of his tearing up the document): And Ḥassān ibn Thābit said, weeping for al-Muṭʿim ibn ʿAdī when he died, and mentioning his role in tearing up the document: O eye [41], weep for the chief of the people [42] and pour forth [43] tears, and if you exhaust them, then shed blood. [44] And weep for the great one of both sacred precincts, known among the people for his speech whenever he spoke. If glory were to immortalize one person forever, his glory today would have preserved al-Muṭʿim. [45] You granted protection to the Messenger of Allah from them, so they became your slaves as long as the pilgrim cries "Labbayk" and enters iḥrām. If all of Maʿadd and Qaḥṭān, or the remaining remnant of Jurhum, were asked about him, They would say: He is the fulfiller of the protection [46] of his neighbor and his covenant, when one would be disgraced. [47] The shining sun does not rise above them upon anyone like him, more noble and greater among them. And more refusing when refusal is needed, and softer [48] in disposition, and more heedless of a neighbor when the night darkens. Ibn Hishām said: His saying "both of them" is from other than Ibn Isḥāq. (How al-Muṭʿim granted protection to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Hishām said: As for his saying: "You granted protection to the Messenger of Allah from them," when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned from the people of Ṭā'if and they did not respond to his call to believe in him and support him, he went to Ḥirā', then sent to al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq to grant him protection, but he said: "I am an ally, and an ally does not grant protection." Then he sent to Suhayl ibn ʿAmr, who said: "The Banū ʿĀmir do not grant protection against the Banū Kaʿb." Then he sent to al-Muṭʿim ibn ʿAdī, who agreed to that. Then al-Muṭʿim and his family armed themselves and went out until they came to the mosque, then he sent to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "Enter." So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered, circumambulated the House, prayed there, then returned to his home. That is what Ḥassān ibn Thābit meant. (Praise of Ḥassān for Hishām ibn ʿAmr for his role in the document): Ibn Isḥāq said: And Ḥassān ibn Thābit (al-Anṣārī) [49] also said, praising Hishām ibn ʿAmr [50] for his role in the document: Will the Banū Umayya fulfill a covenant tied as well as the protection of Hishām? From a people who do not betray their neighbor, of al-Ḥārith ibn Ḥubayb [51] ibn Sukhām. And when the Banū Ḥisl grant protection, they fulfill and deliver their neighbor safely. And Hishām was one of [52] the nobles [53].

1. al-Ḥajūn : A mountain pass or high ground in Mecca, often associated with burial sites and historical events.
2. baḥraynā : Literally 'our two seas'; a poetic reference to the two branches of Quraysh (Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib) or possibly to the two groups involved.
3. ṭā'iruhā : Literally 'its bird'; a metaphor for the ill omen or misfortune associated with the document.
4. al-makkatayn : Literally 'the two Meccas'; a poetic expression referring to the two main factions or areas within Mecca.

The story of the conversion of al-Ṭufayl ibn ʿAmr al-Dawsī [1].

Ibn Hisham said: And it is said: Sukham ¹. The Story of the Conversion of al-Tufayl ibn 'Amr al-Dawsi (The Warning of Quraysh to Him against Listening to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, continued, as he saw of his people, to offer them sincere advice and call them to salvation from what they were in. And Quraysh, when Allah protected him from them, began to warn people against him, including any Arab who came to them. Al-Tufayl ibn 'Amr al-Dawsi used to relate: He came to Mecca while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was there. Some men of Quraysh approached him—al-Tufayl was a noble man, a poet, and intelligent—and they said to him: "O Tufayl, you have come to our land. This man who is among us has become a serious problem ² for us. He has divided our community, scattered our affairs, and his speech is like sorcery, separating a man from his father, a man from his brother, and a man from his wife. We fear for you and your people what has befallen us. So do not speak to him, and do not listen to anything from him." (His Listening to the Words of Quraysh, Then His Change of Mind and Listening to the Messenger): He said: By Allah, they kept at me until I resolved not to listen to anything from him nor speak to him, until I stuffed my ears with cotton ³ when I went to the mosque, fearing that any of his speech might reach me while I did not want to hear it. He said: So I went to the mosque, and there was the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, standing in prayer near the Ka'ba. He said: I stood near him, but Allah refused except that I should hear some of his speech. He said: I heard beautiful words. He said: I said to myself: "Woe to my mother! By Allah, I am an intelligent man and a poet; good and bad are not hidden from me. What prevents me from hearing what this man says? If what he brings is good, I will accept it; if it is bad, I will leave it." (His Meeting with the Messenger and His Acceptance of the Call): He said: I waited until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left for his house, and I followed him. When he entered his house, I entered with him and said: "O Muhammad, your people said such-and-such to me"—as they had said. By Allah, they did not cease to frighten me about your affair until I blocked my ears with cotton so as not to hear your speech. Then Allah refused except that I should hear your speech, and I heard it as beautiful words. So present your matter to me." He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, presented Islam to me and recited the Qur'an to me. By Allah, I have never heard any speech more beautiful than it, nor any matter more just than it. He said: So I accepted Islam and testified to the truth, and I said: "O Prophet of Allah, I am a man obeyed among my people. I am returning to them and calling them to Islam. So pray to Allah to give me a sign that will help me with them in what I call them to." He said: "O Allah, give him a sign." (The Sign Given to Him): He said: I set out to my people. When I reached a mountain pass ⁴ overlooking my people's settlement ⁵, a light like a lamp fell between my eyes. I said: "O Allah, [place it] elsewhere than my face, for I fear they might think it is a disfigurement that has befallen my face because of my abandonment of their religion." He said: So it moved and settled on the head of my whip. He said: The people of the settlement began to see that light on my whip like a hanging lantern as I descended from the mountain pass toward them. He said: Until I came to them and spent the morning among them. (His Call to His Father to Islam): He said: When I alighted, my father came to me—he was an old man. I said: "Keep away from me, O my father, for I am not of you and you are not of me." He said: "Why, my son?" I said: "I have accepted Islam and followed the religion of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." He said: "My son, my religion is your religion." I said: "Then go and wash yourself and purify your clothes, then come so that I may teach you what I have been taught." He said: So he went, washed himself, and purified his clothes. Then he came, and I presented Islam to him, and he accepted Islam. (His Call to His Wife to Islam): He said: Then my wife came to me. I said: "Keep away from me, for I am not of you and you are not of me." She said: "Why? May my father and mother be your ransom." He said: I said: "Islam has separated me and you. I have followed the religion of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." She said: "My religion is your religion." I said: "Then go to the sanctuary of Dhu al-Shara ⁶—Ibn Hisham said: And it is said: the protected area ⁷ of Dhu al-Shara—and purify yourself from it." He said: Dhu al-Shara was an idol of Daws, and the protected area was a sanctuary they had consecrated to it, and there was a spring ⁸ of water flowing down from a mountain. She said: "May my father and mother be your ransom, do you fear for the young girl [i.e., me] anything from Dhu al-Shara?" I said: "No, I guarantee that." So she went, washed herself, then came, and I presented Islam to her, and she accepted Islam. (His Call to His People to Islam, Their Response, and Their Joining the Messenger): Then I called Daws to Islam, but they were slow to respond. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in Mecca and said: "O Prophet of Allah, adultery ⁹ has overcome Daws, so pray to Allah against them." He said: "O Allah, guide Daws. Return to your people, call them, and be gentle with them." He said: I continued in the land of Daws calling them to Islam until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, migrated to Medina, and Badr, Uhud, and al-Khandaq ¹⁰ took place. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with those of my people who had accepted Islam with me, while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was at Khaybar. I settled in Medina with seventy or eighty households from Daws, then we joined the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at Khaybar, and he allotted us a share with the Muslims. (His Going to Dhu al-Kaffayn ¹¹ to Burn It, and His Poetry about That): Then I remained with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, until when Allah granted him victory over Mecca, I said: "O Messenger of Allah, send me to Dhu al-Kaffayn, the idol of 'Amr ibn Humama, so that I may burn it." Ibn Ishaq said: So he went out to it. Al-Tufayl began to kindle fire upon it and said: "O Dhu al-Kaffayn, I am not of your worshippers... Our birth is older than your birth. Indeed, I have stuffed fire into your heart." (His Jihad with the Muslims after the Death of the Messenger, Then His Dream and His Death): He said: Then he returned to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and remained with him in Medina until Allah took His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When the Arabs apostatized, he went out with the Muslims and marched with them until they finished with Tulayha ¹² and all of Najd. Then he marched with the Muslims to al-Yamama, and with him was his son 'Amr ibn al-Tufayl. He saw a dream while heading to al-Yamama and said to his companions: "I have seen a dream; interpret it for me. I saw that my head was shaved, a bird came out of my mouth, a woman met me and inserted me into her vagina, and I saw my son seeking me urgently, then he was kept from me." They said: "[It is] good." He said: "As for me, by Allah, I have interpreted it." They said: "What?" He said: "As for the shaving of my head, it is its removal. As for the bird that came out of my mouth, it is my soul. As for the woman who inserted me into her vagina, it is the earth being dug for me, and I will be hidden in it. As for my son seeking me and then being kept from me, I see that he will strive to attain what has befallen me." So he was killed—may Allah have mercy on him—as a martyr at al-Yamama. His son was severely wounded, then recovered, then was killed in the year of Yarmuk ¹³ during the time of 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, as a martyr.

