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THE LIFE OF

MUHAMMAD
"A TRANSLATION OF ISl;IAQ'S
SIRAT RASOL ALLAH

WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES BY

A. GUILLAUME

Karachi
Oxford University Press
Oxford New York Delhi
Oxford University Press, (;rm/ ClttreI/don ,"l'lll'tI, ()'\jm'd 11\': 6nl'
Oxford ."t\lr:w Yor/;
Athens Auckland Bangkok Bagot;" Buenos Aires Calrutta
Cajle Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Florena Hong Kong Istanlml
Karachi Kuala Lurnjmr Madrid Alelbourrw i.'v[exico Cit~l' !V[umbai ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Nairobi Paris Sao Paulo Singapore Taijlei Tohyo Toronto WOJ'S(lW
and associated cmnpanit!s in Berlin Ibadan
IT is a pleasure to acknowledge the debt that lowe to the friends whom
Oxford is a registered trade rnark of Oxford University Press I have consulted in the many and various difficulties which beset a trans-
lator of such a long text as the Sira on which there is no commentary
This book is COjlyright under the Berne Convention worthy of the name. My thanks are especially due to myoid friend Pro-
fessor A. A. Affifi of Alexandria, Professor A. Kh. Kioani of Damascus
The moral rights of the author }uwe been asserted Dr. Abdullah al-Tayib of Khartoum, Dr. M. A. Azzam of Cairo, and
Professor A. K. S. Lambton of London. Particularly I would thank Dr.
All rights resemed, No jwrt of this jmblir:ation Jlwy bi! rf'jJTOdHced, W. Arafat for his self-sacrificing labour in reading the whole of my transla-
stored in ~, retrieval system, or transmitted, in, any.form 01- by rin)' 'means, tion in manuscript, and for bringing its shortcomings to my notice. If,
without the jlrirrr permission in writing of Oxford Univrrsity Prpss. with reference to this book of mine, I am ever able to solace myself with
Enquiries (QJ1(erninl-; rejJroductioll should be sent /0 thr' the words kafa'i-mar'a faljlan an tu'adda ma'tiyibiih, it will be in great
Rights Dejlartment, Oxford University Press, at the address above, measure due to his ready help and eagle eye.
Last, but not least, I gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the School
This booh is sold subject to thl! condition that it shallllot, by way of Oriental and Mrican Studies in meeting the'cost of production. Without
of trade aT otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hiri!d out or otlumoise circulated this help it would have been impossible to publish the book. I hope that
without the publisher's jJriOT ronsent in any form (!f hinding or w1Ier in the years to come it will stand as a modest tribute to the School's great
other than that in which it is published and withoHt a similar wndition interest in Oriental studies and also help to further co-operation and
including this condition being imposed on tht snb,Wjw'rll jmrchasa. friendliness between my country and the Islamic world.

First j)1lblished in 1955


Reissllwl in Pakistan] 967

Thirteenth Irnjm:ssion 1998

ISBN 0 19 636033 1

Pn'nled in Pakistan at
Mueid Padwges, Karachi.
Published by
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CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS V

INTRODUCTION xii!
The Author xiii
The Sira xiv
The Editor Ibn Hisham xli
A Fragment of the Lost Book of Mus~ b. 'Uqba xliii

PART I
THE GENEALOGY OF MUHAMMAD; TRADITIONS
FROM THE PRE-ISLAMIC ERA; MUHAMMAD'S
CHILDHOOD AND EARLY MANHOOD
Genealogy 3
The soothsayers Shiqq and Sali!:> 4
Abu Karib's expedition to Yathr~b 6
His sons J:Iassan and .Amr IZ
Lakhni'a Dhu'Shanatir 13
Dhfl Nuwas 14
Christianity in Naj'ran 14
'Abdullah b. al-Thamir and the Christian martyrs 16
Abyssinian domination of the Yaman 18
Abraha's abortive attack on Mecca 21
Persian domination of the Yaman 30
The descendants of Nizar b. Ma'add 34
Origin of idolatry among the Arabs 35
Arab taboos 4
The descendants of Muo;lar 40
The digging of Zarnzam 45, 62
Kinana and Khuza'a expel Jurhum and occupy the Ka'ba 46
The bali' in the J ahiliya 49
Quraysh predominate in Mecca 52
Internal dissensions 56
The wells of Mecca 65
'Abdu'l-Muttalib vows to sacrifice his son 66
'Abdullah father of the prophet 68
Amina mother of the prophet 69
His birth and fostennother 69
His mother's death 73
Death of 'Abdu'l-Munalib and elegies thereon 73
Abu Talib becomes Muhammad'. guardian 79
The monk Ba!:>irii 79
viii Contents Contents IX

The sacrilegious war 82 Muhammad preaches to the Beduin 194


Muhammad marries Khadija 82 Iyas accepts Islam 197
Rebuilding of the Koba 84 Beginning of Islam among the Helpers 197
The l;Iums 87 The first pledge at al'Aqaba 198
Jews, Christians, and Arabs predict Muhammad's mission 90 Institution of Friday prayers in Medina 199
Salman the Persian 95 The second pledge at al-'Aqaba 201
Early monotheists 98 Names of the twelve leaders 204
The Gospel prophecy of the sending of 'the Comforter' 103 'AInr's idol 207
Conditions of the pledge and names of those present 208
Allah orders Muhammad to fight 212
PART I I The Emigrants to Medina 2 13
Those with whom they lodged 218
MUHAMMAD'S CALL AND PREACHING IN MECCA 109
His call and the beginning of the Quran III PART III
Khadija accepts Islam III
Prayer prescribed 112 MUHAMMAD'S MIGRATION TO MEDINA, HIS WARS,
~Ali the first male l\1uslim, then Abu Bakr and his converts 114 TRIUMPH, AND DEATH 219

Muhammad preaches and Quraysh reject him 117 Muhammad's hijra 221
Abu Talib protects him from Quraysh 118 He builds a mosque and houses in Medina 228
Persecution of Muhammad 13 0 Covenant with the Jews and men of Medina 23 1
J:Iamza accepts Islam 13 1 Brotherhood between the Emigrants and the Helpers 234
'Dtba attempts a compromise 13 2 The Call to Prayer 235
Conference with Quraysh leaders. The chapter of The Cave 133 Abu Qays 23 6
'Abdullah b. Mas'ud recites the Quran publicly 14 1 Jewish opponents 239
Meccans persecute Muhammad's followers 143 'Abdullah b. Salam accepts Islam 24 0
The first emigrants to Abyssinia r46 Jews joined by hypocrites among the Helpers 24 2
Quraysh try to get them sent back 'So Disaffected rabbis 246
How the Negus gained his throne 153 The chapter of The Cow and Jewish opposition 247
'Dmar accepts Islam 'SS Deputation from the Christians of Najran 270
The document proclaiming a boycott 159 The disaffected 277
Active opposition to Muhammad 161 Fever in Medina 279
His temporary concession to polytheism 165 Date of the hijra 281
The return of the first emigrants 1 67 The first raid: on Waddan 281
~Dthman b. M8:?'un and Abu Bakr renounce their protectors 16 9 l:Iamza's raid to the coast 28 3
Annulling of the boycott 17 2 . Raid on Buwa\ 28 5
Tufayl b. 'Amr accepts Islam 175 Raid On al.'Ushayra 28 5
Abu Jah!,s dishonesty 177 Raid on alKharrar 286
Rukana wrestles with Muhammad 178. Raid On Safawan 286
Some Christians accept Islam 179 Fighting in the sacred month 286
Suras 108 and 6 180 The change of the Qibla 289
The night journey and the ascent to heaven 181 Battle of Badr 28 9
Allah punishes the mockers 1.87 Zaynab sets out for Medina 3 14
The story of Abu Uzayhir r87 Abu'l'A~ accepts Islam 316
Death of Abu Talib and Khadija r9r 'Umayr b. Wahb accepts Islam 318
Muhammad preaches in .1Ta'if 19 2 The chapter of The Spoils 321
x Contents Contents xi
Names of the Emigrants who fought at Badr 327 The fulfilled pilgrimage 53 0
Names of the Helpers who fought at Badr 330 Raid on Mu'ta 53!
Names of the Quraysh prisoners 33 8 The occupation of Mecca 540
Verses on the battle 340 Khlilid followed by 'Ali go forth as missionaries 56,
Raid on B. Sulaym 360 Khalid destroys aI-'Uzz. 56 5
Raid called al-Sawiq 36, Battle of !;Iunayn 566
Raid on Dhu AmaIT 362 Verses thereon 572
Raid on ai-Fum' 3 62 Capture of al-Ta'if 5 87
Attack on B. Qaynuqil' 363 Division of the spoils of Hawazin 59 2
Raid on aI-Qarada 364 Ka'b b. Zuhayr 597
Killing of Ka'b b. ai-Ashraf . 3 64 His ode 59 8
Mu1).ayy~a and l;Iuwayyi!?a 369 Raid on Tabuk 602
Battle of UI)ud 370 The opposition mosque 609
The Quran on Ul)ud 39' Those who hung back from the raid on TabUk 6,0
Names of the Muslims slain at U1)ud 4' Destruction of ai-Lat 6'5
Names of the polytheists slain at Ul)ud 43 AbO. Bakr leads the pilgrimage 6'7
Verses on Ul).ud 44 I:Iassan's odes on the campaigns 624
The day of ai-Raj!' 4 26 The Year of the Deputations 627
Poems thereon 429 The B. Tamim 628
Treachery at Bi'r Ma'una 433 'Amir b. al-Tufayl and Arbad b. Qays 63'
B. aI-Na<;lir exiled 437 Deputation from B. Sa'd 634
Poetry thereon 439 Deputation from 'Abdu'I-Qays 635
Raid of Dhiltu'l-Riqil' 445 Deputation from B. I:ianifa 63 6
Last expedition to Badr 447 Deputation from Tayyi' 637
Raid on Dumatu'l-Jandal 449 'Adiy b. !;Iatim 637
Battle of the Ditch 45 6 Deputation of Farwa 639
Attack on B. Quray~a 46, Deputation from B. Zubayd 640
Poetry thereon 470 Deputation from Kinda 64'
Killing of Sallam 4 82 Deputation from al-Azd 642
'Amr b. al-'A.~ and Khillid b. al-Walid accept Islam 4 84 Deputation from l;Iimyar 64 2
Attack on B. Lil)yan 4 85 Farwa b. 'Amr accepts Islam 644
Attack on Dhu Qarad 4 86 B. !;Iarith accept Islam 645
Attack on B. al-Mu~laliq 490 The false prophets Musaylima and al-Aswad 648
Scandal about 'kisha 493 The farewell pilgrimage 649
The affair of al-!;Iudaybiya 499 Usama's expedition to Palestine 65 2
The willing homage 53 Muhanunad's missions to foreign rulers 65 2
The annistice 54 A swnIDary of Muhammad's raids and expeditions 659
Those left helpless 57 Ghillib'. raid on B. al-Mulawwal) 660
Women who migrated after the armistice 59 Zayd's raid On Judham 662
Expedition to Khaybar 5' Zayd's raid on B. Fazara 664
al-Aswad the shepherd 5'9 'Abdullah b. Rawal)a's raid to kill aI-Yusayr 665
Division of the spoils of Khaybar 52' Abdullah b. Unays'. raid to kill Khii\id b. Sufyan 666
Affair of F adak 52 3 'Uyayna's raid on B. al-'Anbar 667
Names of the Dariyun 52 3 Ghillib'. raid on B. MUITa 667
Return of the second batch of emigrants 5 26 'Amr b. ;U-'~'s raid on Dhiltu'I-Saliisii 668
xii Contents
Ibn Abu f.!.drad'. r.id on I<,lom 669 INTRODUCTION
His raid on .I-Ghab. 67 1
~Abdu'l-RaI:unan'sraid on Dumatu'l-Jandal 67a
Abu 'Ubayda's raid to the coast 673 THE AUTHOR
SliIim b. 'Um.yr's raid to kill Abu 'Afak 675
'Um.yr b. 'Adiy's r.id to kill 'Asma' 675 MUHAMMAD, son of Is\>aq, son of Yasar, was born in Medina about
C.pture of Thumlim. b. Atbal 67 6 A.H. 85 and died in Baghdad in 151.' His grandfather Yasar fell into the
~Alqama's raid 677 hands of Khalid b. al-Walid when he captured 'Aynu'I-TamI in A.H. la,
Kurz's raid on the Bajilis 677 having been held there as prisoneI by the PeIsian king. Khalid sent him
'Ali's raid on the Yarnan 67 8 with a number of pIisoneIs to Abu Bakr at Medina. There he was handed
Beginning of Muhammad's illness 67 8 over to Qays b. Makhrama b. al-Muttalib b. 'Abdu Manlif as a slave, and
His death 68a was manumitted when he accepted Islam. His family adopted the family
The meeting in the hall of B . Sa'ida 683 name of their patrons. His son Is\>aq was born about the year 50, his
Preparations for burial 687 mother being the daughter of another freedman. He and his brother
I;Iassan's panegyric 689 Miisa were well-known traditionists, so that our author's path in life was
prepared before he reached manhood. 2
IBN HISHAM'S NOTES He associated with the second generation of traditionists, notably
al-Zuhri, '~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada, and 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr. He must
ADDENDA have devoted himself to the study of apostolic tradition from his youth, for
799
at the age of thirty he went to Egypt to attend the lectures of Yazid b.
Abu !:Iabib.' There he was regarded as an authority, for this same Yazid
INDEXES
afterwards related traditions on Ibn Is\>aq's authority. 4 On his retumto
Proper Names 801 Medina he went on with'the collection and arrangement of the material
Isnad 810 he had collected. AI-Zuhri, who was in Medina in 123, is reported to have
81 4 said that Medina would never lack 'ilm as long as Ibn Is\>aq was there, and
Books cited
he eagerly gathered from him the details of the prophet's wars. Unfortu-
Subjects 81 5 nately Ibn Is\>aq excited the enmity of Malik b. Anas, for whose work he
showed his contempt, and it was not long before his own writings and his
orthodoxy were called in question. Probably it was our author's lost book
of Sunan' which excited Malik's ire, for it would have been in the field
of law based on the practice of the prophet that differences would be most
keenly felt. He was accused of being a Qadari and a Shi'i. Another man
attacked his veracity: he often quoted Fatima, the wife of Hishlim b.
'Urwa, as the authority for some of his traditions. The husband was
annoyed and denied that he had ever met his wife; but as she was nearly
forty years Ibn Is\>aq's senior it is easily credible that they often met
without occasioning gossip. It is not known whether Ibn Is\>aq was com-
pelled to leave Medina or whether he went away voluntarily. Obviously
he could not have the same standing in a pl.ce that housed his chief
1 I.S. VII. ii. p. 67.
~ On Musa and IslJaq see]. Fiick, Multammadibn Isluiq, Frankfurt a. M. 1925, p. 28.
~. See Biographien von Gewahrsmiinnnn d~s Ibn Ishaq .. " ed. Fischer, Leiden, x890.
WIth all those whose death-rates ranged from A.H. 27 to 1$2 he was in contact personally
or at second hand.
4 WOstenfeld, II. vii, from I. al-Najjar and Fiick, 30. 5 Hajji KhaUfa, ii. 1008.
xiv The Life of Muhammad Introduction xv
informants as he would hold elsewhere, and so he left for the east, stopping Like LL he was given to inserting poetry in his traditions and justified the
in Kiifa, al.Jazira on the Tigris, and Ray, finally settling in Baghdad. While habit by the example of 'Nisha who uttered verses on every subject that
Man~iir was at Hashimiya he attached himself to his following and presented presented itself. I He was a friend of the erotic poet 'Umar b. Rab;'a, but
him with a copy of his work doubtless in the hope of a grant from the cahph. thought very little of the prophet's poet l;Iassan b. Thabit.'
Thence he moved to Ray and then to the new capital of the empire. He . Of .Shural,1bil b. Sa'd, a freedman, presumably of South Arabian origin,
died in ISO (or perhaps IS I) and was buried in the cemetery of l;Iayzuran. httle IS known beyond the fact that he wrote a maghiizi book. LL would
have none of him, and he is seldom quoted by other writers. He died in
123, and as he is said to have known Ali he must have died a centenarian.
THE S]RA He reported traditions from some of the prophet's companions, and
Its precursors Miisa b. 'UqbaJ records that he wrote lists of the names of the emigrants
It is certain that Ibn Isl,taq's biography of the prophet had no serious and the combatants at Badr and Ul,tud. In his old age he was discredited
rival; but it was preceded by several maghazi books. We do not know when because he blackmailed his visitors: if they did not give him anything he
they were first written, though we have the names of several firstcentury would say that their fathers were not present at Badr! Poverty and extreme
worthies who had written notes and passed on their knowledge to the rising age made him cantankerous. The victims of his spleen doubted his veracity,
generation. The first of these was Aban the son of the caliph 'Uthman.' though those best qualified to judge regarded him as an authority.
He was born in c. 20 and took part in the campaign of Tall,ta and Zubayr Another important Tabi' was Wahb b. Munabbih (34-IIO), a Yamanite
against his father's slayers. He died about 100. The I.anguage used by of Persian origin. His father probably was a Jew. He is notorious for his
a1.Wilqidi in reference to Ibn alMughira, 'he had nothmg wntten down interest in, and knowledge of, Jewish and Christian scriptures and tradi-
about hadith except the prophet's maghazis which he had acquired from tions; and though much that was invented later was fatherea. on him, his
Aban', certainly implies, though it does not demand, that Ibn aIMughira K. alMubtada' lies behind the Muslim version of the lives of the prophets
wrote down what Ahlin told him. It is strange that neither Ibn Isl,tilq nor and other biblical stories. With his books on the legendary history of the
a1. Waqidi should have cited this man who must have had inside knowledge Yaman, on aphorisms, on free will, and other matters preserved in part in
of many matters that were not known to the public; possibly as a follower LH.'s K. al-Tijan we are not concerned; but the statement of Hajji
of Ali he preferred to ignore the son of the man the Ahds regarded ~ a Khalifa that he collected the maghazi is now confirmed by the discovery of a
usurper. However, his name often appears in the isniids of the c.anomc~l fragment of the lost work on papyri written in 228. Unfortunately this
collections of hadith. (The man named in Tab. 2340 and LS. IV. 29 IS fragment tells us little that is new; nevertheless, its importance is great
Aban b. 'Uthman a1.Bajali who seems to have written a book on maghazi.') because it proves that at the end of the first century, or some years before
A man of much greater importance was 'Urwa b. alZubayr b. al A.H. 100, the main facts about the prophet's life were written down much
'Awwam (23--<)4), a cousin of the prophet. 'Urwa's mother was Abii as we have them in the later works. Further it shows that, like the other
Bakr's daughter Asma'. He and his brother 'Abdullah ,,:ere in clos~ con- early traditionists, he had little or no use forisnads. Miss Gertrud Melamede'
tact with the prophet's widow 'Nisha. He was a recogmzed authonty on h~ comp~red the account of the meeting at 'Aqaba (cf. i. H. 288, 293, 299)
the early history of Islam, and the Umayyad caliph 'Abdu'l-Malik appli~d WIth the hterature on the subject and her criticism, literary=d historical,
to him when he needed information on that subject. Agam, It IS uncertam leads her to some important conclusions which do not concern us here. An
whether he wrote a book, but the many traditions that are handed down in interesting detail is that Muhammad speaking to 'Abbas calls Aus and
his name by LL and other writers justify the assertion that he was the Khazraj 'my and your maternal uncles'. 'Abbiis throughout runs with the
founder of Islamic history.3- Though he is the earliest writer whose notes hare and hunts with the hounds.
have come down to us, I have not translated the passages from Tab. which A little later comes 'A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatilda alAn~ari (d. c. 120). He
reproduce them because they do not seem to add ~nything of impo;tance lectured in Damascus on the campaigns of the prophet and the exploits
to the Sira. They form part of a letter which Urwa wrote to Abdu of his companions and seems to have committed his lectures to writing.
I-Malik who wanted to have accurate knowledge about the prophet's He too is quite inconsistent in naming his authorities: sometimes he gives
career.4 Much of his material rests on the statements of his aunt 'A'isha. an stUid, more often he does not. He returned to Medina to continue his
work, and LL attended his lectures there. Occasionally he inserted verses
1 E. Sachau, I.S. tIl. xxiii. f. in his narrative, and sometimes gave his own opinion.
1 Flick, 8, n. 27; and see]. Horovitz in Islamic Culture. 19 2 7, 53 8 .
3 1.5 . Tab., and Bu. are heavily indebted to him. ... I Fischer, Asiinid, 46. 1 Horovitz, op. cit. 25 r.
" Sec T. i. u80, 1224. 1234, 1284. 1634, 1654, 1670, 1770; lU. 245 8 . Cf. I.H. 754 ~ I. l;Ia,iar. Tahdhib, %. 361. 4 Le Monde Orientale, xxviii. 1934, 17-58.
XVI The Life of Muhammad
IntrodUl:tion XVll
Muhammad b. Muslim ... b. Shihab al-Zuhri (5'-'24) was a member of
a distinguished Meccan family. He attached himself to 'Abdu'l-Malik, lists of those who went to Abyssinia and fought at Badr. The latter
Hisham, and Yazid, and wrote down some traditions for his princely Malik regarded as authoritative. He generally gives an isnad, though it is
pupils. He was the forerunner of the later traditionists in that he took not always clear wh~ther he is relying on a written or an oral source. Once
extraordinary pains to interrogate people, young and old of both sexes, who at least he refers to a mass of records left by Ibn 'Abbiis (I.S. v. 216).
Occasionally he quotes poems.
might possess knowledge of the past. He left a history of his own family
and a book of maghazi. Most of his traditional lore survived in the notes Ap~rt from the fragment of Wahb b. Munabbih's maghiizi the Berlin
of his lectures that his pupils wrote down quoting his authority for the MS., If It IS authentIC, IS the oldest piece of historical literature in Arabic in
traditions they record. He spent some years in Medina as a young man. existence., an~ if only for that reason deserves more than a passing notice
1.1. met him when he came south on pilgrimage and he is often named as an here. It IS of Importance also because it carries back some of the traditions
in Bukhiiri (d. 256) more than a century.
authority in the Sira. He was the most important traditionist .of his
generation, and his influence is to be seen in all collections of canonical ~ther maghtizi works were produced in Iraq, Syria, and the Yaman
hadith. (See further J. Horovitz, Islamic Culture, ii. 33 ff.) dunng the second century, but none of them is likely to have influenced
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr b. Muhammad b. 'Amr b. !;Iazm (d. 130 or 135) 1.1. and they can safely be disregarded.' What is of significance is the
was one of I.I.'s most important informants. His father had been ordered gr~at interest in the life of the prophet that was shown everywhere during
by 'Umar b. 'Abdu'l-'Aziz to write a collection of prophetic hadith, thIS century: But no book known to the Arabs or to us can compare in
especially what 'Amra d. 'Abdu'I-RaJ:tman said. This latter was a friend co~prehenslveness, arrangement, or systematic treatment, with I.I.'s work
whIch will now be discussed.
of 'Nisha and she was the aunt of this Abu Bakr. Already in the time of his
son 'Abdullah these writings had been lost. Though we have no record of
The Sira
a book by 'Abdullah, its substance probably once existed in the maghazi of
his nephew 'Abdu'I-Malik. As one would expect, the isnad is a matter of The ,titles The Book of Campaigns or The Book oj Campaigns and (the
indifference to 'Abdullah: he stood too near the events among many who prophet!) BIOgraphy or The Book oj the Biography and the Beginning and the
2
knew of them to need to cite his authorities. Tab. (i. 1837) contains an Campazgns are -all to be met with in the citations of Arabic authors.
interesting note on how 1.1. got his information. 'Abdullah told his wife AI-Bolla'i, a pupil of 1.1., made two copies of the whole book, one of which
Fatima to tell him what he knew on 'Amra's authority. must ?ave reached I.H. (d. 218) whose text, abbreviated, annotated, and
Abii'l-Aswad Muhammad b. 'Abdu'I-RaJ:tman b. Naufal (d. 131 or sometimes altered, is the main source of our knowledge of the original
137) left a maghazi book which sticks closely to 'Urwa's tradition.' w~rk: A good deal more of it can be recovered from other sources. 3 The
Contemporal')" with our author in the third generation was Musa b. prmclples underlying 1.H.'s revision are set out in his Introduction
'Uqba (c. 55-'4'), a freedman of the family of al-Zubayr. A fragment of Sachau' suggests that the copy used by To was made when 1.1. was in Ra;
his work has survived and was published by Sachau in '904.' As it once by Sala:"a b. Fa<.Jl al-Abrash al-An~ari, because To quotes 1.1. according to
rivalled I.I.'s work and is ooe of our earliest witnesses to the Sira I have I. ~adl s rtwaya. A third :opy was made by Yunus b. Bukayr in Ray.
given a translation of the extant traditions. 3 Although Malik b. Anas, ThIS ,;as used ~y I. al-Athlr III hIs Usdu'l-Ghiiba. A copy of part of this
al-Shafi'i, and AJ:tmad b. !;Ianbal-an impressive. trio-asserted that his recenSIOn eXIsts In the Qarawiyin mosque at Fez. The text which contains
book was the most important and trustworthy of all, posterity evidently some important additions to the r~ceived text, I hope to ~ublish shortly.
did not share their opinion or more of his work would have survived. 4 A f?urth copy was that of the Synan Harun b. Abu'Isa. These last two
I.I. never mentions him. One cannot escape the conviction that petty copIes were used by I. Sa'd.' Lastly the Fihrist mentions the edition of
professional jealousy was as rife in those days as now, and that scholars al-Nufayli (d: 234).
deliberately refrained from giving their predecessors credit for their It must not be supposed that the book ever existed in three separate
achievements. Musa leaned heavily on al-ZuhrI. He seems to have carried parts: anCient legends, Muhammad's early life and mission and his wars
farther the process of idealizing the prophet.' He is freely quoted by These are simply sections of the book which contained 1.1.:s lectures. .
al-Waqidi, I. Sa'd, al-Baladhuri, Tabari, and I. Sayyidu'I-Nas. He gave For the Mubtada' (Mabda') we must go to T's Tajnr and History. The
first quotatIOn from it in the latter 6 runs thus: 'I. I:Iamid said Salama
I See Hick, II. 2 S.RB.A. xi. b. al-Fa<.JI.told us that 1.1. said: "The first thing that God created ~as light
3 f).i. where some doubts about the authenticity of some of them are raised.
-4Goldziher, M.S. ii. Z07, shows that it was in circulation as late as the end of the 9th I Flick 12
3 '
:z See N"oldeke, Geuh. QOT. 129, Z21.
century A.H. 5 Flick, u. 5 V.L.. . -4 1.S. III. xxv.
III. 11. 5 1 ,lmes 17-19. 6 g .. .
9
B4080 b ~~
XV1ll The Life of Muhammad Introduction xix
and darkness. Then He separated them and made the darkness night, claimed for the Meccan period. We do not know Muhammad's age when
black exceeding dark; and He made the light day, bright and luminous." , he first came forth publicly as a religious reformer: some say he was forty,
From this it is clear that 'Genesis' is the meaning of the title of the first others say forty-five; we do not know his precise relation to the Banu
section of the book. 1.H. skipped all the intervening pages and began with Najjar; the poverty of his childhood ill fits the assertion that he belonged
Abraham, the presumed ancestor of Muhammad. AI-Azraqi quotes some to the principal family in Mecca. The story of those years is filled out with
passages from the missing section in his Akhbiir Mecca and a few extracts legends and stories of miraculous events which inevitably undermine the
are given by al-Mu(ahhar b. Tahir.' modern reader's confidence in the history of this period as a whole. In
The Mubtada' in so far as it lies outside I.H.'s recension is not our this section particularly, though not exclusively, 1.1. writes historical
concern, though it is to be hoped that one day a scholar will collect and introductions to his paragraphs. A good example is his foreword to the
publish a text of it from the sources that survive so that I.I.'s work ~an be account of the persecution the prophet endured at the hands of the
read in its entirety as its importance warrants. In thIS sectIOn I.I. relted on Meccans: 'When the Quraysh became distressed by the trouble caused by
Jewish and Christian informants and on the book of Abu 'Abdullah Wahb the enmity between them and the apostle and those of their people who
b. Munabbih (3~IlO or Il4) known as K. al-Mubtada' and also al-Isrii'- accepted his teaching, they stirred up against him foolish fellows who called
iliyiit of which the original title was Qi~a~u'I-Anbiya'. To him he o~ed him a liar, insulted him, and accused him of being a poet, a sorcerer, a
the history of the past from Adam to Jesus' and also the South Arabran diviner, and of being possessed. However the apostle continued to pro-
legends, some of which 1.H. has retained. This man also wrote a maghiizi claim what God had ordered him to proclaim, concealing nothing, and
book and a fragment of it has survived. 3 1.1. cites him by name only once.' exciting their dislike by comemning their religion, forsaking their idols,
, h ' and leaving them to their unbelief'. I This is not a statement resting on
It is natural that a book about Muhammad, 'the seal of the prop ets,
should give an account of the history of th!O early prophets, .but the tradition, but a concise summary of the circumstances that are plainly
history, or legends, of South Arabia demand another explanatIOn. As indicated by certain passages of the Quran which deal with this period.
Goldziher showed long ago,S it was in the second half of the first century Of the Maghazi history little need be said. For the most part the stories
that the antagonism of north and south, i.e. Quraysh and th: An~ar of rest on the account of eyewitnesses and have every right to be regarded as
Medina first showed itself in literature. The An~ar, proud of theIr southern trustworthy.
origin a~d of their support of the prophet when the Quraysh rej,ected him,
smarted under the injustice of their rulers and the northern~r s clal~ to Characteristics
superiority. One of the ways in which their resentment mamfested Itself The opinions of Muslim critics on I.I.'s trustworthiness deserve a special
was in the glorification of I;limyar's great past. 1.1. as a loyal son of paragraph; but here something may be said of the author's caution and his
Medina shared the feelings of his patrons and recounted the achIevements fairness. A word that very frequently precedes a statement is za' ama or
of their forefathers, and 1.H., himself of southern descent, retained in the za'amii, 'he (they) alleged'. It carries with it more than a hint that the
Sira as much of the original work as he thought desirable. To this accident statement may not be true, though on the other hand it may be sound.
that I.H. was a I:Jimyari we owe the extracts from stories ~f the old South Thus there are fourteen or more occurrences of the caveat from p. 87 to
Arabian kings. 1.H. devoted a separate book to the subject, the K. al- '48 alone, besides a frequent note that only God knows whether a parti-
Tijan li-ma'rifati muliiki I-zaman (fi akhbari Qal;tan)." . . cular statement is true or riot. Another indication of reserve if not scepti-
The second section of the book whIch IS often called al-Mab ath beglll s cism underlies the expression Ii rna dhukira ii, as in the story of the jinn
with the birth of the prophet and ends when the first fighting from his base who listened to Muhammad as he prayed; Muhammad's order to 'Umar
in Medina takes place. The impression one gets from thIS sectlO~ IS of to kill Sllwayd; one of Gabriel's visits to Muhammad; the reward of two
hazy memories; the stories have lost their freshness and have_ ~othI~g of martyrs to the man killed by a woman.' An expression of similar import is
that vivid and sometimes dramatic detail which make the maghazl stones- fi mil balaghani. 3
especially in al-Waqidi-so full of interest and excitement. Thus while the Very seldom does 1.1. make any comment of his own on the traditions
Mcdinan period is well documented, and events there are c~ronologI he records apart from the mental reservation implied in these terms.
cally a!."ranged, no such accuracy, indeed no such attempt at It, can be Therefore when he does express an opinion it is the more significant.
1 ed. and tr. CI. Huart, Publ. de ticole des lang. or. viv., s. iv, vol. xvi, i-vi, Paris, 1899- In his account of the night journey to Jerusalem and the ascent into heaven
19 19. . 1 p. 183; see also 187. 230 et passim. 1. pp. 281, 356, 357. 308.
1. A summary of the contents is given in T. 1.
3 pp. 23 2 235 et passim. Extreme caution introduces the legends of the light at the
3 See E.!. 4 p. 20. prophet's birth. 102.
5 M.S. i. 89-()8. 6 Haydarabad. 1342 .
xx The Life of Muhammad Introduction xxi
he allows uS to see the working of his mind. The story is everywhere Comedy.' It rules out absolutely any but a physical experience and ought
hedged with reservations and terms suggesting caution to the reader. He tob have been
. recorded
P' with its cautionary note before I ..
I mae
d h'Isown
begins with a tale which he says has reached him (balaghani) from several o servatlOns. .ossIbly the re~son for its being out of place is that it is an
narrators and he has pieced them together from the stories these people excerpt fr~m hIS lecture notes; but whatever the explanation, it mars the
heard (dhukira). The whole subject is a searching test of men's faith in effect of. hIS statement of the evidence. 2
which those endowed with intelligence are specially concerned. It was The phr~se 'God knows best' speaks for itself and needs no comment
certainly an act of God, but exactly what happened we do not know. This It IS. sometimes used when the author records two conflicting tradition~
opinion of his is most delicately and skilfully expressed in the words and IS unable to. say which is correct. Another indication of the author's
kayla sM'a, 'how God wished to show him'. I. Mas'lid's words are scrupulousness I~ the p~rase 'Go,d preserve me from attributing to the
prefaced byfi mii balaghani'anhu. There is nothing in the story to indicate apostle words whIch he dId not use. His report of Muhammad's first public
that it is a vision. AI-J:Iasan's version is much more definite, for he asserts address at MedlUa and his order to each of his companions to adopt another
that when Muhammad returned to Mecca he told the Quraysh that he had as a brother are prefixed by these. words a.nd hedged by fi mii balaghani. 3
been to Jerusalem and back during the night and that this so strained the T~e author does not often gIve us nval versions of traditions from
credulity of some of the Muslims that they gave up their faith in his revela- M~dma and Mecca; thus the account of 'Umar's conversion is interesting."
tions although he was able to give an accurate description of Jerusalem. It Illustrates the thoroughness of our author in his search for information
It is therefore most surprising that al-J:Iasan should end his story by about the early days of the prophet's ministry. The first account he says is
quoting Sura '3. 62 'We made the vision which we showed thee only for a based on what the t.radltlOnIsts of Medina said: 'Umar was brutal to his
test to men' in this context. The whole point of aI-l;Iasan's story is thereby SIster and brother-lU-law who bad accepted Islam, but feeling some
undermined, for if the experience was visionary, then there was nothing remorse ~hen he saw blood on her face from the violent blow he had dealt
at all incredible about it. Then follows 'Nisha's statement, _reported by her, and Impress~d by her. constancy, he demanded tbe leaf of the Quran
one of her father's family> that it was only the apostle's spirit that was thafrshe was readmg. Havmg read it he at once accepted it as inspired and
transported; his body remained where it was in Mecca. Another tradi- went to the prophet to proclaim his allegiance.
tion by Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan bears the same meaning. The fact that he The ~eccan, 'Abdullah b. Abu NajiJ:t, on the authority of two named
had been asked whether it was a physical or a dream journey shows that the compamons or an anonymous narrator, gives another version in 'Vmar's
subject was debated before I.I.'s day. Here 1.1. makes a profound observa- own words .to the effect that his conversion was due to his hearing the
tion which in effect means that it was immaterial whether the experience proph~t re?lte the Quran while praying at the Ka:ba one night. In both
was real or visionary because it came from God; and just as Abraham made narr~tlv;s It was the Quran whIch caused his conversion. In the first
every preparation to slay his son Isaac in consequence of what he had seen verSIOn U mar was affected by the bearing of his sister and secured a part of
in a dream I because he recognized no difference between a divine command the Q.uran to read himself; in the second be was affected by the private
given at night during sleep and an order given by day when he was awake, de~otlOns of the prophet. The first story is prefixed by Ii mii balaghani but
so the apostle's vision was just as real as if it had been an actual physical thI~ IS cancelled as it were by the express statement that it was the cu;rent
experience. Only God knows what happened, but the apostle did see what belIef of the people of Medina. 1.1. concludes by saying that only God
he said he sawand whether he was awake or asleep the result is the same. knows what really happened.
The description of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus which purports to quote A ~ather dif.licult problem in literary and historical criticism is posed by
Muhammad's words is prefaced by za'ama'l-Zuhrf, not, as often, by the the .rIval :radltlOns S collected by the indefatigable T. from two of I.I.'s
ordinary term J:zaddathani. Now as al-Zuhri and 1.1. knew each other pupl1s, Yun~s b. BU,kayr and Salama b. al-Fa<jl, the latter supported by
well and must have met quite often, we must undoubtedly infer from the another pupl1 of 1.1. s named Ali b. Mujahid. The first had attended his
fact that 1.1. deliberately substituted the verb of suspicion for the ordinary lectures IU KUfa; the other two his lectures at Ray. All three claim that
term used in traditional matters that he means us to take this tradition with they transmIt what 1..1. told them on the authority of a certain 'Afif. I do
a grain of salt. not know of a pa.r~neI m I.I.'s work to a contradiction resting on the authority
It is a pity that the excellent impression that one gets of the author's of the .same ongmaI narrator. Different traditions from different rawls
intelligence and religious perception should be marred by the concluding from dIfferent sources are to be expected in any history; but here the same
paragraph' on this subject of the ascent into heaven which incidentally
has bad far-reaching results on European literature .through the Divine : See ~. Asin, La escatalogia muiulmana.
3 Can It be that I.H. has tampered with the text here?
I manam. ~ p. 26,7 5 T. i. 1162. 8-1163.2.
pp. 340 and 344. PP 224-9.
xxii The Life of Muhammad Introduction xxiii
man is introduced as the authority for conflicting traditions such as are to Intrinsically as we have argued, the second tradition has the better
be found in the later collections of hadith. claim to authenticity. If that is admitted it follows that either 1.1. or his
The first tradition is suspect because it requires us to believe that from rawi adapted it in the interest of the Alid cause. In view of the accusation
the earliest days of his ministry before he had any following apart from a of partiality towards the Shi'a which was levelled against 1.1.' it seems
wife and a young nephew Muhammad prophesied the Arab conquest of the probable that he himself gave a subtle twist to the tradition that had come
Byzantine and Persian empires in the Near East. Nothing in his life gives down to him from 'Afif, and afterwards played for safety.
the slightest support to this claim, though it was to be made good soon after As one would expect of a book which was written in the eighth century
his death. about a great religious reformer, miracles 3fe accepted as a matter of
The second contains no reference to later conquests and may be trust- COurse. It does not matter if a person's alleged power to work. miracles
worthy. It definitely fixes the scene at Mina, which is about three miles makes his early sufferings and failures unintelligible, nor does it matter if
distant from Mecca. The first account suggests, though it does not assert, the person concerned expressly disclaimed all such powers apart from the
that the prophet was in Mecca, as he turned to face the Ka'ba when he recitation of the Quran itself.' The Near East has produced an enormous
prayed. Would he have done this had he been in Minai Would he not number of books on the miracles of saints and holy men and it would be
rather have turned in the direction of Jerusalem, his first qibla I LL ~trang~ indeed if Isl~m had not followed in the footsteps of its predecessors
expressly affirms elsewhere' that while he was in Mecca Muhammad when In glorIfymg the achIevements of Its great leader at the expense of his human
praying turned his face towards Syria. The second account says nothing greatness. Here we are concerned simply with the literary form of such
about the direction of his prayer. On the whole, then, the second tradition stories, the authorities that are quoted for them, and the way in \vhich our
as transmitted by Salama must be given the preference. author deals with them. To mention a few: 3 the prophet summoned a
It is quite easy to see why 1.H. a century later omitted both traditions; tree to hIm and It stood before him. He told it to go back again and back it
they were offensive to the ruling house of 'Abbas as they drew attention went. It is interesting to . . . otice that the person for whose benefit this
to an unhappy past which the rulers, now champions of orthodoxy, would mir~cle. was wro~ght regarded it as sorcery. The author's father, Is!,Iaq b.
fain have forgotten. But why did 1.1. report ,them both, if in fact he did I Yasar, I~ responsIble for the tale. Another tradition from 'Amr b. 'Vbayd.
On the whole it seems most reasonable to suppose that he first dictated the who. claImed to have had It from Jabir b. 'Abdu!lah via al-I;Iasan, is merely
tradition which Yunus heard in Kufa, notorious for its attachment to the . a mzdrash composed to explain Sura 5. 14 where it is said that God kept
Alid party, and that he afterwards dropped it and substituted the second the hands of Muhammad's enemies from doing him violence. The story
version which Salama heard in Ray some years later before he went on to of the throne of God shaking when the doors of heaven were opened to
Baghdad. T. with his usual thoroughness reported both traditions. The re.c~~ve Sa'd shows how these stories grew in the te!ling. Mu'adh b.
only alternative is to suppose that the reference to the conquests is an Rlfa a al-Zuraqi reported on the authority of 'anyone you like among my
interpolation. clan' that when Sa'd died Gabriel visited the prophet and asked him who it
There is a subtle difference between these two variants which ought not was t~at had ~aused such c?mmoti?n in heaven, whereupon Muhammad,
to be overlooked. At first sight it would seem to be a mere detail that in the knowing that It must be Sa d, hurrIed off at once to find that he had died.
first tradition'Afif wished that he had been the third to pray the Muslim However, more was said on the subject: 'Abdu!lah b. Abu Bakr from
prayer. Now there were already three-Muhammad, Khadija, and Ali. In 'Amra d. 'Abdu'I-Ral;1man reported that 'A'isha met Sa'd's cousin outside
the second tradition he wished that he had been the fourth. If this latter M~cca and asked him why he did not show more grief for one whose
is the original form of the tradition it means simply that he wished that he arr~val had shaken the very throne of God. An anonymous informant
had been the first man outside the prophet's family circle to accept Islam. claImed to hav~ heard from al-H~an al-B~ri that the pallbearers found
But the first tradition means more than this: by eliminating, as it were, the corpse of thIS fat, heavy man unexpectedly light, and the prophet told
Muhammad himself from the trio it means that Ali was the second human them t/I.at ~h~re were other unseen bearers taking the weight with them;
being and the first male to accept Islam and to stand with Khadija at the and agam It IS rep~ated th~t the throne shook. Suhayli has a fairly long
head of all Muslims in the order of priority. This has always been the passage on the tradItIon whIch goes to show that serious minded men did
claims of the Shi'a and to this day the priority of Ali in this respect is not like this story at all. So~e scholars tried to whittle away the meaning
hotly disputed.' by suggesting that the shakmg of the throne was a metaphor for the joy
I p. 190.
2 T. devotes a long section to the traditional claims of Ali, Abu Bakr, and Zayd b. ; v.i. 2 Sura 17. 95 'Am I anything but a human messenger' and cf. 29. 49.
I;liritha, IIS9"""68. Cf. I.H. IS9. pp. 25. 8 , 6?~, 698. ]. Horovitz, Der Islam, v. 1914. pp. 41-53, has collected and dis-
cussed theu ongin and antecedents in the hagiology of the East.
xxiv The Life of Muhammad Introduction xxv
in heaven at Sa'd's arrival; others claimed that the angelic bearers of the The Poetry
throne were meant. But Suhayli will have none of this. The throne is a Doubts and misgivings about the authenticity of the poems in the Sira
created object and so it can move. Therefore none has the right to depart are expressed so often by 1.H. that no reference to them need be given
from the plain meaning of the words. Moreover, the tradition is authentic here. Nevertheless, one should be on one's guard against the tendency to
while traditions like that of ai-Barra' to the effect that it was Sad's bed condemn all the poetry out of hand. What 1.H. says about the poetry of
that shook are rightly ignored by the learned. He goes on to point out that those who took part in the battle of Badr, whether or not it includes the
al-Bukhari accepted the tradition not only on the authority of Jabir but verses of Hassan b. Thabit, namely 'These verses (of Abu Usama) are the
also on the report of a number of other companions of the prophet-a most authentic of those (attributed to) the men of Badr' (p. 534), casts
further indication of the snowball growth of the legend. S. finds it most grave doubt on the authenticity of a large section of the poetry of the
surprising that Malik rejected the hadith and he adds naively from the Sira. Nevertheless 1.1. is not to be blamed for the inclusion of much that
point of view of later generations that Malik would not have it mentioned is undoubtedly spurious without a thorough investigation which has not
despite the soundness of its transmission and the multitude of narrators, yet been undertaken. The poems he cites on pp. 284 and 728 he got from
and he adds that it may be that Malik did not regard the tradition as sound! 'Asim b. Qatada, while those on pp. 590, 789, and 793 come from 'Abdullah
The passage is instructive in that it shows how far 1.1. could go in the b. Abu Bakr.' We know, too, that Musa b. 'Uqba cited verses.'
face of one of the most learned of his contemporaries in Medina. Posterity An early critic of poetry, al-JumaJ:>P (d. 23')' though perhaps rather
has sided with 1.1. on this matter, but Malik clearly had many on his side one-sided and ill balanced in his judgement on 1.1., makes some observa-
at the time, men who would not take at its face value a story which they tions which cannot fail to carry conviction. He says: 'Muhammad b.
could not reject out of hand, as he did, with the weight of contemporary IsJ:>aq was one of those who did harm to poetry and corrupted it and passed
opinion behind it. on all sorts of rubbish. He was one of those learned in the biography of the
Another feature that stands out clearly from time to time is the insertion prophet and people quoted poems on his authority. He used to excuse
of popular stories on the Goldilocks model. For the sake of the reader himself by saying that he knew nothing about poetry and that he merely
I have rendered these storie$ in accord with modern usage, as the repetition passed on what was communicated to him. But that was no excuse, for he
of the same words and the same answer again and again is intolerable -to wrote down in the Sira poems ascribed to men who had never uttered a
the modern adult. Such stories are the stock-in-trade of the Arabian line of verse and of women too. He ,even went to the length of including
q~f and the storyteller all the world over and invariably lead up to the poems of 'Ad and Thamud! Could he not have asked himself who had
climax which it is the speaker's intention to withhold until he has his handed on these verses for thousands of years when God said: "He
audience on tiptoe. A good example of such stories is the nar~ative of destroyed the first 'Ad and Thamud and left none remaining'" while of
Muhammad's arrival in Medina and the invitation of one clan after another, 'Ad he said "Can you see anything remaining of them I'" and "Only God
always declined with the same words.' knows 'Ad and 'l'hamud and those who came after them."'6 Some of these
After giving due weight to the pressure of hagiology on the writer and his poems are quoted by T. 7
leaning towards the Shi'a one must, I think, affirm that the life of Muham- 1. al-Nadim' goes farther by suggesting that 1.1. was party to the fraud:
mad is recorded with honesty and truthfulness and, too, an impartiality the verses were composed for him, and when he was asked to include them
which is rare in such writings. Who can read the story of al-Zabir,2 who in his book he did so and brought himself into ill repute with the rhapso-
was given his life, family, and belongings but did not want to live when the dists. Occasionally 1.1. says who the authority for the poetry was.'
best men of his people had been slain, without admitting that here we have Obviously at this date critIcism of the poetry of the Sira can be based
a true account of what actually happened 1 Similarly who but an impartial only on historical and perhaps in a lesser degree on literary and stylistic
historian would have included verses in which the noble generous character grounds. Some of the poetry dealing with raids and skirmishes, tribal
of the Jews of the Hijaz was lauded and lamented? The scepticism of boasting, and elegies seems to come from contemporary sources, and no
earlier writers seems to me excessive and unjustified. We have only to reasonabie person would deny that poetic contests between Meccan and
compare later Lives of Muhammad to see the difference between the Medinan poets really took place: everything we know of ancient Arab
historical and the ideal Muhammad.'
1 Also pp. 950-1. Cf. the corresponding passages in T. 1732, 173S.
a Cf. I.S. iii. 241.
I 335 f. :& p. 691. . , Tahaqat aI-Shz/ara', ed. J. Hell, Leiden, 1916, p. 4
3 N61deke, Islam, v, 1914, has drawn attention to many incidents lind characteristiCS of .. S6ra 53. 51. ! Sura 69. 8. 6 Sura 14 9.
the Sira which could not have been invented and which show intimate knowledge of the '1 Horovitz, op. cit., cites i. 236, 237, 241, 242.
facts. AI~Fihrilt, Cairo, '136. <;I p. 108.
xxvi The Life of Muhammad Introduction xxvii

society would require us to look for such effusions. As Horovitz pointed Since these words were written two theses have been written in the
out, in pre-Islamic poetry these poetical contests are frequent, and it University of London: the first by Dr. M. A. 'Azzam deals with the style,
might be added that in early Hebrew history verses are frequently inserted language, and authenticity of the poetry contained in the Sira; the second
in the narratives and often put into the mouths of the heroes of the hour. by Dr. W. 'Arafat with the Diwan ofI:Iassan b. Thabit. A brief summary of
Thus, apart from those poems which undoubtedly were called forth by the their findings will not be out of place here.
events they commemorated, poetry was an integral part of a racial conven- Between the period covered by the Sira and the editing of the book
tion which no writer of history could afford to ignore. Probably if all the itself loom the two tragedies of Karbala', when al-Husayn and his followers
poetry which 1.1. included in the Sira had reached that standard of excel- were slain in 61, and the sack of Medina in A.H. 63 when some ten thousand
lence which his readers were accustomed to expect, none of these charges of the An~ar including no less than eighty of the prophet's companions
wC'uld have been levelled against him. But when he included verses which are said to have been put to death. Much of the poetry of the Sira was
were palpably banal, and were at the same time untrue to circumstance, meant to be read against the background of those tragedies. Its aim is to
uninspired and trivial, as many undoubtedly are, the developed aesthetic set forth the claims of the An~ar to prominence in Islam not only as men
sense of the Arabs which is most delicate where poetry is concerned rejected who supported the prophet when the Quraysh opposed him, but as men
what he wrote. As ar-Juma!,>! said, he brought poetry itself into disrepute descended from kings. The prophet was the grandson of 'Abdu'l-Mu;-
by the balderdash he admitted into his otherwise excellent work. And it did talib, who was the son of Hashim and a woman of the B. aI-Najjar, and so
not improve matters that much that was good was mingled with more that of Yaman! stock. 'Your mother was of the pure stock of Khuza'a.... To
was bad. It is more than likely that 1.1. himself was conscious that all was the heroes of Saba' her line goes back', says the poet in his elegy on 'Abdu'l-
not well with this poetry, for the general practice of writers is to put the MUt\alib.'
verse into the narrative at the crucial moment (as I.I. at ~imes does), Apart from their great service to the prophet in giving him a home when
whereas after the prose account of Badr and U!,>ud he lumps together a Quraysh cast him out, the An~ar long before had been partners with
whole collection of verse by various 'poets'. It is as though he were Quraysh, for was it not Riza!,>, the half-brother of Qu~ayy, who came to the
silently saying 'This is what has been handed on to me. I know nothing aid of the ancestors of Quraysh from the Yaman? Had it not been for the
about poetry and you must make your own anthology,'l Even so, whatever An~ar there would have been no Islam: had it not been for their ancestors,
his shortcomings were, it is only fair to bear in mind that I.H. often inserts the poet implies, Quraysh would not have been established in Mecca.
a note to the effect that the text before him contains lines or words which On p. 18 there is thinly disguised An~ar!-Shi'a propaganda: 'The one
have not 1.1.'s authority. you killed was the best of us. The one who lived is lord over us and all of
The subject is one that calls for detailed and careful literary criticism. you are lords' would be recognized by many as a reference to the killing of
The history ofthe cliches, similes, and metaphors needs investigation by a a1-Hu~ayn and the 'lords' would be the Umayyads. The account of the
scholar thorougnly grounded in the poetry of the pre-Islamic and Umay- Tubba's march against Mecca and his great respect for its sanctity stands
yad eras. Until this preliminary work has been successfully accomplished in clear contrast with the treatment it received from the Umayyads when
it would be premature to pass judgement on the poetry of the Sira as a al-I:Iajjaj bombarded it.
whole. Ancient poetry has suffered greatly at the hands of forgers, wealth, when even kinsmen refuse their help; the man who entertains when the camels'
plagiarists, and philologists, and the diwans of later poets have not escaped udders are dry; the cauldron full of the hump and fat of the camel; those who devote the
the dishonest rawi. I:Iassan b. Thabit, the prophet's own poet, has many game of maysir to hospitality, distributing the charge among themselves as the arrows dic
tate; the milk of war; ws'r a milch camel; war drawing blood like buckets from a weU; a
poems to his name which he would be astounded to hear, and there are morning draught of the same; the sword blade polished by the srmourer; journeys in noon-
comparatively few poets of whom it could be said that the diwans bearing day heat when even the locust rests; the horse that can outrun the wild ass; the flash of the
Bun on the helmets of the warriors; the chain armour shining like a rippling pool. However
their names contained nothing for which they were not responsible.' interesting this comparison might prove to be, the presence of these cliches and themes in
other poets makes if hazardous to assert that 'Amr had a predominating influence. More.
I And this was precisely his attitude if al-JumaJ::ri is to be believed. over, what w,eseek is .. pseudo-poet of Umayyad times; and here a hint thrown out by a
2 I should hardly care to go so far as to assert that the fifth-century poet tAmr b. Qami"a former colleague, Dr. Abdullah al.Tayyib, to the effect that the poetry of the Sira and that
has exercised a direct influence on the poetry of the Sira; but the fact remains that there is inWaq'at ~iffin is very similar, if fo1l9wed up would probably lead to some interesting dis-
a great similarity. It is inevitable that the themes of Arab verse should recur constantly.
coveries. LH.'s notes would be found interesting in this conne.rion. On p. 790 he points
Beduin life varied little from generation to generation. Their horizon was bounded by out that the words 'We have fought you about its interpretation as we fought you about its
deserts, and consequently camels and horses, war and its weapons, hospitality and tribal divine origin' were spoken by "Arnmir b. Yisir in reference to another battle '[~iffin] and
pride were constantly mentioned in song. To trace these themes back to their first singers could not have been uttered by "Abdullah b. Rawi\l:la at the conquest of Mecca, because the
would hi! a task that would leave little leisure for more profitable studies; but nevertheless Meccans, being pagans, did not believe in the Quran, 80 that there was no question of a
it is worth noting tha t the following themes recur in 'Amr and the Sira: the generous man
who slaughters camels for the hungry guest in winter when fsmine deprives even the rich of
rival interpretation. I p. 113.
xxviii The Life of Muhammad Introduction xxix

After a careful study of the language and style of this verse Dr. 'Azzam 2. After the attack on B. a1-Mu~laliq a quarrel arose between the
comes to the conclusion that comparatively little of it dates from the time Meccans and Medinans about the use of a well. 'Abdullah b. Vbayy
of the prophet. said: 'They rival our numbers kiithara;' he called them jaliibib and
Dr. tArafat comes to much the same conclusion with regard to the threatened that when they got back to Medina the stronger a'azz
verse attributed to Bassan. A few of the outstanding arguments will be would drive out the weaker. The words italicized are the very words
given here. He finds that the eulogy on the An~ar (p. 893) which is attri- used by Bassan in this poem. From this it is clear that Bassan is
buted to Ka'b b. Zuhayr is in the same rhyme and metre as the poem of expressing not only his own opinion about the Muslims but that of
al-Akhlal' which was written at the instigation of Yazid. There we find 'Abdullah b. Vbayy and his party.
the words I Baseness is uncler the turbans of the Ansar'. A careful com- 3. It was during this journey that the scandal about 'A'isha arose.
parison of the relevant passages in the two poems sho~s that the one in the 4. $afwan struck l;Iassan with his sword. According to the introduction
Sira is the answer to the one in the Aghiini. to the poem in the Diwiin Safwan attacked Hassan because he had
Abdullah b. Abu Bakr is reported to have said: 'The An~ar were accused him of spending th~ night with 'A'i;ha. But in the Aghiini
respected and feared until the battle of Barra; afterwards people were $afwan wounded Bassan at the instigation of the prophet because
emboldened to attack them and they occupied a lowly place.' It is in these his house was the centre of disaffection against the Muslims. The
circumstances, not those of the prophet's companions daily increasing in other explanation of the attack on Bassan is added in al-Aghiilli as an
power and prestige, that we must look for the background of 'You will find afterthought. However, there is no reason why both versions should
that none ill uses or abuses us but a base fellow who has gone astray' (p. 626). not be correct. Bassan's most dangerous offence was his complaint
On p. 47+ a poem which LH. attributes to Bassan's son, 'Abdu'I-Ra\>- against the Muslim intruders; but when he slandered <A'isha he
man, obviously dates from a later generation: 'My people are those who provided the prophet with an admirable reason for punishing him
sheltered the prophet and believed in him when the people of the land were severely for an offence which would not engage the sympathies of the
unbelievers except for choice souls who were forerunners of righteous men An~aris. Whether loyal or disaffected, they could hardly support
and who were helpers with the helpers.' What can this mean but that some- their comrade in such a matter.
one is speaking of the past services of his people to the prophet? Further,
it is strange language to impute to Bassan. It was he who called the new- With the further ramifications of the story we are not concerned'
comers vagrants jalabib and regarded them as an unmitigated nuisance. sufficient has been said to show that the poem so far as verse 5 is genuin~
He did not house any of the muhajirin, nor was he a 'brother' to one of and is directed solely against the Muslim refugees whose presence had
them. A still clearer reference to a former generation is to be found on become a nuisance to Bassan. In this poem he says nothing at all about
p. 927 (again LH. attributed it to Abdu'l-Ra\>man) which says: 'Those $afwan. The last three lines have doubtless been added to whitewash
people were the prophet's helpers and they are my people; to them I come Bassan. As poetry they will not bear comparison with the genuine verses
when I relate my descent. l and T. was thoroughly justified in discarding them.
Dr. fArafat notes that in the Sira there are seventy-eight poems attri- Another specimen of the spurious poetry fathered on Bassan is to be..
buted to Bassan; the authenticity of fifteen of them is questioned or denied found on p. 936 which belongs to a later generation. Here it is not the
outright. The text of the poem on p. 738 in its rival forms illustrates the prophet who is praised but his 'house': 'How noble are the people (qaum)
way in which verses attributed to J:Iassan were interpolated and additional whose party (shi'a) is the prophet! ... They are the best of all living
verses fabricated. Here T. gives only the first five verses; the Diwan creatures.' When we remember the resentment with which the Ansar in
interpolates two verses after the first line and adds two at the end. On general and Bassan in particular felt when they got no share in the booty
the other hand, the last three verses in the Sira are not to be found in of J:lunayn, the line 'Take from them what comes when they are angry and
either of the other authorities. In the Agluini' the poem is still longer and set not your hearts on what they withhold' is singularly inept.
according to the riwiiya of Mu~'ab but without al-Zuhri's authority. The Another point which militates against the authenticity of poems attri-
facts which emerge from a study of the circumstances which surround this buted to J:Iassan is the prominence which is often given to the Aus. It
poem are: cannot be supposed that a Khazrajite would ignore the achievements of his
own tribe or put them in the second place as on p. 455 when we remember
1. Bassan resented the growing numbers and influence of the Muslim
that the hostility between the two tribes persisted long after Islam was
refugees.
established. A plain example of a later Anl?ari's work is given on-po 7II,
I Agh. xiii. 148, xiv. 122.
% Cairo, 1931, iv. 159. Cf. 157, where the shorter version of T. is given. where the poem begins: '0 my people is there any defence against fate and
xxx The Life of Muhammad Introduction xxxi
can the good old days return?' an impossible attitude for a Muslim to take his reasons. At first I was tempted to think that a great deal of the original
during the prophet's lifetime. had been lost-and it may well be that it has been lost-for it is clear that
Again, when J:lassan is reported to have said 'The best of the believers the scurrilous attacks on the prophet which I.H. mentions in his Introduc-
have followed one another to death' (p. 799), it is sufficient to remember tion are not to be found anywhere. But on the whole I think it is likely
that practically all the prophet's principal companions survived Ul,>ud. that we have the greater part of what L1. wrote. Doubtless more was said
But when this careless forger wrote all the best Muslims had long been for Ali and against 'Abbas, but it is unlikely that such material would add
dead. However, we have not got to his main point which is to glorify the much to our knowledge of the history of the period. Possibly to us the
house of Hashim: 'They are God's near ones. He sent down His wisdom mo~t interesting excisions would be paragraphs containing information
upon them and among them is the purified bringer of the book.' Here the whIch L1. gathered from Jews and Christians; but in all probability the
Alids are the 'friends' or 'saints' of God and Muhammad is little more than Mabda' contained most of such passages. Still, it is unlikely that those
a member of their family. Divine wisdom is given to them. passages which have been allowed to remain would have excited the
These two studies lay bare the wretched language in which many of annoyance that some of his early critics express on this score. Ibnu'l-
these poems are written and incidentally bring out the difficulties which a Kalbi's K. al-A~niim gives a warning against exaggerated hopes. Yaqut
translator has to cope with when the rules of Arabic syntax and the mor- ~ad m~de COpiOll.S extracts from it in his Geographical Dictionary, so
phology of the language are treated with scant respect. In fine it may be mterestmg and so Important for our knowledge of the old Arabian heathen-
said that their well-documented conclusions made it abundantly clear ism that the great Noldeke expressed the hope that he would live to see the
that the judgement of the ancient critics-particularly al-Jumal,>I-is justi- text of the lost original discovered. He did; but a collatioll of the original
fied up to the hilt.' work WIth the excerpts made by Yaqut shows that practically everything
of value had been used and nothing of real significance was to be learned
The partial restoration of the lost original from the discovery of the mother text. However, in a text of the nature of
the Sira it is just possible that a twist may be given to the narrative by an
Once the original text of LL existed in at least fifteen riwayas:' editor such as 1.H.
I. IbrahIm b. Sad, IIo-84- Medina The writers from whom some of the original can be recovered are:
2. Ziyad b. 'Abdullah al-Bakka'I, d. 183 KUfa
I. Muhammad b. 'Umar a1-WaqidI, d. 20 7
3. 'Abdullah b. Idrls al-AudI, "5-92 "
4-. Yunusb. Bukayr, d. '99 " 2. Abu'l-WalId Muhammad b. Abdullah al-AzraqI from his grand-
father (d. c. 220)
5. 'Abda b. Sulayman, d. 187/8 "
3 Muhammad b. Sa'd, d. 230
6. 'Abdullah b. Numayr, "5-99 "
7. Yal;1ya b. SaId al-UmawI, "4--94- Baghdad 4 Abu 'Abdullah Muhammad b. Muslim b. Qutayba, d. 270 or z7 6
8. Jarlr b. !::Iazim, 85-170 Baera 5 Al,>mad b. Yal,>ya al-BaladhurI, d. 279
9. Harun b. Abu'Isa Baera? 6. Abu Jafar Muhammad b. Jarlr aI-TabarI, d. 3 10
10. Salama b. al-Fa9l al-Abrash, d. '9' Ray 7 Abu SaId al-!::Iasan b. 'Abdullah al-SlrafI, d. 368 .
II. Ali b. Mujahid, d. c. 180 8. Abu'I-!:lasan 'AlI b. Muhammad b. !:Iablb al-MawardI, d. 45 0
12. IbrahIm b. al-Mukhtar 9 Abu'l-!::Iasan 'AlI b. al-Athlr, d. 630
'3. SaId b. BazI' " 10. Yusuf b. Yal,>ya ai-TadalI known as 1. al-Zayyat, d. 62 7
1 I. Isma'Il b. 'Umar b. Kathlr, d. 774-
'4-. 'Uthman b. Saj
'5. Muhammad b. Salama al-HarranI, d. '9' 12. Abu'I-Fa91 Al,>mad b. 'AlI ... b.!::Iajar al-'AsqalanI, d. 85 2/ 1 4-4-9.

It has been my aim to restore so far as is now possible the text of LL For our purpose none of these has the importance of T. whose text
as it left his pen or as he dictated it to his hearers, from excerpts in later rests on the riwaya of Salama and Yunus b. Bukayr. Besides 'the important
texts, disregarding the Mabda' section as LH. did and for at least one of textual variants which will be found in the translation from time to time
he ~t is who reports from LL the prophet's temporary concession to poly~
1 See further A. Guillaume, 'The Biography of the Prophet in Recent Research', Islamic theIsm at ~~c~:a (II90 f.) and the capture of 'Abbas at Badr ('4-4- )'
Quarterly Review, 1954. I. al-Waql.dl. ??ly the M.aghazi has survived from the very large
'
20 I have adopted the list given by Fiick in his admirable monograph, p. 44, where full
biographical details are to be found. The towns are those at which the individuals named number of hIS wntmgs. A thIrd of It was published by von Kremer in
heard 1.1.'8 lectures. 1856 from a poor manuscript, and until the work has been edited its value
xxxii The Life of Muhammad Introduction xxxiii
cannot be accurately assessed.' The abridged translation byWellhausen' have found a place there as they obviously belong to 1.I:s lost book on
gives the reader all the salient facts, but his method of epltomlzmg en~ble~ jiqh. They deal with the question of how much water a man may retain
him to avoid difficulties in the text whIch call for explanatlOn. Waqldl on his land before he lets it flow down to his neighbour's ground. The
makes no mention of I.I. among his authorities. The reason for this last five citations belong to the age of the caliphs and need not concern us.
doubtless is that he did not want to refer to a man who already enjoyed a The remainder have a slight value for textual criticism. Sometimes they
great reputation as an authority on maghiizi and so let it se~m that his own lend support to T.'s version, and once at least a citation proves that the
book was a mere amplification of his predecessor's. It IS by no means tradition was not preserved orany because the variant readings could only
certain that he made use of I.I.'s book, or traditional lore, for he quoted have come about through a transfer of a dot from the first to the second
his authorities, e.g. al-Zuhri, Mamar, and others, directly. On the other letter with the consequent misreading of the third. The citations are brief
hand he did not belittle 1.1. of whom he spoke warmly as a chromcler, and concise: they tell all the truth that the writer needed for his purpose
gene~ogist, and traditionist, who transmitted poetry and was an indefati- but not the whole truth, which would have been irrelevant.
gable searcher of tradition, a man to be trusted.
3
. 6. Tabari. A list of the additions to 1.H.'s recension has been given by
It follows that strictly Waqidi is not a writer from whom m tbe present Noldeke' and enough has been said about his value as a witness to the
state of our knowledge we can reconstruct the original of the Sira;, bU,t as original text of the Sira. No attempt has been made to recover the lost
his narrative often runs parallel with LI.'s work, sometimes abndgmg, part of the Mabda' from his Talnr. Where his variants are merely stylistic
sometimes expanding, his stories it is a valuable i~ uncontrolled s~pport~r and do not affect the sense of the passage I have ignored them. Practically
thereof. Not until his Maghiizi has been pubhshed and studIed as It an of them will be found in the footnotes to the Leyden edition. He was
deserves to be can a satisfactory comparison of the two books be ma~e. familiar with four of the recensions, numbers 4, 7, 9, and 10 on the list
One thing is abundantly clear, namely that Waqidi often includes sw,nes given above, much the most frequently cited being Ytinus b. Bukayr. On
which obviously come from eyewitnesses and often throw valuable hght one occasion (1074, 12) he remarks that I.I.'s account is 'more satisfactory
on events which are obscure in 1.1. Indeed it ought to be said that the ~han that ?f Hisham b. Muhammad' [al-Kalbi d. 204 or 206]. 1.H. he
Sfra is incomplete without Waqidi. 4 .
Ignores altogether and he omits a good deal of the poetry now in the Sira.
2. AI-Azraq'i's Akhbiir Makka is of great value in matters archaeologIcal. Whether his selection was governed by taste, whether he thought some of it
His authority is 'Uthman b. Saj. . . irrelevant, or whether he regarded it as spurious I can find no indication.
3. I. S.a<d's Akhbiiru'l-Nabt is more ?r less. as h~ commu~I~ated It to He often gives the isniid which is lacking in 1.1. (cf. 1794. 12). On one
his pupils. This was afterwards combmed wlth hIS Tabaqat m 300 by occasion at least (cf. W. 4Z2 with 1'- 1271) it looks as if the narrative has
1. Martif. Volumes la, band IIa, b in the Berlin edition deal WIth the been deliberately recast. 1'- frequently omits the taf/iya and tartJiya as
former prophets, Muhammad's childhood, his mission, the hijra, and hIS ancient writers did.' I.H. omits Ka'b's poem and the mention of its pro-
campaigns, ending with his death, burial, and elegies thereon. ~.S. has voking a killing, cf. 651 with T. r445.
much more to say on some matters than!.!., e.g. lett:rs and emba.sslCs, a~d 7. AI-Sirari contributes an interesting addition to W. 882.
the prophet's last illness, while he shows no interest lU pre-IslamIC ~rabla. 8. Al-Mawardi has nothing of importance to add.
For the MaghaziWaqidi is his main authority. The Tabaqat deals wIth the 9. r.al-Athir in his Kiimil is prone to throw his authorities together
prophet's companions and the transmittors of tradItIOn, lUcludlUg the and produce a smooth running account from the sum of what they all
ttibi'un: 5 . .'
said, dropping all subordinate details. However, he quotes 1.1. ten times.'
4. 1. Qutayba's K. al-Ma'arif contain a few sh0.rt and mexact CItatwns. 10. I. al-Zayyat, see on p. 640 (W.).
5. AI-Baladhuri's Futubu'l-Buldan adds very httle to our knowledge. II. 1. Kathir sometimes agrees with 1.H. verbatim. Sometimes he
6
De Goeje's index gives twelve references. The first two which De quotes Ibn Bukayr where he offers. what is in effect the same stories in
Goeje, followed by Noldeke,7 notes as not being in the Sira would never different words. I propose to devote a special study to this riwaya.
1 An edition from two MSS. in the B.M. is being prepared by my colleague Mr. J. M. B. 12. Ibn I:Iajar. Again little of importance"
Jones. 3 ...
Z Muhammad in Medina, Berlin, 1882. T 111. 25 12 . . 1 G.Q. ii. 139 f.
4 Reluctantly in these difficult days I have given up my original ~nte':tion to pl;lbhsh a 2 .Cf. the aut?graph MS. of al-Shiifi<i's secretary. The occurrence of the tasliya written
translation of the two works side by side. I have every hope that It will be carried to a out In full ten times or more on a single page of a modern edition smacks of servility-rather
successful conclusion by the scholar mentioned above. .. than reverence, and is an innovation; a useful criterion for dating a MS., but a sore trial to
5 See further Horovitz, op. cit., and Otto Loth, Das Classenbuch des Ibn Sa d, LeipZig, the reader of a modem printed text. ] G.Q. ii. 143.
1869. For.a list of quotations from I.I. see Noldeke, G.Q. ii. 135 .4 Professor Krenkow s~id in a letter that the Mustadrak of al-I:Iakim al-Naysaburi con-
6 p. 10. 7 G.Q. ii. 139 tams extracts from I.I. Via Y(mus b. Bukayr, but as this enonnow work is not indexed I
B~M C
xxxiv The Life of Muhammad
Introduction
Ibn Is~aq's reputation. b XXXv
et:v een the Opposing ranks, but the inestimable servic .
Unfortunately for our purpose which is to record the opinion of our semor contemporaries are never thrust into the ba k des of hIs two
author's co-religionists on his trustworthiness as a historian, their judge~ In the histo 0 f d" . c groun .
ment is affected by his other writings, one of which called Sunan is men- corpus of had~h v:~:r~~~o; ~ny tshe te:hnical sense, that is to say'in the
tioned by !:Iajji Khalifa.' This was freely quoted by Abu Yusuf (d. 182),' .. . unms everywhere I I tak .
posItIOn m spite of his great and b' .,.. es a mmOr
but failed to hold its own and went out of circulation wmparatively early. r d I 0 VIOUS ments as an honest t 'h
IOrwar co lector of all the information that kn b ' snug t-
If we knew more about the contents of this book, which by reason of its Th ere are severaI reasons for this' th was Own a out Muhammad
" al' .
early date presumably would have had a considerable influence on the information to give on all th . de pnncIp reason IS that he had no
daily life of Muslims had it been allowed to continue to challenge other books oftradition, or when he ~a~v~;p~it;;attersh~~ch fill the canonical
reporters of the apostle's deeds and words, we should be the better able to Muhammad's words it Was in reference to :mm.
IS unan. I~ he reported
assess the value and relevance of early Muslim criticism on 1.1. when it tive he recorded; they Were evoked naturall/::;~ula: event m the narra-
was most definitely hostile. It is not always his book the Sira which is
attacked but the man himself, and if his sunna work ran counter to the ~~r~:~:~~:;~~~~~i:,o~~:nt~;::~~;:r~:-ain th~ he:~;:~~:;t~sc~~a~:~~
schools of law that were in process of development the author could not is supported by another imad. Mu r h t~adItlOn, unl~~s that tradition
hope to escape strong condemnation. It is most important that this fact good and weak t I I ' h s 1m, W 0 c assdles tradItwns as genuine
should not be overlooked. In the passage Wustenfeld quoted' from . ' , pu s " m t e second category To 'h '
hIstorical sense this Was a rnonstro " . .. anyone WIt an
Abu'I-Fatl,J. M. b. M, b. Sayyidu'l-Nas al-Yamari al-Andalusi (d. 734/ that by the middle of the third cen~: Il1J~st~ce, but It must be remembered
1334) the distinction between traditions of a general nature and traditions than its substance, and provided t;;;:tt t~e or;; of a ;adIth mattered more
about the prophet's sunna is clear and unmistakable. Al;mad b. I:Ianbal's exceptionable anything could be in~luded. c am 0 guarantors was un-
son stated that his father included LL's hadith in his Musnad, but refused The best and most comp h .
to regard him as an authority on sunan. 'WThile it is true that there are a that of I. Sayyidu'l-Niis i:ehi:n~~e~umlmlloffMusIi~.opinion of 1.1. is
few stories in the Sira which report the prophet's practice in certain shama'il wa'l s yun a - t r t funum' l-maghiizi wa'[-
matters ana so provide an authoritative guide for the future behaviour of could find b J',a~ He c~:lected all the references to Our author that he
v
the faithful in similar circumstances, and while it is also true that in one or attacks tha; ha~ bee: : : :e ~n ~~~ u~~vou~able, and then ,answered the
two instances the principle underlying these actions is in conflict with the W.' with a translation in German' Th: ;el~vant p~sagehwIIl be found in
findings of later lawyers, they form an insignificant part of the Sira, and it this account: . 0 owmg IS a s ort summary of

may safely be concluded that L !:Ianba!'s objection to LL's authority


applies almost exclusively to his lost work, the Sunan. (a) Those favourable to 1.1. were: 'The best info d
Apostolic tradition in Islam, as Goldziher showed long ago, is the mIaghIiazi:s 1.1. al-Zuhri: Knowledge will remain inr~:di:anasa~o':gthe
I .. ves. as
battlefield of warring sects striving for the mastery of men's minds and the
control of their behaviour with all the weight that Muhammad's presumed
or fabricated example could bring to bear. The earlier the tradition, or
Shuf'bh~' 85-160: Truthful in tradition, the amir of traditionists because
a IS memory.
collection of traditions, the less this tendency is in evidence; hut we have Sufyiin b. 'Uyayna, 107-<)8: I sat with him some sevent ear' d
already seen that L L occasionally succumbed to the temptation to glorify
Ali at the expense of 'Abbas. This would seem to be supremely unneces- Ab~O~u~;ath~ ~~~i.naOnlsdsuspehcteld hidm or spoke disparagi~g&
,. . er sc 0 ars rew from him an d Prof '
0;hi:'
sary when one can read exactly what <Abbas's position was: at first hostile; traditionists tested him and found him truthful Wh h eS~IOnal
secondly neutral; and lastly, when the issue was no longer in doubt, a Dul,J.aym of Malik's distrust of I.L he denie . . en e remmde.d
professed Muslim. Obviously since no attempt is made to conceal or v_era~it.y as a .traditi.o~ist, but to his qadarite ~e:~s~. It referred to hIS
diminish the affectionate loyalty of Abu Bakr or the staunch championship Abu !:IalIm: HIS tradItIOns are copied down (by oth )
of 'Umar, our author was no unbalanced fanatical supporter of the claims I al M d- - A l' ers .
. - a Inl: posto IC tradition originally lay with 6 me . th '
of Ali. Ali appears as the great warrior when rival champions fought became the property of 12 of whom I I . n, en It
al-Sh-fi'- H h ' .. IS one.
have not been able to collate the passages with the text of the Sira. See also what has been 'A.' \ \; e w 0 w,,:,ts to study the maghazi deeply must consult LI
said about excerpts in Suhayli's alwRaudu'lwUnuf under I.E. rmI I" mar. b Qatada: Knowledge will remain among men as long a~
I Istanbul, 1945, ii. 1008. . . !Ves.
1 See Fiick, 18. 3 II. xviii.
2 As I.I. died in 150 this was impossible.
xxxvi The Life of Muhammad
Introduction xxxvii
Abii Mu'iiwiya: A great memory: others confided their traditions to
When Abd~lIah b. A1,lmad told his father of this he said that this was not to
his memory for safe keeping.
be ~eld agamst 1.1.; he thought that he might well have received permission
aI- Bukhiiri: AI-Zuhri used to get his knowledge of the maghiizi from I.I. to InteIVlew her, but he did not know. He added that Malik I'
'Abdullah b. Idris al-Audi: was amazed at his learning and often cited 'd h h
I " Id flS was alar.
sal t at e talked to Malik about the Maghtizf and how 1.1. had
him.
sald t~at he was their surgeon and he said, 'We drove him from Medina'
Mu~'ab: He was attacked for reasons which had nothing to do with
Makkl b. Ibrahim sai~ that he a~tended lectures of his; he used to dye hi~
tradition.
Yazid b. Harlin: Were there a supreme relator of tradition it would be 1.1.
~. When he mentIoned traditIOns about the divine attributes he left
Ali b. aI-Madini: His ahadith are sound. He had a great reputation in
~ and never went back. On another occasion he said that when he left
him he had attended twelve lectures of his in Ray.
Medina. Hisham b. (Urwa's objection to him is no argument against
AI-MufaMai b., ?hassiin said th~t he was present when Yazid b. Harlin
him. He may indeed have talked to the latter's wife when he was a
~as ~elatmg tradItIons m al-Baqi when a number of Medinans were
young man. His veracity in hadith is self-evident. I know only of
two that are rejected as unsupported' which no other writer reported.
listen~g. When h~ mentioned U. they withdrew saying: 'Don't tell us
anything that he saId. We know better than he.' Yazid went among them
aI-'Ijli: Trustworthy. but they would not listen and so he withdrew. '
Ya!).ya b. Ma'in: Firm in tradition.
.Abu Da'ud said that he heard Al,1mad b. !:Ianbal say that U. was a man
AJ.1mad b. !:Ianbal: Excellent in tradition.
With alove.oftraditIon, so that he took other men's writings and incorporated
(b) The writer then goes on to state all that has been said against I.I. ~em m his Own. Abii 'Abdullah said that he preferred I.I. to Musa b.
Omitting details of little significance we are left with the following charges Vbayda aI-Ra~adht AJ.1m~d said that he used to relate traditions as though
which 1. Sayyidu'l-Niis goes on to discuss and refute. Muhammad b. from a com~anIOn Without mtermediaries, while in Ibrahim b. Sa'd's book
'Abdullah b. Numayr said that when 1.1. reported what he had heard from w?e~ the~e IS a tradition he said'A told me' and when that was not so he
well-known persons his traditions were good and true, but he sometimes Sald A said'.
reported worthless sayings from unknown people. Yal,1ya b. al-Qa\liin Abu 'Abdullah said .that 1.1. came to Baghdad and paid no attention to
would never quote him. Al,1mad b. !:Ianbal quoted him with approval, and those ~ho related hadlth from al-Kalbi and others saying that he was no
when it was remarked how excellent the stories (qi~llf) were he smiled in auth.oflty. AI-F~lliis (d. 249) said that after being with Wahb b. Jarir
surprise. His son admitted that Al,imad incorporated many of I.I.'s readmg before him the maghiizi book which his father' had got from 1.1.
traditions in his Musnad, but he never paid heed to them. When he was w,e met Ya\>ya b. Qalliin who said that we had brought a pack of lies from
asked if his father regarded him as an authority on what a Muslim must hIm.
or must not do he replied that he did not. He himself would not accept a Al,1mad b. ,!:Ianbal said that in magluizi and such matters what 1.1. said
tradition which only 1.1. reported. He used to relate a tradition which he could be WrItten down; but in legal matters further confirmation was
gathered from a number of people without indicating who had contributed ~ec:ssary. In spit~ of the large number of traditions without a proper
its separate parts. I. al-Madini said' that at times he was 'fairly good'. lS1lad he thought hIghly of hIm as long as he said' A told us' 'B informed
AI-Maymiini reported that 1. Ma'in 156--233 said he was 'weak', but others me', and II heard:. ~.. Mai~ did not like to use him as a~ authority in
denied that he~aid so. AI-Diiri said he was trustworthy but not to be used legal matters. ,,?:bu !:Iatlm said that he was weak in tradition yet preferable
as an authority mfiqh, like Malik and others. AI-Nasa'i said that he was not to Afla!).. b. Sa Id. and ~IS tradItIOns could be written down. Sulayman
strong. AI-Daraqutni said that a tradition from 1.1. on the authority of his aI-Tayml ~alled .hlm a har and Ya\>ya al-Qallan said that he could only
father was no legal proof: it could be used only to confirm what was already ab~?on hIS hadlth t? Go~; he was a liar, When Ya\>ya asked WuliaYb b.
held to be binding. Yal,1ya b. Sa'id said that though he knew 1.1. in Kiifa Khahd what made htm thmk that 1.1. was a liar he said that Malik Swore
he abandoned him intentionally and never wrote down traditions on his that he wa,S and he gave as his reason Hisham b. 'Vrwa's oath to that effect.
authority. Abii Da'iid aI-Tayalisi (131-203) reported that !:Iammad b. Tht I~tter s reason ,,:as th,at he reported traditions from his wife Fatima.
Salima .said that unless necessity demanded it he would not hand on a Abu .B~r aI-Khatib saId that some authorities accepted his traditions
tradition from 1.1. When Malik b. Anas mentioned him he said, 'he is one as provldmg proof for legal precedent while others did not. Among the
of the antichrists'. When Hisham b. 'Vrwa was told that 1.1. reported reasOns for r~jecting his authority was that he was a Shi'i, that he was said
something from Fatima he said, 'the rascal lies ; when did he see my wife?' to hold t.he vIew that man had free will, and that his isniids were defective.
As for hIS truthfulness, it could not be denied.
I These probably belong to the Sunan.
1 See No.8.
xxxviii The Life of Muhammad Introduction x.xxix
AI-Bukhiiri quoted him as an authority and Muslim cited him often. and what they base on unknown informants is to be rejected while that
Abu'I-l;Iasan b. al-Qal\iin relegated him to the class 'good' (l;asan) because coming from known people is accepted. Sufyan b. 'Uyayna gave up Jarir
people disputed about him. As to the tradition from Falima, ~~-Khali~ aI-Ju'fi after he had heard more than a thousand traditions from him and
gave us an isniid running back through 1.1. and Fa\1ma to Asma d. Abu yet he narrated traditions on his authority. Shu'ba related many tradi;ions
Bakr: 'I heard a woman questioning the prophet and saying, "I have a from him and others who were stigmatized as 'weak'.
rival wife and I pretend to be satisfied with what my husband has nofin fact As to A~mad's complaint that he recorded composite traditions without
given me in order to anger her". He answered, "He who affects to be assigning the matter of them to the several contributors, their words
satisfied with what he has not been given is like one who dons two false agreed however many they were; and even if they did not yet the meaning
garments" .'1 Abii'l-I;Iasan said that this was the tradition from Fatima was identical. There is a tradition that Wathila b. al-Asqa' said: 'If I give
which injured I.I.'s reputation, so that her husband Hisham called him a you the mea?ing of a tra~ition (not in the precise words that were used)
liar. Malik followed him and others imitated them. However, there are that IS suffiCIent for you. Moreover, Muhammad b. Sirin said that he
other traditions on her authority. used to hear traditions from ten different people in ten different words with
One cannot but admire the way in which I. Sayyidu'I-Nas discusses the same meaning. A~".'ad'~ complaint that 1.1. took othel' men's writings
these attacks on.the credibility of our author. He goes at once to the root of and Incorporated them m hIS own account cannot be regarded as serious
the matter and shows what little substance there is in them. Though, like until it can be proved that he had no licence to repeat them. One must look
the speakers he criticizes, he tacitly assumes that early writers ought to at the method of transmission: if the words do not plainly necessitate an
have furnished their traditions with isniids which would have met the oral communication, then the accusation of tad/is I lies. But we ought not to
rigorous demands of later generations who were famili~r with a ,;hole s~a accept such a charge unless the words plainly imply that. If he expressly
of spurious traditions fathered on the prophet and h,s companIOns, hiS says that he heard people say something when in fact he did not, that is a
common sense and fairness would not let him acquiesce in the charge of downright lie and pure invention. It is quite wrong to say such a thing of
tadlis which, by omitting a link in the chain or by citing the original 1.1. unless the w?rds leave no other choice.' When A~mad's son quoted
narrator without further ado, automatically invalidated a hadith in later h,S father as saymg that 1.1. was not to be regarded as an authority in
days. Thus he said in effect that though I.I.'s traditions at times lack legal matters though he saw how tolerant he was to non-legal matters which
complete documentation there is no question of his truthfulness In t~e mak~ up the greater part of the Maghazi and the prophetic biography, he
subject-matter he reports; and as to the charge of shi'ism and. qadante applied thIS adverse judgement on sunan to other matters. Such an exten-
leanings, they are valid in another field altogether and have not~mg to do sion is excluded by his truthful reputation.
with the Sira. Again, what if Makki b. Ibrahim dId abandon h,s lectures As to Yal.>ya's saying that he was trustworthy but not authoritative in
when he heard him relate traditions about the divine attributes? Many of legal matters, it is sufficient for us that he is pronounced trustworthy.
the ancients failed to go the whole way when such problems were discussed, If only men like al-'Umari and Malik were acceptable there would be
so what he says is of little significance. precious few acceptable authorities! Yaha b. Sa'id probably blindly
Yazid's story that the Madinans would not listen to traditions on I.I.'s followed Malik because he heard from him what Hisham had said about
authority does not amount to much because he does not tell us why, and so 1.1. His refu.sal to accept him as an authority in legal matters has already
we can resort only to conjecture; and we have no right to impugn a true been dealt WIth under A~mad. Ya~ya made no distinction between them
tradition because of what we think is a defect. We have already explained an.d ~ther traditions in the way of complete acceptance or downright
why Ya~ya al-Qallan would have none of him and called him liar on the reJectIon.
authority of Wuhayb from Malik, and it is not improbable that he was the Other attacks on his reputation rest on points that are not explained and
cause of the Medinans' attitude in the foregoing account.. A~mad b. for t?e ?,ost part the agents are unfair. Even in legal matters Abu 'Is a
l;Ianbal and I. al-Madini have adequately replied to Hisham's accusation. al-T,rm,dhi and Abu I;Iatim b.l;Iibban (d. 354) accepted him as an authority.
As to Numayr's accusation that he related false hadith on the authority The refutation of his opponents would not have been undertaken were
of unknown persons, even if his trustworthiness and honesty were not a it not for the favourable verdict and praise that the learned gave him.
matter of tradition, suspicion would be divided between him and his
But for that a few of the charges would have sufficed to undermine his
informants; but as we know that he is trustworthy the charge lies against
the persons unknown, not against him. Similar attacks have been made I Th~ mea,ning of ~his technical term is clear from the Context, W.'s falsche l'>,lame11
upon Sufyan al-Thauri and others whose hadith differ greatly in this way untersch:eben IS not strIctly correct,
l Thia apin hal nothing to do with the Sira. z, The discussion of 1.l.'s dislike of al-Kalbi's traditions is unimportant and is therefore
omltted here.
xl The Life of Muham11Uld Introduction xli
stories, since but a few attacks on a man's good faith, explicit or not, are or are in themselves important. Lastly I have omitted genealogical formulae
enough to destroy the reputation of one whose former circumstances are after the first mention of the people concerned.
not known when an impartial critic has not done him justice. My predecessors in translating the Sira have made many mistakes and
In his book about trustworthy narrators Abu I:Iiitim said that the two I cannot hope to have escaped all the pitfalls. Of Weirs translation, now
men who attacked U. were Hisham and Miilik: The former denied that nearly a century old be it remembered, N6ldeke wrote': 'Die 'Obersetzung
he had heard traditions from Fiitima. But what he said does not impugn von G. Weil, Stuttgart, 1864 ist steif und unbeholfen, and auch philologisch
men's veracity in hadith, for 'followers' like a1-Aswad and 'Alqama heard nieh mehr geniigend. Die grosse Wichtigkeit des Werkes wiirde eine
'A'isha's voice without seeing her. Similarly 1.1. used to hear Fiitima neue 'Obertragung rechtfertigen'; while Wellhausen's translation of a1-
when the curtain was let down between them. As for Miilik, what he said Wiiqidi evades the difficulties of the text by silence. The poetry of the
was momentary and afterwards he did him justiee. Nobody in the Hijaz Sira, as N61deke said long ago of the poetry on Badr, 'is not easy to trans-
knew more about genealogies and wars than 1.1., and he used to say that late because of its many synonyms; the superficial commentary of Abu
Malik was a freed slave of Dhu A~bal,1 while Miilik alleged that he was a Dharr is no help at all'. 2
full member of the tribe so that there was bad feeling between them; and
when Malik compiled the Muwatta' 1.1. said, 'Bring it to me for I am its The Text
veterinary surgeon.' Hearing of this Miilik said: 'He is an antichrist; h~ I have followed the pagination of the excellent textus receptus of Wiisten-
reports traditions on the authority of the Jews.' The quarrel lasted untd feld's edition 1858--Qo; but the text I have actually used is the Cairo edition
1.1. decided to go to Iraq. Then they were reconciled and Malik gave him of '355/'937 produced in four parts by Mu~!afii al-Saqqii, Ibriihim
50 dinars and half his date crop as a p.arting gift. Miilik di~ ?ot intend t,o a1-Abyari, and 'Abdu'I-I:Iafi~ Shalabi which prints at the. bottom of the
bring him into ill favour as a trad'honlst: all that he dlshked was hiS page most of the notes from Abu Dhan< and Suhayli that W. relegated to
following the Jews who had become Muslims and learning the story of the second volume of his altogether admirable edition. For this reason it is
Khaybar and Qurana and al-Na<;lir and similar (otherwise) unattested much easier to use and its fine bold type is kind to one's eyes. When I have
happenings from their fathers. In his Magha::i 1.1. used to learn from had occasion to refer to differences between the texts they are marked C.
them but without necessarily asserting that their report was the truth. andW.
Miilik himself only relied on trustworthy truthful men.
The author ends by remarking that 1.1. was not the originator ~f the
challenge to Miilik's Arab ancestry because al-Zuhri and others had said the THE EDITOR IBN HISHAM
same thing.'
'ABou'L-MALIK B. H,SHAM was born in B~ra and died at Fus!ii! in Egypt
in 218 or 213. Krenkow, however, thinks that he must have died some years
The Translation later.' Besides editing the present work he made use of 1.I.'s learning in his
I have endeavoured to follow the text as closely as possible without K. al-Tfjiin which derives from Wahb b. Munabbih. The principles which
sacrificing English idiom. In rendering poetry I have tried to gi~e the se?se guided him in his impertinent meddling with his predecessor's work he has
without making any attempt at versifying, the only exceptIOns bemg outlined in his Introduction, and they need not be repeated here. He was
doggerel and saj'. In these cases it seemed that it was fair to reproduce a philologist of some repute, and he was able to air his knowledge in the
doggerel by doggerel and to try to put poor rhymes into rhymes that could shawiihid he produces to illustrate the meaning of unusual words. These
not be worse. Inevitably some exactness is lost, but the general sense and lines, divorced as they are from their context, form some of the most
tone are more faithfully reproduced in that way. difficult of all the difficulties of the Sira and are of course for the most part
The book is very long and I have made a few cuts where no loss can unnecessary now that the Arabs have produced lexicons of their language.
result; e.g. I.H.'s recurring formula 'This verse o.ccurs i~ an. ode of his' Occasionally he is helpful with his genealogical notes; more rarely he has
I have excluded because it is obvious that the hne, which IS generally something useful to say about the interpretation of a line in 1.I.'s work.
one of his shawiihid cannot have stood by itself. Again I have shortened Buhayli gives some traditions which 1.H. omitted or knew nothing of,
dialogues in oratio ~ecta into indirect speech in accordance with English e.g. W. 183 = Suhayli 183; W. 327 = S. ii. 2 f. He also (ii. 278 = W.
practice unless the ipsissima f)erba of the speaker seemed called for naturally, 824) draws attention to a mistake in one of 1.H.'s notes saying that the
fault is either his or al-Bakkii'i's because Yiinus has the right reading.
I For further discussion and exhaustive references to these and later writers see Flick,
I G.Q. J30. 2 Z.A. xxvii. 161. 3 II. Cult. ii. 231.
Ch.2.
xlii The Life of Muhammad Introduction xliii

Probably the fault lay with 1.H., for he was in touch with Yunus as he says the poetry of the Sira. Suhayli's words indicate that he had not himself
seen the book. Were it ever found it might well tell us what LH.'s generation
fi mil akhbarani Yunus on p. 387.
Another error of his is the statement that 1.1. said nothing about the really thought about these poems.
mission of 'Amr b. Umayya whom the prophet sent to kill Abu Sufyiin
b. Barb and how he took down the corpse of Khubayb from the cross to
which he was tied (p. 993). T records 1.1.'s version of this story which is A FRAGMENT OF THE LOST BOOK OF
far superior to the garbled version of LH., who is obviously composing a MOSA B. 'UQBA
story from more than one source, passing clumsily from the first to the
third person. According to him 'Amr threw the cross (presumably with the THIS fragment consists of twenty extracts complete with their isniids,
body on it) into a ravine. The cross (khashaba, a sturdy trunk of a tree some being the sayings of the prophet on a given occasion, others being
capable of bearing a man's body) could hardly have been moved by one stories from his life. The collector expressly asserts that the original work
man more than a few yards with guards standing by, and I.I.'s own existed in ten parts, so that the inference that the book once contained a
account is much more convincing. tArnr released the body from the tree, complete account of the Sira seems fairly safe. The last item is spurious. '
carried it some forty paces-a graphic detail-heard the guards coming There is an ijiiza reaching from Musii (r4') to the epitomizer Abu
after him, dropped the body with a thud, and made off as fast as he could. Hurayra b. Muhammad b. al-Naqqiish (782).
There is an interesting note in S. ii. 363 which shows that I.H.'s error
was perceived in early days. He adds that there is a pleasing addition to 1. 1. Shihab from Siilim b. 'Abdullah from 'Abdullah b. 'Umar: I heard
the story in the Musnad of 1. Abu Shayba to the effect that when they the apostle say, 'While I was asleep I dreamt that I was going round the
untied him from the cross the earth swallowed him up. One might well Ka'ba when 10 a man with lank hair between the two men, his head dripping
suppose that I.H.'s story lies midway between the actual facts and this with water. When I asked who it was they said 'lsii b. Maryam. Then
incredible fiction. The unfortunate man's body which 'Amr had made a I turned away when 10 a red man, heavy, with curly hair, one eyed; it
gallant but unavailing attempt to retrieve was dumped unceremoniously on seemed as though his eye was a grape swimming (in water). When I asked
the ground; the next step was to give it the semblance of burial in"a natural who it was they said The Antichrist. The man most like him is Ibn
hole in the wall of the wadi; the last step was to provide for proper burial Qaran al-Khuzii'i.'
by a miracle. I This tradition is similarly reported in Bukhiiri ii. 368. '9-369' 4. It
What remains to be explained is why 1.H. should assert that 1.1. had should be compared with 1.1. 269, also from al-Zuhri, where the prophet
said nothing about the abortive attempt to assassinate Abu Sufyiin and the is said to have seen '1sa during his mi'riij, with moles or freckles on his
equallytmsuccessful effort to recover Khubayb's body. If 1.1. said nothing face appearing like drops of water. The reference here to the' two men'
at all about either matter, how came it that 1.H. dealt with them? Since we presumably refers to the two thieves on the cross.
know that 1.1. reported what had happened from traditions that were
transmitted by fAmr's own family and that they existed in oral and written
2. Ibn Shihiib: The first to hold Friday prayers for the Muslims in
Medina before the apostle was Mu~'ab b. 'Umayr. 1. Shihiib told us
form for centuries afterwards, we cannot but suspect that I .H. has tampered
another tradition from Suriiqa contradicting this.
with the evidence. The first statement agrees with 1.S. III. i. 83. 25; the second apparently
Perhaps his greatest service is his critical observations on the authenti-
city of the poetry of the Sira, not only when he records that all, or some, with I.I. 290. 5 and 1.S. III. i. 84.
authorities reject certain poems altogether but also when he corrects LL, 3. 'Abdu'I-RaJ:.>miin b. Miilik b. Ju'shum al-Mudliji from his father
and assigns verses to their true author.' Suyuli thought highly of him. Malik from his brother Suriiqa b. Ju'shum: When the apostle went out
He reported that Abu Dharr had said that LH. produced one of the four from Mecca migrating to Medina Quraysh offered a reward of 100 camels
compendia which were better than their sources. 3 to anyone who would bring him back, &c., down to 'my alms to the apostle'.
Suhayli4 states that I.H. wrote a book explaining the difficult words in This passage is in all essential respects the same as 1.1. 33'-2, though
1 However, it is possible that the words ghayyabu'lldhu 'anhum imply, though they do not
there are many verbal differences. Obviously the version in 1.1. has been
demand, a supernatural act. touched up and Musa gives the tradition in its simplest form. Cf. Bukhiiri
2 e.g. 613, where he is right in saying that Hubayra was not the author of one verse but
Janub' d. D. d. Hudhailiten, 243. 3 al-Mu:shir, Cairo (n.d. recent), p. 87
ill. 39, 4' and Wiiqidi (Wellh. 374).
4 i. '5. He is followed by l;lajji Khalifa 1012. and 1. Khalliklin. There is nothing said in
1 See Sachau, ..,61 f.
G.A.L. about this work.
xliv The Life of Muhammad Introduction xlv
4. 1. Shihab alleged that 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr said that al-Zubayr met is one of the dearest of men to me after him; so treat him well when I am
the apostle with a caravan of Muslims who were returmng to Mecca from no more, for he is one of the best of you.'
a trading journey to Syria. They bartered some goods With the apostle Cf. Bukh. ii. 440, iii. 133, 192, and 1.H. 999. 14; 1006. 20 f.
and al-Zubayr gave him and Abu Bakr some white garments. 9. Salim b. 'Abdullah from 'Abdullah b. 'Umar: The apostle used not
So Bukh. iii. 40. Different names in 1.S. III. i. 153 19 to make an exception for Fatima.
5. Nafi' from 'Abdullah b. 'Umar: Some of the apostle's companions Sachau explains this from Bukh. ii. 441 and iii. 145 where Muhammad
said to him, fAre you speaking to dead men?' He answered, 'You cannot says that if Fatima were to steal he would cut her hand off.
hear what I say better than they.' 10. 'Abdullah b. Fa<il from Anas b. Malik: I grieved over my people
So Bukh. iii. 70. 17, 18, and cf. 1.1., pp. 453 f., where the words of who were killed in the J:>arra. Then Zayd b. Arqam (d. 68) wrote to me
'A'isha are quoted to refute the statement that the dead hear: they know when he heard of my great grief to say that he had heard the apostle say
but they do not hear. '0 God forgive the An~ar and their sons and we implore Thy grace on
their grandsons'.
6. 1. Shihab from Anas b. Malik: Some An~ar asked the apostle's Similarly 1.H. 886. 12 and Waq. (W.) 380.
penrussion to remit to their sister's son'Abbas his ransom, and he replied,
II. 'Abdullah b. al-Fa<il: Some men who were with him (Anas) asked
'No, by Allah, you shall not let him off a single farth~~~' .
So Bukh. iii. 69. I, 2 and cf. T. 1341, 1. Qut. Ma aTif, 77 Sachau m him about Zayd b. Arqam and he said, 'It is he of whom the apostle said,
finding strange the claim .to relationship between 'Abbas and the An~ar "This is he on whom Allah has bestowed much through his ear".'
seems to have forgotten that the grandmother of 'Abbas was Salma d. He had been an informer, cf. 1.H. 726. In place of aufa'ilahu lahu
'Amr al-Khazraji. Cf. Bukh. ii. 388. 18 f. for the same claim. bi-udhnihi 1.H. 727. 17 has aufa nlillahi bi-udhnihi. It seems much more
likely that the variant is due to misreading than to oral tradition. Waq.
7. 1. Shihab from 'Abdu'I-RaJ:>man b. Ka'b b. Malik al,Sulami and other (B.M. MS. 1617, f. 95a) has wafat udhnuka ... wa-,addaqa' llahu ~adithak.
traditionists: 'Amir b. Malik b. Ja'far, who was called 'the player with the
12. 1. Shihab from Said b. al-Musayyib from 'Abdullah b. Ka'h b.
spears', came to the apostle when he was a pol!theist and the apostle Malik: The apostle said that day to Bilal, 'Get up and announce that only a
explained Islam to him and he refused to accept It. He gave the apostle
believer will enter paradise, and that God will not support His religion by
a present, but he refused it saying that he would not accept a present from an evil man.' This happened when the man whom the apostle said was one
a polytheist. 'Amir said: '0 apostle, send with me those of your messengers
of the inhabitants of hell was mentioned.
you wish and I will be surety for them.' So the apostle sent a number
among whom were al-Mundhir b. 'Amr al-Saidi: of whom it wa~ said 'he 13. From Nali' b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar: After the conquest of Khaybar
hastened to his death',' as a spy among the NaJd folk. When Amlr b. the Jews asked the apostle to let them stay there on condition that they
Tufayl heard about them he tried to call out B. :Amir against them, but worked the land for half the date crop. He said: 'We will allow you to do so
they refused to obey him in violating the promise of sec.unty gl;en by on that condition so long as we wish, and they remained there thus until
'Amir b. Malik. Then he appealed to B. Sulaym and they Jomed him and 'Umar expelled them. [Here six or seven words are missing] saying 'The
killed them in Bi'r Mauna except 'Amr b. Umayya al-:Oamri whom apostle laid down three things in his last disposition, viz. that the Rahawi-
'Amir b. al-Tufayl dptured and afterwards released.. Wh~n he came to the yiin, Dariyiin, Saba'iyiin, and Ash'ariyiin should have land which pro-
apostle the latter said to him, 'Are you the sole. surv~vor? duced a hundred loads; that the mission of Usama b. Zayd should be
This is a much briefer. account than that given m 1.H. 64 8 f. Cf. T carried through; and that two different religions should not be allowed to
1443 f.; Waq. (Well) 337 f. remain in the peninsula of the Arabs.'
Practically the same words are used in 1.H. 776 except that the Saba'iyiin
8. Isma'il b. Ibrahim b. 'Uqba from Salim b. 'Abdullah from 'Abdullah are not mentioned.
b. 'Umar: Some men contested the leadership of Usama, and the apostle
rose and said: 'If you contest the leadership of Uslima you used to contest 14. Isniid as above: 'Umar used not to let Jews, Christians, and Magians
the leadership of his father before him. By Allah he was worthy to be remain more than three days in Medina to do their business, and he used
leader. He was one of the dearest of all men to me, and this man (his son) to say 'Two religions cannot subsist together' and he exiled Jews and
Christians from the peninsula of the Arabs.
I As I.I. has al-Mu'niq liyamiit I think that Sachau's Q'niq litamut, following the MS.,

must be read a'naqa liyamiit. Cf. I. a14Athir's Nihiiya (quoted by Sachau).


IS. I. Shihab from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr from Marwan b. al-Hakam and
xlvi The Life of Muhammad Introduction xlvii
aI-Miswar b. Makhrama: When the apostle gave men permission to free the al- rAwwam said: IWe were angry only because we were not admitted to the
Hawiizin captives he said, 'I do not know who has or has not given you council and we think that A.bu Bakr is the most worthy of supreme
permission, so go back until your leaders bring us a report of your affairs.' authorIty now that the apostle IS dead. He was the one with the apostle in
So the men returned and their leaders instructed them and they returned t~e ~ave and we recogmze hIS dIgmty and seniority; and the apostle put
to the apostle and told him that the men (Muhammad's companions) had hIm m charge of the prayers while he was still with us.'
treated them kindly and given them permission (to recover their captive
people). A few comments on this brief anthology will not be out of place here.
No. 12 clearly deals with the vexed question of the future state of the
For the context see 1.H. 877.
wicked Muslim, while No. 18 is a post eventum prophecy. Inevitably they
16. 1. Sh(hiib from Sa'id b. al-Musayyib and 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr: The arouse doubt in the mind of the reader.
captives of Haw3.zin whom the apostle returned were 6,000 men, women, From this selection as a whole we can see where the sympathies of the
and children. He gave some women who had fallen to some men of collector lay. Thus, al-Zubayr's generosity to Muhammad and Abu
Quraysh-among whom were 'Abdu'l-Ral)man b. 'Auf and i?afwan b. Bakr are recorded in NO.4. The claims of the Arides to special considera-
Umayya who had appropriated two women as concubines-the choice tion are brushed aside in NO.9; while No. '9 states that 'Ali explicitly
(of returning or remaining) and they elected to go back to their own people. accepted Abu Bakr as Muhammad's successor. No.6 shows that al-'Abbas
Cf. Waq. (W.) 375. ~ad to pay his ransom in full even when the An~ar pleaded for his exemp-
'7. Isma'il b. Ibrahim b. 'Uqba from his uncle Musa b. 'Uqba from I. tion. No. 10 mourns the victims of the Umayyads at aI-J:Iarra and records
Shihab: The apostle made the pilgrimage of completion in A.H. 10. He that the prophet implored God's blessing on them and their grandchildren.
showed the men the rites and addressed them in 'Arafa sitting on his camel Clearly Musa's sympathies lay with the family of al-Zubayr and the
al-Jad'a'. An~ar. They alone emerge with credit. The Alids, on the other hand,
Cf. 1.H. 968 and Waq. 430. are no better than anyone else; the Umayyads are implicitly condemned
for the slaughter at al-I:Iarra; and al-'Abbas is shown to have been a rebel
18. 1. Shihab from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr from al-Miswar b. Makhrama against the prophet who was forced to pay for his opposition to him to the
from 'Amr b. 'Auf, an ally of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy who had been at Badr uttermost farthing.
with the apostle: The apostle sent Abu'Ubayda b. al-Jarral) to bring the Musa b. 'Uqba has said pretty much the same on the subject of the
poll tax. He had made peace with the people of al-Bal)rayn and set over An~ar and al-'Abbas as 1.1. said before his editor 1.H. pruned his work,
them aI-'Ala' b. al-I:Ia<)nmi. When Abu'Ubayda came from al-Bal)rayn though he took a different view of the Alides. '
with the money the An~ar heard of his coming which coincided with the
I V.S.
apostle's morning prayer. When they saw him they stood in his way.
Seeing them he smiled and said: 'I think you have heard of the coming of
Abu 'Ubayda and that he has brought something.' When they agreed he
added: 'Rejoice and hope for what will gladden you. By Allah it is not
poverty that I fear on your account. I fear that you will become too
comfortable and will be led astray like those before you.'
, So Bukh. iii. 68. 18 f.
'9. Sad b. Ibrahim from Ibrahim b. 'Abdu'l-Ral)man b. 'Auf: 'Abdu'
I-Ral)man b. 'Auf was with 'Umar one day and he (the fonner) broke
al-Zubayr's sword. But God knows best who broke it. Then Abu Bakr
got up and addressed the people excusing himself and saying, 'Never for a
moment was I eager for authority (imara) nor did I want it or pray to
God for it secretly or publicly. But I was afraid of disorder. I take no
pleasure in authority. I have been invested with a grave matter for which
I have not the strength and can only cope with it if God gives me the
strength. I would that he who has the most strength for it were in my
place.' The emigrants accepted his excuse and Ali and al-Zubayr b.
PART I
THE GENEALOGY OF MUHAMMAD

TRADITIONS FROM THE PRE-ISLAMIC ERA

MUHAMMAD'S CHILDHOOD AND

EARLY MANHOOD

B 40S0 n
IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE COMPASSIONATE
THE MERCIFUL
PRAISE BELONGS TO GOD THE LORD OF THE 3
WORLDS AND MAY HIS BLESSING BE UPON
OUR LORD MUHAMMAD AND HIS FAMILY,
ALL OF THEM'

MUHAMMAD'S PURE DESCENT


FROM ADAM
AbU Muhammad 'Abdu'l-Malik ibn Hisham the Grammarian said:
This is the book. of the biography of the apostle of God.
Muhammad was the son of 'Abdullah, b. 'Abdu'I-Muttalib (whose name
was Shayba), b. Hashim (whose name was 'Amr), b. 'Abdu Manaf (whose
name was al-Mughira), b. Qu~ayy (whose name was Zayd), b. Kilab, b.
Murra, b. Ka'b, b. Lu'ayy, b. Ghiilib, b. Fihr, b. Malik, b. aI-NaQr, b.
Kinana, b. Khuzayma, b. Mudrika (whose name was 'Amir), b. Ilyas,
b. MUQar, b. Nizar, b. Ma'add, b. 'Adnan, b. Udd (or Udad), b. Muqaw-
wam, b. Na\!iir, b. Tayra\!, b. Ya'rub, b. Yashjub, b. Nabit, b. Isma'iI,
b. Ibrahim, the friend of the Compassionate, b. Tari\! (who is Azar),
b. Na\!iir, b. Sariigh, b. Ra'ii, b. Fiilikh, b. 'Aybar, b. Shiilikh, b. Arfakh-
shadh, b. Sam, b. Nii\!, b. Lamk, b. Mattiishalakh, b. Akhniikh, who is the
prophet Idris according to what they allege,' but God knows best (he was
the first of the sons of Adam to whom prophecy and writing with a pen were
given), b. Yard, b. Mahlil, b. Qaynan, b. Yanish, b. Shah, b. Adam (10).

THE LINE OF ISMA f IL

Isma'il b. Ibrahim begat twelve sons: Nabit the eldest, Qaydhar, Adhbul,
Mabsha, Misma\ Mashi, Dimma, Adhr, Tayma, Ya~ur, Nabish, Qayd-
huma. Their mother was Ra'la do MUQaQ b. 'Amr aI-Jurhumi (II).
Jurhum was the son of Yaqlan b. 'Aybar b. Shiilikh, and [Yaqlan was]'
Qa\1lan b. 'Aybar b. Shalikh. According to report Isma'iIlived 130 years,
I The fannula of blessinQ which follows every mention of the prophet is omitted here-
after. Capital B. stands for 'Sons of'; b. for 'son of'; d. for 'daughter of'.
;;I The phrase employed indicates that the writer doubts the statement. There is a saying

in Arabic: 'There is a euphemism for everything and the polite way of saying "It '5 a Ii.e" is
"they aUege" (za 'amu)'.
3 These words are added by C. as the context demands .
I.H.'s additions to the text are numbered 10 and onwards.
The Life of Muhammad 5
4 The Life of Muhammad
t~e only man who knows its meaning is he who knows about the vision
5 and when he died he was buried in the sacred precincts 1 of the Ka'ba WIthout my telling him.' Thereupon one of them recommended him to
beside his mother Hagar (12). send for Shlqq and Sali};!, for they knew more than others and would be II
Muhanunad b. Muslim b. 'Ubaydullah b. Shihab al-Zuhri told me ab~e ~o answer.?is questions. Satil)'s name was Rabi' b. Rabi(a b. Mas'iid b.
that 'Abdu'I-Ra};!man b. 'Abdullah b. Ka'b b. Malik al-An~ari, also called Mazm, b. Dhl b b. 'Adiy b. Mazin Ghassan. Shiqq was the son of Sa'b
al-Sulami, told him that the apostle of God said: 'When you conquer b. Y~shkur b. Ruhm b. Afr~k, b. Qasr b. 'Abqar b. Anmar b. Nizar: and
Egypt treat its people well, for they can claim our protection and kinship.' Anmar was the father of BaJila and Khath 'am (18).
I asked al-Zuhri what the apostle meant by making them our kin and he So he se~t for, them and Sali};! arri.ved first. The king then repeated his
replied that Hagar, the mother of Isma'iI, was of their stock (13)' words, endmg, If you know the VISion you will know what it means'
'Ad b. 'Au~ b. Iram b. Sam b. Nu};! and Thamud and Jadis the two sons Sali};! replied [in saj']: .
of 'Abir b. Iram b~ Sam b. Nu};!, and Tasm and 'Imlaq and Umaym the sons A fire you did see
of Lawidh b. Sam b. Nu};! are all Arabs. Nabit b. Isma'il begat Yashjub Come forth from the sea.
and the line runs: Ya'rub_Tayra!:)_Na!:)ur_Muqawwam_Udad_'Adnan (14) It fell on the low country
From 'Adnan the tribes descended from Isma'il split off. 'Adnan had And devoured all that be.
6,7 two sons, Ma'add and 'Akk (14)' Ma'add had four sons: Nizar, Qu<;lli'a
(he being his first born he was called AbU Qu<;lli'a), Qunu~, and Iy~d. The ki?g agr~ed that this was exactly what he had seen, and what was
QUQli'a went to the Yaman to I:Iimyar b. Saba' whose name was 'Abdu the meanmg of It all? He answered:
Shams; the reason why he was called Saba' was that he was the first among By the serpent of the lava plains I swear
the Arabs to take captives. He was the son of Yashjub b. Ya'rub b. The Ethiopians on your land shall bear
Qa!:)lan (IS)' Of Qunu~ b. Ma'add according to the genealogists of Ruling from Abyan to Jurash everywhere.
Ma'add, none has survived. AI-Nu'man b. al-Mundhir king of al-I:Iira .The king exclaimed that this was distressing news, but when would these
belonged to their tribe. AI-Zuhri told me that this Nu'man belonged to the thmgs come to pass-in his time or after him? He replied : [again in
Qunu~ b. Ma'add (16). rhyme] that,more than sixty or seventy years must first pass. Would the
Ya'qub b. 'Utba b. al-Mughira b. al-Akbnas told me that a shaykh of the new-comers kmgdom last? No, an end would be put to it after seventy
~ar of B. Zurayq told him that 'Umar b. al-Khalllib, when he was given years or mo~e; then they w~uld be slain or driven out as fugitives. Who
the sword of al-Nu'man b. al-Mundhir, sent for Jubayr b. Mal'im b. would do thIS? Iram b. Dhu Yazan, who would come against them from
'Adiy b. Naufal b. 'Abdu Manlif b. Qu~ayy (he being the best genealogist Ade~ and not leave one of them in the Yemen. Further questions drew
of the Qunaysh and indeed of all the Arabs and claimed to have been the mformati~n that their kingdom would not last, but a pure prophet to
taught by Abu Bakr who was the greatest genealogist of the Arabs) and whom revelatIOn came from on high would bring it to an end; he would be
girded it on him. When he asked who al-Nu'man was, Jubayr replied that a man of the sons of Ghalib b. Fihr b. Malik, b. al-Na<;lr. His dominion
he was a survivor of the tribe of Qunu~ b. Ma'add. However, the rest ofthe wou.ld last to the end of time. Has time an end? asked the king. Yes,
Arabs assert that he belonged to the Lakhm of the Rabi'a b. Nalir. Only reph~d Sali};!, the day on which the first and the last shall be assembled
God knows the truth (17). the nghteous for happiness, the evildoers for misery. Are you telling m~
the truth? the king asked.
Yes, by the dark and the twilight
9 OF RABi'A B. NA~R KING OF THE YAMAN AND THE
And the dawn that follows the night
STORY OF SHIQQ AND SATii;! THE TWO SOOTHSAYERS Verily what I have told you is right.
Rabi'a b. Nalir, king of the Yaman, was of the true stock of the Tubba' . Later Shiq~ arrived and the king acquainted him with the facts but
kings. He had a vision which terrified him and continued to cause him dId not tell hun what Sali};! had said, so that he might see whether they
10 much anxiety. So he summoned every soothsayer, sorcerer, omenmonger, agreed or differed. His words were:
and astrologer in his kingdom and said: 'I have had a vision which terrifies
A fire you did see
me and is a source of anxiety. Tell me what it was and what it means.'
Come forth from the sea.
They replied: 'Tell us the vision and we will tell you its meaning.' 'If
It fell between rock and tree
I tell you it,' said he, 'I can bave no confidence in your interpretation; for
Devouring all that did breathe.
I The JPjr is the semicircular space between the (Jalfm (wall) and the Katba.
The Life of Muhammad 7
6 The Life of Muhammad
It was Tiban As'ad Aba Karib who went to Medina and took away to the
Perceiving that they agreed one with the other and that the difference Yarnan two Jewish rabbis from thence. He adorned J the sacred temple and
was a mere choice of words, the king asked Shiqq for his interpretation: covered it with cloth. His reign was before that of Rabi'a b. N~r (23). 13
By the men of the plains I swear . When he came from the. east he had passed by Medina without harming
The blacks on your land shall bear Its people; but he left behmd there one of his sons who was treacherously
Pluck your little ones from your care slam. Thereupo~ h~ returned with the intention of destroying the
Ruling from Abyan to Najran everywhere. town and extennmatmg Its people and cutting down its palms. So this
The king put the same questions to him and learned that after his time: tnbe of the An~ar gathered together under the leadership of 'Amr b.
Talla the brother of B. ai-Najjar and one of B. 'Amr b. Mabdhal. Mab-
There shall deliver you from them one mighty, great of name dhal's name was 'Amir b. Malik b. ai-Najjar; and al-Najjar's name was
And put them to the utmost shame. !aym A\lah b. Tha'iaba b. 'Amr b. al-Khazraj b. !.Iaritha b. Tha'iaba b.
He would be: Amr b. Amir (24).
A young man neither remiss nor base Now a man of B. 'Adiy b. ai-Najjar called A}:lmar had fallen upon one
Coming forth from Dhti Yazan's house, his place, of the followers of Tubba' when he brought them to Medina and killed
hlffi,2 because he caught him among his palms .cutting the date clusters'
Not one of them shall leave on Yarnan's face.
he struck him with his sickle and killed him, saying 'The fruit belongs t;
He continued in answer to the questions already put to his predecessor: the ~an who cultivates it.' This enraged the Tubba' against'them and
His kingdom shall be ended by an apostle who will bring truth and justice fightmg broke out. Indeed the An~ar assert that they used to fight them by
among men of religion and virtue. Dominion will rtst among his people day and treat them as guests by night. Tubba' was amazed at this and used
until the Day of Separation, the day on which those near God will be to say: 'By God our people are generous!'
rewarded, on which demands from heaven will be made which the quick While Tubba' was occupied in this fighting there came two Jewish
and dead wilt hear, men will be gathered at the appointed place, the God- r~bbls from B. Quray,?a-Qurana, and al-Nac)ir and al-Najjam and 'Amr
12 fearing to receive salvation and blessing. By the Lord of heaven and earth, mckn~ed Hangmg-hp were sons of al-Khazraj b. al-$ari}:l b. al-Tau'aman
and what lies between them high or low I have told you but the truth in b. al-SIbl b. al-Yasa' b. Sa'd b. Lawi b. Khayr b. al-Najjam b. Tanham b.
which no doubt (am{i) lies (19)' 'Azar b. 'Izra b. Haran b. 'Imran b. Ya~har b. Qahat 3 b. Lawi b. Ya'qab
What these two men said made a deep impression on Rabi' a b. N a~r and otherwise called Isra'i! b. Is}:laq b. Ibrahim the friend of al-Rahman-
he dispatched his sons and family to Iraq with all that they might need, ~earne? men well grounded in tradition. They had heard about th~ king's
giving them a letter to the Persian king Sabur b. Khurrazadh who let them mtentlOn to destroy the town and Its people and they said to him: '0
settle in al-!.Iira. Kmg, do not do It, for if you persist in your intention something will
AI-Nu'man b. al-Mundhir was a descendant of this king; in tbe genealo-
happen to ~rev~nt ,Your carrying. it out and we fear that you will incur
gies and traditions of the Yaman in his line is: al-Nu'man b. al-Mundhir b. s~eedy retnbu~lOn. When the kmg asked the reason for this they told
al-Nu'man b. Mundhir b. 'Amr b. 'Adiy b. Rabi'a b. Na~r (20). hl~ that. Ya~hnb was the place to which a prophet of the Quraysh would
mIg.rate In time to come, a~d it would be his home and resting-place. 14
Seemg that these men had hidden knowledge the king took their words in
HOW ABU KARIB TlBAN AS'AD TOOK POSSESSION OF THE good part and gave up his design, departed from Medina and embraced
KINGDOM OF THE YAMAN AND HIS EXPEDITION the rabbis' religion. 4
TO YATHRIB Khiilid b. 'Abd al-'U zza b. Ghaziya b. 'Amr b. 'Auf b. Ghunm b.
Malik b. ai-Najjar boasting of 'Amr b. Talla said:
When Rabi'a b. Na~r died the whole kingdom of the Yaman fell into the
hands of !.Iassan b. Tiban As'ad Aba Karib. (Tiblin As'ad was the last Has he given up youthful folly or ceased to remember it?
Tubba', the son of Kuli Karib b. Zayd, Zayd being the first Tubba' son Or has he had his fill of pleasure?
of 'Amr Dha-I-Adh 'ar b. Abraha Dha-I-Manar b. al-Rish (21) b. 'Adiy b.
fammarQ perhaps means 'restored'. Tab. omits this sentence.
$ayn b. Saba' al-A~ghar b. Ka'b-Kahf aH'ulm~b. Zayd b. Sahl b. 'Amr I
:ITab. adds: 'and threw him into a well called Dhiit Tuman'
b. Qays b. Mu'awiya b. Jusham b. 'Abdu Shams b. Wa'il b. al-Ghauth b. 3 Variant Gahath. .
Qalan b. 'Arib b. Zuhayr b. Ayman b. al-Hamaisa' b. al-'Aranjaj, the 4 Tab. t?cea back t~is story through Ibn Isl;1aq-Yazid b. 'Amr-Aban b. Abu 'Ayyiish-
Anaa b. Mahk to certam shaykhs of Medina who lived in preIslamic times.
latter is !.Iimyar b. Saba'al-Akbar b. Ya'rub b. Yashjub b. Qa}:llan (22).)
8 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 9
Or have you remembered youth? circumambulate the temple, to venerate and honour it, to shave his head,
And what a memory of youth and its times you have! and to behave with all humility until he had left its precincts.
It was a young man's war The king asked why they too should not do likewise. They replied that
Such as gives him experience. it was indeed the temple of their father Abraham, but the idols witich the
So ask 'Imriin or Asad, inhabitants had set up round it, and the blood which they shed there,
When headlong' with the morning star came presented an insuperable obstacle. They are unclean polytheists, said they
AbU Karib with his great squadrons --{)r words to that effect.
Clad in long mail, of pungent smell. Recognizing the soundness and truth of their words the king summoned
They said, Whom shall we make for, the men from the Hudhayl and cut off their hands and feet, and continued
The Banii Auf or the Najjar? his journey to Mecca. He went round the Ka'ba, sacrificed, and shaved
Surely the Banii-I-Najjar , his head, staying there six days (so they say) sacrificing animals which he
For we seek revenge for our dead. distributed to the people and giving them honey to drink.
Then our swordsmen z went to meet them, It was revealed to him in a dream that he should cover the temple, so
Their number as the drops of widely falling rain, he covered it with woven palm branches; a later vision showed him that he
Among them 'Amr b. Talla must do better so he covered it with Yamani cloth; a third vision induced
(God prolong his life for the welfare of his people). him to clothe it with fine striped Yaman cloth. People say that the Tubba'
A chief who i. on a level with kings but whoso was the first man to cover the temple in this way. He ordered its Jurhumi
Would vie with him does not know his eminence. guardians to keep it clean and not to allow blood, dead bodies, or men-
struous cloths to come near it, and he made a door and a key for it.
This tribe of the An~ar claim that the Tubba' was enraged only against Subay'a d. al-Al,labb b. Zabina b. Jadhima b. 'Auf b. N"'!r b. Mu'awiya 16
this tribe of the Jews who were living among them and that it was only b. Bakr b. Hawiizin b. Man~iir b. 'Ikrima b. Kh",!afa b. Qays b. 'Ayliin
his intention to destroy them, but they protected them until he went his was the wife of 'Abdu Manaf b. Ka'b b. Sa'd b. Taym b. Murra b. Ka'b
way. Therefore in his verse he said: b. Lu'ay b. Ghiilib b. Fihr b. Malik b. Nadr b. Kiniina. She had by him
In rage against two Jewish tribes who live in Yathrib a son called Khalid; and in impressing on him the sanctity of Mecca and
Who ricWy deserve the punishment of a fateful day (25).' forbidding him to commit grievous sin there, she reminded him of Tubba'
and his humility towards it and his work there, in the following lines:
Now the Tubba' and his people were idolaters. He set out for Meeca
which was on his way to the Yaman, and when he was between 'USlan and o my son, oppress neither the mean nor the great in Mecca.
IS Amaj'some men of the Hudhayl b. Mudrika b. Ilyiis b. MUdar b. Niza~ b. Preserve its sanctity and be not led away. I
Ma'add came to him saying, '0 King, may we not lead you to an anCIent He who does evil in Mecca will meet the worst misfortune.
treasury which former kings have overlooked? It contains pearls: topaz, His face will be smitten and his cheeks will burn with fire.
rubies, gold, and silver.' Certainly, said he, and they added that ,t was a I know from certain knowledge that the evildoer there will perish.
temple in Mecca which its people worshipped and wherethey pray~d. But God has made it inviolate though no castles are built in its court.
the real intention of the Hudhaylis was to encompass his destructlOn, for God has made its birds inviolate and the wild goats on Thabir' are safe.
they knew that any king that treated it with disrespect, was sure to di~. Tubba' came against it, but covered its building with embroidered
Having agreed to their proposal he sent to the two rabbiS and asked the,r cloth.
opinion. They told him that the sale object of the tribe was to. destroy God humbled his sovereignty there so he fulfilled his vows,
him and his army. 'We know of no other temple III the land wh'ch God Walking barefoot to it with two thousand camels in its courtyard.
has chosen for Himself, said they, and if you do what they suggest you and Its people he fed with the flesh of Mahri camels.
all your men will perish.' The king asked them what he should do .when Gave them to drink strained honey and pure barley-water.
he got there, and they told him to do what the people of Mecca did: to (God) destroyed the army of the elephant,
They were pelted with great stones, 3
JVariant ghadwan 'at early dawn'. 2 Reading mwdyifatun.
JW:. text is preceded by another vene. Tab. hu preserved the full text which I have J A reminiscence of Slira 31.33 and 35.5.
imertcd at the end of this section in the context 88signed to it by Tab. 2 A mountain above Mecca. 'U,m could mean 'wild birds'.
+ Authoritiea differ as to the .ite of the 'U,fAn. Amaj is the name of a town within reach J Either the poem has suffered interpolation or it is the product of a later age because the
of.Medina and a1ao of. wadi running from the l;Iarra of the Banil Sulaym to the sea. ltary of the Elephant belongs to the expedition of Abraham the Abyssinian mentioned on
10 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad I I
And (God destroyed) their kingdom in the farthest lands
at least this is ,:,hat the Yam~nites say. Then they destroyed the temple and
Both in Persia and Khazar. I am ~old that lts rums to thIS day show traces of the blood th t d
Hearken therefore when you are told the story over It. a was poure
And understand the end of such things (26).
('f. Tubba' composed the following lines about his expedition what he T906
" Afterwards he set forth for the Yaman with his army and the two rabbis, had mtended to do with Medina and the Ka'ba, what he actually did to the
and when he reached his own country he invited his people to adopt his men of Hudhayl, and how he adorned and purified the temple and what
new religion, but they refused until the matter could be tested by the the two rabbIS told hIm about the apostle of God:
ordeal of fire which was there.
Abu Malik b. Thalaba b. Abu Malik al-Qura,?! told me that he heard Why, a soul, is thy sleep disturbed like one whose eyes pain him?
Ibrahim b. Mul;1ammad b. Tall;1a b. 'Ubaydallah narrate that when Tubba' Why dost thou suffer from perpetual insomnia
drew near to the Yaman the Himyarites blocked his path, refusing to Enrag~d against two Jewish tribes who live in Yathrib,
let him pass because he had abandoned their religion. \Vhen he invited Who nchly deserve. the punishment of a fateful d ay.~
them to accept his religion ~>n the ground that it was better than theirs, When I sOjourned III Medina
they proposed that the matter should be subject to the ordeal by fire. Calm and refreshing was my sleep.
The Yamanites say that a fire used to settle matters in dispute among them I made my dwelling on a hill
by consuming the guilty and letting the innocent go scatheless.' So his Between al-'Aqiq and Baqi' ul-Gharqad.
people went forth with their idols and sacred objects, and the two rabbis We left its rocks and plateau
went forth with their sacred books' hanging like necklaces from their And its bare salty plain
necks until they halted at the place whence the fire used to blaze out. On And came down to Yathrib, and my breast
this occasion when it came out the Yamanites withdrc\v in terror, but their Seethed with anger at the killing of my son.
followers encouraged them and urged them to stand fast, so they held their I had sworn a steadfast vow
ground until the fire covered them and consumed their idols and sacred An oath full strong and binding
objects and the men who bore them. But the two rabbis came out with 'If I reach Yathrib I will leave i~
their sacred books, sweating profusely but otherwise unharmed. There- Stripped of palms both striplings and fruitful'
upon the J:Iimyarites accepted the king's religion.. Such was the origin of When 10 from Quray~a came
Judaism in the Yaman. ~ rabbi wise, among the Jews respe~ted.
Another informant told me that the two parties only went up to the Stand back from a city preserved' said he
fire to drive it back, for it was held that the one \\'ho succeeded in driving
'For M ecca 's prophet of Quraysh true-guided.'
"
it back was most worthy of credence. 'Vhen the J:Iimyarites with their So I forgave them without reproach
idols came near to drive the fire back, the fire came out against them and they I left them to the judgement of the last day
withdrew unable to withstand it. Afterwards, when the two rabbis came To God whose pardon I hope for
reciting the Torah, the fire receded so that they drove it back to the place On the day of reckoning that I escape the flames of hell.
from which it had emerged. Thereupon the :f:Iimyaritcs accepted their Some of our people I left there for him
religion. But God knows which report is correct. Men of reputation and valour '
18 Now Ri'am was one of the temples which they venerated and where Men who carry plans to Victo~'s end.
they offered sacrifices and received oracles when they were polytheists. I hope thereby for a reward from Muhammad's L d
The two rabbis told Tubba' that it was merely a shay!an which deceived I knew not that there was a pure temple or .
them in this way and they asked to be allowed to deal with it. When the Devoted to God in Mecca's vale
king agreed they commanded a black dog to come out of it and killed it- Till slaves from Hudhayl came t~ me
~n ai-Duff of Jumdan above al-Masnad.
pp. 29 f. W.'s reading 'They shot great stones into it' probably refers to the siege when A house of ancient wealth in Mecca
al-l;Iajjiij bombarded Mecca. The contrast between his violence and the humility of Tubba' Treasures of pearls and jewels I' they said.
is hinted at in the last line.
1 For an account of a modern ordeal of a similar though simpler character among the
I wanted to seize them but my Lord said nay.
Arabs of Sinai see Austin Kennett, Bedouin Justice, Cambridge, 1925, pp. 17-14. For God prevents destruction of his sanctuary.
~ Perhaps 'phylacteries' are meant. I gave up my purpose there
12
The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad '3
And left those men an example to the discerning.
The words 'labiibi lababi' mean 'no matter' in the I;Iimyari language (28).
Dhu'l-Qarnayn before me was a Muslim
. Whe~ Amr b. Tibiin retu':'led to. the Yaman he could not sleep and '9
Conquered kings thronged his court, msomma took a firm hold of him. Bemg much concerned at this, he asked
East and west he ruled, yet he sought the physicians and those of the soothsayers and diviners who were seers
Knowledge true from a learned sage. about his trouble. One of them said: 'No man has ever killed his brother or
He saw where the sun sinks from view
kinsman tr~acherously "': you kille,d your .brother without losing his sleep
In a pool of mud and fetid slime. and becommg a prey to msomma. At thIS he began to kill all the nobles
Before him Bilqis my father's sister who had urged him to murder his brother I;Iassan, till finally he came to
Ruled them until the hoopoe came to her.)' Dhu Ru'ayn who claimed that 'Amr held the proof of his innocence,
namely the paper which he had given him. He had it brought to him and
when he had read the two verses he let him go, recognizing that he had
THE REIGN OF HIS SON I;IASSAN IBN TIBAN AND HOW ~ven .him good counsel.' When'Amr died the I;Iimyarite kingdom fell
'AMR KILLED HIS BROTHER mto dISorder and the people split up into parties.
When his son I;Iassan b. Tiban As'ad Abu Karib came to the throne he
set out with the Yamanites to subdue the land of the Arabs ~nd P~rslans.
However, when they reached a place in Iraq (27) the I;Ilmyante an? HOW LAKHNI' A DHU SHANATIR SEIZED THE THRONE OF
Yamanite tribes were unwilling to go farther and wanted to return to th~lr THE YAMAN
families, so they approached one of his brothers call~d 'Amr who was WIth
him in the army and said that if he would kIll hIS brother th.ey would A I;Iimyari who had no connexion with the royal house called Lakhni'a
make him king so that he might lead them home agam. He_saId, that he Yanuf D~u Shanatir' arose and killed off their leading men and put the
would do so, and they all agreed to join in the plot except Dhu Ru ayn th~ royal famIly to open shame. Of this man a certain I;Iimyari recited:
I;Iimyarite. He forbade him to do this, but he would not heed, so Dhu J:Iimyar was slaying its sons and exiling its princes,
Ru'ayn wrote the following verses: Working its shame with its own hands,
Oh who would buy sleeplessness for sleep? Destroying its worldly prosperity with frivolous thoughts.
Happy is he who passes the night in peace; Even greater was the loss of their religion.
Though I;Iimyar have been treacherous, So did earlier generations bring their doom
God will hold Dhu Ru'ayn blameless. By acts of injustice and profligacy.

He sealed the document and brought it to 'Amr, saying: 'Keep this with Lakhni"a was a most evil man-a sodomite. He used to summon a
you for me,' and he did so. Then 'Amr killed his. brot~er I;Iassan and young man of the royal family and assault him in a room which he had
returned to the Yaman with his men.' One of the I;Ilmyantes was moved constructed for this very purpose, so that he could not reign after him.
The~ he used to go from this upper chamber of his to his guards and
to say: soldiers, (who were below) having put a toothpick in his mouth to let them
In former generations
~ow that he had accomplished his purpose. (T. Then he would release
What eyes have seen .
The like of Hassiin who has been slam I him and he would appear before the guards and the people utterly dis-
The princes 'slew him lest they should be kept at war. graced.) One day he sent for Zur'a Dhu Nuwiis son of Tibiin As'ad
On the morroW they said 'It is naught!' brother ofI;lassan. He was a little boy when I;Iassiin was murdered and had
Your dead was the best of us and your living one become a fine handsome young man of character and intelligence. When
Is lord over uS while all of you are lords. the messenger came he perceived what was intended and took a fine sharp
knife and hid it under the sole of his foot and went to Lakhni'a. As soon 20
tThe poem is spurious; it is not difficult to see how 1. IsOiiq pe.rsua~ed hirna,elf to as they were alone he attacked him and Dhu Nuwiis rushed upon him and
incorporate such an obvious forgery in a serious historical work. At_~J:U8 POInt Tab. lI?trO-
duces a long passage from I. I. A much longer story via 'Uthman b. Saj 18 gIven by Azr. 1. 79 stabbed him to death. He then cut off his head and put it in the window
2 T. 9 1 5. 1;18888n vainly appeals to his brother thus:
Do not hasten my death, 0 'Ann. I Tab. 916 f. contains a long poem ascribed to "Amr
Take the kingdom without using force. S Nald., Oesch. d. Persn u. Araber, .73. notes that th~ name Lakhi'atha occurs in inscrip-
tions and that shamitir means 'fingers'.
I The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 15
4 . ~ h towards him and when Faymiyun saw it he cursed it and it died. Seeing
which overlooked the men below. He stuck the toothpick m IS mo~t d
and went out to the guards, who in coarse language mqUlred what ad the snake but not knowing what had happened to it and fearing for
h d I 'Ask that head' he replied. They looked at the wmdow an Faymiyiin's safety, $ali\t could not contain himself and cried out: 'Faymi-
t~~:.e::. 'Lakhni'a's head ~ut off. So they went in pursuit of Dhu Nuwas yun, a tinnin is upon you!' He took no notice and went on with his prayers
and said: 'You must be our king and no one else, seemg that you have nd until he had ended them. Night had come and he departed. He knew
that he had been recognized and $ali\t knew that he had seen him. So he
us of this disgusting fellow.' (29)'
said to him: 'Faymiyun, you know that I have never loved anything as
I love you; I want to be always with you and go wherever you go.' He
THE REIGN OF DHU NUWAS replied: 'As you will. You know how I live and if you feel that you can
bear the life well and good.' So $ali\t remained with him, and the people
They made him king and all the tribes of I.Iimyar joined him. H,e was the of the village were on the point of discovering his secret. For when a man
last of the Yamani kings and the man who had the dItch made. He was suffering from a disease came in his way by chance he prayed for him and he
called Joseph and reigned for some considerable time. ., ,_ was cured j but if he was summoned to a sick man he would not go. Now
In Najran there were some people' who held the relIgiOn of Isa b. one of the villagers had a son who was blindI and he asked about Faymiyiin
Ma am a virtuous and upright people who followed the Gospel. TheIr and was told that he never came when he was sent for, but that he was a
he':; w~ naIjled 'Abdullah b. al-Thamir. The place where ,that relIgiOn man who built houses for people for a wage. Thereupon the man took his
. N' -an at that time the centre of the Arabs country Its I
son and put him in his room and threw a garment over him and went to
too k root was In 3JT I b .'

'eo Ie and indeed the rest of the Arabs, were idolaters. A ChrIstIan y Faymiyun saying that he wanted him to do some work for him in his house
fhe ~a;"e of Faymiyun had settled there and converted the people to hIS and would he come and look at it, and they would agree on a price.
religion. Arrived at the house Faymiyiin asked what he wanted done, and after
giving details the man suddenly whisked off the covering from the boy
and said: '0 Faymiyl1n, one of God's creatures is in the state you see. :u
THE BEGINNING OF CHRISTIANITY IN NAJRAN
So pray for him.' Faymiyiin did so' and the boy got up entirely healed.
Al M h-ra b Abu Labid a freedman of al-Akhnas, on the authority ?f Knowing that he had been recognized. he left the village followed by
W~hbuf. ~un'abbih the Y~mani told me that the origin ?f Chrisuamty m $ali\t, and while they were walking through Syria they passed by a great
Na'ran was due to a man named Faymiyun who was a nghteous, earnest, tree and a man called froln it saying, 'I've been expecting you and saying,
as:etic man whose prayers wefe answered. He used to wander betwheen "When is he coming?" until I heard your voice and knew iewas you.
e known in one to\VI1 he moved to anot er, Don't go until you have prayed over my grave for I am about to die.' He
21 towns' as soon as h e becam . db' ks
eatin 'only what he earned, for he was a builder by trade usmg mu nc . did die and he prayed over him until they buried him. Then he left
He u~d to keep Sunday as a day of rest and would do no work then: He followed by sali\t until they reached the land of the Arabs who attacked
used to a into a desert place and pray there until the evenmg. WhIle he them, and a caravan carried them off and sold them in Najriin. At this time
fol1<~Wing his trade in a Syrian village wlthdrawmg hImself from men, the people of Najriin followed the religion of the Arabs worshipping a great
:.: of the people there called $ali\t perceived what manner ,of m",: ~~ palm-tree there. Every year they had a festival when they hung on the
was and felt a violent affection for him, so that unperceIved by Faymlyu tree any fine garment they could find and women's jewels. Then they
he used to follow him from place to place, unul one Sunday he w~nt as sallied out and devoted the day to it.' Faymiyun was sold to one noble and
his wont was out into the desert followed by sali\t.. $ali\t chose a hldmg- sali\t to another. Now it happened that when Faymiyun was praying
lace and sat down where he could see him, not wantmg hIm to know where earnestly at night in a house which his master had assigned to him the
he was. As Faymiyun stood to pray a tinnIn, a seven-horned snake, came whole house was filled with light so that it shone as it were without a lamp.
. h b t die citation from aZAghrini given in the His master was amazed at the sight, and asked him about his religion.
I The Arabic text is in some disorder e~, U d'ng A literal translation has been Faymiyun told him and said that they were in error; as for the palm-tree
Cairo edition makes it possible to restore t e true rea 1 ,
avoided for obvious reasons. f h mention of the ditch T. has: 'he adopted Judaism
it could neither help nor hurt; and if he were to curse the tree in the name
2. See below, p. 17 In plac~ 0 t. e thO sto is slightly more detailed and one may
and l;Iimyar followed him': T s verslOnhof IS d ,'Y Prof G Ryckmans in 1952 dis- I Or 'sick'.
has omitted phrases ere an h ere. ., 8
I H
suspect tha t . . " . t Y f's'ar TheSabaeandatc.=A.D.51 . 2.T. gives the words of Faymiyfm's prayer: '0 God, thy enemy has attacked the health of
. . t'on at Qiira l-hs name IS wnt en s . h Id f
covered an inscnp 1 . f'l _'. r' 'Nald. takes this to mean up 0 ers a one of thy servants to ruin it. Restore him to health and protect him from him.'
3 Lit 'remnants of the people sa s re IglOn, . .
. d ChriSw."an;ty, but this is not necessanly the meamng. 3 Or. perhaps. 'processed round it'.
an uncorrupte
The Life of Muhammad 17
16 The Life of Muhammad friend,' you have got it, but keep it to yourself, though I do not think you
of God, He would destroy it, for He was God Alone without companion. will.' 24
'Then do so' said his master, 'for if you do that we shall embrace your Thereafter whenever' Abdullah b. al-Thamir entered Najran and met
religion, and abandon our present faith.' After purifying himself and any sick person he would say to him, '0 servant of God, will you acknow-
performing two Tok' as, he invoked God agamst tl:e tree and God sent a ledge the unity of God and adopt my religion so that I may pray to God
wind against it which tore it fro~ its roots and cast It on the ground. .Then that he may heal you of your affliction I' The man would agree, acknowledge
the people of Najran adopted his rehglOn and he mstru.cted then: m the the unity of God, and become a Muslim, and he would pray for him and he
law of 'Isa b. Maryam. Afterwards they suffered the ':'I~fortunes. which would be healed, until in the end there was not a single sick person in
befell their co-religionists in every land. This was the ongm of Chnstlamty Najran but had adopted his religion and become whole from his sickness.
in Najran in the land of the Arabs. Su~his_ the report of Wahb b. Munab- When the news reached the king he sent for him and said: 'You have
bih on the authority of the people of NaJran. corrupted the people of my town so that they are against me and have
opposed my religion and the religion of my fathers. I will make a terrible
example of youl' He replied: 'You have not the power to do that.' The
fABDULLAH IBN AI.-THAMIR AND THOSE WHO king had him taken to a high mountain and thrown down headlong, but he
23
reached the ground unhurt. Then he had him thrown into deep water in
PERISHED IN THE TRENCH
N ajran from which no one had ever emerged alive, but he came out safely.
Yazid b. Ziyad told me on the authority of Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Quraei , Having thus got the better of him 'Abdullah told him that he would not
and a man of Najran also told me, that accordmg to hiS people they used to be able to kill him until he acknowledged the unity of God and believed
worship idols. Najran is the largest town in which the people of the neigh- in his religion; but that if he did that he would be given power'to kill him.
bouring district congregated, and in a vil1~ge h.ard .by there was a sor~er_er The king then acknowledged the unity of God and pronounced the creed
who used to instruct the young men of NaJran m hiS art. When Faymly~n of 'Abdullah, and hitting him a moderate blow with a stick which he had in
came there-they did not call him by the name that Wahb b. Munabblh his hand he killed him and died himself on the spot. The people of Najran
gives him but simply said a man came there-he put up a tent between accepted the religion of 'Abdullah b. al-Thiimir according to the Gospel
Najran and the place where the sorcerer was. Now the people of Najran and the law which 'Isa b. Maryam brought. Afterwards they were over-
used to send their young men to that sorcerer to be taught sorcery and taken by the misfortunes' which befell their co-religionists. Such is the
al-Thiimir sent his son'Abdullah along with them. When he passed by the origin of Christianity in Najran. But God knows best (what the facts are).
man in the tent he was immensely struck by his prayers and devot.ion and Such is the report of Muhammad b. Ka' b. al-Quraei and one of the
began to sit with him and listen to him ~ntil he became a Mushm' .and men of Najran about 'Abdullah b. al-Thamir, but God knows best what
acknowledged the unity of God and worshIpped Him: He asked questions happened.
about the laws of Islam until when he became fully mstructed therem he Dhii Nuwiis came against them with his armies and invited them to
asked the man what was the Great Name of God. Although he knew it he accept Judaism, giving them the choice between that or death: they chose
kept it from him, saying: 'My dear young man,3 you will n~t ~e able to death. So he dug trenches for them; burnt some in fire, slew some with
bear it; I fear that you are not strong enough.: Now al-ThamIr had no the sword, and mutilated them until he had killed nearly twenty thousand
idea that his son 'Abdullah was not visiting the sorcerer along with the of them.' Concerning Dhii Nuwiis and that army of his God revealed to
other young men. 'Abdullah seeing that his master had kept the knowledge his apostle
from him and was afraid of his weakness, collected a number of sticks and On the trenchmakers be eternal ire
whenever he taught him a name of God he wrote that nam.e on a stick. For their fuel-fed fire
When he had got them all he lit a fire and began to throw them ~n one by one Watching as the flames grew higher
until when he reached the stick with the Great Name mscnbed on It he The sufferj~ngs of the faithful, dire I
threw it in, and it immediately sprang out untouched by the fire. There- They only tormented them because they believed in
upon he took it and went and told his master that he knew .the Gr~at God the Mighty, the Worthy to be Praised (30).'
Name which he had concealed from him. The latter questlOned him 2S
I Lit. 'Son of my brother'.
and when he learned how he had found out the secret he said, '0 my young 2 abdiith, v.s.
3 T. 'Then Dhli Nuwas returned to Santli with his troops.'
1 Or 'innovations' (abdiith), so Nald., op. cit., 182, V.S. . .. Sura 85.4.,
2 The Quran teaches that pure Christianity was Islam, cf. Sura 3. 45 et passnn. B'680 c
3 Lit. 'Son of my brother'.
18 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad
It is said that among those put to death by Dhii Nuwas was 'Abdullah b. . d 19
a1- Thiimir, their leader and imam.' ~ar~le o~ the Negus'~ orders, and sent a third of the women and childr
o 1m. e stayed on IU the country and reduced it to sub' t' en
, One of the Yamanis remembering how Daus had brOl;g~tI~~;! Ab
I was told by 'Abdullah b. Abii Bakr b. Muhammad b. 'Amr b. !:Iazm
that he was told that in the days of 'Umar b. al-Kha\!ab a man of Najran SInIans upon them saId: ys-
dug up One of the ruins of Najran intending to make use of the land, when
they came upon 'Abdullah b. al- Thamir under a grave; he was in a sitting Not like Daus and not like the things he carried in his saddl b
~' , e~
posture with his hand covering a wound in his head and holding firmly to Dht~ls saylUg has become proverbial in the Yaman until this d
it. When his hand was removed the blood began to flow; when they let go u Jadan the !:Ilmyari (T recording theIr humiliation sf ,ay.
of his hand it returned to its place and the flow of blood ceased. On his glo,ry and Arya!,s destruction of their castles Silhin Bayniin t:~h~~fo~_er
finger was a ring inscribed' Allah is my Lord'. A report was sent to 'V mar umque m their splendour) recited: " , urn an
and he replied: 'Leave him alone and cover in the grave' and his orders were
duly carried out. Gently! Tears tannot recall what is sped.
Fret not thyself for those who are dead
After Baynun no stones nor trace remai'n
And after Sil\1in shall men build such ho~ses again?
OF DADS DHU THA'LABAN AND THE BEGINNING OF THE Bay - S'lh-
ABYSSINIAN DOMINATION AND THE HISTORY OF
nun" I . 1U, and Ghumdiin are Yamani castles which Ary-t d t ed
d
an none Itke them existed. a. es roy
ARYAT WHO BECAME VICEROY OF THE YAMAN He continued:
A man of Saba' called Daus Dhii Tha'laban escaped on a horse, and taking Peace, confound youf You can't tum me from
to the desert eluded them. 2 He pressed on until he reached the Byzantine Thy scolding dries my spittle! my purpose
court, when he asked the emperor to aid him against Dhii Nuwlis and his To the music of singers in times past 'twas fine
6 troops, telling him what had happened. The latter replied that his country When we drank our fill of purest noblest wine.
was too distant for him t9 be able to help by sending troops, but that he DrlOkmg fre.ely of wine brings me no shame
would write to the Abyssinian king who was a Christian and whose If my behavIOur no boon-companion would bl arne.
territory was near the Yaman. Accordingly he did write ordering him to F or deat h no man can hold back
help Daus and seek revenge. Though he drink the perfumed potions of the quack
Daus went to the Negus with the emperor's letter, and he sent with him Nor monk in his secluded cell on high .
seventy thousand Abyssinians, putting over them a man called Arya-t, Where the vulture round his nest doth fly.
(T. He ordered him to kill a third of the men, lay waste a third of the You have heard of Ghumdan's towers:
country, and seize a third of the women and children if he conquered.) From the mountain top it lowers
With the army there was a man called Abraha 'Split-face'. Arya~ crossed Well.carpe~tered) with stones for stay,
the sea with Daus Dhii Tha'iaban and landed in the Yaman. Dhu Nuwiis Plastered wI:h de.an, damp, slippery day; '7
with the J:limyarites and such of the Yamani tribes as were under his com- 0,1 lamps WlthlU It show '
mand came out against him, and after an engagement Dhii Nuw3s and his At even like the lightning's glow.
force was put to flight.' Seeing that his cause was lost Dhii Nuwiis turned Beside its wall the palm-trees fine
his horse seawards beating it until it entered the waves and carried him Wi!h ripening fruit in clusters shine.
through the shallows out into the deep water. This was the last that was ThIS once-new castle is ashes today,
seen of him. Aryli~ entered the Yaman and took possession of it. (T. He The flames have eaten its beauty away
Dh- N - .
u UWas h~mbled gave up his castle great
1 Another tradition in T. says that <Abdullah was killed by an earlier king. Au. i. 81
gives a somewhat different venion from the riwaya of Ibn Saj. For an account of these
And warned hIs people of their coming fate.
martyrs from Christian sources see The Book of the Himyarites, ed. Axel Moberg, Lund,
192.4
With reference to that, Ibn al-Dhi'ba al-Thaqafi said (3 r ):
z Tab. 925. 9 says that there was a Yamani report that a man of Najnin called Jabbar
b. FaYQ also escaped. . By thy life there's no escape for a man when death and ld .
him. 0 age seIze
3 Tab. 927. 1S contains an account of the disordered state of the Yamani army and thelI'
feeble opposition, By thy life a man has nowhere to flee-I)o asylum
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 21
20
Could there be after I;Iimyar's tribes were destroyed one mom by the right of primae noelis in Yamao.) Abraha paid blood-money for killing
Arya\. (T. All this happened without the knowledge of the Negus.)
calamity's stroke,
A thousaod thousaod with spearmen (glittering) like the sky before Wh~n t~e news of this affair reached the Negus he was filled with rage
and said: Has he attacked my amir aod killed him without aoy order from
rain. me I' Then he swore ao oath that he would not leave Abraha alone until
Their cry deafened the chargers aod they put to flight the warriors
with their pungent smell. . ' he had trodden his land aod cut off his forelock. So Abraha shaved his
Witches as the saod in number the very sap of trees dned at thelt head and filled a leather bag with the earth.ofth. Yarnan aod sent it to the
Negus with the following letter: '0 King, Arylil was only thy slave and I
approach.
too am thy slave. We disputed about your orders; everyone must obey
'Amr b. Ma'di Karib a1-Zubaydi said concerning a dispute which he had you; but I. ,,:as stronger, firmer, aod more skilful in managing the affairs of
with Qays b. Makshul) a1-Murlidi when he heard that he had threatened the AbysslnIans. Now when I was told of the king's oath I shaved the
him, aod bringing to memory the lost glory of I;Iimyar: whole of my head aod I send it to you with a bag of the dust of my laod that
you may,Put It beneath your feet and thus keep your oath concerning me.'
Do you threaten me as though you were Dhu Ru'ayn
Or Dhu Nuwlis in the days of their prime? When thiS message reached the Negus he was reconciled to him aod wrote
to hi~ th~t he was to stay in the Yarnan until further orders; so Abraha
Many a man before you was prosperous
rema,,;ed m the Yaman. (T. When Abraha perceived that the Negus was T.933
With a kingdom firmly rooted among men.
reconcIled and had made him viceregent of the Yamao, he sent to Abu
Ancient as the days of 'Ad
:wurra b. Dh? Yazan and took away from him his wife Rayl)ana d.
Exceeding fierce, overcoming tyrants,
Alqama b. Mahk b. Zayd b. Kahlan. Abu Murra who is Dhu Jadan had
Yet his people perished a son by her-Ma'di ~arib. Afterwards she bore to Abraha a son Masriiq
And he became a waoderer among men (3 2 ).
aod a daughter Basbasa. Abu Murra took to flight. His slave 'Atawda
went on exercising his right in Yarnan until a man of Himyar of Khath"am
attacked aod killed him; and when the news reached Abraha who was
25 HOW ABRAHA SEIZED POWER IN THE Y AMAN AND a lenient noble character, a Christian of temperate habits h~ told the
KILLED ARYAT' people that it was high time that they had an official with d~e self-control
a~d tha: had he known that 'Atawda would have chosen such a reward for
Aryli\ held sway in the Yamao for some years aod then Abraha the hiS serv~ces he would not have allowed him to choose his reward. Further no
Abyssinian (T. who was in his army) disputed his authority, and the bloodwlt would be exacted and he would not take any action against them
Abyssiniaos split into two parties each claiming supporters. When war for killing 'Atawda.)
was about to begin, Abraha sent to Aryli\ asking hhn to avert the daoger of
internecine war aod inviting hhn to settle the dispute by personal combat,
the winner to be the sole commaoder of the army. Aryal agreed aod Abraha
THE HISTORY OF THE ELEPHANT AND THE STORY OF
went forth to meet him. He was a short fat man holding the Christiao
faith; aod Aryal advaoced against him spear in hand; he was ~ big, tall, THE INTERCALATORS
haodsome man. Abraha had a young mao called 'Atawda at hiS back to Then Abraha b~ilt the cathedral' in San'a', such a church as could not be
defend hhn against attack from the rear. Arylil raised his spear striking seen elsewhere m any part of the world at that time. He wrote to the
at Abraha's skull aod hit him on the forehead splitting his eyebrow. nose,
29 eye, and mouth. It was for this reason that he was called ai-Ashram
'!
Ne.gus saying: have built a church for you, 0 King, such as has not been
budt for any kmg before you. I shall not rest until I have diverted the
(split-face). Thereupon 'Atawda coming ?ut from behind Abraha att.a~ked A.'abs' pilgrimage to it.' When the Arabs were talking about this letter of
Aryli\ and killed hhn, and Arylil's army Jomed Abraha, aod the AbysslnIaos hIS, one of the calendar intercaIators was enraged. He was of the B.
in the Yamao accepted him as their chief. (T. Then 'Atawdacried: "Atawda Fuqaym b. 'Adiy b. 'Amir b. Tha'laba b. a1-I;Iarith b. Mlilik b. Kinana b.
you see, of an evil company; parentless in nobility', meaning that Abraha's Khuzayma b. Mudrika b. lIyas b. Mu<:lar. The intercalators are those
slave had killed Aryli\. AI-Ashram asked what he waoted, :or though ~e who used to adjust the months for the Arabs in the time of ignorance. They
had killed him blood-money must be paid. He asked and obtamed from him
J al-QullaYI. The Arab commentators derive this word from an Arabic root but it iii
I A slightly longer aCCOWlt is given in Au. i. 86. lImply the Greek ekklesia.
22 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 23
would make one of the holy months profane, and make one of the profane so when the in~itation Was brought they said, 'By God, if we eat this the
30 months holy to balance the calendar. It was about this that God sent Arabs wl1l hold It agamst us aslo~g as we live." !hereupon Muhammad got
down: 'Postponement (of a sacred month) is but added infidelity by which up and went to Abraha and Said, 0 Kmg, thIS IS a festival of ours in which
those who disbelieve are misled. They make it (the month) profahe one we eat only the loins and shoulders.' Abraha replied that he would send
year and make it sacred the next year, that they may make up the number of them what they liked, because his sole purpose in inviting them was to
the months which God has made sacred (33)." s~ow that he honoured them. Then he crowned Muhammad and made
The first to iqlpose this system of intercalation on the Arabs was him amir, of ,Mu<;iar a~d ordered him to go among the people to invite
al-Qalkmmaswh~ was l;ludhayfa b. 'Abd b. Fuqaym b. 'Adiy b. 'Amir them to pl1gnmage at h,s cathedral which he had built. When Muhammad
b. Tha'laba b. al-l;liirith b. Malik b. Kiniina b. Kbuzayma; his son 'Abbiid got as far as the land of Kinana the people of the lowland knowing what
followed him; then his descendants Qala', Umayya, 'Auf, and Abu he had come for sent a man of Hudhayl called 'Urwa b. Hayyad al-Milasi
Thumiirna Juniida b. 'Auf who was the last of them, for he was overtaken ,,:ho shot him with an arrow, killing him. His brother Qays wh~ was with
by Islam. When the Arabs had finished pilgrimage, it used to be their hIm fled to Abraha and told him the news, which increased his rage and
practice to gather round him and he would declare the four sacred months fury and he swore to raId the B. Kmana and destroy the temple.) So he
Rajab, Dhu'I-Qa'da, Dhu'I-l;lijja, and al-Mu\larram. If he wanted to free commanded the Abyssinians to prepare and make ready, and sallied forth
a period he would free al-Mu\larram and they would declare it free and ban WIth the elephant. News of this plunged the Arabs into alarm and anxiety
l?afar in its place so as to make up the number of the four sacred months. and they deCIded that It was mcumbent on them to fight against him when
When they wanted to return from Mecca,' he got up and said: '0 God, they heard that he meant to destroy the Ka'ba, God's holy house.
I hsve made one of the l?afars free for them, the first $afar,'and I have A member of one of the ruling families in the Yaman Dhu Nafr by
postponed the other till next year.' ' name, summoned his people and such of the Arabs as would follow him to
About this 'Umayr b. Qays Jadhlu'I-Ti'iin, one of the B. Fir.. b. fight Abraha ~d stop him from attacking and destroying God's holy
Ghsnm b. Tha'laba b. Malik b. Kiniina, boasting of this determining of h?use. A certam number supported him, but after a battle Dhu Nafr and
the months, improvised: . hIS followers were put to flight and he himself Was taken prisoner and
Ma'add knows that my people are the most honourable of men and brought to Abraha. When he was about to put him to death Dhii Nafr
hsve noble ancestors. pl.eaded for his life on the ground that he would be more useful to him
31 Who has escaped us when we seek vengeance and whom have we not alIve than d.ead. Abraha then gave him his life but kept him in fetters. He
made to champ the bit I
was a merCiful man.
Are we not Ma'add's calendar-makers, making profane months sacred? Abraha continued on his road to Mecca until in the country of Khath'am
(34) he was opposed by Nufayl b. l;labib al-Khath'ami with their two tribes
Shahran and Nahis and such of the Arab tribes as followed him. After an
The Kiniinite went forth until he came to the cathedral and defiled eng~gement he Was defeated and taken prisoner. When Abraha thought
it (35). Then he returned to his own country. Hearing of the matter Abraha of .klll~ng hIm, Nufayl said: 'Don't kill me, 0 King, for I will be your
made inquiries and learned that the outrage had been committed by an g~lde 10 the Arab country. Here are my two hands as surety that the two
Arab who came from the temple in Mecca where the Arabs went on tr.'bes of Khath'am, Shahriin and Nahis, will obey you.' So Abraha let
pilgrimage, and that he had done this in anger at his threat to divert the hIm go.
Arabs' pilgrimage to the cathedral, showing thereby that it was unworthy 3'
He continued with him as a guide until they reached Ta'if when Mas'ud
of reverence. b: Mu'~ttib b. Malik b. Ka'b h. 'Amr b. Sa'd b. 'Auf b. Thaqif came out to
Abraha was enraged and swore that he would go to this templ~ and hIm WIth the men of Thaqif. Thaqif's name was Qasiy b. al-Nabit b.
destroy it. (T. With Abraha there were some Arabs who had come to seek MU,nabblh ,b. ~an~ur b. Yaqdum b. Afsa b. Du'mi b. lyad b. Nizar b.
his bounty, among them Muhammad b. Khuza'r b. Kbuziiba al-Dh~. Ma add b. Adnan. Umayya b. Abu $alt al-Thaqafi said:
wiini, al-Sulami, with a number of his tribesmen including a brother of hIS
called Qays. While they were with him a feast of Abraha occurred and My people are Iyild, would that they were near
he sent to invite them to the feast. Now he used to eat an animal's testicles, Or ,:ould that they had stayed (here) though their camels might be
thm.'
1 sUra 9.~7.
If. by tIiia time II. sacred month was due, raiding Ilnd blood-revenge would be taboo;
S
St The camels are thin because they are always overmilked to supply the wanta of gu ts
hence the need to declare the month profane. chulthess, Umayyo, 1$. readajatuj*ara. 'might be slaughtered', oa .
The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad 25
When on the march Iraq's wide plain
~d inquired for DhU Nafr, for he was a friend of his. He went in to see
Is theirs-moreover they read and write (36).
h,m as he was i~ confinement and asked him if he could do anything to
He also said: help them m theIr trouble. Dhii Nafr replied: 'What use is a man held a
If you ask me who I am, Lubayna, and of my line pnsoner m the hands of a king, expecting to be killed at any moment?
I will tell you the certain truth. I ~an do ~othmg to. help you except that Unays the keeper of the elephant
We belong to al-Nabit the father of Qasiy bemg a fnend of mme, I will send to him and commend your case to him
To Man~iir son of Yaqdum (our) forefathers (37). ~ strongly as possible asking him to try to get you permission to see the
~ng .. So speak as yo~ think fit, and he will intercede for you with the king
They said to him: 0 King, we are thy servants attentive and obedient If he,s able to do so. So Dhu Nafr sent to Unays saying, 'The king has
to you. We have no quarrel with you and our temple-meaning that of taken two hundred camels belonging to 'Abdu'l-Mullalib, lord of Quraysh
al-Lat-is not the one you seek. You want only the temple in Mecca, and and master of the Meccan' well who feeds men in the plain and wild
we will send with you a man to guide you there. He therefore passed on creat,?res on the top, of the mountains, and is now here. So ask permission 3"t
leaving them unmolested. for h,m to see the king and help him as far as you can.' He said he would
As to al-Lat it w;;. a temple of theirs in al-Ta'if which they used to d~ so and repe~ted these words to the king, adding that 'Abdu'I-MuHalib
venerate as the Ka'ba is venerated (38). So they sent with him Abii WIshed ~o see hlm,and t~lk to hi~ about a pressing matter. Abraha agreed
Righiil to guide him on the way to Mecca, and when he had brought t~ se~ hIm. Now Abdu I-MullalIb was a most Impressive, handsome, and
him as far as al-Mughammis' AbU Righiil died there and the Arabs dIgnIfied man, and when Abraha saw him he treated him with the greatest
stoned his grave. This is the grave which people in al-Mughammis still respect so that he would not let him sit beneath him. He could not let the
stone. z A;byssinian s see him sitting beside him on his royal throne, so he got off
33 Arrived here, Abraha sent an Abyssinian called al-Aswad b. Mafsiid' hIS throne and sat upon his carpet and made 'Abdu'l-Mullalib sit beside
with some cavalry as far as Mecca and the latter sent off to him the plunder h,m there. Then he told his interpreter to inquire what he wanted, and the
of the people of Tihama, the Quraysh and others, among it two hundred rep.ly was that he wanted the king to return two hundred camels of his
camels belonging to 'Abdu'I-Mullalib b. Hashim, who at that time was whIch he had taken. Abraha replied through the interpreter, 'You pleased
the leading shaykh of Quraysh. At first Quraysh, Kinana, and Hudhayl me much when I saw you; then I was much displeased with you when I
and others who were in the holy place meditated battle, but seeing that heard what you said. Do you wish to talk to me about two hundred camels
they had not the power to offer resistance they gave up the idea. of y~urs which I have taken, and say nothing about your religion and the
Abraha sent Buniila the Bimyarite to Mecca instructing him to inquire relIgIOn of your forefathers which I have Come to destroy I' 'Abdu'l-Mul-
who was the chief notable of the country and to tell him that the king's ta!ib replied, 'I am the owner ofthe camels and the temple has an owner who
message was that he had not come to fight them, but only to destroy the ,,:111 defen:I it.' When the king replied that he could not defend it against
temple. If they offered no resistance there was no cause for bloodshed, him he saId, 'That remains to be seen.' ('Give me back my camels.') T.939
and if he wished to avoid war he should return with him. On reaching Some learned people allege that when 'Abdu'l-Mullalib went to Abraha
Mecca Bunala was told that 'Abdu'I-Mullalib b. Hashim b. 'Abd Manaf when he sent l;Iuna~a to him, there accompanied him Ya'mur b. Nufiitha
b. Qu~ayy was the leading notable, so he went to him and delivered Abraha's b. 'Adiy b. al-Du'il b. Bakr b. 'Abd Manat b. Kinana, at that time chief
message, 'Abdu'I-Mullalib replied: 'God knows that we do not wish to of B. Bakr, and Khuwaylid b. Wathila, then chief of Hudhayl. They
fight him for we have not the power to do so. This is Allah's sanctuary offered to give Abraha a third of the cattle of the lowland on condition
and the temple of His friend Abraham-or words to that effect-If He that he wo,:,ld withdraw from them and not destroy the temple, but he
defends it against him it is His temple and His sanctuary; and if he refused theIr request; but God knows whether this Was so or not. At
lets him have it by God we cannot defend it!' Bunala replied that he any rate Abraha restored to 'Abdu'I-Mullalib the camels which he had
must come with him to Abraha, for he was ordered to bring him back taken.
with him. . When they left him, 'Abdu'l-Mullalib went back to Quraysh and having
So accompanied by one of his sons"Abdu'I-Mullalib came to the camp gIven ~hem t~e. news ordered them to withdraw from Mecca and take up
defenSIve pOSItIOns on the peaks and in the passes of the mountains for
1 Also written al-Mughammas, a place 'two thirds of a parasang' (roughly two miles)
from Mecca. fear of the excesses of the soldiers. 'Abdu'I-Mullalib took hold of the
a The practice survives to this day, metal knocker of the Ka'ba, and a number of Quraysh stood with him praying
, Other authorities write MaQ1i1l1d. Maf~ud means 'slash-faced'.
I C. has 'ir, 'caravan',
26 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
to God and imploring his help against Abraha and his army. As he was Nufayl also said:
holding the knocker of the temple door, 'Abdu'I-Mugalib said:
Our greetings, Rudllfna!
3S 0 God, a man protects his dwelling so protect Thy dwellings. I You rejoice our eyes this morning!
Let not their cross and their craft tomorrow overcome Thy craft (39).' [Your fuel-seeker came to us last night, T 942
'Ikrima b. 'Amir b. Hashim b. 'Abdu Manaf b. 'Abd aI-Dar b. Qu~ayy But we had naught to give hjm.]
said: If you had seen, but you will not see, Rudayna,
What we saw on al-Muhassab's side J
o God, humiliate al-Aswad b. Maf~iid You would have forgive~ ~e and praised my action
Who took a hundred camels wearing their collars;
And ~ot have been vexed at what has passed and gone.'
Between Hid' and Thabir and the deserts,
I praised God when I saw the birds
He shut them in when they should be pasturing freely,
And I feared the stones that might fall upon us.
And delivered them to the black barbarians,
Everyone was asking for Nufayl
Withdraw from him thine aid, 0 Lord, for Thou art worthy to be
As though lowed the Abyssinians a debt.
praised (4-0).
'Abdu'l-Mullalib then let go the knocker of the door of the Ka'ba and As they withdrew they were continually falling by the wayside dying
went off with his Quraysh companions to the mountain tops where they mIserably by every waterhole. Abraha was smitten in his body and as they
took up defensive positions waiting to see what Abraha would do when he took him away his fingers fell off one by one. Where the fing~r had been
ocoupied Mecca. In the morning Abraha prepared to enter the town and t~ere arose ,a:; evil sore. exuding pus and blood, so that when they brough~
'made his elephant ready for battle and drew up his troops. His intention hIm to ~an a he was hke a young fledgeling. They allege that as he died
was to destroy the temple and then return to the Yaman. When they made his heart burst from his body. (A. Deserters from the army, labourers
Au. 91
the elephant (its name was Mal:>miid) face Mecca, Nufayl b. Habib came and campfollowers remained in Mecca and became workers and shepherd~
up to its flank and taking hold of its ear said: 'Kneel, Mal:>miid, or go for the population.)
straight back whence you came, for you are in God's holy land I' He let go Ya'~iib b. 'Utba told me that he was informed that that year was the
of its ear and the elephant knelt, and N ufayl made off at t,Q~ speed for the first tIme that measles and smallpox had been seen in Arabia' and too
top of the mountain. The troops beat the elephant to maRe It get up but it t~t it was the first time that bitter herbs like rue, colocynth, and Asclepr:a.:
would not; they beat its head with iron bars; they stuck hooks into its gtgantea were seen.
underbelly and scarified it; but it would not get up. Then they made it . When God sent Muhammad he specially recounted to the Quraysh
face the Yaman and immediately it got up and started off. When they set his goodnes~ and favour in turning back the Abyssinians in order to
it towards the north and the east it did likewise, but as soon as they directed preserv~ theIr state and permanence. 'Did you not see how your Lord
it towards Mecca it knelt down. dealt WIth the owners of the elephant? Did He not reduce their guile to
Then God sent upon them birds from the sea like swallows and sheer terror? And sent upon them flocks of birds, throwing hard clay
36 starlings; each bird carried three stones} like peas and lentils, one in its stones upon them, making them as blades of corn that have been devoured."
beak and two between its claws. Everyone who was hit died but not all And again: 'For. the uniting of Quraysh, their uniting the caravans to 37
were hit. They withdrew in flight by the way they came, crying out for ply summer and wlllter. Then let them worship the Lord of this temple
Nufayl b. Habib to guide them on the way to the Yaman. When he saw who has fed them so that they hunger not, and made them safe from fear',;
the punishment which God had brought down on them Nufayl said:
: A pl~ce betwee? Mecca. and Mini in the valley of Mecca. See Yiqut.
Where can one flee when God pursueth? PosslblY'hayna 18 a poetical form of haynand, 'between us'. The line is based on SUra
57 23
AI-Ashram is the conquered not the conqueror (4-1). 3 Sura 105.
I /fildl. the plural of billa, means a collection of houses and also the people who live 4 Sura 106. A good discussion of this difficult passage will be found in Lane's uric
therein. For, TOJ;lahU al-Shahrastiini, Milal, has billahu 'his neighbour', and for ghadwan p. 79h ~d c. There are three. riv~1 r~adings: iltif (adopted by our author), iltif, and #i:
'tomorrow' 'at!wan, which could be rendered 'hostile' here. For qiblatand he has Ka'batana. Accor~g to all three the meamng IS satd to be 'for their keeping to the journey etc.' Other
20 mibal here is said by C. and Abu Dharr to mean strength and power; but it really means authontlea ~ay that the ~rst rea~ing means 'for the preparing and fitting out'. Others say
'guile', 'strategy accompanied by force'. 'Craft', d. Kraft, appears to be the best rendering. ~t accordm~ to the .t~rd reading the meaning is 'the protecting'. According to Ibn al.
The passage is a reminiscence of Sura 13. 14, and the- idea may be found in the Quranic A dbI the po~t of this .18 that the. f~ur 80m of 'Abdu ManAf were given freedom to travel
saying of God: Khayru l-maki,in, 3. 47. T. has preserved four lines of no poetic merit which by the .Byzantines, Perstan, AbY88IDlana, and l:Iimyaris respectively and so were able to go
I.H. preferred to excise. and bnng com from neiahbourina territories. There may be a sound hi,tonca1 kernel to
28 The L,je af Muhammad The Life af Muhammad 29
i.e. so that their status should remain unaltered because of God's good God sent a wind bringing pebbles from above them
purpose tawards them if they would receive it (42). And they huddled together like lambs.'
38 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr via 'Amra daughter of 'Abdu'l-Ral].miin b. Their priests urged them to endure,
Sa'd b. Zuriira told me that 'A'isha said: 'I saw the leader of the elephant But they bleated like sheep (44).
and its groom walking about Mecca blind and crippled begging for food."
AbU Qays b. al-Aslat also said:
Rise and pray to your Lord and stroke
REFERENCES IN POETRY TO THE STORY OF THE The comers of this temple between the mountains. 2
He gave you a convincing test
ELEPHANT
On the day of Abu Yaksum leader of the squadrons.
When God turned back the Abyssinians from Mecca and executed His His cavalry was in the plain, his infantry
vengeance upon them, the Arabs held the Quraysh in great honour, saying, Upon the passes of the distant hills.
'They are the people of God: God fought for them and thwarted the When the help of the Lord of the Throne reached you,
attack of their enemies.' On this theme they composed many poems. His armies repulsed them, 3 pelting them and covering them with
Thus 'Abdullah b. al-Zibra'rii b. 'Adiy b. Qays b. 'Adiy b. Sa'd b. Sahm b. dust.
'Amr b. Hu~an b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. Ghiilib b. Fihr said: Quickly they turned tail in flight, and none 40
But a few returned to his pe"ple from the army (45).'
Withdraw from the vale of Mecca for
From of old its sanctuary has not been violated. Tiilib b. Abu Tiilib b. 'Abdu I-Mu(talib said:
When it was sanctified, Sirius had not been created. Know you not what happened in the war of DiiJ,tiss
No mighty man has ever attacked it. And Abu Yaksum's army when it filled the passt
39 Ask the commander of the Abyssinians' what he saw. But for the help of God the Sole Existent One
He who knows what happened will tell the ignorant. You would have been ,!nable to save your lives (46)."
Sixty thousand men returned not home, Abu al-$alt b. AbU Rab!'a al-Th_qafi referring to the elephant and to the
Nor did their sick recover after their return. !;Ianafi religion being that of Abraham said (47):
'Ad and Jurhum were (in Mecca) before them.
God has set it above all creatures. The signs of our Lord are illuminating.'
None but infidels doubt them.
The words 'nor did their sick recover after their return' refer to Abraha Night and Day were created and all
whom they carried with them when he was smitten, until he died in San'.'. Is abundantly plain, its reckoning is fixed.
Abu Qays b. al-Aslat al-An~iiri al-Kha(mi, $ayfi by name (43) said: Then the merciful Lord revealed the day
By the sun whose rays are seen everywhere.
His work it was on the day of the Abyssinian elephant. He held the elephant fast in al-Mughammas until
Whenever they urged it forward it held its ground, It sank to the ground as though it were hamstrung.'
(They drove) their hooks beneath its flanks,
They split its nose and it was torn. 1 With some hesitation I read this line:falafJuhum . .. al.qaram. W. reads yalufJuhum;
They used a knife as a whip. C. inserts no vowels to the fonn I have read as indicated. Both W. and C. read al-quzum
Which means 'small bodies'. Abu Dharr (Bronnle, 21) read al-qaram, which he explained
When they applied it to its back it made a wound. by sigJuiru'l-ghanam. The line that follows seems to require a reference to sheep here.
It turned and faced the way it had come. Z The tenn akhashib refers to the mountains of Mecca.
S i.e. the angels.
Those there bore the burden of their injustice. 4 Or, 'from the Abyssinians'. See n. 2, p. 28. These lines occur again in W., p. 180.
5 DiJ;Us is the name of a horse. Foul play during a race led to a long and bloody feud
this tradition. The four brothers gave this protection (ftaj) to those journeying to the between the tribes of 'Abs and Dhubyan. See Nicholson, L.H.A. 61--62.
several countries. "Thus for Ud! the meanings of covenant, protection, and responsibility for 6 Or, 'property'.
safety are illustt\ted. , Reading thaqibatun with C.
I Azr. i. 92 reports from I,I. that envoys from the tribes went to congratulate Sayf b. ltiziman, Jiibi;, l;!ayawan, Cairo, 1945./1364, vii, 198, reads wai'an, hut the received
Dhl1 Yuan on his restoration to kingship. He singled out Quraysh for special treatment. text is better. lowe this explanation of ~alqa to my colleague Dr. el-Tayeb. Commentators
:& I prefer the reading bubshi (W.) to thejayshi of C. and translators have missed the point.
The Life of Muhammad 3'
The Life of Muhammad
3 kingship of my country.' He answered, 'Your country is far distant and
Its trunk curled ring-wisei it lay motionless as; has little to allract me; I cannot endanger a Persian army in Arabia and
A boulder flung down from Kabkab's rocks. there is no reason why I should do so.' Then he made him a present of
Round it Kinda's kings, warriors, 10,000 drachmae sterling and invested him in a fine robe. Sayf went out
Mighty hawks in war. with the silver and began to scalier it among the people; (T. Boys and T.947
They abandoned it and departed headlong slaves of both sexes scrambled for the coins). When the king was told of
All of them' the shank of each one of them was broken. this he thought it very extraordinary and sent for him and said, 'You mean
In God's si~ht at the Resurrection every religion to throwaway a royal gift!' He answered: 'What use is silver to me? The
But that of the \tanH is doomed to perdition (4 8). mountains of my country from which I come are nothing but gold and
silver.' This he said to excite his cupidity. Chosroes thereupon gathered
When Abraha died his son Yaksiim became king of the Abyssinians.
4' his advisers together and asked their opinion about the man and his project.
T.945 (T.!;limyar and the tribes of Yaman were humiliated under the heel of the
One of them reminded the king that in his prisons there were men who
Abyssinians. They took their women and kI1~ed thelt men a~d seIzed thelt
were condemned to death. If he were to send them with him and they
young men to act as interpreters.) When Yaksum b. Abraha dIed his brother
were killed, that would merely be the fate that he had determined for them; 43
Masriiq b. Abraha reigned over the AbysSlnIans m the Yaman.
on the other hand, if they conquered the country he would have added to
his empire. Thereupon Chosroes sent those who were confined in his
prisons to the number of eight hundred men.
THE JOURNEY OF SAYF B. DHU YAZAN AND THE RULE OF He put in command of them a man called Wahriz who was of mature
WAHRIZ IN THE Y AMAN age and of excellent family and lineage. They set out in eight ships, two
of which foundered, so that only six reached the shores of Aden. Sayf
When the people of the Yaman had long endure~ oppression, Sayf b. brought all the people that he could to. Wahriz saying, 'My foot is with
Dhii Yazan the !;limyarite, who was known as Abu Murra, -w:ent t? the your foot, we die or conquer together.' 'Right,' said Wahriz. Masriiq b.
Byzantine emperor and complained to him of his troubles, askmg hlmto Abraha the king of Yaman came out against him with his army, and
drive out the Abyssinians and take over the country. He asked hIm Wahriz sent one of his sons to fight them so as to get experience in their
to send what forces he pleased and promised him the kingdom of the way of fighting. His son was killed and he was filled with rage against
Yaman. IN' - them. When the men were drawn up in their ranks Wahriz said, 'Show me
The emperor paid no attention to his request, so he went to a -1 U ~an their king.' They said, 'Do you see a man on an elephant with a crown on
42 b. al-Mundhir, who was Chosroes' governor at al-I:Iira. a?d the surr~ur:dmg his head and a red ruby on his forehead? That is their king.' 'Let him be,'
country of Iraq. When he complained of the .AbysslnIans, al-Nu man b. he said, and they waited a long time and then he said, 'What is he riding
al-Mundhir told him that he paid a formal VIsIt every year to Chosr~es now?' They said: 'He is now bestride a horse'; again they waited. He
and he asked him to stay with him until then. Accordmgly he t~k hit;' asked the same question and they said he was bestride a mule. Said
with him and introduced him to Chosroes. Now he .used to Sit In h~s Wahriz: 'An ass's fillyl A weak creature, and so is his kingdom. I will
audience chamber which contained his crown. Accordmg to reports, hiS shoot him. If you see that his followers have not moved, then stand fast
crown was like a huge grain-measure with rubies, pearls, and topazes set until I give you permission to advance, for I shall have missed the fellow.
in gold and silver, suspended by a golden chain from the top of the dome But if you see the people flocking round him I shall have hit him, so fall
in his hall of audience. Such was the weight of the crown that hIS nec~ upon them.' He then bent his bow (the story goes that it was so tough
could not bear it. He was hidden behind a robe untIl he sat on hiS throne, that no one but he could bend it) and ordered that his eyebrows be fastened
then hi~ head was inserted into the crown, and when he was settled com- back, I then he shot Masriiq and split the ruby in his forehead and the
fortably on his throne the "rob~s were t~ken from him. Everyone ~ho saw arrow pierced his head and came out at the back of his neck. He fell off his
him for the first time fell to hiS knees In awe. When Sayf b. Dhu Yazan mount and the Abyssinians gathered round him. When the Persians fell
entered his presence he fel! to his knees ( 4 9 ) . , upon them, they fled and were killed as they bolted in all directions.
He said: '0 King, ravens I have taken possesSIOn, ~f our. c.ount,ry. Wahriz advanced to enter into $an'ii', and when he reached its gate he said
Chosroes asked, 'What ravens, Abyssinians or Sindians? AbyssInlans, he that his standard should never be lowered and he ordered them to destroy
replied, 'and I have come to you for help and that you may assume the the gate and went in with his flag flying.
I His eyes were half closed"from age.
1 i.e. 'blacks'.
3z The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 33
Sayf b. Dhii Yazan al-I:Iimyari said: Pleasant was the voice of the night 0\\'1 there,
Answered at even by a flute player..
Men thought the two kings had made peace Fate brought to it the Persian army
And those who heard of their reconciliation found the matter was 'Vith their knights in their train;
very grave. They travelled on mules laden with death,
We slew t~e prince Masriiq and reddened the sands with blood. While the asses' foals ran beside them
The new prince, the people's prince, Until the princes saw from the top of the fortress
Wahriz swore an oath that Their squadrons shining with steel,
He would drink no wine until he had captured prisoners and spoil (50). The day that they called to the barbarians and al-Yaksum
'Cursed be he who runs awayl'
Abii al-$alt b. Abii Rabi'a aI-Thaqafi (51) said:
'Twas a day of which the story remains,
Let those seek vengeance who are like Ibn Dhii Yazan But a people of long established 1 dignity came to an end.
Who spent long years at sea because of his enemies, Persians 2 replaced the native born,
When the time for his journey came he went to Caesar The days were dark' and mysterious.
But did not attain what he sought. After noble sons of Tubba',
Then he turned to Chosroes after ten years, Persian generals were firmly settled there (54).
Counting his life and money cheap,
Until he came bringing the Persians with him. (T. When Wahriz had conquered the Yaman and driven out the Abyssi- T 949
By my life you were swift in action, nians he wrote to Chosroes telling him of what had been done and sending
What a noble band came out: him captured treasure. In his reply the king told him to appoint Sayf king
Never were their like seen among men! of the Yam an. He also gave Sayf instructions to collect taxes every year
Nobles, princes, mighty men, archers, and to remit them to him. He summoned \Vahriz to his presence and Sayf
Lions who train their cubs in the jungle! became king, he being the son of Dhii Yazan of the Kings of the Yaman.
From curved bows they shot arrows This is what Ibn I:Iumayd told me from Salama on the authority of Ibn
Stout .. the poles of the howdah Is\1aq. )4
Bringing the victim a speedy death. (When Wahriz had gone to Chosroes and made Sayf king of the Yaman, T957
You sent lions against black dogs, the latter began to attack the Abyssinians, killing them and slaying the
Their fugitives are scattered all over the earth. women with child until he exterminated all but an insignificant number of
So drink your fill, wearing your crown, miserable creatures whom he employed as slaves and runners to go before
On Ghumdan's top reclining in a house you have chosen. him with their lances. Before very long he was out with these armed slaves
Drink your fill, for they are dead, when suddenly they surrounded him and stabbed him to death. One of
And walk proudly today in your flowing robes. them established himself as leader,and they went through the Yarnan slay-
Such are noble deeds! not two pails of milk mingled with water ing and laying waste the country. \Vhen the Persian king heard of this he
Which afterwards become urine (53)' sent Wahriz with 4,000 Persians and ordered him to kill every Abyssinian
or child of an Abyssinian and an Arab woman, great or small, and not leave
4S 'Adiy b. Zayd al-I:Iiri, one of B. Tamim, said: alive a single man with crisp curly hair. Wahriz arrived and in due course
carried out these instructions and wrote to tell the king that he had done
What is there after $an'a' in which once lived so. The king then gave him viceregal authority and he ruled under Chos-
Rulers of a kingdom whose gifts were lavish? roes until his death.)
Its builder raised it to the flying clouds,
Its lofty chambers gave forth musk. tReading umma for C.'s imma.
Protected by mountains against the attacks of enemies, I 2 Fayj, the reading of C. (against W.'sfay~) is a Persian word for a crowd of men. I.K.
Its lofty heights unscalable. has hayj.
3 A variant is khun, 'treacherous'.
.. In this chapter T.'s version is much more vivid and detailed and reads much more like
1 Kti'id here r take to mean a resourceful foe. The Cairo editors prefer to find a reference the lively style of Ibn Isl)iiq. No doubt Ibn Hisham cut down this to him unimportant
to God. chapter as much as he eQuid.
B 4080 D
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 35
They went to the Yaman and remained there (59).
THE END OF THE PERSIAN AUTHORITY IN THE
Mu,Iar b. Nizar begat two Sons: lIyas and 'Aylan (60). lIyas begat three
YAMAN
s~ns: Mudrika, Tabikha, and Qam'a. Their mother was Khindif, a Yama-
Wahriz and the Persians dwelt in the Yarnan, and the Abna' who arc in the mte woman (61).' The name of Mudrika was 'Amir and the name of
Yarnan today are descended from the survivors of that Persian army. The Tabikha \vas <Amr. There is a story that when they were pasturing their
period of Abyssinian domination from the entry of Arya; to the death of camels they hunted some game and sat down to cook it, when some raiders
Masruq ibn Abraha at the hands of the Persians and the expulsion of the swooped upon their camels. <Arnir said to 'Amr: "Vill you go after the
Abyssinians was seventy-two years. The successive princes were four, camels or will you cook this game?' 'Amr replied that he would go on
Arya;, Abraha, Yaksum, and Masruq (55). cooking, so 'Amir went after the camels and brought them back. When
+7 I t is said that on a rock in the Yarnan there was an inscription d6.ting they returned and told their father he said to 'Amir: 'You are Mudrika
from olden times: (the one ,,:ho overtakes), and to 'Amr he said 'You are Tabikha' (the cook).
When theIr mother heard the news she came hurriedly from her tent and
To whom belongs the kingdom of Dhimar?
he said: 'You are trotting!' (khandafa)' and so she was called Khindif.
To J:Iimyar the righteous.
As to Qam<a the genealogists of l\ludar assert that Khuza:a was one of
To whom belongs the kingdom of Dhimar?
the sons of 'Amr b. LuJ:1ayy b. Qam'a b. lIyas.
To the evil Abyssinians.
To whom belongs the kingdom of Dhimiir?
To the free Persians.
To whom belongs the kingdom of Dhimar? TilE STORY OF 'AMR B. LUI;IAYY AND AN ACCOUNT OF
To Quraysh the merchants (56). THE IDOLS OF THE ARABS

