The Prophetic Biography [1]

Voici la traduction en anglais du texte que vous avez fourni : **The Prophetic Biography (Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah)** **Introduction: Mentioning the Reports of the Arabs** "Males and females, and We have made you into peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you." (2) More than one scholar of the predecessors and successors, among the exegetes (mufassirun) and others, mentioned that the dam of Ma'rib was constructed such that waters flowed between two mountains. In ancient times, they built a very solid dam between them, so that the water rose and was controlled at the tops of the two mountains. They planted in them orchards, beautiful fruit-bearing trees, and abundant crops. It is said that the first to build it was Saba' bin Yashjub, and seventy valleys were made to flow into it, and he made for it thirty outlets (furdah) from which the water came out. He died before its construction was completed, so Himyar completed it after him. Its expanse was a league (farsakh) by a league. They were in great bliss, a life of abundance, and pleasant days. Qatadah and others mentioned that a woman would pass by with a basket on her head, and it would become filled with fruits from what fell into it due to their ripeness and abundance. They mentioned that there were no fleas or harmful insects in their land, due to the purity of their air and the goodness of their environment, as Allah the Exalted said: "Indeed, for Saba' there was a sign in their dwelling place: 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." And as Allah the Exalted said: "And when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.'" **Mentioning the departure of the kingdom in Yemen from Himyar and its transfer to the black Abyssinians, as informed by the two soothsayers (kahinan) Shaq and Satih.** **Mentioning the departure of Abrahah al-Ashram against Aryat, their disagreement and fighting, and the transfer of the kingdom of Yemen to Abrahah after he killed Aryat.** **Mentioning the reason for Abrahah's intent with the elephant to destroy the Kaaba, and Allah destroyed him immediately, not later.** **Mentioning the departure of the kingdom from the Abyssinians and its return to Sayf bin Dhi Yazan al-Himyari.** **Mentioning what became of the matter of the Persians in Yemen.** **Chapter: Mentioning the Sons of Ishmael (Bani Isma'il), who are the Arabs of the Hijaz.** **Mentioning the origins of the genealogies of the tribes of the Arabs of the Hijaz tracing back to Adnan. This is because Adnan had two sons: Ma'add and 'Akk.** **Chapter: Mentioning a group of famous people who lived in the pre-Islamic era (Jahiliyyah).** **Mentioning a summary of events that occurred in the time of the Jahiliyyah.** **Mentioning Hatim al-Ta'i, one of the generous ones of the Jahiliyyah.** **Mentioning some reports of 'Abdullah bin Jud'an.** **Mentioning Imru' al-Qays bin Hujr al-Kindi.** **Mentioning some reports of Umayyah bin Abi al-Salt al-Thaqafi.** **Mentioning Quss bin Sa'idah al-Iyadi.** **Mentioning Zayd bin 'Amr bin Nufayl, may Allah be pleased with him.** **Mentioning something of the events that occurred in the period of the interval (Fatra) between prophets.** **Mentioning Ka'b bin Lu'ayy.** **Mentioning the renewal of digging the Zamzam well.** **Mentioning the vow of 'Abd al-Muttalib to sacrifice one of his sons.** **Mentioning the marriage of 'Abd al-Muttalib to his son 'Abdullah.** **Chapter: Mentioning his noble lineage and his exalted pure origin.** **Chapter: The birth of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.** **Mentioning the shaking of the palace of Chosroes (Iwan), the falling of its balconies, the extinguishing of the fires, the vision of the Magian priests (Mubadhan), and other such signs.** **Mentioning his wet nurses and foster mothers, peace and blessings be upon him.** **Mentioning his suckling, peace and blessings be upon him, from Halimah bint Abi Dhu'ayb al-Sa'diyyah.** **Mentioning his witnessing, peace and blessings be upon him, the war of Fujjar.** **Mentioning strange reports concerning that.** **Chapter: Concerning the calls of the Jinn.** **Chapter: The manner of the beginning of the revelation (Wahy).** **Mentioning his age, peace and blessings be upon him, at the time of his mission and its date.** **Mentioning the conversion to Islam of Hamzah bin 'Abd al-Muttalib, may Allah be pleased with him.** **Mentioning the conversion to Islam of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him.** **Mentioning the conversion to Islam of Dimad.** **Chapter: Allah's command to His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, to convey the message to the elite and the common people.** **Chapter: The argumentation of the polytheists with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.** **Chapter: The emigration (Hijrah) of those who emigrated from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from Mecca to the land of Abyssinia.** **Mentioning the resolve of al-Siddiq (Abu Bakr) to emigrate to the land of Abyssinia.** **Chapter: The beginning of the conversion to Islam of the Ansar, may Allah be pleased with them.** **Chapter: The beginning of the emigration (Hijrah) from Mecca to Medina.** **Chapter: The emigration (Hijrah) of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with his noble self from Mecca to Medina.** **Mentioning the sermon (Khutbah) of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on that day.** **Mentioning what occurred in the second year of the Hijrah.** **Mentioning the first military expeditions (Maghazi), which was the expedition of al-Abwa'.** **Chapter: The detachment (Sariyyah) of 'Abdullah bin Jahsh.** **Mentioning the joy of the Negus (Najashi) at the battle of Badr, may Allah be pleased with him.** **The third year of the Hijrah: At its beginning was the expedition of Najd, also called the expedition of Dhi Amr.** **Mentioning the supplication (Du'a) of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, after the battle of Uhud.** **Mentioning the funeral prayer (Salat) over Hamzah and the martyrs of Uhud.** **Mentioning the departure of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with his Companions despite their wounds and injuries.** **The fifth year of the Prophetic Hijrah: The expedition of Dumah al-Jandal in Rabi' al-Awwal of it. Ibn Ishaq said: Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, raided Dumah al-Jandal (1).** **Mentioning the revelation of the verse of Hijab (veiling) on the morning of her wedding, whose marriage contract Allah Himself oversaw.** **The sixth year of the Prophetic Hijrah: Al-Bukhari and al-Bayhaqi mentioned this expedition after al-Hudaybiyyah and before Khaybar. This is more likely than what Ibn Ishaq mentioned, and Allah knows best.** **Mentioning the context (Siyaq) of al-Bukhari for the 'Umrah of al-Hudaybiyyah.** **Mentioning the story of Safiyyah bint Huyayy bin Akhtab al-Nadariyyah, may Allah be pleased with her.** **Mentioning the arrival of Ja'far bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him.** **Mentioning the story of the poisoned sheep and what happened concerning the proof (Burhan) that appeared regarding it and the conclusive evidence (Hujjah) in it.** **Mentioning his departure, peace be upon him, from Mecca after completing his 'Umrah.** **Mentioning his sending, peace be upon him, to the king of the Arabs from the Christians who were in Syria.** **Mentioning his sending to Chosroes (Kisra), the king of the Persians.** **The eighth year: Mentioning the arrival of Malik bin 'Awf al-Nasri to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.** **Mentioning the objection of some ignorant people from the people of discord and hypocrisy to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, concerning the equitable division by consensus.** **Mentioning the coming of the foster-sister of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was at al-Ji'ranah; her name was al-Shayma'.** **The ninth year of the Hijrah: Mentioning the expedition of Tabuk in Rajab of it. Allah the Exalted said: "O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Haram after this, their [final] year. And if you fear poverty, Allah will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Wise. Fight those who do not believe in Allah nor in the Last Day, nor forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, nor adopt the religion of truth from among those who were given the Scripture, until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled."** **Mentioning the expedition of Tabuk in Rajab of it.** **Mentioning his passing, peace be upon him, on his way to Tabuk by the dwellings of Thamud and their stone structures (Hijr).** **Mentioning his sermon (Khutbah), peace be upon him, on the way to Tabuk at a palm tree there.** **Mentioning the funeral prayer (Salat) over Mu'awiyah bin Abi Mu'awiyah, if the report concerning that is authentic.** **Mentioning groups of disobedient people who lagged behind other than these.** **Mentioning what happened of events after his return, peace be upon him, to Medina upon his return from Tabuk.** **Mentioning the death of 'Abdullah bin Ubayy, may Allah curse him.** **Mentioning the sending of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq as commander (Amir) over the Hajj in the ninth year, and the revelation of Surah Bara'ah.** **It was mentioned to me that Abu 'Ubaydah mentioned him in "Might of the Horsemen" (Maqtal al-Fursan).** **The tenth year of the Hijrah: Chapter: The sending of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, of Khalid bin al-Walid. Ibn Ishaq said: Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent Khalid bin al-Walid in the month of Rabi' al-Thani or Jumada al-Ula of the tenth year to the Banu al-Harith bin Ka'b in Najran.** **Chapter: The sending of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, of Khalid bin al-Walid.** **Chapter: The sending of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, of 'Ali bin Abi Talib and Khalid bin al-Walid to Yemen before the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada').** **Chapter: Clarification that he, peace be upon him, did not perform Hajj from Medina except one Hajj.** **Chapter: The date of his departure, peace be upon him, from Medina for the Farewell Pilgrimage.** **Chapter: The description of his departure, peace be upon him, from Medina to Mecca for Hajj.** **Chapter: Clarification of the place from which he, peace be upon him, assumed Ihram and the disagreement of the transmitters concerning that.** **Chapter: Detailed exposition of what he, peace be upon him, assumed Ihram for in this Hajj of his, whether it was Ifrad (Hajj only), Tamattu' ('Umrah followed by Hajj), or Qiran (combined Hajj and 'Umrah).** **Mentioning the hadiths indicating that he, peace be upon him, was performing Ifrad.** **Mentioning those who said that he, peace be upon him, performed Hajj as Tamattu'.** **Mentioning the evidence of those who held that he, peace be upon him, was performing Qiran, and listing the hadiths concerning that.** **Mentioning the basis of those who said that he, peace and blessings be upon him, initiated Ihram without specifying Hajj or 'Umrah initially, and then later directed it to a specific one.** **Mentioning the Talbiyah of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.** **Mentioning the places where the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed while traveling.** **Chapter: The entry of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, into Mecca, may Allah the Exalted honor it.** **Mentioning his brisk walking (Raml), peace and blessings be upon him, in his Tawaf and his draping (Idtiba').** **Mentioning his Tawaf, peace be upon him, between al-Safa and al-Marwah.** **Mentioning what was revealed to the Messenger of Allah from the sublime revelation (Wahy munif) at this noble standing.** **Mentioning his departure (Ifadah), peace be upon him, from 'Arafat to al-Mash'ar al-Haram.** **Mentioning his Talbiyah, peace be upon him, at Muzdalifah.** **Mentioning his stoning (Ramy) of the Jamrat al-'Aqabah alone on the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr).** **Mentioning his departure (Ifadah), peace be upon him, to the Ancient House (al-Bayt al-'Atiq).** **Mentioning the narration of a hadith stating that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to visit the House every night of the nights of Mina.** **The eleventh year of the Hijrah: This year began while the noble Prophetic mount was settled in the purified Prophetic city of Medina, upon his return from the Farewell Pilgrimage.** **Mentioning the hadiths concerning that.** **Mentioning his command, peace be upon him, to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, to lead the prayer (Salat) with all the Companions.** **Mentioning the acknowledgment of Sa'd bin 'Ubadah of the correctness of what al-Siddiq said on the day of Saqifah.** **Mentioning who was the last person to see him, peace and blessings be upon him, alive.** **Mentioning what afflicted the Muslims of the great calamity upon his death, peace and blessings be upon him.** **Mentioning what has been reported of condolences for him, peace and blessings be upon him.** **Chapter: Clarification that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not leave behind a dinar or a dirham.** **Chapter: Clarification that he, peace be upon him, said: "We (Prophets) do not leave inheritance."** **Chapter: Mentioning his wives, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, and may Allah be pleased with them, and his children, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.** **Chapter: Mentioning his male slaves ('Ubayd), peace be upon him, and his female slaves (Ima'), and mentioning his servants, scribes, and trusted officials. Ibn Mandah mentioned via Abu Bakr al-Hudhali, from 'Abd al-Malik bin Ya'la al-Laythi, that Bukayr bin Shidadh al-Laythi used to serve the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.** **The fifteenth year: Chapter: What is mentioned of the effects (Athar) of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, which were specific to him during his lifetime.** **Mentioning his sword (Sayf), peace be upon him.** **Mentioning his sandal (Na'l) in which he used to walk, peace be upon him.** **Mentioning what has been reported concerning the kohl container (Mikhalah) from which he, peace be upon him, used to apply kohl.** **Mentioning his horses and mounts, peace and blessings be upon him.** **Footnotes**

The Prophetic Biography [1]

The source: https://shamela.ws/book/930 Date of extraction: 2026-06-17

Introduction [1]

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Introduction Praise be to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon His Messenger. My success is only through Allah; in Him I trust and to Him I turn. To proceed: This is the book of the Prophetic biography ¹ by the Imam, the Hafiz ², Abu al-Fida Isma'il ibn Kathir, which I present to the Islamic nation, hoping that its publication will bring about good that achieves benefit and presents the biography of the Noble Messenger in a form close to perfection, near to truth, precise in presentation, and purified of weak narrations and reports. Indeed, Imam Ibn Kathir, who is the precise Hafiz, has collected all the reports about the life of the Messenger and his call, as well as what preceded them from the period of Jahiliyyah ³. He exerted effort in scrutinizing the reports and criticizing their chains of transmission, although he sometimes permitted the narration of some weak reports, as we will mention. His work places before the reader everything that can be covered in this field, and makes him insightful in understanding the Prophetic biography and comprehending its events. It saddened me that the edition of this noble biography remains full of distortion and alteration, far from accuracy and precision. So I preferred to present it correctly, free from distortion and misrepresentation as much as possible, to correct it, explain the obscure terms in it, and comment on what is unlikely among the reports and traditions. I will return to the story of this book and my work on it after discussing its author and covering some of his biography ¹. Ibn Kathir: He is Abu al-Fida 'Imad al-Din Isma'il, son of 'Umar, son of Kathir, son of Daw', son of Kathir, son of Zar', al-Qurashi, al-Shafi'i. His origin was from Basra, but he grew up in Damascus and was raised there. He was born in Majdal al-Qaryah, a village in the district of Busra, east of Damascus, in the year 700 or 701 AH. He died after losing his sight, on Thursday, the 26th of Sha'ban, in the year 774 AH, at the age of seventy-four. His upbringing: His father was the khatib ⁴ of his village. Four years after Ibn Kathir's birth, his father died, so his brother, Shaykh 'Abd al-Wahhab, raised him. Under this brother, Ibn Kathir received his early education. Then he moved to Damascus in 706 AH at the age of five. His teachers: Ibn Kathir's studies were directed toward fiqh ⁵, hadith ⁶, and the sciences of the Sunnah ⁷, as was the prevailing trend in his time. His teachers in this field were numerous. He studied fiqh under Shaykh Burhan al-Din Ibrahim ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Fazari, known as Ibn al-Firkah, who died in 729 AH. He heard (hadith) in Damascus from 'Isa ibn al-Mut'im, from Ahmad ibn Abi Talib al-Mu'ammar, known as Ibn al-Shahnah, who died in 730 AH; from al-Qasim ibn 'Asakir, Ibn al-Shirazi, Ishaq ibn al-Amadi, and Muhammad ibn Zarad. He closely followed Shaykh Jamal Yusuf ibn al-Mizzi al-Mizzi, author of Tahdhib al-Kamal, who died in 742 AH. Ibn Kathir benefited from him, graduated under him, and married his daughter. He also read extensively under Shaykh al-Islam Taqi al-Din ibn Taymiyyah, who died in 728 AH, and closely followed him, loved him, and was influenced by his views. Regarding this, Ibn al-'Imad said: "He had a special relationship with Ibn Taymiyyah, defending him and following him in many of his views. He issued fatwas ⁸ according to his view on the issue of divorce, and was tried and harmed because of it." Ibn Hajar said: "He studied under Ibn Taymiyyah and was captivated by love for him, and was tried because of him." He also read under Shaykh al-Hafiz, the historian Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi, Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Qaymaz, who died in 748 AH. He received ijazah ⁹ from Egypt from Abu Musa al-Qurafi, al-Husayni, Abu al-Fath al-Dabbusi, 'Ali ibn 'Umar al-Wani, and Yusa al-Khatani. And many others. Ibn Kathir was appointed to the position of shaykh of Umm al-Salih and al-Tankiziyyah after his imam al-Dhahabi. As al-Dhahabi mentioned in the draft of Tabaqat al-Huffaz ¹⁰. (2) His era: Ibn Kathir lived in the eighth century AH, from the beginning of this century to near its end, under the shadow of the Mamluk state, which extended its authority over Egypt and Syria. During his time, there were severe calamities that the Islamic world witnessed, represented by the Mongol invasions, frequent famines and plagues, and the fluctuation of power among Mamluk amirs ¹¹ who repeatedly revolted against each other... One can hardly open a year of Ibn Kathir's life in biographical and historical books without finding news of famines, plagues, Frankish and Mongol attacks, and the downfall of amirs, which cannot be described as stable political life. However, that period of the Mamluk era in which Ibn Kathir lived was dominated by scholarly activity, represented by the abundance of schools, the expansion of education, and the proliferation of authorship. This had reasons mentioned in history, such as competition among amirs, the abundance of endowments for scholars, the construction of schools, and the connection between Islamic regions, among others. But that activity was confined to a narrow circle: the circle of following, imitation, summarization, abridgment, and commentary. Likewise, this activity was largely directed toward the religious sciences and what serves them. The character of that era is clearly evident in Ibn Kathir, as his focus was on the sciences of the Sunnah and fiqh, or the religious sciences in general. His works were predominantly characterized by the style of authorship in his time, which was the tendency to abridge the books of the predecessors, or to incorporate some into others, or to comment on them and annotate them. If Ibn Kathir had a distinctive innovative character, he acquired it from his relationship with Ibn Taymiyyah, his love for him, and his influence by his views. For Ibn Kathir, like his teacher Ibn Taymiyyah, shunned superstitions and inclined toward returning to the Sunnah, relying on verification and scrutiny through the means he possessed: criticism of chains of transmission and scrutiny of reports. Likewise, Ibn Kathir was an imam and a school founder in his tafsir ¹², as he shunned Isra'iliyyat ¹³ and weak reports, just as he shunned philosophizing and imposing personal opinion on the Book of Allah. He preferred the method of interpreting the Qur'an by the Qur'an, then by hadith and tradition. His status and scholars' opinions about him: Ibn Kathir held a high rank in fiqh, tafsir, hadith, and fatwa. Al-Dhahabi said about him: "The imam, the mufti ¹⁴, the distinguished muhaddith ¹⁵, a versatile faqih ¹⁶, a prolific mufassir ¹⁷, and he has beneficial works." Ibn Hajar said about him: "He was engaged in hadith, studying its texts and narrators. He had a great memory, was pleasant in conversation, his works spread during his lifetime, and people benefited from them after his death." Ibn Taghribirdi said about him: "He was constantly engaged in study, diligent, acquired knowledge, and wrote. He excelled in fiqh, tafsir, and hadith. He collected, authored, taught, narrated, and wrote. He had vast knowledge in hadith, tafsir, fiqh, Arabic, and other fields. He issued fatwas and taught until he died." Ibn Kathir was known for precision, thoroughness, and comprehensiveness. In his time, leadership in history, hadith, and tafsir culminated in him. Ibn Hiji, one of his students, said: "He was the most memorizer of hadith texts and their narrators among those I met, and the most knowledgeable about their criticism, authenticity, and weakness. His peers and teachers acknowledged that to him. I do not recall meeting him, despite my frequent visits to him, without benefiting from him." Ibn al-'Imad al-Hanbali describes him, saying: "He had a great memory, rarely forgot, had good understanding, participated in Arabic, and composed poetry of moderate quality. Ibn Habib said about him: He heard, collected, authored, delighted ears with fatwas, narrated, benefited, his fatwa papers flew to the lands, and he was known for precision and verification." Ibn Hajar said about him: "He was not on the path of the muhaddithun ¹⁸ in collecting high chains and distinguishing high from low, and similar aspects of their disciplines. Rather, he was among the muhaddithun of the fuqaha' ¹⁹." But al-Suyuti responded to Ibn Hajar's statement, saying: "The foundation in the science of hadith is knowledge of the authentic and weak hadith, its defects, the variation of its chains, and its narrators in terms of jarh and ta'dil ²⁰. As for high and low chains and the like, they are extras, not essential principles." His poetry: Ibn Kathir, as Ibn al-'Imad said, "composed poetry of moderate quality." Only a little of his poetry is mentioned, such as his saying: "Days pass by us one after another, yet we are driven to our appointed ends while the eye watches. So neither does that past youth return, nor does this gloomy gray hair vanish." In any case, he was not famous for poetry. His style: Ibn Kathir participated in Arabic, and his literary culture was good. However, his style followed the requirements of his time, favoring rhymed prose and tending toward embellishments. His style sometimes includes words that do not suit Ibn Kathir's level. In the book we present, there are examples of that, such as his use of the word "al-adhiyyah" and the word "mushtara," and other inconsistent styles and disproportionate sentences. The truth is that Ibn Kathir was not among those who care about expression or beautify their style, although his style in tafsir is strong and proportionate. Rather, he was an imam mufassir and a faqih muhaddith, and he was not a literary scholar who was keen on the beauty of expression and harmony of style. His books: Ibn Kathir was engaged in authorship and composition. Most of his books are on hadith and its sciences. His works are few, and the most important are: 1. Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim, about which al-Suyuti said: "Nothing like it has been authored in its pattern."

He relies on interpretation by transmission, interpreting the Qur'an with the Qur'an, then with well-known hadiths, citing them with their chains of transmission, then critiquing those chains and passing judgment on them, then mentioning the transmitted reports from the Companions and the Followers. It is printed and well-known. 2. (Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah) in history. It is a vast encyclopedia, beginning with the stories of the prophets and the accounts of past nations, according to what is found in the Qur'an and authentic hadiths, exposing the falsehood of Isra'iliyyat ²¹ and strange and rejected reports. Then he mentions the accounts of the Arabs and the events of the Jāhiliyyah ²², then the Sīrah ²³ of the Messenger (peace be upon him) until his death, then he follows the events of Islamic history from the caliphate of Abu Bakr until the era of Ibn Kathir in the eighth century AH. Then he concludes it with the signs of the Hour, tribulations, epic battles, and the conditions of the Hereafter. This history of Ibn Kathir is an accurate and successful reference, still relied upon. Ibn Taghrībirdī said about it: "It is of the utmost quality." It is printed, although the edition is poor. 3. The Abridgment of 'Ulūm al-Ḥadīth ²⁴ by Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ. It is a beneficial book in which Ibn Kathir added many benefits, organized it, and abridged it. It is printed with comments by the late Shaykh Aḥmad Shākir under the title (Al-Bāʿith al-Ḥathīth). 4. The abridgment of the book (Al-Madkhal ilā Kitāb al-Sunan) by al-Bayhaqī, which he mentioned in the introduction to the Abridgment of 'Ulūm al-Ḥadīth. It is a manuscript. 5. A treatise on Jihād ²⁵. Printed. 6. (Al-Takmīl fī Maʿrifat al-Thiqāt wa al-Ḍuʿafāʾ wa al-Majāhīl) ²⁶ in which he combined the two books (Tahdhīb al-Kamāl) by al-Mizzī and (Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl) by al-Dhahabī. He added to them useful additions on jarḥ and taʿdīl ²⁷. It is a manuscript. 7. (Al-Hudā wa al-Sunan fī Aḥādīth al-Masānīd wa al-Sunan), known as Jāmiʿ al-Masānīd, in which he combined the Musnad of Aḥmad, al-Bazzār, Abū Yaʿlā, and Ibn Abī Shaybah, along with the six books: the two Ṣaḥīḥs ²⁸ and the four Sunans ²⁹. He arranged it by chapters, and it is a manuscript. 8. The Musnad of the two Shaykhs ³⁰ Abū Bakr and ʿUmar. In it—as Ibn Kathir said in his Sīrah that we have, page 433—he mentions the manner of Abū Bakr's conversion to Islam, cites his virtues and characteristics, and follows that with the Sīrah of al-Fārūq ³¹ (may Allah be pleased with him), and cites what each of them narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) of hadiths and what was narrated from them of reports, rulings, and fatwas, amounting to three volumes, praise and gratitude be to Allah! as Ibn Kathir said. It is also a manuscript; we do not know where it is. 9. The Prophetic Sīrah, both the lengthy and abridged versions, which he mentioned in his Tafsīr ³² in Sūrat al-Aḥzāb ³³ in the story of the Battle of the Trench. It has not been published before. 10. Ṭabaqāt al-Shāfiʿiyyah ³⁴. A medium-sized volume, along with Manāqib al-Shāfiʿī ³⁵. Manuscript. 11. Takhrij Aḥādīth Adillat al-Tanbīh ³⁶ in Shāfiʿī jurisprudence. 12. He also extracted the hadiths of Mukhtaṣar Ibn al-Ḥājib ³⁷. 13. The book (Al-Muqaddimāt) ³⁸. He mentioned it in his abridgment of Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ's introduction and referred to it. 14. Ibn Ḥajar mentions that he began a commentary on al-Bukhārī but did not complete it. 15. He began a large book on rulings, which he did not complete, reaching the chapter on Hajj ³⁹. Thus we find Ibn Kathir's inclination toward the Sunnah and its sciences evident in his books, and the spirit of his era prevails upon him, so he turns to abridgments, commentaries, and the like. His innovation appears in his writing of his unique history (Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah) and in his Tafsīr of the Noble Qur'an. His authorship did not go beyond the scope of his studies, to which he devoted his life: Hadith, history, Tafsīr, and rulings. The benefit of the small portion of this great imam's books that reached the people has become widespread, but grief overcomes us when we ask: Where are these books attributed to him, whose location is unknown? We believe that if they were found and presented to the people, they would fill a gap and achieve benefit. It is regrettable that precious heritage is wasted and a needy nation is deprived of it. We hereby call upon all those concerned with Islamic heritage, especially those responsible for it in the state, to search for the works of this great imam, to pave the way for his beneficial books to reach the hands of the people, and to re-present his printed books in a correct and proper form, far from commerce and exploitation. This book: The book we present today has a story. The thread we held onto was that Ibn Kathir mentioned in his Tafsīr in Sūrat al-Aḥzāb in the story of the Battle of the Trench that he had written the Prophetic Sīrah in both lengthy and abridged forms, where he says: "All this is established in detail with its evidence, hadiths, and elaboration in the book of Sīrah that I have written separately, both concise and detailed, praise and gratitude be to Allah!" This means that his writing of the Prophetic Sīrah had become known to people in his time, but research into manuscripts has not indicated the existence of that Sīrah as an independent book. It seems that when he authored his massive work (Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah), he incorporated that Sīrah into it, and the fame and spread of that book throughout the regions made people read that Sīrah within it, and it no longer had an independent existence as a book. If Ibn Kathir mentioned that he had a Prophetic Sīrah in an expanded form, i.e., lengthy, it is not reasonable that he wrote more than that section found in his book (Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah). Hence, I turned to publishing (The Prophetic Sīrah of Ibn Kathir), which is that section that Ibn Kathir devoted to the accounts of the Arabs in the Jāhiliyyah, the Sīrah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the history of his call until his death. Considering that this section is the lengthy Prophetic Sīrah that Ibn Kathir referred to in his Tafsīr. What prompted me to do so are reasons including: 1. That Sīrah occupies about three parts of Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, from the end of the second part to the end of the fifth part, thus distributed across four parts. 2. These parts of Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah are very expensive; the price of the third part alone reaches four Egyptian pounds if found! Due to the monopoly of trade in references and the scarcity of existing copies. 3. That mentioned edition is full of distortion and disfigurement in a terrible manner, and I do not know how this edition has continued to circulate among scholars and students, despite hardly a page being free of distortion, miswriting, or omission. These reasons made me see in publishing the Prophetic Sīrah of Ibn Kathir the realization of many benefits... the most important being the widespread benefit after it was confined to the hands of a few who could afford to buy the entire Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah at its high price. Also, fulfilling Ibn Kathir's intention when he wrote that lengthy Sīrah and wanted it to spread alone among the people. Also, doing justice to that noble work so that it no longer remains in its distorted form full of corruption. Ibn Kathir's Sīrah: We pause here to review Ibn Kathir's writing on the Sīrah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), contemplating its characteristics and researching his methodology. 1. The first thing we notice in Ibn Kathir's Sīrah is his concern for narration with chains of transmission, in line with his predominant character as an imam of hadith. Most of his narrations are from Imam Aḥmad, al-Bayhaqī, and Abū Nuʿaym. He was not content with quoting what the Sīrah writers like Ibn Isḥāq and Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah wrote, but he collected what the hadith scholars narrated, thereby gaining a distinction unique among those who wrote on the Sīrah. Ibn Kathir critiqued some chains of transmission when the text was strange, to pass judgment on some hadiths, and sometimes he would clarify the grade of the hadith without critiquing the chain. 2. Then we find Ibn Kathir distinguished by quoting from some lost Sīrah books, such as the book of Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah and the book of al-Umawī on al-Maghāzī ⁴⁰, as well as quoting from some commentaries on the Sīrah, such as al-Rawḍ al-Unuf by al-Suhaylī and al-Shifā by al-Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ. 3. In the area of citing poetry, Ibn Kathir does not neglect this aspect, but he does not follow Ibn Hishām in all his poetic narrations; he shortens some and omits others. 4. In summary, Ibn Kathir is keen to collect everything written on the subject he is dealing with, but he does not merge hadiths and reports into one another; rather, he preserves each transmission with its character and place. Often, he lacks order in transmission, so he does not coordinate the reports he quotes to form a coherent unit. Sometimes he begins with a lengthy report, then mentions after it reports that contain part of that report or repeat it. 5. If we trace Ibn Kathir's quotations from others, we find a strange phenomenon: he hardly adheres to the text of anything he quotes! His quotations from Ibn Isḥāq are mostly

In terms of meaning, I have traced this in some pages and found that establishing the differences between Ibn Kathir and Ibn Ishaq would be a lengthy affair. Ibn Kathir adds, omits, changes, and alters, thereby losing much of the beauty and coherence of Ibn Ishaq's expression. Similarly, we find that Ibn Kathir's narrations of hadiths differ somewhat from what is in the books that people possess, from which Ibn Kathir transmits. Thus, the hadiths of al-Bukhari that Ibn Kathir narrates by saying, 'Al-Bukhari said,' do not correspond literally with the Sahih al-Bukhari that we have. The same applies to his narrations from Sahih Muslim, Musnad Ahmad, Dala'il al-Nubuwwa by Abu Nu'aym, Dala'il al-Nubuwwa by al-Bayhaqi, al-Shifa by Qadi 'Iyad, al-Rawd al-Unuf by al-Suhayli... You will hardly find any report that matches verbatim what is in the circulating books; there is always some change, omission, or abbreviation. When we confront this phenomenon and search for its causes, there are two possibilities: 1) Either Ibn Kathir—who was the precise, memorizing imam—relied on his memory and his own narration, not on the circulating copies. 2) Or there were other copies that differed from what has reached us of these books. In any case, someone like Ibn Kathir is an authority in the field of hadith, but nevertheless, it is a noticeable phenomenon that Ibn Kathir's narrations of hadiths and his quotations from books differ from what we have of these books... These are sometimes minor verbal differences. 6 - When we examine Ibn Kathir's methodology in narrations, we see that he does not mind narrating many weak reports, especially concerning pre-Islamic times, the calls of the jinn, and their stories. He could have ignored these reports that cannot withstand criticism, but he absolved himself by two things: 1) Mentioning the chain of transmission for every report he records, thereby placing the responsibility on others. 2) He would comment on some of these reports by saying 'very strange' or 'they did not record it' and the like, which weakens the report. Nevertheless, we wish that Ibn Kathir had omitted these reports that have no basis in reason or reality, and which crowd the mind and confuse the facts. Especially concerning the life of the noble Messenger, peace be upon him. For example, the hadith he narrates from al-Bayhaqi from al-'Abbas, who said to the Messenger, peace be upon him: 'I saw you in the cradle conversing with the moon and pointing to it with your finger, and wherever you pointed, it moved!' Then he mentions the Messenger's agreement with that—a hadith that does not accord with reason or the realities of existence. It does not help us after that for Ibn Kathir to say: 'Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Halabi alone narrated it, and he is unknown.' Such a hadith opens a breach for the enemies of Islam to attack the Prophetic biography through such weak and fabricated reports. Similarly, the story of Khalid ibn Sinan, the calls of the jinn and their legends—Ibn Kathir went far in these, full of superstitions and myths. Nevertheless, we excuse Ibn Kathir for recording such reports, because his era celebrated them and was interested in narrating them. Since his purpose in his book was compilation and comprehensiveness, and as long as he absolved himself by attributing each report to its narrator and paid attention to verification and judgment, he thereby fulfilled his duty and did what was required of him. 7 - The reader of Ibn Kathir's Prophetic biography commends this man for his effort, as he blended the reports of the biography with hadith narrations, thereby establishing a new methodology that those before him had not paid attention to. He collected everything possible in this field, placing before the reader of his book ample material enabling study, comprehensiveness, and completeness. Ibn Kathir was aided in this by his later era, his mastery of hadith, and his proficiency in narrations and reports. Methodology of Verification: In producing Ibn Kathir's Prophetic biography, I relied on the following: 1 - A photographed copy of al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya by Ibn Kathir, bearing number 1110, history, at the Egyptian National Library, photographed from the library of Wali al-Din 2347 in Istanbul. It is referred to by the letter (A). 2 - A manuscript copy of al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya in the Taymuriyya Library, bearing number 2443, history, which is incomplete at its beginning. 3 - The printed copy of al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya from the year 1351 at the Sa'ada Press, which was collated with two originals: the photographed original mentioned above, with its margins referring to the Egyptian copy, and a copy preserved at the Ahmadia School in Aleppo. Nevertheless, the aforementioned manuscripts of al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya are not characterized by accuracy, as they contain errors, many of which I have pointed out in the margins of this volume. It seems they were written in later periods, or were copied by someone not reliable for verification. My effort in producing this biography was directed toward correcting it and purifying it from the errors that appeared in the common printed copy of al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, in which the manuscript copies mostly share. I therefore referred to the sources that Ibn Kathir cited, such as books of biography and hadith, except for some that were not accessible, such as al-Tabarani's Mu'jam, al-Khara'iti's Hawatif al-Jinn, and al-Bayhaqi's Dala'il al-Nubuwwa. I did not attempt to establish the differences between Ibn Kathir and everything he quotes, because I realized—as I mentioned earlier—that Ibn Kathir in his book contradicts the texts that people possess from the books he quotes; there is always addition, omission, change, or alteration. However, I have recorded some differences by way of example, such as the differences between him and al-Bukhari, Abu Nu'aym's Dala'il al-Nubuwwa, al-Khara'iti's Makarim al-Akhlaq, al-Suhayli's al-Rawd al-Unuf, Musnad Ahmad, Ibn Hisham's Sira, al-Shifa, and the like. Had I committed to recording all the differences between him and Ishaq, al-Bukhari, Ahmad, and others, it would have become lengthy and extensive, with little benefit. Similarly, I recorded the most important differences between the manuscript and printed copies, though these are rare. I did not rely in my commentary except on correcting errors and explaining obscure terms. I did not expand on identifying notable figures, because there is no benefit in that for such a book, and so that the book does not become an old-style commentary. There is no benefit in commenting on everything that could be commented on; rather, the benefit lies in commenting on what must be commented on. The reader may notice that the chains of transmission of reports and hadiths did not receive the necessary identification of their narrators and their death dates. Had I done that, we would have produced a book on the men of hadith that I do not think the reader of the Prophetic biography needs. There are specialized books available for those who want them. It will be noticed that I intervened by criticizing some of the reports that Ibn Kathir mentioned, for which I had no recourse but rational rejection. I considered that necessary so that the reader realizes that he is not required to believe everything Ibn Kathir recorded in this book, as long as it is not established by a sound religious proof or has no basis in reason, especially the poems that appear artificial and contrived, and the legendary reports that do not suit humanity's awakening and progress. The chain of transmission is not the only thing that concerns us in a report; rather, the text must also be attributable to reality and far from fabrication. Ibn Khaldun, who was an authoritative imam, criticized many reports using this methodology—the methodology of rational rejection and demonstrating the report's contradiction with cosmic laws and historical circumstances, as he indicated at the beginning of his Muqaddima. I saw no benefit in tracing the reports, i.e., mentioning their locations in books, because most reports of the biography are common among the books that deal with them. It does not benefit the reader to mention, for example, that this report is found in Ibn Hisham's Sira, al-Tabari's History, Sharh al-Mawahib, al-Shifa, al-Rawd al-Unuf, Abu Nu'aym's Dala'il al-Nubuwwa, 'Uyun al-Athar, al-Kala'i's al-Iktifa, Ibn al-Jawzi's al-Wafa, al-Sira al-Halabiyya, and so on from the books of biography, in addition to where the report might be found in hadith books, and in all that we would mention page numbers. That would fill a large space without need. It suffices for the reader to know that most reports of the Prophetic biography and what preceded it from the pre-Islamic period are common among these books we have mentioned and other books of hadith and biography.

What I meant is that this noble biography ⁴¹ should be brought out accurately, free from the distortion and disfigurement that surrounded it in the edition of al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah ⁴², and that I should explain what needs explanation of the vocabulary, point out the errors I have corrected, and the most important variants I have come across, and draw attention to what is improbable among the reports. I do not claim that I have fulfilled all that is required of me in producing this book, but I have exerted what I could according to my ability and circumstances. Today, as I present the first part of this biography, I sincerely intend to exert what I can in order to bring out the rest of it in the nearest form to correctness and perfection. The circumstances under which this part was printed—and I was not near the printing press, but rather the circumstances of work forced me to be far from it—have allowed for the occurrence of some errors, which I have rectified at the end of the book. Some are purely typographical, others are oversights and omissions, and among them are errors from the original sources of the book, which I have identified from references and pointed out so that the reader may be fully aware. In this work, I rely on my intention and purpose, and every man shall have what he intends ⁴³... hoping from God, exalted is He, that He may make it beneficial and prepare me to complete it in a way that pleases Him. Indeed, He is the Bestower of right guidance and the Grantor of success. To Him be praise in the first and the last. What an excellent Lord and what an excellent Helper! Cairo, 23 Dhū al-Ḥijjah 1383 / 5 May 1964 Muṣṭafā ʿAbd al-Wāḥid

1. sirah : Biography of the Prophet Muhammad.
2. Hafiz : A title for a scholar who has memorized a vast number of hadiths and their chains of transmission.
3. Jahiliyyah : The period of ignorance before the advent of Islam.
4. khatib : The person who delivers the Friday sermon (khutbah).
5. fiqh : Islamic jurisprudence.
6. hadith : The sayings, actions, and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad.
7. Sunnah : The teachings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad.
8. fatwa : A legal opinion issued by a qualified scholar.
9. ijazah : A license or authorization to transmit knowledge.
10. Tabaqat al-Huffaz : A biographical work categorizing hadith memorizers by generation.
11. amir : A prince or military commander.
12. tafsir : Exegesis or commentary on the Qur'an.
13. Isra'iliyyat : Narrations originating from Jewish and Christian sources.
14. mufti : A scholar qualified to issue fatwas.
15. muhaddith : A scholar of hadith.
16. faqih : A scholar of Islamic jurisprudence.
17. mufassir : A scholar of Qur'anic exegesis.
18. muhaddithun : Plural of muhaddith.
19. fuqaha' : Plural of faqih.
20. jarh wa ta'dil : The science of criticizing and validating hadith narrators.
21. Isrā'īliyyāt : Reports and stories originating from Jewish and Christian sources, often incorporated into Islamic tradition, but frequently considered unreliable or fabricated.
22. Jāhiliyyah : The period of ignorance before the advent of Islam in Arabia, characterized by polytheism and tribal customs.
23. Sīrah : Biography of the Prophet Muhammad, encompassing his life, teachings, and historical context.
24. 'Ulūm al-Ḥadīth : The sciences of Hadith, including the study of the authenticity, classification, and transmission of prophetic traditions.
25. Jihād : Struggle or striving in the way of God; often refers to military struggle in defense of Islam, but also includes spiritual and moral efforts.
26. Al-Takmīl fī Maʿrifat al-Thiqāt wa al-Ḍuʿafāʾ wa al-Majāhīl : A work on the knowledge of reliable, weak, and unknown narrators in Hadith criticism.
27. Jarḥ wa Taʿdīl : The science of criticizing and validating narrators of Hadith, assessing their reliability and integrity.
28. Ṣaḥīḥs : The two most authentic Hadith collections: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.
29. Sunans : The four canonical Hadith collections: Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Sunan al-Tirmidhī, Sunan al-Nasā'ī, and Sunan Ibn Mājah.
30. Shaykhayn : The two shaykhs, referring to the first two caliphs, Abu Bakr and 'Umar.
31. Al-Fārūq : A title of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, meaning 'the distinguisher' between truth and falsehood.
32. Tafsīr : Exegesis or commentary on the Qur'an.
33. Sūrat al-Aḥzāb : Chapter 33 of the Qur'an, titled 'The Confederates,' which discusses the Battle of the Trench.
34. Ṭabaqāt al-Shāfiʿiyyah : A biographical work categorizing scholars of the Shāfiʿī school of jurisprudence by generations.
35. Manāqib al-Shāfiʿī : A work on the virtues and merits of Imam al-Shāfiʿī, the founder of the Shāfiʿī school.
36. Takhrij Aḥādīth Adillat al-Tanbīh : A work tracing the sources of hadiths used as evidence in the Shāfiʿī legal manual 'Al-Tanbīh'.
37. Mukhtaṣar Ibn al-Ḥājib : An abridgment of a work on legal theory by Ibn al-Ḥājib, a Maliki scholar.
38. Al-Muqaddimāt : Introductions or prolegomena, likely a work on the principles of Hadith or jurisprudence.
39. Ḥajj : The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, one of the five pillars of Islam.
40. Al-Maghāzī : The military expeditions and campaigns of the Prophet Muhammad.
41. sīrah : Biography, especially of the Prophet Muhammad.
42. al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah : The Beginning and the End, a universal history by Ibn Kathir.
43. wa li-kulli imri’in mā nawā : A hadith: 'Actions are judged by intentions, and every man shall have what he intended.'

He mentioned the reports of the Arabs [1].

Mention of the reports of the Arabs. (1/1 The Biography) In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. It is said that all Arabs trace their lineage to Ishmael son of Abraham, peace and blessings and honor be upon them. However, the correct and well-known view is that the original Arabs ¹ existed before Ishmael, among them were 'Ad, Thamud, Tasm, Jadis, Amim, Jurhum, and the Amalekites, and other nations known only to Allah, who lived before the Friend ² (peace and blessings be upon him) and also during his time. As for the Arabized Arabs ³, who are the Arabs of the Hijaz, they are from the offspring of Ishmael son of Abraham, peace be upon them. As for the Arabs of Yemen, who are Himyar, the well-known view is that they are from Qahtan, whose name is Mahzam. Ibn Makula said this. They mentioned that they were four brothers: Qahtan, Qahit, Miqhat, and Faligh. Qahtan is the son of Hud, and it is said he is Hud himself. It is also said that Hud was his brother. And it is said that he is from his offspring. It is also said that Qahtan is from the lineage of Ishmael, narrated by Ibn Ishaq and others. Some said: He is Qahtan [son of al-Hamaysa' ¹] son of Tayman son of Qaydhar [son of Nabt ¹] son of Ishmael. Other views exist regarding his lineage to Ishmael, and Allah knows best. Al-Bukhari titled a chapter in his Sahih on this, saying: (Chapter on the lineage of Yemen to Ishmael, peace be upon him). He narrated from Musaddad, from Yahya, from Yazid ibn Abi 'Ubayd, from Salama (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) went out to a group of Aslam who were practicing archery with swords and said: "Shoot, O sons of Ishmael, and I am with the sons of so-and-so." One of the two groups held back, so they stopped shooting. He said: "What is the matter with you?" They said: "How can we shoot when you are with the sons of so-and-so?" He said: "Shoot, and I am with all of you ²." Al-Bukhari alone narrated this. In some of its wordings: "Shoot, O sons of Ishmael, for your father was an archer. Shoot, and I am with the son of al-Adra'." The people stopped, so he said: "Shoot, and I am with all of you." Al-Bukhari said: Aslam ³ is the son of Afsa son of Haritha son of 'Amr son of 'Amir from Khuza'a. Meaning: Khuza'a is a group of those who scattered from the tribes of Saba' when Allah sent upon them the flood of the dam ⁴, as will be explained. Al-Aws and al-Khazraj were among them, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "Shoot, O sons of Ishmael," indicating that they are from his lineage. Others interpreted this to mean the general category of Arabs, but this interpretation is far-fetched as it contradicts the apparent meaning without evidence. However, the majority hold that the Qahtanite Arabs from Yemen and others are not from the lineage of Ishmael. According to them, all Arabs are divided into two groups: Qahtanites and Adnanites. The Qahtanites are two branches: Saba' and Hadramawt. The Adnanites are also two branches: Rabi'a and Mudar, the sons of Nizar son of Ma'add son of Adnan. The fifth branch, Quda'a, is disputed: some say they are Adnanites, as stated by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, and this is the view of the majority. This is narrated from Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn 'Umar, and Jubayr ibn Mut'im, and it is the choice of al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar, his uncle Mus'ab al-Zubayri, and Ibn Hisham. A hadith mentions "Quda'a ibn Ma'add," but it is not authentic, as stated by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr and others. It is said that they continued in their pre-Islamic period and early Islam to trace their lineage to Adnan. Then, during the time of Khalid ibn Yazid ibn Mu'awiya, who was their maternal uncle, they traced their lineage to Qahtan. Regarding this, A'sha ibn Tha'laba said in a poem: "Inform Quda'a in the document that they, Were it not for the caliphs of the family of Allah, they would not have become arrogant. Quda'a said: 'We are from the people of Yemen,' But Allah knows they neither spoke truth nor were honest. They claimed a father who never reached their mother, They know, but that is the difference." Abu 'Amr al-Suhayli also mentioned some Arab poetry that contains remarkable criticism of Quda'a for their claim of Yemeni lineage. Allah knows best. The second view is that they are from Qahtan, which is the view of Ibn Ishaq, al-Kalbi, and a group of genealogists. Ibn Ishaq said: He is Quda'a ibn Malik ibn Himyar ibn Saba' ibn Yashjub ibn Ya'rub ibn Qahtan. One of their poets, 'Amr ibn Murra, a Companion who has two hadiths, said: "O caller, call us and be glad, And be Quda'ite, do not be Nizarite. We are the sons of the noble, pure, radiant elder, Quda'a ibn Malik ibn Himyar. The known lineage, not denied, In the inscribed stone under the pulpit." Some genealogists said: He is Quda'a ibn Malik ibn 'Amr ibn Murra ibn Zayd ibn Himyar. Ibn Lahi'a narrated from Ma'ruf ibn Suwayd, from Abu 'Ushaba ⁵ Muhammad ibn Musa, from 'Uqba ibn 'Amir, who said: I said, "O Messenger of Allah, are we not from Ma'add?" He said, "No." I said, "Then who are we?" He said, "You are from Quda'a ibn Malik ibn Himyar."

1. al-‘Arab al-‘āriba : The original or pure Arabs, believed to be the ancient tribes that spoke a pure Arabic language before the time of Ishmael.
2. al-Khalīl : The Friend of Allah, a title for the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim), peace be upon him.
3. al-‘Arab al-musta‘riba : The Arabized Arabs, those who became Arab by adopting the language and customs of the original Arabs, traditionally traced to Ishmael.
4. Sayl al-‘Arim : The flood of the dam, referring to the catastrophic breach of the Ma'rib Dam in ancient Yemen, which caused the dispersal of the tribes of Saba'.
5. Abū ‘Ushāba : A transmitter of hadith; the name is given as Abu 'Ushaba, possibly a variant of Abu 'Ushbah.

male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes that you may know one another…

male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you [2].

Abu 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-Barr said: They do not differ that Juhaynah ibn Zayd ibn Aswad ibn Aslam ibn 'Imran ibn al-Haf ibn Quda'ah is the tribe of 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir al-Juhani. Thus, on this basis, Quda'ah is in Yemen among Himyar ibn Saba'. Some have reconciled these two statements by what al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar and others mentioned: that Quda'ah was a woman from Jurhum whom Malik ibn Himyar married, and she bore him Quda'ah. Then Ma'add ibn 'Adnan married her after him, while her son was young, and some claimed he was a fetus, so he was attributed to his mother's husband, as was the custom of many of them to attribute a man to his mother's husband ¹. And Allah knows best. Muhammad ibn Sallam al-Basri, the genealogist, said: The Arabs are three roots: the 'Adnanis, the Qahtanis, and Quda'ah. It was said to him: Which of them is more numerous, the 'Adnanis or the Qahtanis? He said: Whatever Quda'ah wishes; if they align with Yemen, the Qahtanis are more numerous, and if they align with Ma'add, the 'Adnanis are more numerous. This indicates that they change in their lineage. If the previous hadith of Ibn Lahi'ah is authentic, it is evidence that they are from the Qahtanis. And Allah knows best. Allah Almighty said: "O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you" ². The genealogists said: It is said: Shu'ub (peoples), then Qaba'il (tribes), then 'Ama'ir (clans), then Butun (sub-clans), then Afkhadh (sub-sub-clans), then Fasail (sub-sub-sub-clans), then 'Asha'ir (family groups), and the 'Ashirah (family) is the closest people to a man, and there is nothing after it. Let us begin first with the mention of the Qahtanis, then we will mention after them the Arabs of the Hijaz, who are the 'Adnanis, and what happened in the Jahiliyyah, so that this may be connected to the biography of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, if Allah Almighty wills. And in Him is trust. Al-Bukhari said: Chapter on the mention of Qahtan. He narrated to us 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Abdullah, he narrated to us Sulayman ibn Bilal, from Thawr ibn Zayd, from Abu al-Ghayth, from Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: "The Hour will not be established until a man from Qahtan comes out who drives the people with his staff" ³. Muslim also narrated it from Qutayba from al-Darawardi from Thawr ibn Zayd. Al-Suhayli said: Qahtan was the first to be addressed with "Abayta al-la'na" ⁴ and the first to be addressed with "An'im sabahan" ⁵. Imam Ahmad said: He narrated to us Abu al-Mughira, from Jarir, he narrated to me Rashid ibn Sa'd al-Maqra'i, from Abu Hayy, from Dhu Fajr, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "This matter was in Himyar, then Allah removed it from them and placed it in Quraysh, and it will return to them." 'Abdullah said: This was in my father's book, and when he narrated it to us, he spoke it evenly, meaning: "and it will return to them." The Story of Saba' Allah Almighty said: "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, and We replaced their two gardens with two gardens of bitter fruit, tamarisk, and a few lote trees. Thus We repaid them for their disbelief. And do We repay except the ungrateful? And We placed between them and the cities We had blessed [other] cities visible, and We determined between them the journey: 'Travel between them safely by night and day.' But they said, 'Our Lord, lengthen the distance between our journeys,' and they wronged themselves, so We made them tales and scattered them in all directions. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful" ⁶. The genealogists, among them Muhammad ibn Ishaq, said: The name of Saba' is 'Abd Shams ibn Yashjub ibn Ya'rub ibn Qahtan. They said: He was the first to take captives among the Arabs, so he was called Saba' for that reason. He was also called al-Ra'ish, because he used to give people wealth from his property. Al-Suhayli said: It is said that he was the first to wear a crown. Some mentioned that he was a Muslim, and he had poetry in which he gave glad tidings of the coming of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Among that is his saying: "A great king will rule after us, a Prophet who does not permit the forbidden. And after him, kings from them will rule, who will govern the servants without blame. And after them, kings from us will rule, and the kingdom will be divided among us. And after Qahtan, a Prophet will rule, pious, humble ⁷, the best of mankind. He is called Ahmad. Would that I could live a year after his mission, so I could support him and help him with my victory, with every mailed warrior and every archer. When he appears, be his supporters, and whoever meets him, convey my greeting." This was narrated by Ibn Dihya in his book "al-Tanwir fi Mawlid al-Bashir al-Nadhir." Imam Ahmad said: He narrated to us Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, he narrated to us 'Abdullah ibn Lahi'a, from 'Abdullah ibn Hubayra al-Saba'i, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Wa'la, who said: I heard 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas say: A man asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about Saba': What is it? A man, a woman, or a land? He said: "He is a man who fathered ten, six of whom settled in Yemen and four in Syria. As for the Yemenis: Madh'hij, Kinda, al-Azd, al-Ash'ariyyun, Anmar, and Himyar [all Arabs ⁸]; and as for the Syrians: Lakhm, Judham, 'Amila, and Ghassan" ⁹. We have mentioned in the Tafsir that Farwa ibn Musayk al-Ghutayfi was the one who asked about that, as we have thoroughly examined the chains of this hadith and its wordings there. And praise be to Allah. The point is that Saba' encompasses all these tribes. Among them were the Tababi'a ¹⁰ in the land of Yemen, one of them called Tubba'. Their kings had crowns that they wore at the time of judgment, just as the Kisras, the kings of Persia, did. The Arabs used to call everyone who ruled Yemen along with al-Shihr and Hadramawt a Tubba', just as they called whoever ruled Syria along with al-Jazira a Qaysar, whoever ruled Persia a Kisra, whoever ruled Egypt a Fir'awn, whoever ruled Abyssinia a Najashi, and whoever ruled India a Batlimus. Among the kings of Himyar in the land of Yemen was Bilqis. They were in great prosperity, with flowing provisions, abundant fruits and crops. Moreover, they were upon uprightness, rectitude, and the path of guidance. But when they exchanged the blessing of Allah for disbelief, they brought their people to the abode of ruin.

1. zawj ummihi : Literally 'husband of his mother'; refers to the practice of attributing a child to the mother's husband even if not the biological father.
2. Qur'an 49:13 : Verse from the Qur'an emphasizing that nobility is based on piety, not lineage.
3. Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim : Authentic hadith collections; the hadith predicts a ruler from Qahtan.
4. Abayta al-la'na : An ancient Arabic greeting meaning 'May you avoid curse' or 'May you be free from blame.'
5. An'im sabahan : An ancient Arabic greeting meaning 'Good morning' or 'May you have a pleasant morning.'
6. Qur'an 34:15-19 : Verses describing the story of the people of Saba' and their punishment for ingratitude.
7. mukhbit : One who is humble and submissive before Allah.
8. Araban kulluha : Meaning 'all of them are Arabs' or 'pure Arabs.'
9. Hadith from Musnad Ahmad : A hadith listing the tribes descended from Saba'.
10. Tababi'a : Plural of Tubba'; title of Himyarite kings of Yemen.

More than one scholar of the early and later generations, among the exegetes and others…

More than one scholar of the early and later generations, among the exegetes and others, mentioned that the dam of Ma'rib [1] was constructed such that water flowed between two mountains. In ancient times, they built a very solid dam between them, so that the water rose and reached the tops of the two mountains. They planted gardens, fruitful trees, and abundant crops there. It is said that the first to build it was Saba' [2] ibn Yashjub, who directed seventy valleys to flow into it and made thirty outlets for the water to exit. He died before completing its construction, so Himyar [3] completed it after him. Its area was a league by a league [4]. They lived in great bliss, a pleasant life, and good days, until Qatada [5] and others mentioned that a woman would pass by with a basket on her head, and it would become filled with fruits falling from their abundance and ripeness. They also mentioned that there were no fleas or harmful insects in their land, due to the purity of their air and the goodness of their environment, as Allah the Exalted said: "Indeed, for Saba' there was a sign in their dwelling place: 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" [6]. And as He said: "And when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you; but if you deny, indeed My punishment is severe'" [7].

Muhammad ibn Ishaq reported from Wahb ibn Munabbih: Allah sent to them thirteen prophets. Al-Suddi claimed that He sent to them twelve thousand prophets! But Allah knows best. The point is that they turned from guidance to misguidance and prostrated to the sun instead of Allah. This occurred during the time of Bilqis ¹ and also before her, and it continued among them until Allah sent upon them the flood of 'Arim ², as He said: "So they turned away, so We sent upon them the flood of 'Arim, and We replaced their two gardens with two gardens bearing bitter fruit, tamarisk, and a few lote trees. That is how We recompensed them for their ingratitude. And do We recompense except the ungrateful?" Many scholars of the Salaf ³ and Khalaf ⁴ among the exegetes and others mentioned that the dam of Ma'rib ⁵ was constructed such that water flowed between two mountains. In ancient times, they built a very solid dam between them, so that the water rose and reached the tops of the two mountains. They planted gardens and beautiful fruit-bearing trees, and cultivated abundant crops. It is said that the first to build it was Saba' ibn Yarub ⁶, and he directed seventy valleys to flow into it, making thirty outlets for the water. He died before completing it, so Himyar ⁷ completed it after him. Its area was a farsakh ⁸ by a farsakh. They lived in great prosperity, abundant livelihood, and pleasant days, to the extent that Qatada ⁹ and others mentioned that a woman would pass by with a basket on her head, and it would become filled with fruits that fell into it due to their ripeness and abundance. They also mentioned that there were no fleas or harmful insects in their land, due to the purity of their air and the goodness of their surroundings, as Allah said: "Indeed, for Saba' there was a sign in their dwelling: 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." And as He said: "And when your Lord proclaimed: 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you; but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe.'" When they worshipped other than Allah, became insolent towards His blessing, and after their towns had become close together, their gardens pleasant, and their roads safe, they asked that their journeys be made distant and that their travel be in hardship and fatigue. They sought to exchange good for evil, just as the Children of Israel asked to replace manna and quail with vegetables, cucumbers, garlic, lentils, and onions. So they were stripped of that great blessing and abundant goodness through the destruction of their lands and dispersal among the people, as Allah said: "So they turned away, so We sent upon them the flood of 'Arim." Many said: Allah sent mice—that is, rats, also called moles—against the base of the dam. When they noticed this, they placed cats there, but it did not help, for fate had been decreed and caution was of no avail. No refuge! When the base became thoroughly damaged, it collapsed and fell, and the water flowed into the lowlands. The streams and rivers were cut off, the fruits ceased, the crops and trees perished, and they were replaced with inferior trees and fruits, as the Almighty said: "And We replaced their two gardens with two gardens bearing bitter fruit, tamarisk, and a few lote trees." Ibn 'Abbas ¹⁰, Mujahid ¹¹, and others said: "Bitter fruit" is the arāk ¹² and its fruit is the barīr ¹³; "tamarisk" is the ṭarfā' ¹⁴. It is also said to resemble it, and it is firewood with no fruit. "And a few lote trees" because although the lote tree bears fruit (nabq ¹⁵), it was scarce, and it has many thorns, and its fruit is meager in comparison, as the proverb says: "The flesh of a lean camel on top of a rugged mountain, neither easy to climb nor fat to pick." Therefore Allah said: "That is how We recompensed them for their ingratitude. And do We recompense except the ungrateful?" That is, We only punish with this severe punishment those who disbelieve in Us, deny Our messengers, oppose Our command, and violate Our sanctities. And Allah said: "So We made them tales and scattered them in every direction." That is, when their wealth perished and their lands were ruined, they needed to depart and move away. So they dispersed throughout the lowlands and highlands of the land, like the scattered hands of Saba'. Some groups settled in the Hijaz ¹⁶, among them Khuza'a ¹⁷, who settled on the outskirts of Mecca, and their story will be mentioned. Some settled in what is today Medina al-Munawwara ¹⁸, and they were the first to inhabit it. Then three Jewish tribes settled among them: Banu Qaynuqa' ¹⁹, Banu Qurayza ²⁰, and Banu al-Nadir ²¹. They allied with the Aws ²² and Khazraj ²³ and stayed with them, and their story will be mentioned. Another group settled in Syria, and they later became Christians; they are Ghassan ²⁴, 'Amila ²⁵, Bahra' ²⁶, Lakhm ²⁷, Judham ²⁸, Tanukh ²⁹, Taghlib ³⁰, and others. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Abu 'Ubayda ³¹ narrated to me, saying: Al-A'sha ibn Qays ibn Tha'laba, who is Maymun ibn Qays, said: "And in that is an example for the one who seeks to follow, And Ma'rib, upon which the 'Arim has effaced, Marble built for them by Himyar, When its flood came, it did not cease. It watered the crops and their vines, In abundance, their water when divided. Then they became scattered, unable To drink even a weaned child when weaned." Muhammad ibn Ishaq mentioned in the book of Sira ³² that the first to leave Yemen before the flood of 'Arim was 'Amr ibn 'Amir al-Lakhmi ³³. Lakhm is the son of 'Adi ibn al-Harith ibn Murra ibn Udad ³⁴ ibn Zayd ibn Humaysa' ³⁵ ibn 'Amr ibn 'Arib ibn Yashjub ³⁶ ibn Zayd ibn Kahlan ³⁷ ibn Saba'. It is also said: Lakhm ibn 'Adi ibn 'Amr ibn Saba'. This was stated by Ibn Hisham ³⁸. Ibn Ishaq said: The reason for his departure from Yemen, according to what Abu Zayd al-Ansari ³⁹ narrated to me, was that he saw a rat digging in the dam of Ma'rib, which held back the water for them so they could direct it wherever they wished in their land. He realized that the dam would not last, so he resolved to move from Yemen. He tricked his people: he ordered his youngest son, when he (the father) was harsh with him and slapped him, to get up and slap him back. His son did as he was told. Then 'Amr said: "I will not stay in a land where my youngest son slapped my face." He offered his property for sale. The nobles of Yemen said: "Seize the opportunity of 'Amr's anger," and bought his property. He moved with his children and grandchildren. The Azd ⁴⁰ said: "We will not stay behind from 'Amr ibn 'Amir." So they sold their property and went out with him. They traveled until they stopped in the land of 'Akk ⁴¹, passing through and seeking out lands. The tribe of 'Akk fought them, and the battle was indecisive. Concerning this, 'Abbas ibn Mirdas ⁴² said: "And 'Akk ibn 'Adnan, who played With Ghassan until they were driven out in every direction." He said: So they departed from them and dispersed throughout the land. The family of Jafna ⁴³ ibn 'Amr ibn 'Amir settled in Syria; the Aws and Khazraj settled in Yathrib ⁴⁴; Khuza'a settled in Marr ⁴⁵; Azd al-Sarat ⁴⁶ settled in al-Sarat ⁴⁷; and Azd 'Uman ⁴⁸ settled in 'Uman ⁴⁹. Then Allah sent the flood upon the dam, destroying it. Concerning this, Allah revealed these verses. Similar reports have been narrated from al-Suddi. According to another narration from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, 'Amr ibn 'Amir was a soothsayer. Others said: His wife Tarifa bint al-Khayr al-Himyariyya ⁵⁰ was a soothsayer, and she was informed of the imminent destruction of their land. It seems they saw evidence of this in the rat that was set upon their dam, so they did what they did. And Allah knows best. I have mentioned his story in detail from 'Ikrima ⁵¹ in what Ibn Abi Hatim ⁵² narrated in the Tafsir ⁵³.

Section: Not all of Saba' left Yemen when they were struck by the flood of al-'Arim ⁵⁴; rather, most of them remained there, while the people of Ma'rib, who owned the dam, left and dispersed throughout the lands. This is the implication of the previously mentioned hadith from Ibn 'Abbas that not all the tribes of Saba' left Yemen; rather, only four of them left, while six remained in Yemen: Madhhij, Kinda, Anmar, and the Ash'aris. Anmar is the father of Khath'am, Bajila, and Himyar. These six tribes of Saba' remained in Yemen, and kingship and the Tababi'a ⁵⁵ continued among them until the king of Abyssinia stripped them of that with the army he sent with his two commanders Abraha and Aryat, for about seventy years. Then Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari regained it, and that was shortly before the birth of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as we will detail soon, if Allah Almighty wills. In Him is trust and upon Him is reliance. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent 'Ali, Khalid ibn al-Walid, then Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and Mu'adh ibn Jabal to the people of Yemen, and they called to Allah Almighty and clarified the proofs to them. Then al-Aswad al-'Ansi ⁵⁶ overpowered Yemen and expelled the deputies of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from it. When al-Aswad was killed, the Islamic hand became established over it during the days of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him. The story of Rabi'a ibn Nasr ibn Abi Haritha ibn 'Amr ibn 'Amir al-Lakhmi, previously mentioned. Thus mentioned Ibn Ishaq. Al-Suhayli said: The genealogists of Yemen say: Nasr ibn Rabi'a. He is Rabi'a ibn Nasr ibn al-Harith ibn Numara ibn Lakhm. Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said: Rabi'a ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Shu'udh ibn Malik ibn 'Ajm ibn 'Amr ibn Numara ibn Lakhm. Lakhm is the brother of Judham, and he was named Lakhm because he slapped (lakham) his brother on the cheek, so the other bit his hand and cut it off (jadhamaha), so he was named Judham. Rabi'a was one of the kings of Himyar, the Tababi'a, and his story with Shiqq and Satih, the two soothsayers, and their warning about the coming of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. As for Satih, his name is Rabi' ibn Rabi'a ibn Mas'ud ibn Mazin ibn Dhi'b ibn 'Adi ibn Mazin Ghassan. As for Shiqq, he is ibn Sa'b ibn Yashkur ibn Ruhm ibn Afrak ibn Qays ibn 'Abqar ibn Anmar ibn Nizar. Some say Anmar ibn Arash ibn Lahyan ibn 'Amr ibn al-Ghawth ibn Nabt ibn Malik ibn Zayd ibn Kahlan ibn Saba'. It is said that Satih had no limbs, but was like a mat (satiha), with his face in his chest, and when he became angry, he would swell up and sit. Shiqq was half a human, and it is said that Khalid ibn 'Abdullah al-Qasri was from his lineage. Al-Suhayli mentioned that they were born on the same day, which was the day Tarifa bint al-Khayr al-Himyariyya died, and it is said that she spat into each of their mouths, so they inherited soothsaying from her. She was the wife of 'Amr ibn 'Amir, previously mentioned. And Allah knows best. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Rabi'a ibn Nasr was a king of Yemen among the kings of the Tababi'a, and he saw a vision that alarmed and distressed him. He summoned every soothsayer, sorcerer, augur, and astrologer in his kingdom and said to them: 'I have seen a vision that alarmed and distressed me; tell me about it and its interpretation.' They said: 'Relate it to us, and we will tell you its interpretation.' He said: 'If I tell you, I will not be reassured by your interpretation, because only one who knows it before I tell him can interpret it.' A man among them said: 'If the king wishes this, let him send for Shiqq and Satih, for no one is more knowledgeable than them; they will inform him of what he asks.' So he sent for them. Satih came to him before Shiqq, and he said: 'I have seen a vision that alarmed and distressed me; tell me about it, for if you get it right, you will get its interpretation.' He said: 'I will. I saw an ember ⁵⁷ come out of darkness, fall upon a lowland ⁵⁸, and eat every creature with a skull ⁵⁹.' The king said: 'You have missed nothing of it, O Satih. What do you have for its interpretation?' He said: 'I swear by what is between the two lava fields ⁶⁰ of snakes, the Abyssinians will descend upon your land and rule from Abyan to Jurash ⁶¹.' The king said: 'O Satih, this is indeed distressing and painful for us. When will it happen? In my time or after?' He said: 'No, by your father, after a while, more than sixty or seventy years.' He said: 'Will their rule persist or end?' He said: 'It will end after seventy-some years, then they will be killed and driven out fleeing.' He said: 'Who will accomplish that killing and expulsion?' He said: 'Iram Dhi Yazan ⁶² will accomplish it; he will come out against them from Aden and leave none of them in Yemen.' He said: 'Will his rule persist or end?' He said: 'It will end.' He said: 'Who will end it?' He said: 'A pure prophet, 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 last will be gathered, 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, the night, and the dawn when it spreads, what I have told you is true.' Then Shiqq came to him, and he said to him as he had said to Satih, concealing what Satih had said, to see if they would agree or differ. He said: 'Yes, I saw an ember come out of darkness, fall between a meadow and a hillock, and eat every living creature ⁶³.' When he said that, he knew they had agreed and their words were the same, except that Satih said 'fell upon a lowland and ate every creature with a skull' and Shiqq said 'fell between a meadow and a hillock and ate every living creature.' The king said: 'You have missed nothing of it, O Shiqq. What do you have for its interpretation?' He said: 'I swear by what is between the two lava fields of humans, the blacks ⁶⁴ will descend upon your land, overcome every tender-fingered ⁶⁵ one, and rule from Abyan to Najran.' The king said: 'By your father, O Shiqq, this is indeed distressing and painful for us. When will it happen? In my time or after?' He said: 'No, after a time. Then a great one of Dhu Shan ⁶⁶ will rescue you from them and make them taste the severest humiliation.' He said: 'Who is this great one?' He said: 'A youth, neither base nor effeminate ⁶⁷, who will come out against them from the house of Dhi Yazan.' He said: 'Will his rule persist or end?' He said: 'It will end with a sent messenger, who brings truth and justice, from 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 that the living and dead will hear, and people will be gathered for the appointed time; for those who fear Allah, there will be success and good things.' He said: 'Is what you say true?' He said: 'Yes, by the Lord of heaven and earth and what is between them of height and depth, what I have told you is true, without doubt.' Ibn Ishaq said: So what they said settled in the mind of Rabi'a ibn Nasr, and he prepared his sons and household for Iraq, writing to a king of Persia called Sabur ibn Khurrazadh, who settled them in al-Hira.

Ibn Ishaq said: Among the remaining descendants of Rabi'a ibn Nasr was al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir, ibn al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir, ibn 'Amr ibn 'Adi, ibn Rabi'a ibn Nasr—meaning the one who was the governor of al-Hira for the kings of the Persians ⁶⁸, and the Arabs would come to him and praise him. This statement of Muhammad ibn Ishaq, that al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir was from the lineage of Rabi'a ibn Nasr, is what most people say. Ibn Ishaq also narrated that when the sword of al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir was brought to the Commander of the Faithful 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, he asked Jubayr ibn Mut'im about his lineage. Jubayr said: "He is from the remnants ⁶⁹ of Qunus ibn Ma'add ibn 'Adnan." Ibn Ishaq said: God knows best which of these was correct. The story of Tubba' ⁷⁰ Abu Karib Tiban As'ad, the king of Yemen, with the people of Medina, and how he intended to invade the Sacred House ⁷¹, then honored and venerated it, and clothed it with garments—he was the first to clothe it. Ibn Ishaq said: When Rabi'a ibn Nasr died, the entire rule of Yemen reverted to Hassan ibn Tiban As'ad Abu Karib. Tiban As'ad is the later Tubba', son of Kulkari Karib ⁷² ibn Zayd, and Zayd is the first Tubba', son of 'Amr Dhu al-Adh'ar, ibn Abraha Dhu al-Manar, ibn al-Ra'ish ⁷³, ibn 'Adi, ibn Sayfi, ibn Saba' al-Asghar, ibn Ka'b Kahf al-Zulam, ibn Zayd, ibn Sahl, ibn 'Amr, ibn Qays ⁷⁴, ibn Mu'awiya, ibn Jusham, ibn 'Abd Shams, ibn Wa'il, ibn al-Ghawth, ibn Qatan, ibn 'Urayb, ibn Zuhayr ibn Ayman ⁷⁵ ibn al-Hamaysa' ibn al-'Aranjaj ⁷⁶—and al-'Aranjaj is Himyar ibn Saba' al-Akbar, ibn Ya'rub ibn Yashjub ibn Qahtan. 'Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham said: Saba' ibn Yashjub ibn Ya'rub ibn Qahtan ⁷⁷. Ibn Ishaq said: Tiban As'ad Abu Karib is the one who came to Medina and brought the two rabbis ⁷⁸ from the Jews to Yemen, and he built the Sacred House and clothed it. His reign was before the reign of Rabi'a ibn Nasr. He had set his route, when returning from the campaign to the land of the East ⁷⁹, through Medina. He had passed by it on his way out and did not harm its people, but left a son of his among them who was killed by treachery. So he came to it intending to destroy it, exterminate its people, and cut down its palm trees. The clan of the Ansar ⁸⁰ gathered against him, led by 'Amr ibn Tallah ⁸¹, a brother of Banu al-Najjar, then one of Banu 'Amr ibn Mabdhul. The name of Mabdhul is 'Amir ibn Malik ibn al-Najjar, and al-Najjar's name is Taym Allah ibn Tha'laba ibn 'Amr ibn al-Khazraj ibn Haritha ibn Tha'laba ibn 'Amr ibn 'Amir. Ibn Hisham said: 'Amr ibn Tallah is 'Amr ibn Mu'awiya ibn 'Amr ibn 'Amir ibn Malik ibn al-Najjar, and Tallah is his mother, the daughter of 'Amir ibn Zurayq al-Khazrajiyya. Ibn Ishaq said: A man from Banu 'Adi ibn al-Najjar, called Ahmar, attacked a man from Tubba''s companions whom he found cutting a palm branch ⁸² for himself, struck him with his sickle and killed him, saying: "Dates belong only to the one who pollinated them." This increased Tubba''s rage against them, and they fought. The Ansar claim that they fought him by day and entertained him by night, which pleased him, and he said: "By God, our people are indeed noble!" Ibn Ishaq narrated from the Ansar that Tubba''s rage was actually against the Jews, and that they [the Ansar] prevented him from attacking them. Al-Suhayli said: It is said that he only came to support the Ansar, his cousins, against the Jews who had settled among them in Medina on certain conditions, but they did not fulfill them and became oppressive. God knows best. Ibn Ishaq said: While Tubba' was engaged in fighting them, two rabbis from the Jewish rabbis of Banu Qurayza, learned and deeply rooted [in knowledge], came to him when they heard what he intended to do—destroying Medina and its people. They said to him: "O king, do not do it, for if you insist on what you intend, something will come between you and it, and we do not feel safe from immediate punishment ⁸³ upon 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 ⁸⁴, from Quraysh, at the end of time. It will be his home and his abode." So he desisted from that, and he saw that they had knowledge, and he was pleased with what he heard from them. He left Medina and followed them in their religion. 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 ⁸⁵, a group from Hudhayl ibn Mudrika ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar ibn Nizar ibn Ma'add ibn 'Adnan came to him and said: "O king, shall we guide you to a ruined treasure house ⁸⁶ 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 Hudhali men only intended his destruction by that, knowing that whoever intended it and acted unjustly there would perish. When he resolved to do what they said, he sent for the two rabbis and asked them about that. They said: "The people only intended your destruction and the destruction of your army. We know of no house that God Almighty has taken for Himself on earth other than it. If you do what they invite you to, you will surely perish, and all those with you will perish." He said: "What do you command me to do when I come to it?" 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 God, it is indeed the house of our father Abraham, peace be upon him, 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. He recognized their sincerity and the truth of their words, and he brought the group from Hudhayl and cut off their hands and feet. Then he proceeded until he entered Mecca, 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 ⁸⁷. Then he saw in a dream that he should clothe it with something better, so he clothed it with Ma'afir garments ⁸⁸. Then he saw that he should clothe it with something better, so he clothed it with fine white cloth and striped Yemeni cloth ⁸⁹. Thus Tubba', as they claim, was the first to clothe the House. He entrusted it to his governors from Jurhum and commanded them to purify it, not to bring near it blood, a corpse, or a menstruation cloth ⁹⁰, and he made for it a door and a key. Concerning this, Subay'a bint al-Ahabb said, reminding her son Khalid ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym ibn Murra ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib and forbidding him from transgression in Mecca, and mentioning to him what happened with Tubba' there: "O my son, do not wrong in Mecca, neither the small nor the great. Guard its sacred things, my son, and let not the deceiver deceive you. O my son, whoever wrongs in Mecca will meet the ends of evils. O my son, his face will be struck, and the fire will scorch his cheeks. O my son, I have tried it and found that its wrongdoer perishes. God has made it secure, and no palaces are built in its courtyard. God has made its birds secure, and the mountain goats are safe in Thabir. Tubba' invaded it and clothed its structure with the fine garment. My Lord humiliated his kingdom there, so he fulfilled his vows. He walked to it barefoot, with a thousand camels in its courtyard. He fed its people with the meat of young camels and slaughtered camels. He gave them strained honey and barley drink ⁹¹. And the elephant ⁹²—its army was destroyed, pelted with stones. The kingdom is in the farthest lands, among the non-Arabs and the Khazir ⁹³. So listen when stories are told, and understand how matters end."

Ibn Ishaq said: Then Tubba' set out heading to Yemen with the troops that were with him and the two rabbis, until when he entered Yemen, he called his people to adopt what he had adopted, but they refused until they would refer the matter to 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 doing so, saying: 'You shall not enter it against us, having abandoned our religion.' He called them to his religion and said: 'It is better than your religion.' They said: 'Will you refer the matter to the fire?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: There was in Yemen, as the people of Yemen claim, a fire that judged between them in their disputes; it would seize the wrongdoer and not harm 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 ⁹⁴ hanging from their necks, until they sat before the fire at its outlet from which it emerged. The fire came out toward them, and when it approached them, they swerved away from it, fearing it. Then those present among the people urged them on and commanded them to be patient before it, so they were patient until it enveloped them and consumed the idols and what they had brought with them, as well as those men of Himyar who carried that. The two rabbis came out with their scriptures hanging from their necks, their foreheads sweating, but it did not harm them. So at that, Himyar agreed to their religion, and from that came the origin of Judaism in Yemen. Ibn Ishaq said: A narrator told me that the two rabbis and those of Himyar who went out only followed the fire to repel it, and they said: 'Whoever repels it is more deserving of the truth.' So the men of Himyar approached it with their idols to repel it, but it drew near to consume them, so they swerved away and could not repel it. Then the two rabbis approached it after that and began reciting the Torah, and it recoiled from them until they drove it back to its outlet from which it had emerged. So at that, Himyar agreed to their religion. And God knows best which of these accounts is correct. Ibn Ishaq said: There was Ri'am ⁹⁵, a temple of theirs which they venerated and at which they sacrificed, and from which they would speak while they were still in their polytheism. The two rabbis said to Tubba': 'It is only a devil that tempts them with that, so decide between us and it.' He said: 'Deal with it as you wish.' So they brought out from it, as the people of Yemen claim, a black dog and slaughtered it, then demolished that temple. Its traces remain to this day—as was mentioned to me—with marks of the blood that used to be poured upon it. We have mentioned in the Tafsir ⁹⁶ the hadith narrated from the Prophet, peace be upon him: 'Do not revile Tubba', for he had embraced Islam.' Al-Suhayli said: Ma'mar related from Hammam ibn Munabbih from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, said: 'Do not revile As'ad al-Himyari, for he was the first to clothe the Ka'ba.' Al-Suhayli said: Tubba' composed poetry when the two rabbis informed him about the Messenger of God, peace be upon him: 'I bear witness that Ahmad is a messenger from God, the Creator of souls. If my life were extended to his lifetime, I would be his minister and cousin, and I would strive with the sword against his enemies, and relieve his heart of every worry.' He said: This poetry continued to be inherited by the Ansar ⁹⁷ and they preserved it among themselves, and it was with Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, may God be pleased with him and grant him His pleasure. Al-Suhayli said: Ibn Abi al-Dunya mentioned in the Book of Graves that a grave was dug in Sana'a, and in it were found two women with a silver tablet inscribed in gold, containing: 'This is the grave of Lamis and Hubba, the two daughters of Tubba', who died while bearing witness that there is no god but God alone, with no partner, and upon that the righteous before them died.' Then the kingship after that passed to Hassan ibn Tubban As'ad, who was the brother of al-Yamama az-Zarqa', who was crucified at the gate of the city of Jaww, and from that day it was called al-Yamama. Ibn Ishaq said: When his son Hassan ibn Abi Karib Tubban As'ad became king, he marched with the people of Yemen intending to tread with them the land of the Arabs and the land of the Persians, until when they were in some part of the land of Iraq, Himyar and the tribes of Yemen disliked marching with him and wanted to return to their land and families. They spoke to a brother of his named '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.' He agreed to them, and they all agreed on that except Dhu Ru'ayn al-Himyari, who forbade 'Amr from that, but he did not accept from him. So Dhu Ru'ayn wrote a note containing these two verses: 'Oh, who will buy sleeplessness for sleep? Fortunate is he who spends the night with a tranquil eye. As for Himyar, they betrayed and acted treacherously, so the excuse of God is with Dhu Ru'ayn.' Then he entrusted it to 'Amr. When 'Amr killed his brother Hassan and returned to Yemen, sleep was prevented from him and sleeplessness was imposed upon him. He consulted physicians and diviners among the soothsayers and fortune-tellers about his condition, and it was said to him: 'By God, no man has ever killed his brother or a close relative unjustly without losing his sleep and being afflicted with sleeplessness.' So at that, he began to kill everyone who had commanded him to kill his brother. When he came to Dhu Ru'ayn, he said to him: 'I have a discharge from you.' He said: 'What is it?' He said: 'The writing that I gave you.' So he brought it out, and there were the two verses, so he spared him and saw that he had advised him. 'Amr perished, and the affair of Himyar became confused and they dispersed. The usurpation of Lakhnī'a Dhu Shanatir over the kingdom of Yemen, after he had ruled it for twenty-seven years. Ibn Ishaq said: A man from Himyar, not from the royal houses, called Lakhnī'a Yanuf Dhu Shanatir, rose against them, killed their best men, and violated the houses of the royal family among them. He was, moreover, a debauched man who practiced the deeds of the people of Lot ⁹⁸. He would send for a boy from among the sons of kings and would have intercourse with him in an upper chamber he had built for that purpose, so that he would not be able to rule afterward. Then he would look out from that upper chamber to his guards and those present among his troops, having taken a tooth-stick and placed it in his mouth, to inform them that he had finished with him. Until he sent for Zur'a Dhu Nuwas ibn Tubban As'ad, the brother of Hassan, who had been a small child when his brother Hassan was killed, and then grew up to be a handsome, comely youth of good appearance and intelligence. 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 feet and his sandal. Then he went to him, and when he was alone with him, he leaped at him, and Dhu Nuwas wrestled with him and stabbed him until he killed him. Then he cut off his head and placed it in the window from which he used to look out, and placed his tooth-stick in his mouth. Then he went out to the people, and they said to him: 'O Dhu Nuwas, is it ripe or dry?' He said: 'Neither, it is a fresh ripe one, no harm.' So they looked at the window and saw the head of Lakhnī'a cut off. They went out in pursuit of Dhu Nuwas until they caught up with him, and said: 'No one else should rule us, since you have relieved us of this vile man.' So they made him king over them, and Himyar and the tribes of Yemen united behind him. He was the last of the kings of Himyar, and he called himself Yusuf. He remained in his kingship for a time, and in Najran there were remnants of the followers of the religion of Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him, following the Gospel, people of virtue and uprightness among their coreligionists, having a leader called 'Abdullah ibn al-Thamir.

Then Ibn Ishaq mentioned the reason for the people of Najran entering the Christian religion, and that this occurred at the hands of a man called Faymiyun ⁹⁹, who was among the Christian ascetics in the regions of Syria, and his supplications were answered. He was accompanied by a man called Salih. They would worship on Sunday, and Faymiyun would work in construction for the rest of the week. He would pray for the sick, the chronically ill, and those with afflictions, and they would be healed. Then some Bedouins captured him and his companion and sold them in Najran. The one who bought Faymiyun saw that when he stood in his place of prayer at night, the house would be filled with light, and he was amazed by this. The people of Najran used to worship a tall palm tree, hanging their women's jewelry on it and devoting themselves to it. Faymiyun said to his master: 'What do you think? If I pray to God against this tree and it perishes, will you know that what you are following is false?' He said: 'Yes.' So the people of Najran were gathered, and Faymiyun stood in his place of prayer and prayed to God against it. God sent a violent wind against it, uprooting it from its base and casting it to the ground. So the people of Najran followed him.

1. Bilqīs : The Queen of Sheba, mentioned in the Quran and Islamic tradition.
2. Sayl al-ʿArim : The flood of the dam, referring to the catastrophic flood that destroyed the Ma'rib dam.
3. Salaf : The early generations of Muslims, including the Companions and their followers.
4. Khalaf : Later generations of Muslims after the Salaf.
5. Ma'rib : An ancient city in Yemen, capital of the Sabaean kingdom, known for its great dam.
6. Saba' ibn Yarub : Legendary ancestor of the Sabaeans, son of Yarub.
7. Himyar : An ancient South Arabian tribe and kingdom that succeeded Saba'.
8. Farsakh : A unit of distance, approximately 3-4 miles.
9. Qatada : Qatada ibn Di'ama al-Sadusi, a prominent early Muslim exegete and traditionist.
10. Ibn 'Abbas : Abdullah ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad and a renowned Quran commentator.
11. Mujahid : Mujahid ibn Jabr, a prominent early Quran exegete and student of Ibn Abbas.
12. Arāk : A tree (Salvadora persica) whose twigs are used as miswak (toothbrush).
13. Barīr : The fruit of the arāk tree.
14. Ṭarfā' : Tamarisk, a shrub or small tree with slender branches.
15. Nabq : The fruit of the lote tree (Ziziphus spina-christi).
16. Hijaz : The western region of Arabia, including Mecca and Medina.
17. Khuza'a : An Arab tribe that settled in Mecca after leaving Yemen.
18. Medina al-Munawwara : The illuminated city, i.e., Medina, the city of the Prophet.
19. Banu Qaynuqa' : A Jewish tribe in Medina, expelled by the Prophet Muhammad.
20. Banu Qurayza : A Jewish tribe in Medina, executed after the Battle of the Trench.
21. Banu al-Nadir : A Jewish tribe in Medina, expelled by the Prophet Muhammad.
22. Aws : An Arab tribe in Medina, later became Ansar (helpers) of the Prophet.
23. Khazraj : An Arab tribe in Medina, later became Ansar.
24. Ghassan : An Arab tribe that settled in Syria and became Christian, known as Ghassanids.
25. 'Amila : An Arab tribe that settled in Syria.
26. Bahra' : An Arab tribe that settled in Syria.
27. Lakhm : An Arab tribe that settled in Syria and Iraq, known as Lakhmids.
28. Judham : An Arab tribe that settled in Syria.
29. Tanukh : An Arab tribe that settled in Syria.
30. Taghlib : An Arab tribe that settled in Syria and Iraq.
31. Abu 'Ubayda : Abu 'Ubayda Ma'mar ibn al-Muthanna, a philologist and historian.
32. Sira : Biography of the Prophet Muhammad.
33. 'Amr ibn 'Amir al-Lakhmi : Legendary figure said to have left Yemen before the flood.
34. Udad : Ancestor of the Arab tribes, son of Zayd.
35. Humaysa' : Ancestor of the Arab tribes.
36. Yashjub : Ancestor of the Arab tribes.
37. Kahlan : Ancestor of the South Arabian tribes.
38. Ibn Hisham : Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham, compiler of the Sira of the Prophet.
39. Abu Zayd al-Ansari : A narrator of traditions, possibly Abu Zayd Sa'id ibn Aws al-Ansari.
40. Azd : A large South Arabian tribe that migrated north.
41. 'Akk : An Arab tribe in Yemen.
42. 'Abbas ibn Mirdas : A companion of the Prophet and poet.
43. Jafna : Ancestor of the Ghassanid dynasty.
44. Yathrib : The ancient name of Medina.
45. Marr : A place near Mecca, possibly Marr al-Zahran.
46. Azd al-Sarat : A branch of the Azd tribe that settled in the Sarat mountains.
47. al-Sarat : A mountain range in western Arabia.
48. Azd 'Uman : A branch of the Azd tribe that settled in Oman.
49. 'Uman : Oman, a region in southeastern Arabia.
50. Tarifa bint al-Khayr al-Himyariyya : Wife of 'Amr ibn 'Amir, said to be a soothsayer.
51. 'Ikrima : Ikrima, a freed slave of Ibn Abbas and a Quran exegete.
52. Ibn Abi Hatim : Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi, a hadith scholar and author of a Tafsir.
53. Tafsir : Quranic exegesis.
54. سَيْلِ الْعَرِمِ : The flood of al-'Arim: the catastrophic flood that destroyed the Ma'rib Dam, mentioned in the Quran (Saba': 16).
55. التَّبَابِعَةُ : The Tababi'a: plural of Tubba', the title of the kings of Himyar in Yemen.
56. الْأَسْوَدُ الْعَنْسِيُّ : Al-Aswad al-'Ansi: a false prophet who rebelled against Islam in Yemen during the lifetime of the Prophet.
57. حُمَمَةً : Ember: a piece of burning coal or charcoal; here used symbolically.
58. تَهَمَةٍ : Tihama: the lowland coastal region of western Arabia.
59. جُمْجُمَةٍ : Skull: here meaning every creature with a head, i.e., living beings.
60. الْحَرَّتَيْنِ : The two lava fields: refers to the volcanic terrain of Medina and its surroundings.
61. أَبْيَنَ إِلَى جُرَش : Abyan and Jurash: regions in Yemen.
62. إِرَمُ ذِي يَزَنَ : Iram Dhi Yazan: a Himyarite king, also known as Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan.
63. نَسَمَةٍ : Living creature: literally 'breathing being'.
64. السُّودَانُ : The blacks: referring to the Abyssinians.
65. طَفْلَةِ الْبَنَانِ : Tender-fingered: a metaphor for delicate women or children.
66. ذُوشان : Dhu Shan: a title meaning 'possessor of dignity'.
67. مُدَنٍّ : Effeminate: one who is soft or lacking in manliness.
68. al-Akasira : The Persian kings of the Sasanian dynasty.
69. ashla' : Remnants or scattered descendants of a tribe.
70. Tubba' : Title of Himyarite kings of Yemen, meaning 'follower' or 'successor'.
71. al-Bayt al-Haram : The Sacred House, i.e., the Kaaba in Mecca.
72. Kulkari Karib : A Himyarite king; the name is uncertain.
73. al-Ra'ish : A Himyarite king; the name means 'the one who enriches'.
74. Qays : A name; here part of a genealogy.
75. Ayman : A name; here part of a genealogy.
76. al-'Aranjaj : A name; identified as Himyar ibn Saba'.
77. Saba' ibn Yashjub ibn Ya'rub ibn Qahtan : Alternate genealogy for Saba'.
78. al-habrani : Two rabbis or learned Jewish scholars.
79. bilad al-mashriq : The land of the East, possibly referring to Iraq or Persia.
80. al-Ansar : The Helpers, the Medinan tribes who supported the Prophet Muhammad.
81. 'Amr ibn Tallah : A leader of the Ansar; Tallah is his mother's name.
82. yajuddu 'adhaqan : Cutting a palm branch for dates.
83. ajil al-'uquba : Immediate punishment or divine retribution.
84. hadha al-haram : This Sanctuary, i.e., Mecca.
85. 'Usfan wa Amaj : Two locations between Mecca and Medina.
86. bayt mal dathir : A ruined treasure house or ancient temple.
87. al-khasaf : Palm-leaf mats or coarse cloth.
88. al-ma'afir : Garments from Ma'afir, a region in Yemen.
89. al-mula' wa al-wasa'il : Fine white cloth and striped Yemeni cloth.
90. muthla : A menstruation cloth or impurity.
91. al-rahid min al-sha'ir : Barley drink or gruel.
92. al-fil : The elephant; reference to the Abyssinian attack on Mecca (Year of the Elephant).
93. al-Khazir : A place or people; possibly a region in Persia.
94. masahif : Plural of mus'haf, meaning copies of the Torah or scripture.
95. Ri'am : A pre-Islamic temple or sanctuary in Yemen, associated with idol worship.
96. Tafsir : Exegesis or commentary on the Quran.
97. Ansar : The Helpers, the inhabitants of Medina who supported the Prophet Muhammad after his migration.
98. qawm Lut : The people of Lot, known for homosexual practices, as mentioned in the Quran.
99. Faymiyun : A Christian ascetic and missionary, possibly a historical figure associated with the Christianization of Najran.

He mentioned the departure of the kingship from Himyar in Yemen and its transfer to the…

He mentioned the departure of the kingship from Himyar in Yemen and its transfer to the Abyssinians of the Sudan, as foretold by the two soothsayers Shiqq and Satih [1].

the religion of Christianity, and brought them under the law of the Gospel until there occurred among them the events that befell the people of their religion in every land. From that time, Christianity was in Najran in the land of the Arabs. Then Ibn Ishaq mentioned the story of 'Abdullah ibn al-Thamir when he became Christian at the hands of Faymiyun, and how Dhu Nuwas killed him and his companions and threw them into the ditch ¹. Ibn Hisham said: It is the elongated trench in the ground like a moat. He kindled fire in it and burned them with it, and killed others until he killed nearly twenty thousand, as is fully detailed in the interpretation of Surah (By the Sky with the Constellations) ² from our book of Tafsir, and praise be to God. Mention of the transfer of kingship in Yemen from Himyar to the Abyssinians of the Sudan, as foretold by the two soothsayers Shiqq and Satih. That is because only one man from the people of Najran survived, called Daws Dhu Tha'laban, on his horse; he took to the sands and escaped them, and went on his way until he came to Caesar, the king of Rome, and sought his help against Dhu Nuwas and his armies, informing him of what had befallen them, because he was a Christian following their religion. Caesar said to him: Your land is far from us, but I will write to the king of Abyssinia, for he follows this religion and is closer to your land. So he wrote to him commanding him to aid him and seek vengeance for him. Daws then came to the Negus ³ with Caesar's letter, and he sent with him seventy thousand Abyssinians, appointing over them a man called Aryat, and with him in his army was Abraha al-Ashram. Aryat sailed the sea until he landed on the coast of Yemen, accompanied by Daws, and Dhu Nuwas marched against him with Himyar and those of the Yemeni tribes who obeyed him.

1. al-ukhdūd : The ditch or trench mentioned in the Quran (Surah al-Buruj) where the believers were thrown into fire.
2. Sūrat al-Burūj : Quranic chapter 85, 'The Constellations', which recounts the story of the people of the ditch.
3. al-Najāshī : The title of the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) at the time, known for granting asylum to early Muslims.

It mentions the rebellion of Abraha al-Ashram against Aryat, their disagreement and…

It mentions the rebellion of Abraha al-Ashram against Aryat, their disagreement and battle, and the transfer of the kingship of Yemen to Abraha after he killed Aryat.

When they met, Dhu Nuwas and his companions were defeated. When Dhu Nuwas saw what had befallen him and his people, he directed his horse into the sea, then struck it, and it entered, wading through the shallows of the sea until it reached deep water. He then drove it into the depths, and that was the last seen of him. Aryat entered Yemen and took possession of it. Ibn Ishaq has mentioned here some poems of the Arabs concerning this strange event, which contain eloquence, sweetness, rhetoric, and charm, but we have refrained from citing them for fear of prolongation and weariness. And Allah is the one whose help is sought. Mention of the emergence of Abraha al-Ashram against Aryat, their dispute, their battle, and the transfer of the rule of Yemen to Abraha after he killed Aryat. Ibn Ishaq said: Aryat remained in the land of Yemen for years in that authority. Then Abraha contended with him until the Abyssinians split over them, each faction joining one of them. Then one marched against the other. When the armies drew near, Abraha sent to Aryat: "You will not achieve anything by pitting the Abyssinians against each other until you annihilate them. So come out to me, and I will come out to you. Whichever of us kills the other, his army will submit to him." Aryat replied: "You have been fair." So Abraha came out to him. He was a short, stout man, and he was religious in Christianity. Aryat came out to him; he was a handsome, great, tall man, holding a spear. Behind Abraha was a slave named Atuda, protecting his back. Aryat raised his spear and struck Abraha, aiming for his crown. The spear struck Abraha's forehead, splitting his eyebrow, eye, nose, and lip. For this reason he was called Abraha al-Ashram ¹. Then Atuda attacked Aryat from behind Abraha and killed him. Aryat's army submitted to Abraha, and the Abyssinians in Yemen united behind him. Abraha paid the blood money for Aryat.

1. al-Ashram : Al-Ashram means 'the one with a split or scarred face,' referring to the wound Abraha received in battle.

Mention of the reason why Abraha intended with the elephant to head for Mecca to destroy…

Mention of the reason why Abraha intended with the elephant to head for Mecca to destroy the Kaaba, and Allah destroyed him swiftly without delay.

When this reached the Negus ¹, the king of Abyssinia who had sent them to Yemen, he became extremely angry with Abraha and said: "He has transgressed against my commander and killed him without my order!" Then he swore that he would not leave Abraha until he had trodden his land and cut off his forelock. So Abraha shaved his head, filled a leather bag with soil from Yemen, and sent it to the Negus, along with a letter: "O king, Aryat was your servant, and I am your servant. We differed concerning your command, and each of us was obedient to you, except that I was stronger in managing the affairs of Abyssinia and more capable of controlling and governing it. When I learned of the king's oath, I shaved my entire head and sent to him a bag of soil from my land so that he may place it under his foot and thus fulfill his oath concerning me." When this reached the Negus, he was pleased and wrote to him: "Remain in the land of Yemen until my command reaches you." So Abraha stayed in Yemen. **Account of the reason for Abraha's advance with the elephant toward Mecca to destroy the Ka'ba, and how Allah destroyed him swiftly, without delay,** as Allah Almighty said: "Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant? Did He not make their plot go astray? And He sent against them birds in flocks, striking them with stones of baked clay, and made them like eaten straw." [Qur'an 105:1-5] It is said that the first to tame elephants was Afridun ² ibn Athfiyan, who killed al-Dahhak. This is stated by al-Tabari. He was also the first to make saddles for horses. As for the first to subdue horses and ride them, it was Tahmurath ³, the third king of the world. It is also said that the first to ride them was Isma'il ⁴ ibn Ibrahim, peace be upon them both, and it is possible that he was the first among the Arabs to ride them. And Allah Almighty knows best. It is said that the elephant, despite its massive size, is afraid of the cat. Some war commanders have devised a stratagem in fighting the Indians by bringing cats to the battlefield, causing the elephants to flee. Ibn Ishaq said: Then Abraha built al-Qullays ⁵ in San'a, a church the like of which had never been seen in any land at that time. He wrote to the Negus: "I have built for you a church such as no king before you has built, and I will not stop until I divert the pilgrimage of the Arabs to it." Al-Suhayli mentioned that Abraha humiliated the people of Yemen in building this vile church and subjected them to various forms of forced labor. Whoever delayed work until sunrise would inevitably have his hand cut off. He transported to it marble, stones, and great furnishings from the palace of Bilqis ⁶. He installed crosses of gold and silver, and placed pulpits of ivory and ebony. He made its height very great and its width magnificent. When Abraha later perished and the Abyssinians dispersed, anyone who attempted to take anything from its structure or furnishings was afflicted by the jinn with harm. This was because it was built in the name of two idols, Ku'ayb and his wife, each sixty cubits tall. The people of Yemen left it as it was. It remained thus until the time of al-Saffah ⁷, the first caliph of the Banu 'Abbas. He sent a group of resolute, prudent, and learned men who dismantled it stone by stone, and its traces have been erased to this day. Ibn Ishaq said: When the Arabs heard of Abraha's letter to the Negus, a man from the Nasi'a ⁸ of Kinana, who used to postpone the sacred month to a profane one in Mecca during the season, as we have explained regarding His words: "Indeed, the postponing [of the sacred months] is an increase in disbelief" [Qur'an 9:37], became angry. Ibn Ishaq said: The Kinani went out until he came to al-Qullays and defecated in it where no one could see him. Then he left and returned to his land. Abraha was informed of this and asked: "Who did this?" He was told: "A man from the people of this House in Mecca, which the Arabs pilgrimage to, did it when he heard your statement that you intend to divert the Arab pilgrimage to this church of yours. He became angry, came, and defecated in it, indicating that it is not worthy of that." At that, Abraha became angry and swore that he would march to the House and demolish it. Then he commanded the Abyssinians to prepare and equip themselves. Then he set out, taking the elephant with him. The Arabs heard of this and were greatly alarmed and distressed. They considered it their duty to fight him when they heard that he intended to destroy the Ka'ba, the Sacred House of Allah. A man from the nobles and kings of Yemen, called Dhu Nafr ⁹, went out to him. He called his people and those Arabs who responded to him to fight Abraha and strive in defense of the Sacred House of Allah against his intention to demolish and destroy it. Those who responded did so, then he confronted him and fought him. Dhu Nafr and his companions were defeated, and Dhu Nafr was captured and brought as a prisoner. When Abraha intended to kill him, Dhu Nafr said: "O king, do not kill me, for perhaps my survival with you may be better for you than killing me." So he spared him from death and kept him imprisoned in chains. Abraha was a forbearing man. Then Abraha continued on his way, intending what he had set out for, until when he was in the land of Khath'am, Nufayl ibn Habib al-Khath'ami confronted him with the two sub-tribes of Khath'am, Shahran and Nahis, and those who followed him from the Arab tribes. He fought him, but Abraha defeated him, and Nufayl was captured and brought to him. When he was about to kill him, Nufayl said: "O king, do not kill me, for I am your guide through the land of the Arabs. These two hands of mine are at your service for the two sub-tribes of Khath'am, Shahran and Nahis, in obedience and submission." So he released him and took him along as a guide. Until when he passed by al-Ta'if, Mas'ud ibn Mu'attib ibn Malik ibn Ka'b ibn 'Amr ibn Sa'd ibn 'Awf ibn Thaqif came out to him with men of Thaqif and said: "O king, we are your servants, listening and obedient. We have no opposition to you. Our house is not this house you intend"—meaning al-Lat ¹⁰—"you intend the house in Mecca, and we will send with you someone to guide you to it." So he spared them. Ibn Ishaq said: Al-Lat was a house of theirs in al-Ta'if which they venerated just as the Ka'ba was venerated. He said: So they sent with him Abu Righal ¹¹ to guide him on the road to Mecca. Abraha set out with Abu Righal until he camped at al-Mughammas ¹². When he camped there, Abu Righal died at that place, and the Arabs stoned his grave. That is the grave that people stone at al-Mughammas. In the story of Thamud, it is said that Abu Righal was a man from them who used to seek refuge in the Sacred Precinct. When he left it, a stone struck and killed him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to his companions: "The sign of that is that two branches of gold were buried with him." So they dug and found them. He said: He is the father of Thaqif. I say: The reconciliation between this and what Ibn Ishaq mentioned is that this later Abu Righal shared the name of his ancestor, and people stoned him just as they stoned the grave of the first. And Allah knows best. Jarir said: "When al-Farazdaq dies, stone him, as you stone the grave of Abu Righal." Apparently, it refers to the second. Ibn Ishaq said: When Abraha camped at al-Mughammas, he sent a man from the Abyssinians called al-Aswad ibn Maqsud ¹³ with cavalry until he reached Mecca. He drove away the livestock of Tihama from Quraysh and others, and among them he seized two hundred camels belonging to 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, who at that time was the elder and chief of Quraysh. Quraysh, Kinana, Hudhayl, and those who were in the Sacred Precinct intended to fight him, but then they realized they had no power against him and abandoned that.

Abraha sent Hunāṭa al-Ḥimyarī to Mecca and said to him: 'Ask about the chief and noble of this land, then tell him: The king says, I have not come to fight you; I have only come to destroy this House ¹⁴. If you do not oppose us in war, I have no need for your blood. If he does not wish to fight me, bring him to me.' When Hunāṭa entered Mecca, he asked about the chief and noble of Quraysh, and it was said to him: 'ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim.' He came to him and told him what Abraha had commanded. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said to him: 'By Allah, we do not wish to fight him, nor do we have the power for that. This is the Sacred House of Allah and the House of His Friend ¹⁵ Ibrāhīm, peace be upon him'—or words to that effect. 'If He prevents him from it, it is His Sanctuary and His House; but if He leaves him and it, by Allah we have no means to defend it.' Hunāṭa said to him: 'Then come with me to him, for he has commanded me to bring you to him.' So ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib went with him, along with some of his sons, until they came to the camp. He asked about Dhū Nafr ¹⁶, who was his friend, until he entered upon him while he was in his prison. He said: 'O Dhū Nafr, can you be of any avail in what has befallen us?' Dhū Nafr said: 'What avail can a man who is a prisoner in the hands of a king, expecting to be killed morning or evening, be? I have no avail in 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, magnify 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 may intercede for you with good if he can.' He said: 'That is enough for me.' So Dhū Nafr sent to Unays and said: 'Indeed, ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib is the chief of Quraysh and the master of the watering of Mecca ¹⁷; he feeds the people on the plain and the wild beasts on the mountaintops. The king has taken two hundred camels from him. So seek permission for him to see him and benefit him with what you can.' He said: 'I will do so.' Then Unays spoke to Abraha and said: 'O king, this is the chief of Quraysh at your door seeking permission to enter, and he is the master of the watering of Mecca; he feeds the people on the plain and the wild beasts on the mountaintops. So give him permission to see you and speak to you about his need.' So Abraha gave him permission. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib was the most handsome, greatest, and most beautiful of people. When Abraha saw him, he honored and respected him too much to seat him beneath him, and he disliked that the Abyssinians should see him seated with him on his throne. So Abraha descended from his throne and sat on his carpet, and seated him beside him on it. Then he said to his interpreter: 'Say to him: What is your need?' The interpreter said that to him, and he said: 'My need is that the king return to me the two hundred camels he has taken from me.' When he said that, Abraha said to his interpreter: 'Say to him: I was impressed by you when I saw you, but now I have lost interest in you when you spoke to me. Do you speak to me about two hundred camels I have taken from you, and leave a House that is your religion and the religion of your fathers, which I have come to destroy, and you do not speak to me about it?' ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said: 'I am the lord of the camels, and the House has a Lord who will protect it.' He said: 'It cannot be protected from me.' He said: 'You and that.' So he returned his camels to him. Ibn Isḥāq said: It is said that Yaʿmur ibn Nufātha ibn ʿAdī ibn al-Dīl ibn Bakr ibn ʿAbd Manāt ibn Kināna, chief of Banī Bakr, and Khuvaylid ibn Wāthila, chief of Hudhayl, entered with ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib upon Abraha and offered him a third of the wealth of Tihāma on condition that he return and not destroy the House, but he refused that. Allah knows best whether that happened or not. When they left him, ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib returned to Quraysh and told them the news, and ordered them to leave Mecca and take refuge in the mountaintops. Then ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib stood and took hold of the ring of the door of the Kaʿba, and with him stood a group of Quraysh, calling upon Allah and seeking His victory over Abraha and his army. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said, while holding the ring of the door of the Kaʿba: 'O Allah, a man protects his own riding beasts, so protect Your own riding beasts ¹⁸. Let not their cross and their cunning overcome Your cunning tomorrow. If You leave them and our affair, then it is as You will.' Ibn Hishām said: This is what is authentic of it. 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 peaks of the mountains to take refuge there, waiting for what Abraha would do. When morning came, Abraha prepared to enter Mecca, readied his elephant, and arrayed his army. The elephant's name was Maḥmūd. When they directed the elephant toward Mecca, Nufayl ibn Ḥabīb came and stood beside the elephant, then took its ear and said: 'Kneel, Maḥmūd, and return safely from where you came, for you are in the sacred land of Allah.' He released its ear, and the elephant knelt. Al-Suhaylī said: That is, it fell to the ground; it is not the habit of elephants to kneel, though it has been said that some do kneel like a camel. Allah knows best. Nufayl ibn Ḥabīb ran off until he ascended the mountain. They struck the elephant to make it rise, but it refused. They struck its head with a battle-axe to make it rise, but it refused. They inserted hooks into its underbelly and pricked it to make it rise, but it refused. They turned it back toward Yemen, and it rose 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. Allah sent upon them birds from the sea like swallows and [something like] colocynth ¹⁹; with each bird were three stones it carried: a 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 by which they had come, asking about Nufayl ibn Ḥabīb to guide them to the road to Yemen. Nufayl said concerning that: 'O Rudaynā ²⁰, may you be greeted from us; we have favored you with the morning eye. Rudaynā, if you had seen—but you will not see—what we saw by the side of al-Muḥaṣṣab ²¹, then you would excuse me and praise my affair, and not grieve over what passed between us. I praised Allah when I saw the birds, and feared stones thrown upon us. All the people ask about Nufayl, as if I owe a debt to the Abyssinians.' Ibn Isḥāq said: They went out falling along every road, dying in every place of death at every watering place. Abraha was afflicted in his body, and they carried him with them, his fingers falling off one by one; whenever a finger fell, it was followed by pus and blood, until they brought him to Ṣanʿāʾ, and 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 ibn ʿUtba told me that it was narrated that the first time measles and smallpox were seen in the land of the Arabs was that year, and the first time bitter plants—harmal ²², colocynth, and ʿushar ²³—were seen there was that year. Ibn Isḥāq said: When Allah sent Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, part of the favor and grace that Allah enumerated to Quraysh was what He turned away from them concerning the matter of the Abyssinians, for the preservation of their affair and their term. So He, exalted, said: 'Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant? Did He not make their plot go astray? And He sent against them birds in flocks, pelting them with stones of baked clay, and He made them like eaten straw.' Then Ibn Isḥāq and Ibn Hishām began to speak on the interpretation of this sūra and the one after it. We have expanded the discussion on that in our book of Tafsīr ²⁴ sufficiently, Allah willing, and to Him be praise and gratitude.

Ibn Hisham said: Al-Ababīl ²⁵ are groups, and the Arabs have not used a singular form that we know of. He said: As for As-Sijjīl ²⁶, Yunus al-Nahwi and Abu Ubayda informed me that according to the Arabs it means the extremely hard. He said: Some exegetes claimed that they are two Persian words that the Arabs made into one word, and that they are 'sanj' and 'gil', so 'sanj' is stone, and 'gil' is clay. He means stones from these two types: stone and clay. He said: Al-‘Asf ²⁷ is the leaves of crops that have not been cut. Al-Kisa'i said: I heard some grammarians say that the singular of Al-Ababīl is Ibbīl. Many of the Salaf ²⁸ said: Al-Ababīl are the flocks of birds that follow one another from here and there. From Ibn Abbas: They had beaks like the beaks of birds and paws like the paws of dogs. From Ikrimah: Their heads were like the heads of predators; they came out upon them from the sea and were green. Ubayd ibn Umayr said: They were black, sea birds, carrying stones in their beaks and claws. From Ibn Abbas: Their forms were like the 'Anqa' Mughrib ²⁹. From Ibn Abbas: The smallest stone among them was like the head of a human. Some of them were like camels. Thus Yunus ibn Bukayr mentioned it from Ibn Ishaq. It was also said: They were small, and Allah knows best. Ibn Abi Hatim said: Abu Zur'a narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Shayba narrated to us, Abu Mu'awiya narrated to us, from al-A'mash, from Abu Sufyan, from Ubayd ibn Umayr, who said: When Allah wanted to destroy the Companions of the Elephant, He sent upon them birds created from the sea, like swallows, each bird carrying three stones: two stones in its feet and one stone in its beak. They came until they lined up over their heads, then they cried out and dropped what was in their feet and beaks. No stone fell on a man's head except it came out from his anus, and no stone fell on any part of his body except it came out from the other side. And Allah sent a strong wind that struck the stones, increasing their force, and they were all destroyed. It has been mentioned earlier that Ibn Ishaq said: Not all of them were struck by the stones. Meaning, some of them returned to Yemen until they informed their people of the punishment that had befallen their people. They mentioned that Abraha returned, falling apart finger by finger, and when he reached Yemen, his chest split open and he died, may Allah curse him. Ibn Ishaq narrated: Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr narrated to me, from Amra, from Aisha, who said: I saw the elephant's driver and its keeper in Mecca, both blind and crippled, begging for food. It was mentioned earlier that the elephant's keeper was named Unays, but its driver was not named. And Allah knows best. Al-Naqqash mentioned in his Tafsir ³⁰ that the flood carried their corpses and threw them into the sea. Al-Suhayli said: The story of the Elephant occurred at the beginning of Muharram of the year 886 of the era of Dhul-Qarnayn ³¹. I say: In that year, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born according to the well-known view, and it was said that it was years before his birth, as we will mention, Allah willing, and in Him is trust. Then Ibn Ishaq mentioned the poems that the Arabs composed about this great event in which Allah supported His Sacred House, which He intended to honor, magnify, purify, and venerate through the mission of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the upright religion that would be legislated for him, one of whose pillars is prayer, indeed the support of his religion, and He would make his qibla ³² towards this purified Ka'ba. What He did to the Companions of the Elephant was not a victory for Quraysh at that time over the Christians, who were the Abyssinians, for the Abyssinians were then closer to them than the polytheists of Quraysh. Rather, it was a victory for the Sacred House, and a precursor and preparation for the mission of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Among that is what Abdullah ibn al-Ziba'ra al-Sahmi said: "They retreated from the valley of Mecca, for indeed it * has long been inviolable, its sanctuary not to be violated. The star Sirius was not created on the nights it was made sacred * when no powerful being among mankind sought to approach it. Ask the commander of the Abyssinians about it, what he saw * for soon the knowledgeable one will inform the ignorant. Sixty thousand did not return to their land * rather, none of them survived after returning. Ad and Jurhum were there before them * and Allah above the servants establishes it." And among that is the saying of Abu Qays ibn al-Aslat al-Ansari al-Madani: "And from His work on the day of the Abyssinian elephant * when every time they urged it, it knelt down. Their goads were under its belly * and they had slit its nose, so it was cut off. They made its whip a sharp blade * when they aimed at its back, it was wounded. So it turned and retreated in its tracks * and the one who was there was burdened with injustice. Then He sent upon them a storm of stones * and wrapped them up like the wrapping of a garment. Their priests urged patience * while they bleated like the bleating of sheep." And among that is the saying of Abu al-Salt Rabi'a ibn Abi Rabi'a Wahb ibn 'Ilaj al-Thaqafi. Ibn Hisham said: It is attributed to Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt: "Indeed, the signs of our Lord are brilliant * none disputes them except the disbeliever. He created the night and the day, and each * is clear, its account decreed. Then a merciful Lord brings forth the day * with a shining sun whose rays are spread. The elephant was detained at al-Mughammas until * it became hobbled as if it were maimed. Stuck in the ring of the collar, as if * it were a rock from Kabkab thrown down. Around it from the kings of Kinda were heroes * bold in wars, hawks. They abandoned it, then scattered all together * every one of them with a broken shin bone. Every religion on the Day of Judgment, with Allah * except the religion of al-Hanifiyya ³³, is doomed." And among that is the saying of Abu Qays ibn al-Aslat also: "So stand and pray to your Lord and wipe yourselves * with the corners of this House among the rugged hills. For you have from it a confirmed proof * on the morning of Abi Yaksum, the leader of the battalions. His battalion walked on the plain, and his foot * was on the high places at the top of the mountain passes. When the help of the Lord of the Throne came to you, He repelled them * the soldiers of the King between a plain and a storm. So they fled quickly, and none returned * to his family from the Abyssinians except scattered groups." And among that is the saying of Ubaydullah ibn Qays al-Ruqayyat about the greatness of the House and its protection through the destruction of those who intended it with evil: "Al-Ashram ³⁴ who came with the elephant plotted against it * but he turned back, his army defeated. The birds rained down upon them with stones * until he became as if stoned. Whoever among people attacks it returns * broken and despised among the armies." Ibn Ishaq and others said: When Abraha died, his son Yaksum ruled over Abyssinia after him, then after him his brother Masruq ibn Abraha, who was the last of their kings. It was he from whom Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari seized the kingdom with the army he brought from Kisra Anushirwan ³⁵. As will be explained later. The story of the Elephant occurred in Muharram of the year 886 of the era of Dhul-Qarnayn, who is Alexander II, son of Philip of Macedon, from whom the Romans date their era. When Abraha and his two sons perished, and the rule of the Abyssinians over Yemen ended, the Qullays ³⁶ that Abraha had built and intended to divert the pilgrimage of the Arabs to, due to his ignorance and lack of intellect, became deserted, with no inhabitant.

He had built it upon two idols, namely Ku'ayb and his wife, which were made of wood, each sixty cubits high in the sky, and they were accompanied by jinn. For this reason, no one dared to take anything from the construction of al-Qullays or its furnishings without being harmed by them. It remained thus until the days of al-Saffah, the first of the Abbasid caliphs, when its matter was mentioned to him, along with what it contained of furnishings and marble that Abraha had transported to it from the palace of Bilqis.

1. al-Najashi : Title of the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) during the time of the Prophet Muhammad; a just Christian king who gave refuge to Muslim emigrants.
2. Afridun : Legendary ancient Persian king, also known as Fereydun, who defeated the tyrant Zahhak (al-Dahhak).
3. Tahmurath : Legendary ancient Persian king, also known as Tahmuras, said to be the first to subdue demons and ride horses.
4. Isma'il : Prophet Ishmael, son of Abraham, considered an ancestor of the Arabs.
5. al-Qullays : A grand church built by Abraha in San'a, Yemen, intended to rival the Ka'ba in Mecca.
6. Bilqis : The Queen of Sheba, known in Islamic tradition as Bilqis, who visited Prophet Solomon.
7. al-Saffah : Abu al-'Abbas al-Saffah, the first caliph of the Abbasid dynasty (r. 750–754 CE).
8. Nasi'a : The practice of intercalating or postponing the sacred months in the pre-Islamic Arabian calendar; also refers to the tribe or family responsible for this.
9. Dhu Nafr : A nobleman from Yemen who opposed Abraha's campaign against Mecca.
10. al-Lat : A pre-Islamic Arabian goddess worshipped in Ta'if; her shrine was considered a rival to the Ka'ba.
11. Abu Righal : A guide from Thaqif who led Abraha's army to Mecca; his grave was stoned by Arabs as a curse.
12. al-Mughammas : A location near Mecca where Abraha's army camped before the attack on the Ka'ba.
13. al-Aswad ibn Maqsud : An Abyssinian commander sent by Abraha to raid the outskirts of Mecca.
14. al-Bayt : The House, referring to the Ka'ba in Mecca, the sacred sanctuary of Islam.
15. Khalīl : Friend; a title of Prophet Abraham (Ibrāhīm), who is called the Friend of Allah (Khalīl Allāh).
16. Dhū Nafr : A proper name; a man from the tribe of Himyar who was a friend of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib.
17. Ṣāḥib ʿAyn Makka : Master of the watering of Mecca; refers to the one responsible for providing water to the pilgrims, a role held by ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib.
18. Rīḥāl : Riding beasts; here metaphorically referring to the sacred things of Mecca, i.e., the Ka'ba and its sanctity.
19. Balasān : A type of plant, possibly colocynth or a similar bitter herb; used here to describe the birds.
20. Rudaynā : A woman's name; the poem is addressed to her, likely a beloved or a figure of speech.
21. al-Muḥaṣṣab : A place near Mecca, between Mina and Mecca, where pilgrims camp.
22. Ḥarmal : A bitter plant, Peganum harmala, used in traditional medicine.
23. ʿUshar : A plant, Calotropis procera, known for its bitter latex.
24. Tafsīr : Exegesis or commentary on the Qur'an.
25. al-Ababīl : Flocks or groups of birds; the singular is not attested in Arabic.
26. As-Sijjīl : Stones of baked clay; often interpreted as a Persian loanword meaning 'stone and clay'.
27. Al-‘Asf : The leaves or stalks of grain before they are cut.
28. Salaf : The early generations of Muslims, including the Companions and their successors.
29. 'Anqa' Mughrib : A mythical bird, often described as a large, rare bird; used here to indicate a strange or unknown form.
30. Tafsir : Exegesis or commentary on the Quran.
31. Dhul-Qarnayn : A figure mentioned in the Quran, often identified with Alexander the Great; his era was used for dating.
32. qibla : The direction of prayer for Muslims, initially toward Jerusalem, later changed to the Ka'ba in Mecca.
33. al-Hanifiyya : The monotheistic religion of Abraham, considered the original pure faith.
34. Al-Ashram : A nickname for Abraha, meaning 'the one with a slit nose'.
35. Kisra Anushirwan : The title of the Sassanid Persian king Khosrow I, known for his justice.
36. Qullays : A church built by Abraha in Yemen, intended to rival the Ka'ba.

He mentioned the departure of the king from Abyssinia and his return to Sayf ibn Dhi…

He mentioned the departure of the king from Abyssinia and his return to Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari [1].

He who was in Yemen, so he sent someone to demolish it stone by stone, and took all the goods and contents that were in it. ¹ Thus al-Suhayli mentioned it. And God knows best. Mention of the departure of kingship from Abyssinia and its return to Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari As the two soothsayers had informed Rabi'a ibn Nasr al-Lakhmi. Muhammad ibn Ishaq, may God have mercy on him, said: When Abraha, the king of Abyssinia, died, his son Yaksum ibn Abraha, by whom he was known, succeeded him. When Yaksum died, his brother Masruq ibn Abraha ruled Yemen from the Abyssinians. He said: When the affliction upon the people of Yemen became prolonged, Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari set out. He is Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan ibn Dhi Asbah ibn Malik 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 Arib ibn Zuhayr ibn Ayman ibn al-Hamaysa' ibn al-Aranjaj, and he is Himyar ibn Saba'. ² Sayf was known by the kunya Abu Murra. Until he arrived at Caesar, the king of Rome, and complained to him of what they were in, and asked him to expel them from it and to rule them himself, and to send to them whomever he wished of the Romans, so that the kingship of Yemen would be his. But he did not relieve him. ³ So he left until he came to al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir, who was Kisra's governor over al-Hira and the adjacent lands of Iraq, and complained to him about the matter of the Abyssinians. Al-Nu'man said to him: I have a delegation to Kisra every year, so stay with me until that time. He did so. Then he went out with him and brought him before Kisra. Kisra used to sit in the iwan ⁴ of his assembly hall, in which was his crown. His crown was like a great qunqul, ⁵ as they claim, set with rubies, emeralds, and pearls in gold and silver, suspended by a chain of gold at the top of an arch in that assembly hall. His neck could not bear his crown; he would be covered with clothes until he sat in that assembly hall, then he would insert his head into his crown. When he was settled in his seat, he would uncover the clothes, and no one who had not seen him before would see him without prostrating out of awe. When he entered upon him, he lowered his head. The king said: This is a fool; he enters upon me through this tall door and then lowers his head! This was said to Sayf, and he replied: I did this only because of my grief, for everything becomes too narrow for it. Then he said to him: O king, the westerners have overcome us in our land. Kisra said: Which westerners, the Abyssinians or the Sind? He said: Rather the Abyssinians. I have come to you so that you may help me, and the kingship of my land will be yours. Kisra said to him: Your land is distant, with little good in it. I would not expose an army from Persia to the land of the Arabs; I have no need for that. Then he gave him a gift of ten thousand full dirhams and clothed him with a fine garment. When Sayf received that from him, he went out and began to scatter those coins to the people. This reached the king, who said: This man has a matter. Then he sent for him and said: You take the king's gift and scatter it to the people! He said: What should I do with your gift? The mountains of my land, from which I came, are nothing but gold and silver—making it desirable to him. So Kisra gathered his marzubans ⁶ and said to them: What do you see regarding 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. He appointed over them a man from among them called Wahrz, who was advanced in age among them and the most noble in lineage and house. They set out in eight ships; two ships sank, and six ships reached the coast of Aden. Sayf gathered to Wahrz whomever he could from his people and said to him: My foot and your foot until we die together or triumph together. Wahrz said to him: You have been fair. Masruq ibn Abraha, the king of Yemen, went out against him and gathered his army. Wahrz sent a son of his to fight them to test their fighting, but Wahrz's son was killed, which increased his rage against them. When the people stood in their battle lines, Wahrz said: Show me their king. They said to him: Do you see a man on an elephant, with his crown bound on his head, between his eyes a red ruby? 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 left him a long time, then he said: What is he on? They said: On a mule. Wahrz said: The daughter of a donkey; he has become low, and his kingship has become low. 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 around him and crowding about him, then I have hit the man, so charge against them. Then he strung his bow, which, as they claim, no one else could string due to its strength, and ordered his two sides to be bandaged for him. Then he shot him, and the arrow struck the ruby between his eyes and penetrated into his head until it came out from the back of his neck. He fell from his mount, and the Abyssinians circled and crowded around him. The Persians charged against them, and they were defeated, killed, and fled in every direction. Wahrz advanced to enter San'a. When he came to its gate, he said: My banner shall never enter lowered; demolish this gate. So it was demolished, and he entered it with his banner raised. Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari said: "The people think that the two kings have become reconciled, / But whoever hears of their reconciliation, the matter has indeed become great. ⁷ We killed the qayl ⁸ Masruq, / And we watered the sand dune with blood. Indeed, the qayl, the qayl of the people, / And Wahrz divided a portion. He tastes a burning drink ⁹ until / He returns the captives and the blessings." The Arabs from the Hijaz and elsewhere came to Sayf to congratulate him on the return of kingship to him and praised him. Among those who came were Quraysh, including Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim. ¹⁰ Sayf gave him glad tidings of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and informed him of what he knew of his affair. This will come in detail in the chapter on the glad tidings of him, peace and blessings be upon him. Ibn Ishaq said: Abu al-Salt ibn 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 remained in the sea for the enemies, changing conditions. ¹¹ He headed for Caesar when his journey was due, / But he did not find with him some of what he asked. Then he turned towards Kisra after a tenth / Of years, wasting his soul and wealth, Until he brought the free-born sons, carrying them; / By my life, you have hastened a great journey! ¹² God bless them, a band that set out; / I see no equals to them among the people. Overwhelming marzubans, white, armoured, / Lions that raise cubs in thickets. ¹³ They shoot from fortresses like elevated grounds, / With a strong bow that hastens the shot. ¹⁴ You sent lions against black dogs; / Their fugitive has become scattered in the land. ¹⁵ So drink in welcome, with the crown upon you, reclining / At the head of Ghumdan, a dwelling from you, a settled abode. ¹⁶ And drink in welcome, for their ostrich has fled, / And let down today your two garments flowing. Those are the noble deeds, not two cups of milk / Mixed with water that become urine." It is said that Ghumdan is a palace in Yemen built by Ya'rub ibn Qahtan, and his son ¹⁷ occupied it after him, and Waila ibn Himyar ibn Saba' settled it. It is said its height was twenty stories. God knows best.

Ibn Ishaq said: 'Adi ibn Zayd al-Hiri ¹⁸, who was one of the Banu Tamim, said: "After San'a', there was one who inhabited it, rulers of a kingdom whose gifts were abundant. He raised it from the clouds of the rain, and its musk-scented places dripped with musk. It was protected by mountains against the snares of the schemer, whose steep slopes cannot be climbed. In it, the sound of the ostrich is heard when its caller answers in the evening. The causes brought to it the army of the freeborn, their horsemen and their troops. And they succeeded with mules laden with death, and their swift camels hastened with them. Until the chiefs saw it from the side of the pass, its battalions green. On the day they called out: 'O Banu Barbar and Yaksum ¹⁹, their fugitive will never prosper!' So it was a day whose tale remains, and an imma ²⁰ whose ranks were established. And the fayj ²¹ was replaced by the zarafa ²², and the days are treacherous, full of wonders. After the Banu Tubba', there were nakhavira ²³, whose maraziba ²⁴ were settled therein."" Ibn Hisham said: This is what Satih meant by his saying: "He will be succeeded by Iram Dhu Yazan, who will come out against them from Aden, and will not leave anyone in Yemen." And what Shiqq meant by his saying: "A boy, neither base nor ignoble, who will come forth from the house of Dhu Yazan." Ibn Ishaq said: So Wahriz and the Persians remained in Yemen, and from the remnant of that army of Persians are the Abna' ²⁵ who are in Yemen today. The rule of the Abyssinians in Yemen, from the time Ariat entered it until the Persians killed Masruq ibn Abraha and expelled the Abyssinians, was seventy-two years, inherited by four of them: Ariat, then Abraha, then Yaksum ibn Abraha, then Masruq ibn Abraha.

1. al-Suhayli : Abu al-Qasim Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah al-Suhayli (d. 1185 CE), a renowned Andalusian scholar and commentator on Ibn Hisham's biography of the Prophet.
2. Himyar ibn Saba' : Himyar is considered the eponymous ancestor of the Himyarite kingdom in ancient Yemen; Saba' is the biblical Sheba.
3. lam yushkihi : Literally 'he did not relieve him' or 'he did not address his complaint'; i.e., Caesar did not grant his request.
4. iwan : A large, vaulted hall or porch, characteristic of Sassanid Persian architecture.
5. qunqul : A large vessel or container, possibly a type of helmet or crown structure; the exact meaning is uncertain.
6. marzuban : A Persian title for a military governor or margrave, responsible for border provinces.
7. faquma : An archaic word meaning 'became great' or 'became severe'; the line is a poetic expression of the gravity of the conflict.
8. qayl : A Himyarite title for a king or tribal chief, equivalent to 'sayyid' or 'prince'.
9. mush'ash'a : A drink that is intensely hot or burning; metaphorically, a bitter experience or punishment.
10. Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim : The grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad, a prominent leader of Quraysh.
11. rayyama : An archaic verb meaning 'to remain' or 'to stay'; the line describes Sayf's perseverance at sea.
12. qilqal : A rapid journey or movement; the poet praises the swiftness of the Persian expedition.
13. ghubt : Elevated grounds or hills; the line describes the Persians shooting from fortresses.
14. zamkhar : A strong, tightly strung bow; the term emphasizes the power of the Persian archers.
15. fallal : Scattered or dispersed; the line describes the defeat of the Abyssinians.
16. Ghumdan : A famous ancient palace in San'a, Yemen, said to have been built by the legendary king Ya'rub ibn Qahtan.
17. wala'ahu : Literally 'his son'; the text is ambiguous, but it likely refers to Ya'rub's son or successor.
18. al-Hiri : Adi ibn Zayd al-Hiri was a Christian Arab poet from al-Hira, a pre-Islamic city in Mesopotamia.
19. Yaksum : Yaksum ibn Abraha, an Abyssinian ruler of Yemen.
20. imma : A community or nation, often referring to a religious or political community.
21. fayj : A large group of people, often a military detachment or a crowd.
22. zarafa : A giraffe; here possibly a symbol or a reference to something else, perhaps a type of military unit or a metaphor.
23. nakhavira : Plural of nakhvir, meaning a noble or chief; possibly a group of leaders.
24. maraziba : Plural of marzuban, a Persian title for a military governor or margrave.
25. Abna' : Literally 'sons'; refers to the descendants of Persian soldiers who settled in Yemen.

Mention of what became of the Persians in Yemen [1].

Mention of what became of the Persians in Yemen. Ibn Hisham said: Then Wahriz died, so Kisra appointed his son al-Marzuban ibn Wahriz over Yemen. Then al-Marzuban died, so Kisra appointed his son al-Taynujan. Then he died, so he appointed the son of al-Taynujan. Then he dismissed him from Yemen and appointed Badhan over it. During his time, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent. Ibn Hisham said: 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 demand that he recant. If he recants, [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. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wrote to him: 'Indeed, 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, saying: '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: At the hands of his son Shiruyah. I [the author] say: Some said: His sons conspired to kill him. This Kisra is Abrawiz ibn Hurmuz ibn Anushirwan ibn Qubadh. He is the one who defeated the Romans in the words of Allah Almighty: 'Alif Lam Mim. The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land' ¹, as will be explained later. Al-Suhayli said: His killing was on the night of Tuesday, the tenth of Jumada al-Ula in the year nine of the Hijra. It was, and Allah knows best, when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wrote to him inviting him to Islam, and he became angry and tore up his letter, he wrote to his deputy in Yemen saying what he said. In some narrations, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Badhan's messenger: 'Indeed, my Lord has killed your lord tonight.' And it was as the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said. He was killed that very night. His sons killed him for his injustice after his justice, after they deposed him and appointed his son Shiruyah. He did not live after killing his father except six months or less. Concerning this, Khalid ibn Hiqq al-Shaybani said: 'And Kisra, when his sons divided him with swords as meat is divided. The fates conceived for him a day; indeed, for every pregnant one there is a completion.' Al-Zuhri said: When that reached Badhan, he sent his acceptance of Islam and the acceptance of those with him from the Persians to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The messengers [from the Persians] said: 'To whom do we belong, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'You are from us and to us, O people of the House.' Al-Zuhri said: For that reason, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Salman is from us, the people of the House.' I [the author] say: It is apparent that this was after the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had migrated to Medina. For this reason, he sent governors to Yemen to teach people goodness and call them to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. He first sent Khalid ibn al-Walid and Ali ibn Abi Talib, then followed them with Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and Mu'adh ibn Jabal. Yemen and its people submitted to Islam. Badhan died, and his son Shahr ibn Badhan succeeded him. He is the one whom al-Aswad al-Ansi killed when he claimed prophethood and took his wife, as will be explained later, and he expelled the deputies of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from Yemen. When al-Aswad was killed, the Islamic hand returned over it. 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 be cut off by a sent messenger, who brings truth and justice among the people of religion and virtue. The kingdom will be among his people until the Day of Decision.' Ibn Ishaq said: In a stone in Yemen, as they claim, there was a writing in the Psalms written in ancient times: 'To whom belongs the kingdom of Dhimar? To the good Himyar. To whom belongs the kingdom of Dhimar? To the evil Abyssinians. To whom belongs the kingdom of Dhimar? To the free Persians. To whom belongs the kingdom of Dhimar? To the merchant Quraysh.' Some poets have versified this meaning, as mentioned by al-Mas'udi: 'When Dhimar was built, it was said: To whom do you belong? It said: To the good Himyar. Then it was asked after that, and it said: I belong to the evil Abyssinians, the worst of the evil. Then they said after that: To whom do you belong? It said: To the free Persians. Then they said after that: To whom do you belong? It said: To the merchant Quraysh.' It is said that this speech mentioned by Muhammad ibn Ishaq was found written at the grave of Hud, peace be upon him, when the wind uncovered his grave in the land of Yemen, shortly before the time of Bilqis in the days of Malik ibn Dhi al-Manar, brother of Amr Dhi al-Adh'ar ibn Dhi al-Manar. It is also said that it was written on the grave of Hud, and it is from his speech, peace be upon him. Al-Suhayli narrated it. And Allah knows best. The story of al-Satirun, the lord of al-Hadr. Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham mentioned his story here because some genealogists said that al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir, whose mention preceded in the arrival of Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan to him and his request for assistance in restoring the kingdom of Yemen to him, was from the progeny of al-Satirun, the lord of al-Hadr. We have previously mentioned from Ibn Ishaq that al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir was from the descendants of Rabi'a ibn Nasr, and that it was narrated from Jubayr ibn Mut'im that he was from the remnants of Qunus ibn Ma'add ibn Adnan. These are three opinions about his lineage. So Ibn Hisham digressed to mention the lord of al-Hadr. Al-Hadr is a great fortress built by this king, al-Satirun, on the bank of the Euphrates. It is lofty, with high construction, vast in expanse and courtyard, its circumference equal to a great city. It is of utmost solidity, splendor, beauty, and brilliance. To it are brought the revenues of the surrounding districts and regions. The name of al-Satirun is al-Dayzan ibn Mu'awiya ibn Ubayd ibn Ajram from the Banu Salih ibn Hulwan ibn al-Haf ibn Quda'a. Thus did Ibn al-Kalbi trace his lineage. Others said: He was from the Jaramiqa ², and he was one of the kings of the factions ³. He would lead them when they gathered for war against an enemy other than themselves. His fortress was between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Ibn Hisham said: Kisra Sabur Dhu al-Aktaf ⁴ invaded al-Satirun, the king of al-Hadr. Others besides Ibn Hisham said: The one who invaded the lord of al-Hadr was Sabur ibn Ardashir ibn Babak, the first of the kings of the Banu Sasan. He humiliated the kings of the factions and restored the kingdom to the Akasira ⁵. As for Sabur Dhu al-Aktaf ibn Hurmuz, that was after that by a long time. And Allah knows best. Al-Suhayli mentioned it. Ibn Hisham said: He besieged him for two years. Others said: Four years. That was because he had raided the lands of Sabur during his absence in the land of Iraq. The daughter of al-Satirun, whose name was al-Nadira, looked out and saw Sabur wearing garments of brocade and on his head a crown of gold studded with emerald, ruby, and pearl. [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 became drunk, and he would never spend 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. It is said: Rather, she guided them to a wide river through which water entered, and they entered through it into al-Hadr. It is also said: Rather, she guided them to a talisman ⁶ that was in al-Hadr. It was known to them that it would not be opened until a gray pigeon was taken, its legs dyed with the menstrual blood of a blue-eyed virgin girl, then released. When it landed on the wall of al-Hadr, that [talisman] would fall.

The talisman ⁷ opened the door. He did that, and the door opened. Sabur ⁸ entered, killed Satirun ⁹, plundered al-Hadr ¹⁰, destroyed it, and took her away 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, searched her bed, and found a myrtle leaf on it. Sabur said to her, "Is this what kept you awake?" She said, "Yes." He said, "What did your father used to do for you?" She said, "He used to 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 will do the same to me sooner." So her hair was tied to the tail of a horse, then the horse was spurred until it killed her. Concerning this, A'sha of Banu Qays ibn Tha'laba said: "Did you not see al-Hadr when its people were in bliss? But who that enjoys bliss is immortal? Shapur ¹¹ besieged it with armies for two years, trampling the ground. When he called upon his Lord with a prayer, He responded to him and did not take vengeance. Did his Lord increase his strength? And like his neighbor, he did not stay. He called his people, saying, 'Come to your affair, for it is decided. Die honorably by your swords, for I see death overtaking whoever strives.'" And Adi ibn Zayd said concerning that: "Al-Hadr was struck by a calamity from above, a mighty one with strong shoulders. A young woman who did not protect her father at his time, when her guardian failed. When she gave him a pure, amber-colored drink to sip at night—and wine, its drinker goes astray. She betrayed her family that night, thinking that the chief was her suitor. The bride's lot, when morning dawned, was blood flowing in streams. Al-Hadr was destroyed and plundered, and her veils were burned in her chamber." And Adi ibn Zayd also said: "O you who gloat and reproach fate, are you the one immune and secure? Or do you have a firm covenant from the days? Nay, you are an ignorant deluded one. Whom have you seen the Fates ¹² immortalize? Or who has a protector against harm? Where is Kisra ¹³, Kisra of kings, Anushirwan ¹⁴? Or where is Sabur before him? And the Banu al-Asfar ¹⁵, the noble kings of Rome, not one of them remains mentioned. And the lord of al-Hadr when he built it, while the Tigris and Khabur ¹⁶ were brought to him. He built it of marble and covered it with lime, so birds have nests in its heights. The vicissitudes of fate did not spare him, so the kingdom left him, and his door is deserted. And remember the lord of al-Khawarnaq ¹⁷ when he looked out one day, reflecting on guidance. His wealth and the abundance of what he owned delighted him, with the sea and al-Sadir ¹⁸ before him. Then his heart desisted, and he said: 'What joy is there for a living being who will go to death?' Then they became like dry leaves that the east and west winds scatter." I say: The lord of al-Khawarnaq mentioned in his poetry was a man from the ancient kings. One of the scholars of his time admonished him concerning his conduct, in which he had exceeded bounds, rebelled, and followed his desires without watching his Lord. He admonished him with those kings and states that had passed before him, how they perished and none remained, and that what had come to him from others would pass from him to those after him. His admonition took effect and reached its utmost, so he desisted for his own sake, reflected on his day and his past, feared the narrowness of his grave, repented, turned back, abandoned what he was in, left the kingdom, donned the garb of the poor ¹⁹, wandered in the deserts, gained merit through his steps, and departed from what the people were in of following desires and disobeying the Lord of the heavens. His story has been related in detail by Shaykh al-Imam Muwaffaq ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi ²⁰, may God have mercy on him, in his book 'al-Tawwabin' ²¹. Likewise, al-Hafiz Abu al-Qasim al-Suhayli ²² narrated it with a strong chain in his book 'al-Rawd al-Unuf' ²³, arranged in the best order and clearest exposition. The story of the Muluk al-Tawa'if ²⁴: As for the lord of al-Hadr, Satirun, it has been mentioned that he was the foremost among all the Muluk al-Tawa'if. This was from the time of Alexander son of Philip the Macedonian Greek, because when he overcame the Persian king Darius son of Darius, humiliated his kingdom, destroyed his lands, plundered the core of his people, looted his possessions, and scattered the Persians far and wide, he resolved that they would never again unite or have their affairs set right. So he appointed each king over a group of people in a region of the earth, among both Arabs and non-Arabs. Each king continued to protect his territory, guard his portion, and exploit his district. When one died, his son or one of his people succeeded him. This continued for nearly five hundred years, until Ardashir son of Babak ²⁵, from the Banu Sasan ²⁶ son of Bahman son of Isfandiyar son of Yishtasb son of Luhrasb ²⁷, restored their kingdom to its former state, and all the dominions returned to him. He abolished the kingdoms of the Muluk al-Tawa'if, leaving none of them old or new. The siege of the lord of al-Hadr, who was the greatest, strongest, and most powerful among them, as he was their chief and leader, was delayed for him. When Ardashir died, his son Sabur took charge of him, besieged him until he captured him, as previously mentioned. And God, glorified and exalted, knows best.

1. alif lām mīm : These are the 'disconnected letters' (al-ḥurūf al-muqaṭṭaʿa) that appear at the beginning of some surahs of the Quran. Their meaning is known only to Allah.
2. al-Jarāmiqa : A group of people, possibly of Persian origin, who lived in the region of the Tigris and Euphrates.
3. mulūk al-ṭawāʾif : The 'kings of the factions' or 'petty kings' who ruled various parts of Persia after the decline of the Achaemenid Empire and before the rise of the Sasanian Empire.
4. Dhū al-Aktāf : An epithet meaning 'the one with the shoulders' or 'the one who pierces shoulders,' referring to a Sasanian king known for his cruelty.
5. al-Akāsira : Plural of Kisra, the title of the Sasanian kings of Persia.
6. ṭilasm : A talisman or magical object believed to have protective or supernatural powers.
7. ṭilasm : A talisman or magical object believed to have supernatural powers.
8. Sābūr : Shapur I, the second Sasanian king (r. 240-270 CE), known for his wars with Rome.
9. Sāṭirūn : Satirun, the king of al-Hadr, also known as Sanatruq.
10. al-Ḥaḍr : Hatra, an ancient city in present-day Iraq, known for its siege by the Sasanians.
11. Shāh Būr : Another name for Shapur I, meaning 'king's son' in Persian.
12. al-Manūn : The Fates or death, often personified in Arabic poetry.
13. Kisrā : Title of the Sasanian kings, derived from the Persian 'Khosrow'.
14. Anūshirwān : Khosrow I Anushirwan (r. 531-579 CE), a famous Sasanian king.
15. Banū al-Aṣfar : Literally 'sons of the yellow one', a term for the Byzantines or Romans.
16. al-Khābūr : The Khabur River, a tributary of the Euphrates.
17. al-Khawarnaq : A famous palace built near al-Hira in pre-Islamic Iraq.
18. al-Sadīr : Another palace or fortress, often mentioned alongside al-Khawarnaq.
19. ziyy al-fuqarā' : The garb of the poor or ascetics, indicating renunciation of worldly power.
20. Muwaffaq ibn Qudāma al-Maqdisī : A 12th-century Hanbali scholar and jurist, author of 'al-Tawwabin'.
21. al-Tawwābīn : The Repenters, a book about penitents and their stories.
22. Abū al-Qāsim al-Suhaylī : A 12th-century Andalusian scholar, known for his commentary on the Prophet's biography.
23. al-Rawḍ al-Unuf : A commentary on the Sira (biography) of the Prophet Muhammad.
24. Mulūk al-Ṭawā'if : The 'Kings of the Factions', referring to the petty kings who ruled after Alexander's conquest.
25. Ardashīr ibn Bābak : Ardashir I, founder of the Sasanian Empire (r. 224-242 CE).
26. Banū Sāsān : The Sasanian dynasty, claiming descent from Sasan, a priest of the fire temple.
27. Bahman, Isfandiyār, Yishtāsb, Luhrasb : Legendary kings of ancient Iran from the Kayanian dynasty.

Chapter on the mention of the Children of Ishmael, and they are the Arabs of the Hijaz…

Chapter on the mention of the Children of Ishmael, and they are the Arabs of the Hijaz [1].

Chapter on the mention of the Banu Isma'il, who are the Arabs of the Hijaz, and what occurred from the affairs of the Jahiliyyah until the time of the mission. We have mentioned Isma'il himself, peace be upon him, with the prophets ¹, and how his affair was when his father Ibrahim al-Khalil, prayers and peace be upon him, carried him with his mother Hajar and settled her in the valley of Mecca between the mountains of Paran, where there was no companion nor sound, while Isma'il was an infant. Then he went and left them there by the command of Allah to him, having with his mother only a leather bag containing dates and a waterskin containing water. When that was exhausted, Allah caused Zamzam to gush forth for Hajar, which is food for the hungry and a cure for the sick, as in the long hadith of Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated by al-Bukhari. Then Jurhum descended, a group from the Arab al-'Ariba ² from the ancient Arab nations, and settled with Hajar in Mecca, on the condition that they had no right to the water except to drink and benefit from it. So Hajar became familiar with them. Al-Khalil, peace be upon him, used to check on their situation from time to time. It is said that he used to ride al-Buraq ³ from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis ⁴ in his going and returning. Then when the boy grew up and reached the age of striving with his father, the story of the sacrifice occurred, and the sacrificed one was Isma'il, according to the correct view. Then when he grew older, he married a woman from Jurhum, then separated from her and married another. He married al-Sayyidah bint Mudad ibn 'Amr al-Jurhumi, and she bore him the twelve sons as previously mentioned: Nabit, Qaydhar, Adhbul, Masha, Masma', Mashi, Duma, Adhr, Yatur, Nabsh, Tayma, and Qaydhama. Thus mentioned Muhammad ibn Ishaq and others from the books of the People of the Book. He also had one daughter named Nasamah, whom he married to his nephew al-'Is ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim, and from her were born the Romans, the Persians, and also the Spaniards according to one of the two opinions. Then all the Arabs of the Hijaz, despite the diversity of their tribes, trace their lineages back to his two sons Nabit and Qaydhar. After him, the leader, the one in charge of affairs, the ruler in Mecca, and the overseer of the House and Zamzam was Nabit ibn Isma'il, who was the son of the sister of the Jurhumites. Then Jurhum overpowered the House, coveting their sister's sons, and ruled over Mecca and its environs in place of the Banu Isma'il for a long period. The first to assume the authority of the House after Nabit was Mudad ibn 'Amr ibn Sa'd ibn al-Raqib ibn 'Aybir ibn Nabt ibn Jurhum. Jurhum is Jurhum ibn Qahtan, and it is said: Jurhum ibn Yaqtan ibn 'Aybir ibn Shalikh ibn Arfakhshad ibn Sam ibn Nuh al-Jurhumi. He was residing in the upper part of Mecca at Qu'ayqi'an. Al-Samayda', the chief of Qatura', was residing with his people in the lower part of Mecca, and each of them levied a tithe on whoever passed by on his way to Mecca. Then a conflict occurred between Jurhum and Qatura', and they fought. Al-Samayda' was killed, and the authority was secured for Mudad, who became the ruler of Mecca and the House, with no one disputing that from the children of Isma'il, despite their numbers, nobility, and dispersion in Mecca and elsewhere, due to their maternal relationship to him and the sanctity of the Sacred House. Then the kingship passed after him to his son al-Harith, then to 'Amr ibn al-Harith. Then Jurhum became tyrannical in Mecca and increased corruption therein, and they committed sacrilege in the Sacred Mosque, to the extent that it is mentioned that a man from them called Isaf ibn Baghi and a woman called Na'ilah bint Wa'il met in the Ka'bah and he committed lewdness with her, so Allah transformed them into two stones. The people set them up near the House as a lesson, but after a long time, they were worshipped besides Allah in the time of Khuza'ah, as will be explained in its place. Thus they became two idols set up, called Isaf and Na'ilah. When Jurhum increased their tyranny in the sacred land, Khuza'ah, who had settled around the Sanctuary, conspired against them. They were from the descendants of 'Amr ibn 'Amir, who had left Yemen because of what he anticipated from the flood of al-'Arim ⁵, as previously mentioned. It is also said that Khuza'ah are from the Banu Isma'il. Allah knows best. The point is that they gathered to fight them, declared war, and fought. The Banu Isma'il remained neutral between the two parties. Khuza'ah, who are Banu Bakr ibn 'Abd Manat and Ghubshan, prevailed and expelled them from the House. So 'Amr ibn al-Harith ibn Mudad al-Jurhumi, their chief, took the two gazelles of the Ka'bah, which were of gold, the Stone of the Corner, which is the Black Stone, some ornamented swords, and other things, buried them in Zamzam, and covered Zamzam. Then he departed with his people and returned to Yemen. Concerning this, 'Amr ibn al-Harith ibn Mudad said: "And a woman said, while tears flowed hastily, and the eye sockets were filled with tears, as if there had never been between al-Hajun and al-Safa any companion, nor any night-owl in Mecca. I said to her, while my heart was as if a bird fluttered between my sides: 'Yes, we were its people, but the vicissitudes of nights and stumbling fortunes removed us. We were the guardians of the House after Nabit, circumambulating that House while goodness was apparent. We ruled the House after Nabit with might, so no contender could prevail over us. We ruled and strengthened, so how great is our kingdom! No tribe other than us boasts there. Did you not marry the best person I know? So his sons are from us, and we are the in-laws. If the world turns against us in its state, it has a state, and therein is discord. So the King expelled us from it by His power; thus, O people, destinies run.' I say, when the carefree sleeps and I do not sleep: 'O Possessor of the Throne, may Suhayl and 'Amir not be far.' And I have been replaced by faces I do not love, tribes including Himyar and Yahabir. We have become tales, while we were in bliss; thus the past years have bitten us.' So tears of the eye flow, weeping for a land where there is a secure sanctuary and the rites, and weeping for a House whose doves are not harmed, where birds dwell in security, and where wild animals are not hunted, friendly, and when they leave it, they do not return." Ibn Ishaq said: 'Amr ibn al-Harith ibn Mudad also said, mentioning Banu Bakr and Ghubshan who succeeded them in Mecca: "O people, travel, for your stay is but that you become one day unable to travel. Urge the camels and loosen their reins before death, and fulfill what you must fulfill. We were people like you, but time changed us, and you will become as we have become." Ibn Hisham said: This is what was authenticated from it. Some scholars of poetry told me that these verses are the first poetry composed in Arabic, and they were found inscribed on a stone in Yemen, and their author is unknown. Al-Suhayli mentioned siblings for these verses and related a wondrous story and strange recitations. He said: Abu al-Walid al-Azraqi added in his book 'Fada'il Makkah' to these mentioned verses attributed to 'Amr ibn al-Harith ibn Mudad: "Time has turned against us and then destroyed us through tyranny, and people have stripped us of our possessions. Inquire about the deeds of people before you, as a path has become clear, wherein is humiliation. We were once kings of the people before you, dwelling in the sacred precinct of Allah, inhabited." Story of Khuza'ah, and the report of 'Amr ibn Luhayy, and the worship of idols in the land of the Arabs. Ibn Ishaq said: Then Ghubshan of Khuza'ah took charge of the House, excluding Banu Bakr ibn 'Abd Manat. The one who managed it from them was 'Amr ibn al-Harith al-Ghubshani. Quraysh at that time were scattered as settlements, clans, and households among their people of Banu Kinanah.

They said: Khuzā‘ah was only named Khuzā‘ah because they broke away ⁶ from the descendants of ‘Amr ibn ‘Āmir when they came from Yemen heading for Syria, and they alighted at Marr al-Ẓahrān and settled there. ‘Awn ibn Ayyūb al-Anṣārī, then al-Khazrajī, said concerning that: "When we descended the valley of Marr, Khuzā‘ah broke away from us in numerous settlements. They protected every valley in Tihāmah and fortified themselves with solid spears and sharp swords." Abū al-Muṭahhir Ismā‘īl ibn Rāfi‘ al-Anṣārī al-Awsī said: "When we descended the valley of Mecca, Khuzā‘ah praised the abode of the oppressive eater. So they settled in groups and scattered in multitudes over every tribe between Najd and the coast. They left the valley of Mecca and took refuge in a Khuzā‘ī might of strong shoulders." Thus Khuzā‘ah took charge of the House ⁷, inheriting it from one generation to the next, until the last of them was Ḥulayl ibn Ḥabashiyyah ibn Salūl ibn Ka‘b ibn ‘Amr ibn Rabī‘ah al-Khuzā‘ī, whose daughter Ḥubbā was married by Quṣayy ibn Kilāb, and she bore him his four sons: ‘Abd al-Dār, ‘Abd Manāf, ‘Abd al-‘Uzzā, and ‘Abd. Then the authority over the House passed to him. As will be explained and detailed in its proper place, God willing, and in Him is trust. Khuzā‘ah continued in charge of the House for about three hundred years, and it is said five hundred years—God knows best. They were ill-omened ⁸ during their tenure, because in their time the worship of idols first appeared in the Hijāz. This was due to the leader ‘Amr ibn Luḥayy ⁹—may God curse him—for he was the first to call them to that. He possessed immense wealth. It is said that he gouged out the eyes of twenty camels, which is an expression meaning he owned twenty thousand camels. It was the custom of the Arabs that whoever owned a thousand camels would gouge out the eye of one of them, as a means of warding off the evil eye. Among those who mentioned this is al-Azraqī. Al-Suhaylī mentioned that he would sometimes slaughter ten thousand sacrificial camels during the pilgrimage season and clothe ten thousand garments every year, feeding the Arabs and preparing ḥays ¹⁰ for them with clarified butter and honey, and mixing sawīq ¹¹ for them. They said: His word and deed among them were like a followed law, due to his nobility among them, his status, and his generosity. Ibn Hishām said: Some scholars told me that ‘Amr ibn Luḥayy left Mecca for Syria on some business. When he arrived at Mā‘āb in the land of al-Balqā’, where the Amalekites ¹² were at that time—they being the descendants of ‘Imlāq, or it is said the descendants of ‘Imlīq ibn Lāwadh ibn Sām ibn Nūḥ—he saw them worshipping idols. He said to them: "What are these idols that I see you worshipping?" They replied: "These are idols we worship; we seek rain from them and they give us rain, and we seek victory from them and they give us victory." He said: "Will you not give me one of them so that I may take it to the land of the Arabs and they will worship it?" So they gave him an idol called Hubal ¹³. He brought it to Mecca, set it up, and commanded the people to worship and venerate it. Ibn Isḥāq said: They claim that the first worship of stones among the Banū Ismā‘īl—peace be upon him—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 a stone from the stones of the Sanctuary out of reverence for the Sanctuary. Wherever they settled, they would place it and circumambulate it as they circumambulated the Ka‘bah. This practice continued until they ended up worshipping whatever stones they found beautiful and pleasing, until later generations succeeded and forgot what they had been upon. In the Ṣaḥīḥ ¹⁴ it is reported from Abū Rajā’ al-‘Uṭāridī: "During the Jāhiliyyah ¹⁵, if we could not find a stone, we would gather a handful of dust, bring a sheep, milk it over the dust, and then circumambulate it." Ibn Isḥāq said: They replaced the religion of Ibrāhīm and Ismā‘īl—peace be upon them—with something else, and worshipped idols, adopting the same errors as the nations before them. Yet among them, despite that, there remained remnants from the covenant of Ibrāhīm—peace be upon him—which they held onto, such as venerating the House, circumambulating it, performing Ḥajj and ‘Umrah, standing at ‘Arafāt and Muzdalifah, offering sacrificial camels, and pronouncing the talbiyah ¹⁶ for Ḥajj and ‘Umrah, while introducing into it what was not part of it. Thus Kinānah and Quraysh, when they pronounced the talbiyah, 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." So they affirmed His oneness in the talbiyah, then they included their idols with Him and placed their ownership in His hand. God Almighty said to Muḥammad—peace and blessings be upon him: "And most of them do not believe in God except while they associate others with Him" ¹⁷—meaning they do not acknowledge My oneness with true knowledge of My right except that they associate a partner from My creation with Me. Al-Suhaylī and others mentioned that the first to pronounce this talbiyah was ‘Amr ibn Luḥayy, and that Iblīs ¹⁸ appeared to him in the form of an old man, teaching him that, and he heard from him and repeated what he said, and the Arabs followed him in that. It is established in the Ṣaḥīḥ that when the Messenger of God—peace and blessings be upon him—heard them saying "Here I am, You have no partner," he would say: "Enough, enough." Al-Bukhārī said: Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm narrated to us, Yaḥyā ibn Ādam narrated to us, Isrā’īl narrated to us, from Abū Ḥafṣ, from Abū Hurayrah, from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—who said: "The first to set free the sā’ibah ¹⁹ and worship idols was Abū Khuzā‘ah ‘Amr ibn ‘Āmir, and I saw him dragging his intestines in the Fire." Aḥmad alone narrated it through this chain. This implies that ‘Amr ibn Luḥayy is Abū Khuzā‘ah, to whom the entire tribe is attributed, as some genealogists claimed, according to what Ibn Isḥāq and others reported. If we take this at face value, it would be clear—indeed almost explicit—in that regard, but there is something that contradicts it from some angles. Al-Bukhārī said: Abū al-Yamān narrated to us, Shu‘ayb narrated to us, from al-Zuhrī, who said: I heard Sa‘īd ibn al-Musayyab say: "Al-Baḥīrah ²⁰ is the she-camel whose milk is given to the idols, so no one milks her. Al-Sā’ibah is the she-camel that they set free for their gods, and nothing is carried on her." He said: Abū Hurayrah said: The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said: "I saw ‘Amr ibn ‘Āmir al-Khuzā‘ī dragging his intestines in the Fire; he was the first to set free the sā’ibah." Al-Bukhārī and Muslim also narrated it from the ḥadīth of Ṣāliḥ ibn Kaysān, from al-Zuhrī, from Sa‘īd, from Abū Hurayrah. Then al-Bukhārī said: Ibn al-Hād narrated it from al-Zuhrī. Al-Ḥākim said: Al-Bukhārī meant: Ibn al-Hād narrated it from ‘Abd al-Wahhāb ibn Bukht, from al-Zuhrī. Thus he said. Aḥmad narrated it from ‘Amr ibn Salamah al-Khuzā‘ī, from al-Layth ibn Sa‘d, from Yazīd ibn al-Hād, from al-Zuhrī, from Sa‘īd, from Abū Hurayrah: I heard the Messenger of God—peace and blessings be upon him—say: "I saw ‘Amr ibn ‘Āmir dragging his intestines in the Fire, and he was the first to set free the sā’ibah and declare the baḥīrah [as sacred]." He did not mention ‘Abd al-Wahhāb ibn Bukht between them, as al-Ḥākim said. God knows best. Aḥmad also said: ‘Abd al-Razzāq narrated to us, Ma‘mar narrated to us, from al-Zuhrī, from Abū Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of God—peace and blessings be upon him—said: "I saw ‘Amr ibn ‘Āmir al-Khuzā‘ī dragging his intestines in the Fire, and he was the first to set free the sā’ibah." This is interrupted ²¹ through this chain. The correct version is: al-Zuhrī from Sa‘īd from him, as previously mentioned.

His statement in this hadith and the one before it: "al-Khuza'i" indicates that he is not the father of the tribe, but rather one affiliated to it, along with what occurred in the narration of his saying "Abu Khuza'a" being a distortion by the narrator from "brother of Khuza'a" or that he was nicknamed Abu Khuza'a, and that is not from the category of informing that he is the father of all Khuza'a. And Allah knows best. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith al-Taymi narrated to me that Abu Salih al-Samman narrated to him that he heard Abu Hurayra say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say to Aktham ibn al-Jawn al-Khuza'i: "O Aktham, I saw 'Amr ibn Luhayy ibn Qama'a ibn Khindif dragging his intestines in the Fire, and I have not seen a man more resembling a man than you resemble him, nor him resemble you." So Aktham said: "Perhaps his resemblance will harm me, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "No, for you are a believer and he is a disbeliever. He was the first to change the religion of Ishmael, set up idols, declare the bahira ²², let loose the sa'iba ²³, join the wasila ²⁴, and protect the hami ²⁵." This is not found in the [six] books from this chain. Ibn Jarir narrated it from Hannad ibn 'Abda, from Muhammad ibn 'Amr, from Abu Salama, from Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, similarly or like it, and it is also not in the [six] books. Al-Bukhari said: Muhammad ibn Abi Ya'qub Abu 'Abdullah al-Karmani narrated to me, Hissan ibn Ibrahim narrated to us, Yunus narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from 'Urwa, from 'A'isha, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I saw Hell crushing some parts of it into others, and I saw 'Amr dragging his intestines, and he was the first to let loose the sawa'ib ²⁶." Al-Bukhari alone narrated it. Al-Tabarani narrated from the path of Salih, from Ibn 'Abbas, as a marfu' ²⁷ report concerning that. The point is that 'Amr ibn Luhayy, may Allah curse him, had innovated things for them in religion by which he changed the religion of al-Khalil ²⁸, and the Arabs followed him in that, and thereby they went astray with a clear, manifest, terrible, and ugly misguidance. Allah Almighty rebuked them for it in His Mighty Book in more than one verse. He said: "And do not say about what your tongues describe falsely, 'This is lawful and this is unlawful,' to invent lies against Allah" ²⁹ (16:116). And He said: "Allah has not appointed [any] bahira or sa'iba or wasila or hami, but those who disbelieve invent lies against Allah, and most of them do not reason" ³⁰ (5:103). We have discussed all this in detail and explained the differences of the Salaf ³¹ in its interpretation; whoever wants it should take it from there, and to Allah be praise and gratitude. And He said: "And they assign to what they do not know a portion of what We have provided them. By Allah, you will surely be questioned about what you used to invent" ³² (16:56). And He said: "And they assign to Allah from what He has created of crops and livestock a portion and say, 'This is for Allah,' by 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. And thus their partners have made attractive to many polytheists the killing of their children, to destroy them and to confuse for them their religion. And if Allah had willed, they would not have done so. So leave them and what they invent. And they say, 'These are livestock and crops forbidden; none may eat them except whom we will,' by their claim, 'and livestock whose backs are forbidden, and livestock over which they do not mention the name of Allah,' inventing lies against Him. He will recompense them for what they used to invent. And they say, 'What is in the bellies of these livestock is exclusively for our males and forbidden to our wives. But if it is [born] dead, then they all share in it.' He will punish them for their description. Indeed, He is Wise, Knowing. They have already lost who killed their children foolishly without knowledge and prohibited what Allah had provided them, inventing lies against Allah. They have gone astray and were not [rightly] guided" ³³ (6:136-140). Al-Bukhari said in his Sahih: "Chapter on the Ignorance of the Arabs": Abu al-Nu'man narrated to us, Abu 'Awana narrated to us, from Abu Bishr, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: If it pleases you to know the ignorance of the Arabs, read what is above thirty and one hundred in Surat al-An'am: 'They have already lost who killed their children foolishly without knowledge and prohibited what Allah had provided them, inventing lies against Allah. They have gone astray and were not [rightly] guided' (6:140)." We have mentioned the interpretation of this verse and what they had innovated of false and corrupt laws, which their elder 'Amr ibn Luhayy, may Allah disfigure him, thought to be beneficial and merciful to animals and beasts, but he was lying and inventing in that. Despite this ignorance and misguidance, these ignorant rabble followed him in it. Rather, they followed him in something even greater and more enormous than that, namely the worship of idols along with Allah Almighty. And they changed what Allah had sent His Khalil Ibrahim ³⁴ with of the upright religion and the straight path, of the monotheism of worshiping Allah alone without partner and the prohibition of polytheism. And they altered the rites of Hajj and the landmarks of religion without knowledge, proof, or sound or weak evidence. And they followed in that those before them from the polytheistic nations. They resembled the people of Noah, who were the first to associate partners with Allah and worship idols. For this reason, Allah sent Noah to them, and he was the first messenger sent to forbid the worship of idols, as in the story of Noah: "And they said, 'Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd or Suwa' or Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr.' And they have led many astray. And [O Allah], do not increase the wrongdoers except in error" ³⁵ (71:23-24). Ibn 'Abbas said: These were righteous people among the people of Noah. When they died, they [the people] secluded themselves at their graves. When a long time passed, they worshiped them. We have explained the manner of what happened with them in their worship in a way that suffices from repeating it here. Ibn Ishaq and others said: Then these idols came to be among the Arabs after they changed the religion of Ishmael. Wadd was for Banu Kalb ibn Wabra ibn Taghlib ibn Hulwan ibn 'Imran ibn al-Haf ibn Quda'a, and it was set up at Dumat al-Jandal. Suwa' was for Banu Hudhayl ibn al-Yas ibn Mudrika ibn Mudar, and it was set up at a place called Ruhad. Yaghuth was for Banu An'am of Tayy and for the people of Jurash of Madhhij, and it was set up at Jurash. Ya'uq was set up in the land of Hamdan in Yemen for Banu Khaywan, a branch of Hamdan. Nasr was set up in the land of Himyar for a tribe called Dhu al-Kula'. Ibn Ishaq said: Khaulan had in their land an idol called 'Amr Anas ³⁶; they would assign to it from their livestock and crops a portion between it and Allah, as they claimed. Whatever entered into the right of 'Amr Anas from the right of Allah which they had assigned to Him, they left it for it, and whatever entered into the right of Allah from the right of 'Amr Anas, they returned it to it. Concerning them Allah revealed: "And they assign to Allah from what He has created of crops and livestock a portion" (6:136). He said: Banu Milkan ibn Kinana ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika had an idol called Sa'd, a tall rock in a desert of their land. A man from them came with his camels, which were mu'abbala ³⁷, to stand them before it seeking its blessing, as they claimed. When the camels saw it—and they were pastured, not ridden, and blood was poured over the idol—they shied away from it and scattered in every direction. The man became angry, took a stone, and threw it at the idol, then said: "May Allah not bless you! You have scared away my camels." Then he went out seeking them until he gathered them. When they were gathered, he said: "We came to Sa'd to unite our scattered state, but Sa'd scattered us; we are not of Sa'd. And what is Sa'd but a rock in a barren land, that calls not to error nor to guidance." Ibn Ishaq said: Among Daws there was an idol for 'Amr ibn Humama al-Dawsi.