1. sukhām : A type of black stone or blackness; possibly a place name or a description.
2. a'ḍala : Became a serious problem; caused difficulty.
3. kursuf : Cotton or a piece of cloth used as earplugs.
4. thaniyya : A mountain pass or defile.
5. al-ḥāḍir : The settled people or the encampment; the place where the tribe is settled.
6. Dhū al-Sharā : An idol worshipped by the tribe of Daws.
7. ḥimā : A protected area or sanctuary, often for idols or grazing.
8. washal : A spring or trickle of water.
9. al-zinā : Fornication or adultery; here used metaphorically for disobedience or stubbornness.
10. al-Khandaq : The Battle of the Trench (5 AH).
11. Dhū al-Kaffayn : An idol of the tribe of Daws, meaning 'the one with two palms'.
12. Ṭulayḥa : Tulayha ibn Khuwaylid al-Asadi, a false prophet who led a rebellion during the Ridda wars.
13. al-Yarmūk : The Battle of Yarmuk (15 AH/636 CE), a major battle against the Byzantines.

The command of A‘shā Banī Qays ibn Tha‘laba [1]

The affair of al-A‘shā of Banī Qays ibn Tha‘labah (His poetry in praise of the Messenger upon his arrival to him): Ibn Hishām said: Khallād ibn Qurrah ibn Khālid al-Sadūsī and others among the elders of Bakr ibn Wā’il, who were people of knowledge, narrated to me: That al-A‘shā of Banī Qays ibn Tha‘labah ibn ‘Ukābah ibn Ṣa‘b ibn ‘Alī ibn Bakr ibn Wā’il set out to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, intending to embrace Islam. He said, praising the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace: Did your eyes not close on a night of soreness? ¹ And you spent the night like one snake-bitten, sleepless. And that is not from love of women, but rather You forgot before today the companionship of Mahdad. ² But I see that time, which is treacherous, When my hands set things right, it returns and corrupts. Men old and young I have lost, and wealth, So to God belongs this time—how it revolves! I have not ceased seeking wealth since I was a youth, A child, an adult, when I grew gray, and beardless. And I weary the swift she-camels that race The distance between al-Nujayr ³ and Ṣarkhad. ⁴ O you who ask me where she has headed— Indeed, she has an appointment with the people of Yathrib. ⁵ If you ask about me—O how many an inquirer Has asked earnestly about al-A‘shā where he went up! She hastened away with her legs, and her forelegs Returned to a soft, not crooked, gait. And in her, when she travels at noon, a swift she-camel, When I think the chameleon of the midday is motionless. And I swore I would not shelter her from fatigue Nor from hoof-soreness until she meets Muḥammad. Whenever you make her kneel at the door of Ibn Hāshim, ⁶ You will find rest and meet from his bounties generosity. A prophet who sees what you do not see, and his mention Has spread, by my life, in the lands and the highlands. He has ongoing charities ⁷ and bounty, And today’s gift does not prevent tomorrow’s. Have you not heard the counsel of Muḥammad, The prophet of God, when he counseled and bore witness? If you do not travel with the provision of one who meets [God], And you meet after death one who has provided, You will regret that you were not like him, So prepare for the matter ⁸ for which he prepared. Beware of dead animals—do not approach them, And do not take a sharp arrow to let blood. And the erected stone ⁹—do not sacrifice to it, And do not worship idols, but worship God. And do not approach a free woman ¹⁰ whose intimacy Is forbidden to you; marry or remain single. And the close relative—do not sever him For the sake of consequence, nor the fettered captive. And glorify [God] at eventide and at forenoon, And do not praise Satan, but praise God. And do not mock a wretched one in affliction, ¹¹ And do not think that wealth makes one immortal. (His return when he learned of the Messenger’s prohibition of wine, and his death): When he was in Mecca or near it, some of the polytheists of Quraysh intercepted him and asked him about his affair. He informed them that he had come intending to go to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, to embrace Islam. They said to him: "O Abā Baṣīr, ¹² he forbids adultery." Al-A‘shā said: "By God, that is a matter in which I have no interest." They said: "O Abā Baṣīr, he forbids wine." Al-A‘shā said: "As for this, by God, I have some lingering desires for it. But I will turn back and drink my fill from it this year, then come to him and embrace Islam." So he turned back and died that same year, and did not return to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. (The humiliation of Abū Jahl before the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace): Ibn Isḥāq said: The enemy of God, Abū Jahl ibn Hishām, despite his enmity toward the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, his hatred of him, and his harshness against him, God would humiliate him before him whenever he saw him.

1. أَرْمَدَا : Soreness of the eye; here referring to a sleepless night due to eye pain.
2. مَهْدَدَا : A proper name; possibly a companion or a person known to the poet.
3. النُّجَيْرِ : A place in Yemen or elsewhere; a location known in pre-Islamic poetry.
4. صَرْخَدَا : A place in Syria or the Levant; a town known in ancient times.
5. يَثْرِبَ : The pre-Islamic name of Medina.
6. ابْنِ هَاشِمٍ : Ibn Hāshim refers to the Prophet Muḥammad, who belonged to the Banū Hāshim clan of Quraysh.
7. صَدَقَاتٌ : Charitable gifts or alms; here referring to ongoing charity or regular giving.
8. الْأَمْرِ : The matter; here referring to the afterlife or the Day of Judgment.
9. النُّصَبَ : Stones or idols set up for worship in pre-Islamic Arabia.
10. حُرَّةً : A free woman; here meaning a woman who is lawful to marry, but with whom intimacy is forbidden due to marital or other restrictions.
11. ضَرَارَةٍ : Affliction, hardship, or disability.
12. أَبَا بَصِيرٍ : A kunyah (nickname) for al-A‘shā, meaning 'father of insight' or 'father of Basīr'.

The command of al-Irāshī who sold his camels to Abū Jahl [1].

The story of the man from Irāsh ¹ who sold his camels to Abū Jahl, who delayed payment, and his appeal to Quraysh, and their mockery of the Messenger. Ibn Isḥāq said: ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Sufyān al-Thaqafī, who was a reliable narrator, told me: A man from Irāsh ¹ (Ibn Hishām said: also called Irāsha ²) came to Mecca with camels belonging to him, and Abū Jahl bought them from him but delayed paying their price. So the man from Irāsh came and stopped at a gathering of Quraysh, while the Messenger of God ﷺ was sitting in a corner of the mosque. He said: "O company of Quraysh, who is a man who will obtain justice for me from Abū al-Ḥakam ³ ibn Hishām? For I am a stranger, a wayfarer, and he has overpowered me regarding my right." The people of that gathering said to him—pointing to the Messenger of God ﷺ, mocking him because of the enmity they knew between him and Abū Jahl—"Do you see that man sitting there? Go to him, for he will obtain justice for you from him." So the man from Irāsh came and stopped before the Messenger of God ﷺ and said: "O servant of God, Abū al-Ḥakam ibn Hishām has overpowered me regarding a right I have against him, and I am a stranger, a wayfarer. I asked these people for a man who would obtain justice for me from him, and they pointed me to you. So obtain my right from him, may God have mercy on you." He said: "Go to him." And the Messenger of God ﷺ stood up with him. When they saw him stand with him, they said to a man among them: "Follow him and see what he does." And the Messenger of God ﷺ went out until he came to him and knocked on his door.