Dhimar means the Yarnan or $an'a'. 'Abdullah b. AM Bakr b. Muhammad b. 'Amr b. J:Iazm on the authority
AI- A'sha of B. Qays b. Thalaba said when the words of 8a;H.> and his of his father told me as follows: I was told that the apostle of God said:
companion were fulfilled: 'I saw 'Amr b. LuJ:tayy dragging his intestines in hell, and when I asked
him about those who had lived between his time and mine he said that they
eNo woman has ever seen, as she saw, the truth like the truth of al-Ohi'bi had perished.'
when he prophesied." The Arabs called him al-Dhi'bi because he was the Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. al-J:Iarith al- Tamimi told me that Abu 8alih 5'
son of Rahl'a b. Mas'ud b. Mazin b. Dhi'b (57). al-Samman told him that he heard Abu Hurayra (62) say: I heard th~
apostle of God saying to Aktham b. al-Jaun al-Khuza'i, '0 Aktham I saw
'Amr b. Lui)ayy b. Qam'a b. Khindif dragging his intestines in hell, and
49 THE DESCENDANTS OF NIZAR B. MA'ADD never did I see two men so much alike as you and he!' 'Will this resem-
Nizar b. Ma'add begat three sons: MUl)ar, Rabl'a, and Anmar (58). blance injure me?' asked Aktham. 'No,' said the apostle, 'for you are a
Anmar was the father of Khath'am and Bajila. Jarir b. 'Abdullah al- believer and he is a.n infidel. !Ie .wasthe first to chang-e the religion of
Bajali who was chief of the Bajila (of whom someone said: 'But for Jarir, Ishmael, to set up Idols, and mstitute the custom of the bahira sa'iba
Bajila would have perished. A fine man and a poor tribe') said when he w~na, and i)ami (63).~ ., ,
was appealing against al-Furafi~a al-Kalbi to al-Aqra b. J:Iabis al-Tamimi They say that the beginning of stone \vorship among the sons of Ishmael
b. 'Iqal b. Mujashi' b. Darim b. Malik b. J:Ian?ala b. Malik b. Zayd Manat: was when :l\1ecca became too small for them and they wanted more room in
the country. Everyone who left the town took with him a stone from the
5 o Aqra' b. J:Iabis, 0 Aqra', sacred area to .do honour to it. \Vherever they settled they set it up and
If thy brother is overthrown thou wilt be overthrown. walked round It as they went round the Ka'ba. This led them to worship
and said: what stones they pleased and those which made an impression on them.
Thus as generations passed they forgot their primitive faith and adopted
Ye two sons of Nizar help your brother.
My father I wot is your father. 1 But see Tabari.
:t~his ,",:ord is explained in the Mufar;it;laliytit, 763, by haru'ala, a quick, ambling, half-
A brother who is your ally will not be worsted this day. runmng galt. The story there is told at greater length.
I Legend says that the woman in question was able to see people a three days' journey 3.A story sim~lar to these two will be found in Ibn al-Kalbi's K. al-Afnam, ed. Abmad
distant. Zakiy Pasha, CaIro, 1924, p. 58. These terms are explained in the next chapter.
36 The Life oj Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 37
another religion for that of Abraham and Ishmael. They worshipped idols ~ng to their own account they used to divide their crops and cattle between
and adopted the same errors as the peoples before them. Yet they retained It and Allah. If any of Allah's portion which they had earmarked for him
and held fast practices going back to the time of Abraham, such as honour- cam~ into 'Ammanas's portion they left it to him; but if any of 'Ammanas's
s; ing the temple and going round it, the great and little pilgrimage,. and the portlOn was in Allah's portion they returned it to him. They are a clan of
standing on ,'Arafa and Muzdalifa, sacrificing the Vlctl~SI and the pllg~lm Khaulan called al-Adim. Some say that it was concerning them that God
cry at the great and little pilgrimage, while introducmg elements whIch reve3led: 'They assign to Allah of the cr~"" and cattle he has created a
had no place in the religion of Abraham. Thus, Kina~a and Quraysh used portion; and they say this is Allah's-in their assertion-and this is for
the pilgrim cry: 'At Thy service, 0 God, at Thy servIce! At Thy servIce, our partners. Thus what is for their partners does not reach Allah and
Thou without an associate but the associate Thou hast. Thou ownest hIm what is for All_ah goes ~o their partners-Evil is their judgment! (67)'
and what he owns.' They used to acknowledge his unity in their cry and The B. Mdkan b; Klllana b. Khuzayma b. Mudnka b. Ilyas b. Mugar had
then include their idols with God, putting the ownership of them in His an Image called Sa d, a loftyrock m a desert plain in their country.' They
hand. God said to Muhammad:' 'Most of them do not believe in God have a story that one of theIr tnbesmen took some of his stock camels to
without associating others with Him,' i.e. they do not acknowledge My the rock to stand by it so as to acquire its virtue. J When the camels which
oneness with knowledge of My reality, but they associate with Me one of we~e grazing-camels that were not ridden, saw the rock and smelt th~ blood
My creatures. Z whIch had been shed on it they shied from it and fled in all directions. This
The people of Noah had images to which they were devoted. God told so angered the Milkanite that he seized a stone and threw it at the idol
His apostle about them when He said: 'And they said, "Forsake not your saying, 'God curse you. You have scared away my camels!' He went in
gods; forsake not Wudd and Suwa' and Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr." search of them, and when he had collected them together once more he
And they had led many astray.' 3 said:
Among those who had chosen those idols and used their narntli ~s com-
We came to Sa'd to improve our fortunes
pounds' when they forsook the religion of Ishmael-both Ishmaehtes an_~
But Sa'd dissipated them.' We have nothing to do with Sa'd.
others-was Hudhayl b. Mudrika b. Ilyas b. Mu<)ar. They adopted Suwa
Sa'd is nothing but a rock on a hare height.
and they had him in RuMt;' and Kalb b. Wabra of Qu<)a'a who adopted
It cannot put one right or send one wrong.
Wudd in Dumatu'l-Jandal.
Ka'b b. Malik al-An~ari said: Daus had an idol belonging to 'Amr b. Humama al-Dausi (68). 54
We forsook al-Lat and al-'Uzza and Wudd. Quraysh had an Idol by a well in the middle of the Ka'ba called Hubal
We strippcd off their necklaces and earrings (64). (69) And they adopted Isar (or Asaf) and Na'ila by the place of Zamzam
sacrificing beside them. They were a man and a woman of ]urhum-Isaf
An'um of Tayyi' and the people of Jurash of Madh\lij adopted Yaghuth b. Baghy and Na'ila d. Dik-who were guilty of sexual relations in the
in Jurash.' (65)' Ka'ba and so God transformed them into t\VO stones.
Khaywan,' a clan of Hamdan, adopted Ya'uq in the land of Hamdan in 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr b. Muhammad b. 'Amr b. Hazm on the authority
the Yaman (66).
Dhii'I-Kala' of Himyar adoptcd Nasr in the Himyar country. e.tait 'Amm "beau-pere" appelle aussi 'Amman. Les gens de Qataban se Qualifiaient volon_
~~~rs "fils d~ '1~~m", "tribus ~~,'Amm". On conna~t I'epithete "Amm ra'yiin wasiibirum
53 Khaulan had an idol called 'Ammanas 8 in the Khaulan country. Accord- , Amm Ie crolssa,nt et gyrar:lt . , I O\V~. the followm~ references to the personal name
Ammu Anas to I rof. S. Smith: In Ma m: R.E.S., :1'\os. 2820, 2953, 2971; cf. No. 290I
1 Sura 12. J06. Hadramaut. A doubtful occurrence in 1'vIuseon, 'Inscriptions sud~arabes', No. 60 (Ryckmans).
2 While the whole of this section is vmrth comparing with I. al-Kalbj's K. al.Ajnam, this Saba: C:1S. NOS .. 13, 308, 4I4, 510, 5I1, 515. Cantineau in Rev. d'Assyr. xxiv, pp. 135-4 6
passage is important for the light it throws on I.I.'s sources. \Vhcre he writes yaz'umun There.Is an,ob-:lOusly parallel name, No. 1581. Safa: Dussaud et Maeler, Mission dans
I.K. says 'I was told by my father and others'. It seems clear that I.I. has borrowed from les ,.egtons ~esert%ques ,de la Syrie moyenne, 190J, No. I8J.' If the reading of C. and LK. is
I.K.'s statements. Where I.K. writes 'their gods' 1.1. says 'their idols', and his language retamed, \\cllhausen s pr~p.osal (Reste, 2J) to that effect is hardly sound, because it would
tends to follow that of the Quran. then b~ a personal, not a dlvme, name of the form 'Amminadab, the name borne by Aaron's
3 Sura 71. 23. .oj. e.g. 'Ahdu'I-'Uzza. father-m~law..Further examples from old Hebrew can be found in any lexicon. See further
5 A place near Yanbu'. 6 Jurash is a province in ,the Yarnan. Robertson Smith, R.S. 25 and D. S. :v1argoliouth, Relations between Arabs arid Israelites
7 Khfywan was a town two nights' journey from !;lan'a' on. the way to Mecca. ,!.K. goe3 London, 1.924; PP: 16 f. The best known example of the name 'Amm is in the compound
out of his way to say that he has never heard of any Arab USlOg the name of Ya uq or any Ammurabl (dlsgl~lsed under the forms Hammurabi and Khammurabi in most European
poetry about him. He thinks the reason is the influence of Judaism on Hamdan. I.H.'s works). Anas (ams?) 1 take to be a synonym of rahim. I S - 6
~ Th' J' b . ' ura . 137
citation should not be taken at its face value. IS P .arn was y the shore of Jidda; cf. Yaq. iii. 92. J Lit. 'blessing' baraka.
C. 'Ammianas. "Amm is a divine name met with all over Arabia. G. Ryckmans, Lu .oj. ,!,here IS a play on the words 'gathering' and 'dispersing' which is difficult to render in
&lit:itms arabes p,tislnmiques, Louvain, 1951, p. 4-3, writes: 'Le dieu lunaire qatabanite EnlJhsh.
38 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 39
of 'Amra d. 'Abdu'l-Rahman b. Sa'd b. Zurara that she said, 'I heard of Yathrib as followed their religion by the sea-shore in the direction of
~A.'isha say, "We always' heard that Isaf and Na'ila were a man and a al-Mushallal in Qudayd (72).'
woman of Jurham who copulated in the Ka'ba so God transformed them [Azr. i. 73 '~mr b. Lu'ayy set up Manat on the sea-shore near Qudayd.
into two stones." But God alone knows if this is the truth.' Azd and G hassan went on pdgnmage to it and revered it. When they had
Abu Talib said: made the compass of the Ka'ba and hastened from 'Arafat and completed
Where the pilgrims make their camels kneel the rites at Mina they did not shave their hair until they got to Manat, to
Where the waters flow from Isa'f and Na'ila. I whom they w~uld cry Labbayki. Those who did so did not go round
bet".:een al-:;>afa ~.nd al-Marwa to the place of the two idols Nahik Mujawid
Every household had an idol in their house which they used to worship. al-Rd.l and Mupm al-Tayr. This clan of the An~ar used to begin the
When a man was about to set out on a journey he would rub himself c~re~ony by hailIng Manat, and when they \vent on the great or little
against it as he was about to ride off: indeed that was the last thing he used pllgnmage they would not go under the shelter of a roof until they had
to do before his journey; and when he returned from his journey the first completed ~t. \\"hen ~ man was under taboo as a pilgrim (a~rama) he would
thing he did was to rub himself against it before he went in to his family. not .cnter. hIS house; If he needed something in it he would climb the wall
When God sent Muhammad with the message of monotheism Quraysh behmd hIS house so that the door should not cover his head. When Gbd
said: 'Would he make the gods into one God? That is indeed a strange brought Islam and destroyed the doings of paganism He sent down con-
proceeding!' . cern~ng tha.t: 'PletY,does not consist in entering your houses from the rear
Now along with the Ka'ba the Arabs had adopted Tawaghit, whIch were but m fear~ng God (2. 185). Manat belonged to al-Aus and al-Khazraj
temples which they venerated as they venerated the Ka 'ba. They had their and Ghassan of aI-Azd and such of the population of Yathrib and Syria
guardians and overseers and they used to make offerings to- them as they who follO\ved their relIgIOn. Manat was on the sea-shore in the neighbour-
55 did to the Ka<ba and to circumambulate them and sacrifice at them. Yet hood of al-Mushallal in Qudayd.]
they recognized the superiority of the Ka<ba because it was the temple and Dhu'I-Khala~a belonged to Daus, Khalh'am, and Bajila and the Arabs in 56
mosque of Abraham the friend (of God). theIr area m Tabala (73).' [Au. i. 73: 'Amr b. Lu'ayy set up al-Khalasa in
Quraysh and the B. Kinana had al-'Vzza in Nakhla, its guardians and the lower part of Mecca. They used to put necklaces on it, and bring gifts
overseers were the B. Shayban of Sulaym, allies of the B. Hashim (70). of barley and whe~t. They poured milk on it, sacrificed to it, and hung
An Arab poet said: ostnch eggs on It. Amr set up an image on al-:;>afa called Nahik Mujawid
Asma' was given as a dowry the head of a little red cow al-RI\!, and one on al-Manva called Mul'im al-Tayr.]
Which a man of the Banu Ghanm had sacrificed. Fals belonged to Tayyi' and those hard by in the two mountains of
He saw a blemish in her eye \vhen he led her away Tayyi', Salma and Aja' (74).
To al-'Vzza's slaughter-place' and divided her into goodly portions. I:Iim~..r and the Yamanites had a temple in ~an'a' called Ri'am (75).
R,:c;1a was a temple of B. Rabi'a b. Ka'b b. Sa'd b. Zayd Manat b.
Their practice when they sacrificed was to divide the victim among the Tamlm. AI-Mustaughlr b. Rabi'a b. Ka'b b. Sa'd when he destroyed it in
worshippers present. Ghabghab was the slaughter-place where the blood the time of Islam said:
was poured out (71).
[Azr. i. 74: 'Amr b. Lu'ayy put al-Tzza in Nakhla, and when they had I smashed Ruda' so completely that
finished their (lajj and the circumambulation of the Ka<ba they continued I left it a black ruin in a hollow (7 6).
to be under taboo until they came to al-'Uzza and had gone round it; there
they abandoned the pilgrim taboo and staycd a day beside it. It belonged Dhii'l-Ka'abat belonged to Bakr and Taghlib the two sons of Wa'il and 57
Iyad in Sindad.' Of it A'sha of B. Qays b. Tha'laba said:
to Khuza<a. All Quraysh and B. Kina-na used to venerate al-'Uzzii along
with Khuzii'a, and all Mu<;1ar. Her sMins who used to guard (bajab) her Between al-Khawarnaq4 and al-Sadir and Bariq
were B. Shayban of B. Sulaym, allies of B. Hashim. Cf. I.H. 839.] And the temple Dhii'I-Ka'abat 5 of Sindad (77).
Al-Lat belonged to Thaqif in Ta'if, her overseers and guardians being
B. Mu'attib' of Thaqif. 1 ~udayd is on the Rcd Sea ~etween Ya?bu' and Rabigh on the pilgrim route from
Medma to Mecca, and l\lushallalls a mountam overlooking it.
Manat was worshipped by al-Aus and al-Khazraj and such of the people 2 About seven nights' journey from Mecca.

3 The lower district of the sawiid of Kufa north of Najran.


1 The poem in which this line occurs is to be found in W. 173 v.i. + A f~mous palace which al-Nu<man of l;Iira is said to have built for Sapur.
2 Ghabghah. 3 AI-Kalbi says the B. <Itab b. Malik. 5 Or the fourMsquare temple'.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 41

THE BAl;IIRA, SA'IBA, WA$ILA, A!\'D l;IAMI Ki?ana had four sons: al-Na<.ir, Malik, 'Abdu Manat, and Milkiin.
Na<.ir s mother was Barra d. Murr b. Udd b. Tabikha b. al-Ya's b. Mudar;
The Ba\1ira is the filly of the Sa'iba: the Sa'iba is the she camel which gives the other sons were by another woman (83). "
birth to ten fillies without an intervening colt. She is set free, is never It IS said that Quraysh got their name from their gathering together after 61
ridden, her hair is not shorn, and only a guest is allowed to drink her milk. they had been separated, for gathering together may be expressed by
If she gives birth to a filly after that its ear is split and it is allowed to go its taqarrush. I
way with its mother, not ridden, hair unshorn, and only a guest may drink AI-Na<.ir b. Kinana had two sons, Malik and Yakhlud. Malik's mother
her milk as in the case of her mother. Such is the Ba\1ira, the filly of the was 'Atlka d. 'Ad;van b. 'Amr b. Qays b. 'Aylan, but I do not know whether
Sa'iba. The Wasila is an ewe which has ten twin ewes in successive births she was Yakhlud s mother or not (84).
without a male iamb intervening. She is made a Wa~Jla. They use the M~lik b. al-Na~r begat Fih: b. Malik, his mother being Jandala d.
expression wllfalat. Any ewes which she gives birth to after that belong to al-I:!anth b. Mu<.ia<.i al-Jurhuml (85). (To There Was war between Fihr T. lI02
the males, except that if one of them dies all share in eating it, both males and I:!assan b. 'Abdu K~lal b. Mathub Dhu I:!urath al-I:!imyari who had
and females (78). come from the Yarnan wIth the tribesmen meaning to take back to Yarnan
The J:Iami is a stallion who is the sire of ten successive fillies without an the stones of the Ka'ba so as to divert the pilgrimage to the Yarnan. He
intervening colt. His back is taboo and he is not ridden; his hair is not got as far as Nakhla, raided cattle, and closed the roads, but he was afraid
shorn and he is left to run among the camels to mount them. Beyond that to enter Mecca. \\Then Quraysh, Kinana, Khuzayma, Asad, and Judham
no use is made of him (79). and other unknown clem,euts of, Mu<;iar perceived this they marched against
58 When God sent his apostle Muhammad he revealed to him: 'God has them under the leadership of FIhr b. Malik. A sharp engagement followed
not made Ba1)Ira, or Sa'iba or \Va~I1a or J:lamI, but those who disbelieve In whIch _~lmyar were defeated, and ~assan was taken prisoner by Fihr's
invent a lie against God, though most of them do not know it: I And again: son_ al-I:!anth. Amo~g those kIlled m battle was his grandson Qays b.
'They say, What is in the wombs of these sheep is reserved for our males Ghabb b. FIhr. Bassan remamed a pnsoner for two years until he paid his
and prohibited to our wives; but if it is (born) dead they share in it. He rans,om. He was then released ~nd died on the way to the Yarnan.)
will repay them for such division, verily He is knowing and wise.'2 Again: Flhr begat four sons: GMhb, MU\1arib, al-l:Iarith r and Asad, their
'Say, have you considered what provision God has sent down to you and moth:rbemg Layla d. Sad b. Hudhayl b. Mudrika (86).
you have made some of it taboo and some of it permitted? Say, has God Gh:hb b. Flhr had two sons, Lu'ayy and Taym, their mother being 62
given you permission or do you invent lies against God ?'J And again: 'Of Salm~ d. 'Amr a~-Khuza'i. Taym were called the Banu'l-Adram (87).
the sheep two and of the goats two. Say, has He prohibited the t\yo males Lu ayy b. Ghallb had four sons: Ka'h, '.3.mir, Sarna, and 'Auf; the
or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Inform ~~ter of the first three was Mawiya d. Kab b. al-Qayn b. Jasr of Qu<.ia'a
me with knowledge if you speak the truth. And of the camels two and of
the cattle t\vo. Say, has He prohibited to you the tvm males or the two
females, or that which the wombs of the tvm females contain, or were you
witnesses when God enjoined this upon you? ,",Vho is more sinful than THE STORY OF SAMA
those who invent a lie against God to make men err without knowledge?
~am.a b. Lu:ayy went forth to 'Uman and remained there. It is said that
Verily God will not guide the wrong-doing people' (80).4
Amlr b. Lu ayy drove him out because there was a quarrel between them
and Sarna knocked out 'Amir's eye. In fear of 'Amir he went to 'Uman.
The story goes that while Sarna was riding on his she-camel she lowered
CONTINUATION OF THE GENEALOGIES s
I The text is at ~ault somew?ere. 1.1.'s comment follows naturally on what has gone
59
Khuzii'a say: We are the sons of 'Amr b. 'Amir from the Yaman (81). before, but has nothmg to do With what he is last reported as having written Th . 'fi
cant words are :al~Na<;ir is ~uraysh'.; but these are attributed to I.H. and neither~.S~~~lC~
60 Mudrika b. al-Ya's had two sons, Khuzayma and Hudhayl, their mother
being a woman of QuQ.a'a. Khuzayma had four sons: Kinana, Asad, Asada,
rt ke any mentIOn of a variant. r~adlflg qala bnu bbaq. We can at least be certain that What
h . h~d ~,o ~ell ~s ~bout the ongm of .'Qu:aysh' is.not to be found in the Sira as it stands,
t oug . a . makes another attempt In hiS quotation from the lost passages of I r They
and aI-Hun. Kinana's mother was 'Uwana d. Sa'd b. Qays b. <Aylan b. b
were named after Quraysh b. Badr b. Yakhlud b. al-l:Iiirith b. Yakhlud b. al~Nadr Kinanll
Mu<.iar (82). who was called Quraysh because he put to shame the B al """d, \\'h
th A b 'd 'T . ~.i''''
h""
enever t eyappeare
d
e ra.s Sal I he shame of Quraysh has come.' T. goes on (1104) to give the ri ht
1 Sura S. 102. 2 Sura 6. '40. J Silra 10. ()o. ,xldPla~b"'lon that ~he nam.e means 'shark'. Doubtless it is a totem name like so many of ~he
4 Sura 6. 144. 5. S Carrying on from p. 50 of W.'s text. o tn a names In Ara bIR.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 43
her head to graze and a snake seized her by the lip and forced her down- Nurra b. 'Auf b. Sa'd b. Dhubyiin b. Baghi<.l b. Rayth b. Ghalafiin. If this
wards until she feU on her side. Then the snake bit Sarna so that he died. genealogy is mentioned to them they themselves say, IWe do not deny or
The story goes that when Sarna felt death upon him he said: contest it; it is our most prized genealogy.'
Eye, weep for Sarna b. Lu'ayy. AI-I:Iarith b. ~alim b. Jadhima b. Yarbii'-one of B. Murra b. 'Auf-
The clinging snake has clung to Sama's leg.' when he fled from al-Nu'man b. al-Mundhir and clave to Quraysh said:
Never have I seen such a victim of a camel My tribe is not Thalaba b. Sad
As Sarna b. Lu'ayy when they came upon him. Nor Fazara the long-haired.
Send word to 'Amir and Kab, My tribe if you must ask is the Banii Lu'ayy.
That my soul yearneth for them. In Mecca they taught Mu<.lar to fight.
Though my home be in 'Uman We were foolish in following the Banii Baghi<.l
I am a Gh5.libi, I came forth not driven by poverty. And leaving our nextof-kin and family.
Many a cup hast thou spilt, a b. Lu'ayy, 'Twas the folly of the water-seeker who, his fill drunk,
For fear of death, which otherwise would not have been spilt. Throws a\vay the water and goes after a mirage.
Thou didst wish to avoid death, a b. Lu'ayy, 'Od's life if I had my way I should be with them
But none has power to avoid death. And not be found seeking pasture from place to place.
Many a camel silent on night journeys didst thou leave prostrate Z Rawal,1a the Qurayshite mounted me on his camel
After its prodigious exertion (8g). And sought no reward for it (go).
AI-I:Iueayn b. al-I:Iumam al-Murri, one of B. Sahm b. Murra, said, 65
refuting al-I:Iarith b. ~alim and claiming to belong to Ghalafiin:
THE MIGRATION OF 'AUF ll. LU'AYY
Lo, you are not of us and we have nought to do with you.
It is alleged that 'Auf b. Lu'ayy went out with a caravan of Quraysh as far We repudiate relationship with Lu'ayy b. Ghalib.
as the district of Ghalafan b. Sad b. Qays b. 'Aylan when he was left We dwell on the proud heights of al-I:Iijaz while you
behind and his tribesmen went on without him. Thalaba b. Sad (he Are in the verdant 1 plain between the two mountains,
64 being his brother according to the kindred reckoning of B. Dhubyan,
Tha'laba b. Sad b. Dhubyan b. Baghi<.l b. Rayth b. Gha,afan and 'Auf b. meaning Quraysh. Afterwards al-I:Iueayn repented of what he had said
Sa'd b. Dhubyan b. Baghi<.l b. Rayth b. Ghapfan) came to him, bound him and recognized the truth of the words of al-I:Iarith b. ~alim. He claimed
to himself, gave him a wife, and took him into his tribe as a blood-brother. to belong to Quraysh and, accusing himself of falsehood, he said:
His relationship became well known among B. Dhubyan. It was Tha'laba, I repent of what I said before:
they say, who said to 'Auf when he lagged behind and his tribe abandoned I realize that it was the speech of a liar.
him: Would that my tongue were in two,
Tether your camel by me, 0 Ibn Lu'ayy. Half of it dumb and the other half singing your praise.'
Your tribe has left you and you have no home. J OUf father a Kinani, in Mecca is his grave,

Muhammad b. Ja'far b. al-Zubayr, or it may have been Muhammad b. In the verdant I plain of al-Batl,1a' between the mountains.
'Abd al-Ra1)man b. 'Abdullah b. I:Iueayn, told me that 'Umar b. al-Khagab We own a fourth of the sanctuary as an inheritance
said: <If I were to claim to belong to any tribe of the Arabs or to want to And a fourth of the plains by the house of Ibn I:Ialib,
attach them to us I would claim to belong tn B. I\Turra h. 'Auf. \Ve know meaning that the B. Lu'ayy were four: Ka'b, 'A.mir. Sarna, and <Auf.
that among them there are men like ourselves. \Ve kno\v, too, where that A person whom I cannot suspect told me that 'Umar b. al-Khagab said
man went,' meaning <Auf b. Lu'ayy. In the genealogy of Gha!afan he is to men of B. Murra: <If you wish to return to your kindred do 50.'3
I So C. following al-Aghani. The tribe were nobles among Ghatafan; they were their chiefs and
:: The dour, plodding beast that treads on through the night without uttering a sound.
3 Reading manzil with Tab. and MS. D in W.'s numeration. This is the best MS. used
I Or 'contested'. Z Lit. 'in the course of the stars'.
by W., and it is strange that he should have abandoned it for the reading matrak 'ought not 3 The importance of the genealogical tables is bound up with the control of pay and
to be left' of the majority of inferior texts. However, the latter is supported by Mujar;/, pensions. It was 'Umar who ordered that registers should be compiled. See Sprenger,
p.IOI.
Dar Leben d. Mohammad, III, cxx if.
44 The Llfe of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 45
leaders. Of them were Harim b. Sinan b. Abu J:Iaritha b. Murra b. Nush- Weapon in either hand full of vigour he rode
ba; Kharija b. Sinan b. Abu J:Iaritha; al-J:Iarith b. 'Auf; al-J.lu~ayn b. al- Dismounting to fight the dismounted on foot;
l;Iurnam; and Hashim b. I:Iarmala of whom someone has said: Charging he carried the enemy's horsemen with him
Hashim b. J:Iarmala revived his father I As the swooping hawk carries the partridge in its claws '(95).
On the day of al-Haba'at and the day of al- yamal.' QUeayy b. Kiliib bad four sons and two daughters: 'Abdu Manaf,
You could see the kings slain beside him 'Abdu'I-Dar, 'Abdu'l-'Uzza, and 'Abdu Qu~ayy; and Takhmur and Barra.
As he slew the guilty and the innocent (91).3 Their mother was J:Iubba d. J:Iulayl b. J:Iabashiya b. Salul b. Ka'b b.
They were a people of a lively reputation among Ghatafan and Qays, 'Amr al-Khuza'i (96).
and they retained their relationship with them. Among them the practice 'Abdu Manaf whose name was al-Mughira b. Qu~ayy had four sons:
of Basi obtained. 4 Hashim, 'Abdu Shams, al-MuHalib, their mother being 'Atika d. Murra b.
66 According to reports Basl is the name given to eight months of the year Hilal b. Falij b. Dhakwan b. Thalaba b. Buhtha b. Sulaym b. Man~ur b.
which the Arabs unreservedly regard as sacred. During those months they 'Ikrima; and Naufal, whose mother was Waqida d. 'Amr al-Maziniya, i.e.
may go wherever they like without fear of violence. Zuhayr b. Abu Sulma Mazin b. Man~ur b. 'Ikrima (97).
said with reference to B. Murra (92):
Think! If they are not in al-Marurat in their dwellings
THE DIGGING OF THE WELL ZAMZAM 7'
Then they will be in Nakhl,5
A place where I have enjoyed their fellowship. While 'Abdu'I-MuHalib was sleeping in the sacred enclosure he had' a
If they are in neither then they will be at large during the Basi. vision in which he was ordered to dig Zamzam which is a depression
between the two idols of Quraysh, Isaf and Na'ila, at the slaughter-place of
He means that they will be travelling during the holy period.
Quraysh. Jurhum had filled it in at the time they left Mecca. It is the
al-A'sha of B. Qays b. Thalaba said:' well of Ishmael the son of Abraham where God gave him water when he
Is your woman guest to be taboo to us was thirsty as a little child. His mother went to seek water for him and
While our woman guest and her husband are open to you? could not find it, so she went up to al-i;>afa praying to God and imploring
aid for Ishmael; then she went to al-Marwa and did the same. God sent
67 Ka'b b. Lu'ayy had three sons: Murra, 'Adiy, and Hu!.'aYl?, their mother
Gabriel, who hollowed out a place in the earth with his heel where water
being Wal,1shiya d. Shayban b. Mul,1arib b. Fihr b. Malik b. Na9r. appeared. His mother heard the cries of \vild beasts which terrified her on
Murra b. Ka'b had three sons: Kilab, Taym, and Yaqaca. Kilab's his account, and she came hurrying towards him and found him scrabbling
mother was Hind d. Surayr b. Thalaba b. aI-J:Iiirith b. Fihr b. Malik b. with his hand at the water beneath his cheek the while he drank, and she
al-Na<;lr b. Kinana b. Khuzayma; Yaqa?a's mother \\'as al-Bariqiya, a
made him a small hole.'
woman of Bariq of the Asd of Yarn an. Some say she was the mother of
Taym; others say Taym's mother was Hind d. Surayr the mother of
Kilab (93).
JURHUM AND THE FILLING IN OF THE WELL ZAMZAM
KiHib b. Murra had two sons: Qu!.'ayy and Zuhra, their mother being
Fatima d. Sa'd b. Sayal one of n. Jadara of JU'thuma of al-Azd Qf Yaman The story of Jurhum, of their filling in Zarnzam, of their leaving Mecca,
allies of B. Dil b. Bakr b. 'Abdu Manat b. Kinana (94)' and of those who ruled Mecca after them until 'Abdu'l-Munalib dug Zam-
68 Of Sad b. Sayal the poet says: zalJ1, ~rdingto what Ziyad b. 'Abdullah al-Bakka'i told me on the
Never among men whom we know have we seen authority of Muhammed b. Isl,1aq al-Munalibi, is that when Ishmael the
A man like Sa'd b. Sayai. son of Abraham died, his son Nabit was in charge of the temple as long as
God willed, then it was in charge of MU9a9 b. 'Amr a1-Jurhumi (98). The
I He brought him to life as it were by taking revenge on his slayers.
2 Two famous battles. 3 i.e. he was not afraid of incurring a blood feud.
sons of Ishmael and the sons of Nabit were with their grandfather MU9a9
-4 I have removed the chapter heading' The Basl' because it is a mere paragraph interpo b, 'Amr and their maternal uncles of Jurhum-Jurhum and Qa!ura' who
lated in the genealogy which has no heading to indicate where it is resumed. were cousins being at that time the people of Mecca. They had come forth
5 Either a place in Nejd, belonging to Ghatafan, or a plaee two nights' journey from
Medina. Sharb Diu'an Zuhayr, Cairo, 1944, IOO. from the Yaman and travelled together and MU9a9 was over Jurhum and
6 ed. Geyer, p. 123, I. 14. I The narrative is continued on p. 9I.
46 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 47
Samayda', one of their men, over Qatlir1i'. \Vhcn they left the Yarnan, they to th: Ka'ba s~ that their authority weakened. When B. Bakr b. 'Abdu
refused to go unless they had a king to order their affairs. \Vhen they came Manat b. Kmana and Ghubshan of Khuza'a perceived that they came
72, to Mecca they saw a town blessed with water and trees and, delighted with ~ogether to ?o battle and drive them out of Mecca. War was declared and
it, they settled there. Mu<;la4 b. 'Amr with the men of Jurhum settled in In the fightmg B. Bakr and Ghubshan got the upper hand and expelled
the upper part of Mecca in Qu'ayqi'an and went no farther. Samayda' ~h.em .from Mecca. N?w. 111, the tIme of paganism l\1ecca did not tolerate
with Qatura' settled in the Imver part of IVIecca in Ajyad the lower part of IllJustice ar: d wrong wlth~n lts borders and if anyone did wrong therein it
Mecca, and went no farther. 1\lu<;Hi<;l used to take a tithe from those who expelled hIm; therefore zt was called 'the Scorcher' , , and any ki ng w h 0
f"
entered Mecca from above, while Samayda' did the same to those who came to pro an~ Its sanctIty died on the spot. It is said that it was called
entered from below. Each 'kept to his o\vn people, neither entering the ~akka hecause It ~sed to break' the necks of tyrants when they introduced
other's territory. mnovatzons therem (99).
Then Jurhum and Qatura' quarrelled and contended for the supremacy 'Am~ b. al-I:Iarith b. Mugag al-Jurhami brought out the two gazelles of
in Mecca' at that time l\1udad had with him the sons of Ishmael and Nabit, th~ Ka ba and the corner-stone and buried them in the well Z
.h h arnzam.
and he had the oversight or'the temple as against Samayda '. They went out go!ng away WIt t e men of J urhum to the Yaman. They were bitterly
to fight each other, Mu(;Hiq from Qu'aygi'an with his horsemen making for grIeved at losmg the kmgship of Mecca, and the above-named 'Amr said:
Samayda' equipped with spears, leather shields, swords and quivers,
rattling as they charged. It is said that Qu'ayqi'an was so named for that Many a woman crying bitterly,
reason. Samayda' went out from Ajyad with horse and foot, and it is said "!i~reyes swollen with weeping, said
Ajyad got its name from the fine horses (jl~viid) that formed Samayda's T,s as though between al-I:IajLin' and al-:;>afa there was
f
cavalry. I The t\\'o parties met in F5qiry, and after a severe battle Samayda No frIend and none to beguile the night's long hours,in Mecca.
was killed and QaNrii' humiliated. It is said that the name Faqil.1 was given I SaId to her, whzle my heart within me palpitated
for this reason. Then the people clamoured for peace and went on until !'s though a bIrd fluttered between my ribs:
they reached al-l\1ap.bikh, a ravine above l\lecca; there they made peace Of a surety we were its people,
and surrendered authority to l\lm)8.<). \Vhen he \vas in power and held And grievous misfortunes have brought us to nought;
sovereignty he slaughtered beasts for the pcoplc and gave them as f~od. We were the lords of the temple after Nabit
The people cooked and ate, and that is why the place is called l\1a~ablkh. We used to go round the temple '
Some learned people allege that thc name was given because Tubba' had Our prosperity plain to see.
slaughtered there and given the food away and it was his base. The dispute We were in charge of the temple after Nabit in glory
7+
between MU(.la<;l and Samayda' was the first open wrong committed in And the man of plenty did not count with us.
Mecca, at least so some allege. We reIgned in power, how great was our rule!
Then God multiplied the offspring of Ishmael in l\'lccca and their uncles No other tribe there could boast.
from Jurhum were rulers of the temple and judges in l\lecca. The sons of Did you not marry a daughter to the best man I know I'
Ishmael did not dispute their authority !wcause of their tics of kindred and HIS sons are ours, we being brothers by marriage.'
their respect for the sanctuary lest there should he quarrelling or fighting If the world turned against us
therein. 'Vhen l\1ecca became too confined for the sons of Ishm3c1 they The world ever brings painful changes.
srread abroad in the land, and whenever they had to fight a people, God God 5 drove us out by force; thus, a
men,
gave them the victory through their religion and they subdued them. Does destiny pursue its way.
,I say when the carefree sleep, and I do not sleep,
Lord of the throne, let not Suhayl and 'Amir perish!'
THE TRIBES OF KINAKA AND KIlUZA'A GET POSSESSION I was forced to look upon faces I do not like:
73
OF THE TEMPLE AND EXPEL JUHHUM The tribes of I:Iimyar and Yuhabir.
We b~came a legend ~fter having been in prosperity.
Afterwards Jurhum behaved high-handedly in l\Ilccca and made lawful That IS what the passmg years did to us.
that which was taboo. Those who entered the town \vho were not of their
trihe they treated badly and they appropriated gifts which had been made I al-Nassa.
2 From the verb bakka, he broke.
3 A mountain above .l\lecca. '1- i.c, Ishmael.
I The Cairo editors rightly reject this etymology: a;"yad i~ tht, plural offfd, neck. 5 al-maHk presumably refers to the divine King.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 49
The tears flow, weeping for a town at that time was a grown man and stayed behind, while Qu~ayy had just
Wherein is a sure sanctuary and the sacred places. been weaned.) Rabl'a took Fatima away to his land and she carried Qu~ayy
Weeping for a temple whose doves unharmed, with her, and subsequently gave birth to Riza~. When Qu~ayy reached
Dwell safely there, with flocks of sparrows. man's estate he came to Mecca and dwelt there.
Wild creatures there are tame, unharried, Thus it was that when his people asked him to join them in the War he
But leaving its sanctuary are hunted freely (100). wrote to his brother Riza~, who shared the same mother, asking him to
come and support him. Thereupon Riza~ set out accompanied by his half-
fAmr b. al-Harith, remembering Bakr and Ghubshan and the townsmen . brothers l;lunn, Ma~miid, and Julhuma, all sons of Rabi'a but not by
of Mecca whom they had left behind there, said also: Fatima, together with a number of Quga'a among the Arab pilgrims, having 76
agreed to support Qu~ayy.
Journey forth, 0 men; the time will come Khuza'a allege that l;lulayl b. l;lubshiya had enjoined this on Qu~ayy
When one day you will not be able to leave. when he saw how his daughter's children had multiplied, saying: 'You
Hasten your beasts and loosen their reins, have a better right to the Ka'ba and to rule in Mecca than Khuza'a', so that
Before death comes; and do what you must do. this was the reason wh)" Qu~ayy acted as he did. But this is a st~xy which
We were men like you; fate changed us we have not heard from any other source, and only God knows the truth.
And you will be as we once were (101). (T. When the people had assembled in Mecca and gone to the mauqij,
completed the I;ajj and come down to Mina, Qu~ayy assembled his posses-
sions and his followers from his own tribe of Quraysh, the B. Kinana, and
such of the Quga'a as were with him, there only remained the ceremony of
THE DESPOTISM OF KHUzA fAIN THEIR CUSTODY OF
75 dismissa!.) ,
THE TEMPLE

Then Ghubshan of Khuza'a controlled the temple instead of B. Bakr b.


'Abd Manat the man who was controlling it being 'Amr b. al-I;larith al- AL-GHAUTH'S AUTHORITY OVER MEN ON PILGRIMAGE
Ghubshani. , Quraysh at that time "vere in scattered settlements, an d tents '
dispersed among their people, B. Kina-na. So Khuza'a possessed the te~ple, Al-Ghauth b. Murr b. Udd b. al-Ya's b. Mugar used to give permission'
passing it on from son to son until the last of them, l;lulayl b.l;labashlya b. to men on pilgrimage to leave 'Arafa, and this function descended to his
Saliil b. Ka'b b. 'Amr al-Khuza'I (102). children after him. He and his sons used to be called $iifa.' AI-Ghauth
used to exercise this function because his mother was a woman of Jurhum
who had been barren and vowed to Allah that if she bore a son she would
give him to the Ka'ba as a slave to serve it and to look after it. In course of
THE MARRIAGE OF QU$A YY B. KILAB WITH I.I UBBA time she gave birth to al-Ghauth and he used to look after the Ka'ba in
DAUGHTER OF I;lULAYL early times with his Jurhum uncles and presided over the order of departure
from 'Arafa because of the office which he held in the Ka'ba. His sons
Qu~ayy b. Kilab asked l;lulayl b.l;lubshiya for h~s daughter_l;l~bba. l;lul':l'l carried on the practice until they were cut off.
agreed and gave her to him and she bare hIm Abd aI-Dar, Abd Manaf,
Abdu'I-'Uzza, and 'Abd. By the time that the children of Qu~ayy had 1 T. 1095. I~-15. The narrative goes on with the words: '!;iUfa used to send the people
away'-W. 76. 17.
spread abroad and increased in wealth a~d reputat~on~ulayl dIed. ,~ow Z 'It seems possible that the Ijeiza or "permission", i.e. the word of command that termie
Qu~ayy thought that he had a better claIm than h.huza a and B. Bakr to nates the wocuf, was originally the permission to fall upon the slaughtered victims. In the
control the Ka'ba and I\1ecca, and that Qura;ysh were the nobl:st off- Meccan pilgrimage the Ijaza which terminated the wocuf at 'Arata was the signal for a hot
race to the neighbouring sanctuary of Mozdalifa, where the sacred fire of the god Cozal;t
spring of Ishmael b. Abraham and the purest. descendants of hIS so~~. burned; it was, in fact, not so much the pennission too leave 'Arafa as to draw near to Cozal;t.
He spoke to Quraysh and B. Kinana askmg them to dnve out Khuza a The race itselfis called Ifi4la, which may mean "dispersion" or"distribution". It cannot well
mean the former, for 'Arafa is not holy ground, but merely the point of assemblage just
and B. Bakr from Mecca and they agreed to do so. outside the l:Iaram at which the ceremonies began, and the atation at 'Arafa is only the
Now Rabj'a b. Uaram of 'Udhra b. Sa'd b. Layd had come to Mecca preparation for the vigil at Mozdalifa. On the other hand, if the meaning is "distribution"
after the dcath of Kilab and had married Fatima d. Sa'd b. Saya!. (Zuhra the Ifti9a answers to the rush of Nilus's Saracens to partake of the sacrifice! W.R.S., R.S.
341 f. Cf. WeBh. 82; Gaudefroy-Demombynes, :160.
I Or 'houses'. 3 The meaning of this name is obscure.

B '080 E
50 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 5'
Murr b. Udd, referring to the fulfilment of the mother's oath, said: Some acted urtlawfully against others
And some spared not others.
o Lord, I have made one of my sons Some of them were princes
A devotee in Mecca the exalted. Who faithfully met their obligations.
So bless me for the vow fulfilled, Some used to give men the parting signal
And make him the best of creatures to my credit.
By custom and divine command.
AI-Ghauth, so they allege, used to say when he sent the people away: Of them was a judge who gave decisions
o God I am following the example of others. And his verdict was never annulled.
If that is wrong the fault is Qu<;lij'a's. Since the permission to depart from Muzdalifa was with rAdwan, as 78
Yahyii b. 'Abbiid b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr from his father 'Abbadsaid: Ziyiid b. 'Abdullah al-Bakka'i told me on the authority of Muhammad b.
Sufa ~sed to send the people away from 'Arafa and give them p~rmlsslOn Isl,1iiq, they used to pass it on from father to son until the last of them when
io depart when they left Mina. When the day of departure arrIved they Islam came, Abu Sayyara 'Umayla b. al-A'zal, about whom a certain poet
used to come to throw pebbles, and a man of $iifa used to throw fo: the said:
men, none throwing until he had thrown. Those who had urgent bUSlfi:SS We have defended Abu Sayyara
77 used to come and say to him: I Get up and throw so that we may thro~ wIth And his clients the Banu Faziira
you,' and he would say, 'No, by God, not until the sun goes ,down; and Until he made his ass pass through safely
those who wanted to leave quickly used to throw stones at h,m to hurry As he faced Mecca praying to its Guardian.
him, saying, 'Confound you, get up and throw.' But he. refu""d untl1 the Abu Sayyiira used to send away the people while sitting upon a she ass of
sun went down and then he would get up and throw wh,le the men threw his; that is why he says 'making his ass pass safely','
stones with him. . _ _
When they had finished the stoning and wanted to leav~ Mma, !;lufa held
both sides of the hill and kept the men back. They said: G,ve :he order to
fA.MIR B. ZARIB B. 'AMR B. rIYADH B. YASHKUR B. 'ADWAN
depart, SMa.' No one left until they had gone first. When !;lufa left and
had pass~d on, men were left to go their own way and followed them.. Th,s His words 'a judge who gave decisions' refers to the above-named. The
was the practice until they were cut off. After them t~e next of _kin m- Arabs used to refer every serious and difficult case to him for decision and
herited. They were of B. Sad in the famtly of i?afwan. b.al-I:Ianth b. would accept his verdict. Once it happened that a case in dispute in
Shijna ( 10 3)' It was !;lafwiin who gave permission to the pl1gnms to depart reference to a hermaphrodite was brought to him. They said, 'Are we to
from lArafa, and this right was mamtamed by them up to Islam, the last treat it as a man or a woman?' They had never brought him such a difficult
being Karib b. !;lafwan. _ . matter before, so he said, 'Wait awhile until I have looked into the matter,
Aus b. Tamim b. Maghrii' al-Sa'd, Said: for by Allah you have never brought me a question like this before.' So
The pilgrims do not quit their halting-place at 'Ar~fa, they agreed to wait, and he passed a sleepless night turning the matter over
Until it is said, 'Give permission 0 family of ~afwan. and looking at it from all sides without any result. Now he had a slave-girl
Sukhayla who used to pasture his flock. It was his habit to tease her when
she went out in the morning by saying sarcastically, 'You're early this
rADWAN AND THE DEPARTURE CEREMONY AT
morning, Sukhayla'; and when she returned at night he would say, 'You're
late to-night; Sukhayla,' because she had gone out late in the morning and
MUZDALIFA
come back late in the evening after the others. Now when this girl saw that
Hurthan b. 'Amr the I Adwanite who was called Dhu'l-I!}ba' because he he could not sleep and tossed about on his bed she asked what his trouble
had a finger missing said: was. 'Get out and leave me alone, for it is none of your business,' he
Bring an excuse for the tribe of Adw3.n.
I retorted. However, she was so persistent that he said to himself that it
They were the serpents of the earth.' might be that she would provide him with some solution of his problem, so
he said: 'Well then, I was aaked to adjudicate on the inheritance of a
t i.e. 'for what they ~ve done the one to the oth,~r'. They were rent by civil W'Ilr. Sec
Cauuin de Perceval, Essai sur l'mstoire des Arabes, 11. 262. I In this section the work of I.I. and LH. are not clearly distinguished. Probably the
:I i.e. 'cunning and treachero,us. first poem comes from the fanner and the comments from the latter.
52 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 53
79 hermaphrodite. Am I to make him a man or a woman I' By God I do not B. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy to assume kingship and to be obeyed by his people as
know what to do and I can see no way out.' She said, 'Good God, merely king. He held the keys of the temple, the right to water the pilgrims from
follow the course of the urinatory process.' 'Be as late as you please hence- the well of Zarnzam, to feed the pilgrims, to preside at assemblies, and to
forth Sukhayla' you have solved my problem,' said he. Then in the morn- hand out the war banners. In his hands lay all the dignities of Mecca; he
ing he went ou~ to the people and gave his decision in the way she had divided the town into quarters among his people and he settled all the
Quraysh into their houses in Mecca which they held.
indicated. People assert that the Quraysh were afraid to cut down the trees of the
sanctuary in their quarters, but Qu!?ayy cut them down with his own hand
HOW QU~AYY B. KILAB GAINED POWER IN MECCA;
or through his assistants. Quraysh called him the 'uniter' because he had
brought them together and they drew a happy omen from his rule. So far
HOW HE UNITED QURAYSH AND THE HELP WHICH
as Q~raysh wt:Te concerned no woman was given in marriage, no man
QUJ;>A'A GAVE HIM
marrIed, no discussion about public affairs was held, and no banner
In that year f?ufa behaved as they were accustomed. The Arabs had bor~e of war was entrusted to anyone except in his house, where one of his sons
them patiently since they felt it a duty in the time of Jurhum and Khu2a a would hand it over. When a girl reached marriageable age she had to come
when they were in authority. Qu!?ayy came to them wl~h hl~ tnbesmen to his house to put on her shift. The shift was split over her head in his
from Quraysh and Kinana and Qurja'a at al-'Aqaba saymg, We hav~ a house, then she put it on and was taken away to her people. I His authority
better right to this authority than you.' (T. They dIsputed one. wI:h among the Quraysh during his life and after his death was like a religious
another and they tried to kill him.) Severe .fightmg followed resultmg 10 law which could not be infringed. He chose for himself the house of meet-
the defeat of f?ufa, and Qu~ayy assumed theIr authonty. . ing and made a door which led to the mosque of the Ka'ba; in it the
Thereupon Khu2a'a and B. Bakr withdrew from .ou~ayy knowmg that Ouraysh used to settle their affairs (105)'
he would impose the same restrictions on them as $ufa had done and that 'Abdu'l-Malik b. Rashid told me that his father said that he heard al-
he would come between them and the Ka'ba and the rule of Me~ca. When Sa'ib b. Khabbab, author of al-Maqfiira, reporting that he heard a man 81
they had withdrawn, Qu~ayyshowed his host~lity ~nd gathered hIS forces_:o telling 'Umar b. al-Khallab when he was caliph the story of Qu~ayy, how
fight them. (T. His brother RizaJ:1 b. Rabi a wIth hIS men from Qurja a he united .Quraysh and expelled Khuza'a and B. Bakr from Mecca, and
stood with hi~.) Khuzii'a and B. Bakr came out against him and a sev~re how he gamed control of the temple and the affairs of Mecca. Umar made
battle took place in the valley of Mecca and both parties suffered heavtly. no attempt to gainsay him. (To Qu~ayy's authority in Mecca, where he
Thereupon they agreed to make peace and that one of the Arabs should enjO-yed great esteem, remained uncontested. He left the pilgrimage un~
arbitrate between them. They appointed as umpire ya'mar b: 'Auf ,b. changed because he deemed it a religious taboo. The Sufa continued,
Ka'b b. 'Amir b. Layth b. Bakr b. 'Abdu Manat b. Kmana. HIS verdlet until they were cut off, in the family of f?afwan b. al-I;Iarith b. Shijna by
was that Qu~ayy had a better claim to the Ka'ba and to rule Mecca than right of inheritance. 'Adwan, the Nas'a of B. Malik b. Kinana, and Murra
Khuza'a and that all blood shed by Qu~ayy was to be cancelled and com- b. 'Auf continued as before until Islam came and God destroyed all these
80 pensation disregarded, but Khuza'a and B. Bakr must pay bloodwlt for the offices.)
men of Quraysh, Kinana, and Qurja' a whom they had kIlled a~d that When Qu~ayy's war was over his brother Riza\t b. Rabi'a went away to
Qusayy should be given a free hand with (he Ka'ba and Mecca. Ya mar b. his own land with his countrymen. Concerning his response to Qu~ayy he
'A';f was immediately called al-Shaddakh because he had cancelled the composed the following poem:
claim to bloodwit and remitted it ( 10 4)' When a messenger came from Qu~ayy
Thus Qu~ayy gained authority over the temple and Mecca and brought And said 'Respond to your friend's request,'
in his people from their dwellings to Mecca. He behaved as a king over We sprang to his aid leading our horses,
his tribe and the people of Mecca, and so they made hIm klllg; but he Casting from us the half-hearted and slow-moving.
had guaranteed to the Arabs their customary rights because he felt We rode all night until the dawn
that it was a duty upon himself which he had not the nght to alter. Thus Hiding ourselves by day lest we should be attacked.
he confirmed the family of f;)afwan and 'Adwan and the mtercalators ~nd Our steeds were swift as grouse hurrying to water
Murra b. 'Auf in their customary rights which obtamed unttl the comlllg Bringing our answer to the call of Qu~ayy.
of Islam when God put an end thereby to them all. Qu~ayy was the first of I The dir< was 8 large piece of cloth. Normally a woman cuts an opening through which
1 The point was important because a male received double as much as a female. ahe can put her head. She then adds sleeves and sews up the two sides.
54 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 55
We collected tribesmen from Sirr and the two Ashmadhs' Mine is' the valley as Ma'add knows,
From every tribe a clan. Its Marwa I delight in,
What a fine force of cavalry that night, I should not have conquered had not
More than a thousand, swift, smooth-paced! The sons of Qaydhar and NabIt settled there.
When they passed by al-'Asjad Riziil) was my helper and through him I am great,
And took the easy road from Mustaniikh I fear no injustice as long as I live.
And passed by the edge of Wariqan
When Rizal) was established in his country God increased him and
And passed by al-'Arj, a tribe encamped there,
!:Iunn in numbers. (They are the two tribes of 'Udhra today.) Now when
They passed by the thombushes without cropping them,'
he came to his country there had been a matter in dispute between Riz~
Running hard the livelong night from Marr.
on the one hand and N ahd b. Zayd and !:Iautaka b. Aslum on the other,
We brought the colts near their mothers
they being two clans of Quc)a'a. He put them in fear so that they clave to
That their neighing might lYe gentle, the Yarnan and left the Q1.l(~a'a country and remain in the Yarnan to this
And when we came to Mecca We day. Now Qu.ayy was well disposed to Quc)a'a and wanted them to in-
Subdued the men tribe by tribe. crease and be united in their land because of his kinship with Rizal;. and
We smote them there with the edge of the sword
because of their goodwill to him when they responded to his appeal for
And with every stroke we deprived them of their wits.
help. He disliked what Rizal) had done to them and said:
We trod them down with our horses' hooves
As the strong tread down the weak and helpless. Who will tell Rizii\1 from me
We killed Khuza'a in their homeland That I blame him on two accounts,
And Bakr we killed group by group. I blame you for the BanG Nahd b. Zayd
We drove them from God's land, Because you drove a wedge between them and me,
We would not let them possess a fertile country. And for !:Iautaka b. Aslum; of a truth
We kept them bound in iron fetters.' He who treats them badly has badly treated me (106),
On every tribe we quenched our vengeance.
When Qu.ayy grew old and feeble, he spoke to 'Abdu'I-Dar. He was
8. Tha'laba b. 'Abdullah b. Dhubyan b. al-!:Iarith b. Sad Hudhaym al- hislirst born but (To they say he was weak) 'Abdu Manaf had become
Qw;lafi said concerning Qu~ayy's invitation and their response: famous during his father's lifetime and done all that had to be done along
with 'Abdu'I'Uzza and 'Abd. He said: 'By God, my son I will put you on a
We urged on our slender high-stepping horses par with the others; though they have a greater reputation than yours; none
From the sandhills, the sandhills of al-Jinab of them shall enter the Ka 'ba until you open it for them; none shall give
To the lowlands of Tihama, and we met our foe the Quraysh the war banner but you with your own hand; none shall drink
In a barren depression of a desert. in Mecca except you allow it; and no pilgrim shall eat food unless you
As for SGfa the effeminate, provide it; and Quraysh shall not decide any matter except in your house.'
They f~rsook their dwellings in fear of the sword. He gave him his house, it being the only place where Quraysh could settle
But the sons of 'Ali when they saw us their affairs, and he gave him the formal rights mentioned above.
Leaped to their swords like camels that yearn for home. The Rifada was a tax which Quraysh used to pay from their property to
Qu.ayy at every festival. With it he used to provide food for the pilgrims
Qu~ayy b. Kiliib said: who were unable to afford their own provisions. Qu!}ayy had laid this as a
I am the son of the protectors, the B. Lu'ayy, duty upon Quraysh, saying: 'You are God's neighbours, the people of his
In Mecca is my home where I grew up. temple and sanctuary. The pilgrims are God's guests and the visitors to
His temple and have the highest claim on your generosity; so provide food
I It is disputed whether these are two tribes or two mountains between Medina and and drink for them during the pilgrimage until they depart out of your
Khaybar. territory.' Accordingly they used to pay him every year a tax on their
: The reading is uncertain; 'they passed by water without tasting it', as some MSS. pro-
pose, is improbable.
flocks and he used to provide food for the people therefrom, while thev
:J It seem. improbable that 8uch a rare and valuable metal would be used for such a pur-
I Reading u'a~li with Azr. i. 60 for ita in I.I.
pose at thia date.
56 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 57
were at Mina, and his people carried out this order of his during the time rubbed their hands on the Ka'ba strengthening the solemnity of the oath.
of ignorance until Islam came. To this very day it is the food which the For this reason they were called the Scented Ones.
sultan provides every year in Mina until the pilgrimage is over. The other side took a similar oath at the Ka'ba and they were called the
My father Isl;1aq b. Yasar from al-I:Jasan b. Muhammad b. 'AlI b. Abu Confederates. Then the tribes formed groups and linked up one with
Talib told me about this affair of Qu~ayy's and what he said to 'Abdu'I-Dar another. The B. 'Abdu Manaf were ranged against B. Sahm; B. Asad
concerning the transfer of his power to him in these words, 'I heard him against B. 'Abdu'l-Dar; Zuhra against B. Jumal;1; B. Tayrn against B.
saying this to a man of B. 'Abdu'I-Dar called Nubaih b. Wahb b. 'Amir b. Makhzum; and B. al-I:Jarith against 'Adiyy b. Ka'b. They ordered that
84 'Ikrima b. 'Amir b. Hashim b. 'Abdu Manaf b. 'Abdu'l-Dar b. Qu~ayy.' each tribe should exterminate the opposing units.
al-I:Jasan said: 'Qu~ayy gave him all the authority that he had over his When the people had thus decided on war, suddenly they demanded
people. QUllayy was never contradicted nor was any measure of his over- peace on the condition that B. 'Abdu Manaf should be given the rights of
thrown.' watering the pilgrims and collecting the tax; and that access to the Ka'ba,
the standard of war, and the assembly house, should belong to the'Abdu'l-
Dar as before. The arrangement commended itself to both sides and was
THE RIFT IN QURAYSH AFTER QU~AYY AND THE carried out, and so war was prevented. This was the state of affairs until
CONFEDERACY OF THE SCENTED ONES God brought Islam, when the apostle of God said, 'Wh.tever alliance there
was in the days of ignorance Islam strengthens it.'
After the death of Qu~ayy his sons assumed his authority over the people
and marked out Mecca in quarters, after he had allotted space there for his
own tribe. They allotted quarters among their people and among other THE CONFEDERACY OF THE FUI?UL'
allies, and sold them. Quraysh took part in this with them without any
discord or dispute. Then the sons of 'Abdu Manaf-'Abdu Shams and Ziyad b. 'Abdullah al-Bolla'i related to me the following as from Ibn
Hashim and al-Mugalib and Naufal-agreed to seize the rights that the Isl;1aq: The tribes of Quraysh decided to make a covenant and assembled
sons of 'Abdu'l-Dar possessed which Qu~ayy had given to 'Abdu'l-Dar for that purpose in the house of 'Abdullah b. Jud'an b. 'Amr b. Ka'b b.
himself, namely those mentioned above. They considered that they had a Sa'd b. Taym b. Murra b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy because of his seniority and the
better right to them because of their superiority and their position among high reputation he enjoyed. Those party to the agreement with him were
their people. This caused dissension among Quraysh, one section siding B. Hashim, B. 'I-Mullalib, Asad b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza, Zuhra b. Kilab, and
with B. 'Abdu Maniif, and the other with B. 'Abdu'l-Dar. The former Taym b. Murra. They bound themselves by a solemn agreement that if
held that the new claimants had a better right; the latter that rights which they found that anyone, either a native of Mecca or an outsider, had 86
Qu~ayy h.d given to one branch should not be taken away from them. been wronged they would take his part against the aggressor and see that
The leader of B. 'Abdu Manaf was 'Abdu Shams, because he was the the stolen property was restored to him. Quraysh called that confederacy
eldest son of his father; and the leader of B. 'Abdu'I-Dar was 'Amir b. 'The Confederacy of the Fu<;!ul'.
Hashim b. 'Abdu Maniifb. 'Abdu'l-Dar. The B. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b. Muhammad b. Zayd b. al-Muhajir b. Qunfudh al-Taymi told me that he
Qu,ayy and B. Zuhra b. Kilab and B. Taym b. Murra b. Ka'b and B. al- heard Tall;1a b. 'Abdullah b. 'Auf al-Zuhri say: The apostle of God said,
Harith b. Fihr b. Malik b. al-Na<;!r were with B. 'Abdu Manaf, while with 'I witnessed in the house of 'Abdullah b. Jud'an a covenant which I would
B. 'Abdu'I-Dar were B. Makhzum b. Yaqa?a b. Murra, and B. Sahm b. not exchange for any number of fine camels: if I were invited to take part
'Amr b. Hu~an b. Ka'b and B. Jumal;1 b. 'Amr b. Hu~alj b. Ka'b and in it during Islam I should do so.'
B. 'Adiyy b. Ka'b. The men who remained neutral were 'Amir b. Lu'ayy Yazid b. 'Abdullah b. Usama b. al-Hadi al-Laythi told me that Muham-
and Mul;1iirib. b. Fihr, mad b. Ibrahim b. a1-I:Jarith al-Taymi told him that there was a dispute
85 They all made a firm agreement that they would not abandon one between al-I:Jusayn b. 'Ali b. Abu Talib and al-Walid b. 'Utba b. Abu
another and would not betray one another as long as the sea wetted sea- Sufyan about some property they held in Dhu'l-Marwa. At that time al-
weed. The B. 'Abdu Maniif brought out a bowl full of scent (they assert Walid was governor of Medina, his uncle, Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan having
that some of the women of the tribe brought it out to them) and they put given him the appointment. AI-Walid had defrauded al-I:Jusayn of his
it for their allies in the mosque' beside the Ka'ba; then they dipped their I Fu4111 is explained as meaning that the confederates did not allow wrongdoers to retain
hand. into it and they and their .Ilies took .olemn oath. Then they any stolen property. Fu4ul sometimes means 'remains of spoil'. Another and somewhat
far~fetched explanation is that this covenant was modelled on an older covenant of the same
1 Thi. ill Dot an anachrom.m. See E.l., art. 'Masdjid'. character in which three men each with the name of Fa41 took part.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 59
rights, for as governor he had the power to do so. l;Iusayn said to him: 'By travelling with his merchandise, and al-MU\lalib b. 'Abdu Manaf assumed
God you shall do me justice or I will take my sword and stand in the the right of feeding and watering the pilgrims. He was younger than 'Abdu
apostle's mosque and invoke the confederacy of the 1'u4ul l' 'Abdullah b. Shams and Hashim. He was held in high esteem among his people, who 88
al-Zubayr who was with al-Walid at the time said: 'And I swear by God called him al-1'ay4 on account of his liberality and high character.
that if he invokes it I will take my sword and stand with him until he gets Hashim had gone to Medina and married Salma d. 'Amr, one of B.
justice, or we will die together.' ""'hen the news reached al-Miswar b. 'Adiyy b. aI-Najjar. Before that she had been married to U!)ay!)a b. aI-
Makhrama b. Naufal al-Zuhrl and 'Abdu'l-Ra!)man b. 'Uthman b. 'Ubay- Jula!) b. aI-Barish b. Ja!)jaba b. Kulfa b, 'Auf b. 'Amr b. 'Auf b. Malik b.
dullah al-Tayml they said the same. As soon as he realized what was hap- al-Aus and bore him a son called 'Amr. On account of the high position
pening al-Walid gave al-I:Iusayn satisfaction. she held among her people she would only marry on condition that she
This same Yazid, on the same authority, told me that Muhammad b. should retain control of her own affairs. If she disliked a man she left him.
Jubayr b. Mu!,im b. 'Adlyy b. Naufal b. 'Abdu Mana[, who was the most To Hashim she bore 'Abdu'l-MU\lalib and called his name Shayba.
learned of the Quraysh, met 'Abdu'I-Malik b. Marwan b. al-J:lakam when Hashim left him with her while he was a little boy. Then his uncle al-
he had killed Ibn al-Zubayr and the people had gathered against 'Abdu'l- MU\lalib came to take him away and bring him up among his people in his
87 Malik. When he went in to see him he said: '0 Abu Sa'id, were not we and town. But Salma declined to let him go with him. His uncle argued that
you-meaning B. 'Abdu Shams b. Abdu Mana[ and B. Naufal b. 'Abdu his nephew was now old enough to travel and was as an exile away from
Manaf-partners in the confederacy of the 1'u4ul?' 'You should know his own tribe who were the people of the temple, of great local reputation,
best,' he replied. 'Abdu'l-Malik said, 'No, you tell me, Abu Sa'id, the holding much of the government in their hands. Therefore it was better
truth of the matter.' He answered: 'No, by God, you and we kept out of for the boy that he should be among his own family, and therefore he
that I' 'You're right,' said <Abdu'l-Malik. refused to go without him. It is popularly asserted that Shayba refused to
Hashim b. 'Abdu Manaf superintended the feeding' and watering of the leave his mother without her consent; and this she ultimately gave. So his
pilgrims because 'Abdu Shams was a great traveller who was seldom to be uncle took him away to Mecca, riding behind him on his camel, and the
found in Mecca; moreover he was a poor man with a large family, while people cried: 'It's al-Mu\lalib's slave whom he has bought' and that is how
Hashim was a well-to-do man. It is alleged that when the pilgrims were he got the name of 'Abdu'I-Mu\lalib. His uncle called out: 'Rubbishl
there he got up and addressed Quraysh thus: 'You are God's neighbours This is my nephew whom I have brought from Medina.'
and the people of His temple. At this feast there come to you God's visitors Subsequently al-MU\lalib died in Radman in the Yaman, and an Arab
and pilgrims to His temple. They are God's guests, and His guests have mourned him in the following lines:
the best claim on your generosity; so get together what food they will need
Thirsty are the pilgrims now aI-Mu\lalib is gone.
for the time they have to stay here. If my own means ,vere sufficient I
No more bowls with overflowing brims.
would not lay this burden upon you.' Thereupon they taxed themselves
Now that he is gone would that Quraysh were in torment I
eaeh man according to his capacity and used to provide food for the pil-
grims until they left Mecca. Ma\rud b. Ka'b al-Khuza'i wrote this elegy over al-MU\lalib and all the
It is alleged that Hashim was the first to institute the two caravan jour- sons of 'Abdu Mana[ when tlie news came that Naufal the last of them was
neys of Quraysh, summer and winter, and the first to provide tharid (broth dead:
in which bread is broken up) in Mecca. Actually his name was 'Amr, but o night 1most miserable night,
he was called Hashim because he broke up bread in this way for his people Disturbing all other nights,
in Mecca. A Quraysh poet, or one of the Arabs, composed this poem: With thoughts of what I suffer
'Amr who made. bread-and-broth for his people, From sorrow and the blows of fate.
A people in Mecca who suffered lean years. When I remember my brother Naufal,
He it was who started the two journeys, He reminds me of days gone by,
The winter's caravan and the summer's train (107). He reminds me of the red waist-sashes,
The fine new yellow robes,
Hashim b. 'Abdu Mana[ died in Ghazza in the land of Syria while There were four of them, everyone a prince,
Sons and grandsons of princes.
1 The rifiida, feeding by meang of a levy on Quraysh, hag been explained above (p. 55)
and there the author of the system is said to be Qu~ayy, Probably for this reagon Ibn Is!;liq One dead in Radman, one in Salman,
discredits their tradition here by the wordg 'it is alleged'. A third lies near Ghazza,
60 The Life of JIIluhammad The Life of Muhammad 61
A fourth lies in a grave by the Ka'ba Who weep for him with faces unveiled as camels doomed to die.'
To the east of the sacred buildings. They mourn the noblest man who ever walked,
'Abdu Manaf brought them up virtuously Bewailing him with floods of tears.
Safe from the reproof of all men. They mourn a man generous and liberal,
Yea there are none like Mughira's children Rejecting injustice, who settled the greatest matters.
Among the living or the dead. They weep for <Amr al~<Ula2 when his time came,
Benign was his nature as he smiled at the night's guests.
'Abdu Manaf's name was al-Mughira. Hashim was the first of his sons to
They weep prostrated by sorrow,
die at Ghazza in Syria, followed by 'Abdu Shams in Mecca, then al-Mulla-
How long was the lamentation and woe!
lib in Radman in the Yaman, and lastly Naufal in Salman in Iraq.
They mourned him when time exiled them from him,
It was said to Matriid-at least they assert so-'Your lines are very good,
Their faces pale like camels denied water.
but if you had done more justice to the theme they would have been still
With their loins girded because of fate's hard blows.
better.' 'Give me a night or two,' he replied, and after a few days he
I passed the night in pain watching the stars
produced the following:
I wept and my little daughters wept to share my grief.
o eye, weep copiously, pour down thy tears, No prince is their equal or peer,
Weep over Mughira's sons, that noble breed of Ka'b, Among those left behind none are like their offspring.
o eye, cease not to weep thy gathering tears, Their sons are the best of sons,
Bewail my heartfelt sorrow in life's misfortunes. And they are the best of men in the face of disaster.
Weep over all those generous trustworthy men, How many a smooth running fast horse have they given,
Lavish in gifts, munificent, bounteous, How many a captive mare have they bestowed,
Pure in soul, of high intent, How many a fine mettled Indian sword,
Firm in disposition, resolute in grave affairs, How many a lance as long as a well rope,
Strong in emergency, no churls, not relying on others, How many slaves did they give for the asking,
Quick to decide, lavish in generosity. Lavishing their gifts far and wide.
If Katb's line is reckoned, a hawk, Were I to count and others count with me
The very heart and summit of their glory, I could not exhaust their generous acts;
Weep for generosity and Mut;alib the generous, They are the foremost in pure descent
Release the fountain of thy tears, Wherever men boast of their forbears, 91
Gone from us in Radman today as a foreigner, The ornament of the houses which they left
My heart grieves for him among the dead. So that they have become solitary and forsaken,
Woe to you, weep if you can weep, I say while my eye ceases not to weep,
For 'Abdu Shams on the east of the Ka'ba, May God spare the unfortunate (family)! (108)
For Hashim in the grave in the midst of the desert
Where the wind of Ghazza blows o'er his bones. By the 'father of the women with dishevelled hair' the poet means
Above all for my friend Naufal Hashim b. 'Abdu Manaf.
Following his uncle al-Mu!!alib, 'Abdu'I-Mut;alib b. Hashim took over
Who found in Salman a desert grave.
the duties of watering and feeding the pilgrims and carried on the practices
Never have I kno~n their like, Arab or foreigner,
When their white camels bore them along. of his forefathers with his people. He attained such eminence as none of
Now their camps know them no more
his forefathers enjoyed; his people loved him and his reputation was great
Who used to be the glory of our troops. among them.
Has time annihilated them or were their swords blunt, I The words 'camels doomed to die' refer to the she-camel which used to be tethered by
Or is every living thing food for the Fates? the grave of her dead master until she died of hunger and thirst. The heathen Arabs believed
.Since their death I have come to be satisfied he would ride her in the next world .
a 'The lofty one.'
With mere smiles and friendly greetings.
Weep for the father of the women with dishevelled hair
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 63
'Abdu'I-MUl!alib, accompanied by some of his relations and a representa-
THE DIGGING OF ZAMZAM tive from all the tribes of Quraysh, rode away. They went on through
While Abdu'l-Munalib was sleeping in the bijoY,1 he \vas ordered in a vision desolate country between the Hijaz and Syria until 'Abdu'l-Muttalib's
to dig Zamzam. Yazid b. Abu l;labib al-Mieri from Marthad b. 'Abdullah company ran out of water and they feared that they would die of'ihirst.
al-Yazani from 'Abdullah b. Zurayr al-Ghafiqi told me that he heard 'Ali They asked the Quraysh tribes to give them water, but they refused, on
b. Abu Talib telling the story of Zamzam. He said that 'Abdu'I-MUl!alib the ground that if they gave them their water they too would die of thirst.
said: 'I was sleeping in the bijr when a supernatural visitant came and said, In his desperation 'Abdu'I-MUl!alib consulted his companions as to what
"Dig 'fiba lJ
I said "And what is Tiba?"; then he left me. I went to bed should be done, but all they could do was to say that they would follow his
again the next day and slept, and he came to me and said "Dig Barra ll ; InstructlOns: so he said, 'I think that every man should dig a hele for him-
when I asked what Barra was he left me. The next day he came and said self with the strength that he has left so that whenever a man dies his com-
"Dig al-Ma<;lniina H ; when I asked what that was he went away again. The pa.nions can thrust him into the hole and bury him until the last man, for
next day he came while I was sleeping and said "Dig Zamzam". I said, It IS better that one man should lie unburied than a whole company.' They
"What is Zarnzam?"; he-said: accepted his advice and every man began to dig a hole for himself. Then
they sat down until they should die of thirst. After a time 'Abdu'I-Muttalih
'Twill never fail or ever run dry, said to his companions, 'By God, to abandon ourselves to death i~' thi8
'Twill water the pilgrim company. way and not to scour the country in search of water is sheer incompetence'
It lies 'twixt the dung and the flesh bloody,' perhap~ God will give us water somewhere. To your saddles!' So the;
By the nest where the white-winged ravens fly, got their beasts ready while the Quraysh watclied them at work. 'Abdu'l-
By the nest where the ants to and fro do ply.' Mu!plib went to his beast and mounted her and when she got up from her 93
92 When the exact spot had been indicated to him and he knew that it corre- knees a flow of fresh water broke out from beneath her feet. 'Abdu'!-
sponded with the facts, he took a pick-axe and went with his son al-I;Hirith Munalib and. his companio~s, crying 'Allah akbar!', dismounted and drank
-for the had no other son at that time-and began to dig. When the top and filled theIr water-skins. Then they invited the Quraysh to come to the
of the well appeared he cried' Allah akbar!' Thus Quraysh knew that he water which God :Iad given them and to drink freely. After they had done
had obtained his object and they came to him and said, 'This is the well of s? and filled theIr water-skIns they saId: 'By God, the judgement has been
our father Ishmael, and we have a right to it, so give us a share in it.' II gIven In your favour 'Abdu'I-Mul!alib. We will never dispute your claim
will not,' he answered, II was specially told of it and not you, and I was the t~ Zamzam. He who has given you water in this wilderness is He who has
one to be given it.' They said: 'Do us justice, for we shall not leave you given ,you Zarnzam. Return t~ your o~ce of watering the pilgrims in
until we have got a judicial decision in the matter.' He said: 'Appoint peace. So they all went back without gOIng to the diviner.
anyone you like as umpire between us.' He agreed to accept a woman This is the story which I heard as from 'Ali b. Abu Talib about Zarnzam
diviner of B. Sa'd Hudhaym, who dwelt in the uplands of Syria. So and I have heard one report on 'Abdu'l-Mu!!alib's authority that when he
was ordered to dIg Zamzam it was said to him:
I The bij7' is the semicircular spot between the wall called I:Iatirn and the Ka'ba, which
is said to contain the graves of Hagar and Ishmael. Cf. AZJ;"aqi, 282 f.
:i The language is characteristic of Arabian oracles composed in doggerel known as Sar.
Then pray for much water as crystal clear
The words 'between the dung and the blood' occur in the Quran, Sura 16, verse 68. 'We To water God's pilgrims at the sites they revere
give you to drink of what is in their bellies between the faeces and the blood, pure milk easily As long as it lasts you've nothing to fear.
swallowed by the drinkers.' But this throws no light on the meaning of the passage here,
which plainly has a local significance. Abu Dharr passed it by without comment. AI-
SuhayIi. p. 98, sees that the term must go with the two following terms, and serve to show On hearing these words he went to the Quraysh and said, 'You know that
exactly where Zarnzam was to be found. He therefore repeats a story to the effect that I have been ordered to dig Zarnz3m for you,' and they asked 'But have
"Abdu'l-Muttalib saw the ants' nest and the ravens' nest when he went to dig the well, but
saw neither dung nor blood. At that moment a cow escaped her would-be butcher and
you been told where it is l' When he replied that he had not, th~y told him
entered the ba7'om. There she was slaughtered, and where the dung and blood flowed, to go. back to hIS bed where he had the vision and if it really came from
"Abdu'I-Muttalib proceeded to dig. This gallant attempt to explain the ancient oracle God It would be made plain to him; but if it had come from a demon he
cannot be accepted for the reason that it gives no point to the precise reference that the
well was to be found between the dung and the blood, which in this story obviously must would not return to him. So 'Abdu'I-MUl!alib went back to his bed :md
have occupied pretty much the same space, and indeed would render the following indica- slept and received the following message:
tions superfluous by giving the exact site. Most probably, therefore, we should assume that
the sacrificial victims were tethered at a certain spot nnd there they would void ordure
before they were led to the foot of the image at which thcy were slaughtered. A point
pi? Zarnzam, 'twill not to your hopes give lie,
between these two spots is more closely defined by the ants' and the ravens' nest.
TIS yours from your father eternally.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of ]1,luhammad
'Twill never fail or ever run dry,
'Twill water the pilgrim company WELLS BELONGI'iG TO THE CLANS OF QURAYSH IN
Like an ostrich flock a fraternity, MECCA
Their voice God hears most graciously.
A pact most sure from days gone hy Before the digging of Zamzam Quraysh had akeady dug wells in Mecca 95
Nought like it canst thou descry, accordmg to what Ziyad b. 'Abdullah al-Bakka'1 told me from Muhammad
It lies 'twixt the dung and the flesh bloody (J09).' b. Isl;!aq., He said that 'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu Mana[ dug al-Tawiy which
IS a well ~~ the u~per part of l\1ecca near al-BaY95.', the house of Muham-
94 It is alleged that when this was said to him and he inquired where Zamzam mad b. Yusuf al- fhaqafi.
was, he was told that it was by the ants' nest where the raven will peck Hashim b. 'Abdu Mana[ dug Badhdhar which is near al-Mustandhar, a
tomorrow, but God knows how true this is. The next day 'Abdu'l Mulla- spur of Mount al-Khandama at the mouth of the pass of Abu Talib. They
lib with his son al-l;Iarith, who at that time was his only sao, went and allege that when he had dug It he said: '1 will make it a means of subsis-
found the ants' nest and the raven pecking beside it between the two idols tence for the people' (110).
Isaf and Na'ila at which Quraysh used to slaughter their sacrifices. He !'fe' dug Sajl~ which is a well belonging to al-Murim b. 'Adiy b. Naufal
brought a pick-axe and began to dig where he had been commanded. b. Ab~u Manaf whIch IS stdl used today. The B. Naufal allege that
Quraysh seeing him at work came up and refused to allow him to dig al-Mut 1m bought It from Asad b. !:Iashim, while B. Hashim allege that
between their two idols where they sacrificed. 'Abdu'I-Mullalib then told he gave it to him when Zamzam ,vas uncovered and people had no further
his son to stand by and protect him while he dug, for he was determined use for the other wells.
to carry out what he had been commanded to do. When they saw that he , Um~Yra b. 'Abdu Shams dug al-!:Iafr for himself. The B. Asad b.
was not going to stop work they left him severely alone. He had not dug Abdu 1- Uzza dug Suqayya' which belongs to them. The B. 'Abdu'l-Dar
deeply before the stone top of the well appeared and he gave thanks to dug Umm Al;!rad. The B. Jumal;! dug al-Sunbula which belongs to Khalaf
God knowing that he had been rightly informed. As digging went further, b. Wahb. The B. Sahm dug al-Chamr which belongs to them.
he found the two gazelles of gold which Jurhum had buried there when Th~re were ~o~e old wells outside Mecca dating from the time of Murra
they left Mecca. He also found some swords and coats of mail from Qal'a.' b. Ka band KIlab b. Murra from which the first princes of Quraysh used
Quraysh claimed that they had a right to share in this find. 'Abdu'l- to dr~w wate:, namely Rumm and Khumm. Rumm was dug by Murra
MUllalib denied this, but was willing to submit the matter to the sacred b. Ka b b. Lu ayy, and Khumm by B. Kilab b. Murra, and so was al-Hafr.'
lot. He said that he would make two arrows for the Ka'ba, two for them, Ther~ IS an old poem of !:Iudhayfa b. Ghanim, brother of B. 'Adiy b. 'Ka'b
and two for himself. The two arrows which came out from the quiver b. Lu ayy (IJ I), which runs:
would determine to whom the property belonged. This was agreed, and
accordingly he made two yellow arrows for the Ka'ba, two black ones for In the good old days we were long satisfied
himself, and two white ones for Quraysh. They were then given to the To get our water from Khumm or al-I:Iafr.
priest in charge of the divinatory arrows, which were thrown beside Hubal.
(Hubal was an image in the middle of the Ka'ba, indeed the greatest of Zamzam utterly eclipsed the other wells from which the pilgrims used 96
to get theIr water, and people Went to it because it was in the sacred enclo-
their images. It is that referred to by Abu Sufyan ibn !:Iarb at the battle of
sure and because its water was superior to any other; and, too, because it
Uhud when he cried 'Arise Hubal', i.e. IVlake your religion victorious!)
was the well of Isma'il b. Ibrahim. Because of it B. 'Abdu Mana[ behaved
'Abdu'I-Munalib began to pray to God, and when the priest threw the boastfully towards Quraysh and all other Arabs.
arrows the two yellow ones for the gazelles carne out in favour of the Ka'ba.
The two black ones allotted the swords and coats of mail to 'Abdu'l-
~ere are sor:re linesof Musafir b. Abu 'Amr b. Umayya b. 'Abdu Shams
MUllalih, and the two arrows of Quraysh remained behind. 'Abdu'l- b. Abdu Manaf b~astlUg over Quraysh that they held the right of watering
and feedlllg the pdgnms, and that they discovered Zamzam, and that B.
MUllalib made the swords into a door for the Ka'ba and overlaid the door
with the gold of the gazelles. This was the first goldt;],!, ornament of the ,I The editor has bee? untidy here. Commentators point out that Hashim did not dig
Ka'ba, at any rate so they allege. Then 'Abdu'I-Munalib took charge of thi:ls we~I, and ~l-?u~~~h quotes a poem beginning 'I am Qu~ayy and I dug Sajla'.
the supply of Zamzam water to the pilgrims. Neither Yaqut (m. 105 ~~d 305) 'nor the ancients knew whether the well was called
Su,qayya o~ Shufayya .. Azr. II. I n names only Shufayya.
1 As these lines are in part identical with those mentioned above, clearly this is a rival
?'.
It has Just been said that Umayya '~bdu Shams dug all;Iafr. Yiiqut says 'l;Iafr ...
account of the vision. b.eJongs to B: Taym b, Murra ... al-l;Iazlml spelt it 1afr.' This may account for the incon-
2 A mountain in Syria, though other sites have been suggested. See Yliqu t. sistency, as It seems that there were two wells, !;faCr and Jafr, in Mecca.
B 4080
F
66 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
'Abdu Manaf were one family in which the honour and merit of one set to work. If they wanted to circumcise a boy, or make a marriage, or
belonged to all: bury a body, or doubted someone's genealogy, they took him to Hubal with
a hundred dirhams and a slaughter camel and gave them to the man who cast
Glory came to us from our fathers. the lots; then they brought near the man with whom they were concerned
We have carried it to greater heights. saying, '0 our god this is A the son of B with whom we intend to do.so and
Do not we give the pilgrims water so; so show the right course concerning him.' Then they would say to the
And sacrifice the fat milch camels? man who cast the arrows 'Cast!' and if there came out 'of you' then he was
When death is at hand we are found a true member of their tribe; and if there came out 'not of you' he was an 9 8
Brave and generous. ally; and if there came out mul,aq he had no blood relation to them and
Though we perish (for none can live for ever) was not an ally. Where 'yes' came out in other matters, they acted accord~
A stranger shall not rule our kin. ingly; and if the answer was 'no' they deferred the matter for a year until
Zamzam belongs to our tribe. they could bring it up again. They used to conduct their affairs according
We will pluck out the eyes of those who look enviously at us. to the decision of the arrows.
l;Iudhayfa b. Ghanim [mentioned above] said: 'Abdu'l-Mullalib said to the man with the arrows, 'Cast the lots for my
sons with these arrows', and he told him of the vow which he had made.
(Weep for him) who watered the pilgrims, son of him who broke Each man gave him the arrow on which his name was written. Now (Ab-
bread I dullah was his father's youngest son, he and al-Zubayr and Abii Talib
And 'Abdu Manaf that Fihri lord. were born to Fatima d. 'Amr b. 'A'idh b. 'Abd b. 'Imran b. Makhziim b.
He laid bare Zamzam by the Maqam, Yaqa?a b. Murra b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. Ghiilib b. Fihr (113)' Itis alleged that
His control of thnv~ter was a prouder boast than any man's (112). 'Abdullah was 'Abdu'l-Mullalib's favourite son, and his father thought that
if the arrow missed him he would be spared. (He was the father of the
apostle of God.) When the man took the arrows to cast lots with them,
T. 1076 (ABDU'L-MUTTALIB'S VOW TO SACRIFICE HIS SON
'Abdu'I-MutPlib stood by Hubal praying to Allah. Then the man cast lots
97 and 'Abdullah's arrow came out. His father led him by the hand and took
It is alleged, and God only knows the truth, that when 'Abdu'l-Mu\\alib
encountered the opposition of Quraysh when he was digging Zamzam, a large knife; then he brought him up to Isaf and Na'ila (To two idols of
he vowed that if he should have ten sons to grow up and protect him, he Quraysh at which they slaughtered their sacrifices) to sacrifice him; but
would sacrifice one of them to God at the Ka'ba. Afterwards when he had Quraysh came out of their assemblies and asked what he was intending to
ten sons who could protect him he gathered them together and told them do. When he said that he was going to sacrifice him. they and his sons
about his vow and called on them to keep faith with God. They agreed to said 'By God! you shall never sacrifice him until you offer the greatest
obey him and asked what they were to do. He said that each one of them expiatory sacrifice for him. If you do a thing like this there will be no
must get an arrow, write his name on it, and bring it to him: this they did, stopping men from coming to sacrifice their sons, and what will become
and he took them before Hubal in the middle of the Ka'ba. (The statue of) of the people then?' Then said al-Mughira b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b.
Hubal' stood by a well there. It was that well in which gifts made to the Makhziim b. Yaqa?a, 'Abdullah's mother being from his tribe, 'By God,
Ka'ba were stored. you shall never sacrifice him until you offer the greatest expiatory sacrifice
Now beside Hubal there were seven arrows, each of thefTI containing for him. Though his ransom be all our property we will redeem him.'
some words. One was marked' bloodwit' . When they disputed about who Quraysh and his sons said that he must not do it, but take him to the Hijaz 1
should pay the bloodwit they cast lots with the seven arrows and he on for there there was a sorceress who had a familiar spirit, and he must con-
whom the lot fell had to pay the money. Another was marked 'yes', and sult her. Then he would have liberty of action. If she told him to sacrifice
another 'no', and they acted accordingly on the matter on which the oracle him, he would be no worse off; and if she gave him a favourable response,
had been invoked. Another was marked 'of you' ; another mul~aq, 3 another he could accept it. So they went off as far as Medina and found that she 99
'not .of you'; and the last was marked 'water'. If they wanted to dig for was in Khaybar, so they allege. So they rode on until they got to her, and
water, they cast lots containing this arrow and wherever it came forth they when 'Abdu'l-Munalib acquainted her with the facts she told them to go
away until her familiar spirit visited her and she could ask him. When they
I I read khubz with most MSS.
2 Cf. p. 103. T adds 'Hubal being the greatest (or, most revered) of the idols o~ Quraysh had left.her 'Abdu'l-Mullalib prayed to Allah, and when they visited her
in Mecca'. 3 Not a member of the trlbe.
I The region of which I\lerlina was the centre. See Lammens, L'Arabie Occidentale, 300 f.
68 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad 69
the next day she said, 'Word has come to me. How much is the blood
money among you?' They told her that it was ten camels, as indeed it was. make the proposal that she made to him the day before; to which she
She told them to go back to their country and take the young man and ten rephed that the light that was with him the day before had left him, and
camels. Then cast lots for them and for him; jf the lot falls against your she no longer had need of hIm. She had heard from her brother Waraqa
man, add morc camels, until your lord is satisfied. If the lot falls against b. Naufal, who h.ad been a Christian and studied the scriptures, that a
the camels then sacrifice them in his stead, for your lord will be satisfied prophet would anse among this people.
and your client escape death. So they returned to Mecca, and when they . My father Isl,raq b. Yasar told me that he was told thal 'Abdullah went
had agreed to carry out their instructions, 'Abdu'l-Mu!!alib was praying m to a woman that he had beside Amina d. Wahb when he had been work-
to Allah. Then they brought near 'Abdullah and ten camels while Abdu'l- ing in clay and the marks of the clay were on him. She put him off when
MUllalib stood by Hubal praying to Allah. Then they cast lots and the he made a suggestIOn to her because of the dirt that was on him. He then
arrow fell against Abdullah. They added ten more camels and the lot fell left her and washed and bathed himself, and as he made his way to Amina
against Abdullah, and so they went on adding ten at a time, until there he passed her and she invited him to come to her. He refused and went to
'00 were one hundred camels, when finally the lot fell against them. Quraysh Amina who conceived Muhammad. When he passed the woman again ne
and those who were present said, 'At last your lord is satisfied <Abdu'l- asked her If she wanted anything and she said 'No! When you passed me
MUllalib.' 'No, by God,' he answered (so they say), 'not until 1 cast lots there was a white blaze betw?en your eyes and when 1 invited you you
three times.' This they did and each time the arrow fell against the camels. refus~d me and went m to Amma, and she has taken it away.'
They were duly slaughtered and left there and no man was kept back or It IS alleged that that woman of his used to say that when he passed by
hindered (from eating them) (II4)' her between hIS eyes there was a blaze like the blaze of a horse. She said:
'1 invited him hoping that that would be in me, but he refused me and
went to Amma and she conceIved the apostle of God.' So the apostle of
OF THE WOMAN WHO OFFERED HERSELF IN MARRIAGE Godwas the ,noblest of hIS pe~ple in birth and the greatest in honour both
TO f ABDULLAH B. ABDU'L-MUTTALIB
on hIS father sand hls mother S SIde. God bless and preserve him I

Taking 'Abdullah by the hand Abdu'l-Mu\talib went away and they passed
-so it is alleged-a woman of B. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b. Qusayy b.
Kilab b. Murra b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. Ghalib b. Fihr who was the sister of WHAT WAS SAID TO AMINA WHEN SHE HAD CONCEIVED '02
Waraqa b. Naufal b. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza, who was at the Ka'ba. When THE APOSTLE
she looked at him she asked, 'Where are you going Abdullah?' He replied,
'With my father.' She said, 'If you will take me you can have as many It is alleged in popular stories (and only God knows the truth) that Amina
camels as were sacrificed in your stead.' 'I am with my father and I cannot d.. Wahb, the mother of God's apostle, used to say when she was pregnant
act against his wishes and leave him', he replied. wIth .God's apostle that a voice said to her, 'You are pregnant with the lord
'Abdu'l-Mu\\alib brought him to Wahb b, 'Abdu Manaf b. Zuhra b. of thIS people and when he is born say, "1 put him in the care of the One
Kilab b. Murra b. Kab b. Lu'ayy b. Ghalib b. Fihr who was the leading from the evil of every envier; then call him Muhammad." '. As she was
man of B. Zuhra in birth and honour, and he married him to his daughter pregnant with him she saw a light come forth from her by which she could
Amina, she being the most excellent woman among the Quraysh in birth see the c.astles ~f B~~ra in Syria. Shortly afterwards 'Abdullah the apostle's
father dIed whIle hIS mother was still pregnant.
and position at that time. Her mother was Barra d. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b.
'Uthman b. 'Abdu'l-Dar b. Qu~ayy b. Kilab b. Murra b. Kab b. Lu'ayy
10-1 b. Ghalib b. Fihr. Barra's mother was Umm !:Iabib d. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-
'Uzza b. Qu~ayy by Kilab b. Murra b. Kab b. Lu'ayy b. Ghalib b. Fihr.
THE BIRTH OF THE APOSTLE AND HIS SUCKLING
Umm !:Iabib's mother was Barra d. 'Auf b. 'Ubayd b. 'Uwayj b. 'Adiy b.
Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. Ghalib b. Fihr. The apostle was born on l)"Ionday, ,zth Rabi'u'l-awwal, in the year of the
It is alleged that 'Abdullah consummated his marriage immediately and elephant. Al-Mu!l~hb b. Abdullah who had it from his grandfather Qays
his wife conceived the apostle of God.' Then he left her presence and met b. Makhrama sal,d, land. the ~postle were born at the same time in the year
the woman who had proposed to him. He asked her why she did not of the elephant. (To It IS sald that he was born in the house known as
I T. 'Muhammad.' I. Yu.suf's;. and it is said that the apostle gave it to 'Aqil b. Abu Talib who
kept It untIl he dIed. HIS son sold it to Muhammad b. Yusuf, the brother
70 The Life of Muhammad The L'Je of Muhammad 7'
of al-I:Iajjaj, and he incorporatcd it in the house he built. Later Khayzuran she-camel provide a morning draught, but we were hoping for rain and
separated it therefrom and made it into a mosque.)l relief. 'I rode upon my donkey which had kept back the other riders
$alil,l b. Ibrahim b. 'Abdu'l-Ral,lman b. 'Auf b. Ya\1ya b. 'Abdullah b. through its weakness and emaciation so that it was a nuisance to them.
"Abdu'l-Ral)man b. Sa'd b. Zurara al-An~ari said that his tribesmen said When we reached Mecca, we looked out for foster children, and the apostle
that Bassan b. Thiibit said: 'I was a well-grown boy of seven or eight, of God was offered to everyone of us, and each woman refused him when
understanding all that I heard, when I heard a Jew calling out at the top of she was told he was an orphan, because we hoped to get payment from the
his voice from the top of a fort in Yathrib "0 company of Jews" until they child's father. We said, "An orphan! and what will his mother and grand-
all came together and called out "Confound you, what is the matted" He father do ?", and so we spurned him because of that. Every woman who
answered: "Tonight has risen a star under which Al)mad is to be born.'" came with me got a suckling except me, and when we decided to depart I
103 I asked Sa'id b. 'Abdu'l-Rahman b. Hassan b. Thabit how old Hassan said to my husband: "By God, I do not like the idea of returning with my
was when the apostle came to' Medina 'and he said he was 60 wh~n the friends without a suckling; I will go and take that orphan." Her eplied,
apostle came, he being 53. So I:Iassan heard this when he was seven years "Do as you please; perhaps God will bless us on his account. JI So I went
old. and took him for the sale reason that I could not find anyone else. I took
After his birth his mother sent to tell his grandfather 'Abdu'l-Mu(!alib him back to my baggage, and as soon as I put him in my bosom) my breasts
that she had given birth to a boy and asked him to come and look at him. overflowed with milk which he drank until he was satisfied, as also did his
When he came she told him what she had seen when she conceived him foster-brother. Then both of them slept, whereas before this we could not
and what was said to her and what she was ordered to call him. It is alleged sleep with him. My husband got up and went to the old she-camel and 10,
T.999 that 'Abdu'l-Mu(!alib took him (T. before Hubal) in the (T. middle of her udders were full; he milked it and he and I drank of her milk until we
the) Ka'ba, where he stood and prayed to Allah thanking him for this gift. were completely satisfied, and we passed a happy night. In the morning
Then he brought him out and delivered him to his mother, and he tried to my husband said: "Do you know, I;falima, you have taken a blessed crea-
find foster-mothers for him (lIS). ture?" I said, llBy God, I hope so." Then we set out and I was riding my
I:Ialima d. AbU Dhu'ayb of B. Sa'd h. Bakr was asked to suckle him. she-ass and carrying him v,,'ith me, and she went at such a pace that the
Abu Dhu'ayb was 'Abdullah b. al-I:Iarith b. Shijna b. Jabir b. Rizam b. other donkeys could not keep up so that my companions said to me, "Con_
Na~ira b. Qu~ayya b. Nasr b. Sa'd b. Bakr b. Hawazin b. Mansur found you! stop and wait for us. Isn't this the donkey on which you
b. 'Ikrima b. Kha~afa b. Q~ys b. 'Aylan. . started?" "Certainly it is," I said. They replied, "By God, something
The prophet's foster-father was al-I:Iarith b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b. Rifa'a b. extraordinary has happened." Then we came to our dwellings in the Banu
Mallan b. Na~ira b. Qu~ayya b. Na~r b. Sa'd b. Bakr b. Hawazin (lI6). SaId country and I do not know a country more barren than that. lOS
His foster-brother was 'Abdullah b. al-I:Iarith; Unaysa and Hudhiifa' When we had him with us my flock used to yield milk in abundance. We
were his foster-sisters. The latter was called al-Shayma', her people not milked them and drank whi"leother people had not a drop, nor could they
using her proper name. These were the children of I:Ialima d. 'Abdullah find anything in their animals' udders, so that our people were saying to
b. al-I:Iarith. It is reported that al-Shayma' used to carry him in her arms their shepherds, "Woe to you! send your flock to graze where the daughter
to help her mother. of AbU Dhuayb's shepherd goes." Even so, their flocks came back hungry
Jahm b. Abu Jahm the client of al-I:Iarith b. Halib al-Jumal,li on the not yielding a drop of milk, while mine had milk in abundance. We ceased
authority of 'Abdullah b. Ja'far b. Abu Talib or from one who told him it not to recognize this bounty as coming from God for a period of two years,
as from him, informed me that I:Ialima the apostle's foster-mother used to when I weaned him. He was growing up as none of the other children
say that she went forth from her country with her husband and little son grew and by the time he was two he was a well-made child. We brought
whom she was nursing, among the women of her tribe, in search of other him to his mother, though we were most anxious to keep him with us
104 babies to nurse. This was a year of famine when they were destitute. She because of the blessing which he brought us. I said to her: I "I should like
was riding a dusky she-donkey of hers with an old she-camel which did not you to leave my little boy with me until he becomes a big boy, for I am
yield a drop of milk. They could not sleep the whole night because of the afraid on his account of the pest in Mecca." We persisted until she sent
weeping of her hungry child. She had no milk to give him, nor could their him back with us.
Some months after our return he and his brother were with our lambs
1 Khayzuriin was the wife of the caliph alMMahdi (x 58-69), and as he did not give her her
freedom until after his accession and 1.1. died a few years before in the reign of Man~ur it behind the tents when his brother came running and said to us, "Two men
would seem unlikely that I.I. should have recorded this tradition.
I T here inserts Yci Zi'yu '0 nurse!' implying that Amina was not his mother. A strange
:a In ":N. Judhlima. I have followed C. which has the authority of I. l;Iajar. The name is
reading,
uncertam.
72 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 73
clothed in white have seized that Qurayshi brother of mine and thrown when I was in the upper part of Mecca he escaped me and I don't know
him downand opened up his belly, and are stirring it up." We ran towards where he is.' So 'Abdu'l-Mullalib went to the Ka'ba praying to God to
him and found him standing up with a livid face. We took hold of him and restore him. They assert that Waraqa b. Naufal b. Asad and another man 107

asked him what was the matter. He said, "Two men in white raiment came of Quraysh found him and brought him to 'Abdu'l-Mullalib saying, 'We
and threw me down and opened up my belly and searched therein for I !)ave found this son of yours in the upper part of Mecca.' 'Abdu'l-Mutlalib
know not what." I So we took him back to our tent. took him and put him on his shoulder as he went round the Ka'ba confiding
His father said to me, "I am afraid that this child has had a stroke so him to God's protection and praying for him; then he sent him to his
take him back to his family before the result appears." So we picked him mother Amina.
A learned person told me that what urged his foster-mother to return
up and took him to his mother who asked why we had brought him when
I had been anxious for his welfare and desirous of keeping him with me. him to his mother, apart from \",hat she told his mother, was that a number
I said to her, "God has let my son live so far and I have done my duty. I am of Abyssinian Christians saw him with her when she brought him back
afraid that ill will befall him, so I have brought him back to you as you after he had been weaned. They looked at him, asked questions about him,
wished." She asked me what happened and gave me no peace until I told and studied him carefully, then they said to her, 'Let us take this boy, and
her. When she asked if I feared a demon possessed him, I replied that I bring him to our king and our country; for he will have a great future.
106 did. She answered that no demon had any po'\ver over her son who had a We know all about him.' The person who told me this alleged that she
great future before him, and then she told hmv when she was pregnant with could hardly get him away from them.
him a light went out from her which illumined the castles of Busra in
Syria, and that she had borne him with the least difficulty imagi~able.
iiMINA DIES AND THE APOSTLE LIVES WITH HIS
When she bore him he put his hands on the ground lifting his head towards
the heavens. "Leave him then and go in peace," she said.' GRANDFATHER
Thaur b. Yazid from a learned person who I think was Khalid b. The apostle lived with his mother Amina d. Wahb and his grandfather
Ma<dan al KaHn told me that some of the apostle's companions asked him 'Abdu'I-Mutlalib in God's care and keeping like a fine plant, God wishing
to tell them about himself. He said: 'I am what Abraham my father prayed to honour him. When he was six years old his mother Amina died.
for and the good news of (T. my brother) Jesus. When my mother was 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr b. Muhammad b. 'Arm b. I;fazm told me that the
carrying me she saw a light proceeding from her which showed her the apostle's mother died in Abwli' between Mecca and Medina on her return
castles of Syria. I was suckled among the B. Sa'd b. Bakr, and while I was from a visit with him to his maternal uncles of B. 'Adiy b. ai-Najjar when
with a brother of mine behind our tents shepherding the lambs, two men he was six years old (II7). Thus the apostle was left to his grandfather for
in white raiment came to me with a gold basin full of snow. Then they whom they made a bed in the shade of the Ka'ba. His sons used to sit
seized me and opened up my belly, extracted my heart and split it; then round the bed until he came out to it, but none of them sat upon it out of
they extracted a black drop from it and threw it away; then they washed my respect for him. The apostle, still a little boy, used to come and sit on it 108
heart and my belly with that snow until they had thoroughly cleaned them. and his uncles would drive him away. When 'Abdu'I-Mutlalib saw this
Then one said to the other, weigh him against ten of his people; they did so he said: 'Let my son alone, for by Allah he has a great future.' Then he
and I outweighed them. Then they weighed me against a hundred and would make him sit beside him on his bed and would stroke his back with
then a thousand, and I outweighed them. He said, "Leave him alone, for his hand. It used to please him to see what he did.
by God, if you weighed him against all his people he would outweigh
them.'"
The apostle of God used to say, There is no prophet but has shepherded THE DEATH OF 'ABDU'L-MUTTALIB AND THE ELEGIES
a flock. When they said, 'You, too, apostle of God?', he said 'Yes.' THEREON
The apostle of God used to say to his companions, 'I am the most Arab
of you all. I am of Quraysh, and I was suckled among the B. Sad b. Bakr. When the apostle was eight years of age, eight years after the 'year of the
It is alleged by some, but God knows the truth, that when his foster-mother elephant', his grandfather died. This date was given me byal-'Abbas b.
brought him to Mecca he escaped her among the crowd while she was 'Abdullah b. Ma'bad b. al-'Abbas from one of his family.
taking him to his people. She sought him and could not find him, so she Muhammad b. Sa'id b. al-Musayyib told me that when 'Abdu'!-Mulla-
went to 'Abdu'l-Mullalib and said: 'I brought Muhammad tonight and lib knew that death was at hand he summoned his six daughters $aflya,
I Cf. Sura 94. I.
Barra, <,Atika, Umm I:Iakim aI-Bayga', Umayma, and Arwa, and said to
74 The LIfe of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 75
them, ICompose elegies over me so that I may hear what you are going to Weep, 0 eyes, long and freely
say before I die.' (II8) For one, no dotard weakling,
$afiya d. 'Abdu'I-Mu\!alib said in mourning her father: The strong, generous in time of need,
I could not sleep for the voices of the keening women, Noble in purpose, faithful to his word.
Bewailing a man on the crown of life's road, Shayba the laudable, successful in undertaking,
It caused the tears to flow The reliable and the steady,
Down my cheeks like falling pearls A sharp sword in war
For a noble man, no wretched weakling, Destroying his enemies in battle,
Whose virtue was plain to all. Easy natured, open handed,
The generous Shayba, full of merits, Loyal, stout, pure, good.
Thy good father inheritor of all virtue, His house proudly rooted in high honour
Truthful at home, no weakling, Mounted to glory unobtainable by others.
Standing firm and self-reliant. His daughter Umm !:Iakim al-Bayc,lii' said: IlO
Powerful, fear-inspiring, massive,
Praised and obeyed by his people, Weep, 0 eye, generously, hide not thy tears,
Of lofty lineage, smiling, virtuous, Weep for the liberal and generous one,
A very rain when camels had no milk. Fie upon thee 0 eye, help me
109 Noble was his grandfather without spot of shame, With fast falling tears!
Surpassing all men, bond or free, Weep for the best man who ever rode a beast,
Exceeding mild, of noble stock, Thy good father, a fountain of sweet water.
Who were generous, strong as lions, Shayba the generous, the VirtuouS,
Could men be immortal through ancient glory, Liberal in nature, praised for his gifts,
(Alas immortality is unobtainable!) Lavish to his family, handsome,
He would make his last night endure for ever Welcome as rain in years of drought.
Through his surpassing glory and long descent. A lion when the spears engage,
His womenfolk look on him proudly.
His daughter Barra said: Chief of Kinana on whom their hopes rest,
Be generous, 0 eyes, with your pearly tears, When evil days brought calamity,
For the generous nature who never repelled a beggar. Their refuge when war broke out,
Of glorious race, successful in undertaking, In trouble and dire distress.
Of handsome face, of great nobility. Weep for him,refrain not from grief,
Shayba, the laudable, the noble, Make women ~ep for him as long as you live.
The glorious, the mighty, the renowned,
The clement, decisive in misfortunes,
His daughter Umayma said:
Full of generosity, lavish in gifts, Alas, has the shepherd of his people, the generous one, perished,
Excelling his people in glory, Who gave the pilgrims their water, the defender of our fame,
A light shining like the moon in its splendour. Who used to gather the wandering guest into his tents,
Death came to him and spared him not, When the heavens begrudged their rain.
Change and fortune and fate overtook him. You have the noblest sons a man could have
His daughter'Atika said: And have never ceased to grow in fame, 0 Shayba!
Abu'l !:Iiirith, the bountiful, has left his place,
Be gel1el"ous, 0 eyes, and not niggardly Go not far for every living thing must go far.
With your tears when others sleep, I shall weep for him and suffer as long as I live.
Weep copiously, a eyes, with your tears, His memory deserves that I suffer.
While you beat your faces in weeping. May the Lord of men water thy grave with rain!
The Life of Muhammad 77
76 The Life of Muhammad
Noble in action, in nature and in race,
I shall weep for him though he lies in the grave.
Their best in root and branch and ancestry.
He was the pride of all his people,
Most famous in nobility and reputation,
And was praised wherever praise was due.
First in glory, kindness and sagacity,
His daughter Arwa said: And in virtue when the lean years exact their toll.
Weep over Shayba the praiseworthy, whose face
My eye wept and wcll it did
Illumined the darkest night, like the moon at the full,
For the generous modest father,
Who watered the pilgrims, son of him who broke bread, I
I II The pleasant natured man of Mecca's vale,
And 'Abdu Manaf that Fihri lord,
Noble in mind, lofty in aim,
Who uncovered Zamzam by the Sanctuary,
The bountiful Shayba full of virtues,
Whose control of the water was a prouder boast than any man's.
Thy good father who has no peer,
Let every captive in his misery weep for him
Long armed, elegant, tall,
And the family of Quoayy, poor and rich alike.
'Twas as though his forehead shone with light,
Noble are his sons, both young and old,
Lean waisted, handsome, full of virtties,
They have sprung from the eggs of a hawk,
Glory, rank, and dignity were his,
Qusayy who opposed Kinana all of them,
Resenting wrong, smiling, able,
And guarded the temple in weal and woe.
His ancestral fame could not be hid,
Though fate and its changes bore him away,
The refuge of Malik, the spring of Fihr,
He lived happy in successful achievement,
When judgement was sought he spoke the last word.
He left behind well armed men
He was a hero, generous, liberal,
Bold in attack, like very spears.
And bold when blood was to be shed,
Abu 'Utba who gave me his gift,
When armed men were afraid of death
White blood camels of the purest white.
So that the hearts of most of them were as air, I
I:Iamza like the moon at the full rejoicing to give,
Forward he went with gleaming sword,
Chaste and free from treachery,
The cynosure of all eyes.
And <Abdu Manaf the glorious, defender of his honour,
Muhammad b. SaId b. al-Musayyib told me' that 'Abdu'l-Mullalib Kind to his kindred, gentle to his relatives.
made a sign to the effect that he was satisfied with the elegies, for he could Their men are the best of men,
not speak (ug). . Their young men like the offspring of kings who neither perish nor
I;Iudhayfa b. Ghiinim, brother of B. 'Adly b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy, mentIOned diminish.
his superiority and that of QUf?ayy and his sons ~ver the Quraysh, _because Whenever you meet one of their scions
he had been seized for a debt of 4,000 dirhams l~ Mecca and Abu Lahab You will find him going in the path of his forefathers.
Abdu'l-'Uzza b. Abdu'I-Mu\!alib passed by and redeemed hIm: They filled the vale with fame and glory
When rivalry and good works had long been practised,'
o eyes, let the generous tears flow down the breast, Among them are great builders and buildings,
Weary not, may you be washed with faIling rain,
'Abdu Manaf their grandfather being the repairer of their fortunes,
Be generous with your tears, every morn
Whcn he married 'Auf to his daughter to give us protection
Weeping for a man whom fate did not spare.
From our enemies when the Banii Fihr betrayed us,
Weep floods of tears while life does last,
We went through the land high and low under his protection,
Over Quraysh's modest hero who concealed his good deeds,
Until our camels could plunge into the sea. 113
A powerful zealous defender of his dignity,
They lived as townsmen while some were nomads
Handsome of face, no weakling, and no braggart,
The famous prince, generous and liberal,
Spring rain of Lu'ayy in drought and dearth, I Cf, p. 66. Or, 'then for the good Hashim (lilkhayr for lilkhubz). .
2 Cf. Sura 2. 143 'Vie with one another in good works', and cf. 5. 53 for thIS use of the
"' Best of all the sons of Maadd, verb istabaqa.
I Cf Sura 14. 44 'and their hearts were air'. 2. Za'ama If.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 79
I
None but the sheikhs of Bam} 'Amr were there, Since you have perished, 0 man of great deeds,
They built many houses and dug wells Never has the necklace of a woman drooped over your like I
Whose waters flowed as though from the great sea Save your father alone, that generous man, and
That pilgrims and others might drink of them, The bountiful MUllalib, father of his guests.
When they hastened to them on the morrow of the sacrifice, When 'Abdu'I-Mullalib died his son aI-'Abbas took charge of Zamzam
Three days their camels lay and the watering of the pilgrims, although he was the youngest of his
Quietly between the mountains and the I;ijr. father's son~. When hlam cam~ it was still in his hands and the apostle
Of old we had lived in plenty, confirmed hIS nght to It and so It remains with the family of al-'Abbas to
Drawing our water from Khumm or aI-J:Iafr. this day.
They forgot wrongs normally avenged,
And overlooked foolish slander,
They collected all the allied tribesmen,
And turned from us the evil of the Banu Bakr. ABU rAUB BECOMES GUARDIAN OF THE APOSTLE
o Khiirija,' when I die cease not to thank them After the death of 'Abdu'I-Mullalib the apostle lived with his uncle AbU
Until you are laid in the grave, Tlilib, for (so they allege) the former had confided him to his care because
And forget not Ibn Lubnii's kindness, he and 'Abdullah, the apostle's father, were brothers by the same mother
A kindness that merits thy gratitude. Fiil!ma_ d. 'Amr b. 'A'idh b. 'Abd b. 'Imriin b. Makhzum (121). It w';
And thou Ibn Lubnii art from QUeayy when genealogies are sought Abu Tahb who used to look after the apostle after the death of his grand-
Where man's highest hope is attained, father and he became one of his family.
Thyself has gained the height of glory Yal;yii b. 'Abbiid b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr told me that his father told
And joined it to its root in valour. him that there was a man of Lihb (122) who was a seer. Whenever he came
Surpassing and exceeding thy people in generosity to Mecca the Quraysh used to bring their boys to him so that he could look
As a boy thou wast superior to every liberal chief. at them and tell their fortunes. So Abu Tiilib brought him along with the "S
Thy mother will be a pure pearl of Khuzii'a, ot~ers whl1e he was sllll a boy. The seer looked at him and then something
When experienced genealogists ooc day compile a roll. claImed hIS attentlOn. That dIsposed of he cried, 'Bring me that boy.'
To the heroes of Sheba she can be traced and belongs. When Abu Tiilib saw his eagerness he hid him and the seer began to say
How noble her ancestry in the summit of splendour! 'Woe to you, bring me that boy I saw just now) for by Allah he has a grea~
Abu Shamir is of them and 'Amr b. Miilik future.' But Abu Tiilib went away.
And Dhu Jadan and Abu'I-Jabr are of her people, and
As'ad who led the people for twenty years
Assuring victory in those lands (120). THE STORY OF BAJ:IIRA
Malriid b. Ka'b the Khuzii'ite bewailing 'Abdu'lcMugalib and the sons of Abu Tiilib had planned to go in a merchant caravan to Syria, and when all
'Ab~ Maniif said: preparatlOns had .been made for the journey, the apostle of God, so they
o wanderer ever changing thy direction, allege, attached hImself closely to hIm so that he took pity on him and said
Why hast thou not asked of the family of 'Abdu Maniif? that he would take him with him, and that the two of them should never
Good God, if you had lived in their homeland part; or words to that effect. When the caravan reached Busra in Syria
II4 They would have saved you from injury and unworthy marriages; there was a monk there in his cell by the name of Bahirii who was weli
Their rich mingle with their poor versed in the knowledge of Christians. A monk had ah"'ay~ occupied that
So that their poor are as their wealthy. cell. There he gamed hIS knowledge from a book that was in the cell so
Munificent when times were bad, they allege, handed on from generation to generation. They had often
Who travel with the caravans of Quraysh I. i.e. 'never has your equal bee~ born'. The figure is that of a woman nursing a baby
~hde her necklace falls over the chIld at her breast. The correct reading would seem to be
Who feed men when the winds are stormy ',qd not <aqd;, dha~ ~i!af ,means 'possessor of pendant earrings', i.e. a woman. Dr. Arafat
Until the sun sinks into the sea. suggests that aqd gtrdle should be read and the line would then run: 'Never has the knot
1 The sons of Hashim are meant: his name was 'Amr. So Cairo editors. of a woman's girdle run over your like'. The general sense would be the same but the
.a i.e. Kharija b. l;Iudhiifa.
particular reference would be to a pregnant woman.
80 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 81
passed by him in the past and he never spoke to them o.r took any notice said, and when he asked what had become of his father he told him that he
of them until this year, and when they stopped near his cell he made a had died before the child was born. 'You have told the truth,' said Ba!)ira.
great feast for them. It is alleged that that was because of somethmg he 'Take your nephew back to his country and guard him carefully against the
saw while in his cell. They allege that while he was m his cell he saw the Jews, for by Allah! if they see him and know about him what I know, they
apostle of God in the caravan when they approached, wIth a cloud. over- will do him evil; a great future lies before this nephew of yours, so take him
shadowing him among the people. Then they came and stoppc~ m the home quickly.'
shadow of a tree near the monk. He looked at the cloud \V~1en It over- So his uncle took him off quickly and brought him back to Mecca when
shadowed the tree, and its branches were bending a~d droopmg o~er the he had finished his trading in Syria. People allege that Zurayr and Tam-
apostle of God until he was in the shadow beneath ~L \Vhen Bal:nra saw mam and Daris, who were people of the scriptures) had noticed in the
that he came out of his cell and sent word to them, '* I have prepared food apostle of God what Ba!)ira had seen during that journey which he took
for ~ou 0 men of Quraysh an<! I should like you all to come both great with his uncle, and they tried to get at him, but Ba!)ira kept them away and
and sm~ll, bond and free.' ' One of them said to him, 'By God, Ba1).ira! reminded them of God and the mention of the description of him which
something extraordinary has happened today, you used not to treat ~;s so, they would find in the sacred books, and that if they tried to get at him
and we have often passed by you. What has befallen you today: He they would not succeed. He gave them no peace until they recognized the
answered, 'You are right in what you say, but you are ?ue~ts and I w1sh to truth of what he said and left him and went away. The apostle of God grew
,,6 honour you and give you food so that you may e~t. S~ they gathered up, God protecting him and keeping him from the vileness of heathenism
together with him, leaving the apostle of Cod beh1,ml \V1th Y~e baggage because he wished to honour him with apostleship, until he grew up to be
under the tree, on account of his extreme youth. \i\. hen Ba~lra .looked a; the finest of his people in manliness, the best in character, most noble in
the people he did not sec the mark which he knew and found III h1S books, , lineage, the best neighbour, the most kind, truthful, reliable, the furthest
so he said, 'Do not let one of you remain behind and not. come to. my feast. removed from filthiness and corrupt morals, through loftiness and nobility)
They told him that no one who ought to come had remamed behmd except so that he was known among his people as 'The trustworthy' because of the
a boy who was the youngest of them and had stayed wIth their baggage. good qualities which God had implanted in him. The apostle, so I was
Thereupon he told them to invite him to come to the meal w1th them. One told, used to tell how God protected him in his childhood during the
of the men of Quraysh said, 'By al-Uit and al-'Uzzil, we are to blame for period of heathenism, saying, 'I found myself among the boys of Quraysh
leaving behind the son of 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu'l-Mugalib.' Then heg~t up carrying stones such as boys play with; \ve had all uncovered ourselves,
and embraced him and made him sit with the people.* \~hen Batl1ra sa:v each taking his shirt I and putting it round his neck as he carried the stones.
him he stared at him closely, lookiog at his body and findmg traces of hiS I was going to and fro in the same way, \vhen an unseen figure slapped me
description (in the Christian books). When the people had fimshed eatmg most painfully saying, "Put your shirt on"; so I took it and fastened it on
and gone away,t Ba!)ira got up and s~id to him, :B_oy,I ask you by aI:La: me and then began to carry the stones upon my neck \vearing my shirt
and al-'Uzza to answer my question. Now BaJ:ura saId th1S only because alone among my fellovvs.'2
he had heard his people swearing by these gods. They al!ege ~hat the I Properly a "'Tapper \vhich covered the lower part of the body.
tl of God said to him, 'Do not ask me by al-Lat and al- Uzza, for by Suhayli, 120, after pointing out that a somewhat similar story is told of the prophet's
apos e , n h- - swered 2

Allah nothing is more hateful to me than. the,se two. a. lra a~. '. ' modesty and its preservation by supernatural means, at the time that the rebuilding of the
Ka'ba was undertaken when Muhammad was a grown man, says significantly that if the
'Then by Allah, tell me what I ask'; he replied, Ask me what you like, sot
he began to ask him about what happened in his cr.
waklllg and m hIS)
account here is correct divine intervention must have occurred twice. It may weU be that
he was led to make this !;Omment by the fact that T. omits the story altoget'her and in its
sleep, and his habits,2 and his affairs generally, an(~ what t~e ~postlc of God place (1'. 1126. [0) writes; '1. I;Iamid said that Salama told him that 1.I. related from
told him coincided with what BaI,1ira knew of hIS descnptlO~. Then he
Muhammad b. 'Abdullah b. Qays b. I\1akhrama from ai-Hasan b. l\'1uhammad b. 'Ali b.
Abu Tiilib from his fathl:[ Muhamnlad b. 'Ali from his g;andfather 'Ali b. Ahu 'falih; I
1 oked at his back and saw the seal of prophcthood between 111s s~oulders heard the apostle say, "I never gave a thought to what the people of the pagan era used to"
tin the very place described in his book (123).t When, he had finished he do but twice, because God Dime between me anJ my desires. AfterwarJs 1 never thought
of evil when God honoured me with apostleship. Once I said to a young Qurayshi who was
went to his uncle Abu Talib and asked hun \\'hat. relatIOn thIS boy was t? shepherding with me on the high ground of l'vIecca, 'I should like you to look after my
him, and when he told him he was his son, he, saI~, that. he was not, f~r It beasts for me while I go and spend the night in l'vIecca as young men do.' He agreed and
I went off with that intent, and when I came to the first house in l\lecca I heard the sound
could not be that the father of this boy was ahve. He IS my nephew, he of tambourines and flutes and was told that a marriage had just taken place. I sat down to
, 'h'IS b 0 d y. look at them when God smote my ear and I fell asleep until I was woken by the sun. I
'L' 'h h' , 2 hay a, perhaps
came to my friend and in reply to his questions told him what had happened, Exactly the
':i" '
T. 'sent word to invite them all' and Olmts passage elll mg peop I.'
It. Wit 1m.
e .

same thing occurred on another occasion. Afterwards I never thought of evil until God
ttTom. honoured me with his apostleship,'"
B 408U G
82 The Life of Muhammad
The Lzfe of Muhammad 83
THE SACRILEGIOUS WAR (124) The apostlc of God told his uncles of KhadiJ'a's proposal and h' I
H amza b 'Ab j '1 M l'b' , ! S unc e
This war broke out when the apostle was twenty years of age. It was so . . c u ,- ut\a I went with him to Khuwaylid bAd d
asked for her hand and he married her ( 12 7). . sa an
called because these two tribes, Kinana and Gays 'Aylan, fought in the
sacred month. The chief of Quraysh and Kinana was f:Iarh b. Umayya b. S~e .\vas the mother of all the apostle's children except Ibrahim namel 121
al-Qaslm (whereby he was known as Abu'l Q-' ). I T-h' I' Y
'Abdu Shams. At the beginning of the day Qays got the upper hand but Z b - aSlm, a - a IT a -Tayyib I
ayna , Rnqayya. Dmm Kulthum and FY (8)' , . ,
by midday victory went to Kinana (125), AI-Q-' 1 r ,. r _ '. ~.Ima 12 .
l' . aSlm, a - fa) pb, an~ al- fahlr (lied In paganism. All his dau hters
lved IO:~ Islam, embraced It, and migrated with him to Medina ( g
THE APOSTLE OF GOD MARRIES KHADjJA (126) KhadlJa had told Waraqa b. Naufal bAsad b 'Abd 'I 'U _ I 2 9).
h . . . u- zzawowas h
er COUSIn and a Christian who had studied the scriptures a~d was
Khadija was a merchant woman of dignity and \vcalth. She used to hire
~cholar, what her slave Maysara had told her that the monk had said an~
men to carry merchandise outside the country on a profit-sharing basis, for
ow he had seen the two angels shading him He sal'd 'If thO .
Quraysh were a people given to commerce. NO\v when she heard about Kh do' 'I " IS zs true
a I)a, ven.y Muhammad is the prophet of this people. I knew that ~
the prophet's truthfulness, trustworthiness, and honourable character, she prophet of thIS people was to be expected His time has c o ' d
sent for him and proposed that he should take her goods to Syria and trade to th t ff W . ' me, or wor s
t a ,~ectl' a~aqa was ~ndmg the time of waiting \vearisome and used
with them, while she would pay him more than she paid others. He was to o say ow eng? Some hnes of his on the theme are'
take a lad of hers called Maysara. The apostle of God accepted the propo-
sal, and the two set forth until they came to Syria. ... I persevered and was persistent in remember'mg
A .
The apostle stopped in the shade of a tree near a monk's cell, when the ~ n anXIety which often evoked tears. And
monk came up to Maysara and asked who the man was who was resting Confirmatory evidence kept coming from Khadija.
120 beneath the tree. He told him that he was of Quraysh, the people who held Long have I had to wait, 0 Khadija,
the sanctuary; and the monk exclaimed: 'None but a prophet ever sat In the vale of Mecca in spite of my hope
beneath this tree.' That I might sce the outcome of thy words.
Then the prophet sold the goods he had brought and bought what he I, could not bear that the words of the monk
wanted to buy and began the return journey to Mecca. The story goes You told me of should provc false:
that at the height of noon when the heat was intense as he rode his beast That Muhammad should rule Over us
Maysara saw two angels shading the apostle from the sun's rays. \Vhen he Overcoming those who would oppose him.
brought Khadija her property she sold it and it amounted to double or And that a glorious light should appear in the land
thereabouts. Maysara for his part told her about the two angels who To preserve men from disorders
shaded him and of the monk's words. Now Khadija \vas a determined, His enemies shall meet disaster .
noble, and intelligent woman possessing the properties with which God And his friends shall be victorious
willed to honour her. So when Maysara told her these things she sent to Would that I might be there then ~o see
122
the apostle of God and-so the story gocs~said: '0 son of my uncle I like F~r.I s~ould be the first of his supporte;s,
you because of our relationship and your high reputation among your Jommg m that which Quraysh hate
people, your trustworthiness and good character and truthfulness.' Then However loud they shout in that Mecca of theirs.
she proposed marriage. Now Khadija at that time was the best born I hope to ascend through him whom they all dislike
woman in Quraysh, of the greatest dignity and, too, the richest. All her To. the Lord of the Throne though they are cast down.
people were eager to get possession of her wealth if it were possible. Is It folly not to dIsbelIeve in Him
Khadija was the daughter of Khuwaylid b. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b. Who chose hi~ Wh~ raised the starry heights?
Qusayy b. Kilab b. Murra b. Kab b. Lu 'ayy b. Ghalib b. Fihr. Her If they and I lIve, thmgs will be done
mother was Fa\ima d. Za'ida b. al-Asamm b. Rawa!)a b. f:Iajar b. 'Abd b. Whic.h wiII throw the unbelievers into confusion
Mais b. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy b.. Ghalib b. Fihr. Her mother was Hala d. hnd If I die, 'tis but the fate of mortals .
'Abdu Manaf b. al-f:Iarith b. 'Amr b. Munqidh b. 'Amr b. Ma',s b. 'Amir To suffer death and dissolution.
b. Lu'ayy b. Ghiilib b. Fihr. Hala's mother was Qilaba d. Su'ayd b. Sad b.
I Commentators point out that these r .
Sahm b. 'Amr b. Husays b. Kab b. Lu'ayy b. Ghalib b. Fihr. ~plied to the one son 'Abdullah. a e not names but epIthets (The Pure, The Good)
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 85
he inquired about him he was told who he was. 'Abdullah b. Safwan said
THE REBUILDING OF THE KA'BA WHEN THE APOSTLE
'It was the grandfather of this man (meaning Abu Wahb), ":ho took th;
ACTED AS UMPIRE
stone from the Ka'ba when Quraysh decided to demolish it and it sprang
Quraysh decided to rebuild the Ka'ba when the apostle was thirty-five from hIS hand and returned to its place, and it was he \\"ho said the words
years of age (T. fifteen years after the sacnleglOus war). They were plan- which have just been quoted:
ning to roof it and feared to demolish it, fo~ it .was ma~e ?f loose stones Abu Wahb was the maternal uncle of the apostle's father. He was a
above a man's height} and they wanted to raIse It and roof It because m~n noble of whom an Arab poet said:
had stolen part of the treasure of the Ka'ba which used to be in a wel1m If I made my camel kneel at Abu Wahb's door,
the middle of it. The treasure was found with Duwayk a freedman of It would start the morrow's journey with well filled saddle-bags;
B. MulaYl:> b. 'Amr of Khuza'a (130). Quraysh cut his hand off; they say He was the noblest of the two branches of Lu'ayy b. Ghalib,
that the people who stole the treasure deposited,it with Duwayk. _ When noble lineage is reckoned.
T. 1135 (T. Among those suspected were al-J::Ianth b. Amlr b. Naufal, and Abu Refusing to accept injustice, delighting in giving,
Ihab b. 'Aziz b. Qays b. Suwayd al-Tamimi who shared the same mother, His ancestors were of the noblest stock.
and Abu Lahab b. 'Abdu'I-Mul\alib. Quraysh alleged that it was they A great pile of ashes lie beneath his cooking-pot,
who took the Ka'ba's treasure and deposited it with Duwayk, a freedman He fills his dishes with bread topped by luscious meat.'
of B. MulaYl:>, and when Quraysh suspected them they informed ~gainst
Duwayk and so his hand was cut off. It was said that they had Idt It wIth Then Quraysh divided the \vork among them; the section near the door
him, and people say that when Quraysh felt certam that th~ treasure had was assigned to B. 'Abdu Manaf and Zuhra. The space between the black
been with al-l;Iarith they took him to an Arab sorceress and In her rhymed stone and the southern corner, to B. Makhzum and the Qurayshite tribes
utterances she decreed that he should not enter Mecca for ten years be- which were attached to them. The back of the Ka'ba to B. Jumal:> and
cause he had profaned the sanctity of the Ka'ba. They allege that he was Sahm, the two sons of 'Amr b. Husays b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy. The side of the
driven out and lived in the surrounding country for ten years.) irijr to B. 'Abdu'l-Dar b. Qusayy and to B. Asad b. aI-'Uzza b. Qusayy,
Now a ship belonging to a Greek merchant had been cast ashore at and to B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy which is the J::Ia\im.
Judda and became a total wreck. They took its timbers and got them ready The people were afraid to demolish the temple, and withdrew in awe
to roof the Ka'ba. It happened that in IVIecca there \vas a Copt who was a from it. AI-WalId b. al-Mughira said, 'I will begin the demolition.' So he
carpenter, so everything they needed \vas ready to. hand. Now a snake took a pick-axe, \vent up to it saying the \vhile, '0 God, do not be afraid z
used to come out of the well in which the sacred offenngs were thrown and (132),0 God, we intend only what is best.' Then he demolished the part
sun itself every day on the wall of the Ka'ba. It was an object of terror at the two corners. 3 That night the people watched, saying, 'We will look
because whenever anyone came near it it raised its head and made a rustling out; if he is smitten we won't destroy any more of it and will restore it as it
noise and opened its mouth, so that they were terrified of it. \\Thile it was was; but if nothing happens to him then God is pleased with what we are
thus sunning itself one day, God sent a bird which seized it an~ flew off doing and we will demolish it.' In the morning al-\Valid returned to the
with it. Thereupon Quraysh said, '~ow we may hope that God IS pleased work of demolition and the people \\lorked with him, until they got down
,23 with what we propose to do. \Vc have a friendly craftsman, ~e have got to the foundation "of Abraham.* They came on green stones like camel's
the wood and God has rid us of the snake.' When they had decIded to pull humps joined one to another.
it down and rebuild it Abu Wahb b. 'Amr b. 'A'idh b. 'Abd b. 'Imran b. A certain traditionist told me that a man of Quraysh inserted a crowbar
Makhzum (13 I) got up and took a stone from the Ka'ba and it leapt out of between two stones in order to get one of them out, and when he moved the
his hand so that it returned to its place. He said, '0 Quraysh, do not stone the whole of Mecca shuddered so they left the foundation alone.
bring into this building ill-gotten gains, the hire of a harlot, nor money (T. so they had reached the foundation.)
taken in usury, nor anything resulting from \vrong and violence~' People' I was told that Quraysh found in the corner a writing in Syriac. They
ascribe this saying to al-WalId b. al-Mughira b. 'Abdullah b. Umar b. could not understand it until a Jew read it for them. It was as follows: 41
Makhzum. am Allah the Lord of Bakka, I created it on the day that I created heaven
'Abdullah b. Abu Najil:> al-'VIakki told me that he was told on the I Professor Affifi reminds me that the second half of this verse is reminiscent of Imru'u'l-

authority of 'Abdullah b. i;lafwan b. Umayya b. Khalaf b. Wahb b. J::Iudh~fa Qays (1. 12) where the fine fat flesh of the camel is compared with \vhite silk finely woven.
Z The feminine form indicates that the Ka'ba itself is addressed.
b. JumaJ:> b. 'Amr b. Husay, b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy that he saw a son of Ja da J Or 'two sacred stones'.
b. Hubayra b. Abu Wahb b. 'Amr circumambulating the temple, and when . . . Not in T.
86 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
and earth and formed the sun and moon, and I surrounded it with seven It bore it away, thus leaving us free
pious angels. It will stand \vhile its two mountains stand, a blessing to its To work without further hindrance.
people with milk and water,' and I \vas told that they found i~ the maqiim We attacked the building together,
a writing, 'l'vlecca is God's holy house, its sustenance comes to It from three We had its foundations' and the earth.
directions; let its people not be the first to profane it.' On the morrow we raised the foundation,
Layth b. Abu Sulaym alleged that they found a stone in the Ka'ba forty None of our workers vwre clothes.
years before the prophet's mission, if what they say is true, containing the Through it did God honour the sons of Lu'ayy,
125 inscription 'He that soweth good shall reap joy; he that soweth evil shall I ts foundation was ever associated with them,
reap sorrow; can you do evil and be rc\vardcd with good? Nay, as grapes Banu 'Adiy and Murra had gathered there,
cannot be gathered from thorns." Kilab having preceded them.
The tribes of Quraysh gathered stones for the building, each tribe For this the King settled us there in power,
collecting them and building by itself until the building was finished up to For reward is to be sougbt from God (133).
the black stone, \vhere controversy arose, each tribe wanting to lift it to its
place, until they went their several \-vays, formed alliances, and got ready
for battle. The B. 'Abdu'l-Dar brought a bowl full of blood; then they
and the B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy pledged themselves unto death and THE I;:IUMS
thrust tbeir hands into the blood. For tbis reason they were called the I do not know whether it was before or after the year of the elephant that
blood-lickers. Such was the state of affairs for four or five nights, and then Quraysh invented tbe idea of Hums and put it into practice. They said,
Quraysh gathered in the mosque and took counsel and were equally '\\'e are the sons of Abraham, the people of the holy territory, the guardians
divided on the question. of the temple and the citizens of Mecca. No other Arabs have rights like
A traditionist alleged that Abu Umayya b. al-Mughira b. 'Abdullah b. ours or a position like ours. The Arabs recognize none as they recognize
'Vmar b. Makhzum who was at that time the oldest man of Quraysh, urged us, so do not attach the same importance to the outside country as you do
them to make the first man to cnter the gate of the mosque umpire in the to the sanctuary, for if you do the Arabs will despise your taboo and will
matter in dispute. They did so and the first to come in was the apostle of say, "They have given the same importance to the outside land as to the
God. When they saw him they said, 'This is the trustworthy one. We are sacred territory.'" So they gave up the bait at 'Arafa and the departure
satisfied. This is i\luhammad.' \Vhen he came to them and they informed from it, while they recognized that these were institutions of the pilgrimage
him of the matter he said, 'Give me a cloak,' and when it was brought to and the religion of Abraham. They considered that other Arabs should
him he took the black stone and put it inside it and said that each tribe halt there and depart from the place; but they said, 'We are the people of
should take hold of an end of the cloak and they should lift it together. '27
the sanctuary, so it is not fitting that we should go out from the sacred
They did this so that when they got it into position he placed it with his territory and honour other places as \ve, the !:Iums, honour that; for the
own hand, and then building \vent on above it. Bums are the people of the sanctuary.' They then proceeded to deal in the
Quraysh used to call the apostle of God before revelation came to him, same way with Arabs who were born within and \vithout the sacred terri-
'the trustworthy one'; and when they had finished the building, according tory. Kinana and Khuzii'a joined with them in this (134).
to their desire, al-Zubayr the son of 'Abdu'l-lVlunalib said about the snake The I;Iums Went on to introduce innovations for which they had no rz8
which made the Quraysh dread rebuilding the Ka'ba: Warrant. They th01;lght it wrong that they should eat cheese made of sour
I was amazed that the eagle went straight milk or clarify butter while they were in a state of taboo. They would not
To the snake when it was excited. enter tcnts of camel-hair or seek shelter from thc sun except in leather tents
It used to rustle ominously while they were in this state. They went further and refused to allow
And sometimes it would dart forth. those outside the ~aram to bring food in with them when they came on the
When we planned to rebuild the Ka'ba great or little pilgrimage. Nor could they circumambulate the house except
It terrified us for it \vas fearsoI!le. in the garments of the J:Iums. If they had no such garments they had to go
When we feared its attack, d~~ came the eagle, round naked. If any man or Woman felt scruples when they had no rums
Deadly straight in its swoop, garments, then they could go round in their ordinary clothes; but they had

1 A strange place in which to find a quotation from the Gospel; d. Mt. ,. 16. I Qawd'id perhaps = 'uprights '.
88 Th~ Lif~ of.Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 89
to throw them away afterwards so that neither they nor anyone else could ['Uthman b. Saj from Muhammad b. Is~aq from aI-KaIbi from Abu Azr. i.
~ali~, freedman .of Umm Hani from Ibn 'Abbas: The I:Jums were Quraysh, I I 5 f.
make use of them. I
The Arabs caIled these clothes 'the cast-off'. They imposed all these Kmana, Khuza a, al-Aus and al-Khazraj, Jutham, B. Rab!'a b. 'Amir
restrictions on the Arabs, who accepted them and halted at 'Arafat, hastened b. ~a'sa'a. Azd Shanu'a, Judham, Zubayd, B. Dhak';an of B.
from it and circumambulated the house naked. The men at least went Salim, 'Amr al-Lat, Thaqif, Gha!aflin, Ghauth, 'Adwan, 'Allaf, and
naked ';'hile the women laid aside all their clothes except a shift wide open Qu<ia'a. When Quraysh let an Arab marry one of their women they
back or front. An Arab woman who was going round the house thus said: stIpulated that the offsprIng should be an A~masi following their religion.
Al-Adram Taym b. Ghalib b. Fihr b. Malik b. al-Nadr b. Kinana married
Todav some or all of it can be seell ,
his son Majd to the daughter of Taym Rab!'a b. 'Amir b. ~a',a'a stipulat-
But ~hat can be seen I do not make common property!
mg that hIs chIldren from her should follow the sunna of Quraysh. It is in
Those who went round in the clothes in which they came from outside reference to her that Labid b. Rab!'a b. Jafar al-Kilabi said:
threw them away so that neither they nor anyone else could make use of
them. An Arab mentioning some clothes which he had discarded and My people watered the sons of Majd and I
129 Water N umayr and the tribes of Hila!.
could not get again and yet \vanted, said:
It's grief enough that I should return to her Mansur b. 'Ikrima b. Kha,afa b. Qays b. 'Aylan married Salma d. Dubay'a
As though she were a tabooed cast-off in front of the pilgrims. b. 'Ali b. Ya,ur b. Sa'd b. Qays b. 'Aylan and she bore to him Hawazin.
When he fell seriously ill she vowed that if he recovered she would make
i.e. she could not be touched.
This state of affairs lasted until God sent Muhammad and revealed to him a Bums, and when he recovered she fulfilled her vow.... The Hums
him \\Then He gave him the laws of His religion and the customs of the strict~y observed the sacred months and never wronged ~heir pr~teges
pilgrimage: 'Then hasten onward from the place whence men hasten the:cln nor wronged anyone therein. Th..ey went round the Ka'ba wearing
onwards, and ask pardon of God, for God is forgiving, merciful.'2. The thclr .clothes. If one of them before and at the beginning of Islam was in a
words are addressed to Quraysh and 'men' refer to the Arabs. So In the state of taboo if he happened to be one of the housedwellers, i.e. living in
rule of the ~ajj he hastened them up to 'Arafat and ordered them to halt hpuses or villages, he would dig a hole at the back of his house and go in
and out by it and not enter by the door. The Bums used to say, 'Do not
there and to hasten thence.
In reference to their prohibition of food and clothes at the temple such respect anything profane and do not go outside the sacred area during the
as had been brought from outside the sacred territory God revealed to hIm: f:iajj: so they cut short the rites of the pilgrimage and the halt at 'Arafa it
'0 Sons of Adam, wear your clothes at every mosqlie and eat and ~lrink and being in the profane area, and \vould not halt at it or go forth from' it.
be not prodigal, for He loves not the prodigal. Say, Who has forbIdden the They made their stopping-place at the extreme end of the sacred territory
clothes which God has brought forth for HIs servants and the good thmgs at N:amira at the open space of al-Ma'ziman, stopping there the night of
which He has provided? Say, They on the day of resurrection will be only <Arafa and shclte,ring by day in the trees of Namira and starting from it to
-for those who in this life believed. Thus do we explain the signs for people al-Muzdalifa. When the sun turbaned the tops of the mountains they set
who have knov,rledge.'3 Thus God set aside the restrictions of the I.Iu~s forth. They were called Hums because of their strictness in their religion.
and the innovations of Quraysh against men's interests when He sent HIS . The year of I:Judaybiya the prophet entered his house. One of the
An~ar was with him and he stopped at the door, explaining that he was an
apostle with Islam. Al)masi. The apostle said, 'I am an A1.lmasi too. My religion and yours
'Abdullah b. Abll Bakr b. Muhammad b. 'Amr b. I:Jazm from Uthman
b. Abu Sulayman b. Jubayr b. Mu!,im from his uncle Naii' b. Jubayr from are the same' so the An~ari went into the house by the door as he saw the
J

his father Jubayr b. Mufim said: 'I saw God's apostle be~ore reve~atlon apostle do.
came to him and 10 he was halting on his beast in 'Arafat wah men In the Outsiders used to circumambulate the temple naked, both men and
midst of his tribe until he quitted it with them-a special grace from God women. The B. 'Amir b. ~a'~a'a and <Akk were among those who did thus.
When a \-voman went round naked she would put one hand behind her and
to him.' the other in front.] 1
J The survival of the idea of contagious 'holiness' which on the one hand proh~bited the
introduction of profane food into the sanctuary, and when it could not prevent the mtrodu~
e r A great deal more follows in the name of 1. 'Abbas. It is doubtful whether it comes
tion of profane clothes, forbade their I;Ise for com.mo~ purposes after they had c?m In
contact with taboo, would seem to indicate an antlqUlty far greater than that aSCribed to from 1.1., because though there is new matter in it some statements which occur in the
foregoing are repeated, so that it is probable that the~ reached Azraqi from another source.
these practices here. In the foregoing I have translated only passages which provide additional information.
;l, Siira 2. J95. 3 Sura 7, 29
The Life of Nluhammad The Life of Muhammad 9'
Ya'qub b. 'Utba b. al-Mughira b. al-Akhnas told me that he was in-
REPORTS OF ARAB SOOTHSAYERS, JEWISH RABBIS, AND formed that the first Arabs to be afraid of falling stars when they were
CHRISTIAN MONKS pelted \vith them were this clan of Thaqif, and that they came to one of
their tribesmen called 'Arnr b. Umayya, one of B. <IHij who was a most
13 Jewish rabbis, Christian monks, and Arab soothsayers had spoken about astute and shrewd man, and asked him if he had noticed this pelting
the apostle of God before his mission when his time dre\v nea.r. .As to t~e with stars. He said: 'Yes, but wait, for if they are the well-known stars
rabbis and monks, it \vas about his description and the deSCrIptIOn of hlS which guide travellers by land and sea, by which the seasons of summer
time which they found in their scriptures and what their prop~~ts had and winter are knO\vn to help men in their daily life, which afe being
enjoined upon them. As to the Arab soothsayers they had been VIS lted by thrown, then by God! it means the end of the world and thf" destruc-
satans from the jinn \vith reports which they had secretly overheard before tion of all that is in it. But if they remain constant and other stars are
they were prevented from hearing by being pelted \vith stars. rvIale and being thrown, then it is for some purpose which God intends towards
female soothsayers continued to let fall mentIOn of some of these matters mankind.'
to which the Arabs paid no attention until God sent him and these things Muhammad b. Muslim b. Shihab al-Zuhri on the authority of 'Ali b.
which had been mentioned happened and they recognized them. When al-I:!usayn b. 'Ali b. Abu 1'alib from 'Abdullah b. aI-'Abbas from a number
the prophet's mission came the satans were ptevented from listening and of the An~ar mentioned that the apostle of God said to them} 'What were
they could not occupy the seats in whi:h they used to si~. and steal the you saying about this shooting star?' They replied, 'We were saying, a
heavenly tidings for they were pelted WIth stars, and the Jl~n knew ~hat king is dead, a king has been appointed, a child is born, a child has died.'
that \vas due to an order \vhich God had commanded concermng mankmd. He replied, 'It is not so, but when God has decreed something concerning 132
God said to His prophet l\luhammad \"hen He sent him as he ,vas telling His creation the bearers of the throne hear it and praise Him, and those
him about the jinn ,vhen they \\-'ere prevented from listening and knew belO\v them praise Him, and those lower still praise Him because they
what they knew and did not deny \yhat they saw; 'Say, It has been revealed have praised, and this goes on until the praise descends to the lowest
to me that a number ofthe jinn listened and said "\Ve have heard a \vonde.r- heaven where they praise. Then they ask each other why, and arc told
ful Quran which guides to the right path, and \\'e believe in it and we wlIl that it is because those above them have done so and they say} "\Vhy
not associate anyone with our Lord and that He (exalted be the glory of don't you ask those above you the reason ?", and sO it goes on until
our Lord) hath not chosen a wife or a son. A foolish ~~e among us used to they reach the bearers of the throne who say that God has decreed so-
speak lies against God, and \ve had thought mcn ~nd JIl1~ would .~ot speak and-so concerning His creation and the news descends from heaven to
a lie against God and that when men took refuge \\llth the. J1I1n, they heaven to the lowest heaven where they discuss it, and the satans steal it
increased them in revolt, cnding with the words: "\Ve used to Sit on places
tt
by listening, mingling it with conjecture and false intelligence. Then they
therein to listen; he who listens now finds a flame waiting for him. \,Ve do convey it to the soothsayers and tell them of it, sometimes being wrong
not know whether evil is intended against those that arc on earth or \vhcther and sometimes right, and so the soothsayers are sometimes right and
their lord wishes to guide them in the right path".' I vVhen the jinn heard sometimes wrong. Then God shut off the satans by these stars with
the Quran they knew that they had been prevented from listening before which they were pelted, so soothsaying has been cut off today and no
that so that revelation should not be mingled with news from heaven so longer exists.'
that men \vould be confused \vith the tidings which came from God about 'Amr b. Abu Ja'far from Muhammad b. 'Abdu'I-Ra1:lman b. Abu Labiba
it when the proof came and doubt was removed; so ~hey believed ~nd from 'All b. al-I:!usayn b. 'Ali told me the same tradition as that of Ibn
acknowledged the truth. Then 'They returned to ~helr people warnmg Shihab.
them, saying, 0 our people we have he~rd a .b~ok WhlCh was revealed after A learned person told me that a woman of B. Sahm called al-Ghay!ala
Moses confirming what went before lt, gUldmg to the truth and to the who was a soothsayer in the time of ignorance \vas visited by her familiar
upright path." . spirit one night. He chirped beneath her,I then he said,
In reference to the saying of the jinn, 'that men took refuge WIth them
and they increased them in revolt', Arabs of the Quraysh and others w~en I know what I know,
they were journeying and stopped at the bottom o~ a vale to pass .~ mght The day of wounding and slaughter.
131 therein used to say, 'I take refuge in the lord of thiS valley of the Jlnn to- I The reading here varies; the word anqafja mcans the shrick of birds or the creaking

night from the evil that is therein' (135) noise of a door, and can be applied to a man's voice. If we read inqatj.a, it means the fall
or the swoop of a bird. In view of the chirping and muttering of soothsayers all the world
" Sura 46. 28. over, the first reading seems preferable.
I Sura 72. I ff.
92 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 93
When the Quraysh heard of this they asked what he meant. The spirit time of ignorance we did worse than this; we worshipped idols and images
came to her another night and chirped beneath her saymg, until God honoured us 'with his apostle and' with Islam.' The mao
replied, 'Yes, by God, 1 was a soothsayer.' 'Omar said, 'Then tell me what
Death, what is death?
In it bones are throvm here and there. I
(T. was the most amazing thing) your familiar spirit communicated to
you.' He said, 'He came to me a month or so before Islam and said:
When Quraysh heard of this they could not understand it and decided to
Have you considered the jinn and their confusion,
wait until the future should reveal its meaning. When the battle of Badr
Their religion a despair and a delusion,
and U\lUd took place in a glen, they knew that this was the meaning of the
Clinging to their camels' saddle cloths in profusion?' (137)' 134
spirit's message (136).
133 'Ali b. Nafi' al-Jurashi told me that Janb, a tribe from the Yaman, had a 'Abdullah b. Ka'b said, Thereupon 'Umar said, 'I was staoding by an
soothsayer in the time of ignorance, and when the news of the apostle of idol with a number of the Quraysh in the time of ignoraoce when ao Arab
God was blazed abroad among the Arabs, they said to him, 'Look into t~e sacrificed a calf. vVe were standing by expecting to get a part of it, when I
matter of this man for us', and they gathered at the bottom of the mountam heard a voice more penetrating than I have ever heard coming out of the
where he lived. He came dovm to them when the sun rose and stood lean- belly of the calf (this was a month or so before Islam), saying:
ing on his bow. He raised his head toward heaven for a long time and
o blood red one,
began to leap about and say: The deed is done,
o men, God has honoured and chosen l\1uhamm ad, A man will cry
Purified his heart and bowels. Beside God none.' ('38)
His stay among you, 0 men, will be short. Such is what I have been told about soothsayers among the Arabs. 1
Then he turned and climbed up the mountain whence he had come.
A person beyond suspicion told me on the authority of 'Ab~ullah b. THE JEWISH WARNING ABOUT THE APOSTLE OF GOD
Ka'b a freedman of 'Uthman b. 'Affan tbat he was told that when Umar b. tA.~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada told me that some of his tribesmen said: '''Vhat
al-Khagab was sitting with the people i~ the ap~stl:'s l~osque, ~n ~rab induced us to accept Islam, apart from God's mercy and guidance, was
came in to visit him. When 'Umar saw hIm he said, ThIS fellow IS stIll a what we used to hear the Jews say. We were polytheists worshipping
polytheist, he has not given up his old religion yet, (or, he said), he was a idols, while they were people of the scriptures with knowledge which we
soothsayer in the time of ignorance.' The man greeted hIm and sat do,,:,n did not possess. There was continual enmity between us, and when we got
and 'Omar asked him if he was a lVluslim; he said that he was. He saId, the better of them and excited their hate, they said l "The time of a prophet
'But were you a soothsayer in the time of ignorance?' r~he man replied, who is to be sent has now come. We will kill you with his aid as '.Ad aod
'Good God, commander of the faithful, you have thought !II of me and have Iram perished.'" We often used to hear them say this. When God sent
greeted me in a way that 1 never heard you speak to anyone of your sub- His apostle we accepted him when he called us to God and we realized
jects since you came into power.' 'Umar said, 'I ask God's pardon. In the what their threat meant and joined him before them. vVe believed in him
but they denied him. Concerning us and them, God revealed the verse in
I This ominous oracle can vie with any oracle from Delphi in obscurity. We can render,
'Glens what are glens?', and this, as the sequel shows, is the way Ibn Isl)iiq understo.od :he the chapter of the Cow: "And when a book from God came to them con-
enigma when the hattles of Badr and .Ul)ud took place in gle.ns, But such a translatlO.~ If?- firming what they already had (and they were formerly asking for victory
nores the fact that the antecedent jfhl (not fihd) must be a sillg~Jlar, and no ,form shu ub IS
known in the singular. This translation carries with it the necessity of rendenng ~he follow~
over the unbelievers), \vhen what they knew came to them, they disbelieved
ing line thus, '\\-'herein Ka'b is lying prostrate', and commentators are ~.m~mmous that it. The curse of God is on the unbelievers.'" (139)3
'Ka'b' refers to the tribe of Ka'b b. Lu'a)')', who provided most of the slam Hl the ~attlt$ f;3alil; b. Ibrahim b. 'Abdu'l-Ral;man b. 'Auf from Mal;mud b. Labid,
of Badr and Uhud and so were found 'Thrown on their sides'. (1 can find no authon~y ~or
translating ha'b by 'heels'-Fersen-as do vVeil and G. Holscher, Die Profeten, Lelp~lg. brother of B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal, from Salama b. Salama b. Waqsh (Salama 135
J914, p, 88, 'Ankle' in the singular is the meaning, and this can hardly be n?"ht,) In v~~~ was present at Badr) said: 'We had a Jewish neighbour among B. 'Abdu'l-
of the proof text cited by Lane, 26r6b, where shu'b (people) and Ka'b (the tnbe~ an~ ki ab
(bones used as dice like our knuckle bones) are all found in a single couplet,.I a~l IIlchne,d to
Ashhal, who came out to us one day from his house. (At that time I was the
think that the oracle is still further complicated and that a possible translatIOn IS that gl~'~n J A much longer account is given by S. 135-4-0.
above. This, at any rate, has the merit of correct syntax since it requires. us to read sha ub. 2 If this report is true it indicat;..s that the Messianic hope was still alive among the
The selection of a word susceptible of so many meanings which contams the name of a Arabian Jews. 3 Sura 2. 83 .
well-known tribe provides an excellent example of oracular prophec?" . . Not in T 114-5.
The Life of Muhammad 9S
94 The Life of Muhammad
asserted that he had been accurately described, so they went and became
youngest person in my house, wearing a small ro~c and lying in the co~rt~
Muslims and saved their lives, their property, and their families. Such is
yard.) He spoke of the resurrection, the reckonmg, the, scales, paradIse,
what I have been told about the Jewish reports. 1
and hell. When he spoke of these things to the polytheists who thought
that there could be no rising after death, they said to him, "Goo~ gracIOus
man! Do you think that such things could be that m~n can. be raIsed ~rom HOW SALMAN BECAME A MUSLIM
the dead to a place where there is a garden and a fire m whIch they wIll be
recompensed for their deeds ?" "Yes," he said, "and by Him .wh~m men 'A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada al-An~ari told me on the authority of Ma!)miid
swear by, he would wish that he might be in the largest ove~ m. hIs ?OUSC b. Labid from 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas as follows: Salman said while I listened
rather than in that fire: that they would heat it and thrust h1m l~to It an~ to his words:'1 am a Persian from 1spahiin from a village called Jayy. My 137
plaster it over if he could get out from that fire on the followmg day .. father was the principal landowner in his village and I was dearer to him
When they asked for a sign that this would be, he saId, pomtmg \~lth ~l1S than the whole world. His love for me went to such lengths that he shut
hand to Mecca and the Yaman, "A prophet ,vill be sent from the directlOn me in his house as though I were a slave girl. I was such a zealous Magian
of this land." When they asked when he would appear, he looked at m.e, that I became keeper of the sacred fire, replenishing it and not letting it go
the youngest person, and said: "This hoy, if ~c lives his natural term, WIll out for a moment. Now my father owned a large farm, and one day when
m II and by God a night and a day dId not pass before God sent he could not attend to his farm he told me to go to it and learn about it,
see Ill , ' '11 giving mc ccrtain instructions. "Do not let yourself be detained," he said,
Muhammad his apostle and be was living among us. \\c bcilc\'l'l ill ulll,
but he denied him in his wickedness and eIlVY \\'l?en we ask~d~ "Aren't "because you are more important to me than my farm and worrying about
you the man who said these things?" he said, "Certamly, but thIS IS not the you will prevent me going about my business." So I started out for the
farm, and when I passed by a Christian church I heard ~he voices of the
man. , " I B Q men praying. I knew nothing about them because my father kept me shut
'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatada on the authority of a shaykh of t 1C uray?:a
said to me, 'Do you know how Thalaba b. Saya and Asid b. Sa'ya an~ up in his house. When I heard their voices I went to see what they were
Asad b. 'Cbayd of B. Hadl, brothers of B. Qurana, became Muslims. doing; their prayers pleased me and I felt drawn to their worship and
They wcre with them during the days of Ignorance; then they became theIr thought that it was better than our religion, and I decided that I would not
masters in Islam.' \Vhen I said that I did not lmo\v, he told me that a Jew leave them until sunset. So I did not go to the farm. When I asked them
from Syria, Ibnu'l-Hayyaban, came to us some years before Islam and d",:'elt where their religion originated, they said "Syria". I returned to my father
among us. 'I have never secn a better man than he who .was not a M~shm. who had sent after me because anxiety on my account had interrupted all
When we ,vere living in the timc of drought we asked Ill,m t~ come "lt~ us his work. He asked me where I had been and reproached me for not obey-
and pray for rain. He declined to do so unless we paId h1m somethmg, ing his ~nstructions. I told him that I had passed by some men who were
and when ,ve asked how much he wanted, he said, "A bushel of d.ates or praying in their church and was so pleased with what I saw of their religion
two bushels of barley."' When we had duly paid up he went outside our that I stayed ,vith them until sunset. He said, "My son, there is no good in
harra and prayed for rain for us; and hy God, hardly had he left his place that religion; the religion of your fathers is better than that." "No," I said,
~hen clouds passed over us and it raincd. Not oncc nor t,v1ce dld he do "It is bettcr than our religion." My father was afraid of what I would do, so
this Later when he knew that he ,vas about to die he said, "0 Jews, what he bound me in fetters and imprisoned me in his house.
do ;ou think made me leavc a land of bread and wine to c~me to a land ?~ 'I sent to the Christians and asked them if they would tell me when a
hJrdship and hunger?" \Vhen we said that :ve could not thmk why, he saId caravan of Christian merchants came from Syria. They told me, and I said
that he had come to this country expectIng to seC the emergence of a to them: "\\Then they have finished their business and want to go back to
raphet whose time \vas at hand. This \vas the town where he would their own country, ask them if they will take me." They did so and I cast
~igrate and he was hoping that he would he sent so that he co~ld follow off the fettcrs from my feet and wcnt with them to Syria. Arrived there I
him. "His time has come," he said, "and don't let anyone get to Inm.before asked for the most learned person in their religion and they directed me to
au 0 Jews' for he will be sent to shed blood and to take captIve the the bishop. I went to him ana told him that I liked his religion and should
~o~cn and children of those who oppose him. Let not that keep you back like to be with him and serve him in his church, to learn from him and to
pray with him. He invited me to come in and I did so. Now he was a
from him.'"
\Vhen thc apostle of God ,vas sent and besieged B. Qurayp, those you~g bad man who used to command people to give alms and induced them to
men who wcrc growing youths said, 'This is the prophet of whom Ibn~ 1- I So C" but the beginning of the story suggests that we should read ahbiir 'from the

Hayyaban testified to you.' Thcy said that he was not; but the others Jewish rabbis'. '
96 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 97
do so and when they brought him money he put it in his ?wn coffers and I saw the palm-trees and I hoped that this would be the town which my
did not give it to the pOOf, until he had collected seven Jars of gold and master had described to me, for I was not certain. Then a cousin of his
silver. I conceived a violent hatred for the man when I saw \vhat he was from B. Quray?a of Medina came and bought me and carried me away to
doing. Sometime later when he died and the Christians came together to Medina, and, by God, as soon as I saw itI recognized it fiom my master's
bury him I told them that he was a bad man who exhorted them and per- description. I dwelt there and the apostle of God was sent and lived in
suaded them to give alms, and when they brought money put It In. hIS Mecca; but 1 did not hear him mentioned because 1 was fully occupied as a
coffers and gave nothing to the poor. They asked how I could possIbly slave. Then he migrated to l\Tedina and as I was in the top of a palm-tree
know this, so I led them to his treasure and when I showed them the place belonging to my master, carrying out my work while my master sat below,
they brought out seven jars ful.l of gold and silver. AS"soon as they.saw suddenly a cousin of his came up to him and said: "God smite the B.
them they said, "By God, ,ve Volill never bur~ th~ fellow, so they crucdied Qayla! They are gathering at this moment in Quba' round a man who has
him and stoned him and appointed another In hIs place. come to them from Mecca today asserting that he is a prophet." (140)
'I have never seen any non-Muslim whom I consider .morc ~irtuous, 'When I heard this I was seized with trembling (141), so that I thought
more ascetic, more devoted to the next life, and more conslstent nIght and I should fall on my master; so I came down from the palm and began to
day than he. I loved him as I had never loved anyone before. I stayed say to his cousin, "What did you say 1 What did you say I" My master
with him a long time until when he was about to dIe I told hIm how I loved was angered and gave me a smart blow, saying, "What do you mean by
him and asked him to whom he \vould confide me and what orders he this? Get back to your work." I said, "Never mind, I only wanted to find
would give me now that he was about to die..He said, "My, dear son, I do out the truth of his report." Now I had a little food whiGh I had gathered,
not know anyone \vho is as I am. lVlen have dIed and !laVe elt~er altered or and I took it that evening to the apostle of God who was in Qubli' and said,
abandoned most of their true religion, except a man 111 Mau~Il; he f~llows "1 have heard that you are an honest man and that your companions are
my faith, so join yourself to him. So ~vhen. he d~ed and was buned, I strangers in want; here is something for alms, for I think that you have
attached mysclf to the bishop of l\Iau,ll tellmg hIm that so-and-so had more right to it than others." So I gave it to him. The apostle said to his
confided me to him when he died and told me that he followed the same companions, "Eat'" bnt he did not hold out his own hand and did not eat.
path. I stayed with him and found him just as he had been descnbed, but I said to myself, "That is one;" then I left him and collected some food
139
it was not lana before he died and I asked him to do for me what hIS pre- and the apostle went to Medina. Then I brought it to him and said, "I see
decessor had done. He replied that he kne\v of only one man, in :Ka~ibin, that you do not eat food given as alms, here is a present which I freely give
who followed the same path and he recommended me to go to him. I , you." The apostle ate it and gave his companions some. 1 said, "That's
'I stayed with this good man in )Ja~ibin for some time and when?e dI,ed two;" then 1 came to the apostle when he was in Ba'qi'u-'I-Gharqad I where
he recommended me to go to a colleague in <Ammuriya. I stayed WIth hIm he had followed the bier of one of his companions. Now I had two cloaks,
for some time and laboured until I possessed some cows and a small flock and as he was sitting with his companions, I saluted him and went round
of sheep; then when he ,vas about to die I asked him to recomme~d me to to look at his back so that I could see whether the seal which my master
someone else. He told me that he kne\v of no one who follO\ved hls .way of had described to me was there. \Vhen the apostle saw me looking at his
life but that a prophet \vas about to arise who, would be sent ':'lth the back he knew that I was trying to find out the truth of what had been
reli~ion of Abraham; he would come forth in l~rabia and would mIgrate to described to me, so he threw off his cloak laying bare his back and I looked
a country between t\'>'O lava belts, between w1uch v,rere palms. I-~e has ,un- at the seal and recognized it. Then I bent over him 2 kissing him 2 and weep
mistakable marks. He will eat ,vhat is given to him but not thmgs given ing. The apostle said, "Come here;" so I came and sat before him and
ill~ alms. Between his shoulders is the seal of prophecy. "If you are able ~o told him my story as I have told you, 0 b. 'Abbas. The apostle wanted
go to that country, do so." Then he died and was burieyd a~d I stayed In his companions to hear my story.' Then servitude occupied Salman so
<Ammuriya as long as God willed. Then a party of Kalblte ~erchants that he could not be at Badr and UJ:1ud with the apostle.
passed by and I asked them to take me to Arabia and I would gIve them Salman continued: 'Then the apostle said to me, "Write an agreement;"
those cows and sheep of mine. They accepted the offer and took me With so I wrote to my master agreeing to plant three hundred palmtrees for him,
them until we reached \Vadi'I-Qur3., when they sold me to a Jew as a slave. digging ant the base, and to pay forty okes of gold. The apostle called on
his companions to help me, which they did; one with thirty little palms,
I I have abbreviated the repetitive style of the narrative which is that of popular ~tories ~other with twenty, another \~ith fifteen, and another with ten, each help"
all the world over. The same words, and the sam.: details, occur in ea~h par~graph With the mg as much as he could unlll the three hundred were complete. The
change of names: l\1aul?il, Nal?ibin, 'Anunuriya, leading up to the obvIOUs chmax, Muham-
I The cemetery of Medina which lies outside the town. :I Or 'it'.
mad.
B 4080 H
9S The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 99
apostle told me to go and dig the holes for them, saying that when I had which they held annually, four men drew apart secretly and agreed to keep
'oP done so he would put them in with his own hand. Helped by my com- their counsel in the bonds of friendship. They were (i) Waraqa b. Naufal
panions I dug the holes and came and told him; so we all went out together, b. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Vzzii b. Qusayy b. Kiliib b. Murra b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy;
and as we brought him the palm shoots he planted them with his own hand; (ii) 'Vbaydullah b. Ja\>sh b. Ri'iib b. Yamar b. !;iabra b. Murra b. Kabir
and by God, not one of them died. ThUll I had delivered the palm-trees, b. Ghanm b. Dudiin b. Asad b. Khuzayma, whose mother was Vmayma
but the money was still owing. Now the apostle had been given a piece of d. 'Abdu'l-Munalib; (iii) 'Vthman b. aI-J:luwayrith b. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-
gold as large as a hen's egg from one of the mines' and he summoned me 'Vzzii b. Qusayy; and (iv) Zayd b. 'Amr b. Nufayl b. 'Abdu'l-'Vzzii b.
and told me to take it and pay my debt with it. "How far will this relieve 'Abdullah b. Quq b. Riyii\>' b. Razii\> b. 'Adiyy b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy. They
me of my debt, 0 Apostle of God I" I said. "Take it," he replied, "for were of the opinion that their people had corrupted the religion of their
God will pay your debt with it." So I took it and weighed it out to them, father Abraham, and that the stone they went round was of no account; it
and by God, it weighed forty okes, and so I paid my debt with it and Sal- could neither hear, nor see, nor hurt, nor help. 'Find for yourselves a
man was free. I took part with the Apostle in the battle of the Ditch ... a religion,' they said; 'for by God you have none.' So they went their
free man and thereafter I was at every other battle.' several ways in the landa, seeking the J:lanifiya, the religion of Abraham.
Yazid b. Abu J:labib from a man of 'Abdu'l-Qays from Salman told me Waraqa attached himself to Christianity and studied its scriptures until
that the latter said: 'When I said, "How far will this relieve me of my he had thoroughly mastered them. 'Vbaydullah went on searching until
debt I" the apostle took it and turned it over upon his tongue, then he said, Islam came; then he migrated with the Muslims to Abyssinia takiog with
"Take it and pay them in full" ; so I paid them in full, forty okes." him his wife who was a Muslim, Vmm J:labiba, d. Abu Sufyan. When he
'~im b. 'Vmar b. Qatlida on the authority of a trustw0!1flY informant arrived there he adopted Christianity, parted from Islain, and died a
from 'Vmar b. 'Abdu'l-:Aziz b. Marwan said that he was told that Salman Christian in Abyssinia.
the Persian told the apostle that his master in 'Ammuriya told him to go to Muhammad b. Ja'far b. al-Zubayr told me that when he had become a
a certain place in Syria where there was a man who lived between two Christian 'Ubaydullah as he passed the prophet's companions who were there
thickets. Every year as he used to go from one to the other, the sick used used to say: 'We see clearly, but your eyes are only half open,' i.e. 'We
to stand in his way and everyone he prayed for was healed. He said, 'Ask see, but you are only trying to see and cannot see yet.' He used the word
him about this religion which you seek, for he can tell you of it.' So I went fa'fa' because when a puppy tries to open its eyes to see, it only half sees.
on until I came to the place I had been told of, and I found that people The other word faqqaIJa meaas to open the eyes. Mter his death the
had gathered there with their sick until he came out to them that night apostle married his widow Vmm J:labiba. Muhammad b. 'Ali b. J:lusayn
passing from one thicket to the other. The people came to him with their told me that the apostle sent 'Amr b. Vmayya al-Oamri to the Negus to ask
sick and everyone he prayed for was healed. They prevented me from forh er and he married him to her. He gave her as a dowry, on the apostle's
getting to him so that I could not approach him until he entered th~ behalf, four hundred dinars. Muhammad b. 'Ali said, 'We think that
'43 thicket he was making for, but I took hold of his shoulder. He asked me 'Abdu'l-Malik b. Marwan fixed the maximum dowry of women at four
who I was as he turned to me and I said, 'God have mercy on you, tell me hundred dinars because of this precedent.' The man who handed her over
about the J:I.nifiya, the religion of Abraham.' He replied, 'You are asking to the prophet was Khiilid b. Sa'id b. aI-'As '
about something men do not inquire of today; the time has come near 'Vthman b. al-J:luwayrith went to the Byzantine emperor and became
when a prophet will be sent with this religion from the people of the a Christian. He was given high office there (If2).
/.Iaram. Go to him, for he will bring you to it.' Then he went into the Zayd b. 'Amr stayed as he was: he accepted neither Judaism nor Chris-
thicket. The apostle said to Salman, 'If you have told melthe truth, you tianity. He abandoned the religion of his people and abstained from idols,
met Jesus the son of Mary.' animals that had died, blood, and things offered to idols.' He forbade the
killing of infant daughters, saying that he worshipped the God of Abraham,
FOUR MEN WHO BROKE WITH POLYTHEISM and he publicly rebuked his people for their practices.
Hishiim b. 'Vrwa from his father on the authority of his mother Asmii'
One day when the Quraysh had assembled' on a feast day to venerate and d. Abu Bakr said that she saw Zayd as a very old man leaning his back'on
circumambulate the idol to which they offered sacrifices, this being a feast the Kaba and saying, '0 Quraysh, By Him in whose hand is the soul of
I For an interesting account of the reopening of an ancient mine in the Wajh~Yanbu' area
of the Hijaz see K. S. TwitChell, Saudi Arabia, Princeton, 1947, pp. 159 f. Kufic inscrip~ ISo C.
tiona said to date from A.D. 750, were found there, and this may well have been one of 'King The influence of the Jewish fonnula, taken over by early Christianity (Acts 15. 29) is
So~. mines'.
,:&
:& The oke being roughly an ounce, miracle is implied.
clear.
The Life of l11uhammad 101

The Li'e 01 Muhammad Beware of putting another beside God,


100 ':1' .
Zayd not one of you follows the religion of Abraham but 1.' ~hen he sa~d:
For the upright way has become clear.
Mercy I implore, others trust in the jinn,
145
'0 G~d if I knew how you wished to be worshipped I wou s~or: ~p But thou, my God, art our Lord and our hope.
you; bu't I do not know.' Then he prostrated himself on the pa 0 IS
I am satisfied with thee, 0 God, as a Lord,
h"';~~s told that his son, Said b. Z~yd, and 'Umar :-;~d~ha;r':~nw~~ And will not worship another God beside thee.
Thou of thy goodness and mercy
was his nephew, saId to the apostle, Ought we :0 as p
Zayd b. 'Amr?' He replied, 'Yes, for ~e will be raIsed from the dead as the
Didst send a messenger to Moses as a herald.
Thou saidst to him, Go thou and Aaron,
Ie representative of a whole people. . h' And summon Pharaoh the tyrant to turn to God
so Zayd b. 'Amr. b. Nufayl composed the following poem about leavmg IS
And say to him, 'Did you spread out this (earth) without a support,
people and the treatment he received from them: Until it stood fast as it does?'
Am I to worship one lord or a thousand? Say to him 'Did you raise this (heaven) without support?
If there are as many as you claim, What a fine builder then you were!'
I renounce al-L.t and al-'Uzz, both of them Say to him, 'Did you set the moon in the middle thereof
As any strong-minded person would. As a light to guide when night covered it?'
I will not worship aI_rUzza and her two d~u7hters, Say to him, 'Who sent forth the sun by day
Nor will I visit the two images of the Banu Amr. So that the earth it touched reflected its splendour l'
I will not worship Hubal' though he was our lord Say to him, 'Who planted seeds in the dust
In the days when I had little sense.. That herbage might grow and wax great?
I wondered (for in the night much .. strange And brought forth its seeds in the head of the plant l'
Which in daylight is plain to the dlscermng), Therein are signs for the understanding.
That God had annihilated many men Thou in thy kindness did deliver Jonah
Whose deeds were thoroughly evil Who spent nights in the belly of the fish.
And spared others through the piety of a people Though I glorify thy name, I often repeat
a
So that little child could grow to manhood. '0 Lord forgive my sins. 'I
A man may languish for a time and then recover o Lord of creatures, bestow thy gifts and mercy upon me
As the branch of a tree revives after ram. And bless my sons and property.
I serve my "Lord the compassionate .
Zayd b. 'Amr in reproaching his wife $afiya, d. al-I;la<;lrami ('44)
That the forgiving Lord may pardon my sm, said :2
So keep to the fear of God your Lord; .
While you hold to that you will not pensh. Now Zayd had determined to leave Mecca to travel about in search of 147
You will see the pious living i~ garde~s, the I;lanifiya, the religion of Abraham, and whenever $afiya saw that he
While for the infidels hell fire IS burnmg. had got ready to travel she told al-Khall.b b. Nufayl, who was his uncle
Shamed in life, when they die and his brother by the same mother.' He used to reproach him for
Their breasts will contract in anguish. forsaking the religion of his people. He had instructed $afiya to tell him
if she saw him getting ready to depart; and then Zayd said:
Zayd also said: (143)
Don't keep me back in humiliation,
To God I give my praise and thanksgiving,
A sure word that will not fail as long as tIme lasts, .
o $afiya. It is not my way at all.
. To the heavenly King-there is no God beyond HIm I Or 'I should add to my sins unless thou forgavest me'.
And no lord can draw near to Him. ~ What he said is reserved till the circumstances which gave rise to the poem have been
described.
Beware, 0 men, of what follows death! 3 This was because his mother was first married to Nufayl and ga....e birth to al-Khanab;
You can hide nothing from God. then ahe married her stepson 'Amr and g'llve birth to Zayd: thus the double relationship
Cf. also came into being.
1 This is the reading of al-Kalbi, but all MSS. have Ghanrn, a deity unknown.
Yiq. iii. 665. 8.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 103
102
in secret only. When they got to know of that they told al-Khallab and
When I fear humiliation
I am a brave man whose steed is submissive. I drove him out and harassed him because of their fear that he would show
A man who persistently frequents the gates of kings their religion in its true colours and that some would join him in seceding
from it. He said, making much of its sanctity against those of his people
Whose camel crosses the desert;
who treated it as ordinary:
One who severs ties with others .'
Whose difficulties can be overcome without (the aid of) fnends. o God, I am of the holy land, no outsider,
A donkey only accepts humiliation My house is in the centre of the place
When its coat is worn Qut. Hard by al-~afa.
It says II will never give in It is no home of error.!
Becau;e the load chafes my sides.'2 Then he went forth seeking the religion of Abraham, questioning monks
My brother, (my mother's son and then my uncle), and Rabbis until he had traversed al'Mau~il and the whole of Mesopo-
Uses words which do not please me. tamia; then he went through the whole of Syria until he came to a monk in
When he reproaches me I say, the high ground of Balqa.' This man, it is alleged, was well instructed in
II have no answer for him.' Christianity. He asked him about the I:!anifiya, the religion of Abraham,
Yet if I wished I could say things and'the monk replied, 'You are seeking a religion to which no one today
Of which I hold the keys and door. can guide you, but the time of a prophet who will come forth from your 149
I was told by one of the family of Zayd b. 'Amr b. Nufayl that when own country which you have just left has drawn near. He will be sent with
Zayd faced the Ka'ba inside the mosque he used to say, 'Labbayka in truth, the I:!anifiya, the religion of Abraham, so stick to it, for he is about to be
"l'nt now and this is his time: Now Zayd had sampled Judaism and Chris-
in worship and in service 3 .
tianity and was not satisfied with either of them; so at these words he went
I take refuge in what Abraham took refuge away at once making for Mecca; but when he was well inside the country
When he stood and faced the qibla: of Lakhm he was attacked and killed.
Waraqa b. Naufal b. Asad composed this elegy over him:
Then he said:
You were altogether on the right path Ibn 'Amr,
A humble prisoner, 0 God, my face in the dust,
You have escaped hell's burning oven
Whatever thy commandment do I must.
By serving the one and only God
148 Pride I seek not, but piety's boon.
And abandoning vain idols.
The traveller at midday is not as he who sleeps at noon (145)
And by attaining the religion which you sought
And Zayd said: Not being unmindful of the unity of your Lord
You have reached a noble dwelling
I submit myself to him to whom . .
The earth which bears mighty rocks IS subject. Wherein you will rejoice in your generous treatment.
He spread it out and when He saw it ~as seu.led
You will meet there the friend of God, J
Upon the waters, He fixed the mountams o~ It. Since you were not a tyrant ripe for hell,
I submit myself to Him to whom clouds which bear For the mercy of God reaches men,
Though they be seventy valleys deep below the earth (146).
Sweet water afe subject.
When they are borne along to a land .
They obediently pour copious rain upon It. THE WORD APPLIED TO THE APOSTLE OF GOD IN THE
Now al-Khattab had '0
harassed Zayd that he forced him to .w!;hdr.aw
to the upper part of Mecca, and he stopped in the mou.ntam of I;hra facmg
GOSPEL

Among the things which have reached me about what Jesus the Son of
the town. Al-Khanab gave instructions to the young irresponsible m~n of Mary stated in the Gospel which he received from God for the followers
Quraysh that they should not let him enter Mecca and he was able to a so of the Gospel, in applying a term to describe the apostle of God, is the
I So A.Dh. Perhaps ;"ushayya' means 'quick to ta~e .leave'. e lOne would expect mi:;alla for mar;lalla in view of what has been said about the l;Iums.
:a So A.Dh., but one would expect ,iliibu? to mean his tough on s . The district of which 'Amman was the capital.
2; 3 i.e. AbrahaQ),.
3 i.e. 'Here I am as a sincere worshipper.
104 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 105

following. It is extracted from what John the Apostle set down for them they transmitted that obligation to those who believed in them among the
when he wrote the Gospel for them from the Testament of Jesus Son of two monotheistic religions.
Mary: 'He that hateth me hath hated the Lord. And if I had not done in (T- One whom I do not suspect told me from Sa'id b. Abu 'Aruba from T. 1142
their presence works which none other before me did, they had not. had sin: Qatada b. Di'ama al-Sadusi from Abu'l-Jald: 'The Furqan came down on
150 but from now they are puffed up with pride and think that they will over- the 14th night of Rama<,lan. Others say, No, but on the 17th; and in sup-
come me and also the Lord. But the word that is in the law must be ful- port of this they appeal to God's word: 'And what we sent down to our
filled, "They hated me without a cause" (i.e. without reason). But when servant on the day of al-Furqan, the day the two companies roet'l which
the Comforter has come whom God will send to you from the Lord's was the meeting of the apostle and the polytheists at Badr, and that took
presence, and the spirit of truth which will have gone forth from the Lord's place on the morning of Rama<,lan 17th.)
presence he (shall bear) witness of me and ye also, because ye have been Al-Zuhri related from 'Urwa b. Zubayr that 'A:isha told him that when 151
with me from the beginning. I have spoken unto you about this that ye Allah desired to honour Muhammad and have mercy on His servants by
should not be in doubt." means of him, the first sign of prophethood vouchsafed to the apostle was
The MunaMemana (God bless and preserve him!) in Syriac is Muham- true visions, resembling the brightness of daybreak, which were shown to
mad; in Greek he is the paraclete. him in his sleep. And Allah, she said, made him love solitude so that he
liked nothing better than to be alone.
'Abdu'l-Malik b. 'Ubaydullah b. Abu Sufyan b. aI-'Ala' b. Jariya the
THE PROPHET'S MISSION Thaqafite who had a retentive memory related to me from a certain scholar
When Muhammad the apostle of God reached the age of forty God sent that the apostle at the time when Allah willed to bestow His grace upon
him in compassion to mankind, 'as an evangelist to all men'.2 Now God him and endow him with prophethood would go forth for his affair and
had made a covenant with every prophet Whom he had sent before him journey far afield until he reached the glens of Mecca and the beds of its
that he should believe in him, testify to his truth and help him against his valleys where no house was in sight; and not a stone or tree that he passed
adversaries, and he required of them that they should transmit that to by but would say, 'Peace unto thee, a
apostle of Allah.' And the apostle
everyone who believed in them, and they carried out their obligations in would turn to his right and left and look behind him and he would see.
that respect. God said to Muhammad, 'When God made a covenant with naught but trees and stones. Thus he stayed seeing and hearing so long as
the prophets (He said) this is the scripture and wisdom which I have given it pleased Allah that he should stay. Then Gabriel came to him with the
you, afterwards an apostle will come confirming what you know that you gift of God's grace whilst he was on !:Iira' in the month of Rama<,lan.
may believe in him and help him.' He said, 'Do you accept this and take up Wahb b. Kaisan a client of the family of aI-Zubayr told me: I heard
my burden?' i.e. the burden of my agreement which I have laid upon you. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr say to 'Ubayd b. 'Umayr b. Qatada the Laythite,
They said, 'We accept it.' He answered, 'Then bear witness and I am a '0 'Ubayd tell us how began the prophethood which was first bestowed
witness with yoU.'3 Thus God made a covenant with all the prophets that on the apostle when Gabriel came to him.' And 'Ubayd in my presence
they should testify to his truth and help him against his adversaries and related to 'Abdullah and those with him as follows: The apostle would pray '5'
in seclusion on I:Iira' every year for a month to practise tabannuth as was
I The passage quoted is John IS. 23 ff. It is interesting to note that the citation comes
from the Palestinian Syriac Lectionary and not from the ordinary Bible of the Syriacpspeak- the custom of Quraysh in heathen days. Ta~annuth is religious devotion.
ing Churches. The text is corrupt in one or two places; e.g. the phrase 'puffed up with AbU Talib said:
pride and think that they will overcome me'. Ba/iru is an obvious corruption of na:,aru,
which agrees with the Syriac and underlying Greek. Wa~annu seems to be another attempt By Thaur and him who made Thabir firm in its place
to make sense of the passage. The next word I am unable to explain. The most interesting And by those going up to ascend !:Iira' and coming down (147)"
word is that rendered 'Comfprter' which we find in the Palestinian Lectionary, but all other
Syriac versions render 'paraclete', following the Greek. This word was well established in Wahb b. Kaisan told me that 'Ubayd said to him: Every year during
the Hebrew- and Aramaic-speaking world. The menaMzemana in Syriac means the life- that month the apostle would pray in seclusion and give food to the poor
giver and especially one who raises from the dead. Obviously such a meaning is out of place
here and what is meant is one who consoles and comforts people for the loss of one dear to that came to him. And when he completed the month and returned from
them. This is the meaning in the Talmud and Targum. It ought to be pointed out that by his seclusion, first of all before entering his house he would go to the Ka'ba
the omission of the words 'that is written' before 'in the law' quite another meaning is given
to the prophecy. The natural rendering would be 'the word that concerns the Namt\s must and walk round it se"en times or as often as it pleased God; then he would
be fulfilled'. To Muslims the N1i.mus was the angel Gabriel. Furthermore, the last words go back to his house until in the year when God sent him, in the month of
are translated as. the ordinary Arab reader would understand tashukku; but in Syrian Arabic J Sura S..42.
it could bear the meaning of the Go"Spel text 'stumble'. See further my article in Al-Anda- 2 Thaur and Thabir are mountains near Mecca. The poem is given on p. 173; cC. Yag.
Ius, xv, fasc. 2 (I950), 289-96. z Sura 34. 27. J Sura 3. 75.
i.938.
106 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 10 7
Rama<jan in which God willed concerning him what He willed of His grace, you did see something." "Yes, I did," I said.) Then I told her of what I
the apostle set forth to I:Iira: as was his wont, and his family with him. had seen; and she said, "Rejoice, 0 son of my uncle, and be of good heart.
When it was the night on which God honoured him with his mission and Verily, by Him in whose hand is Khadija's soul, I have hope that thou wilt
showed mercy on His servants thereby, Gabriel brought him the command be the prophet of this people.'" Then she rose and gathered her garments
of God. 'He came to me,' said the apostle of God, 'while I was asleep, with about her and set forth to her cousin Waraqa b. Naufal b. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-
a coverlet of brocade whereon was some writing, and said, "Read!" I said, 'Uzza b. Qu~ayy, who had become a Christian and read the scriptures and
"What shall I read 1" He pressed me with it so tightly that I thought it learned from those that follow the Torah and the Gospel. And when she
was death; then he let me go and said, "Read!" I said,'IWhat shall I related to him what the apostle of God told her he had seen and heard
read?" He pressed me with it again so that I thought it was death; then he Wara~a cried, 'Holy! Holy! Verily by Him in whose hand is Waraqa'~
let me go and said "Read!" I said, "What shall I read?" He pressed me soul, If thou hast spoken to me the truth, 0 Khadija, there hath come unto
with it the third time so that I thought it was death and said" Read!" I h,m the greatest Niimus (T. meaning Gabriel) who came to Moses afore-
153 said, "What then shall I read ?"-and this I said only to deliver myself time, an~.lo, he is the prophet of this people. Bid him be of good heart:
from him, lest he should do the same to me again. He said: So KhadlJa returned to the apostle of God and told him what Waraqa had
"Read in the name of thy Lord who created, said. (T. and that calmed his fears somewhat.) And when the apostle of
Who created man of blood coagulated. God had finished his period of seclusion and returned (to Mecca), in the
Read! Thy Lord is the most beneficent, first place he performed the circumambulation of the Ka'ba, as was his
Who taught by the pen, wont. While he was doing it, Waraqa met him and said, '0 son of my 154
Taught that which they knew not unto men." I brother, tell me what thou hast seen and heard: The apostle told him and
Waraqa said, :Surely, by Him in whose hand is Waraqa's soul, thou a~ the
T.1I5 So I read it, and he departed from me. And I awoke from my sleep, and it prophet of thiS people. There hath come unto thee the greatest Niimus,
was as though these words were written on my heart. (T. Now none of who came unto Moses. Thou wilt be called a liar, and they will use thee
God's creatures was more hateful to me than an (ecstatic) poet or a man despaefullyand cast thee out and fight against thee. Verily, if I live to see that
possessed; I could not even look at them. I thought, Woe is me poet or day, I will help God in such wise as He knoweth.' Then he brought his head
possessed-Never shall Quraysh say this of me! I will go to the top of the near to hIm and kIssed his forehead; and the apostle went to his own house.
mountain and throw myself down that I may kill myself and gain rest. So (T.Waraqa's words added to his confidence and lightened his anxiety.)
I went forth to do so and then) when I was midway on the mountain, I Ismil'il b. Abu !;fakim, a freedman of the family of al-Zubayr, told me on
heard a voice from heaven saying, "0 Muhammad! thou art the apostle of Khadija's authority that she said to the apostle of God, '0 son of my
God and I am Gabriel." I raised my head towards heaven to see (who was uncle, a~e you able to tell me about your visitant, when he comes to you ?'
speaking) and 10 Gabriel in the form of a man with feet astride the horizon, He rephed that he could, and she asked him to tell her when he came. So
saying, "0 Muh'ammad! thou art the apostle of God and I am Gabri~l." ~he?" ~abriel. came to him, as he was wont, the apostle said to Khadija,
I stood gazing at him, (T. and that turned me from my purpose) movmg ThIS 18 GabrIel who has just come to me.' 'Get up, 0 son of my uncle,'
neither forward nor backward; then I began to turn my face away from she said, ',and sit by my left thigh'. The apostle did so, and she said, 'Can
him but towards whatever region of the sky I looked, I saw him as before. you see hIm?' 'Yes,' he said. She said, 'Then turn round and sit on my
And I continued standing there, neither advancing nor turning back, until right thigh: He did so, and she said, 'Can you see him l' When he said
Kbadija sent her messengers in search of me and they gained the high that he could she asked him to move and sit in her lap. When he had done
ground above Mecca and returned to her while Lwas standing in the same this she again asked if he could sec him, and when he said yes, she dis-
place; then he parted from me and I from him, returning to my family. closed her form and cast aside her veil while the apostle was sitting in her
And I came to Khadija and sat by her thigh and drew close to her. She lap. Then she said, 'Can you see him l' And he replied, 'No: She said,
said, 1'0 Abu'l-Qasim,2 where hast thou been? By God, I sent my messen- '0 son of my uncle, rejoice and be of good heart, by God he is an angel and
gers in search of thee, and they reached the high ground above Mecca and not a satan.'
returned to me." (T. I said to her, HWoe is me poet or possessed." She I told 'Abdullah b. !;fasan this story and he said, 'I heard my mother
said, "I take refuge in God from that 0 Abu'I-Qasim. God would not treat Fatima, daughter of !;fusayn, talking about this tradition from Khadija,
you thus since ht: knows your truthfulness, your great trustworthmess, but as I heard It she made the apostle of God come inside her shift and
your fine character, and your kindness. This cannot be, my dear. Perhaps thereupon Gabriel departed, and she said to the apostle of God ':This
I Sura 96. 1-5. :1 The kunya or 'name of honour' of Muhammad. verily is an angel and not a satan.'" '
PART II
MUHAMMAD'S CALL AND

PREACHING IN MECCA
THE BEGINNING OF THE SENDING DOWN OF THE 'SS
QURAN
The apostle began to receive revelations in the month of Ramac;liin. In the
words of God, 'The month of Ramac;liin in which the Quriin was brought
down as a guidance to men, and proofs ofguidance and a decisive criterion: I
And again, 'Verily we have sent it down on the night of destiny, and what
has shown you what the night of destiny is? The night of destiny is better
than a thousand months. In it the angels and the spirit descend by their
Lord's permission with every matter. It is peace until the rise of dawn."
Again, 'I:I.M. by the perspicuous book, verily we have sent it down in a
blessed night. Verily, we were warning. In it every wise matter is decided
as a command from us. Verily we sent it down.'J And again, 'Had you
believed in God and what we sent down to Our servant on the day of
decision, the day on which the two parties met' J 4 i.e. the meeting of the
apostle with the polytheists in Badr. Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. 'Ali b.
a1-I:Iusayn told me that the apostle of God met the polytheists in Badr on
the morning of Friday, the 17th of Ramac;liin.
Then revelation came fully to the apostle while he was believing in Him
and in the truth of His message. He received it.willingly, and took upon
himself what it entailed whether of man's goodwill or anger. Prophecy is
a troublesome burden--only strong, resolute messengers can bear it by
God's help and grace, because of the opposition which they meet from
men in conveying God's message. The apostle carried out God's orders in
spite of the opposition and ill treatment which he met with.

KHADIJA, DAUGHTER OF KHUWAYLlD, ACCEPTS ISLAM


Khadija believed in him and accepted as true what he brought from God,
and helped him in his work. She was the first to believe in God and His
apostle, and in the truth of his message. By her God lightened the burden
of His prophet. He never met with contradiction and charges of falsehood,
which saddened him, but God comforted him by her when he went home.
She strengthened him, lightened his burden, proclaimed his truth, and
belittled men's opposition. May God Almighty have mercy upon herl 156
Hisham b. 'Urwa told me on the authority of his father 'Urwa b. a1-
Zubayr from 'Abdullah b. Ja'far b. AbU TaIib that the apostle said, 'I was
commanded to give Khadija the good news of a house of qfJfah wherein
would be no clamour and no toil' ('4.8).
Then revelations stopped for a time so that the apostle of God was dis-
tressed and grieved. Then Gabriel brought him the Sura ofthe Morning,
in which his Lord, who had so honoured him, swore that He had not for-
1 Sura 2. lSI. ~ Sura 97.
3 Sura 44. 1-4. Sura 8. 42.
liZ The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad "3
saken him, and did not hate him. God said, 'By the morning and the night
his shadow equalled his own length. Then he prayed the sunset prayer
when it is still, thy Lord hath not forsaken nor hated thee," meaning that
when the sun set. Then he prayed the last night prayer when the twilight
He has not left you and forsaken you, nor hated you after havmg loved
had dIsappeared. Then he prayed with him the morning prayer when the
you. 'And verily, the latter end is better for you than the beginning," i.e.
dawn rose. Then he came to him and prayed the noon prayer on the
What I have for you when you return to Me is better than the honour
morrow when his shadow equalled his height. Then he prayed the evening
which I have given you in the world. 'And your Lord will give you and
prayer when h,s shadow equalled the height of both of them. Then he
will satisfy you,' i.e. of victory in this world and reward in the next. 'Did
prayed the sunset prayer When the sun set at the time it had the day
he not find you an orphan and give you refuge, going astray and guided
before. Then he prayed with him the last night prayer when the first third
you, found you poor and made you rich I' God thus to!? him of ho~ He
of the night had passed. Then he prayed the dawn prayer when it was clear
had begun to honour him in his earthly life, and .of Hi~ kmdness to hIm as
but the sun was not shining. Then he said, "0 Muhammad, prayer is in
an orphan poor and wandering astray, and of H,S dehvenng him from all
what is between your prayer today and your prayer yesterday.'''' (T. T. II6.
that by His compassion ('49).
Yiinus b. Bukayr said that Muhammad b. Isl;>aq told him that Yal;>ya b.
'S7 'Do not oppress the orphan and do not repel the beggar.' That is, do not
Abii'I-Ash'ath al-Kindi of the people of Kufa said that Isma'n b. Iyas b.
be a tyrant or proud or harsh or mean towards the weakest of God's
'Mif from his father from his grandfather said, 'When I was a merchant
creatures.
I came to aI-'Abbas during the days of pilgrimage; and while we were
'Speak of the kindness of thy Lord,' i.e. tell about the kindness of God
together a man came out to pray and stood facing the Ka'ba; then a
in giving you prophecy, mention it and call men ,to it. .
woman came out and stood praying with him; then a young man came out
So the apostle began to mention secretly God s kmdness to hIm and to
aad stood praying with him. I said to 'Abbas, "What is their religion 1 It
his servants in the matter of prophecy to everyone among his people whom
is some thing new to me." He said, "This is Muhammad b. Abdullah who
he could trust.
alleges that God has sent him with it and that the treasures of Chosrhoes
and Caesar will be opened to him. The woman is his wife Khadija who
believes in him, and this young man is his nephew 'AlI who believes in him."
THE PRESCRIPTION OF PRAYER
'Afif said, "Would that I could have believed that day and been a third!" "
The apostle was ordered to pray and so he prayed. $iilil;> b. Kaisan from (T. Ibn I;Iamid said that Salama b. al-Fa<il and 'Ali b. Mujahid told T. II6z
'Urwa b. al-Zubayr from 'A.'isha told me that she said, 'When prayer was him. Salama said, Mnhammad b. Isl;>aq told me from Yal;>ya b. Abu '1-
first laid on the apostle it was with two prostratio... for every prayer: then Ash'ath-Tabari said, 'It is in another place in my book from Yal;>ya b.
God raised it to four prostrations at home while on a journey the former al-Ash'ath from Isma'il b. Iyas b. 'Afif al-Kindi, 'Afif being the brother of
ordinance of two prostrations held.' al-Ash'ath b. Qays al-Kindi by the same mother and the son of his unde-
A learned person told me that when prayer was laid on the apostle from his father, from his grandfather 'Afiif: 'AI-Abbas b. 'Abdu'I-Mutta-
Gabriel came to him while he was on the heights of Mecca and dug a hole lib was a friend of mine who used to go often to the Yarnan to buy aro~a-
for him with his heel in the side of the valley from which a fountain gushed tics and sell them during the fairs. While I was with him in Mina there
forth and Gabriel performed the ritual ablution as the apostle watched came a man in the prime of life and performed the full rites of ablution
him. ' This was in order to show him how to purify himself before p~ayer. and then stood up and prayed. Then a woman came out and did her
Then the apostle performed the ritual ablution as he had seen Gab~el d.o ablutions and stood up and prayed. Then out came a youth just approach-
it. Then Gabriel said a prayer with him while the apostle prayed WIth h,s ing manhood, did his ablutions, then stood up and prayed by his side.
prayer. Then Gabriel left him. The apostle carne to Khadija ~d ~er When I asked al-'Abbas what was going on, he said that it was his nephew
formed the ritual for her as Gabriel had done for hIm, and she copIed hIm. Muhammad b. 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu'I-MU!lalib who alleges3 that Allah
Then he prayed with her as Gabriel had prayed with him, and she prayed has sent him as an apostle; the other is my brother's son 'Ali b.1\hii Tiilib
his prayer. . who has followed him in his religion; the third is his wife Khadija d.
'Utba b. Muslim freedman of B. Taym from Nafi' b. Jubayr b. Mul'lm
(who was prolific in relating tradition) from I. 'Abbas told me: 'When I SU.hayli takes the author to task for saying what he should not. Traditionists are agreed
that thIS s.to.ry bel?ngs to the morrow of the prophet's night journey (v.i.) some five years
prayer was laid upon the apostle Gabriel came to him and ,Prayed the noon l~~er. OpmlOns dIffer as to whether this occurred eighteen months or a year before "the
prayer when the sun declined. Then he prayed the evemng prayer when hiJra, b~.1t that would have been long after the beginning of revelation.
:: ThiS may ~e ~ne of t~e tradi.tions which I.I. was accused of producing or recording in
I SUra 93. 2 Sura 93. support .of the ,Ahds. It IS certamly open to criticism. See Introduction, pp.xxii f.
J A hit at a1- Abbas.

n 4080 ,
The Life of Muhammad I 15
II4 The Life of Muhammad
Khuwaylid who also follows him in his religion.' 'Mif said after he had
'Ali ('5')' Then Abu Bakr b. Abu Qu\Iiifa whose name was 'Aliq became ,6,
a Muslim. His father's name was 'Uthman b. 'Amir b. 'Amr b. Ka'b b.
become a Muslim and Islam was firmly established in his heart, "Would
Sa'd b. Taym b. Murra b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. Ghalib b. Fihr. When he
that I had been a fourth I" '1 became a Muslim, he showed his faith openly and called others to God and
his apostle. He was a man whose society was desired, well liked and of
easy manners. He knew more about the genealogy of Quraysh than anyone
'ALl B. ABU TALIB THE FIRST MALE TO ACCEPT ISLAM
else and of their faults and merits. He was a merchant of high character
'Ali was the first maIe to believe in the apostle of God, to pray with him and kindliness. His people used to come to him to discuss many matters
159 and to believe in his divine message, when he was a boy of ten. God with him because of his wide knowledge, his experience in commerce, and
favoured him in that he was brought up in the care of the apostle before his sociable nature. He began to call to God and to Islam all whom he
Islam began. trusted of those who came to him and sat with him (152).
'Abdullah b. Abu Naji\I on the authority of Mujahid b. Jabr Abu.'l- [I.K. iii, 24. The following day 'Ali b. Abu Talib came as the two of
I;lajjaj told me that God showed His favour and goodwill towards hIm them were praying and asked, 'What is this, Muhammad I' He replied, 'It
when a grievous famine overtook Quraysh. Now Abu Tahb had a large is God's religion which He has chosen for Himself and sent His apostles
family, and the prophet approached his ~nck, AI-'Abbas, who :vas one of with it. I call you to God, the One without an associate, to worship Him
the richest of B. Hashim, suggestmg that m vIew of hIS large famIly and the and to disavow al-Lat and al-'Uzza.' <Ali said, 'This is something that I
famine which affected everyone, they should go together and offer to relieve have never heard of before today. I cannot decide a matter until I have
him of the burden of some of his family. Al-'Abbii,s agreed"and so they talked about it with Abu Talib.' Now the apostle did not want his secret
went to Abu Talib offering to relieve him from his responsibility ~f two to be divulged before he applied himself to the publication of his message,
boys until conditions improved. Abu Talib said, 'Do what you hke ,so so he said, 'If you do not accept Islam, then conceal the matter.' 'Ali
long as you leave me 'Aqil' (150). So the apo'stle took 'Ali and kept hIm tarried that night until God put Islam into his heart. Early next morning
with him and AI-'Abbas took Ja'far. 'Ali continued to be with the apostle he went to the apostle and asked him what his orders were. He said, 'Bear
until God sent him forth as a prophet. 'Ali followed him, believed him, witness that there is no god but Allah alone without associate, and disavow
and declared his truth, while Jafar remained with AI-'Abbas until he al-Lat and al-'Uzza, and renounce rivals.' <Ali did so and became a Mus-
became a Mllslim and was independent of him. lim. He refrained from coming to him out of fear of Abu Talib and con-
A traditionist mentioned that when the time of prayer came the apostle cealed his Islam and did not let it be seen.
used to go out to the glens of Mecca accompanied by 'Ali, who went un- Zayd b. I;laritha became a Muslim and the two of them tarried nearly a
beknown to his father, and his uncles and the rest of his people. There month. (Then) 'Ali kept coming to the apostle. It was a special favour to
they used to pray the ritual prayers, and return at nightfall. This went on 'Ali from God that he was in the closest association with the apostle before
as long as God intended that it should, until one day Abu Talib came upon Islam.]
them while t\ley were praying, and said to the apostle, '0 nephew, .w~at is
this religion which I see you practising?' He replied, '0 uncle, thiS IS the
religion of God, His angels, His apostles, and the religion of O':f father THE COMPANIONS WHO ACCEPTED ISLAM AT THE 162
160 Abraham.' Or, as he said, 'God has sent me as an apostle to mankmd, and INVITATION OF ABU BAKR
YOU , my uncle , most deserve that I should teach you the truth and
1
call you
' Those who accepted Islam at his invitation according to what I heard
to guidance, and you are the most wort,hy to resp~nd and he p .~e, or
were:
words to that effect. His uncle replied, I cannot gIve up the rehglOn of
my fathers which. they followed, but by God you shal.1 never meet .with 'Uthman b. 'Affan b. Abu'I-'A~ b. Umayya b. 'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu
anything to distress you so long as I live.' They mentlOn that he saId :0 Manaf b. Qu~ayy .. .' b. Lu'ayy; al-Zubayr b. al,'Awwam b. Khuwaylid
'Ali, 4My boy, what is this religion of yours?' He answered, II heheve l.n b. Asad b. 'Abdu'I-'U2za b. Qu~ayy .. , b. Lu'ayy; 'Abdu l-Ra\Iman b.
God and in the apostle of God, and I declare that what he has brought IS 'Aufb. 'Abdu 'Aufb. 'Abd b. al-I:Iarith b. Zuhra ... b. Lu'ayy; Sa'd b.
true, and I pray to God with him a~d follow hi~.' They all~ge tha: h~ Abu Waqqas. (The latter was Malik b. Uhayb b. 'Abdu Maniif b.
said, 'He wOll!d not call you to anythmg but what IS good so suck to hIm. Lu'ayy); Tal\Ia b. 'Ubaydullah b. 'Uthman b. 'Amr b. Ka'b b. Sa'd .
Zayd the ftee4man of the apostle was the first male to accept Islam after b. Lu'ayy.
I See Introduction, pp. uti f. I I have omitted the intervening names in genealogies which have been given already.
II6 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad "7
He brought them to the apostle when they had accepted his invitation
and they accepted Islam and prayed. "I have heard that the apostle of God Umayna (159) d. Khalaf b. As'ad b. 'Amir b. Bayada b. Subay' ... from I6S
used to say: I have never invited anyone to accept Islam but he has shown
I
Khuza'a; I;Ia;ib b. 'Amr b. 'Abdu Shams ... b. Lu'ayy; Abu I;Iudhayfa
signs of reluctance, suspicion, and hesitation, except Abu Bakr. \Vhen I (160); Waqid b. 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu Manaf b. 'Arin b. Tha'iaba b. Yarbu'
told him of it he did not hold back or hesitate' (153)'" b. I;Ian?ala b. Malik b. Zayd Manat b. Tamim an ally of B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b
These were the first eight men to accept Islam and prayed and believed (161); Khalid, 'Amir, 'Aqil, Iyas, the sons of al-Bukayr b. 'Abdu Yalil b.
in the divine inspiration of the apostle. Nashib b. Ghiyara b. Sa'd b. Layth b. Bakr b. 'Abdu Manat b. Kinana,
allies of B. 'Adiy; 'Ammarb. Yasir, ally of B. Makhzum b. Yaq~a (162);
After them came: $uhayb b. Sinan one of the Namir b. Qasit, an ally of B. Taym b. Murra
Abu 'Ubayda b. al-Jarra\> whose name was 'Amir b. 'Abdullah b. al- ( 163).
Jarral; b. Hilal b. Uhayb b. -Oabba b. al-I;Iarith b. Fihr. Abu Salama
whose name was 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu'I-Asad ... b. Lu'ayy. Al-Arqam b.
THE APOSTLE'S PUBLIC PREACHING AND TIIE RESPONSE 166
Abu'I-Arqam. (The latter's name was 'Abdu Maniif b. Asad-and Asad
bore the honorific of Abu Jundub-b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr ... b. Lu'ayy.) People began to accept Islam, both men and women, in large numbers
'Uthman b. Ma.'un b. I;Iabib b. Wahb b. I;Iudhiifa ... b. Lu'ayy. His two unlll the fame of It was spread throughout Mecca, and it began to be talked
brothers Qudama and 'Abdullah, sons of Ma.'un. 'Ubayda b. al-I;Iarith about. Then God commanded His apostle to declare the truth of what he
b. al-Mugalib b. 'Abdu Maniif ... b. Lu'ayy. Sa'id b. Zayd b. 'Amr b. had received and to make known His commands to men and to call them
Nufayl b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza b. 'Abdullah b. QUI1 ... b. Lu'ayy, and his wife to Him. Three years elapsed from the time that the apostle concealed his
Fa;ima d. a1 Khagab b. Nufayl just mentioned, she being the sister of ~tate UD:il Go~ commanded him to publish his religion, according to
'Umar b. al-Kha;;ab. Asma' d. Abu Bakr, together with his little daughter mforrnatlOn whIch has reached me. Then God said, 'Proelaim what you
'A'isha. Khabbiib b. al-Aratt ally of the B. Zuhra (154)' 'Umayr b. Abu have be~n ordered and tum aside from the polytheists." And again, 'Warn
Waqqa~, brother of Sa'd. Abdullah b. Mas'ud b. al-I;Iarith b. Shamkh b. thy famIly, thy nearest relations, and lower thy wing to the followers who
Makhzum b. $ahila b. Kahil b. al-I;Iarith b. Tamim b. Sa'd b. Hudhayl, ally follow iliee.'z And 'Say, I am the one who warns plainly' ( 164).3
of the B. Zuhra. Mas'ud b. al-Qari who was the son of Rabi'a b. 'Amr b. (To Ibn I;Iamid from Salama from Ibn Is\>aq from 'Abdullah b. al- T. II7
Ghaffar b. al-Qasim from al-MinhiiI b. 'Amr from 'Abdullah b. al-Harith '
Sad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b. I;Iamala b. Ghiilib b. Mu\>allim b. 'A'idha b.
Subay' b. ai-Hun b. Khuzayma from al-Qara (ISS)' Sali; b. 'Amr b. b. Naufal b. al-I;Iarith b. 'Abdu'I-Mullalib from 'Abdullah b. 'Abba,; from
'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu Wudd b. Nasr ... b. Lu'ayy. 'Ayyash b. Abu ?
'AIi ,:bU TiiIib said: When these words 'Wa~n thy family, thy nearest
Rabi'a b. al-Mughira b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr ... b. Lu'ayy, and his wife relallons came down to the apostle he called me and said, 'God has
Asma' d. Salama b. Mukharriba the Tamimite. Khunays b. I;Iudhiifa b. ordered me to warn my family, my nearest relations and the task is beyond
Qays b. 'Adiy b. Sad b. Sahm b. Amr ... b. Lu'ayy. 'Amir b. Rabi'a of my strength. I know that when I made this message known to them I
'Anz b. Wa'il, ally of the family of al-Khagab b. Nufayl b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza should meet with great unpleasantness so I kept silence until Gabriel came
(156). 'Abdullah b. Ja\>sh b. Ri'ab b. Ya'mar b. $abira b. Murra b. Kabir to me and told me that if I did not do as I was ordered my Lord would punish
b. Ghanm b. Dudan b. Asad b. Khuzayma, and his brother Abu A\>mad, me. So get some food ready with a leg of mutton and fill a cup with milk and
both allies of the B. Umayya. Ja'far b. Abu Talib and his wife Asma' d. ilien get together the sons of 'Abdu'I-Mullalib so that I can address them
'Umays b. Nu'man b. Kab b. Malik b. Qu\>afa of Khath'am. I;Ia;ib b. and tell them what I have been ordered to say.' I did what he ordered and
al-I;Iarith b. Ma'mar b. I;Iabib b. Wahb b. I;Iudhiifa ... b. Lu'ayy, and his s~mmoned th~m. !here were at ;hat time forty men more or less including
wife Fa;ima d. al-Mujallil b. 'Abdullah b. Abu Qays b. 'Abdu Wudd b. his uneles Abu TiiIlb, I;Iamza, al- Abbas, and Abu Lahab. When they were
Nasr b. Malik ... b. Lu'ayy. And his brother I;Ianab' b. al-I;Iarith and his assembled he told me to bring in ~he food which I had prepared for them
wife Fukayha d. Yasar. Mamar b. al-I;Iarith above. AI-Sa'ib b. 'Uthman ,,:,d when I produc~d. it the ap?stle took a bit of the meat and split it u:
b. M~'un above. AI-Mullalib b. Ashar b. 'Abdu 'Auf b. 'Abd b. al- hiS teeth and threw it mto the dIsh. Then he said 'Take it in the name of
I;Iarith b. Lu'ayy, and his wife Ramla d. Abu 'Auf b. $ubayra b. ~od.' The men ate till they could eat no more, a~d all I could see (in the
Su'ayd b. Lu'ayy. AI-Na\>\1am whose name was Nu'aym b. 'Abdullah dish) was the place where their hands had been. And as sure as I live if
b. ASid b. Lu'ayy (157)' 'Amir b. Fuhayra, freedman of AbU Bakr there had been only one man he could have eaten what I put before the
(158). Khalid b. Sa'id b. al'~ b. Umayya ... b. Lu'ayy and his wife lot of them. Then he said, 'Give the people to drink', so I brought them
J See,C. - ... Not in T. : Ss~ra IS 94 ~ Sura 46. 214, i.e. 'deal gently with'.
ura 15. 8, 9.
, ,8 The Life of Aluhammad The Life of Muhammad II9
the-cup and they drank until they were all satisfied, and as Stife as I live if ~l-Aswad b: al-Mu!\alib b. Asad . . . and Abu Jahl (whose name was
there had been, only one man he could have drunk that amount. \Vhcn the Amr, hiS tItle beIng Abu'I-I:lakam) b. Hisham b. al Mughira . . . and
apostle wanted to address them Abu Lahab got in first and said, 'Your al-Walid h. al-Mughira . . . and "lubayh and Munabbih two sons of
host has bewitched you'; so they dispersed before the apostle could ~1-I:Iajj~j ~: 'Amir b. 1.ludhayfa ... and al-'A s b. Wa'il (,66). They said,
address them. On the morrow he said to me, 'This man spoke before I o Abu 1 alib, your nephew has cursed our gods, insulted our religion
could, and the people dispersed before I could address them, so do exactly mocked our. way of life l and accused our forefathers of error; either yo~
as you did yesterday,' Everything went as before and then the apostle said, must st0I: .hIm or you must let us get at him, for you yourself are in the 168
'0 Sons of 'Abdu'l-Mullalib, I know of no Arab who has come to his same posltlOn as we are in opposition to him and we will rid you of him.'
people with a nobler message than mine. I have brought you the best of He gave them a co~ciliatory reply and a soft answer and they \vent away.
this world and the next. God has ordered me to call you to Him. So The apostle contmued on his way, publishing God's religion and calling
whi~h of you will co-operate with me in this matter, my brother, my men thereto. In consequence his relations with Quraysh deteriorated and
executor, and my successor being among you?' The men remained silent men .\vi~l~dre\v from him in enmity. They were always talking about him
and I, though the youngest, most rheumy-eyed, fattest in body and thinnest and InCltlIlg one another against him. Then they went to Abu Talib a
in legs, said: '0 prophet of God, I will be your helper in this matter.' He second time and said, 'You have a high and lofty position among ~s, and
laid his hand on the back of my neck and said, 'This is my brother, my we have asked you to put a stop to your nephew's activities but you have
executor, and my successor among you. Hearken to him and obey him.' not done so. By God, we cannot endure that our fathers should be reviled
The men got up laughing and saying to Abu Talib, 'He has ordered you to o~r customs mo~kcd and our gods insulted. Until you rid us of him w~
listen to your son and obey him!') Will fight the paIr of you until one side perishes/ or words to that effect.
(T. "73. Ibn I:Iamid from Salama from Ibn Is!,Jaq from 'Amrb. 'Ubayd Thus saying, they went nlf. Abu Talib was deeply distressed at the
from al-I:Iasan b. Abu'I-I:Iasan said: When this verse came down to the breach \vith his people and their enmity but he could not desert the apostle
apostle, he stood in the vale and said, '0 Sons of 'Abdu'I-I\1una1ib; 0 Sons and give him up to them.
of 'Abdu Manaf; 0 Sons of Qusayy.'-Then he named Quraysh tribe by Yaqub b. 'Utba b. al-Mughira b. al-Akhnas told me that he was told
tribe until he came to the end of them-'I call you to God and I warn you that after hearing these \yords from the Quraysh Abu Talib sent for his
of his punishment.') nephew and told him \vhat his people had said. 'Spare ~e and yourself'
When the apostle's companions prayed they went to the glens so that he said. 'Do n?t put on me a burden greater than I can bear.' The apostie
their people could not see them praying, and while Sad b. Abu Waqqas thought that lus uncle had the idea of abandoning and betraying him, and
was with a number of the prophet's companions in one of the glens of that he w.as going to lose his help and support. He answered, '0 my uncle,
Mecca, a band of polytheists came upon them while they were praying and by G.o~, If they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left on
rudely interrupted them. They blamed them for what they were doing condltlOn that I abandoned this course, until God has made it victorious
until they came to blov./s, and it was on that occasion that Sa'd smote a or I perish therein, I would not abandon it.' Then the apostle broke int~
polytheist with the jawbone of a camel and wounded him. This was the tears, and got up. As he turned away his uncle called him and said, 'Come
first blood to be shed in Islam. back, my nephew,' and when he came back, he said, 'Go and say what you
When the apostle openly displayed Islam as God ordered him his people please, for by God I will never give you up on any account.'
did not withdraw or turn against him, so far as I have heard, until he spoke \Vhen tllc Uuraysh perceived that Abu Talib had refused to give up the
167 disparagingly of their gods. When he did that they took great offence and a~ostlc.' an,d th~t he was re~olved to part company \",ith them, they went to 169
resolved unanimously to treat him as an enemy, except those whom God him wIth Umara b. al-\\alid b. al-Mughira and said, according to my
had protected by Islam from such evil, but they were a despised minority. mformatlOn, '0 Abu Tiilib, this is 'Umara, the strongest and most hand-
Abu Talib his uncle treated the apostle kindly and protected him, the som~ ~oung. man among Quraysh, so take him and you will have the benefit

latter continuing to obey God's commands, nothing turning him back. of hIS mtelltgence and support; adopt him as a son and give up to us this
When Quraysh saw that he would Rot yield to them and withdrew from nephew of yours, \vho .has opposed your religion and the religion of your
them and insulted their gods and that his uncle treated him kindly and fathers, severc.d t~e umty.of your people, and mocked our way of life, so
stood up in his defence and would not give him up to them, some of their th~t ,"'e rna:y. kIll. hIm. ThIS will be man for man.' He answered, 'By God,
leading men went to Abu Talib, namely 'Utba and Shayba, both sons of thIS IS an eVIl thmg that you would put upon me, would you give me your
Rabi'a b. 'Abdu Shams ... and Abi"l Sufyan (165) b. 1:larb ... and Abu'l-. I aM.am means the civilization and virtues of the pre-Islamic Arabs. See the excellent
Bakhtari whose name was al-'A~ b. Hisham b. al-I-Iarith b. Asad ... and dlscusslOn of falll and !Iilm in Goldziher's ll1uhammedanische Stl/die", i. 220 f.
120 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 121
son that I should feed him for you, and should I give you my son that you Abu Talib was delighted at the response of his tribe and their kindness,
should kill him? By God, this shall never be.' Al-Mu!,im b. 'AdlY said, and began to praise them and to bring to men's memory their past. He
'Your people have treated you fairly and have taken pains to avoid what mentioned the superiority of the apostle among them and his position so
you dislike. I do not think that you are willing to accept anything from that he might strengthen their resolve and that they might extend their
them.' Abu Talib replied, 'They have not treated me fairly, by God, but kindness to him. He said:
you have agreed to betray me and help the people against mc, so do what
If one day Quraysh gathered together to boast,
you like,' or words to that effect. So the situation worsened, the quarrel
'Abdu Mana[ would be their heart and soul;
became heated and people were sharply divided, and openly showed their
And if the nobles of 'Abdu Mana[ were reckoned,
animosity to their opponents. Abu Talib wrote the following verses,
Amongst Hashim would be their noblest and chief;
indirectly attacking Mufim, and including those who had abandoned him
If they boast one day, then Muhammad
from the <Abdu Manaf, and his enemies among the tribes of Quraysh. He
Would be the chosen noble and honourable one.
mentions therein what they had asked of him and his estrangement from
Quraysh summoned everyone against us;
them.
They were not successful and they were beside themselves.
Say to 'Amr and al-Walld and Mufim Of old we have never tolerated injustice;
Rather than your protection give me a young camel, When people turned away their faces in pride we made them face us.
Weak, grumbling and murmuring, We protected their sanctuary whenever danger threatened
Sprinkling its flanks with its urine And drove the assailant from.its buildings.
Lagging behind the herd, and not keeping up. Through us the dry wood becomes green,
When it goes up the desert ridges, you would call it a weasel. Under our protection its roots expand and grow.
I see our two brothers, sons of our mother and father,
When they are asked for help, say 'It is not our business.'
Nay, it is their affair, but they have fallen away,
AL-WALID B. AL-MUGHIRA 171
As a rock falls from the top of Dhu 'Alaq.'
I mean especially 'Abdu Shams and Naufal, When the fair was due, a number of the Quraysh came to a1-Walld b. al-
Who have flung us aside like a burning coal. Mughi"ra, who was a man of some standing, and he addressed them in
They have slandered their brothers among the people; these words: 'The time of the fair has come round again and representa-
Their hands are emptied of them. tives of the Arabs ",,,,ill come to you and they will have heard about this
They shared their fame with men of low birth, fellow of yours, so agree upon one opinion without dispute so that none
\Vith men whose fathers were whispered about; will give the lie to the other.' They replied, 'You give us your opinion
J70 And Taym, and lVlakhzum, and Zuhra, are of them about him.' He said, 'No, you speak and I will listen.' They said, 'He is
Who. ijad been friends of ours when help was sought; a kahin.' He said, 'By God, he is not that, for he has not the unintelligent
By God, there will always be enmity between us murmuring and rhymed speech of the ktihin.' 'Then he is possessed,' they
As long as one of our descendants lives. said. 'No, he is not that,' he said, 'we have seen possessed ones, and here
Their minds and thoughts ,'.'ere foolish, is no choking, spasmodic movements and whispering.' 'Then he is a poet,'
They were entirely without judgement (167).' they said. 'No, he is no poet, for we know poetry in all its forms and
Then the Quraysh incited people against the companions of the apostle metres.' 'Then he is a sorcerer.' 'No, we have seen sorcerers arid their
who had become Muslims. Every tribe fell upon the Muslims among them, sorcery, and here is no spitting and no knots." 'Then what are we to say,
beating them and seducing them from their religjon. God protected His o Abu 'Abdu Shams?' they asked. He replied, 'By God, his speech is
apostle from them through his uncle, who, when he saw what Quraysh sweet, his root is a palm-tree whose branches are fruitful (168), and every-
were doing, called upon B. Hashim and B. al-Mugalib to stand with him in thing you have said would be known to be false. The nearest thing to the
protecting the apostle. This they agreed to do, with the exception of Abu truth is your saying that he is a ~orcerer, who has brought a message by
Lahab, the accursed enemy of God. which he separates a man from his father, or from his brother, or from his
wife, or from his family.'
I A mountain in the Banu Asad country.
~ To say that a man's well is demolished is to accuse him of losing all common sense. I Cf. Sura 113. 4. Spitting, or perhaps 'blowing.'
122 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 123
At this point they left him, and began to sit on the paths which men take
Where the pilgrims make their camels kneel,
when they come to the fair. They warned everyone who passed them
Where the blood flows between baf and N.'ila,
about Muhammad's doings. God revealed concerning al-Walid:
Camels marked on the shoulders or neck,
Leave to Me him I made, Tamed ones, between six and nine years old;
Giving him wealth and trade, You see amulets on them, and alabaster ornaments
While sons before him played, Bound on their necks like date-bearing branches.
The road for him 1 laid, 1 take refuge with the Lord of men from every adversary
Then he coveted more of My aid, And every lying assailant;
Ay, Our signs hath he gainsaid (169).' From the hater with his hurtful slander,
And from him who adds to religion what we have not tried.
'7' '1 shall impose on him a grievous burden; he thought and planned; may
By Thaur and Him who fixed Thabir in his place,
he perish how he planned, may he perish how he planned. Then he looked,
And by him who goes up and down !;Ii..';'
then he frowned, and showed anger' (170).
By the true temple of the valley of Mecca;
'Then he turned his back in pride and said, "This is nothing but ancient
By God who is never unmindful;
sorcery, this is nothing but the speech of a mortal".'
By the black stone, when they stroke it
Then God revealed concerning the men \\'ho were with him, composing
When they go round it morning and evening;
a term to describe the apostle and the revelation he brought from God, 'As
By Abraham's footprint in the rock still fresh,
we sent down upon the dividers who had split the Quran into parts, by thy
With both feet bare, without sandals;
Lord we will ask them all about what they used to do' (17')"
By the running between Marwa and f?afa,
So these men began to spread this report about the apostle with every-
An~ by the statues and images therein ;
one they met so that the Arabs went away from that fair knowing about
By every pilgrim riding to the house of God,
the apostle, and he was talked about in the whole of Arabia. When Abu
And everyone with a vow and everyone on foot;
Talib feared that the multitude would overwhelm him with his family he
By IIal, the furthest sacred spot' to which they go
composed the following ode, in which he claimed protection in the sanc-
Where the streamlets open out;
tuary of Mecca and by his position therein. He showed his affection for
By their halt at even above the mountains
the nobles of his people while, nevertheless, he told them and others in his
When they help the camels by their hands to rise;'
poetry that he was not going to give up the apostle or surrender him on any
By the night of the meeting, by the stations of Mina,
account whatever, but he would die in his defence.
Are any holy places and stations superior?
When 1 saw the people had no love for us By the crowd, when the home-going horses pass by quickly
And had severed every tie and relationship, As though escaping from a storm of rain;
173 And shown us enmity and ill-will, By the great stone heap, 4 when they make for it 174
Obeying the orders of persecuting enemies, Aiming at its top with stones;
And had allied themselves with treacherous people against us, By Kinda, when they are at al-!;Ii~ab at even,
Biting their fingers in rage at our backs, When the pilgrims of Bakr b. Wa'il pass by them
I stood firm against them with my pliant spear, Two allies who strengthened the tie between them,
And my shining sword, heirloom of princes. And directed to it all means of unity;
Round the temple 1 gathered my clan and my brothers, I RiTd', Thaur, and Thabir were all mountains round Mecca.
And laid hold of the striped red cloth' that covered it, ~ lIal in the Listin is said to be a strip of sand where the people hat.lt, but the lines in
Standing together, facing its gates, Nibigha 17. 22 and 19. 1+ show that it was the name of a sanctuary (and possibly, aa Well.
hausen, p. 83, says, 'of the God of 'Arafa').
Where everyone who takes an oath completes his vow, 3 The words suggest the way in which men get a reluctant camel to its feet. One man
pushes up the camel's chest while the other pulls its head up by the reins. Here perhaps the
I Sura 74. 11-25. It is strange that after al-Walid has made the point that Muhammad latter action alone is meant as the 'poet' is speaking of a halt; even so, 'they raise the bfeQsts
cannot be a kiihin because he does not deliver messages in saj' the next quotation from the of the camels with their hands' is an unnatural way to speak of pulling on the reins.
Ouran should be an example (to which I fear I have not clone justice) of that very form. 4 The largest of the three heaps of stones at Mini, presumably that known aa }amratu
~ Sura IS. 90. 'I.'Aqaba. Cf.l;lassin b. Thibit's lament where the pilgrims throw seven stones. The rite
3 This is the meaning which A. Dh. gives to U'Q1a'il. is not mentioned in the Quran, but we shall meet it again in the SiTO on pp. 534 and 970 of
the Arabic text. See further DjamaT in E.!.
124 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 125

They obeyed Ubayy and the son of their 'Abdu Yaguth,


By their breaking the acacias and shrubs of al-i;;ifal.l,'
And did not observe what others said of us;
And its bushes too, as they galloped like flying ostriches.
So, too, were we treated by Subay' and Naufal, 175
Is there any better refuge for one who seeks it?
And everyone who turned away from us, not treating us kindly.
Is there a righteous god-fearing man who will grant it?
If they throw down their arms, or God give us the better of them,
OUf aggressors get their way with us, and wish. .
We will pay them measure for measure.
That the gates of Turk and Kabul' were blocked wIth our bodles.
That fellow Abu 'Amr would do naught but hate us,
You lie, by God's house, we will not leave Mecca, and go forth,
To send us away among shepherds and camel-drivers;
Until your affairs are in confusion.
He talks about us confidentially night and morning.
You lie, by God's house, Muhammad shall not be maltreated;3
Talk on, Abu 'Amr, with your guile!
Before we shoot and thrust in his defence,
He swears by God he won't deceive us,
We will not give him up till we lie dead around him,
But we see him openly doing nothing else;
And be unmindful of our wives and children;
He hates us so much that the hill-tops
Until a people in arms rise and fight you, .
Between Mecca's hills and Syria's forts
As camels carrying water rise under empty water-skms, 4
Are too narrow to hold him.
Until you see the enemy falling face down in his blood
Ask Abu'l-Walid, what have you done to us with your slander
From the spear thrust weighed down and tottering.
Turning away like a deceitful friend.
By God, if what I see should become serious
You were a man by whose opinion men guided their lives,
Our swords will mingle with the best of them
And you were kind to us, nor are you a fool.
In the hands of a young warrior, like a flame,
Trustworthy, defender of the truth, hero,
a 'Utba, do not listen to an enemy's words against us;
Envious, lying, hating and malicious.
For days, months, a whole year,
Abu Sufyan averted his face from me as he passed,
And after next year, yet another.
Sweeping along as though he were one of the great ones of the earth,
What people, confound you, would abandon a chief, .
He betook himself to the high ground and its cool waters,
Who protects his dependants? No foul-mouthed weaklmg,
Pretending that he does not forget us.
A noble man, for whose sake the clouds drop rain,
He tells us that he is sorry for us like a good friend,
The support of orphans, the defence of widows,
But he hides evil designs in his heart.
Hashim's family, ready to perish, resort to him,
0, Mu!,im! I did not desert you when you called for help,
There they find pity and kindness.
Asid and his firstborn made us hated Nor on the day of battle when mighty deeds were called for,
And cut us up for others to devour;5
Nor when they came against you full of enmity,
Opponents Whose strength matched yours.
Neither 'Uthman nor Qunfudh sympathized with us
But obeyed the command of those tribes. o Munm, the people have given you a task to do, .
I too when entrusted with a task do not try to evade It.
I This line is very difficult, as C.'s notes show. Unfortunately the note, of Abu Dharr to God requite 'Abdu Shams and Naufal for us
the effect that ~ifaQ. is a place.name is omitted. This seems to me to proVIde th~ key to the
meaning of the line. Yaqut says that al-~ifa1J. lies between l;Iunayn and the plll~rs of the
With evil punishment quick and not delayed,
Haram on the left of a man entering Mecca from Mushash. As the latter place hes on the With an exact balance, not a 'grain too little,
hills of 'Arafdt the rendering given above seems to suit the context. On the site of l:Iu~ayn The balance its own witness that it is exact.
see Yaqut sub voce. Wei! evades the difficulty, and so, strangely enough, does Suhayh. If
al-$ifal) is the plural of $afb, the side of a mountain, I cannot see how the passage can be Foolish are the minds of people who exchanged us