He said: Quraysh had taken an idol called Hubal ³⁸ at a well inside the Kaaba. It has been mentioned earlier, according to Ibn Hisham, that it was the first idol set up by Amr ibn Luhay ³⁹, may God curse him. Ibn Ishaq said: They also took Isaf and Na'ila ⁴⁰ at the site of Zamzam, sacrificing near them. Then he mentioned that they were a man and a woman who committed fornication inside the Kaaba, so God transformed them into two stones. Then he said: Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm narrated to me from Amra that she said: I heard Aisha say: We have always heard that Isaf and Na'ila were a man and a woman from Jurhum who committed a sin in the Kaaba, so God Almighty transformed them into two stones. And God knows best. It has also been said that God did not give them respite until they committed fornication therein, but rather transformed them before that. At that time, they were set up near Safa and Marwa. When Amr ibn Luhay came, he moved them and placed them at Zamzam, and the people circumambulated them. Concerning this, Abu Talib said: "And where the Ash'arites ⁴¹ make their camels kneel / At the confluence of torrents from Isaf and Na'ila." Al-Waqidi mentioned that when the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, ordered the breaking of Na'ila on the day of the Conquest, a black, gray-haired woman came out of it, scratching her face and calling for woe and destruction. Al-Suhayli mentioned that Aja and Salma ⁴², which are two mountains in the Hijaz, were named after a man named Aja ibn Abd al-Hayy, who committed fornication with Salma bint Ham, and they were crucified on these two mountains, so they became known by them. He said: Between Aja and Salma there was an idol for Tayy called Qalis ⁴³. Ibn Ishaq said: The people of every house took an idol in their house to worship. When a man among them intended to travel, he would wipe himself with 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 with it, and that was the first thing he did before entering upon his family. He said: When God sent Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, with monotheism, Quraysh said: "Has he made the gods one God? Indeed, this is a strange thing." Ibn Ishaq said: The Arabs had taken, besides the Kaaba, other objects of worship ⁴⁴, which were houses they venerated like the Kaaba, having custodians and guardians, and they offered gifts to them as they did to the Kaaba, and circumambulated them as they circumambulated it, and sacrificed near them. Yet they recognized the superiority of the Kaaba over them, because it was the building of Abraham the Friend, peace be upon him, and his mosque. Quraysh and Banu Kinana had al-Uzza ⁴⁵ at Nakhla, and its custodians and guardians were Banu Shayban from Sulaym, allies of Banu Hashim. Khalid ibn al-Walid destroyed it at the time of the Conquest, as will come. He said: Al-Lat ⁴⁶ belonged to Thaqif at Ta'if, and its custodians and guardians were Banu Mu'attib from Thaqif. Abu Sufyan and al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba destroyed it after the people of Ta'if came, as will come. He said: Manat ⁴⁷ belonged to al-Aws and al-Khazraj and those who followed their religion from the people of Medina, on the coast of the sea near al-Mushallal in Qudayd. Abu Sufyan also destroyed it, and it is said Ali ibn Abi Talib did, as will come. He said: Dhu al-Khalasa ⁴⁸ belonged to Daws, Khath'am, and Bajila, and those Arabs in their lands at Tabala. It was called the Yemeni Kaaba, while the Meccan House was called the Syrian Kaaba. Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bajali destroyed it, as will come. He said: Qalis belonged to Tayy and those near them at the two mountains of Tayy, meaning Aja and Salma, which are two well-known mountains as mentioned earlier. He said: Ri'am ⁴⁹ was a house for Himyar and the people of Yemen, as mentioned earlier in the story of Tubba', one of the kings of Himyar, and the story of the two rabbis when they destroyed it and killed a black dog from it. He said: Ruda' ⁵⁰ was a house for Banu Rabi'a ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim. Concerning it, al-Mustawghir, whose name is Ka'b ibn Rabi'a ibn Ka'b, said: "And I indeed attacked Ruda' with a fierce attack / And left it desolate in a black plain / And Abdullah helped in its distress / And with the likes of Abdullah I approach the sacred." It is said that this al-Mustawghir lived three hundred and thirty years, and was the longest-lived of all Mudar. He is the one who said: "And I have indeed become weary of life and its length / And I have lived hundreds of years / A hundred followed by two hundred for me / And I have added years from the count of months / What remains is only like what has passed / A day that passes and a night that drives us." Ibn Hisham said: These verses are also attributed to Zuhayr ibn Janab ibn Hubal ⁵¹. Al-Suhayli said: Among the long-lived who exceeded two hundred and three hundred are this Zuhayr, Ubayd ibn Shariya, Daghfal ibn Hanzala the genealogist, al-Rabi' ibn Dubay' al-Fazari, Dhu al-Isba' al-Adwani, and Nasr ibn Duhman ibn Ashja' ibn Rith ibn Ghatafan, whose hair turned black after whitening and his back straightened after curvature. He said: Dhu al-Ka'bat ⁵² belonged to Bakr and Taghlib, the sons of Wa'il, and Iyad, at Sandad. Concerning it, al-A'sha of Banu Qays ibn Tha'laba said: "Between al-Khawarnaq ⁵³ and al-Sadir ⁵⁴ and Bariq ⁵⁵ / And the house with the balconies at Sandad." The beginning of this poem is: "And I have known, though time has extended for me / That the path is the path of the Lord of the Wood / What do I hope for after the family of Muharriq / They left their homes, and after Iyad / They settled in Anqira ⁵⁶, flowing over them / The water of the Euphrates coming from the mountains / The land of al-Khawarnaq and al-Sadir and Bariq / And the house of the Ka'bat at Sandad / The winds have blown over the site of their dwellings / As if they were on an appointment / And I see pleasure and all that amuses / One day becomes decay and extinction." Al-Suhayli said: Al-Khawarnaq is a castle built by al-Nu'man the Greater for Sabur ⁵⁷ so that his son would be with him, and it was built by a man called Sinimmar ⁵⁸ in twenty years, and no more wondrous building was seen. He feared that he would build another like it for someone else, so he threw him from its top and killed him. Concerning this, the poet said: "He rewarded me—may God reward him with evil reward / The reward of Sinimmar—and he had no sin / Except building the structure for twenty years / Counting on him with baked bricks and mortar / When the building was completed one day / And became like a mountain, lofty and high / He threw Sinimmar on the crown of his head / And that, by God, is among the ugliest of calamities." Al-Suhayli said: Al-Jahiz recited it in the Book of Animals. Sinimmar is one of the names of the moon. The point is that all these houses were demolished when Islam came. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, sent expeditions to each of these houses to destroy them, and to those idols to break them, until nothing remained that rivaled the Kaaba, and God alone was worshipped, with no partner. This will be explained and detailed in its proper places, God willing, and in Him is trust. The report of Adnan ⁵⁹, the ancestor of the Arabs of the Hijaz, and it is to him that the lineage of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, traces back. There is no dispute that Adnan is from the progeny of Ishmael son of Abraham the Friend, peace be upon them. They differed regarding the number of fathers between him and Ishmael, with many opinions. The most that has been said is forty fathers, and this is what is found with the People of the Book, taken from the book of Rikhya ⁶⁰, the scribe of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, as we will mention. It is said between them is thirty, twenty, fifteen, ten, nine, seven, and it is said the least said is four, based on what Musa ibn Ya'qub narrated from Abdullah ibn Wahb ibn Zam'a al-Zam'i, from his aunt, from Umm Salama, from the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, that he said: "Ma'add ibn Adnan ibn Udd ibn Zand ibn al-Yara' ibn A'raq al-Thara ⁶¹."

Umm Salamah said: "Zand is al-Humaysa‘. Al-Yarā is Nābit, and the roots of al-Tharā ⁶² are Ismā‘īl, because he is the son of Ibrāhīm, and Ibrāhīm was not consumed by fire, just as fire does not consume al-Tharā." Al-Dāraquṭnī said: "We do not know Zand except in this ḥadīth, and Zand ibn al-Jawn, who is Abū Dulāmah the poet." Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū al-Qāsim al-Suhaylī and other imāms said: "The period between ‘Adnān and the time of Ismā‘īl is too long for there to be only four, ten, or twenty ancestors between them. This is because Ma‘add ibn ‘Adnān was twelve years old at the time of Bukhtanassar ⁶³. Abū Ja‘far al-Ṭabarī and others mentioned that Allāh, the Exalted, revealed in that time to Irmiyā’ ibn Ḥalqiyā ⁶⁴: 'Go to Bukhtanassar and inform him that I have given him authority over the Arabs.' And Allāh commanded Irmiyā’ to carry Ma‘add ibn ‘Adnān on al-Burāq ⁶⁵ so that the punishment would not befall him among them, for I will bring forth from his loins a noble Prophet with whom I will seal the messengers. So Irmiyā’ did that and carried Ma‘add on al-Burāq to the land of al-Shām ⁶⁶. He grew up among the Children of Israel who remained after the destruction of Bayt al-Maqdis ⁶⁷, and he married there a woman named Mu‘ānah bint Jawshan from Banū Dub ibn Jurhum, before returning to his land. Then he returned after the tribulations had subsided and the Arabian Peninsula had become pure. Rikhyā, the scribe of Irmiyā’, had written his lineage in a book with him to be in the treasury of Irmiyā’, thus preserving the lineage of Ma‘add. And Allāh knows best." For this reason, Mālik (may Allāh have mercy on him) disliked tracing lineages beyond ‘Adnān. Al-Suhaylī said: "We have spoken about raising these lineages according to the school of those who see that and did not dislike it, such as Ibn Isḥāq, al-Bukhārī, al-Zubayr ibn Bakkār, al-Ṭabarī, and other scholars. As for Mālik (may Allāh have mercy on him), he was asked about a man tracing his lineage to Ādam and he disliked that, saying: 'From where does he have knowledge of that?' It was said to him: 'Then to Ismā‘īl?' He also disapproved of that and said: 'Who would inform him of it?' He also disliked tracing the lineages of the prophets, such as saying: 'Ibrāhīm son of so-and-so son of so-and-so.' This is how al-Mu‘ayṭī mentioned it in his book." He said: "This statement of Mālik is similar to what was narrated from ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, that he said: 'We have not found anyone who knows what is between ‘Adnān and Ismā‘īl.' And from Ibn ‘Abbās, that he said: 'Between ‘Adnān and Ismā‘īl there are thirty fathers who are not known.' It was also narrated from Ibn ‘Abbās that when he reached ‘Adnān, he would say: 'The genealogists have lied,' two or three times. The most authentic from Ibn Mas‘ūd is similar. And ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb said: 'We only trace lineage to ‘Adnān.'" Abū ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said in his book "al-Inbāh fī Ma‘rifat Qabā’il al-Ruwāt": "Ibn Lahī‘ah narrated from Abū al-Aswad that he heard ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr say: 'We have not found anyone who knows what is beyond ‘Adnān or beyond Qaḥṭān except by conjecture.' And Abū al-Aswad said: 'I heard Abū Bakr Sulaymān ibn Abī Khaythamah, who was one of the most knowledgeable of Quraysh about their poetry and lineages, say: We have not found anyone who knows what is beyond Ma‘add ibn ‘Adnān in the poetry of a poet or the knowledge of a scholar.'" Abū ‘Umar said: "A group of the Salaf, including ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd, ‘Amr ibn Maymūn al-Azdī, and Muḥammad ibn Ka‘b al-Quraẓī, when they recited (And those after them, none knows them except Allāh) ⁶⁸, they said: 'The genealogists have lied.'" Abū ‘Umar (may Allāh have mercy on him) said: "The meaning in our view regarding this is different from what they intended. The intended meaning is that whoever claims to enumerate the children of Ādam, none knows them except Allāh who created them. As for the lineages of the Arabs, the scholars of their days and lineages have comprehended and preserved their major groups and mother tribes, though they differed on some branches." Abū ‘Umar said: "What the imāms of this field agree upon regarding the lineage of ‘Adnān is: ‘Adnān ibn Udad, ibn Muqawwam, ibn Nāḥūr, ibn Tayraḥ, ibn Ya‘rub, ibn Yashjub, ibn Nābit, ibn Ismā‘īl, ibn Ibrāhīm al-Khalīl (peace be upon them). This is how Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Yasār mentioned it in al-Sīrah. Ibn Hishām said: 'It is also said: ‘Adnān ibn Udd, meaning ‘Adnān ibn Udd ibn Udad.' Then Abū ‘Umar continued the lineage to Ādam." As for the lineages to ‘Adnān from the various Arab tribes, they are well-preserved and very famous, no two people dispute them. The Prophetic lineage to him is more apparent and clearer than the break of dawn. A marfū‘ ḥadīth has been reported with explicit text on it, as we will present in its place after discussing the Arab tribes and mentioning their lineages and their organization in the chain of the noble lineage and the lofty origin, if Allāh the Exalted wills. In Him is trust and upon Him is reliance. There is no power or strength except with Allāh, the Mighty, the Wise." How excellent is what the Imām Abū al-‘Abbās ‘Abdullāh ibn Muḥammad al-Nāshī’ composed regarding the Prophetic lineage in his famous poem attributed to him, which is his saying: "I praised the Messenger of Allāh, seeking by my praise Abundant shares from the Generous of noble aims. I praised a man who surpassed praise, unique In his attributes, from far and near. A Prophet whose light rose in the East, Its beacons shone for the people of the West. The tidings came to us before his coming, And the reports spread in every direction. The soothsayers began to cry out his name, And by him they refuted the casting of false conjectures. The idols were made to speak, disavowing To Allāh, in him, the speech of liars. They said to the people of disbelief, clearly: 'A Prophet has come to you from Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib.' The jinn sought to steal hearing, but the shooting stars Removed their seats from it. He guided us to what we would not have been guided Due to long blindness, from clear paths. He brought signs that show They are proofs of a Compeller, Rewarder, Punisher. Among them is the splitting of the moon when the beams Covered the peaks of the mountains. And among them is the gushing of water from between his fingers When the water-seekers had lost hope of finding water." ⁶² al-Tharā: Moist earth or soil; here used metaphorically for the lineage of Ismā‘īl. ⁶³ Bukhtanassar: Nebuchadnezzar II, the Babylonian king. ⁶⁴ Irmiyā’ ibn Ḥalqiyā: The prophet Jeremiah. ⁶⁵ al-Burāq: The mythical steed that carried prophets. ⁶⁶ al-Shām: Greater Syria, including modern Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine. ⁶⁷ Bayt al-Maqdis: Jerusalem. ⁶⁸ Qur’an 14:9 (partial).

He watered with it a vast multitude, and the hands of sins ⁶⁹ were made easy ⁷⁰ upon their necks willingly. A well overflowed with water from the touch of his arrow, whereas before it would not yield even a sip to a drinker. A udder he tended, and it flowed ⁷¹, though it had not a drop that would respond to the hand of a milker. An eloquent speech from a speaking arm ⁷², against the cunning of an enemy bent on hostility. And his reports of matters before their occurrence, and at their beginnings, of what would be in the outcomes. Among those signs is a revelation ⁷³ he brought, near in coming, gathering wonders. Thoughts fall short of it, so it does not obey an eloquent speaker, nor does it occur to the mind of an orator. It encompasses all knowledge and contains all wisdom, surpassing the aim of the persistent seeker. He brought it to us not from the deliberation of a thinker, nor from the pages of a scribe, nor from the description of a writer. It comes to him at times in answering a questioner, giving a legal opinion to a seeker, preaching to an audience, presenting proofs, prescribing laws, narrating stories, stating objectives, formulating parables, establishing arguments, identifying the denier, and exposing the liar. In the assembly of the council, in the heat of battle, and at the occurrence of perplexing difficulties, it comes as you wish in its various ways, upright in meanings, flowing in veins ⁷⁴. Some parts of it confirm others, as if its meaning is observed by the eye of a watcher. And the inability of people to produce the like of what we have described is known through long experience. It is traced back to Abdullah ⁷⁵, the most honorable father, from whom shone forth noble lineages. And to Shayba ⁷⁶ of praise, by whom Quraysh boasted over the people of high rank and positions. And he whose face was used to seek rain from the clouds ⁷⁷, and whose opinions were followed in calamities. And Hashim ⁷⁸, the builder of his lofty pride through bright deeds and the bestowal of gifts. And Abd Manaf ⁷⁹, who taught his people to lower aspirations and to master desires. And indeed Qusayy ⁸⁰, of noble stock, is in a spring that no hand of a cutter has approached. Through him, God gathered the tribes after they had been divided as spoils of plundering hands. And Kilab ⁸¹ settled in the peaks of glory, a fortress beyond the reach of every near and far. And Murra ⁸², his firm resolve was not weakened by the folly of a fool or the misfortune of a loser. And Ka'b ⁸³ rose high above the seeker of glory, attaining the highest ranks with the least effort. And Lu'ayy ⁸⁴ overcame the enemies, so the ambitions of the proud and dominant were humbled for him. And in Ghālib ⁸⁵ is the valor of the father of valor, defending them against every challenging opponent. And for Fihr ⁸⁶ among Quraysh was eloquence, to which they would resort when disputes arose. And among them, Malik ⁸⁷ remained the best owner, the best companion, and the best friend. And for al-Nadr ⁸⁸ is a bounty that the eye falls short of, where the light of the shining stars meets. By my life, Kinana ⁸⁹ before him displayed beauties that refuse to be submissive to a conqueror. And before him, Khuzayma ⁹⁰ left his praise as an inherited legacy from noble relatives. And Mudrika ⁹¹, people have not found his equal in chastity and in being above base gains. And Ilyas ⁹², despair from him accompanied his enemies before the counting of battalions. And in Mudar ⁹³, all pride is gathered when the advancing hosts clash. And Nizar ⁹⁴ settled in the leadership of his people in a place exalted above the eyes of watchers. And Ma'add ⁹⁵ was a provision for his ally when he feared the cunning of the warring enemy. And Adnan ⁹⁶, whenever his virtue is counted, he stands alone without peer or companion. And Udd ⁹⁷, virtue came from him to the utmost, and an inheritance he inherited from noble elders. And in Udad ⁹⁸ is forbearance adorned with wisdom, when forbearance is made vain by frowning brows. And Humaysi' ⁹⁹ continued to rise in glory, pursuing the hopes of the distant seeker. And Nabt ¹⁰⁰, built by the tree of honor, and he built his fortresses on towering heights. And for Qaydhar ¹⁰¹ were combined the generosity of Hatim, the wisdom of Luqman, and the resolve of Hajib. They are the progeny of Ishmael ¹⁰², true to his promise; after him, there is no striving for glory for one who goes away. And the Friend of God ¹⁰³ was the most honorable of those for whom the earth bowed, whether walking or riding. And Tarih ¹⁰⁴ never ceased to have a magnanimity that showed his praiseworthy qualities. And Nahur ¹⁰⁵, the slaughterer of enemies, for whom were preserved deeds that no counter could count. And Ashr' ¹⁰⁶ in battle, a lion of the forest, who cuts the necks with sharp swords. And Arghu ¹⁰⁷, a fang in wars, well-tested, stingy with himself against the contentious aggressor. And Faligh ¹⁰⁸ is not lacking in virtue after his people, nor is 'Abir ¹⁰⁹ below them in ranks. And Shalikh ¹¹⁰, Arfakhshad ¹¹¹, and Sam ¹¹², raised by noble traits that protected them from every critic and fault-finder. And Noah ¹¹³ remained, in the presence of the Throne, excellent, counted among the chosen pure ones. And Lamk ¹¹⁴, his father, was splendid in awe, bold against the soul of the fighting warrior. And before Lamk, Mutawashallikh ¹¹⁵ never ceased to repel enemies with sharp-pointed spears. And for the prophet Idris ¹¹⁶ were stations from God that were not matched by the ambition of a seeker. And Yarid ¹¹⁷ was a sea among his noble family, proud of secrets, subtle in objectives. And for Mahla'il ¹¹⁸ was an understanding of virtues, refined from shameful faults. And Qaynan ¹¹⁹ before him acquired the glory of his people and excelled in the race of virtue with swift mounts. And Anush ¹²⁰ raised himself to glory and purified it from degrading pursuits. And Seth ¹²¹ remained excellent in virtues, noble, free from blameworthy defects. And all of them kindled from the light of Adam ¹²² and from his branch they harvested the fruits of merits. And the Messenger of God ¹²³ was the most honorable of noble offspring, who ran through the loins of the pure and noble, his fathers matching his mothers, free from shameful faults. Upon him be the peace of God with every rising dawn that shines light upon us, and with every setting sun. Thus the poem was recorded by Shaykh Abu 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-Barr and our master the Hafiz Abu al-Hajjaj al-Mizzi in his Tahdhib, from the poetry of the master Abu al-'Abbas 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Nashi', known as Ibn Shirshir. His origin was from al-Anbar; he came to Baghdad then traveled to Egypt, where he stayed until he died in the year 293 AH. He was a theologian of the Mu'tazila ¹²⁴; Shaykh Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari ¹²⁵ relates from him in his book al-Maqalat ¹²⁶ regarding what he reports from the Mu'tazila. He was a consummate poet, such that among his capabilities in poetry, he would oppose other poets in meanings, composing contrary to them and inventing meanings they could not achieve, of novel ideas and eloquent expressions, until some attributed him to recklessness and confusion. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi ¹²⁷ mentioned that he composed a poem on a single rhyme of nearly four thousand verses, which al-Najim ¹²⁸ mentioned, and he recorded his death as we have stated. I say: This poem demonstrates his excellence, brilliance, eloquence, fluency, knowledge, understanding, memory, good expression, insight, competence, and his ability to compose this noble lineage in the thread of his poetry and to delve into these meanings, which are precious jewels from the lexicon of his sea. May God have mercy on him, reward him, and make his end and return good.

1. al-anbiya' : The prophets; here referring to the earlier section of the book where Isma'il was mentioned among the prophets.
2. al-'Arab al-'Ariba : The 'pure Arabs' or 'original Arabs', traditionally considered the descendants of Qahtan (Joktan), as opposed to the 'Arab al-Musta'riba' (Arabized Arabs) descended from Isma'il.
3. al-Buraq : A mythical steed, often described as a white animal larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule, which the Prophet Muhammad is said to have ridden during the Night Journey (Isra'). Here it is attributed to Ibrahim.
4. Bayt al-Maqdis : Jerusalem; the 'Holy House' referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque or the city itself.
5. Sayl al-'Arim : The flood of the 'Arim (dam) in Yemen, which according to tradition destroyed the Ma'rib Dam and caused the dispersal of the tribes of Saba'.
6. takhazza‘ū : They broke away or separated; the name Khuzā‘ah is derived from this verb.
7. al-Bayt : The Ka‘bah, the sacred House in Mecca.
8. mash’ūmīn : Ill-omened; their rule was considered unlucky because idolatry began during their time.
9. ‘Amr ibn Luḥayy : A chief of Khuzā‘ah, credited with introducing idol worship to the Hijaz.
10. ḥays : A dish made of dates, clarified butter, and other ingredients.
11. sawīq : A type of porridge or gruel made from ground wheat or barley.
12. al-‘Amālīq : The Amalekites, an ancient people mentioned in Islamic tradition.
13. Hubal : A major idol worshipped in pre-Islamic Mecca.
14. al-Ṣaḥīḥ : Refers to the authentic hadith collections, particularly Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī.
15. Jāhiliyyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance.
16. talbiyah : The proclamation made by pilgrims during Hajj and Umrah, beginning with 'Labbayk'.
17. Qur’an 12:106 : The verse: 'And most of them do not believe in God except while they associate others with Him.'
18. Iblīs : Satan, the devil.
19. sā’ibah : A she-camel set free for idols, not to be ridden or milked.
20. baḥīrah : A she-camel whose ear was slit and milk reserved for idols.
21. munqaṭi‘ : A hadith with a broken chain of transmission, considered weak.
22. bahira : A she-camel whose ear was slit after she had given birth to a certain number of offspring, and she was then left to roam freely and not ridden or milked.
23. sa'iba : A she-camel that was let loose for their idols, not ridden or milked, often after a vow or for a specific reason.
24. wasila : A she-goat that was joined to another in a specific way, often after giving birth to twins, and was then considered sacred.
25. hami : A male camel that had sired a certain number of offspring and was then left to roam freely, not ridden or used for work.
26. sawa'ib : Plural of sa'iba; she-camels let loose for idols.
27. marfu' : A hadith attributed directly to the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
28. al-Khalil : The intimate friend (of Allah), referring to Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim), peace be upon him.
29. Quran 16:116 : Reference to the Quranic verse.
30. Quran 5:103 : Reference to the Quranic verse.
31. Salaf : The early generations of Muslims, including the Companions, their successors, and the early scholars.
32. Quran 16:56 : Reference to the Quranic verse.
33. Quran 6:136-140 : Reference to the Quranic verses.
34. Khalil Ibrahim : Abraham, the intimate friend of Allah.
35. Quran 71:23-24 : Reference to the Quranic verses.
36. 'Amr Anas : An idol worshipped by the tribe of Khaulan.
37. mu'abbala : Camels that are kept for breeding and not used for riding or work.
38. Hubal : A major idol of the Quraysh, believed to have been brought from Syria or Mesopotamia.
39. Amr ibn Luhay : A pre-Islamic leader of Khuza'a, traditionally credited with introducing idol worship to Mecca.
40. Isaf and Na'ila : Two idols placed near Zamzam; according to tradition, they were a man and a woman turned to stone for fornication in the Kaaba.
41. Ash'arites : A tribe or group of people; here referring to the tribe of al-Ash'ari.
42. Aja and Salma : Two mountains in the Hijaz, named after a man and woman who were crucified there for fornication.
43. Qalis : An idol of the tribe of Tayy, located between the mountains Aja and Salma.
44. objects of worship : Arabic: ṭawāghīt (plural of ṭāghūt), meaning false gods or objects of worship other than Allah.
45. al-Uzza : A pre-Islamic Arabian goddess, associated with the planet Venus, worshipped by the Quraysh and other tribes.
46. al-Lat : A pre-Islamic Arabian goddess, worshipped by the Thaqif tribe in Ta'if.
47. Manat : A pre-Islamic Arabian goddess of fate and destiny, worshipped by the Aws and Khazraj tribes.
48. Dhu al-Khalasa : A pre-Islamic idol and sanctuary in Tabala, venerated by the tribes of Daws, Khath'am, and Bajila.
49. Ri'am : A pre-Islamic sanctuary or temple in Yemen, associated with the Himyarites.
50. Ruda' : A pre-Islamic idol or sanctuary of the Banu Tamim tribe.
51. Zuhayr ibn Janab ibn Hubal : A pre-Islamic poet known for his long life, sometimes confused with al-Mustawghir.
52. Dhu al-Ka'bat : A pre-Islamic sanctuary or temple at Sandad, associated with the tribes of Bakr, Taghlib, and Iyad.
53. al-Khawarnaq : A famous castle built by the Lakhmid king al-Nu'man for the Sassanid king Sabur.
54. al-Sadir : A place or palace in the region of al-Hira, often mentioned alongside al-Khawarnaq.
55. Bariq : A place or mountain in the Arabian Peninsula, mentioned in pre-Islamic poetry.
56. Anqira : A place name, possibly referring to a location in Mesopotamia or Syria.
57. Sabur : A Sassanid king, likely Shapur I or II, for whom al-Khawarnaq was built.
58. Sinimmar : The architect of al-Khawarnaq, who was killed by the king to prevent him from building a similar structure.
59. Adnan : The traditional ancestor of the northern Arabs, from whom the Prophet Muhammad's lineage traces.
60. Rikhya : A scribe or book mentioned in the context of biblical genealogies, possibly a corruption of a Hebrew name.
61. A'raq al-Thara : A name in the genealogy of the Prophet, meaning 'roots of the earth' or 'moist earth'.
62. al-Tharā : Moist earth or soil; here used metaphorically for the lineage of Ismā‘īl.
63. Bukhtanassar : Nebuchadnezzar II, the Babylonian king.
64. Irmiyā’ ibn Ḥalqiyā : The prophet Jeremiah.
65. al-Burāq : The mythical steed that carried prophets.
66. al-Shām : Greater Syria, including modern Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine.
67. Bayt al-Maqdis : Jerusalem.
68. Qur’an 14:9 : Partial verse: 'And those after them, none knows them except Allāh.'
69. al-madhānib : Sins or faults; here personified as hands that are made submissive.
70. ashalat : Made easy or compliant; from the root s-h-l.
71. istadarra : Flowed abundantly; used for milk flowing from a udder.
72. dhirā' mubīna : A speaking arm; refers to the miracle of the speaking arm of the Prophet Muhammad, which testified to his prophethood.
73. waḥy : Revelation; specifically the Qur'an.
74. ḍarā'ib : Veins or channels; metaphorically, the various modes or aspects of the Qur'an.
75. 'Abd Allāh : The father of the Prophet Muhammad.
76. Shayba : Shayba ibn Hāshim, known as 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib, the grandfather of the Prophet.
77. yustasqā al-ghamām bi-wajhihi : Refers to the tradition that rain was sought through the intercession of 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib.
78. Hāshim : Great-grandfather of the Prophet; known for his generosity and establishing the practice of feeding pilgrims.
79. 'Abd Manāf : Ancestor of the Prophet; a prominent figure in Quraysh.
80. Quṣayy : Ancestor of the Prophet; known for uniting the Quraysh and controlling the Kaaba.
81. Kilāb : Ancestor of the Prophet.
82. Murra : Ancestor of the Prophet.
83. Ka'b : Ancestor of the Prophet.
84. Lu'ayy : Ancestor of the Prophet.
85. Ghālib : Ancestor of the Prophet.
86. Fihr : Ancestor of the Prophet; also known as Quraysh.
87. Mālik : Ancestor of the Prophet.
88. al-Naḍr : Ancestor of the Prophet.
89. Kināna : Ancestor of the Prophet.
90. Khuzayma : Ancestor of the Prophet.
91. Mudrika : Ancestor of the Prophet.
92. Ilyās : Ancestor of the Prophet.
93. Muḍar : Ancestor of the Prophet; a major tribal group.
94. Nizār : Ancestor of the Prophet.
95. Ma'add : Ancestor of the Prophet.
96. 'Adnān : Ancestor of the Prophet; from whom the Adnanite Arabs descend.
97. Udd : Ancestor of the Prophet.
98. Udad : Ancestor of the Prophet.
99. Humaysi' : Ancestor of the Prophet; variant of Humaysa'.
100. Nabt : Ancestor of the Prophet; also known as Yashjub.
101. Qaydhar : Ancestor of the Prophet; son of Ishmael.
102. Ismā'īl : Ishmael, son of Abraham; prophet and ancestor of the Arabs.
103. Khalīl Allāh : Abraham, the Friend of God.
104. Tāriḥ : Terah, father of Abraham.
105. Nāḥūr : Nahor, ancestor of Abraham.
106. Ashr' : Possibly a variant of Ashur or a name in the genealogy.
107. Arghū : Possibly a name in the genealogy; uncertain.
108. Fāliġh : Peleg, ancestor of Abraham.
109. 'Ābir : Eber, ancestor of Abraham.
110. Shālikh : Shelah, ancestor of Abraham.
111. Arfakhshad : Arpachshad, ancestor of Abraham.
112. Sām : Shem, son of Noah.
113. Nūḥ : Noah, the prophet.
114. Lamk : Lamech, father of Noah.
115. Mutawashallikh : Methuselah, ancestor of Noah.
116. Idrīs : Enoch, the prophet.
117. Yārid : Jared, ancestor of Noah.
118. Mahlā'īl : Mahalalel, ancestor of Noah.
119. Qaynān : Kenan, ancestor of Noah.
120. Anūsh : Enosh, ancestor of Noah.
121. Shīth : Seth, son of Adam.
122. Ādam : Adam, the first prophet.
123. Rasūl Allāh : The Messenger of God, Muhammad.
124. Mu'tazila : An Islamic theological school emphasizing reason and free will.
125. Abū al-Ḥasan al-Ash'arī : Founder of the Ash'ari school of theology (d. 935 CE).
126. al-Maqālāt : A work by al-Ash'ari on Islamic sects and doctrines.
127. al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī : A renowned historian and scholar of Hadith (d. 1071 CE).
128. al-Nājim : Possibly a reference to a scholar or a work; uncertain.

He mentioned the origins of the genealogies of the Arab tribes of the Hijaz tracing back…

He mentioned the origins of the genealogies of the Arab tribes of the Hijaz tracing back to Adnan [1], because Adnan had two sons: Ma'add [2] and 'Akk [3].

He mentioned the origins of the genealogies of the Arab tribes of the Hijaz tracing back to ʿAdnān, because ʿAdnān had two sons: Maʿadd and ʿAkk. Al-Suhaylī said: ʿAdnān also had a son named al-Ḥārith, and another called al-Mudhhab. He said: al-Ḍaḥḥāk has also been mentioned among his sons. It is said that al-Ḍaḥḥāk was a son of Maʿadd, not of ʿAdnān. He said: It is said that ʿAdan, after which the city of Aden is named, and likewise Abyan, were two sons of ʿAdnān. Al-Ṭabarī narrated this. ʿAkk married among the Ashʿarīs and settled in their land in Yemen, so their language became one. Some people of Yemen claimed that they were from them, saying: ʿAkk ibn ʿAdnān ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Azd ibn Yaghūth. It is also said: ʿAkk ibn ʿAdnān ibn al-Dhiʾb ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Asad. And it is said: al-Rayth instead of al-Dhiʾb. The correct view is what we mentioned, that they are from ʿAdnān. ʿAbbās ibn Mirdās said: And ʿAkk ibn ʿAdnān, who played with Ghassān until they were driven out every which way. As for Maʿadd, he had four sons: Nizār, Quḍāʿa, Qanaṣ, and Iyād. Quḍāʿa was his firstborn, and he was called by his kunya ¹. We have already mentioned the disagreement concerning Quḍāʿa, but this is the correct view according to Ibn Isḥāq and others. And God knows best. As for Qanaṣ, it is said that they perished and no remnant of them remained, except that al-Nuʿmān ibn al-Mundhir, who was the deputy of Kisrā ² over al-Ḥīra, was from his progeny, according to a group of the Salaf ³. It is also said that he was from Ḥimyar, as previously mentioned. And God knows best. As for Nizār, he had sons: Rabīʿa, Muḍar, and Anmār. Ibn Hishām said: And Iyād ibn Nizār, as the poet said: "And youths with beautiful faces from Iyād ibn Nizār ibn Maʿadd." He said: Iyād and Muḍar were full brothers, their mother being Sawda bint ʿAkk ibn ʿAdnān. The mother of Rabīʿa and Anmār was Shuqayqa bint ʿAkk ibn ʿAdnān. It is also said: Jumʿa bint ʿAkk ibn ʿAdnān. Ibn Isḥāq said: As for Anmār, he is the father of Khathʿam and Bajīla ⁴, the tribe of Jarīr ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Bajalī. He said: They moved to Yemen and joined the Yemenis. Ibn Hishām said: The people of Yemen say: Anmār ibn Arāsh ibn Laḥyān ibn ʿAmr ibn al-Ghawth ibn Nabt ibn Mālik ibn Zayd ibn Kahlān ibn Sabaʾ. I say: The previous hadith ⁵ about Sabaʾ indicates this. And God knows best. They said: Muḍar was the first to sing the camel-driver's song ⁶, because he had a beautiful voice. One day he fell from his camel and his hand was dislocated, so he began to say "Yā yadāh, yā yadāh" (O my hand, O my hand), and the camels quickened their pace because of that. Ibn Isḥāq said: Muḍar ibn Nizār had two sons: Ilyās and ʿAylān. Ilyās had sons: Mudrika, Ṭābikha, and Qamaʿa, their mother being Khindif bint ʿImrān ibn al-Ḥāf ibn Quḍāʿa. Ibn Isḥāq said: Mudrika's name was ʿĀmir, and Ṭābikha's name was ʿAmr. They were cooking some game when the camels bolted. ʿĀmir went after them until he caught them, while the other sat cooking. When they returned to their father and told him, he said to ʿĀmir: "You are Mudrika (the one who catches up)." And to ʿAmr he said: "You are Ṭābikha (the cook)." He said: As for Qamaʿa, the genealogists of Muḍar claim that Khuzāʿa is from the descendants of ʿAmr ibn Luḥayy ibn Qamaʿa ibn Ilyās. I say: The more apparent view is that he is from them, not their father, and that they are from Ḥimyar as previously mentioned. And God knows best. Ibn Isḥāq said: Mudrika had sons: Khuzayma and Hudhayl, their mother being a woman from Quḍāʿa. Khuzayma had sons: Kināna, Asad, Asada, and al-Hawn. He said: Kināna had sons: al-Naḍr, Mālik, ʿAbd Manāt, Milkān. Abū Jaʿfar al-Ṭabarī added to these four sons of Kināna: ʿĀmir, al-Ḥārith, al-Nuḍayr, Ghanm, Saʿd, ʿAwf, Juraul, al-Jurāl, and Ghazwān. Discussion on Quraysh: lineage, derivation, and virtue. They are the Banū al-Naḍr ibn Kināna. Ibn Isḥāq said: The mother of al-Naḍr was Barra bint Murr ibn Ud ibn Ṭābikha [ibn Ilyās ibn Muḍar], while the rest of his sons were from another woman. Ibn Hishām disagreed, making Barra bint Murr the mother of al-Naḍr, Mālik, and Milkān, and the mother of ʿAbd Manāt was Hāla bint Suwayd ibn al-Ghiṭrīf from Azd Shanūʾa. Ibn Hishām said: Al-Naḍr is Quraysh. Whoever is from his descendants is a Qurashī, and whoever is not from his descendants is not a Qurashī. He said: It is also said that Fihr ibn Mālik is Quraysh. Whoever is from his descendants is a Qurashī, and whoever is not from his descendants is not a Qurashī. These two opinions have been narrated by more than one of the imams of genealogy, such as Shaykh Abū ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, al-Zubayr ibn Bakkār, Muṣʿab, and others. Abū ʿUbayd and Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr said: The majority view is that it is al-Naḍr ibn Kināna, based on the hadith of al-Ashʿath ibn Qays. I say: This is what was stated by Hishām ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Sāʾib al-Kalbī and Abū ʿUbayda Maʿmar ibn al-Muthannā, and it is the mainstream view of the Shāfiʿī school, may God be pleased with him. Then Abū ʿUmar chose that it is Fihr ibn Mālik, arguing that today no one who traces his lineage to Quraysh does so except by returning to Fihr ibn Mālik. Then he narrated that this view was chosen by al-Zubayr ibn Bakkār, Muṣʿab al-Zubayrī, and ʿAlī ibn Kaysān. He said: They are the authorities in this matter. Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkār said: The genealogists of Quraysh and others have agreed that Quraysh only branched out from Fihr ibn Mālik. The view of those genealogists of Quraysh whom I have met is that the descendants of Fihr ibn Mālik are Qurashī, and whoever goes beyond Fihr ibn Mālik in his lineage is not from Quraysh. Then he strongly supported this view and argued for it, saying that he and his like are more knowledgeable about the genealogies of their people and more mindful of their noble deeds. Al-Bukhārī narrated from the hadith of Kulayb ibn Wāʾil: I said to the stepdaughter of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, meaning Zaynab [bint Abī Salama], in a hadith he mentioned: "Tell me about the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was he from Muḍar?" She said: "From whom else would he be but from Muḍar, from the Banū al-Naḍr ibn Kināna?" Al-Ṭabarānī said: Ibrāhīm ibn Nāʾila al-Iṣbahānī narrated to us, Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAmr al-Bajalī narrated to us, al-Ḥasan ibn Ṣāliḥ narrated to us from his father, from al-Jushaysh al-Kindī, who said: A group from Kinda came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said: "You are from us," claiming him. He said: "No, we are the Banū al-Naḍr ibn Kināna; we do not follow our mother [in lineage] nor disown our father." Imam Abū ʿUthmān Saʿīd ibn Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd said: My father narrated to us, al-Kalbī narrated to us from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: A man from Kinda called al-Jushaysh came to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said: "O Messenger of God, we claim that ʿAbd Manāf is from us." He turned away from him. Then he returned and said the same, and he turned away. Then he returned and said the same. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "We are the Banū al-Naḍr ibn Kināna; we do not follow our mother nor disown our father." Al-Ashʿath said: "Would that you had remained silent from the first time!" So that invalidated their claim on the tongue of His Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. This is also strange from this chain, and al-Kalbī is weak. And God knows best. Imam Aḥmad said: Bahz and ʿAffān narrated to us, they said: Ḥammād ibn Salama narrated to us, he said: ʿUqayl ibn Abī Ṭalḥa narrated to me—and ʿAffān said: ʿUqayl ibn Ṭalḥa al-Sulamī—from Muslim ibn al-Hayṣam, from al-Ashʿath ibn Qays, that he said: I came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, in the delegation of Kinda. ʿAffān said: They did not consider me the best among them. He said: I said: "O Messenger of God, we claim that you are from us."

He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "We are the sons of al-Nadr ibn Kinana; we do not disavow our mother nor disown our father." He said: Then al-Ash'ath ibn Qays said: By Allah, if I hear anyone denying that Quraysh are from al-Nadr ibn Kinana, I will flog him with the prescribed punishment. Thus it was narrated by Ibn Majah from multiple chains from Hammad ibn Salama. This is a good and strong chain, and it is the decisive word on this matter, so no attention is paid to the opinion of those who oppose it. And Allah knows best. To Allah be praise and gratitude. Jarir ibn Atiyya al-Tamimi said, praising Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan: "The mother who gave birth to Quraysh is neither of base lineage nor barren. Nor is there a chief more noble than your father, nor a maternal uncle more generous than Tamim." Ibn Hisham said: He means the mother of al-Nadr ibn Kinana, who is Barra bint Murr, the sister of Tamim ibn Murr. As for the derivation of "Quraysh," it is said to be from al-taqarrush, which means gathering after dispersal, and that was in the time of Qusayy ibn Kilab, for they were scattered and he gathered them in the sanctuary, as will be explained. Hudhafa ibn Ghanim al-Adawi said: "Your father Qusayy was called 'the gatherer,' by whom Allah gathered the tribes from Fihr." Some said: Qusayy was called Quraysh. It is said: from gathering, and al-taqarrush is gathering, as Abu Khalda al-Yashkuri said: "Brothers who gathered sins upon us in a tale of our time, ancient." And it is said: Quraysh was named from al-taqarrush, which is earning and trade. This was related by Ibn Hisham, may Allah have mercy on him. Al-Jawhari said: al-qirsh is earning and gathering, and qarasha yaqrishu means to earn. Al-Farra' said: And by it Quraysh was named, and it is a tribe, and their father is al-Nadr ibn Kinana, so whoever is from his offspring is Qurayshi, excluding the offspring of Kinana and above. And it is said: from searching. Hisham ibn al-Kalbi said: Al-Nadr ibn Kinana was called Quraysh because he used to search out people's needs and fulfill them with his wealth, and al-taqrish is searching. His sons would search the pilgrims for needs and provide them with what would get them to their lands. So they were named by their action and their searching, Quraysh. Al-Harith ibn Hilliza said, clarifying that al-taqarrush is searching: "O speaker who searches about us before Amr, does he have any mercy?" This was related by al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar. And it is said: Quraysh is the diminutive of qirsh, which is a sea creature. One poet said: "And Quraysh is that which inhabits the sea; by it Quraysh was named Quraysh." Al-Bayhaqi said: Abu Nasr ibn Qatada informed us, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Isa al-Malini informed us, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Khalil al-Nasawi narrated to us, that Abu Kurayb narrated to them, Waki' ibn al-Jarrah narrated to us, from Hisham ibn Urwa, from his father, from Abu Rukana al-Amiri, that Muawiya said to Ibn Abbas: Why was Quraysh named Quraysh? He said: Because of a sea creature, the greatest of its creatures, called al-qirsh, which passes by nothing, lean or fat, without eating it. He said: Recite something to me about that. So he recited the poem of al-Jumahi: "And Quraysh is that which inhabits the sea; by it Quraysh was named Quraysh. It eats the lean and the fat, and leaves no feathers for the winged. Thus in the land, the tribe of Quraysh eats the land with swift eating. And they have at the end of time a prophet who will increase killing and wounding among them." And it is said they were named after Quraysh ibn al-Harith ibn Yakhluq ibn al-Nadr ibn Kinana, who was the guide of Banu al-Nadr and their provision carrier, so the Arabs would say: The caravan of Quraysh has come. They said: And his son Badr ibn Quraysh is the one who dug the well attributed to him, at which the great battle occurred on the Day of Discrimination ⁷, the day the two hosts met. And Allah knows best. In attribution to Quraysh, one says Qurashi and Qurayshi. Al-Jawhari said: That is the standard. The poet said: "Every Qurayshi has awe upon him, swift to respond to the caller of generosity and nobility." He said: If you mean by Quraysh the tribe, you decline it; if you mean the clan, you do not decline it. The poet said, regarding not declining: "And sufficient for Quraysh were the difficulties and their leadership." Muslim narrated in his Sahih from the hadith of Abu Umar and al-Awza'i, who said: Shaddad Abu Ammar narrated to me, Wathila ibn al-Asqa' narrated to me, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Indeed, Allah chose Kinana from the descendants of Isma'il, and chose Quraysh from Kinana, and chose Hashim from Quraysh, and chose me from Banu Hashim." Abu Umar ibn Abd al-Barr said: It is said: Banu Abd al-Muttalib are the close kin of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; Banu Hashim are his sub-clan; Banu Abd Manaf are his clan; Quraysh is his tribal group; Banu Kinana is his tribe; Mudar is his people. May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him always until the Day of Judgment. Then Ibn Ishaq said: Al-Nadr ibn Kinana fathered Malik and Yakhluq. Ibn Hisham said: And al-Salt. Their mother was the daughter of Sa'd ibn al-Dharib al-Adwani. Kuthayyir ibn Abd al-Rahman, who is Kuthayyir Azza, one of Banu Mulayh ibn Amr of Khuza'a, said: "Is not my father al-Salt? Are not my brothers every noble one from Banu al-Nadr, brilliant? I saw the garments of 'asb ⁸ mixed with warp, ours and theirs, and the Hadrami ⁹ striped. If you are not from Banu al-Nadr, then leave the araak ¹⁰ at the tails of al-Fawa'ij ¹¹ green." Ibn Hisham said: Banu Mulayh ibn Amr trace their lineage to al-Salt ibn al-Nadr. Ibn Ishaq said: Malik ibn al-Nadr fathered Fihr ibn Malik. His mother was Jandala bint al-Harith ibn Mudad al-Asghar. Fihr fathered Ghailb, Muharib, al-Harith, and Asad. Their mother was Layla bint Sa'd ibn Hudhayl ibn Mudrika. Ibn Hisham said: And their sister by their father was Jandala bint Fihr. Ibn Ishaq said: Ghailb ibn Fihr fathered Lu'ayy ibn Ghailb and Taym ibn Ghailb, who are called Banu al-Adram. Their mother was Salma bint Amr al-Khuza'i. Ibn Hisham said: And Qays ibn Ghailb, whose mother was Salma bint Ka'b ibn Amr al-Khuza'i, and she is the mother of Lu'ayy [and Taym ibn Ghailb]. Ibn Ishaq said: Lu'ayy ibn Ghailb fathered four men: Ka'b, Amir, Sama, and [blank]. Ibn Hisham said: And it is said al-Harith. And they are Jusham ibn al-Harith in Hizzan of Rabi'a. And Sa'd ibn Lu'ayy, and they are Bunana in Shayban ibn Tha'laba. Bunana is a nurse for them. And Khuzayma ibn Lu'ayy, and they are A'idha in Shayban ibn Tha'laba. Then Ibn Ishaq mentioned the story of Sama ibn Lu'ayy, that he went out to Oman and stayed there, due to enmity between him and his brother Amir, who frightened him, so he fled from him to Oman, and died there as a stranger. That was because he was grazing his she-camel, and a snake clung to its lip, causing it to fall on its side, then the snake bit Sama and killed him. It is said that he wrote with his finger on the ground: "Eye, weep for Sama ibn Lu'ayy; the clinging thing clung to what Sama had. I see no one like Sama ibn Lu'ayy on the day they made him a corpse for a she-camel. Convey to Amir and Ka'b a message that my soul longs for them. If my home is in Oman, I am a descendant of Ghailb who left without need. 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 death. And the traveler of the night ¹² you left bereft, after seriousness, determination, and elegance."

Ibn Hisham said: It reached me that one of his descendants came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and traced his lineage to Samah ibn Lu'ayy. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him: "The poet?" One of his Companions said to him: "It seems, O Messenger of Allah, that you meant his saying: 'Many a cup you spilled, O son of Lu'ayy, for fear of death, though it was not to be spilled.'" He said: "Yes." Al-Suhayli mentioned from some of them that he had no offspring. Al-Zubayr said: Samah ibn Lu'ayy fathered Ghalib, al-Nabit, and al-Harith. They said: He had descendants in Iraq who hated 'Ali, and among them was 'Ali ibn al-Ja'd, who used to revile his father for naming him 'Ali. Among the Banu Samah ibn Lu'ayy was Muhammad ibn 'Ar'arah ibn al-Yazid, the shaykh of al-Bukhari. Ibn Ishaq said: As for 'Awf ibn Lu'ayy, he set out, as they claim, with a caravan of Quraysh until, when he was in the land of Ghatafan ibn Sa'd ibn Qays ibn 'Aylan, he was delayed. Those of his people who were with him went on, and Tha'laba ibn Sa'd, who was his brother in the lineage of Banu Dhubyan, came to him, detained him, married him off, attached him ¹³, and made him a brother. So his lineage spread among Dhubyan. Tha'laba, as they claim, is the one who said to 'Awf when he was delayed and his people left him: "Detain your camel for the son of Lu'ayy; the people have left you, and there is no leaving for you." ¹⁴ Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn al-Zubayr, or Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abd Allah ibn al-Husayn, told me that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said: "If I were to claim a living tribe of the Arabs or attach them to us, I would claim the Banu Murrah ibn 'Awf, for we recognize among them ¹⁵ resemblances, along with what we know of the place where that man settled." He meant 'Awf ibn Lu'ayy. Ibn Ishaq said: Someone I do not suspect told me that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said to men [from them ¹⁶] from Banu Murrah: "If you wish to return to your lineage, then return to it." Ibn Ishaq said: The people were nobles in Ghatafan, their lords and leaders, a people with renown in Ghatafan and all of Qays. They remained on their lineage. He said: They used to say when their lineage was mentioned to them: "We do not deny it nor reject it, and it is the most beloved lineage to us." Then he mentioned their poems about their affiliation to Lu'ayy. Ibn Ishaq said: Among them was al-Basl, which was the prohibition of eight months for them each year, unique among the Arabs. The Arabs recognized that for them, and they would be safe during those months and would also grant safety. I said: Rabi'ah and Mudar only prohibited four months of the year: Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, al-Muharram, and they differed over the fourth, which is Rajab. Mudar said: It is the one between Jumada and Sha'ban. Rabi'ah said: It is the one between Sha'ban and Shawwal. It is established in the two Sahihs ¹⁷ from Abu Bakrah that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said in the sermon of the Farewell Pilgrimage: "Time has completed its cycle as it was on the day Allah created the heavens and the earth. The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred: three consecutive—Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and al-Muharram—and Rajab of Mudar, which is between Jumada and Sha'ban." So he explicitly favored the view of Mudar over Rabi'ah. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: "Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the Book of Allah on the day He created the heavens and the earth; of them, four are sacred." ¹⁸ This is a refutation of the Banu 'Awf ibn Lu'ayy in their making the sacred months eight, thus adding to Allah's decree and including what is not from it. His saying in the hadith: "three consecutive" is a refutation of the people of al-Nasi' ¹⁹ who used to delay the prohibition of al-Muharram to Safar. His saying: "and Rajab of Mudar" is a refutation of Rabi'ah. Ibn Ishaq said: Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy fathered three: Murrah, 'Adiyy, and Husays. Murrah fathered three as well: Kilab ibn Murrah, Taym ibn Murrah, and Yaqazah ibn Murrah, from three mothers. He said: Kilab fathered two men: Qusayy ibn Kilab and Zuhrah ibn Kilab. Their mother was Fatimah bint Sa'd ibn Sayl, one of al-Jadarrah from Ju'thumah al-Asad of Yemen, allies of Banu al-Dil ibn Bakr ibn 'Abd Manat ibn Kinanah. About her father, the poet said: "We see no single person among those we know like Sa'd ibn Sayl, a horseman, ambidextrous, with some difficulty ²⁰, and when he confronts the opponent, he dismounts, a horseman who lures the horses as the noble falcon lures the partridges." ²¹ Al-Suhayli said: Sayl's name was Khayr ibn Jamalah, and he was the first to have swords gilded with gold and silver. Ibn Ishaq said: They were called al-Jadarrah because 'Amir ibn 'Amr ibn Khuzaymah ibn Ju'thumah married the daughter of al-Harith ibn Mudad al-Jurhumi, and Jurhum at that time were the custodians of the House. He built a wall (jidar) for the Ka'bah, so 'Amir was called al-Jadir, and his children were called al-Jadarrah for that reason. The story of Qusayy ibn Kilab, and what happened regarding his recovery of the custody of the House for Quraysh, and his wresting it from Khuza'ah, and the gathering of Quraysh to the Sanctuary which Allah made a place of safety for His servants, after their dispersal in the lands and their fragmentation in the mountains and plains. That was because when his father Kilab died, his mother married Rabi'ah ibn Haram from 'Udhrah, and he took her and him to his land. Then Qusayy came to Mecca as a young man and married Hubba bint Hulayl, the chief of Khuza'ah, Hulayl ibn Hubshiyyah. As for Khuza'ah, they claim that Hulayl bequeathed the custody of the House to Qusayy because he saw the abundance of his offspring from his daughter, and said: "You are more entitled to this than I." Ibn Ishaq said: We have only heard that from them. As for others, they claim that he sought help from his maternal brothers, whose chief was Rizah ibn Rabi'ah and his brothers, and from Banu Kinanah, Quda'ah, and those around Mecca from Quraysh and others, and he expelled them from the House and took sole custody of the House. For the permission for the pilgrims [to depart] was with Sufah, who were Banu al-Ghawth ibn Murr ibn Udd ibn Tabikhah ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar. The people would not throw the pebbles until they threw, nor would they depart from Mina until they departed. This continued with them until they became extinct. Then that was inherited by al-Qa'dad ²², Banu Sa'd ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim. The first of them was Safwan ibn al-Harith ibn Shijnah ibn 'Utarid ibn 'Awf ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Zayd Manat ibn Tamim. This remained in his house until Islam came upon the last of them, who was Karib ibn Safwan. The permission [to depart] from Muzdalifah was with 'Adwan, until Islam came upon the last of them, who was Abu Sayyarah 'Umaylah ibn al-A'zal, and it is said his name was al-'Asi and al-A'zal's name was Khalid. He used to give permission to the people riding on a one-eyed she-donkey of his; he continued to depart on it from the standing place for forty years. He was the first to set the blood-money at one hundred, and the first to say: "Shine, Thabir, so that we may rush." Al-Suhayli narrated this. 'Amir ibn al-Zarib al-'Adwani: whenever there was a dispute among the Arabs, they would refer to him for judgment and be satisfied with his ruling. Once they referred to him regarding the inheritance of a hermaphrodite. He spent the night sleepless, pondering what to rule. A slave girl of his who used to tend his sheep, named Sukhaylah, saw him and said: "What is wrong with you, may you have no father, that you are sleepless tonight?" He told her what he was thinking about, and said: "Perhaps you have something about that." She said: "Follow the judgment of the urine outlet." He said: "By Allah, you have relieved it, O Sukhaylah." And he ruled accordingly.

Al-Suhayli said: This ruling falls under the category of inference from signs and marks, and it has a basis in the Law. Allah Almighty said: (And they brought upon his shirt false blood) ²³ where there was no trace of the wolf's fangs on it. And He said: (If his shirt is torn from the front, then she has told the truth and he is of the liars; but if his shirt is torn from the back, then she has lied and he is of the truthful) ²⁴. And in the hadith: 'Look at her; if she brings a child with a ruddy complexion, curly hair, and a handsome face, then it belongs to the one she was accused of.' Ibn Ishaq said: The practice of al-Nasi' ²⁵ was among Banu Fuqaym ibn 'Adi ibn 'Amir ibn Tha'laba ibn al-Harith ibn Malik ibn Kinana ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika ibn Ilyas ibn Mudar. Ibn Ishaq said: The first to practice al-Nasi' among the Arabs was al-Qalammas ²⁶, who was Hudhayfa ibn 'Abd ibn Fuqaym ibn 'Adi. Then after him came his son 'Abbad, then Qala' ibn 'Abbad, then Umayya ibn Qala', then 'Awf ibn Umayya, and the last of them was Abu Thumama Junada ibn 'Awf ibn Qala' ibn 'Abbad ibn Hudhayfa, who was also called al-Qalammas. It was during the time of Abu Thumama that Islam arose. The Arabs, when they had completed their pilgrimage, would gather to him and he would address them, declaring the sacred months sacred. When he wished to make any of them profane, he would make Muharram profane and substitute Safar in its place, so that they might adjust the count of what Allah had made sacred. He would say: 'O Allah, I have made one of the two Safars profane—the first Safar—and I have postponed the other for the coming year.' The Arabs would follow him in this. Concerning this, 'Umayr ibn Qays, one of Banu Firas ibn Ghanam ibn Malik ibn Kinana, known as Jadhal al-Ti'an, said: 'Ma'add knows well that my people are the noble ones, that they have nobility. Which people have escaped our vengeance? Which people have we not bridled? Are we not those who, among Ma'add, make the months of peace into sacred months?' Qusayy ²⁷ was among his people a master, a leader, obeyed and honored. The point is that he gathered Quraysh from their scattered places in the Arabian Peninsula, and sought help from those tribes of the Arabs who obeyed him to fight Khuza'a ²⁸, expel them from the House, and hand it over to Qusayy. There was much fighting and bloodshed between them. Then they called for arbitration, and they submitted to the judgment of Ya'mar ibn 'Awf ibn Ka'b ibn 'Amir ibn Layth ibn Bakr ibn 'Abd Manat ibn Kinana. He ruled that Qusayy had more right to the House than Khuza'a, that every bloodshed caused by Qusayy from Khuza'a and Banu Bakr was waived, trampled under his feet, and that what Khuza'a and Banu Bakr had caused from Quraysh, Kinana, and Quda'a required blood money to be paid, and that Qusayy should be left in charge of Mecca and the Ka'ba. On that day, Ya'mar was called al-Shaddakh ²⁹. 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 left the Arabs as they were, because he considered that a religion in itself that should not be changed. So he left the families of Safwan, 'Adwan, al-Nasa'a ³⁰, and Murra ibn 'Awf as they were, until Islam came and Allah destroyed all that. He said: Qusayy was the first of Banu Ka'b to attain kingship, by which his people obeyed him. He held the offices of al-Hijaba ³¹, al-Siqaya ³², al-Rifada ³³, al-Nadwa ³⁴, and al-Liwa' ³⁵. He thus acquired all the honor of Mecca, and divided Mecca into quarters among his people, settling each clan of Quraysh in their own dwellings in Mecca. I said: Thus the right returned to its proper place, the stray justice was restored after its return, the abode was settled for Quraysh, and they achieved their desire and vengeance against Khuza'a, and they took possession of their ancient House, but with what Khuza'a had introduced of idol worship, setting them up around the Ka'ba, sacrificing to them, supplicating to them, seeking their help, and asking them for sustenance. Qusayy settled the tribes of Quraysh in the valleys of Mecca, and settled a group of them in its outskirts. So they were called Quraysh al-Bitah ³⁶ and Quraysh al-Zawahir ³⁷. Qusayy ibn Kilab held all leadership: the guardianship of the House (al-Hijaba), its service (al-Sidana), and the banner (al-Liwa'). He built a house for resolving disputes and settling litigations, which he called Dar al-Nadwa ³⁸. Whenever a difficult case arose, the chiefs from every tribe would gather there, consult, and resolve it. No banner was tied nor marriage contract made except in it, and no girl would reach the age of wearing a garment except in it. The door of this house opened onto the Sacred Mosque. Later, this house passed to Hakim ibn Hizam after the Banu 'Abd al-Dar. He sold it during the time of Mu'awiya for one hundred thousand dirhams. Mu'awiya blamed him for selling it, saying: 'You have sold the honor of your people for one hundred thousand.' He replied: 'Today, honor is only through piety. By Allah, I bought it in the Jahiliyya ³⁹ for a skin of wine, and now I have sold it for one hundred thousand. I call you to witness that its price is a charity in the way of Allah. So which of us is the loser?' Al-Daraqutni mentioned this in the Names of the Men of al-Muwatta'. He also held the office of al-Siqaya for the pilgrims; they would drink only from his basins. Zamzam ⁴⁰ at that time was obliterated from the time of Jurhum ⁴¹; they had forgotten about it due to the passage of time and could not find its location. Al-Waqidi said: Qusayy was the first to kindle a fire at Muzdalifa ⁴² to guide those coming from 'Arafat ⁴³. Al-Rifada: the feeding of pilgrims during the days of the season until they departed returning to their lands. Ibn Ishaq said: Qusayy imposed this upon them. He said to them: 'O people of Quraysh, you are the neighbors of Allah, the people of Mecca and the Sanctuary. The pilgrims are the guests of Allah and the visitors of His House, and they are most deserving of hospitality. So provide them with food and drink during the days of Hajj until they depart from you.' They did so, and they would contribute from their wealth each year, giving it to him, and he would prepare it as food for the people during the days of Mina ⁴⁴. This practice continued in the Jahiliyya until Islam came, and then it continued in Islam until this day. It is the food that the ruler prepares each year at Mina for the people until the Hajj concludes. I said: Then this stopped after Ibn Ishaq. Then he ordered that a portion be taken from the treasury and spent on carrying provisions and water for wayfarers heading to the Hajj. This is a good practice in many respects, the mention of which would be lengthy. However, it is obligatory that this be from the pure treasury, from the most lawful of what is in it. It is more appropriate that it be from the poll tax (jizya) of the dhimmis ⁴⁵, because they do not perform Hajj to the Ancient House. It has come in the hadith: 'Whoever has the means to perform Hajj and does not do so, let him die as a Jew or a Christian if he wishes.' One of their poets said in praise of Qusayy and his honor among his people: 'Qusayy, by my life, was called the gatherer; through him Allah gathered the tribes from Fihr. They filled the valley with glory and nobility, and they drove away from us the misguided ones of Banu Bakr.' Ibn Ishaq said: When Qusayy finished his war, his brother Rizah ibn Rabi'a returned to his land with those with him and his three brothers from his father: Hann, Mahmud, and Jalahama.

Rizāḥ replied to Quṣayy: "When a messenger came from Quṣayy, saying, 'Answer the call,' we rose, leading the swift horses, casting off heavy burdens. We traveled by night until dawn, and hid ⁴⁶ by day lest we dismount. They are swift like the arrival of sandgrouse, answering Quṣayy's messenger. We gathered from the secret ⁴⁷ of Ashdhin ⁴⁸ and from every tribe a clan. What a cavalry troop! A night that adds over a thousand flowing gifts ⁴⁹. When they passed by 'Asjar and descended from Mustanākh a way, and passed by the corner of Warqān, and passed by al-'Arj a living settlement, they passed by al-Ḥalī ⁵⁰ without tasting it, and treated those who passed a long night. We brought the young camels close to their mothers ⁵¹, desiring that they might steal the neighing. When we reached Mecca, we permitted the men, tribe by tribe. We plied them with the edge of swords, and at every turn we snatched the minds ⁵². We baked them with the hardness of swords ⁵³, like the baking of the strong, mighty, and abased. We killed Khuza'a in their abode, and Bakr we killed, generation after generation. We expelled them from the land of the King, as they may not settle any easy land. So their captives became in chains, and from every tribe we quenched the rage." Ibn Isḥāq said: When Rizāḥ returned to his land, Allah spread him and spread Ḥunnā, and they are the two tribes of 'Udhra to this day. Ibn Isḥāq said: Quṣayy b. Kilāb said concerning that: "I am the son of the protectors of Banū Lu'ayy, in Mecca my home and there I grew up. To al-Baṭḥā', Ma'add knows, and its Marwa ⁵⁴, I am content, I am content. I am not of Ghālib if the children of Qaydhar and al-Nabīt ⁵⁵ do not acquire property there. Rizāḥ is my helper, and by him I am exalted, so I fear no oppression as long as I live." Al-Umawī mentioned from al-Ashram, from Abū 'Ubayda, from Muḥammad b. Ḥafṣ, that Rizāḥ only came after Quṣayy had expelled Khuza'a. And Allah knows best. Section: Then when Quṣayy grew old, he delegated the offices that were his, from the leaderships of Quraysh and its honor—the rifāda ⁵⁶, siqāya ⁵⁷, ḥijāba ⁵⁸, liwā' ⁵⁹, and nadwa ⁶⁰—to his son 'Abd al-Dār, who was his eldest son. He singled him out for all of them because the rest of his brothers, 'Abd Manāf, 'Abd Shams, and 'Abd, had become honored in their father's time and had attained great honor in their strength, so Quṣayy wanted to join 'Abd al-Dār with them in lordship, so he singled him out for that. His brothers did not dispute him in that. When they died, their sons quarreled over it, saying: 'Quṣayy only singled out 'Abd al-Dār for that to join him with his brothers, so we deserve what our fathers deserved.' The sons of 'Abd al-Dār said: 'This is a matter that Quṣayy assigned to us, so we are more entitled to it.' They differed greatly, and the clans of Quraysh split into two factions: one faction allied with 'Abd al-Dār and made a pact with them, and another faction allied with the sons of 'Abd Manāf and made a pact with them on that. They placed their hands in a bowl of perfume, then when they stood up, they wiped their hands on the corners of the Ka'ba, so they were called the 'Alliance of the Perfumed' ⁶¹. Among them from the tribes of Quraysh were Banū Asad b. 'Abd al-'Uzzā b. Quṣayy, Banū Zuhra, Banū Taym, and Banū al-Ḥārith b. Fihr. With the sons of 'Abd al-Dār were Banū Makhzūm, Banū Sahm, Banū Jumaḥ, and Banū 'Adī. Banū 'Āmir b. Lu'ayy and Muḥārib b. Fihr remained neutral, not joining either side. Then they reconciled and agreed that the rifāda and siqāya would be for the sons of 'Abd Manāf, and that the ḥijāba, liwā', and nadwa would remain with the sons of 'Abd al-Dār. The matter was concluded and continued thus. Al-Umawī narrated from al-Ashram, from Abū 'Ubayda, who said: Some people from Khuza'a claimed that when Quṣayy married Ḥubbā bint Ḥulayl and Ḥulayl became too weak for the custody of the House, he entrusted it to his daughter Ḥubbā, and she appointed Abū Ghubshān Salīm b. 'Amr b. Lu'ayy b. Milkān b. Quṣayy b. Ḥāritha b. 'Amr b. 'Āmir as her deputy. Quṣayy bought the custody of the House from him for a wineskin and a young camel, so it was said: 'More losing than the deal of Abū Ghubshān.' When Khuza'a saw that, they became harsh against Quṣayy, so he sought help from his brother, who came with those with him, and what happened happened. Then Quṣayy delegated these positions that were his—the sidāna ⁶², ḥijāba, liwā', nadwa, rifāda, and siqāya—to his son 'Abd al-Dār, as will be detailed and clarified. He confirmed the permission ⁶³ from Muzdalifa among Banū 'Adwān, confirmed the nasī' ⁶⁴ among Fuqaym, and confirmed the permission, which is the nafr ⁶⁵, among Ṣūfa, as previously explained, all of which were in their hands before that. Ibn Isḥāq said: Quṣayy fathered four sons and two daughters: 'Abd Manāf, 'Abd al-Dār, 'Abd al-'Uzzā, and 'Abd, and Takhmur, and Barra. Their mother was all of them Ḥubbā bint Ḥulayl b. Ḥubshiyya b. Salūl b. Ka'b b. 'Amr al-Khuza'ī, who was the last to have custody of the House from Khuza'a, and from his hand Quṣayy b. Kilāb took the House. Ibn Hishām said: 'Abd Manāf b. Quṣayy fathered four sons: Hāshim, 'Abd Shams, al-Muṭṭalib, and their mother was 'Ātika bint Murra b. Hilāl; and Nawfal b. 'Abd Manāf, whose mother was Wāqida bint 'Amr al-Māziniyya. Ibn Hishām said: Also born to 'Abd Manāf were Abū 'Amr, Tumāḍir, Qilāba, Ḥayya, Rayṭa, Umm al-Akhtham, and Umm Sufyān. Ibn Hishām said: Hāshim b. 'Abd Manāf fathered four sons and five daughters: 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib, Asad, Abū Ṣayfī, Naḍla, al-Shifā', Khālida, Ḍa'īfa, Ruqayya, and Ḥayya. The mother of 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib and Ruqayya was Salmā bint 'Amr b. Zayd b. Labīd b. Khidāsh b. 'Āmir b. Ghanm b. 'Adī b. al-Najjār from Medina. He mentioned the mothers of the others. He said: 'Abd al-Muṭṭalib fathered ten sons and six daughters: al-'Abbās, Ḥamza, 'Abd Allāh, Abū Ṭālib (whose name is 'Abd Manāf, not 'Imrān ⁶⁶), al-Zubayr, al-Ḥārith (who was his father's firstborn and after whom he was nicknamed), Jaḥl (some say Ḥajl ⁶⁷), who was nicknamed al-Ghaydāq for his abundant goodness ⁶⁸, al-Muqawwim, Ḍirār, Abū Lahab (whose name is 'Abd al-'Uzzā), Ṣafiyya, Umm Ḥakīm al-Bayḍā', 'Ātika, Umayma, Arwā, and Barra. He mentioned their mothers. Until he said: The mother of 'Abd Allāh, Abū Ṭālib, al-Zubayr, and all the women except Ṣafiyya was Fāṭima bint 'Amr b. 'Ā'idh b. 'Imrān b. Makhzūm b. Yaqaẓa b. Murra b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. Ghālib b. Fihr b. Mālik b. al-Naḍr b. Kināna b. Khuzayma b. Mudrika b. Ilyās b. Muḍar b. Nizār b. Ma'add b. 'Adnān. He said: 'Abd Allāh fathered Muḥammad, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the master of the children of Adam. His mother was Āmina bint Wahb b. 'Abd Manāf b. Zuhra b. Kilāb b. Murra b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy. Then he mentioned her mothers in detail. Until he said: He is the noblest of the children of Adam in lineage and the best of them in descent, from his father and mother, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him always until the Day of Judgment. The hadith of al-Awzā'ī from Shaddād Abī 'Ammār from Wāthila b. al-Asqa' has preceded: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Allah chose Kināna from the children of Ismā'īl, chose Quraysh from Kināna, chose Hāshim from Quraysh, and chose me from Banū Hāshim.' Muslim narrated it. The explanation of his noble birth and the reports and traditions about it will come later. We will mention other benefits when recounting the noble genealogy, not here, if Allah Almighty wills. In Him is trust and upon Him is reliance.

1. kunya : A teknonym; an Arabic name derived from the name of one's child, typically Abū (father of) or Umm (mother of).
2. Kisrā : The title of the Sasanian emperor of Persia.
3. Salaf : The early generations of Muslims, including the Companions, Followers, and their successors.
4. Bajīla : A tribe; the correct name is Bajīla, as noted in the text.
5. hadith : A report of the sayings, actions, or approvals of the Prophet Muhammad.
6. camel-driver's song : A rhythmic chant or song used to encourage camels to move faster.
7. Yawm al-Furqan : The Day of Discrimination, a reference to the Battle of Badr, which occurred on 17 Ramadan 2 AH, where the Muslims were victorious and the truth was distinguished from falsehood.
8. al-'asb : A type of fine striped cloth from Yemen, often used for garments.
9. al-Hadrami : A type of cloth or garment from Hadramawt, a region in Yemen.
10. araak : A tree (Salvadora persica) common in Arabia, whose twigs are used as toothbrushes (miswak).
11. al-Fawa'ij : A place name, possibly a valley or region.
12. khurus al-sara : Literally 'the traveler of the night,' a metaphor for a person who travels at night, here referring to Sama ibn Lu'ayy.
13. الْتَاطَهُ : iltāṭahu: attached him, made him a close associate or ally.
14. احْبِسْ على ابْن لؤى جملك : iḥbis 'alā ibn Lu'ayy jamalaka: detain your camel for the son of Lu'ayy.
15. مِنْهُم : minhum: among them; the text has a lacuna here.
16. مِنْهُمْ : minhum: from them; the text has a lacuna here.
17. الصَّحِيحَيْنِ : al-Ṣaḥīḥayn: the two authentic hadith collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim.
18. إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شهرا : Qur'an 9:36.
19. النَّسِيء : al-nasī': the practice of intercalation or postponement of sacred months.
20. عُسْرَةٌ : ʿusrah: difficulty, perhaps referring to a tight situation or stinginess.
21. الْحُرُّ الْقَطَامِيُّ : al-ḥurr al-qaṭāmī: the noble falcon (a type of bird of prey).
22. بَالْقُعْدَدِ : bi-al-qaʿdad: a place name or tribe; possibly a variant reading.
23. Surah Yusuf 12:18 : Quranic verse about Joseph's brothers bringing his shirt with false blood.
24. Surah Yusuf 12:27-28 : Quranic verses about the torn shirt as evidence of Joseph's innocence.
25. al-Nasi' : The practice of intercalating or postponing months to adjust the lunar calendar, prohibited in Quran 9:37.
26. al-Qalammas : Title meaning 'the one who intercalates' or 'the bold'; used for the leader of the Nasi' practice.
27. Qusayy : Qusayy ibn Kilab, ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad, who united Quraysh and took control of Mecca.
28. Khuza'a : A tribe that had controlled Mecca before Qusayy.
29. al-Shaddakh : Title meaning 'the crusher' or 'the decisive judge'.
30. al-Nasa'a : The family responsible for the Nasi' practice.
31. al-Hijaba : The office of guarding and maintaining the Ka'ba.
32. al-Siqaya : The office of providing water to pilgrims.
33. al-Rifada : The office of providing food to pilgrims.
34. al-Nadwa : The office of the assembly council (Dar al-Nadwa).
35. al-Liwa' : The office of carrying the military banner.
36. Quraysh al-Bitah : Quraysh of the valley (those living in the heart of Mecca).
37. Quraysh al-Zawahir : Quraysh of the outskirts (those living on the hills around Mecca).
38. Dar al-Nadwa : The assembly house built by Qusayy for consultations and decision-making.
39. Jahiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance.
40. Zamzam : The sacred well in Mecca, rediscovered by 'Abd al-Muttalib.
41. Jurhum : An ancient Arab tribe that once controlled Mecca and buried Zamzam.
42. Muzdalifa : A plain near Mecca where pilgrims stop during Hajj.
43. 'Arafat : The plain east of Mecca where the main Hajj ritual takes place.
44. Mina : A valley near Mecca where pilgrims stay during Hajj.
45. dhimmis : Non-Muslim subjects of an Islamic state who pay jizya (poll tax).
46. نَكْمِي : From the root ك-م-ي, meaning to conceal or hide; here it refers to hiding during the day to avoid detection.
47. السِّرِّ : Al-sirr: the secret; possibly a place name or a reference to a hidden gathering.
48. أشذين : Ashdhin: a place name, possibly a location in Arabia.
49. سَيْبًا رَسِيلًا : Sayban rasīlan: flowing gifts; a metaphor for abundant spoils or benefits.
50. الحلى : Al-Ḥalī: a place name, possibly a watering station or a region.
51. نُدَنِّي مِنَ الْعُوذِ أَفْلَاءَهَا : We bring the young camels close to their mothers; a tactic to prevent the mares from neighing and revealing their presence.
52. خلسنا العقولا : We snatched the minds; meaning we took away their senses or caused confusion.
53. بصلاب النسو : With the hardness of swords; a poetic expression for striking forcefully.
54. مَرْوَتُهَا : Marwatuha: the Marwa hill, one of the sacred hills in Mecca.
55. قَيْذَر وَالنَّبِيتُ : Qaydhar and al-Nabīt: Qaydhar is a son of Ismā'īl; al-Nabīt is another son, often associated with the Nabataeans.
56. الرِّفَادَة : Al-rifāda: the duty of providing food and provisions for pilgrims.
57. السِّقَايَة : Al-siqqāya: the duty of providing water to pilgrims.
58. الْحِجَابَة : Al-ḥijāba: the custodianship of the Ka'ba, including the keys.
59. اللِّوَاء : Al-liwā': the standard or banner, symbolizing military command.
60. النَّدْوَة : Al-nadwa: the council or assembly, where Quraysh held meetings.
61. حِلْفَ الْمُطَيَّبِينَ : Ḥilf al-Muṭayyabīn: the Alliance of the Perfumed, a pact among Quraysh clans.
62. السِّدَانَة : Al-sidāna: the service and care of the Ka'ba, similar to ḥijāba.
63. الْإِجَازَة : Al-ijāza: permission or license; here referring to the permission to depart from Muzdalifa during Hajj.
64. النَّسِيء : Al-nasī': the intercalation or postponement of sacred months, a practice of the pre-Islamic Arabs.
65. النَّفْر : Al-nafr: the departure from Mina after the stoning of the pillars during Hajj.
66. لَا عِمْرَانَ : Not 'Imrān; a correction that Abū Ṭālib's name is 'Abd Manāf, not 'Imrān.
67. حَجْلٌ : Ḥajl: a variant reading of the name Jaḥl.
68. الْغَيْدَاق : Al-Ghaydāq: a nickname meaning 'the generous one' due to his abundant goodness.

Chapter mentioning a group of well-known people who were in the pre-Islamic period of…

Chapter mentioning a group of well-known people who were in the pre-Islamic period of ignorance [1].

Mention of some events that occurred in the time of the Jahiliyyah ¹. It has already been mentioned what happened regarding the Jurhum ² taking custody of the House from the Banu Isma'il ³, coveting them because they were the sons of their daughters, and what happened regarding the Khuza'a ⁴ seizing control from Jurhum and taking custody of the House from them, then how that returned to Qusayy ⁵ and his sons, and its continuation in their hands until Allah sent His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who confirmed those offices as they were. Chapter: Mention of a group of well-known people who were in the Jahiliyyah. The story of Khalid ibn Sinan al-'Absi ⁶, who lived during the Fatrah ⁷, and some have claimed that he was a prophet. And Allah knows best. Al-Hafiz Abu al-Qasim al-Tabarani ⁸ said: Ahmad ibn Zuhayr al-Tustari narrated to us, from Yahya ibn al-Mu'alla ibn Mansur al-Razi, from Muhammad ibn al-Salt, from Qays ibn al-Rabi', from Salim al-Aftas, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The daughter of Khalid ibn Sinan came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he spread out his garment for her and said, "The daughter of a prophet whose people wasted him." Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bazzar ⁹ also narrated it from Yahya ibn al-Mu'alla ibn Mansur, from Muhammad ibn al-Salt, from Qays, from Salim, from Sa'id, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: Khalid ibn Sinan was mentioned in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said, "That is a prophet whose people wasted him." Then he said: We do not know it as a marfu' ¹⁰ hadith except through this chain, and Qays ibn al-Rabi' was trustworthy in himself, except that he had a poor memory, and he had a son who would insert into his hadiths what was not from them. And Allah knows best. Al-Bazzar said: Al-Thawri ¹¹ narrated it from Salim al-Aftas, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, as a mursal ¹² hadith. Al-Hafiz Abu Ya'la al-Mawsili ¹³ said: Al-Mu'alla ibn Mahdi al-Mawsili narrated to us, from Abu 'Awanah, from Abu Yunus, from 'Ikrimah, from Ibn 'Abbas, that a man from 'Abs called Khalid ibn Sinan said to his people: "I will extinguish for you the fire of the two Harrahs ¹⁴." A man from his people said to him: "By Allah, O Khalid, you have never said anything to us but the truth, so what is your affair and the affair of the fire of the two Harrahs, that you claim you will extinguish it?" So Khalid went out with some people from his tribe, among them 'Imarah ibn Ziyad, and they came to it, and behold, it was coming out from a cleft in a mountain. Khalid drew a line for them and seated them in it, and said: "If I am delayed for you, do not call me by my name." Then it came out like a reddish horse, one following another. Khalid confronted it, striking it with his staff, saying: "Bada, bada, bada, every guidance. The son of the goat-herder claims that I will not come out of it with my clothes in my hand." Until he entered the cleft with it and was delayed for them. 'Imarah ibn Ziyad said to them: "By Allah, if your companion were alive, he would have come out to you by now." They said: "Call him by his name." They said: "He forbade us to call him by his name." So they called him by his name, and he came out holding his head, and said: "Did I not forbid you to call me by my name? By Allah, you have killed me. Bury me, and when the donkeys pass by you, among them a tailless donkey, then dig me up, for you will find me alive." So they buried him, and the donkeys passed by them, among them a tailless donkey. We said: "Dig him up, for he commanded us to dig him up." But 'Imarah said to them: "Do not dig him up. No, by Allah, Mudar ¹⁵ will not say that we dig up our dead." Khalid had also told them: "In the folds of his wife's skin there are two tablets. If my matter becomes unclear to you, look at them, for you will find what you ask about." And he said: "A menstruating woman should not touch them." When they returned to his wife, they asked her about them, and she brought them out to them while she was menstruating, so the knowledge that was in them disappeared. Abu Yunus said: Simak ibn Harb ¹⁶ said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about him, and he said: "That is a prophet whose people wasted him." Abu Yunus said: Simak ibn Harb said: The son of Khalid ibn Sinan came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said: "Welcome, son of my brother." This context is a mawquf ¹⁷ narration from Ibn 'Abbas, and it does not contain that he was a prophet. The mursal narrations that say he was a prophet are not used as evidence here. The more likely is that he was a righteous man who had states and miracles. For if he was in the time of the Fatrah, it is established in Sahih al-Bukhari ¹⁸ from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that he said: "The nearest of people to 'Isa ibn Maryam is I, for there is no prophet between him and me." And if he was before it, it is not possible that he was a prophet, because Allah Almighty said: "That you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you" ¹⁹. And more than one scholar has said: Allah Almighty did not send any prophet among the Arabs after Isma'il except Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the seal of the prophets, for whom Ibrahim al-Khalil ²⁰ prayed, the builder of the honored Ka'bah ²¹, which Allah made a qiblah ²² for the people of the earth by law, and the prophets gave glad tidings of him to their peoples, until the last to give glad tidings of him was 'Isa ibn Maryam, peace be upon him. By this same approach, what al-Suhayli ²³ and others mentioned about the sending of a prophet from the Arabs called Shu'ayb ibn Dhi Mihdam ibn Shu'ayb ibn Safwan, the man of Madyan ²⁴, and also Hanzalah ibn Safwan was sent to the Arabs, but they denied them both, so Allah sent Nebuchadnezzar ²⁵ against the Arabs, and he inflicted on them killing and captivity similar to what he inflicted on the Children of Israel, and that was in the time of Ma'add ibn 'Adnan ²⁶. The apparent is that these were righteous people calling to good. And Allah knows best. Mention of 'Amr ibn Luhayy ibn Qama'ah ibn Khindif ²⁷ has already preceded in the reports of Khuza'a after Jurhum.

1. Jahiliyyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance, before the advent of Islam.
2. Jurhum : An ancient Arab tribe that settled in Mecca and had custody of the Kaaba.
3. Banu Isma'il : The descendants of Ishmael, son of Abraham, considered the ancestors of the northern Arabs.
4. Khuza'a : An Arab tribe that took control of Mecca from Jurhum.
5. Qusayy : Qusayy ibn Kilab, an ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad, who restored the Quraysh's control over Mecca.
6. Khalid ibn Sinan al-'Absi : A pre-Islamic figure from the tribe of 'Abs, claimed by some to be a prophet.
7. Fatrah : The period between prophets, specifically between Jesus and Muhammad.
8. Al-Hafiz Abu al-Qasim al-Tabarani : A renowned hadith scholar (d. 360 AH/971 CE), author of al-Mu'jam al-Kabir.
9. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bazzar : A hadith scholar (d. 292 AH/905 CE), author of Musnad al-Bazzar.
10. Marfu' : A hadith attributed directly to the Prophet Muhammad.
11. Al-Thawri : Sufyan al-Thawri (d. 161 AH/778 CE), a prominent early Islamic scholar and hadith narrator.
12. Mursal : A hadith where a Successor (Tabi'i) narrates directly from the Prophet, omitting the Companion.
13. Al-Hafiz Abu Ya'la al-Mawsili : A hadith scholar (d. 307 AH/919 CE), author of Musnad Abu Ya'la.
14. Harrahs : Volcanic fields or lava plains; here referring to a specific fire or volcanic eruption.
15. Mudar : A major Arab tribal confederation, considered the northern Arabs.
16. Simak ibn Harb : A Tabi'i and hadith narrator (d. 123 AH/741 CE).
17. Mawquf : A narration attributed to a Companion, not the Prophet.
18. Sahih al-Bukhari : The most authoritative hadith collection, compiled by Imam al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH/870 CE).
19. Qur'an 36:6 : Surah Ya-Sin, verse 6: 'That you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, so they are heedless.'
20. Ibrahim al-Khalil : Abraham, the friend of Allah (al-Khalil), a major prophet in Islam.
21. Ka'bah : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam.
22. Qiblah : The direction Muslims face during prayer, towards the Kaaba.
23. Al-Suhayli : Abu al-Qasim al-Suhayli (d. 581 AH/1185 CE), a scholar known for his work on the Prophet's biography.
24. Madyan : Midian, a place associated with the prophet Shu'ayb (Jethro).
25. Nebuchadnezzar : The Babylonian king who destroyed Jerusalem and exiled the Jews; also said to have attacked Arabs.
26. Ma'add ibn 'Adnan : An ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad, considered the father of the Adnanite Arabs.
27. 'Amr ibn Luhayy : A pre-Islamic leader of Khuza'a who introduced idol worship to Mecca.

He mentioned Hatim al-Ta'i, one of the generous figures of the Jahiliyyah [1].

Mention of Hatim al-Ta'i, one of the generous men of the Jahiliyyah ¹. He was Hatim ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Sa'd ibn al-Hashraj ibn Imri' al-Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Ahzam ibn Abi Ahzam, his name being Harumah ibn Rabi'ah ibn Jarwal ibn Tha'l ibn 'Amr ibn al-Ghawth, of Tayy, Abu Safanah al-Ta'i, father of 'Adi ibn Hatim, the Companion. He was a generous man, praised in the Jahiliyyah, and likewise his son in Islam. Hatim had noble deeds, wondrous matters, and astonishing accounts of his generosity, which would be lengthy to mention. However, he did not intend by them the Face of Allah and the Hereafter; rather, his intention was fame and remembrance. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bazzar said in his Musnad: Muhammad ibn Ma'mar narrated to us, 'Ubayd ibn Waqid al-Qaysi narrated to us, Abu Nasr—he is al-Naji—narrated to us, from 'Abd Allah ibn Dinar, from Ibn 'Umar, who said: Hatim was mentioned in the presence of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said: "That one sought a matter and attained it." A strange hadith. Al-Daraqutni said: 'Ubayd ibn Waqid alone narrated it from Abu Nasr al-Naji, and it is said his name is Hammad. Ibn 'Asakir said: Abu Ahmad al-Hakim distinguished between Abu Nasr al-Naji and Abu Nasr Hammad, and he did not name al-Naji. In some narrations of al-Hafiz Ibn 'Asakir, it occurs as: from Abu Nasr Shaybah al-Naji. And Allah knows best. Imam Ahmad said: Yazid ibn Isma'il narrated to us, Sufyan narrated to us, from Simak ibn Harb, from Murayy ibn Qatari, from 'Adi ibn Hatim, who said: I said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "My father used to maintain family ties and do such and such. Is there any reward for him in that?" He said: "Your father sought something and attained it." Similarly, Abu Ya'la narrated it from al-Qawariri, from Ghandar, from Shu'bah, from Simak. And he said: "Your father intended a matter and attained it"—meaning fame. Similarly, Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi narrated it from 'Ali ibn al-Ja'd, from Shu'bah, identically. It is established in the Sahih regarding the three who will be fuel for Hellfire, among them the man who spends so that it may be said he is generous, so his reward is that it is said of him in this world, and likewise for the scholar and the warrior. In another hadith in the Sahih, they asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about 'Abd Allah ibn Jud'an ibn 'Amr ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Tamim ibn Murrah, saying: He used to host the guest, free slaves, and give charity. Will that benefit him? He said: "He never said, 'My Lord, forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgment,' even once." And he was among the famous generous ones who fed during years of drought and times of scarcity. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi said: Abu 'Abd Allah al-Hafiz informed us, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Yusuf al-'Umani narrated to me, Abu Sa'id 'Ubayd ibn Kathir ibn 'Abd al-Wahid al-Kufi narrated to us, Dirar ibn Surad narrated to us, 'Asim ibn Humayd narrated to us, from Abu Hamzah al-Thumali, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Jundub, from Kumayl ibn Ziyad al-Nakha'i, who said: 'Ali ibn Abi Talib said: "Glory be to Allah! How many people are averse to good! Amazing is the man whose Muslim brother comes to him with a need, yet he does not consider himself worthy of good. Even if he hoped for no reward and feared no punishment, he should still hasten to noble character traits, for they guide to the path of success." A man stood up and said: "May my father and mother be your ransom, O Commander of the Faithful! Did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?" He said: "Yes! And what is better than it. When the captives of Tayy were brought, there was a reddish-white, soft, tall, slender, straight-nosed, well-proportioned in stature and head, with delicate ankles, full calves, plump thighs, slim waist, lean flanks, and smooth back. When I saw her, I admired her and said to myself, 'I will ask the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to make her part of my share of the spoils.' But when she spoke, I forgot her beauty due to her eloquence. She said: 'O Muhammad, if you see fit to release me and not let the Arab tribes gloat over me, I am the daughter of the chief of my people. My father used to protect honor, free captives, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, host guests, give food, spread peace, and never turned away a seeker of need. I am the daughter of Hatim of Tayy.' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'O girl, these are truly the qualities of the believers. If your father had been a believer, we would have asked mercy for him. Release her, for her father loved noble character traits, and Allah Almighty loves noble character traits.' Abu Burdah ibn Niyar stood up and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, does Allah love noble character traits?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'By Him in Whose hand is my soul, none will enter Paradise except through good character.'" Abu Bakr ibn Abi al-Dunya said: 'Umar ibn Bakr narrated to me, from Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Ta'i—he is al-Qasim ibn 'Adi—from 'Uthman, from 'Ark ibn Hulays al-Ta'i, from his father, from his grandfather, who was the maternal brother of 'Adi ibn Hatim, who said: It was said to Nawar, the wife of Hatim: "Tell us about Hatim." She said: "All his affairs were wondrous! A year of drought befell us that withered everything, the earth became barren, the sky became dusty, the nursing mothers became stingy with their milk, the camels returned humpbacked and emaciated, not yielding a drop, and the livestock perished. We were on a very cold night, long between its ends, when the children—'Abd Allah, 'Adi, and Safanah—cried from hunger. By Allah, we found nothing to distract them. He took one of the children, and I took the other girl and distracted her. By Allah, they did not quiet down until late in the night. Then we returned to the other child and distracted him until he quieted down, barely. Then we spread out a Syrian velvet blanket with fringes and laid the children on it. I and he slept in a chamber with the children between us. Then he turned to me to soothe me to sleep, and I knew what he wanted, so I pretended to sleep. He said: 'What is wrong with you? Have you slept?' I remained silent. He said: 'I think she has slept.' But I was not asleep. When the night grew dark, the stars fell, voices quieted, and footsteps ceased, suddenly the side of the tent was lifted. He said: 'Who is this?' The person left. Until, when it was nearly dawn or we were about to reach dawn, he returned. He said: 'Who is this?' She said: 'Your neighbor, so-and-so, O Abu 'Adi. I found no one to rely on but you. I come to you from children crying like wolves from hunger.' He said: 'Hurry them to me.' Nawar said: I jumped up and said: 'What have you done? By Allah, your own children cried and you found nothing to distract them. How about this woman and her children?' He said: 'Be quiet. By Allah, I will surely satisfy you, if Allah wills.' She said: So she came carrying two, and walking beside her were four, like an ostrich with its young. He went to his horse, stabbed its chest with his spear, then struck his firestick and kindled a fire, then brought a knife and skinned it. Then he handed the knife to the woman and said: 'Take it.' Then he said: 'Send your children.' So she sent them. Then he said: 'Shame! Do you eat anything without the people of the camp?' So he made them go around until they woke up and came to him. He wrapped himself in his garment, then lay down aside, watching us. By Allah, he did not taste a morsel, though he was the most in need of it. By morning, nothing remained of it but bone or hoof!" Al-Daraqutni said: Al-Qadi Abu 'Abd Allah al-Mahamili narrated to me, 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Sa'd narrated to us...

And we were informed by 'Uthaym ibn Thawābah ibn Ḥātim al-Ṭā'ī, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: The wife of Ḥātim said to Ḥātim: "O Abā Saffānah, I desire that you and I eat food alone, with no one else present." So he commanded her, and she moved her tent away from the community by a distance of a *farsakh* (parasang), and he ordered the food to be prepared, and its curtains were lowered over him and her. When the cooking of the food was nearly complete, he uncovered his head and then said: "Do not cook my pot while your veil is before it, / For what you cook would then be forbidden to me. / Rather, upon that hillock kindle a fire, / With thick logs when you kindle, not with mere sparks." He said: Then he removed the curtains, brought forward the food, and called the people. So he ate, and they ate. She said: "You did not fulfill for me what you said." So he answered her: "Indeed, my soul does not obey me in this, and my soul is more honorable to me than that this should be said of me, while generosity has already preceded me." Then he began to recite: "I discipline the soul of miserliness until I make it honorable, / And I abandon the soul of generosity whenever I seek to rouse it. / My neighbor does not complain of me, except that / When her husband is absent from her, I do not visit her. / My goodness will reach her, and her husband will return / To her, while her curtains are not drawn closed against her." And from the poetry of Ḥātim: "If I spend the night drinking beyond satiety / For intoxication in drink, then may I never be quenched. / If I spend the night seeking to deceive the wife of my neighbor, / Let the darkness hide me—then may I never be hidden. / Shall I disgrace my neighbor and betray my neighbor? / No, by Allah, I will not do so as long as I live." And also from his poetry: "What harm is there to a neighbor whom I neighbor / That there be no curtain for his door? / I lower my gaze when my neighbor appears, / Until the curtained chamber conceals my neighbor." And also from the poetry of Ḥātim: "It is not my nature to revile my cousin, / Nor do I disappoint those who hope in me. / The word of an envier, without cause, / I have heard, and I say: 'Pass on, and deliver me.' / They faulted me for it, but it did not disgrace me, / Nor did my brow ever sweat because of it. / And a two-faced man meets me with a cheerful face, / But when he is absent, he seeks to console himself with my absence. / I have come upon his fault, but I refrained from it, / Out of preservation of my honor and my religion." And from his poetry: "Ask the wretched, shivering one, O Umm Mālik, / When he comes to me between my fire and my slaughter-place: / Do I not brighten my face? For that is the first act of hospitality, / And I offer my kindness to him without any denial." And he also said: "And if you give your belly its desire, / And your private parts, they will attain the utmost blame altogether." And al-Qāḍī Abū al-Faraj al-Mu'āfā ibn Zakariyyā al-Jarīrī said: We were told by al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Qāsim al-Kawkabī, who said: We were told by Abū al-'Abbās al-Mubarrad, who said: I was informed by al-Thawrī, from Abū 'Ubaydah, who said: When the saying of al-Mutalammis reached Ḥātim Ṭayyi': "Little wealth that you maintain endures, / While much wealth does not last amid corruption. / Preserving wealth is better than its loss, / And wandering in the land without provision." He said: "What is wrong with him? May Allah cut off his tongue! He has made people lean toward miserliness! Why did he not say: 'Neither does generosity destroy wealth before its end, / Nor does miserliness increase the wealth of the stingy. / So do not seek wealth through a life of hardship, / For every tomorrow has a provision that returns anew. / Do you not see that wealth comes and goes, / And that He who gives to you is not far away?'" Al-Qāḍī Abū al-Faraj said: And he excelled in his saying: "And that He who gives to you is not far away." And if he had been a Muslim, good would have been hoped for him in his return. And Allah has said in His Book: "And ask Allah of His bounty" (Qur'an 4:32). And He, Exalted, said: "And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me" (Qur'an 2:186). And from al-Waḍḍāḥ ibn Ma'bad al-Ṭā'ī, who said: Ḥātim al-Ṭā'ī came as a delegate to al-Nu'mān ibn al-Mundhir, who honored him and brought him near. Then, upon his departure, he provided him with two camels laden with gold and silver, besides what he gave him of the rare items of his land. So he set out, and when he came in sight of his people, the Bedouins of Ṭayyi' met him and said: "O Ḥātim, you have come from the king, and we have come from our families with poverty!" So Ḥātim said: "Come, take what is before me and distribute it among yourselves." So they rushed to what was before him of al-Nu'mān's gift and divided it among themselves. Then his slave girl Ṭarīfah came out to Ḥātim and said to him: "Fear Allah and spare yourself, for these people will leave not a dinar, not a dirham, not a sheep, not a camel." So he began to recite: "Ṭarīfah said: 'Our dirhams do not last, / And we have no extravagance in them, nor waste.' / If what we have perishes, then Allah will provide for us / From others besides us, and we do not seek provision from them. / The dirham that comes to us does not cling to our garment / Except that it passes over it and then departs. / Indeed, when our dirhams gather one day, / They race toward the paths of goodness." And Abū Bakr ibn 'Ayyāsh said: It was said to Ḥātim: "Is there anyone among the Arabs more generous than you?" He said: "All the Arabs are more generous than I." Then he began to relate: "I once stayed overnight with a young orphan boy of the Arabs, who had a hundred sheep. He slaughtered one of them for me and brought it to me. When he presented its brain to me, I said: 'How delicious this brain is!' He said: So he went and kept bringing it to me until I said: 'I have had enough.' When morning came, I found that he had slaughtered all hundred sheep and had nothing left!" So it was said: "Then what did you do for him?" He said: "And when would I ever attain the full measure of gratitude to him, even if I did everything for him?" He said: "In any case, I gave him a hundred she-camels from the best of my camels." And Muḥammad ibn Ja'far al-Kharā'iṭī said in his book "Makārim al-Akhlāq" (Noble Traits of Character): We were told by al-'Abbās ibn al-Faḍl al-Raba'ī, who said: We were told by Isḥāq ibn Ibrāhīm, who said: I was told by Ḥammād al-Rāwiyah and some elders from the elders of Ṭayyi', who said: 'Antarah bint 'Afīf ibn 'Amr ibn Imri' al-Qays, the mother of Ḥātim Ṭayyi', would not hold onto anything due to generosity and liberality. Her brothers would try to prevent her, but she refused. She was a wealthy woman, so they confined her in a house for a year, feeding her only her sustenance, hoping she would stop what she was doing. Then they brought her out after a year, thinking she had abandoned that trait. They gave her a small flock of her wealth and said: 'Enjoy it.' Then a woman from Hawāzin, who used to visit her, came to her and asked her for something. She said: 'Take this flock, for by Allah, hunger has afflicted me to the point that I swore I would never refuse a beggar.' Then she began to recite: 'By my life, hunger has long bitten me with a bite, / So I swore that I would never refuse a hungry person forever. / So say to this blamer today: 'Spare me, / And if you do not, then bite your fingers.' / For what can you say to your sister, / Except your blame, or the blame of one who was a miser? / And what do you see today but a natural disposition? / So how can I abandon, O son of my mother, natural dispositions?'" And al-Haytham ibn 'Adī said: From Milḥān ibn 'Arkī ibn 'Adī ibn Ḥātim, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: I was present when Ḥātim was in the throes of death. He said to me: "O my son, I am aware of three traits in myself: By Allah, I never deceived a neighbor for any suspicious purpose, nor was I ever entrusted with a trust but that I fulfilled it, nor did anyone ever come to me with evil." And Abū Bakr al-Kharā'iṭī said: We were told by 'Alī ibn Ḥarb, who said: We were told by 'Abd al-Raḥmān ibn Yaḥyā al-'Adawī, who said: We were told by Hishām ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Sā'ib al-Kalbī, from Abū Miskīn—meaning Ja'far ibn al-Muḥarrar ibn al-Walīd—from al-Muḥarrar, the freedman of Abū Hurayrah, who said: A group from 'Abd al-Qays passed by the grave of Ḥātim Ṭayyi'. They camped near it. One of them, called Abū al-Khaybarī, stood up and began to kick his grave with his foot, saying: "O Abā Ja'd, host us!" One of his companions said to him: "Why do you address a decayed bone?" And night overtook them, so they slept. Then the one who had spoken rose in fright, saying: "O people, take hold of your mounts, for Ḥātim came to me in a dream and recited poetry to me, which I have memorized. He said: 'O Abā al-Khaybarī, and you are a man / Who wrongs his tribe and reviles them. / You came with your companions seeking hospitality / At a grave whose head has been shattered. / Do you seek a fault in me at nightfall, / While around you are Ṭayyi' and their flocks?'"

And indeed we satiate our guests, and when the riding camels come, we slaughter them ². He said: And behold, the camel of the speaker was stumbling ³ and wounded, so they slaughtered it and began to roast and eat. And they said: By Allah, Hatim has hosted us alive and dead! He said: And in the morning, the people departed, taking their companion with them on a mount, and they went on. Then suddenly a man hailed them, riding a camel and leading another, and said: Which of you is Abu al-Khaybari ⁴? He said: I am. He said: Indeed, Hatim came to me in a dream and told me that he had hosted your companions with your camel, and commanded me to carry you. So take this camel. And he gave it to him.

1. Jahiliyyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance, before the advent of Islam.
2. na‘tamuhā : Literally 'we intend them', but in context means to slaughter the camels for hospitality.
3. takūsu : Means to stumble or walk with difficulty, indicating the camel was weak or injured.
4. Abū al-Khaybari : A patronymic meaning 'father of al-Khaybari', likely referring to the man whose camel was slaughtered.

A mention of some reports concerning Abdullah ibn Jud'an [1].

Mention of some reports about ʿAbd Allāh ibn Judʿān. He is ʿAbd Allāh ibn Judʿān ibn ʿAmr ibn Kaʿb ibn Saʿd ibn Taym ibn Murra, the chief of Banū Taym, and he is the paternal cousin of the father of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq ¹, may God be pleased with him. He was among the generous and munificent in the Jāhiliyya ², those who fed the destitute. At the beginning of his affair, he was poor and needy, and he was wicked, committing many offenses, until his people, his clan, his family, and his tribe hated him, and even his father hated him. One day he went out into the ravines of Mecca, perplexed and ruined, and he saw a cleft in a mountain. He thought there might be something harmful in it, so he headed toward it, hoping perhaps he would die and find rest from his state. When he approached it, a snake came out toward him and leaped at him. He kept trying to avoid it and leap away, but it was of no avail. When he drew near it, behold, it was made of gold, and it had two eyes that were rubies. He broke it, took it, and entered the cave. Therein he found graves of men from the kings of Jurhum ³, among them al-Ḥārith ibn Muḍāḍ ⁴, whose absence was prolonged so that it is not known where he went. He found at their heads a tablet of gold containing the dates of their deaths and the durations of their reigns. And there was with them a great quantity of jewels, pearls, gold, and silver. He took what he needed, then came out, marked the entrance of the cave, and returned to his people. He gave them gifts until they loved him and he became their chief. He began to feed the people, and whenever what he had diminished, he would go to that cave, take what he needed, and return. Among those who mentioned this is ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Hishām in his book "al-Tījān" ⁵, and Aḥmad ibn ʿAmmār mentioned it in his book "Rayy al-ʿĀṭish wa Uns al-Wāḥish" ⁶. He had a large bowl ⁷ from which a rider on his camel could eat, and a small child fell into it and drowned. Ibn Qutayba and others mentioned that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "I used to seek shade in the shade of the bowl of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Judʿān at the time of midday heat ⁸." In the account of the killing of Abū Jahl, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to his companions: "Seek him among the slain and identify him by a scar on his knee, for he and I once crowded together at a feast of Ibn Judʿān, and I pushed him, and he fell on his knee, which was fractured, and its trace remains on his knee." They found him thus. They mentioned that he used to feed dates and sawīq ⁹ and give milk to drink, until he heard the words of Umayya ibn Abī al-Ṣalt ¹⁰: "And I have seen the doers and their deeds, * And I saw the most generous of them are the sons of al-Dayyān ¹¹, With clarified butter and honey, their food, * Not what the sons of Judʿān offer us." So Ibn Judʿān sent to Syria two thousand camels carrying wheat, honey, and clarified butter, and he had a crier call out every night atop the Kaʿba: "Come to the bowl of Ibn Judʿān!" Umayya said concerning that: "He has a caller in Mecca, eager, * And another atop its Kaʿba calling, To a broad bowl of shīzā ¹², filled * With the kernel of wheat mixed with clarified butter and honey." Despite all this, it is established in the Ṣaḥīḥ ¹³ of Muslim that ʿĀʾisha said: "O Messenger of God, Ibn Judʿān used to feed food and entertain the guest; will that benefit him on the Day of Resurrection?" He said: "No, for he never said one day, 'My Lord, forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgment.'"

1. al-Ṣiddīq : An honorific meaning 'the Truthful,' a title of Abū Bakr, the first Caliph.
2. Jāhiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance before the advent of Islam.
3. Jurhum : An ancient Arab tribe that once ruled Mecca.
4. al-Ḥārith ibn Muḍāḍ : A legendary king of Jurhum known for his long absence.
5. al-Tījān : A book by Ibn Hishām, likely 'Kitāb al-Tījān fī Mulūk Ḥimyar' (The Book of Crowns on the Kings of Himyar).
6. Rayy al-ʿĀṭish wa Uns al-Wāḥish : A book title meaning 'Quenching the Thirsty and Comforting the Lonely.'
7. jafna : A large bowl or dish used for serving food to many people.
8. ṣakka ʿumayyin : An expression meaning 'at the time of midday heat,' when the sun is directly overhead.
9. sawīq : A type of roasted barley or wheat flour, often mixed with water or milk.
10. Umayya ibn Abī al-Ṣalt : A pre-Islamic poet who was a contemporary of the Prophet and known for his monotheistic inclinations.
11. al-Dayyān : A name for God meaning 'the Judge' or 'the Requiter,' used by Umayya.
12. shīzā : A type of wood, possibly teak or a similar material, used for making bowls.
13. Ṣaḥīḥ : A collection of authentic hadiths; here referring to Sahih Muslim.

He mentioned Imru' al-Qays ibn Hujr al-Kindi [1].

Mention of Imru' al-Qays ibn Hujr al-Kindi ¹, author of one of the Mu'allaqat ², which is the most excellent and famous of them, beginning with: "Stop, let us weep at the memory of a beloved and a dwelling." Imam Ahmad said: Hushaym narrated to us, from Abu al-Jahm al-Wasiti, from al-Zuhri, from Abu Salama, from Abu Hurayra, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Imru' al-Qays is the bearer of the banner of the poets to the Fire ³." This hadith was narrated from Hushaym by many, including Bishr ibn al-Hakam, al-Hasan ibn Arafa, Abdullah ibn Harun, the Commander of the Faithful al-Ma'mun, brother of al-Amin, and Yahya ibn Ma'in. Ibn Adi also extracted it via Abd al-Razzaq from al-Zuhri, but this chain is interrupted and weak from another route from Abu Hurayra, and it is not sound except through this path. Al-Hafiz Ibn Asakir said: He is Imru' al-Qays ibn Hujr ibn al-Harith ibn Amr ibn Hujr Akil al-Murar ⁴ ibn Amr ibn Muawiya ibn al-Harith ibn Ya'rub ibn Thawr ibn Muratti' ibn Muawiya ibn Kinda. Abu Yazid, and it is said Abu Wahb. It is also said Abu al-Harith al-Kindi. He was in the districts of Damascus, and he mentioned some places in his poetry, including his saying: "Stop, let us weep at the memory of a beloved and a dwelling / at the edge of the sand dune between al-Dakhul and Hawmal / Then Tawdih and al-Miqrat, whose traces have not been effaced / by the winds from the south and north." Then he narrated via Hisham ibn Muhammad ibn al-Sa'ib al-Kalbi: Farwa ibn Sa'id ibn Afif ibn Ma'di Karib narrated to me, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: While we were with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, a delegation from Yemen arrived and said: O Messenger of Allah, Allah gave us life through two lines of poetry by Imru' al-Qays. He said: How is that? They said: We set out to come to you, and when we were on the way, we lost the path and stayed three days without finding water. We scattered to the roots of acacia and mimosa trees, each man about to die in the shade of a tree. While we were in the last throes, a rider came swiftly on a camel. When one of us saw him, he said, while the rider heard: "And when she saw that the watering place was her concern / and that the white of her flanks was stained with blood / She headed for the spring at Darij ⁵ / whose shade falls upon it, its mossy water rising." The rider said: Who says this poetry? He saw our distress. We said: Imru' al-Qays ibn Hujr. He said: By Allah, he did not lie; this is Darij near you. We looked and found that between us and the water was about fifty cubits. We crawled to it on our knees, and there it was as Imru' al-Qays said: with mossy water, its shade falling upon it. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "That is a man mentioned in this world, forgotten in the Hereafter; noble in this world, obscure in the Hereafter; in his hand is the banner of the poets, leading them to the Fire." Al-Kalbi mentioned that Imru' al-Qays set out with his banners to fight the Banu Asad after they killed his father. He passed by Tabala, where there was Dhu al-Khalasa ⁶, an idol, and the Arabs used to seek divination by arrows there. He cast lots, and the arrow of prohibition came out, then a second time, then a third time likewise. So he broke the arrows and struck the face of Dhu al-Khalasa, saying: "Suck your father's penis! If your father had been killed, you would not have hindered me!" Then he raided the Banu Asad and killed them severely. Ibn al-Kalbi said: No one sought divination by arrows at Dhu al-Khalasa until Islam came. Some mentioned that he praised Caesar, the king of the Romans, seeking his aid in some wars and asking for provisions, but he did not find what he hoped for, so he satirized him afterwards. It is said that Caesar gave him poison and killed him. Death overtook him near the grave of a woman at a mountain called Asib, and he wrote there: "O our neighbor, indeed the visit is near / and I am staying as long as Asib stays / O our neighbor, we are two strangers here / and every stranger is a relative to a stranger." They mentioned that the seven Mu'allaqat were hung on the Ka'ba. That is because when an Arab composed a poem, he would present it to Quraysh, and if they approved it, they would hang it on the Ka'ba to honor it. Thus these seven Mu'allaqat were collected. The first is by Imru' al-Qays ibn Hujr al-Kindi, as previously mentioned, beginning: "Stop, let us weep at the memory of a beloved and a dwelling / at the edge of the sand dune between al-Dakhul and Hawmal." The second is by al-Nabigha al-Dhubyani, whose name is Ziyad ibn Muawiya, and it is said Ziyad ibn Amr ibn Muawiya ibn Dhibab ibn Jabir ibn Yarbu' ibn Ghayz ibn Murra ibn Awf ibn Sa'd ibn Dhubyan ibn Baghid, beginning: "O abode of Mayya at al-Ulya and al-Sanad / it became desolate and long has passed the time." The third is by Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma Rabi'a ibn Riyyah al-Muzani, beginning: "Is it from Umm Awfa, a remnant that does not speak / at Hawmana al-Darraj and al-Mutathallam?" The fourth is by Tarafa ibn al-Abd ibn Sufyan ibn Sa'd ibn Malik ibn Dubay'a ibn Qays ibn Tha'laba ibn Ukaba ibn Sa'b ibn Ali ibn Bakr ibn Wa'il, beginning: "For Khawla, there are traces at Burqa Thahmad / shining like the remnant of a tattoo on the back of the hand." The fifth is by Antara ibn Shaddad ibn Muawiya ibn Qurad ibn Makhzum ibn Rabi'a ibn Malik ibn Ghalib ibn Qutay'a ibn Abs al-Absi, beginning: "Have the poets left any patch unsewn? / Or did you recognize the abode after imagining?" The sixth is by Alqama ibn Abda ibn al-Nu'man ibn Qays, one of the Banu Tamim, beginning: "Your heart has been carried away by beautiful women, a passionate one / after youth, when old age has come." The seventh—and some do not include it among the Mu'allaqat, such as al-Asma'i and others—is by Labid ibn Rabi'a ibn Malik ibn Ja'far ibn Kilab ibn Rabi'a ibn Amir ibn Sa'sa'a ibn Muawiya ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin ibn Mansur ibn Ikrima ibn Khasafa ibn Qays ibn Aylan ibn Mudar, beginning: "The abodes have become desolate, their resting place and their standing place / at Mina, their Ghawl and Rijam have become desolate." As for the poem whose author is unknown, according to Abu Ubayda, al-Asma'i, al-Mubarrad, and others, it is his saying: "Do the ruins have a reply for a questioner? / Or do they have a promise to speak?" It is lengthy and contains many beautiful meanings.

1. Imru' al-Qays : A famous pre-Islamic poet, considered one of the greatest of the Jahiliyya period, known for his Mu'allaqa and his adventurous life.
2. Mu'allaqat : The 'Suspended Odes', a collection of seven long poems from pre-Islamic Arabia, traditionally said to have been hung on the Ka'ba.
3. bearer of the banner of the poets to the Fire : A hadith indicating that Imru' al-Qays will lead the poets to Hell, implying a negative judgment on his poetry or character.
4. Akil al-Murar : A nickname meaning 'Eater of Bitter Herbs', referring to a famous ancestor of Imru' al-Qays.
5. Darij : A place name mentioned in Imru' al-Qays's poetry, identified as a spring or watering place.
6. Dhu al-Khalasa : A pre-Islamic idol worshipped by some Arab tribes, located in Tabala; also known as the 'Yemeni Ka'ba'.

A mention of some reports concerning Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt al-Thaqafi [1].

Mention of some reports about Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt al-Thaqafi. He was one of the poets of the Jahiliyyah ¹ and lived into the time of Islam. Al-Hafiz Ibn 'Asakir said: He is Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt, 'Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'ah ibn 'Awf ibn 'Uqdah ibn 'Izzah ibn 'Awf ibn Thaqif ibn Munabbih ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin, Abu 'Uthman, and it is said Abu al-Hakam al-Thaqafi. A Jahili poet who came to Damascus before Islam. It is said that he was upright ² and that at the beginning of his affair he was upon faith, then he deviated from it, and that he is the one intended by Allah Almighty in His saying: "And recite to them the news of him to whom We gave Our signs, but he detached himself from them, so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators." ³ Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said: Ruqayyah bint 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf gave birth to Umayyah the poet, the son of Abi al-Salt, and the name of Abu al-Salt is Rabi'ah ibn Wahb ibn 'Ilaj ibn Abi Salamah ibn Thaqif. Others said: His father was among the famous poets in Ta'if, and Umayyah was the most poetic of them. 'Abd al-Razzaq said: Al-Thawri said: Habib ibn Abi Thabit informed me that 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr said concerning the saying of Allah Almighty: "And recite to them the news of him to whom We gave Our signs, but he detached himself from them, so Satan pursued him, and he became of the deviators" — it is Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt. Similarly, Abu Bakr ibn Mardawayh narrated from Abu Bakr al-Shafi'i, from Mu'adh ibn al-Muthanna, from Musaddad, from Abu 'Awanah, from 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr, from Nafi' ibn 'Asim ibn Mas'ud, who said: I was in a circle in which was 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, and a man from the people recited the verse in al-A'raf: "And recite to them the news of him to whom We gave Our signs, but he detached himself from them." He said: Do you know who it is? Some of them said: It is Sayfi ibn al-Rahib. Another said: Rather it is Bal'am, a man from the Children of Israel. He said: No. They said: Then who? He said: It is Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt. Similarly said Abu Salih and al-Kalbi, and Qatadah narrated it from some of them. Al-Tabarani said: 'Ali ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz narrated to us, 'Abdullah ibn Shabib al-Raba'i narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Maslamah ibn Hisham al-Makhzumi narrated to us, Isma'il ibn al-Tarih ibn Isma'il al-Thaqafi narrated to us, my father narrated to me, from his father, from Marwan ibn al-Hakam, from Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, from his father, who said: I and Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt al-Thaqafi set out as merchants to Syria. Whenever we alighted at a way station, Umayyah would take a book ⁴ and read it to us. We continued thus until we alighted at a village of the Christians. They came to him, honored him, gave him gifts, and he went with them to their houses. Then he returned in the middle of the day, threw off his two garments, took two black garments of his, put them on, and said to me: Would you like, O Abu Sufyan, to go to a scholar among the Christian scholars, to whom the knowledge of the Book ⁵ is ultimately traced, and ask him? I said: I have no need of that. By Allah, if he tells me what I like, I will not trust him; and if he tells me what I dislike, I will find it from him. He said: So he went, and an old Christian man came to me and said: What prevents you from going to this scholar? I said: I am not of his religion. He said: Even so, you will hear from him amazing things and see him. Then he said to me: Are you a Thaqafi? I said: No, but I am a Qurashi. He said: What prevents you from the scholar? By Allah, he loves you and recommends you. He said: So he left us, and Umayyah stayed with them until he came to us after the stillness of the night. He threw off his two garments and fell down on his bed. By Allah, he neither slept nor got up until morning, sad, grieving, collapsed, his evening drink upon his morning drink, not speaking to us nor we to him. Then he said: Will you not depart? I said: Are you in a state to depart? He said: Yes. So we departed and traveled for two nights. Then on the third night he said: Will you not talk, O Abu Sufyan? I said: Are you in a state to talk? By Allah, I have never seen the like of what you returned with from your companion. He said: As for that, it is something I am not involved in. That is something I feared from my return. I said: Do you have a return? He said: Yes, by Allah, I will surely die, then be revived. I said: Will you accept my guarantee ⁶? He said: On what? I said: That you will not be resurrected nor held to account. He laughed and said: Nay, by Allah, O Abu Sufyan, we will surely be resurrected, then held to account, and a group will enter Paradise and a group the Fire. I said: Which of the two are you? Did your companion inform you? He said: My companion has no knowledge of that, neither concerning me nor concerning himself. He said: So we were in that state for two nights, he marveling at me and I laughing at him, until we arrived at the Ghutah of Damascus. We sold our goods and stayed there for two months. Then we departed until we alighted at a village of the Christians. When they saw him, they came to him, gave him gifts, and he went with them to their church. He did not return until after midday. He put on his two garments and went to them, until he came after the stillness of the night. He threw off his two garments and threw himself on his bed. By Allah, he neither slept nor got up. He became sad and grieving in the morning, not speaking to us nor we to him. Then he said: Will you not depart? I said: Yes, if you wish. So we departed in that state of grief and sorrow for several nights. Then he said to me: O Abu Sufyan, would you like to travel ahead of our companions? I said: Are you up to it? He said: Yes. So we traveled until we had left our companions behind for a while. Then he said: Hey, Sakhr ⁷. I said: What do you wish? He said: Tell me about 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah: does he avoid injustices and forbidden things? I said: Yes, by Allah. He said: Does he maintain family ties and enjoin maintaining them? I said: Yes, by Allah. He said: Is he noble on both sides, moderate in the tribe? I said: Yes. He said: Do you know any Qurashi more honorable than him? I said: No, by Allah, I do not. He said: Is he in need? I said: No, rather he has much wealth. He said: How old is he? I said: He has passed a hundred. He said: Then honor, age, and wealth have diminished him ⁸. I said: Why would that diminish him? No, by Allah, rather it increases him in goodness. He said: That is it. Would you like to spend the night? I said: I am for it. So we lay down until the baggage train passed. He said: Then we traveled until we alighted at the way station and spent the night there. Then we departed from it. When it was night, he said to me: O Abu Sufyan. I said: What do you wish? He said: Would you like to do as last night? I said: Are you up to it? He said: Yes. So we traveled on two Bactrian she-camels until we had gone out. He said: Hey, Sakhr, go on about 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah. I said: Go on about him. He said: Does he avoid forbidden things and injustices and maintain family ties and enjoin maintaining them? I said: Yes, by Allah, he does. He said: And he has wealth? I said: And he has wealth. He said: Do you know any Qurashi more black ⁹ than him? I said: No, by Allah, I do not. He said: How old is he? I said: He has passed a hundred. He said: Then age, honor, and wealth have diminished him. I said: No, by Allah, that has not diminished him. You are saying something, so say it. He said: No, remember my speech, for what is to come will come. Then he said: What you saw that befell me is that I came to this scholar and asked him about things. Then I said: Tell me about this Prophet who is expected. He said: He is a man from the Arabs. I said: I know he is from the Arabs, but from which of the Arabs is he? He said: From a household that the Arabs make pilgrimage to. I said: Among us is a household that the Arabs make pilgrimage to. He said: He is from your brothers, from Quraysh. So something befell me, by Allah, the like of which has never befallen me. The gain of this world and the Hereafter slipped from my hand, and I had hoped to be him. I said: Since it is as it is, describe him to me.

He said: A young man who entered middle age, the beginning of his affair [was that] he avoids injustices and forbidden things, maintains family ties and commands others to do so, while he is in need, noble on both sides ¹⁰, moderate in his tribe, and most of his army are from the angels. I said: And what is the sign of that? He said: Syria has trembled since Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him, died, eighty tremors, each of which contained a calamity, and one general tremor remains in which there are calamities. Abu Sufyan said: So I said, "This, by Allah, is false. If Allah sends a messenger, He would only take an elderly nobleman." Umayya said: By the One by Whom you swore, this is indeed so, O Abu Sufyan. He says that the Christian's statement is true. Would you like to spend the night? I said: Yes, I would. He said: So we stayed until the heavy baggage ¹¹ came to us, then we set out until, when there were two stages ¹² or two nights between us and Mecca, a rider caught up with us from behind. We asked him, and he said: "The people of Syria were struck after you by a tremor that destroyed its people and great calamities befell them." Abu Sufyan said: Umayya turned to me and said: "What do you think of the Christian's statement, O Abu Sufyan?" I said: "I see and I think, by Allah, that what your companion told you is true." Abu Sufyan said: So we arrived in Mecca, and I finished what I had with me, then I set out until I came to Yemen as a merchant, and I stayed there for five months, then I returned to Mecca. While I was in my house, people came to greet me and ask about their goods, until Muhammad ibn Abdullah came to me while Hind was with me playing with her children. He greeted me, welcomed me, and asked about my travel and stay, but did not ask me about my goods, then he left. I said to Hind: "By Allah, this amazes me. There is no one among Quraysh who has goods with me except that he has asked me about them, but this man did not ask me about his goods." Hind said to me: "Do you not know his affair?" I said, startled: "What is his affair?" She said: "He claims that he is the Messenger of Allah." I was stunned, and I remembered the Christian's statement, and I trembled until Hind said to me: "What is wrong with you?" I came to and said: "This is indeed false. He is too intelligent to say this." She said: "Yes, by Allah, he does say that and calls to it, and he has companions who follow his religion." I said: "This is false." He said: And she left. While I was circumambulating the House ¹³, I met him. I said to him: "Your goods have reached such and such, and there was profit in them. Send someone to take them, and I will not take from you what I take from my people." He refused me and said: "Then I will not take them." I said: "Then send and take them, and I will take from you the same as I take from my people." So he sent for his goods and took them, and I took from him what I used to take from others. Abu Sufyan said: Not long after, I left for Yemen. Then I came to Ta'if and stayed with Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt. He said to me: "O Abu Sufyan." [I said]: "What do you want?" [He said]: "Do you remember the Christian's statement?" I said: "I remember it, and it has happened." He said: "And who?" I said: "Muhammad ibn Abdullah." He said: "The son of Abd al-Muttalib?" I said: "The son of Abd al-Muttalib." Then I recounted to him the story of Hind. He said: "Allah knows." And he began to sweat profusely. Then he said: "By Allah, O Abu Sufyan, perhaps it is he. Indeed, his description is exactly that. And if he prevails while I am alive, I will seek an excuse from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, for supporting him." He said: And I went to Yemen, and not long after, news of his advent ¹⁴ reached me there. I came back until I stayed with Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt in Ta'if and said: "O Abu Uthman, the affair of the man has happened as you have heard." He said: "It has indeed, by my life." I said: "So where are you regarding him, O Abu Uthman?" He said: "By Allah, I would never believe in a messenger from other than Thaqif, ever!" Abu Sufyan said: And I came to Mecca. By Allah, I was not far until I reached Mecca and found his companions being beaten and humiliated. Abu Sufyan said: So I began to say: "Where are his army of angels?" And I felt what people feel of envy. Al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi narrated it in the book "al-Dala'il" from the hadith of Isma'il ibn Tarih, but the context of al-Tabarani which we have cited is more complete and longer. And Allah knows best. Al-Tabarani said: Bishr ibn Ahmad ibn Nufayl narrated to us, Abdullah ibn Shabib narrated to us, Ya'qub ibn Muhammad al-Zuhri narrated to us, Mujashi' ibn Amr al-Asadi narrated to us, Layth ibn Sa'd narrated to us, from Abu al-Aswad Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, from Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, from Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, that Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt was in Gaza or in Iliya' ¹⁵. When we returned, Umayya said to me: "O Abu Sufyan, would you like to go ahead of the caravan so we can talk?" I said: "Yes." He said: So we did. He said to me: "O Abu Sufyan, tell me about Utba ibn Rabi'a." I said: "Noble on both sides." [He said]: "And does he avoid forbidden things and injustices?" I said: "Yes." He said: "And is he an elderly nobleman?" I said: "An elderly nobleman." He said: "Nobility and age are his adornments." I said to him: "You lie! He only increases in age as he increases in nobility." He said: "O Abu Sufyan, this is a word that I have not heard anyone say to me since I gained insight. Do not be hasty with me until I inform you." He said: I said: "Speak." He said: "I used to find in my books a prophet who would be sent from this harra ¹⁶ of ours. I used to think, rather I had no doubt, that I was him. When I studied with the people of knowledge, it turned out that he is from Banu Abd Manaf. I looked among Banu Abd Manaf and found no one suitable for this matter except Utba ibn Rabi'a. When you informed me of his age, I knew that it was not him, since he had passed forty and had not received revelation." Abu Sufyan said: Time passed, and revelation came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I set out with a caravan of Quraysh heading to Yemen for trade. I passed by Umayya and said to him, as if mocking him: "O Umayya, the prophet you used to describe has appeared." He said: "Indeed, it is true, so follow him." I said: "What prevents you from following him?" He said: "Nothing prevents me except shame before the women of Thaqif. I used to tell them that I was him, and then they would see me following a young man from Banu Abd Manaf!" Then Umayya said: "It is as if I see you, O Abu Sufyan, opposing him, and then you will be tied up like a kid goat is tied, until you are brought to him and he judges you as he wills." Abd al-Razzaq said: Ma'mar informed us, from al-Kalbi, who said: While Umayya was sleeping with two of his daughters, one of them was frightened and screamed at him. He said to her: "What is the matter?" She said: "I saw two eagles that stripped the roof of the house. One of them descended to you and split your belly, and the other stood on the roof of the house and called out to him: 'Did he understand?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Did he become pure?' He said: 'No.' So he said: 'That is good intended for your father, but he did not do it.'" It has also been narrated from another chain with a different context. Ishaq ibn Bishr said, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq: from al-Zuhri, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, and Uthman ibn Abd al-Rahman, from al-Zuhri, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, who said: Al-Fari'a, the sister of Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt, came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, after the conquest of Mecca ¹⁷. She was intelligent, wise, and beautiful, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was impressed by her. One day he said to her: "O Fari'a, do you remember any of your brother's poetry?" She said: "Yes, and more amazing than that is what I have seen."

She said: My brother was on a journey, and when he returned, he came to me and entered upon me while I was sitting on my bed, scraping a piece of leather in my hand. Then two white birds—or like two white birds—approached. One of them landed on the window ledge, and the other entered and landed upon him. The one that landed upon him split open his chest from his collarbone ¹⁸ to his pubic area, then inserted his hand into his chest and extracted his heart, placing it in his palm. Then he smelled it. The other bird said: "Has he understood?" He replied: "He has understood." He said: "Is he pure?" He replied: "He refused." Then he returned the heart to its place, and the wound healed faster than the blink of an eye. Then they departed. When I saw that, I approached him and shook him, saying: "Do you feel anything?" He said: "Nothing except a weakness in my body." I had been terrified by what I saw, so he said: "Why do I see you frightened?" She said: So I told him the story. He said: "Good was intended for me, then it was turned away from me." Then he began to recite: "My worries spent the night, their visitations coming; I restrain my eye while tears precede them. Because of the certainty that came to me, though I was not given a messenger to narrate it. Is it because of the Fire whose blazing flames surround them, its canopy encompassing them? Or do I dwell in Paradise, which the righteous are promised, its cushions arranged? The two abodes are not equal, nor are the deeds; their paths are not equal. They are two groups: a group enters Paradise, its gardens surrounding them; and a group among them enters the Fire, its hardships distressing them. These hearts have covenanted that when they intend good, obstacles hinder them; and the world, whose right is not fulfilled, has prevented them from seeking Paradise out of misery. A servant calls his soul and reproaches it, knowing that the All-Seeing is watching it. What desire does the soul have for life? Even if you live a little, death will overtake it. Soon, whoever flees from his death will one day, heedlessly, meet it. If you do not die in bliss, you will die decrepit; death has a cup, and every man will taste it." He said: Then he returned to his dwelling, and he did not stay long before he was carried away on his bier ¹⁹. The news reached me, so I went to him and found him laid out, covered with a shroud. I approached him, and he gave a gasp, opened his eyes, looked toward the ceiling, raised his voice, and said: "At your service, at your service! Here I am before you! I have no wealth to ransom me, nor family to protect me." Then he fainted after a gasp, and I said: "The man has died." Then he opened his eyes toward the ceiling and raised his voice, saying: "At your service, at your service! Here I am before you! I have no innocence to plead, nor clan to defend me." Then he fainted after a gasp, opened his eyes, looked toward the ceiling, and said: "At your service, at your service! Here I am before you! Overwhelmed by blessings, reaped by sin." Then he fainted after a gasp, and said: "At your service, at your service! Here I am before you! O Allah, if You forgive, You forgive abundantly; and what servant of Yours has never committed a sin?" Then he fainted after a gasp, and said: "Every life, even if prolonged for a time, will one day come to an end. Would that before what has appeared to me, I were in the mountain peaks, grazing the ibex." She said: Then he died. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "O Fari'ah, the likeness of your brother is like the one to whom Allah gave His signs, but he stripped himself of them"—the verse. Al-Khattabi has commented on the rare words of this hadith. Al-Hafiz Ibn 'Asakir narrated from al-Zuhri that he said: Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt said: "Is there not a messenger from among us to inform us of what lies beyond our goal, from the head of our course?" He said: Then Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt went out to Bahrain, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, proclaimed his prophethood. Umayyah stayed in Bahrain for eight years, then came to Ta'if and said to them: "What does Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah say?" They said: "He claims to be a prophet—the one you used to wish for." He said: So he set out until he came to him in Mecca and met him. He said: "O son of 'Abd al-Muttalib, what is this that you say?" He said: "I say that I am the Messenger of Allah and that there is no god but Him." He said: "I want to speak with you; appoint a meeting with me tomorrow." He said: "Then my appointment with you is tomorrow." He said: "Would you like me to come to you alone or with a group of my companions, and you come to me alone or with a group of your companions?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Whichever you wish." He said: "Then I will come to you with a group, so come with a group." He said: The next day, Umayyah went with a group of Quraysh. He said: And the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went with a number of his companions until they sat in the shade of the Ka'bah. He said: Umayyah began by delivering a speech, then he rhymed prose, then he recited poetry. When he finished the poetry, he said: "Answer me, O son of 'Abd al-Muttalib." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, recited: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Ya Sin. By the Wise Qur'an." When he finished it, Umayyah leaped up, dragging his legs. He said: Quraysh followed him, saying: "What do you say, O Umayyah?" He said: "I bear witness that he is upon the truth." They said: "Will you follow him?" He said: "Until I look into his matter." He said: Then Umayyah went out to Syria, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Medina. When the people of Badr were killed, Umayyah came from Syria until he stopped at Badr, then he set out intending to go to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Someone said: "O Abu al-Salt, what do you want?" He said: "I want Muhammad." He said: "What will you do?" He said: "I will believe in him and entrust to him the keys of this matter." He said: "Do you know who is in the well?" He said: "No." He said: "In it are 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah and Shaybah ibn Rabi'ah, the sons of your maternal uncle—his mother was Rabi'ah bint 'Abd Shams." He said: So he cut off the ears of his she-camel and cut its tail, then stood by the well and said: "What at Badr and al-'Uqanqal of the proud chieftains?"—the poem to its end, as will be mentioned in full in the story of Badr, if Allah wills. Then he returned to Mecca and Ta'if and abandoned Islam. Then he mentioned the story of the two birds and the story of his death as previously, and he recited his poetry at death: "Every life, even if prolonged for a time, will one day come to an end. Would that before what has appeared to me, I were in the mountain peaks, grazing the ibex. So set death before your eyes and beware of the vicissitudes of time, for time has a calamity. Its claw seizes the lions ²⁰, the wild bulls ²¹, the child with a reddish tint in the eye ²², the vultures ²³ of the high mountains ²⁴, the gazelle ²⁵, and the young ostrich ²⁶, the weak and frail." His saying: "al-qasawiru" is the plural of qaswarah, meaning lion. "al-sud'anu" are wild bulls, singular sada'. "al-tifl al-shakil" refers to the reddish tint in the eye. "al-bughathu" are vultures. "al-niyafu" are mountains. "al-ya'furu" is the gazelle. "al-'awhaju" is the young ostrich. He means that death does not spare the wild beasts in the deserts, nor the vultures dwelling on mountain peaks, nor does it leave the young for their youth nor the old for their age. Al-Khattabi and others have commented on the rare words of these hadiths. Al-Suhayli mentioned in his book "al-Ta'rif wa al-I'lam" that Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt was the first to say "In Your name, O Allah," and he mentioned a strange story in that regard. It is that they went out with a group of Quraysh on a journey, among them Harb ibn Umayyah, the father of Abu Sufyan.

He said: So they proceeded on their journey and came across a snake, which they killed. When evening came, a woman of the jinn came to them and reproached them for killing that snake. She had a rod with which she struck the ground, causing all the camels to bolt and scatter in every direction. The men stood up and kept searching for them until they brought them back. When they had gathered, she came again and struck the ground with her rod, and the camels bolted again, and they went off in pursuit. When they grew weary of this, they said, 'By Allah, do you have any way out of this situation?' He replied, 'No, by Allah, but I will look into it.' He said: So they traveled in that encampment, hoping to find someone to ask about the hardship that had befallen them, when suddenly a fire appeared in the distance. They approached it and found an old man at the entrance of a tent kindling a fire. He was one of the jinn, extremely thin and ugly. They greeted him, and he asked them about their situation. He said, 'When she comes to you, say, "In Your name, O Allah." For she will flee.' When they gathered and she came a third or fourth time, Umayyah said in her face, 'In Your name, O Allah.' She fled and could not settle. However, the jinn attacked Harb ibn Umayyah and killed him for that snake. His companions buried him there, where there was neither neighbor nor home. Concerning this, the jinn said: 'And the grave of Harb in a desolate place, / And near the grave of Harb there is no grave.' Some mentioned that he used to interpret the languages of animals at times. When traveling, he would pass by birds and say to his companions, 'This one is saying such and such.' They would say, 'We do not know if what he says is true.' Until they passed by a flock of sheep from which a ewe had become separated along with her lamb. She turned to him and bleated as if urging him on. He said, 'Do you know what she is saying to him?' They said, 'No.' He said, 'She is saying, "Hurry with me, lest the wolf come and eat you, as the wolf ate your brother last year."' They hurried until they asked the shepherd, 'Did a wolf eat a lamb from you in that spot last year?' He said, 'Yes.' He said: One day he passed by a camel on which a woman was riding, and it was lifting its head toward her and grumbling. He said, 'It is saying to her, "You have saddled me, and in the saddle ²⁷ there is a needle."' They made that woman dismount and untied the saddle, and there was a needle in it, just as he had said. Ibn al-Sikkit mentioned that Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt was drinking one day when a raven cawed. He said to it, 'May dust be in your mouth,' twice. He was asked, 'What is it saying?' He replied, 'It is saying, "You will drink this cup in your hand and then die."' Then the raven cawed again, and he said, 'It is saying, "The sign of that is that I will alight on this rubbish heap and eat from it, and a bone will get stuck in my throat and I will die."' Then the raven alighted on that rubbish heap, ate something, and a bone got stuck in its throat, and it died. Umayyah said, 'As for this one, he has proven true about himself, but I will see whether he has proven true about me or not.' Then he drank that cup in his hand, leaned back, and died. It is established in the Sahih from the hadith of Ibn Mahdi, from al-Thawri, from Abd al-Malik ibn Umayr, from Abu Salama, from Abu Hurayra, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'The truest word spoken by a poet is the word of Labid: "Indeed, everything except Allah is false." And Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt was on the verge of becoming Muslim.' Imam Ahmad said: Rawh narrated to us, Zakariyya ibn Ishaq narrated to us, Ibrahim ibn Maysara narrated to us that he heard Amr ibn al-Sharid say: Al-Sharid said: I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said to me, 'Do you have any of the poetry of Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Recite to me.' So I recited a verse, and he kept saying to me each time I recited a verse, 'More.' Until I had recited one hundred verses. He said: Then the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, fell silent, and I fell silent. Muslim narrated it similarly from the hadith of Sufyan ibn Uyayna, from Abu Tammam ibn Maysara, and from other chains from Amr ibn al-Sharid, from his father al-Sharid ibn Suwayd al-Thaqafi, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. In some narrations, the Messenger of Allah said, 'He was on the verge of becoming Muslim.' Yahya ibn Muhammad ibn Sa'id said: Ibrahim ibn Sa'id al-Jawhari narrated to us, Abu Usama narrated to us, Hatim ibn Abi Safra narrated to us, from Simak ibn Harb, from Amr ibn Nafi', from al-Sharid al-Hamdani—his maternal uncles were from Thaqif—who said: We set out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, during the Farewell Pilgrimage. One day while I was walking, I heard the footfall of a she-camel behind me, and there was the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said, 'Al-Sharid?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Shall I give you a ride?' I said, 'Yes, though I am not tired, but I wanted the blessing of riding with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' So he made his camel kneel and gave me a ride. Then he said, 'Do you have any of the poetry of Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Recite it.' So I recited to him. He said—I think he said—one hundred verses. Then he said, 'The knowledge of Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt is with Allah.' Then Ibn Sa'id said: This is a strange hadith. As for what is narrated that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said about Umayyah, 'His poetry believed, but his heart disbelieved,' I do not know it. And Allah knows best. Imam Ahmad said: Abdullah ibn Muhammad—he is Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shayba—narrated to us, Abda ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Ya'qub ibn Utba, from Ikrima, from Ibn Abbas: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, affirmed Umayyah's truthfulness in something from his poetry. He said: 'A man ²⁸ and a bull under his right foot, / And the eagle for the other, and a lion lying in wait. / The sun appears at the end of every night, / Red, its color becoming rosy. / It refuses to rise for us in its gentle course, / Unless it is punished or flogged.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'He spoke the truth.' ² In the narration of Abu Bakr al-Hudhali, from Ikrima, from Ibn Abbas, he said: The sun does not rise until seventy thousand angels poke it, saying to it, 'Rise, rise.' It says, 'I will not rise over a people who worship me instead of Allah.' When it is about to rise, a devil comes to it wanting to hold it back, so it rises between his two horns and burns him. When it is about to set, it prostrates to Allah Almighty, and a devil comes to it wanting to hold it back from prostration, so it sets between his two horns and burns him. Ibn Asakir narrated it at length. From his poetry about the bearers of the Throne: 'Among them is one carrying one of the legs of His Throne, / And were it not for the God of creation, they would all be dull. / Standing on feet, submissive beneath it, / Their flanks trembling from the intensity of fear.' Ibn Asakir narrated it. It is narrated from al-Asma'i that he used to recite from the poetry of Umayyah: 'Glorify Allah, for He is worthy of glory, / Our Lord in heaven has become great. / With the highest structure that preceded mankind, / And above the heaven He fashioned a throne, / Lofty ²⁹ that the eye's sight cannot reach, / Below which you see the angels, bent-necked.' Then al-Asma'i says: 'Al-Mala'ik' is the plural of 'malak' (angel), and 'al-sur' is the plural of 'aswar,' meaning one with a bent neck. These are the bearers of the Throne. From the poetry of Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt praising Abdullah ibn Jud'an al-Taymi: 'Shall I mention my need, or has your modesty sufficed me? / For your nature is modesty. / And your practice of rights, and you are a branch, / You have refined lineage and eminence. / Noble, not changed by morning / From beautiful character, nor by evening. / He vies with the wind in generosity and munificence, / When the dog is confined by winter. / And your land is a land of nobility built / By the Banu Taym, and you are its sky. / If a man praises you one day, / Praise suffices him from his own seeking.' He has other panegyrics about him.

And this 'Abdullah ibn Jud'an was among the generous, the munificent, the praised, and the renowned. He had a large bowl (jafnah) from which a rider could eat while still on his camel, due to its width and the abundance of its food. He would fill it with the finest wheat, mixed with honey and clarified butter (samn). He would free slaves and assist in times of calamities. 'A'ishah asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Will that benefit him?" He said: "Indeed, he never said, at any time of his life: 'My Lord, forgive me my sin on the Day of Judgment.'" And from the poetry of Umayyah al-Badi': "They do not scratch the earth when asking, Like those who seek faults with sticks. Rather, they unveil their faces, and you see for them, When asking, the most beautiful of colors. And when the destitute one stands amidst their dwellings, They return him as a master of neighing steeds and singing girls. And when you call them for every calamity, They block the sun's rays with horsemen." End of the biography of Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt. Bahira the monk, who discerned prophethood in the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when he was with his uncle Abu Talib, upon his arrival in Syria among merchants from the people of Mecca, his age then being twelve years. He saw the cloud shading him from among them, so he prepared for them a meal as hospitality and invited them. As will be explained in the Sirah (biography). At-Tirmidhi has narrated a hadith regarding this, upon which we have elaborated the discussion there. Al-Hafiz Ibn 'Asakir has cited for him evidences and permissible matters in the biography of Bahira, but he did not cite what at-Tirmidhi narrated, and this is surprising. Ibn 'Asakir mentioned that Bahira used to reside in a village called al-Kafr, between which and Busra there were six miles, and it is called "Dayr Bahira" (Monastery of Bahira). He said: And it is said that he used to reside in a village called Manfa'ah in al-Balqa', beyond Zayra. And Allah knows best.

1. Jahiliyyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance before the advent of Islam.
2. upright : The Arabic 'mustaqiman' may imply he was on the right path or monotheistic.
3. the deviators : Qur'an 7:175, referring to one who abandoned divine signs.
4. book : The Arabic 'sifr' refers to a scripture or written book, likely from earlier revelations.
5. the Book : Refers to the scripture, likely the Bible or earlier revealed books.
6. guarantee : The Arabic 'aman' means safety or guarantee, here a promise of security.
7. Sakhr : The kunyah or nickname of Abu Sufyan, meaning 'rock'.
8. diminished him : The Arabic 'azrayna bihi' means they caused him to be lowly or diminished his worth.
9. more black : The Arabic 'aswad' may mean more noble or pure in lineage, or literally black.
10. karīm al-ṭarafayn : Literally 'noble on both sides', meaning noble on both his father's and mother's sides.
11. al-thaqal : Heavy baggage or the main body of the caravan.
12. marḥalatān : Two stages or stations, a measure of distance in travel.
13. al-Bayt : The Kaaba in Mecca.
14. istihlāluhu : Literally 'his advent' or 'his proclamation', referring to the announcement of prophethood.
15. Iliyā' : Jerusalem.
16. ḥarratinā : Our lava field or rocky tract, referring to the area of Ta'if or Mecca.
17. fatḥ Makka : The conquest of Mecca in 8 AH/630 CE.
18. qass : The collarbone or the upper part of the chest.
19. janaazah : A bier or funeral procession; here it means he was carried on his bier after death.
20. qasawir : Plural of qaswarah, meaning lions.
21. sud'an : Plural of sada', meaning wild bulls.
22. tifl shakil : A child with a reddish tint in the eye (shuklah).
23. bughath : Vultures or similar birds of prey.
24. niyaf : High mountains or peaks.
25. ya'fur : A young gazelle or deer.
26. 'awhaj : A young ostrich.
27. al-ḥidājah : The saddle or howdah of a camel.
28. rajulun : Here referring to a constellation or figure, possibly representing a man in the sky.
29. sharjaʿan : Lofty, high; describing the throne.

He mentioned Quss ibn Sa'ida al-Iyadi [1].

The mention of Quss ibn Sā‘idah al-Iyādī Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Ja‘far ibn Sahl al-Kharā’iṭī said in his book “Hawātif al-Jānn”: Dāwūd al-Qanṭarī narrated to us, from ‘Abd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ, from Abū ‘Abd Allāh al-Mashriqī, from Abū al-Ḥārith al-Warrāq, from Thawr ibn Yazīd, from Muwarriq al-‘Ijlī, from ‘Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit. He said: When the delegation of Iyād came to the Prophet ﷺ, he said: “O delegation of Iyād, what happened to Quss ibn Sā‘idah al-Iyādī?” They said: “He died, O Messenger of Allāh.” He said: “I saw him one day at the market of ‘Ukāẓ on a red camel, speaking with admirable and delightful words, but I do not find myself remembering them.” A Bedouin from the far end of the people stood up and said: “I remember them, O Messenger of Allāh.” He said: The Prophet ﷺ was pleased with that. He said: He was at the market of ‘Ukāẓ on a red camel, saying: “O people, gather together, for everything that has passed is gone, and everything that is coming will come. A dark night, a sky with constellations, a roaring sea, shining stars, firm mountains, flowing rivers. Indeed, in the sky there is news, and on earth there are lessons. Why do I see people going away and not returning? Are they pleased with staying, so they stayed? Or were they left behind, so they slept?” Quss swore by Allāh an oath without doubt: “Indeed, Allāh has a religion that is more pleasing than this religion of yours.” Then he began to recite: “In the first ones who have passed away from the generations, we have lessons. When I saw the sources of death with no outlets, And I saw my people heading towards it, the young and the old, Neither the past returns to me, nor from the remaining is any survivor. I became certain that I, without doubt, where the people have gone, will go.” This is a strange chain of transmission from this path. Al-Ṭabarānī narrated it from another path in his book “Al-Mu‘jam al-Kabīr”: Muḥammad ibn al-Sarī ibn Mahrān ibn al-Nāqid al-Baghdādī narrated to us, from Muḥammad ibn Ḥassān al-Sahmī, from Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥajjāj, from Mujālid, from al-Sha‘bī, from Ibn ‘Abbās. He said: The delegation of ‘Abd al-Qays came to the Prophet ﷺ, and he said: “Which of you knows Quss ibn Sā‘idah al-Iyādī?” They said: “All of us know him, O Messenger of Allāh.” He said: “What did he do?” They said: “He died.” He said: “How I remember him at ‘Ukāẓ during the sacred month, on a red camel, addressing the people, saying: ‘O people, gather, listen, and understand. Whoever lives dies, whoever dies passes away, and everything that is coming will come. Indeed, in the sky there is news, and on earth there are lessons: a laid-out bed, a raised roof, moving stars, seas that do not dry up. And Quss swore a true oath: If there is pleasure in the matter, then after it there will be displeasure. Indeed, Allāh has a religion that is more beloved to Him than this religion of yours. Why do I see people going away and not returning? Are they pleased with staying, so they stayed? Or were they left behind, so they slept?’ Then the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: ‘Is there anyone among you who can recite his poetry?’ So one of them recited: ‘In the first ones who have passed away from the generations, we have lessons. When I saw the sources of death with no outlets, And I saw my people heading towards it, the young and the old, Neither the past returns to me, nor from the remaining is any survivor. I became certain that I, without doubt, where the people have gone, will go.’” Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī mentioned it in his book “Dalā’il al-Nubuwwa” via Muḥammad ibn Ḥassān al-Sahmī. And we have narrated it in the collection compiled by al-Ustādh Abū Muḥammad ‘Abd Allāh ibn Ja‘far ibn Darastawayh on the reports of Quss. He said: ‘Abd al-Karīm ibn al-Haytham al-Dayr‘āqūlī narrated to us, from Sa‘īd ibn Shabīb, from Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥajjāj Abū Ibrāhīm al-Wāsiṭī, resident of Baghdad, known as Ṣāḥib al-Harīsah. Yaḥyā ibn Ma‘īn, Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī, and al-Dāraquṭnī declared him a liar, and more than one, including Ibn ‘Adī, accused him of fabricating ḥadīth. Al-Bazzār and Abū Nu‘aym narrated it from the ḥadīth of Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥajjāj. Ibn Darastawayh and Abū Nu‘aym narrated it via al-Kalbī, from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Ibn ‘Abbās. This path is better than the previous one. In it, it is mentioned that Abū Bakr was the one who presented the entire story, both its poetry and prose, before the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Nu‘aym narrated it from the ḥadīth of Aḥmad ibn Mūsā ibn Isḥāq al-Khaṭmī: ‘Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn Muḥammad al-Makhzūmī narrated to us, from Abū Ḥātim al-Sijistānī, from Wahb ibn Jarīr, from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, from al-Zuhrī, from Sa‘īd ibn al-Musayyab, from Ibn ‘Abbās. He said: The delegation of Bakr ibn Wā’il came to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, and he said to them: “What happened to an ally of yours called Quss ibn Sā‘idah al-Iyādī?” And he mentioned the story in detail. And the shaykh, the musnid, the traveler Aḥmad ibn Abī Ṭālib al-Ḥajjār informed us, by permission if not by hearing, saying: Ja‘far ibn ‘Alī al-Hamadānī gave us permission, saying: Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Ṭāhir Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Silafī informed us by hearing. And I read to our shaykh, al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū ‘Abd Allāh al-Dhahabī: Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Bakr al-Khallāl informed us by hearing, saying: Ja‘far ibn ‘Alī informed us by hearing, saying: Al-Silafī informed us by hearing, saying: Abū ‘Abd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Rāzī informed us, saying: Abū al-Faḍl Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn ‘Īsā al-Sa‘dī informed us, saying: Abū al-Qāsim ‘Ubayd Allāh ibn Aḥmad ibn ‘Alī al-Muqri’ informed us, saying: Abū Muḥammad ‘Abd Allāh ibn Ja‘far ibn Darastawayh al-Naḥwī narrated to us, saying: Ismā‘īl ibn Ibrāhīm ibn Aḥmad al-Sa‘dī, judge of Fārs, narrated to us, saying: Abū Dāwūd Sulaymān ibn Sayf ibn Yaḥyā ibn Dirham al-Ṭā’ī from Ḥarrān narrated to us, saying: Abū ‘Amr Sa‘īd ibn Yarbū‘ narrated to us, from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, saying: Some of our learned companions narrated to me from al-Ḥasan ibn Abī al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī that he said: Al-Jārūd ibn al-Mu‘allā ibn Ḥanash ibn Mu‘allā al-‘Abdī was a Christian, well-versed in the interpretation of scriptures, knowledgeable in the histories of the Persians and their sayings, insightful in philosophy and medicine, outwardly clever and cultured, perfect in beauty, possessing wealth and property. He came to the Prophet ﷺ as a delegate with men from ‘Abd al-Qays who were of sound opinion, mature age, eloquence, clarity, arguments, and proofs. When he came to the Prophet ﷺ, he stood before him, pointed to him, and began to recite: “O Prophet of guidance, men have come to you, crossing desert after desert, And they traversed the plains towards you, hastening, not considering fatigue in you as fatigue. Every trackless desert that the eye cannot reach, our swift she-camels made it gallop. And the swift she-camels traversed it, carrying warriors like shining stars, Seeking to avert the might of a great, terrible day that pains hearts and terrifies, And a provision for the gathering of all creation, and a separation for those who persist in error, Towards a light from God, a proof, piety, and a blessing to attain. God has singled you out, O son of Āminah, with goodness, when it came in torrents. So make the share from you, O proof of God, abundant, not the share of a failed successor.” He said: The Prophet ﷺ brought him near, made his seat close, and said to him: “O Jārūd, the appointment has been delayed for you and your people.”

Al-Jarud said: "May my father and mother be your ransom! As for those who lagged behind you, they have missed their fortune, and that is the greatest sin and the severest punishment. And I was not among those who saw you or heard of you and then turned away from you and followed another. Now I am upon a religion which I have known, and I have come to you, and here I am leaving it for your religion. Is that among the things that purges sins, offenses, and transgressions, and makes the Lord pleased with the servant?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him: "I guarantee that for you. Now sincerely devote yourself to Allah with the doctrine of His Oneness, and abandon the religion of Christianity." Al-Jarud said: "May my father and mother be your ransom! Extend your hand, for I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that you are Muhammad, His servant and His Messenger." He said: So he embraced Islam, and with him embraced Islam some people from his tribe. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was delighted by their conversion to Islam, and showed them such honor as made them happy and joyful. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, turned to them and said: "Is there anyone among you who knows Quss ibn Sa'ida al-Iyadi?" Al-Jarud said: "May my father and mother be your ransom! All of us know him, and I among them am well-versed in his story and informed of his affair. Quss, O Messenger of Allah, was a descendant of the Arab tribes. He lived six hundred years, spending five lifetimes in deserts and barren lands, crying out in glorification after the manner of the Messiah. No place could settle him, no house could conceal him, and no neighbor could enjoy his company. He wore haircloths and surpassed the ascetics, never slackening in his monasticism. During his wanderings he would sip ostrich eggs and keep company with reptiles, and enjoy the darkness. He would see and take heed, and reflect and test. Thus he became unique, one whose wisdom was proverbial and by whom terrors were dispelled. He met the chief of the disciples, Simon. He was the first man among the Arabs to become godly and to affirm the Oneness of Allah, to acknowledge and worship, to be certain of the Resurrection and the Reckoning, to fear the evil of the final return, to enjoin action before it is too late, to preach about death, to submit to the decree, whether in displeasure or pleasure, to visit graves, to mention the Resurrection, to exhort with poetry, to reflect on destinies, to speak of the sky and vegetation, to mention the stars and reveal water, to describe the seas, to know the traces, to deliver sermons while riding, to preach tirelessly, to warn against distress and the severity of wrath, to send letters, to mention every terrifying thing, to be vehement in his sermons, to explain in his writings, to frighten about time, to warn against decline, to magnify the matter, to shun disbelief, to inspire longing for the Hanifiyya ¹, and to call to the divine nature. And he is the one who said on the Day of 'Ukaz: "East and west, orphan and faction, peace and war, dry and moist, salty and sweet, suns and moons, winds and rains, night and day, females and males, lands and seas, grain and plants, fathers and mothers, gathering and dispersion, signs followed by signs, light and darkness, ease and destitution, Lord and idols—indeed, the people have gone astray. The growth of a newborn, the burying of a lost one, the rearing of a reaped one, the poor and the rich, the good-doer and the evil-doer. "Woe to the lords of heedlessness! The worker will surely improve his work, and the hopeful will surely lose his hope. No! Rather, He is one God, neither born nor begetting. He brings back and brings forth, causes death and gives life, creates the male and the female, Lord of the Hereafter and the First. "To proceed: O assembly of Iyad, where are Thamud and 'Ad? Where are the fathers and forefathers? Where are the sick and the visitors? Everyone has a return. Quss swears by the Lord of servants, and the Spreader of the bed ², you will surely be gathered individually on the Day of Summoning ³, when the Trumpet is blown and the Horn is sounded, and the earth shines, and the preacher preaches, and the despairing one withdraws and the observer sees. So woe to those who turn away from the most manifest truth, the most radiant light, and the greatest display, on the Day of Decision and the Balance of Justice, when the All-Powerful judges and the Warner testifies. "And the helper is far, and the shortcoming appears. Then a party in Paradise and a party in the Blaze." And he is the one who said: "The heart is reminded by its essences of remembrance, and nights between which are days, and torrents of rain pouring from clouds, stirring water, and in their essences fire, whose light blinds the eyes, and severe thunderclaps in the two horizons flying. And lofty palaces containing good, and others empty, so they are ruins. And towering, firmly fixed mountains, and seas with abundant waters. And stars shining in the darkness of the night, we see them every day revolving. Then a sun driven by the moon of the night, and each following, flowing. And the young, the gray-haired, and the old—all of them one day a place of visitation on the plain. And much of what his discerning mind, which does not err, falls short of. So what I have mentioned points to Allah for souls that have guidance and reflection." He said: Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Whatever I forget, I do not forget him at the market of 'Ukaz, standing on a red camel, addressing the people: 'Gather and listen, and when you listen, understand, and when you understand, benefit, and say, and when you say, be truthful. Whoever lives dies, and whoever dies passes away, and everything that is coming is coming. Rain and plants, living and dead, dark night, a sky with constellations, stars that shine, seas that swell, light and darkness, night and days, piety and sins. Indeed, in the sky is news, and on the earth are lessons, at which the sight is bewildered. A bed laid out, a roof raised high, stars that set, seas that do not dry up, and appointed deaths that draw near, and a treacherous time, like the edge of a lance and the weight of a balance. Quss swears an oath, neither lying nor sinning: if there is pleasure in this matter, there will surely be wrath.' Then he said: 'O people, Allah has a religion that is more beloved to Him than this religion of yours which you follow, and this is its time and its season.' Then he said: 'Why do I see people going away and not returning? Are they content with staying, so they stay? Or are they left, so they sleep?' And the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, turned to some of his Companions and said: 'Which of you will recite his poetry for us?' Abu Bakr al-Siddiq said: 'May my father and mother be your ransom! I was present with him on that day when he said: "In the first ones gone from the centuries, we have clear proofs. When I saw the sources of death with no outlets, and I saw my people heading towards it, the young and the old going, the past does not return to me, nor from those remaining is any survivor. I knew that I would inevitably go where the people have gone."' He said: Then an old man from 'Abd al-Qays, with a large head, tall stature, and broad shoulders, stood up to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: 'May my father and mother be your ransom! I too saw something amazing from Quss.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him: 'What did you see, O brother of Banu 'Abd al-Qays?' He said: 'I went out in my youth, tracking a camel of mine that had strayed from me, following its tracks in barren deserts, full of thorny plants and courtyards of camel-thorn, between the fronts of jadha' trees and the lush growth of hawthan, and a dark wilderness, and a plain of aihaqan. While I was wandering in those deserts, roaming its open country and traversing its rugged ground, I came upon a hillock, in its heights there were lush, fruit-laden arák trees with drooping branches, their berries like peppercorns, and towering chamomile plants. And there was a gushing spring and a luxuriant meadow, and a thick tree. And there was Quss ibn Sa'ida at the base of that tree, with a twig in his hand. I approached him and said: 'Good morning to you.' He said: 'And to you, good morning.' Many wild beasts had come to the spring, and whenever one of them went to drink from the spring before its companion, Quss struck it with the twig in his hand and said: 'Wait until the one before you drinks.' I was terrified by that, greatly frightened. He looked at me and said: 'Do not be afraid.'"

And behold, there were two graves with a mosque between them, so I said: 'What are these two graves?' He said: 'The graves of two brothers who used to worship Allah, Mighty and Majestic, in this place. So I am staying between their two graves, worshipping Allah between their two graves until I join them.' I said to him: 'Will you not join your people and be with them in their good and separate from them in their evil?' He said to me: 'May your mother lose you! Do you not know that the children of Ishmael abandoned the religion of their father and followed the adversaries ⁴ and magnified the rivals ⁵?' Then he turned to the two graves and began to say: 'O my two friends, arise, long have you slept; * Are you truly not fulfilling your due? I see sleep between your skin and bone * As if the one who gives wine has given you to drink. Is it from long sleep that you do not answer a caller * As if the one who gives wine has given you to drink? Do you not know that I am in Najran alone * And I have no beloved there except you? I stay by your two graves, not leaving * Until the return of nights or your echo answers. I weep for you all my life, and what * Can return to one with burning grief if he weeps for you? If a soul could be a ransom for another's soul * I would give my soul to be your ransom. As if you, while death is the nearest goal * With my spirit in your two graves, have come to you.'" He said: Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'May Allah have mercy on Quss ⁶; indeed, he will be raised on the Day of Resurrection as a nation alone.' This hadith is very strange from this chain and it is mursal ⁷, unless al-Hasan heard it from al-Jarud. And Allah knows best. Al-Bayhaqi and al-Hafiz Abu al-Qasim ibn 'Asakir narrated it from another chain from the hadith of Muhammad ibn 'Isa ibn Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-Qurashi al-Akhbari: My father narrated to us, 'Ali ibn Sulayman ibn 'Ali narrated to us, from 'Ali ibn 'Abdillah, and from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both. He said: Al-Jarud ibn 'Abdullah arrived and mentioned the like or similar of it, lengthened with many additions in his poetry and prose, and in it is what he mentioned about the one who lost his camel and went in search of it. He said: I spent the night in a valley where I did not feel safe from my death, nor did I rely on anything but my sword, watching the stars and gazing into the darkness, until when the night retreated and the dawn was about to breathe, a caller called out to me saying: 'O you who sleep in the night of sorrows * Allah has sent a Prophet in the sanctuary * From Hashim, people of loyalty and generosity * He dispels the darknesses of the night and doubts.' He said: I turned my gaze but saw no person nor heard any sound. He said: Then I began to say: 'O caller in the dark of the shadows * Welcome to you as a passing vision * Explain, may Allah guide you, in the tone of speech * What is that which you call to, that is to be gained?' He said: Then there was a clearing of the throat and a speaker saying: 'The light has appeared, falsehood has vanished, and Allah has sent Muhammad with the [clear] signs ⁸, the owner of the red she-camel, the crown and the helmet, the radiant face, the luminous brow, and the black-eyed gaze, the owner of the statement of the testimony that there is no god but Allah, and that is Muhammad sent to the black and the white, the people of mud-brick and tent.' Then he began to say: 'Praise be to Allah who * Did not create creation in vain * He did not leave us one day neglected * After Jesus, and He cared * He sent among us Ahmad * The best Prophet ever sent * May Allah bless him as long as * A caravan has performed Hajj and hastened.' And in it from the composition of Quss ibn Sa'ida: 'O mourner of death, and the buried in graves * Upon them from remnants of their clothes are rags * Leave them, for they have a day when they will be called * And when they awaken from their sleep, they will be sleepless * Until they return in a state other than their state * A new creation as they were created before * Among them naked, and among them in their clothes * Some new, some worn out.' Then al-Bayhaqi narrated it from Abu Muhammad ibn 'Abdillah ibn Yusuf ibn Ahmad al-Asbahani: Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Sa'id ibn Fardakh al-Akhminimi narrated to us in Mecca, al-Qasim ibn 'Abdillah ibn Mahdi narrated to us, Abu 'Abdillah Sa'id ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Makhzumi narrated to us, Sufyan ibn 'Uyayna narrated to us, from Abu Hamza al-Thumali, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas. He mentioned the story and mentioned the poetry. He said: They found at his head a scroll in which was: 'O mourner of death, and the dead in graves * Upon them from remnants of their clothes are rags * Leave them, for they have a day when they will be called * As one awakened from his sleep is the stunned * Among them naked and dead in their clothes * Some new, some blue and worn.' So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'By Him who sent me with the truth, Quss believed in the Resurrection.' Its origin is well-known, and these chains, despite their weakness, are as if mutually supporting in establishing the origin of the story. Abu Muhammad ibn Dustuwayh spoke about the strange words occurring in this hadith, and most of it is clear, Allah willing, and what was very strange we have pointed out in the footnotes. Al-Bayhaqi said: Abu Sa'd Sa'id ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Shu'aythi informed us, Abu 'Amr ibn Abi Tahir al-Muhammadabadi narrated to us orally, Abu Lubaba Muhammad ibn al-Mahdi al-Abiwardi narrated to us, my father narrated to us, Sa'id ibn Hubayra narrated to us, al-Mu'tamir ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from his father, from Anas ibn Malik, who said: The delegation of Iyad came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said: 'What happened to Quss ibn Sa'ida?' They said: He died. He said: 'Indeed, I heard from him words that I think I do not remember.' Some of the people said: We remember them, O Messenger of Allah. He said: 'Bring them.' So one of them said: He stood at the market of 'Ukaz and said: 'O people, listen, hear, and take heed: Everyone who lives dies, everyone who dies passes away, and everything that is coming is coming. A dark night, a sky with constellations, stars that shine, seas that surge, mountains that are fixed, rivers that flow. Indeed, in the sky there is news, and on earth there are lessons. I see people dying and not returning. Are they content with staying so they stay, or are they left to sleep? Quss swears an oath by Allah, with no sin in it: Indeed, Allah has a religion that is more pleasing than what you are upon.' Then he began to say: 'In the ones who have passed away * From the early generations are lessons for us * When I saw the places of death * For the people, with no return * And I saw my people heading towards it * The great and the small go.'