1. Irāsh : A tribe or clan; the man is identified as belonging to Banū Irāsh, a sub-tribe of Khath‘am or ‘Anazah.
2. Irāsha : Variant name for the same tribe or clan.
3. Abū al-Ḥakam : The kunya of Abū Jahl (his epithet meaning 'Father of Wisdom'), used here as his formal name.

The story of Rukana al-Muttalibi and his wrestling match with the Prophet, peace be upon him.

He said: "Who is this?" He replied: "Muhammad. Come out to me." So he came out to him, and there was no trace of fragrance on his face (1); his complexion had changed (2). He said: "Give this man his due." He replied: "Yes, do not leave until I give him what is his." He said: Then he entered, and came out to him with his due, and handed it over to him. (He said) (3): Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) departed, and said to the al-Irāshī: "Go about your business." So the al-Irāshī came forward until he stood at that gathering, and said: "May Allah reward him well, for by Allah, he has taken my right for me." (What Abu Jahl narrated about the reason for his fear of the Messenger): He said: And the man whom they had sent with him came, and they said: "Woe to you! What did you see?" He said: "A wonder of wonders! By Allah, no sooner had he knocked on his door than he came out to him with no spirit in him, and said to him: 'Give this man his due.' He replied: 'Yes, do not leave until I bring out his due to him.' So he entered and came out to him with his due, and gave it to him." He said: "Then it was not long before Abu Jahl came, and they said (to him) [3]: 'Woe to you! What is the matter with you? By Allah, we have never seen anything like what you have done!' He said: 'Woe to you! By Allah, no sooner had he knocked on my door and I heard his voice than I was filled with terror. Then I came out to him, and above his head there was a stallion camel—I have never seen the like of its hump, nor its neck (4), nor its fangs on any stallion ever. By Allah, had I refused, it would have devoured me.'" The Affair of Rukānah al-Muṭṭalibī and His Wrestling with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (The Prophet's Victory Over Him and the Miracle of the Tree): Ibn Isḥāq said: And my father, Isḥāq ibn Yasār, narrated to me, saying: Rukānah (5) was...

The delegation of Christians who embraced Islam [1]

Ibn 'Abd Yazīd ibn Hāshim ibn 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib ibn 'Abd Manāf was the strongest of Quraysh. One day, he secluded himself with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in one of the ravines of Mecca, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to him: "O Rukānah, will you not fear Allah and accept what I call you to?" He said: "If I knew that what you say is true, I would follow you." So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to him: "Do you see that if I wrestle you down, would you know that what I say is true?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Then stand so that I may wrestle you." He said: So Rukānah stood up to wrestle him, and when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) seized him, he laid him down, while he had no control over himself. Then he said: "Do it again, O Muḥammad." So he did it again and wrestled him down. He said: "O Muḥammad, by Allah, this is indeed astonishing—you wrestle me down!" So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "And more astonishing than that, if you wish, I can show you, if you fear Allah and follow my command." He said: "What is it?" He said: "I call this tree that you see, and it comes to me." He said: "Call it." So he called it, and it came forward until it stood before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He said: Then he said to it: "Return to your place." He said: So it returned to its place. He said: Then Rukānah went to his people and said: "O Banī 'Abd Manāf, bewitch your companion (ṣāḥibakum) against the people of the earth, for by Allah, I have never seen anyone more bewitching than him." Then he told them what he had seen and what he had done. **The Matter of the Christian Delegation Who Embraced Islam** **(Abū Jahl's Attempt to Turn Them Away from Islam, and His Failure):** Ibn Isḥāq said: Then there came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), while he was in Mecca, twenty men or close to that from the Christians, when news of him had reached them from Abyssinia. They found him in the mosque, so they sat with him, spoke to him, and questioned him, while men from Quraysh were in their assemblies around the Ka'bah. When they finished questioning the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about what they intended, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) called them to Allah Almighty and recited the Qur'an to them. When they heard the Qur'an, their eyes overflowed with tears, then they responded to Allah, believed in Him, and affirmed him, and they recognized from him what had been described to them in their scripture concerning his matter. When they rose from him, Abū Jahl ibn Hishām confronted them with a group from Quraysh, and they said to them: "May Allah disappoint you as a company! Those behind you of your co-religionists sent you to scout for them, to bring them news of the man, yet you had not even settled in your sessions with him before you abandoned your religion and affirmed him in what he said. We know of no company more foolish than you." Or as they said. So they said to them: "Peace be upon you. We do not engage in ignorance with you. For us is what we are upon, and for you is what you are upon. We have not failed to seek what is good for ourselves." **(Their Places and What Was Revealed in the Qur'an Concerning Them):** It is said that the group of Christians were from the people of Najrān, but Allah knows best which of that it was. So it is said—and Allah knows best—that concerning them were revealed these verses: *Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it, they believe in it. And when it is recited to them, they say: "We believe in it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed, we were Muslims before it."* (28:52-53) ... up to His saying: *To us our deeds, and to you your deeds. Peace be upon you. We seek not the ignorant.* (28:55) Ibn Isḥāq said: I asked Ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī about these verses—concerning whom they were revealed—and he said to me: "I have heard from our scholars that they were revealed concerning the Negus (al-Najāshī) and his companions." And the verse from Sūrat al-Mā'idah from His saying: *That is because among them are priests and monks, and they are not arrogant* (5:82) ... up to His saying: *So write us among the witnesses.* (5:83) **(The Mockery of the Polytheists at Those Whom Allah Had Graced, and the Revelation of Verses Concerning That):** Ibn Isḥāq said: When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sat in the mosque, and the weak ones among his companions sat with him—Khabbāb, 'Ammār, Abū Fukayhah Yasār (the freed slave of Ṣafwān ibn Umayyah ibn Muḥarrith), Ṣuhayb, and others like them from the Muslims—Quraysh mocked them, and some of them said to others: "These are his companions, as you see. Are these the ones whom Allah has graced among us with guidance and truth? If what Muḥammad has brought were good, these would not have preceded us to it."

The revelation of Surah al-Kawthar [1]

And what Allah had distinguished them with over us. So Allah the Exalted revealed concerning them: "And do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face. You are not accountable for them in anything, nor are they accountable for you in anything, that you should drive them away and thus be among the wrongdoers. And thus We have tried some of them through others that they might say, 'Are these the ones whom Allah has favored among us?' Is not Allah most knowing of those who are grateful? And when those who believe in Our verses come to you, say, 'Peace be upon you. Your Lord has decreed upon Himself mercy: that whoever among you does evil out of ignorance and then repents after that and reforms—then indeed He is Forgiving and Merciful.'" [6:52-54] (The claim of the polytheists that a Christian slave named Jabr taught the Prophet, and what Allah revealed concerning that): The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—according to what has reached me—often used to sit near al-Marwa ¹ at the shop of a Christian boy called Jabr, a slave of Banu al-Hadrami ². They used to say: "By Allah, Muhammad learns most of what he brings only from Jabr the Christian, the slave of Banu al-Hadrami." So Allah the Exalted revealed concerning that saying of theirs: "And We certainly know that they say, 'Only a human being teaches him.' The tongue of the one they incline to is foreign, while this is a clear Arabic tongue." [16:103] Ibn Hisham said: "Yulhiduna ilayhi" means they incline to him. Al-ilhad ³ is deviation from the truth. Ru'ba ibn al-'Ajjaj said: "When every mulhid ⁴ follows al-Dahhak ⁵" Ibn Hisham said: He means al-Dahhak al-Khariji ⁶, and this verse is in one of his urjuzas ⁷. (Revelation of Surat al-Kawthar ⁸): (The saying of al-'As ⁹ about the Messenger, and the revelation of Surat al-Kawthar): Ibn Ishaq said: Al-'As ibn Wa'il al-Sahmi ¹⁰—according to what has reached me—when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was mentioned, he would say: "Leave him, for he is only a man who is abtar ¹¹, having no progeny. If he dies, his mention will cease and you will be rid of him." So Allah revealed concerning that: "Indeed, We have granted you al-Kawthar ¹²" [108:1], which is better for you than the world and what is in it. Al-Kawthar means the abundant. (The two companions of Malhub ¹³ and al-Rida' ¹⁴): Ibn Ishaq said: Labid ibn Rabi'a al-Kilabi ¹⁵ said: "And the companion of Malhub—we were bereaved by his day— And at al-Rida' is the house of another kawthar ¹⁶" He means: great. Ibn Hisham said: This verse is in one of his poems. "The companion of Malhub" is 'Awf ibn al-Ahwas ibn Ja'far ibn Kilab, who died at Malhub. His saying: "And at al-Rida' is the house of another kawthar" means Shuraih ibn al-Ahwas ibn Ja'far ibn Kilab, who died at al-Rida'. Kawthar: he intended the abundant. Its form is derived from the word "kathir" (abundant). Al-Kumait ibn Zaid ¹⁷ said, praising Hisham ibn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ¹⁸: "And you are abundant, O son of Marwan, good, And your father, the son of noble women, was kawthar" This verse is in one of his poems. And Umayya ibn Abi 'A'idh al-Hudhali ¹⁹ said, describing a wild donkey: "He defends the right when they become heated And bray in a kawthar like the jilal ²⁰" He means by al-kawthar: abundant dust, likening it due to its abundance to the jilal. This verse is in one of his poems. (The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about al-Kawthar, what it is. He answered): Ibn Ishaq said: Ja'far ibn 'Amr narrated to me—Ibn Hisham said: He is Ja'far ibn 'Amr ²¹.