construed. For Banu Khalaf and the Ghaya!il.'
:l The commentators say that Turk and Kabul are two mountains, but I can find no
We are the pure stock from the summit of Hashim
mention of them in Yiiqut, who under 'Kabul' quotes a line from al-A'sha which clearly
refers to Turk and Kabul as people. It looks as if the two names ~oint t~ a later forge~. And the family of Qu~ayy in matters of import.
3 I follow the reading of the Lisiin. The text apparently means We wIll not be forCibly Sahm and Makhzum stirred up against us
deprived of M:. . .
-4 Or 'rattling, swishing water-skins'. If the companson refers. to. the spe.ed of th~lr
Every scoundrel and low-born churl.
attack, the simile which Abu Dharr favours is correct. If not, the slmde rests 10 the n01se 'Abdu Manaf, you are the best of your people, 176
whic~ the armed men make.
J See page J33 of the Arabic text where this line is quoted and explained.
S A figure for' malicious slander'.
126 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 127

Do not make common cause with every outsider. Undeniably fine is Zuhayr, our nephew,
You have proved feeble and weak A sword loosed from belts,
And done a thing far from right. The proudest of the proudest chiefs,
You were till lately the sticks under one pot Belonging to the finest stock in glory.
But now you are the sticks under many pots and vessds. I'faith I am devoted to A!].mad and his brethren,
Let the Banu 'Abdu Manaf get satisfaction from partmg from us, As a constant lover. 1
Deserting us and leaving us imprisoned in our quarters! For who among men can hope to be like him
If we are men we shall take revenge' for what you have done When judges assess rival claim to merit,
And you will suffer the full effects of war. Clement, rightly guided, just, serious,
The best men among Lu'ayy b. Ghalib, The friend of God, ever mindful of Him.
Every bold chief exiled to us; By God I but that I might create a precedent'
The family of Nufayl is the worst that ever trod the earth, That would be brought against our sheikhs in assemblies,
The most contemptible of all the sons of Ma'add. We would follow him whatever fate might bring,
Tell Qusayy that our cause will be blazed abroad, In deadly earnest, not in idle words.
And giv~ Qu~ayy the good news that after us there will be a falling They know that our son is not held a liar by us,
apart (among our enemies). And is not concerned with foolish falsehood.
Yet if calamity befell Qu~ayy one night, A!].mad has struck so deep a root among us
We should have been the first to protect them; That the attacks of the arrogant fail to affect him.
If they fought bravely in defence of their houses, I shielded and defended him myself by every means (172).'
We should show them how to protect the mothers of children.
The Ghayalil are of B. Sahm b. 'Amr b. Hu~ay~; Abu Sufyan is I.l;Iarb 177
Yet every friend and nephew on whom we ought to count
b. Umayya; Mul'im is I. 'Adiy b. Naufal b. 'Abdu Manaf; Zuhayr is I.
We find useless when put to the test
Abu Umayya b. al-Mughira b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar b. Makhzum, his
Except for certain men of Kilab b. Murra
mother being 'Atika d. 'Abdu'l-Mullalib. Asid and his firstborn, i.e.
Whom we exempt from the stigma of the deserter;'
'Attab b. Asid b. AbU'I-'I~ b. Umayya b. 'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu Manar.
I Or 'bear a grudge'. according to another reading.
:I We came to them by night, they all 8cattered. 'Uthman is I. 'Ubaydullah the brother of Tal!].a b. 'Ubaydullah al-Taymi;
Every liar and fool disappeared from our sight. Qunfudh is I. 'Umayr b. Jud'." b. 'Amr b. Ka'b b. Sa'd b. Taym b.
Ours was the watering-place among them, Murra. Abu'l-Walid is 'Utba b. Rabi'a; and Ubayy is aI-Akhnas b. Shariq
We are the rock-like defence of Ghalib.
The young men of the scented ones and Hiis~im al-Thaqafi ally of B. Zuhra b. Kilab (173),'
Are like sword blades in the hands of the pohshers. AI-Aswad is I. 'Abdu Yaghuth b. Wahb b. 'Abdu Manaf b. Zuhra b.
They took no revenge, nor shed blood, Kilab; Subay' is I. Khalid brother of B. al-l;Iarith b. Fihr; Naufal is I.
Nor do they oppose any but the worst tribes.
In their fighting you see the youths Khuwaylid b. Asad b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza b. Qu~ayy. He was I. al-'Adawiya,
Like fierce lions quarrelling over lumps of meat; one of the 'satans' of Quraysh. He it was who roped together Abu Bakr
Sons of a favourite Ethiopian- slave girl.
Sons of ]umal::J.. 'Ubayd Qays b. 'Aqil;
and Tal!].a b. 'Ubaydullah when they went over to Islam. They got the
But we are the noblest stock of lords
Whose heroic deeds were sung in verse. May he never cease to be an adornment to the people of the world,
These seven verses are not in W.'s text, Bnd as he does not mention them in hkcritic~l An ornament to those whom God has befriended.
notes it may be assumed that none of his manuscripts contained .them. Further, there IS Not in W. and undoubtedly an interpolation from a pious reader.
not a note in Abu Dharr's commentary, and it is difficult to. behev.e that he. ,:oul? have ~ There is much to be said for the commoner reading, 'but that I might bring shame'.
passed over the extraordinary word hindikiya without a note, If the hne contammg It ~ere 3 C. adds:
before him. I.H. at the end of the poem indicates that he has cut out some verses, possIbly The Lord of mankind strengthen him with his help,
(though I think most improbably) these verses were among them, and even so. he s~ys some And display a religion whose truth holds no falsehood!
authorities reject the greater part. It w~ll at once be apparent tha~ the seven hnes mterrupt Noble.men, not swerving from right. whose fathers
the sequence of thought which deals w:th the honourable exceptlOns to the general defec~ Brought them up in the best of Ways.
tion. In v. 4 I conjecture khiilafu for balafu. . ' . Though Ka'b is near to Lu'ayy
Hindikiya. Greek and Syrian writers use the term India for South Arabia and EthlOpla The day must come when they must fall apart.
and a slave girl from one of those countries is almost certainly indicated here. The suffix k These verses are lacking in W.'s version.
is the Fehlavi suffix. See A. Jeffery, Foreign Vocabulary afthe Quran, Baroda, 1938, pp. 15 f. 4 This and the following paragraph stands under the name of I.H., but the context

and 18 f. luggesUthat they are in part at least from LI.


128 The Lzje of Muhammad The Life"O/ Muhammad
178 name 'the two-tied-together-ones' from this. 'Ali killed him at the baUle Beware of war I Do not let it cling to you;
of Badr. Abu 'Amr is Qur~a b. 'Abdu 'Amr b. Naufal b. 'Abdu Manaf. A stagnant pool has a bitter draught.
The 'treacherous people' are B. Bakr b. 'Abdu Manat b. Kinana. These War-it first seems fine to men
are the Arabs whom Abu Tiilib enumerated in his verse (174)' But afterwarda they plainly recognize an old hag.
When the prophet's fame began to be blazed abroad throughout the land It scorches unsparingly the weak,
he was mentioned in Medina. There was no tribe among the Arabs who And aims death-dealing blows at the great.
knew more about the apostle when and before he was mentioned than this Know you not what happened in the war of Da~is?
tribe of Aus and Khazraj. The reason for this was that they were well Or the war of I:Ialib? Take a lesson from theml
acquainted with the sayings of Jewish rabbis and they lived side by side How many a noble chief it slew,
with them as allies. When the apostle was talked of in Medina and they The generous host whose guest lacked naught,
heard of the trouble he had with Quraysh, Abu Qays b. al-Aslat, brother of A huge pile of ashes beneath his pot,
B. Waqif, composed the verses given below (175). Praised by all, noble in character, his sword
Abu Qays was warmly attached to Quraysh since he was related to them Drawn only in righteous cause;
through his wife Arnab d. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b. Qu~ayy, and he with 'Tis as water poured out at random,
his wife used to stay with them for years at a time. He composed an ode in As if winds from all quarters scattered the clouds ;1
which he magnified the sanctity of the area, forbade Quraysh to fight there, A truthful, knowledgeable man will tell you of its battles
urged them to stand by one another, mentioned their merits and virtues, (For real knowledge is the result of experience).
urged them to protect the apostle, and reminded them of how God had So sell your spears to those who love war
dealt with them and saved them in the War of the Elephant. And remember the account you must render, for God IS the best 180

o rider, when you meet Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib reckoner.


Give him a message from me, Man's Lord has chosen a rehgion,
179 The tidings of a man who though far from you So let none guard you but the Lord of heaven,
Is distressed at what is between you, sad and worried. Raise up for us a I;anifi religion.
I have become the caravanserai of cares, You are our object; one is guided in travel by heights,
Because of them I cannot do what I should. You are a light and protection to this people,
I learn that you are divided into camps, You lead the way, not lacking virtues.
One party kindles the fire of war, the other provides the fuel. If men were valued, you would be a jewel,
I pray God to protect you from your evil act, The best of the vale is yours in noble pride.
Your wicked quarrel and the insidious attack of scorpions, You preserve noble, ancient peoples
Defamatory reports and secret plots Whose genealogy shows no foreign blood;
Like pricking awls which never fail to pierce. You see the needy come to your houses
Remind them of God, first of all things, Wave after wave of starving wights.
And the sin of breaking the taboo on travel-worn gazelles. ' The people know that your leaders
Say to them, (and God will give His judgement) Are ever the best people of the stations of Mina,'
If you abandon war it will go far from you. Best in counsel, loftiest in custom,
When you stir it up you raise an evil thing; Most truthful amid the assemblies.
'Tis a monster devouring everything near and far, I If the subject of the metaphor is war the reading (jalal is right, and indiscriminate
bloodshed is indicated; if the variant jalal 'porous soil' is adopted, the poet is continuing
It severs kinship and destroys people; his description of the generous warrior whose hospitality extends to the most insatiable
It cuts the flesh from the hump and the back. guest.
You will give up the finest clothes of Yaman :r. See AI-Suhayli, 182, who says that 1.1. so explains the word. He is quoting from p. 300
of the text. AI-Barqi says it was a well at Mina where the blood of the sacrificial victims was
For a soldier's garb and coat of mail, collected. It waS a spot venerated by the Arabs. The word jubjuba apparently means the
Musk and camphor for dust-coloured armour stomach of a ruminant, and naturally a large number of such skins used for carrying. water
With buttons like the eyes of a locust. would be available there; therefore it is possible that the term 'people of the stomach skins'
simply means Arabs, the people who more than any other used this kind of vessel for carry
I The killing of game within the sacred area was taboo, and the poet means that if the ing food and water, and so the meaning of the poet is that the tribe of Lu'ayy is the finest
blood of animals there is sacrosanct, afortion bloodshed and war are forbidden by God; tribe in Arabia.
B 4080 K
'30 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 13 1
Rise and pray to your Lord and rub yourselves mode of life foolish, insulted their forefathers, reviled their religion,
Against the comers of this house between the mountains. divided the community, and cursed their gods. What they had borne Was
He gave you a convincing test l past all bearing, or words to that effect.'
On the day of Abu Yaksum, leader of the squadrons, While they were thus discussing him the apostle came towards them and
His cavalry was in the plains, kissed the black stone, then he passed them as he walked round the temple.
His infantry upon the passes of the hills. As he passed they said some injurious things about him. This I coald see
When the help of the Lord of the throne reached you. . from his expression. He went on and as he passed them the second time
His armies repulsed them, pelting them, and covenng them wIth they attacked him similarly. This I could see from his expression. Then
dust; he passed the third time, and they did the same. He stopped and said,
Quickly they turned tail in flight 'Will you listen to me 0 Qurayshl By him who holds my life in His hand
And none but a few returned to his people from the army. I bring you slaughter. >I This word so struck the people that not one of
If you perish, we shall perish, and the fairs by which men live. them but stood silent and still; even one who had hitherto been most
These are the words of a truthful man (176). violent spoke to him in the kindest way possible, saying, 'Depart, 0 Abu'l-
Qiisim, for by God you are not violent.' So the apostle went away, and on
18z Ijakim b. Umayya b.Ijaritha b. al-Auq"" al-Sulami,an allyofB. Umayya
the morrow they assembled in the Ijijr, I being there too, and they asked
who had become a Muslim, composed the following verses to turn hIS
one another if they remembered what had taken place between them and
people from their determined enmity to the apostle. He was a man of
the apostle so that when he openly said something unpleasant they let him
good birth and authority. alone. While they were talking thus the apostle appeared, and they leaped
Does one who says what is right stick to it, upon him as one man and encircled him, saying, I Are you the one who said
And is there one lilltening who would be angry at the truth 1 so-andso against our gods and OUf religion?' The apostle said, 'Yes, I am
Does the chief whose tribe hope to profit from him the one who said that.' And I saw one of them seize his robe. Then Abu
Gather friends from near and far 1 Bakr interposed himself weeping and saying, 'Would you kill a man for
I disown all but Him who controls the wind saying Allah is my Lord I' Then they left him. That is the worst that I
And I abandon you for ever. ever saw Quraysh do to him.
I submit myself utterly to God One of the family of Umm Kulthum, Abu Bakr's daughter, told me that
Though friends threaten me with terror. she said, 'Abu Bakr returned that day with the hair of his head torn. He
was a very hairy man and they had dragged him along by his beard' (177).

HOW THE APOSTLE WAS TREATED BY HIS OWN PEOPLE


ij:AMZA ACCEPTS ISLAM
When the Quraysh became distressed by the trouble caused by the enmity
between them lUld the apostle and those of their people who accepted .his A man of Aslum, who had a good memory, told me that Abu Jabl passed
teaching, they stirred up against him foolish men who calle? h,m a har, by the apostle at al-$afa, insulted him and beltaved most offensively, speak-
insulted him and accused him of being a poet, a sorcerer, a dlvmer, and of ing spitefully of his religion and trying to bring him into disrepute. The
being posses~ed. However, the apos:le cont~ued to pr~c!aim w~at. G.od apostle did not speak to him. Now a freedwoman, belonging to 'Abdullah
had ordered him to proclaim, conceahng not~mg, and excltmgtheir dlshke b. Jud'an b. 'Amr b. Ka'b b. Sa'd b. Taym b. Murra, was in her house
by contemning their religion, forsaking their idols, and leavmg them to listening to what went on. When he went away he betook himself to the
their unbelief. assembly of Quraysh at the Ka'ba and sat there. Within a little while
Yahya b. 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr on the authority of his father from 'Abdul- Ijamza b. 'Abdu'I-Mullalib arrived, with his bow hanging from his shoulder,
lah b: 'Amr b. al-'~ told me that the latter was asked what was the worst returning from the chase, for he was fond of hunting and used to go out
way in which Quraysh showed their enmity to the apostle. He ~~plied: 'I shooting. When he came back from a hunt he never went home until he
was with them one day when the notables had gathered m the IjIJr and ~he had circumambulated the Ka'ba, and that done when he passed by an 185
apostle was mentioned. They said that they had never known anything assembly of the Quraysh he stopped and saluted and talked with them. He
like the trouble they had endured from this fellow; he had declared their Was the strongest man of Quraysh, and the most unyielding. The apostle
I For this and the following lines, except the last, see p. 39 of the Arabic text. I Dhabb-.
The Life of Muhammad '33
'3 2 The Life of Muhammad most of them turn aside not listening and say, 'Our hearts are veiled from
had gone back to his house when he passed by this woman, who asked him that to which you invite US.''''I Then the apostle continued to recite it to
if he had heard of what Abu'I-I;Iakam b. Hisham had done just recently to him. When 'Utba hearei it from him, he listened attentively, putting his
his nephew, Muhammad; how he had found him sitting quietly there, and hands behind his back and leaning on them as he listened. Then the
insulted him, and cursed him, and treated him badly, and that Muhammad prophet ended at the prostration' and prostrated himself, and said, 'You
had answered not a word. I;Iamza was filled with rage, for God purposed have heard what you have heard, Abii'l-Walid; the rest remains with you!
to honour him, so 'he went out at a run and did not stop to greet anyone, When 'Utba returned to his companions they' noticed that his expression
meaning to punish Abu Jahl when he met him. When he got to t~e mosque had completely altered, and they asked him what had happened. He said
he saw him sitting among the people, and went up to him unttl he stood that he had heard words such as he had never heard before, which were
over him, when he lifted up his bow and struck him a violent blow with it, neither poetry, spells, nor witchcraft. 'Take my advice and do as I do,
saying, 'Will you insult him when I follow his religion, and say what h~ leave this man entirely alone for, by God,. the words which I have heard IS,
says? Hit me back if you can!' Some of B. Makhzum got up to go. to Abu will be blazed abroad. If (other) Arabs kill him, others will have rid you
JaW's help, but he said, 'Let Abu 'Umara alone for, by God, I msulted of him; if he gets the better of the Arabs, his sovereignty will be your
his nephew deeply.' I;Iamza's Islam was complete, and he followed. the sovereignty, his power your power,and you will be prosperous through
apostle's conunands. When he became a Mushm the Quraysh recogmzed him.' They said, 'He has bewitched you with his tongue.' To which he
that the apostle had become strong, and had found a protector in I;Iamza, answered, 'You have my opinion, you must do what you think fit.'
and so they abandoned some of their ways of harassing him.

NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE APOSTLE AND THE


WHAT 'UTBA SAID ABOUT THE PROPHET
LEADERS OF QURAYSH AND AN EXPLANATION OF THE
Yazid b. Ziyad from Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Qur3.?'i told me that he was SURA OF THE CAVE
told that 'Utba b. Rab;'a, who was a chief, said one day while he was
sitting in the Quraysh assembly and the apostle was sitting in the mosque Islam began to spread in Mecca among men and women of the tribes of
by himself, 'Why should I not go to Muhammad and make some proposals Quraysh, though Quraysh were imprisoning and seducing as many of the
to him which if he accepts in part, we will give him whatever he wants, and Muslims as they could. A traditionist told me from Sa'id b. Jubayr and
he will leave us in peace?' This happened when I;Iamza had accepted Islam from 'Ikrima, freedman of 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas, that the leading men of
and they saw that the prophet's followers were increasing and multiplying. every clan of Quraysh-'Utba b. Rab;'a, and Shayba his brother, and Abu
They thought it was a good idea, and 'Utba went and sat by the prophet Sufyan b. I;Iarb, and al'Na~r b. al-I;Iarith, brother of the Banu 1l.bdu'I-Dar,
,86 and said, '0 my. nephew, you are one of us as you know, of the noblest of and Abu'I-Bakhtari b. Hisham, and al-Aswad b. al-Mullalib b. Asad and
the tribe and hold a worthy position in ancestry. You have come to your Zama'a b. al-Aswad, and al-Walid b. al-Mughira, and Abu Jahl b. Hisham,
people with an important matter, dividing their co~munity there~y an~ and 'Abdullah b. Abu Umayya, and al-'A~ b. Wa'il, and Nubayh and
ridiculing their customs, and you have insulted thell gods and thell reh- Munabbih, the sons of al-I;Iajjaj, both of Sahm, and Umayya b. Khalaf
gion and declared that their forefathers were unbelievers, so listen to me and possibly others-gathered together after sunset outside the Ka'ba.
i
and will make some suggestions, and perhaps you ';'ill be able to acce~t They decided to send for Muhammad and to negptiate and argue with him
one of them.' The apostle agreed, and he went on, If what you w:mt IS so that they could not be held to blame on his account in the future. When
money we will gather for you ofour property so that you may be the nchest they sent for him the apostle came quickly because he thought that what
of us; if you want honour, we will make you our chief so that no one can he had said to them had made an impression, for he was most zealous for
decide anything apart from you; if you want sovereignty, we will make you their welfare, and their wicked way of life. pained him. When he came and
king, and if this ghost which comes to you, which you see, is such that you sat down with them, they explained that they had sent for him in order
cannot get rid of him, we will find a physician for you, and exhaust our that they could talk together. No Arab had ever trealed his tribe as
means in getting you cured, for often a familiar spirit gets possession of a Muhammad had treated them, and they repeated the charges which have 188
man until he can be cured of it,' or words to that effect. The apostle been mention~d on several occasions. If it was money he wanted, they
listened patiently, and then said: 'Now listen to me, "In the name of C?od, would make hIm the richest of them all; if it was honour, he should be
the compassionate and merciful, a.M., a revelation from the co~passlOn their prince; if it was sovereignty, they would make him king; if it was a
ate the merciful a book whose verses are expounded as an ArabIC Quran Sura 41. I. 2. i.e. verse 37 'Prostrate yourselves to God' .
for' a -people wh~ understand, as an announcement and warning, though
134 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 135
spirit which had got possession of him (they used to call the familiar spirit Umayya b. al-Mughira b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar b. Makhzum (who was the
of the jinn ra'iy), then they would exhaust their means in finding medicine son of his aunt 'Atika d. of 'Abdu'I-Munalib) got up with him and said to
to cure him. The apostle replied that he had no such intention. He sought him, cO Muharrunad, your people have made you certain propositions
not money, nor honour, nor sovereignty, but God had sent him as an which you have rejected; first they asked you things for themselves tha~
apostle, and revealed a book to him, and commanded him to become an they might know that your position with God is what you say it is so that
announcer and a warner. He had brought them the messages of his Lord, they might believe in you and follow you, and you did nothing; then they
and given them good advice. If they took it then they would have a portion asked you to take something for yourself, by which they might know your
in this world and the next; if they rejected it, he could only patiently await superiority over them and your standing with God, and you would not do '90
the issue until God decided between them, or words to that effect. 'Well, it; then they asked you to hasten some of the punishment with which you
Muhammad,' they said, 'if you won't accept any of our propositions, you were frightening them, and you did not do it', or words to that effect, 'and
know that no people are more short of land and water, and live a harder life by God, I will never believe in you until you get a ladder to the sky, and
than we, so ask your Lord, who has sent you, to remove for us these mount up it until you come to it, while I am looking on, and until four
mountains which shut us in, and to straighten out our country for us, and angels shall come with you, testifying that you are speaking the truth, and
to open up in it rivers like those of Syria and Iraq, and to resurrect for us by God, even if you did that I do not think I should believe you.' Then he
our forefathers, and let there be among those that are resurrected for us went away, and the apostle went to his family, sad and grieving, because
QUl}ayy b. Kilab, for he was a true shaikh, so that we may ask them whether his hope that they had called him to accept his preaching was vain, and
what you say is true or false. If they say you are speaking the truth, and because of their estrangement from him. When the apostle had gone Abu
you do what we have asked you, we will believe in you, and we shall know Jahl spoke, making the usual charges against him, and saying, 'I call God
what your position with God is, and that He has actually sent you as an to witness that I will wait for him tomorrow with a stone which I can
apostle as you say.' He replied that he had not been sent to them with such hardly lift,' or words to that effect, 'and when he prostrates himself in
an object. He had conveyed to them God's message, and they could either prayer I will split his skull with it. Betray me or defend me, let the B.
189 accept it with advantage, or reject it and await God's judgement. They 'Abdu Maniif do what they like after that.' They said that they would
said that if he would not do that for them, let him do something for himself. never betray him on any account, and he could carry on with his project.
Ask God to send an angel with him to confirm what he said and to contra- When morning came Abu Jahl took a stone and sat in wait for the apostle,
dict them; to make him gardens and castles, and treasures of gold and who behaY-ed as usual that morning. While he was in Mecca he faced
silver to satisfy his obvious wants. He stood in the streets as they did, and Syria in prayer, and when he prayed, he .prayed between the southern
he sought a livelihood as they did. If he could do this, they would recognize corner and the black stone, putting the Ka'ba between himself and Syria.
his merit and position with God, if he were an apostle as he claimed to be. The apostle rose to pray while Quraysh sat in their meeting, waiting for
He replied that he would not do it, and would not ask for such things, for what Abu Jahl was to do. When the apostle prostrated himself, Abu Jahl
he was not sent to do so, and he repeated what he had said before. They took up the, stone and went towards him, until when he got near him, he
said, 'Then let the heavens be dropped on us in pieces,' as you assert that turned back in flight, pale with terror, and his hand had withered upon the
your Lord could do if He wished, for we will not believe you unless you stone, so that he cast the stone from his hand. The Quraysh asked him
do so.' The apostle replied that this was a matter for God; if He wanted to what had happened, and he replied that when he got near him a camel's
do it with them, He would do it. They said, 'Did not your Lord know that stallion got in his way. 'By God', he said, 'I have never seen anything like 191
we would sit with you, and ask you these questions, so that He might come his head, shoulders, and teeth on any stallion before, and he made as
to you and instruct you how to answer us, and tell you what He wall going though he would eat m~.'
to do with us, if we did not receive your message? Information has reached I was told that the apostle said, 'That was Gabriel. If he had come near,
us that you are taught by this fellow in al-Yamama, called al-Ral,1miin, and he would have seized him.' .
by God we will never believe in the Ral,lmiin. Our conscience is clear. By When Abu Jahl said that to them, aI-Na<;lr b. al-!:Iarith b. Kalada b.
God, we will not leave you and our treatment of you, until either we 'Alqama b. Abdu Man~fb. Abdu'I-Dar b. Qu~ayy (178) got up and said: '0
destroy you or you destroy us.' Some said, 'We worship the angels, who Quraysh, a situation has arisen which you cannot deal with. Muhammad
are the daughters of Allah.' Others said, 'We will not believe in you until was a young man most liked among you, most truthful in speech, and most
you come to us with God and the angels as a surety." trustworthy, until, when you saw grey hairs on his temple, and he brought
When they said this the apostle got up and left them. 'Abdullah b. AbU you his message, you said he was a sorcerer, but he is not, for we have seen
I cr. Sura 17. 94. such people and their spitting and their knots; you said, a diviner, but we
136 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad '37
have seen such people and their behaviour, and we have heard their reports, saying, tMuhammad promised us an answer on the morrow, and
rhymes; and you said a poet, but he is not a poet, for we have heard all today is the fifteenth day we have remained without an answer.' This
kinds of poetry; you said he was possessed, but he is not, for we have seen delay caused the apostle great sorrow, until Gabriel brought him the
the possessed, and he shows no signs of their gasping and whispering and Chapter of The Cave, in which he reproaches him for his sadness, and
delirium. Ye men of Quraysh, look to your affairs, for by God, a serious told him the answers of their questions, the youths, the mighty traveller,
thing has befallen you.' Now al-Nac;lr b. al-I;Hirith was one of the satans of and the spirit.
Quraysh; he used to insult the apostle and show him enmity. He had been I was told that the apustle said to Gabriel when he came, 'You have shut
to al-I;Ilra and learnt there the tales of the kings of Persia, the tales of yourself off from me, Gabriel, so that I became apprehensive.' He
Rustum and Isbandiy.r. When the apostle had held a meeting in which answered, IWe descend only by God's command, whose is what lies
he reminded them of God, and warned his people of what had happened before us, behind us, and what lies between", and thy Lord does not
to bygone generations as a result of God's vengeance, al-Nac;lr got up when forget."
he sat down, and said, 'I can tell a better story than he, come to me.' Then He began the Sura with His own praise, and mentioning (Muhammad's)
he began to tell them about the kings of Persia, Rustum and Isbandiy.r, prophethood and apostolate and their denial thereof, and He said, 'Glory
and then he would say, 'In what respect is Muhammad a better story-teller belongs to God, who has revealed the book to His servant,'2 meaning
than l/' (179)' Muhammad.
Ibn 'Abbiis, according to my information, used to say eight verses ofthe 'Verily thou art an apostle from Me,' i.e. confirming what they ask about
Quran came down in reference to him, When our verses are read to him, thy prophethood. 'He hath not made therein crookedness, it is straight,'
he says fairy tales of the ancients';' and all those passages in-the Quran in i.e. it is level, without any difference. ITo warn of a severe punishment
which 'fairy tales' are mentioned. from Him,' that is, His immediate judgement in this world. 'And a painful
When Al-Nac;lr said that to them, they sent him and 'Uqba b. Abu judgement in the next,' that is, from thy Lord, who has sent thee as an
Mu'ayt to the Jewish rabbis in Medina and said to them, 'Ask them about apostle. 'To give those who believe, who do good works, the good news
Muhammad; describe him to them and tell them what he says, for they that they will have a glorious reward, enjoying it everlastingly,' i.e. the
are the first people of the scriptures and have knowledge which we do not eternal abode. 'They shall not die therein,' i.e. those who have accepted
possess about the prophets.' They carried out their instructions, and said your message as true, though others have denied it, and have done the
to the rabbis, 'You are the people of the Taur.t,' and we have come to works that you have ordered them to do. 'And to warn those who say God
you so that you can tell us how to deal with this tribesman of ours.' The has taken a son.' He means the Quraysh when they say, 'We worship the
rabbis said, 'Ask him about three things of which we will instruct you; if angels who are the daughters of Allah.' 'They have no knowledge about it,
he gives you the right answer then he is an authentic prophet, but if he nor had their forefathers', who take hardly your leaving them and shaming
does not, then the man is a rogue, so form your own opinion about him. their religion. 'Dreadful is the word that proceedeth from their mouth'
Ask him what happened to the young men who disappeared in ancient when they say the angels are God's daughters. 'They say nothing but a '94
days, for they have a marvellous story. Ask him about the mighty traveller lie, and it may be that thou wilt destroy thyself,' 0 Muhammad. 'In grief
who reached the confines of both East and West. Ask him what the spirit over their course if they believe not this saying,' i.e. because of his sorrow
is. If he can give you the answer, then follow him, for he is a prophet. If when he was disappointed of his hope of them; i.e. thou shalt not do it
he cannot, then he is a forger and treat him as you will.' The two men (180). 'Verily We have made that which is upon the earth an ornament
returned to Quraysh at Mecca' and told them that they had. a decisive way to it to try them which of them will behave the best,' i.e. which of them
of dealing with Muhammad, and they told them about the three questions. will follow My commandment and act in obedience to Me. 'And verily
They came to the apostle and called upon him to answer these questions. we will make that which is upon it a barren mound,' i.e. the earth and what
'93 He said to/them, II will g.ive you your answer tomorrow,' but he did not is upon it will perish and pass away, for all must return to Me that I may
say, 'if God will.' So they went away; and the apostle, so they say, waited reward them according to their deeds) so do not despair nor let what you
for fifteen days without a revelation from God on the matter, nor did hear and see therein grieve you (,8,).
Gabriel come to him, so that the people of Mecca began to spread evil Then comes the story of what they asked him about the young men, and
I sUra 68. 15. God said: 'Have you considered that the dwellers in the Cave and al- "
s Pr0p.crly the LAw of Moses, but often used bY,Muslim writcn of the Old TC8tament Raqim were wonders from our signs?' i.e. there were still more wonderful
"whole,'
J Mecca i. acme 180 m. from Medina. The ordinaryQI'llYan took 10 or II days. The signs in the proofs I have given to men (,82). Then God said: 'When the '95
~ going via al-Khabt did the journey in 5 day.. I Sura 19. 6 5. :a Sura 18.
138 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 139
young men took refuge in the Cave they said, 0 Lord, show us kindness how long they stayed there. The secrets of heaven and earth are with Him.
and give us guidance by Your mmmand, so We sealed up their hearing in How wonderfully He sees and hears. They have no friend but Him, and
the Cave for many years. Then We bmught them to life again that We He allows Mne in His dominilln as a partner,' i.e. Mthing of what they
might know which of the two parties would best calculate the time that ask you is hidden fmm Him.
they had been there.' Then He said: 'We will tell you the true account of And He said about what they asked him in regard to the mighty traveller,
them; they were young men who believed in their Lord, and We gave them 'And they will ask you about Dhii'I-Qamayn; say, I will recite to you a
further guidance, and We strengthened their hearts. Then they stood and remembrance of him. Verily We gave him power in the earth, and We
said, Our Lord is the Lmd of heaven and earth. We will pray to no other gave to him every road and he followed it'; so far as the end of his story.
god but Him. If we were to say otherwise we should speak blasphemy,' It is said that he attained what no other mortal attained. Roads were
i.e. they did not associate anyone with Me as you have associated with Me stretched out before him until he traversed the whole earth, east and west.
what you know nothing about (183)' 'These people of ours have chosen He was given power over every land h~ tmd on until he reached the farthest
gods in addition to Him, though they bring nil plain authority for them,' confines of creation.
i.e. a clear proof. 'Who is more wicked than he who invents a lie against A man who used to purvey stories of the foreigners, I which were handed
God 1 When you withdraw fmm them and what they worship instead of down among them, told me that Dhii'l-Qamayn was an Egyptian, whose
God, then take refuge in the Cave; your Lmd will spread for you by His name was Marzuban b. Mardhaba, the Greek, descended fmm Yunan b.
mercy and prepare a pillow for you in your plight. You might see the Yiifith b. NiiI.> (186).
sun when it rises move away from their Cave towards the right, and when Thaur b. Yazid from Khalid b. Ma'dan al-Kala'i, who was a man who
it sets it would go past them to the left, while they were in a cleft of the reached Islamic times, told me that the apostle was asked about Dhii'l-
196 Cave' (,84). 'That was one of the signs of God', i.e. for a proof against Qamayn, and he said, 'He is an angel who measured the ellrth beneath by
those of the people of the scriptures who knew their story and who ordered ropes.'
those men to ask you about them mnceming the truth of your pmphecy in Khalid said, "Umar heard a man calling someone Dhii'I-Qamayn, and
giving a true acmunt of them. 'Whom God guides is rightly guided, and he said, "God pardon you, are you not satisfied to use the names of
for him whom He leads astray you will find no friend to direct. And the pmphets for your children that you must now name them after the
you would think they were awake while they were sleeping, and we would angels I'" God knows the truth of the matter, whether the apostle said
turn them over to the right and the left, while their dog was lying with its that or not. If he said it, then what he said was true.
forepaws on the threshold' (185). 'If you observed them closely you would God said concerning what they asked him about the Spirit, 'They will
tum your backs on them fleeing, and be afraid of them' up to the words ask you about the Spirit, say, the Spirit is a matter for my Lord, and you
'those who gained their point said,' i.e. the people of power and dominion have only a little knowledge about it."
among them. 'Let us build a mosque above them; they will say,' i.e. the I was told on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he said, When the apostle
Jewish rabbis who ordered them to ask these questions. 'Three, their dog came to Medina, the Jewish rabbis said, 'When you said, "And you have
being the fourth of them, and some say five, their sixth being the dog, only a little knowledge about it," did you mean us or your own people?'
guessing in the dark,' i.e. they know nothing about it, 'and they say seven He said, 'Both of you.' They said, 'Yet you will read in what you brought 198
and their dog the "ighth. Say: My Lord knows best about their number; that we were given the Taurat in which is an exposition of everything: He
none knows them save a few, so do not contend with them except with an replied that in reference to God's knowledge that was little, but in it there
open mntention,' i.e. do not be proud with them. 'And do not ask anyone was enough for them if they carried it out. God revealed concerning what
infonnation about them,' for they know nIlthing about it. 'And do not say they asked him about that' If all the trees in the world were pens and the
of anything I will do it tomorrow unless you say, If God will. And men- ocean were ink, though the seven seas reinforced it, the words of God
tion your Lord if you have forgotten and say, Perhaps my Lord will guide would not be exhausted. Verily God is mighty and wise." i.e. The Taur'at
me to a nearer way of truth than this,' i.e. do Mt say about anything which mmpared with God's knowledge is little. And God revealed to him mn-
they ask you what you said about this, viz. I will tell you tomormw, and cerning what his people asked him for themselves, namely, removing the
make God's will the mndition, and remember Him when you have for- mountains, and cutting the earth, and raising their forefathers fmm the
gotten to do so and say, Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is better dead, 'If there were a Quran by which mountains could be moved, or
than what they ask of me in guidance, for you do not know what I am the earth split, or the dead spoken to [it would be this one], but to God
197 doing aoout it. 'And they remained in their Cave three hundred years belongs the disposition of all things,' i.e. I will not do anything of the kind
and they added nine,' i.e. they will say this. 'Say: Your Lord knows best I Or 'the Persians', 1 Sura 17. 87. ) Sura 31, :z6.
'40 The Life of Muhammad
unless I choose. And He revealed to him concerning their saying, 'Take
The h!e of Alulzamnzad 14'
for yourself', meaning that He should make for him gardens, and castles, to them what they knew \vas the truth so that they recognized his truthful-
and treasures, and should send an angel with him to confirm what he said, ness and his position 35 a prophet in bringing them tidings of the unseen
and to defend him. 'And they said, "",-'lhat is this apostle doing, eating when they asked him about it, envy prevented them from admitting his
food, and walking in the markets? Unless an angel were sent to him to be truth, and they became insolent against God and openly forsook his com-
a warner with him, or he were given a treasure or a garden from \vhich he mandments and took refuge in their polytheism. One of them said, 'Do
might eat [we would not believe]"; and the evildoers say, "You follow only not listen to this Quran; treat it as nonsense and probably )'ou will get the
a man bewitched". See how they have coined proverbs of thee, and have better of it', i.e. treat it as nonsense and false; and treat him as a mere
gone astray and cannot find the way. Blessed is He, \\'ho if He willed, raver-you will probably get the better of him, whereas if you argue or
could make for thee something better than that,' i.e. than that you should debate with him any time he will get the better of you.
walk in the marketplaces, seeking a livelihood. 'Gardens beneath which Abu Jahl, \vhen he was mocking the apostle and his message one day,
run rivers, and make for thee castles.'1 said: 'Muhammad pretends that God's troops who will punish you in hell
And He revealed to him concerning their saying, '\Vhen \Ve sent messen- and imprison you there, are nineteen only, while you have a large popula-
gers before thee they did eat and walk in the markets, and we made some tion. Can it be that every hundred of you is unequal to one man of them?'
of you a test for others, \vhether you would be steadfast, and your Lord is In reference to that God revealed, '\Ve have made the guardians of hell
looking on,'2 i.e. I made some of you a test for others that you might be angels, and \Ve have made the number of them a trial to those who dis-
steadfast. Had I wanted to make the world side with my apostles, so that believe', to the end of the passage. I \Vhereupon when the apostle recited
they would not oppose them, I would have done so. the Quran loudly as he was praying, they began to disperse and refused to
And he revealed to him concerning what 'Abdullah b. Umayya said, listen to him. If anyone of them wanted to hear what he was reciting as he 202

'And they said, "Vie will not believe in thee until fountains burst forth for prayed, he had to listen stealthily f0r fear of Quraysh; and if he sa\"! that
199 us from the earth, or you have a garden of dates and grapes and make the they knew that he was listening to it, he went a\vay for fear of punishment
rivers \vithin it burst forth copiously, or make the heavens fall upon us in and listened no more. If the apostle IQ\vcred his voice, then the man \vho
fragments as you assert, or bring God and the angels as a surety, or you get was listening thought that they \\'ould not listen to any part of the reading,
a house of gold, or mount up to heaven, we will not believe in thy ascent while he himself heard something \vhich they could not hear, by giving all
until you bring down to us a book which we can read." Say: exalted be my his attention to the words.
Lord, am I aught but a mortal messenger' (187).3 Dli'ud b. al-Bu~ayn freedman of 'Amr b. 'Uthman told me that 'Ikrima
200 He revealed to him with reference to their saying 'vVe have heard that a freedman of Ibn 'Abbas had told them that 'Abdullah h. 'Abbas had told
man in al- Yamama called al-RaJ:1man teaches you. vVe will never believe them that the verse, 'Don't speak loudly in thy prayer and don't be silent;
in him'. 'Thus did We send you to a people before whom other peoples adopt a middle course,'2 was revealed because of those people. He said,
had passed away that you might read to them that which We have revealed 'Don't speak loudly in thy prayer' so that they may go a,vay from you, and
to thee, while they disbelieved in the RaJ:1man. Say, He is my Lord, there 'Don't be silent' so that he who wants to hear, of those who listen stealthily,
is no other God but He. In Him I trust and unto Him is the return.'4 cannot hear; perhaps he will give heed to some of it and profit thereby.
And He revealed to him concerning what Abu Jahl said and intended:
'Have you seen him who prohibited a servant \vhen he prayed, have you
seen if he was rightly guided or gave orders in the fear of God, have you THE FIHST ONE WHO l'}{ONOU~CED THE QLiRA~ LOVDLY
seen if he lied and turned his back; does he not know that Allah sees
everything? If he does not cease we will drag him hy the forelock, the Yal.lya b. 'en','a b. al-Zubayr told me as from his father that the first man
lying sinful forelock; let him call his gang, we will call the guards of hell. to speak the Quran loudly in I\leeca after the apostle was 'Abdullah b.
Thou shalt certainly not obey him, prostrate thyself and draw near to Mas'ud. The prophet's companions came together one day and remarked
God' (188). that Quraysh had never heard the Quran distinctly read to them, and "\\'ho
201 And God revealed concerning what they proposed to him in regard to was there who would make them listen to it? \Vhen 'Abdullah said that
their money, 'Say, I ask no reward of you, it is yours; my reward is God's he would, they replied that they were afraid on his behalf and they v,:anted
concern alone and He witnesses everything.'$ When the apostle brought only a man of good family who would protect him from the populace if
they attacked him. He replied, 'Let me alone, for God will protect me.'
I Sura 25. 8. 2 Sura 25. 22. J Sura 17. 92.
4 Sura I]. 29. s Sura 34. 46.
So in the morning he went to the sanctuary while Quraysh were in their
J Sura 74. 31. 2 S(:ra 17. 110,
If2 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad If3

conferences, and when he arrived at the Maqam, he read, 'In the name of like that? By God, \ve will never believe in him and treat him as truthful.'
God, the compassionate, the merciful, II raising his voice as he did so, 'the Then al-Akhnas got up and left him.
compassionate who taught the Quran.' Then he turned towards them as When the apostle recited the Quran to them and called them to God,
he read so that they noticed him, and they said, 'What on earth is this son they said in mockery, 'Our hearts are veiled, we do not understand what
of a siavewoman saying?' And when they realized that he was reading you say. There is a load in our ears so that yve cannot hear \'>'hat you say,
some of what Muhammad prayed, they got up and began to hit him in the and a curtain divides us from you, so follow your O\vn path and we will follow
face; but he continued to read so far as God willed that he should read. ours, we do not understand anything you say.' Then God revealed, 'And
Then he went to his companions with the marks of their blows on his face. when you read the Quran we put between you and those who do not believe
zo3 They said, 'This is just what we feared would happen to you.' He said) in the last day a hidden veil,'1 as far as the words 'and when vou mention
'God's enemies were never more contemptible in my sight than they are your Lord alone in the Quran they turn their backs in avers"ion', that is,
now, and if you like I will go and do the same thing before them tomorrow.' how can they understand thy assertion that thy Lord is one if I have put
They said, 'No, you have done enough, you have made them listen to what veils over their hearts and heaviness in their cars, and between you and
they don't want to hear.' them is a curtain as they allege?' i.e. that I have not done it. '\Ve know
best about what they listen to when they listen to you, and when they take
secret counsel, the wicked say, "You arc only following a man bewitched",'
i.e. that is the way they order people not to listen to the message I have
THE QURA YSH LISTEN TO THE PROPHET'S READING
given you. 'See how they have made parables of you, and gone astray,
Muhammad b. Muslim b. Shihab al-Zuhri told me that he was told that and cannot find the way,' i.e. they have made false proverbs about you,
Abu Sufyan b.l:Iarb and Abu Jahl b. Hisham and al-Akhnas b. Shariq b. and cannot find the right path, and what they say is not straightforward.
'Amr b. Wahb al- Thaqafi, an ally of B. Zuhra, had gone out by night to 'And they say! when we are bones and dried morsels shall we be raised a new
listen to the apostle as he \vas praying in his house. Everyone of them creation?' i.e. you have come to tell us that we shall be raised after death
chose a place to sit where he could listen, and none knew where his fellow when we are bones and dried fragments, and that is something that cannot
was sitting. So they passed the night listening to him, until as the dawn be. 'Say, Be ye hard stones or iron, or anything that you think in your
rose, they dispersed. On the way home they met and reproached one minds is harder, they will say, "\Vho will raise us?" Say, He who created
another, and one said to the other, 'Don't do it again, for if one of the you in the beginning,' i.e. He \vho created you from what you kno\\', for to
light-minded fools sees you, you \vill arouse suspicion in his mind.' Then create you from dust is no more difficult than that to him.
they went away, until on the second night everyone of them returned again 'Abdullah b. Abu I\aji!; from Mujahid from Ibn 'Abbas told me that the
to his place, and they passed the night listening. Then at dawn the same latter said, 'I asked him \vhat was meant by the \vord of God "or something
thing happened again, and again on the third night, when on the morrow that you think is harder" and he said, "Death." ,
they said to one another, '\Ve will not go away until we take a solemn
obligation that we \vill not return.' This they did and then dispersed. In
the morning al-Akhnas took his stick and went to the house of Abu TIlE POLYTHEISTS PERSECUTE THE MUSLI!\1S OF THE 205
Sufyan, and asked him to tell him his opinion of-what he had heard from LOWER CLASSES
Muhammad. He replied, 'By God, I heard things that I know, and know
what was meant by them, and I heard things whose meaning I don't Then the Quraysh showed their enmity to all those who followed the
know, nor what was intended by them.' AI-Akhnas replied, 'I feel precisely apostle; every clan which contained l'vluslims attacked them, imprisoning
the same.' Then he left him and went to Abu JahI's house, and asked him them, and beating them, allowing them no food or drink, and exposing
the same question. He answered, 'What did I hear! We and B. 'Abdu Manaf them to the burning heat of Mecca, so as to seduce them from their religion.
204 have been rivals in honour. They have fed the poor, and so have we; Some gave way under pressure of persecution, and others resisted them,
they have assumed others' burdens, and so have we; they have been being protected by Gad.
generous, and so have we, until we have progressed side by side,2 and we Bilal, who was afterwards freed by Abu Bakr but at that time belonged
were like two horses of equal speed. Tht:;y said,"\Ve have a prophet to to one of B. Jumal;, being slave born, was a faithful Muslim, pure of heart.
whom revelation comes from heaven", and when shall we attain anything His father's~ name \vas Ribal; and his mother was Ijamama. Umayya b.
Khalaf b. WahL b. I~udhafa b. Juma!; used to bring him out at the hottest
I Sura 55. 1.
Z l,-it., 'until we have squatted on our knees face to face', i.e. as complete equals. I Sura 17.47.
144 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad '45
part of the day and throw him on his back in the ope~ ;alleyand have a with favour but for seeking his Lord's most sublime face and in the end he
great rock put on his chest; then he would say to hIm, r au wIll stay here will be satisfied. II
till you die or deny Muhammad and \\'orship AI-Lat and al-'Uzza.' He The B. Makhzum used to take out 'Ammar b. Yiisir with his father and
used to say while he was enduring this, 'On~, one!' . mother, who were Muslims, in the heat of the day and expose them to the
Hisham b. 'Urwa told me on the authonty of hIS father: Waraga b. heat of Mecca, and the Apostle passed by them and said l so I have heard,
Naufal was passing him while he was being thus tortured and saywg, 'Patience, 0 family of Yasir! Your meeting-place will be paradise.' They
'One, one,' and he said, 'One, one, by God, Bilal.' The~ he went ,to killed his mother, for she refused to abandon Islam.
Umayya and those of B. Jumal). \vho ~ad t,hus maltre,atcd hIm, ,and saId, It was that evil ~an Abu Jahl who stirred up the Meccans against them.
'I swear by God that if you kill him m thIS way I wIll make hiS tomb a When he heard that a man had become a Muslim, if he was a man of
'One day Abu Bakr passed by while they were thus Ill-treatmg social importance and had relations to defend him, he reprimanded him and 207
s h nne. 'H
him, for his house was among this clan. He s~id to .Umayya, a;c ,you poured scorn on him, saying, 'You have forsaken the religion of your father
no fear of God that you treat this poor fellow lIke this? How long IS It to who was better than you. We will declare you a blockhead and brand you
go on?' He replied, 'You arc the one who corrupted him, so save hIm from as a fool, and destroy your reputation.' If he was a merchant he said,
his plight that you see.' 'I will do so,' said Abu Bakr; 'I have got a black 'We will boycott your goods and reduce you to beggary.' If he was a
slave, tougher and stronger than he, who IS a heathen. I wIll cxchan.ge hIm person of no social importance, he beat him and incited people against him.
for Bilal.' The transaction was carried out, and Abu Bakr took lum and !:Iakim b. Jubayr from Said b. Jubayr told me: 'I said to 'Abdullah b.
freed him. . . . 'Abbas, "Were the polytheists treating them so badly that apostasy was
Before he migrated to Medina he freed six slaves in Islam, BIlaI bemg the excusable?" "Yes, by God, they were," he said, "they used to beat one of
seventh, namely: 'Amir b. Fuhayra, who \vas pr~sent ,a: Badr and :UD~d them, depriving him of food and drink so that he could hardly sit upright
206 and was killed at the battle of Bi'r Ma'una; and Dmm l'}bays and Zmmra because of the violence they had used on him, so that in the end he would
(she lost her sight when he freed her and Qurays,h said, 'Al-Lat ,and al- do whatever they said." If they said to him, "Are al-Lat and al-'Uzza
'Uzzii arc the ones that have taken away her sIght; but she said, By the your gods and not Allah?" he would say, "Yes" to the point that if a
house of God, you lie. AI-Lat and al-'Uzza can neither harm nor heal,' beetle passed by them they would say to him, "Is this beetle your God and
so God restored her sight). not Allah?" he would say yes, in order to escape from the suffering he was
And he freed al-Nahdiya and her daughter who belonged to a woman of enduring.'
B. <Abdu'l-Dar; he passed by them when their mistress ha.d sent them AI-Zubayr b. 'Ukasha b. 'Abdullah b. Abu A\Imad told me that he was
about some flour of hers, and she was saying, 'By God, I "':lll ~ev.er free told that some men of B. Makhzum went to I-Iisham b. al-Walid when his
you.' Abu Bakr said, 'Free yourself from your oath.' She said,. It IS free; brother al-Walid b. al-Walid became a Muslim. They had agreed to seize
you corrupted them so you free them.' They agreed upon the pnc~, a~~ he some young men who had become ::Yluslims, among whom were Salma b.
said 'I will take them and they are free. Return her flour to her. I hey Hisham and 'Ayyash b. Abu Rabi'a. They were afraid of his violent
said', 'Oughtn't we to finish the grinding and then take it back to her?' temper and so they said, '\Ve wish to'admonish these men because of this
He said 'Yes if you like.' religion which they have newly introduced; thus we shall be safe in the
He p;ssed by a slave girl of B. Mu'ammil, a clan of B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b who case of others.' 'All right,' he said, 'admonish him, but beware that you
was a Muslim. 'Vmar b. al-Khattab was punishing her to ~ake her ?Ive do not kill him.' Then he began to recite:
up Islam. At that time he was a polytheist. He beat her u~tll ~e was tlr~d My brother Tyays shall not be killed,
and said, 'I have only stopped beating you because I am tIred. She said, Otherwise there will be \var between us for ever. 1
'May God treat you in the same way.' Abu Bakr bought her and freed her.
M'thammad b. 'Abdullah b. Abu 'Atig fr~m '}HIlir b: 'Abdullah b. al: 'Be careful of his life, for I swear by God that if you kill him, I will kill the
Zubayr from one of his family told me: Abu QuJ:tafa said to hIS son Abu noblest of you to the last man.' They said, 'God damn the man. After
Bakr, 'My son, I see that you are freeing weak slaves. If you \vant to do what he has said who will \\<>.nt to 'bring trouble on himself, for, by God,
what"Y0u are doing, why don't you free po:-rerful men who could def~nd if this man were killed while in our hands the best of us would be killed to a
you and protect you?' He said, 'I am only trym.g to do w~at I am attemptI~g man.' So they left him and withdrew, and that was how God protected
for God's sake.' It is said that these verses came down m reference to hIm him from them.
and what his father said to him: lAs to him who gives and fears God and I Sura 92. 5.
1 Lit., 'reciprocal cursing', which was an inseparable accompaniment to war among the
believes in goodness,' up to the divine words, 'none is rewarded by God pagan Arabs.
B 4080 L
The Life of IVluhammad '+7
The Life of Muhammad
Abu Sufyan; and Mu'ayqib b. Abu Farima. These belonged to the family
of Sa'id b. al-<A~, seven persons in all (19 2 ).
208 THE FIRST MIGRATION TO ABYSSINIA
n. 'Abdu Shams: ... Abu Hudhavfa b. 'Utba; ... AbC, MClsa al-Ash'ari
When the apostle saw the affliction of his companions and that though he whose name was 'Abdullah b. Qay~, an ally of the family of 'Utba. Two
escaped it because of his standing with Allah and his uncle Abu Talib, men.
he could not protect them, he said to them: 'If you were to go to Abyssinia B. Naufal b. 'Abdu :Ylanaf: 'etba b. Ghazwan b. Jabir b. Wahb b.
(it would be better for you), for the king will not tolerate injustice and it is a Nasib ... b. Qays h. 'AyLin, an ally of theirs. One man.
friendly country, until such time as Allah shall relieve you from your B. Asad: . . . al-Zubayr b. al-'/\.wwam; ... al-Aswad b. Naufal; ...
distress.' Thereupon his companions went to Abyssinia, being afraid of Yazid b. Zama'a; ... 'A~r b. Umayya b. al-l~arith, Four men.
apostasy and fleeing to God with their religion. This was the first hijra B. 'Abel b. Qu~ayy: 'J'ulayb b. 'Umayr. ... One man.
in Islam. n. 'Abdu'I-Dar: Mus'ah h. 'Umavr; ... Suwayhi! b. Sa'c!; ... Jahm h.
The first of the Muslims to go were: B. Umayya: .. .' 'Uthman b. Qays ... with his \vife' Umm IJarn;ala d. 'Abdu'l-Aswad ... of Khuz5.'a 211
'Affan ... with his wife Ruqayya, d. the apostle. and his two SOIlS 'Amr and Khuzayma; Abt-\'l-RtlITI b. 'Drnayr b. Ha.. him;
n. 'Abdu'l-Shams: . . . Abu Hudhayfa b. 'Utba . . . with his wife . .. Firas b. al-='Jae)r b. al-I:Lirith .... Five persons.
SahIa d. Suhayl b. 'Amr one of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy. n. Zuhra: ... 'Abdu'l-Rahrnan b. 'Auf; ... 'Amir h. AbC, Waqqa~; (Ab\l
B. Asad b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza: al-Zubayr b. al-Awwam .... Waqqa$ was Malik b. Uhayb); al-l\lunalib b. Azhar ... With. his wife
B. 'Abdu'I-Dar: ... Mu~'ab h. Umayr. Ramla d. Abu 'Auf b. l)ubayra She bare his son 'Ahdullah 111 Abys-
B.. Zuhra b. Kilab: 'Abdu'l-Ral;man b. 'Auf .... sinia. Their allies: of Hudhayl: 'Abdullah b. :\1as'Cld ... and his brother
B. Makhzum b. Yaq?a: ... Abu Salama b. 'Abdu'I-Asad ... with his 'Utba. Of Bahra': al-Miqdad b. 'Amr b. Thalaba b. Malik b. Rabj'a b.
wife Umm Salama d. Abu Umayya b. al-Mughira .... Thumama b. MatrCld b. 'Amr b. Sad h. Zuhayr b. Lu'ayy b. Thalaba
B. Jumal; b. 'Amr b. Hu~ays: ... 'Uthman b. Ma?'un .... b. Malik b. al-Sha;id b. Abu Ahwaz b. Ahu Fa'ish b. Duraym b. al-Qayn b.
zO<) B. 'Adiy b. Kab: 'l\mir b. Rabi'a, an ally of the family of al-Khanab Ahwad h. nahra' b. 'Amr b. al-):Iaf b. Quda'a (193). (He used to be called
of Anz b. Wa'il (r89), with his wife Layla d. Abu ):Iathma b. I:ludhafa .. Miqdad b. al-Aswad b. 'Abdu Yaghuth b. Wahb b. 'Abdu Manaf h. Zuhra
B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy: Abu Sabra b. Abu Ruhm b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza b. because he had adopted him before Islam and taken him into his tribe.)
Abu Qays ... b. 'Amir. Others say it was Abu ):Ia!ib b. 'Amr b. 'Abdu Six persons.
Shams of the same descent. It is said that he was the first to arrive in B. Taym b. Murra: al-):Iarith b. Khiilid ... with his wife Ray!" d. al-
Abyssinia. I:Iarith b. Jabala.... She bare his son 1\111sa in Abyssinia artoft.-Ns et"al1ghtcrs
B. al-J:!arith: Suhayl b. Bayda'. . . . These ten were the first to go to 'A'isha and Zaynab and Fatima; 'Amr b. 'Uthman b. 'Amr. Two men. 2>2
Abyssinia according to my information (190). B. Makhzum b. Yaqaza: ... Abu Salama b. 'Abdu'l-Asad .. , with his
Afterwards Jafar b. Abu Talib went, and the Muslims followed ooe wife Umm Salama d. Ahu Umayya b. al-Mughira . . . . She hare him a
another until they gathered in Abyssinia; some took their families, others daughter, Zaynab, in Abyssinia. (His name \vas 'Abdullah and his wife's
went alone. name was Hind.) Shammas b. 'Uthrnan b. al-Sharid; ... (194)' I-Iabb"r
B. Hashim: Jafar ... who took his wife Asma' d. 'Umays b. al-Nu'man b. Sufyan b. 'Abdu'I-Asad and his hrother 'Ahdullah; Hisham h.
... She hare fiim 'Abdullah in Abyssinia. Abu !:Iudhayfa h. al-Mughira; Salama b. Ilisham; ... 'Ayyash b. AbC,
n. Umayya: 'Uthman b. 'Affan ... with his wife Ruqayya; ... 'Arm b. Rabi'a.... Of their allies Mu'attib b. 'Auf ... of Khuza'a who was called
Said b. al-'A~ ... with his wife Fa!ima d. :;>afwan b. Umayya b. Mul;ar- 'Ayhama. Eight persons (195)'
rith b. Khumal b. Shaqq b. Raqaba b. Mukhdij al-Kinani, and his brother B. Juma!} b. 'Amr: ... 'Dthman b. 1\la~'un ... and his son al-Sa'ib; his
210 Khalid with his wife Umayna (r91) d. Khalaf of Khuza'a. She bare him two brothers Qudama and 'Abdullah; !:Ia!ib b. al-I:larith ... with his wife
his son Sa'id in Abyssinia, and his daughter Ama who afterwards married Fa!ima d. al-Mujallil ... and his two sons Muhammad and al-~liirith; and "3
al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam and bare to him 'Amr and Khalid. Of their his brother ~Ia!!"b with his wife Fukayha d. Yasar; Sufyan b. Mamar ...
allies of B. Asad b. Khuzayma: 'Abdullah b. Jahoh ... b. Asad and his with his t\vo sons Jabir and Junada with his \".,ife Basana who was their
brother 'Ubaydullah with his wife U mm J:!abiba d. Abu Sufyan b. J:!arb ; ... mother' and their brother on their mother's side Shurahbil b. 'Ahdullah
and Qays b. 'Abdullab ... with his wife Baraka d. Yasar, a freedwoman of one of 'the Ghauth (196); 'Uthman b. Rab!'a b. Uhban b. Wahb b.
Huuhafa. Eleven meo.
I The dots indicate that the genealogies (which in many cases have been given previouaJ:y)
have been cut short.
. B. Sahm b. 'Arnr: ... Khunays b. ):Iudhafa: ... 'Abdullah b. al-Harith
I48 The LIfe of 111uhammad The Life of ,IUi/hammad
b. Qays b. 'Adiy b. Sad b. Sahm; Hishiim b. al-'A~ b. Wii'il b. Sa'd b. And shame in death, not safe from blame.
Sahm (197); Qays b. Hudhiifa; ... Abu Qays b. al-J:liirith; ... 'Abdullah \Ve hav~ followed the apostle of God, and they
b. Hudhiifa ... al-Harith b. al-J:larith; ... Mamar b. al-J:larith; .. H.a:-c reJccte~ the words of the prophet, and been deceitful. I
Bis}~r b. al-Harith .. '. and a brother of his from a Tamimite mother called VlSIt thy pumshment on the people who transgress
SaId b. 'A~r; Said b. al-I~arith; ... al-Sii'ib b. al-J:larith; ... 'Umayr b. And protect me lest they rise and lead me astray.
Ri'ab b. Hudhayfa b. Muhashshim; ... Mal,1miya b. al-Jaza', an ally of
theirs from B. Zubayd. Fourteen men. <Abdullah b.. al-I:Iarith also said when he spoke of the Quraysh expelling
E. 'Adiyy b. Kab: Ma'mar b. 'Abdullah; ... 'Urwa b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza; ... them from therr country, and reproached SOHle of his people:
'Adiy b. NadIa b. 'Abdu'l-Tzza ... and his son al-Nu'miin; 'Amir b.Rabl'a, My heart refuses to fight them
an ally of the family of al-Khagab from 'Anz b. Wa'il with his wife Layla. And so do my fingers; I tell you the truth.
Five. How could I fight a people who taught you
B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy: Abu Sabra b. Abu Ruhm ... with his wife Umm The truth that you should not mingle with falsehood?
Kulthum d. Suhayl b. 'Amr; . . . 'Abdullah b. Makhrama b. 'Abdu'!- Jmn worsh,ppers exiled them from their noble land
'Uzza; 'Abdullah b. Suhayl ... Sali; b. 'Amr b. 'Abdu Shams ... and his So that they were exceeding sorrO\vful;
brother al-Sakriin with his wife Sauda d. Zama'a b. Qays b. 'Abdu Shams; If there were faithfulness in 'Adiy b. Sad
.. Malik b. Zama'a b. Qays . . . with his wife 'Amra d. al-Sadl b. Springing from piety and kinship ties,
Waqdiin b. 'Abdu Shams; ... J:lii;ib b. 'Amr b. 'Abdu Shams; ... Sa'd b. I should have hoped that it would have been among YOll,
Khaula an ally of theirs. Eight persons (I98). By th: grace of H,m who 1S not moved by bribes.
B. al-J:larith b. Fihr: Abu 'Ubayda b. al-Jarriil,1 who was 'Amir b. I got In exchange for the bountiful rdugc of poor widows
'Abdullah b. al-Jarral,1; ... Suhayl b. Bay'W who was Suhayl b. Wahb A whelp, and that mothered by a bitch.
b. Rabl'a b. Hilal b. Uhayb b. l;:>abba ... (but he was always known by his
mother's name, she being Dad d. Jal,1dam b. Umayya b. Z:arib b. al- He also said:
J:larith ... and was always called Bay~a'); 'Amr b. Abu Sarl,1 b. Rabl'a ... Those Quraysh who deny Cod's truth
'Iyii~ b. Zuhayr b. Abu Shaddad b. Rabl'a b. Hilal b. Uhayb b. l;:>abba b.
Are as 'Ad and Madyan and the people of al-Hijr who denied it
al-J:Hirith; but it is said that this is wrong and that Rabi'a was the son of If I do not raise a storm let not the earth' .
Hilal b. Malik b. l;:>abba; and 'Amr b. al-J:larith; ... 'Utl,1man b. Spacious land or ocean hold me! '
'Abdu Ghanm b. Zuhayr; and Sad b. 'Abdu Qays b. Laql; ... and In a land wherein is l\Iuhammad, servant of God.
his brother al-J:larith. Eight persons. I will explain what is in my heart
The total number of those who migrated to Abyssinia, apart from the When exhaustive search is made.
little children whom they took with them or \Vere born to them there, was
eighty-three men if 'Ammar b. Yasir was among them, but that is doubtful. Because of the second verse of this poem 'Abdullah was called al- 7''f!u.briq
The following is an extract from the poetry which has been written in t he thunderer (or threatener). . ,
Abyssinia by 'Abdullah b. al-J:larith b. Qays b. 'AdlY b. Sa'd b. Sahm. They ~Ut~miin b. Ma.'un, reproaching Umayya b. Khalaf b. Wahb b.
were safely ensconced there and were grateful for the protection of the l;Iudhafa b. ~uma~1 who was his cousin, and \vho used to ill-treat him
Negus; could serve God without fear; and the Negus had shown them because ?f hIS beltef, made the follO\ving verses. Umayva was a leader
every hospitality. among h1S people at that time. ~

a rider, take a message from me o Taym b. tAmr, I wonder at him who came in enmity
To those who hope for the demonstration of God and religion, I When the sea and the broad high land lay between us, i '
To everyone of God's persecuted servants,
I Such is the commentators' explanation of ' h' ]- ,
Mistreated and hard tried in Mecca's vale, e:X:~J~nedby Lane, 2200b;, it begins 'They said \\~~~:ve11o\1~~\':~; ~alanee" The line is
Namely, that we have found God's country spacious, ommentators find th1s verse difficult Ab - Dh ,. ,e, _ '
or with other vowels it means th ' : u, ~rr says that shanllilll 1S a place-name,
Giving security from humiliation, shame and low-repute, kneeling camels Akta'u m ,e s(e~i' ,:"hJ1e bark IS either another place-name or a herd of
So do not live a life in humiliation sharman is the ~ea and ba r ~a,nm~d a h,lS generally preceded by Q)ma'u, Suhayli says that
'0 Taym b 'A I d IS W,I e 1& h ground. He prefers the opening line to begin'
means'lanci'. mr, won er at him Whose anger burned.' Suhayli is right. In Eth. barkd
I This seems to be an allusion to the last verse of Sura 14.
The Life of Muhammad 15 1
ISO The Life of Muhammad
skins so that they were able to give some to everyone of his generals. They
Did you drive me out of Mecca's vale' where I was safe sent <Abdullah and 'Amr with instructions to give each general his present
And make me live in a loathsome white castle. 1 before they spoke to the Negus about the refugees. Then they were to
You feather arrows, whose feathering will not help you; give their presents to the Negus and ask him to give the men up before he
You sharpen arrows, whose feathers are all for you; spoke to them. They carried out these instructions to the letter, and said
You fight noble strong people to each of the generals, 'Some foolish fellows from our people have taken
And destroy those from whom you once sought help. refuge in the king's country. They have forsaken our religion and not
You \vill know one day, when misfortune attacks you accepted yours, but have brought in an invented religion which. neither
217
And strangers betray you, what you have done. we nor you know anything about. Our nobles have sent us to the king to
Taym b. 'Amr, whom 'Dthman addresses, was Jumal;. His name was get him to return them, so when \ve speak to the king about them advise
him to surrender them to us and not to speak to them, for their own people
Taym.
have the keenest insight and know most about their faults.' This the
generals agreed to do. They took their gifts to the Negus and when he had
THE QURAYSH SEND TO ABYSSINIA TO GET THE accepted them, they said to him what they had already said to the generals
EMIGRANTS RETURNED
about the refugees. Now there was nothing which 'Abdullah and 'Amr
disliked more than that the Negus should hear what the :'vIuslims had to
When Quraysh saw that the prophet's companions were safely ensconced say. The generals about his presence said that the men had spoken truly,
in Abyssinia and had found security there, they decided among themselves and their own people best knf;w the truth about the refugees, and they
to send two determined men of their number to the Negus to get them sent recommended the king to give them up and return them to their o\vn people.
back, so that they could seduce them from their religion and get them out of The Negus was enraged and said, 'No, by God, I will not surrender them. 2 19
the home in whi<h they were living in peace. So they sent 'Abdullah b. No people who have sought my protection, settled in my country, and
Abu Rabj'a and 'Amr b. al-'A, b. Wa'il. They got together some presents chosen me rather than others shall be betrayed, until I summon them and
for them to take to the Negus and his generals. \Vhen Abu Talib perceived ask them about what these two men allege. If they are as they say, I will
their design he composed the following verse for the Negus to move him give them up to them and send them back to their own people; but if what
to treat them kindly and protect them: they say is false, I will protect them and see that they receive proper
Would that I knew how far-away Jafar and 'Amr fare, hospitality while under my protection.'
(The bitterest enemies are oft the nearest in blood). Then he summoned the apostle's companions, and when his messenger
Does the Negus still treat Ja'far and his companions kindly, came they gathered together, saying one to another, '\Vhat will you say to
the man when you come to him?' They said, '\Ve shall say \vhat we know
Or has the mischief-maker prevented him?
Thou art noble and generous, mayst thou escape calamity; and what our prophet commanded us, come what may.' \Vhen they came
into the royal presence they found that the king had summoned his bishops
No refugees are unhappy with thee.
with their sacred books exposed around him. He asked them what was
Know that God has increased thy happiness
the religion for which they had forsaken their people, without entering into
And all prosperity cleaves to thee.
his religion or any other. Ja'far b. Abu Talib ans\vered, '0 King, \ve were
Thou art a river whose banks overflow with bounty
an uncivilized people, worshipping idols, eating corpses, committing
Which reaches both friend and foe.
abominations, breaking natural ties, treating guests badly, and our strong
Muhammad b. Muslim al-Zuhri from Abu Bakr b. 'Abdu'l-Ra\lman devoured our weak. Thus we were until God sent us an apostle whose
b. al-Harith b. Hisham al-Makhzumi from Umm Salama d. Abu Umayya lineage, truth, trustworthiness, and clemency we know. He summoned us
b. al-Mughira wife of the apostle said, 'When ",:e reached ~?yssinia the to acknowledge God's unity and to \vorship him and to renounce the
Negus gave us a kind reception. We safely practised our rehglOn, and \ve stones and images which we and our fathers formerly worshipped. He
worshipped God, and suffered no ,,:rong in word or deed.. When the commanded us to speak the truth, be faithful to our engagements, mindful
u8 Quraysh got to know of that, they declded to send two determmed men to of the ties of kinship and kindly hospitality, and to refrain from crimes and
the Negus and to give him presents of the choicest wares of Mecca. bloodshed. He forbade us to commit abominations and to speak lies, and to
Leatherwork was especially prized there, so they collected a great many devour the property of orphans, to vilify chaste women. He commanded
I Again the reading and the meaning are in question. $ar/J means 'castle' or 'room' in us to worship God alone and not to associate anything with Him, and he
Eth.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of J11uhammad 153
gave us orders about prayer, almsgiving, and fasting (enumerating the I allow a man of you to be hurt' (199)' Give them back their presents, for
commands of Islam). We confessed his truth and believed in him, and we I have no use for them. God took no bribe from me when He gave me
followed him in what he had brought from God, and we worshipped God back my kingdom, that I should take a bribe for it, and God did not do
alone without associating aught with Him. \\T e treated as forbidden what what men wanted against me, so why should I do what they want against
he forbade, and as lawful what he declared lawful. Thereupon our people Him.' So they left his presence, crestfallen, taking away their rejected
attacked us, treated us harshly and seduced us from our faith to try to make gifts, while we lived with him comfortably in the best security.
us.go back to the worship of idols instead of the worship of God, and to While we were living thus, a rebel arose to snatch his kingdom from him,
regard as lawful the evil deeds we once committed. So when they got the and I never knew us to be so sad as we were at that, in OUf anxiety lest this
better of us, treated us unjustly and circumscribed our lives, and came fellow would get the better of the Negus, and that a man would ~rise who
between us and our religion, we came to your country, having chosen did not know our case as the Negus did. He went out against him, and the
you above all others. Here we have been happy in your protection, and we Nile lay between the two parties. The apostle's companions called for a
hope that we shall not be treated unjustly while we are with you, 0 King.' man who would go to the battle and bring back news, and al-Zubayr b.
The NegUs asked if they had with them anything which had come from aI-'Awwam volunteered. Now he was the youngest man we had. VIe
God. When Ja'far said that he had, the Negus commanded him to read it inflated a waterskin and he put it under his chest, and swam across until
to him, so he read him a passage from (Sura) KHY'S.' The Negus wept he reached that point ofthe Nile where the armies faced one another. Then
until his beard was wet and the bishops wept until their scrolls were wet, he went on until he met them. Meanv,hile \ve prayed to God to give the
when they heard what he read to them. Then the Negus said, 'Of a truth, Negus victory over his enemy and to establish him in his o\\'n c~untry;
this and what Jesus 2 brought have come from the same niche. You and 3;S we we~e doi~g so, waiting for.what might happen, up came al-Zubayr
two may go, for by God, I will never give them up to them and they shall runnIng, wavmg hIS clothes as he saId, 'Hurrah, the Negus has conquered
not be betrayed.' and. God has destroyed his enemies and established him in his land.'
When the two had gone, 'Amr said, 'Tomorrow I will tell him something By God,.r never knew us to be so happy before. The Negus came back,
that will uproot them all.' Abdullah, who was the more godfearing of them God havmg destroyed his enemy and established him in his country, and
in his attitude towards us, said, 'Do not do it, for they are our kindred the chiefs of th~ Abyssinians rallied to him. Meanwhile we lived in happiest
though they have gone against us.' He said, 'By God, I will tell him that condltwns untIl we came to the apostle of God in Mecca.
they assert that Jesus, son of Mary, is a creature.'J He went to him in the
morning and told him that they said a dreadful thing about Jesus, son of
Mary, and that he should send for them and ask them about it. He did so.
HOW THE NEGUS BECAME KING OF ABYSSINIA
Nbthing of the kind had happened to them before, and the people gathered
together asking one ano.ther what they should say about Jesus when they AIZuhri said: I told 'Drwa b. al-Zubayr the tradition of Abu Bakr b.
were asked. They decided that they would say what God had said and what 'Abdu'I-Ra\1mlin from Dmm Salama the prophet's wife and he said: 'Do
the prophet had brought, come what may. So when they went into the you know what he meant when he said that God took no bribe from me when
royal presence and the question was put to them, Jaffar answered, eWe say He gave me back my kingdom that I should take a bribe for it, and God did
about him that which our prophet brought, saying, he is the slave of God, not. do w~at r;ten wanted ,against m~ so why should I ?o what they want
and his apostle, and his spirit, and his word, which he cast into Mary the agamst HIm? When I s.,d that r dId not know, he s.,d that 'A'isha told
blessed virgin.' The Negus took a stick from the ground and said, 'By him that the father of the Negus was the king, and the Negus was his only
God, Jesus, son of Mary, does not exceed what you have said by the length son. The Negus had an uncle who had twelve sons who were of the
of this stick.' His generals round about him snorted when he said this, Abyssinian royal house. The Abyssinians said among themselves, 'It
and he said, 'Though you snort, by God I Go, for you are safe in my ,,:ould be a good thing if we were to kill the father of the Negus and make
country.' (Shuyum means al-aminuna.)4 Then he repeated three times the his brother kIng, because he has no son but this youngster, while his
words, 'He who curses you will be fined. Not for a mountain of gold would brother has twelve sons, so they can inherit the kingdom after him so that
I Sura J9.
the future of Abyssinia may be permanently secured.' So they attacked
S This is the reading of the Cairo text which unfortunately fails to record the MS. on the Negus's father and killed him, making his brother king, and such was the
which (presumably) it is based. W.'s text reads Moses and he does not record a variant. state of affairs for a considerable time.
3 Lit. 'slave',
" shuyrlm in Eth. means 'a high official' (sing.) as S. conjectured, Dabr is also an Eth. The Negus grew up with his uncle, an intelligent and resolute young
word. The story evidently comes from someone familiar with the language of Abyssinia. man. He attained an ascendancy over his uncle to such a degree that when
154 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad 155
the Abyssinians perceived how great his influence \vith the king was, they
began to fear lest he might gain the crown, and v,'Quld then put them all to arc.' Then he took paper and wrote, (He testifies that there is no God but
death because he knew that they were the murderers of his father. Accord- Allah a~d that lVluha~lma~l is His slave and apostle; and he testifies that
ingly they went to his uncle and said, 'Either you must kill this young man ] eS~5, Son of l'r!ary, 15 HIS slave, His apostle, His spirit and His word
or you must exile him from among us, for we afC in fear of our lives because whIch fIe cast Into l\lary.' Then he put it in his gown near the righ~
of him.' He replied, 'You wretches, but yesterday I slew his father, and am should~r and wen~ oU,t to the Abyssinians, who were drawn up in array to
I to kill him today? But I will put him out of your country.' So they took ~eet ~Im., He saI~, ~ people, have I not the best claim among you?'
him to the market and sold him to a merchant for six hundred dirhams. ,Certatnly" ~hey sald. ~nd what do you think of my life among you?'
The latter threw him into a boat and went off with him, but on that very Excellent. Then \\'?at lS your trouble?' 'You have forsaken our religion
evening the autumn storm clouds massed, and his uncle went out to pray and assert t~at Jesus IS a slave,' 'Then \vhat do you say about Jesus?' '\Ve
for rain beneath the mass of cloud when he was struck by lightning 'and say th~t he IS the. SO? ~f God.' The ="Jegus put his hand upon his breast
killed. The Abyssinians hastened in fear to his sons, and 10! he was a over hIS gown.', (S~~~lrYIng), .'He testifies that Jesus, the Son of I\1ary, was
begetter of fools; he had not a son who was any good at all; the situation of no more than thiS . By thIS he me~nt what he had written, but they were
the Abyssinians became very unsettled, and when they feared the pressure content ~nd went away. News of thIS reach~d the prophet, and when the
223 of events they said to onc another, 'Know, by God, that your king, the Negus dIed he prayed over him and begged that his sins might be forgiven.
only one who can put us to rights, is the one you sold this morning, and if
you care about your country go after him now.' So they went out in search
'UMAR ACCEPTS ISLAM
of him and the man to whom they had sold him, until they overtook him
and took the Negus from him. They then brought him home, put the When 'Amr and 'Abdullah came to the Quraysh, llot having been able to
crown on his head, made him sit upon the throne, and proclaimed him bnng back the prophet's companions and having received a sharp rebuff
king. from the Negus, and \','he~ :Umar became a l\1uslim, he being a strong,
The merchant to whom they had sold him came and said, 'Either you stubborn ma~ whose proteges none dare attack, the prophet's companions
give me my money or I shall tell him about this.' They said, 'We will not were so f~rtdled by him and J:larnza that they got the upper hand of
give you a penny.' He said, 'In that case, by God, I willspeak to him.' Qu;aysh.. A,bdullah b. lVIasud used to say, 'We could not pray at the
They said, '\Vell, there he is'; so he came and stood before him and said, Ka .ba untIl U mar became a Muslim, and then he fought the Quraysh
'0 King, I bought a young slave from people in the market for six hundred untII.he could pray there and \ve prayed with him.' <Umar became a
dirhams. They gave me my slave and they took my money, yet when I had Musltm after the prophet's companions had migrated to Abyssinia.
gone off with my slave they overtook me and seized my slave and kept my Al-Bakka'l said:'
money.' The Negus said, 'You must either give him his money back or let .Mis:;r b. ~idam from Sad b. IbrahIm said that 'Abdullah b. Masud
the young man place his hand in his, and let him take him where he wishes.' said., Umar.s (conversI~n to) Islam was a victory; his migration to
They replied, 'No, but \ve will give him his money.' For this reason he Medma was a help; and hIS government \vas a divine mercv. \Ve could not
said the words in question. This was the first thing that was reported pray at the Ka'b~ until he became a l\'IusIim, and when he "did so he fought
about his firmness in his religion and his justice in judgement. th; Qur~ysh untJI he could pray there and \ve joined him.'
Yazid b. Ruman told me from 'Urwa b. al-;1:ubayr from 'A'isha that she Abdu I-Rahman b. al-!:!arith b. 'Abdullah b. 'Avyash b. Abu Rabl'a
said: '\\-'hen the Negus died it used to be said that a light was constantly from Abdu'l-'Azlz b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amir b. Rabl'a f(om his mother Umm 225
seen over his grave.' <Abdullah. d: Abu. I~ath~a who said: '\Ve were on the point of setting out
for Abysslllla, and AmIr had gone out for something we needed, when
Vmar came ~n.d stopped beside me, he being a polytheist at the time, and
THE ABYSSINIANS REVOLT AGAINST THE NEGUS
we were reCeIVing harsh treatment and affiiction from him. He said, "So
you are off, 0 mother?f 'Abdu.llah." "Yes," I said, '\ve are going to God's
Jafar b. Muhammad told me on the authority of his father that the cou~;ry. Yo.u ~~ve vlOlent.ly Ill-tr;,ated us until God has given us a way
Abyssinians assembled and said to the Negus, 'You have left our religion' out. He saId, God be With you, and I saw in him a compassion which
and they revolted against him. So he sent to Ja'far and his companions I had never seen ?efore.. Then he \vent away, and I could see plainly that
and prepared ships for them, saying, 'Embark in these and be ready. If our departure pamed hIm; and \vhen 'Amir came back with the thing
I am defeated, go where you please; if I am victorious, then stay where you .'d,This indicates the recension of 1.1. which LH. used, Other 1\ISS. read 'Ibn Hisham
sal .
15 6 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 157
he needed I said to him "0 father of 'Abdullah, I wish you had seen 'Umar become a Muslim, and said to him, 'f\.Iy brother, you arc unclean in your
just now and the com~assion and sorr~w he sh?wed on o~r accoun:." polytheism and only the clean may touch it.' So 'Vmar rose and washed
When he asked me if I had hopes of his becommg a Mushm, I rephed himself and she gave him the page in \vhich was Ta Ha, and when he had
that I had, to which he answered, "The man you saw will not becom~ a read the beginning he said, 'How fine and noble is this speech.' When
Muslim until al-Khanab's donkey does." This he said in despair of him he heard that, Khabbab emerged and said, '0 'Umar, by God, I hope that
because of his harshness and severity against Islam.' God has singled you out by His prophet's call, for but last night I heard
The Islam of 'Vmar, so I have heard, \-vas on this wise. His sister was him saying, "0 God, strengthen Islam by Abu'l-Hakam b. Hisham or by
Fatima d. al-Khattab and was married to Said b. Zayd b. 'Amr b. Nufayl, 'Vmar b. al-Khanab." Come to God, come to God, 0 'Vmar.' At that
both of whom h~d b~come Muslims and concealed the fact from 'Umar. 'Vmar said, 'Lead me to Muhammad so that I may accept Islam.' Khab-
Now Nu'aym b. 'Abdullah al-Nal,1l,1am, a man of his tribe from B. 'Adiy bab replied that he was in a house at al-$afii \vith a number of his com-
b. Ka'b, had become a Muslim and he also concealed the fact out of fear panions. So 'Vmar took his sword and girt it on, and made for the apostle
of his people. Khabbab b. al-Aratt used often to come to Fatima to read and his companions, and knocked on the door. \Vhen they heard his
the Quran to her. One day 'Umar came out, girt wIth hIs sword, m~klllg for voice one of the companions got up and looked through a chink in the door,
the apostle, and a number of his companions, who he h~d be~n mformed and when he saw him girt with his sword, he \vent back to the apostle in
had gathered in a house at al-f?afa, in all about forty, mcludmg women. fear, and said, 'It is 'Vmar with his sword on.' Uamza said, 'Let him in; if
With the apostle was his uncle l:Iamza, and AbG Bakr, and 'Ali, from among he has come with peaceful intent l we will treat him well; if he has come with
the Muslims who stayed with the apostle and had not gone out with those ill intent, we will kill him with his own sword.' The apostle gave the word
who went to Abyssinia. N u' aym met him and asked him where he was and he was let in. The apostle rose and met him in the room, seized him
going. 'I am making for Muhammad, the apostate, who has spht up the round the girdle or by the middle of 'his cloak, and dragged him along
Quraysh, made mockery of their traditions, insulted theIr faIth and theIr violently, saying, 'What has brought you, son of Khanab, for by God, I do
226 gods, to kill him.' 'You deceive yourself, 'Vrnar,' ~e answe:ed, 'do you not think you wiII cease (your persecution) until God brings calamity
suppose that B. 'Abdu Manaf will allow you to contlllue walkmg upon the upon you.' 'Vmar replied, '0 Apostle of God, I have come to you to
earth when you have killed Muhammad? Had not y?u better go back to believe in God and His apostle and what he has brought from God.' The
your own family and set tlieir aff~irs in order?' 'What IS ~~e matter WIt~ my apostle gave thanks to God so loudly that the whole household knew that
family?' he said. 'Your brother~In~law, your nephew Sa Id, and your. slst~r 'Vmar had become a Muslim.
Fatima, have both become Muslims and. followed, Muhammad ,In hiS The companions dispersed, having become confident when both 'Umar
religion, so you had better go and deal wIth them.. Thereupon Um~r and I:Jarnza had accepted Islam because they knew that they would protect
returned to his sister and brother-in-law at the time when Khabbab the apostle, and that they would get justice from their enemies through
was with them with the manuscript of Ta Ha, whi:h he was reading ~o them. This is the story of the narrators among the people of I\1edillaabout
them. \Vhen they heard 'Vmar's voice Khabbab hid In ~ small room, o.r In 'Vmar's Islam.
a part of the house, and Fatima took the page and put It under her thigh. 'Ahdullah b. Abu N"aji"Q, the Meccan, from his companions 'Ap.' and
Now 'Umar had heard the reading of Khabbab as he came near the house, Mujfihid, or other narrators, said that 't;mar's conversion, according to
so when he came in he said, 'What is this balderdash I heard?' 'You have what he used to say himself, happened thus: 'I \vas far from Islam. I was a
not heard anything,' they answered. 'By God, 1 have,' he saId, 'and I have winebibber in the heathen period, used to love it and rejoice in it. We
been told that you have followed Muhanunad in his religion;' and he used to have a meeting-place in al-f:lazwara at which Quraysh used to
seized his brother-in-law Sa'id, and his sister Fatima rose in defence of her gather' near the houses of the family of 'Umar h. 'Abd b. 'Imran al- 228
husband and he hit her and wounded her. When he did that they said to Makhzumi. I went out one night, making for my boon companions in
him 'Y~s we are Muslims and we believe in God and His apostle, and that gathering, but when I got there, there was no one present, so I
you 'can do what you like." When 'Umar saW the blood?n his ~ist,:r he thought it would be a good thing if I went to so-and-so, the wineseller, who
was sorry for what he had done and turned back and saId to hiS SIster, was selling wine in Mecca at the time, in the hope that I might get some-
I Give me this sheet which I heard you reading just now so that I may see thing to drink from him, but I could not find him either, so I thought it
just what it is which Muhammad has brought,' fo.r 'Vmar co,uld rit.e . :v would be a good thing if I went round the Ka'ba seven or seventy times.
When he said that, his sister replied that she was afraid to trust him WIth It. So I came to the mosque meaning to go round the Ka'ba and there was the
'Do not be afraid,' he said, and he swore by his gods that he would return apostle standing praying. As he prayed he faced Syria, putting the Ka'ba
it when he had read it. When he said that, she had hopes that he would ! It was the market of ~fecca,
158 The Life of Muhammad
The ["fe of l'vluhammad '59
between himself and Syria. His stance was between the black stone and
you think that B. 'Adiy will surrender their companion to you thus? Let the
the southern corner. When I saw him I thought it would be a good
man alone.' By God, it was as though they \vere a garment stripped off him.l
thing if I could listen to Muhammad so as to hear what he s~id. If I came After my father had migrated to l\ledina I asked him \vho the man \vas who
near to listen to him I should scare him, so I came from the dlrectlOn of the
drov~ aw~y the people on the day he became a rVluslim while they \vere
lziJr and got underneath its coverings and began to walk gent,Jy. 1\1ean:whi~e fig~tmg ?Im, and_he said, 'T~lat, my son, was al-'As b. Wa'il al-Sahmi (zoo).'
the prophet was standing in prayer reciting the Quran until I st~od In hIS Abdu I-Ra~man b. al-J:Ianth from one of 'Umar's clan or one of his
qibla facing him, there being nothing between us but the covenng of the family said that 'Umarsaid, 'When I became a Muslim that night I thought
2]0

Kaba. When I heard the Quran my heart was softened and I wept, and
of t~e man who was the r.n0st vlOlent in enmity against the apostle so that
Islam entered into me; but I ceased not to stand in my place until the I mIght come and tell hIm that I had became a Muslim, and Abu Jahl
apostle had finished his prayer. Then he went away. When he went came to my mmd.' Now 'Umar's mother was .f:iantama d. IIisham b. a1-
away he used to go past the house of the son of Abu I:Iusayn, whIch was Mughira. So in the morning I knocked on his door and he can.e out and
on his way, so that he crossed the path where the pilgrims fun. Then he said, 'The best of welcomes, nephew, what has bro~ght you?' I answered
went between the house of 'Abbas and Ibn Azhar b. 'Abdu 'Auf al-Zuhri; that I had come to tell him that I believed in God and His apostle Muham-
then by the house of AI-Akhnas b. Shariq until he entered his own house. mad and regarded as true what he had brought. He slammed the door in
His dwelling was in aI-Dar al-Raq~a', \vhich was in the hands of Mu'awiya my face and said, 'God damn you, and damn \v11at you have brought.'
b. Abu Sufyan. I continued to follow him, until when he got between the
house of 'Abbas and Ibn Azhar I overtook him, and when he heard my
voice he recognized me and supposed that I had followed him only to THE DOCUMENT PROCLAIMING A BOYCOTT

ill-treat him, so he repelled me, saying, "What has brought you at thIS ~rhe~ Quraysh perceived that the apostle's companions had settled in a
hour?" I replied that I had come to believe in God and His apostle and land m peace and safety, and that the Negus had protected those who
what he had brought from God. He gave thanks to God and said,. "God sought refuge with him, and that 'Umar had become a Muslim and that
229 has guided you." Then he rubbed my breast and prayed that I mIght be both he and J:Iamza were on the side of the apostle and his companions,
steadfast. Afterwards I left him. He went into his house.' But God knows and tha~ Islam had begun to spread among the tribes, they came together
what the truth was. and deCIded among themselves to write a document in which they should
Nafi' freedman of 'Abdullah b. 'Umar on the authority of Ibn 'Umar put a boycott on B. Hashim and B. Mugalib that they should not marry
said: When my father 'Vmar became a :Muslim he said, '\Vhich of the th:ir women nor give women to them to marry; and that they should
Quraysh is best at spreading reports?' and was told that it was Jamll b. nelthe~ ~uy from them nor sell to them, and when they agreed on that they
Ma<mar al-JumaJ;tl. So he went to him, and I follO\ved after to see what he wrote It I? a deed., Then tht;y solemnly agreed on the points and hung the
was doing, for although I was very young at the time I understood every- deed up m the mIddle of the Kaba to remind them of their obligations.
thing I saw. He went to Jamll and asked him ifhe knew that he had become The wnter of the deed was Man~ur b. 'Ikrima b. 'Amir b. Hashim b.
a Muslim and entered into Muhammad's religion; and, by God, hardly Abdu Manaf b. 'Abdu'!-Dar b. Qu~ayy (ZOI) and the apostle invoked
had he spoken to him when he got up dragging his cloak on the ground as God agamst hIm and some of his fingers withered.
'Umar followed him and I followed my father, until he stood by the door When Quraysh did that, the two clans of B. Hashim and B. al-Muttalib
of the mosque and cried at the top of his voice while the Quraysh were in went to Ab~ Tali~ ~nd entered with him into his alley and joined him.
their meeting-places rouI,ld the Ka'ba, "Umar has apostatized,' wh,ile Abu Lahab ~bdu 1- Uzzii went out from B. Hashim and helped Quraysh. 2]1
'Umar behind him shouted, 'He is a liar; but I have become a Musllm I:Iusayn b. Abdullah told me that Abii Lahab met Hind d. 'Gtba when
and I testify that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His servant he had left hIS people and joined Quraysh against them, and he said 'Haven't
and apostle.' They got up to attack him and fighting went on between I helped al-Lat and al-'Uzzii and haven't I abandonro those :.vho have
them until the sun stood over their heads, and he became weary and sat abandoned them and assisted their opponents?' She said, 'Yes, and may
down while they stood over him, as he said, 'Do as you will, for I swear by God reward yo~ well, ~ Abii 'Utba.' And I was told that among the
God that if we were three hundred men we would have fought it out on thIngs that he saId were, Muhammad promises me things which 1 do not
equal terms.' At this point a shaykh of the Quraysh, in a Yamani robe and see. He alleges that they will happen after my death; what has he put in
an embroidered shirt, came up and stopped and inquired what was the my hands after that?' Then he blew on his hands and said, 'May you
matter. When he was told that 'Umar had apostatized he said, 'Why should pensh. I can sec nothmg III you of the things which Muhammad says.'
not a man choose a religion for himself, and what are you trying to do? Do I i.e. 'a fear removed'.
160 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 161
So God revealed concerning him the words, 'Abu Lahab and his hands belongs t~ his a~nt and she has sent to him about it. Are yau trying to
God blast (202)." prevent h1m tak~ng her Own food to her? Let the man go his way]' Abu
When Quraysh had agreed on this and had done what has just been !ahl refused untt! they came to blo\vs, and Abll'I-I3akhtari took a camel's
described, Abu Tiilib said: ]3"': and knocked him. down, \vounded him, and trod on him violently,
Tell Lu'ayy, especially Lu'ayy of the Banu Ka'b, whIle !:Iamza was lookmg on near by. They did not wish the apostle and
News of our condition. h1S com~anIons to hear th18 news pand rejoice over their discomfiture.
Did you not know that we have found Muhammad, Mea~whr1e the apostle :va~ exhorti,ng his people night and day, secretly and
A prophet like Moses described in the oldest books, pubhcIy, openly procIalmmg God s command without fear of anyone.
And that love is bestowed on him (alone) of mankind
And that none is better than he whom God has singled out in love,
THE ILL-TREATMENT THE APOSTLE RECEIVED FROM
And that the writing you have fixed
Will be a calamity like the cry of the hamstrung camel?' HIS PEOPLE
Awake, awake before the grave is dug r:is uncle and the rest of B. Hashim gathered round him and protected
And the blameless and the guilty are as one. hIm. from t~e attacks of the Quraysh, who, \vhen they saw that they could 233
Follow not the slanderers, nor sever not get at hIm, mocked and laughed at him and disputed with him. The
The bonds of love and kinship between us. Quran began to come down concerning the \vickedness of Quraysh and
Do not provoke a long-drawn-out war, th~se who showed enmity to him, some by name and some only referred
Often he who brings on war tastes its bitterness. to m general. Of those named are his uncle Abu Lahab and his wife Dmm
By the Lord of the temple we will not give up Al;mad, ]amil, 'th.e bearer of the wood'. God called her this because she, so I am
To harsh misfortunes and times' troUbles, told,. earned thorns and cast them in the apostle's way \vhere he would be
232 Before hands and necks, yours and ours, passmg. So God sent down concerning the pair of them:
Are cut by the gleaming blades of Qusiis J AbU Lahab and his hands, God blast,
In a close-hemmed battlefield where you see broken spears His wealth and gains useless at the last,
And black-headed vultures circling round like a thirsty crowd. He shall roast in flames held fast
The galloping of the horses about the scene \Vith his wife, the bear~r of the \\:ood, aghast,
And the shout of warriors are like a raging battle. On her neck a rope of palm-fibre cast. (203)'
Did not our father Hashim gird up his loins
And teach his sons the sword and spear? I was told that Umm JamiI, the bearer of the wood, when she heard what
We do not tire of war until it tires of us ; had COme down about her and about her husband in the Quran, came to
We do not complain of misfortune when it comes. the _apostle of. God, ""vhen he was sitting in the mosque by the Ka'ba with
We keep our heads and our valour A~u Bakr, WIth a stone pestle in her hand, and when she stood by the
When the bravest lose heart in terror. P31~ of them God mad: her unabl~ to see the apostle so that she saw only
Abu Ba~r an(.l ~~ked h1m where hiS companion was, 'for I have been told
They remained thus for two or three years until they were exhausted, that he IS satlnzmg me,2 and by God, if I had found him I would have
nothing reaching them except what came from their friends unknown to smashed his mouth with this stone. By God, I am a poet.' Then she said:
Quraysh. We reject the reprobate,
Abu Jahl, so they say, met !:Iakim b. !:Iizam b. Khuwaylid b. Asad with His words we repudiate,
whom was a slave carrying flour intended for his aunt Khadija, the pro- His religion we loathe and hate.3
phet's wife, who was with him in the alley. He hung on to him and said, I .Sura I I I. The rhyme of the original has been imitated.
'Are you taking food to the B. Hashim? By God, before you and your food 2 I.e. ~omposed a Hija', which in early times had the effect of a spell which could b .
move from here I will denounce you in Mecca.' Abil'l-Eakhtari came to the fate Jt described on its victims. See my Prophecy and Divination pp 24 8 ff 2 :~g
281 ff. Umm Jamil's object in trying to smash Muhammad's mouth wu's to de'~tr05y hi'~
him and said, 'What is going on between you two?' When he said that or~ans ~f ~peech so that he could no longer uttcr magical curses.
!:Iakim was taking food to the B. Hashim, he said: 'It is food he has which ThiS IS a rough attempt to render the rough rhyme of the original. which consists of
seven syllables, by a strange coincidence similar to the taunt song of chilJren:
I Sura III. 2 An allusion to the camel of l;;:ili!:J. in Sura 26.142.
I'm the king of the castle,
3 Qusas is said to be a mountain of B. Asad containing iron mines, Get out you dirty rascal.
B 4080
M
162 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
234 Then she went off and Abu Bakr asked the apostle if he thought she had him morning and night. Say, He who knows the secrets of heaven and
seen him. He replied that she had not because God had taken her sight earth has sent it do\'m. Verily, He is merciful l forgiving.'1
away from him (20+). . . And there came down concerning him, '\Vhen Our verses are read to
The Quraysh had called the apostle Mudhammam to revIle him. He him he says, fables of the ancients'. I
used to say, 'Aren't you surprised at the injuries of the Quraysh WhlCh God And again, '\Voe to every sinful liar who'hears God's verses read before
turns away from rne? They curse me and satirize Mudhammam [reprobate] him. Then he continues in pride as though he had not heard them l as
whereas I am Mu\1ammad [the laudable].' though in his ears was deafness. Tell him about a painful punishment'
[Another referred to in the Quran] is Umayya b. Khalaf b. Wahb b. (206).'
Hudhafa b. Juma\1. Whenever he saw the apostle he slandered and The apostle sat one day, so I have heard, with al- Walid b. al-Mughira
reviled him so God sent down concerning him, 'Woe to every slandenn.g in the mosque, and al-Na9r b. al-J:larith came and sat with them in the
backbiter, ~ho has gathered wealth and increased it, and thinks that ~lS assembly where some of Quraysh were. When the apostle spoke al-Nac)r
wealth will make him immortal. No, he will be thrown to t~e devGun.ng interrupted him, and the apostle spoke to him until he silenced him. Then
fire. What will make you realize what that is? It is God's fire kmdled which he read to him and to the others: "Verily ye and what ye serve other than
mounts over the hearts. It is shut in on them in wide columns (zoS)lJ God is the fuel of hell. You will corne to it. If these had been gods they
Khabbab b. al-Aratt, the prophet's companion, was a smith in Mecca would not have come to it, but all will be in it everlastingly. There is
who used to make swords. He sold some to al-(A~ b. Wii'il so that he owed wailing and there they will not hear' (207).3
him some money and he came to him to demand p.a~ment. He answered, Then the apostle rose and 'Abdullah b. al-Ziba'r;1 al-Sahmi came and
'Does not Muhammad, your companion whose reltglOn you follow, allege sat down. AI-\Valid said to him: 'By God al-1\~a~r could not stand up to
that in Paradise there is all the gold and silver and clothes an~ servan:s that the (grand)son of 'Abdu'l-lVlu!!alib just now and Muhammad alleged
235
his people can desire I' 'Certainly: said Khabbab. 'Then glve me tlll the that we and our gods arc fuel for hell.' 'Abdullah said: 'If I had found
day of resurrection until I return to that house and pa~ your d~bt t~ere; for him I would have refuted him. Ask l\luhammad, "Is everything which is
by God, you and your companion will be no more mfluentlal ~lth C:: 0d worshipped besides God in Gehenna with those \\'ho worship it?" \Ve
than I and have no greater share in it.' So God revealed concernmg him, worship the angels; the Jews \vorship 'Uzayr; and the Christians worship
'Have' you considered him who disbelieves. Our signs and ~ays, I shall be Jesus Son of Mary.' AI-Walid and those with him in the assemhly mar-
given wealth and children. Hath he studIed the unseen? so fa: as the velled at 'Abdullah's words and thought that he had argued convincingly.
words, 'and we shall inherit from him what he speaks of and he WIll come When the apostle \vas told of this he said: 'Everyone \vho \vishes to be 237
to us alone.'2 . ., worshipped to the exclusion of God \'"ill be with those \vho \vorship him.
Abu Jahl met the apostle, so I have heard, and said to hl~, By God, They worship only satans and those they have ordered to be worshipped.'
Muhammad, you will either stop cursing o.ur gods ~r we WIll curse the So God revealed concerning that 'Those who have received kindness from
God you serve.' So God revealed concermng that, Cursc not those to us in the past will be removed far from it and will not hear its sound
whom they pray other than God lest they curse God wrongfully through and they abide eternally in their heart's desire',4 i.e. Jesus Son of Mary and
lack ofknowledge.'3 I have been told that the apostle refrained from cursmg 'Uzayr and those rabbis and monks who have lived in obedience to God,
their gods and began to call them to Allah. whom the erring people worship as lords beside God. And He revealed
Al-Nac)~ b. al-I:larith b. 'Alqama b. Kalada b. 'Abdu Manaf whenever concerning their assertion that they worship angels and that they are the
the apostle sat in an assembly and invited people to God, and recIted the daughters of God, 'And they say the Merciful has choscn a son, (exalted
Quran and warned the Quraysh of what had happened to former peoples, be He above this); nay, they arc but honoured slaves, they do not speak
follow~d him when he got up and spoke to them about Rustum the Hero before He speaks, and they carry out His commands', as far as the \vords,
and Isfandivar and the kings of Persia, saying, 'By God, MUha~nm~d 'and he of them who says, I am God as \vell as He, that onc we shall repay
cannot tell; better story than I and his talk is only of old fables which e with Gehenna. Thus do they repay the sinful ones.'S
has copied4 as I have.' So God revealed ~oncerning him, 'And they say, And He revealed concerning what he mentioned about Jesus, Son of
Stories of the ancients which he has copied down, and they are read to Mary, that he was \vorshipped beside God, and the astonishment of a1-
Walid and those \vho \vere present, at his argument and disputation, 'And
2 Sura 19. 80.
Sura 104.
I

3 Sura 6. 108. h" . "tt. down by I Sura 83. IJ. 2 Sura 45. 7.
4 Sura 25. 6. iktataba means to write down oneself. or to get somet mg \Hl cn .3 Sura 21. 98. 4 Sura 7.I. lOt.
another. The fonner seems to be demanded by the context. 5 Sura 21. 26-30.
The Life of Muhammad 165
164 The Life of Muhammad
'On the day that the sinner bites his hands, saying, would that I had chosen
when Jesus, Son of Mary, was cited as an example thy people laughed a path With the apostle,' as far as the words 'a deserter of men'.I
thereat'i 1 i.e. they rejected your attitude to what they say.: , Ubayy took to the apostle an old bone, crumbling to pieces, and said,
Then He mentions Jesus, Son of Mary, and says, 'He was noihing but a Muhammad, do yo~ allege that God can revivify this after it has decayed I'
slave to whom We showed favour and made him an example to the children Then he crumbled It m, hiS hand and blew the pieces in the apostle's face.
of Israel. If We had wished We could have made from you angels to act The apostle answered: Yes, I do say that. God will raise it and you, after 239
as vice-regents in the earth. Verily, there is knowledge of the [last] hour, you have become hke thiS. Then God \\ill send you to Hell.' So God
so doubt not about it but follow Me. This is an upright path,' i.e. the revealed co~cerning him, He gave us a parable, and he forgot that he was
j

signs which I gave him in raising the dead and healing the sick, therein is created, sa~m~, who will. revivify bones which are rotten? Say, He who
sufficient proof of the knowledge of the hour. He says: 'Doubt not about gave them hfe m the first mstance will revivify them. He who knows about
it, but follow Me. This is an upright path.' all creation, who has made for you fire from the green wood and 10 you
Al-,Akhnas b. Shariq b. 'Amr b. Wahb al-Thaqafi, ally of B. Zuhra, was kindle flame from it.'2 ' ,
one of the leaders of his people who was listened to with respect, and he There met the apostle, as he was going round the Ka'ba, so I have been
used to give the apostle much trouble and contradict him, so God sent told,' AI-Aswad b. al-Mugalib b. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzz. and al-Walid b.
23 8 down about him: 'Do not obey every feeble oath-taker, slanderer, walking al-Mughira and Umayya b. Khalaf and al-'As b. W.'il al-Sahmi men of
about with evil tales" as far as the word zanfm'. 3 I
reputation among their people. They said: 'Muhammad, co~e let us
He did. not say zanim in the sense of 'ignoble' to insult his ancestry, wors~ip what.yo~ worship, and you worship what we worship. You and
because God does not insult anyone's ancestry, but he confirmed thereby we Will c?mbme ~n the matter. If what you worship is better than what
the epithet given to him so that he might be known. Zanim means an we worship we Will take a share of it, and if what we worship is better than
adopted member of the tribe. AI-Khatim al-Tarnimi said in pagan days: what you worship, you can take a share of that.' So God revealed con-
An outsider whom men invite as a supernumerary cerning them, 'Say, 0. disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship,
As the legs are useless additions to the width of a pelt. and you do not worshIp what I worship, and I do not worship what you
AI-Walid said: 'Does God send down revelations to Muhammad and WOrs41p, and ~ou'4d? not worship what I wors~ip; you have your religion
ignore me, the greatest chief of Quraysh, to say nothing of Abu Mas'ud and I have mme, I.e. If you Will only worship God on condition that I
'Amr b. 'Umayr al-Thaqafi, the chief of Thaqif, we being the great ones of wo.rs.hip what y?U worship, I have no need of you at all. You can have your
Tii'if and Mecca /' So God sent down concerning him, so I am told, religIOn, all of it, and I have mine.
'They said, if this Quran had been revealed to a great man ofthe two towns,' (T. Now the apostle was anxious for the welfare of his people, wishing T. 119'
as far as,the words, 'than what they amass'.4 to attract them as far as he could. It has been mentioned that he longed for
Ubayy b. Khalaf b. Wahb b. J:Iudh.fa and 'Uqba b. Abu Mu'ayt were a way to attract them, and the method he adopted is what Ibn Hamid told
very close friends. Now 'Uqba had sat and listened to the apostle and when me that Salama said M. b. Ishaq told him from Yazid b. Ziy'd 'of Medina
Ubayy knew of that he came to him and said, 'Do I hear that you have sat fro'," M. b. Ka'? al-Qur"1'i: Whe.n the apostle saw that his people turned
with Muhammad and listened to him 1 I swear I will never see you or thelr backs on him and he was pamed by their estrangement from what he
speak to yo,! again (and he swore a great oath) if you do the sarne again, brought them from God he longed that there should come to him from
or if you do not goand spit in his face.' 'Uqba, the enemy of God, actually God a message that would reconcile his people to him. Because of his
did this, God curse him. So God sent down concerning the pair of them, love for his people and his anxiety over them it would delight him if
1 Sura 43. 57.
the obstacle that made his task so difficult could be removed' so that
:z A difficult phrase. $adda with the preposition min means 'to laugh immoderately or to he meditated on the project and longed for it and it was dear to hi~. Then
make a loud noise', With 'an it means 'to turn away from'. But these tWo prepositions are God sent down 'By the star when it sets your comrade errs not and is not
often interchangeable. Ibn Is!;laq's explanation of the passage is that the fact that Christians
pray to Jesus is no justification for the polytheism of the Meccans, as the latter argued, for deCeived, he speaks not from his own desire' and when he reached His
Christians perverted the message Jesus brought. When Jesus is adduced as an example (of words ' Have you thought of al-L~t and al-'Uzz' ' and Man.t the third the
one who called an evil people to God) the Meccans rejected Muhammad's attitude towards
him in what they said; but this exegesis is not sound. The Sura is perfectly consistent in
other',! Satan, when he was meditating upon it, and desiring-to bri~g'it
showing how prophets were sent to erring peoples and were laughed at. Cf. v. 47: The
1 S-
ura 25 29 . :& Sura 36. 78.
Meccans laugh when Jesus is meptioned because his worship would seem to justify their )' Ta. I1?~. I2 glve~ the authorities for this tradition as 1.1. from Safid b. Mini, a freed~
worshipping several gods. The citatjon which follows shows where in Muhammad's opinion man of Abu I-Bak~tart. There are a few verbal discrepancies: the Meccans say, 'If what
they were wrong. I.I. has adopted the reading yt1ludduna (so Nifi', I. 'Amir, andal:'Kisi'i) you have brought 18 better than what we have ... and if what we have is better than whit
instead of the commoner ytl/idduna. you have', &c. .. sUra 109. 5 sUr'" 53. 1-30.
3 Sura 68. 10-13. . .. Siira 43. 30.
The Life of Muhammad 167
166 The Life of Muhammad
came from God, Quraysh said: 'Muhammad has repented of,what he said
(Ie. reconciliation) to hiS people, put upon his tongue 'these are the exalted about the position of your gods with Allah, altered it and brought some-
Ghariiniq' whose intercession is approved." When Quraysh heard that, thing else.' Now those two words which Satan had put upon the apostle's
they were delighted and greatly pleased at the way in which he spoke of tongue were in the mouth of every polytheist and they became more
their gods and they listened to him; while the believers were holding that violently hostile to the Muslims and the apostle's followers. Meanwhile
what their prophet brought them from their Lord was true, not suspecting those of his companions who had left Abyssinia when they heard that the
a mistake or a vain desire or a slip, and when he reached the prostration3 people of Mecca had accepted Islam when they prostrated themselves with
and the end of the Sura in which he prostrated himself the Muslims the apostle, heard when they approached Mecca that the report was false
prostrated themselves when their prophet prostrated confirming what he and none came into the town without the promise of protection or secretly.
brought and obeying his command, and the polytheists of Quraysh and Of those who did come into Mecca and stayed there until he migrated to
others who were in the mosque prostrated when they heard the mention of Medina and were present at Badr with him was 'Uthman b. 'Affan ... with
their gods, so that everyone in the mosque believer and unbeliever pro- his wife Ruqayya d. of the apostle and Abu l:Iudhayfa b. 'Utba with his
strated, except al-Walid b. al-Mughira who was an old man who could not wife Sahla d. of Suhayl, and a number of others, in all thirty-three men.'
do so, 80 he took a handful of dirt from the valley and bent over it. Then Abu Jahl b. Hisham, when God mentioned the tree of al-Zaqqum to
the people dispersed and Quraysh went out, delighted at what had been strike terror into them, said: 10 Quraysh, do you know what the tree of
said about their gods, saying, 'Muhammad has spoken of our gods in al-Zaqqiim with which Muhammad would scare you is I' When they said
splendid fashion. He alleged in what he read that they are the exalted that they did not he said: 'It is Yathrib dates buttered. By Allah, if we
Ghariniq whose intercession is approved.' get hold of them we will gulp them down in one!' So God sent down con-
The news reached the prophet's companions who were in Abyssinia, it cerning him, 'Verily the tree of al-Zaqqum is the food of the sinner like
being reported that Quraysh had accepted Islam, so some men started to molten brass seething in their bellies like boiling water,'2 i.e. it is not as he 240
return while others remained behind. Then Gabriel came to the apostle said (208). God revealed concerning it, 'And the tree which is cursed in
and said, 'What have you done, Muhammad 1 You have read to these the Quran; and We will frighten them, but it increases them in naught
people something I did not bring you from God and you have said what save great wickedness.'3
He did not say to you. The apostle was bitterly grieved and was greatly Al-Walid was having a long conversation with the apostle who greatly
in fear of God. So God sent down (a revelation), for He was merciful to desired to convert him to Islam when 1. Umm Maktum, a blind man,
him, comforting him and making light of the affair and telling him. that passed by and began to ask the apostle to recite the Quran. The prophet
every prophet and apostle before him desired as he desired and wanted found this hard to bear and it annoyed him, because he was diverting him
what he wanted and Satan interjected something into his desires as he had from alWalid and spoiling the chance of his conversion; and when the
on his tongue. So God annulled what Satan had suggested and God man became importunate he went off frowning and left him. So God
established His verses i.e. you are just like the prophets and apostles. Then revealed concerning him, 'He frowned and turned his back when the
God sent down: 'We have not sent a prophet or apostle before you but blind man came to him' as far as the words lin books honoured, exalted,
when he longed Satan cast suggestions into his longing. But God will annul and purified',i i.e. I sent you only to be an evangelist and a reprover; I did
what Satan has suggested. Then God will establish his verses, God being not specify one person to the exclusion of another, so withhold not (the
knowing and wise." Thus God relieved his prophet's grief, and made him message) from him who seeks it, and do not waste time over one who does
feel safe from his fears and annulled what Satan had suggested in the words not want it (209)'
used above about their gods by his revelation' Are yours the males and His
the females? That were indeed an unfair division' (i.e. most unjust);
'they are nothing but names which your fathers gave theml as far as the THE RETURN OF THOSE WHO HAD FLED TO ABYSSINIA 241
words 'to whom he pleases and accepts',5 i.e. how can the intercession of
their gods avail with Him 1 The apostle's companions who had gone to Abyssinia heard that the
When the annulment of what Satan had put upon the prophet's tongue Meccans had accepted Islam and they set out for the homeland. But when
they got near Mecca they learned that the report was false, so that they
1 The word is said to mean 'Numidian cranes' which fly at a great height.
S Another reading is turtaja 'to be hoped for'. J A parallel tradition from M. b. Ka'b al~Qura~i and M. b. Qays is given by T. 1195-6.
3 Mentioned in the Jast vene of the SUra. :z Sura 44. 43. Suhayli, p. :Z28, has an interesting note to the effect that this word is of
4 Siira 2a. 51, The following verse is not without relevance in this context: 'that He may Yamani origin, and that there it means anything which causes vomiting.
make what Satan suggested a temptation to those whose hearts are diseased and hardened', 3 Sura 17. 6z. 4 Sura 80.
s SUra 53. 1,)-27.
168 The Life of Muhammad The Life (1 Muhammad 169
entered the town under the protection of a citizen or by stealth. Some of with his wife Sauda d. Zama'a b. Qays. He died in Mecca before the
those who returned to him stayed in Mecca until they migrated to Medina apostle emigrated and the apostle married his widow Sauda. Lastly
and were present at Badr and Ul;tud with the apostle; others were shut Sa'd b. Khaula, one of their allies.
away from the prophet until Badr and other events were passed; and From B. 1-I;Iilrith b. Fihr: Abu 'Ubayda b. aI-JarriiJ:t whose name was
others died in Mecca. They were: 'Amir b. 'Abdullah; 'Amr b. aI-I;Iarith b. Zuhayr b. Abli Shaddad; 243
From B. 'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu Manaf b. Qu~ayy: 'Uthman b. 'Alfan Suhayl b. Bay'!ii' who was the son of Wahb b. Rabi'a b. Hiliil; and 'Amr
b. Abu'I-\~~ b. Umayya b. 'Abdu Shams and his wife, the apostle's b. Abu Sarh b. Rabi'a b. Hilal.
daughter Ruqayya; Abu I;Iudhayfa b. 'Utba b. Rabi'a and his wife Sahla d. The total'number of his companions who came to Mecca from Abyssinia
Suhayl b. 'Amr; and one of their allies 'Abdullah b. Jal;tsh b. Ri'ab. was thirty-three men.' The names given to us of those who entered under
From B. Naufal b. 'Abdu Manaf: 'Utba b. Ghazwan, an ally of theirs promise of protection are 'Uthman b. Ma~'un protected by al-Walid b.
from Qays b. 'Aylan. aI-Mughira; AbU Salama under the protection of Abu Tiilib who was his
From B. Asad b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza b. Qu~ayy: al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam uncle, Abu Salama's mother being Barra d. 'Abdu'I-Munalib.
b. Khuwaylid b. Asad.
From B. 'Abdu'I-Dar b. Qu~ayy: Mu~'ab b. 'Umayr b. Hashim b.
'Abdu Manaf; and Suwaybi( b. Sa'd b. I;Iarmaia. 'UTHMAN B. MA?'UN RENOUNCES AL-WALIn's PROTECTION
From B. 'Abd b. Qu~ayy: Tulayb b. 'Umayr b. Wahb. Salih b. Ibrahim b. 'Abdu'I-Rahman b. 'Auf told me from one who had
From B. Zuhra b. Kilab: 'Abdu'I-Ral;tman b. 'Auf b. 'Abdu 'AUf got it from 'Uthman saying: When 'Uthman b. Ma~'un.saw the misery
b. 'Abd b. aI-I;Iarith b. Zuhra; and al-Miqdad b. 'Amr an ally, and in which the apostle's companions we<e living while he lived night and
'Abdullah b. Mas'ud also an ally. day under al-Walid's protection he said, 'It is more than I can bear that
From B. Malthzum b. Yaq,,?a: Abu Salama b. 'Abdu'I-Asad b. Hiliil I should be perfectly safe under the protection of a polytheist while my
b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr with his wife Umm Salama d. Abu Umayya b.' friends and co-religionists are afflicted and distressed for God's sake.'
24Z aI-Mughira; and Shammas b. 'Uthman b. ai-Shand b. Suwayd b. So he went to aI-Waiid and renounced his protection. 'Why, nephew,'
Hanniy b. 'Amir; and Salama b. Hisham b. al-Mughira whom his uncle he asked, 'Can it be that one of my people has injured you?' 'No,' he
imprisoned in Mecca so that he did not get to Medina until after Badr answered, 'but I want to be under God's protection: I don't want to ask
and Ul;tud and the Trench; 'Ayyash b. Abu Rabi'a b. al-Mughira. He for anyone else's.' Al-Walid asked him to come to the mosque and re-
migrated to Medina with the prophet, and his two brothers on his mother's nounce his protection publicly as he had given it publicly. When they got
side followed him and brought him back to Mecca and held him there until there aI-Walid said: "Uthman here has come to renounce my protection.'
the three battles were over. Their names were Abu Jahl and aI-I;Iarith, sons 'True,' said the latter, 'I have found him loyal and honourable in his
of Hisham. Of their allies 'Ammar b. Yasir, though it is doubted whether protection, but I don't want to ask anyone but God for protection; so
he went to Abyssinia or not; and Mu'attib b. 'Auf b. 'Amir b. Khuza'a. I give him back his promise!' So saying he went away.
From B. Jumal;t b. 'Amr b. Hu~ays b. Ka'b: 'Uthman b. Ma,:'iin b. [On another occasion when] Labid b. Rabi'a b. Malik b. Ja'far b.
I;Iabib b. Wahb b. I;Iudhiifa and his son aI-Sa'ib b. 'Uthman; and Qudiima Kililb was in an assembly of the Quraysh when 'Uthman was present he
b. M,,?'un; l\Qd 'Abdullah b. Ma~'un. recited a verse:
From B. Sahm b. 'Amr b. Hu~ay~ b. Ka'b: Khunays b. I;Iudhilfa b.
Qays b. 'Adiy; and Hisham b. aI-'~ b. Wa'il who was imprisoned in Everything but God is vain,
Mecca after the apostle migrated to Medina until he turned up after the True! interjected 'Uthman; but when he went on: 244
three battles above mentioned.
And everything lovely must inevitably cease,
From B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b: 'Amir b. Rabi'a; one of their allies, with his
wife Layla d. Abu I;Iathma b. I;Iudhiifa b. Ghanim. 'Uthmiln cried, 'You lie! The joy of Paradise will never cease.' Labid
From B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy: 'Abdullah b. Makhrama b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza said: '0 men of Quraysh your friends never used to be annoyed thus.
b. Abu Qays; Abdullah b. Suhayl b. 'Amr. He was held back from the Since when has this sort of thing happened among you?' One of the audience
apostle of God when he emigrated to Medina until when the battle of answered: 'This is one of those louts with Muhammad. They have aban-
Badr was joined he deserted the polytheists and joined the battle on the doned our religion. Take no notice of what he says.' 'Uthman objected
side of the apostle. Abu Sabra b. AbU Ruhm b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzzil with his so energetically that the matter became serious. Whereupon that man rose
wife Umm Kulthiim d. Suhayl b. 'Amr; Sakran b. 'Amr b. 'Abdu Shams to his feet and hit him in the eye so that it became black. Nowal-Walid
170 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad '7 '
was hard by watching what happened to 'Uthman and he said: '0 nephew,
your eye need not have suffered this had you remained in sure protection.' ABO BAKR ACCEPTS IBN AL-DUGHUNNA'S PROTECTION AND
:Uthman answered: 'Nay by God my good eye needs what happened to THEN ABANDONS IT
Its fellow for God's sake, and I am under the protection of One who is
stronger and more powerful than you, 0 Abu 'Abdu Shams.' AI-Walid Muhammad b. Muslim b. ShiMb al-Zuhri from 'Urwa frQlIl 'A'isha
only said, 'Come, nephew, my protection is always open to you' but he told me that when the situation in Mecca became serious and the apostle
declined it. ' and his companions suffered ill treatment from the Quraysh, Abu Bah
asked the apostle's permission to emigrate, and he agreed. So Abu Bah
set forth and when he had gone a day or two's journey from Mecca he fell
HOW ABO SALAMA FARED WITH HIS PROTECTOR in with Ibn al-Dughunna, the brother of the B. I;Iarith b. 'Abdu Manat
My father Is\xaq b. Yasar on the authority of Salama b. 'Abdullah b. b. Kinana, who was at that tinIe head of the A\xabish. (They were the B.
'Umar b. Abu Salama told me that he told him that when Abu Salama had al-I:Ilirith; and al-Hun b. Khuzayma b. Mudrika; and the B. al-Mu~laliq
asked Abu Talib's protection some of the B. Makhzum went to him and of Khuzii'a.) (2II.)
said: 'You have protected your nephew Muhammad from us, but why are Replying to Ibn al-Dughunna's inquiries Abu Bakr told him that his
you protecting OUf tribesman?' He answered: IHe asked my protection and people had driven him out and ill-treated him. 'But why,' he exclaimed,
he is my sister's son. If I did not protect my sister's son I could not 'when you are an ornament of the tribe, a standby in misfortune, always
protect my brother's son.' Thereupon Abu Lahab rose and said: '0 kindly in supplying the wants of others? Come back with me under my
Quraysh, you, have continually attacked this shaykh for giving his protec- protection.' So he went back with him and Ibn al-Dughunna publicly
245 tlOn among hiS own people. By God, you must either stop this or we will proclaimed that he had taken him under his protection and none must
stand in with him until he gains his object.' They said that they would treat hinI other than well.
not do anything to annoy him, for he had aided and abetted them against He continued: Abu Bah had a mosque by the door of his house among
the apostle, and they wanted to keep his support. the B. Juma\x where he used to pray. He was a tender-hearted man and
. Hearing hinI speak thus Abu Talib hoped that he would support him when he read the Quran I he was moved to tears. Youths, slaves, and women
m protectmg the apostle, and composed the following lines urging Abu used to stand by hinI astonished at his demeanour. Some men of Quraysh
Lahab to help them both: went to Ibn al-Dughunna saying, 'Have you given this fellow protection
so that he can injure us 1 La, he prays and reads what Muhammad has
A man whose uncle is Abu 'Utayba produced and his heart becomes soft and he weeps. And he has a striking
Is in a garden where he is free from violence. appearance so that we fear he may seduce our youths and women and weak
I Bay to him (and how does such a man need my advice I) ones. Go to hinI and tell hinI to go to his own house and do what he likes
o Abu Mu'tib stand firm upright. there.' So Ibn al-Dughunna went to him and said: 'I did not give you
Never in your life adopt a course protection 80 that you might injure your people. They dislike the plaee
For which you will be blamed when men meet together. you have chosen and suffer hurt therefrom, so go into your house and do
Leave the path of weakness to others, what you like there.' Abu Bakr asked him if he wanted him to renounce
For you. were not born to remain weak. his protection and when he said that he did he gave him back his guarantee.
Fightl For war is fair; Ibn al-Dughunna got up and told the Quraysh that Abu Bah was no
You will never see a warrior humiliated till he surrenders. longer under his protection and that they could do what they liked with him.
How should you when they have done you no great injury 'Abdu'I-Ra\xman b. al-Qiisim told me from his father al-Qiisim b.
Nor abandoned you in the hour of victory or defeat? Muhammad that as Abu Bakr was going to the Ka'ba one of the loutish
God requite for us 'Abdu Shams and Naufal and Taym fellows of Quraysh met him and threw dust on his head. AI-Walid b.
And Makhzum for their desertion and wrong al-Mughira, or it may have been al-'~ b. Wa'il, passed him and he said,
In parting from us after affection and amity
So that they might get unlawful gains. can be given to qoim. Preswnably 'the sm'o of Abu Tiilib. a defile of the mountains where
the projecting rocks of Abu Qubay. pressed upon the eastern outskirts of the city. It was
By God's House you liel Never will we abandon Muhammad entered from the town by a narrow alley closed by a low gateway through which a camel
Before you Bee a dust-raising day in the shi'b (210).' could pus with difficulty. On all other aides it was detached by cliffs and buildings.' Muir,
Tiu LjfI oj MuJw.mm4d, 93 f.
I Thii i. the reading of Aba Dharr which seem. to me luperior to that of W. and C. 1 This statement implies that some at least of the Quran was written down before the
Qatim means fa thick cloud of dUlt' and implies men on the march. No satisfactory meaning hljra. However, qara'a may not nrean more than 'recite',
r72 The Life of Muhammad The L.fe of Muhammad r73
247 'Do you see what this lout has done to mc?' He replied, 'You have done it
what is written and we don't hold with it.' AI-Mut'im said, 'You are both
to yourself!' Meanwhile he was saying three times '0 Lord how long-
right and anyone who says otherwise is a liar. \Ve take Allah to witness that
suffering Thou art!' we dissociate ourselves from the whole idea and what is written in the docu-
ment.' Hisham spoke in the same sense. Abu Jahl said: 'This is a matter 249
THE ANNULLING OF THE BOYCOTT which has been decided overnight. It has been discussed somewhere
else.' Now Abu Talib was sitting at the side of the mosque. When al-
The B. Hashim and the B. al-Mullalib were in the quarters which Quraysh
Mufim went up to the document to tear it in pieces he found that worms
had agreed upon in the document they wrote, when a number of Quraysh
had already eaten it except the words 'In Thy name 0 Allah'. (T. This
took steps to annul the boycott against them. None took more trouble in
was the customary formula with which Quraysh began their writing.)
this than Hisham b. 'Amr . . . for the rcason that he \\'as the son of a
The writer of the deed \.. . as Manl?ur b. 'Ikrima. It is alleged that his hand
brother to N a<jla b. Hashim b. Abdu Manaf by his mother and was
shrivelled (2r2).
closely attached to the B. Hashim. He was highly esteemed by his people.
When the deed was torn up and made of none effect Abu Talib com-
I have heard that when these two clans were in their quarter he used to
posed the following verses in praise of those who had taken part in the
bring a camel laden with food by night and then when he had got it to the
annulment:
mouth of the alley he took off its halter, gave it a whack on the side, and
sent it into the alley to them. He would do the same thing another time, Has not our Lord's doing come to the ears of those
bringing clothes for them. Far distant across the sea I (for Allah is very kind to men),
He went to Z;uhayr b. Abu Umayya b. al-Mughira whose mother was Telling thcm that the deed was torn up
'Atika d. 'Abdu'l-Mugalib and said: 'Are you content to cat food and ,"year And all that was against God's wish had been destroyed?
clothes and marry women while you know of the condition of your maternal Lies and sorcery ,"vere combined in it,
uncles? They cannot buy or sell, marry, nor give in marriage. By God I But sorcery never gets the upper hand.
swear that if they were the uncles of Abu'l-!:Iakam b. Hisham and you Those not involved in it assembled together for it in a remote place 2
asked him to do what he has asked you to do he would never agree to it.' While its bird of ill omen hovered within its head. 3
He said, 'Confound you, Hisham, what can I do? I'm only one man. By It was such a heinous offence that it would be fitting
God if I had another man to back me I would soon annul it.' He said, That because of it hands and necks should be severed
'I have found a man. Myself.' 'Find another,' said he. So Hisham went And that the people of Mecca should go forth and flee,
to aI-Mu;'im b. 'Adiy and said, 'Are you content that two clans of the B. Their hcarts quaking for fear of evil
'Abdu Manafshould perish while you look on consenting to follow Quraysh? And the ploughman be left in doubt what to do-
You will find that they will soon do the same with you.' He made the same Whether to go down to the lowland or up to the hills-
reply as Zuhayr and demanded a fourth man, so Hisham went to Abu'l- And an army come up between Mecca's hills
Bakhtari b. Hisham who asked for a fifth man, and then to Zama'a b. Equipped with bows, arrows, and spears.
al-Aswad b. al-Mugalib b. Asad and reminded him of their kinship He of l\lecca's citizens whose power rises
and duties. He asked whether others were willing to co-operate in this (Let him know) that our glory in Mecca's vale is older.
task and he gave him the names of the others. They all arranged to meet at \Ve grew up there when men were few
night on the nearest point of al-!:Iajun above Mecca, and there they bound And have ever waxed great in honour and reputation.
themselves to take up the question of the document until they had secured We feed our guests till they leave a dish untasted
its annulment. Zuhayr claimed the right to act and speak first. So on the When the hands of the maysir players would bcgin to tremble.
morrow when the people met together Zuhayr clad in a long robe went God reward the people in al-I:Iajiln who swore allegiance~
round the Ka'ba seven times; then he came forward and said: '0 people of
I So the commentators, hut an unnatural extension of the usual meaning of ba!lri is
Mecca, are we to eat and clothe ourselves while the B. Hashim perish,
involved.
unable to buy or sell? By God I will not sit down until this evil boycotting 2 Commentators suggest as an alternative rendering 'those who took it seriously'. Qarqar
document is torn up!' Abu Jahl, who was at the side of the 'mosque, means 'flat soft ground'.
3 This seems to be an adaptation of Sura I7. 14: 'We have fastened every man's bird of
exclaimed, 'You lie by Allah. It shall not be torn up.' Zama'a said, 'You ill omen to his neck.' Dr. Arafat suggests that the ta'ir here means 'ghost', the bird which
are a greater liar j we were not satisfied with the document when it was emerges from the head of a murdered man, and the meaning would then be that the ghost
written'. Abu'l-Bakhtari said, 'Zama'a is right. We are not satisfied with is fluttering within it before it finally emerges.
.. Reading tabaya'u with C. W. has tataba'ii..
'74 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad '75
To a chief who leads with decision and wisdom, His glory would have kept Mul'im alive today.
Sitting by the near side of al-!:!ajun as though princes, You protected God's apostle from them and they became
Nay they are even more noble and glorious. Thy slaves so long as men cry labbayka and don the pilgrim garb.
Every bold man helped therein If Ma'add and Qa!)!iin and all the rest
Clad in mail so long that it slowed his stride, Of Jurhum were asked about him
Running tal portentous deeds They would say he faithfully performs his duty to protect
Like a flame burning in the torchbearer's hands. And if he makes a covenant he fulfils it.
The noblest of Lu'ayy b. Ghiilib's line The bright sun above them docs not shine
When they are wronged their faces show their anger. On a greater and nobler than he;
With long cord to his sword half his shank bare. More resolute in refusing yet most lenient in nature,
For his sake the clouds give rain and blessing. Sleeping soundly on the darkest night though responsible for his
Prince son of prince of princely hospitality guest (213).
Gathering and urging food on his guests.
J:Iassan also said in praise of Hisham b. <Amr for his part in the matter
Building and preparing safety for the tribesmen
of the deed:
When we walk through the land.
Every blameless man kept this peace. Is the protection of the Danu Umayya a bond
A great leader, there was he praised. As trustworthy a guarantee as that of Hisham?
They accomplished their \\lork in a night Such as do not betray their proteges
While others slept; in the morning they took their case. Of the line of al-!:!iirith b. IIubayyib b. Sukhiim.
They sent back Sahl b. BaicJii' well pleased . When the Banu I~isl grant protection
And Abu Bakr and Muhammad rejoiced thereat. They keep their word and their protege lives securely.
When have others joined in our great exploits,
From of old have we shown each other affection?
AL-TUFAYL B. <AMR AL-DAUSI ACCEPTS ISLAM 252
Never have we approved injustice.
We got what we wanted without violence. In spite of his people's behaviour the apostle was continually giving them
o men of Qu~ayy, won't you consider, good counsel and preaching salvation from their evil state. \Vhen God
Do you want what will befall you tomorrow? protected him from them they began to warn all new-comers against him.
For you and I are as the words of the saymg: AI-Tufayl used to say that he came to l\1ecca when the apostle was there
'You have the explanation if you could only speak, 0 Aswad." and some of the Quraysh immediately came up to him. (He was a poet
of standing and an intelligent man.) They told him that this fellow had
Mourning al-Mufim b. "AcHy and mentioning his ~tand in getting the
done them much harm; had divided their community and broken up its
deed annulled, ~Iassiin b. Thiibit composed the following:'
unity; 'in fact he talks like a sorcerer separating a man from his father, his
Weep 0 eye the people's leader, be generous with thy tears. brother, or his wife. We are afraid that he will have the same effect on you
If they run dry, then pour out blood. and your people, so don't speak to him or listen to a word from him.'
Mourn the leader of both the pilgrim sites' They were so insistent that I decided not to listen to a word or to speak
To whom men owe gratitude so long as they can speak. to him and I went so far as to stuff cotton in my ears when I went to the
If glory could immortalize anyone mosque fearing that I might overhear a word or two against my will.
When I got to the mosque there was the apostle of God standing at prayer
I Or 'daring'. .
;l Commentators explain that Aswad is the name of a mountain on whIch a dead man W?9
by the Ka'ba, so I stood near him. God had decreed that I should hear
found and there was no indication of his murderer. The relatives addressed the mountam something of his speech and I heard a beautiful saying. So I said to myself,
in the words just quoted which became a proverb. . . 'God bless my soul! Here am I, an intelligent man, a poet, knowing per-
J See Diwan of Hassan b. Thabit, ed. Hartwig Hirschfeld (Gibb Me~o~lal Senes), Lon-:.
don, 19JO, 43 f. The version given there is sadly at fault, but ~he text m lm~ 2 ~'a-r~bb::h.a fectly well the difference between good and evil, so what is to prevent me
syntactically though not metrically, a mistake for rabbahuma (Instead of I.I. s kllayh,%mp.) IS from listening to what this man is saying? If it is good I shall accept it;
right: 'weep'for the lord and master of the two sanctuaries'. Cf. Agh: xiii. 6, l . 5 (CIted by
Lammcns /:Arabie occidentale, Beirut, 1926, p. J46): 'the hurrymg between th~ two
if it is bad I shall reject it.'
mash'ars',' I.H., though he denies that 1.1. wrote 'both', fails to quote the right readmg; I stayed until the apostle went to his house and I followed him and
176 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad '77
entered his house with him, I told him what his people had said and that he said, '0 God, guide Daus! Go back to your people and preach to them
253 they had so scared me that I had stuffed cotton in my ears lest I should gently.' I continued in the Daus country calling them to Islam until the
hear what he was saying. But God had not allowed me to remain deaf apostle migrated to Medina and Badr, Ubud, and the Trench were passed.
and I heard a beautiful saying. 'So explain the matter to me,' I said. The Then I went to the apostle with my converts while he ,vas in Khaybar. I
apostle explained Islam to me and recited the Quran to me. By God I arrived at l\1edina with seventy or eighty households of Daus, and then we
never heard anything finer nor anything more just. So I became a Muslim joined the apostle in Khaybar and he gave us an equal share of the booty
and bore true \vitness. I said, '0 prophet of God, I am a man of authority with the :~VIuslims.
among my people and when I go back and call them to Islam, pray to I remained with the apostle until God opened l\fecca to him and then
God to give me a sign which will help me when I preach to them.' He I asked him to send me to burn Dhu'l-Kaffayn,' the image of 'Amr b.
said, '0 God give him a sign.' B"umarna. As he lit the fire he said:
So I went back to my people and when I came to the pass which would Not of your servants am I, Dhii'l-Kaffayn,
bring me down to the settlement a light like a lamp played between my Our birth is far more ancient than thine.
eyes and I said, '0 God, not in my facel for I fear that they will think To stuff this fire in your heart I pine.
that a dire punishment has befallen my face because I have left their
religion.' So the light moved and lighted on the top of my whip. The He" returned to Medina to the apostle and remained with him until
people began to look at that light attached to my Whip like a candle while God took him. When the Arabs revolted he sided with the Muslims and
I was coming down from the pass to them. fought with them until they disposed of Tulay~a and the whole of Najd.
When I got down my father came to me (he was a very old man) and Then he went with the l\1uslirns to the Yamarna with his son 'Amr, and
I said, 'Be off with you, father, for I have nothing to do with you or you while on the way he sa,,, a vision of which he told his companions asking
with'me!' 'But why, my son?' said he. I said, 'I have become a Muslim for an interpretation. 'I saw my head had been shaved and a bird was
and follow the religion of Muhammad.' He said, 'All right, my son, then coming out of my mouth and a woman met me and took me into her womb,
my religion is your religion.' So I said, 'Then go and wash yourself and and I saw my son seeking me anxiously; then I sa'.... him ,vithheld from me.'
clean your clothes; then come and I will teach you what I have been taught.' They said that they hoped it would prove a good omen, but he went on to
He did so; I explained Islam to him and he became a Muslim. say that he himself would provide the interpretation of it. The shaving of
Then my wife came to me and I said: 'Be off with you, for I have nothing his head meant that he ,,",auld lay it down; the bird ,vhich flew from his
to do with you or you with mc'. 'Why?' she said, 'my father and mother mouth was his spirit; and the \\'oman \vho received him into her womb
be your ransom!' I said, 'Islam has divided us and I follow the religion was the earth which would be opened for him and he would be hidden
of Muhammad.' She said, 'Then my religion is your religion.' I said, therein; his son's vain search for him meant that he ,vould try to attain 255
'Then go to the ~inii' (z07) (temenos?) of Dhu'I-Shara' and cleanse your- what he had attained. He was slain as a martyr in al-Yamama ,vhile his
self from it.' Now Dhii'l-Shara was an image belonging to Daus and the son was severely wounded and reco\:ered later. He was actually killed
~imii was the temenos which they had made sacred to him; in it there was a in the year of the Yarmuk in the time of 'Umar, dying as a martyr (zt6),
trickle of water from a rivulet from the mountain. She asked me urgently,
'Have you any fear from Dhii'l-Shara on my account ?'J 'No,' I said, 'I THE AFFAIR OF THE IRASHITE WHO SOLD HIS CAMEL.S 257
will go surety for that.' So she went and washed and when she returned
TO ABU JAHL
254 I explained Islam to her and she became a Muslim.
Then I preached Islam to Daus but they held back, and I went to the Despite Abu Ja~l's hostility, hatred, and violence towards the apostle
apostle in Mecca and said, '0 prophet of God, frivolous preoccupation 4 God humiliated him before him ,vhenever he saw him.
has been too much for me with Daus, so invoke a curse on them.' But I was told by 'Abdu'l-Malik b. 'Abdullah b. Abu Sufyan al- Thaqafi
I No satisfactory explanation of this word is forthcoming, so probably we should adopt
who had a good memory: A man from Irash (209) brought some camels of
Ibn Hisham's reading. his to Mecca and Abu Jahl bought them from him. He kept back the
.2. On Dhil'I-Shara (Dusares) see E.!. It is a title, not a name, of a god long associated money, .so the man came to the assembly of Quraysh when the apostle
With the Nabataeans. In all probability the title is geographical, denoting ownership. More
cannot be safely said at present. was sitting at the side of the mosque and said: 'Who among you will
3 Or 'on the children's account'. help me to get what is due to me from Abu'l-I;lakam b. Hisham? I am a
.. I have followed the commentators in taking a milder meaning than the ordinary sense
I According to Ibnu'I.Kalbi, al-Ajmim, Cairo, 1924, p. 37, it belonged to a sub-section
which is 'fornication'; if Dhu'l-Sharli was an Arab Dionysos, the nonnal meaning would
not be out of place. of Daus, called the B. Munhib.
B 4080 N
The Life of Muhammad
The Lzfe of ll1uhammad '79
stranger, a wayfarer, and he will not pay his debt.' They said: 'Do you sec
called it and it advanced until it stood before the apostle. Then he said,
that man sitting there?' pointing to the apostle. (In fact they were making 'Retire to your place,' and it did so.
game of him for they knew quite well of the enmity between him and Abu
Then Rukana went to his people the B. 'AbelL! I\TanM and told them that
Jahl.) 'Go to him. He'll help you to your right.'
their tribesman could compete with any ~orccrcr in the world, for he had
So the man \vent and stood over the apostle and said, '0 Servant of
never seen such sorcery in his life, and he went on to tell them of what he
God, Abu'l-Bakam b. Hisham has withheld the money he owes me. I am
had seen and what lVluhammad had done.
a stranger, a wayfarer, and I asked these men to tell me of someone who
would help me to my right an'd they pointed to you, so get my money
from him, God bless you.' He ~aid, Go to him,' and the apostle got up
A DEPUTATION OF CHRISTIA2\"S ACCEPT lSLAJ\..I
and went with him. When they saw this, the men said to one of their 259
number, 'Follow him.' The apostle went to his house and knocked on the While the apostle \vas in Mecca some twenty Christians came to him from
door) and when he asked who was there he said, 'Muhammad! Come out to Abyssinia when thc)~ hea:d news of him. They found him in the mosque
me.' He came out to him pale with agitation, and the apostle said, 'Pay -~nd sat an~ taIke~t With ~lm, asking him questions, while some Quraysh-
this man his due.' 'One moment until I give him his money,' he said, ltes were 10 thelf meetrng round the Ka'ba. \Vhen they had asked all
and went indoors and came out again with the amount he owed and paid it the questions they \vishcd the apostle invited them to cOI~e to God and
to the man. The apostle went away saying, 'Go about your business.' read the Quran to them. \Vhen they heard the (Juran their eves flowed
The Irashite went back to the gathering and said, 'May God reward him, with tears, and they accepted God's! call, belie\'cd in him, an~l declared
for he has got me my due.' his truth. They recognized in him the things which had been said of him
Then the man they had sent after them came back and reported what in their scriptures. \"Then they got up to go away Abu Jahl with a number
he had seen. 'It was extraordinary,' he said; 'he had hardly knocked on the of Quraysh intercepted them, saying, 'Gud, what a wretched band you
door \vhen out he came breathless with agitation,' and he related what had are! Your people at home sent you to bring them information about the
been said. Hardly had he done so when Abu Jahl himself came up and fell?w, and as soon .as you sat with him you renounced your religion and
they said: '\Vhatever has happened, man? \\le've never seen anything like belteved what he saId. \Ve don't know a more asinine band than VOll,' or
\vhat you've done.' 'Confound you,' he said; 'By God as soon as he words to that effect. They answered: 'Peace be upon you. \Ve ~vill not
knocked on my door and I heard his voice I was filled with terror. And engage in fool~sh controversy with you. \Ve have aUf religion and you
when I went out to him there was a camel stallion towering above his head. have yours. \Ve have not been remiss in seeking what is bes!.'
I'yc ncver seen such a head and shoulders and such teeth on a stallion It is said that these Christians came from :!\ajran, but God knows
before. By God, if I'd refused to pay up he would have eaten me." whether that was so. It is also said, and again God knows best, that it \\'as
in reference to them that the verses 'Those to whom we brought the book
afo:eti~e, :hey b:lie:e .in it. And when it is read to them they say \Ve
RUKi\:\TA AL-l\.IUTTALIBI WRESTLES WITH THE APOSTLE belteve III It. Venly It IS the truth from our Lord. Verily aforetime we
\Iy father Is!)aq b. Yasar told me saying: Rukana b. 'Abdu Yazid b. were Muslims,' as far as the words, '\Ve have our works and you have your
Hashim b..Abdu'I-l\lugalib b. 'Abdu Manaf was the strongest man among works. Peace be upon you; we desire not the ignorant. 'z
Quraysh, and one day he met tne apostle in one of the passes of Mecca I asked Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri about those to whom these verses had
alone: 'Rukana,' said he, 'why won't you fear God and accept my preach- reference and he told me that he had always heard from the 'Iearned that
ing?' 'If I knew that what you say is true I would follow you,' he said. they were sent down concerning the Negus and his companions and also
The apostle then asked him if he would recognize that he sRoke the truth the verses from the sura of The Table from the words 'That is because
if he threw him, and when he said Yes they began to wrestle, and when the there are of them presbyters and monks and because they are not proud'
apostle got a firm grip of him he threw him to the ground, he being unable up to the words 'So inscribe us with those who bear witness',3
ta offer any effective resistance. 'Do it again, Muhammad,' he said, and he Whe~ the apostle used to sit in the mosque with his more insignificant 260
did it again. 'This is extraordinary,' he said, 'can you really throw me?' c;omp_amons such as Khabbab, 'Ammar, Abu Fukayha, Yasar, freedman of
'I can show you something more wonderful than that if you wish. I will :;;afwan b. Umayya b. Mu!)arnth, 9uhayb, and their like, Quraysh used
call this tree that you see and it will come to me.' 'Call it,' he said. He to Jeer a~ them and say to one another, 'These are his companions, as you
see. Is It such creatures that God has chosen from among us to give
I I have endeavoured to reproduce the simple somewhat rough style of the original,
J Or, 'his call'.
3 Sura 5. 8S.
180 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 181
guidance and truth? If what Muhammad has brought were a good thing In this connexion (or perhaps some other) I heard that he said: 'He
these fellows would not have been the first to get it, and God would not that drinketh thereof shall never thirst."
have put them before us.' God revealed concerning them,: 'Drive not
away those who call upon their Lord night and morning seeking His face.
You are in no way responsible for them, and they are in no way responsible THE COMING DOWN OF 'WHY HAS NOT AN ANGEL BEEN
for you, so that you should drive them away and become an evildoer. Thus STINT DOWN TO HIM?'
We tempt some by others that they may say, Are these they whom God
has favoured among us? Does not God know best about the grateful? The apostle called his people to Islam and preached to them, and Zama'a
And when those who believe in OUf signs come to thee say Peace be upon b. al-Aswad, and al-Na<Jr b. al-J:Iarith, and al-Aswad b. 'Abdu Yaghuth,
you. Your Lord hath prescribed for Himself mercy that he who doeth and Ubayy b. Khalaf, and al- 'As b. Wa'il said: '0 Muhammad, if an angel
evil in ignorance and repenteth afterwards and doeth right (to him) He had been sent with thee to speak to men about thee and to be seen with
is forgiving, merciful.'I thee!' Then God sent down concerning these words of theirs: 'They say
According to my information the apostle used often to sit at al-Marwa Why hath not an angel been sent down to him? If We sent an angel down
at the booth of a young Christian called Jabr,' a slave of the B. al-J:Ia<Jrami, the matter would be settled; they would be given no more time. Had We
and they used to say 'The one who teaches Muhammad most of what he appointed him an angel \\Fe would have appointed him as a man and We
brings is Jabrthe Christian, slave of the B. al-J:Ia<Jrami.' Then God revealed should have obscured for them what they obscure."
in reference to their words '\Ve well know that they say, "Only a mortal
teaches him".' The tongue of him at whom they hint is foreign) and this is
a clear Arabic tongue (218).' THE COMING DOWN OF 'APOSTLES HAVE BEEN MOCKED
BEFORE THEE'

26, THE COMING DOWN OF THE SURA AL-KAUTHAR I have heard that the apostle passed by al-Walid b. al-Mughira and
Umayya b. Khalaf and Abll Jahl b. Hisham and they reviled and mocked
I have been told that when the apostle was mentioned Al-'As b. Wa'il
hi~, ~nd this caused him distress. So God sent down to him concerning
al-Sahmi used to say, 'Let him alone for he is only a childless man with thIS: Apostles have been mocked before thee, but that whieh they mocked
no offspring. If he were to die, his memory would perish and you would at hemmed them in.' 3
have rest from him.' God sent down in reference to that: 'We have given
you al-Kauthar," something which is better for you than the world and all
that it holds. Kauthar means 'great'. Labid b. Rabi'a al-Kilabi said: THE NIGHT JOURNEY AND THE ASCENT TO HEAVEN
We were distressed at the death of the owner of Mall;1ub 5
Ziyad .b. 'Abdullah al-Bakka'i from Muhammad b. Isl;1aq told me the
And at al-Rida" is the house of another great man (kauthar) (219).
followmg: Then the apostle was carried by night from the mosque at
Ja'far b. 'Amr (220) told me on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Muslim Mecca to the Masjid al-Aqsa, which is the temple of Aelia, when Islam
the brother of Muhammad b. Muslim b. ShiMb alZuhri from Anas b. had spread in Mecca among the Quraysh and all the tribes.
Malik that the latter said: 'When the apostle was asked what Kauthar was The following account reached me from 'Abdullah b. :vlasud and Abu
262 which God had given to him I heard him say It is a river as broad as from Sa'id al-K1'iudri, and 'A'isha the prophet's wife, and Mu'awiya b. Abu
San'a' to Ayla. Its water pots are in number as the stars of heaven. Birds Sufyan, and aI-Hasan b. Abu'I-I;Iasan al-Ba,ri, and Ibn Shih"b al-Zuhri
go down to it with necks like camels. 'Umar b. al-Khallab said, "0 and Qatada and other traditionists, and Umm IUni' d. of Ab-Cl Talib. It
apostle of God the birds must be happy J" He answered "He who eats is pieced together in the story that follows, each one contributing s~mething
them will be happier still!" , ?f what he was told about what happened when he was taken on the night
1 Sura 6. 52 f. Journey. The matter of the place 4 of the journey and what is said about it
2 Noldeke, Der Islam, v (1914), 163, was of the opinion that this man was an Abyssinian is a searching test and a matter of God's power ~nd authority wherein is a
slave, the name Gabru (Gabre) meaning 'slave of' in Eth
3 Sura 16. 105. Sura 108. lesson for the. intelligent; and ~uidance and mercy and strengthening .to
5 Mall:nlb is said to be either the name of water belonging to the B. Asad b. Khuzayma. those who belIeve. It was certamly an act of God by which He took him
or a village of the B. 'Abdullah b. aI-Duwal b. I:Ianifa in al-Yamii.ma; or a hor~e. Cf. Diwan,
ed. Yusuf al-Chiilidi, Wien, 1880, p. 78. I Cf. John 4. 14. z Sura 6. 8.
6 Ridii.' ill the name of a watering place of the B. al-A'J"8.i b. Ka'b. , Sura 6. 10. 4 Or 'time' (//laird).
182 The LIfe of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 183
by night in what way He pleased' to show him His signs which He willed caravan takes a month to go to Syria and a month to return and can I'vluham-
him to see so that he \vitnesscd His mighty sovereignty and power by m~d do the return journey in one night?" I'vIany f\1uslims gave up their
which He does what He wills to do. faIth; some went to Abu Bakr and said, "\Vhat do you think of your friend 26 5
According to what I have heard 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud used to say: now, Abu Bakr? He alleges that he went to Jerusalem last night and prayed
Buraq, the animal whose every stride carried it as far as its eye could reach there and came back to Mecca." He replied that they were lying about
On which the prophets before him used to ride was brought to the apostle the apostle; but they said that he was in the mosque at that very moment
and he was mounted on it. His companion (Gabriel) went with him to see telling the people about it. Abu Bakr said, "If he says so then it is true.
the \vanders between heaven and earth, until he came to Jerusalem's temple. And what is so surprising in that? He tells me that communications from
There he found Abraham the friend of God, Moses, and Jesus assembled God from heaven to earth come to him in an hour of a day or night and I
with a company of the prophets, and he prayed with them. Then he was believe him, and that is more extraordinary than that at which you boggle !"
brought three vessels containing milk, wine, and water respectively. The He then went to the apostle and asked him jf these reports were true, and
apostle said: 'I heard a voice saying when these were offered to me: If when he said they were, he asked him to describe Jerusalem to him.' AI-
he takes the water he will be drowned and his people also; if he takes the Basan said that he was lifted up so that he could see the apostle speaking as
wine he will go astray and his people also; and if he takes the milk he will he told Abu Bakr what Jerusalem was like. \Vhenever he described a part
264 be rightly guided and his people also. So I took the vessel containing of it he said, 'That's true. I testify that you are the apostle of God' until
milk and drank it. Gabriel said to me, You have been rightly guided he had completed the description, and then the apostle said, 'And you,
and so will your people be, Muhammad.' Abu Bakr, are the $iddiq.'l This was the occasion on which he got this
I was told that al-J:lasan said that the apostle said: 'While I was sleeping honorific.
in the 1:Iijr Gabriel came and stirred me \vith his foot. I sat up but saw AI-I~asan continued: God sent do"vn concerning those who left Islam
nothing and lay down again. He came a second time and stirred me with for this reason: '\Ve made the vision which \\(.' sho\~'Cd thee only for a test
his foot. I sat up but saw nothing and lay down again. He came to me the to men and the accursed tree in the Quran. 'Ve put them in fear, but it
third time and stirred me with his foot. I sat up and he took hold of my only adds to their heinous error.'z Such is al-Basan's story with additions
arm and I stood beside him and he brought me out to the door of the from Qatada.
mosque and there was a white animal, half mule, half donkey, with wings One of Abu Bakr's family told me that 'A'isha the prophet's wife used
on its sides \vith which it propelled its feet, putting down each forefoot to say: 'Thc apostle's body remained where it was but God remove4 his
at the limit of its sight and he mounted me on it. Then he went out with spirit by night.'
me keeping close to me. Ya'qub b. 'Utba b. al-Mughira b. al-Akhnas told me that Mu'awiya
I was told that Qatada said that he was told that the apostle said: 'When b. Abu Sufyan when he was asked about the apostle's night journey said,
I came up to mount him he shied. Gabriel placed his hand on its mane and 'It was a true vision from God.' \\"hat these two latter said does not
said, Arc you not ashamed, 0 Buraq, to behave in this way? By God, none contradict what al-Basan said, seeing that God Himself said, '\Ve made
morc honourable before God than Muhammad has ever ridden you before. the vision which we shmved thee only for a test to men .' nor does it con-
The animal was so ashamed that he broke out into a sweat and stood still tradict what God said in the story of Abraham when l~e said to his son,
so that I could mount him.' '0 my son, verily I sa\v in a dream that I must sacrifice thee,'] and he 266
In his story al-Ba::;an said: 'The apostle and Gabriel went their way acted accordingly. Thus, as I see it, revelation from God comes to the
until they arrived at the temple at Jerusalem. There he found Abraham, prophets waking or sleeping.
Moses, and Jesus among a company of the prophets. The apostle acted I have heard that the apostle used to say, 'My eyes sleep while my heart
as their imam in prayer. Then he was brought two vessels, one containing is awake.' Only God knows how revelation came and he saw what he
wine and the other milk. The apostle took the milk and drank it, leaving saw. But \vhethcr he was asleep or awake, it was all true and actually
the wine. Gabriel said: "You have been rightly guided to the way of nature 2 happcned. -
and so wiII your people be, Muhammad. Wine is forhidden you." Then AI-Zuhri allcged' as from Sa'id b. al-:\1usayyab that the apostle de-
the apostle returned to Mecca and in the morning he told Quraysh what scribed to his companions Abraham, :\tInses, and Jesus, as he saw them that
had happened. Most of them said, "By God, this is a plain absurdity! A night, saying: 'I have never seen a man marc like myself than Abraham.

I I think that by Kayja shd'a the author means to leave open the question whether it was
I This indicates that the meaning is not 'Veracious' but 'Testifier to the Truth'.
2. Sura 13. 62. J Sura 17. 10.
an actual physical journey or a nocturnal vision. See below.
4 The verb implies grave doubt as to the speaker's veracity. .
2. Fi/ra is an elusive word. The meaning here may be 'the true primeval religion'
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 185
Moses was a ruddy faced man, tall, thinly fleshed, curly haired with ,3 business in Jerusalem a ladder was brought to me finer than any I have
hooked nose as though he were of the Shanu'a. Jesus, Son of Mary, was a ever seen. It was that to which the dying man looks when death approaches.
reddish man of medium height with lank hair with many freckles on his My companion mounted it with me until we came to one of the gates ?f
face as though he had just come from a bath.' One would suppose that his heaven called the Gate of the \Vatchers. An angel called Isma'Il was III
head was dripping with water, though there was no water on it. The charge of it , and under his command "Nere twelve thousand angels each
man most like him among you is 'Urwa b. Mas'ud al-Thaqafl (221).' of them having t\ve1ve thousand angels under his command.' As he told
.67 The following report has reached me from Umm Hani' d. of Abu this story the apostle used to say, 'and none knows the armies"'of God but
Talib, whose name was Hind, concerning the apostle's night journey. He. II 'Vhen Gabriel brought me in, Isma'il asked who I was, and when he
She said: 'The apostle ,vent on no night journey except while he was in my was told that I was Muhammad he asked if I had been given a mission/
house. He slept that night in my house. He prayed the final night prayer, and on being assured of this he wished me well.
then he slept and we slept. A little before dawn the apostle woke us, and A traditionist who had got it from one who had heard i" from the
when we had prayed the dawn prayer he said, "0 Umm Hani', I prayed apostle told me that the latter said: 'All the angels \vho met me when I
with you the last evening prayer in this valley as you saw. Then I went to entered the lowest heaven smiled in welcome and wished me well except
Jerusalem and prayed there. Then I have just prayed the morning prayer one who said the same things but did not smile or show that joyful expres-
with you as you see." He got up to go out and I took hold of his robe and sion which the others had. And when I asked Gabriel the reason he told
laid bare his belly as though it were a folded Egyptian garment. I said, me that if he had ever smiled en anyone before or would smile on anyone
"0 prophet of God, don't talk to the people about it for they will give you hereafter he would have smiled on me; but he does not smile because he is
the lie and insult you." He said, "By God, I certainly will tell them." Malik, the Keeper of Hell. I said to Gabriel, he holding the position with
I said to a negress, a slave of mine, Follow the apostle and listen to what regard to God which he has described to you "obeyed there, trustworthy",3
he says to the people, and what they say to him. He did tell them and they "Will you not order him to show me hell?" And he said, "Certainly!
were amazed and asked what proof he had. He replied that he had passed o l'vlalik, show rvIuhammad Hell." Thereupon he removed its covering
the caravan of so-and-so in such-and-such a valley and the animal he and the flames blazed high into the air until I thought that they would
bestrode scared them and a camel bolted, "and I showed them where it was consume everything. So I asked Gabriel to order him to send them back 2 69
as I was on the way to Syria. I carried on until in l)ajanan Z I passed by a to their place which he did. I can only compare the effect of their with-
caravan of the Banu so-and-so. I found the people asleep. They had a drawal to the falling of a shadow, until when the flames retreated whence
jar of water covered with something. I took the covering off and drank they had come, l\1alik placed their cover on them. '
the water replacing the cover. The proof of that is that their caravan is In his tradition Abu Said al-Khudri said that the apostle said: 'When
this: moment coming down from al-BaieJa' by the pass of al-Tan'im 3 led by I entered the lowest heaven I saw a man sitting there with the spirits of
a dusky camel loaded with two sacks one black and the other multihued". men passing before him. To one he would speak well al1d rejoice in him
The people hurried to the pass and the first camel they met was as he had saying: HA good spirit from a good body" and of another he would say
described. They asked the men about the vessel and they told them that "Faugh!" and frO\vn, saying: "An evil spirit from an evil Lady." In
they had left it full of water and covered it and that when they woke it was answer to my yuestion Gabriel told me that this was our father Adam
covered but e!J1pty. They asked the others too who were in Mecca and they reviewing the spirits of his offspring; the spirit of a believer excited his
said that it was quite right: they had been scared and a camel had bolted, pleasure, and the spirit of an infidel excited his disgust so that he said. the
.68 and they had' heard a Ijlan calling them to it so that they were able to words just quoted.
recover it. 'Then I saw men with lips like camels; in their hands were pieces of
fire like stones which they used to thrust into their mouths and they would
THE ASCENT TO HEAVEN come out of their posteriors. I \vas told that these were those who sinfully
One whom I have no reason to doubt told me on the authority of Abu devoured the wealth of orphans.
Said al-Khudri: I heard the apostle say, 'After the completion of my 'Then I saw men in the way of the family of Pharaoh,4 with such bellies
IDimii5 = demo5ion and indicates the foreign origin of this legend. Cf. Musa b. Uqba, as I have never seen; there were passing over them as it were camels
!\o.
I, in Introduction, p. xliii.
: A mountain in the neighbourhood of Tihama. According to al-V,'aqidi it is 2S rn. from ISura 74. 34.
Mecca. 2Or perhaps simply 'sent for'. J Sura 81. 21.
3 Bai<;la' is II. hill near Mecca on the Medina side. Tan'im is on high ground very near 4 The allusion is to Sura 40. 49 'CHst the family of Pharaoh into the worst of all punish-
Mecca. ments'.
186 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 187

maddened by thirst when they were cast into hell, treading them down, until only five prayers for the whole day and night were left. Moses again
they being unable to move out of the way. These were the usurers. gave me the same advice. I replied that I had been back to my Lord and
'Then I saw men with good fat meat before them side by side with lean asked him to reduce the number until I was ashamed) and I would not do it
stinking meat, eating of the latter and leaving the former. These are those again. He of you \"ho performs them in faith and trust will have the
who forsake the women which God has permitted and go after those he has reward of fifty prayers.'
forbidden.
'Then I saw women hanging by their breasts. These were those who
had fathered bastards on their husbands.' HOW GOD DEALT WITH THE MOCKERS
Ja'far b. 'AIllr told me from al-Qiisim b. Muhammad that the apostle The apostle remained firm counting on God's assistance, admonishing his
said: 'Great is God's anger against a woman who brings a bastard into her people in spite of their branding him as a liar and insulting and mocking
family. He deprives the true sons of their portion and learns the secrets him. The principal offenders-so Yazid b. Ruman from 'Urwa b. al-
of the harim.' Zubayr told me-were five men who were respected and honoured among
To continue the tradition of Said aI-Khudri: 'Then I was taken up their tribesmen: of the B. Asad ... was al-Aswad b. a!-Munalib b. Asad
to the second heaven and there were the two maternal cousins Jesus, Son Abu Zamaa. (I have heard that the apostle had cursed him for his insults
of Mary, and John, son of Zakariah. Then to the third heaven and there was and mockery, saying, '0 God, blind him and bereave him of his son!')
a man whose face was as the moon at the full. This was my brother Joseph, Of the B. Zuhra ... was aI-As wad b. 'Abdu Yaghuth. Of the B. Makhzum
son of Jacob. Then to the fourth heaven and there was a man called ... was al-Walld b. al-Mughlra ... Of the B. Sahm b. 'Amr ... was
Idns. "And we have exalted him to a lofty place.''' Then to the fifth heaven al-'A~ b. Wii'il b. Hisham (222). Ohhe B. Khuzii'a was al-I:Iarith b.
and there was a man with white hair and a long beard, never have I seen al-Tuliitila b. 'Amr b. al-Hiirith b. 'Abd b. 'Amr b. Lu'ayy b. Malakiin.
a more handsome man than he. This was the beloved among his people Whe~ they persisted i~ evil and constantly mocked the apostle, God
Aaron son of 'Imran. Then to the sixth heaven, and there was a dark man revealed: 'Proclaim what you have been ordered and turn away from the
with a hooked nose like the Shanii'a. This was my brother Moses, son of polytheists. We will surely protect you against the mockers who put
flmran. Then to the seventh heaven and there was a man sitting on a another god beside God. In the end they will know.l!
throne at the gate of the immortal mansion. 2 Every day seventy thousand The same Yazid told me from 'Urwa (or it may have been from some
angels went in not to come back until the resurrection day. Never have I other traditionist) that GabricJ came to the apostle when the mockers were
seen a man more like myself. This was my father Abraham. Then he going round the temple. He stood up and the apostle stood at his side;
took me into Paradise and there I saw a damsel with dark red lips and I and as al-Aswad b. al-Muttalib passed, Gabriel threw a green leaf in his
asked her to whom she belonged, for she pleased me much when I saw face and he became blind. Then aI-As wad b. 'Abdu Yaghuth passed and he
her, and she told me" Zayd b. I:Iaritha". The apostle gave Zayd the good pointed at his belly which .welled so that he died of dropsy. Next al-WalId
news about her.' passed by. He pointed at an old scar on the bottom of his ankle (the result
From a tradition of 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud from the prophet there has of a wound he received some years earlier as he was trailing his gown when
reached me the following: When Gabriel took him up to each of the he passed by a man of Khuza'a who was feathering an arro\v, and the
271 heavens and asked permission to enter he had to say whom he had brought arrowhead caught in his wrapper and scratched his foot-a mere nothing).
and whether he had received a mission 3 and they would say 'God grant But the wound opened again and he died of it. Al-'A, passed. He pointed
him life, brother and friend!' until they reached the seventh heaven and to his instep, and he went off on his ass making for al-T~i'if. He tied the
his Lord. There the duty of fifty prayers a day was laid upon him. animal to a thorny tree and a thorn entered his foot and he died of it.
The apostle said: 'On my return I passed by Moses and what a fine Lastly al-I:Iiirith passed. He pointed at his head. It immediately filled
friend of yours he was! He asked me how many prayers had been laid with pus and killed him.
upon me and when I told him fifty he said, "Prayer is a weighty matter
and your people are weak, so go back to your Lord and ask him to reduce
the number for you and your community". I did so and He took off ten. THE STORY OF ABO UZAYHIR AL-DAUS! 273
Again I passed by Moses and he said the same again; and so it went on
""hen al-'Valid's death was near he summoned his three sons Hisham,
J Sura 19.58. al-\Valid, and Khalid and said: 'My sons, I charge you with three duties;
1. al.bayt aI-ma'mur. In view of what follows this would seem to mean Paradise itself
(al-janna). J Or 'been sent for', v.s. I Sura I5. 94-
188 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
be not remiss in any of them. My blood lies on the Khuza'a: don't let it But we have exchanged I war for peace
remain uncompensated. I know that they are innocent of it, but I fear that Now every traveller may go safely where he will.
you may be ill spoken of because of it when I am dead. Thaqif owe me
money in interest; see that you get it. Lastly my dowry money is with But al- Jaun did not stop there but went on to boast of the killing of
Abu Uzayhir al-Daus!. Don't let him keep it.' Now Abu Uzayhir had al-Walid, saying that they had brought about his end, all of which was
married him to a daughter of his and then withheld her from him and did false. As a result al-Walid, his son, and his tribe met what they had been
not let him have access to her up to the day of his death. warned against. AI-Jaun said:
When al-Walid died, the B. Makhzum leaped upon Khuza'a demanding Did not al-Mughira claim that in Mecca
blood-monty for al-Walid, saying, 'It was your man's arrow that killed Ka'b was a great force?
him.' He was one of the B. Ka'b, an ally of the B. 'Abdu'I-Munalib b. Don't boast, I\lughira, because you see us
Hashim. Khuza'a refused their demand and a competition in verse True Arabs and by-blows walk its streets.
followed and the situation became tense. The man whose arrow had We and our fathers were born there
killed al-Walid was one of the B. Ka'b b. 'Amr of Khuza'a, and 'Abdullah As surely as Thablr stands in its place.
b. Abu Umayya b. al-Mughira b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. Makhzum com- AI-Mughira said that to learn our state
posed the following lines:' Or to stir up war between us.
I'll wager ihat you'll soon run away For Walid's blood will not be paid for:
And leave al-;r;ahran with its yelping foxes. You know that we do not pay for blood we shed.
And that you'll leave the water in the vale of A(riqa The auspicious warrior hit him with an arrow
And that you'll ask which Arak trees are the best. Poisoned, while he was full and out of breath.
We are follr who do not leave our blood unavenged He fell full length in Mecca's vale.
And those we fight do not get to their feet again. 'Twas as though a camel fell.
'Twill save me delaying payment for Abu Hisham with
Al-;r;ahriin and al-Arak were camping-grounds of the B. Ka'b of Miserable' little curly haired camels (223).
Khuza'a. Then Hisham b. al-Walid attacked Abu Uzayhir while he was in the
AI-Jaun b. Abu'I-Jaun, brother of the B. Ka'b b. 'Amr al-Khuza'i, market of Dhu'l-Majaz. Now his daughter 'Atika was the wife of Abu
answered him: Sufyan b. I:Iarb. Abu Uzayhir was a chief among his people and Hisham
By God we will not pay unjust bloodwit for al-Walid killed him for the dowry money belonging to al-Walid which he had re-
Until you see a day when the stars wax faint; tained, in accordance with his father's dying injunction. This happened 275
When,your stout ones will be overthrown one after another after the apostle's migration to Medina. Badr was over and many of the
Each in death helplessly opening his mouth. leaders of heathen Quraysh had been slain. Yazid b. Abu Sufyan went out
When you eat your bread and your gruel, and collected the n. 'Abdu Manat while AbU Sufyan was in Dhu'I-Majaz,
274 Then all of you will weep and wail for al-Walid. and people said Abu Sufyan's honour in the matter of his father-in-law had
been violated and he will take vengeance for him. When Abu Sufyan heard
There followed much argument and recrimination until it was apparent of what his son Yazid had done he came down to Mecca as fast as he eQuId.
that it was prestige that was at stake, so Khuza'a paid some of the blood- He was a mild but astute man who loved his people exceedingly, and he
money and they relinquished their claim to the rest. When peace had was afraid that there might be serious trouble among Quraysh because
been made aI-Jaun said: of Abu Uzayhir. So he went straight to his son, who was armed among his
people the B. 'Abdu Manaf and the 'scented ones', took his spear out of his
Many a man and woman when we made peace hand and hit him hard on the head with it, saying, 'God damn you! Do
Spoke in surprise of what we paid for al-Walid. you wish to cause civil wac among Quraysh for the sake of a man from
'Did you not swear that you would not pay unjust compensation for Daus? We will pay them the bloodmoney if they will accept it.' Thus he
al-Walid put an end to the matter.
Until you had seen a day of great misfortune?' I Lit. 'mingled'.
~ khur is the pI. of khawwiir. 'weak', 'wretched', not 'abounding in milk' as the commentll'
1 Yiiq. i. 310.
tors explain. See N6ldeke, Fun] Mu'allaqat, vii. 44.
The Life oj Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad
Hassan b. Thabit composed tbe following lines to excite feeling for THE DEATH OF ABO TALIS A1'.'J) KHADIJA
the' murder of Abu U zayhir and to bring shame on Abu Sufyan for his Those of his neighbours who ill treated the apostle in his house 'VCIT Abu
cO\vardice and betrayal of trust: Lahab, al-~Iakam b.."-bu'l-A, ... , 'Uqba b. Abu Mu'aYl, 'Acliy b. Hamra'
The people on both sides of Dhu'l-Majaz rose one morning, al- Thaqafi, and Ibnu'l-A,da' al-Hudhali. ]\iot one of them became a
Muslim except al-I;lakam. I have been told that one of them used to thro,v
But Ibn J:Iarb's protege in Mughammas' did not!
The farting donkey did not protect him he was bound to dcfl'nd.~ a sheep's uterus at him while he was praying; and one of them used to
throw it into his cooking-pot ,vhen it had been placed ready for him. Thus
Hind did not avert her father's shame.
the apostle ,vas forced to retire to a wall when he prayed. 'Cmar b. 'Abdul-
Hisham b. al-\Valid covered you with his garments,
lah b. 'Urwa b. Zubayr told me on the authority of his father that when
\V car them out and mend new ones like them later.
they threw this objectionable thing at him the apostle took it out on a stick,
He got what he wanted from him and became famous,
and standing at the door of his house, he would say, '0 BanG 'Abdu Manar,
But you Vlert utterly useless. what sort of protection is this?' Then he would throw it into the street.
If the shaykhs at Badr had been present
Khadija and Abu Tiilib died in the same year, and with Khadija's death
'The people's sandals would have been red with hlood newly shed.
trouhles followed fast on each other's heels, for she had been a faithful sup-
When he heard of this satire Abu Sufyan said: 'I~assan wants us to port to hIm In Islam, and he used to tell her of his troubles. Vlith the death
fight one another for the sake of a man from Daus. By God, what a of AbU. Talib he lost a strength and stay in his personal life and a defence
and protection against his tribe. Abu Talib died some three vears before
poor idea!'
Khalid b. al-Walid when the people of Ta'if became Muslims spoke to he migrated to Medina, and it ' . . as the~ that Quraysh began to ~treat him in
the apostle <'I_bout his father's interest which Thaq'if O\ved him, and a an offensive way which they would not have dared :-'3 follow in his uncle's
traditionist told inc that those verses which prohibit the carrying over of lifetime. A young lout actually threw dust on his head.
usury from the Jahiliya arose out of Khalid's demanding interest: '0 yc Hisham on the authority of his father 'Unva told me that \vhen this
who believe, fear God .and give up what usury remains to you if you arc happened the apostle ,vent into his house with the dust still on his head
(really) believers', to the end of the passage.' and one of his daughters got up to wash it a\....ay, weeping as she did so.
So far as we know there was no vengeance for Abu Uzayhir until Islam 'Don't weep, my little girl,' he said, 'for God will protect your father.'
made a clear cut between men; however, Pirar b. al-Khan ab b. Mirdas Meanwhile he was saying, 'Quraysh never treated me thus while Abu
al-Fihr'i went out with a number of Quraysh to the Daus country, and Talib was alive.'
came to the dwelling of a woman called Dmm Ghaylan, a freedwoman of When Abu Talib fell ill and Quraysh learned of his grave condition they
Daus. She used to comb the women's hair and prepare brides for their remmded one another that now that l::Iamza and 'Umar had accepted Islam
husbands. Daus wanted to kill them in revenge for Abu Uzayhir, but and Muhammad's reputation was known among all the Quraysh clans,
Dmm Ghaylan and the women stood in their way and defended them. It they had belter go to Abu Talib and come to some compromise lest they
was in reference to that that l)irar said: be robbed of their authority altogether.
AI-'Abbas b. 'Abdullah b. Ma'bad b. 'Abbas from one of his family from
God reward Umm Ghaylan and her women ""II Ibn 'Abbas told me that 'Utba and Shayba, sons of Rabi'a, and Abu Jahj
For their coming without their finery with dishevelled hair. and Umayya b. Khalaf and Abu Sufyan with sundry other notables went
They saved us at death's very door to Abu Talib and said: 'You know your rank with us and now that you are
When the avengers of blood came forth. at the point of death we afe deeply concerned on your account. You know
She called on Daus and the sandbanks flowed with glory, the trouble that exists between us and your nephew, so call him and let us
The streams on either side carried it on. . make an agreement that he wiUleave us alone and we will leave him alone
God requite 'Amr well. He was not weak, let him have his religion and we will have ours.' When he came Abu TaIit
He did his best for me. said, '~ephew, these notables have come to you that they may give' you
I drew my sword and made play with its edge s~methmg and to take s~mething from you.' 'Yes,' he answered, 'you may
For whom should I fight but myself (224)? gIve me one word by which you can rule the Arabs and subject the Persians
to you': 'Yea,' said Abu JahI, 'and ten words.' He said: 'You must say
I al-Mughammas was on the road to Ts'if.
~ f:lassan was notorious for his coarseness in lampoons. There IS no God but Allah and you must repudiate what you worship
3 SUra :I. :178.
'92 The Life of Muhammad
beside him.' They clapped their hands and said, 'Do you want to make The Life oj Muhammad
I h 193
all the gods into one God, Muhammad? That would be an extraordinary ave been told that -he said to ther "S' I
h ave, 1(eep the mattcr secret" f h 0, ,CClIlg t lat )'OU have actc j
thing.' Then they said one to another, 'TJ.1is fellow is not going to give 1 h . -( as you
about it so that t _ , ,o~ e was oat that his people should hear
you anything you want, so go and continue with the religion of your fathers y
But they' did not hde \\OUldd be stldll further emboldened against him (225)
until God judge between us.' So saying they departed. a so an stine up their 10 t' d 1 . . 280
Abu Tiilib said, 'Nephew, I don't think that you asked them anything and cry after him'l .' u S an s aves to lI1sult him
extraordinary.' On hearing this the apostle had hopes that he would accept refuge~in an ()rch'1~~\1)e~o~lr~\\dca~1~ together, and compelled him to take
who \\ie . . , ' I . gll;~5 to t. tha h. Rahi'a and hIS hrother Shavba
Islam, and he said at once, 'You say it, uncle, and then I shall be able to
intercede for you on Resurrection Day.' Seeing the apostle's eagerness he and he ~l~~eItf~l: ~~: ~l~~~i 1Fe lo~as who kId followcd him \\'cnt b~ck,
replied, 'Were it not that I fear that you and your father's sons would be \vatched him, observing \~'h~t~le '~1:'~I:e ~n~ S'~tl.thcre while the two men
told that tl _ ( 0 en ure rom the local louts I Was
abused after my death and that Quraysh would think that I had only said her "\\71 :e apostle had met the wornan from the B. }umah and 'said to
it in fear of death, I would say it. I should only say it to give you pleasure.' I', T lat has befallen us from your husband's people:"
As his death was near, al-'Abbiis looked at him as he was moving his lips \\ hen the "pOstle rcachnd " ' t I .1 .
I comp Iam . ' sa'e y 1e sal( , so I am told "0 G 1 1'1
and put his ear close to him and said, 'Nephew, by God, my brother has of my weakness Ii I > , .'OC, to lee
Most ?vTcrcif I Th _ ' tt e resource, and 10wlIDess before men. 0
spoken the word you gave him to say.' The apostle replied, 'I did not u, ou art the Lord of the weak I TJ
hear it. J To \vhol11 wilt Thou confide me ~ T [ ' an(. IOU art m,Y Lord.
an enemy to \vh) TI ) . . () one a ar \vho \\'111 I ' "
111SlJSe me.
; ()
r to
God revealed concerning the people who came to him with their propo- .- , ( In lOU last given pOwer Over me;: I r Tl
').79 sals: '~ad. By the renowned Quran, Nay, those who disbelieve are in pride angry wah me I care not Thv f: " ' . .' , lOU art not
in the light of l'h . . ~ <1\ OUr 1~ more wlde for me. I take: rduO'e
and schism' as far as the words 'Does he make the gods one God. This is , y countenancc bv \vJ- 1 h 1 k '. b
an extraordinary thing. Their chiefs went off saying: Go and remain true the things of this world, _I I - llC 1 ,t e (ar 'ness IS lliumined, and
.:ine t le next arc nghtJr" ordered Ie't 'rh .
to your gods. This is a thing designed. We bave not heard of this in the descen d upon me or Th , 1 1" I ,,', s )' anger
last religion, II (meaning Christians because they say) 'Verily God is the until Thou art \vell pI~a~\',r;t 11~~ 1tu~on me. It is for Thee to be satisfied
Thee." ,se. ere IS no power and no might save in
third of three." 'This is nothing but an invention." Then Abu Tiilib died.
'When 'litba and Shayba 'h h
compassion and called a 'au sa\~ \\: ,~t appened they \Vere moved with
THE APOSTLE GOES TO THAQIF TO SEEK HELP told him to take a bunch ~f ng ~hns~lan slave of th.eirs called 'Adclas and
'Addas did so, and when g~apc,s (:n d pl~tter an~ gIve them to him to eat.
In consequence of the growing hostility of Quraysh after Abu Tiilib's the name ai' G I" I [ the ,~postlc put hls lwnd In thc plattcr he said "In
death the apostle went to Tii'if to seek help from Thaqif and their defence JO( )c are catlllu "\ i -1-' 1 I '
said "By e l l ' . o' . (L ,-ls oo,-ed closely Into his face and
against his tribe. Also he hoped that they would receive the message which , - .JO(, t lIS IS not the W:lV the IX 1 f J .
apostle then asked "TI' f. '-'I' 'op e () t lIS country speak." The
God had given him. He went alone. . len rOm W tat country do yOU C , f ) \ id- )
\v hat IS your reliO'ion)" II., I' 1 h . OIne, '--- "( as. and
Yazid b. Ziyiid told me from Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Quraci: 'When the b . C rep Ice t at he W'l' '1 CI ' . I
Nineveh "From th f' ,S , lI"IS,tlan anc came from 28 I
apostle arrived at al-Tii'if he made for a number of Thaqif who were at
the apostle "But'
. c tOWn 0 the nghte, J 1
r I.. k. . nus man Dna 1 son of ~,'Iattal" said
that time leaders and chiefs, namely three brothers: 'Abdu YiilayJ, Mas'ud, 1 ~I. I lOW (H you now abollt him?" asked ''\dd'-' i'l r, "
and I:Iabib, sons of 'Amr b. 'Umayr b. 'Auf b. 'Uqda b. Ghiyara b. 'Auf b. my )rot leI'; 1e \vas a pronhct and I 'lm a 1'0 h'" . ,lS. CiS
Thaqif. One of them had a Quraysh wife of the B. Jumal). The apostle 'Addas bent ovcr him 'm(! kis" i I' " . 'I PJ-' P ct. ans\\"t.'rcd the apostle.
'The tw I I.' ,SU. liS lCC1c, lIS hands, and his feet
sat with them and invited them to accept Islam and asked them to help o )rot lets were looklllg on :lnLl one s'lid 1. '",
him against his opponents at home. One of them swore that he would tear already corrupted VOur slave I" '\n I 'I '\ 11-' to tle other, He s

h 1m: ''''lourascal,whvwerevn
- ' .k ..(\\ len I ~'C ( 'IS ~"
CllllC h k tl
_JC' lCysall . I to
up the covering< of the Ka'ba if God had sent him.' The other said, t l'lt !1l"l1 s h"! I I
II- C answered tint II. . '" . [ ". -U ISSlllr:r'~.'''' [ I'
l, (, lalle s, ant tcet?"
"Could not God have found someone better than you to send I" The third . ' C \\ ,h t II 11l1l'St llUn III tJ ' .. _ 1
things that only a prophet COt 11 k . '1'[ ,1C countt y \\' 1() kId told him
said, "By God, don't let me ever speak to you. Uyou are an apostle from 1 h' . . I (no\\ It'v rel)lIecl "\' 1
God as you say you are, you are far tad-important for me to reply to, and if et 1m seduce You from )_' '. 1"' 'f .: . , ou l"<lSC(l , don't
'Th. J ' aUI 1(' IglOn, or It IS better than his"
you are lying against God if is not right that I should speak to you [" So en t Ie apostle returned from '1'-" f "I. . ..
anythina out of Th'lll-f \\'1 I . a 1 \\ lt'l1 he desp'lIrcd of O"cttincr
the apostle got up and went, despairing of getting any good out of Thaqif. . b , I. len 1C reacJ, I :'\ khI J 1 h h
middle of the njO'ht and, I [l<-:.l. _.1 a 1l' rose to pray in the
l Sura 38. 1-6. 1 Sura 5. ". b, <1 rllIn11Cr 0 JInn whom C I h. _ '
Sura 38.6. For this idiom see Tab. GloH., mara!. JO( as mEntIoned
Thc]'e an' two ~aJ..:hLls. northerll '.",.1
3 4 S.V.
fron', n
1\.'[,.,....,.
__ ~... ' '(Hlthcrn. Til c'\, :lrL' "
\\',h'l~ ;Ihuut a d;ly\ journey
Bl(l~:()
194 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad
passed by. They were-so I am told-seven jinn from Nasibin. They Aslam from R b-' b 'Ib- 195
a I a. ad al-Dili Or from one whom Ab- 1 Z _
listened to him and when he had finished his prayer they turned back to told (226) and Ijusayn b. 'Abdullah b Tba'dullah ' "_a - ,mad had
their people to warn them having believed and responded to what they heard my father telling Rabf'a b. 'Abbad t~. . b. Abbas told me: 'I
had heard. God has mentioned them in the words" And when We inclincd with his father in l\lina \vhcn the apostle used ':~ ;t~~nl ~e 1wa,~ a ~'oungster
to thee certain of the jinn who were listening to the Quran" as far as "and ments and tell them that he \vas the apostle of C ! ~h t le" ra cncamp_
He will give you protection from a painful punishment". I And again, worship Him and not associate an thO . J?( \\ 0 ordered thcm to
IIS ay : It has been revealed unto me that a number of the jinn listened."'2 rival gods \vhich they \vorshi~ped ~n(~n;etlt.h ~h~: and to renounce the
him until God d I' . ' . ICve In IS apostle and protect
an artful spruc~afe~~vaI:'i~:st~\~~r~~~~:I~~e~d!ngl~im,. there follO\ved him
THE APOSTLE OFFERS HIMSELF TO THE TRIBES
When the tl fi . h ' air, \'Ieaflng an Aden cloak
apos e nlS ed IllS appeal he used to sa "Th' f II . . .
When the apostle returned to Mecca his people opposed him more bitterly only to get you to strip off al-Lat and 1-<11 f. y, . IS C Ow WIshes
' _

allies the jinn of B. lVHilik h r . , I fa 1~ zza. Iam. YOl~r necks and your
c

than ever, apart from the few lower-class people who believed in him.
T. 1203,3 ('f. One of them said that when the apostle left al-'fa'if making for Mecca brought Don't b . I . . d qa)s 1 or t 1e misleadIng Innovation he has
, 0 ey 11m an take no notice of him" I 'k d
a Meccan passed and he asked him if he would take a message for him; who the man \vas \vho followed him and contradicted' \vhata~ e .my father
and when he said that he would he told him to go to al-Akhnas b. Shariq answered that it was his uncle '~b I '1 'U _ b ' e saId, and he
and say, 'Muhammad says: Will you give me protection so that I may as Abu Lahab (227).' " I u - zza . Abdu'I-Mu\\alib known
convey the message of my Lord?' When the man delivered his message Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri told me that h h
al-Akhnas replied that an ally could not give protection against a memher c went to t c tent f K I h
there was a shaykh called Mula h P . . d h s0 !Ill a Were
y,' IC InVite t em to comc to G d d 8
of the home tribe. When he told the apostle of this he asked him if he oIfere d h Imself to them, hut they dcclined. 0 an 2 3
would go back and ask Suhayl b. 'Amr for his protection in the same words. Muhammad b. 'Abdu'l-Rahman b 'Abd 11 h b
Suhayl sent word that the B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy do not give protection against went to the tents of Kalb t~ a cla~ calle~ ~. 'A~~~~y~ told me that he
B. Ka'b. He then asked the man if he would go back and make the same message adding '0 B -, \bd II u a WIt h the same
application to al-Mu!,im b. 'Adiy. The latter said, 'Yes, let him enter,' name.' But they' woul(t~~t ~ive ~c;~: God has given your father a noble
and the man came back and told the apostle. In the morning al-Mut'im One of our companions f;om 'Abdullah b Ka'h b M-n Id
having girt on his weapons, he and his sons and his nephews went into the ~~eal~:ostle went to the B, J:Ianlfa \vhere he ~et with' th~1 :vo;~t rc~eep;~~
mosque. When Abu Jahl saw him he asked, 'Are you giving protection or
following him?' 'Giving protection, of course,' he said. 'We give protec- AI-Zuhri told me that he wen t to the B 'A . b S' ,
tion to him whom you protect,' he said. So the prophet came into Mecca called Bay!)ara b. Firas (228) said, 'Bv G
d' mf" ., a jsa a and one of them
0 , I I cou l c take thiS man f
and dwelt there. One day he went into the sacred mosque when the Q urays h I cou Id eat up the Arabs .with. him' Th . . rom
polytheists were at the Ka'ba, and when Abu Jahl saw him he said, 'This is give allegiance I to you and G d " ' . en he Said, 'If we actually
o gl\es you victory Ovcr your
your prophet, 0 B. 'Abdu Manaf.' 'Utba b. Rabi'a replied: 'And why shall we have authority after vou?' H~ replied '\ h ' . oppone~ts,
should you take it amiss if we have a prophet or a king?' The prophet was God places where He pleas~s' He a . d' ~jut onty IS a mat.tcr \vhlch
. nsv,'crc; suppose )'OU \. t
told of this, or he may have heard it, and he came to them and said, '0 protect you from the Arab ,'th b \an us to
, 2 S WI our reasts and then if God ives
'Utba, you were not angry on God's behalf or his apostle's behalf, but on VIctOry someone clse will reap the henefit! Thank, N l' g you
your own account. As for you, 0 Abu. Jahl, a great blow of fate will come Afterwards thc B, 'Amir went b k 1i ) au, - o. .
upon you so that you will laugh little and weep much; and as for you, 0 unable to attend the fai '1'1 " ac, to an 0'- sh.aykh. of theIrs who was
th ' . rs. )Clr custom was to give Illm all the new o
Leaders of Quraysh, a great blow of fate will come upon you so that you m:;.r ;eturn " ThiS year when he asked for the news they told him th:t :
will experience what you most abhot' and that perforce 1')3 rom Q uraysh-one of the B. 'Ahdu'l-Muttalib to be .
The apostle offered himself to the tribes of Arabs at the fairs whenever te~~e~, that he was a prophet and invited them t~' protect hi~~~~I:~an~7~
282 opportunity came, summoning them to God and telling them that he was WIt
ds 1m, anhd thO tdake dhlm back to their country. The old man put his
a prophet who had been sent. He used to ask them to believe in him and han IS ea an sal i '0 H -, ~ .
Can thupon . (, . anu " mlr, could it have becn avoided;>
protect him until God should make clear to them the message with which
he had charged his prophet.
it
Ca1sely 0.
.
ast
ev~ be regamed? Ko Isma'ili has evcr claimed prophet hood
was t e truth, \Vhere \vas your common sense?'
One of our friends whom I hold above suspicion told me from Zayd b. IWhenever men camc together at the fairs or the apostle heard of anyone
I Sura 46. 28-]2. z SlJr;J. 7'2..1. J Cf. LB. on p. 251 of W. Some MSS. and T. 1202 have 'If we follow You'. 2 " ,. .
~. If you Win',
196 The Life of Aluhammad The Liji' of Jlulw/JIl!lad '97
284 of importance coming to Ylecca he went t,o them ;"ith .~is mess~~c. 'j\~~m
Islam; he did not \vithdraw from it but said, 'This is 8. fine saying.' Then
b. 'Umar b. Qatada al-An::;ari-morc prcClse1y al-0afall-~on tht: ,H1tl,l~)n~y he went off and rejoined his people in ;\IcJin3. and almost at once the
S haykho~ told me that they said that Suwavd b. at-Sam!!, Khazraj killcd him. Somc' of his family llSU] to say, 'In Ollr opinion he was
o f some 0 f h IS ' .. ~ " ,
brother of the B. 'Amr b. 'Auf, came to Mecca O? pdgnmage. ~u\vayd s a Muslim whcn he \\"as killed'; he \\-3S (in Let) killed before the battle of
Bu',lth. 1
tribesmen used to call him al-Kamil because of hiS toughness, hIS poetry,
his honour, and his lineage. He it was who said:
IY}"S ACCEPTS ISLA1\l
There's many a man you call fr~end you ~ d be shocked
If you knew the lies he tells agamst .you In secret. Al-~Iu,ayn b. 'Abdu'I-Ral;Jniin b. 'Amr b. Sa'd b. :Vlu'iidh on the authority
\Vhile he's with you his words arc lIke honey; of MatlffiC!d b. Labid told me that when Abu'I-I,Iaysar Anas h. Rafi' came
Behind your back a sword aimed at the base of the neck. to l\lecca with members of the B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal including I:yas b. :!\Iu'adh
"Vhat you see of him pleases you, but underneath seeking an alliance with Quraysh against their sister tribe the Khazraj, the
He's a deceitful backbiter cutting through to the marrow. apostle heard about them. lIt; came and sat with them and asked them if
His eyes will show you what he's concealing, they would like to get something more prufitable than tpeir present errand.
Rancour and hatred are in his evil look. \Vhen they asked him \,,-hat that could be he told them that he was God's
Strengthen me with good deeds: long have ~ou \veakened me. 1 apostle sent to humanity to call on them to serve God and not associate
The best friends strengthen without weakemng. any other with Him; that He had revealed a book to him; then he told them
about Islam and read to them some of the Quran. Iyas, who was a young
He once had a dispute with a man of the B. Sulaym-{)ne of the B. Zi'b b. man, said, 'By God, people, this is something better than you came for!'
Malik-over a hundred camels, and they appointed an Arab woman dlvIlle~ Thereupon Abii'l-!:Iaysar took a handful of dirt from the valley and threw
arbitrator and she gave judgement in his favour, and he and the Sulaml it in his face, saying, 'Shut up! \~/e didn't come here for this.' So Iyas
went away alone. When they reached the parting of the ways Suwayd
became silent. The apostle left them and they went to :\ledina and the .86
asked for his property. The man promised to send It, but Suwayd wanted battle of Bu'ath between Aus and Khazraj took place.
to know who would guarantee that the animals would be ha.nded ~vcr. As
Within a little while Iyiis died. :\lal)miid said: 'Those of his people
he could offer none but himself, Su\vayd refused to leave.hIm untt! he got
who were present at his death told me that they heard him continually
his due. So they came to blows and Suwayd knocked, hIm down, bound praising and glorifying God until he died. Thcy had no doubt that he
him closely and took him away to the country of tl:c B. Amr; a.nd there he
died a l\Tuslim, he having become acquainted with Islam at that gathering
had to stay until his tribesmen paid what was owmg. It was III reference When he heard the apostle speak.
to that, Suwayd composed these lines:
Don't think Ibn Zi'b son of Malik, that I
THE BEGINNING OF ISLAM AMONG TI-IE HELPERS
Am like the'man you deceitfully slew in secret.
V\'hcn I had been thrown I manfully became your match- When God wished to display His religion openly and to glorify His prophet
Thus the resolute man can changc his position- and to fulfil His promise to him, the time came \vhen he met a numher of
I locked him under my left arm the Helpers at one of the fairs; and while he was offering himself to the
And his cheek remained in the dirt. Arab tribes as was his wont he met at al- 'Aqaba a number of the Khazraj
whom God intended to benefit.
.85 When he heard about him the apostle sought him out and invited him
to Islam. He said, 'Perhaps you've got something like that ,;hlch I. have.' 'A,im b. Tmar b. Qatiida told me on the authority of some of the
'And \vhat is that?' asked the apostle. 'The roll of Luqman, meanmg the shaykhs of his tribe that they said that when the apostle met them he
wisdom of Luqman, he answered. 'Hand it t? me,' said the ap?stle, and learned by inquiry that they were of the Khazraj and allies of the Jews.
he handed it over and he said, 'This discourse IS fine, but t.hat .which .1 have He invited them to sit with him and expounded to them Islam and recited
is better still, a Quran which God has revealed to m.e WhiC~ IS .a gUl~ance the Quran to them, Now God had prepared the way for Islam in that they
and a light.' And the apostle recited the Quran to hIm and Illvlted hIm to lived side by side with the Jews who \vere people of the scriptures and
knowledge, while they themselves were polytheists and idolaters. They
I Lit, 'feather me . . . cut me', The figure is that of an arrow w~lich is feathered to had often raided them in their district and whenever bad feeling arose the
ncrease its flight and ",-hittled into ~hnpe for the same reason, Feathenng can do no harm,
~ut whittling rna;- cause the arrow to break: necessary it is, but it must not be overdone. I The battle between Aus and Khazrllj; f),i,
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 199
Jews used to say to them, 'A prophet will be sent soon. His day is at hand. From B. Salim b. 'Auf b. 'Amr b. al-Khazraj of the clan ~f B. al-'Ajlan
We shall follow him and kill you by his aid as 'Ad and Iram perished.' So b. Zayd b. Ghanm b. SalIm: al-'Abbas b. 'Ubada b. Nadala b. Malik b.
when they heard the apostle's message they said one to another: 'This is aI-'Ajlan. .
the very prophet of whom the Jews warned us. Don't let them get to him From B. Salima: 'Uqba b. 'Amir.
before us!' Thereupon they accepted his teaching and became Muslims, From B. Sawad: QUlba b. 'Amir b. !:Iadida. The Aus were represented 28 9
saying, 'We have left onr people, for no tribe is so divided by hatred and by Abu'l-Haytham b. al-Tayyihan whose name was Malik of the clan of
rancour as they. Perhaps God will unite them through you. So let us go B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal b. Jusham b. al-J:Iarith b. al Khazraj b. 'Amr b. Malik b.
to them and invite them to this religion of yours; and if God nnites them al-Aus (234).
in it, then no man will be mightier than you.' Thus saying they returned From B. 'Amr b. 'Auf b. Malik b. al-Aus: 'Uwaym b. Sa'ida.
to Medina as believers. Yazid b. Abu !:Iabib from Abu Marthad b. 'Abdullah al-Yazani from
There were six of these men from the Khazraj so I have been told. From 'Abdu'I-Ra\1man b. 'Usayla al-i;lannaji from 'Ubada b. al-i;lamit told me:
B. aI-Najjar, i.e. Taym Allah of the clan of B. Malik ... : As'ad b. Zurara 'I was present at the first 'Aqaba. There were twelve of us and we pledged
b. 'Udas b. 'Ubayd b. Thalaba b. Ghanm b. Malik b. ai-Najjar known as ourselves to the prophet after the manner of women and that was before
Abu Umama; and 'Auf b. al-I:Iarith b. Rifa'a b. Sawad b. Malik ... known w~r was enjoined, the undertaking being that we should'associate nothing
as Ibn 'Afra' (229). WIth God; we should not steal; we should not commit fornication; nor kill
From B. Zurayq b. 'Amir b. Zurayq b. 'Abdu I:Iaritha b. Gha<)b b. our offspring; we should not slander our neighbours; we should not dis-
Jusham ... : Rafi' b. Malik b. al-'Ajlan b. 'Amr b. 'Amir b. Zurayq (230). obey him in what was right; if we fulfilled this paradise would be ours; if
From B. Salima b. Sad b. 'Ali b. Asad b. Sarida b. Tazid b. Jusham ... we committed any of those sins it was for God to punish or forgive as
of the clan of B. Sawad b. Ghanm b. Ka'b b. Salima: Qutba b. 'Amir b. He pleased. 1
!:Iadida b. 'Amr b. Ghanm b. Sawad (231). AI-Zuhri from 'A'idhullah b. 'Abdullah al-Khaulani AbU Idris said Ihat
From B. !:Iaram b. Ka'b b. Ghanm b. Ka'b b. Salama: 'Uqba b. 'Amir 'Ubada b. al-i;lamit told him that 'We gave allegiance to the apostle that
b. Nabi b. Zayd b. !:Iaiam. we w?uld associa~e nothing with God, not steal, not commit fornication,
From B. 'Ubayd b. 'Adiy b. Ghanm b. Kab b. Salama: Jabir b. 'Abdul- not kill our offspnng, not slander our neighbour, not disobey him in what
lah b. Ri'ab b. aI-Nu'man b. Sinan b. 'Ubayd. was right; if we fulfilled this paradise would be ours; and if we committed
When they came to Medina they told their people about the apostle and any of those sins we should be punished in this world and this would serve
288 invited them to accept Islam until it became so well known among them as expiation; if the sin was concealed until the Day of Resurrection then
that there was no home belonging to the Helpers but Islam and the apostle it would be for God to decide whether to punish or to forgive.' '
had been mentioned therein. When these men left, the apostle sent with them Mus'ab b. 'Umayr b.
Hashim b. 'Abdu Manat ... and instructed him to read the Quran to them 290
and to teach them Islam and to give them instruction about religion. In
THE FIRST PLEDGE AT AL-'AQABA AND THE MISSION
Medina Mu~'ab was called 'The Reader'; he lodged with As'ad b. Zurara.
OF MU~'AB '~im b. 'Umar told me that he used to lead the prayers because Aus
In the following year twelve Helpers attended the fair and met at aI-'Aqaba and Kha2raj could not bear to see one of their rivals take the lead.
-this was the first 'Aqaba-where they gave the apostle the 'pledge of
women'. 1 This was before the duty of making war was laid upon them. THE INSTITUTION OF FRIDAY PRAYERS IN MEDINA
These men were: From B. ai-Najjar: As'ad b. Zurara; 'Aufb. aI-!:Iarith
and Mu'adh his brother, both sons of 'Afra'. From B. Zurayq b. 'Amir: Muhammad b. Abu Umilma b. Sahl b. !:Iunayf from his father from
IUfi' b. Malik and Dhakwan b. 'Abdu Qays b. Khalada b. Mukhlid b. Abdu'I-RaJ.u~an b. Ka'b b. Malik told me that the latter said: 'I was leading
'Amir b. Zurayq (232). my father Ka b when he had lost hIS SIght, and when I brought him out to
From B. 'Auf of the clan of B. Ghanm b. 'Auf b. 'Amr b. 'Auf who were the mosque and he heard the call to prayer he called down blessings on
the Qawaqil: 'Ubada b. al-i;lilrnit b. Qays b. ~ram b. Fihr b. Tha'iaba b. Abu Umama Asfad b. Zurara. This went on for some time: whenever he
Ghanm; and Abu 'Abdu'I-Ra1,lmiln who was Yazid b. Thalaba b. Khazma heard t.he adhan he blessed him and asked God's pardon for him. I thought
b. ~ram b. 'Amr b. 'Ammara of B. Ghu~ayna of Baliy, an ally of theirs ~at.thls was an extraor~mary thmg to do and decided to ask him why he
(233) dId It. He told me that It was because he was the first man to bring them
I i.e. no fu{htini Was involved. cr. Sura 60. r2. I Cf, Sura 60. 12 ',i.,here the wording is very similar.
,00 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 201

together in the low ground of al-Nabit' in the quarter of the B. Baya<;la J:laritha. He took the lance from his hand, saying, 'By God, I see that you
called Naqi'u'I-Kha<;limat. I asked him how many of them there were, have been utterly ineffective.' He went out to them and when he saw them
and he told me that they numbered forty men.' sitting comfortably he knew that Usayd had intended that he should listen
'Ubaydallah b. al_Mughira b. Mu'ayqib and 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr b. to them. He stood over them, looking furious. To As'ad he said, 'Were
Muhammad b. 'Amr b. Hazm told me that As'ad b. Zurara went out with it not for the relationship between us you would not have treated me thus.
Mu~'ab b. 'Umayr to the areas of B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal and of B. Zafar. Would you behave in our houses in a way we detest?' (Now As'ad had
Sa'd b. al-Nu'man b. Imru'u'I-Qays b. Zayd b. 'Abdu'I-Ashhal was the said to Mu~'ab, 'The leader whom his people follow has come to you. If
son of As'ad's aunt. He entered with him one of the gardens of B. Zaf.r he follows you, no two of them will remain behind.') So Mu~'ab said to
('35) by a well called Maraq and sat in the garden and some of the men him what he had said to Usayd, and Sa'd stuck his lance in the ground and
29
' who had accepted Islam gathered together there. Now Sad b. Mu'adh sat down. The same thing happened again and he went to his people's
and Usayd b. J:lu<;layr were at that time leaders of their clan, the B. 'Abdu'l- meeting-place accompanied by Usayd. When they saw him coming they
Ashhal and both followed the heathenism of their tribe. When they heard said, 'We swear by God Sa'd has returned with a different expression.'
about him
SaCd said to Usayd: 'Go to these fellows who have entered our And when he stopped by them he asked them how they knew what had
quarters to make fools of our weak comrades, drive them out and forbid happened to him. They replied, '(You are) our chief, the most active in
them to enter our quarters. If it were not that As'ad b. Zurara is related to our interests, the best in judgement and the most fortunate in leadership.'
me as you know I would save you the trouble. He is my aunt's son and I He said, 'I will not speak to a man or woman among you until you believe
can do nothing to him.' So Usayd took his lance and went to them; and in God and His apostle.' As a result every man and woman among the 293
when As'ad saw him he said to Mu~'ab, 'This is the chief of his tribe who B. 'Abdu'l-Ashbal joined Islam.
is coming to you, so be true to God with him.' Mu~'ab sai~, 'If he Will, sit As'ad and Mu~'ab returned to As'ad's house and stayed there calling
down I will talk to him.' He stood over them lookmg funous and askmg men to Islam until every house of the An~ar had men and women who were
what they meant by coming to deceive their weaker comrades. 'Leave us if Muslims except those of B. Umayya b. Zayd, and Kha!ma and Wa'il and
you value your lives.' MU1?'ab said, 'Won't you sit down and listen. Hyau Waqif; the latter were Aus Allah and of Aus b. J:laritha. The reason was
like what you hear you can accept it, and if you don't like it you can leave that Abu Qays b. al-Aslat whose name was $ayfi was among them. He
it alone.' He agreed that that was fair, stuck his lance in the ground, and was their poet and leader and they obeyed him and he kept tbem back from
sat down. He explained Islam to him and read him the Quran. After- Islam. Indeed he continued to do so until the apostle migrated to Medina,
wards they said-according to what has been reported of them-'By God, and Badr, and U1)ud, and al-I):handaq were over. He said concerning
before he spoke we recognized Islam in his face by its peaceful glow.' He what he thought of Islam and how men differed about his state:
said, 'What a wonderful and beautiful discourse this is I What does one do Lo,d of mankind, serious things have happened.
if he wants to enter this religion?' They told him that he must wash and The difficult and the simple are involved.
purify himself and his garments, then bear witness to the truth and pray. Lord of mankind, if we have erred
He immediately did so and made two prostrations. Then he said, 'There Guide us to the good path.
is a man behind me who if he follows you every one of hiS people WIll Were it not for our Lord we should be Jews
follow suit. I will send him to you at once. It is Sad b. Mu'adh.' Taking And the religion of Jews is not convenient.
his lance he went off to Sa'd and his people who were sitting in conclave. Were it not for our Lord we should be Christians
When Sa'd saw him 'coming he said, 'By GO,d, Usayd is coming with a Along with the monks on Mount JaliI. '
different expression from that he had when he left you.' And when he But when we were created we were created
came up he asked what had happened. He said, 'I have spoken to the t":'o J:Ianifs; our religion is from all generations.
men and I find no harm in them. I forbade them to go on and they saId We bring the saCrificial camels walking in fetters
to me, We will do what you like; and I was told that the B. J:laritha had Covered with cloths but their shoulders bare (236).
gone out against As'ad to kill him because they knew that he was the son of
your aunt so as to make you appear a treacherous protector of your guests.' THE SECOND PLEDGE AT AL-'AQABA
Sa'd enraged got up at once, alarmed at what had been said about the B.
Then Mu~'ab returned to Mecca and the Muslim An,ar came to the fair
I Hazamu'l~Nabit according to al~Suhayli is a mountain one post from Medina. Yiqut there with the pilgrims of their people who were polytheists. They met
denies this., because Hazam means 'low ground'. He prefers the reading 'in the low ground
J i.e. Galilee.
of the Ban" Nabit', &c.
202 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 203

294 the apostle at aI-'Aqaba in the middle of the days of Tashriq,' when God Ma'bad b. Ka'b told me that his brother 'Abdullah told him that his
intended to honour them and to help His apostle and to strengthen Islam father Ka'b b. Malik said: 'Then we went to the &aJj and agreed to meet
and to humiliate heathenism and its devotees. the apostle at al-'Aqaba in the middle of the days of the tashriq. When we
Ma'bad b. Ka'b b. Malik b. Abu Ka'b b. al-Qayn, brother of the B. had completed the &ajj and the night came in which we had agreed to meet
Salima, told me that his brother 'Abdullah b. Ka'b who was one of the the apostle there was with us 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. Haram Abu Jabir, one
most learned of the An~ar told him that his father Ka'b who was one of of our chiefs and nobles whom we had taken with us. We had concealed
those who had been present at aI- 'Aqaba and did homage to the apostle, our business from those of our people who were polytheists. We said to
informed him saying: 'We went out with the polytheist pilgrims of our him, "You are one of our chiefs and nobles and we want to wean you
people having prayed and learned the customs of the pilgrimage. With us from your present state lest you become fuel for the fire in the future."
was aI-Bara' b. Ma'riir our chief and senior. When we had started our Then we invited him to accept Islam and told him about our meeting
journey from Medina aI-Bad,' said, "I have come to a conclusion and I with the apostle at al-'Aqaba. Thereupon he accepted Islam and came to
don't know whether you will agree with me or not. I think that I will not aI-'Aqaba with us, and became a naqib (leader).'
tum my back on this building" (meaning the Ka'ba), "and that I shall pray 'We slept that night among our people in the caravan until when a third
towards it." We replied that so far as we knew our prophet prayed towards of the night had passed we went stealing softly like sandgrouse to Our
Syria' and we did not wish to act differently. He said, "I am going to pray appointment with the apostle as far as the gully by aI-'Aqaba. There were
towards the Kafba." We said, IlBut we will not." When the time for seventy-three men with two of our women: Nusayba d. of Ka'b Umm
prayer came we prayed towards Syria and he prayed towards the Ka'ba 'Umara, one of the women of B. Mazin b. aI-Najjar, and Asma' d. of 'Amr
until we came to Mecca. We blamed him for what he was doing, but he b. 'Adiy b. Nabi, one of the women of B. Salima who was known as Umm
refused to change. When we came to Mecca he said to me, "Nephew, let Mani'. We gathered together in the gully waiting for the apostle until he
us go to the apostle and ask him about what I did on our journey. For I came with his uncle aI-'Abbas who was at that time a polytheist; albeit
feel some misgivings since I have seen your opposition." So we went to ask he wanted to be present at his nephew's business and see that he had
the apostle. We did not know him and we had never seen him before. We a firm guarantee. When he sat down he was the first to speak and said:
met a man of Mecca and we asked him about the apostle; he asked if we "0 people of al-Khazraj (the Arabs used the term to cover both Khazraj
knew him and we said that we did not. Then do you know his uncle, al- and Aus). You know what position Muhammad holds among us. We
'Abbiia b. 'Abdu'I-Mullalib? We said that we did because he was always have protected him from our own people who think as we do about
coming to us as a merchant. He said, "When you enter the mosque he is him. He lives in honour and safety among his people, but he will tum
the man sitting beside aI-'Abbas." So we went into the mosque and there to you and join you. If you think that you can be faithful to what you
was aI-'Abbiia sitting with the apostle beside him; we saluted them and sat have promised him and protect him from his opponents, then assume
down. The apostle asked al- 'Abbas if he knew us, and he said that he did the burden you have undertaken. But if you think that you will betray
295 and named us. I shall never forget the apostle's words when Ka'b's name and abandon him after he has gone out with you, then leave him now.
was mentioned, "The poet?" AI-Dara' said, "0 prophet of God, I came on For he is safe where he is.)J We replied, "We have heard what you say.
this journey God having guided me to Islam and I felt that I could not You speak, 0 apostle, and choose for yourself and for your Lord what
turn my back on this building, so I prayed towards it; but when my com- you wish."
panions opposed me I felt some misgivings. 'Yhat is your opinion, 0 'The apostle spoke and recited the Quran and invited men to God and
apostle of God I" He replied, "You would have had a qibla if you had kept commended Islam and then said: "I invite your allegiance on the basis
to it," so aI-Bara' returned to the apostle's qibla and prayed with us towards that you protect me as you would your women and children." AI-Bara'
Syria. 3 But his people assert that he prayed towards the Ka'ba until the dayof took his hand and said "By Him Who sent you with the truth we will
his death; but this was not so. We know more about that than they (237)." , protect you as we protect our women. We give our allegiance and we are
I The days of the Tashriq are the three days following the day of sacrifice, i.e. 11th, 12th,
men of war possessing arms which have been passed on from father to son."
and 13th of Dhu'I-l;Iijja. Various explanations are given by the lexicographers: (0) because While al-Bara:, was speaking Abu'l-Haytham b. a1-Tayyihan interrupted
the victims were not sacrificed until the sun rosej (b) because the flesh of the victims was hIm ~nd sald, 0 apostle, we have ties with other men (he meant the Jews)
cut into strips and left to dry in the sun on those days; and (c) because in pagan times they
used to say at that time Ashriq Thabir kayma nughir 'Show the sun, 0 Thabir, that we may and lf we sever them perhaps when we have done that and God will have
pass on quickly'. See further E.!. and literature cited there. given you victory, you will return to your people and leave us?" The 297
:z i.e. Jerusalem.
3 The apostle's reply to ai-Bam' could be taken in either sense, and considerable doubt is
apostle smiled and said: "Nay, blood is blood and blood not to be paid for
reflected in the commentaries and traditions on the qucsti90 involved. I The term has become technical.
204 The Life ,of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad 205
is blood not to be paid for,' I am of you and you are of me. I will war
against them that waf against you and be at peace with those at peace later); but if you think that you will be loyal to your undertaking if you
with you (238)," lose your property and your nobles are killed, then take him, for by God it
Ka'b continued: 'The apostle said, "Bring out to me twelve leaders that WIll profit you m thIS world and the next.' They said that they would
they may take charge of their people's affairs." They produced nine from accept the apostle on. these conditions. But they asked what they would
al-Khazraj and three from al-Aus.' get m r~tur,n for theIr loyalty, and the apostle promised them paradise.
They saId, ~tretch forth your hand,' and when he did so they pledged
theIr word, Aslm added that al-'Abbas said that only to bind the obliga- 300
THE NAMES OF THE TWELVE LEADERS AND THE REST OF tlOn more securely on them, 'Abdullah b, Abu Bakr said that he said it
THE STORY OF AL_ AQABA
t merel~ to keep the people back that night, hoping that 'Abdullah b, Ubayy
b. Balul would come and so gIve morc weight to his people's support. But
According to what Ziyad b, 'Abdullah al- Bakka'i told us from Muhammad God knows best which is right (24 2 ),
b. Is~aq al-Mullalibi (they were): The B, aI-Najjar allege that As'ad b, Zurara was the first to strike his
From al-Khazraj: Abu Umiima As'ad b, Zudra, , , b, ai-Najjar who was hand in fealty; the B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal say that he was not, for Abu'l-
Taym Allah b, Tha'laba b. 'Amr b, al-Khazraj; Sa'd b, al-Rabi' b, 'Amr b, Haytham was the first. Ma'bad b, Ka'b told me in his tradition from his
AbU Zuhayr b. Malik b, Imru'u'l-Qays b, Malik b, Tha'laba b. Ka'b b, al- brother 'Abdullah b, Ka'b from his father Ka'b b, Malik that al-Bara' was
Khazraj b, al-I:Iarith b, al-Khazraj; 'Abdullah b, Rawal.'" b, Tha'laba of the the first and the people followed him, When we had all pledged ourselves
same line; Rafi' b, Malik b, al-'Ajlan b, 'Amr , . ,; al-Barii' b, Ma'rur b, Satan shouted from the top of al- 'Aqaba in the most penetrating voice I
$akhr b, Khansa' b, Sinan b, 'Ubayd b, 'Adiy b, Ghanm b, Ka'b b, Salama have ever heard, '0 people of the stations of Mina, do you want this repro-
I
b, Sa'd b. 'Ali b, Asad b. Siirida b, Tazid b, Jusham b, al-Khazraj; 'Abdul- bate and the apostates 2 who are with him? They have come together to
lah b, 'Amr b, J:!aram b. Tha'iaba b, J:!aram b, Ka'b b, Ghanm b, Ka'b b, make war on you!' The apostle said, 'This is the Izb' of the hilL This is
Salama, , ,; 'Ubada b, al-Samit b, Qays b, Asram, , ,(239)' Sa'd b, 'Ubada the son of Azyab, Do you hear, 0 enemy of God, I swear I will make an
b, Dulaym b. J:!aritha b, Abu J:!azima b. Tha'laba b, Tarif b, al-Khazraj b, end of you! (243)'
Sa'ida b, Ka'b b, al-Khazraj; al-Mundhir b. 'Amr b, Khunays b, J:!aritha The apostle then told them to disperse and go back to their caravan and
b. Laudhiin b, 'Abdu Wudd b, Zayd b. Tha'iaba b, al-Khazraj of the same aI-'Abbas b, 'Ubada said, 'By God, if you wish it we will fall on the p~ople
line (240), of Mina tomorrow with our swords.' He replied, '\Ve have not been COm-
From al-Aus: Usayd b, J:!uc;layr b, Simak b, 'Atik b, Rafi' b, Imru'u'l- manded to do that; but go back to your caravan.' So we went back to our
Qays b, Zayd b, 'Abdu'I-Ashhal b, Jusham b, al-J:!arith b, al-Khazraj b. beds and slept until the marrow,
'Amr b, Malik b, al-Aus; Sa'd b, Khaythama b. al-J:!arith b. Malik b, Ka'b . With the morning the leaders of Quraysh came to our encampment say.
b, al-Na\,ll;1a\ b, Ka'b b, J:!aritha b, Ghanm b, al-Salm b, Imru'u'l-Qays b, mg that they had heard that we had come to invite Muhammad to leave
Malik b, al-Aus; Rifa'a b, 'Abdu I-Mundhir b, Zubayr b, Zayd b. Umayya them and had pledged ourselves to support him in war against them and
b. Zayd b, Malik b, 'Auf b, 'Amr b. 'Auf b, Malik b, al-Aus (24')' that there was no Arab tribe that they would fight more reluctantly th:n us,
299 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that the apostle said to the Leaders: 'You Thereupon the polytheists of our tribe swore that nothing of the kind had
are the sureties for your people just as the disciples of Jesus, Son of Mary, happened and they knew nothing of it. And here they were speaking the 301
were responsible to him, while I am responsible for my people, i.e, the truth, for they were in ignorance of what had happened, We looked at one
Muslims.' They agreed. another, Then the people got up, among them al-J:!iirith b, Hisham b, al-
'Asim b, 'Umar b. Qatada told me that when the people came together Mughira ~l-Makhzumi who was wearing a pair of new sandals, I spoke a
to plight their faith to the apostle, al~'Abbas b, 'Ubada b, Nac;lla al-An~ari, word,to hlIl: as. though,I wanted to associate the people with what they had
brother of B. Salim b. 'Auf, said, '0 men of Kha2raj, do you realize to said, ~ Abu Jablr, seemg that you are one of our chiefs, can't you get hold
what you are committi\lg yourselves in pledging your support to this man 1 of a paIr of sanpals such as this young Qurayshite has? AI-Harith heard
It is to war against all and sundry.' If you think that if you lose your me and took them off his feet and threw them at me saying, 'By God you
property and your nobles are killed you will give him up, th~n do so :,ow, can have them!' Abu Jabir said, 'Gently now, you have angered the
for it would bring you shame in this world and the next (If you dId so
1 Mu~hammam is probably an offensive counterpart to the name 1-fuhammad
I Le. He would treat blood revenge and ita obligation as common to both parties. See :2 $ubat, the plural of Siibi', the name given to those who had given up their o~'n religion
I.H,'. note. a Lit. 'red and black men'. to take another. Hardly an apostate (murtadd).
3 The word is said to mean 'small and contemptible'.
The Life of Muhammad 27
206 The Life of Muhammad
Do you boast of wearing cotton
young man, so give him back his sandals.' 'By God, I will. no~,' I said; lit is
When the Nabataeans wear dyed' wrappers? 33
a good omen and if it proves to be true I shall plunder him.
Be not like a sleeper who dreams that
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that they came to 'Abdullah b. Ubayy
He is in a town of Caesar or Chosroes.
and said to him much the same as Ka'b had said and he replied, 'This is a
Don't be like a bereaved mother who
serious matter; my people are not in the habit of deciding a question wlth-,
Would not have lost her child had she been wise;
out consulting me in this way and I do not know that It has happened.
Nor like the sheep which with her forelegs
Thereupon they left him. Digs the grave she does not desire;
When the people had left Mina they investigated the report closely and
Nor like the barking dog that sticks out his neck
found that it was true. So they went in pursuit of (our) people and over-
Not fearing the arrow of the unseen archer.
took Sa'd b. 'Ubada in Adhakhir and also al-Mundhir b. 'Amr, brother of
He who directs poetry's shafts at us
B. Sa'ida, both of them being 'leaders'. The latter got away, but they
Is like one who sends dates to Khaybar.'
caught Sa'd and tied his hands to his neck with the thongs of the gIrth
and brought him back to Mecca beating him o,n th~ w~y and draggmg h,m
by the hair for he was a very hOlry man. Sa d said, As they held me, a THE IDOL OF 'AMR IBNU'L-J AMi'r1;l
number of Quraysh came up, among them a tall, white, handsome man of
pleasant appearance and I thought that if there was any dec~ncy among When they came to Medina they openly professed Islam there. Now some
them this man would show it. But when he came up he dehvered me a of the shaykhs still kept to their old idolatry, among whom was 'Amr b.
32
violent blow in the face and after that I despaired of fair treatment. As al-Jamu~ b. Yazid b. I;Iaram b. Ka'b b. Ghanm b. Ka'b b. Salama whose
they were dragging me along, a man took pity on me and said, "You poo,~ son, Mu'adh, had been present at al-'Aqaba and had done homage to the
devil haven't you any right to protection from one of the Quraysh? apostle there. 'Amr was one of the tribal nobles and leaders and had set
"Yes:" I said, "I have. I used to guarantee the safety of the merchants of up in his house a wooden idol called Manat' as the nobles used to do,
Jubayr b. Mufim b. 'Adiy b. Naufal b. 'Abdu Manilf and protect th~m making it a god to reverence and keeping it clean. \Vhen the young men of
from those who might have wronged them m my country; also al-I;lAnth the B. Salama Mu'adh b. Jabal and his own son Mu'adh adopted Islam
b. I;Iarb b. Umayya b. 'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu Manaf." ".v
ery well, the~: with the other men who had been at al-'Aqaba they used to creep in at
night to this idol of tAmr's and carry it away and throw it on its face into
callout the names of these two men and say what tie there IS between .you,
he said. This I did and that man went to them and found them. m the a cesspit. When the morning came tAmr cried, 'Woe to you! Who has
mosque beside the Ka'ba and told them of me and that I was calhng for been at our gods this night?' Then he went in search of the idol and when
them and mentioning my claim on them. When they h~ard who I, was th~y he found it he washed it and cleaned it and perfumed it saying, 'By God,
acknowledged the truth of my claim and came and dehvered me. So Sa d if I koew who had done this I would treat him shamefully!' When night
went off. The name of the man who hit him was Suhayl b. 'Amr, brother came and he was fast asleep they did the same again and he restored the
of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy (244)' . _ idol in the morning. This happened several times until one day he took
The first poetry about the Migration was two verses composed by I;>lrar the idol from the place where they had thrown it, purified it as before, and
b. al-Khattab b. Mirdas, brother of B. Mu~anb b. Flhr:
of this name mentioned by r.r. (p. 123) was the father of the prophet's maternal uncle; if it
I overtook Sa'd and took him by force. is he that is referred to, clearly the meaning must be that the presence of this man in Mecca
It would have been better if I had caught Mundhir. prevented Bassan from launching his invective against Quraysh, and the verb must mean
swooping or rushing. However, al-Barquqi in his commentary on the Diwan tentatively
If I had got him his blood would not have to be paid for. suggests that it was Abu Wahb who brought Dirar's lines to Medina: had he not done so
He deserves to be humiliated and left unavenged (24{Q). they would have fallen impotently on the way. This interpretation requires us to understand
hawa in the sense of falling, and Qltssuni as 'wearied' instead of 'stripped for action' and so
I;Iassiln b. Thiibit answered him thus: capable of rapid movement. The last line in 1.1.'s text follows this line and this rearrange-
ment of the lines would naturally suggest that the qasd'id came from the same source; but
You were not equal to Sa'd and the man Mundhir as 1.1. reported the satire such a conclusion is unnecessary. See further Dr. Arafat's thesis
When the people's camels were thin. on the poetry of I;Iassan. I Or 'bleached'.
:I i.e. Sends coals to Newcastle. This line follows line 2 in the Diwdn.
But for Abu Wahb (my) verses would have passed over 3 Suhayli explains that the idol was so called because blood was shed (muniyat) by it as
The top of al-Barqa" swooping down swiftly' an offering and that is why idols are said to be bloody. But the explanation of the name is
to be found outside the Arabic language in the goddess of fate. See S. H. Langdon, Semitic
I Yiiqut says that this is a place in the desert. He does ~ot s~y where,_ Mytholog}', 1931, pp. 19 ff.
~ The interpretation of this difficult line depends on the identIty of Abu Wahb. The man
208 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 209

30f fastened his sword to it, saying, 'By God, I don't know who has done this; From B. I;I.aritha b. al-I;Iarith ... 7euhayr b. Rati' b. 'Adiy b. Zayd b.
but if you are any good at all defend yourself since you have this sword.' Ju.s~am ~. J::Ianth~, and Abu ~~rda b. Niyar whose name' was Rani' b.
At night when he was asleep they came again and took the sword from its Nlyar b. Amr. b.. Ubayd b. K,lab b. Duhman b. Ghanm b. Dhubyan b.
neck and hung a dead dog to it by a cord and then threw it into a cesspit. Humaym b. Kamll b. DhuhI b. Haniy b. BaIiy b. 'Amr b. al-Hafb. Quda'a
In the morning 'Amr came and could not find it where it normally was; one. of/heir allies. He was at Badr. Nuhayr b. al.Haythamof B. Nabi b:
ultlmately he found it face downwards in that pit tied to a dead dog. When MaJda a b. I;Iaritha. Total3.
he saw it and perceived what had happened and the Muslims of his clan Of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf b. Malik: Sa'd b. Khaythama a 'leader' who was
spoke to him he accepted Islam by the mercy of God and became a good present at Badr and was killed there as a martyr beside the apostle (246)
Muslim. He wrote some verses when he had come to a knowledge of God Rifa'a ,b., 'Abdu'I.Mundhir, a leader present at Badr. 'Abdullah b. Jubay;
in which he mentioned the image and its impotence and thanked God for b. al!,;u man b. Umayya b. aI-Burak, the name of aI-Burak being Imru'u'l-
having delivered him from the blindness and error in which he had lived Qays b. Tha'laba b. 'Amr who was present at Badr and was killed as a
hitherto: m~rty~ at Ul;lUd commanding the archers for the apostle (247). And Maan
b. AdlY b. aI-Jad b. aI'AJIan b. I;Iaritha b . .Qubay'a, a client of theirs from
By Allah, if you had been a god you would not have been Baliy present at Badr, Ul;lUd, and aI.Khandaq and all the apostle's battles.
Tied to a dead dog in a cesspit.
He .was kIlled 111 the battle of aI- Yamama as a martyr in the caliphate of
Phew! that we ever treated you as a god, but now Abu Bakr. And 'Uwaym b. Sa'ida who was present at Badr Uhud and
We have found you out and left our wicked folly. . al.Khandaq. Totals. ' . ,
Praise be to God most High, the Gracious, The total for all clans of Aus was I I.
The Bountiful, the Provider, the Judge of all religions Of al-Khazraj there were:
Who has delivered me in time to save me
~f B. aINajjar who was Taymullah b. Thalaba b. 'Amr: Abu Ayyub
From being kept in the darkness of the grave. Khahd b. Zayd b. Kulayb b. Thalaba b. 'Abd b. 'Auf b. Ghanm b. Malik
b. aI-Najjar. He was present at all the apostle's battles and died in Bvzan.
CONDiTIONS OF THE PLEDGE AT THE SECOND 'AQABA tine territory as a martyr in the time of Mu'awiya. Mu'adh b. al-Harith