1. Hanifiyya : The primordial monotheistic religion of Abraham, often associated with pure worship of one God before the advent of Islam.
2. Spreader of the bed : A metaphorical reference to Allah who spread out the earth as a bed (cf. Quran 2:22).
3. Day of Summoning : The Day of Judgment when people will be called out from their graves.
4. al-aḍdād : Literally 'opposites' or 'adversaries'; here it refers to those who oppose the true religion, possibly idols or false deities.
5. al-andād : Rivals or equals set up alongside Allah; refers to idols or partners in worship.
6. Quss : Quss ibn Sa'ida al-Iyadi, a pre-Islamic Arabian sage and poet known for his wisdom and monotheistic beliefs.
7. mursal : A type of hadith where a Successor (Tabi'i) narrates directly from the Prophet without mentioning the Companion intermediary.
8. bil-mūr : Possibly a variant or error; likely intended as 'bil-mūr' meaning 'with the [clear] signs' or 'with the light'; some manuscripts read 'bil-mūr' as 'with the light'.

Mention of Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, may Allah be pleased with him [1]

I became certain that there is no escape, for the people have reached their destination. Then al-Bayhaqi transmitted it through other chains, which we have pointed out previously. Then he said after all that: This hadith has been narrated from al-Kalbi, from Abu Salih, from Ibn 'Abbas with additions and omissions. It was also narrated through another chain from al-Hasan al-Basri as a mursal ¹ narration. It was narrated in abridged form from the hadith of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Abu Hurayra. I say: And from 'Ubada ibn al-Samit as previously mentioned, and from 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud as narrated by Abu Nu'aym in the book "al-Dala'il" from 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn 'Uthman al-Wasiti, from Abu al-Walid Tarif ibn 'Ubaydullah, the freed slave of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib in Mosul, from Yahya ibn 'Abd al-Hamid al-Himmani, from Abu Mu'awiya, from al-A'mash, from Abu al-Duha, from Masruq, from Ibn Mas'ud, and he mentioned it. Abu Nu'aym also narrated the hadith of 'Ubada mentioned earlier and that of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. Then al-Bayhaqi said: When a hadith is narrated through multiple chains, even if some are weak, it indicates that the hadith has a basis ². And Allah knows best. --- **Section on Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl (may Allah be pleased with him)** He is Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Riyah ibn 'Abdullah ibn Qurt ibn Rizah ibn 'Adi ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy al-Qurashi al-'Adawi. Al-Khattab, the father of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, was his paternal uncle and maternal brother, because 'Amr ibn Nufayl had married his father's wife after his father, and she had from Nufayl his brother al-Khattab. This was stated by al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar and Muhammad ibn Ishaq. Zayd ibn 'Amr had abandoned the worship of idols and separated from their religion, and he would only eat what was slaughtered in the name of Allah alone. Yunus ibn Bukayr said, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq: Hisham ibn 'Urwa narrated to me, from his father, from Asma' bint Abi Bakr, who said: I saw Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl leaning his back against the Ka'ba saying: "O assembly of Quraysh, by Him in whose hand is the soul of Zayd, none of you follows the religion of Ibrahim except me." Then he would say: "O Allah, if I knew which face is most beloved to You, I would worship You with it, but I do not know." Then he would prostrate on his mount. Similarly, Abu Usama narrated it from Hisham with it, and added: He used to pray towards the Ka'ba and say: "My God is the God of Ibrahim, and my religion is the religion of Ibrahim." He used to revive the buried infant girl ³, and would say to a man who wanted to kill his daughter: "Do not kill her; give her to me, I will support her. When she grows up, you may take her back if you wish, or give her to me." Al-Nasa'i narrated it through the chain of Abu Usama, and al-Bukhari commented on it, saying: Al-Layth said: Hisham ibn 'Urwa wrote to me from his father with it. Yunus ibn Bukayr said, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq: There was a group of Quraysh: Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, Waraqa ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, 'Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, and 'Abdullah ibn Jahsh ibn Ri'ab ibn Ya'mar ibn Sabira ibn Murra ibn Kabir ibn Ghanm ibn Dudan ibn Asad ibn Khuzayma. His mother was Umayma bint 'Abd al-Muttalib. His sister was Zaynab bint Jahsh, whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) married after his freed slave Zayd ibn Haritha, as will be explained. They attended Quraysh at an idol of theirs where they used to slaughter for one of their festivals. When they gathered, some of that group secluded themselves and said: "Be truthful and let some of you conceal from others." One of them said: "By Allah, you know that your people are upon nothing; they have erred from the religion of Ibrahim and opposed it. What is an idol that is worshipped, which neither harms nor benefits? So seek for yourselves [a true religion]." So they went out seeking and traveling in the land, searching for the Hanifiyya ⁴, the religion of Ibrahim. As for Waraqa ibn Nawfal, he became a Christian and became firm in Christianity, and he sought the scriptures from their people until he acquired much knowledge from the People of the Book. Among them, none was more upright in conduct and more steadfast than Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl. He abandoned idols and separated from the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and all other creeds except the Hanifiyya, the religion of Ibrahim. He affirmed the oneness of Allah and rejected all besides Him, and he would not eat the sacrifices of his people, thus harming them by his separation from what they were upon. He said: Al-Khattab had harmed him greatly until he left him for the higher parts of Mecca. Al-Khattab appointed over him some young men of Quraysh and their foolish ones, saying: "Do not let him enter [Mecca]." So he would only enter it secretly from them. When they learned of him, they would expel him and harm him, disliking that he should corrupt their religion or that anyone should follow him in what he was upon. Musa ibn 'Uqba said: I heard someone I am pleased with narrating about Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl: He used to criticize Quraysh for their sacrifices and say: "The sheep—Allah created it, sent down water from the sky for it, and caused vegetation to grow from the earth for it—why do you slaughter it without mentioning the name of Allah?" Denying that and deeming it great. Yunus said, from Ibn Ishaq: Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl had resolved to leave Mecca to travel in the land seeking the Hanifiyya, the religion of Ibrahim. His wife Safiyya bint al-Hadrami, whenever she saw him preparing to leave and intending it, would inform al-Khattab ibn Nufayl. So Zayd left for Syria, seeking and searching among the People of the First Scripture for the religion of Ibrahim and asking about it. He continued in that, as they claim, until he reached Mosul and all of the Jazira, then he turned back until he came to Syria and traveled through it, until he came to a monk in a monastery in the land of al-Balqa', who, as they claim, had the ultimate knowledge of Christianity. He asked him about the Hanifiyya, the religion of Ibrahim. The monk said to him: "You ask about a religion for which you will find no one to guide you today. Its knowledge has faded and those who knew it have passed away. But the emergence of a prophet is imminent, and this is his time." He had examined Judaism and Christianity but was not satisfied with any of them. So he left quickly when the monk said what he said, intending to return to Mecca. When he was in the land of Lakhm, they attacked him and killed him. Waraqa composed an elegy for him: "You have been guided and prospered, O son of 'Amr, for you have avoided a blazing furnace of fire. By your religion, you worshipped a Lord like whom there is no lord, and you abandoned the idols of the tyrants as they are. A person may attain the mercy of his Lord even if he were under the earth for seventy valleys." Muhammad ibn 'Uthman ibn Abi Shayba said: Ahmad ibn Tariq al-Wabishi narrated to us, from 'Amr ibn 'Atiyya, from his father, from Ibn 'Umar, from Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, that he used to devote himself to worship in the Jahiliyya ⁵. He went until he came to a Jewish man and said to him: "I would like you to admit me into your religion." The Jew said: "I will not admit you into my religion until you bear your share of Allah's wrath." He said: "I flee from Allah's wrath." Then he went until he came to a Christian and said: "I would like you to admit me into your religion." He said: "I will not admit you into my religion until you bear your share of misguidance." He said: "I flee from misguidance." The Christian said: "Then I will guide you to a religion which, if you follow, you will be guided." He said: "Which religion?" He said: "The religion of Ibrahim." He said: "O Allah, I bear witness that I am upon the religion of Ibrahim; upon it I live and upon it I die." Then his matter was mentioned to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and he said: "He will be a community by himself on the Day of Resurrection." Musa ibn 'Uqba narrated from Salim, from Ibn 'Umar, something similar.

Muhammad ibn Sa'd said: 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn Sayf al-Qurashi narrated to us, from Isma'il, from Mujalid, from al-Sha'bi, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn al-Khattab, who said: Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl said: I examined Judaism and Christianity and disliked them. I was in Syria and its environs until I came to a monk in a hermitage. I mentioned to him my estrangement from my people and my dislike of idol worship, Judaism, and Christianity. He said to me: I see you seek the religion of Abraham, O brother of the people of Mecca. Indeed, you seek a religion for which no one today professes. It is the religion of your father Abraham. He was a hanif ⁶, neither a Jew nor a Christian. He used to pray and prostrate towards this House ⁷ in your land. So return to your land, for Allah will send from your people in your land one who will bring the religion of Abraham, the hanifiyyah ⁸, and he is the most honored of creation before Allah. Yunus said, from Ibn Ishaq: Some of the family of Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl narrated to me: When Zayd entered the Ka'bah, he would say: "Labbayk ⁹ haqqan haqqan, ta'abbudan wa-riqqan. I seek refuge in that which Abraham sought refuge [facing the qiblah] while standing, when he said: My God, to You I am humble, abased, and submissive. Whatever You burden me with, I will bear. I seek righteousness, not nobility. Is one who emigrates ¹⁰ like one who stays?" Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi said: Al-Mas'udi narrated to us, from Nufayl ibn Hisham ibn Sa'id ibn Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl al-'Adawi, from his father, from his grandfather, that Zayd ibn 'Amr and Waraqah ibn Nawfal went out seeking the religion until they reached a monk in Mosul. He said to Zayd ibn 'Amr: "Where have you come from, O owner of the camel?" He said: "From the house of Abraham." He said: "What do you seek?" He said: "I seek the religion." He said: "Return, for it will soon appear in your land." He said: As for Waraqah, he became a Christian. As for me, I resolved upon Christianity but it did not suit me, so he returned saying: "Labbayk haqqan haqqan, ta'abbudan wa-riqqan. I seek righteousness, not nobility. Is one who emigrates like one who stays? I believe in what Abraham believed." And he would say: "To You I am humble, abased, and submissive. Whatever You burden me with, I will bear." Then he would fall down in prostration. He said: His son, meaning Sa'id ibn Zayd, one of the ten ¹¹, came and said: "O Messenger of Allah, my father is as you see and as has reached you. Ask forgiveness for him." He said: "Yes, for he will be raised on the Day of Resurrection as a nation alone ¹²." He said: Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Zayd passed by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while Zayd ibn Harithah was with him, and they were eating from a traveling provision. They invited him to their food, but Zayd ibn 'Amr said: "O son of my brother, I do not eat what has been slaughtered for idols ¹³." Muhammad ibn Sa'd said: Muhammad ibn 'Amr narrated to us, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Sabrah narrated to me, from Musa ibn Maysarah, from Ibn Abi Mulaykah, from Hujr ibn Abi Ihab. He said: I saw Zayd ibn 'Amr when I was at the idol of Buwanah after he returned from Syria. He was watching the sun, and when it declined, he faced the Ka'bah and prayed two prostrations ¹⁴, then said: "This is the qiblah of Abraham and Ishmael. I do not worship a stone, nor pray to it, nor eat what is slaughtered for it, nor seek divination by arrows. I only pray to this House until I die." He used to perform Hajj and stand at 'Arafah. He would say the talbiyah: "Labbayk, no partner have You, and no equal." Then he would depart from 'Arafah walking, saying: "Labbayk, worshipping, enslaved." Al-Waqidi said: 'Ali ibn 'Isa al-Hakami narrated to me, from his father, from 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah, who said: I heard Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl say: "I await a prophet from the descendants of Ishmael, then from the Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib. I do not think I will reach him, but I believe in him, affirm him, and testify that he is a prophet. If you live long enough to see him, convey my greetings of peace to him. I will tell you his description so that he will not be hidden from you." I said: "Go ahead." He said: "He is a man neither tall nor short, neither with much hair nor little. There is a redness in his eyes. The seal of prophethood is between his shoulders. His name is Ahmad. This land is his birthplace and the place of his mission. Then his people will expel him from it and dislike what he brings, until he emigrates to Yathrib ¹⁵, and his affair will become manifest. Beware lest you be deceived about him. For I have traveled all the lands seeking the religion of Abraham. Whenever I asked the Jews, Christians, and Magians, they said: 'This religion is behind you.' And they described him just as I have described him to you, saying: 'No prophet remains but him.'" 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah said: When I embraced Islam, I informed the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, of Zayd ibn 'Amr's words and my conveying greetings of peace to him. He returned the greeting, prayed for mercy upon him, and said: "I have seen him in Paradise, dragging his robes ¹⁶." Al-Bukhari said in his Sahih: Mention of Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl: Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr narrated to me, Fudayl ibn Sulayman narrated to us, Musa ibn 'Uqbah narrated to us, Salim narrated to me, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, met Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl at the lower part of Baldah ¹⁷ before revelation descended upon the Prophet. A meal was presented to the Prophet, but he refused to eat from it. Then Zayd said: "I do not eat what you slaughter for your idols, and I only eat that over which Allah's name has been mentioned." Zayd ibn 'Amr used to criticize the Quraysh for their sacrifices and say: "Allah created the sheep, sent down water from the sky for it, and caused vegetation to grow from the earth for it. Then you slaughter it without mentioning Allah's name?" — denouncing that and magnifying it. Musa ibn 'Uqbah said: Salim ibn 'Abdullah narrated to me, and I think he related it from Ibn 'Umar, that Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl went out to Syria to ask about the religion and follow it. He met a Jewish scholar and asked him about their religion, saying: "I might adopt your religion, so inform me." He said: "You cannot be upon our religion until you receive your share of Allah's wrath." Zayd said: "I only flee from Allah's wrath, and I cannot bear any of Allah's wrath. Can you guide me to another?" He said: "I know of none except that you be a hanif." Zayd said: "What is a hanif?" He said: "The religion of Abraham, peace be upon him. He was neither a Jew nor a Christian, and he worshipped none but Allah." Zayd went out and met a Christian scholar and mentioned the like. He said: "You cannot be upon our religion until you receive your share of Allah's curse." Zayd said: "I only flee from Allah's curse, and I cannot bear any of Allah's curse or wrath. Can you guide me to another?" He said: "I know of none except that you be a hanif." He said: "What is a hanif?" He said: "The religion of Abraham. He was neither a Jew nor a Christian, and he worshipped none but Allah." When Zayd saw their statements about Abraham, he went out. When he emerged, he raised his hands and said: "O Allah, I call You to witness that I am upon the religion of Abraham." He said: Al-Layth said: Hisham ibn 'Urwah wrote to me, from his father, from Asma' bint Abi Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them, who said: I saw Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl standing, leaning his back against the Ka'bah, saying: "O assembly of Quraysh, by Allah, none of you is upon the religion of Abraham except me." He used to keep alive the practice of sparing infant girls ¹⁸. He would say to a man who wanted to kill his daughter: "Do not kill her; I will suffice you her maintenance." He would take her, and when she grew up, he would say to her father: "If you wish, I will return her to you; if you wish, I will suffice you her maintenance."

This concludes what al-Bukhari mentioned ¹⁹. This last hadith was transmitted with a chain by al-Hafiz Ibn 'Asakir, via Abu Bakr ibn Abi Dawud from 'Isa ibn Hammad, from al-Layth, from Hisham, from his father, from Asma', who related something similar. 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Zinad said: from Hisham ibn 'Urwa, from his father, from Asma', who said: I heard Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, while he was leaning his back against the Ka'ba, saying: O tribe of Quraysh, beware of fornication, for it brings poverty. Ibn 'Asakir has cited here very strange hadiths, some of which contain severe disapproval ²⁰. Then he cited through multiple chains from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that he said: He will be raised on the Day of Resurrection as a single community ²¹. Among these is what Muhammad ibn 'Uthman ibn Abi Shayba narrated: Yusuf ibn Ya'qub al-Saffar told us: Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Umawi told us, from Mujalid, from al-Sha'bi, from Jabir, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, that he used to face the qibla during the Jahiliyya ²² and say: My God is the God of Ibrahim, and my religion is the religion of Ibrahim, and he would prostrate. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "He will be gathered as a single community between me and 'Isa ibn Maryam." Its chain is good and fair. Al-Waqidi said: Musa ibn Shayba told me, from Kharija ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Ka'b ibn Malik, who said: I heard Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab mention Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl and said: He died while Quraysh were building the Ka'ba, five years before the revelation came down to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. And indeed revelation came down to him ²³ while he was saying: I am upon the religion of Ibrahim. His son Sa'id ibn Zayd became Muslim and followed the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab and Sa'id ibn Zayd came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and asked him about Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl. He said: May Allah forgive him and have mercy on him, for he died upon the religion of Ibrahim. He said: After that day, whenever any Muslim mentioned him, they would ask for mercy and forgiveness for him. Then Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab would say: May Allah have mercy on him and forgive him. Muhammad ibn Sa'd said, from al-Waqidi: Zakariyya ibn Yahya al-Sa'di told me, from his father, who said: Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl died in Mecca and was buried at the foot of Hira'. It was previously mentioned that he died in the land of al-Balqa' in Syria when a group from Banu Lakhm attacked him and killed him at a place called Mayfa'a. And Allah knows best. Al-Baghandi said: from Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj, from Abu Mu'awiya, from Hisham, from his father, from 'A'isha, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I entered Paradise and saw two palm trees ²⁴ for Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl." This is a good chain, and it is not in any of the books. From the poetry of Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, may Allah have mercy on him: To Allah I direct my praise and my eulogy, And a pleasing word that remains forever. To the Most High King, above Whom there is no god, Nor any lord that can be compared. It has been said that these lines are by Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt. And Allah knows best. From his poetry on tawhid ²⁵, as narrated by Muhammad ibn Ishaq, al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar, and others: I submit my face to Him to Whom submit The earth, carrying heavy rocks. He spread it, and when it was leveled, He made it firm, And set upon it the mountains. I submit my face to Him to Whom submit The clouds, carrying fresh sweet water, When they are driven to a land, They obey and pour down upon it torrents. I submit my face to Him to Whom submit The wind, turning from state to state. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Hisham ibn 'Urwa told me: My father narrated that Zayd ibn 'Amr said: One Lord or a thousand lords Shall I worship when affairs are divided? I have renounced al-Lat and al-'Uzza altogether, Thus does the resolute patient one do. I do not worship al-'Uzza nor her two daughters, Nor do I visit the two idols of Banu 'Amr. Nor do I worship Ghunm, which was a lord For us in time past, when my understanding was immature. I marvel—and the nights are full of wonders, And the days, which the discerning know— That Allah has destroyed many men Whose habit was immorality, And spared others for the righteousness of a people, So that the small child grows up among them. While a man stumbles, one day he recovers, Like the fresh branch that revives. But I worship al-Rahman ²⁶, my Lord, That the Forgiving Lord may forgive my sin. So fear Allah, your Lord—preserve it; Whenever 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. This is the entirety of what Muhammad ibn Ishaq mentioned of this poem. Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi narrated it from Mus'ab ibn 'Abd Allah, from al-Dahhak ibn 'Uthman, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Zinad, who said: Hisham ibn 'Urwa said, from his father, from Asma' bint Abi Bakr, who said: Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl said: I have renounced the jinn ²⁷ and the jinnan ²⁸ from me, Thus does the resolute patient one do. I do not worship al-'Uzza nor her two daughters, Nor do I turn to the two idols of Banu Tasim. Nor do I worship Ghunm, which was a lord For us in time past, when my understanding was small. One Lord or a thousand lords Shall I worship when affairs are divided? Do you not know that Allah has destroyed Men whose habit was immorality, And spared others for the righteousness of a people, So that the small child grows up among them? While a man stumbles, one day he recovers, Like the fresh branch that revives. She said: Then Waraqa ibn Nawfal said: You have been guided and favored, O son of 'Amr, for indeed You have avoided a blazing oven of fire. For your religion, a Lord like Whom there is no lord, And your leaving the jinnan of the mountains as they are. I say, when I am brought down to a fearful land: Your jinnan ²⁹—do not let the enemies prevail over me. Your mercy, O Lord—indeed the jinn are Your hope, And You are my God, our Lord, and my hope. The mercy of your Lord will surely overtake a man, Even if he is under the earth in seventy valleys. I worship a Lord who responds, and I do not see Myself worshipping one who does not hear a caller forever. I say, when I pray in every church: Blessed are You; I have increased in calling upon Your name. It was mentioned earlier that Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl went out to Syria along with Waraqa ibn Nawfal, 'Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith, and 'Ubayd Allah ibn Jahsh. They became Christians except for Zayd, who did not enter any religion, but remained upon his natural disposition ³⁰ of worshipping Allah alone, with no partner, following as much as he could the religion of Ibrahim, as we have mentioned. As for Waraqa ibn Nawfal, his story will come at the beginning of the mission ³¹. As for 'Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith, he stayed in Syria until he died there with Caesar. He has a remarkable story mentioned by al-Umawi. Its summary: When he came to Caesar and complained about what he had suffered from his people, Caesar wrote to Ibn Jafna, the king of the Arabs of Syria, to equip an army with him to fight Quraysh. He resolved to do so, but the Bedouins wrote to him forbidding him from that, because they saw the greatness of Mecca and how Allah dealt with the Companions of the Elephant ³². So Ibn Jafna clothed him with a dyed, poisoned shirt, and he died from its poison. Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl eulogized him with poetry mentioned by al-Umawi, which we have omitted for brevity. His death was three years or so before the mission. And Allah, glorified and exalted, knows best.

1. mursal : A hadith where the Companion is omitted from the chain, i.e., a Successor narrates directly from the Prophet.
2. asl : Basis or foundation; here it means the hadith has a reliable origin despite weak chains.
3. al-maw'uda : The buried infant girl; refers to the pre-Islamic practice of female infanticide.
4. Hanifiyya : The monotheistic religion of Ibrahim (Abraham), characterized by pure worship of one God.
5. Jahiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance, characterized by polytheism and moral darkness.
6. ḥanīf : A monotheist who follows the pure, primordial religion of Abraham, rejecting idolatry and adhering to the worship of one God.
7. al-Bayt : The Ka'bah in Mecca, considered the House of God.
8. al-ḥanīfiyyah : The religion of Abraham, characterized by pure monotheism and submission to God.
9. Labbayk : A phrase meaning 'Here I am [at Your service]' used in the pilgrimage (Hajj) as a declaration of devotion.
10. muhajjir : One who emigrates for the sake of religion, specifically from Mecca to Medina.
11. al-ʿasharah : The ten Companions promised Paradise by the Prophet Muhammad.
12. ummah waḥdahu : A nation by himself, meaning he will be resurrected as a community due to his unique faith.
13. nuṣub : Idols or stones set up for sacrifice; animals slaughtered in their name are forbidden.
14. rakʿatan sajdatayn : A prayer unit consisting of two prostrations; here meaning a two-prostration prayer.
15. Yathrib : The pre-Islamic name of Medina.
16. yasḥabu dhuyūlan : Dragging his robes, a sign of honor and dignity in Paradise.
17. Baldah : A place near Mecca.
18. al-mawʾūdah : The practice of burying female infants alive, which Zayd opposed.
19. al-Bukhari : Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH/870 CE), the renowned hadith scholar and compiler of Sahih al-Bukhari.
20. nakara : A term used in hadith criticism meaning 'disapproval' or 'objectionable content', indicating a hadith that is rejected due to weakness or contradiction.
21. umma : A community or nation; here it means he will be resurrected as a single community by himself, distinct from others.
22. Jahiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance before the advent of Islam.
23. revelation came down to him : Referring to the beginning of the revelation to the Prophet Muhammad.
24. dawha : A large palm tree or a tree with spreading branches; here used metaphorically for a lofty station in Paradise.
25. tawhid : The Islamic concept of monotheism, the oneness of Allah.
26. al-Rahman : The Most Merciful, one of the names of Allah.
27. jinn : Invisible beings created from smokeless fire, often associated with supernatural powers.
28. jinnan : A plural form of jinn; also can refer to the jinn of the mountains or a specific type of jinn.
29. jinnan : Here it may refer to protection or refuge, possibly a variant of jinn or a related term.
30. fitra : The innate natural disposition of humans to believe in one God, as per Islamic belief.
31. mab'ath : The mission or sending of the Prophet Muhammad as a messenger.
32. Companions of the Elephant : Refers to the Abyssinian army led by Abraha that attacked Mecca in the Year of the Elephant (c. 570 CE), which was miraculously defeated.

Mention of some of the events that occurred during the period of the interregnum [1].

Mention of some of the events that occurred during the period of intermission ¹. Among them is the building of the Kaaba. It has been said that the first to build it was Adam. There is a marfu' ² hadith concerning this from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, but its chain includes Ibn Lahi'a, who is weak. The strongest opinion is that the first to build it was al-Khalil ³, peace be upon him, as previously mentioned. Similarly, it was narrated by Simak ibn Harb from Khalid ibn 'Ar'ara from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. He said: Then it collapsed, and the Amalekites built it; then it collapsed, and Jurhum built it; then it collapsed, and Quraysh built it. I say: The building of Quraysh will come later, and that was five years before the mission ⁴, or fifteen years, it is said. Al-Zuhri said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had reached puberty. All of this will come in its proper place, if Allah wills, and in Him is trust. Mention of Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy. Abu Nu'aym narrated via Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Zabala from Muhammad ibn Talha al-Taymi from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Harith from Abu Salama who said: Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy used to gather his people on Friday, which Quraysh used to call al-'Aruba ⁵, and he would address them saying: To proceed: Listen and learn, understand and know: a still night, a bright day, the earth a bed, the heaven a building, the mountains pegs, the stars signs, the former like the latter, the female and the male, and the spouse ⁶ and what stirs to decay. So maintain your ties of kinship, protect your in-laws, and make your wealth fruitful. Have you seen any perished one return?

1. fatrah : Period between prophets, specifically between 'Isa and Muhammad.
2. marfu' : A hadith attributed directly to the Prophet Muhammad.
3. al-Khalil : The Friend (of Allah), referring to Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham).
4. mab'ath : The beginning of Muhammad's prophethood.
5. al-'Aruba : Pre-Islamic name for Friday, meaning 'the day of gathering'.
6. al-zawj : Spouse or pair, often referring to the male in a pair.

Mention of the renewal of digging Zamzam [1].

Or a dead one raised to life? The abode is before you, and the assumption is not what you say. Your sanctuary—adorn it, magnify it, and hold fast to it, for a great tiding will come to it, and a noble prophet will emerge from it. Then he said: "Day and night, each day with an event; equal to us are its night and day, returning with events as they alternate. And with abundant blessings, whose veils are over us, in heedlessness comes the prophet Muhammad, bringing true reports, whose informant is truthful." Then he said: "By Allah, if I were in that time with hearing and sight, hand and foot, I would stand firm like a camel and trot like a stallion." ¹ Then he said: "Would that I were present at his call in Hawwa' ², when the tribe was forsaking the truth in betrayal." He said: Between the death of Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy and the mission of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was five hundred and sixty years. **Mention of the Renewal of Digging Zamzam** At the hands of 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, whose trace had been effaced after the Jurhum had filled it until his time. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Then, while 'Abd al-Muttalib was sleeping in the Hijr ³, he was visited and commanded to dig Zamzam. The first thing he began with in digging it, as Yazid ibn Abi Habib al-Misri narrated to me from Muthanna ibn 'Abdullah al-Yazani ⁴, from 'Abdullah ibn Dharir ⁵ al-Faqihi, that he heard 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, narrating 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 when a visitor came to me and said: 'Dig Tiba.' I said: 'What is Tiba?' Then he left me. The next day I returned to my bed and slept, and he came and said: 'Dig Barra.' I said: 'What is Barra?' Then he left me. The next day I returned to my bed and slept, and he came and said: 'Dig al-Madnuna.' I said: 'What is al-Madnuna?' Then he left me. The next day I returned to my bed and slept, and he came and said: 'Dig Zamzam.' I said: 'What is Zamzam?' He said: 'It never runs dry nor is it blamed ⁶; it gives drink to the great pilgrimage. It is between the dung and blood, at the hollow of the white-footed crow, near the ant colony.' ⁷" He said: When its matter was clarified to him and he was guided to its location, and he knew that he had been told the truth, he went early with his pickaxe, and with him his son al-Harith ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib—he had no other son at that time—and he dug. When the lining ⁸ 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 Ishmael, and we have a right in it, so let us share with you." 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: "Then be fair with us, for we will not leave you until we dispute with you over it." He said: "Appoint whomever you wish between me and you, and I will submit to his judgment." They said: "The priestess of Banu Sa'd ibn Hudhaym." ⁹ He said: "Yes." She was in the highlands of Syria. So 'Abd al-Muttalib set out with a group of Banu Umayya, and from every tribe of Quraysh a group set out. They traveled while the land at that time was a desert. When they were in the midst of it, the water of 'Abd al-Muttalib and his companions ran out, and they became thirsty until they were certain of destruction. They asked those with them for water, but they refused, saying: "We are in a desert, and we fear for ourselves what has befallen you." 'Abd al-Muttalib said: "I think that each man among you should dig his own grave with the strength you have now. Whenever a man dies, his companions should push him into his grave and cover him, until the last of them remains one man. The loss of one man is easier than the loss of the entire group." They said: "What you have commanded is excellent." So each man dug a grave for himself, 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 something for ourselves is weakness. Perhaps Allah will provide us with water in some land. Move on." So they moved on. When 'Abd al-Muttalib urged his mount, a spring of fresh water burst forth from beneath 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—they were watching them throughout these events—and said: "Come to the water; Allah has given us drink." So they came, drank, and all drew water. Then they said: "By Allah, judgment has been given against us. By Allah, we will never dispute with you over Zamzam. 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 Zamzam alone. Ibn Ishaq said: This is what reached me from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib concerning Zamzam. Ibn Ishaq said: I have also heard from someone who narrated from 'Abd al-Muttalib that when he was commanded to dig Zamzam, it was said to him: "Then call for abundant water, not turbid, giving drink to Allah's pilgrims in every sacred place, fearing nothing from it as long as it lasts." He said: 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." They said: "Has it been made clear to you where it is?" He said: "No." They said: "Return to your bed where you saw what you saw. If it is truly from Allah, He will make it clear to you; if it is from Satan, he will not return to you." So he returned and slept, and he was visited and told: "Dig Zamzam, and if you dig it you will not regret it. It is an inheritance from your great father, never runs dry nor is blamed, giving drink to the great pilgrimage, like startled ostriches not divided; a vow is made in it for the Benefactor. It will be an inheritance and a firm covenant, not like some of what you know. It is between the dung and blood." Ibn Ishaq said: They claimed that when that was said to him, 'Abd al-Muttalib said: "Where is it?" It was said to him: "Near the ant colony, where the crow pecks tomorrow." Allah knows which of these accounts is correct. He said: So 'Abd al-Muttalib went early with his son al-Harith—he had no other son at that time. Al-Umawi added: and his freedman Asram. He found the ant colony and found the crow pecking near it between the two idols Isaf and Na'ila, at which Quraysh used to sacrifice. He brought the pickaxe and stood to dig where he was commanded. Quraysh stood up to him and said: "By Allah, we will not leave you to dig between our two idols at which we sacrifice." 'Abd al-Muttalib said to his son al-Harith: "Defend me until I dig, for by Allah I will carry out what I have been commanded." When they realized that he would not stop, they left him to dig and refrained from him. He had dug only a little until the lining appeared to him, so he said 'Allahu Akbar' and knew that he had been told the truth. When he continued digging, he found in it two golden gazelles that Jurhum had buried, and he found Qal'i swords 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 between me and you: we will cast lots with arrows." They said: "How shall we do?" He said: "I will assign two arrows for the Ka'ba, two for me, and two for you. Whose arrows come out for something, it is his; whose arrows are left out, he gets nothing." They said: "You have been fair." So he assigned two yellow arrows for the Ka'ba, two black for himself, and two white for them. Then they gave the arrows to the one who cast lots at Hubal—Hubal was their greatest idol, and for this reason Abu Sufyan said on the day of Uhud: "Exalt Hubal," meaning this idol—and 'Abd al-Muttalib stood supplicating Allah.

Yunus ibn Bukayr mentioned from Muhammad ibn Ishaq that 'Abd al-Muttalib used to say: "O Allah, You are the praised King, my Lord, You are the Originator and the Restorer, the Holder of the firm rock. From You comes the new and the old. If You will, You inspire as You wish for the place of ornament and iron. So make clear today what You will. I have made a vow, the covenant made. Make it, O Lord, for me so that I do not return." He said: The keeper of the divination arrows struck, and the two yellow [arrows] came out for the two gazelles ¹⁰ for the Ka'ba, and the two black [arrows] came out for the swords and coats of mail for 'Abd al-Muttalib, and the two arrows of Quraysh were left behind. So 'Abd al-Muttalib struck the swords as a door for the Ka'ba, and he struck the two golden gazelles into the door. That was the first gold with which the Ka'ba was adorned, as they claim. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib established the watering of Zamzam for the pilgrims. Ibn Ishaq and others mentioned that Mecca had many wells before the appearance of Zamzam in the time of 'Abd al-Muttalib. Then Ibn Ishaq enumerated them, named them, and mentioned their locations in Mecca and their diggers, until he said: "Zamzam prevailed over all the wells, and all the people turned to it because of its location in the Sacred Mosque, its superiority over other waters, and because it is the well of Isma'il son of Ibrahim. The Banu 'Abd Manaf boasted of it over all of Quraysh and over the rest of the Arabs." It is established in Sahih Muslim in the hadith of the conversion of Abu Dharr that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said about Zamzam: "It is a nourishing food and a cure for illness." Imam Ahmad said: 'Abdullah ibn al-Walid narrated to us from 'Abdullah ibn al-Mu'ammal from Abu al-Zubayr from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for." Ibn Majah narrated it from the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn al-Mu'ammal, and they have spoken about him. Its wording is: "The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for." Suwayd ibn Sa'id narrated it from 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Mawali from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir from Jabir from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: "The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for." But Suwayd ibn Sa'id is weak. The preserved version is from Ibn al-Mubarak from 'Abdullah ibn al-Mu'ammal as previously mentioned. Al-Hakim narrated it from Ibn 'Abbas as a marfu' ¹¹ hadith: "The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for," but there is some doubt about it. And Allah knows best. Similarly, Ibn Majah and al-Hakim narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that he said to a man: "When you drink from Zamzam, face the Ka'ba, mention Allah's name, breathe three times, and drink your fill. When you finish, praise Allah, for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Indeed, the sign between us and the hypocrites is that they do not drink their fill from Zamzam water.'" It has been mentioned from 'Abd al-Muttalib that he said: "O Allah, I do not make it permissible for one who bathes, but for the drinker it is permissible and bil ¹²." Some jurists have mentioned it from al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, but the correct view is that it is from 'Abd al-Muttalib himself, for he was the one who renewed the digging of Zamzam as we have mentioned. And Allah knows best. Al-Umawi said in his Maghazi: Abu 'Ubayd narrated to us, informing me Yahya ibn Sa'id from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Harmala, who heard Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab narrating that 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, when he dug Zamzam, said: "I do not make it permissible for one who bathes, but for the drinker it is permissible and bil." That is because he made two basins for it: a basin for drinking and a basin for ablution. At that time he said: "I do not make it permissible for one who bathes," to keep the mosque free from bathing in it. Abu 'Ubayd said: Al-Asma'i said: His saying "bil" is a follow-up ¹³. Abu 'Ubayd said: The follow-up is not with the conjunction "and"; rather, it is as Mu'tamir ibn Sulayman said: "Bil" in the language of Himyar means permissible. Then Abu 'Ubayd said: Abu Bakr ibn 'Ayyash narrated to us from 'Asim ibn Abi al-Najud that he heard Zirr that he heard al-'Abbas saying: "I do not make it permissible for one who bathes, but for the drinker it is permissible and bil." And 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi narrated to us: Sufyan narrated to us from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Alqama that he heard Ibn 'Abbas saying that. This is authentic from them, and it seems they were saying that in their time by way of conveying and informing of the condition that 'Abd al-Muttalib stipulated when he dug it, so it does not contradict what preceded. And Allah knows best. The watering was under 'Abd al-Muttalib during his lifetime, then it passed to his son Abu Talib for a time. Then it happened that he became poor in some years, so he borrowed ten thousand from his brother al-'Abbas until the next season, and Abu Talib spent it on the pilgrims that year for matters related to the watering. When the next year came, Abu Talib had nothing, so he said to his brother al-'Abbas: "Lend me another fourteen thousand until next year, and I will give you all your money." Al-'Abbas said to him: "On condition that if you do not pay me, you leave the watering to me and I will take care of it for you." He said: "Yes."

1. al-fahl : A stallion; here used metaphorically to describe vigorous movement.
2. Hawwa' : A place name, possibly referring to a location in Mecca or a valley.
3. al-Hijr : The semicircular walled area adjacent to the Ka'ba, also known as Hatim.
4. al-Yazani : A nisba referring to Yazn, a region in Yemen.
5. Ibn Dharir : A transmitter; the name is uncertain in the original text.
6. la tudhamm : It is not blamed or found fault with; i.e., its water is not criticized.
7. qaryat al-naml : The ant colony; a specific location near the Ka'ba.
8. al-tayy : The lining or masonry of the well; the stone structure inside.
9. Banu Sa'd ibn Hudhaym : A tribe; the priestess was a soothsayer consulted by Quraysh.
10. ghazalayn : Two gazelles made of gold that were placed on the Ka'ba door.
11. marfu' : A hadith attributed directly to the Prophet Muhammad.
12. bil : A word meaning 'permissible' or 'lawful', possibly from Himyarite dialect.
13. itba' : A rhetorical device where a word is added for emphasis or rhyme, often without independent meaning.

He mentioned the vow of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib to sacrifice one of his sons [1].

When the other world came, Abu Talib had nothing to give al-Abbas, so he left the siqaya ¹ to him, and it passed to him. Then after him, it passed to his son Abdullah, then to Ali ibn Abdullah ibn Abbas, then to Dawud ibn Ali, then to Sulayman ibn Ali, then to Isa ibn Ali, then al-Mansur took it and appointed his mawla ² Abu Razin as his deputy over it. Al-Umawi mentioned it. Mention of Abd al-Muttalib's vow to sacrifice one of his sons Ibn Ishaq said: Abd al-Muttalib, as they claim, vowed when he encountered from Quraysh what he encountered during the digging of Zamzam, that if ten sons were born to him and then reached maturity with him so that they would protect him, he would sacrifice one of them to Allah at the Kaaba. When his sons became ten in number, and he knew that they would protect him—and they were: al-Harith, al-Zubayr, Hajl, Dirar, al-Muqawwim, Abu Lahab, al-Abbas, Hamza, Abu Talib, and Abdullah—he gathered them, informed them of his vow, and called them to fulfill it for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. They obeyed him and said: How shall we do? He said: Let each of you take an arrow and write his name on it, then come to me. They did so and came to him. He entered with them to Hubal ³ inside the Kaaba. That well was where what was dedicated to the Kaaba was collected. Hubal had seven arrows, which were the divining arrows ⁴ to which they would resort for judgment when a matter of blood-money, lineage, or any other affair became difficult for them. They would come to him and seek a decision by them, and whatever they commanded or forbade, they would obey. The point is that when Abd al-Muttalib came to draw lots with the arrows before Hubal, the arrow came out for his son Abdullah, who was the youngest of his children and the most beloved to him. So Abd al-Muttalib took his son Abdullah by the hand and took a knife, then proceeded with him to Isaf and Na'ila ⁵ to sacrifice him. Quraysh rose from their assemblies and said: What do you intend, O Abd al-Muttalib? He said: I will sacrifice him. Quraysh and his sons, Abdullah's brothers, said to him: By Allah, you will never sacrifice him until you have an excuse for it. If you do this, no man will stop bringing his son to sacrifice him, so what will become of people? Yunus ibn Bukayr mentioned from Ibn Ishaq that al-Abbas was the one who pulled Abdullah from under his father's foot when he placed it on him to sacrifice him, and it is said that he wounded his face with a wound that remained on his face until he died. Then Quraysh suggested to Abd al-Muttalib that he go to al-Hijaz, for there was a soothsayer ⁶ there who had a familiar spirit ⁷, and ask her about this matter. Then you are free to do as you wish: if she commands you to sacrifice him, sacrifice him; if she commands you to something that provides a way out for you and him, accept it. So they set out until they came to Medina, but they found the soothsayer—who was Sajah, according to what Yunus ibn Bukayr mentioned from Ibn Ishaq—in Khaybar. So they rode until they came to her, asked her, and Abd al-Muttalib told her his story and the story of his son. She said to them: Leave me today until my familiar spirit comes to me, and I will ask him. They left her, and when they went out, Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to Allah. Then they came to her the next morning, and she said to them: The news has come to me. How much is the blood-money among you? They said: Ten camels. And that was the case. She said: Return to your land, then bring your companion and bring ten camels. Then cast lots ⁸ on them and on him with arrows. If the lot falls on your companion, add more camels until your Lord is satisfied; if it falls on the camels, sacrifice them for him, for your Lord is satisfied and your companion is saved. So they left until they arrived in Mecca. When they agreed on that matter, Abd al-Muttalib stood praying to Allah. Then they brought Abdullah and ten camels, and cast lots. The arrow fell on Abdullah. So they added ten more and cast lots again; the arrow fell on Abdullah. They added ten more, and they kept adding ten and the arrow kept falling on Abdullah until the camels reached one hundred. Then they cast lots, and the arrow fell on the camels.

1. siqaya : The office of providing water to pilgrims at Mecca, traditionally held by the Abbasids.
2. mawla : A client or freedman; here, a trusted servant or deputy.
3. Hubal : A pre-Islamic Arabian deity, a chief idol at the Kaaba.
4. divining arrows : Arrows used for seeking omens or decisions in pre-Islamic Arabia.
5. Isaf and Na'ila : Two pre-Islamic idols near the Kaaba, associated with a legend of a couple turned to stone.
6. soothsayer : A female diviner or seer in pre-Islamic Arabia.
7. familiar spirit : A spirit or jinn that serves a soothsayer, providing knowledge.
8. cast lots : A method of divination using arrows to determine divine will.

The mention of the marriage of ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib’s son ‘Abd Allāh [1].

Then Quraysh said to ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, as he stood before Hubal ¹ supplicating God: “Your Lord is satisfied, O ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib.” At that point, they claim, he said: “Not until I cast the divination arrows ² three times.” So they cast three times, and the arrow fell upon the camels. They were then slaughtered and left, with no one turned away or prevented [from taking the meat].” Ibn Hishām said: “And it is said: ‘nor any beast of prey.’” It has also been narrated that when the camels reached one hundred, the arrow fell upon ‘Abd Allāh again, so they added another hundred until they reached two hundred, and the arrow fell upon ‘Abd Allāh, so they added another hundred, making the camels three hundred. Then they cast and the arrow fell upon the camels, so ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib slaughtered them at that point. The correct account is the first. And God knows best. Ibn Jarīr narrated from Yūnus ibn ‘Abd al-A‘lā, from Ibn Wahb, from Yūnus ibn Yazīd, from al-Zuhrī, from Qabīṣah ibn Dhu’ayb, that a woman asked Ibn ‘Abbās about having vowed to slaughter her child at the Ka‘bah ³. He ordered her to slaughter one hundred camels and related to her this story of ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib. She also asked ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Umar, but he gave no verdict, rather he refrained. When Marwān ibn al-Ḥakam, who was governor of Medina, heard of this, he said: “They both gave the wrong verdict.” Then he ordered the woman to do as much good as she could, forbade her from slaughtering her child, and did not order her to slaughter camels. The people adopted Marwān’s opinion in this matter. And God knows best. **Account of ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib’s marriage of his son ‘Abd Allāh to Āminah bint Wahb al-Zuhrīyah** Ibn Isḥāq said: Then ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib departed, taking his son ‘Abd Allāh by the hand. He passed by, as they claim, a woman from Banū Asad ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzzā ibn Quṣayy—she was Umm Qutāl, the sister of Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzzā ibn Quṣayy—and she was at the Ka‘bah. She looked at his face and said: “Where are you going, O ‘Abd Allāh?” He said: “With my father.” She said: “You may have camels like those slaughtered for you if you lie with me now.” He said: “I am with my father; I cannot oppose him or leave him.” So ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib took him out until he came to Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manāf ibn Zuhrah ibn Kilāb ibn Murrah ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib ibn Fihr, who was at that time the chief of Banū Zuhrah in age and nobility, and he married him to his daughter Āminah bint Wahb, who was at that time the foremost woman of her people. They claim that he entered upon her immediately after the marriage contract and lay with her, and she conceived from him the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). Then he left her and went to the woman who had made the offer to him, and said to her: “Why do you not offer me today what you offered yesterday?” She said to him: “The light that was with you yesterday has left you, so I have no need of you.” She had heard from her brother Waraqah ibn Nawfal—who had become a Christian and followed the scriptures—that a prophet would arise in this community, and she hoped that he would be from her. But God Most High placed him in the noblest lineage, the most honorable origin, and the purest root, as He said: “God knows best where to place His message” ⁴. We will mention the birth in detail. Among the verses said by Umm Qutāl bint Nawfal, regretting what she missed of the matter she had sought—as narrated by al-Bayhaqī via Yūnus ibn Bukayr from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq (may God have mercy on him): “Upon you be the family of Zuhrah wherever they are, / And Āminah who bore a boy. You see the guided one when he mounted her, / And a light that preceded him as an imām ⁵. [Until she said:] All creation hopes for him together; / He will rule the people, guided, an imām. God created him from a pure light, / And his light removed darkness from us. That is the doing of your Lord when He bestowed him, / When he travels by day or stays. He will guide the people of Mecca after disbelief, / And after that He will prescribe fasting.” Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Ja‘far ibn Sahl al-Kharā’iṭī said: ‘Alī ibn Ḥarb narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn ‘Umārah al-Qurashī narrated to us, Muslim ibn Khālid al-Zanjī narrated to us, Ibn Jurayj narrated to us, from ‘Aṭā’ ibn Abī Rabāḥ, from Ibn ‘Abbās, who said: When ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib set out with his son ‘Abd Allāh to marry him, he passed by a soothsayer ⁶ from the people of Tabālah who had become a Jewess and had read the scriptures, called Fāṭimah bint Murr al-Khath‘amīyah. She saw the light of prophethood in ‘Abd Allāh’s face and said: “O young man, would you like to lie with me now, and I will give you one hundred camels?” ‘Abd Allāh said: “As for the forbidden, death is before it; / The lawful is not clear to me; / So how about the matter you seek?” Then he went on with his father, who married him to Āminah bint Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manāf ibn Zuhrah. He stayed with her for three days. Then his soul called him to what the soothsayer had called him to, so he went to her. She said: “What did you do after me?” He told her. She said: “By God, I am not a woman of suspicion, but I saw a light in your face and wanted it to be in me, but God refused except to place it where He willed.” Then Fāṭimah recited: “I saw a flash that gleamed / And shone like the glass vessels of rain. I saw it as a light illuminating / All around it like the brightness of the full moon. I hoped for it as a glory I would attain, / But not every striker of his flint produces fire. By God, what a Zuhri woman has stripped / Your two garments—she stripped them and does not know.” Fāṭimah also said: “O Banū Hāshim, your brother has been left / By Āminah when the two contenders wrestled for the semen, / As a lamp leaves its wick when it goes out, / Wicks that have been soaked with oil. Not all that a man acquires from his inherited wealth / Is by prudence, nor what he misses due to negligence. So be gracious when you seek a matter, for / Two struggling hands will suffice you: / Either a clenched fist / Or an open hand with fingers. When Āminah obtained from him what she obtained, / She obtained from him a glory that has no second.” Imām Abū Nu‘aym al-Ḥāfiẓ narrated in his book “Dalā’il al-Nubuwwah” via Ya‘qūb ibn Muḥammad al-Zuhrī, from ‘Abd al-‘Azīz ibn ‘Imrān, from ‘Abd Allāh ibn Ja‘far, from Ibn ‘Awn, from al-Miswar ibn Makhramah, from Ibn ‘Abbās, who said: ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib came to Yemen on the winter journey and stayed with a Jewish scholar. He said: A man from the people of the scriptures said to me: “O ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, will you allow me to look at part of you?” He said: “Yes, as long as it is not a private part.” He said: So he opened one of my nostrils and looked into it, then looked into the other, and said: “I bear witness that in one of your hands is kingship and in the other is prophethood, and we find that in Banū Zuhrah. How is that?” I said: “I do not know.” He said: “Do you have a shā‘ah ⁷?” I said: “What is a shā‘ah?” He said: “A wife.” I said: “Not today.” He said: “When you return, marry among them.” So ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib returned and married Hālah bint Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manāf ibn Zuhrah, and she gave birth to Ḥamzah and Ṣafīyah. Then ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib married Āminah bint Wahb, and she gave birth to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). Quraysh said when ‘Abd Allāh married Āminah: “Falaja ⁸—i.e., succeeded and overcame—‘Abd Allāh over his father ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib.” Book of the Biography of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) and an account of his days, his campaigns, his expeditions, the delegations to him, his characteristics, his virtues, and the proofs indicating him.

1. Hubal : A major idol worshipped by the Quraysh in pre-Islamic Arabia, placed inside or near the Kaaba.
2. divination arrows : Arrows used in pre-Islamic Arab practices for seeking omens or decisions, often associated with idols like Hubal.
3. Ka‘bah : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, direction of prayer for Muslims, originally built by Abraham and Ishmael.
4. God knows best where to place His message : Qur'anic reference, Surah Al-An'am 6:124.
5. imām : A leader, especially in prayer; here used metaphorically for the Prophet as a guide.
6. soothsayer : A person claiming supernatural insight or prophecy, common in pre-Islamic Arabia.
7. shā‘ah : An obscure term; interpreted here as 'wife' based on context.
8. Falaja : A term meaning 'he succeeded' or 'he overcame', used here to indicate that ‘Abd Allāh surpassed his father in honor by marrying Āminah.

Chapter on the mention of his noble lineage and the purity of his exalted origin [1].

Chapter on Mentioning His Noble Lineage and Pure Lofty Origin Allah Almighty said: "Allah knows best where to place His message." ¹ When Heraclius, the king of the Romans, asked Abu Sufyan those questions about his attributes (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: "How is his lineage among you?" He replied: "He is of noble lineage among us." He said: "Thus are the messengers sent among the noblest lineages of their people." Meaning the most honorable in rank and the most numerous in tribe. May the blessings of Allah be upon them all. He is the master of the children of Adam and their pride in this world and the Hereafter. Abu al-Qasim, Abu Ibrahim, Muhammad, Ahmad, al-Mahi ² by whom unbelief is wiped out, al-'Aqib ³ after whom there is no prophet, al-Hashir ⁴ before whom people will be gathered, al-Muqaffa ⁵, the Prophet of Mercy, the Prophet of Repentance, the Prophet of Epic Battles, the Seal of the Prophets, al-Fatih ⁶, Ta Ha, Ya Sin, and 'Abd Allah. Al-Bayhaqi said: Some scholars added, saying: Allah named him in the Qur'an as a messenger, a prophet, unlettered ⁷, a witness, a bearer of good tidings, a warner, one who calls to Allah by His permission, a luminous lamp, compassionate, merciful, a reminder, and made him a mercy, a blessing, and a guide. We will present the hadiths narrated about his names (peace and blessings be upon him) in a chapter we will dedicate after completing the biography, for many hadiths have been reported on this subject, collected by the two great memorizers Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi and Abu al-Qasim ibn 'Asakir, and people have authored independent works on this, to the extent that some attempted to compile a thousand names for him (peace and blessings be upon him). As for the great jurist Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi al-Maliki, commentator on al-Tirmidhi in his book titled 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi, he mentioned sixty-four of these names. And Allah knows best. He is the son of 'Abd Allah, who was the youngest child of his father 'Abd al-Muttalib, and he is the second intended sacrifice ransomed with one hundred camels, as previously mentioned. Al-Zuhri said: He was the most handsome of the men of Quraysh. He was the brother of al-Harith, al-Zubayr, Hamza, Dirar, Abu Talib (whose name was 'Abd Manaf), Abu Lahab (whose name was 'Abd al-'Uzza), al-Muqawwim (whose name was 'Abd al-Ka'ba, and it is said they were two: Hajl, whose name was al-Mughira, and al-Ghaydaq, who was very generous, and his name was... and it is said he was Hajl). These are his uncles (peace and blessings be upon him). His aunts were six: Arwa, Barra, Umayma, Safiyya, 'Atika, and Umm Hakim (also known as al-Bayda'). We will discuss each of them later, Allah willing. All of them are children of 'Abd al-Muttalib, whose name was Shayba. He was called Shayba because of the white hair in his head, and he was called Shaybat al-Hamd for his generosity. He was called 'Abd al-Muttalib because when his father Hashim passed through Medina on his trade journey to Syria, he stayed with 'Amr ibn Zayd ibn Labid ibn Haram ibn Khidash ibn Khindif ibn 'Adi ibn al-Najjar al-Khazraji al-Najjari, who was the chief of his people. He admired his daughter Salma and proposed to her father, who married her to him on the condition that she stay with him, or it is said that he stipulated that she should only give birth in Medina. When he returned from Syria, he consummated the marriage and took her with him to Mecca. When he set out on a trade journey, he took her with her while she was pregnant, left her in Medina, and entered Syria, where he died in Gaza. Salma gave birth to her son and named him Shayba. He stayed with his maternal uncles, the Banu 'Adi ibn al-Najjar, for seven years. Then his uncle al-Muttalib ibn 'Abd Manaf came and took him secretly from his mother and brought him to Mecca. When the people saw him and saw him on the mount, they said: "Who is this with you?" He replied: "My slave." Then they came and congratulated him, and they began to call him 'Abd al-Muttalib because of that. So this name prevailed over him. He attained great leadership among Quraysh and surpassed them in honor and chieftainship. Their affairs were united under him, and he was entrusted with the watering and the provisioning after al-Muttalib. He was the one who renewed the digging of Zamzam after it had been filled in since the time of Jurhum. He was the first to gild the Ka'ba with gold on its doors from the two golden gazelles he found in Zamzam along with the Qala'i swords. Ibn Hisham ⁸ said: 'Abd al-Muttalib was the brother of Asad, Nadla, Abu Sayfi, Hayya, Khalida, Ruqayya, al-Shifa', and Da'ifa. All of them are children of Hashim, whose name was 'Amr. He was called Hashim because he crumbled bread with meat for his people during the years of drought, as Matrud ibn Ka'b al-Khuza'i said in his poem, and it is also attributed to al-Zibriqa, father of 'Abd Allah: 'Amr who crumbled bread for his people, while the men of Mecca were starving and lean. Both journeys were instituted by him, the winter journey and the summer journey. This is because he was the first to institute the two journeys of winter and summer. He was the eldest of his father's children. Ibn Jarir narrated that he was the twin of his brother 'Abd Shams, and that Hashim was born with his foot attached to the head of 'Abd Shams, and they were not separated until blood flowed between them. So people said: "Because of this, there will be wars between their descendants." And indeed, the battle of the Banu al-'Abbas against the Banu Umayya ibn 'Abd Shams occurred in the year 133 AH. Their third full brother was al-Muttalib, who was the youngest of his father's children. Their mother was 'Atika bint Murra ibn Hilal. Their fourth brother was Nawfal, from another mother, Waqida bint 'Amr al-Maziniyya. They had become leaders of their people after their father, and leadership passed to them. They were called al-Mujirun (the protectors) because they obtained safe conduct for their people, Quraysh, from the kings of the regions to enter their lands for trade. Hashim obtained safe conduct from the kings of Syria, Rome, and Ghassan; 'Abd Shams obtained it from the Negus, the king of Abyssinia; Nawfal obtained it from the Chosroes; and al-Muttalib obtained it from the kings of Himyar. The poet said: "O you who changes his abode, why not stay with the family of 'Abd Manaf?" Hashim was entrusted with the watering and provisioning after his father, and to him and his brother al-Muttalib is attributed the kinship of the close relatives. They were united in both the pre-Islamic and Islamic periods, never separating. They entered the mountain pass with them, while the Banu 'Abd Shams and Nawfal withdrew from them. Therefore, Abu Talib said in his poem: "May Allah repay 'Abd Shams and Nawfal with an evil punishment, immediate and not deferred." No other group of brothers are known to have died in such different places: Hashim died in Gaza in Syria, 'Abd Shams died in Mecca, Nawfal died in Salman in Iraq, and al-Muttalib, who was called al-Qamar (the moon) for his beauty, died in Radman on the road to Yemen. These are the four famous brothers: Hashim, 'Abd Shams, Nawfal, and al-Muttalib. They had a fifth brother who is not well-known, Abu 'Amr, whose name was 'Abd, originally 'Abd Qusayy. People called him 'Abd ibn Qusayy; he died without offspring. This was stated by al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar and others. They had six sisters: Tumadir, Hayya, Rayta, Qilaba, Umm al-Akhtham, and Umm Sufyan. All of these are children of 'Abd Manaf, and Manaf is the name of an idol. The original name of 'Abd Manaf was al-Mughira. He became a leader during his father's time and attained the highest honor. He was the brother of 'Abd al-Dar, who was the eldest of his father's children and to whom he bequeathed the offices, as previously mentioned. 'Abd al-'Uzza, 'Abd, Barra, and Takhmur. Their mother was Hubba bint Hulayl ibn Habashiyya ibn Salul ibn Ka'b ibn 'Amr al-Khuza'i, and her father was the last of the kings of Khuza'a and the custodians of the House from among them.

All of them are the sons of Quṣayy ⁹, whose name was Zayd. He was so named because his mother, after his father, married Rabīʿa ibn Ḥarām ibn ʿUdhra, who traveled with her to his country while her son was young, so he was called Quṣayy for that reason. Then he returned to Mecca as an adult, gathered the scattered affairs of Quraysh, brought them together from the dispersed regions of the land, removed the hand of Khuzāʿa from the House, expelled them from Mecca, and restored the right to its proper place. He became the absolute chief of Quraysh, and to him belonged the rifāda ¹⁰ and the siqāya ¹¹, and he instituted them, as well as the sidāna ¹², the ḥijāba ¹³, and the liwāʾ ¹⁴. His house was the Dār al-Nadwa ¹⁵, as previously detailed. For this reason, the poet said: "Quṣayy, by my life, was called the gatherer; through him Allah gathered the tribes from Fihr." He is the brother of Zuhra, both sons of Kilāb, brother of Taym and Yaqaẓa, father of Makhzūm. The three are sons of Murra, brother of ʿAdī and Huṣayṣ. They are sons of Kaʿb, who used to address his people every Friday and give them glad tidings of the mission of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and recite poems about that, as we have mentioned. He is the brother of ʿĀmir, Sāma, Khuzayma, Saʿd, al-Ḥārith, and ʿAwf; the seven are sons of Luʾayy, brother of Taym al-Adram. They are the two sons of Ghālib, brother of al-Ḥārith and Muḥārib. The three are sons of Fihr, who is the brother of al-Ḥārith, and both are sons of Mālik. He is the brother of al-Ṣalt and Yakhluḍ, and they are the Banū al-Naḍr, to whom the entirety of Quraysh traces back, according to the correct view, as we have provided evidence. He is the brother of Mālik, Milkān, ʿAbd Manāt, and others; all are sons of Kināna, brother of Asad, Asada, and al-Hawn, sons of Khuzayma, who is the brother of Hudhayl. They are the two sons of Mudrika, whose name is ʿAmr, brother of Ṭābikha, whose name is ʿĀmir, and Qamaʿa; the three are sons of Ilyās, and the brother of Ilyās is ʿAylān, the father of all Qays. They are the two sons of Muḍar, brother of Rabīʿa. They are called the two pure ones among the descendants of Ismāʿīl, while their two brothers Anmār and Iyād went to Yemen; the four are sons of Nizār, brother of Quḍāʿa, according to a group who hold that Quḍāʿa is Ḥijāzī and ʿAdnānī, as previously explained. Both are sons of Maʿadd ibn ʿAdnān. This lineage, in this description, is undisputed among scholars. All the tribes of the Arabs of the Ḥijāz trace back to this lineage. For this reason, Ibn ʿAbbās and others said regarding His statement: "Say, 'I do not ask you for it any reward except affection among the relatives'" ¹⁶: There was no clan among the clans of Quraysh except that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had a lineage connecting him to them. Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke the truth and even more. That is because all the ʿAdnānī Arab tribes trace back to him through fathers, and many also through mothers, as Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq and others mentioned regarding his mothers and the mothers of his fathers, which would be lengthy to recount. Ibn Isḥāq (may Allah have mercy on him) and al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAsākir have verified it. We have mentioned in the biography of ʿAdnān his lineage and what has been said about it, and that he is undoubtedly from the descendants of Ismāʿīl, even if there is disagreement about how many ancestors are between them, according to opinions we have detailed previously. And Allah knows best. We have mentioned the rest of the lineage from ʿAdnān to Adam, and we have cited the poem of Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Nāshiʾ containing that, all in the reports of the Arabs of the Ḥijāz. Praise be to Allah. Imam Abū Jaʿfar ibn Jarīr (may Allah have mercy on him) discussed this at the beginning of his history with an extensive, well-verified, and beneficial discussion ¹⁷. A ḥadīth has been reported regarding his (peace be upon him) lineage to ʿAdnān while he was on the pulpit, but Allah knows best about its authenticity, as al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr al-Bayhaqī said: Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī ibn Aḥmad ibn ʿUmar ibn Ḥafṣ al-Muqriʾ informed us in Baghdad, Abū ʿĪsā Bakkār ibn Aḥmad ibn Bakkār narrated to us, Abū Jaʿfar Aḥmad ibn Mūsā ibn Saʿd narrated to us from dictation in the year 296, Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Abān al-Qalānisī narrated to us, Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Rabīʿa al-Qudāmī narrated to us, Mālik ibn Anas narrated to us from al-Zuhrī, from Anas, and from Abū Bakr ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Hishām. He said: It reached the Prophet (peace be upon him) that some men from Kinda claimed that they were from him and he was from them, so he said: "Only al-ʿAbbās and Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb used to say that to reassure us, and we will not disown our fathers. We are the Banū al-Naḍr ibn Kināna." He said: And the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave a sermon and said: "I am Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim ibn ʿAbd Manāf ibn Quṣayy ibn Kilāb ibn Murra ibn Kaʿb ibn Luʾayy ibn Ghālib ibn Fihr ibn Mālik ibn al-Naḍr ibn Kināna ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika ibn Ilyās ibn Muḍar ibn Nizār. Whenever people split into two groups, Allah placed me in the better of them. I was brought out from between my parents, and nothing of the fornication of the Jāhiliyya touched me. I came out from marriage, not from fornication, from Adam until I reached my father and mother. So I am the best of you in soul and the best of you in father." This is a very strange ḥadīth from the narration of Mālik. Al-Qudāmī alone narrated it, and he is weak. But we will mention supporting evidence from other chains. Among that is his saying: "I came out from marriage, not from fornication." ʿAbd al-Razzāq said: Ibn ʿUyayna informed us from Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad, from his father Abū Jaʿfar al-Bāqir regarding His statement: "There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves" ¹⁸: He said: Nothing of the birth of the Jāhiliyya touched him. And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "I came out from marriage, not from fornication." This is a good mursal ¹⁹ report. Similarly, al-Bayhaqī narrated from al-Ḥākim from al-Aṣamm from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq al-Ṣanʿānī from Yaḥyā ibn Abī Bukayr from ʿAbd al-Ghaffār ibn al-Qāsim from Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Allah brought me out from marriage, not from fornication." Ibn ʿAdī narrated it as a connected chain, saying: Aḥmad ibn Ḥafṣ narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿAmr al-ʿAdanī al-Makkī narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn said: I bear witness that my father narrated to me from his father, from his grandfather, from ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "I came out from marriage, not from fornication, from Adam until my father and mother gave birth to me, and nothing of the fornication of the Jāhiliyya touched me." This is strange from this chain and is hardly authentic. Hushaym said: al-Madīnī narrated to us from Abū al-Ḥuwayrith from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Nothing of the marriage of the people of the Jāhiliyya gave birth to me; only a marriage like the marriage of Islam gave birth to me." This is also strange, reported by al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAsākir, then he attributed it from the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayra, but its chain is weak. And Allah knows best. Muḥammad ibn Saʿd said: Muḥammad ibn ʿUmar informed us, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muslim narrated to me from his uncle al-Zuhrī from ʿUrwa from ʿĀʾisha, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "I was born from marriage, not from fornication." Then Ibn ʿAsākir reported from the ḥadīth of Abū ʿĀṣim from Shabīb from ʿIkrima from Ibn ʿAbbās regarding His statement: "And your movement among those who prostrate" ²⁰: He said: From prophet to prophet until I was brought out as a prophet. And it was narrated from ʿAṭāʾ.

Muhammad ibn Sa'd said: Hisham ibn Muhammad al-Kalbi informed us from his father, who said: I wrote down five hundred mothers for the Prophet (peace be upon him), and I did not find among them any fornication ²¹ or anything of the matter of the Jahiliyyah ²². It is established in Sahih al-Bukhari from the hadith of 'Amr ibn Abi 'Amr from Sa'id al-Maqburi from Abu Hurayra, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "I was sent from the best generations of the children of Adam, generation after generation, until I was sent from the generation in which I was." In Sahih Muslim from the hadith of al-Awza'i from Shaddad Abu 'Ammar from Wathila ibn al-Asqa', that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah chose Isma'il from the children of Ibrahim, and chose the Banu Kinana from the children of Isma'il, and chose Quraysh from the Banu Kinana, and chose the Banu Hashim from Quraysh, and chose me from the Banu Hashim." Imam Ahmad said: Abu Nu'aym narrated to us from Sufyan from Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad from 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Nawfal from al-Muttalib ibn Abi Wada'a, who said: Al-'Abbas said: It reached him (peace be upon him) some of what the people were saying. He said: "So he ascended the pulpit and said: 'Who am I?' They said: 'You are the Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'I am Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib. Indeed, Allah created creation and placed me in the best of His creation, and made them into two groups and placed me in the best group, and created the tribes and placed me in the best tribe, and made them into houses and placed me in the best of their houses. So I am the best of you in house and the best of you in person.'" ²³ May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him always and forever until the Day of Judgment. Ya'qub ibn Sufyan said: 'Ubaydullah ibn Musa narrated to us from Isma'il ibn Abi Khalid from Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad from 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Nawfal from al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, who said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, indeed Quraysh, when they meet each other, they meet with cheerfulness, but when they meet us, they meet us with faces we do not recognize. So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) became very angry at that, then said: "By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, faith does not enter a man's heart until he loves you for the sake of Allah and His Messenger." I said: O Messenger of Allah, indeed Quraysh sat and discussed their lineages, and they made your example like that of a palm tree in a barren land ²⁴. So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Indeed, on the day Allah created creation, He placed me in the best of them. Then when He divided them into tribes, He placed me in the best of them as a tribe. Then when He made houses, He placed me in the best of their houses. So I am the best of them in person and the best of them in house." Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shayba narrated it from Ibn Fudayl from Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad from 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith from Rabi'a ibn al-Harith, who said: It reached the Prophet (peace be upon him)... and he mentioned something similar to what preceded, and he did not mention al-'Abbas. Ya'qub ibn Sufyan said: Yahya ibn 'Abd al-Hamid narrated to me, Qays ibn 'Abdullah narrated to me from al-A'mash from 'Ulayla ibn Rib'i from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah divided creation into two divisions and placed me in the best of them. That is His saying: 'And the companions of the right' and 'the companions of the left' ²⁵. So I am among the companions of the right, and I am the best of the companions of the right. Then He made the two divisions into three thirds and placed me in the best of them as a third. That is His saying: 'And the companions of the right' and 'the foremost in the race' ²⁶. So I am among the foremost, and I am the best of the foremost. Then He made the three into tribes and placed me in the best of them as a tribe. That is His saying: 'And We made you into peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you' ²⁷. And I am the most righteous of the children of Adam and the most noble of them in the sight of Allah, and I do not boast. Then He made the tribes into houses and placed me in the best of them as a house. That is His saying: 'Allah only desires to remove impurity from you, O people of the house, and to purify you with a thorough purification' ²⁸. So I and my household are purified from sins." This hadith contains strangeness and oddity. Al-Hakim and al-Bayhaqi narrated from the hadith of Muhammad ibn Dhakwan, the maternal uncle of the children of Hammad ibn Zayd, from 'Amr ibn Dinar from Ibn 'Umar, who said: We were sitting at the courtyard of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when a woman passed by him. Some of the people said: This is the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Abu Sufyan said: The example of Muhammad among the Banu Hashim is like that of a sweet basil in the midst of filth. The woman went and informed the Prophet (peace be upon him). So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came, anger visible on his face. He said: "What is the matter with statements that reach me from some people? Indeed, Allah created the seven heavens and chose the highest of them and settled therein whomever He willed of His creation. Then He created creation and chose from creation the children of Adam, and chose from the children of Adam the Arabs, and chose from the Arabs Mudar, and chose from Mudar Quraysh, and chose from Quraysh the Banu Hashim, and chose me from the Banu Hashim. So I am the best of the best. Whoever loves the Arabs, it is because of his love for me that he loves them, and whoever hates the Arabs, it is because of his hatred for me that he hates them." This is also a strange hadith. It is established in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "I am the master of the children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection, and I do not boast." Al-Hakim and al-Bayhaqi also narrated from the hadith of Musa ibn 'Ubayda: 'Amr ibn 'Abdullah ibn Nawfal narrated to us from al-Zuhri from Abu Usama or Abu Salama from 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Jibril said to me: 'I turned over the earth from its east to its west and did not find a man more excellent than Muhammad, and I turned over the earth from its east to its west and did not find a paternal lineage more excellent than the Banu Hashim.'" Al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi said: These hadiths, even if among their narrators there are those who are not relied upon, some of them strengthen others, and the meaning of all of them goes back to the hadith of Wathila ibn al-Asqa'. And Allah knows best. I say: In this meaning, Abu Talib says, praising the Prophet (peace be upon him): When Quraysh gather one day for boasting, * 'Abd Manaf is their secret and their core. If the nobles of 'Abd Manaf are examined, * In Hashim are their nobles and their ancient. And if they boast one day, then Muhammad * is the chosen one from their secret and their noble. Quraish, both their worthless and their worthy, conspired * against us, but they did not succeed, and their minds were confused. And we have always not tolerated injustice, * when they turn away their cheeks, we straighten them. And we protect its sanctuary every day of battle, * and we strike those who seek to approach its borders. Through us the withered branch revived, and indeed * in our sides its roots become moist and grow. Abu al-Sakan Zakariyya ibn Yahya al-Ta'i said in the part attributed to him, which is well-known: 'Umar ibn Abi Zahr ibn Husayn narrated to me from his grandfather Humayd ibn Munhib, who said: My grandfather Khuraym ibn Aws said: I emigrated to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and arrived when he was returning from Tabuk. I accepted Islam, and I heard al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib say: O Messenger of Allah, I wish to praise you. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Say, may Allah not cause your mouth to be empty."

So he began to say: "Before her ²⁹ you were good in the shadows ³⁰ and in * a repository ³¹ when the leaves were being sewn ³². Then you descended to the lands, not a human * nor a clot ³³ nor an embryo ³⁴. Rather, a drop ³⁵ riding the ark when * the flood bridled the vulture ³⁶ and his people. You were transferred from loin ³⁷ to womb * whenever a world passed, a layer appeared. Until your overseeing house ³⁸ encompassed from * Khindif ³⁹ a high place beneath which are the stars ⁴⁰. And when you were born, the earth shone * and the horizon was illuminated by your light. So we, in that radiance and the * light, traverse the paths of guidance." And this poem has been narrated from Hassan ibn Thabit. Al-Hafiz Abu al-Qasim ibn 'Asakir narrated through the chain of Abu al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hadid: Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr informed us, 'Abd al-Salam ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Qurashi informed us, Abu Husayn Muhammad ibn Isma'il ibn Muhammad al-Tamimi narrated to us, Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Zahid al-Khurasani narrated to us. Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ibn Sinan narrated to us, Sallam ibn Sulayman Abu al-'Abbas al-Makfuf al-Mada'ini narrated to us, Warqa' ibn 'Umar narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from 'Ata' and Mujahid, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: I asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: "May my father and mother be your ransom, where were you when Adam was in Paradise?" He smiled until his molars ⁴¹ appeared, then said: "I was in his loins, and I was carried on the ark in the loins of my father Noah, and I was cast into the loins of my father Abraham. My parents never met in fornication. Allah continued to transfer me from noble loins to pure wombs, pure and refined ⁴², never did two branches diverge but I was in the best of them. Allah took my covenant for prophethood and my pledge for Islam, and spread my mention in the Torah and the Gospel, and every prophet clarified my description. The earth shines with my light and the clouds with my face. He taught me His book and increased me [in honor] in His heaven, and derived for me a name from His names: the Possessor of the Throne is Mahmud ⁴³, and I am Muhammad and Ahmad. He promised to grant me the Basin ⁴⁴ and the Abundance ⁴⁵, and to make me the first intercessor and the first whose intercession is accepted. Then He brought me out from the best generation of my community, and they are the praisers ⁴⁶, commanding good and forbidding evil." Ibn 'Abbas said: So Hassan ibn Thabit said about the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "Before her you were good in the shadows and in * a repository on the day when leaves were sewn. Then you inhabited the lands, not a human * nor a drop nor a clot. Pure, you rode the ark when * the flood bridled the vulture and his people. You were transferred from loin to womb * whenever a layer passed, a layer appeared." The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "May Allah have mercy on Hassan." 'Ali ibn Abi Talib said: "Paradise is obligatory for Hassan, by the Lord of the Ka'ba." Then al-Hafiz ibn 'Asakir said: "This hadith is very strange." I say: Rather, it is very rejected. The preserved version is that these verses are from al-'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him. Then he cited them from the hadith of Abu al-Sakan Zakariyya ibn Yahya al-Ta'i as previously mentioned. I say: Some people claim they are from al-'Abbas ibn Mirdas al-Sulami. Allah knows best. Note: Al-Qadi 'Iyad said in his book al-Shifa': "As for Ahmad, which came in the scriptures and the prophets gave glad tidings of, Allah in His wisdom prevented anyone else from being named by it or called by it before him, so that no confusion or doubt would enter the heart of the weak. Likewise, Muhammad [also] was not named by anyone among the Arabs or others, until shortly before his existence and birth, when it became known that a prophet would be sent named Muhammad. So a few people among the Arabs named their sons that, hoping that one of them would be him—and Allah knows best where He places His message. They are: Muhammad ibn Uhayha ibn al-Julah al-Awsi, Muhammad ibn Maslama ⁴⁷ al-Ansari, Muhammad ibn Bara' al-Bakri ⁴⁸, Muhammad ibn Sufyan ibn Mujashi', Muhammad ibn Humran al-Ju'fi, and Muhammad ibn Khuzai' al-Sulami—no seventh. It is said that the first to be named Muhammad was Muhammad ibn Sufyan (ibn Mujashi') ⁴⁹, and Yemen says: Rather, Muhammad ibn al-Yahmad from al-Azd. Then Allah protected everyone who was named by it from claiming prophethood or having anyone claim it for him, or from any cause appearing that would make anyone doubt his matter, until the two characteristics were verified for him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he was not contested in them." ⁵⁰ This is his wording.

1. اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ : Qur'an 6:124: 'Allah knows best where to place His message.'
2. الماحي : Al-Mahi: The eradicator, meaning the one through whom Allah erases unbelief.
3. العاقب : Al-'Aqib: The successor, meaning the last prophet after whom there is no other prophet.
4. الحاشر : Al-Hashir: The gatherer, meaning the one at whose feet people will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection.
5. المقفى : Al-Muqaffa: The one who comes after, meaning the last of the prophets.
6. الفاتح : Al-Fatih: The opener, meaning the one through whom Allah opens (conquests or intercession).
7. أميا : Ummi: Unlettered, meaning he did not read or write, as mentioned in Qur'an 7:157.
8. ابن هشام : Ibn Hisham: Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham, a renowned early biographer of the Prophet (d. 218 AH/833 CE).
9. Quṣayy : Quṣayy ibn Kilāb, the ancestor of the Quraysh tribe, known for gathering the tribe and taking control of Mecca from Khuzāʿa.
10. rifāda : A pre-Islamic office of providing food to pilgrims during the Hajj.
11. siqāya : The office of providing water to pilgrims during the Hajj.
12. sidāna : The office of guardianship of the Kaaba, including its keys and maintenance.
13. ḥijāba : The office of guarding the Kaaba and controlling access to it.
14. liwāʾ : The standard or banner of the tribe, symbolizing leadership in war.
15. Dār al-Nadwa : The assembly house in Mecca where Quraysh leaders held council and made decisions.
16. Qur'an 42:23 : The verse refers to the Prophet's request for affection towards his relatives.
17. Ibn Jarīr : Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, a renowned historian and exegete.
18. Qur'an 9:128 : The verse emphasizes the Prophet's closeness to the believers.
19. mursal : A type of ḥadīth where the Companion is omitted from the chain of transmission.
20. Qur'an 26:219 : The verse refers to the Prophet's movements during prayer.
21. sifāḥ : Fornication or illicit sexual relations, specifically referring to pre-Islamic practices of marriage without proper contract or lineage.
22. Jāhiliyyah : The period of ignorance before Islam, characterized by polytheism and moral corruption.
23. ṣalawāt Allāh wa-salāmuhu : Blessings and peace of Allah, a formula of respect and invocation for the Prophet Muhammad.
24. kabwah : Barren or hard ground, implying a place of low value or infertility.
25. Aṣḥāb al-Yamīn wa Aṣḥāb al-Shimāl : Companions of the right and companions of the left, referring to the blessed and the damned in the Quran (Quran 56:27-56).
26. al-Sābiqūn al-Sābiqūn : The foremost in the race, referring to the elite believers mentioned in Quran 56:10.
27. Quran 49:13 : Verse emphasizing that nobility is based on righteousness, not lineage.
28. Āyat al-Taṭhīr : The verse of purification (Quran 33:33), often interpreted as referring to the Prophet's household (Ahl al-Bayt).
29. qablaha : Before her: refers to the creation of Eve or the beginning of creation; interpretation varies.
30. zilāl : Shadows: refers to the pre-existence of souls in the realm of shadows (ʿālam al-arwāḥ).
31. mustawdaʿ : Repository: a place of deposit, here referring to the loins of Adam.
32. yukhsaf al-waraq : When the leaves were sewn: allusion to the sewing of leaves for clothing after the Fall.
33. ʿalaq : Clot: a stage of embryonic development (Qur'an 96:2).
34. muḍgha : Embryo: a chewed-like lump, a stage after clot (Qur'an 23:14).
35. nuṭfa : Drop: sperm or zygote, earliest stage (Qur'an 76:2).
36. nasr : Vulture: possibly a symbol of the ark or a reference to a specific figure; interpretation unclear.
37. ṣulb : Loin: the back or loins, referring to the male reproductive lineage.
38. baytuka al-muhaymin : Your overseeing house: the Prophet's lineage or family, protected by Allah.
39. Khindif : Khindif: an ancestor of the Prophet, from the tribe of Quraysh.
40. nuṭuq : Stars: literally 'the stars', but here meaning the celestial bodies or high status.
41. nawājidh : Molars: the back teeth, smiling broadly so they show.
42. ṣafiyyan muhadhdhaban : Pure and refined: chosen and purified.
43. Maḥmūd : Mahmud: 'Praised', one of Allah's names; the Prophet is Muhammad and Ahmad, derived from the same root.
44. al-ḥawḍ : The Basin: the Prophet's reservoir (Kawthar) in Paradise.
45. al-kawthar : The Abundance: a river in Paradise, also a sura of the Qur'an.
46. al-ḥammādūn : The praisers: those who praise Allah abundantly, a description of the Prophet's community.
47. Muḥammad ibn Maslama : Muhammad ibn Maslama: a Companion of the Prophet, not to be confused with the pre-Islamic namesake.
48. Muḥammad ibn Barā' al-Bakrī : Muhammad ibn Bara' al-Bakri: a pre-Islamic figure named Muhammad.
49. Muḥammad ibn Sufyān ibn Mujāshiʿ : Muhammad ibn Sufyan ibn Mujashi': one of the first named Muhammad.
50. al-shīmatān : The two characteristics: prophethood and the name Muhammad, unique to the Prophet.

Chapter on the Birth of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace [1]

Chapter on the Birth of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, was born on Monday. According to what Muslim narrated in his Sahih from the hadith of Ghaylan ibn Jarir from ¹ 'Abdullah ibn Ma'bad al-Zimmani ², from Abu Qatada that a Bedouin said: "O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about fasting on Monday?" He said: "That is the day on which I was born and on which revelation was sent down to me." Imam Ahmad said: Musa ibn Dawud narrated to us, Ibn Lahi'a narrated to us, from Khalid ibn Abi 'Imran, from Hanash al-San'ani, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born on Monday, was sent as a prophet on Monday, left Mecca migrating to Medina on Monday, arrived in Medina on Monday, passed away on Monday, and the Black Stone was raised on Monday. Ahmad alone narrated this, and 'Amr ibn Bukayr narrated it from Ibn Lahi'a, adding: "Surat al-Ma'ida was revealed on Monday: 'This day I have perfected for you your religion.'" Similarly, some narrated it from Musa ibn Dawud with the same chain, adding also: "The Battle of Badr took place on Monday." Among those who said this is Yazid ibn Habib. This is extremely objectionable. Ibn 'Asakir said: "What is preserved is that Badr and the revelation of 'This day I have perfected for you your religion' occurred on Friday." Ibn 'Asakir spoke the truth. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar narrated from Kurayb, from Ibn 'Abbas: "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born on Monday and passed away on Monday." Similarly, it is narrated from other chains from Ibn 'Abbas that he was born on Monday. There is no disagreement that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born on Monday. Far off, rather mistaken, is the one who said: "He was born on Friday, the seventeenth of Rabi' al-Awwal." This was reported by al-Hafiz Ibn Dihya from what he read in the book "I'lam al-Ruwa bi A'lam al-Huda" by some Shi'a. Then Ibn Dihya began to weaken it, and it deserves to be weakened, as it contradicts the text. Then the majority hold that this was in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal. It is said: on the second night of the month. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr said this in al-Isti'ab, and al-Waqidi narrated it from Abu Ma'shar Najih ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Madani. It is also said: on the eighth of the month. Al-Humaydi reported this from Ibn Hazm. Malik, 'Uqayl, Yunus ibn Yazid, and others narrated it from al-Zuhri, from Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr reported from the historians that they authenticated it, and the great hafiz Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi affirmed it. Al-Hafiz Abu al-Khattab ibn Dihya preferred it in his book "al-Tanwir fi Mawlid al-Bashir al-Nadhir." It is also said: on the tenth of the month, as reported by Ibn Dihya in his book. Ibn 'Asakir narrated it from Abu Ja'far al-Baqir, and Mujalid narrated it from al-Sha'bi as mentioned. It is also said: on the twelfth of the month. Ibn Ishaq stated this. Ibn Abi Shayba narrated in his Musannaf from 'Affan, from Sa'id ibn Min', from Jabir and Ibn 'Abbas that they said: "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born in the Year of the Elephant on Monday, the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal. On it he was sent as a prophet, on it he was taken on the Night Journey to heaven, on it he migrated, and on it he died." This is the well-known view among the majority, and Allah knows best. It is also said: on the seventeenth of the month, as reported by Ibn Dihya from some Shi'a. It is also said: on the eighth remaining of the month, reported by Ibn Dihya from the handwriting of the vizier Abu Rafi' ibn al-Hafiz Abu Muhammad ibn Hazm from his father. The correct view from Ibn Hazm is the first, that it was on the eighth of the month, as al-Humaydi reported from him, and he is more reliable. The second opinion: that he was born in Ramadan. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr reported this from al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar, and it is a very strange opinion. Its basis is that he, peace and blessings be upon him, received revelation in Ramadan without disagreement, and that was at the age of forty, so his birth would be in Ramadan. But this is questionable, and Allah knows best. Khaythama ibn Sulayman al-Hafiz narrated from Khalaf ibn Muhammad Kurdus al-Wasiti, from al-Mu'alla ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, from 'Abd al-Hamid ibn Ja'far, from al-Zuhri, from 'Ubayd Allah ibn 'Abd Allah, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born on Monday in Rabi' al-Awwal, prophethood was sent down to him on Monday at the beginning of Rabi' al-Awwal, and Surat al-Baqara was revealed to him on Monday in Rabi' al-Awwal." This is very strange. Ibn 'Asakir narrated it. Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said: "His mother conceived him during the days of Tashriq in the valley of Abu Talib near the middle Jamra. He was born in Mecca in the house known as the house of Muhammad ibn Yusuf, brother of al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, on the night of the twelfth of Ramadan." Al-Hafiz Ibn 'Asakir narrated via Muhammad ibn 'Uthman ibn 'Uqba ibn Mukram, from al-Musayyab ibn Sharik, from Shu'ayb ibn Shu'ayb, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was conceived on the day of 'Ashura' in Muharram, and was born on Monday, the twelfth night of Ramadan, in the year twenty-three of the expedition of the Companions of the Elephant." Others mentioned that al-Khayzuran, the mother of Harun al-Rashid, when she performed the Hajj, ordered that this house be built as a mosque. It is known by her today. Al-Suhayli mentioned that his birth, peace and blessings be upon him, was on the twentieth of Nisan. This is the most balanced time and season, and that was in the year 882 of Dhu al-Qarnayn according to what the astronomers mentioned. They claimed that the ascendant was at twenty degrees of Capricorn, and Jupiter and Saturn were conjunct in three degrees of Scorpio, which is the midheaven. It coincided with the sign of Aries, and that was at moonrise at the beginning of the night. Ibn Dihya reported all of this, and Allah knows best. Ibn Ishaq said: "His birth, peace and blessings be upon him, was in the Year of the Elephant." This is the well-known view of the majority. Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir al-Hizami ³ said: "None of our scholars doubt that he, peace and blessings be upon him, was born in the Year of the Elephant, and was sent as a prophet at the age of forty years after the Elephant." Al-Bayhaqi narrated it from the hadith of Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born in the Year of the Elephant." Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Al-Muttalib ibn 'Abd Allah 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; we were contemporaries ⁴." He said: "'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, asked Qubath ibn Ashyam, the brother of Banu Ya'mur ibn Layth: 'Are you older or the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?' He replied: 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is older than me, but I am older in birth. I saw the droppings of the Elephant ⁵ green and decaying.'" Al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim narrated it from the hadith of Muhammad ibn Ishaq with the same chain. Ibn Ishaq said: "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was twenty years old in the year of 'Ukaz." Ibn Ishaq said: "The sacrilegious war [Fijar] occurred twenty years after the Elephant, the rebuilding of the Ka'ba fifteen years after the Fijar, and the mission five years after its rebuilding."

Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mut‘im said: ‘Ukaz ⁶ took place fifteen years after the Year of the Elephant ⁷, the building of the Ka‘ba ten years after ‘Ukaz, and the beginning of the Prophet’s mission twenty-five years after its building. Al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi narrated from the hadith of ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Abi Thabit al-Madani: al-Zubayr ibn Musa narrated to us from Abu al-Huwayrith who said: I heard ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan say to Qubath ibn Ashyam al-Kinani then al-Laythi: O Qubath, are you older than the mother of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace? He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is older than me, but I am more advanced in age. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born in the Year of the Elephant, and my mother took me to the dung of the elephant when I was a boy who could understand, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, received prophethood at the age of forty. Ya‘qub ibn Sufyan said: Yahya ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Bukayr narrated to us, Nu‘aym ibn Maysara narrated to us from some of them, from Suwayd ibn Ghafala that he said: I am younger than the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, by two years. Al-Bayhaqi said: It has been narrated from Suwayd ibn Ghafala that he said: I am younger than the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, by two years. Ya‘qub said: Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir narrated to us, ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Abi Thabit narrated to us, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Uthman ibn Abi Sulayman al-Nawfali narrated to me from his father, from Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mut‘im. He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born in the Year of the Elephant, and after it ‘Ukaz took place fifteen years later, and the House ⁸ was built twenty-five years after the Elephant, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, received prophethood forty years after the Elephant. The intended meaning is that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born in the Year of the Elephant according to the majority opinion. Some say one month after it, some say forty days, some say fifty days, which is the most well-known. From Abu Ja‘far al-Baqir: The arrival of the Elephant was in the middle of Muharram, and the birth of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was fifty-five nights after it. Others said: Rather, the Year of the Elephant was ten years before the birth of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This was said by Ibn Abza. Some said twenty-three years, narrated by Shu‘ayb ibn Shu‘ayb from his father from his grandfather as previously mentioned. Some said: thirty years after the Elephant. This was said by Musa ibn ‘Uqba from al-Zuhri, may Allah have mercy on him, and Musa ibn ‘Uqba also chose it, may Allah have mercy on him. Abu Zakariyya al-‘Ajlani said: forty years after the Elephant, narrated by Ibn ‘Asakir, and this is very strange. Even stranger is what Khalifa ibn Khayyat said: Shu‘ayb ibn Hibban narrated to me from ‘Abd al-Wahid ibn Abi ‘Amr from al-Kalbi from Abu Salih from Ibn ‘Abbas who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born fifteen years before the Elephant. This hadith is strange, rejected, and weak. Khalifa ibn Khayyat said: The consensus is that he, peace be upon him, was born in the Year of the Elephant. Description of his noble birth, peace and blessings be upon him: It has already been mentioned that when ‘Abd al-Muttalib sacrificed those one hundred camels for his son ‘Abdullah, after he had vowed to sacrifice him and Allah Almighty saved him, due to what had been decreed in pre-eternity regarding the appearance of the unlettered Prophet ⁹, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the Seal of the Messengers and the master of the children of Adam from his loins, he went as previously mentioned and married him to the noblest lady in Quraysh, Amina bint Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manaf ibn Zuhra al-Zuhriyya. When he entered upon her and consummated the marriage, she became pregnant with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Umm Qital Ruqayqa bint Nawfal, the sister of Waraqa ibn Nawfal, had perceived the light that was between the eyes of ‘Abdullah before he had intercourse with Amina, and she wished that it would be connected to her because she had heard from her brother the glad tidings of the coming of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and that his time had drawn near. So she offered herself to him. Some say: for him to marry her, and this is more apparent. Allah knows best. But he refused her. When that brilliant light passed to Amina through his intercourse with her, it was as if she regretted what she had offered him. So she approached him to repeat her offer, but he said: I have no need of you. And she regretted what she had missed and recited the eloquent and powerful poetry we mentioned earlier. This protection of ‘Abdullah was not for himself but for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for as Allah Almighty said: "Allah knows best where to place His message." The hadith narrated through a good chain has already been mentioned that he, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "I was born from a lawful marriage, not from fornication." The intended meaning is that when his mother became pregnant with him, his father ‘Abdullah died while he was still in his mother’s womb, according to the well-known view. Muhammad ibn Sa‘d said: Muhammad ibn ‘Umar, al-Waqidi, narrated to us, Musa ibn ‘Ubayda al-Yazidi narrated to us, and Sa‘id ibn Abi Zayd narrated to us from Ayyub ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Sa‘sa‘a who said: ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib went to Syria, to Gaza, with a caravan of Quraysh carrying their trade goods. They finished their business, then returned and passed by Medina, and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib was ill at that time. He said: I will stay behind with my maternal uncles, the Banu ‘Adi ibn al-Najjar. He stayed with them ill for a month, and his companions left and arrived in Mecca. ‘Abd al-Muttalib asked them about his son ‘Abdullah, and they said: We left him with his maternal uncles, the Banu ‘Adi ibn al-Najjar, and he is ill. So ‘Abd al-Muttalib sent his eldest son al-Harith to him, and he found that he had died and was buried in the house of al-Nabigha. He returned to his father and informed him. ‘Abd al-Muttalib and his brothers and sisters grieved deeply. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was at that time a fetus. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib was twenty-five years old when he died. Al-Waqidi said: This is the most established of the statements regarding the death of ‘Abdullah and his age according to us. Al-Waqidi said: Ma‘mar narrated to me from al-Zuhri that ‘Abd al-Muttalib sent ‘Abdullah to Medina to get dates for them, and he died. Muhammad ibn Sa‘d said: Hisham ibn Muhammad ibn al-Sa’ib al-Kalbi informed us from his father and from ‘Awana ibn al-Hakam. They said: ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib died after twenty-eight months had passed over the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and some say seven months. Muhammad ibn Sa‘d said: The first is more established, that he died while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was a fetus. Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said: Muhammad ibn Hasan narrated to me from ‘Abd al-Salam from Ibn Kharrubudh who said: ‘Abdullah died in Medina when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was two months old, and his mother died when he was four years old, and his grandfather died when he was eight years old, and he entrusted him to his uncle Abu Talib. What al-Waqidi and his scribe, the hafiz Muhammad ibn Sa‘d, preferred is that his father, peace be upon him, died while he was a fetus in his mother’s womb. This is the utmost degree of orphanhood and its highest rank. It has already been mentioned in the hadith: "And the dream of my mother that she saw when she became pregnant with me: as if a light came out of her by which the palaces of Syria were illuminated."

Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Amina bint Wahb, the mother of the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), used to relate that when she became pregnant with the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), she was visited and told: 'You have conceived the master of this community. When he falls to the ground, say: I seek protection for him by the One, from the evil of every envier, from every pious one who made a covenant ¹⁰, and every servant who roams, a protector repelling from me, for he is with the Praiseworthy, the Glorious, until I see him come to the witnessing places ¹¹. And the sign of that is that a light will come out with him filling the palaces of Busra ¹² in the land of Syria. When he falls, name him Muhammad, for his name in the Torah is Ahmad ¹³, praised by the inhabitants of heaven and earth, and his name in the Gospel is Ahmad, praised by the inhabitants of heaven and earth, and his name in the Quran is Muhammad.' This implies that when she became pregnant with him (peace be upon him), she saw as if a light came out of her illuminating the palaces of Syria. Then when she gave birth to him, she saw the interpretation of that with her own eyes, as she had seen it before. And God knows best. Muhammad ibn Sa'd said: Muhammad ibn 'Umar, al-Waqidi, informed us, saying: Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn Muslim narrated to us from al-Zuhri. Al-Waqidi said: Musa ibn 'Abada narrated to us from his brother, and Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi, and 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far al-Zuhri narrated to me from his paternal aunt Umm Bakr bint al-Miswar from her father. And 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ibrahim al-Muzani and Ziyad ibn Hushraj narrated to us from Abu Wajza. And Ma'mar narrated to us from Abu Najih from Mujahid. And Talha ibn 'Amr narrated to us from 'Ata' from Ibn 'Abbas. Their reports are interwoven: that Amina bint Wahb said: 'I conceived him—meaning the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace)—and I felt no hardship until I gave birth to him. When he emerged from me, a light came out with him illuminating what is between the east and the west. Then he fell to the ground leaning on his hands, then took a handful of dust, grasped it, and raised his head to the sky.' Some of them said: 'He fell kneeling on his knees, and a light came out with him illuminating the palaces of Syria and its markets, until the necks of camels in Busra were seen, raising his head to the sky.' Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi said: Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah al-Hafiz informed us, and Muhammad ibn Isma'il informed us, saying: Muhammad ibn Ishaq narrated to us, saying: Yunus ibn Mubashshir ibn al-Hasan narrated to us, saying: Ya'qub ibn Muhammad al-Zuhri narrated to us, saying: 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Imran narrated to us, saying: 'Abdullah ibn 'Uthman ibn Abi Sulayman ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im narrated to us from his father from Ibn Abi Suwayd al-Thaqafi from 'Uthman ibn Abi al-'As, who said: My mother narrated to me that she witnessed the birth of Amina bint Wahb of the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) on the night she gave birth to him. She said: 'There was nothing in the house that I looked at except light, and I saw the stars so close that I thought they would fall on me.' Al-Qadi 'Iyad mentioned from al-Shifa' ¹⁴, the mother of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, that she was his midwife, and that she reported about him when he fell on her hands and cried out, she heard a speaker saying: 'May God have mercy on you.' And a light shone from him by which the palaces of Byzantium were seen. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: When she gave birth to him, she sent her maidservant to 'Abd al-Muttalib—his father had died while she was pregnant, and it is said that 'Abdullah died when the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) was twenty-eight months old, but God knows which was the case—saying: 'A boy has been born to you, so come and see him.' When he came to her, she informed him and 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. So 'Abd al-Muttalib took him and brought him to Hubal ¹⁵ inside the Ka'ba. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib stood supplicating and thanking God Almighty, saying: 'Praise be to God who gave me this pure-natured boy; he has excelled in the cradle over other boys. I seek protection for him by the House of the pillars until he becomes fluent among youths, until I see him reaching full stature. I seek protection for him from every enemy, from an envier with a restless rein, of determination but without eyes, until I see him raising his tongue. You are the one named in the Quran, in the established books of the Mathani ¹⁶; Ahmad is written on the tongue.' Al-Bayhaqi said: Abu 'Abdullah al-Hafiz informed us, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Hatim al-Darabardi ¹⁷ informed us in Marw, Abu 'Abdullah al-Bushanji narrated to us, Abu Ayyub Sulayman ibn Salama al-Khaba'iri narrated to us, Yunus ibn 'Ata' ibn 'Uthman ibn Rabi'a ibn Ziyad ibn al-Harith al-Suda'i narrated to us in Egypt, al-Hakam ibn Aban narrated to us from 'Ikrima from Ibn 'Abbas from his father al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib (may God be pleased with him). He said: 'The Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) was born circumcised ¹⁸ and with his umbilical cord cut ¹⁹.' He said: 'This pleased his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, and he was favored by him, and he said: 'This son of mine will surely have a great matter.' And he did have a great matter.' This hadith is questionable in its authenticity. Al-Hafiz Ibn 'Asakir narrated it from the hadith of Sufyan ibn Muhammad al-Missisi from Hushaym from Yunus ibn 'Ubayd from al-Hasan from Anas, who said: The Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) said: 'Among the honors God has bestowed upon me is that I was born circumcised, and no one ever saw my private parts.' Then he cited it via al-Hasan ibn 'Arafa from Hushaym. Then he cited it via Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Sulayman (al-Baghandi) from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ayyub al-Himsi from Musa ibn Abi Musa al-Maqdisi from Khalid ibn Salama from Nafi' from Ibn 'Umar, who said: 'The Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) was born with his umbilical cord cut and circumcised.' Abu Nu'aym said: Abu Ahmad Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Ghitrifi narrated to us, al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn 'Abdullah al-Maliki narrated to us, Sulayman ibn Salama al-Khaba'iri narrated to us, Yunus ibn 'Ata' narrated to us, al-Hakam ibn Aban narrated to us, 'Ikrima narrated to us from Ibn 'Abbas from his father al-'Abbas, who said: 'The Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace) was born circumcised and with his umbilical cord cut. This pleased his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, and he was favored by him, and he said: 'This son of mine will surely have a great matter.' And he did have a great matter.' Some have claimed its authenticity due to the multiple chains, and some even claimed it is mutawatir ²⁰. But all of this is questionable. The meaning of 'circumcised' is that the foreskin was cut, and 'with his umbilical cord cut' means the navel string was cut from his mother's belly. Al-Hafiz Ibn 'Asakir narrated via 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Uyayna al-Basri from 'Ali ibn Muhammad al-Mada'ini al-Sulami from Salama ibn Muharib ibn Muslim ibn Ziyad from his father from Abu Bakra that Gabriel circumcised the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) when he purified his heart. This is very strange. It has also been narrated that his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib circumcised him and held a feast for Quraysh on that occasion. And God knows best. Al-Bayhaqi said: Abu 'Abdullah al-Hafiz informed us, Muhammad ibn Kamil al-Qadi informed me orally that Muhammad ibn Isma'il (al-Sulami) narrated to him, Abu Salih 'Abdullah ibn Salih narrated to us, Mu'awiya ibn Salih narrated to me from Abu al-Hakam al-Tanukhi.

He said: When a child was born among Quraysh, they would entrust him to women of Quraysh until morning, covering him with a cooking pot ²¹. When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was born, 'Abd al-Muttalib entrusted him to women, and they covered him with a cooking pot. When morning came, they found the pot had split open into two halves, and they found him with his eyes open, gazing toward the sky. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib came to them, and they said to him: "We have never seen a child like him. We found the pot split open over him, and we found him with his eyes open, gazing toward the sky." He said: "Guard him, for I hope he will have great importance, or that he will attain goodness." On the seventh day, he sacrificed an animal for him and invited Quraysh to a feast for him. When they had eaten, they said: "O 'Abd al-Muttalib, what have you named this son of yours, for whose sake you have honored us?" He said: "I have named him Muhammad." They said: "Why did you not choose a name from the names of his family?" He said: "I desired that God in heaven and His creation on earth would praise him." The scholars of language said: Everyone who combines all praiseworthy qualities is called Muhammad, as one of them said: "To you—may I be your ransom—I have driven my she-camel / To the noble, generous, praiseworthy chief ²²." Some scholars said: God, may He be exalted, inspired them to name him Muhammad because of the praiseworthy qualities in him, so that the name and the action would meet, and the name and the named would correspond in form and meaning, as his uncle Abu Talib said—and it is also related from Hassan: "And He derived for him from His name to honor him, / So the Lord of the Throne is Praised ²³, and this is Muhammad." We will mention his names, peace and blessings be upon him, and his characteristics—which are his outward qualities and pure morals—and the proofs of his prophethood and the virtues of his station at the end of the biography, God willing. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi said: Abu 'Abd Allah al-Hafiz informed us, Abu al-'Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya'qub narrated to us, Ahmad ibn Shayban al-Ramli narrated to us, Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Habali narrated to us, al-Haytham ibn Jamil narrated to us, Zuhayr narrated to us, from Muharib ibn Dithar, from 'Amr ibn Yathribi, from al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, who said: I said: "O Messenger of God, what called me to enter your religion was a sign of your prophethood: I saw you in the cradle whispering to the moon and pointing to it with your finger, and wherever you pointed, it moved." He said: "I was speaking to it and it was speaking to me, and it distracted me from crying, and I heard its sound when it prostrated beneath the Throne." Then he said: This is unique to [Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Habali], and he is unknown ²⁴. Section on the signs that occurred on the night of his birth, peace and blessings be upon him. We have already mentioned in the chapter on the calls of the jinn the previous falling of many idols on their faces that night and their falling from their places, and what the Negus, the king of Abyssinia, saw, and the appearance of light with him until the palaces of Syria were illuminated for him when he was born, and his falling prostrate with his head raised to the sky, and the splitting of that cooking pot from his noble face, and the light seen in the house where he was born, and the stars drawing near to them, and other things. Al-Suhayli narrated from the commentary of Baqi ibn Makhlad al-Hafiz that Iblis ²⁵ cried out four cries: when he was cursed, when he was cast down, when the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was born, and when the Opening ²⁶ was revealed. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Hisham ibn 'Urwa used to narrate from his father from 'A'isha, who said: There was a Jew who had settled in Mecca and traded there. On the night the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was born, he said in a gathering of Quraysh: "O people of Quraysh, was a child born among you tonight?" The people said: "By God, we do not know." He said: "God is greatest. Since you missed it, no matter. Look and remember what I say to you: Tonight the prophet of this final community has been born. Between his shoulders there is a mark with tufts of hair like a horse's mane. He will not nurse for two nights, because an 'ifrit ²⁷ from the jinn has put his finger in his mouth and prevented him from nursing." The people dispersed from their gathering, marveling at his words and story. When they reached their homes, each of them informed his family, and they said: "By God, a boy has been born to 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, and they have named him Muhammad." The people met and said: "Have you heard the Jew's story, and has the birth of this boy reached you?" They went until they came to the Jew and told him the news. He said: "Go with me so that I may see him." They went out with him until they brought him to Amina and said: "Bring out your son to us." She brought him out, and they uncovered his back for him. He saw that mark, and the Jew fell down in a faint. When he recovered, they said to him: "What is wrong with you? Woe to you!" He said: "By God, prophethood has left the Children of Israel. Do you rejoice in it, O people of Quraysh? By God, he will strike you with a blow whose news will go out from east to west ²⁸." Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Salih ibn Ibrahim [ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf] narrated to me from Yahya [ibn 'Abd Allah] ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'd ibn Zurara, who said: One whom I trust from the men of my people narrated to me from Hassan ibn Thabit. He said: I was a boy of seven or eight years, understanding what I saw and heard, when a Jew in Yathrib ²⁹ cried out one morning: "O assembly of Jews!" They gathered to him—and I was listening—and said: "Woe to you! What is the matter?" He said: "The star of Ahmad ³⁰ has risen, by which he is born tonight." Al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym narrated in the book "Proofs of Prophethood" from the hadith of Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd Allah al-'Amiri, from Sulayman ibn Suhaym and Dhurayh ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, both from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Sa'id from his father, who said: I heard my father Malik ibn Sinan say: I came to Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal one day to talk among them—and we were at that time in a truce from war—and I heard Yusha' the Jew saying: "The emergence of a prophet called Ahmad, who will come out from the Sanctuary ³¹, is imminent." Khalifa ibn Tha'laba al-Ash-hali said to him, as if mocking him: "What is his description?" He said: "A man neither short nor tall, with redness in his eyes, wearing a cloak and riding a donkey, his sword on his shoulder, and this town is his place of emigration." He said: I returned to my people, Banu Khudra, and I was at that time marveling at what Yusha' was saying. Then I heard a man from us saying: "Does Yusha' say this alone? All the Jews of Yathrib say this." My father Malik ibn Sinan said: I went out until I came to Banu Qurayza and found a gathering. They were discussing the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. Al-Zubayr ibn Bata said: "The red star has risen, which only rises for the emergence or appearance of a prophet. No one remains but Ahmad, and this is his place of emigration." Abu Sa'id said: When the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, arrived, my father told him this story. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "If al-Zubayr had accepted Islam, his relatives among the Jewish leaders would have accepted Islam; they are only his followers."

Abu Nu'aym said: 'Umar ibn Muhammad narrated to us, Ibrahim ibn al-Sindi narrated to us, al-Nadr ibn Salama narrated to us, Isma'il ibn Qays ibn Sulayman ibn Zayd ibn Thabit narrated to us, from Ibrahim ibn Yahya ibn Thabit, who said: I heard Zayd ibn Thabit say: The rabbis ³² of the Jews of Banu Qurayza and al-Nadir used to mention the description of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. When the red star ³³ appeared, they informed that he was a prophet and that there would be no prophet after him, and his name was Ahmad ³⁴ and his place of emigration was Yathrib ³⁵. When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, arrived in Medina, they denied, envied, and disbelieved.' The memorizer ³⁶ Abu Nu'aym has related this story in his book through other chains, and praise be to Allah. Abu Nu'aym and Muhammad ibn Hibban said: Abu Bakr ibn Abi 'Asim narrated to us, Wahb ibn Baqiyya narrated to us, Khalid narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn 'Amr, from Abu Salama and Yahya ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Hatib, from Usama ibn Zayd, who said: Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl said: A rabbi from the rabbis of Syria said to me: 'A prophet has appeared in your land, or he is about to appear; his star has risen. So return, believe in him, and follow him.'

1. عَنْ : From; a chain of transmission in hadith.
2. الزِّمَّانِيِّ : Al-Zimmani: a tribal affiliation to Zimman, a branch of the Banu Tamim.
3. الْحِزَامِيُّ : Al-Hizami: a nisba referring to Hizam, a place or tribe.
4. لِدَيْنِ : Contemporaries; born in the same year.
5. خزق الْفِيلِ : The droppings of the Elephant; referring to the elephant of Abraha in the Year of the Elephant.
6. ‘Ukaz : A famous annual fair and market in pre-Islamic Arabia, held near Mecca, known for poetry competitions and trade.
7. Year of the Elephant : The year 570 CE, when Abraha al-Ashram attempted to destroy the Ka‘ba with an army including elephants, thwarted by divine intervention. Traditionally considered the birth year of the Prophet Muhammad.
8. the House : The Ka‘ba, the sacred house of worship in Mecca, rebuilt by the Quraysh before the Prophet’s mission.
9. unlettered Prophet : Al-Nabi al-Ummi, referring to the Prophet Muhammad, who was unlettered (could not read or write), as mentioned in the Quran.
10. bar 'ahad : A pious person who has made a covenant with God; possibly referring to a believer who has entered into a pact of obedience.
11. mashahid : Places of witnessing; possibly referring to the places where the Prophet would later bear witness to the truth or where he would be witnessed by people.
12. Busra : A city in southern Syria, known as Busra al-Sham, historically a major trading center.
13. Ahmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'more praiseworthy'; it is mentioned in the Quran (61:6) as a name by which Jesus foretold his coming.
14. al-Shifa' : A female companion of the Prophet, known as al-Shifa' bint 'Abdullah, who was a midwife and a literate woman.
15. Hubal : An idol worshipped by the pre-Islamic Arabs, placed inside the Ka'ba.
16. al-Mathani : A term referring to the Quran or its repeated verses; literally 'the oft-repeated' (Quran 39:23).
17. al-Darabardi : A nisba indicating a person from Darabard, a place in Persia.
18. makh tunan : Circumcised; born without a foreskin.
19. masruran : With the umbilical cord cut; born with the navel string already severed.
20. mutawatir : A hadith transmitted by so many chains that it is considered incontrovertible and must be accepted as true.
21. burma : A cooking pot or earthenware vessel.
22. al-muhammad : The one who is praised; a superlative form of Muhammad.
23. Mahmud : Praised; one of the names of God.
24. majhul : Unknown; a term in hadith criticism indicating a narrator whose identity or reliability is not established.
25. Iblis : The name of Satan in Islam.
26. al-Fatiha : The Opening; the first chapter of the Quran.
27. 'ifrit : A powerful and cunning demon or jinn.
28. satwa : A violent assault or overwhelming power.
29. Yathrib : The pre-Islamic name of Medina.
30. Ahmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'more praiseworthy'.
31. al-Haram : The Sacred Sanctuary in Mecca.
32. aḥbār : Plural of ḥabr, meaning Jewish scholars or rabbis.
33. al-kawkab al-aḥmar : The red star, a celestial sign believed to herald the advent of a prophet.
34. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'most praiseworthy'.
35. Yathrib : The pre-Islamic name of Medina.
36. al-ḥāfiẓ : A title for a hadith scholar who has memorized a vast number of narrations.

He mentioned the shaking of the palace [1], the falling of the balconies, the…

He mentioned the shaking of the palace [1], the falling of the balconies, the extinguishing of the fires, the dream of the Magian priests [2], and other such signs.

He mentioned the shaking of the palace, the falling of the battlements, the extinguishing of the fires, the dream of the Mobedhan ¹, and other such signs. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn Sahl al-Khara'iti said in his book "Hawatif al-Jann": 'Ali ibn Harb narrated to us: Abu Ayyub Ya'la ibn 'Imran, from the family of Jarir ibn 'Abdullah al-Bajali, narrated to us: Makhzum ibn Hani' al-Makhzumi narrated to me, from his father—who had lived one hundred and fifty years—who said: On the night when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was born, the palace of Kisra ² shook, fourteen of its battlements fell, the fire of Persia went out—it had not gone out for a thousand years before that—and the lake of Sawah ³ dried up. The Mobedhan saw in a dream difficult camels leading noble horses that had crossed the Tigris and spread throughout their lands. When morning came, Kisra was terrified by this, but he bore it with feigned courage. Then he thought that he should not conceal this from his marzubans ⁴, so he gathered them, put on his crown, and sat on his throne. Then he sent for them, and when they had assembled before him, he said: "Do you know why I have summoned you?" They said: "No, unless the king informs us." While they were in this state, a letter arrived about the extinguishing of the fires, which added to his grief. Then he told them what he had seen and what had alarmed him. The Mobedhan said: "And I, may Allah preserve the king, also saw a dream this night." Then he related his dream about the camels. He said: "What could this be, O Mobedhan?" He said: "An event that will occur in the region of the Arabs." He was the most knowledgeable among them about their own affairs. So at that, he wrote: "From Kisra, King of Kings, to al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir. To proceed: Send me a man knowledgeable about what I wish to ask him." So he sent to him 'Abd al-Masih ibn 'Amr ibn Hayyan ibn Buqaylah al-Ghassani. When he came to him, he said: "Do you have knowledge of what I wish to ask you?" He said: "Either you inform me, or let the king ask me what he wishes. If I have knowledge of it, I will tell you; otherwise, I will inform you of someone who knows." So he told him what he had sent for him about. He said: "Knowledge of that is with a maternal uncle of mine who lives in the highlands of Syria, called Satih ⁵." He said: "Go to him and ask him about what I asked you, then bring me his interpretation." So 'Abd al-Masih set out until he reached Satih, who was on the verge of death. He greeted him and spoke to him, but Satih did not answer him. So he began to recite: "Is the Ghitrif ⁶ of Yemen deaf or does he hear? / Or has he perished, his race run out? O decider of matters, perplexing to many / The elder of the tribe has come to you, from the family of Sanan, His mother from the family of Dhi'b ibn Hujn / Blue-eyed, sharp-toothed, with a ringing ear, White, with flowing cloak and body / The messenger of the non-Arab ruler travels by night, Carrying me across the land, a swift, sturdy she-camel / That fears neither thunder nor the vicissitudes of time, She lifts me up and down, / Until I came to one bare of the sides of the head and the chest, The dust of dungheaps wraps him in the wind / As if he were shaken from the sides of Thakan." When Satih heard his poetry, he raised his head and said: "'Abd al-Masih, on a swift camel, has come to Satih, who is on the verge of death. The king of the Sassanids sent you because of the shaking of the palace, the extinguishing of the fires, and the dream of the Mobedhan: he saw difficult camels leading noble horses that had crossed the Tigris and spread throughout their lands. O 'Abd al-Masih, when recitations become frequent, the owner of the staff appears, the valley of Samawah overflows, the lake of Sawah dries up, and the fire of Persia goes out, then Syria is no longer a home for Satih. Kings and queens will rule over them, equal to the number of battlements, and everything that is coming is near." Then Satih died on the spot. So 'Abd al-Masih set out for his mount, saying: "Prepare yourself, for you are resolute and determined / Let not separation and change frighten you. If the kingdom of the Sassanids has passed them by / Then indeed time has varying vicissitudes. Perhaps, perhaps they will be in a position / Where the fierce lions fear their assault. Among them is the lord of the palace, Bahram and his brothers / And Hurmuzan, Sabur, and another Sabur. People are children of different mothers; those who are known / To have little are despised and forsaken. Many a people have companions with ears / Who amuse them with flutes. And they are full brothers; if they see wealth / That is preserved and aided by the unseen. Good and evil are paired together / Good is followed, evil is avoided." When 'Abd al-Masih came to Kisra, he informed him of what Satih had said. Kisra said: "Until fourteen kings rule from among us, there will be events and events!" So ten of them ruled in four years, and the rest ruled until the caliphate of 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him. Al-Bayhaqi narrated it similarly from the hadith of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Idris, from 'Ali ibn Harb al-Mawsili. I say: The last of their kings—from whom the kingdom was taken—was Yazdegerd ibn Shahriyar ibn Abrawiz ibn Hurmuz ibn Anushirwan, and it was during his time that the palace split. His predecessors had ruled for three thousand one hundred and sixty-four years. The first of their kings was Jayumart ⁷ ibn Amim ibn Lawadh ibn Sam ibn Nuh. As for this Satih, al-Hafiz ibn 'Asakir said in his history: He is al-Rabi' ibn Rabi'ah ibn Mas'ud ibn Mazin ibn Dhi'b ibn 'Adi ibn Mazin ibn al-Azd. It is also said: al-Rabi' ibn Mas'ud, and his mother was Rad'a bint Sa'd ibn al-Harith al-Hajuri. Other genealogies are also mentioned. He said: He lived in al-Jabiyah. Then he narrated from Abu Hatim al-Sijistani, who said: I heard the elders among them, including Abu 'Ubaydah and others, say: He was after Luqman ibn 'Ad. He was born at the time of the flood of al-'Arim and lived until the reign of Dhu Nuwas, which is about thirty generations. His residence was in al-Bahrayn. The 'Abd al-Qays claim he is from them, and the Azd claim he is from them. Most traditionists say he is from the Azd, but we do not know which; however, his son is said to be from the Azd. It is narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that he said: There was nothing among the children of Adam that resembled Satih; he was just flesh on a wooden frame, with no bone or sinew except in his head, eyes, and palms. He was folded like a garment from his legs to his neck, and nothing in him moved except his tongue. Others said: When he became angry, he would swell up and sit. Then Ibn 'Abbas mentioned that he came to Mecca, and a group of their leaders, including 'Abd Shams and 'Abd Manaf, sons of Qusayy, met him. They tested him on various matters, and he answered them truthfully. So they asked him about what would happen at the end of time. He said: "Take from me and from Allah's inspiration to me: You, O Arabs, are now in the time of decrepitude; your insights and those of the non-Arabs are equal; you have no knowledge or understanding. But from your offspring will arise people of understanding who will seek various types of knowledge, break the idols, follow the barrier, kill the non-Arabs, and seek spoils." Then he said: "By the Eternal and Everlasting, the One who reaches the appointed term, a guided prophet will surely come forth from this land, guiding to righteousness, rejecting Yaghuth and al-Fanad, disavowing the worship of rivals, worshipping a Lord who is unique. Then Allah will take him in the best of abodes, praised, lost from the earth, and witnessed in heaven. Then his successor will be al-Siddiq ⁸, who, when he judges, is truthful, and in restoring rights is neither rough nor hasty. Then his successor will be al-Hanif ⁹, an experienced, generous man who hosted the guest and perfected the turning." Then he mentioned 'Uthman and his murder, and what would follow of the days of the Umayyads, then the Abbasids, and after that the trials and battles. Ibn 'Asakir narrated it with his chain from Ibn 'Abbas in full.

We have already mentioned his statement to Rabīʿa ibn Naṣr, the king of Yemen, when he informed him of his vision before he told him about it, and then what would occur in the land of Yemen of tribulations and changes of dynasties, until it would return to Sayf ibn Dhī Yazan. He said to him: 'Will that continue from his rule or will it cease?' He said: 'Rather, it will cease.' He said: 'And who will cut it off?' He said: 'A pure prophet ¹⁰, to whom revelation comes from the Most High.' He said: 'And from whom is this prophet?' He said: 'From the descendants of Ghālib ibn Fihr ibn Mālik ibn al-Naḍr. Kingship will remain among his people until the end of time.' He said: 'Does time have an end?' He said: 'Yes, a day on which the first and the last will be gathered, on which the righteous will be happy and the evildoers will be miserable.' He said: 'Is what you tell me true?' He said: 'Yes, by the twilight, the night, and the moon when it becomes full ¹¹, what I have informed you is indeed true.' And Shaqq ¹² agreed with him on that, word for word, with a different expression, as previously mentioned. Among the poetry of Saṭīḥ ¹³ is his saying: 'Upon you is the fear of God in secret and in public, and do not mix the truth of trustworthiness with treachery. Be for the neighbor at your side a fortress and a shield when calamities of time befall him.' This was narrated by al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAsākir, then al-Muʿāfā ibn Zakariyyā al-Jarīrī mentioned it, saying: 'The reports about Saṭīḥ are many, and more than one scholar has collected them. The well-known view is that he was a soothsayer ¹⁴, and he informed about the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, his description, and his mission. It has been narrated to us with an isnād ¹⁵—God knows best—that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was asked about Saṭīḥ and said: 'A prophet whose people neglected him.' I say: This hadith has no basis in any of the well-known books of Islam, and I have not seen it with any chain of transmission at all. A similar report is narrated about Khālid ibn Sinān al-ʿAbsī, but it is also not authentic. The apparent meaning of these expressions indicates good knowledge on the part of Saṭīḥ, and they contain hints of confirmation, but he did not live to see Islam, as al-Jarīrī said. For we have mentioned in this report that he said to his nephew: 'O ʿAbd al-Masīḥ, when recitations become frequent, the owner of the staff appears, the valley of al-Samāwa overflows, the lake of Sāwa dries up, the fire of Persia is extinguished, then Syria is not for Saṭīḥ a Syria. Kings and queens will rule over them, according to the number of the high places, and everything that is coming is near.' Then Saṭīḥ died in his place, and that was one month—or less—after the birth of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. His death occurred at the borders of Syria, near the land of Iraq. God knows best about his affair and his end. Ibn Ṭarrār al-Jarīrī mentioned that he lived seven hundred years. Others said five hundred years, and it was said three hundred years—God knows best. Ibn ʿAsākir narrated that a king asked Saṭīḥ about the lineage of a boy concerning whom there was a dispute, and he informed him clearly in a long, pleasant, eloquent speech. The king said to him: 'O Saṭīḥ, will you not tell me about this knowledge of yours?' He said: 'This knowledge of mine is not from myself, nor by certainty, nor by conjecture, but I took it from a brother of mine who heard the revelation at Mount Sinai.' He said: 'Do you see this jinnī brother of yours, is he with you and never leaves you?' He said: 'He moves when I move, and I do not speak except by what he says.' It was mentioned earlier that he and Shaqq ibn Muṣʿab ibn Yashkur ibn Ruhm ibn Busr ibn ʿUqba, the other soothsayer, were born on the same day. They were taken to the soothsayer Ṭarīfa bint al-Ḥusayn al-Ḥumaydiyya, and she spat into their mouths, so they inherited soothsaying from her, and she died that same day. He was half a human. It is said that Khālid ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Qasrī was from his lineage. Shaqq died a long time before Saṭīḥ. As for ʿAbd al-Masīḥ ibn ʿAmr ibn Qays ibn Ḥayyān ibn Buqayla al-Ghassānī al-Naṣrānī, he was among the long-lived. Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAsākir mentioned him in his history and said: 'He is the one who made peace with Khālid ibn al-Walīd over al-Ḥīra.' He mentioned a long story with him, and that he ate from his hand a poison of an hour but was not harmed, because when he took it he said: 'In the name of God, and by God, Lord of the earth and the sky, with whose name no harm can be done.' Then he ate it, and a faint overcame him, so he struck his chest with his hands, then sweated and recovered—may God be pleased with him. He mentioned to ʿAbd al-Masīḥ poems other than those previously mentioned. Abū Nuʿaym said: Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥasan narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shayba narrated to us, ʿUqba ibn Mukram narrated to us, al-Musayyab ibn Sharīk narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn Sharīk narrated to us, from Shuʿayb ibn Shuʿayb, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: 'There was at Marr al-Ẓahrān a monk among the monks, called ʿAyṣā, from the people of Syria. He was under the protection of al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wāʾil. God had given him much knowledge and placed in him many benefits for the people of Mecca, such as perfume, kindness, and knowledge. He would stay in his hermitage and enter Mecca every year, meeting the people and saying: 'Soon a child will be born among you, O people of Mecca, to whom the Arabs will submit and the non-Arabs will obey. This is his time. Whoever reaches him and follows him will attain his need, and whoever reaches him and opposes him will miss his need. By God, I have not left the land of wine, leavened bread, and security, nor have I settled in the land of hunger, misery, and fear, except in search of him.' Whenever a child was born in Mecca, he would ask about him, and say: 'He has not come yet.' It would be said to him: 'Describe him.' He would say: 'No.' And he would conceal that because of what he knew he would encounter from his people, fearing for himself that this might lead to the least harm from them one day. On the morning of the day when the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was born, ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib went out until he came to ʿAyṣā, stood at the base of his hermitage, and called out: 'O ʿAyṣā!' He called back: 'Who is this?' He said: 'I am ʿAbd Allāh.' He looked down at him and said: 'Be his father, for the child has been born whom I used to tell you about. He will be born on Monday, sent on Monday, and die on Monday.'

1. Mobedhan : The chief Zoroastrian priest or magus in the Sassanid Empire.
2. Kisra : Arabicized form of Khosrow, the title of Sassanid kings.
3. Sawah : A lake in Persia, said to have dried up as a sign of the Prophet's birth.
4. marzubans : Military governors or margraves in the Sassanid Empire.
5. Satih : A legendary Arab soothsayer known for his prophecies.
6. Ghitrif : A title meaning generous or noble; here referring to Satih.
7. Jayumart : The first king in Persian mythology, corresponding to Gayomard.
8. al-Siddiq : The Truthful, a title of Abu Bakr, the first caliph.
9. al-Hanif : The Upright, a title of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph.
10. nabī zakiyy : A pure prophet; 'zakiyy' means pure, righteous, or sinless.
11. ash-shafaq wal-ghasaq wal-qamar idhā ittasaq : Oath by the twilight, the night, and the full moon; common in pre-Islamic Arabic oaths.
12. Shaqq : A famous pre-Islamic soothsayer (kāhin) from the tribe of Kinda, known for his predictions.
13. Saṭīḥ : A legendary pre-Islamic soothsayer, said to have been born without bones or with a half-body, known for prophecies about the coming of Muhammad.
14. kāhin : A soothsayer or diviner in pre-Islamic Arabia, believed to have contact with jinn and knowledge of hidden things.
15. isnād : The chain of narrators that authenticates a hadith or historical report.

Mention of his wet nurses and foster mothers, peace and blessings be upon him [1].

He said: "Indeed, a child was born to me at dawn." He said: "What did you name him?" He said: "Muhammad." He said: "By Allah, I had wished that this child would be among you, the People of the House ¹, because of three characteristics by which we recognize him: that his star rose last night, that he was born today, and that his name is Muhammad. Go to him, for the one I used to tell you about is your son." He said: "How do you know he is my son? Perhaps another child was born on this day?" He said: "Your son has matched the name, and Allah would not confuse His knowledge for the scholars, for it is a proof ². The sign of that is that he is now in pain and will complain for three days, then hunger will appear in him for three days, then he will be healed. Guard your tongue, for no one has ever been envied as he will be envied, and no one has been wronged as he will be wronged. If you live until his words appear and he calls, you will see from your people what you cannot bear except with patience and humiliation. So guard your tongue and be cautious about him." He said: "What is his lifespan?" He said: "Whether his life is long or short, he will not reach seventy. He will die at an odd number below that, from sixty, at sixty-one or sixty-three, among the lifespans of most of his community." He said: "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was conceived on the tenth of Muharram. He was born on Monday, the twelfth of Ramadan, in the year twenty-three of the Expedition of the People of the Elephant ³." Thus narrated Abu Nu'aym ⁴, and there is strangeness in it. Mention of His Nurses and Wet Nurses, Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him Umm Ayman, whose name was Baraka, nursed him. He, peace and blessings be upon him, had inherited her from his father. When he grew up, he freed her and married her to his freedman Zayd ibn Haritha, and she bore him Usama ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with them. Also nursed him, along with his mother, peace and blessings be upon him, the freedwoman of his uncle Abu Lahab, Thuwayba, before Halima al-Sa'diyya. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated in their Sahihs from the hadith of al-Zuhri, from 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, from Zaynab bint Umm Salama, from Umm Habiba bint Abi Sufyan, who said: "O Messenger of Allah, marry my sister, the daughter of Abu Sufyan." In Muslim's version: "'Azza bint Abi Sufyan." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Do you like that?" She said: "Yes, I am not exclusively yours, and I love whoever shares in good with my sister." The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "That is not permissible for me." She said: "We are told that you want to marry the daughter of Abu Salama." In another narration: "Durra bint Abi Salama." He said: "The daughter of Umm Salama?" She said: "Yes." He said: "Even if she were not my stepdaughter in my care, she would not be lawful for me. She is the daughter of my brother through breastfeeding. Thuwayba breastfed me and Abu Salama. So do not offer me your daughters or sisters." Al-Bukhari added: 'Urwa said: "Thuwayba was a freedwoman of Abu Lahab, who freed her, and she breastfed the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When Abu Lahab died, one of his family saw him in a dream in the worst state, and said to him: 'What did you encounter?' Abu Lahab said: 'I have not encountered any good after you, except that I was given to drink from this [finger] because of my freeing of Thuwayba.' He pointed to the hollow between the thumb and the next finger." Al-Suhayli ⁵ and others mentioned that the one who saw him was his brother al-'Abbas. That was a year after the death of Abu Lahab, after the Battle of Badr. In it, Abu Lahab said to al-'Abbas: "Indeed, I am given relief on Mondays." They said: "Because when Thuwayba gave him the good news of the birth of his nephew Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah, he freed her immediately, so he was rewarded for that."

1. Ahl al-Bayt : The People of the House, referring to the family of the Prophet Muhammad.
2. hujja : Proof or evidence, often used in Islamic theology to denote a definitive argument or sign.
3. Ashab al-Fil : The Companions of the Elephant, referring to the Abyssinian army led by Abraha that attacked Mecca in the year of the Prophet's birth.
4. Abu Nu'aym : Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani (d. 1038 CE), a renowned hadith scholar and historian.
5. al-Suhayli : Abd al-Rahman al-Suhayli (d. 1185 CE), a famous Andalusian scholar and commentator on the Prophet's biography.

He mentioned his suckling [1], peace and blessings be upon him, from Halimah bint Abi…

He mentioned his suckling [1], peace and blessings be upon him, from Halimah bint Abi Dhu'ayb al-Sa'diyyah.

Mention of his suckling, peace and blessings be upon him, from Halimah bint Abi Dhu'ayb al-Sa'diyyah, and the blessings and signs of prophethood that appeared through him. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was given to Halimah bint Abi Dhu'ayb to nurse. Her name was Halimah bint Abi Dhu'ayb, and his [Abi Dhu'ayb's] name was 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Shijnah ibn Jabir ibn Rizam ibn Nasirah [ibn Fasiyah ibn Nasr] ¹ ibn Sa'd ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin ibn Mansur ibn 'Ikrimah ibn Khasafah ² ibn Qays 'Aylan ibn Mudar. He said: The name of the father of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who nursed him—meaning Halimah's husband—was al-Harith ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Rifa'ah ibn Mallan ibn Nasirah ibn Sa'd ibn Bakr ibn Hawazin. His siblings, peace and blessings be upon him, through suckling were: 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith, Unaysah bint al-Harith, and Khudhamah ³ bint al-Harith, who was al-Shayma'. They mentioned that she used to care for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, along with his mother when he was with them. Ibn Ishaq said: Jahm ibn Abi Jahm [a freed slave of a woman from Banu Tamim who was with al-Harith ibn Hatib, and he was called] ⁴ the freed slave of al-Harith ibn Hatib, narrated to me, saying: Someone who heard 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far ibn Abi Talib narrated to me, saying: I was told by Halimah bint al-Harith that she said: I came to Mecca with some women—and al-Waqidi mentioned with his chain that they were ten women from Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr seeking nurslings—from Banu Sa'd seeking nurslings during a barren year ⁵, and I arrived riding a gray she-donkey of mine that had lagged behind the caravan ⁶, and with me was a baby of ours, and a she-camel of ours which, by Allah, did not yield a drop ⁷. We could not sleep at night because of our baby's crying; we found nothing in my breast to satisfy him nor in our she-camel to nourish him, but we hoped for rain and relief. I set out on that donkey of mine, and by Allah, it lagged behind the caravan until that became difficult for them due to its weakness and emaciation. We arrived in Mecca, and by Allah, I do not know of any woman among us to whom the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was not offered, but she refused him when told he was an orphan. We said: What can his mother do for us? We only hope for kindness from the father of the child; as for his mother, what can she do for us? By Allah, none of my companions remained except that she took a nursling other than me. When I found no other and we decided to leave, I said to my husband al-Harith ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza: By Allah, I hate to return among my companions without a nursling. I will go to that orphan and take him. He said: There is no harm in doing so; perhaps Allah will place blessing in him for us. So I went and took him. By Allah, I only took him because I found no other. No sooner had I taken him and brought him to my mount than my breasts overflowed with as much milk as he wished. He drank until he was satisfied, and his brother [through suckling] drank until he was satisfied. My husband went to that she-camel of ours and found her full, so he milked what he drank, and I drank until we were satisfied. We spent the best night. In the morning, my husband said: O Halimah, by Allah, I think you have taken a blessed soul. Did you not see the good and blessing we experienced last night when we took him? Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, continued to increase us in good. Then we set out returning to our land. By Allah, my donkey outran the caravan until no other donkey could keep up with her, so much so that my companions would say: Woe to you, O daughter of Abi Dhu'ayb! Is this your donkey that you came with us on? I would say: Yes, by Allah, it is the same. They would say: By Allah, it has a special quality. Until we arrived in the land of Banu Sa'd, and I do not know any land of Allah more barren than it. Yet my sheep would go out to pasture and return full of milk, and we would milk as much as we wished, while around us no one's sheep yielded a drop of milk. Their sheep would return hungry, so much so that they would say to their shepherds: Woe to you! Look where the sheep of the daughter of Abi Dhu'ayb graze, and graze with them. So they would graze with my sheep wherever they grazed, and their sheep would return hungry with no milk, while my sheep returned full of milk, and we milked as much as we wished. Allah continued to show us blessings that we recognized. Until he reached two years of age, and he grew in a way unlike other boys. By Allah, before he was two, he was a robust boy ⁸. We brought him to his mother, and we were more reluctant to part with him than anything because of the blessings we saw in him. When his mother saw him, I said to her: Let us take him back for another year, for we fear the epidemic of Mecca for him. By Allah, we kept asking her until she said: Yes. So she sent him with us, and we kept him for two or three months. One day, while he was behind our tents with a brother of his through suckling among our lambs, that brother came running and said: That Qurayshi brother of mine—two men in white garments came to him, laid him down, and split open his belly. So I and his father rushed towards him, and we found him standing, his color changed. His father embraced him and said: O my son, what is the matter? He said: Two men in white garments came to me, laid me down, split open my belly, took out something from it and threw it away, then restored it as it was. We took him back with us, and his father said: O Halimah, I fear that my son has been afflicted. Let us take him back to his family before what we fear becomes apparent. Halimah said: So we carried him, and his mother was not alarmed until we arrived with him. She said: What has brought you back, O nurse? You were so eager to keep him. They said: No, by Allah, but Allah has fulfilled our duty and we have done what was required of us. We feared harm and events, so we returned him to his family. She said: That is not your real reason; tell me the truth about his matter. She did not leave us until we told her his story. She said: Did you fear the devil for him? No, by Allah, the devil has no way to him. By Allah, my son has a great destiny. Shall I tell you his story? We said: Yes. She said: When I conceived him, I never had a lighter pregnancy ⁹. I saw in a dream when I conceived him that a light came out of me which illuminated the palaces of Syria. Then when I gave birth to him, he fell as newborns fall, but he was supporting himself on his hands, raising his head to the sky. Leave him with you both. This hadith has been narrated through other chains, and it is among the well-known and widely circulated reports among the scholars of prophetic biography and military expeditions. Al-Waqidi said: Mu'adh ibn Muhammad narrated to me from 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: Halimah went out looking for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, after she had found the lambs resting. She found him with his sister and said: In this heat? His sister said: O mother, my brother did not feel heat. I saw a cloud shading him; when he stopped, it stopped, and when he moved, it moved, until he reached this place. Ibn Ishaq said: Thawr ibn Yazid narrated to me from Khalid ibn Ma'dan from some companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that they said to him: Tell us about yourself. He said: "Yes, I am the answer to the prayer of my father Ibrahim and the glad tidings of 'Isa, peace be upon them. My mother saw when she conceived me that a light came out of her which illuminated the palaces of Syria. I was nursed among Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr. While I was among our lambs, two men in white garments came to me with a golden basin full of snow. They laid me down, split open my belly, took out my heart, split it, extracted a black clot from it and threw it away. Then they washed my heart and belly with that snow until they were clean, then restored them as they were. Then one of them said to his companion: Weigh him against ten of his community."

He weighed me against ten (men) and I outweighed them. Then he said: "Weigh him against a hundred of his community." So he weighed me against a hundred and I outweighed them. Then he said: "Weigh him against a thousand of his community." So he weighed me against a thousand and I outweighed them. Then he said: "Leave him be, for if you were to weigh him against his entire community, he would outweigh them." This is a good and strong chain of transmission. Al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym narrated in *ad-Dala'il* via the path of 'Umar ibn as-Subh—and he is Abu Nu'aym—from Thawr ibn Yazid, from Makhul, from Shaddad ibn Aws, this story in a very lengthy form. However, this 'Umar ibn Subh is abandoned (matruk), a liar accused of fabrication. For this reason, we did not mention the wording of the hadith, as it is not a cause for joy. Then he said: And Abu 'Amr ibn Hamdan narrated to us, al-Hasan ibn Nufayr narrated to us, 'Amr ibn 'Uthman narrated to us, Baqiyyah ibn al-Walid narrated to us, from Bahir ibn Sa'id, from Khalid ibn Ma'dan, from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Amr as-Sulami, from 'Utbah ibn 'Abdullah, that he narrated to him that a man asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): "How was the beginning of your affair, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "My wet nurse was from Banu Sa'd ibn Bakr. I went out with a son of hers to tend some lambs of ours, and we took no provision with us. I said: 'O my brother, go and bring us provisions from our mother.' So my brother went, and I stayed with the lambs. Then two white birds, like eagles, came. One said to his companion: 'Is it he?' He said: 'Yes.' So they came rushing towards me, took me, and laid me on my back. They split open my belly, then extracted my heart and split it open. They took out two black clots from it. One said to his companion: 'Bring me snow water.' So they washed my insides with it. Then he said: 'Bring me cool water.' So they washed my heart with it. Then he said: 'Bring me as-Sakinah (tranquility) and sprinkle it into my heart.' Then one said to his companion: 'Sew it up.' So he sewed it and sealed my heart with the seal of prophethood. Then one said to his companion: 'Place him on one scale and place a thousand of his community on the other.' And behold, I saw the thousand above me, fearing that some of them would fall upon me. He said: 'If his entire community were weighed against him, he would outweigh them.' Then they left me. I was extremely frightened. Then I went to my mother and told her what I had encountered. She feared that something had befallen me, and said: 'I seek refuge for you with Allah.' So she saddled a camel of hers, placed me on the saddle, and rode behind me until we reached my mother (i.e., Aminah). She said: 'I have fulfilled my trust and my covenant.' And she told her what she had encountered. It did not alarm her, and she said: 'I saw a light come out of me that illuminated the palaces of Syria.'" Ahmad narrated it from the hadith of Baqiyyah ibn al-Walid as well. And thus 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak and others narrated it from Baqiyyah ibn al-Walid. Ibn 'Asakir narrated it via the path of Abu Dawud at-Tayalisi: Ja'far ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Uthman al-Qurashi narrated to us, 'Umayr ibn 'Umar ibn 'Urwah ibn az-Zubayr informed me, he said: I heard 'Urwah ibn az-Zubayr narrating from Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, who said: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, how did you know that you were a prophet when you knew that and were certain that you were a prophet?" He said: "O Abu Dharr, two angels came to me while I was in one of the valleys of Mecca. One of them landed on the ground, and the other was between heaven and earth. One said to his companion: 'Is it he?' He said: 'It is he.' He said: 'Weigh him against a man.' So he weighed me against a man, and I outweighed him." And he mentioned the rest of it, including the splitting of his chest, its sewing, and the placing of the seal between his shoulders. He said: "No sooner had they turned away from me than I could see the matter as if with my own eyes." Then Ibn 'Asakir cited it from Ubayy ibn Ka'b in a similar manner, and from the hadith of Shaddad ibn Aws in a more detailed form. It is established in Sahih Muslim via the path of Hammad ibn Salamah, from Thabit, from Anas ibn Malik: That the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was visited by Jibril (peace be upon him) while he was playing with the boys. He took him, threw him down, and split open his chest. He extracted the heart and took out a black clot from it, saying: "This is the share of Satan." Then he washed it in a golden basin with Zamzam water, then put it back together, and returned it to its place. The boys came running to his mother—meaning his wet nurse—and said: "Muhammad has been killed!" They met him, and his color had changed. Anas said: "I used to see the mark of that stitching on his chest." Ibn 'Asakir narrated it via the path of Ibn Wahb, from 'Amr ibn al-Harith, from 'Abd Rabbih ibn Sa'id, from Thabit al-Bunani, from Anas: That prayer was made obligatory in Medina, and that two angels came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and took him to Zamzam. They split open his belly, took out his innards in a golden basin, washed them with Zamzam water, then filled his insides with wisdom and knowledge. And via the path of Ibn Wahb as well, from Ya'qub ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman az-Zuhri, from his father, from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Amir ibn 'Utbah ibn Abi Waqqas, from Anas, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was visited for three nights. They said: "Take the best of them and their master." So they took the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and brought him to Zamzam. His insides were split open, then a golden basin was brought, and his insides were washed, then filled with wisdom and faith. And it is established from the narration of Sulayman ibn al-Mughirah, from Thabit, from Anas. In the Two Sahihs, via the path of Sharik ibn Abi Namir, from Anas, and from az-Zuhri, from Anas, from Abu Dharr and Qatadah, from Anas, and from Malik ibn Sa'sa'ah, from the Prophet (peace be upon him), in the hadith of al-Isra' (the Night Journey), as will come the story of the opening of the chest on that night, and that it was washed with Zamzam water. There is no contradiction, as it is possible that this occurred twice: once when he was young, and once on the night of al-Isra', to prepare him for the journey to the Highest Assembly and for the intimate conversation with the Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, and for standing before Him, Blessed and Exalted. 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." Ibn Ishaq mentioned that when Halimah returned him to his mother after weaning, she passed by a group of Christians. They stood before him (peace and blessings be upon him), examined him, and said: "We will take this boy to our king, for he will have a great matter." She barely escaped from them except with great difficulty. He also mentioned that when she returned him, fearing that something had afflicted him, as she approached Mecca, she missed him and could not find him. She came to his grandfather, 'Abd al-Muttalib, who went out with a group in search of him. Waraqah ibn Nawfal and another man from Quraysh found him and brought him to his grandfather. He took him on his shoulder, went around with him, seeking refuge for him and supplicating for him, then returned him to his mother, Aminah. Al-Umawi narrated via the path of 'Uthman ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman al-Waqqasi—and he is weak—from az-Zuhri, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, the story of his birth (peace and blessings be upon him) and his nursing by Halimah, differing from the account of Muhammad ibn Ishaq. He mentioned that 'Abd al-Muttalib ordered his son 'Abdullah to take him and go around with him among the Arab tribes to find a wet nurse for him. He went around until he hired Halimah to nurse him. He mentioned that he stayed with her for six years, and she would take him to visit his grandfather every year. When the incident of the splitting of his chest occurred with them, she returned him to them. He stayed with his mother until he was eight years old, when she died. Then his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib took custody of him, and he died when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was ten years old. Then his paternal uncles, az-Zubayr and Abu Talib—full brothers of his father—took custody of him. When he was about thirteen years old, he went out with his uncle az-Zubayr to Yemen.

He mentioned that they saw signs from him during that journey, including that a male camel had blocked part of the road in a valley through which they were passing. When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, saw it, it knelt down until it rubbed the ground with its chest, so he rode it, peace and blessings be upon him. And among them was that he led them through a flood ¹⁰ and God Most High dried it up until they crossed it. Then his uncle al-Zubayr died when he was fourteen years old, and Abu Talib took sole charge of him. The point is that his blessing, peace and blessings be upon him, descended upon Halima al-Sa'diyya and her family when he was small, and later his favors returned upon the Hawazin ¹¹ in full when he captured them after their battle, which was a month after the conquest of Mecca. They appealed to him through his fosterage, so he freed them, showed compassion to them, and treated them well, as will come in detail in its place, God willing. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said regarding the battle of Hawazin: from 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb, from his father, from his grandfather. He said: We were with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, at Hunayn. When he took their property and captives, the delegation of Hawazin came to him at al-Ji'rana ¹² after they had embraced Islam. They said: O Messenger of God, we are your people and tribe, and we have been afflicted with such calamity as is not hidden from you. So bestow favor upon us, may God bestow favor upon you. Their spokesman Zuhayr ibn Surad stood and said: O Messenger of God, the captives in the enclosures are your maternal aunts and your foster mothers who used to care for you. If we had been under the patronage of Ibn Abi Shamir ¹³ or al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir ¹⁴, and then such a calamity befell us from them as has befallen us from you, we would hope for their kindness and compassion, and you are the best of those who were fostered. Then he recited: "Bestow favor upon us, O Messenger of God, with generosity, for you are the man we hope for and treasure. Bestow favor upon a clan ¹⁵ that fate has hindered, whose unity has been torn apart by the vicissitudes of time. Time has left us crying out in grief, with hearts full of sorrow and distress. If a blessing that spreads does not reach them, O you who are the most forbearing of people when tested. Bestow favor upon women whom you used to nurse, when your mouth was filled with the pure milk of their breasts. Bestow favor upon women whom you used to nurse, and when your actions and omissions adorned you. Do not make us like those whose ostrich has flown away ¹⁶, and spare us, for we are a luminous people. We are grateful for blessings, even if denied, and after this day we have stored up [gratitude]." This story has also been narrated via 'Ubayd Allah ibn Rumahis al-Kalbi al-Ramli, from Ziyad ibn Tariq al-Jushami, from Abu Surad Zuhayr ibn Jarwal, who was the chief of his people. He said: When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, captured us on the day of Hunayn, while he was separating the men from the women, I jumped up and sat before him and recited poetry to him, reminding him of when he grew up and was raised among Hawazin, where they nursed him: "Bestow favor upon us, O Messenger of God, with ease, for you are the man we hope for and await. Bestow favor upon a clan that fate has hindered, whose unity has been torn apart by the vicissitudes of time. War has left us crying out in grief, with hearts full of sorrow and distress. If a blessing that spreads does not reach them, O you who are the most forbearing of people when tested. Bestow favor upon women whom you used to nurse, when your mouth was filled with the pure milk of their breasts. When you were a small child, you used to nurse them, and when your actions and omissions adorned you. Do not make us like those whose ostrich has flown away, and spare us, for we are a luminous people. We are grateful for blessings, even if denied, and after this day we have stored up [gratitude]. Clothe with pardon those whom you used to nurse from among your mothers, for pardon is well-known. We hope for a pardon from you with which you clothe these people, when you pardon and triumph. So forgive—may God forgive what you fear—on the Day of Resurrection, when victory is brought to you." He said: Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "As for what belongs to me and the Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib, it is for God and for you." The Ansar ¹⁷ said: "And what belongs to us is for God and His Messenger." It will come that he, peace and blessings be upon him, released the offspring to them, and they were six thousand, including boys and women, and he gave them many cattle and people. Abu al-Husayn ibn Faris said: The value of what he released to them that day was five hundred thousand thousand dirhams ¹⁸. All this is from his immediate blessing in this world, so how about his blessing upon those who follow him in the Hereafter? Section: Ibn Ishaq said, after mentioning his return, peace and blessings be upon him, to his mother Amina after Halima's nursing of him: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, remained with his mother Amina bint Wahb and his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib under God's protection and care. God caused him to grow in a good manner, for the honor He intended for him. When he reached six years of age, his mother Amina bint Wahb died. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Abd Allah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn 'Amr ibn Hazm told me that the mother of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, Amina, died when he was six years old at al-Abwa' ¹⁹, between Mecca and Medina. She had brought him to visit his maternal uncles from the Banu 'Adi ibn al-Najjar, and she died while returning with him to Mecca. Al-Waqidi ²⁰ mentioned with his chains of transmission that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was taken by his mother to Medina, along with Umm Ayman ²¹, when he was six years old, and she visited his maternal uncles. Umm Ayman said: One day two men from the Jews of Medina came to me and said: "Bring out Ahmad to us so we can look at him." They looked at him and examined him. One of them said to his companion: "This is the prophet of this nation, and this is the land of his emigration. There will be great killing and captivity here." When his mother heard that, she became afraid and left with him, and she died at al-Abwa' while returning. Imam Ahmad said: Husayn ibn Muhammad narrated to us, Ayyub ibn Jabir narrated to us, from Simak, from al-Qasim ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, from Ibn Burayda, from his father, who said: We went out with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, until when we were at Waddan ²², he said: "Stay where you are until I come to you." He went, then came to us while he was heavy-hearted. He said: "I came to the grave of Muhammad's mother and asked my Lord for intercession for her, but He denied it to me. I had forbidden you from visiting graves, so now visit them. And I had forbidden you from eating the meat of sacrificial animals after three days, so now eat and store as you wish. And I had forbidden you from drinks in these vessels, so now drink as you wish." Al-Bayhaqi ²³ narrated it via Sufyan al-Thawri, from 'Alqama ibn Yazid, from Sulayman ibn Burayda, from his father, who said: The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, came to the trace of a grave and sat down, and the people sat around him. He began to move his head as if speaking, then he wept. 'Umar faced him and said: "What makes you weep, O Messenger of God?" He said: "This is the grave of Amina bint Wahb. I asked my Lord for permission to visit her grave, and He permitted me. And I asked Him for forgiveness for her, but He refused me. My tenderness for her overcame me, so I wept." He said: I never saw an hour when he wept more than that hour. Muharib ibn Dithar corroborated it from Burayda, from his father.

Then al-Bayhaqi narrated from al-Hakim, from al-Asamm, from Bahr ibn Nasr, from 'Abdullah ibn Wahb: Ibn Jurayj told us, from Ayyub ibn Hani', from Masruq ibn al-Ajda', from 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went out to look at the graves, and we went out with him. He ordered us, so we sat down. Then he stepped over the graves until he reached one of them—and he conversed with it for a long time, then the sobbing of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) rose as he wept, and we wept because of the weeping of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) turned to us, and 'Umar ibn al-Khattab met him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, what made you weep? Indeed, you have made us weep and frightened us." He came and sat with us and said: "Did my weeping frighten you?" We said: "Yes!" He said: "The grave you saw me conversing with is the grave of Aminah bint Wahb. I asked my Lord for permission to visit her, and He permitted me. And I asked my Lord for permission to seek forgiveness for her, but He did not permit me. And there was revealed to me: 'It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to seek forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they are close relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of the Blaze. And Abraham's seeking forgiveness for his father was only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he disassociated himself from him. Indeed, Abraham was tender-hearted and forbearing.' ²⁴ Then I was seized by the tenderness that a child feels for his mother, and that is what made me weep." This is a strange ²⁵ hadith, and they did not record it. Muslim narrated from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, from Muhammad ibn 'Ubayd, from Yazid ibn Kaysan, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) visited the grave of his mother, and he wept and made those around him weep. Then he said: "I asked my Lord for permission to visit my mother's grave, and He permitted me. And I asked Him for permission to seek forgiveness for her, but He did not permit me. So visit graves, for they remind you of death." Muslim narrated from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, from 'Affan, from Hammad ibn Salamah, from Thabit, from Anas, that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, where is my father?" He said: "In the Fire." When he turned away, he called him and said: "Indeed, my father and your father are in the Fire." Al-Bayhaqi narrated from the hadith of Abu Nu'aym al-Fadl ibn Dukayn, from Ibrahim ibn Sa'd, from al-Zuhri, from 'Amir ibn Sa'd, from his father, who said: A Bedouin came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: "My father used to maintain family ties, and he did such and such. So where is he?" He said: "In the Fire." He said: It was as if the Bedouin felt distressed by that, so he said: "O Messenger of Allah, where is your father?" He said: "Wherever you pass by the grave of a disbeliever, give him glad tidings of the Fire." He said: Then the Bedouin became Muslim after that. He said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has burdened me with hardship: I do not pass by the grave of a disbeliever but I give him glad tidings of the Fire!" This is a strange ²⁵ hadith, and they did not record it from this chain. Imam Ahmad said: Abu 'Abd al-Rahman told us, Sa'id—he is Ibn Abi Ayyub—told us, Rabi'ah ibn Sayf al-Ma'afiri told us, from Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, who said: While we were walking with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he caught sight of a woman whom he did not think he recognized. When he reached the middle of the road, he stopped until she reached him, and behold, it was Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He said: "What brought you out of your house, O Fatimah?" She said: "I came to the people of this house, to show mercy to their deceased and to offer condolences to them." He said: "Perhaps you reached al-Kuda ²⁶ with them?" She said: "I seek refuge in Allah from reaching it with them, for I have heard you mention about that what you mention." He said: "If you had reached it with them, you would not see Paradise until the grandfather of your father sees it." Then Ahmad, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa'i, and al-Bayhaqi narrated it from the hadith of Rabi'ah ibn Sayf ibn Mani' al-Ma'afiri al-San'ami al-Iskandari. Al-Bukhari said about him: He has rejected ²⁷ narrations. Al-Nasa'i said: There is no harm in him. And once he said: Truthful ²⁸. In one copy: Weak ²⁹. Ibn Hibban mentioned him among the trustworthy ³⁰ and said: He made many mistakes. Al-Daraqutni said: Acceptable ³¹. Ibn Yunus said in his History of Egypt: In his hadith there are rejected ²⁷ narrations. He died around the year one hundred and twenty. Al-Kuda means graves. It is also said: wailing ³². The point is that 'Abd al-Muttalib died upon what he was upon of the religion of the Jahiliyyah ³³, contrary to the Shi'a sect concerning him and his son Abu Talib, as will come in the death of Abu Talib. Al-Bayhaqi said—after narrating these hadiths in his book "Dala'il al-Nubuwwah" ³⁴: How could his parents and grandfather (peace and blessings be upon him) not be in this state in the Hereafter, when they used to worship the idol until they died and did not follow the religion of Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him)? Their disbelief does not detract from his lineage (peace be upon him), because the marriages of disbelievers are valid. Do you not see that they become Muslim with their wives and they are not required to renew the marriage contract nor separate from them, if such is permissible in Islam? And with Allah is success. End of his words. I say: His (peace be upon him) informing about his parents and his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib that they are among the people of the Fire does not contradict the hadith narrated from him through multiple chains that the people of the interval ³⁵, children, the insane, and the deaf will be tested in the plains ³⁶ on the Day of Resurrection, as we have explained in detail in our Tafsir ³⁷ regarding His statement: "And We were not to punish until We sent a messenger" ³⁸. So among them are those who respond and those who do not respond. So these are among those who do not respond, so there is no contradiction. And to Allah is praise and favor. As for the hadith mentioned by al-Suhayli, who said that its chain contains two unknown ³⁹ narrators to Ibn Abi al-Zinad, from 'Urwah, from 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked his Lord to bring his parents to life, so He brought them to life and they believed in him—this is a very rejected ²⁷ hadith, even if it is possible in view of the power of Allah Almighty. But what is established in the Sahih ⁴⁰ contradicts it. And Allah knows best. Section: Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was with his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim—meaning after the death of his mother Aminah bint Wahb. A bed was placed for 'Abd al-Muttalib in the shade of the Ka'bah, 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 (peace be upon him) would come while he was 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 matter." Then he would seat him with him on his bed and rub his back with his hand, and he was pleased with what he saw him doing. Al-Waqidi said: Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah told me, from al-Zuhri. And 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far told us, from 'Abd al-Wahid ibn Hamzah ibn 'Abdullah. And Hashim ibn 'Asim al-Aslami told us, from al-Mundhir ibn Jahm. And Ma'mar told us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid. And 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz told us, from Abu al-Huwayrith.

And Ibn Abi Sabra narrated to us from Sulayman ibn Suhaym, from Nafi', from Ibn Jubayr—their accounts intermingled—they said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was with his mother Amina bint Wahb. When she died, his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib took him in, embraced him, and showed him a tenderness he had not shown to his own children. He would honor him, draw him close, and allow him to enter upon him in private and when he slept. He would sit on his bed, and 'Abd al-Muttalib would say when he saw that: "Leave my son, for he is being established for a kingdom." A group from Banu Mudlij said to 'Abd al-Muttalib: "Guard him well, for we have never seen a foot more resembling the foot that is in the Maqam ⁴¹ than his." 'Abd al-Muttalib said to Abu Talib: "Hear what these people say!" So Abu Talib guarded him carefully. 'Abd al-Muttalib said to Umm Ayman—who was his nurse—: "O Baraka, do not be neglectful of my son, for I found him with some boys near the lote tree, and the People of the Book claim that my son is the prophet of this community." 'Abd al-Muttalib would not eat any food without saying: "Bring my son to me." So he would be brought to him. When death approached 'Abd al-Muttalib, he charged Abu Talib with the protection and care of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Then 'Abd al-Muttalib died and was buried in al-Hajun. Ibn Ishaq said: When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, reached eight years of age, his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim died. Then he mentioned his gathering his daughters and his instructing them to lament him. They were: Arwa, Umayma, Barra, Safiyya, 'Atika, and Umm Hakim al-Bayda'. He mentioned their poems and what they said in lamentation of their father while he heard them before his death, and this is the most effective form of wailing. He elaborated on that. Ibn Hisham said: I have not found any scholar of poetry who recognizes this poetry. Ibn Ishaq said: When 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim died, his son al-'Abbas took over the duty of providing water and Zamzam after him, and he was the youngest of his brothers. It remained in his hands until Islam arose, and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, confirmed it in his hand. After his grandfather 'Abd al-Muttalib, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was with his uncle Abu Talib due to 'Abd al-Muttalib's charge to him, and because he was the full brother of his father 'Abdullah—their mother was Fatima bint 'Amr ibn 'A'idh ibn 'Imran ibn Makhzum. He said: So Abu Talib was the one who managed the affairs of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and he was with him. Al-Waqidi said: Ma'mar informed us from Ibn Nujayh, from Mujahid. And Mu'adh ibn Muhammad al-Ansari narrated to us from 'Ata', from Ibn 'Abbas. And Muhammad ibn Salih, 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far, and Ibrahim ibn Isma'il ibn Abi Habiba narrated to us—their accounts intermingled—they said: When 'Abd al-Muttalib died, Abu Talib took the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and he stayed with him. Abu Talib had no wealth, and he loved him intensely, more than he loved his own children. He would not sleep except beside him, and when he went out, he would go out with him. Abu Talib was passionately attached to him as he had never been attached to anything. He would single him out for food. When Abu Talib's dependents ate all together or separately, they would not be satisfied, but when the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, ate with them, they would be satisfied. So when he wanted to feed them breakfast, he would say: "Stay as you are until my son comes." Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, would come and eat with them, and they would have leftovers from their food. If he was not with them, they would not be satisfied. So Abu Talib would say: "You are truly blessed." The other boys would wake up with bleary eyes and disheveled hair, while the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, would wake up well-oiled and kohl-eyed. Al-Hasan ibn 'Arafa said: 'Ali ibn Thabit narrated to us from Talha ibn 'Amr: I heard 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah say: I heard Ibn 'Abbas say: The children of Abu Talib would wake up bleary-eyed and with matter in their eyes, while the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, would wake up sleek and well-oiled. Abu Talib would bring the children their plate early in the morning, and they would sit and snatch food, but the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, would withhold his hand and not snatch with them. When his uncle saw that, he set aside his food separately. Ibn Ishaq said: Yahya ibn 'Abbad ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr narrated to me that his father told him that a man from Lihb was a diviner ⁴². Whenever he came to Mecca, men from Quraysh would bring their boys to him for him to look at them and divine for them. He said: So Abu Talib brought the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, while he was a boy, along with those who came to him. He said: 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. So 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." He said: And Abu Talib took him away. Section on his, peace and blessings be upon him, journey with his uncle Abu Talib to Syria and his story with Bahira the monk. Ibn Ishaq said: Then Abu Talib set out with a caravan of merchants to Syria. When he prepared for departure and resolved to travel, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, became passionately attached to him, as they claim. So Abu Talib felt compassion for him and said: "By God, I will take him with me, and I will never part from him, nor will he ever part from me," or words to that effect. So he took him out. When the caravan alighted at Busra in the land of Syria, there was a monk there named Bahira in his hermitage. He possessed the knowledge of the Christians, and there had always been a monk in that hermitage who inherited their knowledge from a book, as they claim, passed down from generation to generation. That year when they stopped by Bahira—and they had often passed by him without him speaking to them or paying them any attention, until that year—when they alighted near his hermitage, he prepared a large meal for them. That, as 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, having ordered food to be prepared. Then he sent to them, saying: "I have prepared food for you, O company of Quraysh. I would like you all to attend, both your old and young, your slave and your free." A man among 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 have spoken the truth; it was 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 from among the people due to his young age, at the camp of the people under the tree. When Bahira saw them, he did not see the description that he knew and found with him. So he said: "O company of Quraysh, let none of you stay behind from my food." They said: "O Bahira, no one who should come to you has stayed behind except a boy, and he is the youngest of us, so he stayed behind at our camp." He said: "Do not do that; call him, let him attend this meal with you."

He said: Then a man from Quraysh who was with the group said, "By al-Lat and al-Uzza, it is a disgrace for us that Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib should be left out of the food among us." Then he went to him, embraced him, and seated him with the group. When Bahira saw him, he began to look at him intently and observe things about his body that he found in his description ⁴³. When the group finished their meal and dispersed, Bahira went to him and said, "O boy, I ask you by the right of al-Lat and al-Uzza to tell me what I ask you." Bahira said that because he heard his people swearing by them. They claimed that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him, "Do not ask me by al-Lat and al-Uzza for anything, for by Allah, I have never hated anything as much as I hate them." So Bahira said to him, "Then by Allah, tell me what I ask you." He said, "Ask me what you will." So he began to ask him about things concerning his state: his sleep, his appearance, and his affairs, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, informed him. That matched what Bahira had of his description. Then he looked at his back and saw the seal of prophethood ⁴⁴ between his shoulders, in the place described in his description. 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 land and beware of the Jews against him, for by Allah, if they see him and recognize from him what I have recognized, they will surely seek to harm him. Indeed, this nephew of yours will have a great matter, so hurry with him to his land." So his uncle Abu Talib took him out quickly until he brought him to Mecca when he finished his trade in Syria. Ibn Ishaq said: They claimed, among what people narrated, that Zurair, Tammam, and Daris ⁴⁵ — a group from the People of the Book — had seen from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, similar to what Bahira saw on that journey in which he was with his uncle Abu Talib, and they intended to harm him, but Bahira turned them away from him, reminding them of Allah and what they find in the Book concerning his mention and description, and that if they all agreed on what they intended for him, they would not reach him, until they recognized what he said to them and believed him in what he said, so they left him and departed from him. Yunus ibn Bukayr mentioned from Ibn Ishaq that Abu Talib composed three poems about that. Thus Ibn Ishaq mentioned this context without a chain of transmission. Something similar has been reported through a chain of transmission traced back to the Prophet. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Khara'iti said: 'Abbas ibn Muhammad al-Duri narrated to us, Qarad Abu Nuh narrated to us, Yunus narrated to us, from Ibn Ishaq, from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Musa, from his father, who said: Abu Talib set out for Syria with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, among some elders of Quraysh. When they approached the monk — meaning Bahira — they descended and unloaded their baggage. The monk came out to them, whereas before they used to pass by him and he would not come out nor pay attention to them. He said: He descended while they were unloading their baggage, and he began to walk among them until he came and took the hand of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, "This is the master of the worlds." In the narration of al-Bayhaqi there is an addition: "This is the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds, Allah has sent him as a mercy to the worlds." Some elders of Quraysh said to him, "How do you know?" He said, "When you came up from the hill, there was no tree or stone that did not prostrate, and they only prostrate to a prophet, and I recognize him by the seal of prophethood below the cartilage of his shoulder." Then he returned and prepared food for them. When he brought it to them — and he [the Prophet] was tending the camels — he said, "Send for him." So he came, and a cloud shaded him. When he approached the group, he said, "Look at him, there is a cloud over him." When he approached the group, he found they had preceded him to the shade of the tree. When he sat, the shade of the tree inclined over him. He said, "Look at the shade of the tree, it inclined over him." He said: While he was standing over them, he was imploring them not to take him to the Romans, for if the Romans saw him, they would recognize him by the description and kill him. Then he turned and saw seven men from the Romans approaching. He said: He went to meet them and said, "What has brought you?" They said, "We have come because this prophet is to appear this month, and no road was left without people being sent to it, and we were informed of his news on this road of yours." He said, "Did you leave behind anyone better than you?" They said, "No, we were only informed of his news on this road of yours." He said, "Do you think that if Allah wills to decree a matter, can anyone among people prevent it?" They said, "No." He said, "So they gave him their allegiance and stayed with him." He said: The monk said, "I adjure you by Allah, who is his guardian?" They said, "Abu Talib." He kept adjuring him until he returned him, and Abu Bakr sent Bilal with him, and the monk provided him with cakes and oil." Thus narrated al-Tirmidhi from Abu al-'Abbas al-Fadl ibn Sahl al-A'raj from Qarad Abu Nuh. Al-Hakim, al-Bayhaqi, and Ibn 'Asakir also narrated it through the path of Abu al-'Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Asamm from 'Abbas ibn Muhammad al-Duri. And thus narrated more than one of the memorizers from the hadith of Abu Nuh 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghazwan al-Khuza'i, their client, also called al-Dabbi, known as Qarad, who lived in Baghdad and is among the trustworthy narrators whose hadith al-Bukhari included, and a group of imams and memorizers declared him trustworthy, and I have not seen anyone who criticized him. Yet in this hadith of his there is some strangeness. Al-Tirmidhi said: "Hasan gharib, we do not know it except from this path." 'Abbas al-Duri said: "There is no one in the world who narrates it except Qarad Abu Nuh, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Yahya ibn Ma'in heard it from him due to its strangeness and uniqueness." Al-Bayhaqi and Ibn 'Asakir reported that. I say: Among the strange things in it is that it is from the mursal ⁴⁶ of a Companion, for Abu Musa al-Ash'ari only came in the year of Khaybar, the seventh year of the Hijra. No attention is paid to Ibn Ishaq's statement making him among those who migrated to the land of Abyssinia from Mecca. In any case, it is mursal, for this story occurred when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was, according to some, twelve years old. Perhaps Abu Musa received it from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, making it more elevated, or from some senior Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, or it was well-known and he took it through widespread transmission. Second: The cloud is not mentioned in any hadith more authentic than this. Third: His statement, "And Abu Bakr sent Bilal with him" — if his age, peace and blessings be upon him, at that time was twelve years, then Abu Bakr's age at that time would have been nine or ten, and Bilal's age even less. So where was Abu Bakr at that time? And where was Bilal? Both are strange, unless it is said that this occurred when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was older, either because his journey was after this, or if the statement that his age was twelve at that time is not preserved, for al-Waqidi mentioned it with that restriction. Al-Suhayli reported from some that his age, peace and blessings be upon him, at that time was nine years. And Allah knows best.