1. al-Marwa : A hill in Mecca, part of the Sa'i ritual between Safa and Marwa.
2. Banu al-Hadrami : A clan or tribe; the name indicates a person from Hadramawt in Yemen.
3. al-ilhad : Deviation from truth, heresy, or atheism.
4. mulhid : One who deviates from truth; here, a heretic or apostate.
5. al-Dahhak : Al-Dahhak al-Khariji, a rebel leader from the Kharijite sect.
6. al-Khariji : A member of the Kharijites, an early Islamic sect.
7. urjuzas : Poems in the rajaz meter, often used for didactic or narrative purposes.
8. Surat al-Kawthar : Chapter 108 of the Quran, meaning 'The Abundance'.
9. al-'As : Al-'As ibn Wa'il, a polytheist opponent of the Prophet.
10. al-Sahmi : Belonging to the Banu Sahm clan of Quraysh.
11. abtar : One cut off; without offspring or posterity.
12. al-Kawthar : A river in Paradise; also means abundant good.
13. Malhub : A place name, possibly a valley or location.
14. al-Rida' : A place name, possibly a location in Arabia.
15. Labid ibn Rabi'a al-Kilabi : A famous pre-Islamic and early Islamic poet.
16. kawthar : Here used as an adjective meaning 'abundant' or 'great'.
17. Al-Kumait ibn Zaid : An Umayyad-era poet known for his panegyrics.
18. Hisham ibn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan : Umayyad caliph (r. 724–743 CE).
19. Umayya ibn Abi 'A'idh al-Hudhali : A poet from the Hudhayl tribe.
20. jilal : Plural of jull, meaning a large sack or covering; here, a metaphor for abundance.
21. Ja'far ibn 'Amr : A narrator of hadith; possibly Ja'far ibn 'Amr ibn Umayya al-Damri.

They say, 'Why was an angel not sent down to him?' [6:8] [1]

Ibn Umayya al-Ḍamrī, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muslim, the brother of Muḥammad ibn Muslim ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī, from Anas ibn Mālik, who said: I heard the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, when it was said to him: O Messenger of God, what is al-Kawthar ¹ which God has given you? He said: A river like the distance between Ṣanʿāʾ and Ayla ², its vessels as numerous as the stars of the sky. Birds with necks like the necks of camels come to it. He said: ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb said: O Messenger of God, they are indeed plump. He said: Those who eat them are more plump than them. Ibn Isḥāq said: I have heard in this ḥadīth or another that he, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: Whoever drinks from it will never thirst again. Revelation of "And they say: Why was not an angel sent down to him?" [6:8] (The statement of Zamʿa and his companions, and the revelation of this verse): Ibn Isḥāq said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, called his people to Islam and spoke to them, conveying the message fully. Then Zamʿa ibn al-Aswad, al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith, al-Aswad ibn ʿAbd Yaghūth, Ubayy ibn Khalaf, and al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wāʾil said to him: If only an angel were sent with you, O Muḥammad, to speak to the people on your behalf and be seen with you! So God, exalted, revealed concerning their words: "And they say: Why was not an angel sent down to him? If We sent down an angel, the matter would be decided, and then they would not be reprieved. And if We had made him an angel, We would have made him a man, and We would have confused for them what they are confusing" [6:8-9]. Revelation of "And indeed, messengers before you were mocked" [6:10] (The statement of al-Walīd and his companions, and the revelation of this verse): Ibn Isḥāq said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, passed by al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra, according to what has reached me, while he was at the Kaʿba, and he said something to him. Then al-Walīd said: By God, this companion of yours is a sorcerer! He has cast a spell on you with his speech, separating a man from his wife, a man from his brother, and a man from his servant. Then God revealed: "And indeed, messengers before you were mocked, but those who mocked them were encompassed by what they used to mock" [6:10].

1. al-Kawthar : A river in Paradise, also the name of Sūra 108 of the Qurʾān, meaning 'abundance'.
2. Ayla : An ancient city located at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, modern-day Aqaba in Jordan.

He mentioned the Night Journey and the Ascension [1].

Ibn al-Mughira, Umayya ibn Khalaf, and Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, they reviled him ¹ and mocked him, which angered him. So Allah the Exalted revealed to him concerning their affair: "And indeed, messengers before you were mocked, but those who scoffed were enveloped by what they used to mock" [6:10]. **Account of the Night Journey and Ascension** Ibn Hisham said: Ziyad ibn Abdullah al-Bakka'i narrated to us from Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-Muttalibi, who said: Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was taken by night ² from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, which is the House of Jerusalem in Iliya' ³, and Islam had spread in Mecca among Quraysh and all the tribes. Ibn Ishaq said: Among what has reached me concerning his night journey, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, Aisha the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan (al-Basri), Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, Qatada, and others among the people of knowledge, and Umm Hani bint Abi Talib, what is combined in this hadith, each narrating some of what was mentioned of his affair when he was taken by night, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and what was in his night journey, and what was mentioned about it was a trial and purification, and a matter from the command of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) ⁴ concerning His power and authority, in which is a lesson for those of understanding, and guidance, mercy, and steadfastness for those who believe and affirm, and it was from the command of Allah, glorified and exalted be He, upon certainty. So He, glorified and exalted be He, took him by night as He willed, to show him of His signs what He intended, until he witnessed what he witnessed of His command and His great authority, and His power by which He does what He wills. **(Narration of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud concerning his night journey, may Allah bless him and grant him peace):** Abdullah ibn Mas'ud—according to what has reached me from him—used to say: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was brought al-Buraq ⁵—which is the mount that the prophets before him used to ride, placing its hoof at the extent of its sight—and he was mounted upon it. Then his companion went out with him, seeing the signs between heaven and earth, until he arrived at the House of Jerusalem. There he found Abraham the Friend, Moses, and Jesus among a group of prophets who had been gathered for him, and he led them in prayer. Then three vessels were brought to him: a vessel containing milk, a vessel containing wine, and a vessel containing water. ⁶ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: I heard a speaker saying when they were presented to me: If he takes the water, he and his community will drown; if he takes the wine, he and his community will go astray; if he takes the milk, he and his community will be guided. He said: So I took the vessel of milk and drank from it. Then Gabriel, peace be upon him, said to me: You have been guided, and your community has been guided, O Muhammad. **(Hadith of al-Hasan concerning his night journey, may Allah bless him and grant him peace):** Ibn Ishaq said: I was told from al-Hasan that he said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: While I was sleeping in al-Hijr ⁷, Gabriel came to me and poked me with his foot, so I sat up but saw nothing. So I returned to my sleeping place. Then he came to me a second time and poked me with his foot, so I sat up but saw nothing. So I returned to my sleeping place. Then he came to me a third time and poked me with his foot, so I sat up. He took hold of my upper arm, and I stood up with him. He went out with me to the door of the mosque, and there was a white mount, between a mule and a donkey, with two wings on its thighs with which it propelled its legs, placing its foreleg at the extent of its sight. He mounted me upon it, then went out with me, neither it outpacing me nor I outpacing it. **(Hadith of Qatada concerning his night journey, may Allah bless him and grant him peace):** Ibn Ishaq said: I was told from Qatada that he said: I was told that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: When I approached it to mount it, it shied ⁸. Gabriel placed his hand on its mane ⁹ and said: Are you not ashamed, O Buraq ¹⁰, of what you do? By Allah, no servant of Allah more honorable to Him than Muhammad has ridden you before. He said: So it became ashamed until it broke out in sweat, then it calmed down until I mounted it. **(Return to the hadith of al-Hasan concerning his night journey, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the reason for naming Abu Bakr al-Siddiq):** Al-Hasan said in his hadith: So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went, and Gabriel, peace be upon him, went with him, until he brought him to the House of Jerusalem. There he found Abraham, Moses, and Jesus among a group of prophets. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, led them in prayer. Then two vessels were brought: one containing wine and the other milk. He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took the vessel of milk and drank from it, leaving the vessel of wine. Gabriel said to him: You have been guided to the natural disposition ¹¹, and your community has been guided, O Muhammad, and wine has been forbidden to you. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned to Mecca. When morning came, he went to Quraysh and told them the news. Most people said: This, by Allah, is a clear wonder ¹²! By Allah, a caravan is driven for a month from Mecca to Syria going and a month returning. Can Muhammad go that distance in one night and return to Mecca? He said: Many of those who had embraced Islam apostatized, and people went to Abu Bakr and said to him: Do you have any interest in your companion? He claims that he came to the House of Jerusalem this night, prayed there, and returned to Mecca. He said: Abu Bakr said to them: You are lying about him. They said: No, there he is in the mosque telling the people about it. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, if he said it, he has spoken the truth. What amazes you about that? By Allah, he tells me that news comes to him from Allah from heaven to earth in an hour of night or day, and I believe him. This is more extraordinary ¹³ than what you are amazed at. Then he went until he reached the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: O Prophet of Allah, did you tell these people that you came to the House of Jerusalem this night? He said: Yes. He said: O Prophet of Allah, describe it to me, for I have visited it. Al-Hasan said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: It was raised up for me until I looked at it. So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, began describing it to Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr would say: You have spoken the truth; I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah. Whenever he described something of it to him, he said: You have spoken the truth; I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah, until he finished. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Abu Bakr: And you, O Abu Bakr, are al-Siddiq ¹⁴. So on that day he named him al-Siddiq. Al-Hasan said: And Allah the Exalted revealed concerning those who apostatized from their Islam because of that: "And We made not the vision which We showed you except as a trial for the people, and the accursed tree in the Quran. And We frighten them, but it increases them only in great transgression" [17:60]. This is the hadith of al-Hasan concerning the night journey of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and what entered into it from the hadith of Qatada. **(Hadith of Aisha concerning his night journey, may Allah bless him and grant him peace):** Ibn Ishaq said: Some of the family of Abu Bakr narrated to me that Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say: The body of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was not lost, but Allah took his spirit by night. **(Hadith of Mu'awiya concerning his night journey, may Allah bless him and grant him peace):**