When God gave permission to his apostle to fight, the second 'Aqaba con- b. Rifa'a b. Sawad b. Malik b. Ghanm. Present at all battles. He w~s the
tained conditions involving war which were not in the first act of fealty. son of 'Afra' and his brother was 'Auf b. al-I;IiIrith who was killed at Badr
Now they bound themselves to war against all and sundry for God and his as a ~artyr. Mu'awwidh his brother shared the same glory. It was he
apostle, while he promised them for faithful service thus the reward of who kIlled Abu Jahl b. Hisham b. aIMughira; he too was 'Afra's son 30 7
paradise. (248). And 'Umara b. I;Iazm b. Zayd b. Laudhan b. 'Amr b. 'Abdu
"Auf b. Ghanm. He was present at all battles and died a martyr in tilt
'Ubad a b. 31-Walid b. 'Ubiida b. a1-Siimit from his father from his
battle of aI-Yamama in the caliphate of Abu Bakr. As'ad b. Zurara, a
grandfather 'Ubada b. a1-$iimit who was ~ne of the Leaders told me, 'We
leader. He died before Barlr when the apostle's mosque was heing built.
pledged ourselves to war in complete obedience to the apostle in weal and
Total 6.
305 woe, in ease and hardship and evil circumstances; that we would not
Of B. 'Amr b. Mabdhul who was 'Amir b. Malik: Sahl b. 'Auk b.
wrong anyone; that we would speak the truth at all times; and that in
Nu'man b. 'Amr b. 'AUk b. 'Amr. Was at Badr. Total!.
God'sservice we would fear the censure of none.' ~Ubada was one of the
Of B. 'Amr b. Malik b. aI-Najjar who are the B. I;Iudayla (249). Aus b.
twelve who gave his word at the first 'Aqaba.
Thiibit b. al-Mundhir b. I;Iaram b. 'Amr b. Zayd Manat b. 'Adiy b. 'Amr
b. Malik, present at Badr; Abu TaI!)a Zayd b. Sahl b. al-Aswad b. I;Iaram
b. 'Amr b. Zayd Manat ... present at Badr. Total 2.
THE NAMES OF TIIOSE PRESENT AT THE SECOND 'AQABA
Of B. Mazin b. aI-Najjar: Qays b. Abu ~a~aa whose name was 'Amr b.
There were seventy-three men and two women of Aus and Khazraj.' Zayd b. 'Auf b. Mabdhul b. 'Amr b. Ghanm b. Mazin. Present at Badr
Of Aus there were: where the apostle put him in command of the rearguard. 'Amr b. Ghaziya
Usayd b. I;Iuc;layr ... a leader who was not at Badr. Abu'l-Haytham b. b. 'Amr b. Thalaba b. Khansa' b. Mabdhul ... Total 2.
Tayyahiin who was at Badr. Salma b. Salama b. Waqsh b. Zughba b. The total for B. ai-Najjar was I I (250).
Zu'ura' b. 'Abdu'I-Ashhal who was at Badr (245). Total 3. Of B. al-I;Iarith b. Khazraj: Sad b. al-Rabi', a leader. Was at Badr and
I The genealogies already given have been omitted together with repetitions. died a martyr at U!)ud. Kharija b. Zayd b. Abu Zuhayr b. Malik b.
B 4080 P
210 The Life of Muhammad
The Lzfe of Muhammad 21I
Imru'ul-Qays b. Malik al-Agharr b. Tha'laba b. Ka'b. Present at Badr
and killed at UI:md as a martyr. 'Abdullah b. Rawal;1a, a leader, present at present at Badr (z52). AI- Tufayl b. Malik b. Khansa' b. Sin an b. 'Ubayd
all the apostle's battles except the occupation of Mecca and was killed at who \vas present at Badr. I Total I I.
Miita as a martyr as one of the apostle's commanders. Bashir~. ~ad b. Of B. Sawad b. Ghanm b. Kab b. Salama of the clan of Banii Ka'b b.
Thalaba b. Khalas b. Zayd b. Malik ... , the father of al-Nu man was Sawad: Ka'b b. Malik b. Abcl Ka'b b. al-Qayn b. Ka'b. Total I.
present at Badr. 'Abdullah b. Zayd b. Tha'laba b. 'Abdullah b. Zayd Of B. Ghanm b. Sawad b. Ghanm b. Kab b. Salama. Salim b. 'Amr b.
Manat b. al-Harith. Present at Badr. He it was who was shown how to J:ladida b. 'Amr b. Ghanm who was at Badr. Qutba b. 'Amir b. J:ladida b.
call to praye; and was ordered by the apostle to perform it._ Khallad b. 'Amr b. Ghanm who ''.'3S at Badr. Yazid his brother knmvn as Abu'l-
Suwayd b. Thalaba b. 'Amr b. J:laritha b. Imru'ul-Qays b. MalIk. P:esent Mundhir; was at Eadr. Kab b. 'Amr b. 'Abbad b. 'Amr b. Ghanm known
at Badr Uhud and al-Khandaq and was killed as a martyr m fightmg B. as Abii'I-Yasar. At Badr. $ayfi b. Sawad b. 'Abbad b. 'Amr b. Ghanm
QuraYf~ when ~ millstone was thrown from one of th~ir castles and crushed (253) Total 5.
his skull. The apostle said-so they say-that he wIll have the reward of Of B. Nabi b. 'Amr b. Sawad b. Ghanm b. Kab b. Salama: Thalaba b.
two martyrs. 'Uqba b. 'Amr b. Tha'laba b. Usayra b. 'Usayra b. Jadara Ghanama b. 'Ad;y b. Nab; was at Badr and was killed as a martyr at al-
b. 'Auf who is Abii Mas'iid, the youngest of those at al-'Aqaba. Died in Khandaq. 'Amr b. Ghanama b. 'Aciiy b. Nabi. 'Abs b. '.4.mir b. 'Adiy was
the time of Mu'awiya. Was not at Badr. Total 7. at Badr. 'Abdullah b. Unays an ally from Quda'a. Khalid b. 'Amr b.
Of B. Baya<;la b.'Amir b. Zurayq b. 'Abdu J:laritha: Zi~ad b. Labid b. 'Adiy. Total 5.
Thalaba b. Sinan b. 'Amir b. 'Adiy b. Umayya b. Baya<;la. Present at Of B. J:laram b. Ka'b b. Ghanm b. Ka'b b. Salama: 'Abdullah b. 'Amr
Badr. Farwa b. 'Amr b. Wadhafa b. 'Ubayd b. 'Amir b. Baya<;la. Present who was a leader and \vas at Badr and was killed as a martyr at Ul,1ud.
at Badr (251). Khalid b. Qays b. Malik b. al-'Ajlan b. 'Amir. At Badr. Jabir his son. Mu'adh b. 'Amr b. al-Jamiih who was at Badr. Thabit b.
Total 3. , _. _. al-Jidh'(al-Jidh' being Tha'laba b. Zayd b. al-I;!arith b. I;!aram) was at
30 9 Of B. Zurayq b. 'Amir b. Zurayq b. Abdu J:lantha b. MalIk b. Gha<;lb b. Badr and was killed as a martyr at aI- Ta'if. 'Umayr b. al-I;!arith b. Tha'laba 3 1
Jusham b. al-Khazraj: Rafi' b. al-'Ajlan, a leader. Dhakwan b. 'Abdu Qays b. al-I;!arith b. I;!aram who was at Badr (254)' Khadij b. Salama b. Aus '
b. Khalda b. Mukhallad b. 'Amir. He went out to the apostle and stayed b. 'Amr b. al-Furafir an ally from Bally. Mu'adh b. Jabal b. 'Amr b. Aus
with him in Mecca after he had migrated from Medina; thus he got the b. 'A'idh b. Ka'b b. 'Amr b. Ad;' b. Sa'd b. 'Ali b. Asad. It is said 'Asad b.
name of An~ari Muhajiri. He was at Badr and was killed as a mart~r at Sarida b. Tazid h. Jusham b. al-Khazraj, who lived with the B. Salama; he
Uhud. 'Abbad b. Qays b. 'Amir b. Khalda, &c. Was at Badr.. AI-J:lanth was present at all the battles and died in 'Amwas 3 in the year of the Syrian
b. 'Qays b. Khalid b. Mukhallad b. 'Amir, who was Abii KhalId. Present plague during the caliphate of 'emar. The B. Salama claimed him for the
at Badr. Total 4. _, reason that he was the brother of Sahl b. :Yluhammad b. aI-Judd b. Qays b.
Of B. Salama b. Sa'd b. 'Ali b. Asad b. Sarida b. Tazid ... AI-Bara b. $akhr b. Khansa' h. Sinon b. 'Ubayd ... b. Salama through his mother
Ma'riir b. Sakhr ... a leader who, the B. Salama allege, was the first to (255). Total 7.
strike his h~nd on the apostle's when the conditions of the second 'Aqaba Of B. 'Auf b. al-Khazraj then of the B. Salim b. 'Auf b. 'Amr b. 'Auf:
were agreed to.. He died before the apostle came to Medma. HIS son 'Ubiida b. al-Samit, a leader who was at all the battles ... (256). AI-'Abbas
Bishr was at Badr, Ul;1ud, and al-Khandaq and he died in Khaybar of b. 'UbJda b. "Na9la .. 0' one of those who joined the apostle in Mecca,
eating with the apostle the mutton that was poisoned" He. It was to whom lived there with him, and was called an An~arI ::\Iuh:ijiri. He was killed at
the apostle referred when he asked B. Salama who thetr chief was and they Uhud as a martyr. Abe, 'Ahdu'l-Rahman Yazid b. Tha'laba b. Khazama
replied, 'AI-Judd b. Qays in spite of his me'ness l' He said, 'What disease b. A~ram b. 'Amr h. 'Ammara, an ally from the B. Ghu~ayna of Baliy.
is worse than meanness? The chief of B. f\\llama is the white curly hatred 'Amr b. al-I;!arith b. Labda b. 'Amr b. Thalaba. They were the Qawaqil.
Bishr b. al-Bara' b. Ma'riir.' Sinan b. $ay~i b. $akhr b. Khansa' b. Sinan TotaI4
b. 'Ubayd who was at Badr and died a martyr at al-Khandaq. AI- Tu~ayl Of B. Salim b. Ghanm b. 'Auf; known as the B. al-I:Iubla (257): Rifa'a
b.,Nu'man b. Khansa' b. Sinan b. 'Ubayd with the same record. Ma qIl b. 'Amr b. Zayd b. 'Amr b. Thalaba b. Malik b. Salim b. Ghanm known 3IZ
b a1-Mundhir b. Sarh b. Khunas b. Sinan b. 'Ubayd who was at Badr, as Abii'I-Walid. Was at Badr (258). 'Uqba h. Wahb b. Kalda b. al-Jad b.
t~gether with his brother Yazid. Mas:iid b. Yazid b. Subar' b. Kh~nsa' b. Hilal b. al-I;!arith b. 'Amr b. 'Adiy b. Jusham h. 'Auf b. Buhtha b. 'Abdul-
Sinan b. 'Ubayd. AI-J;>al;1l;1ak b. J:lantha b. Zayd b',Tha laba~. U~a~d lah b. Ghatafan b. Sa'd b. Qays b. 'Aylan, an ally, present at Badr. He had
3)0 who was present at Badr. Yazid b. J:laram b. Suba!: b. Kh~nsa b; Sman the title An~ari Muhajiri for the rcason given above. Total 2.
b. 'Ubayd. Jubbar b. $akhr b. Umayya b. Khansa b. Sman b. Ubayd 1 Some authorities assert that this is the same person as the one just mentioned above.
:ol Some read Udhan. See Suhayli in loco 3 i.e. the biblical Emmaus.
2IZ The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 21 3
Of the B. Sa'ida b. Ka'b: Sa'd b. 'Ubada a leader. AI-Mundhir b. 'Amr, some men to keep back others, cloisters and churches and oratories and
a leader, present at Badr and U1)ud and killed at Bi'r Ma'iina commanding mosques wherein the name of God is constantly mentioned would have
for the apostle. It was said of him 'He hastened to death' (259), Total 2. bee~ destroyed. Assuredly God will help those who help Him. God is
The total number of those present at the second'Aqaba from the Aus AlmIghty. Those who if we make them strong in the land wilf establish
and Khazraj was seventy-three men and two women who they allege prayer, pay the poor-tax, enjoin kindness, and forbid iniquity. To God
pledged their obedience also. The apostle used not to strike hal\ds with belongs the end of matters.' I The meaning is: 'I have allowed them to
women; he merely stated the conditions, and if they accepted them he fig~t only because they have been unjustly treated while their sole offence
would say, 'Go, I have made a covenant with you.' agamst men ~s been that they worship God. When they are in the ascen-
(Of these two women) Nusayba was of B. Mazin b. ai-Najjar. She was dant. they w.'ll e.stabhsh prayer, pay the poor-tax, enjoin kindness, and
d. of Ka'b b. 'Amr b. 'Auf b. Mabdhiil b. 'Amr b. Ghanm b. Milzin, forbid InIqUIty, I.e. the prophet and his companions all of them.' Then
mother of 'Umara. She and her sister went to war with the apostle. Her ~od sent down to him: 'Fight them so that there be no more seduction'2
husband was Zayd b. 'kim b. Ka'b, and her two sons were I;Iabib and I.e. until no believer is seduced from his religion. 'And the religion'is i::;-
'Abdullah. Musaylima the liar, the I;Ianifi chief of the Yamiima, got hold God's', i.e. Until God alone is worshipped.
of I;Iabib and began to say to him, 'Do you testify that Muhammad is the When God had given permission to fight and this clan of the Ansilr
apostle of God?' And when he said that he did, he went on, 'And do you had pledged their support to him in Islam and to help him and his followe~s,
313 testify that I am the apostle of God?' he answered, 'I do not hear.' So he ~d the MuslIms who had taken refuge with them, the apostle commanded
began to cut him to pieces member by member until he died. He tried hi.s con:p~lOns, the emigrants of his people and those Muslims who were
putting the same questions to him again and again, but he could get no WIth hIm m Mecca, to emigrate to Medina and to link up with their
different answers. Nusayba went to al-Yamiima with the Muslims and brethren the An~ilr. 'God will make for you brethren and houses in which
took part in the war in person until God slew Musaylima, when she you may be s.a~e.' So they went out in companies, and the apostle stayed
returned having suffered twelve wounds from spear or sword. It was In Mecca waltmg for his Lord's permission to leave Mecca and migrate
Muhammad b. Ya1)ya b. I;Iabban who told me this story from 'Abdullah to Medina.
b. 'Abdu'I-Ra1)miin b. Abii f;Ja'~a'a.
The other woman was of B. Salama, Umm Mani', named Asmil' d.
THOSE WHO MIGRATED TO MEDINA
'Amr b. 'Adiy b. Nabi b. 'Amr b. Sawiid b. Ghanm b. Ka'b b. Salama.
The first of the Quraysh to migrate to Medina from among the apostle's
THE APOSTLE RECEIVES THE ORDER TO FIGHT compamons was one of B. Makhziim, Abii Salama b. 'Abdu'l-Asad b.
Hilal b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar b. Makhziim whose forename was 'AbdulIah
The apostle had not been given permission to fight or allowed to shed He went to .Medina a year before the pledge at al-'Aqaba, having come t;
blood before the second 'Aqaba. He had simply been ordered to call men the apostle m Mecca from Abyssinia. He migrated because the Quraysh
to God and to endure insult and forgive the ignorant. The Quraysh had ill-treated him and he had heard that some of the An~ar had accepted
persecuted his followe!,s, seducing some from their religion, .and exilin,g Islam.
others from their country. They had to choose whether to give up the" . My father Is~aq b. Yasar on the authority of Salama who had it from
religion, be maltreated at home, or to flee the country, some to Abyssinia, hiS grandmother Umm Salama the prophet's wife told me that she said:
others to Medina. When Abu Salama had decided to set out for Medina he saddled his camel 1
When Quraysh became insolent towards God and rejected His gracious 3 5
for me and mounted me on it together with my son Salama who was in
purpose, accused His prophet of lying, and ill treated and exiled those who my arms. Then he set out leading the camel. When the men of B.
served Him and proclaimed His unity, believed in His prophet, and held al:M~ghira b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar b. Makhziim saw him they got up and
fast to His religion, He gave permission to His apostle to fight and to saId: So far as you are concerned you can do what you like' but what
protect himself against those who wronged them and treated them badly. about your wife? Do you suppose that we shall let you take her away?'
The first verse which was sent down on this subject from what I have So they snatched the camel's rope from his hand and took me from him.
heard from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr and other learned persons was: 'Permis- ~bii Salama's family, the B. Abdu'l-Asad, were angry at this and said:
314 sion is given to those who fight because they have beenwronged. God is
well able to help thcm,~those who have been driven out of their houses
'Y e Will ~ot leave our son with her seeing you have torn her from our
trIbesman. So they dragged at my little boy Salama between them until
without right only ,because they said God is our Lord. Had not God used,
I Sura 22. 40-42. 2 Sura 2. 198.
214 The Life of Muhammad
The LIfe of A!uhammad 21 5
they dislocated his arm, and the B. al-Asad took him away, while the
by it on their way to the upp' t' f 1\1 . .
B. al-Mughira kept me with them, and my husband Abu Salama went to Aban b. 'Uthm- . :rpar a eCca. (Today It IS the house of
Medina. Thus I was separated from my husband and my son. I used to go d f. an 111 Radm.) Ltba looked at It with its doors blowing to
out every morning and sit in the valley weeping continuously until a year an 10, empty of lllhabltants, and sighed heavily and said:
or so had passed when one of my cousins of B. al-Mughira passed and saw E~ery house hO\vevcr long its prosperity lasts
my plight and took pity on me. He said to his tribesmen, 'Why .don't Will one day be overtaken by misfortune and trouble (260).
you let this poor woman go? You have separated husband, wife, and child.'
Then l'Ut~a went on to say, 'The house of the B. Jahsh has become
So they said to me, 'You can join your husband if you like'; and then the tenant ess. To whIch Abu J hI r d 'Nobody will' . 3'7
B. 'Abdu'I-Asad restored my son to me. So I saddled my camel and took (261)'. a rep Ie, weep OVer that
my son and carried him in my arms. Then I set forth making for my hus-
band in Medina. Not a soul was with me. I thought that I could get food He we?t on: This is the \vork of this man's nephew. He has divided our
from anyone I met on the road until I reached my husband. When I was in ~o~muD1t~<~sr~pted our affairs, and driven a \vedge between us Abu
Tan'im' I met 'Uthman b. TalJ:1a b. Abu TalJ:1a, brother of B. 'Abdu'l- A~ ama an mii b. Rabl'a and 'Abdullah b. Ja\Jsh and his broth;r Abu
Dar, who asked me where I was going and if I was all alone. I told him . mad b. JaJ:1s~ were billeted on Mubashshir b. 'Abdu'l-Mundhir b
Zanbar m Quba among the B. 'Amr b. 'Auf. . .
that except for God and my little boy I was alone. He said that I ought
Th.en the refugees came in companies and the B. Ghanm b. DQdan were
not to be left helpless like that and he took hold of the camel's halter and
went along with me. Never have I met an Arab more noble than he. When ~~~hms who had gone to Medina as a body with the apostle as emigrants
we halted he would make the camel kneel for me and then withdraw; a~d ,~~~ ~n~ w~m~n: 'Abdullah b. JaJ:1sh and his brother Abu Ahmad
when we reached a stopping-place he would lead my camel away, unload it, d A _ba~ a . I.~an and Shuja' and 'Uqba, the two sons of Wahb
and tie it to a tree. Then he would go from me and lie down under a tree. ~n I a b. HumayyIra (262), and Munqidh b. Nubata and Sa'id b'
3 16 When evening came he would bring the camel and saddle it, then go ~q~rsh a~dr:~l~J:1nz b. NadIa and Yazid b. Ruqaysh, and Gays b Jabi;
behind me and tell me to ride; and when I was firmly established in the ~n 'A mr. I.1~~an and Malik b. 'Amr and Safwan b. 'Amr and :fha f
. mr and Rabl a b. Aktham and al-Zubavr b 'Ab-d d T q
saddle he would come and take the halter and lead it until he brought me 'Ubayda and Sakhb' b ' 1 . I an ammam b.
to a halt. This he did all the way to Medina. When he saw a village of JaJ:1sh. , a l a . Lbayda and Muhammad b. 'Abdullah b.
B. 'Amr b. 'Auf in Quba' hesaid: 'Your husband is in this village (Abu
Their women \vere Zaynab and L1mm I-I bOb d h
Salama was actually there), so enter it with the blessing of God.' Then Ju dh-a~a d . J ani..1a1 and Umm Qavs d. l'vlihsan
.a I aug ters of Jahsh
an!" H bOb' I'
he went off on his way back to Mecca. Thurn' d A .. . ~ " i. umm . ali...
She used to say, By God, I do not know a family in Islam which suffered Ha amda ahn h mma d. of Ruqaysh and Sakhbara d. Tamim and
. mna . J as.
what the family of Abu Salama did.' Nor have I ever seen a nobler man
than 'Uthman b. Talha. . Abu A\Jm;d, mentioning the migration of the BAsad b Kh f
h I G d' ' . uzayma a
The first emigr~nt' to go to Medina after Abu Salama was 'Amir b. IS peo P edto a and hIS apostle and their going in a body when they
wele call e on to emIgrate, said:
Rab;'a, an ally of B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b together with his wife Layla d. of
Bathma b. Ghanim b. 'Abdullah b. 'Auf b. 'Ubayd b. 'Uwayj b. 'Adiy b. Had Ahmad's
. mother 't'\,'
,IX-t S
'. af-a an d 1\1 arwa sworn
Ka'b. Then 'Abdullah b. JaJ:1sh b. Ri'ab b. Yamar b. ~abira b. Murra b. Her oath would have been true.
Kathir b. Ghanm b. Dudan b. Asad b. Khuzayma ally of B. Umayya b. ~e were the first in I\Tecca and remained so
'Abdu Shams along with his family and his brother 'Abd-who was known TIll the vmfse became the better part.
as Abu AJ:1mad. Now Abu AJ:1mad was blind and he used to go all round Here Ghanm b. Dudan pitched his tent.
Mecca from top to bottom without anyone to lead him. He 1 was a poet. ~rom It Ghanm has gone and its inhabitants diminish I
He had to wife al-Far'a d. of AbU Sufyan b. Barb; his mother was Umayma o God they go in ones and twos .
d. of 'Abdu'I-Mugalib. Their religion the religion of God' and his apostle.
The house of the B. JaJ:1sh was locked up when they left and 'Utba b. He also said:
Rabi'a and al-'Abbas b. 'Abdu'I-Mugalib and Abu Jahl b. I-Esham passed
When Umm ~0mad saw me setting out
I This place is said to be two parasangs, i.e. about six miles, from Mecca. In the protectIOn of One I secretly fear and reverence
Z The family was all but destroyed in the wars that followed; U thman himself was killed
at the beginning of 'Umar's reign. I C.'s text has 'And what if Chanm ha , '& '
rendered 'inhabitants'. s gone, c. Alni Dharr queries the word qa!tn
216 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 217

She said, 'If you must do this, . 'When we reached Medina we stayed with B. 'Amr b. 'Auf in Quba';
Then take us anywhere but to Yathrib.' and Abu Jahl and ai-I;liirith, sons of Hisham, came to 'Ayyash who was the
I said to her, 'Nay, Yathrib today is our goal. son of their uncle and their maternal brother, while the apostle was still
What the Merciful wills ihe slave must do.' in Mecca. They told him that his mother had vowed that she would not
Towards God and His apostle is my face comb her head or take shelter from the sun until she saw him. He felt
And he who sets his face to God today will not be disappointed. sorry for her and I said to him, "This is nothing but an attempt of the
How many sincere friends have we left behind people to seduce you from your religion so beware of them; for by God
And a woman who would dissuade us with weeping and wailing. if lice were causing your mother trouble she would use her comb, and if
You may think that hope of vengeance takes us far from home, the heat of Mecca oppressed her she would take shelter from it." But
But we think that the hope of good things to come draws us. he said, "I will clear my mother from her oath; also I have some money
I besought the Banu Ghanm to avoid bloodshed there which I can get." I told him that I was one of the richest of the
And accept the truth when the way is plain to ail. Quraysh and he could have half my money if he refused to go with the
Praising God they accepted the call of truth two men. But when I saw that he was determined to go I said, "If you
And salvation, and went forth as one man. must go, then take this camel of mine. She is well bred and easy to ride.
We and some of our companions who left the right path Don't dismount, and if you suspect them of treachery you can escape
Who helped others against us with their weapons on her."
Became two parties: one helped and guided 'The three went off and while they were on their way Abu Jahl said,
To the truth, the other doomed to punishment. "Nephew, I find my beast hard to rine. Won't you mount me behind
Unjust they have invented lies. you?" When he agreed he and they made their camels kneel to make the
Iblis beguiled them from the truth-they are disappointed and change over, and when they were on the ground they fell on him and
frustrated. bound him securely and brought him to Mecca and induced him to
We turned back to the prophet Muhammad's words. apostatize.' 3 20
'Twas well with us, friends of truth, and we were made happy. One of the family of 'Ayyash told me that they brought him in to Mecca
We are the nearest in kin to them. bound by day and said, '0 men of Mecca, deal with your fools as we have
But there's no next-of-kin when friendship is lacking. dealt with this fool of ours.'
What sister's son after us will trust you? To continue Nafi"s story of 'Umar's words: 'We were saying God will
What son-in-law after mine can be relied on? not receive compensation or ransom or repentance from those who let
You will know which of us has found the truth themselves be made apostates~a people who know God and then return
The day that separation is made and the state of men is distinct (263).1 to unbelief because of trial!' And they were saying that of themselves.
When the apostle came to Medina God sent down concerning them and
what we had said and what they themselves thought: 'Say: 0 my servants
'UMAR MIGRATES TO MEDINA. 'AYYASH AND HIS STORY who have acted foolishly against yourselves, despair not of God's mercy,
for God forgiveth all sins. He is Forgiving MercifuL Turn to your Lord
319 Then 'Umar b. al-Khanab and 'Ayyiish b. Abu Rabi'a al-Makhzumi went and submit yourselves to Him before punishment comes to you, then
to Medina. Niifi', freedman of 'Abdullah b. 'Umar, told me that the latter you will not be helped. Follow that excellent course which has been sent
informed him that his father 'Umar said: 'When we had made up our down to you from your Lord before punishment comes to you suddenly
minds to migrate to Medina 'Ayyash, Hisham b. al-'A~ b. Wii'i! al-Sahmi, when you do not perceive it.'l
and I made an appointment to mett at the thorn-trees of A<;Iiit of B. I wrote these words with my own hand on a sheet and sent it to Hisham,
Ghifiir 2 above SarifJ and we said: "If one of us fails to turn up there in the and he said, 'When it came to me I read it in Dhu Tuwa.,2 bringing it near
morning he will have been kept back by force and the other two must go and holding it at arms' length and could make nothing of it until I said,
on." 'Ayyash and I duly arrived there, but Hisham was kept back and "0 God, make me understand it!". Then God put it into my heart that it
succumbed to the temptation to apostatize. had been sent down concerning us and what we were thinking and \vhat
was being said about us. So I returned to my camel and rejoined the
I This seems to be an allusion to Sura 10. 29.
:1 About 10 miles from Mecca. From yaq. i. 875. 13 al-TanaQub would seem to be a place, apostle who was then in Medina (264).'
or at any rate a landmark, near by. 3 About 6 miles from Mecca. I Sura 39. 54-56. Z A place in the lower part of Mecca.
218 The Life of Muhammad
THE LODGEMENTS OF THE EMIGRANTS IN MEDINA PART III
321 'Vmar accompanied by various members of his family, and his brother
THE HIJRA
Zayd, and 'Amr and 'Abdullah the sons of Suraqa b. al-Mu'tamir, and
Khunays b. UudhMa al-Sahmi (who had married 'Umar's daughter
THE CAMPAIGNS FROM MEDINA
!:Iaf~a whom the apostle married after the death of her husband), and
Waqid b. 'Abdullah al-Tamimi an ally of theirs, and Khauli and Malik THE OCCUPATION OF MECCA
b. Abi'l Khauli, two allies (265), and four sons of al-Bukayr, namely
Iyas, '."qil, 'Amir, and Khalid; and their allies from B. Sad b. Layth; THE CONQUEST OF ARABIA
when they arrived at Medina stayed with Rita'a b. 'Abdu'I-Mundhir b.
Zanbar among B. 'Amr b. 'Auf in Qubii'. 'Ayyiish also stayed with him THE DEATH OF THE PROPHET
when he came to Medina.
Then came successive waves of emigrants: Tall:ta b. 'Ubayd Allah b.
'Uthman; i;3uhayb b. Sinan stayed with Khubayb b. IsM brother of the B.
al-!:Iarith b. al-Khazraj, in al-Sunl:t. Others deny this and say that
Tall:ta stayed with As'ad b. Zurara brother of the B. aI-Najjar (266).
322 The following stayed with Kulthum b. Hidm brother of B. 'Amr b.
'Auf in Qubii' :!:Iamza b. 'Abdu'I-Mugalib; Zayd b. !:Iaritha; Abc\ Mar-
thad Kannaz b. !:Ii~n (z67); and his son Marthad of the tribe Ghani, allies
of I:Iarnza; Anasa; and Aba Kabsha, freedmen of the apostle. Other
reports are that they stayed with Sad b. Khaythama; and that !:Iamza
stayed with As'ad b. Zurara.
The following stayed with 'Abdullah b. Salama brother of the Banu
'Ajlan in Quba': 'Ubayda b. al-!:Iarith and his brother aI-Tufayl; al-
I;Iu~ayn b. al-/:!arith; Mislal:t b. Uthath" b. 'Abbad b. al-Mugalib;
Suwaybil b. Sad b. /:!uraymila brother of B. 'Abdu'l-Dar: Tulayb b.
'Umayr brother of the B. 'Abd b. Qu~ayy; and Khabbab, freedman of
'Utba b. Ghazwan.
With Sa'd b. al-Rab!' brother of the B. al-I;Iarith b. al-Khazraj in the house
of the latter stayed 'Abdu'l-Ral:tman b. 'Auf with some male emigrants.
With Mundhir b. Muhammad b. 'Uqba b. Ul:tayl:ta b. al-Julal:t in
al-'U~ba the dwelling of the B. Jal:tjabii, stayed al-Zubayr b: al-'Awwam
and Abu Sabra b. Abu Ruhm b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza.
With Sad b. Mu'adh b. al-Nu'man brother of the B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal in
their dwelling stayed Mu~'ab b. 'Umayr b. Hashim brother of the B.
'Abdu'l-Diir.
323 With 'Abbad b. Bishr b. Waqsh brother of the B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal in
the latter's dwelling stayed Abu /:!udhayfa b. 'Utba b. Rab!', and his
freedman Salim; and 'Utba b. Ghazwan b. Jabir (268).
With Aus b. Thabit b. al-Mundhir, brother of /:!assan b. Thabit in the
dwelling of B. aI-Najjar stayed 'Uthman b. 'Alfan. This was the reason why
J:Iassan was so fond of 'Uthman and lamented him when he was slain.
It is said that the celibate emigrants stayed with Sa'd b. Khaythama
because he himself was unmarried; but God knows best about that.
I In the upper part of Medina.
THE HIJRA OF THE PROPHET

After his companions had left, the apostle stayed in Mecca waiting for
permission to migrate. Except for Abu Bakr and 'Ali, none of his supporters
were left but those under restraint and those who had been forced to aposta-
tize. The former kept asking the apostle for permission to emigrate and
he would answer, 'Don't be in a hurry; it may be that God will give you
a companion.' Abii Bakr hoped that it would be Muhammad himself.
When the Quraysh saw that the apostle had a party and companions
not of their tribe and outside their territory, and that his companions
had migrated to join them, and knew that they had settled in a new home
and had gained protectors, they feared that the apostle might join them,
since they knew that he had decided to fight them. So they assembled
in their council chamber, the house of Qu~ayy b. Kilab where all their
important business was conducted, to take counsel what they should do in
regard to the apostle, for they were now in fear of him.
One of our companions whom I have no reason to doubt told me on the
authority of 'Abdullah b. Abii Naji!). from Mujahid b. Jubayr father of
al-I:Iajjaj; and another person of the same character on the authority of 324
'Abdullah b. 'Abbiis told me that when they had fixed a day to come to a
decision about the apostle, on the morning of that very day which was
called the day of al-Za!).ma the devil came to them in the form of a hand-
some old man clad in a mantle and stood at the door of the house. When
they saw him standing there they asked him who he was and he told them
that he was a shaykh from the highlands who had heard of their intention
and had come to hear what they had t9 say and perhaps to give them
counsel and advice. He was invited to enter and there he found the
leaders of Quraysh. From B. 'Abdu Shams were 'Utba and Shayba sons
of Rab!'a; and Abii Sufyan. From B. Naufal b. 'Abdu Maniif Tu'ayma
b. 'Adiy; Jubayr b. Mut'im; and al-J:Iarith b. 'Amir b. Naufal. From B.
'Abdu'l-Dar al-Nadr b. al-J:Iarith b. Kalada. From B. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-
'Uzza Abu'I-Bakhtari b. Hisham and Zam'a b. al-Aswad b. al-Mullalib;
and J:Iakim b. J:Iizam. From B. Makhziim Abii Jahl b. Hisham. From
B. Sahm Nubayh and Munabbih the sons ;f al-J:Iajjaj. From B. Juma!).
Umayya b. Khalaf, and others including some who were not of Quraysh.
The discussion opened with the statement that now that Muhammad
had gained adherents outside the tribe they were no longer safe against
a sudden attack and the meeting was to determine the best course to
pursue. One advised that they should put him in irons behind bars and
then wait until the same Jate overtook him as befell his like, the poets
Zuhayr and Nabigha, and others. The shaykh objected to this on the
ground that news would leak out that he was imprisoned, and immediately
~his followers would attack and snatch him away; then their numbers
would so grow that they would destroy the authority of Quraysh altogether.
222 The Life of J11uharnrnad The I,if': of ;l1uhilllllllad 22]

325 They must think of another plan. Another man suggested that they should and, th~~1, :vent off on his .own aHairs. ~~an't YOIl sec what has happened
drive him out of the country. They did not care where he went or what to yOLt - 1 he:y put up their hands and felt the dust on their heads. Then
happened to him once he was out of sight and they were rid of him. They they began to. se~rch ~i11cl .sa_w 'Ali on th(; bed \\Tapped in the apostle's
could then restore their social life to its former state. Again the shaykh mantle and Said, By C.J"od It 1S lVIuhammad sleeping in his mantle.' Thus
objected that it was not a good plan. His fine speech and beautiful diction they remained until the morning when 'Ali rose f~orn the bed and then
and the compelling force of his message were such that if he settled \vith they realized that the man had told them the truth.
some Beduin tribe he would win them over so that they would follow him Among the verses of the Quran which God sent down about that day
and come and attack them in their land and rob them of their position and and what they had ~greed upon arc: 'And when the unbelicyers plot to
authority and then he could do \vhat he liked with them. They must shut thee l~P 01.- to kill thee :)1' to drin~ thee out they plot, but God plots
think of a better plan. . also, and Cod IS the best of plotters';1 and ;Ch thcy say he is a puet for
Thereupon Abu Jahl said that he had a plan which had not been whom :\'e may cxpect the misfortune of fate. Say: Go on expecting for
suggested hitherto, namely that each clan should provide a young, power- r am With you among the expectant' (26 9).2
ful, well-born, aristocratic warrior; that each of these should be provided I: "\vas then that Gud gave permission to his prophet to migrate. Nmv 3 2 7
with a sharp sword; then that each of them should strike a blow at him Abu ~3a~r was a r.nan of means, and at the time that he asked the apostle's
and kill him. Thus they "\-vould bc relieved of him, and responsibility p:rmlsslOn to ITIlg~ate ,and ~le replied' Do not hurry; perhaps God will
for his blood would lie upon all the clans. The B. 'Abdu l\lanaf could not give you a companIOn, hO~lng that the apostle meant himself he bought
fight them all and would have to accept the blood-money which they ~wo camels .and kept them tleu up in his house supplying them with fodder
would all contribute to. The shaykh exclaimed: 'The man is right. m preparatIOn for departure. '
In my opinion it is the only thing to do.' Having corne to a decision the A man whom I have no reason to doubt told me as from 'Urwa b. al-
people dispersed. Zubayr that 'A'isha said: The apostle used to go to AbLl Bakr's house
Then Gabriel came to the apostle and said: 'Do not sleep tonight on the f:very day either in the early morning or at night; but on the day when he
bed on which you usually sleep.' Before much of the night had passed was given permission to migrate from 1\:Iecca he came to us at noon, an
they assembled at his door waiting for him to go to sleep so that they hour at Wh1Ch he "\-vas not "\vont to come. As soon as he saw him Abu Bakr
might fall upon him. \Vhen the apostle sa"\v what they were doing he realized that something had happened to bring him at this hour. \Vhen
told 'Ali to lie on his bed and to wrap himself in his green I;Iac;lrami he came in Abu Bakr gave up his seat to him. Only my sister Asma'
mantle; for no harm would befall him. He himself used to sleep in this and I \\'erc there and the apostle asked him to send us alvay. 'But they
(Ire my two daughters and t.hey can do no harm, may my father and my
3 26 mantle.
Yazid b. Ziyad on the authority of 1\Tuhammad b. Ka'b. al-Qura;:;l told mother be your ransom,' Said 1\bll Bake 'God has given me permission
me that when they werc all olltside his door Abli Jahl said to them: to depart and migrate,' he ans\vereu. 'Together ?-, asked Abu Dakr
'Nluhammad alleges that if you foUm\' him you will be kings of the Arabs 'Together,' he replied. And by God before that day I had never sec~
and the Persians. Then after death you will he raised to gardens like those anyone weep for jOy' as ;\bl-1 Bakr wept then. At last 'he said, '0 prophet
of the Jordan. But if you do not fullmv him you will be slaughtered, and of God, these arc the two camels which I ]lave held in readiness for this.'
when you are raised from the dead you will be burned in the fire of hell.' f,o they hired 'Abdullah b. Arqar, a man of B. 'l-Di'l b. Bakr whose mother
The apof;tle came nut to them with a handful of dust saying: 'I do say was a woman of B. Sahm b. 'Amr, and a polytheist to lead them on the
that. You are one of them.' God took away their sight so that they could way, and they handed over to him their two camels and he kept them and
not sec him and he begim to sprinkle the dust on their heads as he recited Jed them until the appointed day came. 3
these verses: 'Ya Sin, by the wise Quran. Thou art of those that art sent : Sura ~. 3 0 : . . , 2 Sllra S2. JO.
on a f;traight path, a revelation of the }\1ighty the l\lerciful' as far as the A~ thiS p.oJnt .In Suhayh s commentary (ii, p. 2) there is a note of considerable impor-
ta~ce.m the hg~t It th~ows on the textual tradition of our author. It runs thus: Ibn Is/:1iiq
words' And we covered them and they could not see'. I \Vhen he had Bald (m a narratIOn 'vhlch does not come via Ibn I-lish1im) in a long, sound, traditiO" which
finished reciting not one of them but had dust upon his head. Then he ~ have shortc?ed that when Abu Ba~r migrated with the apostle he left llis daughters behind
III Mecca. \\'hen they got to Medllla the apostle sent Zuvd b. ILil-jtha and AbiJ. Raft his
went wherever he wanted to go and someone not of tlKir company came freedman; and Abu B.akr sent 'Abdullah b. Urayqit together with 500 dirhcn~s w(th which
up and asked them what they were waiting f(\1" there. \Vhen they said they b.?~ght a mount In Quda}d. ;\r,ri,-ed at l'vTecca they brought IIwuy Sauda d. of Zama'a
that they were waiting for l'vluhammad he said:' But good heavens I\luham- an~ Fatima1and Umm. Kulthurn. .~ isha said: ':-'ly mother came OlIt \\-itl1 them and Talha
b. Ubayda: 1ah t:av:lhng together; ~nd when we were in Qudayd the c~lmel on whir'h my
mad came out to you and put dust on the head of every single man of you mother Umm Ruman and I were riding in a litter, bolted, and my mother beg"HI1 to (T~
I Sura 36. I-S. Alas, my daughter, alas my hwsband! In the tradition of Yunus from Ibn Is/:1aq there i~s
224 The Life of Muhammad
The LIfe of kIuhammad
According to what I have been told nonc kne\v ,vhen the apostle left
except 'Ali and Abu Bakr and tbe latter's family. I bave bcard that the o f th e J'mn came from the lower ' t f 1\1 " 225
the Arab \V' A d I . par 0 '. eeca slnglIlg some verses in
apostle told 'All about his departure and ordered him to stay behind in voice but th:Y'co ~~ 0 peop~c were, f ollow1I1g him and liStening to his
Mecca in order to return goods which men had deposited with the apostle; Mecca saYin:theUwh~~~ see hIm) untll he cmerged from the upper part of
for anyone in l\lecca who had property which he ,vas anxious about left it
with him because of his notorious honesty and trust\vorthiness. God the Lord of men gl\,e
.. tile
" nest of hiS. rewards
'
\Vhen the apostle decided to go he came to Abu Bakr and the two of l o the two comp'l ' - h .
them left by a window in the back of the latter's house and made for a Th . . , . <nlOn~ \\ 0 rcsted In the two tents of Cmm l\Ia'bad
ey came WIth good mtent and went off at nightf 11 .
cave on Thaur, a mountain below Mecca. Having entered, Abu Bakr May M uh
amma( l ' lOll prosper!
s campall ., .
329 ordered his son 'Abdullah to listen to what people were saying and to
~1ay ~1e place of the Banu Ka'b's woman bring thcm luck
come to them by night with the day's news. He also ordered '..i \mir b. or s e was a look-out for the believers' (27 2 ). I
F uhayra, his freedman, to feed his flock by day and to bring them to them
in the evening in the cave. Asma' his daughter used to come at night with Asma' continued 'Wh' 'h d I .
food to sustain them (270). was making for 1'\/1'- d' enr \\-e car 11S words we knew that the apostle
The two of them stayed in the cave for three days. When Quraysh Bakr, 'Amir and 'A~~nlal: hfbhe;e were four of them: the apostle, Abu
Yalya ' u a .. ,"-rqat tlmr gUIde' ('~3)
missed the apostle they offered a hundred she-camels to anyone who I b '\Ib-d b 'A 'I .
'Abbid told ~) a h bdullah b. al-Zubayr told me that his father
\vould bring him back. During the day 'Abdullah was listening to their 1m t h at IS grandmother A'Tll'-' ,,' I '\Vl
plans and conversation and would come at night with the ne\vs. '.Amir went forth with Abu Bakr th 1. ,., .. ,,:-i d .Sdll: .. 1C,Il the apostle
used to pasture his flock with the shepherds of Mecca and when night amount of five or six e atte,l call1cd all hiS money \\"1th him to the
who had 10 t h" thousand dlrhams. :\-ly grandfather Abu Quh:ifa
fell would bring them to the cave where they milked them and slaughtered
Bakr had p~t IS s,gh~.~m~ to call on us saying that he thought that .lbu
some, When' Abdullah left them in the morning to go to Mecca, 'Amir
would take the sheep over the same route to cover his tracks. Vlhcn the he had left us ;~e:~ a I' eu ty b~ taking off all his money. I told him that
o
three days had passed and men's interest waned, the man they had hired niche where Abu- BYk kmoneh~' nd I took some stones and put them in a
a r ept IS mane . th I
came with their camels and one of his own. Asma' came too with a bag and took his han i d 'd" . y, en covered them with a cloth 331
of provisions; but she had forgotten to bring a rope, so that when they did so and said, \'~~erSa,1 , P~t your hand on this money, father." He
started she could not tie the bag on the camel. Thereupon she undid her leaving you this 'and e s, nothmg to \\ony about; he has done well in
but I wanted t~ :et th~U \1'1'11l ha\e en?ugh." In fact he had left us nothing
girdle and using it as a rope tied the bag to the saddle. For this reason
she got the name 'She of the girdle' (271).
( man s mmd at rest'
AI-Zuhri told me that' >\bdu'l- RIc . - . ,
,
m ln
When Abu Bakr brought the two camels to the apostle he offered the from his fathcr from his u' I. S ~ 1 'b b. _1\.I a11k b. Ju shurn told him
, ne e , uraqa l\hhk b J 'h '\\1
better one to him and invited him to ride her. But the apostle refused to apostle migrated Q h if , ..' . u::. unL . 1en the
ride an animal which was not his own and \vhen Abu Bakr wanted to give who would bring hr~a~s ~ ;~;~I.t l~e\\'.ard ?f.a h~ll1dred cameL.., to anyone
him it he demanded to know what he had paid for it and bought it from one of our men came upaacnd' t i e I \\a.s s lttll1g 111 my pcople's assemblv
s oppet s,vmg "13 . G 11' . ,
him. They rode off, and AbU. Bakr carried'Amir his freedman behind him riders passing. I th,nk tl ' < J , )' Joe, \'e Just seen three
to act as a servant on the journey. I gave h' . k '" lCy must. be IVlu!l',1l11I1UC
1
., J anc l Ilis. companions."
lIn a WIn enJornmg sIlence and said "'1'1
I was told that AsmiI' said, 'When the apostle and Abu Bakr had gone, looking for a lost camel" "P er h .. ' . 1ey are the so-and-so
a number of Quraysh including Abu Jahl came to us and stood at the door. I remained there Co h . h.l aps so, he sale! and remained silent.
11 r a sOrt w Ie' then l t d
When I went out to them they asked where my father was and when I ordered my horse to be t I , go up an Went to my house and
said that I did not know AbU. Jahl, who was a rough dissolute man, of the valley Th' I go kready, for ,t was tethered for me in the bottom
. en as cd for my weap' I]
330 slapped my face so violently that my earring flew off. Then they took from the baek of th Th < ons anc t ICy were brought
e rOOm en I t 0 k j' . .
themselves off and we remained for three days without ne\vs until a man out, having put on my a . Th 1 Iny C lVlD1I1g arrows anu went
Came the arrow ,\.h,ch Irmdodur. en cast th~ divining arrows and out
mention of this hadith. In it 'A'isha said 'I heard a voice but could see no one . .', and she I not Want "D h h "I .

goes on to describe how they came to :\ledina and found the apostle building a mosque and
same again and got the sam I I' a l:n no arm. I dru the
e rcsu t \vas hop' t b 1.
houses for himself. 'I stayed with Abu Bakr's family and Sauda in her own house, and Abu Quraysh so that I mi ht ".,. h h . ng a [[ng llIn back to
Bakr asked the apostle if he would not build for his family, and when he said that he would 'I d . . g n t e undred camels reward
if he had the money Abu Bakr gave him 12 okes and 20 dirhems.' This tradition from ro e In pursUit of him and" h h .
, en my Orse was going at a good pace
'X'isha comes via Ibn Abii'IZinad from Hisham b. 'Urwa from his father.
I Some mark indicating this woukl be 0 h
B 4080 n t carrow.
Q
226 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 227
he stumoled and threw me. I thought this was somewhat unusual so .M~S'iid b., Hunayda. From 'Arj the guide took them to Thaniyyatu'l-
I resorted to the divining arrows again and out came the detestaple "Do A Ir~ 280) to the rIght of Rakiiba until he brought them down to the valley
him no harm." But I refused to be put off and rode on in pursuit. Again of RI m; thence to Quba' to B. 'Amr b. 'Auf on Monday 12th Rabi'u'l-
my horse stumbled and threw me, and again I tried the arrows with the awwal at high noon.'
same result. I I rode on, and at last as I saw the little band my horse Muhammad b. Ja'far b. al-Zubayr from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr from
stumbled with me and its forelegs went into the ground and I fell. Then 'Abdu'I-Ra\1man b. 'Uwaymir b. Sa'ida told me, saying, 'Men of my tribe
as it gOt its legs out of the ground smoke arose like a sandstorm. When who were the apostle's companions told me, "When we heard that the
33Z I saw that I knew that he was protected against me and would have the apostle had left Mecca and we were eagerly expecting his arrival we used 334
upper hand. I called to them saying who I was and asking them to wait t~ go out after morning prayers to our lava tract beyond our land to await
for me' and that they need have no concern, for no harm would come to hIm. This we did until there was no more shade left and then we went
them f;om me. The apostle told Abu Bakr to ask what I wanted and I said, indoors in the hot season. On the day that the apostle arrived we had sat
"Write a document for me which will be a sign between you and me" as we always had until there being no more shade we went indoors and
and the apostle instructed Abu Bakr to do so. then the apostle arrived. The first to see him was a Jew. He had seen what
'He wrote it on a bone, or a piece of paper, or a potsherd and threw it to we were in the habit of doing and that we were expecting the arrival of
me and I put it in my quiver and went back. I kept quiet about the whole the apostle and ?e called out at the top of his voice '0 Banu Qayla your
affair until when the apostle conquered Mecca and finished with al-Ta'if and luck has come! So we went out to greet the apostle who was in the
I:Iunayn I went out to give him the document and I met him in al-Ji'rana. Z shadow of a palm-tree with Abu Bakr who was of like age. Now most
'I got among a squadron of the An~ar cavalry and they began to beat of us had never see,n the apostle and as the people crowded round him
me with their spears, saying, "Be off with you; what on earth do you want?" they did not know him from Abu Bakr until the shade left him and Abu
However, I got near to the apostle as he sat on his camel and his shank Bakr got up with his mantle and shielded him from the sun and then we
in his stirrup looked to me like the trunk of a palm-tree. I lifted my hand knew." , ,
with the document, saying what it was and what my name was. He said"It The apostle, so they say, stayed with Kulthum b, Hidm brother of the
is a day of repaying and goodness. Let him come near." So I approached B. 'Amr b. 'Auf, one of the B. 'Ubayd. Others say he stayed with Sa'd
him and accepted Islam. Then I remembered something that I wanted b. Khaythama. Those who assert the former say that it was only because he
to ask him. All I can remember now is that I said "Stray camels used to left Kulthum to go and sit with the men in Sa'd's house (for he was a
come to my cistern which I kept full for my own camels. Shall I get a ?~chel.or and housed the apostle's companions who were bachelors) 'that
reward for having let them have water?1J "Yes," he said, "for watering It IS sald that he stayed with Sa'd, for his house used to be called the house
every thirsty creature there is a reward." Then I returned to my people of the hachelors. But God knows the truth of the matter.
and brought my alms to the apostle' (274). Abu .~akr stayed with Khubayb b. IsH, one of the B. al-I:Iarith b. al-
Their guide, 'Abdullah b. Arqal, took them below Mecca; then along KhazraJ In al-Sun\1. Some say it was with Kharija b. Zayd b. Abu Zuhayr
333 the shore until he crossed the road below 'Usfan; then below Amaj; then brother of the B. al-I:Iarith. '
after passing Qudayd by way of al-Kharrar and Thaniyyatu'l-Marra to 'Ali stayed in Mecca for three days and nights until he had restored the
. Liqf (275). deposits whic~ the apostle held. This done he joined the apostle and 335
He took tbem past the waterhole of Liqf, then down to Madlajatu lodged WIth hIm at Kulthum's house. He stayed in Qubii' only a night or
Ma!)aj (276), then past.Marji\1 Ma!)iij, then down to Marji\1 of.Dhii'l- two. He used to say that in Quba' there was an unmarried Muslim woman
Ghadwayn (z77), then the valley of Dhn Kashr; then by al-Jadajid, then and he noticed that a man used to come to her in the middle of the night
al-Ajrad, then Dhn Salam of the valley of A'da', the waterhole of Ta'hin, and knock on her door; she would come out and he would give her some~
then by al-'Ababid (278), then by way of al-Fiijja (279)' Then he took thmg. He felt very suspicious of him and asked hel what was the meaning
them down to al-'Arj; and one of their mounts having dropped behind,
of thiS lllghtly performance as she was a Muslim woman without a husband
a man of Aslam, Aus b. I:Iujr by name, took the prophet to Medina on his
She told him that the man was Sahl b. l:Iunayf b. Wahib who knew tha;
camel which was called Ibn al-Rida', sending with him a ,ervant called
she was all alone and he used to break up the idols of his tribe at I1-ight and

I This story is cast in the familiar form of the story-teller: the same words are repeated
again and again until the climax is reached. In the translation given above the sense is given n. I Yet a third possibility is alGhiibir, T. 1237, following 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr. Cf Yii
111. 596 and I.H.'s note. . q.
-not the repetitions.
:I A place near Mecca on the road to al-Ta"if. z T.h~s paragraI?h Occurs under the heading' Ibn Hisham said'. But clearly it belongs to
the ongmal narrative, one of I.H.'s characteristic interpolations occurring in the middle of it.
"
228 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of .Muhammad
bring her the pieces to use as fuel. 'Alt" used to talk of this incident until
Sahl died in Iraq while he was with him. Hind b. Sa'd b. Sahl b. J:lunayf As they built, the l\Iuslims sang a raJaz verse:
told me this story from what 'Ali said. There's no life but the life of the next world.
The apostle stayed in Quba' among B. 'Amr b. 'Auf from Monday to o God, have mercy on the an~ar and the muhajira (28r).
Thursday and then he laid the foundation of his mosque. Then God
brought him out from them on the Friday. The B. 'Amr allege that he The apostle used to sing it in the form
stayed longer with them, and God knO\vs the truth of the matter. Friday There's no life but the life of the next world.
prayer found the apostle among B. Salim b. 'Auf and he prayed it in the
mosque which is in the bottom of the Wadi Ranuna'. This was the first
a God, have nlercy on the muhajirin an.d the an~ar.l
Friday prayer that he prayed in Medina. 'Ammar b. Yasir came in when they had ovedoa,jed b,m ,1 b . k
. 'Tl . . \VI 1 flC'S
'!tban b. Malik and 'Abbas b. 'Ubada b. !\adla with some of B. Salim saYlllg, ley arc kdlll1g me. They load me with burdens thev can';
b. 'Auf came and asked him to live with them and enjoy their wealth and carry themselves.' Umm Salama the: prophd's wife 5'[(} I : . I
tl . I' h ' .< sa \\ t ie
protection, but he said, 'Let her go her way,' for his camel was under apos e I,un 11S a~d through Ius hair-for. he Was a curIy'-haired ffi.'lll-
God's orders; so they let her go until she came to the home of B. Bayada, anddsaYf Alas Ibn Sumayya! It is not they who will kill yOU but a wicked
b an a mcn.'2 "
where he was met by Ziyad b. Labid and Farwa b. 'Amr with some of their
clansmen. They gave the same invitation and met with the same reply. 'Ali composed a rajaz verse on that day:
The same thing happened with B. Sa'ida when Sad b. 'Ubada and There: s one that labours night and day
336 al-Mundhir b. 'Amr invited him to stay; and with B. 'l-J:larith b. al- To budd us mosques of brick and clay
Khazraj represented by Sa'd b. al-Rabi' and Kharija b. Zayd and 'Abdullah And One \vho turns from dust away! (282.)
b. RawaJ;1a; and with B. 'Adiy b. aI-Najjar (who were his nearest maternal
relatives the mother of 'Abdu'l-Mullalib Salma d. 'Amr being one of their And 'Ammar learned it and began to chant it.
women), being represented by Sali\ b. Qays and Abu Salil and Usayra b. . \:~en, h~ pl..T~~sted ,in it one. of. the prophet's companions thought that
Abu Kharija. Finally tbe camel came to the home of B. Malik b. aI-Najjar It \\as he: \\ho \\ .IS refcrreu to 111 Jt according to what Zi"'lu b ';\b 1 11'1
aIBkk-' ld j. ' .""ual
- a ~ 1 t~ , me rom Ibn Is1;aq. The latter had actually'named the man J
when it knelt at the door of his mosque, which at that time was used as a
drying-place for dates and belonged to two young orphans of B. ai-Najjar
of B. Malik clan, who were under the protection of Mu'adh b. 'Afra',
I He saId~, I have heard \vhat_ you, have been saying for a long time,
bn Suma) )a, and by God I thlllk I 11 hit vou on the 110"e I' ~j.-0\" 1 1 I
a
f k' l' h ' . '" . 1" 'lC laC a
Sahl and Suhayl the sons of 'Amr. When it knelt the apostle did not alight, SIC, In 11S and an,d the apostle was angry and said, '\Vhat is wron
and it got up and went a short distance. The apostle left its rein free, not ?c~:\een. them and, ,Ammar: He invites them to Paradise while thc~
guiding it, and it turned in its tracks and returned to the place where it had Illvlte hl~ to l:cll. Ammar IS as dear to me as my O\vn face If
knelt at first and knelt there again. It shook itself and lay exhausted with behaves lIke: tIllS he will not be forgivcn, so avoid h-im.' . a man
its chest upon the ground. The apostle alighted and Abu Ayyub Khalid b. Suf~'a~ b. 'l;yayna mentioned on the authority of Zakari\'a from
Zayd took his baggage into the house (T. The An~ar invited him to stay with al-Sha
TbIh that 'the first man to build a mosque. \'a5 '\m! - 1 v..:"
,: nar J. faSlr
them, but he said' A man (stays) with his baggage)' and tbe apostle stayed h e apostlL: I:ved in AbCI AY.'r'lib's house until his mosquc and dwciling-
with him. When he asked to whom the date-store belonged Mu'adh b. oUrse~ wcre bl~llt; then he removed to his own quarters. '
'Afra' told him that the owners were Sahl and Suhayl the sons of 'Amr who 1: aZld 11.: A~:~ I;Iabib from ::\Iarthad b. 'AbduJbh a1- Yazani from Ab(i
were orphans in his care and that he could take it for a mosque and he Ruhm aI-Sarna
1d 1 told me that Abu ")')'ub told 1,1ln '\.\')
,'. . - I apost Ie
lcn tle
would pay the young men for it. ~amei tZT 0 ge \\I:h mc 111 my house he occupied the ground floor while
337 The apostle ordered that a mosque should be built, and he stayed with .all( mm Ayyub were above. I said to him, "0 prophet of G~d, \.ou
Abu Ayyub until the mosque and his houses were completed. The ; Dy .this a]terati~n t~e rhymc and rhythm were destro\'ed. '
apostle joined in the \\'ork to encourage the Muslims to work and the .. ThiS prophecy IS Silld to havc been fulfllkJ \I'hen '.'\n,;n;jf WJS hlled '1( S,'I- . S 1 I-
ll, p_ 3- ' ., " , 1n,. llUy 1,
muhiiJirin and the an$tir laboured hard. One of the Muslims rhymed:
J Suhayli: SJ~:s: Ibn hJ.l;iq did name the man, but Ihn Ili,-;h:111l ) 'E' ,] . I
as not to n1entl{ln one of the fO l!Jl'". ,. . " , , F n If.fll not to (,() so so
If we sat dovm while the prophet worked what Ib 1,1.1.- .. ' ' . f' ) l.S (Ol1,p'-llllOns III d1~CfcJll'lbk L'nCUll1stillHT~ ie'
1~ 1.1111 S.l) SIll 11lS llltn,duClwn I Th'rd' ,.' ". . . ,.' ,"
It could be said that We had shirked.
, 11
his identity. AhC1 Dharr~ilvs' Ih ,1'1'-"
b 'Aff',-' T)" C-, '1'" l
J:J '
l. Ull It ,.II; 11('\CT be flh'ht to llHllJll'l: after
~l,lq(l na/llethcmanandsa1d'Tlllsman\\"a~'l'tIHl1;jn
",. 1<.. alf(J ~~( ltOfS S'IV lh t ' tJ':'vI '-J'j - .' ,
1517) the m3n issilid to be 'ljth~;iin btl ~~lz,l_e ;'\)\'11]1) al.]adu1l1)'J (al-(JiBtalLlnI, d. A.D.
1 T. 1259.7.
this point. ' . - 3. un. llS alt' wntn may safdy be ignofed on
230 The LIfe of Muhammad The Life of Aluhammad 2}1
are dear to me as my parents, and I am distressed that I should be above authority of Abu Salama b. 'Abdu'I-Ral;1man-God save me from attri-
and yoa below me. So leave your present quarters and exchange places but~ng to the a~ostlc words which he did not say-was as follows: be
with us." He replied: "0 Abu Ayyub, it is more convenient for me and praised and glonfied God as was His due and then said: 0 men, send
my guests that we should be on the ground floor of the house." So we forward (good .works) for yourselves. You koO\v, by God, that one of
remained as we were. Once we broke a jar of water and Umm Ayyub and you ma~' be smltte~ and will leave his flock without a shepherd. Then his
I took one of our garments to mop up the water in fear that it would drop L.a rd \vIll sa,Y to hI~-there \vill be no interpreter or chamberlain to veil
on the apostle and cause him annoyance. We had no cloth which we could him fr~m Him-Did not My apostle come to you with a message, and did
lise. not I gn'c y~u wealth. alld show you. favour? 'Vhat have you sent forward
'We used to prepare his evening meal and send it to him. \Vhen he for yourself. Then wdl he look to nght and left and see nothing; he will
returned what was left, Umm Ayyub and I used to touch the spot where look m front of hIm ~nd se~ nothing but hell. He \\'ho can shield his face
his hand had rested and eat from that in the hope of gaining a blessing. from the fire even \YIt? a little piece of date let him do so; and he who
One night we prepared for him onions or garlic and the apostle returned it cannot find that then wIth a good word; for the good deed will be rewarded
and I saw no mark of his hand in it. I went to him in some anxiety to tell tenfold yea to tWIce seven hundred fold.' Peace be upon you and God's
him of our practice and that this time there was no mark of his hand, and mercy and blessmg.
he replied that he had perceived the smell of the vegetables and he was a Then the apostle preached on another occasion as follows: Praise
man who had to speak confidentially to people but that we should eat them. belongs to God whom I praise and whose aid I implore. We take refuge in
So we ate the dish and never sent him onions again.' G~d from our O\yn sms and from the evil of our acts. He whom God
339 The emigrants followed one another to join the apc."tle, and none was gUIde.s none can I~ad astray; and whom He leads astray none can guide.
left in Mecca but those who had apostatized or been detained. v\;'hole I testify that t~cre IS no God but He alone, He is without companion. The
families with their property did not come together except the B. Ma~<un finest
I . speech IS the Book of God. He to whom God has~ rna <.Ie I't seem
from B. Juma1); the B. Ja1)sh b. Ri'ab, allies of B. Umayya; and the B. g onous and made him enter Islam after unbelief, who has chosen it above
Bukayr from B. Sa'd b. Layth, allies of B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b. Their houses in all other. speech of men, doth prosper. It is the finest speech and the.: most
Mecca were locked up \vhen they migrated, leaving no inhabitant. penctratlOg. Love what God loves. Love God \\ith all Your hearts and
When the B. Ja1)sh gave up their house Abu Sufyan went and sold it to weary. not of the ,I/OI'd of God and its mention. Harden- not your t:earts
'Amr b. 'Alqama brother of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy. When the owners heard fro~ It. Out of everything that God creates He chooses and ~elects; the
of this 'Abdullah b. Ja1)sh told the apostle of it, and he replied: 'Are you actIOns He chooses He calls hhira; the ,people He chooses He calls murtaPi;
not pleased tp.at God will give you a better house in Paradise?' And when and the spcec~ He chooses He calls ll'(7h(1. From everything that is brought
he answered Yes, he said, 'Then you have it.' \Vhen the apostle got to man t~ere IS. the lawful and the unlawful. 'Vorship God and associate 3 ..p
possession of l\1ecca Abu Al).mad spoke to him about their house; and the naught WIth HIm; fear Him a,s I Ie ought to be feared; Carry out loyally
apostle delayed his reply. People said to him, 'The apostle dislikes your to:v~rds God ",hat you say with your mouths. Love one.: another th~ i;
reopening the question of your property which you lost in God's service, splnt of God. Verily God is angry when His covenant is broken. Peace
so don't speak to him about it again.' Abu A1).mad said in reference to be upon you.
Abu Sufyan:
Tell AbU Sufyan of a matter he will live to regret. THE COVENANT BETWEEN THE :'HJSLIMS AND THE
You sold your cousin's house to pay a debt you owed.
MEDINAI\"S AND WITH THE JE\VS
Your ally by God the Lord of men swears an oath:
Take it, Take it, may [your treachery] cling to you like the ring of the !hc '-~PQst1e wrote a ~ocument concerning the emigrants and the helpers
dove. ~n whl.ch he made a fnendly agreement \vith the JC\Vs and established them
In theIr religion and their property. and stated the reciprocal obligations,
The apostle stayed in Medina from the month of Rabi'u'l-awwal to
as follows: In the name of God the Compassionate, the I\-lcrciful. This is a
Safar of the following year until his mosque and his quarters were built.
docume.nt from r\'luham~ad the prophet [governing the relations] between
This tribe of the An~ar all accepted Islam and every house of the An~ar
340 accepted Islam except Khalma, Waqif, Wa'il, and Umayya who were the
the belIevers and :.\'1usltms of Quravsh" and YathrI'b ,<and t1-.l1u.,e
" \\ .110
Aus Allah, a dan of Aus w>'o clung to their heathenism. I ~)r, perhaps simply 'se\"en hundredf()ld'. Ikn\ as in the rest of the sermon th .
allUSIOn t th Q Cf 6 ' , ere IS an
The fil st address whieh the apostle gave according to what I heard on the o e uran. 34, 3 where commentators dnTer as to the exact meaning of .Iif.
232 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 233
followed them and joined them and laboured with them. They are one alongside the believers. The Jews of the B. 'Auf are one community with
community (umma) to the exclusion of all men. The Quraysh emigrants the believers (the Jews have their religion and the Muslims have theirs),
according to their present custom shall pay the blood wit within their their freedmen and their persons except those who behave unjustly and
number and shall redeem their prisoners with the kindness and justice sinfully, for they hurt but themselves and their families. The same applies
COillmon among believers. to the Jews of the B. aI-Najjar, B. al-Harith, B. Sa'ida, B. Jusham, 13. 343
The B. 'Auf according to their present custom shall pay the bloodwit al-Aus, 13. Thalaba, and the Jafna, a clan of the Thalaba and the 13.
they paid in heathenism; every section shall redeem its prisoners with the al-Shutayba. Loyalty is a protection against treachef).... I The freedmen of
kindness and justice common among believers. The B. Sa'ida, the B. Tha'laba are as themselvEs. The close friends 2 of the Jews are as themselves.
'l-!:Iarith, and the B. Jusham, and the B. aI-Najjar likewise.' None of them shall go out to war save \vith the permission of I'vluhammad,
The B. 'Amr b. 'Auf, the B. al-Nabit and the B. al-'Aus likewise.' but he shall not be prevented from taking revenge for a wound. He who
Believers shall not leave anyone destitute among them by not paying slays a man without warning slays himself and his household, unless it be
342 his redemption money or bloodwit in kindness (283). one who has wronged him, for God will accept that. The Jews must bear
A believer shall not take as ~ln ally the freedman of another lVluslim their expenses and the Muslims their expenses. Each must help the other
against him. The God-fearing believers shall be against the rebellious or against anyone who attacks the people of this document. They must seek
him \\'ho seeks to spread injustice, or sin or enmity, or corr.uption bet\veen mutual advice and consultation, and loyalty is a protection against treachery.
believers; the hand of every man shall be against him even if he be a son A man is not liable for his ally's misdeeds. The wronged must be helped.
of one of them. A believer shall not shy a believer for the sake of an The Jews must pay with the believers so long as war lasts. Yathrib shall
unbeliever, nor shall he aid an unbeliever against a believer. God's pro- be a sanctuary for the people of this document. A stranger under pro-
tection is one, the least of them may give protection to a stranger on their tection shall be as his host doing no harm and committing no crime. .A
behalf. Believers arc friends one to the other to the exclusion of outsiders. woman shall only be given protection with the consent of her family. If
To the Jew who follows us belong help and e'luality. He shall not be any dispute or controversy likely to cause trouble should arise it must he
wronged nor shall his enemies be aided. The peace of the belicvers is referred to God and to ::'vIuhammad the apostle of God. God accepts
indivisible. No separate peace shall be made v.:htn: believers are fighting what is nearest to piety and goodness in this document. Quraysh and. their
in the way of God. Conditions must be fair and equitable to all. In every helpers shall not be given protection. The contracting parties are hound
foray a rider must take another behind him., The believers must avenge to help one another against any attack on Yathrib. If they arc called to
the blood of one another shed in the way of God. The God-fearing make peace and maintain it they must do so; and if they make a simibr
believers cnjoy the best and most upright guidance. No polytheist 3 shall demand on the l\Iuslims it must be carried out except in the else of a
take the property or person of Quraysh under his protection nor shall he holy war. Everyone shall have his portion from the side to which Ill'
intervene against a believer. ,",,'hosoever is con\ricteu of killing a believer belongs;3 the Jews of al-Aus, their freedmen and thl'nbclH'~ h:l\T the
without good reason shall be subject to retaliation unless the next of kin same standing with the people of this document in pure loyalty from the
is satisfied (with blood-money), and the helievers shall he against him as people of this document (284)'
one man, ami they are bound to take action against him. Loyalty is a protection against treachery: I Ie \\"ho acquires aught .H--1-
It shall not be lawful to a believer who holds by what is in this document acquires it for himself. God approvcs of thi::; dOCtlITH.'nt. This deed will
and believes in God and the last day to help an cvil-doer4 or to shelter him. not protect 4 the unjust and the sinner. The lTl<ln who g()e~ forth to fi:;ht
The curse of God and His anger on the day of resurrcction \vill be upon and the man who ~tays at home in the city"' is safl' unk"s hch:l;; hVl'n
him if he docs, and neither repentance nor ransom 5 will be received from unjust and sinned. God is the protector of the good and God-fearing man
him. \Vhenevc::r you differ about a matter it must be referred to God and and I\1uhammad is the :1pOStic of God.
to l\luhammad.
The Jews shall contribute to the cost of war so long as they are fighting I \Vellhallscn, Shi;:;;:;el1 II/Ill VOl"in!u'itfll, 'Ii, Berlin, I,sS'J, p. 70, fl'l1ul'rs 'L:lll~l'Ikl'it stdlt
vor Trllg' and accuso.:s Sprenger Hnd l"::rehl uf inex<ictlh'ss. ,". h;l~ 'sie mi.is~t'll 1'11,1I und
nicht schlecht handcln' where a gC/Ieral truth is in qtlestiun. Suhayli say~ the ll1l",lI1ing j~
I Thesc all belong to al-Khazraj. 2 Thesc all belong to al~Aus.
3 Presumably the heathen Arabs of :\1cdina arc referred to. 'Piety and loyalty stand in the \Vay of treachery' (ii. Ii).
2 For the meaning of this word cf. 51'). + where bi/iillil clearly has such J conIlot:ltion.
4 jHubdith. Commentators do not explain this word and it is somewhat obscure. Possibly
3 This is not cleat to Ille.
it means 'adulterer' here, though a wider meaning suits the context better. Cf. \\7. 690.
4 For this idioJll d. Sllra 6. 24.
5 See Lane, 168za. Originally the phrase referred to the bloodwit. 8arf meant compensa-
.I Or 'in !'v]cdina'. \Yhether \1l'dina is meant or not the passage stands sl'1f-condl'lllI1cd us
tion and 'adl thc slaying of a man in revenge. Finally it came to mean anything excessive,
so that here it would be sufficient to say 'no excuse would be received from him'. a later intvrpolatil!ll bCl"<\llSC the town is consistl:ntly ntlkJ l.athrib.
234 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 235
BROTHERHOOD BETWEEN EMIGRANTS AND HELPERS 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu'l-Ra!)man al-Khath'ami, more precisely one of the
The apostle instituted brotherhood between his fellow emigrants and the Faza'.
helpers, and he said according to \vhat I have heard~and I appeal to These are the men \\'ho were named to us as those to whom the
God lest I should attribute to him words that he did not say~'Let each apostle made his companions brothers.
~f you take a brothe,r in God.' He himself rook 'Ali by the hand and said, \Vhen 'Umar compiled the registers in Syria I3ilal had gone there and
This IS my brother. So God's apostle, the lord of the sent ones and leader remained as a combatant. He asked him with whom he \\'ished to be 346
of the God-fearing, apostle of the Lord of the worlds, the peerless and grouped and he said with Abu Ruway~a. 'I \vill never leave him, for the
unequalled, and 'Ali b. Abu Talib became brothers. J:lamza. the lion apostle established brotherhood between us.' So he was linked with him
of God and the lion of his apostle and his uncle, became the brother of and the register of the Abyssinians was linked \vith Khath'am because of
Zayd b. I:Hiritha the apostle's freedman. To him I:Iarnza gave his last BiHil's position v,"ith them, and this arrangement continues to this day in
testament on the day of UJ:1ud when battle was imminent in case he should Syria.
meet his death. Ja'far b. Abu Talib~the 'one of the wings' who was to
ABO UMA2\1A
fly in Paradise-and Mu'adh b. Jabal brother of B. Salama became
brothers (285). During the months in which the mosque was being built Abu lTmama
The pairs \verc arranged thus: As'ad b. Zurara died; he was seized by diphtheria and a rattling in thc
Abu Bakr and Kharija b. Zuhayr brother of B. 'l-J:larith b. al-Khazraj. throat.
'Umar and 'Itban b. Malik brother of B. Salim ... b. al-Khazraj. 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr b. Muhammad b. 'Amr b. Uazm told me on the
345 Abtl 'Ubayda, 'Amir b. 'Abdullah and Sa'd b. MU'ijdh b. al-Nu'man authority of Ya!)"a b. 'A':>dullah b. 'Abdu'l-Ra!)man b. As'ad b. Zmara
Abdu'I-Ral)man b. Auf and Sa'd b. al-Rabi' brother of B. al-I:Iarith .. that the apostle said: 'lIow unfortunate is the death of AbCl Umama!
The Jews and the Arab hypocrites are sure to say "If he were a prophet
AI-Zubayr b. al'Awwam and Salama b. Salama b. Waqsh brother of B.
his companion would not die" and (truly) I have no power from God for
'Abdu'I-Ashhal though others say that he linked up with 'Abdullah b.
myself or for my companion (to avert death).'
Mas'lld the ally of the B. Zuhra.
'A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada al-An~ari told me that when Abu Umama died
'Uthrn'ln b. 'Affan and Aus b. Thabit b. al-Mundhir brother of B.
the B. al-I\Tajjar came to the apostle, for Abu Umama \vaS theirleader, saying
aI-Najjar. Tal!)a b. 'Ubaydullah and Ka'b b. M'llik brother of the B.
Salama. that he held the high rank the apostle knew of and would'he appoint some-
one from among them to act in his place; to \vhich the apostle replied, 'You
Sa'd b. Zayd b. 'Amr b. Nufayl and Ubayy b. Ka'b brother of the B.
aI-Najjar. are my maternal uncles, and we belong together so I will be your leader.'
Mu~'ab b. 'T'mayr and Abll Ayyub Khalid b. Zayd brother of the B. al-
The apostle did not \vant to prefer anyone of them to the others. Hence-
Najjar Abll J:ludhayfa b. 'etba and 'Abbad b. Bishr b. Waqsh, brother of
forth the B. aI-Najjar regarded themselves as highly honoured in having
the B. 'Abdu'I-Ashhal. the apostle as their leader.
'Ammar h. Yasir ally of the B. l\lakhzum and I-Tudhavfa b. aI-Yarnan
brother of B. 'Abdu 'Abs ally of the B. 'Abdu'l-Asilhal. ~(Others say that THE CALL TO PRAYER
Thabit b. Qays b. al-Sharnmas brother of the B. al-J:larith b. al-Khazraj
the prophet's orator and 'Amm,'if b. Yasir.) "Then the apostle was firmly settled in l\"~cdina and his brethren the
Abu Dharr, Burayr b. Junada al-Ghifari and al-l\Iundhir b. 'Amr, emigrants wcre gathered to him and the affairs of the helpers WCfe arranged
'he who hastened to his death', brother of B. Sa'ida of al-Khazraj Islam became firmly established. Prayer was instituted, tht: alms tax and
(286). fasting were prescribed, legal punishments fixed, the forbidden and the
Ha1ib b. Abu Balta'a, ally of B. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza and 'Uwaym permitted prescribed, and Islam took up its abode \vith them. It \\<-IS this 3+7
b. Sa'ida brother of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf. clan of the helpers who 'have taken up their abode (in the city of the prophet)
Salman the Persian and Abii'l-Darda' 'Uwaymir b. Tha'laba brother of and in the faith'. I V,Then the apostle first came, the people gathered to
B, al-I:Iarith (287)' Some say 'Uwaymir was the son of 'Amir or of Zavd, him for prayer at the appointed times without being summoned. At first
Rilal freedman of Ab(i Bakr and the apostle's muezzin and Ab(i Ruwayba l the apostle thought {:If using a trumpet like that of the Jews who used it to
I A kllnya characteristic of a negro, 'the father of the faint smell', Cf. II. Lamml~ns, summon to prayer. Afterwards he disliked the idea and ordered a clapper
L'Arabie occidenlale avant [,lIcgire, p. 246.
1 SClra 5'). 'J.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 237
to be made, so it was duly fashioned to be beaten when the Muslims should a mosque of it, allowing no unclean person to enter. He said that he
pray. worshipped the Lord of Abraham when he abandoned idols and loathed
Meanwhile 'Abdullah b. Zayd b. Tha'laba b. 'Abdu Rabbihi hrother of them. 'Vhen the apostle came to l\1edina he became a good l\luslim. He \yas
B. al-I:Iarith heard a voice in a dream, and came to the apostle saying: an old man, who always spoke the truth and glorified God in paganism.
'A phantom visited me in the night. There passed by me a man wearing He composed some excellent poetry and it was he who said:
two green garments carrying a clapper in his hand, and I asked him to sell Said Abu Gays when near to depart 349
it to me. \Vhen he asked me what I wanted it for I told him that it \vas Perform all you can of my behest.
to summon people to prayer, \vhereupon he offered to shO\v me a better I enjoin piety, the fear of God, and
way: it was to say thrice "Allah Akbar. I bear witness that there is no The preservation of your honour, but picty comes first.
God but Allah I bear witness that Muhammad is the apostle of God. If your people hold authority envy them not.
Come to prayer. Come to prayer. Come to divine service. I Come to If vou vourselves rule, be just.
divine service. Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar. There is no God but Allah".' If ~ cal~mity befall, your people,
\Vhen the apostle was told of this he said that it \vas a true vision if God Put yourselves in the front of your tribe.
so willed it, and that he should go with Dil5.l and communicate it to him If a heavy duty falls on them help them
so that he might call to prayer thus, for he had a more penetrating voice. And bear thc burdens they put upon you.
\Vhen Bilal acted as muezzin 'Cmar heard him in his house and came If you are poor, practise austerity.
to the apostle dragging his cloak on the ground and saying that he had seen If you have money be generous with it (290).
precisely the same vision. The apostle said, 'God be praised for that!'
I was told of this tradition by Muhammad b. IbrahIm b. al-!:Iarith on He also said:
the authority of Muhammad b. 'Abdullah b. Zayd b. Tha'laba himself Praise God at every dawn
(288). \Vhen His sun rises and at the ne\v moon.
3+8 Muhammad b. Ja'far b. al-Zuhayr told me on the authority of 'Drwa l1e knows \\'hat is clear and not clear to us.
b. al-Zubayr from a woman of 13, al-::\ajjar who said: ~'Iy house was the \Vhat our Lord says is without error.
highest of those round the mosque and Bilal used to give the call from His are the birds ;vhich fly to and fro and shelter
the top of it at dawn every day. He used to come before daybreak and In nests in their mountain retreats.
would sit on the housetop "\vaiting for the dawn. \Vhen he saw it he woulJ His are the wild creatures of the desert
stretch his arms and say, '0 God, I praise thee and ask thy help for Quraysh Which you see on the dunes and in the shade of sandhills.
that they may accept thy religion.' 1 nl'ver knew him to omit these words Him the Jews worship and follow
for a single night. Every dreary custom you can think aLI
Him the Christians vmrship and keep
ABU QAYS B. ABO A~AS Every feast and festival to their Lord.
His is the self-denying monk you sec,
\Vhcn the apostle was established in his house and God had manifested A prisoner of misery though once right happy.
his religion therein and made him gbd with the company of the l'migrants 1'v1y sons, sever not the bonds of kinship.
and helpers Abl"i Qays spoke the following verses (289). Be generous though they are mean. 2
He \vas a man who had lived as a monk in heathen days and \vorn a Fear God in dealing with defenceless orphans
black mantle of camel-hair, given up idols, washed himself after impurity, Often the forbidden is regarded as lawful.
kept himself clean from women in their courses. He had thought of Know that the orphan has an All-knowing protector
adopting Christianity but gave it up and \vent into a house of his and made Who guides aright without being asked.
Devour not the wealth of orphans,
1 FI<iJ;. This word is generally rendcred 'salvation' or 'prosperity'; cf. Lane, 2-139a.
But it has always seemed to me that it must be an arabiz~~d form of the Aramaicpli/?/ti/lll, A mighty protector watches over the same.
diYine worship. Its original meaning is clearly cutting, especially ploughing. Among Ara
In~ic-sre;Jking ]l'\\'s anu Christians it \\as connct"tnl with the servin' of Ciod. lktwl'ell the I A. Dh. explains that 'ual, a wearisome incurable disease, is a metaphor.
words 'Come to the jaM!1 and Allah Akbar' the Shi'a cry 'Come to tlw best work Cmnal)' 2 Commentators differ on the meaning of this phrase. Another possihility i~ 'Though
which must surdy be a memory of the original meaning of jaldh. 1. Sayyidi'J-:K'iis 'UYUTlU'!- their pedigree is short their hearts arc generous'. All through these verses one feds that the
Arhar, Cairo, 13S6, i. 204, quotes this story in what appears to be a more primitive form. wretched rhymester is imprisoned within his rhymes.
The Life of ,Huhaml/lad The Life of iVluhammad 239
l\:ly sons, transgress not the proper lirnits (T. 'Ali b. ~vlujahid said on the authority of l\:l11hammad b. 1s0aq from T. 12S3.
Transgressing the bounds brings one to a halt. al-Zuhri and from l\luhammad b. :)alil) from al-Sha'bl that they both said:
35 a my sons, trust not the days. The B. Isma'll dated from the fire of Abraham to the building of the
Envare their treachery and the passage of time. temple when Abraham and Isma'll built it; then they oated from the
Knmv that it consumes all creation, building of the temple until they dispersed, and it happened that when-
Both the new and the old. ever people left Tihama they dated from their leaving it, and those who
Liye your lives in piety and godliness. remained in Tihama of B. Isma'il used to date from the going out of
Abandon obscenity and hold fast to what is right. I Sad and C'Jahd and Juhayna of B. Zayd from Tihama until Ka'b b. Lu'ayy
died. Then they dated from the death of Ka'b to the elephant. The dating
In the following poem he mentioned how God had honoured them with from the time of the elephant continued until 'Umar b. al-Khanab dated
Islam and His special favour in sending His apostle to them: from the Hijra which \vas the year 17 or 18. 1
I Ie abode among Quraysh some ten years
Hoping for a friend to help him. THE NAMES OF THE JEWISH ADVERSARIES
He displayed himself to those who came to the fairs
About this time the Jewish rabbis showed hostility to the apostle in envy, 351
But found none to offer him hospitality.
hatred, and malice, because God had chosen His apostle from the Arabs.
But when he came to us God displayed his religion
They were joined by men from al-Aus and al-Khazraj \vho had obstinately
And he became happy and contented in ::\Iedina. z
clung to their heathen religion. They were hypocrites, clinging to the
He found friends and ceased to long for home
polytheism of their fathers denying the resurrection; yet when Islam
And was plainly helped by God. 3
appeared and their people flocked to it they \vere compelled to pretend
He told us what Noah said to his people
to accept it to save their lives. But in secret they were hypocrites whose
And what I\Ioses answered when he was called.
inclination was towards the Jews because they considered the apostle a liar
None ncar at hand need he fear
and strove against Islam.
And those afar he reeked not of. 4
It was the Jewish rabbis who used to annoy the apostle with questions
\Ve spent on him the best of our possessions,
and introduce confusion> so as to confound the truth with falsin'. The
Sparing not our lives in war at his side.
Quran used to come dovl'l1 in reference to these questions of theirs,~though
\Ve knO'v that there is nought beside God
some of the questions about \vhat was allowed and forbidden came from
And we knmv that God is the best guide.
the Muslims themselves. These are the names of those Jews;
We shall fight any man tbat fights Him,
From B. al-:t\~a~l1r: I:Iuyayy b. Akhtab and his brothers Abll Yasir and
Be he our dearest friend.
Judayy; Sallam b. Misbkam; Kinana b. al-Rabi' b. Abfl']-lIu'layq;
In every mosque when I pray to Thee
SalHim b. Abu.'I-I:Iuqayq Abll Rafi' al-.~'war whom the apostle's com-
I say Blessed art Thou (Oft have I mentioned Thy name).
panions killed in Khaybar; al-Rabl' b. al-Rabl' h. Abll'I-I.Iuqayq; 'Amr
I say when I traverse a land I fear
b. Ja~J:1ash; Ka'b b. al-i\shraf who belonged to Tay', of the clan of B.
'I\1ercy! Let not my enemies triumph over me.'
Nabhan, his mother being from B. al-Nac;lir; al-l:Iajjaj b. 'Anu, an ally of
Go where you \vill death comes in many.guises
Kab; and Kardam b. Qays, an ally of Ka'b.
And you cannot live for ever.
From B. Thalaba b. al-Fi\yaun: 'Abdullah b. Sllriya the one-eyed \\ho
A man does not know how to protect himself
w?" the most learned man of his time in the Hijaz in Torah studies; Ibn
Unless he makes God his protector.
~alu.ba; and l\;Iukhayriq their rabbi who became a l\iluslim.
The palm that needs waterS cares naught for its owner
From B. Qaynuqa': Zayd b. al-Lasit (29'); Sa'd h. I:Iunayf; Mal.unfld
If it has moisture, though he be dead (291).
b. Say!)an; 'Uzayr b. Abu 'Uzayr; and Abdullah b. Sayf (292). Su\\ayd b. 35'
I The influence of Syriac as in the words shammasa and tukhlllrl is clear, and some of the al-l;Iarith; Rifa'a b. Qays; Fin!)a,; Ashya'; Nu'man b. Ada; Ba1}riy b.
verses are reminiscent of the Psalms.
I This paragraph is part of a long chapter which T. de\"otes to the question of chronology
Z Tiba, 'the Fragrant', is the ancient honorific of :\1edina. Cf. I;Iassan's opening line on
p. 1022, 'In Tiba arc the monuments of his luminous sojourn'. in reference to the principal events in the prophet's life. It is put herc because the last
3 \V.'s text 'III' was a plain help to us from God' seems inferior to the C. text.
passage he quates from I.I. is the poem of Abu Qays mentioning the length of the rrophet's
4 The verse is just as banal in the original.
sojourn in .\1ecca after the beginning of his mission; the connexion with chronologv is
obvious. .
S I follow C. in reading mu'ima for \V.'s muqima, and tGwiya for thdwiya 'standing'.
The Life of Muhammad 24'
240 The Life of Muhammad
the prophet who we have been told will be sent at this very time 1" and
'Amr; Sha's b. 'Adiy; Sha's b. Qays; Zayd b. al-J:Hirith; Nu'man b. 'Amr;
she accepted my assurance that he was. Straightway I went to the apostle
Sukayn b. Abi-' Sukayn; 'Adiy b. Zayd; Nu'man b. Abu Aufa; Abcl Anas;
and became a Muslim, and when I returned to my house I ordered my
Mal;mud b. Dal;ya; Malik b. i:>ayf (293). Ka'b b. Rashid; 'Azar; Rafi'
family to do the same.
b. Abu Rafi'; Kbiilid; A2ar b. Abu Azar (294); Rafi' b. Haritba; Rafi' b.
'I concealed the matter from the Jews, and then went to the apostle
!:luraymila; Rafi' b. Kharija; Malik b. 'Auf; Rifa'a b. Zayd b. al-Tabut
and said, "The Jews are a nation of liars and I wish you would take me into
'Abdullah b. Salam b. al-!:larith; who was their rabbi and most learned
one of your houses and hide me from them. Then ask them about me so
man. His name was al-I:Iu~ayn. The apostle named him <Abdullah when
that they may tell you ~he position J hold among them before they know
he accepted Islam.
that J have become a Muslim. For if they know it beforehand they will
From B. Quray<oa: al-Zubayr b. Bala b. Wahb; 'Azzal b. Shamwil;
utter slanderous lies against me." The prophet housed me; the Jews came;
Ka'b b. Asad responsible on bebalf of his tribe for the agreement which was
and the apostle asked them about my standing among them. They said:
broken in the year of the Parties; Shamwil b. Zayd; Jabal b. 'Amr b.
"He is our chief, and the son of our chief; our rabbi, and our learned man."
Sukayna; al-.'Jal;l;am b. Zayd; Qardam b. Ka'b; Wahb b. Zayd; Nafi' b.
When they said this J emerged and said: "0 Jews, fear God and accept
Abu Nafi'; Abu Nafi'; 'Adiy b. Zayd; al-!:larith b. 'Auf; Kardam b. Zayd;
what He has sent you. For by God you know that he is the apostle of God.
Usama b. J:labib; Rafi' b. Rumayla; Jabal b. Abu Qushayr; Wahb b.
You will find him described in your Torah and even named. J testify
Yahudha.
that he is the apostle of God, J believe in him, J hold him to be true, and
From B. Zurayq: Labid b. A'~am wbo bewitched the apostle of God so
J acknowledge him." They accused me of lying and reviled me. Then J 354
that he could not come at his wives. 1
reminded the apostle that J had said that they would do this, for they
From D. IJaritha: Kinana b. $uriya.
were a treacherous, lying, and evil people. J publicly proclaimed my
B. 'Amr b. 'Auf: Qardam b. 'Amr.
conversion and my household and my aunt Khalida followed suit.'
From B. aI-Najjar: Silsila b. Barham.
These were the Jewish rabbis, the rancorous opponents of the apostle
and his companions, the men who asked questions, and stirred up trouble THE STORY OF MUKHAYRIQ
against Islam to try to extinguish it, except for 'Abdullah b. Salam and
He was a learned ~abbi owning much property in date palms. He re-
Mukhayriq.'
cognized the apostle by his description and his O\vn learning, and he
felt a predilection for his religion' until on the day of Ul;ud, wbich fell on
353 ABDULLAH B. SALAM ACCEPTS ISLAM the sabbath, he reminded the Jews that they were bound to help Muham-
J was told the story of 'Abdullah b. Salam, a learned rabbi, by one of his mad. They objected that it was the sabbath. 'May you have no sabbath,"
family. He said: 'When I heard about the apostle J knew by his descrip- he answered, and took his weapons and joined the apostle in Ul:md. His
tion, name, and the time at which he appeared that he was the one \ve parting testimony to his people was: :Jf
J am killed today my property is
were waiting for, and I rejoiced greatly thereat, though I kept silent about to go to Muhammad to use as God shows him.' He was killed in the battle
it until the apostle came to I\Iedina. \Vhcn he stayed in Quba' among the that followed. J am told that the apostle used to say 'Mukhayriq is tbe best
B. 'Amr b. 'Auf a man came with the news while I was working at the top of the Jews.' The apostle took over his property and all the alms he
of a palm-tree and my aunt Kbalida d. al-I:larith was sitting bclow. When distributed in Medina came from it:
I heard the ne\vs I cried Allah Akbar and my aunt said, "Good gracious,
if you had heard that Moses b. 'Imran had come you could not have made THE TESTIMONY OF $AFIYA
more fuss!" "Indeed, aunt," I said, "he is the brother of ]\tIoses and follows
his religion, being sent with the same mission." She asked, "Is he really 'Abdullah b. Ahu nakr b. Muhammad b. 'Amr b. !:lazm told me that he
was told that i:>aflya d. J:luyayy b. Akhpb said' J was tbe favourite cbild
I In commenting on this Suhayli asserts that the tradition is sound and is accepted by the
traditionists. He found in the Jami' of Mu'ammar b. Rashid (a work which I cannot find of my father and my uncle Abu Yasir. \Vhen I \vas present they took nO
mentioned by Brocke1mann) the statement that the spell lasted for a year. He adds that the notice of their other children. \Vhcn the apostle was staying in Quba'
Mu'tazila and Modernists rejected the tradition on the ground that prophets could not be with the B. 'Amr b. 'Auf, the two went to see bim before daybreak and did
bewitched othenvise they would commit sin and that would be contrary to the word of God
'And God will protect thee from men' (Sura 5. 71). He finds the tradition unassailable. It not return until after nightfall, \veary, worn out, drooping and feeble.
is properly attested and intellectually acceptable. The prophets were not preserved from I l'res\llllahly '\lllluJlII1wd's nligiol1'; the pronoun is ambiguo\:
bodily affiictions in which category sorcery falls,
2 Or, pl.Thaps, 'Yuu b:\'c no ,ahbath',
2 It is noteworthy how few Hebrew names are to be found among the Jews of IVledina.
n 4080 R
242 The LIfe of Muhammad The LIfe of ]"1uhammad 243
355 I went up to them in childish pleasure as I alv.rays did, and they were so God sent down concerning him according to what I have heard on the
sunk in gloom that they took no notice of me. I heard my uncle say to my authority of Ibn 'Abbas: '!low can God guide a people .who have dis-
father, "Is he he? Do you recognize him, and can you be sure?" "Yes!" belIeved after having believed and witnessed that the apostle is true and
"And what do you feel about him I" "By God I shall be his enemy as long sure proofs have corne to them from God. God does not guide a sinful
as I live!" I people."
, Fro II1 B. J?ubay'a b. Zayd b. Malik h. 'Auf b. 'Amr b. 'Auf: Bijad b.
Uthman b. AmIr. From B. Laudhan b. 'Amr b. 'Auf: ~-abtal b. ai- Harith.
THE JEWS ARE JOINED BY AN~ARj HYPOCRITES
~ have hear~ that it was of him that the apostle said, '\Vhoever \vant; to see
The following hypocrites' from al-Aus and al-Khazraj joined the Jews Satan let hIm take a look at Nahtal b. al-Harith" He was a sturdy black
according to information given me. God knows best about the truth. man WIth long flowl11g half, Inflamed eyes, and dark ruddy cheeks. He
From Aus of the section of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf b. Malik of the subdivision used to CO:rlC and talk to th: apostle and listen to him and th'en carry what
Laudhan b. 'Amr b. 'Auf: Zuwayy b. al-I~arith. From B. ~lubayh b. 'Amr he had saId to the hypocntcs. It was he vvho said: 'J\Tuhammad is all
b. 'Auf: Julas b. Suwayd b. al-~amit and his brother al-I:larith. Julas was ears: if anyone tells him anything he believes it.' God sent down conce~n-
one of those who withdrew from the apostle in the raid on Tabuk. He ing him: 'And of them are those who annoy the prophet and sav he is all 357
said, 'If this man is right we are worse than donkeys.' 'Vmayr b. Sa'd, one ears. Say: Good ears for you. He believes in God and trusts th; believers
of them, who was closely related to JuBis, he having married his mother and is a mercy for those of you \vho believe; and those who annoy the
after his father's death, reported what he had said to the apostle. But apostle of God for them there is a painful punishment.'2
first he said to JuHis: 'You are dearer to me than any man, the most A man of B. al- 'Ajlan told me that he was told that Gabriel came to the
generous to me, and it is most painful to me that anything should hap~en apos.tle an? said, 'There comes to sit with you a black man with long
to upset you; but you have said words which if I repeat them I shall bnng flOWlll~ halr, ruddy cheeks, and inflamed eyes like two copper pots. His
shame upon you, and if I keep silence I shall bring my religion into pe~il. h~art3 IS more gross th~n ~ d?n~cy's; he carries your words to the hypo-
One is preferable to the other.' Then he went to the apostle and told hIm cntes, so beware of hlln. fhls, so thev sa V, \vas the description of
what Julas had said. Julas swore by God that he had not said the words Nabta!. " "
attributed to him by 'Umayr. And God sent down concerning him: Also from n.
DuI;ay'a was Abu I:Iabiba b. al-Az'ar, one of those who
'They swear by God that they did not say, when they did actually say, had built the mosque of al-pirar; Tha'iaba b. J:la!ib; and Mu'attih b.
words of unbelief and did disbelieve after they had surrendered themselves. Qus~ayr. It was. those t\I/O \vho made a covenant with God saying, 'If
They planned what they could not carry out and they had nothing to he gIves us of hIS bounty \ve will give alms and he of the rightcous'4
avenge but that God and His apostle had enriched them by His bounty. to the end of the story. And it was lVlu'attib who said at lThud: 'If \ve had
If they repent it will be better for them; and if they turn back God will any part in the ordering of things we should not be killed 'here.' So God
afflict them with a painful punishment in this world and the next. In thiS sent down concerning what he said: 'A party who were anxious about their
world they have no friend or helper' (295).' ~:ves thought wron~ly abollt ?od as the-pagans thought. They said:
It is alleged that he repented and was known to be a good Muslim. If we had any part III the ordenng of things we should not be killed hcre"5
His brother'al-J:larith who killed al-Mujadhdhar b. Dhiyad al-Balawi and to the end of the context. It was he who said on the day of the Parties
Qays b. Zayd one of B. pubay'a at Ul,tud, went out with the Muslims. He "Muhammad promises us that we shall enjoy the treasu'res of Chosroe~
was a hypocrite, and when battle was joined he fell upon these two men, and Caesar whereas it is not safe for one of us to go to the privy!" So God
killed them, and attached himself to Quraysh (296). revealed concerning him: 'And when the hypocrites and those in whose
Mu'adh b. 'Afra' killed Suwayd treacherously when there was no war. hearts is a disease say God and his apostle have promised us nothing but a
He shot him with an arrow before the battle of Bu<ath. dc1usion.'6
The apostle-so they say-had ordered 'Umar to kill him if he could Also al-J:larith b. I:Ia!ib (297).
get hold of him, but he escaped and got to Mecca. Then he sent to hIS Also 'Abhad b. Hunayf hrother of Sahl, and Bahzaj who were among the
brother Julas asking for forgiveness so that he might return to his people. bUIlders of the mosque of al-I)ir5r. And 'Arnr b. Khidham and 'Abdullah
b. Nahta!.
l \Vhaot Arabic writers mean by 'hypocrites' has been made clear in the section on the
Jewish adversaries. It is not a really good rendering- of mundfiq, but no one word suggests Of the B. Tha'laba were Jariya b. 'Amir b. al-'Anal and his two sons 35 8
itself as better, Muslims look with a tolerant eye on a man who conceals his belief through
force majeure, but to pretend to be a Muslim is a crime. ~ Sura 9 75 I S(ll'a 3. 80. ~ Sura 9. 61.
<I- Sura 9. 76. J Lit. 'livCf.
.< Sura 3. 148,
6 Sura 33. 12.
2# The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 245
Zayd and Mujammi'. They were also concerned with the mosque ofal- those who deceive themselves. God does not love a sinful deceiver. 'J
J;>iriir. Mujammi' was a youth who had collected most of the Quran and Also Quzman, an ally of theirs.
he used to lead them in prayer. When the mosque had been destroyed and The same 'A~im told me that the apostle used to say: 'He belongs to the
certain men of B. 'Aror b. 'Auf who used to lead their people in prayer in people of hell.' At Ul,Iud he fought so valiantly that he killed several
their mosque, died, in the time of 'Umar, Mujammi' was mentioned to act polytheists. But they severely wounded him and he was carried to the
as leader but 'Umar would not have it, saying, IvVasn't he the imam of the quarters of the n. ~afar. The l\1uslims said, 'Cheer up, 0 Quzman; you
hypocrit~s in the mosque of aI-J:)irar?' He replied: 'By God',I knew nothing have done gallantly today and your sufferings have been for God's sake.'
of their affairs. But I was a youngster who could reCIte the Quran, He said: 'Why should I cheer up? I fought only to protect my people.'
whereas they could not, so they put me forward to lead the prayers. Their And when the pain of his wounds became unendurable he toDk an arrow
affair seemed to me to accord with the best account they gave.' They allege from his quiver and cut a vein in his hand and thus committed suicide.
that 'Umar let him go and lead the prayers of his people. . Among B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal no hypocrite male or female was known
Of B. Umayya b. Zayd b. Miilik: Wadi'a b. Thiibit, one of the bUilders except al-J;lal,Il,Iak b. Thabit, one of the B. Ka'b of the family of Sa'd b.
of the I)irar mosque who said, 'We wefe only talking and jesting.' So Zayd. He was suspected of hypocrisy and love of the Jews.
God sent down: 'If you ask them they will say we were only talking and Hassan b. Thabit said of him:'
jesting. Say: Is it about God and His signs and His apostle you were Who will tell al-Dal,Il,Iak that his veins
jesting I' to the end of the passage. . Were unable to be glorified in Islam)
Of B. Ubayd h. Zayd b. Miilik: Khidhiim b. Khiihd, from whose house Do you love the ]C\VS of al-J:Iijaz and their religion,
the mosque of al-I!irar was carved out; and Bighr and Rafi< the two You liver-hearted ass, and not love Muhammad?
sons of Zayd. Their religion \vill never march with ours
Of B. al-Nablt (298) of the clan of B. I~iiritha b. al-Hiirith b. al-Kha2raj As long as men roam the open desert.
b. 'Amr b. Malik b. al-Aus: Mirba' b. Qani who said to the apostle when
he passed through his garden on his way to Ul,Iud: 'I do not allow you I have heard that before his repentance Juliis together with Mu'attib,
Muhammad to pass through my garden even if you are a prophet.' .He Riifi', and Bishr used to make false profession of Islam.' Some Muslims
took a handful of dirt and said: 'By God, if I did not know that I mIght asked them to go to the apostle to settle a matter in dispute between them
throw it on others I would throw this dirt at you.' The people pressed on while they wanted to refer it to the kahins who acted as arbitrators in th~
him to kill him and the apostle said: 'Let him alone. For this blind man pagan era. So God sent down concerning them: 'Hast thou considered
is blind of heart and blind of perception'. Sa'd b. Zayd brother of B. those who allege that they believe in what has been sent down to thee
'Abdu'I-Ashhal hit him with his bow and wounded him; also his brother ~nd what was sent down before thee who \vish to go to idolatry for arbitra-
Aus b. Qay?i, who said to the apostle on the day of the Trench: :Our tion when they have been commanded to give up belief in it? Satan wishes
359 to lead them far astrav.'4
houses lie open to the enemy, so glve us leave to go back to them. So
God revealed concerning him: 'They say OUf houses lie open to the enemy. Of Khazraj from B. ai-Najjar: Riifi' b. WadI'a, Zayd b. 'Amr, 'Amr
They are not open; all they want is to run away' (299)1 . _. b. Qays, and Qays b. 'Amr b. Sah!.
Of B. Zafar (;:':afar's name was Ka'b b. al-Hanth b. al-Khazra]): Ha\lb b. Of B. Jusham of the clan of B. Salima: al-Jidd b. Qays who said, '0
Umayya h. Rafi'. He was a sturdy old man steeped long in paganism. Muhammad, give me leave (to stay at home) and tempt me not.' So God
A son of his was one of the best of the Muslims, Yazid by name. He was sent down concerning him: 'Of them is he who says, Give me leave (to stay
disabled by wounds received at Ul,Iud and was carried to the house of the at home) and tempt me not. Surely it is into temptation that they have
fallen and hell encompasses the unbelievers.'s
B. Zafar.
'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatada told me that the Muslims there both men and Of B. 'Auf b. al-Khazraj: 'Abdullah b. Ubayy b. Salli!. He was the
wom~n gathered to him when he was at the point of death and ,:ere sayi~g: head of the hypocrites. They used to gather to him and it was he who said
'Rejoice, 0 son ofJ~a\ib, in the thought of paradise!'. Then hIS hypocnsy 'If we go back to Medina the stronger will drive 'out the weaker.' Thi~
showed itself, for his father said, 'Humph! By God 1t IS a garden of rue. was during the raid on the B. al-Mu~\aliq and the whole sura of the
You have sent this poor fellow to his death by your deception.' ,. 1 Sura 4. 107. 1.H. has omitted much of what Yunus reported from 1.1. See Suhayli,
Also IJu,-hayr b. Ubayriq Abu Tu'ma, the 'Stealer of the Two Breast- f.
11. 328 ._ . 2 Diu'an, p. 34.
. Read yadda una (agamst both C. and W.) in accord with Slira 67.27; and for the mean
plates' concerning whom God sent down: 'And argue 'not 0)1 behalf of mg see Lane, 884a and b.
I Sura g. 66. .. Sura 4. 63 5 Sura 9. 49.
246 The Life of Muhammad The 14e of iv1uhammad 247
Hypocrites' came down about him and Wadi'a a man of B. 'Auf and Malik b. :rVliilik b. aI-Najjar who was the custodian of their gods during the pagan
b. Abu Qauqal and Suwayd and Da'is of the clan of 'Abdullah h. Ubayy. era, took hold of his foot and dragged him outside the mosque, he saying
Those were his men who scnt secret messages to B. al-Na<;lir 2 when the meanwhile 'V/ould you drag me out of the datebarn of the B. Tha'laba!'
361 apostle besieged them: 'Stand fast, for by God if you arc driven out we will The~ he went for Ra~i'. b. \Vadi'a, one of the B. al-~ajjar, gripped him
go forth with you and we will never obey anyone against you and if you are by hlS robe, slapped hIs face, and dragged him forcibly out of the mosque,
attacked we will help you.' So God sent down concerning them: 'Hast saying, 'Faugh! you dirty hypocrite! Keep out of the apostle's mosque,
thou not considered the hypocrites who say to their brethren of the scrip- you hypocrite" (300).
tUfe folk, If you art driven out we will go forth with you and we will 'UmJra b.,l:lazrn weLt for Zayd b. 'Amr who had a long beard and seized
never obey anyone against you and if you are attacked we \vill help you. him by it and dragged him violently out of the mosque. Then clenching
God bears witness that they are liars', as far as His words 'Like Satan his fists he p~nched him in the chest and knocked him down, Zayd crying
when he says to men, "Disbelieve," and when they disbelieve he says, the meanwhile, 'You have torn my skin off!' 'God get rid of you, you
"I am not responsible for you; for my part I fear God the Lord of the hypocrite,' he ans'\vercd, 'God has a \vorse punishment than that in, store
worlds." '3 for you, so don't come near the apostle's mosque again!' (301).
Abu Muhammad Mas'od b. Aus b. Zavd b. Asram b. Zavd b. Thalaba 363
b. Ghanm b. Malik b. al-Kajjar (who was at Badr) we~t for Qays b.
THE RABBIS WHO ACCEPTED ISLAM HYPOCRITICALLY 'Amr b. Sah1 who was a youth (the only )~ung man known to have been
The following arc the Jewish rabhis who took refuge in Islam along with among the hypocrites) and pushed him in the back of the neck until he
the Muslims and hypocritically professed it: Of B. Qaynuqa': Sad b. ejected him from the mosque.
J:Iunayf; Zayd b. al-Lueayt; Ku man b. Aufa b. 'Amr; 'Uthman b. Aufa; A man of B. al-Khudra b. al-Khazraj of the family of Abu Sa'd called
Zayd b. al-Lueayt who fought with 'Umar in the market of the B. Qay- 'Abdullah b. al-I:Iarith, hearing the order to clear the mosque, went for
nuq:i'. He was the man who said when the apostle's camel wandered al-J:Iarith b. 'Arm, a man with long hair, and taking a good grip of it he
off: 'Muhammad alleges that revelations come to him from heaven and he dragged him violently the whole way along the floor until he put him
doesn't know where his camel is l' When the apostle heard of what this out, the hypocrite meanwhile saying 'You arc vcry rough, Ibnu'I-I:Lirith.'
enemy of God had said and God had told him where his camel was he said, 'Serve you right, you enemy of God, for what God has sent down about
'I only know what God lets me know. And God has shown me. It is in you,' he answered, 'Don't come near the apostle's mosque again, for you
such-and-such a glen caught by its rope to a tree.' The Muslims went are unclean.'
and found it in that very spot caught up as the apostle had said. A man of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf went for his hrother Zuwayy b. al-J:Iarith
Also Rafi' b. Uuraymila of whom I have heard that the prophet said, and put him out violently, saying, 'Faugh! You are doing Satan's work
36. 'One of the greatest hypocrites has died today.' And Rifa'a h. Zayd b.
for him!'
al-Tabut of whom the prophet said when there was a high wind as he was These were the hypocrites whom the apostle ordered to be expelled
returning from the expedition against the B. al-Mw?ta1iq and the Muslims from the mosque that day.
were in great anxiety: 'Don't be afraid; the wind is blowing because a
great unbeliever is dead.' When he got back to Medina he found that REFERENCES TO THE HYPOCRITES AND THE JEWS IN THE
Rifa'a had died the day the wind blew. Also Silsila b. Barham and Kinana SeRA ENTITLED 'THE COW'
b. ~uriya.
The first hundred verses of the sura of the eO\\' came down in reference
These hypocrites used to assemble in the mosque and listen to the
to these Jewish rabbis and the hypocrites of Aus and Khazraj, according to
stories of the Muslims and laugh and scoff at their religion. When some
what I have been told, and God knows best. He said: 'Alif Lam Mim.
of them' were there one day the apostle saw them talking with lowered
That is the book wherein there is no doubt.' The word rayb means doubt
voice among themselves huddled together. He ordered that they should
be ejected and they were put out with some violence. Abu Ayyub Khalid (3 02 ).
'A guidance to the god-fearing', i.e. those who fear God's pHnishment 36+
b. Zayd b. Kulayb got up and went to 'Amr b. Qays, one of B. Ghanm
for abandoning the guidance they. recognize, and hope for His mercy
T Sura 63. Cf. W. 727 infra. through believing in what has come to them from Him. 'Who believe
1. Cf. W. 653. to, 3 Sura 59. 11-16.
4 It is by no means certain that these men were Jews. The previous section almost cer-
in the unseen and establish prayer and give out what \Ve have provided
tainly proves that they were not; however they may well have been half converted to them with,' i.e. they establish prayer in its prescribed form and pay the
Judaism like so many of the inhabitants of Medina.
248 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 249
poor-tax expecting a (future) reward for it. 'And those who believe in 'These are they who buy error at the price of guidance,' i.e. disbelief
what has been sent down to thee and to those who were before thee,' i.e. for faith. 'So their traffic is not profitable and they are not rightly guided.'
they believe thee to be true in what thou hast brought from God and what Then God employed a simile and said: 'They arc like a man who lights
the sent ones brought before thee, making no difference between them nor a fire and when it lightens his environment God takes away their light and
opposing what they brought from their Lord. 'And are certain of the leaves them in darkness unable to see,' i.e. they cannot see the truth and
latter end,' i.e. the waking from death, the resurrection, paradise and hell, profess it so that when they go out with it from the darkness of unbelief
the reckoning and the scales, i.e. these are those who allege that they believe they extinguish it \vith their unbelief and hypocrisy, and God leaves
in what was before thee and in what has come to thee from thy Lord. them in the darkness of unbelief and they do not see guidance and are not
'These live in guidance from their Lord,' i.e. according to light from their upright in truth. 'Deaf, dumb, blind, and they return not,' i.e. they
Lord and uprightly according to what has come to them. 'These are they return not to guidance, deaf, dumb, blind to what is good, they return not
who prosper,' i.e. who attain what they seek and escape the evil they flee to good and find no escape from their condition. 'Or like a rainstorm from
from. 'As for those who disbelieve,' i.e. in what has been sent down to heaven wherein is darkness and thunder and lightning. They put their
thee though they say we have long believed in what came to us before thee, fingers in their ears because of the thunderings, in fear of death. God
'it is all one to them whether thou warn them or do not warn them they encompasses the unbelievers' (304), i.e. because of the darkness of 366
will not believe,' i.e. they disbelieve that thou art mentioned (in the books) unbelief and the fear of death in which they are, arising from their opposi-
they have and they reject the covenant which was made with them with tion and fear of you, they are like the man in the rainstorm \vho puts his
reference to thee. They disbelieve in what has come to thee and in what fingers in his ears at the thunderclaps in fear of death. He says: And
they have already which others brought to them so how will they listen to God brings that vengeance upon them, i.e. He encompasses the un&.
warning and exhortation from thee when they have denied that they have believers. 'The'lightning almost takes away their sight,' i.e. because of the
any knowledge of thee? 'God hath sealed their hearts and their hearing exceeding brightness of the truth. 'Whenever it gives light to them they
and over their sight there is a covering/ i.e. so that they will never find walk in it and when it is dark for them they stand still,' i.e. they know the
guidance, meaning: because they have declared you a liar so that they will truth and talk about it and so far as their talk goes they are on the straight
not believe in the truth which has come to thee from thy Lord though they path; but when they relapse from it into infidelity they come to a halt in
believe in all that came before thee. For opposing thee they will have an bewilderment. 'And if God willed He could take away their hearing and
awful punishment. Thus far concerning the Jewish rabbis for calling the their sight,' i.e. because they have forsaken the truth after they knew it.
truth a lie after they kne\\' it. 'God is able to do all things.'
'And there are some men who say, We believe in God and the last day Then He says: '0 men, worship your Lord,' addressing both unbelievers
when they do not believe.' He means the hypocrites of Aus and Khazraj and hypocrites, i.e. acknowledge His unity. '\Vho created you and those
and their folIO\vers. 'They would deceive God and those who believe, before you, perchance you may ward off evil. \Vho has made the earth a
but they deceive only themselves, and perceive it not. In their hearts bed for you and the heaven a building, and sent down water from heaven
is a sickness,' i.e. doubt. 'And God increases their sickness,' i.e. doubt. and has brought forth fruits thereby as food for you. So make not rivals of
'A painful punishment is theirs because they lie. And when it is said to God when you know (better)' (305), i.e. do not associate with God rivals
them, 'Do not make mischief in the land they say we are only putting which can neither profit nor harm when you know that you have no Lord
things to right,' i.e. \ve only wish to make peace between the two parties that can feed you other than He, and you know that the monotheism to
of the believers and the scripture folk. God said: 'Are not they indeed the which the apostle calls you is the truth about which there is no doubt.
mischief makers but they perceive it not? And when'it.is said to them, 'And if you are in doubt about that which We have sent down to our
Believe as the people believe they say: Are we to believe as the foolish servant,' i.e. in doubt about what he has brought you, 'then produce a
believe? Surely they are the foolish but they know it not. And when they silra like it and summon your witnesses other than God,' i.e. whatever
meet those who believe they say, We believe; and when they go apart to helpers you can get 'if you are truthful; and if you do not and you cannot'
their leaders,'l i.e. the Jews who order them to deny the truth and contra- for the truth has become clear to you, 'then fear hell whose fuel is men and
dict what the apostle brought, 'They say Certainly we are with you,' i.e. stones I prepared for the unbelievers,' Le. for those who are in a state of
we agree entirely with you. 'We were only mocking,' i.e. mocking the infidelity like you.
people and jesting with them. God said: 'God will mock at them and let Then he appeals to their interest and warns them against breaking the
them continue to wander blindly in their error' (303). covenant which He made with them in reference to His prophet when
I Lit. 'their satans'. J It is said that the stones were those worshipped by the pagan Arabs.
250 The Life of l\Iuhammad The L1fe of Muhammad 25 '
He came to them, and He reminds them of the beginning of their creation one from which it was to drink. And their saying to Moses, '\Ve cannot
when He created them, and what happened to their forefather Adam and bear one kind of food. Pray to your Lord for us that He may bring forth to
how he was dealt with for his disobedience; then He says:l '0 children of us vegetables which the earth produces such as cucumbers and corn (309)
Israel,' addressing the Jewish rabbis, 'Remember the favour I showed you,' and beans and onions. He said: \Vill you exchange that which is better
i.e. My carC for you and your fathers, wherewith He delivered them from ior that which is baser? Go down to Egypt; thus you will get what you
Pharaoh and his army. 'And fulfil My covenant' which I placed on your ask for.' They did not do so. Further how He raised the mountain above
necks with regard to 1\1y prophet A~mad \vhcn he should come to you. them J that they might receive \vhat \vas brought to them; and the bestial
'I shall fulfil My part of the covenant.' I shall carry out what I promised transformation when He made them into apes for their sins; and the cow
you for believing in and following him by removing the bonds and chains which God showed them in which there \vas a Jesson concerning the slain
which were upon your necks because of the sins \vhich you had com- man about whom they differed until God made clear to them his aftair
mitted. 'And stand in awe of Me,' i.e. lest I bring down on you what I after their repeated requests to Mc:ses for a description of the cow;
brought down on your fathers before you-the vengeance that you know of, further the hardness of their hearts afterwards so that they were harder
bestial transformation and the like. 'And believe in what I have sent down than stone. Then He said: 'There are rocks from which rivers gush forth
confirming what you already have, and be not the first to disbelieve it' and there are rocks which split asunder and water comes out of -them, and
seeing that you have knowledge which others have not about it. 'And there are rocks which fall down for fear of God,' i.e. some rocks are softer
fear Me and do not mingle truth with falsehood nor hide the truth which than your hearts in regard to the truth to which you were called. 'And
you know,' i.e. do not conceal the knowledge which you have about My God is not unaware of what you do.'
apostle and what he has brought when you will find it with you in what Then He said to lVluhammad and the..believers \vith him, causing them
you know of the books which are in your hands. '\Vould you tell men to be to despair of them: 'Do you hope that they will believe vou when there is a
good and forget to be so yourselves, you be~ng readers o~ scr"iptur~? Do party of them who listen to the word of God then change it after they
you not understand?' i.e. would you forhId men to dlsbeheve In the understand it, doing so knowingly?' His saying 'They listen to the Torah'2
prophecy you have and the covenant of the Torah and abandon it yourselves? does not mean that they all heard it, but only a party of them, i.e. a selected
i.e. \\,hen you deny that it contains 1\1y covenant with you that you must number according to what I was told by a scholar. They said to Moses:
pronounce 1\1y apostle to be true, and you break lVly agreement and you Something has come between us and the vision of God so let us hear
contradict what vou know to be in My book. His word when He speaks to thee. Moses conveyed the request to God
Then He rec~unts their sins, mentioning the calf and what they did who said: Yes, command them to purify themselves or to purify their
with it; how He forgave them and pardoned them; then their words clothing and to fast; and they did so. Then he brought them forth to the 370
'Show us God plainly' (306); and how the storm came upon them because mountain, and when the cloud covered them Moses commanded them to
of their presumptuousness; then He quickened them after they had die?; prostrate themselves and his Lord spoke to him and they heard His voice
overshadowed them with the cloud, sent down to them manna and quaIls giving them commands and prohibitions so that they understood what they
and said to them, 'Enter the gate with prostrations and say I:Iina,'2 i.e. say heard. Then he went back with them to the Children of Israel and when
what I command you, and I will remove your sins from you; and their he came to them a party of them changed the commandments they had
changing that word making a mockery of His command; and His forgiving been given; and when Moses said to the Children of Israel, 'God has
them after their mockery (37). ordered you to do so-and-so,' they contradicted him and said that God
With regard to their changing that word, the apostle said according had ordered something else. It is they to whom God refers.
to what Salih b. Kaisan from Salih, freedman of al-Tau'ama d. Umayya Then God said: 'And when they meet those who believe they say:
b. Khalaf fr~m Abu Hurayr; and someone ahove suspicion from Ibn We believe,' i.e. in your leader the apostle of God; but he (has been sent)
'Abhas: Thev entered the gate they were ordered to enter with prostra- to you alone. And when they go apart with onc another they say, Don't
tions in a cro'wd saying, 'Wheat is in the harley' (308). (He also reminded talk to the Arabs about this for you used to ask for victory OYer them
them of) l\loses praying for water for his people and His commandi~g through him and he is of them. So God sent down concerning them:
him to strike the rOL:k \\"ith his ~tatf so that the water gushed forth In 'And when they meet those who believe they say, We believe. But when
twelve streams, one for each tribe to drink from, each tribe knowing the I Cf. Sura 7. 170 and Geiger, Was hat Muhammad aus dnn. Judenthum aufgNlommen.?,
Bonn, r833, pp. 164 f., and A. S. Yahuda in Ignace Gold:n'her Memorial Volume, Pt. r,
I \'Crlle 40, Budapest, 1948, p" 283.
~ The meaning- of this word (lit. unloading, or relief), and indt".ed the significance of the :& These words are I.I.'s explanation. 'The word of God' just mentioned could only have
whole passage, is ob~cure, Presumably a Jewish mid rash lies behind it. Cf. Geiger, op. cit. 17 f. been the Torah.
252 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 253
they go apart with one another they say, Will you talk ahout what God has you, Shed not your blood' (3Il).' 'And do not turn (some of) your people'
revealed to you that they may contend with you about it before your Lord? out of your dwellings. Then ye ratified it and you are witnesses thereof,' 37'
Have you no understanding?' i.e. maintain that he is a prophet since ~ou i.e. that My covenant condition truly binds you. 'Then you are they who
know that God has made a covenant with you that you should follow hIm, kill your people and drive some of them from their houses, supporting
while he tells you that he is the prophet whom we are expecting and find one another against them by crime and transgression,' i.e the polytheists,
in our book. Oppose him and do not recognize him. God said: 'Do they so that they shed their blood along with them and drive them from their
not know that God knows what they conceal and what they proclaIm, houses along with them. 'And if they came to you as prisoners you would
and some of them are gentiles' who do not know the book but merely ransom them' knowing that that is incumbent upon you in your relig'ion,
37 1 recite passages (310).' 'They only think they know,' i.e. they don't 'while their expulsion is forbidden to you ' in your scripture. '''Vill you
know the book and they do not know what is in it, yet they oppose thy believe in a part of the scripture and disbelieve in another part?' i.e.
prophcthood on mere opinion. 'And they sa~ the fire \vill not touc~ us will you ransom them believing in one part and expel them disbelieving in
except for a limited time. Say, Have yc receIved a covenant from (Jod? another part? 'And what is the recompense of those of you who do that
God will not break His covenant---or do you say what you do not know but shame in this world and on the day of resurrection they will be sent to
about God?' the severest punishment. For God is not unaware of what you are doing.
A freedman of Zayd b. Thabit told me as from 'Ikrima or from Sa'id These are they who buy this life at the price of the next life. Their punish-
b. Jubayr from Ibn 'Abbas: The apostle came to Medina when the Jews ment will not be lightened nor will they be helped.' Thus God blamed
were saying that the world would last for seven thousand years and that them for what they were doing, He having in the Torah prohibited
God would only punish men in hell one day in the next world for e~ery them from shedding each other's blood and charged them to redeem
thousand in this world. There would be only seven days and then pUnish- their prisoners.
ment would cease. So God sent down concerning this saying: 'And they There were two parties: The B. Qaynuqa' and their adherents, allies of
say, The fire will not touch us except for a limited time. Say, Have ye Khazraj; and aI-Nadir and Qurayea and their adherents allies of Aus.
received a covenant from God? God will not break His covenant-or do When there was war between Au sand Khazraj the B. Qaynuqa' went out
you say what you do not know about God? Nay whoso does evil and his sin with Khazraj, and al-Na<)ir and Qurayza with Aus, each side helping his
encompasses him,' i.e. he who does as you do and dls~ehevc~ as you allies against his own brethren so that they shed each other's blood, while
disbelieve, his unbelief encompasses the good he has acqUIred WIth God. the Torah was in their hands by which they knew what was allowed and
'They are the people of hell; they will be there eternally,' i.e. for ever. what was forbidden them. Aus and Khazraj were polytheists worshipping 373
'And those who do good, they are the people of paradise; they will be there idols knowing nothing about paradise and hell, the waking and the resur-
eternally,' i.e. those who believe in what you deny and do what you have rection, the scriptures, the permitted and the forbidden. When the war
left undone of His religion. They shall have paradise for ever. He came to an end they ransomed their prisoners in accordance with the Torah
tells them that the recompense for good and evil is eternal: it will never each side redeeming those of their men who had been captured by the
cease. other side, disregarding the bloodshed that had been incurred in helping
Then He said in blaming them, I And when We made a covenant with the the polytheists. God said in blaming them for that: 'Will you believe in a
children of Israel/ i.e. your covenant. '\Vorship none but God, show part of the scripture and disbelieve in another part?' i,e. would you
kindness to parents and to near relatives, and to orphans and the poor, redeem him in accordance with the Torah and kill him when the Torah
and speak kindly to men, and establish prayer and pay the poor-tax, forbids you to do so, killing him and driving him out of his house and
then you turned your backs except a few of you, being averse/ 3 i.e. y.ou helping the polytheist who worships idols instead of God against him, all
abandoned all that-nothing less. 'And when we made a covenant WIth for the sake of this world's gain? According to my information this passage
carne down with reference to their behaviour with Aus and Khazraj.
1 This word ummi" is generally translated 'illiterate'. In Siira 7. 157 and 158 Muhammad
calls himself 'the gentile prophet' ; but practically all Arab writers claim that he meant that He continued: '\\T e gave Moses the scripture and We sent'ap~stlesafter
he could not read or write (see, e.g., Pickthall's translation). Geiger, op. cit. 26 f., was, I him and We gave Jesus, Son oEMary, the clear proofs,' i.e. the signs which
think, the first to point out the only possible derivation of the, word, a,nd he has been followed
by every subsequent European Arabist. But this passage bnngs to light the fact that he was
were wrought by Him in raising the dead; forming the likeness of birds
preceded by these two early traditionists who identified the ummiyiin as Arab proselytes who from clay and then breathing into them so that they became birds hy
did not themselves know the scriptures. God's permission' healing the sick; and ne\vs of many hidden things which
2. That is to say these Arabs cannot read the sacred books, but they can join in the Jewish

liturgy reciting the prayers and responses. I Your blood and yoraulves, because in ancient Sl.'mitic thought the trihe was one blood
3 v.77. and had a... it were one personality.
254 The Life of Muhammad The L1/e of Muhammad 255
they stored in their houses; and His confuting them from the Torah and does not hope for raising after death so he wants to live long, and the Jew
the Gospel which God had created for Him.' Then he mentIOns thell knows what awaits him ~f shame in the next life because he has wasted the
disbelief in all that and says: 'Is it that whenever there comes to you an knowledge that he hJs. Then God said: 'Say, \\'ho is an enemy to Gabriel?
apostle with what you do not like, y~u. act arrogan.tl,Y; some you. declare For it is he \\'ho brought it down to thy heart by God's permission.'
liars and some you put to death? 1 hen he says. And they saId, Our 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu'I-RaJ:1man b. Abu Husayn al-i'vlakki toiU me from 375
hearts arc uncircumcised,' i.e. in coverings. 'Nay, but God has ~ursed Shahr b. Uaushab al-Ash'af! that a number of Jewish rabbis came to the
them for their unbelief. Little do they believe. And when a sCrIpture apostle and asked him to answer four questions, saying that if he did so
comes to them from God confirming what they already have, though they \.,..ould follow him and testify to his truth, and believe in him. He
before that they were asking for a victory over the unbeltever~, when there got them to swear a solemn oath that if he gave them the right answers
comes to them what they know they deny it. God's curse IS on the un- they would acknowledge his truth and they began: 'Why does a boy
believers.' . . resemble his mother when the semen comes from the man?' 'I adjure
'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatada told me that shaykhs of hIs people saId: you by God and His favours towards the children of Israel, I do you not
This'passage came down about us and them. \Ve had. got the better of know that a man's semen is white and thick while a woman's is yellmv and
them in the pagan era, \ve being polytheists and they sCrIpture folk. The.y thin, and the likeness goes v,ith that which comes to the top?' 'Agreed,'
37+ used to say to us, 'Soon a prophet will be. sent w~o~ we shall folIo,"'; hIS they said. 'Tdl us about your sleep.' 'Do :you not kno",' that a sleep which
time is at hand. With his help we shall kIll you hke Ad and !ram. And you allege I do not have is \vhen the eye sleeps but the heart is awake?'
when God sent His apostle from Quraysh and we followed hIm they 'Agreed.' 'Thus is my sleep ..My eye sleeps but my heart is awake.' 'Tell
denied him. God said: 'And when there comes to them what they know us about what Israel voluntarily forbade himself.' 'Do you not know that
they deny it. God's curse ~s o~ th~ u?belfevers. \Vretched IS that for the food he loved best was the flesh and milk of camels and that once when
which they sell themselves In dIsbelIevIng In what God has sent down, he was ill God restored him to health so he deprived himself of his favourite
grudging that God should send down of His bounty upon whom He WIll of food and drink in gratitude to God!' 'Agreed. Tell us about the Spirit.'
His servants,' i.e. that He should have given it to one who ~as not of th~m. 'Do you not know that it is Gabriel, he who comes to me?' 'Agreed, but
'They have incurred anger upon anger and for the unbelievers there IS a o Muhammad he is an enemy to us, an angel who comes only with
shameful punishment' (312). . violence and the shedding of blood, and were it not for that we would
The double anger is His anger at what they have dISregarded of the follow you.' So God sent down concerning them: '\Vho is an enemy to
Torah which they had and His anger at their disbcltevI~g III t~I~ prophet Gabriel? For it is he who brought it down to thy heart by God's permis-
whom God had sent to them.' Then He told them of' the raisIng of the sion confirming what \vas before it and a guidance and good tidings to the
mountain above them and their taking the calf as a god lllstead of their believers' as far as the words' Is it not that when they make a covenant some
Lord. God then said: 'Say, If the last dwelling with God i~ for you alone of them set it aside, nay most of them do not believe. And when an apostle
excluding others, then long for death if you arc tr~thful, I.e. pray for comes to them from God confirming that which they have, some of thcm
death to which of the two parties is most false WIth God. And th~y who have received the scripture, the book of God, put it behind them as if
refused the apostle's suggestion. God said to His prophet: 'They WI~: they did not know it and they follow that which the satans read concerning
never long for it because of what thclr hands have sent ~eforc them, the kingdom of Solomon,' i.e. sorcery. 'Solomon did not disbelieve, but
the satans disbelieved, teaching men sorcery.'z
i.e. because they know about thee by the k!10,,:",ledge WhlCh t~ey have
and deny it, It is said that if they had lo~ged for lt the day he sald that t,o This, so I have heard, happened when the apostle mentioned Solomon
them, not a single Jcw would have rema1l1ed on the earth but.:vould have b. David among the sent ones. One of the rabbis said, 'Don't you wonder
d d Then He mentions their love of this life and of a long lIfe and God at Muhammad? He alleges that Solomon was a prophet, and hy God he
Ie . . , h J ' was nothing but a sorcerer.' So God sent dovm concerning that: 'Solomon
said: 'Thou wilt find them the most eager of men for ltfe ,t e ews, even
more than the polytheists; each one would like to live a thous~nd year~ did not disbelieve but the satans disbelieved,' i.e. in following sorcery
and to be allowed to live long would not remove him from the pUnIshmen.t, and practising it. 'And that which was revealed to the two angels Harut and
Marut in Babylon and they taught nobody.'
i.e. it would not deliver him from it. The reason is that the polytheIst
Someone above suspicion told me from 'Ikrima from Ibn 'Abbas that he
I Ahdatha ilayhi. Apparently this is a pregnant construction meaning \:::eated and sent
, - Z Ahdatha dayhlfll. used to say: 'What Israel forbade himself was the two lobes of the liver,
to h 1m. .., . Th e
3 The text of \V. and C. wlllabahum 'blamed them' yields no stlltab e mean mg-. e tTU
I This formula is repeated four limes.
text is given in \\'.'s notes, ii. 111, anba'ahum. lowe this correction to Dr. Arafat.
2 v. 9+.
4 i.e. their past deeds.
256 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 257
the kidneys and the fat (except what was upon the back), for that used to be Si~ila: questions were asked and ans\vercd in respect of Alif LafI1 Ra 23 I;
offered in sacrifice and the fire consumed it.'I AlIf Lam l\lim Ra: 271; then he said, 'Your situation seems obscure to us,
The apostle wrote to the Jews of Khaybar according to what a freedman l'v1uhammad, so that \ve do not know whether vou will have a short or
of the family of Zayd b. Thabit told me from 'Ikrima or from Sa'id b. long duration.' Then they left him. Abu Yasir s~id to his brother Huyayv
Jubayr from Ibn 'Abbas: 'In the name of God the compassIOnate the and the others, 'How do you know that all these totals should not b~ added
merciful from Muhammad the apostle of God fnend and brother of together to make a grand total of 734 years?' They answered, 'His affair
Moses who confinns what Moses brought. God says to you, 0 scripture IS obscure to us.' They allege that these verses came down in reference to
folk, and you will find it in your scripture "Muhammad is the apost1~ of them: 'The plain verses are the mother of the Book; the rest are obscure.'I
God; and those with him are severe against the unbelievers, mercI.ful I heard a scholar above suspicion mentioning that these verses were sent
among themselves. Thou seest them bowing, falling prostrate seeking down about the people of Najran when they came to the apostle to ask
bounty and acceptance from God. The markof their p~ostrationsis on theIr him about Jesus, Son of Mary.
foreheads. That is their likeness in the Torah and In the Gospel hk~ a Muhammad b. Abu lJmama b. Sahl b. I;lunayftold me that he had heard
seed which sends forth its shoot and strengthens it and it becomes thIck that they were sent down about a number of Jews, but he did not explain
and rises straight upon its stalk delighting the sowers that He may anger the that to me. God knO\vs best.
unbelievers with them. God has promised those who believe and do well According to what I hcard from 'Ikrima, freedman of Ibn 'Abbas or
forgiveness and a great reward.'" I adjure you by God, and by what from Said b. Jubayr from Ibn 'Abbas, Jews used to hope that the
He has sent down to you, by the manna and quails He gave as food to your apostle \vould be a help to them against Aus and Khazraj before his mission
tribes before you, and by His drying up the sea for your fathers when began; and when God sent him from among the Arabs they disbelieved
He delivered them from Pharaoh and his works, that you tell me, Do III lllm and contradicted \\'hat they had formerly said about him. I 1\1u'adh
you find in what He has sent down to you that you should belie~e in b. Jabal and Bishr b. al-Bara' b. Marur broth~r of the B. Salama said to
377
Muhammad 1 If you do not find that in your scripture. then. there ~s no them: '0 Jc~vs. fear G?d and become Muslims, for you used to hope for
compulsion upon you. "The right path has become plainly distingUIshed Muhammad shelp agamst us when we were polytheists and to tell us that 379
from error'" so I call you to God and His prophet' (3 3)' . he would be sent and describe him to us.' Salam b. l\1ishkam one of B.
'
Among those people concerning whom the Qura~ came d?wn, especIally al-Na<;iir, said, 'He has not brought us anything \ve recognize' and he is
the rabbis and unbelieving Jews who used to ask hIm questIOns and ~noy not. the, one we spoke of to you.' So God sent down about that saying of
him in confusing truth with falsehood-as I was told on the authon~ of theirs: And when a book comes to them from God confirming \vhat they
'Abdullah b. 'Abbas and Jabir b. 'Abdullah b. Ri'ab-was AbU YaSIr b. h~ve, .though beforehand they were asking for help against those \Io/ho
Akh\ab who passed by the apostle as he was reciting the opening words of ~lsbelIeve" when there came to them \vhat they knew, they disbelieved in
The Cow:' 'Alif, Lam, Mim, That is the book about whIch there IS no It, so God s curse rests on the unbelievcrs.'3
doubt.' He came to his brother I;luyayy who was with some otheI; Jews Malik b. al-0ayf4 said when the apostle had been sent and they were
and said: 'Do you know that I have heard Muhammad reciting. in what has remmded of the condition that had been imposed on them and \vhat God
been sent down to him Alif Lam Mim, &c?' After expressmg surpnse had covenanted with them concerning him, 'No covenant was ever made
I;luyayy and these men went to the apostle and told him what had been with us about Muhammad.' Sa God sent down concerning him: 'Is it not
reported to them and asked if Gabriel had brought the message from God. that whenever they make a covenant a party of them set it aside? ::-.Jay most
When he said that he had they said: God sent prophcts bcfore you but we of them do not bcIievc.'S
do not know of anyone of them being told how long his kingdom would Abu $alliba al-FilYuni said to the apostle: '0 Muhammad, you have
last and how long his community would last. I;luy~yy w~nt up to hiS men not b:ought us anything we recognize, and God has not sent down to you
and said to them: f Alif is I; Lam is 30; and Mim IS 40, I.e. 7 I years. Are any Slg~ t!1at we should follow you.' S? God sent down concerning his
you going to adopt a religion whose kingdom and c~m~unity will last words, \\ e have sent down to thee plam signs and only evildoers dis-
for only 7' years I' Then he went to the apostle and said, Have you any- believe in them.'
thing else, Muhammad?' 'Yes, Alif Lam Mim $ad.' 'T~ls by God I~ Rafi' b. I;luraymila and Wahb b. Zayd said to the apostle, 'Bring us a
more weighty and longer: Alif 1 ; Lam 30; Mim 40, $ad 90, I.e. 161 years.
I Sura 3. 5.
r This is the $acrificial1uw given in Leviticus 3, 4,10,15, &c., and the ~radition shows a 2 This and similar passages seem to indicate that the messianic hope was strong among
remarkable knowledge of the Jewish Law. the Jews. 3 Sllra 2 8
4 0 I i) , . .].
2 Sura 4 H. 29. 3 Sura 2. 257 r a -, a)f. v.s. 5 Sura 2. 94.
n 4080
The LIfe of i"vluhammad
The Life of Jluhammad 2-
book; bring it down to us from heaven that we may read it; bring out
rivers for us from the earth, then we will follow you and believe in you.' b, al-Rabj' b. AbC,'qluqayq; and Kiniina b, al-Rahl' b Ab-'I H )9
So God sent down concerning that: 'Or do you 'wish to question your came to the apostle askmg \\by he had turned hIS back 'on u - uqa) q
used to face \\ hen he alleged that he f 11 'd h I the qrbla he
apostle as l\Ioses was questioned aforetime; he who exchanges faith for he w ld" 0 'm
e t c re IglOn of Abraham If
unbelief has wandered from the straight road' (314),' him~:beI~:~~n ~~he qlbia m Jerusalem they \\ould follo\\ hnn and dcciare
I:Iuyayy and Abu Yasir were the most implacable enemies of the Arabs . elr so e llltentlOn \\as to seduce him from hiS reli 1
when God chose to send them an apostle from among themselves and they so G ad sent clov, n conCernlllg them' 'Th' f r I g on,
made them turn theIr b':lck . . e 00 IS 1 people \\Ill say: \\hat
used to do all they could to turn men away from Islam. So God sent down Say, To God belon s ' on the qlbla that they formerl} obset )'ed?
concerning them: 'Many of the scripture folk wish to make you unbelievers straIght path. Thu~ \\~~~ea,st anddthe west. He gUldt:s \dlOm He \\ III to the
again after you have believed being envious on their own account after the be v,Itnesscs agaInst menave rna e yOU a central cornmUIllt' th
and that th I h ) at you may
truth has become plain to them. But forgive and be indulgent until God ., d c apost e may e a \\ ltnes' lIl
shall give you His orders. God call do anything. 'Z you. Il.n \\e appointed the qd1la \\hleh th i l f' s ag<1 st

\Vhen the Christians of Najran came to the apostle the Jewish rabbis
came also and they disputed one with the other before the apostle. Rafi'
~7sa~:e~s~1~;tt~~~:\t :~~~~~t~lt~;:\~~~e,~f~~:I~'f~~~l(;~:~le::jl~~~~~~eu;:)!;~
those \\hom God ulded" . . I U ~ It \\3S a h31 d test except tor
said, 'You have no standing,' and he denied Jesus and the Gospel; and a lishcd 'It \\ 1S not g'1.ll 1" Le. a temptatiOn, l.e. those \\horn .Allah cstab-
Christian said to the Jews, 'You have no standing' and he denied that in the' first q:bla )~Ura~C~l~~l:~osc to make Jour faith \ellIl,' I C. yOU! fdlth
Moses was a prophet and denied the Torah. So God sent down concerning the later qibla and \OUr ob g your prophet, and your fOlloidng hlfn to
them: 'The Jews say the Christians have no standing; and the Christians '- e}Ingyourprophettherem l' tl h
you the rcv.ard of both of them 'G d k ! ' .c.so Ht ernd)gl\C
say that Jews have no standing, yet they read the scriptures. They do not Then God saiu '\V., . 0 IS lilt and compaSSlOnatc to men.'
know what they are talking about. God will judge between them on the , e SOmetImes See thee tur 1 f
heaven anu \Ve \\ III make thee t l11ng t 1Y ace to\\ ards
day of resurrection concerning their controversy,' i.e. each onc rcads in his so turn thv Lice towards th urndtO\\ards a qlbla \\hleh \\111 pleasL: thee;
book the confirmation of what he denies, so that the Jews deny Jesus - e sacre mosque and \\ her' ,
yourfaccsto\\ardsit'(3 1 -) 'T} 1 h C\tr yOU arc tUln
though they have the Torah in which God required them by the word of . . ."l. lOse \\ 10 a\e recel\ed th k
t hat It IS the truth from their L d i e scnptuIc mm 3 82
Moses to hold Jesus true; while in the Gospel is what Jesus brought in do. If thou (lidst b h or , ant God IS not unmlIldful of \\ hat they
confirmation of Moses and the Torah he brought from God: so each one L nng to t ose \\ho have th' .
would not follow thv qlbla and th l:i e SCIIpture e\ Cl \ SIgn they
denies what is in the hand of the other.
would some of them:' follow th '~lu \\oU (st not follow thell qlh/a nor
Riifi' said: 'If you are an apostle from God as you say, then ask God to
their desires after the kno\ I e ql aJ(:fhothers. If thou shouldst follo\\
speak to us so that we may hear His voice.' So God revealed concerning \ ed ge \\ llc haS come t tl 1
that: 'And those who do not know say, Why does not God speak to us or a wou Idst be an e\l1doer ' as far ' t h . ' () 1ec t 1Cn thou
so be not of the doubt~rs.'I as e \\ords It IS the truth flom tin Lord
sign come to us? Those who \vere before them said the same. Their minds
are just the same. \Ve have made the signs clear to a people who are sure.' MU'iidh b, Jabal and Sa'd b, MU'1dh brot! '
Kharija b, Zavcl brother of B I H: ' 1 ler~of B, Abdu'I-Ashhal, and
<Abdullah b. $uriya, the one-eyed man, said to the apostle, 'The only ' ~ , a .- ' ant) h ,tl-Kha' " ' k I .
guidance is to. be found with us, so follow us, IVluhammad, and you \\Till JeWIsh rabbis about ~sorneth'l11g III J 1'"
t 1e orah' i 1
,zra.J,as "t'( some ot the
be rightly guided.' The Christians said the same, So God sent down them and refused to tell them an ,thin 'b .an\ t 1t? concealed it from
g
concerning them both: 'And they say. Be Jews or Christians then you them: 'Those \vho conceal the r~ofs a ~ o~t It. SO,God sent clown about
We have made it plain t . ~ h n gUidance \\ e han' sent down after
will be rightly guided. Say, Nay, the religion of Abraham a ~anif who was omen m t e book God \'11 1
who Curse will curse the In. ' ' \ 1 curse t ltm and those
no polytheist,' as far as the words 'Those are a people who have passed
away; they have what they earned and you have what you ha~e earned and The apostle summoned the Jc",'ish scri Hurl' f lk
you will not be asked about what they used to do.'3 attractive to them and \varned tl ~ f: G I!" 0. to Islam and made it
Rati' b. KhariJ'a and 'l-]'k b ",e m ~ oc .s punIshment nd vengcance.
3..
And when the qibla was changed from Syria to the Ka'ba-it was ~~ a 1 U f saId to h
!. t1 ].
changed in Rajab at the beginning of the seventeenth month after the religion of their fathers fa t'I'.~ 1m lat t 1CY would follow the
' . r 1Cy \\ ere more learnel Ib
apQstle's arrival in Medina-Rifii'a b. Qays; Qardam b. 'Amr; Ka'b b. t hey. So God Sent down concc;' .. !. ( anc . cttcr mcn than
nll1g t 1('lr \yords' 'An I 1 ". .
aI-Ashraf; Riifi' b, Abu Riifi'; al-I:Jajjiij b. 'Amr, an ally of Ka'b's; al-Rab! them, Follow What Gou 1 ' I . . (\\ 1C11 It I:; saId to
laS sent (OWn thev sav' N I .
what \Ve found Our father l ' "'h' -' ~. ~ ay, Jut \\T w111 follow 3S3
Sura 2. 102. SiJ.ra s (omg. .. , at l even if thc' f tl I
J Sura 129-36, i.e. 'You are not responsible.'
2 2. 107.
not hmg and were not rightly guided?' . 1r a lcrs unc lTStood
I Selra 2. 14 0 -2.
The Life of JJuha11lmad 26r
The Life of JvIuha11l11lad
which has bee? sent down to those that believe at the beginning of t~e
260

When God smote Quraysh at Badr, the apostle assembled the Jews in the day and denYlt at the end of the day; perhaps they will go back (on it).
market of the B. Qaynuqa' when he came to l\ledina and called on them to Beh~ve o~ly In one who follows your religion. Say, The guidance is
accept Islam before God should treat them as he had treated Quraysh. God s ,gUIdance that anyone should be given the like of what vou have
They answered, 'Don't deceive yourself, l'vluhammad. You have killed a been gl:e~ or that they may argue with you before their Lord. ~ Say: the
number of inexperienced Quraysh who did not know how to fight. But bounty IS I~ the hand of Go~. He giveth it to \vhom he pleases and God is
if you fight us you will learn that we are men and that you have met your all-embracmg and all-kno\vmg.>l
equal.' So God sent down concerning their words: 'Say to those who _~bll TUifi' al-Qura~I said when the rabbis and the Christians from
disbelieve, You \vill be defeated and gathered into hell, a wretched rcsting- i\JJran had assembled before the apostle and he invited them to Islam
place. You had a sign in the two parties \vhich met: one party fought in the (1),0 you want 1/15, l\~,ubamIIlad, to ~vo:sl~ip you as the Christians worshi~
way of God and the other was unbelieving seeing twice their number with Jesus',~Son?f ~Iaryr One of the Chnstlans called al-RibbIs (or al-RIs or
their very eyes. God will strengthen with His help whom He will. In that al-Ra IS) sani, Is th~t \vhat you want of us and invite us to, l\Iuhammad?'
there is a warning for the obscrvant.'l or words to that efleet. The apostle replied, 'God forbid that I should
The apostle entered a Jewish school where there was a number of Jews worshl.p anyone but God or order that any but He should be worshipped.
and called them to God. Al-l\u'man b. 'Amr and al-J:!arith b. Zayd said God dId not send me and order me to do that' or words to that effect. So
to him: God sent down concerning their words: 'No mortal to whom God has
'\Vhat is your religion, Muhammad? ~ent a book and authority and prophecy could say to men,\Vorship me
'The religion of Abraham.' Instea~ ?f God; but Be learned in that you teach the book and in that you
'But Abraham was a Je\v.' stl~dy It as h,r as the words 'after ye had become :Yluslims' (316).z
'Then let the Torah judge between us.' And ~c dld not comrnand you to t.ake the angels and prophets as 3RS
T'-ley refused) and so God sent dmvn concerning the_m: 'Hast thou not lords. \\ auld He command you to disbelieve after you had beeo
seen how those \vho have received a portion of scripture when invited to IVluslims?' me
God's book that it may judge between them, a party of them turn the~r :he~ he. mentions ho~v God ha~ imposed on them and on their prophets
backs in opposition. That is because they say, The fire will not touch us the, ob1JgatlOn to bear WItness to hIS truth when he came to them and their
except for a limited time. \Vhat they \vere inventing has deceived them in ta~mg that upon themselves and he says: '\Vhen God made His covenant
their religion.' WIth t,l?~ prop~etts (He said) Behold that which I have given you-a book
The Jc\vish rabbis and the Christians of N ajran) when they were together and \\lsdom. 1 hen when an apostle shall come to you confirming what
before the apostle, broke into disputing. The rabbis said that Abraham you have, you shall believe in hirn andhc1p him. He said, Do vou agree
was nothing but a Jew. 'rhe Christians said he was nothing but a Christian; and
~rl take upon ' yourselves my- burden? Thevanswered
~ >
\V"'- 'Igl-'
< ce. - 11-'C S<l1(
" ' j)
so God revealed concerning them: '0 Scripture folk, \Vhy do you argue 1~n_bcar WJtnc'ss, I being with )-'ou as a witness> to the end of the passage.
about Abraham when the Torah and the Gospel were not sent down until . Shas b~ Gays, who was an old man hardened in unbelief and most
after his time? Can it be that you do not understand? Behold, you are bItterb _agamstf the l\Tuslims and exceeding! envious of th"m ' :o.~c(1 1)V .a
'- ' 1"1""
they who argue of what you kno\v something, but why do you argue n~lr:n er a the apos~le's companions from Aus and Khauaj in a meeting
about what you know nothing? God knows but you do not know. Abraham \\ h:l: they ~v~re t~lkll1? together. .\\'hen .he saw their amity and unity and
was neither a Jew nor a Christian but he was a IVluslim banif and he VlaS then h~ppy IelatlOns l~ Islam after their enmity in pagan times he was
not a polytheist. Those who are the nearest to Abraham are those \\'ho fill~d WIth rag~ and saHl: 'The chiefs of B. Qayla in this country having
follow him and this prophet and those who believe, God being the friend of u~It:,d tl~ere WIll he no fin~ place for us with them.' So he gave o;dc1's to a
believers.' 2 Jewls,h youth \vho \vas With them to go to them and sit with them and
'Abdullah b. i;layf and 'Adiy b. Zayd and al-J:!arith b. 'Auf agreed mentlOIl the battle of Bu'ath and the preceding events, and recite to them
among themselves that they should affect to believe in \vhat had been sent some of the poetry composed by each side.
down to Muhammad and his companions' at one time and deny it at another Now at the battle of Bu'ath Aus and Khazraj fought and the victory
so as to confuse them, with the object of getting them to follow their wen.t to Aus. who were commanded at the time by Hudavr b S ~k 386
example and give up his religion. So God sent down concerning them: al A. II ttl f ) f IT . ., . ' lIna
T-' s ~ 1a I 1c~~t ~er 0 ,sayd b. :tTu9ayr, Khazraj being led by 'Amr b. aI-
'0 Scripture folk, why confuse ye the true \vith the false and conceal the Nu n\JlI al-Baya<;lt, and both were killed (3'7).
truth which you know? Some of the Scripture folk said, Believe in tbat 1 Stlfil J. (l4' z StHa 3, 73,
2 Sura 3, 58.
1 SClra 3. 10,
262 The LIfe of lvluhammad The LIfe of 1\1uhanmzad 263
The youth did so. Thereupon the people began to talk and to quarrel longing for your ruin. From their mouths hatred has already shown itself
and to boast until two men of the t\VQ clans leapt up, Aus b. Qay~i of B. and wh.at their ~)reasts conceal is greater. \Ve have made the signs plain
!:Iaritha b. !:Iarith of Aus and Jabbar b. ~akhr of B. Salama of Khazraj. to you lf you will understand. Behold you love them but they love not
They began to hold forth against each other until one of them said, 'If you and you believe in the book--all of it,'l i.e. you believe in their book
you wish we \vill do the same again.' Thereupon both sides became enraged and in the books that were before that while they deny your book, so that
and said, '\Ve will. Your meeting-place is outside-that being the volcanic you have more right to hate them than they to hate you. 'And when they
tract-To arms! To arms!' So out they went and when the news reached meet l'DU they say, \Ve believe and v,hen they go apart they bite thei-r
the apostle he \vent out with such of the emigrants as were with him and fingers against you j;l rage. Say, Die in your rage', &c.
said to them: '0 Muslims, remember God. Remember God. Will you Abi"i Bakr went into a Jewish school and found a good many men gathered
act as pagans while I am with you after God has guided you to Islam and round a certain Ti'in~a~, one of their learned rabbis, and another rabbi
honoured you thereby and made a clean break with paganism; delivered called Ashya'. Abu Bakr called on the former to fear God and become a
you thereby from unbelief; made you friends thereby?' Then the people I\1uslim he cause he kne\'\' that I\.fuhammad was the apostle of God who
realized that the dissension was due to Satan and the guile of their enemy. had brought the truth from Him and that they would find it written in the
They wept and the men of Aus and Khazraj embraced one another. Then Torah and the Gospel. Finl!a~ replied: '\\-'e are not poor compared to
they went off \vith the apostle, attentive and obedient, God having Allah but He is poor compared to us. \Ve do not humble ourselves to
quenched the guile of the enemy of God Shas b. Qays. So God sent down Him as 11'.: humbles Himself to us; we are independent of Him while He
concerning him, and what he did: 'Say: 0 Scripture folk, why do you deny needs us. 'Vere lIe independent of us He would not ask us to lend Him
God's signs while God is \vitness of \vhat you do? Say, 0 Scripture folk, our money as your master pretends, prohibiting you to take interest and
why do you keep those who believe from God's way wishing to make it allQ\ving us to. Had lIe been independent of us He would not have given
crooked whcn you are witnesses and God is not unmindful of what you us intercst.'z
are doing?'l Ab'Ci Bakr was enraged and hit Fin~a~ hard in the face, saying, '\Vere
God sent down conccrning Aus and Jabbar and the people who were it not for the treaty between us I would cut off your head, you enemy of
with them when Shas brought back for a moment the atmosphere of Allah!' FinJ:1a~ immediately went to the apostle and said, 'Look, l\Iuham-
pagan days, '0 you who believe, if you obey some of those to whom a mad, at what your companion has done.' The apostle asked Abu Bakr
hook has been given they will make you unbelievers again after your what had impelled him to do such a thing and he answered: 'The enemy
faith. lIow can you disbelieve \vhen God's verscs are rcad to you and His of Allah spoke blasphemy. He alleged that Allah was poor and that the~' 3::lr)
apostle is with you? He who holds fast to God is guided to a straight path. were rich and I was so angry that I hit his face.' FinJ:1a~ contradicted this
o ye who believe, fear God as He ought to be fcared and die not except as and denieu that he had said it, so Allah s';nt down refuting him and con-
Muslims' as far as the words 'Those shall have a painful punishment'. firming what Abu Bakr had said: 'Allah has heard the speech of those who
When Abdullah b. Salam, Thalaba b. Saya, and Usayd b. Saya, and say: "Allah is poor and we are rich.". \Ve shall write what they say and
Asad b. 'Ubayd and other Jews became Muslims and believed and were their killing the prophets wrongfully and we shall say, Taste the p~nish
earnest and firm in Islam, the rabbis who disbelieved said that it was only ment of burning.'3
the bad Jews who believed in Muhammad and followed him. Had they And there came down concerning Abu Bakr and the anger that he felt:
been good men they \.. . ould not have forsaken the religion of their fathers 'And you will certainly hear [rom those "who receivcd the book before vou
and adopted another. So God sent down concerning what they had said: and from the polytheists much wrong but if you persevere and fear God
'They are not (all) alike: of the scripture folk there is an upright community that is of the steadfastness of things.'
who read God's verses in the night season prostrating themselves (318).2 Then He said concerning what FinJ:1a~ and the other rabbis \vith him
They believe in God and the last day and enjoin good conduct and forbid said: 'And "\vhcn Gotl laid a charge upon those who had received the hook:
evil and vie with one another in good works. Those are the righteous.' You are to make it clear to men and not to conceal it, they cast it behind
Some Muslims remained friends with the Jews because of the tic of I Sura 3. I q .
mutual protection and alliance which had subsisted bet\veen them, so z ~he key tothis. seemingly blasphemous utterance is in the words 'as your master pre-
God sent down concerning them and forbidding them to take them as tends. Later lYIusIrm scholars would have called It an ilz/lm, a form of the argwnentuTlI ad
absurdum in whieh an opponcnt'g proposition is adopted and followed to its (absurd) conclu_
intimate friends: '0 you who believe, do not choose those outside your sion. The Jews had objected to contributing to the cost of the waf against the :\1eCcans
community as intimate friends. They will spare no pains to corrupt you saying that if Cod needed thlir money as the apostlc said they must be better off than He!
3 t;(lra 3. 177.
I Sura 3. 93 :I v. 109.
264 The Life of Muhammad The J4e of J11uhammad 26-)
their backs and sold it for a small price. Wretched is the exchange! (your) features and turn them back to front or curse you as 'Ve cursed the
Think not that those who rejoice in what they have done and \vant to be sabbath-breakers \vhen God's. command was carried~out'1 (3 1 9).
praised for what they have not done-think not that they ,vill esca~~ tl~e And those \1,'ho formed parties of Cluraysh and Gha!afan and B. Qurayza
39 1
punishment: theirs will be a painful punish~.ent..'1 He means I:1ll0a~ w~re }.IuyaYY,and .Sallam and :\b1:i R:ifl.' Jnd al-Rabi' and AhCi 'Amm:i.r ;~nd
and Ashya' and the rabbis like them who rejOIce m what they enJoy of '\~~\val.l .b. Anllr, and lIa:Idha b. Qays, the latter three being of B.
worldly things by making error attractive to men and wish to be pralsed \, a II while the rest were ot B. al-.K1ac,iIr. \\'hen they Came to QuraYsh
for what they have not done so that men will say they are learned when they they told them that these were Jewish rabbis, the folk who possessed the
are nothing of the kind, not bringing them to truth and gUIdance and first (sacred) book, and t~1ey could ask them whether their religion or that
wanting men to say that they have so done. . 7 f l\1uhar:n:nad. \vas the better. \Vhen they did ask them they answered:
Kardam, Usa-rna, Nafi" Bal:Iri, J:luyayy, and Rlfa'a 2 used to go to some Your rehglOn IS better than his and you arc on a betteT path than he and
of the helpers advising them not to contribute to the public expense~, thos~ who follow him.' So God sent down conccrning them: 'Hast thou
'for we fear that you will COffie to poverty. Don't be in a hurry to con:n~ con.slder~d tho~e to \vhom a part of the book has been sent how they
39 bute, for you do not know the outcome.' So God sent down con~ernmg b~,ltev~ m ~l,-Jlbt and al-T;lghll.t? (320). And they say of those \Vh;
them: '\Vho are avaricious and enjoin avarice on others concealIng the dls?elI:ve: I hese are bettcr gUided to the right path than those who
bounty they have received from God', i.e. the Torah whi:h confirms what b:heve as far as the \\'ords 'or arc they eIn-ious of men because God has
Muhammad brought.' 'We have prepared for the unbelievers a shameful glvcn .them of His bounty. \Ve gave thc familY of .Abraham the book
punishment and those who spend their money to be seen of men and and v,rlsdom and \Ve gave them a great kingdom.-'2
39 2
believe not i'n God and the last day' as far as the words 'God knows about S~kayn .and 'Adi"y b. Zayd said: '0 I\luhammad, \\"L' do not know of
them'. God shavIng .sent d~\vn to mortals anything after ::Yloses.' So God scnt
Rifa'a was a notable Jew. When he spoke to the apostle he twisted his dO\vn eoncernmg theIr words: "Ve have revealed unto thee as we reveakd
tongue and said: 'Give us your attention, Muhammad, so that we can unto Noah and the prophets after him, and we rcvealed unto Abraham
make you understand/ Then he attacked Islam and reviled it. So God and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes and Jesus and Job and
sent down concerning him: 'Hast thou considered those to whom a part Jonah and, Aaron and Solomon and we brought to Da\"id the Psalms; and
of the book has been given how they buy error and wish that. you shoul.d apostles \Ve have told thee of hefore and apostles \Ve havc not told thee of,
err as to the way. But God knows best about your enemlCS. God IS and God spo~c directly to 1\10scs; apostle.s bringing good news and warnin~
sufficient as a friend and helper. Some of the Jews change words from that mcn mlf?ht ~ave no argument aga1I1st God after the apostles (had
their contexts and say: We hear and disobey; hear thou as one that heareth come). God IS Mighty, Wise."J
not and listen to us, twisting their tongues and attacking religion. Had they A number of them came in to the apostle and he said to them, 'Surely
said, \Ve hear and we obey; hear thou and look at us, it would have bee? y~u know that. I am an apostle from God to you.' They replied that the~'
better for them and more upright. But God has cursed them for the" dId not .know It. and would not bear \vitness" to hlm 51) God sen t (own I .
unbelief and only a few will believe." con~ernmg theIr r:vords.: 'But God tes~ifjcs concerning what lIe has sent
The apostle spoke to two of the chiefs of the Jewish rahbis 'Ahdullah dO\\n t.o t~ee. \\ Ith lIts. kno\~l~dge did He send it down and the <mgels
b. 5uriya al-A'war and Ka'b b. Asad calling on them to accept Islam, bear WItness. And God IS sufllClent as a \,,-itness.'
for they knew that he had brought them the truth; but they denied that The apostle \vent out to the B. al-NaQi"r to ask their help in the matter
they knew it and were obstinate in their unbelief. So Go~ ser:t dO\vn of the b.laod-money of the two '.:\.mirites \Vh0111 'AmI' b. Cmavva al-DarnrI
concerning them: '0 you to whom the book was sent, Behevc III what had slaIn. And when they were alone together they said, ":'ou wi'll not
\'Ile have sent down in confirmation of what you have before 'Ve efface find Muhammad nearer than }~e is now; so what man will get on top of the
I v. 184.
h.o~se and th:ow a stone on him so that \\'e may be rid of him?' ':\mr b.
2 Their names have already been given in full. Jll;1ash b. Ka b volunteered to do so. The apostle got to knmv of their
J One would naturally suppose that their wealth is referred to here. . " , scheID: a.nd h~ left l them and God sent down concerning him and his
4 Sura 4. 47. This text shows that 1\1uhammad knew (II) that when th(~y saId \\c hear
and 'a;aynti they were playing on the similar-sounding Hebrew word usinu (with sin) mean- people s mtentIOn: 0 you who believe, remember God's favour to yOU
ing 'we carry out', and (b) that ra'ina to them meant '~ur evil one' .. It seems, therefore, w~en a peo~le purposed to stretch out their hands against 'lOll and 'He
probable that ghayra musma'in is not to be understood 10 the sense given ab~ve, but, a~ a WIthheld their hands from you. Fear God and on God let the believers
vocative '0 thou that hast not been made to hear', i.e. thou who hast not received a dlVlOe rely.'4
revelatio'n. The 'tongueMtv:isting' is revealed as the sarcastic use of Arahic in a Hebrew
sense by a bilingual scholar. J Sura 4. 50. 2 Sura 4. 57. J Sllra 4. l()l. 4 Sllra 5, q.
266 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Jluhamlllad 26 7
Xu'man b. Ada' and Bal.ui h. 'Amr and Sha's b. 'Adiy came to the apostle With. him he put him on his oath as to \vhether the Torah did not prescribe
and he invited them to come to God and warned them of His vengeance. stonmg for adulterers. 'Yes,' he said, 'they know right well, .r\bu'l-Qasim,
393
They replied: 'You cannot frighten us, l\Iuhammad. \Ve art the sons ~nd that you arc a prophet sent (by God) but they envy" you.' The apostle
the l)eloved of God' as the Christians say. So God sent down concernmg went out to them and commanded that the t\\"o should be stoned (Inti they
th C m .' 'A.nd

the Jews
_
and the Christians say, \Ve arc the sons and . the~ were stoned at the door of his mosque among B. Chanm h. l\1:11ik b.
beloved of God. Say, Then why lioes He punish you for your 51113. al-l\~ajjar. Afterwards Ibn $uriya disbelieved and denied that the apostle
Nav 'lOU arc hut mortals of those He has created. He pardons whom He was a prophet. So God sent down concerning them: '0 apostle, let not
will a~1d He punishes whom He will and. to God belongs the kingd?m?f the th.ose \V~O vic with one another in unbelief sadd('n thee, those who say
heavens and the earth and what lies between them and to HIm IS the \vlth theIr mouths, \Ve believe, but their hearts do not believe, those
j ou rneying.' 1
Jews \vho listen to lies, listening for other people who do not corne to
The apostle invited the Je\vs to Islam ,and ~ad~ It attractIve to them thee,' i.e. those \\ho sent others and stayed behind themselves and gan:
and warned them of God's jealousy and HIS retnbutlOn; but they rep~lsed them orders to change the judgement from its context. Then He said;
him and denied what he brought them. Mu'adh b. Jabal and Sa d b. 'They change \vords from their places, saying, If this be given to you 395
Tbada and Tqba b. Wahb said to them: 'Fear God, for you know ngbt receive it, and if it is not given to you, i,e. the stoning, bew,~re of it', "&c.
well that he is the apostle of God and you used to speak of him to u~ before l\'1uhammad b. Tall)a b. Yazid b. Rukana from Isma'n b. Ibrahim from
his mission and describe him to us.' Rafi' b. J:lurayImla and \\'ahb b. Ibn 'Abbas told me that the apostle ordered them to be stoned, and they
Yahiidha said, '\Ve never said that to you, and God has s.ent, d~\'m no were stoned at the door of his mosque. And when the Jew felt the first
book since 1\loses nor sent an evangelist or \varner after him. So God stone he crouched over the woman to protect her from'til(, stones until
sent down concerning their \\'ords: '0 scripture folk, our apostle has come" both of them were killed. This is what God did for the apostle in exacting
to you to make things plain to you after a cessation of apostles lest y?U the penalty for adultery from the pair.
should say: ="Jo evangelist and no \varner has come to us when.an e~'angehst $5Iif.l b. Kaisan from Nc"'ifi', freedman of 'Abdullah h. 'Vmar from
and warner has come to you (now). God is able to do all ~hmgs. " " 'Abdullah b. T"mar, told me; 'Vhen the apostle gave judgement abollt them
Then he recounted to them the story of IVIoses and thell' 0pposltlOn to he asked for a Torah. A rabbi sat there reading it ha\"ing put his hand over
him, and how they disobeyed God's commands .through him so that they ~he :rerse of stoning. 'Abd.ullah b. Salam struck the rabbi's hand, saying,
\\"andered in the wilderness forty years as a punt::;;hment. Tll1s 0 prophet of God, IS the vnse of stoning which he refuses to read
j

Ibn Shihiih al-Zuhri told me that he heard a learned man of l\tIuza~na to you.' The apostle said, "Voe to you ]C\vs! 'Vhat has induced \'OU to
t e 'mg"a'-d
II I.
b al-Musavvab that Abll lIurayra had told them that JeWIsh
u Md' abandon the judgement of God whieh you hold in your hands'" They
rabbis had gathered in their school \vhen. the apost.le came to e lOa. answered: 'The sentence used to be carried out until a man of roval birth
A married man had committed adultery with a marncd woman and the.y and noble origin committed adultery and the king refused to allo\~' him to
,'d'. 'Snd
sal "- e them to 1\luhammad and ask him what the law . habout
. them. IS b: stoned. Later another man committed adultery and the king wanted
and leave the penalty to him. If he prescribes tajbilz (whlc ~s scourglI:g hIm to be stoned but they said No, not until you stone so-and-so. And
with a rope of palm fibre smear('d with pitch, th(' black('nlI~g ()~ th~lr when t!ley said that to him the)' agreed to arrange the matter by tajbilt and
faces, mounting on two donkeys with th~ir f~ces .to the anllHal s ~aIl) they dId away with all mention of stoning.' The apostle said: '1 am the
394
then follow him, for he is a king and believe m hur:. If he presenbes first to revive the order of God and His book and to practise it.' Thev
stoning for them, he is ::J prophet so bc\v~ue lest he depnv~ you of wha: ?'Oll were duly stoned and 'Abdullah b. 'Umar said, 'I was among those tha"t
hold.' Thev brought the pair to rvluhammad and explamed the pOSitiOn. stoned them.'
'The proph~t walk<.:d to meet the rahbis in the school house :nd call~d on Da'ud b. al-I:Iu~ayn from 'Ikrima from Ibn 'Abbas said that the verses
them to bring out thcir learned men and they produced Abdullah b. of The Table in \vhich God said: 'Then judge hetv,:een them or \\ithdraw
from them and if you withdravl from them thev will do thee no harm. And
SCI~~:. of the B. Qurayza told me that Abu Yasir and Wahb b. Yahudha if thou judgest, judge with fairness, for God ioveth those who deal fairly'
\vere with them and the apostle questioned them so that he got t~ .th~e were sent down concerning the blood-monn' between B. al-::\Tadir and n.
bottom of their affair until they said (pointing) to 'Abdullah b. Sunya, Quray~a. Those slain from B. al-NwHr wer; leaders and thev \\:antcd the
'This is the most learned man living in the Torah' (3 21 ). whole blooJ\vit while B. Quray~a wanted half of it. They" referred the
He was one of the youngest of them and when the apostle \vas alone matter for arbitration to the apostle, and Cod sent down that p;I~~agc
I Sl"na 5. 21. The la~t worJ 1II{j,~/r Jll!\Y mean 'return'. concerning them. The apostle ordcr('d that the m~ltter should be s('ttkd
268 The Life of Muhammad The Ufe of J11uhammad
justly and awarded the bloodwit in equal shares. But God knows which knOl'i' that there is another god with God?' The ;lpost]e answered: 'God,
account is correct. there is no God but lIe. \Vith that (message) I was sent and that I preach.'
Ka'b b. Asad and Ibn Saillba and his son 'Abdullah and SilO's said one God sent clO\vn concerning their words: 'Say, \Vhat is the greatest testi-
to another, 'Let us go to l\'Iuhammad to see if \ve can seduce him from his many? Say God is \vitness between me and. you, and this Qura~ has been
rcligion~ for he is only a mortal'; so they went to him and said: 'You know, revealed to me that I might warn you by It and whomsoever It reaches.
::\1uhamrnao, that we are the rabbis, nobles, and leaders of the ]C\VS; Do you actually testify that with God there arc other gods? Say, I do not
and if we follow you the rest of the Jews will follow you and not oppose testify to that. Say He is only One God, and I dissociate myself from \:'hat
us. Nmv we have a quarrel outstanding with some of our people and if we you associate (with Him). Those to whom \Vc sent the book kno\v It as
believe in you and say that you are truthful will you, if we appoint you they know their o\vn sons. Those who destroy themselves \vill not believe.'"
arbitrator between us, give judgement in our favour?' The apostle refused Rifa'a and Suwavd had hypocritically affected to embrace Islam and
to do so and God sent down concerning them: 'And judge between them some of the ::\Iusli~1s \vere f~iendly with them. So God sent down con-
by what God has sent down and follow not their vain desires; and beware cerning these two men: '0 Believers, choose not as friends those who have
of them lest they seduce thee from some of what God has sent down to thee. chosen your religion to make a jest and game of it from among those wh.o
And if they turn their backs then kno\v that God \vishes to smite them .for received the scripture before you, nor the unbelievers, and fear God If
some of their sins. l'vIany men are evil-doers. Is it that they are seekmg vou are believers', as far as the words' And when they come to you they
the judgement of paganism? \Vho is better than God in judgement for a ;ay, \Ve believe, but they carne in in unbelief and they went out with it and
people who are certain?' [ God knOlvs best about \vhat they are concealing.'2
Abu Yasir and "'afi' b. Abu Kafi' and 'Azir and Khalid and Zayd and Jabal and Shamwil came to the 3postle and said: 'Tell us \vhen the hour
Tzar and Ashya' came to the apostle and asked him about the apostles he will be if you are a prophet as you say.' So G?d ~ent down concerning
believed in. So the apostle said: '\Ve believe in God and what he has sent them: 'They will ask you about the hour w.hen It \nl.l con~c to pass. ~ay,
dmvn to us and what was sent dovo/O to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac only my Lord knows of it. ::'\one but He will reveal!t at 1ts proper !true.
and Jacob and the tribes 3nd what \vas given to l\-'Ioses and Jesus and what It is heavv in the hl'avens and the earth. Suddenly will it corne upon you.
was given to the prophets from their Lord; we make no difference between T'lleY wili ask you as though you knew about it. Say Only God knows
any (;ne of them. And we are submissive unto Him.'z \Vhen he mentioned abo~t it but most men do not knO\v'' (J22).
Je~us Son of :Vbn' thev denied that he \vas a prophet, saying, '\Ve do not Sal1a~l and T\u'man b. Aufa and I\lal).mud b. Dil.lya and Sha's and
397 belie~c in Jesus S~o'n o(l\-'Iarv or in anyone who believes in him.' So God Malik came and said to him: 'I-1m\' can we follow you when you have
sent down conderning them~ "0 Scriptu:r:e folk, do you blame us for any- abandoned our Qibla and you do not allege that 'Czayr is the son of God?' 399
thing but our belief in God and what He has sent down to us and \\.'hat \vas So God sent dO\vn concerning these \\'ords: 'The Jews say that 'Ozayr
sent down aforetime and because most of you are evil-doers ?'J is the son of God and the Christians say the :\'Iessiah is the son of God.
Rafi' b. Haritha and Sallam h. l\lishkam and Malik h. al-,:,ayf and Rafi' That is wh3t they say \vith their mouths copying the speech of those who
b. Huravmila came to him and said: 'Do you not allege that you foUO\v disbelieved 3foretim~. God fight them! How perverse they are' to the
the religion of Abraham and believe in the Torah which we have and
end of the passage 4 (323). _ , _
testifv that it is the truth from God?' lIe replied, 'Certainly, but you have l\1ahmtid b. Sayh;in and ::\u'man b. AQa' and Bal}rt <.Joel 1 ;zayr and
sinne"d and broken the covenant contained therein and concealed what you Sallar~ came to hi';1'and said: 'Is it true, l\'Iuhammad, that what you have
were ordered to make plain to men, and I dissociate myself from your sin.' brought is the truth from God? For our part we cann.ot see that i.t ~s
Thev said, '\Ve hold by what we have. \Ve live according to the guidance arranged as the Torah is.' He answered, 'You know qUite \vell that It IS
and "the truth and we do not believe in you and \ve \vill not follow you.' from God; you will find it written in the Torah 'which you have. If men
So God sent down concerning them: 'Say, 0 Scripture folk, you have no and jinn came together to produce its like they could not.' Finl).a~ and
standing until you observe the Torah and the Gospel and \vhat has been 'Abdullah b. ,:,uriya and Ibn Saluba and Kinana b. al Rabi' and Ashya'
sent down to you from your LO'td. \",1hat has been sent down to thee from and Ka'b b. al-Asae! and Sham\'lil and Jabal were there and they said:
thy Lord will assuredly increase many of them in error and unbelief. 'Did neither men nor jinn tell you this, I\'1uhammad?' He said: 'You kno\\'
But be not sad because of the unbelieving people.'4
I The charge of polytheism made ag~linst the ]c:\'s is :ery puzzling and hard to expL~ill.
Al-KaJ~I~am and Qard3m and Bal~ri came and said to him: 'Do you not CertainlY this passage (Sura 6.19) and the context III which It occurs refers not t() the ]l\\S
but to tl~e pojythcists. ~ ;\-Jra S 6 2 . , .
SClra 5 5--1. SClf'cl ]. sk.
3 Sura 7. 186. To make sense we mu~t supply the words that they do not kn()\\ at the
3 Sura 5. 6+. 4 Sllra 5. 72.
end. 4 Sura 9. )0.
27 The Ufe of M~lIhammad The Life of l]Juhammad 27 1
well that it is from God and that I am the apostle of Gael. You will find rAbdu'l-l'vlasi:l;t by name; (b) the ,Sa}yid, their auministrator who saw to
it written in the Torah you have.' They said: '\Vhen God sends an apostle transport and general arrangements, whose name \\'as al-Avham' and
He docs for him what he wishes, so bring down a book to us from heaven (c) their Bishop, scholar, anu religious leader who controlled th"eir schools,
that \ve may read it and know what it is, otherwise we will produce one Abu J.Iiiritha b. 'Alqama, one of B. Bakr b. Wii'il.
like the one you bring.' So God sent down concerning their words: Abu 1:Iaritha occupied a position of honour among them, and was a
'Say, Though men and jinn should meet to produce the like of this Quran great student, so that he had an excellent knowledge of their religion, and
they would not produce its like though one helped the other'l (324). the Christian kings of Byzantium had honoured him and paid hi~ a sub-
400 J:!uyayy, Ka'b, Abcl Riifi', Ashya', and Shamwil said to 'Abdullah b. sidy and gave him servants, built churches for him and lavished honours
SaLim \vhen he became a ~_VIuslim, 'There is no prophecy among the Arabs, on him, because of his knowledge and zeal for their religion.
but your master is a king.' Then they went to the aposrle and asked him \Vhen they set out' from ='\ajran to see the apostk Abu ~Liritha \\'as
about DhlI'l-Qarnayn and he told them what God had sent him about riding on a mule of his with a brother at his side whose name was K(iz b.
him from what he had already narrated to Quraysh. They were of those 'Alqama (326). Abll I:Iaritha's mule sturnblcc..l and Kuz said, '~lav So-and-
\vho ordered Quraysh to ask the apostle about him when they sent al-Na<;lr so stumble,' [i.e. Curse him!], meaning the apostle. Abu IJaritha ~aid, '1'<ay
and T qba to them.' but may you stumble.' 'Dut why, brother?' he asked. 'Because by God he
I was told that Sa'id b. Jubayr said: A number of Jews came to the apostle is the prophet \ve have been waiting for.' Kuz said, 'Then if you know
and said: 'Now, I\Iuhammad, Allah created creation, but who created that, what stops you from accepting him?' He replied, 'The way these
Allah?' The apostle was so angry that his colour changed and he rushed people have treated us. They have given us titles, paid us subsidies, and
at them being indignant for his Lord. Gabriel came and quietened him honoured us. But they arc absolutely opposed to him, and if I were to +02
saying, 'Calm yourself, 0 )"1uhammad.' And an answer to what they asked accept him they \vould take from us all that )-'011 sec.' Kl.-IZ pondered over
came to him from God: 'Say, He God is One. God the Eternal. He the matter until later he adopted Islam, and used to tell this story, so I
begcttcth not neither is He begotten and there is none equal to Him.'3 have heard (327).
'Vhen he recited that to them they said, 'Descrihe His shape to us, l'vIuhammad b. Ja'far b. al-Zuhavr told me that when they came to
Muhammad; his forearm and his upper arm, what are they like?' The Medina they came into the apostle'~ mosque as he prayed the afternoon
apostle was more angry than before and rushed at them. Gabriel came to prayer clad inYamanl garments, cloaks, and mantles, with the elegance of
him and spoke as before. And an answer to what they asked came to him men of B. al-I.Iarith b. Ka'b. The prophet's companions who saw them
from God: 'They think not of God as He ought to be thought of; the that day said that they never saw their like in any deputation that came
whole earth will be in His grasp at the day of resurrection and the heavens :Uterwards. T,he time of their prayers having come they stood and prayed
In the apostle s mosque, and he said that they were to be left to do so.
folded up in IIis right hand. Glorified and Exalted is He above what they
associate \vith Him. '4 They prayed towards 'the east.
'litba b. Muslim freedman of the B. Taym from Abcl Salama b. The names of the fourteen principal men among the sixty riders were:
<Abdu'l-Ral:unan from Abu Hurayra told me: I heard the apostle say, 'Abdu'I-MasiJ; the 'Aqib, al-Ayham the Sayyid; A-btl lIiiritila b. 'Alqama
'l'vlen question their prophetS to such an extent that one would almost brother of B. Dakr b. \Va'j!; Aus; al-l-,farith; Zayd; Qays; Yazid; ~ ubayh; 403
say, NO\v God created creation, but \\-'ho created God? And if they say Khuwaylid; 'Amr; Khiilid; 'Abdullah; Johannes; of these the first three
that, say ye: He God is One,' &c. Then let a man spit three times to the named above spoke to the apostle. They wac Christians according
left and say' I take refuge in God from Satan the damned' (325). to the Byzantine rite, though they differed among themselves in some
points, saying He is God; and He is the son of God; and He is the third
person ~f the Trinity, which is the doctrine of Christianity. They argile
401 A DEPUTATION FROM THE CIIRISTIAI:';'S OF NAJRAN that he IS Goc..l because he used to raise: the dead, and heal the sick, and
declare the unseen; and make clay birds and then breathe into them so
A deputation from the Christians of Xajran came to the apostle. There ~h~t th.ey flew a\:'a1';2 ~nd all this,was by the command of God Almighty,
were sixty riders, fourteen of them from their nobles of whom three were We WIll make 111m a slgn to men. 3 They argue that he is the son of God in
in control of affairs, namely (a) the 'Aqib the leader of the people, a man that they say he had no known father; and he spoke in the cradle and this
of affairs, and their chief adviser whose opinion governed their policy, is something that no child of Adam has ever done. They argue that he is
I7.90, 2 v,s., p. 136. ~ 112. the third of three in that God says; \Vc have done, \Ye have commanded,
)9.67. In \\'.'5 text this paragraph is attributed to Ibn Hisham. , Reading w[J)jahii. with \\1. 2 Sura 3. 43. 3 Sura Il). 21,
5 I pn:flOr \\'.'5 reading to that of C.
272 The Life of /Yluhammad The hie oj JIlIhmmllad 273
\Ve have created and \Ve have decreed, and they say, If He were one he Him when He wills, and the \Vise in IIis argument and His case against
would have said I have done, I have created, and soon, but He is He and His creatures. 'HI.: it is \vho has sent down to thee the book which has
Jesus and l\1ary. Concerning all these assertions the Quran came down. plain verses: they arc the corel of the Dook', in them is the divine ~lrgument,
\\-'hen the two divines spoke to him the apostle said to them, 'Submit the protection of (His) creatures, and the thrusting- aside of controversv-
yourselves.'! They said, '\Ve have submitted.' He said: 'You have not and falsehood. These are not subject to modification or ~:ilteration2 in the
submitted, so submit.' They said, 'Nay, but ,ve submitted before you.' meaning \vhich has been given. 'And others arc obscu[(:,', they arc subject
He said, 'You lie. Your assertion that God has a son, your worship of the to modification and interpretation. By them God tests His creatures as He
cross, and your eating pork hold you back from submission.' They said, tests them with things permitted and forhidden that they should not be
'But who is his father, ~1uhammad?' The apostle was silent and did not changed into what is false and altered by declining from the truth. 'But
answer them. So God sent dO\vn concerning their words and their in- as to those in whose hearts is a deviation,' i.e. turning away from true
coherence the beginning of the sura of the Family of 'Imran up to more guidance, 'they follow what is ambiguous,' i.e. \yhat can be otherwise
than eighty verses, and He said: 'Alif Lam Mim. God there is no God but interpreted to substantiate thereby what they' have invented and introduced
He the Living the Ever-existent.'z Thus the sura begins \-\lith the statement anew that they may have an argument and a plausible reason for their doc-
that He transcends what they say, and His oneness in creation and autho- trine, 'desiringjllna,' i.e. confusion, and 'desiring an arbitrary interpreta-
rity, without associate therein, in refutation of the infidelity they have tion,' e.g. the error they adopted in explaining '\\-l' created' and '\\'e
in~ented, and their making rivals to Him; and using their O\\'n arguments decreed'. 'And none knows its interpretation,' i.c. \\"1Iat the\' mean bv it,
against them in reference to their master to shO\v them their error thcre?y. 'except God; and those grounded in knowledge. They say, \re belie\~e in
'God there is no God but He,' no associate is with Him in His authorIty. iL Everything comes from our Lord.' So how can there be anv contro-
'The Living the Ever-existent,' the living \Vho cannot die, \vhereas Jesus versy when it is one speech from one Lord? Then they GilT)' oycr the
died and was crucified according to their doctrine; 'The Ever-existent' one interpretation of the obscure to the plain which can haye only onc meaning
who remains unceasingly in the place of His sovereignty in His creation, and thus the hook hecomes consistent, one part confirming another, the
whereas Jesus, according to their doctrine, removed from the place where argument effective and the case clear; falsehood is excluded and unhelief
he was and \vent from it elsewhere. 'He has brought dO\vn to thee the book is overcome. 'None but the intelligent take heed' in this way. '0 Lord,
in truth,' i.e. with the truth about which they differ. 'And He sent down Suffer not our hearts to go astray after Thou hast guided us,' i.~. Do not let
the Torah and the Gospel,' the Torah to Moses and the Gospel to Jesus, our hearts swerve, though we swerve aside thro~gh our sins. 'Grant us
as He sent down books to those who were before him. 'And He sent down mercy from Thy presence. Thou art the Gencrous Giver.' Then He says,
the Criterion,' i.e. the distinction bet\veen truth and falsehood about 'God \vitnesses that there is no God but He, and the angels and the n;el1
which the sects differ in regard to the nature 3 of Jesus and other matters. of knowledge too' contrary to what they say 'subsisting eyer in justice.' i.e.
'Those who disbelieve in God's signs will have a severe punishment. God in equity. 'There is no God but He the l\'Iighty the \Vise. The religion
is Mighty, Vengeful,' i.e. God will take vengeance on all who deny His with God is lslartl,' i.e. the religion you practise', () :\Tuhammad, acknow-
signs, after knowing about them and about \vhat comes from Him in them. ledging the oneness of God and confirming the apostles. 'Those to whom
':'\othing in heaven or earth is hidden from God,' i.e. He know~ \vl:at the.y the book was brought differed only after knowledge had come to them,' i.e.
intend and scheme and what comparison they seek to establtsh III thetr that which came to thee, namely that Cod is One \\"ithout associate,
doctrine of Jesus when they make him God and Lord, when they possess 'through transgression among themseh'cs. And whosoever disheliC\"Cs in
the knowledge that he is nothing of the ki~d, thus behaving with insol;~ce God's revelations-God is s\vift to take into account. And if they argue
and infidelity. 'He it is who forms you In the womb as He pleases, 1.e. with thee,' i.e. with the false doctrine they produce about '\Ve created,:
Jesus was one who \vas formed in the womb~they do not attempt to deny
that-like everv other child of Adam, so how can he be God when he had I Lit. 'the mother'.
occupied such" a place? Then He says, to lift His transcendence and ~ The t\Yo \voros used, talri! and ta}/rz(, are not always ckarly defined hv the ..\rab corn~
menta tors. Lane says that the lairi! of the verses means 'the \urving or di~nsifying of the
His essential Unity above what they put with Him, 'There is no God but verses of the Quran hy repeating them in different forms, or the muking of them distinct in
He the :;\1ighty the \Vise.' The l'vlighty in His victory over those who deny their meanings by rcpeating and varying them'. As to Inliri!. Buhl's article in E.l. should
be consulted: 'It may happen in various ways, by direu altnation of the written text, by
I The ordinary mCilning of the word must stand here. l\luhammad, u.f course, meant
arhitrary altnations in reading aloud thl: text which is itsdf cornTt, by' omitting parts of it
'Become .:\1uslims'. The Christians answered that they had already submItted themselves
or by interpolations or hy a wrong exposition of the true sense. ..' Ibn IsbCiq says that
to Cod-slee what was said on p. 179. z 3. I.
neither the plain nor the obscure verses may be trl:ated with tabri!; but in the latter category
J I\'ot in the theological sense, though undoubtedly christo logical difTl:l"l:n<.:es form the
ta;rif and interpretation may be resorted to-i.l:. a meaning may be given to them which
background of this sura. the words taken as they stand do not justify.
B 40HO T
The Lzfe of l\luhammad
274 d 'd f The Life of "~luhammad
'\\T, did' and '\Ve commanded,' " on y a spec'iatis .argument
It IS1 H' evo!
1 'as
0 2-""
/)
e , I t God lIe to
truth 'Say I have surrendered my purpose 0 h ' .: 1 the book and 1m a one, him entirely devoted to God's service subservient to no worldly interest.
. ., . . \ d say to those W 0 rCCCIVC( 'Accept (him) from me. Thou art the Seer the Knower. And \vhen she
have those who tollm\' me. j n. -' b k 'Have you surrendered? For
\vas delivered of him she said: 0 my Lord, I have given birth to a fcmale~
to the gentile (converts) who h~~'~ ~o i O~tl" uided and if they turn their
if thev have surrendered they wd e r gl' y g h e And God sees and God knew best of \\'hat she \vas delivercd~and the male is not as the
backs'" it is only incumbent on thee to de lver t e messag . female,' i.e. the two were not the same when I vowed her to thee as a
consecrated offering, 'I have called her Mary and I put her in Thy keeping
(His) servants.' d eh ' (ans and reminded them of and her offspring from Satan the damned.' God said; 'And her Lord
'fl H' b'ned the Jews an ns I "' 'd'
1cn c com 1 . . . " 'd' 'Those who disbelieve m Go s accepted her \vith kindly acceptance and made her grow up to a goodly
what they had newly mvcntedhand sal . f 11 and kill men \\'ho enjoin
" 1 kll th prop cts wrong u y , ' growth and made Zachariah her guardian' after her father and mother
revelatIOns an, I e I 'S ' 0 God possessor of sovereignty, I.e, were dead (3 28 ),
J'ustice' as far as the wores, ,- ay, 1 d mong them 'Thou
k' d d th King who a one ccrees a . He mentions that she \vas an orphan and tells of her and Zachariah and
Lord
. of man ""In an t e
,hom T hou WI'I t an d takest it av,ray from whom , what he prayed for and what He gave him \vhen He bestO\ved on him
gn'est sovereignty a v. d b h m l'hou wilt in Thy hand IS Ya1)ya. Then He mentions ~Iary and how the angels said to her, '0 l\Iary,
~u
"fh It st an a asest w 0 ,
Thou wllt. exa e Th 'Thall canst do all things,' i.e. none
good/ i.e. there IS n~ ?od but . ee. a d O\ver 'Thou causest the night
God hath chosen thee and purified thee and chosen thee above the WOmen
of the worlds, 0 Mary, be ohedient to Thy Lord and prostrate thyself and
tbut Th~u can do thIs In th~ :naJe~trh;an~ bri;gest forth the living from bo\v with those that bO\v', saying, 'That is some of the tidings of things
o pass mto day and the day mto g h 'And 'fhou nur-
f h r'" g 'bv t at power, hidden. \Vc reveal it to thee. Thou Wast not present with them,' i,e. thou
the dead and the dead rom t C I\.m ,.,;:. '1 as power to do that but
l 'h 'I ,'thout stmt .... one 1 . , wast not with them 'when they threw their aJ:rows to know which of them
turest whom ou \VI t \\ I " , h ' matters in virtue of w}uch should be the guardian of 1\'1ary' (3 2 9).
' I I Jesus power 0\ er t ose ,
Thou; I.e. thoug 1 gave " t h I ad healing the sick, creatmg Later her guardian \\'as Jurayj, the ascetic, a carp,enter of B. Isra'll. The
they say that he is God ~uch as ralsmg I ~ta~e him thereby a sign to men
arrow came out for him so he took her, Zachariah having been her guardian
birds of clay, and declanng th~~~~:';~vherewithI sent him to his people, heretofore. A grievous famine befell B. Isra'I1 and Zachariah was unable
and a confirmatIon of hIS prop I'" hh 1d from him such as appomt- to support her so they cast lots to see who should be her guardian and the
M . t and power WIt e
But some of y maJes y d d lacing them where I wished, and
ing kings by a prophetIc comma; an lth day into night and bringing
lot fell on Jura}]' the ascetic and he became her guardian. 'And thou wast
not with them \vhen they disputed,' i.e. about her. He tells him about
making the night to pass m~o ~y:n d de from the living and nnrturing what they concealed from him though they knew it to prove his prophct-
forth the living from the dea an t e cad d the evil man All that I
" " h ' t b t h t c gho o a n , hood and as an argument against them by telling them what they had con-
whom 1 wtll \vIt out stm, 0 , " 't Have they not an cealed from him.
d ave hIm no po\\er over 1
withheld from J csus an g ,
, ,
G d all t11at would be wlthm Then He said: 'Then the angels said: 0 .\Iary, God giveth thee good
f that If he were a 0 <
example
his powerand a clear
while know, t h at h e fI. e'd from kings and because of them
theyproo tidings of a word from Him whoscnam,e is the :\Tessiah Jesus, Son of 2\Iary,'
, h t from town to town. i.e. thus was his affair not as you say concerning him, 'illustrious in this
hc moved about t e coun ry " b I' d sa'id' 'Say If \lOU world and the next,' i.e, with God 'and of those who are brought near. 1
' d d' d the e levers an . k , .J
Then he admonIshe an warne . 1 t God and in glorifying Him He will speak to men in his cradle and as a grown man, and he is of the
lovc God,' I.e. 1 w at ~ou say
' 'f h is true move 0
"e au our sins,' i.e. your past righteous ones,' telling them of the phases of life through \vhich he would
'and follow me, God wIll love you anMdforgfl\ I y SyY Obc" God and His pass like the other sons of Adam in their lives young and old, although God
'" d G d Forglvmg erci u . a,.J "f
unbelief.
I 'f ,ll.n a IS, 1 fi 1 h' (mentioned) in your book. But 1 marked him out by speech in his cradle as a sign of his prophet hood and
. k ow him ant nt 1m . I' ,
apost c, bor yOUk " n to vour un b eI'Ie f, 'G Ot1 loveth not the un be levers. to show mankind where his pO\ver lay. 'She said, 0 my Lord, how can
,h J
ovou turn ae', l' I.e. d -'t them h ow i t Godl
W13 J
'ntended to do \\'It esus I have a child when no man hath touched me.' He said: Thus (it will be)
Then He exp ame a
1 d 'd' 'God chose J\( am all 1" d Noah and the family of Abra-
d God creates what He will,' i,e. He does what I-Ie wishes, and creates what
originatec an sal . h ' Ids Thev were descen ants He wills of mortal or non-mortal. "Vhen He decrees a thing He merely
'I f'l an ahove t e \\or. .J
ham and the famI Y 0 mr K ' Then he mentioned the says to it Be' of what He wills and how He wills 'And it is' as I-Ie wishes.
d G i' Hearer a nO\ver. .
onc of another an o( IS a , '. d' '1'vl lord 1 vow to Thee what IS Then He tells her of His intention in regard to him: 'And He will teach
affair of 'Imran's \vifc and ho\\' sffhe ~al ;.~ Y havdvo\ved him and made him the book and the wisdom and the Torah' \\-hieh had been with them
in my womb as a consecrated a enng, l.e. 1
I u'ajhi.
from the time of 1\10scs before him 'and the Gospel,' another book which
J SC, 'to God' or 'by God'.
The Life of 111uhammad
27 The Life of Muhammad a male is no more wonderful than thi " . 277
6 after knmvledge has come to tl " s. 'fVhoso argues WIth thee about him
God initiated and gave to him;' they had only the mention of him that he h h' ff' 1ee, I.e. a ter I have told th h'
o\v IS a aIr \\'as , 'The n sa\... C orne let ee IS story~ and
would be one of the propbets after him. 'And an apostle to B. Isra'j] sons, our \vives and your wiv~s I' us SU, mmon our sons and vour
1 ' ourse ves and )'OU s 1' h -
(saying) I have come to you with a sign from your Lord,' i.e. confirming earnest y and invoke God' , r eves, t en let us pray
thereby my prophethood that I am an apostle from Him to you. 'I will I h Ib s curse upon the hars' ('3 ) '" 'I .
, ave rought you of the star' of I ,. j I. ,en y thiS' which 4<0
create for you from clay the likeness of tbe form of birds and I will breathe There is no God but God anJ God e;su~ IS the t~ue story' of his affair.
into them and they will become birds by God's permission,' vVho has sent God knows about the cor:u t d S IIghty \\ Ise. If they turn back
. ~,
me unto you, He being my Lord and yours 'and I \yill heal him who was t d p ocrs. av 0 Ser'pt f lk
JUs war between us that' .'11 I ure a ,Come to a
born blind and the leper' (330). 'And I will quicken the dead by God's . h H' \\e \\1 worshIp anI)' G d d .
\Vlt 1m and some of us ,'11 k 0 an aSSOClate nothing
permission and I will tell you of what you eat and store up in your houses. \\ I not ta e others as I d 1 . I
ey turn back say' Bear " t I or S JeSl( e God. And if
Therein is a sign for you' that I am an apostle from God to you, 'if you th h '
t . \H ness t 1at we are \TusI"
em to Justice and deprived the f h . ~ Ims. ' 'Ih us he invited
become believers. And confirming that which was before me of the Torah,' \Vhen there ca mot elr argument.
i.e. what of it preceded me, 'and to make lawful to you some of that which d me to the apostle news of Jc f,
JU gement between him aI I tl . sus 10m God and a decisive
was forbidden you,' i.e. I tell you about it that it was forbidden you and ' 1C lem, and he was d
mutua mvocation of a c 'f I comman ed to resort to
egm. 3ut thev said: '0 '1 _ 'I Q_~'
you abandoned it; then I make it lawful to you to relieve you of it and you . II < urse I t lev opposed hi h
m, e summoned them to
can enjoy it and be exempt from its penalties. 'And I bring you signs from b '11 come to you
WI " later with.'-l.)U -
IJSlm
' .' let , u s ConSI'd er our aftalrs;' . then \ve
your Lord, sO fear God and obey me. God is my Lord and your Lord,' 'th h ,- our (eCISlOn So thn' 1 ft h' d
,WI t e Aqib who \vas their chief ad " . ' .' e. 1m an consulted
i.e. disowning what they say about him and proving that his Lord (is God). was. He S'lid' '0 eh' . \ 1ser and asked hIm \\'hat his opinion
'So \vorship Him. This is a straight path,' i.e. that to which I urge you and <. . nstrans you know r'ght II 1
prophet sent (by God) and <
h e' h I 'a dec',',
as )fOught we td1at I l\J uhammad
. is a
bring you. 'But when Jesus perceived their disbelief' and enmity against nature of vour master Y k IS1\ e ec arat10n about the
him 'He said, Who are my helpers towards God? The disciples said: We _ . ou now too that a pea 1 h .
curse on a prophct and seen its elders r ,. . peas never mvoked a
are God's helpers. We bdieve in God.' This is their saying by which they do thIS you will be exterminated 13 ;\,~ and Its )?uth grow up. If you
gained favour from their Lord. 'And bear witness that we are Muslims,' religion and to maintain \'0 d '. U 1 you decIde to adhere to vour
not \vhat those who argue with thee say about Him. '0 our Lord, we I . ur octnne about \' .
eave of the man and go ho " S h'.. . .,OUI master, then take your
believe in \vhat Thou hast sent doviI1 and we follow the apostle, sO write me
that they had decided I10t t . _ 0 t ey came to the apostle and told"him
US down among the witnesses,' i.e. thus was their saying and their faith. r . 0 1 ('sort to eli slng
re 19lOn and return home. Bl t th . . Id' I:
" I
. an( to leave him in his
~09 Then He mentions His taking up of Jesus to Himself when they decided t t l .
rus to ( eCIde between th 1
. C\ \\ au
-. Ike lum to ' --l a man Jle could
senu
to kill him and says: 'And they plotted and God plotted and God is the best them. em m certam financial matters in dispute among
of plotters.' Then He tells them-refuting what they assert of the Jews in
regard to his crucifixion-how He took him up and purified him from them Muhammad
evening b. Iafar
I will send a fir said''dTh e apostle saId,
. 'If you come to me this
and says: "Vhen God said, 0 Jesus I am about to cause thee to die and to < m an trusty man' 'V d
wanted an office more than I d' . mar use to say, 'I never
exalt thee to Myself and to pmify thee from those who disbelieve' when I \vante that one a d h d h
It. went to the noon praver' h' h nope t at I should get
they purposed as they did, 'and am setting those who follow thee above cluded it he looked to righ't Inllt fC eat and when the apostle had con-
those who disbelieve until the day of resurrection.' The narration con- . an, e t and I bega t h
u eIght so that he co I j . I, n 0 stretc myself to my
tinues until the \vords 'This \""hich \Ve recite unto thee,' a l\luhammad, 'of f II '1h . u ( see me )ut he kept I . .
untl he saw Ab(i 'Ub 'd b 1 J '. _ .on searc ling \vith his e)'es
h ay a . a - atrah and call h'} . 1
the signs and the wise warning,' the final, the decisive, the true, in \vhich no t em and judge bet\'leen them f . hf il' rng 1m Ie saId, "Go \'lith 4 I
falsehood is mingled, of the story of Jesus and of \vhat they differed in So, said 'Vmar A.bu 'Ub'"d aIt u, y In matters they dispute about'"
, ;1) a went WJth them. .
regard to him, so accept no other report. 'The likeness of Jesus with God,'
And listen! 'is as the likeness of Adam whom God created 10 f earth; then
said to him: De; and he was. The truth is from thy Lord,' i.e. the report SOME ACCOUNT OF THE llYPOCR
\vhich comes to thee about Jesus, 'so be not of the doubters,' i.e. the truth 'A' ITES
has come to thee from thy Lord so do not be doubtful about it; and if they ~lm b. 'Umar b. Qatada told me that when th
the leader there was' :'\b I II I b l'l ' e apostle came to I\Tedina
say, Jesus \vas created without ,1 male (intervening), I created Adam from n. (U a' jav I S n I '\
al-ijubla; none of his ow '1 <. y).J a u a - ufI of the clan of B
As the sequd sho\\'~ thO' '"
,:,rth by that same power without a male or a female. And he was as , n peop c contested his h' , .
. ., aut onty and Aus and
,ksus \vas: flesh and blood and hair and skin. The creation of Jesus without ., "clInmg lS Jr u' ' .. J
L . ( 's llnO,t; (Jou s curse Oil which of us is l),ing'.

I See p. 254, n. 1.
278 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 279
Khazraj never rallied to one man before or after him until Islam came, a~ You said, 'I have honour and wealth',
they did to him. \-Vith him was a man of Aus whom Aus obeyed, Abu But of old you sold your faith for infidelity (332).
'Amir 'Abdu 'Amr b. ~ayfj b. al-l\u'man, one of B. I,)ubay'a b. Zayd, 'Abdullah b. Ubayy while maintaining his position among his people
the father of Hanzala 'the washed' on the day of l'1;md.' He had been an kept wavering until finally he adopted Islam unvvillingly.
ascetic in pag~n d~ys ~nd had worn a coarse hair gar~e~t and was callc~ 't~e l\!Iuhammad b. ~Tuslim aI-Zuhri from' L;rwa b. al-Zubayr from l;sama
monk'. These two men \vere damned through theIr hIgh status and It (ltd b. Zayd b. J.:laritha, the beloved friencl of the apostle, told me that the
them harm. apostle rode to Sa'd b. 'Ubada to visit him during his illness, mOUl"l;ted on
'Abdullah b. Ubayy's people had made a sort of jewelled diadem to an ass with a saddle surmounted by a cloth of Fadak with a bridle of paIm-
crO\vn him and make him their king when God sent HIs apostle to them; fibre. Said Zayd: 'The apostle gave me a seat behind him. He passed
so \vhen his people forsook him in favour of Islam ~le :vas fi.l1cd with cn- 'Abdullah b. l;bayy as he was sitting in the shade of his fort l\luzal.lam
mitv realizing that the apostle had deprived him of his kmgshlp. However, (333). Round him were sitting some of his men, and when the apostle saw
wh~n he sa\",! that his people \vere determined to go over to Islam he \vent him his sense of politeness would not allow him to pass without alighting. 413
too, but umvillingly, retaining his enmity and dissimulating. . So he got oft" the animal and sat for a little while reciting the Quran and
Abu 'Amir stubbarnlv refused to believe and abandoned hIs people inviting him to God. He admonished and warned him and preached the
\vhen they went over to ~Islam and went off to I\Jecca with about ten fol- good nevvs to him while he, with his nose in the air, uttered not a word.
lowers te: get away from Islam and the apostle. Muhammad b. Abu Finally, vvhen the apostle had finished speaking he said, "There would be
Umama from one of the family of J.:lanzala b. Abu 'Amir told me that the nothing finer than what you say if it were true. But sit in your own house
apostle said, 'Don't call him the monk but the evil-doer.' and if anyone comes, talk to him about it; but don't importune those who
Jafar b. 'Abdullah b. Abu'l-J.:lakam whose memory went back to aposto- do not come to you, and don't come into a man's gathering with talk which
lic days and who was a narrator of tradition told .me that bef~re he left for he docs not like." 'Abdullah h. Rawal).a, who was one of the l\Tuslims who
l'vlecea AbU. 'Amir came to the apostle in l\Iedma to ask him about the were sitting vvith him, said, "Nay, do come to us with it and come into our
religion he had brought. gatherings and quarters and houses. For by God it is what we love <tnd
'The ljanifiya, the religion of Abraham.' \vhat God has honoured us with, and guided us to." \Vhen 'Abdullah h.
'That is what I follow.' Ubayy saw that his people vvere opposed to him he said:
4 12 'You do not.'
'But I do l You, l\1uhammad, have introduced into the lJanifIya things \Vhen your friend is your opponent you vvill always be humiliated
which do not belong to it.' And your adversaries will overthrow you. 1
'I have not. I have brought it pure and white.' Can the falcon mount without his wings?
'l\lay God 1<:t the liar die a lonely, homeless, fugitive!' (meaning the If his fcathers are clipped he falls to the ground (334).
apostle as if he had falsified his religion). 'AI-Zulu! from 'Frwa b. al-Zuhayr from Csama told me that the
'Well and good. May God so reward him!' apostle got up and went into the house of Sa'd b. 'Ubada, his face showing
That actua-lly happen<:d to the <:nemy of God. I-It: vv<:~: to l\lecca and the emotions raised by Ibn L~bayy, the enemy of Cod. Sa'd asked the
when the ap;)stle conquered it he W"lit to Ta'if; vvhen Ta'If. ~ecame IVlus- apostle why he looked so angry as though he hall heard something that
lim he went to Svria and died there a lonely, homeless, fugitive. displeased him, and then he told him what Ibn l~~bayy had said. Sa'd said:
I'\~ow there we~t with him 'Alqama b. 'L'latha b. 'Auf b. al-Al:l\va~ b. 'Don't be hard on him; for God sent you to us as we were making a diadem
Jafar b. Kilab, and Kinana b. 'Abd Yalil b. 'Amr b. 'Umayr al-Thaqafi. to crown him, and by God he thinks that you have robbed him of a king-
\Vhen he died they brought their rival claims to hIS property ,before Caesar, dom.'
lord of Rome. 2 Caesar said, 'I ..et townsmen inherit to\vnsmen and let
nomads inherit nomads.' So Kinana b. 'Abd Yalil inherited his property
and not 'Alqama. FEVER ATTACKS THE APOSTLE'S CO:\1PAKI01\'S
Ka'b b. Malik said of Abu 'Amir and what he had done: Hisham b. 'l'rwa and 'Umar b. 'Abdullah b. '1.'f\\"a from 'Crwa b. al-
God save me from an evil deed Zubayr told me that 'A'isha said: \Vhcn his apostle came to I\ledina it
Like yours against your clan, 0 '.Abdu 'Amr. I lbn Qutayha, Aflll]addillla, tr. Gauddroy-Dem()rnhyn('~,J'ari~, 19+7, p. 22, ha~-"(j'1I7ka
for ya'ira'ha. G.-D. tran~latcs l/I(llIltiha by 'ton patron'. Th~
\\'tHe1 is a homonym and in
I 'v.i. 2 i.e. Nova Roma. its context seems to require the meaning I have given.
280 The Life of Muhammad The J4e of Jlllhanmwd
was the most fever-infested land on earth, and his companions suffered TIlE DATE OF TIrE HIJHA
414 severely from it, though God kept it from His apostle. 'AmiI' b. Fuhayra
and Bilal, freedmen of Abu Bakr, were \vith him in one house when the By the preceding isniid from 'Abdullah b, Hisham who said Ziyad b.
fever attacked them, and I came in to visit them, for the veil had not then 'Abdullah al-Ilakka'j from :Yluhammad b. Ishaq told me that the apostle
been ordered for us. Only God knows how much they suffered from the came to l\Iedina on l\Ionday at high noon on the 12tb of Rabi'u'l-awwal.
fever. I came to my father and asked him how he fared and he said: The apostle on that day was fifty-three years of age, that being thirteen
years after God called him. He stayed there for the rest of Rabl'u'l-awwal,
Any man might be greeted by his family in the morning the month of Rabl'u'l-~'\khir, the two Jumadas, Rajah, Sha'han, Ramac.Hin,
\Vhile death was nearer than the thong of his sandal. Shaw,val, Dhu'l-Qa'da, Dhu'l-Bijja (when the polytheists supervised the
I thought that my father did not know what he was saying. Then I \Vent to pilgrimage), and l\lul~arram. Then he "'ent forth raiding in ~afar at the
<AmiI' and asked him how he \vas and he said: beginning of the twelfth month from his coming to '.\Iedina (337).

I have experienced death before actually tasting it:


The coward's death comes upon him as he sits. (THE RAID ON \VADDA:'{ \VI-IICH WAS HIS FIRST HAID)
Every man resists it with all his might
until he reached '''adrIan, which is the raid of al-Abwa', making for Quraysh
Like the ox who protects his body with his horns (335).
and B. l)amra b. Bakr b. 'l\..hdu l\Ianat b. Kinana. The B. l)amra there .p6
I thought that .<~mir did not know what he \vas saying. Bilal when the made peace with him through their leader .l\Iakhshi b. 'Arnr al-I)arnri.
fever left him lay prostrate in a corner of the house. Then he lifted up his Then he returned to ::\ledina without meeting war and remained there for
voice and said: the rest of ~afar and the beginning of RabI'u'l-awwal CBS).
Shall I ever spend a night again in Fakhkh'
\Vith sweet herbs and thyme around me? THE EXPEDITIO::\ OF UBAYDA n. .-\L-I,rARITH
\Vill the day dawn \vhen I come do\vn to the ,vaters of lVlajanna
Shall I ever see Shama and Tafil again? (336) During that stay in :\Iedina the apostle sent 'llbayda b. al-J):l.rith b. al-
l\lunalib with sixty or eighty riders from the emigrants, there not being a
1 told the apostle what they had said and he remarked that they were single one of the An0iir among them. He went as LJr as water in the Hijaz
c.ldirious and out of their minds \vith a high temperature. lIe said, "0 God, below Thani)'atu'l-l\Iurra, where he encouIllL"rcd a large number of
make I\Icdina as dear to us as l\Jccca and even dearer! And bless to us its Quraysh. N"o fighting took place except that ~a'd h. AhCl ""a(jq5::; shot an
food, and carry its fever to lVIahya'a." IHahya'a is al-Jul)fa.'2 arrmv on that day. It Ivas the nrst arnm' to he shot in Islam. Then the two
Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri from 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. al-'i\~ mentioned that, companies separated, the: ::\"Tuslims haying a rcarguard. .-\I-"\TiqdJd b.
when the apostle cam<: to l\Iedina with his companions, the fever of l\lcdina 'Amr al-BahrJl1i, all ally of the: B. Zuhra, and 'Ltba h. CklZ\dn h. J5hir
smote them until they were extremely ill (though God turned it away from al-l\.Ja;;:ini, an ally of the B. :-<auL.tl b. ' .. \hdu ~iLlIlilf, tied from the poly-
415 his prophet) to such a degree that they could only pray sitting. The apostle theists and joined the \Iuslims to whom they really !Jc!ong<:d. They had
came out to them when they were praying thus and said; 'Knmv that the gone out with the unhelic\'ers in order to be able to link up \yitb the .\Ius-
prayer of the sitter is only half as valuable as the prayer of the stander.' lims, 'Ikrima b. Ahli Jahl was in command of the l\Ieccans (339).
Thereupon the Muslims painfully struggled to their feet despite theil Concerning this raid Abu Bakr composed the follO\ying (3+0).
weakness and sickness, seeking a blessing.
Could you not sleep because of the spectre of ~alJlla in the sandy
Then the apostle prepared for war in pursuance of God's command to
valleys,
fight his enemies and to fight those polytheists who were near at hand
And the important event that happened in the trine?
\vhom God commanded him to fight. This \vas thirteen years after his
You see that neither admonition nor a prophct's c,-111
call. Can save some of Lu'ayy from unbelief;
I Cf. Yaq. iii. 854. 1 I, and Bukhfiri, i. 47I. I ] . Fakhkh is a place outside :\lecca. I\f:ljanna
A truthful prophet carne to them and they gave him the lie, .p 7
in the lower part of i\Iecca was a market of the Arahs in pagan days. And said, "r'ou shall not live among us.'
2 Cf. yaq. i. 35. J6, who says it was once a large yillage with a pulpit on the road from'
\Vhen we called them to the truth they turned their backs,
J\.JeJina to ~recca about four stages distant from the latter. It was the rendezvous of the
Egyptians anJ Syrians if they wished to avoid Medina. They hovlled like bitches driven back panting to their lairs;
282 The LIfe of Muhammad The LIfe of llll!wlI1l11ad
\Vith how many of them have we tics of kinship, Bereft of their husbands all of them.
Yet to abandon piety did not weigh upon them; The slain would have been left for those concerned
If they turn back from their unbelief and disobedience And thQse utterly heedless to talk aboLit.
(For the good and lawful is not like the abominable); Give Abu Bakr \vith you a message:
If they foUO\v their idolatry and error You have no further part in the hOI'.our 1 of Fihr,
God's punishment on them will not tarry; No binding oath that cannot be broken
We are men of Ghiilib's highest stock That war \vill be renewed is needed from me (3-P).
From \vhich nobility comes through many branches; Sa'd b. AbCl \\raqqa~, according to reports, said about his having shot an
I swear hy the lord of camels urged on at even by singing, arrow:
Their feet protected hyoId leather thongs, Has the news n:adH.:d the apostle of Cod
Like the rcd-backed deer that haunt :Mecca That I protected m:y companions with Ill.y arrows?
Going down to the well's slimy cistern; By them I defended their \/unguard
I swear, and I am no perjurer, In rough ground and plain.
If they do not quickly repent of their error, ::\0 archer who shoots an arrO\v at the enemy
A valiant band will descend upon them, \Vill be counted before me, 0 apostle of God.
\Vhich ,'viII leave women hushandless. 'Twas because thy religion is true
It will leave dead men, ''lith vultures \vheeling round, Thou hast brought what is just and truthful.
It will not spare the infidels as Ibn J:Iiirith did.' By it the believers are saved
Give the Bam-l Sahm with you a message And unbelievers recompensed at the last.
And every infidel who is trying to do evil; Stop, thou hast gone astray, so do not slander mc.
If you assai!! my honour in your cvil opinion \Voe to thee Abci Jahl, lost one of the tribe! (:)42).
I will not assail Z yours. The flag of T1bayda b. al-l.Iarith according to my' information was the
'Abdullah b. al-Ziba'rii al-Sahmi replied thus: first flag which the apostle entrusted to a believer in Islam. Some scholars
allege that the apostle sent him when he came back from the raid of a1-
Does your eye wcep unceasingly Abwa' before be got to IVlediIl<.l.
Over the ruins of a Jwelling that the shifting sand obscures?
And one of the \vonders of the days
l;:lA1VIZA'S EXPEDITION TO THE SEA-SIIOH.E 419
(For time is full of wonders, old and new)
Is a strong army which came to us While he \vas staying there he sent I~Iamza b-. 'Abdu'l-.\Iuqalib to the sea-
Led by 'Ubayda, called Ibn Hiirith in war, shore in the neighbourhood of AI-'I~ Cr. in the territory of ]uhayna) with
That \ve should abandon images venerated in IVIecca, thirty riders from the emigrants; none of the helpers took part. 1-1e met
Passed on to his heirs by a noble ancestor. Abu Jah1 with three hundred riders frorn ::\Tccca un the shore, aEd !\Iajdi
\Vhen we met them with the spears of Rudayna, b. 'Amr al- Juhani intervened between them, for he was at peace with both
And noble steeds panting for the fray, parties. So the people separated one from another without fighting.
And swords so whitc they might be salt-strewn Some people say that I.Iamza's flag was the first which the apostle gave
In the hands of warriors, dangerous as lions, to any IVluslim because he sent him and 'Cbayda at the same time, and
4IR \Vhere\vith wc deal with the conceited 3 thus people became confused on the point. They allegec..l that Ijarnza had
And quench our thirst for vengeance \vithout delay, composed poetry in which he says that his flag was the first which the
They withdrew in great fear and awe, apostle entrusted to anyone. No\\' if I.Iamza actually said that, it is true if
Pleased with the order of him who kept them back. God wills. lIc would not have said it if it \yere not true, but God knO\ys
Had they not done sO the women would have wailed, what happened. \Vc have heard from learned people th;lt 'l'hayda \\'(\S the
first man to receive a flag. 1:larnza said concerning that, so they allege (j ..t 3):
I i.c. 'ChayJa.
2 Abu Dharr refers the meaning of this word to the divine omniscience. In this line vVonder, a my peopk, at good sense and at folly,
possihly 'ancestry' rather than 'honour' is the meaning- of 'ir(f. At lack of sound counsel and at sensible advice,
J Lit., the turning away of him who turns to one side. Possibly the writer has in mind
Sura 31. I7, 'Turn not thy cheek in scorn towards people'. I Sec ll. ::: on the previous page.
2 84 The Life of Nluhammad
The Life of Jll1hallllllad 285
At those \vho have \\-Tonged us, v..'hilc we have left
Their people and their property inviolate, . l\1ajdi held me and my companions back from them
As though we had attacked them; And they helped me \vith swords and arrows
But all we did was to enjoin chastity and justice Because of an oath binding on us, which we cannot discard,
And call them to Islam, but they received it not, A firm tie which cannot be severed.
And they treated it as a joke. But for Ibn 'Amr I should have left some of them
Thev ceased not so until I volunteered to attack them Food for the ever-present vultures, unavenged:
\Vh~re they dVlelt, desiring the satisfaction of a task \vell done But he had s\\'orn an oath, \vhich made
At the apostle's command-the first to march beneath his flag, Our hands recoil from our swords.
Seen with none before me, If time spares me I will come at them again, .,p I
A victorious flag from a generous, mighty God, \Vith keen, new polished swords,
\Vhose acts arc the most gracious. In the hands of warriors from Lu'ayy, son of GhJ.lib,
At even they sallied forth together, Generous in timcs of dearth and want (344). I
Each man's pot burning with his companion's rage;
20
4 When we saw each other, they halted and hobbled the camels, THE RAID ON DewAT
And \ve did the same an arrO\v-shot distant.
\Ve said to them, 'God's rope is our victorious defence, Then the apostle went raiding in the month of RabI'u'I-A\\'\val m~king for
You have no rope but error.' Quraysh (345), until he reached BmvJ.t in the neighboll,rhoocl of ~a~hva.
Abu Jahl warred there unjustly, Then he returned to )"Tedina without fighting, and remalTlcd there for the
And was disappointed, for God frustrated his schemes. rest of Rabi'u'l-:\khir and part of Jum:"ida'!- CIJ.
\Ve were but thirty riders, while they \vere two hundred and one.
Therefore 0 Lu'avy obey not your deceivers, THE HAID OK AL-'USIIAYRA
Return to' Islam add ~he e~sy path,
For I fear that punishment will be poured upon you Then he raided the Quraysh (346). He \lent by tbe "ay of B. Din"r, then
And you \vill cry out in remorse and sorrow. by Fayf,,'u-I-Khah"r, and halted under a tree in the valley of Ibn Azhar
called Dhiitu'l-Saq. There he prayed and there IS IllS mosque. Food was
AbU. Jahl answered him, saying: prepared and they all ate there. The place occupied by the stOIl.CS which
I am amazed at the causes of anger and folly supported his cooking-pot is still known. He drank from a waterIng place
And at those who stir up strife by lying controversy, called al-lVIushtarib.2. Then he weIlt on leaving al-EhaL'i'iqJ on the left
\Vho abandon our fathers' ways. and. went through a glen called 'Abdullah to this day; then he bore to the
Those noble, powerful men, left4 until he came down to Yalyal and halted whne it joins al-l)abl~I'a.
They come to us with lies to confuse our minds, He drank of the well at al-I);ibu'a and then traversed the plain of :.\lalal
But their lies cannot confuse the intelligent. until he met the track in Sukhavrat al- Yamam which carried him straight
\Ve said to them, '0 our people, strive not with your folk- to al-'Ushavra in the valle)' of 'ianbu' where he stopped during Jumada'l-
Controversy is the utmost fo11y- VIa and so~c days of the following month. He made a treaty of friend-
For if you do, your weeping \vomen \\'ill cry out ship there \vith D. :\ludlij and tlll~ir allies B. I)amra, 8nu then returned to
\Vailing in calamity and bereavement. Medina without a fight. It was on this raid that he spokc the \\"Cll-known
If 'lOU give up \vhat you are doing, words to Ali. 4"
\V; are your cousins, trustworthy and virtuous.' Yazid b. 1\1uhammad b. Khavt)18In al-I\Iul)Jribi from l\luhamIllad b.
They said to us, '\Ye find Muhammad Ka'b. al-Qurazi from :\Tul18mm,~d b. Kh8ytham the father of YaziJ from
One \vhom our cultured and intelligent accept.' 'Ammar b. Y:lsir told me that the latter ~;:lid: ',-\1T and J were c1osL' cOJn-
\Vhen they were obstinately contentious panions in the raid of a]- T shaY'ra and \d1Cll the apostle Idtcd therc we saw
And all their deeds were evil, I The Jan;':UJh~ of this 'p(Jl'rn' and ics rrcdl'LL~\llr O\\"cs mud: t,) liw (jl,rdn.
~ Tnb. and SlIhdyli h'ilT 'al-:\Twi!l:lyrj8_
I attacked them by the sea-shore, to leave them
J AceonJiTli-: t'l '{;iql-lt tlwre i~ a place of this llaJTle r:l"ar :\lo:cJiJla \yhich belonged !()
Like a \'.'itbercd leaf Oil a rootless stalk. 'Abdullah b. ;\hmad h. jull:,l!.
4 Reading yasdr for- W.'s .""Iid. Cf. Suhayli III loc.
286 The Life of 1Vfuhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 28 7
some men of B. Mudlij working at a well and on the date palms. 'Ali until he had journeyed for t\VO days, and to do what he was ordered to do
suggested I that we should go and see what the men \vere doing, so ,ve \vent bu~ not to put pressure on any of his companions. The names of the eigh~
and watched them for a time until we were overcome by drO\vsincss and emIgrants were, Abu I:ludhayfa, 'Abdullah b. Jal:zsh, 'likkasha b. l\Iihsan
we went and lay down under some young palms and fell fast asleep in the 'Utba b. Ghazwiin, Sad b. Abu Waqqii e, 'Amir b. Rab!'a, wiiqiri b: 4 2 4
soft fine dust. And then who should wake us but the apostle himself as he 'Abdullah, and Khiilid b. al-Bukayr.'
stirred us with his foot! It \vas as \ve \vere dusting ourselves that the apostle When 'Abdullah had travelled for two days he opened the letter and
said to 'Ali when he sa\\' him covered with dust, '\\/hat have you been up looked into it, and this is what it said; '\Vhcn 'VOll have rcad this letter of
to, Abu Turiib (father of dust) " Then he went on, 'Shall I tell you of the mine proceed until you reach Nakhla between l\Tccca and Al- Ta'if. Lie in
two most wretched creatures? Ul)aymir of Thamud who slaughtered the wait there for Quraysh and find out for us what they arc doiI~g.' Having
camel, and he who shall strike you here, 'AIi'-and he put his hand to the read the letter he said, 'To hear is to obey.' Then hc said to his com-
side of his head-'until this is soaked from if-and he took hold of his panions, 'The apostle has commanded me 'to go to Nakhla to lie in wait
beard. there for Quraysh so as to bring him ne\ys of them. He has forbidden me
A learned traditionist told me that the real reason \vhy the apostle called to put pressure on any of you, so if anyone wishes for martyrdom let him
'Ali Abu Turab \vas that when 'Ali' was angry \"ith Fatima he would not go forward, and he who docs not, let him go hack; as for me~I am going on
speak to her. He did not say anything to annoy her, but he used to sprinkle as the prophet has ordered.' So he \vent on, as did all his companions, not
dust on his head. \Vhenever the apostle saw dust on 'Ali's head he knew one of them falling back. He journe}'ed along the Bijaz until at a mine
that he was angry with Fatima and he \vould say, '\Vhat is your trouble, 0 called BaJ:1ran above al-Furu', Sa'd and 'Utba lost the camel which they
Abu Turab?' Dut God knows the truth of the mattcr. were riding by turns, so they stayed behind to look for it,' while 'Abdullail
and t~c. rest of them went on to ::,\vakhla. A caravan of Quraysh carrying
?ry ralsms and leather and other merchandise of Quraysh passed by thcm,
THE RAID OF SA'D B. ABt \VAQQ.:\~ Amr b. al-I,ladrami (349), 'Uthmiin b. Abdullah b. al-:Ylughira and his
I\Ic(lmyhile the apostlc had sent Sa'd b. Abil \"aqqa5 \\lith cight men from brot~er J\Taufal the l\Iakhzumites, and al-ljakam b. Kaysin, freedman
the emigrants. He went as far as al-Kharrar in the Bijaz. Thcn he returned of Hlsham b. al-l\lughira being among them. \\'hen the caravan saw them
42.1 without fighting (347). they were afraid of them because thc)' had camped ncar them. 'Ckkasha,
who had shaved his head, looked down on theIll, and when they saw him
they felt safe and said, 'They are pilgrims, you have nothing to fear from
THE RAID 0.:\ SAFAWj\~, \VHICH IS TILE FIRST RAID OF BADR them.' The raiders took council among themselvcs, for thi's was the last
~ay of Rajab, and they said, 'If you lea\;e them alone tonight the:y will get
The apostle stayed only a fcw nights, less than ten, in l\Iedina when he
came back from raiding AI-'l:shayra, and then Kurz b. Jabir al-Fihri Into the sacred area and will be safe from vOU' and if you kill them vou .+25
will kill them in the sacred month,' so th;v \\:ere hesitant and fear~(j to
raided the pasturing camcls of l\ledina. The apostle went out in search of
attack them. Then they encouraged each ~other, and decided to kill as
him (3+8), until he reachcd a valley called Safawan, in the neighbourhood
of Badr. Kurz escaped him and he could not overtake him. This was the many as they could of them and take what they had. \VJqid shot 'Ann b.
first raid of Bach. Then the apostle returned to ~1edina aml.stayed there al-I:Ia<.lrami \vith an arrow and killed him, and 'UthmJn and al-Hakam
for the rest of Jumada'l Akhira, Rajab, and Sha'ban. surrendered. )Jaufal escaped and eluded them. 'Abdullah and hi~ com-
panions took the caravan and the two prisoners and came to IVledina \\".ith
them. One of 'Abdullah's family mentioned that he said to his companions,
EXPEDITIO~ OF 'ABDULLAH B. JAI.JSII A:;,\"D THE 'A fifth of what we have taken belongs to the apostle.' (This \yas before
COJ\lING DOWN OF 'THEY \VILL ASK YOU ABOUT THE God had appointed a fifth of thc booty to him.) So he set apart for the
SACRED T\10NTH'
apostle a fifth of the caravan, and divided thc rest among his companions.
"rhen they came to the apostle, he said, 'I did not order you to fight in
Thc apostle sent ';\bclullah h. Jal)sh b. Ri'ab al-i1.sadi in Rajah on his the sacred month,' and he held the caravan and the t\\'O prisoners in sus-
return from the first Badr. ITe scnt with him eight emigrants, without any pense and refused to take anything from them. \Vhen the apostle said that,
of the An~ar. lIe wrote for him a letter, and ordcred him not to look at it the men were in despair and thought that they were doomed. Their IVlus-
I In T. (1271 lilt.) the suggestion is made to 'Ali by 'Ammar. Someone has been guilty I As these men have already been named with full particulars of their genea!og\ and
('f a deliberate alteration. tribes, only their first names are repeated here. .
288 The 14e of ]li1uhammad The Life of !Huhall/II/od
lim brethren reproached them for what they had done, and the Quraysh dullah himself said it), when Quraysh said, 'l\Iuhammau and his com-
said '1\1uhammad and his companions have violated the sacred month, panions have broken the sacred month, shed blood therein and taken
shed blood therein, taken booty, and captured men.' The I\luslims in booty and made prisoners' (35 1 ): '
l\1ecca who opposed them said that they had done it in Sha'ban. The You count war in the holy month a grave matter,
Jews turned this raid into an omen against the apostle. 'AmI' b. al-IJac;iram'i But graver is, if one judges rightly,
whom \Vaqid had killed they said meant 'amarati'l-[larb (\var has. come to Your opposition to l\Iuhammad's- teaching, ami \"our
life), al-I:Ia<;lramr meant harjarati'l-!larb (\var is presco:), an(~ \Yfiqld meant lIn belief in it, which God sees and \\itnl"~ses, -
'll.:aqadati'l~!larb (war is kindled); but God turned this agamst them, n~t Your driving Cod's peoplc fromHi:-; mosquc
for them, and when there was much talk about it, God scnt down to his
So that none can be seen \\orshippiIlg 1Ii III tlllTL'.
apostle: 'They will ask you about the s3:red month, and waf in it. S,ay, Though you dcfam<: us for killing III Ill,
war therein is a serious matter, but keepmg people from the way of God
::\10re dangerous to Islam is the sinner \\'ho envies.
and disbelieving in Him and in the sacred mosque and driving out His
Our lances drank of 11m al-lbdl"Jmi's blood
people thercfro~ is more serious with God.'I i.e. If you have kill~d in t~e In Nakhla when \Vaqid lit tilc 'flame ~f \\<1r,
sacred month, they have kept you back from the way of God \vlth thclr '1.;thman ibn 'Abdullah is \\"ith us,
unbelief in Him, and from the sacred mosque, and have driven you from
A leather band streaming with blood restrains him. I
it when vou were its people. This is a more serious matter with God than
the killi~g of those of them whom you have slain. 'And seduction is
worse than killing.' i.e. They used to seduce the fvluslim in his religion THE CHAXGE OF THE QIllLA 1'0 TIrE h-:A'B.\
until they made him n:turn to unbelief after believing, and. that is worse I~ is said that the Qihla was changed in Sha'ban at the beginning of the
with Go~l than killing. 'And they will not cease to fight you until they eighteenth month after the apostle's arrival in "\ledina.
turn you back from your religion if they can.' i.e. They are doing more
heinous acts than that contumaciously.
THE GREAT EXPEDITIO;\ OF BAUR
And when the Quran came dmvn about that and God relieved the l\lus-
lims of their anxiety in the matter, the apostle took the caravan and the T~en the apostle heard that Abu Sufyan b. I.tarb was coming from Svria
prisoners. Quraysh sent to him to redeem 'Uthman an(~ al-J:Iakam, and WIth a large caravan of Quraysh, containing their mOI1C\' and rnerchanc{ise
the apostle said, '\Ve \vill not let you redeem them untll our two com- a~companied by some thirty Or forty men, of \dlOm ~Yere l\Takhrama b:
panions comc,' meaning Sa'd and 'Utba, 'for we fear for them on your I\aufal b. Uhayb b. 'Abdu l\Ianaf b. Luhra, and 'AIm b. al-',:l.s b. \\'a'il b.
account. If'vou kill them, \ve will kill your two friends.' So when Sa'll and HIsham (352). .
'Utba turned up the apostle let them redeem them. As for al-ljakam he , l\luhammad b. 1\Tuslirn al-Zuhri and 'A~im b. 'l~mar b. QaL:idJ and
became a good lVluslim and stayed with the apostle until he \vas killed as Abdullah b. Abtl Bakr and 'Yazid h. RCLIl1an from 'CnY3 b. ~l/-Zl!ba\T, and
a martyr at Bi'r j\la'tllla. 'Uthman \vent back to l\lecca and died there ~s ot~er Bcholars of ours from Ibn 'Abbas, each Olle of them told me :;:~)Jnl~ of
an unbeliever. \Vhen 'Abdullah and his companions were relieved of thelr thiS story and t,l~eir acc:Hlnt is collected in \\'hat I haH: dra\\'n up of the
anxiety when the Quran carne dO\vn, they were anxious for reward, and story of Badr. I hey Bald that when the apostle heJ.rd about _\bLl SufYJn
said, 'Can we hope that it will count as a raid for which .'\ve shall be given corning from Syria, he summoned the 7\.Tuslirns and said, 'This is 'the
the reward of combatants?' So God sent down"concermng them: 'Those Qurays~ ca:-aYJ.n containing their property. Go out to attack it, perhaps
who believe and have emigrated and fought in the way of God, these may God WIll gl\'C It as a prey.' The people answered his summon's, some
hope for God's mercy, for God is forgiving, merciful.' That is, God gave eagerly, others n:lu~tant1y bCCallSe thcy had not thought that the apostle
them the greatest hopes therein. The tradition about this comcs from AI- would go to war: \~'hel1 he got ncar to the Ilijaz, Abt-I Sllfy:jll \\"a:; sccking
Zuhrl an((Yazid b. R{imJn from 'Crwa b. al-Zubayr. ne\vs, ~nd questlOl11I1g every rider in his anxicty', until he got ncws [r01;1
One of 'Abdullah's family mentioned that God divided the booty when some ~[(lcrs that l\Tuharnmad had called out his companions ~lgainst him
He made it permissible anc1 gave four-fifths to whom God had allowed to an~ hiS caravan. He took alarm at that and hired ~)arn\1arn b. 'Amr al-
take it and one-fifth to God and His apostle. So it remained on the basis Ghlfa~i and sent him to ~Iccca, ordering him to call out Quraysh in defence
of what 'Abdullah had done with the booty of that caravan (350). ?f t~C1r ~roperty, ~nd to tell them that I\Juhammad was lying in wait for
Abu Bakr said concerning 'Abdullah's raid (though others say that 'Ab- It With hIS companIOns. So I)arn<)am left for .l\Iecca at full speed.
I Sura 2. zq. I Cf. Selra z. 214 f. which these lines endeavour to put into verse.
B ;1080 [;
The Life of 1'I/luhammad The Life of ,,,"luhammad 29'
29 0
On the third day after '"A.tika's vision, while I was enraged, thinking that
THE DREAM OF 'ATIKA D. OF 'ABDC'L-MUT'fALIB
I had let something slip which I \vanted to get from him, I went into the 430
A person above suspicion told me on the authority of '~k1-in;a from b. mosque and saw him, and as I was walking towards him to confront him
'Abbas and YazId b. Ruman from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr, saymg: tbree days so that he should repeat some of what he had said and I could attack him,
befofe Damdam arrived 'Atika saw a vision \vhich frightened her. She sent for he \\'as a thin man with sharp features, sharp tongue, and sharp sight,
to her broth~r aI-'Abbas saying, "Brother, last night I 53\\' a vision \vhich 10, he eame out tov.'ards the door of the mosque hurriedly, and I said to
frightened me and I alU afraid that evil and misfortune ,'viII come upon myself, '\Vhat is the matter \vith him, curse him, is all this for fear that I
your people, so treat what I tcll you as a confidence." lIe asked what s~e should insult him?' But 10, he had heard something which I did not hear,
had seen, and she said, "I saw a rider coming upon a camel who halted III the voiee of .Qamc;l.am crying out in the bottom of the wadi, as he stood
the valley. Then he cried at the top of his v~ice, 'Co:ne forth, 0 p~opl~; upon his camel, having cut its nose, turned its saddle round, and rent his
do not leave your men to face a disaster that wIll come In three days ~lme. shirt, while he was saying, '0 Quraysh, the transport camels, the transport
I saw the pe~ple flock to him, and then he went ~nto ~he mosque \vlth the camels! Muhammad and his companions are lying in wait for your pro-
people following him. While they were round him hiS camel mounted to perty which is with Abu Sufyan. I do not think that vou will overtake it.
the top of the Ka'ba. Then he called out agam, usmg the same .words. Help! Help~' This diverted him and me from our aifair."
Then his camel mounted to the top of Abu Qubays,' and he cned out
again. Then he seized a rock and loosened it, and it began to fall, until at QURAYSH PREPARE TO GO TO BADR
the bottom of the mountain it split into pieces. There was not a house ~r
a dwelling in lVlecca but received a bit of it." al-'~bbas said,. "By God, thIS The men prepared quickly, saying, "Do l\'1uhammad and his companions
is indeed a vision, and you had better keep qute! about It and not tell think this is going to be like the caravan of Ibn I:Ia9rami? By God, they
anvone." Then 'Abbas went out and met al-\Va1id b. 'Utba, who was a will soon know that it is not so." Every man of them either went himself or
fri~nd of his, and told him and asked him to keep it to himself. al-Walid sent someone in his place. So all went; not one of their nobles remained
told his father and the story spread in Mecca until Quraysh were tallung behind except Ab!1 Lahab. fIe sent in his place al-'li s h. Hisham h. al-
about it in their public meetings. . _ MughIra who o\ved him four thousand dirhams \vhich he could not pay.
'al-'Abbas said, "I got lip early to go round the t~mple" while Abu lah' So he hired him with them on the condition that hl: should be cleared of his
was sitting with a number of Quraysh talking about Atrka s VISIOn. \\ hen deht. So he went on his behalf and AbcI Lahab stayed hehind.'
he saw me he said, 'Come to uS when you have.finished going rou~d t,he 'Abdullah b. Abu Najil} told me that lJmayya b. Khalaf had decided to
temple.' \Vhen I had finished I went and sat vnth them, and he saId, ~ stay at home. He \vas a stately old man, corpulent and heav)-'. 'Cqba b.
Banil 'Abdu 'l-MuHalib, since when have you had a prophetess a~ong yo~: Abu l\1u'ayt came to him as he was sitting in the mosque among his com-
'And what do you mean by that?' I said. 'That vision which 'Atlka sa","', he panions, carrying a censer burning \\.'ith scented wood. He put it in front
answered. I said, 'And what did she see?' He said, 'Are you not satlsfie~ of him and said, 'Scent yourself with that, for you belong to the women r
that your men should play the prophet that your women should do so als~. 'God curse :you and what you have bi-ought,' he said, and then got ready
'Atika has alleged that in her vision someone said, "Come fort~ to war m and went out with the rest. \Vhen they had finished their preparations
three days." \Ve shall keep an eye on you these three days, and If ,,:vhat she and decided to start, they remembered the quarrel there \\'as between them
says is true, then it will be so; but if the three d~ys pass and nothmg hap- and B. Bakr b. 'Abdu Manat b. Kinana, and were afraid that they would
pens, we will write you down as the greatest hars of the temple people attack them in the rear.
among the Arabs.' Nothing much had passed bet\\":en us except that I The cause of the war bet\veen Quraysh and B. Bakr, according to what 431
contradicted that and denied that she had seen anytbmg. Then \\'.e sepa- one of B. 'j\mir b. Lu'ayy from Muhammad b. Sa'id b. al-Musayyab told
rated. \Vhen night came every single woman of B. 'Abdu'I-l\l u nallb came me, was a son of !:Iafs b. al-Akhyaf, one of the B. 'VIais b. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy.
to me and said, 'Have you allowed this evil rascal to attack your ml:n, and He had gone out seeking a lost camel of his in .Qajnan. He \\'as a youngster
then go on to insult your women while you listened? Have you no shame with flowing locks on his head, wearing a robe, a good-looking, clean youth.
that you should listen to such things?' I said, 'By God, I have done som~ He passed by 'Amir b. Yazid b. '"A.mirb. al-l\Iulawwi~, one of B. Ya'mar b.
thing; nothing much passed between us but I .sv,'ear ?y
?od that I ~vII~ 'Auf b. Kab b. 'limir b. Layth b. Bakr b. 'Abdu :YIanal b. Kinana in
J;Jajnan, he being the chief of B. Bakr at that time. When he saw him he
confront him, and if he repeats what he has sald, I WIll nd you of hIm.
liked him and asked him who he was. When he told him, and had gone
I Lit. 'Come forth ye perfidious to your disaster', &c. See Suhayli's note in loco away, he called his tribesmen, and asked them if there was any blood
2 A mountain hard by.
29 2 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of i11uhmmnad 293

outstanding with Quraysh, and when they said there was, he said, 'Any mall which men rode in turns: the apostle with 'Ali and Marthad b. Abu Mar-
who kills this youngster in revenge for one of his tr~be \\'i11 ~avc ex.act~d thad al-Ghanmvi one camel; I:Iarnza and Zayd b. I:Iaritha and Abu Kabsha
the blood due to him.' So one of them followed hIm and killed hIm 1ll and Anasa freedmen of the apostle one camel' and Abu Bakr and 'Umar
revenge for the blood Quraysh had shed. When Quraysh discussed the and 'Abdu'I-RaJ:tman b. 'Auf one camel. Th~ apostle put o~'er the rear~
matter, 'Amir b. Yazid said, 'You owed us blood so what do you want? If guard Qays b. Abu :;la'saa brother of B. Mazin b. al-l\ajjar (356).
you wish pay us what you owe us, and we,will pay you ,,~hat \ve owe. !( He took the road to l\Iecca by the upper route from ::\.Jedina, then by a1-
you \vant only blood, man for man, then Ignore y~ur claims and ':C v,'111 'Aqiq, Dhu'l-J:lulayfa, and Olatu'l-Jaysh (357). Then he passed Turban,
ignore ours' ; and since this youth was of no great l~portance. to thlS clan Mala!, GhamIsu'I-!Jam,lm, Sukhayratu'l-Yamam and Savala' thcIl by the