Al-Wāqidī said: Muḥammad ibn ᢌāliḥ, ‘Abdullāh ibn Ja‘far, and Ibrāhīm ibn Ismā‘īl ibn Abī Ḥabībah narrated to me, from Dāwūd ibn al-Ḥuṣayn. They said: When the Messenger of God (ṣallā llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) reached twelve years of age, his uncle Abū Ṭālib took him to al-Shām (Syria) with the caravan that had set out for trade, and they stopped at the monk Baḥīrā. He said to Abū Ṭālib in secret what he said. And he commanded him to take care of him, so Abū Ṭālib returned with him to Makkah. The Messenger of God (ṣallā llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) grew up with Abū Ṭālib, God protecting him, guarding him, and shielding him from the faults of the affairs of the Jāhiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance), for what He willed of his honor. Until he became a man, the most excellent of his people in manliness, the best of them in character, the most noble of them in social interaction, the best of them in neighborliness, the greatest of them in forbearance and trustworthiness, the most truthful of them in speech, and the farthest of them from obscenity and harm. He was never seen quarreling or disputing with anyone, until his people called him al-Amīn (the Trustworthy), for the righteous qualities that God had gathered in him. So Abū Ṭālib protected him, shielded him, supported him, and strengthened him until he died. Muḥammad ibn Sa‘d said: Khālid ibn Ma‘dān informed us, Mu‘tamir ibn Sulaymān narrated to us, I heard my father narrating from Abū Mijlaz that ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib or Abū Ṭālib—Khālid doubted—said: When ‘Abdullāh died, he turned his affection toward Muḥammad, and he would not travel on any journey except that he was with him in it. And indeed, he set out toward al-Shām and stopped at a waystation, where a monk came to him and said: “Among you is a righteous man.” Then he said: “Where is the guardian of this boy?” He said: So he said: “I am his guardian”—or it was said: “This is his guardian.” He said: “Guard this boy and do not take him to al-Shām, for the Jews are envious, and I fear them for him.” He said: “You do not say that, but God says it.” So he returned him and said: “O God, I entrust Muḥammad to You.” Then he died. The story of Baḥīrā: al-Suhaylī narrated from the Siyar of al-Zuhrī that Baḥīrā was a learned rabbi (ḥibr) from the learned rabbis of the Jews. I say: What appears from the context of the story is that he was a Christian monk, and God knows best. From al-Mas‘ūdī: that he was from ‘Abd al-Qays, and his name was Jirjīs (George). And in the book “al-Ma‘ārif” by Ibn Qutaybah: A caller was heard in the Jāhiliyyah shortly before Islam, calling out and saying: “Indeed, the best of the people of the earth are three: Baḥīrā, Ri’āb ibn al-Barā’ al-Shannī, and the third is the Awaited One.” And the third, the Awaited One, was the Messenger (ṣallā llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam). Ibn Qutaybah said: And the grave of Ri’āb al-Shannī and the grave of his son after him would always have a ṭashsh (light rain) seen near them. A section on his upbringing (upon him be prayers and peace), his nurturing, God’s sufficiency for him, His protection of him, and how he was an orphan so He gave him shelter, and needy so He enriched him. Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq said: So the Messenger of God (ṣallā llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) grew up, God protecting him, guarding him, and shielding him from the impurities of the Jāhiliyyah, for what He willed of his honor and his message, until he became a man, the most excellent of his people in manliness, the best of them in character, the most noble of them in lineage, the best of them in neighborliness, the greatest of them in forbearance, the most truthful of them in speech, the greatest of them in trustworthiness, and the farthest of them from obscenity and the qualities that defile men, out of purity and nobility. Until his name among his people was none other than al-Amīn, for the righteous qualities that God had gathered in him. And the Messenger of God (ṣallā llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam), according to what was narrated to me, would speak about what protected him in his childhood and the matter of his Jāhiliyyah, that he said: “I saw myself among boys of Quraysh carrying stones for some of what the boys play with, all of us had taken off our clothes and taken our izārs (waist-wrappers) and placed them on our necks, carrying stones on them. So I was going forward and backward with them like that, when someone I did not see struck me a painful blow, then said: ‘Tie your izār tightly around you.’” He said: “So I took it and tied it tightly around me, then I began to carry stones on my neck while my izār was on me, unlike my companions.” This story is similar to what is in the Ṣaḥīḥ (authentic hadith collection) regarding the building of the Ka‘bah, when he and his uncle al-‘Abbās were carrying stones. If it is not that same one, then it is prior to it, like a prelude to it. And God knows best. ‘Abd al-Razzāq said: Ibn Jurayj informed us, ‘Amr ibn Dīnār informed me that he heard Jābir ibn ‘Abdillāh say: When the Ka‘bah was built, the Messenger of God (ṣallā llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) went to carry stones. Al-‘Abbās said to the Messenger of God (ṣallā llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam): “Place your izār on your shoulder because of the stones.” So he did, and he fell to the ground, and his eyes stared up to the sky. Then he stood up and said: “My izār!” So he tightened his izār around him. Both (al-Bukhārī and Muslim) reported it in the two Ṣaḥīḥs from the hadith of ‘Abd al-Razzāq. And they also reported it from the hadith of Rawḥ ibn ‘Ubādah, from Zakariyyā’ ibn Abī Isḥāq, from ‘Amr ibn Dīnār, from Jābir, similarly. Al-Bayhaqī said: Abū ‘Abdillāh al-Ḥāfiẓ and Abū Sa‘īd ibn Abī ‘Amr informed us, they said: Abū al-‘Abbās Muḥammad ibn Ya‘qūb informed us, Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq al-Ṣāghānī narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn Bukayr al-Ḥaḍramī narrated to us, ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ‘Abdillāh al-Dashtakī narrated to us, ‘Amr ibn Abī Qays narrated to us, from Simāk, from ‘Ikrimah, Ibn ‘Abbās narrated to me from his father, that he was carrying stones to the House (the Ka‘bah) when Quraysh built the House. He said: And Quraysh paired men off in twos; the men carried stones, and the women carried the mortar (shīd). He said: So I and my nephew were carrying stones on our necks, with our izārs under the stones. When people came near us, we would tie our izārs around ourselves. While I was walking and Muḥammad was in front of me, he fell and lay prostrate on his face. I came running and threw down my stone, and he was looking at the sky. I said: “What is the matter with you?” He stood up and took his izār and said: “I have been forbidden to walk naked.” He said: And I used to conceal this from the people, fearing they would say he was mad. Al-Bayhaqī narrated from the hadith of Yūnus ibn Bukayr, from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, Muḥammad ibn ‘Abdillāh ibn Qays ibn Makhramah narrated to me, from al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, from his father, from his grandfather ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib. He said: I heard the Messenger of God (ṣallā llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) say: “I never intended anything of what the people of the Jāhiliyyah used to intend regarding women, except on two nights, both of which God, Mighty and Majestic, protected me in. I said one night to some of the youths of Makkah—while we were shepherds of the sheep of its people—I said to my companion: ‘Watch my sheep for me so I can enter Makkah and spend the night in conversation as the youths do.’ He said: ‘Yes.’” He said: “So I entered until I came to the first house of the houses of Makkah, and I heard music with drums and flutes. I said: ‘What is this?’ They said: ‘So-and-so has married so-and-so.’ So I sat down to watch, and God struck my ears (with deafness). By God, nothing woke me except the touch of the sun. So I returned to my companion, and he said: ‘What did you do?’ I said: ‘I did nothing.’ Then I told him what I had seen. Then I said to him another night: ‘Watch my sheep for me so I can spend the night in conversation.’ He did so. I entered, and when I came to Makkah, I heard the like of what I had heard that night. I asked, and it was said: ‘So-and-so has married so-and-so.’ So I sat down to watch, and God struck my ears. By God, nothing woke me except the touch of the sun. So I returned to my companion, and he said: ‘What did you do?’ I said: ‘Nothing.’ Then I told him the story. By God, I never intended nor returned after those two nights to anything of that sort until God, Mighty and Majestic, honored me with His prophethood.” This is a very strange (gharīb) hadith. It may be from ‘Alī himself, and his statement at the end: “until God, Mighty and Majestic, honored me with His prophethood” may be an interpolation. And God knows best. The shaykh (teacher) of Ibn Isḥāq here was mentioned by Ibn Ḥibbān among the trustworthy (thiqāt).

Some of them claimed that he is among the narrators of the Ṣaḥīḥ ⁴⁷. Our shaykh said in his Tahdhīb: "I have not come across that." And Allah knows best. Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī said: Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥāfiẓ narrated to me, Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb narrated to us, al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī ibn ʿAffān al-ʿĀmirī narrated to us, Abū Usāma narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr narrated to us, from Abū Salama and Yaḥyā ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Ḥāṭib, from Usāma ibn Zayd, from Zayd ibn Ḥāritha, who said: There was an idol of copper called Isāf and Nāʾila ⁴⁸, which the polytheists would touch when they performed the ṭawāf ⁴⁹. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, performed ṭawāf and I performed ṭawāf with him. When I passed by, I touched it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Do not touch it." Zayd said: So we performed ṭawāf, and I said to myself, "I will surely touch it to see what happens." So I touched it, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Were you not forbidden?" Al-Bayhaqī said: Another narrator added from Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr with his chain: Zayd said: "By Him who honored him and revealed the Book to him, I never touched an idol after that until Allah honored him with what He honored him and revealed to him." And his statement, peace and blessings be upon him, to Baḥīrā ⁵⁰ when he asked him by al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā ⁵¹ has preceded: "Do not ask me by them, for by Allah, I have never hated anything as much as I hate them." As for the ḥadīth ⁵² that al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr al-Bayhaqī narrated: Abū Saʿd al-Mālīnī informed us, Abū Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥāfiẓ informed us, Ibrāhīm ibn Asbāṭ narrated to us, ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shayba narrated to us, Jarīr narrated to us, from Sufyān al-Thawrī, from Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAqīl, from Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to attend the gatherings of the polytheists. He said: Then he heard two angels behind him, one of them saying to his companion: "Let us go and stand behind the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." He said: "How can we stand behind him when his covenant is with touching idols?" He said: So after that, he never again attended the gatherings of the polytheists. This is a ḥadīth that more than one of the imams ⁵³ rejected from ʿUthmān ibn Abī Shayba, to the extent that Imām Aḥmad said about it: "His brother never uttered anything of this sort." Al-Bayhaqī reported from some of them that its meaning is that he attended with those who touched idols, and that was before revelation came to him. And Allah knows best. It has preceded in the ḥadīth of Zayd ibn Ḥāritha that he abstained from attending the gatherings of the polytheists until Allah honored him with His message. And it is established in the ḥadīth that he did not stand at Muzdalifa on the night of ʿArafa ⁵⁴; rather, he did not stand with the people at ʿArafāt ⁵⁵. As Yūnus ibn Bukayr said, from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Bakr narrated to me, from ʿUthmān ibn Abī Sulaymān, from Nāfiʿ ibn Jubayr ibn Muṭʿim, from his father Jubayr, who said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was upon the religion of his people, standing on his camel at ʿArafāt among his people until he departed with them, by way of divine facilitation from Allah, Mighty and Majestic." Al-Bayhaqī said: The meaning of his statement "upon the religion of his people" is what remained of the legacy of Ibrāhīm and Ismāʿīl, peace be upon them, and he never associated partners with Allah at all—may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him eternally. I say: It is also understood from this statement that he used to stand at ʿArafāt before revelation came to him. And this is divine facilitation from Allah for him. Imām Aḥmad narrated it from Yaʿqūb, from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, with the wording: "I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, before revelation was sent down to him, and indeed he was standing on his camel with the people at ʿArafāt until he departed with them, by way of divine facilitation from Allah." Imām Aḥmad said: Sufyān narrated to us, from ʿAmr, from Muḥammad ibn Jubayr ibn Muṭʿim, from his father, who said: "I lost a camel of mine at ʿUrana ⁵⁶, so I went to look for it, and there was the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, standing. I said, 'This is one of the Ḥums ⁵⁷; what is he doing here?'" And both [al-Bukhārī and Muslim] extracted it from the ḥadīth of Sufyān ibn ʿUyayna.

1. ibn Fasiyah ibn Nasr : A variant in the genealogy; some manuscripts include these names.
2. Khasafah : A name in the lineage of Qays 'Aylan; sometimes spelled Khafafah.
3. Khudhamah : Also known as al-Shayma', the foster sister of the Prophet.
4. Mawla al-Harith ibn Hatib : A freed slave (client) of al-Harith ibn Hatib, a Companion.
5. sanah shahba' : A year of drought and famine; literally 'a gray year' due to lack of vegetation.
6. adhamat bil-rakb : She lagged behind the caravan due to weakness.
7. tabiddu biqatrah : It did not yield a single drop of milk.
8. ghulam jafran : A strong, robust boy; one who has grown quickly.
9. akhaffa minhu : Lighter than him; meaning the pregnancy was easy and without burden.
10. sayl 'arim : A flood caused by a dam breaking, referring to the great flood of Ma'rib.
11. Hawazin : A large Arab tribe from the Qays 'Aylan branch, defeated by the Muslims at the Battle of Hunayn.
12. al-Ji'rana : A location near Mecca where the Prophet distributed the spoils of Hunayn.
13. Ibn Abi Shamir : A Ghassanid king, a Christian Arab ruler.
14. al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir : A Lakhmid king of al-Hira, a pre-Islamic Arab kingdom.
15. bayda : Literally 'egg', metaphorically meaning a clan or tribe, especially one that is protected and cherished.
16. man shalat na'amatu : A pre-Islamic proverb meaning 'like one whose ostrich has flown away', i.e., one who has lost everything and is in a desperate state.
17. Ansar : The 'Helpers', the Muslim inhabitants of Medina who supported the Prophet after his emigration.
18. khamsami'at alf alf dirham : Five hundred thousand thousand dirhams, i.e., 500 million dirhams, a huge sum.
19. al-Abwa' : A village between Mecca and Medina, where the Prophet's mother Amina died and was buried.
20. al-Waqidi : Muhammad ibn 'Umar al-Waqidi (d. 207 AH/823 CE), a famous early Muslim historian and biographer.
21. Umm Ayman : Baraka bint Tha'laba, the Prophet's nursemaid and later a freed slave, mother of Usama ibn Zayd.
22. Waddan : A location near al-Abwa', between Mecca and Medina.
23. al-Bayhaqi : Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Bayhaqi (d. 458 AH/1066 CE), a prominent Shafi'i hadith scholar and historian.
24. āyah : Qur'anic verse, specifically Surah al-Tawbah 9:113-114.
25. gharīb : A hadith classification meaning 'strange' or 'unfamiliar', often indicating a weak or solitary chain.
26. al-kudā : A term meaning 'graves' or 'wailing'; here interpreted as the practice of wailing over the dead.
27. manākīr : Plural of munkar, meaning 'rejected' or 'denounced' hadiths due to weakness or irregularity.
28. ṣadūq : A term of praise meaning 'truthful', used in hadith criticism for a reliable narrator.
29. ḍaʿīf : Meaning 'weak', a classification for a narrator or hadith with deficiencies.
30. thiqqāt : Plural of thiqah, meaning 'trustworthy' narrators.
31. ṣāliḥ : Meaning 'acceptable' or 'good', a moderate level of reliability in hadith criticism.
32. al-nawḥ : Wailing or lamentation over the dead, often prohibited in Islam.
33. Jāhiliyyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance, characterized by polytheism and idolatry.
34. Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah : A classical work by al-Bayhaqi on the proofs of prophethood.
35. ahl al-fatrah : People who lived in a period between prophets with no divine message reaching them.
36. al-ʿaraṣāt : The plains or gathering places on the Day of Resurrection where judgment occurs.
37. Tafsīr : Qur'anic exegesis or commentary.
38. āyah : Qur'anic verse, Surah al-Isra' 17:15.
39. majhūl : An unknown narrator, one whose identity or reliability is not established.
40. Ṣaḥīḥ : Authentic hadith collections, such as Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
41. al-Maqam : The Station of Abraham, a sacred site in the Kaaba where the footprint of Abraham is believed to be preserved.
42. 'a'if : A diviner or soothsayer who practices physiognomy or augury, often by observing physical features or omens.
43. ṣifah : Description; refers to the physical and personal attributes of the Prophet Muhammad as foretold in earlier scriptures.
44. khātam al-nubuwwah : Seal of prophethood; a physical mark between the Prophet's shoulders, described as a mole or a piece of flesh, believed to be a sign of his prophethood.
45. Zurair, Tammam, Daris : Names of Jewish scholars or monks who recognized the Prophet from their scriptures.
46. mursal : A type of hadith where a Successor (Tabi'i) narrates directly from the Prophet without mentioning the Companion intermediary; considered less authentic by some scholars.
47. Ṣaḥīḥ : Refers to the authentic ḥadīth collections, particularly Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.
48. Isāf and Nāʾila : Two idols that were worshipped by the pre-Islamic Arabs, placed near the Kaaba.
49. ṭawāf : The ritual circumambulation of the Kaaba seven times, performed by pilgrims.
50. Baḥīrā : A Christian monk who recognized the Prophet Muhammad as a prophet during his childhood journey to Syria.
51. al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā : Two major goddesses worshipped by the pre-Islamic Arabs.
52. ḥadīth : A report of the sayings, actions, or approvals of the Prophet Muhammad.
53. imams : Leading scholars of ḥadīth and Islamic jurisprudence.
54. Muzdalifa : A place near Mecca where pilgrims spend the night after ʿArafa during Hajj.
55. ʿArafāt : A plain east of Mecca where pilgrims stand in prayer on the 9th day of Dhul Hijja, the most important day of Hajj.
56. ʿUrana : A valley near ʿArafāt.
57. Ḥums : A group of Quraysh who considered themselves especially pious and would not leave the sacred precincts during Hajj.

He [1] mentioned his witnessing, peace and blessings be upon him, the war of al-Fijar [2].

Mention of his witnessing, peace and blessings be upon him, the Sacrilegious War ¹. 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 of the sacred things that these two tribes—Kinana and Qays 'Aylan—violated among themselves. The leader of Quraysh and Kinana was Harb ibn Umayya ibn 'Abd Shams. Victory was with Qays over Kinana at the beginning of the day, until midday when victory turned to Kinana over Qays. Ibn Hisham said: When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, reached fourteen or fifteen years—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. The one who ignited it was '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. He had guaranteed safe passage for a caravan ² belonging to al-Nu'man ibn al-Mundhir. Al-Barrad ibn Qays, one of the Banu Damra ibn Bakr ibn 'Abd Manat ibn Kinana, said: "Do you guarantee it against Kinana?" He said: "Yes, and against all creation." So 'Urwa al-Rahhal set out with it, and al-Barrad set out seeking to catch him off guard. When they were at Tayman Dhi Talal in al-'Aliya, 'Urwa became heedless, so al-Barrad leaped upon him and killed him during the sacred month ³. For that reason it was called the Sacrilege. Al-Barrad said concerning that: "And a calamity that worried people before me—I tightened the ribs of Banu Bakr against it. I destroyed the houses of Banu Kilab with it, and I suckled the clients ⁴ at the udders. I raised my hand against him at Dhi Talal, and he fell, swaying like a felled trunk." Labid ibn Rabi'a ibn Malik ibn Ja'far ibn Kilab said: "And convey—if you pass by—to Banu Kilab, and 'Amir, for calamities are their masters. And convey—if you pass by—to Banu Numayr, and the maternal uncles of the slain, Banu Hilal, that the traveler al-Rahhal has become a resident at Tayman Dhi Talal." Ibn Hisham said: A messenger came to Quraysh and said: "Al-Barrad has killed 'Urwa, and it is in the sacred month at 'Ukaz." So they departed while Hawazin were unaware of them. Then the news reached them, so they followed them and caught up with them before they entered the sanctuary ⁵. They fought until night came, then they entered the sanctuary, so Hawazin refrained from them. Then after this day they met for several days, with each tribe of Quraysh and Kinana having a leader from among them, and each tribe of Qays having a leader from among them. He said: 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 hand arrows to my uncles" ⁶—meaning I would return to them the arrows of their enemy when they shot them. Ibn Hisham said: The story of the Sacrilege is long, longer than what I have mentioned. What prevented me from covering it fully is that it interrupts the narrative of the biography of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Al-Suhayli said: "Al-Fijar" is with a kasra on the fa', on the pattern of qital. There were four sacrilegious wars among the Arabs, mentioned by al-Mas'udi. The last of them was this one of al-Barrad. Fighting in it took place over four days: the day of Shamta, the day of al-'Abla'—both near 'Ukaz—the day of al-Sharib—which was the greatest day, and it was the one the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, attended, and in which the leaders of Quraysh and Banu Kinana, Harb ibn Umayya and his brother Sufyan, tied themselves up so as not to flee. On that day Qays was routed except for Banu Nadr, who stood firm. And the day of al-Hurayra near Nakhl. Then they agreed to meet the following year at 'Ukaz. When they gathered at the appointed place, 'Utba ibn Rabi'a mounted his camel and called out: "O assembly of Mudar, why are you fighting?" Hawazin said to him: "What do you call to?" He said: "Peace." They said: "How?" He said: "We pay the blood money for your slain and give you hostages for it, and we forgo our blood money." They said: "Who will guarantee that for us?" He said: "I will." They said: "Who are you?" He said: "'Utba ibn Rabi'a." So peace was concluded on that basis, and they sent to them forty men, among them Hakim ibn Hizam. When Banu 'Amir ibn Sa'sa'a saw the hostages in their hands, they forgave their blood money, and the Sacrilegious War ended. Al-Umawi mentioned the Sacrilegious Wars and their days and covered them in detail in what he narrated from al-Athram, who is al-Mughira ibn 'Ali, from Abu 'Ubayda Ma'mar ibn al-Muthanna, and he mentioned that. Section (on his witnessing, peace and blessings be upon him, the Alliance of the Perfumed Ones ⁷) Al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi said: Abu Sa'd al-Malini informed us, Abu Ahmad ibn 'Id al-Hafiz told us, Yahya ibn 'Ali ibn Hashim al-Khaffaf told us, Isma'il ibn 'Ulayya told us from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq, from al-Zuhri, from Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im, from his father. He said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "I witnessed with my uncles the alliance of the Perfumed Ones, and I would not like to break it—or a similar phrase—even if I were given red camels ⁸." He said: Similarly, Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal narrated it from 'Abd al-Rahman. He said: Abu Nasr ibn Qatada informed us, Abu 'Amr ibn Matar told us, Abu Bakr ibn Ahmad ibn Dawud al-Simnani told us, Mu'alla ibn Mahdi told us, Abu 'Awana told us from 'Umar ibn Abi Salama, from his father, from Abu Hurayra. He said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "I witnessed no alliance of Quraysh except the alliance of the Perfumed Ones, and I would not like to have red camels and that I had broken it." He said: The Perfumed Ones were Hashim, Umayya, Zuhra, and Makhzum. Al-Bayhaqi said: This interpretation was narrated as an insertion in the hadith, and I do not know who said it. Some scholars of biography claimed that he meant the Alliance of the Virtuous ⁹, for the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, did not witness the alliance of the Perfumed Ones. I say: There is no doubt about this. That is because Quraysh made alliances after the death of Qusayy and disputed over what Qusayy had assigned to his son 'Abd al-Dar of the watering, the provisioning, the banner, the council, and the chamberlainship. The Banu 'Abd Manaf contested them over it, and with each faction stood tribes of Quraysh, and they made alliances to support their party. The supporters of Banu 'Abd Manaf brought a bowl containing perfume, placed their hands in it, and made an alliance. When they stood up, they wiped their hands on the corners of the House ¹⁰. So they were called the Perfumed Ones, as mentioned earlier. This was long ago. But what is meant by this alliance is the Alliance of the Virtuous, which took place in the house of 'Abd Allah ibn Jud'an, as narrated by al-Humaydi from Sufyan ibn 'Uyayna, from 'Abd Allah, from Muhammad and 'Abd al-Rahman, the two sons of Abu Bakr, who said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "I witnessed in the house of 'Abd Allah ibn Jud'an an alliance that if I were called to it in Islam, I would respond. They made an alliance to return the surplus ¹¹ to its owners and that no oppressor should prevail over an oppressed person." They said: The Alliance of the Virtuous was twenty years before the mission ¹², in the month of Dhu al-Qa'da, and it was four months after the Sacrilegious War. That is because the Sacrilege was in Sha'ban of that year. The Alliance of the Virtuous was the noblest and most honorable alliance ever heard of among the Arabs. The first to speak of it and call to it was al-Zubayr ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib.

The cause of it was that a man from Zubayd came to Mecca with some merchandise, and al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wāʾil bought it from him but withheld his due. The Zubaydi sought the help of the allies ¹³—ʿAbd al-Dār, Makhzūm, Jumaḥ, Sahm, and ʿAdī ibn Kaʿb—but they refused to support him against al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wāʾil and rebuked him. When the Zubaydi saw the harm, he ascended Abū Qubays at sunrise, while Quraysh were in their assemblies around the Kaʿba, and called out at the top of his voice: "O clan of Fihr, for an oppressed one whose merchandise is in the valley of Mecca, far from home and kin; a disheveled pilgrim who has not completed his ʿumra; O men, between the Ḥijr and the Black Stone; indeed, sanctity is for one whose honor is complete, and there is no sanctity for the garment of the treacherous sinner." Then al-Zubayr ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib stood up and said: "This matter cannot be left unattended." So Hāshim, Zuhra, and Taym ibn Murra gathered in the house of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Judʿān, who prepared food for them, and they made an alliance in Dhū al-Qaʿda during a sacred month. They covenanted and pledged by God to be as one hand with the oppressed against the oppressor until his right is restored to him, as long as the sea wets wool, and as long as Thabīr and Ḥirāʾ remain in their places, and to share equally in livelihood. Quraysh called this alliance the Ḥilf al-Fuḍūl ¹⁴, saying: "These people have entered into a virtuous matter." Then they went to al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wāʾil and took from him the Zubaydi's goods and returned them to him. Al-Zubayr ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said concerning this: "I swore to make an alliance against them, even though we are all people of one house; we call it al-Fuḍūl when we make it, by which the stranger is honored for the sake of protection; and those around the House know that we are averse to injustice, preventing every disgrace." Al-Zubayr also said: "Indeed, al-Fuḍūl covenanted and allied that no oppressor would remain in the valley of Mecca; a matter on which they covenanted and pledged, so the neighbor and the guest are safe among them." Qāsim ibn Thābit mentioned in his Gharīb al-Ḥadīth that a man from Khathʿam came to Mecca as a pilgrim or for ʿumra, with a daughter of his called al-Qatūl, who was one of the most beautiful women in the world. Nubayh ibn al-Ḥajjāj seized her from him and hid her from him. The Khathʿamī said: "Who will help me against this man?" It was said to him: "Seek the Ḥilf al-Fuḍūl." So he stood at the Kaʿba and called out: "O people of Ḥilf al-Fuḍūl!" And behold, they came rushing to him from every side, having drawn their swords, saying: "Help has come to you; what is your matter?" He said: "Nubayh has wronged me regarding my daughter and taken her from me by force." So they went with him until they stood at the door of his house. He came out to them, and they said to him: "Bring out the girl, woe to you! For you know who we are and what we have covenanted." He said: "I will do so, but let me enjoy her tonight." They said: "No, by God, not even the milk of a lactating camel ¹⁵." So he brought her out to them, saying: "My companions left and I did not enjoy al-Qatūl; I did not bid them a beautiful farewell when al-Fuḍūl resolved to prevent her. I see myself, though I do not fear al-Fuḍūl, do not think that on the evening the riders left, they were determined not to return ¹⁶." And they mentioned other verses besides these. It has been said that this alliance was named Ḥilf al-Fuḍūl because it resembled an alliance that Jurhum had made on similar terms of supporting the oppressed against his oppressor. The call to it was made by three of their nobles, each named Faḍl: al-Faḍl ibn Faḍāla, al-Faḍl ibn Wādiʿa, and al-Faḍl ibn al-Ḥārith. This is the statement of Ibn Qutayba. Others said: al-Faḍl ibn Sharāʿa, al-Faḍl ibn Buḍāʿa, and al-Faḍl ibn Quḍāʿa. Al-Suhaylī, may God have mercy on him, mentioned this. Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Yasār said: "Some tribes of Quraysh called for an alliance and gathered for it in the house of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Judʿān due to his nobility and age. Those who made the alliance at his place were Banū Hāshim, Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, Banū Asad ibn ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā, Zuhra ibn Kilāb, and Taym ibn Murra. They pledged and covenanted that they would not find in Mecca any oppressed person, whether from its people or others who entered it, except that they would be with him and against the one who wronged him until his grievance was redressed. Quraysh called this alliance Ḥilf al-Fuḍūl." Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq said: Muḥammad ibn Zayd ibn al-Muhājir ibn Qunfudh al-Taymī narrated to me that he heard Ṭalḥa ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAwf al-Zuhrī say: "The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'I witnessed in the house of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Judʿān an alliance that I would not exchange for red camels ¹⁷, and if I were called to it in Islam, I would respond.'" Ibn Isḥāq said: Yazīd ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Usāma ibn al-Hādī al-Laythī narrated to me that Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ḥārith al-Taymī told him that there was a dispute between al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and al-Walīd ibn ʿUtba ibn Abī Sufyān—al-Walīd being at that time the governor of Medina, appointed by his uncle Muʿāwiya ibn Abī Sufyān—over some property they shared at Dhī al-Marwa ¹⁸. Al-Walīd, due to his authority, was harsh toward al-Ḥusayn regarding his right. Al-Ḥusayn said to him: "I swear by God, you will either give me justice for my right, or I will take my sword, then stand in the mosque of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and then call upon the Ḥilf al-Fuḍūl." ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr, who was with al-Walīd when al-Ḥusayn said this, said: "And I swear by God, if he calls upon it, I will take my sword and stand with him until he is given justice for his right, or we die together." Al-Miswar ibn Makhrama ibn Nawfal al-Zuhrī heard of this and said the same. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿUthmān ibn ʿUbayd Allāh al-Taymī heard of it and said the same. When al-Walīd ibn ʿUtba learned of this, he gave al-Ḥusayn justice for his right until he was satisfied. Section on the marriage of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to Khadīja bint Khuwaylid. Ibn Isḥāq said: Khadīja bint Khuwaylid was a merchant woman of noble lineage and wealth; she would hire men to work with her capital on a partnership basis ¹⁹. 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 to him and offered that he should go out with her capital to trade in Syria, giving him more than she gave to other merchants, along with a slave of hers named Maysara. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, accepted this from her and set out with that capital, accompanied by her slave Maysara, until they reached Syria. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, stopped in the shade of a tree near a monk's cell. The monk looked at Maysara and said: "Who is this man who has stopped under the tree?" Maysara said: "This is a man from Quraysh, from the people of the Sanctuary." The monk said to him: "No one has stopped under this tree except a prophet ²⁰." 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 returned to Mecca with Maysara. Maysara—as they claim—would see, during the midday heat when it was intense, two angels shading him from the sun as he rode his camel. When he arrived in Mecca with Khadīja's capital, she sold what he had brought, and it doubled or nearly so. Maysara told her about the monk's words and what he had seen of the angels shading him. Khadīja was a resolute, noble, and intelligent woman, along with what God willed of her honor.

When Maysarah informed her of what he had told her, she sent for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah 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 among your people, your trustworthiness, your good character, and your truthfulness." Then she offered herself in marriage to him. She 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 from her, if they could attain it. When she said that to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he mentioned it to his uncles. His uncle Hamzah went out with him until he entered upon Khuwaylid ibn Asad and proposed to her on his behalf, and he married her, peace and blessings be upon him. Ibn Hisham said: He gave her a dowry of twenty young she-camels. She was the first woman he married, and he did not marry another while she was alive until she died. Ibn Ishaq said: She bore to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, all his children except Ibrahim: al-Qasim (after whom he was named), al-Tayyib, al-Tahir, Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah. Ibn Hisham said: The eldest of them was al-Qasim, then al-Tayyib, then al-Tahir. The eldest of his daughters was Ruqayyah, then Zaynab, then Umm Kulthum, then Fatimah. Al-Bayhaqi reported from al-Hakim: I read in the handwriting of Abu Bakr ibn Abi Khaythamah: Mus'ab ibn 'Abdullah al-Zubayri narrated to us, saying: The eldest of his children, peace and blessings be upon him, was al-Qasim, then Zaynab, then 'Abdullah, then Umm Kulthum, then Fatimah, then Ruqayyah. The first of his children to die was al-Qasim, then 'Abdullah. Khadijah reached the age of sixty-five, and it is also said fifty; the latter is more correct. Others said: Al-Qasim reached the age of riding a mount and a riding camel, then died after the prophethood. It was also said: He died as an infant, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "He has a wet nurse in Paradise who will complete his nursing." But it is well-known that this was said about Ibrahim. Yunus ibn Bukayr said: Ibrahim ibn 'Uthman narrated to us from al-Qasim, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: Khadijah bore to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, two boys and four girls: al-Qasim, 'Abdullah, Fatimah, Umm Kulthum, Zaynab, and Ruqayyah. Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said: 'Abdullah is al-Tayyib and al-Tahir; he was so named because he was born after the prophethood. As for the others, they died before the mission. As for his daughters, they lived to see the mission, entered Islam, and emigrated with him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Ibn Hisham said: As for Ibrahim, he was from Mariyah al-Qibtiyyah, whom al-Muqawqis, the ruler of Alexandria, gifted to him from the district of Ansa'. We will speak about his wives and children, peace and blessings be upon him, in a separate chapter on that at the end of the biography, if Allah Almighty wills, and in Him we trust. Ibn Hisham said: The age of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he married Khadijah was twenty-five years, according to what more than one scholar narrated to me, among them Abu 'Amr al-Madani. Ya'qub ibn Sufyan said: I wrote from Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir: 'Umar ibn Abi Bakr al-Mu'ammali narrated to me, from more than one person, that 'Amr ibn Asad married Khadijah to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he was twenty-five years old, while Quraysh were building the Ka'bah. Similarly, al-Bayhaqi transmitted from al-Hakim that the age of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he married Khadijah was twenty-five, and her age at that time was thirty-five; it was also said twenty-five. Al-Bayhaqi said: "Chapter on what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, occupied himself with before marrying Khadijah." Abu 'Abdullah al-Hafiz informed us, Abu Bakr ibn 'Abdullah informed us, al-Hasan ibn Sufyan informed us, Suwayd ibn Sa'id narrated to us, 'Amr ibn Abi Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qurashi narrated to us from his grandfather Sa'id, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Allah did not send any prophet except as a shepherd of sheep." His companions said to him: "And you, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Yes, I tended sheep for the people of Mecca for qirats ²¹." Al-Bukhari narrated it from Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Makki from 'Amr ibn Yahya. Then al-Bayhaqi narrated via al-Rabi' ibn Badr, who is weak, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I hired myself to Khadijah for two journeys in return for a young she-camel." Al-Bayhaqi narrated via Hammad ibn Salamah, from 'Ali ibn Zayd, from 'Ammar ibn Abi 'Ammar, from Ibn 'Abbas, that the father of Khadijah, the husband of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and I think he said—was drunk. Then al-Bayhaqi said: Abu al-Husayn ibn al-Fadl al-Qattan informed us, 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far informed us, Ya'qub ibn Sufyan narrated to us, saying: Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir narrated to me, 'Umar ibn Abi Bakr al-Mu'ammali narrated to me, 'Abdullah ibn Abi 'Ubayd ibn Muhammad ibn 'Ammar ibn Yasir narrated to me from his father, from Miqsam ibn Abi al-Qasim, the freed slave of 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Nawfal, that 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith narrated to him that 'Ammar ibn Yasir, when he heard what people were saying about the marriage of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to Khadijah and how much they talked about it, would say: "I am the most knowledgeable of people about his marriage to her. I was his contemporary, his intimate friend and companion. One day I went out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, until when we were at al-Hazwarah, we passed by Khadijah's sister, who was sitting on a piece of leather selling it. She called me, so I went to her, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stopped for me. She said: 'Does this companion of yours have any need to marry Khadijah?' 'Ammar said: I returned to him and informed him, and he said: 'Yes, by my life.' So I mentioned to her the words of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and she said: 'Come to us in the morning.' So we went to them in the morning and found that they had slaughtered a cow, dressed Khadijah's father in a robe, dyed his beard yellow, and she spoke to her brother, who spoke to her father, who had been given wine to drink. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was mentioned to him along with his status, and he was asked to give her in marriage, so he married Khadijah to him. They made food from the cow, and we ate from it. Then her father slept, then woke up sober. He said: 'What is this robe, this yellow dye, and this food?' His daughter, who had spoken to 'Ammar, said to him: 'This is a robe that Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah, your son-in-law, clothed you with, and a cow he gifted to you, which we slaughtered when you married Khadijah to him.' He denied having married her, and went out shouting until he came to the Hijr ²². The Banu Hashim came out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and approached him and spoke to him. He said: 'Where is your companion whom you claim I married to Khadijah?' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stepped forward, and when he looked at him, he said: 'If I married her, then that is the way; and if I did not, then I have married her.' Al-Zuhri mentioned in his Sirah that her father married her to him while he was drunk, and he mentioned something similar to what has preceded. Al-Suhayli narrated it. Al-Mu'ammali said: The consensus is that her uncle 'Amr ibn Asad was the one who married her to him. This is what al-Suhayli preferred, and he narrated it from Ibn 'Abbas and 'A'ishah.

She said: Khuwaylid had died before the Fujjar ²³, and he was the one who contended with Tubba' ²⁴ when he wanted to take the Black Stone to Yemen. Khuwaylid stood up in opposition, and a group of Quraysh stood with him. Then Tubba' saw in his dream something that frightened him, so he desisted and left the Black Stone in its place. Ibn Ishaq mentioned at the end of the Sirah that her brother 'Amr ibn Khuwaylid was the one who gave her in marriage to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. And Allah knows best. Section: Ibn Ishaq said: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid had mentioned to Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy—who was her cousin and had become a Christian, studied the scriptures, and acquired knowledge from the people—what her servant had told her about the monk and what was seen of him when the two angels ²⁵ shaded him. Waraqah said: "If this is true, O Khadijah, then Muhammad is the prophet of this community. I have known that a prophet is to come for this community, whose time is awaited." Or as he said. Waraqah began to await the matter impatiently and said: "Until when?" And he composed the following: "I have persisted, and in remembrance I am persistent, * for a sorrow that has long stirred up sobbing. And description after description from Khadijah, * so long has been my waiting, O Khadijah. In the valley of the two Makkahs ²⁶, hoping * for your news that I may see it emerge. From what you told us of the saying of Quss ²⁷, * from the monks, I dislike that it should deviate. That Muhammad will one day be master, * and will overcome whoever argues with him. And he will manifest in the lands a radiant light, * by which he will establish creation so that it does not surge. So let whoever contends with him meet loss, * and whoever makes peace with him meet success. O would that I, when that happens, * might witness it and be the first to enter. Enter into that which Quraysh dislike, * even if they clamor in Makkah with clamor. I hope, through what they all dislike, * to ascend to the Owner of the Throne, if they descend. And is the matter of baseness anything but disbelief * in Him who chooses, who raised the constellations? If they survive and I survive, there will be matters * at which the disbelievers will clamor greatly. And if I perish, every youth will meet * from the decrees a destructive death." Waraqah also said, according to what Yunus ibn Bukayr ²⁸ narrated from Ibn Ishaq from him: "Do you set out early or are you departing in the evening? * While in the breast from your hidden sorrow is a kindling? For the separation of a people whose parting I do not love, * as if you are, after two days, far away. And true reports told about Muhammad, * reported by a sincere one when he is absent. There came to you, O best of free women, * what you sent to the lowland and the two highlands, where the open plains are. To the market of Busra ²⁹ in the caravans that set out, * while they, from the loads, are bent and weary. So he informs us of every good with his knowledge, * and for truth there are doors with keys. That Ibn 'Abd Allah, Ahmad ³⁰, is sent * to everyone encompassed by the valleys. And my opinion of him is that he will be sent truthfully, * as the two servants Hud and Salih were sent. And Moses and Abraham, until there appears for him * a splendor and a clear revealed scripture. And he will be followed by the clans of Lu'ayy and Ghalib ³¹, * their youth and the gray-haired chiefs. If he lives until the people reach his time, * then I am with him rejoicing, glad and joyful. And if not, then I, O Khadijah, know, * am a wanderer in the wide earth away from your land." And al-Umawi added: "So following the religion of Him who laid the foundation, * and He has a surpassing merit over people. And He laid a firm foundation in Makkah, * in which lamps shine in the darkness. A place of resort for all the tribes, * to which the swift she-camels hasten. Swift camels like arrows from night travel, * with traces hanging on their forelegs." And from his poetry, as cited by Abu al-Qasim al-Suhayli in his Rawd: "I have advised people and said to them, * I am the warner, so let no one deceive you. Do not worship any god other than your Creator, * and if they call you, say: 'Between us is a barrier.' Glory be to the Owner of the Throne, a glorification that endures, * and before us the Judi ³² and the Jamad ³³ glorified. Subjugated is everything under the heavens to Him, * no one should oppose His dominion. Nothing you see retains its freshness; * the God remains, while wealth and children perish. Hurmuz's treasures did not avail him one day, * and 'Ad sought immortality but did not endure. Nor Solomon, when the winds carried him, * and the jinn and humans among them were rebellious. Where are the kings who, for their might, * from every direction a visitor would come? A pool there is to be visited, without lie, * it must be visited one day as they visited." Then he said: Thus Abu al-Faraj attributed it to Waraqah. He said: In it are verses attributed to Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt. I say: We have narrated from the Commander of the Faithful, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, that he would sometimes cite some of these verses as evidence. And Allah knows best. Section on the Quraysh's rebuilding of the Ka'bah five years before the mission: Al-Bayhaqi mentioned the building of the Ka'bah before his marriage, peace and blessings be upon him, to Khadijah. The well-known view is that the Quraysh's building of the Ka'bah was after his marriage to Khadijah, as we mentioned, by ten years. Then al-Bayhaqi began to mention the building of the Ka'bah in the time of Abraham, as we have presented in his story, and he cited the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas previously mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari, and he mentioned what has been reported from Isra'iliyyat ³⁴ about its building in the time of Adam. That is not authentic, for the apparent meaning of the Qur'an requires that Abraham was the first to build it from the beginning, and the first to lay its foundation, though its site was venerated, cared for, and honored in all ages and times. Allah Almighty said: "Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah ³⁵, blessed and a guidance for the worlds. In it are clear signs [such as] the standing place of Abraham. And whoever enters it shall be safe. And [due] to Allah from the people is a pilgrimage to the House—for whoever is able to find a way to it" ³⁶. It is established in the two Sahihs ³⁷ from Abu Dharr: He said: I said, "O Messenger of Allah, which mosque was placed first?" He said: "The Sacred Mosque ³⁸." I said, "Then which?" He said: "Al-Aqsa Mosque ³⁹." I said, "How much time between them?" He said: "Forty years." We have discussed this and that al-Aqsa Mosque was founded by Israel, i.e., Jacob, peace be upon him. In the two Sahihs: "Indeed, this city was declared sacred by Allah on the day He created the heavens and the earth, so it is sacred by the sanctity of Allah until the Day of Resurrection." Al-Bayhaqi said: Abu 'Abd Allah al-Hafiz informed us, Abu 'Abd Allah al-Saffar narrated to us, Ahmad ibn Mihran narrated to us, 'Ubayd Allah narrated to us, Isra'il narrated to us, from Abu Yahya, from Mujahid, from 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr. He said: The House was two thousand years before the earth, "and when the earth is stretched out" ⁴⁰. He said: From beneath it was stretched. He said: Mansur followed him from Mujahid. I say: This is very strange, and it seems to be from the two saddlebags ⁴¹ that 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr acquired on the day of Yarmuk ⁴², which contained Isra'iliyyat that he would narrate, and in them are objectionable and strange things. Then al-Bayhaqi said: Abu 'Abd Allah al-Hafiz informed us, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Baghdadi informed us, Yahya ibn 'Uthman ibn Salih narrated to us, Abu Salih al-Juhani narrated to us, Ibn Lahi'ah narrated to me, from Yazid ibn Abi al-Khayr, from 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Allah sent Gabriel to Adam and Eve and said to them: 'Build for Me a house.' So Gabriel drew a line for them, and Adam began to dig while Eve carried away the earth, until water answered him. It was called from beneath: 'Enough for you, O Adam.' When they built it, Allah Almighty revealed to him to circumambulate it, and it was said to him: 'You are the first of people, and this is the first house.' Then the centuries succeeded until Noah performed pilgrimage to it, then the centuries succeeded until Abraham raised the foundations from it."

Al-Bayhaqi said: Ibn Lahīʿa alone transmitted it in this manner as marfūʿ ⁴³. I say: It is weak, and its waqf ⁴⁴ on ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr is stronger and more established. And Allah knows best. Al-Rabīʿ said: Al-Shāfiʿī informed us, Sufyān informed us, from Ibn Abī Labīd, from Muḥammad ibn Kaʿb al-Quraẓī—or someone else—who said: Ādam performed the ḥajj, and the angels met him and said: "Your ritual is accepted, O Ādam; we performed ḥajj two thousand years before you." Yūnus ibn Bukayr said: From Ibn Isḥāq, Baqiyya—or he said a trustworthy person from the people of Medina—narrated to me from ʿUrwa ibn al-Zubayr that he said: There is no prophet who did not perform ḥajj to the House, except Hūd and Ṣāliḥ. I say: We have already mentioned their ḥajj to it ²⁴. The intended meaning is ḥajj to its location and site, even if there was no building there. And Allah knows best. Then al-Bayhaqi cited the aforementioned ḥadīth of Ibn ʿAbbās concerning the story of Ibrāhīm, peace be upon him, in its full length and completeness, and it is in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. Then al-Bayhaqi narrated from the ḥadīth of Simāk ibn Ḥarb, from Khālid ibn ʿArʿara, who said: A man asked ʿAlī about the saying of the Exalted: "Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakka, blessed and a guidance for the worlds" [3:96]. Is it the first house built on earth? He said: No, but it is the first house in which blessing and guidance were placed for mankind, and the Maqām Ibrāhīm ⁴⁵, and whoever enters it is secure. And if you wish, I will inform you how it was built! Indeed, Allah the Exalted revealed to Ibrāhīm: "Build for Me a house on earth." He was distressed by this, so He sent to him the Sakīna ⁴⁶, which is a swift wind ²⁵ with a head, and one of them followed the other until it stopped, then it coiled around the site of the House like a snake coiling. So Ibrāhīm built until he reached the place of the Stone. He said to his son: "Bring me a stone." He sought a stone until he brought it to him, but he found the Black Stone already placed. He said to his father: "Where did you get this?" He said: "It was brought by one who does not rely on your building; Jibrīl brought it from heaven." And he placed it. He said: Then time passed and it collapsed, so the ʿAmālīqa ⁴⁷ rebuilt it. Then it collapsed, so Jurhum ⁴⁸ rebuilt it. Then it collapsed, so Quraysh rebuilt it, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was at that time a young man. When they wanted to raise the Black Stone, they disputed over it and said: "Let us appoint as arbiter the first man who comes out of this alley." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the first to come out to them, and he judged between them that they should place it in a cloak ²⁶, then all the tribes would lift it together. Abū Dāwūd al-Ṭayālisī said: Ḥammād ibn Salama, Qays, and Sallām narrated to us, all from Simāk ibn Ḥarb, from Khālid ibn ʿArʿara, from ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, who said: When the House collapsed after Jurhum, Quraysh rebuilt it. When they wanted to place the Stone, they quarreled over who would place it. They agreed that the first person to enter through this door would place it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered from the door of Banī Shayba, and he ordered a cloth, placed the Stone in its middle, and ordered each clan to take hold of a part of the cloth. They lifted it, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took it and placed it. Yaʿqūb ibn Sufyān said: Aṣbagh ibn Faraj informed me, Ibn Wahb informed me, from Yūnus, from Ibn Shihāb, who said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reached puberty, a woman perfumed the Kaʿba with incense, and a spark flew from her censer onto the garments of the Kaʿba, and they caught fire. So they demolished it. When they rebuilt it and reached the place of the Corner, Quraysh disputed over the Corner: which tribe would have the honor of lifting it? They said: "Come, let us appoint as arbiter the first person who appears to us." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, appeared to them as a young boy wearing a striped cloak, and they appointed him as arbiter. He ordered the Corner to be placed in a cloth, then he brought out the chief of each tribe and gave each a side of the cloth. Then he climbed up, and they lifted the Corner to him, and he placed it. He only increased in age with approval, until they called him al-Amīn ⁴⁹ before revelation came down to him. They would not slaughter a camel without seeking him to supplicate for them over it. This is a good account, and it is from the sīra of al-Zuhrī. Among its oddities is his saying: "When he reached puberty," whereas the well-known account is that this happened when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was thirty-five years old, as stated by Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Yasār, may Allah have mercy on him. Mūsā ibn ʿUqba said: The building of the Kaʿba was fifteen years before the mission. Similarly said Mujāhid, ʿUrwa, Muḥammad ibn Jubayr ibn Muṭʿim, and others. Allah knows best. Mūsā ibn ʿUqba said: Between the Fijār ⁵⁰ and the building of the Kaʿba there were fifteen years. I say: The Fijār and the Ḥilf al-Fuḍūl ⁵¹ occurred in the same year, when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was twenty years old. This supports what Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq said. And Allah knows best. Mūsā ibn ʿUqba said: What prompted Quraysh to rebuild it was that floods came from above it, from above the rubble that they had cleared, and it damaged it, so they feared that water would enter it. A man called Mulayḥ stole the perfume of the Kaʿba. They wanted to strengthen its structure and raise its door so that only those they wished could enter. They prepared funds and workers for that, then they went to it to demolish it, with fear and caution that Allah might prevent them from what they intended. The first man to ascend it and demolish something from it was al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra. When they saw what al-Walīd did, they followed suit and demolished it, and they were pleased with that. When they wanted to begin its construction, they brought their workers, but no man could move forward a single step. They claimed that they saw a snake encircling the House, its head at its tail, and they were extremely afraid of it, fearing that they had fallen into destruction because of what they had done. The Kaʿba was their sanctuary, their protection from people, and their honor. When they were at a loss and their affair became confused, al-Mughīra ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn Makhzūm stood among them and mentioned his advice to them, commanding them not to quarrel or envy each other in its construction, but to divide it into four parts, and not to use any unlawful wealth in its construction. He mentioned that when they resolved to do that, the snake went up into the sky and disappeared from them, and they saw that as from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. He said: Some people say that a bird snatched it and threw it toward Ajyād ⁵². Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Yasār said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reached thirty-five years of age, Quraysh gathered to build the Kaʿba. They had intended to do so to roof it, but they feared demolishing it. It was only a pile of stones ²⁸ above the height of a man, and they wanted to raise it and roof it. This was because some people had stolen the treasure of the Kaʿba, which used to be in a well inside the Kaʿba. The one with whom the treasure was found was Duwayk, a client of Banī Mulayḥ ibn ʿAmr ibn ³⁰ Khuzāʿa. Quraysh cut off his hand. Quraysh claimed that those who stole it had placed it with Duwayk. The sea had cast a ship belonging to a Roman merchant onto Jeddah, and it was wrecked. They took its wood and prepared it for roofing it. Al-Umawī said: This ship belonged to Caesar, the king of the Romans, carrying building materials of marble, wood, and iron. Caesar had sent it with Bāqūm the Roman to the church that the Persians had burned for the Abyssinians. When it reached its anchorage at Jeddah, Allah sent a wind upon it and wrecked it.

Ibn Ishaq said: There was in Mecca a Coptic carpenter, and they had prepared among themselves some of what would repair it (the Kaaba). And there was a snake that came out every day from the well of the Kaaba, into which was thrown what was dedicated to it, and it would bask (31) on the wall of the Kaaba. It was among the things they held in awe, because no one would approach it without it coiling up, hissing (32), and opening its mouth. Thus they held it in awe. One day, while it was overlooking the wall of the Kaaba as it used to do, God sent a bird that snatched it away and carried it off. The Quraysh said: "We indeed hope that God Almighty has approved what we intended. We have a skilled craftsman, we have wood, and God has spared us the snake." Al-Suhayli narrated from Razin that a thief entered the Kaaba in the days of Jurhum to steal its treasure, and the well collapsed upon him until they came, extracted him, and took from him what he had taken. Then this well became inhabited by a snake whose head was like the head of a kid goat, its belly white and its back black. It remained there for five hundred years. It is the one mentioned by Muhammad ibn Ishaq. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: When they resolved upon their matter of demolishing it (33) and rebuilding it, Abu Wahb [ibn (34)] 'Amr ibn 'A'idh (35) ibn 'Abd ibn 'Imran ibn Makhzum—and Ibn Hisham said: 'A'idh (4) 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 include in its construction from your earnings anything but what is pure. Let there not enter into it the dowry of a prostitute, nor the profit of usury, nor the wrongful taking of anyone's property." The people attribute this saying to Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughirah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (37) ibn Makhzum. Then Ibn Ishaq favored the view that the one who said that was Abu Wahb ibn 'Amr. He said: He was the maternal uncle of the father of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and he was a noble and praiseworthy man. Ibn Ishaq said: Then the Quraysh divided the Kaaba among themselves. The side of the door was for Banu 'Abd Manaf and Zuhrah. The area between the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner was for Banu Makhzum and other tribes of Quraysh that joined them. The back of the Kaaba was for Banu Jumah and Sahm. The side of the Hijr was for Banu 'Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy, Banu Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, and Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b—this is Al-Hatim (38). Then the people feared demolishing it and were afraid of it. So Al-Walid ibn Al-Mughirah said: "I will begin for you in its demolition." He took the pickaxe, then stood upon it and said: "O God, do not cause fear (39). O God, we intend nothing but good." Then he demolished from the side of the two corners. The people waited that night and said: "We will watch. If he is struck (by calamity), we will not demolish anything of it and will return it as it was. But if nothing strikes him, then God has approved what we have done [of its demolition (40)]." So Al-Walid arose early to his work and demolished, and the people demolished with him, until when the demolition reached the foundation, the foundation of Abraham, peace be upon him, they came upon green stones like spearheads, interlocked with one another. In Sahih al-Bukhari, from Yazid ibn Ruman, it is: "Like the humps of camels." Al-Suhayli said: I consider the narration of the Sirah "like spearheads (41)" to be a mistake, and God knows best. Ibn Ishaq said: Someone who narrates the hadith told me that a man of Quraysh, among those who were demolishing it, inserted a crowbar between two of its stones to pry one of them loose. When the stone moved, all of Mecca shook. So they desisted from that foundation. Musa ibn 'Uqbah said: 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas claimed that the early generations of Quraysh used to relate that when they gathered to remove the stones down to the foundation of Abraham and Ishmael, peace be upon them, a man among them took a stone from the first foundation and lifted it, not knowing it was from the first foundation. The people saw a flash of lightning under the stone that almost blinded the man's sight, and the stone leaped from his hand and fell back into its place. The man and the builders were terrified. When the stone concealed from them what was beneath it in its place, they returned to their building and said: "Do not move this stone nor anything adjacent to it." Ibn Ishaq said: I was told that the Quraysh found in the Corner a writing in Syriac, and they did not know what it was until a Jewish man read it for them. It was: "I am God, the Lord of Bakkah. 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 upright angels. It shall not cease until its two Akhshaban cease"—Ibn Hisham said: meaning its two mountains—"Blessed for its people in water and milk." Ibn Ishaq said: I was told that they found in the Maqam a writing in which was: "Mecca [is the sacred (43)] House of God. Its provision comes to it from three directions. The first of its people shall not deem it lawful." He said: Layth ibn Abi Sulaym claimed that they found [a stone (44)] in the Kaaba forty years before the mission of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace—if what is mentioned is true—inscribed on it: "Whoever sows good will reap joy; whoever sows evil will reap regret. Do you commit evil deeds and expect to be rewarded with good deeds? Indeed, just as [no (45)] grapes are gathered from thorns." Sa'id ibn Yahya al-Umawi said: Al-Mu'tamir ibn Sulayman al-Raqqi narrated to us from 'Abdullah ibn Bishr al-Zuhri—raising the hadith to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace—who said: "Three tablets were found in the Maqam. On the first tablet: 'Indeed, I am God, the Lord of Bakkah. I made it on the day I made the sun and the moon. I surrounded it with seven upright angels, and I blessed its people in meat and milk.' On the second tablet: 'Indeed, I am God, the Lord of Bakkah. I created the womb and derived its name from Mine. Whoever joins it, I join him; whoever severs it, I sever him.' On the third tablet: 'Indeed, I am God, the Lord of Bakkah. I created good and evil and decreed it. So blessed is he through whose hands I cause good to flow, and woe to him through whose hands I cause evil to flow.'" Ibn Ishaq said: Then the tribes of Quraysh gathered stones for its construction, each tribe gathering separately. Then they built it until the construction reached the place of the Corner. They disputed over it, each tribe wanting to raise it to its place without the other. Until they argued (46) and made alliances, and prepared for battle. Banu 'Abd al-Dar brought a bowl filled with blood, then they and Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy made a pact unto death, and dipped their hands in that blood in the bowl. So they were called "Lickers of Blood." The Quraysh remained in that state for four or five nights. Then they gathered in the Mosque and consulted and dealt fairly with one another. Some narrators claimed that Abu Umayyah ibn Al-Mughirah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (2) ibn Makhzum—who was at that time the eldest of all Quraysh—said: "O company of Quraysh, make the first one to enter through the door of this Mosque the judge over what you dispute." So they did. The first to enter was the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. When they saw him, they said: "This is the Trustworthy One; we are satisfied. This is Muhammad." When he reached them and they told him the story, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "Bring me a cloth." So it was brought to him. He took the Black Stone and placed it in it with his own hand, then said: "Let each tribe take hold of a side of the cloth. Then raise it all together." They did so until, when they had brought it to its place, he himself placed it with his hand, may God bless him and grant him peace. Then he built upon it. The Quraysh used to call the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, "The Trustworthy One."

Imam Ahmad said: 'Abd al-Samad narrated to us, Thabit—meaning Abu Yazid—narrated to us, Hilal—meaning Ibn Hibban—narrated from Mujahid, from his client—who is al-Sa'ib ibn 'Abd Allah—that he told him that he was among those who built the Ka'ba in the pre-Islamic period. He said: I had a stone that I carved and worshipped besides Allah. He said: I would bring thick milk, which I preferred for myself, and pour it over it, then a dog would come and lick it, then lift its leg and urinate on it. He said: We built until we reached the place of the Black Stone, and no one could see the stone. Then suddenly it was in the midst of our stones like the head of a man, almost showing a man's face. A clan of Quraysh said: We will place it. Others said: We will place it. They said: Appoint an arbiter among you. They said: The first man to appear from the pass. The Messenger of Allah ⁵³ came, and they said: The trustworthy one has come to you. They told him, and he placed it in a garment. Then he called the clans, and they lifted its sides, and he himself placed it ⁵⁴. Ibn Ishaq said: The Ka'ba at the time of the Prophet ⁵³ was eighteen cubits high, and it was covered with Coptic cloth ⁵⁵. Then later it was covered with striped Yemeni cloth ⁵⁶, and the first to cover it with brocade was al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. I say: They had removed the Hijr ⁵⁷ from it—which is six or seven cubits on the Syrian side—because their funds fell short, meaning they were unable to build it on the foundations of Ibrahim ⁵⁸. They made for the Ka'ba one door on the eastern side. They made it elevated so that not everyone could enter it; they would admit whom they wished and prevent whom they wished. It is established in the two Sahihs ⁵⁹ from 'A'isha ⁶⁰ that the Messenger of Allah ⁵³ said to her: 'Do you not see that your people fell short due to lack of funds? If it were not for the recentness of your people's disbelief, I would have demolished the Ka'ba and made for it a door on the east and a door on the west, and I would have included the Hijr in it.' For this reason, when Ibn al-Zubayr ⁶¹ gained power, he built it according to what the Messenger of Allah ⁵³ had indicated, and it came in the utmost beauty, goodness, and splendor, complete on the foundations of al-Khalil ⁶², having two doors flush with the ground, one on the east and one on the west; people would enter through one and exit through the other. When al-Hajjaj killed Ibn al-Zubayr, he wrote to 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, who was the caliph at that time, about what Ibn al-Zubayr had done, thinking that he had done it on his own initiative. So he ordered it to be restored to its former state. They went to the Syrian wall, dug it up, removed the Hijr from it, and stacked its stones on the ground of the Ka'ba, raising its two doors and blocking the western one, while the eastern one remained as it was. Then in the time of al-Mahdi—or his son al-Mansur—he consulted Malik ⁶³ about restoring it to what Ibn al-Zubayr had done. Malik said: I dislike that kings should make it a plaything. So he left it as it was. Thus it remains to this day. As for the Sacred Mosque ⁶⁴, the first to move the houses away from around the Ka'ba was 'Umar ibn al-Khattab ⁶⁵; he bought them from their owners and demolished them. Then when 'Uthman ⁶⁶ was caliph, he bought houses and added them to it. When Ibn al-Zubayr became ruler, he strengthened its structure, beautified its walls, and increased its doors, but did not expand it further. When 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan assumed sole authority, he increased the height of its walls and ordered the Ka'ba to be covered with brocade. The one who carried that out on his orders was al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. We have mentioned the story of the building of the House and the traditions related to that in the commentary on Surat al-Baqara ⁶⁷ at His words: 'And when Ibrahim was raising the foundations of the House and Isma'il' ⁶⁸. We mentioned that in detail and comprehensively; whoever wishes may write it here. To Allah be praise and gratitude. Ibn Ishaq said: When they finished the building and built it as they intended, al-Zubayr ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib ⁶⁹ said, concerning the matter of the snake that Quraysh feared to build the Ka'ba because of it: 'I marvel at how the eagle swooped down upon the snake, which was writhing. It used to hiss and sometimes leap. When we stood to lay the foundation, it would tighten, frightening us from building, and we were afraid. But when we feared the repulsion, an eagle came, swooping down upon it. It clasped it to itself, then left us the building without any barrier. So we rose, hastening to a building whose foundations and earth were ours, on the morning when its foundation was raised, and we had no clothes on our shoulders. The King honored the Banu Lu'ayy ⁷⁰ through it, so their origin will never perish. The Banu 'Adiyy ⁷¹ gathered there, and Murra ⁷², preceded by Kilab ⁷³. So the King gave us honor through that, and with Allah is the reward sought.' We have already mentioned in a section how Allah protected His Messenger ⁵³ from the impurities of the pre-Islamic period: that he and his uncle al-'Abbas ⁷⁴ were carrying stones, and that when he placed his lower garment under the stones on his shoulder, he was forbidden to remove his garment, so he returned it to its former state. Section: Ibn Ishaq mentioned what Quraysh innovated in calling themselves al-Hums ⁷⁵, which means severity in religion and firmness. That is because they magnified the Sanctuary excessively, to the extent that they obliged themselves not to leave it on the night of 'Arafa ⁷⁶. They used to say: We are the sons of the Sanctuary and the dwellers of the House of Allah. So they would not stand at 'Arafat ⁷⁷, despite knowing that it is one of the rites of Ibrahim ⁵⁸, so as not to deviate from the system they had established of this corrupt innovation. They would not store dried curd, butter, or render fat while in a state of ihram ⁷⁸. They would not enter a tent of hair, nor seek shade unless it was from a leather tent. They would prevent the pilgrims and those performing 'Umra ⁷⁹—as long as they were in ihram—from eating anything except food from Quraysh, and from circumambulating except in garments of Quraysh. If any of them could not find a garment from one of the Hums—who were Quraysh and their offspring, and those who joined them from Kinana ⁸⁰ and Khuza'a ⁸¹—they would circumambulate naked, even if it was a woman. For this reason, if a woman happened to circumambulate thus, she would place her hand over her private part and say: 'Today part or all of it appears, and what appears of it I do not make lawful.' If someone who found a garment from a Hums person was generous and circumambulated in his own clothes, then upon finishing the circumambulation he had to discard them, and they could not be used thereafter; neither he nor anyone else could touch them. The Arabs called those garments 'al-laqa' ⁸². A poet said: 'Enough sorrow for me: my garment upon him is like al-laqa among the circumambulators, forbidden.' Ibn Ishaq said: They continued thus until Allah sent Muhammad ⁵³ and revealed the Qur'an to him in refutation of what they had innovated. He said: 'Then depart from where the people depart' ⁸³, meaning the multitude of Arabs from 'Arafat, 'and ask forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful' ⁸⁴. We have already mentioned that the Messenger of Allah ⁵³ used to stand at 'Arafat before this was revealed to him, by way of divine guidance. And Allah revealed to him in refutation of what they had forbidden of clothing and food to the people: 'O children of Adam, take your adornment at every mosque, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess. Say: Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants and the good things of provision?' ⁸⁵

Ziyād al-Bakkā'ī ⁸⁶ said, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: I do not know whether their innovation of that was before the Elephant ⁸⁷ or after it. Book of the Mission of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him much peace, and mention of some of the glad tidings concerning that. Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, may God have mercy on him, said: The rabbis ⁸⁸ among the Jews, the monks among the Christians, and the soothsayers ⁸⁹ among the Arabs had spoken of 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 was of the covenant of their prophets to them concerning him. God Almighty said: "Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him—it is those who will be the successful" ⁹⁰. And God Almighty said: "And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, 'O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of God to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Aḥmad'" ⁹¹. And God Almighty said: "Muḥammad is the Messenger of God; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from God and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so that they grow stout and stand firmly on their stalks, delighting the sowers—so that He may enrage by them the disbelievers. God has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward" ⁹². And God Almighty said: "And [mention] when God took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], 'Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him.' [God] said, 'Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?' They said, 'We have acknowledged it.' He said, 'Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses'" ⁹³. And in the Ṣaḥīḥ of al-Bukhārī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: "God never sent a prophet except that He took from him the covenant that if Muḥammad were sent while he was alive, he would surely believe in him and support him." And He commanded him to take from his nation the covenant that if Muḥammad were sent while they were alive, they would surely believe in him, support him, and follow him. It is known from this that all the prophets gave glad tidings and commanded [their followers] to follow him. And Abraham, peace be upon him, said in his supplication for the people of Mecca: "Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise" ⁹⁴. And Imām Aḥmad said: Abū al-Naḍr narrated to us, al-Faraj ibn Faḍāla narrated to us, Luqmān ibn ʿĀmir narrated to us, I heard Abū Umāma say: I said, O Messenger of God, what was the beginning of your affair? He said: "The supplication of my father Abraham, and the glad tidings of Jesus, and my mother saw that a light went forth from her by which the palaces of Syria were illuminated." And Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq narrated from Thawr ibn Yazīd, from Khālid ibn Maʿdān, from the companions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, from him, something similar. And the meaning of this is that he intended: the beginning of his affair among the people and the fame of his mention and its spread. So he mentioned the supplication of Abraham, to whom the Arabs trace their lineage, then the glad tidings of Jesus, who is the seal of the prophets of the Children of Israel, as has preceded. This indicates that the prophets between them also gave glad tidings of him. As for the highest assembly ⁹⁵, his affair was well-known, mentioned, and known before the creation of Adam, peace and blessings be upon him. As Imām Aḥmad said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Mahdī narrated to us, Muʿāwiya ibn Ṣāliḥ narrated to us, from Saʿīd ibn Suwayd al-Kalbī, from ʿAbd al-Aʿlā ibn Hilāl al-Sulamī, from al-ʿIrbāḍ ibn Sāriya, he said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "Indeed, I am with God the seal of the prophets, and Adam was [still] lying in his clay. And I will inform you of the beginning of that: the supplication of my father Abraham, and the glad tidings of Jesus concerning me, and the vision of my mother which she saw, and likewise the mothers of the believers." And al-Layth narrated it from Muʿāwiya ibn Ṣāliḥ and said: Indeed, his mother saw when she gave birth to him a light by which the palaces of Syria were illuminated. And Imām Aḥmad also said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān narrated to us, Manṣūr ibn Saʿd narrated to us, from Budayl ibn Maysara, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Shaqīq, from Maysara al-Fajr, he said: I said, O Messenger of God, when were you a prophet? He said: "While Adam was between spirit and body." Aḥmad alone [narrated] these. And ʿUmar ibn Aḥmad ibn Shāhīn narrated it in the book "Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwa" ⁹⁶ from the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayra, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz—meaning Abū al-Qāsim al-Baghawī—narrated to us, Abū Hammām al-Walīd ibn Muslim narrated to us, from al-Awzāʿī, Yaḥyā narrated to me, from Abū Salama, from Abū Hurayra, he said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was asked: When was prophethood established for you? He said: "Between the creation of Adam and the blowing of the spirit into him." And it was narrated from another chain from al-Awzāʿī with it. And he said: "While Adam was lying in his clay." And it was narrated from al-Baghawī also, from Aḥmad ibn al-Miqdām, from Baqiyya ibn Saʿīd ibn Bashīr, from Qatāda, from Abū Hurayra—raised [to the Prophet]—concerning the saying of God Almighty: "And [mention] when We took from the prophets their covenant and from you and from Noah" ⁹⁷. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "I was the first of the prophets in creation and the last of them in being sent." And from the ḥadīth of Abū Muzāḥim, from Qays ibn al-Rabīʿ, from Jābir, from al-Shaʿbī, from Ibn ʿAbbās, it was said: O Messenger of God, when were you a prophet? He said: "While Adam was between spirit and body." As for the soothsayers among the Arabs, the devils among the jinn brought them [news] from what they eavesdropped from the heaven, since at that time they were not prevented from that by being pelted with stars. And the male soothsayer and female soothsayer would occasionally mention some of his affairs, but the Arabs paid no attention to that. Until God sent him, and those matters which they used to mention occurred, and they recognized them. When the affair of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, drew near and the time of his mission arrived, the devils were prevented from eavesdropping, and a barrier was placed between them and the positions where they used to sit for eavesdropping. They were pelted with stars, and the devils knew that this was due to an event that had occurred from the command of God, Mighty and Majestic. He said: And concerning that, God revealed to His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace: "Say, 'It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, "Indeed, we have heard a wonderful Qurʾān. It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone"'" to the end of the sūra ⁹⁸. And we have mentioned the interpretation of all that in our book of Tafsīr ⁹⁹, and likewise His saying, the Exalted: "And [mention] when We directed to you a group of the jinn, listening to the Qurʾān. And when they attended it, they said, 'Listen quietly.' And when it was concluded, they turned back to their people as warners. They said, 'O our people, indeed we have heard a book revealed after Moses confirming what was before it which guides to the truth and to a straight path'" ¹⁰⁰—the verses. We have mentioned the interpretation of all that there.

Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Ya'qub ibn 'Utbah ibn al-Mughirah ibn al-Akhnas narrated to me that he was told that the first of the Arabs to be alarmed by the shooting of stars ¹⁰¹ when they were shot were this clan of Thaqif. They went to a man among them called 'Amr ibn Umayyah, one of the Banu 'Ilaj, who was the most cunning and strange of the Arabs. They said to him: 'O 'Amr, have you not seen what has happened in the sky with the shooting of these stars?' He said: 'Yes. Look: if the stars that are used for guidance on land and sea, and by which the seasons of summer and winter are known for people's livelihoods, are the ones being shot, then by Allah, that is the folding up of the world and the destruction of this creation. But if they are other stars, and they remain fixed in their state, then this is for an affair that Allah intends for this creation. So what is it?' Ibn Ishaq said: Some people of knowledge narrated to me that a woman from Banu Sahm called al-Ghaytalah, who was a soothsayer ¹⁰² in the Jahiliyyah ¹⁰³, had her companion come to her one night and he swooped down beneath her, then said: 'Adri ma adri ¹⁰⁴, a day of slaughter and sacrifice?' Quraysh said when they heard that: 'What does he mean?' Then he came to her another night and swooped down beneath her, then said: 'Shu'ub ¹⁰⁵, what is Shu'ub? In it, Ka'b is struck down for Junub.' When Quraysh heard that, they said: 'What does he mean? This is for an affair that will happen. So look into what it is.' But they did not understand it until the battles of Badr and Uhud at the ravine ¹⁰⁶, then they knew that it was what he had brought to his companion. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Ali ibn Nafi' al-Jurashi narrated to me that Janb, a subtribe of Yemen, had a soothsayer in the Jahiliyyah. When the matter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was mentioned and spread among the Arabs, Janb said to him: 'Look into the matter of this man for us.' They gathered for him at the foot of his mountain. He came down to them when the sun rose and stood before them, leaning on his bow. He raised his head to the sky for a long time, then began to leap and said: 'O people, Allah has honored Muhammad and chosen him, purified his heart and filled it. His stay among you, O people, is short.' Then he hurried back up his mountain, returning the way he came. Then Ibn Ishaq mentioned the story of Sawad ibn Qarib, which we have postponed to the section on the calls of the jinn ¹⁰⁷. Section: Ibn Ishaq said: 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatadah narrated to me from men of his people, who said: Among the things that called us to Islam—along with the mercy of Allah, exalted is He, and His guidance for us—was that we used to hear from a man of the Jews ¹⁰⁸—we were polytheists, worshippers of idols, and they were People of the Book ¹⁰⁹ who had knowledge that we did not have. There were always conflicts between us and them. When we treated them in ways they disliked, they would say to us: 'The time of a prophet is near; he will be sent now, and we will kill you with him like the killing of 'Ad and Iram ¹¹⁰.' 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, 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, this verse was revealed: '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—but when there came to them what they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allah is upon the disbelievers.' ¹¹¹ Warqa' said, from Ibn Abi Najih, from 'Ali al-Azdi: The Jews used to say: 'O Allah, send us this prophet to judge between us and the people,' seeking victory through him—i.e., seeking help through him. Al-Bayhaqi narrated it. Then it was narrated via 'Abd al-Malik ibn Harun ibn 'Anbarah, from his father, from his grandfather, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The Jews of Khaybar used to fight Ghatafan. Whenever they met, the Jews of Khaybar were defeated. So the Jews took refuge in this supplication, saying: 'O Allah, we ask You by the right of Muhammad, the unlettered prophet ¹¹², whom You promised to bring forth in the end times, to grant us victory over them.' He said: Whenever they met, they would make this supplication and defeat Ghatafan. When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent, they disbelieved in him. So Allah, mighty and majestic, revealed: 'And although before they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieved...' the verse. 'Atiyyah narrated similarly from Ibn 'Abbas. It was also narrated from 'Ikrimah as his own statement, similar to that. Ibn Ishaq said: Salih ibn Ibrahim ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf narrated to me, from Mahmud ibn Labid, from Salamah ibn Salam ¹¹³ ibn Waqsh, who was among the people of Badr, who said: We had a Jewish neighbor among Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal. He came out one day from his house until he stopped among Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal. Salamah said: At that time, I was the youngest among them, wearing a fur garment ¹¹⁴ and lying in the courtyard of my family. 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 really think this will happen—that people will be resurrected after their death to a place with Paradise and Hell, where they will be recompensed for their deeds?' He said: 'Yes, by the One by whom one swears. I wish I could have a great oven in my house, heated up, then be put into it and sealed over me, and be saved from that Fire tomorrow.' They said: 'Woe to you, O so-and-so! What is the sign of that?' He said: 'A prophet sent from the direction of these lands,' and he pointed with his hand towards Mecca and Yemen. They said: 'When will we see him?' He looked at me—I was the youngest among them—and said: 'If this boy lives out his life, he will reach him.' Salamah said: By Allah, night and day had not passed before Allah sent His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was alive among us. We believed in him, but he disbelieved out of transgression and envy! 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.' Ahmad narrated it from Ya'qub from his father from Ibn 'Abbas. Al-Bayhaqi narrated it from al-Hakim with his chain from Yunus ibn Bukayr. Abu Nu'aym narrated in al-Dala'il from 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatadah, from Mahmud ibn Labid, from Muhammad ibn Salamah, who said: There was only one Jew among Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal, called Yusha'. I heard him say—and I was a boy in a waist-wrapper ¹¹⁵—'The emergence of a prophet sent from the direction of this House has overshadowed you.' Then he pointed with his hand towards the House of Allah. 'Whoever reaches him, let him believe in him.' Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent, and we became Muslims while he was among us, but he did not become Muslim out of envy and transgression. We have already presented the hadith of Abu Sa'id from his father about the information of this Yusha' concerning the coming of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, his description and attributes, and the information of al-Zubayr ibn Bata about the appearance of the star of the birth of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Al-Hakim narrated it from al-Bayhaqi with his chain from Yunus ibn Bukayr from him. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatadah narrated to me from a shaykh ¹¹⁶ of Banu Qurayzah, who said to me: Do you know what was the reason for the Islam of Tha'labah ibn Sa'yah, Usayd ibn Sa'yah, and Asad ibn 'Ubayd—a group of Banu Hadl, brothers of Banu Qurayzah, who were with them in their Jahiliyyah, then became their leaders in Islam? I said: No. He said: A man of the Jews from the land of Syria, called Ibn al-Hayyiban, came to us a few years before Islam. He settled among us. By Allah, we never saw a man who did not pray the five prayers ¹¹⁷ better than him.

So he stayed with us, and whenever drought befell us and rain was withheld, we would say to him: "Go out, O son of the Heyban, and ask for rain for us." He would say: "No, by Allah, until you give charity before your departure." We would say to him: "How much?" He would say: "A sa' of dates, or two mudds of barley." He said: So we would give it, then he would go out with us to the outskirts of our cultivated land and ask 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 made me leave the land of wine and leavened bread for the land of misery and hunger?" He said: We said: "You know best." He said: "Indeed, I only came to this town awaiting the emergence of a Prophet whose time has drawn near. This town is his place of emigration. I hoped he would be sent so I could follow him. His time has come upon you, so do not be preceded to him, O company of Jews. For he is sent with the shedding of blood and the captivity of offspring from those who oppose him. Let that not prevent you from him." When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent and besieged Banu Qurayzah, these young men—who were youths—said: "O Banu Qurayzah, by Allah, he is indeed the Prophet about whom Ibn al-Hayyaban made a covenant with you." They said: "He is not." They said: "Yes, by Allah, he is exactly his description." So they descended and embraced Islam, thereby preserving their blood, wealth, and families. Ibn Ishaq said: This is what has reached us about the rabbis of the Jews. I say: We have already mentioned the arrival of Tubba' al-Yamani—he is Abu Karb As'ad—to Medina and his siege of it, and that those two rabbis from the Jews went out to him and said: "You have no way against it. It is the place of emigration of a Prophet who will be in the end of time." That turned him away from it. Abu Nu'aym narrated in al-Dala'il from the chain of al-Walid ibn Muslim: Muhammad ibn Hamzah ibn Yusuf ibn 'Abdullah ibn Salam narrated to us, from his father, from his grandfather. He said: 'Abdullah ibn Salam said: When Allah intended to guide Zayd ibn Sa'yah, Zayd said: "No sign of prophethood remained except that I recognized it in the face of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when I looked at him, except two that I had not been informed of from him: that his forbearance precedes his ignorance, and that severity of ignorance only increases him in forbearance." He said: So I sought to be subtle with him to mix with him and know his forbearance and ignorance. Then he mentioned the story of his lending the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, money on a date. He said: When the term came due, I came to him, grabbed the edges of his shirt and cloak—while he was at a funeral with his companions—and looked at him with a harsh face, and said: "O Muhammad, will you not pay me my due? By Allah, I did not know that you Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib are procrastinators." He said: Then he looked at 'Umar, and his eyes were rolling in his face like a revolving sphere. Then he said: "O enemy of Allah, do you say to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, what I hear, and do what I see? By Him who sent him with the truth, were it not for fear of his blame, I would strike your head with my sword." And the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was looking at 'Umar with calmness, deliberation, and a smile. Then he said: "He and I were more in need of other than this from you, O 'Umar—that you command me to repay well, and command him to seek repayment well. Go with him, O 'Umar, and pay him his due, and add twenty sa's of dates." So Zayd ibn Sa'yah, may Allah be pleased with him, embraced Islam. And he witnessed the remaining battles with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and died in the year of Tabuk, may Allah have mercy on him. Then Ibn Ishaq, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned the Islam of Salman al-Farisi, may Allah be pleased with him and grant him contentment, and said: 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatadah al-Ansari narrated to me, from Mahmud ibn Labid, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, who said: Salman al-Farisi narrated to me—from his own mouth—saying: I was a Persian man from the people of Isfahan, from a village called Jayy. My father was the dihqan (village chief) of his village, and I was the most beloved of Allah's creation to him. His love for me continued until he confined me in his house as a maiden is confined. I strove hard in Magianism until I became the keeper of the fire that he kindled, never letting it go out for an hour. He said: My father had a great estate. One day he was occupied with some building of his and said to me: "O my son, I am occupied today with this building of mine from my estate. Go to it and inspect it," and he ordered me regarding it with some of what he wanted. Then he said to me: "And do not delay from me, for if you delay from me, you will be more important to me than my estate and will occupy me from all my affairs." He said: So I went out intending his estate to which he had sent me, and I passed by a church of the Christians. I heard their voices in it as they were praying. I did not know what the matter of the people was, due to my father confining me in his house. When I heard their voices, I entered upon them to see what they were doing. When I saw them, their prayer impressed me, and I desired their matter. I said: "This, by Allah, is better than the religion we are upon." By Allah, I did not leave them until the sun set, and I abandoned 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 for me, and I occupied him from all his affairs. When I came, he said: "O my son, where were you? Did I not make a covenant with you as I did?" He said: I said: "O father, I passed by people praying in a church of theirs, and what I saw of their religion impressed me. By Allah, I remained 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 fathers is better than it." He said: I said: "No, by Allah, it is better than our religion." He said: So he feared me, put a fetter on my leg, then confined me in his house. He said: And I sent to the Christians, saying to them: "When a caravan from Syria comes to you, inform me of them." He said: Then a caravan from Syria came to them, and the Christians came and informed me of them. I said: "When they finish their needs and intend to return to their land, inform me." He said: When they intended to return to their land, they informed me of them. So I threw off the iron from my leg, 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." He said: So I came to him and said to him: "I have desired this religion and loved 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 was a bad man. He would command them to give charity and encourage them in it, but when they collected something for him, he would hoard it for himself and not give it to the poor, until he gathered seven jars of gold and silver. He said: And I hated him intensely for what I saw him do. Then he died, and the Christians gathered to bury him. I said to them: "This was a bad man. He commanded you to give charity and encouraged you in it, but when you brought it to him, he hoarded it for himself and gave nothing of it to the poor." He said: They said to me: "How do you know that?" He said: I said to them: "I will show you his treasure." They said: "Show us." He said: So I showed them its place, and they extracted seven jars filled with gold and silver. When they saw them, they said: "We will never bury him." He said: So they crucified him and stoned him with stones. And they brought another man and placed him in his position. Salman said: I never saw a man who did not pray the five prayers whom I considered more excellent than him, more ascetic in this world, more desirous of the Hereafter, or more diligent night and day. He said: So I loved him with a love I had never loved anything before like it. He said: I stayed with him for a time. Then death came to him, and I said to him: "I have been with you,

And I loved you with a love I have never loved anything before you, and now the decree of Allah Almighty has come upon you as you see. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you command me? ⁶⁶ He said: O my son, by Allah, I do not know today anyone upon the same path as I was. The people have perished, changed, and abandoned most of what they were upon, except a man in Mosul—he is so-and-so—and he is upon what I was upon. So go to him. He said: When he died and was buried, I went to the man of Mosul. I 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 to me: Stay with me. So I stayed with him and found him to be an excellent man upon 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 join you, and now the decree of Allah has come upon you as you see. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you command me? He said: O my son, by Allah, I do not know a man upon what we were upon except a man in Nisibis—he is so-and-so—so go to him. When he died and was buried, I went to the man of Nisibis and told him my story and what my two companions had commanded me. He said: Stay with me. So I stayed with him and found him 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 it came, I said: O so-and-so, so-and-so 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, and what do you command me? He said: O my son, by Allah, I do not know anyone remaining upon our path whom I can command you to go to, except a man in Amorium ¹¹⁸ in the land of the Romans, for he is upon what we are upon. If you wish, go to him, for he is upon our path. When he died and was buried, I went to the man of Amorium and told him my story. He said: Stay with me. So I stayed with an excellent man upon the guidance and path of his companions. He said: And I earned [livelihood] until I had cows and sheep. He said: Then the decree of Allah came upon him. When he was in his death throes, 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 so-and-so, then so-and-so entrusted me to you. To whom do you entrust me, and what do you command me? He said: O my son, by Allah, I do not know anyone among the people remaining upon what we were upon whom I can command you to go to. But the time of a Prophet has drawn near, sent with the religion of Abraham ¹¹⁹, who will emerge in the land of the Arabs; his place of emigration will be a land ⁶⁷ between two lava fields ¹²⁰ with palm trees between them. He has signs that are not hidden: he accepts gifts but does not accept charity ¹²¹; between his shoulder blades is the seal of prophethood ¹²². If you are able to reach that land, do so. He said: Then he died and was buried, and I stayed in Amorium as long as Allah willed. Then a group of traders from Kalb ¹²³ 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. When they reached Wadi al-Qura ¹²⁴, they wronged me and sold me as a slave to a Jewish man. I stayed with him and saw 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 ¹²⁵ came from Medina and bought me from him. He took me to Medina. By Allah, as soon as I saw it, I recognized it by the description my companion had given me. So I stayed there. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent [as a Prophet]. He stayed in Mecca for as long as he stayed, and I did not hear any mention of him due to my preoccupation with slavery. Then he emigrated to Medina. By Allah, I was at the top of a palm tree ¹¹⁹ belonging to my master, doing some work, while my master was sitting below me, when a cousin of his came and stood before him and said: O so-and-so, may Allah curse the Banu Qayla ⁶⁸! By Allah, they are now gathered at Quba' ¹²⁶ around a man who has come from Mecca today, claiming to be a prophet.

1. ḥarb al-fijār : The Sacrilegious War, a pre-Islamic conflict between the tribes of Quraysh (with Kinana) and Qays 'Aylan, fought during the sacred months, hence considered sacrilegious.
2. laṭīma : A caravan of trade goods, often protected by a guarantee of safe passage.
3. al-shahr al-ḥarām : One of the four sacred months in the Islamic calendar during which fighting was forbidden.
4. al-mawālī : Clients or allies, often non-tribal members attached to a tribe.
5. al-ḥaram : The sacred precinct of Mecca, where fighting was prohibited.
6. unabbilu : To hand arrows to archers; the Prophet's role was to collect and return arrows shot by the enemy.
7. ḥilf al-muṭayyabīn : The Alliance of the Perfumed Ones, a pre-Islamic pact among certain Quraysh clans to support Banu 'Abd Manaf.
8. ḥumr al-naʿam : Red camels, a symbol of great wealth and value.
9. ḥilf al-fuḍūl : The Alliance of the Virtuous, a pact to protect the oppressed and restore rights, witnessed by the Prophet before his prophethood.
10. al-bayt : The Ka'ba, the sacred house in Mecca.
11. al-fuḍūl : Surplus or excess; here referring to rights or property taken unjustly.
12. al-mabʿath : The beginning of the Prophet's mission, i.e., the first revelation.
13. al-Aḥlāf : The allied tribes of Quraysh who had formed a confederation against the Banū Hāshim.
14. Ḥilf al-Fuḍūl : The Alliance of the Virtuous; a pre-Islamic pact in Mecca to support the oppressed against the oppressor, named after three men named Faḍl who initiated a similar pact among the Jurhum tribe.
15. shakhb liqḥa : A proverbial expression meaning 'not even a little milk'; used to emphasize refusal.
16. hennum : A variant reading; the meaning is that the riders were determined not to return, i.e., they were resolute.
17. ḥumr al-naʿam : Red camels; a metaphor for the most valuable possessions.
18. Dhī al-Marwa : A place near Medina.
19. muḍāraba : A partnership contract where one party provides capital and the other provides labor, sharing the profits.
20. nabī : Prophet; a messenger of God.
21. qirats : Plural of qirat, a small unit of weight or currency; here it likely refers to a small wage or payment.
22. Hijr : The semicircular area adjacent to the Ka'bah, also known as al-Hatim, considered part of the Ka'bah's foundation.
23. al-Fijār : The sacrilegious wars fought between the Quraysh and the Hawazin tribes in pre-Islamic times.
24. Tubba' : Title of the kings of Himyar in Yemen; here referring to a specific king who attempted to take the Black Stone.
25. al-malakān : The two angels; a reference to a tradition that two angels shaded the young Muhammad during a journey.
26. al-Makkatayn : The two Makkahs; possibly referring to the valley of Makkah and its surroundings.
27. Quss : Quss ibn Sa'idah, a pre-Islamic Christian preacher and sage known for his eloquence.
28. Yūnus ibn Bukayr : A narrator of prophetic biography (sirah) and hadith.
29. Busrā : A city in Syria (modern-day Bosra) known for its trade fairs.
30. Aḥmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, mentioned in the Qur'an (61:6).
31. Lu'ayy and Ghālib : Ancestors of the Quraysh tribe; Lu'ayy is a forefather, and Ghalib is his son.
32. al-Jūdī : Mount Judi, where Noah's ark is said to have come to rest.
33. al-Jamad : A mountain or place; possibly referring to a location in pre-Islamic Arabia.
34. Isrā'īliyyāt : Narrations and traditions originating from Jewish sources, often incorporated into Islamic literature.
35. Bakkah : An ancient name for Makkah, used in the Qur'an (3:96).
36. Qur'an 3:96-97 : The verse establishing the Ka'bah as the first house of worship and the obligation of pilgrimage.
37. al-Ṣaḥīḥayn : The two authentic hadith collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim.
38. al-Masjid al-Ḥarām : The Sacred Mosque in Makkah, surrounding the Ka'bah.
39. al-Masjid al-Aqṣā : The Farthest Mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam.
40. Qur'an 84:3 : A verse describing the earth being stretched out on the Day of Resurrection.
41. al-zāmitatayn : Two saddlebags or containers that 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr acquired, containing Jewish scriptures.
42. Yarmūk : The Battle of Yarmuk (636 CE), a decisive Muslim victory against the Byzantine Empire.
43. marfūʿ : A ḥadīth attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, as opposed to being stopped at a Companion (mawqūf) or cut off (maqṭūʿ).
44. waqf : A narration that is attributed to a Companion, not to the Prophet.
45. Maqām Ibrāhīm : The Station of Abraham, a stone near the Kaʿba where Abraham stood while building it.
46. Sakīna : A divine tranquility or presence; here described as a wind that guided Abraham.
47. ʿAmālīqa : The Amalekites, an ancient Arabian tribe.
48. Jurhum : The tribe of Jurhum, an ancient Arab tribe that settled in Mecca.
49. al-Amīn : The Trustworthy, a title given to the Prophet Muhammad before his prophethood.
50. Fijār : The sacrilegious war, a conflict between Quraysh and the tribe of Qays ʿAylān.
51. Ḥilf al-Fuḍūl : The League of the Virtuous, a pact for justice and protection of the oppressed.
52. Ajyād : A place near Mecca, possibly a mountain or district.
53. Rasul Allah : Messenger of Allah, i.e., Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
54. salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam : Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, a formula of respect for the Prophet.
55. al-Qibati : Coptic cloth, a type of fine linen from Egypt.
56. al-Burud : Striped Yemeni cloth, a type of garment.
57. al-Hijr : The semicircular wall adjacent to the Ka'ba, also known as Hatim; considered part of the original Ka'ba built by Ibrahim.
58. Ibrahim : Abraham, the prophet who, with his son Ishmael, built the Ka'ba.
59. al-Sahihayn : The two authentic hadith collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim.
60. 'A'isha : Aisha bint Abi Bakr, wife of Prophet Muhammad.
61. Ibn al-Zubayr : Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, a companion and caliph who rebuilt the Ka'ba.
62. al-Khalil : The Friend of Allah, i.e., Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham).
63. Malik : Malik ibn Anas, founder of the Maliki school of jurisprudence.
64. al-Masjid al-Haram : The Sacred Mosque in Mecca, surrounding the Ka'ba.
65. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab : The second caliph of Islam.
66. 'Uthman : Uthman ibn Affan, the third caliph.
67. Surat al-Baqara : The second chapter of the Quran.
68. Isma'il : Ishmael, son of Ibrahim and prophet.
69. al-Zubayr ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib : Uncle of Prophet Muhammad and father of Ibn al-Zubayr.
70. Banu Lu'ayy : A clan of Quraysh, ancestors of Prophet Muhammad.
71. Banu 'Adiyy : A clan of Quraysh.
72. Murra : A clan of Quraysh.
73. Kilab : A clan of Quraysh.
74. al-'Abbas : Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, uncle of Prophet Muhammad.
75. al-Hums : A term used by Quraysh for themselves, meaning strict in religion; they considered themselves the people of the sanctuary.
76. laylat 'Arafa : The night before the Day of Arafat, a key day of Hajj.
77. 'Arafat : A plain near Mecca where pilgrims stand on the 9th of Dhul Hijja.
78. ihram : The sacred state of a pilgrim during Hajj or Umra, involving specific dress and prohibitions.
79. 'Umra : The lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, performed at any time.
80. Kinana : A tribe in Arabia, ancestors of Quraysh.
81. Khuza'a : A tribe in Arabia.
82. al-laqa : Discarded garments that could not be used after circumambulation.
83. thumma afidu min haythu afada al-nas : Quran 2:199, commanding pilgrims to depart from Arafat like all others.
84. wa istaghfiru Allah inna Allah ghafur rahim : Quran 2:199, continuation of the verse.
85. ya bani Adam... : Quran 7:31-32, refuting the Quraysh's innovations.
86. Ziyād al-Bakkāʾī : A narrator in the chain of transmission, known for his reliability.
87. al-Fīl : The Elephant; refers to the Year of the Elephant (c. 570 CE), when Abraha attacked Mecca with elephants, traditionally the year of the Prophet's birth.
88. al-aḥbār : Jewish scholars or rabbis, singular ḥibr.
89. al-kuhhān : Soothsayers or diviners, singular kāhin.
90. Qurʾān 7:157 : Verse describing the Prophet Muhammad in the Torah and Gospel.
91. Qurʾān 61:6 : Jesus foretells the coming of a messenger named Aḥmad (another name of Muhammad).
92. Qurʾān 48:29 : Description of Muhammad and his companions in the Torah and Gospel.
93. Qurʾān 3:81 : God's covenant with the prophets to believe in and support the final messenger.
94. Qurʾān 2:129 : Abraham's prayer for a messenger among his descendants.
95. al-malaʾ al-aʿlā : The highest assembly; refers to the angels in the heavenly realm.
96. Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwa : A classical work on the proofs of prophethood, often by al-Bayhaqī or others.
97. Qurʾān 33:7 : God's covenant with the prophets, including Muhammad and Noah.
98. Sūrat al-Jinn 72:1-2 : The chapter of the Qurʾān about the jinn hearing the Qurʾān.
99. Tafsīr : Exegesis or commentary on the Qurʾān.
100. Qurʾān 46:29-30 : Another account of the jinn listening to the Qurʾān.
101. ramy bil-nujum : The shooting of stars; refers to the pre-Islamic belief that meteors were missiles thrown at jinn or devils attempting to eavesdrop on heavenly councils.
102. kahinah : A female soothsayer or diviner in pre-Islamic Arabia, believed to have contact with jinn.
103. Jahiliyyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance, characterized by polytheism and moral darkness.
104. Adri ma adri : An Arabic phrase meaning 'I know what I know,' used as a cryptic utterance by soothsayers.
105. Shu'ub : A term meaning 'ravines' or 'mountain passes'; here it refers to the ravine of Uhud or Badr.
106. al-shi'b : The ravine; specifically the ravine of Uhud where the battle took place.
107. hawatif al-jann : Calls or voices of the jinn; refers to reports of jinn announcing the prophethood of Muhammad.
108. Yahud : Jews; the Jewish tribes of Arabia.
109. Ahl al-Kitab : People of the Book; a term for Jews and Christians who possess revealed scriptures.
110. ‘Ad wa Iram : Ancient Arabian tribes destroyed by Allah for their disobedience; Iram is associated with the legendary city of 'Ad.
111. ayat : Verse; Qur'an 2:89.
112. al-nabi al-ummi : The unlettered prophet; Muhammad, who could not read or write, emphasizing the miraculous nature of the Qur'an.
113. Salamah ibn Salam : A companion of the Prophet from the Ansar, present at the Battle of Badr.
114. farwah : A fur garment or cloak made of animal skin.
115. izar : A waist-wrapper or loincloth, a common garment in pre-Islamic and early Islamic Arabia.
116. shaykh : An elder or chief of a tribe; also used as a title of respect.
117. salah : The five daily prayers obligatory in Islam.
118. Amorium : A city in Anatolia, then part of the Byzantine (Roman) Empire.
119. religion of Abraham : The pure monotheistic faith (hanifiyya) attributed to Prophet Abraham, which Islam claims to revive.
120. two lava fields : Refers to the harrahs (volcanic black rocks) surrounding Medina, a distinctive geographical feature.
121. accepts gifts but does not accept charity : A prophetic sign: the Prophet Muhammad accepted voluntary gifts but not obligatory charity (sadaqa), as charity is for the poor and prophets are not to receive it.
122. seal of prophethood : A physical mark (like a mole or lump) between the shoulder blades of the Prophet Muhammad, described as a sign of his prophethood.
123. Kalb : An Arab tribe, known as Banu Kalb.
124. Wadi al-Qura : A valley north of Medina, on the route to Syria.
125. Banu Qurayza : A Jewish tribe in Medina.
126. Quba' : A suburb of Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad first stayed after emigration and built the first mosque.

He [1] mentioned his witnessing, peace and blessings be upon him, the war of al-Fijar [2].

Salman said: When I heard that, a tremor seized me until I thought I would fall upon my master. So I came down from the palm tree and began saying to his cousin, 'What is he saying? What is he saying?' My master became angry and struck me a severe blow. Then he said, 'What is it to you? Attend to your work.' I said, 'Nothing, I only wanted to ascertain what he said.' I had some savings which I had collected. When evening came, I took them and went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who was at Quba'. I entered upon him and said, 'It has reached me that you are a righteous man and that you have companions who are strangers in need. This is something I had for charity, and I saw that you are 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 withheld his hand and did not eat. I said to myself, 'This is one.' Then I left him and collected something else. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had moved to Medina. I came to him and said, 'I saw that you do not eat charity, and this is a gift with which I honor you.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ate from it and ordered his companions, so they ate with him. 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 ¹, having followed the funeral of a man from his companions. He was wearing two cloaks and sitting among his companions. I greeted him, then turned around to look at his back, to see the seal ² which my companion had described to me. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw me turning around, he knew that I was seeking confirmation of something described to me. He cast his cloak from his back, and I looked at the seal and recognized it. I bent over him, kissing it and weeping. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me, 'Turn around.' So I turned and sat before him, and I related my story to him as I have related it to you, O Ibn 'Abbas. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was pleased that his companions heard 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. Salman said: Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me, 'Make a contract of manumission ³, O Salman.' So I made a contract with my master for three hundred palm trees which I would plant for him, and forty uqiyas ⁴ of gold. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to his companions, 'Help your brother.' So they helped me with the palm trees: one man with thirty saplings, another with twenty, another with fifteen, another with ten, each according to what he had, until three hundred saplings were collected for me. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me, 'Go, O Salman, and dig holes for them. When you finish, come to me so that I may plant them with my own hand.' So I dug holes, and my companions helped me until I finished. Then I came and informed him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out with me to them. We brought the saplings 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 sapling died. So I paid the palm trees, but 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 the size of a hen's egg from some mine. He said, 'What has the Persian who is making a contract of manumission done?' I was summoned to him. He said, 'Take this and pay off what is due from you, O Salman.' I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, how much of what is due from me will this cover?' He said, 'Take it, for Allah will pay off your debt through it.' So I took it and weighed out for them from it. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Salman, it was forty uqiyas, and I paid them their due. Salman became free, and I witnessed the Battle of the Trench ⁵ with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as a free man, and thereafter I did not miss any campaign 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, 'O Messenger of Allah, how much of what is due from me will this cover?' the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took it and turned it over on his tongue, then said, 'Take it and pay them from it.' So I took it and paid them all their due, forty uqiyas. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatada narrated to me from one I do not suspect, from 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Marwan, who said: I was told from Salman that he said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he informed him that his companion in 'Amuriyya ⁶ had said to him: 'Go to such-and-such a place in the land of Syria, for there is a man between two thickets who comes out every year from one thicket to the other, passing by. People with ailments approach him, and he does not supplicate for any of them except that they are healed. Ask him about this religion which you seek, for he will inform you about it.' Salman said: So I set out until I came to where he described. I found the people gathered with their sick there, waiting for him to come out that night, passing from one thicket to the other. The people crowded around him with their sick, and he did not supplicate for any sick person except that he was healed. They overwhelmed me, and I could not get to him until he entered the thicket he intended to enter, except for his shoulder. I grabbed him, and he said, 'Who is this?' and turned to me. I said, 'May Allah have mercy on you! Tell me about the Hanifiyya ⁷, the religion of Ibrahim.' 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 Haram ⁸ has come upon you. Go to him, for he will guide you to it.' Then he entered. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Salman, 'If you have told me the truth, O Salman, then you have met 'Isa ibn Maryam ⁹.' Thus it occurs in this narration, and in it there is an unnamed man, who is the teacher of 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatada. It has been said that he is al-Hasan ibn 'Umara, but it is disconnected, indeed problematic, between 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz and Salman, may Allah be pleased with him. His saying, 'If you have told me the truth, O Salman, then you have met 'Isa ibn Maryam' is very strange, indeed objectionable. For the interval between prophets ¹⁰ is at least said to be four hundred years, and some say six hundred solar years. Salman's lifespan is said to be at most three hundred and fifty years. Al-'Abbas ibn Yazid al-Bahrani reported the consensus of his teachers that he lived two hundred and fifty years, and they differed about the additional amount up to three hundred and fifty years. Allah knows best. The apparent meaning is that he said, 'You have met the successor of 'Isa ibn Maryam,' and this is possible and correct. Al-Suhayli said: The unnamed man is al-Hasan ibn 'Umara, and he is weak. If it is authentic, there is no objection in it, because Ibn Jarir mentioned that the Messiah descended from heaven after he was raised, and he found his mother and another woman weeping at the stump of the crucified one. He informed them that he was not killed, and he sent the disciples after that. He said: If his descent is possible once, it is possible multiple times. Then his manifest descent will be when he breaks the cross and kills the pig, and he will then marry a woman from Banu Judham. When he dies, he will be buried in the chamber of the Rawda ¹¹ of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Al-Bayhaqi narrated in his book Dala'il al-Nubuwwa the story of Salman through the chain of Yunus ibn Bukayr from Muhammad ibn Ishaq as previously mentioned, and also from al-Hakim from al-Asamm ibn Yahya ibn Abi Talib: 'Ali ibn 'Asim narrated to us, Hatem ibn Abi Safra narrated to us, from Simak ibn Harb, from Yazid ibn Sawhan, that he heard Salman narrating how his Islam began.

Il mentionna alors une longue histoire, et mentionna qu'il était de Rāmhurmuz, et qu'il avait un frère plus âgé que lui, riche, tandis que Salmān était pauvre et sous la tutelle de son frère. Et que le fils du dihqān (chef de village) de cette ville était son compagnon, et qu'il allait avec lui chez un maître qui leur enseignait. Et que ce garçon fréquentait des moines chrétiens dans une grotte qui leur appartenait. Salmān lui demanda de l'emmener avec lui auprès d'eux. Il lui dit : « Tu es un garçon, et je crains que tu ne les trahisses, et que mon père ne les tue. » Alors il s'engagea à ne rien faire qu'il puisse détester. Il l'emmena donc avec lui, et voici qu'ils étaient six ou sept, comme si l'âme était sortie d'eux à force d'adoration ; ils jeûnaient le jour et veillaient la nuit, mangeant des arbres et ce qu'ils trouvaient. Il rapporta à leur sujet qu'ils croyaient aux messagers précédents, et que Jésus est le serviteur d'Allah et Son messager, et le fils de Sa servante, qu'Il a soutenu par des miracles. Ils lui dirent : « Ô garçon, tu as un Seigneur, et tu as un retour, et devant toi se trouvent un Paradis et un Enfer. Et ces gens qui adorent le feu sont des gens de mécréance et d'égarement ; Allah n'agrée pas ce qu'ils font, et ils ne suivent pas Sa religion. » Puis il continua d'aller avec ce garçon chez eux. Ensuite, Salmān s'attacha complètement à eux. Puis le roi de cette contrée, qui était le père du garçon que Salmān avait accompagné chez eux, les exila de sa terre, et le roi retint son fils auprès de lui. Salmān présenta leur religion à son frère aîné, qui dit : « Je suis occupé par moi-même à chercher ma subsistance. » Alors Salmān partit avec eux jusqu'à ce qu'ils entrent dans l'église de Mossoul. Ses habitants les saluèrent, puis ils voulurent me laisser chez eux, mais je refusai et insistai pour les accompagner. Ils sortirent jusqu'à arriver dans une vallée entre des montagnes. Les moines de cette région descendirent vers eux pour les saluer, se rassemblèrent autour d'eux, et se mirent à les interroger sur leur absence, et à me questionner à mon sujet, et ils disaient du bien de moi. Un homme important parmi eux vint et les sermonna. Il loua Allah comme Il le mérite, mentionna les messagers et ce par quoi ils furent soutenus, mentionna Jésus fils de Marie, qu'il était le serviteur d'Allah et Son messager, leur ordonna le bien et leur interdit le mal. Puis, lorsqu'ils voulurent se disperser, Salmān le suivit et s'attacha à lui. Il dit : « Il jeûnait le jour et veillait la nuit, du dimanche au dimanche. Il sortait vers eux, les exhortait, leur ordonnait et leur interdisait. Il demeura ainsi longtemps. Puis il voulut visiter Jérusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis), et Salmān l'accompagna. » Il dit : « Tandis qu'il marchait, il se tournait vers moi, s'approchait de moi, m'exhortait et m'informait que j'ai un Seigneur, que devant moi se trouvent un Paradis, un Enfer et un Jugement, et il m'enseignait et me rappelait ce qu'il rappelait aux gens le dimanche. » Il dit, parmi ce qu'il me disait : « Ô Salmān, Allah enverra bientôt un messager nommé Aḥmad, qui sortira de Tihāma. Il accepte le cadeau (al-hadiyya) mais n'accepte pas l'aumône (aṣ-ṣadaqa). Entre ses épaules se trouve le sceau de la prophétie (khātam an-nubuwwa). Et voici que son époque où il apparaîtra est proche. Quant à moi, je suis un vieillard avancé en âge et je ne pense pas l'atteindre. Si toi tu l'atteins, alors crois en lui et suis-le. » Je lui dis : « Et s'il m'ordonne d'abandonner ta religion et ce sur quoi tu es ? » Il dit : « Oui, même s'il te l'ordonne. Car la vérité est dans ce qu'il apporte, et la satisfaction du Tout-Miséricordieux est dans ce qu'il dit. » Puis il mentionna leur arrivée à Jérusalem, et que son compagnon y pria ici et là, puis dormit après lui avoir recommandé de le réveiller lorsque l'ombre atteindrait tel endroit. Salmān le laissa un moment supplémentaire, plus long que ce qu'il avait dit, pour qu'il se repose. Lorsqu'il se réveilla, il mentionna Allah et blâma Salmān d'avoir négligé ce qu'il lui avait ordonné. Puis ils sortirent de Jérusalem. Un paralytique (muqʿad) l'interrogea et dit : « Ô serviteur d'Allah, je t'ai demandé quand tu es arrivé, et tu ne m'as rien donné. Et voici que je te demande. » Il regarda et ne vit personne, alors il prit sa main et dit : « Lève-toi, par le nom d'Allah. » Il se leva, sans aucun mal ni infirmité (qalaba), comme s'il avait été détaché d'une entrave. Il me dit : « Ô serviteur d'Allah, porte mes affaires sur moi jusqu'à ce que j'aille vers ma famille pour leur annoncer la bonne nouvelle. » Je m'occupai de lui, puis je rattrapai l'homme mais ne le rejoignis pas, et je ne sus où il était allé. Chaque fois que je demandais à des gens à son sujet, ils disaient : « Devant toi. » Jusqu'à ce qu'une caravane d'Arabes des Banū Kalb me rencontre. Je les interrogeai. Lorsqu'ils entendirent ma langue, l'un d'eux fit s'agenouiller son chameau, me fit monter derrière lui, et ils m'emmenèrent dans leur pays. Ils me vendirent, et une femme des Anṣār m'acheta et me plaça dans un jardin (ḥāʾiṭ) qui lui appartenait. Et le Messager d'Allah (ṣallā Llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) arriva. Puis il mentionna qu'il alla vers lui avec l'aumône et le cadeau pour vérifier ce que son compagnon avait dit, puis il chercha à voir le sceau de la prophétie. Lorsqu'il le vit, il crut sur-le-champ, et informa le Messager d'Allah (ṣallā Llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) de son histoire qui lui était arrivée. Il dit : « Alors le Messager d'Allah (ṣallā Llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) ordonna à Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq de m'acheter à ma maîtresse, et il m'affranchit. » Il dit : « Puis un jour je l'interrogeai au sujet de la religion des chrétiens, et il dit : "Il n'y a rien de bon en eux." » Il dit : « Alors il tomba dans mon âme [un malaise] à propos de ceux que j'avais accompagnés, et de cet homme pieux qui était avec moi à Jérusalem. Une grande affliction m'envahit à cause de cela, jusqu'à ce qu'Allah révèle au Messager d'Allah (ṣallā Llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) : "Tu trouveras certes que les plus acharnés ennemis des croyants sont les Juifs et les associateurs, et tu trouveras certes que les plus proches en affection des croyants sont ceux qui disent : 'Nous sommes chrétiens.' Cela parce que parmi eux se trouvent des prêtres et des moines, et qu'ils ne s'enflent pas d'orgueil." Alors le Messager d'Allah (ṣallā Llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam) m'appela. Je vins, craignant. Je m'assis devant lui, et il récita : "Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Cela parce que parmi eux se trouvent des prêtres et des moines, et qu'ils ne s'enflent pas d'orgueil" — les versets. Puis il dit : "Ô Salmān, ceux-là avec qui tu étais et ton compagnon n'étaient pas des chrétiens ; ils étaient musulmans." Je dis : "Ô Messager d'Allah, par Celui qui t'a envoyé avec la vérité, il m'a ordonné de te suivre. Je lui avais dit : 'Et s'il m'ordonne d'abandonner ta religion et ce sur quoi tu es ?' Il dit : 'Oui, abandonne-la, car la vérité et ce qui agrée Allah sont dans ce qu'il t'ordonne.'" » Dans ce contexte, il y a beaucoup d'étrangeté, et il contient une certaine divergence avec le contexte de Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq. La voie de Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq est plus forte en chaîne de transmission, meilleure dans le récit, et plus proche de ce qu'a rapporté al-Bukhārī dans son Ṣaḥīḥ.

1. Baqi' al-Gharqad : The cemetery of Medina, also known as Jannat al-Baqi'.
2. seal : The Seal of Prophethood, a physical mark between the shoulder blades of the Prophet Muhammad, described as a fleshy protuberance.
3. contract of manumission : A written agreement (mukataba) between a slave and his master, whereby the slave pays a sum or performs work to earn his freedom.
4. uqiyas : A unit of weight; one uqiya equals approximately 40 dirhams (about 120 grams of silver).
5. Battle of the Trench : The Battle of al-Ahzab (the Confederates), a siege of Medina in 627 CE.
6. 'Amuriyya : The city of Amorium in Anatolia (modern Turkey).
7. Hanifiyya : The primordial monotheistic religion of Abraham, often identified with Islam.
8. Haram : The sacred sanctuary of Mecca, or the region around it.
9. 'Isa ibn Maryam : Jesus son of Mary, a prophet in Islam.
10. interval between prophets : The period (fatrat) between the cessation of one prophet's mission and the beginning of another's.
11. Rawda : The area between the Prophet's pulpit and his house in the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, considered a garden of Paradise.

He mentioned strange reports concerning that [1].

The hadith of Mu‘tamir ibn Sulaymān ibn Ṭarkhān al-Taymī, from his father, from Abū ‘Uthmān al-Nahdī, from Salmān al-Fārisī, that he was passed around among a dozen or so, from lord to lord (rabb to rabb), meaning from teacher to teacher and educator to the like thereof. And God knows best. Al-Suhaylī said: He was passed around among thirty masters, from master to master. So God knows best. Similarly, the ḥāfiẓ Abū Nu‘aym detailed the story of his conversion to Islam in "al-Dalā’il" and cited for it many chains of transmission and wordings, and in some of them, the name of the mistress who contracted a manumission agreement with him was Ḥalbasah. So God knows best. **Mention of Strange Reports Concerning That** Abū Nu‘aym said in al-Dalā’il: Sulaymān ibn Aḥmad narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn Zakariyyā al-Ghilābī narrated to us, al-‘Alā’ ibn al-Faḍl ibn ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Abī al-Suwayyah al-Minqarī narrated to us, ‘Abbād ibn Kusayb narrated to us, from his father, from Abū ‘Atwārah al-Khuzā‘ī, from Su‘ayr ibn Sawādah al-‘Āmirī, who said: I was a lover of a noblewoman among the noblewomen of the tribe; I would mount for her the difficult and the easy, sparing no place in the land as a pasture, hoping for profit in any trade I came to. Then I returned from Syria with goods and furnishings, intending thereby the crowd of the season (al-mawsim) and the multitude of the Arabs. I entered Mecca at night, deeply dark, and stayed until the shirt of night was stripped from me. Then I raised my head, and behold, there were tents aligned with the peaks of the mountains, pitched with the leather mats of Ṭā’if, and behold, camels were being slaughtered and others driven, and behold, there were eaters and urgings upon the cooks, saying, "Hurry, hurry!" And behold, a man was proclaiming from an elevated spot of ground, calling out: "O delegations of God, incline to the morning meal!" And two young men on a path were saying: "O delegations of God, whoever has eaten, let him go to the evening meal!" So what I saw overwhelmed me, and I went forward intending the leader of the people. A man recognized my state and said: "Ahead of you." And behold, an old man, as if in his cheeks were the lines of the fingers, and as if Sirius (al-Shi‘rā) blazed from his forehead. He had wrapped on his head a black turban, from the folds of which he had brought forth a thick, luxuriant forelock, resembling sesame seeds (samāsim). In some narrations: Beneath him was a chair of samāsim, and below it a cushion. In his hand was a staff, with which he was leaning. Around him were elders, seated with their chins bowed, none of them uttering a word. News had reached me from Syria that the unlettered Prophet (al-nabī al-ummī) was at the time of his rising. So when I saw him, I thought he was that one, and I said: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of God." He said: "Hush, hush! No, and as if it were, and would that I were him." So I said: "Who is this elder?" They said: "This is Abū Naḍlah, this is Hāshim ibn ‘Abd Manāf." So I turned away, saying: "By God, this is true glory, not the glory of the house of Jafnah"—meaning the kings of the Arabs of Syria from Ghassān, who were called the house of Jafnah. And this function that he related of Hāshim is the ifādah, meaning the feeding of the pilgrims during the season of the hajj. Abū Nu‘aym said: ‘Abd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Ja‘far narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Abī Yaḥyā narrated to us, Sa‘īd ibn ‘Uthmān narrated to us, ‘Alī ibn Qutaybah al-Khurāsānī narrated to us, Khālid ibn Ilyās narrated to us, from Abī Bakr ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn Abī al-Jahm, from his father, from his grandfather. He said: I heard Abū Ṭālib narrating from ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, who said: While I was sleeping in the Ḥijr (the semicircular wall of the Ka‘bah), I saw a vision that terrified me, and I was greatly frightened by it. So I went to the soothsayer (kāhinah) of Quraysh, wearing a cloak of silk and with my forelock striking my shoulders. When she looked at me, she recognized the change in my face, and I was at that time the master of my people. She said: "What is the matter with our master that he has come to us with a changed complexion? Has something from the vicissitudes of time troubled him?" I said: "Yes!" And no one would complete a request with her until he kissed her right hand, then placed his hand on the crown of her head, then mentioned his need—but I did not do that, because I was the elder of my people. So I sat down and said: "Tonight, while I was sleeping in the Ḥijr, I saw as if a tree had grown, its top reaching the sky, and its branches spreading to the east and the west. I have never seen a light more radiant than it, greater than the light of the sun seventy times over. And I saw the Arabs and the non-Arabs prostrating to it, and it was increasing every moment in greatness, light, and elevation—sometimes hidden, sometimes shining. And I saw a group of Quraysh clinging to its branches, and I saw a people of Quraysh trying to cut it down. But when they approached it, a young man—I have never seen anyone more beautiful in face or more pleasant in scent—repelled them, breaking their backs and plucking out their eyes. So I raised my hand to take a portion from it, but the young man prevented me. I said: ‘For whom is the portion?’ He said: ‘The portion is for those who clung to it and preceded you to it.’ Then I awoke, terrified and frightened." So I saw the face of the soothsayer had changed. Then she said: "If your vision is true, a man will emerge from your loins who will rule the east and the west, and the people will submit to him." Then he—meaning ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib—said to Abū Ṭālib: "Perhaps you will be this child." He said: So Abū Ṭālib would narrate this hadith after the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was born, and after he was sent as a prophet. Then he said: "The tree—and God knows best—was Abū al-Qāsim al-Amīn (the Trustworthy)." So it was said to Abū Ṭālib: "Will you not believe?" He would say: "The disgrace and the shame!" Abū Nu‘aym said: Sulaymān ibn Aḥmad narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn Zakariyyā al-Ghilābī narrated to us, al-‘Abbās ibn Bakkār al-Ḍabbī narrated to us, Abū Bakr al-Hudhalī narrated to us, from ‘Ikrimah, from Ibn ‘Abbās, who said: Al-‘Abbās said: I set out on a trade journey to Yemen with a caravan—among them was Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb. I arrived in Yemen, and one day I would prepare food and go off with Abū Sufyān and the group, and another day Abū Sufyān would prepare and do likewise. So he said to me on the day I was preparing: "Would you, O Abū al-Faḍl, like to go to my house and send me your lunch?" I said: "Yes." So I and the group went to his house, and I sent for the lunch. When the people had eaten, they stood up, and he detained me. He said: "Have you learned, O Abū al-Faḍl, that your nephew claims to be the Messenger of God?" I said: "Which of my nephews?" Abū Sufyān said: "Are you hiding it from me? Which of your nephews would say this except one man!" I said: "And which of them is that?" He said: "It is Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh." I said: "Has he done so?" He said: "Yes, he has done so." And he brought out a letter in his name from his son Ḥanẓalah ibn Abī Sufyān, in which: "I inform you that Muḥammad has stood up in al-Abṭaḥ and said: ‘I am a messenger calling you to God, Mighty and Majestic.’" Al-‘Abbās said: I said: "I find him, O Abū Ḥanẓalah, to be truthful." He said: "Gently, O Abū al-Faḍl! By God, I do not like that he should say such a thing. I fear no harm from this matter upon me, O Banī ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib. By God, Quraysh has not ceased claiming that you have such-and-such and such-and-such, each one of them an extreme! I adjure you, O Abū al-Faḍl, have you heard that?" I said: "Yes, I have heard." He said: "Then by God, this is your ill omen." I said: "Perhaps it is our good omen." He said: Then only a few nights passed until ‘Abd Allāh ibn Ḥudhāfah arrived with the news, and he was a believer. So that spread in the gatherings of Yemen. And Abū Sufyān used to sit in a gathering in Yemen where a Jewish scholar (ḥabr) from the Jewish scholars would converse. The Jew said to him: "What is this news? It has reached me that among you is the uncle of this man who said what he said?" Abū Sufyān said: "They have spoken truth, and I am his uncle." The Jew said: "His father’s brother?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Then tell me about him." He said: "Do not ask me! I would never like him to claim this matter, and I would not like to disparage him, and others are better than him." So the Jew saw that he would not delve into it and did not like to disparage him.

The Jew said: 'This does not harm the Jews, by the Torah of Moses.' Al-‘Abbas said: The rabbi called me, so I came and went out until I sat in that same gathering the next day, with Abu Sufyan ibn Harb and the rabbi present. I said to the rabbi: 'I have heard that you asked my cousin about a man among us who claims to be the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he told you that he was his uncle, but he is not his uncle; rather, he is his cousin, and I am his uncle and his father's brother.' He said: 'His father's brother?' I said: 'His father's brother.' He turned to Abu Sufyan and said: 'Is he truthful?' He said: 'Yes, he is truthful.' I said: 'Ask me, for if I lie, let him refute me.' He turned to me and said: 'I adjure you, did your nephew ever have any youthful folly or foolishness?' I said: 'No, by the God of ‘Abd al-Muttalib, no. He never lied nor betrayed, and his name among Quraysh was al-Amin ¹.' He said: 'Did he ever write with his own hand?' Al-‘Abbas said: I thought it would be better for him if he wrote with his own hand, and I wanted to say it, but then I remembered that Abu Sufyan was there, who would call me a liar and refute me, so I said: 'He does not write.' The rabbi leaped up, his cloak fell, and he said: 'The Jews are slaughtered! The Jews are killed!' Al-‘Abbas said: When we returned to our home, Abu Sufyan said: 'O Abu al-Fadl, the Jews are terrified of your nephew.' I said: 'You have seen what you have seen. Would you, O Abu Sufyan, believe in him? For if it is true, you would have preceded others, and if it is false, you are with others like you.' He said: 'I will not believe in him until I see horses coming from Kada’ ².' I said: 'What are you saying?' He said: 'A word that came to my lips, but I know that Allah will not leave horses emerging from Kada’.' Al-‘Abbas said: When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, conquered Mecca and we saw the horses emerging from Kada’, I said: 'O Abu Sufyan, do you remember the word?' He said: 'Yes, by Allah, I remember it! Praise be to Allah who guided me to Islam.' This is a good narration, radiant and luminous with the light of truth, even though among its narrators is one who is criticized. And Allah knows best. We have already mentioned what we related in the story of Abu Sufyan with Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt, which is similar to this chapter, and it is among the most remarkable reports and the best of narrations, radiant with light. There will also come the story of Abu Sufyan with Heraclius, the king of the Romans, when he asked him about the characteristics and conditions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and his deduction from that of his truthfulness, prophethood, and messengership. He said to him: 'I knew that he would appear, but I did not think he would be among you. If I knew I could reach him, I would have endured the hardship of meeting him. If I were with him, I would wash his feet. And if what you say is true, he will surely rule the place where my two feet stand.' And so it happened, praise and gratitude be to Allah. The hafiz Abu Nu‘aym has extensively cited reports and accounts from monks, rabbis, and Arabs, doing so abundantly, eloquently, beautifully, and pleasantly. May Allah have mercy on him and be pleased with him. The story of ‘Amr ibn Murra al-Juhani ³ Al-Tabarani said: ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Khuza‘i al-Ahwazi narrated to us, from ‘Abdullah ibn Dawud ibn Dilhath ibn Isma‘il ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Shurayh ibn Yasir ibn Suwayd, the companion of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, who narrated from his father, from his father Dilhath, from his father Isma‘il, that his father ‘Abdullah narrated to him from his father, that his father Yasir ibn Suwayd narrated to him from ‘Amr ibn Murra al-Juhani, who said: 'I set out for pilgrimage with a group of my people in the pre-Islamic period. While I was in Mecca, I saw in my sleep a brilliant light emerging from the Ka‘ba until it reached the mountain of Yathrib and the mountains of Juhayna ⁴. I heard a voice from within the light saying: 'The darkness has been dispelled, the light has shone, and the Seal of the Prophets has been sent.' Then it shone again until I saw the palaces of al-Hira and the white city of al-Mada’in ⁵, and I heard a voice from the light saying: 'Islam has appeared, idols have been broken, and family ties have been maintained.' I woke up frightened and said to my people: 'By Allah, something will surely happen to this tribe of Quraysh.' And I told them what I had seen. When we reached our land, the news came to me that a man called Ahmad had been sent. So I went to him and told him what I had seen. He said: 'O ‘Amr ibn Murra, I am the prophet sent to all servants, calling them to Islam, commanding them to preserve blood, maintain family ties, worship Allah, abandon idols, perform pilgrimage to the House, and fast the month of Ramadan, one month out of twelve. Whoever responds will have Paradise, and whoever disobeys will have Hell. So believe, O ‘Amr, and Allah will protect you from the terror of Hell.' I said: 'I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah. I believe in what you have brought of lawful and unlawful, even if that angers many people.' Then I recited to him verses I had composed when I heard about him. We had an idol, and my father was its custodian. I went to it and broke it. Then I joined the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saying: 'I testify that Allah is true and that I am the first to abandon stone idols. I have rolled up my sleeves for emigration to you, crossing the desert after the rugged plains, to accompany the best of people in soul and parent, the messenger of the King of people above the heavens.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Welcome, O ‘Amr ibn Murra.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, send me to my people, that Allah may grant them guidance through me as He granted me guidance through you.' So he sent me to them and said: 'Be gentle and speak rightly. Do not be harsh, arrogant, or envious.' He mentioned that he went to his people and called them to what the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had called him, and they all embraced Islam except one man. He then led them to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, who welcomed and greeted them. He wrote for them a document, the copy of which is: 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is a document of security from Allah through the tongue of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, with a truthful book and a speaking truth, for ‘Amr ibn Murra al-Juhani on behalf of Juhayna ibn Zayd: You have the plains and valleys of the earth, its lowlands and highlands, to cultivate its vegetation and drink its pure water, provided you acknowledge the fifth, perform the five prayers, and give two sheep for the young and the mature if they are together, and one sheep if they are separate. There is no charity on those who bring provisions, nor on the soft rose. Witnessed by the Muslims present with our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, written by Qays ibn Shimmas.' And he mentioned poetry composed by ‘Amr ibn Murra on that occasion, as is detailed in the Great Musnad. Allah is the source of trust and reliance. Allah Almighty said: 'And [mention] when We took from the prophets their covenant, and from you and from Noah and Abraham and Moses and Jesus, the son of Mary; and We took from them a solemn covenant' ⁶. Many of the Salaf said: When Allah took the covenant of the children of Adam on the day of 'Am I not your Lord?' He took a special covenant from the prophets, and He emphasized it with these five, the Messengers of Strong Will ⁷, the possessors of the great laws, the first of whom is Noah and the last of whom is Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all. The hafiz Abu Nu‘aym narrated in the book 'Dala’il al-Nubuwwa' through chains from al-Walid ibn Muslim, from al-Awza‘i, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Abu Salama, from Abu Hurayra: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked: 'When was prophethood established for you?' He said: 'Between the creation of Adam and the breathing of the spirit into him.' This was also narrated by al-Tirmidhi from the chain of al-Walid ibn Muslim.

He said: It is a good and strange hadith from Abu Hurayrah, we do not know it except from this chain. Abu Nu'aym said: Sulayman ibn Ahmad narrated to us, Ya'qub ibn Ishaq ibn al-Zubayr al-Halabi narrated to us, Abu Ja'far al-Nufayli narrated to us, 'Amr ibn Waqid narrated to us, from 'Urwah ibn Ruwaym, from al-Sunabihi ⁸. He said: 'Umar said: O Messenger of Allah, when were you made a prophet? He said: "While Adam was still between spirit and body ⁹." Then he narrated it from the hadith of Nasr ibn Muzahim, from Qays ibn Rabi', from Jabir al-Ju'fi, from al-Sha'bi, from Ibn 'Abbas who said: It was said: O Messenger of Allah, when were you a prophet? He said: "While Adam was between spirit and body." In the hadith we mentioned in the story of Adam, when Allah extracted his progeny from his loins, He distinguished the prophets with a light between their eyes. And the apparent meaning—and Allah knows best—is that it was according to their stations and ranks with Allah. If that is the case, then the light of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the most manifest, greatest, and most magnificent of them all. This is a great exaltation and clear indication of his honor and high rank. In this meaning is the hadith that Imam Ahmad narrated: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to us, from Sa'id ibn Suwayd al-Kalbi, from 'Abd al-A'la ibn Hilal al-Sulami, from al-'Irbad ibn Sariyah. He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Indeed, I am with Allah the seal of the prophets, while Adam was still lying in his clay ¹⁰, and I will inform you of the beginning of that: the supplication of my father Ibrahim, the glad tidings of 'Isa about me, and the dream that my mother saw, and likewise the mothers of the believers see." Al-Layth and Ibn Wahb narrated it from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi, and 'Abdullah ibn Salih from Mu'awiyah ibn Salih, and added: "His mother saw when she gave birth to him a light that illuminated the palaces of Syria." Imam Ahmad said: 'Abd al-Rahman narrated to us, Mansur ibn Sa'id narrated to us, from Budayl, from 'Abdullah ibn Shaqiq, from Maysarah al-Fajr who said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, when were you a prophet? He said: "While Adam was between spirit and body." Its chain is also good. Similarly, it was narrated by Ibrahim ibn Tahman, Hammad ibn Zayd, and Khalid al-Hadhdha' from Budayl ibn Maysarah. Abu Nu'aym narrated it from Muhammad ibn 'Umar ibn Aslam, from Muhammad ibn Bakr ibn 'Amr al-Bahili, from Shayban, from al-Hasan ibn Dinar, from 'Abdullah ibn Sufyan, from Maysarah al-Fajr who said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, when were you a prophet? He said: "While Adam was between spirit and body." Al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym said in his book "Dala'il al-Nubuwwah" ¹¹: Abu 'Amr ibn Hamdan narrated to us, al-Hasan ibn Sufyan narrated to us, Hisham ibn 'Ammar narrated to us, al-Walid ibn Muslim narrated to us, from Khulayd ibn Da'laj, and Sa'id, from Qatadah, from al-Hasan, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, regarding His statement, the Exalted: "And when We took from the prophets their covenant" ¹², he said: "I was the first of the prophets in creation and the last of them in resurrection." Then he narrated it from the path of Hisham ibn 'Ammar, from Baqiyyah, from Sa'id ibn Nasir, from Qatadah, from al-Hasan, from Abu Hurayrah, raised to the Prophet similarly. And it was narrated from the path of Sa'id ibn Abi 'Arubah and Shayban, from Qatadah who said: It was mentioned to us that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said the like of it. This is more confirmed and more authentic, and Allah knows best. This is an informing of the exaltation of his mention in the highest assembly ¹³ and that he was known among them as the seal of the prophets while Adam had not yet had the spirit breathed into him, because Allah's knowledge of that was prior before the creation of the heavens and the earth inevitably. So nothing remains except what we mentioned of the announcement of it in the highest assembly, and Allah knows best. Abu Nu'aym narrated from the hadith of 'Abd al-Razzaq, from Ma'mar, from Hammam, from Abu Hurayrah, the agreed-upon hadith: "We are the last, the foremost on the Day of Resurrection ¹⁴, the ones judged before the creatures, but they were given the Book before us and we were given it after them." Abu Nu'aym added at its end: So he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the last of them in resurrection, and with him prophethood was sealed. And he is the foremost on the Day of Resurrection, because he is the first written in prophethood and the covenant. Then he said: In this hadith is the virtue for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, because Allah obligated prophethood for him before the completion of Adam's creation. It is possible that this obligation is what Allah informed His angels of what had preceded in His knowledge and decree of sending him at the end of time. This statement agrees with what we mentioned, and praise be to Allah. Al-Hakim narrated in his Mustadrak from the hadith of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam—and there is some discussion about him—from his father, from his grandfather, from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "When Adam committed the sin, he said: O Lord, I ask You by the right of Muhammad ¹⁵ except that You forgive me. Allah said: O Adam, how did you know Muhammad when I have not yet created him? He said: O Lord, because when You created me with Your hand and breathed into me of Your spirit, I raised my head and saw written on the pillars of the Throne: 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' So I knew that You did not add to Your name except the most beloved of creation to You. Allah said: You have spoken truth, O Adam. Indeed, he is the most beloved of creation to Me. Since you have asked Me by his right, I have forgiven you. And were it not for Muhammad, I would not have created you." Al-Bayhaqi said: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam alone narrated it, and he is weak, and Allah knows best. Allah the Exalted said: "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.' He said: 'Do you affirm and take upon that My burden?' They said: 'We affirm.' He said: 'Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.' Then whoever turns away after that, those are the defiantly disobedient" ¹⁶. 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, said: Allah did not send any prophet from among the prophets except that a covenant was taken from him: if Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is sent while he is alive, he must believe in him and support him [and he commanded him to take the covenant from his nation: if Muhammad is sent while they are alive, they must believe in him and support him]. This is an exaltation and indication of his honor and greatness among all religions and on the tongues of the prophets, and an informing to them and from them of his message at the end of time, and that he is the most honored of the messengers and the seal of the prophets. Ibrahim al-Khalil ¹⁷ clarified his matter, revealed his news, explained his secret, and manifested his glory, his birth, and his city in his statement, peace be upon him, when he finished building the House: "Our Lord, send among them a messenger from themselves, reciting to them Your verses and teaching them the Book and wisdom and purifying them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in Might, the Wise" ¹⁸. So the first clarification of his matter openly and clearly among the people of the earth was on the tongue of Ibrahim al-Khalil, the most honored of the prophets after Muhammad, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon them both and upon all the prophets.

For this reason, Imam Ahmad said: Abu al-Nadr narrated to us, al-Faraj—meaning Ibn Fadala—narrated to us, Luqman ibn 'Amir narrated to us, I heard Abu Umama say: I said, 'O Prophet of Allah, what was the beginning of your affair?' He said: 'The supplication of my father Ibrahim ¹⁹, the glad tidings of 'Isa ²⁰, and my mother saw that a light came out of her from which the palaces of Sham ²¹ were illuminated.' Imam Ahmad alone narrated this, and none of the authors of the six books ²² recorded it. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr ibn Abi 'Asim narrated in the book 'al-Mawlid' ²³ via Baqiyya, from Safwan ibn 'Amr, from Hujr ibn Hujr, from Abu Muraiq, that a Bedouin said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what was the first thing of your prophethood?' He said: 'Allah took a covenant from me as He took a covenant from the prophets ²⁴, and the mother of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw in her dream that a lamp came out from between her legs, illuminating the palaces of Sham.' Imam Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar said: Thawr ibn Yazid narrated to me, from Khalid ibn Ma'dan, from the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that they said: 'O Messenger of Allah, inform us about yourself.' He said: 'The supplication of my father Ibrahim, the glad tidings of 'Isa, and my mother saw when she became pregnant as if a light came out of her, illuminating Busra ²⁵ in the land of Sham.' Its chain is also good. In it is a glad tiding for the people of our district, the land of Busra, and that it was the first spot in the land of Sham that the light of prophethood reached, and to Allah be praise and gratitude. For this reason, it was the first city conquered in the land of Sham, and its conquest was by peace treaty during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, visited it twice in the company of his uncle Abu Talib when he was twelve years old, and there occurred the story of Bahira the monk ²⁶ as we have explained. The second time was with Maysara, the freed slave of Khadija, for her trade. In it is the resting place of the she-camel called the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; it knelt there, leaving an impression, as is mentioned, then it was moved and a well-known mosque was built upon it today. It is the city near which the necks of camels were illuminated by the light of the fire that came out from the land of Hijaz in the year 654 AH ²⁷, according to what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, informed in his saying: 'A fire will come out from the land of Hijaz, illuminating the necks of camels in Busra.' And Allah Almighty said: {Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written with them in the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So those who believe in him, honor him, support him and follow the light which was sent down with him—it is those who will be the successful.} ²⁸ Imam Ahmad said: Isma'il narrated to us, from al-Jurayri, from Abu Sakhr al-'Uqayli, a man from the Bedouins narrated to me: I brought some merchandise to Medina during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When I finished my sale, I said, 'I will definitely meet this man and hear from him.' He said: So he met me between Abu Bakr and 'Umar, walking. I followed them until they came upon a Jewish man who had spread out the Torah, reading it, consoling himself with it over a son of his who had died, who was among the best and most handsome of youths. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'I adjure you by Him who sent down the Torah, do you find me in your book with my description and my place of emergence?' He nodded his head like this—meaning no. But his son said: 'Yes, by Him who sent down the Torah, indeed we find in our book your description and your place of emergence, and I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Remove the Jew from your brother.' Then he took charge of his shroud and prayer over him. This chain is good, and it has supporting evidence in the Sahih ²⁹ from Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him. Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi said: 'Abd al-Wahid ibn Ghiyath—Abu Bahr—narrated to us, 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Muslim narrated to us, 'Asim ibn Kulayb narrated to us, from his father, from al-Saltan ibn 'Asim, and he mentioned that his maternal uncle said: I was sitting with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when his gaze fixed upon a man, and there was a Jew wearing a shirt, trousers, and two sandals. He said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, began speaking to him while he was saying: 'O Messenger of Allah.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Do you bear witness that I am the Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'No.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Do you read the Torah?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Do you read the Gospel?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'And the Qur'an?' He said: 'No, but if you wish, I could read it.' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Then by what do you read the Torah and the Gospel? Do you find me as a prophet?' He said: 'Indeed, we find your description and your place of emergence. When you emerged, we hoped you would be among us. But when we saw you, we recognized that you are not him.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Why, O Jew?' He said: 'Indeed, we find it written: Seventy thousand of his community will enter Paradise without reckoning, and we do not see with you except a small group.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Indeed, my community is more than seventy thousand and seventy thousand.' This is a strange hadith from this path, and they did not record it. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said, from Salim, the freed slave of 'Abdullah ibn Muti', from Abu Hurayra, who said: A Jew came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said: 'Bring out your most learned one.' They said: 'Abdullah ibn Suriyya.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, secluded with him and adjured him by his religion, and by what Allah had bestowed upon them, fed them manna and quail, and shaded them with clouds: 'Do you know that I am the Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'O Allah, yes. Indeed, the people know what I know, and your description and attribute are clearly stated in the Torah, but they envied you.' He said: 'Then what prevents you?' He said: 'I dislike opposing my people. Perhaps they will follow you and become Muslim, then I will become Muslim.' Salama ibn al-Fadl said, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Muhammad ibn Abi Muhammad, from 'Ikrima, from Ibn 'Abbas, that he used to say: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wrote to the Jews of Khaybar: 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, the companion of Musa ³⁰, his brother, and the one who confirms what Musa brought. Indeed, Allah said to you: O company of Jews and people of the Torah, you find this in your book: {Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers—so that He may enrage the disbelievers through them. Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward.} ³¹ And I adjure you by Allah and by what was sent down to you, and I adjure you by Him who fed those before you from your ancestors and tribes with manna and quail, and I adjure you by Him who dried up the sea for your fathers until He saved you from Pharaoh and his deeds, unless you inform us: Do you find in what Allah sent down to you that you should believe in Muhammad? If you do not find that in your book, then there is no compulsion upon you; guidance has become distinct from error.'

And I call you to Allah and to His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar mentioned in the book "Al-Mubtada'" from Sa'id ibn Bashir, from Qatada, from Ka'b al-Ahbar, and others narrated from Wahb ibn Munabbih that Nebuchadnezzar, after he destroyed Jerusalem and humiliated the Children of Israel for seven years, saw a great dream in his sleep that terrified him. So he gathered the priests and the diviners and asked them about that dream. They said: "Let the king relate it so that we may inform him of its interpretation." He said: "I have forgotten it, and if you do not inform me of it within three days, I will kill you all to the last one." So they went away fearful and terrified of his threat. Daniel, peace be upon him, heard of this while he was in his prison. He said to the jailer: "Go to him and say to him: 'There is a man here who has knowledge of your dream and its interpretation.'" So he went to him and informed him, and he summoned him. When he entered upon him, he did not prostrate to him. He said to him: "What prevented you from prostrating to me?" He said: "Indeed, Allah gave me knowledge and taught me, and commanded me not to prostrate to anyone other than Him." Nebuchadnezzar said to him: "I love those who fulfill their covenants with their lords. So inform me about my dream." Daniel said to him: "You saw a great idol, its feet on the earth and its head in the sky, its upper part of gold, its middle of silver, its lower part of copper, its legs of iron, and its feet of clay. While you were looking at it, its beauty and the perfection of its craftsmanship amazed you, Allah hurled a stone from the sky, which struck the top of its head until it crushed it, and its gold, silver, copper, iron, and clay became mixed together, so that it seemed to you that if mankind and jinn gathered to separate some from the rest, they would not be able to do so. And you looked at the stone that was hurled, growing, becoming great, and spreading until it filled the entire earth, so that you saw nothing but the stone and the sky." Nebuchadnezzar said to him: "You have spoken the truth; this is the dream I saw. What is its interpretation?" Daniel said: "As for the idol, it is various nations in the beginning of time, its middle, and its end. As for the stone that was hurled at the idol, it is a religion with which Allah will hurl these nations at the end of time, and He will make it prevail over them. Allah will send an unlettered Prophet from the Arabs, through whom He will subdue the nations and religions, just as you saw the stone subdue the parts of the idol. He will prevail over religions and nations, just as you saw the stone prevail over the entire earth. Through him, Allah will purify the truth, nullify falsehood, guide the people of misguidance, teach the unlettered, strengthen the weak, honor the humiliated, and support the oppressed." And he mentioned the rest of the story about Nebuchadnezzar releasing the Children of Israel at the hands of Daniel, peace be upon him. Al-Waqidi mentioned with his chains from al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba in the story of his delegation to al-Muqawqis, the king of Alexandria, and his questioning him about the descriptions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, similar to Heraclius's questioning of Abu Sufyan Sakhr ibn Harb. He mentioned that he asked the bishops of the Christians in the churches about the description of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and they informed him about that. This is a long story mentioned by al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym in "Al-Dala'il" ³². It is established in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed by a Jewish school ³³ and said to them: "O assembly of Jews, accept Islam, for by Him in whose hand is my soul, you will find my description in your books." The hadith. Imam Ahmad said: Musa ibn Dawud narrated to us, Fulayh ibn Sulayman narrated to us, from Hilal ibn Ali, from Ata' ibn Yasar, who said: I met Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As and said: "Inform me about the descriptions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the Torah." He said: "Yes, by Allah, he is indeed described in the Torah with his description in the Qur'an: 'O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness, a bringer of good tidings, and a warner, and a refuge for the unlettered. You are My servant and My messenger; I have named you al-Mutawakkil [the one who relies on Allah]. He is not harsh, nor coarse, nor clamorous in the markets, nor does he repay evil with evil, but he pardons and forgives. Allah will not take him until He has straightened the crooked religion by making them say: 'There is no god but Allah.' Through him, He will open blind eyes, deaf ears, and sealed hearts.'" Al-Bukhari narrated it from Muhammad ibn Sinan al-Awfi from Fulayh. He also narrated it from Abdullah—it is said ibn Raja', and it is said ibn Salih—from Abd al-Aziz ibn Abi Salama, from Hilal ibn Ali, and its wording is close to this with an addition. Ibn Jarir narrated it from the hadith of Fulayh, from Hilal, from Ata', and added: Ata' said: I met Ka'b and asked him about that, and he did not differ by a single letter. And he said: "In the transactions." And Sa'id said: from Hilal, from Ata', from Abdullah ibn Salam. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi said: Abu al-Husayn ibn al-Mufaddal al-Qattan informed us, Abdullah ibn Ja'far narrated to us, Ya'qub ibn Sufyan narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, al-Layth narrated to us, Khalid ibn Yazid narrated to me, from Sa'id ibn Abi Hilal ibn Usama, from Ata' ibn Yasar, from Ibn Salam, that he used to say: "Indeed, we find the description of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: 'I have sent you as a witness, a bringer of good tidings, and a warner, and a refuge for the unlettered. You are My servant and My messenger; I have named him al-Mutawakkil. He is not harsh, nor coarse, nor clamorous in the markets, nor does he repay evil with its like, but he pardons and forgives. Allah will not take him until He has straightened the crooked religion through him, by making them bear witness that there is no god but Allah. Through him, He will open blind eyes, deaf ears, and sealed hearts.'" And Ata' ibn Yasar said: Al-Laythi informed me that he heard Ka'b al-Ahbar saying the same as Ibn Salam said. I say: This from Abdullah ibn Salam is more likely, but the narration from Abdullah ibn Amr is more numerous, although he had found on the day of Yarmuk two saddlebags of the books of the People of the Book and used to narrate from them frequently. And let it be known that many of the Salaf used to apply the term "Torah" to the books of the People of the Book, so it was more general in their usage than the one Allah revealed to Moses. And the evidence for that is established from the hadith. Yunus said: From Muhammad ibn Ishaq, Muhammad ibn Thabit ibn Sharhabil narrated to me, from Ibn Abi Awfa, from Umm al-Darda', who said: I said to Ka'b al-Ahbar: "How do you find the description of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the Torah?" He said: "We find him: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, his name is al-Mutawakkil, not harsh, nor coarse, nor clamorous in the markets. He is given the keys, and through him Allah gives sight to blind eyes, hearing to deaf ears, and straightens crooked tongues, until they bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the One, without partner. Through him, He helps the oppressed and protects him." And it has been narrated from Ka'b from other than this chain. Al-Bayhaqi narrated from al-Hakim, from Abu al-Walid al-Faqih, from al-Hasan ibn Sufyan, Utba ibn Mukram narrated to us, Abu Qatan Amr ibn al-Haytham narrated to us, Hamza al-Zayyat narrated to us, from Sulayman al-A'mash, from Ali ibn Mudrik, from Abu Zur'a, from Abu Hurayra: "And you were not on the side of the Mount when We called" [28:46]. He said: They were called: "O nation of Muhammad, I answered you before you called Me, and I gave you before you asked Me."

Wahb ibn Munabbih mentioned that Allah the Exalted revealed to David in the Psalms: "O David, there will come after you a prophet whose names are Ahmad and Muhammad, truthful and a master. I will never be angry with him, nor will he ever anger Me. I have forgiven him before he disobeys Me, for his past and future sins. His community is blessed; I have given them of supererogatory acts ³⁴ what I have given the prophets, and I have made obligatory upon them the same obligations I imposed upon the prophets and messengers, so that they will come to Me on the Day of Resurrection with a light like the light of the prophets." Until he said: "O David, I have favored Muhammad and his community over all other communities." The knowledge that he is mentioned in the scriptures of the People of the Book ³⁵ is a matter of necessity in religion, and many verses in the Mighty Book ³⁶ indicate that, which we have discussed in their proper places. Praise be to Allah. Among these is His saying: "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 ³⁷ before it.'" (32) And He said: "Those to whom We gave the Scripture recognize him as they recognize their own sons. But indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know." (2) And He said: "Indeed, those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration, and they say, 'Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, the promise of our Lord has been fulfilled.'" (3) Meaning that the promise of our Lord regarding the existence of Muhammad and his sending was certainly to occur. So glorified is the Almighty over what He wills; nothing incapacitates Him. And He said, informing about the priests and monks: "And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they recognize of the truth. They say, 'Our Lord, we have believed, so write us among the witnesses.'" (33) And in the story of the Negus ³⁸, Salman ³⁹, Abdullah ibn Salam ⁴⁰, and others, as many evidences for this meaning will come later. Praise and gratitude be to Allah. We have mentioned in the course of the stories of the prophets ⁴¹ their description of the mission of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, his attributes, the land of his birth, the abode of his emigration, and the attributes of his community, in the stories of Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and others. Allah the Exalted informed about the last prophet of the Children of Israel and their seal, Jesus son of Mary, that he stood among the Children of Israel as a preacher, saying to them: "Indeed, I am the messenger of Allah to you, confirming what came before me of the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad." (3) And in the Gospel ⁴² is the good news of the Paraclete ⁴³, and what is meant is Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Al-Bayhaqi ⁴⁴ narrated from al-Hakim ⁴⁵, from al-Asamm ⁴⁶, from Ahmad ibn Abd al-Jabbar ⁴⁷, from Yunus ibn Bukayr ⁴⁸, from Yunus ibn Amr ⁴⁹, from al-Aizar ibn Harb ⁵⁰, from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "It is written in the Gospel: 'He is not harsh, nor coarse, nor clamorous in the markets, nor does he repay evil with evil, but rather he pardons and forgives.'" And Ya'qub ibn Sufyan ⁵¹ said: Fayd al-Bajali ⁵² narrated to us, from Salam ibn Miskin ⁵³, from Muqatil ibn Hayyan ⁵⁴, who said: Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed to Jesus son of Mary: "Be diligent in My command, hear and obey, O son of the pure, virgin, and chaste one. I created you without a male, making you a sign for the worlds. So worship Me. And make clear to the people of Suran ⁵⁵ in Syriac ⁵⁶, convey to those before you that I am the Truth, the Eternal, who does not pass away. Believe in the unlettered ⁵⁷ Arab prophet, the owner of the camel, the cloak ⁵⁸, and the turban ⁵⁹—which is the crown—the sandals, and the staff ⁶⁰—which is the rod—with curly hair, a broad forehead, joined eyebrows, wide black eyes, long eyelashes, intensely black eyes, a straight nose, bright cheeks, a thick beard, sweat on his face like pearls, the scent of musk emanating from him, his neck like a silver pitcher, gold flowing from his collarbones, having hairs from his chest to his navel running like a line, with no other hair on his belly, thick hands and feet. When he comes with people, he overshadows them. When he walks, it is as if he is being lifted from a rock and descending from a slope. He has few offspring"—and it seems he meant male offspring from his loins. Thus narrated al-Bayhaqi in "Dala'il al-Nubuwwa" ⁶¹ from the chain of Ya'qub ibn Sufyan. And al-Bayhaqi narrated from Uthman ibn al-Hakam ibn Rafi' ibn Sinan ⁶², who said: Some of my uncles and fathers told me that they had a parchment ⁶³ that they inherited during the Jahiliyya ⁶⁴ until Allah brought Islam, and it remained with them. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Medina, they mentioned it to him and brought it to him. Written in it was: "In the name of Allah, and His word is the truth, and the word of the wrongdoers is in loss. This is a mention for a community that will come at the end of time: they wash their extremities ⁶⁵, wear waist-wrappers ⁶⁶ over their middles, and cross seas to their enemies. Among them is a prayer that, if it had been in the people of Noah, they would not have been destroyed by the flood; if in 'Ad, they would not have been destroyed by the wind; if in Thamud, they would not have been destroyed by the blast. In the name of Allah, and His word is the truth, and the word of the wrongdoers is in loss." Then he mentioned another story. He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was amazed when I read it to him. And we mentioned, regarding His saying in Surat al-A'raf ⁶⁷: "Whom they find written with them in the Torah and the Gospel," the story of Hisham ibn al-As al-Umawi ⁶⁸, when al-Siddiq ⁶⁹ sent him in a detachment to Heraclius ⁷⁰ to invite him to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. He mentioned that Heraclius brought out for them images of the prophets on a piece of leather ⁷¹ from Adam to Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all, in the description and form they were. Then he mentioned that when he brought out the image of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he stood up out of respect for him. Then he sat down and began looking at it and contemplating it. He said: We said to him, "Where did you get this image?" He said: "Adam asked his Lord to show him all the prophets from his offspring, so He sent down their images to him. They were in Adam's treasury, peace be upon him, at the place of the setting of the sun ⁷². Dhul-Qarnayn ⁷³ extracted them and gave them to Daniel." Then he said: "By Allah, my soul has become content with leaving my kingdom. I was a servant to the worst of you in kingship until I die." Then he gave us gifts, treated us well, and sent us off. When we came to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and told him what we had seen, what he had given us, and what he had said to us, he wept and said: "Poor man! If Allah had intended good for him, He would have done it." Then he said: "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told us that they and the Jews find the description of Muhammad with them." Al-Hakim narrated it in full. Let it be written here in the commentary. Al-Bayhaqi also narrated it in "Dala'il al-Nubuwwa." And al-Umawi ⁷⁴ said: Abdullah ibn Ziyad ⁷⁵ narrated to us from Ibn Ishaq ⁷⁶, who said: Ya'qub ibn Abdullah ibn Ja'far ibn Amr ibn Umayya ⁷⁷ narrated to me from his father, from his grandfather Amr ibn Umayya ⁷⁸, who said: I came with some slaves from the Negus who had given them to me. They said to me: "O Amr, if we saw the Messenger of Allah, we would recognize him without you telling us." Abu Bakr passed by, and I said: "Is this he?" They said: "No." Then Umar passed by, and I said: "Is this he?" They said: "No." Then we entered the house, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed by. They called out to me: "O Amr, this is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." I looked, and indeed it was him, without anyone having told them. They recognized him by what they found written with them. And the warning of Saba' ⁷⁹ to his people and his good news to them of the existence of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has preceded in a poem we presented in his biography.

Thus he dispensed with repeating it. The statement of the two Jewish scholars to Tubba‘ al-Yamani when he besieged the people of Medina has already been mentioned: that it was the place of emigration of a Prophet who would appear at the end of time. So he withdrew from it and composed poetry ⁸⁰ containing greetings to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. The story of Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari and his glad tidings of the Unlettered Prophet. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ja‘far ibn Sahl al-Khara’iti said in his book "Hawatif al-Jann": ‘Ali ibn Harb narrated to us, Ahmad ibn ‘Uthman ibn Hakim narrated to us, ‘Amr ibn Bakr—he is Ibn Bakkar al-Qa‘nabi—narrated to us from Ahmad ibn al-Qasim, from Muhammad ibn al-Sa’ib al-Kalbi, from Abu Salih, from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas. He said: When Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan—Ibn al-Mundhir said: his name is al-Nu‘man ibn Qays—prevailed over the Abyssinians, and that was two years after the birth of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, the delegations of the Arabs and their poets came to him to congratulate him, praise him, and mention his excellent exploits. Among those who came to him was a delegation of Quraysh, including ‘Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, Umayya ibn ‘Abd Shams, ‘Abdullah ibn Jud‘an, and Khuwaylid ibn Asad, along with some other notables of Quraysh. They arrived at his court in San‘a’, and there he was at the top of Ghumdan [the palace] which Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt mentioned: "Drink in good health, upon you the crown raised high, / At the top of Ghumdan, a dwelling from you, a place of alighting." The chamberlain entered and informed him of their arrival, so he gave them permission. ‘Abd al-Muttalib approached and asked permission to speak. He said to him: "If you are one who speaks before kings, we have given you permission." ‘Abd al-Muttalib said to him: "Indeed, God, O king, has placed you in a lofty, difficult, and impregnable position, towering and exalted, and has caused you to grow from a root whose origin is pure and whose stock is mighty ⁸¹, whose foundation is firm and whose branch is high, in the most honorable place and the best mine. So you—may you not be cursed—are the king of the Arabs, their spring by which the lands become fertile, the head of the Arabs to whom they submit, their pillar upon which support rests, and their refuge to which the servants flee. Your predecessors were the best of predecessors, and you are for us the best of successors from them. So he whose predecessors are such will never be obscure ⁸², and he whose successor is you will never perish. We, O king, are the people of God’s sanctuary and the custodians of His House. We have come to you because of what has delighted you ⁸³ from the removal of the distress that had overwhelmed us ⁸⁴. We are a delegation of congratulation, not a delegation of condolence." He said: "And which of them are you, O speaker?" He said: "I am ‘Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim." He said: "The son of our sister?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Come closer ⁸⁵." So he brought him close, then he turned to him and to the people and said: "Welcome and greetings, and a she-camel and a saddle, and an easy resting place, and a profitable king ⁸⁶ who gives generous gifts. The king has heard your speech, recognized your kinship, accepted your intercession. You are the people of night and day, and you have honor as long as you stay, and gifts when you depart." Then they went to the house of hospitality and the delegations, and they stayed for a month without being able to reach him or being given permission to leave. Then he turned his attention to them and sent for ‘Abd al-Muttalib, brought him close to his seat, and secluded him. Then he said: "O ‘Abd al-Muttalib, I am entrusting ⁸⁷ to you a secret of my knowledge that if it were someone else, I would not disclose it. But I saw that you are its mine, so I have informed you of it. Let it be kept hidden with you until God permits it, for God will accomplish His matter. I find in the preserved Book and the treasured knowledge that we have stored up ⁷ for ourselves and kept hidden ⁸⁸ from others a great news and a momentous matter, containing the honor of life and the virtue of death, for people in general, for your clan in particular, and for you specifically." ‘Abd al-Muttalib said: "O king, may one like you bring joy and goodness. What is it? May your people of the tents be your ransom, group after group?" He said: "When a boy is born in Tihama, with a mark, a mole between his shoulders, he will have leadership, and you will have authority until the Day of Resurrection." ‘Abd al-Muttalib said: "May you not be cursed, I have returned with the best that any returnee has brought. Were it not for awe of the king, reverence, and veneration, I would have asked him about his glad tidings to me to increase my joy." Ibn Dhi Yazan said: "This is his time in which he will be born, or he has already been born. His name is Muhammad. His father and mother will die, and his grandfather and uncle will take care of him. We have given birth to him repeatedly, and God will send him forth openly, and will make for him supporters from us, by whom He will honor His friends and humiliate His enemies, and with whom He will strike the people aside, and through whom He will conquer the choicest lands. He will break idols, extinguish fires, worship the Most Merciful, and repel Satan. His speech is decisive, his judgment is just. He commands what is right and does it, and forbids what is wrong and abolishes it." ‘Abd al-Muttalib said: "O king—may your fortune be exalted, your status high, your kingdom enduring, and your life long—[this is our lineage] ⁸⁹. So has the king clarified ⁹⁰ for me? For he has made some things clear." Ibn Dhi Yazan said: "By the House of the veils and the signs on the pillars ⁹¹, indeed, O ‘Abd al-Muttalib, you are his grandfather, without falsehood." So ‘Abd al-Muttalib fell down prostrating. He said: "Raise your head. May your heart be cooled, and your affair exalted. Have you perceived anything of what I have mentioned to you?" He said: "O king, I had a son whom I admired and was kind to. I married him to a noblewoman of his people, Amina bint Wahb. She gave birth to a boy whom I named Muhammad. His father and mother died, and I and his uncle took care of him." Ibn Dhi Yazan said: "What I told you is as you have said. So take care of your son and beware of the Jews for him, for they are his enemies, but God will never give them a way over him. Keep what I have mentioned to you hidden from these companions with you, for I do not feel safe that envy might enter them because you have leadership, and they might seek to harm him and set traps for him. They or their sons will do so. Were it not that I know death will seize me before his mission, I would march with my cavalry and infantry until I reach Yathrib, the seat of his kingdom ⁹². For I find in the speaking Book and the preceding knowledge that in Yathrib will be the consolidation of his affair, his supporters, and the place of his grave. Were it not that I protect him from afflictions and fear for him from calamities, I would have made his matter known in his youth and made the teeth of the Arabs tread on his heel. But I entrust that to you without any shortcoming towards those with you." He said: Then he ordered for each man among them ten male slaves, ten female slaves, one hundred camels, two suits of striped cloth, five ratls of gold, ten ratls of silver, and a stomach full of ambergris. And he ordered for ‘Abd al-Muttalib ten times that, and said to him: "When the year passes, come to me." But Ibn Dhi Yazan died before the year passed. ‘Abd al-Muttalib often used to say: "[O company of Quraysh] ⁹³, let none of you envy me for the generous gift of the king, [even if it is much] ⁵, for it will come to an end. But let him envy me for what remains for me and my descendants after me: its remembrance, its pride, and its honor." When asked: "When will that be?" he said: "It will be known, even if after a time." He said: Concerning that, Umayya ibn ‘Abd Shams said ⁹⁴: "We brought the riding beasts, we made them travel ⁹⁵ / On the humps of camels and swift she-camels, Whose pastures are high, they ascend / To San‘a’ from a deep ravine ⁹⁶, Heading to the son of Dhi Yazan, and they cut / With their bellies the blame of the road ⁹⁷, And they graze from his clouds lightning / Continuous flashes to lightning. When they reached San‘a’, they alighted / In the house of kingship and noble lineage." Thus narrated al-Hafiz Abu Nu‘aym in al-Dala’il from the chain of ‘Amr ibn Bukayr ibn Bakkar al-Qa‘nabi.

Then Abu Nu'aym ⁹⁸ said: I was informed by Abu al-Hasan 'Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn 'Abd Rabbih ibn Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Ufayr ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn al-Sifr ibn 'Ufayr ibn Zur'ah ibn Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan, who said: My father Abu Yazan Ibrahim narrated to me, saying: My paternal uncle Ahmad ibn Muhammad Abu Raja' narrated to us, saying: My paternal uncle Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz narrated to us, saying: 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Ufayr narrated to me, from his father, from Zur'ah ibn Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan al-Himyari, who said: When my grandfather Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan triumphed over the Abyssinians. And he mentioned it in full. And Abu Bakr al-Khara'iti ⁹⁹ said: Abu Yusuf Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Qalusi narrated to us, saying: al-'Ala' ibn al-Fadl ibn Abi Suwayyah narrated to us, saying: My father informed me from his father 'Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Suwayyah, from his grandfather Abi Suwayyah, from his father Khalifah, who said: I asked Muhammad ibn 'Uthman ibn Rabi'ah ibn Suwa'ah ibn Khath'am ibn Sa'd, saying: How did your father name you Muhammad? He said: I asked my father about what you asked me, and he said: I set out as the fourth of four from Banu Tamim—I among them, Sufyan ibn Mujashi' ibn Darim, Usamah ibn Malik ibn Jundub ibn al-'Aqid, and Yazid ibn Rabi'ah ibn Kinanah ibn Harbus ibn Mazin—heading to Ibn Jafnah ¹⁰⁰, the king of Ghassan. When we approached Syria, we stopped by a pool with trees around it and talked. A monk heard our speech and came out to us, saying: This language is not the language of this land. We said: Yes, we are a people from Mudar ¹⁰¹. He said: From which of the two Mudars? We said: From Khindif ¹⁰². He said: Indeed, a prophet, the Seal of the Prophets ¹⁰³, will be sent soon. So hasten to him and take your share from him, and you will be guided. We said to him: What is his name? He said: His name is Muhammad. He said: So we returned from Ibn Jafnah, and a son was born to each of us, and he named him Muhammad. Meaning that each of them hoped that this prophesied prophet would be his son. And the hafiz ¹⁰⁴ Abu Bakr al-Khara'iti said: 'Abdullah ibn Abi Sa'd narrated to us, saying: Hazim ibn 'Uqal ibn al-Zahr ibn Habib ibn al-Mundhir ibn Abi al-Husayn ibn al-Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya narrated to us, saying: Jabir ibn Jadan ibn Jami' ibn 'Uthman ibn Simak ibn al-Husayn ibn al-Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya narrated to me, saying: When death approached al-Aws ibn Harithah ibn Tha'labah ibn 'Amr ibn 'Amir, his people from Ghassan gathered around him and said: The decree of Allah has come to you as you see. We used to urge you to marry in your youth, but you refused. Now your brother al-Khazraj has five sons, and you have no child except Malik. He said: No one who leaves behind a son like Malik will perish. He who brings forth fire from the wathimah ¹⁰⁵ is able to grant Malik offspring and valiant men. And everyone is destined for death. Then he turned to Malik and said: O my son: Death rather than disgrace; punishment rather than reproach; fortitude rather than hesitation; the grave is better than poverty. Indeed, he who is little is humiliated, and he who attacks flees. It is from the generosity of the generous to defend one's sanctuary. Time is two days: a day for you and a day against you. So when it is for you, do not be insolent, and when it is against you, be patient. Both will pass away. Neither the crowned king nor the vile mu'lahij ¹⁰⁶ will remain. Submit to your day, may your Lord keep you alive. Then he began to recite: I witnessed the captives on the day of the family of Muharriq, and my lifetime reached the cry of Allah in al-Hijr ¹⁰⁷. I saw no ruler among the people, nor a commoner, but heading to death and the grave. So may He who destroyed Thamud and Jurhum grant me offspring at the end of time, Whom eyes will flee with from the family of 'Amr ibn 'Amir, when the caller calls for vengeance. If the days have not worn out my grandmother and grayed my head—and gray hair comes with age— Then we have a Lord who is high above His Throne, knowing what comes of good and evil. Has it not come to my people that Allah has a call by which the people of happiness and righteousness will succeed? When the one sent from the family of Ghalib is raised in Mecca, between Mecca and al-Hijr, Then seek his support in your lands, O sons of 'Amir, for happiness lies in support. He said: Then he passed away that very hour.