Ibn Ishaq said: Ya'qub ibn 'Utba ibn al-Mughira ibn al-Akhnas narrated to me that Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, when asked about the Night Journey of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), said: "It was a true vision from Allah Almighty." (The permissibility that the Night Journey was a vision): This statement of theirs was not rejected, due to the saying of al-Hasan: "This verse was revealed concerning that: the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted: 'And We made not the vision which We showed you except as a trial for the people' [17:60], and due to the saying of Allah Almighty in the report about Ibrahim (peace be upon him) when he said to his son: 'O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I [must] sacrifice you' [37:102], and then he proceeded with that. So I knew that revelation from Allah comes to the prophets while awake and while asleep." Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say—according to what has reached me: "My eyes sleep but my heart is awake." And Allah knows best which state it was that came to him, and what he witnessed of Allah's command, whether he was asleep or awake; all of that is true and correct. (Description of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) of Ibrahim, Musa, and 'Isa): Ibn Ishaq said: Al-Zuhri claimed, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) described to his companions Ibrahim, Musa, and 'Isa when he saw them that night, and said: "As for Ibrahim, I have never seen a man more resembling your companion ¹⁵, nor your companion more resembling him. As for Musa, he is a ruddy ¹⁶ man, tall, well-built ¹⁷, curly-haired, with a hooked nose ¹⁸, as if he were from the men of Shanu'a ¹⁹. As for 'Isa ibn Maryam, he is a ruddy man, between short and tall, with straight hair ²⁰, many freckles ²¹ on his face, as if he had just come out of a bath ²²; you would think his head was dripping water, though there is no water on it. The most resembling of your men to him is 'Urwa ibn Mas'ud al-Thaqafi." (Description of 'Ali of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)): Ibn Hisham said: The description of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was—according to what 'Umara, the freed slave of Ghufra, mentioned from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, who said: 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), when he described the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), said: "He was neither excessively tall ²³ nor extremely short ²⁴. He was of medium stature among the people. He was neither very curly ²⁵ nor straight-haired; his hair was wavy ²⁶. He was neither plump ²⁷ nor round-faced ²⁸. He was white with a rosy tint ²⁹, with intensely black eyes ³⁰, long eyelashes ³¹, large joints ³² and shoulder area ³³, a thin line of hair from chest to navel ³⁴, smooth-skinned ³⁵, with thick palms and soles ³⁶. When he walked, he walked briskly ³⁷, as if descending a slope ³⁸. When he turned, he turned entirely. Between his shoulders was the seal of prophethood. He (peace be upon him) is the seal of the prophets, the most generous of people in giving, the most courageous of people in heart, the most truthful of people in speech ³⁹, the most faithful of people in covenant ⁴⁰, the most gentle of them in disposition ⁴¹, and the most honorable of them in companionship. Whoever saw him suddenly ⁴² was awed by him, and whoever associated with him loved him. His describer says: 'I have never seen before him or after him anyone like him.' May Allah bless him and grant him peace." (Hadith of Umm Hani' about his Night Journey (peace be upon him)): Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Among what reached me from Umm Hani' bint Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with her)—her name was Hind—concerning the Night Journey of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), she used to say: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was not taken on the Night Journey except while he was in my house. He slept ⁴³ with me that night in my house, prayed the last 'isha' prayer, then slept, and we slept. When it was just before dawn, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) woke us ⁴⁴. When he prayed the morning prayer and we prayed with him, he said: 'O Umm Hani', I prayed the last 'isha' prayer with you as you saw in this valley, then I came to Bayt al-Maqdis ⁴⁵ and prayed there, then I have now prayed the morning prayer with you as you see.' Then he stood up to leave, and I took hold of the edge of his cloak, and his belly was uncovered, as if it were a folded Egyptian garment ⁴⁶. I said to him: 'O Prophet of Allah, do not tell this to the people, lest they deny you and harm you.' He said: 'By Allah, I will certainly tell them.' She said: I said to an Ethiopian slave-girl of mine: 'Woe to you, follow the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) until you hear what he says to the people and what they say to him.' When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went out to the people, he informed them, and they were amazed and said: 'What is the sign of that, O Muhammad? For we have never heard of anything like this.' He said: 'The sign of that is that I passed by the caravan of Banu so-and-so in such-and-such a valley, and the sound of the beast startled them, and a camel of theirs ran away, and I guided them to it, while I was heading towards Syria. Then I came back until, when I was at Dajnan ⁴⁷, I passed by the caravan of Banu so-and-so, and I found the people asleep, and they had a vessel containing water which they had covered with something. I uncovered it and drank what was in it.'