of Quraysh, they said, 'All right, man for man', and Ignored hIS death and ravine of ai-Rauba' to Sham:-Ika, \~-hich is the dir:ct route: un~iI at 'Ir~lu'l
sought no compensation for it. Zabya (358) he met a nomad. lie asked him abollt the Quraysh party, but
Now while his brother l\1ikraz was travelling in lYIarr al-Zahran he saw found that he had no nev.'s. The people said, 'Salute God's apostle,' He
<A.mir on a camel, and as soon as he S3\\' him '.Amir went up to him and made said, 'Have you got God's apostle \vith you r' and when they said that they
his camel kneel beside him. "Amir was wearing a s\vord, and 1\1ikraz brought had, he said, 'If you arc God's apostle, then tel! me what in the belly o'f i;
his sword dO\vn on him and killed him. Then he twirled his sword about in my she-camel here.' Salama b. Salama said to him, 'Don't question God's
his belly, and brought it back to :vIecca and hung it overni~ht ar~ong the apostle; but come to me and I \vill tell you about it. You leapt upon her
curtains of the Ka'ba. \\Then morOlng came Quraysh saw _A..mIr s sword and she has in her belly a little goat from you!' The apostle said, 'Enough!
hanging among the curtains of the Ka'ba and recognized it. The? said, You have spoken obscenely to the man.' Then he turned awaY from
'This is fA-mir's sword; l\1ikraz has attacked and killed him.' This 1S what Salama. - "
43 2
happened, and while this vendetta was going on, Islam intervened bet\:'een The apostle stopped at Sajsaj which is the well of al-RauhCt'; then \vent
men,. and they occupied themselves with that, ~ntil when Quraysh decld~d on to al-::\..Jun~araf, leaving the I\Icccan road on the left, a~d went to the
to go to Badr they remembered the vendetta wIth B. Bakr and were afrald right to al-Naziya making for Badr. Arrived in its neighbourho6d he 4H
of them. crossed a \\'adi called Rul)qan between al-l\aziya and the pass of al-~afra';
Mikraz b. Hafs said about his killing 'Amir: then along the pass; then he debouched from it until when ncar aI-Safra'
he sent Basbas b. 'Amr al-Juhani, an allv of B. Sii'ida, and 'Adiy b.' AbCl
When I saw that it was' Amir I remembered the fleshless corpse of my
Zaghba' aI-Juhan1, ally of 13. aI-Najjar, to Badr to scout for ne;vs about
dear brother. Abu Sufyan and his caravan.] Having sent them on ahead he mo\'{:d ofl
I said to myself, it is 'Amir, fear not my soul and look to what you do. and when he got to a1-$afra', \vhieh is a village between two mountains, he
I was certain that as soon as I got in a shrewd blow with the sword, it asked \vhat their names were, He was told that they were fl.lli90lih and
would be the end of him. I\Tukhri',:': I fe asked ahout their inhabitants and was -'told that thev' '\'ere
I swooped down on him, on a brave, experienced man, with a sharp B. aI-Sal' and B, T)uraq,i two clans of B, Ghifar. The apostle Jrc\~' all ill
sword. omen from their names and so disliked them that he refused to pa.ss be-
When we came to grips I did not show myself a son of ignoble tween them, so he left them and al-0afr3.' on his left and \vent to the right
parents, " to a wadi called Dhafiran which he crossed and then halted.
I slaked my vengeance, forgetting not revenge whIch only weakhngs Kcws came to him that Quraysh had set out to protect their caravan,
forgo (353). and he told the people of this and asked their advice. Abli Bakr and then
Yazid b. Ruman from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr told me that when Quraysh 'Umar got up and spoke well. Then al-:YIiqdad got up and said, '0 apostle
.were ready to set off they remembered their quarrel with B. Bakr and it of God, go where God tells you for we are \vith you. \Vc will not say as the
almost deterred them from starting. However, Iblis appeared to them In children of Israel said to 1\10ses, "You and your Lord go and fight and we
the form of Suraqa b. Malik b. Ju'tham al-Mudliji who was one of the will stay at home,'" but you and your Lord go and fight, and we will fight
chiefs of B. Kinana saying, 'I \\-'ill guarantee that Kinana will not attack
1 Though there is no authority in the printed editions, or in the yariants cited therein
you in the rear,' so they went off speedily. J cannot ht:lp thinking that the reading should be 'frillt and not g!Jay,-ihi, 'anyone e1sc~', II;
The apostle set out in the month of Rama,]an (354). He gave the flag to the carlier raids thl' prophet had not made inquiries about all and sundry and all he was
MUs'ab b. Tmayr b. Hashim b. 'Abdu Manaf b. 'Abdu'l-Dar (355). The concern cd with was the l\Ieccan caravan and the .:\Ieccan army. If the latt;~r wert: meant in
433 the aSSlJmed reilding~ ,;Jwyrihi, one fcds they would havt: bec"n explicitly mentioned. Ai;!.
apostle was preceded by two black flags, one with 'Ali called al-'Uqab and reads "irihi T, n()l)', 2 Both names mean 'defecfltor',
the other with one of the An~ar. HIS compamons had seventy camels on 3 'Fire' lind 'lltlrning' respectively. 4 Sura 5. 27.
294 The Life of Muhammad The 14e of ]'v1uhammad 295
with you. By God, if you were to take us to Bark al-Ghimiid,' we would Then the apostle returned to his companions; and when night fell he
fight resolutely with you against its defenders until you gained it.' The sent 'Ali and al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam and Sa'd b. Abu Waqqii~ with a
apostle thanked him and blessed him. Then he said, 'Give me advice, 0 number of his companions to the \yell at Badr in quest of news of both
Men,' by which he meant the An:;;ar. This is because they formed the parties, according to what Yazid h. Ruman from 'L'rwa b. al-Zubayr told
majority, and because when they had paid homage to him in al-'Aqaba me, and they fell in with some water-camels of QlIraysh, among whom
they stipulated that they were not responsible for his safety until he entered were Aslam, a slave of B. al-Uajjaj, and 'A.ri~i Abu Yasar, a young man of
their territory, and that \vhen he was there they would protect him as they B. AI-'A~ b. Sa'id, and they brought them along and questioned them
did their wives and children. So the apostle was afraid that the An~ar while the apostle was standing praying. They said, '\Ve are the watermen
would not feel obliged to help him unless he was attacked by an enemy in of Quraysh; they sent us to get them water.' The people were displeased
l\ledina, and that they would not feel it incumbent upon them to go with at their report, for they had hoped that they would belong to Abti Sufyan,
435 him against an enemy outside their territory. 'Vhen he spoke these ,vords so they beat them, and when they had heaten them soundly, the two men
Sa'd b. 1\1u'adh said, 'It seems as if you mean us,' and when he said that said, '\Ye belong to Ahll Sufyan,' so they let them go. The apostle bO\ved
he did, Sa'd said, '\Ve believe in you, we declare your truth, 'and we witness and prostrated himself twice, and said, '\Vhen they told you the truth you
that what you have brought is the truth, and we have given you our word beat them; and when they licd you let them alone. They told the truth;
and agreement to hear and obey; so go \vhere you wish, \ve are with you; they do belong to Quraysh. Tell me :Y'0l1 two about thc Quraysh.'l They
and by God, if you were to ask us to cross this sea and you plunged into it, replied, 'They arc behind this hill which you sec on the farthest side.'
we would plunge into it with you; not a man would stay behind. We do (The hill was al-'Aqanqal.) The apostle asked them how many they were,
not dislike the idea of meeting your enemy tomorrow. \Ve are experienced and \vhen they said, ':\.1an1',' he asked for the numher, but they did not
in war, trustworthy in combat. It may well be that God \'lilllet us show know; so he asked them how many beasts they slaughtered every day, and
you something which will bring you joy, so take us along with God's when they said nine or ten, he said, 'The people are bet\\Ten nine hundred
blessing.' The apostle was delighted at Sa'd's words which greatly encou- and a thousand.' Then he asked how many nobles of Quraysh were
raged him. Then he said, 'Fornrard in good heart, for God has promised among them. They said: "lJtba, Shayba, Abti'l-Bakhtari, ~Iakirn, ::\"allf<d,
me one of the two parties,2 and by God, it is as though I now saw the al-J:larith b. '~~mir, '.j.'u'ayma, al-NaQr, Zarna'a, Abu Jahl, Urnayya, :'-:ablh,
enemy lying prostrate.' Then the apostle journeyed from Dhafriin and Munabbih, Suhayl, 'Amr b. 'Abdu \"udd.' The apostle went to the people
went over passes called A~iifir. Then he dropped down from them to a and said, 'This IVlecca has thrO\\'n to you the pieces of its liver!'':
town called al-Dabba and left al-Banniin on the right. This was a huge Basbas and 'Adiy had gone on until they reached Badr, and halted 011 a
sandhill like a large mountain. Then he stopped near Badr and he and hill near the water. Then they took an old skin to fetch water whik l\Iajdi
one of his companions (359) rode on, as Muhammad b. Ya!)ya b. Babbiin b. 'Amr aI-Juhani was hy the water. 'Adiy and Ba:::.bas lw,-In! t\\() girls
told me, until he stopped by an old man of the Beduin and inquired about from the village discussing a deht, and one said to the other, 'The l',lL1Y,1ll 437
Quraysh and about 1\1uhammad and his companions, and what he had will come tomorrow or the day after and I will work for thcm ,md thcn
heard about them. The old man said, 'I won't tell you until you tell me pay you what lowe you.' 1\Tajdi said, '\'ou arc right,' ~mll he m,lde
which party you belong to.' The apostle said, 'If you tell us we will tell arrangements with them. Adiy ,1I1d Basbas oyerhcard this, ,md rode ofT to
you.' He said, 'Tit for tat?' 'Yes,' he replied. The old man said, 'I have the apostle and told him what they had oyerheard.
heard that Muhammad and his companions went out on such-and-such a' Ab(i Sufyan \vent forward to get in front of the caravan as a prccalltiol1-
day. If that is true, today they are in such-and-such a place,' referring to ary measure until he camc down to the water, and asked l\Iajdi if he had
the place in which the apostle actually was, 'and I heard that Quraysh noticed anything. He replied that he had seen nothing unto\\ard: merely
went out on such-and-such a day, and if this is true, today they are in two riders had stopped on the hill and taken \yater a\yay in a skin. Abtl
such-and-such a place,' meaning the one in which they actually were. Sufyan came to the spot where they had halted, picked up some came]
When he had finished he said, 'Of whom are you)' The apostle said, 'We dung and broke it in pieces and found that it contained date-stones. 'By
are from 1\1;1'.'3 Then he left him, while the old man was saying, 'What does God,' he sai~, 'this is the fodder of Yathrib.' .He returned at once to his
43 6 "from Ma'" mean? Is it from the water of Iraq?' (360). companions and changed the caravan's direction from the road to the sea-
shore leaving Badr on the left, travelling as quickly as possibk.
I A place in the Yemen, others say the farthest point of I;Iajar. T. 1300 adds 'a town of
Quraysh advanced and when they reached al-Ju!)fa Juhaym b. ai-Salt b.
the Abyssinians'.
2 i.e. the caravan or the army. Cf. Sura 8. 7 Makhrama b. al-Muttalib saw a vision. He said, 'Between waking and
3 i.e. \Vater.
I T. 1304. 4, 'where the Quraysh are'. ~ i.e. 'its best men'.
The LIfe of Muhammad The LIfe of J11uha1f1111ad 297
sleeping I saw a man advancing on a horse \vith a camel, and then he you to occupy, so that we can neither advance nor withdraw from it,
halted and said: "Slain arc 'lltba and Shayba and Abu'l-l,lakam and or is it a matter of opinion and military tactics?' \\hcll he replied that
Umayya" (and he went on to enumerate the men \\'ho were killed at Badr, it was the latter he pointed out that it was not the place to stop but that
all nobles of Quraysh). Then I saw him stab his camel in the chest and they should go on to the water nearest to the enemy and halt there, stop
send it loose into the camp, and every single tent was bespattered with its up the wells beyond it, and construct a cistern so that they would haye
blood.' \OVhen the story reached Abu Jahl he said, 'Here's ao:ther prophet plenty of \vater; then they could fight their enemy iy!lO would- haye nothing
from B. al-~'Iunalib! He'll kno\", tomorrow if we mt.:ct them who is going to drink. The apostle' agreed that this i,"aS an excellent plan and it \\'as
to be killed!' immediately carried out; the ivells wcre stoppt.:d; a cistern was built and
\Vhen Abu Sufyan sa\v that he had saved his caravan he sent word to filled \vith \vater from which his men replenished their drinking-vessels.
Quraysh, 'Since you came out to save your caravan, your men, and your 'Abdullah b. Abl~l Bakr told me that he "as informed that Sa'd b. .\1u'adh
property, and God has delivered them, go back.' Abu Jahl said, 'By God, said: '0 prophet of God, let us make a booth cr. of palm-branches) for
we \vill not go back until we have been to Badr'-Dadr ,vas the site of one you to occupy ano have your riding camels stanoing by; then we will meet
of the Arab fairs ,vhere they used to hold a market every year. '\Ve will the enemy and if God gives us the victory that is \vhat we desire; if the
spend three days there, slaughter camels and feast and drink ,vine, and worst occurs you can mount your camels and join our people \vho arc left
the girls shall play for us. The Arahs will hear that we have come and behind, for they are just as deeply attached to you as we are. Had they
gathered together, and will respect us in future. So come on!' thought that you would he fighting they would not have staved hehind.
AI-Akhnas b. Shariq b. 'Amr b. Wahb al-Tha'lafI, an ally of B. Zuhra God will protect you by them; they 'will give you good coun;el and fight
who ,vere in al-J u}}fa, addressed the latter, saying, 'God has saved you with you,' The apostle thanked him ,md blessed him. Then a booth was
and your property and delivered your companion lVIakhrama h. Naufal; constructed for the apostle and he remained there.
and as you only came out to protect him and his property, lay any Quraysh, having marched forth at daybreak, now carne on. \\'hen the
charge of cowardice on me and go back. There is no point in going to war apostle sa\\' them descending from the hill 'Aqanqal into the valley, he
without profit as this man would have us,' meaning Ahll Jahl. So they cried, '0 God, here come the Quraysh in their vanity and pride, contending
returned and not a single Zuhrite was present at Badr. They obeyed him with Thee and calling Thy apostle a liar. 0 God, grant the help which
as he \vas a man of authority. Every clan of Quraysh was represented Thou didst promise me. Destroy them this morning!' Before uttering
except B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b: not one of them took part, so with the return of these \-voreis he had seen among the enemy 'Utba b. Rahi'a, mounted on a
D. Zuhra with al-Akhnas these two tribes \vere not represented at all. red camel of his, and said, 'If tliere is an)' good in anyone of them, it will
There was some discussion between Tiilib b. j\.bll 'Talib, who was with the be \vith the man on the red camel: if they obey him, they \yill take the right
army, and some of Quraysh. The latter said, '\Vc know, 0 B. Hashim, way.' KhuLlf b. Aim::-t' b. RaJ)ac.la, Of hi~ father Airlla' h. Rahada al-
that if you have come out with us your heart is with l\luhammad.' So Ghifari, had sent to Quraysh, as they passed hy, a son of his wi~h "some
'Pilib and some others returni:d to l\lecca. Talib said: camels for slaughter, which he g:,l"ve them as a gift, saying, 'If you want us
to support you with arms and men, we will do so;' but thi:v sent to him the
() God, if Talib goes forth to \yar unwillingly
follo\ving message by the mouth of his 80n-')-'ou have- done all that a
\Vith one of these squadrons,
kinsman ought. If \ve are fighting only men, we are surely equal to them;
Let him be the plundered not the plunderer,
and if we arc fighting God, as ::VIuhammad alleges, none is able to with-
The vanquished not the victor (301).
stand Him.' And when Quraysh encamped, some of them, among whom
439 Quraysh \vent on until they halted on the farther side of the wadi was Bakim b. I:Iizam, went to the cistern of the apostle to drink. 'Let them
behind al- 'Aqan'lal. The bed of the wadi-Yalyal-was between Badr and be!' he said; and every man that drank of it on that day \yas killed, e'\ccpt
al-'Aqanqal, the hill behind which lay Quraysh, while tbe \vells at Badr Uakim, I who afterwards became a good :\Iuslim a:1(1 IIsed to sa V, \Y!wn Ill'
were on the side of the wadi bed nearest to l\ledina. God sent a rain which was earnest in his oath, ')Jay, by Him who saved me on the da~' of Badr.'
turned the soft sand of the \vadi into a compact surface \vhich did not My father, Isl).aq b. Yasar, and other learned men told me on"the autho-
hinder the apostle's movements, but gravely restricted the movements of rity of some elders of the l\nsar that when the ent:Jnv had settled in their
Quraysh. The apostle \",ent forth to hasten his men to the \vater and \vhen camp they sent 'Umayr b. \"1"ahb al-Juma~i to esti,"nJ.tc the number of
he got to the nearest water of Badr he halted. Muhammad's followers. He rode on horsehack round the camp and on his
I was told that men of B. Salama said that al-I)ubab b. al-Mundhir h. return said, ''I'hree hundred men, a little more or less; but wait till 1 Sec
aI-Jamul; said to the apostle: 'Is this a place which God has ordered 1 T. adds: 'He escaped on a hurst: of his calkd al-\Vajih.' So also aI-Altho
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Aluhammad 299
whether they have any in ambush or support.' He made his way far into that his head was so big that he could not find in the arm v a helmet that
the valley but sal\' nothing. On his return he said, 'I found nothing, but 0 would contain it, he wound a piece of cloth he had round hi-'s head.
people of Quraysh, I have seen camels carrying Death-the camels of Al-Aswad b. 'Abdu'l-Asad al-Makhzuml, who was a quarrelsome ill-
Yathrib laden with certain death. These men have no defence or refuge natured man, stepped forth and said, 'I swear to God that I will drink
but their s,\'ords. By God! I do not think that a man of them \vill be slain from their cistern or destroy it or die before reaching it.' I;Iamza b. 'Abdu-
till he slay one of you l and if they kill of yOll a number equal to their O\vn, 'l-Munalib came forth against him, and when the two met, Bamza smote
what is the good of living after that? Consider, then, wnat you will do.' him and sent his foot and half his shank flying as he \-vas near the cistern.
\Vhcn I,Iaklm b. Biz3m heard those \vords, he went on foot amongst the He fell on his back and lay there, blood streaming from his foot towards 443
folk until he came to Ttba b. Rabi'a and said, '0 Abu'I-Wand, you are his comrades. Then he crawled to the cistern and thre\v himself into it
chief and lord of Quraysh and he whom they obey. Do you wish to be with the purpose of fulfilling his oath, but ~Iamza followed him and smote
remembered with praise among them to the end of time?' 'Utba said, him and killed him in the cistern.
'IImv may that be, 0 I:Iakim?' He answered, 'Lead them back and take up Then after him 'Utba b. Rab!'a stepped forth between his hrother
the cause of your ally, 'Amr b. al-J:lashami.' 'I \""ill do it,' said 'Utba, 'and Shayba and his son al-Walid b. Ttba, and when he stood elear of the
you arc witness against me (if I break my word): he was under my protec- ranks gave the challenge for single combat. Three men of the AnsGr came
tion, so it behoves me to pay his bloodwit and what \vas seized of his wealth Olit against him: 'Auf and l\lu'awwidh the sons of Uarith (thei,: mother
(to his kinsmen). Now go you to Ibn al-l:Ian?aliya, for I do not fear that was 'Afra) and another man, said to have been 'Abdullah b. Raw'-iha. The
anyone will make trouble except him (362).' Then 'Utba rose to speak Quraysh said, 'VVho are you?' They answered, 'Some of the An~iir,"' where-
and said, '0 people of Quraysh! By God, you will gain naught by giving upon the three of Quraysh said, '\Ve have nothing to do \\"ith you.' Then
battle to \'Iuhammad and his companions. If you fall upon him, each one the herald of Quraysh shouted, '0 lVIuhammad! Send forth ag'ainst us our
of you \vill always be looking with loathing on the face of another \vho has peers ~f our own tribe!' The apostle said, 'Arise, 0 'Lbayda b. l)Grith,
slain the son of his paternal or maternal uncle or some man of his kin. and anse, 0 J:lamza, and arise, 0 'AlL' And when they arose and ap-
Therefore turn back and. leave :Muhammad to the rest of the Arabs. If proached .them, the Quraysh said, '\Vho arc you?' And having heard each
44 2 they kill him, that is what you want; and if it be othenvise, he will find declare his name, they said, "{es, these arc noble and our peers.' ::\ow
that you have not tried to do to him what you (in fact) \vould have liked 'Ubayda was the eldest of them, and he faced 'l'tba b. Rabi'a, while
to do.' J:Iamza faced Shayba b. Rabi'a and 'All faced al-\Va1Id b. T;tba. It \\"as
I~Iakim said: 'I went to Abu Jahl and found him oiling a coat of mail not long before J:farnza slew Shayba and 'AlI slcw al- \Valid. 'L"ba\;da and
(363)' which he had taken out of its bag. I said to him, "0 Abu'I-!:!akam, 'Utba exchanged two blows with one another and each laid his enc;11V 10\\".
'Utba has sent me to you with such-and-sllch a message," and I told him Then Ijarnza and 'Ali turned on 'Ctba with their s\\'ords and disp;;tc!Jcd
what 'Ctba had said. "By God," he cried, "his lungs became swollen (\vith him and bore away their comrade and brought him back to his friends.
fear) when he sa\v ~Tuhammad and his companions. No, by God, ,ve will (T. 1318. 2. His leg had been cut off and the marrow was oozing from it.
not turn back until God decide between us and Muhammad. Ttba does When they brought 'Ubayda to the prophet he said, 'Am I not a martyr
not believe his own words, but he saw that Muhammad and his com.. o apostle of God?' 'Indeed you are,' he replied. Then 'Ubavda said'
panions are (in number as) the eaters of one slaughtered camel, and his '\Vere Abo. Talib alive he would knO\v that his words l -' ,

son is among them, so he is afraid lest you slay him." Then he sent to \Ve will not give him up till we lie dead around him
'.~mir b. al-Ba<)rami, saying, "This ally of youfs is for turning back with And be unmindful of our women and children
the folk at this time \vhen you see your blood-revenge before your eyes.
Arise, therefore, and remind them of your covenant and the murder of are truly realized in me.') 'A~im b. 'LJmar b. Qatada told me that \\"hen
your brother." .A..mirarose and uncovered; then he cried, "Alas for 'Amr! the men of the An:;;ar declared their lineage, 'Ltba saiJ, 'You are noble
Alas for 'Amrt" And war was kindled and all was marred and the folk held and our peers, but we desire men of our own tribe.'
stubbornly on their evil course and 'Utba's advice was wasted on them. Then they advanced and drew near to one another. The apostle had
When 'Utba heard how Abu Jahl had taunted him, he said, "He with the ordered his companions not to attack until he ga\"e the \\"ord, and if the
befouled garment Z will find out whose lungs are swollen, mine or his enemy should surround them Z they were to keep them off with showers of
(364).''' Then Ttba looked for a helmet to put on his head; but seeing arrows. He himself remained in the hut \vith AbCl Bakr. i was informed
by Abu Jafar Muhammad b. al-!:!usayn that the battle of Badr was fought
I Or 'shield'.
I W. 174.9. 2 T. 1318. II 'come ncar'.
2 A coarse expression for a coward.
300 The Life of Muhammad The 14e of Jluhallllllad 30 I

on Friday morning on the 17th of Ramadan. l.Iabban b. Wasi' b. Habbiin Muhammad b. Muslim b. Shihab al-Zuhri on the authority of 'Abdullah
444 told me on the authority of some elders of his tribe that on the day of b, Tha'laba b. Su'ayr al-'Cdhri, an ally of B. Zuhra, told me that when the
Badr the apostle drcssed"the ranks of his companions with an arrow which warriors advanced to battle and drew ncar to OIle another Abi"i Jah! cried,
he held in his hand. As he passed by Sawad b. GhazIya, an ally of B. '0 God, destroy this morning him that more than any of us hath cut the
'Adiy b. al-".'ajjar (365), who was standing out (366) of line he pricked him ties of kinship and wrought that which is not approved.'l Thus he con-
in hi-s belly with the arrmv, saying, 'Stand in line, 0 Sawild!' 'You have demned himself to death.
6
hurt me, apostle of God,' he cried, 'and God has s:nt you \vith r~g~; and Then the apostle took a handful of small pebbles and said, turning
justice so let me retaliate.' The apostle uncovered hlS belly and saul fake towards Quraysh, 'Foul be those faces!' Then he threw the pebbles at
your retaliation.' Sawad embraced him and kissed his belly. lIe asked them and ordered his companions to charge. The foe was routed. God
~vhat had made him do this and he replied, '0 apostle of God, you see slew many of their chiefs and made captive man)..' of their nobles. l\Tean-
what is before us and I may not survive the battle and as this is my last while the apostle \\"as in the hut and Sa'd b. l\Tu'adh was standing at the
time with vou I want mv skin to touch vours.' The apostle blessed him. door of the hut girt with his s\vord. \Vith him were some of the An~}r
Thcn the apostle str;ightened the r-anks and returned to the hut and guarding the apostle for fear lest the enemy' should come back at him.
entered it and none \'vas with him there but Abu Bakr. The apostle was '~lhile the folk were laying hands on the prisoners the apostle, as I have
beseechin~ his Lord for the help \vhich He had promised to him, a~d been told, sa\v displeasure on the face of Sa'd at what they were doing. He
among his words wcre these: '0 God, if this band perish today Thou wIlt said to him; 'You seem to dislike what the people arc doing.' 'Yes, by
be worshipped no more.' But Abu Bakr said, '0 prophet o.f God, yo~r God,' he replied, 'it is the first defeat that God has brought on the infidel
constant entreaty will annoy thy Lord, for surely God Will fulfil Hls and I would rather see them slaughtered than left alive.'
promise to thee.: \Vhile the apo;tle was in the hut_he slept a li~ht slee~; AI-'Abbas b. 'Abdullah b. Ma'bad from one of his family from Ibn
then he awoke and said, 'Be of good cheer, 0 Abu Bakr. God s help IS "Abbas told me that the latter said that the prophet said to his companions
come to vou. Here is Gabriel holding the rein of a horse and leading it. that day, 'I know that some of B. Hashim and others have been forced to
The dust- is upon his front teeth.' come out against their \vill and have no desire to fight us; so if any of you
The first :\Juslim that fdl was :YIihja', a freedman of 'Umar: he was shot meet one of B. Hashim or Abu.'l-Bakhtar'i or al-'Abbas the apost!c's uncle
bv an arrow. Then while J:Iaritha b. Suraqa, one of B. 'AdlY b. al-I\ajjar, do not kill him, for he has been made to come out against his wiIl.' Abu
\\~~s drinking from the cistern an arro\v pierced his throat and killed him. I:Iudhayfa said: 'Are we to kill our fathers and our sons and our brothers
445 Then the apostle \\;ent forth to the people and incited th.em sayi~g, 'B,Y and our families and leave al- ~Abbas? By God, if I meet him I will flesh
God in whose hand is the soul of lVluhammad, no man \\nll be slam th18 my sword in him!' (367).
day figl"lting against them with steadfast courage advancing not retreating This saying reached the apostle's ears and he said to 'Umar, '0 Abu.
but God wil1 cause him to enter Paradise' 'Umayr b. aI-Burnam brother I:Iaf~'-and 'Vmar said that this was the first time the apostle called him
of B. Salima was eating some dates which he had in his hand. 'Fine, Fine!' by this honorific-'ought the face of the apostle's uncle to be marked with
said he, 'is there nothi-ng between me and my entering Paradise save to be the sword?' 'Vmar replied, 'Let me off \vith his head! By God, the man
killed by these men?' He flung the dates from his hand, seized his sword, is a false Muslim.'2 Abu Budhayfa used to say, 'I never felt safe after my
and fought against them till he- was slain, [saying the while words that day. I \vas alv.!ays afraid unless martyrdom atoned for them.'
In God's service take no food He was killed as a martyr in the battle of al- Yamarna.
But piety and deeds of good. The reason why the apostle forbade the killing of Abli'l-Bakhtar'i was
If in God's war you've firmly stood because he had kept back the people in l\Tecca from the apostle; he never
You need not fear as others should insulted him or did anything offensive; and he took a prominent part in
\Vhile you are righteous true and good.]l the cancelling of the boycott which Quraysh had \vritten against B. Hashim
and B. al-Mu\!alib. Now al-Mujadhdhar b. Dhiyad al-Balaw!, an ally of
'Asim b. 'Umar b. QaUida told me that 'Auf b. J:Iarith-his mother was the Ansar, of the clan of B. Salim b. 'Auf, fell in with liim and told him
'Af~'J\--said '0 apostle of God, what makes the Lord laugh \vith joy at His that the apostle had forbidden them to kill him. Now al-'A s Abu'I-Bakh-
s<:r\"~1nt?' He ans\\"crcd, '\Yhen he plunges into the midst of the enemy
without maiL' 'Auf drew off the mail-coat that was on him and threw it 1 v.i. W. 478.
a\vay; then he seized his sword and fought the enemy till he was slain. Z The ver!:> from which munafiqlin, generally rendered 'hypocrites', is formed, Clearly it
includes the meaning of a rebel against the prophet's authority; perhaps the underlying idea
1 I\Hiwanli, (ii, is feigned obedience.
302 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 30 3
447 tar! was accompanied by bis fellow-rider Junada b. Mulay~a d. Zubayr b. like this. Have you no use for milk?" Then I \\'alkecl off with the pair of
al-I:Iarith b. Asad who was one of B. Layth, and he said, 'And what about them' (370).
my friend here? 'No, by God,' said al<\1ujadhdhar, \ve are not going to , 'A~:lu'l- Wal!id b., Abu 'Aun from Sa'd b. Ibrahim from his father
spare your friend. The apostle gave us orders about you only.' 'In that Abdu I-Ra1;man h. Auf told me that the latter said: Lmavva said to me
case,' he said, 'I ,vill die with him. The women of l\'lecca shall not say that as I ~valked between them holding their hands, '\\"ho is th:lt man who is
I forsook my friend to save my own life.' He uttered this rajaz as al- wean~g an o~trich feather on his breast?' \Vhen 1 told him it was Hanna
Mujadhdbar came at bim and he insisted on figbting: he s,ard that It was ~e \\'ho had done them so much damage. As" r was
leadmg them away BIlal saw him \vith me. Now it was l:ma\;va who used
A son of the free betrays not his friend
to torture ~ilal in l\tIecca to make him abandon Islam, bringi~g him out to
Till he's dead, or sees him safe on his way.
the scorch~ng heat of ~he s~n, laying him on his back, and putting a great
The result was that al-Mujadhdhar killed him and composed these lines sto,n~ on hIS chest, tellmg him t,hat he could stay there until he gave up the 4-+9
thereon: relrgI~n of .lVIuhammad, and Bdal kept saying 'One! One)' As soon as he
Do you not know or have you forgotten? saw hIm he said, 'The arch-infidel -Cmayya b. Khalaf! i\Iay 1 not live if
Then note well my line is from Bali. he lives.' I sa,id, '(~Vould you attack) my prisoners?' But he k~pt crying out
Those who thrust \vith Yazani spears these words 111 spIte of my remonstrances until finally he shouted at the
Smiting down chiefs and bringing them 100v. top of his voice, '0 God's Helpers, the arch-infidel l_~mavva b. Khalaf!
Tell Bakbtari that he's bereaved of his father May I .not l~ve i: he lives.' The people formed a ring rou;ld us as I was
Or tell my son the like of me. protectmg hIm. fhen a man drew his swonJ! and cut off his son's foot so
I am he ~f whom it is said my origin is in Bali. tha~ he fel! J~wn and Umayya let out a cry such as 1 have never heard; and
When r thrust in my spear it bends almost double. I saId to.hnn Make your escape' (though he had no chance of escape) 'I can
r kill my opponent with a sharp MashrafI sword, do nothmg for you.' They hewed them to pieces with their swords until
I yearn for death like a camel overfull \vith milk. they \vere dead. Ahdu'I-RaJ:1man used to say, 'God have mercv on Lilli.
You will not sce Mujadhdhar telling a lie (368). I l?st my coats of mail and he deprived me of my prisoners.' -
Abdullah b. AbU. Bakr told me he was told as from Ibn 'Abbas: 'A man
Then al-Mujadhdhar went to the apostle and told him that he had done of B. Ghifar told me: I and a cousin of mine went up a hill from wllich \ve
his best to take him prisoner and bring him to him but that he had insisted could look dO\~rn on Ladr, we being polytheists waiting to see the result of
on fighting and the result had been fatal to him (369). t~e battle so that we could join in the looting. And while we were on the
448 Yal,lya b. 'Abbad b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr told me on the authority of hIll. a cloud came near and we heard the neighing of horses and I heard one
his father; and 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr and others on the authority of saymg "Forward, I:Iayzum!"2 As for my cousin, his heart burst asunder
'Abdu'l-Ra~man b. 'Auf told me the same, saying: 'Umayya b. Khalaf was an? he died on the spot; r almost perished, then r pulled myself together.'
a friend of mine in l'vlecca and my name was 'Abdu <Amr, but I was called Abdullah b. Abu Bakr from one of n. Sa'ida from Ab'l Csavd Malik
'Abdu'I-Rahman when I became a 1\1uslim. V\lhen we used to meet in b. Rabi:a who \vas present at Radr told him after he had lost his sight: 'If
l'vlecca he \~'ould say, <IDa you dislike the name your parents gave you?" I v.:ere m Baclr today and had my sight I could show you the glen from
and I would say yes; and he would say, "As for me, I don't know al- which the angels emerged. I have not the slightest douht on the point.'
RaJ:1man, so adopt a name which I can call you between ourselves. You l\ly father Id.laq h. Yasar from men of B. ::\/Lizin h, <I1-):ajjar from Abii
\von't reply to your original name, and I won't use one I don't know." Da'ud al-l\la~inl, :\'ho was at Badr, told me: 'I was pursuin'g a polytheist 450
When he said "0 'Abdu 'Amr" r wouldn't answer him, and finally I said, "0 at Badr to smIte hIm, when his head fell off before I could get at him with
Abu 'Ali, call mc what you like," and he called me "'Abdu'I-Iliih" and r my sword, and 1 knew that someone else had killed him.'
accepted the name from him. On the day of Badr I passed by him standing One above suspicion from l\Tiqsam, freedman of 'Abdullah b. aI-I-I;irith
with his son 'Ali holding him by the hand. I was carrying coats o~ mail fro~ 'Abdullah b. .'Abbas, told me, 'Thc sign of the angels at Bad'r \\"as
which I had looted; and when he saw me he said, "0 'Abdu 'Amr," but white turbans Howmg behind them: at Uunayn thev wore red turbans'
I \vould not ans\ver until he said "0 'Abdu'l-Ilah." Then he said, "\Von't (37 1 ). '
you take me prisoner, for I am more valuable than these coats of mail One above suspicion from IHiqsam from Ibn 'Ahbas told me: The angels
\vhich you have?" "By God I will," I said. So 1 threw away the mail and
took him and his son by the hand, he saying the while" I never saw a day . I akhlafa means that he put his hand behind him to draw his sword \\"hil'h hllng b('hind
him. ~ The name of Gabriel's horse.
The Life oj l\Juhammad The Life oj lVluhammad 305
did not fight in any battle but Badr. In the other battles they were there as 'Ukkashab. Mil,I,an b.J:Iurthan al-Asad!, ally of B. 'Abdu Shams, fought
reinforcements, hut they did not fight. a~ Badr .unt~l hIS sword was broken ,in his hand. lIe came to the apostle
As he \vas fighting that day Abu] ahl was saying: who ?"ave hIm a. woo(~en cudgel tellmg him to fight with that. \Yhen he
to~k It he brandIshed It .an~ it be~ame in his hand a long, strong, gleaming
'Vhat has tierce war to dislike about me,
sword, and he fought vVlth It untrl God gave victory to the Muslims. The
A young he-camel with razor-like teeth?
sword was called al- 'Aun and he had it with him in all the battles he fought
For this very purpose did my mother bear me (372).
wah the apostle unlll .finally he was killed in the rebellion, still holding it.
\Vhen the apostle had finished with the enemy he ordered that Abu Jahl Tulayl,Ia b. Khuwaylid al-Asad!' killed him, and this is what he said
sbould be looked for among the slain. (')'. He said, '0 God, don't let him about It:
escape Thee!') The first man to find him-so Thaur b. Yazid from 'Ikrima
What do you think about a people when you kill them?
from Ibn 'Abbas told me; as well as 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr who told me Are they not men though they arc not Muslims?
the same-was l\lu'aJh b. 'AmI' b. al-JarnuJ:1, brother of B. Salama, whom I!cam~Is and women were captured
they reported as saying: I heard the people saying when Abu Jah1 was in a
You wIll not get a\vay scatheless after killing Hib51.
sort of thicket, 'Abu'l-~lakam cannot be got at' (373). When I heard that I set !;Iimala's breast against them-a mare w~ll used to
45 1 I made it my business, and made for him. \Vhen I got within striking dis- The cry of '\Varriors do\vn to the fight!'
tance I fell upon him and fetched him a bIm\' which sent his foot and half
(One day you see her protected and covered
his shank flying. I can only liken it to a date-stone flying from the pestle Another day unencumbered dash to the fra;)
when it is beaten. His son 'Ikrima struck me on the shoulder and severed The nIght I left Ibn Aqram lying
my arm and it hung by the skin from my siJe, and the battle compelled me 453
And 'Ukkasha the Ghanmite dead on the field (37 6 ).
to leave him. I fought the whole of the day dragging my arm behind me
and when it became painful to me I put my foot on it and standing on it I When t?~ afosye said, '70:000 of my people shall enter Paradise like the
tore it off.' He lived after that into the reign of 'Uthman. full moon Lkkasha asked If he could be one of them, and the apostle
I\lu'awwidh b. 'Afra' passed Abii Jahl as he lay there helpless and smote praye~ that he mIght be one. One of the An0:'ir got up and asked that he
him until he left him at his last gasp. He himself went on fighting until he too mIght be o~e of them, and he replied, "Ckkasha has forestalled you
was killed. Then 'Abdullah b. !VIas'ud passed by AbCI J ahl when the apostle and the prayer IS cold.'
had ordered that he was to be searched for among the slain. I have heard I have heard from his family that the apostle said: 'Ours is they best
that the apostle had told them that if he was hidden among the corpses ?~~se_man a~ong th: ~rabs,' and when we asked who, he said that it was
they were to look for the trace of a scar on his knee. \Vhen they both were kasha. \\ hen l)trar b. al-Azwar al-Asad1 said, 'That is a man of ours'
young they had been pressed together at the tahle of 'Abdullah b. Jud'an. the ap~stle a~sw~red, 'H; is not yours but ours through alliancc' (377). '
He was thinner than Abii Jahl and he gave him a push which sent him to Yazld. b. ,R~man from Unva b. al-Zubayr from 'A'isha told me that the
his knees and one of thcm \vas scratched so deeply that it left a permanent l~tter saId: \\ hen the a~ostle ordered that the dead should be thrown into a
scar. 'Abdullah b. l\las'Cld said that he found him at his last gasp and put pI.t t~ey :,rere all thrown m except L~mayya b. Khalaf whose hody had swelled
his foot 011 his neck (for he had once cla\ved at him and punched him in wlthm ,h~s armour so that it filled it and when they went to ~oYe him his
l\"lecca), and said to him: 'Has God put you to shame, you enemy of God?' ~Ody ~Ismtegrated; so they left it where it was and heaped earth and stones
He replied' HO\v has lIc shamed me? Am I anything more n:markable pan It. As th~y threw them into the pit the apostle stood and said: "0
than a man you have killed?l Tell me hmv the battle went. IIc told him people of the pIt, haye you found that \vhat God threatened is true? For
that it went in favour of God and His apostle (374). I have found that what my Lord promised me is true" H' .
k d "A. . , . IS companIOns 454
l\lcn of B. ::\Takhzllln assert that Ibn J\Tas'iid used to say: He said to me, as e : ~. re you spcakmg to dead people?" He replied that they knew that
45 2 'You have climbed high, you little shepherd.' Then I cut ofF his head and what theIr Lord had promised them was true' q,.} 'd 'P I
h h '" . f\ IS 1a sal: eop e say
brought it to the apostle saying, 'This is the head of the enemy of God, ~~~,,~,~aId They hear what I say to them," but what he said was "They
Ab(i Jah1.' He said, 'By God than \Vhom there is no other, is it?' (This
used to be his oath.) 'Yes,' I said, and I thrcw his head before the apostle I One of the leaders of the apostate rebels.

and he gave thanks to God (375). :: al-SuhayJi points out that 'A'isha was not th h'
were there are likely to have a better recollect" er; a,~ t e time, and th:refore those who
I This is a difficult expression much cOInrnentcd on by Arab writers: other possibilities
tradition is evidently a sly attack on Musil b ;~~ ~ ,\\ atd~~e aPfonk ,smd than she. This
See. NO.5. . q a s tnt ItlOn rom Abdullah b. 'Umar.
are: 'Am 1 to wonder at, or bt; angry', &c. Cf, Lane, ZI5IC and Tab. Gios. 376.
B 4080
x
306 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
30 7
Humayd aI-Tawil told me that Anas b. Malik said: 'The apostle's com- They spoke not. Had they spoken they would have said
panions heard him saying in the middle of the night "0 people of the pit: 'Thou \vast right and thy judgment was sound.' '
o 'Utba, 0 Shayha, 0 Umayya, 0 Abu Jahl," enumerating all who had
been thrO\\ln into the pit, "Have you found that what God promised you , \Vhen the apostle g~vc the order for them to be thrown into the pit
is true? I have found that what my Lord promised me is true." The Utba was dragged to It. I have been told that the apostle looked at the
lVluslims said, "Are you calling to dead bodies?" He ans\vered: "You face of hIS son Abu I:Iudhayfa, and 10 he was sad and his colour had
cannot hear \",'hat I sav bettcr than they, but they cannot answer me.'" changed. He said, 'I fear that you fecI deeply the fate of your father' or
A learned person toid me that the apostle said that day, '0 people of the words, to that effect. 'Ko,' he said, 'I have no misgivings about my father
pit, you were an evil kinsfolk to your prophet. You called me a liar when and hIS death, but I used to know my father as a wise, cultured, and vir-
others believed me; you cast me out when others took me in; you fought tuous man and so I hoped that he would be guided to Islam. When I
against me when others fought on my side.' Then he added 'Have you saw wh~t had befallen him and that he had died in unbelief after my hopes
found that what your Lord promised you is true?' for hIm It saddened me.' The apostk blessed him and spoke kindly to him.
Hassan b. Thabit said: I have been told that the Quran came dmvn about certain men who \\'ere
killed at Badr: 'Those whom the angels took who were wronging them-
I recognize the dwellings of Zaynab on the sandhill selves they asked, What were you (doing)? They said: We were oppressed
Looking like the writing of revelation on dirty old paper. I In the e.arth. They s.ard: \\-I as not God's earth \vide enough that you could
Winds blow over them and every dark cloud have mIgrated therem? As for them their habitation will be hell-an evil 456
Pours down its heavy rain j resort." They were: al-Harith b. Zama'a; Abu Qays b. al-Fakih; Abu
Its traces obscured and deserted Qays b. al- Walid; 'Ali h. Umayya; and al-'A e b. Munabbih. These had
Were once the abodes of dearly loved friends. been. Muslims while the apostle was in l\1ecca. \'-'hen he migrated to
Abandon this constant remembrance of them, Medma their fathers and families in I\ilecca shut them up and seduced
Quench the heat of the sorrowing breast. ~hem and th~? let themselves he seduced. Then they joined their pcopk
Tell the truth about that in which there is no shamc, In the expedItIOn to I3adr and \vere all killed.
Not the tale of a liar, Then the apostle ordered that everything that had been collected in the
Of what God did on the day of Badr, camp should be brought together, and the ~1uslims quarrelled about it.
Giving us victory over the polytheists. Those who had collected it claimed it, and those who had fought and
The day when their multitude was like I:Iira' pursued the enemy claimed that had it not been for them ther~ would
\\.Those foundations appear at sunset. have been no booty and that had they not engaged the enemv they would
\Ve met them ,vith a company not have been able to get anything; while those who \vere guarding the
Like lions of the jungle young and old apostle lest the eneIJ1Y should attack him claimed that they had an equal
455 In defence of Muhammad in the heat of war rIght, for they had wanted to fight the enemy, and thev had wanted to
Helping him against the enemy. seize the booty when there was none to defend it, but ~hey were afraid
In their hands were sharp swords that the enemy might return to the charge and so they kept their position
And well-tried shafts with thick knots. round the apostle.
The sons of Aus the leaders, helped by 'Abdu'l-Ral;man b. al-Uarith and others of our friends from Sulavman
The sons of aI-Najjar in the strong religion. b. Musil from MakJ:rul from Abu Umama al-Bahili (378) said: 'I ;sked
Abu Jahl we left lying prostrate 'Ubada b. al-i;iamit about the chapter of al-Anjdl and he said that it came
And 'Utba we left on the ground. down concerning those who took part in the battle of Badr when they
Shayba too with others quarrelled about the booty and showed their evil nature. God took it out
Of noble name and descent. of their hands and gave it to the apostle, and he divided it equallY among
The apostle of God called to them the Muslims.' -'
When we cast them into the pit together. 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that Malik b. Rahl'a one of B. Sa'ida 457
'Have you found that I spoke the truth? from AbiI Usayd aI-Sa'idi said: 'I got a sword belonging to B. 'A'idh the
And the command of God takes hold of the heart ?' Makhzlimites \vhich was called aI-1'vIarzuban, and when the apostle ordered
! I follow S. 's suggestion for the meaning of qashib. I 4.99.
The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad 30 9
everyone to turn in what they had taken I came and threw it into the heap
of spoils. Now the apostle never held hack anything he was asked for and AbU Hind, freedman of Farwa b. 'Amr al-Baya<)i, met the apostle there
al-Arqam b. Abu'l-Arqam knew this and asked him for it and the apostle WIth a pr full of butter and dates (383). He had stayed behind from Badr
gave it him.' but was present at all the other battles and afterwards became the apostl '
Then the apostle sent 'Abdullah b. Rawa~a with the good news of the c~p~er, The ap~stle said, 'Abu Hind is one of the Ani?ar; intermarry wi~~
victory to the people of Upper Medina, and Zayd b. J:Iaritha to the people hIm, and they dId so. 459
of Lower Medina. Usama b. Zayd said: 'The news came to us as we had ~he apostle arrived in Medina a day before the prisoners. 'Abdullah b.
heaped earth on Ruqayya the apostle's daughter who was married to Abu_ Bakr told me that Ya~ya b. 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu'l-Ra~man b. As'ad b.
'Uthman b. 'Alfan, (the apostle having left me behind with 'Uthman to Zurara told hIm that the pnsoners were brought in when Sauda d Z '
th 'f f h h . ama a,
look after her), that Zayd b. J:Iaritha had come. So I went to him as he e WI e, ate prop ,et, was with the family of 'Afra' when they were be-
was standing in the place of prayer surrounded by the people, and he was :vallmg Auf and Mu awwldh 'Afra"s sons, this being before the veil was
saying: "'Utba and Shayba and Abu Jahl and Zama'a and Abii'l-Bakhtari ~:nposed on them: Saud~ said: 'As I was with them, suddenly it was said:
and Umayya and Nubayh and Munabbih have been slain." I said, "Is Here arc the prIsoners _ and _I returned to my house where the apostle
this true, my father?" and he said, "Yes, by God it is, my son.'" w~s . .~d there. was Abu Yazld Suhayl b. 'Amr in a corner of the room
Then the apostle began his return journey to Medina with the un- Wlt~ hIS ~ands tIed to his neck. I could hardly contain myself when I saw
believing prisoners, among whom were 'Uqba b. Abu Mu'ay! and al-Naqr Abu.Yazld In thIS state and I said, "0 Abu Yazid, you surrendered too

b. al-J:Iarith. The apostle carried with him the booty that had been taken readIly. You ought to have died a noble death!" Suddenly the pro-
from the polytheists and put 'Abdullah b. Kab in charge of it. A rajaz phet'~ VOIce sta~~led n:e:
,','Sauda, would you stir up trouble against God
poet of the Muslims (379) said: and hIS _ap~st~e? I ~ald, By God, I could hardly contain myself when I
saw Abu Xa21d 111 thIS state and that is why I said what I did.'"
Start your c<lmels, 0 BashasJ
, ~ubayh b. Vl'ahb brother of B. 'Abdu'l-Dar told me that the apostle
There's no halting-place in Dhu Tal~I
d~\lded t~e.pr~soner.s amongst hIS co~pantons and said, 'Treat them well.'
458 Nor in the desert of Ghumayr a pen.
Now Abu AZIZ b. Umayr b. HashIm, brother of Mue'ab b. 'Umayr by
The people's camels cannot be locked up.
the same mother and father, was among the prisoners and he said '1\ly
So to set them on the way is wiser
br.ot~~,r ~u:,;'~b passed by .me as one. of the An:,;ar was binding me a~d he
God having given victory and Akhnas having fled.
saId. BI~d hun fast, for hIS mother IS a wealthy \voman; perhaps she will
Then the apostle went forward until when he came out of the pass of redeem hIm from you." I was \vith a number of the An:,;ar \vhen they
al-';lafra' he halted on the sandhill between the pass and al-Naziya called brought me from Badr, and when they ate their morning and evening
Sayar at a tree there and divided the booty which God had granted to the ~eals they gave me the bread and ate the dates themselves in accordance
Muslims equally.' Then he marched until he reached Rau~a' when the WIth the orders that the apostle had given about us. If anyone had a 460
Muslims met him congratulating him and the Muslims on the victory God morsel of bread he gave it to me. I felt ashamed and returned it to one of
had given him. Salama b. Salama-so 'Aeim b. 'Umar b. Qatada and them but he returned it to me untouched' (3 84).
Yaz'id b. Ruman told me-said, 'What are you congratulating us about? The first to come t~,!'1ecca with news of the disaster was al-I:Iaysuman
By God, we only met some bald old women like the sacrificial camels b. Abdullah al-Khuza I, and when they asked for news he enumerated all
who are hobbled, and we slaughtered them!' The apostle smiled and the Quray."h chiefs who had been killed. ';lafwan who was sitting in the
said, 'But, nephew, those were the chiefs' (380). When the apostle was in bt~r s~Id, ThIS fellow IS out of hIS mind. Ask him about me.' So they
al-';lafra', al-Na<)r was killed by 'Ali, as a learned Meccan told me. When saId: What happened to ';lafwan b. l.'mayya?' He answered, 'There he is
he was in 'Irqu'l-Zabya 'Uqba was killed (381). He had been captured by slttrng III the ill)r, and by God I saw his father and his brother when they
'Abdullah b. Salima, one of the B. al-'Ajlan. were ktlled.'
When the apostle ordered him to be killed 'Uqba said, 'But who will J:Iusayn b. 'Abdullah b. 'l.'baydallah b. 'Abbas from 'Ikrima freedman
look after my children, 0 Muhammad?' 'Hell', he said, and 'Aeim b. of Ibn 'Abbas, told me that AbcI Rafi', freedman of the apostle, s~id, 'I used
Thabit b. Abii'I-Aqla~ al-Aneari killed him according to what Abu to be a slave of Abbas. Islam had entered among us the people of the
'Ubayda b. Muhammad b. 'Ammar b. Yasir told me (382). house; *'Abbas had become a l\luslim,* and so had U~mu'l-Fadl and so
lOr, possibly, acacia trees; no place for them to halt.
had 1. But 'Abbas was afraid of his people and disliked to go agai~;t them,
; T. adds:'He drank from the water there called al-Arwiq', 80 he hId hIS faIth; he had a great deal of money scattered among the
These words are not found in T.'s quotation from 1. I.
310 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 3 rr
people. Abu Lahab had stayed behind from the Badr expedition sending while al-'Abbas was bulky. When the apostle asked the former how he
in his stead al-'li.~ b. Hisham; for that is what they did-any man who had managed to capture him, he said that a man such as he had never seen
stayed behind sent another in his place. And when news came of the before or afterwards had helped him, and when he described him, the
Quraysh disaster at Badr God humiliated Abu Lahab and put him to apostle said, "A noble angel helped you against him." ')
shame while we found ourselves in a position of power and respect. Now (SuhaylI, ii. 79: In the riW(lya of Yunus 1. 1. recorded that the apostle
+61 I was a weak man and I used to make arrows, sharpening them in the tent saw her (Ummu'I-Fa91) \vhen she was a baby crawling before him and
of Zarnzam, and 10 as I was sitting there with Ummu'l-Faq.l sharpening said, 'If she grows up and I am still alive I will marry her.' But he died
arrows delighted with the news that had come, up came Abu Lahab before she grew up and Sufyan b. al-Aswad b. 'Abdu'I-Asad al-MakhzuJlli
dragging his feet in ill temper and sat down at the end of the tent with his married her and she bore him Rizq and Lubaba. . . .
back to mine. As he was sitting there people said, "Here is Abu Sufyall b. They did not bury Abu Lahab, but he was put against a wall and stones
al-I:Iarith b. 'Abdu'l-Mullalib (385) just arrived." Abu Lahab said, were thrown upon him from behind the wall until he was covered. It is
"Come here, for you have news." So he came and sat with him ,,,hile the said that when 'A'isha passed the place she used to veil her face.)
people stood round, and when he asked his nephew for the news he said, Yal,1ya b. 'Abhad b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr from his father 'Abbad told
"As soon as we met the party we turned our backs and they were killing me that Quraysh bewailed their dead. Then they said, 'Do not do this,
and capturing us just as they pleased; and by God I don't blame the people for the news will reach l\Iuhammad and his companions and they will
for that. We met men in white on piebald horses benvcen heaven and rejoice over your misfortune; and do not send messengers' about yowr
earth, and by God they spared nothing and none could withstand them." captives but hold back so that l\Iuhammad and his companions may not
So I lifted the rope of the tent and said: "Those were the angels." Abu demand excessive ransoms.' AI-As wad b. al-I\luttalib had lost three of his
Lahab struck me violently in the face. I leapt at him, but he knocked me sons: 2ama'a, 'Aqil, and al-:f:Iarith b. Zama'a, and he \vanted to bewail
down and knelt on me beating me again and again, for I was a \veak man. them. .lVleanwhile he heard a \veeping woman, and as he \~,:as blind he told a
Ummu'l-Fac;il went and got one of the supports of the tent and split his servant to go and secv.'hether lamentation had been permitted, for if Quraysh
head \vith a blow which left a nasty wound, saying, "You think you can were weeping over their dead he might weep for Zam'a Ab(i :f:Iakima, for 46z
despise him now his master is away!" He got up and turned tail humiliated. he was consumed by a burning sorrow. The servant returned to say that
He only lived for another week, for God smote him with pustules, from it was a \voman \veeping over a camel she had lost. Thereupon he said:
which he died.'
Does she weep because she has lost a camel?
(T. 1340. 10. His two sons left him unburied for two or three nights so And docs this keep her awake all night?
that the house stank (for the Quraysh dread pustules and the like as men
Vl eep not over a young camel
dread plague) until finally a man said to them: 'It is disgraceful! Are you
not ashamed that your father should stink in his house while you do not But over Badr where hopes \vere dashed to the ground.
cover him from the sight of men?' They replied that they were afraid of Over Badr the finest of the sons of Husavs
those ulcers. He offered to go with them. They did not wash the body And Makhzum and the clan of Abu'l- \V~lid.
but threw water over it from a distance without touching it. Then they \Veep if you must weep over 'Aqil,
took it up and buried it on the high ground above Mecca by a wall and Weep for J.!arith the lion of lions,
threw stones over it until it was covered. "r eep unweariedly for them all,
Ibn Hamjd said that Salama b. al-Fat;ll said that Muhammad b. Isl,1aq For Abu Hakima had no peer.
said that al-'Abbas b. 'Abdullah b. Ma'bad from one of his family on the Now they are dead, men bear rule
authority of 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas said: 'On the night of Badr when the Who but for Badr would he of little account (386).
prisoners were safely guarded, the apostle could not sleep during the first Among the prisoners was Ab(i \Vada'a b. 1)ubay'r3 al-Sahmi. The
part of the night. ,,",'hen his companions asked him the reason he said: apostle remarked that in l'vlecca he had a son who \yas a shrewd and rich
"I heard the writhing of al-'Abbas in his prison." So they got up and merchant and that he would soon come to redeem his father. \Vhen
liberated him whereupon the apostle slept soundly.' Quraysh counselled delay in redeeming the prisoners so that the ransom
On the same authority I heard that Muhammad b. Isl,1aq said: "'al- should not be extortionate al-Muttalib b. Abc, \Vada'a-the man the
Hasan b. 'Umara told me from al-Hakam b. 'Utayba from Miqsam from apostle meant-saiJ., 'You arc right.Don't be in a hurry.' And he slipped
Ibn 'Abbas: The man who captured al-'Abbas was Abu'l-Yasar Ka'b b. away at night and came to I\1edina and recovered his father for 4,000
'Amr brother of the B. Sahrna. Abu'l-Yasar was a compact little man dirhams and took him away.
3' 2 The LIfe of .1l1uhammad The Life of Muhammad 3'3
Then Quraysh sent to redeem the prisoners and :'>1ikraz b. i{afs b. al- l\lecca ? You t\\'o were alone \vhen you said to her, "If I am killed so much
Akhyaf came about Suhayl b. 'Amr who had been captured by Malik b. is for al-Fa<;ll, 'Abdullah and Qutham and Tbaydullah.'" 'By him who
al-Dukhshum, brother of the B. Salim b. 'Auf, who said: sent you with the truth,' he exclaimed, 'none but she and I kne\v of this
I captured Suhayl and I would not exchange him and now I know that you are God's apostle.' So he redeemed himself and
For a prisoner from any other people. the three men named above.)l
Khindif knows that its hero is Suhayl 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that Abu Sufyan's son' Amr whom he
\Vhcn injustice is complained of. had by a daughter of 'Ugba b. Abu Mu'an (390) was a prisoner in the
I struck with my keen sword until it bent. apostle's hands from Badr (391); and when Abu Sufyan was asked to
I forced myself to fight this hare-lipped man. ransom his son 'Amr he said, 'Am I to suffer the double loss of my blood
and my money? They have killed J::Ian~ala and am I to ransom 'Amr?
Suhayl was a man whose lower lip was split (387). Leave him \vith them. They can keep him as long as they like l'
Muhammad b. 'Amr b. 'AU', brother of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy, told me \-Vhile he was thus held prisoner in :\ledina with the apostle Sa'd b. al-
that 'Vmar said to the apostle, 'Let me pull out Suhayl's two front teeth; Nu'man b. Akkal, brother of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf, one of the n. :'>Iu'awiya,
his tongue will stick out and he will never be able to speak against you went forth on pilgrimage accompanied by a young wife of his. He was an
again.' He answered, 'I will not mutilate him, otherwise God would muti- old man and a Muslim who had sheep in aI-Nag!'.' He left that place on
late me though I am a prophet.' pilgrimage without fear of any untoward events, never thinking that he
I have heard that in this tradition the apostle said to 'Vmar, 'Perhaps he vmuld be detained in Mecca, as he came as a pilgrim, for he knc\\' that
will make a stand for which you will not blame him" (388). Quraysh did not usually interfere \vith pilgrims, but treated them well.
When Mikraz had spoken about him and finally agreed on terms with But Abu Sufyan fell upon him in l\lecca and imprisoned him in retaliation
them they demanded the money, and he asked that they would hold him for his son 'Amr. Then Abu Sufyan said:
as security and let Suhayl go so that he could send his ransom. They did
so and imprisoned Mikraz in his stead. l\1ikraz said:
o family of Ibn Akkal, answer his plea
May you lose each other! Do not surrender the chid in his prime.
I redeemed \vith costlyz she-camels a captive hero. The Banu 'Amr will be base and contemptible
(The payment is for a true Arab not for clients). If they do not release their captive from his fetters.
I pledged my person, though money would be easier for me.
But I feared being put to shame. J::Iassan b. Thabit ans\vcred him:
I said, 'Suhayl is the best of us, so take him baek If Sa'J had been free the day he was in l\1ecca
To our sons so that we may attain our desires' (389). He would have killed many of you ere he was captured.
cr.
'344 Ibn Uamid from Salama from Ibn Isl;ag from al-Kalbi from
'Vith a sharp sword or a bow of nab'a wood
'Vhose string twangs when the arrow is shot.
Abll ~ali\:1 from Ibn <Abbas told me that the apostle said to al-'Abbas \vhen
he \vas brought to l\1eJina, 'Redeem yourself, 0 <Abbas, and your 1\vo The B. <Amr b. 'Auf went to the apostk and told him the news and
nephews 'Agil b. Abu Talib and Naufal b. al-i{arith and your ally 'Vtba b. asked him to give them 'Amr b. Abu Sufyan so that they could let him go
'Amr b. Jal;dam brother of the B. al-I:Iarith b. Fihr, for you are a rich in exchange for their man and the apostle did so. So they sent him to Abu
man.' He replied, 'I was a Muslim but the people compelled me (to fight). Sufyan and he released Sa'd.
He answered, 'God knows best about your Islam. If what you say is true Among the prisoners \vas Abli'l-'Ai? b. al-Rabi\ son-in-law of the apostle,
God will reward you for it. But to all outward appearance you have been married to his daughter Zaynab (392). Abu'l-<l\~ \vas one of the important
against us, so pay us your ransom.' Now the apostle had taken twenty okes men of Mecca in \\'calth, respect, and merchandise. His mother was
of gold from him and he said, '0 apostle of God, credit me with them in Hala d. Khuwaylid, and Khadija was his aunt. Khadija had asked the
my ransom.' He replied, 'That has nothing to do with it. God took that apostle to find him a \vife. Now the apostle never opposLd her-this was
from you and gave it to us.' He said, 'I have no money.' 'Then where is before rLvclation came to him-and so he married him to his daughter.
the money which you left with Ummu'I-Fadl d. al-i{arith when you left Khadija used to fLgard him as her son. Vlhcn God honoured His apostle
I v.i.
1021 for Suhayl's speech after the death of the prophet. I All writers on the 31m have drawn attention to the passages referring to the capture of

2 Reading tliiman, The variant thall/Ullin is less likely-because dhaud generally means 'Abbas which I.H. omitted. See now the pre-'Abbasid tradition of ;\ll15;1 b. 'Uqba, ~o. 6.
from three to ten camds. 1 A place ncar :\Iedina.
314 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 315
with prophecy Khadija and her daughters believed in him and testified said that she did not \vish to go, Hind offered to gi\'e her anything she
that he had brought the truth and followed his religion, though Abu'l- 'A" needed for the journey as well as money. She need not be shy of her, for
persisted in his polytheism. Nov,; the apostle had married Ruqayya or women stood closer together than men. However, though she thought she
Umm Kulthum to 'Utba b. Abu Lahab, and when he openly preached to was sincere she was afraid of her and denied that she had any intention of
Quraysh the command of God and showed them hostility they reminded going. But she \vent on \vith her preparations.
one another that they had relieved Muhammad of his care for his daughters These completed, her brother-in-law Kinana b. al-Rabi' brought her a
and decided to return them so that he should have the responsibility of camel and taking his bow he led her away in a howdah in broad daylight.
looking after them himself. They went to Abu'I-'_~" and told him to After discussing the matter Quraysh went off in pursuit and overtook
divorce his wife and they would give him any woman he liked. He refused, them in Dhli Tuwa. The first man to come up \vith them \vas Habbar b. 467
saying that he did not want any other woman from Quraysh; and I have al-Aswad b. al-i\1unalib b. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza al-Fihri. He threatened
heard that the apostle used to speak warmly of his action as a son-in-law. her \vith his lance as she sat in the howdah. It is alleged that the woman
Then they went to 'Utba b. Abu Lahab with the same request and he was pregnant and when she was frightened she had an abortion. lIer
said that if they would give him the daughter of Aban b. Said b. al-'A" or brother-in-Ia\v Kinana knelt and emptied his quiver [in front of him] and
the daughter of Said b. al-'A" he would divorce his wife, and when they said, 'By God, if one of you comes near me I will put an arrow through
did so he divorced her, not having consummated the marriage. Thus God him.' So the men fell back. Then Abu Sufyan with some Quraysh leaders
took her from him to her honour and his shame, and 'Uthman aftenvards came up and asked him to unbend his bow so that they could discuss the
married her. . matter. Then he came up to him and said, 'You have not done the right
Kow the apostle had no power of binding and loosing in l\1ecca, his thing. You have taken the \\lOIllan out publicly over the heads of the people
circumstances being circumscribed. Islam had made a division between when you know of our misfortune and disaster \vhich l\luhammad has
Zaynab and her husband Abu'I-'A", but they lived together, Muslim and brought on us. The people \vill think, if you take away his daughter pub-
unbeliever, until the apostle migrated. Abu'l-<A~ joined the expedition to licly over the heads of everyone, that that is a sign of our humiliation after
Badr and \vas captured among the prisoners and remained at l\1edina with the disaster that has happened and an exhibition of utter \veakness. 'Od'8
the apostle. life we don't want to keep her from her father and that is not our way of
Yahya b. 'Abbad b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr from his father 'Abbad told seeking revenge. But take the woman back, and when the chatter has died
me t1~~t '_A..'isha said: '\Vhen the Meccans sent to ransom their prisoners, down and people say that \ve have brought her back you can take her away
Zaynab sent the money for Abu'l- 'A~; with it she sent a necklace \vhich secretly to rejoin her father.' This is exactly what happened and one night
Khadija had given her on her marriage to Abu'l- 'A". When the apostle he took her off and delivered her to Zayd b. !:laritha and his companion,
466 saw it his feelings overcame him and he said: "If you \vould like to let her and they took her to the apostle.
have her captive husband back and return her money to her, do so." The 'Abdullah b. Rawal.la or Abu Khaythama, brother of B. Salim b. 'Auf,
people at once agreed and they let him go and sent her money back.' said of this affair of Zaynab's (393);
Tidings reached me of their \vicked treatment of Zavnab
ZAYNAB SETS OUT FOR MEDINA So criminal that men could not imagine it. "'
Muhammad was not put to shame when she \vas sent forth
Now the apostle had imposed a condition on Abu'l-'A~, or the latter had
Because of the result of the bloody war bet\veen us.
undertaken it voluntarily-the facts were never clearly established-that
From his alliance with I)amt.bm' and his war \vith us
he should let Zaynab come to him. At any rate, after Abu'l-'A" had
Abu Sufyan got but disappointment and remorse.
reached l\1ecca the apostle sent Zayd b. Baritha and one of the An~ar with
\Ve bound his son 'Amr and his sworn friend together
instructions to stop in the valley of Yajaj' until Zaynab passed, and then to
In well-wrought jangling irons.
accompany her back to him. About a month or so after Badr they went off
I swear we shall never lack soldiers,
to take up their position. Meanwhile Abu'l-'A~ came to Mecca and told
Army leaders with many a champion.
Zaynab to rejoin her father, and she went out to make her preparations.
Driving before us infidel Quraysh until we subdue them ;68
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that he had been told that Zaynab said
\Vith a halter above their noses (and) \vith a branding iron.
that \\'hile she was making her preparations she \vas met by Hind d. 'Utba
We will drive them to the ends of "'ajd and Nakhla.
who inquired whethe~ she was going off to rejoin Muhammad. When she
I About 8 miles from l\lccca. I Cf. p. 428.
316 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad Jl7
If they drop to the lowland we will pursue them with horse and foot -and said 'Allah akbar' followed by all present, Zaynab cried from the
So that our road will never deviate. place where the women sat '0 you men, I have ~iven protection to Abtl'l-
We will bring upon them the fate of 'Ad and )urhum. 'A~ b. al-Rabi'.'I His prayers over, the apostle turned round to face the men
A people tbat disobeyed Muhammad will regret it. and asked them if they had heard what he had heard, and when they said
And what a time for showing repentance! that they had he s\\'ore that he knew nothing about the matter until
Tell Abu Sufyan if you meet him Zaynab made her declaration, adding, 'the meanest l\1uslim can give
'If you arc not sincere in \vorship, and embrace Islam protection on their behalf'. He went off to see his daughter and told her
Tben sbame will come on you speedily in this life to honour her guest but not to allow him to approach her for she \\'as not
And in bell you will wear a garment of molten pitcb for ever!' (394) lawful to him.
'Abdullah b. Abii Bakr told me that the apostle sent to the raiding party
Abu Sufyan's 'sworn friend' \vas 'Amir b. al-I:Iac;irami l \vho was among the \vhich had taken Abli'l-<A~'s goods saying: 'This man is related to us as
prisoners. Al-!:Iadramj was an ally of !:Iarb b. 1..: mayya (395). you know and you have taken property of his. If you think well to restore
Wben those wbo had gone out to Zaynab returned Hind d. 'Utba met it to him we should like that; but if you will not it is booty which God has
them and said: given you and you have the better right to it.' They replied that they 47
In peace are you wild asses-rough and coarse would willingly give it back and they were so scrupulous that men brought
And in war like women in their courses? back old skins and little leather bottles and even a little piece of wood until
everything was returned and nothing withheld. Then Abu '1- 'As went to
Kinana b. al-Rabi' when he handed Zaynab over to the two men said: Mecca and paid everyone what \vas due, including those who had given
I am astonished at Habbar and the paltry ones of his people him money to layout on their behalf, and asked them if anyone of them
\Vho wish me to break my \vord with ~1uhammad's daughter. had any further claim on him. 'K 0,' they said, 'God reward you; we have
I care not for their numbers as long as I live found you both trustworthy and generous.' 'Then', said he, 'I bear \vitness
And as long as my hand can grasp my trusty blade. that there is no God but the God and that I\1uhammad is his servant and
his apostle. I would have become a lVluslim when I was with him but that
Ynid b. Abu I:labib from l3ukayr b. 'Abdullah b. al-Ashajj from Sulay- I feared that you would think that I only wanted to rob you of your
man b. Yasar from Abu IsJ.1aq al-Dausi from Abu Hurayra, told me that property; and now that God has restored it to you and I am clear of it I
the latter said: 'The apostle sent me among a number of raiders with submit myself to God.' Thus saying he went off to rejoin the apostle.
orders that if we got hold of Habbar b. al-Aswad or the other man who Dawud b. al-!:Iu~ayn from 'Ikrima from b. 'Abbas told me that the
first got to Zaynab with him (396) we were to burn them with fire. On the apostle restored Zaynab to him according to the first marriage *after six
follO\ving day he sent word to us "I told you to burn these two inen if you years had passed' without any new procedure (397).
got hold of them; then I reflected that none has the right to punish by fire Among the prisoners \vho, I was told, were given their freedom without
save God, so if you capture them kill them.'" having to pay ransom were: Abu'l- <.A~ whom the prophet freed after Zaynab
his daughter had sent his ransom; al-Muttalib b. Hantab b. al-Harith b.
'Ubayda b. 'Umar b. Makhzum who bclonged [by capture] to some of
ABO'L-Ai? B. AL-RABI' BECOMES A MUSLIM
B. al-!:Iarith b. al-Khazraj (He was left in their hands until they let him
\Vhen Islam thus came bet\veen them Abu'l-'A~ lived in Mecca while go, and he went to his people.) (398); i;layfI b. Abu Rifa'a b. 'Abid b. 471
Zaynab lived in Medina with the apostle until, shortly before the con- 'Abdullah b. 'Umar b. Makhzum. (He was left in the hands of his captors
quest/ Abu'l- '.As> went to Syria trading v/ith his o\vn money and that of and when no one came to ransom him they let him go on condition that
Quraysh \vhich they entrusted to him, for he \vas a trustworthy man. he should send his ransom, but he broke his word to them. J:Iassan b.
Having completed his business he was on his way home when one of the Thabit said in reference to that:
apostle's raiding parties fell in with him and took all he had, though he
i;layfI is not the man to fulfil his pledge
himself escaped them. \\Then the raiders went off with their plunder Abu'l~
The back of a fox tired at some waterhole or othcr;2
< A~ went into Zaynab's house under cover of night and asked her to give

him protection. She at once did so. He came to ask for his property. and Abu 'Azza 'Amr b. 'Abdullah b. 'Uthman b. Uhayb b. !:Iudhafa b.
\Vhen the apostle went out to morning prayer-soYazid b. Ruman told me
I Zaynab called out in a moment of complete silence at the beginning of prayer.
I Cf. p. 442. :I sc. of l\Iecca. ~ Diu'an, L. The line is not clear to me. - These words are not in \V.
318 The Life oj Muhammad The LIfe oj lvIuhammad 319
JumaQ. He \vas a poor man whose family consisted of daughters, and he and seizing his bandoleer he gripped him round the neek with it. He told
said to the apostle: 'You knO\v that I have no money, and am in real need the An~ar \vho were with him to come in and sit \\'ith the apostle and to
with a large family, so let me go without ransom.' The apostle did so on watch the rascal carefully, for he \\'as not to be trusted. \Vhen the apostle
condition that he should not fight against him again. Praising him and savl 'T;mayr and 'Umar grasping the bandoleer round his neck he told
mentioning his kindness among his people Abu <Azza said: ILTmar to let go and 'Umayr to advance. He came up and said 'Good
Who will tell the apostle Muhammad from me morning', for that was the greeting of paganism. The apostle said, 'God 473
You arc true and the divine King is to be praised? has honoured us with a better greeting than thine, 'Cmayr. It is Salam,
You call men to truth and right guidance, the greeting of the inhabitants of Paradise.' 'By God, l'vIuhammad vou
God himself witnesses to you. have taken to it only recently.'J 'V/hat brought you?' 'I have come ~bout
ou are a man given a place among us this prisoner you have that you may treat him well.' 'Then why have you
To which there are steps hard and easy. a sword round your neck?' 'God damn the swords. Have they done us
Those who fight you die miserably, any good" 'Tell me the truth. Why have you come?' 'I came only for
Those who make peace live happily. the reason I have told you.' 'Kay, but you and $afwan b. Lmayya sat
When I am reminded of Badr and its people together in the ~ijr and talked about the Quraysh who \vere thrO\vn into
Sorrow and a sense of loss come over me (399).1 the well. Then you said "But for debts and family reasons I would go and
kIll Muhammad." And $afwan assumed responsibility for both if you
would kill me for him, but God intervened.' 'I testify that you are -the
'U1\IAYR B. WAI-IB BECOMES A MUSLI::\l apostle of God. \Ve used to call you a liar when you brought us tidings
::\luhammad h. Ja'far h. al-Zubayr from ''Urwa b. al-Zubayr told me that from heaven and \ve denieu the revelation you brought. Dut this is a
"Cmayr \vas sitting \vith $afwan b. Umayya in the [u)r shortly after Badr. rna.tter to which on~y I and $afwan were privy, and none can have told you
472 Now 'Umayr was one of the leaders of Quraysh who used to molest the of It but God. PraIse be to God who has guided me to Islam and led me
apostle and his companions and cause them distress \vhile he was in thus.' Then he testified to the truth and the apostle said, 'Instruct your
l\1ecca, and his son \-Vahb \vas among the prisoners taken at Badr (400). brother in his religion, read the Quran to him, and free his prisonc; for
He mentioned those \vho were thrown into the well and Qafwan said, 'By him,' and they did so.
God, there is no good in life no\\, they are dead.' 'You are right,' said Then he said, 'I used to be active in extinguishing the light of God and
'umayr, 'were it not for a debt outstanding against me \vhich I cannot pay in persecuting those \vho followed God's religion. I should like vou to
and a family I cannot afford to leave unprovided for, I would ride to give me rermission to go to rvlecca to summon them to God a~d His
J\.luhammad and kill him, for I have good cause against the lot of them, my apostle and to Islam that perhaps God may guide them; and if not I will
son being a prisoner in their hands.' $afwJil took him lip and said: 'I will persecute them in their rdig-ion as I useu to persecute your companions.'
discharge your deht and take care of your family with my own so long as The apostle agreed and he \vent to I\-1ecca. \Vhen' C mavr had left Safwan
they live. All that I have shall be theirs.' 'Umayr and he agreed to keep Was saying, 'You \vill soon have some good ne\v~ \vhich will ~ake vou
the matter secret. forget \\'hat happened at Badr.' '::;afwan kept questioning riders until ~ne
Then 'Umayr called for his s\vord and sharpened it and smeared it with came who told him of 'Umayr's Islam, and he swore that he would never
poison and went otT to I\1edina. \Vhile 'Cmar was talking with some of the speak to him again nor do him a service. \Vhen 'Umayr came to ::\lccca he
I\1uslims about Baclr and mentioning how God had honoured them in s~aye~ there summoning people to Islam and treating those who opposed
giving them victory over their enemies he suddenly saw 'Urnayr stopping hIm VIOlently so that through him many became l\luslims. 474
at the door of the mosque girt with his sword, and said, 'This dog the I was tolu that it was either 'Vmayr or al-I:Iarith b. Hisham \\'ho saw the
enemy of God is 'Umayr h. \Vahb. By God he's corne for some evil devil when he turned on his heels on the day of Badr and said, '\Vhere are
purpose. It was he \vho made mischief among us and calculated our you going, 0 Suraqa?' And the enemy of God lay on the ground and dis-
numbers for the enemy at Badr.' Then 'Vmar \vent into the apostle and appearecLz So God sent down concerning him, 'And \vhen Satan maue
said, '0 prophet of God, this enemy of God 'Umayr b. Wahb has come their works seem good to them and said :\one can conquer you today for I
girt with his sword.' He told him to let him come in and 'Cmar advanced am your protector'3 and he mentions hO\v the devil deceived'them and took
I I prefer the reading fuqildu to qu'{idu. This is perhaps the most blatant forgery of all
I Reading Kunta for C. and W.'s Kuntu, but perhaps the meaning is 'It is new to me'.
the 'poems' of the Sfra. The heathen author's record was so bad that the prophet ordered
~ In another tradition quoted by Suhayli ii. 85 it is the devil who knocks down al-llarith.
his execution and yet he is made to utter fulsome praise of him and devotion to Islam. 3 Sura 8. 50. .
320 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad 321
the form of Suraqa b. Malik b. Ju'shum when they remembered the quarrel
From B. Sahm: Nubayh and Munabbih sons of al-l:lajjaj b. 'Amir by
they had with B. Bakr. God said, 'And when the two armies saw each
turns.
other' and the enemy of God saw the armies of angels by which God
From B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy: Suhayl b. 'Amr b. 'Abdu Shams (404).
strengthened. His apostle and the believers against their enemies 'he turned
on his heels and said, "I am quit of you, for I see what you do not see."
The enemy of God spoke the truth for he did see what they could not see THE COMING DOWN OF THE SeRA ANFAL' 476
and said, "I fear God for God is severe in punishment.'" I was told that
When Badr was over, God sent down the whole Siira An/al about it. \Vith
they used. to see him in every camp whenever he appeared in the form of
regard to their quarrelling about the spoils there came down: 'They will
Suraqa not suspecting him until on the day of Badr when the t\\'o armies
ask you about the spoils, say, the spoils belong to God and the apostle, so
met he turned on his heels and betrayed them after he had led them on
fear God and be at peace with one another, and obey God and His apostle
(4' ). if you are believers.'
l:lassan b. Thabit said:
'Ubada b. al-$amit, so I have heard, \vhen he was asked about this sura
:Viy people it was who sheltered their prophet said: 'It came do\vn about us, the people of Badr, when we quarrelled
And believed in him when all the world \vere unbelievers, about the booty on that day, and God took it out of our hands when we
Except a chosen few who were forerunners showed an evil disposition and gave it to the apostle, who divided it equally
To the righteous, helpers with the Helpers. among us. In that there was the fear of God, and obedience to Him and to
Rejoicing in God's portion His apostle, and peace among us.'
Saying when he came to them, noble of race, chosen, Then He mentions the army, and their journey with the apostle \vhen'
\Velcome in safety and comfort, they knew that Quraysh had come out against them, and they had only
Goodly the prophet the portion and the guest. gone out making for the caravan because they wanted booty, and He said,
They gave him a home in which a guest of theirs 'As thy Lord brought thee out of thy house in truth when a part of the
Need have no fear-an (ideal) home. believers \vere unwilling, they disputed with thee about the truth after it
They shared their wealth when the refugees came had become plain, as though they \verc being driven to their death while
While the share of the stubborn opponent is hell. they looked on.' i.e. Unwilling to meet the army and disliking to confront
475 To Badr we went-they to their death. Quraysh when they \vere told of them.
Had they known what they should have known they would not have 'And when God promised you that one of the parties should be yours, and
gone; you want:;d to have the one that was not armed.' i.e. Booty and not war.
The devil deluded and then betrayed them. 'And God \vanted to establish the truth by His words, and to cut off the 477
Thus does the evil one deceive his friends. uttermost part of the unbelievers.' i.e. By the disaster which He brought
He said I am your protector and brought them to an evil pass upon the chiefs and leaders of Quraysh on the day of Badr.
"Vherein is shame and disgrace. '\\Then you asked your Lord for help.' i.e. Their prayers when they
Then when we fought them they deserted their leaders, looked at the multitude of their enemies and their own small numbers.
Some fleeing to high ground others to the plain (402). 'And He answered you.' i.e. The prayer of His apostle and your prayers.
'I will reinforce you v,"ith a thousand angels, one behind another. \Vhen
He made you slumber as a reassurance from Him.' i.e. I sent dO\vn reassur-
THE QURAYSH WHO FED THE PILGRIMS
ance upon you when you slumbered unafraid.
The names of the Quraysh who used to feed the pilgrims are as follows: 'And He sent down water from heaven upon you.' i.e. The rain that
came upon them that night and prevented the polytheists from getting to
From B. Hashim: AI-'Abbas b. 'Abdu'l-Munalib.
the \vater first, and left the way clear to the IVluslims.
From B. 'Abdu Shams: 'Utba b. Rab!'a.
'That He might cleanse you by it, and take from you the impurity of
From B. Naufal: al-I~arith b. 'Amir and Tu'ayma b. 'Adiy by turns.
Satan, and strengthen your hearts, and confirm your steps.' i.e. To take"
From B. Asad: Abu'l-Bakhtari and l:lakim b.l:lizam by turns.
from you the doubt of Satan \vhen he made them afraid of the enemy, and
From B. 'Abdu'l-Dar: al-Na4r b. al-l:larith b. Kalda b. 'Alqama (403).
the hardening of the ground for them so that they got to their halting-place
From B. Makhzum: Abu Jah!.
before the enemy arrived.
From B. Jumah: Umayya b. Khalaf.
Sura 8.
B 40S0 y
322 The LIfe of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 323
Then God said, 'Then thy Lord revealed to the angels, I am with you so forth with you, 'they would have turned their backs, going aside.' i.e. Would
strengthen those that believe.' i.e. help those that believe. not have been faithful to you in the purpose for which they had come out.
II will cast terror into the hearts of those \vho disbelieve, so strike off '0 you who believe, respond to God and the apostle when he summons
their heads and cut off all their fingers, because they opposed God and His you to that \\'hich will quicken you.' i.e. to the war in \vhich God exalted
apostle and he who opposes God and His apostle (will find) God severe you after humiliation, and made you strong after weakness, and protected
in punishment.' you from your enemies after you had been overcome by them.
Then He said, '0 you who believe, when you meet those who disbelieve 'And remember when you \vere few, despised in the land, fearing that
on the march, do not turn your backs. He who turns his back except in men :vould pluck you. a\vay, and He gave you refuge and strengthened you
manceuvring or intending to join another section, incurs the wrath of God, by HIS help and nOUrIshed you with good things that you might be thank-
and his destination is Hell, a miserable end.' i.e. Inciting them against ful. 0 you who believe, betray not God and His apostle and betray not
their enemy so that they should not withdraw from them when they met y~ur trust knO\vingly.' i.e. Do not show Him what is right, which pleases
them, God having promised what He had promised. HIm, and then oppose Him secretly in something else, for that is destroying
Then God said concerning the apostle's throwing pebbles at them, your trust and treachery to yourselves.
'\Vhen you threw, it was not you that threw, but God.' i.e. Your throwing .'0 you who believe, fear God and He \viII make for you afurqan,I and 479
would have had no effect unless God had helped you therein and cast WlP~ a,\\'a~ your evil acts and pardon you. ad is exceeding bountiful.' i.e.
terror into their hearts when He put them to flight. A dlstmctlOn between true and false by \vhich God shows your truth and
'And to test the believers with a good test.' i.e. To let them know of His extinguishes the falsehood of those who oppose you.
favour towards them in giving them victory over their enemies in spite of Then He reminds the apostle of His favour towards him when the people
their small number that they might know thereby His truth, and be thank- plotted against him 'to kiII him, or to wound him, or to drive him out; and
ful for His favour. they plotted and God plotted, and God is the best of plotters.' i.e. I
478 Then He said, 'If you sought a judgement, a judgement came to you.' deceived them with My firm guile so that I delivered you from them.
i.e. With reference to what Abu Jahl said, '0 God, he who is the worst in Then He mentions the folly of Quraysh in asking for a judgement
severing relations and bringing us things that are unacceptable destroy him ~gamst themselves when they said, '0 God, if this is the truth from Thee,'
this morning.'I Istlfta~ means to pray for what is just. I.e. what Muhammad has brought, 'then rain upon uS stones from heaven.'
God said, 'If you cease,' that is addressed to Quraysh, 'it is better for i.e. As you rained them upon the people of Lot.
you, and if you return (to the attack) ""Ve will return.' i.e. \Vith a similar 'Or bring us a painful punishment.' i.e. Some of that bv which You
blow to that which We gave you on the day of Badr. punished the peoples before us. .
'And your army \vill avail you nothing however numerous, and (know) They used to say, God will not punish us when we ask for His pardon,
that God is with the believers.' i.e. That your number and multitude will and He \vilI not punish a people whose prophet is with them until He has
not avail you at all while I am with the believers, helping them against sent him away from them. That is what they said when the apostle was
those that oppose them. among them, and God said to His apostle, mentioning their ignorance and
Then God said, '0 you that believe, obey God and His apostle, turn not folly and the judgement they asked against themselves when He reproached
away from him while you are listening.' i.e. Do not contradict his orders them with their evil deeds. 'God will not punish them while you are with
when you hear him speak and while you assert that you are on his side. them, and God \vitI not punish them \vhile they ask for forgiveness.' i.e.
'And be not like those who said, "\Ve hear" \vhen they did not hear.' \Vhen they said, '\Ve ask for forgiveness and I'vluhammad is among us.'
i.e. Like the hypocrites who pretend to be obedient and are secretly dis- Then He said, 'What (plea) have they that God should not punish them l'
obedient to him. though you are among them and though they ask for forgiveness as they say.
'The worst of beasts with God are the deaf and the dumb who do not I I.J :'s explanation of the meaning of furgan is adopted by Tabari on 2. SO and it admir.
understand.' i.e. The hypocrites whom I have forbidden you to imitate. ab!?, SUIts the sense of the verb in Arabic; but Bay<;iiiwi on 21, 49 and Zamakhshllri on 8, 29
Dumb in reference to good, deaf to truth, not understanding and not know- (t,hl.S verge) collect a numher of meanings, If the word ""ere purely Arabic. it "','Quld be
ddncult to sec why there was any doubt about it. The facts are that in Aramaicfurqan means
ing the vengeance and consequence which will come upon them. :deliverance', and in Christian Aramaic it is the common ,vord for 'salvation', In the Ouran
'Had God known that there was good among them, He would have made Jt often ~leans, or seems to mean, some sort of book, 2. 50; 3, 2; and 21. 49, &c" but in
8.42 (v,t.) 'The day of the jurq/in, the day ,,,hen the two hosts met', 'deliverance' seems to
them listen.' i.e. In performing for them the words which they spoke with be the most probable meaning, and the same would seem to apply to this verse. For an
their tongues, but their hearts contradicted them, and if they had come illuminating discussion of the evidence and theories formed thereon see Jeffery, Foreign
Vocabulary, 225-9.
I V.S. \V. 445 med.
32 4 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 32 5
'While they bar the way to the sacred mosque.' i.e. Against those who God is able to do all things,' i.e. the day I divided between the true and the
believe in God and His servant. i.e. You and those who follow you. false by My power the day the two armies met-you and they 'when you
'And they are not its guardians, its g\lardians are only the God-fearers,' wer~ on the nearer sIde' of the wadi 'and they on the further side' of the
who observe its sanctity and perform prayer by it. i.e. You and those who wadI towards Mecca 'and the caravan was below you,' i.e. the caravan of
believe in you. ,. Abu Sufyan which you h~d gone out to capture and they had gone out to
'But most of them do not know and their prayer at the temple,. I.e. By protect wIthout any appomtment between you. 'And if you had arranged
which they assert that evil is kept from them, 'Is nothing but whistling and to meet you would have failed to meet,' i.e. had you arranged to meet and
clapping of hands' (405) . then you had heard of their multitude compared with your force you would
4 80 And that is what God does not approve of and does not hke and what not have,~et them; 'but .that God mi?ht accomplish a thing that had to
they were not ordered to do. . be done, l.e. that He m~ght accomplIsh what He willed in His power,
'So taste the punishment for what you'are disbelieving.' i.e. \Vhen He namely to exalt Islam and Its followers and to abase the unbelievers without
brought death upon .them at the battle of Badr. your fighting hard. He did what He willed in His goodness. Then He
Yal;ya b. 'Abbad b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr from his father 'Abbiid from saId: 't~at he who died should die with a clear proof and he who lived
'A'isha who said that only a little time elapsed between the commg down should hve by a clear proof. God is a Hearer, a Knower,' i.e. that he who
of '0 thou that art enwrapt'l and the word of God about it, 'Leave Me to disbelieved should disbelieve after the proof in the sign and example which
deal with the liars living at ease, and let them alone for a little. We hav~ he had seen and he who believed should believe by the same \varrant.
fetters and fire and food which chokes, and a painful punishment,' untll Then He mentioned His kindness and His plotting for him: 'When God
God smote Quraysh on the day of Badr (406 ). showed thee in thy sleep that they were few, and if He had shown them to
Then God said, thee as many you would have failed and quarrelled over the affair; but God
'Those who disbelieve, spending their wealth to keep meI!Jrom the way saved you. He knows what is within the breasts.' What God sho\ved him
of God will expend it, then they will suffer loss, then they will be over- was one of His favours by which He encouraged them against their enemy,
come, and those who disbelieve will be gathered to Hel1.' He means those and kept from them what would have frightened them because of their
who went to Abii Sufyiin and to everyone of the Quraysh who had money weakness, because He knew what was in them (407). 'And when you met
in that merchandise, and asked them to help them with it in the war them He made you see them as few making you seem small in their eyes
against the apostle, and they did so. . that God mIght accomphsh a thmg that had to be done,' i.e. to unite them
Then He said, 'Say to those who disbelieve, if they cease, they wlIl be for war to take vengeance on whom He willed and to show favour to those
pardoned for what is passed, and if they return', to fight you, 'the example Whom He willed so to bless, who were of the number of His friends. 48.
of the ringleaders has been made.'2 i.e. those who were killed at Badr. Then He admonished and i~structed and taught them how they ought
Then He said, 'Fight them so that there is no more persecution,3 and to conduct theIr wars and saId: 0 beltevers, when you meet an armv' whom
religion, all of it, shall belong to God.' i.e. So that no believe.r is persecuted you fight in the way of God 'Stand. firm and remember God ~ften' to
from his religion, and monotheism may be pure, God havmg no partner Whom you devoted yourselves when you gave your allegiance to Him 'so
and no rivals. that y~u ,~ay prosper. And obey God and His apostle and wrangle not lest
'If they c-e~se, then God sees what they do, and if they turn away,' from you fall, l.e. do not quarrel so that your affairs become disordered 'and
481 thy commandment to their unbelief, 'then know that God is yOUT :rien~'. your spirit depart,' i.e. your bravery go, 'and be steadfast. God is with
who glorified you and helped you against them on the day of Badr m spite the steadfast,' i.e. I am with you when you do that. 'And be not like those
of their great numbers and your small force. who went forth from their houses boastfully to be seen of men,' i.e. do not
'A fine friend, and a fine helper.' be like Abu Jahl and his companions who said, 'We will not go back until
Then He taught them how to divide the spoil and His judgement about we have been to Badr and slaughtered camels there and drunk \vine and
it when He made it lawful to them and said: 'And know that what you take the singing girls have made music for us and the Arabs will hear of it,' i.e.
as booty a fifth belongs to God and the apostle and next of kin and orphans let not y?ur affair be out:,,'ard show and the subject of gossip, nor con-
and the poor and the wayfarer, if you believe in God and what V.le sent cerned WIth men, and punfy your intention towards God and your efforts
down to Our servant on the day of furqiin, the day the two armies met; and for the victory of your religion and the help of your prophet. Simply do
that and do not aim at anything else. Then He said: 'And \vhen Satan
I Sura 73. I and I I-14.
:: I'\ormally Qwwalin would mean 'the men of old'. .
made their deeds seem good to them and said, ".:-.Jo man can conquer you
3 fitna. This word contains the ideas of painful trial, rebellion, and seductlOn. today for I am your protector'" (408).
The Life of Muhammad
326 The Life of Muhammad
his enemies until he drives them from the land. l 'You desire the lure of
Then God mentions the unbelievers and what they will meet when they
this world,' i.e:i!s goods, the ransom of the captives. 'But God desires the
die, and describes them, and tells His prophet about them until He says:
next world,' i.e. their killing them to manifest the religion which He wishes
'If you come upon them in war, deal with them so forcibly as to terrify
to manifest and by which the next world may be attained. 'Had there not
those who follow them, haply they may take warning/ i.e. make a severe
previously been a book from God there would have come upon you for
example of them to those that come after, that haply they may understand.
what you took,' i.e. prisoners and booty, 'an awful punishment,' i.e. had it
'And prepare what strength you can against them, and cavalry by whicq.
not previously gone forth from Me that 1 would punish only after a prohibi-
you may strike terror into the enemy of God and your enemy' as far as His
tion~and He had not prohibited them-I would have punished 'you for
words, 'And whatever you spend in the way of God will be repaid to you:
what you did. Then He made it lav.'ful to him and to them as a mercy from
you will not be wronged,' i.e. you \-vill not lose your reward with God in
Him and a gift from the Compassionate, the Merciful. He said, 'So enjoy
the next life and a rapid recompense in this world. Then He said, 'And if
what you have captured as lawful and good, and fear God. God is For-
they incline to peace incline thou to it,' i.e. if they ask you for peace on the
basis of Islam then make peace on that basis, 'and rely on God,' verily giving, Merciful.' Then He said: '0 prophet, Say to those captives in
God will suffice thee, 'He is the Hearer, the Knower' (409). 'And if they your hands, If God knows any good in your hearts He will give you some-
would deceive thee, God is sufficient for thee,' He being behind thee, 'He thing better than that which has been taken from you and God will pardon
it is who strengthens thee with His help' after weakness 'and by the be- you. God is Forgiving, Merciful.'
lievers. And He made them of one mind' by the guidance with which God He incited the Muslims to unity and made the Refugees and the Helpers
sent thee to them. 'Hadst thou spent all the world's wealth thou hadst not friends in religion and the unbelievers friends one of another. Then He
made them of one mind but God made them of one mind' by His religion said: 'If you do not do so, there will be confusion in the land and a great
to which He gathered them. 'He is mighty, wise.' corruption,' i.e. unless believer becomes friend of believer to the exclusion
Then He said: '0 prophet, God is sufficient for thee and the believers of the unbeliever even though he is of his kin. 'There will be confusion in
who follow thee. 0 prophet, exhort the believers to fight. If there are the land,' i.e. doubt about the true and the false and the rise of corruption
twenty steadfast ones among you they will overcome two hundred, and if in the land if the believer takes the side of the unbeliever against the
there are a hundred of you they will overcome a thousand unbelievers for believer.
they are a senseless people,' i.e. they do not fight with a good intention nor Then He assigned inheritances to next of kin of those who became
for truth nor have they knowledge of what is good and what is evil. Muslims after the friendship between Refugees and Helpers and said: 'And
'Abdullah b. Abu NajiI:t from 'Ata' b. Abu RibaI:t from 'Abdullah b. those who believed afterwards and migrated and strove along with you they
'Abbas told me that when this verse came down it came as a shock to the are of you; and those who are akin are nearer to one another in God's book'
Muslims who took it hard that twenty should have to fight two hundred, Le. in inheritance 'God know'eth all things'. '
and a hundred fight a thousand. So God relieved them and cancelled the
verse with another saying: 'Now has God relieved you and He knows that THE MUSLIMS WHO WERE PRESENT AT BADR
there is weakness amongst you, so if there are a hundred steadfast they
shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a thousand of you they shall The names of those who \vere present at Badr are: Of Quraysh of B.
overcome two thousand by God's permission, for God is with the stead- Hashim b. 'Abdu Maniif and B. al-Mugalib b. 'Abdu Maniif b. Qu~ayy b.
fast.' (,Abdullah) said, 'When they numbered half of the enemy it was Kllab b. Murra b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. Ghiilib b. Fihr b. Malik b. al-Nadr
wrong for them to run from them; but if they were less than half they b. Kinana: .
were not bound to fight and it was permissible for them to withdraw.' Muhammad, God's apostle the lord of the sent ones, b. 'Abdullah b.
Then God reproached him about the prisoners and the taking of booty, 'Abdu'l-Mugalib b. Hashim; I:Iamza b. 'Abdu'I-Mugalib b. Hashim, the
no other prophet before him having taken booty from his enemy. Muham- lion of God and of His apostle, the apostle's uncle; 'Ali b. Abu Talib b.
mad Abu la'far b. 'Ali b. al-Hu~ayn told me that the apostle said: 'I was 'Abdu'l-Mugalib b. Hashim; Zayd b. ~Iiiritha b. ShuraI:tbil b. Ka'b b.
helped by fear; the earth was made a place to pray, and clean; I was given 'Abdu'I-'Uzza b. Imru'u'I-Qays al-Kalbi (410); Anasa the apostle's freed-
all-embracing words; booty was made lawful to me as to no prophet man; and Abu Kabsha likewise (411); Abu Marthad Kannaz b. Hisn b.
before me; and I was given the power to intercede; five privileges accorded I Commentators explain that ithkhan here means 'reduce to straits', but in view of what
to no prophet before me.' I~n Ishiiq ~oes on.to say this is improbable, and in view of whatT (I357) reports from him
Vl~ Salama l~posslble: when the words 'it is not for any prophet, &c,' came down the apostle
God said, 'It is not for any prophet,' i.e. before thee, 'to take prisoners' saId, IfpuDlshment had come down from heaven, none would escape it but Sa'd b. Mu'adh
from his enemies 'until he has made slaughter in the earth,' i.e. slaughtered because he said, 'I would rather be-slaughtered in battle than be spared to live among men,'
328 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 329
Yarbii' b. 'Arm b. Yarbii' b. Kharasha b. Sad b. TarIf b. JilHin b. Ghanm zayma of al-Qara (418). Dhu'l-Shimalayn b. 'Abd 'Amr b. Nadia b.
b. Ghaniy b. Ya~ur b. Sad b. Qays b. 'AyHin (412), and his son Marthad Ghubshan b. Sulaym b. Mallikan b. Af~a b. Baritha b. 'Amr b. 'Amir of
b. Abii Marthad, allies of Bamza; 'Ubayda b. al-Barith b. al-Mullalib, Khuza'a (419) and Khabbab b. al-Aratt (420). Total 8 men.
and his two brothers al-Tufayl and al-Bu~ayn; and Mis!al:> whose name Of B. Taym b. "Iurra: Abu Bakr whose full name was 'Atiq b. 'Uthman
was 'Auf b. Uthatha b. 'Abbad b. al-Mullalib. Total 12 men. b. 'Amir b. 'Amr b. Ka'b b. Sa'd b. Taym (421). Bila] his freedman, born
Of B. 'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu ManM: 'Uthman b. 'Affan b. Abu'l-'A~ b. a slave among the B. Jumal,1. Abu Bakr bought him from Umayya b.
Umayya b. 'Abdu Shams; (He stayed behind on account of his :vife Khalaf. His name was Hilal b. Rabal.'- He had no offspring; 'Amir b.
Ruqayya the apostle's daughter, so the apostle assIgned hIm hIs portIOn. Fuhayra (422) and Suhayb b. Sinan from al-Namr b. Qasii (423) and Talha
He asked 'And my reward (from God) as well? 'Yes', said the apostle.) b. 'Ubaydullah b. 'Uthman b. 'Amr b. Kab, &c. He was in Syria and did
Abii Hudhayfa b. 'Utba b. Rabi'a b. 'Abdu Shams, and Salim his freedman not turn up until the apostle had returned from Badr. Nevertheless, he
(4 1 3). They allege that :;lubayl:> freedman of Abii'l-'A~ b. Umayya got read! allotted him a share in the booty as he had done in the case of 'Uthman.
to march with the apostle, but fell sIck and mounted on hIS camel Abu Total 5 men.
Salama b. 'Abdu'I-Asad b. Hilal b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar b. Makhziim. Of B. Makhzum b. Yaqap b. Murra: Abu Salama b. 'Abdu'I-Asad
Afterwards :;lubayl:> was present at all the apostle's battles. , whose name was 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu'l-Asad b. Hilal b. 'Abdullah b.
Of B. 'Abdu Shams's allies, of B. Asad b. Khuzayma: Abdullah b. 'Umar b. Makhziim; and Shammas b. 'Uthman b. al-Sharid b. Suwayd
Jal:>sh b. Ri'ab b. Ya'marb. :;labra b. Murra b. Kabirb. Gh~nm b. Diidan; b. Harmiy b. 'Amir (424); and al-Arqum b. 'Abdu :\1anaf b. Asad, Asad
'Ukkasha b. Mil:>~an b. Burthan b. Qays b. Murra b. Kablr b. Ghanm b. being Abu Jundub b. 'Abdullab b. 'Umar b. Makhzum;, and 'Ammar b.
Diidan; Shuja' b. Wahb b. Rabi'a b. Asad b. :;luhayb b. Malik b. Kabir, Yasir (425); and :Ylu'attib b. 'Auf b. 'Amir b. al-Fadl b. 'Aif b. Kulayb b.
&c., and his brother 'Uqba b. Wahb; Yazid b. Ruqaysh b. Ri'ab, &c. Abii Bubshiya b. Saler! b. Kab b. 'Amr, an ally of theirs from Khuza'a known
Sinan b. Mihsan b. Hurthan b. Qays brother of Ukkasha b. Mil:>~an, and as IAyhama. Total 5 men.
his son Sin;;;' b. Abii' Sinan; and Mul:>riz b. Na<,lla b. 'Abdullah b. Murra Of B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b: Tmar b. al-Khallab b. Nufayl b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b.
b. Kabir, &c.; and Rabi'a b. Aktham b. Sakhbara b. 'Amr b. Lukayz b. Riyal:> b. 'Abdullah b. Qur! b. Razal:> b. 'Adiy and his brother Zayd; and
'Amir b. Ghanm b. Diidan. Mihja, 'Umar's freedman from the Yaman (he was the first :Yluslim to fall 49
Of the allies of B. Kabir: Thaqf b. 'Amr and his two brothers Malik at Badr, being shot by an arrow.) (426); and 'Amr b. Suraqa b. Anas
and Mudlij (414). They belonged to the B. Bajr, a clan of B. Sulaym; b. Adbat b. 'Abdullah h. Qurt ... and his brother 'Abdullah; Waqid b.
Abii Makhshi an ally of theirs (415). Total 16 men. 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu Manaf b. 'Arin b. Thalaba b. Yarbu' b. Banzala b.
Of B. Naufal b. 'Abdu Manaf: 'Utba b. Ghazwan b. Jabir b. Wahb b. Malik b. Zayd Manat b. Tamim, an ally of theirs, and Khauliy h. Abu
Nusayb b: Malik b. al-Barith b. Mazin b. Mansur b. 'Ikrima b. Kha~afa Khauliy and Malik b. Abu Khauliy, two allies of theirs (427); and 'Amir
b. Qays b. 'Aylan; and Khabbab freedman of 'Utba. Total 2 men. b. Rabi'a, an ally of the family of al-Khanab from 'Anaz b. Wa'il (428); and
Of B. Asad b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza b. Qu~ayy: al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam b. 'Amir b. al-Bukayr b. 'Abdu Yalil b. Nashib b. Ghira of the B. Asad b.
Khuwaylid b. Asad; Ba!ib b. Abii Balta'a; and Sa'd freedman of Ba!ib Layth; and 'Aqil and Kbalid and Iyas sons of al-Bukayr, allies of B. 'Adiy
(416). Total 3 men. b. Kab; and Sa'id b. Zayd b. 'Amr b. Nufay! b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b. 'Abdullah
Of B. 'Abdu'I-Dar b. Qusayy: Mu~'ab b. 'Umayr b. Hashim b. 'Abdu b. Qur! b. Riyal:> b. Rizal:> b. 'Adiy b. Kab who came from Syria after the
Manaf and Suwaybi! b. Sa'd b. Buraymila b. Malik b. 'Umayla b. al- apostle's return from Badr and was given a share in the booty. Total 14
Sabbaq b. 'Abdu'I-Dar. Totalz men. men.
Of B. Zuhra b. Kilab: 'Abdu'I-Ral:>man b. 'Auf b. 'Abdu 'Auf b. 'Abd Of B. Jumal:> b. 'Amr b. Hu~an b. Ka'b: 'Uthman b. Ma?'un b.Babib
b. al-Harith b. Zuhra; Sad b. AbU Waqqas, who was Malik b. Uhayb b. b. Wahb b. Budhafa b. Jumal:> and his son al-Sa'ib and 'Uthman's two
'Abd'; Manaf b. Zuhra, and his brother 'Umayr. Of their allies: al brothers Qudama and 'Abdullah; Mamar b. al-l,larith b. Ma'mar b.
Miqdad b. 'Amr b. Thalaba b. Malik b. Rabi'a b. Thumama b. Ma!rud b. Babib b. Wahb b. Hudhiifa b. Jumah. Total 5 men.
'Amr b. Sa'd b. Zuhayr b. Thaur b. Thalaba b. Malik b. al-Sharid b. Of B. Sahm b. 'Amr b. Hu~ays b. Kab: Khunays b. Hudbafa b.
Hazl b. Qa'ish b. Duraym b. al-Qayn b. Ahwad b. Bahra' b. 'Amr b. al- Qays b. 'Adiy b. Sad b. Sahm. Total I man.
Baf b. Qu<,la'a (417) and Dahir b. Thaur; and 'Abdullah b. Masiid b. al. Of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy of the subdivision B. Malik b.Bisl b. 'Amir: Abu
Harith b. Shamkh b. Makhziim b. :;lahila b. Kahil b. al-Barith b. Tamim Sabra b. Abu Ruhm b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza b. Abu Qays b. 'Abdu Wudd b. 49'
b. Sa'd b. Hudhayl; Mas'iid b. Rabi'a b. 'Amr b. Sad b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza Ii: Na~r b. Malik b. Bisl; 'Abdullah b. Makhrama b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza, &c.;
Bamala b. Gbalib b. Mul:>allim b. 'A'idha b. Subay' b. al-Hiin b. Khu 'Abdullah b. Subayl b. 'Amr b. 'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu Wudd, &c. (he
330 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 33'
had gone forth to war with his father Suhayl and when the people camped Abu'I-Aqla\l b. Isma b. Malik b. Amat b. J;lubay'a-and Mu'attib b.
at Badr he fled to the apostle and took part in the battle on his side); and Qushayr b. Mulayl b. Zayd b. aI-'AIPf b. ~)ubay'a; and Abu Mulayl b.
'Umayr b. 'Auf, freedman of Suhayl; and Sa'd b. Khaula an ally of theirs al-Az'ar b. Zayd b. al-'Attaf; and 'Umar b. Ma'bad b. al-Az'ar, &c. (438);
(429). Total 5 men. and Sahl b. J.:Iunayf b. Wahib b. al-'Ukaym b. Tha'laba b. Majda'a b. al-
Of B. al-J.:Iarith b. Fihr: Abu 'Ubayda b. al-JarraJ:t who was 'Amir b. J:larith b. 'Amr who was called BaJ:tzaj b. J:lanash b. 'Auf b. 'Amr b. 'Auf.
'Abdullah b. aI-JarraJ:t b. Hilal b. Uhayb b. J;labba b. al-J.:Iarith; and 'Amr Total 5 men.
b. al-J.:Iarith b. Zuhayr b.Abu Shaddad b. Rabi'a b. Hilal b. Uhayb, &e. ;and Of B. Umayya b. Zayd b. Malik: Mubashshir b. 'Abdu'l-Mundhir b.
Suhayl b. Wahb b. Rabi'a b. Hilal, &e., and his brother i;;afwan who were the Zanbar b. Zayd b. Umayya and Rita'a his brother; Sa'd b. 'l:bayd b.
two sons of Baida', and 'Amr b. Rabi'a b. Hilal b. Uhayb. Total 5 men. al-Nu'man b. Qays b. 'Amr b. Zayd b. Umayya; Twaym b. Sa'ida; Rati'
The total number of the Emigrants who took part in the battle of Badr b. 'Unjuda (439); and 'Ubayd b. Abu 'Ubayd; and Tha'laba b. I:!atib. It
to whom the apostle allotted shares in the booty was 83 men (430). is alleged that Abu Lubaba b. 'Abdu'I-:YIundhir and al-l.Iarith b.l:!a,ib went
out with the apostle, and he sent them back, putting the former in charge of
Medina. He gave them both shares in the booty of Badr (440). Total 9 men.
THE HELPERS AND THEIR ADHERENTS WHO WERE AT BADR
Of B. 'Ubayd b. Zayd b. Malik: Unays b. Qatada b. Rab,'a b. Khalid 494
Of al-Aus b. J.:Iaritha b. Tha'laba b. 'Amr b. 'Amir of the subdivision B. b. al-J:larith b. 'Ubayd: of their Bali allies: Ma'n b. 'Adiy b. al-Jadd b.
'Abdu'I-Ashhal b. J usham b. al-J.:Iarith b. al-Khauaj b. 'Amr b. Malik b. al-'Ajlan b. J;lubay'a; Thabit b. Aqram b. Tha'laba b. 'Adiy b. aI-'Ajlan;
al-Aus: Sa'd b. Mu'adh b. al-Nu'man b. Imru'uI-Qays b. Zayd b. 'Abdu'l- 'Abdullah b. Salama b. Malik b. al-J:larith b. 'Ad,y b. al-'Ajlan; Zayd b.
AshhaI; 'Amr b. i\lu'adh b. aI-Nu'man; aI-J.:Iarith b. Aus b. Mu'adh b. al- As]am b. Tha'laba b. 'Adiy b. al-'Ajlan; Rib', b. Rati' b. Zayd b. J:laritha
492 Nu'man; and al-J.:Iarith b. Anas b. Rati' b. Imru'ul-Qays. b. al-Jadd b. 'Ajlan. 'A~im b. 'Ad,y b. al-Jadd b. aI-'Ajlan went forth to
Of B. 'Ubayd b. Ka'b b. 'Abdu'I-AshhaI: Sa'd b. Zayd b. Malik b. tight but the apostle sent him back, afterwards giving him his share of the
'Ubayd. booty. Total 7 men.
Of B. Za'ura b. 'Abdu'I-Ashhal (43'): Salama b. Salama b. Waqash b. Of B. Tha'laba b. 'Amr b. 'Auf: 'Abdullah b. Jubayr b. al-Nu'man b.
Zughba; 'Abbad b. Bishr b. Waqash b. Zughba b. Ziura; Salama b. Umayya b. aI-Burak whose name was Imru'ul-Qays b. Tha'Iaba; and
Thabit b. Waqash; Rati' b. Yazid b. Kurz b. Sakan b. Ziura; al-J.:Iarith 'A~im b. Qays (44'); and AbU J;layyaJ:t b. Thabit b. al-Nu'man b. Umayya,
b. Khazama b. 'Ad,y b. Ubayy b. Ghanm b. Salim b. 'Auf b. 'Amr b. 'Auf &e.; and AbU J:lanna (442); and Salim b. 'Umayr b. Thabit b. al-Nu'man,
b. al-Khazraj an ally of theirs from B. 'Auf b. al-Khazraj; l\luhammad b. &c. (443); and al-J:larith b. al-Nu'man b. Umayya, &e.; and Khawwat b.
Maslama b. Khalid b. 'Ad,y b. Majda'a b. J.:Iaritha b. al-J.:Iarith an ally from Jubayr b. al-Nu'man whom the apostle gave a share of the booty. Total
the B. J.:Iaritha b. al-~Iarith; and Salama b. Aslam b. J.:Iar'sh b. 'Ad,y b. 7 men.
Majda'a b. J.:Iaritha an ally from the B. J.:Iaritha b. al-J.:Iarith (432); and Of B. JaJ:tjaba b. Kulfa b. 'Auf b. 'Amr b. 'Auf: Mundhir b. Muhammad
Abu'I-Haytham b. al- Tayyahan; and 'Ubayd b. al- Tayyahan (433) and b. 'Uqba b. UJ:tayJ:ta b. al-JulaJ:t b. al-J:larish b. JaJ:tjaba b. Kulfa (444);
'Abdullah b. Sahl (434). Total '5 men. and of :heir allies from the B. Unayf: Abu 'Aqil b. 'Abdullah b. Tha'iaba
Of B. Zafar of the section B. Sawad b. Ka'b, Ka'b being zafar (435): b. BayJ:tan b. 'Amir b. al-l:Jarith b. Malik b. 'Amir b. linayf b. Jusham b.
Qatada b. aI-Nu'man b. Zayd b. 'Amir b. Sawad, and 'Ubayd b. Aus b. 'Abdullah b. Taym b. Irash b. 'Amir b. Tmayla b. Qasmil b. Faran b.
Malik b. Sawad (436). Total 2 men. Bali b. 'Amr b. al-J:laf b. Qu<;la'a (445). Total 2 men. 495
Of B. 'Abd b. RizaJ:t b. Kilo: Na~r b. aI-J.:Iarith b. 'Abd and Mu'attib b. Of B. Ghanm b. al-Salm b. Imru'ul-Qays b. Malik b. al-Aus: Sid b.
'Abd; and 'Abdullah b. Tariq from their Bali allies. Total 3 men. Kbaythama b. al-J:larith b. Malik b. Ka'b b. al-Nahhat b. Ka'b b. Haritha
Of B. J.:Iaritha b. al-J.:Iarith b. al-Khazraj b. 'Amr b. Malik b. Aus: b. Ghanm; and Mundhir b. Qudama b. 'Arfaja; a~d Malik b. Qud'ama b.
493 Mas'ud b. Sa'd b. 'Amir b. 'Ad,y b. Jusham b. Majda'a b. Haritha (437); 'Arfaja (446); and al-J:larith b. 'Arfaja; and Tam,m freedman of the B.
and Abu 'Abs b. Jabr b. 'Amr b. Zayd b. Jusham b. Majda'a b. J.:Iaritha; Ghanm (447). Total 5 men.
and of their Bali allies: Abu Burda b. Niyar whose full name was Hani' b. Of B. Mu'awiya b. Malik b. 'Auf b. 'Amr b. 'Auf: Jabr b. 'Atik b. al-
Niyar b. 'Amr b. 'Ubayd b. Kilab b. Duhman b. Ghanm b. Dhubyan b, J:larith b. Qays b. Haysha b. aI-J:l.arith b. Umayya b. Mu'awiya; and
Humaym b. Kahil b. DhuhI b. Hunayy b. Bali b. 'Amr b. al-J.:Iaf b. Qu<;la'a. Malik b. Numayla an ally from Muzayna; and al-Nu'man b. 'Asar, a Bali
Total 3 men. ally. Tota] 3 men.
Of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf b. Malik b. al-Aus of the section of B. J;lubay'a b. The total number of Aus who fought at Badr with the apostle and of
Zayd b. Malik b. 'Auf b. 'Amr b. 'Auf: 'A~im b. Thabit b. Qays-Qays those who were given a share of the booty was 61 men.
33 2 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 333
Of Khazraj b. J:laritha b. Thalaba b. 'Amr b. 'Amir of the tribe of B. 'Ubada b. al-Samit b. Qays b. Agram and his brother Aus. Total 2 men.
J:larith subdivision B. Imru'ul-Qays b. Malik b. Thalaba b. Kab b. al- Of B. Dad b. Fihr b. Tha'laba b. Ghanm: al-Ku'man b. Malik b.
Khazraj b. al-J:larith b. al-Khazraj: Kharija b. Zayd b. Abu Zuhayr b. Tha'laba b. Dad; this man was known as Qauqal. Total 1 man.
Malik b. Imru'ul-Qays; Sad b. Rabi b. 'Amr b. Abu Zuhayr, &c.; 'Abdul- Of B. Quryush b. Ghanm b. Umayya b. Laudhan b. Salim (459):
lah b. Rawaha b. Tha'laba b. Imru'ul-Qays b. 'Amr b. Imru'ul-Qays; Thabit b. Hazzal b. 'Amr b. QuryUsh. Total I man.
Khallad b. Suwayd b. Thalaba b. 'Amr b. J:laritha b. Imru'ul-Qays. Of B. Mardakha b. Ghanm b. Salim: Malik b. al-Dukhsham b. Mar-
Total 4 men. <,lakha (460). Total I man.
Of B. Zayd b. Malik b. Thalaba b. Ka'b b. al-Khazraj b. aI-J:larith b. Of B. Laudhan b. Salim: Rabi' b. Iyas b. 'Amr b. Ghanm b. Umayya b.
al-Khazraj: Bashir b. Tha'laba b. Khiliis b. Zayd (448) and his brother Laudhan, and his brother 'Varaqa; and 'Amr b. Iyas an ally of theirs from
Simak. Total 2 men. the Yaman (461). Total 3 men.
Of B. 'Adiy b. Kab b. al-Khazraj b. al-J:larith b. al-Khazraj: Subay' b. Of their allies from Bali of the clan of B. Ghusayna (462): al-Mujadh-
Qays b. 'Aysha b. Umayya b. Malik b. 'Amir b. 'Adiy; and 'Abbad b. dhar b. Dhiyad b. 'Amr b. Zumzuma b. 'Amr b. 'Umara b. Malik b. Ghu-
Qays b. 'Aysha, his brother (449); and 'Abdullah b. 'Abs. Total 3 men. gayna b. 'Amr b. Butayra b. Mashnu b. Qasr b. Taym b. Irash b. 'Amir b.
Of B. Ahmar b. Haritha b. Thalaba b. Ka'b b. al-Khazraj b. al-J:larith 'Umayla b. Qismil b. Faran b. Bali b. 'Amr b. al-ljiifb. Quda'a (463); and
b. al-Kha;raj: Yazid b. aI-J:larith b. Qays b. Malik b. Al,Jmar who was 'Ubada b. al-Khashkhash b. 'Amr b. Zumzuma, and Kal,Jl,Jab b. Tha'Iaba
known as Ibn Fusl,Jum (450). Total 1 man . b. !:Iazama b. Agram b. 'Amr b. Tmara (464); and 'Abdullah b. Thalaba
Of B. Jusham b. al-J:larith b. al-Khazraj and Zayd b. al-J:lanth who b. J:lazama b. Asram; and they allege that Ttba b. Rab;'a b. Khalid b.
were twin brothers: Khubayb b. Isaf b. 'Itaba I b. 'Amr b. Khadij b. 'Amir Mu'awiya, an ally from Bahra', was at Badr (465). Total 5 men.
b. Jusham; 'Abdullah b. Zayd b. Thalaba b. 'Abdu Rabbihi b. Zayd; and Of B. Sa'ida b. al-Khazraj of the clan of B. Thalab. h. Sa'ida: Abu
his brother J:lurayth so they allege; and Sufyan b. Bashr (45 ' )" Total 4 Dujana Simak b. Kharasha (466); and al-Mundhir b. 'Ann b. Khunays b.
men. !:iaritha h. Laudhan b. 'Abdu Wudd b. Zayd b. Thalaba (467). Total 2
Of B. Jidara b. 'Auf b. al-J:larith b. al-Khazraj: Tamim b. Ya'ar b. Qays men.
b. 'Adiy b. Umayya b. Jidara; 'Abdullah b. 'Umayr of the B. J:laritha Of B. al-Badiy b. 'Amir b. 'Auf b. J:laritha b. 'Amr b. al-Khauaj b.
(45 2 ); Zayd b. al-Muzayyan b. Qays b. 'Adiy b. Umayya b. Jidara (453); Sa'ida: Abu Usayd Malik b. Rab!'a b. al-Badiy, and Malik b. Mas'lld who
and 'Abdullah b. Trfula b. 'Adiy b. Umayya b. Jidara. Total 4 men. was attached to al-Badiy (468). Total 2 men. 499
Of B. al-Abjar b. 'Auf b. al-J:larith b. al-Khazraj: 'Abdullah b. Rabi' b. Of B. Tarif b. al-Khazraj b. Sa'ida: 'Abdu Rabbihi b. Haqq b. Aus b.
Qays b. 'Amr b. 'Abbad b. al-Abjar. Total 1 man. Waqsh b. Tha'laha b. Tarif. Total 1 man.
Of B. 'Auf b. al-Khazraj of the clan of B. 'Ubayd b. Malik b. Salim b. And of their allies from Juhayna: Kab b. !:Iimar b. Thalaba (469); and
I)amra and Ziyad and Basbas the sons of 'Amr (470); and 'Abdullah b.
497 Ghanm b. 'Auf who were the B. al-J:lubla (454): 'Abdullah b. 'AbduIlah
b. Ubayy b. Malik b. al-J:larith b. 'Ubayd best known as b. Saliil. Salul 'Amir from Bali. Totals men.
was a woman, the mother of Ubayy; and Aus b. Khauli b. 'AbduIlah b. From 3. Jusham b. aI-Khazraj of the clan B. Salima b. Sad b. 'Ali h.
al-Harith b. 'Ubayd. Total 2 men. Asad b. Sarida b. Tazid b. Jusham of the subdivision B. Haram b. Kab
Of B. Jaz' b. 'Adiy b. Malik b. Ghanm: Zayd b. Wadi'a b. 'Amr b. b. Ghanm b. Ka'b b. Salima: Khirash b. al-$imma b. 'A';'r b. al-Jamul,J
Qays b. Jaz'; 'Uqba b. Wahb b. Kalada, an ally from the B.'Abdullahb. b. Zayd b.J:laram; and aI-!:Iubab b. al-Mundhir b. al-Jamuh, &c.; and
Ghatafan' Rifa'a b. 'Amr b. Zayd b. 'Amr b. Thalaba b. Malik b. SalIm 'Umayr b. al-IJumam b. al-Jamu!)., &c.; and Tamim freedman' of Khirasb
b. dhan~; 'Amir b. SaTama b. \3.mir, an ally from the Yaman (455); AbU b. al-$imma; and 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b.J:laram b. Thalaba b.J:laram; and
J:lumay<,la Mabad b. 'Abbad b. Qushayr b. al-Muqaddam b. Salim b. Mu'adh b. 'Amr b. aI-Jamul,J and Khallad and l\1u'awwidh his brothers;
Ghanm (456); and '.3.mir b. al-Bukayr, an ally (457). Total 6 me~ .. _ and 'Uqba b. 'Amir b. Nabi b. Zayd b. Haram and J:labib b. Aswad their
Of B. Salim b. 'Auf b. 'Amr b. al-KhazraJ of the clan of B. aI- AJlan b. freedman; and Thabit b. Thalaba b. Zayd b. al-J:larith b. IJaram; and
Zayd b. Ghanm b. Salim: Naufal b. 'Abdullah b. Na<,lla b. Malik b. ai- Tha'laba who was called aI-Jidh'; and 'Umayr b. al-J:larith b. Thalaba b.
'Ajlan. Total I man. al-IJarith b. !:Iaram (471). Total 12 men.
Of B. A~ram b. Fihr b. Thalaba b. Ghanm b. Salim b. 'Auf (45 8): Of B. 'Ubayd b. 'Adiy b. Ghanm b. Kab b. Salima of the clan of B.
Khansa' b. Sinan b. 'Ubayd: Bishr b. aI-Bara' b. Ma'rur b. Sakhr b.
So A.Dh. W. has 'Utba.
I Malik b. Khansa'; al-TufayI b. Malik; and aI-TufayI b. al-Nu'~an; and
Dr. Arafat notes that the usual form of this name is Bishr and that in his Tabellen W.
2
has Nasr. [This Jatter is in agreement with A.Dh. as 'well as LH.] Sinan b. $ayfI b. $akhr; and 'Abdullah b. al-Jadd b. Qays b. Sakhr; and 500
334 The Lzfe of Muhammad The Life oj 1vluhmmnad 335
'Utba b. 'Abdullah b. Sakhr; and Jabbar b. ;;;akhr b. Umayya; and Kharija W~dhafa b. 'Abidb. 'Amir (482); and Khalid b. Qays b. Malik b. al-'Ajlan
b. !:lumayyir; and 'Abdullah b. ~lumayyir, two allies from Ashja' of b. ~ml:; and Rupyla b. Tha'laba b. Khalid b. Tha'laba b. 'Amir (4 83);
B. Duhman (472). Total 9 men. and Atlya b. Nuwayra b. 'Amlr b. 'AFya b. 'Amir; and Khulayfa (4 84) b.
Of B. Khunas b. Sinan b. Tbayd: Yazid b.al-Mundhirb. SarI) and Ma'qil 'Adiy b. 'Amr b. Malik b. 'Amir b. Fuhayra. Total 6 men.
his brother; and 'Abdullah b. al-Nu'man b. Baldama (473); and al-pal)l)ak
b. !:laritha b. Zayd b. Tha'laba b. 'Ubayd b. 'Adiy; and Sawad b. Zurayq
_a; B.!:labib.b. ~Abdu !:lari:ha b. Malik b. Gha<)b b. Jushal)1 b. al-Khazraj:
Rafi b. al-Mu alIa b. Laudhan b. !:lantha b. 'Adiy b. Zayd b. Tha'laba b.
b. Tha'laba b. 'Ubayd b. 'Adiy (474); and Ma'bad b. Qays b. Sakhr b. Zaydu Manat b. !:labib. Total I man.
!:laram b. Rabi'a b. 'Adiy b. Ghanm b. Ka'b b. Salima (475); and 'Abdullah Of B. Najjar who was Taymullah b. Tha'laba b. 'Amr b. al-Khazraj
b. Qavs b. Sakhr b. Haram b. Rabi'a b. 'Adiy b. Ghanm. Total 7 men. of the clan of B. Ghanm b. MalIk b. aI-Najjar of the subdivision of 13.
OfB. al-Nu'man b. Sinan b. 'Ubavd: 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu Mana! b. Tha'laba b. 'Abdu 'Auf b. Ghanm: Abu Ayyub Khiilid b. Zayd b.
al-Nu'man; and Jabir b. 'Abdullah b. Ri'ab b. aI-Nu'man; and Khulayda Kulayb b. Tha'laba. Total I man.
b. Qays and al-Nu'man b. Sinan their freedman. Total 4 men. Of 13. 'Usayra b. 'Abdu 'Auf b. Ghanm: Thabit b. Khalid b. al-Nu'man
Of B. Sawad b. Ghanm b. Ka'b b. Salima, of the clan of B. !:ladida b. b. Khansa' b. 'Usayra (485). Total I man.
'Amr b. Ghanm b. Sawad (476): Abu'l-Mundhir Yazid b. 'Amir b.!:ladida; Of B. 'Amr b. 'Abdu 'Auf b. Ghanm: Tmara b. !:lazm b. Zayd b.
Sulaym b. 'Amr; Qutba b. 'Amir, and 'Antara freedman of Sulaym b. Laudhan b. 'Amr; and Suraga b. Ka'b b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza b. Ghaziya b.
'Amr (477). Total 4 men. 'Amr. Total 2 men.
Of B. 'Adiy b. Nabi b. 'Amr b. Sawad b. Ghanm: 'Abs b. 'Amir b. ?f ~. 'UbaY,d b. Tha'laba b. Ghanm: I,Iaritha b. al-Nu'man b. Zayd
51 'Adiy; and Tha'laba b. Ghanama b. 'Acliy; and Abu'l-Yasar Ka'b b. 'Amr b. Abld; and Sulaym b. Qays b. Qahd who was Khalid b. Qavs b. 'Abid 503
b. 'Abbad b. 'Amr b. Ghanm b. Sawad; ane! Sahl b. Qays b. Abu Ka'b (486). Total 2 men. '
b. al-Qayn b. Ka'b b. Sawad; and 'Amr b. Talq b. Zaye! b. Umayya b. Of B. 'A'idli b. Tha'laba b. Ghanm (487): Suhayl b. Rafi' b. Abu 'Amr
Sinan b. Ka'b b. Ghanm; ane! Mu'adh b. Jabal b. 'Amr b. Aus b. 'A'idh b. 'A'idh; 'Adiy b. al-Raghba', an ally from Juhayna. Total 2 men.
b. 'Adiy b. Ka'b b. 'Adiy b. Udayy b. Sa'd b. 'Ali b. Asad b. Sarida b. Of 13. Zayd b. Tha'laba b. Ghanm: Mas'ud b. Aus b. Zayd; and Abu
Tazid b. Jusham b. al-Khazraj b. !:laritha b. Tha'laba b. 'Amr b. 'Amir Khuzayma b. Aus b. Zayd b. Aeram b. Zayd; and Rafi' b. al-Harith b.
(478). Total 6 men. Those who smashed the idols of B. Salima were Sawad b. Zayd. Total 3 men. .
Mu'adh b. Jabal; 'Abdullah b. Unays; and Tha'laba b. Ghanama, they Of 13. Sawad b. Malik b. Ghanm: 'Auf and Mu'awwidh and Mu'adh
being among B. Sawad b. Ghanm. . sons of al-.!:larith b. Rifa'a b. Sawad by 'Alra (488); and al-!'>'u'man b.
Of B. Zurayq b. 'Amir b. Zurayq b. 'Abdu !:laritha b. MalIk b. Gha<)b 'Amr b. Rlfa'a b. Sawad (489); and 'Amir b. Mukhallad b. al-Harith b.
b. Jusham b. al-Khazraj of the clan 13. Mukhallad b. '},mir b. Zurayq (479): Sawad; and 'Abdullah b. Qays b. Khalid b. Khalada b. aI-I-Ia;ith; and
Qays b. Mil)san b. Khalid b. Mukhallad (480); and Abu Kh3lid al-J:lanth 'Ueayma an ally from Ashja'; and Wadi'a b. 'Amr an ally frol;' Juhayna;
b. Qays b. Khalid b. Mukhallad and Jubayr b. Iyyas b. Khalid b. Muk- and Tbab]t b. 'Amr b. Zayd b. 'Adiy. They allege that Abu'I-Hamra'
hallad; and Abu 'Ubada Sa'd b. 'Uthman b. Khalada b. Mukhallad and freedrr.an of al-J.iarith b. 'Afra' was at Badr (490). Total 10 men.' ,
his brother 'Uqba b. 'Uthman, &c.; and Dhakwan b. 'Abdu Qays b. Of B. 'Amir b. Malik b. aI-Najjar, 'Amir being Mabdhul of the clan
Khalada b. Mukhallad; and Mas'ud b. Khalada b. 'Amir b. Mukhallad. of B. 'Atik b. 'Amr b. Mabdhlll: Tha'laba b. 'Amr b. Mihsan b. 'Amr b.
Total 7 men. 'Atik; and Sahl b. 'Atik b. 'Amr b. al-Nu'man; and al-I:Iarith b. al-Simma
Of B. Khalid b. 'Amir b. Zurayq: 'Abbad b. Qays b. 'Amir b. Khiilid. b. (Amr; his leg \vas broken at al-Rau~la' and the apostle gave him his
Total I man. share in the booty. Total 3 men.
Of 13. Khalada b. 'Amir b. Zurayq: As'ad b. Yazid b. al-Fakih b. Zayd b. Of B. 'Amr b. Malik b. aI-Najjar, the B. !:ludayIa, of the clan of B.
Khalada; and al-Fakili b. Hishr b. al-Fakih b. Zayd b. Khalada (48,), Qays b. 'Uba~d b. Zayd b. MU'awiya b. 'Amr b. Malik b. aI-Najjar (49 1 ):
and Mu'adh b. Ma'i e b. Qays b. Khalada and his brother 'A'idh; and Ubayy b. Ka b b. Qays; and Anas b. :\lu'adh b. Anas b. Qays. Total 50+
52 Mas'ud b. Sa'd b. Qays b. Khalada. Total 5 men. 2 men.
Of B. al-'Ajlan b. 'Amr b. '.:\mir b. Zurayg: Rifa'a b. Riifi' b. al-'Ajliin Of B. 'Adiy b. 'Amr b. Malik b. aI-Najjar (492): Aus b. Thabit b. aI-
and his brother Khallad; and 'Ubayd ,b. Zayd b. 'Amir b. al-'AjIan. Mundhir b. !:laram b. 'Amr b. Zaydu Manat b. 'Adiy; and Abu Shavkh
Total 3 men. Ubayy b. Thabit b. al-Mundhir b.!:laram b. Zaydu Manat b. 'Adiy (493);
Of 13. l3aya<)a b. 'Amir b. Zurayq: Ziyad b. Labid b. Tha'laba b. and AbU TaIl;ra who was Zayd b. Sahi b. al-Aswad b. I~aram b. 'AIm b.
Sinan b. 'Amir b. 'Adiy b. Umayya b. l3aya<)a; and Farwa b. 'AIm b. Zaydu Manat b. 'Adiy. Total 3 men.
336 The Life of 111uha11l11lad
The Life of i'vluha11l11lad 337
Of B. 'Adiy b. ai-Najjar of the clan of B. '~di~ b. 'Am!r b. G~an~ b.
ai-Najjar: J:laritha b. Suraqa b. al-J:lanth b. AdlY_ b. i\1~hk _b. A?IY b. Of B. 'Adi b. Ka'b: 'Aqil b. al-Bukayr an ally from B. Sad b. Layth;
'Am' . 'A b Tha'iaba b. Wahb b. 'Adiy b. Mahk b. AdlY b. Amlr and Mihja' freedman of 'Umar. Total 2.
lr, mr . -n b 'Acd- b
known as Abu J:lakim; Sali! b. Gays b. 'Amr b. 'Auk b. Mal . . ly . Of B. al-J:larith b. Fihr: I;lafwan b. Bay",a'. Total I, Grand total 6.
'Amir; Abu Sali! Usayra b. 'Amr; and 'Am!, Ab~ KhanJa b~ Gays b: Of the Helpers: of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf: Sad b. Khaythama, and "'rubash-
Malik b. 'Adiy b. 'Amir; Thablt b. Khansa b. Amr b. Mahk, .&c., shir b. 'Abdu'l-Mundhir b. Zanbar. Total 2.
'Amir b. limayya b. Zayd b. al-J:las1,las b. Mahk, &.c.; and Mu1,lnz b. Of B. al-J:larith b. al-Khazraj: Yazid b. al-J:larith known as Ibn Fus1,lam.
'Amir b. Malik b. 'Adiy; and Sawad b. Ghaziya b. Lhayb an ally from Total!.
Bali (494). Total 8 men. ,_ _ "_. _ Of B. Salama of the clan of B. J:laram b. Kab b. Ghanm: 'Umayr b.
Of B. Haram b. Jundub b. 'Amir b. Ghanm b. AdlY b. al-NaJJ~r. Abu al-J:lumam. Total I.
Zayd Gays b. Sakan b. Gays b. Za'iira' b. J:lara~; and Abu'I~A ~var b. Of B. I:Iabib b. 'Abdu J:laritha b. lVlalik b. Gha"'b b. Jusham: Rati' b.
57
al-Harith b. Zalim b. 'Abs b. J:laram (495); and Sulaym b. MII1,lan and al-Mu'alla. Total I.
55 J:la;am his b;other. Mil!)an's name was Malik b. Kbahd b. Zayd b. Of B. aI-Najjar: I:Iaritha b. Suraga b. al-J:larith. Total!.
Haram. Total 4 men. _ . OfB. Ghanm b. Malik b. ai-Najjar: 'Auf and Mu'awwidh the two sons of
. Of B. Mazin b. ai-Najjar of the clan of B. 'Auf b. Mabdbul b. Amr b. al-J:larith b. Rifa'a by 'Afra'. Total 2, Grand total 8.
Ghanm b. I'vlazin b. aI-Najjar: Qays b. Abu $a'1?a'a \vhosc name was
'Amr b. Zavd b. 'Auf; and 'Abdullah b. Kab b. 'Amr b. 'Auf; and
'Usayma an "ally from B. Asad b. Khuzayma. Total 3 moen. . _ c'- THE NAMES OF THE POLYTHEISTS WHO WERE SLAIN AT BADR
Of B. Kbansa' b. Mabdhul b. 'Amr,b. Gha~m_b. Ma:ln. Abu ,D.~ ~d
The Guraysh losses at nadr were as follow:
'Umayr b. 'Amir b. Malik b. Kbansa ; and Suraqa b. Amr b. Atlya.
Total 2 men, . b Of B. 'Abdu Shams: J:lan~ala b. Abu Sufyan (499); al-J:larith b.
Of B. Tha'iaba b. Mazin b. ai-Najjar: Gays b. Mukhallad b. Tha la a al-J:la"'rami and 'Amir b. al-J:la"'rami, two allies of theirs (500); and
b. Sakhr b. Hahib b. al-J:larith b. Tha'iaba. Total I man. 'Umayr b. Abu 'Umayr and his son two freedmen of theirs (SOl); and
Of B. Dinar b. ai-Najjar of the clan of B. Mas'ud b. 'Abdu'I-Ashhal ~. 'Ubayda b. Sa'id b. al-'As b. Umayya whom al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam
J:laritha b. Dinar: al-Nu'man b. 'Abdu 'Amr b. M.sud; a~d al-J;Ja!)!):lk killed; and al-'As b. Said whom Ali killed; and 'Uqba b. Abu Mu'an
b. 'Abdu 'Amr b. Mas'ud; and Sulaym b. al-J:lanth b. Tha I,aba b. ,Ka b whom 'Asim b. Thabit killed (S02); and 'Utba b. Rabi'a whom 'Ubayda
b. Haritha brother of al-J;Ja!)1,lak and al-Nu'man the sons of Abdu Amr b. al-J:larith killed (s03); and Shayba b. Rabi'a whom J:lamza killed; and
by ;he same mother; Jabir b. Khalid b. 'Abdu'I-Ashhal b. J:lantha; and al-Walid b. 'Utba whom 'Ali killed; and 'Amir b. 'Abdullah, an ally from
Sa'd b. Suhayl b. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal. Total S men. _ "_ , B. Anmar b. Baghi'" whom 'Ali killed. Total 12.
Of B. Gays b. Malik b. Ka~b b. J:laritha b. Dinar b. ai-NaJJar: Ka b b. Of B. Naufal b. 'Abdu ManM: al-J:larith b. 'Amir whom Khubayb b.
Zoyd b. Gays; and Bujayr b. Abl1 Bujayr, an ally (496). Total 2 men. IsM is said to have killed; and Tu'ayma b. 'Adiy b. "'aufal whom 'Ali
The men of al-Khazraj who were at Badr number 170 (497). killed while others say J:lamza killed him. Total 2.
506 Thus the total number of lVluslims, emigrants, and Helpers wh? were Of B. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza: Zama'a b. al-Aswad (s04); and al-J:larith
at Badr and were allotted a share in the booty was 314, the cmlgrants b. Zama'a (soS); and 'Uqayl b. al-Aswad (s06); and Abu'l-lJakhtari
providing 83, Aus 61, and Khazraj '70. who was al- 'As b. Hisham whom al-Mujadhdhar b. Dhiyad al-Balawi
killed (s07); and Naufal b. Khuwaylid who was b. al-'Adawiya the 'Adiy
of Khuza'a; it was he who bound Abu Bakr and Tal!)a b. 'Ubaydullah
THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO DIED AS MARTYRS AT BADR 1
with a rope when they became Muslims and so were called 'the-t\\"o-tied-
Of Guraysh of the clan of B. al-Mu\!alib: 'Ubayda b. al-J:larith who~ together-ones'. He Was one of the principal men of Guraysh. 'Ali killed
'Utba b. Rabi'a slew by cutting off his leg. He afterwards dIed In al-Safra . him. Total S men.
Total r. _ _'I SI' cl.'
Of 'Abdu'I-Dar: al-Na"'r b. al-I:Iarith wbom they say tbat 'Ali executed
OfB. Zuhra b. Kilab: 'Umayrb. Abu Waqqas (498) and Dbu -, l1ma ayn in the presence of the apostle at al-I;lafra' (s08); and Zayd b. Mulays
b. 'Abdu 'Amr an ally from Khuza'a of B. Ghubshan. Total 2. freedman of 'Umayr b. Hashim b. 'Abdu ManM (s09). Total 2.
1 As these persons' names have already been given in full their genealogies are shortened
Of B. Taym b. Murra: 'Umayr b. 'Uthman (5'0); and 'Uthman b.
Malik whom I;luhayb b. Sinan killed. Total 2. 59
here.
Of B. Makh2iim b. Yaqa~a: Abu Jahl b. Hisham (Mu'adh b. 'Amr
B40~ z
338 The Life of Muhammad The Ltfe of Muhammad 339
struck off his leg. His son 'Ikrima struck off Mu'adh's hand and he threw From B. Naufal b. 'Abdu Manaf: 'Adiv b. al-Khiyar b 'Ad' d
it from him; then Mu'awwidh b. 'Afra' struck him so that he disabled him 'Uth - b 'Abd . . Iy, an
man :. u ShaIIls nephew of Ghazwan b. Jabir, an ally of theirs
leaving him at the last gasp; then 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud quickly dispatched from B. Mazm b. Maneur; and Abu Thaur, an ally. 3.
him and cut off his head when the apostle ordered that search should be , From B. ?bdu'l-Dar b. Que~yy:. AbU 'Aziz b. 'Vmayr b. Hashim b.
made among the slain for him); and al-'Ae b. Hisham whom 'Umarkilled; Abdu Manaf, and al-Aswad b. Amlr, an ally. They used to say 'We are
and Yazid b. 'Abdullah, an ally from B. Tamim (5Il); and Abu Musali' the B. al-Aswad b. '.A.mlr b. 'Amr b. al-I:larith b. al-Sabbaq.' 2.
al-Ash'ari, an ally (51Z); and I:larmala b. 'Amr, an ally (513); and Mas'ud From B. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b. Qusayy: al-Sa'ib b. Abu Hubaysh b.
b. Abu Umayya (514); and Abu Qays b. al-Walid (515); and Abu Qays b. al-'11u n a hb _b: Asad: and al-Huwaynth b. 'Abhad b. 'Uthman (534) b.
al-Fakih (516); and Rifa'a h. Abu Rifa'a (517); and al-Mundhir b. Abu As~d, and SalIm b. Shammakh an ally. 3.
510 Rifa'a (518); and 'Abdullah b. al-Mundhir (519); and al-Sa'ib b. Abu'l- Fr0:n B. ~1akhzlim b. Yaqa?a b. Murra: Khalid b. Hisham b. al-
Sa'ib (520); and al-Aswad b. 'Abdu'I-Asad whom I:lamza killed; and Mughlra. b. Abdulla~ b. 'Vmar; and Umayya b. Abu I:ludhayfa b.
I:lajib b. al-Sa'ib (521); and "Uwaymir b. al-Sa'ib (522); and '~ b. ~l-Mughlra; and Wahd b. al-Walid b. al-Mughira; and 'Uthman b.
Sufyan; and Jabir b. Sufyan, two allies from Tayyi' (523). Total 17. Abdullah h. al-Mughira b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar' and Sayli b 'b- R'f-'
b 'A.b'd b ' b , . -" U I a a 5 1 4
Of B. Sahm b. 'Amr: Munabbih b. al-I:lajjaj whom Abu'l-Yasar killed; , . :,: . A dullah b. 'Umar; and Abu'l-Mundhir hi~ brother; and Abu
and his son al-'A e (524); and Nubayh b. al-I:lajjaj (525); and Abu'I-'Ae b. Ala Abdullah b. Abu'l-Sa'ih b. 'Abid b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar; and
5II Qays (526); and 'Aeim b. 'Auf (527). Total 5. al-~unahb b. I:lanlab b. al-I:larith b. 'Ubayd b. 'Umar; and Khalid b.
Of B. Jumal,1: Umayya b. Khalaf whom a Helper of B. Mazin killed al-A lam an ally, who they say was the first to turn his back in flight. He
(528); and his son 'Ali b. Umayya whom 'Ammar killed; and Aus b. It was who saId:
Mi'yar (529). Total 3.
Of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy: Mu'awiya b. 'Amir, an ally from 'Abdu'I-Qays The wounds that bleed are not on our backs
whom 'Ali killed (530); and Ma'bad b. Wahb, an ally from B. Kalb b. But the blood drops on to our feet. 9 (535).
'Auf whom Khalid and Iyas the two sons of al-Bukayr killed (531). ~rom B. Sa~m b. 'Amr b. HUeaye b. Ka'b: Abu Wada'a b. Oubayra b.
Total 2. Su ayd b~ Sa ~ who was the first prisoner to be redeemed. His son
Thus the total number of Quraysh slain at Badr as given to us is 50 al-M~nalIb paId his ransom money. Farwa b. Qays b. 'Adiy b. I:ludhafa
men (532). b. Sad; and Han?ala b. Qabiea b. I:ludhafa b. Sa'd; and al-Ha"a' b
al-I:lanth b. Qays b. 'Adiy b. Sa'd. 4. . ]]] .
From B. Jumal,1 b. 'Amr b. HueaYe b. Ka'b: 'Abdullah b. Ubayy b.
5 1 3 A LIST OF TilE QURAYSH POLYTHEISTS WHO WERE TAKEN Khalafb. Wahb b. I:Iudhafa; and Abu 'Azza 'Amr b. 'Abdullah b. 'Uthman
PRISONER AT BADR
b. Wuhayb b. _I:ludhafa and al-Fakih, freedman of Umayya b. Khalaf.
After th_at Rabal,1 b. al-Mughtarif claimed him asserting that he was of B.
From B. Hashim b. 'Abelu Manaf: 'Aqil b. Abu Talib and Naufal b. Shammakh b. Mul,1an? b. Fihr. It is said that al-Fiikih was the son of
al-Harith b. 'Abdu'l-Muttalib. ' Jarwa! b. I:Ildhyam b. Auf b. Ghadb b. Shammakh b. Muharib b. Fihr'
From n. al-Mullalib b. 'Abdu Manaf: al-Sa'ib b. 'Ubayd b. 'Abdu and Vva~b b. '~mayr b. Wahb b. Khalaf b. Wahb b. I:ludhafa; and Rabi'~
Yazid and Nu'man b. 'Amr b. 'Alqama. 2. b. Darra] b., al- Anbas b. Uhban b. Wahb b. I:ludhafa. 5.
From B. 'Abdu Shams b. 'Ahdu Manaf: 'Amr b. Abu Sufyan b. I:larb From B. AmIr b. Lu'ayy: Suhayl b. 'Amr b. 'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu
b. Umayya and al-I:larith h. Abu Wajza b. Abu 'Amr b. Umayya (533); y,rudd b. Nasr b. Malik b. Hisl (Malik b. al-Dukhshum brother of B
and Abu'l-'As b. al-Rabi' b. 'Abelu'l-'Uzza; anel AbCI'l-'A e b. Naufal; SalIm b. '~uf tOOk, him prisoner); and 'Abd h. Zama'a h. Qays b. 'Abd~
and of their ;llies Abu Risha b. Abu 'Arot; and 'Arot b. al-Azraq; and Shams !:. Ab~u \: udd b. Nasr b. Malik b. !:lisl; and 'Abdu'I-Rahman b.
SIS

'Uqba b. 'Abelu'I-I:larith b. al-I:1acJrami. 7. Mashnu b. \\agelan h. Qays b. 'Abdu Shams b. 'Ahdu \\!'l,ld b'" b
M-n b' .If'IS 1 b . "/i.mIt.
~ a I
. 3. . h asr .
I Here one would expect that the number of the Hiishimite prisoners would be given,
but it is not. A.Dh. says: 'He does not mention al-'Abbas along with these two prisone~
, From B. al-I:larith b. Fihr: al-Tufayl b. Abu Qunay'; and 'Utba b.
because he had become a Muslim, and used to conceal his religion because he was afraid Amr b. Jal,1dam. 2.
of his tribesmen.' However, since I.I. at the end of the list says that the total number was The total number reported to me was 43 men (53 6).
43, whereas only 42 arc named, it is obvious that he mus~ have inclu?cd 'A~bas. at;J0ng the
pliisoners. l.H.'s notc is that one prisoner, whose name IS not mentlOncd,~ls ffilSSiOg from
the list.
340 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
Al-J:Iarith b. Hisham b. al-Mughira answered them thus:
SOME POETRY ABOUT THE BATTLE OF BADR
Help, 0 my people, in my longing and loss
Of the poetry about the battle of Badr which the t~o parties b.andied My sorrow and burning heart!
between them in reference to what happened therem are the hnes of Tears flow copiously from my eyes
J:Iarnza b. 'Abdu'I-Mulfalib (537): L~ke ~earIs falling from the cord of the \voman who strings them,
'" eepmg for the sweet-natured hero
Surely one of time's wonders I Death's pawn at the well of Badr.
(Though roads to death are plain to see)
Bless y~u, 'Amr kinsman and companion of most generous nature.
Is that a people should destroy themselves and perish'
By encouraging one another to disobedience and disbelief.
If cert~m n:en chanced to meet you when your luck Was out,
Well, time IS bound to bring its changes.
The night they all set out for Badr In past times which are gone
And became death's pawns in its well.
You brought upon them a humiliation which is hard to bear
We had sought but their caravan, naught else, Unless I die I shall not leave you unavenged. .
But they came to us and we met unexpectedly.' I wIll spare neIther brother nor wife's kin
When we met there was no way out I will slay as many dear to them .
Save with a thrust from dun-coloured straight-fashioned shafts As they have slain of mine.
And a blow with swords which severed tlleir heads,
HTa~e strangers whom they have colIected deceived them
Swords that glittered as they smote. Vihtle we are the pure stock of Fihr 1
We left the erring 'Utba lying dead
~~lp, 0 Lu'ayy, protect your sanctuary and your gods;
And Shayba among the slain thrown in the well; Give them not up to the evil man II
'Amr lay dead among their protectors
Your fathers handed them down and you inherited their foundations 2
And the keening women rent their garments for him, The temple with its roof and curtain. '
The noble women of Lu'ayy b. Ghiilib Why did the reprobate Want to destroy you l'
Who surpass the best of Fihr. ForgIve hIm not, a tribe of Ghalib,
Those were folk who were killed in their error
Fight your adversary with all your might and help one another.
And they left a banner not prepared for victory- Bear one another's afflictions with endurance.
A banner of error whose people Iblls led. You may well avenge your brother
He betrayed them (the evil one is prone to treachery).
When he saw things clearly he said to them,
N~thing ~atters if you fa~l to. take 'revenge on 'Amr's slayers.
WIth wavmg swords f1ashmg m your hands like lightning
'Lam quit ofyall. I can no longer endure,4 Sendmg heads flying as they glitter.
I see what you do not see, I fear God's punishment As it were the tracks of ants on their blades
For He is invincible.'
When they are unsheathed against the evil-eyed enemy (53 8).
He led them to death so that they perished
While ho knew what they could not know. 'Ali b. Abu Talib said:
On the day of the well they mustered a thousand, H~ve you not seen how God favoured His apostle
We three hundred like excited white stallions. S,S
With the favour of a strong, pmverful, and gracious one.
With us were God's armies when He reinforced us with them
How He brought humiliation on the unbelievers '
In a place that will ever be renowned. \Vh? were put to shame in captivity and death,
Under our banner Gabriel attacked with them WhIle the apostle of God's victory was glorious
In the fray where they met their death. He bemg sent by God in righteousness.
I Lit. Did you see a thing that was one of time's wonders? He brought the Furqan sent down from God ,
That a people, &c.
% Reading jaJ:uinil with C.
T~ The text has fakhr. Th!s mu~t be .one of the words which LH. says that he altered.
3 'ala qadrin, lit. by (God's) decree. e ch~nge of a dot would gIVe fa)r, which is adopted here.
;1

4 cr. Sura 8. 50. The preceding lines seem to be the work of the man who wrote the Or columns'.
poem attributed to l;Iassan. Cf. W. 475. line z. J Reading dhamim or la'im for halim in the text.
3+2 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 343
Its signs' are plain to men of sense. Not one people as you desire,
Some firmly believed in that and \vere convinced By the loss of Ibn Jud'an, the praiseworthy,
And (thanks to God) became one people;' And 'Vtba, and him who is called Abu Jahl among you.
Others disbelieved, their minds went astray Shayba and AI-Walld were among them,
And the Lord of the throne brought repeated calamities upon them; Umayya, the refuge of the poor, and Dhu'l-Rijl.'
At Badr He gave them into the power of His apostle Weep for these and not for others,
And an angry army who did valiantly. The keening women will bewail their loss and bereavement
They smote them with their trusty swords, Say to the people of Mecca, Assemble yourselves '
Furbished well, and polished. And go to palmy Medina's forts,
How many a lusty youngster, Defend yourselves and fight, 0 people of Ka'b,
Many a hardy warrior did they leave prone. With your polished and burnished swords
Their keening women spent a sleepless night, Or pass the night in fear and trembling
Their tears now strong, now weak. By day meaner than the sandal that is trodden underfoot.
They keen for erring 'Vtba and his son, But know, 0 men that by AI-Lat, I am sure
And Shayba and Abu Jahl That you will not rest without taking vengeance.
And Dhu'I-RijP and Ibn Jud'an also, All of you, don your mail, take the spear,
With burning throats in mourning garb displaying bereavement. The helmet, sharp sword and arrows.
Dead in Badr's well lay many,
Brave in war, generous in times of dearth; J;>irar b. al-Kha!\ab ~. Mirdas brother of B. Mul.larib b. Fihr said:
Error called them and some responded I wonder at the boasting of Aus when death is coming to them to-
(For error has ways easy to adopt). morro,",'
Now they are in Hell, (Since time contains its \varnings)
Too occupied to rage furiously against us. And at the boasting of the Banu'l-Najjar because certain men died
there,
Al-I:liirith b. Hisham b. al-Mughira answered him thus:
For all of them \vere steadfast men.
I wonder at folk whose fool sings U some of our men were left dead
Of folly captious and vain, We shall leave others dead on the field.'
Singing about the slain at Badr OUf flying steeds will carry us among you, 5. 0
\Vhen young and old vied in glorious endeavour, Till we slake our vengeance, 0 Banu'l-Aus,
The brave swordsman of Lu'ayy, Ibn Ghalib, We shall return to the charge in the midst of the Banu'I-Najjar,
Thrusting in battle, feasting the hungry in times of dearth; O'Jr horses snorting under the weight of the spearmen clad in mail.
They died nobly, they did not sell their family Your dead \ve shall leave with vultures circling round
For strangers alien in stock and homeland, To look for help but a vain desire.
Like you \vho have made Ghassan your special friends Yathrib's women will mourn them
Instead of us-a sorry deed, Their nights long and sleepless '
An impious, odious crime, and a severing of the ties of blood; Because our swords will cut them down,
Men of judgement and understanding perceive your wrongdoing, Dripping with the blood of their victims.
True, they are men who have passed away, Though you won on the day of Badr
But the best death is on the battlefield. Your good fortune was plainly due to A~mad
Rejoice not that you have killed them, And the chosen band, his friends,
For their death will bring you repeated disaster.
Who protected him in battle when death was at hand
Now they are dead you will always be divided,
AbU Bakr and I~amza could be numbered among thc~
lOr 'its messages'.
2shaml, or 'lived in harmony'. See Lyall, The Poems of 'Amr son of Qami'ah, Cambridge, 1 Apparently al-Aswad the l\1akhzumite ,...hose leg was cut off as he tried to drink
1919, p. 14 from the well at Badr is meant. Sec \V. 442.
J i.e. Al-Aswad whose leg I;lamzli hewed off, t!.S.
2 i.e. of the enemy. C. and W. differ in this line.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 345
344
'Abdullah b. al-Ziba'ra al-Sahmi (an ally of the B. 'Abdu'I-Dar), I be-
And 'Ali among those you could mention,
Abul:!afs and 'Uthman were of them, wailing the slain at Badr, said (539):
Sa'd too, if anyone was present, What noble warriors, handsome men, lie round Badr's battlefield.
Those men-not the begettings of Aus and N ajjar- They left behind them Nubayh and Munabbih and
Should be the object of your boasting, The two sons of Rahi'a', best fighters against odds,
But their father was from Lu'ayy Ibn Ghalib, And the generous I;Hirith, whose face shone
Ka'b and 'A-mir when noble families are reckoned. Like the full moon illuminating night;
They arc the men who repelled the cavalry on every front, And al-'As b. :vIunabbih, the strong,
The noble and glorious on the day of battle. Like a long lance without a flaw.
His origin and his ancestors
Ka'b b. Malik brother of the B. Salima said:
And the glory of his father's and his mother's kin raise him high.
I wonder at God's deed, since He If one must weep and show great grief
Docs what He wills, none can defeat Him. Let it be over the glorious chief Ihn Hisham,
He decreed that we should meet at Badr God, lord of creatures, save Abu'l-Walid and his family,
An evil band (and evil ever leads to death). And grant them special favour.
They had summoned their neighbours on all sides
Until they formed a great host. Bassan b. Thabit aI-Ansari answered him:
At us alone they came with ill intent, Weep, may your eyes weep blood,
Ka'b and 'Amir and all of them. Their rapid ftow ever renewed.
vVith us was God's apostle with Aus round him Why weep for those who ran to evil ways?
Like a strong impregnable fortress Why have you not mentioned the virtues of our people
The tribes of Banu Najjar beneath his banner And our glorious, purposeful, tolerant, courageous one,
Advancing in light armour while the dust rose high. The prophet, soul of virtue and generosity,
\Vhen we met them and every steadfast wafnor The truest man that ever swore an oath?
Ventured his life with his comrades One who resembles him and does his teaching
52l We testified to the unity of God Was the most praised there not without effect. 2
And that His apostle brought the truth.
Vlhen our light swords were unsheathed Bassan also said:
'Twas as though fires flashed at their movement. A maiden obsesses thy mind in sleep
\Vith them we smote them and they scattered Giving the sleeper a drink with coolEps
And the impious met death, Like. musk mingled with pure water
Abu Jahl lay dead on his face Or old wine red as the blood of sacrifices.
And 'Utba our swords left in the dust. ' Wide in the rump, her buttocks ripples of fat,
Shayba and AI-Taymi they left on the battlefield, Vivacious, not hasty in swearing an oath.
Everyone of them denied Him who sitteth on the throne. Her well-covered hips as she sits
They became fuel for Hell, Form a hollow in her back like a marble mortar,
For every unbeliever must go there. So lazy she can hardly go to bed,
It will consume them, while the stoker Of beautiful body and lovely figure.
Increases its heat with pieces of iron and stone. 2 By day I never fail to think of her,
God's apostle had called them to him
1 In deference to the text these words have been retained; but (I) they occur after
But they turned away, saying, 'You are nothing but a sorcerer.' I.H.'s interpolation in which he ascribes the poem to al-A'sha b. ZUrllra, an ally of n.
Because God willed to destroy them, 'Abdu Naufal, and (2) 'Abdullah, though he belonged to Sahm who were in the ablaj
And none can avert what He decrees. alliance with B. 'Abdu'l-Diir, could hardly be called a flalif. Therefore it looks as if the
. words refer to al-'Asha. Whether I.H. inserted them because he knew that I.I. differed
Reading '/ifiru with somc authorities for 'iithiru, though these lettcrs sometimes inter- from him, or whether someone else did for the same reason, it is impossible to say.
change. :I. Cf. Sura 18. 95. 2 The line is clumsy and the syntax questionable.
346 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 347
By night my dreams inflame my desire for her. This is what AI-I:Iarith said in excuse for running away from the battle
I swear I will not forget to think of her of Badr (540).
Until my bones lie in the grave. Bassan also said: I
o \yaman \",ho foolishly blames me,
I refuse to accept blame on account of my love; Quraysh knew on the day of !ladr,
She came to me at dawn after I '.voke The day of captivity and violent slaughter,
\Vhen life's troubles were at hand. That when the lances crossed we were the victors
She told me that man is sad all his life In the battle of Abfil-Walid.
Because he lacks plenty of camels; \Ve kiIIed RabI'a's two sons the day they came
If you lied in what you said Clad in double mail against us.
I\lay you escape the consequences as AI-I:Hirith b. Hisham did. Hakim fled on the day that the Banu'l-1\ajjiir
He left his friends fearing to fight in their defence, Advanced upon them like lions.
And escaped by giving his horse free rein. All the men of Fihr turned tail,
It left the swift steeds behind in the desert; The miserable I:Iarith abandoned them from afar.
As the weighted rope drops down the well. You met shame and death
His mare galloped away at full speed while Quick, decisive, under the neck vein.
His friends remained in their evil plight All the force turned tail together.
[His brothers and his family \vere in the battle They paid no heed to ancestral honour.
523 In which God gave the I\'luslirns victory- Hassan also said: 2
For God accomplishes His work-war ground them to powder,
Its fire blazed (with them as fuel). a I:Iarith, you took a base decision in war
But for God and the animal's speed (our horses) had left him And the day when ancestral fame is shown,
A prey to wild beasts trodden under their hoofs.], When you rode a swift-footed noble mare,
Some of them firmly bound prisoners (though they were) Rapid-paced and long in flank,
Hawks protecting (their young) when they met the spears; Leaving your people behind to be slain,
Some prostrate never to ans\ver to the call Thinking only of escape when you should have stood fast.
Till the highest mountains cease to be, Could you not have shown concern for 'lour mother's son
In shame and plain disgrace when they saw Who lay transfixed by spears, his body ~tripped?
The sword blades driving every resolute chief before them. God hastened to destroy his host
Swords in the hands of noble valiant chiefs, In shameful disgrace and painful punishment! (541).
Whose noble ancestry is vindicated without searching inquiry. Hassan also said (542):3
Swords that strike fire from steel
Like lightning 'neath the storm clouds. A bold intrepid man-no cmvard-
Led those clad in light chain armour.
AI-I:Iarith answered him and said: I mean the apostle of God the Creator
The people know well' I did not leave the fight until my steed was \Vho favoured him with piety and goodness above all;
foaming with blood You had said you would protect your caravan
I knew that if I fought alone I should be killed; my death would not And that Badr's \vaters could not be reached 4 bv us.
injure the enemy There we had come down, not heeding your w~rds so that
So I withdrc\v and left my friends meaning to avenge them another We drank to the full without stint
day. Holding fast to an unscverable ro~e,
The well plaited rope of God that stretches far.
These three verses are obviously a later interpolation. The syntax requires that the
partitive min.shoul~ follow its antecedent 'his friends'. I'vIoreovcr, the ostentatious piety of We have the apostle and we have the truth \vhich \ve follow
these verses IS foreign to Bassan.
I Diwa~ lxxvi. 2 Ditdin eli. ) DiU'an xxxvi.
2 C. has 'God knows best', but this is almost certainly wrong. I have foHowed the text
.. Readmg maunld for mardlld. Dhimar includes anything that must be protected.
oCW.
348 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 349
To the death; we have help unlimited How many a valiant chief they have,
Faithful to his promise, intrepid, a brilliant star, Heroes where the coward turns at bay,
A full moon that casts light on every noble man (543) Chiefs giving lavishly with open hand,
Crowned ones bearing the burden of blood-wits,
Bassan also said: 1
Ornaments in conclave, persistent in battle,
The Banu. Asaci were disappointed and their raiders returned Smiting the bold with their all-piercing swords (545).
On the day of the Well in misery and disgrace.
I:fassan also said:
Abu'I-'A~ soon lay dead on the ground:
Hurled from the back of his galloping steed: Thanks to God we fear not an army
He met his end with his weapons, good fighter as he was How many they be with their assembled troops.
When he lay still in death. Whenever they brought a multitude against us
The man Zam'a we left with his throat severed, The gracious Lord sufficed us against their swords;
His life blood flowing away, At Badr we raised our spears aloft,
His forehead cushioned in the dust, Death did not dismay us.
His nostrils defiled with filth; You could not sec a body of men
Ibn Qays escaped with a remnant of his tribe More dangerous to those they attack when war IS stirred up, I
Covered with vlOunds, at the point of death. But we put our trust [in God] and said:
'Our swords are our fame and our defence.'
I;Iassan also said: 2 With them we met them and were victorious
Can anyone say if the Meccans know Though but a band against their thousands.
How \ve slew the unbelievers in their evil hour? ijassan also said, satirizing B. Jumal) and those of them \\'ho were slain:
We killed their leaders in the battle
And they returned a shattered force; Banu Jumal:> rushed headlong to disaster' because of their unlucky
We killed Abu Jahl and T tba before him, star
And Shayba fell fonvard with his hands outstretched.' (The mean m:m inevitably meets humiliation).
We killed Suwayd and 'Utba after him. They were conquered and slain at Badr,
Tu'ma also in the dust of combat. They deserted in all directions,
Many a noble, generous man we sIc\v They rejected the scripture and called Muhammad liar.
Of lofty line, illustrious among his people. But God makes the religion of every apostle victorious;
We left them as meat for hyaenas God curse Abu Khuzayma and his son,
Later to burn in Hell fire. 4 The two Khiilids and $ii'id b. 'Aqil.
l'faith l\Ialik's horsemen and their followers were no protection 'Ubayda b. al-J:fiirith said about the battle of Badr, and the cutting off of
When they met us at Badr (5H) his foot when it was smitten in the fight, when he and J:farnza and 'Ali
fought their enemies (546):
Bassan also said 5
Hakim's speed saved him on the day of Badr A battle will tell the Meccans about us:
Like the speed of a colt from al-A'waj's mares,6 It will make distant men give heed,
When 'Utba died and Shayba after him
\Vhen he saw Badr's valley walls
Swarming with the black-mailed squadrons of Khazraj And 'Utba's eldest son had no cause to be pleased with it.'
\Vho do not retire when they meet the enemy, You may cut off my leg, yet I am a Muslim,
Who march boldly in the middle of the beaten track. I hope in exchange for a life near to Allah
With Houris fashioned like the most beautiful statues
I Diwan ccvii. 2 D~wtitl xliv.. .
The true reading is yakbii. W.'s yabkii is an obvious misprmt. The WIdely different
3 With the highest heaven for those who mount there.
reading in H.'s Diutin is markedly inferior. _ 1 The metaphor is that of the untimely address of the he-camel to the mare.
.. A reminiscence of Sura 8S. 4. 5 Diwan lxxx. :I Here there is a pun on the name Jumal;t.
ti A horse as famouS in pa~an sagas as Black Bess in English legend. J 'Utba's firstborn al-Walid was also slain at Badr.
35 0 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 35 1
I have bought it with a life of which I have tasted the best' Your horsemen did not protect :.'ou at Badr,
And which I have tried until I lost even my next-of-kin. They could not stand fast \vhen they met us;
The l\1erciful honoured me with His favour We came there with God's light
With tbe garment of Islam to cover my faults, Clearing away the cover of darkness from us.
I did not shrink from fighting them God's apostle led us, by God's order,
The day that men called on their peers to fight them, An order He had fixed by decree;
When they asked the prophet he sought only us three Your horsemen could not conquer at Badr
So that we came out to the herald; And returned to you in evil case;
\\7 c met them like lions, brandishing our spears) Do not hurry, Abu Sufyiin, and watch
We fought the rebellious for God's sake; For the fine steeds coming up from Kada',t
",r e three did not move from our position By God's help the holy spirit is among them'
Till their fate came upon them (547). And Michael, what a goodly company!
When 'Ubayda died of the wound in his leg at the battIe of Badr, Ka'b b. Tiilib b. Abu Tiilib, praising the apostle and lamenting the men of
l\15.lik, the An~arj", wrote this elegy on him: Quraysh \vho were thrown into the pit at Badr, said:
a eye, be generous, not niggardly, My eye wept copiously
\Vith thy true tears; spare them not Over Ka'b, though it sees them not.
For a man whose death appalled us, Ka'b deserted one another in the wars, and
Noble in deed and in descent, Fate destroyed them, they having greatly sinned. J
Bold in attack \vith sharpened sword, And 'Amir this morning arc \veeping for the misfortunes (that befell
Of noble repute and goodly descent. 2 them).
'Ubayda has passed a\vay, we cannot hope Shall I ever see them closer (to each other)?
For good or evil from him, They are my brothers, their mother no harlot,
On the eve of battle he used to protect out rearguard \\lith his sword. And never their guest suffered wrong;
Ka'b also said: o our brothers 'Abdu Shams and Naufal, may I be your ransom,
Put not \'-lar between us. After the love and friendship we had
Have G hassan heard in their distant haunt Become not (the subject of) stories in \vhich all of you have something
(The best informant is one with knowledge thereof), to complain of.
That Ma'add shot their arrows at us, Do you not know \vhat happened in the war of Dal).is
The whole tribe of them were hostile, And when Abu Yaksum's army filled the ravine?
Because \ve worship God, hoping in none other, 'tad not God tbe Sole Existent saved you
Hoping for heaven's gardens since their prophet has come to us. 3 You could not have protected your people.
A prophet with a glorious inheritance among his people, \Ve among Quraysh have done no great \vrong
And truthful ancestors whose origin made them pure; But merely protected the best man that ever trod the earth;
Both sides advanced, and we met them like lions A standby in misfortunes, generous,
\Vhose victims have nothing to hope for; Noble in reputation, no niggard, no \vrongdoer.
We smote them in the battle His door is thronged by those seeking his bounty,
Till Lu'ayy's leader fell upon his face; A sea of generosity, vast, unfailing.
They fled, and \ve cut them down \vith our sharp swords, By God, my soul will ever be sad,
Their allies and their tribesmen alike. Restless, until you smite Khazraj well and truly.
Ka'b also said: piriir b, al-Khagiib al-Fihr! lamenting Abu Jahl said:
By your father's life, ye sons of Lu'ayy, Alas for my eye that cannot sleep
Despite your deceit and pride, Watching the stars in the darkness of the night!
I Reading ta'aTraftu. I A place near Mecca. Cf. \V. 829, line 8. 2 i.e. Gabr:el.
:1 Or reading makshari, 'of sweet breath'. 3 Lit. 'guarantor' 3 The language is reminiscent of Sura 45. 20.
The Life of Muhammad 353
35 2 The Life of 1l1uhammad
In the pit, the pit of Badr.
It is as though a mote were in it, What platters piled high with choicest camel-meat!
But there is naught but flowing tears. In the well, the well of Badr,
Tell Quraysh 'hat the best of their company, How many camels straying freely were yours!
The noblest man that ever walked, In the well, the well of Badr,
At Badr lies imprisoned in the well; How many flags' and sumptuous gifts!
The noble one, not base-born and no niggard. What friends of the noble Abu 'Ali,
I swear that my eyes shall never weep for any man Brother of the generous cup and boon companions!
Now Abu'I-l:fakam our chief is slain. If you were to see Abu 'Aqil
I weep for him whose death brought sorrow to Lu'ayy b. Ghalib, And the men of the pass of Na'am
To v..'hom death came at Badr where he remains. You would mourn over them like the mother of a new-born camel
You could see fragments of spears in his horse's chest, Yearning over her darling.
Scraps of his flesh plainly intermingled with them. The apostle tells us that we shall live,
No lion lurking in the valley of Bisha, But how can bodies and \\-'faiths meet again?2 (550)
Where through junglecl vales the waters flow,
\Vas bolder than he \vhen lances clashed, Umayya b. Abu'l-:;ialt, lamenting those who died at Badr, said: 53'
\Vhen the cry \vent forth among the valiant 'Dismount'l
Grieve not overmuch, Mughira's kin, be resolute "'Tould'st thou not weep over the nobles,
(Though he who so grieves is not to be blamed). Sons of nobles, praised by all,
Be strong, for death is your glory, As the doves mourn upon the leafy boughs,
And thereafter at life's end there is no regret. Upon the bending branches,
I said that victory will be yours Weeping in soft dejected notes
And high renown-no man of sense will doubt it (548). When they return at nightfall.
Like them are the weeping women,
53 Al-l:farith b. Hisham, bewailing his brother Abu Jahl, said: The keeners who lift up their voices.
Alas my soul for 'Amr! He who weeps them weeps in real sorro\v,
But can grief avail one ,vhit?2 He who praises them tells the truth.
Someone told me that 'Amr What chiefs and leaders
\Vas the first of his people to go into the old abandoned pit. At Badr and al-'Aqanqal,
I have always thought it right (that you should be the first), At Madafi'u'I-Barqayn and Al-l:fannan,
Since your judgement in the past was sound. At the end of al-Awashi!),
I \vas happy ,vhile you \vere alive; Grey-beards and youths, Bold leaders,
Now 1 am left in a miserable state. Raiders impetuous!
At night when I cannot see him I feel See you not what I see
A prey to indecision and full of care. When it is plain to all beholders,
When daylight comes once more
r Or, possibly, 'great intentions'.
My eye is weary of remembering 'Amr (549). 2 Sadd. The old Arabs believed that when a man had been kil1ed and his slayer was still
at large a bird like an owl came forth from his head crying, 'Give me to drink' sc. the slayer's
Abu Bakr b. al-Aswad b. Shu'ub al-Laythi, whose name was Shaddad, blood. The ""ord ~ad(j afterwards came to be applied to the head or brain, and to the corpse
said: itself. which seems to be the meaning here. Hama also means the head of a man or the bird
emerging therefrom which could be conceived as a wraith. For the liqii' of our text Bukh.
U mmu Bakr gave me the greeting of peace; iii. 45. 13 has baqii' 'persist', while Shahrastani, I\Iilal, 433, has the reading quoted by LH.
But what peace can I have now my people are no more ~ A poem, that :B recognizably another version, will be found in the Risdlatu'l-Ghufrtir
In the pit, the pit of Badr, (J.R.A.S. 1902, p. 818). For the last verse Abu'l'Alii heard: 'Does Ibn Kabsha promise us
that we shall live?' This must be early because such a designation of the prophet would
What singing girls and noble boon companions! hardly have been coined in later times. Commentators explain that the prophet was called
lOr, perhaps, To battle! Ibn Kabsha (for Ibn Abu Kahsha) after a man of that name who during the pagan era
1 A happy suggestion of the editors of C. is to read fatU, a Quranic figure for complete abandoned the religion of his fathers.
insignificance. This is much to be preferred to the obvious qatil of the MSS. B '080 A a
The Life of Muhammad The Life of ,~luhalflmad 355
354
About a thousand or two thousand
That the vale of Mecca has altered,
IVIailcd m~n and spearmen (551).1
Become a valley deserted
By every chief, son of a chief, I l:mayya also said, lamenting Zama'a b. al-Aswad and the B. Aswad who 533
Fair-skinned, illustrious, \vcre slain:
Constantly at the gate of kings,
Crossing the desert, victorious,
o eye, weep with overflowing tears for i\bG'I-l:Iarith
And hold not thy tears for Zama'a.
Strong-necked, stout of body,
11en of eminence, successful in enterprise, Weep for 'Aqil b. Aswad, the bold lion,
\Vho say and do and order what is right, On the day of battle and the dust of war.
\Vho fe~d their guests on fat meat Those BanG Aswad were brothers like the Gemini,
I\~o treachery and no deceit was in them,
Served on bread \vhite as a lamb's stomach;
Who offer dishes and yet more dishes They are the noblest family of Ka'b,
As large as water pools. The vcry summit of excellence.
The hungry finds them not empty They produced sons as many as the hairs of the head
53'
~or wide without depth, And estahlished them in impregnable positions. 2
To guest after guest they send them 'Vhen misfortune visited their kinsmen
With broad open hand, Their hearts ached for them.
Givers of hundreds from hundreds of milch camels 'They gave their food when rain failed,
To hundreds of their guests, \Vhen all was dry and no cloud could be seen (552).
Driving the camel herds to the herds, Abu lisama :\lu'awiya b. Zllhayr b. Qays b. al-!:larith b. Dubay'a
Returning from Baladil.l. b. :\lazin b. 'Adiy b. Jusham b. 1VJ ll'awiya, an allv of B. IVIakhztlm (553),
Their nobles have a distinction passed Hubayra b. Abli \Vahb as they wcre running away on the day of 534
Outweighing the nobility of others Badr. Hubayra was exhausted and threw awav his CO:lt ()f mail -and
As the weights send down the scale (Mu'awiya) picked it up and went off with it. Hc'" composed the following
As the balancer holds it. lines (554): .
A party deserted them, while they protected
Their women from disgrace, When I saw the army panic,
l\'1en who smote the front ranks of the enemy Running away at top speed
With broad-bladed Indian swords; And that their leaders lay dead,
Their voices pained me as they Methought the best of them
Called for water crying aloud; \Vere like sacrifices to idols.
How fine were the sons of <Ali all of them!2 Many of them lay there dead,
If they do not raid such a raid And we \vere made to meet our fate at Badr.
Ks would send back every barking dog to its lair, I Abfl Dharr has an interesting note hne of a trad,ition going back to Abu Huravra which

vVith horses trained to long rides, reads thus: 'The apostl_e gav~ us permission t~ rccit~ the poetry of the pagan era ~xccpt the
ode of Umayya b. Abu al~~alt about Badr (I.e. thIS ode) and the ode of al-:\'sh.1 which
With proudly raised heads, kept near the tents,
~egins "ahdi biha' (lines 10-18 i~l ;.Jo. IS?f the Din'lln ed. Geyer which has many variants).
As young men on fine horses rhe apostle forbad.e the recltatJOn of thIS ode hecause it lamented the death of the un-
Against fierce menacing lions; helievers and atta~ke_d the ~qmtation of the prophet's companions, It was only for that
reason that Ibn Hlsham omitted two verses from Cmay!"a's ode, Sirnilarlv al-A'sha's verse
Each man advances to his enemy praised 'Amr b: Tufayl and satirized 'Alqama b. 'C'liitha. 'A.lllr died an unbeliever. 'Alqama
Walking as though to shake hands, became a, :\luslJm, and wh(~n the king of the Byzantines asked him about the apostle he spoke
well of him, and the prophet held that in his favour and remembered him. Some scholars
I bi,triq (parricius) by this time little more than an honorary. title in the Eastern ~mpire. say that, the prohibition to recite these two odes in the early days of Islam was because of
The word must have been well known to the Arabs because it occurs frequently III early the feeling bet\\:een ;\1uslims and unbdievcB, but when Islam was generally accepted and
literature. My colleague, Professor Lewis, reminds me that J.larith b. Jabala was appointed hatred and enmity ceased, there was no harm in citing" them.
phylBrch and patricius by Justinian in 5 2 9. . ' ;;: i\.1ana'a is (~xplained by the Ttlj, voL v, p. ~p6. In the plural mana' II! is 'bastions and
;;: The reference to the death of t.lusayn <It Karbela and the call to the Alids to rIse and strongholds'. As mana'a is a mountain in Hudhavl territory and mwui' is high g"round in
,cvcnge themselves is unmistakable. Tabal Tayyi', the general meaning seems c1c<1r. - .
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
357
We left the way and they overtook us I ,~~t its lanyard trail, and strode proudly fonvard
In waves, like an oven\rhelming flood; \\ lth body at full stretch, as a lion walks.
Some said, 'Who is Ibn Qays?' Sa'd the \varrior said to me, Here is a gift, I
I said, 'Abu Usama, without boasting, I ans\ver~d, Perhaps he is bringing treachery,
I am the Jushamite, that you may know me, And I saId, 0 Abu 'Adiy, do not go ncar them
I will announce my lineage, If you will ohey my orders today
Answering challenge by challenge. As they did \vith Fanva when he came to them
If you are of the best born of Quraysh, And he was led awav bound with cords ("5")
) 0
I am from l\1u'awiya ibn Bakr.'
Abu Usama also said:
Tell Malik, when we were attacked,
For you, 0 Malik, know of me; \Vho will send a messenger from me
Tell Hubayra of us if you meet him, \Vith news that a shrewd man will confirm?
For he is wise and influential, D.n not you know how I kept returning to the fight at Badr
That when I was called to Ufayd' \" hen the swords flashed around you,
I returned to the battle with undaunted heart, :Vh~n the army's leaders were left prostrate,
The night the hapless were left unheeded fherr heads like slices of melon?
Old friends and mother's kindred. A gloomy fate,to the people's hurt,
So that is your brother, 0 B. Lu'ayy, Came upon you in the valley of Badr;
And that is Malik, 0 Umm 'Amr,' for 1'v1y resolution saved them from disaster
Had I not been there striped hyaenas, And God's help and a well-conceived plan.
Mothers of cubs would have had him, I returned aloue from al-Abwa'
Digging at the graves with their claws, 'Vhen you were surrounded bv the enemy
Their faces as black as a cooking-pot; Helpless, if anyone attacked ,,'~u '
I swear by Him Who is my Lord Wounded and bleeding by tI;e side of Kurash.'
And by the blood-stained pillars of the stoning places vVhenever a comrade in distress called
You will see what my true worth is For my aid in an evil day
When men become as fierce as leopards. 3 A brother or ally in such ~ase,
No lion from his lair in Tarj- I\Tuch as I love my life I answered his call.
Bold, menacing, fathering cubs in the jungle, I returned to the fray, dispelling gloom,
Who has made his den taboo against intruders And shot when faces showed hostility.
So that none can approach him even with a force. 4 IHan~ an ~dvcrsary have I left on th~ ground
535 In the sand, bands of men are helpless T? nse pamfully like a broken twig.3
He leaps upon all who try to drive him away- \\ hen battle was joined I dealt him a blow
Is swifter than I That drew blood-his arteries murmured aloud'
When I advance roaring and growling at the enemy That is what I did on the day of Dadr. .
With arrows like sharp lances Before that I was resourceful and steadfast,
Their points like burning coals. Your brother as you know in war and famine
And a round' shield of bull's hide \Vhose evils are ever with us
And a strongly fashioned bow, and You~ champio~ undaunted. darkest night or superior numbers.
b'y
A glittering sword which Tmayr, the polisher, Out mto the hItter black mght I plunged'
Whetted for a fortnight. When the freezing wind forces dogs to shelter (55 6 ).
1A. Dh. says that 'a prisoner' is meant here
Commentators differ as to whether this is the name of a place, or a man, or a body of
3
A mountain in the territory of Hudhayl'
:0\
\V read tTl 'f h' ,.
yiq iv . 24~'
I,
Bak _
n,473
men, the leaders of an attack. 2 The hyaena. 4 S qa.1J rom w, lch the fruit has been plucked'.
3 Lit. 'when skins are changed to leopards' skins'. Sec note on 741. 3. $,arra means (a) multItude, (b) intense cold. As Suh ' h
.. Reading binafri. 5 Or. reading aklaj, 'black'. meanmg because of the mention of th. 1d ' d ' 'I ' sa}s. t .r latter must be the
ceo \\In In t 1C second hemistich.
The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Jluhammad
359
Hind d. 'utba b. Rabi'a bewailing her father on the day of Badr Hind also said:
said:
o eye, \vcep for 'l,~tba, the strong-necked chief
o eyes, be generous with thy tears \\'ho gave his food in famine '
For the best of Khindif's sons Our defence on the dav of \"i~torv
Who never returned (home). I am grieved for him, broken-he~;ted, demented. I
His clan fell upon him one morning, L:.t us fall on Yathrib with an overwhelming attack
The sons of Hashim and the sons of al-l\luHalib II Jth horses kept hard by
They made him taste the edge of their swords, Every long-bodied charge~.
They attacked him again ,vhen he \vas helpless,
They dragged him stripped and spoiled $a~lya d. Musiifir b. Abu 'Amr b. Umayya b. 'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu 53 8
Manaf, be\vallmg the slain in the pit of Badr, said:
\Vith the dust upon his face;
To us he was a strong mountain, Alas for my eye painful and bleared
Grass-clad, pkasing to the eye; The night far spent, the rising sun still hid!
As for al-Bara' I do not mention him, I \'\'as told that the noble chieftains
May he get the good he counted on. Fate had seized for ever
That the riders fled \vith the armv and
She also said: IVI~thel~s neglected their children -that morning.
ArIse: ~anya, forget not their relationship,
Fate is against us and has \\-Tonged us,
And If you weep, it is not for those who are distant.
But \ve can do naught to resist it.
They were the supports 2 of the tent.
537 After the slain of Lu'ayy b. Ghiilib,
When they broke, the roof of the tent was left unsupported (559).
Can a man care about his death or the death of his friend?
Many a day did he rob himself of wealth $afiya also said:
By lavishing gifts morning and evening. Alas my eye, weeping has exhausted its tears
Give Abu Sufyan a message from me: Like the two buckets of the 'waterman
If I meet him one day I will repro.vc him. \Valking among the trees of the orchard.
'Twas a war that will kindle another war, No lion of the jungle with claws and teeth
For every man has a friend to avenge (557). Father :)[ cubs, leaping on his prey, '
ExceedIng fierce and angry,
She also said:
Is equal to my love when he died
What an eye which saw a death like the death of my men! Faci?g people \\hose faces were changed in anger,
How many a man and woman tomorrow In IllS hand a sharp sword of the finest steel.
"Vill join with the keening women; \,:7 hen yo~ thrust with a spear ~{ou made great wounds
How many did they lea\'e behind on the day of the pit, From which came hot foaming blood (5 60 ).
The morning of that tumultuous cry!
Hind d. Cthiitha b. 'Abbiid b. al-Muttalib lamenting 'Ubayda b. al-
All generous men in years of urought I:Iiirith b. al-Mugalib said: ..
\Vhcn the stars withheld their rain. I
I \-vas afraid of what I saw AI-$afra'J holds glory and authoritv
And now my fear is realized. Deep-rooted culture: ample inteIlig;nce.
I was afraid of what I saw \Veep for '.ubayda, a mountain of strength to the strange guests,
And today I am beside myself. And the Widow who suckles a dishevelled baby;
How many a woman will say tomorrow I Suh. here, presses for the meaning 'clad in mourning', mustaliba but as all th. J. , ..
Alas Umm MU'iiwiya! (558) are psychological such a sense seems out of place here. ' c a Jeal\es
Z I follow C. in reading S1I(jI/b.
J A place between :\1ecca and .l\1cdina.
I The ancient Arabs thought that the stars brought rain.
360 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
To the people in every winter
When the skies are red from famine; THE RAID OF AL-SAW!Q
543
To the orphans when the wind was violent. Abu Muhammad 'Abdu'l-Malik b. Hisham from Ziyad b. 'Abdullah
He heated the pat which foamed with milk as it seethed; al-Bakka'i from Muhammad b. Isi,Jaq al-:Ylugalibi said: Then AbC!
When the fire burned low and its flame died Sufyan b. l;!arb made the raid of Sawiq in Dhu'l-l;!ijja. The polvtheists
539 He would revive it with thick brushwood. were in charge of the pilgrimage that year. Muhammad b. J~'far b.
Mourn him for the night traveUer or the one wanting food, al-Zubayr and Yazid. b. Ruman and one whose veracity I do not suspect
The wander"," lost whom he put at his ease (56!). from 'Abdullah b. Ka'b b. :Ylalik who was one of the most learned Helpers
told me that when Abu Sufyan returned to :.\Iecca and the Quravsh
Qutayla d. al-l;!arith, sister of al-!\a<;lr b. al-l;!arith, weeping him said:
fug~tives return~d from Badr. he swore that he would not practise abluti~nl
o Rider, I think you will reach Uthayl' untIL he had raIded Muhammad. Accordingly he sallied forth with two
At dawn of the fifth night if you are lucky. hundred nders from Quraysh to fulfil his vow. He took the Nejd road and
Greet a dead man there for me. stopped by the upper part of a watercourse which led to a mountain called
Swift camels always carry news from me to thee. Thayb about one post distance from Medina. Then he sallied forth by
(Tell of) flowing tears running profusely or ending in a sob. mght and came to the B. al-Na<,lir under cover of darkness. He came to
Can al-Na<;lr hear me when I call him, l;!uyayy b. Akhlab and knocked upon his door, but as he was afraid of him
How can a dead man hear who cannot speak? he refused to open the door, so he went to Sallam b. Mishkam who was
o Muhammad, finest child of noble mother, t~eir chief at .that time, and keeper. of the public purse. He ask;d permis-
\Vhose sire a noble sire was, si.on to com: m and .SaLHim entertamed him \vith food and drink, and gave
'Twould not have harmed you had you spared him. h1m secret mform~tlOn about the lVIuslims. He rejoined his companions
(A warrior oft spares though full of rage and anger.) at the end of the mght and sent some of them to l\Iedina. They camc to an
Or you could have taken a ransom, outlying distri.ct called AI-'Uray<,l and there they burnt some ;'oung palm-
The dearest price that could be paid.' trees and fin?mg one of the Helpers and an ally of his working the fields
Al-~a9r was the nearest relative you captured there, they ktlled them and returned. People got warning of them and so
With the best claim to be released. the apostle \vent out in pursuit (564). He got as far as Qarqaratu'I-Kudr2
The swords of his father's sons came down on him. m: d then returned because Abu Sufyan and his companions had eluded
Good God, what bonds of kinship there were shattered! ~Im. They sa",,r .some of t~e provisions which the raiders had thrown a\vay
Exhausted he was led to a cold-blooded death, In the fields to hghten theIr baggage so as to get away quickly. When the
A prisoner in bonds, walking like a hobbled beast (562).3 apostle brought the Muslims back they asked, Do you hope that this will 544
count (WIth God) In our favour as a raid?' and he replied, 'Yes' (5 65).
The apostle left Badr at the end of the month of Rama<;lan or in Shawwal.
Whee. he went away Abil Sufyan said of Sallam's treatment of him:
I chose one man out of l\Tedina as an allv
TilE RAID ON B. SULAYM IN AL-KUDR I ha_d n? caus~ to regret it, though I did -~ot stay long.
SaIlam Ibn l\11shkam gave me good \vine,
54 The apostle stayed only seven nights in Medina before he himself made a He refreshed me in full measure despite my haste.
raid against B. Sulaym (563). He got as far as their watering place called
When the raiders turned back I said
al-Kudr and stayed there three nights, returning to Medina without any (Unwilling to burden him),
fighting. He stayed there for the rest of Shawwal and Dhu'I-Qa'da, and Look fonvard to raiding and booty.
during that time he accepted the ransom of most of the Quraysh prisoners.
Consider, for the pcopk arc the pl~re stock of Lu'a\'v
Not a mixed rabble of Jurhum'. - ~,
I A place near Medina between Badr and \Viidi $afrii.
2 Noldeke's Delectus, p. 67, has a different text here. It was no more than (spending) part of the night by a traveller
3 Some MSS., followed by Suh. and W., make LH. responsible for its inclusion in the Who came hungry !hough not needy and destitute.
Sua.
I A euphemism for abstaining from sexual intercourse
2 About eight posts distance from .l\letlina. .
The Life of JVluhmnmad The Life of Jluhallllllad
362
[Abu Sufyan had composed somc v~rses to incite Quraysh when he
THE AFFAIR OF THE B. QAYl\UQ.\' 545
got ready to march from I\-1ecca to IVlcdma:
l\1ean\vhile there was the affair of the B. Qaynuqa'. The apostle assembled
Return to the attack on Yathrih and the lot of them, them in their market and addressed them as follows: '0 Jews, beware lest
For what they have collected is booty for you. God bring upon you the vengeance that He brought upon Quraysh and
Though the t;attle of the cistern went in their favour become IVluslims. You know that I am a prophet who has been sent-
The future will restore your fortunes. you \vill find that in your scriptures and God's covenant with you.' They
I swear that I \\"ill not come ncar women replied, '0 l\luhammad, you seem to think that Ive arc J'our pcople. Do
l\or shall I usc the water of purification not deceive yourself because you encountered a people \yith no knowledge
Until you destroy the tribes of Aus and Khazraj. of war and got the better of them; for by God if we fight you, you \\"ill find
1\1y h~art is burning for revenge.'*' that \ve are real men]'
A freedman of the family of Zayd b. Thabit from Sa'id b. Jubayr or from
Ka'b b. Malik answered him:
'Ikrima from Ibn 'Abbas told me that the latter said the following verses
The \Iuslims l arC sorry for Ibn ~Iarb's army, came do\vn about them:
So futile in the harra ~
'Say to those who disbelieve: you \vill be vanquished and gathered to
\Vhen those \\h(~ were sick of their provision cast away the burden~
He~l, an evil resting place. You have already had a sign in the 1\\"0 forces
Climbing up to the top of the mountain.
which met', i.e. the apostle's companions at Baclr and the Quraysh.
The place whnc their camels knelt call be compared
'One force fought in the way of God; the other, disbelievers, thought they
Only with the hole of foxes,3 saw double their own force \vith their very eyes. God ~t]"(:ngthclls with
BarZ: of gold'l and \\"Calth and of His help \vhom He \\-'ill. Vnily in that is an example for the di~cerning.Jl
The warriors of the vale and their spears.]
'A:;;im h. 'Umar b. Qatada said that the B. Qaynuq~l' were the iirst of the
Jews to break their agreement with the apostle and to go to war, be1\\"een
Badr and Ul;tud (568), and the apostle besieged them until they' surrendered
TlIF RAID OF DUO Al\IARR
unconditionally. 'AbJullah b. Ubayy b. Sallil went to him when God
\\'hen the apo~tle returned from the raid of al-.Sawlq he stayed. in lVledi.na had put them in his power and said, '0 ::Vluhammad, deal kindly with my
for the rest of Dhu'l-I:lijja, or nearly all of 1t. Then he raided NaJ~, clients' (no\v they \vere allies of Khazraj), but the 3post1c put him off.
making for Ghatafan. This is the raid of Dhli Amarr (566). He stayed In He repeated the words, and the apostle turned away from him, \\'hereupon
:\ajd :luring the month of ~afar, or nearly all of it, and then returned to he thrust his hand into the collar of the apostle's robe (569); the apostle
I\ledina without any fighting. There he remained for the month of was so angry that his face became almost black. lIe s;lid, 'Confound you,
Rabl'u'l-.\w\\al, or ~~ cia)' or two less. let me go.' He answered, ');0, by God, I will not let you go ulltil you deal
kindly \vith my clients. Four hundred men without mail and three hundred
mailed protected me from all mine enemies; \rould :'Oll cut them do\\"n in
one morning? By God, I am a man \vho fears that circumstances may
THE RAID OF AL-FURU' OF BAJ:lR.A..N
change.' The apostle said, 'You can have them (570).'
'Then he made a raid on Quraysh as far as Bal)ran, a mine in the Hijaz in My father IsJ:1aq b. Yasar told 'me from Tbada b. al-Walid b. Tbada
the neighbourhood of AI-Furu'.~ He staye~ there for the next two months b. al-~amit \\'110 said: when the B. Qaynuqa' fought the apostle 'Ahdullah
and then returned to ::\Iedina without fightmg (5 6 7). b. Ubayy espoused their cau':>e and defended them, and 'L:b:ida h. :il-S;unit,
who was one of the B. 'Auf, who had the sarne alklIlce \\"ith them as lud
.. T. omits the pocm in the ."'ira and in its plaCl.~ has the lines above. 'Abdullah, went to the apostle and renounced all responsibility for them
I j,it. 'th(~ llllJlhn of those \\hn pray'; d. Sura 37 4J _,
1 Thc true text is in the Currigenda. I tllke al-.tayra to be the pI. of fa ira. See Lane,
in favour of God and the apostle, saying, '0 apostle of God, 1 take Cod
and His apostle and the believers as my friends, and I renounce my
19~+;~~~~~'~~e is not very clear. The glossary to Tab. 23S tentatively suggests that the agreement and friendship with these unbdicvers.' Concerning him and
dare not pilCh can1p thert',
Clll'l1l\'
4 1- f"llo\\' d,' JOll)/S conjecture and read al+1U1<ir for al-lltIfr. fAbduIlal,l b.Ubayy, this passage from the chapter of the Table came down:"'
5 A yillagc nC~lr l\Inlina. I Sura 3. 10. 1 S;}ra j. s6 f.
364 The Life of Muhammad The Life of IVlulzam11lad 365
'0 you who believe, take not Jews and Christians ~s fric~ds. They are and 9ali!; b. Ahu Umama b. Sahl each gave me a part of the following
friends onc of another. \Vho of you takes them as fnends IS one of them. story: Kab b. aI-Ashraf who was one of the Tayyi' of the subsection R.
God \vill not guide the unjust peopl~. You can see t~osc, in \-"hose heart Kabhan whose mother \vas from the B. al-Naqir, \vhen he heard the news
547
there is sickness', i.e. 'Abdullah b. C bayy when he saId, I fear a change said, fIs this true? Did lYIuhammad actually kill these whom these two
of circumstances.' 'Acting hastily in regard to them they say \Vt ~ear t~at men mention? (i.e. Zayd and 'Abdullah b. Rawa!;a). These are the nobles
change of circumstances may overtake us. P~radvcnture God \v:ll bnng of the Arahs and kingly men; by God, if Muhammad has slain these people
victory or an act from Him so that they \vIll be sorry for thClr secret 'twere better to be dead than alive.'1
thoughts, and those who believe will say, Are th.cse those who S\vore ~y \Vhen the enemy of God became certain that the news was true he
God their most binding oath?' [that they were \'lith you], as far as God s left the town and went to :vIecca to stay with al-;vlu\\alib b. Abu Wada'a
words, 'Verily God and His ~postle are your !riends, an~ th08': v\:ho b. Oubayra al-Sahmi who was married to 'Atika d. Abu'l-'Is b. Umayya
believe, who perform prayer, grve alms and bow In. homage, r:nentlOIllng b. 'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu 'Wanaf. She took him in and entertained him
'Cbada taking God and His apostle and the hehevers as fnends, and hospitably. He began to inveigh against the apostle and to recite verses
renouncing his agreement and friendship \vith the D. Qaynuqa', 'Those \vho in which he be\vailed the Quraysh who were thrown into the pit after
take God and His apostle and the believers as friends, they arc God's party, having been slain at Badr. He said:
they are the victorious.' Badr's mill ground out the hlood of its people.
At events like Badr you should weep and cry.
THE RAID OF ZAYD ll. JcIARITIIA TO AL-QAIL\DA
The best of the people \vere slain round their cisterns, 549
The storv of the foray of Zayd who captured the caravan of Quraysh, in Don't think it strange that the princes were left lying.
which w~s Abu Sufyan b. Ijarb, when the apostle sent him to al-Qarada, How many noble handsome mcn,
a watering-place in Najd, is as follows: The refuge of the homeless were slain,
Quraysh were afraid to follow their usual route -.,to Syria aft.er what had Liberal \vhen the stars gave no rain,
happened at Badr, so they went by the Iraq route.. Some of then- mnch.ants Who bore others' burdens, ruling and taking their due fourth.
went out, among whom \vas Abu Sufyan, carrymg a great deal of SlIver Some people whosc anger pleases me say
\vhich formed the larger part of their merchandise. They hired a man from 'Kab b. aI-Ashraf is utterly dejected'.
the B. Bakr b. Wa'il called Furat b. Hayyan to conduct them by that route They are right. 0 that the earth when they were killed
(57 1 ). The apostle duly sent Zayd, and he met them by that watering-place Had split asunder and engulfed its people,
and captured the caravan and its contents, but the men got a\vay. He That he who spread the report had bpen thrust through
brought the spoil to the apostle. Or lived cowering blind and deaf.
Hassan b. Thabit after l:!;ud concerning the last raid of Badr taunted I was told that all the BaJlti'I-Mughira \yere humiliated
Qu~avsh for taking the Iraq road thus: And brought low by the death of Abu'I-Hakim
You can say good-bye to the streams of Damascus, for in bet\veen And the two sons of Rabi'a with him,
Are s\vords like the mouths of pregnant camels \\'ho feed on arak trees And Munabbih and the others did not attain (such honour) as those
In the hands of men who migrated to their Lord who were slain.:::
And His true helpers and the angels. I was told that al-Harith ibn Hisham
If they go to the lowland of the sandy valley Is doing well and gathering troops
Say to them, There is no road here (57 2 ).' To visit Yathrib \vith armies,
For only the noble, handsome man protl'cts the loftiest 3 reputation
THE KILLING OF KA'B B. AL-ASHRAF (573)
After the Quraysh defeat at Badr the apostle had sent Zayd b. Haritha to J:Iassan b. ThJbit answered him thus:
the 100ycr quarter and 'Abdullah b. Rawal;a to the upper quarter to tell the Docs Ka'b \-veep for him again and again
Muslims of Medina of God's victory and of the polytheists who had been And live in humiliation hearing nothing?4
killed. 'Abdullah b. al-Mughith b. Abu Burda al-::Cafari and 'Abdullah b. I Lit. tbe inside of tbe earth is better than the outside.
Abu Bakr b. Muhammad b. 'Arm b.l:lazm and 'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatada 2 Or 'Tubba' did not' (so A. Dh.). \Vaq. has hui for ma and ai-fllbba'u for fmtllbba'u.
3 The reading must be 'uM, because yalpni governs an accusative.
I Cf. W. 66,. .. The question is ironical: let him weep if he wants to. The text of this poem is dubious.
366 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
In the vale of Badr I saw some of them, the slain, Like Umm I;Iakim when she was with u,
Eyes pouring with tears for them. The link between us firm and not to be cut.
Weep ['Atika], for you have made a mean slave weep She is one of B. 'Amir who bewitches the heart,
Like a pup following a little bitch. And if she wished she could cure my sickness.
God has given satisfaction to our leader The glory of women and of a people is their father,
And put to shame and prostrated those who fought him. A people held in honour true to their oath.
Those whose hearts were torn with fear Never did I see the sun rise at night till I saw her
Escaped and fled away (574). Display herself to us in the darkness of the night!)
550 A Muslim woman of B. Murayd, a clan of Bali who were allied attach
Then he composed amatory verses of an insulting nature about the
ments of B. Umayya b. Zayd, called al-Ja'adira answered Ka'b (575):
Muslim women. The apostle said-according to what 'Abdullah b.
This slave shows great concern a1-Mughith b. Abu Burda told me-'Who will rid me of Ibnu'I-Ashraf?'
\\Teeping over the slain untiringly. . Muhammad b. Maslama, brother of the B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal, said, 'I will
May the eye that weeps over the slain at Badr weep on deal with him for you, 0 apostle of God, I will kill him.' He said, 'Do so if
And may Lu'ayy b. Ghiilib weep double as much! you can: So Muhammad b. Maslama returned and waited for three days
Would that those weltering in their blood without food or drink, apart from what was absolutely necessary. When
Could be seen by those who live between Mecca's mountains! the apostle was told of this he summoned him and asked him why he had
They would know for certain and would see given up eating and drinking. He replied that he had given him an under-
How they were dragged along by hair and beard.' taking and he did not know whether he could fulfil it. The apostle said,
Ka'b b. aI-Ashraf answered her: 'All that is incumbent upon you is that you should try: He said, '0 apostle
of God, we shall have to tell lies.' He answered, 'Say what you like, for 55 1
Drive off that fool of yours that you may be safe you are free in the matter.' Thereupon he and Silkiin b. Salama b. Waqsh
From talk that has no sense! who was Abu Na'ila one of the B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal, foster-brother of Ka'b,
Do you taunt me because I shed tears and 'Abbiid b. Bishr b. Waqsh, and al-I;Iarith b. Aus b. Mu'adh of the B.
For people who loved me sincerely? 'Abdu'l-Ashhal and AbU 'Abs b. Jabr of the B. I;Iaritha conspired together
As long as I live I shall weep and remember and sent Silkiin to the enemy of God, Ka'b b. Ashraf, before they came to
The merits of people whose glory is in Mecca's houses. him. He talked to him some time and they recited poetry one to the other,
By my life Murayd used to be far from hostile for Silkiin was fond of poetry. Then he said, '0 Ibn Ashraf, I have come to
But now they are become as jackals. you about a matter which I want to tell you of and wish you to keep secret.'
They ought to have their noses cut off 'Very well,' he replied. He went on, 'The coming of this man is a great
For insulting the two clans of Lu'ayy b. Ghalib. trial to us. It has provoked the hostility of the Arabs, and they are all in
I give my share in Murayd to Ja'dar league against us. The roads have become impassable so that our families
In truth, by God's house, between Mecca's mountains. are in want and privation, and we and our families are in great distress.'
T. 13 69 (T. Then Ka'b returned to Medina and eomposed amatory verses Ka'b answered, 'By God, I kept telling you, 0 Ibn Salama, that the things
about Ummu'l-Fa<;l1 d. al-I;Iarith, saying: t warned you of would happen.' Silkan said to him, 'I want you to sell us
food and we will give you a pledge of security and you deal generously in
Are you off without stopping in the valley
the matter.' He replied, 'Will you give me your sons as a pledge?' He
And leaving Ummu'l-Fa<;ll in Mecca?
said, 'You want to insult us. I have friends who share my opinion and
Out would co~e what she bought from the pedlar of bottles, I want to bring them to you so that you may sell to them and act generously,
Henna and haIr dye.
and we will give you enough weapons for a good pledge.' SilUn's object
What lies 'twixt ankle and elbow is in motion Z
was that he should not take alarm at the sight of weapons when they
When she tries to stand and does not.
brought them. Ka'b answered, 'Weapons are a good pledge.' Thereupon
I Or, reading ma!:tazzahum,. 'the sword cuts above their beards and eyebrows' Silkiin returned to his companions, told them what had happened, and
Z Presumably her buttocks are meant; they would be between her ankle and her elbow ordered them to take their arms. Then they went away and assembled with
as she reclined. Large and heavy buttocks were marks of female beauty among the old
Arabs. him and met the apostle (576).
368 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad 36<)
Thaur b. Zayd from 'Ikrima from Ibn 'Abbas told me the apostle walked Sword in hand we cut him down
\vith them as far as Baqi'u'I-Gharqad. Then he sent them off, saying, 'Go
By Muhammad's order when he sent secretly by night
552 in God's name; a God help them.' So saying, he returned to his house. Ka'b's brother to go to Ka'b.
~O\\' it was a moonlight night and they journeyed on until they came to his
He beguiled him and brought him down with guile
castle, and AbU. l\a'ila called out to him. He had only recently married, Ma\1mud was trustworthy, bold (577).
and he jumped up in the bedsheet, and his wife took hold of the end of it
and said, 'You are at war, and those who are at waf do not go out at this !:Iassan b. Thabit, mentioning the killing of Ka'b and of Sallam b.
hour.' He replied, 'It is Abu Na'ila. Had he found me sleeping he would Abu'I-!:Iuqayq, said:
not have woken me.' She ans\vered, 'By God, I can feel evil in his voice.' What a fine band you met, 0 Ibnu'l-!:Iuqayq,
Ka 'b answered 'Even if the call were for a stab a brave man must answer And you too, Ibnu'l-Ashraf,
it.' So he went dO\vn and talked to them for some time, \vhile they conversed Travelling by night with their light swords
with him. Then Abu Na'ila said, 'Would you like to walk with us to Bold as lions in their jungle lair
Shi'b al-'Ajuz, so that we can talk for the fcst of the night?' 'If you like,' Until they came to you in your quarter
he answered, so they went off ,valking together; and after a time A?u
And mad,; you taste death with their deadly swords,
~a'ila ran his hand through his hair. Then he smelt his hand, and said,
Seeking VIctOry for the religion of their prophet
'I have never smelt a scent finer than this.' They walked on farther and he Counting their lives and wealth as nothing (57 8).
did the same so that Ka'b suspected no evil. Then after a space he did it
for the third time, and cried, 'Smite the enemy of God!' So they smote
him, and their swords clashed over him with no effect. Muhammad b. THE AFFAIR OF MUI;IAYYI~A AND I;IUWAYYI~A
l\laslama said, 'I remembered my dagger \vhen I saw that our swords were The apostle said, 'Kill any Jew that falls into your power.' Thereupon
useless, and I seized it. Meanwhile the cnemy of God had made such a
Mu\1aYYI~a b. Mas'ud leapt upon Ibn Sunayna (579), a Jewish merchant
noise that every fort around us \vas showing a light. I thrust it into the WIth whom they had social and business relations, and killed him. Huway-
lower part of his body, then I bore down upon it until I reached his Yl~a wasnot a Muslim at the time though he was the elder brother.' When
genitals, and the enemy of God fell to the ground. Al-~Iarith had been
hurt, being ,\'ounded either in his head or in his foot, one of our swords
Mu\1aYYI~a kdled him !:Iuwayyi~a began to beat him, saying, 'You enemy 554
of God;,dld you kdl him when much of the fat on your belly comes from his
having struck him. \Ve went a\vay, passing by the B. Umayya b. Zayd wealth. Mul)aYYl~a answered, 'Had the one who ordered me to kill him
and then the B. Qurav~a and then Bu'ath until \ve went up the lfarra of ordered me to kill you I would have cut your head off.' He said that this
aI-'Uray~.' Our frien-d al-Harith had lagged behind, weakened byloss of
~as the b~grnllIng of Huwayyi~a's acceptance of Islam. The other replied,
blood so we waited for him for some time until he came up, follO\vmg our By??od, IfM~hammad had ordered you to kill me would you have killed
tracks'. \Ve carried him and brought him to the apostle at the end of the me. He saId, Yes, by God, had he ordered me to cut off your head I
night. \Vc saluted him as he stood praying, and he came out to us, and we would ha:e. done so.' He exclaimed, 'By God, a religion which can bring
told him that we had killed God's enemy. He spat upon our comrade's you to thIS IS marvellous!' and he became a Muslim.
wounds and both he and we returned to our families. Our attack upon I was. told this story by a client of B. !:Iaritha from the daughter of
God's e;lerny cast terror among the Jews, and there was no Jew in l\'1edina Mu\1aYY1~a from Mu\1ayyi~a himself.
\vho did not fear for his life.'2 Mu\1ayyi~a composed the following lines on the subject:
Ka'b b. Malik said: My mother's son blames me because if I were ordered to kilI him
553 Of them Ka'b was left prostrate there I would sm~te his nape with a sharp sword,
(After his fall al-Na~ir were brought low). A blade whIte as salt from polishing.
I Harra is a district of black volcanic stone and 'Uray9. is one of the valleys 9f 11edina.
My downward stroke never misses its mark.
2 A photograph of the ruins of Ka'b's castle is given in The Islamic R.emev.:, Sept. 1953, It would not please me to kill you voluntarily
p. 12. There Dr. :!\of. Hamidullah writes: 'To\vards the south .[of Mcdllla] III the eastern Though we owned all Arabia from north to south (5 80 ).
lava plain near \,"'adi ;'\ludhanib, there is a small hillock. On thiS t~e w~lJs of t~e palace of
After hi~ arrival f~om B,a\1ran the apostle stopped for the months of the 555
Ka 'b Ibn ai-Ashraf still stand, about a yard or a yard and a quarter III height, bUllt of stOTle.
Inside the palace there is a well. ... In front of the palace, on the base of the hillock, there
arc rims of a big cistern of water, built of .lime and divided into several sections, each con- latter Jumada, RajaD, Sha ban, and Rama~an (in Medina). Quraysh made
nected with the other by means of clay pipes.' the raId of Uhud III Shawwal, A.H. 3.
B4080 Bb
370 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
37 1
THE BATTLE OF UI;IUD Those who are next-of-kin and those who are not
In the name of the alliance in the midst of the holy city
I have pieced together the following story about the battle of U!;ud, from At the wall of the venerable Ka'ba. .,
what I was told by Muhammad b. Muslim al-Zuhri and Muhammad b.
Ya!;ya b. I:libban and 'A.~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada and AI-I:lu~ayn b. Jubayr b. Mu!,im summoned an Abyssinian slave of his called Wahshi
'Abdu'l-Rahman b. 'Amr b. Sad b. Mu'adh and other learned traditionists. who could throw a javelin as the Abyssinians do and seldom missed th~
One or the ~ther, or all of them, is responsible for the following narrative. mar~. He sa~dJ 'Go forth with the army, and if you kill J:Ianna, Muham- 557
\\Then the unbelieving Quraysh met disaster at Badr and the survivors mad s uncle, In revenge for m~' uncle, Tu'ayma b. 'Adty, you shall be free.'
returned to Mecca and Abu Sufyan b. Barb had returned with his caravan, So Quraysh marched forth WIth the flower of their army, and their black
'Abdullah b. Abii Rabl'a and 'Ikrima b. Abii Jahl and 9afwan b. Umayya troops, and theIr ad~erents from the B. Kinana, and the people of the
walked with the men whose fathers, sons, and brothers had been killed lowland, an,d wom~n In howdahs went with them to stir up their anger and
at Badr, and they spoke to Abu Sufyan and those who had merchandise in p~event. theIr r~nll1ng a\vay; A?u Sufyan, who \vas in command, \vent out
that caravan, saying, 'Men of Quraysh, Muhammad has wronged you and WIth HI:,d d. Utba, and Iknma b. Abii Jahl went with Umm Hakim
killed your best men, so help us with this money to fight him, so that we d. al-I:lanth b. Hlsham. b. al-Mughira; and al-I:Iarith b. Hish1Im b.
may hope to get our revenge for those we have lost,' and they did so. al~Mughlra went WIth Fa!Ima d. al-Walid b. al-l\1ughira; and Safwan went
55 6 A learned person told me that it ,vas concerning them that God sent WIt? Barza d. Mas'iid b. 'Amr b. 'Umayr the Thaqafite who wa~ the mother
down: 1 'Those who disbelieve spend their money to keep others from the of Abdullah b. 9afwan b. Umayya (58!). 'Amr b. al-'A.s went with
way of God, and they will spend it, then they will suffer the loss of it, then Ray!a d. MunabbIh b. al-I:Iajjlij who was Umm 'Abdullah b 'A
they will be overcome, and those who disbelieve will be gathered to Hell.' TalJ:1a b. Abu Tal!;a who was 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b. 'Uthma~n~.
So Quraysh gathered together to fight the apostle when Ab\i Sufyan did 'Abdu'l-Dar went with Sulafa d. Sad b. Shuhayd al-Ansiiriva who wa~
this, and the owners of the caravan, with their black troops, and such of mother of the sons of Tal!;a, Musafi', al-Juliis and Kilab; they were killed
the tribes of Kinana as would obey them, and the people of the low country. WIth theIr father that day. Khunas d. :\Ialik b. al-Mudarrib, one of the
Now Abii 'Azza al-Jumal}i had been spared by the apostle at Badr because women of the D. Malik b. 1:Iisl went with her son Abii AZl' b. 'Umavr. She
he was a poor man with a large family.2 He had been taken prisoner, and was the mother ~f Mu~'ab b. 'Umayr. 'Amra d. <Alqama, one of the-\vomen
said, 'I am a poor man with a large family and great need, as you know, of the B. al-J:Ianth b. 'Abdu I\Tanat b, Kinana went out. \Vhenever Hind
so spare me,' and the apostle let him go. ~afwan said to him, 'Now, Abu passed WaJ:1shi o.r he passed by her, she would say, 'Come on, you father
'Azza, you are a poet so help us with your tongue and go forth with us: of ~lackness, satIsfy your vengeance and ours.' \Va~shi had the title of
He replied, 'Muhammad spared me and I do not want to go against him: Abu Dasma. They went forward until they halted at 'Aynayn on a hill in
He said, 'No, but help us \vith your presence, and God is my witness that the ~alley of aI-Sabkha of Qanat by the side of the wadi opposite Medina.'
if I return I will make you rich; and if you are killed I will treat your When the ~postle heard about them, and the Muslims had encamped, he 558
daughters as my own. What befalls mine, whether good or ill, shall Said to them, By God, I hav~ seen (In a dream) something that augurs well.
befall yours.' So Abii 'Azza went through the low country calling the B. I saw cows, and T. saw a dent m the blade of my sword, and I saw that I had
Kinana and saying: thru~t my hand mto a strong coat of mail and I interpreted that to mean
Listen, sons of <Abdu Manat, the steadfast, Medma (582). If you think it well to stop in "'Icdina and leave them where
You are stout warriors like your father, they, have encamped, for if they halt they will have halted in a bad position
Do not promise me your help a year hence, and If,;h,e y try to enter the city, we can fight them therein, (that is a good
Do not betray me, for betrayal is not right. 3 plan). Abdullah b. Phayy b. Saliil agreed with the apostle in this and
thought that they should not go out to fight them, and the apostle hi:Oself
Musafi' b. 'Abdu Manat b. Wahb b. Hudhafa b. Juma!; went out to the dIsliked the Idea of leavmg the city. Some mcn whom God honoured with
B. Miilik b. Kinana stirring them up and calling them to fight the apostle, martyrdom at UI.lUd and others who were not present at Badr said, '0
saymg: apostle of God, lead us forth to our encmies, lest they think that we are too
o Malik, Miilik, foremost in honour, cowardly and too weak to fight them.' 'Abdullah said, '0 apostle of God,
I ask in the name of kindred and confederate, l See M. Hamidullah in R.F:.J. 1919 I-I"
.2 'r " .,.
I Sura 8. :\7. :1 V.S. W. p. 471. F'd' I~~~ addh~:
Quraysh enca~lped at Ubud on \Vedncsd ay and remained there till
:J The sting is in the tail where isltim is used in the sense of 'betrayal'. ~l ay. f U en t e apostle had finished the Friday prayers he went in the mornin to the
va ey 0 Q.ud and they met on the Saturday half-way through Shaw\val. g
37 2 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad
stay in Medina, do not go Qut to them. We have never gone out to fight an
enemy but we have met disaster, and none has come in against us without should not hit someone else I would throw it in your face' Th 3~3
being defeated, so leave them where they are. !fthey stay, they stay in an evil
predicament, and if they come in, the men will fight them and the women ~~7~~:7~~1:~dki~~~:~t:nb~I~~e:r~I~~~.~ai~;,~~.~:y~Ilib~~~;:~~~;h~:
-Ash~alh rushed at hun before the apostle had forb'idden thIS and
U
and children will throw stones on them from the walls, and if they retreat hIt h
they will retreat low-spirited as they came.' Those who wanted to fight 1m on t e ead WIth hIS bow so that he split it open
Quraysh kept urging the apostle until he went into his house and put on The apostle went on untIl he came down the gorge of Uhud h h' h
his armour. That was on the Friday when he had finished prayers. On ground of the wadI towards the mountain. He put his c~m Ion tde 19
towards Uhud and said 'L t f , e s an army
that day one of the An~ar, Malik b. 'Amr one of the B. ai-Najjar died, and Now Quraysh had let th~ir c:m~l~ne ~ h YoU fight untIl we give the word.'
the apostle prayed over him, and then went out to fight. Meanwhile the which were in al S h a n orses loose to pasture In some crops
people had repented of their design, saying they thought they had persuaded W - . amg a, a part of Qanat belongmg to th M r
the apostle against his will, which they had no right to do, so that when he hen the apostle had forbidden them to fi ht f h A _e. us ImS.
the crops of the B Q I b gone 0 t e n$ar saId} 'Are
went out to them they admitted that and said that if he wished to remain The apostle d . h~y a to e grazed on WIthout our striking a blow?'
inside the city they would not oppose him. The apostle said, 'It is not rew up IS troops for battle abo t H .
archers 'Abdullah b J b b h ' ' u 70 men. e put over the
fitting that a prophet who has put on his armour should lay it aside until tinguished that da bu ayr rot er of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf who Was dis-
559 he has fought,' so he marched out with a thousand of his companions (583), he said 'Kee th y Y hIS whIte garments. There were 50 archers and
until when they reached al-Shau! between Medina and UJ.1ud, 'Abdullah b. come' fP e hcavalry away from us \vith your arrows and let the~ not
Ubayy withdrew with a third of the men, saying, 'He has obeyed them and on us rom t e rear whether the b ttl
us' and keep your I h a e goes III our favour or against
disobeyed me. We do not know why we should lose our lives here, 0 The apostle then ~;~e so: at we cannot be got at from )our direction.'
men.' So he returned with the waverers and doubters who followed him} Mus'ab b 'u p b n two coats of mall and delIvered the standard to
and 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. I:!aram, brother of the B. Salama, followed them, . . mayr, rother of B. 'Abdu'I-Dar (5 85).
saying, 'a people, I adjure you by God not to abandon your people and The Quraysh mustered their troo s ab '
which they had led alon 'h pout 3,000 men WIth 200 horses 561
your prophet when the enemy is at hand.' They replied, 'If we knew that commanded by KhalId ~ w;:wt~:';. ~helr cavalry on the left flank was
you would fight we would not abandon you, but we do not think that there Jah!. .a a I ,an on the nght by 'Ikrima b. Abu
will be a battle.' So when they \vithstood him and persisted in withdrawing,
he said, 'May God curse you, you enemies of God, for God will make His [M. The apostle wore two coats of mail on the day of L'hud dh k
up a s\\tord and brandIshed ' ] 'v an e too 1\1.65
right ~'I S
T ,

prophet independent of you.' Someone, not Ziyad,r from I\1uhammad b. It sayrng \ ho wIll take thIS sword WIth ItS
Is1).aq from al-Zuhrl, said that on that day the An~ar said, '0 apostle, should Abu D ,_om~me_nk got up to take It but he WIthheld It from them untIl
we not ask help from our allies, the Jews?' He said, 'We have no need of uJana Ima b. Kharasha brother of B S-' d
them.' Ziyad said Muhammad b. IsJ.1aq told me that the apostle went his
way until he passed through the izarra of the B. I:!aritha and a horse
[M. 'Umar got up t t k '
prophet turned awa ~ t : , . . a 1 a, got up to take it.
e It, ~aymg} I WIll take it WIth its right,' but the
the same words. T~enr~~~~~ :nbd ~r~ndIsh_ed it a second time using
swished its tail and it caught the pommel of a sword so that it came out of rejected and the two of th y . -hAwwam got up and he too was
its sheath (584). The apostle, who liked auguries, though he did not & c.] He' asked 'Wh t" em were . h
muc mortified Th Ab - D .
. en u UJana,
observe the flight of birds, said to the owner of the sword, 'Sheath your 'Th ' , a IS ItS fIg t} 0 Apostle of God?' He ans\\ered
sword, for I can see that swords will be drawn today.'
Then the apostle asked his companions whether anyone could take them
thata~{:~~i:~~:;;'~~t~h~t:~i~~i h
with
it it~n~il ~nds.'
When he said
a brave but conceited man in battI: ~~v; It'h 1m. a;' Abu DUja~a \vas
near the Quraysh by a road which would not pass by them. Abu Khay- turban of his, people knew that he was a \\ enever e put on thIS red
thama, brother of B. I:!aritha b. al-I:!arith, undertook to do so, and he took sword from the apostle's ha ld [h b bout to fight. \\ hen he took the
him through the izarra of B. I:!aritha and their property until he came out 1 e egan to walk to the fight saymg: M. 65
in the territory of Mirba' b. Qay?[ who was a blind man, a disaffected I'm the man who took the sword
person. When he perceived the approach of the apostle and his men he When 'Use it right' was the prophet's word
got up and threw dust in their faces saying, 'You may be the apostle of For the sake of God, of all the Lord .
560 God, but I \\'on't let you through my garden!' I was told that he took a Who doth to all their food afford.]
handful of dust and said, 'By God, Muhammad, if I could be sure that I
I Ziyad b. 'Abdullah al-Bakka'i.
And he began to strut up and down between the lines.
t i.e. use it as it ought and deserves to be used.
The Life of ]',Iuhammad 375
374 The Life of Muhammad
\Vhenever he met one of the enemy he killed him. Now among the
Jafar b. 'Abdullah b. Aslam, client of 'Umar b. al-Khagab, :old me on pagans there was a man who dispatched every man of ours he \vounded.
the authority of one of the Anqar of B. Salama that the apostle saId when he These two men began to draw near one to the other, and I prayed God that
saw Abu Dujana strutting, 'This is a gait whIch Allah hates except on an He would make them meet. They did meet and exchanged blows, and the
occasion like this.'l polytheist struck at Abo Dujana, who warded off the blow with his shield;
[T. Now Abu Sufyan had sent a messenger saying, 'You men of Aus and his s\\'ord sank into the shield so that he could not withdraw it, and Abu
Khazraj leave me to deal with my COUSIn and we wIll depart from you, for Dujana struck him and killed him. Then I saw him as his svwrd hovered
we have' no need to fiaht you'; but they gave him a rude answer.] over the head of Hind d. 'Utba. Then he turned it aside from her. AI-
'Asim b. 'Umar b~ Qatada told me that Abu 'Amir 'Abdu 'Amr b. Zubayr said, 'And 1 said, "God and His apostle know best." ,
Sayfi b. Malik b. al-Nu'man, one of the B. I;>ubay'a who had separated Abu Dujana said, 'I sa\v a person inciting the enemy, shouting violently,
from the apostle and gone off to Mecca along with fifty young men of and I made for him, and \vhen I lifted my sword against him, he shrieked,
al-Aus [T. among whom was 'Uthman b. ~Iunayf] though some people and 10, it was a woman; I respected the apostle's sword too much to use it
say there" were only fifteen of them, was promising Qur~ysh ~hat If he met on a woman.'
his people no two men of them would exchange blows WIth ~lm ~ an~ when ~Iamza fought until he killed ArIa b. 'Abdu Shura~bil b. Hashim b.
the battle was joined the first one to meet them was Abu Am" With the fAbdu Manaf b. 'Abdu'l-Dar who was one of those who were carrying the
black troops and the slaves of the Meccans, and he cried out, 'C? men of standard. Then Sibii' b. 'Abdu'I-'lJzza al-Ghubshani, who was known as
Aus I am Abu 'Amir.' They replied, 'Then God destroy your SIght, you Abu Niyar, passed by him, and Bamza said, 'Come here, you son of a
impious rascal.' (In the pagan period he was called 'the monk',; th,c a~ostle female circumciser.' Now his mother \vas Umm Anmar, freedwoman 9f
called him 'the impious'.) When he heard their reply he said, Evtl has Shariq b. 'Amr b. Wahb al-Thaqafi (588), a female circumciser in Mecca.
befallen my people since I left them.' Then he fought with all hIS mIght, When they closed Hamza smote him and killed him.
pelting them with stones. t ,_ Wa~shi. the slave of Jubayr b. Mufim, said, 'By God, 1 was looking at
Abu Sufyan had said to the standardbearers of the B. Abdu I-Dar, Bamza while he was killing men with his sword, sparing nO one, like a huge
inciting them to battle, '0 Banu 'Abdu'l-Dar, you had charge of our flag camel, I when Siba' cameupto him before me, and Bamza said, "Come here,
on the day of Badr-you saw what happened. Men are dependent on the you son of a female circumciser," and he struck him a blow so swiftly that
fortunes. of their flags, so either you must guard our standard e~clen~l~ it seemed to miss his head. I poised my javelin until I was sure that it
or you must leave it to us and we will save you the trouble (of defendmg) It. would hit the mark, and launched it at him. It pierced the lower part of his
They pondered over the matter and threatened him, saying, 'Are we to body and came out between his legs. He came on to\vards me, but
surrender our flag to you? You will see tomorrow how we shall act when collapsed and fell. I left him there until he died, when I came and re-
battle is joined' and that was just what Abu Sufyan v:anted. When each covered my. javelin. Then I went off to the camp, for I had no business
side drew near to the other Hind b. 'Utba rose up WIth the women that with anyone but him.'
were with her and took tambourines which they beat behmd the men to 'Abdullah b. al-Fadl b. 'Abbas b. Rab!'a b. al-Harith from Sulayman b.
incite them while Hind was saying: Yasar from Ja'far b. 'Amr b. Umayya al-I;>amri told me: 'I went out with
'Ubaydullah b. 'Adiy b. al-Khiyar brother of the B. Naufal b. 'Abdu
On ye sons of 'Abdu'I-Dar,
Wanaf in the time of Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan and we made an excursion
On protectors of our rear,
with the army. When we came back we passed by Him~ where Wa~shi had
Smite with every sharpened spear!
taken up his abode. When we arrived there 'Ubaydullah said to me, "Shall
She also said: we go and see Wal;1shi and ask him how he killed Bamza?" "If you like/'
If you advance we hug you,
I said. So we went to inquire about him in Bim~. \Vhile we \'t'ere doing so
Spread soft rugs beneath you; a man said to us, "You \vill find him in the courtyard of his house. He is a
If you retreat we leave you,
man much addicted to wine; and if you find him sober, you will find an
Leave and no more love you (5 86 ).'
Arab and will get what you want from him in answer to your questions;
The people went on fighting until the battle grew hot, and Abu Dujana but if you find him in his usual state, then leave him alone." So we walked
fought until he had advanced far into the enemy's ranks (5 87). off to find him, and there he was in the courtyard of his house upon a
I Lit. 'dust coloured'. Camels of this colour were unusually large so that the speaker
I In M {66) the verse given by 1.1. 563 follows here. - Q- Cf means that Ijarnza towered over his opponents.
2 Almo;t the same words \vere used by a woman of B. Ijl at the battle of Dhu ar. .
Naqa'i{i, 641.
376 The Ltfe of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 377
carpet, an old man like a bughiith (589). He was quite sober and normal. "When the Muslims went out against Musaylima, the false prophet, lord
We saluted him, and he lifted his head to look at 'Ubaydullah, and said, of the Yamama, I accompanied them, and I took the javelin with which I
"Are you the son of 'Adiy b. al-Khiyiir 1" and when he said he was, he said, had killed !:Iarnza, and when the armies met I saw Musaylima standing
i'By God, I have not seen you since I handed. you to your Sa'dite mother with a sword in his hand, but I did not recognize him. I made ready for
565 who nursed you in Dhu Tuwa.' I handed you to her when she was on her him and so did one of the An~ar from the other side, both of us intending
camel, and she clasped you round your body with her two hands. You to kill him. I poised my javelin until I was sure that it would hit the mark,
kicked' me with your feet when I lifted you up to her. By God, as soon as and launched it at him, and it pierced him, and the An~ari rushed at him
you stood in front of me I recognized them." We sat down and told him and smote him with his sword, so your Lord knows best which of us killed
that we had come to hear his account of how he killed !:Iamza. He said, him. If I killed him, then I have killed the best man after the apostle and
"I will tell you as I told the apostle when he asked me about it. I was a I have also killed the worst man." ,
slave of Jubayr b. Munm, whose uncle Tu'ayma b. 'Adiy had been killed (\Vhen he came to l'vledina the men, said '0 apostle, this is Wal).shi' to s.
at Badr, and when Quraysh set out for Ul;md, Jubayr told me that if I which he replied 'Let him alone for that one man should accept Islam is
killed !:Iamza, Muhammad's uncle, in revenge for his uncle, I should be dearer to me than the killing of a thousand unbelievers.'],
free. So I went out with the army, a young Abyssinian, skilful like my 'Abdullah b. al-Fa<;lI from Sulayman b. Yasiir from 'Abdullah b. 'Umar
countrymen in the use of the javelin-I hardly ever missed anything with b. al-Khattab who was present at Yamama said, I heard someone shouting,
it. When the fight began I went out to look carefully for !:Iamza, until I 'The black slave has killed him' (590).
saw him in the midst of the army, like a great camel, slaying men with his Mu~'ab b. 'Umayr fought in the defence of the apostle until he was
sword, none being able to resist him, and by God, I was getting ready for killed. The one who killed him was Ibn Qami'a al-Laythi, who thought he
him, making towards him and hiding myself behind trees or rocks so that was the apostle, so he returned to the Quraysh and said, 'I have killed
he might come near me, when suddenly Sibil' got to him first, and when Muhammad.' When Mu~'ab was killed the apostle gave the standard to
l;Iamza saw him, he said, "Come here, you son of a female circumciser," 'Ali, and 'Ali and the Muslims fought on (591).
and struck him a blow so swiftly that it seemed to miss his head. I poised Sa'd b. Abu. Waqqii~ killed AbU. Sa'd b. Abu. Tal!)a; 'A~im b. Thiibit b. 567
my javelin until I was sure that it would hit the mark and launched it at Abu'I-Aqla!) fought and killed Musafi' b. Tal!)a and his brother aI-Julas,
him. It pierced the lower part of his body and came out between his legs, shooting both of them with an arrow. Each came to his mother, Sulafa,
and he began to stagger towards me. Then he collapsed, and I left him and laid his head in her lap. She said, 'Who has hurt yo,," my son l'
with the javelin until he died; then I came back and recovered my javelin, and he replied, 'I heard a man saying as he shot me, "I am Ibn Abii'l-
and returned to the camp and stayed there, for I had no further business, Aqla!), take that!''' She swore an oath that if God ever let her get
and my only object in killing him was that I might be freed. When I the head of 'A~im she would drink wine from it. It was 'A~im who had
returned to Mecca I was freed and lived there until the apostle conquered taken God to witness that he would never touch a polytheist or let one
Mecca, when I fled to al-Ta'if, and stayed there for some time. When the touch him.
envoys of Ta'if went out to the apostle to surrender, I was in an impasse 'Uthmiin b. Abu TaI!)a said that day as he was carrying the standard of
and thought that I would go to Syria or the Yaman, or any other country, the polytheists:
and while I was in this anxiety a man said to me, "Good heavens, what is
It is the duty of standardbearers
the matter? He-does not kill anyone who enters his religion and pronounces
To blood their spears until they are broken to pieces.
the shahiida." On hearing this I went out of the town to the apostle at
Medina, and the first thing to surprise him was to see me standing, at his !:Iamza killed him.
head, witnessing to the truth of God and His apostle. When he saw me he I:Ian.~ala b. Abu 'A.mir, the washed one, and Abu Sufyan met in combat,
said, "Is it Wal).shi?" "Yes, 0 apostle of God," I said. He replied, "Sit and when !:Ian,:ala got the better of him, Shaddad b. al-Aswad, who was
566 down and tell me how you killed !:Iamza." So I told him as I have told Ibn Sha'ub, saw that he had beaten Abu Sufyan, and so he struck him and 568
you. When I had finished he said, "Woe to you, hide your face from me killed him. The apostle said, 'Your companion, I:Ian?,:ala, is being \vashed
and never let me see you again." So I used to avoid the apostle wherever by the angels.' They asked his family about his condition, and when his
he was so that he should not see me, until God took him. wife was asked, she said that he had gone out to battle when he heard the
cry while in a state of ritual impurity (592).
I A place in Mecca,
1 Or, perhaps, 'Your feet looked shiny to me', In what respect this person's feet were not I The passage in brackets is taken from Yunus' riwayG. It is cited from Suhayli (ii. 132
normal is not indicated. in W. ii in loco
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 379
The apostle said, 'For this reason the angels washed him.' Shaddad said Had I not brought my horse back there,
about his killing !;lan,,"la: Hyaenas or jackals would have devoured your flesh (594).
I protect my friend and myself AI-I:Hirith b. Hisham, answering Abu Sufyan, said:
\Vith a thrust that pierces like the rays of the sun.
Had you seen what they did at Badr's pool
Abu Sufyan, mentioning his hardihood on that day and the help that Ibn You would have returned with fear in your heart as long as you live;
Sha'ub gave him against I:Ian?ala, said:
(Or you would have been killed and I should have caused
Had I wished it my swift bay could have saved me, 'Veeping women to weep for you,
And I should owe no thanks to Ibn Shaub. And you would not have felt sorrow for the loss of a dear one).
It remained but a stone's throw off I paid them back in kind for Badr
From early morn till set of sun; On a spirited galloping prancing horse (595).
I fought them and cried, 'On, Ghalib!'
I beat them from me with firm strength; Then God sent down His help to the Muslims and fulfilled Hi.
Heed not the remonstrance of others, promise. They slew the enemy with the sword until they cut them off from
Grow not weary of tears and sighs, their camp and there was an obvious rout.
Ya~ya b. 'Abbad b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr from his father from 'Ab- 570
Weep for thy father and his brothers who have passed away,
Their fate deserves thy tears; dullah b. al-Zubyr from Zubayr said: I found myself looking at the anklets
My former sorrow is relieved of Hind d. 'Utba and her companions, tucking up their garments as they
Because I killed the best men of Najjar, fled. There was nothing at all to prevent anyone seizing' them when the
And Hashim's noble stallion and Mu~'ab archers turned aside to the camp when the enemy had been cut off from it
\Vho was not cowardly in war. (1'. making for the spoil). Thus they opened our rear to the cavalry and
Had I not slaked my vengeance on them, we were attacked from behind. Someone called out 'Ha, Muhammad has
My heart had been seared and scarred. been killed.' We turned back and the enemy turned back on us after we
569 They retired their (Meccan) vagabonds dead' had killed the standardbearers so that none of the enemy could come near
Thrust through, bleeding, prostrate. 2 it (596).
Those not their eguals in blood smote them A traditionist told me that the standard lay on the ground until 'Amra
And those who were beneath them in rank (593).' the !;larithite d. 'Algama took it up and raised it aloft for Quraysh so that
they gathered round it. It had been \vith $u'ab, a slave of B. Abii Tal~a,
Ibn Sha'ub, mentioning the way he helped Abu Sufyan and defended him, an Abyssinian. He \vas the last of them to take it. He fought until his
said: hands were cut off; then he knelt upon it and held the flag bet\veen his
Had I not been there and defended you, Ibn !;larb, breast and throat until he was killed over it, saying the while '0 God, have
You would have been left speechless for ever at the mountain foot. I done my duty I" He could not pronounce the dhdl.
!;lassan b. Thiibit said about that:
I Jaldbib is said to mean 'leather aprons or coverings', as though it were the plural of
jilbdb. Though Meccans exported leather, that can hard~y have been matter for reproach You boasted of your flag, the worst (ground for) boasting
because leather was sent to the Negus as a gift known to be highly prized in Abyssinia.
Moreover, why should Abu S.ufyan reproach his fellow townsmen for wearing garments Is a flag handed over to 9u'ab.
which rresumably differed in no way from those worn by other Meccans? It is clear that You have made a slave your boast,
the word is an insult, and the question is why? I;Iassan's poem (W. 738, Diwdn exl) attacking The most miserable creature that walks the earth.
the muhdjirs begins:
The ]aIabib have become powerful and numerous You supposed (and only a fool so thinks,
and I. Salul (\V. 726) uses the same words to express his anger and dislike of the emigrants. For it is anything but the truth)
Therefore it seems that the origin of the insult is to be sought in jalab 'a thing driven or That fighting us the day we met
brought from one town to another' and/or jalib 'an imported slave'; and so some such word
as 'vagabonds' is as near as one can get to the meaning. See \"1. Arafat, The Poems ascribed ",ras like your selling red leather sacks in I'v1ccca.
to I:Iamin ibn Thdbit, 146, where he adopts the rendering 'tramps'. It gladdened the eye to see his hands reddened,
: Reading kabibu. Though they were not reddened by dye (597).
J The meaning would appear to be that the muhdjirs were killed by negroes and brigand
mercenaries, though there may be a reference to the killing of I;Iarnza by Vla!;lshi.
I Lit. 'Am I excused:'
The Life of Muhammad The Ltfe of Muhammad
57 I I:Iassan also said about'Amra and her raising the scandard: Abu Dujana made his body a shield for the apostle. Arrows were falling
When 'A<)al were driven to us on his back as he leaned over him, until there were many stuck in it. Sa'd
They were like fawns of Shirk' b. AbU Waqqa~ shot his arrows in defence of the apostle. He said, 'I have
With strongly marked eyebrows. seen him handing me the arrows as he said "Shoot, may my father and my
We attacked them thrusting, slaying, chastising, mother be your ransom" until he would even hand me an arrow that had
Driving them before us with blows on every side. no head, saying" Shoot with that".'
Had not the !:farithite woman seized their standard 'A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada said that the apostle went on shooting from
They would have been sold in the markets like chattels. his bow until the bottom of it broke. Qatada b. al-Nu'man took it and kept
it. That day his eye was so injured that it lay exposed upon his cheek. 574
The Muslims were put to flight and the enemy slew many of them. It 'A~im told me that the apostle restored it to its place with his hand and it
was a day. of trial and testing in which God honoured several ,,,,ith martyr- became his best and keenest eye afterwards.
dom, untIl the enemy got at the apostle who was hit with a stone so that AI-Qiisim b. 'Abdu'I-Ral;1man b. Rafi', brother of the B. 'Adiy b. al-
he fell on his side and one of his teeth was smashed, his face scored and his Najjar, told me that Anas b. al-Nadr, uncle of Anas b. Malik, came to
lip injured. The man who wounded him was 'Utba b. Abu Waq~a~. 'Umar b. al-Khallab and Tall;1a b. 'Ubaydullah with men of the Muha-
I;lumayd aI-Tawil told me from Anas b. Malik: The prophet's incisor jirun and An:?ar who were dejected. He said, 'What makes you sit there?'
was broken onthe day of UJ:md and his face was scored. The blood began They said, 'The apostle has been killed.' He answered, 'Then what will
to run down hIS face and he began to wipe it away, saying the while, 'How you do with life henceforth? Get up and die in the way that the apostle
can a people prosper who have stained their prophet's face with blood while has died.' Then he went towards the enemy and fought until he was
~e summoned t.hem to their Lord?' So God revealed concerning that: 'It slain. Anas b. l\1aJik \vas named after him.
IS not your affair whether He relents to\vards them or punishes them, for J:Iumayd aI-Tawil told me from Anas, 'We found seventy cuts (T. and
they are wrongdoers" (598). thrusts) in Anas b. al-Na4r that day and no one recognized him except his
572 I;lassan b. Thabit said of 'Utba: sister, who knew him by the tips of his fingers (601).'
When God recompenses a people for their deeds The first man to recognize the apostle after the rout when men were
And the Ral;1man punishes them' saying 'The apostle has been killed' was Kab b. Malik, according to what
May my Lord disgrace you, 'Utayba b. Malik, al-Zuhri told me. Ka'b said, 'I recognized his eyes gleaming from beneath
And bring you a deadly punishment before you die. his helmet, and I called out at the top of my voice "Take heart, you Mus-
lims, this is the apostle of God," but the apostle signed to me to be silent.'
You stretched ~ut your hand with evil intent against the prophet,
You blooded hIS mouth. May your hand be cut off! When the Muslims recognized the apostle they took him up towards the
Did you forget God and the place you will go to glen. He was accompanied by Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Ali, Tal\la, al-Zubayr,
When the final misfortune overtakes you! (599). and al-I;larith b. "I-;3imma and others. When the apostle climbed up the 575
glen Ubayy b. Khalaf overtook him, saying, 'Where is Muhammad? Let
According to what al-I;lu~ayn b. 'Abdu'I-Ral;1man b. 'Amr b. Sa'd b. me not escape if you escape.' The people said' Shall one of us go for him ?'
Mu'adh told me on the authority of Mal;1mud b: 'Amr, when the enemy The apostle said, 'Let him alone,' and when he came near he took a lance
hemmed him in, the apostle said: 'Who will sell his life for us ?' and Ziyad b. from al-l:Iarith. (I have been told that some people say that when the
al-Sakan WIth five of the An~ar arose. (Others say it was 'Umara b. Yazid apostle took it from him he shook himself free from us so that we flew off
b. al-Sakan.) They fought in defence of the apostle man after man all from him as stinging flies fly off a camel's back when it shakes itself (602).)
being ki:led until only Ziyad (or 'Umara) was left fighting until he 'was Then, turning to face him, he thrust him in the neck so that he swayed
disabled. At that point a number of the Muslims returned and drove the and fell from his horse (603). Now Ubayy, according to what i;3alil;1 b.
573 enemy away from him. The apostle ordered them to bring him to him Ibrahim b. 'Abdu'I-Ral;1man b. 'Auf told me, when he used to meet the
and made his foot a support for his head and he died with his face on the .apostle in Mecca, would say, '1\fuhammad, I have got a horse called 'Aud
apostle's foot (600). which I feed every day on many measures of corn. I shall kill you when
lam riding it.' The apostle answered, 'No, I shall kill you, if God \vills.'
I A:~h. gives :he fonns Shurk and Shirk. Yiiqut gives Shark as the name of a place in
Now when he returned to Quraysh he had a slight scratch on his neck,
the I.:IJ~Z and Shirk as the name of a waterhole on the other side of the mountain of a1-
Q~na~ In Asad territory. 'Adal is a tribe of Khuzayma. which did not even bleed. He said, 'By God! Muhammad has killed me.'
Sura 3 123. J Reading war;larrahum with C. 'I'peyanswered, 'B;,:,._God! You have lost heart. You are not hurt.' lIe
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 383
answered, 'He said to me in Mecca that he would kill me, and, by God) if and a number of emigrants fought until they drove them down the
he had spat on me he would have killed me.' The enemy of God died in mountain.
Sarif as they were taking him back to Mecca. The apostle made for a rock on the mountain to climb it. He had become
In reference to that Bassan b. Thabit said; heavy by reason of his age, and moreover he had put on t\VQ coats of mail,
so when he tried to get up he could not do so. Tall;ta b. 'Ubaydullah 577
Ubayy showed the disbelief inherited from his father
squatted beneath him and lifted him up until he settled comfortably upon it.
The day the apostle met him in battle.
Yal;tya b. 'Abbad b. 'Abdullab b. al-Zubayr from his father from 'Abdul-
You came to him carrying a mouldering bone
lah b. al-Zubayr from al-Zubayr said: 'That day I heard the apostle saying
And threatened him, ignorant of his office.
"Tall;ta earned paradise when he did what he did for the apostle (606).'"
Banu'l-Najjar killed Umayya from among you
The army had fled away from the apostle until some of them went as far
When he called on 'Aqil for help.
as al-Munaqqa near al-A'wae.' 'Aeim b. 'Umar b. Qatada from Mahmud
Rab;'a's two sons perished when they obeyed Abu Jab!.
b. Labid told me that when the apostle went out to Ul;tud Busayl b. Jabir,
Their mother became childless.
who was al-Yaman Abu I;ludhayfa b. al-Yaman, and Thabit b. Waqsh
I:Iarith escaped when we were busy taking prisoners.
were sent up into the forts with the women and children. They \vere both
To capture him was not worth while (60+).'
old men and one said to the other, '\Vhat are you waiting for, confound
Bassan b. Thabit also said: you? Neither of us will live much longcr. 2 '~le are certain to die today or
tomorrow, so let us take OUf swords and join the apostle. Perhaps God will
Who will give a message from me to Ubayy?
grant us martyrdom with him.' So they took their swords and sallied out
You have been cast into the nethermost hell;
unti.! they mingled with the army. No one knew anything about them.
Long have you pursued error,
Thabit waS killed by the polytheists and ~Iusayl by the swords of the Mus-
Sworn vows that you would win.
lims, who killed him without recognizing him. Budhayfa said, 'It is my
Long have you indulged in such hopes,
father.' They said, 'By God, we did not know him,' and they spoke the
But unbelief leads to disappointment.
truth. I:Iudhayfa said.. 'May God forgive you, for He is most compassion-
A thrust from an angry warrior found you ate.' The apostle wanted to pay his blood-money, but Budhayfa gave it
One of a noble house, no miscreant.
as alms to the Muslims and that increased his favour \\'ith the apostle.
\Vho surpasses all other creatures
'A~im also told me that a man called Bii!ib b. Umayya b. Rafi', who had 578
When misfortunes befall.
a.son called Yazid, was grievously wounded at Ul)ud and was brought to