1. al-Amin : The Trustworthy; a title given to the Prophet Muhammad by the Quraysh before his prophethood due to his honesty and integrity.
2. Kada’ : A mountain pass or road in Mecca; the phrase 'horses from Kada’' refers to a prophecy about the conquest of Mecca.
3. ‘Amr ibn Murra al-Juhani : A companion of the Prophet Muhammad from the tribe of Juhayna; he embraced Islam after a prophetic dream.
4. Yathrib : The pre-Islamic name of Medina; 'Ash‘ar Juhayna' refers to the mountains of the Juhayna tribe.
5. al-Hira and al-Mada’in : Al-Hira was an ancient city in Mesopotamia, capital of the Lakhmids; al-Mada’in (Ctesiphon) was the capital of the Sasanian Empire.
6. Quran 33:7 : The verse refers to the covenant taken from the prophets, emphasizing the five major messengers.
7. Ul al-‘Azm : The Messengers of Strong Will; refers to the five major prophets (Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad) who endured great trials and brought major laws.
8. al-Ṣunābiḥī : A companion of the Prophet, known for narrating hadith.
9. munjadil fī al-ṭīn : Literally 'prostrate in the clay,' meaning Adam's body was still being formed from clay before the spirit was breathed into him.
10. munjadil fī ṭīnatihi : Similar to note 2, indicating Adam's body was still in the process of creation from clay.
11. Dalā'il al-Nubuwwa : A classical work on the proofs of prophethood, compiled by Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani.
12. wa-idh akhadhnā mina l-nabiyyīna mīthāqahum : Quranic verse (33:7) referring to the covenant taken from the prophets.
13. al-mala' al-a'lā : The 'highest assembly' of angels in the heavens.
14. al-ākhirūna al-sābiqūna yawma l-qiyāma : A hadith meaning 'We are the last (in time) but the foremost on the Day of Resurrection.'
15. bi-ḥaqqi Muḥammad : By the right or status of Muhammad, used as a means of intercession.
16. wa-idh akhadha llāhu mīthāqa l-nabiyyīna... : Quranic verse (3:81) about the covenant of the prophets to believe in and support the final messenger.
17. Ibrāhīm al-Khalīl : Abraham, the 'Friend of Allah,' a title given to him in Islamic tradition.
18. rabbanā wa-b'ath fīhim rasūlan minhum... : Quranic verse (2:129) from Abraham's prayer after building the Kaaba.
19. Ibrahim : Abraham, the patriarch of monotheism, whose supplication for a prophet from his descendants is mentioned in the Quran (2:129).
20. 'Isa : Jesus, the prophet who gave glad tidings of Muhammad's coming (Quran 61:6).
21. Sham : The Levant region, including modern Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and parts of Turkey.
22. six books : The six canonical hadith collections: Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Sunan al-Nasa'i, and Sunan Ibn Majah.
23. al-Mawlid : A book about the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, likely by Ibn Abi 'Asim.
24. covenant : The primordial covenant taken by Allah from all prophets to believe in Muhammad (Quran 3:81).
25. Busra : An ancient city in southern Syria, known as Busra al-Sham.
26. Bahira the monk : A Christian monk who recognized the prophethood of young Muhammad during a journey to Syria.
27. 654 AH : Corresponding to 1256 CE, a volcanic eruption in the Hijaz region.
28. Quran 7:157 : The verse describing the Prophet Muhammad as mentioned in the Torah and Gospel.
29. Sahih : Authentic hadith collections, particularly Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
30. Musa : Moses, the prophet to whom the Torah was revealed.
31. Quran 48:29 : The verse describing the companions of the Prophet Muhammad.
32. Al-Dala'il : A book by Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani on the proofs of prophethood.
33. mudras : A Jewish school or place of study, likely a transliteration of 'midrash'.
34. al-nawafil : Supererogatory acts of worship, voluntary prayers and deeds beyond the obligatory.
35. Ahl al-Kitab : People of the Book, referring to Jews and Christians who possess revealed scriptures.
36. al-Kitab al-Aziz : The Mighty Book, a reference to the Quran.
37. Muslimin : Those who submit to God, i.e., Muslims.
38. al-Najashi : The Negus, the title of the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) during the time of the Prophet Muhammad.
39. Salman : Salman al-Farsi, a companion of the Prophet originally from Persia who was a seeker of truth before Islam.
40. Abdullah ibn Salam : A Jewish rabbi who converted to Islam and was a companion of the Prophet.
41. Qisas al-Anbiya : Stories of the Prophets, a genre of Islamic literature.
42. al-Injil : The Gospel, the scripture revealed to Jesus in Islamic belief.
43. al-Farqalit : Paraclete, a term in the Gospel interpreted by Muslims as referring to Prophet Muhammad.
44. al-Bayhaqi : Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi, a renowned Sunni hadith scholar and historian.
45. al-Hakim : Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri, a famous hadith scholar and author of al-Mustadrak.
46. al-Asamm : Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Asamm, a hadith transmitter.
47. Ahmad ibn Abd al-Jabbar : Ahmad ibn Abd al-Jabbar al-Attar, a hadith transmitter.
48. Yunus ibn Bukayr : Yunus ibn Bukayr al-Shaybani, a hadith transmitter and historian.
49. Yunus ibn Amr : Yunus ibn Amr al-Sayrafi, a hadith transmitter.
50. al-Aizar ibn Harb : Al-Aizar ibn Harb al-Saba'i, a hadith transmitter.
51. Ya'qub ibn Sufyan : Ya'qub ibn Sufyan al-Fasawi, a hadith scholar and historian.
52. Fayd al-Bajali : Fayd ibn al-Walid al-Bajali, a hadith transmitter.
53. Salam ibn Miskin : Salam ibn Miskin al-Azdi, a hadith transmitter.
54. Muqatil ibn Hayyan : Muqatil ibn Hayyan al-Balkhi, a Quran commentator and hadith transmitter.
55. Suran : A place or region, possibly in Syria or Iraq.
56. al-Suryaniyya : Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic used by Eastern Christians.
57. al-Ummi : Unlettered, illiterate; a description of Prophet Muhammad indicating he did not read or write.
58. al-Midra'a : A cloak or garment worn over the shoulders.
59. al-Imama : Turban, a headwrap worn by men.
60. al-Hirawa : Staff or rod, a walking stick.
61. Dala'il al-Nubuwwa : Proofs of Prophethood, a work by al-Bayhaqi on the signs and miracles of Prophet Muhammad.
62. Uthman ibn al-Hakam ibn Rafi' ibn Sinan : A hadith transmitter from the early Islamic period.
63. Waraqa : A parchment or leaf of paper.
64. al-Jahiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance before the advent of Islam.
65. yaghsiluna atrafahum : They wash their extremities, referring to the Islamic practice of ablution (wudu) before prayer.
66. ya'taziruna : They wear waist-wrappers (izar), a garment wrapped around the waist.
67. Surat al-A'raf : Chapter 7 of the Quran, 'The Heights'.
68. Hisham ibn al-As al-Umawi : A companion of the Prophet from the Umayyad clan.
69. al-Siddiq : The Truthful, a title of Abu Bakr, the first Caliph.
70. Hiraql : Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor during the time of Prophet Muhammad.
71. Ruq'a : A piece of leather or parchment.
72. Maghrib al-Shams : The place of the setting of the sun, often interpreted as the far west.
73. Dhul-Qarnayn : The Two-Horned One, a righteous ruler mentioned in the Quran, often identified with Alexander the Great or Cyrus the Great.
74. al-Umawi : Possibly referring to a narrator from the Umayyad family.
75. Abdullah ibn Ziyad : Abdullah ibn Ziyad al-Sahmi, a hadith transmitter.
76. Ibn Ishaq : Muhammad ibn Ishaq, the author of the earliest biography of Prophet Muhammad (Sira).
77. Ya'qub ibn Abdullah ibn Ja'far ibn Amr ibn Umayya : A hadith transmitter from the family of Amr ibn Umayya.
78. Amr ibn Umayya : Amr ibn Umayya al-Damri, a companion of the Prophet.
79. Saba' : A prophet or a wise man, possibly referring to a figure from the people of Saba (Sheba).
80. شِعْرًا : Poetry; refers to the poetic composition by Tubba‘ al-Yamani.
81. جُرْثُومَتُهُ : His stock or origin; literally 'root' or 'source'.
82. يخمل : To be obscure or insignificant; from the root kh-m-l.
83. أبهجك : Delighted you; from the root b-h-j meaning joy.
84. فدحنا [فَنحْن] : Overwhelmed us; variant reading 'fa-nahnu' meaning 'so we are'.
85. ادْنُ : Come closer; imperative of d-n-w.
86. رِبَحْلًا : Profitable or generous; a descriptive term for a king.
87. مُفْضٍ : Entrusting or disclosing; from afḍā meaning to confide.
88. احتجبناه : We kept hidden; from iḥtajaba meaning to veil or conceal.
89. فَهَذَا نجارى : So this is our lineage; variant reading uncertain.
90. سَار : Clarified or made clear; possibly a variant of sāra.
91. النصب : The pillars; referring to the Kaaba or its markers.
92. مَمْلَكَته : His kingdom; referring to the Prophet's dominion.
93. يَا معشر قُرَيْش : O company of Quraysh; address to the tribe.
94. أُميَّة بن عبد شمس : Umayya ibn ‘Abd Shams; a Qurayshi poet and contemporary.
95. نحقبه : We make them travel; from ḥ-q-b meaning to urge on.
96. فَجٍّ عَمِيقِ : Deep ravine; a mountain pass.
97. ذمّ الطَّرِيق : Blame of the road; meaning the hardship of the journey.
98. Abu Nu'aym : Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani (d. 1038 CE), a renowned hadith scholar and historian.
99. al-Khara'iti : Abu Bakr al-Khara'iti (d. 939 CE), a hadith scholar and author of works on virtues and ethics.
100. Ibn Jafnah : A reference to the Ghassanid king, likely al-Harith ibn Jabalah, known as Ibn Jafnah.
101. Mudar : One of the two main branches of the 'Adnanite Arabs, the other being Rabi'ah.
102. Khindif : A sub-tribe of Mudar, from which the Quraysh and other tribes descend.
103. Seal of the Prophets : A title for Prophet Muhammad, indicating he is the final prophet.
104. hafiz : A title for a hadith scholar who has memorized a vast number of hadiths.
105. wathimah : A type of tree or plant from which fire is kindled by rubbing sticks.
106. mu'lahij : A term for a vile or contemptible person, possibly derived from 'lahaja' meaning to persist in evil.
107. al-Hijr : The rocky tract near Mecca, also the name of the region of Thamud.

Chapter on the Inspirations of the Jinn [1]

Chapter on the Communications of the Jinn ¹ This refers to what the jinn cast upon the tongues of soothsayers and what is heard from idols ². The speech of Shaqq and Satih to Rabi‘a ibn Nasr, king of Yemen, has already been mentioned regarding the glad tidings of the coming of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "A pure messenger to whom revelation comes from the Most High." And there will come in the section on the birth the saying of Satih to ‘Abd al-Masih: "When recitation increases, and the lake of Sawa dries up, and the owner of the staff comes"—meaning by that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as will be explained in detail later ³. Al-Bukhari said: Yahya ibn Sulayman al-Ju‘fi narrated to us, Ibn Wahb narrated to us, ‘Amr—he is Muhammad ibn Zayd—narrated to us that Salim narrated to him from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar who said: I never heard ‘Umar say about anything, "I think it is such and such," but that it turned out as he thought. While ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab was sitting, a handsome man passed by him, and he said: "Either my guess is wrong, or this man is still following his religion from the pre-Islamic period, or he was their soothsayer. Bring the man to me." So he was summoned. ‘Umar said that to him, and the man replied: "I have never seen a day like this when a Muslim man is confronted with such a thing." ‘Umar said: "I adjure you to tell me." He said: "I was their soothsayer in the pre-Islamic period." ‘Umar asked: "What is the most amazing thing that your jinn ⁴ brought you?" He said: "While I was in the market one day, my jinn came to me, and I could see fear in her. She said: 'Have you not seen the jinn and their despair, and their hopelessness after their decline, and their clinging to the swift she-camels and their saddles?'" ‘Umar said: "True. While I was asleep near their idols, a man came with a calf and slaughtered it, and a caller cried out—I have never heard a caller with a louder voice than his—saying: 'O Jalih ⁵, a successful matter, an eloquent man, saying: There is no god but Allah.' So the people jumped up, and I said: 'I will not leave until I know what is behind this.' Then he called out again: 'O Jalih, a successful matter, an eloquent man, saying: There is no god but Allah.' So I got up, and it was not long before it was said: 'This is a prophet.'" Al-Bukhari alone narrated this. This man is Sawad ibn Qarib al-Azdi, and it is also said al-Sadusi, from the people of the Sarat mountains in the Balqa region. He was a Companion and came as a delegate. Abu Hatim and Ibn Manda said: Sa‘id ibn Jubayr and Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali narrated from him. Al-Bukhari said: He was a Companion. Similarly, Ahmad ibn Rawh al-Bardha‘i al-Hafiz, al-Daraqutni, and others mentioned him among the names of the Companions. Al-Hafiz ‘Abd al-Ghani ibn Sa‘id al-Misri said: Sawad ibn Qarib with a lightened pronunciation. ‘Uthman al-Waqqasi said, from Muhammad ibn Ka‘b al-Qurayzi: He was among the nobles of the people of Yemen. Abu Nu‘aym mentioned him in al-Dala’il. His hadith has been narrated through other chains, lengthy and detailed, from the narration of al-Bukhari. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: One whom I do not suspect narrated to me from ‘Abdullah ibn Ka‘b, the freed slave of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, that he narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, while he was sitting among the people in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, a man from the Arabs entered the mosque heading towards ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab. When ‘Umar saw him, he said: "This man is still upon his polytheism, he has not left it yet, or he was a soothsayer in the pre-Islamic period." The man greeted him and then sat down. ‘Umar said to him: "Have you embraced Islam?" He said: "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful." ‘Umar said: "Were you a soothsayer in the pre-Islamic period?" The man said: "Glory be to Allah, O Commander of the Faithful! You have thought ill of me and confronted me with something that I do not think you have said to any of your subjects since you assumed authority." ‘Umar said: "O Allah, forgive! We were in the pre-Islamic period upon worse than this, worshipping idols and embracing idols, until Allah honored us with His Messenger and with Islam." He said: "Yes, by Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I was a soothsayer in the pre-Islamic period." ‘Umar said: "Tell me what your companion brought." He said: "He came to me a month or so before Islam and said: 'Have you not seen the jinn and their despair, and their hopelessness from their religion, and their clinging to the swift she-camels and their saddles?'" Ibn Ishaq said: This speech is rhymed prose, not poetry. ‘Umar said at that point, narrating to the people: "By Allah, I was at an idol of the pre-Islamic period with a group of Quraysh, when a man from the Arabs had slaughtered a calf for it, and we were waiting for its division to get a share from it, when I heard from inside the calf a voice—I have never heard a voice louder than it—and that was a month or so before Islam, saying: 'O Dharih ⁶, a successful matter, a man crying out, saying: There is no god but Allah.'" Ibn Hisham said: And it is said: "A man crying out, with an eloquent tongue, saying: There is no god but Allah." He said: And one of the scholars of poetry recited to me: "I marvel at the jinn and their despair, and their urging the swift camels with their saddles, rushing to Mecca seeking guidance—the believing jinn are not like their impure ones." Al-Hafiz Abu Ya‘la al-Mawsili said: Yahya ibn Hujr ibn al-Nu‘man al-Shami narrated to us, ‘Ali ibn Mansur al-Anbari narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Waqqasi, from Muhammad ibn Ka‘b al-Qurayzi, who said: One day while ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, was sitting, a man passed by him, and it was said: "O Commander of the Faithful, do you know this passer-by?" He said: "Who is this?" They said: "This is Sawad ibn Qarib, the one whose familiar spirit ⁷ came to him about the appearance of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." He said: So ‘Umar sent for him and said to him: "Are you Sawad ibn Qarib?" He said: "Yes." ‘Umar said: "Are you still upon your soothsaying?" He said: He became angry and said: "No one has confronted me with this since I embraced Islam, O Commander of the Faithful." ‘Umar said: "Glory be to Allah! What we were upon of polytheism was greater than what you were upon of soothsaying. So tell me what your familiar spirit informed you about the appearance of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." He said: "Yes, O Commander of the Faithful. While I was one night between sleeping and waking, my familiar spirit came to me, struck me with his foot, and said: 'Get up, O Sawad ibn Qarib, and hear my words and understand, if you understand. Indeed, a messenger has been sent from Lu’ayy ibn Ghalib, calling to Allah and to His worship.' Then he began to recite: 'I marvel at the jinn and their seeking, and their urging the swift camels with their saddles, rushing to Mecca seeking guidance—the truthful jinn are not like their liars. So travel to the chosen one from Hashim, whose foreparts are not like their tails.' He said: I said: 'Let me sleep, for I am feeling drowsy.' He said: On the second night, he came to me, struck me with his foot, and said: 'Get up, O Sawad ibn Qarib, and hear my words and understand, if you understand. Indeed, a messenger has been sent from Lu’ayy ibn Ghalib, calling to Allah and to His worship.' Then he began to recite: 'I marvel at the jinn and their probing, and their urging the swift camels with their packsaddles, rushing to Mecca seeking guidance—the believing jinn are not like their disbelievers. So travel to the chosen one from Hashim, between its hills and its stones.' He said: I said: 'Let me sleep, for I am feeling drowsy.' On the third night, he came to me, struck me with his foot, and said: 'Get up, O Sawad ibn Qarib, and hear my words and understand, if you understand. Indeed, a messenger has been sent from Lu’ayy ibn Ghalib, calling to Allah and to His worship.' Then he began to recite: 'I marvel at the jinn and their sensing, and their urging the swift camels with their saddles, rushing to Mecca seeking guidance—the best of the jinn are not like their impure ones. So travel to the chosen one from Hashim, and look with your eyes to its head.' He said: So I got up and said: 'Allah has tested my heart.' So I saddled my she-camel and came to Medina—meaning Mecca—and there was the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with his Companions. I approached and said: 'Hear my words, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'Speak.'"

So I began to say: My familiar (najiyyī) came to me after the stillness and sleep, * And he was not, in what I had experienced, a liar. For three nights, his saying each night: * "A messenger has come to you from Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib." So I tucked up the hem of my garment and mounted * The swift, sturdy she-camel across the deserts. And I bear witness that there is no deity but God (Allāh), * And that you are entrusted with every unseen matter. And that you, O son of the most noble and pure, * Are the closest of the messengers as a means to God. So command us with what comes to you, O best of those who walk, * Even if what comes includes the graying of forelocks. And be an intercessor for me on the Day when no intercessor * Other than you will avail Sawād ibn Qārib. He said: Then the Messenger of God (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and his companions rejoiced greatly at my speech, until joy was seen on their faces. He said: Then ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb leaped to him and embraced him, saying: "I had been desiring to hear this narration from you. Does your familiar (ra'iyyuka) come to you today?" He said: "As for since I have recited the Qur'ān, no. And what an excellent substitute the Book of God is for the jinn." Then ʿUmar said: "One day we were among a clan of Quraysh called Āl Dharīḥ, and they had slaughtered a calf for themselves, and the butcher was working on it, when we heard a voice from within the calf, but we saw nothing. It said: 'O Āl Dharīḥ, a successful matter, a caller calls out, with an eloquent tongue, bearing witness that there is no deity but God (lā ilāha illā Allāh).'" And this is interrupted (munqaṭiʿ) from this chain, and the narration of al-Bukhārī testifies to it. And they have agreed that the hearer of the voice from the calf was ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, and God knows best. Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar ibn Sahl al-Kharā'iṭī said in his book which he compiled on the voices (hawātif) of the jinn: Abū Mūsā ʿImrān ibn Mūsā al-Mu'addib narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn ʿImrān ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā narrated to us, Saʿīd ibn ʿUbayd Allāh al-Waṣābī narrated to us, from his father, from Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī, who said: Sawād ibn Qārib al-Sadūsī entered upon ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (raḍiya Allāhu ʿanhu), and he said: "I adjure you by God, O Sawād ibn Qārib, do you know today anything of your soothsaying (kihānatika)?" He said: "Glory be to God (subḥāna Allāh), O Commander of the Faithful, you have not addressed any of your companions with what you have addressed me." He said: "Glory be to God (subḥāna Allāh), O Sawād: What we were upon of our polytheism (shirk) was greater than what you were upon of your soothsaying (kihānatika). By God, O Sawād, a report has reached me about you that is indeed a wonder of wonders." He said: "Yes, by God, O Commander of the Faithful, it is a wonder of wonders." He said: "Then narrate it to me." He said: "I was a soothsayer (kāhin) in the pre-Islamic period (al-Jāhiliyyah). While I was sleeping one night, my familiar (najiyyī) came to me, struck me with his foot, and then said: 'O Sawād, listen, I will say to you.' I said: 'Speak.' He said: 'I marvel at the jinn and their anxiety, * And their loading the swift she-camels with their saddles, Hastening to Mecca seeking guidance, * Their believers are not like their wicked ones. So journey to the chosen one from Hāshim, * And see with your own eyes to his head.' He said: "So I slept and paid no heed to his words. When the second night came, he came to me, struck me with his foot, and then said to me: 'Arise, O Sawād ibn Qārib, listen, I will say to you.' I said: 'Speak.' He said: 'I marvel at the jinn and their seeking, * And their tying the swift she-camels with their saddle-girths, Hastening to Mecca seeking guidance, * The truthful of the jinn are not like their liars. So journey to the chosen one from Hāshim, * The leaders are not like their followers.' He said: "His words stirred something in me, and I slept. When the third night came, he came to me, struck me with his foot, and then said: 'O Sawād ibn Qārib, do you understand or not?' I said: 'What is that?' He said: 'A prophet has appeared in Mecca, calling to the worship of his Lord, so join him. Listen, I will say to you.' I said: 'Speak.' He said: 'I marvel at the jinn and their flight, * And their loading the swift she-camels with their camel-saddles, Hastening to Mecca seeking guidance, * The believers among the jinn are not like their disbelievers. So journey to the chosen one from Hāshim, * Among its hills and stones.' He said: "Then I knew that God had intended good for me. So I arose to a cloak (burdah) of mine, tore it, put it on, placed my foot in the stirrup of the she-camel's saddle, and set out until I reached the Prophet (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam). He presented Islam to me, and I embraced Islam, and I told him the story. He said: 'When the Muslims gather, inform them.' So when the Muslims gathered, I stood and said: 'My familiar (najiyyī) came to me after the stillness and sleep, * And he was not, in what I had experienced, a liar. For three nights, his saying each night: * "A messenger has come to you from Lu'ayy ibn Ghālib." So I tucked up the hem of my garment and mounted * The swift, sturdy she-camel across the deserts. And I know that there is no lord but God (Allāh), * And that you are entrusted with every unseen matter. And that you, O son of the most noble and pure, * Are the closest of the messengers as a means to God. So command us with what comes to you, O best of messengers, * Even if what comes includes the graying of forelocks.' He said: "The Muslims were delighted by that." Then ʿUmar said: "Do you perceive anything of it today?" He said: "As for since God has taught me the Qur'ān, no." And Muḥammad ibn al-Sā'ib al-Kalbī narrated it from his father, from ʿUmar ibn Ḥafṣ. : When Sawād ibn Qārib came to ʿUmar, he said: "O Sawād ibn Qārib, what remains of your soothsaying (kihānatika)?" He became angry and said: "I do not think, O Commander of the Faithful, that you have addressed any of the Arabs with such words." When he saw the anger on his face, he said: "Consider, Sawād. What we were upon before today of polytheism (shirk) is greater." Then he said: "O Sawād, narrate to me a narration that I have been desiring to hear from you." He said: "Yes. While I was with my camels in al-Sarāh at night, sleeping, and I had a familiar (najiyy) from the jinn, he came to me, struck me with his foot, and said to me: 'Arise, O Sawād ibn Qārib, for a prophet has appeared in Tihāmah, calling to the truth and to a straight path.'" And he mentioned the story as previously, and added at the end of the poetry: "And be an intercessor for me on the Day when no relative * Other than you will avail Sawād ibn Qārib." So the Messenger of God (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said: "Go among your people and recite this poetry among them." And al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAsākir narrated it via Sulaymān ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, from al-Ḥakam ibn Yaʿlā ibn ʿAṭā' al-Muḥāribī, from ʿAbbād ibn ʿAbd al-Ṣamad, from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, who said: Sawād ibn Qārib al-Azdī informed me, saying: "I was sleeping on a mountain of the mountains of al-Sarāh, and a visitor (ātin) came to me and struck me with his foot." And he also mentioned the story. And he also narrated it via Muḥammad ibn al-Barā', from Abū Bakr ibn ʿAyyāsh, from Abū Isḥāq, from al-Barā'. He said: Sawād ibn Qārib said: "I was staying in al-Hind, and my familiar (ra'iyyī) came to me one night." And he mentioned the story. And after reciting the final poetry, he said: "The Messenger of God (ṣallā Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) laughed until his molars appeared and said: 'You have succeeded, O Sawād.'" And Abū Nuʿaym said in the Book of the Proofs of Prophethood (Dalā'il al-Nubuwwah): ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar narrated to us, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥasan narrated to us, ʿAlī ibn Ḥarb narrated to us, Abū al-Mundhir Hishām ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Sā'ib narrated to us from his father, from ʿAbd Allāh al-ʿUmānī, who said: "There was a man among us called Māzin ibn al-ʿAḍūb, who served an idol (ṣanam) in a village called Samāyā, in ʿUmān. The Banū al-Ṣāmit, Banū Ḥuṭāmah, and Mahrah venerated it, and they were the maternal uncles of Māzin—his mother was Zaynab bint ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rabīʿah ibn Khuwayṣ, one of the Banū Numrān." Māzin said: "One day we sacrificed an animal (ʿatīrah) at the idol, which is the slaughtered offering, and I heard a voice from the idol saying: 'O Māzin, listen and be glad; good has appeared and evil has hidden; a prophet has been sent from Muḍar, with the greater religion of God; so leave aside a carved stone, and you will be safe from the heat of Saqar (Hellfire).'" He said: "I was greatly terrified by that."

Then, after some days, we performed another 'atirah (sacrificial offering). I heard a voice from the idol saying: "Come to me, come, and you will hear what you do not ignore. This is a sent Prophet, who has come with a revealed truth. So believe in him, that you may be saved from the heat of a kindled fire, whose fuel is stones." Mazin said: So I said, "This is indeed a wonder, and this is goodness intended for me." Then a man from the Hijaz came to us, and I said, "What news do you bring from behind you?" He said, "A man called Ahmad has appeared, saying to those who come to him: 'Respond to the caller of Allah.'" So I said, "This is the tidings of what I heard." So I rose up to the idol and broke it into pieces, mounted my riding beast, and proceeded until I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Then Allah expanded my breast for Islam, and I embraced Islam. And I said: "I have broken, O Yaghuth, into pieces, for we had * a lord whom we used to circumambulate, in error and misguidance. By the Hashimi, He guided us from our error, * and His religion was never on my mind. O rider, convey to 'Amr and her sisters * that I have renounced the one who said 'My lord is Yaghuth'." Meaning by 'Amr: as-Samit. And her sisters: Hutamah. Then I said, "O Messenger of Allah, I am a man addicted to amusement and to the pursuit of women and drinking wine. The years of drought have pressed hard upon us, consuming wealth and emaciating the slave-girls, and I have no child. So supplicate Allah to remove from me what I find, to bring us rain, and to grant me a child." So the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "O Allah, replace his amusement with the recitation of the Qur'an, the unlawful with the lawful, sin and lewdness with chastity, grant him rain, and grant him a child." He said: So Allah removed from me what I found, 'Uman became fertile, I married four free women, I memorized half of the Qur'an, and He granted me Hayyan ibn Mazin. And he began to say: "To you, O Messenger of Allah, my mount hastened, * traversing the deserts from 'Uman to al-'Arj, To intercede for me, O best of those who have trodden the pebbles, * so that my Lord may forgive me and I may return with success, To a people whose religion I have opposed for Allah's sake, * so neither their opinion is my opinion, nor their way is my way. And I was a man addicted to wine and lewdness * in my youth, until my body showed signs of wear. So He replaced wine with fear and awe, * and lewdness with chastity, thus He fortified my private parts. So my concern became jihad and my intention, * for Allah is my fasting, and for Allah is my pilgrimage." He said: When I came to my people, they rebuked me and insulted me, and they ordered their poet to satirize me. So I said, "If I respond to him, I would only be satirizing myself." So I departed from them. Then a great delegation from them came to me, for I was the one in charge of their affairs. They said, "O cousin, we have been harsh with you and disliked that. But if you refuse that, then return and manage our affairs, and your own matter and what you practice as religion is your concern." So I returned with them and said: "Your hatred for us is bitter in taste, * while our hatred for you, O our people, is like milk. Time does not perceive if your faults are spread, * but all of you, when our fault is mentioned, are perceptive. Our poet is silenced concerning you, while your poet * in our regard is eloquent, sharp-tongued in insulting us. What is in the hearts towards you, know, is rancor, * while in your hearts are hatred and grudges." Mazin said: Then Allah guided them all to Islam. Al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym narrated from the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn 'Aqil, from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah, who said: Indeed, the first news in Medina of the mission of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was that a woman in Medina had a jinn companion. He came in the form of a white bird and landed on a wall of theirs. She said to him, "Why do you not come down to us, so that you may speak to us and we to you, and you inform us and we inform you?" He said to her, "Indeed, a Prophet has been sent in Mecca who has forbidden fornication and prevented us from settling." Al-Waqidi said: 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz narrated to me, from az-Zuhri, from 'Ali ibn al-Husayn, who said: Indeed, the first news that reached Medina about the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was that a woman called Fatimah had a jinn companion. He came to her one day and stood on the wall. She said, "Will you not come down?" He said, "No, indeed, the Messenger who has forbidden fornication has been sent." And one of the Tabi'un also sent him, naming him Ibn Lawdhan, and mentioned that he had been absent from her for a while. Then when he came, she reproached him, and he said, "I came to the Messenger and heard him forbidding fornication. So peace be upon you." Al-Waqidi said: Muhammad ibn Salih narrated to me, from 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatadah, who said: 'Uthman ibn 'Affan said: We set out with a caravan to Syria, before the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent. When we were at the mouths of Syria, where there was a female soothsayer, she confronted us and said, "My companion came to me and stood at my door. I said, 'Will you not enter?' He said, 'There is no way for that. Ahmad has come forth, and a matter that cannot be withstood has arrived.'" Then I departed and returned to Mecca, and I found the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had come forth in Mecca calling to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Al-Waqidi said: Muhammad ibn 'Abdillah az-Zuhri narrated to me, saying: The revelation used to be heard, but when Islam came, they were prevented. And there was a woman from Banu Asad called Su'ayrah, who had a jinn companion. When he saw that the revelation could not be approached, he came to her and entered into her chest, and he cried out in her chest, and her mind left her. He began to say from her chest: "The necklaces have been placed, the companions have been prevented, and a matter that cannot be withstood has come, and Ahmad has forbidden fornication." Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Khara'iti said: 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Balawi narrated to us—in Egypt—'Umarah ibn Zayd narrated to us, 'Isa ibn Yazid narrated to us, from Salih ibn Kaysan, from one who narrated to him, from Mirdas ibn Qays as-Sadusi, who said: I was present with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when soothsaying was mentioned before him, and what had changed of it at the time of his emergence. So I said, "O Messenger of Allah, there was something among us regarding that. I inform you that a young girl of ours, called al-Khalasah, whom we knew only for good, came to us and said, 'O tribe of Daws, the wonder, the wonder, at what has befallen me! Do you know anything but good?' We said, 'What is that?' She said, 'I was with my sheep when darkness overcame me, and I felt something like the sensation of a man with a woman, and I feared that I might have become pregnant.' Until when her delivery drew near, she gave birth to a boy with flabby ears like the ears of a dog. He remained among us until he was playing with the boys, when he leaped a leap, threw off his waist-wrapper, and cried out at the top of his voice, saying, 'O woe! O woe! O lament! O lament! O woe to Ghunm! O woe to Fahm! From the kindler of fire! The horses, by Allah, are behind the mountain pass, among them handsome, noble youths.'" He said: So we mounted and took up arms, and said, "Woe to you, what do you see?" He said, "Is there any menstruating girl?" We said, "Who has one for us?" An elder among us said, "By Allah, I have one whose mother is chaste." So we said, "Hasten her." So he brought the girl, and he climbed the mountain and said to the girl, "Throw off your garment and go out to face them." And he said to the people, "Follow her tracks." And he said to a man of ours called Ahmad ibn Habis, "O Ahmad ibn Habis, upon you is the first horseman." So Ahmad charged and stabbed the first horseman, throwing him down, and they were defeated, and we took them as spoils. He said: So we built a house over them and called it Dhu al-Khalasah, and he never said anything to us except it happened as he said. Until, when your mission came, O Messenger of Allah, he said to us one day, "O tribe of Daws, Banu al-Harith ibn Ka'b have descended." So we mounted, and he said to us, "Pile up the horses in a heap, fill the people with a burial, drive them away in the morning, and drink wine in the evening." He said: So we met them, and they defeated us and overcame us. So we returned to him and said, "What is your state, and what have you done to us?" We looked at him, and his eyes had reddened, his ears had stood erect, and he twisted in anger until he almost burst, and he stood up.

So we rode, and we forgave him for this, and we remained after that for a time. Then he called us and said: "Would you like a raid that bestows upon you honor, and makes for you a fortress, and becomes in your hands a treasure?" We said: "How much we need that." He said: "Mount." So we mounted, and we said: "What do you say?" He said: "The Banu al-Harith ibn Maslamah." Then he said: "Stop." So we stopped. Then he said: "Upon you is understanding." Then he said: "You have no blood-vengeance against them. Upon you is (to attack) Mudar; they are masters of horses and cattle." Then he said: "No, the clan of Durayd ibn al-Simmah, few in number, faithful to the covenant." Then he said: "No, but upon you is (to attack) Ka'b ibn Rabi'ah, and settle them in the estate of 'Amir ibn Sa'sa'ah; let the encounter be with them." He said: So we met them, and they defeated us and disgraced us. So we returned and said: "Woe to you! What are you doing to us?" He said: "I do not know; the one who tells me the truth has lied to me. Imprison me in my house for three days, then come to me." So we did that to him, then we came to him after the third (day), and we opened (the door) for him, and behold, he was like a stone of fire. He said: "O company of Daws, the heaven has been guarded, and the best of the prophets has come forth." We said: "Where?" He said: "In Mecca, and I am dying. So bury me at the top of a mountain, for I will soon burst into flame. If you leave me, I will be a disgrace upon you. When you see my burning and my blazing, then throw three stones at me, and say with each stone: 'In Your name, O Allah,' for then I will be calmed and extinguished." He said: Then he died and burst into flame. So we did with him as he commanded, and we threw three stones at him, saying with each stone: "In Your name, O Allah," and he was calmed and extinguished. And we remained until the pilgrims came to us, and they informed us of your mission, O Messenger of Allah. This is very strange (gharīb jiddan). Al-Waqidi narrated from his father, from Ibn Abi Dhi'b, from Muslim ibn Jundub, from al-Nadr ibn Sufyan al-Hudhali, from his father. He said: We set out with a caravan of ours to Syria. When we were between al-Zarqa' and Ma'an, having halted for the night, suddenly there was a horseman saying, while he was between heaven and earth: "O sleepers, awake! This is not a time for sleep. Ahmad has come forth, and the jinn have been driven away, every driving." We were terrified, and we were a company of young men; all of them had heard this. So we returned to our families, and behold, they were mentioning a dispute in Mecca among Quraysh concerning a prophet who had appeared among them from the Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib, whose name is Ahmad. Abu Nu'aym mentioned it. Al-Khara'iti said: 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Balawi narrated to us—in Egypt—'Umarah ibn Zayd narrated to us, 'Abdullah ibn al-'Ala' narrated to me, Yahya ibn 'Urwah narrated to me, from his father, that a group of Quraysh, among them Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy, Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, 'Abdullah ibn Jahsh ibn Ri'ab, and 'Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith, were at an idol of theirs to which they used to gather. They had taken that day of every year as a festival; they would venerate it, sacrifice camels to it, then eat, drink wine, and devote themselves to it. They entered upon it at night and saw it fallen on its face. They disapproved of that, so they took it and returned it to its state. It was not long before it turned over violently. They took it and returned it to its state, and it turned over a third time. When they saw that, they grieved for it and considered it a grave matter. 'Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith said: "What is wrong with it that it keeps falling over? This is surely due to some event that has occurred." That was on the night in which the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) was born. 'Uthman began to say: "O idol of the festival, around which are arrayed / Chiefs of a delegation from far and near, / You have fallen overcome, so what is that? Tell us, / Is that folly, or have you fallen in displeasure? / If it is due to a sin we have committed, then indeed / We confess and turn away from the sin. / But if you are overcome and have fallen lowly, / Then you are not among the idols the master lord." He said: So they took the idol and returned it to its state. When it was upright, a caller from within the idol called out to them in a loud voice, saying: "It has fallen for a newborn, by whose light are illuminated / All the vast tracts of the earth, in the east and the west. / The idols have all fallen prostrate before him, and the hearts / Of all the kings of the earth have trembled with fear. / The fire of all the Persians has died out and grown dark, / And the Shah of Persia has spent the night in the greatest distress. / Their jinn have been barred from (revealing) the unseen, / So there is no informer among them of truth or falsehood. / So O (people of) Qusayy, return from your error, / And arise to Islam and the spacious abode." He said: When they heard that, they withdrew privately. Some of them said to others: "Be truthful with one another, and let some of you conceal (this) from others." They said: "Yes!" Waraqah ibn Nawfal said to them: "By God, you know that your people are not upon a religion, and they have missed the proof and abandoned the religion of Ibrahim. What is a stone that you circumambulate, which neither hears nor sees, nor benefits nor harms? O my people, seek for yourselves the religion." He said: So they set out at that, traveling through the land and asking about the Hanifiyyah (the religion of Ibrahim, peace be upon him). As for Waraqah ibn Nawfal, he became a Christian and read the scriptures until he acquired knowledge. As for 'Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith, he traveled to Caesar, became a Christian, and his status with him became good. As for Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, he wanted to leave but was detained. Then he left after that and traveled through the land until he reached al-Raqqah in the land of al-Jazirah. There he met a learned monk and informed him of what he was seeking. The monk said to him: "You are seeking a religion for which you will find no one to guide you, but the time of a prophet who will emerge from your land, sent with the religion of Hanifiyyah, has overshadowed you." When he said that to him, he returned intending (to go to) Mecca, but Lakhm raided him and killed him. As for 'Abdullah ibn Jahsh, he remained in Mecca until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent, then he left with those who left for the land of Abyssinia. When he arrived there, he became a Christian and abandoned Islam. He remained there until he died there as a Christian. A witness for this has preceded in the biography of Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl. Al-Khara'iti said: Ahmad ibn Ishaq ibn Salih, Abu Bakr al-Warraq, narrated to us, 'Amr ibn 'Uthman narrated to us, my father narrated to me, 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz narrated to us, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz narrated to me, from al-Zuhri, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Anas al-Sulami, from al-'Abbas ibn Mirdas, that he was tending his young camels at midday when a white ostrich appeared to him, upon which was a rider wearing clothes as white as milk. He said: "O 'Abbas ibn Mirdas, do you not see that the heaven has withdrawn its guards, and that war has swallowed its breaths, and that the horses have laid down their saddles, and that the one who descended with righteousness and piety, on Monday, the night of Tuesday, the owner of the she-camel al-Qaswa' (has come)?" He said: So I returned terrified; what I had seen and heard alarmed me, until I came to an idol of ours called al-Dhimar, which we used to worship and from whose interior we would be spoken to. I swept around it, then wiped myself against it and kissed it, and behold, a caller from within it said: "Say to the tribes of Sulaym, all of them: / Al-Dhimar has perished, and the people of the mosque have succeeded. / Al-Dhimar has perished, though once it was worshipped / Before the prayer with the Prophet Muhammad. / Indeed, the one who has inherited prophethood and guidance / After the son of Maryam, from Quraysh, is guided." He said: So I left terrified until I came to my people, and I recounted the story to them and informed them of the news. Then I set out with three hundred of my people, the Banu Harithah, to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was in Medina. We entered the mosque. When the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) saw me, he said to me: "O 'Abbas, how was your Islam?" So I recounted the story to him. He said: He was pleased with that, and I and my people embraced Islam.

Al-Ḥāfiẓ Abū Nuʿaym narrated it in al-Dalāʾil from the ḥadīth of Abū Bakr ibn Abī ʿĀṣim from ʿAmr ibn ʿUthmān with it. Then he also narrated it via al-Aṣmaʿī: al-Waṣṣāfī ⁸ narrated to me, from Manṣūr ibn al-Muʿtamir, from Qabīṣa ibn ʿAmr ibn Isḥāq al-Khuzāʿī, from al-ʿAbbās ibn Mirdās al-Sulamī, who said: The beginning of my Islam was that my father Mirdās, when death approached him, bequeathed to me an idol of his called Ḍimār ⁹. I placed it in a house and used to visit it once every day. When the Prophet ﷺ appeared, I heard a voice sent in the middle of the night that terrified me. I leaped to Ḍimār seeking refuge, and behold, a voice from within it said: "Say to the tribe of Sulaym, all of them: The companion has perished, and the people of the mosque live. Ḍimār has perished, once worshipped, before the Book to the Prophet Muḥammad. Indeed, the one who inherited prophethood and guidance after the son of Maryam, from Quraysh, is guided." He said: I concealed it from the people. When the people returned from al-Aḥzāb ¹⁰, while I was among my camels on the road of al-ʿAqīq from Dhāt ʿIrq, sleeping, I heard a voice, and there was a man on the wing of an ostrich saying: "The light that fell on Tuesday night with the owner of the she-camel al-ʿAḍbāʾ in the lands of the brothers of Banī al-ʿAnqāʾ." A caller from his left answered him, saying: "Give glad tidings to the jinn and their despair, that the mounts have placed their saddles, and the sky has set its guards." He said: I leaped up terrified and knew that Muḥammad was a messenger. So I mounted my horse and urged it on until I reached him and pledged allegiance to him. Then I returned to Ḍimār and burned it with fire. Then I returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and recited poetry to him, saying: "By your life, on the day I ignorantly made Ḍimār a partner to the Lord of the worlds, and left the Messenger of Allah with al-Aws around him—those are his helpers, what helpers!—like one who leaves the plain and the rugged land seeking to tread in the difficult paths of affairs. So I believed in Allah, whose servant I am, and opposed those who seek destruction. I turned my face toward Mecca, heading to pledge allegiance to the Prophet of the most noble, the blessed. A prophet who came after ʿĪsā with a truth-speaking revelation, in which is the decisive judgment. Trustworthy over the Qurʾān, the first intercessor, and the first resurrected who answers the angels. He mended the ropes of Islam after they were broken, and strengthened them until he established the rites. I meant you, O best of all creation; you are of middle lineage in both branches, and possessor of glory. You are the purified one of Quraysh when they ascend, and the blessed generations remain. When the two clans, Kaʿb and Mālik, trace their lineage, we find you pure, and the women are pure." Al-Kharāʾiṭī said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad al-Balawī narrated to us in Egypt: ʿUmāra ibn Zayd narrated to us: Isḥāq ibn Bishr and Salama ibn al-Faḍl narrated to us, from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq: A shaykh from the Anṣār called ʿAbd Allāh ibn Maḥmūd from the family of Muḥammad ibn Maslama narrated to me, saying: It reached me that some men from Khathʿam used to say: Among what called us to Islam was that we were a people worshipping idols. One day while we were at an idol of ours, a group came seeking judgment from it, hoping for relief from it concerning a dispute between them, when a caller called out to them: "O people of bodies, from elders to youths! What are you and the foolishness of dreams, and the attribution of judgment to idols? Are all of you in a state of confused sleep? Or do you not see what is before me: a rising light clearing the darkness of night, appearing to the beholder from Tihāmah? That is a prophet, the master of mankind, who has come after disbelief with Islam. The Most Merciful honored him as an imam and a truthful messenger. The most just in judgment, commanding prayer and fasting, righteousness and maintaining family ties, and forbidding people from sins, impurity, idols, and the unlawful. From Hāshim, at the peak of the hump, openly in the Sacred Land." He said: When we heard that, we dispersed from it and came to the Prophet ﷺ and embraced Islam. Al-Kharāʾiṭī said: ʿAbd Allāh al-Balawī narrated to us: ʿUmāra narrated to us: ʿUbayd Allāh ibn al-ʿAlāʾ narrated to me: Muḥammad ibn ʿAkbar narrated to us, from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, that a man from Banī Tamīm called Rāfiʿ ibn ʿUmayr, who was the most guided of people on the road, the fastest of them by night, and the most daring in facing terror—the Arabs used to call him Duʿmūṣ al-ʿArab ¹¹ for his guidance and courage in travel—mentioned about the beginning of his Islam, saying: I was traveling in Raml ʿĀlij ¹² one night when sleep overcame me. I dismounted from my mount, made it kneel, pillowed my head on its foreleg, and slept. Before sleeping, I sought refuge, saying: 'I seek refuge in the great one of this valley from the jinn, from being harmed or disturbed.' In my dream, I saw a young man watching my she-camel, holding a spear, intending to strike its neck. I woke up frightened, looked right and left, but saw nothing. I said: 'This is a dream.' Then I went back to sleep and saw the same dream again. I woke up, circled my she-camel, but saw nothing, and my she-camel was trembling. Then I slept again and saw the same. I woke up and saw my she-camel agitated. I turned and saw a young man like the one in the dream, holding a spear, and an old man holding his hand, restraining him from her, saying: "O Mālik ibn Muhalhil ibn Dithār! Gently, may my waist-wrapper and my loincloth be your ransom! Do not approach the she-camel of the human; choose instead whatever you wish from my bulls. Indeed, I have seen from you what I did not expect. Will you not respect my kinship and my honor? You aim at her with a poisoned spear; woe to your deed, O Abā al-Ghaffār! Were it not for modesty and that your family are neighbors, you would know what secrets I have revealed." The young man answered him, saying: "Do you want to rise and lower our mention without disgrace, O Abā al-ʿAyzār? There was no chief among them in the past; indeed, the chosen are the sons of the chosen. So aim for your goal, O Muʿakbir; indeed, the protector is Muhalhil ibn Dithār." He said: While they were disputing, three wild bulls appeared. The old man said to the youth: 'Get up, O son of my sister, and take whichever you wish as a ransom for the she-camel of my human neighbor.' The youth got up, took one of the bulls, and left. Then he turned to the old man and said: 'O you, when you descend into a valley and fear its terror, say: I seek refuge in Allah, the Lord of Muḥammad, from the terror of this valley. And do not seek refuge with any of the jinn, for their affair has become void.' I said to him: 'Who is this Muḥammad?' He said: 'An Arab prophet, neither eastern nor western, sent on Monday.' I said: 'Where is his dwelling?' He said: 'Yathrib, the place of palm trees.' He said: I mounted my mount when dawn broke for me, and I traveled quickly until I entered Medina. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw me and told me my story before I mentioned anything of it to him. He called me to Islam, and I embraced Islam." Saʿīd ibn Jubayr said: We used to think that it was about him that Allah revealed: "And that there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they increased them in burden" ¹³. Al-Kharāʾiṭī narrated via Ibrāhīm ibn Ismāʿīl ibn Ḥammād ibn Abī Ḥanīfa, from Dāwūd ibn al-Ḥusayn, from ʿIkrima, from Ibn ʿAbbās, from ʿAlī, who said: When you are in a valley and fear the wild beast, say: 'I seek refuge with Dāniyāl and the well, from the evil of the lion.'

Al-Balawi narrated from 'Umarah ibn Zayd, from Ibrahim ibn Sa'd, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq: Yahya ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith narrated to me, from his father, from Ibn 'Abbas, the story of 'Ali's fight with the jinn at the well of Dhat al-'Alam in al-Juhfah, when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent him to draw water for them, but they tried to prevent him and cut the bucket rope, so he descended to them. It is a very long and objectionable story, and Allah knows best. Al-Khara'iti said: Abu al-Harith Muhammad ibn Mus'ab al-Dimashqi and others narrated to us: Sulayman ibn bint Shurahbil al-Dimashqi narrated to us: 'Abd al-Quddus ibn al-Hajjaj narrated to us: Khalid ibn Sa'id narrated to us, from al-Sha'bi, from a man who said: I was in the assembly of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, and with him was a group of the Prophet's Companions (peace be upon him) discussing the excellences of the Qur'an. Some said: "The closing verses of Surat al-Nahl." Others said: "Surat Ya Sin." 'Ali said: "Where are you from the excellence of Ayat al-Kursi ¹⁴? Indeed, it is seventy words, in every word a blessing." He said: Among the people was 'Amr ibn Ma'di Karib, who could not answer. He said: "Where are you from 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' ¹⁵?" 'Umar said: "Tell us, O Abu Thawr." He said: While I was in the Jahiliyyah ¹⁶, hunger overcame me, so I drove my horse into the desert, but I found nothing but ostrich eggs. While I was riding, I came upon an old Arab man in a tent, and beside him was a girl like a rising sun, and with him were some small sheep. I said to him: "Surrender! May your mother lose you!" He raised his head to me and said: "O youth, if you want hospitality, dismount; if you want help, we will help you." I said to him: "Surrender!" He said: "We offered you lodging as an honor, but you did not refrain, ignorantly, like the ill-omened. You came with falsehood and slander, and what you desired is less than the white [swords] cutting the throats." He said: Then he leaped at me, saying: "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim." It was as if I were placed beneath him. Then he said: "Shall I kill you or release you?" I said: "Rather, release me." He said: So he released me. Then my soul tempted me to return. I said: "Surrender! May your mother lose you!" He said: "With 'Bismillah' and 'al-Rahman' we triumphed there, and with 'al-Rahim' we conquered. The fortitude of a vigilant avails not when we go forth to battle one day." Then he leaped at me, and it was as if I were placed beneath him. He said: "Shall I kill you or release you?" He said: I said: "Rather, release me." So he released me, and I went off not far. Then I said to myself: "O 'Amr, will this old man overcome you? By Allah, death is better for you than life!" So I returned to him and said: "Surrender! May your mother lose you!" He leaped at me, saying: "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim," and it was as if I were placed beneath him. He said: "Shall I kill you or release you?" I said: "Rather, release me." He said: "Far from it! O girl, bring me the knife." She brought him the knife, and he cut my forelock. The Arabs, when they captured a man and cut his forelock, would enslave him. So I stayed with him, serving him for a while. Then he said: "O 'Amr, I want you to ride with me into the desert, and I have no fear of you, for I trust in 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.'" He said: So we traveled until we came to a valley, dense, terrifying, and treacherous. He called out at the top of his voice: "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim." Not a bird remained in its nest but flew away. Then he repeated the words, and not a beast remained in its lair but fled. Then he repeated the call, and behold, an Abyssinian came out upon us from the valley, like a tall palm tree. He said to me: "O 'Amr, when you see us joined together, say: 'My companion has overcome him with 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.'" He said: When I saw them joined together, I said: "My companion has overcome him by al-Lat and al-'Uzza ¹⁷!" The old man accomplished nothing. He turned to me and said: "I knew that you had disobeyed my command." I said: "Yes, and I will not repeat it." He said: "When you see us joined together, say: 'My companion has overcome him with 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.'" I said: "Yes." When I saw them joined together, I said: "My companion has overcome him with 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.'" The old man leaned upon him and struck him with his sword, splitting his belly, and extracted from him something like a black lantern. Then he said: "O 'Amr, this is his deceit and malice." Then he said: "Do you know who that girl is?" I said: "No." He said: "That is al-Fari'ah bint al-Salil al-Jurhumi, from the best of the jinn. These are her family, her cousins; every year one of them attacks me, and Allah gives me victory over him with 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.'" Then he said: "You have seen what I did to the Abyssinian. Hunger has overcome me; bring me something to eat." So I drove my horse into the desert, but I found nothing but ostrich eggs. I brought them to him and found him sleeping. Under his head was something like a piece of wood. I drew it out, and it was a sword, a span wide and seven spans long. I struck his legs a blow that severed both legs with the feet. He sat up on his back, saying: "May Allah curse you! How treacherous you are, O traitor!" 'Umar said: "Then what did you do?" I said: "I kept striking him with my sword until I cut him limb from limb." He said: Then he was silent for a while, then he began to say: "With treachery you attained the brother of Islam from close quarters; I have not heard of such in the past of the Arabs. Even the non-Arabs would disdain what you did out of nobility; perdition to what you did to the noble master! I marvel that you attained his killing; or how did he requite you for the sin when you did not repent? A noble one who pardoned you repeatedly, while his hands had seized your body at the place of injury. If I were to take in Islam what the people of polytheism and the cross did in the Jahiliyyah, then a sharp sword would reach you from my justice, calling its taster to woe and war." He said: "Then what happened to the girl?" I said: "Then I went to the girl. When she saw me, she said: 'What did the old man do?' I said: 'The Abyssinian killed him.' She said: 'You lie! Rather, you killed him with your treachery.' Then she began to say: 'O eye, weep for the valiant knight, then weep with abundant flowing tears. Do not tire of weeping when time betrayed you with a truly patient one, a pious, dignified, forbearing, and equal in pride on the day of pride. Alas for my soul for your survival, O 'Amr; lifetimes have surrendered you to fates. By my life, if you had not attacked him with treachery, you would have attacked a lion like a sharp, cutting sword.'" He said: Her words angered me, so I drew my sword and entered the tent to kill her, but I saw no one in the tent. So I took the livestock and went to my family. This is a strange tradition ¹⁸. Apparently, the old man was from the jinn, and he was among those who had embraced Islam and learned the Qur'an, and among what he learned was 'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim,' and he would seek refuge with it. Al-Khara'iti said: 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Balawi narrated to us: 'Umarah ibn Zayd narrated to us, saying: 'Abdullah ibn al-'Ala' narrated to me, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from his grandmother Asma' bint Abi Bakr, who said: Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl and Waraqah ibn Nawfal mentioned that they came to the Negus after Abrahah's return from Mecca. They said: When we entered upon him, he said to us: "Tell me truthfully, O two Qurayshites: Was there born among you a child whose father intended to sacrifice him, then cast lots with arrows, and he was saved, and many camels were sacrificed for him?" We said: "Yes." He said: "Do you know what he did?" We said: "He married a woman named Aminah bint Wahb, left her pregnant, and went out." He said: "Do you know if he was born or not?" Waraqah ibn Nawfal said: "I will inform you, O king. One night I was staying at an idol of ours, which we used to circumambulate and worship, when I heard from its interior a caller saying:

The Prophet was born, so the dominions were humbled, * and misguidance withdrew, and polytheism retreated. Then the idol fell upon its face, and Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl said: "I have knowledge like his, O king." He said: "Produce it." He said: "On the very night of which he spoke his account, I left my family while they were mentioning Aminah's pregnancy, until I came to Mount Abu Qubays, seeking solitude there for a matter that troubled me. Then I saw a man descending from the sky, having two green wings. He stood upon Abu Qubays, then overlooked Mecca and said: 'Humiliated is the devil, and false are the idols; the Trustworthy One is born.' Then he spread a garment he had with him and swept it toward the east and the west. I saw that he had covered everything beneath the sky, and a light shone forth that nearly snatched away my sight, and what I saw terrified me. And the caller flapped his wings until he fell upon the Ka'bah, and a light shone forth from him that illuminated Tihamah. And he said: 'The earth has become pure and has yielded its spring.' And he gestured toward the idols that were upon the Ka'bah, and they all fell down." An-Najashi said: "Woe to you both! I shall inform you of what befell me. I was sleeping on the night you mentioned in a dome during my seclusion, when a neck and a head emerged from the earth, saying: 'Woe has befallen the companions of the Elephant; birds of Ababil pelted them with stones of Sijjil; perished is Al-Ashram, the transgressor, the criminal; and the unlettered Prophet is born, the Meccan, the Harami. Whoever answers him will prosper, and whoever refuses him will be destroyed.' Then he entered the earth and disappeared. I tried to shout but could not speak, and I attempted to stand but could not rise. So I knocked down the dome with my hand, and my family heard that and came to me. I said: 'Keep the Abyssinians away from me,' so they kept them away from me. Then my tongue and my legs were released." And there will come (35), if Allah Most High wills, in the story of the birth, the vision of Kisra regarding the fall of fourteen battlements from his palace, the extinguishing of his fires, and the vision of his Magian priests, and the interpretation of Satih of that at the hand of 'Abd al-Masih. Al-Hafiz Abu al-Qasim ibn 'Asakir narrated in his *History* in the biography of Al-Harith ibn Hani' ibn al-Mudlij ibn al-Miqdad ibn Zamlah ibn 'Amr al-'Udhri, from his father, from his grandfather, from his father, from Zamlah ibn 'Amr al-'Udhri, who said: "The Banu 'Udhrah had an idol called *Samam*, and they venerated it. It was among the Banu Hind ibn Haram ibn Dabbah ibn 'Abd ibn Kabir (36) ibn 'Udhrah, and its custodian was a man called Tariq. They used to offer sacrifices at it. When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) appeared, we heard a voice saying: 'O Banu Hind ibn Haram, the truth has appeared, and Samam has perished; Islam has repelled polytheism.' He said: 'We were frightened and terrified by that. We remained for some days, then we heard a voice saying: "O Tariq, O Tariq, the truthful Prophet has been sent with a speaking revelation. A proclaimer has proclaimed in the land of Tihamah: for his supporters is safety, and for his abandoners is regret. This is my farewell until the Day of Resurrection."' Zamlah said: 'The idol fell on its face.' He said: 'So I bought a riding beast and journeyed until I came to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) with a group of my people, and I recited to him a poem I had composed: "To you, O Messenger of Allah, I have driven its she-camel, * and I have tasked it with hardship and a deep desert of sand, to support the best of people with a strengthened support, * and to tie a rope from your ropes to my rope. And I bear witness that Allah—there is no thing other than Him— * I worship by Him as long as my foot bears my sandal."' He said: 'So I accepted Islam and pledged allegiance to him, and we informed him of what we had heard. He said: "That is from the speech of the jinn." Then he said: "O assembly of Arabs, I am the Messenger of Allah to you and to all mankind, calling them to the worship of Allah alone, and that I am His Messenger and His servant, and that you should perform pilgrimage to the House and fast one month out of twelve, which is Ramadan. Whoever answers me, for him is Paradise as a reward, and whoever disobeys me, the Fire will be his destination."' He said: 'So we accepted Islam, and he tied a banner for us. And he wrote for us a document, the copy of which is: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Zamlah ibn 'Amr and those who have accepted Islam with him specifically. I have sent him to his people intentionally. Whoever accepts Islam is in the party of Allah and His Messenger. And whoever refuses, for him is a safe-conduct of two months. Witnessed by 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and Muhammad ibn Maslamah al-Ansari."' Then Ibn 'Asakir said: "Very strange." (37) Sa'id ibn Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Umawi said in his *Maghazi*: "Muhammad ibn Sa'id—meaning his uncle—narrated to me, saying: Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir said: 'It was mentioned to me from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: "A caller from among the jinn called out upon Abu Qubays, saying: 'May Allah disgrace your opinion, O family of Fihr! * How weak are the intellects and understandings, when you acquiesce to one who criticizes you * for the religion of your noble, protective forefathers. The jinn of Busra have allied against you * with the men of the palm groves and fortresses. Soon you will see horses pacing * killing the people in the sacred territory with skulls. Is there no noble one among you, with a free soul, * of generous parents and uncles, who will strike a blow that will be a punishment * and a relief from distress and grief?'" Ibn 'Abbas said: "This poem became a topic of conversation among the people of Mecca, reciting it among themselves. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: 'This is a devil speaking to people about the idols, called Mis'ar; Allah will disgrace him.' So they remained for three days, and then a caller called out on the mountain, saying: 'We have killed Mis'ar in three days, * when the jinn became foolish and evil was kindled. I have covered him with a sharp, drawn sword * for his insult to our purified Prophet.' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: 'This is an 'ifrit from the jinn named Samj; he believed in me, and I named him 'Abdullah. He informed me that he was in pursuit of him for three days.' 'Ali said: 'May Allah reward him well, O Messenger of Allah.'" Al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym narrated in *Ad-Dala'il*, saying: "'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Ja'far narrated to us, Abu al-Fadl Muhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Musa ibn Abi Harb as-Saffar narrated to us, 'Abbas ibn al-Faraj ar-Riyashi narrated to us, Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Abi Thabit narrated to us, from his father, from 'Abd al-Hamid ibn Bahram, from Shahr ibn Hawshab, from Ibn 'Abbas, from Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah, who said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) sent me to Hadramawt on an errand before the Hijrah. When I was at some point on the road during a portion of the night, I heard a caller saying: 'O Abu 'Amr, sleeplessness has taken turns with me, * and sleep has gone, and slumber is forbidden, because of the remembrance of a band who have passed and perished, * and all of creation—their abode perishes. They have gone, arriving at the watering-places of death, * basins whose watering-place is not to be returned from. They have gone their way, and I have remained behind, * alone, with no companion to help me. Aimlessly, I cannot manage any affair, * as a newborn child cannot manage. Scarcely have I remained until a people, * while Thamud perished in their destruction, and 'Ad and the generations at Dhu Shu'ub, * all alike—Iram is harvested.'" He said: "Then another called out to him: 'O Kharbab, has wonder taken you away? Indeed, the wonder, all the wonder, is between Zuhrah and Yathrib.' He said: 'And what is that, O pale one?' He said: 'The Prophet of peace has been sent with the best of speech to all mankind. So depart from the sacred land to palm groves and fortresses.' He said: 'What is this sent Prophet, and the revealed Book, and the preferred unlettered one?' He said: 'A man from the descendants of Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib, ibn Fihr ibn Malik ibn an-Nadr ibn Kinanah.' He said: 'Alas! My age has passed beyond this, and my time has gone from it. I have seen myself and an-Nadr ibn Kinanah shooting at a single target and drinking cold milk. And I brought him out from a thicket on a chilly morning, and he rose with the sun and set with it'—and it is narrated: 'he hears and confirms what he sees.' 'And if this is from his descendant, then the sword has been drawn, fear has gone, adultery has been refuted, and usury has perished.'"

He said: "Then inform me of what will be." He said: "Adversity, misery, famine, hardship, and courage have gone, except for a remnant in Khuzā‘ah. And adversity, misery, and the soul-endowed creation have gone, except for a remnant of al-Khazraj and al-Aws. And haughtiness, pride, slander, and treachery have gone, except for a remnant in Banī Bakr." Meaning Ibn Hawāzin. "And regret-inducing action and sin-causing deed have gone, except for a remnant in Khath‘am." He said: "Inform me of what will be." He said: "When the pious woman is overcome and the free woman is restrained, then depart from the land of emigration. And when peace is withheld and kinship ties are severed, then depart from the sacred land." He said: "Inform me of what will be." He said: "Were it not for an ear that hears and an eye that glistens, I would inform you of what terrifies." Then he said: "No sleep have you lulled with bliss, O son of Ghawṭ, nor a morning that has come to us." He said: "Then he shrieked a shriek like that of a pregnant woman, and the dawn departed. I went to look, and behold, there were a lizard and a serpent, both dead." He said: "I did not know that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) had emigrated to Medina except through this narration." Then he narrated it from Muḥammad ibn Ja‘far, from Ibrāhīm ibn ‘Alī, from al-Naḍr ibn Salamah, from Ḥassān ibn ‘Ubādah ibn Mūsā, from ‘Abd al-Ḥamīd ibn Bahrām, from Shahr, from Ibn ‘Abbās, from Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubādah. He said: "When we pledged allegiance to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) on the night of al-‘Aqabah, I went out to Ḥaḍramawt for some of the pilgrimage." He said: "Then I fulfilled my need and returned until, when I was on part of the road, I slept. I was startled in the night by a caller saying: 'O Abā ‘Amr, sleeplessness has visited me in turns, and sleep has departed, and slumber has ceased.'" And he mentioned the like of it in its entirety. Abū Nu‘aym said: Muḥammad ibn Ja‘far narrated to us, Ibrāhīm ibn ‘Alī narrated to us, al-Naḍr ibn Salamah narrated to us, Abū Ghaziyyah Muḥammad ibn Mūsā narrated to us, from al-‘Aṭṭāf ibn Khālid al-Waṣābī, from Khālid ibn Sa‘īd, from his father, who said: I heard Tamīm al-Dārī say: "I was in Syria when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent. I went out for some of my needs, and night overtook me. I said: 'I am under the protection of the great one of this valley tonight.' He said: "When I took my resting place, suddenly there was a caller calling, whom I did not see: 'Seek refuge with God, for the jinn cannot grant protection to anyone against God.' I said: 'By God, what do you say?' He said: 'The Messenger of the unlettered, the Messenger of God, has come forth, and we prayed behind him at al-Ḥajūn. We have submitted and followed him, and the cunning of the jinn has gone, and they have been pelted with meteors. So go to Muḥammad, the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds, and submit.' Tamīm said: "When morning came, I went to the monastery of Ayyūb, and I asked a monk and informed him of the news. The monk said: 'They have told you the truth. He comes forth from the sanctuary, and his emigration is to the sanctuary, and he is the best of the prophets, so do not be preceded to him.' Tamīm said: "So I undertook the journey until I came to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), and I submitted." Ḥātim ibn Ismā‘īl said, from ‘Abd Allāh ibn Yazīd al-Hudhalī, from ‘Abd Allāh ibn Sā‘idah al-Hudhalī, from his father, who said: "We were at our idol Suwā‘, and we had brought to it two hundred sheep of ours that had been afflicted with mange. We brought them near to it to seek its blessing, and I heard a caller from within the idol calling: 'The cunning of the jinn has gone, and we have been pelted with meteors, for a prophet whose name is Aḥmad.' He said: "I said: 'You have erred, by God.' So I turned the faces of my sheep toward Najd, heading to my family, and I saw a man who informed me of the appearance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)." Abū Nu‘aym mentioned it thus as a suspended narration. Then he said: ‘Umar ibn Muḥammad ibn Ja‘far narrated to us, Ibrāhīm ibn al-Sindī narrated to us, al-Naḍr ibn Salamah narrated to us, Muḥammad ibn Maslamah al-Makhzūmī narrated to us, Yaḥyā ibn Sulaymān narrated to us, from Ḥakīm ibn ‘Aṭā’ al-Ẓafarī—from Banī Sulaym, from the descendants of Rāshid ibn ‘Abd Rabbih—from his father, from his grandfather, from Rāshid ibn ‘Abd Rabbih, who said: "The idol called Suwā‘ was in al-Ma‘lāh, belonging to a clan to which Hudhayl and Banū Ẓafar ibn Sulaym were devoted. Banū Ẓafar sent Rāshid ibn ‘Abd Rabbih with a gift from Sulaym to Suwā‘. Rāshid said: "At dawn, I came upon an idol before the idol of Suwā‘, and suddenly a shouter shouted from within it: 'The wonder, all the wonder, of the emergence of a prophet from the sons of ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, who forbids adultery, usury, and slaughter for idols. The heaven has been guarded, and we have been pelted with meteors. The wonder, all the wonder.' Then another idol shouted from within it: 'The neglected has been abandoned, though it was worshipped. The prophet Aḥmad has come forth, who prays the prayer and commands charity, fasting, righteousness, and the joining of kinship ties.' Then from within another idol, a caller shouted, saying: 'Indeed, the one who inherited prophethood and guidance after the son of Maryam, from Quraysh, is guided. A prophet has come, informing of what has passed and of what will be today, truly, or tomorrow.' Rāshid said: "At dawn, I found Suwā‘ with two foxes licking what was around it and eating what was offered to it, then they turned back and urinated on it. At that, Rāshid ibn ‘Abd Rabbih said: 'A lord upon whose head two foxes urinate? Degraded indeed is he upon whom foxes urinate.' That was at the time of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) emergence and his emigration to Medina, and the people heard about it. So Rāshid went out until he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Medina, along with his dog. Rāshid’s name at that time was Ẓālim, and his dog’s name was Rāshid. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'What is your name?' He said: 'Ẓālim.' He said: 'And what is your dog’s name?' He said: 'Rāshid.' He said: 'Your name is Rāshid, and your dog’s name is Ẓālim!' And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) laughed. He pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and stayed in Mecca with him. Then he asked the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) for a land grant in Wuhāṭ—and described it to him—so the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) granted him in al-Ma‘lāh from Wuhāṭ the distance of a horse’s run and his throw of a stone three times, and gave him a waterskin filled with water, and he spat into it and said to him: 'Empty it at the top of the land grant, and do not prevent people from its surplus.' So he did. Thus the water became a flowing spring that runs to this day, and he planted date palms upon it. It is said that all of Wuhāṭ drinks from it, and the people called it the Water of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The people of Wuhāṭ perform ritual washing with it. Rāshid’s throw reached the caravan called the Caravan of the Stone, and Rāshid went early to Suwā‘ and broke it." Abū Nu‘aym said: Sulaymān ibn Aḥmad narrated to us, ‘Alī ibn Ibrāhīm al-Khuzā‘ī al-Ahwāzī narrated to us, Abū Muḥammad ‘Abd Allāh ibn Dāwūd ibn Dilhāth ibn Ismā‘īl ibn Musri‘ ibn Yāsir ibn Suwayd, the companion of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), narrated to us, my father narrated to us, from his father Dilhāth, from his father Ismā‘īl, that his father ‘Abd Allāh narrated to him from his father Musri‘ ibn Yāsir, that his father Yāsir narrated to him from ‘Amr ibn Murrah al-Juhanī, that he used to narrate, saying: "I went out as a pilgrim with a group of my people in the pre-Islamic era. I saw in a dream, while I was in Mecca, a light shining from the Ka‘bah until it illuminated the mountain of Yathrib and the mountains of Juhaynah. I heard a voice in the light saying: 'The darkness has been dispelled, the radiance has shone, and the Seal of the Prophets has been sent.' Then it shone another time until I saw the palaces of al-Ḥīrah and the White of al-Madā’in. I heard a voice in the light saying: 'Islam has appeared, the idols have been broken, and kinship ties have been joined.' I awoke terrified and said to my people: 'By God, a momentous event will surely occur among this clan of Quraysh,' and I informed them of what I had seen."

When we reached our land, a man came to us and informed us that a man called Ahmad had been sent. So I went to him and told him what I had seen. He said: 'O 'Amr ibn Murrah, I am the one sent to all servants, calling them to Islam, commanding them to preserve blood, maintain family ties, worship Allah, abandon idols, perform pilgrimage to the House, and fast one month out of twelve, which is the month of Ramadan. Whoever responds will have Paradise, and whoever disobeys will have the Fire. So believe, O 'Amr ibn Murrah, and Allah will secure you from the Fire of Hell.' I said: 'I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah. I believe in everything you have brought, lawful and unlawful, even if that angers many people.' Then I recited to him verses I had composed when I heard about him. We had an idol, and my father was its custodian. I went to it, broke it, and then joined the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying: 'I bear witness that Allah is true and that I am the first to abandon stone idols. So I rolled up my sleeves like an emigrant, traveling to you through lowlands after hills, to accompany the best of people in soul and lineage, the Messenger of the King of people above the heavens.' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Welcome, O 'Amr ibn Murrah.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, send me to my people, perhaps Allah will grant them guidance through me as He granted guidance through you.' So he sent me to them and said: 'Adhere to right speech, and be not harsh, arrogant, or envious.' I came to my people and said: 'O Banu Rifa'ah, then O Banu Juhaynah, I am a messenger from the Messenger of Allah to you, calling you to Paradise and warning you of the Fire, commanding you to preserve blood, maintain family ties, worship Allah, abandon idols, perform pilgrimage to the House, and fast the month of Ramadan, one month out of twelve. Whoever responds will have Paradise, and whoever disobeys will have the Fire. O company of Juhaynah, Allah—praise be to Him—has made you the best of those from whom you come, and He made hateful to you in your ignorance what He made beloved to others of lewdness, for they used to marry two sisters, a man would marry his father's wife, and they would seek blood revenge in the sacred month. So respond to this sent Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from Banu Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib, and you will attain the honor of this world and the dignity of the Hereafter. Hasten, hasten in that, and you will have merit with Allah.' They all responded except one man who stood up and said: 'O 'Amr ibn Murrah, may Allah make your life bitter! Do you command us to abandon our gods and divide our community by opposing the religion of our fathers for what this Qurashi from Tihama calls to? No, and no welcome, and no honor.' Then he began to recite: 'Indeed, 'Amr ibn Murrah has brought a saying that is not the saying of one who desires reform. I think his saying and his deed will one day, even if time is long, be scattered. He will scatter the elders of those who have passed; whoever seeks that will not attain success.' 'Amr ibn Murrah said: 'The liar among me and you—may Allah make his life bitter, silence his tongue, and blind his sight.' 'Amr ibn Murrah said: 'By Allah, he did not die until his mouth fell, he could not taste food, and he became blind and mute.' 'Amr ibn Murrah and those of his people who had embraced Islam set out until they came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He welcomed them, honored them, and wrote for them a document, the copy of which is: 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is a document from Allah through the tongue of His Messenger, with a truthful book and a speaking truth, with 'Amr ibn Murrah al-Juhani for Juhaynah ibn Zayd: For you are the plains and valleys of the earth, its lowlands and highlands, you graze its vegetation and drink its pure water, on condition that you acknowledge the khums ¹⁹, perform the five prayers, and for the tabi'ah ²⁰ and the surayimah ²¹, two sheep if they are together, and if separate, one sheep each. There is no sadaqah ²² on the people of al-mirah ²³; there is no wardah ²⁴ al-labaqah ²⁵.' Witnessed by those present among the Muslims, with the writing of Qays ibn Shammas, may Allah be pleased with them. That was when 'Amr ibn Murrah said: 'Do you not see that Allah has manifested His religion and clarified the proof of the Quran for 'Amir? A book from the Most Merciful, a light for our assembly and our descendants, among every nomad and settled, to the best of all who walk on earth, and the most excellent of them at the time of the clash of rivals. We obeyed the Messenger of Allah when the bellies of enemies were torn by spears and blades. So we are a tribe around whom glory is built when the heads of the great are brought in war. The Banu al-Jarb ²⁶ we pierce them with long hands and white swords gleaming in the palms of warriors. You see around him the Ansar ²⁷ protecting their commander with brown spear shafts and sharp swords. When war turns at every great matter and its millstone revolves with constricting lions, his color brightens and his face increases like the light of the full moon among the shining stars.' Abu 'Uthman Sa'id ibn Yahya al-Umawi said in his Maghazi: 'Abdullah narrated to us, Abu 'Abdullah narrated to us, al-Mujalid ibn Sa'id and al-Ajlaj narrated to us, from al-Sha'bi, a shaykh ²⁸ from Juhaynah narrated to me: A man among us fell severely ill and became so heavy that we dug his grave and prepared his affairs. He fainted, then opened his eyes and regained consciousness and said: 'Have you dug for me?' They said: 'Yes.' He said: 'What did al-Fasl do?'—he was a cousin of his. We said: 'He is well; he just passed by asking about you.' He said: 'Indeed, he will soon be placed in my grave. A visitor came to me when I fainted and said: 'Weep for Hubal ²⁹, do you not see your grave being dug, and your mother about to lose you? What do you think if we turn it away from you with the shovel, then fill it with stones, and throw al-Fasl into it, who passed by and sufficed you, thinking he would not do it? Will you thank your Lord and pray, and abandon the religion of those who associate partners and went astray?' He said: 'I said: Yes.' He said: 'Arise, you are cured.' So the man recovered, and al-Fasl died and was placed in his grave.' The Juhani said: 'I saw that Juhani afterwards praying, cursing idols, and reviling them.' Al-Umawi said: 'Abdullah narrated to us: While 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, was in a gathering discussing the jinn, Khuraym ibn Fatik al-Asadi said: 'Shall I tell you how my Islam came about?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'One day I was searching for some camels of mine, following their tracks up and down, until when I was at Abraq al-'Azzaf ³⁰, I made my mount kneel and said: 'I seek refuge in the great one of this land, I seek refuge in the chief of this valley.' Then a caller called out to me: 'Woe to you, seek refuge in Allah, the Possessor of Majesty, Glory, Exaltation, and Bounty. Then recite verses from al-Anfal ³¹ and declare Allah's oneness, and do not care.' I was terrified, then I composed myself and said: 'O caller, what do you say? Is there guidance with you or misguidance? Explain, may Allah guide you, what is the way out?' He said: 'This is the Messenger of Allah, possessor of good deeds, in Yathrib ³², calling to salvation, commanding righteousness and prayer, and restraining people from misdeeds.' I said to him: 'By Allah, I will not leave until I go to him and believe in him.' So I put my foot in the stirrup of my mount and said: 'Guide me, guide me, may you be guided; may you never hunger as long as you live, nor be naked, nor cease to be a noble master. If you prefer the good that you have brought over all the jinn as long as you remain.' He said: 'May Allah accompany you and deliver your mount, magnify the reward and preserve your soul. Believe in him, may your Lord make your right successful, and support him with mighty support.' I said: 'Who are you, may Allah preserve you, so that I may inform him when I come to him?' He said: 'I am Malik ibn Malik, and I am his representative over the jinn of Nasibin ³³. And I will take care of your camels until I gather them to your family, if Allah wills.'

He said: So I set out until I came to Medina on a Friday, and the people were streaming to the mosque, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was on the pulpit like the full moon, addressing the people. I said, 'I will make my camel kneel at the gate of the mosque until he prays, then I will enter and greet him and inform him of my Islam.' When I made it kneel, Abu Dharr came out to me and said, 'Welcome and greetings! Your Islam has reached us. Enter and pray.' So I did, then I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he informed me of my Islam. I said, 'Praise be to Allah.' He said, 'Indeed, your companion has fulfilled his promise to you, and he is worthy of that, and he has delivered your camels to your family.'

And the misguided will perish. There, at the highest of waters, one will be overtaken. Then religion will decay, matters will be overturned, the Psalms will be disbelieved, and the bridges will be cut. None will escape except those who are on the islands of the seas. Then grains will decay, and the Bedouins will appear, among whom there is no one to blame the people of transgression and doubt, in a difficult time, even if there were a living person among the people, and wishes are of no avail. They said: "Then what, O Satih?" He said: "Then a man from the people of Yemen will appear, like Satan, and Allah will remove the trials from his head." This is a strange tradition that we have written due to its strangeness and what it contains of trials and battles ³⁴. And the story of Shiqq and Satih with Rabi'a ibn Nasr, the king of Yemen, has already been mentioned, and how they gave glad tidings of the existence of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Likewise, the story of Satih with his nephew 'Abd al-Masih has already been mentioned, when the king of the Sassanids sent him because of the shaking of the arch, the extinguishing of the fires, and the dream of the Magian priest. And that was on the night of the birth of the one by whose law all religions were abrogated.

1. hawātif al-jānn : Communications or voices of the jinn; supernatural messages believed to be delivered by jinn to soothsayers.
2. awthān : Idols; objects of worship in pre-Islamic Arabia.
3. al-mawlid : The birth; a section in traditional Islamic literature detailing the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.
4. jinniyyatuka : Your female jinn; the familiar spirit or jinn that inspired the soothsayer.
5. Jalīḥ : A name or epithet; possibly a reference to a person or a cry.
6. Dharīḥ : A name or epithet; possibly a reference to a person or a cry.
7. ra’īyuhu : His familiar spirit; the jinn or spirit that would inspire the soothsayer with knowledge.
8. al-Waṣṣāfī : A narrator in the chain; possibly a nickname or a name indicating a profession.
9. Ḍimār : Name of an idol worshipped by the tribe of Sulaym before Islam.
10. al-Aḥzāb : The Confederates; refers to the Battle of the Trench (al-Khandaq) in 5 AH.
11. Duʿmūṣ al-ʿArab : A nickname meaning 'the diver of the Arabs,' given for his skill in navigation and courage.
12. Raml ʿĀlij : A sandy desert region in Arabia, known for its difficult terrain.
13. Qurʾān 72:6 : Reference to the Quranic verse about humans seeking refuge with jinn.
14. Ayat al-Kursi : The Throne Verse, Qur'an 2:255, highly revered for its protection and blessings.
15. Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim : The Basmala, meaning 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,' a phrase recited before actions.
16. Jahiliyyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance, characterized by polytheism and moral darkness.
17. al-Lat and al-'Uzza : Two major goddesses worshipped by pre-Islamic Arabs, considered false deities.
18. athar : A tradition or report, often from early Islamic authorities, sometimes used for weak or strange narrations.
19. khums : One-fifth share of spoils or produce due to Allah and His Messenger.
20. tabi'ah : A young female sheep or goat that follows its mother, used here as a term for a type of livestock.
21. surayimah : A small flock of sheep or goats, typically around 30-40 head.
22. sadaqah : Charitable alms, often referring to obligatory zakat.
23. al-mirah : Provisions or food supplies brought for trade or sustenance.
24. wardah : Literally 'rose'; here possibly a type of tax or levy, or a place name.
25. al-labaqah : Unclear; possibly a type of tree or plant, or a place name.
26. Banu al-Jarb : A tribe or clan; 'jarb' means scabies, possibly a derogatory epithet.
27. Ansar : The Helpers, the Medinan converts who supported the Prophet.
28. shaykh : An elder or a learned man.
29. Hubal : A pre-Islamic Arabian idol worshipped at the Kaaba.
30. Abraq al-'Azzaf : A place name; 'abraq' means a striped mountain or hill.
31. al-Anfal : The eighth chapter (Surah) of the Quran, meaning 'The Spoils of War'.
32. Yathrib : The pre-Islamic name of Medina.
33. Nasibin : A city in Upper Mesopotamia, modern-day Nusaybin in Turkey.
34. al-malahim : Epic battles or apocalyptic wars, often referring to end-time conflicts in Islamic eschatology.

Chapter on how the revelation began [1]

Chapter on the manner of the beginning of revelation ¹ to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and mention of the first thing that was revealed to him of the Mighty Qur'an. That occurred when he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was forty years of age. Ibn Jarir ² narrated from Ibn 'Abbas ³ and Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab ⁴ that his age at that time was forty-three years. Al-Bukhari ⁵ said: Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us, from al-Layth ⁶, from 'Uqayl ⁷, from Ibn Shihab ⁸, from 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr ⁹, from 'A'isha ¹⁰, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said: The first form of revelation that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, received was true dreams ¹¹ in sleep. He never saw a dream but it came like the break of dawn. Then solitude became beloved to him, and he used to retreat to the cave of Hira' ¹² and engage in tahannuth ¹³—that is, worship—for many nights before returning to his family and taking provisions for that. Then he would return to Khadija ¹⁴ and take provisions for the like. Until the Truth ¹⁵ came to him while he was in the cave of Hira'. The angel ¹⁶ came to him and said: "Recite!" He said: "I am not a reciter." He said: Then he took me and pressed me until I could bear it no more, then he released me and said: "Recite!" I said: "I am not a reciter." Then he took me and pressed me a second time until I could bear it no more, then he released me and said: "Recite!" I said: "I am not a reciter." Then he took me and pressed me a third time until I could bear it no more, then he released me and 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." ¹⁷ So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned with it, his heart trembling. He entered upon Khadija bint Khuwaylid and said: "Wrap me up! Wrap me up!" So they wrapped him up until his fear had left him. He said to Khadija—and informed her of the news—: "I feared for myself." Khadija said: "No, by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You maintain family ties, you bear the burden of the weak, you earn for the destitute, and you help in the causes of truth." Then Khadija took him to Waraqa ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ¹⁸, the cousin of Khadija. He was a man who had become a Christian in the Jahiliyya ¹⁹, and he used to write the Hebrew script, writing from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah willed. He was an old man who had become blind. Khadija said to him: "O cousin! Listen to your nephew." Waraqa said to him: "O nephew! What do you see?" So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, informed him of what he had seen. Waraqa said to him: "This is the Namus ²⁰ that was sent down to Moses. Would that I were a young man ²¹ when you are expelled by your people." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Will they expel me?" He said: "Yes, no one has come with what you have brought but was opposed. If I live to see that day, I will support you strongly." Then Waraqa died soon after, and the revelation ¹ paused for a period ²². The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, became so grieved—as we have heard—that he several times intended to throw himself from mountain peaks. Whenever he reached the summit of a mountain to throw himself, Gabriel ²³ would appear to him and say: "O Muhammad, you are indeed the Messenger of Allah." Then his heart would become calm and his soul at rest, and he would return. When the pause in revelation ¹ became long for him, he would go again as before. He said: When he reached the summit of a mountain, Gabriel ²³ would appear to him and say the same. Thus it is recorded at length in the chapter on interpretation of dreams in al-Bukhari ⁵. Ibn Shihab ⁸ said: Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ²⁴ informed me that Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari ²⁵ said—while narrating about the pause in revelation ¹—in his hadith ²⁶: "While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I raised my head and saw the angel who had come to me at Hira' ¹² sitting on a throne between heaven and earth. I was terrified by him, so I returned and said: 'Wrap me up! Wrap me up!' Then Allah revealed: 'O you who are wrapped up! Arise and warn, and your Lord magnify, and your garments purify, and abomination shun.' ²⁷ Then revelation ¹ became intense and followed in succession." Then al-Bukhari ⁵ said: 'Abd Allah ibn Yusuf and Abu Salih ²⁸ followed him, meaning from al-Layth ⁶, and Hilal ibn Raddad ²⁹ followed him from al-Zuhri ⁸. Yunus ³⁰ and Ma'mar ³¹ said: ... ³² This hadith ²⁶ has been narrated by Imam al-Bukhari ⁵, may Allah have mercy on him, in his book in several places, and we have discussed it at length in the beginning of the commentary on al-Bukhari ⁵ in the book on the beginning of revelation ¹, both in terms of chain and text. Praise and grace be to Allah. Muslim ³³ also narrated it in his Sahih ³⁴ from the hadith ²⁶ of al-Layth ⁶ and from the paths of Yunus ³⁰ and Ma'mar ³¹ from al-Zuhri ⁸ as al-Bukhari ⁵ suspended it from them. We have indicated in the footnotes the additions of Muslim ³³ and his narrations. Praise be to Allah. His account ends with the words of Waraqa: "I will support you strongly." The statement of the Mother of the Believers ¹⁰, 'A'isha ¹⁰, "The first form of revelation ¹ that he received was true dreams ¹¹, and he never saw a dream but it came like the break of dawn" supports what Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar ³⁵ mentioned from 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr al-Laythi ³⁶ that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Gabriel ²³ came to me while I was sleeping with a piece of brocade containing writing. He said: 'Recite!' I said: 'What shall I recite?' He pressed me until I thought it was death, then he released me." And he mentioned the same as the hadith ²⁶ of 'A'isha ¹⁰. This was like a prelude to what came after in wakefulness. This has been explicitly stated in the Maghazi ³⁷ of Musa ibn 'Uqba ³⁸ from al-Zuhri ⁸ that he saw that in a dream, then the angel came to him in wakefulness. Al-Hafiz ³⁹ Abu Nu'aym al-Isbahani ⁴⁰ said in his book "Dala'il al-Nubuwwa" ⁴¹: Muhammad ibn Ahmad narrated to us...

1. al-wahy : Revelation; divine communication from Allah to the prophets.
2. Ibn Jarir : Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 310 AH/923 CE), renowned historian and Qur'an commentator.
3. Ibn 'Abbas : 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas (d. 68 AH/687 CE), cousin of the Prophet and a leading Qur'an interpreter.
4. Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab : Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab (d. 94 AH/713 CE), a prominent Successor and jurist in Medina.
5. Al-Bukhari : Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH/870 CE), compiler of the Sahih al-Bukhari, a major hadith collection.
6. Al-Layth : Al-Layth ibn Sa'd (d. 175 AH/791 CE), an Egyptian scholar and hadith narrator.
7. 'Uqayl : 'Uqayl ibn Khalid (d. 142 AH/759 CE), a hadith narrator from al-Zuhri.
8. Ibn Shihab : Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (d. 124 AH/742 CE), a leading hadith scholar.
9. 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr : 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr (d. 94 AH/713 CE), a Successor and historian, nephew of 'A'isha.
10. 'A'isha : 'A'isha bint Abi Bakr (d. 58 AH/678 CE), wife of the Prophet and narrator of many hadiths.
11. al-ru'ya al-sadiqa : True dreams; visions that come true, considered a form of divine communication.
12. ghar Hira' : Cave of Hira', a cave on Mount Hira' near Mecca where the Prophet received the first revelation.
13. tahannuth : A practice of devotion and worship, often interpreted as seeking spiritual retreat.
14. Khadija : Khadija bint Khuwaylid (d. 619 CE), first wife of the Prophet and first to believe in his message.
15. al-Haqq : The Truth; here referring to the angel Gabriel or the revelation itself.
16. al-malak : The angel; specifically Gabriel (Jibril), the angel of revelation.
17. Surah al-'Alaq : Qur'an 96:1-5, the first verses revealed to the Prophet.
18. Waraqa ibn Nawfal : Waraqa ibn Nawfal (d. 610 CE), a Christian scholar and cousin of Khadija.
19. al-Jahiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance before the advent of Islam.
20. al-Namus : The angel of revelation; specifically Gabriel, as the one who brought revelation to Moses.
21. jadh'an : A young man; literally 'a young camel', used metaphorically for youth and strength.
22. fatrat al-wahy : The pause in revelation; a period when revelation ceased temporarily.
23. Jibril : Gabriel, the archangel responsible for delivering revelation to the prophets.
24. Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al-Rahman : Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf (d. 94 AH/713 CE), a Successor and hadith narrator.
25. Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari : Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah (d. 78 AH/697 CE), a Companion from Medina and prolific narrator.
26. hadith : A report of the sayings, actions, or approvals of the Prophet Muhammad.
27. Surah al-Muddaththir : Qur'an 74:1-5, verses revealed after the pause in revelation.
28. Abu Salih : Possibly 'Abd Allah ibn Salih (d. 223 AH/838 CE), a narrator from al-Layth.
29. Hilal ibn Raddad : Hilal ibn Raddad (d. unknown), a narrator from al-Zuhri.
30. Yunus : Yunus ibn Yazid (d. 159 AH/776 CE), a hadith narrator from al-Zuhri.
31. Ma'mar : Ma'mar ibn Rashid (d. 153 AH/770 CE), a hadith narrator from al-Zuhri.
32. bawadiruhu : Possibly a textual variant or addition; the exact meaning is unclear.
33. Muslim : Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (d. 261 AH/875 CE), compiler of Sahih Muslim, a major hadith collection.
34. Sahih : A collection of authentic hadiths; here referring to Sahih Muslim.
35. Muhammad ibn Ishaq : Muhammad ibn Ishaq (d. 150 AH/767 CE), author of the earliest biography of the Prophet.
36. 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr : 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr al-Laythi (d. 68 AH/687 CE), a Successor and preacher in Mecca.
37. Maghazi : Military expeditions; a genre of early Islamic historical writing about the Prophet's campaigns.
38. Musa ibn 'Uqba : Musa ibn 'Uqba (d. 141 AH/758 CE), a historian and author of a book on the Prophet's expeditions.
39. Al-Hafiz : A title for a hadith scholar who has memorized a vast number of hadiths.
40. Abu Nu'aym al-Isbahani : Abu Nu'aym Ahmad ibn 'Abd Allah (d. 430 AH/1038 CE), a hadith scholar and historian.
41. Dala'il al-Nubuwwa : Proofs of Prophethood; a book by Abu Nu'aym on the miracles and signs of the Prophet.

He mentioned his age, peace and blessings be upon him, at the time of his mission [1] and…

He mentioned his age, peace and blessings be upon him, at the time of his mission [1] and its date.

Ibn al-Hasan narrated to us: Muhammad ibn 'Uthman ibn Abi Shayba narrated to us: Janab ibn al-Harith narrated to us: 'Abdullah ibn al-Ajlaj narrated to us, from Ibrahim, from 'Alqama ibn Qays, who said: "Indeed, the first way prophets receive revelation is in dreams, so that their hearts may be at ease; then the revelation descends afterward." ¹ This is from 'Alqama ibn Qays himself, and it is a good statement, supported by what precedes and what follows it. **Mention of his age, peace and blessings be upon him, at the time of his mission and its date** Imam Ahmad said: Muhammad ibn Abi 'Adi narrated to us, from Dawud ibn Abi Hind, from 'Amir al-Sha'bi, that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, received prophethood at the age of forty. Israfil ² was associated with his prophethood for three years, teaching him the word and such things, but the Qur'an did not descend. When three years had passed, Jibril ³ was associated with his prophethood, and the Qur'an descended through him over twenty years: ten in Mecca and ten in Medina. He died at the age of sixty-three. This chain is authentic up to al-Sha'bi, and it implies that Israfil was with him after the age of forty for three years, then Jibril came to him. As for Shaykh Shihab al-Din Abu Shama, he said: "The hadith of 'A'isha does not contradict this. For it is possible that the beginning of his affair was dreams, then Israfil was entrusted with him during that period when he used to retreat in Hira', ⁴ and he would quickly cast the word to him without staying with him, as a gradual training, until Jibril came to him and taught him after covering him three times. 'A'isha narrated what happened with Jibril but did not narrate what happened with Israfil, either to shorten the hadith or because she was not aware of the story of Israfil." Imam Ahmad said: Yahya ibn Hisham narrated to us, from 'Ikrima, from Ibn 'Abbas: "Revelation was sent down to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, when he was forty-three. He stayed in Mecca ten years and in Medina ten years, and died at the age of sixty-three." Similarly narrated by Yahya ibn Sa'id and Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab. Then Ahmad narrated from Ghandar and Yazid ibn Harun, both from Hisham, from 'Ikrima, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: "The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was sent and the Qur'an was revealed to him when he was forty years old. He stayed in Mecca thirteen years and in Medina ten years, and died at the age of sixty-three." Imam Ahmad said: 'Affan narrated to us: Hammad ibn Salama narrated to us: 'Ammar ibn Abi 'Ammar informed us, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: "The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, stayed in Mecca fifteen years: seven years seeing light and hearing sound, and eight years receiving revelation; and he stayed in Medina ten years." Abu Shama said: "The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, used to see wonders before his mission. Among these is what is in Sahih Muslim from Jabir ibn Samura, who said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'I know a stone in Mecca that used to greet me before I was sent; I still recognize it now.'" End of his words. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, loved solitude and seclusion from his people because of the clear misguidance he saw them upon: worshipping idols and prostrating to statues. His love for solitude grew stronger when God's revelation to him drew near, may God's blessings and peace be upon him. Muhammad ibn Ishaq narrated from 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Abdullah ibn Abi Sufyan ibn al-'Ala' ibn Haritha—who was a reliable narrator—from some scholars, who said: "The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, used to go out to Hira' every year for a month, practicing tahannuth ⁵ there. This was part of the practice of Quraysh during the Jahiliyya: he would feed any poor person who came to him. When he finished his retreat, he would not enter his house until he had circumambulated the Ka'ba." Similarly, it is narrated from Wahb ibn Kaysan that he heard 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr narrating to 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr something similar. This indicates that this was the custom of the devout among Quraysh: they would retreat to Hira' for worship. For this reason, Abu Talib said in his famous poem: "And [by] Thawr and Him who fixed Thabir in its place, / And the one who ascends to climb in Hira' and descends." This is the correct version of this verse, as mentioned by al-Suhayli, Abu Shama, and our master the hafiz Abu al-Hajjaj al-Mizzi, may God have mercy on them. Some narrators distorted it, saying: "And the one who ascends to climb in Hira' and descends"—this is weak and contrary to what is correct. God knows best. Hira' can be shortened or lengthened, and declined or not declined. It is a mountain at the top of Mecca, three miles away, to the left of the one going to Mina. It has a peak overlooking the Ka'ba, curved, and the cave is in that curve. How excellent is what Ru'ba ibn al-'Ajjaj said: "No, by the Lord of the secure cotton-gatherers, / And the Lord of a corner of Hira' that is curved." His statement in the hadith: "al-tahannuth: worship" is an interpretation by meaning. Otherwise, the literal meaning of tahannuth, according to al-Suhayli, is "entering into sin" (al-hinth). However, a few words are heard in the language meaning "to exit from that thing," such as tahannuth meaning "he exited from sin," and tahawwab, taharraj, ta'aththam, and tahajjud (leaving sleep for prayer), and tanajjus, taqadhdhur. Abu Shama listed them. Ibn al-A'rabi was asked about his saying "yatahannathu, i.e., yata'abbadu (he worships)" and said: "I do not know this; rather it is yatahannafu, from al-hanifiyya, the religion of Ibrahim, peace be upon him." Ibn Hisham said: "The Arabs say al-tahannuth and al-tahannuf, substituting fa' for tha', as they say jadf and jadhf, as Ru'ba said: 'If only my stones were with the ajdaf,' meaning al-ajdath (graves)." He said: "Abu 'Ubayda narrated to me that the Arabs say fumma in place of thumma." I say: Among that is the saying of some exegetes regarding "wa fumiha" that it means "wa thumiha" (and its garlic). Scholars have differed regarding his worship, peace be upon him, before the mission: was it according to a revealed law or not? And what was that law? It is said: the law of Nuh. It is said: the law of Ibrahim—this is the most likely and strongest. It is said: Musa. It is said: 'Isa. It is said: whatever was established as a law, he followed and acted upon. For a detailed discussion of these opinions and their implications, there are other places in usul al-fiqh. God knows best. His saying "until the truth came to him suddenly while he was in the cave of Hira'" means it came unexpectedly, without appointment, as God Almighty said: "And you were not expecting that the Book would be revealed to you, but [it is] a mercy from your Lord" ³. The beginning of this noble sura was revealed: "Read in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know." This is the first revelation of the Qur'an, as we have established in Tafsir and as will come later, on a Monday. As confirmed in Sahih Muslim from Abu Qatada that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was asked about fasting on Monday and said: "That is the day I was born and the day revelation was sent down to me." Ibn 'Abbas said: "Your Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, was born on Monday and received prophethood on Monday." Similarly, 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr, Abu Ja'far al-Baqir, and many scholars said that he, peace and blessings be upon him, received revelation on Monday. There is no disagreement among them on this.

Then it was said: That was in the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal, as previously mentioned from Ibn ʿAbbās and Jābir that he, peace be upon him, was born on the twelfth of Rabīʿ al-Awwal, a Monday, and on it he was sent [as a prophet], and on it he was taken up to heaven. The well-known view is that he, blessings and peace be upon him, was sent [as a prophet] in the month of Ramaḍān, as stated by ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr, Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, and others. Ibn Isḥāq argued for that based on what Allah Almighty said: "The month of Ramaḍān in which the Qurʾān was revealed, a guidance for mankind" ⁶. So it was said: On the tenth of it. Al-Wāqidī narrated with his chain from Abū Jaʿfar al-Bāqir that he said: The beginning of revelation to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was on Monday, the seventeenth night of Ramaḍān, and it was said on the twenty-fourth of it. Imām Aḥmad said: Abū Saʿīd, the freed slave of Banī Hāshim, narrated to us: ʿImrān Abū al-ʿAwwām narrated to us, from Qatāda, from Abū al-Malīḥ, from Wāthila ibn al-Asqaʿ, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "The Scrolls of Ibrāhīm were revealed on the first night of Ramaḍān, the Torah was revealed on the sixth of Ramaḍān, the Gospel on the thirteenth night of Ramaḍān, and the Qurʾān was revealed on the twenty-fourth of Ramaḍān." Ibn Mardawayh narrated in his Tafsīr from Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, raised to the Prophet, something similar. For this reason, a group of the Companions and Followers held that Laylat al-Qadr ⁷ is the night of the twenty-fourth. As for the saying of Jibrīl ⁸, "Recite!" and he said, "I am not a reciter," the correct view is that his saying "I am not a reciter" is a negation, meaning I am not one who knows how to read. This was deemed preponderant by al-Nawawī and before him by Shaykh Abū Shāma. Whoever says it is interrogative, his view is far-fetched, because the bāʾ ⁹ is not added in affirmative statements. Supporting the first view is the narration of Abū Nuʿaym from the ḥadīth of al-Muʿtamir ibn Sulaymān from his father: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, while he was afraid and trembling: "I have never read a book nor do I know it, and I do not write nor read." Then Jibrīl took him and squeezed him tightly. Then he released him and said to him: "Recite!" Muḥammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I see nothing to recite, and I do not read, and I do not write." It is narrated: "He covered me" as in the two Ṣaḥīḥs ¹⁰, and "he squeezed me," and it is narrated "he squeezed me," meaning he choked me, "until I was exhausted." It is narrated with ḍamma and fatḥa on the jīm, and with naṣb and rafʿ. He did that three times. Abū Sulaymān al-Khaṭṭābī said: He did that to test his patience and to discipline him well, so that he would become accustomed to bearing the burdens of prophethood that were imposed on him. For that reason, he would be overtaken by a state like that of a feverish person, and he would be seized by raḥaḍāʾ ¹¹, meaning shortness of breath and sweat. Others said: He did that for reasons: among them, that he might become alert to the greatness of what was to be conveyed to him after this strenuous action that is hard on souls. As Allah Almighty said: "Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word" ¹². For this reason, when revelation came to him, peace be upon him, his face would become red, and he would snore like the snoring of a young camel, and his forehead would drip with sweat on a very cold day. His saying: "Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned with it to Khadīja, his heart trembling." In one narration: "his bawādiruhu" ¹³, plural of bādira. Abū ʿUbayda said: It is a piece of flesh between the shoulder and the neck. Others said: They are veins that throb in fear. In some narrations: "his bāādiluhu tremble," singular bādila. It is said bādil, which is what is between the neck and the collarbone. It is said the root of the breast. It is said the flesh of the breasts. And other sayings. He said: "Cover me! Cover me!" When the fright left him, he said to Khadīja: "What is wrong with me? What has happened to me?" And he told her what had occurred. Then he said: "I fear for myself." That was because he witnessed something he had never experienced before, nor had it ever crossed his mind. For this reason, Khadīja said: "Rejoice! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you." It is said: from khizy ¹⁴, and it is said: from ḥuzn ¹⁵. This was due to her knowledge of the beautiful customs that Allah had established in His creation, that whoever is characterized by good qualities is not disgraced in this world or the Hereafter. Then she mentioned to him his noble qualities that were among his good traits. She said: "Indeed, you maintain family ties, speak truthfully," and he was well-known for that, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, among both friend and foe. "And you bear the burden [of others]" ¹⁶, meaning you bear the burden for others, giving the head of a household what relieves him of the heavy expense of his family. "And you earn the non-existent" ¹⁷, meaning you hasten to do good, so you rush to give to the poor and earn his good deed before others. The poor person is called non-existent because his life is deficient, so his existence and non-existence are equal, as some said: "He who dies and rests is not dead; the dead are the living dead." Abū al-Ḥasan al-Tihāmī said, as quoted by Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ in his commentary on Muslim: "Count this poor man as dead, and his clothing as a worn-out shroud, and his dwelling as a grave." Al-Khaṭṭābī said: The correct version is "and you earn for the destitute," meaning you give to him, or you earn for the destitute by giving him wealth with which to live. Our teacher, the Ḥāfiẓ Abū al-Ḥajjāj al-Mizzī, chose that what is meant by "the non-existent" here is the wealth given, i.e., you give wealth to one who lacks it. Whoever says that what is meant is that you earn, through your trade, the non-existent or precious and rare wealth, has gone far afield, gone to extremes, and undertaken what he has no knowledge of, for such a thing is not usually praised. This view was weakened by ʿIyāḍ, al-Nawawī, and others. And Allah knows best. "And you honor the guest" ¹⁸, meaning you treat him generously by offering hospitality and providing good lodging. "And you help in the calamities of truth" ¹⁹, and it is narrated "of good," meaning when a calamity befalls someone in a good cause, you help in it and stand with its owner until he finds a means of living or a sustenance. His saying: "Then she took him and went with him to her cousin Waraqa ibn Nawfal, who was an old blind man." We have already mentioned some of his story along with the mention of Zayd ibn ʿAmr ibn Nufayl, may Allah have mercy on him, and that he was among those who sought [the truth] in the Jāhiliyya ²⁰, so he left them and traveled to Syria, he and Zayd ibn ʿAmr, ʿUthmān ibn al-Ḥuwayrith, and ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Jaḥsh, and they all became Christians, because they found it at that time to be the closest religion to the truth. Except for Zayd ibn ʿAmr ibn Nufayl, for he saw in it corruption, confusion, alteration, distortion, and interpretation, so his innate nature refused to enter it as well. The rabbis and monks gave him glad tidings of the coming of a prophet whose time had drawn near and whose era was approaching. So he returned seeking that, and he continued in his innate nature and monotheism. But death overtook him before the Muḥammadan mission. Waraqa ibn Nawfal lived to see it, and he used to discern it in the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as we have mentioned, through what Khadīja described to him and what he [the Prophet] possessed of pure and beautiful qualities, and the signs and miracles that appeared from him. For this reason, when what happened happened, she took the hand of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and brought him to him. She stood with him before him and said: "Cousin, listen to your nephew." When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told him the story of what he had seen, Waraqa said: "Subbūḥ, Subbūḥ ²¹! This is the Nāmūs ²² that was sent down to Mūsā ²³."

He did not mention Jesus, even though he came later after Moses, because his law was a completion and perfection of the law of Moses, peace be upon them both, and abrogated some of it according to the correct view of the scholars. As He said: "And to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you" ²⁴. And the saying of Waraqah ²⁵ is like what the jinn 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" ²⁶. Then Waraqah said: "Would that I were a young man in it," meaning: would that I were today a young man capable of faith, beneficial knowledge, and righteous deeds. "Would that I were alive when your people expel you," meaning: so that I might go out with you and support you. At that point, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Will they expel me?" Al-Suhayli ²⁷ said: He said that because separation from one's homeland is hard on souls. He replied: "Yes! No one has come with what you have brought except that he was opposed, and if I live to see your day, I will support you with mighty support," meaning: I will support you with a strong and everlasting support. His saying: "Then it was not long before Waraqah died," meaning: he died shortly after this incident, may Allah have mercy on him and be pleased with him. For such as this from him was a confirmation of what he found, faith in what had occurred of revelation, and a righteous intention for the future. Imam Ahmad said: Hasan narrated to us from Ibn Lahi'ah ²⁸, Abu al-Aswad narrated to me from 'Urwah, from 'A'ishah, that Khadijah asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about Waraqah ibn Nawfal, and he said: "I saw him and saw upon him white garments. I think that if he were among the people of the Fire, he would not have white garments on him." This is a good chain, but al-Zuhri and Hisham narrated it from 'Urwah as a mursal ²⁹. And Allah knows best. Al-Hafiz Abu Ya'la narrated from Shurayh ibn Yunus, from Isma'il, from Mujalid, from al-Sha'bi, from Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked about Waraqah ibn Nawfal and said: "I saw him and saw upon him white garments. I saw him in the interior of Paradise ³⁰ wearing silk brocade." He was asked about Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl and said: "He will be raised on the Day of Resurrection as a nation by himself." He was asked about Abu Talib and said: "I brought him out from a deep place of Hell to a shallow place of it." He was asked about Khadijah, because she died before the obligations and rulings of the Qur'an, and he said: "I saw her at a river in Paradise in a house of reeds, with no noise or fatigue." This is a good chain, and some of it has supporting evidence in the Sahih. And Allah knows best. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bazzar said: 'Ubayd ibn Isma'il narrated to us, Abu Usamah narrated to us from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from 'A'ishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Do not insult Waraqah, for I have seen for him a garden or two gardens." Similarly, Ibn 'Asakir narrated it from the hadith of Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj, from Abu Mu'awiyah, from Hisham, from his father, from 'A'ishah, and this is a good chain. It was also narrated as mursal, which is more likely. The two hafizes, al-Bayhaqi and Abu Nu'aym, narrated in their books "Dala'il al-Nubuwwah" ³¹ from the hadith of Yunus ibn Bukayr, from Yunus ibn 'Amr, from his father, from 'Amr ibn Shurahbil, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Khadijah: "When I am alone, I hear a call, and by Allah, I fear that this may be something." She said: "Allah forbid! He would not do that to you. By Allah, you fulfill the trust, maintain family ties, and speak truthfully." When Abu Bakr entered and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was not there, Khadijah mentioned it to him and said: "O 'Atiq ³², go with Muhammad to Waraqah." When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered, Abu Bakr took his hand and said: "Come with us to Waraqah." He said: "Who told you?" He said: "Khadijah." So they went to him and told him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "When I am alone, I hear a call behind me: 'O Muhammad, O Muhammad.' So I flee in the land." He said to him: "Do not do that. When it comes to you, stay still until you hear what it says to you, then come and tell me." When he was alone, it called him: "O Muhammad, say: 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds'" until he reached "nor of those who go astray." "Say: 'There is no god but Allah.'" So he came to Waraqah and mentioned that to him. Waraqah said to him: "Rejoice, then rejoice. I bear witness that you are the one whom the son of Mary gave glad tidings of, and you are upon the like of the law of Moses, and you are a prophet sent. You will be commanded to strive after this day of yours, and if I live to see that, I will strive with you." When he died, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I saw the priest in Paradise wearing garments of silk, because he believed in me and confirmed me," meaning Waraqah. This is the wording of al-Bayhaqi, and it is mursal, and it contains a strangeness, namely that al-Fatihah was the first thing revealed. We have already presented from his poetry what indicates his inner faith and his firm conviction, and that was when Khadijah told him about what happened with her slave Maysarah, and how the cloud shaded him in the midday heat. Waraqah composed poems about that, which we have presented before this, including his saying: "I persisted, and in remembrance I was persistent, for a matter that long stirred up sobbing. And a description from Khadijah after a description, for long has been my waiting, O Khadijah. In the valley of the two Makkas ³³, hoping for your news to see a way out. By what you told us of the saying of Quss ³⁴ from the monks, I dislike that it should deviate. That Muhammad will lead a people and overcome whoever argues with him. He will manifest in the lands a light of guidance, by which he will straighten creation if it deviates. So whoever fights him will meet loss, and whoever makes peace with him will meet success. Would that I, when that happens, were present and be the first of them to enter. Entering into what Quraysh dislike, even if they clamor in Makkah with clamor. I hope, by what they all dislike, to ascend to the Owner of the Throne, since they have sunk low. If they remain and I remain, there will be matters at which the disbelievers will clamor greatly." He also said in his other poem: "And truthful reports told about Muhammad, told by a sincere one when he was absent. That the son of 'Abd Allah, Ahmad, is sent to everyone encompassed by the valleys. And I think that he will be sent as a truthful one, as the two servants Hud and Salih were sent, and Moses and Abraham, until there appears for him splendor and a clear book of truth. And the living of Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib will follow him, their youth and the elderly chiefs. If I live until the people reach his time, then I am rejoicing in him, a joyful friend. Otherwise, O Khadijah, know that I am in the wide earth a traveler." Yunus ibn Bukayr said from Ibn Ishaq: Waraqah said: "If it is true, O Khadijah, know your story to us, then Ahmad is sent. And Jibril comes to him and Mika'il with them, a revelation from Allah that expands the chest, revealed. He succeeds who succeeds therein through repentance, and the wretched, deceived, misguided one fails. Two groups among them: a group in His gardens, and another in the outskirts of Hell, tormented. When they call for woe therein, successive maces on their heads, then set ablaze. Glory be to Him to Whom the winds blow by His command, and Who does as He wills in the days. And Whose Throne is above all the heavens, and His decrees among His creation are not changed."

Waraqah also said: "Alas for men and the vicissitudes of time and fate, and for what God has decreed of changes! Until Khadijah calls me to inform her of a matter that I see will come to people from the future. And she told me of a matter I had heard of in times past and ages gone by: that Ahmad is visited and Gabriel informs him, 'You are sent to mankind.' So I said, 'Perhaps the One you hope for will fulfill it for you by God, so hope for good and wait. And send him to us so we may ask him about his affair, what he sees in sleep and wakefulness.' So when he came to us, he spoke wondrously, causing the upper skin and hair to bristle: 'I saw the Trustworthy One ³⁵ facing me in a form perfected from the greatest of forms. Then he continued, and fear almost terrified me from what greeted me from the trees around me.' So I thought—and I do not know if he will confirm me—that he will soon be sent, reciting the revealed chapters. And he will test you, if you proclaim their call, with jihad without reproach or hardship." Thus al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi recorded it in al-Dala'il, but I have doubts about its authenticity from Waraqah, and God knows best. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Abdullah ibn Abi Sufyan ibn al-'Ala' ibn Jariyah al-Thaqafi—who was a reliable narrator—related to me from some people of knowledge that when God wanted to honor the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and begin prophethood for him, whenever he went out for his needs he would go far until the houses were hidden from him and he would reach the ravines of Mecca and the bottoms of its valleys. Then no stone or tree would pass by him without saying, "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of God." He would turn around to his right, left, and behind, and see only trees and stones. He remained like that, seeing and hearing as long as God willed. Then Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him with what came of God's honor while he was in Hira' in Ramadan. Ibn Ishaq said: Wahb ibn Kaysan, the freed slave of the family of al-Zubayr, related to me, saying: I heard 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr saying to 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr ibn Qatadah al-Laythi: "Tell us, O 'Ubayd, how did the beginning of what was initiated with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, of prophethood occur when Gabriel came to him?" He said: 'Ubayd said, while I was present, narrating to 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr and those with him: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, used to stay in Hira' for a month each year, performing tahannuth ³⁶. He said: That was among the practices of tahannuth that Quraysh did in the Jahiliyyah, and tahannuth means devotion. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, would stay that month each year, feeding the poor who came to him. When he completed his stay for that month, the first thing he would do upon returning from his stay was to go to the Ka'bah before entering his house, and he would circumambulate it seven times or as God willed, then return to his house. Until the month in which God intended what He intended of His honor—the year He sent him—and that month was Ramadan. He went out to Hira' as he used to go for his stay, with his family, until the night when God honored him with His message and had mercy on the servants through him. Gabriel came to him with the command of God Almighty. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "He came to me while I was asleep with a brocade cloth ³⁷ containing writing, and said, 'Recite.' I said, 'I am not a reciter.' He pressed me until I thought it was death, then released me and said, 'Recite.' I said, 'I am not a reciter.' He pressed me until I thought it was death, then released me and said, 'Recite.' I said, 'What shall I recite?'—I only said that out of fear that he would do to me again what he had done. 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.' So I recited it, then he stopped and left me. I woke from my sleep, and it was as if a book had been written in my heart. Then I went out until I was halfway up the mountain, and I heard a voice from heaven saying, 'O Muhammad, you are the Messenger of God, and I am Gabriel.' I raised my head to heaven and saw Gabriel in the form of a man with his feet set on the horizon of heaven, saying, 'O Muhammad, you are the Messenger of God, and I am Gabriel.' I stood looking at him, neither advancing nor retreating. I turned my face away from him to the horizons of heaven, but wherever I looked, I saw him like that. I kept standing, neither moving forward nor backward, until Khadijah sent her messengers searching for me. They reached Mecca and returned to her while I was still standing in that place. Then he left me, and I returned to my family until I came to Khadijah and sat beside her, leaning toward her. She said, 'O Abu al-Qasim, where have you been? By God, I sent my messengers searching for you until they reached Mecca and returned to me.' Then 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 hope that you will be the prophet of this nation.' Then she got up, gathered her clothes, and went to Waraqah ibn Nawfal. She told him what the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, had told her. Waraqah said, 'Holy, holy! By Him in whose hand is the soul of Waraqah, if you have told me the truth, O Khadijah, the great Namus ³⁸ who came to Moses has come to him, and he is the prophet of this nation. Tell him to be steadfast.' Khadijah returned to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and told him what Waraqah had said. When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, completed his stay and returned, 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 saw and heard.' He told him. Waraqah said to him, 'By Him in whose hand is my soul, you are the prophet of this nation. The great Namus who came to Moses has come to you. You will be denied, harmed, expelled, and fought. If I live to see that day, I will surely support God with a support known to Him.' Then he brought his head close to him and kissed his forehead. Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, returned to his home. This account of 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr, as we have mentioned, is like a prelude to what came after of wakefulness, as previously stated by 'A'ishah, may God be pleased with her: 'He never saw a dream but it came like the break of dawn.' It is possible that this dream occurred after what he saw in wakefulness on the morning of that night. It is also possible that it occurred after some time. And God knows best. Musa ibn 'Uqbah said, from al-Zuhri, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab: It reached us that the first thing he saw—meaning the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace—was that God Almighty showed him a vision in a dream. This distressed him, so he mentioned it to his wife Khadijah. God protected her from disbelief and opened her heart to belief, so she said, 'Rejoice, for God has only done good to you.' Then he left her and returned to her, telling her that he saw his belly split open, then washed and purified, then restored as it was. She said, 'By God, this is good, so rejoice.'

Then Gabriel manifested himself to him while he was in the upper part of Mecca, and seated him on a noble and wondrous seat. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say: "He seated me on a carpet like a durmuk ³⁹, containing rubies and pearls." He gave him glad tidings of the message of Allah Almighty, until the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was reassured. Gabriel said to him: "Recite." He said: "How shall I recite?" 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." He said: Some people claim that "O you wrapped in garments" was the first sura revealed to him, but Allah knows best. He said: So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) accepted the message of his Lord and followed what Gabriel brought him from Allah. When he turned back to his house, he did not pass by a tree or a stone without it greeting him. He returned to his family joyful and certain that he had seen a great matter. When he entered upon Khadija, he said: "Do you see that which I told you I saw in the dream? It is Gabriel who manifested himself to me, sent by my Lord Almighty." He informed her of what came to him from Allah and what he heard from him. She said: "Rejoice, for by Allah, Allah will only do good to you. Accept what has come to you from Allah's command, for it is the truth. Rejoice, for you are truly the Messenger of Allah." Then she left her place and went to a young slave of 'Utba ibn Rabi'a ibn 'Abd Shams, a Christian from Nineveh called 'Addas. She said to him: "O 'Addas, I remind you by Allah, tell me: do you have any knowledge of Gabriel?" He said: "Holy, holy! What is Gabriel that he should be mentioned in this land whose people are idolaters?" She said: "Tell me what you know about him." He said: "He is the trustee of Allah between Him and the prophets, and he is the companion of Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them." Khadija returned from him and went to Waraqa ibn Nawfal, and told him about the matter of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and what Gabriel had conveyed to him. Waraqa said to her: "O daughter of my brother, I do not know; perhaps your companion is the prophet whom the People of the Book await, whom they find written about in the Torah and the Gospel. I swear by Allah, if it is him and then he proclaims his call while I am alive, I will surely strive in obedience to his Messenger and in good support for patience and victory." Then Waraqa died, may Allah have mercy on him. Al-Zuhri said: Khadija was the first to believe in Allah and affirm the truth of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi said after presenting what we have mentioned: "What is mentioned about the splitting of his chest may be a narration of what was done to him in his childhood, i.e., the splitting of his chest when he was with Halima, or it may have been split another time, then a third time when he was taken up to heaven. And Allah knows best." Al-Hafiz Ibn 'Asakir mentioned in his biography of Waraqa, with his chain to Sulayman ibn Tarkhan al-Taymi, who said: It has reached us that Allah Almighty sent Muhammad as a messenger at the age of fifty years from the building of the Ka'ba. The first thing with which He distinguished him with prophethood and honor was the dreams he saw. He related that to his wife Khadija bint Khuwaylid, and she said to him: "Rejoice, for by Allah, Allah will only do good to you." One day while he was in Hira', where he used to retreat from his people, Gabriel descended upon him and drew near to him. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) feared him greatly. Gabriel placed his hand on his chest and behind him between his shoulders, and said: "O Allah, remove his burden, expand his chest, and purify his heart. O Muhammad, rejoice! For you are the prophet of this nation. Recite." The Prophet of Allah said to him, while he was fearful and trembling: "I have never read a book nor am I literate; I do not write or read." Gabriel took him and squeezed him tightly, then released him, then said: "Recite." He repeated the same. He seated him on a carpet like a durmuk, and he saw in it, from its clarity and beauty, something like pearls and rubies, and said to him: "Recite in the name of your Lord who created" the verses. Then he said to him: "Do not fear, O Muhammad, for you are the Messenger of Allah." Then he departed, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) became anxious, saying: "What shall I do and what shall I say to my people?" Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood up, fearful, and Gabriel came to him from in front of him while he was in his confusion ⁴⁰. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw a great matter that filled his chest. Gabriel said to him: "Do not fear, O Muhammad. Gabriel is the messenger of Allah, Gabriel is the messenger of Allah to His prophets and messengers. Be certain of Allah's honor, for you are the Messenger of Allah." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) returned, and he did not pass by a tree or a stone without it prostrating and saying: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah." So his soul was reassured and he recognized Allah's honor to him. When he reached his wife Khadija, she saw the change in his complexion, which alarmed her. She went to him, and when she drew near, she began to wipe his face and said: "Perhaps it is something of what you used to see and hear before today." He said: "O Khadija, do you see that which I used to see in the dream and the voice I used to hear while awake and was frightened by? It is Gabriel who has manifested himself to me, spoken to me, and recited to me words that terrified me. Then he returned to me and informed me that I am the prophet of this nation. As I was returning, I came upon trees and stones, and they said: 'Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah.'" Khadija said: "Rejoice, for by Allah, I knew that Allah would only do good to you. I bear witness that you are the prophet of this nation whom the Jews await. My slave, the sincere one, and Bahira the monk informed me of this, and told me to marry you more than twenty years ago." She continued with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) until he ate, drank, and laughed. Then she went out to the monk, who was near Mecca. When she drew near to him and he recognized her, he said: "What is the matter, O mistress of the women of Quraysh?" She said: "I have come to you to tell me about Gabriel." He said: "Glory be to Allah, our Lord, the Holy! What is Gabriel that he should be mentioned in these lands whose people worship idols? Gabriel is the trustee of Allah and His messenger to His prophets and messengers, and he is the companion of Moses and Jesus." So I recognized Allah's honor to Muhammad. Then she went to a slave of 'Utba ibn Rabi'a called 'Addas, and asked him. He told her the same as the monk had told her, and more. He said: "Gabriel was with Moses when Allah drowned Pharaoh and his people, and was with him when Allah spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and he is the companion of Jesus son of Mary, whom Allah supported through him." Then she left him and went to Waraqa ibn Nawfal and asked him about Gabriel. He told her the same. Then he asked her: "What is the news?" She made him swear to conceal what she would tell him. He swore to her, and she said to him: "Ibn 'Abdullah told me—and he is truthful, I swear by Allah, he has not lied nor been lied to—that Gabriel descended upon him in Hira', and informed him that he is the prophet of this nation, and recited to him verses with which he was sent."

He (the narrator) said: Warakah was alarmed by that and said: "If Gabriel's feet have indeed settled upon the earth, then he has descended upon the best of the earth's inhabitants, and he does not descend except upon a prophet. He is the companion of the prophets and messengers; Allah sends him to them. I have told you the truth about him. So send to me the son of Abdullah (i.e., the Prophet) so that I may ask him, hear his words, and speak with him. For I fear that it might be other than Gabriel, as some devils impersonate him to mislead and corrupt some of the children of Adam, until a man, after possessing sound intellect, becomes bewildered and insane." So she (Khadijah) left him, trusting in Allah that he would do nothing but good to her companion. She returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of what Warakah had said. Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed: "Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe. You are not, by the grace of your Lord, a madman" (Quran 68:1-2) and the following verses. He (the Prophet) said to her: "No, by Allah, it is indeed Gabriel." She said to him: "I would like you to go to him and inform him; perhaps Allah will guide him." So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to him, and Warakah said to him: "Did this one come to you in light or darkness?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) informed him of the description of Gabriel, what he saw of his majesty, and what he revealed to him. Warakah said: "I bear witness that this is Gabriel, and that this is the speech of Allah. He has commanded you with something to convey to your people, and it is indeed a matter of prophethood. If I live to see your time, I will follow you." Then he said: "Rejoice, O son of Abdul-Muttalib, in what Allah has given you glad tidings of." He (the narrator) said: The words of Warakah and his affirmation of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) spread, and that distressed the notables among his people. He said: Then the revelation paused, and they said: "If it were from Allah, it would have continued, but Allah has forsaken him." So Allah revealed "By the forenoon" (Ad-Duha) and "Have We not expanded" (Alam Nashrah) in their entirety. Al-Bayhaqi said: Abu Abdullah al-Hafiz narrated to us, Abu al-Abbas narrated to us, Ahmad ibn Abd al-Jabbar narrated to us, Yunus narrated to us, from Ibn Ishaq, Ismail ibn Abi Hakim, the freed slave of the family of al-Zubayr, narrated to me that he was told by Khadijah bint Khuwaylid that she said to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding what Allah had honored him with of his prophethood: "O cousin, can you inform me about this companion of yours who comes to you when he arrives?" He said: "Yes." She said: "When he comes to you, inform me." While the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was with her, Gabriel came. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw him and said: "O Khadijah, this is Gabriel." She said: "Do you see him now?" He said: "Yes." She said: "Sit by my right side." He moved and sat. She said: "Do you see him now?" He said: "Yes." She said: "Move and sit in my lap." He moved and sat in her lap. She said: "Do you see him now?" He said: "Yes." Then she uncovered her head and lifted her veil, while the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting in her lap, and said: "Do you see him now?" He said: "No." She said: "This is not a devil; this is an angel, O cousin. So be steadfast and rejoice." Then she believed in him and testified that what he brought was the truth. Ibn Ishaq said: I narrated this hadith to Abdullah ibn Hasan, and he said: "I heard my mother, Fatimah bint al-Husayn, narrating this hadith from Khadijah, except that I heard her say: 'She brought the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) between herself and her garment, and at that point Gabriel (peace be upon him) departed.'" Al-Bayhaqi said: This was something Khadijah did to ascertain the matter, as a precaution for her religion and for confirmation. As for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he was already confident in what Gabriel told him and showed him of the signs that we mentioned repeatedly, and in the greeting of the trees and stones to him (peace and blessings be upon him). Muslim said in his Sahih: Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us, Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us, Ibrahim ibn Tahman narrated to us, Simak ibn Harb narrated to me, from Jabir ibn Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, I know a stone in Mecca that used to greet me before I was sent; I recognize it now." Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi said: Sulayman ibn Mu'adh narrated to us, from Simak ibn Harb, from Jabir ibn Samurah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, in Mecca there is a stone that used to greet me during the nights I was sent; I recognize it when I pass by it." Al-Bayhaqi narrated from the hadith of Ismail ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Suddi al-Kabir, from Abbad ibn Abdullah, from Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: "We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in Mecca, and he went out to one of its areas. No tree or mountain faced him except it said: 'Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah.'" In another narration: "I saw myself entering the valley with him, and he did not pass by a stone or a tree except it said: 'Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah,' and I heard it." Section: Al-Bukhari said in his earlier narration: Then the revelation paused until the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) became so grieved—as has reached us—that he would go out repeatedly to throw himself from the tops of high mountains. Whenever he reached the summit of a mountain to cast himself down, Gabriel would appear to him and say: "O Muhammad, you are indeed the Messenger of Allah." So his heart would calm, his soul would settle, and he would return. When the pause in revelation prolonged, he would go out to do the same, and when he reached the summit of a mountain, Gabriel would appear to him and say the same. In the two Sahihs, from the hadith of Abd al-Razzaq, from Ma'mar, from al-Zuhri, he said: I heard Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahman narrating from Jabir ibn Abdullah, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) narrating about the pause in revelation. He said: "While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I raised my sight toward the sky, and behold, the angel who had come to me in Hira was sitting on a throne between heaven and earth. I trembled from him in fear until I fell to the ground. I came to my family and said: 'Cover me, cover me.' So Allah revealed: 'O you who are wrapped in garments, arise and warn. And your Lord magnify. And your garments purify. And the abomination shun' (Quran 74:1-5)." He said: Then the revelation intensified and became continuous. This was the first of the Quran to be revealed after the pause in revelation, not absolutely; that is His saying: "Read in the name of your Lord who created" (Quran 96:1). It is established from Jabir that the first to be revealed was "O you who are wrapped in garments." The appropriate approach is to interpret his words, as much as possible, in line with what we have said, for the context of his speech indicates the prior occurrence of the angel's coming, whom he recognized a second time by what he had recognized him with initially. Then his saying: "narrating about the pause in revelation" is evidence of the precedence of revelation over this inspiration. And Allah knows best. It is established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Ali ibn al-Mubarak, and in Muslim and al-Awza'i, both from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, who said: I asked Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahman: "Which part of the Quran was revealed first?" He said: "O you who are wrapped in garments." I said: "And 'Read in the name of your Lord'?" He said: "I asked Jabir ibn Abdullah: 'Which part of the Quran was revealed first?' He said: 'O you who are wrapped in garments.'"

I said: "And recite: 'In the name of your Lord'?" He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I secluded myself in Hira' ⁴¹ for a month. When I completed my seclusion, I descended and entered the valley. I was called, so I looked in front of me, behind me, to my right, and to my left, but I saw nothing. Then I looked to the sky, and behold, he was on the Throne ⁴² in the air. Trembling—or he said, fear—seized me. I came to Khadija and ordered them to cover me. Then Allah revealed: 'O you who are wrapped ⁴³' until 'and your garments purify.'" In another narration, he said: "And behold, the angel who had come to me at Hira' was sitting on a chair between heaven and earth, and I knelt in fear of him." This is explicit regarding the precedence of his coming to him and the descent of revelation from Allah upon him, as we have mentioned. And Allah knows best. Among them are those who claim that the first thing revealed after the intermission of revelation was Surah al-Duha ⁴⁴ and 'By the night when it covers, your Lord has not forsaken you, nor has He hated [you]' to its end. This was said by Muhammad ibn Ishaq. Some reciters said: For this reason, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said the takbir ⁴⁵ at its beginning out of joy. This is a remote opinion, refuted by what has preceded from the narration of the two Sahihs ⁴⁶, that the first of the Quran to be revealed after the intermission of revelation was: 'O you who are wrapped, arise and warn.' However, Surah al-Duha was revealed after another intermission that lasted a few nights, as established in the two Sahihs and others from the hadith of al-Aswad ibn Qays, from Jundub ibn 'Abdullah al-Bajali. He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, fell ill and did not stand for a night or two or three. A woman said: 'I think your devil has abandoned you.' So Allah revealed: 'By the morning brightness, and by the night when it covers, your Lord has not forsaken you, nor has He hated [you].' With this command, the mission to the people was accomplished, and with the first, prophethood was attained. Some said: The duration of the intermission was nearly two years, or two and a half years. The apparent view, and Allah knows best, is that it was the period during which Mika'il ⁴⁷ accompanied him, as al-Sha'bi and others said. This does not negate the precedence of Jibril's ⁴⁸ revelation to him first: 'Recite: In the name of your Lord who created.' Then Jibril accompanied him after the revelation of 'O you who are wrapped, arise and warn, and your Lord magnify, and your garments purify, and the abomination shun.' Then revelation intensified after this and followed in succession, i.e., one thing after another. At that time, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up in the mission with the utmost standing, rolled up his sleeves of determination, and called to Allah the near and the far, the free and the slave. Then every intelligent, noble, and fortunate person believed in him, while every stubborn tyrant persisted in opposing and disobeying him. The first to hasten to believe among free men was Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ⁴⁹; among youths, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib; among women, Khadija bint Khuwaylid, his wife, peace be upon him; among clients, his client Zayd ibn Haritha al-Kalbi, may Allah be pleased with them and grant them His pleasure. The discussion of Waraqa ibn Nawfal's faith in what he found of revelation and his death during the intermission has preceded, may Allah be pleased with him. Chapter: On the prevention of the jinn ⁵⁰ and rebellious devils from eavesdropping on heaven when the Quran was revealed, so that none of them could snatch even a single letter from it and cast it upon the tongue of his ally, thereby confusing the matter and mixing truth with falsehood. It was from Allah's mercy, grace, and kindness to His creation that He barred them from heaven, as Allah the Exalted informed about them in His words: 'And we sought to reach heaven, but found it filled with strong guards and shooting stars. And we used to sit in positions for listening, but whoever listens now finds a shooting star lying in wait for him. And we do not know whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them guidance.' ⁵¹ And He the Exalted said: 'And the devils did not bring it down, nor is it fitting for them, nor are they able. Indeed, they are removed from hearing.' ⁵² Al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym said: Sulayman ibn Ahmad, i.e., al-Tabarani, narrated to us: 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Sa'id ibn Abi Maryam narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Firyabi narrated to us: Isra'il narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The jinn used to ascend to heaven to listen to revelation. When they memorized a word, they added nine to it. As for the word, it was true, but what they added was false. When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent, they were prevented from their positions. They mentioned that to Iblis ⁵³, and before that, stars were not thrown at them. Iblis said to them: 'This is due to an event that has occurred on earth.' So he sent his troops, and they found the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, standing in prayer between two mountains. They came to him and informed him, and he said: 'This is the event that has occurred on earth.' Abu 'Awana said: From Abu Bishr, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas. He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his companions set out heading for the market of 'Ukaz ⁵⁴, and a barrier had been placed between the devils and the news of heaven, and shooting stars were sent upon them. The devils returned to their people, who said: 'What is the matter with you?' They said: 'A barrier has been placed between us and the news of heaven, and shooting stars have been sent upon us.' They said: 'That is only due to something that has happened. So strike the east and west of the earth.' The group that had been taken passed by towards Tihama ⁵⁵, and he was at Nakhl ⁵⁶ heading for the market of 'Ukaz, while he was praying the dawn prayer with his companions. When they heard the Quran, they listened to it and said: 'This is what has come between us and the news of heaven.' So they returned to their people and said: 'O our people, indeed we have heard a wonderful Quran. It guides to the right path, so we have believed in it, and we will never associate anyone with our Lord.' So Allah revealed to His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: 'Say: It has been revealed to me that a group of jinn listened and said, "Indeed, we have heard a wonderful Quran."' Both [al-Bukhari and Muslim] narrated it in the two Sahihs. Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shayba said: Muhammad ibn Fudayl narrated to us, from 'Ata' ibn al-Sa'ib, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas. He said: There was no tribe of jinn except that they had positions for listening. When revelation descended, the angels heard a sound like the sound of an iron chain thrown on smooth rock. He said: When the angels heard it, they fell prostrate and did not raise their heads until it descended. When it descended, some of them said to others: 'What did your Lord say?' If it was something concerning heaven, they said: 'The truth, and He is the Most High, the Great.' If it was something concerning earth, from matters of the unseen, or death, or something that would happen on earth, they spoke of it and said: 'Such and such will happen.' The devils would hear it and convey it to their allies. When the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent, they were driven away by stars. The first to know of this were Thaqif ⁵⁷. Among them, the owner of sheep would go to his sheep and slaughter a sheep every day, and the owner of camels would slaughter a camel every day, so people hastened to waste their wealth. Some of them said to others: 'Do not do that. If these are the stars by which they are guided, then [it is fine]; otherwise, it is due to an event that has happened.' They looked, and behold, the stars by which they were guided were as they were; nothing had been removed from them, so they stopped. Allah diverted the jinn, and they heard the Quran. When they attended it, they said: 'Listen.' The devils went to Iblis and informed him. He said: 'This is an event that has happened on earth. Bring me soil from every land.' So they brought him soil from Tihama, and he said: 'Here is the event.' Al-Bayhaqi and al-Hakim narrated it via Hammad ibn Salama, from 'Ata' ibn al-Sa'ib.

Al-Wāqidī said: Usāmah ibn Zayd ibn Aslam narrated to me, from ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdān al-‘Absī, from Ka‘b, who said: No star was thrown since the ascension of Jesus until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent as a prophet, then stars were thrown. Quraysh saw something they had never seen before, so they began to let their cattle roam free and free their slaves, thinking it was the end of the world. This news of their actions reached the people of Ṭā’if, and Thaqīf did the same. This reached ‘Abd Yālīl ibn ‘Amr, who asked: Why have you done what I see? They said: Stars were thrown, and we saw them falling from the sky. He said: Indeed, losing wealth after having it is severe, so do not be hasty. Wait and see: if these are known stars, then it is, in our view, from the people ⁵⁸; but if they are unknown stars, then it is for an event that has occurred. They looked and found they were unknown, so they informed him. He said: The matter still has some respite; this is at the appearance of a prophet. Not long after, Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb came to them for his property. ‘Abd Yālīl came and discussed the matter of the stars with him. Abū Sufyān said: Muḥammad ibn ‘Abd Allāh has appeared, claiming to be a sent prophet. ‘Abd Yālīl said: That is when they were thrown. Sa‘īd ibn Manṣūr said, from Khālid ibn Ḥuṣayn, from ‘Āmir al-Sha‘bī, who said: Stars were not thrown until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent, so they let their cattle roam free and freed their slaves. ‘Abd Yālīl said: Look: if the stars are known, then it is at the end of people; but if they are unknown, then it is for an event that has occurred. They looked and found they were unknown. He said: Then hold back. Not long after, the emergence of the Prophet ﷺ came to them. Al-Bayhaqī and al-Ḥākim narrated via al-‘Awfī from Ibn ‘Abbās, who said: The lowest heaven was not guarded during the interval between Jesus and Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon them both). Perhaps the intent of those who denied that is that it was not guarded with intense guarding, and it is necessary to interpret it that way, due to what is established in the ḥadīth via ‘Abd al-Razzāq, from Ma‘mar, from al-Zuhrī, from ‘Alī ibn al-Ḥusayn, from Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with them both): While the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting, a star was thrown and lit up. He said: “What did you used to say when this was thrown?” They said: We used to say: A great man has died, a great man has been born. He said: “No, but…” Then he mentioned the ḥadīth as we mentioned regarding the creation of the heaven and what is in it of stars at the beginning of creation ⁵⁹. And praise be to Allah. Ibn Isḥāq mentioned in the Sīrah the story of the throwing of stars, and he mentioned that the chief of Thaqīf said to them regarding looking at the stars: Whether they are the signs of the sky or otherwise. But he named him ‘Amr ibn Umayyah. Allah knows best. Al-Suddī said: The heaven was not guarded unless there was a prophet on earth or a manifest religion of Allah. Before Muḥammad ﷺ, the devils had taken seats in the lowest heaven to listen to what was happening in the heaven. When Allah sent Muḥammad ﷺ as a prophet, they were pelted one night, and the people of Ṭā’if were terrified, saying: The inhabitants of heaven have perished! Because of the intense fire they saw in the sky and the shooting stars crossing. So they began to free their slaves and let their cattle roam free. ‘Abd Yālīl ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Umayr said to them: Woe to you, O people of Ṭā’if! Hold back your wealth and look at the positions of the stars. If you see them stable in their places, then the inhabitants of heaven have not perished, and it is only from Ibn Abī Kabshah ⁶⁰; but if you do not see them, then the inhabitants of heaven have perished. They looked and saw them, so they refrained from their wealth. That night, the devils were terrified and came to Iblīs. He said: Bring me a handful of soil from every land. They brought it, and he sniffed it, then said: Your man is in Mecca. He sent seven men from the jinn of Naṣībīn, and they came to Mecca and found the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the Sacred Mosque reciting the Qur’an. They drew near to him, eager for the Qur’an, until their chests almost touched him, then they embraced Islam. Allah revealed their story to His Prophet ﷺ. Al-Wāqidī said: Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ narrated to me, from Ibn Abī Ḥakīm—meaning Isḥāq—from ‘Aṭā’ ibn Yasār, from Abū Hurayrah, who said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent, every idol became overturned. The devils came and said to him: There is no idol on earth except that it has become overturned. He said: This is a prophet who has been sent. Seek him in the rural villages. They sought him and said: We did not find him. He said: I am his companion. He went out seeking him, and it was called out: You must go to the side of the gate ⁶¹—meaning Mecca. He sought him there and found him at Qarn al-Tha‘ālib ⁶². He went out to the devils and said: I have found him; with him is Jibrīl. What do you have? They said: We will beautify desires in the eyes of his companions and make them beloved to them. He said: Then I have no regret. Al-Wāqidī said: Ṭalḥah ibn ‘Amr narrated to me, from Ibn Abī Mulaykah, from ‘Abd Allāh ibn ‘Amr, who said: On the day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sent as a prophet, the devils were prevented from the heaven and pelted with shooting stars. They came to Iblīs and mentioned that to him. He said: An event has occurred. This is a prophet who has appeared to you in the Holy Land, the place of the Children of Israel. He said: They went to Syria, then returned to him and said: There is no one there. Iblīs said: I am his companion. He went out seeking him in Mecca, and there was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ descending from Ḥirā’ with Jibrīl. He returned to his companions and said: Aḥmad has been sent, and with him is Jibrīl. What do you have? They said: The world—we make it beloved to people. He said: That is it, then. Al-Wāqidī said: Ṭalḥah ibn ‘Amr narrated to me, from ‘Aṭā’, from Ibn ‘Abbās, who said: The devils used to listen to revelation. When Muḥammad ﷺ was sent, they were prevented. They complained about that to Iblīs, who said: An event has indeed occurred. He climbed to the top of Abū Qubays ⁶³, which was the first mountain placed on the face of the earth, and saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ praying behind the Maqām ⁶⁴. He said: I will go and break his neck. He came striding, while Jibrīl was with him. Jibrīl kicked him with a kick that threw him such-and-such a distance, and the devil fled in panic. Then al-Wāqidī and Abū Aḥmad al-Zubayrī both narrated from Rabāḥ ibn Abī Ma‘rūf, from Qays ibn Sa‘d, from Mujāhid, and he mentioned something similar, saying: He kicked him with his foot and threw him to ‘Adan ⁶⁵. Section on the manner of the coming of revelation to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The manner of Jibrīl’s coming to him the first time and the second time has already been mentioned. Mālik said, from Hishām ibn ‘Urwah, from his father, from ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): Al-Ḥārith ibn Hishām asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: O Messenger of Allah, how does revelation come to you? He said: “Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and that is the hardest on me; then it leaves me, and I have understood what was said. And sometimes the angel appears to me as a man speaking to me, and I understand what he says.” ‘Ā’ishah said: I saw him ﷺ when revelation came down on him on a very cold day, and when it left him, his forehead was dripping with sweat. Both [al-Bukhārī and Muslim] reported it in the two Ṣaḥīḥs from the ḥadīth of Mālik.

Imam Ahmad narrated it from 'Amir ibn Salih, from Hisham ibn 'Urwa, similar to it. Likewise, 'Abda ibn Sulayman and Anas ibn 'Iyad narrated it from Hisham ibn 'Urwa. Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani narrated it from Hisham, from his father, from al-Harith ibn Hisham that he said: I asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: How does revelation come to you? And he mentioned it, but did not mention 'A'isha. In the hadith of al-Ifk ⁶⁶, 'A'isha said: By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not move nor did anyone from the household leave until revelation was sent down upon him. Then he was seized by what used to seize him of the severity ⁶⁷ until sweat like pearls would pour from him, and it was a cold day, due to the weight of the revelation that came down upon him. Imam Ahmad said: 'Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us, Yunus ibn Sulaym informed me, saying: Yunus ibn Yazid dictated to me, from Ibn Shihab, from 'Urwa ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abd al-Qari, I heard 'Umar ibn al-Khattab say: When revelation descended upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, a sound like the buzzing of bees could be heard near his face, and he mentioned the rest of the hadith concerning the revelation of (Indeed successful are the believers) ⁶⁸. Likewise, al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasa'i narrated it from the hadith of 'Abd al-Razzaq. Then al-Nasa'i said: It is rejected ⁶⁹; we do not know anyone who narrated it other than Yunus ibn Sulaym, and we do not know him. In Sahih Muslim and others, from the hadith of al-Hasan, from Hittan ibn 'Abdullah al-Raqashi, from 'Ubada ibn al-Samit, he said: When revelation descended upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, it distressed him and his face became flushed ⁷⁰. In another narration: and he closed his eyes. And we used to recognize that from him. In the two Sahihs ⁷¹, the hadith of Zayd ibn Thabit when (Not equal are those who sit among the believers) ⁷² was revealed. When Ibn Umm Maktum complained of his blindness, (except those who are disabled) ⁷³ was revealed. He said: The thigh of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was on my thigh while I was writing, and when revelation descended, his thigh nearly crushed my thigh. In Sahih Muslim, from the hadith of Hammam ibn Yahya, from 'Ata', from Ya'la ibn Umayya. He said: 'Umar said to me: Would you like to see the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while revelation is being sent to him? So he lifted the edge of the cloth from his face while he was receiving revelation at al-Ji'rana ⁷⁴, and behold, his face was red, and he was snoring like the snoring of a young camel ⁷⁵. It is established in the two Sahihs from the hadith of 'A'isha when the hijab ⁷⁶ was revealed, and that Sawda went out after that to al-Manasi' ⁷⁷ at night, so 'Umar said: We have recognized you, O Sawda. So she returned to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and asked him while he was sitting eating supper with a bone in his hand. Then Allah revealed to him while the bone was in his hand, then he raised his head and said: 'Indeed, permission has been given to you to go out for your needs.' This indicates that revelation did not completely remove his awareness, as evidence that he was sitting and the bone did not fall from his hand, may the blessings and peace of Allah be always upon him. Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi said: 'Abbad ibn Mansur narrated to us, 'Ikrima narrated to us, from Ibn 'Abbas, he said: When revelation was sent down upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, his body and face would become flushed ⁷⁰, and he would refrain from his companions, and none of them would speak to him. In the Musnad of Ahmad and others, from the hadith of Ibn Lahi'a, Yazid ibn Abi Habib narrated to me, from 'Amr ibn al-Walid, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, I said: O Messenger of Allah, do you feel the revelation? He said: 'Yes, I hear a ringing ⁷⁸, then I become still at that, and there is no time revelation comes to me except that I think my soul will depart ⁷⁹ from it.' Abu Ya'la al-Mawsili said: Ibrahim ibn al-Hajjaj narrated to us, 'Abd al-Wahid ibn Ziyad narrated to us, 'Asim ibn Kulayb narrated to us, my father narrated to us, from his maternal uncle al-'Ulyan ibn 'Asim, he said: We were with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and revelation was sent down upon him. When revelation was sent down upon him, his sight and eyes would remain fixed ⁸⁰, and he would devote his hearing and heart to what came to him from Allah, Mighty and Majestic. Abu Nu'aym narrated from the hadith of Qutayba, 'Ali ibn Ghurab narrated to us, from al-Ahwas ibn Hakim, from Abu 'Awana, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, from Abu Hurayra, he said: When revelation descended upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he would suffer from headache ⁸¹ and would cover his head with henna. This is a very strange hadith. Imam Ahmad said: Abu al-Nadr narrated to us, Abu Mu'awiya Sinan narrated to us, from Layth, from Shahr ibn Hawshab, from Asma' bint Yazid, she said: I was holding the reins of al-'Adba' ⁸², the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when the whole of Surat al-Ma'ida ⁸³ was revealed upon him, and due to its weight, it nearly broke the camel's shoulder. Abu Nu'aym narrated it from the hadith of al-Thawri, from Layth ibn Abi Sulaym. Imam Ahmad also said: Hasan narrated to us, Ibn Lahi'a narrated to us, Jabr ibn 'Abdullah narrated to me, from Abu 'Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, he said: Surat al-Ma'ida was revealed upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was riding on his mount, and it could not carry him, so he dismounted from it. Ibn Mardawayh narrated from the hadith of Sabah ibn Sahl, from 'Asim al-Ahwal, Umm 'Amr narrated to me, from her paternal uncle, that he was on a journey with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Surat al-Ma'ida was revealed upon him, and the neck of the mount broke from its weight. This is strange from this chain. Then it is established in the two Sahihs that Surat al-Fath ⁸⁴ was revealed upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on his return from al-Hudaybiyya ⁸⁵, while he was on his mount. So it would be sometimes one way and sometimes another, according to the situation. And Allah knows best. We have mentioned the types of revelation to him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at the beginning of the commentary on al-Bukhari, and what al-Halimi and other imams, may Allah be pleased with them, mentioned. Section: Allah Almighty said: "Move not your tongue with it to hasten it. Indeed, upon Us is its collection and its recitation. So when We have recited it, then follow its recitation. Then indeed, upon Us is its clarification" ⁸⁶. And He said: "And do not hasten with the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, 'My Lord, increase me in knowledge'" ⁸⁷. This was in the beginning. The Prophet, peace be upon him, due to his eagerness to take from the angel what was revealed to him from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, would try to keep pace with him in recitation. So Allah commanded him to listen until the revelation was finished, and guaranteed him that He would collect it in his heart, facilitate its recitation and delivery, clarify it for him, explain it, make it clear, and inform him of its intended meaning. Therefore He said: "And do not hasten with the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, 'My Lord, increase me in knowledge'." And He said: "Move not your tongue with it to hasten it. Indeed, upon Us is its collection" i.e., in your heart, "and its recitation" i.e., that you recite it. "So when We have recited it" i.e., the angel recites it to you, "then follow its recitation" i.e., listen to it and ponder it. "Then indeed, upon Us is its clarification." This is similar to His saying: "And say, 'My Lord, increase me in knowledge.'" In the two Sahihs, from the hadith of Musa ibn Abi 'A'isha, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, he said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to struggle with the revelation intensely, and he would move his lips. So Allah revealed: "Move not your tongue with it to hasten it. Indeed, upon Us is its collection and its recitation." He said: Its collection in your heart, then you recite it. "So when We have recited it, then follow its recitation" so listen to it and be silent. "Then indeed, upon Us is its clarification." He said: So when Gabriel came to him, he would lower his head, and when he left, he would recite it as Allah, Mighty and Majestic, had promised him.

Chapter. Ibn Isḥāq said: Then revelation continued to come to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, while he affirmed the truth of what came to him from it, accepted it with acceptance, and bore from it what he was charged with, regardless of people's pleasure or displeasure. Prophethood has burdens and hardships that none can bear or endure except the messengers who possess strength and resolve, with God's help and success, despite what they encounter from people and the rejection of what they brought from God, Mighty and Majestic. So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, proceeded with what God commanded, despite the opposition and harm he received from his people. Ibn Isḥāq said: Khadīja bint Khuwaylid believed and affirmed the truth of what came to him from God, and supported him in his mission. She was the first to believe in God and His Messenger, and to affirm the truth of what came from him. Thus God lightened the burden for His Messenger: whenever he heard something he disliked, such as rejection or denial that grieved him, God would relieve him through her. When he returned to her, she would strengthen him, lighten his burden, affirm his truth, and make people's opposition easier for him. May God be pleased with her and grant her His pleasure. Ibn Isḥāq said: Hishām ibn ʿUrwa narrated to me from his father, from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jaʿfar, who said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "I was commanded to give Khadīja glad tidings of a house of qaṣab ⁸⁸, wherein there is no clamor nor fatigue." This ḥadīth is recorded in the two Ṣaḥīḥs ⁸⁹ from the narration of Hishām. Ibn Hishām said: Qaṣab here means hollowed pearl. Ibn Isḥāq said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, began to mention privately all that God had bestowed upon him and upon the servants through prophethood, to those of his family whom he trusted. Mūsā ibn ʿUqba said, from al-Zuhrī: Khadīja was the first to believe in God and affirm the truth of His Messenger, before the prayer was made obligatory. I say: He means the five prayers on the night of the Ascension ⁹⁰; as for the origin of prayer, it was already obligatory during Khadīja's lifetime, may God be pleased with her, as we will explain. Ibn Isḥāq said: Khadīja was the first to believe in God and His Messenger, and to affirm the truth of what he brought. Then Gabriel came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, when prayer was made obligatory upon him, and he struck the ground with his heel in a side of the valley, and a spring of Zamzam water gushed forth for him. Gabriel and Muḥammad, peace be upon them, performed ablution, then prayed two rakʿas with four prostrations. Then the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, returned with his eyes cooled, his soul at ease, and having received what he loved from God. He took Khadīja by the hand until he brought her to the spring, and she performed ablution as Gabriel had done, then prayed two rakʿas with four prostrations. Thereafter, he and Khadīja prayed in secret. I say: This prayer of Gabriel is other than the prayer he performed with him at the House twice, by which he taught him the times of the five prayers, their beginning and end; for that occurred after their obligation on the night of the Ascension. This will be explained later, God willing. In Him is trust, and upon Him is reliance. Chapter on the mention of the first to embrace Islam, then the mention of the early Muslims among the Companions and others. Ibn Isḥāq said: Then ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, may God be pleased with him, came after that day while they were praying. ʿAlī said: "O Muḥammad, what is this?" He said: "The religion of God, which He has chosen for Himself, and with which He sent His messengers. I call you to God alone, with no partner, and to worship Him, and to disbelieve in al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā ⁹¹." ʿAlī said: "This is a matter I have not heard of before today. I will not decide anything until I inform Abū Ṭālib." The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, disliked that his secret be disclosed before he could proclaim his affair openly. So he said to him: "O ʿAlī, if you do not embrace Islam, then keep it secret." ʿAlī remained that night, then God placed Islam in ʿAlī's heart. He came early to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, until he reached him and said: "What did you offer me, O Muḥammad?" The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him: "Bear witness that there is no god but God alone, with no partner, disbelieve in al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā, and renounce the idols." So ʿAlī did that and embraced Islam. He continued to come to him in fear of Abū Ṭālib, and ʿAlī concealed his Islam and did not reveal it. And Ibn Ḥāritha, meaning Zayd, embraced Islam. They remained for nearly a month, with ʿAlī visiting the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. Among the blessings God bestowed upon ʿAlī was that he was under the guardianship of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, before Islam. Ibn Isḥāq said: Ibn Abī Najīḥ narrated to me from Mujāhid, who said: Among the blessings God bestowed upon ʿAlī was that Quraysh suffered a severe famine, and Abū Ṭālib had many dependents. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to his uncle al-ʿAbbās, who was among the wealthiest of Banū Hāshim: "O ʿAbbās, your brother Abū Ṭālib has many dependents, and people have been afflicted by this famine as you see. Let us go and lighten his burden by taking some of his dependents." So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, took ʿAlī and kept him with him. He remained with the Messenger of God until God sent him as a prophet, and ʿAlī followed him, believed in him, and affirmed his truth. Yūnus ibn Bukayr said, from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq: Yaḥyā ibn Abī al-Ashʿath al-Kindī, from Kufa, narrated to me: Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Iyās ibn ʿUfayy narrated to me, from his father, from his grandfather ʿUfayy—and ʿUfayy was the maternal brother of al-Ashʿath ibn Qays—that he said: I was a merchant, and I came to Minā during the days of the pilgrimage. Al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib was also a merchant, so I went to him to buy and sell. He said: While we were there, a man came out of a tent and stood praying facing the Kaʿba. Then a woman came out and stood praying, and a boy came out and stood praying with him. I said: "O ʿAbbās, what is this religion? This religion—we do not know what it is!" He said: "This is Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh, who claims that God has sent him and that the treasures of Kisrā ⁹² and Caesar ⁹³ will be opened for him. This is his wife Khadīja bint Khuwaylid, who has believed in him, and this boy is his cousin ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, who has believed in him." ʿUfayy said: Would that I had believed that day, so I would have been the second! Ibrāhīm ibn Saʿd corroborated him from Ibn Isḥāq, and in the ḥadīth he said: When a man came out of a tent near him, he looked at the sky, and when he saw that it had inclined, he stood praying. Then he mentioned Khadīja standing behind him. Ibn Jarīr said: Muḥammad ibn ʿUbayd al-Muḥāribī narrated to me: Saʿīd ibn Khuthaym narrated to us, from Asad ibn ʿAbada al-Bajalī, from Yaḥyā ibn ʿUfayy, who said: I came to Mecca in the time of ignorance and stayed with al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib. When the sun rose and was high in the sky, while I was looking at the Kaʿba, a young man approached, cast his gaze to the sky, then faced the Kaʿba and stood facing it. Soon a boy came and stood to his right, and soon a woman came and stood behind them. The young man bowed, and the boy and the woman bowed; the young man raised his head, and the boy and the woman raised theirs; the young man prostrated, and they prostrated with him. I said: "O ʿAbbās, a great matter!" He said: "A great matter." He said: "Do you know who this is?" I said: "No." He said: "This is Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, my nephew. Do you know who the boy is?" I said: "No." He said: "This is ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, may God be pleased with him. Do you know who this woman behind them is?" I said: "No."

He said: This is Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, the wife of my nephew. And this one told me that your Lord, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, commanded him with this [religion] which you see them upon. By Allah, I do not know on the entire face of the earth anyone upon this religion besides these three. Ibn Jarir said: Ibn Humayd narrated to me, from Isa ibn Suwadah ibn Abi al-Ja'd, from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, Rabi'ah ibn Abi Abd al-Rahman, Abu Hazim, and al-Kalbi. They said: Ali was the first to embrace Islam. Al-Kalbi said: He embraced Islam when he was nine years old. And Ibn Humayd narrated to us, from Salamah, from Ibn Ishaq. He said: The first male to believe in the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, along with him and to attest to him was Ali ibn Abi Talib, and he was ten years old. He was under the guardianship of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, before Islam. Al-Waqidi said: Ibrahim informed us, from Nafi', from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, who said: Ali embraced Islam when he was ten years old. Al-Waqidi said: Our companions are unanimous that Ali embraced Islam one year after the Messenger of Allah began his prophethood. Muhammad ibn Ka'b said: The first to embrace Islam from this community was Khadijah, and the first two men to embrace Islam were Abu Bakr and Ali. Ali embraced Islam before Abu Bakr, and Ali concealed his faith out of fear of his father, until his father met him and said: Have you embraced Islam? He said: Yes. He said: Then support your cousin and help him. He said: And Abu Bakr al-Siddiq was the first to manifest Islam. Ibn Jarir narrated in his History from the hadith of Shu'bah, from Abu Balj, from Amr ibn Maymun, from Ibn Abbas. He said: The first to pray was Ali. And Abd al-Hamid ibn Yahya narrated to us, from Sharik, from Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Aqil, from Jabir. He said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sent on Monday, and Ali prayed on Tuesday. And he narrated from the hadith of Shu'bah, from Amr ibn Murrah, from Abu Hamzah—a man from the Ansar—I heard Zayd ibn Arqam say: The first to embrace Islam with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was Ali ibn Abi Talib. He said: I mentioned this to al-Nakha'i, and he denied it, saying: Abu Bakr was the first to embrace Islam. Then he said: Ubaydullah ibn Musa narrated to us, from al-Ala', from al-Minhal ibn Amr, from Abbad ibn Abdullah, I heard Ali say: I am the servant of Allah and the brother of His Messenger, and I am the greatest Siddiq ⁹⁴. No one will say this after me except a liar and a slanderer. I prayed seven years before the people. Thus it was narrated by Ibn Majah from Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Razi, from Ubaydullah ibn Musa al-Fahmi—and he was a Shi'i from the narrators of the Sahih—from al-Ala' ibn Salih al-Azdi al-Kufi—whom they declared trustworthy—but Abu Hatim said: He was from the extremists of the Shi'a. Ali ibn al-Madini said: He narrated objectionable hadiths. Al-Minhal ibn Amr is trustworthy. As for his shaykh, Ibn Abdullah—and he is al-Asadi al-Kufi—Ali ibn al-Madini said about him: He is weak in hadith. Al-Bukhari said: There is something about him. Ibn Hibban mentioned him among the trustworthy. This hadith is objectionable in any case, and Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, would not say it. How could it be possible for him to pray seven years before the people? This is inconceivable at all. And Allah knows best. Others said: The first to embrace Islam from this community was Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. The reconciliation of all these statements is: Khadijah was the first to embrace Islam among women—and the apparent context [indicates] before men as well—and the first to embrace Islam among the freedmen was Zayd ibn Harithah. The first to embrace Islam among the youths was Ali ibn Abi Talib, for he was a minor, below the age of puberty according to the well-known view, and these were at that time the people of the household. The first to embrace Islam among free men was Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, and his Islam was more beneficial than the Islam of those mentioned before him, for he was a great leader, an honored chief among Quraysh, a man of wealth, a caller to Islam, beloved, conciliatory, spending wealth in obedience to Allah and His Messenger. As will be detailed later. Yunus said, from Ibn Ishaq: Then Abu Bakr al-Siddiq met the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: Is it true what Quraysh says, O Muhammad? That you abandon our gods, declare our forefathers foolish, and call them disbelievers? The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Yes, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah and His Prophet. He sent me to convey His message and call you to Allah with the truth. By Allah, it is the truth. I call you, O Abu Bakr, to Allah alone, without any partner, and that you worship none but Him, and to loyalty in obedience to Him." And he recited the Quran to him. He did not affirm nor deny. Then he embraced Islam, disbelieved in idols, abandoned false gods, and affirmed the truth of Islam. Abu Bakr returned as a believer and attestant. Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn al-Husayn al-Tamimi narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I never called anyone to Islam except that he had hesitation, delay, and consideration, except Abu Bakr. He did not hesitate when I mentioned it to him, nor did he delay." 'Akama means to delay. What Ibn Ishaq mentioned in his statement: "He did not affirm nor deny" is objectionable. For Ibn Ishaq and others mentioned that he was a companion of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, before the prophethood, and he knew of his truthfulness, trustworthiness, good character, and noble manners that would prevent him from lying to people, so how could he lie about Allah? Therefore, as soon as he mentioned to him that Allah had sent him, he hastened to attest to him and did not hesitate or delay. We have mentioned the manner of his Islam in our book dedicated to his biography, and we have mentioned his virtues and qualities, and we have followed that with the biography of al-Faruq ⁹⁵ as well, and we have mentioned what each of them narrated from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

1. al-wahy : Divine revelation, the communication of God's message to prophets.
2. Israfil : The angel responsible for blowing the Trumpet on the Day of Resurrection; here, he is said to have taught the Prophet before Jibril.
3. Jibril : The angel Gabriel, the primary angel who brought the Qur'anic revelation to Prophet Muhammad.
4. Hira' : A mountain near Mecca with a cave where the Prophet Muhammad used to retreat for worship and where the first revelation came.
5. tahannuth : A term interpreted as worship or devotion; literally derived from 'hanth' (sin), but used to mean 'exiting from sin' or 'devotional practice'.
6. Qurʾān : The holy book of Islam, revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
7. Laylat al-Qadr : The Night of Decree, a night in Ramadan when the Qur'an was first revealed, considered the holiest night of the year.
8. Jibrīl : The angel Gabriel, who delivered revelation to the prophets.
9. bāʾ : The Arabic letter 'b', used as a prefix meaning 'with' or 'by'. In this context, it is argued that it cannot be added in affirmative statements, supporting the negation interpretation.
10. Ṣaḥīḥayn : The two most authentic hadith collections: Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
11. raḥaḍāʾ : A state of heavy breathing and sweating, similar to a fever.
12. Qurʾān 73:5 : Verse meaning 'Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word,' referring to the weighty responsibility of revelation.
13. bawādiruhu : Plural of bādira, meaning the flesh between the shoulder and neck, or veins that throb in fear.
14. khizy : Disgrace or humiliation.
15. ḥuzn : Sorrow or grief.
16. taḥmilu al-kalla : To bear the burden of others, i.e., to help those in need.
17. taksibu al-maʿdūm : To earn the non-existent, interpreted as giving to the poor or earning reward by helping the destitute.
18. taqrī al-ḍayf : To honor the guest by providing hospitality.
19. tuʿīnu ʿalā nawāʾibi al-ḥaqq : To help in the calamities of truth, i.e., to assist in good causes during times of hardship.
20. Jāhiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance, before the revelation of Islam.
21. Subbūḥ : An Arabic term glorifying Allah, meaning 'Exalted' or 'Holy'.
22. Nāmūs : The angel of revelation, identified with Gabriel, who brought revelation to Moses and other prophets.
23. Mūsā : Moses, a prophet in Islam to whom the Torah was revealed.
24. Qur'an 3:50 : Part of a verse where Jesus speaks to the Children of Israel.
25. Waraqah ibn Nawfal : A Christian scholar and cousin of Khadijah, who recognized Muhammad as a prophet.
26. Qur'an 46:30 : Verse where the jinn speak about the Qur'an.
27. Al-Suhayli : A renowned scholar of prophetic biography and hadith.
28. Ibn Lahi'ah : A hadith transmitter, considered weak by some scholars.
29. Mursal : A hadith where a Successor narrates directly from the Prophet without mentioning the Companion.
30. Butnan al-Jannah : The interior or deepest part of Paradise.
31. Dala'il al-Nubuwwah : Books compiling proofs of prophethood.
32. 'Atiq : A nickname for Abu Bakr, meaning 'freed' or 'noble'.
33. Batin al-Makkateen : The valley of the two Makkas, possibly referring to the area around Makkah.
34. Quss ibn Sa'idah : A pre-Islamic Christian preacher known for his wisdom and eloquence.
35. al-Amin : The Trustworthy One, a title of the angel Gabriel.
36. tahannuth : A practice of devotion and seclusion for worship, often involving feeding the poor.
37. namat min dibaj : A piece of brocade cloth, often used to describe a luxurious fabric covering a book or scroll.
38. al-Namus al-Akbar : The Great Namus, referring to the angel Gabriel, the bringer of divine revelation, especially associated with Moses.
39. durmuk : A type of fine carpet or rug, possibly of Persian origin, known for its quality and beauty.
40. fi sa'ratihi : Literally 'in his confusion' or 'in his state of agitation'; refers to the Prophet's state of fear and bewilderment after the first revelation.
41. Ḥirāʾ : A cave near Mecca where the Prophet Muhammad used to seclude himself for worship before prophethood.
42. al-ʿArsh : The Throne of Allah, a term for His supreme dominion and authority.
43. al-Muddaththir : Surah 74 of the Quran, meaning 'The One Wrapped in Garments'.
44. al-Ḍuḥā : Surah 93 of the Quran, meaning 'The Morning Brightness'.
45. takbīr : The act of saying 'Allāhu Akbar' (Allah is the Greatest).
46. al-Ṣaḥīḥayn : The two authentic hadith collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim.
47. Mīkāʾīl : The angel Michael, responsible for sustenance and mercy.
48. Jibrīl : The angel Gabriel, the conveyer of revelation to prophets.
49. al-Ṣiddīq : Title meaning 'the truthful one,' given to Abu Bakr for his unwavering faith.
50. jinn : Spiritual beings created from smokeless fire, possessing free will like humans.
51. Quran 72:8-10 : Verses from Surah al-Jinn describing the jinn's inability to eavesdrop on heaven.
52. Quran 26:210-212 : Verses stating that devils did not bring down the Quran and are barred from hearing it.
53. Iblīs : The name of Satan, the chief of the devils, who refused to prostrate to Adam.
54. ʿUkāẓ : A famous pre-Islamic market near Mecca where poetry and trade occurred.
55. Tihāma : A coastal region in western Arabia, including Mecca.
56. Nakhl : A location near Mecca, possibly a valley or area with palm trees.
57. Thaqīf : A prominent tribe in Ta'if, known for their opposition to Islam initially.
58. min an-nās : Literally 'from the people'; here it refers to the common belief that shooting stars were associated with the death or birth of great people.
59. bad’ al-khalq : The beginning of creation; a reference to the early part of the book where the creation of the heavens and stars is discussed.
60. Ibn Abī Kabshah : A derogatory nickname used by Quraysh for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, comparing him to a man who worshipped a different deity.
61. janbat al-bāb : Literally 'the side of the gate'; a reference to Mecca, possibly meaning the area around the gate of the Sacred Mosque.
62. Qarn al-Tha‘ālib : A location near Mecca, possibly a mountain or valley.
63. Abū Qubays : A mountain in Mecca, near the Sacred Mosque.
64. al-Maqām : The Station of Abraham, a stone near the Kaaba where Abraham stood during the construction of the Kaaba.
65. ‘Adan : Aden, a city in Yemen, indicating a great distance.
66. al-Ifk : The incident of the slander against 'A'isha, mentioned in Surah al-Nur.
67. al-burha' : Severe distress or intensity, often used to describe the physical strain of revelation.
68. Qad aflaha al-mu'minun : Qur'anic verse: 'Indeed successful are the believers' (Surah al-Mu'minun, 23:1).
69. munkar : A term in hadith criticism meaning a rejected or objectionable narration, often due to a weak or unknown narrator.
70. tarabbada : His face became flushed or changed color, indicating distress or intensity.
71. al-Sahihayn : The two authentic hadith collections: Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
72. La yastawi al-qa'idun min al-mu'minin : Qur'anic verse: 'Not equal are those who sit among the believers' (Surah al-Nisa', 4:95).
73. ghayr uli al-darar : Qur'anic phrase: 'except those who are disabled' (Surah al-Nisa', 4:95).
74. al-Ji'rana : A location near Mecca where the Prophet camped during the distribution of spoils after the conquest of Mecca.
75. al-bakr : A young camel; the snoring sound is compared to that of a camel.
76. al-hijab : The verse of hijab (veiling) referring to the command for the Prophet's wives to be veiled (Surah al-Ahzab, 33:53).
77. al-Manasi' : A place outside Medina where people would relieve themselves.
78. salasil : A ringing or clanging sound, like that of bells or chains, associated with the coming of revelation.
79. tafizu : To depart or leave; here meaning the soul is about to leave the body due to the intensity.
80. dama basaruhu : His sight became fixed or steady, indicating intense concentration.
81. sudi'a : He suffered from headache or a splitting sensation in the head.
82. al-'Adba' : The name of the Prophet's she-camel, meaning 'the one with a cut ear'.
83. Surat al-Ma'ida : The fifth chapter of the Qur'an, 'The Table Spread'.
84. Surat al-Fath : The 48th chapter of the Qur'an, 'The Victory'.
85. al-Hudaybiyya : A place near Mecca where the Treaty of Hudaybiyya was signed between the Muslims and the Quraysh.
86. La tuharrik bihi lisanaka... : Qur'anic verses from Surah al-Qiyama (75:16-19).
87. Wa la ta'jal bil-Qur'an... : Qur'anic verse from Surah Ta-Ha (20:114).
88. qaṣab : Literally 'reed' or 'hollow cane'; here interpreted as hollowed pearl, indicating a precious, tranquil dwelling in Paradise.
89. Ṣaḥīḥs : Refers to the two most authoritative collections of ḥadīth: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim.
90. night of the Ascension : The Isra' and Mi'raj, the night journey of the Prophet to Jerusalem and his ascension to heaven, during which the five daily prayers were made obligatory.
91. al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā : Two major pre-Islamic Arabian goddesses worshipped by the Quraysh and other tribes.
92. Kisrā : Title of the Sasanian emperors of Persia.
93. Caesar : Title of the Byzantine (Roman) emperors.
94. Siddiq : A title meaning 'the truthful one' or 'the veracious', often used for Abu Bakr, but here claimed by Ali.
95. al-Faruq : A title meaning 'the distinguisher' (between truth and falsehood), commonly used for Umar ibn al-Khattab.