1. هَمَزُوهُ : They reviled him, i.e., they verbally abused and insulted him.
2. أُسْرِيَ : He was taken by night; refers to the Isra', the night journey from Mecca to Jerusalem.
3. إِيلِيَاء : Iliya', the ancient name for Jerusalem, derived from the Roman name Aelia Capitolina.
4. عَزَّ وَجَلَّ : Mighty and Majestic; a common epithet for Allah.
5. الْبُرَاق : Al-Buraq, the mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Isra' and Mi'raj.
6. قَالَ : He said; a narrative marker indicating the continuation of the hadith.
7. الْحِجْر : Al-Hijr, the semicircular area adjacent to the Kaaba, also known as the Hijr Ismail.
8. شَمَسَ : It shied; the mount refused to be mounted or became restless.
9. مَعْرَفَتِهِ : Its mane; the upper part of the neck of a horse or similar animal.
10. يَا بُرَاقُ : O Buraq; direct address to the mount.
11. الْفِطْرَة : The natural disposition; the innate, primordial religion of Islam.
12. الْإِمْرُ : A wonder; something astonishing or strange.
13. أَبْعَدُ : More extraordinary; literally 'more distant,' meaning more amazing or improbable.
14. الصِّدِّيق : Al-Siddiq, 'the Truthful'; a title given to Abu Bakr for his unwavering belief in the Prophet's account.
15. صَاحِبِكُمْ : Your companion: referring to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
16. آدَمُ : Adam: here meaning 'ruddy' or 'brownish' complexion.
17. ضَرْبٌ : Well-built, sturdy in body.
18. أَقْنَى : Having a hooked nose, with a prominent bridge.
19. شَنُوءَةَ : Shanu'a: a tribe in Yemen known for their dark skin and stature.
20. سَبْطُ الشَّعَرِ : With straight, lank hair (not curly).
21. خِيلَانِ : Freckles or small spots on the face.
22. دِيمَاسٍ : A dark, enclosed place; here meaning a bathhouse or a place where one washes.
23. الْمُمَّغِطِ : Excessively tall and lanky.
24. الْمُتَرَدِّدِ : Extremely short, stunted in growth.
25. الْجَعْدِ الْقَطَطِ : Very curly hair, tightly curled.
26. جَعْدًا رَجِلًا : Wavy hair, neither straight nor very curly.
27. الْمُطَهَّمِ : Plump, fleshy, or fat.
28. الْمُكَلْثَمِ : Round-faced, with a full, round visage.
29. أَبْيَضَ مُشْرَبًا : White with a reddish or rosy tint.
30. أَدْعَجَ : Intensely black eyes, with large pupils and white sclera.
31. أَهْدَبَ : Having long, thick eyelashes.
32. جَلِيلَ الْمُشَاشِ : Large-jointed, with prominent bones at the joints.
33. الْكَتَدِ : The area between the shoulders, the upper back.
34. الْمَسْرُبَةِ : The line of hair from the chest down to the navel.
35. أَجْرَدَ : Smooth-skinned, without much body hair.
36. شَثْنِ : Thick, coarse, or fleshy (palms and soles).
37. تَقَلَّعَ : To walk briskly, lifting the feet with vigor.
38. صَبَبٍ : A slope or decline; walking as if descending.
39. لَهْجَةً : Speech, utterance, or manner of speaking.
40. ذِمَّةً : Covenant, pledge, or trust.
41. عَرِيكَةً : Disposition, nature, or temperament.
42. بَدِيهَةً : Suddenly, at first sight.
43. نَامَ : Slept; here meaning he lay down to rest, not necessarily deep sleep.
44. أَهَبَّنَا : He woke us up, roused us.
45. بَيْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ : Bayt al-Maqdis: Jerusalem, specifically the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
46. قُبْطِيَّةٌ : An Egyptian garment, often made of linen or cotton.
47. ضَجَنَانَ : Dajnan: a mountain or place near Mecca on the road to Yemen.

The story of the Mi'raj [1]

Then I covered it as it was, and the sign of that is that their caravan is now descending (1) from al-Bayḍāʾ (2), the pass of al-Tanʿīm (3), led by a dark-grey camel (4) carrying two saddlebags, one black and the other speckled (5). She said: So the people rushed to the pass, and the first thing they encountered was (6) the camel as he had described to them, and they asked them about the vessel. They told them that they had placed it full of water, then covered it, and that they had woken up and found it covered as they had covered it, but found no water in it. And they asked the others, who were in Mecca, and they said: "By Allah, he has spoken the truth. We were startled in the valley he mentioned, and a camel of ours bolted, and we heard the voice of a man calling us to it until we caught it." **The Story of the Ascension (Miʿrāj)** **(The Ḥadīth of al-Khudrī about the Ascension):** Ibn Isḥāq said: And one whom I do not suspect narrated to me from Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: When I had finished what was in Jerusalem, the ladder (al-miʿrāj) was brought to me—and I have never seen anything more beautiful than it; it is that towards which your dying one directs his eyes when in the throes of death—and my companion ascended me upon it until he brought me to a gate among the gates of heaven, called the Gate of the Guardians (Bāb al-Ḥafaẓah), over which is an angel among the angels, called Ismāʿīl, under whose authority are twelve thousand angels, and under the authority of each of those angels are twelve thousand angels. He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said when narrating this ḥadīth: "And none knows the hosts of your Lord but He" (Qur’an 74:31). When I was brought in, he said: "Who is this, O Gabriel?" He said: "This is Muhammad." He said: "Has he been sent?" He said: "Yes." So he invoked good for me and said it. **(The Keeper of Hellfire Did Not Smile at the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace):** Ibn Isḥāq said: And one of the people of knowledge narrated to me from one who narrated to him from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that he said: The angels met me when I entered the lowest heaven, and no angel met me without smiling joyfully, saying good and invoking it, until an angel among the angels met me, and he said what they said and invoked as they invoked, except that he did not smile, and I did not see from him the cheerfulness I saw from others. So I said to Gabriel: "O Gabriel, who is this angel who spoke to me as the angels spoke but did not smile at me, and I did not see from him the cheerfulness I saw from them?" He said: Then Gabriel said to me: "Indeed, if he had smiled at anyone before you, or were to smile at anyone after you, he would have smiled at you, but he does not smile. This is Mālik, the Keeper (9) of the Fire (10)." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: So I said to Gabriel—and he is, with Allah Almighty, in the station described to you: "obeyed there, trustworthy" (Qur’an 81:21)—"Will you not command him to show me the Fire?" He said: "Yes. O Mālik, show Muhammad the Fire." He said: So he removed its cover, and it boiled and rose until I thought it would surely seize all that I saw. He said: So I said to Gabriel: "O Gabriel, command him to return it to its place." He said: So he commanded him, and he said to it: "Subside (11)," and it returned to its place from which it had emerged. I likened its return only to the falling of a shadow, until when it entered from where it had emerged, he replaced its cover over it. **(Return to the Ḥadīth of al-Khudrī about the Ascension):** (And) (12) Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī said in his ḥadīth: Indeed (13) the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: When I entered the lowest heaven, I saw therein a man sitting, and the souls of the children of Adam were presented to him. He would say of some of them, when presented to him, good and rejoice at it, and say: "A good soul that came out of a good body." And he would say of some of them, when presented to him: "Ugh," and frown with his face, and say: "An evil soul that came out of an evil body." He said: I said: "Who is this, O Gabriel?" He said: "This is your father Adam. The souls of his descendants are presented to him. When the soul of a believer among them passes by him, he rejoices at it and says: 'A good soul that came out of a good body.' And when the soul of a disbeliever among them passes by him, he expresses disgust (14) at it and dislikes it, and that distresses him, and he says: 'An evil soul that came out of an evil body.'" **(Description of the Devourers of Orphans' Wealth):** He said: Then I saw men with lips like the lips (15) of camels, in their hands pieces of fire like boulders (16), which they would thrust into their mouths, and they would come out from their posteriors. I said: "Who are these, O Gabriel?" He said: "These are those who devour the wealth of orphans unjustly." **(Description of the Devourers of Usury):** He said: Then I saw men with bellies the like of which I have never seen, in the way of the family of Pharaoh (17), passing over them like thirsty camels (18) when they are presented to the Fire, trampling them, unable to move from that place. He said: I said: "Who are these, O Gabriel?" He said: "These are the devourers of usury (ribā)." **(Description of the Fornicators):** He said: Then I saw men before whom was fine, good meat, and beside it putrid, foul meat, and they were eating from the foul (19), putrid meat and leaving the fine, good meat. He said: I said: "Who are these, O Gabriel?" He said: "These are those who leave what Allah has made lawful for them of women and go to what Allah has forbidden them of them." **(Description of Women Who Bring into the Family What Is Not of Them):** He said: Then I saw women hanging by their breasts. I said: "Who are these, O Gabriel?" He said: "These are those who brought into the men what was not of their children." Ibn Isḥāq said: And Jaʿfar ibn ʿAmr (20) narrated to me from al-Qāsim ibn Muḥammad that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "The anger of Allah is severe against a woman who brings into a people one who is not of them, so that he consumes their spoils (21) and sees their private parts." **(Return to the Ḥadīth of al-Khudrī about the Ascension):** Then he returned to the ḥadīth of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī. He said: Then he ascended me to the second heaven, and therein were the two cousins (22): Jesus son of Mary and John son of Zechariah. He said: Then he ascended me to the third heaven, and therein was a man whose form was like the form of the moon on the night of the full moon. He said: I said: "Who is this (23), O Gabriel?" He said: "This is your brother Joseph son of Jacob." He said: Then he ascended me to the fourth heaven, and therein was a man, and I asked him: "Who is he?" He said: "This is Idrīs." He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, says: "And We raised him to a high place" (Qur’an 19:57). He said: Then he ascended me to the fifth heaven, and therein was an elderly man with white head and beard, great of chin-beard (24); I have never seen an elderly man more handsome than him. He said: I said: "Who is this, O Gabriel?" He said: "This is the beloved among his people, Aaron son of Imran."