When the apostle reached the mouth of the glen 'Ali came out and filled hiS people's settlement at the point of death. Hi3 kinsmen gathered round
his shield with water from al-Mihras 2 and brought it to the apostle, who and the ~en and women began to say to him, 'Good news of the garden
refused to drink it because its evil smell repelled him. However, he used (of paradIse), a son of Batib.' Now Batib was an old man who had lived
the \vatcr to \-vash the blood from his face and as he poured it over his head ~ong in the heathen period ~nd ~is hypocrisy appeared then, for he said,
he said: 'The wrath of God is fierce against him who blooded the face of What good news do you give him? Of a garden of rue?3 By God, you
His prophet.' have robbed this man of his life by your deception (and brought great
Salil;t b. Kaysan told me from an informant who got it from Sa'd b. Abii SOfroW on me.' Tab.).

Waqqfu? that the latter used to say: II was never more eager to kill anyone :~~im told me: 'There was a man among us, a stranger of unknown
than I was to kill 'Utba b. Abii Waqqa~; he was, as I know, of evil character ongm called Quzmiin. The apostle used to say when he was mentioned
and hateu among his people. It was enough for me (to hate him) that the' ':He bdongs to the people of hell." On the day of Ul;tuu he fought fiereel;
apostle should say, "The wrath of God is fierce against him who blooded and hlled seven or eIght polytheists single-handed, he being a stout
the face of His prophet".' warnor. He was disabled by wounds and carried to the quarter of B.
While the apostle was in the glen with a number of his companions Zafar. The Muslims began to say to him, "You have done gallantly, Quz-
suddenly a troop of Quraysh came up the mountain (605). The apostle man, be of good cheer!" "Why should I," he said, "I only fought for the
said, '0 God, it is not fitting that they should be above us,' so fUmar honour of my people; but for thqt I should not have fought." And when

1 Reading asratuhu for usratuhu (so Dr. Arafat). ; A place near Medin~,. . 2 Only as long :IS a donkey's drink.

2 According to some commentators this is the name of a \-vell at Ubud. The word itself The dead were buned wlth rue at their feet at this time. See Waqidi, B.M. MS. A.
can mean a stone trough beside a well. 20737, fol. 63a.
384 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 385
the pain of his wounds became unbearable he took an arrow from his him what had brought him, whether it was concern for his people or good-
quiver, (T. cut the veins of his wrist, and bled to death. When the apostle will towards Islam. He replied that it was the latter. 'I believed in God
was told ~f this he said "I testify that I am truly God's apostle")." and His apostle and became a Muslim. Then I took my sword and fought
Among those killed at UI;lUd was (To the Jew) Mukhayriq who was one with the apostle until I met the fate you see.' Soon afterwards he died in
of the B. Tha'laba b. al-Filyiin. On that day he addressed the Jews saymg: their hands. When they mentioned him to the apostle he said, 'Verily, he
'You know that it is your duty to help Muhammad,' and when they replied belongs to the people of paradise.'
that it was the Sabbath day, he said, 'You will have no Sabbath,' and taking My father Is~aq from shaykhs of the B. Salama told me that 'Amr b.
his sword and accoutrements, he said that if he was slain his property was al-Jamul.l was a man \vho was vcry lame. He had four lion-like sons who
to go to Muhammad, who could deal with it as he liked. Then he joined were present at the apostle's battles. On the day of U~ud they wanted to
the apostle and fought with him until he was killed. I have heard that the detain him, saying that God had excused him. He came to the apostle and
apostle said, 'Mukhayriq is the best of the Jews.' . told him that his sons wanted to keep him back and prevent his joining the
Al-I;Hirith b. Suwayd b. i;3funit was a hypocrite. He went out wIth the army, 'Yet by God, I hope to tread the heavenly garden despite my lame-
579
Muslims to Uhud and when the armies met he attacked al-Mujadhdhar b. ness.' The apostle said, 'God has excused you, and Jihtid is not incumbent
Dhiyad al-Bal~wi' and Qays b. Zayd, one of the B. J;>ubay'a, and killed o~ you;' and ~o his.sons he said, 'You need not prevent him; perhaps God
them. Then he joined the Quraysh in Mecca. Now the apostle, as they WIll favour hIm \vIth martyrdom,' so he went along with him and was
say, had ordered 'Umar to kill him if he got the better of hIm, but he killed at U~ud.
escaped him and was in Mecca. Then he sent to his brother al-}ulas deSIr- According to what 9ali~ b. Kays5n told me, Hind d. 'Utba and the
ing forgiveness so that he might return to his people, and God sent down worneI: wit,h her stopped to mutilate the apostle's dead companions. They
concerning him, as I have heard on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas: 'How can cut off theIr ears and noses and Hind made them into anklets and collars
God guide a people who have disbelieved after their belief, and after that and gave her anklets and collars and perIdants to \Va1;Ishi, the slave of
they have testified that the apostle is true and proofs have been gIVen to Jubayr b. IVlufim. She cut out I:Iamza's liver and chewed it, but she \vas
them. God will not guide an evil people" to the end of the passage (607). not able to swallow it and threw it away. I Then she mounted a high rock
Mu'adh b. 'Afra' had kiIled Suwayd b. al-i;3amit treacherously m some and shrieked at the top of her voice:
other battle. He shot him with an arrow and killed him before the day of We have paid you back for Badr
Bu'ath.' And a war that foIlo\'vs a waT is ahvays violent.
Al-!:Iu~ayn b. 'Abdu'l-Ra~man b. 'Amr b. Sad b. Mu'adh from Abu I could not bear the loss of 'Utba
Sufyan client of Ibn Abu A~mad from Abu Hurayra saId that he used t.o
Nor my brother and his uncle and my first-born.
say: 'Tell me about a man who entered paradise neve~ having prayed In hIS
I have slaked my vengeance and fulfilled my vow.
life' and when the people did not know, they asked hIm who It was and he
580 You, 0 vVal;shi, have assuaged the burning in my breast.
said, 'U~ayrim of the B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal, 'Amr b. Thabit b. Waqsh.' Al-
I shall thank Wa~shi as long as I live
!:Iu~ayn asked Ma~mud b. Asad what were the facts of U~aynm, and he Until my bones rot in the grave.
replied that in spite of his people he had refused to accept Islam, but on the
day that the apostle marched out to U~ud he accepted it: He took his Hind d. Uthatha b. 'Abbad b. al-Muttalib answered her:
swor~, plunged into the heart of the battle, and fought u.ntll he wa~ over-
come by wounds. While the B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal were lookmg for theIr dead You were disgraced at Badl' and after Baal',
in the battle suddenly they came upon him and marvelled that he should a daughter of a despicable man, great only in disbelief.
be there when they had left him showing his dislike for Islam. They asked God brought on you in the early da\vn
Tall and white-skinned men from Hashim,
I For the words in brackets LL has merely 'and killed himself with it'. Everyone slashing with his sharp sword:
2Sura 3. 80. / d S d b 1 ~- 't J:lamza my lion and 'Ali my falcon.
3This is a repetition of what 1.1. said on p. 356: Mu'iid~ kille uway . a ~yaml
before Islam. Here he has said that Suwayd's son killed al_MuJadhdhar and Qays trc~cher When Shayba and your father planned to attack me
ously at U1;lud BR he said on p. 356. Both he.re and on p. ~~6 LH. agrees that Suwayd s son
killed al~Mujadhdhar and denies that he killed Qays, glvmg as a proof the fact ~hat 1.1. They reddened their breasts with blood.
does not mention him among those slain at Ul;lUd. ~e fu:ther asserts that al-M.~Jadh~har Your evil vow was the worst of vows (608).
had killed Suwayd before Islam. The emphatic way m which 1.1. states tha~ Mu adh ~I11.ed
him (object before subject) would seem to indicate that 1.1. knew of the nvul story n'llce J This seems to be a survival of prehistoric animism, By devouring an enemy's liver it was
repeated by LH. but stuck to his guns. hoped to absorb his strength. .
B408U cc
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 387
Hind d. 'Utba also said: doin~ ~nd \\'h~t their intentions \verc. If they were leading their horses
I slaked my vengeance on fJamza at Ul,1ud. a~~ rIdIng their camels .t}~ey would be making for lVIecca; but if they were
I split his belly to get at his liver. ~ldmg th~ hO.fses a~? dnvmg the camels they would be making for I\1edina.
This took from me what I had felt By God, saId he, If they make for Medina I will go to them there. Then
Of burning sorrow and exceeding pain. I WIll fight them.' 'Ali said that he followed their tracks and saw what they
War will hit you exceeding hard were dOIng. They werc leadIng theIr horses, riding their camels and going
Coming upon you as lions advance. towards Mecca. (T. The apostle had said 'Whatever they do, keep silent T. '4'9
about It untIl you come to me.' When I saw they had set out for Mecca I
582 Salil,1 b. Kaisan told me that he was told that 'Umar said to l:fassan, '0 came back shoutmg. I could not hide the fact as the apostle had ordered
Ibn al-Furay'a (609), I wish you had heard what Bind said and seen her me ~ecause of my joy at seeing them going to Mecca and thus avoiding
arrogance as she stood upon a rock uttering her taunts against US, remind- Medma.)
ing us of what she had done to Ha.mza.' Hassan replied, 'I was looking at The people searched for their dead, and the apostle said, according to
the lance as it fell, while I was On the top of Fario-meaning his fort-land what MUhan;m.~d b. 'Ahd~'I;Ral,1man b. Abu Sa!a'a al-:\1azini, Mother
I realized that it was not one of the \veapons of the Arabs. It seemed to me of the B. al-Na]J3r told me, \\ ho wIll find out for me what has happened to
as though it was directed at Hamza, but I was not sure. But recite me some Sad b. al-Rab;'? Is he alive or among the dead?' One of the Ansar volun-
of her verse: I will rid you of her.' So 'Umar quoted some of what she teered and. found him lying wounded among the slain, at the point of death.
said and IJassan said: He told hIm that the apostle had ordered him to see if he was alive or
The vile woman was insolent: her habits were vile; among the dead. He said, 'I am among the dead. Convey my greetings to
Seeing that disbelief accompanied her insolence (610). the apostle and say: "Sad says to you 'May God reward you by us better 584
than he has rewarded any prophet by his people,''' and give your people a
Al-l:fulays b. Zabban, brother of the B. al-l:farith b. 'Abdu Manat, who greetIng from me and say "Y?U have no excuse with God if anything has
was then chief of the black troops, passed by Abu Sufyan as he was striking happened, to your p~ophct whIle you can flutter an eyelid,'" and straight-
the side of l:Iarnza's mouth with the point of his spear saying, ITaste that, ,vay he dIed. He saId: 'I came to the apostle and delivered his message'
you rebel.' l:fulays exclaimed, '0 B. Kinana, is this the chief of Quraysh 0I~. '
acting thus with his dead cousin as you see?' He said, 'Confound you. I have been told that the apostle went out seeking I:Iarnza and found him
Keep the matter quiet, for it was a slip.' at the. bottom of the valley ",ith his belly ripped up and his liver missing,
When Abu Sufyan wanted to leave he went to the top of the mountain and hIS nose and ears cut off. Muhammad b. ]a'far b. al-Zubayr told me
and shouted loudly saying, 'You have done a fine work; victory in war goes th~t when he ~aw ~hlS the apostle said: '\Vere it not that $aflya would be
by turns. Today in exchange forthe day (T. of Badr). Show your superior- ~rl1serable an.d It mIght become a custom after me! I ,vauld leave him as he
ity, Bubal,' i.e. vindicate your religion. The apostle told 'Umar to get up IS, so that hIS body might find its way into the bellies of beasts and the
and answer him and say, 'God is most high and most glorious. ",re are not crop,s of bIrds. If,God gives me victory over Quraysh in the future I \vill
equal. Our dead are in paradise; your dead in hell.' At this answer Abu mutIlate ~o of theIr men.' \Vhen the !\Tuslims saw the apostle's grief and
qufyan said to 'Umar, 'Come here to me.' The apostle told him to go and anger ~gamst t~ose who had thus treated his uncle, they said, 'By God, if
sec \vhat he was up to. \Vhcn he came Abu Sufyan said, 'I adjure thee by God grvcs us vIctory over them in the future we will mutilate them as no
God, 'Umar, have we killed Muhammad?' 'By God, you have not, he is Arab has ever mutilated anyone' (61 3).
listening to what you are saying now,' he replied. He said, 'I regard you as Burayda b. Sufyan b. Farwa al-Aslami from Muhammad b. Kab al-
more truthful and reliable than Ibn Qami'a,' referring to the latter's claim Qura~i, and a man T have no reason to suspect from Ibn 'Abbas told me 585
that he had killed Muhammad (6II). that. Go~ ;ent dow~ concerning ~he words of the apostle and his com-
Then Abu Sufyan called out, 'There are some mutilated bodies among pamons L you pumsh, then pumsh as you have been pu.nished. If yOU
your dead. By God, it gives me no satisfaction, and no anger. 1 neither endure patIently that is better fo~ the patient. Endure thou patiently. Thy
prohibited nor ordered mutilation,' 'Vhen Abu Sufyan and his com- endurance IS only 1ll God. Gneve not for them, and be not in distress
panions \vent away he called out, 'Your meeting-place is Badr next year.' at \vhat they plot.'2 So the apostle pardoned them and \vas patient and
The apostle told one of his companions to say, 'Yes, it is an appointment
J This /:Jadith, if it is trustworthy, inJit;atcs that the prophet was a\\"arc that his (~\'ery
between us.' act wO:licl form a ~n~ccdcnt for future generations. Howeycr, it is possible that the four
Then the apostle sent 'Ali to follow the army and see what they were "ords m the Arable text have been added. 2 Sura I6. I27.
388 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 389
forbade mutilation. I;lumayd aI-Tawil from al-I;lasan from Samura b. as though buried but yesterday.) Then the apostle went back on his way
J undub told me: 'The apostle never stopped in a place and left it without to Medina and there met him I;lamna d. Jal,!sh, so I have been told. As she
enjoining on us almsgiving and forbidding mutilation.' met the army she was told of the death of her brother 'Abdullah and she
One whom I do not suspect from Miqsam, a client of 'Abdullah b. al- exclaime~, 'We belong to God and to God we return,' and asked forgive-
I;larith from Ibn 'Abbas, told me that the apostle ordered that I;lamza ness for hIm. Then she was told of the death of her maternal uncle Hamza
should be wrapped in a mantle; then he prayed over him and said 'Allah and uttered the same words. Then she \vas told of the death of h~r hus~
Akbar' seven times. Then the dead were brought and placed beside band MUe'ab b. 'Umayr and she shrieked and wailed. The apostle said:
I:Iarnza and he prayed over them all until he had prayed seventy-two 'The woman's husband holds a special place with her, as you can see from
prayers. her self-control at the death of her brother and uncle and her shrieking
According to what I have been told i?afIya d. 'Abdu'I-Mullalib came over her husband.'
forward to look at him. He was her full-brother and the apostle said to her The apostle passed by one of the settlements of the Ansar of the B.
son, al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam, 'Go to meet her and take her back so that 'Abdu'l-Ashhal and ~afar and he heard the sound of weeping and wailing
she does not see what has happened to her brother.' He said to her, over the dead. The apostle's eyes filled with tears and he wept and said
'Mother, the apostle orders you to go back.' She said, 'Why? I have heard 'But there are no weeping women for I:famza.' \\Then Sa<d b. Mu'iidh and
that my brother has been mutilated and that for God's sake fT. is a small l!sayd b. I:fu~ayr came back to the quarter, they ordered their women to 587
thing]. He has fully reconciled us to what has happened. I will be calm gird themselves and go and weep for the apostle's uncle.
and patient if God will.' When Zubayr returned to the prophet and I;lakim b. I;lakim b. 'Abbad b. I:lunayf from a man of the B. 'Abdu'l-
reported this to him he told him to leave her alone; so she came and looked Ashhal told me: 'When the apostle heard their weeping over I;lamza at the
at I:lamza and prayed over him and said, '\Ve belong to God and to God do door of hIs mosque he said "Go home; may God have mercy on you; you
we return,' and she asked God's forgiveness for him. Thenthe apostle have been a real help by your presence'" (61 4).
ordered that he should be buried. The family of 'Abdullah b. Jal,!sh, who 'Abdu'l-Wal,!id b. Abu 'Aun from Isma'il b. Muhammad from Sa'd b.
was the son of Umayma d. 'Abdu'I-Mullalib, I;lamza being his maternal Abu Waqqae told me that the apostle passed by a woman of the B. Dinar
uncle, and he having been mutilated in the same way as J:Iarnza except that whose husband, brother, and father had been killed at Uhud and when
his liver had not been taken out, asserted that the apostle buried him in she was told of their death she asked what had happened 'to ;he apostle
the same grave with I;lamza; but I heard that story onry from his family. and when they replied that thanks to God he was safe she asked that sh~
Now some Muslims had carried their dead to Medina and buried them might see him for herself. When he was pointed out to 'her she said, 'Every
5 86 there. The apostle forbade this and told them to bury them where they mIsfortune now that you are safe is negligible' (using the word jalal in the
lay. Muhammad b. Muslim al-Zuhri from 'Abdullah b. Tha'laba b. i?u'ayr sense of 'small') (615).
al-'Udhri, an ally of the B. Zuhra, told me that the apostle said when he _When theapo~tl~ rejoined his family he handed his sword to his daughter 588
looked down on the slain at Ul,!ud: 'I testify concerning these that there is FatIma, saY1Og, \\ash the blood from thIS, daughter, for by God it has
none wounded for God's sake but God will raise him on the resurrection served me well today.' 'Ali also handed her his sword and said 'This one
day with his wounds bleeding, the colour that of blood, the smell like too, wash the blood.from it, for by God it has served me well t~day.' The
musk; look for the one who has collected I most of the Quran and put him apostle said, 'If you have fought well, Sahl b. I;lunayf and Abu "Dujana
in front of his companions in the grave.' They were burying two and three fought well with you' (616).
in one grave. The battle was fought on the sabbath in mid-Shawwal" and on the
My uncle Musa b. Yasar told me that he heard Abu Hurayra say: Abu'l- morning of Sunday the 16th of the month the apostle's crie; called to the
Qasim 2 said, 'There is none wounded for God's sake but Gqd ,viII raise m.en to go in pursuit of the enemy and announced that none should go out
him on the resurrection day with his wounds bleeding, the colour that of \\~lt~ us ,unless he h~d been pres_ellt a: t?C battle on the preceding day.
blooe!, tbe smell like musk.' JabIr b. Abdullah b. Amr b.l;laram saId, a apostle of God, mv father left
My father 1sl:>aq b. Yasar told me on the authority of shaykhs of the B. me behind to look aftcr my seven sisters, saying that it was not ~ight for us
Salama that when the apostle ordered the dead to be buried he said, 'Look both to leave the. \vomc~ with?ut a man and that he was not one to give me
out for 'Amr b. aI-Jamul,! and 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. I;laram; they were the precedence 10 fight10g WIth the apostle. So I stayed behind to look
close friends in this world, so put them in one grave.' (T. ~rhen Mu'awiya a~ter them.' The apostle gave him permission to go and he went out with
dug the canal and they were exhumed they were as free from rigor mortis hIm. The apostle merely marched out as a demonstration against the
I i.e. learned. Z i.e. Muhammad. I In \V. this sentence is ascribed to I.H. Tab. supports C. Cf. p. Q 2 7.
The Life of lJfuhammad
390 The Life of Muhammad
I continued to run, thinking the very earth was moving.
enemy to let them know that he was pursuing them so that they might \Vhen they came up with the prince who never lacks support
think he was in strength, and that their losses had not we~kened them. I said, 'Alas for Ibn .f:Iarb when he meets you
'Abdullah b. Kharija b. Zayd b. Thiibit from Abu'I;Sa'lb, a freed slave \Vhen the plain is surging with men.'
of 'A'isha d. 'Uthman, told me that one of the apostle S c,ompamons from I warn the people of the sanctuary plainly
589 the B 'Abdu'I-Ashhal who had been present at Ul,lud saId, I and one of Every prudent and sensible man among them
my b;others were present at U1)ud and we came back wounded. ':Vhen the Of Al].mad's army-no poltroons his riders
apostle's crier announced that we must pursue the enemy, I sa~~ to ~y And the \varning I give is true.
brother or he said to me, 'Are we going to stay away from an exp~dltlOnwlth
the apostle? \Ve have no beast to ride and are severely wounded. However) These words turned back Abu Sufyan and his foHO\.vers.
we marched out with the apostle and since my wound was less severe, when Some riders from 'Abdu'l-Qays passed him and he learned that they
he was enfeebled I put him on the beast for a time and we, walked and rod,e were going to Medina for provisions. He said, '\Vill you take a message to
turn and turn about until we came up to where the Mush~s had. halted. Muhammad for me? And I will load these camels of yours tomorrow with
The apostle went as far as J:lamrifu'l-Asad, about eIght mIles from raisins in Ukaz, when you arrive there.' They agreed, and he said, 'Then
Medina ( 61 7). He stayed the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and when you come to him tell him that we have resolved to come to him and
then returned to l\1edina. his companions to exterminate them.' The riders passed by the apostle
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that Ma'bad b. Abu Ma'bad al-Khuzii'i when he was in I:Iamra'u'I-Asad and told him of what Abu Sufyan had said
passed by him. The Khuza'a, both their :YIuslims and polytheIsts, were and he exclaimed, 'God is our sufficiency, the best in whom to trust (618).'
confidants of the apostle in Tihama, they havmg agreed that they would Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri told me that when the apostle came to lVIedina 59'
not conceal from him anything that happened there. Now a.t thIS tIme 'Abdullah b. Ubayy b. SaWl who had a place which he used to occupy
Ma'bad was a polytheist and he said, 'Muhamma?, we are dlstr~ssed at every Friday without opposition out of respect for him personally and his
what has happened to you: [To with your compamons] and we WIsh that people, he being a chief, got up \vhen the apostle sat on the Friday address-
God would preserve you among them.' Then he went out whd~ the apost~~ ing the people and \voldd say, '0 people, this is God's apostle among you.
was in Hamra'u'l-Asad until he met Abu Sufyan and hIs men In al-Rau1)a God has honoured and exalted you by him, so help him and strengthen
when they had determined to come back t~ the apost~e and hi~ companions. him; listen to his commands and obey them.' Then he used to sit dO\vn
They said, '\Ve have killed the best of hiS compamons, thel~ leaders an~ until when he aeted as he did on the day of ul;ud and came back \\-ilh his
their. nobles. Shall we then go back before we have extermmated them. men, he got up to do as he was wont and the :!\-Tuslims took hold of his
Let us return to the survivors and make an end of them.' When Abu garments and said, 'Sit down, you enemy of God. You are not worthy of 59Z
Sufyan saw Ma'bad he said, '\\That is the news?' H~ replied, 'Muham~ad that, having behaved as you did.' So he went out stepping over the necks
has come out with his companions to pursue you WIth an army whose ltke of the men and saying, 'One would think I had said something dreadful in
I have never seen, burning with anger against you. Those who stayed getting up to strengthen his case.' One of the An.'?ar mct him at the door
behind when you fought them have joined him; they are sorry for what of the mosque and asked him what was the matter. He said, 'I got up to
they did and are violently enraged against you. N e~er ~ave I seen anyt~mg strengthen his case \vhen some of his companions leapt upon me and
like it.' He said, 'Confound you, what are you saymg? He answered, By dragged me along with violence. One viQuld think that I had said some-
59 God I do not think that you will move off before you see the forelocks of thing dreadful.' He ans\vered, 'Go back and let the apostle ask forgiYeness
the ~avalry.' He replied, 'But we have determined to attac~ the~ to for you.' He said, 'By God, I do not \vant him to.'
exterminate their survivors.' 'He answered, 'But I would adVIse agamst The day of Ul;ud was a day of trial, calamity, and heart-searching on
that. \Vhat I saw induced me to utter some verses about them.' When he which God tested the believers and put the hypocrites on trial, those who
asked what they were, he recited: professed faith \vith their tongue and hid unbelief in their hearts; and a day
My mount almost fen with fright at the clamour in which God honoured with martyrdom those whom he willed.
When the ground flowed with troops of horse
Hastening with noble lion-like warriors
PASSAGES IN THE QURAN WHICH DEAL WITH GI:IGD
Eager for the fray; firm in the saddle;' fully armed.
T 1429
I Mil is the pI. of amyal 'not fully armed'. It also means 'unsteady in the saddle:' a Abu Muhammad 'Abdu'l-Malik b. Hisham told us from Ziyad b. 'Abdul-
meaning supported by T.'s khurq. However, the first is a cliche among the poet~ and is a lah al-Bakka'i from lVIuhammad b. Isl,laq al-Mugalibi: There are sixty
synonym of rna cizil. the word that follows it.
392 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 393
verses in 'The Family of Imran'I which God sent down concerning the in my mercy, for if I wish I shall do so; or I shall punish them for their
day of UI:lUd in which there is a description of what happened on that day sms for that is my prerogative; 'for they are evil-doers,' i.e. they have
and the blame of those who merited His rebuke. deserved that for their disobedience to l\fe. 'And God is forgiving, merci-
God said to His prophet: 'And when you went forth early from your ful,' i.e. He forgives sins and has mercy on His slaves according tal what is
family you assigned to the believers positions for the fighting, God hearing in them.
(and) knowing' (619). 'Hearing' what you said; 'knowing' about what you Then,He said: '0 ye who believe, Take not' usury, doubling and quad- 595
were concealing. fuplmg, I.e. Do not devour In Islam, to whIch God has now guided you,
'When two parties of you thought they would fail,' i.e. of deserting; and what you used to devour when you followed another religion; such is not
the two parties were the B. Salima b. Iusham b. al-Khazraj and the B. permit~e~l to you in yo~r religion. 'And fear God, haply you may be pros-
I:Iilritha b. al-Nabit of al-Aus, they being the two wings. perou~ , l.e. So obey God, perhaps you may escape from His punishment
593 God said: 'And God was their friend,' i.e. God protected them from the of whIch He has 'Yarned you, and attain His re,vard which He has made
cowardice they meditated because it was only the result of weakness and yo~ desire. 'And fear the fire which is prepared for the disbelievers,' i.e.
feebleness which overcame them, not doubt in their religion, so He thrust whIch has been made a dwelling for those who disbelieve in Me.
that from them in His mercy and pardon so that they were saved from Then He said: 'And obey God and the apostle, haply you will attain
their weakness and feebleness and stuck to their prophet (620). mercy' reproaching those \vho disobeyed the apostle in the orders he gave
God said: 'Upon God let the believers rely,' i.e. the believer who is them that day and at other times. Then He said; 'And vie ,vith one
weak let him rely on Me and ask My help. I will help him in his affair and another for forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the
protect him until I bring him to his appointed time of life and ward off evil heavens and the earth prepared for those who fear (God),' i.e. a dwelling
from him and strengthen him in his purpose. for those who obey Me and obey My apostle. 'Those who spend (their
'God helped you at Badr when you were contemptible, so fear God that money) in ease and adversity and ,vho control their wrath and are forgiVing
you may be thankful,' i.e. fear Me, for that is gratitude for My kind.ness,. to men, for God loves those who do well,' i.e. that is ,veIl doing and I love
'God helped you at Badr' when your numbers and strength \vere mfenor those who act thus. 'And those who when they act unseemly or wrong
'when thou didst say to the believers: "Is it not enough for you that your themselves, remember God and ask forgiveness for their sins~and ,vho
Lord reinforced you with three thousand angels sent down? Nay, if you !org.ivcs sins but God ?-and have not persisted in their actions knowingly,'
are steadfast and fear God and they come on you suddenly your Lord will I.e. If they have acted unseemly or wronged themselves by disobedience,
reinforce you with five thousand angels eIearlymarkcd,'" i.e. if you are stead- they remember God's prohibition and what He has declared evil and ask
fast against My enemy and obey My command and they come on you reck- forgiveness, knowing that none can forgive sins but He. 'And have not
lessly I will reinforce you with five thousand angels clearly marked (621). persisted in their actions knowingly,' i.e. have not continued to disobey Me
59+ 'God did this only as good news for you that your hearts mIght be at like those who associate others with IVIe in the extravagance of thei; dis-
rest therein. Victory comes only from God, the Mighty the 'Vise/ i.e. I belief while they know that I have prohibited the worship of any but
mentioned the armies of My angels only as good news for you and that Myself. 'The reward of such is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens
your hearts might be at rest therein, because I know your weakness and beneath which run rivers, in which they wiII abide for ever-a fine reward
victory comes only from rvIe because of My sovereignty and power for the for workers,' i.e. the reward of the obedient.
reason that power and authority belong to Me, not to anyone of my .Then He mentioned the catastrophe which befell them and the mis-
creatures. fortune whieh came upon them and the trial (of the faith) that was in them
Then He said: 'that He may cut off a part of those who disbelieve or and His. choice of martyrs from among them, and He said comforting them
overtur~ them so that they retire disappointed,' i.e. to cut off a part of the and tellmg them of what they had done and what He was about to do with
polytheists in a fight in which He will take vengeance on them or drive them: 'Examples have been made before your time, so go through the land
them back in chagrin, i.e. that those who survive may retreat as frustrated :m d see the nature of the punishment of those who called (apostles) liars,'
fugitives having achieved nothing that they hoped to attain (622). I.e. venge~ncc came fro:n me upon those who gave the lie to 1\'1y apostles
Then He said to Muhammad the apostle of God: 'It is not your affair and assoclated others ,vlth l\fe (such as) 'Ad and Thamiid and the people
whether He changes His attitude to them or punishes them, for theyare of Lot and the men of l\fidian and they saw \vhat I did to them and to those 596
evil doers,' i.e. you have no concern with My judgement of My slaves except in like case with them, for I was forh~aring to them purely for the reason
in so far as I give you orders concerning them or I change towards them that they should not think that My vengeance \vas cut otI from your enemy
1 Siira 3. 117 f. Or, 'in spite of'. v.
I 2 12 5, lit. 'devour not'.
394 The Llfe of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 395
and mine in the time in which I let tbem get the better of you to test you from Me to you that he would die and leave you? 'And he who so turns
thereby to show you your true selves. back,' i.e. turns back from his religion 'will not harm God at all,' i.e. he
Then He said: 'This is a plain statement to men and guidance and will not diminish His glory and kingdom and sovereignty and pO'ver.
admonition to those that fear God,' i.e. this is an explanation to men if they . 'And God will reward the thankful,' i.e. those who obey Him and do what
receive guidance; 'and guidance and admonition,' i.e. a light and discipline He has commanded.
'to those \\'ho fear/ i.e. to those who obey lyle and know 1\ly command- 'And no soul can die but by God's permission in a term that is \vritten '
ment; 'and do not \vax faint or be sad,' i.e. do not become weak and despair i.e. Muhammad has a fixed time which he will attain and when God giv;s
at what has befallen you 'you being the superiors,' i.e. you will have the permission in regard to that it will happen. 'And he who desires the reward
victory 'if you believe,' i.e. if you had believed in what 2\1y prophet of this \vorld \Ve will give him it; and he who desires the reward of the
brought from Me. 'If you have received a shOCk the (Meccan) army next world We will grve him it and We shall reward the thankful,' i.e. he
received a shock likewise/ i.e. \vGunds like yours. 'These are days which of you who desires this world having no desire for the next \Ve will give
\V!.:' alternate among men,' i.e. we change them among men for trial and him his allotted portion of sustenance and nothing more and he has no
search; 'and that God may know those \vho believe and may choose share in the next world; and he who desires the reward of the next world
martyrs from among you, and God loves not wrongdoers,' i.e. to distinguish \Ve will give him what he has been promised together with his reward of
between believers and hypocrites and to honour some of the faithful with sustenance in this world. That is the reward of the thankful, i.e. the pious.
martyrdqm. 'And God loves not wrongdoers,' i.e. the hypocrites who pro- Then He said: 'And with how many a prophet have myriacls been slain
fess obedience \\:ith their tongues while their hearts ar~ firm in dis- and they ,vaxed not faint at what befell them in the way of God and were
obedience; 'and that God may try those who believe,' i.e. put to the test not weak nor humiliated for God loves the steadfast ,., i.e. how many a
those who believe, so that He may purify them by the misfortune which prophet has death (in battle) befallen and many myriads with him, i.e. a
came upon them, and thcir constancy and certainty; 'and confound the multitude, and they ,vaxed not faint at the loss of their prophet nor showed
disbelievers,' i.e. bring to naught what the hypocrites say \vith their tongues weaknes~ towards their enemies and were not humiliated when they
that is not in their hearts until He brings to light their disbelief which they suffered m the fight for God and their religion. That is steadfastness and
are concealing. God loves the steadfast. 'All that they said ,vas, Forgive us our sins, 0
Then He said: 'Or do you think that you will enter the garden when Lord, and our wasted effort in our affair; make our feet firm and give' us
God does not yet know those of you who are energetic and steadfast 2' i.e. the victory over a disbelieving people' (623), i.e. say what they said and
Do you think that you ,viII enter the garden and receive the honour of 1\ly know that that is for your sins, and ask His forgiveness as they did, and
re\vard when I have not tested you \vith hardship and tried you with mis- practise your religion as they did, and be no renegades turning back on your
fortune so that I may knO'v your loyalty by faith in l\le ,and stcaJfastness heels; and ask Him to make your feet firm as they did; and ask His help
in ","hat has befallen you through Me? 'And you used to wish' for martyr- as they did against a disbelieving people. For all that they said actually
dom v"hen you were in the ,vay of truth before you met your enemy. He happened and their prophet was killed, yet they did not do what vou did.
597 means those \vho urged the apostle to take them out against their enemy So God gave them the reward of this world by victory over their en~mY and
because they had not been present at the battle of Badr before that and a fine reward in the hereafter \vith what He had promised therein, for~ God
longing for the martyrdom which they had escaped there. He said: 'And loves those who do well.
you used to wish for death before you met it.' He says: 'Ko'v you have '0 you who believe, if you obey those who disbelieve they will turn you
seen it with your eyes!' i.e. death by swords in the handS of men \vith b~ck on yo~r heels and you wiII return as losers,' i.e. from your enemy, and
nothing between you and them ",,'hile you looked on. Then He kept them wIll lose thIS world. and the next. 'But God is your protector and He is the
back from you. 'And i\'1uhammad is nothing but an apostle; apostles have best of helpers.' If what you say ,vith your tongues is true in your hearts
passed away hefore him. \Vill it be that if he dies or is killed you will turn then hold fast to Him and ask victory only of Him and do not turn back
back on your heels? He who so turns back will not harm God at all, and withdrawing from His religion. '"re ,vill cast terror into the hearts of thos~
God \vill reward the thankful' in reference to the men saying 'l\1uhammad who disbelieve,' i.e. that by which I was helping you against them because 599
has been killed' and their flight thereat and breaking a\vay from their they associated with Me that for \vhich I gave them no \varrant; i.e. do not
enemy. '\Vill it be if he dies or is killed' you \vill go back from your religion think that they will have the final victory over you, while you hold fast to
disbelievers as you once were and abandon the fight with your enemy, and Me and foHow My commandment, because of the disaster which befell
God's book, and what His prophet will have left behind of his religion with you through si~s \:hich ~ou committed whereby you went against l\1y
you and in your possession when he has explained to you what he brought commandment In dIsobedience and also disobeyed the prophet. 'God ful-
396 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 397
filled His promise when you routed them by His leave until you failed and about God thoughts of heathen days, saying, Have we anything to do with
disagreed about the order and were disobedient after He had shown you the matter l' Say, the whole matter belongs to God. They hide in them-
what you were desiring. Some of you desired this world and some desired selves what they do not reveal to thee. They say, If we had had anything
the hereafter. Then He made you flee from them that He might try you. to do with the matter we should not have been killed here. Say: Had you
Yet He forgave you, for God is full of kindness to the believers,' i.e. I beeni n your houses, those whose slaying has been \vritten would have gone
carried out 1\1y promise to give you victory over your enemy when you forth to the places where they were to lie. (This has happened) that God 6o,
routed them with the sword, i.e. killing them by l\ly permission and My might test what is in your breasts and prove what is in your hearts, for God
giving you power over them and keeping them from you (624)' 'Lntil you knows about what is in the breasts.' God sent dO\vn sleep in security upon
failed,' i.e. deserted and disagreed about the order; i.e. you disputed about the people who were confident in Him and they slept unafraid; while the
My order, i.e. you abandoned the order of your prophet and what he had hypocrites whose thoughts troubled them, thinking \vrongly about God
told you to do, meaning the archers. 'After He had shown you what .You thoughts of heathen days, were afraid of death because they had no hope
were desiring,' i.e. victory about which there was no doubt and the flIght in the final result. God mentioned their recriminations and sorrow at what
of the (Meccan) army from their wives and property. 'Some of you desired befell them. Then He said to His prophet, 'Say "Had you been in your
this world,' i.e. those who desired the spoil in this world and abandoned houses,'" you would not have been in this place in which God has made plain
their orders which carried the reward of the hereafter; 'and some of you your secret thoughts 'those whose slaying has been written would have
desired the hereafter" i.e. those who fought for God's sake and did not gone forth to the places where they were to lie' to some other place where
transgress in going after what they had been forbidden for an ~cci?entI of they would have been slain so that He might test what ,vas in their breasts
this world out of desire for it, hoping for the fine re\vard that IS wIth God 'and prove what was in their hearts, for God knows what is in the breasts,
J

600 hereafter; i.e. those who fought for religion and did hot transgress in going i.e. what is in their breasts which they try to conceal from you is not hidden
after what they had been forbidden for an accident' of this world. 'To try from Him.
you' for some of your sins. God pardoned the great sin in that He did not Then He said: '0 you who believe, be not like those who disbelieved
destroy you for having disobeyed your prophet. But I restored My kmdness and said of their brethren who journeyed through the land or were raiding
to you. 'And thus God favours the believers.' He ~~mshed some ~lllS at "Had they been with us, they would not have died or been killed that God
once in this world by way of discipline and admOnItIOn, but He dId r:ot may m~ke that sorrow in their hearts. God gives life and causes death and
exterminate all for the debt they owed Him because they suffered for dIS- God is a seer of what you do,'" i.e. be not like the hypocrites who forbid
obeying Him, out of mercy to them and as a reward for such faith as they had. their brethren to war for God's sake and to travel through the land in
Then He reproached them for running away from. their prophet a~d obedience to God and His apostle and say when they die or are killed,
paying no heed when he called to them: 'When you chmbed up and pald 'Had they obeyed us, they would not have died or been killed.' 'That God
no heed to anyone while the apostle was callmg behmd you, He rewarded may make that sorrow in their heart' because of their lack of certainty in
you with grief for grief, that you might not be sad for what you missed and their Lord. 'God gives life and causes death,' i.e. their earthly stay is
for what befell you,' i.e. grief after grief by the kl1hng of some of your shortened or prolonged by His power as He wishes. Then God said: 'If
brethren and your enemy getting the better of you, and what you felt wh~n you are slain for God's sake or die, pardon from God and mercy are better
someone said your prophet had been killed. That was what brought gnef than what you amass,' i.e. there is no escape from death, so death for God's
for grief to you sO that you might not be sad over the victory you had sake or death in battle is better even if they had known and been certain
missed after you had seen him \vith your O\vn eyes, nor over the death of of what they would amass from the world for which they hold back from
your brethren until I gave you ease of that sorro\\'. 'And God is .inforn: ed fighting in fear of death and battle because of what they have amassed
of what vou do.' God comforted them from the sorrow and gnef WhlCh from the splendour of this world, not desiring the hereafter. 'If you die or
they suffered in rebutting the lie of Satan that their prophet had been are slain,' whichever it may be, 'surely to God will you be gathered,' i.e. to
killed' and \vhen thev sa",' the apostle alive among them what they had God you must return. Let not the world deceive you and be not deceived
missed from the Mec;ans after the victory over them and their disaster in by it. Let fighting and the reward which God holds out to you have more
the loss of their brethren became easy to bear when God had turned death weight with you than that.
aside from their prophet. Then he said: 'It was by the mercy of God that thou wast lenientto them.
'Then after grief He sent down safety for you, as a sleep. It came up?n Hadst thou been stern and rough, they would have dispersed and been no 60z
a party of you \vhile another party were troubled in mind thinking wrongly longer round thee,' i.e. they would have left you. 'So forgive them,' i.e.
I A transitory and adventitious advantage. l Or 'order'.
398 The Life of Muhammad The Lzfe of 1Vfuhammad 399
overlook their offence, 'and ask pardon for them and consult them about the blindness of paganism not knowing \vhat \vas good nor asking pardon
the matter. \Vhen thou art resolved put thy trust in God, for God loves for evil-deaf to good, dumb to the right, blind to guidance.
those who trust.' He reminded His prophet of his leniency to them, and Then He mentioned the catastrophe that befell them: 'And was it so
his patience ,vith them in their weakness and their lack of patience had he when a catastrophe befell you though you had smitten (them) with a disas-
treated them harshly for all their opposition when there was laid upon ter twice as great you said: How is this? Say: It is from yourselves. God
them the duty of obeying their prophet. Then He said: 'So forgive them,' is able to do all things.' Though a catastrophe befell you in the death of
i.e. overlook their offence 'and ask pardon' for their sins: the people of faith your brethren because of your sins, before that you had smitten your
\vho did wrong. 'And consult them about the matter', to show them that enemy with double that on the day of Badr in slaying and taking prisoners;
vou listen to them and ask their help, even if you are independent of them, and you have forgotten your disobedience and your opposition to what your
thereby making their religion agreeable to them. 'And when thou art prophet commanded you. You have brought that on yourselves. 'God is
resolved' on a matter which has come from 1fe and a matter of religion able to do all things.' God is able to do what He \vills with His servants in
concerning fighting your enemy when only that will bring you and them taking vengeance or pardoning. 'And what befell you on the day the t\VO
advantage, then do as you have been ordered despite the opposition of armies met was by God's permission and that He might know the believers.'
those who oppose you and in agreement with those who agree \vith you. What befell you when you and your enemy met was by My permission.
'And trust in God,' i.e. please Him rather than men. {God loves them that That happened when you acted as you did after My help had come to you
trust. If God helps you none can overcome you; if He forsakes you, who and I had fulfilled my promise to you to distinguish between believers and
thereafter can help you?' i.e. so that you do not leave My command for hypocrites and to know those who were hypocrites among you, i.e. to make
men, and forsake men's orders for l\fine. On God, not on men, let plain what was in them. 'And it was said to them, Come, fight for God's
believers trust. sake or defend,' meaning 'Abdullah b. Ubayy and his companions \\'ho
Then He said: 'It is not for any prophet to deceive. Whoso deceives went back from the apostle when he \Vent against his polytheistic enemies
will bring his deceit with him on the day of resurrection. Then every soul at U!:lud and their words: 'If \ve kne\v that you \,>,ere going to fight we 604
will be paid in full \vhat it has earned and they \vill not be wronged.' It is would go with you and would defend vou; but we do not think that there
not for a prophet to conceal from men what he has been ordered to reveal will be a fight.' So he showed what th~y were hiding within them.
either out of fear or desire to please them. "Vhoso does that will bring it God said: 'They were nearer to disbelief than to faith that day saying
with him on the day of resurrection; then he will be repaid what he has with their mouths \vhat was not in their hearts,' i.e. shmving you faith
earned not wronged nor defrauded. 'Is one \\'ho follows the pleasure of which \vas not in their hearts 'but God knows best about what thev con-
God' \vhether men like it or not 'like one who has incurred God's dis- ceal,' i.e. \vhat they hide, 'who said of their brethren' who belonged to
pleasure?' by pleasing or displeasing men. He says, Is one who obeys Me their families and people who were killed in your company, 'Had they
whose reward is the garden and the goodwill of God like one who has obeyed us they would not have been killed. Say: Then avert death from
incurred God's anger and deserves His anger, \vhose horne is hell and a yourselves if you are truthful,' i.e. there is no escape from death, but if you
miserable end? Are the two examples the same? So know 'There are are able to keep death away from you then do so. This was because they
degrees with God and God is a seer of what they do' of all the degrees of were hypocritical and left fighting for God's sake, eager to survive in this
60 3 what they do in paradise and hell, i.e. God knows those who obey and world and fleeing from death.
those who disobev Him. Then He said to His prophet to make the believers \\'ish to fight and
Then He said ~ 'God showed favour to the believers when He sent desire battle: 'And do not think that those who were killed for God's sake
among them an apostle from among themselves \vho recited to them His are dead, nay they are alive with their Lord being nourished, glad with the
versC3 and purified them and taught them the book and \visdom, though bounty that God has brought them and rejoicing in those who have not
before thev were in obvious error.' God favoured you, a people of the yet joined them that they have nothing to fear or grieve over,' i.e. Do not
faith, whel; He sent among you an apostle of your own, reciting to you His think that those who were killed for God's sake are dead, i.e. I have brought
verses concerning \vhat you did, and teaching you good and evil that you them to life again and they are with Me being nourished in the rest and
might know the good and do it; and the evil and guard yourselves against bounty of the Garden, rejoicing in the bounty that God has brought them
it, and telling you of His pleasure with you when you obeyed Him; that you for their striving on His account, and happy about those \vho have not
might gain much from obeying Him and a\'oid the wrath proceeding from yet joined them, i.e. glad when those of their brethren join them on
di~()hediencc that thcrchy you might escape I-lis vengeance and obtain the account of their effort in war that they \\'ill share with them in the reward
reward of His garden. 'Though before you \vere in obvious error,' i.e. in that God has given them, God having removed from them fear and sorrow.
400 The LIfe of ]\!Iuhammad The Life of Muhammad 401
God says: 'Rejoicing in the favour and bounty of God and that God does they said, AlIah is sufficient for us and a fine one in whom to trust.' The
not waste the wages of the believers' because they have seen the fulfilment men who said that were a number of 'Abdu'I-Qays to whom Abu Sufyiin
of the promise and the great reward. spoke. They said: 'Abu Sufyan and his company are certainly coming back
Ismii'il b. Umayya told me from Abu'l-Zubayr from Ibn 'Abbas: The t~ you.' God says, 'So they returned with God's grace ahd favour. Harm
apostle said when your brethren \vere slain at U1)ud, 'God has put their did not, befall them and they followed God's pleasure and God is of great
spirits in the crops of green birds which come down to the rivers of the bounty In that He turned away their enemy so that they did not meet
Garden; they eat of its fruits and come home to where there are golden him. 'It is only the devil,' i.e. those men and what Satan put into their
605 candlesticks in the shadow of the throne; and \vhen they experience the mouths, ',:ho would make men fear his adherents,' i.e. frighten you by
goodly drink and food and their beautiful resting-place they say: Would means of hIS adherents. 'But fear them not and fear Me if you are believers.
that our brethren knew what God has done with us that they might not L:t no; those w~o vie i~ ru~~ing to disbelief grieve you,' i.e. the hypo~
dislike fighting and shrink from war!' And God says 'I will tell them of cnte.s, t?ey can In no WIse Injure God. God wills not to assign them a
you' so He sent down to His apostle these verses 'And do not think,' &c. portlOn m the next world where they will have a painful punishment,
AI-I:larith b. al-Fue,layLtold me from Mal,1mud b. Labid al-An~ari from Those who buy infidelity with faith will in no wise injure God: they will
Ibn 'Abbas: The martyrs are at Bariq, a river at the gate of the Garden, in have a pamful pumshment. Let not those who disbelieve think that the
a green tent, their provision from the Garden coming out to them morning respite W ~ give th~m is good for them. We give them a respite only that
and evening. they may Increase m trespass. Theirs is an ignominious punishment. It
One whom I do not suspect told me from 'Abdullah b.-Masiid that he is not God's purpose to leave the believers as you are till He shall separate
was asked about these verses 'Do not think', &c., and he said, V\,re asked the evil from the good,' i.e. the hypocrites. 'And it is not God's purpose to
about them arid \ve were told that when your brethren \vere slain at UI;lUd let you know the unseen,' i.e. what He wills to try you with that you may
God put their spirits in the crops of green birds whjch come down to the take heed of what comes to you. 'But God chooses whom He will of His
rivers of the Garden and eat of its fruits and come home to \vhere there are messengers,' i.e. He lets him know that 'So believe in God and His
golden candlesticks in the shade of the throne and God takes one look at messengers and if you believe and are pious,' i.e. return and repent 'then
them and says,-'O My servants, "Vhat do you wish that I should give you you will have a great reward.'
more?' And they say, '0 our Lord, there is nothing beyond the Garden
which T'hou hast given us from \vhich we eat \vhen we please.' After the
question has been put three times they say the same, adding, 'except that THE NAMES OF THE MUSLIMS WHO WERE MARTYRED 607
we should like our spirits to return to our bodies and then return to the AT UI;lUD
earth and fight for Thee until we are killed again.'
The Muslims who were martyred at Ul,1ud in the company of the apostle
One of our companions told me from 'Abdullah b. Muhammad b. 'Aqil
were as follows:
from Jiibir b. 'Abdullah: The apostle said to me, 'I will give yOll good
Emigrants from Quraysh: of the B. Hashim: Hamza whom Wahshi the
news, Jabir. God has restored to life your father who was killed at Ul,1ud.'
slave of Jubayr b. Mut'im killed. Of B. Umayya b. 'Abdu Shams: ;Abdul-
Then He asked him what he would like Him to do for him and he said
lah b. Jal,1sh, an ally from B. Asad b. Khuzayma. Of B. 'Abdul'l-Dar:
that he would like to retum to the world and fight for Him and be killed
Mu~'ab b. 'Umayr whom Ibn Qami'a al-Laythi killed. Of B. Makhzum
a second time.
b. Yaqa?a: Shammas b. 'Uthman. Total4.
606 'Amr b. 'Ubayd told me from al-Basan that the apostle swore that there
Of the An~ar: of B. 'Abdu'I-Ashhal: 'Amr b. lIfu'adh; al-Barith b.
was no believer who had parted from the world and wanted to return to it
Anas b: Rafi'; and 'Umara b. Ziyad b. al-Sakan (625); Salama b. Thiibit b.
for a single hour even if he could possess it with all it has except the
Waqsh and 'Amr his brother ('A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada asserted to me
martyr who \vould like to return and fight for God and be killed a second
that their father Thabit was killed that day); and Rifa'a b. Waqsh; and
time.
Busayl b. Jabir Abu Budhayfa who was al-Yaman (the YIuslims killed him
Then God said, 'Those who responded to God and His apostle after
unwittingly andJ::Iudhayfa forewent his blood-wit incumbent on the
harm had befallen them,' i.e. wounds. They arc the believers who went
slayer); and :;>ayfi and BaMb sons of Qani; and 'Abbad b. Sah]; and aI-
with the apostle on the morrow of UJ:1ud to I;Iamra'u'I-Asad in spite of the
Barith b. Aus b. Mu'adh. Total12.
pain of their wounds, 'for those of them who do well and are pious there is
Of the men of Ratij:' Iyas b. Aus b. 'Auk b. 'Amr b. 'Abdu'I-A'lam b.
a great reward; those to whom men said: The men (of Mecca) have
gathered against you so fear them, and that but increased their faith and lOne of the forts in Medina.
B 4080 Dd
402 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 403
Za'ura' b. Jusham b. 'Abdu'I-Ashhal; and 'Vbayd b. al-Tayyihan (626); Thalaba b. Fihr b. Ghanm b. Salim; al-Mujadhdhar b. Dhiyad, an ally from
and Habib b. Yazid b. Taym. 3 Baliy; and 'Vbada b. al-!:Ias\>as, the last three being buried in one grave. 5.
Or' B. Zafar: Yazid b. I:Iatib b. Vmayya b. Rafi'. r. __ Of B. al-Hub!a: Rifa'a b. 'Amr. I.
Of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf of the subdivision B. Du~aY'a. b. Zayd: .Abu S~fy~ Of B. Salima of the clan of B. !:Iaram: 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. !:Iaram b.
b. al-Hiirith b. Qays b. Zayd; !:Ian?ala b. Abu Anur b. $ay1 b. _Nu man Thalaba b. !:Iaram; 'Amr b. al-Jamu\> b. Zayd b. !:Iaram who were buried
b. M'-lik b. Ama, the man washed by the angels whom Shaddad b. al- together; Khallad b. 'Amr b. al-Jamu\>, &c.; and Abu Ayman a client of
608 Aswad b. Sha'ub al-Laythi killed (627). 2. 'Amr b. aI-Jamu\>. 4.
Of B. 'Vbayd b. Zayd: Vnays b. Qatada. I. , Of B. Sawad b. Ghanm: Sulaym b. 'Amr b. !:Iadida and his client
Of B Thalaba b. 'Amr b. 'Auf: Abu !:Iayya, brother to Sa d b. Khay- 'Antara; and Sahl b. Qays b. Abu Ka'b b. al-Qayn. 3.
thama by his mother (628); and 'Abdullah b. Jubayr b. al-Nu'man who Of B. Zurayq b. 'Arnir: Dhakwan b. 'Abdu Qays; and 'Ubayd b. al-
commanded the archers. 2. _ Mu'alla b. Laudhan (634). 2.
Of B. al-Salm b. Imru'ul-Qays b. Malik b. al-Aus: Khaytbarna Abu The total number of Muslims killed including both Emigrants and
Sa'd b. Khaythama. I. An~ar was 65 men (635).
Of their allies from B. al-'Ajlm: 'Abdullah b. Salama. ~.
Of B. Mu'awiya b. Malik: Subay' b. !:Iatib b. al-!:Ianth b. Qays b.
THE NAMES OF THE POLYTHEISTS WHO WERE 610
Haysha (629)' I. . ,
Of B. ai-Najjar, of the clan of B. Sawad b. Malik b. Ghanm:, A~ b. KILLED AT UI;IUD
Qays and his son Qays (630); and Thabit b. 'Amr b. Zayd; and Amir b. Of the Quraysh from B. 'Abdu'I-Dar b. Qu~ayy who carried the standard:
Makhlad. 4 - . , b 'Amr b Talha b. 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu'l-'Vzza b. 'Uthman b. 'Abdu'I-Dar whom
Of B. Mabdhiil: Abu Hubayra b. al-!:Ianth b. Alqama " . 'Ali killed; and Abu Sa'id b. Abu Tal\>a whom Sa'd b. Abu Waqqa~ killed
Thaqf b. Malik b. Mabdhiil; and 'Amr b. Mutarrif b.. 'Alqama b. Amr. 2. (636); and 'Vthman b. Abu Tal\>a whom !:Iamza killed; and Musafi' and
Of B. 'Amr b. Malik: Aus. b. Thablt b. al-Mundhlr (631). I. _ aI-Julas sons of Tal\>a whom 'A~im b. Thabit b. Abu'I-Aqla\> killed; and
Of B. 'Adiy b. ai-Najjar: Anas b. aI-Na<)r b. J;lam<)am b. Zayd b. Haram Kilab and al-!:Iarith sons of Tal\>a killed by Quzman an ally of B. Zafar
b Jundub b. 'Amir b. Ghanm b. 'Adiy b. ai-NajJar (632). I. (637); and Arta b. 'Abdu Shura\>bil b. Hashim b. 'Abdu Manaf b. Abdu'I-
. Of B. Mazin b. ai-Najjar: Qays b. Mukhallad and Kaysm a slave of Dar whom !:Iamza killed; and Abu Zayd b. 'V mayr b. Hashim, &c., whom
theirs. 2. . d N' - b 'Abd Quzman killed; and $u'ab an Abyssinian slave of his also killed by Quzman
Of B. Dinar b. aI-Najjar: Sulaym b. al-!:Iar1th; an u man. u (638); and aI-Qasil b. Shuray\> b. Hashim b. 'Abdu Maniif whom Quzman 611
'Amr. 2. Ab- Z h d killed. I I.
Of B. aI-!:Iarith b. aI-Khazraj: Kharija b. Zayd b. . u u ayr; an Of B. Asad b. Abdu'I-'Vzza b. Qu~ayy: 'Abdullah b. !:Iumayd b. Zuhayr
Sad b. aI-Rabi' b. 'Amr b. Abu Zuhayr who were buned m one gr~ve; and b. al-Harith b. Asad whom 'An killed. I.
Aus b. al-Arqam b. Zayd b. Qaya b. Nu'man b. Malik b. Tha laba b. Of B. Zuhra b. Kilab: Abu'I-!:Iakam b. al-Akhnas b. Shariq b. 'Amr b.
. - b. 'Vb Wahb aI-Thaqafi, an ally of theirs whom 'Ali killed; and Siba' b. 'Abdu'l-
609 Ka'b.
Of B.3aI-Abjar, the B. Khudra: Mahk
. b. Sman _ aydb . Th a'I~_ba b . 'Vzza-the latter's name was 'Amr b. Na<)la b. Ghubshan b. Salim b.
'Vbayd b. aI-Abjar the father of Abu Said aI-Khudn (~33); and Sa !~ b. Malakan b. Af~ii-an ally from Khuza'a whom !:Iarnza killed. 2.
Suwayd b. Qays b. 'Amir b. 'Abbad b. aI-Abjar; and Vtba b. Rab! b. Of B. Makhzum b. Yaqa?a: Hishiim b. Abu Vmayya b. al-Mughira
Rati' b. Mu'awiya b. 'Vbayd b. Tha'iaba b. 'Vbayd., 3 _. _. whom Quzman killed; and al-Walid b. al-'A~ b. Hishiim b. aI-Mughira
Of B. Sa'ida b. Ka'b b. al-Khazraj: Tha'iaba b. Sa d b. Malik b. Khahd whom Quzman killed; and Abu Umayya b. Abu !:Iudhayfa b. aI-Mughira
b. Tha'iaba b. !:Iaritha b. 'Amr b. aI-Khazraj b. Sa'ida; and Thaqf b. whom 'Ali killed; and Khalid b. al-A'iam an ally whom Quzman killed. 4.
Farwa b. aI-Badi. 2. W hb b OfB. Juma\> b. 'AIm: 'Amr b. 'Abdullah b. 'Vmayr b. Wahb b. !:Iudhiifa
Of B. TaIif, thefamilyof Sa'd b. 'Vbada: 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. a . b. Juma\> who was Abu 'Azza whom the apostle killed when a prisoner;
Tha'iaba b. Waqsh b. Thalaba b. Tarif; and J;>arnra, an ally from B. and Vbayy b. Khalaf b. Wahb b, !:Iudhiifa b. Juma\> whom the apostle
JuhaYna. 2. _ . d' . . fB killed with his own hand. 2.
Of B. 'Auf b. aI-Khazraj of the clan of B. Sahm of the sub '~!SlOn 0
Of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy: 'Vbayda b. Jabir; and Shayba b. Malik b. aI-
Malik b. aI-'Ajlan b. Zayd b. Ghanm b. Salim: Naufal b. Abd_ullah;
Mu<)arrib both of whom were killed' by Quzman (639)' 2.
'Abbas b. 'Vbada b. Na<)la b. Malik b. aI-'Ajlan; Nu'man b. Malik b.
Thus God killed on the day of V\>ud 22 polytheists.
The Life of 1'vluhamnzad 405
The Life. of Muhammad
40 4 Manya night when the host warms his hands in the belly of a slaughtered
POETRY ON THE BATTLE OF UI:IUD
camel
Anel invites only \veaIthl' guests, I
The following wrote erses on the subject: _ IVlanl' a night of ]umadii \vith freezing Z rain
Hubayra b. Abll Wahb b. 'Amr b. 'A'idh b. 'Abd b. 'Imran b. Makhzum Have I travelled through the wintry cold.
Because of the frosts the dogs bark but once
(640 ):
And the vipers leave not their holes.
Why does this painful anxiety afflict me at night? I kindled then a blaze for the needy
My love for Hind beset by cares.'. Bright as the lightning that illumines the horizon.
612 Hind keeps blaming and reproachmg me 'Amr and his father before him bequeathed me this example. 6I3
\Vhile war has distracted me from her. He used to do this again and again,
Gently now, blame me not; 'tis my h~bit They vied with the courses of the stars.
As you know I have never concealed It. Their deeds never fell below the highest standard.
I help the B. Ka'b as they demand
Struggling with the burdens they Impose. I::Iassan b. Thiibit answered him:
I bore my arms bestride a noble horse. , You brought Kinana in your folly (to fight) the apostle,
Long of pace, smooth in gait, keeping u~ wlth the cavalry s gallop, For God's army waS (bound to) disgrace them.
Running like a wild ass in the desert whIch You brought them to death's cisterns in broad daylight.
Pursued by hunters keeps close to the females.' Hell was their .meeting-place, killing what they Inet with.
Sired by A'waj, which rejoices men's hearts You collected them, black slaves, men of no descent,
Like a branch on a thick lofty palm. a leaders of infidels whom their insolent ones deceived.
I got him ready and a sharp choice, sword Why did you not learn from those thrown into Badr's pit
And a lance with \vhich I meet llfe s cnses. Slain by God's horsemen?
This and a well-knit coat of mail like a wavy pool Many a prisoner did we free without ransom,
Fastened on me clear of blemishes. Many a captive's forelock did we, his masters, cut! (64')
'Ve brought Kinana from the confines of yonder Yemen
Ka'b b. Malik also answered Hubayra:
Across the land driving them hareI.
\Vhen Kinana asked where we were takin~ them. Have Ghassan heard about us though
We told them Medina ;' sO they made for It ~nd Its people. Wide desert land where travel is uncertain separates them?
We were the true knights that day on Ul;ud s slope. . . Deserts and mountains looking black in the distance
Ma'add were in terror so we said we would come to thel: ald. Like pillars of dust dotted here and there.
They feared our strokes and thrusts well aimed and cuttmg Strong camels there become feeble,
Which they beheld when their o~tposts had drawn together. The yearly rains pass over it to make other lands fertile.'
Then we came like a cloud of hal!, There the skeletons of exhausted al mals
The B. al-Najjar's bird of death bemoaned them. Look like merchants' linen dotted with figures.
Their skulls in the battle were like ostrich eggs The wild oxen and gazelles walk in file
Split open (by the chicks) and cast aside; And broken ostrich eggs lie strewn abroad.
Or a colocynth on a withered shoot Our warriors who fight for their religion are all troops
Loosened by the sweeping winds. . Skilled in war with helmets shining.
We spend our wealth lavishly without reckomng 1 The mean man does not throw the rneal open to all and sundry. but invites only those
And we stab the horsemen in their eyes nght and left. who can return his hospitality.
: jumddiya. S. points out that the old names of the months indicated their position in
I So A. Dh., but 'iidiya in 742.17 means 'troops' and it may well be that love and war the solar year and that these names persisted when the months fell in di.fferent seasons
after the lunar calendar was adopted; thus Rama9sn, 'the scorcher', could begin in January
are mingled in his thoughts. . reifa Id 8 . but a comparison with 'Amr and Rabi'a, 'the Spring', begin in November,
: Cf. Ahlwardt, Chalaf el-Ahmar's Qa)stde. G t~at ~I 8~~~ld read mukaddimun (active) 3 Or 'The yearly rain clouds are empty and pass swiftly on'.
b. Qami'a (cd. Lyall, Camb. 1919. p. S3 sugges,ts a
.. Properly the tops of the Pickelhaube.
'biting' to quicken their pace as he protects t~elr re.-.
3 Al-Nukhayl. A 'wateringplace near l\1edlOa.
406 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
Every coat of mail preserved in store is Sprinkled with poison at the time they were made
When donned as a well-filled pool. Sometimes hitting men's bodies,
But ask any man you meet about Badr; Sometimes glancing off shields with a clang;
News you are ignorant of will be profitable. And horsemen in the plain looking like locusts
Had other men been in that land of fear Which the east wind brings, moving briskly in the cold.
They would have decamped at night and fled away. When we met them and the battle was fierce
When a rider of ours came he said, (For there is no defence against God's decree)
'Prepare to meet the force Ibn I:Iarb has collected.' We smote them until we left their leaders
In misfortunes that would distress others Lying in the hollow like fallen trees.
We showed greater calmness than all. From mom till eve until we recovered OUf strength
Had others been beset by a multitude Our zeal was like a fire burning all in its path.
They would have given up and lost heart.' They fled in haste hurrying away
We fought them; no tribe could stand against us Like a cloud wisp that the wind robs of rain.
But feared and fled in dread. We went on, our rearguard coming slowly
When they made their home in 'Irc;l' our leader said, Like strong lions seeking' meat in Bisha. '
'Why do we plant grain if we do not protect it I' We inflicted loss on you and you on us;
Among us was God's apostle whose command we obey. Perhaps we should have won, but what is with God is more spacious.
When he gives an order we do not examine it. The battle waged hot between us
The spirit' descends on him from his Lord And all were made to get their fill of evil.
Brought down from the midst of heaven and taken up again. We are men who see no blame in him who kills
We consult him on our wishes, and our desire To guard and protect his protegees.
Is to obey him in all that he wants. Firm in misfortunes, you will never see
The apostle said when they appeared, Our eyes weeping over a comrade slain j
'Cast off the fear of death and desire it, Warriors who do what we say
Be like one who sells his life Nor become despondent in war's trials;
To draw near to a King by Whom he will be restored to life. Warriors who commit no atrocities in victory
Take your swords and trust in God Nor complain of war's scratches.
To Whom belongs the disposal of all things.' We are a flame whose heat men ward off
We made for them openly as they rode their camels Those near it withdraw with scorched fa~es.
Bearing swords and unafraid You taunt me, Ibn al-Ziba'ra,' yet a party went after you
In a compact force with lances and spears; Searching for you at nightfall. .
When our steeds planted their feet they kept them firm. Ask about yourself in the summit of Ma'add and elsewhere
Into a sea of foemen we plunged, Who is the lowest and most shameful of men 1
Their blacks in the centre some in armour some unprotected. Whom did war leave shorn of glory,
They were three thousand while we were three hundred elite His face humiliated on the day of war 1
Or four hundred at the most. We attacked you with God's help and succour
The battle went to and fro while death ran between us. Our spearheads directed at you.
We tried to get to the cistern of death before them and did so. Our lances made gaping wounds among you
Bows of lote wood exchanged 'presents' between us Like the mouths of waterskins where the water gushes forth.
All of them cut from Yathribi wood' We attacked the standard-bearers, and he who hastens to mention the
And Meccan arrows made by !?a'id standard
Is the first in giving praise.'
lOr, reading tawazza'u, 'dispersed'.
2 A place outside Medina. 3 i.e. Gabriel. I The reading is doubtful.
4 A.Dh. explains Yathribi as 'bow strings' cut in Medina, but the context implies that 1 But the poem is said to be a reply to Hubayra who is not even mentioned!
arrOW8 were exchanged. 3 The text of this verse is difficult and is probably corrupt.
408 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
616 ~ut they were treacherous, surrendered, and deserted. We made liquid to run from your arses
Only God's will can prevail and He is the greatest doer (642) Like the ordure of camels that have eaten fasal
When you took to your heels' in the pass . .
'Abdullah b. al-Ziba'ra:
And fled like sheep one behind the other'
o raven, you have made men hear, then speak. When we attacked you boldly ,
You can say only what has happened. And drove you to the bottom of the mountain
(To good and evil there is an end and both befall men. With companies like vast objects (I) in the plain'
Gifts are mean among them Whoever meets them is terrified.
And the graves of the rich and the poor are equal. The pass was too narrow for us when we traversed it
Every comfortable and pleasant life comes to an end And we filled its heights and depths
And the blows of fate play with us alL) With men you cannot equal
Give Hassan a message from me, Strengthened by Gabriel's help who came do\'t'D.
For composing poetry cures inward pain. We conquered at Badr by piety,
How many skulls on the mountain slope did you sec, Obeying God and believing the apostles.
How many hands and feet cut off, We killed all their chiefs
Fine armour stripped from the brave And we killed every long-robed noble.
Who had perished in the battle? We left in Quraysh a lasting shame that day of Badr
How many noble chiefs did we slay, An example to be talked of. '
Their descent doubly glorious, intrepid warriors; While the apostle of God witnessed truly
Truly courageous, noble, conspicuous, While the short fat people among Quray;h
No weaklings when the spears fell? Got together by them were as
Ask al-Mihras who inhabits it, Camels collected in herbage and left shepherdless3..
Between skulls and brains, like partridges? We and not men like you, children of your mother's arse
Would that my elders in Badr had seen Meet the fighters' when adversity comes (643)' '
The fear of Khazraj when the spears fell;
When (war) n.bbed its breast in Qubii" Ka'b mourning !:Iamza and the Muslim dead:
And the slaughter waxed hot among the 'Abdu'l-Ashhai. You weep, but do you want one to stir you to tears?
Then they were nimble in flight You who are lost in grief when you remember them 5 618
Like young ostriches running up a hill. Remembering a people of whom '
We killed a double number of their nobles Stories have reached me in this crooked age.6
And adjusted the inequality of Badr. Your heart palpitates at the memory of them
I do not blame myself, but In longing and tearful sadness.
Had we.returned we should have made a clean sweep of them, Yet their dead are in lovely gardens
61 7 With Indian swords above their heads Honoured in their exits and entrances.
Delivering blow after blow. Because they were steadfast beneath the flag,
!:Iassan b. Tbabit answered him: The flag of the apostle in Dhii'I-Ac;1waj,'
The mornmg when the B. Aus and Khazraj
The battle is over, 0 Ibn Ziba'rli' All responded with their swords
(Had he been fair he would have admitted our superiority). And A~mad's supporters followed the truth,
You inflicted loss on us and we on you.
The fortunes of war often change. I The langu8.!:'e is Quranic.

We thrust our swords between your shoulders : The readin~ is uncertain. A.Dh. cites 'jinns' as an alternative reading
T, hese jtwa lines ar~ difficult. A.Dh. makes several suggestions as to th~ meaning
Where they drank blood again and again. t 'WOU d be temptmg to read ba's for ntis here .
5 The poet is apostrophizing himself. .
I War is compared to a camel. _ . . f " A clear indication of the comparatively late date of this poem. f
:l But the reading of the Diwtin, xi, 'A battle ran away WIth Ibn Zlba r is better. A place near Ul;1ud. Yiiq. i. 30 5. C . also \\'. 628, line 5-
410 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 4"
The light-giving straight way. Like lions of the plains who cannot be turned back;
They continually $ffiote the warriors All our steeds like hawks,
As they passed through the clouds of dust Blood horses fiery, well-saddled.
Till at last the King summoned them We trod them down there until they fled
To a garden with thick trees at its entrance. Except the dying or those hemmed in (644).
All of them proved pure in the trial, 'Abdullah b. a1-Ziba'ra:
Died unflinchingly in God's religion
Like I;Iamza when he proved his loyalty Surely tears flowed from your eyes'
With a sharp well-whetted sword. When youth had fled and the loved one was far away.
The slave of the B. Naufal met him Far off and gone is she whom you love and
Muttering like a huge black camel The camp, now removed, has robbed me of a dear one.
And pierced him with a lance like a flame The ardent lover cannot recover what is gone
That bums in a blazing fire. However long he weeps.
And Nu'miln fulfilled his promise But let be: Has Umm Malik news of my people
And the good I;Ian~ala turned not from the truth Since news spreads far and wide
Until his spirit passed Of our bringing horses to the men of Medina,
To a mansion resplendent in gold. Fine handsome horses, some reared with us, some cutbam,
Such are (true men) not those of your company The night we went forth in great force
Who lie in nethermost hell with no escape. Led by one, the dread of his enemies, the hope of his friends?
All were clad in coats of mail
.Qirar b. al-Khatlab al-Fihri answered him: Which looked like a well-filled pool where two valleys meet.
Does Ka'b grieve over his followers When they saw us they were filled with awe, 6:00
And weep over a crooked age A dreadful plight confronted them;
Crying like an old camel who sees his companions They wished that the earth would swallow them,
Returning at even while he is kept back? Their stoutest hearted warriors were in despair.
The water camels pass on and leave him When our swords were drawn they were like
Grumbling of ill-treatment while he is not even saddled for women. A flame that leaps through brushwood.
Say to Ka'b, 'Let him double his weeping On their heads we brought them down
And let him suffer pain therefrom; Bringing swift death to the enemy.
For the death of his brothers when the cavalry charged They left the slain of Aus with hyaenas hard at them and
In clouds of rising dust.' Hungry vultures lighting on them.
Would that 'Amr and his followers The Banii Najjar on every height
And 'Utba had been in our flaming meeting-place Were bleeding from the wounds on their bodies.
That they might have slaked their vengeance But for the height of the mountain pass they would have left A].lmad
On those of Khazraj who were slain dead,
And on those of Aus who died on the battlefield, But he climbed too high though the spears were directed at him,
All of them slain in Dhii'l-Agwaj.' As they left I;Iamza dead in the attack
And the killing of I;Iamza under the flag With a lance thrust through his breast.
With a pliant death-dealing lance. Nu'miin too lay dead beneath his banner,
And where Mu~' ab fell and lay The falling vultures busy at his bowels.'
Smitten by a sword's quick stroke
I Or the poet may be urging himself to weep.
In U].lud when our swords flashed among them Z This unpleasant version is probably the original. For yaJufna C. follows the MSS. which
Flaming like a roaring fire have ya{lufna, said to mean 'fall upon', which seems unnatural here. Another variant quoted
On the morn we met you with sworOs by C. is ya.;umna 'hover', while Ni5l., Delectus, 68, read yaju'na 'hunger for', which again is
unnatural. All these variants can be accounted for by the assumption that editors wanted
I v.s. to tone down the ghastly description of this early Muslim's death.
+12 The Life of Muhammad
The spears of our warrior~ came on them in Ul;lUd (as-swiftly) The Life of }\1uhammad
+13
As a well devours the r~pes of the bucket. l While your dead are in hell, their best food
Hassan b. Thabit: Thorns and boiling water to fill their bellies (6+5):'
. Do the spring camps make you long for Ummu'l-Wa!id, 'Amr b. al- 'A~.
The waste lands deserted by their people? . We went forth from the barren desert against them
The winds of summer and the rain of Aquanus, Forming as it were a streaked girdle to Ra<;lwa in the morning.
The torrential cloudbringer, has effaced them; B. Najjar foolishly wished to meet us
Naught remains but the place where the fi~e was, By the side of Sal' and hopes are sometimes realized.
Round it on the ground are the firestones lIke doves. What scared them suddenly in the valley was
rVlention no more the camp whose people distance separates Squadrons of horse coming forth to the battle.
Severing the strongest ties, and sa? . They wanted to plunder Our tents,
'If there was a battle in UJ;md whIch a fool counts a victory But protecting those tents that day were shattering blows.
The real truth will some day be known.' They were tents that have always been protected,
All the Banii Aus stood firm that day, If a people made for them they would be spoiled and meet our rage.
High renown was theirs. . The heads of the Kha2rajis that morning
The Banii Najjar wefe steadfast III defence, By the side of Sal' were like sliced melons,
None was fainthearted in the fight . And their hands holding Yamani swords were like barwaq' (64 6).
In front of the apostle of God, they did not desert hIm. J;>irar b. al-Khattab:
They had a helper from their Lord and an lI~terccssor.
They were faithful when you, Quraysh,' demed your Lord. By thy grandfather,3 had I not advanced my horse
(The loyal and the disloyal slave are never equal) When the cavalry wheeled between the slope and the low ground
With swords in their hands when the battle was hot On the side of U!:Jud's slope, there had not ceased
He whom they smote could not but die. The voices of your wraiths calling for vengeance, their cause well
They left 'Utba and Sa'd lying in the dust known.
As the spears found their mark. And a horseman, his forehead split by a sword,
They left Ubayy laid beneath the dust by the apostle's own hand, His skull in pieces like a shepherd's c1oak.+
His shirt wet with blood By thy grandfather, I am always girded with a sharp sword white as
When the dust they stirred up covered thepeoplc. salt
These were chiefs from your leading famlhes, On the saddle of a mare thrusting forward to the one who calls for help
For every army has chiefs. As long as the cry for aid is raised.
By them 3 we help God when+ He helps us I am not reckoned the son of weaklings and non-combatants
Even if things are terrible, 0 Quray~h. Or miserly cowards on the day of battle,
Mention not the slain since f;lamza 15 among them, But of those who smite the trusty helms when they reach them,
Dead for God's sake in true obedience. Warriors of proud descent on the day of battIe,
Paradise eternal he lives in now Proud leaders bearing long swords who advance to death unfaltering.
(The command of Him who decrees is swift). He also said:
lOr, 'a water-drawer grasps , ..N'ld
0
l t II~J _70 ' renders
e k e, D e_:c
nazu' by profundus puteus,
d Qdlllus it means a shallow well. When there carne from Ka<b a squadron
but this is wrong because, accordmg to the Ta], Ll~an,~~t ativclY nazu' could mean an And the Khazrajiya with glittering swords
Sce further E. Briiunlich in .IslQllllca, It IQ2.5~ 33 _, be:~ead then the act of drawing
habitual waterrl.rawer. If, With some authent~~s, mtzu qUickl~ destroying devouring, And they drew their Mashraflya swords
water i~ intended. The v~rb ghdla ~e~7B ;:~~gs:;;'Y be th;t. th~ spears'went in and And displayed a flag fluttering like the wings of an eagle

~~::l~tl:::~~::E~u~~:~;~rl:t~i7:;~~:~~:~~~:'::i~~~~~::;'t~:e:~:~;~h:~~:l;:
to
I Cf. Sura 88. 6.
~ Eaters of sahhina. .. C. has battti. 2 A feeble plant ending in small envelopes like chickpeas: a simile of weakness and
3 i.e. the swords. uselessness. J Or 'By thy fortune'. See Lane, 3 .
86a
4 The point of this simile would seem to be that the man's skull, split and matted with
blood, reminded the poet of. shepherd's cloak which had been made of odd pieces of fur.
The Life of Muhammad 415
4r 4 The Life of Muhammad
The opinion of those who oppose Islam is misleading.
I said, This will be a battle worth many a battle, Do not wish for more war but stay at home,
It will be talked of as long as leaves fall. The habitual man of war is blood-stained, never free of care.!
Every day they have been accustomed to gain the victory in battle You will get such blows at our hands
And the spoils of those they encountered. That the hyaenas will rejoice at the lumps of meat.
I forced myself to be steadfast when I felt afraid' We are men of war who get the utmost from it
And I was certain that glory could only be got m the forefront. And inflict painful punishment on the aggressors.
I forced my steed to plunge into their ranks If Ibn I;!arb escaped with the skin of his teeth
And drenched him with their blood. (And God's will must be done) it gave him discernment
My horse and my armour were c~lour~d And admonition if he has the sense to appreciate it.
With blood that spurted from theIr vems and coagulated. Had you come to the bottom of the torrent bed
I felt sure I should stay in their dwellings A swift stroke would have met you on the vaHey side,
For ever and a day. Bands of men round the Prophet would have confronted you
Do not despair, a Banu Makhzum, for you have men With breastplates prepared for war,
Like AI-Mughira, men without blame. Men of Ghassan stock with drawn swords,
Be steadfast, may my mother and brothers be your ransom, No unarmed cowards they;
Exchanging blows until time be no more. They walk towards the dark clouds of battle
As the camels' white foals walk in train,
'Amr b. al-'A~:
Or as lions walk in a covert wetted by rain
When I saw war's flames leaping over the fire stones Brought by the north wind from the Gemini
Reaching the squadrons flaying men with their heat' In long close-knit mail like a rippling pool,
I was sure that death was truth and life a delusion. Its wearer broad-shouldered,2 a chief like a sword,
I set my arms on a strong horse which could out~n others easily, Which makes the strongest arrowhead useless
Docile when others go astray in the desert outrunnmg the b~s.t horse. And the sword recoil with blunted edge.
When the sweat flowed down his flanks he showed more spmt; Though you threw off Mount Sal' from your backs
Swift as a young hart of the desert when archers scare him to run full (And sometimes life can be prolonged and death avoided)
stretch, You would never be able to take revenge;
Firm of fetlock he leads the cavalry in canter and gallop. Time will pass the slain not paid for,J
My mother be your ransom that fearful morning Slave and free, noble, tied up like game (led)
When they walked like sandgrouse . Towards Medina bound and slain.
Making for the leader of the squadron when the sun revealed hIm We were hoping to get you all, but our knights with their weapons
plainly (647)' Chased you from us too quickly.
Ka'b b. Malik answered the two of them: When one of them commits a crime they know for certain 625
That the consequence will be borne (by the tribe).
Tell Quraysh (the best word is the truest and truth is always accep-
His crime is not an unmistakable crime,
table to the wise) None blames him and none evades his share of the penalty.'
That we killed your best men, the standard-bearers,
In revenge for our slain, so what is all the talk about? I;!assan b. Thabit:
And on the day that we met you At even when the stars were setting
Michael and Gabriel reinforced and helped us. I could not sleep for care
If you kill us the true religion is ours And the vision of the beloved that haunted me.
And to be killed for the truth is to find God's favour. A sickness pervaded my heart and an inner hidden passion.
If you think that we are fools t W. adopts the variant mash'iiI 'on fire' which hardly seems right. Perhaps 'with greying
I Reading tabbartu.
hair' is what was intended. .
2; Readingfalijun.. 3 Lit. 'stones will disappear' or 'wear away'.
% Rculf could mean 'forelegs' and shahbij' 'flames', The~e is a va:iant .~e~d~ng tanlizalat

'squadrons charged one after another'. In any event there IS a conSClOUSjmaS m the double These lines seem to refer to the archers who left their post in quest of loot. See W. 570.
meaning of 'flame' and 'squadron'.
,p6 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
o my people, can one without strength and courage 4' 7
So that they stood not fast but lost their wits
Slay a man like me? Their collarbones could not sustain its weigh~.
If the tiniest ants were to crawl upon her
They would make wounds in her skin.
Only the best men can carry the standard (64 8).
She smells of! sweet scent and lingers in her bed I;Iassiin b. Thabit mourning I;Iarnza:
Adorned \vith silver and strung with pearls. oMayya, arise and weep sadly at dawn as the keening women do;
The daily sun surpasses her in naught As those who carry heavy burdens cannot move for their weight
Except that youth does not endure. Who cry aloud scratching the faces of free women.
My uncle was orator at Jabiyatu'I-JauHin When th~ir tears run they are like the pillars reddened by the blood
With al-Nu'man when he stood up (to speak). ofvIchms.
I was the hawk at the door of Ibn Salma They let their hair loose and their locks appear
On the day that Nu'man was sick in fetters. LIke the :a11s ~f restive plu~ging horses in the morning,
Ubayy and Waqid were set free for me. Some plaIted, some cut, dIshevelled by the wind.
The day they went forth with their fetters broken They weep sadly like mourners whom fate has wounded 6'7
I went surety for them with all my wealth, Their hearts scarred by painful wounds. '
Every scrap of it was allotted. Fate has smitten those who were our hope when we were afraid,
My family stood high in their regard, The men of U~ud whom fate's calamities destroyed.
Every dwelling had a great ancestor of mine. Our knight and protector when armed men appeared,
My father gave decisive judgement at Sumay~a' o I;Iamza, I wIll not forget you while time lasts,
When disputes were referred to him. The refuge of orphans and guests and the widow who looks shyly away,
Such were our deeds, but al-Ziba'ra And !rom the fate that brmgs war after war with growing evil.
Is a man of no account, blamed even by his friends. o kmght, 0 protector, 0 I;Iarnza, you were our great defender
How much culture is destroyed by poverty From bl~ws of fate when they were crushing.
While prosperity hides barbarism!' You remmded me of the lion of the apostle, that protector of ours
Do not insult me for you cannot do so, Who will always be mentioned when noble chiefs are counted
Only a gentleman can insult his peer. 4 High above the leaders, generous, white, shining;
I care not if a he goat cries in the wastelandS Not frivolous, poor spirited, nor grumbling at life's burdens.
Or a churl speaks evil behind my back. A sea of generosity, he never withheld gifts from a guest.
The finest stock of Banu 'Qu1?ayy took over the courage Young men of honour, zealous and serious minded have died
(You ought to have had) when you withdrew. Who in the winter when none gets his fill of milk '
626 Nine carried the standard while Offered the flesh of camels topped by slices carved from its fat
Makhzum ran away from the spears with the riff-raff. Protecting their guests as long as the enemy attacks. '
They stood firm together in their place till all \vere slain, Alas for the young men we have lost, they were as lamps, 6.8
All of them bleeding from open wounds.' Proud, patricians, princes, lavishly generous,
I t was only honourable that they should stand firm. Who bought reputation with their wealth, (for reputation is a gain),
The noble man is truly noble. Who leapt to their bridles if a cry for help was raised.
They stood fast until death came upon them O~e who suffered misfortunes in an unrighteous age.:Z
With the lances broken in their throats. HIS camels kept going over the dusty plain,
Quraysh fled from us seeking refuge They went vying with each other while he was among those
Whose breasts ran with sweat so that good fortune might return to him
I Lit. 'Her interest is'.
:: Sumayi)a was a well in Medina, Aus an.d Khazraj used to submit their disputes to the Not the lot of him who gets the unlucky arrow.'
arbitration of his grandfather al-Mundhir b. I;Iaram. o I;Iamza, you have left me lonely like a branch cut off from a tree.
3 A variant in the.rifvaya of Yunus is 'mounts above'. I Reading mashziir with A. Dh.
<4 The Lisa" and Jamhara attribute this line (which is not in the Dfu:an) to I;Iassan's son
'Abdu'l-Ha!;lrniin. 1 How could the prophet's time be called unrighteous? This must be a disguised lament
5 If a brutish man becomes enraged. 6 Reading madmiim, cf. A. Dh.
over I:Iasan and ~Iusayn. The preceding verses in the plural cannot refer to I:Iarnza.
3 In the Arab game of chance.

B 4080
E e
The Life of Muhammad 4'9
The Life of Muhammad
Ka'b b. Malik:
I complain to you when layers of dust and sto?e cove~ you, o~
The stone we put above you when the gravedtgger fimshed hIs work V;sited by care you could not sleep 630
In a wide space, covering it with earth careful.Iy s~oothed. And feared because joyous youth had been taken from you.
Our comfort is that we say (and what we say IS grIevous hard) A J)amri girl claimed your love,
He who is free from life's misfortunes let him come to us But your Jove is Ghaurl and your company is NajdL 1
And weep for our noble generous dead, Do not go too far rashly in the folly of love,
Who said and did what they said, the truly laudable, You have always been thought foolish for following its allure.
Who always gave freely even when they had little to spare (649) It is time for you to stop in obedience
Or to awake when an adviser warns you.
He also said: I was crushed by the loss of I:Iamza,
Do you know the camp whose traces sinc~ you saw it My inward parts trembled.
Are swept away by a mighty torrent of ram _.. If Mount I;iira.' had been so distressed
Between AI-Saradil:t and Udmana and the channel of AI-Rauha III You would have seen its firm rocks shattered.
Ha'iJ? A noble prince, strong in the lofty stock of Hashim,
I ~ked it of that and it would not answer; Whence come prophecy, generosity, and lordship,
It did not know the answer. Who slew fat-humped camels when the wind is so cold
Give no thought to a camp whose traces have disappeared, That it almost freezes the water,
And weep over I:Iamza the generous who fill~d the platter Who left a brave opponent prostrate on the ground
When the storm blew in bitter cold and famme, On the day of battle, with his lance broken.
Who left his adversaries in the dust You could see him sweeping along in steel,
Stumbling on his sl,ender lance, I Like a tawny strong-pawed lion,
Who threw himself among the horses when they held back The prophet's uncle and chosen one
Like a lion bold in his thicket. Came to his death-a goodly end.
Shining at the summit of the Hashim clan He met his fate marked out among a people
He did not oppose the truth with lies. Who helped the prophet and sought martyrdom.
He died a martyr under your swords. I imagine that Hind has been told of that
.h r
May the hands ofWal;shi, the.murder~r, WIt. er. , To still the burning choking within her breast
\Vhat a man did he leave on h1S lance, 1ts pomt deadly sharp. How we met her people on the sandhill
The earth has become dark at his loss The day in which happiness left her.
And the moon shining forth from the clouds is blackened. And of the well of Badr when Gabriel and Muhammad
God bless him in the heavenly paradise. Beneath our banner turned them back
May his entry be honoured. . So that I saw their best men \vith the prophet in two parties,
We looked on I:Iamza as a protector in all the blows of mISfortune. One killing and one pursuing whom he pleased.
In Islam he \vas a great defence There remained where the camels knelt
Who made up for the loss of miserable stay-at-homes. Seventy men, 'Utba and al-Aswad among them,
Rejoice not, 0 Hind, but produce thy tears, And Ibnu'I-Mughira whom we smote above the neck vein
Let flow the tears of the bereaved. From which foaming blood gushed forth.
Weep for 'Utba whom he cut down with the sword A sharp sword in the hands of the believers
Who lay in the whirling dust, Reduced the pride of Umayya al-Jumal:ti.'
When he fell among your shaykhs
Insolent, ignorant fellows. . I The poet is addressing himself. There is a play on the underlying meaning of ghaur,
Hamza killed them with a family who walk III long armour low ground, and najd, high ground. The reading ja(lwuka would give a sense that could be
expressed by 'Your heart is in the lowlands and your head in the highlands', though more
The day that Gabriel helped him, exactly the word means 'Your return to sobriety'.
That fine helper of an intrepid horseman. ~ qawwama maylahu, lit. 'straightened his turning aside', i.e. struck him in the face which
I Or 'mingled with', alldbis. in his arrogance he was wont to turn away.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
4z0 4 zr
The fugitive polytheists came to you like runaway ostriches A day in which fighting is continuous,
With the cavalry in full pursuit. Terrifying, burning those who kindled its blaze,
Different are those whose home is hell everlasting Long drawn out exceeding hot fighting.
And those who are eternally in paradise. Fear of it keeps the base-born away.
You would think the heroes engaged in it
He also said: Were happily drunk and inebriated,
Rise, a ~afiya, be not weak. Their right hands exchanging the cups of death
Make the \vomen weep over J:Iamza. With their sharp-edged swords.
Be not \\-'Cary in prolonging weeping We were there and we were courageous
Over God's lion in the melee. Wearing our badges under clouds of dust,
For he was a strength to our orphans With silent fine blood-stained swords
And a lion of battle amid the weapons 1 Blades of Bu~rii which loathe the scabbard;
Wishing thereby to please A1)mad Which grow not blunt nor buckle
And the glorious Lord of the throne. And cease not smiting if they are not hcld back
Like autumn lightning in the hands of heroes '
He also said:
Overwhelming in blood heads that remain in place.
By thy noble father's life I adjure you. Our fathers taught us how to strike
Ask those who sought our hospitality, And we will teach our sons
For if you ask them you will not be told a lie, The swordsmanship of heroes and the spending of patrimony
Those you ask will tell you the truth In defence of our honour as long as we live.
That on nights when bones were gathered for food When a champion passes, his posterity takes his place
We gave sustenance to those who visited us: And he leaves others to inherit him.
(Crowds I took refuge in our shelters We grow up and our fathers perish,
From distress in years of famine) And while we bring up our sons we cease to be.
With a gift of what our rich provided ., I asked about you, lbnu'l-Ziba'rii,
With patience and generosity towards the mdigent. And was told that you were baseborn,
The shears of war left us Evil, of disgraceful life, persistently mean.
Those whose ways we have always tried to vie with. You have said much l in insulting God's apostle.
One who saw the place where the camels go to water God slay you, you cursed rude fellow!
Would think it was black rocky ground. You utter filth, and then throw it
There the best camels are broken in, At the clean robed godly faithful one (65 0 ).
Black red, and white. Z
The ;"sh of men was like Euphrates in flood, He also said:
Solid well-armed masses destroying all in their path. Ask Quraysh of our flight and of theirs
You would think their glitter was the shining of stars, That morn at the base of U1)ud's hill.
They dazzle beholders in their commotion. We were lions, they but leopards when they came. 633
If you are ignorant of our importance We cared nothing for blood relationship.
Then ask those near us who know, How many brave chiefs did we leave there
How we behave when war is violent Protectors of proteges, noble in birth and reputation?
In slaughter, severity, biting, and mauling. Among us the apostle, a star, then there followed him
Do we not tighten the cord round the camel's udder A brilliant light excelling the stars.
Until she yields her milk and becomes gentle I' True is his speech, just his behaviour.
J W. has najild 'poor women'. He who answers his call will escape perdition,
:z White or, less likely, blackish. This word is one of the adii~. . , Brave In attack, purposeful, resolute
.) In these two lines war is compared to a savage camel that IS subdued by the trIbe s
r Another reading is tanajjasta 'You have behaved filthily', which may be right.
firmness and resource and ends to their advantage.
The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad
422 Show not joy at ljamza's death, 0 Hind,
When hearts are moved by fear, For your boasting is contemptible.
Advancing and encouraging us so that we should not be disobedient,
Like the full moon that cannot lie. Ka'b b. Malik said:
When he appeared we followed him and held him true. Say to Quraysh despite their distance,
They called him liar so we are the happiest of the Arabs. Do you boast of what you have not won?
They wheeled and we wheeled, they did not reform or return You boast of the slain on whom the favours
While we followed them in unwearying pursuit. Of Him who grants the best favours have fallen.
The two armies had nothing in common, They dwell in gardens and have left waiting for you
God's party and the men of polytheism and idols (65 1 ).' Lions who protect their cubs,
To fight for their religion, in their midst
'Abdullah b. Rawal,la said (652):
A prophet who never recedes from the truth.
My eye wept and right well it did so Ma'add attacked him with infamous words
(But what avails weeping and lamentation), And the arrows of enmity unceasingly (653).
For God's lion on the day that they saId
Oirar b. al-Khanab:
'Is that slain man l:iarnza?'
All the Muslims were distressed thereat; What ails thine eye which sleeplessness affects
The apostle too suffered. As though pain were in thine eyelids?
o Abu Ya'la,' your pillars were shattered, Is it for the loss of a friend whom you hold dear
You the noble, just, bounteous onc. Parted by distance and foes?
God's peace on you in paradise Or is it because of the mischief of a useless people
With everlasting felicity! When wars blaze with burning heat?
o Hashim, the best men, be steadfast They cease not from the error they have committed.
Whose every deed is fine and laudable. 3 Woe to them! No helper have they from Lu'ayy.
God's apostle is patient, noble, We adjured them all by God,
Whenever he speaks 'tis by God's command. But neither kinship nor oaths deterred them;
Will someone tell Lu'ayy for me Till finally when they determined on war against us
(For after today war's fortune will change, And injustice and bad feeling had grown strong,
And previously they have known and tasted of We attacked them with an army
Our fighting in which vengeance was slaked), Flanked by helmeted strong mailed men
You have forgotten our blows at Badr's pool And slender horses sweeping along with warriors
When swift death came to you t Like kites, sO smooth was their gait;
The morn that Abii Jahllay prostrate, An army which ~akhr' led and commanded
The vultures wheeling and circling over him. Like an angry lion of the jungle tearing his prey.
'Utba and his son fell together Death brought out a people from their dwellings,
And Shayba whom the polished sword bit. We and they met at Ul,lud.
We left U mayya stretched on the ground, Some of them were left stone dead
A huge lance in his belly. Like goats which the hail has frozen to the cold ground.
Ask the skulls of Banii Rabi'a, Noble dead, the Banii'l-Najjar in their midst
For our swords were notched by them. And Mu~'ab with broken pieces of our shafts around him
Weep, 0 Hind, grow not weary, And I:Iarnza the chief, prostrate, his widow going round him.
For you are the bereaved one in tears for a lost son. His nose and liver had been cut away. It was
As if when he fell he bled beneath the dust
I These two poems are in sharp contrast. The first is a fine example of the old Arabian Transfixed by a lance on which the blood had dried.
spirit; the second belongs to the large category of the spurious, and clearly dates from a
I i.e. Abu Sufyin.
lat~r; : . kunya of l;Iamza. 3 cr. Suras 38. 47. 8; u. 18. 83
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
He was the colt of an old she-camel whose companions had fled And that there might have been a fight between us
As frightened ostriches run away When they would have a morning draughe whose evil would not
Rushing headlong filled with terror, pass away (656).
The steep precipitous rocks aiding their escape.
$afiya d. 'Abdu'l-Mu\\alib mourning her brother J:Iamza:
Husbandless women weep over them
In mourning garb rent in pieces. Are you my sisters asking in dread
We left them to the vultures on the battlefield The men of U!)ud, the slow of speech and the eloquent l'
And to the hyaenas who made for their bodies (654): The latter said J:Iamza is dead, 637
The best helper of the apostle of God.
AbU Za'na b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. 'Utba, brother of B. Jusham b. aI- God the true, the Lord of the Throne, called him
Khazraj: To live in paradise in joy.
I'm Abu Za'na. Al-Huzam I takes me apace, That is what we hoped and longed for.
Painful exertion alone saves disgrace. J:Iamza on the day of gathering will enjoy the best reward.
A Khazrajite of Jusham his ward will solace. By God I'll ne'er forget thee as long as the east wind blows
'Ali b. Abu Talib (655): In sorrow and weeping, whether at home or in travel,
For the lion of God who was our defence,
636 AI-J:Iiirith b. aI-$imma
Protecting Islam against every unbeliever.
Was faithful to his covenant with us.
Would that my limbs and bones were there
He went through painful deserts,
For hyaenas and vultures to visit.
Black as darkest night,
I said when my family raised their lamentation,
Among many swords and spears
God reward him, fine brother and helper as he was! (657)'
Seeking God's apostle in what was happening there.
Nu'm wife of Shammas b. 'Uthman weeping her husband:
'Ikrima b. Abu Jahl:
Each of them says to his horse, Come on here!
o eye be generous, let thy tears flow spontaneously
For the noble and victorious warrior
You can see him advancing today without fear
Whose opinion was acc~pted, whose deeds were successful,
Bearing a leader with his mighty spear.
\Vho carried the standards, the rider of horses.
AI-A'sha b. Zurara b. al-Nabbiish al-Tamimi, of B. Asad b. 'Amr b. I said in -anguish when news of his death came,
Tamim, weeping the slain of B. 'Abd ai-Dar: 'The generous man who fed and clothed others has perished.'
Let the Banu Abu Tal!)a in spite of their distance I said when the places where he sat were forsaken,
Be given a greeting that will not be rejected. 'May God not take Shammas far from us!'
Their watercarrier passed them with it Her brother Abu'I-J:Iakam b. Sa'id b. Yarbu' replying to comfort her:
And:e:very watercarrier of theirs is known.
Preserve thy modesty in secret and in honour,
Their neighbour and guest never complained,
For Shammas was only a man.
No door was closed in their face. 2
Kill not thyself because he met his death
'Abdullah; b. aI-Ziba'ra: In obeying God on the day of heroic battle.
We killed Ibn Ja!)sh and rejoiced at his death J:!amza was the lion of God, so be patient;
And J:Iamza with his horsemen and Ibn Qauqal. He too on that day tasted Shammiis's cup.
Some men escaped us and got quickly away. Hind d. 'Utba when the polytheists withdrew from U!)ud:
Would that they had stopped and we had not been hasty,
That they had stood so that our swords their best men I came back my heart filled with sorrow,
Might have cut down, for ail of us were fully armed; For some from whom I sought vengeance had escaped me,
IW. has laha/:! 'morning'.
J The name of his horse. i.e. Whether they know or not. This poem is attributed to Bassan in the Diwtin (xxxviii)
:3
.3 The last line is omitted by W./ probably rightly. He refers to it in his notes in vol. II. where the text differs somewhat. It is obviously the product of a later age.
+26 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
Men of Quraysh who were at Badr, \Vhen battle '8 abroad I am not afraid, r
Of Banu Hashim, and of Yathrib's people. With shield of smooth ox-hide I'm safely arrayed
I gained somewhat from the expedition And I firmly believe in what Muhammad has said.
But not all that I had hoped (658).
He also said:
I'm Abu Sulayman, an archer fine,
THE DAY OF AL-RAJI', A.H. 3 And come of a people of noble line.
Abu Muhammad.'Abdu'I-Malik b. Hisham told us from Ziyad b. 'Abdul- His kunya was Abu Sulayman.
lah al-Bakka'i from I. IsJ.>aq from 'A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada: After UJ.>ud Thereupon he fought with the people until he and his two companions
a number of 'A<;lal and al-Qara came to the apostle (659). They said that were killed.
some of them had already accepted Islam and they asked him to send some When 'A~im was slain Hudhayl wanted to take his head to sell it to
of his companions to instruct them in religion and to teach them to read Sulafa d. Sad b. Shuhayd. When he killed her two sons at UJ.>ud she
the Quran and to teach them the laws of Islam. The apostle sent the swore a vow that if she could get possession of his head she would drink
following six of his companion. Marthad b. Abu Marthad al-Ghanawi, wine in his skull; but bees 2 protected him. '*' \Vhen the bees came between
an ally of !:lamza; Khalid b. al-Bukayr al-Laythi, an ally of B. 'Adiy b. it and them they said, 'Let him alone until nightfall when they will leave
Kab; 'A~im b. Thabit b. Abu'I-AqlaJ.>, brother of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf b. him and we can take the skull.' But God sent a flood in the wadi and it
Malik b. al-Aus; Khubayb b. 'Adiy, brother of B. JaJ.>jaba b. Kulfa b. carried 'A~im away. Now 'A~im had made a covenant with God that no
'Amr b. 'Auf; Zayd b. al-Dathinna b. Mu'awiya, brother of B. Baya<;la b. polytheist should touch him nor would he ever touch a polytheist for fear
'Amr b. Zurayq b. 'Abdu !:laritha b. Malik b. Gha<;lb b. Jusham b. al- of contamination. *'Umar used to say when he heard of how the bees
Khazraj; and 'Abdullah b. Tariq, ally of B. ?afar b. al-Khazraj b. 'Amr b. protected him, 'God protects the believer. 'A~im had vowed that no poly-
Malik b. al-Aus. theist should touch him and that he would never touch one so long as he
The apostle put Marthad in command of them and the band got as far as lived, so God protected him after his death as he had protected himself
al-Raji', a watering-place of Hudhayl in a district of the Hijaz at the upper while he was alive.''*'
part of al-Had'a.' There they betrayed them and summoned Hudhayl Zayd, Khubayb, and Abdullah b. Tariq were weak and yielding in their
against them. While they were off their guard sitting with their baggage desire to preserve their lives so they surrendered and were bound and 640
suddenly they were set upon by men with swords in their hands, so they taken to Mecca to be sold there. When they were in al-?ahran 'Abdullah
took their swords to fight them; but the men said that it was not their broke loose from his bonds and drew his sword. But the men drew back
intention to kill them; they wanted to get something for them from the from him and stoned him until they killed him. His grave is in al-?ahran.
639 people of Mecca. They swore by God that they would not kill them. Khubayb and Zayd were brought to Mecca (66r).
Marthad, Kbalid, and 'A~im said: 'By God, we will never accept an J:Iujayr b. Abu lbab al-Tamimi, an ally of B. Naufal, bought Khubayb
undertaking and agreement from a polytheist.' 'A~im said: for 'Uqba b. al-J:Iarith b. 'Amir b. Naufal, Abil Ihab being the brother of
No weakling I, an archer bold, al-J:Iarith b. 'Amir by the same mother, to kill him in revenge for his
My bow thick-stringed with trusty hold father (662).
Broad arrows can life's coil unfold. i;3afwan b. Umayya bought Zayd to kill him in revenge for his father
Death's certain-life a mere tale told. Umayya b. Khalaf. i;3afwan sent him with a freedman of his called Nislas'
What God decrees men shall behold, to al-Tan'im and they brought him out of the flaram to kill him. A number
Life must return to Him its mould. of Quraysh gathered, among whom was Abu Sufyiin b. !:larb, who said to
I fight though I leave a mother, cold (660). him as he was brought out to be killed, 'I adjure you by God, Zayd, don't
you wish that Muhammad was with us now in your place so that we might
He also said:
J The readings vary: aI-nawabi 'the ways' and ufturishat 'full of men'; aI-nawaji 'swift

I'm Abu Sulayrnan with al-Muq'ad's shafts.' camels' and uqturishat 'collected'. The probable sense is given above.
2 Or, more probably, 'hornets'. But see below.
Like Gehenna they burn my feathered shafts. The passages marked are quoted by b. Yusuf b. Yal;lyii al-Tiidali known as 1. al-ZayyiH
(d. 627/J299) in his al-Tashawwuf ita 1'ija/i l-ta{Q'u)Wuj, Rabat :\lS. D. 767, f. 241', where
I Between 'Asian and 1-1ecca; according to others between Mecca and al-Til'iE. dabr is glossed by na~l. lowe this reference to my colleague Mr. Hopkins.
1 A Meccan who was famed for feathering arrows skilfully. 3 Possibly for Anastasius.
428 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad
cut off his head, and that you were with your family?' Zayd answered, 'By
God I don't wish that Muhammad now were in the place he OCCUpIeS and that the man was subject to seizures. During one of his visits 'Vmar asked
that ~ thorn could hurt him, and that I were sitting with my family.' Abu him the cause of the trouble and he said, 'There is nothing the matter with
Sufyan used to say; 'I have never seen 'a ~an w.ho wa~ so loved ~s l\i~ham me, but I was one of those who was present when Khubayb b. 'Adiy was
mad's companions loved him.' Then Nls\as kIlled hIm, Go~ p.lly ~lm. killed and I heard his ~urse, and whenever I remember it when I am in a
'Abdullah b. Abu Naji!). told me that he was told by Mawlya, freed- meeting I faint away.' This increased his favour in 'Umar's eyes (664).
woman of l;Iujayr b. Abu Ihab, who had bec~me a Mushm: Khubayb was A freedman of Zayd b. Thabit told me from 'Ikrima, freedman of Ibn
imprisoned in my house and I looked at hIm one day WIth a bunch ?f 'Abbas, or from Said b. Jubayr, that Ibn 'Abbas said with reference to a
grapes in his hand as big as a man's head from whIch he was eatmg. I dId passage of the Quran about this expedition: When the expedition in which
not know that there were grapes on God's earth that could be eaten (at Marthad and 'Asim took part came to grief in al-Rajl' some of the dis-
that time). , affected said, 'Alas for those beguiled fellows who perished thus! They
'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatada and 'Abdullah b. Abu Na]i!). both told me that did not stay with their families nor did they deliver the message of their
she s~id: When the time for his execution had come he asked me to send master.' Then God sent down concerning their words and the good they
him a razor with which to cleanse himself before he died; so I gave a razor gained by their suffering: 'There is the kind of man whose talk about the
to a youth of the tribe and told him to take it to the man in the ?ouse. life of this world pleases you,' i.e. when he professes. Islam with his tongue,
Hardly had he turned his back to take It to hIm when I thought, What 'and he calls God to witness about that which is in his heart' which is
have I done? By God, the man will take his revenge by kllhng the young- contrary to what he professes with his tongue, 'yet he is the most quarrel-
ster and it will be man for man.' But when he handed hIm the steel he some of adversaries', i.e. a controversialist when he argues with you (66S),I
took it from him saying, 'Good gracious, your mother was not ~fraid of my God said, 'And when he turns away,' i.e, goes out from your presence,
treachery when she sent you to me with this razor!' Then he let hlmgo (663)' 'he hastens through the land to make mischief therein and to destroy the
'A~im said, Then they took out Khubayb as far as ,al-Tan'im to crops and the cattle; but God loves not.mischief,' i.e. He does not love the
crucify him. He asked them to give him time to make a couple of bowmgs, doing of it nor does it please Him. 'And when it is said to him, Beware of
and they agreed. He performed hvo excellent bow~ngs and then turned to God, pride seizes him in sin. Hell will be his reckoning, an evil resting-
the people saying, 'Were it not that you would thmk that ,r only delayed place. And there is the kind of man \\'ho would sell himself in his desire
out of fear of death I would have prolonged my prayer. Khubayb b. to please God and God is kind to His servants,' i.e. they sold themselves to
'Adiy was the first to establish the custom of performing two bowings. at God by fighting in His way and doing what He required until they gave up
death. Then they raised him on the wood and when they had bound h~m their lives. He means that expedition (666).
he said '0 God we have delivered the message of Thy apostle, so tell hIm Among the poems about this is that of Khubayb b. 'Adiy when he heard
tomorr~w what 'has been done to us.' Then he said, '0 God, reckon them that the people had gathered to crucify him (667):
by number and kill them one by one, let none of them escape.' Then they The confederates gathered their tribes around me
killed him, God pity him. And assembled all whom they could collect.
Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan used to say: 'I was present that day among All of them show vicHent enmity against me
those who were there with Abu Sufyan and I saw hIm throw me to the Because I am helpless in bonds,
ground out of fear of Khuba~b's curse.' T~ey used to sa!, ',If a man is They collect their women and children
cursed and is thrown to one SIde the curse WIll pass over hIm. And I am brought to a lofty high trunk.
Yahya b. 'Abbad b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr from his father 'Abbad To God I complain of my loneliness and pain
conce~ning 'Uqba b. al-l;Iarith said: 'I heard him say, "It was not I who And of the death the confederates have prepared for me.
killed Khubayb, for I was too young to do that; but Abu Maysara brother Lord of the throne, give me endurance against their purpose.
of B. 'Abdu'I-Dar took a lance and put it in my hand. Then he covered They have pierced my flesh-all hope is gone!
my hand with his and thrust him with it until he k~lled hi~:'''. . This is for God's sake, and if He wills
One of our companions said that 'Umar had appomted Sa ld b. Amlrb. I Sura 2, 200. S. records a variant reading of Ibn Muhaysin, wayashhadu'lldhu for wayush-
l;Iidhyam al-Juma!)'i over a part of Syria. Fainting fits used to seIze hl~ hidu'JIaha, i.e. God knows what is in his heart, and this may well be the true reading. He
when he was among the people and 'Umar was told of thIS. It was saId also says that the majority of commentators hold that this verse came down with reference
to al-Akhnas b, Shariq al-ThaqafI according to the tradition from Ibn 'Abbas through Abu
I S. says that this is the reading of Yunus b. Bukayr a~d it is to be found in old copies of Miilik, and Mujahid said the same. Ihnu'I_Kalbi said that when he was in Mecca he Rave
I.H., but others give the name as Mariya on I.I.'s authotlty, that opinion, but one of al-Akhnas's offspring denied it and said that it came down with
reference to the people of Mecca.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 43'
43 0
He will bless the limbs thus torn. They deceived you with their treachery, breaking their faith,
They let me choose infidelity but death is preferable, You were wronged, a prisoner in their camp (670).
And my tears flowed though not in fear. Those who formed the mob from Quraysh when Khubayb was killed
I fear not death who am about to die were 'Ikrima b. Abu JahI; Sa'id b. 'Abdullah b. Abu Qays b. 'Abdu Wudd;
But I fear hell and its all-embracing fire. al-Akhnas b. Shariq aI-Thaqafi, ally of B. Zuhra; 'Ubayda b. J:!akim b.
By God, I fear not' if I die a Muslim Uinayya b. J:!aritha b. al-Auqa~ al-Sulami, ally of B. Umayya b. 'Abdu
What death I suffer for God's sake. Shams; and Umayya b. Abu 'Utba and the B. al-J:!a<;lrami.
I will not show subservience to the enemy J:!assan also said reviling Hudhayl for what they did to Khubayb:
Nor despair, for 'tis to God I return.
Tell Banu rAmr that a man steeped in treachery
J:!assan b. Thabit said, mourning Khubayb: Sold their brother as a chattel.
Zuhayr b. al-Agharr and Jami' sold him,
What ails thine eye that its tears cease not
Both of them committing foul crimes.
Flowing on to thy breast like loose pearls? You promised him protection and having done so betrayed him.
For Khubayb the hero, no coward when you meet him,
In the region of aI-Raj!' you were as sharp swords. I
No fickle youth as men well know. Would that Khubayb had not been deceived by your promise:
Then go, Khubayb, may God reward thee well . Would that he had known what people he was dealing with! (671)
In the eternal gardens with houris among thy compamons.
What will you say when the prophet says to you Bassan also said:
vVhen the pure angels are in the firmament, If pure unalloyed treachery pleases you
Why did you kill God's martyr for the sake of an evil man Go to al-Rajf and ask about the abode of Lil;yan;
Who committed crimes far and wide? (668) A people who adjure one another to devour the guest among them. 2
Dog and ape are like such men.
Bassan also said:
If a he-goat were to rise up and address them one day
o eye, be generous with thy t e a r s ; . . He would be a man of honour and importance among them! (672)
Weep for Khubayb who did not return wIth the warnors.
A hawk, 'midst the An:.;ar was his dignity, Bassan also said: 646
Generous by nature of pure unmixed descent. Hudhayl asked the apostle for something disgraceful.
My eye was inflamed because of the difficulty of weeping' They erred therein and went astray;
When 'twas said, He has been lifted up on a tree. They asked their apostle what he would not grant them
o raider going forth on your business To their dying day and they were the disgrace of the Arabs.
Convey a threat-no idle threat Never will you see in Hudhayl one
To the Banu Kuhayba that war's milk Calling others to a generous deed in that place of plunder.
\ViII be bitter when its teats are pressed. \Vae to them who desired to make immoral conditions
In it will be the lions of the Banu ai-Najjar, To be allowed what the scripture forbids!
Their glittering spears in front of a great shouting army (669)'
I:Iassan also said:
I:Iassan a1:.o said: The tale of Khubayb and 'A.~im
Had there been in the camp a noble chief, a warrior, Has ruined the name of Hudhayl ibn Mudrik.
A champion of the people, a hawk whose uncle is Anas, The tale of Lil;yan has ruined their reputation,
645 Then, Khubayb, you would have had a spacious place to sit in For Lil;yan has committed the worst of crimes.
And not have been confined by guards in prison. Men, the best stock of their tribe,
Low adherents of the tribes would not have borne you to Tanrim, Like hairs upon a horse's fetlock,
Some of them men whom 'Udas had expelled. lOr, perhaps, 'thieves'.
:t Al.]alJi:j':, Bukha/rj') Cairo, 1948, p. 216, understands from this and other satirical poems
I rajd is one of the a(iddd. that these men were cannibals.
:t i.e. my nature is such that my eyes are unaccustomed to tears.
The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 433
43 2
f
Were treacherous on the day ofal.Raji , The people in al-Raji' will be found in the morning
Betraying their ward to whom kindness and ge.neroslty were due, Like little goats who have passed the winter without warmth.'
The apostle's messenger. Hudhayl took nO pams
I:lassan also said:
To ward off the evil of loathsome cnmes.
One day they will see victory turn against them By God, Hudhayl do not know
For killing one whom there protected aga~nst evil deeds I Whether Zamzam's water is clean or foul;
Swarms of hornets standing guard over hIS flesh And if they make the great or lesser pilgrimage
Which protected the flesh of one who "~tnessed great battles. They have no share in the f1-ijr or the running.
Perhaps in return for killing him Hudhayl wlll see But at al-Raji' they have a place,
Dead lying prostrate or women mourmng The home of open meanness and disgrace.
As we bring a violent attack upon them, . They are like goats in the Hijaz bleating
Which riders will relate faithfully to those at the faIrs In the evening beside the shelters.
By command of God's apostle, for he with full knowledge They were treacherous to Rhubayb their ward.
Has made a forceful decision against Li1).yan, . What a miserable covenant was their false word! (673)
A contemptible tribe caring nothing for good faIth.
I:lassan also said: 648
If they are wronged they do not resist the aggressor.
When people live in an isolated quarter God bless those who followed one another (to death) the day of al-
You see them in the watercourses between the well-worn channels. Raji'
Their place is the home of death. And were honoured and rewarded.
When anything happens to them they have the minds of cattle. Marthad the head and leader of the party and
Ibn al-Bukayr their imam and Khubayb.
I:lassan also said: And a son of Tariq; Ibn Dathinna was there too.
God curse Li~yan, for their blood does not repay us There his death as it was written befell him
For their having slain the two in treachery. And al-'A~im slain at Raji'
At al-Raji' they killed the son of a free woman Attained the heights (of heaven) great gainer he.
Faithful and pure in his friendship. ._, He averted the disgrace of wounds in the back.
Had they all been killed on the day of aI-RaJ! He met them sword in hand, the noble warrior (674).
In revenge for '.Asim 2 that would not have sufficed
For the dead man" whom the bees protected in their tents,
THE STORY OF BI'R MAfUNA IN :;;AFAR, A.H.4
Among people of obvious infidelity and coarseness.
Lihyan killed one more honourable than they The apostle stayed (in Medina) for the rest of Shawwal, Dhu'l-Qa'da,
~d sold Khubayb for a miserable price, woe to them! Dhii'I-I:Iijja, and al-Mu~arram while the polytheists supervised the pil-
Ugh! for Li~yan in every event. ., grimage. Then he sent the men of Bi'r Ma'lina forth in $afar, four months
May their memory pensh and not even be mentIOned. after U~ud.
A contemptible tribe of mean and treacherous descent, My father Is~aq b. Yasar from al-Mughjra b. Abdu'l-Ra~man b. al-
Their meanness cannot be concealed. . . I:Iarith b. Hisham told me, as did 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr b. Muhammad
If they were slain their blood would not pay for hIm . b. "Amr b. J:Iazrn and other traditionists, as foJIows: Abu Bara' "Amir b.
But the killing of his killers would cure me (of mypam): Malik b. Ja'far the 'Player with the Spears' came to the apostle in Medina
Unless I die I will terrify Hudhayl with a plundenng raId (T and offered him a present. The apostle refused it, saying that he could T. '+12
Swift as the early morning cloud. not accept a present from a polytheist and telling him to become a Muslim
By the apostle's cornman?, an.d hi~ it _is; if he mshed him to accept his present).' The apostle explained Islam to
Disaster will spend the mght m Ll~yan s court. him and invited him to accept it. He would not do so yet he was not far
from Islam. He said: '0 Muhammad (To your affair to which you invite
I harii'im refers to the oath taken by 'A!?im that he WOUld. neve: touch or,le. to~ch~dl1bY a
polytheist, and also to the ;ow of Sulafa that she would drmk wme from i?lrn s S u . I I follow the reading of C.
:: Lit. 'he of the hornets 2 T's version is more verbose than I.H.'s recension.
B 4080 F f
434 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 435
me is most excellent). If you were to send some of your companions to 'Amiris of which tAmr k~cw ~othing, and when after questioning he found
the people of Najd and they invited them to your affair I have good hopes that they belonged to n. Amlr he, let them alone for a time until they slept
that they ,vQuld give you a favourable answer.' The apostle said that he when he fell upon them and kIUed them, thinking that he had taken
feared that the people of Najd would kill them; to which Abu Bari;' replied vengeance on them for the killing of the apostle's companions. But when
that he would go surety for them, so let him send them and invite men to he came to the apostle and told him what he had done he sal'd 'Y h
k'U d . , au ave
his religion. So the apostle sent al-Mundhir b. 'Amr, brother of B. Sa'ida, . 1 e two men whose blood\vlt I must pay) Then the apostle said "This
'The Quick to seek Death', with forty of his companions from the best of IS (the ,reSUlt of) Ab? Bara's act. _ I' did not like this expedition fearing
the Muslims. Among them were al-J:Iarith b. al-!?imma; J:Iaram b. Mil\>an, what ,,~uld h,appen., When Abu Bara' heard the news he was much
brother of B. 'Adiy b. aI-Najjar; 'Urwa b. Asma' b. al-!?aIt al-Sulami; upset at A~Ir s VIOlatIOn of hIS guarantee in that the apostle's companions
Nafi' b. Budayl b. Warqa' aI-Khuza'i; 'Amir b. Fuhayra, freedman of Abu had been kIlled because of what he had done and because he had promised
Bakr, of those who were named of the best Muslims. (To J:Iumayd aI- them safety. ,A;nong those who were killed was 'Amir b. Fuhayra.
Tawil from Anas b. Malik who said that the apostle sent al-Mundhir b. H~sham b. lmva from hiS father told me that 'Amir b. al-Tufayl used to
'Amr with seventy riders.)I They went on until they halted at Bi'r Ma'una ask, \Vho ~vas the ~an I saw lifted up between heaven and earth when he
which is between the land of B. 'Amir and the izarra of B. Sulaym, near to ~ad !'een ktlled untIL I saw the sky receive him?' They answered} 'It \vas
both districts but nearer to the J;arra. Amlr b. Fuhayra.
When they alighted at it they sent J:Iaram b. MiI\>an with the apostle's One of B. Jabbar b. Salma b. Malik b. Ja'far told me-Jab bar was among
letter to the enemy of God 'Amir b. Tufayl. When he came to him he t~osc who were present that day with '~~mir and aftenvards became a Mus-
rushed at the man and killed him before he even looked at the letter. Then hm-that Jabbar used to say, '\Vhat led me to become a Muslim was that
he tried to call out the B. 'A.mir against them, but they refused to do what I stabbed one of them bctv..~een the shoulders that day and I saw the point
he wanted, saying that they would not violate the promise of seeurity which of thl~' spear come out of hIS chest, and I heard him say, "I have won by
Abu Bara' had given these men. Then he appealed to the tribes of B. God. I could not make out what he meant by the words seeing that I had
Sulaym of 'U~ayya, Ri(l, and Dhakwan, and they agreed and came out kIlled him until afterwards I asked others and was told that 1't was martyr-
.
dom, an d th en I saId, II
against them and surrounded them as they were with their camels. Seeing By God he has won." ,
them they drew their swords and fought to the last man. All were killed J:Iassan b. Thabit, inciting B. Abu Bara' against 'Amir b. al-TufayI, said:
but Kab b. Zayd, brother of B. Dinar b. ai-Najjar; him they left while
breath was in him. He was picked up from among the slain and lived until Ye sons of ~Tffimu'l-Banin, are you not dismayed,
the battle of the Trench when he was killed as a martyr. You the loftiest of Najd's people,
'Amr b. Umayya al-Ilamri and an An~ari of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf were with At 'Ami~'s ins~lence to Abu Bara' in violating his safe conduct?
651
the camels out at pasture (675). They did not know of the death of their For a ffilstake IS not the same as a deliberate act.
companions until they saw vultures circling round the camp. They knew Say to Rabi'a \vho strives after great deeds
that this must mean that something serious had happened, so they went What did you do after I left you? '
to investigate and there were the men lying in their blood and the horse- Your father Abu Bara' is a man of \var
men who had ~illed them standing near. tAmr's opinion was that they Your uncle ~fakam b. Sad is celebrated (677).
should rejoin the apostle and tell him the news, but the An9ari said that he
[T. Ka'b b. Malik also said on the same subject:
could not bring himself to leave the spot where al-Mundhir had been slain, T. 1445
nor could he bear that people should say that he had done such a thing, so The violation of Abu Bara"s guarantee ult.
he fought the party until he was killed. They took 'Amr prisoner, and Is blazed abroad far and wide.
when he told them that he was of Mu<)ar, 'Amir b. al-Tufayllet him go It is like Musahhab and his father's sons
650 after cutting off his forelock. He freed him, so he alleged, because of an Hard by al-Radh in the region of Suwa'.
oath taken by his mother. 2 a sons of Ummu'I-Banin, did you not hear
'Amr got as far as al-Qarqara at the beginning of Qanat when two men The cry for help at eventide, the loud call for aid?
of B. 'Amir turned up and stopped with him in the shade (676). Now You did ~ndeed, but you knew that he was a doughty warrior.
there was an agreement of friendship between the apostle and the two The Banu KIlab and al-Qurata'
I This is accepted by Bukhiiri. Are homes of broken faith. .
2. cr. the shorter accOunt in Miisii b. tUqba, NO.7. a 'Amir, 'Amir of ancient infamy,
The Life of l)/fuhammad 437
The Life of Muhammad
43 6
You have won, but without intelligence or~ dignity. THE DEPORTATION OF THE B. AL-NAJ;1IR, A.H.4
Did you not deal falsely with the prophet.
According to what Yazid b. Ruman told me the apostle went to B. aI-
Yet of old have you behaved mf~mousl~. Na<;lir to ask for their help in paying the bloodwit for the two men of B.
You are not like the guest of Abu Duwad 'Amir whom 'Amr b. Umayya al-pamri had killed after he had given them
Nor al-Asadi the guest of Abu'l-'Ala'; . a promise of security. There \vas a mutual alliance between B. al-Naqir
But our shame is a disease of long standmg.
and B. 'Amir. \'/hen the apostle came to them about the blood\vit they
Tak[ note that the disease of treachery is the most deadly.
said that of course they would contribute in the way he wished; but they
- and Kab reached Rabi'a b. 'Amir (Abu'l- took counsel with one another apart, saying, 'You \vill never get such a
When the words of trassan T f 1 d tabbed him with his spear m chance again. Who will go to the top of the house and drop a rock on him
')] h t ked 'Amlr b al- u ay an s 'Th' .
Bara, e at ac d k'lll im' but he fell from his horse saying, IS IS (T. so as to kill him) and rid us of him)' The apostle was sitting by the
his thIgh; he faI_l~ to _~ .. ; 1 die m blood (1 give) to my uncle' and h~ IS wall of one of their houses at the time. 'Amr b. Jil.lash b. Ka'b volunteered
the work of Abu I-Bara , 1.
not to be sued for It: If 1 h~e 1 \;1 I
,l
see 'to what has to be done myself.
1 f Tu'ayma b. 'Adiy b. Naufal
to do this and went up to throw down a rock.' As the apostle \vas \vith a
b 'Abb-s al Sulami materna unc eo. . number of his companions among whom were Abii Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Ali,
A nas. a - l'b W -, l-Khuza'i that day, saId: news came to him from heaven about what these people intended, so he
who killed Nafi' b. Buday . arqa a
I left Ibn Warqa' dead on the ,ground
got up cr. and said to his companions, 'Don't go away until I come to
you') and he went back to r'r1edina. \Vhen his companions had waited long
Vlith the dust wind blO\vmg 0 er hIIn. . for the prophet, they got up to search for him and met a man coming from
d Abu-'l-Rayyan' when I saw hIm
I remem b ere . Medina and asked him about him. He said that he had seen him entering
And made sure that I was avenged. Medina, and they went off, and when they found him he told them of the
treachery which the Jews meditated against him. The apostle ordered them
Abu'l-Rayyan was '"JVayma b,"Ad~:fi' b Budayl b. Warqa' said: to prepare for war and to march against them (679)' Then he went off with
'Abdullah b. Rawal,Ia mourmng a . the men until he came upon them (680).
God have the mercy on Nafi' b. Budayl .. _ I The Jews took refuge in their forts and the apostle ordered that the
That belongs to those who seek the reward of phad. palm-trees should be cut dovm and burnt, and they called out to him,
Fnduring truthful, faithful, . 4 'Muhammad, you have prohibited wanton destruction and blamed those
\Vhen m;n talked too much he spoke to the pomt. guilty of it. Why then are you cutting down and burning Our palm-trees?'
Now there was a number of n. 'Auf b. al-Khazraj among whom were
Hassan b. Thobit, mourning the slain at Bi'r Mauna and especially aI-
'Abdullah b. Ubayy b. Salul and Wadi'a and Malik b. Abu Qauqal and
M~ndhir b. 'Amr, said', Suwayd and Da'is who had sent to B. aI-Nadir saying, 'Stand firm and
Weep for the slain at Mauna protect yourselves, for we will not betray you. If you arc attacked we will
\Vith evcrftowing tears, fight with you and ifYOll are turned out, we will go 1-vith you.' Accordingly
For the apostle's horseme~ th~ day they waited for the help they had promised, but they did nothing and God
They met their death by God s decree. cast terror into their hearts. They asked the apostle to deport them and to
They met their end because a people spare their lives on condition that they could retain all their property which
\Vere false to their coven.ant and treacherous. they could carry on camels, except their armour, and he agreed. So they
Alas for Mundhir who dIed there loaded their camels with what they could carry. lVlen were destroying
And hastened to his end st~adfastly! their houses down to the lintel of the door which they put upon the back
How many a noble welcommg man of their camels and went off with it. Some went to Khaybar and others
Of 'Amr's best people was done to death! (67 8 ) went to Syria. Among their chiefs who went to Khaybar were Sallam b.
h t "t did not kill him'.
I T.has 'the spear ;-ras dcflccte d so t a I ! I think it is clear that another and later story has been attached to this incident. Ob-

Z i.e. 'I forgive him.


viously if the prophet had overheard their designs there was no need of a supernatural
3 W. has Abu'l-Zabb~n. - Cf. Diwiin xl.
communication from heaven. Further, it should be noted that in this later story the apostle
Th{~sc linc~ arc attributed to Uassan. i. called 'the prophet'. This is a term which 1.1. uses most sparingly, though it is fairly
frequently employed by his editor I.H.
4-38 The Life of Muhammad The Lzfe of Muhammad 439
Abu'I-J:Iuqayq, Kinana b. al-Rabi b. Abu'I-J:Iuqayq, and J:Iuyayy b. Akh- circu~ate among your ric~ men; and what the apostle gives you take and
~ab. \Vhen they got there the inhabitants became subject to them. absta~n from \Yha~ he forbl?S you.' He says this is another division between
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that he was told that they carried off the MuslIms concernmg what IS taken in war according to what G d 'b d
to him. I 0 prescn e
women and children and property with tambourines and pipes and singing-
girls playing behind them. Among them was Umm 'Amr, wife of 'Urwa b. Then God said, 'Have you seen those who are disaffected' .
'''bd II I b ' ' . , meamng
aI-Ward al-'Absi, whom they had bought from him, she being one of the ,. u a 1 . U,bayy and hIS compamons and those \vho are like-minded
women of B. Ghifar. (They went) with such pomp and splendour as had who say to their brothers of the scripture people who disbelieve" th
B I i\' d- h ,I.e. e
never been seen in any tribe in their days. . a -: a .Ir, up t? t e words 'like those who a short time before them t3~!ed
They left their property to the apostle and it became his personal the mIsery of thClr acts and had a painful punishment' i e the B Q -,
Th f . ' .. . aynuqa.
property which he could dispose of as he wished. He divided it among the en as ar as the words 'LIke Satan when he said to man Disbelieve d
first emigrants to the exclusion of the An~ar, except that Sahl b. I:Iunayf when man disbelieved h:: said, I am quit of you. I fear Allah the LO~~:f
and Abu Dujana Simak b. Kharasha complained of poverty and so he gave the worlds and the pumshment of both is that they will be in hell ever-
them some. Only two of B. al-Na"ir became Muslims: Yamin b. 'Umayr lastingly. That IS the reward of the evildoers.'
Abu Kab b. 'Amr' b. JiJ:1ash and Abu Sa'd b. Wahb who became Muslims Among the ;erses composed about B. al-Na9ir are the following from
in order to retain their property. f68~~rym al- Absi. (Others say Qays b. BaJ:1r b. Tarif was the author
One of Yamin's family told me that the apostle said to Yiimin, 'Have you
seen the way your cousin has treated me and what he proposed to do?' 1\;11' people be a ransom for the immortal man
Thereupon Yiimin gave a man money to kill 'Amr b. JiJ:1ash and he did 'Vho forccd t~e J:ws to settle in a distant place.2
kill him, or so they allege. They pass thclr SIesta with live coals of tamarisk.
Concerning B. al-Na"ir the Sura of Exile came down in which is Instead of the young shooting palms they have the bare hills of '(rd- 3
recorded how God wreaked His vengeance on them and gave His apostle If I am right about Muhammad I.
power over them and how He dealt with them. God said: 'He it is who You will see his horses between al-Sala: and Yaramram
turned out those who disbelieved of the scripture people from their homes Making for 'Amr b. Buhtha. They 'are the enemy.
to the first exile. You did not think that they would go out and they thought (A fnendly tnbe IS not the same as an evil one.)
that their forts would protect them from God. But God came upon them On them are heroes) firebrands in war
from a direction they had not reckoned and He cast terror into their hearts Brandishing spears directed at their e~emies.
so that they destroyed their houses with their own hands and the hands of Every fine sharp Indian blade
the believers. '2 That refers to their destroying their houses to extract the Inherited from the days of 'Ad and Jurhum.
lintels of the doors when they carried them away. 'So consider this, you \Vh~ will give Quraysh a message from me,
who have understanding. Had not God prescribed deportation against For IS there one honoured in glory after them?
them,' which was vengeance from God, 'He would have punished them in
I If al.~~la~~:i's /:ttll;bu'l-Buldiin, ed. De Goeje, 18 f., this passage reads as follows:
0
,
this world,' i.e. with the sword, 'and in the next world there would be the .... rom 0 u Za Ida from Muhammad b, Isbaq concerning God's word "Th 1
punishment of hell' as well. 'The palm-trees which you cut down or left whICh God gave the apostle from them" i e from B al-No-',- "you d,'d n t
h H '11" H " ' . . '" .,
'j SpOl
a urge cava ry.
standing upon their roots.' Lina means other than the best kind of dates. w am : ~I s'. e taught them that It was peculiar to the apostle and to none else So th~
ap~stk diVIded It among the emigrants except that Sahl b, I;-lunayf and Abu. DUj~a com_
'It was by God's permission,' i.e. they were cut down by God's order; it plamed of poverty and so he gave them some [v.s,]. As to His words "The spoil which God
\vas not destruction but was vengeance from God, 'and to humble evil- gave the apostle fro.m, the people of the towns belongs to God and His apostle" t th d f
the verse He says thiS IS another division between Muslims according to what God dO "b,n ~
655 doers' (681). 'The spoil which God gave the apostle from them,' i.e. from ltd t 'I fll . , esctl e.
o.es no ?ecessan y 0 ow that thiS IS what I.I. wrote, though the arrangement of the
d
B. al-Na9ir. 'You did not urge on your cavalry or riding camels for the matter IS .certamly more syst~matic. That may be due to al-Baladhuri. On the other hand
sake of it, but God gives His apostle power over whom He wills and God is ~e :nentlOn of the first e~Igrants (v,s,) seems somewhat strange. The exclusion of th~
n{lar may well have been I~n~red by.the later writer as foreign to his purpose. On the
Almighty,' i.e. it was peculiar to him (682), 'The spoil which God gave the other han~, the c~ums'y'Ara~lc c~nce~~mg what is taken in war' does not appear here. The
apostle from the people of the towns belongs to God and His apostle.' chan~e of prescnbed IOtO descnbed IS not an oral mistake but a misreading and inc'd _
tally IS one of countless proofs that tradition in early doys was wr,'tten down A fl ~n
What the Muslims gallop against with horses and camels and what is cap- b,tw tI 'h d qf.' ' con USlOn
. ee~ wa a u an ,waf ?hu 10 speech IS utterly impossible: in writing it might well be
tured by force of arms belongs to' God and the apestle. 'And is for the next ImpOSSIble to determme which alternative to adopt.
Z The meaning is obscure. I have followed S.
of kin and orphans and the poor and the wayfarer so that it should not
3 A. Dh, says that this is the name of a place. Yaqut does not mention it.
1 W. has 'a cousin of tAmr'. Z Sura 59.
440 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 44'
That your brother Muhammad, and know it well, When they learned that he was dead.
Is of that generous stock between al-ljajun J and Zamzam. They said to A1)mad. (Leave us awhile,
Obey him in truth and your fame will grow For we are not yet recovered from weeping.'
And you will attain the greatest heights. He is So he left them; then he said, 'Begone
A prophet who has received God's mercy. In submission and humiliation. J
Ask him no hidden uncertain matter. He sent al-NaQ.ir to a distant exile,
You had an example at Badr, 0 Quraysh, They having enjoyed a prosperous home
And at the crowded cistern To Adhri'ae riding pillion
The morning he attacked you with the Khazrajis, On every ulcerous worn-out camel they had.
Obeying the Great and Honoured One,
Samma!< the Jew answered him:
Helped by the Holy Spirit,' smiting his foes,
A true apostle from the Compassionate on high; If you boast, for it is a boast for you
An apostle from the Compassionate reciting His book. That you killed Ka'b b. aI-Ashraf
When the truth shone forth he did not hesitate. The day that you compassed his death,
I see his power mounting on every hand A man who had shown neither treachery nor bad faith,
In accord with God's decree (684)' Haply time and the change of fortune 658
Will take revenge from 'the just and righteous one't
657 Mentioning the deportation of B. al-Na<;lir and the killing of Ka'b b. For killing al-Na<;lir and their confederates
aI-Ashraf, 'Ali said (685): And for cutting down the palms, their dates ungathered.
I know, and he who judges fairly knows. Unless I die we will come at you with lances
I'm sure and swerve not And every sharp sword that we have
From the determined word, the signs which came In the hand of a brave man who protects himself.
From God the Kind, the Most Kind, When he meets his adversary he kills him.
Documents studied among the believers With the army is 1;lakhr' and his fellows.
In which he chose A1)mad the chosen one. When he attacks he is no weakling
So Al;1mad became honoured among us, Like a lion in Tarl protecting his covert,
Honoured in rank and station. Lord of the thicket, crushing his prey, enormous.
o you who foolishly threaten him Ka'b b. Malik said on the same subject:
Who came not in wickedness and was not overbearing,
Do you not fear the basest punishment The rabbis were disgraced through their treachery,
(He who has nothing to fear from God is not like him who lives in Thus time's wheel turns round.
dread.)' They had denied the mighty Lord
And that you may he thrown beneath his swords Whose command is great.
As Ka'b aI-Ashraf was They had been given knowledge and understanding
The day that God saw his insolence And a warner from God came to them,
When he turned aside like a refractory camel? A truthful warner who brought a book
And He sent down Gabriel with a gracious revelation With plain and luminous verses.
To His servant about his killing. They said, 'You've brought no true thing
So the apostle secretly sent a messenger to him And you are more worthy of God's disapproval' than we.'
With a sharp cutting sword. He said, 'Nay, but I've brought the truth,
Eyes wept copiously for Ka'b The wise and intelligent believe me;
He who follows it will be rightly guided
I A place in Mecca. 2 i.e. Gabriel.
J Whenever the reader encounters this miserable banality IA is not the same as B'-there I In Syria. 2 A sarcastic reference to the prophet. C. has yudil.
it an example in the preceding poem-hc may be sure that it is thc product of the foricr of ) Abu. Sufyiin. 4 A mountain in the Hijaz.
much of the poetry of the Sfra. 5 Or, perhaps, 'of being disbelieved'.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad H3
And the disbeliever therein wiII be recompensed.' When he fell aI-Nadir fell also.
And when they imbibed treachery and unbelief If we stay safe we ;hallleave in revenge for Ka'b
And aversion turned them from the truth, Men of yours with vultures circling round them
God shO\\'ed the prophet a sound vie\\' J As though they were beasts sacrificed on a feast day
For God's decision is not false. \Vith none to say them nay,
He strengthened him and gave him pm.ver over them With swords that bones cannot resist,
And was his Helper, an excellent Helper! Of finest steel and sharpened edge
Ka'b was left prostrate there. Like those you met from brave ~akhr
After his fall Nadir was brought low. At U1,lud when you had no helper.
Sword in hand we cut him down
'Abbas b. Mirdas, brother of B. Sulaym, praising the men of B. al-
By Muhammad's order when he scnt secretly by night
Na~iir, said:
Ka'b's brother, to go to Ka'b.
He beguiled him and brought him down with guile. Had the people of the settlement not been dispersed 660
Ma1)mud \vas trust\vorthy, bold. You would have seen laughter and gaiety within it.
Those Banu'l-Na<;li:r were in evil case, By my life, shall I show you women in howdahs
They were destroyed for their crimes Which have gone to Shatat and Tay'ab?
The day the apostle came to them with an army Large-eyed like the gazelIes of Tabala;
Walking softly as he looked at them. Maidens that would bewitch one calmed by much truck with women?I
Ghassan the protectors were his helpers When one seeking hospitality came they would say at 'once
Against the enemies as he helped them. With faces like gold, 'Doubly we1c'Ome!
He said '(I offer) Peace, woe to you,' but they refused The good that you seek will not be withheld.
And lies and deceit were their allies. You need fear no wrong while with us.'
They tasted the results of their deeds in misery, Don't think me a client of Salam b. Makhzum
Every three of them shared one camel. Nor of I:Iuyayy b. Akh\ab.'
They were driven out and made for Qaynuqa',
Khawwat b. Jubayr, brother of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf, answered him:
Their palms and houses were abandoned.
You weep bitterly over the Jewish dead and yet you can see
Sammak the Jew answered him:
Those nearer and dearer to you if you want to weep.
I was sleepless while deep care was my guest Why do you not weep o'er the dead in Urayniq's valley
On a night that made all others seem short. And not lament loudly with sad face (over others)?
I saw that all the rabbis rejected him, When peace reigned with a friend you rejected it.
All of them men of knowledge and experience In religion an obstruction, in war a poltroon.
Who used to study every science You aimed at power for your people, seeking
Of which the Law and Psalms do speak. Someone similar that you might get glory and victory.
You killed Ka'b the chief of the rabbis,' When you wanted to give praise you went
He whose ward was always safe. To one whom to praise is falsehood and shame.
He came down to "Mal)mud hie brother,2 You got what you deserved and you did not find
But Ma1;lmud was harbouring a wicked design. One among them to say vVeIcome to you.
He left him in his blood looking as though Why did you not praise people whose kings
Saffron was flowing o'er his clothes. Built up their standing from ancient fame,
By your father and mine, A tribe who became kings and were honoured?
I Ka'b was nothing of the kind. His father was of Tayyi', though his mother belonged None seeking food was ever found hungry among them.
to B. al.Nat;Hr. Can the forger possibly have confused him with Ka'b al-Abbiir? Such are more worthy of praise than Jews ~
2 But the man's name was Silkiin (W. 551, line 2). Is the forger referring to Muhammad
b. Maslama, one of the assassins, whom he confused with Mabmud b. Maslama (W. 758, In them you see proud glory firmly established.
769)? lOr, perhaps, 'a dignified man of experience'. :2 See W. 543.
444 The Life of J'(/uha11l11lad The LIfe of 1\fuha11l11lad 445
'Abbas b. Mirdas al-Sulami answered him:
And Ka'b chief of the people died a disappointed man.
You satirized the purest stock of the two priests, I Away with B. Na9ir and their like
Yet you always enjoyed favours at their hands. Whether the result be victory or God (686).'
'Twere more fitting that you should weep for them,
Your people too if they paid their debt of gratitude.
THE RAID OF DHATU'L-RIQX'
Gratitude is the best fruit of kindness,
And the most fitting act of one who would do right. After the attack on B. al-Nac.lir the apostle stayed in Medina during
You arc as one who cuts off his head Rabi'u'l-Akhir and part of Jumada. Then he raided Najd making for B.
661 To gain the power that it contains. 2 Mu1)arib and B. Tha'laba of Ghatafan (687), until he stopped at Nakhl. 66.
Weep for B. Harlin and remember their deeds, This was the raid of Dhatu'l-Riqa'. There a large force of Ghatafan was
How they killed beasts for the hungry when you were famished.' encountered. The two forces approached one another, but no fighting
o Khawwat, shed tear after tear for them, occurred, for each feared the other. The apostle led the prayer of fear;
Abandon your injurious attack upon them. then he went off with the men.
Had you met them in their homes (T. Muhammad b. Ja'far b. al-Zubayr and Muhammad b. 'Abdu'l- T. '454
You would not have said what you say. Ra1)man from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr from Abu Hurayra: We went with the
They were the first to perform noble deeds in war, apostle to Najd until at Dhatu'l-Riqa' he met a number of Ghatafan.
Welcoming the needy guest with kind \\'ords. 4 There was no fighting because the men were afraid of them. The prayer
of fear came down 2 and he divided his companions into two sections, one
Kab b. Malik (685) answered him:
facing the enemy and the other behind the apostle. The apostle cried
On my life the mill of war 'Allah akbar,' and so did they all. Then-he bowed with those behind him,
After it had sent Lu'ayy flying east and westS and he and they prostrated themselves. When they stood erect they walked
Ground the remains of the family of the two priests, and their glory backwards to the ranks of their companions and the others returned and
Which once was great became feeble. prayed one bow. Then they stood erect and the apostle prayed one bow
Salam and 1. Saya died a violent death with them and they sat. Those who were facing the enemy came back and
And 1. Akhpb was led to a humiliating fate. prayed the second bow and all sat and the apostle united them with the
He made such noise in seeking glory ('twas really humiliation he salam, and gave them the Muslim greeting.)' (688)
sought), 'Amr b. 'Ubayd from al-J:lasan from Jabir b. 'Abdullah told me that a
~'hat he gained from his fuss was frustration,6 man of B. Mu1)arib called Ghaurath said to his people of Ghatafan and
Like him who leaves the plain and the height distresses him, Mu1)arib, 'Shall I kill Muhammad for you I' They encouraged him to do
And that men find more difficult and arduous. so and asked him how he proposed to carry out his design. He said that
Sha's and 'Azzal suffered war's fiery trial, he would take him by surprise; so he went to the apostle as he was sitting
They were not absent as others were, with his sword in his lap, and asked to be allowed to look at it (689). The
'Auf b. Salma and 1. 'Auf, both of them, apostle gave it to him and he drew it and began to brandish it intending
to strike him, but God frustrated 4 him. He said, 'Aren't you afraid of me,
J Commentators say that there were two tribes known as the Kahinayn in the neighbour~
hood of Medina. Some read kahinin in the plural. If (cf. v. 5) one of these tribes was the Muhammad?' 'No, why should I be?' 'Aren't you afraid of me when I
'Sons of Aaron', could the other have been the tribe of Moses? But one must not take this have a sword in my hand?' 'No, God will protect me from you.' Then he
forger's work too seriously. What Jew would refer to the Bible as 'The Law and the
Psalms'? However, it is possible that al~zubur here means no more than 'The Vhitings'.
returned the apostle's sword to him. God sent down, '0 you who believe,
If so, it would, of course, be appropriate in the mouth of a Jew. And what had they to do remember God's favour to you when a people purposed to lay hands on
with the slaughter of beasts on the open plain? you and he turned their hands away from you. Fear God and on God let
~ i.e. kill the goose that lays the goldcI~ eggs. In destroying the Jewish settlements they
had destroyed the prosperity of the Hijaz. the believers rely.'s
3 Lit. 'killed hunger' . Yazid b. Ruman told me that this came down in reference to 'Amr b.
.. It says much for the impartiality of the biographer and his editor that they have
retained this touching tribute to the unfortunate Jews. J i.e. we have nothing but our hope in God. 2 Sura 4. 102 f.

5 He refers to the battle of Badr. 3 See further E.l., art. '~aHit, p. J02b. T. here notes that there is an irreconcilable differ-
6 The meaning of the gloss in B.M. MS. 1489 seems to be 'In seeking glory he appealed ence in tradition, and proposes to deal with the problem elsewhere. LH. has probably
to outsiders', &c. omitted the story because of the conflict in tradition.
.. Or, 'knocked him down'. 5 Sura 5. 14.
446 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 447
Ji\Iiish, brother of B. aI-Nadir, and his intention. But God knows the truth al-An~ari said: We went with the apostle on the raid of Dhatu'l-Riqa' of
of the matter. Nakhl and a man killed the wife of one of the polytheists. When the 665
Wahb b. Kaysan from Jabir b. 'Abdullah said: I went out with the apostle was on his way back her husband, who had been away, returned
apostle to the raid of Dhatu'l-Riqa'of Nakhl on an old feeble camel of mine. and heard the news of her death. He swore that he would not rest until
On the way back the company kept going on while I dropped farther he had taken vengeance on lVIuhammad's companions. He went off follow-
behind until the apostle overtook me and asked me what the trouble was. ing the track of the apostle, who \vhen he halted asked that someone should
I told him that my camel was keeping me back, and he told me to make it keep watch during the night. A Muhajir and an An~ari volunteered and he
kneel. I did so and the apostle made his camel kneel and then said, 'Give told them to stay in the mouth of the pass, the apostle and his companions
me this stick you are holding' or 'Cut me a stick from a tree.' He took it having halted lower down the pass (690).
and prodded the beast with it a few times. Then he told me to mount and When the two had gone to take up their positions the Ansari asked the
off we went. By Him who sent him with the truth my (old) camel kept up Muhajiriwhether he would prefer to watch for the first or th~ second part
with the rapid pace of his she-camel. of the night. He said that he would like to be relieved of the first part and
As we were talking, the apostle asked me if I would sell him my camel. lay down and went to sleep, while the An~ari stood up to pray. The man
I said that I would give him it, but he insisted on buying it, so I asked him who had been following them perceiving the figure of the man on guard
to make me an offer. He said he would give me a dirham. I refused and and recognizing him for what he was, shot him with an arrO\\'. The guard
664 said that would be cheating me. Then he offered two dirhams and I still pulled it out and laid it down and remained standing. He shot -him a
refused and the apostle went on raising his offer until it amounted to an second and a third time, and each time he pulled out the arrow and laid it
ounce (of gold). When I asked him if he was really satisfied he said that he down. Then he bowed and prostrated himself. Only then did he wake his
was and I said the camel was his. Then he asked me if I were married; companion, saying, 'Sit down, for I have been wounded.' But he leapt up,
then was she a virgin or a woman previously married? I told him she had and when the man saw the two of them he knew that they were aware of
been married before and he said, 'No girl so that you could sport together!' him and fled. When the Muhajirj saw the An~ari flowing with blood he
I told him that my father had been killed at U\Iud leaving seven daughters said 'Good gracious, why didn't you wake me the first time you were hit?'
and I had married a motherly woman who could look after them efficiently. He replied, 'I was reading a siira and I did not want to stop until I had
He said, 'You have done well, if God will. Had we come to $irar I we finished it. When the shooting continued I bowed in prayer and woke you.
would order camels to be slaughtered and stay there for the day and she By God, unless I were to lose a post which the apostle had ordered me to
would hear about us and shake the dust off her cushions.' I said, 'But by hold he could have killed me before I would break off my reading until I
God we have no cushions!' He said, 'But you will have. When you return had finished the sura (691).'
behave wisely.' When we got to $irar the apostle ordered the camels to be \Vhen the apostle came to 1\fedina after this raid he stayed there for the
slaughtered and we stayed there for the day. At night the apostle went rest of Jumada'l-u]a, ]umada'l-akhira, and Rajab.
home and so did we. I told the woman the news and what the apostle had
said to me. She said 'Look alive and do what he tells you.' In the morning THE LAST EXPEDITION TO BADR, A.H. 4 666
I led away the camel and made it kneel at the apostle's door. Then I sat
inside the mosque hard by. He came out and saw it and asked what it was, In Shahan he went forth to Badr to keep his appointment with Abu Sufyan
and they told him it was the camel which I had brought. He asked where I and stopped there (692).
was and I was summoned to him. He said, '0 son of my brother, take away He stayed there for eight nights waiting for Abu Sufyan. Abu Sufyan
your camel for it is yours,' and he calied Bilal and told him to give me an with the men of Mecca went as far as Majanna in the area of (T. Murr)
ounce of gold. He did sO and added a little more. By God it continued al-Zahran. Some people say he reached (T. passed through) 'Usfan; then
to thrive with me and its effect on our household could be seen until it he decided to go back. He told the Quraysh that the only suitable year was
was lost recently in the misfortune which befell us, meaning the day of a fertlie year when they could pasture the animals on the herbage and drink
al-I;Iarra. 2 their milk, whereas this was a dry year. He was going to return and they
[My uncle]' $adaqa b. Yasadrom 'Aqil b. Jabir from Jabir b. 'Abduliah must return with him. And so they did. The Meccans called them 'the
porridge army', saying that they merely went out to drink porridge. I
I A spot about three miles from Medina.
Z When Medina rebelled against Yazid b. Muawiya. While the apostle was staying at Badr waiting for Abu Sufyan to keep
3 This word 'ammi is not in To's recension. A. Dh. says it is a mistake because this man
I Sawiq was made of parched wheat or barley, mixed with water or butter it was 'drunk'
~adaqa was a Khuzri who lived in Mecca, and was not I.I.'s uncle. He adds that Abu
as a Sort of porridge. '
Da'ud [i.e. al-Sijistiini, author of the SunanJ would not have it that he was 1.1.'s uncle.
44 8 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 449
his appointment Makhshiy b. 'Amr al-Jlamri, who had made an agreement Slender, long, of lofty withers.
with him concerning B. I)amra in the raid of ~addan, came t? h}ffi and You could see the swift camel's feet
asked him if he had come to meet Quraysh by thIs water. He saId, Yes, 0 Uprooting the annual herbs.
brother of B. l)amra; nevertheless, if you wish we will cancel the arr~nge If on our journeyings we meet Furat b. I:!ayyan
ment between us and then fight you until God decide between us. He He will become death's hostage.
answered, 'No, by God, Muhammad, we do not want anything of the If we meet Qays b. Imru'u'l-Qays hereafter
His black face will become blacker still!
kind.' 'b d I
As he remained waiting for Abu Sufyan, Ma'bad b. AbU Ma a a- Take Abu Sufyan a message from me
Khuza'i passed by. He had seen where the apostle was as his she-camel For you are the best of a bad lot.
passed swiftly by and he said:
Abu Sufyan b. al-I:!arith b. 'Abdu'l-Mugalib answered him:
She fled from the two companies of Muhammad
And a datestone from Yathrib like a raisin stone a I::Iassiin, son of a mouldy date-eating woman,
Hastening in the ancient religion of her fathers. I swear that we so traversed wide deserts
She made the water of Qudayd' my meeting-place That young gazelles could not escape between us
And the water of Jlajnan 2 will be hers tomorrow. Had they fled from us swiftly one aftec the other.'
When we left our halting-place you would have thought it
'Abdullah b. Rawa\1a said concerning this: (693): Dunged by the crowds at a fair.
We arranged to meet Abu Sufyan at Badr, You stayed by the shallow well wanting us
But we did not find him true to his promise. And you left us in the palm-groves hard by.
I swear if you had kept your word and met us . Our horses and camels walked on the crops 668
You would have returned disgraced without your nearest km. And what they trod on they drove into the soft sand.
We had left there the limbs of 'Utba and his son We stopped three days between Sal' and Bri"
And 'Amr Abu Jahl we left lying there. . . With splendid steeds and swift camels.
You disobeyed God's apostle-disgusting your religIOn You would have thought fighting people beside their tents
And your evil state that's all astray. Was as easy as buying lead for money.
If you reproach me I say Don't describe your fine horses, but speak of them
My wealth and people be the apostle's ransom! As one who holds them firmly back.
We obey him treating none among us as hIs eq~al. You rejoice in them, but that is the right of others,
He is our guiding light in the darkness of the mght. The horsemen of the sons of Fihr b. Malik.
You have no part in the migratioI). though you mention it
I:!assan b. Thabit said concerning that: And do not observe the prohibitions of its religion (694).
You can say good-bye to Syria's running streams,
For in between are swords like mouths of pregnant camels that feed
on arak trees
THE RAID ON DUMATU'L-JANDAL, A.H.5
In the hands of men who migrated to their Lord,
In the hands of His true helpers and the angels too. 'rhe apostle returned to Medina and stayed there some months until
If they go to the lowland of the sandy valley Dhu'l-I:!ijja had passed. This was the fourth yeac of his sojourn in Medina
Say to them: 'This is not the road." and the polytheists were in charge of the pilgrimage. Then he raided
We stayed by the shallow well eight nights Dumatu'l-Jandal (695).
With a large well-equipped force with many camels,' Then he returned, not having reached the place, without fighting, and
With every dark bay its middle half its size stayed in Medina for the rest of the year. .
IQudayd was near Mecca.
2Qajmin is a mountain in the Tihama about one post from Mecca. T According to the commentator the meaning is that their force was so large that the

J These lines have already been cited on p. 547 .


gazelles could not escape them.
2 Two mountains.
Lit. 'wide kneeling places'.
B 4080
cg
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 451
450
knowledge. A Muslim who had to attend to an urgent matter would ask
THE BATTLE OF THE DITCH,' A.H5 the apostle's permission to go and would get it, and when he had carried
669 This took place in Shawwill, A.H. 5. Yazid b. Riimin, client of the family out his business he would return to the work he had left because of his
of aI-Zubayr b. 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr, and one whom I have no reason to desire to do what was right and his respect for the same. So God sent
IUSpect from 'Abdullah b. Ka'b b. MilIik, and Muhammad b. ~'b aI- down concerning those believers: 'They only are the believers who believe
Qura;i, and aI-ZuhrI, and '~int b. 'Umar b. Qatlida, and :Abdull~ b. in God and His apostle and when they are with him on a common work do
Abii Bakr and other traditionists of ours told me the follOWIng narratIve, not go away without asking his permission. Those who ask thy pemIis-
each contributing a part of it: 'sion are they who believe in God and His apostle. And if they ask thy
A number of Jews who had formed a party against the apostle, among permission in some business of theirs, give leave to whom thou wilt of them
whom were Sallam b. Abii'I-I:Iuqayq aI-Na4rl, and I:Iuyayy b. Akhtab aI- and ask God's pardon for them. God is forgiving, merciful." This passage
Na4ri and Kinlina b. Abii'l-Huqayq aI-Na4rl, and Haudha b. Qays aI- came down concerning those Muslims who desired the good and respected
Wi'iIi, and Abii 'Ammar aI-Wa'i!i with a number of B. aI-Na9Ir and B. it, and obeyed God and His apostle.
Wi'jJ went to Quraysh at Mecca and invited them to join them in an atta:ck Then God said of the disaffected who were stealing away from the work
on the apostle so that they might get rid of him altogether. Quraysh sald, and leaving it without the prophet's permission, 'Do not treat the call of
'You, 0 Jews, are the first scripture people and know the nature of ~ur the apostle among you as if it were one of you calling upon another. God
dispute with Muhammad. Is our religion the best or is his I' They repli~d knows those of you who steal away to hide themselves. Let those who
that certainly their religion was better than his and they had a better cIaim conspire to disobey his order beware lest trouble or a painful punishment
to be in the right. (It was about them that God sent d~wn, 'Have y~u n~t befall them' (696). 'Verily to God belong heaven and earth. He knows 671
considered those to whom a part of the scripture was gIVen who believe m what you are doing' the man who speaks the truth and the man who lies.
idols and false deities and say to those who disbelieve, These are more 'And (He knows) the day the) will be returned to Hint when He will tell
rightly guided than those who believe 1 'These are they whom God hath them what they did, for God knows all things.'
cursed and he whom God has cursed you will find for him no helper' as The Muslims worked at the trench until they had finished it, and they
far as His words, 'Or are they jealous of men be<:ause of what God .from made a jingle about one of the Muslims called Ju'ayl whom the apostle
His bounty has brought to theml' i.e. prophecy. 'We gave the family of had named 'Amr, saying,
AbraiIaln the scripture and wisdom and we gave them a great !'ingdom an~ He changed his name from Ju'ayl to 'Amr
some of them believed in it and some of them turned from .t, and hell IS And was a help to the poor man that day.
sufficient for (their) burning.')' .. .
These words rejoiced Quraysh and they responded gladly to theIr mvtta When they came to the word' Amr the apostle said"Amr', and when they
tion to fight the apostle, and they assembled and made their preparations. came to 'help' he said 'help'.'
Then that company of Jews went off to Ghataflin of Qays 'Ayliln~d I have heard some stories about the digging of the trench in which there
invited them to fight the apostle and told them that they would act WIth is an example of God's justifying His apostle and confirming his prophetic
them arid that Quraysh had followed their lead in the matter; so they too office, things which the Muslims saw with their eyes. Among these stories
joined in with them (T. and agreed to what they suggested). is one that I have heard that Jabir b. 'AbdullaiI used to relate: When they
670 Quraysh marched under the leadership of Abii Sufyan b. I:Iarb; and were working on the trench a large rock caused great difficulty, and they
Ghataflin led by Uyayns b. ~n b. I:Iudhayfa b. Badr with B. Fazara; and complained to the apostle. He called for some water and spat in it; then
aI-Hlrith b. 'Auf b. AbU Hliritha ai-Mum with B. Murra; and Mis'ar b. he prayed as God willed him to pray; then he sprinkled the water on the
Rukhayla b. Nuwayra b. Tarif b. Su\una b. 'Abdullah b. Hiliil b. K;h;'liiwa rock. Those who were present said, 'By Hint who sent him a prophet with
b. Ashja' b. Rayth b. Ghataf"an with those of his people from Ash]a who the truth it was pulverized as though it were soft sand so that it could not
followed him. resist axe or shovel.'
When the apostle heard of their intCl;}tion he drew a trench about Medina Sa'id b. Mina told me that he was told that a daughter of Bashir b. Sa'd,
and worked at it himself encouraging the Muslims with the hope of reward sister of al-Nu'man b. Bashir, said: 'My mother 'Amra d. Rawal,la called 67z
in heaven. The Muslims worked very hard with him, but the disaffected me and gave me a handful of dates which she put in my garment and told
held hack from them and began to hide their real object by working slackly me to take them to my father and my uncle'AbdullaiI b. Rawliha for their
f"d, by steaIing away to their families without the apostle's permission or
I sUra 2.4. 62.
',>.; I 'l'he ItoI'f COblOO fn>m 1.1. by......, of ai-BoW'; and UL I S0nI4. Hi. :a The prophet ~ in with the rhyming w()rds of each hemistich.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 453
2
45 . I assed the apostle who called me his foes (697), and gave orders that the women and children were to be taken 674
food. As I went off lookmg f~r:~e:ld him that I was taking the dates to up into the forts.
and asked me what I had. W e . th m to him So I poured The enemy of God I:Iuyayy b. Akhtab al-Nadri went out to Ka'b b. Asad
d ncIe he told me to g,ve e .
h
my fat er an my u . t fill them Then he called for a gar- aI-Qura?i who had made a treaty with the apostle. When Ka'b heard of
1d
them into his hands but theyhd nOd th th~ dates upon it so that they J:Iuyayy's coming he shut the door of his fort in his face, and when he asked
ment which was la1?
out for ~m afd
th re:en to summon the diggers to permission to enter he refused to see him, saying that he \\'as a man of ill
were scattered on It. Then e to e t d the dates went on increas- omen and that he himself was in treaty with Muhammad and did not intend
h th came they began to ea an h
lunch, an d w en ey h d they were still falling from t e to go back on his word because he had always found him loyal and faithful.
iog until they turned away from t em an Then Buyayy accused him of shutting him out because he was unwilling to
ends of the garment.' Id Worked with the apostle at the let him eat his corn. This so enraged him that he opened his door. He said,
thority I was to : e w . Id b
On t h e same au f 11 f ttened and I thought lt wou e 'Good heavens, Ka'b, I have brought you immortal fame and a great
Y
trench. Now I had a little ewe not u I a I told my wife to grind some army. I have come with Quraysh with their leaders and chiefs which I
h' t d s it for the apast e, so d
a goo d t mg 0 res f d I killed the sheep and we roaste have halted where the torrent-beds of Ruma meet; and Gha\afiin with
barley and make some bre~dh or us, and the apostle was about to leave the their leaders and chiefs which I have halted in Dhanab Naqma towards
. f h tI When mg t came an . I UJ;lUd. They have made a firm agreement and promised me that they will
lt or t e apos e. k t it all day and go home in the evenmg-
trench-for we used to wor a dutton for him and that I should not depart until we have made an end of Muhammad and his men.' Ka'b
told him that we had prepared br~ad an ~ was only he that I wanted; but said: 'By God, you have brought me immortal shame and an empty cloud
like him to come wIth me to m~ DUSCh t an invitation for all to come to which has shed its water while it thunders and lightens with nothing in it.
when I said this he ordered a cnerlto 5
I .d 'To God we be ong an 0
DUd t Him we return!'I However,
d th
Woe to you I:luyayy leave me cr.
and Muhammad) as I am, for I have
my house. sal, d hen he had sat down we produce e always found him loyal and faithful.' Ifuyayy kept on wheedling Ka'b until
he and the other men cam~ an w h of God over it. Then he ate at last he gave way in giving him a solemn promise that if Quraysh and
bl d t and mvoke d t e name 1
fQod and h e esse 1 1 had finished another lot came untl Gha\afan returned without having killed Muhammad he would enter his
as did all the others. As soon as one ot fort with him and await his fate. Thus Ka'b broke his promise and cut
673 the diggers turned from it. I F- . _ . d. I was working with a pick in the loose from the bond that was between him and the apostle.
sa1
I was told that Salman a - 'arJs'h . bl The apostle who was near at When the apostle and the Muslims heard of this the apostle sent Sa'd b.
h k gave me mue trou c. d d Mu'adh b. al-Nu'man who was chief of Aus at the time, and Sa'd b. 675
trench were a roc w how difficult the place was. He roppe
hand saw me hackmg and sa k h . k f am my hand and gave such a 'Ubada b. Dulaym, one of B. Sa'ida b. Ka'b b. Khazraj, chief of al-Khazraj
. h t h and too t e plC r d d at the time, together with 'Abdullah b. RawaJ:1a brother of B. al-Ifarith b.
down mto t e rcnc h h . k This happened a seconan
blow that lightning sh~wed ben~at t ~:'~ father or mother, what is the al-Khazraj, and Khawwat b. Jubayr brother of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf, and told
a third time. I said: a you, care: k a t ike~' He said: 'Did you them to go-and see whether the report was true or not. 'If it is true give me
I ht b neath your plC as you s r .
meaning 0 f t h IS 19 e th t God has opened up to me an enigmatic message l which I can understand, and do not undermine the
1man ? Thc first means a , , 0
really see t h at, S a . . d th est. and the third the cast. ne people's confidence; and if they are loyal to their agreement speak out
h conci Syna an ew , h h openly before the people.' They went forth and found the situation even
the Yarnan; t e se that Abu Hurayra used to say w en t esc
whom I do not suspect told me. f 'u and 'Uthman and after, more deplorable than they had heard; they spoke disparagingly of the
cd In the !tme 0 mar h
countries were conquer. God Oll have not conquered and to. t e apostle, saying, '\Vho is the apostle of God? \Ve have no agreement or
'Conquer where you wlll, by ,y. h keys God had not glven undertaking with Muhammad.' Sa'd b. Mu'adh reviled them and they
resurrection day you will not conquer <l CIty w ose reviled him. He was a man of hasty temper and Sa'd b. 'Ubada said.,to
beforehand to Muhammad' : h d h t ch Quraysh came and encamped him, 'Stop insulting them, for the dispute behveen us is too serious for
When the apostle had fims_ e t e rben, I-Juruf and Zughaba with recrimination.' Then the two Sa'ds returned to the apostle and after salut
d of Ruma meet etween a K -
where the torrent- b e s . d their followers from B. mana ing him said: "A<)al and al-Qara' i.e. (It is) like the treachery of 'A<)al and
ten thousand of their black mercenafr:es an wIth their followers from al-Qara towards the men of al-Rajl', Khubayb and his friends.' The
f Tham Ghataan too came h
and the people 0 1 a. . _ towards the direction of UJ:1ud. T e apostle said 'Allah akbar! Be of good cheer, you Muslims.'
Najd and halted at Dhanab Naqma . h th ee thousand men having Sal' at rhe situation became serious and fear was everywhere. The enemy came
h M lims came out Wlt r h d
apostle an d t e us . h 'th the trench between 1m an J See the excursus on the semantic development of the word lafm in J. Filck, ArabJ'ya,
their backs. He pitched rus camp t crc WI
Berlin. 1950, p. 132. a v.s.
I A pious exclamation in misfortunes.
454 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
at them from above and below until the believers imagined vain things, 1 so that they dashed through it and carried them into th f55
and disaffection was rife among the disaffected to the point that Mu'attib b. between the trench and Sal'. 'Ali with some Musli e swampy ground
Qusyahr brother of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf said, 'Muhammad used to promise us
that we should eat the treasures of Chosroes and Caesar and today not one ~:~~::~~~::~:170~:d~::;~;~et~:!~~~~a~=~~~:S~~~;~h:%d~~
of us can feel s.fe in going to the privy!' (698). It reached such a point that fought at Badr until he was disabled by wounds and . hA~d~ Wudd had
Aus b. Qani, one of B. I;Iaritha b. al-l;Iarith, said to the apostle, 'Our Ul,lud. At the battle of the Trench he came a 't so e .. ~ot bee~ at
houses are exposed to the enemy'-this he said before a large gathering of mark to show his rank and when he and h' u ,;eanng a dlstmgUIshmg
his people~'so let us go out and return to our home, for it is outside ~~ed anyone to fight'him. 'Ali accepted :~ec~~:~,;;:~ :~o:~:i~ ~~ ~hal:
Medina.' The apostle and the polytheists remained twenty days and more, r, you SWore by God that if any man of Quraysh off: d 1m.
nearly a month, without fighting except for some shooting with arrows, and alternatives you would accept one of th ~"Y " ere ~ou two
d 'Th en I invite you to God and H'em,
rep IIe, Ies' I dId , he saId . 'Al-1
the siege. h IS apost e and to lsI 'H 'd
When conditions pressed hard upon the people the apostle-according t at he had no use for them. 'Ali went on 'Then I 11 am. e sar
to what 'A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada and one whom I do not suspect told m~un,~ ~e replied, '0 son of my brother, I'do not w.:;: too~l;~ut? ~=
me from Muhammad b. Muslim b. 'Ubaydullah b. Shihab al-Zuhri-sent sal, ut want to kIll you.' This so enraged 'Am h h ..1
to 'Uyayna b. l;Ii~n b. l;Iudhayfa b. Badr and to al-l;Iarith b. 'Auf b. Abu horse and hamstrung it and (T. or) beat its face' then ~: a~~':c~~to~~~:s 678
l;Iaritha al-Murri who were leaders of Ghatafan and offered them a third and they fought, t~e one circling round the othe:. 'Ali killed him and h 1,
of the dates of Medina on condition that they would go back with their cavalry fled, bur~tIng he~dlong in flight across the trench. t elr
followers and leave him and his men, so peace was made between them so rWhen Amr Issued hIS challenge to single combat 'Ali t I d '
far as the writing of a document. It was not signed and was not a definite armour and asked th -- h ' '. go up c a In I.S.N. ii.
. d . e l-',op et s permISSIOn to fight him but he told h' 61
peace, merely peace negotiations (To and they did so). When the apostle to SIt own, for It was <Amr Th <Am . ' 1m
them and saying 'Wh .' en d r repeated hIS challenge taunting
wanted to act he sent to the two Sa'ds and told them of it and asked their , ere IS your gar en of who h h
advice. They said: 'Is it a thing you want us to do, or something God has lose in battle will enter it? Can't you send a Ie Yfiouhsay t at tho~e you
k d h man to g t me" AgaIn 'Ali
ordered you to do which we must carry out? or is it something you are as e t e prophet's permission to go out and again he toid h' .
doing for us?' He said: 'It is something I am doing for your sake. By God, down. Then 'Amr called out the third tin:e: 1m to SIt
I would not do it were it not that I have seen the Arabs have shot at you I've become hoarse from shouting
from one bow, and gathered against you from every side and I want to
break their offensive against you! Sa'd b. Mu'adh said: 'We and these
:~n't there one among the lot of y~u who'll answer my challenge?
ve stood here Irke a fighting champion
people were polytheists and idolaters, not serving God nor knowing him, WhIle the so-called brave are cowards
and they never hoped to eat a single date (To of ours) except as guests or I've always hastened to the front .
by purchase. Now, after God has honoured and guided us to Islam and Before the fight begins.
made us famous by you, are we to give them our property? \Ve certainly Bravery and generosity are in truth
will not. We will give them nothing but the sword until God decide The best qualities of a warrior.
between us.' The apostle said: 'You shall have it so.' Sad took the paper
and erased what was written, saying, 'Let them do their worst against us!' 'Ali asked the prophet's permission to fight him, even if he were 'Amr
The siege continued without any actual fighting, but some horsemen of and he let hIm go. He marched towards him saying the while: '
Quraysh, among whom were 'Amr b. 'Abdu Wudd b. Abu Qays (699) Don't be in a hurry. No weakling
brother of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy; 'Ikrima b. Abu JahI; Hubayra b. Abu Has come to answer your challenge.
Wahb, both of Makhzum; Oirar b. al-Khanab the poet, b. Mirdas brother A man of resolution and foresight.
of B. Mu~arib b. Fihr donned their armour and went forth on horseback Truth is the refuge of the successful.
to the stations of B. Kinana, saying, 'Prepare for fighting and then you will I hope to make the keening Women
know who are true knights today.' They galloped forward until they Busy Over your corpse
stopped at the trench. When they saw it they exclaimed, 'This is a device Through the blow of a spear
which the Arabs have never employed!' (700). Whose memory will last while fights are talked of.
Then they made for a narrow part of the trench and beat their horses
I The language is borrowed from Sura 33. 10.
'Amr asked him who he was, and when he told him he said: 'Let it be
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 457
one of your uncles who is older than you, my nephew, for I don't want to <Ikrima b. Abu Jahl threw away his spear as he was running from tAmr,
shed your blood.' 'Ali answered, 'But I do want to shed your blood.' He so I;Iassiin b. Thabit said:
became angry, and drew his sword which flashed like fire, and advanced in
As he fled he threw his spear to us.
his anger (it is said that he was mounted). 'Ali said to him, 'How can I
Perhaps, tIkrima, you have not done such a thing before?
fight you when you are on a horse? Dismount and be on a level with me.'
As you turned your hack you ran like an ostrich
So he got off his horse and came at him and 'Ali advanced with his shield.
Turning neither to right nor left.
'Amr aimed a blow which cut deeply into the shield so that the sword
You didn't turn your back as a human being would,
stuck in it and struck his head. But 'Ali gave him a blow on the vein at the
The back of your neck was like a young hyaena's (702).
base of the neck and he fell to the ground. The dust rose and the apostle
S. il. 191 heard the cry, 'Allah Akbar' and knew that 'Ali had killed him. [Suhayli Abu Laylii 'Abdullah b. Sahl b. ~Abdu'I-Rahman b. Sahl al-An~ari,
continues:] As he came towards the apostle smiling with joy 'Umar asked brother of B. I;Iaritha, told me that 'Nisha was in the fort of B. I;Iiiritha on
him if he had stripped him of his armour, for it was the best that could be that day. It was one of the strongest forts of Medina. The mother of Sa'd
found among the Arabs. He answered: 'When I had struck him down he b. Mu'iidh was with her. 'Nisha said: 'This was before the veil had been
turned his private parts towards me and I felt ashamed to despoil him and imposed upon us. Sa'd went by wearing a coat of mail so short that the
moreover he h,;id said that he did not want to shed my blood because my whole of his forearm was exposed. He hurried along carrying a lance, 679
father was a friend of his.']! saying the while,
T. 1476 [To With 'Amr were killed two men, Munabbih b. 'Uthman b. 'Ubayd Wait a little! Let I;Iamal' see the fight.
b. al-Sabbaq b. 'Abdu'l-Dar who was hit by an arrow and died in Mecca; What matters death when the time is right?
and of B. Makhzum Naufal b. 'Abdullah b. al-Mughira who had stormed
the trench and rolled down into it and they stoned him. He caHed out, '0 His mother said, "Hurry up, my boy, for by God you are late." I said to
Arabs, Death is better than this,' so <Ali went down t'o hirn.and dispatched her, "I wish that Sa'd's coat of mail were longer than it is", for I was afraid
him. The Muslims got possession of his body and asked the apostle to let for him where the arrow actually hit him. Sa'd was shot by an arrow
them sell his effects. He told them that he had no use for his effects or the which severed the vein of his arm. The man who shot him, according to
price they would fetch, and it was their affair; and he left them a free what '.A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatiida told me, was I;Iibbiin b. Qays b. al-'Ariqa,'
hand.] one of B. '.Amir b. Lu'ayy. When he hit him he said, "Take that from me,
<Ali said concerning that: the son of al-'Ariqa."2 Sa'd said to him, "May God make your face sweat
('arraq) in hell. 0 God, if the war with Quraysh is to be prolonged spare
In his folly he fought for the stone pillars' me for it, for there is no people whom I want to fight more than those who
While I fought for the Lord of Muhammad rightly. insulted your apostle, called him a liar, and drove him out. 0 God, seeing
I rejoiced when I left him prone that you have appointed war between us and them grant me martyrdom
Like a stump between sand and rocks. and do not let me die until I have seen my desire upon B. Quray?a." ,
I forbore to taRe his garments' One whom I do not suspect told me from 'Abdullah b. Ka'b b. Malik
Though had I been the vanquished he would have taken mine. that he used to say: 'The man who hit Sa'd that day was AbU Usiima al-
Do not imakine, you confederates, that God Jushami, an ally of B. Makhzum. This Abu Usama composed an ode
Will desert His religion and His prophet (701). about it with reference to 'Ikrima b. Abu Jahl:
I This incident is reported by I.H., Suh., 1. S. Nas., and al-Miiwardi, 64, all of them
o 'Ikrima, why did you blame me when you said
saying that it was not reported by I.H. in the form given above, 1. S. Nas say~ it was not in Khiilid be your ransom in the forts of Medina?
the riwaya of al-Bakkii'i. Miiwardi adds the details (a) that the three challenges of 'Amr were Am I not he who inflicted a bloody wound on Sa'd?
issued on three successive days; (b) that he called out to Muhammad. His version seems
to be the original. as there is more point in the taunt: 'What's the matter when none of you The vein where the elbow bends gushed with his blood.
will advance to get his reward from his Lord (by being killed) or send an enemy to hell!' Sa'd died of it and the grey-haired matrons
He ends: 'They circled round each other and the dust rose so that it hid them from sight.
When it cleared away there was 'Ali wiping his sword on 'Amr's gannents and he wall slain.'
And the high-breasted virgins made loud lamentation.
Miwardi took this from a written source, because he says that I.H. narrated the story in his You are the one who protected him when 'Vbayda'
MagMzi.
I The saying is proverbial. The readings vary between l;Iama! and Jamal, and the com_
2; i.e. the idols.
mentators are not agreed on the reading or the man intended.
3 The point of this is made clear in the extract from I.1.'s Maghtizi and T.'s quotation
:I She wu Khadija's grandmother according to some.
from 1.1. As the SirQ of tH. stands it is left in the air. a Is this 'Ubayda b. }ibir who was slain at U!;lud?
458 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 459
Called all of them in his stress, property, and their wives are not here, so they are not like you. If they
What time some of them turned away from him see an opportunity they will make the most of it; but if things go badly
And others made off in their terror. l they will go back to their own land and leave you to face the man in your
God knows best about that' (703). country and you will not be able to do so if you are left alone. So do not
680 Ya!,Iyii b. 'Abbiid b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr from his father 'Abbiid told fight along with these people until you take hostages from their chiefs who
me as follows: $aflya d. 'Abdu'I-Mullalib was in Bri', the fort of I:Iassiin will remain in your hands as security that they will fight Muhammad with
b. Thiibit. She said: 'I:Iassan was with us there with the women and you until you make an end of him.' The Jews said that this was excellent
children, when a Jew came along and began to go round the fort. The B. advice.
Quray?3 had gone to war and cut our communications with the apostle, Then he went to Quraysh and said to Abu Sufyan b. I:Iarb and his
and there was no one to protect us while the apostle and the Muslims were company: 'You know my affection for you and that I have left Muhammad.
,at the enemy's throats unable to leave them to come to us if anyone turned Now I have heard something which I think it my duty to tell you of by way
up. I told I:Iassan that he could see this Jew going round the fort and I of warning, but regard it as confidential.' When they said that they would,
feared that he would discover OUT weakness and inform the Jews who were he contmued: 'Mark my words, the Jews have regretted their action in
in our fear while the apostle and his companions were too occupied to opposing Muhammad and have sent to tell him so, saying: "Would you
help us, so he must go down and kill him. "God forgive you," he said. like us to get hold of some chiefs of the two tribes Quraysh and Ghatafan
"You know quite well that I am not the man to do that." When he said and hand them over to you so that you can cut their heads off? Then we
that and I saw that no help was to be expected from him I girded myself' can join you in exterminating the rest of them.' He has sent word back to
and took a club, and went down to him from the fort above and hit him accept their offer; so if the Jews send to you to demand hostages, don't
with the club until I killed him. This done I went back to the fort and told send them a single man.)
I:Iassan to go down and strip him: I could not do it myself because he was Then he went to Ghatafan and said: You are my stock and my family,
a man. He said, "I have no need to strip him, Bint 'Abdu'l-Munalib." '3 the dearest of men to me) and I do not think that you can suspect me.)
As God has described,4 the apostle and his companions remained in fear They agreed that he was above suspicion and so he told the same story as 68.
and difficulty when the enemy came on them from above and below. Then he had told Quraysh.
Nu'aym b. Mas'iid b. 'Amir b. Unayf b. Tha'laba b. Qunfud b. Hilal b. On the night of the sabbath of Shawwal A.H. 5 it came about by God's
Khalawa b. Ashja' b. Rayth b. Ghatafan came to the apostle saying that he action on behalf of His apostle that Abu Sufyan and the chiefs of Ghatafan
had become a Muslim though his own people did not know of it, and let se?t 'Ikrima b. Abu Jahlto B. Quray?a with some of their number saying
681 him give him what orders he would. The apostle said: 'You are only one that they had no permanent camp, that the horses and camels were dying;
man among us, so go and awake distrust among the enemy to draw them therefore they must make ready for battle and make an end of Muhammad
off us if you can, for war is deceit.' Thereupon Nutaym went off to B. once and for all. They replied that it was the sabbath, a day on which they
Quray?a with whom he had been a boon companion in heathen days, and did nothing, and it was well known what had happened to those of their
reminded them of his affection for them and of the special tie between people who had violated the-sabbath. 'Moreover we will not fight Muham-
them. When they admitted that they did not suspect him he said: 'Quraysh mad along with you until you give us hostages whom we can hold as
and Ghatafan are not like you: the land is your land, your property, your security until we make an end of Muhammad; for we fear that if the
wives, and your children are in it; you cannot leave it and go somewhere battle goes against you and you suffer heavily you will withdraw at once to
else. Now Quraysh and Ghatafan have come to fight Muhammad and his your country and leave us while the man is in our country, and we cannot
companions and you have aided them against him, but their land, their face him alone.' When the messengers returned with their reply Quraysh
and Ghatafan said (T. Now you know) that what Nu'aym told you is the
lOr, reading marghub. 'made off to avoid trouble',
2 Or, reading j'tajartu, 'fastened my veil'. truth j so send to B. Quray?a that we will not give them a single man, and
3 The commentators do not like this story to the discredit of one of the prophet's com if they want to fight let them come out and fight. Having received this
panians. Suhayli says that the learned reject the tradition because the isniid is broken off. message B. Qurana said: 'What Nu'aym told you is the truth. The people
Further, had the story of l;Iassiin's cowardice been true the poets who satirized him would
have mentioned it. As they did not the tradition must be weak. On the other hand, if it is are bent on fighting and if they get an opportunity they will take advantage
sound, it may be that Bassin was ill on that day and could not fight. Al~Zarqii.ni. who of it; but if they do not they will withdraw to their own country and leave
believes the story, discounts the argument that rival poets would have used the story had it
been true by saying that the fact that he was a companion of the prophet saved him, and us to face this man here. So send word to them that we will not fight
their silence on the subject is one of the 'marks of prophecy'. Muhammad with them until they give us hostages.' QUlaysh and Ghatafan
" Sura 33. ro. refused to do so) and God sowed distrust between them, and sent a bitter
460 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
cold wind against them in the winter nights which upset their cooking-pots
THE RAID ON B. QURAY~A
and overthrew their tents.
When the apostle learned of their dispute and how God had broken up According to what al-ZuhrI told me, at the time of the noon prayers
their alliance he called I;Iudhayfa b. al- Yaman and sent him to them to Gabriel came to the apostle wearing an embroidered turban and riding on
see what the army was doing at night. a mule with a saddle covered with a piece of brocade. He asked the apostle
683 Yazid b. Ziyad told me from Muhammad b. Ka'b b. aI-Qura?i: A man if he had abandoned fighting, and when he said that he had he said that
of Kufa said to I;Iudhayfa, 'Did you really see the apostle and were you his the angels had not yet laid aside their arms and that he had just come from
companion?' When he replied Yes, he asked what they used to do, and he pursuing the enemy. 'God commands you, Muhammad, to go to B.
said that they used to live a hard life. He said, 'By God, if we had lived in Quray?a. I am about to go to them to shake their stronghold.'
his day we would not have allowed him to set foot on the ground, but The prophet ordered it to be announced that none should perform the
would have carried him on our shoulders.' I:Iudhayfa said, 'I can see us afternoon prayer until after he reached B. Qurayza (705). The apostle
with the apostle at the trench as he prayed for a part of the night and then sent <Ali forward with his banner and the men hastened to it. 'Ali advanced
turned to us and said, "\Vho will get up and see for us what the army is until when he came near the forts he heard insulting language used of the
doing and then return-the apostle stipulating that he should return-I apostle. He returned to meet the apostle on the road and told him that. it
will ask God that he shall be my companion in paradise." Not a single man was not necessary for him to come near those rascals. The apostle saId,
got up because of his great fear, hunger, and the severe cold. When no on~ 'Why 1 I think you must have heard them speaking ill of me,' and when
got up the apostle called me, and I had to get up when he called me. He 'Ali said that inaTwas so he added, 'If they saw me they would not talk tn
told me to go and see wh~t the army was doing and not to do anything hat fashion.' When the apostle approached their forts he said, 'You
else I until I returned to him. So I went out and mingled with the army lrothers of monkeys, has God disgraced you and brought His vengeance
while the wind and God's troops were dealing with them as they did, upon you l' They replied, '0 Abu't.Qasim, you are not a barbarous
leaving neither pot, nor fire, nor tent standing firm. Abu Sufyan got up person.'
and said, "0 Quraysh, let every man see who is sitting next him." So I The apostle passed by a number of his companions in al~$aurayn bef?re
took hold of the man who was at my side and asked him who he was and he he got to n. Quray"a and asked if anyone had passed them. They repIred 68 5
said So-and-so. that Dil)ya b. Khalifa al-Kalbi had passed upon a white mule With a saddle
'Then Abu Sufyan said: no Quraysh, we are not in a permanent camp; covered with a piece of brocade. He said, 'That was GabrIel who has been
the horses and camels are dying; the B. Qurana have broken their word to sent to B. Qurayza to shake their castles and strike terror to their hearts.'
us and we have heard disquieting reports of them. You can see the When the apo~tle came to B. Quray"a he halted by one of their wells
violence of the wind which leaves us neither cooking-pots, nor fire, nor near their property called The Well of Ana (706). The men JOIned him.
tents to count on. Be off, for I am going!" Then he went to his camel Some of them came after the last evening prayer not having prayed the
which was hobbled, mounted it, and beat it so that it got up on its three afternoon prayer because the apostle had told t~em n?t to d~ so until he
legs; by God its hobble was not freed until it was standing.' Were it not got to B. Quray"a. They had been much occupied With warIrke prepara-
that the apostle had enjoined me not to do anything else until I returned to tions and they refused to pray until they came to B. Qurayz:a III accordance
him, if I wished I could have killed him with an arrow. with his instructions and they prayed the afternoon prayer there after the
'I returned to the apostle as he was standing praying in a wrapper be- last evening prayer. God did not blame them for that in His bo~k, no~ ~id
684 longing to one of his wives (704). "'Then he saw me he made me come in the apostle reproach them. My father Isl)aq b. Yasar told me thiS traditIOn
to sit at his feet and threw the end of the wrapper over me; then he bowed from Ma'bad b. Malik al-An~ari.
and prostrated while I was in it (T. And I disturbed him). When he had The apostle besieged them for twenty-five nights until they were sore
finished I told him the news. When Ghalafan heard of what Quraysh had pressed and God cast terror into their .hearts. . .
done they broke up and returned to their own country.' Now I;Iuyayy b. Akhlab had gone With B. Qurana Into their forts when
In the morning the apostle and the Muslims left the trench and returned Quraysh and Ghalafan had withdrawn and left them, to keep hiS word to
to Medina, laying their arms aside. Ka'b b. Asad; and when they felt sure that the apostle would not leave
I i.e. not to act on his. own initiative. them until he had made an end of them Ka'b b. Asad said to them: '0
II The Arabs. s.till hobble their camels. when they are kneeling with their legs. folded Jews, you can see what has happened to you; I offer you three alterna.tives.
beneath them. One of the forelegs. is. tied by the halter in the folded pos.ition. If the camel Take which you please.' (i) We will follow this man and accept him as
gets up before the hobble is undone one leg is. perforce doubled up and cannot be put to
the ground. true, for by God it has become plain to you that he is a prophet who has
The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 463
been sent and that it is he that you find mentioned in your scripture; and own hand.' When the apostle passed him when he was gomg out to
then your lives, your property, your women and children will be saved. morning prayer he set him free (708).
They said, 'We will never abandon the laws of the Torah and never change Tha'laba b. Sa'ya, Usayd his brother, and Asad b. 'Ubayd of B. Hadl
686 it for another.' He said, 'Then if you won't accept this suggestion (ii) let who were not related to B. Quray?-a or B. al-Nac;iir (their pedigree is far
us kill our wives and children and send men with their swords drawn to above that), accepted Islam the night on which B. Qurayza surrendered to
Muhammad and his companions leaving no encumbrances behind us, until the apostle's judgement. .
God decides between us and Muhammad. If we perish, we perish, and we On that night 'Amr b. Su'da al-Qura?i went out and passed the apostle's
shall not leave children behind us to cause us anxiety. If we conquer we guards commanded that night by Muhammad b. Maslama who challenged
can acquire other wives and children.' They said, 'Should we kill these him. Now 'Amr had refused to join B. Quray?a in their treachery towards
poor creatures? What would be the good of life when they were dead?' the apostle, saying, 'I will never behave treacherously towards Muham- 688
He said, 'Then if you will nut accept this suggestion (iii) tonight is the eve mad.' When Muhammad b. Maslama recognized him he said,'O God, do
of the sabbath and it may well be that Muhammad and his companions not deprIve me (of the honour) of setting right the errors of the noble' and
will feel secure from us then, so come down, perhaps we can take Muham- let h~m go his ,way. He went a~ far as the door of the apostle's mosque I in
mad and his companions by surprise.' They said: 'Are we to profane our Medma that mght; then he vanIshed, and it is not known to this day where
sabbath and do on the sabbath what those before us of whom you well he went. When the apostle was told he said, 'That is a man whom God
know did and were turned into apes?' He answered, 'Not a single man delivered because of his faithfulness.' Some people allege that he was
among you from the day of your birth has ever passed a night resolved to bound Wtth a rotten rop,e ~ong with the captives of B. Quray?a when they
do what he knows ought to be done.' subffiltted to the apostle s Judgement, and his old rope was found cast away
Then they sent to the apostle saying, 'Send us Abu Lubiiba b. 'Abdu'l- none knowmg whither he went and the apostle then said those words. God
Mundhir, brother of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf (for they were allies of al-Aus), that knows what really happened.
we may consult him.' So the apostle sent him to them, and when they saw In the morning they submitted to the apostle's judgement and aI-Aus
him they got up to meet him. The women and children went up to him leapt up and said, '0 Apostle, they are our allies, not allies of Khazraj, and
weeping in his face, and he felt sorry for them. They said, 'Oh Abu you know how you recently treated the allies of our brethren.' Now the
Lubaba, do you think that we should submit to Muhammad's judgement?' apostle had besieged B. Qaynuqa' who were allies of al-Khazraj and when
He said, 'Yes,' and pointed with his hand to his throat, signifying slaughter. t~ey submitted to his judgement 'Abdullah b. Ubayy b. SalLil had asked
Abu Lubiiba said, 'My feet had not moved from the spot before I knew him for them, and he gave th~m to him; so when al-Aus spoke thus the
that I had been false to God and His apostle.' Then he left them and did apostle sald:. WIll you be satisfied, 0 Aus, if one of your own number
not go to the apostle but bound himself to one of the pillars in the mosque pro~~unces Judgement on them?' When they agreed he said that Sa'd b.
saying, 'I will not leave this place until God forgives me for what I have Mu adh was the man. The apostle had put Sa'd in a tent belonging to a
done,' and he promised God that he would never go to B. Qurana and woman of Aslam called Rufayda inside his mosque. She used to nurse the
would never be seen in a town in which he had betrayed God and His wounded and see to those Muslims who needed care. The apostle had told
apostle (707). his people when Sa'd had been wounded by an arrow at the battle of the
68 7 When the apostle heard about him, for he had. been waiting for him a Trench to put him in Rufayda's tent until he could visit him later. When
long time, he said, 'If he had come to me I would have asked forgiveness the apostleappointed him umpire in the matter of B. Qurana, his people
for him, but seeing that he behaved as he did I will not let him go from his came to hun and mounted hIm on a donkey on which they had put a
place until God forgives him.' Yazjd b. 'Abdullah b. Qusayt told me that leather cushion, ~e beinl!' a corpulent man. As they brought him to the
the forgiveness of Abu Lubiiba came to the apostle at dawn while he was apostle they sald, Deal kmdly with your friends, for the apostle has made
in the house of Umm Salama. She said; 'At dawn I heard ihe apostle laugh you umpIre for that very purpose.' When they persisted he said 'The time 689
and I said: 'Why did you laugh? May God make you laugh!' He replied, has come ~or Sa'd in the cause of God, not to care for any man:s censure.'
'Abu Lubiiba has been forgiven.' She said, 'Cannot I give him the good Some of hts people who were there went back to the quarter of B. 'Abdu'l-
news?' and when he said that she could she went and stood at the door of Ashhal and announced to them the death of B. Quray?a before Sa'd got to
her room' (this was before the veil had been prescribed for women) and them, because of what they had heard him say.
said, '0 Abu Lubiiba, rejoice, for God has forgiven you'; and men rushed When Sa'd reached the apostle and the Muslims the apostle told them
out to set him free.. He said,.'No, not until the apostle frees me with his to get up to greet theIr leader. The muhiijirs of Quraysh thought that the
J The prophet's house was next door to the mosque where Abu Lubiiba had tied himself. J W. bas 'until he paned the night in'.
464 The Lije of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
apostle meant the An~ar, while the latter thought that he meant everyone, her name. 'Good hcaYens,' 1 cried, 'vvhat is the matter 2' 'I am to be
so they got up and said '0 Abu' Amr, the apostle has entrusted to y,ou t~e killed: she replied. 'What for?' I asked. 'Because of something I did:
affair of your allies that you may give judgement concer.nIng them. Sa d she ans\\'ered. She was taken away and beheaded. ',A'isha used to say, 'I
asked, 'Do you covenant by Allah that you aC,cept the Judgement I pro- shall never forget my' wonder at her good spirits and her loud laughter
nounce othemn .)' They said Yes " and he saId And IS It Incumbent .on the
. when all the time she knew that she would be killed' (711).
one who is here?' (looking) in the direction of the apostle not mentlOn~ng Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri told me that Thiibit b. Qays b. al-Shammas had
him out of respect, and the apostle answered Yes. Sa'd sai?,. 'Then I gIve gone to al-Zabjr b. Bala al-Qura?i who was Abu 'Abdu'l-Rahman. AI-
judgement that the men should be killed, the property dlYlded, and the Zabjr had spared Thabit during the pagan era. One of al-Zabjr's sons told
women and children taken as captives.' me that he had spared him on the day of Bu'iith, having captured him
'Asim b. 'Umar b.Qatada told me from 'Abdu'I-Ra!)man b. 'Amr b. Sa d and cut off his forelock and then let him go. Thabit came to him (he was
b. Mu'adh from 'Alqama b. Waqqiis al-Laythj that the apostle saId t~ then an old man) and asked him if he knew him, to which he answered,
Sa'd, 'You have given the judgement of Allah above the seven heavens 'vVould a man like me not recognize a man like you?' He said, 'I want to
repay you for your service to me.' He said, 'The noble repays the noble.'
(7 09). . M d' . h
Then they surrendered, and the apostle confined them III e ma In t e Thiibit went to the apostle and told him that al-Zabir had spared his life
quarter of d. al-I:farith, a woman of B.al-Najjar. Then the apostle went and he wanted to repay him for it, and the apostle said that his life would
out to the market of Medina (whIch IS stIll ItS market today) ~nd dug be spared. When he returned and told him that the apostle had spared
trenches in it. Then he sent for them and struck off theIr heads In those his life he said, 'What does an old man without family and without children
trenches as they were brought out to him in batches. Amox:g th~m was the want with life 2' Thabit \vent again to the apostle, who promised to give
enemy of Allah I:fuyayy b. Akhlab and Ka'b b. Asad theIr chIef. There him his \vife and children. \\!hen he told him he said, 'How can a
were 600 or 700 in all, though some put the figure as hIgh as 800 or 9?" household in the Hijaz live without property?' Tha:bit secured the apostle's
As they were being taken out in batches to the apostle t?er. asked Ka b promise that his property would be restored and came and told him so,
what he thought would be done with them. He rephed, "Ill you never and he said, '0 Thabit, \1,'hat has hecome of him whose face was like a
understand? Don't you see that the summoner never stop~ and those, wh? Chinese mirror in which the virgins of the tribe could sec themselves,
are taken away do not return? By Allah it is death!' Thls went on untIl Ka'b b. Asad?' 'Killed,' he said. 'And what of the prince of the Desert
the apostle made an end of them. . . and the Sown, I.Iuyayy b. Akhlab?' 'Killed.' 'And what of our vanguard
I:fuyayy was brought out wearing a f1ower~d robe (7'0) In whIch he had when we attacked and our rearguard when we fled cr.
returned to the
made holes about the size of the finger-tIps In every part so that It should charge), 'Azziil b. Samaw'al?' 'Killed.' 'And wh,.! of the two assemblies?'
not be taken from him as spoil, I with his hands bound to hiS neck by a rope. meaning B. Ka'b b. Qurayza and B. 'Amr b. Qurayza. 'Killed.' He said,
When he saw the apostle he said, 'By God, I do not blame myself for 'Then I ask of you, Thabit; by my claim on you that you join me \vith
opposing you, but he who forsakes God will be forsaken.' Then he went my people, for life holds no joy now that they are dead, and I cannot bear
to the men and said, 'God's command IS nght. A bo~k and a decree, and to wait another momene to meet my loved ones.' So Thabit went up to
massacre have been written against the Sons of Israel. Then he sat down him and struck ofl his head.
and his head was struck off. When Abu Bakr heard of his words 'until I meet my loved ones' he said,
Jabal b. Jawwal al- Tha'iabi said: 'Yes, by Allah he will meet them in hell for ever and ever' (712).
(Thiibit b. Qays said concerning that, mentioning al-Zabir b. Ba\ii:
Ibn Akhtab did not blame himself
But he \~ho forsakes God will be forsaken. My obligation is ended; I was noble and persistent
He fought until he justified himself . vVhen others s\\"erved from steadfastness.
And struggled to the utmost in purSUIt of glory. Zabir had a greater claim than any man on me
And when his wrists \\'ere bound with cords
h
M uamma. d b J a'far b . al-Zubayr told me from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr
II
that
'h I went to the apostle that 1 might free him.
'A'isha said: 'Only one of their women was killed. She was actua y Wit The apostle \vas a very sea of generosity to us.)
me and was talking with me and laughing immoderately as the apostle
was killing her men in the market when suddenly an unseen VOIce called The apostle had ordered that every adult of theirs should he killed.
I Lit. 'the time it takes a man to pour a bucket of water into the trough and return the
I A variant 'so that none should wear it after him' is worth mention. bucket'.
B4080 ah
466 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad 6
Shu'ba b. al-I:Jajjaj told me from 'Abdu'l-Malik b. 'Umayr from 'Anya
about God.' Those who came at you from above wefe B 4 7
al-Qura:{i: The apostle had ordered that every adult of B. Quray;::a should from below were Quraysh and Ghatafan 'Th , . ' Quray"a: those
be killed. I was a lad and they found that I was not an adult and so they and shaken with a mighty sho k Ad' here \\ere the belIevers tested
let me go. h ! c. n w en the disaffected a d th .
\V ?se Iearts was a disease were saying \Vhat God d H. n as: In
Ayyub b. 'Abduu'I-Ra1.Jman b. 'Abdullah b. Abu i;3,'ea'a brother of B. ~s IS naught but a delusion' refers to the \\'ords an . I; a~ostie promIsed
'Adiy b. al-Kajjar told me that Salma d. Qays, mother of al-Mundhir sister And when a partv of them said 0 1 f Y of!\Iu attlb b. Qushayr.
of Sali! b. Qays-she was one of the maternal aunts of the apostle \vho had for vou so turn b;ck A d ' fPehop e a athnb, there is no standing
~ , . n some a t em sought t1 h'
prayed with him both towards Jerusalem and towards Mecca and had saying Our houses are exposed and the w 1e prop et s permission
sworn the allegiance of women to him-asked him for RifJ.'a b. Samaw'al only to run a\"ray' refers to th~ . d Yf l\.ere not exposed. They wished
al-Qura~i who was a grown man who had sought refuge with her, and \\'ho I \\or s a .'1US b Qavzi and th f h'
peop c who shared his opinion 'A d 'f' 1 db' . .. ose 0 IS
used to know them. She said that he had alleged that he would pray and i.e. l'rfedina (7 I 3). . n I It 1a een entered from its sides',
eat camel's flesh. So he gave him to her and she saved his life. 'Then if they had been invited to reb II" ,.
Then the apostle divided the property. wives, and children of B. Quray.t;:a 'they would have complied and \\ auld e IOn I' I.~. thedrebturn to polytheism,
h h h aye 1esItatc ut a y
among the .l\1uslims, and he made known on that day the shares of horse
693 and men, and took out the fifth. A horseman got three shares, two for the
~::at~dt~"~:~ to Allah beforehand that they would not tur~~::~;~ack~t
;T must be ans\\cred for.' Thcv WCle the R 1-1- h l' .
horse and one for his rider. A man without a horse got one share. On the were the mcn who th 1 j ~ . ant a. hey
b b h h oug lt to c escrt on the day of l'hud \\lth B S I
day of B. Quray~a there we-re thirty-six horses. It was the first booty on w en at t ought to desert on the day of VI d Th . a ama
which lots were cast and the fifth \vas taken. According to its precedent
and \vhat the apostle did the divisions were made, and it remained the ~~~t :;:n\\:~lt~I~:\;~~v~(: tl~~ hke ;fai~ an~/l~~e~ind:~:~:;;'S:t:~,:~~:~
death 0 k'lI '" ~ ay, Ig t WI not avaJl yOU If you flee from
custom for raids. r mg, and then you \\111 enJoy comfort but for a little Say 'Vh
1
Then the apostle sent Sa'd b. Zayd al-Aneari brother of b. 'Abdu'l-
Ashhal with some of the captive women of B. Quray~a to N" ajd and he sold
:~:~es;;ee y~~ from Allah if He Intends evil to\\ ards you, or i~tend~
Alla~k y )\\111 not find that they have any friend or helper but Allah
them for horses and weapons. nows t lose of vou \\ho h d ,. h d' .
The apostle had chosen one of their women for himself, Ray1.Jana d. th 'h . ~ mer, I.e. t e Isaffectcd people 'And
ose \\ a say to theIr brethren C t d .
'Amr b. Khunafa, one of the women of B. 'Amr b. Qurayza, and she save a little,' I.e. for a moment t' o~e 0 ~s an they. cam.e not to battle
remained with him until she died, in his power. The apostle had proposed their hel to' ,. 0 rna e a pI etence of smcenty, 'sparing of
p JOU, I.e. because of their grudging nature 'B t 'h f
to marry her and put the veil on her, but she said: 'Kay, leave me in your comes you see them lookin . .' . U \\ en ear
faint' i c tl k d g at yOU \\Ith rolling eyes lIke one in a deadly
power, for that will be easier for me and for you.' So he left her. She had , .. 1m Ing It readful and ten d1ed of It '1'1, h .
shown repugnance towards Islam when she \vas captured and clung to departs they scald you \\!th sharp tongues,' I.e. \\:Ith t:~n a~ e~ tr~cIr dcar 695
Judaism. So the apostle put her aside and felt some displeasure. \Vhile not please you because theIr hope IS In thI 1 f . au \\ at oes
hc \vas with his companions he heard the sound of sandals behind him and ~oes ~ot mo\ e them, for they fear d~ath \\It~ t~: 'd~~;~ ~:~:~~~) ~ward
said, 'This is Tha'laba b. Sa'ya coming to give me the good news of ope In a future hfe (714). 'They think that th f d 0 as no

~~;: :;a~~'t~~~ \?~~;:r~lca~od 2~:!t~;:Je~:~~\\i;tI~~,:~~~i1~;~:;:k~:0~~;


Ray~ana's acceptance of Islam' and he came up to announce the fact.
This gave him pleasure.
God sent down concerning the trench and B. Quray?a the account which ne~: of YHoU and If they wcre among you they \\Quld fight but lIt tIc ' g or
is found in the sura of the Confederates J in which He mentioned their trial len e addressed the believers and l ' I G l' .
and His kindness to them, and His help when He removed that from them fine example for onc \\ho hopes for Al1asl~I~;1d ~e 7~stS ~;~~t~c you have a
sho.uld not prefer themselves to hIm and nnt deslre to be ~~ al.pelatc~at h
after one of the disaffected had said what he did: '0 you \vho believe, they
remember God's favour to you \vhen armies came against you, and \Ve h e IS not. C were

sent against them a wind and armies you could not sec, and God is a seer
of \vhat you do.' The armies were Quraysh, and Ghatafan, and B. Quray~a.
694 The armies which God sent with the wind were the angels. God said,
Then He mentioned the believers and their truth and th '
~'hat God promised them of trial by which He tested ~hem el~ t "
eIIef
,m
And \~'hen the believers sa\\' the confederates they said, Th. a.n 'h C sGa1dd'
and HIS apostle prom' I 1G ~. IS IS \\ at a
'When they came at you from above you and below you, and when eyes . '. Isec us, ane ad and Ifis apostle are true It d'd b
grew wild and hearts reached to the throats and you thought vain things
I Sura 33.
:~c;l~:S~:~:~: f~~~h ~~~e~I\~mi~:i~~~t~C~;~;~:tan~~ta~~a),aI~d'SU~I~lisshiOUd~
r< apc-vu\... a
1S
The Life of Muhammad
promised them. Then He said: 'Some of the believers are men who are The LIfe of Muhammad
true to what they covenanted with Allah and some of them have fulfilled Of Sa'd one of the An~ar said:
their VO\\' in death,' i.e. finished their work and returned to their Lord like
those who sought martyrdom at Badr and U!:md (7'5)' We have never heard of the throne of God
696 'And some of them are still waiting,' i.e. for the help which Allah Shaking for any dead man but Sad Abu 'Amr.
promised them and the martyrdom like that which befell his companions.
God said: 'And they have not altered in the least: i.e. they did not doubt (7~~~ mother said when his bier was being carried, as she was weeping
nor hesitate in their religion, and did not change it for another. 'That God
may reward the true men for their truth and punish the disaffected if He Alas Umm Sa'd for Sa'd the brave and hold
will, or repent towards them. God is forgiving, merciful. And Allah Leade,r gl?rious, knight ever ready, '
turned back those who disbelieved in their wrath,' i.e. Quraysh and Ghata- Steppmg IOta the breach, cutting heads to pieces.'
fan. 'They gained no good. God averted battle from the believers, and The apostle said, 'Every wailin' r
Allah is strong, mighty. And He brought down those of the Scripture Sa'd b. Mu'a:dh. g woman les except the one who \vept

B. ?~~d~~~_:~~li;:'~ f?und ma;:yrdom at the battle of the Trench: Of


people who helped them: i.e. B. QuraYca, 'from their strongholds' the
697 forts and castles in which they were (716). 'And he cast terror into their
hearts; some you slew and some you captured,' i.e. he killed the men and 'Abdullah b. Ss hal' ad b. Mu adh; Anas b. 'Aus b. 'Atik b. 'Amr, and
a . 3.
N ~f ~. JudshTam ,bj'bal-Khazraj of the clan B. Salima: al- Tufayl b. al-
captured the women and children. 'And caused you to inherit their land
and their dwellings, and their property, and a land you had not trod,' i.e. II man an h a a a b. Ghanama. 2.
Khaybar. 'For Allah can do all things.' . OfB. aI-Najjar of the clan B. Dinar: Kab b Zayd whom d
"Then the affair of B. Quray?a was disposed of, Sa'd's wound burst open h,t and slew (7 1 9). 1. . a ran am arrow
and he died a martyr therefrom. Three polytheists were killed:
Mu'adh b. Rifa'a al-Zuraqi told me: Anyone you like from the men of Of B. 'Abdu'I-Dar: Munabbih b. 'l'thman h 'Ubayd b I S bb- h'
698 my people told me that Gabriel came to the apostle when Sad was taken, by an arrow and died in Mecca (7 20 ). . a - a aq It
in the middle of the night \vearing an embroidered turban, and said, Of B. Makhz um b.Yaqaca: Naufal b. 'Abdullah b. al-Mu hira Th
'0 Muhammad, who is this dead man for whom the doors of heaven asked the apostle to let them buy his body hc having t ~ h . ey
have been opened and at whom the throne shook?' The apostle got up and become trapped in it and killed and the 1\1 l' s orme t. e trenc.h
quickly dragging his garment as he went to Sa'd and found him already body Th l' ' us 1illS got possessIOn of hiS
. . e apost e sal(] that they had no use for his body and d'd _
dead. to be pa:d for It, an~ he Jet them have it (7 21 ). I not "ant
B; _~mIr b. Lu ayy of the clan B. Malik b. Hisl: 'Amr b 'Abdu IV dd
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me from 'Amra d. 'Abdu'I-Rahmiin: As Of
'A'isha was returning from Mecca with Usayd b. !:Iu<iayr he he~rd of the wh am Ah kIlled (7 22 ). . . u
H.Onhtbhe d ay of QuraYca ~lere were martyred of the Muslims of B. aI-
death of a wife of his, and showed considerable grief. 'A'isha said: 'God
forgive you, 0 Abu YaJ:1ya, will you grieve over a woman when you have . ant . al-Khazraj: -Khallad b. Suwayd b Thalaba b 'A A '11
lost the son of ~r uncle, for whom the throne shook?' Was thrown 0 h' d' fr . .. mr. m, stone 700
One I do not suspect told me from al-I:Jasan al-Ba~ri: Sa<d was a fat man 1 . ,n 1m. an III lcted a shattering wound. They allege that the
apost _e S~l~, He \~lll have the re\vard of two martyrs.'
and when the men carried him they found him light. Some of the dis~
_Abu Sm<1n b. MII;,an b. Uunhiin brother of B. Asad b. Khuza 'ma di d
affected said, 'He was a fat man and we have never carried a lighter bier "hIle the apostle was besIegmg B Q ..) c
than his.' \\Then the apostle heard of this he said, 'He had other carriers of B Qura 'za wh' '.. . uray?a and v/as bUrIed In the cemetery
h Y. Ich IS stIll used today. They buried those who died I'n
as well. By Him Who holds my life in His hand the angels rejoiced at I S1am t ere.
(receiving) the spirit of Sa'd and the throne shook for him.'
Mu'iidh b. Rifa'a told me from Mal;mud b. 'Abdu'I-Ral;man b. 'Amr
.v~~en the def~nders of the trench left it I have heard that the a ostle
b. aI-Jamul; from Jabir b. 'Abdullah: When Sad was buried as we were
~~d. ~u~~~sh will not attack you after this year, but you \vill attack t~em.'
with the apdstle he said Sub~ana'llah and we said it with him. Then he
Go~aY8 I ndotMattack then: after that; it was he who attacked them until
conquere ceca by hIm.
said Allah akbar and the men said it with him. When they asked him why
he had said Sub~ana'rtah he said 'The grave was constricted on this good I This line is omitted by W.
man until God eased him from it' (717).
The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of 1lJuhammad 4i I
POETRY ABOUT THE TRENCH AND B. QURAYZA \Ve were steadfast trusting in Him;
\Ve saw nothing equal to God in the hour of our danger.
Oirar b. al-Kha!!ab b. Mirdas brother of B. Mu1)arib b. Fihr said about
We have a prophet, a true helper,
the battle of the Trench: By whom we can conquer all men.
Many a sympathetic woman had doubts about us, I We fought an evil disobedient people
Yet we led a great forct, crushing all before us. Fully prepared in their hostile attack.
Its size was as U1)ud \Vhen they came at us \ve struck them blows
When one could see its whole extent. \Vhich dispatched the precipitate.
You could see the long mail upon the warriors You \vould have seen us in wide long mail which
And their strong leather shields Glittered like pools in the plain;
And the fine steeds like arrows Sharp swords in our hands
Which we discharged against the sinful wrongdoers. By which we quench the spirit of the mischievous.
\Vhen we charged the one the other, Like lions at the gap in the trench
'Twas as though at the gap in the trench men would shake hands. \Vhose tangled jungle protects their lairs.
You could not see a rightly guided man among them Our horsemen when they charged night and morning
Though they said: 'Are we not in the right?' Looked disdainfully at the enemy as they wore their badges
\Ve besieged them for one whole month To help Ahmad and God so that we might he
Standing over them like conquerors. Sincere slaves of truth,
71 Night and morning every day And that the l\1eecans might know when they came
We attacked them fully armed; And the people of different parties
Sharp swords in our hands That God has no partners,
Cutting through heads and skulls. And that He helps the believers.
'Twas as though their gleam when they were drawn Though you killed Sa'd \vantonly,
When they flashed in the hands of those that drew them God's decrees are for the best.
Was the gleam of lightning illuminating the night
He will admit him to goodly gardens
So that one could see the clouds clearly. The resting-place of the righteous.
But for the trench which protected them
As He repulsed you, runa\vay fugitives,
We would have destroyed them one and all.
Fruitless, disgraced, despite your rage.
But there it stood in front of them,
Disgraced, you accomplished nothing there
And they took refuge in it from fear of us.
And were all but destroyed
Though we withdrew we left
By a tempest which overtook you
Sa'd hostage to death in front of their tents.
So that you were blinded by its force.
\Vhen darkness came you could hear the keening women
Raising their lament over Sa'd. 'Abdullah b. al-Ziba'ra al-Sahmi said about the trench:
Soon we shall visit you again
Salute the dwelling whose vestiges
Helping one another as we did before
Long decay and time's changes have effaced.
\Vith a company of Kinana armed
'Tis as though their remains were the writings of Jews
Like lions of the jungle protecting their dens.
Except the zarebas and (marks of) tentpegs. l -
Ka'b b. Malik brother of n. Salima answered him: A desert as though you did not find diversion in it
Many a woman will ask of our fight. Happily with young girls of one age.
Had she been there she would have seen we were steadfast. But speak no more of a life that has passed
I If this poem is really Qirar's it must have been composed after Sura 33, for it uses the And a place become ruined and deserted,
language of verse 10. It is hardly likely that a Muslim would have boasted of the doings ~f And gratefully remember the gallantry of all
Quraysh, or that a polytheist would have borrowed language from the Quran. Therefore It
would seem to be a sort of literary Aunt Sally, put up to be assailed in the poems that 1 The trace of an old camp (rasm) is compared to Hebrew script. The word also means
follow. 'writing'.
47 2 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of ,,,"ll1lzammad 473
\\Tho marched from the sacred stones, r And the armies of thy Lord the Lord of lords.
The stones of Mecca, making for Yathrib, God averted battle from the believers I
With a loud-throated mighty force; And gave them the best of rc".'ards.
Leaving the high ground well used paths \Vhen they had abandoned hope, our bounteous King
In every conspicuous height and pass; Sent dmvn His aid and scattered them;
The fine lean steeds led beside them Gave ease to lVluhammad and his companions
Thin in belly, lean of flank, And humiliated every lying doubter,
Foaled from long-bodied mares and stallions, Hard-hearted, suspicious, doubtful,
Like a wolf who attacks careless watchmen. Not men of pure life, unbelievers.
'U yayna marched with the banner of the army; May misery eling to their hearts, for
Sakhr led the confederates; In unbelief they persisted to the very end.'
Two chiefs like the moon in its splendour,
Ka'b b. Malik also answered him:
The help of the poor, the refuge of the fugitive,
703 Until when they came to lVledina \\.rar has left over to us
And girt themselves for death their sharp svmrds drawn. The best gift of our bounteous Lord;
For forty days they had the best of Muhammad High white forts and resting-places for camels \vhere [from their
Though his companions in war were the best. rubbing]
They called for withdrawal the morning you said Palms are black and where milk is plentiful.
'\'Fe arc almost done for.' They are like lava tracts and their bounty is lavished
But for the trench they would have left them On the visiting guest and re1ative-?
Corpses for hungry birds and wolves. And horses 4 swift as wolves
Fed on barley and cut lucerne
Hassan b. Thabit answered him and said: With hairless fetlocks and firm-fleshed hindquarters,
Can the vanished traces of a deserted place Smooth their coats from head to tail;
Answer one who addresses it? Long-necked, answering the View hallo
A desert \-"here douds of rain have effaced its traces As hounds speed to the huntsman's call.
And the constant blowing of every high wind? Now guarding the tribesman's cattle,
Yet have I seen their dwellings adorned by Now slaying the enemy and returning with the spoil,
Shining faces, heirs of a glorious past. Scaring wild beasts, swift in \var,
But leave the dwellings, the talk of lovely maidens Grim in combat, of noble spirit,
\Vith soft breasts, sweet in converse, Well fed and sleek
And complain to God of cares and what you see- Well fleshed yet thin bellied.
An angry people who wronged the apostle, They bring coats of mail doubly woven
\Vho marched with their company against him \Vith strong spears \vhich hit the mark,
And collected tovmsmen and desert dwellers, And swords \vhose rust the polishers have removed;
The army of 'Cyayna and Ibn Barb I Almost an exact quotation from Sura 33.25.
l\1ingled \vith the horsemen of the confederates 2 Or, To whose hearts misery has clung
So that their hearts persist in disbelief to the end of time.
l! ntil they came to Medina and hoped to slay l A.Dh,'s explanation implies:
The apostle's men and plunder them, High white forts and resting~places for camels
And attacked uS in their strength. ,",,'here the camels have black necks and are rich in milk.
They (the resting places) are like lava tracts
They were put to flight in their fury Their bounty, &c.
By a tempest which dispersed their company S. renders rna'a/in 'palm plantations' andjudhu' 'trunks' and then has to take G?drib as
a metaphor of 'fruit,'
The an;ab may mean either the stones set up to mark the boundary of the sacred terri. The verse is difficult, but it is possible to avoid unnatural metaphors in its translation.
tory, such as remain to this day, or the stones at which the sacrificial victims were slaugh. The dung of the camels made the ground look like a lava tract.
teredo nazu'i' are horses imported from dsewhere.
474 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 475
All with a splendid highborn knight, To say nothing of hands, as though they had not been created.
His right hand holding a spear rcady for the thrust \Vc met the enemy \vith a compact force
\Vhose fashioning was entrusted to Khabbab. Driving aVl'ay their force "vho went as though to the top of al-
The glitter of his lance is like Mashriq.I
A flash of flame in the darkness of the night, Against the enemy "ve prepared
And a force whose mail defies the arrows Every swift, bay, white-legged, piebald borse
And repels the bolts that would pierce the thighs. Carrying riders who in battle \vere like
Reddish-black, massed, as though their spears Lions on damp dc\\'y soil,2
\-Vere a blazing forest in every encounter, Trusty ones who bring death to brave men 706
Seeking the shadow of the standard as though With death-dealing spears beneath tbe clouds of dust.
On the shaft of the spear there \vas the shadow of a hawk. God commanded that tbe horses should he kept for IIis enemy in the
Their courage defeated AbCI Karib and Tubba' fight'
And their gallantry overcame the Bedouin. (Truly God is the best guarantor of victory)
\Vc were guided by admonitions from our ,Lord That they might vex the enemy and protect the dwellings
On the tongue of one radiant and pure. If the horses of the miscreants came ncar.
They were laid before us and we loved to remember them God the migbty helped us with His strength
After they had been laid before the confederates (and rejected). And loyal steadfastness on the day of the encounter.
705 Axioms which evildoers assert they thought too strict We obeyed our prophet's orders.
But the wise understand. When he called for war we were the first to respond.
Quraysh came to contend with their Lord, When he called for violent efforts we made them.
But hewho contends \vith the Conqueror\vill surely be conquered (723). \~/hen \ve saw the battle \ve hastened thither.
He who obeys the prophet's command (let him do so), for among us
Kab b. Malik said about the trench: He is obeyed and truly believed.
Let one who enjoys the noise of battle where blo\vs resound By this He will give us victory and show our glory
Like the crackling of burning reeds, And so give us a life of ease.
Come to the fight where swords are sharp Those who call l\luhammad a liar
Between al-lVladhad I and the side of the trench. Disbelieve and go astray from the way of the pious (724).
They \"'ere bold in smiting champions Ka'b also said:
And surrendered their lifeblood to the Lord of the world
In a company by which God helped His prophet The mixed tribes knew when they gathered together against us
And \vas gracious to His servant. And attacked our religion that we would not submit.
All in long mail \vhose ends swept the ground, Confederates from Qays b. 'Aylan and Khindif ","ith one accord
Looking like an undulating pool blown by the wind Made common cause, not knowing what would happen.
\Vith mail well wrought and woven as though its nails They tried to turn us from our religion while we
\Vere the eyes of a locust in the chain rings. Tried to turn them from disbelief, but God is a seer and a hearer.
Braced up by the belt of a sword When they raged against us in battle
Of pure steel, cutting, and shining. The all embracing help of God aided us.
Such with piety was our clothing on the day of battlc 2 'Twas God's protection and His grace to\vards us
And every hour that called for bravery. (He whom God does not guard is lost).
\Vhen our swords were too short to meet the enemy He guided us to the true religion and chose it for us.
We made them rcach by going forward. God can do more than man can do.
You could see skulls split asunder,
I A mountain between al-Sarlf and al-Qaslm in Dabba countrY,

The place where the trench was dUg", Some say that it was between Sal' and the 1 In such conditions lions are said to be'most [i'crce, presum~bJy bccausl:, wet ground
trench, would ruin the scent of their prey and so they would be ravenous.
~ Borrowed from Sura 7, 25, 'The clothing of piety is the best'.
J Cf. Su.ra lL 62.
The Life of Muhammad 477
47 6 The Life of Muhammad
Careful in his preparation for battle;
Ka'b also said:
Haughty as an angry lion
77 Tell Quraysh that Sal' \\Then someone appears in his valley,
And the land between al-'Uray<j and al-Sammad' Who shatter the skull of the doughtiest warrior
Is a land \vhere camels \vha know \var carry water, \Vith the middle of a sword carried loo~e on its lanyard.
Where wells dug in the days of 'Ad abound. That we may make Thy religion victorious, 0 God.
Still \vaters fed by copious fountains We are in Thy hand, so guide us in the right paths (725).
That keep the wells at a steady depth.
The tangled growth and the rushes there Musafi' b. 'Abdu Mana[ b. Wahb b. J:Iudhafa b. Juma!), weeping for
'Amr b. 'Abdu Wudd and mentioning how 'Ali killed him, said:
Seem to rustle \vhen they yellow at the harvest.
OUf trade does not consist in selling donkeys 'Amr b. 'Abd was the first horseman to cross Madhad
To the land of Daus or Murad. And he was the horseman of Yalya!. '
Ours is a land well tilled, for it we fight Mild in nature, noble, firm,
If you have stomach for the baltle. Seeking armed combat, never showing fear.
We ploughed and planted it as peasants do; You knc\v that when they fled from you
Never have you seen a valley bordered like it. Ibn Abd only hurried not
\Ve have kept every fine high-standing Until the best fighters surrounded him
Powerful courser for great objects. Secking untiringly to kill him.
Respond to our invitation On Balos sides the spears surrounded
For clear statement and truth, A horseman who was no unarmed cO\vard.
Or take the blows you will get from us You asked Ghalib's horseman to dismount, 0 'Ali,
At the side of al-Madhad. On Sal"s sides. Would he had not done so.
We will meet you with all our warriors Away with you, 'All! Never have you overcome his like in reno'wn
And well made tractable horses, Nor coped with such a difficult task.
And bloodmares whose sides throb My life be a ransom for the horseman of Ghalib
Like the beating of a locust's wings 2 Who met death unperturbed,
Swift of limb, firm fleshed, He who crossed al-lVIadhad with his mare
Perfectly made from head to tail. Seeking to avenge the men he \yould not desert.
Horses \vhich live through famine years
Musafi' also said, reproaching the horsemen of 'Amr \\'ho decamped and
'Vhen other men's horses die;
deserted him:
Which tug at the reins, turning their necks to one side,3
\Vhcn their master calls them to war. 'Amr b. 'Abd and the fine horses he led-
When our warners say: 'Be ready' Hors.es led for him and horses shod~
\Ve put our trust in the Lord of men. His horsemen decamped and his clan left 709
And \ve said: '~othing will case our troubles A great pillar, the first among them.
But smiting the helmets and desperate fighting.' Marvel as I may I saw it
You have seen none among those \\'e fought, \\Then you, 'All, asked 'Amr to dismount he dismounted.
'V:Vhcther townsmen or tribesmen, Be not far, Z for I have suffered by his death