He mentioned his age, peace and blessings be upon him, at the time of his mission [1] and…

He mentioned his age, peace and blessings be upon him, at the time of his mission [1] and its date.

From the hadiths, and what was narrated from him of reports, rulings, and fatwas, that amounted to three volumes, and to Allah be praise and gratitude. It is established in Sahih al-Bukhari from Abu al-Darda' in the hadith about the dispute between Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, in which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Indeed, Allah sent me to you, and you said, 'You lie,' while Abu Bakr said, 'He speaks the truth.' And he supported me with himself and his wealth. So will you not leave me my companion?" twice. After that, he was never harmed. This is like a clear text that he was the first to embrace Islam, may Allah be pleased with him. Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban narrated from the hadith of Shu'ba from Sa'id al-Jariri, from Abu Nadra, from Abu Sa'id. He said: Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Am I not the most entitled to it? Am I not the first to embrace Islam? Am I not the companion of such and such?" Ibn 'Asakir narrated from the path of Buhlul ibn 'Ubayd: Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i narrated to us from al-Harith: I heard 'Ali say: "The first to embrace Islam among men was Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, and the first to pray with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, among men was 'Ali ibn Abi Talib." Shu'ba said: From 'Amr ibn Murra, from Abu Hamza, from Zayd ibn Arqam, he said: "The first to pray with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was Abu Bakr al-Siddiq." Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i narrated it from the hadith of Shu'ba, and al-Tirmidhi said: "Hasan Sahih." Ibn Jarir's narration of this hadith has preceded from the path of Shu'ba, from 'Amr ibn Murra, from Abu Hamza, from Zayd ibn Arqam, who said: "The first to embrace Islam was 'Ali ibn Abi Talib." 'Amr ibn Murra said: I mentioned it to Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, and he denied it, saying: "The first to embrace Islam was Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him." Al-Waqidi narrated with his chains from Abu Arwa al-Dawsi and Abu Muslim ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, among a group of the Salaf ¹: "The first to embrace Islam was Abu Bakr al-Siddiq." Ya'qub ibn Sufyan said: Abu Bakr al-Humaydi narrated to us: Sufyan ibn 'Uyayna narrated to us from Malik ibn Mighwal, from a man, who said: Ibn 'Abbas was asked: "Who was the first to believe?" He said: "Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. Have you not heard the words of Hassan ²: 'When you remember a sorrow from a trustworthy brother, remember your brother Abu Bakr for what he did. The best of creation, the most faithful and just, after the Prophet, and the most entitled to what he bore. The second, the praised one, his witness is commendable, and the first of people to believe the messengers. He lived praiseworthy, following the command of Allah, by the command of his Companion who passed away and departed.'" Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shayba narrated: A shaykh of ours narrated to us from Mujalid, from 'Amir, who said: I asked Ibn 'Abbas—or Ibn 'Abbas was asked—"Who was the first to embrace Islam?" He said: "Have you not heard the words of Hassan ibn Thabit?" and he mentioned it. Similarly, al-Haytham ibn 'Adi narrated from Mujalid, from 'Amir al-Sha'bi: I asked Ibn 'Abbas, and he mentioned it. Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi said: Surayj ibn Yunus narrated to me: Yusuf ibn al-Majishun narrated to us, saying: I met our shaykhs, among them Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, Rabi'a ibn Abi 'Abd al-Rahman, Salih ibn Kaysan, and 'Uthman ibn Muhammad, and they had no doubt that the first of the people to embrace Islam was Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him. I say: This is also what Ibrahim al-Nakha'i, Muhammad ibn Ka'b, Muhammad ibn Sirin, and Sa'd ibn Ibrahim said, and it is the well-known view of the majority of Ahl al-Sunna ³. Ibn 'Asakir narrated from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas and Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya that they said: "He was not the first of them to embrace Islam, but he was the best of them in Islam." Sa'd said: "Five people believed before him." It is established in Sahih al-Bukhari from the hadith of Hammam ibn al-Harith, from 'Ammar ibn Yasir, who said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and with him were only five slaves, two women, and Abu Bakr." Imam Ahmad and Ibn Majah narrated from the hadith of 'Asim ibn Abi al-Najud, from Zirr, from Ibn Mas'ud, who said: "The first to manifest Islam were seven: the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Abu Bakr, 'Ammar, his mother Sumayya, Suhayb, Bilal, and al-Miqdad. As for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Allah protected him through his uncle; as for Abu Bakr, Allah protected him through his people; as for the rest, the polytheists seized them, put iron armor on them, and melted them in the sun. None of them failed to comply with what they wanted except Bilal, for his soul was cheap to him for Allah, and he was cheap to his people. They took him and gave him to the boys, and they made him go around the mountain paths of Mecca while he said: 'One, One.'" Similarly, al-Thawri narrated from Mansur from Mujahid as a mursal ⁴ report. As for what Ibn Jarir narrated, saying: Ibn Humayd informed us: Kinana ibn Jabala narrated to us from Ibrahim ibn Tahman, from Hajjaj, from Qatada, from Salim ibn Abi al-Ja'd, from Muhammad ibn Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, who said: I said to my father: "Was Abu Bakr the first of you to embrace Islam?" He said: "No, more than fifty embraced Islam before him, but he was the best of us in Islam." This hadith is munkar ⁵ in both chain and text. Ibn Jarir said: Others said: The first to embrace Islam was Zayd ibn Haritha. Then he narrated from the path of al-Waqidi from Ibn Abi Dhi'b: I asked al-Zuhri: "Who was the first to embrace Islam among women?" He said: "Khadija." I said: "Among men?" He said: "Zayd ibn Haritha." Similarly, 'Urwa, Sulayman ibn Yasar, and others said: "The first to embrace Islam among men was Zayd ibn Haritha." Abu Hanifa, may Allah be pleased with him, reconciled these statements by saying: "The first to embrace Islam among free men was Abu Bakr; among women, Khadija; among clients ⁶, Zayd ibn Haritha; and among boys, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib." May Allah be pleased with them all. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: When Abu Bakr embraced Islam and made his Islam public, he called to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Abu Bakr was a man well-liked by his people, beloved, and easy-going. He was the most knowledgeable of Quraysh about Quraysh, and the most knowledgeable of Quraysh about the good and evil in them. He was a merchant, a man of character and kindness. The men of his people would come to him and befriend him for many reasons: his knowledge, his trade, and his good company. He began to call to Islam those he trusted from his people, those who frequented him and sat with him. So, as far as I have been told, the following embraced Islam at his hands: al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam, 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, Talha ibn 'Ubayd Allah, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, and 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, may Allah be pleased with them. They went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with Abu Bakr, and he presented Islam to them, recited the Qur'an to them, informed them of the truth of Islam, and they believed. These were the eight individuals who preceded in Islam, prayed, believed the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and believed in what came from Allah. Muhammad ibn 'Umar al-Waqidi said: al-Dahhak ibn 'Uthman narrated to me from Makhrama ibn Sulayman al-Walibi, from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Talha, who said: Talha ibn 'Ubayd Allah said: I was present at the market of Busra, and there was a monk in his hermitage saying: "Ask the people of the season: Is there among them a man from the people of the Haram ⁷?" Talha said: I said: "Yes, I am."

He said: "Has Ahmad ⁸ appeared yet?" I said: "Who is Ahmad?" He said: "The son of Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib. This is his month in which he will emerge, and he is the last of the prophets. His place of emergence is from the Haram ⁹, and his emigration is to a place of palm trees, lava fields, and salt flats. Beware lest you be preceded to him." Talha said: "What he said fell into my heart, so I left quickly until I arrived in Mecca. I said: 'Has there been any news?' They said: 'Yes, Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Amin ¹⁰ has claimed prophethood, and Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafa has followed him.'" He said: "So I left until I came to Abu Bakr and said: 'Have you followed this man?' He said: 'Yes, so go to him, enter upon him, and follow him, for he calls to the truth.'" So Talha informed him of what the monk had said. Abu Bakr took Talha and entered with him upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Talha accepted Islam. He informed the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, of what the monk had said, and he was pleased with that. When Abu Bakr and Talha accepted Islam, Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid ibn al-Adawiyya, who was called the Lion of Quraysh, seized them and tied them with a single rope, and the Banu Taym did not prevent him. For that reason, Abu Bakr and Talha were called the Two Companions ¹¹. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "O Allah, suffice us against the evil of ibn al-Adawiyya." Al-Bayhaqi narrated it. Al-Hafiz Abu al-Hasan Khaythama ibn Sulayman al-Atrabulusi said: 'Ubaydullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Umari, the judge of al-Massisah, narrated to us: Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn Ubaydullah ibn Ishaq ibn Muhammad ibn Imran ibn Musa ibn Talha ibn Ubaydullah narrated to us: My father Ubaydullah narrated to me: Abdullah [ibn Muhammad] ibn Imran ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Talha narrated to me, he said: My father Muhammad ibn Imran narrated to me, from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr, from Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: Abu Bakr went out intending to see the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he had been his friend in the Jahiliyya ¹². He met him and said: 'O Abu al-Qasim, you have been absent from the gatherings of your people, and they accuse you of speaking ill of their fathers and mothers.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'I am the Messenger of Allah, I call you to Allah.' When he finished his speech, Abu Bakr accepted Islam. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left him, and there was no one between the two mountains ¹³ more joyful than him at Abu Bakr's Islam. Abu Bakr went and called upon Uthman ibn Affan, Talha ibn Ubaydullah, al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, and they accepted Islam. Then the next day he brought Uthman ibn Maz'un, Abu Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Abu Salama ibn Abd al-Asad, and al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam, and they accepted Islam, may Allah be pleased with them. Abdullah ibn Muhammad said: My father Muhammad ibn Imran narrated to me, from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, from Aisha, who said: When the companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gathered and they were thirty-eight men, Abu Bakr pressed the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to appear publicly. He said: 'O Abu Bakr, we are few.' Abu Bakr kept insisting until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, appeared publicly, and the Muslims dispersed in the areas of the mosque, each man among his clan. Abu Bakr stood among the people as a speaker, while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sitting. He was the first speaker to call to Allah and to His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. The polytheists rose against Abu Bakr and the Muslims, and they were severely beaten in the areas of the mosque. Abu Bakr was trampled and severely beaten. The wicked Utba ibn Rabi'a approached him and began to beat him with two sandals that were patched, turning them to his face, and he jumped on Abu Bakr's belly until his face could not be distinguished from his nose. The Banu Taym came running and drove the polytheists away from Abu Bakr. The Banu Taym carried Abu Bakr in a garment until they brought him into his house, not doubting that he was dead. Then the Banu Taym returned and entered the mosque, saying: 'By Allah, if Abu Bakr dies, we will surely kill Utba ibn Rabi'a.' They returned to Abu Bakr, and Abu Quhafa and the Banu Taym began speaking to Abu Bakr until he responded. He spoke at the end of the day, saying: 'What has happened to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?' They touched him with their tongues and reproached him, then they stood up and said to his mother Umm al-Khayr: 'See if you can feed him something or give him something to drink.' When she was alone with him, she pressed him, and he kept saying: 'What has happened to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?' She said: 'By Allah, I have no knowledge of your companion.' He said: 'Go to Umm Jamil bint al-Khattab and ask her about him.' She went out until she came to Umm Jamil and said: 'Abu Bakr asks you about Muhammad ibn Abdullah.' She said: 'I do not know Abu Bakr nor Muhammad ibn Abdullah. But if you wish, I will go with you to your son.' She said: 'Yes.' She went with her until they found Abu Bakr lying prostrate, ill. Umm Jamil approached and raised her voice in lamentation, saying: 'By Allah, a people who have done this to you are indeed people of wickedness and disbelief. I hope that Allah will take revenge for you from them.' He said: 'What has happened to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?' She said: 'This is your mother listening.' He said: 'There is no harm from her.' She said: 'He is safe and well.' He said: 'Where is he?' She said: 'In the house of Ibn al-Arqam.' He said: 'I have vowed to Allah that I will not taste any food nor drink any drink until I go to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.' They waited until when the footsteps had quieted and the people had calmed down, they went out with him, leaning on them, until they brought him in to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, bent over him and kissed him, and the Muslims bent over him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, felt great tenderness for him. Abu Bakr said: 'May my father and mother be your ransom, O Messenger of Allah. I am fine except for what the wicked one did to my face. This is my mother, who is dutiful to her child. You are blessed, so call her to Allah and pray to Allah for her. Perhaps Allah will save her through you from the Fire.' He said: So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed for her and called her to Allah, and she accepted Islam. They stayed with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the house for a month, and they were thirty-nine men. Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib had accepted Islam on the day Abu Bakr was beaten. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed for Umar ibn al-Khattab—or for Abu Jahl ibn Hisham—and Umar became [the one]. The prayer was on Wednesday, and Umar accepted Islam on Thursday. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the people of the house said the takbir ¹⁴ with a takbir that was heard in the highest parts of Mecca. Abu al-Arqam went out, and he was a blind disbeliever, saying: 'O Allah, forgive the sons of Ubayd al-Arqam, for he has disbelieved.' Umar stood up and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, why do we hide our religion while we are upon the truth, and their religion appears while they are upon falsehood?' He said: 'O Umar, we are few. You have seen what we have encountered.' Umar said: 'By Him who sent you with the truth, no gathering in which I sat in disbelief will remain except that I will manifest faith in it.' Then he went out and circumambulated the House ¹⁵, then passed by Quraysh who were waiting for him. Abu Jahl ibn Hisham said: 'So-and-so claims that you have become a Sabian ¹⁶?' Umar said: 'I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.'

Then the polytheists rushed at him, and he leaped upon 'Utbah, pinned him down, and began striking him, thrusting his finger into his eye. 'Utbah started screaming, so the people withdrew. Then 'Umar stood up, and no one approached him without him seizing a noble among those who came near, until he incapacitated the people. He then went to the gatherings he used to attend and openly declared faith. Then he returned to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was triumphant over them. He said: 'Nothing is upon you, may my father and mother be your ransom. By Allah, there is no gathering in which I used to sit in unbelief except that I have openly declared faith in it, neither fearing nor being afraid.' So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, went out, and 'Umar went ahead of him, along with Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, until he circumambulated the House ¹⁷ and prayed the noon prayer as a believer. Then he returned to the house of al-Arqam with 'Umar, then 'Umar returned alone, and then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, returned. The correct view is that 'Umar only embraced Islam after the emigration of the emigrants to the land of Abyssinia, and that was in the sixth year of the prophethood. As will come in its place, if Allah wills. We have thoroughly covered the manner of the conversion of Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, in the book of their biographies individually, and we have elaborated there, and praise be to Allah. It is established in Sahih Muslim ¹⁸ from the hadith of Abu Umamah from 'Amr ibn 'Abasah al-Sulami, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, at the beginning of his mission while he was in Mecca, and at that time he was in hiding ¹⁹. I said: 'What are you?' He said: 'I am a prophet.' I said: 'And what is a prophet?' He said: 'A messenger of Allah.' I said: 'Did Allah send you?' He said: 'Yes.' I said: 'With what did He send you?' He said: 'That you worship Allah alone, with no partner, break the idols, and maintain family ties.' He said: I said: 'Excellent is what He sent you with. So who follows you in this?' He said: 'A free man and a slave.' Meaning Abu Bakr and Bilal. He said: 'Amr used to say: 'I saw myself as a quarter of Islam.' He said: 'So I embraced Islam.' I said: 'Shall I follow you, O Messenger of Allah?' He said: 'No, but go back to your people, and when you hear that I have come out, then follow me.' It is said that the meaning of his statement, peace be upon him, 'a free man and a slave' is a generic term, and interpreting it solely as Abu Bakr and Bilal is questionable, for there were a group who had embraced Islam before 'Amr ibn 'Abasah, and Zayd ibn Harithah had also embraced Islam before Bilal. Perhaps he informed that he was a quarter of Islam according to his knowledge, for the believers at that time were concealing their Islam, and not many of their relatives, let alone strangers or the Bedouins of the desert, were aware of their affairs. And Allah knows best. In Sahih al-Bukhari, via Abu Usamah from Hashim ibn Hashim, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, who said: I heard [Abu Ishaq ²⁰] Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas say: 'No one embraced Islam on the day I embraced Islam, and I remained for seven days while I was a third of Islam.' As for his statement: 'No one embraced Islam on the day I embraced Islam,' it is easy [to interpret], and it is also narrated as: 'except on the day I embraced Islam,' which is problematic, as it implies that no one preceded him in Islam. It is known that al-Siddiq ²¹, 'Ali, Khadijah, and Zayd ibn Harithah embraced Islam before him, as many have reported consensus on the precedence of these individuals, among them Ibn al-Athir. Abu Hanifah, may Allah be pleased with him, explicitly stated that each of these embraced Islam before their peers. And Allah knows best. As for his statement: 'I remained for seven days while I was a third of Islam,' it is problematic, and I do not know how to interpret it, unless he informed according to what he knew. And Allah knows best. Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi said: Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us from 'Asim, from Zirr, from 'Abdullah—he is Ibn Mas'ud—who said: I was a young boy tending sheep for 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt in Mecca. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and Abu Bakr passed by me, having fled from the polytheists. He—or they—said: 'Do you have any milk, young boy, to give us to drink?' I said: 'I am entrusted, and I will not give you to drink.' He said: 'Do you have a young ewe that has not been mounted by a ram yet?' I said: 'Yes.' So I brought it to them. Abu Bakr took hold of it, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, took the udder and supplicated, and the udder became full. Abu Bakr brought a hollowed-out rock, and he milked into it. Then he and Abu Bakr drank, then they gave me to drink. Then he said to the udder: 'Shrink,' and it shrank. Later, I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: 'Teach me from this good speech'—meaning the Qur'an. He said: 'You are a learned boy.' So I took from his mouth seventy surahs, which no one disputes with me about. Similarly, Imam Ahmad narrated it from 'Affan from Hammad ibn Salamah. And al-Hasan ibn 'Arafah narrated it from Abu Bakr ibn 'Ayyash from 'Asim ibn Abi al-Najud. Al-Bayhaqi said: Abu 'Abdullah al-Hafiz informed us, Abu 'Abdullah ibn Battah al-Asbahani narrated to us, al-Hasan ibn al-Jahm narrated to us, al-Husayn ibn al-Faraj narrated to us, Muhammad ibn 'Umar narrated to us, Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid ibn al-Zubayr narrated to me from his father—or from Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn 'Uthman—who said: The conversion of Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As was early, and he was the first of his brothers to embrace Islam. The beginning of his conversion was that he saw in a dream that he was brought to the edge of the Fire, and he mentioned its vastness as Allah knows best. He saw in the dream as if someone came to push him into it, and he saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, holding his waist ²² so that he would not fall. He woke up frightened and said: 'I swear by Allah, this is a true dream.'

1. Salaf : The early generations of Muslims, particularly the Companions, Followers, and their successors, considered exemplary in piety and understanding of Islam.
2. Hassan : Hassan ibn Thabit, a companion of the Prophet and a renowned poet who defended Islam through his poetry.
3. Ahl al-Sunna : The Sunni Muslims, the largest branch of Islam, who follow the Sunnah (traditions) of the Prophet.
4. Mursal : A type of hadith where a Successor (Tabi'i) narrates directly from the Prophet without mentioning the Companion intermediary.
5. Munkar : A hadith classification meaning 'rejected' due to a weak or unreliable narrator contradicting more trustworthy sources.
6. Clients : Mawali, non-Arab Muslims who were freed slaves or allies of Arab tribes, often considered of lower social status.
7. Haram : The sacred sanctuary of Mecca, including the Kaaba and its surroundings, where certain restrictions apply.
8. Ahmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad, mentioned in the Quran (61:6) and in earlier scriptures.
9. Haram : The sacred sanctuary of Mecca, including the Kaaba and its surroundings.
10. al-Amin : The Trustworthy, a title given to the Prophet Muhammad by the Quraysh before his prophethood.
11. the Two Companions : Refers to Abu Bakr and Talha being tied together with a single rope, symbolizing their bond in faith.
12. Jahiliyya : The period of ignorance before the advent of Islam in Arabia.
13. between the two mountains : Refers to the two mountains of Mecca, Abu Qubays and Qu'ayqi'an, or the area of the Haram.
14. takbir : The phrase 'Allahu Akbar' (God is the Greatest), often recited in worship and celebrations.
15. the House : The Kaaba, the sacred house of worship in Mecca.
16. Sabian : A term used by the Quraysh to accuse someone of abandoning their religion, possibly referring to the Sabians mentioned in the Quran.
17. al-Bayt : The Kaaba, the sacred house of worship in Mecca.
18. Sahih Muslim : One of the six major hadith collections, compiled by Imam Muslim.
19. mustakhfi : Concealing his faith and mission due to persecution.
20. Abu Ishaq : A kunyah (patronymic) for Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, a companion of the Prophet.
21. al-Siddiq : Title of Abu Bakr, meaning 'the truthful' or 'the verifier'.
22. bi-haqwayhi : His waist or his sides; a phrase indicating holding someone to prevent them from falling.

The account of the conversion to Islam of Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, may Allah be…

The account of the conversion to Islam of Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, may Allah be pleased with him.

He met Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafa and mentioned that to him. He said, 'Good is intended for you. This is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so follow him. For you will follow him and enter Islam with him, and Islam will prevent you from entering it ¹, while your father will fall into it.' He met the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at Ajyad ² and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, O Muhammad, to what do you call?' He said, 'I call you to Allah alone, with no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. And you abandon what you are upon of worshipping a stone that does not hear, nor harm, nor see, nor benefit, nor knows who worships it from who does not worship it.' Khalid said, 'I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was delighted with his Islam. Khalid went into hiding, and his father learned of his Islam. He sent for him, and he was brought. He rebuked him and struck him with a rod in his hand until he broke it on his head. He said, 'By Allah, I will prevent you from sustenance.' Khalid said, 'If you prevent me, then Allah will provide me with what I live on.' He went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he honored him and he stayed with him. **Account of the Islam of Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, may Allah be pleased with him** The uncle of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Yunus ibn Bukayr said: From Muhammad ibn Ishaq: A man from Aslam ³—who was a reliable narrator—told me that Abu Jahl confronted the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, near al-Safa ⁴ and harmed him, insulted him, and said about him what he disliked of disparagement of his religion. That was mentioned to Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib. He headed towards him until, when he stood over him, he raised the bow and struck him with it a blow that caused a severe head wound. Men from Quraysh of Banu Makhzum ⁵ stood up to Hamza to support Abu Jahl against him. They said, 'We see you, O Hamza, only as having become a Sabian ⁶.' Hamza said, 'And who will prevent me, when it has become clear to me from him that I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and that what he says is true? By Allah, I will not desist. So prevent me, if you are truthful.' Abu Jahl said, 'Leave Abu Umara ⁷, for by Allah, I have insulted his nephew with a foul insult.' When Hamza became Muslim, Quraysh knew that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had become mighty and invincible, so they refrained from what they used to do to him. Hamza composed poetry about that. Ibn Ishaq said: Then Hamza returned to his house, and Satan came to him and said, 'You are the chief of Quraysh; you have followed this Sabian and abandoned the religion of your fathers? Death is better for you than what you have done.' Hamza reproached himself and said, 'What have I done? O Allah, if it is guidance, then place its confirmation in my heart; otherwise, give me a way out of what I have fallen into.' He spent a night unlike any other due to the whispering of Satan, until morning came. He went early to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'O son of my brother, I have fallen into a matter and I do not know the way out of it. It is not fitting for someone like me to remain upon what I do not know whether it is guidance or grievous error. So tell me a story, for I desire, O son of my brother, that you tell me.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, turned to him, reminded him, admonished him, warned him, and gave him glad tidings. Allah cast faith in his heart in what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said. He said, 'I bear witness that you are the truthful, a testimony of truth. So manifest your religion, O son of my brother. By Allah, I would not love that I have what the sky covers and that I am upon my former religion.' Thus Hamza was among those by whom Allah strengthened the religion.

1. al-Islam : Islam, meaning submission to God; here it refers to the religion of Islam.
2. Ajyad : A place in Mecca, near the mountain of Abu Qubays.
3. Aslam : A tribe from the Arabs, known for their early conversion to Islam.
4. al-Safa : A small hill in Mecca, part of the Safa and Marwa ritual.
5. Banu Makhzum : A clan of Quraysh, to which Abu Jahl belonged.
6. Sabian : A term used by polytheists to disparage early Muslims, implying they had abandoned their ancestral religion.
7. Abu Umara : The kunya (patronymic) of Hamza, meaning 'father of Umara'.

The account of the conversion of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, to Islam.

Thus al-Bayhaqi narrated it from al-Hakim from al-Asamm from Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar from Yunus ibn Bukayr. Mention of the Acceptance of Islam of Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him Al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi said: Abu 'Abd Allah al-Hafiz informed us, Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Hafiz narrated to us, al-Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad narrated to us, 'Abd Allah ibn al-Rumi narrated to us, al-Nadr ibn Muhammad narrated to us, 'Ikrimah ibn 'Ammar narrated to us, from Abu Zumayl Simak ibn al-Walid, from Malik ibn Morthad, from his father, from Abu Dharr, who said: I was the fourth in Islam; three persons accepted Islam before me, and I was the fourth. I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." Then I saw joy in the face of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This is a concise version. Al-Bukhari said: The Acceptance of Islam of Abu Dharr: 'Amr ibn 'Abbas narrated to us, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi narrated to us, from al-Muthanna from Abu Jamrah, from Ibn 'Abbas. He said: When the news of the mission of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reached Abu Dharr, he said to his brother: "Ride to this valley and find out for me about this man who claims that he is a prophet and that news comes to him from heaven. Listen to his words and then come back to me." So his brother went until he reached him and heard some of his speech, then returned to Abu Dharr and said to him: "I saw him commanding noble morals and speech that is not poetry." He said: "You have not satisfied what I wanted." So he prepared provisions and carried a waterskin [for him] containing water, until he arrived in Mecca. He came to the Mosque and sought the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, but he did not know him, and he disliked asking about him. When part of the night came, [he lay down]. 'Ali saw him and recognized that he was a stranger. When he saw him, he followed him, but neither of them asked his companion about anything until morning. Then he took his waterskin and provisions to the Mosque and spent that day without seeing the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, until evening, so he returned to his sleeping place. 'Ali passed by him and said: "Has the man not yet [come to] know his place?" So he made him stand and took him with him, neither of them asking his companion about anything. On the third day, 'Ali did the same, and made him stay with him and said: "Will you not tell me what brought you here?" He said: "If you give me a covenant and a pledge that you will guide me, I will do so." He did, and he told him. He said: "It is true, and he is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. So when morning comes, follow me. If I see something I fear for you, I will stop as if I am urinating, and if I continue, follow me until you enter my place of entry." He did so, and went following him until he entered upon the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and entered with him. He heard his speech and accepted Islam on the spot. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him: "Return to your people and inform them until my command comes to you." He said: "By Him who sent you with the truth, I will proclaim it among them." So he went out until he came to the Mosque and called out at the top of his voice: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." Then the people stood up and beat him until they knocked him down. Al-'Abbas came and bent over him and said: "Woe to you! Do you not know that he is from Ghifar and that your trade route to Syria passes through them?" So he saved him from them. Then the next day he did the same, and they beat him and rose against him, and al-'Abbas bent over him. This is the wording of al-Bukhari. His acceptance of Islam has come in detail in Sahih Muslim and others. Imam Ahmad said: Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us, Sulayman ibn al-Mughirah narrated to us, Humayd ibn Hilal narrated to us, from 'Abd Allah ibn al-Samit, who said: Abu Dharr said: We left our tribe Ghifar, who used to consider the sacred month lawful, I, my brother Unays, and our mother. We went until we stayed with a maternal uncle of ours who had wealth and status. He honored us and treated us well, but his people envied us and said to him: "When you leave your family, Unays takes your place with them." So our uncle came and repeated what was said to him. I said to him: "As for your past kindness, you have spoiled it, and we have no further association with you." So we brought our camels, loaded them, and left. Our uncle covered himself with his garment and wept. We went until we settled in the vicinity of Mecca. Unays competed with someone over our camels and similar ones, and they went to a soothsayer, who favored Unays. So he brought our camels and similar ones. "I had prayed, O son of my brother, three years before I met the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace." I said: "To whom?" He said: "To Allah." I said: "In which direction?" He said: "Wherever Allah directs me." He said: "I would pray at nightfall until the end of the night, then I would lie down as if I were a cloak until the sun rose over me." He said: Unays said: "I have business in Mecca, so wait for me until I come to you." He went and was delayed, then came to me. I said: "What detained you?" He said: "I met a man who claims that Allah sent him with your religion." I said: "What do people say about him?" He said: "They say he is a poet and a sorcerer." Unays was a poet. He said: "I have heard soothsayers, but his speech is not like theirs. I have compared his words to the meters of poetry, and by Allah, they do not fit together as poetry. By Allah, he is truthful and they are liars." I said: "Will you suffice me so that I may go?" He said: "Yes, but beware of the people of Mecca, for they have become hostile to him and have treated him harshly." So I went until I arrived in Mecca. I sought out a weak man among them and said: "Where is this man whom they call al-Sabi' ¹?" He pointed to him. Then the people of the valley turned on me with every clod of earth and bone until I fell unconscious. When I recovered, I was like a red idol. I came to Zamzam, drank from its water, washed the blood off me, and entered between the Ka'bah and its curtains. I stayed there, O son of my brother, for thirty days and nights with no food but Zamzam water, and I became fat until the folds of my belly cracked, and I felt no hunger in my liver. While the people of Mecca were in a bright moonlit night, and Allah had struck the hearts of the people of Mecca [with sleep], no one was circumambulating the House except two women. They came upon me while they were calling upon Isaf and Na'ilah ². I said: "Marry one to the other." That did not deter them. I said: "They are like wood," but I did not feel desire. They left wailing and saying: "If only there were one of our men here!" Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abu Bakr met them as they were descending from the mountain. They said: "What is the matter with you?" They said: "The Sabi' is between the Ka'bah and its curtains." They said: "What did he say to you?" They said: "He said a word that fills the mouth." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his companion came until he touched the Black Stone, circumambulated the House, and then prayed. I came to him and was the first to greet him with the greeting of the people of Islam. He said: "And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah. Who are you?" I said: "From Ghifar." He then moved his hand and placed it on his forehead. I said to myself: "He disliked that I attributed myself to Ghifar." I wanted to take his hand, but his companion pushed me away, for he knew him better than I. He said: "When did you come here?" I said: "I have been here for thirty nights and days." He said: "Who fed you?" I said: "Nothing but Zamzam water, and I became fat until the folds of my belly cracked, and I felt no hunger in my liver." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Indeed, it is blessed; indeed, it is food of nourishment."

He said: Abu Bakr said, "Permit me, O Messenger of Allah, to provide his food tonight." He said: So he did. He said: Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) set out, and I set out with them, until Abu Bakr opened a door and began to take for us from the raisins of Ta'if ³. He said: That was the first food I ate there. Then I stayed for a while. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "I have been directed to a land of palm trees, and I think it is none other than Yathrib ⁴. Will you convey my message to your people? Perhaps Allah will benefit them through you and reward you for them." He said: So I set out until I came to my brother Unays. He said: He said to me, "What have you done?" I said, "I have done that I have accepted Islam and believed." He said: I have no aversion to your religion, for I have accepted Islam and believed. Then we came to our mother, and she said, "I have no aversion to your religion, for I have accepted Islam and believed." So we set out until we came to our people, Ghifar ⁵. He said: Some of them accepted Islam before the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) arrived in Medina, and their imam was Khufaf ibn Ayma' ibn Rakhada al-Ghifari, who was their chief at that time. The rest of them said, "When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) arrives, we will accept Islam." He said: Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) arrived, and the rest of them accepted Islam. He said: And Aslam ⁶ came and said, "O Messenger of Allah, our brothers, we accept Islam on the same basis as they accepted Islam." So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Ghifar, may Allah forgive them, and Aslam, may Allah grant them safety." Muslim narrated it from Hudba ibn Khalid from Sulayman ibn al-Mughirah similarly. The story of his acceptance of Islam has also been narrated in another way with strange additions, and Allah knows best. The mention of Salman al-Farisi's ⁷ acceptance of Islam has preceded in the Book of Glad Tidings of His Mission (peace and blessings be upon him).

1. al-Sabi' : A term used by the Meccans to refer to the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'the one who has changed his religion' or 'the apostate', often used derogatorily.
2. Isaf and Na'ilah : Two idols that were worshipped by the Arabs during the pre-Islamic period, placed near the Ka'bah.
3. Ta'if : A city in the Hejaz region of Arabia, known for its grapes and raisins.
4. Yathrib : The former name of Medina, the city to which the Prophet migrated.
5. Ghifar : A tribe in Arabia, known for its early acceptance of Islam.
6. Aslam : Another tribe that accepted Islam, mentioned alongside Ghifar.
7. Salman al-Farisi : A companion of the Prophet, originally from Persia, known for his quest for truth and conversion to Islam.

The account of the conversion of Dimad [1] to Islam.

The mention of the Islam of Dimad ¹ Muslim and al-Bayhaqi narrated from Dawud ibn Abi Hind, from 'Amr ibn Sa'id, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas. He said: Dimad came to Mecca, and he was a man from Azd Shanu'a ², and he used to perform ruqya ³ for these winds ⁴. He heard some foolish people of Mecca saying: "Indeed, Muhammad is possessed." So he said: "Where is this man? Perhaps Allah will cure him at my hands." So I met Muhammad and said: "I perform ruqya for these winds, and Allah cures at my hands whomever He wills. So come." Muhammad said: "Indeed, praise is due to Allah; we praise Him and seek His help. Whomever Allah guides, none can misguide, and whomever He misguides, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, with no partner." Three times. So he said: "By Allah, I have heard the sayings of soothsayers, and the sayings of sorcerers, and the sayings of poets, but I have not heard words like these. So give me your hand that I may pledge allegiance to you upon Islam." So he pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said to him: "And on behalf of your people?" He said: "And on behalf of my people." Then the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent an army, and they passed by the people of Dimad. The commander of the army said to the detachment: "Did you take anything from these people?" A man among them said: "I took a mihdarah ⁵ from them." He said: "Return it to them, for they are the people of Dimad." In another narration, Dimad said to him: "Repeat these words to me, for they have reached the qamus ⁶ of the sea." Abu Nu'aym mentioned in Dala'il al-Nubuwwa ⁷ a long chapter on the Islam of those prominent figures who embraced Islam, and he covered it comprehensively, may Allah have mercy on him and reward him. Ibn Ishaq listed the names of those who embraced Islam early among the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. He said: Then Abu 'Ubayda, Abu Salama, al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam, 'Uthman ibn Maz'un, 'Ubayda ibn al-Harith, Sa'id ibn Zayd and his wife Fatima bint al-Khattab embraced Islam. And Asma' bint Abi Bakr, and 'A'isha bint Abi Bakr, while she was young. And Qudama ibn Maz'un, and 'Abdullah ibn Maz'un. And Khabbab ibn al-Aratt, and 'Umayr ibn Abi Waqqas, and 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, and Mas'ud ibn al-Qari ⁸, and Salit ibn 'Amr, and 'Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'a and his wife Asma' bint Salama ⁹ ibn Mukharriba ¹⁰ al-Tamimiyya, and Khunays ibn Hudhafa, and 'Amir ibn Rabi'a. And 'Abdullah ibn Jahsh, and Abu Ahmad ibn Jahsh, and Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and his wife Asma' bint 'Umays. And Hatib ibn al-Harith [and his wife Fatima bint al-Mujallal. And Hattab ibn al-Harith ¹¹] and his wife Fukayha bint Yasar. And Ma'mar ibn al-Harith ibn Ma'mar al-Jumahi, and al-Sa'ib ibn 'Uthman ibn Maz'un. And al-Muttalib ibn Azhar ibn 'Abd Manaf ¹², and his wife Ramla bint Abi 'Awf ibn Subayra ibn Sa'id ibn Sahm. And al-Nahham, whose name is Nu'aym ibn 'Abdullah ibn Asid, and 'Amir ibn Fuhayra, the freed slave of Abu Bakr, And Khalid ibn Sa'id, and Umayna bint Khalaf ibn As'ad ¹³ ibn 'Amir ibn Bayada from ¹⁴ Khuza'a, and Hatib ibn 'Amr ibn 'Abd Shams, and Abu Hudhayfa ibn 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, and Waqid ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Arin ibn Tha'laba al-Tamimi, the ally of Banu 'Adi. And Khalid ibn al-Bukayr, and 'Amir ibn al-Bukayr, and 'Aqil ibn al-Bukayr, and Iyas ibn al-Bukayr ibn 'Abd Yalil ibn Nashib ibn Ghiyara from Banu Sa'd ibn Layth. And 'Aqil's name was Ghafil, but the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, named him 'Aqil. They were allies of Banu 'Adi ibn Ka'b. And 'Ammar ibn Yasir, and Suhayb ibn Sinan. Then people entered Islam in droves, men and women, until the matter of Islam became widespread in Mecca and was talked about. Ibn Ishaq said: Then Allah commanded His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, after three years from the beginning of the mission, to proclaim openly what he was commanded, and to bear the harm of the polytheists with patience. He said: And the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when they prayed, they would go into the mountain passes and conceal their prayers from their people. While Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was with a group praying in the mountain passes of Mecca, some polytheists came upon them and they argued with them and criticized what they were doing until they fought them. Sa'd struck a man from the polytheists with a camel's jawbone and wounded his head, and that was the first blood shed in Islam. Al-Umawi narrated in his Maghazi ¹⁵ via al-Waqqasi from al-Zuhri from 'Amir ibn Sa'd from his father. He mentioned the story in full, and in it that the wounded man was 'Abdullah ibn Khatal, may Allah curse him.

1. ضِمَاد : Dimad: A companion of the Prophet, from the tribe of Azd Shanu'a, known for his skill in ruqya (incantation) for treating certain ailments.
2. أَزْدِ شَنُوءَةَ : Azd Shanu'a: A sub-tribe of the Azd, a large Yemeni tribe.
3. يَرْقِي : Ruqya: Islamic incantation or recitation of Quranic verses and supplications for healing and protection.
4. الرِّيَاح : Al-riyah: Literally 'winds', here referring to a type of illness or affliction believed to be caused by evil spirits or jinn.
5. مِظْهَرَة : Mihdarah: A type of vessel or container, possibly a water skin or a cooking pot.
6. قَامُوس : Qamus: The deepest part of the sea; metaphorically, the utmost depth or extent.
7. دَلَائِلِ النُّبُوَّةِ : Dala'il al-Nubuwwa: 'Proofs of Prophethood', a genre of Islamic literature compiling miracles and evidences of Muhammad's prophethood.
8. الْقَارِيِّ : Al-Qari: A name meaning 'the reciter' or 'the one who reads', possibly a reference to his role as a Quran reciter.
9. سَلَمَةَ : Salama: A name; here it is the father of Asma', but the text has a variant reading.
10. مُخَرِّبَةَ : Mukharriba: A name meaning 'the destroyer' or 'the one who ruins'.
11. حَطَّابُ بْنُ الْحَارِث : Hattab ibn al-Harith: A companion; the text has a lacuna, but the name is given as Hattab.
12. عَبْدِ مَنَاف : Abd Manaf: A prominent ancestor of the Quraysh tribe.
13. أَسْعَدَ : As'ad: A name meaning 'more fortunate' or 'happier'.
14. مِنْ : Min: Here meaning 'from' the tribe of Khuza'a.
15. مَغَازِيهِ : Maghazi: Literally 'military expeditions', a genre of Islamic literature focusing on the Prophet's battles and campaigns.

Chapter on God's command to His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, to convey the…

Chapter on God's command to His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, to convey the message to the elite and the common people.

Chapter on Allah's command to His Messenger, may blessings and peace be upon him, to convey the message to the elite and the common people, and His command to him to be patient and forbearing, and to turn away from the ignorant obstinate deniers after the proof had been established against them, and the sending of the greatest Messenger to them, and mention of what he and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, suffered of harm from them. Allah Almighty said: "And warn your closest kindred, and lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers. But if they disobey you, say, 'Indeed, I am free from what you do.' And rely upon the Exalted in Might, the Merciful, who sees you when you arise and your movement among those who prostrate. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing." ¹ And He Almighty said: "And indeed, it is a reminder for you and your people, and you will be questioned." ² And He Almighty said: "Indeed, He who imposed upon you the Qur'an will return you to a place of return." ³ That is, indeed, He who imposed upon you and obligated you to convey the Qur'an will return you to the abode of the Hereafter, which is the place of return, and He will ask you about that. As He Almighty said: "So by your Lord, We will surely question them all about what they used to do." The verses and hadiths on this are very numerous, and we have covered the discussion on that in our book of Tafsir, and we have elaborated on that at His Almighty's saying in Surah Ash-Shu'ara': "And warn your closest kindred." And we have cited numerous hadiths on that. Among them: Imam Ahmad said: 'Abdullah ibn Numayr narrated to us, from Al-A'mash, from 'Amr ibn Murrah, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: When Allah revealed "And warn your closest kindred," the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went to As-Safa and climbed it, then called out: "O people of the morning!" So the people gathered to him, some coming directly and others sending their representatives. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "O Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib, O Banu Fihr, O Banu Ka'b, what do you think? If I told you that cavalry at the foot of this mountain intended to attack you, would you believe me?" They said: "Yes." He said: "Then I am a warner to you before a severe punishment." Abu Lahab, may Allah curse him, said: "Perish you for the rest of the day! Did you call us only for this?" And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed: "May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he." Both [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] narrated it from the hadith of Al-A'mash similarly. And Ahmad said: Mu'awiyah ibn 'Amr narrated to us, Za'idah narrated to us, 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr narrated to us, from Musa ibn Talhah, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: When this verse "And warn your closest kindred" was revealed, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called Quraysh, both generally and specifically. He said: "O company of Quraysh, save yourselves from the Fire! O Banu Ka'b, save yourselves from the Fire! O Banu Hashim, save yourselves from the Fire! O Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib, save yourselves from the Fire! O Fatimah bint Muhammad, save yourself from the Fire! For by Allah, I cannot avail you anything against Allah, except that you have kinship which I will maintain with its due." Muslim narrated it from the hadith of 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr, and both [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] narrated it in the Sahihs from the hadith of Az-Zuhri, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab and Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, and it has other chains from Abu Hurayrah in the Musnad of Ahmad and others. And Ahmad also said: Waki' narrated to us, from Hisham, from his father, from 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: When "And warn your closest kindred" was revealed, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up and said: "O Fatimah bint Muhammad, O Safiyyah bint 'Abd al-Muttalib, O Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib, I cannot avail you anything against Allah; ask me of my wealth whatever you wish." Muslim also narrated it. And Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi said in Ad-Dala'il: Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Hafiz informed us, Abu al-'Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya'qub narrated to us, Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar narrated to us, Yunus ibn Bukayr narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who said: Then one who heard 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Nawfal narrated to me, and he asked me to conceal his name, from Ibn 'Abbas, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, who said: When this verse was revealed to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "And warn your closest kindred, and lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers," the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I knew that if I initiated this with my people, I would see from them what I dislike, so I remained silent. Then Jibril, peace be upon him, came to me and said: 'O Muhammad, if you do not do what your Lord has commanded you, He will punish you with the Fire.'" He said: "So he called me and said: 'O 'Ali, indeed Allah has commanded me to warn my closest kindred. So prepare for us, O 'Ali, a sheep with a sa' ⁴ of food, and prepare a bowl of milk, then gather for me the Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib.' So I did, and they gathered for him that day, and they were forty men, plus or minus one, among them his uncles: Abu Talib, Hamzah, Al-'Abbas, and Abu Lahab, the wicked disbeliever. I brought that large dish to them, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took a piece from it, tore it with his teeth, then threw it into the sides of the dish and said: 'Eat in the name of Allah.' So the people ate until they were full, and we saw nothing but the marks of their fingers. By Allah, each man would eat the like of it. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Give them drink, O 'Ali.' So I brought that cup, and they drank from it until they were all satisfied. By Allah, each man would drink the like of it. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wanted to speak to them, Abu Lahab, may Allah curse him, preceded him and said: 'Indeed, your companion has bewitched you.' So they dispersed, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not speak to them. The next day, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Prepare for us the like of what you made for us yesterday of food and drink, for this man has preceded me to what you heard before I could speak to the people.' So I did, then I gathered them for him, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did as he did yesterday, and they ate until they were full. By Allah, each man would eat the like of it. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Give them drink, O 'Ali.' So I brought that cup, and they drank from it until they were all satisfied. By Allah, each of them would drink the like of it. When the Messenger of Allah wanted to speak to them, Abu Lahab, may Allah curse him, preceded him in speech and said: 'Indeed, your companion has bewitched you.' So they dispersed, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not speak to them. The next day, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'O 'Ali, prepare for us the like of what you made yesterday of food and drink, for this man has preceded me to what you heard before I could speak to the people.' So I did, then I gathered them for him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did as he did yesterday, and they ate until they were full, then I gave them drink from that cup until they were satisfied. By Allah, each man would eat the like of it and drink the like of it. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'O Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib, by Allah, I do not know of any young man among the Arabs who has brought his people better than what I have brought you. Indeed, I have brought you the matter of this world and the Hereafter.'" Thus narrated by Al-Bayhaqi via Yunus ibn Bukayr, from Ibn Ishaq, from a shaykh whose name he concealed, from 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith.

Abu Ja'far ibn Jarir narrated it from Muhammad ibn Humayd al-Razi, from Salamah ibn al-Fadl al-Abrash, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Abd al-Ghaffar Abu Maryam ibn al-Qasim, from al-Minhal ibn Amr, from Abdullah ibn al-Harith, from Ibn Abbas, from Ali, and he mentioned something similar. And he added after his statement: "And indeed I have come to you with the best of this world and the Hereafter, and Allah has commanded me to call you to it. So which of you will support me in this matter on the condition that he be my brother and such and such?" He said: The people all held back from it, and I—though I was the youngest among them, the most sore-eyed, the largest in belly, and the most thin-shanked—said: "I, O Prophet of Allah, will be your minister over it." So he took me by the neck and said: "Indeed, this is my brother and such and such, so listen to him and obey." He said: The people stood up laughing and saying to Abu Talib: "He has commanded you to listen to your son and obey!" This was reported exclusively by Abd al-Ghaffar ibn al-Qasim Abu Maryam, and he is a lying Shi'ite ⁵; Ali ibn al-Madini and others accused him of fabricating hadith, and the rest declared him weak. However, Ibn Abi Hatim narrated in his Tafsir from his father: from al-Husayn ibn Isa ibn Maysarah al-Harithi, from Abdullah ibn Abd al-Quddus, from al-A'mash, from al-Minhal ibn Amr, from Abdullah ibn al-Harith. He said: Ali said: When this verse was revealed: "And warn your nearest kinsmen" ⁶, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me: "Prepare for me a sheep's leg with a sa' ⁷ of food and a vessel of milk, and call for me the Banu Hashim." So I called them, and at that time they were forty minus one man, or forty plus one man. Then he mentioned the story similar to what preceded, until he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, preceded them in speech and said: "Which of you will pay my debt and be my successor ⁸ among my family?" He said: They were silent, and al-Abbas was silent for fear that it would encompass his wealth. He said: And I was silent out of respect for al-Abbas's age. Then he said it again, and al-Abbas was silent. When I saw that, I said: "I will, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "You?" He said: And at that time I was the worst of them in appearance, sore-eyed, large-bellied, and thin-shanked. This chain contains a witness for what preceded, except that he did not mention Ibn Abbas in it, and Allah knows best. Imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad from the hadith of Abbad ibn Abdullah al-Asadi and Rabi'ah ibn Najidh from Ali something similar to what preceded—or as a witness for it—and Allah knows best. The meaning of his statement in this hadith: "Who will pay my debt and be my successor among my family?" means after I die. It is as if he, peace and blessings be upon him, feared that when he undertook the delivery of the message to the polytheists of the Arabs, they would kill him, so he secured someone who would after him take care of his family and pay his debt. But Allah protected him from that in His statement: "O Messenger, convey that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And Allah will protect you from the people" ⁹. And the point is that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, continued calling to Allah, night and day, secretly and openly, with no deterrent turning him away from that, no rejecter repelling him, and no hinderer obstructing him. He followed people in their gatherings, assemblies, and congregations, and during the seasons and stations of Hajj. He called everyone he met, free and slave, weak and strong, rich and poor—all people in that regard were equal before him. The strong and powerful among the polytheists of Quraysh inflicted verbal and physical harm upon him and upon those who followed him from among the weak individuals. Among the most severe people against him was his uncle Abu Lahab—his name was Abd al-Uzza ibn Abd al-Muttalib—and his wife Umm Jamil, Arwa bint Harb ibn Umayyah, the sister of Abu Sufyan. His uncle Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib opposed them in that. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was naturally the most beloved of Allah's creation to him. He was affectionate towards him, kind to him, defended him, protected him, and opposed his people in that, even though he followed their religion and shared their close friendship. However, Allah had tested his heart with love for him—a natural love, not a religious one. His persistence in the religion of his people was part of Allah's wisdom and part of what He arranged for His Messenger's protection. For if Abu Talib had embraced Islam, he would have had no standing or influence with the polytheists of Quraysh, nor would they have feared or respected him. They would have dared to harm him and would have extended their hands and tongues with evil towards him. And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses ¹⁰. He divided His creation into types and kinds. So these two uncles are disbelievers: Abu Talib and Abu Lahab. But the former will be in a shallow ¹¹ of fire on the Day of Resurrection, while the latter will be in the lowest depth of the fire. Allah revealed a surah in His Book about him that is recited on the pulpits and read in sermons and speeches, containing that he will burn in a fire of flame, and his wife, the carrier of firewood. Imam Ahmad said: Ibrahim ibn Abi al-Abbas narrated to us, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Zinad, from his father, who said: A man called Rabi'ah ibn Abbad from Banu al-Dil, who was a pagan and then embraced Islam, informed me: I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in the pre-Islamic period in the market of Dhu al-Majaz ¹², saying: "O people, say: There is no god but Allah, and you will succeed." People were gathered around him, and behind him was a man with a handsome face, cross-eyed, with two braids, saying: "He is a Sabian ¹³ and a liar." He followed him wherever he went. I asked about him, and they said: "This is his uncle Abu Lahab." Then he and al-Bayhaqi narrated it from the hadith of Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Zinad similarly. Al-Bayhaqi also said: Abu Tahir al-Faqih narrated to us, from Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Qattan, from Abu al-Azhar, from Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, from Muhammad ibn Umar, from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, from Rabi'ah al-Dili. He said: I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, at Dhu al-Majaz following people in their dwellings, calling them to Allah. Behind him was a cross-eyed man with glowing cheeks, saying: "O people, do not let this man deceive you from your religion and the religion of your fathers." I said: "Who is this?" It was said: "This is Abu Lahab." Then he narrated from the path of Shu'bah, from al-Ash'ath ibn Sulaym, from a man from Kinanah, who said: I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, at the market of Dhu al-Majaz saying: "O people, say: There is no god but Allah, and you will succeed." And there was a man behind him throwing dust at him, and it was Abu Jahl. He was saying: "O people, do not let this man deceive you from your religion, for he only wants you to abandon the worship of al-Lat and al-Uzza." Thus he said: "Abu Jahl," but the apparent is that it was Abu Lahab. We will mention the rest of his biography at the time of his death, which will be after the Battle of Badr, if Allah wills. As for Abu Talib, he was extremely compassionate and naturally affectionate, as will become apparent from his deeds and qualities, and his reliance in what he used to defend the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them. Yunus ibn Bukayr said: From Talhah ibn Yahya, from Abdullah ibn Musa ibn Talhah, who said: Uqayl ibn Abi Talib informed me: Quraysh came to Abu Talib and said: "This nephew of yours has harmed us in our gathering and our mosque, so forbid him from us." He said: "O Uqayl, go and bring Muhammad to me."

So he went and brought it out from a small house ¹⁴, or he said a hidden place ¹⁵, meaning a small house, and he came with it at noon in the intense heat. When he came to them, he said: 'These cousins of yours claim that you harm them in their assembly and their mosque, so refrain from harming them.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, raised his eyes to the sky and said: 'Do you see this sun?' They said: 'Yes.' He said: 'I am no more able to leave that [i.e., the call] for you than you are able to kindle a flame from it ¹⁶.' Abu Talib said: 'By Allah, my nephew has never lied, so go back.' Al-Bukhari narrated it in the History from Muhammad ibn al-‘Ala’ from Yunus ibn Bukayr. Al-Bayhaqi narrated it from al-Hakim from al-Asamm from Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from him—this is his wording. Then al-Bayhaqi narrated via Yunus from Ibn Ishaq: Ya‘qub ibn ‘Utba ibn al-Mughira ibn al-Akhnas told me that he was told that when Quraysh said this to Abu Talib, he sent for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: 'O son of my brother, your people have come to me and said such-and-such, so spare me and yourself, and do not burden me with what I cannot bear, nor you. Refrain from what your people dislike from your people.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, thought that his uncle had changed his mind about him, that he would abandon him and surrender him, and that he was too weak to stand with him. So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'O uncle, if the sun were placed in my right hand and the moon in my left, I would not leave this matter until Allah makes it prevail or I perish in seeking it.' Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wept. When he turned away, Abu Talib, seeing how deeply the matter affected the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'O son of my brother, come back.' He turned to him and said: 'Go on with your affair and do what you wish, for by Allah, I will never surrender you to anything.' Ibn Ishaq said: Then Abu Talib composed verses about that: 'By Allah, they will never reach you with their combined force / until I am laid in the earth buried. So go on with your affair, no blame on you / rejoice, and let eyes be comforted by that. You called me, and I knew you were my sincere advisor / you spoke truth, and you were ever trustworthy. You presented a religion which I know / is the best of the religions of mankind. Were it not for blame or fear of reproach / you would find me openly generous to that.' Then al-Bayhaqi said: Ibn Ishaq mentioned that Abu Talib composed poems about that. In this is evidence that Allah, exalted, protected him through his uncle despite his opposition in religion, and He would protect him where his uncle was not, as He willed—there is no reverser of His decree. Yunus ibn Bukayr said: Muhammad ibn Ishaq told me: A man from Egypt told me long ago, about forty-eight years ago, from ‘Ikrima from Ibn ‘Abbas in a long story that took place between the polytheists of Mecca and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When the Messenger of Allah stood up, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham said: 'O company of Quraysh, Muhammad insists on what you see: criticizing 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, and when he prostrates in his prayer, I will smash his head with it. After that, let the Banu ‘Abd Manaf do as they please.' When morning came, Abu Jahl, may Allah curse him, took a stone and 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 usual. His prayer direction was toward Syria. When he prayed, he prayed between the Black Corner and the Yemeni Corner ¹⁷, making the Ka‘ba between him and Syria. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood to pray, and Quraysh had gone out and sat in their assemblies waiting. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prostrated, Abu Jahl lifted the stone and approached him. When he drew near him, he turned back, stunned, his color drained, terrified, his hands dried up on his stone, until he threw the stone from his hand. Some men of Quraysh stood up to him and said: 'What is wrong with you, O Abu al-Hakam ¹⁸?' He said: 'I went to do what I told you last night, but when I drew near him, a stallion camel appeared before me—by Allah, I have never seen such a hump, neck, or fangs of any stallion—and it was about to devour me.' Ibn Ishaq said: It was mentioned to me that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'That was Gabriel. If he had come closer, he would have seized him.' Al-Bayhaqi said: Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Hafiz informed us, Abu al-Nadr al-Faqih informed me, ‘Uthman al-Darimi told us, ‘Abd Allah ibn Salih told us, al-Layth ibn Sa‘d told us from Ishaq ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Abi Farwa from Aban ibn Salih from ‘Ali ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas from his father from al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib. He said: One day I was in the mosque when Abu Jahl—may Allah curse him—came and said: 'I have a vow to Allah that if I see Muhammad prostrating, I will step on his neck.' So I went out to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered upon him, and informed him of Abu Jahl's words. He went out angry until he came to the mosque, and he hastened to enter through the door, but he jumped over the wall. I said: 'This is a day of evil.' So I wrapped my waistcloth and followed him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered and recited: 'Read in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clot' ¹⁹. When he reached the part about Abu Jahl: 'No! Indeed, man transgresses because he sees himself self-sufficient' ²⁰, a man said to Abu Jahl: 'O Abu al-Hakam, this is Muhammad.' Abu Jahl said: 'Do you not see what I see? By Allah, the horizon of the sky has been blocked against me.' When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reached the end of the sura, he prostrated. Imam Ahmad said: ‘Abd al-Razzaq told us, Ma‘mar informed us from ‘Abd al-Karim from ‘Ikrima, who said: Ibn ‘Abbas said: Abu Jahl said: 'If I see Muhammad praying at the Ka‘ba, I will surely step on his neck.' That reached the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said: 'If he did, the angels would seize him visibly.' Al-Bukhari narrated it from Yahya from ‘Abd al-Razzaq. Dawud ibn Abi Hind said: From ‘Ikrima from Ibn ‘Abbas: Abu Jahl passed by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was praying and said: 'Did I not forbid you to pray, O Muhammad? You know that no one here has more supporters than I.' The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rebuked him. Gabriel said: 'Let him call his supporters; We will call the Zabaniya ²¹.' By Allah, if he had called his supporters, the Zabaniya of punishment would have seized him. Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi narrated it, and al-Nasa’i authenticated it via Dawud. Imam Ahmad said: Isma‘il ibn Yazid Abu Zayd told us, Furat told us from ‘Abd al-Karim from ‘Ikrima from Ibn ‘Abbas: Abu Jahl said: 'If I see Muhammad at the Ka‘ba praying, I will go to him until I step on his neck.' He said: The Prophet said: 'If he did, the Zabaniya would seize him visibly.' Abu Ja‘far ibn Jarir said: Ibn Humayd told us, Yahya ibn Wadih told us, Yunus ibn Abi Ishaq told us from al-Walid ibn al-‘Ayyar from Ibn ‘Abbas: Abu Jahl said: 'If Muhammad returns to pray at the Maqam ²², I will kill him.' So Allah, exalted, revealed: 'Read in the name of your Lord who created' until the verse: 'We will seize him by the forelock, a lying, sinful forelock. So let him call his supporters; We will call the Zabaniya.'

Then the Prophet ﷺ came to pray, and it was said, "What prevented you?" He said, "What is between me and him has become black with battalions ²³." Ibn 'Abbas said, "By Allah, if he had moved, the angels would have seized him while the people were looking at him." Ibn Jarir said: Narrated to us Ibn 'Abd al-A'la, narrated to us al-Mu'tamir, from his father, from Nu'aym ibn Abi Hind, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurayrah. He said: Abu Jahl said, "Does Muhammad prostrate his face ²⁴ among you?" They said, "Yes." He said, "By al-Lat and al-'Uzza ²⁵, if I see him praying like that, I will trample his neck and soil his face with dust." So he came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he was praying to trample his neck, but suddenly they saw him retreating on his heels and shielding himself with his hands. It was said to him, "What is the matter with you?" He said, "Between me and him there is a trench of fire, a terrifying thing, and wings." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If he had come near me, the angels would have snatched him limb by limb." He said, And Allah revealed—I do not know if it is in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah or not—"Nay! Indeed, man does transgress because he sees himself self-sufficient" ²⁶ to the end of the surah. This was also narrated by Ahmad, Muslim, al-Nasa'i, Ibn Abi Hatim, and al-Bayhaqi from the hadith of Mu'tamir ibn Sulayman ibn Tarkhan al-Taymi. Imam Ahmad said: Narrated to us Wahb ibn Jarir, narrated to us Shu'bah, from Abu Ishaq, from 'Amr ibn Maymun, from 'Abdullah who said: I never saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ curse the Quraysh except on one day. He was praying while a group of Quraysh were sitting, and the afterbirth ²⁷ of a camel was near him. They said, "Who will take this afterbirth and throw it on his back?" 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt said, "I will." So he took it and threw it on his back. He remained prostrating until Fatimah came and removed it from his back. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "O Allah, [deal with] this group of Quraysh! O Allah, [deal with] 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, O Allah, [deal with] Shaybah ibn Rabi'ah, O Allah, [deal with] Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, O Allah, [deal with] 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt, O Allah, [deal with] Ubayy ibn Khalaf—or Umayyah ibn Khalaf—" Shu'bah was uncertain. 'Abdullah said: I saw them all killed on the day of Badr, then they were dragged to the well, except Ubayy or Umayyah ibn Khalaf, for he was a large man and was torn apart. This was narrated by al-Bukhari in multiple places in his Sahih, and by Muslim from chains from Ibn Ishaq. The correct [name] is Umayyah ibn Khalaf, for he was killed on the day of Badr, while his brother Ubayy was killed on the day of Uhud, as will be explained. Al-Sala ²⁷ is what comes out with the young of a she-camel, like the placenta for a woman's child. In some wordings of the Sahih, when they did that, they laughed until some of them leaned on others, i.e., one leaned on another from intense laughter. May Allah curse them. And in it: When Fatimah removed it from him, she turned to them and cursed them. And when the Prophet ﷺ finished his prayer, he raised his hands supplicating against them. When they saw that, their laughter ceased and they feared his supplication. And he ﷺ supplicated against the group of them collectively, and specified seven in his supplication. In most narrations, six are named: 'Utbah, his brother Shaybah (the two sons of Rabi'ah), al-Walid ibn 'Utbah, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt, and Umayyah ibn Khalaf. Ibn Ishaq said: I forgot the seventh. I say: It is 'Umarah ibn al-Walid, whose name appears in Sahih al-Bukhari. The story of the man from Irash ²⁸ Yunus ibn Bukayr said: From Muhammad ibn Ishaq, narrated to us 'Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Sufyan al-Thaqafi who said: A man from Irash came to Mecca with his camels. Abu Jahl ibn Hisham bought them from him but delayed paying their price. So the man from Irash came and stood at the assembly of Quraysh while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sitting in a corner of the mosque. He said, "O company of Quraysh, who is a man who will help me against Abu al-Hakam ibn Hisham? For I am a stranger and a traveler, and he has overpowered me regarding my right." The people of the assembly said, pointing to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, mocking him because they knew the enmity between him and Abu Jahl, "Go to him, he will give you what is due." So the man from Irash came and stood before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and mentioned that to him. He said, "Come with me." When they saw him stand with him, they said to a man among them, "Follow him and see what he does." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out until he came to [Abu Jahl's] door and knocked. He said, "Who is this?" He said, "Muhammad. Come out." So he came out to him, with no blood in his face, his color changed. He said, "Give this man his right." He said, "Do not leave until I give him what is his." He entered and came out with his right and gave it to him. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ left and said to the man from Irash, "Go about your business." So the man from Irash came back to that assembly and said, "May Allah reward him well, for I have taken what is mine." The man 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 did he knock on his door than he came out with no spirit in him. He said, 'Give this man his right.' He said, 'Yes, do not leave until I bring out his right.' He entered and brought out his right and gave it to him." Then soon after, Abu Jahl came and they said to him, "Woe to you! What is the matter with you? By Allah, we have never seen anything like what you did." He said, "Woe to you! By Allah, no sooner did he knock 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, its neck, or its fangs from any stallion. By Allah, if I had refused, he would have eaten me." Section Al-Bukhari said: Narrated to us 'Ayyash ibn al-Walid, narrated to us al-Walid ibn Muslim, narrated to me al-Awza'i, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Taymi, narrated to me 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr: I asked Ibn ['Amr ibn] al-'As and said, "Tell me of the worst thing the polytheists did to the Messenger of Allah." He said: While the Prophet ﷺ was praying in the Hijr ²⁹ of the Ka'bah, 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt came to him, put his garment around his neck, and choked him severely. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, came, took him by the shoulder, and pushed him away from the Prophet ﷺ, saying, "Would you kill a man because he says, 'My Lord is Allah,' when he has come to you with clear proofs from your Lord?" ³⁰ the verse. Ibn Ishaq followed it up, saying: Narrated to me Yahya ibn 'Urwah, from his father, who said: I said to 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr. And 'Abdah said: From Hisham, from his father, who said: It was said to 'Amr ibn al-'As. And Muhammad ibn 'Amr said: From Abu Salamah, narrated to me 'Amr ibn al-'As. Al-Bayhaqi said: Likewise, Sulayman ibn Bilal narrated it from Hisham ibn 'Urwah as 'Abdah narrated it. Al-Bukhari alone narrated it. He narrated it in several places in his Sahih, and in some of them he explicitly said 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As, which is more consistent with the narration of 'Urwah from him, while it being from 'Amr is more consistent with the earlier occurrence of this story.

Al-Bayhaqi narrated from al-Hakim, from al-Asamm, from Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar, from Yunus, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq: Yahya ibn 'Urwah narrated to me from his father 'Urwah, who said: I said to 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As: What was the worst you saw the Quraysh inflict upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in terms of the enmity they showed him? He said: I saw them one day when their nobles had gathered in the Hijr ³¹, and they mentioned the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and 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, reviled our gods, and we have suffered greatly because of him. Or as they said. He said: While they were like that, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, appeared. He came walking until he touched the Black Stone ³², then passed by them while circumambulating the House ³³, and they made some remarks about him. I recognized that in the face of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He went on. When he passed by them a second time, they made similar remarks, and I recognized it in his face. He went on. When he passed by them a third time, they made similar remarks. He said: "Do you hear, O company of Quraysh? By Him in whose hand is my soul, I have brought you slaughter!" The people were seized with such fear that there was not a man among them but it was as if a bird had alighted on his head ³⁴, until even the one who had been most severe against him before that began to soothe him, saying: "Go, Abu al-Qasim ³⁵, go in peace, for you are not ignorant." So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah 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 suffered from him and what he has done to you, but when he confronted you with what you dislike, you left him! While they were like that, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah 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 had reached them of his criticism of their gods and religion. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Yes, I am the one who says that." I saw a man among them seize the collar of his cloak, and Abu Bakr stood weeping beside him, saying: "Woe to you! Would you kill a man because he says: My Lord is Allah?" Then they left him. That is the worst I ever saw the Quraysh inflict upon him. Section on the incitement of the notables of Quraysh against the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions, and their gathering with his uncle Abu Talib, who stood in his defense and support, and their eagerness for him to hand him over to them, but he refused them that by the might and power of Allah. Imam Ahmad said: Waki' narrated to us from Hammad ibn Salamah, from Thabit, from Anas, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I have been harmed for Allah's sake as no one else has been harmed, and I have been frightened for Allah's sake as no one else has been frightened. Thirty days and nights passed while Bilal and I had nothing that a living being could eat except what Bilal could hide under his armpit ³⁶." At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah also narrated it from the hadith of Hammad ibn Salamah, and at-Tirmidhi said: It is hasan sahih ³⁷. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: His uncle Abu Talib protected the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, defended him, and stood up for him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, continued on Allah's command, manifesting His religion, and nothing turned him away from it. When Quraysh saw that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would not relent in anything they disapproved of—his separation from them and his criticism of their gods—and they saw that his uncle Abu Talib had protected him, stood up for him, and would not hand him over to them, some men from the nobles of Quraysh went to Abu Talib: 'Utbah and Shaybah, sons of Rabi'ah ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy; Abu Sufyan Sakhr ibn Harb ibn Umayyah ibn 'Abd Shams; Abu al-Bakhtari, whose name was al-'As ibn Hisham ibn al-Harith ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy; al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza; Abu Jahl, whose name was 'Amr ibn Hisham ibn al-Mughirah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum; al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum ibn Yaqazah ibn Murrah ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy; Nubayh and Munabbih, sons of al-Hajjaj ibn 'Amir ibn Hudhayfah ibn Sa'id ibn Sahm ibn 'Amr ibn Husays ibn Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy; and al-'As ibn Wa'il ibn Sa'id ibn Sahm. Ibn Ishaq said: Or whoever among them went. They said: O Abu Talib, your nephew has reviled our gods, criticized our religion, belittled our intellects, and declared our forefathers misguided. Either you restrain him from us, or you leave us to deal with him, for you are in the same position as we are in opposing him, and we will suffice you against him. Abu Talib spoke to them gently and gave them a courteous reply, and they left him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, continued as he was, manifesting Allah's religion and calling to it. Then the matter intensified between them and him until the men became estranged and harbored rancor. Quraysh frequently mentioned the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, among themselves, inciting each other against him and urging one another. Then they went to Abu Talib a second time and said: O Abu Talib, 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 endure this—the insulting of our forefathers, the belittling of our intellects, and the criticism of our gods—until you restrain him from us, or we will fight him and you over this until one of the two parties perishes. Or as they said. Then they left him. The separation from his people and their enmity weighed heavily on Abu Talib, but he was not content to surrender the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or to abandon him. Ibn Ishaq said: Ya'qub ibn 'Utbah ibn al-Mughirah ibn al-Akhnas narrated to me that he was told that when Quraysh said this 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—what they had said to him—so spare me and yourself, and do not burden me with what I cannot bear. He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, thought that his uncle had changed his mind about him, that he would abandon him and hand him over, and that he had become too weak to support him and stand with him. He said: So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him: "O uncle, by Allah, if they placed the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left on condition that I abandon this matter until Allah makes it prevail, or I perish in it, I would not abandon it." He said: Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wept and 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, turned to him, and he said: Go, O son of my brother, and say what you wish, for by Allah, I will never hand you over to anything.

Ibn Ishaq said: Then when Quraysh realized that Abu Talib had refused to abandon the Messenger of God ³⁸, may God bless him and grant him peace, and his Islam, and his resolve to separate from them in that and oppose them ³⁹, they went to him with 'Umara ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira and said to him, as has reached me: "O Abu Talib, this is 'Umara ibn al-Walid, the most handsome and noble youth 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 the community of your people, and declared our intellects foolish, so that we may kill him. For it is only a man for a man!" He said: "By God, what an evil thing you propose to me! You give me your son to raise for you, and I give you my son to kill? This, by God, shall never happen." He said: Then al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi ibn Nawfal ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy said: "By God, O Abu Talib, your people have been fair to you and have striven to free you from what you dislike, but I do not see you willing to accept anything from them." Abu Talib said to al-Mut'im: "By God, they have not been fair to me, but you have resolved to abandon me and to support the people against me. So do as you see fit." Or as he said. So the matter became serious, war heated up, the people opposed each other, and some called out to others. Then Abu Talib said at that, alluding to al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi and including those of Banu 'Abd Manaf who had abandoned him and those of the tribes of Quraysh who opposed him, and mentioning what they had asked of him and how far their affair was from agreement: "Oh, say to 'Amr and al-Walid and Mut'im: Would that my share of your protection were a young camel ⁴⁰ from the weak, short-legged ⁴¹, with much bleating, whose urine drips on its legs in drops, lagging behind the herd, not catching up; when it reaches the high ground ⁴², it is called a rock rabbit ⁴³. I see our two brothers from our father and mother ⁴⁴—when asked, they say, 'The matter is for others.' Yes, they have authority, but they have delayed, as the rock delayed from the top of a mountain ⁴⁵. I specify especially 'Abd Shams and Nawfal ⁴⁶; they cast us aside like a hot coal is cast. They prompted the people against their two brothers ⁴⁷; now their hands are empty of them. They have shared in glory with one who has no father ⁴⁸ among the people, unless his mention is established ⁴⁹. And Taym, Makhzum, and Zuhra are among them; they were our allies when victory was sought. By God, enmity from us will never cease, nor from you, as long as there is a knife ⁵⁰ among our offspring." Section on their Exceeding in Harming the Weak Individual Muslims Ibn Ishaq said: Then Quraysh incited each other against those among the tribes who were companions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, who had embraced Islam with him. So every tribe attacked the Muslims among them, torturing them and trying to turn them from their religion. And God protected His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, through his uncle Abu Talib. And Abu Talib stood up when he saw Quraysh doing what they were doing to Banu Hashim and Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib, and called them to what he was upon of protecting the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and standing in his defense. So they gathered to him, stood with him, and answered his call, except for Abu Lahab, the enemy of God. So he said in that, praising them and encouraging them to agree upon support and protection for the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace: "When Quraysh gather one day for boasting, 'Abd Manaf is their secret and their core. And if the nobles of 'Abd Manaf are examined, in Hashim are their nobles and their ancient. And if they boast one day, then Muhammad is the chosen one from their secret and their noble. Quraysh, both base and noble, conspired against us, but they did not succeed, and their intellects went astray. And we have never accepted injustice; when they bend the necks, we straighten them. And we protect its sanctuary every day of battle, and we strike at those who seek its stones. Through us the withered branch revived, and only by our sides do its roots become moist and grow." Section on What the Polytheists Objected to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and Their Obstinate Asking Him for Various Signs and Miracles in a Contentious Manner, Not Seeking Guidance and Right Guidance Therefore they were not granted much of what they asked for nor what they desired, because God, exalted is He, knew that if they witnessed and saw what they wanted, they would persist in their transgression, wandering blindly, and would remain in their error and misguidance, falling. God Almighty said: "And they swore by God their strongest oaths that if a sign came to them, they would surely believe in it. Say, 'Signs are only with God. And what will make you perceive that even if a sign came, they would not believe?' And We will turn their hearts and their eyes away, just as they did not believe in it the first time. And We will leave them in their transgression, wandering blindly. And even if We sent down to them the angels and the dead spoke to them and We gathered before them every thing face to face, they would not believe unless God willed. But most of them are ignorant." ⁵¹ And He said: "Indeed, those upon whom the word of your Lord has been decreed will not believe, even if every sign comes to them, until they see the painful punishment." ⁵² And He said: "And nothing prevented Us from sending signs except that the former peoples denied them. And We gave Thamud the she-camel as a visible sign, but they wronged her. And We send not signs except as a warning." ⁵³ And He said: "And they say, 'We will not believe you until you break open for us from the ground a spring, or you have a garden of palm trees and grapes and make rivers gush forth within them in a gush, or you cause the sky to fall upon us in pieces as you have claimed, or you bring God and the angels before us, or you have a house of gold, or you ascend into the sky. And [even then] 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?'" ⁵⁴ And we have discussed these verses and similar ones in their places in the commentary, and praise be to God. And Yunus and Ziyad ⁵⁵ narrated from Ibn Ishaq, from some people of knowledge—a shaykh from Egypt called Muhammad ibn Abi Muhammad—from Sa'id ibn Jubayr and 'Ikrima, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The elite of the nobles of Quraysh gathered—and he listed their names—after sunset near the back of the Ka'ba ⁵⁶. Some of them 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 to speak with you." So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, came to them quickly, thinking that something had changed in their attitude toward him. He was eager and loved their guidance, and their hardship was grievous to him, until he sat with them. They said: "O Muhammad, we have sent for you to have an excuse against you. By God, we do not know any man among the Arabs who has brought to his people what you have brought to your people. You have insulted the fathers, criticized the religion, declared the intellects foolish, insulted the gods, divided the community, and there is no evil left but you have brought it between us and you. So if you have come with this speech seeking wealth, we will gather for you from our wealth until you become the wealthiest of us. If you are seeking honor among us, we will make you our leader. If you desire kingship, we will make you king over us. And if this which comes to you with what it brings is a ra'iy ⁵⁷ that you see—and they called the familiar spirit from the jinn a ra'iy—and it has overcome you, perhaps that is the case, we will spend our wealth in seeking medicine until we cure you of it or have an excuse."

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I am not as you claim. I have not brought you what I have brought to seek 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 tidings and a warner to you. So I have conveyed to you the message of my Lord and given you sincere advice. If you accept from me what I have brought you, that is your portion in this world and the Hereafter. But if you reject it, I will be patient with Allah's command until Allah judges between me and you." Or as the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said. They said: "O Muhammad, if you will not accept from us what we have offered you, then you know that no people are more constrained in land, with less wealth, and harsher in living than we are. So ask your Lord, who sent you with what He sent you, to remove these mountains that have constricted us, to expand our land, to cause rivers to flow in it like the rivers of Syria and Iraq, and to resurrect for us our forefathers, among them Qusayy ibn Kilab ⁵⁸, for he was a truthful elder, so that we may ask them whether what you say is true or false. If you do what we ask and they confirm you, we will believe you and recognize thereby your rank with Allah, and that He has sent you as a messenger as you claim." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to them: "I was not sent 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, that is your portion in this world and the Hereafter. But if you reject it, I will be patient with Allah's command until Allah judges between me and you." They said: "If you will not do this for us, then do something for yourself. Ask your Lord to send an angel to confirm what you say, to speak to us on your behalf, and ask Him to give us gardens, treasures, and palaces of gold and silver, and to enrich you from what we see you seeking. For you stand in the markets seeking a livelihood as we do, so that we may know the excellence of your rank with your Lord, if you are a messenger as you claim." He said to them: "I will not do that. I am not one to ask my Lord for this. I was not sent to you for this. Rather, Allah sent me as a bearer of good tidings and a warner. If you accept what I have brought you, that is your portion in this world and the Hereafter. But 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, as you claim your Lord can do if He wills. For we will not believe you unless you do that." He said: "That is up to Allah. If He wills, He will do that to you." They said: "O Muhammad, did your Lord not know that we would sit with you and ask you what we have asked, and request what we have requested, so that He might instruct you beforehand and inform you what to answer us, and tell you what He would do with us if we did not accept what you brought us? For it has reached us that a man in al-Yamama ⁵⁹ called al-Rahman ⁶⁰ teaches you this. By Allah, we will never believe in al-Rahman. We have given you an excuse, O Muhammad. By Allah, we will not leave you and what you have done to us until we destroy 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." When they said that, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up from them, and with him stood 'Abdullah ibn Abi Umayya ibn al-Mughira ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn Makhzum, who was the son of his paternal aunt 'Atika bint 'Abd al-Muttalib. He said: "O Muhammad, your people offered you what they offered, but you did not accept. Then they asked you for themselves things by which they might recognize your rank with Allah, but you did not do it. Then they asked you to hasten the punishment you threaten them with. By Allah, I will never believe you until you take a ladder to the sky, then ascend it while I watch until you reach it, and you come back with an open scroll, and with you four angels to testify that you are as you claim. By Allah, even if you did that, I think I would not believe you." 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 because of their turning away from him. This assembly in which these notables gathered was an assembly of injustice, transgression, and obstinacy. For this reason, divine wisdom and lordly mercy required that they not be granted what they asked, because Allah knew that they would not believe, and He would hasten punishment upon them. As Imam Ahmad narrated: 'Uthman ibn Muhammad told us, Jarir told us, from al-A'mash, from Ja'far ibn Iyas, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The people of Mecca asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to make al-Safa ⁶¹ gold for them, and to remove the mountains so they could cultivate. It was said to him: "If you wish, you can give them respite, or if you wish, you can give them what they asked. If they then disbelieve, they will be destroyed as the nations before them were destroyed." He said: "No, rather I will give them respite." So Allah, exalted, revealed: "And nothing prevented Us from sending signs except that the former peoples denied them. And We gave Thamud the she-camel as a visible sign, but they wronged her. And We send not signs except as a warning." ⁶² Thus al-Nasa'i narrated it from the hadith of Jarir. Ahmad said: 'Abd al-Rahman told us, Sufyan told us, from Salama ibn Kuhayl, from 'Imran ibn Hakim, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: Quraysh said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "Ask your Lord to make al-Safa gold for us, and we will believe in you." He said: "Will you do it?" They said: "Yes." So he prayed, and Jibril ⁶³ came to him and said: "Your Lord sends you greetings and says: 'If you wish, al-Safa will become gold for them. Then whoever among them disbelieves after that, I will punish him with a punishment I have not punished anyone in the worlds. And if you wish, I will open for them the door of mercy and repentance.'" He said: "Rather, repentance and mercy." These two chains are sound. It has also come as a mursal ⁶⁴ from a group of the Tabi'un ⁶⁵, including Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Qatada, Ibn Jurayj, and others. Imam Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi narrated from the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak: Yahya ibn Ayyub told us, from 'Ubaydullah ibn Zahr, from 'Ali ibn Yazid, from al-Qasim, from Abu Umama, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: "My Lord, mighty and majestic, offered to make the valley of Mecca gold for me. I said: 'No, my Lord. I will be full one day and hungry one day'—or something like that—'so that when I am hungry, I will humble myself to You and remember You, and when I am full, I will praise You and thank You.'" This is the wording of Ahmad. Al-Tirmidhi said: This hadith is hasan ⁶⁶, but 'Ali ibn Yazid is considered weak in hadith. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: A shaykh ⁶⁷ from Egypt, who came to us about forty years ago, told me, from 'Ikrima, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: Quraysh sent al-Nadr ibn al-Harith and 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt to the rabbis of the Jews in Medina. They said to them: "Ask them about Muhammad, describe his description to them, and inform them of his words. For they are the people of the first scripture, and they have knowledge of what we do not have of the knowledge of the prophets." So they went until they reached Medina, and they asked the rabbis of the Jews about the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and described to them his affair and some of his words, and said: "You are the people of the Torah, and we have come to you to inform us about this companion of ours."

He said: The rabbis of the Jews said to them: Ask him about three things which we command you. If he informs you about them, then he is a sent prophet ⁶⁸; if he does not, then he is a man who fabricates ⁶⁹, so form your own opinion about him. Ask him about the youths who went in ancient times—what was their story? For they had a wondrous tale. And ask him about the wandering man who traveled the east and west of the earth—what was his news? And ask him about the spirit ⁷⁰—what is it? If he informs you of that, then he is a prophet, so follow him; if he does not inform you, then he is a man who fabricates, so do as you please regarding him. So al-Nadr and 'Uqba came to Quraysh and said: O company of Quraysh, we have brought you the decisive word between you and Muhammad. The rabbis of the Jews commanded us to ask him about matters. And they informed them of them. So they came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said: O Muhammad, inform us. And they asked him about what they had been commanded. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to them: "I will inform you tomorrow about what you have asked." And he did not say "if God wills" ⁷¹. So they left him, and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, remained for fifteen nights without any revelation coming to him in that matter, nor did Gabriel come to him, until the people of Mecca became agitated and said: Muhammad promised us tomorrow, and now fifteen nights have passed and we have woken up without him telling us anything about what we asked. And the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was grieved by the delay of revelation, and what the people of Mecca were saying distressed him. Then Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him from God, mighty and majestic, with Surah al-Kahf ⁷², in which was a rebuke to him for his grief over them, and the news of what they had asked about the youths and the wandering man. And God, exalted, said: "And they ask you about the spirit. Say: The spirit is from the command of my Lord, and you have not been given of knowledge except a little." ⁷³ And we have discussed all of that in the commentary at length; whoever wants it should look it up there. And His saying came down: "Or do you think that the companions of the cave and the inscription were among Our signs a wonder?" ⁷⁴ Then He began to detail their story, and in the middle He inserted teaching him the exception ⁷⁵ as a confirmation, not as a condition, in His saying: "And never say of anything, 'Indeed, I will do that tomorrow,' except if God wills. And remember your Lord when you forget." ⁷⁶ Then He mentioned the story of Moses because of its connection to the story of al-Khidr ⁷⁷, then of Dhul-Qarnayn ⁷⁸, then He said: "And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say: I will recite to you from him a remembrance." ⁷⁹ Then He explained his affair and related his story. And He said in Surah Subhan ⁸⁰: "And they ask you about the spirit. Say: The spirit is from the command of my Lord." That is, a wondrous creation among His creations, and a command among His commands. He said to it "Be" and it was, and you do not have access to everything He has created, and depicting its reality in itself is difficult for you relative to the power of God, exalted, and His wisdom. Therefore He said: "And you have not been given of knowledge except a little." And it is established in the two Sahihs ⁸¹ that the Jews asked about that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, in Medina, and he recited this verse to them. Either it was revealed a second time, or he mentioned it as an answer, even if its revelation was earlier. And whoever says that it was only revealed in Medina and excludes it from Surah Subhan, there is a problem in his statement. And God knows best. Ibn Ishaq said: When Abu Talib feared that the Arabs would attack him along with his people, he composed his poem in which he sought refuge in the sanctuary of Mecca and his position there, and sought the favor of the nobles of his people, while still informing them and others in his poetry that he would not surrender the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, nor abandon him for anything, ever, until he died defending him. He said: "When I saw the people had no love in them, and had cut every bond and tie, and they openly showed us enmity and harm, and obeyed the command of the hostile enemy, and they allied with a people against us, suspect, biting their fingers in rage behind us, I endured for them with a smooth, broad sword, and a white, sharp blade from the heritage of the chiefs. I brought to the House my clan and brothers, and held onto its curtains by the ties. Standing together, facing its door, where every generous man fulfills his oath, and where the Ash'arites ⁸² kneel their mounts at the confluence of the torrents from Isaf and Na'ilah ⁸³, with branded arms or their short spears, hobbled between the six-year-old and the full-grown camel. You see the cowrie shells and marble and adornment on their necks, tied like necklaces. I seek refuge with the Lord of people from every slanderer against us with evil, or persistent in falsehood, and from a secret enemy who seeks to defame us, and from one who adds to the religion what we did not seek. And by Thawr ⁸⁴ and Him who fixed Thabir ⁸⁵ in its place, and the one who ascends to climb in Hira' ⁸⁶ and descends, and by the House, the right of the House from the valley of Mecca, and by God, indeed God is not heedless, and by the Black Stone when they wipe it, when they surround it at midday and evenings, and the station of Ibrahim ⁸⁷ on the rock, moist on his feet, barefoot, without sandals, and the circuits between al-Marwah and al-Safa ⁸⁸, and what is in them of images and statues, and by whoever performs pilgrimage to the House of God, every rider, and every one with a vow, and every pedestrian, and by the farthest place of sacrifice ⁸⁹ when they head to it, running to the confluence of the valleys facing them, and their standing on the mountains in the evening, holding with their hands the chests of the mounts, and the night of Muzdalifah ⁹⁰ and the stations of Mina ⁹¹—are there above them any sanctity and stations? And Muzdalifah when the swift camels cross it quickly, as they emerge from a downpour of rain, and by the great Jamrah ⁹² when they aim for it, heading to throw its head with pebbles, and Kindah ⁹³ when they are at the pebbles in the evening, the pilgrims of Bakr ibn Wa'il ⁹⁴ pass by them, two allies who tightened the bond of what they covenanted, and returned to him the turning ties. And they shattered their brown spears and their swift horses, and their striped garments and the necks of fleeing ostriches. So is there after this any protector for a seeker of protection? And is there any protector who fears God and is just? The command of the enemies is obeyed through us, and they wish that by us the doors of Turk and Kabul ⁹⁵ be closed. You lie, by the House of God, we will not leave Mecca, nor depart, unless your affair is in confusion. You lie, by the House of God, we will not surrender Muhammad, nor have we yet fought and struggled in his defense, nor will we hand him over until we are struck down around him, and we forget our sons and wives, and a people rise up with iron against you, like the rising of water-skins under the chains, until we see the spiteful one riding his own blood from stabbing, like the action of the bent, oppressive one. And indeed, by the life of God, if what I see becomes serious, our swords will certainly become entangled with the noble ones, in the hands of a youth like a firebrand, a generous chief, a trustworthy brother, a protector of the truth, a lion. Months and days and a sacred year upon us, and a pilgrimage comes after the next. And what is the abandonment of a people—may you have no father—of a lord who protects honor, not a sharp-tongued, negligent one, and a white-faced one by whose face rain is sought, a shelter for orphans, a refuge for widows? The perishing ones of the clan of Hashim ⁹⁶ take refuge in him, and they are with him in mercy and bounties. By my life, Asid ⁹⁷ and his son have indeed hastened to our hatred, and we have repaid the eater."

And 'Uthman did not stand firm with us, nor did Qunfudh ⁹⁸, but they obeyed the command of those tribes. They obeyed Abaya and Ibn Yaghuth ⁹⁹ of theirs, and they did not regard among us the word of any speaker. Just as we have encountered from Subay' ¹⁰⁰ and Nawfal, and each turned away, not showing courtesy. If they are found, or if God gives us power over them, we will repay them measure for measure, like the measurer. And that is Abu 'Amr ¹⁰¹; he refused nothing but our hatred, to drive us away among people of sheep and camels. He whispers about us every evening and morning, so whisper, Abu 'Amr, about us, then act deceitfully. And he swears to us by God that he does not visit us; but indeed we see him openly, not deluded. Our hatred has made every hill between Akhshab ¹⁰² and Mujadil ¹⁰³ too narrow for him. And ask Abu al-Walid ¹⁰⁴ what he has bestowed upon us through his effort among us, turning away like a deceiver. You were a man whose opinion and mercy we lived by, and you are not ignorant. So 'Utba ¹⁰⁵, do not listen to the words of a slanderer, envious, lying, hateful, full of deceit. And Abu Sufyan passed by me, turning away, as a chief of great chiefs passes. He flees to Najd and the coolness of its waters, and claims that I am not heedless of you. He informs us of the act of a sincere advisor, that he is compassionate, but hides the fierce inner thoughts. O Mut'im ¹⁰⁶, I did not forsake you on a day of bravery, nor on a day of great matters, nor on a day of dispute when they came to you as stubborn opponents, more argumentative than the contending adversaries. O Mut'im, indeed the people have offered you a plan, and if I am entrusted, I am not one to fail. May God reward 'Abd Shams and Nawfal on our behalf with an evil punishment, immediate, not deferred, with a just balance that does not cheat a grain, having a witness from itself, not unjust. Indeed, the people of a sacred sanctuary have acted foolishly, exchanging us for the sons of Khalaf ¹⁰⁷, like a substitute and the Ghayatif ¹⁰⁸. And we are the pure core of the lineage of Hashim and the house of Qusayy ¹⁰⁹ in the earliest affairs. And Sahm and Makhzum ¹¹⁰ conspired and gathered against us the enemies from every tall and obscure man. So, O 'Abd Manaf ¹¹¹, you are the best of your people, so do not include in your affair every intrusive one. By my life, you have weakened and failed, and you have come with a matter that misses the joints. You were recently the firewood of a pot, and now you are the firewood of pots and cauldrons. Let the sons of 'Abd Manaf enjoy our disobedience, our abandonment, and our leaving in fortresses. If we are a people, we will avenge what you have done, and you will milk her as a she-camel not barren. So inform Qusayy that our matter will be spread, and give Qusayy glad tidings after us of mutual abandonment. If a great calamity struck Qusayy at night, we would seek refuge behind them in entrances. And if they had truly struck blows within their houses, we would have been captives among the nursing women. So every friend and nephew we count, by my life, we have found its outcome to be of no avail. Except that a group from Kilab ibn Murra ¹¹² are innocent to us of the blame of a forsaker. And excellent is the nephew of the people, without denial, Zuhayr ¹¹³, a sword drawn from its scabbard. A lofty one of the lofty, the noble, tracing back to a lineage in the thick of glory, excellent. By my life, I have been burdened with love for Ahmad ¹¹⁴ and his brothers, like the persistence of a constant lover. Who is like him among people? Any one hoped for, when judges compare him in excellence? Forbearing, wise, just, not reckless, he worships a God not heedless of him. Noble in deeds, glorious, son of a glorious one, he has an inheritance of established glory, not fading. And the Lord of servants supported him with His victory, and manifested a religion whose truth is not perishing. By God, were it not that I would bring a disgrace dragged upon our elders in assemblies, we would have followed him in every state of time, seriously, not in jest. Indeed, they know that our son is not accused among us, nor does he care for vain speech. So Ahmad has become among us in a root that the sura ¹¹⁵ of the haughty falls short of. I shielded him with myself, protected him, and defended him with the heights and the chests." Ibn Hisham said: "This is what has been authenticated for me of this poem, and some scholars of poetry deny most of it." I say: This is a great, very eloquent poem that only the one to whom it is attributed could compose, and it is more powerful than the Seven Mu'allaqat ¹¹⁶ and more effective in conveying meaning than all of them. And al-Umawi ¹¹⁷ has cited it in his Maghazi ¹¹⁸ in a longer version with additional material. And God knows best. Section: Ibn Ishaq said: Then they attacked those who had embraced Islam and followed the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, from among his Companions. Every tribe attacked those Muslims among them, imprisoning them and torturing them with beating, hunger, thirst, and the scorching heat of Mecca when it was intense, testing those they deemed weak about their religion. Some of them succumbed due to the severity of the trial, while others remained steadfast and God protected them. Bilal, the freed slave of Abu Bakr, was born to some of the Banu Jumah ¹¹⁹ as one of their clients. He was Bilal ibn Rabah, and his mother's name was Hamama. He was sincere in Islam, pure of heart. Umayya ibn Khalaf ¹²⁰ would take him out when the midday heat was intense, then order a great rock to be placed on his chest and say to him: "By God, you will remain like this until you die or you disbelieve in Muhammad and worship al-Lat and al-'Uzza ¹²¹." And he would say, while in that state: "One, One." Ibn Ishaq said: Hisham ibn 'Urwa related to me from his father, who said: Waraqa ibn Nawfal ¹²² would pass by him while he was being tortured like that, and he would say: "One, One, by God, O Bilal!" Then he would turn to Umayya ibn Khalaf and those of Banu Jumah who were doing that to him and say: "I swear by God, if you kill him on this, I will take him as a cherished object." I say: Some have found this problematic because Waraqa died after the beginning of the revelation during the interval of revelation, and the conversion of those who embraced Islam only occurred after the revelation of "O you wrapped in garments" ¹²³. So how could Waraqa pass by Bilal while he was being tortured? There is consideration in this. Then Ibn Ishaq mentioned the passing of Abu Bakr by Bilal while he was being tortured, and he bought him from Umayya for a black slave of his, freed him, and relieved him from torture. He also mentioned his purchase of a group of those who had embraced Islam from among the male and female slaves, including Bilal, 'Amir ibn Fuhayra, Umm 'Umays ¹²⁴, Zinnira ¹²⁵ whose sight was lost and then God restored it to her, al-Nahdiyya and her daughter. He bought them from Banu 'Abd al-Dar ¹²⁶. Their mistress had sent them to grind flour for her, and he heard her saying: "By God, I will never free you." Abu Bakr said: "Release them, O mother of so-and-so." She said: "Release them? You have corrupted them, so free them." He said: "For how much?" She said: "For such and such." He said: "I have taken them, and they are free. Return her flour to her." They said: "Shall we finish it, O Abu Bakr, then return it to her?" He said: "That, if you wish." And he bought a slave girl of Banu Mu'ammil, a clan of Banu 'Adi ¹²⁷, whom 'Umar used to beat for embracing Islam. Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Abi 'Atiq related to me from 'Amir ibn 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, from some of his family, who said: Abu Quhafa ¹²⁸ said to his son Abu Bakr: "O my son, I see you freeing weak people. If you do what you do, free strong men who will protect you and stand up for you." Abu Bakr said: "O father, I only seek what I seek." He said: And it is narrated that these verses were revealed only about him and what his father said: "As for he who gives and fears God and believes in the best, We will ease him toward ease" ¹²⁹ to the end of the sura. And what Imam Ahmad and Ibn Majah narrated from the hadith of 'Asim ibn Bahdala from Zirr, from Ibn Mas'ud, has preceded: "The first to publicly embrace Islam were seven: the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, Abu Bakr, 'Ammar, his mother Sumayya, Suhayb, Bilal, and al-Miqdad."

As for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Allah protected him through his uncle ¹³⁰. Abu Bakr was protected by Allah through his people. As for the rest, the polytheists seized them, clothed them in iron coats of mail, and exposed them to the sun ¹³¹. Not one of them failed to comply with what they wanted, except Bilal, for he held his own soul cheap for the sake of Allah Almighty, and his people held him cheap. They took him and handed him over to the boys, who made him go around the mountain passes of Mecca while he said: "One, One ¹³²." Al-Thawri narrated it from Mansur, from Mujahid, as a mursal ¹³³ report. Ibn Ishaq said: The Banu Makhzum used to bring out 'Ammar ibn Yasir and his father and mother—they were a household of Islam—and when the midday heat became intense, they would torture them on the scorching ground of Mecca. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would pass by them and say, as has reached me: "Be patient, O family of Yasir! Your promised place is Paradise." Al-Bayhaqi narrated from al-Hakim, from Ibrahim ibn 'Isma al-'Adl, from al-Sari ibn Khuzayma, from Muslim ibn Ibrahim, from Hisham ibn Abi 'Ubayd Allah, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed by 'Ammar and his family while they were being tortured and said: "Rejoice, O family of 'Ammar and family of Yasir! For your promised place is Paradise." As for his mother, they tried to kill her, but she refused to abandon Islam. Imam Ahmad said: Waki' narrated to us from Sufyan, from Mansur, from Mujahid, who said: The first martyr in early Islam who was killed was Umm 'Ammar, Sumayya. Abu Jahl stabbed her with a spear in her heart. This is a mursal report. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Abu Jahl, the transgressor, was the one who incited people against them. If he heard of a man who had embraced Islam and who had honor and protection, he would rebuke him, disgrace him, and say: "You have abandoned the religion of your father, who is better than you. We will surely declare your judgment foolish, belittle your opinion, and lower your honor." If he was a merchant, he would say: "By Allah, we will surely make your trade slump and destroy your wealth." If he was weak, he would beat him and incite others against him. May Allah curse him and degrade him. 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 could be excused for abandoning their religion?" He said: "Yes, by Allah! They would beat one of them, starve him, and make him thirsty until he could not sit upright due to the severe harm he suffered, until he gave them what they asked for in terms of fitna ¹³⁴, even to the point that they would say to him: 'Are al-Lat and al-'Uzza gods besides Allah?' He would say: 'Yes!' to ransom himself from the hardship they inflicted." I said: "It is concerning such cases that Allah Almighty revealed: 'Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief—except for one who is forced [to do so] while his heart is at peace with faith—but whoever opens his breast to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment' ¹³⁵." These people were excused because of the humiliation and severe torture they suffered. May Allah protect us from that by His might and power. Imam Ahmad said: Abu Mu'awiya narrated to us from al-A'mash, from Muslim, from Masruq, from Khabbab ibn al-Aratt. He said: I was a blacksmith, and I had a debt owed to me by al-'As ibn Wa'il. I went to him to demand payment, and he said: "No, by Allah, I will not pay you until you disbelieve in Muhammad." I said: "No, by Allah, I will not disbelieve in Muhammad until you die and then are resurrected." He said: "Then when I die and am resurrected, I will come to you, and I will have wealth and children there, and I will give you!" So Allah Almighty revealed: "Have you seen the one who disbelieved in Our signs and said, 'I will surely be given wealth and children'?" up to His words: "and he will come to Us alone" ¹³⁶. Both [al-Bukhari and Muslim] reported it in the Sahihs and others from chains from al-A'mash. In the wording of al-Bukhari: "I was a blacksmith in Mecca, and I made a sword for al-'As ibn Wa'il, then I came to demand payment" and he mentioned the hadith. Al-Bukhari said: Al-Humaydi narrated to us from Sufyan, from Bayan and Isma'il, who said: We heard Qays say: I heard Khabbab say: I came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was reclining on a cloak in the shade of the Ka'ba, and we had suffered severely from the polytheists. I said: "Will you not call upon Allah?" He sat up, his face reddening, and said: "There were those before you who would be combed with iron combs ¹³⁷ until nothing of flesh or sinew remained on their bones, yet that did not turn them away from their religion. A saw would be placed on the parting of their head and they would be split into two, yet that did not turn them away from their religion. Allah will certainly complete this matter until a rider travels from San'a' to Hadramawt fearing none but Allah Almighty." Bayan added: "and the wolf for his sheep." In another narration: "But you are impatient." Al-Bukhari alone reported it, not Muslim. It has also been narrated from another chain from Khabbab, and it is an abridged version of this. And Allah knows best. Imam Ahmad said: 'Abd al-Rahman narrated to us from Sufyan, and Ibn Ja'far from Shu'ba, from Abu Ishaq, from Sa'id ibn Wahb, from Khabbab, who said: We complained to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the severity of the scorching ground, but he did not relieve us—meaning regarding prayer. Ibn Ja'far said: "He did not relieve us." He also said: Sulayman ibn Dawud narrated to us from Shu'ba, from Abu Ishaq, who said: I heard Sa'id ibn Wahb say: I heard Khabbab say: We complained to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the scorching ground, but he did not relieve us. Shu'ba said: Meaning at midday. Muslim, al-Nasa'i, and al-Bayhaqi narrated it from the hadith of Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i, from Sa'id ibn Wahb, from Khabbab, who said: We complained to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the heat of the scorching ground. Al-Bayhaqi added: "on our faces and palms"—but he did not relieve us. In another narration: We complained to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about praying on the scorching ground, but he did not relieve us. Ibn Majah narrated it from 'Ali ibn Muhammad al-Tanafisi, from Waki', from al-A'mash, from Abu Ishaq, from Haritha ibn Mudarrib al-'Abdi, from Khabbab, who said: We complained to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the heat of the scorching ground, but he did not relieve us. What occurs to me—and Allah knows best—is that this hadith is an abridged version of the first one, namely that they complained to him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about what they suffered from the polytheists in terms of torture by the scorching ground, and that they would drag them on their faces, and they would protect themselves with their palms, and other types of torture, as mentioned earlier from Ibn Ishaq and others. They asked him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to supplicate Allah against the polytheists, or...

1. wa-akhfid janāḥaka : Literally 'lower your wing,' a metaphor for being gentle and humble.
2. dhikr : Reminder; here referring to the Qur'an.
3. maʿād : Place of return; here meaning the Hereafter.
4. ṣāʿ : A unit of volume, approximately 2.5-3 kg of grain.
5. Shi'ite : A follower of Shi'a Islam, a sect that believes in the leadership of Ali and his descendants.
6. And warn your nearest kinsmen : Qur'an 26:214.
7. sa' : A unit of measurement for volume, approximately 2.5-3 kg of grain.
8. successor : Arabic: khalifah, meaning deputy or successor.
9. O Messenger... protect you from the people : Qur'an 5:67.
10. And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses : Qur'an 28:68.
11. shallow : Arabic: dahdah, meaning a shallow place or a small amount of fire.
12. Dhu al-Majaz : A famous market near Mecca in pre-Islamic times.
13. Sabian : A term used by pagans to refer to early Muslims, implying they had abandoned their ancestral religion.
14. كنس : A small house or hut, often used for storage or as a humble dwelling.
15. خنس : A hidden or concealed place; also interpreted as a small house.
16. تشعلوا منه بشعلة : Literally 'kindle a flame from it'; a metaphor meaning you are unable to prevent the sun's heat, just as I am unable to abandon the mission.
17. الركن الأسود واليماني : The Black Corner (where the Black Stone is) and the Yemeni Corner (the corner facing Yemen) of the Ka'ba.
18. أبو الحكم : Abu al-Hakam, a kunya (nickname) of Abu Jahl, meaning 'father of wisdom'.
19. اقرأ باسم ربك الذي خلق : The first verses of Surah al-‘Alaq (96:1-2), the first revelation to Prophet Muhammad.
20. كلا إن الإنسان ليطغى أن رآه استغنى : Surah al-‘Alaq (96:6-7): 'No! Indeed, man transgresses because he sees himself self-sufficient.'
21. الزبانية : The Zabaniya; the fierce angels of punishment in Hell, mentioned in the Quran (96:18).
22. المقام : The Maqam Ibrahim (Station of Abraham), a stone near the Ka'ba where Abraham stood during the construction.
23. al-kata'ib : Battalions or armies; here referring to the angels that appeared to protect the Prophet.
24. yu'affiru wajhahu : To prostrate, literally 'to rub his face in the dust' in prayer.
25. al-Lat wa al-'Uzza : Two major pre-Islamic Arabian goddesses worshipped by the Quraysh.
26. Kalla inna al-insana layatgha an ra'ahu istaghna : Qur'an 96:6-7: 'Nay! Indeed, man does transgress because he sees himself self-sufficient.'
27. sala : The afterbirth or placenta of a camel; a foul substance.
28. al-Irashi : A man from the tribe of Irash, a sub-tribe of 'Abd al-Qays.
29. Hijr : The semicircular walled area adjacent to the Ka'bah, also known as al-Hatim.
30. Ataqtuluna rajulan an yaqula rabbiy Allah... : Qur'an 40:28: 'Would you kill a man because he says, "My Lord is Allah," when he has come to you with clear proofs from your Lord?'
31. al-Hijr : The semicircular walled area adjacent to the Kaaba, also known as the Hijr Ismail.
32. al-Rukn : The Black Stone set in the eastern corner of the Kaaba, which pilgrims touch or kiss during circumambulation.
33. al-Bayt : The Kaaba, the sacred house of worship in Mecca.
34. ka'annama 'ala ra'sihi tayr waqa' : An Arabic idiom meaning extreme stillness and fear, as if a bird had landed on one's head and one must not move.
35. Abu al-Qasim : The kunya (patronymic) of the Prophet Muhammad, meaning 'father of Qasim'.
36. ma yuwari ibt Bilal : Refers to the meager food that Bilal could hide under his armpit, indicating extreme poverty.
37. hasan sahih : A classification of hadith meaning 'good and authentic' in terms of its chain of transmission and text.
38. Rasul Allah : Messenger of God, referring to Muhammad.
39. adawatihim : Their enmity; opposition to them.
40. bakr : A young camel.
41. habhab : Short-legged, weak.
42. al-fayfa' : High ground, desert plain.
43. wabr : Rock rabbit, hyrax.
44. akhawayna min abina wa ummina : Our two brothers from our father and mother; likely referring to 'Abd Shams and Nawfal.
45. tajarjama...al-sakhr : Delayed like a rock from a mountain top; metaphor for hesitation.
46. 'Abd Shams wa Nawfal : Two clans of Quraysh, from Banu 'Abd Manaf.
47. akhawayhima : Their two brothers; possibly Hashim and al-Muttalib.
48. man la aba lahu : One who has no father; a person of low birth.
49. yurass : Established, fixed; i.e., his mention is made permanent.
50. shifr : Knife; metaphor for offspring or lineage.
51. Qul innama al-ayatu 'inda Allah... : Quran 6:109-111, paraphrased.
52. Inna alladhina haqqat 'alayhim kalimatu rabbika... : Quran 10:96-97, paraphrased.
53. Wa ma mana'ana an nursila bi-l-ayati... : Quran 17:59, paraphrased.
54. Wa qalu lan nu'mina laka... : Quran 17:90-93, paraphrased.
55. Yunus wa Ziyad : Yunus ibn Bukayr and Ziyad ibn 'Abdullah al-Bakka'i, transmitters of Ibn Ishaq's Sira.
56. zahr al-Ka'ba : The back of the Ka'ba; the area behind it.
57. ra'iy : A familiar spirit from the jinn that inspires or possesses a person.
58. Qusayy ibn Kilab : An ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad, considered a prominent and truthful elder of Quraysh.
59. al-Yamama : A region in central Arabia, associated with the false prophet Musaylima.
60. al-Rahman : A name of God meaning 'The Merciful'; here the polytheists mistakenly attribute it to a human teacher.
61. al-Safa : A hill in Mecca, part of the Sa'i ritual; here used as a symbol of a miraculous request.
62. Qur'an 17:59 : A verse indicating that signs were withheld because earlier peoples denied them.
63. Jibril : The angel Gabriel, the messenger of revelation to the prophets.
64. mursal : A type of hadith where a Successor narrates directly from the Prophet without mentioning the Companion.
65. Tabi'un : The generation of Muslims who succeeded the Companions of the Prophet.
66. hasan : A classification of hadith meaning 'good' in authenticity, below sahih (sound).
67. shaykh : An honorific title for an elder or teacher; here referring to a narrator.
68. nabiyy mursal : A prophet sent with a message, i.e., a messenger prophet.
69. mutaqawwil : One who fabricates speech, i.e., a false claimant to prophethood.
70. al-ruh : The spirit; here referring to the soul or a special creation of God, often understood as the angel Gabriel or a divine command.
71. istithna' : The exception phrase 'in sha' Allah' (if God wills), which is required when promising something in the future.
72. Surah al-Kahf : Chapter 18 of the Quran, 'The Cave', which contains the stories of the Companions of the Cave, Moses and al-Khidr, and Dhul-Qarnayn.
73. Quran 17:85 : Verse from Surah al-Isra' (The Night Journey) about the spirit.
74. Quran 18:9 : Verse introducing the story of the Companions of the Cave.
75. istithna' : The grammatical exception, specifically the phrase 'except if God wills'.
76. Quran 18:23-24 : Verses instructing the Prophet to say 'if God wills' when planning future actions.
77. al-Khidr : A righteous servant of God mentioned in the Quran, known for his special knowledge and association with Moses.
78. Dhul-Qarnayn : A righteous ruler mentioned in the Quran, often identified with Alexander the Great or Cyrus the Great.
79. Quran 18:83 : Verse introducing the story of Dhul-Qarnayn.
80. Surah Subhan : Another name for Surah al-Isra' (Chapter 17), which begins with 'Subhana' (Glory be).
81. Sahihayn : The two authentic hadith collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim.
82. Ash'arites : A tribe or group of people, possibly from Yemen, known for their pilgrimage rituals.
83. Isaf and Na'ilah : Two idols that were worshipped near the Kaaba in pre-Islamic times.
84. Thawr : A mountain near Mecca, also the name of the cave where the Prophet hid during the Hijra.
85. Thabir : A mountain near Mecca, associated with the pilgrimage.
86. Hira' : The mountain where the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation.
87. Maqam Ibrahim : The Station of Abraham, a stone near the Kaaba where Abraham stood during the construction of the Kaaba.
88. al-Safa and al-Marwah : Two small hills near the Kaaba, between which pilgrims run during the Hajj and Umrah.
89. al-Mash'ar al-Haram : The sacred monument in Muzdalifah, a key site during the Hajj.
90. Muzdalifah : A plain near Mecca where pilgrims spend the night during the Hajj.
91. Mina : A valley near Mecca where pilgrims perform the stoning of the pillars and spend days during the Hajj.
92. Jamrah : A pillar representing the devil, which pilgrims stone during the Hajj.
93. Kindah : A tribe or a place, possibly referring to a group of pilgrims.
94. Bakr ibn Wa'il : A tribe from the Arabian Peninsula.
95. Turk and Kabul : Regions representing distant lands; Turk refers to Central Asia, Kabul to Afghanistan.
96. Hashim : The clan of the Prophet Muhammad, part of the Quraysh tribe.
97. Asid : A person, possibly a reference to an enemy of the Prophet.
98. Qunfudh : A person's name; possibly a companion or opponent.
99. Abaya and Ibn Yaghuth : Names of individuals; likely leaders of opposing tribes.
100. Subay' : A tribe or clan.
101. Abu 'Amr : A person's epithet; possibly an opponent.
102. Akhshab : A mountain or place near Mecca.
103. Mujadil : A place or valley.
104. Abu al-Walid : Epithet of 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, a Quraysh leader.
105. 'Utba : 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, a prominent Quraysh chief.
106. Mut'im : Mut'im ibn 'Adi, a Quraysh leader who protected the Prophet.
107. Banu Khalaf : A clan or tribe.
108. Ghayatif : A place or tribe; possibly a reference to a group.
109. Qusayy : Qusayy ibn Kilab, ancestor of the Quraysh.
110. Sahm and Makhzum : Two clans of the Quraysh.
111. 'Abd Manaf : Ancestor of the Prophet and several Quraysh clans.
112. Kilab ibn Murra : Ancestor of the Prophet; a tribe.
113. Zuhayr : Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma, a pre-Islamic poet, or another person.
114. Ahmad : Another name of the Prophet Muhammad.
115. sura : A chapter of the Quran; here used metaphorically.
116. Seven Mu'allaqat : Famous pre-Islamic poems hung on the Kaaba.
117. al-Umawi : A scholar or historian; possibly al-Waqidi.
118. Maghazi : Books on the military expeditions of the Prophet.
119. Banu Jumah : A clan of the Quraysh.
120. Umayya ibn Khalaf : A Quraysh leader and opponent of Islam.
121. al-Lat and al-'Uzza : Pre-Islamic Arabian goddesses.
122. Waraqa ibn Nawfal : A Christian scholar and relative of Khadija.
123. O you wrapped in garments : Quran 74:1, a Meccan sura.
124. Umm 'Umays : A female companion; possibly the mother of 'Ammar.
125. Zinnira : A female companion who was tortured for her faith.
126. Banu 'Abd al-Dar : A clan of the Quraysh.
127. Banu 'Adi : A clan of the Quraysh; 'Umar's clan.
128. Abu Quhafa : Father of Abu Bakr.
129. As for he who gives... : Quran 92:5-7.
130. عَمّ : Paternal uncle; here referring to Abu Talib, the Prophet's uncle who protected him.
131. صَهَرُوهُمْ فِي الشَّمْسِ : They exposed them to the sun; a form of torture by heat.
132. أَحَدٌ أَحَدٌ : One, One; referring to the oneness of Allah.
133. مُرْسَل : A hadith where the Companion is omitted from the chain of transmission.
134. فِتْنَة : Trial or persecution; here meaning renouncing faith under duress.
135. مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ... : Quran 16:106, regarding those forced to renounce faith.
136. أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ... : Quran 19:77-80, regarding al-'As ibn Wa'il.
137. يُمَشَّطُ بِأَمْشَاطِ الْحَدِيدِ : Combed with iron combs; a form of torture scraping flesh from bones.

Chapter on the Disputation of the Polytheists with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah…

Chapter on the Disputation of the Polytheists with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace [1]

He sought victory against them, and He promised them that but did not fulfill it for them at that time. He informed them about those before them that they had suffered torment far more severe than what befell them, yet that did not turn them away from their religion. He gave them glad tidings that Allah would complete this matter, manifest it, proclaim it, spread it, and grant it victory across regions and horizons, until a rider could travel from San'a' to Hadramawt fearing none but Allah Almighty and the wolf for his sheep. But you are impatient. That is why he said: "We complained to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about the intense heat of the sun on our faces and palms, but he did not relieve us"—meaning he did not supplicate for us at that moment. Whoever uses this hadith to argue against praying in the shade ¹ or for the obligation of the worshipper touching the ground with his palm ²—as is one of the two opinions of al-Shafi'i—this is subject to scrutiny. And Allah knows best. Chapter: The Argument of the Polytheists with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and the Establishment of the Conclusive Proof against Them, and Their Inner Acknowledgment of the Truth, Even Though They Outwardly Opposed It Out of Stubbornness, Envy, Transgression, and Denial. Ishaq ibn Rahawayh said: 'Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us from Ma'mar from Ayyub al-Sikhtiyani from 'Ikrimah from Ibn 'Abbas that al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and he recited the Qur'an to him, and it seemed to soften him. This reached Abu Jahl, so he came to him and said: "O uncle, your people want to collect money for you." He said: "Why?" He said: "To give it to you, for you went to Muhammad to present yourself to what he has!" He said: "Quraysh knows that I am the wealthiest among them." He said: "Then say something about him that will reach your people, showing that you reject him." He said: "And what should I say? By Allah, there is none among you more knowledgeable of poetry than I, nor more learned in its rajaz ³ and qasid ⁴ than I, nor in the poetry of the jinn. By Allah, what he says does not resemble any of this. And by Allah, his speech has sweetness, and upon it is grace, and its top is fruitful, its bottom abundant, and it rises and is not risen above, and it crushes what is beneath it." He said: "Your people will not be pleased with you until you say something about it." He said: "Leave me until I think about it." When he thought, he said: "This is nothing but sorcery transmitted ⁵ from others." Then the verses were revealed: "Leave Me with whom I created alone, and to whom I granted extensive wealth and sons present [before him]" ⁶ and the following verses. Thus al-Bayhaqi narrated from al-Hakim from 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-San'ani in Mecca from Ishaq. And Hammad ibn Zayd narrated it from Ayyub from 'Ikrimah as a mursal ⁷ report. In it, he recited to him: "Indeed, Allah commands justice, excellence, and giving to relatives, and forbids immorality, wrongdoing, and transgression. He admonishes you that perhaps you may remember" ⁸. Al-Bayhaqi said: From al-Hakim from al-Asamm from Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar from Yunus ibn Bukayr from Muhammad ibn Ishaq: Muhammad ibn Abi Muhammad narrated to me from Sa'id ibn Jubayr or 'Ikrimah from Ibn 'Abbas that al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah gathered with a group of Quraysh—he was an elder among them—and the season ⁹ had come. He said: "The delegations of the Arabs will come to you during it, and they have heard about this matter of your companion. So agree on a single opinion about him and do not differ, lest some of you belie others and the words of some of you contradict others." It was said: "O Abu 'Abd Shams, speak and give us an opinion to uphold." He said: "Rather, you speak and I will listen." They said: "We say he is a soothsayer." He said: "He is not a soothsayer; I have seen soothsayers, and he is not like their murmuring." They said: "We say he is mad." He said: "He is not mad; we have seen madness and know it, and he is not like its choking, agitation, or whispering." They said: "We say he is a poet." He said: "He is not a poet; we know poetry—its rajaz, hazaj ¹⁰, qarid ¹¹, maqbud ¹², and mabsut ¹³—and this 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 tying knots." They said: "Then what do we say, O Abu 'Abd Shams?" He said: "By Allah, his speech has sweetness, its root is a fruitful palm ¹⁴, and its branch is ripe fruit ¹⁵. You will not say anything of this without it being known as false. The closest statement is to say: 'This is a sorcerer who separates a man from his religion, a man from his father, a man from his wife, a man from his brother, and a man from his tribe.' So they dispersed from him with that, and they began to sit with people when they came for the season, warning everyone who passed by about him and mentioning his affair." And Allah revealed concerning al-Walid: "Leave Me with whom I created alone, and to whom I granted extensive wealth and sons present [before him]" ¹⁶ and the verses, and concerning that group who made the Qur'an into portions: "So by your Lord, We will surely question them all about what they used to do" ¹⁷. I say: And concerning that, Allah Almighty said, informing of their ignorance and lack of intellect: "But they say: 'A mixture of false dreams; rather, he has invented it; rather, he is a poet. So let him bring us a sign as the former were sent'" ¹⁸. They were confused about what to say about him, for everything they said was false. Because whoever deviates from the truth, whatever he says is wrong. Allah Almighty said: "See how they strike for you comparisons; thus they have gone astray and cannot find a way" ¹⁹. Imam 'Abd ibn Humayd said in his Musnad: Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to me: 'Ali ibn Mushir narrated to us from al-Ajlah—he is Ibn 'Abdullah al-Kindi—from al-Dhiyal ibn Harmalah al-Asadi from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah, who said: Quraysh gathered one day and said: "Look for the most knowledgeable among you in sorcery, soothsaying, and poetry, and let him go to this man who has divided our community, scattered our affairs, and criticized our religion, and let him speak to him and see what he replies." They said: "We know no one other than 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah." They said: "You, O Abu al-Walid." So 'Utbah came to him and said: "O Muhammad, are you better or 'Abdullah?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) remained silent. He said: "Are you better or 'Abd al-Muttalib?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) remained silent. He said: "If you claim that these are better than you, then they worshipped the gods you criticize. And if you claim that you are better than them, then speak so we may hear your words. By Allah, we have never seen a lamb ²⁰ more ill-omened for his people than you. You have divided our community, scattered our affairs, criticized our religion, and disgraced us among the Arabs, until it has spread among them that there is a sorcerer in Quraysh and a soothsayer in Quraysh. By Allah, we are only waiting for something like the scream of a pregnant woman ²¹ for some of us to rise against others with swords until we annihilate each other. O man! If it is need that afflicts you, we will collect for you until you become the richest man of Quraysh. And if it is marriage that you desire, choose whichever woman of Quraysh you wish, and we will marry you to ten." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Are you finished?" He said: "Yes." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 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 Qur'an for a people who know" until he reached: "But if they turn away, then say: 'I warn you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt of 'Ad and Thamud'" ²². 'Utbah said: "Enough for me. Do you have anything else?" He said: "No." So he returned to Quraysh, and they said: "What is behind you?" He said: "I left nothing that I thought you would speak to him about except that I spoke to him." They said: "Did he answer you?" He said: "Yes." Then he said: "No, by the One who set it up as a structure ²³, I did not understand anything of what he said, except that he warned you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt of 'Ad and Thamud."

They said: "Woe to you! The man speaks to you in Arabic and you do not understand what he said?" He said: "No, by Allah, I did not understand anything of what he said except the mention of the thunderbolt." Al-Bayhaqi and others narrated it from Al-Hakim, from Al-Asamm, from Abbas Al-Duri, from Yahya ibn Ma'in, from Muhammad ibn Fudayl, from Al-Ajlaj with it. And there is some discussion about it. And he added: "And if it is only leadership that you desire, we will tie our banners for you, and you will be the chief as long as you live." And according to him, when he said: "But if they turn away, then say: I warn you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt of 'Ad and Thamud" ²⁴, 'Utba ²⁵ put his hand over his mouth and adjured him by the ties of kinship to stop, and he did not go out to his family and stayed away from them. Abu Jahl said: "By Allah, O tribe of Quraysh, I think 'Utba has only converted to Muhammad and his food has pleased him, and that is only because of some need that has befallen him. Let us go to him." So they went to him. Abu Jahl said: "By Allah, O 'Utba, we have only come because you have converted to Muhammad and his affair has pleased you. If you have a need, we will collect for you from our wealth what will suffice you from Muhammad's food." He became angry and swore by Allah that he would never speak to Muhammad again. And he said: "You know that I am one of the wealthiest of Quraysh. But I went to him and told you the story. He answered me with something that, by Allah, is not sorcery, nor poetry, nor soothsaying. He recited: 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Ha Meem ²⁶. A revelation from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' until he reached: 'But if they turn away, then say: I warn you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt of 'Ad and Thamud.' So I put my hand over his mouth and adjured him by the ties of kinship to stop. And you know that when Muhammad says something, he does not lie, so I feared that punishment would descend upon you." Then Al-Bayhaqi said: From Al-Hakim, from Al-Asamm, from Ahmad ibn Abd al-Jabbar, from Yunus, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who said: Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad, the freed slave of Banu Hashim, narrated to me from Muhammad ibn Ka'b, who said: I was told that 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, who was a forbearing chief, said one day while sitting in the assembly of Quraysh, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was sitting alone in the mosque: "O tribe of Quraysh, shall I go to this man and present to him some matters, perhaps he will accept some of them and stop bothering us?" They said: "Yes, O Abu al-Walid ²⁷!" So 'Utba stood up until he sat next to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he mentioned the hadith about what 'Utba said to him and what he offered the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, of wealth, kingship, and other things. And Ziyad ibn Ishaq said: 'Utba said: "O tribe 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 them to him, and he will stop bothering us?" That was when Hamza ²⁸ had embraced Islam and they saw the companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, increasing and multiplying. They said: "Yes, O Abu al-Walid, go to him and speak to him." So 'Utba stood up until he sat next to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: "O son of my brother, you are from us, as you know, of high standing in the tribe and noble lineage. And you have brought to your people a great matter, by which you have divided their community, called their intellects foolish, reviled their gods and their religion, and declared those of their forefathers who have passed away to be disbelievers. So listen to me until I present to you some matters for you to consider; perhaps you will accept some of them." He said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: "Speak, O Abu al-Walid." He said: "O son of my brother, if what you have brought of this matter is only for wealth, we will collect for you from our wealth until you become the wealthiest of us. If it is for honor, we will make you our chief so that we will 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 spirit ²⁹ that you see and cannot repel from yourself, we will seek medicine for you and spend our wealth on it until we cure you of it, for often a familiar spirit ³⁰ overcomes a man until he is treated for it." Or as he said to him. When 'Utba finished, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him: "Have you finished, O Abu al-Walid?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Listen to me." He said: "I will." So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Ha Meem. A revelation from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A Book whose verses are detailed, an Arabic Quran for a people who know." Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, continued reciting it. When 'Utba heard it, he listened attentively, and placed his hands behind him, leaning on them to hear from him. Until the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, reached the prostration and prostrated, then said: "Have you heard, O Abu al-Walid?" He said: "I have heard." He said: "Then you and that." Then '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 they sat with him, they said: "What is behind you, O Abu al-Walid?" He said: "Behind me is that, by Allah, I have heard speech the like of which I have never heard. By Allah, it is not poetry, nor soothsaying. O tribe of Quraysh, obey me and make it my responsibility. Leave this man alone with what he is doing and withdraw from him. For by Allah, his words that I have heard will have a great outcome. If the Arabs overcome him, then you will be spared by others. If he prevails over the Arabs, then his kingship is your kingship, his honor is your honor, and you will be the most fortunate of people through him." They said: "By Allah, he has bewitched you with his tongue, O Abu al-Walid." He said: "This is my opinion for you; do as you please." Then Yunus mentioned from Ibn Ishaq some poetry that Abu Talib ³¹ composed praising 'Utba. And Al-Bayhaqi said: Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Yusuf al-Asbahani informed us, Abu Qutayba Salama ibn al-Fadl al-Adami informed us in Mecca, Abu Ayyub Ahmad ibn Bishr al-Tayalisi narrated to us, Dawud ibn Amr al-Dabbi narrated to us, al-Muthanna ibn Zur'a narrated to us from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Nafi', from Ibn Umar ³². He said: When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, recited to 'Utba ibn Rabi'a: "Ha Meem. A revelation from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful," he came to his companions and said to them: "O people, obey me in this matter today, and disobey me after that. For by Allah, I have heard from this man speech the like of which my ears have never heard, and I do not know what to reply to him." This is a very strange hadith from this chain. Then Al-Bayhaqi narrated from Al-Hakim, from Al-Asamm, from Ahmad ibn Abd al-Jabbar, from Yunus, from Ibn Ishaq, who said: Al-Zuhri ³³ narrated to me, saying: I was told that Abu Jahl, Abu Sufyan ³⁴, and Al-Akhnas ibn Shariq ³⁵ went out one night to listen to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was praying at night in his house. Each man took a place to listen to him, none knowing the location of the other. They spent the night listening to him until dawn. When morning came and dawn broke, they dispersed, but the road brought them together. They blamed each other and some said to others: "Do not return, for if some of your foolish people see you, you will put something in his mind." Then they left. When the second night came, each man returned to his place, and they spent the night listening to him. When dawn broke, they dispersed, and the road brought them together. 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 place and they spent the night listening to him. When dawn broke, they dispersed, and the road brought them together. They said: "We will not leave until we make a covenant not to return." So they made a covenant on that, then they dispersed.

When morning came, al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq took his staff, then went out until he came to Abū Sufyān in his house and said: "Tell me, O Abū Ḥanẓalah, about your opinion regarding what you have heard from Muḥammad?" He replied: "O Abū Tha‘labah, by Allah, I have heard things that I recognize and know what is intended by them, and things that I do not recognize and do not know what is intended by them." Al-Akhnas said: "And I, by the One by Whom you swore, [am the same]." Then he went out from his presence until he came to Abū Jahl and entered his house, saying: "O Abū al-Ḥakam, what is your opinion regarding what you have heard from Muḥammad?" He replied: "What have I heard?! We and the Banū ‘Abd Manāf have been vying for honor. They fed [people], so we fed; they provided mounts, so we provided mounts; they gave, so we gave, until when we were kneeling knee-to-knee and were like two racehorses, they said: 'Among us is a Prophet to whom revelation comes from heaven!' When shall we attain this? By Allah, we will never listen to him nor believe him." So al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq left him. Then al-Bayhaqī said: Abū ‘Abd Allāh al-Ḥāfiẓ informed us, Abū al-‘Abbās informed us, Aḥmad narrated to us, Yūnus narrated to us, from Hishām ibn Sa‘d, from Zayd ibn Aslam, from al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah. He said: "The first day I recognized the Messenger of Allah (ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) was when I was walking with Abū Jahl ibn Hishām in one of the alleys of Mecca, when the Messenger of Allah (ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) met us. The Messenger of Allah (ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) said to Abū Jahl: 'O Abū al-Ḥakam, come to Allah and to His Messenger; I call you to Allah.' Abū Jahl replied: 'O Muḥammad, will you not cease reviling our gods? Do you want anything but that we bear witness that you have delivered [the message]? So we bear witness that you have delivered [it]. By Allah, if I knew that what you say is true, I would have followed you.' Then the Messenger of Allah (ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) turned away, and [Abū Jahl] turned to me and said: 'By Allah, I know that what he says is true, but something prevents me. Indeed, the Banū Quṣayy said: "The custodianship of the Ka‘bah is ours." We said: "Yes." Then they said: "The watering [of pilgrims] is ours." We said: "Yes." Then they said: "The council [house] is ours." We said: "Yes." Then they said: "The banner is ours." We said: "Yes." Then they fed and we fed, until when the knees rubbed together, they said: "Among us is a Prophet!" By Allah, I will not do it.'" And al-Bayhaqī said: Abū ‘Abd Allāh al-Ḥāfiẓ informed us, he said: Abū al-‘Abbās Muḥammad ibn Ya‘qūb al-Aṣamm informed us, Muḥammad ibn Khālid narrated to us, Aḥmad ibn Khalaf narrated to us, Isrā’īl narrated to us, from Abū Isḥāq. He said: "The Prophet (ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) passed by Abū Jahl and Abū Sufyān while they were sitting. Abū Jahl said: 'This is your Prophet, O Banū ‘Abd Shams.' Abū Sufyān said: 'Do you wonder that a Prophet should be from among us? The Prophet is [usually] from among those who are less and more contemptible than us.' Abū Jahl said: 'I wonder that a young man from among elders should come out as a Prophet!' And the Messenger of Allah (ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) was listening, so he came to them and said: 'As for you, O Abū Sufyān, you have not become angry for Allah and His Messenger, but you have shown partisanship for lineage. As for you, O Abū al-Ḥakam, by Allah, you will laugh little and weep much.' He replied: 'What an evil promise you give me, O son of my brother, from your prophethood!' This is a mursal [tradition] from this chain, and there is oddness in it." And the saying of Abū Jahl—may Allah curse him—is as Allah the Exalted said, informing about him and his ilk: "And when they see you, they take you not except in mockery: 'Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a Messenger? He almost led us astray from our gods, had we not been steadfast to them.' And they will know, when they see the punishment, who is most astray in path" (Qur’ān 25:41-42). And Imām Aḥmad said: Hushaym narrated to us, Abū Bishr narrated to us, from Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ‘Abbās, who said: "This verse was revealed while the Messenger of Allah (ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) was hiding in Mecca: 'And do not be loud in your prayer, nor be silent in it' (Qur’ān 17:110)." He said: "When he prayed with his Companions, he would raise his voice with the Qur’an. When the polytheists heard that, they reviled the Qur’an, and reviled the One Who sent it down and the one who brought it." He said: "So Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet Muḥammad (ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam): 'Do not be loud in your prayer,' i.e., in your recitation, lest the polytheists hear and revile the Qur’an, 'nor be silent in it,' [to the point that] your Companions do not hear the Qur’an from you so that they may take it from you, 'but seek a way between that.'" And thus it was narrated by the two authors of the Ṣaḥīḥ [al-Bukhārī and Muslim] from the ḥadīth of Abū Bishr Ja‘far ibn Abī Ḥayyah. And Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq said: Dāwūd ibn al-Ḥuṣayn narrated to me, from ‘Ikrimah, from Ibn ‘Abbās, who said: "When the Messenger of Allah (ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) recited the Qur’an aloud while praying, they would disperse from him and refuse to listen to him. And when a man wanted to hear some of what the Messenger of Allah recited while he was praying, he would eavesdrop secretly away from them, fearing them. If he saw that they had realized he was listening, he would go away fearing their harm and would not listen. And if the Messenger of Allah (ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam) lowered his voice, those who were listening would not hear anything of his recitation. So Allah the Exalted revealed: 'Do not be loud in your prayer,' lest they disperse from you, 'nor be silent in it,' so that those who wish to hear it from among those who eavesdrop may not hear it, perhaps they might be deterred by some of what they hear and benefit from it, 'but seek a way between that.'" Here ends the first part of the Prophetic Biography of Ibn Kathīr, and the second part follows, beginning with the chapter on the Migration to Abyssinia.

1. al-ibrad : Praying in the shade or during cooler parts of the day, especially for the noon prayer.
2. mubasharat al-musalli bi al-kaff : The worshipper's direct contact of the palm with the ground during prostration, without a barrier.
3. rajaz : A meter of Arabic poetry, often used for short, rhythmic verses.
4. qasid : A form of Arabic ode or long poem.
5. yu'thiru : Transmitted or narrated; here implying sorcery learned from others.
6. Surah al-Muddaththir : Qur'an 74:11-14, referring to al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah.
7. mursal : A hadith where the Companion's name is omitted from the chain of narration.
8. Surah al-Nahl : Qur'an 16:90.
9. al-mawsim : The pilgrimage season or a market fair held during that time.
10. hazaj : A meter of Arabic poetry, characterized by a specific rhythmic pattern.
11. qarid : A type of Arabic poetry, often synonymous with qasid.
12. maqbud : A poetic meter with a contracted foot.
13. mabsut : A poetic meter with an extended foot.
14. lidhaq : A fruitful palm tree; metaphor for the Qur'an's beneficial origin.
15. janan : Ripe fruit; metaphor for the Qur'an's beneficial outcome.
16. Surah al-Muddaththir : Qur'an 74:11-14.
17. Surah al-Hijr : Qur'an 15:92-93.
18. Surah al-Anbiya' : Qur'an 21:5.
19. Surah al-Isra' : Qur'an 17:48.
20. sakhlah : A young lamb or goat; used metaphorically for a person bringing misfortune.
21. sayhat al-hubla : The sudden scream of a pregnant woman; metaphor for an imminent calamity.
22. Surah Fussilat : Qur'an 41:1-3, 13.
23. alladhi nasabaha baniyya : An oath by Allah who set up the heavens as a structure.
24. صاعقة : A thunderbolt or a destructive punishment from heaven, often used in the Quran to describe divine retribution.
25. عتبة بن ربيعة : Utba ibn Rabi'a, a prominent leader of the Quraysh tribe in pre-Islamic Mecca, known for his wisdom and eloquence.
26. حم : Ha Meem, the opening letters of Surah Fussilat (Chapter 41) and other Quranic chapters, considered among the 'mysterious letters' (al-huruf al-muqatta'at) whose meaning is known only to Allah.
27. أبو الوليد : Abu al-Walid, the kunya (patronymic) of 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, meaning 'father of al-Walid'.
28. حمزة : Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, known for his strength and early conversion to Islam.
29. رئي : A spirit or jinn that is believed to inspire or possess a person, often used in pre-Islamic Arabia to explain poetic inspiration or madness.
30. تابع : A familiar spirit or companion jinn, believed to accompany and influence a person, sometimes causing madness or inspiration.
31. أبو طالب : Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle and protector of the Prophet Muhammad, who supported him but did not convert to Islam.
32. ابن عمر : Abdullah ibn Umar, a prominent companion of the Prophet and narrator of many hadiths.
33. الزهري : Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, a renowned early Muslim historian and hadith scholar.
34. أبو سفيان : Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, a leading figure of the Quraysh who initially opposed Islam but later converted after the conquest of Mecca.
35. الأخنس بن شريق : Al-Akhnas ibn Shariq, a Quraysh leader who was known for his hostility to Islam before eventually converting.

Chapter on the emigration of those who emigrated from among the Companions of the…

Chapter on the emigration of those who emigrated from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from Mecca to the land of Abyssinia [1].

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Chapter on the emigration of those who emigrated from among the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from Mecca to the land of Abyssinia, fleeing with their religion from persecution. The mention of the harm inflicted by the polytheists upon the weak among the believers has preceded, and how they treated them with severe beating and extreme humiliation. And Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, had protected them from His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and prevented him through his uncle Abu Talib, as has been detailed previously. To Allah be praise and gratitude. Al-Waqidi narrated that their departure to it was in Rajab of the fifth year of the Prophethood, and that the first to emigrate among them were eleven men and four women, and that they reached the sea, some walking and some riding, and they hired a ship for half a dinar to Abyssinia. They were: 'Uthman ibn 'Affan and his wife Ruqayyah bint the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; Abu Hudhayfah ibn 'Utbah and his wife Sahlah bint Suhayl; al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam; Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr; 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf; Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Asad and his wife Umm Salamah bint Abi Umayyah; 'Uthman ibn Maz'un; 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah al-'Anzi and his wife Layla bint Abi Hathmah; Abu Sabrah ibn Abi Ruhm; Hatib ibn 'Amr; Suhayl ibn Bayda'; and 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud. May Allah be pleased with them all. Ibn Jarir said: Others said: Rather, they were eighty-two men, besides their women and children, and 'Ammar ibn Yasir—we are uncertain; if he was among them, then they were eighty-three men. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw what his companions were suffering from tribulation, and what he himself was in of safety due to his position with Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and with his uncle Abu Talib, and that he could not protect them from the tribulation they were in, he said to them: "If you were to go out to the land of Abyssinia, for there is a king with 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 point the Muslims from among the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out to the land of Abyssinia, fearing persecution and fleeing to Allah with their religion. That was the first emigration in Islam. The first to go out among the Muslims were 'Uthman ibn 'Affan and his wife Ruqayyah bint the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Similarly, al-Bayhaqi narrated from the hadith of Ya'qub ibn Sufyan, from 'Abbas al-'Anbari, from Bishr ibn Musa, from al-Hasan ibn Ziyad al-Burjumi, who narrated from Qatadah, who said: The first to emigrate to Allah, the Exalted, with his family was 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, may Allah be pleased with him. I heard al-Nadr ibn Anas say: I heard Abu Hamzah, meaning Anas ibn Malik, say: 'Uthman ibn 'Affan went out with his wife Ruqayyah bint the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to the land of Abyssinia, and news of them was delayed from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Then a woman from Quraysh came and said: "O Muhammad, I have seen your son-in-law ¹ with his wife." He said: "In what state did you see them?" She said: "I saw him carrying his wife on a donkey from these Dababah ², driving it." So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "May Allah accompany them! Indeed, 'Uthman is the first to emigrate with his family after Lot, peace be upon him." Ibn Ishaq said: And Abu Hudhayfah ibn 'Utbah and his wife Sahlah bint Suhayl ibn 'Amr, and she gave birth to Muhammad ibn Abi Hudhayfah in Abyssinia. And al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam, Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Asad and his wife Umm Salamah bint Abi Umayyah ibn al-Mughirah, and she gave birth to Zaynab there. And 'Uthman ibn Maz'un, 'Amir ibn Rabi'ah, the ally of the family of al-Khattab—he was from Banu 'Anz ibn Wa'il—and his wife Layla bint Abi Hathmah, and Abu Sabrah ibn Abi Ruhm al-'Amiri and his wife Umm Kulthum bint Suhayl ibn 'Amr. And it is said: Abu Hatib ibn 'Amr ibn 'Abd Shams ibn 'Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir, and he was the first to arrive there, it is said. And Suhayl ibn Bayda'. 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 some scholars. Ibn Ishaq said: Then Ja'far ibn Abi Talib went out with his wife Asma' bint 'Umays, and she gave birth to 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far there. And the Muslims followed one after another until they gathered in the land of Abyssinia. Musa ibn 'Uqbah claimed that the first emigration to Abyssinia occurred when Abu Talib and his allies entered the mountain pass ³ with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. There is some consideration in this. And Allah knows best. He claimed that Ja'far ibn Abi Talib's departure was only in the second emigration to it, after the return of some of those who had gone out first, when they heard that the polytheists had become Muslim and prayed. When they arrived in Mecca—and among those who returned was 'Uthman ibn Maz'un—they did not find the news they had been told about the polytheists' Islam to be true. So some of them returned, others stayed in Mecca, and still others went out to the land of Abyssinia, which was the second emigration, as will be explained later. Musa ibn 'Uqbah said: Ja'far ibn Abi Talib was among those who went out the second time. What Ibn Ishaq mentioned about his going out in the first group is more apparent, as will be explained later. And Allah knows best. However, he was in a second group of emigrants initially, and he was the one placed in charge of them and their spokesman before the Negus ⁴ and others, as we will present in detail. Then Ibn Ishaq listed those who went out with Ja'far, may Allah be pleased with them. They were: 'Amr ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As and his wife Fatimah bint Safwan ibn Umayyah ibn Muharrith ibn Shaqq al-Kinani; his brother Khalid and his wife Aminah bint Khalaf ibn As'ad al-Khuza'i, and she gave birth to Sa'id and Amah, whom al-Zubayr later married and she gave birth to 'Amr and Khalid. He said: And 'Abdullah ibn Jahsh ibn Ri'ab and his brother 'Ubaydullah, with his wife Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan; Qays ibn 'Abdullah from Banu Asad ibn Khuzaymah and his wife Barakah bint Yasar, the freedwoman of Abi Sufyan; Mu'ayqib ibn Abi Fatimah, who was a freedman of Sa'id ibn al-'As—Ibn Hisham said: He was from Daws; he said: And Abu Musa al-Ash'ari ⁵ 'Abdullah ibn Qays, the ally of the family of 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah—we will discuss this with him; 'Utbah ibn Ghazwan; Yazid ibn Zam'ah ibn al-Aswad; 'Amr ibn Umayyah ibn al-Harith ibn Asad; Tulayb ibn 'Umayr ibn Wahb ibn Abi Kathir ⁶ ibn 'Abd; Suwaybit ibn Sa'd ibn Harmalah ⁷; Jahm ibn Qays al-'Abdi and his wife Umm Harmalah bint 'Abd al-Aswad ibn Khuzaymah and his two sons 'Amr ibn Jahm and Khuzaymah ibn Jahm; Abu al-Rum ibn 'Umayr ibn Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn 'Abd al-Dar; Firas ibn al-Nadr ibn al-Harith ibn Kaladah; 'Amir ibn Abi Waqqas, the brother of Sa'd; al-Muttalib ibn Azhar ibn 'Abd 'Awf al-Zuhri and his wife Ramlah bint Abi 'Awf ibn Dubayrah, and she gave birth to 'Abdullah there; 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and his brother 'Utbah; al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad; al-Harith ibn Khalid ibn Sakhr al-Taymi and his wife Raytah bint al-Harith ibn Jubaylah ⁸, and she gave birth to Musa, 'A'ishah, Zaynab, and Fatimah there.

And 'Amr ibn 'Uthman ibn 'Amr ibn Ka'b ibn Sa'd ibn Taym ibn Murra, and Shammas ibn 'Uthman ibn al-Sharid al-Makhzumi. He said: He was only called Shammas because of his beauty, and his original name was 'Uthman ibn 'Uthman. And Hubbar ibn Sufyan ibn 'Abd al-Asad al-Makhzumi, and his brother 'Abdullah, and Hisham ibn Abi Hudhayfa ibn al-Mughira ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Makhzum, and Salama ibn Hisham ibn al-Mughira, and 'Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'a ibn al-Mughira, and Mu'attib ibn 'Awf ibn 'Amir, and he is called 'Ayhama, and he is from the allies of Banu Makhzum. He said: And Qudama and 'Abdullah, the brothers of 'Uthman ibn Maz'un, and al-Sa'ib ibn 'Uthman ibn Maz'un, and Hatib ibn al-Harith ibn Ma'mar, with his wife Fatima bint al-Mujallil, and his two sons from her, Muhammad and al-Harith, and his brother Khattab, and his wife Fukayha bint Yasar, and Sufyan ibn Ma'mar ibn Habib, and his wife Hasana and his two sons from her, Jabir and Junada, and her son from another, who is Shurahbil ibn 'Abdullah, one of al-Ghawth ibn Muzahim ibn Tamim, and he is the one called Shurahbil ibn Hasana. And 'Uthman ibn Rabi'a ibn Ahban ibn Wahb ibn Hudhayfa ibn Jumah, and Khunays ibn Hudhayfa ibn Qays ibn 'Adi, and 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn Qays ibn 'Adi ibn Sa'id ibn Sahm, and Hisham ibn al-'As ibn Wa'il ibn Sa'id, and Qays ibn Hudhayfa ibn Qays ibn 'Adi, and his brother 'Abdullah. And Abu Qays ibn al-Harith ibn Qays ibn 'Adi, and his brothers: al-Harith, Ma'mar, al-Sa'ib, Bishr, and Sa'id, the sons of al-Harith, and [the brother of] Sa'id ibn Qays ibn 'Adi from his mother, and he is Sa'id ibn 'Amr al-Tamimi. And 'Umayr ibn Ri'ab ibn Hudhayfa ibn Muhashshim ibn Sa'id ibn Sahm, and an ally of Banu Sahm, and he is Mahmiya ibn Juz' al-Zubaydi, and Ma'mar ibn 'Abdullah al-'Adawi, and 'Urwa ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, and 'Adi ibn Nadla ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza, and his son al-Nu'man, and 'Abdullah ibn Mukhrama al-'Amiri, and 'Abdullah ibn Suhayl ibn 'Amr, and Salit ibn 'Amr, and his brother al-Sakran, with his wife Sawda bint Zam'a, and Malik ibn Rabi'a, and his wife 'Amra bint al-Sa'di, and Abu Hatib ibn 'Amr al-'Amiri, and their ally Sa'd ibn Khawla, and he is from Yemen. And Abu 'Ubayda 'Amir ibn 'Abdullah ibn al-Jarrah al-Fihri, and Suhayl ibn Bayda', and she is his mother, and her name is Da'd bint Jahdam ibn Umayya ibn Zarib ibn al-Harith ibn Fihr, and he is Suhayl ibn Wahb ibn Rabi'a ibn Hilal [ibn Uhayb] ibn Dabba, and 'Amr ibn Abi Sarh ibn Rabi'a ibn Hilal [ibn Uhayb] ibn Malik ibn Dabba ibn al-Harith, and 'Iyad ibn Zuhayr ibn Abi Shaddad ibn Rabi'a ibn Hilal ibn Malik ibn Dabba, and 'Amr ibn al-Harith ibn Zuhayr ibn Abi Shaddad ibn Rabi'a, and 'Uthman ibn 'Abd Ghanm ibn Zuhayr, two brothers, and Sa'id ibn 'Abd Qays ibn Laqit, and his brother al-Harith, the Fihris. Ibn Ishaq said: The total number of Muslims who reached the land of Abyssinia and emigrated there, apart from their children whom they took out as infants or who were born there, was eighty-three men, if 'Ammar ibn Yasir was among them, and there is doubt about him. I say: Ibn Ishaq's mention of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari among those who emigrated from Mecca to the land of Abyssinia is very strange. Imam Ahmad said: Hasan ibn Musa narrated to us, I heard Hudayj, the brother of Zuhayr ibn Mu'awiya, from Abu Ishaq, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Utba, from Ibn Mas'ud, who said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, sent us to the Negus, and we were about eighty men, among them 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Ja'far, 'Abdullah ibn 'Urfuta, 'Uthman ibn Maz'un, and Abu Musa. So they came to the Negus. And Quraysh sent 'Amr ibn al-'As and 'Umara ibn al-Walid with a gift. When they entered upon the Negus, they prostrated to him, then they rushed to him from his right and left, then they said to him: Some people from our tribe have settled in your land and have turned away from our religion. He said: Where are they? They said: In your land, so send for them. So he sent for them. Ja'far said: I will be your speaker today. So they followed him. He greeted but did not prostrate. They said to him: Why do you not prostrate to the king? He said: We only prostrate to God Almighty. He said: And what is that? He said: God sent a messenger to us, then He commanded us not to prostrate to anyone except God Almighty, and He commanded us to pray and give alms. 'Amr said: They differ with you concerning Jesus son of Mary. He said: What do you say about Jesus son of Mary and his mother? He said: We say as God said: He is His word and His spirit, which He cast into the virgin, the pure one, whom no man has touched and no child has fathered. He said: Then he raised a stick from the ground and said: O company of Abyssinians, priests, and monks, by God, they do not add to what we say about him anything beyond this. Welcome to you and to the one from whom you have come. I bear witness that he is the Messenger of God and that he is the one we find in the Gospel, and that he is the messenger whom Jesus son of Mary gave glad tidings of. Settle wherever you wish. By God, were it not for the kingship I am in, I would go to him so that I would be the one to carry his sandals! And he ordered the gift of the other two to be returned to them. Then 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud hurried until he reached Badr. And he claimed that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, asked forgiveness for him when his death reached him. This is a good, strong chain and a good narrative, and it contains what indicates that Abu Musa was among those who emigrated from Mecca to the land of Abyssinia, unless it is interpolated from some narrators. And God knows best. And it has been narrated from Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i from another chain. Al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym said in al-Dala'il: Sulayman ibn Ahmad narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Zakariyya al-Ghalabi narrated to us, 'Abdullah ibn Raja' narrated to us, Isra'il narrated to us. And Sulayman ibn Ahmad narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Zakariyya narrated to us, al-Hasan ibn 'Alawayh al-Qattan narrated to us, 'Abbad ibn Musa al-Khuttali narrated to us, Isma'il ibn Ja'far narrated to us, Isra'il narrated to us. And Abu Ahmad narrated to us, 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Shurayh narrated to us, Ishaq ibn Ibrahim, i.e. Ibn Rahawayh, narrated to us, 'Ubaydullah ibn Musa narrated to us, Isra'il narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, from Abu Burda, from Abu Musa, who said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, commanded us to go with Ja'far ibn Abi Talib to the land of the Negus. Quraysh learned of that, so they sent 'Amr ibn al-'As and 'Umara ibn al-Walid, and they collected a gift for the Negus. They came to the Negus and brought him the gift, and he accepted it, and they prostrated to him. Then 'Amr ibn al-'As said: Some people from our land have turned away from our religion, and they are in your land. The Negus said to them: In my land? They said: Yes. So he sent for us. Ja'far said to us: Let none of you speak; I am your speaker today. So we came to the Negus while he was sitting in his assembly, with 'Amr ibn al-'As on his right and 'Umara on his left, and the priests sitting in two rows. 'Amr and 'Umara had said to him: They do not prostrate to you. When we arrived, those of the priests and monks who were with him rushed to us: Prostrate to the king. Ja'far said: We only prostrate to God Almighty. When we reached the Negus, he said: What prevented you from prostrating? He said: We only prostrate to God. The Negus said to him: And what is that? He said: God sent a messenger among us, and he is the messenger whom Jesus son of Mary gave glad tidings of.

Peace and blessings be upon him, his name is Ahmad. He commanded us to worship Allah and not associate anything with Him, to establish prayer, to give zakah, to enjoin good, and to forbid evil. The Negus was impressed by his words. When Amr ibn al-As saw that, he said: "May Allah rectify the king, they contradict you regarding Jesus son of Mary." The Negus said to Ja'far: "What does your companion say about the son of Mary?" He said: "He says about him what Allah says: he is the Spirit of Allah and His Word, brought forth from the pure virgin who was not touched by any man nor had any child." The Negus took a twig from the ground and raised it, saying: "O assembly of priests and monks! They do not exceed what we say about the son of Mary by even the weight of this twig. Welcome to you and to the one from whom you have come. I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah and that he is the one whom Jesus gave glad tidings of. Were it not for the kingship I am in, I would go to him until I kiss his sandals. Stay in my land as long as you wish." He ordered food and clothing for us, and said: "Return their gift to these two." Amr ibn al-As was a short man, and Umara was a handsome man. They had come by sea and drank, and with Amr was his wife. When they drank, Umara said to Amr: "Order your wife to kiss me." Amr said: "Do you not feel shame?" So Umara took Amr and threw him into the sea. Amr kept imploring Umara until he brought him back onto the ship. Thus Amr bore a grudge against him. So Amr said to the Negus: "When you go out, Umara will take your place with your family." The Negus summoned Umara and blew into his nostril, and he flew away with the wild beasts ⁹. This is how al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi narrated it in al-Dala'il from the chain of Abu Ali al-Hasan ibn Sallam al-Sawwaq, from Ubaydullah ibn Musa, and he mentioned with his chain similar to it, up to his saying: "He ordered food and clothing for us." He said: "This chain is authentic, and its apparent meaning indicates that Abu Musa was in Mecca and that he left with Ja'far ibn Abi Talib to the land of Abyssinia." The correct version from Yazid ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Burda, from his grandfather Abu Burda, from Abu Musa, is that they heard of the Messenger of Allah's emigration while they were in Yemen, so they set out as emigrants, about fifty men in a ship. Their ship cast them to the Negus in Abyssinia, and they met Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and his companions there. Ja'far ordered them to stay, so they stayed with him until they came to the Messenger of Allah at the time of Khaybar. He said: "Abu Musa witnessed what transpired between Ja'far and the Negus and reported it." He said: "Perhaps the narrator made a mistake in his saying: 'The Messenger of Allah commanded us to go.' And Allah knows best." * * * Al-Bukhari narrated similarly in the chapter on the migration to Abyssinia: Muhammad ibn al-Ala narrated to us, Abu Usama narrated to us, Burayd ¹⁰ ibn Abdullah narrated to us, from Abu Burda, from Abu Musa, who said: "We heard of the Prophet's emigration while we were in Yemen, so we boarded a ship. Our ship cast us to the Negus in Abyssinia, and we met Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him. We stayed with him until we arrived and met the Prophet when he had conquered Khaybar. The Prophet said: 'For you, the people of the ship, there are two migrations.'" Muslim narrated it similarly from Abu Kurayb and Abu Amir Abdullah ibn Barrad ¹¹, both from Abu Usama with it. They also narrated it in other places in a longer form. And Allah knows best. * * * As for the story of Ja'far with the Negus, al-Hafiz ibn Asakir narrated it in his biography of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib in his History, from his own narration and from the narration of Amr ibn al-As, and through them the account took place, and from the narration of Ibn Mas'ud as previously mentioned, and Umm Salama as will come. As for the narration of Ja'far, it is very rare. Ibn Asakir narrated it from Abu al-Qasim al-Samarqandi, from Abu al-Husayn ibn al-Naqqur, from Abu Tahir al-Mukhlis, from Abu al-Qasim ibn al-Baghawi, who said: Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Ju'fi narrated to us, from Abdullah ibn Umar ibn Aban, Asad ibn Amr al-Bajali narrated to us, from Mujalid ibn Sa'id, from al-Sha'bi, from Abdullah ibn Ja'far, from his father, who said: "Quraysh sent Amr ibn al-As and Umara ibn al-Walid with a gift from Abu Sufyan to the Negus. They said to him, while we were with him: 'Some of our lowly and foolish people have come to you, so hand them over to us.' He said: 'No, until I hear their speech.' He sent for us and said: 'What do these people say?' We said: 'These are people who worship idols, but Allah sent a messenger to us, and we believed in him and affirmed him.' The Negus said to them: 'Are they your slaves?' They said: 'No.' He said: 'Do you have a debt against them?' They said: 'No.' He said: 'Then let them go.' We left his presence, and Amr ibn al-As said: 'These people say about Jesus something other than what you say.' He said: 'If they do not say about Jesus what I say, I will not let them stay in my land for an hour of the day.' So he sent for us, and the second summons was harder on us than the first. He said: 'What does your companion say about Jesus son of Mary?' We said: 'He says: He is the Spirit of Allah and His Word, cast to a pure virgin.' He sent and said: 'Summon for me so-and-so the priest and so-and-so the monk.' Some of them came to him. He said: 'What do you say about Jesus son of Mary?' They said: 'You are the most knowledgeable among us, so what do you say?' The Negus said, taking something from the ground: 'Jesus does not exceed what these say by this much.' Then he said: 'Does anyone harm you?' We said: 'Yes.' So a herald proclaimed: 'Whoever harms any of them, fine him four dirhams.' Then he said: 'Is that sufficient for you?' We said: 'No.' So he doubled it. When the Messenger of Allah emigrated to Medina and became prominent there, we said to him: 'The Messenger of Allah has become prominent and has emigrated to Medina, and he killed those we told you about. We wish to travel to him.' He said: 'Yes.' So he carried us and provided us with provisions. Then he said: 'Inform your companion of what I have done for you. This is my companion with you. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that he is the Messenger of Allah. Tell him to ask forgiveness for me.' Ja'far said: 'We left until we came to Medina. The Messenger of Allah met me and embraced me, then said: 'I do not know whether I am happier about the conquest of Khaybar or about the arrival of Ja'far!' And that coincided with the conquest of Khaybar. Then he sat down. The messenger of the Negus said: 'This is Ja'far, ask him what our companion did for him.' He said: 'Yes, he did such and such for us, carried us, provided us, and bore witness that there is no god but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah. He said to me: Tell him to ask forgiveness for me.' The Messenger of Allah stood up, performed ablution, then supplicated three times: 'O Allah, forgive the Negus.' The Muslims said: 'Amin.' Then Ja'far said: 'I said to the messenger: Go and inform your companion of what you have seen from the Messenger of Allah.' Then Ibn Asakir said: 'Hasan gharib.'

As for the narration of Umm Salamah, Yunus ibn Bukayr said, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ishaq: al-Zuhri narrated to me, on the authority of Abu Bakr ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Harith ibn Hisham, on the authority of Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: When Mecca became constricted and the companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, were harmed and persecuted, and they saw the affliction and trial ¹² that befell them in their religion, and that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, could not repel that from them—while the Messenger of Allah was in a position of protection from his people and his uncle, and nothing of what his companions suffered reached him—the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to them: "There is a king in the land of Abyssinia under whom no one is wronged. So go to his land until Allah grants you relief and a way out from what you are in." So we set out to it in groups until we gathered there, and we settled in the best of abodes with the best of neighbors, secure in our religion, and we feared no injustice there. When Quraysh saw that we had found a home and security, they were enraged at us. They agreed to send to the Negus ¹³ concerning us, to expel us from his land and return us to them. So they sent Amr ibn al-As and Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'ah, and they collected gifts for him and for his patriarchs ¹⁴. They did not leave any man among them without preparing a separate gift for him. They said to the two: "Give each patriarch his gift before you speak about them, then give him his gifts. If you can have him return them to you before he speaks to them, do so." So they came to him, and they did not leave any patriarch among his patriarchs without presenting his gift to him. They spoke to him, saying: "We have come to this king concerning our foolish ones who have separated from their people in their religion and have not entered your religion. Their people have sent us so that the king may return them to them. So when we speak to him, advise him to do so." They said: "We will do so." Then they presented their gifts to the Negus. Among the most beloved things they would gift him from Mecca was leather ¹⁵. Musa ibn Uqbah mentioned that they gifted him a horse and a silk robe. When they brought their gifts to him, they said: "O king, some foolish youths from us have separated from the religion of their people and have not entered your religion. They have come with an invented religion that we do not know. They have sought refuge in your land. Their families—their fathers, uncles, and people—have sent us to you concerning them, so that you may return them to them. For they are more knowledgeable about them. Indeed, they will not enter your religion, so you would not protect them for that reason." He became angry and said: "No, by Allah! I will not return them until I summon them and speak to them and see what their matter is. A people who have sought refuge in my land and chosen my protection over the protection of others. If they are as you say, I will return them to you. But if they are otherwise, I will protect them and not come between them and you, and I will not grant you that favor." Musa ibn Uqbah mentioned that his commanders advised him to return them to them, but he said: "No, by Allah, until I hear their speech and know what they are upon." When they entered upon him, they greeted ¹⁶ but did not prostrate to him. He said: "O company, will you not tell me why you do not greet me as those who come to me from your people greet me? Inform me: what do you say about Jesus, and what is your religion? Are you Christians?" They said: "No." He said: "Are you Jews?" They said: "No." He said: "Are you upon the religion of your people?" They said: "No." He said: "Then what is your religion?" They said: "Islam." He said: "And what is Islam?" They said: "We worship Allah, associating nothing with Him." He said: "Who brought this to you?" They said: "A man from among ourselves brought it to us. We know his face and lineage. Allah sent him to us as He sent messengers to those before us. He commanded us to do good, give charity, fulfill trusts, and forbade us from worshipping idols. He commanded us to worship Allah alone, with no partner. So we believed him, recognized the speech of Allah, and knew that what he brought was from Allah. When we did that, our people became hostile to us and to the truthful Prophet, denied him, sought to kill him, and tried to force us to worship idols. So we fled to you with our religion and our lives from our people." He said: "By Allah, this is from the niche ¹⁷ from which the matter of Moses came forth." Ja'far said: "As for the greeting, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, informed us that the greeting of the people of Paradise is 'peace,' and he commanded us with that, so we greeted you with that by which we greet one another. As for Jesus son of Mary, he is the servant of Allah, His messenger, His word which He cast to Mary, and a spirit from Him, and the son of the pure virgin." So he took a stick and said: "By Allah, the son of Mary does not exceed this stick in weight." The nobles of Abyssinia said: "By Allah, if Abyssinia hears this, they will depose you." He said: "By Allah, I will never say anything other than this about Jesus. Allah did not obey the people concerning me when He restored my kingdom to me, so should I obey the people concerning the religion of Allah? Allah forbid that!" Yunus said, on the authority of Ibn Ishaq: The Negus sent for them and gathered them. Nothing was more hateful to Amr ibn al-As and Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'ah than to hear their speech. When the messenger of the Negus came to them, the people gathered and said: "What will you say?" They said: "What will we say? By Allah, we will say what we know and what we are upon concerning our religion, and what our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought, whatever may come of it." When they entered upon him, the one who spoke to him among them was Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him. The Negus said to him: "What is this religion that you are upon? You have separated from the religion of your people and have not entered Judaism or Christianity." Ja'far said to him: "O king, we were a people upon polytheism, worshipping idols, eating carrion, and treating neighbors badly. We would make lawful what was forbidden among ourselves in terms of bloodshed and other things. We did not deem anything lawful or unlawful. Then Allah sent to us a prophet from among ourselves, whose faithfulness, truthfulness, and trustworthiness we knew. He called us to worship Allah alone, with no partner, to maintain family ties, protect neighbors, pray to Allah Almighty, fast for Him, and not worship other than Him." Ziyad ¹⁸ said, on the authority of Ibn Ishaq: "He called us to Allah to affirm His oneness and worship Him, and to abandon what we and our fathers used to worship besides Him—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 immoral acts, false speech, consuming the wealth of orphans, and slandering chaste women. He commanded us to worship Allah and not associate anything with Him. He commanded us to pray, give alms, and fast." He said: So he enumerated ¹⁹ to him the matters of Islam. "We believed him, had faith in him, and followed him in what he brought from Allah. So we worshipped Allah alone, with no partner, and did not associate anything with Him. We made unlawful what He made unlawful for us and lawful what He made lawful for us. Then our people turned against us, torturing us to turn us away from our religion and return us to the worship of idols instead of the worship of Allah, and to make lawful what we used to consider lawful of abominations. When they overpowered us, wronged us, constrained us, and came between us and our religion, we left for your land, chose you over others, desired your protection, and hoped not to be wronged under you, O king." She said: The Negus said: "Do you have anything of what he brought?" So he recited to him the beginning of 'Kaf, Ha, Ya, 'Ayn, Sad' ²⁰. By Allah, the Negus wept until his beard became wet, and his bishops wept until they wet their scriptures.