He said: Then he ascended with me to the sixth heaven, and there was a man, fair-skinned ¹, tall, with a hooked nose ², as if he were from the men of Shanū'a. I said to him: Who is this, O Gabriel? He said: This is your brother Moses son of Amram. Then he ascended with me to the seventh heaven, and there was an elderly man sitting on a throne at the door of the Much-Frequented House [Bayt al-Ma'mur], into which seventy thousand angels enter every day, never to return until the Day of Resurrection. I have not seen a man more resembling your companion, nor your companion more resembling him than him. He said: I said: Who is this, O Gabriel? He said: This is your father Abraham. He said: Then he entered Paradise with me, and I saw therein a dark-lipped maiden ³. I asked her: To whom do you belong? And she had pleased me when I saw her. She said: To Zayd ibn Ḥāritha. So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, gave glad tidings of her to Zayd ibn Ḥāritha. Ibn Isḥāq said: And from the ḥadīth of ʿAbd Allāh ⁴ ibn Masʿūd, may God be pleased with him, from the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, as has reached me: That Gabriel did not ascend with him to any heaven without them saying to him when he sought permission to enter: Who is this, O Gabriel? He says: Muḥammad. They say: Has he been sent ⁵? He says: Yes. They say: May God greet him as a brother and a companion! Until he reached the seventh heaven, then he reached his Lord, and He enjoined upon him fifty prayers every day. (The counsel of Moses to the Messenger, peace be upon them, regarding the reduction of prayers): He said ⁵: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: So I returned, and when I passed by Moses son of Amram—and what an excellent companion he was to you—he asked me: How many prayers have been enjoined upon you? I said: Fifty prayers every day. He said: Indeed, prayer is heavy, and your community is weak. So return to your Lord and ask Him to lighten it for you and your community. So I returned and asked.

1. ādam : Fair-skinned; also the name Adam, but here meaning white or fair complexion.
2. aqnā : Having a hooked nose; aquiline nose.
3. laʿsāʾ : Dark-lipped; a woman with dark, reddish lips, considered a mark of beauty.
4. ʿAbd Allāh : The name ʿAbd Allāh is given in brackets in the original, indicating a variant reading; the well-known narrator is ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd.
5. buʿitha : Has he been sent? i.e., has he been commissioned as a prophet?

Allah's sufficiency [1] against the mockers [2].

My Lord to lighten it for me and for my nation, so He reduced it by ten. Then I left and passed by Moses, who said the same to me, so I returned and asked my Lord ¹, and He reduced it by ten. Then I left ² and passed by Moses, who said the same to me, so I returned and asked Him ³, and He reduced it by ten. Then he kept saying the same to me, every time I returned to him, he said: Go back ⁴ and ask, until I reached the point that He reduced it for me to only five prayers every day and night. Then I returned to Moses, who said the same to me, and I said: I have returned to my Lord and asked Him until I felt ashamed before Him, so I will not do it. So whoever among you performs them with faith and seeking reward ⁵, will have the reward of fifty prayers. God suffices for the mockers. Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, remained steadfast in God's command, patient and seeking reward, delivering sincere advice to his people despite the denial, harm, and mockery ⁶ he encountered from them. The chief mockers, as Yazid ibn Ruman ⁷ narrated to me from Urwa ⁸ ibn al-Zubayr, were five men from their people, who were elders and nobles among their tribe. The mockers from Banu Asad: From Banu Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza ibn Qusayy ibn Kilab: al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib ibn Asad Abu Zam'a. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace—as I have heard—had prayed against him because of the harm and mockery he received from him, saying: O God, blind his sight and bereave him of his child. The mockers from Banu Zuhra: From Banu Zuhra ibn Kilab: al-Aswad ibn Abd Yaghuth ibn Wahb ibn Abd Manaf ibn Zuhra. The mockers from Makhzum: From Banu Makhzum ibn Yaqaza ibn Murra: al-Walid ibn al-Mughira ibn Abd Allah ibn Umar ibn Makhzum. The mockers from Sahm: From Banu Sahm ibn Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b: al-As ibn Wa'il ibn Hisham. Ibn Hisham said: al-As ibn Wa'il ibn Hashim ibn Su'ayd ibn Sahm. The mockers from Khuza'a: From Banu Khuza'a: al-Harith ibn al-Tulātila ⁹ ibn Amr ibn al-Harith ibn Abd Amr ibn (Lu'ayy ibn) ¹⁰ Malakan ¹¹. When they persisted in evil and increased their mockery of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, God revealed to him: "So proclaim what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists. Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers who set up another god with God. They will soon know." [Quran 15:94-96]

1. rabbī : My Lord; a term of address to God.
2. insarraftu : I left; refers to the Prophet's departure from the divine presence.
3. sa'altuhu : I asked Him; i.e., asked God for further reduction.
4. farji' : Go back; Moses' advice to the Prophet to return and ask for more reduction.
5. ihtisāban : Seeking reward; performing an act with the intention of earning God's reward.
6. al-istihzā' : Mockery; scornful ridicule directed at the Prophet.
7. Yazīd ibn Rūmān : A narrator of hadith and historical reports.
8. Urwa : Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, a prominent early Muslim scholar and historian.
9. al-Ṭulāṭila : A name; possibly a nickname meaning 'the one with a long neck'.
10. Lu'ayy ibn : Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib, an ancestor of the Quraysh; the text has a lacuna.
11. Malakān : A name; possibly a variant of 'Malik' or a place name.

The story of Abu Uzayhir al-Dawsi [1]