Bolder than we were in attack And till I die I have a burden heavy to bear.
Nor gentler in affection. Hubayra who was despoiled turned his back in flight
\Vhen we tied \vith trusty knots Fearing the fight lest they should be killed.
Fine coats of mail upon them And !;lirar who had shown courage
Into long armour we put every fierce noble warrior Fled like a miserable unarmed wretch (726).
Ail these places .lire in the neighbourhood of Medin.ll. J A wadi in Dadr.
2 An unusually fast-flying species of locust is meant. 2 The dead are thus apostrophized.
J This hemistich is repeated verbatim in the poem .lIttributed to I;fassan in W. 829_ 8.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 479
Hubayra b. Abii \Vahb making excuses for his flight, weeping for <Amr, Bassan also said:
and mentioning how 'Ali" killed him, said:
The warrior 'Amr b. 'Abd is on the flanks of l"athrib
On my life, I did not turn my back Requiring to be avenged: he ,,'as not given respite. I
On I\1uhammad and his companions in cowardice or fear of death; You found our s\'.rords drawn
But I considered my position and could find And you found our horses ready.
No advantage in sword or arrow if I used them. At nadr you met a band
I stopped, and when I could not go forward \Vho smote you with no weakling's blm\'.
I \""ithdrc\v like a strong lion with his cubs, No more \vill you be summoned on the day of great things
\Vho turns his shoulder from his adversary when Or to important distasteful tasks, a 'Amr! (727)
He can find no way to return to the fray~such has always been my
way. Bassan also said:
Be not far, 0 'Amr, alive or dead.
Such as you deserves the highest praise from one like me Give Abu Hidm a message,
Who (now) will drive on horses checked by spears One with which the camels hasten.
Be not far, 0 'Amr alive or dead. Am I your friend in every hardship
You have gone (from us) full of praise, noble of ancestry. And another your friend in a time of case?
Tell of his glory when the camels bellow loudly I' You have a witness who saw me
Had Ibn 'Abd been there he would have gone to them Lifted up to him as a child is carried (728).
And relieved them, that never ignoble man.
Hassan said concerning B. QurayZll mourning Sad b. Mu'adh and 7lI
A,vay ,vith you, 'Ali, never have I seen one who behaved like you
mentioning his judgement concerning the former:
Against a brave man advancing like a stallion.
N eyer have you achieved such a proud boast. Tears streamed from my eyes,
As long as you live you can feel safe from stumbling thereby. 'Tis right that they should weep for Sa\i
Lying on the battlefield. Eyes that flow with tears
Hubayra also said:
Suffer his loss without ceasing.
The noblest man of Lu'ayy b. Ghalib knows Slain in God's religion, he inherits paradise ,vith martyrs,
That \vhcn misfortune came their knight was 'Amr. Theirs a noble company.
710 Their knight ,vas 'Amr and 'Ali asked him to dismount. Though you have said farewell and left us
(The lion must seek his enemy.) And lie in the dusty darkness of the grave
lIe was their knight when 'All called to him You, a Sa'el, have returned (to God) with a noble testimony
\Vhen the squadrons basely left him. And garments of honour and praise.
Alas that I left 'Amr in Yathrib. By pronouncing on the two tribes of Quray~a the (same) judge-
I'vlay misfortunes never cease there! ment
Which God had decreed against them you did not judge of your own
Hassan b. Thabit boasting of the killing of 'Amr b. 'Abdu Wudd volition.
said: Your judgement and God's were at one
'Amr, the last of you, \ve slew with the lance And you did not forgive ,,,,hen you were reminded of a covenant.
As we defended Yathrib with our small force. Though fate has brought you to your death
\Ve killed you with our Indian swords, Among those who sold their lives for everlasting gardens
For we are masters of war when we attack. Yet blessed is the state of the true ones
We killed vou in Badr too \\then they arc summoned to God for favour and regard.
And left y~ur tribes threading their way through the dead (727).
I The reading in the Diudn xcv is easier but not necessarily original;
So loud was his voice that he could be h,'ard above the grumbling of the camels, as he "Amr ... lay dead
boasted of his tribe's prowess. Vengeance for him is not to be expected.'
480 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 48 1
I;Iassan also said mourning Sa'd and the prophet's companions who were They soon broke their treaty so that
martyred and mentioning their merits: The apostle slew them in their town.
o my people, is there any defence against what is decreed? With our troops he surrounded their fort
And can the good old days return? Which resounded with cries from the heat of the battle.
When I call to mind an age that is passed I;Iassan also said:
My heart is troubled and my tears flow; May the people who helped Quraysh miss one another,'
Yearning sorrow reminds me of friends
For in their land they have no helper.
Now dead, among them Tufayl and Rafi' and Sa'd.
They were given the scripture and wasted it,
They have gone to paradise
Being blind, straying from the Torah.
And their houses are empty and the earth is a desert without them.
You disbelieved in the Quran and yet 713
They were loyal to the apostle on the day of Badr You had been given confirmation of what the warner said.
While over them swords flashed amid the shades of death.
The nobles of B. Lu'ayy took lightly
When he called them they answered loyally, The great conflagration in al-Buwayra.'
All of them obeyed him utterly.
They gave no ground till all were dead. Abii Sufyan b. al-I;Iarith b. 'Abdu'I-Mullalib answered him:
(Only battles cut short the allotted span.) May God make that deed immortal,
Because they hoped for his intercession May fire burn in its quarters!
Since none but prophets can intercede. You shall know which of us is far (from the fire)
That, 0 best of men, is what we did, And which of our lands will be harmed.
Our response to God while death is certain. Had the palms therein been horsemen
Ours was the first step to thee, and the last of us They would have said, 'You have no place here, be off!"
Will follow the first in God's religion. Jabal b. Jawwiil al-Tha'labi also answered him, mourning aI-Nac;lir and
We know that the kingdom is God's alone
Quray~a:
And that the decree of God must come to pass.'
o Sa'd, Sa'd of B. Mu'adh,
I;Iassan also said about B. Quray~a: For what befell Quray~a and al-Nac;lir.
QuraHa met their misfortune By thy life, Sa'd of B. Mu'adh
And in humiliation found no helper. The day they departed was indeed steadfast.
A calamity worse than that which fell B. aI-Nadir befell them As for al-Khazraji AbU I;Iubab 4
The day that God's apostle came to them like ~ brilliant moon, He told Qaynuqa' not to go.
With fresh horses bearing horsemen like hawks. The allies got Usayd in exchange for I;Iuc;layr
We left them with the blood upon them like a pool (For circumstances sometimes change.)'
They having accomplished nothing. 1 This is the reading of C. W. has to'iiqada against tafaqada.
2 A place belonging to B. al-NaQir (not Quray;a) according to Yiqlit, I.V. It was their
They lay prostrate with vultures circling round them. trees which Muhammad destroyed.
Thus are the obstinate and impious rewarded. :I The meaning of this poem is that the fact that B. al-NaQirwere able to withdraw with all

Warn Quraysh of a like punishment from God their effects deserves to be immortalized and may the site they left be destroyed by fire.
The last line means 'could the trees have been made to walk you Muslims would have got
If they will take my warning. rid of them tool' YAqut give. a different tum to all this and the preceding poem. l;Iassin'.
line above i. put into the mouth of Abu Sufyin in the fonn:
I;Iassan also said: 'The B. Lu'ayy took hardly the great conflagration at al-Buwayra',
and the first line of Abu Sufyin's poem is given to l;I.ssan in the fonn:
QuraHa met their misfortune
'May God make that conflagration permanentl'
And shameful humiliation befell their castles. But I.I. was right. Later writers thought that the 'deed' must be th&buming of the'tree"
Sad had warned them, saying and therefore the,line must have been spoken by a Muslim. See further W. Arafat, op.~,
Your God is a majestic Lord. PP277-81 .
4 A reference to cAbduilah b. Vbayy's interference in favour of B. Qaynuqi'.
S In the time of I;Iur;1ayr, chief of Aus, the Jews were secure; but they suffe'red when his
1 Diwtin caxii. Obviously this dates from a later age. 'The good old days' are idealized.
son Usayd came to power.
B <OSO I i
482 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 483
AI-Buwayra perished and was deprived of mounted this until they came to the door and asked to be allowed to come
SaIIam and Saya and Ibn Akhpb. in. His wife. came out and asked who they were and they told her that they
Yet in their land they were weighty men were Arabs In search of supplies. She told them that their man was here
Like the ponderous rocks of l\Iayp.n. I and that they could come in. 'Vhen ,\vc entered 1 we bolted the door of the
Though SaWim Abu /:Iakam is dead room on her and ourselves fearing lest something should come between us
His \veapons \vere not useless or rusty. and him. His wife shrieked and warned him of us, so we ran at him with
And both the tribes of Kiihin too, among them our swords as he was on his bed. The only thing that guided us in the
Hawklike men, albeit kindly and generous. darkness of the night was his whiteness like an Egyptian blanket. When
We found their glory established on glory his wife shrieked one of our number would lift his s\vord against her; then
vVhich time cannot obscure. he would remember the apostle's ban on killing women and withdraw his
Dwell there, ye chiefs of Aus, hand; but ~or tha~ ,\ve :vould have made an end of her that night. "'Then
As though you were blind to shame. we had smItten hIm WIth our swords 'Abdullah b. Unavs bore down with
You left your pot with nothing in it, . his sword into his belly until it went right through hin;, as he was saying
The pot of a people \vorth mentioning is ever on the bOll!2 Qa!nf, qa!l1i, i.e. It's enough.
We went out. Now 'Abdullah b. 'Atik had poor sight, and fell from the
ladder and sprained his arm (729) severely, so we carried him until '\ve
THE KILLING OF SALLAM IBN ABU'L-l;IUQAYQ brought him to one of their "vater channels and \vent into it. The people
71 4
When the fight at the trench and the a/fair of the B: Q,,-r~Y<'a 'Y ere over, the lit lamps and went in search of us in all directions until, despairing of find-
matter of SaWim b. Abu'l-/:Iuqayq known as Abu Rafi carne up m con- ing us, they returned to their master and gathered round him as he was
nexion with those who had collected the mixed tribes together agamst the dying. We asked each other how we could know that the enemy of God
apostle. Now Aus had killed Ka'b b. aI-Ashraf before Ul;ud because. of was dead, and one of us volunteered to go and see; so off he went and
his enmity towards the apostle and because he ins:ig~ted me~ agal~st hIm, mingled.with the people. He said, 'I found his wife and some Jews gathered
so Khazraj asked and obtained the apostle's permlsslOll to kIll Sallarn who round hIm. She had a lamp in her hand and was peering into his face and
saying to them 'By God, I certainly heard the voice of 'Abdullah b. 'AUk.
was in Khaybar. " b
Muhammad b. Muslim b. Shihab al-Zuhri from Abdullah b. Ka b . Then I decided 1 must be \vrong and thought "How can Ibn 'Atik be in
Malik told me: One of the things which God did for His apostle was that this country?'" Then she turned towards him, looking into his face, and
these nvo tribes of the An~ar, Aus and Khazraj, competed t~e one wIth said, 'By the God of the Jews he is dead!' Never have I heard sweeter
the other like two stallions: if Aus did anything to the apostle s advantage words than those.
Khazraj would say, 'They shall not have this supenont~ over us III the ~hen he came t? us and told us the news, and we picked up our com-
apostle's eyes and in Islam' and they would not rest unttl they could do pamon and took hIm to the apostle and told him that we had killed God's
something similar. If Khazraj did anything Aus would say the same. . enemy. We disputed before him as to wbo had killed him, each of us laying
When Aus had killed Ka'b for his enmity towards the apostle: KhazraJ claim to the deed. The apostle demanded to see our swords and when he
used these words and asked themselves what man was as ho~tIle to the looked at them he said, 'It is the sword of 'Abdullah b. Unays that killed
apostle as Kab? And then they re~embered Sallam who was m Khaybar him; I can sec traces of food on it.'
and asked and obtained the apostle s perm1sslO n to kIll h1m. _ /:Iassan b. Thabit mentioning the killing of Kab and Sallam said:
Five men of B. Salima of Khazraj went to him: 'Abdullah b. ,:Atlk;
God, what a fine band you met,
Mas'ud b. Sinan; 'Abdullah b. lJnays; Abu Qatada al-~Ianth b. '.hb I; and
Khuza'i" b. Aswad, an ally from Aslam. As they left, the apos~le appomted
a Ibnu'l-Huqayq and Ibnu'l-Ashraf!
They "..'ent to you with sharp swords,
'Abdullah b. 'Atik as their leader, and he forbade them to kIll women or
Brisk as lions in a tangled thicket,
children. When they got to Khaybar they went to Sallam's house by mght,
Until they came on you in your dwelling
having locked every door in the settlement on the mhabItants. Now he was
in an upper chamber of his to which a (T. Roman) ladder led up. They . I .The change into the first person without any mention of the speaker's authority is
slgmficant. Doubtless there are occasIOns when the actual words used at a particular time
and place have been carefully stored in a hearer's memory; but it should alwaYs be borne
lOne of the mountains of Medina. -,
~ A metaphor for burning anger. Khazraj rescued their Jewish allies the Qaynuqa ; Am in mind that oratio obliqua is abhorrent to semitic writers who escape into the oratio recta
at the first opportunity.
abandoned their aIlie~.
484 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 485
And made you drink death with their swift-slaying swords, Then 1_ went ~ff making for Muhammad to adopt Islam, and met Khiilid
Looking for the victory of their prophet's religion b. al-Wahd commg fro~ Mecca. This was. little while before the OCcupa-
Despising every risk of hurt. ;lOn of Mecca. I sald, \Vhere are you gomg, Abu Sulayman?' He said:
!he way has become clear. The man is certainly a prophet, and by Allah
'AMR B. AL-'A$ AND KHALID B. AL-WALlD ACCEPT ISLAM 1m gomg to be a Muslim. How much longer should I delay?' r told him
that I too was trave~l~ng With the same object in view, so we went to Medina
Yazid b. Abu Habib from Rashid client of !:Iabib b. Abu Aus al-Thaqafi to the apostle. Khahd got there first and accepted Islam and gave his alle-
from !:Iabib toid me that 'Amr b. al-'A~ told him from his own mouth: gIance. Then I came up and said, '0 apostle, I will give you my allegiance
When we came away from the trench with the mixed tribes I gathered on conditIOn that my past faults are forgiven and no mention is made
some of Quraysh together, men who shared my opinion and would listen of What. has gone before.' He said, 'Give allegiance 'Aror, for Islam does
to me, and said: 'You know that in my opinion this affair of Muhammad away WIth all that preceded it, as does the hijra.' So I gave my allegiance
will go to unheard-of lengths and I should like to know what you think of and went away (73 0 ).
my opinion. I think that we ought to go to the Negus and stay with him. One whom I do /1ot suspect told me that 'Uthmiin b. Talha b. Abu
If Muhammad conquers our people we shall be with the Negus and we Tal1).a who was with them accepted Islam at the same time.' .
should prefer to be subject to his authority rather than to Muhammad; on Ibn al-Ziba'rii al-Sahmi said:
the other hand, if our people get the, upper hand they know us and WIll
treat us well.' They thought that ml' suggestion was excellent so I told I adjure 'Uthmiin b. Tal!)a by our oath of friendship
them to collect something that we could take as a present to him; as leather And by the castmg of the sandals at the stone of kissing
was the product of our land which he most valued we collected a large And by every alliance our fathers made,
quantity and took it to him. Khiilid not being exempt from such,
While we were with him who should come to him but .'Amr b. Umayya Do you want the key of a house other than yours, r
aI-I)amri whom the apostle had sent concerning Jaffar and his companions. And what can be more desirable than the glory of an ancient house?
He had an audience with the Negus, and when he came out I said to my Trust not Khiilid and 'Uthmiin
companions that if I were to go to the Negus and ask him to let me have After this; they have brought a great disaster.
him he would give him to me and we could cut off his head; and when I ~~e co.nquest of B. Qu~aYea was. in Dhu'I-Qa'da and the beginning of
had 'done that Quraysh would see that I had served them well in killing Dhu 1-!:IIJJa. The polytheIsts were m charge of that pilgrimage.
Muhammad's messenger. So I went in to the Negus and did obeisance as
was my wont. He welcomed me as a friend and asked if I had brought
anything from our country, and when I told him that I had brought a lar?e THE ATTACK ON B. LII:IYAN
quantity of leather and produced it he was greatly pleased and coveted 1~. The apostle stayed in Medina during Dhu'l-Hijja Muharram Safar and
Then I said, '0 King, I have just seen a man leave your presence. He IS the two months of Rabl', and in Jumada'l-Dl~, si~ mo~ths af~e; the 'con-
the messenger of an enemy of ours, so let me have him that I may kill him, quest 0~52uray?,a, he went out against B. Li1).yan to avenge his men killed
for he has kil1ed some of our chiefs and best men.' He was enraged, and at al-R~JI , Khubayb b. 'Adiy and his companions. He made as though he
stretching out his hand he gave his nose such a blow that I thought he was gomg to SyrIa m order to take the people by surprise (73 I). He went
would have broken it. If the earth had opened I would have gone into it to past ~G~urab, a mount~i.n near Medina on the road to Syria, then by
escape his anger. I said that had I known that my request would have been ~a!)I~, then by ai-Batra; then he turned off to the left and came out by
distasteful to him I would not have made it. He said, 'Woul<;l you ask me B.lD,J then by $uk.hayratu'l-Yamam,"- then the track went by the Meccan
to give you the messenger of a man to whom the great Namus comes as he hIghroad. He qUIckened the pace until he came down to Ghuriin the
used to come to Moses, so that you might kill him!' When I asked if he haunts of B.. Li\Jyii? (Ghuriin is a wadi between Amaj and 'Usfiin exte;ding
were really so great he said: '\Voe to you, 'Amr, obey me an~ follow him, as far as a vIllage called Siiya.) He found that the people had been warned
for by -Allah he is right and will triumph over his adversarIes as Moses and taken up strong positions on the tops of the mountains. \\Then the
triumphed over Pharaoh and his armies.' I asked him if he would accept apostle got there and saw that he had failed to take them by surprise as he
my allegiance to l\luhammad in Islam, and he stretched out his hand and
I gave my allegiance. When I went out to my companions I had entirely I 'Uthman was the Keeper of the Key of the Ka'ba. See W. 8.21,
Z The place is wrongly given as Makhi9 in W.
changed my mind, but I concealed my Islam from my companions. J A wadi near Medina.
4- Between al-Sayiila and Farah.
The LIfe of Muhammad 487
4S6 The Life of Muhammad
Ibnu'l-Akwa"s call for aid reached the apostle and he ordered the alarm
had intended, he said, "V ere we to come down to 'usfan the ~eccans to be sounded in lVledina and the cavalry raWed to him. The first horse-
719
would think that we intend to come to l\Iecca.' So he wellt out wIth two man to arr;ve was al-Miqdad b. 'Amr called b. al-Aswad, ally of B. Zuhra.
hundred riders until he came to 'Usfan, when he sent two horsemen from The next to arrive from. the An~Jr were' Abbiid b. Bishr b. \Vaqsh b.
1
his companions who wellt as far as Kura'u'1-Ghamim. Then he turned Zughba b. Zaura', one of B. 'Abdu'I-Ashhal; So'd b. Zayd, one of B. Ka'b
and went back. . b. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal; Gsayd b. (:uhaxr, brother of B. Haritha b. al-J.1arith,
Jabir b. 'Abdullah used to say, 'I heard the apostle say when he set his though there is some doubt about him; 'Ukasha b. Miry1?an, brother of B.
face towards Medina "Returning repentant If G~d wIll, wvmg thanks ,to Asad b. Khuzayma; Muhriz b. ~adla, brother of B. Asad b. Khuzayma;
out. Lord. I take refuge in God from the difficultIes of the JO,~;ney and Its Abu Qatada al-J::!arith b. Rib'i, brother of B. Salima; and Abu 'Ayyash
unhappy ending, and the evil appearance of m.an and ~ea~t. who was 'Ubayd b. Zayd b. al-Samit, brother of lJ. Zurayq. When they
The tradition about. the raid on B. Li1?yan IS from A~lm tb. Uma~ .b. had gathered to the apostle, he set Sa'd b. Zayd over them according to my
Qatada and 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr from 'Abdullah b. Ka b b. Mahk. information and told them to go in pursuit of the band until he himself
Kab b. Malik said: overtook them with the army.
If B. Li!)yan had waited I have heard from some men of B. Zurayq that the apostle had said to
They would have met bands in their settlements, fine fighters. , Abu 'Ayyash: 'How would it be if you were to give this horse to a man
They would have met audacious warrIOrs whose terror fills the way who is a better rider than you and he caught up with the band?' He
In front of an irresistible force glivering like stars. replied: 'I am the best horseman of the people! Then I beat the horse,
But they were as weasels who stick to the, and by Allah he had not taken me fifty cubits before he threw me. r was
Clefts of the rocks', which have no means of escape. AStonished that the apostle should say that he wished that r had given him
to a better horseman and that I should have said that 1 was the best horse-
man.' Men of B. Zurayq allege that the apostle gaye Abu 'Ayyiish's horse 721
THE ATTACK O~ DHU QARAD to Mu'adh b. Ma'is, or to ')\'idh b. Mil'is b. Qays b. Khalada who was the
The apostle had spent only a few nights in Medina when 'U~ayna. b. I:Ii~n eighth. Some people count Salama b. 'Amr b. aI-Alma' as one of the eight
b. Hudhayfa b. Badr al-Fazar! with the cavalry of Gha\afan raided the and exclude Usayd b. Zuhayr, but God knows what happened, seeing that
apo~tle's milch-camels in al-Ghaba.' A man of B. Ghifar, who had hiS Salama was not riding that day but was the first to catch up with the band
wife with him, was in charge of the camels. HIm they kIlled and earned on foot. The horsemen went in pursuit of the band until they overtook them.
off his wife with the camels. 'A~im b, 'Umar b. Qatada told me that the first horseman to catch up
'Asim b, 'Umar b. Qatada and 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr and a man 1 do with the band was Mu!)riz b. Nac.lla who was called 'al-Akhram' and
not s~spect from 'Abdullah b. Kab b. Malik contribu~ed to the story w?,ch IQumayr', and that \vhen the alarm sounded a horse belonging to l\1a1)mud
follows. The first to know of them was Salama b. Amr b. al-Akwa al- b, Maslama ran round the plantation when it heard the neighing of the
Aslami. That morning he was making for al-Ghaba a~med With bow and horses, for it was a treasured animal not put to work. \Vhen some \vomen
arrows accompanied by a slave belongmg to Tal!)a b. Ubayd~ll~? With a of B. 'Abdu'I-Ashhal saw the horse running round the plantation \vith the
horse which he was leading. \Vhen he got to the pass of ai-Vii ada he s~w stump of wood to which it was tied they said: 'How would you like to ride
some of their cavalry and looked down in the direction of Sal~ ~nd cned this horse, Qumayr? You can see what it is like. Then you could overtake
7 20
aloud, '0 (what a) morning!' Then he hurried off after the raldmg party the apostle and the Muslims.' He agreed and they handed it over to him,
like a lion. \\Then he came up with them he began to keep them at bay and he soon outstripped the rest of them because it was full of spirit. \Vhen
with arrows, saying as he shot: he overtook the band and came to a halt in front of them he said: 'Stop,
Take that, al-Akwa"s son am I. you rascals, until the emigrants and An~ar \\'ho are behind you catch up
Today, mean crowd, you die! with you.' One of them attacked and killed him. The horse wheeled and
they could not stop him until it stood by its stable among B. 'Abdu'l-
Whenever the horsemen made for him he fled from them; then back he Ashhal. This man was the only Muslim to be killed (732).
would come and take a shot at them when he could, saying the. same words. Ma!)miid's horse was called Dhu'l-Limma (733).
One of them said, 'Our little Akwa' comes early in the mornmgl' One whom I do not suspect told me from 'Abdullah b. Ka'b b. Malik
I Between I\1ecca and Medina, a wadi some eight miles from 'Usfan. that Mu!)riz rode a horse of ' Ukashas called al-Janal). Mu!)riz' was killed 722
~ Or, with a different vowel, 'the heart'. I C. has Mujazziz, but gives no authority for the reading.
3 A variant is 'passes of J:lijiz'. .. Near Medina in the direction of Syria.
488 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 489
,;.and ai-Jana\> was captured. When the cavalry engaged, Abu Qatada al- That turns swiftly in every battle.
Harith b. Rib'I killed HabIb b. 'Uyayna b. Hi~n and covered him with his A day in which they are led and a day of charges
~antle; then he joined his force. The apostle advanced with the Muslims Has worn out their quarters and altered the appearance of their backs.
(734) and there was HabIb covered with Abu Qatada's mantle. The men Our horses are fed on milk
exclaimed, 'We are God's and to Him must we return! Abu Qatada has While war is kindled by passing winds.
been killed.' The apostle said that it was not Abu Qatada but a man he Our sharp swords glittering cut through
had killed and covered with his mantle so that they might know that he Iron shields and pugnacious heads.
was his prey. 'Ukiisha overtook Aubar and his son 'Amr who were riding Allah put obstacles in their way to protect His sacred property
the same camel, and ran them through with his lance, killing the two of And to protect His dignity.'
them at one stroke, They recovered some of the milch-camels. The They lived happily in their home, but
apostle went forward until he halted at the mountain of Dhli Qarad, and On the days of Dhu Qarad they were given the faces of slaves (735).
the men joined him there, and he stopped there for a day and a night,
Salama b. al-Akwa' asked if he might go with a hundred men and recover I:fassan also said:
the rest of the herd and cut off the heads of the band. I have heard that Did 'Uyayna think when he visited it'
the apostle said, 'By this time they are being served with their evening That he would destroy its castles?
drink among Gha\afiin.' The apostle divided a butchered camel among In what you said you were made a liar.
every hundred men, and after a while he returned to Medina. The wife of You said, 'We will take great spoiL'
the Ghiflirl' came upon one of the apostle's she-camels and told him what You loathed Medina when you visited it
had happened. Having done so she said, 'I vowed to Allahthat I would And met roaring lions there.
slaughter her if Allah let me escape on her.' The apostle smIled and saId: Back they turned running-fast like ostriches
'You would repay her badly when God mounted you on her and delivered Without getting near a single camel.
you by her and then you would slaughter her! No vow i'.' disobedience to God's apostle was our amir,
God nor concerning property that is not your own 15 vahd. She IS one of What a beloved amir to us!
my camels, so go back to your family with God's blessing.' This story of An apostle whose message we believe
'23 the Ghifarl's wife comes from Abli'l-Zubayr al-Makki from aI-Hasan b. Who recites a luminous light-bringing book.
Abu'I-Hasan al-B~rl.
Among the verse composed about Dhu Qarad is the following from Ka'b b. Malik said concerning the day of Dhii Qarad with reference to
the horsemen:
Hassan b. Thabit:
Were it not for what our horses suffered and what hurt their frogs Do the bastards think that we
As they were led to the south of Saya last night, Are not their equals in horsemanship?
They would have met you as they carried well-armed warriors We are men who think killing no shame,
Noble in ancestry protecting their standard, We turn not from the piercing lances.
And the bastards would have rejoiced that we We feed the guest with choicest camels' meat
Did not fight when Miqdad's horsemen came. And smite the heads of the haughty.
We were eight; they were a great force W~ turn back the conspicuous warriors in their pride
Loud-voiced yet pricked by (our) lances (and) scattered. WIth blows that quash the zeal of the unyielding.
We were of the people who followed them With heroes who protect their standard,
And we gave free rein to every noble steed. Noble, generous, fierce as jungle wolves.
Yea, by the Lord of the camels that go to Mina They preserve their honour and their goods
Traversing the great mountain passes (we will pursue you) With swords that smash the heads beneath the helms.
Till we make the horses stale' in the midst of your dwellings Ask the Banu Badr if you meet them
And come back with your women and children, What the brethren did on the day of battle.
Walking gently with every swift horse and mare
r This line is obscure. Perhaps the 'sacred property' means the prophet's camels Pos-
sibly the verb is an optative. .
I V.I. :I Reading nubila with C. and Diwan axxvii. a i.e. Medina.
490 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 49'
Tell the truth I to those you meet whenever you come Qut. al-Khazraj, thrust one another away from the water and fell to fighting.
Conceal not the news in assemblies. The Juhan! called out 'Men of aJ-Ansiir!' and Jahjiih called out 'Men of the
Say, We slipped away from the claws of the angry lion Muhiijirun I'. 'Abdullah b. Gbayy b. Salul was enraged. With him was a
With rage in his heart which he could not work off (73 6). number of his people including Zayd b. Arqam, a young boy. He said,
'Have they actually done this? They dispute our priority, they outnumber
Shaddiid b. 'Arid said concerning the day of Dhu Qarad with reference us in our own country, and nothing so fits us and the vagabonds of Quraysh
to 'Uyayna who \vas surnamed Abu Malik: as the ancient saying "Feed a dog and it will devour you". By Allah when
Whv, a Abu Miilik, did you not return to the fight we return to Medina the stronger will drive out the weaker.' Then he went
\Vh~n your cavalry were in flight and being slain? to his people who were there and said: 'This is what you have done to
2
You mentioned going back to 'Asjar. yourselves. You have let them occupy your country, and you have divided
Nonsense! it was too late to return. your property among them. Had you but kept your property from them
You trusted yourself to a spirited horse they would have gone elsewhere.' Zayd b. Argam heard this and went and
Quickly covering the ground when given free rein. told the apostle when he had disposed of his enemies. 'Umar, \vho was with
\Vhen VOllr left hand reined him in him, said, 'Tell 'Abbiid b. Hishr to go and kill him.' The apostle answered,
He rea~ed like a flaming cauldron. 'But what if men should say IVluhammad kills his own companions? No,
And when you saw that God's servants but give orders to set off.' Now this was at a time when the apostle was not
Did not wait for those behind to come up accustomed to travel. The men duly moved off.
You knew that horsemen had been trained When Abdullah b. Ubayy heard that Zayd had told the apostle what he
To chase warriors when they took to the plain. had said he went to him and swore that he had not said what he did say.
When they chase the cavalry they bring disgrace on them, He was a great man among his own people and the An$ar who were present
And if they are pursued they dismount with the apostle said: 'It may well be that the boy was mistaken in what
And protect themselves in evil case he said, and did not remember the man's words,' sympathizing with Ibn
With swords which the polisher has made bright. Ubayy and protecting him.
When the apostle had begun his journey Usayd b. J-.lU<jayr met him and 727
saluted him as a prophet, saying, 'You are travelling at a disagreeable time,
TilE RAID ON B. AL-MUSTALIQ a thing you have never done before.' The apostle said: 'Have you not heard
The apostle stayed in "'Iedina during the latter part of Jumiidii'l-Akhira of what your friend said? He asserted that if he returns to l\ledina the
and Rajab; then he attacked B. al-Mu~talig of Khuzii'a in Sha'biin A.II. 6 stronger will drive out the weaker.' He answered: 'But you will drive him
out if you want to; he is the weak and you are the strong.' He added:
(737)
'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatiida and 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr and Muhammad 'Treat him kindly, for Allah brought you to us when his people \verestring-
b. YaJ:tyii b. Habbiin each told me a part of the fo~lowing story: The apostle ing beads to make him a crown, and he thinks that you have deprived him
received news that B. al-Mu$~aliq were gatherIng together agaInst hIm, of a kingdom.'
their leader being al-J-.liirith b. Abu Oiriir, the father of Juwayriya d. al- Then the apostle walked with the men all that day till nightfall, and
Hiirith (afterwards) wife of the apostle. When the apostle heard about through the night until morning and during the following day until the
them he went out and met them at a watering place of theirs called al- sun dIstressed them. Then he halted them, and as soon as they touched
1\1uraysi' in the direction of Qudayd towards the shore. There was a fight the ground they fell asleep. He did this to distract their minds from what
and God put the B. al-'VIu~talig to flight and killed some of them and gave 'Abdullah b. Ubayy had said the day before. He continued his journey
the apostle their wives, children, and property as booty. A MuslIm of B. through the Hijaz as far as water a little above al-Naqi' called Baq'a'. As
Kalb b. 'Auf b. 'Amir b. Layth b. Bakr called Hishiim b. ~ubiiba was killed he travelled at night a violent \vind distressed the men and they dreaded it.
by a man of the An~iir of the family of 'Ubiida b. al-~iimit who thought he He told them not to be afraid because the wind announced the death of
was an enemy and killed him in error. one of the greatest of the unbelievers, and \vhen they got to Medina they
While the apostle was by this water a party came down to it. 'Umar had found that Rifii'a b. Zayd b. al-Tiibut of B. Qaynuga', one of the most
a hired servant from B. Ghifiir called Jahjiih b. Mas'ud who was leading Important Jews and a secret shelterer of the disaffected, had died that day.
his horse. This Jahjiih and Siniin b. Wabar aI-Juhan!, an ally of B. 'Auf b. The sura came down in which God mentioned the disaffected with Ibn
I Readingfasduqu with C. against v..'.'sfaktumu. 2 A place ncar Mecca. Ubayy and those like-minded with him. When it came down the apostle
49 2 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 493
took hold of Zayd b. Arqam's ear, saying, 'This is he who devoted his ear or U~aymir. The apostle took many captives and they were distributed
to Allah." 'Abdullah, 'Abdullah b. Ubayy's son, heard about his father's among the Muslims. One of those taken was Juwayriya d. al-l:Iarith b.
affair. Abu ~irar, the apostle's ,vife.
'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatada told me that 'Abdullah came to the apostle, Muhammad b. Ja'far b. al-Zubayr from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr from 'A'isha
saying, 'I have heard that you want to kill 'Abdullah b. Ubayy f?r what y~u said: When the apostle distributed the captives of B. al-MU~laliq, Juway-
have heard about him. If you must do it, then order me to do It and I w111 riya fell to the lot of Thabit b. Qays b. al-Shammas, or to a cousin of his,
bring you his head, for al-Khazraj know that they have no man more and she gave him a deed for her redemption. She was a most beautiful
dutiful to his father than I and I am afraid that if you order someone else woman. She captivated every man who saw her. She came to the apostle
to kill him my soul will ~ot permit me to see his slayer v:ralking among to ask his help in the matter. As soon as I saw her at the door of my room
men and I shall kill him, thus killing a believer for an unbehever, a~d so I I took a dislike to her, for I knew that he would see her as I saw her. She
should go to hell.' The apostle said: 'Nay, but let us deal kmdly wIth hIm went in and told him who she was-d. of al-l:Iarith b. Abu pirar, the chief
and make much of his companionship while he is with us.' After that It of his people. 'You can see the state to which I have been brought. I have
happened that if any misfortune befell it was his ?wn people who re- fallen to the lot of Thabit or his cousin and have given him a deed for my
proached and upbraided him roughly. The apostle saId to ,Umar when he ransom and have come to ask your help in the matter.' He said, '\"ould you
heard of this state of things: 'Now what do you thmk, Umar? Had I like something better than that? I will discharge your debt and marry
killed him on the day you wanted me to kill him the leading men would you,' and she accepted him.
have trembled with rage. If I ordered them to kill him today they would The news that the apostle had married Juwayriya was blazed abroad
kill him.' 'Umar replied, 'I know that the apostle's order is more blessed and now that B. M u~laliq were the prophet's relations by marriage the
than mine.' men released those they held. When he married her a hundred families
Miqyas b. ~ubaba came from Mecca as a Muslim~ so he professed, say- were released. I do not know a woman who was a greater blessing to her
ing 'I come to you as a Muslim seeking the bloodwlt for my brother who people than she (739).
w~ killed in error.' The apostle ordered that he should have the bloodwit Yazid b. Ruman told me that the apostle sent al-Walid b. 'Uqba b. 73
for his brother Hisham and he stopped a short while with the apostle. Abu Mu'ayl to them after they had accepted Islam. When they heard of
Then he attacked his brother's slayer and killed him and went off to Mecca him they rode out to meet him, but when he heard of them he was afraid
an apostate. He spoke the following lines: and went back to the apostle and told him that the people had determined
It eased my soul that he died in the lowland, to kill him and had withheld their due poor tax. The Muslims talked a lot
The blood of his neck veins dyeing his garments. about raiding them until the apostle himself meditated doing so. \Vhile
Before I killed him I was beset by cares this was going on an embassy of theirs came to the apostle, saying: 'We
Which prevented me from seeking my couch. heard about your messenger when you sent him to us and we went out to
I gave free vent to my vengeance meet him to show him respect and to pay the poor tax that was due, and
And was the first to return to the idols. he went back as fast as he could. Now we hear that he has alleged that we
I avenged Fihr on him and laid his bloodwit went out to kill him. By Allah we did not go out with such intent.' So
On the chiefs of B. aI-Najjar, the lords of Fari''' God sent down concerning him and them: '0 you who believe if an evil 73 1
man comes to you with a report examine it closely lest you do ill to a people
He also said: in ignorance and be sorry for what you have done. Know that the apostle
I fetched him a stroke in vengeance of God is among you. If he were to obey you in much of the government
Which drew blood that ebbed and flowed. you would be in trouble."
I said as the wrinkles of death covered him
'You can't be safe from B. Bakr when they are wronged' (73 8). THE LIE THAT WAS UTTERED ON THE RAID OF B. AL-MUSTALlQ
Of B. MU~laliq who were slain that day 'Ali killed two-Malik and his According to what a man I do not suspect told me from al-Zuhri from
son. 'Abdu'l-Ra~man b. 'Auf killed one of theIr horsemen called A~mar 'Urwa from 'A'isha the apostle had gone forward on that journey of his
until he was near Medina, 'A'isha having been with him on the journey,
I This anecdote is related by Zayd in the first person in Waqidi (B.M. MS. 1617. 9S a ).
It is a good example of the way in which early traditions preserved the genera~ sense and when the liars spoke about her.
.
were comparatIvely . '
mdlfferent to th e f orm 0 f wor d s. 1 One of their castles.
I Sura 49. 6.
494 The Life of Muhammad The L1/e of Muhammad 495
Al-Zuhri told us from 'Alqama b. Waqqas, and from Said b. Jubayr halted and when they were rested up came the man leading me and the
and from '\Jrwa b. al-Zubayr, and from \Jbaydullah b. Abdullah b. 'Utba, liars spread their reports and the army was much disturbed. But by
each contributing a part of the story, one remembering more of it than Allah I knew nothing about it.
another, and I (Zuhri) have put together for you what the people told me. 'Then we came to 1\1cdina and immediately I became very ill and so
Yahya b. 'Abbad b. Abdullah b. al-Zubayr told me from his father from heard nothing of the matter. The story had reached the apostle and my
'Nish;; and Abdullah b. Abu Bakr from 'Amra d. 'Abdu'l-Rahman from parents, yet they told me nothing of it though 1 missed the apostle's accus-
'A.'isha from her own \vords when the liars said what they did. The whole tomed kindness to me. 'Vhen I was ill he used to show compassion and
of her story rests on these men as a whole. One relates what another does kindness to me, but in this illness he did not and I missed his attentions.
not. All of them are trustworthy witnesses, and all of them related what When he came in to see me when my mother \vas nursing me (740), all he 733
they heard from her. She said: 'When the apostle intended to go on an said was, "How is she ?"1 so that I was pained and asked him to let me be
expedition he cast lots between his wives which of them should accompany taken to my mother SO that she could nurse me. "Do what you like," he
him. He did this on the occasion of the raid on B. al-Muspliq and the lot said, and so I was taken to my mother, knowing nothing of what had hap-
fell on me, so the apostle took me out. The wives on these occasions used pened until I recovered from my illness some nventy days later. NO\v we
to eat light rations; meat did not fill them up so that they were heavy. were an Arab people: we did not have those privies which foreigners have
When the camel was being saddled for me I used to sit in my hmvdah; in their houses; we loathe and detest them. Our practice was to go out into
then the mcn who saddled it for me would come and pick me up and take the open spaces of Medina. The women used to go out every night, and
hold of the lower part of the howdah and lift it up and put it on the camel's one night I went out with Umm Mis\a!; d. Abu Ruhm b. al-Mugalib b.
back and fasten it with a rope. Then they would take hold of the camel's 'Alodu Manaf. Her mother was d. :;3akhr b. 'Arnir b. Kab b. Sad b. Taym
head and walk \vith it. aunt of AbU. Bakr. As she was walking with me she stumbled over her
'When the apostle finished his journey on this occasion he started back gown and exclaimed, "May Misral,1 stumble," Iviisral;I being the nickname
and halted when he was near Medina and passed a part of the night there. of 'Auf. I said, "That is a bad thing to say about one of the emigrants who
732 Then he gave permission to start and the men moved off. I went out for a fought at Badr." She replied, "Haven't you heard the news, 0 daughter
certain purpose having a string of ~afar beads on my neck. 'Vhen I had of Abu Bakr?" and when I said that I had not heard she went on to tell me
finished, it slipped from my neck without my knowledge, and when I of what the liars had said, and \vhen I showed my astonishment she told
returned to the camel I went feeling my neck for it but could not find it. me that all this really had happened. By Allah, I was unable to do what I
Meanwhile the main body had already moved off. I went back to the had to do and went back. I could not stop crying until I thought that the
place where I had been and looked for the necklace until I found it. The weeping would burst my liver. I said to my mother, "God forgive you!
men who were saddling the camel for me came up to the place I had just Men have spoken ill of me (T and you have known of it) and have not told T. I S2<
left and having finished the saddling they took hold of the howdah thinking me a thing about it." She replied "My little daughter, don't let the matter
that I was in it as I normally was, picked it up and bound it on the camel, weigh on you. Seldom is there a beautiful woman married to a man who
not doubting that I was in it. Then they took the camel by the head and loves her but her rival wives gossip about her and men do the same."
went off with it. I returned to the place and there was not a soul there. 'The apostle had got up and addressed the men, though I knew nothing
The men had gone. So I wrapped myself in my smock and then lay down about it. After praising God he said: "\Vhat do certain mcn mean by worry-
where I was, knowing that if I were missed they would come back for me, ing me about my family and saying false things about them' By Allah, I
and by Allah I had but just lain down when :;3afwan b. aI-Mu'agal al- know only good of them, and they say these things of a man of whom I 734
Sulami passed me; he had fallen behind the main body for some purpose know naught but good, who never enters a house of mine but in my
and had not spent the night with the troops. He saw my form and came company."
and stood over me. He used to see me before the veil was prescribed for us, 'The greatest offenders were 'Abdullah b. Ubayy among the Khazraj
so when he saw me he exclaimed in astonishment "The apostle's wife"l and Misral:t and l:iamna d. JaJ:1sh, for the reason that her sister Zaynab d.
while I was wrapped in my garments. He asked me what had kept me Ja9sh was one of the apostle's wives and only she could rival me in his
behind but I did not speak to him. Then he brought up his camel and favour. As far Zaynab, Allah protected her by her religion and she spoke
told me to ride it while he kept behind. So I rode it and he took the camel's nothing but good. But Bamna spread the report far and wide opposing me
head going forward quickly in search of the army, and by Allah we did not (T. rivalling me) for the sake of her sister, and I suffered 2 much from that.
overtake them and I was not missed until the morning. The men had 1 The form used indicates the plural and, to SO!lle ext<:'Ilt, the speaker's indifference.
I ;a'hw, a wonlall carried in a howdah. 2 Or 'she (Zaynab) suffered'.
496 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 497
'When the apostle made this speech Usayd b. !:Iu<;layr said: "If they are 'And, by God, the apostle had not moved from where he was sitting when
of Aus let us rid you of them; and if they are of the Khazraj give uS your there came over him from God what used to come over him and he was wrapped
orders, for they ought to have their heads cut off." Sad b. 'Ubada got up- in his garment and a leather cushion was put under his head. As for me, when
before that he had been thought a pious man-and said, "By Allah, you I saw this I felt no fear or alarm, for I knew that I was innocent and that God
lie. They shall not be beheaded. You would not have said this had you would not treat me unjustly. As for my parents, as soon as the apostle re-
not known that they were of Khazraj. Had they been your own people you covered I thought that they would die from fear that confirmation \vould come
would not have said it." Usayd answered, "Liar yourself! You are a dis- from God of what men had said. Then the apostle recovered and sat up and
affected person arguing on behalf of the disaffected. HI Feeling ran so high there fell from him as it were drops of water on a winter day, and he began
that there was almost fighting between these two clans of Aus and Khazraj. to wipe the sweat from his brow, saying, "Good news, 'A'isha! God has
The apostle left and came in to see me. He called 'AlJ and Usama b. Zayd sent down (word) about your innocence." I said, "Praise be to God," and
and asked their advice. Usama spoke highly of me and said "They are he went out to the men and addressed them and recited to them what God
your family' and we and you know only good of them, and this is a lie and had sent down concerning that (T. "me"). Then he gave orders about
a falsehood. Misla\I b. Uthatha and !:Iassan b. Thiibit and J:lamna d. Ja\Ish who were
'As for 'Ali he said: "Women are plentiful, and you can easily change the most explicit in their slander and they were flogged with the prescribed
one for another. Ask the slave girl, for she will tell you the truth." So the number of stripes.!
apostle called Burayra to ask her, and 'Ali got up and gave her a violent 'My father Is\Iaq b. Yasar told me from some of the men of B. aI-Najjar
beating, saying, "Tell the apostle the truth," to which she replied, "I know that the wife of Abu Ayyiib Khalid b. Zayd said to him, "Have you heard
only good of her. The only fault I have to find with 'A'isha is that when I what people are saying about <A'isha?" "Certainly, but it is a lie," he said.
am kneading dough and tell her to watch it she neglects it and falls asleep "\Vould you do such a thing ?"2 She answered ":L\o, by Allah, I would
735 and the sheep (T. 'pet lamb') comes and eats it!" not." He said, "vVelI, 'A'isba is a better woman than you.'"
'Then the apostle came in to me. My parents and a woman of the 'A'isha continued: vVhen the Quran came down with the mention of
An~ar were with me and both of us were weeping. He sat down and after those of the slanderers who repeated what the liars had said, God said:
praising God he said, '''A'isha, you know what people say about you. Fear 'Those who bring the lie arc a band among you. Do not regard it as a bad
God and if you have done wrong as men say then repent towards God, for thing for you; nay it is good for.you. Every man of them will get what he
He accepts repentance from His slaves." As he said this my tears ceased has earned from the sin, and he who had the greater share therein will have
and I could not feel them. I waited for my parents to answer the apostle a painful punishment,'] meaning Bassan b. Thabit and his companions
but they said nothing. By Allah I thought myself too insignificant for God who said what they said (741).
to send down concerning me a Quran which could be read in the mosques Then God said, '\Vhy did not the believing men and women when you
and used in prayer, but I was hoping that the apostle would see something heard it think good of themselves?' i.e. say what Abu Ayyiib and his wife
in a dream by which God would clear away the lie from me, because He said. Then He said, 'V/hen you \velc0!TIed it with your tongues and spoke
knew my innocence, or that there would be some communication. As for with your mouths that of \vhich you had no knO\vledge you thought it a
a Quran coming down about me by Allah I thought far too little of myself light thing, yet with God it is grave.'
for that. When I saw that my parents would not speak I asked them why, When this came down about 'A'isha and about those who spoke about
and they replied that they did not know what to answer, and by Allah I do her, Abu Bakr who used to make an allowance to Mistah because he was of
not know a household which suffered as did the family of Abu Bakr in his kin and needy said, 'l\;~cver will I give anything to'l\1istal) again, nor
those days. \\Then they remained silent my weeping broke out afresh and will I ever help him in any way after what he said about 'A'isha and- brought
then I said: "Never will I repent towards God of what you mention. By evil on us.' She continued: 'So God sent down concerning that "And let 737
Allah, I know that if I were to confess what men say of me, God knowing not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear not to give to
that I am innocent of it, I should admit what did not happen; and if I kinsmen and the poor and those who emigrate for God's sake. Let them
denied what they said you would not believe me." Then I racked my forgive and show forbearance. Do you not wish that God should forgive
brains for the name of Jacob and could not remember it, so I said, "I will you? And God is forgiving, merciful'" (742).
say what the father of Joseph said: 'My duty is to show becoming patience Abu Bah said, 'Yes, by Allah, I want God to forgive me,' so he con-
and God's aid is to be asked against what you describe.' "J tinued the allowance that he was accustomed to give to Mistal), saying, 'r
will never withdraw it from him.'
J Cf. Sura 4. 107.
2 Care is taken to avoid the use of 'A'isha's name. 3 Sura 12, 18. I i.e. eighty. Z se. what 'A'isha was accused of. 3 Sura 24. 11.
B 4080
498 The Life of Muhammad
The LIfe of Muhammad 499
Then Safwan b. al-Mu'attal met Hassan b. Thabit with a sword when
who gave it to Hassan for his blow. He also gave him Sirin a Copt slave-
he heard ~'hat he was saying: about him, for Bassan had also uttered some girl, and she bare him 'Abdu'l-Rahman.
verse alluding to him and the Arabs of Mue;lar who had accepted Islam:
'A'isha used to say, 'Questions 'were asked about Ibnu'I-1iu'attal and
The vagabond immigrants have become powerful and numerous they found that he \vas impotent; he never touched women. He w~~ killed
And Ibnu'I-Furay'a has become solitary in the land.' as a martyr after this.'
As good as bereaved is the mother of the man I fight I:Iassan b. ThJbit said, excusing himself for what he had said about
Or caught in the claws of a lion. 'A'isha:
The man I kill will not be paid for
Chaste, keeping to her house, above suspicion,
By money or by blood.
Never thinking of reviling innocent women;
When the wind blows in the north and the sea rides high
A noble woman of the clan of Lu'ayy b. Ghalib,
And bespatters the shore with foam
Seekers of honour whose glory passes not away.
'Tis no more violent than I when you see me in a rage
Pure, God having purified her nature
Devastating as a cloud of hail.
And cleansed her from all evil and falsehood.
As for Quraysh, I will never make peace with them
If I said what you allege that I said
Until they leave error for righteousness
Let not my hands perform their office.
And abandon al-Lat and al-'Uzz'
And all bow down to the One, The Eternal, How could I, with my lifelong affection and support
And testify that what the apostle said to them is true, For the family of the apostle who lends splendour to all gatherings
And faithfully fulfil the solemn oath with God.' His rank so high above all others that '
The highest leap would fall short of it?
$afwan met him and smote him with his sword, saying according to what What has been said will not hold
Ya'qub b. 'Utba told me: But is the word of one who would slander me (744).
Here's the edge of my sword for you! A Muslim said about the flogging of :tlassan and his companions for 740
When you lampoon a man like me you don't get a poem in return! slandering 'A:isha (745):
Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. al-Harith al-Taymi told me that Thiibit b. !Jassan, I):amna, and l\1istal) tasted \vhat they deserved
Qays b. al-Shammas leapt upon $afwan when he smote Bassan and tied For uttering unseemly slander;
his hands to his neck and took him to the quarter of B. al-Harith b. al- They slandered with iII-founded accusations their prophet's wife;
Khazraj. Abdullah b. Rawa!)a met him and asked what had happened, and They angered the Lord of the glorious throne and were chastised.
he said: 'Do I surprise you? He smote Bassan with the sword and by They injured God's apostle through her
Allah he must have killed him.' Abdullah asked if the apostle knew about And were made a public and lasting disgrace.
what he had done, and when he said that he did not he told him that he Lashes rained upon them like
had been very dLtring and that he must free the man. lIe did so. Then Raindrops falling from the highest clouds.
they came to the apostle and told him of the affair and he summoned
Hassan and Safwan. The latter said, 'He insulted and satirized me and
739 ;age so ove!"C~me me that I smote him.' The apostle said to I;Iassan, Do THE AFFAIR OF AL-I.IUDAYBIYA, A.H. 6. THE WILLING
you look with an evil eye on my people because God has guided them to HOMAGE AND THE PEACE BETWEEK THE APOSTLE AND
Islam l' He added, 'Be charitable about what has befallen you.' Hassan
SL'HAYL B. 'AMR
said, 'It is yours, a
apostle' (743)'
The same informant told me that the apostle gave him in compensation Then the apostle stayed in Mcdina during the months of Ramadan and
Bir Bil, today the castle of B. I;Iudayla in Medina. It was a property ShawwJI and went out on the little pilgrimage in Dhil'l-Qa'da ~ith n
belonging to Abu Tal!)a b. Sah! which he had given as alms to the apostle intention of making war (746). He called together the Arabs and neigh~
b?un~g BedOUIn to march WIth him, feanng that Quraysh \vould oppose
I

2
Here in a bad sense. He is speaking of himself submerged in a sea of refugees.
The language is reminiscent of the Quran. The point of the reference to $afwan is not
hIm WIth arms or prevent him from vis~ting the temple, as they actually did.
clear to me. Many of the Arabs held back from hIm, and he went out with the emi-
grants and Anear and such of the Arabs as stuck to him. He took the
500 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 50 1
sacrificial victims with him and donned the pilgrim garb so that all would who restr~i~ed the elephant from TvIecca is keeping it back. Today what-
know that he did not intend war and that his purpose was to visit the e:er condItIOn Quraysh make in which they ask me to show kindness to
temple and to venerate it. kmdred I shall agree to.' Then he told the people to dismount. They HZ
Muhammad b. Muslim b. Shihab al-Zuhri from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr objected that th~re w~s no water there by which they could halt, so he took
from Miswar b. Makhrama and Marwan b. al-Ijakam told me: The ~n arrow. from hIS qUIver and gave it to one of his companions and he took
apostle went out in the year of al-I:Iudaybiya with peaceful intent meaning It down mto one of the waterholes and prodded the middle of it and the
to visit th'e temple, and took with him seventy camels for sacrifice. There water rose untIl the men's camels \vere satisfied with drinking and lay
were seven hundred men so that each camel was on behalf of ten men. down there.
Jabir b. 'Abdullah, so I have heard, used to say, 'We, the men of al-Ijuday- One of t~e B. Aslam told me that the man who went into the hole with
biya, were fourteen hundred.' the apostle s arrow was NaJlya h. Jundub b Tmayr b Ya'm b D- .
741 Al-Zuhri continued: When the apostle was in 'Usfan, Bishr b. Sufyan b 'A b W-"l ' . ar. anm
._ . mr. a I a b. Sahm b. Mazin b. Salaman b. Aslam b. Afsa b. Abu
al-Ka'bi met him (747) and said: 'There are Quraysh who have heard of Ijantha :vho ~rove the apostle's camels to sacrifice (748). .
your coming and have come out with their milch-camels and have put on A tradItlODlst alleged to me that al-Bara' b. 'Azib used 'to say that it was
leopards' skins, I and have encamped at Dhii Tuwa swearing that you will he who went down WIth the apostle's arrow, and God knows which it was.
never enter Mecca in defiance of them. This man Khalid b. al-Walid is The Aslam quoted verses from the lines which Najiya made. We think
with their cavalry which they have sent in advance to Kuri:i.'u'I-Ghamim.'2 that It was _he who went ,down with the arrow. Aslam allege that a slave-girl
The apostle said: 'Alas, Quraysh, war has devoured them! What harm of the An~ar cam.e up WIth her bucket while Najiya Was in the well supply-
would they have suffered if they had left me and the rest of the Arabs to mg the people WIth water and said:
go our own ways? If they should kill me that is what they desire, and if
God should give me the victory over them they would enter Islam in flocks.
o you down below, my bucket is here.
If they do not do that they will fight while they have the strength, so what I c~~ hear all our men who \vish you good cheer
are Quraysh thinking of? By Allah, I will not cease to fight for the mission PralSlng the one who draws water here (749).
with which God has entrusted me until He makes it victorious or I perish.' Najiya said as he was in the hole getting the water:
Then he said, 'Who will take us out by a way in which we shall not meet
The Yamani slave-girl knows
them ?'
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that a man of Aslam volunteered to do That I'm Najiya down below getting water.
Many a wide bloody wound I've made
so and he took them by a rugged, rocky track between passes \vhieh was
In the breasts of advancing foes.
very hard on the Muslims, and when they emerged from it on to the easy
ground at the end of the \vadi the apostle said to the meo, 'Say, \Ve ask In ~is traditio_~_ al-Zuhri said: When the apostle had rested Budayl b.
God's forgiveness and we repent towards Him.' They did so and he said, Warqa al-Khuza I came to hIm With some men of Khuza'a and asked him
'That is the "putting a\vay"3 that was enjoined on the children of Israel; what he had come for. He told them that he had not come for war but to
but they did not say the words.' go on pIIgnma~e and :'enerate the sacred precincts. Then he said to them
The apostle ordered the force to turn to the right through the salty what he had saId to Blshr b. 9ufyan. Then they returned to Quraysh and
growth' on the road which leads by the pass of al-Murar to the declivity of told~hem what they had heard; but they suspected them and spoke roughly 743
aI-Ijudaybiya below Mecca. They did so, and when the Quraysh cavalry to tern, saymg, .'He may ~ave come not \vanting war but by Allah he
saw from the dust of the army that they had turned aside from their path shall never come In here agamst our will, nor shall the Arabs ever say that
they returned at a gallop to Quraysh. The apostle went as far as the pass we have alIowed It.'
of al-Murar and when his camel knelt and the men said, 'The camel won't Khu~a'a were the apostle's confidants, both their lVIuslims and their
get up,' he said: 'It has not refused and such is not its nature, but the One polytheIsts. They kept him informed of everything that hap d'
Mecca. ) pene In
I This passage and 744, line 5, imply that leopard skins were actually worn. The language
in Hamasa 82. 13 and Mufarj. 640. 6 appears to be figurative. For 'milch-camels' some Then Quraysh sent Mikraz b. Ijaf~ b. al-Akhyaf brother of B 'A . b
Lu'ayy to hun Wh h h' . m" .
8ub~titute 'women and children'. . en e saw 1m approaching the apostle said 'Th' .
:1 A wadi about 8 miles from Vsfiin. treacherous fellow!' When he came up and spoke to him the a~ostlels ~~:
hIm tbe same reply as he had given Budayl and his companions an~ h
3 hilla is said to mean 'take away our sins'. Cf. Stiras 2. 55 and 7. 16r.
.. i:IamQ. here may be a place-name, but the place of this name in Yiiq. ii. 339 is much too
far away from Mecca. returned and told the Quraysh what the apostle had said. ' e
502 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 503
Then they sent to him al-l:Iulays b. 'Alqama or Ibn Zabbiin, who was at how his companions treated him. \Vhenever he performed his ablutions
that time chief of the black troops, being one of B. al-l:Iarith b. 'Abdu t~ey ran to get the \vater he had used; if he spat they ran to it; if a hair of 745
Manat b. Kinana. \Vhen he saw him the apostle said, 'This is one of the hIs head fell they ran to pick it up. So he returned to Quraysh and said
devout people, so send the sacrificial animals to meet him sO that he can 'I have been to Chosroes in his kingdom, and Caesar in his kingdom and
see them! When he saw them going past him from the side of the wadi with t~e Negus in his kingdom, but never have 1 seen a king among a people
their festive collars round their necks and how they had eaten their hair l lIke Muhammad among his companions. I have seen a people who will
because they had been so long kept back from the place of sacrifice, he never ab~n.do~ him for any reason, so form your own opinion.'
went back to Quraysh and did not come to the apostle, so greatly was he A tradltlOnIst told me that the apostle called Khirash b. Umayya al-
impressed by what he had seen. When he told them that, they said, 'Sit Khuza'i and sent him to Quraysh in l\1ecca, mounting him on one of his
down ! You are only a Bedouin, utterly ignorant.' camels called al-Tha'iab to tell their chiefs from him what he had come
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that this enraged al-l:Iulays, who said: for. They hamstrung the apostle's camel and wanted to kill the man but
'You men of Quraysh, it was not for this that we made an alliance and the black troops protected him and let him go his way so that he ~ame
agreement with you. Is a man who comes to do honour to God's house to back to the apostle.
be excluded from it? By him who holds my life in his hand, either you let One whom I do not suspect from 'Ikrima client of Ibn 'Abbas from the
Muhammad do what he has come to do or I shall take away the black troops latter told me that Quraysh had sent forty or fifty men with "rders to
to the last man.' They said, 'Be quiet, I:Iulays! until we obtain for ourselves surround the apostle's camp and get hold of one of his companions for
acceptable terms.' them, but they were caught and brought to the apostle, who forgave them
In his narrative al-Zuhri said: Then they sent 'Vrwa b. Mas'ud al- and let them go their way. They had attacked the camp with stones and
Thaqafi to the apostle and he said: 'You men of Quraysh, I have seen the arrows. Then he called 'Umar to send him to l\lecca with the same mes-
744 harshness and rude words with which you have received those you sent to sage, but 'Vmar told him that he feared for his life with Quraysh, because
Muhammad when they returned to you. You know that you are the father there were none of B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b in Mecca to protect him, and Quraysh
and I am the son-for 'Vrwa was the son of Subay'a d. 'Abdu Shams-I knew of his enmity and his rough treatment of them. He recommended
heard of what befell you and I collected those of my people who obeyed that a man more prized there than himself should be sent, namely 'Uthman.
me; then I came to you to help you.' They agreed and said that they The apostle summoned 'Vthman and sent him to AbU Sufyan and the
did not suspect him. So he came to the apostle and sat before him and said: chiefs of Quraysh to tell them that he had not come for war but merely to
'Muhammad, have you collected a mixed people together and then brought VISIt the house and to venerate its sanctity.
them to your own people to destroy them? Quraysh have come out with As 'Uthman entered or was about to enter Mecca Aban b. Sa'id b. 31-
their milch-camels 2 clad in leopard skins swearing that you shall never '~~ met ~im and carried him in front of him. Then he gave him his protec-
enter Mecca by force. By God I think I see you deserted by these people tIOn untIl he could convey the apostle's message to them. Having heard
(here) tomorrow.' Now Abu Bakr was sitting behind the apostle and he what 'Vthman had to say, they said: 'If you want to go round the temple, 746
said, 'Suck al-Lat's nipples! Should we desert him?' He asked who had go round it.' He said that he could nat do so until Muhammad did so and
spoken, and when he heard it was Ibn Abu Qul,lafa he said, 'By Allah, did Quraysh kept him a prisoner with them. The apostle and the Mu~lims
I not owe you a favour 1 would pay you back for that, but now we are were informed that 'Vthman had been killed.
quits.' Then he began to take hold of the apostle's beard as he talked to
him. AI-Mughira b. Shu'ba was standing by the apostle's head clad in
THE WILLING HOMAGE
mail and he began to hit his hand as he held the apostle's beard saying,
'Take your hand away from the apostle's face before you lose it.' 'Vrwa 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that when the apostle heard that 'Vthmiin
said, 'Confound you, how rough and rude you are!' The apostle smiled had been killed he said that they would not leave until they fought the
and when 'Vrwa asked who the man was he told him that it was his enemy,. an~ he summoned the men to give their undertaking. The pledge
brother's son, al-l\1ughira b. Shu'ba and he said, '0 wretch, it was only of al-RI<;lwan took place under a tree. Men used to say that the apostle took
yesterday that I washed your dirty parts!' (750). theIr pledge unto death. Jabir b. 'Abdullah used to say that the apostle did
The apostle told him what he had told the others, namely that he had not take their pledge unto death, but rather their undertaking that they
not come out for war. He got up from the apostle's presence having seen ~ould. not run away. Not one of the Muslims who were present failed to
gIve hIS hand except al-Jadd b. Qays, brother of B. Salima. Jabir used to
I It is just possible that aubJr is the pI. of wibJr, a bitter salty herb with thorns (btimi(ja).
In that case it would support the rendering of I;Iamt;i on p. 741. :z v.s.
say: 'By Allah, I can almost see him now sticking to his camel's side
504 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 505
cringing as he tried to hide himself from the men.' Then the apostle heard While the apostle and Suhayl were writing the document, suddenly Abu
that the news about 'Uthman was false (751). Jandal b. Suhayl appeared walking in fctters, having escaped to the apostle.
The apostle's companions had gone out without any doubt of occupying
Mecca because of the vision which the apostle had seen, and when they saw
THE ARMISTICE
the negotiations for peace and a withdrawal going on and what the apostle
AI-Zuhri said: Then Quraysh sent Suhayl b. 'Amr brother of B. 'Amir b. had taken on himself they felt depressed almost to the point of death.
Lu'ayy to the apostle with instructions to make peace with him on condi~ When Suhayl saw Abu Jandal he got up and hit him in the face and took
tion that he went back this year, so that none of the Arabs could say that hold of his collar, saying, 'Muhammad, the agreement between us was
he made a forcible entry. When the apostle saw him coming he said, 'The concluded before this man came to you.' He replied, 'You are right.' He
7+7 people want to make peace seeing that they have sent this man.' After a began to pull him roughly by his collar and to drag him away to return
long discussion peace was made and nothing remained but to write an him to Quraysh, while Abu Jandal shrieked at the top of his voice, 'Am I to
agreement. 'Umar jumped up and went to AbU. Bakr saying, 'Is he not be returned to the polytheists that they may entice me from my religion 0
God's apostle, and are we not Muslims, and are they not polytheists?' to Muslims?' and that increased the people's dejection. The apostle said,
which Abu Bakr agreed, and he went on: 'Then why should we agree to '0 Abu Jandal, be patient and control yourself, for God will provide relief
what is demeaning to our religion?' He replied, 'Stick to what he says, for and a means of escape for you and those oEyall who are helpless. We have
I testify that he is God's apostle.' 'Umar said, 'And so do L' Then he went made peace with them and we and they have invoked God in our agree-
to the apostle and put the same questilJns to which the apostle answered, ment and we cannot deal falsely with them.' 'Umar jumped up and walked
'I am God's slave and His apostle. I will not go against His commandment alongside Abu Jandal saying, 'Be patient for they are only polytheists; the
and He will not make me the loser.' 'Umar used to say, 'I have not ceased blood of one of them is but the blood of a dog,' and he brought the hilt of
giving alms and fasting and praying and freeing slaves because of what I his sword close up to him. 'Umar used to say, 'I hoped that he would take
did that day out of fear for what I had said, when I hoped that (my plan) the sword and kill his father with it, but the man spared his father and so
would be better.' the matter ended.'
Then the apostle summoned 'Ali and told him to write 'In the name of When the apostle had finished the document he summoned representa-
Allah the Compassionate, the Merciful.' Suhayl said 'I do not recognize tives of the Muslims and polytheists to witness to the peace, namely AbU.
this; but write "In thy name, 0 Allah.''' The apostle told him to write Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Abdu'l-Ral,!man b. 'Auf, 'Abdullah b. Suhayl b. 'Amr, 7+9
the latter and he did so. Then he said: 'Write "This is what Muhammad, and Sa'd b. Abu Waqqa~, Mal,!mud b. Maslama, Mikraz b. I:Iaf~ who was
the apostle of God has agreed with Suhayl b. 'Amr.''' Suhayl said, 'If I a polytheist at the time, and 'Ali who was the writer of the document.
witnessed that you were God's apostle I would not have fought you. Write The apostle was encamped in the profane country, and he used to pray
your own name and the name of your father.' The apostle said: '\Vrite in the sacred area. When the peace was concluded he slaughtered his vic-
"This is what Muhammad b. 'Abdullah has agreed with Suhayl b. 'Amr: tims and sat down and shaved his head. I have heard that it was Khiriish b.
they have agreed to lay aside war for ten years during which men can be Umayya b. al-Fa<;ll al-Khuza'i who shaved him then. When the men saw
safe and refrain from hostilities on condition that if anyone comes to what the apostle had done they leapt up and did the same.
Muhammad ~thout the permission of his guardian he will return him to 'Abdullah b. Abu NajIl,! from Mujahid from Ibn 'Abbas told me, 'Some
them; and if anyone of those with I\luhammad comes to Quraysh they will men shaved their heads on the day of al-I:Iudaybiya while others cut their
not return him to him. \Ve will not show enmity one to another and there hair.' The apostle said, 'May God have mercy on the shavers.' They said,
shall be no secret reservation or bad faith. He who wishes to enter into a 'The cutters, too, 0 apostle?' Three times they had to put this question
bond and agreement with Muhammad may do so and he who wishes to until finally he added 'and the cutters'. When they asked him why he had
enter into a bond and agreement with Quraysh may do so.'" Here repeatedly confined the invocation of God's mercy to the shavers he
Khuza'a leapt up and said, '\Ve are in a bond and agreement with replied, 'Because they did not doubt.'
Muhammad,' and B. Bakr leapt up and said the same with regard to The same authorities told me that the apostle sacrificed in the year of
Quraysh, adding 'You must retire from us this year and not enter Mecca al-I:Iudaybiya among his victims a camel belonging to Abu JaW which had
against our will, and next year we will make way for you and you can a silver nose-ring, thus enraging the polytheists.
enter it with your companions, and stay there three nights. You may Zuhri continued: The apostle then went on his way back and when he
carry a rider's weapons, the swords in their sheaths. You can hring in was half-way back the sura al-Fatl; came down: 'We have given you a
nothing more.' plain victory that God may forgive you your past sin and the sin which is
506 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
to come and may complete his favour upon you and guide you on an and the believers and imposed on them the word of piety, for they were meet
upright path. II Then the account goes on about him and his companions and worthy of it,' i.e. the declaration of God's unity, the witness that there
until he comes to mention the oath of allegiance and He said: 'Those who is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His apostle.
swear allegiance to you really swear allegiance to God, the hand of God Then He said: 'God has fulfilled the vision to His apostle in truth. You
being above their hands; so he who breaks his oath breaks it to his own shall enter the sacred mosque if God will, safely with heads shaved and hair
hurt; while he who is faithful to what he has covenanted with God, to him cut short fearing not. For He knows what you do not know,' i.e. the vision
will He give a great reward.' which the apostle saw that he would enter Mecca safely without fear. He
Then He mentioned the Bedouin who held back from him. Then He says 'with your heads shaved and hair cut short' along with him without
said when he urged them to take the field with him and they procrastinated, fear, for He knows what you do not know of that, and more than that He
'The Bedouin who were left behind will say to you: Our possessions and has wrought a near victory, the peace of al-Budaybiya.
750 our families preoccupied us!' Then follows an account of them until the No previous victory in Islam was greater than this. There was nothing
words 'Those who were left behind will say when you go out to capture but battle when men met; but when there was an armistice and war was
spoil, Let us follow you, wishing to change what God has said. Say, You abolished and men met in safety and consulted together none talked about
shall not follow us. Thus has God said beforehand.' Then follows an Islam intelligently without entering it. In those two years double as many
account of them and how it was explained to them that they must fight or more than double as many entered Islam as ever before (754).
a people of great prowess.
'Abdullah b. Abu Najjh from 'Ata' b. Abu Raha\> from Ibn 'Abbas said
THE CASE OF THOSE LEFT HELPLESS AFTER THE PEACE
(That means) Persia. One whom I do not suspect from al-Zuhri told me
that 'a people of great prowess' meant Banifa with the arch-liar. When the apostle arrived in Medina AbcI Basjr 'Utba b. Asid b. Jariya,
Then He said: 'God was pleased with the believers when they swore one of those imprisoned in Mecca, came to him. Azhar b. 'Abdu 'Auf b.
allegiance to you under the tree and He knew what was in their hearts, 'Abd b. al-I:Iarith b. Zuhra and al-Akhnas b. Sharjq b. 'Amr b. Wahb al-
and He sent down the Sakjna' upon them and rewarded them with a recent Thaqafi wrote to the apostle about him, and they sent a man of B. 'Amir b. 752
victory and much spoil which they will take. God is mighty, wise. God Lu'ayy with a freed slave of theirs. When they came to the apostle with
has promised you much spoil which you will capture and has given you the letter he said, 'You know the undertaking we gave these people and it
this in advance, and kept men's hands from you, that it may be a sign to ill becomes us that treachery should enter our religion. God will bring
the believers and that He may guide you on an upright path, and other relief and a way of escape to those helpless like you, so go back to your
(things) which you have not been able to get. God encompasses them, and people.' He said, '\Vould you return me to the polytheists who will seduce
God is almighty.' me from my religion?' He said, 'Go, for God \.... ill bring relief and a way of
Then He mentioned how He had kept him away from battle after the escape for you and the helpless ones with you.' So he went with them as
victory over them, meaning those He had kept from him. Then He said: far as Dhli'l-I~ulayfal where he and the two men sat against a wall. l\bu
'He it is who has kept their hands from you and your hands from them in Ba~ir said, 'Is your sword sharp, 0 brother of B. 'Arnir?' \Vhen he said
the vale of Mecca, after He had given you victory over them. God is a seer that it was he said that he v,'Ould like to look at it. 'Look at it if you want
of what you do.' Then He said: 'They are those who disbelieved and to: he replied. Abu Baliir unsheathed it and dealt him a blow that killed
debarred you from the sacred mosque and the offering from reaching its him. The freedman ran off to the apostle who was sitting in the mosque,
goal' (752). 'And had it not been for the believing men and women whom and when the apostle saw him coming he said, 'This man has seen some~
you did not know lest you should tread them under foot and thus incur thing frightful.' When he came up the apostle said, 'What's the matter,
guilt for them unwittingly.' Ma'arra means 'a fine', Le. lest you should woe to you?' He said: 'Your man has killed my man,' and almost at once
suffer loss for them unwittingly and pay its bloodwit; as for real guilt he Abu Ba~ir came up girt with the sword, and standing by the apostle he
did not fear it on their account (753). said, 'Your obligation is over and God has removed it from you. You duly
Then he said, "Vhen those who disbelieve had set in their hearts zealotry, handed me over to the men and I ha\re protected myself in my religion lest
751 the zealotry of paganism,' i.e. Suhayl b. 'Amr when he scorned to write 'In I should be seduced therein or scoffed at.' The apostle said, '\Voe is his
the name of Allah the Compassionate the Merciful' and that Muhammad is mother, he would have kindled a war had there been others with him.'2
God's apostle. Then He said 'God sent down His sakina' upon His apostle from the Hebrew shekinah, pos~ibly through the medium of Syriac. A summary of what has
been said about it with a bibliography is given by A. Jeffery, Foreign Vocabulary of the
I Sura 48. Qurt'in, 174. I About six or seven miles from Medina.
~ This is (a) a genuine Arabic word meaning' tranquillity', 'calm'; and (b) a borrowing ~ Or, 'The firebrandl Would that others had been with himl'
508 The Lzfe of Muhammad
The Life of l\!/uhammad
Then Abu Ba$ir went off until he halted at al-'I$ in the region of Dhu'l-
Marwa by the sea-shore on the road which Quraysh were accustomed to THE WOMEN WHO EMIGRATED AFTER THE ARMISTICE 754
take to Syria. The Muslims who were confined in Mecca heard what the
Umm Kulthum d. 'Ugba b. Abu Mu'an migrated to the apostle during
apostle had said of Abu Ba~ir so they went out to join him in al- 'r~. About
this period. Her two brothers 'Umara and al-Walid sons of 'Uqba came
s~v~nty men attached themselves to him, and they so harried Quraysh,
and asked the apostle to return her to them in accordance with the agree-
kIllIng everyone they could get hold of and cutting to pieces every caravan
ment between him and Quraysh at I:Iudaybiya, but he would not. God
that passed them, that Quraysh wrote to the apostle begging him by the
753 ties of kinship to take these men in, for they had no use for them; so the
forbade it.
Al-Zuhri from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr told me: I came in to him as he was
apostle took them in and they came to him in Medina (755).
writing a letter to Ibn Abu Hunayda, the friend of al-Walid b. Abdu'l-
When Suhayl heard that Abu Ba$ir had killed his 'Amiri guard he leant
Malik who had written to ask him about the word of God: '0 you who
his back against the Ka'ba and swore that he would not remove it until this
believe, when believing women come to you as emigrants test them. God
man's bloodwit was paid. Abu Sufyan b. I:Iarb said, 'By God, this is sheer
knows best about their faith. If you know that they are believers do not
folly. It will not be paid.' Three times he said it.
send them back to the unbelievers. They are not lawful to them nor vice
Mauhab b. Riyal.> Abu Unays, an ally of B. Zuhra, said (756):
versa. And give them (the unbelievers) what they have spent on them. It
A brief word from Suhayl reached me is no sin for you to marry them when you have given them their dues, and
And woke me from my sleep. hold not to the ties of unbelieving women'l (757). Ask for what you have
If you wish to reproach me spent and let them ask for what they have spent. That is the judgement of
Then reproach me, for you are not far from me. Allah who judges between you. God is a knower, wise.'
\Vould you threaten me when 'Abdu Manaf is round me 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr' wrote to him: The apostle made peace with Quraysh
With Makhzum? Alas, wbom are you attacking? on the day of al-I:Iudaybiya on condition that he should return to them
If you put me to the test you will not find me those who came without the permission of their guardians. But when
A weak support in grave misfortunes. women migrated to the apostle and to Islam God refused to allow them to
I can rival in birth the best of my people. be returned to the polytheists if they had been tested by the test of Islam,
When the weak are iii-treated I protect them. and they knew that they came only out of desire for Islam, and He ordered
They defend the heights of Mecca without doubt that their dowries should be returned to Quraysh if their women were
As far as the valleys and the wadi sides withheld from them if they returned to the Muslims the dowries of the
With every blood mare and fiery borse women they had withheld from them. 'That is the judgement of God which
Grown tbin from long fighting. He judges between you, and Allah is knowing, wise.' So the apostle with-
Ma'add know they have in al-Khayf' held the women and returned the men, and he asked what God ordered 755
A pavilion of glory exalted high. him to ask of the dowries of the women who were withheld from them,
and that they sbould return what was due if the other side did the same.
'Abdullah b. al-Ziba.'ra answered him: Had it not been for this judgement of God's the apostle would have re-
Mauhab has become like a poor donkey turned the women as he returned the men. And had it not been for the
Braying in a viiiage as he passes through it. armistice and covenant between them on the day of al-I:Iudaybiya he would
A man like you cannot attack Suhayl. have kept the women and not returned the dowries, for that is what he used
Vain is your effort. Whom are you attacking? to do with the Muslim women who came to him before the covenant.
Shut up, you son of a blacksmith. I asked al-Zuhri about this passage: 'And if any of your wives have gone
And stop talking nonsense in the land. to the unbelievers and you have your turn of triumph, then give those
Don't mention the blame of Abu Yazid. whose wives have gone the like of what they spent, and fear Allah in \vhom
There's a great difference between oceans and puddles. you believe.' He said, If one of you loses his family to the unbelievers and
a woman does not come to you you may take for her the like of what they
I A place in Mini.
I Sura 60. IO.
2. He was the principal authority on apostolic tradition. His father was a cousin of the
prophet, his mother Asma' was a daughter of Abu Bakr, and his brother was a candidate for
the caliphate, and he was closely associated with 'A'isha, who was his aunt. He was born in
A.H. 23 aod died in 94.
5ro The LIfe of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad SII
take from you, then compensate them from any booty that you secure. We ask Thee for the good of this town and the good of its people and the
When this verse came down. '0 you who believe when believing women good of what is in it, and we take refuge in Thee from its evil and the evil
come to you as'emigrants,' as far as the words 'and hold not to the cords of of its people and the evil that is in it. Forward in the name of Allah.' He
disbelieving women' it referred to 'Umar's divorcing his wife Qurayba d. used to say that of every town he entered.
Abu Umayya b. al-Mughira. Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan married her after- One whom I do not suspect told me from Anas b. Malik: When the
wards while they were both polytheists in Mecca; and Umm Kulthum the apostle raided a people he waited until the morning. If he heard a call to
Khuza'ite woman d. Jarwal mother of Ubaydullah b. 'Umar whom Abu prayer l he held back; if he did not hear it he attacked. \Ve came to Khaybar
Jahm b. I:ludhayfa b. Ghanim a man of 'Umar's people married while by night, and the apostle passed the night there; and when morning came
they both were polytheists (758). he did not hear the call to prayer,l so he rode and we rode with him, and I
rode behind Abu Tal~a with my foot touching the apostle's foot. We met
THE EXPEDITION TO KHAYBAR, A.H.7 the workers of Khaybar coming out in the morning with their spades and
baskets. When they saw the apostle and the army they cried, 'Muhammad
After his return from a1-I:ludaybiya the apostle stayed in Medina during with his force,' and turned tail and fled. The apostle said, 'Allah akbar!
DhU'I-I:lijja and part of al-Mu~arram, the polytheists superintending the Khaybar is destroyed. \Vhen we arrive in a people's square it is a bad
756 pilgrimage. Then he marched against Khaybar (759). morning for those who have been warned.' Harun told us from I:Iumayd
Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. al-I:larith al-Taymi from Abu'l-Haytham b. from Anas similarly.
Na~r b. Duhr al-Aslami from his father who said that he heard the apostle
When the apostle marched from Medina to Khaybar he went by way of
as he journeyed say to <Amir b. al-Akwa' who was the uncle of Salama b. 'I~r,z and a mosque was built for him there; then by way of al-Sal;ba.'.3
'Amr b. al-Akwa' who was named Sinan: 'Dismount, Ibn al-Akwa', and Then he went forward with the army until he halted in a wadi called al-
chant one of your camel-songs for us'; so he got down and recited this rough Raji', halting between the men of Khaybar and Ghatafiin so as to prevent
rhyme: the latter reinforcing Khaybar, for they were on their side against the apostle.
But for Allah we should not have been guided I have heard that when Gha!afan heard about the apostle's attack on
Nor given alms nor prayed. Khaybar they gathered together and marched out to hel p the Jews against
If people treat us unjustly him; but after a day's journey, hearing a rumour about their property and
And if they wish to seduce us we resist. families, they thought that they had been attacked during their absence, so
Send down Saklna J upon us they went hack on their tracks and left the way to Khaybaropen to the apostle. 758
And make our feet firm when we meet our enemies. The apostle seized the property piece by piece and conquered the forts
The apostle said, 'May God have mercy on you!' 'Vmar said, 'You have one by one as he came to them. The first to fall was the fort of Na'im;
made his death inevitable, 0 apostle of God. Would that you had let us there Mal;mud b. Maslama was killed by a millstone which was thrown on
enjoy him longer.' He was killed at Khaybar as a martyr. I have heard him from it; then al-Qamus the fort of B. AbU'I-I:luqayq. The apostle
that his sword turned upon him as he was fighting and gave him such a took captives from them among whom was $aflya d. I:luyayy b. Akh!ab
grievous wound that he died of it. The Muslims were in doubt as to who had been the wife of Kinana b. al-Rab!' b. Abu'l-I:luqayq, and two
whether he died a martyr, saying that he had died oy his own weapon. But cousins of hers. The apostle chose $afiya fa, himself.
his nephew Salama b. 'Arm b. al-Akwa' asked the apostle about it, telling Di~ya b. Khalifa al-Kalbj had asked the apostle for i;lafjya, and when he
him what men were saying, and he said, 'Certainly he is a martyr,' and he chose her for himself he gave him her two cousins. The women of Khaybar
and the Muslims prayed over him. were distributed among the Muslims. The Muslims ate the meat of the
One whom I do not suspect told me from 'Ata' b. Abu Marwan aI- domestic donkeys and the apostle got up and forbade the people to do a
Aslamj from his father from Abu Mu'attib b. 'Amr that when the apostle number of things which he enumerated.
looked down on Khaybar he told his companions, among whom I was one, 'Abdullah b. 'Anrr b. I;lamra al-Fazarj told me from 'Abdullah b. Abu
to stop. Then he said: Sali! from his father: The apostle's prohibition of the flesh of domestic
'0 God, Lord of the heavens and what they ,,'ershadow donkeys reached us as the pots were boiling with it, so we turned them
757 And Lord of the lands and what they make to grow upside down.
And Lord of the devils and what into error they throw I This is the usual meaning of adhan, but probably here a more general tenn is indicated:
And Lord of the winds and what they winnow, 'a call to get up and work'. 2 A mountain between Medina and Wadi'l-Fur'
3 An evening's journey from Khaybar.
I V.J.
5r2 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 5' 3
'Abdullah b. Abu Naji\> told me from Mak\>ul that the apostle prohibited Now piercing, now slashing,
four things that day: carnal intercourse with pregnant women who were As when lions advance in their rage.
captured; eating the flesh of domestic donkeys; eating any carnivorous The hardened warrior gives way before my onslaught;
animal; and selling booty before it had been duly allotted. My (lima' cannot be approached.
Salliim b. Kirkira told me from 'Amr b. Dinar from Jabir b. 'Abdullah
With these words he challenged all to single combat and Ka'b b. Malik
al-An~ari (Jabir had not been present at Khaybar) that when the apostle
answered him thus:
forbade the flesh of donkeys he allowed them to eat horseflesh.
759 Yazid b. AbU J:Iabib told me from Abu Marzuq client of Tujib from Khaybar knows that I am Ka'b,
J:Ianash al-i;>an'ani: With Ruwayfi' b. Thabit al-An~ari we attacked the The smoother of difficulties, bold and dour.
Maghrib, and one of its towns called Jirba I was conquered. A man arose When war is stirred up another follows.
as a preacher and said, 'Let me tell you what I heard the apostle say on the I carry a sharp sword that glitters like lightning-
day of Khaybar. He got up among us and said: "It is not lawful for a man We will tread you down till the strong are humbled;
who believes in Allah and the lasttlay to mingle his seed with another man's We will make you pay till the spoil is divided-
(meaning to approach carnally a pregnant woman among the captives), nor In the hand of a warrior sans reproche (761).'
is it lawful for him to take her until he has made sure that she is in a state
The apostle said, 'Who will deal with this fellow I' Muhammad b.
of cleanness; nor is it lawful for him to sell booty until it has been properly
Maslama said that he would, for he was bound to take revenge on the man
divided; nor is it lawful for him to ride an animal belonging to the booty of
who had killed his brother the day before. The apostle told him to go and
the Muslims with the intention of returning it to the pool when he has
prayed Allah to help him. When they approached the one the other an
worn it out; nor is it lawful for him to wear a garment belonging to the
old tree with soft wpod' lay between them and they began to hide behind
booty of the Muslims with the intention of returning it to the pool when
it. Each took shelter from the other. When one hid behind the tree the
he has reduced it to rags.'"
other slashed at it with his sword so that the intervening branches were
Yazid b. 'Abdullah b. QusaYI told me that he was told from 'Ubada b.
cut away' and they came face to face. The tree remained bereft of its
al-i;>amit: On the day of Khaybar the apostle forbade us to buy or sell gold
branches like a man standing upright. Then Mar\>ab attacked Muhammad
are for gold coin or silver are for silver coin. He said, 'Buy gold are with
b. Maslama and struck him. He took the blow on his shield and the sword
silver coin and silver are with gold coin.' Then the apostle began to take
bit into it and remained fast. Muhammad then gave Mar\>ab a fatal wound.
the forts and the property one by one.
After Mar\>ab's death his brother Yasir came out with his challenge:
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that one of Aslam told him that B. Sahm
of Aslam came to the apostle and complained that they had fought and got (Khaybar knows that I am Yiisir,
nothing and found nothing with the apostle which he could give them. He Fully armed, a doughty warrior.
said: ~O God, You know their condition and that they have no strength, As when lions advance at a rush
and that I have nothing to give them, so conquer for them the wealthiest The enemy give way before my onslaught.)
of the enemy's forts with the richest food.' The follpwing day God con-
quered the fort of al-i;>a'b b, Mu'adh which contained the richest food in Hisham b. 'Urwa alleged that al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam went out to fight
Khaybar. Yiisir. His mother i;>afiya d. 'Abdu'l-Munalib said, 'Will he kill my son, a
760 When the apostle had conquered some of their forts and got possession apostle I' He replied, 'Nay, your son will kill him, if God will.' So al-
of some of their property he came to their two forts al-\Vapl; and al-Sula- Zubayr went out saying (T.
lim, the last to be taken, and the apostle besieged them for some ten nights Khaybar know that I am Zabbar,
(7 60 ). Chief of a people no cowardly runaways,
'Abdullah b. Sahl b. 'Abdu'l-Ra\>man b. Sahl, brother of B. I:Iaritha, The son of those who defend their glory, the son of princes.
told me from Jabir b. 'Abdullah: Marl;1ab the Jew came out from their fort
carrying his weapons and saying: I The sacred territory of an idol or a sanctuary and so any place that a man is bound to
protect from violation.
Khaybar knows that I am Marhab, :& The obviouS break in the sense is corrected in I.H.'s vemon. 'Lightning' ('aqiq) in 1...

An experienced warrior armed from head to foot, may mean 'a jewel'.
3 Said by Lane, 20SIC, to be the Asckpias gigantea or ereat awallowwort.

I An island near Qlibis.


" To', text (1576) is clearer here.
B4.OS0 Ll
51 4 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad SIS
o Yfulir, let not all the unbelievers deceive you, Bilal who was bringing them led them past the Jews who were slain; and
For all of them are like a slowly moving mirage). when the woman who was with $afiya saw them she shrieked and slapped
When the two met al-Zubayr killed Y1isir. her face and poured dust on her head. When the apostle saw her he said,
Hisham b. 'Urwa told me that it was said to al-Zubayr, 'By God, you 'Take this she-devil away from me.' He gave orders that $afjya was to be
must have had a sharp sword that day,' to which he replied that it was not put behind him and threw his mantle over her, so that the Muslims knew
sharp, but he used it with great force. . _ that he had chosen her for himself. I have heard that the apostle said to
Burayda b. Sufyiin b. Farwa al-Aslamj told me from hIS father Sufya.n Biliil when he saw this Jewess behaving in that way, 'Had you no compas-
from Salama b. 'Amr b. al-Akwa': The apostle sent Abu Bakr wIth hIS sion, Bilal, when you brought two women past their dead husbands I' Now
banner (762) against one of the forts of Khaybar. He fought but returned $afiya had seen in a dream when she was the wife of Kinana b. al-Rabi' b.
having suffered losses and not taken it. On the morrow he s~nt ~Umar and Abu'l-Buqayq that the moon would fall into her lap. When she told her
the same thing happened. The apostle said, 'Tomorrow I wdl give the flag husband he said, 'This simply means that you covet the king of the Hijaz,
to a man who loves Allah and his apostle. Allah will conquer It by hIS Muhammad.' He gave her such a blow in the face that he blacked her eye.
762 means; he is no runaway.' So he called 'AlI who was suffering from ?P~ When she was brought to the apostle the mark was still there, and when he
thalmia at the time and spat in his eye, saying, 'Take this fl~g ~d go ':lth It asked the cause of it she told him this story.
until God gives victory through you.' So 'Ali went off wIth It, gaspmg as
he hurried, while we followed behind in his tracks untd he stuck the flag
THE REST OF THE AFFAIR OF KHAYBAR
in a pile of rocks under the fort. A Jew looked at him from the top of the
fort and asked who he was, and when he told him he said, 'You have won, Kinlina b. al-Rabi', who had the custody of the treasure of B. al-Na<jjr, was
by what was revealed to Moses!II or words to that effect. He did not return brought to the apostle who asked him about it. He denied that he knew
until God had conquered by his hands. . _ __. where it was. A Jew came (T. was brought) to the apostle and said that he T. 158.
'Abdullah b. aI-Hasan told me from one of his family from Abu RaIl, had seen Kinana going round a certain ruin every morning early. \Vhen
freed slave of the ~postle: We went with 'A1j when the apostle sent him the aposHe said to Kinana, 'Do you know that if we find you have it I shall
with his flag and when he got near the fort the garrison came out and he kill you /' he said Yes. The apostle gave orders that the ruin was to be
fought them. A Jew struck him so that his shield fell from hIS h~d, s.o excavated and some of the treasure was found. When he asked him about
'AU laid hold of a door by the fort and used it as a shield. He kept It m hIS the rest he refused to produce it, so the apostle gave orders to al-Zubayr b.
hand as he fought until God gave victory, throwing it away when all was al-'Awwam, 'Torture him until you extract what he has,' so he kindled a 764
over. I can see myself with seven others trying to turn that door over, but fire with flint and steel on his chest until he was nearly dead. Then the
we could not. apostle delivered him to Muhammad b. Maslama and he struck off his head,
Burayda b. Sufyan al-Aslamj told me from one of B. Sali~a from Abu'l- in revenge for his brother Ma1).mud.
Yasar Ka'b b. 'Amr: We were with the apostle one evemng at Khaybar The apostle besieged the people of Khaybar in their two forts al- Wa\i1).
when along came some sheep belonging to a Jew, making for the,if fort and al-Sulalim until when they could hold out no longer they asked him to
while we were besieging them. The apostle asked who would get t~lS fo.od let them go, and spare their lives, and he did so. Now the apostle had
for us and Abu 1-Yasar volunteered to go. He said, 'I went out runmng lIke taken possession of all their property-al-Shaqq, Na\a, and al-Katjba and
an ostrich, and when the apostle saw me coming back he said ceO God, may all their forts---except what appertained to these two. When the people
we long enjoy him." I had overtaken the flock as the first sheep enter~d ~he of Fadak heard of what had happened they sent to the apostle asking him
fort and I seized the two last and carried them off under my arms, brIngmg to let them go and to spare their lives and they would leave him their
them back at a run as though I carried nothing until I cast them down property, and he did so. The one who acted as intermediary was Mu1).ay-
before the apostle. They were duly killed and eaten.' Abu'I-Yasar was yi~a b. Mas'ud, brother of B. Baritha. J When the people of Khaybar sur-
the last of the apostle's companions to die. Whenever he told thIS story he rendered on these conditions they asked the apostle to employ them on the
763 used to weep, saying, 'They did enjoy me a long time; indeed I am the last property with half share in the produce, saying, 'We know more about it
of them.' than you and we are better farmers: The apostle agreed to this arrange~
When the apostle had conquered al-Qamu~ the fort of B. Abu'I-Buqayq, ment on the condition that 'if we wish to expel you we will expel you.' He
~afjya d. Buyayy b. Akh\ab was brought to him along with another woman. made a similar arrangement with the men of Fadak. So Khaybar became
r Apparently the Jew takes the name "Ali as an omen when he says "alautum. . .. Cf. Baladhuri, p. 25. He quotes 'Abdullah b. Abu Bah as I.I,'s authority.
I Cf. Bal. 29 f.
516 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 57
'
the prey of the Muslims, while Fadak was the personal property of the been beautifi:d ~nd combed, and got in a fit state for the apostle by Umm
apostle because they had not driven horses or camels against it. I S~laym d. MI1l,tan mother of Anas b. Malik, the apostle passed the night
When the apostle had rested Zaynab d. al-I;Iarith, the wife of Sallam b. With her m a tent of hiS. Abu Ayyiib, Khalid b. Zayd brother of B. al-
Mishkam prepared for him a roast lamb, having first inquired what joint Najjar passed the night girt with his sword, guarding the apostle and going
he preferred. When she learned that it was the shoulder she put a lot of round the tent until m the mormng the apostle saw him there and asked
poison in it and poisoned the whole lamb. Then she brought it in and him what he meant by his action. He replied, 'I was afraid for you with this
placed it before him. He took hold of the shoulder and chewed a morsel of woman for you have killed her father, her husband, and her people, and till
it, but he did not swallow it. Bishr b. al-Bara' b. Ma'rur who was with him recently she was In unbel~ef" so I was afraid for you on her account. They
I

765 took some of it as the apostle had done, but he swallowed it, while the a~lege that th~ apostle said 0 God, preserve Abu Ayyiib as he spent the
apostle spat it out, saying, 'This bone tells me that it is poisoned.' Then he night preservmg me.'
called for the woman and she confessed, and when he asked her what had Al-Zuhri told me from Sa'id b. al-Musayyab: When the apostle left
induced her to do this she answered: 'You know what you have done to my K.haybar and was o~ the way he said towards the end of the night: 'Who
people. I said to myself, If he is a king I shall ease myself of him and if he WIll watch over us till the dawn so that we may sleep?' Bilal volunteered
is a prophet he will be informed (of what I have done).' So the apostle let to. do so, so all lay down and slept. Bilal got up and prayed as long as God 767
her off. Bishr died from what he had eaten. WIlled that he should; then he propped himself against his camel and there
Marwiin b. 'Uthman b. Abu Sa'id b. al-Mu'alla told me: The apostle was the da~ as he was looking at it, and his eyes were heavy an'd he slept.
had said in his illness of which he was to die when Umm Bishr d. aI-Bara' The first thmg to wake the others was the feel of the sun. The apostle was
carne to visit him, '0 Umm Bishr, this is the time in which I feel a deadly the first to wake up and he asked Bilal what he had done to them. He said
pain from what I ate with your brother at Khaybar.' The Muslims con- that the san:e thing had happ~ned to him as had happened to the apostle,
sidered that the apostle died as a martyr in addition to the prophetic office and he admitted that he was rIght. Then the apostle let himself be taken a
with which God had honoured him. short dlsta~ce; the.n he made his camel kneel, and he and the men per-
Having finished with Khaybar, the apostle went to Wadi'I-Qura and formed their ablutlOns. Then he ordered Bilal to call to prayer and the
besieged its people for some nights, then he left to return to Medina. apostle led them in prayer. Having finished he went to them and said 'If
Thaur b. Zayd told me from Salim, freed slave of 'Abdullah b. MUli' y~u f?,rget your prayers, pray them when you remember them, for God'has
from Abu Hurayra, who said: When we left Khaybar to go to Wadi'I-Qura said, Perform prayer for My remembrance." 'I
with the apostle we halted there in the evening as the sun was setting. The I have heard that the apostle gave Ibn Luqaym al-'Absi the hens and
apostle had a slave which Rifa'a b. Zayd al-Judhami, of the clan al- domestic animals which were in Khaybar. The conquest took place in
J;>ubaybi, had given him (763). He was laying down the apostle's saddle $afar. Ibn Luqaym said:
when suddenly a random arrow hit him and killed him. We congratulated Nala was stormed by the apostle's squadron
him on paradise, but the apostle said, 'Certainly not. His cloak is even now Fully armed, powerful, and strong.
burning on him in Hell. He had surreptitiously stolen it on the day of It .was certain of humiliation when it was split up
Khaybar from the spoil of the Muslims.' One of his companions heard this WIth the men of Aslam and Ghifar in its midst.
and came to him saying, 'I took two sandal thongs.' He said, 'Two thongs
They attacked B. 'Amr b. Zur'a in the morning
of fire will be cut for you like them.' And Shaqq's people met a day of gloom.
766 One I do not suspect told me from 'Abdullah b. Mughaffal al-Mtizani: They trailed their cloaks' in their plains
'I took a bag of lard from the booty of Khaybar and carried it off on my And left only hens cackling among the trees.3
shoulder to my companions, when the man who had been put over the
Every fort had a man of 'Abdu'l-Ashhal or B. aI-Najjar
spoil met me and' laid hold of the end of it, saying, "Hie! This we must Busy with their horses,
divide among the Muslims." I said that I would not give him it and he And Emigrants who had displayed their badges
began to try and pull the bag away from me. The apostle saw what was Above thelf helms, never thinking of flight.
happening and laughed. Then he said to the officer in charge of the spoil I knew that Muhammad would conquer
"Let him have it, confound you," so he let go of it and I went off to my And would stay there many $afars.
companions and we ate it.'
I Sura 20. 14.
When the apostle married $afiya in Khaybar or on the way, she having : W.'s r~ading 'They made the cocks rUn' may be right.
1 cr. SUra 17. 66, i.e. captured it by force of anns. C. astzar.
518 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 51 9
The Jews in the fighting that day THE AFFAIR OF AL-ASWAD THE SHEPHERD
Opened their eyes in the dust (764).'
According to what I have heard al-Aswad came to the apostle with his
Some Muslim women were with the apostle at Khaybar, and the apostle flock of sheep as he was besieging Khaybar. He was the hired servant of a
allowed them a small portion of the booty. He did not give them a definite Jew there. He asked the apostle to explain Islam to him, and when he did
share.
so he accepted it, for the apostle never thought too little of anyone to invite
Sulaymiin b. Sul,1aym told me from Umayya b. Abii'H;alt from a him to accept Islam. Having become a Muslim he told the apostle that he
woman of B. Ghifar whom he named to me: She said, 'I came to the was the hired servant of the owner of the sheep which were entrusted to
apostle with some women of B. Ghifar and we told the apostle, as he was his care, and what was he to do with them? He told him to hit them in the
going to Khaybar, that we wanted to go with him where he went, to tend face and they would go back to their owner. So al-Aswad got up and took
the wounded and to help the Muslims as far as we could. He told us to go a handful of pebbles and threw them in their faces, saying, 'Go back to
with God's blessing, and so we went with him. I was a young girl and the your master, for I wiII look after you no more.' They went off in a body as
apostle took me on the back of his saddle. When the apostle dismounted though someune were driving them, until they went into the fort. After-
for morning prayer and I got off the back of his saddle, 10, some of my wards he advanced to the fort with the Muslims and was struck by a stone
blood was on it. It was the first time that this had happened to me. I and killed, never having prayed a single prayer. He was brought to the
rushed to the camel in my shame. When the apostle saw my distress and apostle and laid behind him and covered by his shepherd's cloak. The
the blood he guessed the reason and told me to cleanse myself; then to take apostle, who was accompanied by a number of his companions, turned
water and put some salt in it, and then to wash the back of the saddle and towards him and then turned away. When they asked him why, he said,
go back to my mount. I 'He has with him now his two wives from the dark-eyed houris.'
She added: 'When the apostle conquered Khaybar he gave us a small 'Abdullah b. Abii Najil,1 told me that he was told that, when a martyr is
part of the booty. He took this necklace which you see on my neck and slain, his two wives from the dark-eyed houris pet him, wiping the dust from
gave it to me and hung it round my neck with his own hand, and by God It his face, saying the while, 'May God put dust on the face of the man who
will never leave me.' It was on her neck until she died when she gave put dust on your face, and slay him who slew you!'
instructions that it was to be buried with her. She never cleansed herself
but she put salt in the purifying water, and gave instructions that it should
THE AFFAIR OF AL-I;lAJJAJ B. 'ILAr AL-SULAMf
be put in the water with which she was washed when she was dead.
The names of the Muslims who met martyrdom at Khaybar are: of When Kaybar had been conquered al-!:Iajjaj b. 'Ilal al-Sulami of the clan
Quraysh of the clan of B. Umayya b. 'Abdu Shams of their allies: Rabi'a b. al-Bahz said to the apostle, 'I have money with my wife Umm Shayba d.
Aktham b. Sakhbara b. 'Amr, and Rifa'a b. 'Amir b. Ghanm b. Diidan b. Abii Tall,1a-when they had lived together he had a son called Mu'ri<:f by
Asad, and Thaqif b. 'Amr and Rifa'a b. Masriil,1. Of B. Asad b. 'Abdu'l- her-and money scattered among the Meccan merchants, so give me per-
'Uzza: 'Abdullah b. al Hubayb (765). Of the An~ar of B. Salima: Bishr b. mission to go and get it.' Having got his permission he said, 'I must tell
al-Bara' b. Ma'riir who died of the mutton with which the apostle was lies, 0 apostle.' He said, 'Tell them.' . AI-!:Iajjiij said, 'When I came to
poisoned, and Fu<:fayl b. al-Nu'man, 2 men. Of B. Zurayq: Mas'iid b. Sa'd Mecca I found in the pass of al-Bay<:fii" some men of Quraysh trying to get
b. Qays b. Khalada b. 'Amir b. Zurayq. Of Aus of B. 'Abdu'I-Ashhal: news and asking how the apostle fared because they had heard that he had
Mahmiid b. Maslama b. Khalid b. 'Adiy b. Majda'a b. !:Iaritha b. al- gone to Khaybar. They knew that it was the principal town of the Hijaz
Harith an ally of theirs from B. !:Iaritha. Of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf: Abii l)ayyal,1 in fertility, fortifications, and population, and they were searching for news
b. Tha!,it b. al-Nu'miin b. Umayya b. Imru'ul-Qays b. Tha'laba b. 'Amr b. and interrogating passing riders. They did not know that I was a Muslim
'Auf; al-!:Iiirith b. !:Iiilib; 'Urwa b. Murra b. Suriiqa; Aus b. al-Qii'id; and when they saw me they said, "It is al-J:Iajjaj b. Ila~. He is sure to
Unayf b. !:Iabib; Thiibit b. Athla, and Tall,1a. Of B. Ghifiir: 'Umiira b. have news. Tell us, a Abii Muhammad, for we have heard that the high-
'Uqba, shot by an arrow. Of Aslam: 'Amir b. al-Akwa', and al-Aswad the wayman has gone to Khaybar which is the town of the Jews and the garden
shepherd whose name was Aslam (766). of the Hijaz." I said, "1 have heard that and I have some news that will
Of those who found martyrdom at Khaybar according to what Ibn please you." They came up eagerly on either side of my camel, saying,
Shihab al-Zuhri said was Mas'iid b. Rab!'a, an ally of B. Zuhra from aI- "Out with it, J:Iajjaj t" I said, "He has suffered a defeat such as you have 7/1
Qiira; and from the An~iir of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf, Aus b. Qatiida. never heard of and his companions have been slaughtered; you have never
heard the like, and Muhammad has been captured." The men of Khaybar
J The glassy eyes of the dead are meant. The reading 'omti 'ima l-onitir withfoTTot
understood as 'fled' seems much inferior. I The pass of al-Tan'im in Mecca.
520 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 521
said, "We will not kill him until we send him to the Meccans and let them They disliked the thought of death and so their preserve became a
kill him among themselves in revenge for their men whom he has killed." spoil
They got up and shouted in Mecca, "Here's news for you! You have only And they behaved like miserable cowards.
to wait for this fellow Muhammad to be sent to you to be killed in your Would they flee from death 1
midst." I said, "Help me to collect my money in Mecca and to get in the The death of the starved is not seemly.
money owed to me, for I want to go to Khaybar to get hold of the fugitives
from Muhammad and his companions I before the merchants get there" !;Iassan also said, excusing Ayman b. Umm Ayman b. 'Ubayd who had
(767). They got up and collected my money for me quicker than I could stayed behind from Khaybar (he was of B. 'Auf b. al-Khazraj. His
have supposed possible. I went to my wife and asked her for the money mother Umm Ayman was a freed slave ofthe apostle, the mother of Usama
which she had by her, telling her that I should probably go to Khaybar b. Zayd who was thus brother to Ayman by his mother):
and seize the opportunity to buy before the merchants got there first. At the time when Ayman's mother said to him
When 'Abbas heard the news and heard about me he came and stood at Y"u are a coward and were not with the horsemen of Khaybar
my side as I was in one of the merchants' tents, asking about the news Ayman was no coward, but his horse
which I had brought. I asked him if he could keep a secret if I entrusted it Was sick from drinking fermented barley-water.
to him. He said he could, and I said, "Then wait until I can meet you Had it not been for the state of his horse
privately, for I am collecting my money as you see, so leave me (T. and he He would have fought with them as a horseman with his right hand.
left me) until I have finished"; and so, when I had collected everything I What stopped him was the behaviour of his horse
had in Mecca and decided to leave, I met 'Abbas and said, "Keep my story And what had happened to it seemed to him more serious (768).
secret for three nights, then say what you will for I am afraid of being pur-
sued." When he said that he would, I said, "I left your brother's son Najiya b. Jundub al-Aslami said:
married to the daughter of their king, meaning $afiya, and Kbaybar has o servants of Allah, why do you prize 773
been conquered and all that is in it removed and become the property of What is nothing but food and drink
Muhammad and his companions." He said, "What are you saying, l:Iaj- When Paradise has amazing joy 1
jiij I" I said, "Yes, by Allah, but keep my secret. I have become a Muslim
He also said:
and have come only to get my money fearing that I may be deprived of it.
When three nights have passed publish the news as you will." When the I am Ibn Jundub to one who does not know me.
third day came'Abbas put on a robe of his and scented himself and took How many an adversary when I charged turned aside.
,," his stick, and went to the Ka'ba and went round it. When the people He perished in the feeding-place of vultures and jackals (769).
saW' him they said, "0 Abii']-Fa<il, this is indeed steadfastness in a great
misfortunel" He answered, "By no means, by Allah by whom you swear,
Muhammad has conquered Khaybar and was left married to the daughter THE ACCOUNT OF THE DIVISION OF THE SPOIL OF
of their king. He has seized all that they possess and it is now his property KHAYBAR
and the property of his companions." They asked, "Who brought you When the spoil of Khaybar was divided, al-Shaqq and Nala fell to the
this news?" He said, "The man who brought you your news. He came in Muslims while al-Katiba was divided into five sections: God's fifth; the
to you as a Muslim and has taken his money and gone off to join Muham- prophet's share (T. fifth); the share of kindred, orphans, the poor (T. and T. 15 8
mad and his companions and to be with him." They said "0 men of Allah, wayfarers); maintenance of the prophet's wives; and maintenance of the
the enemy of Allah has escaped. Had we known we would have dealt with men who acted as intermediaries in the peace negotiations with the men of
him." Almost at once the true news reached them.' Fadak. To Mu\Iayyi~a, who was one of these men, the apostle gave thirty 774
Among the verses about the day of Khaybar are the following from loads of barley and thirty loads of dates. Khaybar was apportioned among
!;Iassiin b. Thabit: the men of al-!;Iudaybiya without regard to whether they were present at
How badly the Kbaybaris fought Khaybar or not. Only Jabir b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. !;Iaram was absent
To preserve their crops and dates I and the apostle gave him the same share as the others. Its two wadis, al-
I The word fall, for which I.H. quotes the variant fay', 'spoil', may possibly mean the
Surayr and Kha~~, formed the territory into which Khaybar was divided.
_me thing: more often it means a defeated force. Perhaps we could render 'to get some Nala and al-Shaqq formed 18 shares of which Nala formed 5 and al-Shaqq
advantage from the defeat of Muhammad and his companions'. 13. These two places were divided into 1,800 shares.
522 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 523

The number of the companions among whom Khaybar was divided was for his two sons; Umm !:Iabib d. Jahsh 30; Malku' b. 'Abda 30; and to his
1.800 with shares for horse and foot; 1,40 men and 200 horses; every own wives 700 (772).
horse got two shares and his rider one; every footman got one share. There In the Name of Allah the Compassionate the Merciful. A memorandum
was a chief over every allotment for every 100 men, i.e. 18 blocks of shares of what Muhammad the apostle of Allah gave his wives from the wheat of
(77)' Khaybar. He distributed to them 18o loads. He gave his daughter Fa!ima
The chiefs were 'Ali; al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam; Tal~a b. 'Ubaydullah; 85, Usama b. Zayd 40, al-Miqdad b. al-Aswad IS, Umm Rumaytha 5.
'Umar; 'Abdu'I-Ra~man; 'A~im b. 'Adiy; Usayd b. !:Iu<)ayr. Then the 'Uthman b. 'Affan was witness and 'Abbas wrote the document.
share of al-!:Iiirith b. al-Khazraj; then the share in Na'im; then the share of $ali~ b. Kaysan told me from Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri from 'Ubaydullab b.
B. Baya<)a, B. 'Ubayd, B. !:Iaram of B. Salima, and 'Ubayd 'of the shares' 'Abdullah b. 'Utba b. Mas'ud: The only dispositions that the apostle made
(77 1), Sa'ida, Ghifar and Aslam, aI-Najjar, !:Iaritha, and Aus. at his death were three: He bequeathed to the Rahawis land which pro-
The first lot in Na!a fell to al-Zubayr, namely al-Khau', and al-Surayr duced a hundred loads in Khaybar, to the Dariyis, the Saba'is, and the
775 followed it; the second to B. Baya<)a; the third to Usayd; the fourth to Ash'aris the same. He also gave instructions that the mission of Usama b.
B. al-!:Iarith; the fifth in Na'im to B. 'Auf b. al-Khazraj and Muzayna Zayd b. !:Iaritha should be carried through' and that two religions should
and their partners. In it Ma~mud b. Maslama was killed. So much for not be allowed to remain in the peninsula of the Arabs.
Na!a.
Then they went down to al-Shaqq: the first lot fell to 'A~im b. 'Adiy
brother of B. al-'Ajlan and with it the apostle's share; then the shares of THE AFFAIR OF FADAK
'Abdu'I-Ra~man, Sa'ida, aI-Najjar, 'Ali, Tal~a, Ghifar and Aslam, 'Umar, When the apostle had finished with Khaybar, God struck terror to the
Salama b. 'Ubayd and B. !:Iaram, !:Iaritha, 'Ubayd 'of the shares'; then the hearts of the men of Fadak when they heard what the apostle had done to
share of Aus which was the share of al-Lafif to which Juhayna and the rest the men of Khaybar. They sent to him an offer of peace on condition that
of the Arabs who were at Khaybar was joined; opposite it was the apostle's they should keep half of their produce. Their messengers came to him in
share which he got with <Al,'im's share. I Khaybar or on the road J or after he came to Medina, and he accepted their
Then the apostle distributed al-KaUba which is Wadi Khass between terms. Thus Fadak became his private property, because it had not been 777
his kindred and wives and to other men and women. He gave hi~ daughter attacked by horse or camel. 4
Fa!ima 200 loads; 'Ali 100; Usama b. Zayd 200 and 50 loads of dates;
'Nisha 200; Abu Bakr 100; 'Aqil b. Abu Talib '40; B. Ja'far 50; Rab;'a b.
al-!:Iarith 100; al-$alt b. Makhrama and his two sons 100, 40 of them for THE NAMES OF THE DARIYUN
al-$alt himself; Abu Nabiqa 50; Rukana b. 'Abdu Yazid 50; Qays b. They were B. aI-Dar b. Hani' b. !:Iabib b. Numara b. Lakhm who had
Makhrama 30; his brother Abu'l-Qasim 40; the daughters of 'Ubayda b. come to the' apostle from Syria, namely, Tamim b. Aus and Nu'aym his
al-!:Iarith and the daughter of al-!:Iu~ayn b. al-J:Iarith 100; B. 'Ubayd b. brother, Yazid b. Qays, and 'Arafa b. Malik whom the apostle named
'Abdu Yazid 60; Ibn Aus b. Makhrama 30; Mis!a~ b. Uthiitha and Ibn 'Abdu'l-Ra~man (773), and his brother Murran b. Malik, and Fakih b.
Ilyas 50; Umm Rumaytha 40; Nu'aym b. Hind 30; Bu~ayna d. al-!:Iarith Nu'man, Jabala b. Malik, and Abu Hind b. Barr and his brother al-Tayyib
30; 'Ujayr b. 'Abdu Yazid 30; Umm Hakim d. al-Zubayr b. 'Abdu'l- whom the apostle named 'Abdullah.
MUllalib 30; Jumana d. Abu Talib 30; I. al-Arqam 50; 'Abdu'I-Ra~man According to what 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me the apostle used to
b. Abu Bakr 40; !:Iamna d. Jahsh 30; Ummu'I-Zubayr 40; I,)uba'a d. al- send to Khaybar 'Abdullah b. Rawa~a to act as assessor between the Mus-
Zubayr 40; I. Abu Khunaysh 30; Umm Talib 40; Abu Ba~ra 20; Numayla lims and the Jews. When he made his assessment they would say, 'You
al-Kalbi 50; 'Abdullah b. Wahb and his two daughters 90 of which 40 were have wronged us,' and he would say, 'If you wish it is yours and if you like
I This complicated and unsystematic account can be understood thus: the 18,000 shares it is ours,' and the Jews would say, 40 n this (foundation) Heaven and earth
were divided into 18 which were allotted
stand.' But 'Abdullah acted as assessor for one year only before he was
(a) ~ the chief distributors, viz. 'Ali, al-Zubayr, Taloa, 'Vmar, 'Abdu'I-Raomiin,
Asim and Usayd. . . . . . . . . . . 7
I Proper names with final waw written out instead of nunation are common in Nabataean
(b) to tribal 'shareholders', viz. al-I;Iarith b. al-Khazraj, B. BayaQa, B. 'Ubayd, B.
and Palmyrene inscriptions, but are rarely met with in classical Arabic.
l;:Iaram, B. Sii'ida, B. Ghifiir and Aslam, B. ai-Najjar, B. l;Iaritha, B. Aus, and 2 The reading of W. tanfil should be corrected to tanfidh with C. See Musa b. 'Uqba,
other elements . . ~
(c) By the name of the property itself, Nii'im. . . . ,
9 Nos. 13 and 14.
(d) By the name of the owner 'Ubayd, who bought up the shares , 3 The reading of W. bil-Tinr should be corrected to bil-tariq with MSS. and T.
-4 Cf. Sura 7. 66 and supra, p. 764 of W.'s text.
Total 18 5 This is a characteristically Jewish expression and if one compares the Arabic bihtidhii
52 4 The Life of Muhammad
killed at Mu'ta. After him Jabbar b. ~akhr b. Umayya b. Khansa' brother
The Life of Muhammad 52 5
of B. Salima took over the work. All went well and the Muslims found no after fighting and Khaybar was part of what God gave to him as booty.
fault in their behaviour until they attacked 'Abdullah b. Sahl brother of B. The apostle divided it into five parts and distributed it among the Muslims,
Haritha and killed him in violation of their agreement with the apostle, and after the fighting the population surrendered on condItIOn that they
;nd the apostle and the Muslims suspected them on that acco,:nt. should migrate. The apostle called them and said that if they wished he
AI-Zuhri and Bushayr b. Yasar told me from Sahl b. Abu. I;Iat~ma: would let them have the property on condition that they worked it and the
'Abdullah b. Sahl was killed in Khaybar. He had gone there w,th fnends produce was equally divided between both parties and he would leave them
of his to take away the dates and was found in a pool with his neck broken, there as long as God let them stay. They accepted the terms and used to
having been thrown there. So they took him ~d bU;ried him ,?,d th~n work the property on those conditions. The apostle used to send'Abdullah
came to the apostle and told him about the affair. H,s brother ~bdu 1- b. Rawaha and he would divide the produce and make a just assessment.
Rahman came to him accompanied by his two cousins aUwaYYl~a and When G'od took away His prophet, Abu Bakr continued the arrangement
M~!,layyi~a the sons of Mas'tid. Now 'Abdu'I-Ra!,lman was th.e youngest of until his death, and so did 'Umar for the beginning of his amirate. Then
them and the avenger of blood and a prominent man among h,s people and he heard that the apostle hsd said in his last illness, 'Two religions shall not
when he spoke before his two cousins the apostle said, 'The eldest first, the remain together in the peninsula of the Arabs' and he made inquiries until
eldest first!' (774) and he became silent. The two~ousinsthenspokeand he he got confirmation. Then he sent to the Jews saying, 'God has given
spoke after them. They told the apostle of the killing of thei~ relat~ve and permission for you to emigrate,' quoti.ng th: a~ostle's words. '!f
anyon.e
he said, 'Can you name the killer, then swear fifty oaths agamst h,m that has an agreement with the apostle let him bnng It to me and I Will carry It
we should deliver him up to you I' They said that they could not swear ~o out; he who has no such agreement let him get ready to emigrate.' Thus
what they did not know. He said, 'If they swear fifty-oaths that they did 'Umar expelled those who had no agreement with the apostle.
not kill him and do not know the slayer, will they be free from the gUIlt ?f Nafi' client of 'Abdullah b. 'Umar told me from 'Abdullah b. 'Umar:
his blood I' They answered, 'We cannot accept the oaths of Jews. helr
infidelity is so great that they would swe~r falsely.' The apostle pal~ ,the
:r With al-Zubayr and al-Miqdad b. al-Aswad I went out to our property in
Khaybar to inspect it, and when we got there we separated to see to our
bloodwit of a hundred she-camels from his own property. Sahl said, By individual affairs. In the night I was attacked as I was asleep on my bed
Allah, I shall not forget a young red camel who kicked me as I was leading and my arms were dislocated at the elbows. In the morning I called my
her.' companions to my aid and when they came and asked me who had done
Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. al-I;Iarith al-Taymi told me from 'Abdu'l- this I had to say that I did not know. They reset my arms and then took
Ra!,lman b. Bujayd b. Qay?i brother of B. I;Iaritha. Muhammad b. Ibrahim me to 'Umar who said, 'This is the work of the Jews.' Then he got up
said: 'By God, Sahl did not know more than he, but he was the elder. He and addressed those present saying that the apostle had arranged with the
said to him, 'By Allah, the affair was not thus but Sahl misunderstood'"The Jews of Khaybar that we could expel them if We wished; that they had
apostle did not say" Swear to something you have no knowl~dge,?f, but attacked 'Abdullah b. 'Umar and dislocated his arms, as they had heard,
he wrote to the Jews of Khaybar when the An~ar spoke to him: A dead in addition to their attack on the An~ari previously. There was no doubt
man has been found among your dwellings. Pay his bloodwit." The Jews that they were the authors of these outrages because ther: was no other
wrote back swearing by Allah that they had not killed him and did not enemy on the spot. Therefore if anyone had property m Khaybar he
know who had, so the apostle paid the blood-money.' should go to it, for he was on the point of expelhng the Jews. And he did
'Amr b. Shu'ayb told me the same story as 'Abdu'I-Ra!,lman except that expel them.
he said, 'Pay the blood-money or be prepared for war.' 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me from 'Abdullah b. Maknaf brother of B.
779 I asked Ibn Shihiib al-Zuhri,' 'How was it that the apostle gave the Jews Hariths: When 'Umar expelled the Jews from Khaybar he rode with the
of Khaybar their palms when he gave them on a tax basis 1 Did he assign Muhajirin and An~ar and Jabbar b. ~akhr b. Umayya b. Khansa' brother
that to them until he was taken or did he give them them for some other of B. Salima who was the assessor and accountant of the Medmans and
necessary reason I' He told me that the apostle took Khaybar by force Yazid b. Thabit; and these two divided Khaybar among its owners accord-
ing to the original agreement of the lots.
qcimat . . ; aI-ar with Pirqi Abh6th J. 19 'on three things the world stands (qaim): on
justice, truth, and peace' one can hardly doubt that 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr has preserved 'Umar divided Wadi'I-Qura into shares:' one each to 'Uthmiin, 'Abdu'l-
an accurate account of what took place.
t Sahl is the transmitter of the story. The avenger of blood was 'Abdu'I-Ra1;lman b. ~ahl.
I Khatcr. I.H. (note 777) says that the word means 'share'. My colleague~ Dr. R. B.
~ This incident is reported by al-Baliidhuri from 1.1. via al-Bakkii'i in an abbreViated Sergeant. Le Mution. lxvi, 1953. p. 130, writes of the Hadramaut: 'The mam bur:d or
form. There is no significant difference.
channel leading the flood water from the ~adi to the fields ,~s ~ll~d Matar (~l. kh~tur), a
word known to Ibn HishAm, Sira, p. 780. If 1.1. meant It'ngatlOn channel, as IS very
The Life of Muhammad
526 The Life of Muhammad
They obeyed the commands of women concerning us
Ra\1man, 'Amr b. Abu Salama, 'Amir b. Abu Rabi'a, 'Amr b. Suraqa, And assisted the very enemies we were fighting.
Ushaym (775), Mu'ayqib and Abdullah b. al-Arqam; two shares each to
'Abdullah and 'Ubaydullah; one share each to the son of Abdullah b. Khalid answered him and said:
Jahsh, Ibnu'I-Bukayr, Mu'tamir, Zayd b. Thabit, Ubayy b. Kab, Mu'adh I do not insult my brother's honour since he is my brother
b. 'Afra', Abu Tal\1a and I;Iasan, Jabbar b. $akhr, Jabir b. 'Abdullah b. Though he does not refrain from evil words.
Ri'ab, Malik b. $asaa, Jabir b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr, the son of I;Iu<;layr, When affairs went ill with him he said,
the son of Sad b. Mu'adh, Salama b. Salama, 'Abdu'I-Ra\1man b. Thablt, 'Would that a man dead in Z;urayba would rise from the grave!'
Abu Sharik, Abu 'Abs b. Jabr, Muhammad b. Maslama and 'Ubada b. Leave the dead in peace, for he has gone his way.
Tariq (776); half a share each to Jabr b. 'Atik and the two sons of aI-I;Iarith And deal with the man at hand who has more need of you.
b. Qays; one share to Ibn I:Iazama. Such is our information about the And Mu'ayqib b. Abu Fatima who became 'Umar's guardian of the
allocation of Khaybar and Wadi'l-Qura (777) public purse; he belonged to the family of Said b. aI- 'As; and Abu Musa
al-Ash'ari 'Abdullah b. Qays, an ally of the family of 'Utba b. Rabi'a b.
THE RETURN OF THOSE WHO HAD MIGRATED TO
'Abdu Shams. 4.
From B. Asad b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza: Al-Aswad b. Naufal. 1.
ABySSINIA (778)
From B. 'Abdu'l-Dar: Jahm b. Qays with his t~o sons 'Amr and
These are the names of the prophet's companions who stayed in Abyssinia Khuzayma. His wife Umm I;Iarmala d. 'Abdu'I-Aswad (she died in
until he sent 'Amr b. Umayya al-Oamri to the Negus to fetch them back in Abyssinia) with her two children. 1.
two boats and who ultimately rejoined him in Khaybar afteral-I;Iudaybiya: From B. Zuhra b. Kilab: 'Amirb. Abu Waqqas and 'Utba b. Mas'ud an
From B. Hashim: Jafar b. Abu Talib with his wife Asma' d. 'Umays;' ally of theirs from Hudhayl. 2.
and his son 'Abdullah who was born to him in Abyssinia. Jafar was killed From B. Taym b. Murra: AI-I;Iarith b. Khalid whose wife Rana d. al-
at Mu'ta in Syria when acting as the apostle's amir. I man. I;Iarith b. JubayIa died in Abyssinia 1.
From B. 'Abdu Shams: Khalid b. Said b. al-'A s b. Umayya with his From B. Juma\1 b. 'Amr: 'Uthman b. Rabi'a b. Uhban. 1.
wife Umayna d. Khalaf b. As'ad (779); his two children Sa'id and Ama From B. Sahm b. 'Amr: Ma\1miya b. al Jaz', an ally of theirs from B.
begotten in Abyssinia (Khalid was killed at Marj al-$uffar' in the caliphate Zubayd. The apostle put him in charge of the fifths of the Muslims. 1.
of Abu Bakr); his brother 'Amr whose wife, Fa\ima d. $afwan b. Umayya From B. 'Adiy b. Kab: Mamar b. 'Abdullah. 1.
b. Mu\1arrith al-Kinani, died in Abyssinia ('Amr was killed at Ajnadayn in From B. 'Amir: Abu I;Iatib b. 'Amr; Malik b. Rabi'a with his wife
Syria during the caliphate of Abu Bakr). 'Amra d. al-Sadi b. Waqdan. 2.
With reference to 'Amr b. Said his father Sa'id b. al- 'A~ b. Umayya From B. aI-I;Iarith b. Fihr: AI-I;Iarith b. 'Abdu Qays. 1.
Abu U\1ay\1a said: The widows of those who had died in Abyssinia were also brought in the
o 'Amr, I wish that I knew about you whether two boats. .
When you carry arms when your arms have grown strong The total number of the men whom the Negus sent in the two boats
Will you leave your people's affairs in such disorder with 'Amr b. Umayya was 16.
As will disclose the rage they retain in their breasts? Of those who migrated to Abyssinia and did not return until after Badr
and the Negus did not send in the two boats to the apostle; and those who
With reference to 'Amr and Khiilid, their brother Aban said when the carne afterwards and those who died in Abyssinia were:
former had become Muslims, and their father Said had died in aI-:(:urayba From B. Umayya b. 'Abdu Shams: 'Ubaydullah b. Ja\1sh, an ally from
in the region of Ta'if: Asad of Khuzayma with his wife Umm I;Iabiba d. Abu Sufyan and his
Would that a dead man in :(:urayba could see daughter I;Iabiba from whom Abu Sufyan's daughter got her kunya, her
What 'Amr and Khiilid are falsely introducing into religion I own name being Ramla. 'Ubaydullah had migrated with the Muslims,
but when he got to Abyssinia he turned Christian and died there as such
probable, then the channels would mark out the limits of each man's pr~perty or '~hare'. It having abandoned Islam. The apostle afterwards married his wife.
is difficult to escape the conclusion that such an unusual word was used In a techmcal sense.
It is not astonishing that a word of external origin should be used in this context because the Muhammad b. Jafar b. al-Zubayr from 'Urwa told me about Ubay-
Arabs of the Hijaz in this epoch looked down on agriculture, and most of the tenns they dullah's turning Christian and said: When he passed by the apostle's
used were borrowed from their neighbours.
I The genealogies I have drastically shortened. Full details have already been given.
companions he used to say, 'Our eyes are opened but yours veiled,' i.e.
-J A place in Damascus.
528 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad 52 9
We can see clearly but you are only trying to see: you can't yet see clearly,
the metaphor being taken from a puppy who tries to open its eyes and From B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b: 'Urwa b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza who died in Abyssinia;
flutters them before he can do so, i.e. We have opened our eyes and we see, and 'Adiy b. 1\a<)la who also died there. 2.
but you have not opened your eyes to see though you are trying to do so. 'Adiy had a son called al-='iu'man who returned with the Muslims. In
And Qays b. 'Abdullah of B. Asad b. Khuzayma who was father of the caliphate of 'Umar he was put over Maysan in the district of Basra.
Umayya d. Qays who was with Umm !;Iabiba, and his wife Baraka d. He composed some verses:
Yasar, the freed slave of Abu Sufyan. They were the two foster-mothers Hasn't al-!;Iasna'l heard that her husband in Maysan
of 'Ubaydullah b. Jal,1sh and Umm !;Iabiba d. Abu Sufyan. They took Is drinking from glasses and jars?
them with them when he migrated to Abyssinia. 2 men. If I wished, the chief men of the city would sing to me
From B. Asad b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza: Yazid b. Zama'a who was killed a And dancing-girls pirouette on tiptoe.
martyr with the apostle at !;Iunayn; and 'Amr b. Umayya b. al-!;Iarith who If you're my friend, give me a drink in the largest cup,
died in Abyssinia. 2 men. Don't give me the smallest half broken!
From B. 'Abdu'l-Dar: Abu'I-Rum b. 'Umayr and Firas b. al-Na<)r. 2.
Perhaps the commander of the faithful will take it amiss
From B. Zuhra b. Kilab: Al-Muttalib b. Azhar with his wife Ramla d.
That we're drinking together in a tumbledO\vn castle l
Abu'Auf b. l,)ubayra who died in Abyssinia. She bare him there'Abdullah
b. al-Mullalib. It was said that he was the first man in Islam to inherit his When 'Umar heard of these verses he said: 'He's right, by God, I do
father's property. 1. take It amISs! Anyone who sees hIm can tell him that I have deposed him.'
From B. Taym b. Murra: 'Amr b. 'Uthman who was killed at Qadisiya After his deposition he came to 'Umar and pleaded that he had never
with Sa'd b. Abu Waqq~. 1. acted in the way that his verses implied, but that he was a poet who
From B. Makhzum b. Yaq"1'a: Habbar b. Sufyan b. 'Abdu'I-Asad killed wrote in their exaggerated way. 'Vmar replied that as long as he lived he
at Ajnadayn in Abu Bakr's caliphate; and his brother 'Abdullah killed in would never act as his governor after having used such words.
the year of al-Yarmuk in 'Umar's caliphate. (There is doubt as to whether From B. 'Amir b. Ghalib: Sali\ b. 'Amr who was the apostle's envoy to
he was killed there or not); and Hisham b. Abu !;Iudhayfa. 3. Haudha b. 'Ali al-!;IanaEi in al-Yamama. r.
From B. Jumal,1 b. 'Amr: Ha\ib b. al-!;Iarith and his two sons Muham- From B. al-!;Iarith b. Fihr: 'Uthman b. 'Abdu Ghanm; and Sa'd b.
mad and al-!;Iarith with his wife Fa\ima d. al-Mujallal. !;Iatib died in 'Abdu Qays; and 'Iya<) b. Zuhayr. 3.
Abyssinia as a Muslim and his wife and his two sons came in one of the The total number of those who were not at Badr and did not come to the
boats; and his brother !;Iallab with his wife Fukayha d. Yasar. He died apostle in Mecca, and those who came afterwards, and those whom the 787
there as a Muslim and his wife Fukayha came in one of the boats; and Negus did not send in the two boats was 34 men.
Sufyan b. Ma'1llar b.!;Iabib and his two sons Junada and Jabir with their The names of those who died in Abyssinia and their children were:
mother !;Iasana, and their half-brother by their mother Shural,1bil b. From B. 'Abdu Shams: 'Ubaydullah b. Jal,1sh who died a Christian.
!;Iasana. Sufyan and his two sons Junada and Jabir died in the caliphate of From B. Asad b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza: 'Amr b. Umayya b. al-!;Iarith.
Vmar. 6. From B. Jumal,1: !;Ia\ib b. al-!;Iarith and his brother Haltab.
From B. Sahm b. 'Amr: 'Abdullah b. al-!;Iarith who died in Abyssinia; From B. Sahm b. 'Amr: 'Abdullah b. al-Harith. '"
and Qays b. !;Iudhafa; and Abu Qays b. al-!;Iarith who was killed at aI- FromB. 'Adiyb. Ka'b: 'Urwa b. 'Abdu'I-'U'zzaand 'Adiyb.Na<)la. 7 men.
Yamama in the caliphate of Abu Bakr; and 'Abdullah b.!;Iudhafa who was Of theIr chIldren: Musa b. aI-!;Iarith b. Khalid b. Sakhr b. 'Amir from
the apostle's envoy to Chosroes; and al-!;Iarith b. al-!;Iarith b. Qays; and B. Taym b. Murra. I man. .
Ma'mar b. al-!;Iarith; and Bishr b. al-!;Iarith and a son of his mother from The total number 6f women who migrated to Abyssinia, those who came
B. Tamim called Sa'id b. 'Amr who was killed at Ajnadayn in the cali- back and those who died there was 16 women besides their daughters
phate of Abu Bakr; and Sa'id b. aI-!;Iarith who was killed in the year of whom they bore there who came back and who died there and who went
aI-Yarmuk in the caliphate of 'Umar; and aI-Sa'ib b. al-!;Iarith who was along with them:
wounded at aI-Ta'if with the apostle and killed in the battle of Fil,11 1 in the From Quraysh of B. Hashim: Ruqayya d. of the apostle.
caliphate of 'Umar--{)thers say in the fight at Khaybar; and 'Umayr b. F:om B. Umayya: Umm !;Iabiba d. Abu Sufyan with her daughter
Ri'ab who was killed at 'Ayn aI-Tamr with KhaJid b. al-Walid when he !;Iablba. She took her WIth her from Mecca and they returned together.
came from aI-Yamama in the caliphate of Abu Bakr. I I men. From B. Makhzum: Umm Salama d. Abu Umayya. She brought back
t In Syria. Cf. Yaq. 853. her daughter Zaynab whom she bore there.
Or 'the beauty',
B 4080 Mm
530 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 53 '
From B. Taym b. Murra: RaYla d. al-J:larith b. Jubayla who died on lady three circuits and_ walked the rest.' Ibn 'Abbas used to say, 'People
the journey and her two daughters 'A'isha and Zaynab by al-J:larith born used to think that this practice was not incumbent on them because the
in Abyssinia. They all, together with their brother Musa b. al-Harith, died apostle only did it for this clan of Quraysh because of what he had heard
on the journey from drinking foul water. Only her daughter Falima, born about them until when he made the farewell pilgrimage he adhered to it'
there, survived to return. and the sunna carried it on.'
From B. Sahm b. 'Amr: Ramla d. Abu 'Auf b. Oubayra. 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that when the apostle entered Mecca on
From B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b: Layla d. Abu J:lathma b. Ghanim. that pilgrimage 'AbdulLih b. Rawal,la was holding the halter of his camel
From B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy: Sauda d. Zama'a b. Qays; and Sahla d. and saying:
788 Suhayl b. 'Amr and his daughter al-Mujallal; and 'Amra d. al-Sa'di b.
Waqdan; and Umm Kulthum d. Buhayl b. 'Amr. Get out of his way, you unbelievers, make way.2
From distant Arab tribes: Asma' d. 'Umays b. aI-Nu'man al-Khath'amiya; Every good thing goes with His apostle.
and Falima d. i;lafwan b. Umayya b. Mul,larrith al-Kinaniya; and Fukayha o Lord I believe in his word,
d. Yasar; and Baraka d. Yasar; and J:lasana Umm Shural,lbil b. J:lasana. I know God's truth in accepting it.
These are the names of the children who were born to them in Abyssinia: We will fight you about its interpretation'
From B. Hashim: 'Abdullah b. Ja'far b. Abu Talib. As we have fought you about its revelation
From B. 'Abdu Shams: Muhammad b. Abu J:ludhayfa; and Said b. With strokes that will remove heads from shoulders
Khalid b. Said and his sister Ama. And make friend unmindful of friend (781).
From B. !\f~khzum: Zaynab d. Abu Salama b. al-Asad. Aban b. i;lalil,l and 'Abdullah b. AbU Najil,l from 'Ata' b. Abu Rabal,l and 790
From B. Zuhra: 'Abdullah b. al-Mugalib b. Azhar. Mujahid Abu'I-J:lajjaj from Ibn 'Abbas told me that the apostle married
From B. Taym: Musa b. al-J:larith b. Khalid and his sisters 'A'isha and Maymunad. a1-J:larith in that journey of his when he was ~aram. AI-'Abbas
Farima and Zaynab. 5 boys and 5 girls. b. 'Abdu'l-Mullalib married him to her (782).'
The apostle remained three days in Mecca. J:luwaYlib b. 'Abdu'l-
THE FULFILLED PILGRIMAGE,I A.H. 7 'Uzza b. Abu Qays b. 'Abdu Wudd b. N~r b. Malik b. J:lisl with a few
Quraysh came to him on the third day because Quraysh had entrusted him
When the apostle returned from Khaybar to Medina he stayed there from with the duty of sending the apostle out of Mecca. They said: 'Your time
the first Rabi' until Shawwal, sending out raiding parties and expeditions. is up, so get out from us.' The apostle answered: 'How would it harm you
Then in Dhu'l-Qada-the month in which the polytheists had prevented if you were to let me stay and I gave a wedding feast among you and we
him from pilgrimage-he went out to make the 'fulfilled pilgrimage' (780) prepared food and you came too I' They replied, 'We don't need your
in place of the 'umra from which they had excluded him. food, so get out.' So the apostle went out and left Abu Rafi' his client in
Those Muslims who had been excluded with him went out in A.H. 7, and charge of Maymuna until he brought her to him in Sarif. 5 (1'. The apostle
when the Meccans heard of it they got out of his way. Quraysh said among ordered them to change the (normal) sacrificial animal and did so himself.
themselves, 'l\1uhammad and his companions are in destitution, want, Camels were hard to come by so he allowed them to offer oxen.) The
and privation.' apostle consummated his marriage with her there, and then went on to
A man I have no rcason to suspect told me that Ibn 'Abbas said: 'They Medina in Dhu'l-J:lijja (783).
gathered at the door of the assembly house to look at him and his com-
panions, and when the apostle entered the mosque he threw the end of his
cloak over his left shoulder leaving his right upper arm free. Th,en he said: THE RAID ON MU'TA IN A.H. 8 791
"God have mercy on a man who shows them today that he is strong." He remained there for the rest of Dhu'l-J:lijja, while the polytheists super-
Then he kissed 2 the stone, and went out trotting 3 as did his companions vised the pilgrimage, and throughout al-Mul,larram and i;lafar and the two
until when the temple concealed him from them and he had kissed' the
southern comer he walked to kiss 2 the black stone. Then he trotted 3 simi- J Here, for falazimaha, T. has faTamalahii. See n. 3 above.
2 T. adds a spurious hemistich whieh destroys the balance of the poem.
I The 'umTa which can be perfonned at any time during the year, not the hajj which 3 I.H.'s comment is cogent. S. says the occasion of the poem was ~iffin; in other words it
must include a visit to 'Arafat. belongs to Shi'ite polemic.
2 istalama means to embrace with outstretched arms; to stroke with the hand; and to kiss.
This is a tradition which is a bone of contention among Muslim lawyers. Cf.]. Schacht,
J MTwaJa, says Burton, Pilgrimage (London, 1919, 167). is 'very similar to the French pas
The Origins oj Muhammadan JurispTudence, Oxford, 1950, p. I53.
gymnastique, or taTammul, that is to say, "moving the shoulders as if walking in sand'" 5 A plac~,'near alwTan'im.
The Life of Muhammad 533
532 The Life of Muhammad
the enemy's numbers; if he sent reinforcements well and good, otherwise
Rabi's. In Jumiida'l-Dlii he sent to Syria his force which met with disaster they would await his orders. 'Abdullah b. Rawli!)a encouraged the men
in Mu'ta. saying, (Men, what you dislike is that which you have come out in search
Muhammad b. Ja'far b. al-Zubayr from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr said: The of, viz. martyrdom. We are not fighting the enemy with numbers, or
apostle sent his expedition to Mu'ta in Jumlida'l-Dlli in the year 8 and put strength or multitude, but we are confronting (T. fighting) them with this
Zayd b. I:Iliritha in command; if Zayd were slain then Jafar b. Abu Tlilib religion with which God has honoured us. So come on! Both prospects 793
was to take command, and if he were killed then 'Abdullah b. Rawli!)a. are fine: victory or martyrdom.' The men said, 'By God, Ibn Rawal)a is
The expedition got ready to the number of 3,000 and prepared to start. right.' So they went forward and 'Abdullah said concerning their holding
When they were about to set off they bade farewell to the apostle's chiefs back:
and saluted them. When 'Abdullah b. Rawli!)a took his leave of the chiefs
We urged em our horses from Aja' and Far',l
he wept and when they asked him the reason he said, 'By God, it is not that
Their bellies gorged with the grass they had eaten.
I love the world and am inordinately attached to you, but I heard the
We gave them as shoes the smooth hard ground,
apostle read a verse from God's book in which he mentioned hell: "There
Its surface smooth as leather.
is not one of you but shall come to it; that is a determined decree of your
They stayed two nights at Ma'lin;
Lord/'I and I do not know how J can return after I have been to it.' The
After their rest they were full of spirit.
Muslims said, 'God be with you and protect you and bring you back to us
We went forward, our horses given free rein,
safe and sound.' 'Abdullah said:
The hot wind blowing in their nostrils.
But I ask the Merciful's pardon I swear that we will come to Ma'ab
And a wide open wound discharging blood, Though Arabs and Greeks be there.
Or a deadly lance-thrust from a zealous warrior We arranged their bridles and they came furiously,
That will pierce the bowels and liver; Their dust arose in streamers
So that men will say when they pass my grave, With an army whose helmets as their points appeared
'God guide him, fine raider that he was, he did well!' Seemed to shine like stars.
The woman who enjoys life our spea.rs divorced.
79' Then, when the people were about to start, 'Abdullah came to the apostle
She can remarry or remain a widow (785).
to bid him farewell and said:
May God confirm the good things He gave you Then the army went forward, and 'Abdullah b. AbU Bakr told me that
As he confirmed them to Moses with victory.2 he was told that Zayd b. Arqam said: I was an orphan child of 'Abdullah
I perceived goodness in you by a natural gift. b. Rawliha and he took me with him on this expedition riding on the back
God knows that I can see deeply. of his s;ddle, and as he journeyed by night I heard him reciting these
You are the apostle and he who is deprived of his gifts verses of his: 2
And the sight of him has no real worth (784). When you have brought me and carried my gear
Then the P09ple marched forth, the apostle accompanying them until he A four nights' journey from the swampy ground,
said farewell ana returned. 'Abdullah said: Then enjoy life and bear no blame
And may I never return to my people at home. (And when)
May peace remain on the best companion and friend, The Muslims have gone and left me
The man I said good-bye to amid the palms. In Syria where I wish to be,
They went on their way as far as Ma'lin in Syria where they heard that And a near relative of mine in God,
Heraclius had come down to Ma'ab in the Balqa' with 100,000 Greeks Though no blood relation, has brought you back,
joined by 100,000 men from Lakhm and Judhlim and aI-Qayn and Bahrli' There I shall not care for fruit that depends on rain
and Bali commanded by a man of Bali of Irlisha called Mlilik b. Zlifila. Or palms whose roots are watered by man.
When the Muslims heard this they spent two nights at Ma'lin pondering I wept on hearing these words and he flicked me with his whip and said,
what to do. They were in favour of writing to the apostle to tell him of
I Two mountains of Tayyi'.
1 Sura J 9. 72. 2 He addresses his camel.
2 The dubious syntax and faulty rhyme in these lines is rightly corrected by tH.
534 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 535
794 'Why worry, wretched fellow, if God grants me martyrdom and you return cousin of his came up with a meat bone, saying, 'Strengthen yourself with
firmly in the saddle?' Then in one of his rajaz poems he said: this, for you have met in these battles of yours difficult days.' He took it
a Zayd, Zayd of the swift lean camels, and ate a little. Then he heard the sounds of confusion in the force and
Long is the night you have been led, so dismount. threw it away, saying, 'And you are still living ?' He seized his sword and
died fighting. Then Thabit b. Aqram took the standard. He was brother
The people went forward until when they were on the borders of the of B. al-'Ajlan. He called on the Muslims to rally round one man, and
Balqa' the Greek and Arab forces of Heraclius met them in a village called when they wanted to rally to him he demurred and they rallied to Khalid
Masharif. When the enemy approached, the Muslims withdrew to a village b. aI-Walid. When he took the standard he tried to keep the enemy off and
called Mu'ta. There the forces met and the Muslims made their disposi- to avoid an engagement. I Then he retreated and the enemy turned aside
tions, putting over the right wing QUlba b. Qatada of the B. 'Udhra, and from him until he got away with the men.
over the left wing an An~ari called 'Ubaya b. Malik (786). According to what I have been told, when the army was smitten the
When fighting began Zayd b.l;!aritha fought holding the apostle's stan- apostle said: 'Zayd took the standard and fought with it until he was killed
dard, until he died from loss of blood among the spears of the enemy. Then as a martyr; then Ja'far took it and fought until he was killed as a martyr.'
Ja'far took it and fought with it until when the battle hemmed him in he Then he was silent until the faces of the An~ar fell and they thought that
jumped off his roan and hamstrung her and fought till he was killed. Ja'far something disastrous had happened to 'Abdullah b. Rawa!)a. Then he said:
was the first man in Islam to hamstring his horse. "Abdullah took it and fought by it until he was killed as a martyr. I saw in
Yai)ya b. 'Abbad b. 'Abdullah b. aI-Zubayr from his father who said, a vision that they were carried up to me in Paradise upon beds of gold. I
'My foster-father, who \vas of the B. Murra b. 'Auf, and was in the Mu'ta saw 'Abdullah's bed turning away from the beds of the other two, and
raid said, "I seem to see Ja'far when he got off his sorrel and hamstrung when I asked why, I was told that they had gone on but he hesitated before
her and then fought until he was killed as he said: he went forward.'
(T 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that when the news of Jafar's death
\VeIcome Paradise so near,
reached the apostle he said, 'Jafar went by yesterday with a company of
Sweet and cool to drink its cheer.
angels making for Bisha in the Yaman. He had two wings whose fore-
Greeks will soon have much to fear feathers were stained with blood.')
Infidels, of descent unclear 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr from Umm 'Isa al-Khuza'iya from Umm Jafar
When we meet their necks I'll shear.'" (787) d. Muhammad b. Jafar b. Abu Talib from her grandmother Asma' d.
795 Ya!)ya b. 'Abbad on the same authority told me that when Jafar was 'Umays said: When Jafar and his companions were killed, the apostle came
killed 'Abdullah b. Rawa!)a took the standard and advanced with it riding in to me when I had just tanned forty skins (788) and kneaded my dough
his horse. He had to put pressure on himself as he felt reluctant to go and washed and oiled and cleaned my children. He asked me to bring him
forward. Then he said: Jafar's sons and when I did so he smelt them and his eyes filled with tears,
I asked him whether he had heard b~d news about Jafar and his com-
I swear, my soul, you shall come to the battle; panions, and he said that he had and that they had been killed that day.
You shall fight or be made to fight. I got up and cried aloud and the women gathered to me. The apostle
Though men shout and scream aloud, went out to his family saying, 'Do not neglect Ja'far's family so as not to
Why should you spurn Paradise? provide them with food, for they are occupied \vith the disaster that has
Long have you been at ease. happened to their head."
You are nothing but a drop in a worn-Qut skin! 'Abdu'l-Ra!)man b. al-Qasim b. Muhammad told me from his father
He also said: from 'A'isha the prophet's wife who said: \-Vhen news of Ja'far's death
came we saw sorrow on the apostle's face. A man went to him and said,
a soul, if you are not killed you will die. 'The women trouble us and disturb us.' He told him to go back and
This is the fate of death which you suffer.' quieten them. He went but came back again saying the same words.
You have been given what you hoped for.
If you do what those two did you will have been guided aright- I Some MSS. have wakhashd bihim 'took precautions for their safety', a reading which is
supported by 798. 10, and may well be right.
meaning his two companions Zayd and Jafar. Then he dismounted and a 2 A reference to the practice of sending cooked food to a bereaved family to provide 8

I There is a play on the words here. meal for the mourners and their visitors.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 537
797 'A'isha here commented, 'Meddling often injures the meddler.' The shows how Khalid took precautions for their safety and got away with
apostle said, 'Go and tell them to be quiet, and if they refuse throw dust them:
in their mouths.' "'~'isha added: 'I said to myself, God curse you, for By God, I never cease to blame myself for stopping
you have neither spared yourself the indignity of a snub nor are you able vVhen the horses were leaping fonvard 1 with bolting eyes.
to do what the apostle said. I knew he could not throw dust in their I stopped tbere neither asking help nor acting decisively
mouths.' Nor protecting those for whom death was decreed.
QUlba b. Qatada al-'Udhri who was over the right wing had attacked However, I did but imitate Khalid
Malik b. Zafila (T. leader of the mixed Arabs) and killed him, and said: And Khalid has no equal in the army.
I pierced Ibn Zafila b. al-Irash with a spear My heart was moved for Jafar in Mu'ta
Which went through him and then broke. When an arrow was no good to an archer.
I gave his neck a blow And he linked up their two wings to us
So that he bent like a bough of mimosa. Muhajirs not polytheists nor unarmed.
We led off the wives of his cousins Thus Qays made clear in his verses the facts which people dispute, namely
On the day of Raquqayn as sheep (789). that the army kept their distance and were afraid of death, and established
A ktihina of J:Iadas who heard about the advance of the apostle's army the fact that Khalid and his men avoided battle (790).
had said to her people who were a cIan called B. Ghanm: Among the lamentations over the apostle's companions who died at 799
Mu'ta are the lines bf J:Iassan b. Thabit:
I warn you of a proud people
Who are hostile in their gaze. A miserable night I had in Yathrib,
They lead their horses in single file Anxiety that robbed me of sleep when others slept soundly.
And shed turgid blood. At the thought of a friend my tears ran fast.
(Memory is oft the cause of weeping.
They took heed to her words and separated themselves from Lakhm. Nay, the loss of a friend is a calamity,
Mterwards J:Iadas remained a large and prosperous tribe. Those who And how many a noble soul is afflicted and endures patiently.)
took part in the war that day, the B. Tha'laba a cIan of J:Iadas, remained I saw the best of the believers follow one another to death,
insignificant. When Khiilid went off with the men he took the homeward Though some held back behind them.'
road. May God receive the slain at Mu'ta who went one after another.
Muhammad b. Jafar b. al-Zubayr told me from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr Among them Ja'far now borne on wings,
that when they got near Medina the apostle and the Muslims met them And Zayd and 'Abdullah when they too followed
and the boys came running while the apostle came with the people on his When the cords of death were active
beast. He said, 'Take the boys and carry them and give me Ja'far's son.' On the day they went"on with the believers,
They gave him 'Abdullah and he took him and carried him in front of him. The fortunate radiant one leading them to death.
The men began to throw dirt at the army, saying, 'You runaways, you fled Bright as the full moon--of Hashim's sons,
in the way of God!' The apostle said, 'They are not runaways but come- Haughty against wrong, daringly bold,
agains if God will.' He fought till he fell un pillowed
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me from 'Amir b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr On the battlefield, a broken shaft in his body.
from one of the family of al-J:Iarith b. Hisham who were his maternal He has his reward with the martyrs,
uncIes, from Umm Salama the prophet's wife who said to the wife of Gardens and green spreading trees.
Salama b. Hishiim b. al- 'A~ b. al-Mughira, 'Why is it that I do not see We saw in Ja'far a man loyal to Muhammad,
Salama at prayers with the apostle with the rest of the Muslims /' She One who gave decisive orders.
replied, 'By God, he can't go out. Whenever he goes out the men call out May there ever be in Islam of Hashim's line
"Runaway! You ran away when in the path of Godl" until he has taken Pillars of strength and an endless source of pride;
to sitting in his house and not going out at all.
I

I The readings vary: qa'ia leaping; na'ia lifting up their heads; qabi'a panting.
Qays b. al-Musa\I\Iar al-Yamuri composed the following verses in l This is banal. The Diu'an (xxi) 'for I had been kept back with those who were left
which he made excuses for what he and the other men did that day and behind' is better.
The Lzfe of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 539
In Islam they are a mountain and the people round them Their faces welcomed, their hands gave freely
Are rocks piled up to a mount majestic and lofty. When days of famine would excuse parsimony.
Splendid leaders: of them Ja'far and his brother 'Ali God was pleased with their guidance of His creation,
And of them A~mad the chosen one. And by their good fortune the apostolic prophet was victorious.
And l;Iamza and al-'Abbas and 'AqIl
Bassan b. Thiibit mourning Ja'far:
And the sap of the wood from which he was squeezed.'
By them relief comes in every hard dusty fight I wept, and the death of Jafar the prophet's friend
Whenever men are in a tight corner. Was grievous to the whole world.
They are the friends of God Who sent down His wisdom to them I was distressed, and when I heard of your death said,
And among them is the purified bringer of the Book. 2 Who is for fighting by the flag Hawk and its shadow
With swords drawn from scabbards
Kab b. Malik said:
Striking and lances piercing again and again?
While the eyes of others slept my eye shed tears Now Ja'far, Fatima's blessed son, is dead, 80'
Like the dripping of a faulty water-skin. The best of all creatures, most heavy is his loss,
800 In the night when sorrows came upon me Noblest of all in origin, and most powerful
When I was not sobbing 3 I turned restlessly on my couch. When wronged, most submissive to right
Grief came repeatedly and I passed the night When it was indubitably true;
As though I had to shepherd Ursa and Pisces.' Most open-handed, least in unseemliness;
'Twas as though between my ribs and bowels Most lavish in generosity and kindness,
A burning piercing pain afflicted me, Always excepting Muhammad,
Sorrowing for those who one after another Whom no living being can equal.
Were left lying that day in Mu'ta.
God bless them, the heroes, Mourning Zayd b. l;Iaritha and 'Abdullah b. Rawa~a he said:
And may plenteous rains refresh their bones! o eye, be generous with the last drop of thy tears
They forced themselves for God's sake And remember in thy ease those in their graves.
To ignore the fear of death and cowardly failure. Remember Mu'ta and what happened there
They went in front of the Muslims When they went to their defeat,
Like stallion foals, clad in long mail When they returned leaving Zayd there.
When they were led hy Jafar and his flag Happy be the abode of the poor one, imprisoned (in the grave),'
In front of their leader, and what a fine leader. The friend of the best of all creatures,
Until the ranks were breached and Jafar The lord of men whose love fills their breasts.
Where the ranks were trapped lay prostrate. A};1mad who has no equal,
The moon lost its radiance at his death, My sorrow and my joy are for him.
The sun eclipsed and wellnigh dark. Zayd's position with us
A chief of high lineage from Hashim, Was not that of a man deceived.
In lofty eminence and authority immovable, Be generous with thy tears for the Khazrajite,'
A people by whom God protected His servants, He was a chief who gave freely there.
To them was sent down the revealed book. We have suffered enough by their death
They excelled other tribes in glory and honour And pass the night in joyless grief.
And their enlightened minds covered up the ignorance of others.
They would not embark on a vicious enterprise, A Muslim poet who returned from Mu'ta said:
You could see their speaker deciding justly. Enough cause for grief that I have returned while Ja'far
I In popular language: a chip of the old block. And Zayd and 'Abdullah are in the dust of the grave!
Z All this reads like Alide propaganda.
3 Or, reading abinnu 'yearning' or 'moaning'. I Or 'That fair refuge of the poor and the captive' .
.oj. Le. he watched the stars in their passage across the sky while others slept. A cliche. Z i.e. 'Abdullah b. Rawal,la.
Sfo The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad HI
They met their end when they went their way
And I with the survivors am left to life's sorrows. WaUr their well, killing one of their men. Both parties fell back and con-
Three men were sent forward and advanced tinued the fight. Quraysh helped B. Bakr with weapons and some of them
To death's loathed pool of blood. fought with them secretly under cover of the night until they drove Khu-
za'a into the sacred area. When they reached it the B. Bakr said, '0
The names of those who died a martyr's death at Mu'ta: Naufal, we are in the sacred area. Remember your God, remember your
Of Quraysh: of the clan of B. Hashim, Jafar and Zayd. God!' He replied in blasphemous words that he had no god that day.
Of B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b: Mas'ud b. al-Aswad b. I:Iaritha b. Na<ila. 'Take your revenge, ye sons of Bakr. By my life, if you used to steal in the
802 Of B. Malik b. I:fisl: Wahb b. Sa'd b. Abu SarI,. sacred area, won't you take vengeance in it?' Now on the night they
Of the An~ar: of the clan of B. al-I:farith b. al-Khazraj, 'Abdullah b. attacked them in al-Watir they killed a man called Munabbih who had
Rawal:ta and 'Abbad b. Qays. gone out with one of his tribesmen called Tamim b. Asad. Munabbih had
Of B. Ghanam b. Malik b. ai-Najjar, al-I:farith b. Nu'man b. Usaf b. a weak heart and he told Tamim to escape for he was as good as dead
Na<ila b. 'Abd b. 'Auf b. Ghanam. whether they killed him or let him go, for his heart had given out. So
Of B. Mazin b. ai-Najjar, Suraqa b. 'Amr b. 'AFya b. Khansa' (791). Tamim made off and escaped and Munabbih was overtaken and killed.
When Khuza'a entered Mecca they took refuge in the house of Budayl b.
Warqa' and the house of a freed slave of theirs called Rafi'.
THE CAUSES THAT LED TO THE OCCUPATION OF Tamim in excusing himself for running away from Munabbih said: 804
MECCA, A.H. 8 When I saw the B. Nufatha had advanced
After he had sent his force to Mu'ta the apostle stayed in Medina during Covering every plain and hill,
the latter Jumada and Rajab. Then the B. Bakr b. 'Abdu Manat b. Kinana Rock and upland, no one else in sight,
attacked Khuza'a while they were at a well of theirs in the lower region of Leading their swift wide-nostrilled horses
Mecca called al-Watir. The cause of the quarrel was that a man of B. And I remembered the old blood feud between us,
al-I:fa<irami called Malik b. 'Abbad-the I:Ia<irami being at that time allies A legacy of years gone by;
of al-Aswad b. Razn-had gone out on a trading journey; and when he And I smelt the odour of death coming from them
reached the middle of the Khuza'a country they attacked and killed him And feared the stroke of a sharp sword
and took his possessions. So B. Bakr attacked a man of Khuza'a and killed And knew that they would leave him they smote
him; and just before Islam Khuza'a attacked the sons of al-Aswad b. Razn Meat for mother lions and carrion for crows,
al-Dili who were the most prominent chiefs of B. Kinana-Salma, Kul- I set my feet firmly not fearing stumbling
thurn, and Dhu'ayb-and killed them in 'Arafa at the boundary stones of And threw my garments on the bare ground.
the sacred area.' I ran-no wild ass strong, lean-flanked, ran as I ran.
One of the B. al-Dil told me that B. al-Aswad during the pagan era were She may blame me, but had she been there
paid double bloodwit because of their position among them, while they Her disapproval would have been urine wetting her.
only got a single bloodwit. Men well know that I did not leave Munabbih willingly.
While B. Bakr and Khuza'a were thus at enmity Islam intervened and Ask my companions (if you do not believe me) (792).
occupied men's minds. When the peace of I:fudaybiya was concluded
between the apostle and Quraysh one of the conditions-according to what AI-Akhzar b. LU'I al-Dili describing the fight between Kinana and
Khuzata said:
al-Zuhri told me from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr from al-Miswar b. Makhrama
and Marwan b. al-J:iakam and other traditionists-was that anyone who Have not the most distant A1,labish I heard
wanted to enter into a treaty relationship with either party could do so; the That we repulsed B. Katb in impotent disgrace?2
B. Bakr joined Quraysh and Khuza'a joined the apostle. When the armis- We made them keep to the dwelling of the slave Rafi'
tice was established B. al-Dil of B. Bakr took advantage of it against And they were confined helpless with Budayl
Khuzata in their desire to revenge themselves on them for the sons of In the house of a low person who accepts humiliation
Aswad whom they had killed. So Naufal b. Mu'awiya al-Dili, who 'Yas After we had slaked our vengeance on them with the sword.
their leader at the time, went out with the B. al-Dil, though all the B. Bakr We held them there for many a day
did not follow him, and attacked Khuza'a by night while they were at al- I Possibly the Abyssinians are meant.
Z 'with arrows snapped off near the feathered end'.
The Life of Muhammad 543
The Life of Muhammad
54 2 Help us, now God guide you,
Until from every pass we charged down on them. And call God's servants to our aid.
We slaughtered them like goats, . Among them the apostle of God prepared for war. I
We were like lions racing to get our teeth III them. When he is wronged his face becomes black with anger
They had wronged us and behaved as enemies With a great army foaming like the sea.
And were the first to shed blood at the sacred boundary.. , Verily Quraysh have broken their promise to you,
When they pursued them with their vanguard m the wadI s bend They bave violated tbeir pledged word,
80 5
They were like young ostriches in full flight.' And they set men to watch out for me in Kada. 2
Budayl b. 'Abdu Maniit b. Salama b. 'Amr b. al-Ajabb who was called They claim that I can get no one to help us
Budayl b. Umm A~ram answered hIm thus: And they but a miserable few.
They attacked us at night in al-Watir
May those people lose one another who boast _
Since we left them no chief to call them to assembly save Nafil. And killed us as we performed the ritual prayers (794).
\Vas it for fear of a people you scorn The apostle said, 'May you be helped 0 'Amr b. Salim!'3 Then as a
That you went past al-\\ratir fearful, never to return? .. cloud appeared in the sky he said, 'This cloud will provide help for the B.
Every day we give to others to pay bloodwit for those they have kIlled Ka'b.'
While we take no help in paying our bloodWlt. Then Budayl b. Warqa' came with a number of Khu2ii'a to the apostle
We came to your home in al-Tala'a/ in Medina and told him of their misfortune and how Quraysh had helped
OUf swords silenced all complaints. B. Bakr against them. Having done so they returned to Mecca. The
From Bayd and 'Itwad 3 to the slopes of Ratiwa apostle said, 'I think you will see Abu Sufyan coming to strengthen the
We held off the attacks of horsemen. agreement and to ask for more time.' When Budayl and his companions
On the day of al-Ghamim' 'Ubays ran away. had got as far as 'Usfan' they met Abu Sufyiin who had been sent by
We terrified him with a doughty leader. . . Quraysh to strengthen the agreement with the apostle and to ask for an
\Vas it because the mother of onc of you defecated In her house In her extension, for they were afraid of the consequences of what they had done.
trepidation .. I Abu Sufyiin asked Budayl whence he had come because he suspected him
While you were leaping about that we met no OPPosItIOn. of having visited the apostle. He replied that he had come along the shore
By God's house you lie, you did not fight and the bottom of this valley with the Khuza'a, and denied that he had
But we left you in utter confuSIOn (793) been to Muhammad. When Budayl had gone off to Mecca Abu Sufyan
When Quraysh and B. Bakr had combined against Khuza'a and killed said, If Budayl came to Medina he will have given his camels dates to eat
some of them, thereby breaking their covenanted word with .the apostle ~~ there,' so he went to where the camels had knelt and split up their dung
iolating Khuzii'a who were in treaty with him, <Arnr b. SalIm al-Khuza 1 and looked at the stones. 'By God, I swear Budayl has come from Muham-
mad,' he said.
of the cIa n foB. Ka'b went to the apostle 1ll Medina.
V
.. (This led
h to '
the
Having arrived at Medina he went in to his daughter Vmm I:Iab'iba, and
conquest of Mecca.) He stood by him as he was SIttIng among t e men In
806 as he went to sit on the apostle's carpet she folded it up so that he could not
the mosque and said:
sit on it. 'My dear daughter,' he said, '! hardly know if you think that the
o Lord, I come to remind Muhammad carpet is too good for me or that I am too good for the carpet!' She replied:
Of the old alliance between our fathers. 'It is the apostle's carpet and you are an unclean polytheist. I do not want
You are sons for whom we provided the mother, . you to sit on the apostle's carpet.' 'By God,' he said, 'since you left me you
Then we made peace s and have not changed our mInds. have gone to the bad.' Then he went to the apostle, who would not speak
I lace in Najd as A.Dh. says; but unless the action referr~d to occ~rre_d
Fiithur is a to him; he then went to Abu Bakr and asked him to speak to the apostle
b f the reacted the haram it is hard to see what the combatants were domg. As fathur
r:e~~: th/contingent th~t leads the pursuit of a fleeing enemy it is to be preferred here to for him; he refused to do so. Then he went to 'Umar who said, 'Should I
intercede for you with the apostle! If I had only an ant I would fight you
W;8~a~~~. belonging to B. Kinana. The second hemistich is a reference to the proverb with it.' Then he went in to see 'Ali with whom was Fatima the apostle's
'The sword comes before recrimination'. d M d'
3 Places belonging to Kinana. 4 Between Mecca an e ma. _. J Or, reading taharrada, 'enraged'. 2 A place on the heights above Mecca.
5 S insists on this meaning for aslamna, despite the last verse, on the ground that Khuz.a a J Or perhaps nu,irla here means 'You shall be helped'.
. yet b ecome M us ,.lms. Th-'" poem is a later invention and the natural translatIOn ~ Two days' journey on the road from Mecca to Medina.
had not
'Then we bo:came Muslims' is to be preferred.
The Life of Muhammad 545
544 The Life of Muhammad
That old camel who groans from his arse.
daughter who had with her 'Ali's little son !:Iasan crawling in front of her.
This is the time for war-its girths are tightened. I
He appealed to 'Ali on the ground of their close relationship to intercede
Don't feel safe from us, son of Dmm Mujalid,
with the apostle so that he would not have to return disappointed; but he
When its pure milk is extracted and its teeth are crooked.
answered that if the apostle had determined on a thing it was useless for
Don't be disappointed, for our swords
anyone to talk to him about it j so he turned to Fatima and said, '0 daughter
Will open the door to death (796).
of Muhammad) will you let your little son here act as a protector between
men so that he may become lord of the Arabs for ever /' She replied that Muhammad b. Ja'far b. al-Zubayr from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr and another
her little boy was not old enough to undertake such a task and in any case of our traditionists said that when the apostle decided to go to Mecca
808 none could give protection 'against God's apostle. He then asked for 'Ali's !:Iatib b. Abii Balta'a wrote a letter to Quraysh telling them that the apostle
advice in the desperate situation. He said, I I do not see anything that can intended to come at them. He gave it to a woman whom Muhammad b.
really help you, but you are the chief of B. Kinana, so get up and grant Ja'far alleged was from Muzayna while my other informant said she was
protection between men and then go back home.' When he asked if he Sara, a freed woman of one of the B. 'Abdu'I-Mu!!alib. He paid her some
thought that that would do any good he replied that he did not, but that money to carry it to Quraysh. She put the letter on her .head and then
he could see nothing else. Thereupon Abu Sufyan got up in the mosque plaited her locks over it and went off. The apostle received news from
and said, '0 men, I grant protection between men.' He then mounted his heaven of !:Iatib's action and sent 'Ali and al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam with
camel and rode off to Quraysh who asked for his news. He said that instructions to go after her. They overtook her in al-KhuIayqa of B. Abii
Muhammad would not speak to him, that he got no good from Abii A\1mad. They made her dismount and searched her baggage but found
Qu\1afa's son, and that he found 'Umar an implacable enemy (795). He had nothing. 'Ali swore that the apostle could not be mistaken nor could they,
found' Ali the most helpful and he had done what he recommended, though and that if she did not produce the letter they would strip her. When she
he did not know whether it would do any good. He told them what he had saw that he was in earnest she told him to turn aside, and then she let down
done and when they asked whether Muhammad had endorsed his words, her locks and drew out the letter and gave it to him and he took it to the
he had to admit that he had not. They complained that 'Ali had made a apostle. The apostle summoned !:Iatib and asked him what induced him
fool of him and that his pronouncement was valueless, and he said that he to act thus. He replied that he believed in God and His apostle and had 810
could find nothing else to do or say. never ceased to do so, but that he was not a man of standing among
The apostle ordered preparations to be made for a foray and Abu Bakr Quraysh and he had a son and a family there and that he had to deal
came in to see his daughter <A"isha as she was moving some of the apostle's prudently with them for their sakes. 'Vmar wanted to cut off his head as
equipment. He asked if the apostle had ordered her to get things ready, a hypocrite but the apostle said, 'How do you know, 'Umar; perhaps God
and she said that he had, and that her father had better get ready also. She looked favourably on those who were at Badr and said, "Do as you please,
told him that she did not know where the troops were going. Later the for I have forgiven you.'" Then God sent down concerning J:Iatib: '0 you
apostle informed the men that he was going to Mecca and ordered them to who believe, choose not My enemies and yours as friends so as to show them
make careful preparations. He said, '0 God, take eyes and ears I from kindness' as far as the words 'You have a good example in Abraham and
Quraysh so that we may take them by surprise in their land,' and the men those with him when they said to their people: We are quit of you and
got themselves ready. what you worship beside God; we renounce you and between us and you
!:Iassan b. Thabit, inciting the men and mentioning the killing of the enmity and hatred will ever endure until you believe in God alone.'2
men of Khuz.ra, said: Muhammad b. Muslim b. Shihab al-Zuhri from 'Ubaydullah b. 'Abdul-
lah b. 'Utba b. Mas'iid from 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas told me: Then the apostle
It pained me though I did not see in Mecca's valley went on his journey and put over Medina Abii Ruhm Kulthiim b. !:Iu~ayn
The men of Banii Ka'b with their heads cut off b. 'Utba b. Khalaf al-Ghifari. He went out on the lOth of Ramadan and
By men who had not drawn their swords he and the army fasted until when he reached al-Kudayd between: 'Usfan
And the many dead who were left unburied.' and Amaj he broke his fast. He went on until he came to Marr al-Zahriin
Would that I knew if my help with its biting satire' with 10,000 Muslims; Sulaym numbered 700 and some say I,OO~; and
Would injure Suhayl b. 'Amr, and i;3afwan Muzayna 1,000; and in every tribe there was a considerable number and
I i.e. reports from travellers and others who have seen the Muslims assembling. Islam. The Muhajirs and Helpers went as one man; not one stayed behind.
2 He means that Quraysh were really responsible for the death of these men in the sacred
territory. This is implied in the v.I. in the Diwiin which has qatlii bi-haqqin. I War is compared to a came1.
3 l;Iassan was no fighter. He relied on his tongue to hurt the enemy.
B '080 Nn
54 6 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 547
When the apostle had reached Man al-~ahran Quraysh were completely white mule and went out on it until I came to the arak trees, thinking that
8rI ignorant of the fact and did not even know w~at he was domg. On thos_~ I might find some \voodcutters or milkers or someone who could go to
nights Abu Sufyan b. I:Iarb and Hakim b. I;hzam and Budayl b. Warqa Mecca and tell them where the apostle was so that they could come out
went out searching for news by eye or ear when al-"Abbas had met the and ask for safety before he entered the town by assault. As I was going
along with this intent suddenly I heard the sound of Abu Sufyan (T. and
apostle in the way (797)
Abu Sufyan b. al-l;Iarith b. 'Abdu'l-Mu!!alib and 'Abdullah b. Abu I:Iakim b. I:Iazam) and Budayl talking together. Abu Sufyan was saying,
Umayya b. al-Mughira had met the apostle also in Niqu'I-'Uqab between 'I have never seen such fires and such a camp before.' BudayI was saying,
Mecca and Medina and tried to get in to him. U mm Salama spoke to 'These, by God, are (the fires of) Khuza'a which war has kindled.' Abu
him about them, calling them his cousin and his brother-in-law. He Sufyan was saying, 'Khuzj'a are too poor and few to have fires and camps
replied: 'I have no use for them. As for my c?usin he has wo.unde~ my like these.' I recognized his voice and called to him and he recognized my
pride; and as for my aunt's son and my brother-Ill-law h: spoke_Insultingly voice. I told him that the apostle was here with his army and expressed 813
of me in Mecca.' When this was conveyed to them Abu Sufyan who had concern for him and for Quraysh: 'If he takes you he will bebead you, so
his little son with him said, 'By God, he must let me in or I will take this ride on the back of this mule so that I can take you to him and ask for you
little boy of mine and we will wander through the land until we die of his protection.' So he rode behind me and his two companions returned.
hunger and thirst.' When he heard this the apostle felt sorry for them and Whenever we passed a l\1uslim fire we were challenged, and when they
let them come in and they accepted Islam. Abu Sufyan rCelted the follow- saw the apostle's mule with me riding it they said it was the prophet's uncle
ing verses about his Islam in which he'excused himself for what had gone riding his mule until I passed by 'Umar's fire. He challenged me and got
before: up and came to me, and when he saw Abu Sufyan on the back of the beast
he cried: 'Abu Sufyan, the enemy of God! Thanks be to God who has
By thy life when I carried a banner delivered you up without agreement or word.' Then he ran towards the
To give al-Lat's oavalry the victory over Muhamm~d
apostle and I made the mule gallop, and the mule won by the distance a
I was like one going astray in the darkness of the mght,
slow beast wiIl outrun a slow man. I dismounted and went in to the
But now I am led on the right track. apostle and 'Umar came in saying the same words and adding, 'Let me
I could not guide myself, and he who with God overcame me
take of! his head.' I told the apostle that I had promised him my protec-
Was he whom I had driven away with all my might.
tion; then I sat by him and took hold of his head and said, 'By God, none
I used to do all I could to keep men from Muhammad
shall talk confidentially to him this night without my being present'; and
And I was called a relative of his, though I did not claim the relation.
when 'Vmar continued to remonstrate I said, 'Gently, 'Umar! If he had
They are what they are. He who does not hold with them
been one of the B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b you would not have said this; but you
Though he be a man of sense is blamed and given the lIe.
know that he is one of the B. 'Abdu Manaf.' He replied,.'Gently, 'Abbas!
8IZ I wanted to be on good terms with them (Muslims)
for by God your Islam the day you accepted it was dearer to me than the
But I could not join them while I was not guided.
Islam of al-Khattab would have been had he become a Muslim. One thing
Say to Thaqjf I do not want to fight them;
I surely know is that your Islam was dearer to the apostle than my father's
Say, too, 'Threaten somebody else!'
would have been.' The apostle told me to take him away to my quarters
I was not tn the army that attacked 'Amir,
and bring him back in the morning. He stayed the night with me and I took
I had no part with hand or tongue.
him in to see the apostle early in the morning and when he saw him he
'Twas tribes that came from a distant land,
said, 'Isn't it time that you should recognize that there is no God but
Strangers from Saham and Surdad (79 8 ).
Allah?' He answered, 'You are dearer to me than father and mother. How
They allege that when he recited his "vords 'He who with God overcame great is your clemency, honour, and kindness! By God, I thought that had
me was he \vhom I had driven away with all my might' the apostle there been another God with God he would have continued to help me.'
punched him in the chest and said, 'You did indeed!' He said: '\Voe to you, Abu Sufya-n, isn't it time that you recognize that I 814
When the apostle camped at I'vIarr al-Zahran 'Abbas said/ 'Alas, Qur- am God's apostle?' He answered, 'As to that I still have some doubt.'
aysh, if the apostle enters Mecca by force before they come and ask f~r I said to him, 'Submit and testify that there is no God but Allah and that
protection that will be the end of Quraysh for ever.' I sat upon the apostle s Muhammad is the apostle of God before you lose your head,' so he did so.
I T. 1 6 30 f. following Yiinus's version of I.I. has a slightly longer text. Only significam
I pointed out to the apostle that Abu Sufyan was a man who liked to have
differences will be noted. some cause for pride and asked him to do something for him. He said, 'He
548 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 54-9
who enters Abu Sufyiln's house is safe, and hewho locks his door is safe, and it from her neck. When the apostle came in and entered the mosque Abu
he who enters the mosque is safe.' When he went off to go back the apostle Bakr came leading his father. On seeing him the apostle said, 'Why did
told me to detain him in the narrow part of the wadi where the mountain you not leave the old man in his house so that I could come to him there I'
projected' so that God's armies would pass by and he would see them; so Abu Bakr replied that it was more fitting that he should come to him than
I went and detained him where the prophet had ordered. vice versa. He made him sit before him and stroked his chest and asked
The squadrons passed him with their standards, and he asked who they him to accept Islam and he did so. When Abu Bakr brought his father in
were. When I said Sulaym he would say, 'What have I to do with Sulayml' his head was as white as edelweiss, and the apostle told them to dye it.
and so with Muzayna until all had passed, he asking the same question and Then Abu Bakr got up and taking his sister's hand said, II ask in the name
making the same response to the reply. Finally the apostle passed with his of God and Islam for my sister's necklace' and none answered him, and he
greenish-black squadron (799) in which were Muhiljirs and An~ilr whose said, 'Sister, regard your necklace as taken by God (and look to Him to
815 eyes alone were visible because of their armour. He said, 'Good heavens, requite you) for there is not much honesty among people nowadays.'
'Abbas, who are these I' and when I told him he said that none could with- 'Abdullah b. Abu Naji\> told me that the apostle divided his force at
stand them. 'By God, 0 Abu Fac,ll, the authority of your brother's son has Dhu Tuwil ordering al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwilm to go in with some of the
become great.' I told him that it was due to his prophetic office, and he men from Kudil. Al-Zubayr commanded the left wing; Sad b. 'Ubilda he
said that in that case he had nothing to say against it. ordered to go in with some of the men from Kadil'.
I told him to hurry to his people. When he came to them he cried at the Some traditionists allege that when Sa'd started off he said,
top of his voice: '0 Quraysh. this is Muhammad who has come to you with
Today is a day of war,
a force you cannot resist. He who enters Abu Sufyan's house is safe.'
Sanctuary is no more,
Hind d. 'Utba went up to him, and seizing his moustaches cried, 'Kill this
fat greasy bladder of lard! What a rotten protector of the people!' He and one of the muhiljirs (800) heard him and told the apostle that it was to
said, 'Woe to you, don't let this woman deceive you, for you cannot resist be feared that he would resort to violence. The apostle ordered 'Ali to go
what has come. He who enters Abu Sufyiln's house will be safe.' 'God after him and take the flag from him and enter with it himself.
slay you,' they said, 'what good will your house be to us 1>2 He added, 'And 'Abdullah b. Abu Naji\> in his story told me that the apostle ordered 8'7
he who shuts his door upon himself will be safe and he who enters the Khillid to enter from ai-Lit, the lower part of Mecca, with some men. Khil-
mosque will be safe.' Thereupon the people dispersed to their houses and lid was in command of the right wing with Aslam, Sulaym, Ghifilr, Muz-
the mosque. ayna, Juhayna, and other Arab tribes. Abu 'Ubayda b. al-Jarril\> advanced
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that when the apostle came to Dhu Tuwil with the troops pouring into Mecca in front of the apostle who entered
he halted on his beast turbaned with a piece of red YamanI cloth and that from Adhilkhir' until he halted above Mecca and his tent was pitched
he lowered his head in submission to God, when he saw how God had there.
honoured him with victory, so that his beard almost touched the middle of 'Abdullah b. Abu Naji\> and 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr tcld me that i;3afwiln
the saddle. b. Umayya and 'Ikrima b. Abu Jahl and Suhayl b. 'Arnr had collected
Ya\>yil b. 'Abbild b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr from his father fr.om hi~ some men in al-Khandama' to fight. J:Iimas b. Qays b. Khillid brother of
grandmother Asmil' d. Abu Bakr said: W?en the apostle stopped III Dhu B. Bakr was sharpening his sword before the apostle entered rvlecca, and
Tuwil Abu Quhilfa said to a daughter of hIS, one of hiS youngest chrldren, his wife asked him why he was doing so. When he told her it was for
'Take me up t~ Abu Qubays,' for his sight had almost gone. When they Muhammad and his companions she said that she did not think that it
got there he asked her what she could see and she told him 'a mass of would do them any harm. He answered that he hoped to give her one of
black.' 'Those are the horses,' he said. Then she told him that she could them as a slave and said:
see a man running up and down in front of them and he said that that was I have no excuse if today they advance.
the adjutant, meaning the man who carries and transmits the orders .to the Here is my weapon, a long-bladed lance,
816 cavalry. Then she said, 'By God, the black mass has spread.' He SaId, 'In A two-edged sword in their faces will dance!
that case the cavalry have been released, so bring me quickly to my house.'
She took him down and the cavalry encountered him before he could get Then he went to al-Khandama with i;3afwiln, Suhayl, and 'Ikrima and
to his house. The girl had a silver necklace and a man who met her tore when the Muslims under Khillid arrived a skirmish followed in which
I YaqUi knows nothing of this place, but it is mentioned frequently by al.Azrnqi, Mecca,
I Lit. 'at the nose of the mountain'. 1352, ii. 232 fr. as a pass near Mecca.
Z i.e. it could not provide cover for them all. ~ Not mentioned by YaqUi. Au. i. 146 says it is a peak on Abu Qubays.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 55 r
55 0
done nothing, so he attacked and killed him and apostatized. He had two
Kurz b. Jabir, one of rhe B. Mu/:1arib b. Fihr, and Khunays b. Khiilid b.
singing-girls Fartana and her friend who used to sing satirical songs about
Rab!'a b. A~ram, an ally of B. Munqidh, who were in Khalid's cavalry,
were killed. They had taken a road of their own apart from Khiilid and the apostle, so he ordered that they should be killed with him.
were killed together. Khunays was killed first and Kurz put him between Another was al-I;luwayrith b. Kuqaydh b. Wahb b. 'Abd b. Qu~ayy, one
his feet and fought in his defence until he was slain, saying meanwhile: of those who used to insult him in Mecca (804).
Another was Miqyas b. I;lubaba' because he had killed an An~arl who
Safra' of the B. Fihr knows had killed his brother accidentally, and returned to Quraysh as a polytheist.
The pure of face and heart And Sara, freed slave of one of the B. 'Abdu'l-Muttalib; and 'Ikrima b.
8,8 That I fight today in defence of Abu i?akhr. Abu Jah!. Sara had insulted him in Mecca. As for 'Ikrima, he fled to the
Yarnan. His wife Dmm I:Iak1rn d. al-I::Iarith b. Hisham became a Muslim
Khunays was surnamed Abu i?akhr (801).
and asked immunity for him and the apostle gave it. She went tq the
Salama b. al-Mayla', one of Khiilid's horsemen, was killed, and the
Yarnan in search of him and brought him to the apostle and he accepted
polytheists lost about 12 or 13 men-; then they took to flight. Bimas ran off
Islam. (T- 'Ikrima used to relate, according to what they say, that what T. ,640
and went into his house and told his wife to bolt the door. When she asked
turned him to Islam when he had gone to the Yaman was that he had deter-
what had become of his former words he said:
mined to cross the sea to Abyssinia and when he found a ship the master
If you had witnessed the battle of Khandama said, '0 servant of God, you cannot travel in my ship until you acknow~
When i?afwan and 'Ikrima fled ledge that God is one and disavow any rival to Him, for I fear that if you
And Abu Yazld was standing like a pillar' do not do so we should perish.' When I asked if none but such persons
And the Muslims met them with their swords was allowed to travel in his ship he replied, 'Yes, and he must be sincere.'
Which cut through arms and skulls, So I thought: Why should I leave Muhammad when this is what he has
Only confused cries being heard brought us? Truly our God on the sea is our God on the dry land. There-
Behind us their cries and groans, upon I recognized Islam and it entered into my heart.) 'Abdullah h.
You would not have uttered the least word of blame (802) Khatal was killed by Said b. I;lurayth al-Makhzumi and Abu Barza al-
Aslami acting together. Miqyas was killed by ~umayla b. 'Abdullah, one 820
The apostle had instructed his commanders when they entered Mecca of his own people. Miqyas's sister said of his killing:
only to fight those who resisted them, except a small number who were to
be killed even if they were found beneath the curtains of the Ka'ba. By my life, N umayIa shamed his people
Among them was 'Abdullah b. Sa'd, brother of the B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy. And distressed the winter guests when he slew f!.fiqyas.
The reason he ordered him to be killed was that he had been a Muslim and 'Vhoever has seen a man like IVliqyas
used to write down revelation; then he apostatized and returned to Quraysh \Vho provided food for young mothers in hard times.
and fled to 'Uthman b. 'Affan whose foster-brother he was; The latter hid As for Ibn Khatal's two singing-girls, .one was killed and the other ran
819 him until he brought him to the apostle after the situation in Mecca was away until the apostle, ask.ed for immunity, gave it her. Similarly Sara,
tranquil, and asked that he might be granted immunity. They allege that who lived until in the time of 'Vmar a mounted soldier trod her down in
the apostle remained silent for a long time till finally he said yes. When the valley of Mecca and killed her. AI-I;luwayrith was killed by 'AlL
IUthman had left he said to his companions who were sitting around him, Sajd b. Abu Hind from Abu Murra, freed slave of'AqH b. Abu Talib,
'I kept silent so that one of you might get up and strike off his head!' One told me that Umm Hani' d. Abu Talib said: When the apostle halted in the
a
of the An~ar said, 'Then why didn't you give me a sign, apostle of God I' upper part of Mecca two of my brothers-in-law from B. Makhzum fled to
He answered that a prophet does not kill by pointing (803). me. (She was the wife of Hubayra b. Abu Wahb al-MakhzumL) 'Ali came
Another was' Abdullah b. Khatal of B. Taym b. Ghalib. He had become in swearing that he would kill them, so I bolted the door of my house on
a Muslim and the apostle sent him to collect the poor tax in company with them and went to the apostle and found him washing in a large bowl in
one of the An~ar. He had with him a freed slave who served him. (He was which was the remains of dough \vhile his daughter Fatima \vas screening
a Muslim.) When they halted he ordered the latter to kill a goat for him him with his garment. When he had washed he took his garment and
and prepare some food, and went to sleep. When he woke up the man had wrapped himself in it and prayed eight bendings of the morning prayer.
I This explanation of mu'tima is based on So's statement that elsewhere 1.1. says that I W. J;Jubiiba. On p. 728 he writes $uhaba which may well be right in spite of C. which

8uch is the meaning. The alternative 'A widow left with fatherless children' is supported follows the Qamus.
by Azraq:, 4-7 hafaiu;:j'l~mu'tima (quoted by NBldeke, Glos. 103 and To's kal-ma'tama).
55 2 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 553
Then he came forward and welcomed me and asked me why I had come. confederates alone. Every claim of privilege ' or blood or property are
When I told him about the two men and 'Ali he said: 'We give protec- abolished bv me aceDt the =todv of the temple and the watering of the
tion to whomsoever you give protection and we give safety to those you pilgrims. The unintentionally slain in a quasi- intentional way by club or
protect. He must not kill them' (805). . whip,' for him the bloodwit is most severe: a hundred camels, fatty of
Muhammad b. Jafar b. al-Zubayr from 'Ubaydullah b. 'Abdullah b. them to be pregnant. 0 Quraysh, God has taken from you the haughtiness
Abu Thaur from $afiya d. Shayba told me that the apostle after arriving in of paganism and its veneration of ancestors. Man springs from Adam
Mecca when the populace had settled down went to the temple and en- and Adam sprang from dust.' Then he read to them this verse: '0 men,
compassed it seven times on his camel touching the black stone with a We created you from male and female and made you into peoples and
821 stick which he had in his hand. This done he summoned 'Uthmiin b. tribes that you may know one another: of a truth the most noble of you in
Tal1,la and took the key of the Ka'ba from him, and when the door was God's sight is the most pious' to the end of the passage. 3 Then he added,
opened for him he went in. There he found a dove made of wood. He '0 Quraysh, what do you think that I am about to do with you?' They
broke it in his hands and threw it away. Then he stood by the door of the replied, 'Good. You are a noble brother, son of a noble brother.' He
Ka'ba while the men in the mosque gathered to him. I said, 'Go your way for you are the freed ones.'
Azr. i. 70 [1.1. from 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr from 'Ali b. 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas: The [T. Thus the apostle let them go though God had given him power over
apostle enter~d Mecca on the day of the conquest and it contained 360 their lives and they were his spoil. For this reason the Meccans were
idols which Iblis' had strengthened with lead. The apostle was standing called 'the freed ones'. Then the populace gathered together in Mecca
by them with a stick in his hand, saying, 'The truth has come and false- to do homage to the apostle in Islam. As I have heard, he sat (waiting)
hood has passed away; verily falsehood is sure to pass away' (Sura '7. 82). for them on al-$afa while 'Umar remained below him imposing condi-
Then he pointed at them with his stick and they collapsed on their backs tions on the people who paid homage to the apostle promising to hear and
one after the other. obey God and His apostle to tl::o best of their ability. This applied to the
When the apostle prayed the noon prayer on the day of the conquest he men; when they had finished he dealt with the women. Among the
ordered that all the idols which were round the Ka'ba should be collected Quraysh women who came was Hind d. 'Utba who came veiled and dis-
and burned with fire and broken up. Fa<jiila b. al-Mulawwi1,l al-Laythi guised because of what she had done especially in regard to I:!arnza, for she
said commemorating the day of the conquest: was afraid that the apostle would punish her. According to what I heard,
Had you seen Muhammad and his troops when they approached him he asked if they gsve their word not to associate
The day the idols were smashed when he entered, anything with God, and Hind said, 'By God, you lay on us something that
You would have seen God's light become manifest you have not laid on the men and we will carry it out.' He said, 'And you
And darkness covering the face of idolatry. shall not steal.' She said, 'By God, I used to take a little of Abu Sufyan's
money and I do not know whether that is lawful for me or not.' Abu
Azr. 1.1. from I:!akim b. 'Abbiid b. I:!anif and other traditionists: Quraysh Sufyan who was present when she said this told her that so far as the past
i. 107 had put pictures in the Ka'ba including two of Jesus son of Mary and
was concerned it was lawful. The apostle said, 'Then you are Hind d.
Mary (on both of whom be .peace!). I. Shihiib said: Asma' d. Shaqr said 'Utba?' and she said 'I am; forgive me what is past and God will forgive
that a woman of Ghassan joined in the pilgrimage of the Arabs and when you.' He said, 'And do not commit adultery.' She answered, 'Does a free
she saw the picture of Mary in the Ka'ba she said, 'My father and my woman commit adultery, 0 apostle of God?' He said, 'And you shall not
mother be your ransom! You are surely an Arab woman!' The apostle kill your children.' She said, 'I brought them up when they were little and
ordered that the pictures should be erased except those of Jesus and Mary. 3] you killed them on the day of Badr when they were grown up, so you are
A traditionist' told me that the apostle stood at the door of the Ka'ba the one to know about them!' 'Umar laughed immoderately at her reply.
and said: 'There is no God but Allah alone; He has no associate. He has He said,"You shall not invent slanderous tales.' She said, 'By God, slander
made good His promise and helped His servant. He has put to flight the is disgraceful, but it is sometimes better to ignore it.' He said, 'You shall
1 Other explanations given for the word istakaffa are 'fixed their gaze on' and 'aur. not disobey me in carrying out orders to do good.' She said, 'We should
rounded'.
2 A parallel tradition on the authority of 1. <A'bbiis via al-Zuhri simply says that the idols
not have sat all this time if we wanted to disobey you in such orders.' The
were sp-engthened by lead. apostle said to 'Umar, 'Accept-their troth,' and he asked God's forgiveness
3 Apparently I.H. has cut out what 1.1. wrote and adopted the later tradition that all the for them while 'Umar accepted their homage on his behalf. The apostle
pictures were obliterated. A more detailed account of these pictures will be found in A2.r.
104-6. never used to take the women's hands; he did not touch a woman nor did
4 T. here name. the informants u 'Umar b. Mus'ab al.Wajib from Qatida al.Sadliai. I Especially inherited authority. 2 i.e. manslaughter. J Sura 49. 13.
554 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 555
one touch him except one whom God had made lawful to him or was one Sa'id b. Abu Sa'id al-Maqburi from Abu Shuray!) al-Khuzii'i said:
ofhis~arim. Ibn Is!)iiq from Abbiin b. i;liiJi\t said that the women's homage When 'Amr b. al-Zubayr' came to Mecca to fight his brother 'Abdullah I
according to what some traditionists had told him was in this wise: a vessel came to him and said, I Listen! When we were with the apostle the day
containing water was put in front of the apostle and when he laid the after the conquest of Mecca, Khuzii'a attacked a man of Hudhayl and
conditions upon them and they accepted them he plunged his hand into killed him, he being a polytheist. The apostle arose and addressed us,
the vessel and then withdrew it and the women did the same. Then after saying, God made Mecca holy the day He created heaven and earth, and
{l

that he would impose conditions on them and when they accepted them he it is the holy of holies until the resurrection day. It is not lawful for anyone
said, 'Go, I have accepted your homage,' and added nothing further.]l who believes in God and the last day to shed blood therein, nor to cuI
Then the apostle sat in the mosque and 'Ali came to him with the key of down trees therein. It was not lawful to anyone before me and it will not
the Ka'ba in his hand asking him to grant his family the right of guarding be lawful to anyone after me. Indeed, it is not lawful for me except at this
the temple as well as the watering of the pilgrims, but the apostle called for time because of (God's) anger against its people. Now it has regained its
'Uthmiin b. Tal!)a and said, 'Here is your key; today is a day of good former holiness. Let those here now tell those that are not here. If anyone
faith' (806). should say, The apostle killed men in Mecca, say God permitted His
8 Said b. Abu Sandar al-Aslami from one of his tribesmen said: We had apostle to do so but He does not permit you. Refrain from killing, you men
with us a brave man called A!)mar Ba'san. 2 When he slept he snored so of Khuzii'a, for there has been too much killing even if there were profit in
loudly that everyone knew where he was. When he spent the night with it. Since you have killed a man I will pay his bloodwit. If anyone is killed
his clan he slept apart. If the clan was attacked at night they would call after my sojourn here his people have a choice: they can have his killer's life
his name and he would leap up like a lion and nothing could withstand or the blood-money." Then the apostle paid the bloodwit for the man
him. It happened that a party of raiders from Hudhayl came, making for whom Khuzii'a had slain.' 'Amr replied, 'Be off with you, old man! We
the people at their water; and when they drew near Ibn al-Athwa' al- know more about its sanctity than you. It does not protect the shedder of
Hudhali told them not to hurry him until he had looked round; for if blood, nor the man who casts off his allegiance nor him who withholds tax.'
.A1;mar was among the group there was no way to get at them. He snored Abu ShurayJ; answered, 'I was there and you were not. The apostle ordered
so loudly that one could tell where he was. So he listened and when he us who were present to tell those who were absent. I have told you and the
heard his snoring he walked up to him and thrust his sword into his breast responsibility now rests with you' (807).
pressing on it so that he killed him. Then they rushed upon the party who Muhammad b. Ja'far from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr told me that i;lafwiin b. 8Z5
cried 'A!)marl' But they had no A!)mar. Umayya went out to Judda to take ship to the Yaman. 'Umayr b. Wahb 8z6
On the morrow of the conquest of Mecca Ibn al-Athwa' came into told the prophet that i;lafwiin, who was a chief among his people, had fled
Mecca to look round and find out what the situation was. Now he was still from him to cast himself into the sea, and asked him to grant him immu-
a polytheist, and Khuza<a saw and recognized him, and they surrounded nity. The prophet agreed to do so, and 'Umayr asked him for a sign to
him as he was at the side of one of the walls of Mecca, saying, 'Are you the prove it, and he gave him the turban with which he had entered Mecca.
man who killed Al;1mar?' 'Yes', he said, 'and what about it?' Thereupon 'Umayr took it and overtook i;lafwiin just as he was about to embark. He
Khirash b. Umayya advanced on him with drawn sword saying, IGet away begged him not to commit suicide and produced the token of his safety.
from the man.' We supposed that he wanted to get the people away from Safwiin told him to be off and not to speak to him. He replied, 'My parents
him; but when we drew away he ran at him and thrust his sword in his be your ransom! He is the most virtuous, most pious, most clement, and
belly. By God, I can almost see him now with his entrails flowing forth best of men, your very cousin. His honour is your honour.' He replied,
from his belly and his eyes two mere slits in his head the while he said, II go in fear of my life because of him.' He answered, 'He is too clement
'Have you done it, you men of Khuzii'a /' until he collapsed and fell. The and too honourable to kill you.' So he went back with him to the apostle
apostle said, 'Stop this killing, Khuzii'a; there has been too much killing and told him that 'Umayr had said that he had promised him immunity.
even if there were profit in it. I will pay the bloodwit for the man you He said that that was true. i;lafwiin asked for two months in which to make
have killed.' up his mind, and he gave him four months (808). .
'Abdu'I-Ra!)miin b. I:J:armala al-Aslami from Sa'id b. al-Musayyib told AI-Zuhri told me that Umm I:J:akim d. al-I:J:iirith b. Hishiim and Fiikhlta
me that when the apostle heard what Khiriish had done he said, 'Khiriish is d. al-Walid (who was married to i;lafwiin, while Umm I:J:akim's husband
too prone to kill,' thereby rebuking him.
I S. here poinh out that this is a mistake on the part of I.H. and that the man was 'Amr
I pp. r642 Cult.) to r644. r3. b. Sa'id b. al-'A~ b. Umayyaj that the mistake is due either to I.H. or to alBakkii'ij and
t Or Il;lmarra Ba'san. A strange nickname. 'Red in power', 'Ruddybold', or the like. that the true tradition is given by Yunus.
The Life of Muhammad 557
556 The Life of Muhammad
After His love He gave you His proof to honour you
was 'Ikrima b. Abii Jabl) had become Muslims. The latter asked immunity
for her husband and the apostle granted it and she joined him in the And God's proof is great.
Yaman and brought him back. When 'Ikrima and Safwan became Muslims I testify that your religion is true
the apostle confirmed their first marriages. . And that you are great among men.
And God testifies that Al).mad is the chosen,
Said b. Abdu'I-Ral).man b. I:!assan b. Thabit told me that Hassan
The noble one, cynosure of the righteous,
directed a single verse and no more at 1. al-Ziba'ra who was in Najran at
A prince whose lofty house is from I:!ashim,
the time:'
Strong from top to bottom (80 9).
Do not be without a man, hatred of whom
Has made you live in Najran in utmost misery! As for Hubayra b. Abu Wahb al-Makhziimi, he lived there until he died
an unbeliever. His wife was Thnrn Hani' d. Abu Talib whose name was
827 When this reached 1. al-Zibara he went to the apostle and accepted Hind. When he heard that she had become a Muslim he said:
Islam. Then he said:
Does Hind long for you or do you know that she has asked about you?
o apostle of God, my tongue is repairing Thus distance produces many changes.
The mischief I did when a perishing (sinner) On a high inaccessible fort in Najran she has banished my sleep.
When I followed Satan in going astray. When night falls her phantom roams abroad.
(He who turns aside with him must perish.) o that reproacher who wakes me at night and blames me!
My flesh and my bones believe in my Lord. She reproaches me by night-may her error err utterly!
My heart bears witness that you are the warner. Asserting that if I obey my family_I shall perish,
I will drive the clan of Lu'ayy from you there, But will anything but the loss of her kill me?
AIl of them being deceived. But I am of a people who if they do their utmost
When he became a Muslim he said also: They attain their end forthwith.
I protect the rear of my tribe
Cares and anxieties withheld sleep from me When they wheel beneath the spear points
And night pitch black was agitated above me And the swords in their hands become like
Because I heard that Ahmad had blamed me' The sticks boys play with, no shade but the swords.'
I passed the night like ~ man with fever. ' I loathe the envious and their works:
o best of those, a swift light-footed God will provide food for myself and my family.
Straight-running camel ever carried, Words spoken without truth
Forgive me for what I said and did Are like an arrow without a head.
When I went wandering in error, If you have followed Muhammad's religion
What time ~ahm gave me most misleading orders, And the ties of kinship draw you to your kin,
And Makhziim did the same; Then stay far distant on a high round rock,
When I supported evil courses Dry dust its only moisture (810).'
Led by those who erred, whose way was ill omened.
Today my heart believes in the prophet Muhammad. The Muslims who were present at the conquest of Mecca numbered
He who misses this is a loser. 10,000: of B. Sulaym 700 (some say 1,000); of B. Ghif1iI 400; of Aslam
4 00 ; of Muzayna 1,003; and the rest of them were from Quraysh and
Enmity has passed, its ties are ended'
Kinship and reason call us together. ' the An~ar and their allies and parties of Arabs from Tamim and Qays and
Forgive my mistakes-my parents be thy ransom, Asad.
.For you arc compassionate having found mercy. I This line is an imitation of 1.
41 in the Mu'alIaqa of 'Amr b. Kulthum:
Upon you is the sign of God's knowledge, ha' anna suyufanii minna waminhum
A light most bright and a seal imprinted. makharfqun bi'oydi w'ibinii.
Some lexicographers favour a rendering 'knotted rags'. In either case the meaning is that
t The point is interesting because the Dfwan (H. cxlii) adds two more verses which fit the
they regarded the swords 8S mere toys.
context poorly. I~ l,oo~s almost as though Bassan's grandson knew that they had been
1. The poet apostrophizes himself.
grafted on to l;lassan s lme and resented the impertinence.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 559
55 8
Among the poems about the conquest is the following from I:Iassan b. I bear witness to him, so arise! confess him truthfu1.'
Thabit: But you said, 'We will not and we do not wish to.'
And God said, 'I have sent an army,
From Dha!u'l-A,iibi' and al-Jiwii" to 'Adhra'2 The Ansar accustomed to the fray.'
Traces have disappeared, their camping-ground is empty. Every d~y we get from Ma'add'
The camps of B. al-I:Ias\1as 3 are a desert Cursing, battle, or lampoor;ing.
Obliterated by wind and rain. We will repulse with verses those who lampoon us
There used always to be a friend there; And smite them when war breaks out.
Its pastures held choice camels and sheep. Give Abu Sufyan a message from me,
But leave that! Who will rid me of the night vision For what was hidden has become clear,
Which keeps me from sleep when night's first hours have gone, Namely that our swords have left you a slave,
Of Sha'tha" who fills me with longing The heads of the 'Ahdu'l-Diir mere bondwomen.
So that my heart cannot be cured of it ? You lampooned Muhammad and I answered for him:
She is like the wine of Bayt Ras s There is a reward for that with God.
Mixed with honey and water.- Would you lampoon him whom you cannot equal?
All draughts that could be mentioned (The worse of you be a ransom for the better of you!)
Cannot be compared with that wine. You have lampooned the pure blessed ~anif,
We blame it for what we do amiss God's trusted one whose nature is loyalty.
If we are quarrelsome or insulting to others. Is he who lampoons God's apostle
When we drink it we are as kings and lions, And he who praises and helps him equal?
Nothing can keep us from the fray. My father, my grandfather, and my honour
May we lose our horses if you do not see them6 Protect Muhammad's honour against you.
Raising the dust-clouds, their rendezvous Kada'. My tongue is a sharp sword without a flaw,
They tug at the reins turning their necks to one side, My verse a sea which the buckets cannot make turbid (8Il). J
The thirsty lances couched above their shoulp.ers.
Anas b. Zunaym al-Dili apologizing to the apostle for what <Amr b.
As our horses raced- along,?
The women flapped their veils in their faces. Saljm al-Khuza'j said about them said:
If you don't oppose us we shall celebrate the 'Umra, Was it you by whose orders Ma'add was led?
The conquest will be completed and the covering removed. Nay God guided them and said to you, Testifyl,
But if you do, expect a fight on the day No camel ever carried a purer man
When God helps those He pleases. More true to his promise than Muhammad;
Gabriel, God's messenger, is with us and Swifter to do good, more lavish in giving
The holy spirit has no equal. When he went forth like a polished Indian sword;
God said, 'I have sent a man More generous in giving a rich Yamani robe hardly worn
Wh6 speaks the truth if you will profit by experience. And the horse that was easily first in the race.
, These places are in Syria; the latter was the camp of al-Barith b. Abu Shamr the
Know, 0 apostle of God, that you will get me
Ghassanid whom l;Iassan used to visit. And that a threat from you is as good as fulfilled.
Z One post distant from Damascus.
Know, 0 apostle, that you have power
J A clan of B. Asad.
4 Who this woman was is not certain: some say she was d. Sallamb. IVlishkam the Jew;
Over them that dwell in highland and plain.
others say a woman of Khuza'a; others someone else. Know that the riders, the riders of 'U\vaymir,
S A place in Jordan noted for i.ts wine.
Are liars which break every promise.
6 From this point the poem begins its theme.
7 Tama.ttam in this sense is supported by T. ,650,. i:ZV. Gloss. 'Rain-bespattered', sug- They told the apostle that I satirized him.
gested by A.Dh., gives a poor sense unless it is a poetical way of saying that the sides of the I The Diwiin has 'and my people confessed', &c.
horses were covered with foam. The Lisdn explains that the women flapped their veils to 2 i.e. Quraysh who were descended from 'Adna,:. . .
hinder them. The reading in J)hJ..'lin and in some MSS. yubiirina'l-asinnata may be right: 3 i.e. however mllny verses he composes from hiS mexhauStible stock the well of poesy
'they try to cateh up with the points of the lances whose thirsty shafts were couched above will not be fouled. by bad and ineffectual lines.
their shoulders'. The horses could see the lance tips on their right front. Cf. W. 707. 15.
560 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of l\!luhammad
Were it true may my hand never lift a whip!
I merely said, Woe is the mother of the heroes While our horses wheeled among them.
Who were slain in unhappy unlucky days! We came back plundering as we would
Those not their equal in blood killed them While they went back discomfited.
And great was my weeping and dismay. We pledged our faith to the apostle
83 1 You would break the covenant if you slandered In sincere friendship.
'Abd b. 'Abdullah and the daughter of Mahwad. They heard what we said and determined
Dhu'ayb and Kulthum and Salma went successively to death, I To depart from us that day of fear (813)'
So if my eye does not weep let me grieve.
There is no clan like Salma and his brothers;
REALID'S EXPEDITION AFTER THE CONQUEST TO THE
Are kings the same as slaves?
B. JADIlIMA OF KINANA AND 'ALl'S EXPEDITION TO
I have not broken with custom or shed blood.
REPAIR KHALID'S ERROR
Consider, you who know the truth, and act!
The apostle sent out troops in the district round ::'vlecca inviting men to
Budayl b. 'Abdu Manaf b. Umm ~ram answered him: God: he did not order them to fight. Among those he sent was Khalid b.
Anas wept Razn, how loud was his cry. al-Walid whom he ordered to go to the lower part of the flat country as a
He should have wept for 'Adjy unavenged and destroyed. missionary; he did not send him to fight. He subdued the B. Jadhima and
You wept, Abu 'Abs, because they were blood relations killed some of them (814).'
That you might have an excuse if none started a war. Hakim b. Hakim b. 'Abbad b. Hunayf from Abll Ja'far Muhammad b.
Noble warriors killed them on the day of Khandama,' 'Ali said: V/hcn he took possession of IVlccca the apostle sent Khalid forth
Nufayl and Ma'bad among them if you inquire. as a missionary. He did not send him to fight. He had with him the Arab
If your tears flow for them you will not be blamed tribes of Sulaym b. Manellr and MudJij b. Murra, and they subdued B.
And if the eye does not weep then be sad (8Iz). Jadhima b. 'Amir b. 'Abdu Manat b. Kinana. When the people saw him
they grasped their weapons, and Khalid said, 'Lay down your arms, for
Bujayr b. Zuhayr b. Abu Sulma said concerning the day of the conquest: everybody has accepted Islam.'
Muzayna and the Banu Khufaf that day A traditionist of B. Jadhima who was one of our companions told me:
Expelled the people of al-Haballaq' from every ravine. 'When Khalid ordered us to lay down our arms one of our mcn called
We smote them with our sharp swords JaJ:1dam said, "Woe to you, B. Jadhima! This is Khalid. If you lay down
The day the good prophet entered Mecca. your arms you WIll be bound, and after you have been hound you \vill be
We came on them with seven hundred from Sulaym beheaded. By God, I'll never lay down my arms." Some of his people laid
And a full thousand from Banu 'Uthman. hold of him saying "Do you \vaot to shed our blood? Everyone else has
We smote 3 their shoulders with cut and thrust accepted Islam and laid down their arms; war is over and evervbody is
And shot them with our feathered shafts. safe." They persisted to the point of taking away his 3rms, and th;y them-
You could hear among the ranks their whisper selves laid down their arms at Khalid's word.'
As if the notched end were split from its binding.' I:Iakim b. Hakim from Abll Ja'hr Muhammad b. 'Ali told me: As soon
We went with lances straight levelled as they had laid down their arms Khalid ordered their hands to be tied
behind their backs and put them to the sword, killing a number of them.
I A mountain in Mecca. \Vhen the ne\vs reached the apostle he raised his hands to heaven and said
:t I cannot understand this verse. If 'the people of al-I;Iaballaq' were, as S. says, the tribes
of Muzayna and Qays, B. Khufiif being a clan of Sulaym, then we have the extraordinary '0 God, I am innocent before Thee of what Khiilid has done' (81 5). '
statement that Muzayna expelled their own tribesmen. We can take 'every ravine' as the Ijakim ~n the same authority told me that thc dpOStlC summoned 'Ali"
subject of the sentence, as C. does, and take nafa in the sense of 'sent out'; but then we and told him to go to thcse people and look into the affair, and abolish the
must take Muzayna as an accusative and read Bani Kh. A.Dh. says that Qaballaq means
'small sheep' but that gives little help. What one would expect is some reference to the practices of the pagan era. So 'Ali went to them with the money the apostle
Meccans, but they were not expelled from the town. had sent and paid the bloodwit and made good their monetary loss even for
;} Lit. 'trod'. For aktafahum some MSS. have aknafahum 'their flanks'.
-4 Mter long hesitation I have adopted this rendering; but it might be that the poet is 1 T.'s history (1649) is better arranged. It shows that l.J.'s n"rrativc r~corded that the
thinking of the arrows of the opposing forces passing one another in the air. force ~~It;d at al-Ghumay~a', a well belonging to ]adhima, and rccocd3 th(~ lattn's killing
of Khahd s uncle. LB. has disturbed th~ natuntl flow of evtnts.
B 4080 00
562 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad 563
a dog's bowl. When all blood and property had been paid for he still had
Busr and the men of J a/:1dam and Murra would have smitten them
some money over. He asked if any compensatIOn was still due and when
Until they left the camels groaning in pain.
they said it was not he gave them the rest of the money on behalf of the
How many warriors did you see on the day of Ghumayea'
apostle in case claims of which neither he nor they knew at the hme should
Dead, never wounded before, always giving the wounds?!
arise. Then he returned and reported to the apostle what he had done .and
(War) made husbandless women remain with the marriagemakers
he commended him. Then the apostle arose and faced the Qibla and raIsed
And separated the men who were married from their wives ( 81 7).
his arms so that his armpits could be seen and said: '0 God, I am innocent
before Thee of what Khalid has done.' This he said three times. 'Abbas b. Mirdas answered her; some say it was aI-Ja/:1/:1af b.!:Iakim aI-
Some who would excuse Khalid said that he said: 'I did not fight until Sulami:
'Abdullah b. Hudhafa al-Sahmi ordered me to do so and he said, "The Stop this idle talk: sufficient opponent
apostle has ordered you to fight them because they keep back from Islam'" Are we always to the hero of the battle.
(81 0. .. KhaIid was more to be excused than you
Jahdam had said to them when they laId down theIr arms and he saw The day he took the plain way in the affair.
what' Khalid was doing with the B. Jadhima: '0 B. Jadhima, the battle IS Helped by God's command driving towards you
lost. I gave you full warning of the disaster into which you have fallen.' (Horses) which stumble not going left and right.
I have heard that Khalid and Abu'I-Ra/:1man b. 'Auf had words about thIS.
They brought the news of Malik's death in the plain when they went
The latter said to him, 'You have done a pagan act in Islam,' to which he down to it
replied that he had only avenged 'Abdu'I-Ra/:1man's father. ,He answered Stern visaged showing their teeth in clouds of dust.
that he was a liar because he himself had kIlled hIS father s slayer; but If we have bereaved you, Salma,
Khalid had taken vengeance for his uncle al-Fakih b. al-Mughira so that You have left 2 men and women to bewail Malik.
there was bad feeling between them. Hearing of thIS the apostle saId,
'Gently, Khalid, leave my companions alone, for by God If you had a AI-Ja/:1/:1af b. !:Iakim al-Sulami said:
mountain 1 of gold and spent it for God's sake you would not approach the Horses given free rein were with the prophet at Bunayn
merit of my companions.' Bleeding from their wounds;
Now al-Fakih b. al-Mughira b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar b. Makhzum, and In Khalid's raid too their hooves
'Auf b. 'Abdu 'Auf b. 'Abdu'l-!:Iarith b. Zuhra, and 'Affan b. Abu'l-'A~ b. Galloped in the sacred area.
Umayya b. 'Abdu Shams had gone out trading to the Yaman. 'Affan took We set our faces against the spears
his son 't;thman and 'Auf took his son 'Abdu'I-Ra/:1man. When they Faces never given to be slapped.
returned they carried the money of a man of B. Jadhima b. 'Amlr, who h_ad I am not one to throw my garments from me3
died in the Yaman, to his heirs. One of their men called Khahd b. Hlsham Whenever a warrior shakes his lance,
claimed it and met them in the Jadhtma territory before they could get to But my colt beneath me ocars me
the dead man's family. They refused to give it up. A fight for the posses- To the heights 4 with my sharp sword.
sion of the money took place during which 'Auf and al-Faklh were kIlled,
'Affan and his son escaping. They seized the proper~y of al-Fak:h and Ya'qub b. 'Utba b. al-Mughira b. al-Akhnas from al-Zuhri from Ibn
'Auf and took it away and 'Abdu'I-Ra/:1man kIlled Khahd b: Hlsham the Abu !:Iadrad al-Aslami told me: I was with Khalid's cavalry that day when
slayer of his father. Quraysh meditated an attack on B. Jadhlma, but they a young man of the B. Jadhlma who was about my own age spoke to me.
declared that the assault had not been planned by them and that they dId His hands were tied to his neck by an old rope and the women were stand-
not know of it until afterwards. They offered to pay com~cnsatlOn for ing in a group a short distance a\vay. He asked me to take hold of the rope
blood and property and Quraysh agreed, and so w~r was aVOided. and lead him to the women so that he might say what he had to say and
One of the B. Jadhima said, though some say It was a woman called then bring him back and do what we liked with him. I said that that was a
Salma: I If lam yajraft be read here, the meaning would he: 'Dead, having wounded no one,
though they could have done so (had they had the chance).'
Had not one tribe said to another, Be Muslims, ;z C. 'you have been left'. In the absence of further information one can only adopt what
seems the more probable sense: you were the aggressors when you killed Malik.
Sulaym, that day, would have met a strong opponent. 3 i.e. to expose himself so as to obtain quarter from his Opponent; or, if tltiyab here means
'mail', to reduce his weight so that his mount could run away the faster.
I Lit. Ul:lUcl. of. Perhaps meaning 'to the heights of glory'.
The Life of Muhammad
56+ The Life of Muhammad . You would have been content had vou not been there.
small thing to ask and I led him to them. As he stood by them he said, Our men do not keep their fools fr~m us,
'Fare you well, I:Iubaysha, though life is at an end.' Nor is the malady of the day of al-Ghumaysa' cured.
Tell me when I sought and found you in I:Ialya A young man of B. Jadhima who was leading his mother and his two
Or came on you in al-Khawaniq, sisters in their flight from Khalid's force said:
Was I not a lover worthy to be given what he asked,
Who undertook journeys by night and noonday? Set free your skirts, let your garments trail;
I did nO wrong when I said when ou: people were together, Walk as chaste women who do not quail.
Reward me with love before some misfortune befalls! We guard our women, we wiiI not fail.
Reward me with love before distance divides Young men of B. Jadhima known as B. Musal,Iiq were composing rough
And the chief goes off with a dear one thus parted. verse when they heard of Khalid, and one of them said:
For I was never disloyal to our secret troth
$afra' white of flanks whom a man with flocks and camels
And my eye never looked admiringly at another.
Possesses, knows that I will do all a man can do this day.
When the tribe's troubles distracted me from love
Even then the attraction of love was there (818). And another said:
The same authority told me that she said: 'May your life be prolonged $afra' who diverts her husband \vell knows,
seven and ten continuous years and eight thereafter.' Then I took him She who eats but a morsel of meat,
away and he was beheaded. . That today I will deliver a swift blow
Abu Firiis b. Abu Sunbula al-Aslami from some of theIr shaykhs from As one leaving the sacred area hits sluggish pregnant camels.
one who was present said: She went to him when he w~ b~headed and
And another said:
bent over him and kept on kissing him untIl she dIed at h,s sIde.
One of the B. Jadhima said: No long-maned lion with ponderous paws,
Ferocious mien, and tawny whiskers, r
God requite Mudlij for the evil they did us Roaring 'twixt jungle and thicket when the morn is cold,
Wherever they go or rest. Whose only food is man,
They took our goods and divided them; Is bolder than I was that day, I swear.
The spears came at us not once nor tWice.
Were it not for the religion of Muhammad's people
Their cavalry! would have fled and been driven off.
KHALlD'S JOURNEY TO DESTROY AL-'UZZA
What hindered them from helping a squadron
Like a swarm of locusts loose and scattered abroad? Then the apostle sent Khalid to al-'Uzza which was in Nakhla. It was a
If they repent or return to their (right) way , temple which this tribe of Quraysh and Kinana and all MUllar used to
We will not repay them for what the squadron lost. venerate. Its guardians and wardens were B. Shayban of B. Sulaym, allies
of B. Hashim. When the Sulami guardian heard of Khalid's coming he
Wahb of the B. Layth answered him:
hung his sword on her, climbed the mountain on which she stood, and said:
We called'Amir to Islam and the truth.
It is not our fault if .Amir turned their backs. o'Uzza, make an annihilating attack on KhaIid,
What happened to 'Amir, confound them, is not our fault Throw aside your veil and gird up your train,
Because their minds were foolish and went astray. o 'Uzza, if you do not kill this man Khalid
Then bear a swift punishment or become a Christian.'
One of the B. Jadhima said:
When Khalid arrived he destroyed her and returned to the apostle.
Congratulate B. Ka'b on the coming of Khalid and his companions
The mom when the squadrons came on us. I I prefer this reading to W.'s shibiil, 'cubs'.
Ibn Khuwaylid showed nO desire for revenge. :1For bu' see Lane, 270C; ithm can stand both for crime and punishment. TanlJjian- really
means 'become a Muslim', because the speaker at that date saw no difference between the
1 Reading with C. khuyul. . ' two religions.
:1 Or, reading the passive with W., 'for the squadron havmg been led astray.
566 The Life of Muhammad The L1fe of Muhammad 567
Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri from 'Ubaydullah b. 'Abdullah b. 'Utba b. Mas'iid apostates I on horseback. If all goes well those behind can join you, and if
said: The apostle stayed in Mecca after he had occupied it for fifteen the battle goes against you you will have saved your families and stock,'
nights, shortening prayers. The occupation of Mecca took place on the Malik answered, 'I \von't do it. You are an old dotard. You \vill either
20th Ramadan A.H. 8. obey me, 0 Hawazin, or I will lean on my sword until it comes out from my
back.' He could not bear Durayd's having any credit in the matter. Ha\va-
zin said that they would obey him and Durayd said, 'This is a day which
THE BATTLE OF l;IUNAYN, A.H.8
I did not witness (as a warrior) and did not altogether miss.'
When Hawiizin heard how God had given the apostle possession of Mecca, Would that I were young again!
Malik b. 'Auf al-Nasri collected them together. There assembled to him I would ride forward gently
also all Thagif and all Nasr and Iusham; and Sa'd b. Bakr, and a few men Leading long-haired steeds
from B. Hila!' There were no others present from Qays 'Aylan. Kab and Like young antelopes (819).
Kiliib of Hawazin kept away and no one of ap.y importance from them was
present. Among the B. Iusham was Durayd b. al-$imma, a very oldman (To Durayd was the chief of the B. Iusham and their leader and greatest T. 16 57
whose sale remaining use was his valuable advice and his knowledge of war, man, but old age had overtaken him so that he was feeble. His full name
for he was an experienced leader. Thagjf had two leaders: Qarib b. al- was Durayd b. al-$imma b. Bakr b. 'Algama b. Iuda'a b. Ghazjva b.
Aswad b. Mas'ud b. Mu'attib comma~ded the A\>laf, and Dhu'l-Khimar Iusham b. Mu'awiya b. Bakr b. Hawazin. Then Malik said to the -men
Subay' b. al-1:Jarith b. Malik and his brother A\>mar commanded the B. 'A s soon as you see them, break your scabbards and attack them as one'
Malik. The general direction of affairs lay with Malik b. 'Auf al-Na~ri. man.')
When he decided to attack the apostle he placed with the men their cattle, Umayya b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. 'Uthman informed me that he was told 842
wives, and children. When he halted at Aulas the men assembled to him, that Malik sent out spies who came back with their joints dislocated. When
among them Durayd b. al-$imma in a sort of howdah ih which he was he asked what on earth had happened to them they said, 'We saw white
carried. As soon as he arrived he inquired what wadi they were in and men on piebald horses and immediately we suffered as you see.' And, by
when he was told that it was Aups he said that it was a fine place for God, even that did not turn him back from the course he intended.
841 cavalry. 'Not a hill with jagged rocks, nor a plain full of dust; but why do When the prophet heard about them he sent 'Abdullah b. Abu Hadrad
I hear the groaning of camels and the braying of asses, and the crying of al-~slami to them and ordered him to go among them and stay with them
children and the bleating of sheep I"~ They told him that Malik had brought until he learned all about them, and then bring him back the news. 'Abdul_
them with the men, and he immediately inquired for him and said, '0 lah went and stayed with them until he learned that they had decided to
Malik, you have become the chief of your people and this is a day which fight the apostle and the dispositions of Hawazin, and then came back to
will be followed by great events.' He then inguired about the cattle and the tell the apostle. (T. The apostle called for 'Umar and told him what Ibn
women and children, and l\lalik explained that his purpose in bringing Abu 1:Jadrad had said. 'Umar said that he was a liar. He replied, 'You