Then he said: "Indeed, this speech emerges from the niche (al-mishkāh) which Moses brought. Go forth, guided aright. No, by Allah, I will not return them to you, nor will I grant you a single eye's pleasure." So we departed from his presence. The more forbearing of the two men among us was Abdullah ibn Rabīʿah. Then ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ said: "By Allah, I will go to him tomorrow with what will uproot their greenness (i.e., destroy them utterly), and I will inform him that they claim that the God they worship—Jesus son of Mary—is a servant!" Abdullah ibn Rabīʿah said to him: "Do not do so, for even though they have opposed us, they have kinship (raḥim) and they have a right (ḥaqq)." He said: "By Allah, I will do it." When the next day came, he entered upon him and said: "O King, they say a tremendous thing about Jesus. Send for them and ask them about it." So he sent for them—by Allah, and nothing like this had befallen us. Some of us said to others: "What will you say to him about Jesus if he asks you about him?" They said: "We will say, by Allah, what Allah has said about him, and what our Prophet commanded us to say about him." So they entered upon him, and his patriarchs (baṭāriqatuhu) were with him. He said: "What do you say about Jesus son of Mary?" Jaʿfar said to him: "We say: He is the servant of Allah (ʿabd Allāh), His messenger (rasūluhu), His spirit (rūḥuhu), and His word (kalimatuhu), which He cast into Mary, the virgin, the chaste (al-ʿadhrāʾ al-batūl)." Then the Negus (al-Najāshī) lowered his hand to the ground, took a twig between his two fingers, and said: "Jesus son of Mary does not exceed what you have said by the measure of this twig." Then his patriarchs snorted (fa-tanākharat baṭāriqatuhu). He said: "Even if you snort, by Allah! Go, for you are shayūm (secure) in the land. (Al-shayūm: those who are secure in the land.) Whoever insults you must pay a fine (gharima). Whoever insults you must pay a fine. Whoever insults you must pay a fine"—three times. "I would not love that I have a dibr (mountain of gold) and that I have harmed a man among you." (Al-dibr in their language: gold.) Ziyād reported from Ibn Isḥāq: "I would not love that I have a dibr of gold." Ibn Hishām said: "It is also said: zibrā, which is the mountain in their language." Then the Negus said: "By Allah, Allah did not take a bribe (al-rishwah) from me when He restored my kingdom to me, nor did the people obey me so that I should obey the people in this. Return their gifts to them both, for I have no need of them. And depart from my land." So they both left, disgraced (maqbūḥayn), with what they had brought returned to them. * * * She (Umm Salamah) said: "So we stayed with the best of neighbors in the best of abodes." It was not long before a man of the Abyssinians rose against him, contending for his kingdom. By Allah, we never knew a grief (ḥuzn) more severe than that, out of fear that that king would prevail over him, and a king would come who did not recognize our right as he had known it. So we began to supplicate Allah and seek His victory for the Negus. He went out marching against him. The companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to one another: "Who will go out to witness the battle (al-waqīʿah) so that he may see on whose side victory lies?" Al-Zubayr—who was the youngest among them—said: "I will." They inflated a waterskin for him, which he placed on his chest, and he began swimming on it in the Nile until he emerged on its other side to where the people had gathered. He witnessed the battle. Allah defeated that king, killed him, and the Negus prevailed over him. Al-Zubayr came to us, waving his cloak, and said: "Rejoice! For Allah has granted victory to the Negus." She said: "By Allah, we never knew ourselves to rejoice at anything as we rejoiced at the Negus's victory. Then we stayed with him until those of us who were to leave for Mecca left, and those who were to stay stayed." * * * Al-Zuhrī said: "I narrated this ḥadīth to ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr from Umm Salamah." ʿUrwah said: "Do you know what his saying means: 'Allah did not take a bribe from me when He restored my kingdom to me, so that I should take a bribe in this, nor did the people obey me so that I should obey the people in this'?" I said: "No; Abū Bakr ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Hishām did not narrate that to me from Umm Salamah." ʿUrwah said: "Indeed, ʿĀʾishah narrated to me that his father was the king of his people. He had a brother who had twelve sons from his loins, while the Negus's father had no child other than the Negus. The Abyssinians deliberated among themselves and said: 'If we kill the Negus's father and make his brother king—for he has twelve sons from his loins who will inherit the kingdom—the Abyssinians will remain under them for a long time without discord among themselves.' So they attacked him, killed him, and made his brother king. The Negus entered into his uncle's service until he gained influence over him, so that no one else managed his affairs. He was an intelligent and resolute man. When the Abyssinians saw his position with his uncle, they said: 'This youth has gained control over his uncle's affairs. We are not safe from his being made king over us, and he knows that we killed his father. If he does so, he will leave no nobleman among us without killing him. Speak to him about it—let him kill him or expel him from our land.' So they went to his uncle and said: 'We have seen this youth's position with you. You know that we killed his father and placed you in his stead. We are not safe from his being made king over us and killing us. Either kill him or expel him from our land.' He said: 'Woe to you! You killed his father yesterday, and I should kill him today? Rather, I will expel him from your land.' So they took him out, stood him in the market, and sold him to a merchant among the merchants, who cast him into a ship for six hundred dirhams or seven hundred, and he departed with him. In the evening, a cloud from the autumn clouds arose. His uncle went out to seek rain beneath it, and a thunderbolt struck and killed him. They rushed to his sons, and behold, they were foolish (muḥmiqūn), with no good in any of them. The Abyssinians' affairs fell into confusion (maraja). Some of them said to others: 'By Allah, you know that your king, who alone can set your affairs right, is the one you sold this morning. If you have any concern for the Abyssinians' affairs, catch him before he goes.' So they went out in pursuit, caught him, brought him back, placed his crown upon him, seated him on his throne, and made him king. The merchant said: 'Return my money to me, just as you took my slave from me.' They said: 'We will not give it to you.' He said: 'Then, by Allah, I will speak to him.' He went to him and spoke to him, saying: 'O King, I bought a slave. Those who sold him took the price from me. Then they seized my slave from my hand and did not return my money to me.' The first thing that became known of the firmness of his judgment and his justice was that he said: 'You must return his money to him, or you must place his slave's hand in his hand so that he may take him wherever he wishes.' They said: 'Rather, we will give him his money.' So they gave it to him. That is why he says: 'Allah did not take a bribe from me so that I should take a bribe when He restored my kingdom to me, nor did the people obey me so that I should obey the people in this.'" * * * Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah said: "The Negus's father was the king of Abyssinia. He died while the Negus was a young boy. He entrusted (awṣā) his brother: 'The kingship of your people is yours until my son reaches maturity. When he matures, the kingship is his.' His brother coveted the kingship and sold the Negus to one of the merchants. His uncle died that very night and perished (qaḍā). So the Abyssinians brought back the Negus until they placed the crown on his head." Thus he mentioned it briefly. The account of Ibn Isḥāq is better and more detailed. And Allah knows best. * * * What occurs in the account of Ibn Isḥāq is only the mention of ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ and ʿAbdullah ibn Abī Rabīʿah. What Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah, al-Umawī, and others mentioned is that they were ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ and ʿUmārah ibn al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah. He was one of the seven upon whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) invoked (daʿā) when they laughed together on the day they placed the entrails of a camel (salā al-jazūr) on his back (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was prostrating near the Kaʿbah. And thus it was mentioned previously in the ḥadīth of Ibn Masʿūd and Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī.

The point is that when they left Mecca, 'Amr's wife was with him, and 'Umarah was a handsome young man. They accompanied each other on the ship, and 'Umarah coveted the wife of 'Amr ibn al-'As, so he threw 'Amr into the sea to kill him. But 'Amr swam until he returned to her, and 'Umarah said to him: "Had I known you could swim, I would not have thrown you." So 'Amr bore a grudge against him. When they failed to achieve their goal with the emigrants from the Negus ²¹, and 'Umarah had gained access to some of the Negus's people, 'Amr slandered him, so the Negus ordered that he be bewitched until he lost his mind and wandered in the wilderness with the wild beasts. Al-Umawi ²² mentioned his story at great length, and that he lived until the time of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab's caliphate, and that some Companions sought him out and seized him, and he kept saying: "Let me go, let me go, or I will die." When they did not release him, he died instantly. God knows best. It is said that Quraysh sent to the Negus concerning the emigrants twice: first with 'Amr ibn al-'As and 'Umarah, and second with 'Amr and 'Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi'ah. Abu Nu'aym ²³ stated this in al-Dala'il ²⁴. God knows best. It is also said that the second mission was after the Battle of Badr, as stated by al-Zuhri ²⁵, to seek vengeance from those there, but the Negus, may God be pleased with him, did not grant them any of what they asked. God knows best. Ziyad ²⁶ narrated from Ibn Ishaq ²⁷ that when Abu Talib saw this behavior of Quraysh, he wrote to the Negus verses urging him to justice and kindness to those of his people who had taken refuge with him: "Would that I knew how Ja'far and 'Amr are in the distance, and the enemies of the enemy, the relatives. And what the Negus's deeds have brought Ja'far and his companions, or whether a troublemaker has hindered that. Know, may you not be cursed, that you are noble and generous, so the one who keeps away from you will not be wretched. And we know that God has increased your expanse and the means of goodness, all of which are bound to you." Yunus ²⁸ narrated from Ibn Ishaq: Yazid ibn Ruman told me from 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr ²⁹ that it was 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, may God be pleased with him, who spoke to the Negus, but the well-known account is that Ja'far was the spokesman, may God be pleased with him. Ziyad al-Bakka'i ³⁰ narrated from Ibn Ishaq: Yazid ibn Ruman told me from 'Urwa, from 'A'isha, may God be pleased with her, who said: "When the Negus died, it was said that light continued to be seen over his grave." Abu Dawud ³¹ narrated it from Muhammad ibn 'Amr al-Razi, from Salama ibn al-Fadl, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq: "When the Negus, may God be pleased with him, died, we used to say that light continued to be seen over his grave." Ziyad narrated from Muhammad ibn Ishaq: Ja'far ibn Muhammad told me from his father who said: "The Abyssinians gathered and said to the Negus: 'You have abandoned our religion.' And they revolted 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 prevail, stay.' Then he took a scroll and wrote in it: 'He bears witness that there is no god but God, and that Jesus is His servant, His messenger, His spirit, and His word which He cast into Mary.' Then he placed it in his garment at the 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 do you find my conduct among you?' They said: 'The best conduct.' He said: 'Then what is the matter with you?' They said: 'You have abandoned our religion and claimed that Jesus is His servant and messenger.' He said: 'What do you say about Jesus?' They said: 'We say he is the son of God.' So the Negus placed his hand on his chest over his garment and said: 'He bears witness that Jesus son of Mary is no more than this.' He meant what he had written. So they were satisfied and left. This reached the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and when the Negus died, he prayed over him and asked forgiveness for him." It is confirmed in the two Sahihs ³² from the hadith of Abu Hurayra, may God be pleased with him, that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, announced the death of the Negus on the day he died, and went out with them to the prayer place, lined them up, and said four takbirs ³³. Al-Bukhari ³⁴ said: "The death of the Negus." He narrated from Abu al-Rabi', from Ibn 'Uyayna, from Ibn Jurayj, from 'Ata', from Jabir who said: "The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said when the Negus died: 'Today a righteous man has died. So stand and pray over your brother As'hama ³⁵.'" This is also narrated from Anas ibn Malik, Ibn Mas'ud, and others. In some narrations he is named As'hama, and in another Mas'hama, and he is As'hama ibn Bahr ³⁶. He was a righteous, intelligent, and wise servant, just and learned, may God be pleased with him. Yunus narrated from Ibn Ishaq: "The Negus's name is Mas'hama." In a copy corrected by al-Bayhaqi ³⁷: "Ashham." In Arabic it is 'Atiyya ³⁸. He said: "Negus is the title of the king, like Kisra ³⁹ or Hiraql ⁴⁰." I say: "Thus, and perhaps he means Qaysar ⁴¹, for it is a title for whoever rules Syria with the island of the lands of the Romans; Kisra is a title for whoever rules the Persians; Pharaoh is a title for whoever rules all of Egypt; al-Muqawqis ⁴² for whoever rules Alexandria; Tubba' ⁴³ for whoever rules Yemen and al-Shihr ⁴⁴; Negus for whoever rules Abyssinia; Batlimus ⁴⁵ for whoever rules Greece, and it is said India; and Khaqan ⁴⁶ for whoever rules the Turks." Some scholars said: "He prayed over him because he concealed his faith from his people, and on the day he died, there was no one to pray over him, so he prayed over him." They said: "If the deceased has been prayed over in his own country, it is not prescribed to pray over him in another country. For this reason, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, was not prayed over outside Medina, neither by the people of Mecca nor others. Likewise, Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and other Companions, it is not reported that any of them was prayed over outside the city in which he was prayed over. God knows best." I say: "The presence of Abu Hurayra, may God be pleased with him, at the prayer over the Negus indicates that he died after the conquest of Khaybar ⁴⁷, in the year when the rest of the emigrants to Abyssinia arrived with Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, may God be pleased with him, on the day of the conquest of Khaybar. For this reason, it is narrated that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'By God, I do not know which of the two I am more delighted with: the conquest of Khaybar or the arrival of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib.' They brought gifts and presents from the Negus, may God be pleased with him, to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and with them were the people of the Yemeni ship, the companions of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari ⁴⁸ and his people from the Ash'aris, may God be pleased with them. With Ja'far and the Negus's gifts was the Negus's nephew, Dhu Nukhtur or Dhu Mukhmar ⁴⁹, sent to serve the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, in place of his uncle, may God be pleased with them both. Al-Suhayli ⁵⁰ said: "The Negus died in Rajab of the year nine of the Hijra ⁵¹." There is some doubt about this. God knows best. Al-Bayhaqi said: "Al-Faqih Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Tusi informed us: Abu al-'Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya'qub narrated to us: Hilal ibn al-'Ala' al-Raqqi narrated to us: My father al-'Ala' ibn Mudrik narrated to us: Abu Hilal ibn al-'Ala' narrated to us from his father, from Ghalib, from Abu Umama who said: 'The delegation of the Negus came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and he stood to serve them. His Companions said: "We will suffice you, O Messenger of God." He said: "They honored my Companions, and I wish to reciprocate."'"]

Then he said: Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh ibn Yūsuf al-Aṣbahānī informed us, Abū Saʿīd ibn al-Aʿrābī reported to us, Hilāl ibn al-ʿAlāʾ narrated to us, my father narrated to us, Ṭalḥa ibn Yazīd narrated to us from al-Awzāʿī, from Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr, from Abū Salama, from Abū Qatāda, who said: The delegation of the Negus ⁵² came to the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh bless him and grant him peace, and the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh bless him and grant him peace, stood up to serve them. His Companions said: "We will suffice you, O Messenger of Allāh." He said: "Indeed, they honored our companions, and I love to reciprocate them." This is unique to Ṭalḥa ibn Zayd from al-Awzāʿī. Al-Bayhaqī said: Abū al-Ḥusayn ibn Bishrān narrated to us, Abū ʿAmr ibn al-Sammāk narrated to us, Ḥanbal ibn Isḥāq narrated to us, al-Ḥumaydī narrated to us, Sufyān narrated to us, ʿAmr narrated, saying: When ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ returned from the land of Abyssinia, he sat in his house and did not go out to them. They said: "What is the matter with him? Why does he not go out?" ʿAmr said: "Indeed, Aṣḥama ⁵³ claims that your companion is a prophet." [The Conversion of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb] Ibn Isḥāq said: When ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ and ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Rabīʿa returned to Quraysh, having not achieved what they sought from the companions of the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh bless him and grant him peace, and the Negus had turned them back with what they disliked, and ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb had embraced Islam—and he was a man of firm resolve, whose back was not to be assailed—the companions of the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh bless him and grant him peace, were strengthened by him and by Ḥamza, until they angered Quraysh. ʿAbd Allāh ibn Masʿūd used to say: "We were not able to pray at the Kaʿba until ʿUmar embraced Islam. When ʿUmar embraced Islam, he fought Quraysh until he prayed at the Kaʿba, and we prayed with him." I say: It is established in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī from Ibn Masʿūd that he said: "We have been mighty ever since ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb embraced Islam." Ziyād al-Bakkāʾī said: Misʿar ibn Kidām narrated to me from Saʿd ibn Ibrāhīm, who said: Ibn Masʿūd said: "Indeed, the conversion of ʿUmar was a conquest ⁵⁴, his emigration was a victory, and his caliphate was a mercy. We were not able to pray at the Kaʿba until ʿUmar embraced Islam. When ʿUmar embraced Islam, he fought Quraysh until he prayed at the Kaʿba, and we prayed with him." Ibn Isḥāq said: The conversion of ʿUmar occurred after those who had emigrated to Abyssinia among the companions of the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh bless him and grant him peace, had left. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ḥārith ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAyyāsh ibn Abī Rabīʿa narrated to me from ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿĀmir ibn Rabīʿa, from his mother Umm ʿAbd Allāh bint Abī Ḥathma, who said: "By Allāh, we were preparing to depart for the land of Abyssinia, and ʿĀmir had gone for some of our needs, when ʿUmar approached and stopped, still in his polytheism. She said: 'We used to suffer harm and harshness from him.' She said: 'He said: "Are you really leaving, O Umm ʿAbd Allāh?" I said: "Yes, by Allāh, we will go out into some land of Allāh, since you have harmed us and oppressed us, until Allāh provides us a way out." She said: 'He said: "May Allāh accompany you!" And I saw a softness in him that I had not seen before. Then he left, and it grieved him, as I saw, that we were leaving.' She said: 'Then ʿĀmir came with that need of ours, and I said to him: "O Abū ʿAbd Allāh, if only you had seen ʿUmar just now, his softness and 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-Khaṭṭāb converts!" She said: 'Despairing of him, because of what he saw of his harshness and cruelty towards Islam.'" I say: This refutes the claim of those who assert that he was the fortieth Muslim. For the emigrants to Abyssinia were over eighty. Unless it is said that he was the fortieth after the departure of the emigrants. This is supported by what Ibn Isḥāq mentioned here in the story of the conversion of ʿUmar alone, may Allāh be pleased with him, and its context. For he said: The conversion of ʿUmar, as has reached me, was that his sister Fāṭima bint al-Khaṭṭāb—who was married to Saʿīd ibn Zayd ibn ʿAmr ibn Nufayl—had embraced Islam, and her husband Saʿīd ibn Zayd had also embraced Islam, and they were concealing their Islam from ʿUmar. Nuʿaym ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Naḥḥām, a man from Banī ʿAdī, had also embraced Islam, concealing his Islam from his people. Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt used to visit Fāṭima bint al-Khaṭṭāb to teach her the Qurʾān. One day, ʿUmar went out, girded with his sword, intending to go to the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh bless him and grant him peace, and a group of his companions who had been mentioned to him as having gathered in a house near al-Ṣafā ⁵⁵, about forty men and women, and with the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh bless him and grant him peace, were his uncle Ḥamza, Abū Bakr ibn Abī Quḥāfa al-Ṣiddīq, and ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, may Allāh be pleased with them, among other Muslims who had stayed with the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh bless him and grant him peace, in Mecca and had not gone with those who had emigrated to Abyssinia. Nuʿaym ibn ʿAbd Allāh met him and said: "Where are you going, O ʿUmar?" He said: "I am going to Muḥammad, this Ṣābiʾ ⁵⁶ who has divided Quraysh, debased their intellects, reviled their religion, and insulted their gods, to kill him." Nuʿaym said to him: "By Allāh, your soul has deceived you, O ʿUmar! Do you think Banī ʿAbd Manāf would leave you walking on the earth after you have killed Muḥammad? 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 Saʿīd ibn Zayd and your sister Fāṭima, for by Allāh, they have embraced Islam and followed Muḥammad, may Allāh bless him and grant him peace, in his religion. So go to them." So ʿUmar returned, heading to his sister Fāṭima. With her was Khabbāb ibn al-Artt, who had a scroll containing Ṭā Hā ⁵⁷, teaching it to her. When they heard the sound of ʿUmar, Khabbāb hid in a closet or some part of the house, and Fāṭima bint al-Khaṭṭāb took the scroll and placed it under her thigh. ʿUmar had heard Khabbāb's recitation to her as he approached the door. When he entered, he said: "What is this humming sound I heard?" They both said: "You heard nothing." He said: "Yes, by Allāh, I have been informed that you both have followed Muḥammad in his religion." And he seized his brother-in-law Saʿīd ibn Zayd. His sister Fāṭima bint al-Khaṭṭāb stood up to restrain him from her husband, and he struck her, wounding her head. When he did that, his sister and brother-in-law said: "Yes, we have embraced Islam and believed in Allāh and His Messenger. So do whatever you wish." When ʿUmar saw the blood on his sister, he regretted what he had done and relented, and said to his sister: "Give me this scroll that you were reading just now, so that I may see what Muḥammad has brought." ʿUmar was literate. When he said that, his sister said: "We fear you for it." He said: "Do not fear." And he 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 purified ⁵⁸." So ʿUmar stood up and washed himself, then she gave him the scroll, which contained Ṭā Hā. When he read the beginning of it, he said: "How beautiful and noble is this speech!" When Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt heard that, he came out to him and said: "By Allāh, O ʿUmar, I hope that Allāh has singled you out for the prayer of His Prophet, may Allāh bless him and grant him peace, for I heard him yesterday saying: 'O Allāh, strengthen Islam with Abū al-Ḥakam ibn Hishām ⁵⁹ or with ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb.' So fear Allāh, O ʿUmar." At that, ʿUmar said: "So guide me, O Khabbāb, to Muḥammad, that I may go to him and embrace Islam." Khabbāb said to him: "He is in a house near al-Ṣafā, with a number of his companions."

So 'Umar took his sword, girded it on, and then made for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and his Companions, and knocked on the door. When they heard his voice, a man from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) got up and looked through the crack of the door, and there was 'Umar with his sword girded on. He returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in a fright and said, "O Messenger of Allah, this is 'Umar ibn al-Khattab with his sword girded on." Hamza said, "Let him in. If he has come seeking good, we will grant it to him; and if he has come seeking evil, we will kill him with his own sword." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Let him in." So the man let him in, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) rose to meet him until he met him in the courtyard. He took hold of his waist-wrapper or the edge of his cloak and pulled him violently, saying, "What has brought you, O son of al-Khattab? By Allah, I do not think you will stop until Allah sends down a calamity upon you." 'Umar said, "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 (peace be upon him) said 'Allahu Akbar' so loudly that the people of the house knew that 'Umar had embraced Islam." The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) dispersed from their places, feeling honored 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 (peace be upon him) and that they would gain victory over their enemy through them. Ibn Ishaq said: This is the narration of the narrators from the people of Medina concerning the Islam of 'Umar when he embraced Islam, may Allah be pleased with him. * * * Ibn Ishaq said: And 'Abdullah ibn Abi Najih al-Makki narrated to me from his companions 'Ata' and Mujahid and from those who narrated that, concerning the Islam of 'Umar, according to what they related from him, that he used to say: "I was far removed from Islam, and I was a drinker of wine in the Jahiliyyah ⁶⁰, loving it and drinking it. We had a gathering where men from Quraysh would meet in al-Hazwarah ⁶¹. One night I went out intending to join those companions of mine, but I found none of them there. I said, 'If only I went to so-and-so the wine-seller, perhaps I would find some wine with him and drink from it.' So I went out and came to him, but I did not find him." He said: "Then I said, 'If only I went to the Ka'bah and performed seven or seventy circumambulations.' So I came to the mosque, and there was the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) standing in prayer. When he prayed, he would face towards Syria and place the Ka'bah between him and Syria, and his prayer place was between the Black Stone and the Yemeni corner." He said: "When I saw him, I said, 'By Allah, if only I listened to Muhammad tonight to hear what he says.' I said, 'If I approach him to listen to him, I will surely frighten him.' So I came from the direction of the Hijr ⁶², entered under its covering, and began to walk slowly while the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was standing in prayer reciting the Qur'an, until I stood in his qiblah ⁶³ facing him, with nothing between me and him except the covering of the Ka'bah." He said: "When I heard the Qur'an, my heart softened, I wept, and Islam entered into me. I remained standing in my place until the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) finished his prayer, then he departed. When he departed, he would go out towards the house of Ibn Abi Husayn, and his dwelling was in the house called ar-Raqta' ⁶⁴ which was in the possession of Mu'awiyah." 'Umar 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 he heard my footsteps, he recognized me and thought that I had only followed him to harm him, so he rebuked me ⁶⁵ and then said, 'What has brought you, O son of al-Khattab, at this hour?' 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 (peace be upon him) praised Allah and then said, "Allah has guided you, O 'Umar." Then he wiped my chest and prayed for steadfastness for me. Then I departed, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) entered his house.'" Ibn Ishaq said: Allah knows best which of these accounts is correct. I say: I have thoroughly investigated the manner of 'Umar's Islam, may Allah be pleased with him, and what has been reported concerning that from hadiths and traditions, in detail at the beginning of his biography which I have written separately. And to Allah be praise and gratitude. * * * Ibn Ishaq said: Nafi', the freed slave of Ibn 'Umar, narrated to me from Ibn 'Umar, who said: When 'Umar embraced Islam, he said, "Who among Quraysh is the most proficient in spreading news?" It was said to him, "Jamil ibn Ma'mar al-Jumahi." So he went to him early in the morning. 'Abdullah said: I went out following his footsteps to see what he would do, and I was a boy who understood everything I saw. Until he came to him and said, "Do you know, O Jamil, that I have embraced Islam and entered the religion of Muhammad (peace be upon him)?" He said: By Allah, he did not answer him until he stood up, dragging his cloak, and 'Umar followed him, and I followed them, until when he stood at the door of the mosque, he shouted at the top of his voice, "O assembly of Quraysh!" — and they were in their meeting places around the Ka'bah — "Indeed, Ibn al-Khattab has become a Sabi' ⁶⁶!" He said: 'Umar said from behind him, "He lies, but I have embraced Islam and testified that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." They rose against him, and he kept fighting them and they kept fighting him until the sun was high above their heads. He said: He became exhausted ⁶⁷ and sat down, and they stood over his head while he said, "Do whatever you wish. I swear by Allah, 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 from Quraysh approached, wearing a striped garment ⁶⁸ and an embroidered shirt, until he stood over them. He 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 will 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 my 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, O my son, was al-'As ibn Wa'il as-Sahmi." This is a good and strong chain of transmission, and it indicates the lateness of 'Umar's Islam, because Ibn 'Umar was presented on the day of Uhud when he was fourteen years old, and Uhud was in the third year of the Hijrah, and he was already discerning on the day his father embraced Islam. So his Islam was about four years before the Hijrah, and that was about nine years after the beginning of the prophethood. And Allah knows best. * * * Al-Bayhaqi said: Al-Hakim narrated to us, al-Asamm informed us, Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar informed us, Yunus narrated to us from Ibn Ishaq, who said: Then twenty men, or close to that number, from the Christians came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while he was in Mecca, when his news had spread from the land of Abyssinia. They found him in the assembly, spoke with him, and questioned him, while the men of Quraysh were in their meeting places around the Ka'bah. When they finished questioning the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about what they wanted, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) invited them to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and recited the Qur'an to them. When they heard it, their eyes overflowed with tears, then they responded to him, believed in him, affirmed him, and recognized from him what had been described to them in their scripture concerning his affair. When they rose from his presence, Abu Jahl met them with a group of Quraysh and said, "May Allah disappoint you as a group! Those behind you from the people of your religion sent you to seek news for them, and you bring them news of the man. You had not even settled in your seats with him before you abandoned your religion and affirmed him in what he said to you. We know of no more foolish group than you!" — or words to that effect. They said to them, "We will not dispute with you. Peace be upon you. We have our deeds and you have your deeds. We do not fail to seek good for ourselves." It is said that the group was from the Christians of Najran, and Allah knows best which of these accounts is correct.

It is said, and God knows best, that these verses were revealed concerning them: "Indeed, those who were given the Scripture before it believe in it. And when it is recited to them, they say, 'We have believed in it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed, we were, before it, Muslims [submitting to God].' Those will be given their reward twice for what they patiently endured, and they repel evil with good, and from what We have provided them they spend. And when they hear ill speech, they turn away from it and say, 'For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. Peace be upon you; we seek not the ignorant.'" ⁶⁹ Section: Al-Bayhaqi said in al-Dala'il: Chapter on what came concerning the Prophet's letter to the Negus. Then he narrated from al-Hakim, from al-Asamm, from Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar, from Yunus, from Ibn Ishaq, who said: "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is a letter from Muhammad, the Messenger of God, to the Negus al-Asham, the ruler of Abyssinia. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance and believes in God and His Messenger and testifies that there is no god but God alone, with no partner, who has not taken a companion or a son, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I invite you to the call of God, for I am His Messenger. So submit and be safe: 'O People of the Scripture, come to a word that is just between us and you: that we worship none but God and associate nothing with Him, and that none of us take others as lords besides God.' Then if they turn away, say, 'Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Him].'" ⁷⁰ "If you refuse, then upon you is the sin of the Christians from your people." Thus al-Bayhaqi mentioned it after the story of the migration to Abyssinia, but its mention here is questionable, for it appears that this letter was to the Negus who came after the Muslim ruler who hosted Ja'far and his companions. That was when he wrote to the kings of the earth inviting them to God Almighty shortly before the conquest, just as he wrote to Heraclius, the ruler of Rome and Caesar of Syria, to Chosroes, the king of Persia, to the ruler of Egypt, and to the Negus. Al-Zuhri said: The letters of the Prophet were identical, meaning one copy, and all of them contained this verse, which is from Surah Al 'Imran, and it is Medinan without dispute, for it is from the beginning of the surah. Eighty-three verses from its beginning were revealed concerning the delegation of Najran, as we have established in the commentary. Praise and gratitude be to God. So this letter was to the second Negus, not the first. His statement in it: "to the Negus al-Asham"—perhaps "al-Asham" is an insertion by the narrator according to his understanding. And God knows best. More appropriate here is what al-Bayhaqi also mentioned, from al-Hakim, from Abu al-Hasan Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah al-Faqih in Marw, who said: Hammad ibn Ahmad narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Humayd narrated to us, Salamah ibn al-Fadl narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who said: The Messenger of God sent 'Amr ibn Umayyah al-Damri to the Negus concerning the matter of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and his companions, and he wrote with him a letter: "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of God, to the Negus al-Asham, king of Abyssinia. Peace be upon you. I praise to you God, the King, the Holy, the Source of Peace, the Guardian of Faith, the Protector. And I testify that Jesus is the Spirit of God and His Word which He cast into Mary, the virgin, the pure, the good, the chaste, so she conceived Jesus, and He created him from His Spirit and His breath, just as He created Adam with His hand and breathed into him. And I invite you to God alone, with no partner, and to allegiance in obedience to Him, and that you follow me and believe in me and in what has come to me, for I am the Messenger of God. I have sent to you my cousin Ja'far, along with a group of Muslims. When they come to you, honor them and abandon arrogance. For I invite you and your armies to God Almighty. I have conveyed and advised, so accept my advice. Peace be upon whoever follows guidance." So the Negus wrote to the Messenger of God: "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. To Muhammad, the Messenger of God, from the Negus al-Asham ibn Abjar ⁷¹. Peace be upon you, O Prophet of God, from God, and the mercy of God and His blessings. There is no god but He, who guided me to Islam. Your letter has reached me, O Messenger of God, concerning what you mentioned about Jesus. By the Lord of heaven and earth, Jesus does not exceed what you mentioned. We have recognized what you sent to us, and we have honored your cousin and his companions. I testify that you are the Messenger of God, truthful and confirmed. I have pledged allegiance to you and to your cousin, and I have embraced Islam at his hands for God, the Lord of the worlds. I have sent to you, O Prophet of God, Ariha ibn al-Asham ibn Abjar, for I have no control except over myself. If you wish me to come to you, I will do so, O Messenger of God. For I testify that what you say is true." Section on the mention of the opposition of the Quraysh tribes to Banu Hashim and Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib in supporting the Messenger of God, and their besieging them in the valley of Abu Talib for a long period, and their writing an unjust and wicked document to that effect, and what appeared in all of that of signs of prophethood and proofs of truthfulness. Musa ibn 'Uqbah said, from al-Zuhri: Then the polytheists intensified their oppression of the Muslims more than ever, until the Muslims ⁷² reached the point of hardship and the trial became severe upon them. The Quraysh united in their plot to kill the Messenger of God openly. When Abu Talib saw the people's action, he gathered Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib and ordered them to bring the Messenger of God into their valley and to protect him from those who wanted to kill him. So both their Muslims and disbelievers agreed on that. Some did it out of tribal pride, and some did it out of faith and certainty. When the Quraysh learned that the people had protected the Messenger of God and united on that, the polytheists of Quraysh gathered and agreed not to sit with them, not to trade with them, and not to enter their houses until they handed over the Messenger of God for execution. In their plot, they wrote a document, covenants, and pledges: that they would never accept any peace from Banu Hashim, nor would any compassion for them seize them until they handed him over for execution. So Banu Hashim remained in their valley for three years, and the trial and hardship intensified upon them. The Quraysh cut off the markets from them, so they would not leave any food arriving in Mecca or any sale without rushing to buy it, intending thereby to achieve the shedding of the blood of the Messenger of God. Abu Talib, when people took to their beds, would order the Messenger of God to lie on his bed so that whoever intended treachery or assassination against him would see that. When people slept, he would order one of his sons, brothers, or cousins to lie on the bed of the Messenger of God, and he ordered the Messenger of God to go to one of their beds and sleep there. At the end of three years, some men from Banu 'Abd Manaf and from Qusayy, and others from Quraysh whose mothers were from Banu Hashim, blamed each other, and they saw that they had cut off family ties and belittled the truth. They agreed that night to break what they had covenanted of treachery and to disavow it. God sent termites upon their document, and they ate away every covenant and pledge in it. It is said that it was hung on the ceiling of the House, and they left no name of God in it without eating it, and what remained in it was only polytheism, injustice, and cutting of family ties.

And Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, informed His Messenger of what He had done to their scroll ⁷³. So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned that to Abu Talib. Abu Talib said: "No, by the stars ⁷⁴, he has not lied to me." He then set out walking with his group from Banu Abd al-Muttalib until he came to the mosque, which was full of Quraysh. When they saw them heading towards their assembly, they disapproved and thought that they had come out due to the severity of the affliction, so they came to hand over the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to them. Abu Talib spoke and said: "Matters have occurred between you that we have not mentioned to you. Bring your scroll which you covenanted upon, so that there may be a reconciliation between us and you." He said that only out of fear that they might look at the scroll before bringing it. So they brought their scroll, proud of it, not doubting that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would be handed over to them. They placed it before them and said: "It is time for you to accept and return to a matter that unites your people. For only one man has caused division between us and you, whom you have made a risk for the destruction of your people and clan and their corruption." Abu Talib said: "I have only come to offer you a matter in which there is fairness for you. My nephew has informed me—and he has not lied to me—that Allah has disassociated Himself from this scroll which is in your hands, and has erased every name of His that was in it, and has left in it your treachery, your severance of ties with us, and your alliance against us in oppression. If the report that my nephew has said is as he said, then come to your senses, for by Allah, we will never hand him over until the last of us dies. But if what he said is false, we will hand him over to you, and you may kill him or spare him." They said: "We are satisfied with what you say." So they opened the scroll and found that the Truthful and Believed ⁷⁵, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had indeed informed them of its state. When Quraysh saw it as Abu Talib had said, they said: "By Allah, this is nothing but sorcery from your companion." So they relapsed and returned to the worst state they were in of disbelief and severity against the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and standing against his clan according to what they had covenanted. Then those men from Banu Abd al-Muttalib said: "Those more deserving of lying and sorcery are others than us. So what do you think? For we know that what you have agreed upon of severing ties with us is closer to al-Jibt ⁷⁶ and sorcery than our affair. Were it not that you agreed upon sorcery, your scroll would not have been corrupted while in your hands—what was in it of His name was obliterated, and what was in it of transgression was left. So are we the sorcerers, or are you?" At that point, the men from Banu Abd Manaf and Banu Qusayy and men from Quraysh whose mothers were from Banu Hashim, among them Abu al-Bukhtari, al-Mut'im ibn Adi, Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayya ibn al-Mughira, Zam'a ibn al-Aswad, and Hisham ibn Amr—and the scroll was with him, and he was from Banu Amir ibn Lu'ayy—along with men from their nobles and leaders, said: "We are innocent of what is in this scroll." Abu Jahl, may Allah curse him, said: "This is a matter decided by night." And Abu Talib composed poetry concerning their scroll, praising the men who disavowed it and broke the covenant in it, and also praising the Negus ⁷⁷. Al-Bayhaqi said: "Thus our master Abu Abd Allah al-Hafiz narrated," meaning via the chain of Ibn Lahi'a, from Abu al-Aswad, from Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, similar to the narration of Musa ibn Uqba, may Allah have mercy on him. It has been mentioned earlier from Musa ibn Uqba that he said: "The migration to Abyssinia was only after their entry into the mountain pass ⁷⁸, by the command of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to them regarding that." Allah knows best. I say: It is more likely that Abu Talib recited his poem with the rhyming letter lam ⁷⁹, which we mentioned earlier, after their entry into the mountain pass as well, so mentioning it here is more appropriate. Allah knows best. Then al-Bayhaqi narrated via Yunus, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, persisted in what he was sent with, and Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib stood in his defense and refused to hand him over, while they were in opposition to him just as their people were, except that they were wary of being humiliated and handing over their brother for what he had done among his people. When Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib did that, and Quraysh realized there was no way to reach Muhammad, they agreed to write among themselves against Banu Hashim and Banu Abd al-Muttalib: that they should not marry them nor give them in marriage, nor buy from them nor sell to them. They wrote a scroll to that effect and hung it in the Kaaba. Then they attacked those who had embraced Islam, bound them, and tortured them. The affliction intensified upon them, the trial became great, and they were shaken with a severe shaking. Then he mentioned the story at length about their entry into the mountain pass of Abu Talib and what they suffered therein of severe hardship, until the voices of their children could be heard crying from behind the mountain pass due to hunger. Until most of Quraysh disliked what had befallen them and expressed their disapproval of their unjust scroll. They mentioned that Allah, by His mercy, sent a woodworm ⁸⁰ upon the scroll of Quraysh, and it did not leave any name of Allah in it without eating it, while leaving the oppression, severance, and slander. So Allah, the Exalted, informed His Messenger of that, and he informed his uncle Abu Talib. Then he mentioned the rest of the story like the narration of Musa ibn Uqba and more. Ibn Hisham said, from Ziyad, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq: 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 Umar had embraced Islam, so he and Hamza 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 about writing a document by which they would covenant against Banu Hashim and Banu Abd al-Muttalib: that they should not marry them nor give them in marriage, nor sell to them nor buy from them. When they gathered for that, they wrote it in a scroll, then they covenanted and pledged themselves to that, then they hung the scroll inside the Kaaba to confirm it upon themselves. The scribe of the scroll was Mansur ibn Ikrima ibn Amir ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf ibn Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy. Ibn Hisham said: It is also said that it was al-Nadr ibn al-Harith. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, invoked against him, and some of his fingers became paralyzed. Al-Waqidi said: The one who wrote the scroll was Talha ibn Abi Talha al-Abdari. I say: The well-known is that it was Mansur ibn Ikrima, as mentioned by Ibn Ishaq, and it was he whose hand became paralyzed so that he could not use it, and Quraysh used to say among themselves: "Look at Mansur ibn Ikrima." Al-Waqidi said: The scroll was hung inside the Kaaba. Ibn Ishaq said: When Quraysh did that, Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib withdrew to Abu Talib and entered with him into his mountain pass and gathered around him. Abu Lahab ibn Abd al-Uzza ibn Abd al-Muttalib left Banu Hashim to join Quraysh and supported them. Husayn ibn Abd Allah narrated to me that Abu Lahab met Hind bint Utba ibn Rabi'a when he left his people and supported Quraysh against them, and said: "O daughter of Utba, have I supported al-Lat and al-Uzza ⁸¹ and left those who left them and supported against them?" She said: "Yes, may Allah reward you well, O Abu Utba."

Ibn Ishaq said: I was told that he used to say in some of what he said: "Muhammad promises me things that I do not see; he claims that 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 Muhammad says." So Allah the Exalted revealed: "May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he." ⁸² Ibn Ishaq said: When Quraysh united upon that and did what they did concerning him, Abu Talib said: "Will you not convey from us, concerning our common bond, * to Lu'ayy, and especially from Lu'ayy the Banu Ka'b? Do you not know that we have found Muhammad * a prophet like Moses, inscribed in the earliest scriptures? And that upon him among the servants is love, * and there is no good in one whom Allah has not singled out for love. And that which you have attached from your book * will be for you a misfortune, like the bellowing of a young camel. ⁸³ Come to your senses, come to your senses before the dust is dug, * and one who has not committed a sin becomes like the guilty. Do not follow the command of the slanderers and cut * our ties after affection and kinship, and seek a war already kindled; ⁸⁴ and perhaps * the milk of war becomes bitter for whoever tastes it. For by the Lord of the House, we will not surrender Ahmad * to any hardship of time or distress. When there have passed between us and you former deeds * and hands cut off by bright Indian swords, ⁸⁵ in a narrow battlefield where you see broken spear shafts * and large vultures hovering like drinkers. ⁸⁶ As if the course of horses in its courtyards * and the clamor of heroes is the battlefield of war. Is not our father Hashim who strengthened his arm * 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 wisdom * when the souls of the brave fly from fear." Ibn Ishaq said: They remained in that state for two or three years, until they were exhausted, and nothing reached them except secretly, hidden by whoever among Quraysh wanted to maintain ties with them. It is mentioned that Abu Jahl ibn Hisham met Hakim ibn Hizam ibn Khuwaylid ibn Asad with a slave carrying wheat intended for his aunt Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, who was with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the valley. He seized him and said: "Are you taking food to the Banu Hashim? By Allah, you and your food will not go until I disgrace you in Mecca." Then Abu al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham ibn al-Harith ibn Asad came and said: "What is between you and him?" He said: "He is carrying food to the Banu Hashim." Abu al-Bakhtari said to him: "It is food belonging to his aunt that she sent to him; do you prevent him from bringing her food? Let the man go." He said: But Abu Jahl, may Allah curse him, refused until one of them struck the other. Then Abu al-Bakhtari took a camel's jawbone and struck him with it, wounding his head, and trampled him severely. Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib was nearby watching, and they disliked that this should reach the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his companions, who would gloat over them. [The Mockers] The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, continued to call his people night and day, secretly and openly, proclaiming the command of Allah the Exalted, fearing no one among the people. When Allah protected him from them, and his uncle and his people from Banu Hashim and Banu Abd al-Muttalib stood up for him and prevented them from what they intended of seizing him, Quraysh began to taunt him, mock him, and argue with him. The Quran began to be revealed concerning Quraysh and their actions, and concerning those who set themselves up in enmity to him. Among them were those who were named to us, and among them were those concerning whom the Quran was revealed in general terms about the disbelievers whom Allah mentioned. Ibn Ishaq mentioned Abu Lahab and the revelation of the surah concerning him; Umayyah ibn Khalaf and the revelation of the words of Allah the Exalted: "Woe to every slanderer and backbiter" ⁸⁷ the entire surah concerning him; al-As ibn Wa'il and the revelation of His words: "Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our signs and said: 'I will surely be given wealth and children'" ⁸⁸ concerning him; some of that has already been mentioned; Abu Jahl ibn Hisham and his saying to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "You must stop reviling our gods, or we will revile your God [whom you worship]" ⁸⁹ and the revelation of Allah's words concerning him: "And do not revile those whom they invoke besides Allah, lest they revile Allah in transgression without knowledge" ⁹⁰ the verse; al-Nadr ibn al-Harith ibn Kaladah ibn Alqamah—and some say Alqamah ibn Kaladah, as al-Suhayli said—and his sitting after the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in his gatherings where he recited the Quran and called [people to Allah].

1. son-in-law : Referring to 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, who was married to Ruqayyah, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad.
2. Dababah : A type of litter or howdah used for carrying women on camels or donkeys; here, a specific kind of saddle or conveyance.
3. mountain pass : Refers to the Shi'b Abi Talib, the valley where the Prophet and his clan were besieged by the Quraysh.
4. Negus : The title of the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) at the time, known as Ashama ibn Abjar, who granted asylum to the Muslim emigrants.
5. Abu Musa al-Ash'ari : A prominent companion of the Prophet, known for his recitation of the Quran and his role as a governor and judge.
6. Abi Kathir : A name in the lineage of Tulayb ibn 'Umayr; the exact identification is uncertain.
7. Harmalah : A name in the lineage of Suwaybit ibn Sa'd; possibly a variant of 'Harmalah' or 'Hurmalah'.
8. Jubaylah : A name in the lineage of Raytah; the exact identification is uncertain.
9. فَنَفَخَ فِي إِحْلِيلِهِ، فَطَارَ مَعَ الْوَحْشِ : Literally 'blew into his nostril, and he flew with the wild beasts.' This is a miraculous event indicating that the Negus transformed Umara into a wild animal or caused him to disappear.
10. بُرَيْد : Burayd ibn Abdullah, a narrator in the chain.
11. عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بن براد : Abdullah ibn Barrad, a narrator.
12. fitna : Trial, persecution, or tribulation that tests one's faith.
13. Negus : Title of the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) at the time, specifically Ashama ibn Abjar.
14. batariqa : Patriarchs or high-ranking officials, likely referring to the clergy or nobles of the Negus's court.
15. adum : Leather, specifically tanned hides, a valuable commodity from Mecca.
16. sallamu : They greeted with the Islamic greeting 'as-salamu alaykum' (peace be upon you), rather than prostrating.
17. mishkat : Niche or lamp niche; here metaphorically referring to the source of divine light or revelation.
18. Ziyad : Ziyad ibn Abdullah al-Bakka'i, a transmitter of Ibn Ishaq's biography.
19. fa'addada : He enumerated or counted; Ja'far listed the pillars and teachings of Islam.
20. Kaf, Ha, Ya, 'Ayn, Sad : The opening letters of Surah Maryam (Chapter 19 of the Quran), which Ja'far recited.
21. al-Najāshī : Title of the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) at the time of the Prophet Muhammad; known for granting asylum to Muslim emigrants.
22. al-Umawī : A historian or scholar from the Umayyad period, possibly referring to Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani or another.
23. Abū Nuʿaym : Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani (d. 1038), a renowned hadith scholar and historian.
24. al-Dalāʾil : Short for 'Dala'il al-Nubuwwa' (Proofs of Prophethood), a genre of works on the miracles and signs of the Prophet.
25. al-Zuhrī : Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (d. 742), a prominent early Muslim historian and hadith scholar.
26. Ziyād : Ziyad al-Bakka'i (d. 799), a transmitter of Ibn Ishaq's biography of the Prophet.
27. Ibn Isḥāq : Muhammad ibn Ishaq (d. 767), author of the earliest surviving biography of the Prophet Muhammad.
28. Yūnus : Yunus ibn Bukayr (d. 815), a transmitter of Ibn Ishaq's works.
29. ʿUrwa ibn al-Zubayr : A prominent early Muslim scholar and historian, nephew of Aisha.
30. Ziyād al-Bakkāʾī : Another transmitter of Ibn Ishaq's biography.
31. Abū Dāwūd : Abu Dawud al-Sijistani (d. 889), compiler of one of the six canonical hadith collections.
32. al-Ṣaḥīḥayn : The two most authentic hadith collections: Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
33. takbīr : The phrase 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Great); here, four such phrases are recited in the funeral prayer.
34. al-Bukhārī : Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari (d. 870), compiler of the most authoritative hadith collection.
35. Aṣḥama : The personal name of the Negus who ruled during the Prophet's time.
36. Aṣḥama ibn Baḥr : Full name of the Negus; 'Bahr' means 'sea'.
37. al-Bayhaqī : Ahmad ibn al-Husayn al-Bayhaqi (d. 1066), a Shafi'i hadith scholar and historian.
38. ʿAṭiyya : Arabic for 'gift'; the meaning of the name Ashham.
39. Kisrā : Title of the Sasanian emperors of Persia.
40. Hiraql : Heraclius, the Byzantine emperor (r. 610–641).
41. Qayṣar : Caesar, title of the Roman/Byzantine emperors.
42. al-Muqawqis : Title of the Byzantine governor of Egypt at the time of the Prophet.
43. Tubbaʿ : Title of the kings of Himyar in ancient Yemen.
44. al-Shiḥr : A coastal region in Yemen, known for its frankincense.
45. Baṭlīmūs : Ptolemy, a Greek ruler of Egypt; also used for Hellenistic kings.
46. Khāqān : Title of the rulers of the Turks and Central Asian steppe empires.
47. Khaybar : An oasis north of Medina, conquered by Muslims in 628 CE.
48. Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī : A Companion of the Prophet, known for his recitation of the Quran and role as a governor.
49. Dhū Nukhtur / Dhū Mukhmar : Names of the Negus's nephew; exact identity uncertain.
50. al-Suhaylī : Abd al-Rahman al-Suhayli (d. 1185), a scholar known for his commentary on Ibn Hisham's biography.
51. Rajab of the year nine of the Hijra : Approximately October 630 CE.
52. al-Najāshī : The title of the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) at the time of the Prophet; specifically, Aṣḥama ibn Abjar, who protected the Muslim emigrants.
53. Aṣḥama : The personal name of the Negus (ruler) of Abyssinia who embraced Islam.
54. fatḥan : Literally 'opening' or 'conquest'; here it means a decisive victory or breakthrough for Islam.
55. al-Ṣafā : A small hill near the Kaʿba in Mecca, part of the Saʿy ritual; here it refers to a location near it.
56. Ṣābiʾ : A derogatory term used by Quraysh for early Muslims, implying they had abandoned their ancestral religion; derived from 'Ṣābiʾūn' (Sabians), a religious group mentioned in the Qurʾān.
57. Ṭā Hā : The opening letters of Sūrat Ṭā Hā (Chapter 20) of the Qurʾān; also a name for the chapter.
58. al-muṭahharūn : The purified ones; a reference to Qurʾānic verse 56:79, indicating that only those in a state of ritual purity may touch the Qurʾān.
59. Abū al-Ḥakam ibn Hishām : The kunya of Abū Jahl, a leading opponent of Islam; the Prophet prayed for Islam to be strengthened by either him or ʿUmar.
60. Jahiliyyah : The period of ignorance before the advent of Islam in Arabia.
61. al-Hazwarah : A place in Mecca where the Quraysh used to gather.
62. Hijr : The semicircular wall opposite the Ka'bah, also known as Hatim.
63. qiblah : The direction of prayer, initially towards Jerusalem, later changed to Mecca.
64. ar-Raqta' : A house in Mecca, later owned by Mu'awiyah.
65. rebuked me : The Arabic word 'nahamani' means to rebuke or scold.
66. Sabi' : A term used by the Quraysh to denote someone who abandoned their religion, often applied to early Muslims.
67. became exhausted : The Arabic word 'taliha' means to become weary or exhausted.
68. striped garment : A 'hullah hibarah' is a garment with stripes or patterns, often of high quality.
69. الآيات : Verses from the Quran, specifically Surah Al-Qasas 28:52-55 and Surah Al-Furqan 25:63, though the exact reference is debated.
70. آل عمران : Surah Al 'Imran, the third chapter of the Quran, verse 64.
71. أبجر : A name; possibly a patronymic or title of the Negus.
72. الْمُسْلِمُونَ : The Muslims; here referring to the early Muslim community in Mecca.
73. ṣaḥīfa : A written document or scroll; here referring to the pact of boycott against Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib.
74. al-thawāqib : Literally 'the piercing stars'; an oath formula used by pre-Islamic Arabs.
75. al-ṣādiq al-maṣdūq : The Truthful and the Believed; epithets of the Prophet Muhammad.
76. al-jibt : A term for idolatry, sorcery, or any false object of worship; often paired with al-ṭāghūt.
77. al-Najāshī : The title of the ruler of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) during the time of the Prophet; known for granting asylum to Muslim refugees.
78. al-shiʿb : A mountain pass or valley; specifically the valley of Abu Talib where the Banu Hashim were besieged.
79. al-lāmiyya : A poem whose verses end with the letter lām (L); a common form in Arabic poetry.
80. al-araḍa : A wood-eating insect, often translated as 'termite' or 'woodworm'; believed to have miraculously eaten the names of Allah from the boycott scroll.
81. al-Lāt wa al-ʿUzzā : Two major goddesses worshipped by pre-Islamic Arabs in Mecca.
82. tabbat yadā abī lahabin wa tabb : Quranic verse (111:1) meaning 'May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he.'
83. rāghiyati al-saqb : The bellowing of a young camel; a metaphor for a loud, useless noise.
84. ḥarban ʿawānan : A war already kindled or renewed; a fierce war.
85. al-qisāsiyyati al-shuhbi : Bright Indian swords; 'qisāsiyya' refers to swords from India, known for their sharpness and shine.
86. al-ṭukhmi yaʿkufna ka al-sharbi : Large vultures hovering like drinkers; 'ṭukhm' means large or fat, and 'sharb' refers to a group of drinkers.
87. waylun li kulli humazatin lumazah : Quranic verse (104:1) meaning 'Woe to every slanderer and backbiter.'
88. a fa ra'ayta alladhī kafara bi āyātinā wa qāla la ūtayanna mālan wa waladā : Quranic verse (19:77) meaning 'Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our signs and said: I will surely be given wealth and children?'
89. la tatturukanna sabba ālihatinā aw la nasubanna ilāhaka : Reported saying of Abu Jahl: 'You must stop reviling our gods, or we will revile your God.'
90. wa lā tasubbū alladhīna yadʿūna min dūni llāhi fa yasubbū llāha ʿadwan bi ghayri ʿilm : Quranic verse (6:108) meaning 'And do not revile those whom they invoke besides Allah, lest they revile Allah in transgression without knowledge.'

Chapter on the emigration of those who emigrated from among the Companions of the…

Chapter on the emigration of those who emigrated from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, from Mecca to the land of Abyssinia [1].

of Allah, so al-Nadr would recite to them some of the stories of Rustam and Isfandiyar and what occurred between them of wars in the time of the Persians, then he would say: "By Allah, Muhammad is not better in speech than I, and his speech is nothing but fables of the ancients which I have written down just as he has written them." So Allah the Exalted revealed: "And they say: 'Fables of the ancients which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and evening.' ¹" and His saying: "Woe to every sinful liar. ²" * * * Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sat, as has reached us, one day with al-Walid ibn al-Mughira in the mosque. Then al-Nadr ibn al-Harith came and sat with them, and in the gathering were several men of Quraysh. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, spoke, and al-Nadr confronted him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah 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 Allah are fuel for Hell; you will come to it. Had these been gods, they would not have come to it, and all will abide therein eternally. For them therein is heavy sighing, and they therein will not hear. ³" Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up, and Abdullah ibn al-Ziba'ra al-Sahmi came and sat down. Al-Walid ibn al-Mughira said to him: "By Allah, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith did not stand up to Ibn Abd al-Muttalib just now nor sit down, and Muhammad has claimed that we and what we worship of these our gods are fuel for Hell." So Abdullah ibn al-Ziba'ra said: "By Allah, if I had found him, I would have argued against him. Ask Muhammad: Is everyone who worships besides Allah fuel for Hell along with those who worship him? For we worship the angels, the Jews worship Ezra, and the Christians worship Jesus." Al-Walid and those with him in the gathering were amazed at the words of Ibn al-Ziba'ra, and they thought that he had argued and prevailed. That was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said: "Everyone who loves to be worshipped besides Allah is with those who worship him in the Fire. Indeed, they only worship the devils and those who commanded them to worship him." So Allah the Exalted revealed: "Indeed, those for whom the best [reward] has preceded from Us, they are far removed from it. They will not hear its sound, and they will abide eternally in what their souls desire. ⁴" i.e., Jesus, Ezra, and those who were worshipped from among the rabbis and monks who passed away in obedience to Allah the Exalted. And there was revealed concerning what they mention that they worship the angels and that they are daughters of Allah: "And they say: 'The Most Merciful has taken a son.' Exalted is He! Rather, they are honored servants. ⁵" and the verses after it. And there was revealed concerning the admiration of the polytheists for the words of Ibn al-Ziba'ra: "And when the son of Mary was presented as an example, immediately your people laughed aloud. And they said: 'Are our gods better, or is he?' They did not present it to you except for argument; rather, they are a contentious people. ⁶" And this argument they pursued is false, and they know that, because they are an Arab people, and from their language is that "ma" is for what does not reason. So His saying: "Indeed, you and what you worship besides Allah are fuel for Hell; you will come to it" was only intended for what they worshipped of stones that were forms of idols, and it does not include the angels whom they claimed they worshipped in these forms, nor the Messiah, nor Ezra, nor any of the righteous, because the wording does not include them, neither in wording nor in meaning. So they know that what they presented as an example with Jesus son of Mary is a false argument, as Allah the Exalted said: "They did not present it to you except for argument; rather, they are a contentious people." Then He said: "He [i.e., Jesus] is not but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor [i.e., prophethood] and We made him an example for the Children of Israel ⁷" i.e., a proof of the perfection of Our power over what We will, where We created him from a female without a male, and We created Eve from a male without a female, and We created Adam from neither this nor that, and We created the rest of the children of Adam from a male and a female. As He said in another verse: "And to make him a sign for the people ⁸" i.e., a mark and proof of Our manifest power, "and a mercy from Us" by which We show mercy to whom We will. * * * And Ibn Ishaq mentioned al-Akhnas ibn Shariq and the revelation of His saying the Exalted concerning him: "And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer ⁹" and the verses. And he mentioned al-Walid ibn al-Mughira when he said: "Should revelation come down to Muhammad and I be left, while I am the elder of Quraysh and its chief, and Abu Mas'ud Amr ibn Amr al-Thaqafi, the chief of Thaqif, be left? So we are the two great ones of the two towns." And the revelation of His saying concerning him: "And they said: 'Why was this Qur'an not sent down upon a great man from the two towns?' ¹⁰" and what follows it. And he mentioned Ubayy ibn Khalaf when he said to Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt: "Has it not reached me that you sat with Muhammad and listened to him? My face is forbidden to your face unless you spit in his face." So the enemy of Allah, Uqba, may Allah curse him, did that. So Allah revealed: "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. O woe to me! I wish I had not taken so-and-so as a friend. ¹¹'" and what follows it. He said: And Ubayy ibn Khalaf walked with a decayed bone that had become rotten and said: "O Muhammad, do you claim that Allah will resurrect this after it has become rotten?" Then he crumbled it with his hand, then blew it in the wind towards the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said: "Yes, I say that. Allah will resurrect it and you after you have become like this, then He will admit you to the Fire." And Allah the Exalted revealed: "And he presents for Us an example 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. ¹²'" to the end of the sura. He said: And the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was confronted, as has reached me, while he was circumambulating at the door of the Kaaba, by al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib, al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, Umayya ibn Khalaf, and al-As ibn Wa'il. 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." So Allah revealed concerning them: "Say: 'O disbelievers. I do not worship what you worship.' ¹³" to the end of it. And when Abu Jahl heard of the tree of Zaqqum, he said: "Do you know what Zaqqum is? It is dates mixed with butter!" Then he said: "Come, let us eat Zaqqum." So Allah the Exalted revealed: "Indeed, the tree of Zaqqum is food for the sinful. ¹⁴" He said: And al-Walid ibn al-Mughira stood and spoke to 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, was speaking to him, and he had hoped for his conversion to Islam. Then Ibn Umm Maktum, the blind man, passed by him and spoke to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and began to ask him to recite the Qur'an. That became difficult for him and annoyed him, because it distracted him from what he was engaged in concerning the matter of al-Walid and what he had hoped for his conversion to Islam. When he persisted, he turned away from him frowning and left him. So Allah the Exalted revealed: "He frowned and turned away because the blind man came to him. ¹⁵" up to His saying: "exalted and purified." And it has been said that the one who was speaking to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when Ibn Umm Maktum came to him was Umayya ibn Khalaf. And Allah knows best. * * * Then Ibn Ishaq mentioned those who returned from among the emigrants to Abyssinia to Mecca. That was when the news of the conversion of the people of Mecca reached them, but the report was not correct; however, it had a cause. And it is what is established in the Sahih and elsewhere, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sat one day with the polytheists, and Allah revealed to him: "By the star when it falls, your companion has not strayed ¹⁶" and he recited it to them until he completed it and prostrated, so those present from Muslims, polytheists, jinn, and humans prostrated.

There was a reason for that, mentioned by many commentators regarding His statement: "And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he recited [the revelation], Satan threw [some alteration] into his recitation. Then Allah abolishes what Satan throws, then Allah confirms His verses. And Allah is Knowing, Wise" ⁹. They mentioned the story of the Gharaniq ¹⁷, and we prefer to refrain from mentioning it explicitly lest someone who does not place it in its proper context hear it, except that the origin of the story is in the Sahih ¹⁸. Al-Bukhari said: Abu Ma'mar narrated to us, 'Abd al-Warith narrated to us, Ayyub narrated to us, from 'Ikrimah, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prostrated during [the recitation of] Surah al-Najm, and with him prostrated the Muslims, the polytheists, the jinn, and mankind. This is unique to al-Bukhari, not Muslim. Al-Bukhari said: Muhammad b. Bashshar narrated to us, Ghundar narrated to us, Shu'bah narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, I heard al-Aswad, from 'Abd Allah, who said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, recited Surah al-Najm in Mecca and prostrated during it, and those with him prostrated except for an old man who took a handful of pebbles or dust, raised it to his forehead, and said: "This suffices me." I later saw him killed as a disbeliever. Muslim, Abu Dawud, and al-Nasa'i also narrated it from Shu'bah. Imam Ahmad said: Ibrahim narrated to us, Rabah narrated to us, from Ma'mar, from Ibn Tawus, from 'Ikrimah b. Khalid, from Ja'far b. al-Muttalib b. Abi Wada'ah, from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, recited Surah al-Najm in Mecca and prostrated, and those with him prostrated. I raised my head and refused to prostrate, and at that time al-Muttalib had not yet embraced Islam. Thereafter, whenever he heard anyone recite it, he would prostrate with him. Al-Nasa'i also narrated it from 'Abd al-Malik b. 'Abd al-Hamid, from Ahmad b. Hanbal. These reports can be reconciled by noting that this one prostrated but raised his head out of arrogance, whereas the old man whom Ibn Mas'ud excluded did not prostrate at all. And Allah knows best. The point is that when the transmitter saw the polytheists prostrating in following the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, he believed that they had embraced Islam and reconciled with him, and that no conflict remained between them. So the news spread and became widespread until it reached the emigrants to Abyssinia, who thought it was true. So a group of them returned, hoping for that, while another group remained; both were righteous and correct in what they did. Ibn Ishaq mentioned the names of those who returned: 'Uthman b. 'Affan and his wife Ruqayyah bint the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him; Abu Hudhayfah b. 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah and his wife Sahlah bint Suhayl; 'Abd Allah b. Jahsh b. Ri'ab; 'Utbah b. Ghazwan; al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam; Mus'ab b. 'Umayr; Suwaybit b. Sa'd; Tulayb b. 'Umayr; 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf; al-Miqdad b. 'Amr; 'Abd Allah b. Mas'ud; Abu Salamah b. 'Abd al-Asad and his wife Umm Salamah bint Abi Umayyah b. al-Mughirah; Shammas b. 'Uthman; Salamah b. Hisham and 'Ayyash b. Abi Rabi'ah, both of whom were detained in Mecca until after Badr, Uhud, and al-Khandaq; 'Ammar b. Yasir, about whom there is doubt whether he went to Abyssinia or not; Mu'attib b. 'Awf; 'Uthman b. Maz'un and his son al-Sa'ib, and his two brothers Qudamah and 'Abd Allah, sons of Maz'un; Khunays b. Hudhafah; Hisham b. al-'As b. Wa'il, who was detained in Mecca until after al-Khandaq; 'Amir b. Rabi'ah and his wife Layla bint Abi Hathmah; 'Abd Allah b. Makhramah; 'Abd Allah b. Suhayl b. 'Amr, who was detained until the day of Badr, then he joined the Muslims and witnessed Badr with them; Abu Sabrah b. Abi Ruhm and his wife Umm Kulthum bint Suhayl; al-Sakran b. 'Amr b. 'Abd Shams and his wife Sawdah bint Zam'ah, who died in Mecca before the Hijrah, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, married his wife after him; Sa'd b. Khawlah; Abu 'Ubaydah b. al-Jarrah; 'Amr b. al-Harith b. Zuhayr; Suhayl b. Bayda'; and 'Amr b. Abi Sarh. All of them were thirty-three men, may Allah be pleased with them. Al-Bukhari said: 'A'ishah said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "I was shown your place of emigration, a land of palm trees between two lava fields." So those who emigrated went to Medina, and most of those who had emigrated to Abyssinia returned to Medina. There is also a report from Abu Musa and Asma', may Allah be pleased with them, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The hadith of Abu Musa has been mentioned previously, and it is in the two Sahihs. The hadith of Asma' bint 'Umays will come later, after the conquest of Khaybar, when those who had remained among the emigrants to Abyssinia arrived, if Allah wills. In Him we trust. Al-Bukhari said: Yahya b. Hammad narrated to us, Abu 'Awanah narrated to us, from Sulayman b. Ibrahim, from 'Alqamah, from 'Abd Allah, who said: We used to greet the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was praying, and he would respond to us. When we returned from the Negus, we greeted him, but he did not respond. We said: "O Messenger of Allah, we used to greet you and you would respond, but when we returned from the Negus, you did not respond." He said: "In prayer one is occupied." Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, and al-Nasa'i also narrated it through other chains from Sulayman b. Mihran, from al-A'mash. This strengthens the interpretation of those who interpret the hadith of Zayd b. Arqam, which is established in the two Sahihs: "We used to speak during prayer until the verse 'And stand before Allah in devout obedience' [2:238] was revealed, so we were commanded to be silent and forbidden from speaking." This indicates that the reference is to the generality of the Companions, for Zayd was an Ansari from Medina, while the prohibition of speech during prayer was established in Mecca. Therefore, it must be interpreted as mentioned earlier. As for his mentioning the verse, which is Medinan, it is problematic. Perhaps he believed that it was the one that prohibited that, whereas the prohibition came from other verses along with it. And Allah knows best. Ibn Ishaq said: Among those who entered Mecca under protection were 'Uthman b. Maz'un under the protection of al-Walid b. al-Mughirah, and Abu Salamah b. 'Abd al-Asad under the protection of his maternal uncle Abu Talib, for his mother was Barrah bint 'Abd al-Muttalib. As for 'Uthman b. Maz'un, Salih b. Ibrahim b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf narrated to me from someone who narrated to him from 'Uthman, who said: When 'Uthman b. Maz'un saw the affliction that the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, were suffering, while he himself came and went in safety under the protection of al-Walid b. al-Mughirah, he said: "By Allah, my coming and going 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 the sake of Allah that does not befall me, is a great deficiency in myself!" So he went to al-Walid b. al-Mughirah and said: "O Abu 'Abd Shams, your protection is void, and I return your protection to you." He said: "Why, O son of my brother? Has someone from my people harmed you?" He said: "No, but I am content with the protection of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, 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. Al-Walid b. al-Mughirah 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 generous in protection, but I wished not to seek protection from anyone other than Allah. So I have returned his protection to him."

Then 'Uthman, may God be pleased with him, left, while Labid ibn Rabi'ah ibn Malik ibn Ja'far was in a gathering of Quraysh reciting poetry to them. 'Uthman sat with them, and Labid said: "Indeed, everything besides God is false." 'Uthman said: "You have spoken the truth." Labid continued: "And every blessing inevitably fades." 'Uthman said: "You have lied; the blessings of Paradise do not fade." Labid said: "O assembly of Quraysh, by God, your companion was never harmed. When did this happen among you?" A man from the group said: "This is a foolish man among other fools who have abandoned our religion. Do not take his words to heart." 'Uthman replied to him until their dispute intensified. That man stood up and struck 'Uthman's eye, causing it to become black and blue. Al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah was nearby, seeing what had befallen 'Uthman. He said: "By God, O son of my brother, your eye could have done without what happened to it, and you were under a strong protection." 'Uthman said: "Nay, by God, my healthy eye is in need of what befell its sister for the sake of God! 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, to your protection and return." He said: "No." * * * Ibn Ishaq said: As for Abu Salamah ibn 'Abd al-Asad, my father Ishaq ibn Yasar narrated to me from Salamah ibn 'Abdullah ibn Abi Salamah that he told him that when Abu Salamah 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, but what is it to you that you prevent us from our companion?" 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 brother's son." Abu Lahab stood up and said: "O assembly of Quraysh, by God, you have troubled this old man too much. You keep attacking him regarding his protection of one from his own people. By God, if you do not desist, we will stand with him in everything he stands for until he achieves what he wants." They said: "We will desist from what you dislike, O Abu 'Utbah." He was their ally and supporter against the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, so they spared him for that. Abu Talib became hopeful when he heard him say what he said, and he hoped that he would stand with him in the matter of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. So Abu Talib said, inciting Abu Lahab to support him and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace: "Indeed, a man whose uncle is Abu 'Utaybah ¹⁹ is in a garden, not to be subjected to injustices. I say to him—and where is my advice from him?—'O Abu Mu'tib ²⁰, make firm your resolve, standing. And never accept, as long as you live, a course by which you would be reviled when you descend to the markets ²¹. And leave the path of weakness to others among them, for you were not created to be bound to weakness. And fight, for war is half; you will never see a warrior accept humiliation until he makes peace. And how, when they have not committed a great crime against you, nor have they forsaken you, whether you gain or lose? May God requite 'Abd Shams, Nawfal, Taym, and Makhzum with disobedience and sin for dividing our community after love and harmony, so that they might attain forbidden things. You have lied, by the House of God, we will not be defeated ²² regarding Muhammad, when you have not yet seen a day when he stands at the mountain pass ²³." Ibn Hisham said: One line of it remains which we have omitted.

1. أساطير الأولين : Fables of the ancients; stories of past nations considered by the polytheists as mere legends.
2. ويل لكل أفاك أثيم : Woe to every sinful liar; a Qur'anic verse (45:7) condemning those who fabricate lies.
3. إنكم وما تعبدون من دون الله حصب جهنم : Indeed, you and what you worship besides Allah are fuel for Hell; Qur'an 21:98-100.
4. إن الذين سبقت لهم منا الحسنى : Indeed, those for whom the best [reward] has preceded from Us; Qur'an 21:101-102, referring to righteous beings worshipped falsely.
5. وقالوا اتخذ الرحمن ولدا : And they say: 'The Most Merciful has taken a son'; Qur'an 21:26, refuting the claim that angels are daughters of Allah.
6. ولما ضرب ابن مريم مثلا : And when the son of Mary was presented as an example; Qur'an 43:57-58, about the polytheists' argument.
7. إن هو إلا عبد أنعمنا عليه : He is not but a servant upon whom We bestowed favor; Qur'an 43:59, referring to Jesus.
8. ولنجعله آية للناس : And to make him a sign for the people; Qur'an 19:21, about Jesus as a miracle.
9. ولا تطع كل حلاف مهين : And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer; Qur'an 68:10, about al-Akhnas ibn Shariq.
10. وقالوا لولا نزل هذا القرآن على رجل من القريتين عظيم : And they said: 'Why was this Qur'an not sent down upon a great man from the two towns?'; Qur'an 43:31, referring to Mecca and Ta'if.
11. ويوم يعض الظالم على يديه : And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands; Qur'an 25:27-28, about Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt.
12. من يحيي العظام وهي رميم : Who will give life to bones when they are decayed?; Qur'an 36:78-79.
13. قل يا أيها الكافرون : Say: 'O disbelievers'; Qur'an 109:1, the sura of disavowal of polytheism.
14. إن شجرة الزقوم طعام الأثيم : Indeed, the tree of Zaqqum is food for the sinful; Qur'an 44:43-44.
15. عبس وتولى : He frowned and turned away; Qur'an 80:1-2, about the blind man Ibn Umm Maktum.
16. والنجم إذا هوى : By the star when it falls; Qur'an 53:1, the beginning of Surah al-Najm.
17. Gharaniq : Refers to the so-called 'Satanic Verses' incident, a story mentioned in some early Islamic sources but widely rejected by mainstream Islamic scholarship as inauthentic. The term 'Gharaniq' means 'cranes' or 'high-flying birds,' referring to the alleged intercession of pagan goddesses.
18. Sahih : Refers to the authentic hadith collections, particularly Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, considered the most reliable sources of prophetic traditions.
19. Abu 'Utaybah : A variant name for Abu Lahab, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad, known for his hostility to Islam.
20. Abu Mu'tib : Another name for Abu Lahab, used here by Abu Talib in a poetic address.
21. al-mawasim : Markets or fairs held during the pilgrimage season, where tribes would gather and reputations were made or broken.
22. nubza : A rare word meaning 'we will not be defeated' or 'we will not be overcome'; some interpretations suggest 'we will not be humiliated'.
23. al-shi'b : The mountain pass or valley of Abu Talib, where the Banu Hashim were besieged by Quraysh.

Mention of the determination of al-Siddiq [1] to emigrate to the land of Abyssinia.

Mention of al-Siddiq's determination to emigrate to the land of Abyssinia Ibn Ishaq said: Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, as Muhammad ibn Muslim al-Zuhri narrated to me from 'Urwa from 'A'isha, when Mecca became constricted for him and he suffered harm therein, and he saw what he saw of the Quraysh's alliance against the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions, he asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for permission to emigrate, and he gave him permission. So Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, set out as an emigrant. When he had traveled from Mecca for a day or two, he met Ibn al-Daghina ¹, the brother of Banu al-Harith ibn Bakr ibn 'Abd Manat ibn Kinana, who was at that time the chief of the Ahabish ². Al-Waqidi said: His name was al-Harith ibn Yazid, one of Banu Bakr ibn 'Abd Manat ibn Kinana. Al-Suhayli said: His name was Malik. He said: Where are you going, O Abu Bakr? He said: My people have driven me out, harmed me, and made things difficult for me. He said: Why? By Allah, you adorn the tribe, help in calamities, do good deeds, and earn for the destitute. Return, for you are under my protection. So he returned with him until, when he entered Mecca, Ibn al-Daghina stood with him and said: O assembly of Quraysh, I have granted protection to Ibn Abi Quhafa, so let no one approach him except with good. He said: So they refrained from him. She said: Abu Bakr had a mosque at the door of his house in Banu Jumah, and he used to pray there. 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 demeanor. He said: Some men of Quraysh went to Ibn al-Daghina and said: O Ibn al-Daghina, you did not grant protection to this man so that he would harm us. He is a man who, when he prays and recites what Muhammad brought, becomes soft, and he has a certain demeanor. We fear for our boys, women, and weak ones that he might tempt them. So go to him and order him to enter his house and do therein what he wishes. She said: So Ibn al-Daghina went to him and said: O Abu Bakr, I did not grant you protection so that you would harm your people. They have disliked your place where you are and have been annoyed by that from you. So enter your house and do therein what you like. He said: Or 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. He said: So Ibn al-Daghina stood and said: O assembly of Quraysh, Ibn Abi Quhafa has returned my protection to me, so deal with your companion as you wish. * * * Imam al-Bukhari narrated this hadith ³ exclusively, and in it there is a good addition. He said: Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us, al-Layth narrated to us, from 'Uqayl, Ibn Shihab ⁴ said: 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr informed me that 'A'isha, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: I never knew my parents ⁵ except that they were following the religion, and no day passed but the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to us at both ends of the day, morning and evening. When the Muslims were tried, Abu Bakr set out as an emigrant towards the land of Abyssinia. When he reached Bark al-Ghimad ⁶, he met Ibn al-Daghina, who was the chief of the Qara ⁷, and he said: Where do you intend, O Abu Bakr? Abu Bakr said: My people have driven me out, so I want to travel in the land and worship my Lord. Ibn al-Daghina said: Indeed, one like you, O Abu Bakr, does not go out nor is he driven out. You earn for the destitute, maintain family ties, carry the burden, entertain guests, and help in the calamities of truth. I am your protector, so return and worship your Lord in your own land. So he returned, and Ibn al-Daghina traveled with him. Ibn al-Daghina went around in the evening among the nobles of Quraysh and said to them: Indeed, Abu Bakr is not one to be driven out, nor does one like him go out. Do you drive out a man who earns for the destitute, maintains family ties, carries the burden, entertains guests, and helps in the calamities of truth? So the Quraysh did not reject the protection of Ibn al-Daghina, and they said to Ibn al-Daghina: Order Abu Bakr to worship his Lord in his house, pray therein, and recite whatever he wishes, but let him not harm us with that nor do it openly, for we fear that he might tempt our women and children. Ibn al-Daghina said that to Abu Bakr. So Abu Bakr remained thus, worshipping his Lord in his house, not praying openly nor reciting outside his house. Then it occurred to Abu Bakr to build a mosque in the courtyard of his house, and he used to pray therein and recite the Qur'an. The women and children of the polytheists would gather around him, marveling at him and looking at him. Abu Bakr was a man who wept much and could not control his eyes when he recited the Qur'an. This alarmed the nobles of Quraysh among the polytheists, so they sent for Ibn al-Daghina, and he came to them. They said: We had granted protection to Abu Bakr under your protection on condition that he worship his Lord in his house, but he has exceeded that and built a mosque in the courtyard of his house, and he prays and recites openly therein. We fear that our children and women might be tempted. So forbid him. If he agrees to confine himself to worshipping his Lord in his house, he may do so; but if he insists on doing it openly, then ask him to return your covenant to you, for we dislike to break faith with you, and we will not allow Abu Bakr to do it openly. 'A'isha said: So Ibn al-Daghina came to Abu Bakr and said: You know the agreement I made with you. Either you confine yourself to that, or you return my covenant to me, for I do not like that the Arabs should hear that I have been betrayed in a man for whom I made a covenant. Abu Bakr said: Then I return your protection to you and am content with the protection of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Then he mentioned the rest of the hadith about the emigration of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as will come in detail. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Qasim narrated to me from his father al-Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Siddiq, who said: When Abu Bakr al-Siddiq left the protection of Ibn al-Daghina, a foolish person from the fools of Quraysh met him as he was heading to the Ka'ba, and he threw dust on his head. Abu Bakr passed by al-Walid ibn al-Mughira or al-'As ibn Wa'il, and Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him: Do you not see what this fool is doing? He said: You have done that to yourself. And he was saying: O Lord, how forbearing You are! O Lord, how forbearing You are! O Lord, how forbearing You are! Section: All these stories were mentioned by Ibn Ishaq, interjecting them between the alliance of Quraysh against Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib, their writing of the unjust document against them, and their besieging them in the mountain pass, and between the tearing up of the document and what happened concerning it. These are matters appropriate to this time, and for this reason al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever wants the Maghazi ⁸ is dependent on Ibn Ishaq. Ibn Ishaq said: This was while Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib were in their dwelling place where Quraysh had allied against them in the document they wrote. Then a number of Quraysh rose to tear up the document. No one excelled in this more than Hisham ibn 'Amr ibn al-Harith ibn Habib ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl ibn 'Amir ibn Lu'ayy. That was because he was the maternal nephew of Nadla ibn Hisham ibn 'Abd Manaf. Hisham was connected to Banu Hashim and had nobility among his people. He used, as far as I have heard, to bring a camel laden with food at night to Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib while they were in the mountain pass. When he reached the mouth of the pass, he would remove its halter from its head, then strike its flank, and it would enter the pass to them. Then he would bring another camel laden with wheat and do the same.

Then he went to Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayya ibn al-Mughira ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn Makhzum, whose mother was 'Atika bint 'Abd al-Muttalib, and said: "O Zuhayr, are you content to eat food, wear clothes, and marry women, while your maternal uncles are, as you know, neither bought nor sold from them, nor do they marry nor are they 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 invited you to regarding them, he would never have responded 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 annul 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." So he went to al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi 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 and agree with Quraysh in it? By Allah, if you allow them to do this, you will find them swift against 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?" 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 Umayya." He said: "Find us a fourth." So he went to Abu al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham and said to him something similar to what he said to al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi. He said: "Do you find anyone to help with this?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Who is he?" He said: "Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayya, al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi, and I am with you." He said: "Find us a fifth." So he went to Zam'a ibn al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib ibn Asad, spoke to him, and mentioned their kinship and their right. He said to him: "Is there anyone for this matter to which you invite me?" He said: "Yes." Then he named the men. They appointed a meeting at the hollow of Hajun ⁹ at night in the upper part of Mecca. They gathered there, agreed on their plan, and made a covenant to stand up regarding the scroll until they annulled it. Zuhayr said: "I will begin you and be the first to speak." When morning came, they went to their meeting places. Zuhayr ibn Abi Umayya, wearing a garment, went and circumambulated the House seven times, then faced the people and said: "O people of Mecca, shall we eat food and wear clothes while Banu Hashim are perishing, neither buying nor being bought from? By Allah, I will not sit until this oppressive, unjust scroll is torn up." Abu Jahl, who was in a corner of the mosque, said: "By Allah, it will not be torn up." Zam'a ibn al-Aswad said: "You, by Allah, are lying. We were not pleased with its writing when it was written." Abu al-Bakhtari said: "Zam'a 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 both have spoken the truth, and whoever says otherwise has lied. We disavow ourselves before Allah from it and from what was written in it." Hisham ibn 'Amr said something similar. Abu Jahl said: "This is a matter that was decided at night and consulted about elsewhere." Abu Talib was sitting in a corner of the mosque. Al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi stood up to tear the scroll, but found that the termites had eaten it except for "In Your name, O Allah." The scribe of the scroll, Mansur ibn 'Ikrima, had his hand paralyzed, as they claim. Ibn Hisham said: Some scholars mentioned that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Abu Talib: "O uncle, Allah has set the termite upon the scroll of Quraysh, and it has left no name that is for Allah except that it preserved it, and it removed from it injustice, severance, and slander." He said: "Did your Lord inform you of this?" He said: "Yes." He said: "By Allah, no one will enter upon you." Then he went out to Quraysh and said: "O company of Quraysh, my nephew has informed me of such and such. So bring your scroll. If it is as he said, then desist from our boycott and abandon it. If he is lying, I will hand my nephew over to you." The people said: "We are satisfied." So they made a covenant on that. Then they looked and found it as the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had said. That only increased them in evil. At that point, the group from Quraysh did what they did in annulling the scroll. Ibn Ishaq said: When it was torn and what was in it was invalidated, Abu Talib said, praising those who stood up to annul the scroll: "Has not the news reached our two seas ¹⁰ of our Lord's deed, despite their distance, and Allah is forbearing with people?" "To inform them that the scroll was torn, and that everything Allah does not approve is corrupt." "Falsehood and gathered sorcery alternated upon it, and no sorcery ascends at the end of time." "Those who were not in it called for it, and its bird ¹¹ in its head wanders." "It was a match, a blow at Athima ¹², to cut off from it an arm and a necklace." "And the people of the two Meccas ¹³ would depart and flee, their flanks trembling from fear of evil." "And a plowman ¹⁴ would be left turning over his affair, accused there then saved." "Whoever boasts of his glory from the residents of Mecca, our glory in the midst of Mecca is ancient." "We grew up there when people were few, and we did not cease to increase in goodness and be praised." "And we feed until people leave their surplus, when the hands of the givers tremble." "May Allah reward a group at Hajun who gathered, with a council that guides to resolve and directs." "Sitting at the hollow of Hajun, as if they were chiefs, nay, they are more glorious and noble." "Every falcon ¹⁵ helped in it, as if, when he walks in the folds of the armor, he is bold." "Bold against great matters, as if he is a firebrand in the hands of a fire-kindler, blazing." "From the most noble of Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib, when humiliation is offered, his face darkens." "Long of sword-belt, half his shin exposed, on his face rain is watered and he is fortunate." "Great of ash-heap ¹⁶, a chief and son of a chief, urging hospitality to guests and striving." "And he builds righteousness for the sons of the clan, when we wander in the lands, and he paves." "Every blameless one, great of banner, whose affair is then praised, clung to this peace." "They fulfilled what they fulfilled in their night, then they arose at leisure while the rest of the people were asleep." "They returned Sahl ibn Bayda' satisfied, and Abu Bakr and Muhammad were delighted with it." "When will the people be partners in the solution of our affair, while we were formerly before it affectionate?" "And we were formerly not accepting injustice, and we attain what we wish without being harsh." "O sons of Qusayy, do you have concern for yourselves, and do you have concern for what tomorrow brings?" "For I and you are as the speaker said: 'The statement is with you, if you would speak, O Aswad ¹⁷.'" Al-Suhayli said: Aswad is the name of a mountain where a slain person was killed and his killer was not known. So the guardians of the slain said: "The statement is with you, if you would speak, O Aswad." That is, "O Aswad, if you could speak, you would inform us of who killed him." Then Ibn Ishaq mentioned the poetry of Hassan praising al-Mut'im ibn 'Adi and Hisham ibn 'Amr for their standing in annulling the oppressive, sinful, tyrannical scroll. Al-Umawi mentioned here many poems, but we suffice with what Ibn Ishaq reported. Al-Waqidi said: I asked Muhammad ibn Salih and 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz: "When did Banu Hashim leave the ravine?" They said: "In the tenth year, meaning from the beginning of the prophethood, three years before the Hijra." I say: In this year, after their exit, Abu Talib, the uncle of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his wife Khadija bint Khuwaylid, may Allah be pleased with her, died. As will be explained later, if Allah Almighty wills.

Chapter. Muhammad ibn Ishaq, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned after the annulment of the document many stories that include the establishment of enmity of Quraysh against the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and their incitement of the Arab tribes and those coming to Mecca for Hajj ¹⁸, Umrah ¹⁹, or other purposes, and Allah's manifestation of miracles at his hands, as evidence of his truthfulness in what he brought them of clear proofs and guidance, and as a refutation of them in their accusations of transgression, aggression, deceit, and their accusations of madness, sorcery, soothsaying, and fabrication. And Allah prevails in His command. * * * He then mentioned the story of al-Tufayl ibn Amr al-Dawsi as a mursal ²⁰ narration. He was a chieftain, obeyed, noble among Daws. He had come to Mecca, and the nobles of Quraysh gathered to him and warned him against the Messenger of Allah and forbade him from meeting him or hearing his words. He said: By Allah, they kept at me until I resolved not to hear anything from him nor speak to him, so I stuffed my ears with cotton ²¹ when I went to the mosque, fearing that something of his speech might reach me, while I did not want to hear it. He said: I went to the mosque, and there was the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, standing in prayer at the Kaaba ²². He said: I stood near him, but Allah willed that I should hear some of his speech. He said: I heard beautiful speech. I said to myself: Woe to my mother! By Allah, I am an intelligent man, 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. He said: I waited until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left for his house. I followed him until he entered his house, then I entered upon him and said: O Muhammad, your people said such and such to me—what they said. He said: By Allah, they kept frightening me about your affair until I blocked my ears with cotton so as not to hear your speech. Then Allah willed that I should hear your speech, and I heard beautiful speech. 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 Quran to me. By Allah, I have never heard speech more beautiful than it, nor a matter more just than it. He said: So I embraced Islam and testified to the truth, and said: O Prophet of Allah, I am a man obeyed among my people, and I am returning to them and calling them to Islam. So pray to Allah to give me a sign that will help me in calling them. He said: He said: O Allah, give him a sign. He said: I set out to my people. When I reached a mountain pass overlooking the settlement, a light like a lamp appeared between my eyes. He said: I said: O Allah, place it elsewhere than my face, for I fear they might think it is a disfigurement that befell my face because of my abandonment of their religion. He said: So it moved and settled on the tip of my whip. He said: The people in the settlement began to see that light on the tip of my whip like a hanging lantern as I descended upon them from the pass, until I came to them and spent the morning among them. When I alighted, my father came to me—he was an old man. I said: Keep away from me, O father, for I am not of you and you are not of me. He said: Why, my son? I said: I have embraced Islam and followed the religion of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said: My son, your religion is my religion. I said: Then go and wash yourself and purify your clothes, then come to me so that I may teach you what I have learned. He said: So he went, washed himself and purified his clothes, then came, and I presented Islam to him, and he embraced 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. 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: Your religion is my religion. I said: Then go to the sanctuary ²³ of Dhu al-Shara ²⁴ and purify yourself from it. Dhu al-Shara was an idol of Daws, and the sanctuary was a protected area around it, with a trickle of water descending from a mountain. She said: May my father and mother be your ransom, do you fear anything for the young girl from Dhu al-Shara? I said: No, I guarantee that. He said: So she went and washed herself, then came, and I presented Islam to her, and she embraced Islam. 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. I said: O Messenger of Allah, adultery 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 ²⁵, Uhud ²⁶, and al-Khandaq ²⁷ 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 embraced Islam with me, while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was at Khaybar ²⁸. 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. Then I remained with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, until Allah granted him victory over Mecca. I said: O Messenger of Allah, send me to Dhu al-Kaffayn ²⁹, the idol of Amr ibn Humama, so that I may burn it. Ibn Ishaq said: So he went out to it. Al-Tufayl, as he set fire to it, said: "O Dhu al-Kaffayn, I am not of your worshippers; our birth is older than your birth; I have stuffed fire into your heart." He said: Then he returned to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and stayed with him in Medina until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed away. When the Arabs apostatized, al-Tufayl went out with the Muslims. He marched with them until they finished with Tulayha ³⁰ and all the land of Najd ³¹. Then he marched with the Muslims to al-Yamama ³², accompanied by his son Amr ibn al-Tufayl. He saw a dream while heading to al-Yamama. He 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 vulva, and I saw my son seeking me eagerly, then he was prevented from me. They said: Good. He said: As for me, by Allah, I have interpreted it. They said: What is it? He said: As for the shaving of my head, it is its removal. As for the bird that came out of it, it is my soul. As for the woman who inserted me into her vulva, it is the earth being dug for me, and I will be hidden in it. As for my son seeking me and then being prevented from me, I see that he will strive to attain what befell me. He was killed, may Allah the Exalted have mercy on him, as a martyr at al-Yamama. His son was severely wounded, then recovered, then was killed in the year of al-Yarmuk ³³ during the time of Umar ³⁴ as a martyr. May Allah have mercy on him. Thus Muhammad ibn Ishaq mentioned the story of al-Tufayl ibn Amr as a mursal narration without an isnad ³⁵. His report has a witness in a sound hadith ³⁶. * * * Imam Ahmad said: Waki narrated to us, Sufyan narrated to us, from Abu al-Zinad, from al-Araj, from Abu Hurayra, who said: When al-Tufayl and his companions came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he said: Daws has become obstinate. He said: "O Allah, guide Daws and bring them." Al-Bukhari narrated it from Abu Nuaym, from Sufyan al-Thawri. Imam Ahmad said: Yazid narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Amr informed us, from Abu Salama, from Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: Al-Tufayl ibn Amr al-Dawsi and his companions came and said: O Messenger of Allah, Daws has disobeyed and refused, so pray to Allah against them. Abu Hurayra said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, raised his hands, and I said: Daws is destroyed! But he said: "O Allah, guide Daws and bring them." Its chain is good, but they did not record it.

Imam Ahmad said: Sulayman ibn Harb narrated to us, from Hammad ibn Zayd, from Hajjaj al-Sawwaf, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, that al-Tufayl ibn 'Amr al-Dawsi came to the Prophet ³⁷, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: "O Messenger of Allah, do you have any interest in a fortified fortress and protection?" referring to a fortress that belonged to Daws in the pre-Islamic period. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, declined that, because of what Allah had reserved for the Ansar ³⁸. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, migrated to Medina, al-Tufayl ibn 'Amr migrated to him, and a man from his people migrated with him. They found the climate of Medina disagreeable ³⁹, and the man fell ill and became distressed. He took some arrowheads and cut his knuckles ⁴⁰ with them, and his hands gushed blood and did not stop until he died. Al-Tufayl ibn 'Amr saw him in a dream in a good appearance, and saw him covering his hands. He said to him: "What did your Lord do with you?" He replied: "He forgave me because of my migration to His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him." He said: "Why do I see you covering your hands?" He said: "It was said to me: 'What you have corrupted will not be made right from you.'" Al-Tufayl then related this to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "O Allah, forgive his hands as well." Muslim narrated it from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shayba and Ishaq ibn Ibrahim, both from Sulayman ibn Harb. If it is said: What is the reconciliation between this hadith and what is established in the two Sahihs ⁴¹ via al-Hasan, from Jundab, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Among those before you was a man who had a wound and became distressed. He took a knife and cut his hand with it, and the blood did not stop until he died. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: 'My servant hastened to take his own life, so I have forbidden Paradise to him.'" The answer is from several aspects: First, that man may have been a polytheist, while this one was a believer. And that act was made an independent cause for his entry into the Fire, even if his polytheism was independent, but He mentioned this so that his nation might take heed. Second, that man may have known it was forbidden, while this one did not know due to his recent acceptance of Islam. Third, that man may have done it considering it lawful, while this one did not consider it lawful but was mistaken. Fourth, that man may have intended by his mentioned act to kill himself, unlike this one, for it is possible that he did not intend to kill himself but intended something else. Fifth, that man may have had few good deeds, so they did not outweigh the magnitude of his mentioned sin, and he entered the Fire; while this one may have had many good deeds, so they outweighed the sin, and he did not enter the Fire, but was forgiven due to his migration to his Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. However, the defect remained in his hand only, while the rest of his appearance was good, so he covered the defective part. When al-Tufayl ibn 'Amr saw him covering his hands, he said to him: "What is the matter with you?" He said: "It was said to me: 'What you have corrupted will not be made right from you.'" When al-Tufayl related this to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, he prayed for him, saying: "O Allah, forgive his hands as well," meaning, rectify what was corrupted in them. And the reality is that Allah answered the prayer of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, concerning the companion of al-Tufayl ibn 'Amr. The story of A'sha ibn Qays: Ibn Hisham said: Khallad ibn Qurra ibn Khalid al-Sadusi and others from the elders of Bakr ibn Wa'il narrated to me, from the people of knowledge, that A'sha ibn Qays ibn Tha'laba ibn 'Ukaba ibn Sa'b ibn 'Ali ibn Bakr ibn Wa'il set out to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, intending to accept Islam. He composed poetry praising the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "Did your eyes not close at night, inflamed? / And you spent the night like a sleepless, feverish one? / That is not from love of women, but rather / You have forgotten before today a threatened friendship. / But I see that time, which is treacherous, / When my hands set things right, it returns and corrupts. / I have lost elders and youths and wealth, / So to Allah belongs this time, how it fluctuates! / I have been seeking wealth since I was young, / A child, an adult, when I grew old and beardless. / And I weary the swift camels that climb / The distance between al-Nujayr and Sarhad. / O you who ask where I am heading, / Indeed, they have an appointment in the land of Yathrib. / If you ask about me, O Lord, many a questioner / Is well-informed about A'sha where he ascended. / My legs hastened in the journey, and my hands / Plied a soft, not rough, rein. / And in it: When a swift she-camel travels at noon, / You would think the chameleon of the midday heat is a hunted one. / And I swore I would not stop for weariness / Or lameness until I meet Muhammad. / Whenever you halt at the door of Ibn Hashim, / 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 charities that are not intermittent, and a gift, / So today's giving does not prevent tomorrow's. / Indeed, have you not heard the counsel of Muhammad, / The Prophet of God, when he counseled and testified? / If you do not travel with a provision of piety, / And meet after death those who have provided, / You will regret that you were not like him, / And prepare for the matter that he prepared for. / So beware of dead things, do not approach them, / And do not take a sharp arrow to shoot. / And the erected idol, do not sacrifice to it, / And do not worship idols, but worship Allah. / And do not approach a free woman whose secret / Is forbidden to you, but marry or remain single. / And the close relative, do not sever ties with him / For a consequence, nor the fettered captive. / And glorify at evening and forenoon, / And do not praise Satan, but praise Allah. / And do not mock a wretched person in distress, / And do not think that wealth makes one immortal." Ibn Hisham said: When he was in Mecca or near it, some polytheists from Quraysh intercepted him and asked him about his matter. He informed them that he had come intending to see the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, to accept Islam. They said to him: "O Abu Basir, he forbids adultery." A'sha said: "By Allah, that is a matter I have no interest in." They said: "O Abu Basir, he forbids wine." A'sha said: "As for this, by Allah, I have lingering desires for it. But I will turn back and drink my fill this year, then I will come to him and accept Islam." So he turned back and died that same year, and did not return to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Ibn Hisham thus related this story here, and he frequently criticizes Muhammad ibn Ishaq, may Allah have mercy on him. This is one of the things for which Ibn Hisham, may Allah have mercy on him, is criticized! For wine was only forbidden in Medina after the battle of Banu al-Nadir, as will be explained later. So it appears that A'sha's resolve to come for Islam was only after the Hijra, and his poetry indicates that, namely his saying: "O you who ask where I am heading, / Indeed, they have an appointment in the land of Yathrib." It would have been more appropriate and fitting for Ibn Hisham to delay mentioning this story until after the Hijra, and not to mention it here. And Allah knows best. Al-Suhayli said: This is an oversight by Ibn Hisham and those who followed him, for the people are agreed that the prohibition of wine was only revealed in Medina after Uhud. And it is said that the one who spoke to A'sha was Abu Jahl ibn Hisham in the house of 'Utba ibn Rabi'a. Abu 'Ubayda mentioned that the one who said that to him was 'Amir ibn al-Tufayl in the land of Qays, while he was heading to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. He said: And his saying: "Then I will come and accept Islam" does not remove him from his disbelief, without dispute. And Allah knows best.

Then Ibn Isḥāq mentioned here the story of the al-Irāshī and how he sought redress from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ against Abū Jahl concerning the price of the camel he had purchased from him, and how Allah humiliated Abū Jahl and forced him to relent until he paid him its price on the spot. We have already presented this at the beginning of the revelation, and what occurred of the polytheists' harm at that time. (6 - al-Sīrah - 2) The story of the wrestling match with Rukānah and how he showed him the tree which he called, and it came forward, ﷺ. Ibn Isḥāq said: My father, Isḥāq ibn Yasār, narrated to me, saying: Rukānah ibn ‘Abd Yazīd ibn Hāshim ibn al-Muṭṭalib ibn ‘Abd Manāf was the strongest of Quraysh. One day he secluded himself with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in one of the ravines of Mecca. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: "What do you think 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 him and wrestled him. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ seized him, he laid him down, unable to control himself at all. 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?" He said: "And more astonishing than that, if you wish, I can show it to you, if you fear Allah and follow my command." He said: "And what is it?" He said: "I call this tree that you see, and it comes to me." He said: "Then call it." So he called it, and it came forward until it stood before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Then he said to it: "Return to your place!" So it returned to its place. He said: Then Rukānah went to his people and said: "O Banī ‘Abd Manāf, your companion has bewitched the people of the earth! For by Allah, I have never seen anyone more sorcerous than him!" Then he told them what he had seen and what he had done. Thus Ibn Isḥāq narrated this story as a mursal (disconnected chain) with this exposition. Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī narrated from the ḥadīth of Abū al-Ḥasan al-‘Asqalānī, from Abū Ja‘far ibn Muḥammad ibn Rukānah, from his father, that Rukānah wrestled the Prophet ﷺ, and the Prophet ﷺ wrestled him down. Then al-Tirmidhī said: "Gharīb (unfamiliar)." And we do not know Abū al-Ḥasan nor Ibn Rukānah. I say: Abū Bakr al-Shāfi‘ī narrated with a good chain, from Ibn ‘Abbās, may Allah be pleased with them both: That Yazīd ibn Rukānah wrestled the Prophet ﷺ, and the Prophet ﷺ wrestled him down three times, each time for a hundred sheep. When it was the third time, he said: "O Muḥammad, no one has ever placed my back on the ground before you, and no one was more hateful to me than you, and I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah." So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up from him and returned his sheep to him. As for the story of his calling the tree and it coming forward, it will come in the Book of Proofs of Prophethood after the Sīrah, through good and authentic chains, on multiple occasions, if Allah wills, and in Him is trust. It has already preceded from Abū al-Ashaddayn that he wrestled the Prophet ﷺ, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrestled him down. Then Ibn Isḥāq mentioned the story of the arrival of the Christians from the people of Abyssinia, about twenty riders, to Mecca, and they all became Muslim to the last of them. This has already preceded after the story of the Negus. And to Allah belongs praise and favor. * * * Ibn Isḥāq said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat in the mosque, and the weak ones among his Companions sat with him—Khabbāb, ‘Ammār, Abū Fukayhah Yasār (31), the freedman of Ṣafwān ibn Umayyah, Ṣuhayb, and others like them among the Muslims—Quraysh mocked them, and some of them said to others: "These are his companions, as you see. Are these the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed guidance and the true religion from among us? If what Muḥammad has brought were good, these would not have preceded us to it, nor would Allah have singled them out for it over us." So Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed concerning them: "And do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and evening, seeking His face. Not upon you is anything of their account, nor upon them is anything of your account, so that you would drive them away and thus be among the wrongdoers. And thus We have tried some of them by others, that they might say, 'Are these the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor from among us?' Is not Allah most knowing of the 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 it and reforms—then indeed He is Forgiving and Merciful.'" (32) He said: And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ often sat near al-Marwah at the shop (33) of a Christian boy called Jabr, a slave of Banī al-Ḥaḍramī. They used to say: "By Allah, Muḥammad learns much of what he brings only from Jabr." So Allah, the Exalted, revealed concerning that saying of theirs: "It is only a human being who teaches him. The tongue of the one they incline to is foreign, while this is a clear Arabic tongue." (34) Then he mentioned the revelation of Sūrat al-Kawthar concerning al-‘Āṣ ibn Wā’il when he said about the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: "He is cut off (abtar)," meaning he has no progeny. When he dies, his mention will cease. So Allah, the Exalted, said: "Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off (al-abtar)," meaning the one whose mention is cut off after him, even if he leaves behind thousands of offspring and descendants. For remembrance, fame, and a good reputation are not due to abundance of children, offspring, and progeny. We have discussed this sūrah in the Tafsīr. And to Allah belongs praise. It has been narrated from Abū Ja‘far al-Bāqir that al-‘Āṣ ibn Wā’il only said that when al-Qāsim, the son of the Prophet ﷺ, died, and he had reached the age of riding a mount and traveling on a swift she-camel. Then he mentioned the revelation of His saying: "And they say, 'Why was an angel not sent down upon him?' If We had sent down an angel, the matter would have been decided." (35) This was due to the saying of Ubayy ibn Khalaf, Zam‘ah ibn al-Aswad, al-‘Āṣ ibn Wā’il, and al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith: "Why is an angel not sent down to you to speak to the people on your behalf?" Ibn Isḥāq said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by—according to what has reached us—al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, and Abū Jahl ibn Hishām, and they taunted and mocked him. This angered him, so Allah, the Exalted, revealed concerning that matter of theirs: "And indeed, messengers before you were mocked, but those who scoffed were enveloped by what they used to mock." (1) I say: And Allah, the Exalted, said: "And indeed, messengers before you were denied, and they bore patiently the denial and harm until Our victory came to them. And there is no changer of the words of Allah. And there has come to you some information about the messengers." (1) And He, the Exalted, said: "Indeed, We will suffice you against the mockers." (2) Sufyān said: From Ja‘far ibn Iyās, from Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ‘Abbās. He said: The mockers were: al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah, al-Aswad ibn ‘Abd Yaghūth al-Zuhrī, al-Aswad ibn al-Muṭṭalib Abū Zam‘ah, al-Ḥārith ibn ‘Ayṭal (36), and al-‘Āṣ ibn Wā’il al-Sahmī. Jibrīl came to him, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ complained about them to him. He showed him al-Walīd, and Jibrīl pointed to his finger and said: "You are sufficed against him." Then he showed him al-Aswad ibn al-Muṭṭalib, and he gestured to his neck and said: "You are sufficed against him." Then he showed him al-Aswad ibn ‘Abd Yaghūth, and he gestured to his head and said: "You are sufficed against him." Then he showed him al-Ḥārith ibn ‘Ayṭal, and he gestured to his belly and said: "You are sufficed against him." And al-‘Āṣ ibn Wā’il passed by him, and he gestured to the sole of his foot and said: "You are sufficed against him."

As for al-Walīd, he passed by a man from Khuzā‘ah who was fletching arrows for himself, and an arrow struck his fingertip and cut it off. As for al-Aswad ibn ‘Abd Yaghūth, he developed sores on his head and died from them. As for al-Aswad ibn al-Muṭṭalib, he became blind. The cause of that was that he sat under a gum acacia tree and began to say, 'O my sons, will you not defend me? I am being killed!' They kept saying, 'We see nothing.' And he kept saying, 'O my sons, will you not protect me? I am perishing! Here is the stabbing with thorns in my eye!' They kept saying, 'We see nothing.' He continued like that until both his eyes went blind. As for al-Ḥārith ibn ‘Ayṭal, he was seized by jaundice in his belly until his excrement came out of his mouth, and he died from it. As for al-‘Āṣ ibn Wā’il, one day while he was like that, a shibriqah ⁴² entered his head until it filled with it, and he died from it. Another narrator said in this report: He rode to Ṭā’if on a donkey, and it lay down with him on a shibriqah, meaning a thorn, and a thorn entered the arch of his foot and killed him. Al-Bayhaqī narrated it with a similar context. * * * Ibn Isḥāq said: The leaders of the mockers, as Yazīd ibn Rūmān narrated to me from ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, were five men, and they were of age and nobility among their people: al-Aswad ibn al-Muṭṭalib Abū Zam‘ah—the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, invoked against him, saying, 'O Allah, blind his sight and bereave him of his child'; al-Aswad ibn ‘Abd Yaghūth; al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah; al-‘Āṣ ibn Wā’il; and al-Ḥārith ibn al-Ṭulāṭilah. He mentioned that Allah the Exalted revealed concerning them: 'So proclaim what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists. Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers who make with Allah another god. But they will come to know.' ⁴³ He mentioned that Gabriel came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while they were circumambulating the House, and he stood, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood beside him. Al-Aswad ibn al-Muṭṭalib passed by him, and he threw a green leaf in his face, and he became blind. Al-Aswad ibn ‘Abd Yaghūth passed by him, and he pointed to his belly, and his insides became dropsical, and he died from it as a hydroptic. Al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah passed by him, and he pointed to the trace of a wound on the lower part of his ankle, which he had sustained years earlier from passing by a man from Khuzā‘ah who was fletching arrows for himself—an arrow caught on his waist-wrapper and scratched him slightly—and it reopened after that and he died. Al-‘Āṣ ibn Wā’il passed by him, and he pointed to the arch of his foot. He went out on a donkey of his heading for Ṭā’if, and it lay down with him on a shibriqah, and a thorn entered the arch of his foot and killed him. Al-Ḥārith ibn al-Ṭulāṭilah passed by him, and he pointed to his head, and it filled with pus and killed him. * * * Then Ibn Isḥāq mentioned that when al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah was on his deathbed, he bequeathed to his three sons—Khālid, Hishām, and al-Walīd. He said to them: 'O my sons, I enjoin you with three things: my blood-money concerning Khuzā‘ah—do not let it be delayed ⁴⁴; by Allah, I know they are innocent of it, but I fear that you will be reviled for it after today; my usury with Thaqīf—do not leave it until you take it; and my bridal gift ⁴⁵ with Abū Uzayhir al-Dawsī—do not let it escape you.' Abū Uzayhir had married a daughter of his to al-Walīd, then withheld her from him and did not let her enter upon him until he died, and he had taken her bridal gift from him, which was her dowry. When al-Walīd died, the Banū Makhzūm attacked Khuzā‘ah, seeking from them the blood-wit for al-Walīd, saying, 'It was your companion's arrow that killed him.' But Khuzā‘ah refused them that, until they exchanged poems and the matter became serious between them. Then Khuzā‘ah gave them some of the blood-wit, and they made peace and separated. Ibn Isḥāq said: Then Hishām ibn al-Walīd attacked Abū Uzayhir while he was at the market of Dhū al-Majāz and killed him. He was a nobleman among his people, and his daughter was married to Abū Sufyān. That was after Badr. Yazīd ibn Abī Sufyān set about gathering people against the Banū Makhzūm, while his father was absent. When Abū Sufyān came, he was angered by what his son Yazīd had done, so he rebuked him, struck him, and paid the blood-wit for Abū Uzayhir, saying to his son: 'Did you intend that Quraysh should kill one another over a man from Daws?' Ḥassān ibn Thābit wrote a poem urging Abū Sufyān regarding the blood of Abū Uzayhir, but he said: 'How bad is what Ḥassān thought, that some of us should kill others when our nobles have perished on the day of Badr.' When Khālid ibn al-Walīd embraced Islam and witnessed Ṭā’if with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he asked him about his father's usury from the people of Ṭā’if. Ibn Isḥāq said: Some people of knowledge related to me that these verses were revealed concerning that: 'O you who have believed, fear Allah and give up what remains [due to you] of usury, if you should be believers' ⁴⁶ and what follows. Ibn Isḥāq said: There was no vengeance taken among the Banū Uzayhir that we know of until Islam intervened between the people, except that Ḍirār ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ibn Mirdās al-Aslamī ⁴⁷ went out with a group of Quraysh to the land of Daws. They stayed with a woman called Umm Ghaylān, a client of Daws, who used to comb women's hair and prepare brides. Daws wanted to kill them for Abū Uzayhir, but Umm Ghaylān and some women with her stood in the way and prevented them. Al-Suhaylī said: It is said that she placed him between her armor and her body. Ibn Hishām said: During the days of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, Umm Ghaylān came to him, thinking that Ḍirār was his brother. ‘Umar said to her: 'I am not his brother except in Islam, and I have recognized your favor upon him.' So he gave her something as a wayfarer. Ibn Hishām said: Ḍirār ibn al-Khaṭṭāb had caught up with ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb on the day of Uḥud and kept striking him with the flat of the spear, saying, 'Escape, O son of al-Khaṭṭāb, I will not kill you.' So ‘Umar acknowledged that to him after Islam. May Allah be pleased with them both. Section: Al-Bayhaqī mentioned here the Prophet's, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, supplication against Quraysh when they persisted in opposition to him, with seven years like the seven years of Joseph. He cited what the two Ṣaḥīḥs ⁴⁸ recorded via al-A‘mash, from Muslim ibn Ṣubayḥ, from Masrūq, from Ibn Mas‘ūd. He said: Five things have passed: the inevitable punishment, the Romans, the smoke, the great assault, and the moon. In another narration from Ibn Mas‘ūd, he said: When Quraysh persisted in opposition to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and delayed embracing Islam, he said: 'O Allah, help me against them with seven years like the seven years of Joseph.' He said: So a drought afflicted them until it consumed everything, until they ate carcasses and dead meat, and until one of them would see between him and the sky something like smoke from hunger. Then he supplicated, and Allah removed it from them. Then ‘Abdullāh recited this verse: 'Indeed, We will remove the punishment for a little; indeed, you [will] return.' ⁴⁹ He said: So they returned and disbelieved, and they were postponed until the Day of Resurrection, or he said: they were postponed until the day of Badr. ‘Abdullāh said: If that were the Day of Resurrection, it would not be removed from them: 'The day We strike with the great assault; indeed, We will exact retribution.' ⁵⁰ He said: The day of Badr. In another narration from him: He said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw the people turning away, he said: 'O Allah, seven years like the seven years of Joseph.' So a drought seized them until they ate dead meat, skins, and bones. Then Abū Sufyān and some people from Mecca came to him and said: 'O Muḥammad, you claim that you were sent as a mercy, but your people have perished. Supplicate Allah for them.' So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, supplicated, and they were given rain. It poured down on them for seven days, and the people complained of the abundance of rain. So he said: 'O Allah, around us and not upon us.' The clouds withdrew from above his head, and the people around them were watered.

He said: The sign of the smoke has passed, and it is the hunger that afflicted them, and that is His saying: "Indeed, We will remove the punishment for a little; indeed, you will return" ⁵¹. And the sign of the Romans ⁵², and the great assault ⁵³, and the splitting of the moon ⁵⁴, and all of that occurred on the day of Badr. Al-Bayhaqi said: He means, and Allah knows best, the great assault, the smoke, and the sign of the inevitable punishment ⁵⁵ all occurred at Badr. He said: Al-Bukhari alluded to this narration, then he cited via 'Abd al-Razzaq from Ma'mar, from Ayyub, from 'Ikrimah, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: Abu Sufyan came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, seeking relief from hunger because they found nothing to eat until they ate al-'ihn ⁵⁶, so Allah the Exalted revealed: "And We had seized them with punishment, but they did not humble themselves to their Lord, nor did they supplicate" ⁵⁷. He said: So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, supplicated until Allah relieved them. Then al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi said: It has been narrated in the story of Abu Sufyan what indicates that this was after the Hijra, and perhaps it occurred twice. And Allah knows best. Section: Then al-Bayhaqi cited the story of Persia and Rome and the revelation of His saying: "Alif, Lam, Meem. The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land, but they, after their defeat, will overcome within a few years. To Allah belongs the command before and after. And on that day, the believers will rejoice in the victory of Allah. He gives victory to whom He wills, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful" ⁵⁸. Then he narrated via Sufyan al-Thawri, from Habib ibn Abi 'Amr, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The Muslims loved that the Romans should prevail over Persia because they were People of the Book, while the polytheists loved that Persia should prevail over the Romans because they were idolaters. So the Muslims mentioned that to Abu Bakr, and Abu Bakr mentioned it to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: "Indeed, they will prevail." So Abu Bakr mentioned that to the polytheists, and they said: Set a term between us and you; if they prevail, you will have such and such, and if we prevail, we will have such and such. So Abu Bakr mentioned that to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: "Why did you not make it less than ten?" So they prevailed after that. We have cited the chains of this hadith in the Tafsir and mentioned that the one who made the wager with Abu Bakr was Umayyah ibn Khalaf, and that the wager was on five she-camels, and that it was for a set period, and al-Siddiq increased it on the order of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, both in the term and the wager. And that the victory of the Romans over Persia was on the day of Badr, or on the day of al-Hudaybiyyah; Allah knows best. Then he narrated via al-Walid ibn Muslim, who said: Asid al-Kilabi narrated to us that he heard al-'Ala' ibn al-Zubayr al-Kilabi narrating from his father, who said: I saw the victory of Persia over Rome, then I saw the victory of Rome over Persia, then I saw the victory of the Muslims over Persia and Rome, and their dominance over Syria and Iraq—all within fifteen years! Section on the Night Journey of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, from Mecca to Bayt al-Maqdis ⁵⁹, then his ascension from there to the heavens, and what he saw there of signs. Ibn 'Asakir mentioned the hadiths of the Night Journey at the beginning of the mission, while Ibn Ishaq mentioned them in this context about ten years after the mission. Al-Bayhaqi narrated via Musa ibn 'Uqbah, from al-Zuhri, that he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was taken on the Night Journey one year before his departure to Medina. He said: And similarly, Ibn Lahi'ah mentioned it from Abu al-Aswad, from 'Urwah. Then al-Hakim narrated from al-Asamm, from Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar, from Yunus ibn Bukayr, from Asbat ibn Nasr, from Isma'il al-Suddi, that he said: The five prayers were made obligatory upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, at Bayt al-Maqdis on the night of his Night Journey, sixteen months before his emigration. According to al-Suddi's statement, the Night Journey would have been in the month of Dhu al-Qa'dah, and according to al-Zuhri and 'Urwah, it would have been in Rabi' al-Awwal. Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah said: 'Uthman narrated to us from Sa'id ibn Minā', from Jabir and Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was born in the Year of the Elephant on Monday, the twelfth of Rabi' al-Awwal; in it he was sent as a prophet; in it he was taken up to heaven; in it he emigrated; and in it he died. There is a break in this chain. Al-Hafiz 'Abd al-Ghani ibn Surur al-Maqdisi chose this in his Sirah, and he cited a hadith whose chain is not sound, which we mentioned in the virtues of the month of Rajab, that the Night Journey was on the night of the twenty-seventh of Rajab. And Allah knows best. Some people claim that the Night Journey was on the first Friday night of Rajab, which is the Night of Desires ⁶⁰ in which the famous prayer was innovated; there is no basis for that. And Allah knows best. Some recite poetry about that: "On Friday night the Prophet ascended, on Friday night, the first of Rajab." This poetry is weak; we only mention it as evidence for those who say it. We have mentioned the hadiths on this subject in detail in connection with His saying: "Exalted is He who took His servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing" ⁶¹. So let it be written from there with its chains and attributions, and the discussion on it along with them. For in that there is sufficiency and adequacy. And to Allah be praise and gratitude. * * * Let us summarize the words of Ibn Ishaq, may Allah have mercy on him: He said after mentioning the preceding sections: Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was taken by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, which is Bayt al-Maqdis in Iliya', while Islam had spread in Mecca among Quraysh and all the tribes. He said: Among the hadith about his Night Journey, peace and blessings be upon him, as it reached me from Ibn Mas'ud, Abu Sa'id, 'A'ishah, Mu'awiyah, Umm Hani' bint Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with them, al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan, Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, Qatadah, and others among the people of knowledge, what is combined in this hadith, each narrating about him some of what was mentioned to me of his affair. In his Night Journey, peace and blessings be upon him, and what was mentioned to me of it, there was a trial and a test, and a matter of Allah's command, power, and authority, containing a lesson for those of understanding, and guidance, mercy, and steadfastness for those who believe, affirm, and are certain of Allah's command. So he was taken by night as He willed and as He wished, to show him of His signs what He intended, until he witnessed what he witnessed of His command, His great authority, and His power by which He does what He wills. 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, as it reached me, used to say: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was brought al-Buraq ⁶², the mount that the prophets before him used to ride; it places its hoof at the farthest point of its sight. He was mounted on it. Then his companion ⁶³ went out with him, showing him the signs between heaven and earth, until he reached Bayt al-Maqdis. There he found Ibrahim, Musa, and 'Isa among a group of prophets who had been gathered for him, and he led them in prayer. Then he was brought three vessels: milk, wine, and water. He mentioned that he drank the vessel of milk, and Jibril said to him: "You have been guided, and your ummah has been guided." * * * Ibn Ishaq mentioned in the context of al-Hasan al-Basri's mursal narration that Jibril woke him, then went out with him to the door of al-Masjid al-Haram, and mounted him on al-Buraq, which is a white animal between a mule and a donkey, and...

Its thighs were two wings with which it propelled its hind legs, placing its hoof at the extremity of its foreleg. Then he mounted me on it, and then he went out with me, neither he outrunning me nor I outrunning him. I say: In the hadith, as related by Qatada according to Ibn Ishaq, when the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) wanted to mount al-Buraq ⁶⁴, it shied away from him. So Gabriel placed his hand on its mane and said: "Are you not ashamed, O Buraq, of what you do? By God, no servant of God has ridden you before Muhammad who is more honorable to Him than him." He said: Then it became ashamed until sweat poured from it, then it calmed down until I mounted it. Al-Hasan said in his narration: So the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) went, and Gabriel went with him, until he brought him to Bayt al-Maqdis ⁶⁵. There he found Abraham, Moses, and Jesus among a group of prophets. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) led them in prayer. Then he mentioned his choice of the vessel of milk over the vessel of wine, and Gabriel's saying to him: "You have been guided, and your community has been guided, and wine has been forbidden to you." He said: Then the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) returned to Mecca, and in the morning he informed Quraysh of that. He mentioned that most people denied him, and a group apostatized after their Islam. Al-Siddiq ⁶⁶ hastened to affirm him and said: "I affirm him regarding the news of heaven morning and evening; shall I not affirm him regarding Bayt al-Maqdis?" And he mentioned that al-Siddiq asked him about the description of Bayt al-Maqdis, and the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) described it to him. He said: That day he was named Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. Al-Hasan said: And God revealed concerning that: "And We made not the vision which We showed you except as a trial for the people" ⁶⁷ — the verse. * * * Ibn Ishaq mentioned, according to what reached him from Umm Hani', that she said: The Night Journey of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) was only from my house. He slept at my place that night after praying the last evening prayer. When it was near dawn, he woke us. Then when it was morning and we prayed with him, he said: "O Umm Hani', I prayed the last evening prayer with you in this valley, then I came to Bayt al-Maqdis and prayed there, then I have prayed the morning prayer with you now as you see." Then he stood to leave, and I took hold of the edge of his cloak and said: "O Prophet of God, do not tell this story to the people, lest they deny you and harm you." He said: "By God, I will tell them." So he told them, and they denied him. He said: The sign of that is that I passed by the camels of the sons of so-and-so in such-and-such valley, and the sound of the mount startled them, and a camel of theirs ran away, and I directed them to it while I was heading to Syria. Then I came back until when I was at Dajnan ⁶⁸, I passed by the camels of the sons of 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, drank what was in it, then covered it as it was. And the sign of that is that their caravan is now descending from the white pass of al-Tan'im ⁶⁹, led by a gray camel carrying two saddlebags, one black and the other speckled. He said: So the people rushed to the pass, and the first thing they encountered was the camel he had described to them. They asked them about the vessel and the camel, and they told them as the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) had mentioned. Yunus ibn Bukayr mentioned, from Asbat, from Isma'il al-Suddi, that the sun was about to set before that caravan arrived, so he called upon God Almighty, and He held it back until they arrived as he had described to them. He said: The sun was not held back for anyone except for him on that day and for Joshua son of Nun. Narrated by al-Bayhaqi. * * * Ibn Ishaq said: And one whom I do not suspect told me, from Abu Sa'id, who said: I heard the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When I finished what was in Bayt al-Maqdis, al-Mi'raj ⁷⁰ was brought to me — I have never seen anything more beautiful than it; it is that to which your dying one directs his eyes when he is in the throes of death. My companion ascended me on it until he brought me to a gate among the gates of heaven called Bab al-Hafaza ⁷¹, over which is an angel called Isma'il, under whose authority are twelve thousand angels, and under the authority of each of them are twelve thousand angels." He said: The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) would say when narrating this hadith: "And none knows the hosts of your Lord except Him" ⁷². Then he mentioned the rest of the hadith, which is very long. We have presented it with its chain and full wording in the Tafsir ⁷³ and commented on it, for it is among the strange hadiths and its chain is weak. Similarly, in the narration of Umm Hani', for what is established in the two Sahihs ⁷⁴ from the narration of Sharik ibn Abi Namir, from Anas, is that the Night Journey was from the mosque, from near al-Hijr ⁷⁵. In its narration there is also strangeness in several aspects, which we have discussed there. Among them is his saying: "That was before revelation came to him." The answer is that their coming the first time was before revelation came to him, so that night occurred and there was nothing in it. Then the angels came to him another night, and he did not say concerning that: "That was before revelation came to him," but rather it came after revelation came to him. So the Night Journey was definitely after revelation, either shortly after, as a group claimed, or a long time after, about ten years, as others claimed — and this is the more apparent view. His chest was washed that night before the Night Journey, a second washing, or a third according to one opinion, because he was summoned to the highest assembly and the Divine Presence. Then he mounted al-Buraq as an elevation, glorification, and honor for him. When he came to Bayt al-Maqdis, he tied it to the ring to which the prophets used to tie their mounts. Then he entered Bayt al-Maqdis and prayed in its qibla ⁷⁶ as a greeting to the mosque. Hudhayfa (may God be pleased with him) denied his entering Bayt al-Maqdis, tying the mount, and praying there. This is strange, and the affirmative text takes precedence over the negative. Then they differed concerning his meeting with the prophets and his leading them in prayer: Was it before his ascension to heaven, as indicated by what preceded, or after his descent from it, as indicated by some narrations — and this is more appropriate? As we will mention according to two opinions. God knows best. It is said that his prayer with the prophets was in heaven. Similarly, his choice among the vessels of milk, wine, and water: Was it at Bayt al-Maqdis as mentioned earlier? Or in heaven as established in the authentic hadith? The point is that when he (peace and blessings be upon him) finished with the matter of Bayt al-Maqdis, al-Mi'raj was set up for him — it is the ladder — and he ascended on it to heaven. The ascent was not on al-Buraq, as some people might imagine; rather, al-Buraq was tied at the gate of the mosque of Bayt al-Maqdis for him to return on it to Mecca. So he ascended from heaven to heaven on al-Mi'raj until he passed the seventh heaven. Whenever he came to a heaven, its closest angels and the great angels and prophets therein received him. He mentioned the specific messengers he saw: Adam in the lowest heaven, John and Jesus in the second, Idris in the fourth, Moses in the sixth (according to the correct view), and Abraham in the seventh, leaning his back against al-Bayt al-Ma'mur ⁷⁷, into which enter every day seventy thousand angels who worship therein in prayer and circumambulation, then they do not return to it until the Day of Resurrection.

Then he surpassed all their stations, until he reached a level where he heard the screeching of the pens, and the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary ⁷⁸ was raised for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and its leaves were like the ears of elephants, and its fruits were like the jars of Hajar ⁷⁹, and it was covered at that time with great matters and diverse dazzling colors, and the angels covered it like crows on a tree in multitude, and there were moths of gold, and it was covered with the light of the Lord, glorified and exalted be He. * * * And there he saw Gabriel, peace be upon him, with six hundred wings, between each two wings as far as between heaven and earth, and it is he of whom Allah the Exalted says: "And indeed he saw him another time. At the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary. Near it is the Garden of Refuge. When there covered the Lote Tree that which covered [it]. His sight did not swerve, nor did it transgress" ⁸⁰ — meaning it did not swerve right or left, nor did it rise above the place where his gaze was limited to him. And this is the great steadfastness and noble etiquette. And this is the second vision of Gabriel, peace be upon him, in the form in which Allah the Exalted created him, as transmitted by Ibn Mas'ud, Abu Hurayra, Abu Dharr, and 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with them all. And the first [vision] is His saying the Exalted: "Taught by one mighty in power, possessed of strength; then he stood upright, while he was on the highest horizon. Then he drew near and came down, and was at a distance of two bow-lengths or nearer. And he revealed to His servant what he revealed" ⁸¹. And that was at al-Abtah ⁸²; Gabriel descended upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, his immense creation filling the space between heaven and earth, until between him and him was a distance of two bow-lengths or nearer. This is the correct interpretation, as indicated by the words of the senior Companions mentioned earlier, may Allah be pleased with them. As for the statement of Sharik from Anas in the hadith of the Night Journey: "Then the Compeller, the Lord of Might, drew near and came down, and was at a distance of two bow-lengths or nearer" — this may be from the understanding of the narrator, who inserted it into the hadith ⁸³. And Allah knows best. And if it is preserved, it is not an interpretation of the noble verse, but rather something else other than what the noble verse indicates. And Allah knows best. And Allah, glorified and exalted be He, prescribed upon His servant Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and upon his community, the prayers on that night: fifty prayers every day and night. Then he kept going back and forth between Moses and his Lord, mighty and majestic, until the Lord, glorified be His majesty, reduced them to five, and said: "They are five, and they are fifty; the good deed is multiplied tenfold." So he received speech from the Lord, mighty and majestic, on that night. And the imams of the Sunnah are virtually unanimous on this. They differed concerning the vision [of Allah]. Some said: He saw Him with his heart twice. This was said by Ibn 'Abbas and a group. And Ibn 'Abbas and others spoke of the vision in absolute terms, but this is to be understood as qualified. Among those who spoke of the vision in absolute terms were Abu Hurayra and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah be pleased with them both. Some explicitly stated that he saw Him with his eyes. This was chosen by Ibn Jarir ⁸⁴, and he emphasized it, and others among later scholars followed him. Among those who affirmed vision with the eyes of his head was Shaykh Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari ⁸⁵, according to what al-Suhayli ⁸⁶ transmitted from him, and it was chosen by Shaykh Abu Zakariyya al-Nawawi ⁸⁷ in his fatwas. And a group said: This did not occur, due to the hadith of Abu Dharr in Sahih Muslim: I said, "O Messenger of Allah, did you see your Lord?" He said: "[He is] light; how could I see Him?" And in another narration: "I saw light." They said: And the vision of the Eternal cannot be with the perishable eye. For this reason Allah the Exalted said to Moses, as reported in some divine books: "O Moses, indeed no living thing sees Me but it dies, and no dry thing but it crumbles." And the disagreement on this issue is well-known among the early and later generations. And Allah knows best. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, descended to Jerusalem. It appears that the prophets descended with him, as an honor and veneration for him upon his return from the great divine presence, as is the custom of visitors: they do not meet with anyone before the one to whom they were summoned. For this reason, whenever he passed by one of them, Gabriel would say to him when that one came forward to greet him: "This is so-and-so, so greet him." If he had met them before his ascent, he would not have needed to be introduced to them a second time. Among the evidence for this is that he said: "When the time for prayer came, I led them in prayer." And the only prayer time at that moment was the dawn prayer, so he led them as an imam by the command of Gabriel, according to what he narrated from his Lord, mighty and majestic. Some derived from this that the supreme imam is given precedence in leading prayer over the master of the house, since Jerusalem was their place and their abode. Then he left it, mounted the Buraq ⁸⁸, and returned to Mecca. He awoke there in the morning, in a state of utmost steadfastness, tranquility, and dignity. * * * He had witnessed that night such signs and matters that if another had seen them or some of them, he would have awoken bewildered or with a disordered mind. But he, peace and blessings be upon him, awoke silent, i.e., calm, fearing that if he began to inform his people of what he had seen, they would hasten to deny him. So he gently informed them first that he had gone to Jerusalem that night. This is because Abu Jahl ⁸⁹, may Allah curse him, saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in the Sacred Mosque sitting silently. He said to him: "Is there any news?" He said: "Yes." He said: "What is it?" He said: "I was taken by night to Jerusalem." He said: "To Jerusalem?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Do you think that if I call your people to you so that you may inform them, you will inform them of what you have told me?" He said: "Yes." So Abu Jahl wanted to gather Quraysh to hear that from him, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, wanted to gather them to inform them and convey it to them. So Abu Jahl said: "Come, O company of Quraysh!" And they gathered from their meeting places. He said: "Inform your people of what you have told me." So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, related to them the story of what he had seen, and that he had gone to Jerusalem that night and prayed there. Then some clapped and some whistled, denying him and deeming his report improbable. The news spread in Mecca. People came to Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, and told him that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was saying such and such. He said: "You are lying about him." They said: "By Allah, he is indeed saying it." He said: "If he said it, then he has spoken the truth." Then he came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, with the polytheists of Quraysh around him, and asked him about it. He informed him, and he asked him about the descriptions of Jerusalem, so that the polytheists might hear and know his truthfulness in what he had told them. In the Sahih ⁹⁰, it is that the polytheists themselves asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, about that. He said: "I began to inform them of its signs, but some things became confused for me. Then Allah unveiled Jerusalem for me, until I began to look at it beyond the house of 'Uqayl and describe it to them." He said: "As for the description, he got it right." And Ibn Ishaq ⁹¹ mentioned what was previously stated about his informing them of his passing by their caravan and what happened regarding his drinking their water. So Allah established the proof against them, and the path became clear for them. So whoever believed did so with certainty from his Lord, and whoever disbelieved did so after the proof was established against him. As Allah the Exalted said: "And We made not the vision which We showed you except as a trial for the people" ⁹² — i.e., a test and an examination. Ibn 'Abbas said: It was a vision of the eye that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was shown.

This is the position of the majority of the Salaf ⁹³ and the Khalaf ⁹⁴, that the Isra' ⁹⁵ was with his body and soul, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, as indicated by the apparent context of his riding and ascending in the Mi'raj ⁹⁶ and other things. For this reason, He said: "Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs." And the glorification only occurs at great, miraculous signs, indicating that it was with spirit and body, and the term "servant" refers to both. Also, if it had been a dream, the disbelievers of Quraysh would not have hastened to deny it and consider it far-fetched, since that would not be a great matter. This indicates that he informed them that he was taken by night while awake, not in a dream. As for his statement in the hadith of Sharik ⁹⁷ from Anas: "Then I woke up, and behold, I was in al-Hijr ⁹⁸," this is counted among the errors of Sharik, or it is interpreted that the transition from one state to another is called awakening. As will come in the hadith of 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went to Ta'if and they denied him, he said: "I returned distressed, and I did not regain consciousness until I was at Qarn al-Tha'alib ⁹⁹." And in the hadith of Abu Usayd ¹⁰⁰ when he brought his son to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to perform tahnik ¹⁰¹, he placed him on the thigh of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was engaged in conversation with the people. Then Abu Usayd lifted his son, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, woke up and did not find the boy, so he asked about him, and they said: "He was lifted up," so he named him al-Mundhir ¹⁰². This interpretation is better than declaring (Sharik) mistaken. And Allah knows best. * * * Ibn Ishaq ¹⁰³ narrated, saying: Some of the family of Abu Bakr told me, from 'A'isha, the Mother of the Believers, that she 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 soul by night." He said: And Ya'qub ibn 'Utba ¹⁰⁴ told me that Mu'awiya ¹⁰⁵, when asked about the night journey of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "It was a true vision from Allah." Ibn Ishaq said: This statement of theirs was not rejected, because of the saying of al-Hasan ¹⁰⁶: "This verse was revealed concerning that: 'And We made not the vision which We showed you except as a trial for the people' ¹⁰⁷," and as Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said: "O my son, indeed I have seen in a dream that I sacrifice you" ¹⁰⁸, and in the hadith: "My eyes sleep but my heart is awake" ¹⁰⁹. Ibn Ishaq said: Allah knows best which of these occurred, and what he witnessed of Allah's command, whether he was asleep or awake, all of it is true and correct. * * * I say: Ibn Ishaq was uncertain about this and considered both possibilities in general, but what is beyond doubt and dispute is that he was undoubtedly awake, as previously mentioned. And the implication of 'A'isha's words, may Allah be pleased with her, that his body, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was not lost and that the Isra' was with his soul, is not necessarily that it was a dream, as Ibn Ishaq understood. Rather, it could be that the Isra' occurred with his soul in reality while he was awake, not asleep, and he rode al-Buraq ¹¹⁰, came to Bayt al-Maqdis ¹¹¹, ascended the heavens, and witnessed what he witnessed in reality and wakefulness, not in a dream. Perhaps this is the intended meaning of 'A'isha, the Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, and of those who followed her in that, not what Ibn Ishaq understood, that they meant by that a dream. And Allah knows best. Note: We do not deny the occurrence of a dream before the Isra', similar to what occurred after that. For he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, never saw a vision except that it came like the break of dawn, and similar to that occurred in the hadith of the beginning of revelation, that he saw in a dream what happened to him while awake before it, so that it might be a form of preparation, confirmation, and reassurance. And Allah knows best. Then the scholars differed as to whether the Isra' and the Mi'raj occurred on one night or each on a separate night. Some claim that the Isra' was in wakefulness and the Mi'raj in a dream. Al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra ¹¹² narrated in his commentary on al-Bukhari that a group held that the Isra' occurred twice: once with his soul in a dream, and once with his body and soul while awake. Al-Hafiz Abu al-Qasim al-Suhayli ¹¹³ narrated this from his teacher Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi ¹¹⁴ the jurist. Al-Suhayli said: This opinion reconciles the hadiths, for in the hadith of Sharik from Anas: "That was according to what his heart sees, while his eyes sleep but his heart does not sleep," and at the end: "Then I woke up, and behold, I was in al-Hijr." This is a dream. And other (hadiths) indicate wakefulness. Some claim multiple Isra's in wakefulness as well, to the extent that some said there were four Isra's. And some claimed that some of them occurred in Medina. Shaykh Shihab al-Din Abu Shama ¹¹⁵, may Allah have mercy on him, attempted to reconcile the differences in the narrations of the hadith of the Isra' by positing multiple journeys. He made it three Isra's: once from Mecca to Bayt al-Maqdis only on al-Buraq, once from Mecca to heaven on al-Buraq as well, based on the hadith of Hudhayfa ¹¹⁶, and once from Mecca to Bayt al-Maqdis and then to the heavens. We say: If he was led to this opinion of three by the differences in narrations, then the wording of the hadith differs in more than these three descriptions. Whoever wishes to examine this should look at what we have compiled in detail in our book of Tafsir ¹¹⁷ under His statement, exalted is He: "Exalted is He who took His Servant by night." If he was led by the fact that the division is limited to three descriptions with respect to Bayt al-Maqdis and the heavens, then rational limitation does not necessitate actual occurrence as such without evidence. And Allah knows best. * * * It is remarkable that Imam Abu 'Abd Allah al-Bukhari ¹¹⁸, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned the Isra' after mentioning the death of Abu Talib ¹¹⁹, thus agreeing with Ibn Ishaq in mentioning the Mi'raj at the end of the matter, but differing from him in mentioning it after the death of Abu Talib. Ibn Ishaq delayed mentioning the death of Abu Talib until after the Isra'. Allah knows best which was the case. The point is that al-Bukhari distinguished between the Isra' and the Mi'raj, dedicating a separate chapter to each. He said: "Chapter on the hadith of the Isra' and the saying of Allah, glorified and exalted: 'Exalted is He who took His Servant by night.'" He narrated: Yahya ibn Bukayr ¹²⁰ told us, al-Layth ¹²¹ told us, from 'Uqayl ¹²², from Ibn Shihab ¹²³, from Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ¹²⁴, who said: I heard Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah ¹²⁵ that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: "When Quraysh denied me, I was in al-Hijr, and Allah displayed Bayt al-Maqdis to me, so I began to tell them about its signs while I was looking at it." Muslim ¹²⁶, al-Tirmidhi ¹²⁷, and al-Nasa'i ¹²⁸ also narrated it from al-Zuhri ¹²⁹, from Abu Salama, from Jabir. Muslim, al-Nasa'i, and al-Tirmidhi also narrated it from 'Abd Allah ibn al-Fadl ¹³⁰, from Abu Salama, from Abu Hurayra ¹³¹, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, similarly.

Then al-Bukhari said: Chapter on the Hadith of the Mi'raj ¹³²: Hudba ibn Khalid narrated to us, from Hammam, from Qatada, from Anas ibn Malik, from Malik ibn Sa'sa'a that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told them about the night of his Isra' ¹³³, saying: "While I was in al-Hatim ¹³⁴—and sometimes he said in al-Hijr ¹³⁵—lying down, suddenly a visitor came to me and cut open—and I heard him say: 'split'—from here to here." I said to al-Jarud, who was next to me, "What does he mean?" He said: "From the hollow of his throat to his pubic hair." And I heard him say: "From his chest to his pubic hair." "Then he extracted my heart. Then I was brought a golden basin filled with faith, and my heart was washed, then filled, then returned. Then I was brought a beast, smaller than a mule and larger than a donkey, white." Al-Jarud said: "That is al-Buraq ¹³⁶, O Abu Hamza?" Anas said: "Yes. It places its hoof at the farthest extent of its sight. Then I was mounted on it, and Jibril ¹³⁷ took me until he reached the lowest heaven and asked for it to be opened. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibril.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'Yes.' It was said: 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come.' So it was opened. When I entered, there was Adam. He said: 'This is your father Adam; greet him.' So I greeted him, and he returned the greeting, then said: 'Welcome to the righteous son and righteous prophet.' Then he ascended with me to the second heaven and asked for it to be opened. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibril.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'Yes.' It was said: 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come.' So it was opened. When I entered, there were Yahya and 'Isa ¹³⁸, who are maternal cousins. He said: 'These are Yahya and 'Isa; greet them.' So I greeted them, and they returned the greeting, then said: 'Welcome to the righteous brother and righteous prophet.' Then he ascended with me to the third heaven and asked for it to be opened. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibril.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'Yes.' It was said: 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come.' So it was opened. When I entered, there was Yusuf ¹³⁹. He said: 'This is Yusuf; greet him.' So I greeted him, and he returned the greeting, then said: 'Welcome to the righteous brother and righteous prophet.' Then he ascended with me until he reached the fourth heaven and asked for it to be opened. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibril.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'Yes.' It was said: 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come.' When I entered, there was Idris ¹⁴⁰. He said: 'This is Idris; greet him.' So I greeted him, and he returned the greeting, then said: 'Welcome to the righteous brother and righteous prophet.' Then he ascended with me until he reached the fifth heaven and asked for it to be opened. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibril.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'Yes.' It was said: 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come.' When I entered, there was Harun ¹⁴¹. He said: 'This is Harun; greet him.' So I greeted him, and he returned the greeting, then said: 'Welcome to the righteous brother and righteous prophet.' Then he ascended with me until he reached the sixth heaven and asked for it to be opened. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibril.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'Yes.' It was said: 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come.' When I entered, there was Musa ¹⁴². He said: 'This is Musa; greet him.' So I greeted him, and he returned the greeting, then said: 'Welcome to the righteous brother and righteous prophet.' When I passed on, he wept. It was said to him: 'What makes you weep?' He said: 'I weep because a young man was sent after me who will enter Paradise from his community more than those who enter it from my community.' Then he ascended with me to the seventh heaven and asked for it to be opened. It was said: 'Who is this?' He said: 'Jibril.' It was said: 'And who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He said: 'Yes.' It was said: 'Welcome to him! What an excellent visitor has come.' When I entered, there was Ibrahim ¹⁴³. He said: 'This is your father Ibrahim; greet him.' So I greeted him, and he returned the greeting, then said: 'Welcome to the righteous son and righteous prophet.' Then I was raised to Sidrat al-Muntaha ¹⁴⁴, and there were four rivers: two visible and two hidden. I said: 'What is this, O Jibril?' He said: 'As for the hidden ones, they are two rivers in Paradise; as for the visible ones, they are the Nile and the Euphrates.' Then al-Bayt al-Ma'mur ¹⁴⁵ was raised up for me; seventy thousand angels enter it every day. Then I was brought a vessel of wine, a vessel of milk, and a vessel of honey. I took the milk. He said: 'That is the fitra ¹⁴⁶ which you and your community are upon.' Then the prayers were prescribed for me: fifty prayers every day. So I returned and passed by Musa. He said: 'What were you commanded?' I said: 'I was commanded to perform fifty prayers every day.' He said: 'Your community cannot bear fifty prayers.'

1. Ibn al-Daghina : A chieftain of the Ahabish, a group of tribes allied with Quraysh. His name is variously given as al-Harith ibn Yazid or Malik.
2. Ahabish : A confederation of tribes from Kinana and others who were allies of Quraysh.
3. hadith : A report of the sayings, actions, or approvals of the Prophet Muhammad.
4. Ibn Shihab : Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, a renowned early Muslim historian and hadith scholar.
5. my parents : Referring to Abu Bakr and his wife, who were among the early converts to Islam.
6. Bark al-Ghimad : A place near Mecca, about two days' journey away, on the route to Yemen.
7. Qara : A tribe or group of people; here it refers to the Ahabish or a subgroup thereof.
8. Maghazi : The military expeditions or campaigns of the Prophet Muhammad; also a genre of early Islamic historical literature.
9. Hajun : A mountain pass or hollow near Mecca where the Quraysh gathered to annul the boycott.
10. two seas : Metaphor for two prominent men or groups; possibly referring to the two branches of Quraysh.
11. its bird : A metaphor for the omen or fate of the scroll, wandering aimlessly.
12. Athima : A place name; possibly a location where a battle or event occurred.
13. two Meccas : Refers to Mecca and its surrounding areas, or metaphorically to two factions.
14. plowman : A metaphor for a person who cultivates or manages affairs, here left in confusion.
15. falcon : A metaphor for a brave and noble man.
16. great of ash-heap : A metaphor for generosity, as a large ash heap indicates much cooking for guests.
17. Aswad : A mountain near Mecca; also a proper name. The verse alludes to a story where a slain person's guardians addressed the mountain, wishing it could speak.
18. Hajj : The annual pilgrimage to Mecca, a religious duty for Muslims.
19. Umrah : The lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, which can be performed at any time of the year.
20. mursal : A type of hadith where a Successor (Tabi'i) narrates directly from the Prophet without mentioning the Companion.
21. kursuf : Cotton or a similar material used to block the ears.
22. Kaaba : The sacred cube-shaped building in Mecca, the direction of prayer for Muslims.
23. hima : A protected or sacred precinct, often around an idol or sanctuary.
24. Dhu al-Shara : An idol worshipped by the tribe of Daws.
25. Badr : The first major battle between Muslims and Quraysh, in 624 CE.
26. Uhud : A battle in 625 CE where Muslims were initially victorious but suffered losses.
27. al-Khandaq : The Battle of the Trench in 627 CE, where Muslims defended Medina.
28. Khaybar : An oasis north of Medina, conquered by Muslims in 628 CE.
29. Dhu al-Kaffayn : An idol of the tribe of Daws, meaning 'the one with two palms'.
30. Tulayha : A false prophet who led a rebellion during the Ridda wars.
31. Najd : A region in central Arabia.
32. al-Yamama : A region in central Arabia, site of the battle against Musaylima.
33. al-Yarmuk : A battle in 636 CE between Muslims and Byzantines.
34. Umar : Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Caliph.
35. isnad : The chain of narrators for a hadith.
36. hadith : A report of the sayings, actions, or approvals of the Prophet Muhammad.
37. al-Tufayl ibn 'Amr al-Dawsi : A companion of the Prophet who was the chief of the Daws tribe and later accepted Islam.
38. Ansar : The 'Helpers,' the Muslim inhabitants of Medina who supported the Prophet after his migration.
39. found the climate disagreeable : The Arabic 'ijtawaw' means they found the climate of Medina unsuitable, leading to illness.
40. knuckles : The Arabic 'barajim' refers to the finger joints or knuckles.
41. two Sahihs : Refers to Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the two most authoritative hadith collections.
42. shibriqah : A thorny plant or a thorn; also a type of acacia.
43. Qur'an 15:94-96 : The verses refer to the mockers among the Quraysh.
44. lā tuṭillūhu : Do not delay it; i.e., do not let the blood-wit go unclaimed.
45. ‘uqr : Bridal gift or dowry given to the bride's family.
46. Qur'an 2:278 : The verse prohibiting usury.
47. Ḍirār ibn al-Khaṭṭāb : A companion of the Prophet, later embraced Islam.
48. al-Ṣaḥīḥayn : The two authentic hadith collections of al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
49. Qur'an 44:15 : The verse about the temporary removal of punishment.
50. Qur'an 44:16 : The verse about the great assault, interpreted as the day of Badr.
51. dukhān : The 'smoke' (dukhān) refers to a sign of punishment, interpreted as a severe famine that afflicted the Quraysh.
52. Āyat al-Rūm : The 'sign of the Romans' refers to the prophecy in Surah al-Rum (30:1-5) about the victory of the Romans over the Persians.
53. al-baṭshah al-kubrā : The 'great assault' refers to the Battle of Badr, where the Muslims defeated the Quraysh.
54. inshiqāq al-qamar : The 'splitting of the moon' is a miracle attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, mentioned in the Quran (54:1).
55. Āyat al-lizām : The 'sign of the inevitable punishment' refers to the defeat of the Quraysh at Badr, as mentioned in Quran 25:77.
56. al-ʿihn : Al-ʿihn refers to coarse wool or hair, often used for stuffing; here it indicates extreme hunger.
57. Quran 23:76 : This verse refers to the punishment of famine that afflicted the Quraysh.
58. Quran 30:1-5 : These verses prophesy the victory of the Romans over the Persians after their defeat.
59. Bayt al-Maqdis : Bayt al-Maqdis is the Arabic name for Jerusalem, specifically the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
60. Laylat al-Raghāʾib : The 'Night of Desires' is an innovation (bidʿah) observed on the first Friday of Rajab, with a special prayer; it has no basis in authentic Islamic tradition.
61. Quran 17:1 : This verse refers to the Night Journey (Isrāʾ) of the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem.
62. al-Burāq : Al-Buraq is the mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Night Journey, described as a white animal between a mule and a donkey.
63. ṣāḥibuhu : Here 'his companion' refers to the angel Jibril (Gabriel), who accompanied the Prophet during the Night Journey.
64. al-Buraq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey (Isra').
65. Bayt al-Maqdis : The Holy House in Jerusalem, referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
66. al-Siddiq : The Truthful One, a title of Abu Bakr, the first Caliph.
67. Qur'an 17:60 : Reference to the verse: 'And We made not the vision which We showed you except as a trial for the people...'
68. Dajnan : A place between Mecca and Medina.
69. al-Tan'im : A place near Mecca, on the way to Medina.
70. al-Mi'raj : The ladder or ascension instrument used by the Prophet to ascend to heaven.
71. Bab al-Hafaza : The Gate of the Guardians, a gate of heaven.
72. Qur'an 74:31 : Reference to the verse: 'And none knows the hosts of your Lord except Him.'
73. Tafsir : Qur'anic exegesis or commentary.
74. Sahihayn : The two authentic hadith collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim.
75. al-Hijr : The semicircular wall adjacent to the Kaaba in Mecca.
76. qibla : The direction of prayer, here referring to the prayer niche in the mosque.
77. al-Bayt al-Ma'mur : The Much-Frequented House, a celestial counterpart of the Kaaba in the seventh heaven.
78. Sidrat al-Muntaha : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a celestial tree in the seventh heaven marking the limit of angelic knowledge and beyond which no creature can pass.
79. Hajar : A region in Arabia known for its large water jars; used here to describe the size of the tree's fruits.
80. Quran 53:13-17 : Reference to the second vision of Gabriel by the Prophet during the Night Journey.
81. Quran 53:5-10 : Reference to the first vision of Gabriel by the Prophet.
82. al-Abtah : A place in Mecca, also known as al-Batha', where the first vision of Gabriel occurred.
83. Sharik's narration : A hadith transmitted by Sharik ibn 'Abdullah al-Nakha'i from Anas, which some scholars consider problematic or misinterpreted.
84. Ibn Jarir : Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 923), renowned historian and Quran commentator.
85. Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari : Founder of the Ash'ari school of theology (d. 935), who held that the Prophet saw Allah with his eyes during the Night Journey.
86. al-Suhayli : Abu al-Qasim 'Abd al-Rahman al-Suhayli (d. 1185), Andalusian scholar known for his work on the Prophet's biography.
87. Abu Zakariyya al-Nawawi : Muhyi al-Din Abu Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi (d. 1277), prominent Shafi'i scholar and hadith commentator.
88. Buraq : A mythical steed, smaller than a mule but larger than a donkey, that carried the Prophet during the Night Journey.
89. Abu Jahl : Leader of the Quraysh opposition to Islam; his real name was 'Amr ibn Hisham.
90. Sahih : Refers to the authentic hadith collections, particularly Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
91. Ibn Ishaq : Muhammad ibn Ishaq (d. 767), early biographer of the Prophet whose work is a primary source for the Sira.
92. Quran 17:60 : Verse indicating that the vision shown to the Prophet was a trial for the people.
93. Salaf : The early generations of Muslims, including the Companions, Followers, and their successors, considered exemplary in understanding and practice.
94. Khalaf : Later generations of Muslims after the Salaf, often referring to scholars who followed their methodology.
95. Isra' : The night journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
96. Mi'raj : The ascension of the Prophet Muhammad through the heavens.
97. Sharik : Sharik ibn 'Abd Allah al-Nakha'i, a narrator of hadith known for some errors.
98. al-Hijr : The semicircular area adjacent to the Kaaba in Mecca.
99. Qarn al-Tha'alib : A location near Mecca, possibly a mountain pass.
100. Abu Usayd : Abu Usayd al-Sa'idi, a Companion of the Prophet.
101. tahnik : The practice of rubbing a date or something sweet on the palate of a newborn.
102. al-Mundhir : Meaning 'the warner,' a name given by the Prophet.
103. Ibn Ishaq : Muhammad ibn Ishaq, a prominent early historian and biographer of the Prophet.
104. Ya'qub ibn 'Utba : A narrator of hadith from the generation of the Followers.
105. Mu'awiya : Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, the first Umayyad caliph and a Companion.
106. al-Hasan : Al-Hasan al-Basri, a renowned scholar and ascetic from the generation of the Followers.
107. verse 17:60 : Quran 17:60: 'And We made not the vision which We showed you except as a trial for the people.'
108. Quran 37:102 : The verse where Abraham tells his son about the dream of sacrificing him.
109. hadith : A saying of the Prophet: 'My eyes sleep but my heart is awake.'
110. al-Buraq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Isra' and Mi'raj.
111. Bayt al-Maqdis : Jerusalem, specifically the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
112. Al-Muhallab ibn Abi Sufra : A scholar and commentator on Sahih al-Bukhari.
113. Abu al-Qasim al-Suhayli : A Maliki scholar and author of al-Rawd al-Unuf.
114. Abu Bakr ibn al-'Arabi : A Maliki jurist and commentator from Andalusia.
115. Shihab al-Din Abu Shama : A Shafi'i scholar and historian from Damascus.
116. Hudhayfa : Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman, a Companion known for his knowledge of the unseen.
117. Tafsir : Exegesis or commentary on the Quran.
118. Abu 'Abd Allah al-Bukhari : The famous hadith compiler, author of Sahih al-Bukhari.
119. Abu Talib : The uncle of the Prophet who protected him but did not embrace Islam.
120. Yahya ibn Bukayr : A narrator of hadith and teacher of al-Bukhari.
121. al-Layth : Al-Layth ibn Sa'd, a prominent Egyptian scholar and narrator.
122. 'Uqayl : 'Uqayl ibn Khalid, a narrator of hadith from al-Zuhri.
123. Ibn Shihab : Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, a leading hadith scholar.
124. Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al-Rahman : A narrator of hadith and stepson of Abu Hurayra.
125. Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah : A Companion known for narrating many hadiths.
126. Muslim : Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, compiler of Sahih Muslim.
127. al-Tirmidhi : Muhammad ibn 'Isa al-Tirmidhi, compiler of Jami' al-Tirmidhi.
128. al-Nasa'i : Ahmad ibn Shu'ayb al-Nasa'i, compiler of Sunan al-Nasa'i.
129. al-Zuhri : Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, a prominent hadith scholar.
130. 'Abd Allah ibn al-Fadl : A narrator of hadith from the generation of the Followers.
131. Abu Hurayra : A Companion known for narrating the most hadiths.
132. Mi'raj : The Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad to the heavens.
133. Isra' : The Night Journey of the Prophet from Mecca to Jerusalem.
134. al-Hatim : A semicircular area adjacent to the Kaaba.
135. al-Hijr : Another name for al-Hatim, or the area of the Kaaba.
136. al-Buraq : The mythical steed that carried the Prophet during the Isra' and Mi'raj.
137. Jibril : The angel Gabriel.
138. Yahya and 'Isa : John the Baptist and Jesus, peace be upon them.
139. Yusuf : Joseph, peace be upon him.
140. Idris : Enoch, peace be upon him.
141. Harun : Aaron, peace be upon him.
142. Musa : Moses, peace be upon him.
143. Ibrahim : Abraham, peace be upon him.
144. Sidrat al-Muntaha : The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, a celestial tree marking the end of the seventh heaven.
145. al-Bayt al-Ma'mur : The Much-Frequented House, a heavenly counterpart of the Kaaba.
146. fitra : The innate disposition or natural religion of Islam.

The mention of al-Ṣiddīq's [1] determination to emigrate to the land of Abyssinia.

Prayer every day, and by Allah, I have tested people before you and dealt with the Children of Israel with the severest dealing. So return to your Lord and ask Him for alleviation for your community. So I returned, and He reduced ten from me. Then I returned to Moses, and he said the same, so I returned, and He reduced ten from me. Then I returned to Moses, and he said the same, so I returned, and He reduced ten from me. Then I returned to Moses, and he said the same, so I returned, and I was commanded with ten prayers every day. He said the same. So I returned, and I was commanded with five prayers every day. Then I returned to Moses, and he said: 'What were you commanded?' I said: 'With five prayers every day.' He said: 'Indeed, your community cannot bear five prayers every day. I have tested people before you and dealt with the Children of Israel with the severest dealing. So return to your Lord and ask Him for alleviation for your community.' He said: 'I have asked my Lord until I felt ashamed, but I am satisfied and submit.' He said: When I passed by, a caller called out: 'I have decreed My obligation and lightened it for My servants.' * * * Thus al-Bukhari narrated this hadith here. He also narrated it in other places of his Sahih, and Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i through chains from Qatada, from Anas, from Malik ibn Sa'sa'a. And we have narrated it from the hadith of Anas ibn Malik from Ubayy ibn Ka'b. And from the hadith of Anas from Abu Dharr. And through many chains from Anas from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. We have mentioned this in detail with its chains and wordings in the Tafsir. In this context, the mention of Bayt al-Maqdis ¹ is not found, and some narrators would omit part of the report due to knowledge of it, or forget it, or mention what is most important to them, or sometimes expand and relate it all, and sometimes omit for the listener what is most beneficial to them. Whoever considers each narration as a separate Isra' ², as mentioned from some of them, has gone very far astray. That is because all the contexts contain the greeting of the prophets, and in each of them he recognizes them, and in all of them the prayers are prescribed upon him. So how can it be claimed that this occurred multiple times? This is extremely unlikely and impossible. And Allah knows best. Then al-Bukhari said: Al-Humaydi narrated to us, Sufyan narrated to us, from 'Amr, from 'Ikrima, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His statement, the Exalted: "And We made not the vision which We showed you except as a trial for the people" ³. He said: It is a vision of the eye that was shown to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the night of his Isra' to Bayt al-Maqdis. "And the cursed tree in the Qur'an" ⁴. He said: It is the tree of Zaqqum ⁵. Section: When the morning came after the night of the Isra', Jibril ⁶ came to him at the time of Zawal ⁷, and explained to him the manner of prayer and its times. And the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, commanded his companions, so they gathered, and Jibril prayed with him on that day until the next day, while the Muslims followed the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he followed Jibril, as came in the hadith from Ibn 'Abbas and Jabir: "Jibril led me in prayer at the House twice." Thus he explained to him the first and last times, and what is between them is the extended time, and he did not mention an extension for the time of Maghrib ⁸. And that has been established in the hadith of Abu Musa, Burayda, and 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, all of which are in Sahih Muslim. And the place for expanding on that is in our book "al-Ahkam" ⁹, and praise be to Allah. As for what is established in Sahih al-Bukhari from Ma'mar, from al-Zuhri, from 'Urwa, from 'A'isha, who said: "Prayer was first prescribed as two rak'as ¹⁰, then travel prayer was confirmed and the prayer of residence was increased." Similarly, al-Awza'i narrated from al-Zuhri, and al-Sha'bi narrated from Masruq from her. This is problematic from the aspect that 'A'isha used to complete the prayer while traveling, and likewise 'Uthman ibn 'Affan. We have discussed this regarding His statement, the Exalted: "And when you travel in the land, there is no blame upon you for shortening the prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve may harm you" ¹¹. Al-Bayhaqi said: Al-Hasan al-Basri held that the prayer of residence was first prescribed as four, as he mentioned in a mursal ¹² report from his prayers, peace be upon him, on the morning of the Isra': Zuhr ¹³ four, 'Asr ¹⁴ four, Maghrib three with audible recitation in the first two, 'Isha' ¹⁵ four with audible recitation in the first two, and Subh ¹⁶ two with audible recitation in both. I say: Perhaps 'A'isha meant that prayer before the Isra' used to be two rak'as each, then when the five were prescribed, they were prescribed for residence as they are, and a concession was given in travel to pray two rak'as as was the case previously. On this, no problem remains at all. And Allah knows best. Section: The splitting of the moon in the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Allah made it a sign of the truthfulness of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in what he brought of guidance and the religion of truth, when that occurred at his noble indication. Allah, the Exalted, said in the clear verses of His Mighty Book: "The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split. And if they see a sign, they turn away and say, 'Continuous magic.' And they denied and followed their desires, and every matter will be settled" ¹⁷. And the Muslims have unanimously agreed on its occurrence in his time, peace and blessings be upon him, and the mutawatir ¹⁸ hadiths have come regarding that through multiple chains that yield certainty for whoever encompasses them and examines them. We will mention from that what is facilitated, if Allah wills, and in Him is trust and upon Him is reliance. We have covered this in our book al-Tafsir, mentioning the chains and wordings precisely, and we will indicate here some aspects of its chains and attribute them to the famous books, by the power and strength of Allah. That is narrated from Anas ibn Malik, Jubayr ibn Mut'im, Hudhayfa, 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, and 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with them all. As for Anas, Imam Ahmad said: 'Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us, Ma'mar narrated to us, from Qatada, from Anas ibn Malik, who said: The people of Mecca asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for a sign, and the moon split in Mecca twice. He said: "The Hour has drawn near, and the moon has split." Muslim narrated it from Muhammad ibn Rafi', from 'Abd al-Razzaq. This is from the mursal reports of the Companions, and it appears that he received it from the great multitude of Companions, or from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or from all. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated this hadith through the chain of Shayban. Al-Bukhari added: Sa'id ibn Abi 'Aruba, and Muslim added: Shu'ba, all three from Qatada from Anas: That the people of Mecca asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to show them a sign, so he showed them the moon split into two parts until they saw Hira' ¹⁹ between them. This is the wording of al-Bukhari. As for Jubayr ibn Mut'im, Imam Ahmad said: Muhammad ibn Kathir narrated to us, Sulayman ibn Kathir narrated to us, from Husayn ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, from Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im, from his father. He said: The moon split during the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and became two parts, one part on this mountain and one part on that mountain. They said: 'Muhammad has bewitched us.' Then they said: 'If he bewitched us, he cannot bewitch all the people.' Ahmad alone narrated it. Similarly, Ibn Jarir narrated it from the hadith of Muhammad ibn Fudayl and others, from Husayn.