(What befell the mockers): Ibn Isḥāq said: Yazīd ibn Rūmān narrated to me, from ʿUrwa ibn al-Zubayr or another scholar, that Gabriel came to the Messenger of God ﷺ while they were circumambulating the House ¹. He stood, and the Messenger of God ﷺ stood beside him. Then al-Aswad ibn al-Muṭṭalib passed by him, and he threw a green leaf in his face, and he became blind. Al-Aswad ibn ʿAbd Yaghūth passed by him, and he pointed to his belly, and his belly became dropsical ², and he died from it with dropsy ³. Al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra passed by him, and he pointed to the mark of a wound on the lower part of his ankle, which he had received years before, while he was dragging his garment ⁴. That was because he had passed by a man from Khuzāʿa who was fletching arrows, and one of his arrows caught on his waistcloth and scratched his leg with that scratch, which was nothing, but it opened up ⁵ and killed him. Al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wāʾil passed by him, and he pointed to the arch of his foot ⁶. He went out on a donkey heading for Ṭāʾif, and it knelt down with him on a thorny plant ⁷, and a thorn entered the arch of his foot and killed him. Al-Ḥārith ibn al-Ṭulāṭila passed by him, and he pointed to his head, and it filled with pus ⁸ and killed him. The story of Abū Uzayhir al-Dawsī (His bequest to his sons): Ibn Isḥāq said: When death approached al-Walīd, he called his sons—they were three: Hishām ibn al-Walīd, al-Walīd ibn al-Walīd, and Khālid ibn al-Walīd—and said to them: "O my sons, I enjoin you with three things, so do not neglect them: my blood (claim) against Khuzāʿa—do not let it be wasted ⁹; by God, I know they are innocent of it, but I fear you will be reviled for it after today; my usury with Thaqīf—do not leave it until you take it; and my bride-price ¹⁰ with Abū Uzayhir—do not let him escape you with it." Abū Uzayhir had married a daughter to him, then withheld her from him, and did not let her enter his house until he died. (The demand of Banū Makhzūm against Khuzāʿa for the blood of Abū Uzayhir): When al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra died, Banū Makhzūm rose against Khuzāʿa, demanding from them the blood-wit ¹¹ for al-Walīd, saying: "Your companion's arrow killed him." (Banū Kaʿb had an alliance with Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim.) But Khuzāʿa refused them that, until they exchanged poems, and the matter became serious between them. (The one who hit al-Walīd with his arrow was a man from Banū Kaʿb ibn ʿAmr, of Khuzāʿa.) So ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Umayya ibn al-Mughīra ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿUmar ibn Makhzūm said: "Indeed I guarantee that you will march and flee, / and leave al-Ẓahrān for its foxes to howl, / and leave the water at the hollow of Aṭriqā, / and ask: which of the arāk trees are its good ones? ¹²¹³ / For we are a people whose blood is not wasted ¹⁴, / and he whom we fight does not rise high ¹⁵." Al-Ẓahrān and al-Arāk were the dwellings of Banū Kaʿb of Khuzāʿa. Al-Jawn ibn Abī al-Jawn, a brother of Banū Kaʿb ibn ʿAmr al-Khuzāʿī, answered him, saying: "By God, we will not give the blood of al-Walīd unjustly, / when you have not seen a day when its stars fall, / and one fat one after another is thrown down from you, / and after death, its drinking-places are opened by force ¹⁶. / When you eat your bread and your broth ¹⁷, / then all of you are weeping for al-Walīd and lamenting him." Then the people made peace, and they knew that what the people feared was disgrace. So Khuzāʿa gave them some of the blood-wit, and they parted from one another. When the people reconciled, al-Jawn ibn Abī al-Jawn said: "And a woman said, when we reconciled, in wonder / at what we had borne for al-Walīd, and a speaker: / 'Did you not swear to give al-Walīd unjustly, / when you had not seen a day full of calamities ¹⁸?' / So we mixed war with peace, and it became equal, / so every traveler is safe in his desire." Then al-Jawn ibn Abī al-Jawn did not stop until he boasted of killing al-Walīd, claiming that they had killed him, but that was false. So what al-Walīd ¹⁹ had warned against befell him and his son and his people. Al-Jawn ibn Abī al-Jawn said: "Has al-Mughīra claimed that Kaʿb / in Mecca have a great number? ²⁰ / Do not boast, O Mughīra, that you see / there walking the proud and the skilled ²¹. / There are our fathers, and there we were born, / as Thabīr is fixed in its place ²². / Al-Mughīra only said that / to know our affair or to stir up. / For the blood of al-Walīd is wasted; indeed / we waste bloods you know of. / The blessed slayer clothed him with an arrow, / deadly, while he was full and radiant ²³. / He fell in the belly of Mecca, dragged along, / as if he were a camel at his fall ²⁴. / Small, curly-haired, weak ones ²⁵ will suffice me against the delay of Abū Hishām." Ibn Hishām said: We omitted one verse from it that was obscene ²⁶. (The killing of Abū Uzayhir and the uprising of Banū ʿAbd Manāf because of that): Ibn Isḥāq said: Then Hishām ibn al-Walīd attacked Abū Uzayhir while he was at the market of Dhū l-Majāz. (ʿĀtika ²⁷ bint Abī Uzayhir was the wife of Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb, and Abū Uzayhir was a noble man among his people.) He killed him for the bride-price of al-Walīd that was with him, according to his father's bequest to him. That was after the Messenger of God ﷺ had migrated to Medina, and after Badr, and after those of the nobles of Quraysh who were killed among the polytheists had been killed. So Yazīd ibn Abī Sufyān went out and gathered Banū ʿAbd Manāf, while Abū Sufyān was at Dhū l-Majāz. The people said: "Abū Sufyān has broken his pact ²⁸ concerning his in-law, so he is seeking vengeance for him." When Abū Sufyān heard what his son Yazīd had done—and Abū Sufyān was a forbearing, resolute ²⁹ man who loved his people greatly—he quickly went down to Mecca, fearing that an incident might occur among Quraysh concerning Abū Uzayhir. He came to his son while he was in armor, among his people of Banū ʿAbd Manāf and the Muṭayyabūn ³⁰, took the spear from his hand, then struck him on the head with it a blow that shook him, then said to him: "May God disgrace you! Do you want to set Quraysh against each other over a man from Daws? We will give them the blood-wit if they accept it." And he extinguished that matter. Then Ḥassān ibn Thābit stirred up ³¹ concerning the blood of Abū Uzayhir, reproaching Abū Sufyān for his breach of pact and calling him cowardly, saying: "The people of both sides of Dhū l-Majāz set out early, / and the son of Ḥarb at al-Mughammas does not go early ³². / The braying donkey did not protect his honor, / nor did Hind protect the disgrace of her father ³³. / Hishām ibn al-Walīd clothed you with his garments, / so wear them out and replace them with new ones later. / He fulfilled his desire from him and became glorious, / while you became slack, neither speeding nor running ³⁴. / If the elders at Badr had witnessed, / a red, gushing ³⁵ torrent would have wet the people's sandals." When Abū Sufyān heard Ḥassān's words, he said: "Ḥassān wants to set some of us against others over a man from Daws! By God, what a bad opinion he has!" (Khālid's demand for his father's usury, and what was revealed concerning that): When the people of Ṭāʾif embraced Islam, Khālid ibn al-Walīd spoke to the Messenger of God ﷺ about the usury of al-Walīd that was with Thaqīf, because his father had bequeathed it to him. Ibn Isḥāq said: Some scholars related to me that these verses about the prohibition of what remained of usury in people's hands were revealed concerning that, regarding Khālid's demand for usury: "O you who have believed, fear Allah and give up what remains [due to you] of interest, if you should be believers" (2:278) to the end of the story therein. (The uprising of Daws to take vengeance for Abū Uzayhir, and the story of Umm Ghaylān):

There was no blood revenge known to us against Abu Uzayhir until Islam intervened between people, except that Dirar ibn al-Khattab ibn Mirdas al-Fihri went out with a group of Quraysh to the land of Daws. They stayed with a woman called Umm Ghaylan, a client of Daws, who used to comb women's hair and prepare brides. Daws wanted to kill them for Abu Uzayhir, but Umm Ghaylan and some women with her stood up to protect them. Dirar ibn al-Khattab said concerning that:

1. al-Bayt : The Kaaba, the sacred house of worship in Mecca.
2. istisqā : To become dropsical, i.e., to suffer from edema or swelling due to fluid retention.
3. ḥabanan : Dropsy, a condition of abnormal fluid accumulation in the body.
4. sabalahu : His garment, specifically the lower part that trails on the ground.
5. intaqaḍa : The wound reopened or festered, leading to death.
6. akhmaṣ : The arch of the foot, the hollow part of the sole.
7. shubāriqah : A type of thorny plant or shrub.
8. imtakhaḍa : To become filled with pus or matter.
9. lā tuṭillunnahu : Do not let it be wasted or neglected; i.e., do not fail to seek vengeance or compensation.
10. ʿuqr : Bride-price or dower given to the bride's family.
11. ʿaql : Blood-wit, the compensation paid for manslaughter or injury.
12. al-Ẓahrān : A place name, a valley or area near Mecca.
13. arāk : A type of tree (Salvadora persica), whose twigs are used as toothbrushes.
14. lā tuṭallu : Are not wasted or left unavenged.
15. lā yataʿālā : Does not rise high; i.e., does not prevail or become exalted.
16. mashāribuh : Drinking-places; metaphorically, sources of water or life.
17. khabzakum wa khabīrakum : Your bread and your broth; i.e., your daily sustenance.
18. balābil : Calamities, troubles, or afflictions.
19. al-Walīd : Here referring to al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra, the father.
20. kathīr : Numerous; i.e., a great number or multitude.
21. al-muʿalhaj wa al-mahīr : The proud and the skilled; epithets for noble or expert individuals.
22. Thabīr : A mountain near Mecca, known for its stability.
23. bahīr : Radiant, splendid, or full of life.
24. muslaḥibban : Dragged along, or falling heavily.
25. ṣighārun jaʿdatu l-awbāri khūr : Small, curly-haired, weak ones; likely referring to camels or metaphorically to people.
26. uqhdhiʿa fīhi : Obscene or offensive in content.
27. ʿĀtika : Name of Abū Uzayhir's daughter, wife of Abū Sufyān.
28. akhfara : Broke his pact or protection; i.e., failed to protect his in-law.
29. ḥalīman munkaran : Forbearing and resolute; i.e., patient but firm.
30. al-Muṭayyabūn : The Perfumed Ones; a group of Quraysh who made a pact of alliance.
31. inbaʿatha yuḥarriḍu : Set out to incite or stir up emotions.
32. al-Mughammas : A place near Mecca.
33. Hind : Hind bint ʿUtba, wife of Abū Sufyān.
34. mā tukhiffu wa mā taʿdū : Neither speeding nor running; i.e., slow and inactive.
35. muʿtabiṭun ward : A gushing red torrent; metaphor for a violent flood or attack.