Al-Bayhaqi narrated it via Ibrahim ibn Tahman and Hushaym, both from Husayn ibn Abd al-Rahman, from Jubayr ibn Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mut'im, from his father, from his grandfather, adding one man to the chain of transmission. As for Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman, Abu Nu'aym narrated in al-Dala'il ²⁰ via a chain from 'Ata' ibn al-Sa'ib, from Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami. He said: Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman addressed us in al-Mada'in, praised and glorified God, then said: "The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split ²¹." Indeed, the Hour has drawn near, indeed the moon has split, indeed the world has announced its departure, indeed today is the racecourse and tomorrow is the contest. When the second Friday came, I went with my father to the Friday prayer. He praised God and said the same, adding: "Indeed, the winner is the one who races to the Friday prayer." When we were on the road, I said to my father: "What does he mean by 'tomorrow is the contest'?" He said: "Whoever races to Paradise." As for Ibn 'Abbas, al-Bukhari said: Yahya ibn Bukayr ²² narrated to us, from Bakr, from Ja'far, from 'Irak ibn Malik, from 'Ubayd Allah ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Utba, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The moon split during the time of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. Al-Bukhari and Muslim also narrated it from the hadith of Bakr—who is Ibn Nasr—from Ja'far, regarding His saying: "The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split, and if they see a sign they turn away and say 'Continuous magic'." He said: That has passed; it was before the Hijra ²³. The moon split until they saw its two halves. Thus al-'Awfi narrated from Ibn 'Abbas, may God be pleased with him, and it is among his mursal ²⁴ narrations. Al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym said: Sulayman ibn Ahmad narrated to us, from Bakr ibn Sahl, from 'Abd al-Ghani ibn Sa'id, from Musa ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, from Ibn Jurayj, from 'Ata', from Ibn 'Abbas. And from Muqatil, from al-Dahhak, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split." Ibn 'Abbas said: The polytheists gathered to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, among them al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, al-'As ibn Wa'il, al-'As ibn Hisham, al-Aswad ibn 'Abd Yaghuth, al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib [ibn Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza] ²³, Zam'a ibn al-Aswad, al-Nadr ibn al-Harith, and many others like them ²¹. They said to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace: "If you are truthful, split the moon for us into two parts, half on Abu Qubays ²⁵ and half on Qu'ayqi'an ²⁶." The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to them: "If I do it, will you believe?" They said: "Yes." It was the night of Badr ²⁷, so he asked God Almighty to grant him what they asked, and the moon became, having been stripped ²⁴, half on Abu Qubays and half on Qu'ayqi'an, and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was calling out: "O Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al-Asad and al-Arqam ibn al-Arqam, bear witness." Then Abu Nu'aym said: And Sulayman ibn Ahmad narrated to us ²⁵, from al-Hasan ibn al-'Abbas al-Razi, from al-Haytham ibn al-'Uman, from Isma'il ibn Ziyad, from Ibn Jurayj, from 'Ata', from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: The people of Mecca came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said: "Is there any sign by which we may know that you are the Messenger of God?" So Gabriel descended and said: "O Muhammad, tell the people of Mecca to gather tonight, for they will see a sign if they benefit from it." The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, informed them of Gabriel's words, so they went out on the night of the splitting, the night of the fourteenth, and the moon split into two halves, half on al-Safa ²⁸ and half on al-Marwa ²⁹. They looked, then they rubbed their eyes, then they looked again, then they rubbed their eyes, then they looked again, and said: "O Muhammad, this is nothing but the magic of a monk." So God revealed: "The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split." Then al-Dahhak narrated from Ibn 'Abbas. He said: The Jewish rabbis came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said: "Show us a sign so that we may believe in it." So he asked his Lord, and He showed them the moon split into two parts, one on al-Safa and the other on al-Marwa, for the duration between the afternoon and night, as they looked at it, then it disappeared. They said: "This is fabricated magic." Al-Hafiz Abu al-Qasim al-Tabarani said: Ahmad ibn 'Amr al-Razzaz narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Quta'i, from Muhammad ibn Bakr, from Ibn Jurayj, from 'Amr ibn Dinar, from 'Ikrima, from Ibn 'Abbas. He said: The moon eclipsed during the time of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and they said: "The moon has been bewitched," so it was revealed: "The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split, and if they see a sign they turn away and say 'Continuous magic'." This is a good chain, and it indicates that it eclipsed that night, so perhaps a splitting occurred on the night of its eclipse, and for this reason its matter was hidden from many of the people of the earth. Nevertheless, it was witnessed in many regions of the earth, and it is said that it was recorded in some parts of India, and a building was built that night and dated to the night of the splitting of the moon. As for Ibn 'Umar, al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi said: Abu 'Abd Allah al-Hafiz and Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Qadi informed us, both saying: Abu al-'Abbas al-Asamm narrated to us, from al-'Abbas ibn Muhammad al-Duri, from Wahb ibn Jarir, from Shu'ba, from al-A'mash, from Mujahid, with it. Muslim said: Like the narration of Mujahid from Abu Ma'mar from Ibn Mas'ud. Al-Tirmidhi said: This is a hasan sahih ³⁰ hadith. As for 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, Imam Ahmad said: Sufyan narrated to us, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, from Abu Ma'mar, from Ibn Mas'ud. He said: The moon split during the time of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, into two halves until they looked at it, and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "Bear witness." Thus both [al-Bukhari and Muslim] extracted it from the hadith of Sufyan—who is Ibn 'Uyayna—with it. And from the hadith of al-A'mash from Ibrahim, from Abu Ma'mar, from 'Abd Allah ibn Samura, from Ibn Mas'ud, who said: The moon split while we were with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, at Mina ³¹, and the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "Bear witness," and one part went towards the mountain. This is the wording of al-Bukhari ²⁶. Then al-Bukhari said: And Abu al-Duha said, from Masruq, from 'Abd Allah in Mecca, and Muhammad ibn Muslim followed him, from Ibn Abi Najih, from Mujahid, from Abu Ma'mar, from 'Abd Allah, may God be pleased with him. Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi narrated the hadith of Abu al-Duha, from Masruq, from 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, who said: The moon split during the time of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and Quraysh said: "This is the magic of Ibn Abi Kabsha ³²." They said: "Look at what the travelers bring you, for Muhammad cannot bewitch all people." He said: Then the travelers came and said that. Al-Bayhaqi said: Abu 'Abd Allah al-Hafiz informed us, from Abu al-'Abbas, from al-'Abbas ibn Muhammad al-Duri, from Sa'id ibn Sulayman, from Hushaym, from Mughira, from Abu al-Duha, from Masruq, from 'Abd Allah, who said: The moon split in Mecca until it became two parts. The disbelievers of Quraysh said to the people of Mecca: "This is magic with which Ibn Abi Kabsha has bewitched you. Look at the travelers: if they saw what you saw, then he has spoken the truth; if they did not see what you saw, then it is magic with which he has bewitched you."

He said: The travelers were asked, and they came from every direction, saying: 'We saw.' Thus narrated Abu Nu'aym from the hadith of Jabir, from al-A'mash, from Abu al-Duha, from Masruq, from 'Abdullah. Imam Ahmad said: Mu'ammal narrated to us, Isra'il narrated to us, from Simak, from Ibrahim, from al-Aswad, from 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, who said: 'The moon split during the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, until I saw the mountain between the two parts of the moon.' Thus narrated Ibn Jarir from the hadith of Asbat, from Simak. Al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym said: Abu Bakr al-Talhi narrated to us, Abu Husayn Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Wadi'i narrated to us, Yahya al-Himmani narrated to us, Yazid narrated to us, from 'Ata', from Simak, from Ibrahim, from 'Alqama, from 'Abdullah. He said: 'We were with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, at Mina, and the moon split until it became two parts, one part behind the mountain.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Bear witness, bear witness.' Abu Nu'aym said: Sulayman ibn Ahmad narrated to us, Ja'far ibn Muhammad al-Qalanisi narrated to us, Adam ibn Abi Iyas narrated to us, al-Layth ibn Sa'd narrated to us, Hisham ibn Sa'd narrated to us, from 'Utba, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Utba, from Ibn Mas'ud. He said: 'The moon split while we were in Mecca, and I saw one of its halves on the mountain at Mina while we were in Mecca.' Ahmad ibn Ishaq narrated to us, Abu Bakr ibn Abi 'Asim narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Hatim narrated to us, Mu'awiya ibn 'Amr narrated to us, from Za'ida, from 'Asim, from Zirr, from 'Abdullah, who said: 'The moon split in Mecca, and I saw it as two parts.' Then he narrated from the hadith of 'Ali ibn Sa'id ibn Masruq, Musa ibn 'Umayr narrated to us, from Mansur ibn al-Mu'tamir, from Zayd ibn Wahb, from 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, who said: 'By Allah, I saw the moon split into two, with Hira' between them.' Abu Nu'aym narrated via al-Suddi al-Saghir, from al-Kalbi, from Abu Salih, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: 'The moon split into two pieces, one piece went away and one piece remained.' Ibn Mas'ud said: 'I saw Mount Hira' between the two pieces of the moon; one piece went away, and the people of Mecca were amazed at that, saying: "This is manufactured sorcery that will go away."' Layth ibn Abi Sulaym said, from Mujahid: 'The moon split during the time of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and became two parts.' The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Abu Bakr: 'Bear witness, O Abu Bakr.' The polytheists said: 'He bewitched the moon until it split.' * * * These are multiple strong chains of transmission that yield certainty for whoever contemplates them and knows the integrity of their narrators. As for what some storytellers mention, that the moon fell to the earth until it entered the sleeve of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and came out of the other sleeve, it has no basis and is a fabricated lie, not authentic. The moon, when it split, did not leave the sky; rather, when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, pointed to it, it split at his indication and became two parts. One part moved until it was behind Hira', and they saw the mountain between this and that, as Ibn Mas'ud reported that he witnessed that. As for what occurs in the narration of Anas in the Musnad of Ahmad: 'The moon split in Mecca twice,' there is consideration; the apparent meaning is that he meant two parts. And Allah knows best. Section on the death of Abu Talib, the uncle of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and after him Khadija bint Khuwaylid, the wife of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, may Allah be pleased with her. It is said that she died before him, but the well-known view is the first. These two compassionate ones: this one outwardly, and this one inwardly; that one was a disbeliever, and this one was a believing truthful woman, may Allah be pleased with her and grant her pleasure. Ibn Ishaq said: Then Khadija and Abu Talib died in the same year. Calamities befell the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, one after another: the death of Khadija, who was a true minister for him in hardship, to whom he found solace ³³, and the death of his uncle Abu Talib, who was his support and protection in his affairs, and a shield and helper against his people. That was three years before his migration to Medina. When Abu Talib died, Quraysh inflicted upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, such harm as they had never dared during Abu Talib's lifetime, until a foolish person from among the fools of Quraysh confronted him and scattered dust on his head. Hisham ibn 'Urwa narrated to me from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, entered his house with dust on his head. One of his daughters stood up to wash it and wept, while the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'Do not weep, my daughter, for Allah will protect your father.' And he said between that: 'Quraysh never did anything I disliked until Abu Talib died.' Ibn Ishaq mentioned before that: One of them would sometimes throw filth into his cooking pot, peace and blessings be upon him, when it was set for him. He said: When they did that, as 'Umar ibn 'Abdullah narrated to me from 'Urwa, he would take that thing on a stick, throw it at his door, then say: 'O sons of 'Abd Manaf, what kind of protection is this?' Then he would throw it in the street. * * * Ibn Ishaq said: When Abu Talib fell ill and Quraysh heard of his illness, they said to one another: 'Hamza and 'Umar have embraced Islam, and Muhammad's affair has spread among all the tribes of Quraysh. Let us go to Abu Talib so that he may take a pledge from his nephew for us and give us something from him, for by Allah, we do not feel safe that they will seize our authority.' Ibn Ishaq said: Al-'Abbas ibn 'Abdullah ibn Ma'bad narrated to me from some of his family, from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: When they went to Abu Talib and spoke to him—they were the nobles of his people: 'Utba ibn Rabi'a, Shayba ibn Rabi'a, Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, Umayya ibn Khalaf, and Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, among other nobles—they said: 'O Abu Talib, you are from us as you know, and you are in the state you see, and we fear for you. You know what is between us and your nephew. Call him and take from him for us and give him from us, so that he may refrain from us and we refrain from him, and let him leave us and our religion, and we will leave him and his religion.' So Abu Talib sent for him, and he came. He said: 'O son of my brother, these are the nobles of your people who have gathered to give you and take from you.' The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: 'O uncle, one word which if you give it, you will rule the Arabs and the non-Arabs will submit to you.' Abu Jahl said: 'Yes, by your father, and ten words.' He said: 'Say: There is no god but Allah, and abandon what you worship besides Him.' They clapped their hands and said: 'O Muhammad, do you want to make the gods one God? Indeed, your matter is strange.' Then some of them said to others: 'By Allah, this man will not give you anything you want. Go and persist in the religion of your fathers until Allah judges between you and him.' Then they dispersed. Abu Talib said: 'By Allah, O son of my brother, I do not see that you asked them for anything excessive.' The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, became hopeful for him and kept saying to him: 'O uncle, say it, so that I may intercede for you on the Day of Resurrection.' When he saw the eagerness of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, he said: 'O son of my brother, by Allah, were it not for fear of disgrace upon you and your father's sons after me, and that Quraysh would think that I said it only out of fear of death, I would say it. I will not say it except to please you.'

He said: When death approached Abu Talib, al-Abbas looked at him moving his lips, and he leaned in to listen to him. He said: He said: O son of my brother, by Allah, my brother has said the word that you commanded him to say. He said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I did not hear." He said: And Allah, the Exalted, revealed concerning that group: "Sad. By the Qur'an full of reminder, but those who disbelieve are in pride and dissension" ³⁴ and the following verses. We have discussed this in the commentary, and to Allah be praise and gratitude. * * * Some of those from the Shia and others among the extremists have used as evidence that Abu Talib died a Muslim the statement of al-Abbas in this hadith: "O son of my brother, my brother has said the word that you commanded him to say," meaning "There is no god but Allah." The response to this is from several aspects: First, that the chain contains an unknown person whose condition is not known, namely his statement "from some of his family," and this is an ambiguity in name and condition, and such a report is to be suspended if it stands alone. Imam Ahmad, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Jarir narrated a similar context from the path of Abu Usama, from al-A'mash, from 'Abbad, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, and he mentioned it without mentioning the statement of al-Abbas. Al-Thawri also narrated it from al-A'mash, from Yahya ibn 'Umarah al-Kufi, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, and he mentioned it without the addition of al-Abbas's statement. Al-Tirmidhi narrated it and deemed it good, as did al-Nasa'i and Ibn Jarir. The wording of the hadith from the context of al-Bayhaqi, from what he narrated via al-Thawri, from al-A'mash, from Yahya ibn 'Umarah, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas, said: Abu Talib fell ill, and Quraysh came, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came while at the head of Abu Talib there was a man's seat. Abu Jahl stood up to prevent him, and they complained to Abu Talib. He said: O son of my brother, what do you want from your people? He said: "O uncle, I only want from them one word by which the Arabs will submit to them and the non-Arabs will pay the jizya ³⁵ to them, one word." He said: What is it? He said: "There is no god but Allah." He said: They said: Has he made the gods one God? Indeed, this is a strange thing. He said: And it was revealed concerning them: "Sad. By the Qur'an full of reminder" and the verses until His saying: "except a fabrication" ³⁶. * * * Then what contradicted it, I mean the context of Ibn Ishaq, is what is more authentic than it, namely what al-Bukhari narrated, saying: Mahmud narrated to us, 'Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us, Ma'mar informed us, from al-Zuhri, from Ibn al-Musayyab, from his father, may Allah be pleased with him, that when death came to Abu Talib, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered upon him while Abu Jahl was with him. He said: "O uncle, say 'There is no god but Allah,' a word by which I will argue for you before Allah." Abu Jahl and 'Abdullah ibn Abi Umayya said: O Abu Talib, do you turn away from the religion of 'Abd al-Muttalib? They kept speaking to him until the last thing he said to them was: "Upon the religion of 'Abd al-Muttalib." The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I will surely ask forgiveness for you as long as I am not forbidden from it." Then it was revealed: "It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they are relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of the Blaze" ³⁷ and it was revealed: "Indeed, you do not guide whom you love" ³⁸. Muslim narrated it from Ishaq ibn Ibrahim and 'Abd Allah, from 'Abd al-Razzaq. They also both extracted it from the hadith of al-Zuhri, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, from his father, similarly. In it he said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, kept presenting it to him, and they kept repeating that statement to him, until the last thing he said was: "Upon the religion of 'Abd al-Muttalib," and he refused to say "There is no god but Allah." The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "As for me, I will surely ask forgiveness for you as long as I am not forbidden from it." Then Allah revealed, meaning after that: "It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they are relatives" and it was revealed concerning Abu Talib: "Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills, and He is most knowing of the guided" ³⁹. Thus narrated Imam Ahmad, Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i, from the hadith of Yazid ibn Kaysan, from Abu Hazim, from Abu Hurayra, who said: When death came to Abu Talib, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to him and said: "O uncle, say 'There is no god but Allah,' I will testify for you with it on the Day of Resurrection." He said: Were it not that Quraysh would reproach me, saying that nothing drove him to it but the fear of death, I would have pleased your eyes with it, and I will not say it except to please your eyes. So Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed: "Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills, and He is most knowing of the guided." And thus said 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, Ibn 'Umar, Mujahid, al-Sha'bi, and Qatada: It was revealed concerning Abu Talib when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, presented to him to say "There is no god but Allah," but he refused to say it and said: "I am upon the religion of the elders." The last thing he said was: "I am upon the religion of 'Abd al-Muttalib." All of this is confirmed by what al-Bukhari said: Musaddad narrated to us, Yahya narrated to us, from Sufyan, from 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr, 'Abdullah ibn al-Harith narrated to me, he said: Al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib narrated to us that he said: I said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: What have you availed your uncle, for he used to protect you and get angry for you? He said: "He is in a shallow place of fire, and were it not for me, he would be in the lowest depth" ⁴⁰. Muslim narrated it in his Sahih from multiple paths, from 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr. They both extracted it in the two Sahihs from the hadith of al-Layth, Ibn al-Had narrated to me, from 'Abdullah ibn Khabbab, from Abu Sa'id, that he heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when his uncle was mentioned in his presence, he said: "Perhaps my intercession will benefit him on the Day of Resurrection, so he will be placed in a shallow place of fire reaching his ankles, from which his brain will boil." The wording is al-Bukhari's. In another narration: "from which his brain matter will boil." Muslim narrated from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shayba, from 'Affan, from Hammad ibn Salama, from Thabit, from Abu 'Uthman, from Ibn 'Abbas, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "The least punished of the people of the Fire is Abu Talib, wearing two sandals of fire from which his brain boils." In the Maghazi of Yunus ibn Bukayr: "from which his brain boils until it flows onto his feet." Al-Suhayli mentioned it. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bazzar said in his Musnad: 'Amr, who is Ibn Isma'il ibn Mujalid, narrated to us, my father narrated to us, from Mujalid, from al-Sha'bi, from Jabir, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked, or it was said to him: Did you benefit Abu Talib? He said: "I brought him out from the Fire to a shallow place of it." Al-Bazzar alone narrated it. Al-Suhayli said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not accept the testimony of his brother al-Abbas that he said the word, and he said: "I did not hear," because al-Abbas at that time was a disbeliever, whose testimony is not accepted. I say: In my view, the report of that is not authentic due to the weakness of its chain, as previously mentioned. Among the evidence for that is that he asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, after that about Abu Talib, and he mentioned to him what has preceded. And by way of explaining its authenticity, perhaps he said that at the sight of the angel after the death rattle, when the faith of a soul does not benefit it. And Allah knows best.

* * * Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi said: Shu'bah narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, I heard Najiyah ibn Ka'b saying: I heard 'Ali saying: When my father died, I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: Your uncle has died. He said: "Go and bury him." I said: He died as a polytheist (mushrik). He said: "Go and bury him, and do not speak of anything until you come to me." So I did that, then I came to him, and he commanded me to perform a ritual bath (ghusl). Al-Nasa'i narrated it from Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna, from Ghandar, from Shu'bah. Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i narrated it from the hadith of Sufyan, from Abu Ishaq, from Najiyah, from 'Ali: When Abu Talib died, I said: O Messenger of Allah, your uncle, the misguided old man, has died. Who will bury him? He said: "Go and bury your father, and do not do anything until you come to me." So I came to him, and he commanded me, so I performed a ritual bath (ghusl). Then he made supplications (du'as) for me such that I would not be pleased to have in exchange for them everything on earth. Al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi said: Abu Sa'd al-Malini informed us, Abu Ahmad ibn 'Adi narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Harun ibn Humayd narrated to us, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Abi Rizmah narrated to us, al-Fadl narrated to us, from Ibrahim ibn 'Abd al-Rahman, from Ibn Jurayj, from 'Ata', from Ibn 'Abbas: That the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, visited the funeral (janazah) of Abu Talib and said: "A kinship tie has been joined, and you have been rewarded with good, O uncle." He said: And it was narrated from Abu al-Yaman al-Hawzani, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as a mursal (broken chain) report, and he added: And he did not stand at his grave. He said: This Ibrahim ibn 'Abd al-Rahman is al-Khuwarizmi; they have spoken about him (i.e., criticized his reliability). I say: More than one person narrated from him, among them al-Fadl ibn Musa al-Sinani and Muhammad ibn Sallam al-Bikandi. Despite this, Ibn 'Adi said: He is not known, and his hadiths from everyone he narrated from are not sound. We have already presented what Abu Talib undertook of protection, argumentation, and defense of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and repelling harm from him and his Companions, and what he said in praise and commendation of him, and what he showed to him and his Companions of affection, love, and compassion in his poems that we have previously cited, and what they contained of criticism and belittlement of those who opposed and denied him, with that eloquent, eloquent, Hashimi, Muttalibi expression that cannot be approached or surpassed, and no Arab can match or rival it. In all of this, he knew that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was truthful, righteous, and rightly guided, but despite this, his heart did not believe. There is a difference between the knowledge of the heart and its affirmation (tasdiq). As we have established this in the commentary on the Book of Faith (Kitab al-Iman) from Sahih al-Bukhari. The evidence for that is His, the Exalted, saying: "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize him as they recognize their own sons. But indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know [it]." (Quran 2:146) And He, the Exalted, said concerning the people of Pharaoh: "And they rejected them, while their souls were certain of them." (Quran 27:14) And Moses said to Pharaoh: "You have already known that none has sent down these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as clear evidence, and indeed I think, O Pharaoh, you are destroyed." (Quran 17:102) And the saying of some of the Salaf (predecessors) regarding His, the Exalted, saying: "And they forbid [others] from him and are [themselves] far from him" (Quran 6:26) — that it was revealed concerning Abu Talib, as he used to forbid people from harming the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he himself kept away from what the Messenger brought of guidance and the true religion. It has been narrated from Ibn 'Abbas, al-Qasim ibn Mukhaymirah, Habib ibn Abi Thabit, 'Ata' ibn Dinar, Muhammad ibn Ka'b, and others, but there is consideration (i.e., doubt) in this. And Allah knows best. The more apparent, and Allah knows best, is the other narration from Ibn 'Abbas: "And they forbid [others] from Muhammad, that they should believe in him." This is what Mujahid, Qatadah, al-Dahhak, and more than one said. And it is the choice of Ibn Jarir (al-Tabari). Its explanation: That this speech was brought to complete the blame of the polytheists (mushrikin), as they used to turn people away from following him, and they themselves also did not benefit from it. For this reason, He said: "And among them are those who listen to you. But We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. Even when they come to you arguing with you, those who disbelieve say, 'This is not but legends of the former peoples.' And they forbid [others] from him and are [themselves] far from him. And they destroy not but themselves, and they perceive [it] not." (Quran 6:25-26) This wording, which is His saying "and they" (wa hum), indicates that what is meant by this is a group, and they are those mentioned in the context of the speech. And His saying: "And they destroy not but themselves, and they perceive [it] not" indicates the completeness of the blame. Abu Talib was not in this position; rather, he used to turn people away from harming the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions with everything he could of actions and words, and of self and wealth. But despite this, Allah did not decree faith for him, due to the great wisdom He, the Exalted, has in that, and the conclusive, overwhelming, and decisive proof that necessitates belief in it and submission to it. Were it not for what Allah has forbidden us from seeking forgiveness for the polytheists (mushrikin), we would have sought forgiveness for Abu Talib and asked for mercy upon him! Chapter on the Death of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid and Mention of Some of Her Virtues and Merits, may Allah be pleased with her and grant her His pleasure, and make the Gardens of Paradise her final abode and dwelling. He has indeed done that without doubt, by the report of the Truthful and Believed One (al-Sadiq al-Masduq), when he gave her glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of hollowed pearl (qasab), with no clamor therein and no fatigue. Ya'qub ibn Sufyan said: Abu Salih narrated to us, al-Layth narrated to us, 'Uqayl narrated to me, from Ibn Shihab, who said: 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: Khadijah had died before the prayer was made obligatory. Then he narrated from another chain from al-Zuhri that he said: Khadijah died in Mecca before the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, emigrated to Medina, and before the prayer was made obligatory. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: Khadijah and Abu Talib died in the same year. Al-Bayhaqi said: It has reached me that Khadijah died three days after the death of Abu Talib. 'Abdullah ibn Mandah mentioned this in the Book of Knowledge (Kitab al-Ma'rifah), as did our shaykh Abu 'Abdullah al-Hafiz. Al-Bayhaqi said: Al-Waqidi claimed that Khadijah and Abu Talib died three years before the Hijrah, in the year they came out of the valley (shi'b), and that Khadijah died thirty-five nights before Abu Talib. I say: Their meaning is before the five daily prayers were made obligatory on the night of the Isra' (Night Journey). It would have been more appropriate for us to mention the death of Abu Talib and Khadijah before the Isra', as al-Bayhaqi and more than one mentioned it, but we have delayed that after the Isra' for a purpose that you will come to know after that, for the discussion is thereby organized and the chapter becomes coherent. As you will come to know that, if Allah wills. Al-Bukhari said: Qutaybah narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Fudayl ibn Ghazwan narrated to us, from 'Umarah, from Abu Zur'ah, from Abu Hurayrah. He said: Jibril (Gabriel) came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said: O Messenger of Allah, this is Khadijah coming with a vessel containing condiment (idam), or food, or drink. When she comes to you, convey to her the greeting of peace (salam) from her Lord and from me, and give her glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of hollowed pearl (qasab), with no clamor therein and no fatigue. Muslim narrated it from the hadith of Muhammad ibn Fudayl through him. Al-Bukhari said: Musaddad narrated to us, Yahya narrated to us, from Isma'il, who said: I said to 'Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa: Did the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, give glad tidings to Khadijah? He said: Yes, of a house made of hollowed pearl (qasab), with no clamor therein and no fatigue. Al-Bukhari and Muslim also narrated it through chains from Isma'il ibn Abi Khalid through him.

Al-Suhayli said: He [the Prophet] gave her glad tidings of "a house in Paradise made of hollowed pearls" ⁴¹, meaning pearls of hollowed form, because she had won the race to faith, "with no clamor therein and no fatigue" ⁴², because she never raised her voice against the Prophet, peace be upon him, nor wearied him any day; she never clamored against him nor harmed him ever. Both [Bukhari and Muslim] reported in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Hisham ibn 'Urwa from his father, from 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said: I was not jealous of any woman of the Prophet, peace be upon him, as I was jealous of Khadija—and she died before he married me—because of what I heard him mention of her. And Allah commanded him to give her glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of hollowed pearls, and he would slaughter a sheep and send gifts to her friends from it as much as they could accommodate. This is the wording of al-Bukhari. In another wording from 'A'isha: I was not jealous of any woman as I was jealous of Khadija, due to the abundance of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, mentioning her, and he married me three years after her death, and his Lord, or Gabriel, commanded him to give her glad tidings of a house in Paradise made of hollowed pearls. In another wording of his, she said: I was not jealous of any of the Prophet's wives, peace be upon him, as I was jealous of Khadija, though I never saw her, but he would mention her often, and sometimes he would slaughter a sheep, cut it into pieces, and send them to Khadija's friends. Sometimes I would say: "It is as if there were no woman in the world but Khadija!" Then he would say: "She was such and such, and I had children from her." Then al-Bukhari said: Isma'il ibn Khalil narrated to us, 'Ali ibn Mushir informed us, from Hisham ibn 'Urwa, from his father, from 'A'isha, who said: Hala bint Khuwaylid, the sister of Khadija, sought permission to enter upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and he recognized the manner of Khadija's seeking permission, so he was startled and said: "O Allah, it is Hala!" She ['A'isha] said: So I became jealous and said: "Why do you mention an old woman among the old women of Quraysh, with red gums ⁴³, who died long ago? Allah has given you better than her." Muslim also narrated it from Suwayd ibn Sa'id, from 'Ali ibn Mushir. This is apparent in affirming that 'A'isha is better than Khadija, either in virtue or in companionship, since he did not disapprove of her statement nor reject it, as is apparent from the context of al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him. But Imam Ahmad said: Mu'ammal Abu 'Abd al-Rahman narrated to us, Hammad ibn Salama narrated to us, from 'Abd al-Malik—he is Ibn 'Umayr—from Musa ibn Talha, from 'A'isha, who said: One day the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, mentioned Khadija and praised her extensively, so I felt what women feel of jealousy, and I said: "Allah has compensated you, O Messenger of Allah, with [someone better] than an old woman among the old women of Quraysh, with red gums." She said: Then the face of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, changed in a way I had never seen him change except at the descent of revelation or when a cloud appeared until he knew whether it was mercy or punishment. Ahmad also narrated it from Bahz ibn Asad and 'Uthman ibn Muslim, both from Hammad ibn Salama, from 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Umayr. And after his words "red gums" he added: "who died in the first age." He said: She said: Then his face became flushed in a way I had only seen at the descent of revelation or when a cloud appeared until he saw whether it was mercy or punishment. Ahmad alone narrated it. This is a good chain. Imam Ahmad also said: From Ibn Ishaq, Mujalid informed us, from al-Sha'bi, from Masruq, from 'A'isha, who said: When the Prophet, peace be upon him, mentioned Khadija, he would praise her with the best praise. She said: One day I became jealous and said: "How often you mention her, with red gums! Allah has given you better than her." He said: "Allah has not given me better than her. She believed in me when people disbelieved in me, she affirmed me when people denied me, she supported me with her wealth when people deprived me, and Allah granted me children from her while He deprived me of children from other women." Ahmad alone narrated it. Its chain is acceptable. Mujalid is narrated by Muslim as a follow-up, and there is well-known discussion about him. And Allah knows best. Perhaps this—meaning his words "and Allah granted me children from her while He deprived me of children from other women"—was before Ibrahim, the son of the Prophet, peace be upon him, was born from Mariya, and before her arrival altogether. This is certain, for all the children of the Prophet, peace be upon him, as previously mentioned and as will come, are from Khadija except Ibrahim, who is from Mariya the Copt, the Egyptian, may Allah be pleased with her. A group of scholars have used this hadith to argue for the superiority of Khadija over 'A'isha, may Allah be pleased with them both. Others have discussed its chain. Others interpreted it to mean that she was better in companionship, which is possible or apparent, and its reason is that 'A'isha boasted of her youth, beauty, and good companionship. Her saying "Allah has given you better than her" does not mean she was praising herself or preferring herself over Khadija, for this matter is referred to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, as He said: "So do not claim purity for yourselves; He knows best who fears Him" ⁴⁴ and He said: "Have you not seen those who claim purity for themselves? Rather, Allah purifies whom He wills" ⁴⁵. * * * This is a matter of dispute among scholars, ancient and modern. On one side, there are those who limit it, such as the partisans and others, who consider no woman equal to Khadija: due to the Lord's greeting to her, that all the Prophet's children except Ibrahim are from her, that he did not marry another while she was alive out of honor for her and appreciation of her Islam, that she was among the truthful ones, and that she had a station of truth at the beginning of the mission, and she devoted herself and her wealth to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. As for the Ahl al-Sunna ⁴⁶, some of them also go to extremes and affirm for each of them virtues that are well-known, but the strength of their adherence to the Sunna leads them to prefer 'A'isha because she is the daughter of al-Siddiq ⁴⁷, and because she was more knowledgeable than Khadija, for there was no one among the nations like 'A'isha in her memorization, knowledge, eloquence, and intellect. The Messenger did not love any of his wives as he loved her, and her innocence was revealed from above the seven heavens. She narrated after him a vast, abundant, blessed knowledge, to the extent that many people mention the famous hadith: "Take half of your religion from al-Humayra' ⁴⁸." * * * The truth is that each of them has virtues that, if one looks into them, would dazzle and amaze him. The best course is to refrain from judgment in that matter until Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Whoever has clear evidence that leads to certainty or preponderant opinion in this matter, it is incumbent upon him to speak according to his knowledge. Whoever remains hesitant in this matter or others, the most upright path and safest way is to say: Allah knows best. Imam Ahmad, al-Bukhari, Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nasa'i narrated from the path of Hisham ibn 'Urwa, from his father, from 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: "The best of its women is Maryam bint 'Imran, and the best of its women is Khadija bint Khuwaylid"—meaning the best of their respective times.

Shu'bah narrated from Mu'awiyah ibn Qurrah, from his father Qurrah ibn Iyas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Many men have attained perfection, but among women only three have attained perfection: Maryam bint 'Imran, Asiyah the wife of Pharaoh, and Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. And the superiority of 'A'ishah over women is like the superiority of tharid ⁴⁹ over all other foods." Ibn Mardawayh narrated it in his Tafsir, and this chain is authentic up to Shu'bah. They said: The common factor among the three women—Asiyah, Maryam, and Khadijah—is that each of them fostered a prophet sent by Allah, excelled in companionship during her fostering, and believed in him when he was sent. Maryam fostered her child with the most complete and greatest fostering and believed in him when he was sent. Khadijah desired to marry the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and spent her wealth for that purpose, as previously mentioned, and believed in him when the revelation came down to him from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. His statement: "And the superiority of 'A'ishah over women is like the superiority of tharid over all other foods" is also confirmed in the two Sahihs ⁵⁰ via the chain of Shu'bah, from 'Amr ibn Murrah, from Murrah at-Tayyib al-Hamdani, from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Many men have attained perfection, but among women only Asiyah the wife of Pharaoh, and Maryam bint 'Imran have attained perfection. And indeed the superiority of 'A'ishah over women is like the superiority of tharid over all other foods." Tharid is bread and meat together, and it is the most excellent food of the Arabs, as one poet said: "When bread is seasoned with meat, that is, by Allah's trust, tharid." His statement: "And the superiority of 'A'ishah over women" may be interpreted as general, including the aforementioned women and others, or it may be general only with respect to others, leaving the matter of her and them ambiguous, possibly implying equality between them. Thus, one who prefers one of them over another requires evidence from outside. And Allah knows best. Chapter on his marriage, peace be upon him, after Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, to 'A'ishah bint as-Siddiq, and Sawdah bint Zam'ah, may Allah be pleased with them both. The correct view is that 'A'ishah was married first, as will come. Al-Bukhari said in the chapter on the marriage of 'A'ishah: Mu'alla ibn Asad narrated to us, Wuhayb narrated to us, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from 'A'ishah, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to her: "I saw you in a dream twice. I saw that you were in a silk cloth ⁵¹, and he said: 'This is your wife.' So uncover her, and behold, it was you. So I said: 'If this is from Allah, He will bring it to pass.'" Al-Bukhari said: Chapter on marrying virgins. Ibn Abi Mulaykah said: Ibn 'Abbas said to 'A'ishah: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, married no virgin other than you. Isma'il ibn 'Abdullah narrated to us, my brother narrated to me, from Sulayman ibn Bilal, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from 'A'ishah, who said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, what do you think if you came down to a valley where there is a tree that has been eaten from, and you found a tree that has not been eaten from, on which of them would you let your camel graze? He said: "On the one that has not been grazed from." Meaning that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, married no virgin other than her. Al-Bukhari alone narrated it. Then he said: 'Ubayd ibn Isma'il narrated to us, Abu Usamah narrated to us, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from 'A'ishah. She said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me: "I saw you in a dream, and the angel brought you in a silk cloth and said to me: 'This is your wife.' So I uncovered your face and behold, it was you. So I said: 'If this is from Allah, He will bring it to pass.'" In another narration: "I saw you in a dream for three nights." At-Tirmidhi has that Jibril came to him with her image in a green silk cloth and said: "This is your wife in this world and the Hereafter." Al-Bukhari said: [Chapter on] marrying minors to adults. 'Abdullah ibn Yusuf narrated to us, al-Layth narrated to us, from Yazid, from 'Irak, from 'Urwah, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, proposed to 'A'ishah from Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr said to him: I am your brother. He said: "You are my brother in the religion of Allah and His Book, and she is lawful for me." This hadith, in its apparent context, seems to be mursal ⁵², but according to al-Bukhari and the verifiers, it is connected, because it is from the hadith of 'Urwah from 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her. This is one of the unique narrations of al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him. Yunus ibn Bukayr said, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, married 'A'ishah three years after Khadijah, and 'A'ishah at that time was six years old. He consummated the marriage when she was nine, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, died when 'A'ishah was eighteen years old. This is strange. Al-Bukhari narrated from 'Ubayd ibn Isma'il, from Abu Usamah, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, who said: Khadijah died three years before the Prophet's emigration, peace and blessings be upon him. He remained for two years or close to that, and married 'A'ishah when she was six years old, then consummated the marriage when she was nine. This statement of 'Urwah is mursal in apparent context, as we have mentioned, but it is effectively connected in reality. His statement: "He married her when she was six years old, and consummated the marriage when she was nine" is undisputed among people, and it is confirmed in the Sahihs and other works. His consummation with her, peace be upon him, was in the second year of the Hijrah to Medina. As for the claim that her marriage was about three years after Khadijah's death, there is some consideration. Ya'qub ibn Sufyan al-Hafiz said: Al-Hajjaj narrated to us, Hammad narrated to us, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from 'A'ishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, married me after Khadijah's death, before his departure from Mecca, when I was seven or six years old. When we arrived in Medina, some women came to me while I was playing on a swing and I had a head of hair ⁵³. They prepared me and adorned me, then brought me to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he consummated the marriage with me when I was nine years old. His statement in this hadith: "after Khadijah's death" implies that it was soon after that, unless the phrase "after Khadijah's death" has been omitted from the copy, which would not negate what Yunus ibn Bukayr and Abu Usamah narrated from Hisham ibn 'Urwah from his father. And Allah knows best. Al-Bukhari said: Farwah ibn Abi al-Maghra' narrated to us, 'Ali ibn Mushir narrated to us, from Hisham ibn 'Urwah, from his father, from 'A'ishah. She said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, married me when I was six years old. We arrived in Medina and stayed among Banu al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj. I fell ill and my hair fell out, and I had grown a head of hair. My mother, Umm Ruman, came to me while I was on a swing with my friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted. She took my hand until she stopped me at the door of the house, and I was panting until my breath settled. Then she took some water and wiped my face and head, then brought me into the house. There were some women of the Ansar in the house, and they said: "Upon good and blessing, and upon a good omen." She handed me over to them, and they fixed me up. I was not startled except by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, at midday. They handed me over to him, and I was at that time nine years old.

Imam Ahmad said in the Musnad of 'A'ishah, the Mother of the Believers: Muhammad ibn Bishr narrated to us, Bishr narrated to us, Muhammad ibn 'Amr narrated to us, Abu Salamah and Yahya said: When Khadijah died, Khawlah bint Hakim, the wife of 'Uthman ibn Maz'un, came and said: O Messenger of Allah, will you not marry? He said: Whom? She said: If you wish, a virgin, and if you wish, a previously married woman. He said: Who is the virgin? She said: The most beloved of Allah's creation to you, 'A'ishah bint Abi Bakr. He said: And who is the previously married woman? She said: Sawdah bint Zam'ah, who has believed in you and followed you. He said: Go and mention them to me. She entered the house of Abu Bakr and said: O Umm Ruman, what good and blessing has Allah brought upon you! She said: What is that? She said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent me to propose to 'A'ishah on his behalf. She said: Wait for Abu Bakr until he comes. Abu Bakr came, and she said: O Abu Bakr, what good and blessing has Allah brought upon you! He said: What is that? She said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent me to propose to 'A'ishah on his behalf. He said: Is she suitable for him? She is only the daughter of his brother. So I returned to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and mentioned that to him. He said: Return to him and say to him: I am your brother and you are my brother in Islam, and your daughter is suitable for me. She returned and mentioned that to him. He said: Wait, and he left. Umm Ruman said: Mut'im ibn 'Adi had mentioned her for his son, and by Allah, Abu Bakr never made a promise and broke it. Abu Bakr entered upon Mut'im ibn 'Adi while his wife, Umm al-Sabi, was with him. She said: O son of Abu Quhafah, perhaps you want to make our companion ⁵⁴ apostate and bring him into your religion that you are upon if he marries into your family? Abu Bakr said to Mut'im ibn 'Adi: Does she say this? He said: She says that. So he left his presence, and Allah removed what was in his heart regarding the promise he had made. He returned and said to Khawlah: Call the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, for me. She called him, and he married her to him, and 'A'ishah at that time was six years old. Then she left and entered upon Sawdah bint Zam'ah and said: What good and blessing has Allah brought upon you! She said: What is that? She said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent me to propose to you on his behalf. She said: I would like that. Enter upon my father and mention that to him. He was an old man, advanced in age, who had stayed behind from Hajj. She entered upon him and greeted him with the greeting of the Jahiliyyah ⁵⁵. He said: Who is this? She said: Khawlah bint Hakim. He said: What is your matter? She said: Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah sent me to propose to Sawdah on his behalf. He said: A worthy and noble match. What does your companion say? She said: She likes that. He said: Call her to me. She called her. He said: O my daughter, this woman claims that Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib has sent to propose to you, and he is a worthy and noble match. Do you want me to marry you to him? She said: Yes. He said: Call him to me. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came, and he married her to him. Her brother, 'Abd ibn Zam'ah, came from Hajj and began to throw dust on his head. After he became Muslim, he said: By your life, I was foolish on the day I threw dust on my head that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, married Sawdah bint Zam'ah! 'A'ishah said: We arrived in Madinah and stayed among Banu al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj in al-Sunh ⁵⁶. She said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came and entered our house, and men and women of the Ansar ⁵⁷ gathered around him. My mother came to me while I was on a swing between two date palms, swinging me. She took me down from the swing, and I had some hair ⁵⁸; she parted it and wiped my face with some water. Then she came leading me until she stopped me at the door, and I was out of breath until my breathing calmed. Then she entered with me, and there was the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sitting on a bed in our house, with men and women of the Ansar around him. She seated me in his lap ⁵⁹ and then said: These are your family, may Allah bless you in them and bless them in you. The men and women jumped up and left, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, consummated the marriage with me in our house. No camel or sheep was slaughtered for me until Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah sent us a bowl that he used to send to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he went around to his wives. And I at that time was nine years old. This chain appears to be mursal ⁶⁰, but it is connected. Because al-Bayhaqi narrated via Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar, 'Abdullah ibn Idris al-Azdi narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn 'Amr, from Yahya ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Hatib, who said: 'A'ishah said: When Khadijah died, Khawlah bint Hakim came and said: O Messenger of Allah, will you not marry? He said: Whom? She said: If you wish, a virgin, and if you wish, a previously married woman. He said: Who is the virgin and who is the previously married woman? She said: As for the virgin, she is the daughter of the most beloved of Allah's creation to you; and as for the previously married woman, she is Sawdah bint Zam'ah, who has believed in you and followed you. He said: Mention them to me. And he mentioned the rest of the hadith similar to what preceded. This indicates that his contract with 'A'ishah was before his marriage to Sawdah bint Zam'ah. But his consummation with Sawdah was in Makkah, while his consummation with 'A'ishah was delayed until Madinah in the second year, as has preceded and will come. Imam Ahmad said: Aswad narrated to us, Sharik narrated to us, from Hisham, from his father, from 'A'ishah, who said: When Sawdah grew old, she gave her day to me, so the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would allocate to me her day along with his other wives. She said: She was the first woman he married after me. Imam Ahmad said: Abu al-Nadr narrated to us, 'Abd al-Hamid narrated to us, Shahr narrated to me, 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas narrated to me, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, proposed to a woman from his people called Sawdah, and she had children ⁶¹; she had five or six children from her husband who had died. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: What prevents you from me? She said: By Allah, O Prophet of Allah, nothing prevents me from you except that you are the most beloved of all people to me, but I respect you too much to have these children bother you morning and evening. He said: Is there anything else preventing you from me? She said: No, by Allah. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to her: May Allah have mercy on you! The best women who ride the humps of camels are the righteous women of Quraysh; the most compassionate to a child in his infancy and the most caring of a husband's property. I say: Her husband before him, peace be upon him, was al-Sakran ibn 'Amr, the brother of Suhayl ibn 'Amr. He was among those who embraced Islam and migrated to Abyssinia, as has preceded, then returned to Makkah and died there before the Hijrah ⁶², may Allah be pleased with him. All these narrations indicate that the contract with 'A'ishah was before the contract with Sawdah, and this is the saying of 'Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn 'Aqil. Yunus narrated it from al-Zuhri. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr chose that the contract with Sawdah was before 'A'ishah, and he narrated it from Qatadah and Abu 'Ubayd. He said: 'Uqayl narrated it from al-Zuhri. Section: The death of Abu Talib, the uncle of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, has preceded, and that he was a supporter of him, standing in his ranks, defending him with all he could of himself, wealth, speech, and action. When he died, the foolish ones of Quraysh became bold against the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and they harmed him in ways they had not been able to reach or accomplish before.

As narrated by al-Bayhaqi, from al-Hakim, from al-Asamm: Muhammad ibn Ishaq al-San'ani narrated to us, from Yusuf ibn Buhlul, from 'Abdullah ibn Idris, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from one who narrated to him, from 'Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, from 'Abdullah ibn Ja'far, who said: When Abu Talib died, a foolish person from the fools of Quraysh confronted the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and threw dust on him. He returned to his house, and one of his daughters came to wipe the dust from his face while weeping. He kept saying: "O my daughter, do not weep, for Allah will protect your father." And he said in between: "Quraysh never attained anything I disliked until Abu Talib died; then they began [their hostility]." This was also narrated by Ziyad al-Bakka'i, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Hisham ibn 'Urwa, from his father, as a mursal ⁶³ narration. And Allah knows best. Al-Bayhaqi also narrated from al-Hakim and others, from al-Asamm, from Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar, from Yunus ibn Bukayr, from Hisham ibn 'Urwa, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Quraysh remained kā'īn ⁶⁴ until Abu Talib died." Then he narrated from al-Hakim, from al-Asamm, from 'Abbas al-Duri, from Yahya ibn Ma'in: 'Uqba al-Mujaddar narrated to us, from Hisham ibn 'Urwa, from his father, from 'A'isha, from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said: "Quraysh remained kā'ʿa ⁶⁵ until Abu Talib passed away." Al-Hafiz Abu al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi narrated with his chain from Tha'laba ibn Suqayr ⁶⁶ and Hakim ibn Hizam that they said: When Abu Talib and Khadija died—and between them was five days—two calamities befell the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He stayed in his house and went out less, and Quraysh inflicted upon him what they had not been able to inflict nor hoped for. This reached Abu Lahab, so he came to him and said: "O Muhammad, proceed with what you intend, and do what you used to do when Abu Talib was alive. By al-Lat, no one will reach you until I die." Ibn al-Ghaytala ⁶⁷ insulted the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), so Abu Lahab went to him and rebuked him. He turned away shouting: "O company of Quraysh, Abu 'Utba has become a Sabian ⁶⁸!" Quraysh came until they stood before Abu Lahab, who said: "I have not abandoned the religion of 'Abd al-Muttalib, but I protect my nephew from being wronged until he proceeds with what he intends." They said: "You have done well and beautifully, and you have upheld kinship." So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) remained thus for days, coming and going with none of Quraysh confronting him, as they feared Abu Lahab. Then 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt and Abu Jahl came to Abu Lahab and said: "Has your nephew informed you where your father will enter?" Abu Lahab asked: "O Muhammad, where will 'Abd al-Muttalib enter?" He replied: "With his people." He went out to them and said: "I asked him, and he said: 'With his people.'" They said: "He claims he is in the Fire!" So he said: "O Muhammad, will 'Abd al-Muttalib enter the Fire?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever dies upon what 'Abd al-Muttalib died upon will enter the Fire." Then Abu Lahab—may Allah curse him—said: "By Allah, I will never cease to be your enemy forever, while you claim that 'Abd al-Muttalib is in the Fire." At that, Abu Lahab and the rest of Quraysh became severe against him. Ibn Ishaq said: Those who harmed the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in his house were: Abu Lahab, al-Hakam ibn Abi al-'As ibn Umayya, 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt, 'Adi ibn al-Hamra', and Ibn al-Asda' al-Hudhali. They were his neighbors; none of them embraced Islam except al-Hakam ibn Abi al-'As. One of them, as was mentioned to me, would throw the womb of a sheep on him while he was praying, and another would throw it into his cooking pot when it was set for him, until the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) took a stone screen to shield himself from them when he prayed. When they threw something like that, he would carry it on a stick, then stand at his door and say: "O sons of 'Abd Manaf, what kind of neighborliness is this?" Then he would throw it into the street. I say: In my view, most of what has been narrated previously—such as their throwing the fetus of a camel between his shoulders while he was praying, as narrated by Ibn Mas'ud, including that Fatima came and removed it from him and turned to them, rebuking them, and then when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) finished his prayer, he invoked against seven of them as mentioned earlier; likewise, what 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As reported about their strangling him severely until Abu Bakr al-Siddiq intervened, saying: "Would you kill a man for saying: My Lord is Allah?" and also Abu Jahl's—may Allah curse him—determination to step on his neck while he was praying, but was prevented from doing so, and similar incidents—all occurred after the death of Abu Talib, and Allah knows best. Mentioning them here is more appropriate and fitting. Section on his (peace be upon him) journey to the people of Ta'if, inviting them to Allah Almighty and to support His religion, but they rejected him and did not accept, so he returned from them to Mecca. Ibn Ishaq said: When Abu Talib died, Quraysh inflicted upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) such harm as they had not inflicted upon him during the lifetime of his uncle Abu Talib. So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) set out to Ta'if seeking support and protection from Thaqif against his people, hoping that they would accept what he brought from Allah Almighty. He went out to them alone. Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad narrated to me, from Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) arrived at Ta'if and went to a group of Thaqif who were their chiefs and nobles—three brothers: 'Abd Yalil, Mas'ud, and Habib, sons of 'Amr ibn 'Umayr ibn 'Awf ibn 'Uqda ibn Ghanira ibn 'Awf ibn Thaqif. With one of them was a woman from Quraysh of Banu Jumah. He sat with them and invited them to Allah, speaking to them about what he had come for—their support for Islam and standing with him against those of his people who opposed him. One of them said: "He is tearing the garments of the Ka'ba if Allah has sent you." Another said: "Could Allah not find anyone else to send?" The third said: "By Allah, I will never speak to you. If you are a messenger from Allah as you claim, then you are too great for me to reply to you; and if you are lying against Allah, it is not fitting for me to speak to you." So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) left them, having despaired of any good from Thaqif. He had said to them, as was mentioned to me, when they did what they did: "If you have done what you have done, then keep it secret from me." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) disliked that his people should hear about it and thus be incited against him. But they did not do so; instead, they incited their fools and slaves to insult him and shout at him until people gathered against him and forced him to take refuge in a garden belonging to 'Utba ibn Rabi'a and Shayba ibn Rabi'a, who were inside it. The fools of Thaqif who had been following him turned back. He went to the shade of a grapevine ⁶⁹ and sat there, while the two sons of Rabi'a watched him and saw what he was suffering from the fools of Ta'if. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) met, as was mentioned to me, the woman from Banu Jumah and said to her: "What have we suffered from your in-laws!" When he had calmed down, he said, as was mentioned: "O Allah, to You I complain of my weakness, my lack of resources, and my insignificance before people. O Most Merciful of the merciful, You are the Lord of the weak, and You are my Lord. To whom will You entrust me? To a distant one who will frown at me, or to an enemy to whom You have given control over my affairs? If You are not angry with me, I do not care, but Your well-being is more ample for me."

I seek refuge in the light of Your Face by which the darknesses are illuminated and the affairs of this world and the Hereafter are set right, from that You should send down upon me Your wrath or bring down upon me Your displeasure. To You is the right to reproach until You are pleased. There is no power and no strength except through You." He said: When the two sons of Rabi‘a, ‘Utba and Shayba, saw him and what he had encountered, their compassion was stirred for him. They called a Christian slave boy of theirs named ‘Addas ⁷⁰ and said to him: "Take a bunch of these grapes, put them on this plate, then go to that man and tell him to eat from it." ‘Addas did so, then went with it until he placed it before the Messenger of God ﷺ, then said to him: "Eat." When the Messenger of God ﷺ placed his hand in it, he said: "In the name of God" ⁷¹, then ate. Then ‘Addas looked at his face and said: "By God, this is a saying that the people of this land do not utter." The Messenger of God ﷺ said to him: "From which land are you, O ‘Addas, and what is your religion?" He said: "I am a Christian, and I am from the people of Nineveh." The Messenger of God ﷺ said: "From the town of the righteous man Jonah son of Matta?" ‘Addas said to him: "How do you know about Jonah son of Matta?" The Messenger of God ﷺ said: "He is my brother; he was a prophet and I am a prophet." Then ‘Addas bent over the Messenger of God ﷺ, kissing his head, hands, and feet. He said: The two sons of Rabi‘a said to one another: "As for your slave, he has corrupted him for you." When ‘Addas came back, they said to him: "Woe to you, O ‘Addas! Why do you kiss the head, hands, and feet of this man?" He said: "O my masters, there is nothing on earth better than this. He has told me something that only a prophet knows." They said to him: "Woe to you, O ‘Addas! Do not let him turn you away from your religion, for your religion is better than his religion." * * * Musa ibn ‘Uqba mentioned something similar to this account, except that he did not mention the supplication and added: The people of Ta’if lined up in two rows on his path. When he passed, they did not lift or put down his feet without stoning them with stones until they made them bleed. He escaped from them while both were flowing with blood. He headed to the shade of a palm tree, distressed. In that garden were ‘Utba and Shayba, the two sons of Rabi‘a, and he disliked their presence because of their enmity to God and His Messenger. Then he mentioned the story of ‘Addas the Christian, similar to what preceded. Imam Ahmad narrated from Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shayba: Marwan ibn Mu‘awiya al-Fazari narrated to us from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Ta’ifi, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Khalid ibn Abi Jabal al-‘Adwani, from his father, that he saw the Messenger of God ﷺ in the east of Thaqif, standing on a bow or a staff, when he came to them seeking their support. He heard him say: "By the sky and the night-comer" ⁷² until he completed it. He said: I memorized it in the Jahiliyya ⁷³ while I was a polytheist, then I recited it in Islam. He said: Thaqif called me and said: "What did you hear from this man?" So I recited it to them. Those of Quraysh who were with them said: "We know our companion better. If we knew that what he says is true, we would have followed him." It is established in the two Sahihs ⁷⁴ from the path of ‘Abdullah ibn Wahb: Yunus ibn Yazid informed me from Ibn Shihab who said: ‘Urwa ibn al-Zubayr informed me that ‘A’isha narrated to him that she said to the Messenger of God ﷺ: "Has there come upon you a day more severe than the day of Uhud?" He said: "I have suffered from your people what was more severe than that on the day of ‘Aqaba ⁷⁵, when I presented myself to Ibn ‘Abd Yalil ibn ‘Abd Kulal and he did not respond to what I wanted. I departed, distressed, on my face, and I did not recover until I was at Qarn al-Tha‘alib ⁷⁶. I raised my head and behold, there was a cloud shading me. I looked and there was Gabriel عليه السلام in it. He called me and said: 'God has heard the words of your people to you and their rejection of you. He has sent to you the angel of the mountains to command him as you wish concerning them.' Then the angel of the mountains called me, greeted me, and said: 'O Muhammad, God has sent me to you. He has heard the words of your people to you. I am the angel of the mountains; your Lord has sent me to you so that you may command me as you wish. If you wish, I will bring together the two mountains ⁷⁷ over them.' The Messenger of God ﷺ said: 'I hope that God will bring forth from their loins those who worship God alone, associating nothing with Him.'" Section: Muhammad ibn Ishaq mentioned the jinn ⁷⁸ hearing the recitation of the Messenger of God ﷺ on his return from Ta’if when he spent the night at Nakhlah and prayed the dawn prayer with his companions. The jinn who were directed to him listened to his recitation there. Ibn Ishaq said: They were seven individuals, and God تعالى revealed concerning them His saying: "And when We directed to you a company of jinn" ⁷⁹. I say: We have discussed this in detail in the Tafsir ⁸⁰, and a portion of that has preceded. And God knows best. Then the Messenger of God ﷺ entered Mecca on his return from Ta’if under the protection of al-Mut‘im ibn ‘Adi. His people increased in hatred, rage, audacity, denial, and obstinacy against him. And God is the one whose help is sought, and upon Him is reliance. Al-Umawi mentioned in his Maghazi ⁸¹ that the Messenger of God ﷺ sent Urayqit ⁸² to al-Akhnas ibn Shariq, asking him to grant him protection in Mecca. He said: "The ally of Quraysh does not grant protection against its core." Then he sent him to Suhayl ibn ‘Amr to grant him protection. He said: "The Banu ‘Amir ibn Lu’ayy do not grant protection against the Banu Ka‘b ibn Lu’ayy." Then he sent him to al-Mut‘im ibn ‘Adi to grant him protection. He said: "Yes. Tell him to come." So the Messenger of God ﷺ went to him and spent that night with him. In the morning, he went out with him, he and his sons, six or seven, all girded with swords. They entered the mosque, and he said to the Messenger of God ﷺ: "Perform the circumambulation." And they sat with their sword belts in the circumambulation area. Abu Sufyan came to al-Mut‘im and said: "Are you a protector or a follower?" He said: "Rather, a protector." He said: "Then you will not be betrayed." So he sat with him until the Messenger of God ﷺ completed his circumambulation. When he departed, they departed with him. Abu Sufyan went to his gathering. He said: He stayed for some days, then permission was given to him to emigrate. When the Messenger of God ﷺ emigrated to Medina, al-Mut‘im ibn ‘Adi died shortly after. Hassan ibn Thabit said: "By God, I will eulogize him." He said in his eulogy: "If there were one immortal glory today among people, his glory today would be al-Mut‘im. You granted protection to the Messenger of God from them, so they became your servants as long as a pilgrim recites the talbiya ⁸³ and enters ihram ⁸⁴. If all of Ma‘add and Qahtan or the remaining remnant of Jurhum were asked about him, they would say: He is the one who fulfills the protection of his neighbor and his covenant, once he undertakes it. The shining sun does not rise above them upon anyone like him among them, more honorable and generous, more dignified when he refuses, softer in disposition, and more protective of a neighbor when the night darkens." I say: For this reason, the Prophet ﷺ said on the day of the captives of Badr: "If al-Mut‘im ibn ‘Adi were alive and then asked me concerning these rotten ones ⁸⁵, I would have granted them to him." Section: On the presentation of the noble self of the Messenger of God ﷺ to the Arab tribes during the pilgrimage seasons, that they should give him refuge, support him, and protect him from those who denied and opposed him. But none of them responded to him, because God تعالى had reserved for the Ansar ⁸⁶ great honor. May God be pleased with them. Ibn Ishaq said: Then the Messenger of God ﷺ arrived in Mecca, while his people were more severe than ever in their opposition to him and abandonment of his religion, except for a few weak ones who had believed in him.

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to present himself at the seasonal fairs ⁸⁷ to the Arab tribes, calling them to Allah Almighty, informing them that he was a sent prophet, and asking them to believe him and protect him so that he could convey what Allah had sent him with. Ibn Ishaq said: One of our companions whom I do not suspect narrated to me from Zayd ibn Aslam, from Rabi‘a ibn ‘Abbad al-Du’ali ⁸⁸, and from Abu al-Zinad who narrated from him; and Husayn ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Ubayd Allah ibn ‘Abbas narrated to me, saying: I heard my father narrate from Rabi‘a ibn ‘Ibad, who said: I was a young boy with my father at Mina ⁸⁹, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was standing at the encampments of the Arab tribes, saying: "O Banu so-and-so, I am the Messenger of Allah to you, commanding you to worship Allah and not associate anything with Him, to abandon these idols ⁹⁰ that you worship besides Him, and to believe in me and affirm me, and to protect me so that I may convey what Allah has sent me with." He said: Behind him was a man with a squint, handsome, with two braids, wearing a fine garment from ‘Adan ⁹¹. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, finished his speech and his call, that man said: "O Banu so-and-so, this man only calls you to strip al-Lat and al-‘Uzza ⁹² from your necks, and your allies among the jinn of Banu Malik ibn Uqaysh, to what he has brought of innovation and misguidance; so do not obey him nor listen to him." He said: I said to my father: "O father, who is this man who follows him and refutes what he says?" He said: "This is his uncle ‘Abd al-‘Uzza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, Abu Lahab ⁹³." Imam Ahmad narrated this hadith from Ibrahim ibn Abi al-‘Abbas: ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Zinad narrated to us from his father: A man called Rabi‘a ibn ‘Abbad from Banu al-Dil, who was a pagan ⁹⁴ and then became Muslim, told me: I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the pre-Islamic period at the market of Dhu al-Majaz ⁹⁵, saying: "O people, say: There is no god but Allah, and you will succeed." People were gathered around him, and behind him was a man with a handsome face, squint-eyed, with two braids, saying: "He is a Sabian ⁹⁶, a liar." He followed him wherever he went. I asked about him, and they said: "This is his uncle Abu Lahab." Al-Bayhaqi narrated it via Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Ansari from Muhammad ibn ‘Amr from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir from Rabi‘a al-Dili: I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at the market of Dhu al-Majaz, following people to their encampments, calling them to Allah. Behind him was a squint-eyed man with glowing cheeks, saying: "O people, do not let this man deceive you from your religion and the religion of your fathers." I said: "Who is this?" They said: "This is Abu Lahab." Similarly, Abu Nu‘aym narrated it in al-Dala’il via Ibn Abi Dhi’b and Sa‘id ibn Salama ibn Abi al-Husam, both from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir with a similar account. Then al-Bayhaqi narrated via Shu‘ba from al-Ash‘ath ibn Sulaym from a man from Kinana: I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at the market of Dhu al-Majaz, saying: "O people, say: There is no god but Allah, and you will succeed." And there was a man behind him throwing dust at him, and it was Abu Jahl ⁹⁷, saying: "O people, do not let this man deceive you from your religion, for he only wants you to abandon the worship of al-Lat and al-‘Uzza." Thus he said in this context: "Abu Jahl." This may be a mistake, and it is possible that sometimes it was one and sometimes the other, and that they took turns in harming him, peace be upon him. Ibn Ishaq said: Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri narrated to me that he, peace be upon him, came to Kinda ⁹⁸ at their encampments, among them a chief of theirs called Mulayh, and he called them to Allah Almighty and presented himself to them, but they refused him. Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn [‘Abd Allah ibn] Husayn narrated to me that he came to Kalb ⁹⁹ at their encampments, to a branch of them called Banu ‘Abd Allah, and he called them to Allah and presented himself to them, even saying: "O Banu ‘Abd Allah, Allah has made good the name of your father." But they did not accept what he presented to them. One of our companions narrated to me from ‘Abd Allah ibn Ka‘b ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came to Banu Hanifa ¹⁰⁰ at their encampments, called them to Allah and presented himself, but none of the Arabs were uglier in their rejection of him than they were. Al-Zuhri narrated to me that he came to Banu ‘Amir ibn Sa‘sa‘a ¹⁰¹, called them to Allah and presented himself to them. A man among them called Bayhara ibn Firas said: "By Allah, if I were to take this young man..."

1. Bayt al-Maqdis : Jerusalem, specifically the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
2. Isra' : The Night Journey of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem.
3. Qur'an 17:60 : Reference to the verse about the vision and the cursed tree.
4. cursed tree : Refers to the tree of Zaqqum mentioned in the Qur'an.
5. Zaqqum : A tree in Hell described in the Qur'an, with bitter fruit.
6. Jibril : The angel Gabriel, who conveyed revelation to the prophets.
7. Zawal : The time when the sun passes its zenith, marking the beginning of the Zuhr prayer time.
8. Maghrib : The sunset prayer, consisting of three rak'as.
9. al-Ahkam : A book by the author on Islamic rulings, likely referring to a specific work.
10. rak'a : A unit of Islamic prayer, consisting of standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting.
11. Qur'an 4:101 : The verse about shortening prayer during travel.
12. mursal : A type of hadith where a Successor narrates directly from the Prophet without mentioning the Companion.
13. Zuhr : The noon prayer, consisting of four rak'as.
14. 'Asr : The afternoon prayer, consisting of four rak'as.
15. 'Isha' : The night prayer, consisting of four rak'as.
16. Subh : The dawn prayer, also called Fajr, consisting of two rak'as.
17. Qur'an 54:1-3 : The verses about the splitting of the moon.
18. mutawatir : A hadith narrated by so many chains that it is considered certain and undeniable.
19. Hira' : The mountain near Mecca where the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation.
20. الدَّلَائِل : Al-Dala'il, a work by Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani on the proofs of prophethood.
21. انْشَقَّ الْقَمَرُ : The splitting of the moon, a miracle attributed to the Prophet Muhammad.
22. يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ : Yahya ibn Bukayr, a narrator of hadith.
23. الْهِجْرَة : The Hijra, the emigration of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE.
24. مُرْسَل : Mursal, a hadith where a Successor directly attributes a saying to the Prophet without mentioning the Companion.
25. أَبُو قُبَيْس : Abu Qubays, a mountain in Mecca.
26. قُعَيْقِعَان : Qu'ayqi'an, a mountain in Mecca.
27. لَيْلَة بدر : The night of Badr, referring to the Battle of Badr in 624 CE.
28. الصَّفَا : Al-Safa, a hill in Mecca, part of the Sa'i ritual.
29. الْمَرْوَة : Al-Marwa, a hill in Mecca, part of the Sa'i ritual.
30. حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ : Hasan sahih, a classification meaning the hadith is both good and authentic.
31. مِنًى : Mina, a valley near Mecca where pilgrims stay during Hajj.
32. ابْنُ أَبِي كَبْشَةَ : Ibn Abi Kabsha, a derogatory nickname used by Quraysh for the Prophet Muhammad, likening him to a man who worshipped a different deity.
33. وزير صدق : A truthful minister; a loyal and supportive companion.
34. ص وَالْقُرْآنِ ذِي الذِّكْرِ بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍ : Qur'an 38:1-2: 'Sad. By the Qur'an full of reminder, but those who disbelieve are in pride and dissension.'
35. الْجِزْيَةَ : Jizya: a tax levied on non-Muslims in an Islamic state.
36. إِلَّا اخْتِلَاق : Qur'an 38:7: 'except a fabrication.'
37. مَا كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُولِي قُرْبَى مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُم أَنهم أَصْحَاب الْجَحِيم : Qur'an 9:113: 'It is not for the Prophet and those who believe to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they are relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of the Blaze.'
38. إِنَّك لَا تهدى من أَحْبَبْت : Qur'an 28:56: 'Indeed, you do not guide whom you love.'
39. إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ أعلم بالمهتدين : Qur'an 28:56: 'Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills, and He is most knowing of the guided.'
40. فِي ضَحْضَاحٍ مِنْ نَارٍ : A shallow place of fire; a level of punishment less severe than the lowest depth of Hell.
41. qasab : Hollowed pearls; a type of pearl that is hollow and transparent, used metaphorically for a structure in Paradise.
42. la sakhaba fihi wa la nasaba : A phrase from the Quran (19:62) describing Paradise: no clamor or fatigue.
43. hamra' al-shidqayn : Literally 'red of the gums'; a derogatory description implying old age, as gums become red with age.
44. Quran 53:32 : Reference to the Quranic verse: 'So do not claim purity for yourselves; He knows best who fears Him.'
45. Quran 4:49 : Reference to the Quranic verse: 'Have you not seen those who claim purity for themselves? Rather, Allah purifies whom He wills.'
46. Ahl al-Sunna : The Sunni Muslims, those who follow the Sunna (traditions) of the Prophet.
47. al-Siddiq : The Truthful; a title of Abu Bakr, the first Caliph and father of 'A'isha.
48. al-Humayra' : A nickname for 'A'isha, meaning 'the reddish one' or 'the fair-skinned'.
49. tharid : A dish of bread soaked in meat broth, considered a highly esteemed food among the Arabs.
50. Sahihayn : The two authentic hadith collections: Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
51. saraqah : A piece of silk cloth or garment.
52. mursal : A hadith where a Successor (Tabi'i) narrates directly from the Prophet, omitting the Companion.
53. jumaymah : A small head of hair or a braid; here it refers to a young girl's hair that has grown enough to be styled.
54. ṣāḥib : Companion; here referring to Mut'im ibn 'Adi's son, who was being considered as a suitor for 'A'ishah.
55. Jāhiliyyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance; the greeting of the Jāhiliyyah was a customary greeting before Islam.
56. al-Sunḥ : A place in Madinah, a suburb or district where some of the Ansar lived.
57. Anṣār : The Helpers; the Muslim inhabitants of Madinah who supported the Prophet after his migration.
58. jumaymah : A diminutive form of jummah, meaning a small amount of hair or a lock of hair.
59. ḥujrah : Lap or bosom; also can mean a room or chamber, but here contextually it is her mother seating her in the Prophet's lap.
60. mursal : A type of hadith where the Companion is omitted and the Successor narrates directly from the Prophet; considered weak by some scholars unless supported.
61. muṣbiyah : A woman who has young children; from ṣibyah, meaning children or boys.
62. Hijrah : The migration of the Prophet from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE, marking the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
63. mursal : A hadith where the Successor (Tabi'i) directly attributes a statement to the Prophet without mentioning the Companion intermediary.
64. kā'īn : A word meaning 'holding back' or 'refraining', possibly indicating that Quraysh were restrained from harming the Prophet.
65. kā'ʿa : Variant of kā'īn, meaning 'holding back' or 'refraining'.
66. Tha'laba ibn Suqayr : A Companion; name may be read as Tha'laba ibn Sakhr or similar.
67. Ibn al-Ghaytala : A derogatory epithet for Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, referring to his mother Ghaytala.
68. Sabian : A term used for those who leave their religion; here, implying apostasy from Quraysh's religion.
69. ḥabala : A grapevine or a trellis of vines.
70. ʿAddās : A Christian slave boy from Nineveh, owned by ʿUtba and Shayba.
71. Bismillāh : Arabic phrase meaning 'In the name of God', uttered before eating.
72. wal-samāʾi wal-ṭāriq : Opening of Surah 86 (al-Ṭāriq) of the Quran.
73. Jāhiliyya : Pre-Islamic period of ignorance before Islam.
74. Ṣaḥīḥayn : The two authentic hadith collections of al-Bukhārī and Muslim.
75. Yawm al-ʿAqaba : The day at ʿAqaba near Ta’if when the Prophet sought support from the tribe of Thaqif.
76. Qarn al-Thaʿālib : A location near Mecca, possibly a mountain pass.
77. al-Akhshabayn : The two mountains of Mecca, Abū Qubays and Quʿayqiʿān.
78. Jinn : Spiritual beings created from smokeless fire, capable of belief and disbelief.
79. Wa-idh ṣarafnā ilayka nafaran min al-jinn : Quran 46:29, referring to a group of jinn who listened to the Quran.
80. Tafsīr : Exegesis or commentary on the Quran.
81. Maghāzī : Literally 'military expeditions', a genre of early Islamic historical literature.
82. Urayqiṭ : A messenger sent by the Prophet; possibly a name or title.
83. Talbiya : The proclamation 'Labbayka Allāhumma labbayk' uttered by pilgrims during Hajj.
84. Iḥrām : The sacred state of consecration for Hajj or Umrah.
85. al-natanī : Literally 'the rotten ones', referring to the Quraysh captives of Badr.
86. Anṣār : The 'Helpers', the Muslim converts of Medina who supported the Prophet.
87. al-mawāsim : Seasonal fairs or markets held during the pilgrimage season in pre-Islamic Arabia, such as ‘Ukaz, Dhu al-Majaz, and Majanna.
88. Rabi‘a ibn ‘Abbād al-Du’alī : A companion of the Prophet; he was a pagan in the pre-Islamic period and later embraced Islam.
89. Mīnā : A valley near Mecca where pilgrims stay during the Hajj; also a site of pre-Islamic fairs.
90. al-andād : Plural of nidd, meaning rivals or equals; here referring to idols worshipped alongside Allah.
91. ḥullah ‘Adanīyah : A fine garment from ‘Adan (Aden) in Yemen, known for its quality.
92. al-Lāt wa al-‘Uzzā : Two major pre-Islamic Arabian goddesses worshipped by the Quraysh and other tribes.
93. Abū Lahab : The Prophet's uncle, ‘Abd al-‘Uzza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, a staunch opponent of Islam; condemned in Surah al-Masad.
94. jāhilīyah : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance, characterized by polytheism and moral darkness.
95. sūq Dhī al-Majāz : A famous pre-Islamic market near Mecca, held during the pilgrimage season.
96. Ṣābi’ : A Sabian; a term used by Meccans to denounce the Prophet as a heretic or apostate from their religion.
97. Abū Jahl : ‘Amr ibn Hisham, a leading Qurayshite opponent of the Prophet, known for his hostility.
98. Kindah : A prominent Arab tribe from Yemen, known for its kingdom in pre-Islamic times.
99. Kalb : An Arab tribe from the Quda‘a confederation, settled in the Syrian desert.
100. Banū Ḥanīfah : A large Arab tribe from the Banu Bakr confederation, residing in Yamama; they later produced the false prophet Musaylima.
101. Banū ‘Āmir ibn Ṣa‘ṣa‘ah : A major Arab tribe from the Hawazin confederation, known for their eloquence and poetry.

The mention of al-Ṣiddīq's [1] determination to emigrate to the land of Abyssinia.

If I were from Quraysh, I would have subdued the Arabs with it. Then he said to him: 'Do you think that if we follow you in your affair, and then God gives you victory over those who oppose you, will the authority be ours after you?' He said: 'The authority belongs to God; He places it wherever He wills.' He said: 'So should we expose our throats to the Arabs for your sake, and then when God gives you victory, the authority will be for others? We have no need of your affair.' So they refused him. When the people departed, Banu 'Amir returned to an old shaykh of theirs who had become so aged that he could not attend the seasonal gatherings with them. Whenever they returned to him, they would tell him what had happened at that season. When they came to him that year, he asked them about what had occurred at their season. They said: 'A young man from Quraysh, one of Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib, came to us, claiming to be a prophet, calling us to protect him, stand with him, and take him to our land.' The shaykh placed his hand on his head and said: 'O Banu 'Amir, is there any remedy for this? Is there any way to reach its tail? By Him in Whose hand is the soul of so-and-so, no Ishmaelite has ever fabricated this, and it is the truth. Where was your insight?' Musa ibn 'Uqba reported from al-Zuhri: During those years, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, would present himself to the Arab tribes at every season and speak to every noble of a people, asking them only to give him refuge and protection, and he would say: 'I do not compel any of you to do anything. Whoever among you is pleased with what I call him to, that is fine; whoever dislikes it, I do not compel him. I only want you to protect me from those who seek to kill me until I convey the message of my Lord, and until God decrees for me and those who accompany me what He wills.' None of them accepted him. Whenever he approached any of those tribes, they would say: 'The man's own people know him best. Do you think a man who has corrupted his own people and been expelled by them can reform us?' This was part of what God had reserved for the Ansar and honored them with. Al-Hafiz Abu Nu'aym narrated from 'Abdullah ibn al-Ajlaj and Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Umawi, both from Muhammad ibn al-Sa'ib al-Kalbi, from Abu Salih, from Ibn 'Abbas, from al-'Abbas. He said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to me: 'I see no protection with you or your brother. Will you take me to the market tomorrow so that we may go around the dwellings of the tribes?'—and it was the gathering place of the Arabs. I said: 'Here are Kinda and its allies, the best of those who perform the pilgrimage to the House from Yemen; here are the dwellings of Bakr ibn Wa'il; and here are the dwellings of Banu 'Amir ibn Sa'sa'a. Choose for yourself.' He began with Kinda and came to them. He said: 'Who are the people?' They said: 'From the people of Yemen.' He said: 'From which part of Yemen?' They said: 'From Kinda.' He said: 'From which part of Kinda?' They said: 'From Banu 'Amr ibn Mu'awiya.' He said: 'Would you like some good?' They said: 'What is it?' He said: 'That you bear witness that there is no god but God, establish prayer, and believe in what has come from God.' 'Abdullah ibn al-Ajlaj said: My father told me from the elders of his people that Kinda said to him: 'If you prevail, will you make us the rulers after you?' The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Indeed, the dominion belongs to God; He places it wherever He wills.' They said: 'We have no need of what you have brought.' Al-Kalbi said: They said: 'Have you come to turn us away from our gods and to make us oppose the Arabs? Go back to your people; we have no need of you.' So he left them and came to Bakr ibn Wa'il. He said: 'Who are the people?' They said: 'From Bakr ibn Wa'il.' He said: 'From which part of Bakr ibn Wa'il?' They said: 'From Banu Qays ibn Tha'laba.' He said: 'How many are you?' They said: 'Numerous like dust.' He said: 'How is your protection?' They said: 'We have no protection; we are neighbors of Persia, so we cannot defend ourselves against them nor grant protection against them.' He said: 'Will you make a covenant with God that if He spares you until you take over their dwellings, marry their women, and enslave their children, you will glorify God thirty-three times, praise Him thirty-three times, and magnify Him thirty-four times?' They said: 'Who are you?' He said: 'I am the Messenger of God.' Then he left. When he turned away from them, al-Kalbi said: His uncle Abu Lahab was following him, saying to the people: 'Do not accept his words.' Then Abu Lahab passed by them, and they said: 'Do you know this man?' He said: 'Yes, he is of the highest lineage among us. What do you ask about him?' They told him what he had called them to and said: 'He claims to be the Messenger of God.' He said: 'Do not pay any attention to him, for he is a madman raving from his head.' They said: 'We saw that when he mentioned the matter of Persia.' Al-Kalbi said: 'Abd al-Rahman al-'Amiri told me from elders of his people: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, came to us while we were at the market of 'Ukaz. He said: 'Who are the people?' We said: 'From Banu 'Amir ibn Sa'sa'a.' He said: 'From which part of Banu 'Amir ibn Sa'sa'a?' They said: 'Banu Ka'b ibn Rabi'a.' He said: 'How is your protection?' We said: 'What is with us is not to be assailed, and our fire is not to be kindled.' He said to them: 'I am the Messenger of God, and I have come to you so that you may protect me until I convey the message of my Lord, and I do not compel any of you to do anything.' They said: 'From which part of Quraysh are you?' He said: 'From Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib.' They said: 'Where are you in relation to 'Abd Manaf?' He said: 'They were the first to deny me and drive me away.' They said: 'But we will not drive you away nor believe in you, and we will protect you until you convey the message of your Lord.' So he dismounted among them while the people were trading, when Bayhara ibn Firas al-Qushayri came to them and said: 'Who is this man I see with you? I do not recognize him.' They said: 'Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah al-Qurashi.' He said: 'What do you have to do with him?' They said: 'He claimed to us that he is the Messenger of God and asked us to protect him until he conveys the message of his Lord.' He said: 'What did you reply to him?' They said: 'With welcome and openness; we will take you to our land and protect you as we protect ourselves.' Bayhara said: 'I do not know anyone among the people of this market who returns with something worse than what you are returning with. You have begun to oppose the people, and the Arabs will shoot at you from one bow. His own people know him best; if they had perceived any good in him, they would have been the happiest people with him. Do you intend to take a worthless person whom his people have driven away and denied, and give him refuge and support? What a bad opinion you have formed.' Then he turned to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said: 'Get up and go back to your people. By God, were it not that you are among my people, I would strike your neck.' The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, got up to his she-camel and mounted it. The vile Bayhara poked its flank, and it bucked with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and threw him off. At that time, with Banu 'Amir was Duba'a bint 'Amir ibn Qurt, who was among the women who had embraced Islam with the Messenger of God in Mecca. She had come to visit her cousins. She said: 'O family of 'Amir—and no 'Amir for me! Is this done to the Messenger of God in your midst, and no one prevents it?' Three of her cousins stood up against Bayhara and two who had helped him. Each of them took a man, threw him to the ground, sat on his chest, and slapped their faces. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'O God, bless these and curse these.' The three who helped him embraced Islam and were killed as martyrs. They were: Ghutayf and Ghatafan, sons of Sahl, and 'Urwa or 'Udhra ibn 'Abdullah ibn Salama. May God be pleased with them. Al-Hafiz Sa'id ibn Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Umawi narrated this hadith in full in his Maghazi from his father.

And the others perished, namely Bayhara ibn Firās, Ḥazn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salama ibn Qushayr, and Muʿāwiya ibn ʿUbāda, one of the Banū ʿAqīl, may God curse them with a mighty curse. This is a strange tradition ¹ which we have recorded because of its strangeness. And God knows best. * * * Abū Nuʿaym ² has narrated a supporting witness ³ for it from the ḥadīth ⁴ of Kaʿb ibn Mālik, may God be pleased with him, concerning the story of ʿĀmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿa and their ugly rejection of him. Stranger and longer than that is what Abū Nuʿaym, al-Ḥākim ⁵, and al-Bayhaqī ⁶ narrated—the version being that of Abū Nuʿaym, may God have mercy on them—from the ḥadīth of Abān ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Bajalī, from Abān ibn Taghlib, from ʿIkrima, from Ibn ʿAbbās: ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib narrated to me, saying: When God commanded His Messenger to present himself to the Arab tribes, he went out, and I was with him, and Abū Bakr, to Minā ⁷, until we came to a gathering of the Arab assemblies. Abū Bakr, may God be pleased with him, stepped forward and greeted them. Abū Bakr was foremost in every good, and he was a man well-versed in genealogy ⁸. He said: "From which people are you?" They said: "From Rabīʿa ⁹." He said: "Which Rabīʿa are you? From its head or its jaws?" They said: "Rather from its great head." Abū Bakr said: "From which of its great heads?" They said: "Dhuhl al-Akbar ¹⁰." Abū Bakr said to them: "Is there among you ʿAwf, of whom it was said: 'No free man equals ʿAwf's desert'?" They said: "No." He said: "Is there among you Bisṭām ibn Qays, the bearer of the banner ¹¹ and the refuge of the living?" They said: "No." He said: "Is there among you al-Ḥawfazān ibn Sharīk, the slayer of kings and the despoiler of their souls?" They said: "No." He said: "Is there among you Jassās ibn Murra ibn Dhuhl, the protector of honor and the defender of the neighbor?" They said: "No." He said: "Is there among you al-Muzdalif, the owner of the solitary turban?" They said: "No." He said: "Are you the maternal uncles of the kings from Kinda?" They said: "No." He said: "Are you the in-laws of the kings from Lakhm?" They said: "No." Abū Bakr, may God be pleased with him, said to them: "Then you are not Dhuhl al-Akbar; rather, you are Dhuhl al-Aṣghar ¹²." He said: Then a young man among them, called Daghfal ibn Ḥanẓala al-Dhuhlī, whose face had just begun to show hair, leaped up to him, took hold of the reins of Abū Bakr's she-camel, and said: "Indeed, it is incumbent upon our questioner that we question him, and the burden we do not know, we carry. O this man, you asked us and we informed you, and we did not conceal anything from you. Now we wish to ask you: Who are you?" He said: "A man from Quraysh ¹³." The young man said: "Bravo, bravo! The people of nobility and leadership, the vanguard of the Arabs and their guide. So which man of Quraysh are you?" He said to him: "A man from the Banū Taym ibn Murra." The young man said to him: "By God, you have given the archer a clear shot at the vulnerable spot! Is there among you Quṣayy ibn Kilāb, who killed those who had overpowered Mecca, expelled the rest of them, gathered his people from every direction until he settled them in Mecca, then took control of the House and assigned the Quraysh their dwellings, so the Arabs called him 'the Gatherer'? Concerning him the poet said: 'Is not your father called the Gatherer, by whom God gathered the tribes from Fihr?'" Abū Bakr said: "No." He said: "Is there among you ʿAbd Manāf, to whom the bequests were entrusted, the father of the noble chiefs?" Abū Bakr said: "No." He said: "Is there among you ʿAmr ibn ʿAbd Manāf, Hāshim, who crumbled bread for his people and the people of Mecca? Concerning him the poet said: 'ʿAmr al-ʿUla crumbled bread for his people, while the men of Mecca were emaciated and lean. They sent to him both journeys, in winter and the journey of summer. Quraysh was an egg that split, and the pure yolk is for ʿAbd Manāf. The givers of gifts, and no giver is known, and those who say 'Come' to guests. And those who strike the ram until its eggs gleam, and those who protect the eggs with swords. May God bless you! If you had stayed in their abode, they would have protected you from hardship and from disgrace.'" Abū Bakr said: "No." He said: "Is there among you ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, Shayba al-Ḥamd, the master of the camels of Mecca, the feeder of the birds of the sky, the wild beasts, and the predators in the desert, whose face was like a shining moon on a dark night?" He said: "No." He said: "Are you from the people of the ifāḍa ¹⁴?" He said: "No." He said: "Are you from the people of the ḥijāba ¹⁵?" He said: "No." He said: "Are you from the people of the nadwa ¹⁶?" He said: "No." He said: "Are you from the people of the siqāya ¹⁷?" He said: "No." He said: "Are you from the people of the rifāda ¹⁸?" He said: "No." He said: "Then are you from the mufīḍīn ¹⁹?" He said: "No." Then Abū Bakr, may God be pleased with him, pulled the reins of his she-camel from his hand. The young man said to him: "The torrent's course meets the torrent that drives it, sometimes it breaks it and sometimes it raises it." Then he said: "By God, O brother of Quraysh, if you had stayed, I would have told you that you are from the lesser branches of Quraysh, not from the topmost." He said: Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, came toward us smiling. ʿAlī said: I said to him: "O Abū Bakr, you have encountered a calamity from the Bedouin!" He said: "Indeed, O Abū al-Ḥasan, there is no great calamity but above it is a greater one, and trial is entrusted to speech." He said: Then we came to a gathering marked by tranquility and dignity, and there were elders of rank and appearance. Abū Bakr stepped forward and greeted them. ʿAlī said: Abū Bakr was foremost in every good. Abū Bakr said to them: "From which people are you?" They said: "From the Banū Shaybān ibn Thaʿlaba." Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, turned to me and said: "May my father and mother be your ransom! After these, there is no honor among their people." In another version: "After these, there is no excuse from their people, and these are the choicest among their people, and these are the best of people." Among the group were Mafrūq ibn ʿAmr, Hāniʾ ibn Qabīṣa, al-Muthannā ibn Ḥāritha, and al-Nuʿmān ibn Sharīk. The closest of them to Abū Bakr was Mafrūq ibn ʿAmr. Mafrūq ibn ʿAmr had surpassed them in eloquence and speech, and he had two locks of hair falling onto his chest. He was the closest of them in seating to Abū Bakr. Abū Bakr said to him: "How is your number?" He said to him: "We number over a thousand, and a thousand is never overcome by fewness." He said to him: "How is your strength?" He said: "We exert our utmost effort, and every people has its seriousness." Abū Bakr said: "How is war between you and your enemy?" Mafrūq said: "We are most fierce in battle when we are angry. We prefer fine horses over children, and weapons over milch camels. Victory is from God; He gives us turn one time and gives turn against us another. Perhaps you are a brother of Quraysh?" Abū Bakr said: "If it has reached you that he is the Messenger of God, then here he is." Mafrūq said: "It has reached us that he mentions that." Then he turned to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said: "To what do you call, O brother of Quraysh?" Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, stepped forward and sat down, while Abū Bakr stood shading him with his garment. He, peace be upon him, said: "I call you to testify that there is no god but God alone, with no partner, and that I am the Messenger of God, and that you give me refuge and support me until I convey from God what He has commanded me. For Quraysh have conspired against God's command, denied His Messenger, and sufficed themselves with falsehood instead of truth. And God is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy." He said to him: "And to what else do you call, O brother of Quraysh?" Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, recited: "Say: Come, I will recite what your Lord has forbidden to you: that you associate nothing with Him, and to parents, good treatment..." up to His saying: "That is what He has enjoined upon you, that you may be righteous." Mafrūq said to him: "And to what else do you call, O brother of Quraysh? For by God, this is not from the speech of the people of the earth; if it were from their speech, we would have recognized it." Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, recited: "Indeed, God commands justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives, and forbids immorality, wrongdoing, and tyranny. He admonishes you that you may remember."

Mafruq said to him: "By God, O brother of Quraysh, you have called to noble morals and righteous deeds. Indeed, a people who denied you and conspired against you have been deluded." It seemed he wanted Hani' ibn Qabisa to share in the speech, so he said: "This is Hani' ibn Qabisa, our elder and the one of our religion." Hani' said to him: "I have heard your speech, O brother of Quraysh, and I believe your words. But I see that abandoning our religion and following you in your religion for a single sitting you have had with us, which has no beginning or end, without reflecting on your matter and considering the outcome of what you call to, would be a lapse in judgment, a foolishness in intellect, and a lack of consideration for the consequences. Indeed, a lapse occurs with haste. Behind us are people whom we dislike to bind with a contract. But return, and we will return; consider, and we will consider." It seemed he wanted al-Muthanna ibn Haritha to share in the speech, so he said: "This is al-Muthanna, our elder and the one of our warfare." Al-Muthanna said: "I have heard your speech and found your words good, O brother of Quraysh. I admired what you said. The answer is the answer of Hani' ibn Qabisa: abandoning our religion and following you in your religion for a single sitting you have had with us. Indeed, we have settled between two lowlands ²⁰: one is al-Yamama, and the other is al-Samawa ²¹." The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him: "What are these two lowlands?" He replied: "As for one, it is the dry land ²² and the land of the Arabs; as for the other, it is the land of Persia and the rivers of Kisra ²³. We have settled under a covenant that Kisra took from us: that we would not cause any incident nor give refuge to anyone causing an incident. Perhaps this matter to which you call us is something that kings dislike. As for what pertains to the land of the Arabs, the sin of its doer is forgiven and his excuse accepted; but as for what pertains to the land of Persia, the sin of its doer is not forgiven and his excuse not accepted. If you wish us to support you and protect you from what pertains to the Arabs, we will do so." The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "You have not answered badly, for you have spoken the truth. Indeed, the religion of God is only upheld by one who protects it from all sides." Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: "What do you think if you only wait a short while until God grants you their lands and wealth and gives you their daughters as wives? Will you glorify God and sanctify Him?" Al-Nu'man ibn Sharik said to him: "O God, yes, that is for you, O brother of Quraysh!" The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, recited: "Indeed, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good news, and a warner, and as one who invites to God by His permission, and as a luminous lamp ²⁴." Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, rose, grasping the hands of Abu Bakr. Ali said: "Then the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, turned to us and said: 'O Ali, what noble traits the Arabs had in the Jahiliyya ²⁵! How honorable they were! By them they restrained one another in the worldly life.'" He said: "Then we proceeded to the gathering of al-Aws and al-Khazraj ²⁶, and we had not yet risen until they pledged allegiance to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace." Ali said: "They were truthful and patient. The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was pleased with Abu Bakr's knowledge of their lineages." He said: "It was not long before the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, went out to his companions and said to them: 'Praise God abundantly, for today the sons of Rabi'a ²⁷ have triumphed over the people of Persia. They killed their kings and plundered their army, and through Me they were victorious.'" He said: "The battle took place at Quraqir ²⁸ beside Dhi Qar ²⁹. Concerning it, al-A'sha ³⁰ said: 'May my she-camel and its rider be a ransom for the sons of Dhuhl ibn Shayban * at the encounter, and how few they were! They struck at al-Hinw, the hinw of Quraqir * the vanguard of al-Hamarz ³¹ until they fled. For God are the eyes of one who sees horsemen * like Dhuhl ibn Shayban there when they fled. They rose and we rose, and friendship was between us * and there was a flood upon us, then it cleared.' This is a very strange hadith; we wrote it because of the proofs of prophethood, noble morals, generous traits, and the eloquence of the Arabs it contains. This has also been transmitted through another chain, in which it is mentioned that when they fought against Persia and met them at Quraqir, a place near the Euphrates, they made their battle cry the name of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, and thereby they were victorious over Persia. Later they entered Islam. Al-Waqidi ³² said: 'Abdullah ibn Wabisa al-'Absi informed us, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: "The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, came to us in our dwellings at Mina ³³, while we were encamped opposite the first Jamra ³⁴ that is near the Mosque of al-Khayf ³⁵, riding his mount with Zayd ibn Haritha ³⁶ behind him. He called us, but by God, we did not respond to him, nor was it good for us." He said: "We had heard of him and his call during the seasons ³⁷. He stopped by us calling us, but we did not respond. With us was Maysara ibn Masruq al-'Absi, who said to us: 'I swear by God, if we were to believe this man and carry him until we bring him to the midst of our land, that would be the right decision. I swear by God, his affair will surely prevail until it reaches every place.' The people said: 'Leave us alone; do not expose us to what we cannot handle.' The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, hoped for Maysara and spoke to him. Maysara said: 'How beautiful and luminous is your speech! But my people oppose me. A man is only as strong as his people; if they do not support him, then enemies are farther away.' So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, departed, and the people left, returning to their families." "Maysara said to them: 'Let us go to Fadak ³⁸, for there are Jews there; let us ask them about this man.' So they went to the Jews, who brought out a book of theirs, placed it, and studied it. They mentioned the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace: the unlettered Arab prophet, who rides a donkey and is content with a piece of bread, neither tall nor short, neither curly-haired nor straight-haired, with a redness in his eyes, bright of complexion. If he is the one who called you, then respond to him and enter his religion, for we envy him and do not follow him, and we are in great trial because of him. No Arab will remain except that he will either follow him or fight him. So be among those who follow him.'" "Maysara said: 'O people, indeed this matter is clear.' The people said: 'Let us return to the season and meet him.' So they returned to their land, but their men refused that, and none of them followed him." "When the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, migrated to Medina and performed the Farewell Pilgrimage ³⁹, Maysara met him and recognized him. He said: 'O Messenger of God, by God, I have been eager to follow you since the day you halted among us, until what happened happened. But God willed only what you see of my delay in Islam. Most of the group who were with me have died. Where is their place of entry, O Messenger of God?' The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Everyone who dies on a religion other than Islam is in the Fire.' He said: 'Praise be to God who saved me.' So he embraced Islam and his Islam was good, and he had a status with Abu Bakr." Imam Muhammad ibn 'Umar al-Waqidi has exhaustively narrated the stories of the tribes one by one, mentioning the Prophet's presentation of himself to Banu 'Amir, Ghassan, Banu Fazara, Banu Murra, Banu Hanifa, Banu Sulaym, Banu 'Abs, Banu Nasr ibn Hawazin, Banu Tha'laba ibn 'Ukaba, Kinda, Kalb, Banu al-Harith ibn Ka'b, Banu 'Udhra, Qays ibn al-Khatim, and others. Their accounts are lengthy, and we have mentioned a sufficient portion of that. To God be praise and gratitude.

Imam Ahmad said: Aswad ibn 'Amir narrated to us, Isra'il informed us, from 'Uthman ibn al-Mughira, from Salim ibn Abi al-Ja'd, from Jabir ibn 'Abdullah, who said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to present himself to the people at the standing place ⁴⁰, saying, "Is there a man who will take me to his people, for the Quraysh have prevented me from conveying the words of my Lord, the Mighty and Majestic?" A man from Hamdan came to him and he asked, "From which tribe are you?" The man replied, "From Hamdan." He said, "Do your people have protection?" The man said, "Yes." Then the man feared that his people would betray him, so he came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said, "I will go to them and inform them, then come to you next year." He said, "Yes." So he left, and the delegation of the Ansar ⁴¹ came in Rajab ⁴². This hadith has been narrated by the authors of the four Sunan ⁴³ through various chains from Isra'il, and al-Tirmidhi said: "Hasan Sahih ⁴⁴." Section: The coming of the delegation of the Ansar year after year until they gave allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) one allegiance after another, and then after that, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) moved to them in Medina and settled among them, as will be explained and detailed, if Allah wills, and in Him is trust. The hadith of Suwayd ibn Samit al-Ansari: He is Suwayd ibn al-Samit ibn 'Atiyya ibn Hawt ibn Habib ibn 'Amr ibn 'Awf ibn Malik ibn al-Aws, and his mother is Layla bint 'Amr al-Najjariyya, the sister of Salma bint 'Amr, the mother of 'Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim. So this Suwayd is the maternal cousin of 'Abd al-Muttalib, the grandfather of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) continued in this manner: whenever people gathered at the season ⁴⁵, he would come to them, calling the tribes to Allah and to Islam, presenting himself and what he brought of guidance and mercy. He would not hear of any Arab arriving in Mecca with a name and honor but he would go to him and call him to Allah, the Exalted, and present to him what he had. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatada narrated to me from some elders of his people. They said: Suwayd ibn al-Samit, the brother of Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf, came to Mecca as a pilgrim or for 'Umra ⁴⁶. Suwayd was called by his people "al-Kamil" ⁴⁷ for his strength, poetry, honor, and lineage. He is the one who said: "Ah, many a one you call a friend, but if you saw His speech in absence, you would hate what he does. His speech is like honey when he is present, But in absence, it is like a fatal wound at the throat. His outward appearance pleases you, but beneath his skin Is a charm of deceit that cuts the back sinews. The eyes reveal what he conceals Of rancor and hatred through a sidelong glance. So feather me with good, for long you have worn me out, And the best of patrons is one who feathers and does not wear out." He said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went to him when he heard of him, and called him to Allah and Islam. Suwayd said to him, "Perhaps what you have is similar to what I have." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "And what do you have?" He said, "The scroll of Luqman ⁴⁸," meaning the wisdom of Luqman. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Present it to me." So he presented it to him, and he said, "This speech is good, but what I have is better than this: a Qur'an that Allah has revealed to me, which is guidance and light." Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) recited the Qur'an to him and called him to Islam. He did not distance himself from him and said, "This speech is good." Then he left him and returned to Medina to his people, and he did not stay long before the Khazraj killed him. Some men from his people used to say, "We think he was killed while a Muslim." His killing was before Bu'ath ⁴⁹. Al-Bayhaqi narrated it from al-Hakim, from al-Asamm, from Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Jabbar, from Yunus ibn Bukayr, from Ibn Ishaq, in a shorter form. The Islam of Iyas ibn Mu'adh: Ibn Ishaq said: Al-Husayn ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Amr ibn Sa'd ibn Mu'adh narrated to me from Mahmud ibn Labid, who said: When Abu al-Haysar Anas ibn Rafi' came to Mecca with some youths from Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal, among them Iyas ibn Mu'adh, seeking an alliance with the Quraysh against their people from the Khazraj, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) heard of them and came to them. He sat with them and said, "Would you like something better than what you have come for?" They said, "What is that?" He said, "I am the Messenger of Allah to the servants, calling them to worship Allah and not associate anything with Him, and the Book has been revealed to me." Then he mentioned Islam to them and recited the Qur'an to them. He said: Iyas ibn Mu'adh, who was a young boy, said, "O my people, by Allah, this is better than what you have come for." Then Abu al-Haysar Anas ibn Rafi' took a handful of dust from al-Batha' ⁵⁰ and struck the face of Iyas ibn Mu'adh with it, saying, "Leave us alone! By my life, we have come for something else." He said: So Iyas fell silent, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood up and left them. They returned to Medina, and the battle of Bu'ath occurred between al-Aws and al-Khazraj. He said: Then Iyas ibn Mu'adh did not stay long before he died. Mahmud ibn Labid said: Those of his people who were present told me that they kept hearing him saying 'La ilaha illa Allah' ⁵¹, 'Allahu Akbar' ⁵², 'Alhamdulillah' ⁵³, and 'Subhan Allah' ⁵⁴ until he died. They had no doubt that he died a Muslim, for he had embraced Islam in that gathering when he heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) what he heard. I say: The day of Bu'ath—Bu'ath is a place in Medina—was a great battle in which many of the nobles and leaders of al-Aws and al-Khazraj were killed, and only a few of their elders remained. Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih from 'Ubayd ibn Isma'il, from Abu Usama, from Hisham, from his father, from 'A'isha, who said: The day of Bu'ath was a day that Allah brought about for His Messenger. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came to Medina when their leaders had been divided and their chiefs had been killed.

1. athar : A tradition or report, often used for sayings or actions of the Companions or early Muslims.
2. Abū Nuʿaym : Abū Nuʿaym al-Iṣfahānī (d. 430/1038), a renowned ḥadīth scholar and historian.
3. shāhid : A supporting witness; a ḥadīth that corroborates another ḥadīth.
4. ḥadīth : A report of the sayings, actions, or approvals of the Prophet Muḥammad.
5. al-Ḥākim : Al-Ḥākim al-Naysābūrī (d. 405/1014), a prominent ḥadīth scholar and author of al-Mustadrak.
6. al-Bayhaqī : Abū Bakr al-Bayhaqī (d. 458/1066), a Shāfiʿī jurist and ḥadīth scholar.
7. Minā : A valley near Mecca where pilgrims stay during the Hajj.
8. nassāba : An expert in genealogy, especially of Arab tribes.
9. Rabīʿa : A major Arab tribal group, one of the two main branches of the Adnanite Arabs.
10. Dhuhl al-Akbar : The Greater Dhuhl, a prominent sub-tribe of Rabīʿa.
11. Abū al-Liwāʾ : Bearer of the banner; a title for a tribal leader who carried the standard in battle.
12. Dhuhl al-Aṣghar : The Lesser Dhuhl, a less prominent sub-tribe.
13. Quraysh : The dominant tribe of Mecca, to which the Prophet Muḥammad belonged.
14. ifāḍa : The ritual of pouring forth from ʿArafāt during Hajj; also refers to the office of overseeing this ritual.
15. ḥijāba : The office of guarding the Kaʿba and its keys.
16. nadwa : The council or assembly of Quraysh; also the office of presiding over it.
17. siqāya : The office of providing water to pilgrims.
18. rifāda : The office of providing food to pilgrims.
19. mufīḍūn : Those who perform the ifāḍa; possibly a specific group among Quraysh.
20. ṣarīyayn : Dual of ṣarī, meaning a lowland or a place where water flows from the mountains.
21. al-Samāwa : A region between Iraq and Syria, known as a desert area.
22. ṭufūf al-barr : The dry land or the elevated parts of the desert.
23. Kisrā : Title of the Sasanian kings of Persia, equivalent to 'Chosroes'.
24. sirājan munīran : A luminous lamp; a Qur'anic phrase describing the Prophet Muhammad (Qur'an 33:46).
25. Jāhiliyya : The pre-Islamic period of ignorance, characterized by polytheism and tribal customs.
26. al-Aws wa al-Khazraj : Two major Arab tribes in Medina who later became the Ansar (helpers) of the Prophet.
27. Banū Rabīʿa : A large Arab tribe; here referring to the tribe of Bakr ibn Wa'il, who fought the Persians at Dhi Qar.
28. Qurāqir : A place near the Euphrates, site of a battle between the Arabs and Persians.
29. Dhī Qār : A famous battle site where the Arab tribe of Bakr ibn Wa'il defeated the Persians before Islam.
30. al-Aʿshā : A famous pre-Islamic poet, Maymun ibn Qays.
31. al-Hāmurz : A Persian military commander or title, possibly meaning 'commander'.
32. al-Wāqidī : Muhammad ibn 'Umar al-Waqidi (d. 823 CE), a renowned early Muslim historian and biographer.
33. Minā : A valley near Mecca where pilgrims stay during the Hajj.
34. al-Jamra : A stone pillar at which pilgrims throw pebbles during the Hajj; the first Jamra is near the Mosque of al-Khayf.
35. Masjid al-Khayf : A mosque in Mina, associated with the Prophet's stay during Hajj.
36. Zayd ibn Ḥāritha : A companion of the Prophet, formerly his adopted son.
37. al-Mawāsim : The seasons of pilgrimage, when the Prophet would present himself to the tribes.
38. Fadak : A Jewish settlement near Khaybar, known for its date palms.
39. Ḥajjat al-Wadāʿ : The Farewell Pilgrimage, the only Hajj performed by the Prophet in 632 CE, shortly before his death.
40. al-mawqif : The standing place at 'Arafat during the Hajj pilgrimage.
41. Ansar : The 'Helpers,' the Muslim inhabitants of Medina who supported the Prophet after his migration.
42. Rajab : The seventh month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
43. Sunan : The four canonical hadith collections of Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah.
44. Hasan Sahih : A classification meaning 'good and authentic' in hadith terminology.
45. al-mawsim : The season of Hajj, when pilgrims gather in Mecca.
46. 'Umra : The lesser pilgrimage to Mecca, performed at any time of the year.
47. al-Kamil : Meaning 'the Perfect' or 'the Complete,' a title given to Suwayd for his qualities.
48. Luqman : A wise man mentioned in the Qur'an, known for his proverbs and wisdom.
49. Bu'ath : A location in Medina where a major battle occurred between the Aws and Khazraj tribes before Islam.
50. al-Batha' : A valley in Mecca, also known as the plain of Mecca.
51. La ilaha illa Allah : The declaration of faith: 'There is no god but Allah.'
52. Allahu Akbar : The phrase 'Allah is the Greatest.'
53. Alhamdulillah : The phrase 'Praise be to Allah.'
54. Subhan Allah : The phrase 'Glory be to Allah.'

Chapter on the Beginning of the Islam of the Ansar [1], may Allah be pleased with them.

Chapter: The Beginning of the Acceptance of Islam by the Ansar ¹, may Allah be pleased with them. Ibn Ishaq said: When Allah willed to manifest His religion, honor His Prophet, and fulfill His promise to him, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, went out during the season ² in which the group from the Ansar met him, and he presented himself to the Arab tribes as he used to do every season. While he was at al-‘Aqaba ³, he met a group from the Khazraj ⁴ whom Allah intended for good. ‘Asim ibn ‘Umar ibn Qatada narrated to me from elders of his people. They said: When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, met them, he said to them: "Who are you?" They said: "A group from the Khazraj." He said: "Are you from the allies of the Jews?" They said: "Yes." He said: "Will you not sit down so that I may speak to you?" They said: "Yes." So they sat with him, and he called them to Allah, presented Islam to them, and recited the Quran to them. He said: Among the things Allah brought about through them in Islam was that the Jews were with them in their land, and they were people of scripture and knowledge, while they (the Arabs) were polytheists, idol worshippers. They had raided them in their land, and whenever something happened between them, the Jews would say: "A prophet is about to be sent; his time has come. We will follow him and kill you with him like the killing of ‘Ad and Iram ⁵." When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, spoke to that group and called them to Allah, some of them said to others: "O people, by Allah, this is the prophet that the Jews threatened you with. Do not let them beat you to him." So they responded to what he called them to, by affirming his truthfulness and accepting what he presented to them of Islam, and they said: "We have left our people, and no people have between them the enmity and evil that exists between them. Perhaps Allah will unite them through you. We will go to them and call them to your cause and present to them this religion to which we have responded. If Allah unites them around you, no man will be mightier than you." Then they departed, returning to their land, having believed and affirmed. Ibn Ishaq said: They were, as mentioned to me, six men, all from the Khazraj: Abu Umama As‘ad ibn Zurara ibn ‘Udas ibn ‘Ubayd ibn Tha‘laba ibn Ghanm ibn Malik ibn al-Najjar. Abu Nu‘aym said: It is said that he was the first to accept Islam from the Ansar of the Khazraj. And from the Aws ⁶: Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan. It is said that the first to accept Islam were Rafi‘ ibn Malik and Mu‘adh ibn ‘Afra’, and Allah knows best. And ‘Awf ibn al-Harith ibn Rifa‘a ibn Sawad ibn Malik ibn Ghanm ibn Malik ibn al-Najjar—he is Ibn ‘Afra’, the two Najjari ⁷—and Rafi‘ ibn Malik ibn al-‘Ajlan ibn ‘Amr ibn Zurayq al-Zuraqi. And Qutba ibn ‘Amir ibn Hadida ibn ‘Amr ibn Ghanm ibn Sawad ibn Ghanm ibn Ka‘b ibn Salama ibn Sa‘d ibn ‘Ali ibn Asad ibn Sarida ibn Yazid ibn Jusham ibn al-Khazraj al-Sulami, then from Banu Sawad; and ‘Uqba ibn ‘Amir ibn Nabi ibn Zayd ibn Haram ibn Ka‘b ibn Salama al-Sulami also, then from Banu Haram. And Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Ri’ab ibn al-Nu‘man ibn Sinan ibn ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Adi ibn Ghanm ibn Ka‘b ibn Salama al-Sulami also, then from Banu ‘Ubayd, may Allah be pleased with them. Thus it is narrated from al-Sha‘bi, al-Zuhri, and others that they were that night six men from the Khazraj. Musa ibn ‘Uqba mentioned, in what he narrated from al-Zuhri and ‘Urwa ibn al-Zubayr, that the first meeting of him, peace be upon him, with them was eight: Mu‘adh ibn ‘Afra’, As‘ad ibn Zurara, Rafi‘ ibn Malik, Dhakwan—he is Ibn ‘Abd Qays—‘Ubada ibn al-Samit, Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Yazid ibn Tha‘laba, Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan, and ‘Uwaym ibn Sa‘ida. They accepted Islam and promised to meet him the following year. They returned to their people and called them to Islam, and they sent to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, Mu‘adh ibn ‘Afra’ and Rafi‘ ibn Malik, saying: "Send us a man to teach us." So he sent to them Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr, who stayed with As‘ad ibn Zurara. He mentioned the rest of the story as Ibn Ishaq will present it more completely than the narration of Musa ibn ‘Uqba. And Allah knows best. * * * Ibn Ishaq said: When they arrived in Medina to their people, they mentioned the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, to them and called them to Islam, until it spread among them, and there remained no house among the houses of the Ansar except that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was mentioned in it. Until the following year, twelve men from the Ansar attended the season: Abu Umama As‘ad ibn Zurara, previously mentioned; ‘Awf ibn al-Harith, previously mentioned; his brother Mu‘adh—they are the two sons of ‘Afra’; Rafi‘ ibn Malik, also previously mentioned; Dhakwan ibn ‘Abd Qays ibn Khalda ibn Mukhallad ibn ‘Amir ibn Zurayq al-Zuraqi. Ibn Hisham said: He was an Ansari and a Muhajir ⁸. And ‘Ubada ibn al-Samit ibn Qays ibn Asram ibn Fihr ibn Tha‘laba ibn Ghanm ibn ‘Awf ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf ibn al-Khazraj; and their ally Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman Yazid ibn Tha‘laba ibn Khazma ibn Asram al-Balawi; and al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Ubada ibn Nadla ibn Malik ibn al-‘Ajlan ibn Yazid ibn Ghanm ibn Salim ibn ‘Awf ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf ibn al-Khazraj al-‘Ajlani; and ‘Uqba ibn ‘Amir ibn Nabi, previously mentioned; and Qutba ibn ‘Amir ibn Hadida, previously mentioned. These are ten from the Khazraj. And from the Aws, two: ‘Uwaym ibn Sa‘ida and Abu al-Haytham Malik ibn al-Tayyihan. Ibn Hisham said: al-Tayyihan is pronounced with tashdid ⁹ or without, like mayyit and mayt. Al-Suhayli said: Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan’s name is Malik ibn Malik ibn ‘Atik ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Abd al-A‘lam ibn ‘Amir ibn Za‘wara ibn Jusham ibn al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj ibn ‘Amr ibn Malik ibn al-Aws. He said: It is said he was an Irashi, and it is said he was a Balawi. This Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham did not attribute. He said: al-Haytham is the eaglet, and a type of plant. The point is that these twelve men attended the season that year, and they resolved to meet the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. They met him at al-‘Aqaba and gave him the pledge of women ¹⁰ there, which was the first ‘Aqaba. Abu Nu‘aym narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, recited to them from His words in Surah Ibrahim: "And when Ibrahim said: 'My Lord, make this city secure...'" to the end. Ibn Ishaq said: Yazid ibn Abi Habib narrated to me, from Marthad ibn ‘Abdullah al-Yazani, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Usayla al-Sanabihi, from ‘Ubada—he is Ibn al-Samit—who said: I was among those who attended the first ‘Aqaba, and we were twelve men. We pledged to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, on the pledge of women, and that was before war was prescribed, on the conditions that we not associate anything with Allah, not steal, not commit adultery, not kill our children, not bring a slander we forge between our hands and feet, and not disobey him in what is right. If you fulfill, you will have Paradise; if you commit any of that, your matter is with Allah: if He wills, He punishes, and if He wills, He forgives. Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated this hadith via al-Layth ibn Sa‘d from Yazid ibn Abi Habib similarly.

Ibn Ishaq said: Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri related from 'A'idh Allah Abu Idris al-Khawlani that 'Ubada ibn al-Samit told him: We pledged allegiance to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, on the night of the first 'Aqaba ¹¹ that we would not associate anything with God, nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill our children, nor bring a slander we devise between our hands and feet, nor disobey him in what is right. If you fulfill this, you will have Paradise; if you commit any of these and are punished with its prescribed penalty in this world, it will be an expiation for it; if you conceal it until the Day of Resurrection, then your matter is with God: if He wills, He will punish, and if He wills, He will forgive. This hadith is recorded in the two Sahihs ¹² and others through various chains from al-Zuhri similarly. His saying: "upon the pledge of women" means in accordance with what the pledge of women was later revealed in the year of Hudaybiyya ¹³. This was among what was revealed in accordance with what his Companions had pledged on the night of 'Aqaba. This is not surprising, for the Qur'an was revealed in agreement with 'Umar ibn al-Khattab on more than one occasion, as we have explained in his biography and in the commentary. If this pledge occurred through non-recited revelation, it is even more apparent. And God knows best. * * * Ibn Ishaq said: When the people departed from him, the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, sent with them Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr ibn Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf ibn 'Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy, and ordered him to recite the Qur'an to them, teach them Islam, and instruct them in religion. Al-Bayhaqi related from Ibn Ishaq who said: 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatada told me that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, sent Mus'ab only when they wrote to him asking him to send him to them. This is what Musa ibn 'Uqba mentioned as previously stated, except that he considered the second time as the first. Al-Bayhaqi said: Ibn Ishaq's account is more complete. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr used to say: I do not know what the first 'Aqaba was. Then Ibn Ishaq would say: Yes, by my life, there was an 'Aqaba and an 'Aqaba. They all said: Mus'ab stayed with As'ad ibn Zurara, and he was called in Medina "the Reciter" ¹⁴. Ibn Ishaq said: 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatada told me that he used to lead them in prayer, because the Aws and the Khazraj disliked that one of them should lead the other—may God be pleased with them all. Ibn Ishaq said: Muhammad ibn Abi Umama ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf told me from his father, from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Ka'b ibn Malik, who said: I was my father's guide when he lost his sight. Whenever I took him out to Friday prayer and he heard the call to prayer, he would pray for Abu Umama As'ad ibn Zurara and ask forgiveness for him. He continued doing this for a while; whenever he heard the call to Friday prayer, he would pray for him and ask forgiveness for him. I said to myself: By God, this is a weakness in me that I do not ask him. So I said: O father, why is it that when you hear the call to Friday prayer, you pray for Abu Umama? He said: O my son, he was the first to gather us for Friday prayer in Medina at the hollow of the Nabit ¹⁵ in the lava tract of Banu Bayada, in a garden called Baqi' al-Khadamat ¹⁶. I said: How many were you that day? He said: Forty men. This hadith was related by Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah through the chain of Muhammad ibn Ishaq, may God have mercy on him. Al-Daraqutni related from Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, wrote to Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr ordering him to establish the Friday prayer, but its chain is strange—and God knows best. * * * Ibn Ishaq said: 'Ubaydullah ibn al-Mughira ibn Mu'ayqib and 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn 'Amr ibn Hazm told me that As'ad ibn Zurara took Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr intending to go to the houses of Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal and Banu Zafar. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh was the maternal cousin of As'ad ibn Zurara. He entered with him a garden of the gardens of Banu Zafar at a well called Bi'r Maraq ¹⁷. They sat in the garden, and some men who had embraced Islam gathered around them. At that time, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh and Usayd ibn Hudayr were the chiefs of their people from Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal, and both were polytheists following the religion of their people. When they heard about this, Sa'd said to Usayd: May you have no father! Go to these two men who have come to our abode to seduce our weak ones, rebuke them and forbid them from coming to our abode. Were it not that As'ad ibn Zurara is my maternal cousin, as you know, I would have spared you that; I cannot find a way to confront him. So Usayd ibn Hudayr took his spear and went to them. When As'ad ibn Zurara saw him, he said to Mus'ab: This is the chief of his people; he has come to you, so be truthful with God concerning him. Mus'ab said: If he sits, I will speak to him. He stood over them angrily and said: What has brought you to us? You seduce our weak ones! Leave us alone if you have any need for yourselves. Musa ibn 'Uqba said: A young man said to him: You have come to our abode with this strange, alien trembler ¹⁸ to seduce our weak ones with falsehood and call them to it. Ibn Ishaq said: Mus'ab said to him: Will you sit and listen? If you approve of something, you accept it; if you dislike it, we will refrain from what you dislike. He said: That is fair. Then he planted his spear and sat with them. Mus'ab spoke to him about Islam and recited the Qur'an to him. They said, according to what is related about them: By God, we recognized Islam in his face before he spoke, in its radiance and ease. Then he said: How beautiful and excellent this is! What do you do when you want to enter this religion? They said to him: You wash yourself, purify yourself, purify your two garments, then bear witness to the truth, then pray. So he stood, washed, purified his garments, bore witness to the truth, then stood and prayed two rak'as ¹⁹. Then he said to them: Behind me is a man; if he follows you, no one from his people will stay behind. I will send him to you now—Sa'd ibn Mu'adh. Then he took his spear and returned to Sa'd and his people, who were sitting in their meeting place. When Sa'd ibn Mu'adh saw him approaching, he said: I swear by God, Usayd has come to you with a different face from the one he left with. When he stopped at the meeting place, Sa'd said to him: What did you do? He said: I spoke to the two men. By God, I saw no harm in them. I forbade them, and they said: We will do as you wish. And I have been told that Banu Haritha have gone out to As'ad ibn Zurara to kill him, because they know he is your maternal cousin, to belittle you. So Sa'd ibn Mu'adh stood up angrily, hastening out of fear for what was mentioned about Banu Haritha, and took the spear in his hand. Then he said: By God, I do not think you have accomplished anything. Then he went out to them. When he saw them calm, he knew that Usayd had only wanted to hear from them. He stood angrily and said to As'ad ibn Zurara: By God, O Abu Umama, by God, were it not for the kinship between me and you, you would not have dared this from me—you come to us in our abode with what we dislike? As'ad said to Mus'ab: By God, the chief of his people has come to you; if he follows you, not two of them will stay behind. Mus'ab said to him: Will you sit and listen? If you approve of something, you desire it and accept it; if you dislike it, we will remove from you what you dislike. Sa'd said: That is fair. Then he planted his spear and sat. He presented Islam to him and recited the Qur'an to him. Musa ibn 'Uqba mentioned that he recited to him the beginning of Surah al-Zukhruf ²⁰. He said: By God, we recognized Islam in his face before he spoke, in its radiance and ease. Then he said to them: What do you do when you embrace Islam and enter this religion?

They said: "Wash yourself, purify yourself, and purify your two garments, then bear witness to the testimony of truth ²¹, then we will pray two rak'ahs ²²." He said: So he stood up, washed, purified his two garments, bore witness to the testimony of truth, then performed two rak'ahs. Then he took his spear and returned to the assembly of his people, with Usayd ibn al-Hudayr. When his people saw him approaching, they said: "We swear by Allah, Sa'd has returned to you with a different face from the one with which he left you." When he stood before them, he said: "O Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal, how do you regard my status among you?" They said: "You are our chief, the best of us in opinion, and the most blessed in judgment." He said: "Then the speech of your men and women is forbidden to me until you believe in Allah and His Messenger." He said: By Allah, by evening there was no man or woman in the house of Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal who was not a Muslim. Sa'd and Mus'ab returned to the house of As'ad ibn Zurara, and they stayed with him calling people to Islam, until there remained no house among the houses of the Ansar ²³ without Muslim men and women, except for the houses of Banu Umayya ibn Zayd, Khatma, Wa'il, Waqif, and those of Aws, who were from al-Aws ibn Haritha. That was because among them was Abu Qays ibn al-Aslat, whose name was Sayfi. Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar said: His name was al-Harith. It was also said: 'Ubaydullah. His father's name was al-Aslat, 'Amir ibn Jusham ibn Wa'il ibn Zayd ibn Qays ibn 'Amir ibn Murra ibn Malik ibn al-Aws. This is also his lineage according to al-Kalbi. He was a poet and a leader among them; they listened to him and obeyed him. He prevented them from Islam until after the Battle of the Trench ²⁴. I say: This Abu Qays ibn al-Aslat is mentioned by Ibn Ishaq as having composed excellent poems resembling those of Umayya ibn Abi al-Salt al-Thaqafi. Ibn Ishaq said in what preceded: When the affair of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, spread among the Arabs and reached the lands, it was mentioned in Medina. No tribe of the Arabs was more knowledgeable about the affair of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when it was mentioned, and before it was mentioned, than this tribe of al-Aws and al-Khazraj, because of what they used to hear from the Jewish rabbis. When his affair occurred in Medina and they spoke about the disagreement among Quraysh concerning it, Abu Qays ibn al-Aslat, brother of Banu Waqif, said—al-Suhayli said: He is Abu Qays, Sirmah ibn Abi Anas, and the name of Abu Anas is Qays ibn Sirmah ibn Malik ibn 'Adi ibn 'Amr ibn Ghanm ibn 'Adi ibn al-Najjar. He said: It is about him and 'Umar that the verse was revealed: "It is made lawful for you on the night of fasting to have sexual relations with your wives" ²⁵ (Qur'an 2:187). Ibn Ishaq said: He loved Quraysh and was related to them by marriage; he had married Arnab bint Asad ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Qusayy, and he used to stay with them for years with his wife. He composed a poem magnifying the sanctity, forbidding Quraysh from war, mentioning their virtue and forbearance, reminding them of Allah's favor upon them and His repelling the elephant ²⁶ and His plot, and commanding them to refrain from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: "O rider, if you pass by, convey / a message from me to Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib / a message from a man whose heart is troubled by your discord / far away, grieving, striving. / I had a resting place for worries / but I have not fulfilled my need and desires. / I see you as two halves, each tribe / having a widow from among the kindling and gatherer. / I adjure you by Allah from the evil of your deed / and the evil of your mutual hatred and the sowing of discord / and the display of morals and sick whispers / like the pricking of thorns, whose impact is true and right. / Remind them of Allah first and foremost / and the violation of the sanctity of the fleeing gazelles. / And say to them, and Allah 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 destruction of the distant or the near. / It severs ties of kinship and destroys a nation / and strips the fat from the hump and the back. / And you will exchange after it the garment of peace / for a coat of mail and rusty swords, the clothes of the warrior. / And for musk and camphor, dusty wide garments / as if their studs are the eyes of locusts. / 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 is made clear, as the mother of a companion. / It burns, not singeing the weak, and targets / the mighty among you with fatal arrows. / Do you not know what happened in the war of Dahis ²⁷ / so take heed, or what happened in the war of Hatib? / How many a noble chief has it struck / tall of pillar, whose guest is not disappointed / great in the ash of fire, his command praised / of pure character, generous in nature. / And blood shed in error, as if / the east wind and the north wind had scattered it. / A man of true knowledge informs you about them / of their days, and knowledge is the knowledge of experiences. / So sell the spears, O people of war, and remember / your reckoning, and Allah is the best of reckoners. / Let every man choose a religion, and let not / any guardian other than the Lord of the stars be over you. / Establish for us a pure religion ²⁸, for you are / our goal; guidance is sought by the forelocks. / You are for these people a light and a protection / you are sought, and your forbearance is not absent. / And when people are refined as essence / you are the navel of the valley, high-nosed. / You protect noble, pure lineages / refined lineages, without mixture. / The seeker of needs sees towards your houses / bewildered groups guided by groups. / The people know that your nobles / in every state are the best of the people of the valleys / and the best in opinion, the highest in practice / 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 among the stones. / For you have from Him a trial and a confirmation / on the morning of Abraha ²⁹, the leader of the armies. / His army walked on the plain, and his foot soldiers / on the high places on the tops of the mountains. / When the help of the Owner of the Throne came to you, He repelled them / with the armies of the King, between a swift wind and a pelting stone. / So they turned away swiftly, fleeing, and none returned / to his family except a few groups. / If you perish, we perish, and the seasons perish / by which we live—the word of a man not lying." The war of Dahis, which Abu Qays mentioned in his poetry, was famous in the pre-Islamic era. Its cause, as mentioned by Abu 'Ubayd Ma'mar ibn al-Muthanna and others, was that a horse called Dahis belonged to Qays ibn Zuhayr ibn Jadhima ibn Rawaha al-Ghatafani. He raced it against a horse of Hudhayfa ibn Badr ibn 'Amr ibn Juwayya al-Ghatafani, called al-Ghabra'. Dahis came first, so Hudhayfa ordered someone to strike its face. Malik ibn Zuhayr jumped and slapped al-Ghabra''s face. Then Hamal ibn Badr stood up and slapped Malik. Then Abu Junaydib al-'Absi met 'Awf ibn Hudhayfa and killed him. Then a man from Banu Fazara met Malik and killed him. So war broke out between Banu 'Abs and Fazara. Hudhayfa ibn Badr and his brother Hamal ibn Badr were killed, along with many others. They composed many poems about it, which would be too lengthy to recount. Ibn Hisham said: Qays sent Dahis and al-Ghabra', and Hudhayfa sent al-Khattar and al-Hanfa'. The first version is more correct.

He said: As for the war of Hatib ³⁰, meaning Hatib ibn al-Harith ibn Qays ibn Haishah ibn al-Harith ibn Umayyah ibn Mu'awiyah ibn Malik ibn 'Awf ibn 'Amr ibn 'Awf ibn Malik ibn al-Aws, he had killed a Jew who was a neighbor of the Khazraj, so Zayd ibn al-Harith ibn Qays ibn Malik ibn Ahmar ibn Harithah ibn Tha'labah ibn Ka'b ibn Malik ibn Ka'b ibn al-Khazraj ibn al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj, who is called Ibn Fushum ³¹, went out against him with a group from Banu al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj, and they killed him. Thus war broke out between al-Aws and al-Khazraj, and they fought fiercely. The victory was for al-Khazraj, and on that day al-Aswad ³² ibn al-Samit al-Awsi was killed by al-Mujadhdhar ibn Dhiyad, an ally of Banu 'Awf ibn al-Khazraj. Then there were wars between them, the mention of which would be lengthy. * * * The point is that Abu Qays ibn al-Aslat, despite his knowledge and understanding, did not benefit from that when Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr came to Medina and called its people to Islam. Many of its people embraced Islam, and there remained no house, meaning quarter, of the houses of Medina except that it had Muslim men and women, except the house of Banu Waqif, the tribe of Abu Qays; he held them back from Islam. He also said: "The people are troubled by things that have come, The difficult among them is intertwined with the docile. The people are troubled; if we have gone astray, Then guide us to the path of goodness. Were it not for our Lord, we would be Jews, And the religion of the Jews is not of a kind. Were it not for our Lord, we would be Christians, With the monks on the mountain of Galilee. But we were created, when we were created, As hanifs ³³, our religion from every generation. We drive the sacrificial camels, walking slowly, submissive, With shoulders uncovered, in coarse garments." The sum of what he says is that he was perplexed about what had occurred of the matter he had heard of the mission of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so al-Waqifi ³⁴ hesitated in that despite his knowledge and recognition. What held him back from Islam at first was 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, after Abu Qays had informed him that it was he whom the Jews had given glad tidings of, so he prevented him from Islam. Ibn Ishaq said: He did not embrace Islam until the Day of Conquest ³⁵, he and his brother, and he went out. Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar denied that Abu Qays had embraced Islam, and so did al-Waqidi. He said: He had resolved to embrace Islam at first when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called him, but 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy blamed him, so he swore he would not embrace Islam for a year, and he died in Dhu al-Qa'dah. Others have mentioned, as related by Ibn al-Athir in his book [Usd] al-Ghabah ³⁶, that when death came to him, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called him to Islam, and he was heard saying: "There is no god but Allah." Imam Ahmad said: Hasan ibn Musa narrated to us, Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Thabit, from Anas ibn Malik, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, visited a man from the Ansar ³⁷ and said: "O uncle, say: There is no god but Allah." He said: "Is it maternal uncle or paternal uncle?" He said: "Rather maternal uncle." He said: "Is it better for me to say: There is no god but Allah?" The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Yes." Ahmad alone narrated this, may Allah have mercy on him. 'Ikrimah and others mentioned that when he died, his son wanted to marry his wife, Kubayshah bint Ma'n ibn 'Asim, so she asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about that, and Allah revealed: "And do not marry those whom your fathers married among women" ³⁸ the verse. * * * Ibn Ishaq and Sa'id ibn Yahya al-Umawi said in his Maghazi ³⁹: This Abu Qays had become a monk in the Jahiliyyah ⁴⁰, wore sackcloth, abandoned idols, performed ritual washing after sexual impurity, purified himself from menstruating women, intended to become Christian then refrained, entered a house of his and made it a mosque where no menstruating woman or person in a state of major impurity entered, and said: "I worship the God of Ibrahim," when he abandoned idols and detested them, until the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came, and he embraced Islam and his Islam was good. He was an old man, and he was a speaker of truth, magnifying Allah in his Jahiliyyah, and he composed beautiful poems about that. He is the one who said: "Abu Qays says, having become early, 'Whatever you can of my advice, do.' I advise you to fear Allah, righteousness, and piety, And your honor; righteousness with Allah is foremost. If your people become leaders, do not envy them, And if you are people of leadership, be just. If one of the calamities befalls your people, Then put yourselves before the tribe. If a burdensome debt occurs, be gentle with them, And whatever they load upon you in hardships, bear. If you become wealthy, be chaste, And if there is an abundance of good among you, be generous." Abu Qays also said: "Glorify Allah at the east of every morning, When its sun rises, and at every crescent moon. Knower of the secret and the declaration together, What our Lord said is not error. To Him belong the birds, seeking increase and returning, In secure nests of the mountains. To Him belong the wild beasts in the desert, You see them in sand dunes and in the shade of sands. To Him the Jews became Jews and followed Every religion out of fear of a severe [punishment]. To Him the Christians observed the sun and stood Every festival for their Lord with celebration. To Him belongs the confined monk, you see him Pledged to misery, and he was of a comfortable state. O my sons, do not sever kinship ties, And maintain them, short as they may be from long. Fear Allah regarding weak orphans, Perhaps what is unlawful is deemed lawful. Know that the orphan has a guardian, Knowing, guided without asking. Then the orphan's property, do not consume it, Indeed, the orphan's property is guarded by a guardian. O my sons, do not violate boundaries, Indeed, violating boundaries is a shackle. O my sons, do not trust the days, And beware of their deceit and the passage of nights. Know that their passage is for the extinction Of creation, whatever is new and worn out. Unite your affair upon righteousness and piety, And leave obscenity, take what is lawful." Ibn Ishaq said: Abu Qays Sirmah also said, mentioning what Allah honored them with of Islam and what He specially favored them with of the arrival of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, among them: "He stayed among Quraysh for some ten years, Reminding, if he could find a friend who would respond." Its complete mention will come later, Allah willing, and in Him is trust. The Story of the Second Pledge of al-'Aqabah ⁴¹ Ibn Ishaq said: Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr returned to Mecca, and those of the Ansar who had embraced Islam went out with the pilgrims of their people from the polytheists until they came to Mecca, and they appointed a meeting with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at al-'Aqabah in the middle of the days of Tashriq ⁴², when Allah willed for them His honor, victory for His Prophet, strengthening of Islam and its people, and humiliation of polytheism and its people. Ma'bad ibn Ka'b ibn Malik narrated to me that his brother 'Abdullah ibn Ka'b, who was one of the most knowledgeable of the Ansar, narrated to him that his father Ka'b narrated to him, and he was among those who witnessed al-'Aqabah and pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, there. He said: We went out with the pilgrims of our people from the polytheists, having prayed and learned. With us was al-Bara' ibn Ma'rur, our master and elder. When we set out on our journey and left Medina, al-Bara' said: "O people, I have seen an opinion; by Allah, I do not know whether you agree with me or not." We said: "What is that?" He said: "I have decided not to leave this structure behind me, meaning the Ka'bah, and to pray towards it." He said: We said: "By Allah, we have not heard that our Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prays except towards Syria, and we do not want to oppose him." He said: "I will pray towards it." He said: We said to him: "But we will not do so."

He said: So when the time for prayer came, we prayed towards Syria, while he prayed towards the Ka'ba, until we arrived in Mecca. [He said: And we had criticized him for what he did, but he insisted on continuing that practice.] When we arrived in Mecca, he said to me: 'O son of my brother, let us go to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that I may ask him about what I did on this journey, for I have become concerned about it, because of your opposition to me in this matter.' He said: So we went out asking about the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and we did not know him nor had we seen him before that. We met a man from the people of Mecca and asked him about the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said: 'Do you know him?' We said: 'No.' He said: 'Do you know al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, his uncle?' He said: We said: 'Yes.' We knew al-‘Abbas, as he used to come to us as a merchant. He said: 'When you enter the mosque, he is the man sitting with al-‘Abbas.' He said: So we entered the mosque, and there was al-‘Abbas sitting, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sitting with him. We greeted and then sat down with him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to al-‘Abbas: 'Do you know these two men, O Abu al-Fadl?' He said: 'Yes, this is al-Bara' ibn Ma‘rur, the chief of his people, and this is Ka‘b ibn Malik.' He said: By Allah, I do not forget the saying of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: 'The poet?' He said: 'Yes.' Then al-Bara' ibn Ma‘rur said to him: 'O Prophet of Allah, I set out on this journey, and Allah Almighty had guided me to Islam. I thought that I should not turn my back on this House ⁴³, so I prayed towards it. My companions opposed me in that, until I became concerned about it. What is your opinion?' He said: 'You would have been upon a direction of prayer ⁴⁴ if you had persisted in it.' He said: So al-Bara' returned to the direction of prayer of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and prayed with us towards Syria. He said: His family claim that he prayed towards the Ka'ba until he died, but that is not as they say; we know him better than they do. Ka‘b ibn Malik said: Then we set out for the Hajj and we appointed to meet the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at al-‘Aqaba ⁴⁵ during the middle days of al-Tashriq ⁴⁶. When we had finished the Hajj, and it was the night we had appointed with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, we had with us ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Haram, Abu Jabir, a chief among our chiefs, whom we took along. We were concealing our affair from the polytheists among our people. We spoke to him and said: 'O Abu Jabir, you are a chief among our chiefs and a noble among our nobles, and we desire for you to be saved from what you are in, lest you become fuel for the Fire tomorrow.' Then we called him to Islam and informed him of the appointment of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with us at al-‘Aqaba. He said: So he accepted Islam and attended al-‘Aqaba with us, and he became a naqib ⁴⁷. Al-Bukhari narrated: Ibrahim told me, Hisham told us, that Ibn Jurayj informed them, ‘Ata' said, Jabir said: I, my father, and my two maternal uncles were among those present at al-‘Aqaba. ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad said: Ibn ‘Uyayna said: One of them was al-Bara' ibn Ma‘rur. ‘Ali ibn al-Madini told us, Sufyan told us, ‘Amr used to say: I heard Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah say: My two maternal uncles witnessed al-‘Aqaba with me. Imam Ahmad said: ‘Abd al-Razzaq told us, Ma‘mar informed us, from Ibn Khuthaym, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stayed in Mecca for ten years, following people to their homes, to ‘Ukaz ⁴⁸ and Majanna ⁴⁹, and to the seasonal fairs, saying: 'Who will give me shelter? Who will support me so that I may convey the message of my Lord, and for him is Paradise.' But he found no one to give him shelter or support him, such that a man would come from Yemen or from Mudar—as he said—and his people and relatives would come to him and say: 'Beware of the youth of Quraysh, lest he seduce you.' And he would pass between their camps while they pointed at him with their fingers. Until Allah sent us to him from Yathrib ⁵⁰, and we gave him shelter and believed him. A man from among us would go out, believe in him, and he would teach him the Qur'an, then he would return to his family, and they would become Muslim because of his Islam, until there was no house among the houses of the Ansar ⁵¹ that did not have a group of Muslims who openly professed Islam. Then we all consulted together and said: 'How long shall we leave the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wandering and being chased in the mountains of Mecca, living in fear?' So seventy men from among us set out to him until they came to him during the season. We appointed to meet him at the mountain pass of al-‘Aqaba. We gathered there, one or two at a time, until we were all present. We said: 'O Messenger of Allah, on what shall we pledge allegiance to you?' He said: 'You pledge allegiance to me to hear and obey in activity and laziness, to spend in hardship and ease, to enjoin good and forbid evil, to speak the truth for Allah, not fearing the blame of any blamer, and to support me and protect me when I come to you, just as you protect yourselves, your wives, and your children. And for you is Paradise.' So we stood up to him and pledged allegiance to him. As‘ad ibn Zurara took his hand, and he was the youngest of them. In the narration of al-Bayhaqi: He was the youngest of the seventy except for me. He said: 'Go slowly, O people of Yathrib, for we have not traveled the camels' flanks to him except that we know he is the Messenger of Allah. His expulsion today is a challenge to all the Arabs, and it will result in the killing of your best and the clashing of swords. If you are a people who can bear that, then take him, and your reward is with Allah. But if you are a people who fear for yourselves, then leave him, and make that clear, for it is more excusable for you before Allah.' They said: 'Remove yourself from us, O As‘ad! By Allah, we will not abandon this pledge nor will we ever be deprived of it.' He said: So we stood up to him and pledged allegiance to him, and he took from us and stipulated, and he gave us Paradise in return. Imam Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi also narrated it via Dawud ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-‘Attar. Al-Bayhaqi added from al-Hakim, with his chain to Yahya ibn Sulaym, both from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Uthman ibn Khuthaym, from Abu Idris, similar to it. This is a good chain according to the conditions of Muslim, but they did not record it. Al-Bazzar said: Several narrated it from Ibn Khuthaym, and we do not know it to be narrated from Jabir except through this path. Imam Ahmad said: Sulayman ibn Dawud told us, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Zinad told us, from Musa ibn ‘Abdullah, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir, who said: Al-‘Abbas was holding the hand of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while the Messenger of Allah was taking our pledge. When we finished, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'I have taken and given.' Al-Bazzar said: Muhammad ibn Ma‘mar told us, Qabisa told us, Sufyan—al-Thawri—told us, from Jabir—al-Ju‘fi—from Dawud—ibn Abi Hind—from al-Sha‘bi, from Jabir—ibn ‘Abdullah—who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to the nuqaba' ⁵² from the Ansar: 'Will you give me shelter and protect me?' They said: 'Yes.' They said: 'What is for us?' He said: 'Paradise.' Then he said: We do not know it to be narrated except through this chain from Jabir. Then Ibn Ishaq said, from Ma‘bad, from ‘Abdullah, from his father Ka‘b ibn Malik, who said: We slept that night with our people in our camps. When a third of the night had passed, we left our camps for the appointment with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

We used to sneak out stealthily like sandgrouse, hiding, until we gathered in the mountain pass at al-ʿAqaba ⁵³. We were seventy-three men, and with us were two of our women: Nusayba bint Kaʿb, Umm ʿUmara, one of the women of Banu Mazin ibn al-Najjar, and Asma bint ʿAmr ibn ʿAdi ibn Nabi, one of the women of Banu Salima, who was Umm Maniʿ. Ibn Ishaq explicitly mentioned their names and lineages in the narration of Yunus ibn Bukayr from him. What is reported in some hadiths that they were seventy is due to the Arabs often omitting fractions. ʿUrwa ibn al-Zubayr and Musa ibn ʿUqba said: They were seventy men and one woman. He said: Among them were forty of mature age and thirty of their youth. He said: The youngest among them were Abu Masʿud and Jabir ibn ʿAbd Allah. Kaʿb ibn Malik said: When we gathered in the pass waiting for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he came to us with al-ʿAbbas ibn ʿAbd al-Muttalib, who at that time was still on the religion of his people, except that he wanted to be present for his nephew's affair and to secure guarantees for him. When he sat down, al-ʿAbbas ibn ʿAbd al-Muttalib was the first to speak. He said: "O company of Khazraj!" — he said: The Arabs used to call this tribe of the Ansar ⁵⁴ the Khazraj, both Khazraj and Aws — "Indeed, Muhammad is one of us, as you know. We have protected him from our people who hold the same view as we do about him, so he is in honor among his people and secure in his land. Yet he insists on joining you and attaching himself to you. If you see that you will fulfill what you have called him to and protect him from those who oppose him, then take on that responsibility. But if you see that you will surrender him and abandon him after he comes out to you, then leave him now, for he is in honor and security among his people and in his land." He said: We said to him: "We have heard what you said. Speak, O Messenger of Allah, and take for yourself and your Lord whatever you wish." He said: Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ spoke, reciting the Qur'an and calling to Allah, encouraging Islam. He said: "I pledge allegiance to you on the condition that you protect me from what you protect your women and children." He said: Then al-Bara ibn Maʿrur took his hand and said: "Yes, by Him who sent you with the truth, we will protect you from what we protect our wraps ⁵⁵. So take our pledge, O Messenger of Allah, for by Allah, we are sons of war, inheriting it from forefather to forefather." He said: Then Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan interrupted the speech while al-Bara was speaking to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: "O Messenger of Allah, between us and the men there are ties ⁵⁶, and we are going to cut them — meaning the Jews. Is it possible that if we do that, and then Allah grants you victory, you will return to your people and leave us?" He said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ smiled and then said: "Rather, blood is blood, and destruction is destruction. I am from you and you are from me. I fight those you fight and make peace with those you make peace with." Kaʿb said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Appoint from among you twelve leaders ⁵⁷ who will be responsible for their people in what concerns them." So they appointed twelve leaders: nine from Khazraj and three from Aws. Ibn Ishaq said: They are: Abu Umama Asʿad ibn Zurara (the aforementioned), Saʿd ibn al-Rabiʿ ibn ʿAmr ibn Abi Zuhayr ibn Malik ibn Imri al-Qays ibn Malik ibn Thaʿlaba ibn Kaʿb ibn al-Khazraj ibn al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj, ʿAbd Allah ibn Rawaha [ibn Thaʿlaba] ibn Imri al-Qays ibn Malik ibn Thaʿlaba ibn Kaʿb ibn al-Khazraj ibn al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj, Rafiʿ ibn Malik ibn al-ʿAjlan (the aforementioned), al-Bara ibn Maʿrur ibn Sakhr ibn Khansa ibn Sinan ibn ʿUbayd ibn ʿAdi ibn Ghanm ibn Kaʿb ibn Salama ibn Saʿd ibn ʿAli ibn Asad ibn Sarida ibn Tazid ibn Jusham ibn al-Khazraj, ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr ibn Haram ibn Thaʿlaba ibn Haram ibn Kaʿb ibn Ghanm ibn Kaʿb ibn Salama, ʿUbada ibn al-Samit (the aforementioned), Saʿd ibn ʿUbada ibn Dulaym ibn Haritha ibn [Abi] Khuzayma ibn Thaʿlaba ibn Tarif ibn al-Khazraj ibn Saʿida ibn Kaʿb ibn al-Khazraj, and al-Mundhir ibn ʿAmr ibn Khunays ibn Haritha ibn Lawdhan ibn ʿAbd Wudd ibn Zayd ibn Thaʿlaba ibn al-Khazraj ibn Saʿida ibn Kaʿb ibn al-Khazraj. These are nine from Khazraj. From Aws, three: Usayd ibn Hudayr ibn Simak ibn ʿAtik ibn Rafiʿ ibn Imri al-Qays ibn Zayd ibn ʿAbd al-Ashhal ibn Jusham ibn al-Khazraj ibn ʿAmr ibn Malik ibn al-Aws, Saʿd ibn Khaythama ibn al-Harith ibn Malik ibn Kaʿb ibn al-Nahhat ibn Kaʿb ibn Haritha ibn Ghanm ibn al-Salm ibn Imri al-Qays ibn Malik ibn al-Aws, and Rifaʿa ibn ʿAbd al-Mundhir ibn Zanir ibn Zayd ibn Umayya ibn Zayd ibn Malik ibn ʿAwf ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿAwf ibn Malik ibn al-Aws. * * * Ibn Hisham said: The scholars count among them Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan instead of this Rifaʿa, and it is so in the narration of Yunus from Ibn Ishaq. Al-Suhayli and Ibn al-Athir in al-Ghaba chose this. * * * Then Ibn Hisham cited as evidence what he narrated from Abu Zayd al-Ansari in what he mentioned of the poetry of Kaʿb ibn Malik mentioning the twelve leaders on that night, the night of the second al-ʿAqaba, when he said: Inform Ubayy that his opinion has failed, and the time of the pass has come, and fate is imminent. Allah refuses what your soul promised you; indeed, He is watching and hearing the affairs of people. And inform Abu Sufyan that a light from Allah's guidance has shone upon us through Ahmad. So do not desire to gather an affair you intend; mobilize and assemble all you can. And know that breaking our covenants is rejected by the group when they pledged. Al-Bara and Ibn ʿAmr both rejected it, and Asʿad and Rafiʿ reject it for you. And Saʿd al-Saʿidi and Mundhir reject it; for your nose, if you attempt that, it will be cut off. And Ibn Rabiʿ, if you seek his covenant, will not surrender it; let no one hope for that. Nor will Ibn Rawaha give it to you; breaking it would be deadly poison. And al-Qawqali ibn Samit is not remiss in what you seek. Abu Haytham also is faithful to it, faithful to the covenant he gave, not treacherous. And Ibn Hudayr, if you desire, is not to be tempted; will you not desist from foolish error? And Saʿd, brother of ʿAmr ibn ʿAwf, is harsh and prevents what you seek. Those are stars; their rising in the darkness of night will not bring you misfortune. Ibn Hisham said: He mentioned among them Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan and did not mention Rifaʿa. I say: He also mentioned Saʿd ibn Muʿadh, who was not among the leaders at all on that night. * * * Yaʿqub ibn Sufyan narrated from Yunus ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿla, from Ibn Wahb, from Malik, who said: The Ansar on the night of al-ʿAqaba were seventy men, and their leaders were twelve: nine from Khazraj and three from Aws. And a shaykh from the Ansar told me that Jibril ⁵⁸ was pointing out to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ whom to appoint as a leader on the night of al-ʿAqaba, and Usayd ibn Hudayr was one of the leaders that night. Al-Bayhaqi narrated it. Ibn Ishaq said: ʿAbd Allah ibn Abi Bakr narrated to me that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to the leaders: "You are guarantors for your people in what concerns them, like the guarantee of the disciples ⁵⁹ for Jesus son of Mary, and I am a guarantor for my people." They said: "Yes."

And 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatada narrated to me that when the people gathered for the pledge of allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, al-'Abbas ibn 'Ubada ibn Nadla al-Ansari, brother of Banu Salim ibn 'Awf, said: "O company of the Khazraj, do you know on what you are pledging allegiance to this man?" They said: "Yes." He said: "You are pledging allegiance to him for war against the red and the black of people ⁶⁰. If you think that when your wealth is afflicted with disaster and your nobles are killed you will abandon him, then do it now, for by Allah, if you do that, it is the disgrace of this world and the Hereafter. But if you think that you will be faithful to him in what you have called him to, despite the affliction of wealth and the killing of nobles, then take him, for by Allah, it is the best of this world and the Hereafter." They said: "We take him upon the affliction of wealth and the killing of nobles. What do we get for that, O Messenger of Allah, if we are faithful?" He said: "Paradise." They said: "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched out his hand and they pledged allegiance to him. 'Asim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatada said: "Al-'Abbas ibn 'Ubada said that only to strengthen the covenant upon their necks." And 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr claimed that he said that only to delay the pledge that night, hoping that 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, the chief of the Khazraj, would attend, so that it would be stronger for the affair of the people. Allah knows best which of that was. Ibn Ishaq said: "The Banu al-Najjar claim that Abu Umama As'ad ibn Zurara was the first to strike his hand upon his hand ⁶¹. And the Banu 'Abd al-Ashhal say: 'Rather, Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan.'" Ibn Ishaq said: "And Ma'bad ibn Ka'b narrated to me from his brother 'Abdullah, from his father Ka'b ibn Malik, who said: 'The first to strike his hand upon the hand of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was al-Bara' ibn Ma'rur, then the people pledged allegiance.'" And Ibn al-Athir said in al-Ghaba: "And Banu Salima claim that the first to pledge allegiance to him that night was Ka'b ibn Malik." And it is established in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim from the hadith of al-Zuhri from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abdullah ibn Ka'b, from his father, from Ka'b ibn Malik in his hadith when he stayed behind from the expedition of Tabuk. He said: "And I witnessed with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the night of al-'Aqaba ⁶² when we made a covenant on Islam, and I would not love that I had the witness of Badr in exchange for it, even though Badr is more mentioned among people than it." And al-Bayhaqi said: Abu al-Husayn ibn Bishran informed us, 'Amr ibn al-Sammak informed us, Hanbal ibn Ishaq narrated to us, Abu Nu'aym narrated to us, Zakariyya ibn Abi Za'ida narrated to us from 'Amir al-Sha'bi who said: "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went with his uncle al-'Abbas to the seventy of the Ansar at al-'Aqaba under the tree, and he said: 'Let your speaker speak and not prolong the speech, for there is an eye of the polytheists upon you, and if they know of you, they will expose you.' So their speaker, who was Abu Umama, said: 'Ask, O Muhammad, for your Lord what you wish, then ask for yourself after that what you wish, then inform us what reward we have from Allah and from you if we do that.' He said: 'I ask you for my Lord that you worship Him and not associate anything with Him, and I ask for myself and my companions that you give us refuge, support us, and protect us from what you protect yourselves from.' They said: 'What do we have if we do that?' He said: 'You have Paradise.' They said: 'Is that for you?'" Then Hanbal narrated it from Imam Ahmad, from Yahya ibn Zakariyya, from Mujalid, from al-Sha'bi, from Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari, and he mentioned it, saying: "And Abu Mas'ud was the youngest of them." And Ahmad said from Yahya, from Isma'il ibn Abi Khalid, from al-Sha'bi, who said: "The old and the young never heard a speech like it." Al-Bayhaqi said: Abu Tahir Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Mahmsh informed us, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Fadl al-Fahham informed us, Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Dhuhli informed us, 'Amr ibn 'Uthman al-Raqqi informed us, Zuhayr narrated to us, 'Abdullah ibn 'Uthman ibn Khuthaym narrated to us from Isma'il ibn 'Ubaydullah ibn Rafa'a, from his father, who said: "Waterskins of wine arrived, so 'Ubada ibn al-Samit came to them and tore them, saying: 'We pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, upon hearing and obedience in activity and laziness, and spending in hardship and ease, and upon commanding good and forbidding evil, and upon speaking for Allah without fearing the blame of any blamer, and upon supporting the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when he comes to us in Yathrib, with what we protect ourselves, our souls, our children, and we have Paradise.' This is the pledge of allegiance of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, upon which we pledged allegiance to him. This is a good, strong chain, and they did not record it." And Yunus narrated from Ibn Ishaq: 'Ubada ibn al-Walid ibn 'Ubada ibn al-Samit narrated to me, from his father, from his grandfather 'Ubada ibn al-Samit, who said: "We pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the pledge of war ⁶³ upon hearing and obedience in our hardship and ease, in our activity and reluctance, despite preference over us, and that we not dispute the command with its people, and that we speak the truth wherever we are, not fearing in Allah the blame of any blamer." Ibn Ishaq said in his hadith from Ma'bad ibn Ka'b, from his brother 'Abdullah ibn Ka'b ibn Malik: "When we pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, Satan screamed from the top of al-'Aqaba with the most piercing sound I ever heard: 'O people of al-Jubajib ⁶⁴ - and al-Jubajib are the dwellings - do you have any interest in Mudhammam ⁶⁵ and the young men with him? They have gathered for war against you.'" He said: "So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'This is Azabb al-'Aqaba ⁶⁶, this is Ibn Azyab ⁶⁷. Do you hear, O enemy of Allah? By Allah, I will surely devote myself to you.' Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: 'Disperse to your camps.'" He said: "So al-'Abbas ibn 'Ubada ibn Nadla said: 'O Messenger of Allah, by Him who sent you with the truth, if you wish, we will surely fall upon the people of Mina tomorrow with our swords.' He said: 'We have not been commanded to do that, but return to your camps.' He said: 'So we returned to our sleeping places and slept in them until morning. When morning came, the notables of Quraysh came to us until they reached us in our dwellings and said: 'O company of the Khazraj, it has reached us that you have come to this companion of ours to take him out from among us and pledge allegiance to him for war against us. And by Allah, there is no tribe of the Arabs more hateful to us than that war should break out between us and them from you.' He said: 'So those of our people who were polytheists there began to swear that nothing of this had happened and that they did not know of it.' He said: 'And they spoke the truth, for they did not know.' He said: 'And some of us were looking at others.' He said: 'Then the people stood up, and among them was al-Harith ibn Hisham ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi, wearing two new sandals.' He said: 'So I said to him a word, as if I wanted to associate the people with it in what they said: 'O Abu Jabir, can you not take, while you are a chief among our chiefs, like these sandals of this young man from Quraysh?' He said: 'Al-Harith heard it, so he took them off his feet and threw them to me.' He said: 'By Allah, you will surely wear them.' He said: 'Abu Jabir said: 'Gently, by Allah, you have angered the young man, so return his sandals to him.' I said: 'By Allah, I will not return them. By Allah, it is a good omen. If the omen proves true, I will surely despoil him!'" Ibn Ishaq said: "And 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr narrated to me that they came to 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul."

So they said similar to what Ka'b had mentioned. He said to them: "This matter is grave; my people would not have split over something like this, and I did not know it had happened." He said: So they left him. He said: The people departed from Mina, and the group investigated the news and found that it had indeed happened. So they went out in pursuit of the people. They caught up with Sa'd ibn 'Ubada at Adhakhir, and al-Mundhir ibn 'Amr, the brother of Banu Sa'ida ibn Ka'b ibn al-Khazraj, both of whom were naqibs ⁶⁸. As for al-Mundhir, he escaped the group; as for Sa'd ibn 'Ubada, they seized him, tied his hands to his neck with the noseband ⁶⁹ of his saddle, then brought him back, entering Mecca, beating him and dragging him by his forelock—and he had abundant hair. Sa'd said: By Allah, while I was in their hands, a group of Quraysh appeared, among them a handsome, fair-skinned, slender, and pleasant man. I said to myself: "If there is any good in any of these people, it is in this man." When he approached me, he raised his hand and struck me a severe blow. I said to myself: "No, by Allah, there is no good in them after this!" By Allah, while I was in their hands being dragged, a man among them took pity on me and said: "Woe to you! Is there no protection or covenant between you and anyone among Quraysh?" I said: "Yes, by Allah, I used to give protection to the merchants of Jubayr ibn Mut'im and prevent anyone who wanted to wrong them in my land, and likewise for al-Harith ibn Harb ibn Umayya ibn 'Abd Shams." He said: "Woe to you! Call out the names of those two men and mention what is between you and them." He said: So I did, and that man went to them and found them in the mosque near the Ka'ba. He said to them: "A man from al-Khazraj is now being beaten in al-Abtah, calling out to you two." They asked: "Who is he?" He said: "Sa'd ibn 'Ubada." They said: "By Allah, he speaks the truth; he used to give protection to our merchants and prevent them from being wronged in his land." He said: So they came and freed Sa'd from their hands, and he left. The one who had struck Sa'd was Suhayl ibn 'Amr. Ibn Hisham said: The one who took pity on him was Abu al-Bukhturi ibn Hisham. Al-Bayhaqi narrated with his chain from 'Isa ibn Abi 'Isa ibn Jubayr, who said: Quraysh heard a speaker in the night on Abu Qubays saying: "If the two Sa'ds embrace Islam, Muhammad will become in Mecca, fearing no opposition from the opponent." In the morning, Abu Sufyan said: "Who are the two Sa'ds? Sa'd ibn Bakr or Sa'd ibn Hudhaym?" On the second night, they heard a speaker saying: "O Sa'd, Sa'd of al-Aws, be a supporter, and O Sa'd, Sa'd of the two Khazraj, the generous ones. Respond to the caller of guidance and wish for yourselves in Paradise the wish of a knower. For the reward of Allah for the seeker of guidance is gardens of Paradise, full of couches." In the morning, Abu Sufyan said: "By Allah, they are Sa'd ibn Mu'adh and Sa'd ibn 'Ubada." {Section} Ibn Ishaq said: When the Ansar who had pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, on the second night of al-'Aqaba returned to Medina, they openly professed Islam there. Among their people there remained some elders who adhered to their religion of polytheism, including 'Amr ibn al-Jamuh ibn Zayd ibn Haram ibn Ka'b ibn Ghanm ibn Ka'b ibn Salama. His son Mu'adh ibn 'Amr was among those who attended al-'Aqaba. 'Amr ibn al-Jamuh was one of the chiefs and nobles of Banu Salama. He had taken an idol made of wood in his house called Manat, as the nobles used to do, making it a god to venerate and honor. When the young men of Banu Salama embraced Islam—his son Mu'adh and Mu'adh ibn Jabal—they would go out at night to that idol of 'Amr, carry it, and throw it into one of the pits of Banu Salama that contained human waste, turning it upside down on its head. In the morning, 'Amr would say: "Woe to you! Who has attacked our god tonight?" Then he would go out looking for it until he found it, wash it, perfume it, and purify it. Then he would say: "By Allah, if I knew who did this to you, I would disgrace him." When evening came and 'Amr slept, they would attack it again and do the same. In the morning, he would find it in the same state of filth, wash it, perfume it, and purify it. Then they would attack it again at night and do the same. When they did this repeatedly, he took it out one day from where they had thrown it, washed it, purified it, and perfumed it. Then he brought his sword, hung it around its neck, and said: "By Allah, I do not know who is doing this to you. If there is any good in you, defend yourself; this sword is with you." When evening came and 'Amr slept, they attacked it, took the sword from its neck, then took a dead dog, tied it to the idol with a rope, and threw it into one of the wells of Banu Salama that contained human waste. In the morning, 'Amr ibn al-Jamuh went and did not find it in its place. He went out searching until he found it in that well, upside down, tied to a dead dog. When he saw it, he realized its true nature, and those of his people who had embraced Islam spoke to him, and he embraced Islam by the mercy of Allah, and his Islam was good. When he embraced Islam and came to know Allah, he mentioned that idol and what he had seen of its affair, thanking Allah who had saved him from the blindness and misguidance he was in, and said: "By Allah, if you were a god, you would not be tied with a dog in a well. Fie on your being a god, a lowly one! Now we have found you out for your bad bargain. Praise be to Allah, the High, the Bestower, the Provider, the Judge of the religion. It is He who saved me before I became in the darkness of a grave, held in pledge." Section containing the names of those who attended the second pledge of al-'Aqaba. Their total, according to what Ibn Ishaq mentioned, was seventy-three men and two women. From al-Aws: eleven men: Usayd ibn Hudayr, one of the naqibs; Abu al-Haytham ibn al-Tayyihan, also a Badri ⁷⁰; Salama ibn Salama ibn Waqsh, a Badri; Zuhayr ibn Rafi'; Abu Burda ibn Niyar ⁷¹; Nuhayr ibn al-Haytham ibn Nabi ibn Majda'a ibn Haritha; Sa'd ibn Khaythama, one of the naqibs, a Badri, and he was martyred at Badr; Rifa'a ibn 'Abd al-Mundhir ibn Zanir, a naqib and a Badri; 'Abdullah ibn Jubayr ibn al-Nu'man ibn Umayya ibn al-Barak, a Badri, and he was martyred at Uhud as the commander of the archers; Ma'n ibn 'Adi ibn al-Jadd ibn 'Ajlan ibn al-Harith ibn Dubay'a al-Balawi, an ally of al-Aws, who witnessed Badr and beyond, and was martyred at al-Yamama; and 'Uwaym ibn Sa'ida, who witnessed Badr and beyond. From al-Khazraj: sixty-two men: Abu Ayyub Khalid ibn Zayd, who witnessed Badr and beyond, and died in the land of Byzantium during the time of Mu'awiya as a martyr; Mu'adh ibn al-Harith, and his two brothers 'Awf and Mu'awwidh, the sons of 'Afra', all Badris; 'Umara ibn Hazm, who witnessed Badr and beyond, and was martyred at al-Yamama; As'ad ibn Zurara Abu Umama, one of the naqibs, who died before Badr; Sahl ibn 'Atik, a Badri; Aws ibn Thabit ibn al-Mundhir, a Badri; Abu Talha Zayd ibn Sahl, a Badri; Qays ibn Abi Sa'sa'a 'Amr ibn Zayd ibn 'Awf ibn Mabdhul ibn 'Amr ibn Ghanm ibn Mazin, who was the commander of the rear guard on the day of Badr; 'Amr ibn Ghaziyya; Sa'd ibn al-Rabi', one of the naqibs, who witnessed Badr and was martyred at Uhud; Kharija ibn Zayd, who witnessed Badr and was martyred at Uhud; 'Abdullah ibn Rawaha, one of the naqibs, who witnessed Badr, Uhud, and al-Khandaq, and was martyred at Mu'ta as a commander; Bashir ibn Sa'd, a Badri; and 'Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn Tha'laba ibn 'Abd Rabbih, who was shown the call to prayer ⁷², and he was a Badri.

Khallād ibn Suwayd ⁷³ was a participant in Badr, Uḥud, and the Trench, and was martyred on the day of Banū Qurayẓa: a millstone was thrown upon him and crushed him. It is said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He will have the reward of two martyrs." Abū Masʿūd ʿUqba ibn ʿAmr ⁷⁴ was a Badrī ⁷⁵. Ibn Isḥāq said: He was the youngest in age among those who attended al-ʿAqaba ⁷⁶ and did not attend Badr. Ziyād ibn Labīd was a Badrī, and Farwa ibn ʿAmr ibn Wadhafa, and Khālid ibn Qays ibn Mālik was a Badrī, and Rāfiʿ ibn Mālik was one of the nuqabāʾ ⁷⁷, and Dhakwān ibn ʿAbd Qays ibn Khalda ibn Mukhallad ibn ʿĀmir ibn Zurayq, who is called a Muhājirī Anṣārī ⁷⁸ because he stayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in Mecca until he migrated from it, and he was a Badrī who was killed on the day of Uḥud, and ʿUbāda ibn Qays ibn ʿĀmir ibn Khālid ibn ʿĀmir ibn Zurayq was a Badrī, and his brother al-Ḥārith ibn Qays ibn ʿĀmir was also a Badrī. Al-Barāʾ ibn Maʿrūr was one of the nuqabāʾ and the first to pledge allegiance, according to the claim of Banū Salima, and he died before the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) arrival in Medina, and he bequeathed one-third of his wealth to him, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) returned it to his heirs. His son Bishr ibn al-Barāʾ attended Badr, Uḥud, and the Trench, and died in Khaybar as a martyr from eating with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from that poisoned sheep, may Allah be pleased with him. And Sinān ibn Ṣayfī ibn Ṣakhr was a Badrī, and al-Ṭufayl ibn al-Nuʿmān ibn Khansāʾ was a Badrī, killed on the day of the Trench, and Maʿqil ibn al-Mundhir ibn Sarḥ was a Badrī, and his brother Yazīd ibn Sinān al-Mundhir was a Badrī, and Masʿūd ibn Zayd ibn Subayʿ, and al-Ḍaḥḥāk ibn Ḥāritha ibn Zayd ibn Thaʿlaba was a Badrī, and Yazīd ibn Khidhām ibn Subayʿ, and Jubbār ibn Ṣakhr ibn Umayya ibn Khansāʾ ibn Sinān ibn ʿUbayd was a Badrī, and al-Ṭufayl ibn Mālik ibn Khansāʾ was a Badrī. Kaʿb ibn Mālik, and Sulaym ibn ʿĀmir ibn Ḥadīda was a Badrī, and Quṭba ibn ʿĀmir ibn Ḥadīda was a Badrī, and his brother Abū al-Mundhir Yazīd was also a Badrī, and Abū al-Yasar Kaʿb ibn ʿAmr was a Badrī, and Ṣayfī ibn Sawād ibn ʿAbbād. Thaʿlaba ibn Ghanama ibn ʿAdī ibn Nābī was a Badrī and was martyred at the Trench, and his brother ʿAmr ibn Ghanama ibn ʿAdī, and ʿAbs ibn ʿĀmir ibn ʿAdī was a Badrī, and Khālid ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿAdī ibn Nābī, and ʿAbd Allāh ibn Unays was an ally ⁷⁹ of theirs from Quḍāʿa. ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn Ḥarām was one of the nuqabāʾ, a Badrī, and was martyred on the day of Uḥud, and his son Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, and Muʿādh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-Jamūḥ was a Badrī, and Thābit ibn al-Jidhʿ was a Badrī and was killed as a martyr at al-Ṭāʾif, and ʿUmayr ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Thaʿlaba was a Badrī, and Khadīj ibn Salāma was an ally of theirs from Balī, and Muʿādh ibn Jabal attended Badr and what followed, and died in the plague of ʿAmwās during the caliphate of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb. ʿUbāda ibn al-Ṣāmit was one of the nuqabāʾ, attended Badr and what followed, and al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿUbāda ibn Naḍla, who stayed in Mecca until he migrated from it, so he was also called a Muhājirī Anṣārī, and was killed on the day of Uḥud as a martyr, and Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Yazīd ibn Thaʿlaba ibn Khazma ibn Aṣram was an ally of theirs from Banū Ghuṣayna of Balī, and ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥārith ibn Labda, and Rifāʿa ibn ʿAmr ibn Zayd was a Badrī, and ʿUqba ibn Wahb ibn Kalda was an ally of theirs, a Badrī, and he was among those who went out to Mecca and stayed there until he migrated from it, so he is also among those called a Muhājirī Anṣārī, and Saʿd ibn ʿUbāda ibn Dulaym was one of the nuqabāʾ, and al-Mundhir ibn ʿAmr was a naqīb ⁸⁰, a Badrī and Uḥudī, and was killed at Biʾr Maʿūna as an amīr, and he is the one about whom it is said: "He freed [his slave] to die." As for the two women: Umm ʿUmāra Nasība bint Kaʿb ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿAwf ibn Mabdhūl ibn ʿAmr ibn Ghanm ibn Māzin ibn al-Najjār, al-Māziniyya al-Najjāriyya. Ibn Isḥāq said: She had attended war with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and with her attended her sister and her husband Zayd ibn ʿĀṣim ibn Kaʿb, and her two sons Ḥabīb and ʿAbd Allāh. Her son Ḥabīb is the one whom Musaylima the Liar killed when he kept saying to him: "Do you testify that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah?" He would say: "Yes." Then he would say: "Do you testify that I am the messenger of Allah?" He would say: "I do not hear." So he kept cutting him limb by limb until he died in his hands, without him adding anything to that. Umm ʿUmāra was among those who went out to al-Yamāma with the Muslims when Musaylima was killed, and she returned with twelve wounds, between stabs and blows. May Allah be pleased with her. The other is Umm Manīʿ Asmāʾ bint ʿAmr ibn ʿAdī ibn Nābī ibn ʿAmr ibn Sawād ibn Ghanm ibn Kaʿb ibn Salama. May Allah be pleased with her.