them and putting them behind the men was to make them fight to the may call me a har, 'Umar, but for a long time you denied the truth.' 'Umar
death in their defence. He made a sound indicative of dismayz and said: said, 'Do you not hear what he says, a apostle?' and the apostle answered
'You sheep-tender, do you suppose that anything will turn back a man that 'You were in error and God guided you, 'umar.') ,
runs away 1 If all goes well nothing will help you but sword and lance; if When the apostle decided to go out against Hawazin he was told that
it goes ill you will be disgraced with your family and property.' Then he f;lafwan b. Umayya had some armour and weapons, so he sent to him
asked what had happened to Ka'b and Kilab; and when he heard that they though he was at that time a polytheist, saying, 'Lend us these weapons of
were not there he said, 'Bravery and force are not here; were it a day of yours so. that we may fight our enemy tomorrmv.' $afwan asked, 'Are you
lofty deeds Ka'b and Kilab would not have stayed away. I wish that you demandmg them by force, Muhammad I' He said, ':-\0, they are a loan
had done what they have done. What clans have you got I' They told him and a trust until we return them to you.' He said that in that case there was
'Amr b. 'Amir and 'Auf b. 'Amir and he said, 'Those two sprigs of 'Amir no objection and he gave him a hundred coats of mail with sufficient arms
can do nothing either way. You've done no good, Malik, by sending for- to go with them. They allege that the apostle asked for transport to carry
ward the mainbody, the mainbody of Hawazin, to meet the cavalry. Send them and he provided it.
them up to the high and inaccessible part of their land and meet the Then the apostle marched with 2,000 Meccans and 10,000 of his com-
I The language is the oracular style of saj'. panions who had gone out with him when he conquered Mecca, 12,000 in
1. Lit. 'said Tehk'; other authorities say it means snapping the fingers.
I The fabi' was one who changed his religion; in this case the newly converted Muslims.
568 The L'fe of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 569
813 all. The apostle left in charge of Mecca 'Attah b. Asid b. Abu'l-'Js b. akbar! By Him who holds my life in His hand, You have said what Moses'
Umayya b: 'Abdu Shams to look after the men who had stayed behind. people said to him: '''Make us a god even 3S they have gods." He said,
Then he went fonvard to meet Hawazin. "You are an ignorant people. You would follow the customs of those
'Abbas b. Mirdas al-Sulami said: who \vere before you." 'I
This year the ghoul of their people has smitten Ri'!, 'A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada from 'Abclu'l-Ral,lman b. Jabir from his
In the midst of their tents, for the ghoul has many forms. father Jabir b. 'Abdullah told me: When we approached Wadj I:Iunayn we
Alas for the mother of Kilab when the cavalry of Ibn Haudha came down through a wadi wide and sloping. We were descending gradu-
2
And Insan came on them unopposed. ally in the morning twilight. The enemy had got there before us and had
Deny not your kindred, strengthen the bonds with your proteges hidden themselves in its bypaths and side tracks, and narrow places. They
Your cousins afC Sa'd and Duhman. 3 ' had collected and were fully prepared, and by God we were terrified when,
You will not return them though it is a flagrant disgrace (not to do so), as we were coming down, the squadrons attacked us as one man. The
As long as milk is in the captured camels. people broke and fled none heeding the other. The apostle withdrew to
I t is a disgrace by whose shame Hadan 4 has been covered the right and said, 'Where arc you going, men? Come to me. I am God's
And Dhu Shaughar and Silwan' flo;" with it. apostle. I am Muhammad the son of 'Abdullah.' And not for nothing did
It is no better than what I:Iadhaf roasted the camels bump one into the other. The men ran away except that a 845
\-\Then he said, 'All roasted wild ass is inedible.'s number of Muhajirs and Anl?ar and men of his family remained with the
Haw3zin are a good tribe save that they have a Yamani disease: apostle. Of the Muhiijirs who stood firm were Abu Bakr and 'Umar; of
If they arc not treacherous they are deceitful. his family 'All and al-'Abbas and Abu $ufyan b. al-I:Iarith and his son; and
They have a brother-had they been true to their covenant al-Fadl b. 'Abbas, and Rabj'a b. al-I:Iarith and Usama b. Zayd and Ayman
And had we reduced them by war they would have been kindly. b. Umm Ayman b. 'Ubayd who was killed that day (821).
Take to Hawazin one and all There was a man of Hawazin on a red camel carrying a black banner at
A plain message of advice from me. the end of a long spear leading Hawazin. \Vhen he overtook a man he
I think God's apostle will attack you in the morning thrust him with his spear. When people moved out of his reach he lifted
\Vith an army extending over all the plain; his spear to those behind him and they went after them.
Among them your brother Sulaym who \vill not let you go. \Vhen the men fled and the rude fellows from Mecca who were with the
And the Muslims, God's servants, Ghassan. apostle saw the flight some of them spoke in such a way as to disclose their
On his right are the Banu Asad enmity. Abu Sufyan b. I:Iarb said, 'Their flight will not stop before they
And the redoubtable Bam} 'Abs and Dhubyan. get to the sea!' He had his divining arrows with him in his quiver. Jabala
The earth almost quaked in fear, b. aHlanbal cried (822) (he together with his brother $afwan b. Umayya
And in the van are Aus and 'Uthman. was a polytheist during the respite which the apostle had given him):
'Surely sorcery is vain today.' $afwan said, I Shut up! God smash your
Aus and 'Uthman are two tribes of Muzayna (820). mouth! I would rather be ruled by a man of Quraysh than a man of
Ibn Shihiib al-Zuhrj from Sinan b. Abu Sinan al-Du'alj from Abu Hawazin' (823).
Waqid al-Laythi told me that al-I:Iarith b. Malik said: We went forth with Shayba b. 'Uthman b. Abu Tall,la, brother of B. 'Abdu'l-Dar, said: I
the apostle to I:Iunayn fresh from paganism. The heathen Quraysh and said, Today I will get my revenge on Muhammad (for his father had been
other Arabs had a great green tree called Dhatu Anwal to which they used killed at Ul,lud). Today I will kill Muhammad. I went round him to kill
to come every year and hang their weapons on it and sacrifice beside it and him and something happened to stay my purpose so that I could not do it
devote themselves to it for a day. As we were going with the apostle we and I knew that he was protected from me.
saw a great late tree and we called out to the apostle from the sides of the One of the Meccans told me that when the apostle left Mecca for I:Iunayn
way, 'Make us a tree to hang things on such as they have.' He said, 'Allah and saw the great number of God's armies that were with him he said, 'We 846
I A tribe of Sulaym. Hawiizin and Sulaym were brother tribes. shall not be worsted today for want of numbers.' Some people allege that
l A tribe of Qayg of the clan of B. Na!;r; or from B. }usham b. Bakr. According to A. Dh. a man of B. Bakr said this.
they were a tribe of Hawiizin. AI-Zuhri from Kathir b. al- 'Abbas from his father told me: I was with
3 Two sons of Na!;r b. Mu'awiya b. Bakr of Hawiizin.
~ l;-IaQan ig a mountain in Najd. Dhu Shaughar and Silwan are wadis. the apostle holding the ring of the bridle which I had put between the jaws
5 A paraphrase of the somewhat coane original. I Sura 7. 134.
57 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 57!
of his white mule. I was a big man with a powerful voice. The apostle was If the front and rear ranks are lost
saying when he saw the army in confusion, '\Vhcre are you going, men?' Still they come band after band,
And not one of them paid heed, and he said, '0 'Abbas cry loudly, "0 Squadrons the eyes tire in counting.
An~ar, 0 comrades of the acacia tree'" and they answered 'Here we are; I used to thrust with a spear dripping with blood.
and a man would try to turn his beast and could not do it; and he would When the lurking craven was blamed
take his mail and throw it on its neck, and take his sword and shield and get I would make a wide gash whence blood gushed audibly;
off his mount and let it go its way and make for the voice until he came to Blood spurting from its midst, 848
the apostle. Finally a hundred were gathered by him and they went Sometimes in spouts, sometimes quietly flowing,
forward and fought. At first the cry was 'To me, An~ar!' and finally 'To The spear shaft broken in it.
me, Khazraj!' They were steadfast in the fight and the apostle standing in o Zayd, 0 Ibn Hamham, where are you fleeing?
hIS stirrups looked down at the melee as they were fighting and said, 'Now N ow teeth are gone, old age has come.
the oven is hot.' 1 The white long-veiled women know
'A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada from 'Abdu'l-Ral,lman from his father Jabir That I am no tyro in such affairs
b. <Abdullah said, 'While that man with the Hawazin standard on his camel \Vhen the chaste wife is sent out from the curtains. I
was doing as he did 'Ali and one of the An~ar turned aside making for him.
Malik also said:
'Ali came on him from behind and hamstrung his camel and it fell upon its
rump; and the An~ari leapt upon him and struck him a blow which sent his Forward, Mul).aj! They are fine horsemen.
foot flying with half his shank and he fell from his saddle. The men went Do not think that the enemy have gone (824).
on fighting and, by God, when those who had run away returned they 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that he was told from Abu Qatada al-
found only prisoners handcuffed with the apostle. An:?ari; and one of our companions whom 1 have no reason to suspect told
847 The apostle turned to Abu Sufyan who was one of those who stood firm me from Nafi', client of B. Ghifar Abu Muhammad from Abu Qatada, that
with the apostle that day and was an excellent Muslim when he accepted the latter said: On the day of I:J:unayn I saw two men fighting, a Muslim
the faith, as he was holding on to the back of the saddle of his mule and and a polytheist. A friend of the latter was making to help him against the
asked who it was. He replied, 'I am your mother's son, 0 apostle of Muslim, so I went up to him and struck off his hand, and he throttled me
God." with the other; and by God he did not let me go until I smelt the reek of
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that the apostle turned and saw Umm blood (825). He had all but killed me and had not loss of blood weakened
Sulaym d. Mill,liin who was with her husband Abu Tall,la. She was wearing him he would have done so. But he fell and I struck and killed him, and
a stnped glIdle and was pregnant with her son 'Abdullah b. Abu Talha. was too occupied with the fighting to pay any more attention to him. One
She had her husband's camel with her and was afraid that it would be ioo of the Meccans passed by and stripped him, and when the fighting was
much for her, so she brought its head near to her and put her hand in the over and we had finished with the enemy the apostle said that anyone who
nose ring of hair along with the nose rein. After telling the apostle who had killed a foe could have his spoil. I told the apostle that I had killed a
she was in response to his question she said, 'Kill those who run away from man who was worth stripping and had been too occupied with fighting at
you as you kill those who fight you, for they are' worthy of death!' The the time and that I did not know who had spoiled him. One of the Meccans 849
apostle said, 'Rather God will save (me the need), 0 Umm Sulaym!' She admitted that I had spoken the truth and that the spoil was in his posses-
had a knife with her and Abu Tall,la asked why, and she said, 'I took the sion. 'So pay him to his satisfaction on my behalf from his spoil.' Abu
knife so that if a polytheist came near me I could rip him up with itl' He Bakr said, 'No, by Allah, he shall not" give him satisfaction" from it. Are
said, 'Do you hear what Umm Sulaym al-Rumana' says, 0 apostle?' you going to make one of God's lions who fought for His religion go shares
When he set out for I:J:unayn the apostle had joined B. Sulaym to al- with you in his prey? Return the spoil of the man he killed to him!' The
J;lal,ll,laq b. Sufyiin al-Kilabi so that they went along with him. And when apostle confirmed Abu Bakr's words, so I took the spoil from him and sold
the men fled Malik b. 'Auf said, addressing his horse: it and bought with the money a small palm-grove. It is the first property
Forward, Mul,laj!' This is a difficult day I ever held.
Such as I on such as thee turns ever to the fight. One I do not suspect told me from Abu Salama from Isl,laq b. 'Abdullah
b. Abu Tall,la from Anas b. Malik: Abu Tall,la alone took the spoil of
I Watis, a play on the name Autas.

a He was actually his cousin. Mother here stands for grandmother. twenty men.
J The name of his horse.
I i.e. when the enemy attack the encampment and the women cannot be protected.
572 The Life of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad 573
My father Is\1aq b. Yasar told me that he was told from Jubayr b.
Evil was the state of the B. Qasiy in Wajj'
Mufim: Before the people fled and men were fighting one another I saw
When each one's affairs were decreed.
the like of a black garment coming from heaven until it fell between us and
They lost the day (and every people has a ruler
the enemy. I looked, and 10 black ants everywhere filled the wadi. I had
And fortunes change).
no doubt that they were the angels. Then the enemy fled.
We came on them like lions of the thickets,
When God put to flight the polytheists of I:!unayn and gave his apostle
The armies of God came openly.
power over them a Muslim woman said: 8S'
We came at the main body of B. Qasiy
Allah's cavalry have beaten AI-Lat's cavalry Almost flying at them in our rage.
And Allah best deserves to hold fast (826). Had they stayed I swear we would have come at them
With armies and they would not have got a\vay.
When Hawazin were put to flight the killing of Thaqif among the B. We were as lions of Llya 2 there until we destroyed them
Malik was severe and seventy of them were killed beneath their flag, among And al-Nusur J were forced to surrender.
whom were 'Uthman b. 'Abdullah b. Rabi'a b. al-I:!arith b. I:!abib. Their There was 'a day before that day at I:!unayn which is past
flag was with Dhii'I-Khimar. When he was killed 'Uthman b. 'Abdullah And blood then flowed freely.
took it and fought by it until he was killed. In former days there was no battle like this;
'Amir b. Wahb b. al-Aswad told me that when news of his death reached Men of long memories have never heard of such.
the apostle he said, 'God curse him! He used to hate Quraysh.' We slew B. I:!u\ayt in the dust by their flags
850 Yaqiib b. 'Utba b. al-Mughira b. al-Akhnas told me that a young un- While the cavalry turned away.
circumcised Christian slave was killed with 'Uthman, and while one of the Dhii'l-Khimar was not the chief of a people
An~aris wasplundering the slain of Thaqif he stripped the slave to plunder Who possessed intelligence to blame or disapprove.
him and found that he was uncircumcised. He called out at the top of his He led them on the road to death
voice, 'Look, you Arabs, God knows that Thaqlf are uncircumcised.' As everyone could see.
Mughira b. Shu'ba took hold of his hand, for he was afraid that this report Those who escaped were choked with terror,
would go out from them among the Arabs, and told him not to say that, A multitude of them were slain.
for the man concerned was only a Christian slave. Then he began to un- The languid man could not help in such a case
cover the slain and showed that they were circumcised. Nor he who was too shy and hesitant to attack.
The flag of the A\1laf was with Qarib b. al-Aswad, and when the men He destroyed them and he perished himself.
were routed he leant it against a tree, and he and his cousins and his people They had given him the leadership and the leaders fled.
fled. Only two men of the A\1laf were killed and one of the B. Ghiyara Banu 'Auf's horses went at a fair pace
called Wahb and another of B. Kubba called al-Jula\1. When the apostle Fed on fresh grass and barley.
heard of the killing of al-Jula\1 he said, 'The chief of the young men of But for Qarib and his father's sons
Thaqif except Ibn Hunayda has been killed today, meaning by him al- The fields and castles would have been divided,
I:!arith b. Uways. But they attained prominence
'Abbas b. Mirdas al-Sulami, mentioning Qarib b. al-Aswad and his By the lucky advice they were given.
flight from his father's sons, and Dhii'l-Khimar and his shutting up his They obeyed Qarib and they had good fortune
people to death, said: And good sense that brought them glory.
If they are guided to Islam they will be found
Who will tell Ghaylan and 'Urwa from me
Leaders of men while time lasts.
(I think one who knows will come to him).
If they do not accept it they call
I send to tell you something
For God's war in which they will have no helper.
Which is different from what you say which will go round
As war destroyed the B. Sad
That Muhammad is a man, an apostle to my Lord
And fate the clan of B. Ghaziya.
Who errs not, neither does he sin.
The B. Mu'awiya b. Bakr
We have found him a prophet like Moses,
Any who would rival him in goodness must fail. 1 Qas! is a name of Thaqif and Wajj is a wadi in al-Tii.'if.
:l. A place near al-Tii.'if. 3 The family of :'v1iilik b. 'Auf al-Na~ri.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 575
574
Were like a flock of sleep coming bleating to Islam. Which melts our very bones.
We said, 'Be Muslims; we are your brethren, May the traces of your cavalry after hard travel
For our breasts arc free from enmity.' In Dhu Baqar as far as the desert of al-Nuhaq be effaced!
852 When the people came to us they seemed .Amra also said:
Blind to hatred after peace had come (827). They said, '\lVe have killed Durayd.' 'True,' I said,
When the polytheists were routed they came to al-Ta'if. Malik b. 'Auf And my tears flowed down my garment. .
was with them and others were encamped in Autas. Some of them made Were it not for Him \vho has conquered all the tnbes
for Nakhla, but only the B. Ghiyara of Thaqif. The apostle's cavalry fol- Sulaym and Ka'b would have seen what counsel to follow.
lowed those who took the road to Nakhla, but not those who went to the A great army of pungent smell l
passes. Would have attacked them continuously wherever they were (82 9)'
Rab!'a b. Rufay' b. Ulibiin b. Tha'laba b. Rab!'a b. Yarbu' b. Sammal b. The apostle sent Abu 'Amir al-Ash'arj on the track of those who had
'Auf b. Imru'ul-Qays who was called after his mother Ibn Dughunna more gone towards Autas and he over:ook so~e of the fugItIves. In t~e s~lr=
often (828) overtook Durayd b. al-i;3imma and took hold of his camel's mishes which followed Ahu 'Amlr was kIlled by an arrow and Abu Musa
halter, thinking that he was a woman because he was in his howdah. And al-Ash'arj, his cousin, took the standard. He continued the fight and God
10, it was a man; he made the camel kneel and it was a very old man- gave him the victory and routed the enemy. It is alleged that Salama b.
Durayd b. al-i;3imma. The young man did not know him and Durayd . Durayd shot Abu' Amir in the knee and the wound proved fatal. He saId:
asked him what he wanted and what was his name. He told him and said
that he wanted to kill him, and struck him with his sword to no effect. If you ask about me I am Salama, 854
Durayd said, 'What a poor weapon your mother has given you! Take this The son of Samadir to one who asks further.
sword of mine that is behind the saddle in the howdah and strike me with I smite with my sword the heads of the Muslims.
that above the spine and below the head, for that is the way I used to strike Samadir was his mother.
men. Then when you come to your mother tell her that you have killed The B. Nasr killed many of B. Ri'ab and they allege that 'Abdullah b.
Durayd b. al-i;3imma, for many's the day I have protected your women:' Qays, called b. al-'Aura', one of B. Wahb b. Ri'ab, said to the, apostle,
The B. Sulaym allege that Rab!'a said, 'When I smote him he fell and 'B. Ri'ab have perished,' and they allege that the apostle sald, 0 God,
exposed himself, and 10 his crotch and the inside of his thighs were like make good their losses.' . .
paper from riding horses bareback. \Vhen RabI'a returned to his mother Malik b. 'Auf during the flight stopped wllh some of hIS horsemen at a
he told her that he had killed him and she said, 'By God, he set free pass on the road and told them to \vait unti.l the wea.k .one~ passed and
three mothers and grandmothers of yours. those in the rear had caught up, and they did so. Malik Said of that:
853 'Amra d. Durayd said of Rab!'a's killing him:
Were it not for two charges on Mu1.laj
l' faith I did not fear the army of fate The way would be difficult for the camp followers.
On Durayd's account in the valley of Sumayra. But for the charge of Duhman b. Nasr
God repay the B. Sulaym for him At the palms where al-Shadiq' flows .
And may ingratitude rend them for what they have done. Jafar and Banu Hilal would have returned dIscomfited
May He give us the blood of their best men to drink Riding two on a camel in their distress (83 0 ).
\Vhen we lead an army against them.
Many a calamity did you avert from them Salama b. Durayd who was conducting his wife until he escaped them said: 855
When they were at the point of death. You \','Quld have me forget though you are unhurt
Many a noble woman of theirs did you free And though you know that day at the foot of al-A~rub
And others you loosed from bonds. That I protected you and walked behind you
Many a man of Sulaym named you noble Watching on all sides when to ride would have been a boon,
As he died when you had answered his call. When every well-trained warrior with flowing locks
Our reward from them is ingratitude and grief Fled from his mother and did not return to his friend (83 I).
I Maw. 68 quotes two lines of verse attributed to Durayd which may have been in the J Accoutrements were often polished with dung.
Maghiizi. Cf. I;lamasa, 377. 2 A wadi in the suburbs of al-Ta'if.
576 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 577
856 One of our companions told us that the apostle that day passed by a 'Abbas b. Mirdas said about the battle of I;!unayn:
woman whom Khalid b. al-Walid had killed while men had gathered round By the swift horses Oil the day of Muzdalifa
her. When he heard what had happened he sent word to Khalid and for- And by what the apostle recites from the Book
bade him to kill child, orwoman, or hired slave. I liked the punishment Thaqlf got yesterday on the side of the valley.
One of B. Sad b. Bakr told me that the apostle said that day, , If you get They were the chief of the enemies from Najd
hold of Bijad, a man of B. Sad b. Bakr, don't let him escape you,' for he And their killing was sweeter than drink.
had done great wrong. When the Muslims took him they led him away We put to flight all the army of B. Qasly.
with his family and with him (T- his sister) al-Shayma' d. al-I;!arith (T. b. The full weight fell on B. Ri'ab,
Abdullah) b. Abdu'I-'Uzza, foster-sister of the apostle. They treated her The tents of Hilal in AUlas
roughly as they brought her along and she told the Muslims that she was Were left covered with dust.
the foster-sister of the apostle, but they did not believe her until they had If our horses had met B. Kilab's army
brought her to the apostle. Their women would have got up as the dust arose. I
Yazld b. 'Ubayd al-Sa'dI told me that when she was brought to the We galloped among them from Buss to aI-Aural'
apostle she claimed to be his foster-sister, and when he asked for proof she Panting after the spoil
857 said, 'The bite you gave me in my back when I carried you at my hip.' The With a loud-voiced army, among them
apostle acknowledged the proof and stretched out his robe for her to sit on The apostle's squadron advancing to the fray (834).
and treated her kindly. He gave her the choice of living with him in affec-
'Allya b. 'Ufayyif al-NasrI answered him:
tion and honour or going back to her people with presents, and she chose
the latter. The B. Sad allege that he gave her a slave called Mak1;lul and a Does Rifa'a boast about I;!unayn?
slave girl; the one married the other and their progeny still exists (832). And 'Abbas son of her who sucks milkless sheep!
The names of those martyred at I:Iunayn were: For you to boast is like a maid who struts about
In her mistress's robes while the rest of her is bareP
From Quraysh of B. Hashim: Ayman b. 'Ubayd.
From B. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza: Yazld b. Zamaa b. al-Aswad b. 'Atiya spoke these two verses because of 'Abbas's vehemence against
al-Mullalib b. Asad. A horse of his called al-Jana1;l threw him and Hawazin. Rifa'a was of Juhayna.
killed him. 'Abbas b. Mirdas also said:
From the An~iir: Suriiqa b. al-I;!iirith b. 'Adly from B. 'Ajliin. o Seal of the Prophets, you are sen with the truth
From the Ash'arlyun: Abu 'Amir al-Ash'arI. With all guidance for the way.
God has built up love upon you
The captives ofJ:IunayI). were brought to the apostle with their property.
In His creation and named you Muhammad.
Mas'ud b. 'Amr al-Ghifiiri (T. al-QarI) was over the spoils and the apostle
ordered that the captives and the animals should be brought to al-Ji'rana
Then those who were faithful to
your agreement with them,
An army over whom you set al-Oa1;l1;lak,
and be kept in ward there.
A man with sharp weapons as though
Bujayr b. Zuhayr b. Abu Sulma said about HUl1ayn:
When the enemy surrounded him he saw you.'
But for God and His servant you would have turned back He attacked those of (his) kith and kin
\Vhen fear ovenvhelmed every coward I Seeking only to please God and you.
On the slope the day our opponents met us
I Sc. 'to wail over the dead.'
While the horses galloped at full stretch, :: A place in Jusham country. The Aural are three black mountains near water belonging
Some running clutching their garments, to 'Abdullah b. Darim.
1 ihdb generally means a hide or skin but can be applied to the skin of a human being.
Others knocked sideways by hooves and chests.
4 This is what the commentators propose, but the line seems impossibly bad. If we
85 8 God honoured us and made our religion victorious understand dharab to mean 'wound' and treat yardka 8S a by-form of ardka with hamza
And glorified us in the worship of the Compassionate. softened to ya (cf. Suyuti's Muzhir, Cairo, i. 463) we could render:
God destroyed them and dispersed them all A man scarred by weapons,
When the enemy surrounded him he was like an arak tree.
And humiliated them in the worship of Satan (833)' lowe this suggestion to Dr. Arafat. The arak is a thorny tree. The use of the accusative
for the nominative is not without parallel. Cf. Wright ii, 83B.
I Or with some authorities, 'heart' (jandn).
B 4080 pp
578 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 579
I tell you I saw him charging in clouds of dust In any emergency inflict loss and do well.
Crushing the heads of the polytheists; We drove off Hawiizin that day with spears.
No", throttling with bare hands, Our cavalry was submerged in rising dust
Now splitting their skulls with his sharp sword.' When even the prophet feared their bravery, and as they came en masse
The B. Sulaym hastened before him The sun all but ceased to shine thereat.
With continual cuts and thrusts at the enemy. Banu Jusham were summoned and the hordes of Na~r
They walked beneath his banner there In the midst while the spears were thrusting
Like lions with a haunt they mean to defend. Until the apostle Muhammad said,
They did not hope for consideration of kinship '0 BanG Sulaym, you have kept your word, now desist.'
But obedience to their Lord and your love. We went off and but for us their bravery
These were our doings for which we are renowned. Would have injured the believers and they would have kept what they
And our Helper is your Lord. had gained.
He said also:
He also said:
If you saw, 0 Umm Fanva, our horses
Some led riderless and lame! Mijdal is deserted by its people and Mutali"
And the plain of Arik, and its cisterns arc empty.
The battle had reduced their fitness,
Blood gushed from deep wounds. We had homes, 0 Juml, when all life was pleasant
Many a woman whom our prowess protected .
And the change of abode' brought the tribe together.
From the hardship of waf so that, she 2 had no fear, said, Long absence afar has changed my beloved,
'There are none like those who came to make an agreement But can a happy past ever return?
Which forged an inseparable link with Muhammad.' If you seek the unbelievers I do not blame you,
A deputation among them Abu Qalan, I;Iuziiba But I am a helper and follower of the prophet.
And Abii'l-Ghuyuth and Wiisi' and al-Miqna' The best of embassies I know summoned us to them,
And he who led the hundred which brought Khuzayma, and al-Marrar and \Vasi"
The nine hundred to a complete thousand. So we came with a thousand of Sulaym finely clad
Banu 'Auf and the clan of Mukhashin collected six hundred In armour woven by David.
And four hundred were brought from Khufaf We hailed him lord at the two mountains of Mecca
There when the prophet was helped by our thousand And it was to God that we paid homage.
He handed us a fluttering standard. We entered Mecca publicly with the guided one by force of arms,
860 We conquered with his flag and his commission bequeathed 3 While the dust arose in all directions.
A glorious life and authority that will not cease. Sweat covered the backs of the horses 861
The day that we formed the prophet's flank And warm blood from within grew hotter.
In the vale of l\1ecca when spears were quivering 'twas On the day of l:iunayn when Hawazin came against us
Our answer to him who called us to our Lord in truth: And we could scarcely breathe
We went helmeted and unmailed alike, We stood steadfast with al-Oa1,l1,lak;
With long mail whose mesh David chose Struggle and combat did not dismay us.
When he weaved iron, and Tubba' too. In front of the apostle a banner fluttered above us
By I:Iunayn's two wells we had a train Like the rapid movement of a cloud.
Which slew the hypocrites-an immovable army. The night that Oa1,l1,lak b. Sufyan fought with the apostle's sword
By us the prophet gained victory; we are the people who And death was near
I C. adds here: We defended our brother from our brother. J
Smiting the heads of the warriors with it . I Mutiili' is a mountain in Najd.
If you had seen as I saw his prowess you would have been satISfied. 2 One MS. has dahri 'time's changes' which is a cliche that is often used by the poets and
:a Or 'her people' (sirbuha). . ,., . may well be right here.
3 The choice of words brings out the double meanmg of tymg and making an agreement. 3 The point is that he is of Sulaym who was from Oays to whom I-Iaw<1zin belonged. The
line runs: 'Aylan-Qays-Kha~afa-Ikrima-Man~u.r,the 'father' of Hawazin and Sulaym.
580 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 58!

Had we a choice we would have followed our own kin, And a widow crying Alas! over her husband.
But God's religion is the religion of Muhammad. 'Tis God not man we seek to please;
We are satisfied with it; it contains guidance and laws. To Him belongs the seen and the unseen.
By it he set our affairs right after we had erred He also said:
And none can avert the decree of God. What ails thine eye painful and sleepless,
He also said: Its lash feeling like a piece of chaff?
Sorrow brings sleeplessness to the eye
The last link with Umm Mu'ammal is broken, And tears now cover it, now flow down
She has changed her mind contrary to her promise; Like a string of pearls with the stringer
She had sworn by God she would not break the link, The thread breaks and they are scattered.
But she did not keep her word or fulfil her oath. How far off is the home of her you long for,
She is of Banii Khufaf who summer in the vale of al-'Aqiq' Al-Samman and al-Hafar stand in the way!
And occupy Wajra and 'Urf in the deserts. Talk no more of the'davs of youth.
Though Umm Mu'ammal follows the unbelievers Youth is gone and scant white locks have come,
She has made me love her more despite her distance from me. And remember the fighting of Sulaym in their settlements;
Someone will tell her that we refuse to do so And Sulaym have something to boast about:
. And seek only our Lord in alliance; They are the people who helped God
And that we are on the side of the guide, the prophet Muhammad, And followed the apostle's religion while men's affairs were confused.
And number a thousand which (number) no (other) tribe reached. They do not plant young palms in their midst
With strong warriors of Sulaym And cows do not low in their winter quarters.
Who obey his orders to the letter, But steeds like eagles are kept near them
Khufaf and Dhakwan and 'Auf whom you would think Surrounded by multitudes of camels.
Were black stallions walking among the she-camels Khufaf and 'Auf were summoned on their flanks
As though our reddish-white mail and helmets' And the clan of Dhakwan armed and keen to fight.
Clothed long-eared lions which meet one another in their lairs. They smote the armies of the polytheists openly
By us God's religion is undeniably strong. In Mecca's vale, and killed them quickly,
We added a like number to the clan that was with him. Until we departed, and their dead
When we came to Mecca, our banner Were like uprooted palms in the open valley.
Was like an eagle soaring to dart on its prey On ~Iunayn's day our stand strengthened religion
86. (Riding) on horses which gazed upwards. And with God that is stored up.
You would think when they gallop in their bits there is a sound of Then we risked death in the gloom 863
jinn among them,3 As the black scattered dust cleared a\vay from the horses
The day we trod down the unbelievers Under the banner with al-pa1)1)ak leading us
And found no deviation or turning from the apostle's order. As a lion walks when he enters his thicket
In a battle mid which the people heard only In a narrow place where war pressed hard. I
Our exhortations to fight and the smashing of skulls Sun and moon were almost blotted out by it.
By swords that sent heads flying from their base We devoted our lances to God in Autas,
And severed the necks of warriors at a blow. We helped whom we would and we became victorious
Often have we left the slain cut to pieces Until certain people returned to their dwellings, who
But for us and God would not have returned.
I A wadi in the Hijaz.
~ The reading here should be baya 'helmets', not bir;la 'swords' as in C. The word is left You will see no tribe great or small
unpainted in W. The poet is comparing the chain flaps depending from the helmets to the But we have left our mark upon them.
long ears of lions.
I Bevan queried this hemistich. Reckendorff, Ar. Syntax, 173 reads kalkalaha and ren-
3 This line is difficult. A.Dh. says marawidiha means its pegs or pins (watid) while S.
ders: 'in einer Enge wo der Kampf seine Brust hin und her zerrt'; and refers to I'\bldekc,
suggests that it means' 'where animals pasture', i.e. go to and fro. I am indebted to Dr. W.
Z. Gramm. 75 and Fleischer, i. 184 f.
Arafat for the rendering given above.
The Life of Muhammad 583
582 The Life of Muhammad
He also said: We were his hodyguard before other troops,
He consulted us and we consulted him.
o rider with whom there hastens He summoned us and named us intimates first of all
A strong, sturdy, firm footed she-camel, And we helped him against his opponents.
If you come to the prophet say to him as you should God richly reward that fine prophet Muhammad
When the assembly is quiet, And strengthen him with victory, for God is his helper! (83 6)
'0 best that ever rode a camel
Or \valked the earth, if souls are weighed, He also said:
We were faithful to OUf covenant with you Who will tell the peoples that Muhammad, God's apostle,
\Vhen the cavalry were driven off by warriors and wounded Is rightly guided wherever he goes?
When there flowed from all the sides of Buhtha' He prayed to his Lord and asked His help alone.
A multitude which shook the mountain paths He gave it graciously fulfilling His promise.
Until we came on the people of Mecca with a squadron We journeyed and met Muhammad at Qudayd, .
Glittering with steel, led by a proud chief He intending to do with us what God had determmed.
Composed of Sulaym's sturdiest men They douhted about US in the dawn and then
Capped in strong iron mesh with iron top They saw clearly warriors on horseback with levelled lances,
Blooding their shafts when they dashed into battle. Firmly clad in mail, our infantry 865
You would think them glowering lions. A strong force like a rushing torrent.
They engaged the squadron wearing their badges, The best of the tribe if you must ask
Sword and spear in hand. Were Sulaym and those who claimed to be Sulaym,
At Bunayn we were a thousand strong And an army of Helpers who did not leave him
By which the apostle was reinforced. Obeying what he said unquestioningly.
They defended the believers in the vanguard. Since you have made Khalid chief of the army
The sun was reflected a thousand times from their 'steel. And promoted him he has become a chief mdeed
We went forward, God guarding us, In an army guided by God whose commander you are
And God does not lose those He guards. By which you smite the wicked with every right.
\Ve made a stand in Manaqib,2 I swore a true oath to Muhammad
Which pleased God, what a fine stand it was! And I fulfilled it with a thousand bridled horses.
On the day of Au!as we fought so fiercely The prophet of the believers said, Advance!
That the enemy had enough and cried Stop! And we rejoiced that we were the vanguard.
Hawazin appealed to the brotherhood between us- We passed the night at the pool of Mustadir;
The breast that supplied them with milk, is dry- There was no fear in us but desire and preparedness (fOf war).
Until we left them like wild asses We obeyed you till all the enemy surrendered
Which wild beasts have continually preyed upon (835). And until in the morning \ve overtook the crowd, the people of
Yalamlam.!
He also said: The piebald steed with reddish barrel went astray'
We helped God's apostle, angry on his account, And the chief was not content till it was marked.
With a thousand warriors apart from unarmed men, We attacked them like a flock of grouse the morning affrights.
We carried his flag on the end of our lances, Everyone was too concerned to see to his fellow,
His helper protecting it in deadly combat. From morn till eve till we left f:!unayn
We dyed it with blood, for that was its colour, \Vith its watercourses streaming with blood.
The day of f:!unayn when ;;afwan thrust with his spear. Wherever you looked )!OU could see a fine mare
We were his right wing in Islam,
J A halt nvo marches distant from Mecca for pilgrims coming from the Y~man.
We had charge of the flag and displayed it. 2 ?f
Even such a conspicuous animal was lost in the great cro~..v~, T~e ,meamng the next
line may be: 'The old man was not content until he wore a dlStlOgUlShlOg mark,
I A clan of Sulaym. 2 On the Mecca-Tii'if road.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhamnwd 585
And its rider lying beside a broken lance. And help any of them who suffers a loss?
Hawazin had recovered their herds from us Many a squadron did I meet with a squadron
And it pleased them that we should be disappointed and deprived (of Half of them mailed, half of them without armour.
them). Many a place which would appal the bold
Did I occupy first, as my people well know.
J;>am<)am b. al-J:Iarith b. Jusham b. 'Abd b. J:Iabib b. Malik b. 'Auf b. I came down to it and left brothers coming down
Yaqa?a b. 'U~ayya al-Sulami said concerning J:Iunayn (Thaqif had killed To its waters-waters of blood;1
Kinana b. al-J:Iakam b. Khalid b. al-Sharid, so he killed Mi!)jan and a When its waters rolled away they bequeathed to me
nephew of his, both of Thaqif): The glory of life and spoil to be divided.
We brought our horses without overdriving them You charged me with the fault of Muhammad's people,
To Jurash' from the people of Zayyiln and aI-Fam, But God knows who is more' ungrateful and unjust.
Killing the young lions and making for the temples You forsook me when I fought alone
Built before our day and not yet destroyed. You forsook me when Khath'am fought.
If you boast of the killing of Ibn .al-Sharid When I built up glory one of you pulled it down.
I have left many widows in Wajj.' Builder and destroyer are not equal.
866 I killed the two of them avenging Ibn al-Sharid Many a man who becomes thin in winter, hasting to glory,
Whom your promise of protection deceived and he blameless. Generous, devoted to lofty aims,
Our spears slew the men of Thaqif I stabbed with a black shaft of Yazan's work'
And our swords inflicted grievous wounds. Headed by a long blade.
I left his wife turning back his friend 868
He also said:
And saying, You cannot come at so-and-so.
Tell the men with you who have wives, Fully armed I opposed the spears
Never trust a woman Like a target which is pierced and split.
After what a woman said to her neighbour,
'Had the raiders not returned I should have been in the house.'3 An. anonymous poet also said about Hawazin mentioning their expedi-
When she saw a man whom the fierce heat of a torrid land tion against the apostle with Malik b. 'Auf after he had acccepted Islam:
Had left with blackened face and fleshless bones. Recall their march against the enemy when they assembled
You could see his leanness at the end of the night When the flags fluttered over Malik.
As he was clad in his mail for a raid. None was above Malik on the day of Bunayn 3
I am always in the saddle of a thick short-haired mare, When the crown glittered on his head
My garment touching my belt;4 Until they met courage when courage led them
One day in quest of booty, Wearing their helmets, mail, and shields.
Another, fighting along with the An~ar. They smote the men till they saw none
How much fertile land have I travelled, Round the prophet and until dust hid him.
How much rough uneven ground at gentle pace Then Gabriel was sent down from heaven to help them
That I might change her state of poverty, And we were routed and captured.
And she did not want me to return, the baggage! (837) If any other but Gabriel had fought us
Mill b. 'Auf excusing his flight said: Our noble swords would have protected us.
'Umar al-Fariiq escaped me when they were put to flight
Slit-eared camels straying from the track
With a thrust that soaked his saddle in blood
Prevented sleep for even an hour.
Ask Hawiizin do I not injure their enemy I Ghamra sometimes, as here, means 'the thick of the fight'.
2 Dhli Yazan, one of the kings of I;Iimyar; v.s.
t In the Yaman. 2 A place in aI-Ta'if. 3 Or 'Malik was a king, none above him'. . .
3 i.e. at the disposal of callers. .. This is the natural translation of the line, but as there 1~ no record of. Umar havmg
.. As the horse rushed forward sword and belt and garments would face the same been wounded in tru, battle the meaning may be that he escaped a thrust WhICh would have
direction. The husband is speaking at this point. soaked his saddle in blood.
586 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
A woman of B. Jusham lamenting two of her brothers who were slain Nor should we have met the army of Muhammad's people,
at Bunayn said: Eighty thousand reinforced by Khindif.
o eyes, be generous with your tears
For Malik and al-'Ala'; be not niggardly. THE CAPTURE OF AL-T,rIF, A.H. 8
They were the slayers of Abu 'Amir
Who held a sword with streaky marks. When the fugitives of Thaqif came to al-Ta'if they shut the gates of the
They left him a bleeding lump' city and made preparations for war. Keither 'Urwa b. Mas'ud nor Ghay-
Ian b. Salama were present at J:Iunayn or at the siege of al-Tii.'if; they were
Staggering, feebly unsupported.
in Jurash learning the use of the testudo, the catapult, and other instru-
Abu Thawab Zayd b. su~ar,
one of B. Sad b. Bakr, said: ments.' When he had finished at I:funayn the apostle went to al-'ra'if.
Have you not heard that Quraysh conquered Hawazin Ka'b b. Malik when the apostle came to this decision said:
(Misfortunes have their causes).
We put an end to doubt in the lowlands and Khaybar,
There was a time, Quraysh, \vhen if we were angry
Then we gave our swords a rest.
Red blood flowed because of our rage.
",re gave them the choice and could they have spoken
There was a time, Quraysh, when if we were angry
Their blades would have said, Give us Daus or Thaqif.
I t seemed as though snuff were in our nostrils.
May I be motherless if you do not see
And now Quraysh drive us
Thousands of us in your courts.
Like camels urged on by peasants.
We will tear off the roofs in the valley of Wajj
I am not in a position to refuse humiliation
And we will make your houses desolate.
l\'or am I disposed to give in to them (838).
Our swiftest cavalry ,vill come on yvu
'Abdullah b. Wahb, one of B. Tamjm of the clan of Dsayyid, answered Leaving behind a tangled mass.
him: When they come down on your courts
By God's command we smote those we met You will hear a cry of alarm
In accordance with the best command. With sharp cutting swords in their hands like flashes of lightning
When \ve met, 0 Hawazin, By which they bring death to those who would fight them
\Ve were saturating heads with fresh blood. Tempered by Indian smiths~not beaten into plates.
When you and B. Qasiy assembled You would think that the flowing blood of the warriors
\Ve crushed opposition like beaten leaves. Was mingled with saffron the morn the forces met.
Some of your chiefs we slew Good God, had they no adviser
And we turned to kill both fugitive and standfast. From the peoples who knew about us
Al-Multath lay with outstretched hands, To tell them that we had gathered
His dying breath sounding like a gasping young camel. The finest blood horses and that we had brought an army
If Qays 'Aylan be angry T~ surround the walls of their fort with troops?
My snuff has always subdued them. Our leader the prophet, firm,
Khadij b. al-'Auja'al-:"Ia~ri said: Pure of heart, steadfast, continent,
\Vhen we drew near to the waters of J:Iunayn Straightfonvard, full of wisdom, knowledge, and clemency;
\Vc saw repellent black and white shapes Not frivolous nor light minded.
In a dense well-armed throng; if they had thrown them \Vc obey our prophet ancl we obey a Lord
At the peaks of 'Dzwa they would have become flat. \Vho is the Compassionate, most kind to us.
If my people's chiefs had obeyed me H you offer peace we will accept it
We should not then have met the thick' cloud And make you partners in peace and war.
ICf. 856. 4. If you refuse we will fight you doggedly,
2I conjecture mutakathtlllf for mutakashshlf which gives a poor sense. On p. 870. 7 the 'Twill be no weak faltering affair.
MSS. vacillate between kathifan and kashifan, and again the former is the better reading:
However, some such meaning as 'looming' might be ascribed to mlltakashshif. C. says It We shall fight as long as we live
means ;dhir. I l)ubiir, a sort of testudo.
58 8 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
Till you turn to Islam, humbly seeking refuge. The apostle journeyed by Nakhlatu'I-Yamaniya, and Qarn, and al-
We will fight not caring whom we meet Mulay\1 and Bu\1ratu'I-Rugha' of Ljya.' A mosque was built there and he 872
Whether we destroy ancient holdings or newly gotten gains. prayed in it.
How many tribes assembled against us 'Amr b. Shu'ayb told me that when he came there that day he allowed
Their finest stock and allies! retaliation for homicide, and that was the first time such a thing happened
They came at us thinking they had no equal in Islam. A man of B. Layth had killed a man of H udhayl and he killed
And we cut off their noseS and ears him in retaliation. When he was in Liya the apostle ordered that the fort
With our fine polished Indian swords, of Malik b. 'Auf should be destroyed. Then he went on a road called
Driving them violently before us aI-I,:layqa.' As he was passing along it lie asked its name. When he was told
To the command of God and Islam, that it was 'the strait' he said, 'No, it is the easy.'J Then he went by Nakhb
Until religion is established, just and straight, and till he halted under a lote tree called al-i;ladira near the property of a man
Al"Lat and al-'Uzza and Wudd are forgotten of Thaqif. The apostle sent word to him, 'Either come out or we will
And \ve plunder them of their necklaces and earrings. destroy your wall." He refused to come out so the apostle ordered his wall
For they had become established and confident,I to be destroyed.
And he who cannot protect himself must suffer disgrace. He went on until he halted near al-Ta'if and pitched his camp there.
Some of his companions were killed by arrows there because the camp had
Kinana b. 'Abdu Yalil b. 'Amr b. 'Umayr answered him:
come too close to the wall of al- Tii'if and the arrows were reaching them.
He 'who covets us wishing to fight us (let him come). The Muslims could not get through their wall for they had fastened the
\Ve arc in a well-known home which we never leave. gate. When these men were killed by arrows he (T. withdrew and) pitched
OUf fathers were here long since his camp near where his mosque stands today. He besieged them for some
And we hold its wells and vineyards. twenty days (839).
<Amr b. lj\mir put us to the test aforetime 2 He had two of his wives with him: Umm Salama d. Abu Umayya (T.
And the wise and intelligent told them about it. and another with her). He struck two tents for them and prayed between
They know if they speak the truth that we the tents. Then he stayed there. When Thaqif surrendered 'Amr b.
Bring down the high looks of the proud. J Umayya b. Wahb b. Mu'attib b. Malik built a mosque over the place
\Ve force the strong to become meek where he prayed. There was a pillar in the mosque. Some allege that the
And the wrongdoer to become known to the discerning. sun never rises over it any day but a creaking noises is heard from it. The
We wear light mail the legacy of one who burned men' apostle besieged them and fought them bitterly and the two sides exchanged
Gleaming like stars in the sky. arrows (840), until when the day of storming came at the wall of al-Ta'if a 873
'\\-'e drive them from us with sharp swords, number of his "Companions went under a testudo and advanced up to the
When they are drawn from the scabbard we do not sheathe them. wall to breach it. Thaqif l.t loose on them scraps of hot iron so they came
.out from under it and Thaqif shot them with arrows and killed some of
Shaddad b. 'Ari<,l al-Jushami said about the apostle's expedition to al-
them. The aposl1e ordered that the vineyards of Thaqif should be cut
Ta'if: down and the men fell upon them cutting them down.
Don't help al-Lat for God is about to destroy her.
Abu Sufyan b. !:larb and al-Mughira b. Shu'ba went up to al-Ta'if and
How can one who cannot help herself be helped?
called to ThaqiF to grant them safety so that they could speak to them.
She that was burned in black smoke and caught fire.
When they agreed they called on the women of Quraysh and B. Kinana to
None fighting before her stones, is an outcast. 5
come out to them for they were afraid that they would be captured, but
When the apostle descends on your land
they refused to come. They were Amina d. Abu Sufyan who was married
None of her people will be left when he leaves.
to 'Urwa b. Mas'ud by whom she gave birth to Da'ud b. 'Urwa (844); and
I The meaning of this hemistich may be: 'And then they professed (Islam) and had I These are places in the area of Ta'if.
peace' . 2. As we should ~ay 'a tight corner' and therefore an inauspicious name which has to be
2. This is a hit at the An~ar through their common descent. altered. ' 3 al~ Yusra.
3 Twist into position the head turned aside in disdain. 4 l.zti'if means a wall and also the garden which it surrounds.
.. i.e. 'Amr b. 'Amir. 5 lIaqi4. I. BI~Athir, Nihiiya, sub voce, explains this word from the creaking of a camel's
S Lit. 'not one for whom blood wit must be paid'. litter and the noise given out by a roof when the wood moves (expands in the heat f).
590 The LIfe of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 59'
al-Firasiya d. Suwayd b. 'Amr b. Thalaba whose son was 'Abdu'I-Ra!)man al-Qushayri and took him until they should return his family to him.
b. Qarib; and al-Fuqaymjya Umayma d. the intercalator Umayya b. Qat'. AI-Da!)!)ak b. Sufyan al-Kilabi took the matter in hond and spoke to Thaqif
\\Then they refused to come out Ibn al-As\vad b. Mas'tid said to the two untll they let Marwan's family go, and he freed Ubayy. AI-Da!)!)ak In
men, 'Let me tell you of something better than that which you have come reference to what passed between him and Ubayy said:
about. You know where the property of B. Aswad is.' (The apostle was Will you forget my kindness, a Ubayy b. Malik,
between it and al-Ta'if in a valley called al-'Aqiq.) 'There is no property in The day the apostle looked away from you?
al-Ta'if more laborious to water, harder to cultivate, and more difficult to Marwiin b. Qays led you by his rope
maintain than this property of B. Aswad. If Muhammad cuts down its Submissive as a well-trained beast.
trees it will never be cultivated again, so speak to him and let him take it for Some of Thaqif behaved badly to you,
himself or leave it to God and kinsmen, for there is a well-known relation- (If anyone comes to them asking for trouble they get it!)
ship between us.' They allege that the apostle left it to them. Yet they were your relatives and their minds turned to you
I have heard that the apostle said to Abu Bakr while he was besieging When you were almost in despair (843).
aI- Ta'if, 'I saw (in a dream) that I was given a bowl of butter and a cock
pecked at it and spilt it.' Abu Bakr said, 'I don't think that you will attain These are the names of the Muslims who were martyred at al-T;i'if:
your desire from them today.' The apostle said that he did not think so From Quraysh: the clan of B. Umayya b. 'Abdu Shams: Said b. Said
either. b. al-'A~ b. Umayya; and 'Urfula b. Jannab, an ally from al-Asd b. aI-
~ Then Khuwayla d. J:lakim b. Umayya b. I;laritha b. al-Auqa~ al-Sula- Ghauth (844); the clan of B. Taym b. Murra: 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr was
miya, wife of 'Uthman b. Ma.'un, asked the apostle to give her the shot by an arrow and died of it in Medina after the death of the apostle;
jewellery of Badiya d. Ghaylan b. Salama, or the jewellery of al-Fari'a d. the clan of Makhzum: 'Abdullah b. Abu Umayya b. al-Mughira from an
'Aqil if God gave him victory over al-Ta'if, for they were the best be- arrow that day; the clan of B. 'Adiy b. Kab: 'Abdullah b. 'Amir b. Rab!'a
jewelled women of Thaqif. I have been told that the apostle said to her, an ally; the clan of B. Sahm b. 'Amr; AI-Sa'ib b. al-J:larith b. Qays b.
'And if Thaqif is not permitted to me, a Khuwayla?' She left him and 'Adiy and his brother 'Abdullah; the clan of B. Sa'd b. Layth: Julayha b.
'Abdullah. .
went and told 'Umar, who came and asked the apostle if he had really said
that. On hearing that he had, he asked if he should give the order to break From the An~ar: from B. Salima: Thiibit b. aI-Jadha; from B. Mazin 876
camp, and receiving his permission he did so. b. aI-Najjar: aI-J:larith b. Sahl b. Abu ~a~aa; from B. Sa'ida: al-Mundhir
When the army moved off Said b. 'Vbayd b. Asid b. Abu 'Amr b. b. 'Abdullah; from al-Aus: Ruqaym b. Thiibit b. Thalaba b. Zayd b.
Laudhiin b. MU'awiya.
'AIlaj called out, 'The tribe is holding out.' 'Uyayna b. J:li~n said, 'Yes,
nobly and gloriously.' One of the Muslims said to him, 'God smite you,
Twelve of the apostle's companions were martyred at al- Ta'if, seven
from Quraysh, fouf from the An~ar, and a man from B. Layth. '
'Uyayna! Do you praise the polytheists for holding out against the apostle
when you have come to help him?' 'I did not come to fight Thaqif with When the apostle left al-Ta'if after the fighting and the siege Bujayr b.
you,' he answered, 'but I wanted Muhammad to get possession of al-Ta'if
Zuhayr b. Abu Sulma said commemorating J:lunayn and al-Ta'if:
so that I might get a girl 'from Thaqif whom I might tread (To make (AI-Ta'if) was a sequel to the battle of J:lunayn
pregnant) so that she might bear me a son, for Thaqif are a people who And Aulas and al-Abraq when
produce intelligent children.' Hawiizin gathered their force in their folly
During his session there some of the slaves besieged in al-Ta'if came And were dispersed like scattered birds.
to him and accepted Islam and he freed them. One whom I do not suspect The (men of al-Ta'if) could not hold a single place against us
from 'Abdullah b. Mukaddam from men of Thaqif said that when aI- Except their wall and the bottom of the trench.
Ta'if surrendered some of them talked about these slaves, but the apostle We showed ourselves that they might come forth,
refused to do anything saying that they were God's free men. One of those But they shut themselves in behind a barred gate.
who spoke about them was al-J:larith b. Kalada (842). OUf unmailed men returned I to a strong surging force
Now Thaqjf had seized the family of Marwan b. Qays al-Dausi, he Fully armed glittering with death-dealing weapons;
having become a Muslim and helped the apostle against Thaqif. Thaqif Compact, dark green, (if one threw them at f:Ia<;ian 2
allege-and Thaqif is the ancestor on whom the tribe's claim to be of Qays It would become as though it had not been created)'
is based-that the apostle said to l\1arwan b. Qays, 'Seize in revenge for : The alten:ati.ve 'w~aried men' (pI. of l;Jasir) seems less fitting. l;lami is pI. of ~Iiisir.
your family the first man of Qays that you meet.' He met Ubayy b. Malik A mou!1tam 10 .NaJd. 3 i.e. as if it had n~vcr been there at all.
59 2 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 593
With the gait of lions I walking on thorns, as though we were horses z sons and our wives." I will then give them to you and make application on
Now separated now coming together as they are led,
your behalf.' When the apostle had ended the noon prayers they did as he
In long armour which whenever it is donned
had ordered them, and he said what he had promised to say. Then the
Is like a shimmering pool rulRed by the wind;
Muhajirs said that what was theirs was the apostle's, and the An~ar said
Well-woven armour which reaches to our sandals
the same. But al-Aqra' b. I;Iabis said, 'So far as I and B. Tamim are con- 878
Woven by David and the family of Mu~arriq.3
cerned, No.' 'Uyayna b. I;Ii~n said No on behalf of himself and B. Fazara
a,nd so did 'Abbas b. Mirdas for himself and B. Sulaym; but B. Sulaym
DIVISION OF THE SPOIL OF HAWAZIN AND GIFTS TO said, 'Not so; what is ours is the apostle's.' <Abbas said to B. Sulaym, 'You
GAIN MEN'S HEARTS
have put me to shame.' Then the apostle said, 'He who holds to his right
to these captives shall have six camels for every man from the first booty I
When he left al-Ta'if the apostle went by way of Da~na until he stopped at (T. we) take.' Then the women and children were returned to their men.
a1-Jj'rana with his men, having a large number of Hawazin captives. One Abu Wajza Yazid b. 'Ubayd al-Sadi told me that the apostle gave 'Ali
of his companions on the day he left Thaqif asked him to curse them but a girl called Ray;a d. Hilal b. I;Iayyan b. 'Umayra b. Hilal b. Na~ira b.
he said, '0 God, guide Thaqif and bring them (to Islam).' Qu~ayya b. Na~r b. Sad b. Bakr; and he gave 'Uthman a girl called Zaynab
Then a deputation from Haw3.zin came to him in al- Jifrana where he d. I;Iayyan; and he gave 'Umar a girl whom 'Umar gave to his son 'Abdul-
held 6,000 women and children, and sheep and camels innumerable which lah.
had been captured from them. 'Amr b. Shu'ayb from his father from his Nafi', a client of 'Abdullah b. 'Umar from 'Abdullah b. 'Umar, told me:
grandfather 'Abdullah b. 'Amr said that the deputation from Hawazin came I sent her to my aunts of B. Jum~ to prepare and get her ready for me until
to the apostle after they had accepted Islam, saying that the disaster which I had circumambulated the temple and could come to them, wanting to
had befallen them was well known and asking him to have pity on them for take her when I returned. When I had finished I came out of the mosque
God's sake. One of the Hawazin of the clan B. Sa'd b. Bakr (T. it was they and 10 the men were running about, and when I asked why they told me
who had provided the fostermother for the apostle) called Zuhayr Abu that the apostle had returned their wives and children to them, so I told
$urad said: '0 Apostle of God, in the enclosures are your paternal and them that their woman was with B. Juma~ and they could go and take her,
maternal aunts and the women who suckled you who used to look after and they did so. 'Uyayna b. I;Ii~n took an old woman of Hawazin and said
you. Had we acted as fosterparents for al-I;Iarith b. Abii Shimr or al- as he took her, 'I see that she is 3 person of standing in the tribe and her
Nu'man b. al-Mundhir and then got into the position in which you hold ransom may well be high.' When the apostle returned the captives at a
us we could hope for his kindness and favour, and you are the best of trust- price of six camels each he refused to give her back. Zuhayr AbU Surad
worthy men' (845). told him to let her go, for her mouth was cold and her breasts f1ai she
(T. Then he said: could not conceive and her husband would not care and her milk wa~ not
Have pity on liSt apostle of God, generously, rich. So he let her go for the six camels when Zuhayr said this. They
For you are the man from whom we hope and expect pity. allege that when 'Uyayna met al-Aqra' b. I;Iabis he complained to him
Have pity on a people whom fate has frustrated, about the matter and he said: By God, you didn't take her as a virgin in 879
Their well-being shattered by time's misfortunes.) her prime nor even a plump middle age!'
The apostle asked the Hawazin deputation about Malik b. 'Auf and
The apostle said, 'Which are dearest to you? Your sons and your wives or they said that he was in al-Ta'if with Thaqif. The apostle told them to tell
your cattle?' They replied, 'Do you give us the choice" between our cattle Malik that if he came to him as a Muslim he would return his family and
and our honour? Nay, give us back our wives and our sons, for that is property to him and give him a hundred camels. On hearing this Malik
what we most desire.' He said, 'So far as concerns what I and the B. came out from al-Ta'if. He had been afraid that Thaqifwould get to know
'Abdu'l-Mullalib have they are yours. When I have prayed the noon what the apostle had said and imprison him, so he ordered that his camel
prayer ~ith the men then get up and say, "We ask the apostle's intercession should be got ready for him and that a horse should be brought to him in
with the Muslims, and the Muslims' intercession with the apostle for our 31-Tii'if. He came out by night, mounted his horse, and rode hard until he
I Or 'hounds'. got to the place where his camel was tethered, and rode off to join the
Z Following C. qudur which the commentators say means 'horses that put the hindleg apostle, overtaking him in al-Ji'rana or Mecca. He gave him back his
where the foreleg has trod'. v..r. hasfudur 'camels' or 'wild goats'. It may be that camels are
meant. 3 i.e. 'Amr b; Hind, King of !;lira.
famlly and property and gave him a hundred camels. He became an
excellent Muslim and at the time he said:
B '080 Qq
594 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 595
I have never seen or heard of a man brother of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy and others. He gave 50 to Said b. Yarbii'
Like Muhammad in the whole world; b. 'Ankatha b. 'Amir b. Makhzum and to al-Sahmi (848)
Faithful to his word and generous when asked for a gift, He gave 'Abbas b. Mirdils some camels and he was dissatisfied with them
And when you wish he will tell you of the future. and blamed the apostle in the following verses:
When the squadron shows its strength
With spears and swords that strike, It was spoil that I gained
In the dust of war he is like a lion When I charged on my horse in the plain
Guarding its cubs in its den. And kept the people awake lest they should sleep
And when they slept kept watch.
The apostle put him in command of those of his people who had My spoil and that of 'Ubayd my horse
accepted Islam, and those tribes (To round al-Ta'if) were Thumala, Is shared by 'Uyayna and al-Aqra'.
Salima, and Fahm. He began to fight Thaqif with them: none of their Though I protected my people in the battle,
flocks could come out but he raided them until they were in sore straits Myself unprotected I was given nothing
Abu Mil:jan b. J:Iabib b. 'Amr b. 'Umayr al-Thaqafi said: But a few small camels
Enemies have always dreaded our neighbourhood. To the number of their four legs!
And now the Banu Salima raid us! Yet neither J:Iabis nor I:Ii~n1
Malik brought them on us Surpass my father in the assembly,
Breaking his covenant and solemn word. And I am not inferior to either of them. 882
They attacked us in our settlements And he whom you demean today will not be exalted (849).
And we have always been men who take revenge.
The apostle said, 'Get him away and cut off his tongue from me/ so they
880 When the apostle had returned the captives of J:Iunayn to their people gave him (camels) until he was satisfied, this being what the apostle meant
he rode away and the men followed him, saying, '0 apostle, divide our by his order (850).2
spoil of camels and herds among us' until they forced him back against a Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. al-J:Iarith al-Taymi told me that a companion 883
tree and his mantle was torn from him and he cried, 'Give me back my said to the apostle: 'You have given 'Uyayna and al-Aqra' a hundred camels
mantle, men, for by God if you had (To I had) as many sheep as the trees each and left out ]u'ayl b. Suraqa al-Qamri!' He answered, 'By Him in
of Tihama I would distribute them among you; you have not found me whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, ]u'ayl is better than the whole world
niggardly or cowardly or false.' Then he went to his camel and took a hair full of men like those two; but I have treated them generously so that they
from its hump and held it aloft in his fingers, saying, 'Men, I have nothing may become Muslims, and I have entrusted Jufayl to his Islam.'
but a fifth of your booty even to this hair, and the fifth I will return to you'; Abu 'Ubayda b. Muhammad b. 'Ammar b. Yiisir from Miqsam Abu'l- 884
so give back the needle and the thread; for dishonesty will be a shame and a Qilsim, freed slave of 'Abdullah b. al-J:Iiirith b. Naufal, told me: I went in
flame and utter ignominy to a man on the resurrection day.' One of th(> company with Talid b. Kilab al-Laythrto 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. al-'As as he
An~ar came with a ball of camel hair, saying, '0 apostle, I took this ball to was going round the temple with his sandals in his hand, and we ask~d him
make a pad for a sore camel of mine.' He answered, 'As for my share in whether he was with the apostle when the Tamimite spoke to him on the
that you can keep it!' 'If it has come to that,' he said, fI do not want it/ day of J:Iunayn. He said that he was and that a man of Tamim called
and he threw it away (846). Dhu'I-Khuway~ira came and stood by the apostle as he was making gifts to
The apostle gave gifts to those whose hearts were to be won over, notably the men and said, 'Muhammad, I've seen what you have done today.'
the chiefs of the army, to win them and through them their people. He 'Well, and what do you think?' he answered. He said, II don't think you
88, gave to the following 100 camels: Abu Sufyiln b. J:Iarb ;his son Mu'awiya; have been just.' The prophet was angry and said, 'If justice is not to be
J:Iakim b. J:Iizam; al-J:Iarith b. al-J:Iarith b. Kalada brother of B. 'Abdu'l- I They were the fathers of the ~o men mentioned in line 6.
Dar (847); al-Harith b. Hisham; Suhayl b. 'Amr; J:Iuwaytib b. 'Abdu'l- :1 I.H.'s note in which Sura 36. 69 is quoted rests on the absurd statement of an anony-
'Uzza b. Abu Qays; aI-'Ala' b. Jariya al-Thaqafi an ally of B. Zuhra; 'Uyay- mous traditionist that Muhammad wa~ so ignorant of verse that he could not recognize
rhyme when he heard it, a poor compliment to the greatest Arab of all time. Here, for want
na b. J:Ii~n b. J:Iudhayfa b. Badr; al-Aqra b. J:Iabis al-Tamimi; Malik b. of a better place, I cite LI. from al-Zuhri via Yunus (Sura 36. 69): '''We have not taught him
'Auf al-Nasri; and i;lafwan b. Umayya. verse. That does not befit him." The meaning is "\\'hat We have taught him is not verse. It
He gave less than 100 camels to the following men of Quraysh: Makh- is not fitting that he should bring verse from Us." The apostle only uttered verse which had
been spoken by others before him.' AkhbaTU'-l~Na!lwiyinaJ-BCl[Tiyjn, by al-Sirafi, ed. F.
rama b.. Naufal aI-Zuhri; 'Umayr b. Wahb ]al-umaJ:i; Hisham b. 'Amr Krenkow, Beyrut, 1936, pp. 72 f.
596 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 597
found with me then where will you find it /' 'Umar asked to be allowed to back with you the apostle of God / By Him in whose hand is the soul of
kill him, but he said, 'Let him alone, for he will have a following that will Muhammad, but for the migration' I should be one of the An~ilr myself.
go so deeply into religion that they will come out of it as an arrow comes If al~ men went one way and the An~ilr another I should take the way of the
out of the target; you look at the head and there is nothing on it; you look Anfjar. God have mercy on the An~ar. their sons and their sons' sons.'z
at the butt end and there is nothing on it; then at the notch and there is The peopk wept until the tears ran down their beards as they said: 'We are
nothing on it. It went through before flesh and blood could adhereto it.' satIsfied WIth the apostle of God as our lot and portion'. Then the apostle
Muhammad b. 'Ali b. al-I:Iusayn, Abu Ja'far, told me a similar story went off and they dispersed.
and named the man Dhu'l-Khuway~ira. 'Abdullah b. Abu Naji\J. told me
the same from his father (851).
T. 683 (T. 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that one of the apostle's companions THE APOSTLE MAKES THE LESSER PILGRIMAGE FROM
who was at I:Iunayn with him said, 'I was riding my camel by the side of the AL-Jl(RANA
apostle, wearing a rough sandal, when my camel jostled his and the toe of Then the apostle left al-Ji'rana to make the lesser pilgrimage. He gave
my sandal hit the apostle's shank and hurt him. He hit my foot with his orders that the rest of the spoil should be kept back in Majanna near
whip, saying, "You hurt me. Get behind!" so I went behind him. The Marru'I-{':ahriln. Having completed the pilgrimage he returned to Medina.
next morning the apostle was looking for me and I thought it was because He left 'Allilb b. Asid in charge of Mecca. He also left behind with him
I had hurt his leg, so I came expecting (punishment); but he said, "You Mu'ildh b. Jabal to instruct the people in religion and to teach them the 887
hurt my leg yesterday and I struck yoqr foot with my whip. Now I have Quran. He hi~self ,;as followed by th~ rest of the spoil (852).
summoned you to compensate you for it," and he gave me eighty she- The apostle s pl1gnmage was ill Dhu I-Qa'da, and he arrived in Medina
camels for the one blow he struck me.'I towards the end of that month or in Dhu'I-I:Iijja (853).
885 'A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatilda from Mahmud b. Labid from Abu Sa'id al- The peop!e m~de the pilgri,;"age that y~ar in the way the (pagan) Arabs
Khudri told me: When the apostle had distributed these iifts among used to do. Attab made the pl1gnmage WIth the Muslims tpat year A.H. 8.
Quraysh and the Bedouin tribes, and the An~ilr got nothing, this tribe of ~he people of.al-Til'if continued in their polytheism and obstinacy 'in their
An~ilr took the matter to heart and talked a great deal about it, until one CIty from the time the apostle left in Dhu'l-Qa'da of the year 8 until Rama-
of them said, 'By God, the apostle has met his own people.' Sa'd b. 'Ubilda c;Iiln of the following year.
went to the apostle and told him what had happened. He asked, 'Where do
you stand in this matter, Sa'd /' He said, 'I stand with my people.' 'Then
gather your people in this enclosure/ he said. He did so, and when some THE AFFAIR OF KA'B B. ZUHAYR AFTER THE DEPARTURE
886 of the.Muhiljirs came, he let them cqme, while others he sent back. When FROM AL-T.I.'IF
,h" had got them altogether he went and told the apostle, and he came to When the apostle arrived (at Medina) after his departure from aI-Til'if
them, and after praising and thanking God he addressed them thus: '0 Bujayr b. Zuhayr b. Abu Sulmil wrote to his brother Ka'b telling him 'that
men of An~ilr, what is this I hear of you / Do you think ill of me in your the apostle had killed some of the men in Mecca who had satirized and
hearts / Did I not come to you when you were erring and God guided insulted him and that the Quraysh poets who were left-Ibn aI-Ziba'ril and
you; poor and God made you rich; enemies and God softened your hearts /' Hubayra b. AbU Wahb:-had fled in all directions. 'If you have any use for
They answered; 'Yes indeed, God and His apostle are most kind and your hfe then come qUickly to the apostle, for he does not kill anyone who
generous.) He continued: 'Why don't you answer me, 0 An!;)ar?' They comes to him in repentance. If you do not do that, then get to some safe
said, 'How shall we answer you / Kindness and generosity belong to God place.' Ka'b had said:
and His apostle.' He said, 'Had you so wished you could have said-and
you would have spoken the truth and have been believed-You came to us Give Bujayr a message from me:
discredited and we believed you; deserted and we helped you; a fugitive Do you accept what I said, confound you /
and we took you in; poor and we comforted you. Are you disturbed in Tell us plainly if you don't accept what I say
mind because of the good things of this life by which I win over a people For what reason other than that !las he led you
that they may become Muslims while I entrust you to your Islam / Are To a religion I cannot find his fathers ever held 888
you not satisfied that men should take away flocks and herds while you take And you cannot find that your father followed /
I Had he not been joined by the Muhajirs from Mecca who had remained faithful to him
1 Some MSS. have here a gloss in which I.H. takes up the narrative of I.!. which he he w?u1d have severed his connexion with Quraysh altogether and joined the community of
broke off when he cut out the passage from Tahari that contains what I.I. wrote. . Medma. S Similarly Mil88 b. Ugb., No. 10. .
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 599
If you don't accept what I say I shall not grieve over with white-foamed torrents fed by showers gushing from a
Nor say if you stumble God help youl cloud of morn.
Al-Ma'miin has given you a full cup to drink Oh, what a rare mistress were she, if only she were true to her promise
And added a second draught of the same (854). and would hearken to good advice!
But hers is a love in whose blood are mingled paining and lying and 890
Btijayr said to Ka'b: faithlessness and inconstancy.
Who will tell Ka'b that that for which you wrongly blame me She is not stable in her affection-even as ghouls change the hue of
Is the hetter course? their garments-
To God alone not al-'Vzza and al-Lat And she does not hold to her plighted word otherwise than as sieves
You will escape and be safe while escape is possible, hold water.
On a day when none will escape The promises of 'Urqiib were a parable of her, and his promises were
Except a Muslim pure of heart. naught but vanity.
Zuhayr's religion is a thing of naught I hope and expect that women will ever be ready to keep their word;
And the religion of AbiiSulmli is forbidden to me. but never, methinks, are they ready.
Let not the wishes she inspired and the promises she made beguile
Ka'b used the title al-Ma'miin (855) simply for the reason that Quraysh
thee: 10, these wishes and dreams are a delusion.
used to name the apostle thus.
In the evening Su'lid came to a land whither none is brought save by
889 When Ka'b received the missive he was deeply distressed and anxious
camels that are excellent and noble and fleet.
for his life. His enemies in the neighbourhood spread alarming reports
To bring him there, he wants a stout she-camel which, though
about him saying that he was as good as slain. Finding no WJ.y out, he
fatigued, loses not her wonted speed and pace;
wrote hIS ode in which he praised the apostle and mentioned his fear and
One that largely bedews the bone behind her ear when she sweats, one
the slanderous reports of his enemies. Then he set out for Medina and
that sets herself to cross a trackless unknown wilderness;
stayed with a man of Juhayna whom he knew, according to my informa-
Scanning the high grounds with eyes keen as those of a solitary white
tion. He took him to the apostle when he was praying morning prayers,
oryx, when stony levels and sand-hills are kindled (by the sun);
and he prayed with him. The man pointed out the apostle to him and told
Big in the neck, fleshy in the hock, surpassing in her make the other
him to go and ask for his life. He got up and went and sat by the apostle
daughters of the sire;
and placed his hand in his, the apostle not knowing who he was. He said,
10 apostle, Ka'b b. Zuhayr has come to ask security from you as a repentant Thick-necked, full-cheeked, robust, male-like, her flanks wide, her
front (tall) as a milestone;
Muslim. Would you accept him as such if he came to you l' When the
apostle said that he would, he confessed that he was Ka'b b. Zuhayr. Whose tortoise-shell skin is not pierced at last even by a lean (hungry)
'~im b. 'Vmar b. Qatada told me that one of the An~lir leapt upon him
tick on the ou~side of her back;
asking to be allowed to behead the enemy of God, but the apostle told him A hardy beast whose brother is her sire by a noble dam, and her sire's
to let him alone because he had come repentant breaking away from his brother is her dam's brother; a long-necked one and nimble.
past. Ka'b was angry at this tribe of the An~lir because of what this man The quriid l crawls over her: then her smooth breast and flanks cause
had done and moreover the men of the Muhlijirin spoke only well of him. it to slip off.
In his ode which he recited when he came to the apostle he said: Onager-like is she; her side slabbed with firm flesh, her elbow-joint'
far removed from the ribs;
Su'ad is gone, and today my heart is love-sick, in thrall to her, un- Her nose aquiline; in her generous ears are signs of breeding plain for
requited, hound with chains; the expert to see, and in her cheeks smoothness.
And Su':ld, when she came forth on the morn of departure, was but as Her muzzle juts out from her eyes and throat, as though it were a
a gazelle with bright black downcast eyes. pick-axe.
When she smiles, she lays bare a shining row of side-teeth that seems She lets a taillike a leafless palm-branch with small tufts of hair hang
to have been bathed once and twice in (fragrant) wine- down over a sharp-edged (unrounded) udder from which its teats
Wine mixed with pure cold water from a pebbly hollow where the do not take away (milk) little by little. J
north-wind blows, in a bend of the valley,
I A large species of tick. Z Le, the middle joint of the foreleg.
From which the winds drive away every speck of dust, and it brims 3 i.e. she is a camel for riding, not for milking.
600 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 601

Though she be not trying, she races along on light slender feet that He goes in the morning to feed two cubs, whose victual is human flesh
skim the ground as they fall, rolled in the dust and torn to pieces;
With tawny hock-tendons-feet that leave the gravel scattered and are When he springs on his adversary, 'tis against his law that he should
not shod so that they should be kept safe from the blackness of the leave the adven~ary ere he is broken;
heaped stones, . From him the asses of the broad dale flee in affright, and men do not
The swift movement of her forelegs, when she sweats and the mIrage walk in his wadi,
enfolds the hills- Albeit ever in his wadi is a trusty fer~, his armour and hardworn
On a day when the chameleon basks in some high spot until its exposed raiment smeared with blood-ready to be devoured.
part is baked as in fire, Truly the Messenger is a light whence illumination is sought-a drawn
And, the grey cicalas having begun to hop on the gravel, the camel- Indian sword, one of the swords of Allah
driver bids his companions take the siesta- . Amongst a band of Kuraish, whose spokes;"an said when they pro-
Resembles the beating of hand on hand by a bereaved grey-haIred fessed Islam in the valley of Mecca, 'Depart ye!'
woman who rises to lament and is answered by those who have lost They departed, but no weaklings were they or shieldless in battle or
many a child, . without weapons and courage;
One wailing shrilly, her arms weak, who had no understandmg when They march like splendid camels and defend themselves with blows
news was brought of the death of her firstborn s.on: ., when the short black men take to flight;'
She tears her breast with her hands, while her tumc IS rent m pIeces Warriors with noses high and straight, clad for the fray in mail-coats
from her collar-bones. of David's weaving,2
The fools walk on both sides of my camel, saying, 'Verily, a grandson Bright, ample, with pierced rings strung together like.the rings of the
of Abu Sulma, thou art as good as, slain';1 qaf'ii'.'
And every friend of whom I was hopeful said, 'I will not help thee out: They are not exultant if their spears overtake an enemy or apt to
I am too busy to mind thee.' despair if they be themselves overtaken.
I said, 'Let me go my way, may ye have no father! for whatever the The spear-thrust falls not but on their throats: for them there is no
Merciful hath decreed shall be done. shrinking from the ponds of death (856).4
Every son of woman, long though his safety be, one day is borne upon 'A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada said: When Ka'b said, 'When the short black
a gibbous bier.' men take to flight/ he meant us, the An~ar, because of the way one of us
I was told that the Messenger of Allah threatened me (with death), but had. treated hi~. He singled out the Muhiijirin among the apostle's com-
with the Messenger of Allah I have hope of finding pardon. panIOns for praIse. ThIS eXCIted the An~ar's anger against him. After he
Gently I mayst thou be guided by Him ,:"ho g~ve thee the gift of the had become a Muslim he spoke in praise of the An~ar and mentioned their
Koran, wherein are warnings and a plam settmg-out (of the m~tte~). trials with the apostle and their position among the Yaman tribes:
Do not punish me, when I have not sinned, on. account of what IS saId
by the informers, even should the (false) saymgs about me be m~y. He who loves a glorious life
Ay, I stand in such a place that if an elephant stood there, seemg Let him ever be with the horsemen of the righteous Ansar
(what I see) and hearing what I hear, Who transmit glorious deeds from father to son. .,
The sides of his neck would be shaken with terror-if there be no The best men are they, sons of the best men
forgiveness from the Messenger of Allah. Who launch with their arms spears
I did not cease to cross the desert, plunging betimes into the darkness Like long Indian swords,
when the mantle of Night is fallen, Who peer forward unweariedly
Till I laid my right hand, not to withdraw it, in the hand of the With eyes red as burning coals.
avenger whose word is the word of truth. .
I Probably a hit at the people of Medina, some of whom had urged Muhammad to show
For indeed he is more feared by me when I speak to hIm-and they the poet no mercy.
told me I should be asked of my lineage- ., % David is described. in the Quran (xii. 80) as a maker of coats of mail.
Than a lion of the jungle, one whose lair is amidst dense thIckets III the 3 Name of a plant.
4. i.e. ,places where drau~hts of de,8th are drunk. By the courtesy of the Cambridge
lowland of 'Aththar; University Press I take thiS translatIOn from Translations of Eastern Poetry and Prose
I Referring to his journey to the Prophet, who had already given the order for his death. by myoId friend R. A. Nicholson.
602 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 603
Who devote their lives to their prophet about him that the verse came down, 'There are some who say Give me
On the day of hand-to-hand fighting and cavalry attacks. leave (to stay behind) and do not tempt me. Surely they have fallen into
They purify themselves with the blood of infidels; temptation already and hell encompasses the unbelievers,' I i.e. it was not
They consider that an act of piety. that he feared temptation from the Byzantine women: the temptation he
Their habit is that of thick-necked lions had fallen 1nto was greater in that he hung back from the apostle and
Accustomed to hunt in a valleyed thicket. sought to please himself rather than the apostle. God said, 'Verily hell is
If you come to them for protection behind him."
You are as it were in the inaccessible haunts of mountain goats. The disaffected said ,one to another, 'Don't go forth in the heat,' disliking
They smote 'AliI such a blow on the day of Badr strenuous war, doubtmg the truth, and creating misgivings about the
As brought the downfall of all Nizar. apostle. So God sent down concerning them: 'And they said, Go not forth
If people knew all that I know about them in the heat. Say: The fire of hell is hotter did they but understand. Let
Those that dispute with me would recognize the truth of what I say. t~em laugh a little and let them weep much as a reward for what they were
They are a people who richly feed the night-travellers, earning' (858).'
Who arrive in a time of dearth (857). The apostle went forward energetically with his preparations and ordered
the men to get ready with all speed. He urged the men of means to help in
provldmg money and mounts for God's work (To and persuaded them).
THE RAID ON TABUK, A.H.9 The wealthy men provided mounts and stored up a reward with God.
The apostle stayed in Medina from Dhu'l-I:!ijja to Rajab, and then gave 'Uthman b. 'Affan spent a larger sum than any had ever done (859).
orders to prepare to raid the Byzantines. The following account is based Then seven Muslims known as The Weepers, An~ar, and others from
on what al-ZuhrI and Yazld b. Ruman and 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr and B. 'Amr b. 'Auf came to the apostle and asked him to provide them with
'A.~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada and other authorities told me; some supplied mounts for they were without means. Their names were: Salim b. 'Umayr'
information which others lacked. 'Ulba b. Zayd, brother of B. I:!aritha; Abu Layla 'Abdu'I-Ra\>man b. Ka'b:
The apostle ordered his companions to prepare to raid the Byzantines at brother of B. Mazin b. aI-Najjar; 'Amr b. I:!umam b. al-Jamu\>, brother of
a time when men were hard pressed; the heat was oppressive and there was B. Salima; 'Abdullah b. al-Mughaffal al MuzanI (or b. 'Amr); Haramly b.
a drought; fruit was ripe (To and shade was eagerly sought) and the men 'Abdullah, brother of B. Waqif; and 'Irbad b. Sariya al-Fazarl. He said
wanted to stay in the shade with their fruit and disliked travelling at that t~at he had no n:ount to give them and they turned back, their eyes flowing
season. Now the apostle nearly always referred allusively to the destination WIth tears for gnef that they had not the wherewithal to meet the expense
of a raid and announced that he was making for a place other than that of the raid.
which he actually intended. This was the sole exception, for he said I have heard that Ibn YamIn b. 'Umayr b. Ka'b aI-NadrI met Abu
plainly that he was making for the Byzantines because the journey was Layla and 'Abdullah b. Mughaffal as they were weeping, and when he
long, the season difficult, and the enemy in great strength, so that the men asked what they were crying for they told him that they had applied to the
could make suitable preparations. He ordered them to get ready and told apostle for a mount, but that he had none to give them and they had
them that he was making for the Byzantines. (To So the men got ready in nothing. Thereupon he gave them a watering camel, and they saddled it
spite of their dislike for the journey in itself to say nothing of their respect and he provided them with some dates and so they went off with the
for the reputation of the Byzantines.) apostle.
One day when he was making his arrangements the apostle said to Jadd Some Bedouin came to apologize for not going, but God would not
b. Qays of B. Salima: 'Would you like to fight the B. A~far,' Jadd?' He accept their excuse. I have been told that they were from B. Ghifar.
replied, 'Will you allow me to stay behind and not tempt me, for everyone (T. One of them was Khufaf b. Ima' b. Ra\>da.)
knows that I am strongly addicted to women and I am afraid that if I see When the apostle's road was clear he determined to set off. Now there
the Byzantine women I shall not be able to control myself.' The apostle was a number of Muslims who were slow to make up their minds so
gave him permission to remain behind and turned away from him. It was that they lagged behind without any doubt or misgivings. They were
Ka'b b. Malik b. Abu Ka'b, brother of B. Salima; Murara b. al-RabI',
I S. ii. 315 explains that Qurnysh is meant by 'Ali because B. 'Ali = B. Kiniina =
Quraysh. On the authorship of these verses see Introduction, xxviii. brother of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf; Hilal b. Umayya, brother of B. Waqif; Abu
1 i.e. 'the sallow men'. A.Dh. says they are the descendants of Esau who is said to have
been of a sallow countenance. He distinguishes between the Byzantines (Rilm) and the old 1 Sura 9. 49. 1 Sura 14. I9.
Greeks (Yunin). 3 Sura 9. 8z.
604 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 605
Khaythama, brother of B. Salim b. 'Auf; they were loyal men whose Islam and saluted the apostle, who said, 'Woe to you, Abu Khaythamal' Then
was above suspicion. he told the apostle what had happened, and he spoke him well and blessed
When the apostle had set out he pitched his camp by" Thaniyatu'l- him (861).
Wada' (860).1 . When the apostle passed al-!;Iijr l he stopped, and the men got water
'Abdullah b. Ubayy (T- b. Salul) pitched his camp separatejy below hIm from its well. When they went the apostle said, 'Do not drink any of its
in the direction of Dhubab (T- a mountain in ai-Jabbana below Thaniyat- water nor use it for ablutions. If you have used any of it for dough, then
';'l-Wada'.) It is alleged that it was not the smaller camp. When the feed it to the camels and eat none of it. Let none of you go out at night
apostle went on, 'Abdullah b. Ubayy separated from him and stayed alone but take a companion.' The men did as they were told except two of
behind with the hypocrites and doubters. (T. 'Abdullah was brother of them ofB. Sa'ida: one went out to relieve himself and the other to look for
B. 'Auf b. al-Khazraj, and 'Abdullah b. Nabtal was brother of B. 'Arnr b. a camel of his. The first was half choked on his way' and the second was
'Auf; and Rifa'a b. Zayd b. al-Tabut was brother of B. Qaynuqa'. These .carried away by a wind which cast him on the two mountains of Tayyi'.
were the principal men among the hypocrites and wished ill to Islam ~d The apostle was told of this and reminded the men that he had forbidden
its people. Concerning them God sent down: 'They sought rebelhon them to go out alone. Then he prayed for the man who was choked on
aforetime and upset things for you.')' the way and he recovered; the other man was brought to the apostle in
The apostle left 'Ali behind to look aft~r his family,. and ordered him to Medina by a man of Tayyi'. This story comes from 'Abdullah b. Abu
stay with them. The hypocrites spoke eVIl of hIm, saymg that he had be~n Bakr from 'Abbas b. Sahl b. Sa'd al-Sa'idi. 'Abdullah told me that 'Abbas
left behind because he was a burden to the apostle and he wanted to get nd had told him who they were, but confidentially, so he refused to name them
of him. On hearing this 'Ali seized his weapons and caught up with the to me (862).
apostle when he was halting in al-Jurf and repeated to hIm what the hypo- In the morning when the men had no water they complained to the
crites were saying. He replied: 'They lie. I left you~ehind because of apostle, so he prayed, and God sent a cloud, and so much rain fell that
what I had left behind, so go back and represent me m my family and they were satisfied and carried away all the water they needed.
yours. Are you not content, 'Ali, to stand to ~e ~ A~ron stood to Mo~es, 'A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatadah from Ma\>mud b. Labid from men of B.
except that there will be no prophet after me 1 So AlI return:d to Med!na 'Abdu'I-Ashhal told me that he said to Ma\>mud, 'Do the men know the
and the apostle went on his way. Muhammad b. Tal\>a b. Yazld b. Rukana hypocrites among them I' He replied that a man would know that hypo-
from Ibrahim b. Sad b. Abu Waqq~ from his father Sa'd told me that he CrIsy eXisted III hIS brother, his father, his uncle, and his family, yet they
heard the apostle saying these words to 'Ali. . _ would cover up each other. Then Mal;Imud said: Some of my tribesmen
Then 'Ali returned to Medina and the apostle went hiS way. Abu Khay- told me of a man whose hypocrisy was notorious. He used to go wherever
thama (T. brother of B. Salim) returned to his family on a hot day some the apostle went and when the affair at al-tIijr happened and the apostle
days aft~r the apostle had set out. He found tw~ wi~es of his in huts in his prayed as he did and God sent a cloud which brought a heavy rain they
garden. Each had sprinkled her hut and cooled It WIth water and got ready said, 'We went to him saying "Woe to you! Have you anything more to
food for him. When he arrived he stood at the door of the hut and I~oked say after this?" He said, "It is a passing cloud!'"
at his wives and what they had done for him and said: 'The a~os~le IS out During the Course of the journey the apostle's camel strayed and his
in the sun and the wind and the heat and Abu Khaythama IS m a cool companions went in search of it. The apostle had with him a man called 900
shade, food prepared for him, resting in his property with a fair ,:,,~man. 'Um.ra b. !;Iazm who had been at al- 'Aqaba and Badr, uncle of B. 'Amr b.
This is not just. By God, I will not enter either of your huts, but Jam t~e !;Iazm. He had in his company Zayd al-Lu~ayt al-Qaynuqa'i who was a
apostle; so get ready some food for me.' They did so and he went to hiS hypocrite (863). Zayd said while he was in 'Umara's camp and 'Umara
camel and saddied it and went out in search of the apostle until he overtook was with the apostle, 'Does Muhammad allege that he is a prophet and can
him in Tabuk. 'Umayr b. Wahb ai-Juma\>i had overtaken Abu Khaythama tell you news from heaven when he doesn't know where his camel is?'
on the road as he came to find the apostle, and they joined forces. When The apostle said while 'Umara was with him: 'A man has said: Now
they approached Tabuk Abu ~haytha.ma said to 'Umayr, 'I .have ~one Muhamma~ tells you that he is a prophet and alleges that he tells you of
wrong You can stay behind me If you hke until I come to the apostle, and heavenly thmgs and yet doesn't know where his camel is. By God, I know
he did' so. When he approached the apostle as he was stopping in Tabuk,
the army called attention to a man riding on the way and the apostle Said It 1 Often called Madii'in $aIil}. Doughty's account of this place in Arabia Deserta passim
is still the most interesting. '
wouid be Abu Khaythama, and so it was. Having dismounted he came 2 ~he lex~colo~ists say that khunciqiya is a disease which attacks men and horses (and
1 A pass overlooking Medina. ~ Sura 9 4 8 . sometimes buds) 10 the throat.
606 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
only what God has told me and God has shown me wher: it is. It is in believers. Mukhashshin said, 'I would rather that everyone of us were
this wadi in such-and-such a glen. A tree has caught It by Its halter; so go sentenced to a hundred lashes than that a verse should come down about
and bring it to me.' They went and brought it. 'Umara returned to ,hIS us concerning what you have said.'
camp and said: 'By God, the apostle has just told us a wonderful thmg The apostle-so I have heard-told 'Ammar b. Yiisir to join the men,
about something someone has said which God has told hIm of.' Then he for they had uttered lies, and ask them what they had said. If they refused
repeated the words. One of his company who had not been pr~se;'t w:th to answer, tell them that they said so-and-so. 'Ammar did as he was
the apostle exclaimed, 'Why, Zayd saId thIs before you came. Umara ordered and they came to the apostle making excuses. Wadi'a said as the
advanced on Zayd pricking him in the neck and saying, 'To me, you sc:- apostle had halted on his camel, and as he spoke he laid hold of its girth.
vants of God! I had a misfortune in my company and knew nothmg of It. 'We were merely chatting and joking, 0 apostle.' Then God sent down,
Get out, you enemy of God, and do not associate with me.' Some people 'If you ask them they will say, We were merely chatting and joking."
allege that Zayd subsequently repented; others say that he was suspected Mukhashsbin b. J.:Iumayyir said, '0 apostle, my name and my father's name
of evil until the day of his death. . disgrace me.'2 The man who was pardoned in this verse was Mukhash-
Then the apostle continued his journey and men began to drop behmd. shin and he was named 'Abdu'l-Ral,lman. He asked God to kill him as a
When the apostle was told that So-and-so had dropped behind he said, martyr with none to know the place of his death. He was killed on the
'Let him be' for if there is any good in him God wIllJom hIm to you; If not day of al-Yamama and no trace of him was found.
God has rid you of him.' Finally it was reported that Abu Dharr had When the apostle reached Tabuk Yul,lanna b. Ru'ba governor of Ayla
91
dropped behind and his camel had delayed him. The apostle saId the same came and made a treaty with him and paid him the poll tax. The people of
words. Abu Dharr waited on his camel and when it walked slowl~ with Jarba' and Adhrul,l also came and paid the poll tax. The apostle wrote for
him he took his gear and loaded it on his back and went off walkmg m the them a document which they still have. He wrote to Yul,lanna b. Ru'ba
track of the apostle. The apostle stopped at one of his halting-places when thus: 'In the name of God the Compassionate and Merciful. This is a
a man called his attention to someone walkmg on the way alone. The guarantee from God and Muhammad the prophet, the apostle of God, to
apostle said that he hoped it was Abu Dharr, and whe~ the people had Yul,lanna b. Ru'ba and the people of Ayla, for their ships and their caravans
looked carefully they said that it was he. The apostle SaId, God have merc~ by land and sea. They and all that are with them, men of Syria, and the
n Abu DhaIT. He walks alone and he will die alone and be raIsed alone. Yarnan, and seamen, all have the protection of God and the protection of
o Burayda b. Sufyan al-Aslami from Muhammad b .. Ka'b a~-Qura?i from Muhammad the prophet. Should anyone of them break the treaty by
'Abdullah b. Mas'ud told me that when 'Uthman eXIled Abu Dharr to al- introducing some new factor then his wealth shall not save him; it is the
Rabadha 1 and his appointed time came there was none wit? hin: b';lt h~s fair prize of him who takes it. It is not permitted that they shall be re-
wife and his slave. He instructed them to wash him and wmd 111m In hIS strained from going down to their wells or using their roads by land or sea.'
shroud and lay him on the surface of the road and to tell the first caravan Then the apostle summoned Khalid b. al-Walid and sent him to Ukaydir
that passed who he was and ask them to help in burying him. When he at Duma. Ukaydir b. 'Abdu'l-Malik was a man of Kinda who was ruler of
died they did this. 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud came up wIth a number of men Duma; he was a Christian. The apostle told Khiilid that he would find him
from Iraq on pilgrimage when suddenly they saw the bIer on the top of the hunting wild cows. Khalid went off until he came within sight of his fort.
road: the camels had almost trodden on it. The slave got ~p 7~d saId, It was a summer night with a bright moon and Ukaydir was on the roof
'This is Abu Dharr the apostle's companion. Helpus to bury hIm. Abdul- with his wife. The cows were rubbing their horns against the gate of the
lah b. Mas'ud broke out into loud weeping sayjng, 'The apostle was nght. fort all the night. His wife asked him if he had ever known anything of the
You walked alone, and you died alone, and you will be raised alone.'. Then kind in the past, and urged him to go after them. He called for his horse,
he and his companions alighted and buried him and he told them hIS story and when it was saddled he rode off with a number of his family, among
and what the apostle had said on the road to}'abuk. _ . them a brother called J.:Iassan. As they were riding the apostle's cavalry fell
A band of hypocrites, among them WadI a b.. Thablt, brother of ~. in with them and seized him and killed his brother. Ukaydir was wearing
'Amr b. 'Auf, and a man of Ashja' an ally of B. SalIma called Mukhashshm a gown of brocade covered with gold. Khalid stripped him of this and
b. J.:Iumayyir (864) were pointing at cr.goi~g with) the apostle as he was sent it to the apostle before he brought him to him.
journeying to Tabuk saying one to another, Do you thmk that fightmg the 'A~im b. 'Umar b. Qatada from Anas b. Malik said: I saw Ukaydir's
92
Byzantines is like a war between Arabs? By God we (T. I)seem to see gown when it was brought to the apostle. The Muslims were feeling it
you bound with ropes tomorrow' so as to cause alarm and dismay to the
t Sura 9. 66.
t A place near Medina. 2 Mukhashshin implies harshness and rudeness, and l;Iumayyir means a little donkey.
608 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad '609
and admiring it, and the apostle said, 'Do you admire this 1 By Him in apostle God cast a heavy sleep on us and I began to wake up when my
whose hand is my life the napkins of Sad b. Mu'adh in Paradise are better camel had come near the apostle's camel. I was afraid that if it came too
near hi~ foot ,,:ould be hurt in the stirrup. I began to move my camel away
than this.'
Then Khiilid brought Ukaydir to the apostle who spared his life and from him until sleep overcame me on the way. Then during the night my
made peace with him on condition that he paid the poll tax. Then he camel jostled against his while his foot was in the stirrup and I was wakened
released him and he returned to his town. A man of Tayyi' called Bujayr by his voice saying, 'Look out.' I asked his pardon and he told me to carry
b. Bujara remembering the words of the apostle t? Khalid: 'Y ~u will ~nd on. The apostle began to ask me about those who had dropped out from
him hunting wild cows,' said that what the cows did that mght m bnngmg B. Ghifar and I told him. He asked me about the people with long
him out of his fort was to confirm what the apostle had said: straggling red beards and I told him that they had dropped out. Then he
asked about the men with short curly hair and I confessed that I did not
Blessed is He who drove out the cows. know that they were of us. 'But yes,' he said, 'they are those \vho own
I see God guiding every leader. camels in Shabakatu Shadakh.' Then I remembered that they were
Those who turn aside from yonder Tabuk, (let them) among B. Gh1far, but I did not remember them until I recalled that they
For we have been ordered to fight. were a clan of Aslam who were allies of ours. When I told him this he said
The apostle stayed in Tabuk some ten nights, not more. Then he 'What prevented one of these when he fell out from mounting a zealou~
m~ in the way of God on one of his camels? The most painful thing to
returned to Medina.
On the way there was water issuing from a rock-enough to water two me 1S that muhiijirun from Quraysh and the Ansar and Ghifiir and Aslam
or three riders. It was in a wadi called al-Mushaqqaq. The apostle ordered should stay behind.' .
anyone who should get there before him not to take water from it until ~e
came. A number of the disaffected got there first and drew water from It. THE OPPOSITION MOSQUE
When the apostle arrived he halted and saw no water there. He asked who
had got there first and was told their names. He exclaimed, 'Did I not The ~postle went on until he stopped in Dhu Awan a town an hour's day-
forbid you to take water from it until I came I' Then he cursed them and lIght Journey from Medma. The owners of the mosque of opposition had
called down God's vengeance on them. Then he alighted and placed his come to the apostle as he was preparing for Tabuk, saying, 'We have built
hand under the rock, and water began to flow into his hand as God willed. a mosque for the sick and needy and for nights of bad weather, and we
Then he sprinkled the rock with the water and rubbed it with his hand and should lIke you to come to us and pray for us there.' He said that he was
prayed as God willed him to pray. Then water burst forth, a~ one wh.o on the point of travelling, and was preoccupied, or words to that effect,
heard it said, with a sound like thunder. The men drank and satisfied theIr and that when he came back if God willed he would come to them and
need from it, and the apostle said, 'If you live, or those of you who live, will pray for them in it.
hear of this wadi that it is more fertile than its neighbours.' When he stopped in Dhu Awan news of the mosque came to him, and he
Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. al-I:Iarith al-Taymi told me that 'Abdullah b. summoned Malik b. al-Dukhshum, brother of B. Salim b. 'Auf, and Man
Mas'ud used to say: I got up in the middle of the night when I was with b. 'Adiy (or his brother 'A~im) brother of B. al-'Ajlan, and told them to go
the apostle in the raid on Tabuk when I saw a light near the camp. I went to the mosque of those evil men and destroy and burn it. They went
after it to look at it and 10 it was the apostle with Abu Bakr and 'Umar; and quickly to B. Salim b. 'Auf who were Malik's clan and Malik said to Man
'Abdullah Dl,1u'I-Bijadayn had just died and they had dug a grave for him. 'Wait for me until I can bring fire from my peo~le.' So he went in and
The apostle was in the grave and Abu Bakr and 'Umar were letting him took a palm-branch and lighted it, and then the two of them ran into the
clown to him as he was saying, 'Bring your brother neaf to me,' so they let mosque where i~s people were and burned and destroyed it and the people
95 ran away from it. A portlOll of the Quran came do~ conceriLing them:
him down and as he arranged him for his niche he said, '0 God, I am
pleased with him; be Thou pleased with himl' Abdullah b. Mas'ud used 'Those who chose a mosque in opposition and unbelief and to cause divi-
to say, 'Would that I had been the man in the grave' (86 5). sion among believers' to the end of the passage. I
Ibn Shihiib al-Zuhri reported from Ibn Ukayma al-Laythi from Ibn The twelve men who built it were: Khidhiim b. Khilid of B. 'Ubayd b.
Akhi Abi Ruhm al-Ghifari that he heard Abu Ruhm Kulthum b. al- Zayd, one of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf; his house opened on to the schismatic
l:Iu!?ayn, who was one of the companions who did homage to the apostle mo~que; !ha'iaba b',I:Ia\ib of B. Umayya b. Zayd; Mu'attib b. Qushayr;
beneath the tree, say: When I made the raid on Tabuk with the apostle I Abu I:Iablba b. al-Az ar, both of B. I;lubay'a b. Zayd; 'Abbiid b. I:Iunayf,
journeyed the night with him. While we were at al-Akh<;lar near the I Sura 9. 108.
B 4080 Rr
610 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 61 I
brother of Sahl of B. 'Ar b. 'Auf; Jarmiya b. 'Amir and his two sons thought that trey could conceal it from him as long as no revelation came
Mujammi' and Zayd; Nabtal b. al-!:larith; Ba!,lzaj; and Bijad b. 'Uthman, dO\vn from God ahout it. The apostle made that raid when the fruits were
all of B. I;lubay'a; and Wadi'a b. Thabit of B. Umayya b. Zayd, the clan of ripe and shade was desirable so that men were averse from it. The apostle
Abu Lubaba b. 'Abdu'l-Mundhir. made his preparations and the l\1uslims likewise, and I would go to get ready
The apostle's mosques between Tabuk and Medina are we~ know~ a~d with them and come back not having done what was necessary, saying to
named. They are the mosques in Tabuk; Thanjyatu Midran; Dhatu 1- myself, 'I can do that when I \vant to,' and I continued procrastinating
Zirab' al-Akhdar' Dhatu'I-Khilmj; Ala'; beside aI-Batra' at the end of until the men had acted with energy and in the morning they and the
Kawakib;' Shi'qq: Shiqq Tara; Dhu'l-Jifa; i;ladr !:lauda; al-!:lijr; al~i;la'id; apostle had gone while I had made no preparation. I thought that I could
the wadi known today as Wadi'l-Qura; al-Ruq'a of Shiqqa, the ShIqqa of get ready a day or t\\'o later and then join them. Day after day passed and
B. 'Udhra; Dhu'l-Marwa; Fayfa'; and Dhu Khushub. I had done nothing until the raiders had gone far ahead and still I thought
of going and overtaking and I wish that I had done so hut I did not. After
the apostle had gone when I went about among the men it pained me to s~e
THE THREE MEN WHO ABSTAINED FROM THE RAID only those who were accused of disaffection or a man \vhom God had
excused because of his helpless women. The apostle did not remember me
ON TABUK
until he reached Tabuk when he asked, as he was sitting among the men,
When the apostle came to Medina he found that some disaffected persons what had become of me. One of the B. Salima said that my fine clothes
had stayed behind. Among them were three Mushms who had not held and conceit of my appearance kept me at home. I\1u'iidh b. Jabal said that
hack through doubt or disaffection, namely Ka:b b. Malik, Murara b. al- that was an evil thing to say and that they knew nothing but good of me.
Rabj', and Hilal b. Umayya. The apostle told hiS companIOns not to speak But the apostle was silent.
to these three. The disaffected who had stayed behmd came and made \Vhen I heard that the apostle was on his way back from Tabuk I was
excuses \vith oaths and he forgave them, but neither God nor His apostle smitten with remorse and began to think of a lie I could tell to escape from
accepted their excuse. Th~ l\1uslims withdrew !rom these three. and woul~ his anger and get some of my people to support me in it; but \vhen I heard
not speak to them (T. untIL God sent down HIS word concernmg th:m). that he was near at hand falsehood left me and I kne\\' that I could only
Muhammad h. Muslim b. Shihab al-Zuhrj from 'Abdu'I-Ra!,lman b. escape by telling the truth, so I determined to do so. In the morning the
'Abdullah b. Ka'b b. Malik said that his father, whom he used to lead apostle entered Medina and went into the mosque and after performing two
about when his sight failed, said: I heard my father Ka'b telling his story rak'as he sat down to await the men. Those who had stayed behind came
of how he held back from the apostle in his raid on Tabuk, and the story of and began to make excuses with oaths-there \vere about eighty of them-
his two companions: and the apostle accepted their public declarations and oaths and asked the
I had never held back from any raid the apostle had undertaken except divine forgiveness for them, referring their secret thoughts to God. Last
the battle of Badr, and that was an engagement \vhich none was blamed of all I came and saluted him and he smiled as one who is angry. He told
either by God or His apostle for missing because the apostle ha~ gone ~ut me to come near, and \vhen I sat before him he asked me what had kept
only to find the Quraysh caravan when God brought. him and hIS enemIes me back, and had I not bought my mount. I said, '0 apostle of God, were
together without previous intent. I was present wIth the apostle at al- I sitting \",ith anyone else in the world I should count on escaping his
'Aqaba when we pledged our faith in Islam, and I should not prefer to anger by an excuse, for I am astute in argument. But I know that if I tell 9'
have been at Badr rather than there even if the battle of Badr IS more you a lie today you will accept it and that God will soon excite your anger
famous. The fact was that when I stayed behind in the raid on Tabuk I against me; and yet if I tell you the truth which will make you angry with
had never been stronger and wealthier. Never before had I possessed two me, I have hopes that God will reward me for it in the end. Indeed, I have
camels. Seldom did the apostle intend a raid but he pretended that he had no excuse. I was never stronger and richer than when I stayed behind.'
another objective except on this occasion. He raided it in violent heat and The apostle said, 'So far as that goes you have told the trutl;, but get up
faced a long journey and a powerful enemyand told men what they had to until God decides about you.' So I got up and some of B. Salima rose in
do SO that they might make adequate proVISIOn, and he t~ld them the dIrec- annoyance and followed me, saying, '\Ve have never known you do wrong
tion he intended to take. The Muslims who followed h1m. were man.y and before, and you were unable to excuse yourself to the apostle as the others
he did not enrol them in a book. (He meant by that a regIster; he dId not who stayed behind did. It would have sufficed if the apostle had asked
enrol them in a written register). The few who wanted to absent themselves pardon for your sin.' They kept at me until I wanted to 9.-0 back to the
apostle and give the lie to myself. Then I asked them if any others were in
:1 Sura 9. I I 8-20.
I Ir. Yaqut 'al-Kawikib'.
612 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 61 3

the same case and they said that there were two men who had said what I nights since the apostle had forbidden men to speak to us were complete
had said, and they got the same answer. They were Muriira b. al-Rabi' I prayed the morning prayer on the top of one of our houses on the mon:
al-'Amri of B. 'AIm b. 'Auf, and Hilal b. Abii Umayya al-Waqifi, two of the fiftieth night in the way that God had prescribed. The world
honest men of exemplary character. When they mentioned them I was spacious as it is, closed in on us and my soul was deep distressed. I I had
silent. The apostle forbade anyone to speak to us three out of those who set up a tent on Ihe top of a crag and I used to stay there when suddenly I
had stayed behind, so men avoided us and showed an altered demeanour, heard t~e v~lce of a cner commg over the top of the crag shouting at the
until I hated myself and the whole world as never before. We endured this top of h,s vOIce' Good news, Ka'b b. Malik!' !fell dowo prosIrate knowing
for fifty nights. As for my two companions in misfortune they were humi- that relief had come at last. '
liated and stayed in their houses, but I was younger and hardier, so I used The apostle announced God's forgiveness when he prayed the dawo
to go out and attend prayers with the Muslims, and go round the markets prayer and men went off to tell us the good news. They went 10 my two
while no one spoke to me; and I would go to the apostle and salute him fellows with the news and a man galloped off to me on a horse, and a runner
while he sat after prayers, asking myself if his lips had moved in returning from Aslam ran u~til he came over the mountain, and the voice was quicker
the salutation or not; then I would pray near him and steal a look at him. than Ihe horse. When the man whom I had heard shouting the good news
When I performed my prayer he looked at me, and when I turned towards c.",:,e, I tore off my clothes and gave them to him as a reward for good
him he turned away from me. When I had endured much from the harsh- tldmgs, and by God at the time I had no others and had'to borrow more
ness of the Muslims I walked off and climbed over the wall of Abii Qatada's and put them on. Then I set off towards the apostle and men met me and
9I l orchard. He was my cousin and the dearest of men to me. I saluted him told me the good news and congratulated me on God's having forgiven me.
and by God he did not return my salam so I said, '0 Abii Qatada, I adjure I went into the mosque and there was the apostle surrounded by men
you by God, do you not know that I love God and His apostle /'; but he Tall,1a b. 'Ubaydullah got up and greeted me and congratulated me but n~
answered me not a word. Again I adjured him and he was silent; again, other muhajir did so. (Ka'b never forgot this action of Tall,1a's,) ,
and he said, 'God and His apostle know best: At that my eyes swam with When I saluted the, apostle he said as his face shone with joy, 'This is
tears and I jumped up and climbed over the wall. the best day of your hfe. Good news to you!' I said, 'From you or from
In the morning I walked in the market and there was one of the N abali God /' 'From God, of course,' he said. When he told good news his face
traders from Syria who came to sell food in Medina asking for me. When used to be like the moon, and we used to recognize it. When I sat before
he asked for me the people pointed me out to him, and he came and gave him I told him Ihat as an act of penitence I would give away my property
me a letter from the king of Ghassiin which he had written on a piece of as alms to God and H,s apostle. He told me to keep some of it for that 9 1 3
silk which read as follows: 'We hear that your master has treated you would be better for me. I told him that I would keep my share in Khaybar
badly. God has not put you in a house of humiliation and loss, so come to booty, and I said, 'God has saved me through truthfulness, and part of my
us and we will provide for you: When I read it I thought that this too was repentance towards God IS that I will not speak anything but the truth so
part of the ordeal. My situation was such that a polytheist hoped to win long as I live; and by God I do not know any man whom God has favoured'
me over; so I took the letter to the oven and burned it. in speaking the truth since I told the apostle that more graciously than He
Thus we went on until forty of the fifty nights had passed and then the favoured me. From the day I told the apostle that to the present day I
apostle's messenger came to me and told me that the apostle ordered that never even purposed a he, and I hope that God will preserve me for the
I should separate myself from my wife, I asked whether Ihis meant that I time that remains.'
was to divorce her, but he said No, I was to separate myself and not God sent down: 'God has forgiven the prophet and the emigrants and
approach her. My two companions received similar orders. I told my wife the helpers who followed him in the hour of difficulty after the hearts of a
to rejoin her f'UIlily until such time as God should give a decision in the party of them had almost swerved; Ihen He forgave them. He is kind and
matter. The wife of Hilal came to the apostle and told him that he was an merciful to them and to the three who were left behind' as far as the words
old man, lost without a servant, was there any objection to her serving 'And be with the truthful: 3
him? He said there was not provided Ihat he did not approach her. She Ka'b said: 'God never showed me a greater favour afIer He had guided
told the apostle that he never made a movement towards her and that his me to Islam than when I told the apostle the truth that day so that I did not
weeping was so prolonged that she feared that he would lose his sight. lie and perish like those who lied; for God said about those who lied to him
One of my family suggested that I should ask for similar permission from when He sent down the revelation "They will swear to you by God whe!!
the apostle, but I declined to do so because I did not know what he would I The language is borrowed from Sura 9. I 19 v.i.
say in reply since I was a young man. Ten more nights passed until fifty ~ Cf. 5I8. 4. 'tested' is a possible alternative. 3 SUra 9. uB.
61 4 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
you return to them that you may turn from them. Do turn from them for to him to come out to him. 'Abdu YaHl expressed great surprise that 'Amr 915
they are unclean and their resting place is hell, in reward for what they who was so careful of his life should come to him, so he came out, and
have earned. They swear to you that you may be satisfied \vith them, and \vhen he saw him he welcomed him. 'Amr said to him: '\Ve are in an
if you are satisfied with them God is not satisfied \vith an evil people,'''l impasse. You have seen how the affair of this man has progressed. All
We three were kept back from the affair of those from whom the apostle the Arabs have accepted Islam and you lack the po"\ver to fight them, so
accepted an apology when they swore an oath to him and he asked forgive- look to your case.' Thereupon Thaqif took counsel and said one to
ness for them. And the apostle postponed our affair until God gave His another, 'Don't you see that your herds are not safe; none of you can go out
judgement, and about that God said, 'And to the three who were left without being cut off.' So after conferring together they decided to send a
behind. '2 man to the apostle as they had sent 'linva. They spoke to 'Abdu Ya!il,
When God used the word khullifii it had nothing to do with our holding who was a contemporary of 'Un-va, and laid the plan before him, but he
back from the raid, but to his holding us back and postponing our affair refused to act, fearing that on his return he would be treated as 'l)rwa was.
from those who swore to him and made excuses which he accepted. He said that he would not go unless they sent some men with him. They
decided to send two mcn from aI-AI.1IM and three from B. IVIalik, six in all.
They sent with 'Abdu YaW, al-J:lakam b. 'Amr b. \Vahb b. Mu'attib, and
914 THE ENVOYS OF THAQIF ACCEPT ISLAM, A.H. 9 Shura\Ibil b. Ghaylan b. Salima b. Mu'attib; and from B. Malik, 'lithman
The apostle returned from Tabuk in RamaQ5.n and in that month the b. Abu'I-'A s b. Bishr b. 'Abdu Duhman, brother of B. Yasar, and Aus b.
deputation of Thaqif came to him. 'Auf, brother of B. Salim b. 'Auf, and Numayr b. Kharasha b. Rabi'a,
When the apostle came away from them 'lirwa b. Mas'ud al-Thaqafi brother of B. al-J:larith. 'Abdu Ya!il went with them as leader in charge of
followed him until he caught up with him before he got to Medina, and the affair. He took them with him only out of fear of meeting the same
accepted Islam. He asked that he might go back to his people as. Muslim, fate as 'Urwa and in order that each man on his return could secure the
but the apostle said,-so his people say-'They will kill you,' for the attention of his clan.
apostle knew the proud spirit of opposition that was in them. 'Urwa said When they approached Medina and halted at Qanat they met there al-
that he was dearer to them than their firstborn (866). Mughira b. Shu'ba whose turn it was to pasture the camels of the apostle's
He was a man who \vas loved and obeyed and he went out calling his companions, for the companions took this duty in turn. \Vhen he saw
people to Islam and hoping that they would not oppose him because of his them he left the camels with the Thaqafis and jumped up to run to give the
position among them. 'Vhen he \vent up to an upper room and showed apostle the good news of their corning. Abt:i Bakr met him before he could
himself to them after he had invited them to Islam and shown his religion get to the apostle and he told him that riders of Thaqif had come to make 916
to them they shot arrows at him from all directions, and one hit him and their submission and accept Islam on the apostle's conditions provided
killed him. The B. Malik allege that one of their men killed him; his name that they could get a document guaranteeing their people and their land
was Aus b. 'Auf, brother of B. Salim b. Malik. The A\Ilaf allege that one and animals. Abu Bakr implored al-Mughira to let him be the first to tell
of their men from B. 'Attab b. Malik called Wahb b. Jabir killed him. It the apostle the news and he agreed, so AbU. Bakr went in and told the
was said to 'Crwa, '\Vhat do you think about your death?' He said, 'It is apostle while al-l\1ughira rejoined his companions and brought the camels
a gift which God. has honoured me with and a martyrdom which God has back. He taught them how to salute the apostle, for they were used to the
led me to. I am like the martyrs who were killed with the apostle before salutation of paganism. When they came to the apostle he pitched a tent
he went away from you; so bury me with them.' They did bury him with for them near his mosque, so they allege. Khalid b. Said b. al-'A s acted
them and they allegc that the apostle said about him, 'Among his people as intermediary between them and the apostle until they got their docu-
he is like the hero of Ya Sin among his people.' 3 ment; it was he who actually wrote it. They would not eat the food which
Thaqif delayed some months after the killing of 'Urwa. Then they took came to them from the apostle until Khiilid ate some and until they
counsel among themselves and decided that they could not fight the Arabs had accepted Islam and had got their document.
all around them, who had paid homage and accepted Islam. Among the things they asked the apostle was that they should be
Yaqub b. 'litba b. al-Mughira b. al-Akhnas told me that 'Amr b. allowed to retain their idol AI-Lat undestroved for three Years The
Umayya, brother of B. '!laj, was not on speaking terms with 'Abdu Yam b. apostle refused, and they continued to ask hi~ for a year or two, ~nd he
'Amr and there was bad feeling between them. 'Amr was a most crafty refused; finally they asked for a month after their return home; but he
man and he walked to 'Abdu Yam and entered his dwelling and sent word refused to agree to any set time. All that they wanted as they were trying
I Sura 9. 96. 2 Sura 9. Il9. 3 cr. Sura 36. 19. to show was to be safe from their fanatics and women and children by
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 617
leaving her, and they did not want to frighten their people by destroying her jewels he sent for Abu Sufyan when her jewellery and gold and beads
her until they had accepted Islam. The apostle refused this, but he sent had been collected.
Abu Sufyan b. l:Iarb and al-Mughira b. Shu'ba to destroy her. They had Now Abu MulayJ.r b. 'Urwa and Qarib b. al-Aswad had come to the
also asked that he would excuse them from prayer and that they should not apostle before the Thaqif deputation when 'Urwa was killed, desiring to
have to break their idols with their own hands. The apostle said: 'We separate themselves from Thaqif and to have nothing to do with them.
excuse you from breaking your idols with your own hands, but as for When they became Muslims the apostle said to them, 'Take as friends
prayer there is no good in a religion which has no prayers.' They said that whom you will,' and they said, 'We choose God and His apostle.' The
they would perform them though it was demeaning. apostle said, 'and your maternal uncle Abu Sufyan b.l;Iarb/ and they said,
When they had acc'epted Islam and the apostle had given them their 'Even so.'
document he appointed 'Uthman b. Abu'I-'A~ over them although he was When the people of al-Ta'if had accepted Islam and the apostle had sent
the youngest of them. This was because he was the most zealous in study- Abu Sufyan and al-Mughira to destroy the idol, Abu MulayJ.r b. 'Urwa
ing Islam and learning the Quran. Abu Bakr had told the apostle this. asked the apostle to settle a debt his father had incurred from the property
'Isa b. 'Abdullah b. 'Aliya b. Sufyan b. Rabi'a al-Thaqafi from one of of the idol. The apostle agreed and Qarib b. al-Aswad asked for the same
the deputation told me: Bilal used to come to us when we had become privilege for his father. Now 'Urwa and al-Aswad were full brothers. The
Muslims and we fasted with the apostle for the rest of Rama~an, and bring apostle said, 'But al-Aswad died a polytheist.' He answered, 'But you will
our supper and our breakfast from the apostle. He would come to us in be doing a favour to a Muslim a near relation,' meaning himself; 'the debt
the morning twilight and we would say 'We see that the dawn has risen.' is only incumbent on me and from me it is required. J The apostle ordered
He would say, 'I left the apostle eating at daybreak, so as to make the dawn Abu Sufyan to satisfy the debts of 'Urwa and al-Aswad from the property
meal later' ;1 and he would bring our evening meal and we would say, 'We of the idol, and when al-Mughira had collected its money he told Abu
see that the sun has not entirely vanished,' and he would say, 'I did not Sufyiin that the apostle had ordered him to satisfy these debts thus, and he
come to you until the apostle had eaten.' Then he would put his hand in did so.
the dish and eat from it (867). The text of the document the apostle wrote for them runs: 'In the name
Sa'id b. Abu Hind from Muprrif b. 'Abdullah b. al-Shakhkhir from of God the Compassionate the Merciful. From Muhammad the prophet,
'Uthman b. Abu'I-'A~ said: The last thing the apostle enjoined on me the apostle of God, to the believers: The acacia trees of Wajj I and its game
when he sent me to Thaqif was to be brief in prayer, to measure men by are not to be injured. Anyone found doing this will be scourged and his
their weakest members; for there were old and young, sick and infirm garments confiscated. If he repeats the offence he will be seized and
among them. brought to the prophet Muhammad. This is the order of the prophet
When they had accomplished their task and had set out to return to their Muhammad, the apostle of God.' Khalid b. Sa'id has written by the order
country the apostle sent with them Abu Sufyan and al-Mughira to destroy of the apostle Muhammad b. Abdullah, so let none repeat the offence to his 919
the idol. They travelled with the deputation and when they neared al- own injury in what the apostle of God Muhammad has ordered.
Ta'if, al-Mughira wanted to send on Abu Sufyan in advance. The latter
refused and told him to go to his people while he stayed in his property in
Dhu'l-Haram.' When al-Mughira entered he went up to the idol and ABU BARR LEADS THE PILGRIMAGE, A.H.9
struck it with a pickaxe. His people the B. Mu'attib stood in front of him The apostle remained there for the rest of the month of Rama~an and
fearing that he would be shot or killed as 'Urwa had been. The women of Shawwal and Dhu'I-Qa'da. Then he sent Abii Bakr in command of the
Thaqif came out with their heads uncovered bewailing her and saying: bajj in the year 9 to enable the Muslims to perform their bajj while the
o weep for OUf protector polytheists were at their pilgrimage stations. Abu Bakr and the Muslims
Poltroons would neglect her duly departed.
Whose swords need a corrector (868). A discharge came down permitting the breaking of the agreement
between the apostle and the polytheists that none should be kept back from
Abu Sufyan, as al-Mughira smote her with the axe, said'Alas for you, the temple when he came to it, and that none need fear during the sacred
alas!' When al-Mughira had destroyed her and taken what was on her and month. That was a general agreement between him and the polytheists;
t The last clause may be an explanatory gloss from LL meanwhile there were particular agreements between the apostle and the
:l LH. here has bidhi'l~hadam, but the true reading given above is in T. 1692. 1. There is
no doubt about this because the rhyming word of the saj' given in Yaq. iv. 96Q requires the
Arab tribes for specified terms. And there came down about it and about
Jetter 1'. I A place in al~Tiif.
618 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 619
the disaffected who held back from him in the raid on Tabuk, and about transgressors,' i.e. they have transgressed against you. 'But if they repent
what they said (revelations) in which God uncovered the secret thoughts and perform prayer and pay the poor tax, then they are your brothers in
of people who were dissembling. \\le know the names of some of them, of religion. \-Ve make clear the revelations for a people who have knowledge.'
others we do not. He said:' 'A discharge from God and His apostle !:!akim b. I:Jakim b. 'Abbiid b. !:!unayf from Abu Jafar Muhammad b.
towards those polytheists with whom you made a treaty,' i.e. those poly- 'Ali told me that when the discharge came down to the apostle after he had
theists with whom you made a general agreement. 'So travel through the sent Abu Bakr to superintend the ~a)j', someone expressed the wish that he
land for four months and know that you cannot escape God and that God would send news of it to Abu Bakr. He said, 'None shall transmit it from
will put the unbelievers to shame. And a proclamation from God and His me but a man of my own house.' Then he summoned 'Ali: and said: 'Take
apostle to men on the day of the greater pilgrimage that God and His this section from the beginning of "The Discharge" and proclaim it to the
920 apostle are free from obligation to the polytheists,' i.e. after this pilgrimage. people on the day of sacrifice when they assemble at Mina. No unbeliever
'So if you repent it will be better for you; and if you turn back know that shall enter Paradise, and no polytheist shall make pilgrimage after this
you cannot escape God. Inform those who disbelieve, about a painful year, and no naked person shall circumambulate the temple. He who has 922
punishment except those polytheists with whom you have made a treaty,' an agreement with the apostle has it for his appointed time (only). 'Ali
i.e. the special treaty for a specified term, 'since they have not come short went forth on the apostle's slit-eared camel and overtook Abu Bakr on the
in anything in regard to you and have not helped anyone against you. So way. When Abu Bakr saw him he asked whether he had come to give
fulfil your treaty with them to their allotted time. God loves the pious. orders or to convey them. He said 'to convey them.' They went on
And when the sacred months are passed,' He means the four which he fixed together and Abu Bakr superintended the ~aJi, the Arabs in that year doing
as their time, 'then kill the polytheists wherever you find them, and seize as they had done in the heathen period. \\-'hen the day of sacrifice came
them and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush. But if 'Ali arose and proclaimed what the apostle had ordered him to say, and he
they repent and perform prayer and pay the poor-tax, then let them go gave the men a period of four months from the date of the proclamation to
their way. God is forgiving, merciful. If one of the polytheists,' i.e. one return to their place of safety or their country; afterwards there was to be
of those whom I have ordered you to kill, 'asks your protection, give it him no treaty or compact except for one with whom the apostle had an agree-
so that he may hear the word of God; then convey him to his place of ment for a period, and he could have it for that period. After that year no
safety. That is because they are a people who do not know.' polytheist went on pilgrimage or circumambulated the temple naked.
Then He said: 'How can there be for the polytheists' with whom you had Then the two of them returned to the apostle. This was the Discharge in
a general agreement that they should not put you in fear and that you regard to the polytheists who had a general agreement, and those who had
would not put them in fear neither in the holy places nor in the holy a respite for the specified time.
months 'a treaty with God and His apostle except for those with whom you Then the apostle gave orders to fight the polytheists who had broken the
made a treaty at the sacred mosque?' They were the tribes of B. Bakr who special agreement as well as those who had a general agreement after the
had entered into an agreement with Quraysh on the day of al-!:!udaybiya four months which had been given them as a fixed time, save that if anyone
up to the time agreed between the apostle and Quraysh. It was only this of them showed hostility he should be killed for it. And He said, 'Will you
clan of Quraysh who had broken it. They were al-Dil of B. Bakr b. Wa'il not fight a people who broke their oaths and thought to drive out the
who had entered into the agreement of Quraysh. So he was ordered to apostle and attacked you first? Do you fear them when God is more worthy
fulfil the agreement with those of B. Bakr who had not broken it, up to their to be feared if you are believers? Fight them! God will punish them by
allotted time. 'So long as they are true to you be true to them. God loves y~ur hands, and put them to shame and give you the victory over them and
the pious.' WIll heal the breasts of a believing people, and He will remove the anger of
Then He said: 'And how, if when they have the upper hand of you,' i.e. theIr hearts and God will relent,' i.e. after that 'towards whom He will, for
the polytheists who have no agreement up to a time under the general God is knowing, wise.' 'Or do you think that you will be left (idle) when
agreement with the polytheists 'they regard not pact or compact in regard God does not yet know those of you who bestir yourselves and choose none
to you' (869). for friend but God and His apostle and the believers? God is informed
921 'They satisfy you with their lips while their hearts refuse. Most of them about what you do' (870).
are wrongdoers. They have sold the revelations of God for a low price Then He mentioned the words of Quraysh, 'We are the people of 1he
and debarred (men) from His way. Evil is that which they are wont to do. sanct~ary, th~ waterer~ of the pil~rin:s, and the tenders of this temple and
They observe neither pact nor compact with a believer. Those are the none IS supenor to us, and He saId: He only shall tend God's sanctuaries 923
I Sura 9. This- chapter is a commentary on it. who believes in God and the last day,' i.e. your tending was not thus. Only
620 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 621
those who tend God's sanctuaries means tend them as they ought to be Go forth in the way of God you were weighed down to the earth' then as
tended 'who believes in God and the last day and performs prayer and pays far as His words' He will punish you with a painful punishment and choose
the poor tax and fears only God,' i.e. those are its tenders, 'perhaps those a people other than you' to the words 'if you do not help him still God
may be the rightly guided.' 'Perhaps' coming from God means a fact. Then helped him when those who disbelieve drove him out the second of two
he said: 'Would you make the watering of the pilgrims and the tending of the when the twain were in the cave.'
sacred mosque equal to one who believes in God and the last day and Then He said to His prophet, mentioning the disaffected: 'Had it been
fights in the way of God? They are not equal with God.' a near adventure and a short journey they would have followed yOll, but
Then comes the story of their enemy until he arrives at the mention of the long distance weighed upon them. And they will swear by God, Had
I:J:unayn and what happened there and their turning back from their we been able we would have set forth with you. They destroy themselves,
enemy and how God sent down help after they had abandoned one God knowing that they are liars,' i.e. that they were able. 'May God forgive
another. Then He said (v. 28): 'The polytheists are nothing but unclean, you. Why did you give them leave (to stay behind) before those who told
so let them not approach the sacred mosque after this year of theirs, and if the truth were plain to you and you knew the liars?' as far as the words
you fear poverty' that was because the people said 'the markets will be cut 'Had they gone forth with you they would have contributed naught but
off from us, trade will be destroyed, and we shall lose the good things we trouble and have hurried about among you seeking to cause sedition among
used to enjoy,' and God said, 'If you fear poverty God will enrich you you there being among you some who would have listened to them' (871).
from His bounty,' i.e. in some other way, 'if He will. He is knowing, wise. Among the men of high standing who asked his permission (to stay be-
Fight those who do not believe in God and the last day and forbid not that hind) according to my information were 'Abdullah b. Ubayy b. Sallil and
which God and His apostle have forbidden and follow not the religion of al-Jadd b. Qays. They were nobles among their people and God kept them 925
truth from among those who have been given the scripture until they pay... back because He knew that if they went forth with him they would cause
the poll tax out of hand being humbled,' i.e. as a compensation for what you disorder in his army, for in the army were men who loved them and would
fear to lose by the closing of the markets. God gave them compens:ltion obey them in anything they asked because of their high standing among
for what He cut off from them in their former polytheism by what He gave them. God said: 'And among them are some who would have listened to
them by way of poll tax from the people of scripture. them and God knows about the evil-doers. In the past they sought to
Then He mentioned the two peoples of scripture with their evil and their caus~ sedition,' i.e. before they asked your permission, 'and overturned
lies against Him until the words 'Many of the rabbis and monks devour your affairs, i.e. to draw away your companions from you and to frustrate
I

men's wealth wickedly and turn men from the way of God. Those who your affair 'until the truth came and God's command became manifest
hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of God, announce though they were averse'. Of them is he who said, Give me permission
to them a painful punishment.' (to stay behind) and tempt me not. Have they not fallen into temptation
Then He mentioned the fixing of the sacred months and the innovations already?' The one who said that according to what we were told was al-
of the Arabs in the matter. Nasi' means making profane months which Jadd b. Qays, brother of B. Salima, when the apostle called him to war
God has declared holy and vice versa. 'The number of the months with with the Byzantines. Then the account goes on to the words' If they were
God is twelve in the book of God on the day He created heaven and earth. to find a refuge or caverns Or a place to enter they would have turned to it
Four of them are sacred; that is the standing religion, so wrong not your- with all speed. And of them is he who defamed you in the matter of alms.
selves therein,' i.e. do not make the sacred profane or the profane sacred If they are given some they are content; but if they are not given some they
as the polytheists did. 'Postponement (of a sacred month)' which they are enraged,' i.e. their whole aim, their satisfaction, and their anger, are
used to practise 'is excess of infidelity whereby those who disbelieve are concerned with their worldly life.
misled; they allow it one year and forbid it another year that they may Then He explained and specified to whom alms should be given: 'Alms
make up the number of the months which God has made sacred so that are only for the poor and needy and the collectors of it and for those whose
they allow that which God has forbidden, the evil of their deeds seeming hearts are to be won, and to free captives and debtors, and for the way of
good to them. But God does not guide a disbelieving people.' God and for the wayfarer as an ordinance from God and God is knowing,
Then He mentioned Tablik and how the Muslims were weighed down wise.'
by it and exaggerated the difficulty of attacking the Byzantines when the Then He mentioned their duplicity and their vexing the apostle and
apostle called them to fight them; and the disaffection of some; then how said: 'And of them are those who vex the prophet and say, He is an ear.
the apostle upbraided them for their behaviour in Islam. God said, '0 you Say: an ear of good for you, who believes in God and is faithful to the
who believe, what was the matter with you that when it ,was said to you, believers and a mercy for those of you who believe. There is a painful
622 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 623
punishment for those who vex God's apostle.' According to my informa- hotter did you but understand. But let them laugh a little and weep much'
tion the man who said those words was Nabtal b. al-J:Iarith, brother of B. as far as the words 'and let not their wealth and children astonish you.'
IAmr b. IAuf, and this verse came down about him because he used to say Al-Zuhri from 'Ubaydullah b. 'Abdullah b. 'Utba from b. 'Abbas said:
'Muhammad is only an ear. If anyone tells him a thing he believes it.' I heard 'Umar saying, 'When 'Abdullah b. Ubayy died the apostle was
God said, 'Say: An ear of good to you,' i.e. he hears good and believes it. called to pray over him; and when he went and stood by hini about to
Then He said, 'They swear by God to you to please you, but God and pray I changed my position so as to confront him and said" Arc you going
His apostle have more right that they should please Him if they are be- to pray over God's enemy 'Abdullah b. Ubayy, the man who said so-and-so
lievers.' I Then He said, 'If you ask them they will say \Ve were but talking on such-and-such occasions?" The apostle smiled when I had made a long
and jesting. Say: Do you scoff at God and His signs and His apostle?' as story and said, "Get behind me, Umar. I have been given the choice and
far as the words 'If We pardon a party of you We will punish a party.' The I have chosen. It was said to me, 'Ask pardon for them or ask it not. If
one who said these words was Wadi'a b. Thabit, brother of B. Umayya b. you ask pardon for them seventy times God wiII not pardon them.' Did
Zayd of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf. The one who was pardoned, according to my I know that if I added to the seventy he would be forgiven I would add
information, was Mukhashshin b. J:Iumayyir al-Ashja'i, an ally of B. thereto." Then he prayed over him and walked with him till he stood over
Salima, because he disapproved of what he heard them saying. his grave until he was disposed of. I was astonished at myself and my bold-
The description of them continues to the words, '0 prophet, fight the ness when God and His apostle know best. It was not long before these
unbelievers and disaffected, and deal roughly with them. Their abode is two verses came down" And never pray for anyone of them who dies
hell, an evil resting-place. They swear by God that they did not say it but and do not stand by his grave for they disbelieved in God and His apostle
they did say the word of unbelief and disbelieved after their Islam and and died as evil-doers." Aftenvards the apostle never prayed over a
planned what they could not attain. They sought revenge only because disaffected person until the day of his death.'
God and His apostle had enriched them from His bounty' to the words 'no Then He said: 'And when a sura is sent down: Believe in God and
friend and no helper.' The one who said those words was al-Julas b. strive along with His apostle, men of wealth among them asked your
Suwayd b. i?amit, and a man of his family called 'Umayr b. Sa'd reported permission (to stay behind).' Ibn Ubayy was one of them and God
them and he denied that he had said them and swore an oath by God. But upbraided him for it, then He said: 'But the apostle and those who believe
when the Quran came down concerning them he repented and changed wi.th him strive with their wealth and their lives; for them are the good
his mind. His repentance and his state became excellent as I have heard. thmgs; they are the successful. God has prepared for them gardens
Then He said, 'And of them is he who made a covenant with God: If He beneath which rivers flow wherein they shall abide for ever; that is the
gives us of His bounty we will give alms and become of the righteous.' great triumph. And the excuse-offering Bedouin came to ask leave and those
The ones who made a covenant with God were Tha'laba b. I:Ia~ib and who disbelieved God and His apostle stayed at home' to the end of the
Mu'attib b. Gushayr, both of B. 'Amr b. 'Auf. account. The men with excuses so I have heard were a number of B.
Then He said, 'Those who defame such of the believers as give freely in Ghifar among whom was Khufafb. Ayma' b. RaJ.1ada; He goes on with the
alms and such as can only give their efforts and scoff at them, God will story of these to the words 'nor to those who when they came to you to 928
scoff at them and they will have a painful punishment.' The believers who mount them you said I cannot find a beast on which to mount you, turned
freely gave alms were 'Abdu'I-RaJ.1man b. 'Auf and 'A~im b. 'Adiy, brother back, their eyes flowing with tears for grief that they could not find the
of B. 'Ajian J be~ause the apostle incited and urged men to almsgiving. wherewithal to spend.' Those were the weepers.
'Abdu'I-Ra1;tman arose and gave 4,000 dirhams, and 'A~im arose and gave Then He said: 'The way (of blame) is only against those who asked
100 loads of dates, and they defamed them and said, 'This is nothing l""ve, they being rich. They wanted to be with the women. God sealed
but ostentation.' The man who gave in alms all he could was Abu 'Aqil, their hearts and they do not know.' The khawabfwere the women. Then
brother of n. Unayf, who brought a measure of dates and cast it all into He mentioned their oath and their excuse to the Muslims and said
the alms. They laughed at him saying, 'God can do without Abu 'Aqil's 'Turn away from them' to His words' And if you are satisfied with the~
paltry measure.' God will not be satisfied with an evil people.'
Then He mentioned what they said one to another when the apostle Then He mentioned the Bedouin and the disaffected among them and
ordered war and the expedition to Tabuk in great heat and sterile condi- how they waited for (the discomfiture of) the apostle and the believers:
927 tions. 'They said, Go not forth in the heat. Say: The fire of hen is much 'And of the Bedouin there is he who regards what is spent,' i.e. of the alms
or expenses in the way of God 'as a tax and awaits evil fortune for you.
I The syntax of this verse is forced and it is probable that some early scribe wrote waTasu~
/uhu mechanically. The evil fortune will be theirs and God is hearing, knowing.'
624 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 62 5
Then He mentioned the sincere and faithful Bedouin among them and Well-aimed blows blazing like a hot fire met them
said: 'AIid of the Bedouin there is he who believes in God and the last And the day of Dhu Qarad when dust rose above them as they rode
day and regards what he spends and the prayers of the apostle as accep- They did not flinch nor fear.
table offerings with God. It is an acceptable offering for them.' At Dhu'l-'Ushayra they overrode them with the apostle
Then He mentioned the first emigrants and helpers and their merit and Armed with sword and spear.
the goodly reward which God promised them. Then he joined with them At Waddiin they drove out its people
their later followers in goodness and He said, 'God is pleased with them Galloping along till hill and mountain stopped us.
and they are pleased with Him.' Then He said: 'And of the Bedouin And the mght when they sought their enemy for God's sake
round you there are the disaffected and of the people of Medina there are (And God will reward them for what they did).
those who are stubborn in disaffection,' i.e. persist in it and refuse to be And the raid on Najd, where with the apostle
otherwise; 'we shall punish them twice.' The punishment with which They gained much spoil and booty.
God threatened them twice according to my information is their grief And the night in I;iunayn when they fought with him
over their position in Islam and their inward rage at not getting a (heavenly) He gave them a second taste of combat.
reward; then their punishment in the grave when they get there; then the And the raid of al-Qa< when we scattered the enemy
great punishment to which they will be brought, the punishment of hell As camels afe scattered before their drinking-place:
eternally. Then He said: 'And there are others who acknowledged their They wer? the people who paid him homage
faults. They mixed a good deed with another that was bad; perhaps God To the pomt of war-they Succoured him and left him not
9JO
will relent towards them, for He is forgiving, merciful.' In the raid on Mecca they were on guard among his troop~
Then He said, 'Take alms from their wealth wherewith to purify and Neither light-minded nor hasty.
cleanse them' to the end of the passage. Then He said: 'And there are At Khaybar they were in his squadron
others who are postponed to God's decree; either He will punish them or Each man walking like a hero facing death
relent towards them.' They are the three who were left in abeyance and With swords quivering in their right hands
the apostle postponed their case until their forgiveness came from God. Sometimes bent through striking, sometimes straight.
Then He said, And as for those who chose a mosque out of opposition'
I
The day the apostle went to Tabuk seeking God's reward
to the end of the passage. Then He said: 'God has bought from the They were his first standard-bearers.
believers their lives and their wealth for the Garden that will be theirs.' They had the conduct of war if it seemed good to them
Then comes the narrative dealing with Tabuk to the end of the chapter. Until advance or retreat seemed the best.
In the time of the prophet and afterwards Barii'a was called al-Muba- Those are the people, the prophet's Ansar,
'thira' because it laid bare the secret thoughts of men. Tabuk was the last And they are my people-to them I 'belong when my descent is
raid that the apostle made. searched.
They died honourably, faith unbroken,
And when they were killed it was for God's sake (873).
.
THE POETRY OF HASsAN ENUMERATING THE BATTLES .
I;iassiin b. Thiibit, enumerating the battles and campaigns in which the l;Iassan also said:
Aru,iir fought in company with the apostle, said: (872) We were kings of men before Muhammad
Am I not the best of Ma'add in family and tribe' And when Islaln came we had the superiority.
If all of them be reckoned and counted? God the only God honoured us with
A people all of whom witnessed Badr with the apostle Bygone days that have no parallel
Neither falling short nor deserting. In our help to God and His apostle and His religion,
They gave him their fealty, not one betrayed it, And God has gIven us a name which has no equal.
And there was no deceit in their plighted word. Those people of mine are the best of all people.
On the day when in the glen of Ul,>ud Whatever is counted good my people are worthy of it-.
I Cf. Siiras 82.... and 100. 9.
They surpass all their predecessors in generosity
2 S. explains thatl;Iassan who was not of Ma<add means men in general and says 'Ma'add' And the way to their generosity is never barred.
because of their iteat number. When men Come to their assemblies they do not behave unseemly,
B4080 ss
626 The Life of Muhammad
The LIfe of Muhammad
Nor are they mean when asked for a gift.
On our long, carefully tended mares
They are inimitable in war and peace.
Which were not out of condition from long stabling
To fight them is death; to make peace ease. Dark bays, spirited, .
Their sojourner's house is high and inaccessible. Strong jointed like arrows
Carrying horsemen accust~med to fighting warriors
While staying with us he enjoys respect and hospitality.
If one of them assumes a debt he pays it And to smiting down brave foes'
Without defaulting or running into debt.
Kings when (others) behaved as ;yrants in the land
He who speaks speaks the truth, Nrever retreating .but always advancing. ' 932
Their clemency is constant, their judgement just. V\ e cam~ back wIth their leading men
93 1 He whom the Muslims trusted while he lived'
And thelT women and children also were divided among the . t
And he whom the angels' washed of his impurity were of us (874). W e In. h . d h . VIC Ors.
erIte t elr houses when they had gone
Bassan also said: And remained there as owners
WheI" the rightly guided apostie brought us the truth
These are my people if you ask, And lzght after darkness
Generous when a guest arrives. We said, 'You speak the truth, a God's apostle;
Large are the cooking-pots for the gamesters Come and dwell with us.
Wherein they cook the fat-humped camels. We bear witness that you aTe the slave of God
They give the sojourner a life of plenty Sent in light with an upright religion.
And protect their friend when he is wronged. \Ve and our chil?ren are a protection for you
They were kings in their lands, And OUr wealth IS at your disposal. I
They call for the sword when injustice is flagrant. 3 Such ~re we if others give you the lie,
They were kings over men-never by others So shr,mk not from proclaiming aloud,
Have they been ruled even for a short time. Proclaim ,,,,hat you have hidden
Tell' about 'Ad and its peoples: Openly without concealing it.'
Of Thamiid and the survivors of lram, The erring ones came with their swords
Of Yathrib where they had built forts among the palms Thinking that he would be slain.
And cattle were housed there, We attacked them with our swords
\Vatering camels which the Jews trained Fi?hting the miscreants of the peo~les in his defence
Saying, Off with you, and Come! WIth our brightly polished swords
They had what they wanted of wine and pleasure, Fine-edged, biting, cutting.
An easy life free of care. When they encountered hard bones
We came to them with our equipment They did not recoil or become blunted.
On our white war-loving camels; Such have our nobles bequeathed us
Beside them we led war-horses In ancestral glory and proud fame.
Covered with thick leather. When one passes another takes his place
When we halted on the sides of Sirar s And he leaves a scion when he dies.
And made faSt the saddles with twisted ropes There is none who is not indebted to us
They were scared by the speed of the horses Though he may have been disloyal (875).
And the sudden attack from the rear.
They fled swiftly in terror
As we came on them like lions of the jungle THE YEAR OF THE DEPUTATIONS, A.H.9
933
I Sa'd b. Mu'a.dh according to A.Dh. When the apostle had gained possession of Mecca and had fin' h d . h
1 The word generally rendered 'apostles'. The story of Han~ala has been given above,
T b-k d Th - ' I S e WIt
hau, an aqlf ~ad surrendered and paid homage, deputations from
p.377 t e Arabs came to hIm from all directions (87 6).
3 Another reading is 'they display anger'.
4- Or, 'They told', &c. 5 A mountain at Medina.-
I Act as a judge in our affairs (or property).
628 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 629
In deciding their attitude to Islam the Arabs were only waiting to see b. Qays b. al-Shammiis, brother of B. al-i:liirith b. al-Khazraj, 'Get up and
what happened to this clan of Quraysh and the apostle. For Quraysh answer the man's speech'; so Thabit got up and said:
were the leaders and guides of men, the people of the sacred temple, 'Praise belongs to God \Vho created heaven and earth and established
and the pure stock of Ishmael son of Abraham; and the leading Arabs His rule therein, and His knowledge includes His throne; nothing exists
did not contest this. It was Quraysh who had declared war on the apostle but by His bounty. By His power He made us kings and chose the best of
and opposed him; and when Mecca was occupied and Quraysh became His creation as an apostle, and honoured him with lineage, made him
subject to him and he subdued it to Islam, ~nd the Arabs knew that they truthful in speech, and favoured him with reputation, and sent down to
could not fight the apostle or display enmIty towards hIm they entered him His book and entrusted him with it above (all) that He had created.
into God's religion 'in batches' as God said, coming to him from all He was God's choice from the worlds. Then He summoned men to
directions. God said to His prophet: 'When God's help came and the believe in him, and the emigrants from his people and his kinsmen
victory, and you saw men entering into God's religi~n in batche~,.the~ believed in God's apostle; the most noble men in reputation, the highest
glorify God with praise and ask His pardon for H.e IS .most forglVlng,. in dignity, and the best in deeds. The first of creatures to answer and
i.e. praise God for His having made your rehglOn victonous, and ask HIS respond to God when the apostle called them were ourselves. 'rVe are
pardon, for He is most forgiving. God's helpers and the assistants of His apostle, and will fight men until
they believe in God; and he who believes in God and His apostle has
protected his life and property from us; and he who disbelieves we will
THE COMING OF THE DEPO'TATION OF BANU TAMIM fight in God unceasingly and killing him will be a small matter to us.
Then deputations of Arabs came to the apostle. There came to him These are my words and I ask God's pardon for myself and the believers
'U\iirid b. i:liijib b. Zuriira b. 'Udus al-Tamimi among the nobles of B. both men and women. Peace upon you.'
Tamim including al-Aqra' b. i:liibis and al-Zibriqiin b. Badr one of B. (T. Then they said, 'Give permission to our poet to speak' and he did
Sad, and 'Amr b. al Ahtam and al-i:lab\Iiib b. Zayd (877)' so,) and al-Zibriqiin got up and said:
934 And in the deputation of B. Tamim were Nu'aym b. Yazid and Qays b. We are the nobles, no tribe can equal us.
al-Hiirith and Qays b. 'A.~im brother of B. Sa'd with a great deputation From us kings are born and in our midst churches are built.
fro;" B. Tamim (878). With them was 'Uyayna b. i:li~n b. i:ludhayfa h. How many tribes have we plundered,
Badr al-Fazari. For excellence in glory is to be sought after.
AI-Aqra' and 'Uyayna had been with the apostle at the occupation of In time of dearth we feed our meat to the hungry
Mecca and Bunayn and al-Tj'if, and when the deputatIOn came they were When no rain cloud can be seen.
among them. When the deputation entered the mosque they called out to You can see chiefs coming to us from every land,
the apostle who was behind in his private apartments, 'Come out to us, And we feed them lavishly.
Muhammad l' This loud call annoyed the apostle and he came out to them, We slaughter fat-humped young c~mels as a matter of course;
and they said, 'l\1uhammad, we have come to compete with you in boast- Guests when they come are satisfied with food.
ing, so give permission to our poet and our orator.' The apostle did so, You will see whenever we challenge a tribe's superiority
and 'U\iirid b.i:liijih got up and said: . They yield and abandon leadership.'
935 'Praise belongs to God for His favour to us and He IS worthy to be He who challenges us we know the result:
praised, who has made us kings and given us great wealth wherewith we are His people withdraw and the news is noised abroad.
generous, and has made us th~ strongest people of the eas~ and the greates~ We forbid others but none forbid us.
in number, and the best eqUlpped, so who among mankmd is our equal. Thus we are justly exalted in pride (879)'
Are we not the princes of men and their superiors? He who would .compete
with us let him enumerate what we have enumerated. If we Wished we Bassan was absent at the time and the apostle sent a messenger to tell
could say more, but we are too modest to say much of wh~t He has given him to come and answer the B. Tamim's poet. Bassan said, As I went to
us and are well known for that. I say this that you may bnng forward the the apostle I was saying:
like and anything better.' Then he sat down. The apostle said to Thiibit We protected God's apostle when he dwelt among us
Whether Ma'add liked it or not.
I Sura IIO. For a criticism of this tran.slation (demanded by I.I,'s exegesis) and of 1.1,'.
explanation see Suhayli in loco I Lit. 'become as a head that is cut off'.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 63'
We protected him when he dwelt among our houses Aided in its beloved task by an eloquent and ready tongue,
With our swords against every evil wretch For they are the best of all creatures
In a unique house whose glory and wealth In matters grave and gay (880).
Is in Jabiyatu'I-JauHin among the foreigners. f
When Hassan had ended al-Aqra said: 'By my father, this man has a
Is glory aught but ancient lordship and generosity,
ready helper. His orator and his poet are bettcr than ours and their
The dignity of kings and the bearing of great burdens 1
voices are sweeter I than ours.' In the end they accepted Islam and the
When I came to the apostle and the tribal poet had said his ~ay: ~ made apostle gave them valuable gifts.
allusions to what he bad said on the same pattern. When al-Zlbnqan had They had left 'Amr b. al-Ahtam behind with their camels, he being
finished the apostle said to I;Iassan, 'Get up and answer the man,' and the youngest of them. Qays b. 'A,im, who hated 'Amr, said, '0 apostle
Bassan arose and said: of God, there is one of Our men with the camels, a mere youngster,' and
The leaders of Fihr and their brothers he spoke disparagingly of him. But the apostle gave him the same as he
Have shown a way of life to be followed. gave the others. When 'Amr heard that Qays had said that, he satirized 939
him thus:
Everyone whose heart is devout
And does all manner of good approves them. You exposed yourself to contempt when you defamed me to the
Such a people when they fight injure their enemies apostle.
Or gain the advantage of their adherents which they seek. You were a liar and spoke not the truth.
Such is their nature-no recent habit. (T You may hate us, for Roman is your origin
(The worst of characteristics is innovation.) But Rome does not hold hatred for tbe Arabs.)
937 If there are men who surpass those who come after them We ruled you with a wide authority, but your authority
Then they would be behind the last of them. .. . Is that of one sitting On his behind and showing his teeth!' (881)
Men do not repair what their hands have destroyed m fightmg,
Nor destroy what they have repaired. Concerning them the Quran came down: 'Those \vho call you from
If they compete with others they take the lead. behind the private apartments most of them have no sense.'3
If weighed against men famous for liberality they send down the scale.
Chaste men whose chastity is mentioned in revelatIOn, THE STORY OF 'AMIR B. AL-TUFAYL AND ARBAD B. QAYS
Undefiled, no impurity can injure them.
Among the deputation from B. 'Amir was 'Amir b. al- Tufayl and Arbad
Not mean with their wealth towards the sojourner
b. Qays b. Jaz' b. Khalid b. Ja'far, and Jabbar b. Salma b. Malik b.
And no stain of covetousness touches them.
Ja'far. These three were the chiefs and leaders of the tribe.
Wben we attack a tribe we do not go softly to them
'Amir, the enemy of God,4 came to the apostle intending to kill him
Like a calf running to the wild cow.
treacherously. His people had urged him to accept Islam because others
We rise up when the claws of war reach us
When good-for-naughts are humbled by its nails. had done so, but he said: 'I have sworn that I will not stop until the Arabs
follow me. Am I to follow in the steps of this fellow from Quraysh l' Then
They do not boast when they overcome their enem~,...
And if they are beaten they are not weak nor despaIrIng. he said to Arbad: '\Vhen we get to the man I will distract his attention
In battle when death is at hand from you, and when I do that smite him with your s\vord.' \Vhen they
They are like lions in J:lalya with crooked claws. got to the apostle ''Amir said, 'Muhammad, come apart with me.'s He
Take what you can get if they are enraged I So C. (a~ld). Vol. has a'lli 'Fise above ours'.
1 Le. a dog. In T. 1717 the verse runs:
And seek not what they have forbidden.
We ruled and our authority is ancient, but your authority
To fight them is to meet poison and bane Is behind at the root of the rump and the tail.
So do not antagonize them. If we may suppose that there is a play on the word 'aud which should be read as 'lid and
How noble the people who have God's apostle with them' understood as a synonym of qaib (cf. Ibn Tufayl, I-[ayy b. Yaq;ran, 85), it is easy to see why
I.H. cut out one verse and bowdlerized the next.
When sects and parties differ! J T. has '''Those of the Banu Tamim who call you from behind the private apartments
1VI y heart sings their praises have no sense" and that is the preferable reading.' Sura 49. 4. Cf. \Vellhauscn, 1'v1unammed
~'n Medina, 387. 4 T. omits the label.
I Raslilu'llahi shi'atuhum.
5 A less likrdy meaning, as the commentators point out, is 'make friends with me'.
The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad 633
replied, 'No, r will not until you believe in God alone.' He repeated the Until the last few drops appear? (He was)
request and went on talking to him expecting that Arbad would do as Bolder than a man-eating lion in his thicket.
he had told him but he remained inactive. He again repeated his request Eager for fame and far-seeing.
and got the same answer. When the apostle refused he said, 'By God r will The eye could not see as far as it wished
94 fill the land against you with horses and men.' When they went away the The night the horses came weak from the battle.
apostle said, '0 God, rid me of 'Amir b. al-Tufayl.' On their way back Who sent the mourning-\vomen among his mourners
'Amir said to Arbad, 'Confound you, Arbad, why didn't you do what I Like young gazelles in a barren land.
ordered? By God there is no man on the face of the earth whom I fear more The lightning and thunderbolts distressed me
than you, but by God I shall never fear you after today.' He answered, For the brave knight on the day of misfortune.
'Don't be hasty with me. Whenever I tried to get at him as you ordered, Who spoiled the spoiler to repay the spoiled
you got in the way so that I could see only you. Was r to smite you with the \\tho came to him distressed and if he asked for morc he gave it
sword?' Liberal when times were bad I

T 1747 (T. 'Amir b. al-Tufayl said: As the gentle spring rain that waters the grass.
The apostle sent word about what you know and it was as though All sons of a frcewoman must become few
However many she bare.
\Ve were making a planned raid on the squadrons
And our worn-out horses had brought us to Medina Envied though they be, they must fall;
And we had killed the An~ar in its midst.) Though they hold authority one day they must perish and die (884).
Labid also said:
As they were on their way back God sent a bubonic plague in 'Amir's
neck, and God killed him in the house of a woman of B. Saliil. He began Gone is the guard and protector
to say, '0 Banii 'Amir, A boil like the boil of a young carriel in the house Who saved her from shame on the day of battle.
of a woman of Banu Salull' (882)' r was sure we had parted (for ever) the day they said,
When they had buried him his companions returned to the B. 'Amir 'Arbad's property is being divided by lot.'
country to winter and the people asked Arbad what had happened. The shares of the heirs fly off in double and single lots
'Nothing, by God,' he said; 'he asked us to worship something. I wish And authority' goes to the young man.
he were here now and I would kill him with an arrow.' A day or two after Bid farewell to Abu Murayz with a blessing,
saying this he went out with his camel behind him and God sent on him Though farewell to Arbad brings little of that.
and his camel a thunderbolt which consumed them. Arbad was brother You were our leader and organizer,
of Labid b. Rabi'a by the same mother (883). For beads must be held together by a string;
Labid said, weeping Arbad: And Arbad was a warlike knight
The fates spare none, When the howdahs with their coverings \vere overthrown;
Neither anxious father nor son. When in the morning the women \vere carried pillion
With faces unveiled and legs bare;
r feared a violent death for Arbad On that day men fled to him for safety
But r did not fear the blow of Pisces and Leo.
o eye, why do you not weep for Arbad As a man at large flees to the sanctuary.
94'
Since we and the women rise in sorrow? He who came to Arbad's cooking-pot praised it
If men blustered he took no notice, And thos~~~vho had much meat were not reproached.
If a woman \....ere his guest
If they were moderate in judgement he showed moderation.
Sweet, astute, withal in his sweetness bitter, She had gift.s and a share of the best meat;
Gentle in bowels and liver. If she stayed she was honoured and respected;
o eye, why do you not weep for Arbad If she went forth 'twas with a kind farewell.
When the winter winds strip the leaves from the trees Have you ever heard of two brothers who endured for ever
Save the two ",ons of Shamam l'
And make pregnant camels milkless
I Another explanation of za'dma ill 'the best of the inheritance'
I These words are proverbial; see Freytag, Prof). ii. 172. 2 Two mountains. .
The Life of Muhammad 635
634 The Lzfe of Muhammad
'Abdullah b. 'Abbas from Ibn 'Abbas told me: When the B. Sad sent
Or the two stars of the polar region and the Great Bear pimam to the apostle he came and made his camel kneel at the door of the
Everlasting, their destruction unthinkable. I mosque, hobbled it, and went into the mosque \'.'here the apostle was sitting
Labjd also said: with his companions. Now I)imam was a thickset hairy man with two fore-
Announce to the noble the death of noble Arbad, locks. He came forward until he stood over the apostle and said, 'Which of
Announce the death of the chief, the kind-hearted, you is the son of 'Abdu'l-Mugalib?' The apostle said that he was. 'Are you
Giving away his wealth that he might gain praise, Muhammad?' he asked. When he said that he washe said, '0 son of' Abdu'l-
Mugalib, I am going to ask you a hard question, so don't take it amiss.' The
Camels like wild untamed cows,
Abundant in virtues if they were reckoned, apostle told him to ask what he liked and he would not take it amiss and he
Who filled the platter again and again. said, 'I adjure you by God your God and the God of those before you and
\\Thenever a poor man came he ate at will the God of those who will come after you, has God sent you to us as an
apostle ?' 'Yes, by God He has,' he replied. He then adjured him to answer
As \vhen a lion finds water in a dry land.
The more he is threatened the nearer he comes. the questions. 'Has He ordered you to order us to serve Him alone and not
You have left us no paltry inheritance, to associate anything with Him and to discard those rival deities which OUf 9+4
fathers used to worship along with Him; and to pray these five prayers;
And wealth newly acquired and sons,
Youths like hawks, young men, and beardless boys. then the ordinances of Islam Oile by one, alms, fasting, pilgrimage, and all
the laws of Islam?' At the end he said: 'I testify that there is no God but
Labid also said: Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the apostle of God, and I will carry
You will never exhaust the good deeds of Arbad, so weep for him out these ordinances, and I will avoid what you have forbidden me to do;
continually. I will neither add to, nor diminish from them.' Then he ,vent back to his
Say, He was the protecting warrior when armOur was don~ed. camel. The apostle said, 'If this man with the t\VO forelocks is sincere he
He kept wrong-doers from us when we met insolent enemIes. will go to Paradise.'
The Lord of creation took him away since He saw there waS no long The man went to his camel, freed it from its hobble, and went off to his
stay on carth. people, and when they gathered to him the first thing he said was, 'How
943 He died painlessly without hurt and he is sorely missed. evil are al-Lat and al-<Uzza!,1 'Heavens above Dimam 'they said 'beware
of leprosy and elephantiasis and madness!' H~ s~id: '\\~oe to you, 'they can
Labid also said: neither hurt nor heal. God has sent an apostle and scnt down to him a
Every bitter opponent whose way seemed harmful reminds me of book, so seek deliverance thereby from your present state; as for me, I
Arbad. bear witness that there is no God but the one God who is \vithout associate
If they \vere fair, then he was nobly fair: if they.were unfair so ",:as he. and that Muhammad is His slave and apostle. I have brought you wha;
He guided the people carefully when their gUlde went astray m the He has commanded you to do and what He has ordered you not to do.'
desert (885) And by God before the night was over there was not a man or woman in the
Labid also said: tribe who had not become a Muslim. 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas said: We have
never heard of a representative of a tribe finer than I)imam b. Tha'laba.
I went walking after (the death of) Salma b. Malik
2
And Abu Qays and 'Crwa like a camel vlhosc hump is cut off.
\Vhen it sees the shadow of a raven it shoos it away
THE COMING OF AL-JARUD IN THE DEPUTATION FROM
Anxious for the rest of its spine and sinews (886).
'ABDU'L-QAYS

Al-Jariid b. 'Amr b. !;ianash, brother of 'Abdu'l-Qays, came to the apostle


THE COMING OF QIMAM B. THAfLABA AS A DEPUTY
(887).
FROM BAND SAfD B. BAKR One of whom I have no suspicion told me from aI-Hasan that when he 945
The B. Sad b. Bakr sent one of their men called I;limam b. Thalaba to the came to the apostle he spoke to him, and the apostle explained Islam to him
apostle. Muhammad b. al-Walid b. ~uwayfi' from Kurayb client of and invited him to entcr it with kindly words. He replied: 'T\Tuhammad,
1 In Brockc1mann's edn. the poem (xviii) has 31 verses. The text in C.halidi; p. 17, is in I The expression may have a coarser meaning.
better se~uence. 2 By its starving owners In their hunger.
The Ltje of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 637
lowe a debt. If I leave my religion for yours will you guarantee my ~im, 'Did he not say to you when you mentioned me to him "His position
debt l' The apostle said, 'Yes, I guarantee that what God has guided you IS no worse than yours" ? What can that mean but triat he knows that I am
to is better than that', so he and his companions accepted Islam. Then he a partner with him in the afraid' Then he began to utter rhymes in saj'
asked the apostle for some mounts, but he told him that he had none and speak in imitation of the style of the Quran: 'God has been gracious
available. AI-Jiirud pointed out that there were some stray beasts lying to the pregnant woman; He has brought forth from her a living being that
between Medina and his country and could he not ride away on them? can ~ove; from her very midst.' He permitted them to drink wine and
He replied, 'No, beware of them, for that would lead to hell fire.' forlllcate, and let them dispense with prayer, yet he was acknowledging
Al- la-rurl went off to his own tribe, a good Muslim, firm in his religion the apostle as a prophet, and !:Ianifa agreed with him on that. But God
until his death, having lived to the time of the Apostasy. And when some knows what the truth was.
of his people who had become Muslims returned to their former religion
with al-Gharur' b. al-Mundhir b. al-Nu'man b. al-Mundhir, al-Jariid got
ZAYDU'L-KHAYL COMES WITH THE DEPUTATION FROM
up and spoke and confessed his faith and called them to Islam. He pro-
TAYYI'
nounced the shahiida and declared that he would regard anyone who
refused to do likewise as an infidel (888). The deputation of Tayyi' containing Zaydu'I-Khayl who was their chief
The apostle had sent al-'Ala' b. al-!:Ia<;lrami to al-Mundhir b. Sawa came to the apostle, and after some conversation he explained Islam to
al-' Abdi before the conquest of Mecca, and he became a good Muslim. them and they became good Muslims. A man of Tayyi' whom I have no
He died after the apostle but before the apostasy of the people of al-Ba\.1- reason to suspect told me that the apostle said, 'No Arab ha~ ever been
947
rayn. AI-'Ala' was with him as governor for the apostle over al-Ba\.1rayn, spoken of in the highest terms but when I have met him I have found that
he falls below what was said of him except Zaydu'I-Khayl, and he exceeds
all that has been said about him.' Then the apostle named him Zaydu'l-
THE DEPUTATION FROM BANU IeIANiFA WITH WHOM
Khayr and allotted to him Fayd and some lands with it and gave him a
WAS MUSAYLIMA deed accordingly.
The deputation of B. !:Ianifa came to the apostle bringing with them As Zayd went back to his tribe the apostle said that he hoped he would
Musaylima b. !:Iabib al-Hanafi, the arch liar (889). They lodged in the escape the Medma fever. The apostle did not call it Humma or Umm
house of d. al-!:Iarith, a woman of the An!ar of B. ai-Najjar. One of the Maldam; my informant could not say what. When he reached one
scholars of Medina told me that B. !:Ianifa brought him to the apostle of the watering-places of N ajd called Farda the fever overcame him and
hiding him in garments. The apostle was sitting among his companions he dted. When he felt his end coming he said:
having a palm-branch with some leaves on its upper end. When he came Are my people to travel eastwards tomorrmv
to the apostle as they were covering him with garments he spoke to him While I'm to be left in a house in Farda in "-"ajd 1
and asked him (for a gift). The apostle answered: 'If you were to ask me How often if I were sick would women visit me
for this palm branch (To which I hold) I would not give it to you.' If not worn out by ~he journey at least tired.
A shaykh of B. Hanifa from the people of al-Yamama told me that the
incident happened otherwise. He alleged that the deputation came to the . When he was dead his wife got the deeds which the apostle had given
apostle having left Musaylima behind with the camels and the baggage. him and burnt them in the fire.
When they had accepted Islam they remembered where he was, and told
the apostle that they had .left a companion of theirs to guard their stuff. f ADIy B. I:IATIM
The apostle ordered that he should be given the same as the rest, saying,
'His position is no worse than yours,' i.e. in minding the property of his I have been told that 'Adiy b. !:I.tim used to say, 'No Arab disliked the
companions. That is what the apostle meant. apostle when he first heard of him more than 1. Now I was a chief of
Then they left the apostle and brought him what he had given him. noble birth, a Christia~, and I used to travel about among my people to
When they reached al-Yamama the enemy of God ~postatized, gave collect a gu.arter of theIr stock. I was my own master in religious matters
himself out as a prophet, and played the liar. He said, 'I am a partner with and was a kmg among my people and treated as such, When I heard of the
him in the affair,' and then he said to the deputation who had been with apostle I disliked him and said to an Arab servant of mine who was looking
I According to S. his name was al-Mundhir and he got the name of 'The Deceiver'
after my camels, "Prepare some of my well-trained, well-fed camels and
becausf' he misled (gharra) his people in the apostate rising. keep them near me, and when you hear of Muhammad's army co~ing
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 639
into this country bring me word." One morning he came to me and said, while she told him of her needs. I said to myself "This is no king." Then
"Vlhatever you are going to do when Muhammad's c3yalry comes upon he took me Into hIs house and took hold of a leatha cushion stuffed with
you, do it now, for I have seen flags and I learn that they are the troops of palm leaves and thre\v it to me saying, "Sit on that." I said "No you sit on
Muhammad." I ordered him to bring my camels and I put my family it," and,~e s~i~ "No, you!" So ~ sat on it and he sat on the ~round. I said to
and children on them and decided to join my fellow Christians in Syria. myself, ThIS IS not the way akmg behaves." Then he said, "1'\O\v 'Adiy, are
I went as far as al-Jaushiya (890) and I left one of!:Hitim's daughters in the you not half a Christian ?"I \Vhen I said that I was he said, "Don't you go
settlement. When! reached Syria I stopped there. among your people collecting a quarter of their stock I" When I admitted
In my absence the apostle's cavalry came and among the captives they that ~e sai.d: "But that is not permitted to you in your religion." "Quite
took was !:Iatim's daughter, and she was brought to the apostle among the :rue, I sald, and! knew that he was a prophet sent by God knowing what
captives of Tayyi'. The apostle had heard of my flight to Syria. !.Iatim's IS not generally known. Then he said, "It may well be that the poverty
daughter was put in the enclosure by the door of the mosque in which the you see prevents you from joining this religion but, by God, wealth \vill
captives were imprisoned and the apostle passed by her. She got up to meet soon How so copiously among them that there wil! not be the people to
him, for she was a courteous woman, and said, '0 apostle of God, my father take It. But perhaps It IS that you see how many are their enemies and how
is dead and the man who should act for me' has gone. If you spare me few they ~re? But, by God, you will hear of a woman coming on her camel
God will spare you.' He asked her who her man was and when she told from Qadlsiya to visit this temple 2 unafraid. But perhaps it is that you see
him it was 'Adiy b. 1:i1itim he exclaimed, 'The man who runs away from that others have the power and sovereignty, but by God you \vill soon 95
God and His apostle.' Then he went on and left her. Exactly the same hear that the white castles of Babylon have been opened to them." Then
thing happened the next day, and on the following day she was in despair. I became a Muslim.'
Then a man behind him motioned to her to get up and speak to him. She 'Adiy used to say that the two things happened and the third remained
said the same words as before and he replied, "I have done so, but do not to be fulfilled. I saw the white castles of Babylon laid open and I saw
hurry away until you find one of your people whom you can trust who can wom~n commg from Qadisiya on camels unafraid to make the pilgrimage
take you to your country, then let me know." I asked the name of the man to thiS temple; and, by God, the third will come to pass: wealth will flow
who had beckoned to me to speak and was told that it was 'Ali. I stayed until there will not be the people to take it.
until some riders came from Bali or Qu93.'a. All I wanted was to go to
my brother in Syria. I went to the apostle and told him that some trust-
worthy man of reputation from my people had come for me. The apostle THE COMING OF FARWA B. MUSAYK AL-MURADi
gave me clothing and put me on a camel and gave me money and I went Farwa b. Musayk al-Muradj came to the apostle, separating himself from
away with them until I came to Syria. the kings of Kinda. Shortly before Islam there had been a battle bctween
'Adjy said: 'I was sitting among my people when I saw a howdah making l\tlurad an~ Hamdan in which ,the former suffered a severe defeat, losing
for us and I said "It is I:Iatim's daughter" and so it was, and when she got many men m the engagement called al-Radm (T. al-Razm). The leader of
949 to me she reviled me, saying, 'You evil rascal, you carried away your family Hamdan was al-Ajda' b. Malik (89I).
and children and abandoned your father's daughter.' I said, "Do not say Farwa said about the battle:
anything that is bad, little sister, for by God! have no excuse. I did do
They passed by Lufat' with sunken eyes
what you say." Then she alighted and stayed with me; and as she was a
Tugging at the reins as they turned to one side.
discreet woman I asked her what she thought of this man and she said,
If we conquer we were conquerors of old
"! think that you should join him quickly, for if the man is a prophet then
And if we are conquered \ve were not often conquered.
those who get to him first will be preferred; and if he is a king you will
Cowardice is not our habit,
not be shamed in the glory of al-Yarnan, you being the man you are."
But our fate and the fortune of others (caused our defeat).
I said that this was a sound judgement so I went to the apostle when he
Thus fate's wheel turns .
was in his mosque in Medina and saluted him and told him my name and
he got up to take me to his house. As \.. . e were making for it there met him J Rakilsi is defined as a man midway between a Christian and a ~iibi' which latter, as we
have seen, means a man who changes his religion. Thus' Adiv would seem to he like so
an old feeble woman who asked him to stop and he stopped for a long time many of the Arabs at this time, a Convert but not a practising Christian in the full ;ense.
2 The words imply the Ka'ba at Mecca and the next paragraph makes this certain. As
I I doubt if wajid means 'visitor' as A.Dh., followed by C., asserts, or 'clan' as Qamus, s.u., the conversation is said to have taken place in Medina the authenticity of the tradition is
Uyun, ii, 239, quoted in T. 1708, reports that some scholars find the word meaningless and suspect, unless hadha means no more than 'yon'.
its explanation far-fetched. See Tab. Gloss. 3 In Murad territory.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 6+1
Now for and now against a man. He wished to meet me on a horse on which I sat as a lion
\Vhile we are happy and rejoice in it, Wearing a loose coat of mail glittering like a pool
Though we have enjoyed its favour for years, On hard ground which makes the water clear.
Suddenly fate's wheel is turned Mail that turns back the lances with bent points
And you find those who were envied ground to pieces. With broken shafts flying apart.
Those whom men envy for fate's favours Had you met me you would have met a lion with flowing mane.
Will find time's changes deceitful. You would meet a ravening beast
If kings were immortal we should be so; With mighty paws and lofty shoulders
And if the noble persisted so should we; Matching his adversary whom he overthrows if he makes for him:
951 But the chiefs of my people are swept away Seizes him, picks him up, throws him down and kills him;
Like the generations before them (89 2 ). Dashes out his brains and shatters him;
Tears him in pieces and devours him,
When Farwa set out to go to the apostle, leaving the kings of Kinda, he
Admitting none a share in the prey his teeth and claws hold fast (89+)'
said:
When I saw the kings of Kinda had failed to go right, 'Amr stayed with his people the B. Zubayd while Farwa b. Musayk
Like a man whose leg sinew lets him down, was over them. When the apostle died 'Amr revolted, and said:
I brought up my camel to go to Muhammad We have found Farwa's rule the worst of rules, 953
Hoping for its welfare and good ground (893) An ass sniffing at a female ass.
If you were to look at Abu 'Umayr
When he reached the apostle he asked him, so I have been told, 'Are
You would think he was a caul with its filthy discharge (895)'
you upset at what befell your people on the day of al-Radm?' He
answered that such a tribal defeat as that would distress any man, and the
apostle said that if that were so Islam could bring them only good. Th~
AL-ASH'ATH B. QAYS COMES WITH THE DEPUTATION
prophet appointed him governor over Murad and Zubayd and Madhl,11J
and sent with him Khalid b. Said b. al-'A~ in charge of the poor tax; OF K1NDA
he remained with him in his land until the death of the apostle. AI-Ash'ath b. Qays came to the apostle with the deputation of Kinda.
AI-Zuhri told me that he came with eighty riders from Kind. and they
went in to the apostle in the mosque. They had combed their locks and
THE COMING OF MA(DIKARIB FROM THE BANU zUBAYD
blackened their eyes with ko~l, and they wore striped robes bordered with
'Amr b. Ma'dikarib came to the apostle with some men of B. Zubayd and silk. The apostle asked them if they .had accepted Islam and when they
accepted Islam. He had said to Qays b. Makshul,1 al-Muradi when news said that they had he asked why this silk was round their necks. So they
of the apostle reached them, 'You are the chIef of your tnbe, Qays. We tore it off and threw it away.
have heard that a man of Quraysh called Muhammad has appeared m the Then al-Ash'ath said, 'We are the sons of the eater of bitter herbs and
Hijaz claiming to be a prophet, so come with us so that we may find out the so are you.' The apostle smiled and said that to al-'Abbas b. 'Abdu'l-
facts. If he is a prophet as he says, it will be apparent to you and wh~n we MUllalib and Rabi'a b. al-I;Iarith that ancestry was attributed. These two
meet him we will follow him. If he is not a prophet we shall know. But men were merchants and when they went about among the Arabs and were
Qays refused and declared his advice to be folly. Thereupon 'Amr rode asked who they were they would say that they were sons of the eater of
952
off to the apostle and accepted Islam. When Qays heard of this he was bitter herbs, taking pride in that because Kinda were kings. Then he
enraged and threatened 'Amr, saying that he had gone agamst hIm and said to them, 'Nay, we are the sons of al-NaQ.r b. Kinana: we do not follow
rejected his advice. 'Amr said concerning that: our mother's line and disown our father.'I AI-Ash'ath said 'Have you
I gave you an order on the day of Ohu ~an'a', finished (T. DO you know), 0 men of Kinda? By God if I hear a man
saying that (T. after today) I will give him eighty strokes' (896).
An order that was plainly right.
I ordered you to fear God and to practise goodness. I This throws light on Robertson Smith's theory of a primitive matriarchy in ancient-
You went off after pleasure like a young ass Arabia.
Whose lust beguiled him.
B '080 Tt
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
Nu'aym b. 'Abdu Kulal, and al-Nu'man prince of Dhu Ru'ayn and
THE COMING OF 9URAD B. 'ABDULLAH AL-AZDl
954 Ma'afir and Hamdan. Zur'a Dhu Yazan sent Malik b. Murra al-Rahawi
Surad came t6 the apostle and became a good Muslim with the d~putation with their submission to Islam and abandonment of polytheism and its
irom al-Azd. The apostle put him in command of those of hIs people adherents. Then the apostle wrote to them: 'In the name of God the
who had accepted Islam and ordered him to fight the nelghbounng Compassionate, the Merciful, from Muhammad the apostle of God, the
polytheists from the tribes of the Yaman with them. ::Jurad went away prophet, to al-!:larith b. 'Abdu Kulal and to Nu'aym b. 'Abdu KulaI' and
to carry out the apostle's orders and stopped at Jurash, whIch at that t~me to al-Nu'man prince of Dhu Ru'ayn and Ma'afir and Hamdan. I praise
was a closed town containing some of the tnbes of the Yarnan. Khath am God the only God unto you. Your messenger reached me on my
had taken refuge with them and entered it when they heard of the approach return from the land of the Byzantines and he met us in Medina and con-
of the Muslims. The latter besieged them for about a month, but they veyed your message and your news and informed us of your Islam and of
could not force an entry. $urad withdrew as far as one .of ~helr mountams your killing the polytheists. God has guided you with His guidance.
(now) called Shakar, and the inhabitants of Jurash, thmkmg that he h;; If you do well and obey God and His apostle and perform prayer, and pay
fled from them, ;went out in pursUIt of hIm, and when they overtook h alms, and God's fifth of hooty and the apostle's share and selected part,'
he turned on them and killed a large number of them. . and the poor tax which is incumbent on believers from land, namely a
Now the people of Jurash had sent two of their men to the apostle m tithe of that watered by fountains and rain; of that watered by the bucket
Medina to look about them and see (what waS happening), and whIle they a twentieth; for every forty camels a milch camel; for' every thirty camels
955
were with the apostle after the afternoon prayer he asked whe~e Shak~r a young male camel; for every five camels a sheep; for every ten: camels two
was. The two men got up and told him that there was a mount~n m theIr sheep; for every forty cows one cow; for every thirty cows a bull calf or a
country called Kashar by the people of Jurash, to which h~ r~phed that It cow calf; for every forty sheep at pasture one sheep. This is what God has
was not Kashar but Shakar. 'Then what is the news of It?.-they asked. laid upon the believers. Anyone who does more it is to his me~it. He who
'Victims offered to God are being killed there now,' he srod. The two fulfils this and bears witness to his Islam and helps the believers against
men went and sat with Abu Bakr or it may have been 'Uthman and he the polytheists he is a believer with a believer's rights and obligations and
said, 'Woe to you! the apostle has just announced to you the death o~ he has the guarantee of God and His apostle. If a Jew or a Christian
your people, so get up and ask him to pray to God to spare your people. becomes a Muslim he is a believer with his rights and obligations. He who
They did so and he did so pray. They left the apostle and returned to holds fast to his religion, Jew or Christian, is not to he turned (To seduced)
their people 'and found that they had been smitten on the day that ::Jurad from it. He must pay the poll tax-for every adult, male or female, free
attacked them on the very day and at the very hour in which the apostle or slave, one full dinar calculated on the valuation of Ma'afir CT. or its
said these words. value) or its equivalent in clothes. He who pays that to God's apostle has
The deputation of Jurash came to the ~postle and accept~d Islam and the guarantee of God and His apostle, and he who withholds it is the enemy
he gave them a special reserve t round theIr town wIth definIte marks for of God and His apostle.
horses, riding camels, and ploughing oxe~. Th~ cattle of any (othe:l 'The apostle of God, Muhammad the prophet, has sent to Zur'a Dhli
man who pastured it could be seIzed wIth Impuntty. ?ne of th~ Azd Yazan: When my messenger Mu'adh b. Jabal, and 'Abdullah b. Zayd,
reference to that raid said: (Khath'am used to assail Azd m pagan tImes and and Malik b. 'Ubada, and 'Uqba b. Nimr, and Malik b. Murra and their
attack them in the sacred month): companions come to you I commend them to your good offices. Collect the 957
What a successful raid we had! Mules, and horses and asses. alms and the poll tax from your provinces and hand them over to my
D ntil we came to I:Iimyar with its forts messengers''- Their leader is Mu'adh b. Jabal, and let him not return unless
Where Khath'am had been given full warning. satisfied. Muhammad witnesses that there is no God but Allah and that
If I could satisfy the rancour I feel he is His servant and apostle.
I should not care whether they were Muslims or heathen. 'Malik b. Murra al-Rahawi has told me that you were the first of
!:limyar to accept Islam and have killed the polytheists, and I congratulate
you and order you to treat J:Iimyar well and not to be false and treacherous,
THE DEPUTATION OF THE KINGS OF I;IIMYAR
for the apostle of God is the friend both of your poor and your rich. The
On his return from TabUk a messenger brought a letter from the kings
of !:limyar with their acceptance of Islam: al-I:Iarith b. 'Abdu Kulal, and I Bal. 71 adds 'and to Shari) b. 'Abdu Kula!' and omits all words after' Hamdan' as far as
'polytheists' .
I The old word };lima, meaning a sacred area, has lost its force here. :ol i.e. the part he chooses as his before the property is divided.
644 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 645
alms tax is not lawful to Muhammad or his household; it is alms to be If I perish you will miss your brother
given to the poor Muslims and the wayfarer. Miilik has brought the news And if I live you will recognize my rank,
and kept secret what is confidential, and larder you to treat him well. For I possess the noblest qualities a man Can have'
Generosity, bravery, and eloquence. .
I have sent to you some of the best of my people, religious and learned men,
and larder you to treat them well, for they must be respected. ' Peace Wh~n t~e Byzantines determined to crucify him by a pool in Palestine
upon you and the mercy and blessings of God.' called Afra he said:
Has Salmii heard that her husband
THE APOSTLE'S INSTRUCTIONS TO Mu'ADH WHEN HE Is by the water of fAfra raised on a riding camel, I
A camel whose mother no stallion e'er mounted
SENT HIM TO THE YAMAN
Its branches shorn with sickles? '
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that he was told that when the apostle sent
Mu'iidh he gave him instructions and orders and then said: Deal gently AI-Zuhri alleged that when they brought him to crucify him he said:
and not harshly; announce good news and do not repel people. You are Tell the chiefs of the Muslims that I
going to one of the people with scripture who will ask you about the key Surrender to my Lord my body and my bones.
of heaven. Say to them it is the witness that there is no God but Allah,
Who has no partner. Mu'iidh went off to the Yaman and did as he was Then they beheaded him and hung him up by that water. May God have
mercy on hIm I
ordered and a woman came to him and said, '0 companion of God's
apostle, what rights has a husband over his wife?' He said, 'Woe to you, a
woman can never fulfil her husband's rights, so do your utmost to fulfil
his claims as best you can.' She said, 'By God, if you are the companion THE BANU'L-I;Li.RITH ACCEPT ISLAM
of God's apostle you must know what rights a husband has over his wife l' Then the apostle sent Khiilid b. al-Walid in the month of Rab" 'I. 'kh'
He said, 'If you were to go back and find him with his nostrils running orJuma-d-'I""I-'
a -u am t he year 10 to the B. al-Hiirith b Ka'b l'n N1u' - " lr d
with pus and blood and sucked until you got rid of them you would not d d h' " " a J r a n , an 959
or ere 1m to mVlte them to Islam three days before he attacked th
have fulfilled your obligation." If they accepted then he was to accept it from them ;' and if they decli~~d
~e was to fight them. So Khiilid set out and came to them and sent out
nders m all dlrections inviting the people to Islam saYl'ng :If
I I '11 b ' ' ,you accept
5 a~ you WI
958 FARWA B. 'AMR AL-JUDHAMY BECOMES A MUSLIM .e safe, so the men accepted Islam as they were invited
Farwa b. 'Amr b. al-Niifira al-Judhiimi of the clan of Nufiitha sent to the Khiihd stayed ,wah them teaching them Islam and the book of God and
apostle that he had accepted Islam, and gave him a white mule. Farwa the sunna ~f H,S prophet, for that was what the apostle of God had ordered
was governor for the Byzantines of the Arabs lying near the Byzantine him to do If t,hey accepted Islam and did not fight.'
border based on Ma'iin and the surrounding land of Syria. When the Th~n Khiihd wrote to the apostle: In the name of God th '
ate th 'f I T M h e compasslOn-
news reached the Byzantines they went after him, taught him, and im- '_ , e merCI u ._ a u ammad the prophet the apostle of God. From
prisoned him. In his imprisonment he said: Khahd b. al-Wahd. Peace be upon you 0 apostle of God and G d'
mercy and b_Iessings. I praise God the oni y God unto you, Y~u sent m~ t~
Sulayma came to my companions by night
the B. al-l:Ianth b. Ka b and ordered me when I came to them not t
When the Romans were between the door and the water troughs. fight them for three days and to invite them to Islam' and if th t dO
The spectre shrank away sad at what it saw, it to 8t .h h d , e y accep e
. . .ay WIt t em, an to accept it from them and teach them the
And I thought to sleep but it had made me weep.
mSlltutlOns of Islam, the book of God, and the sunna of His prophet.
Paint not thine eye with kolzl, Salmii, after I am dead
And do not approach for intercourse. : The follOWing line makes the point clear.
You know, Abu Kubaysha, that among the great ones After these words T has 'And sta with th d
SUnna of the prophet and" the institutio~s of Isla~ a~t lte~h th;mhthe book of God and the
My tongue is not silent. of I.H,'s recension (unless he deliberately . d h 00 s a~ 1 t ese words had fallen out
beginning 'for that' which T omits Cle I exclse t em. an that he wrote in the clause
. " ar y one 0 r t h em IS redundant and th "
I A difficult expression. Perhaps 'they are people of importance', or even 'they will be T. rea ds more smoothly, The words 'to stay with them;' KhTd' I' e ,passage In
watched', i.e. to see how they fare. not by W. In a 1 setter are gIVen by C.,
:I Suhayli offers no comment.
The Life of Muhammad 647
646 The Life of Muhammad
letter in which he gave him his orders and injunctions as follows: In the
And if they did not surrender I was to fight them. I duly came to them and name of God the Compassionate, the l\lerciful. This is a clear announce-
invited them to Islam three days as the apostle ordered me, and I sent ment from God and His apostle. 0 you who believe, be faithful to your
riders among them with your message. ~hey ha:c surren~ered and ha~e agreements.' The instructions of Muhammad the prophet the apostle of
not fought and I am staying among them ms~ructmg them l~ th.e a~ostle s God to 'Amr b. I:Iazm when he sent him to the Yaman. He orders him
positive and negative commands and teachmg them the mstttutlOns of to observe piety to God in all his doings for God is with those who are
Islam and the prophet's sunna until the apostle writes to me. Peace upon pious and who do well;2 and he commanded him to behave with truth as
you &c. . God commanded him; and that he should give people the good news and
The apostle wrote to him with the sam~ preamble as before, saymg: command them to follow it and to teach men the Quran and instruct
'I have received your letter which came with your messenger tellmg me them in it and to forbid men to do wrong so that none but the pure should
that the B. al-!:Iiirith surrendered before you fought them and responded touch the Quran and should instruct men in their privileges and obliga-
to your invitation to Islam and pronounced the shahiida, and that God had tions and be lenient to them when they behave aright and severe on in-
guided them with His guidance.. So promIse them good and warn them justice, for God hates injustice and has forbidden it. 'The curse of God is
and come. And let their deputatlOn come with you. ,Peace upon yo~ ~c. on the evildoers.' 3 Give men the good news of paradise and the way to
So Khiilid came to the apostle with the deputatlOn of B. al-!:Ianth, earn it, and warn them of hell and the way to earn it, and make friends with
among whom were Qays b. al-Hu~ayn Dhii'l-Ghu~~a, and Ya:id b. men so that they may be instructed in religion, and teach men the rites of
'Abdu'l-Madiin, and Yazid b. al-MuJ.1ajjal, and 'Abdullah b. Qurad al- the ~ajj, its customs and its obligation and what God has ordered about it:
Ziyadi, and Shaddad b. 'Abdullah al-Qaniini, and 'Amr b. 'Abdullah the greater ~a}j is the greater baJi and the lesser bajj is the 'umra; and
al-I)ibiibi. prohibit men from praying in one small garment unless it be a garment
When they came to the apostle he asked who these people who looked whose ends are double over their shoulders, and forbid men from squatting
like Indians were, and was told that they were the B. al-!:Iarith b. Kab. in one garment which exposes their person to the air, and forbid them to
When they came to the apostle they said, 'We te~tify that y~u ~re the twist the hair of the head (T if it is long) on the back of the neck;' and
apostle of God and that there is no God but Allah. But he said, And I if there is a quarrel between men forbid them to appeal to tribes and
testify that there is no God but Allah and that I am the apostle ?f Allah." families, and let their appeal be to God; they who do not appeal to God
Then he said, IYou are the people who when they were dnven away but to tribes and families let them be smitten with the sword until their
pushed forward,' and they remained silent,. and none, of them answered appeal is made to God; and command men to perform the ablutions, their
him. He repeated the words three times w~th~ut gettmg an, answer,. an? faces, and their hands to the elbows and their feet to the ankles, and let
the fourth tim~ Yazid b. Abdu'l-Madan saId, Yes, we are, and saId It them wipe their heads as God has ordered; and command prayer at the
four times. The apostle said, 'If Khiilid had not written to me that you proper time with bowing, prostration, and humble reverence; prayer at 96z
had accepted Islam and had not fought I would throw your heads beneath daybreak, at noon when the sun declines, in the afternoon when the sun
your feet.' Yazid answered, 'We do not praise you and w~ do, not pra~se is descending, at even when the night ~pproaches not delaying it until the
Khiilid.' 'Then whom do you praise?' he asked. He satd: We praIse stars appear in the sky; later at the beginning of the night; order them to
God who guided us by you.' 'You are right,' he said, and asked them ho~ run to the mosques when they are summoned, and to wash when they go to
they used to conquer those they fought in the pagan penod. They sat them, and order them to take from the booty God's fifth and what alms are
that they never conquered anyone. 'Nay, but you did conquer those who enjoined on the Muslims from land-a tithe of what the fountains water
:0
fought you,' he said. They replied, 'We .used conquer those we fough~ (T. the baal waters)' and the sky waters, and a twentieth of what the
because we were united and had no dissentients, and never began a bucket waters; and for every ten camels two sheep; and for every twenty
injustice.' He said, 'You are right,' and he appointed Qays b. al-Hu~ayn camels four sheep; for every ~orty cows one cow; for every thirty cows a .
as their leader. bull or cow calf; for every forty sheep at grass one sheep; this is what God
The deputation returned to their people towards the end of Shawwal has enjoined on the believers in the matter of alms. He who adds thereto
or at the beginning of Dhii'I-Qa'da, and some four months after theIr it is a merit to him. A Jew or a Christian who f?e,comes a sincere Muslim
return the apostle died. I Sura 5, t. Z Sura 16. 128.
Now the apostle had sent to them after their deputation had returned 3 Sura 5, I. -4 Le. to wear a pigtail.

'Amr b. !:Iazm to instruct them in religion and to teach them the s~nna 5 Here undoubtedly T. and Bal. 70 retain the original text, For the original sense of
Baal's land see W, Robertson Smith, Religion oj the Semites, pp. 98 f. Probably it means
and the institutions of Islam and to collect their alms; and he wrote hIm a land watered by underground streams,
1 They had placed man before God,
648 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 649
of his own accord and obeys the religion of Islam is a believer with the two men: Zibriqan b. Badr and Qays b, 'Asim each to be in charge of a
same rights and the same obligations. If one of them holds fast to hIs section; al-'Ala' b. al-Ha<;lrami to al-Bal,myn, and 'Ali b. Abu Talib to
religion he is not to be turned (T. seduced) from !t. Ev~ry adult, male or the people of Najran, to collect the poor-tax and to superintend the
female bond or free must pay a golden dinar or ItS eqUIvalent In clothes. collection of the poll-tax.
He who performs this has the guarantee of God and His apostle; he who
withholds it is the enemy of God and His apostle and all behevers.
MUSAYLIMA'S LETTER AND THE APOSTLE'S ANSWER
THERETO
THE COMING OF RIFA'A B. ZAYD AL-JUDHAMI
Rifa'a b. Zayd al-Judhami of the clan of al-l;>ubayb came to the apostle Musaylima had written to the apostle: 'From Musaylima the apostle of
during the armistice of aI-Hudaybiya before Khaybar. He gave the apostle God to Muhammad the apostle of God. Peace upon you. I have been
a slave and he became a good Muslim. The apostle gave him a letter to made partner with you in authority. To us belongs half the land and to
his people in which he wrote: I Quraysh half, but Quraysh are a hostile people.' Two messengers brought
this letter.
To Rifii'a h. Zayd whom I have sent to his people and those who have
joined them to invite them to God and His apostle. Whosoever comes A shaykh of Ashja' told me on the authority of Salama b. Nu'aym b.
forward is of the party of God and His apostle, and whosoever turns back Mas'ud al-Ashja'i from his father Nu'aym: I heard the apostle saying to
has two months' grace. them when he read his letter 'What do you say about it?' They said that
When Rifa'a came to his people they responded and accepted Islam; they said the same as Musaylima. He replied, 'By God, were it not that
then they went to al-HarTa, the Harra of al-Rajla', and stopped there (897). heralds are not to be killed I would behead the pair of you I' Then he wrote
to Musaylima: 'From Muhammad the apostle of God to Musaylima the
liar. Peace be upon him who follows the guidance. I The earth is God's.
THE LIARS MUSAYLIMA AL-I;IANAFI AND AL-ASWAD He lets whom He will of His creatures inherit it and the result is to the
AL-'ANSI piOUS.'2 This was at the end of the year 10.

Now the two arch-liars Musaylima b. Habib and al-Aswad b. Ka'b al-'Ansi
had spoken during the apostle's lifetime, the first in al-Yamama among the THE FAREWELL PILGRIMAGE
B Hanifa and the second in San'a'. Yazid b. 'Abdullah b. QusaYI told
~e 'from "Ata' b. Yasar, or his brother Sulayman, from Abu Sa'id al- In the beginning of Dhu'l-Qa'da the apostle prepared to make the pil-
Khudri, sayi~g: 'I heard the apostle as he was addressing the people from grimage and ordered the men to get ready.
h's pulpit say "I saw the night of al-qadr and then I was made to 'Abdu'l-Rahman b. al-Qasim from his father al-Qasim b. Muhammad
f~rget it, and I saw on my arms two bracelets of gold which I disliked from 'A'isha the prophet's wife told me that the apostle went on pil-
so I ble~ on them and they flew away. I interpreted it to mean these grimage on the 25th Dhu'I-Qa'da (899).
two liars the man of al-Yamama and the man of aI-Yarnan.'" . Neither he nor the men spoke of anything but the pilgrimage, until
One V:hom I do not suspect on the authority of Abu Hurayra said: when he was in Sarif and had brought the victims with him as also some
'I heard the apo;tle say: The hour will not come until thirty antichrists dignitaries had done, he ordered the people to remove their pilgrim gar-
come forth, each of them claiming to be a prophet.' ments except those who brought victims. That day my menses were upon
me and he came in to me as I Was weeping and asked me what ailed me,
guessing correctly what was the matter. I told him he was right and said I
THE SENDING OUT OF COLLECTORS OF THE POOR-TAX wished to God that I had not come out with him on the journey this year.
The apostle sent out his officials and representatives to ev~:r distric: He said (T. Don't do that) 'Don't say that, for you can do all that the
subject to Islam to collect the poor-tax. He sent al-Muha)Ir. b. A?u pilgrims do except go round the temple.' The apostle entered Mecca and
Umayya b. al-Mughira to $an'a', and al-'Ansi came out agal~~t him whtle everyone who had no sacrificial victim, and his wives, took off the pilgrim
he was there. Ziyad b. Labid, brother of B. Baya<;la al-Ansan, he sent to garment. When the day of sacrifice came I was sent a lot of beef and it
Hadramaut. 'Adiy b. Hatim he sent to Tayyi' and B. Asad; Mahk b. was put in my house. When I asked what it was they said that the apostle
Nu;"'ayra (898). to B. Han~ala. The poor-tax of B. Sa'd he divided between had sacrificed cows on behalf of his wives. When the night that the pebbles
I I have omitted the introductory Cannula. r cr. Sura 20. 49.
:lI cr. Sura 7. 125.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 65'
were thrown duly came the apostle sent me along with my brother which he made things clear. He praised and glorified God, then he said:
'Abdu'I-Ral)man and let me perform the 'umra from al-Tan'im in place fO men, listen to my words. I do not know whether I shall ever meet you
of the 'umra which I had missed. in this place again after this year. Your blood and your property are
Nafi', client of 'Abdullah b. 'Umar from 'Abdullah, from!:Iaf~a d. 'Umar, sacrosanct until you meet your Lord, as this day and this month are holy.
said that when the apostle ordered his wives to remove the pilgrim gar- You will surely meet your Lord and He will ask you of your works. I have
ments they asked him what prevented him from doing the same and he told you. He who has a pledge let him return it to him who entrusted him
said: 'I have sent on my victims and have matted' my hair, but I shall not with it; all usury is abolished, but you have your capital. Wrong not and
be free of the i~riim until I slaughter my victims.' you shall not be wronged. God has decreed that there is to be no usury
'Abdullah b. Abu Najil) told me that the apostle had sent 'Ali to Najran and the usury of 'Abbas b. 'Abdu'l-Mu!!alib is abolished, all of it. All
and met him in Mecca when he was still in a state of i!triim. He went in to blood shed in the pagan period is to be left unavenged. The first claim on
Fatima the apostle's daughter and found her dressed in her ordinary blood I abolish is that of b. Rabi'a b. al-!:Iarith b. 'Abdu'l-Mugalib (who
clothes. When he asked why, she told him that the apostle had ordered was fostered among the B. Layth and whom Hudhayl killed). It is the
his wives so to do. Then he went to the apostle and reported the result of first blood shed in the pagan period which I deal with. Satan despairs
his journey and he told him to go and circumambulate the temple and of ever being worshipped in your land, but if he can be obeyed in anything
remove the pilgrim garb as the others had done. He said that he wanted short of worship he will be pleased in matters you may be disposed to
to slaughter a victim as the apostle did. The apostle again told him to think of little account, so beware of him in your religion. "Postponement of
remove the pilgrim garb. He replied: 'I said when I put on the pilgrim a sacred month is only an excess of disbelief whereby those who disbelieve
garb, ClO God, I will invoke thy name over a victim as your prophet and are misled; they allow it one year and forbid it another year that they may
your slave and your apostle Muhammad does.'" When he asked him if he make up the number of the months which God has hallowed, so that they
had a victim he said that he had not, and the apostle gave him a share permit what God has forbidden, and forbid what God has allowed.'"
in his, so he retained the pilgrim garb with the apostle until both of them Time has completed its cycle and is as it was on the day that God created
had completed the pilgrimage and the apostle slaughtered the victim on the heavens and the earth. The number of months with God is twelve; 969
behalf of them both. four of them are sacred, three consecutive and the Rajab of Mu<;lar/
Yal)ya b. 'Abdullah b. 'Abdu'I-Ral)man b. Abu 'Amra from Yazid b. which is between Jumada and Sha'ban.
Talha b. Yazid b. Rukana told me that when 'Ali came from the Yaman to You have rights over your wives and they have rights over you. You
';'ee~ the apostle in Mecca he hurried to him and left in charge of his army have the right that they should not defile your bed and that they should
one of his companions who went and covered every man in the force with not behave with open unseemliness. If they do, God allows you to put
clothes from the linen 'Ali had. When the army approached he went them in separate rooms and to beat them but not with severity. If they
out to meet them and found them dressed in the clothes. When he asked refrain from these things they have the right to their food and clothing
what on earth had happened the man said that he had dressed the men so with kindness. Lay injunctions on women kindly, for they are prisoners
that they might appear seemly when they mingled with the people. He with you having no contro~ of their persons. You have taken them only
told him to take off the clothes before they came to the apostle and they as a trust from God, J and you have the enjoyment of their persons by the
did so and put them back among the spoil. The army showed resentment words of God, so understand (To and listen to) my words, 0 men, for
at their treatment. I have told you. I have left with you something which if you will hold
'Abdullah b. 'Abdu'l-Rahman b. Ma'mar b. !:Iazm from Sulayman b. fast to it you will never fall into error-a plain indication, the book of
Muhammad b. Ka,b b. 'Vjra from his aunt Zaynab d. Ka'b who was God and the practice of His prophet, so give good heed to what I say.
married to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, on the authority of the latter told me that Know that every Muslim is a Muslim's brother, and that the Muslims
968
when the men complained of 'Ali the apostle arose to address them and he are brethren. It is only lawful to take from a brother what he gives you
heard him say: 'Do not blame'Ali, for he is too scrupulous in the things willingly, so wrong not yourselves. 0 God, have I not told you?
of God, or in the way of God, to be blamed.'
Then the apostle continued his pilgrimage and showed the men the 1 Sura 9. 37,
~ A.Dh. explains that it was so called because Mur;:Iar used to treat it as sacred while
rites and taught them the customs of their ~ajj.' He made a speech In other Arabs did not. (I suspect that in Brannle's edition, p. 449, takhdumuhu is a mistake
for tubarrimuhu.)
I labbadtu is explained in the Nihaya of Ibnu'l-Athlr as a sort of gum that is put on the J b(amaxatftliik. This is a difficult phrase. It is probably to be understood in the sense
hair to prevent it becoming dishevelled and lousy. of Sura 8. 27 and more particularly 33. 72 where the Quranic commentators differ widely.
2; Cf. MUll b. 'Uqba, No. 17. See Lane, loza.
652 The Life of Muhammad
I was told that the men said '0 God, yes,' and the apostle said '0 God,
The Life of Muhammad 653
bear witness.' his companions in different directions to the kings of the Arabs and the
yal:tya b. 'Abbad b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr from his father told me that non-Arabs inviting them to Islam in the period between al-Hudaybiya
the man who used to act as crier for the apostle when he was on 'Arafa and his death.) .
was Rabi'a b. Umayya b. Khalaf. The apostle said to him, 'Say: 0 men, Yazid b. Abu !:Iabib al-Mi~ri told me that he found a document in 97'
the apostle of God says, Do you know what month this is?' and they which was a memorandum (T. the names) of those the apostle sent to the
would say the holy month. Then he said, 'Say to them: God has hallowed countries and kings of the Arabs and non-Arabs and what he said to his
your blood and your property until you meet your Lord like the sanctity companions when he sent them. I sent it to Muhammad b. Shihab
of this month. Do you know what country this is?' And they said 'The al-Zuhri (T. with a trusty countryman of his) and he recognized it. It
holy land' and he said the same as before. Do you know what day this is? contained the statement that the apostle went out to his companions and
970 and they said the day of the great ~ajj, and he said the same again. said: 'God has sent me as a mercy to all men, so take a message from me,
Layth b. Abu Sulaym from Shahr b. !:Iaushab al-Ash'ari from 'Amr God have mercy on you. Do not hang back from me' as the disciples
b. Kharija told me: 'Attab b. Usayd sent me to the apostle on a matter hung back from Jesus son of Mary.' They asked how they had hung back
while the apostle was standing on 'Arafa. I came to him and stood beneath and he said, 'He called them to a task similar to that to which I have called
his camel and its foam was falling on my head. I heard him say: 'God you. Those who had to go a short journey were pleased and accepted;
has assigned to everyone his due. Testamentary bequests to an heir are those who had a long Journey before them were displeased and refused to
not lawful. The child belongs to the bed and the adulterer must be go, and Jesus complained of them to God. (To From that very night)
stoned. He who claims as father him who is not his father, or a client a every one of them was able to speak the language of the people to whom he
master who is not his master, on him rests the curse of God, the angels, was sent.' (To Jesus said 'This is a thing which God has determined that
and men everywhere. God will not receive from him compensatory atone- you should do, so go.')
ment, however great. I Those whom Jesus son of Mary sent, both disciples and those who
'Abdullah b. Abu Najil,1 told me that when the apostle stood on 'Arafa came after them, in the land were: Peter the disciple and Paul with him,
he said, IThis station goes with the mountain that is above it and all (Paul belonged to the followers and was not a disciple) to Rome; Andrew
'Arafa is a station.' When he stood on Quzal,1 on the morning of al- and Matthew to the land of the cannibals; Thomas to the land of Babel
Muzdalifa he said, 'This is the station and all al-Muzdalifa is a station.' which is in the lalld of the east; Philip to Carthage which is Africa; John
Then when he had slaughtered in the slaughtering place in Mina he said, to Ephesus the city of the young men of the cave; James to Jerusalem which
'This is the slaughtering place and all Mina is a slaughtering place.' The is Aelia the city of the 'sanctuary; Bartholomew to Arabia which is the
apostle completed the ~ajj and showed men the rites, and taught them land of the !:Iijaz; Simon to the land of the Berbers; Judah who was not
what God had prescribed as to their ~ajj, the station, the throwing of one of the disciples was put in the place of Judas.'
stones, the circumambulation of the temple, and what He had permitted (To Then the apostle divided his companions and sent Salil b. 'Amr b. T. '56,
and forbidden. It 'was the pilgrimage of completion and the pilgrimage 'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu Wudd, brother of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy, to Haudha
of farewell because the apostle did not go on pilgrimage after that. b. 'AIr ruler of al-Yamama; al'Ala' b. al-!:Iac)rami to al-Mundhir b.
Sawa, brother of B. 'Abdu'l-Qays, ruler of al-Bal,1rayn; 'Amr b. al-'A~ to
Jayfar b. Julanda and 'Abbad his brother the Asdis rulers of 'Uman'
THE SENDING OF USAMA B. ZAYD TO PALESTINE . "
!:Iatlb b. Abu Balta'a to the Muqauqis ruler of Alexandria. He handed
Then the apostle returned and stopped in Medina for the rest of Dhu'l-
over to him the apostle's letter and the Muqauqis gave to the apostle
!:Iijja, Mul,1arram, and ~afar. He ordered the people to make an expedition
four slave grrls, one of whom was Mary mother of Ibrahim the apostle's
to Syria and put over them Usama b. Zayd b. !:Iaritha, his freed slave.
son; Dil,Iya b. Khalifa al-Kalbi al-Khazraji he sent to Caesar, who was
He ordered him to lead his cavalry into the territory of the Balqa' and
Heraclius king of Rome. When he came to him with the apostle's letter
al-Dariim in the land of Palestine. The men got ready and all the first
he looked at it and then put it between his thighs and his ribs.)'
emigrants went with Usama (900).
(To Ibn Shihiib al-Zuhri from 'Ubaydullah b. 'Abdullah b. 'Utba b.
lOr, perhaps, 'differ in your response to me'.
MESSENGERS SENT TO THE VARIOUS KINGDOMS
2. The forms of the names shows that the source was Greek. It probably came to 1.1.
T. '560 (T. As to 1.1. according to what 1. !:Iamid alleged and told us saying through Syriac.
J From this point to the summary of the prophet's raids T.'!J extracts, pp. 1560 f.. from
that Salama had it from him, he said: The apostle had sent out some of the lost work of 1.1: are given. Doubtless 1.H. omitted them for the reasons given in his
Introduction.
654 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 655
Mas'iid from 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas from Abu Sufy.n b. !:Iarb told me, name, so I did not lie to him. He said, "Tell me about this man who has
saying, 'We were a merchant people and the war between us and the appeared among you making these claims." I began to belittle him and to
apostle had shut us in until our goods were stale. \Vhcn there was an spe~k dis~a~agingly of ~is affair and to say, "Don't let him cause you
armistice between us we felt sure that we should be safe. So I went out anXIety; hIS Importance IS less than you have heard," but he took no heed.
with a number of Quraysh merchants to Syria making for Gaza. We got Then he said, "Tell me what I ask you about him." I told him to ask
there when Herac1ius had conquered the Persians who were in his territory what he liked and he asked about his lineage among us. I told him it was
and driven them out and recaptured from them his great cross which they pure; our best lineage. Then he asked if any of his house had made the
had plundered. When he had thus got the better of them and heard that same claim~ which he ,vas copying. 'Vhen I said No he asked if he possessed
his cross had been recovered he came out from Bims, which was his any sovereIgnty among us which we had robbed him of and had he made
headquarters, walking on foot in thanks to God for what He had restored to this claim so that we might return it to him? Again I said No. Then he
him, so that he could pray in the holy city.' Carpets were spread for him asked about the character of his followers. I told him that they were the
and aromatic herbs were thrown on them. When he came to Aelia and had weak and poor and young slaves and young women; not one of the elders
finished praying there with his patricians and the Roman nobles he became and nobles of his people followed him. Then he asked whether those who
sorrowful, turning his eyes to heaven; and his patricians said, "You have followed hi~ loved him and stuck to him or despised him and left him,
become very sorrowful this morning, 0 king." He said, "Yes, in a vision and I told hIm that none of his followers had left him. Then he asked T. 15 64
of the night I saw the kingdom of a circumcised man victorious/' The;y about the war between us and him. I said that its fortunes varied. Then
said that they did not know a people who circumcised themselves except he asked if he was treacherous. This was the only question of his which I
the Jews and they were under his sovereignty. They recommended him found fault with. I said No, and that while we had an armistice with
to send orders to everyone of authority in his dominions to behead every him we dId not fear treachery; but he paid no attention to what I said.
Jew and thus rid himself of his anxiety. And by God as they were trying Then he summed up and said: "I asked you about his lineage and you
to induce him to do this, 10 the messenger of the governor of Bu~ra came alleged that it was pure and of your best and God chooses only a man of
in leading a man while the princes were exchanging news, and said, "This the noblest lIneage as a prophet. Then I asked if any man of his family
man, 0 king, is from the Arabs, people of sheep and camels. He speaks made SImIlar claIms and you said No. Then I asked if he had been robbed
of something wonderful that has happened in his country, so ask him of dominion and made this cl:;,im to recover it, and you said No. Then
about it." Accordingly the king asked his interpreter to inquire what had I asked you about his followers and you said that they were the weak and
happened and the man said, "A man appeared among us alleging that he poor and young slaves and women, and such have been the followers of the
was a prophet. Some followed and believed him; others opposed him. prophets in all ages. Then I asked if his followers left him and you said
Fights between them occurred in many places, and I left them thus." None. Thus IS the sweetness of faith: it does not enter the heart and
When he had given his news the king told them to strip him; they did so, depart. Then I asked if he was treacherous and you said No; and truly
and 10 he was circumcised. Heraclius said, "This, by God, is the vision If you have told me the truth about him he will conquer me on the ground
I saw; not what you say. Give him his clothes. Be off with you." Then that IS beneath my feet, and I wish that I were with him that I might wash
T. 1563 he summoned his chief of police and told him to turn Syria upside down hIS feet.. Go about your business.' So I got up rubbing my hands together T. 1565
until he brought him a man of the people of that man, meaning the pro- ,,?d saymg that the affaIr of Ibn Abu Kabsha had become great in that the
phet. We were in Gaza when the chief of police came down upon us kings ?f the Greeks. dreaded him in their sovereignty in Syria. The
asking if we were of the people of this man in the !:Iij'z; and learning that apostle s letter WIth DIl,Iya b. Khalifa al-Kalbi came to him saying, "If you
we were he told us to come to the king, and when we came to him he asked accept Islam yo~ WIll be safe; if you accept Islam God will give you a
if we were of the clan of this man and which was the nearest of kin to him. double reward; If you turn back the sin of the husbandmenI will be upon
I said that I was, and by God I have never seen a man whom I consider you," i.e. the burden of it.'
more shrewd than that uncircumcised man, meaning Heraclius. He told , Fr~m al-Zuhri from 'Ubaydullah from 'Abdullah b. 'Utba from Ibn
me to approach and sat me in front of him with my companions behind me. Abbas, ,,:h~ saId; Ab~ Sufyiin b. !:Iarb told me practically the same story.
Then he said, "I will interrogate him, and if he lies confute him." But, ~bn S~Ihab al-Zuhn told me that he met a Christian bishop in the time
by God, if I were to lie they could not confute me. But I am a man of of Abdu I-Malik b. Marw.n who told him that he knew about the affair
high birth too honourable to lie and I knew that it was only too easy for of the apostle and Heraclius and understood it. When the apostle's letter
them, if I lied to him, to remember it against me and to repeat it in my by DI1,ya came to h,m he took It and put it between his thighs and his
I The cross was recovered from the Persians by Herac1ius in A.D. 628. I This appears to be an allusion to Matt. xxi. 33 f.
The Life of Muhammad
The Lzfe of lvluhammad 6
ribs. Then he wrote to a man in Ramel who used to read in Hebrew what
hands of the Arabs \\ hen we are a people with a greater kin dom 57
they read telling him about his affair and describing his circumstances populatIOn, and a finer country!' He said 'Com i r 'Igl ' a,larger
and telling him about what had come from him, The man in Rome poll-tax every , d I , e ane \\1 pay hIm the
replied that he is the prophet whom we expect: there is no doubt about it, ,year an avert lIS onslaught and get rest flO ' b h
money I pay hun' 1'1 I I' m \\ ar y t e
so follow him and believe in him. So Heraclius ordered the Roman generals Arabs a tax wh' ley rep lee, Arc \\e to pay the low and 1l1sIgnIficant T. 15 68
to assemble in a room and commanded that the doors should be fastened. stro e~ \\ie are more numerous, with greater SO\erc1 nt and a
nger country, By God, \\e "ill never do zt.' He said "fh g Y d
Then he looked down on them from an upper chamber (for he was afraid Jet me make pe ' h h ' en Come an
of them) and said: '0 Romans, I have brought you together for a good , , ace WIt 1m on condItion that I I\e hI
Syna whIle he leaves me the land of Sha' , S g m the land of
purpose. This man has written me a letter summoning me to his religion.
By God, he is truly the prophet whom we expect and find in our books, so
Palestin~, J.or~an, Damascus, !jim~, and w;:~ 1S b:II~~~'l;~e t;~m meant
come and let us follow him and believe in him that it may be well with us in
~Aand of Syna, while what was beyond the Pass meant Sha'm TShs ~f thde
re we to gIve hIm th I d f S ' ' ey sal ,
this world and the next.' As one man they uttered cries of disgust and of Sham I B' God e an 0 ,yna" v~hen you know that it IS the navel
ran to the doors to get out, but found them bolted. He ordered that they ' y, ' we WIll never do It, At thIS refusal he said 'Y , II
~ee t h at you 'VIII be conquered \\hen au r " , ' au WI
should be brought back to him, fearing for his life, and said: 'I spoke these In your province' Th h h Y poteet yourselves agamst IlJm
words that I might see the firmness of your religion in face of what has d . en e got on IS mule and rode off untIl he 1 k d
happened, and I am delighted with what I have seen of your behaviour.' la~\~n ~~ the ,P:ss facing Sha'm. and, SaId, 'Farewell for the last tlll~~ ~
,0 yna. fhen he rode off rc'pldly to ConstantInO Ie '
They fell down in obeisance and he ordered that the doors should be 1 he apostle sent ShuJii' b, Wahb brother of B A p.
opened and they went off. aJ-l\Iundhir b, al-I:farith b. Abu Shinn al-Gh _' _ sjaddbfKhuzayma, to
A traditionist said that Heraclius said to Dil;1ya b. Khalifa when he ' S I
( T.. VIa '- a ama: The apostle sent tAmr b U '
assalll, or 0 Damascus
brought the apostle's letter: 'Alas, I know that your master is a prophet Negus about Jafar b. Abu Tiihb d h ,mana al-I)amrI to the T, 1569
sent (by God) and that it is he whom we expect and find in our book, but with h' 'F . an IS companIOns and sent a letter
I go in fear of my life from the Romans; but for that I would follow him. kin 1m. " ,r~m Muhammad the apostle of God to the :--iegus al-Asham
g of Abyssmza, Peace. I praise Allah unto vou the K '
Go to I;>aghalir the bishop and tell him about your master, for he is the Peace, the Faithful the Watcher' and I b' , Ing, the Holy,

V H'
o~ lY!arYhis the spirit of God and HI~ \\ord \\~:h\~~t;e;;s;htaot Ie1sus StOhn
greater among the Romans than I, and his word counts for more than
mine. See what he says to you.' So Dil;1ya went and told him about IrgIn t e good th h "ary e
what he had brought from the apostle and of his invitation to Heraclius. from , e pure, so ~ at she conceived Jesus, God created him
I;>aghalir said : 'Your master is a prophet who has been sent; we know H' IS SpIrIt and HIS breathIng as He created Adam b H h d
zs breathIng. I call you to God th U Y IS an and
him by his description, and we find him mentioned by name in our His obedience, and to follow me and toCb I~I:u~ \\~thout ,partner and to
scriptures.' Then he went and discarded his black clothes and put on for I am the apostle of God I h e Ie\ e 1I1 t at whIch came to me,
ave
white garments and took his staff and went out to the Romans who were in number of Muslims and \Vh th sent to you my nephe\v Ja'far ",ith a
, e n ey Come to you entert' th h
church and said: '0 Romans, a letter has come to us from Al:tmad in h aughtiness, for I invite you ad, am em \\ It out
which he calls us to God and I bear witness that there is no God but (my work) a d ' n your armIes to God. I have accomplished
Allah and that Al;1mad is his slave and apostle.' They leapt upon him those that fo17ow~;U:~~i~i~~~~~~' so receive my advice. Peace upon all
with one accord and beat him until he was dead. When Digya returned to The Negus replied'. , .. 'From t IlC ",egus Y
Heraclius and told him the news he said: 'I told you that we feared death al-'<shom bAh' P
upon you 0 prophet of All h j , " ..
d ." Jar, eace
at their hands and I1aghatir was greater among them and his word counted \-Vh " a , aIle mercy and blessing from All, h b " d
om there IS no God who has 'd'd c <l eSl e
for more than mine.' your letter in which \TO~ m t" glUI C me to Islam. I have received
From Khiilid b. Yasiir from one of the first people of Syria: When ofh caven an d earth heJ ' en IOn t lC matter of Jesus and by th L d
t e a r
Heraclius wanted to go from Syria to Constantinople when he heard that with which you we~se::n~~~ :~r:~d~~~eh~~~en what y:ou say. \Ve know
about the apostle he gathered the Romans together and said: 'I am laying and .his companions. I testify that YOU are G d,en.tcrtamed your nephew
before you some matters which I want to carry out. You know that this firmmg (those before you) I h ,- , o s apostle, true and con-
man is a prophet who has been sent; we find him in our book; we know
him by his description, so come and let us follow him that it may be well nephew and I have surrendered a:~;:~e~h;:~g~~:~t~o~~~ ~:~dt0ol~~~
with us in this world and the next.' They said, 'Are we to be under the t These are precisely the boundaries f Sh' ,
I Le. Constantinople, Yazid I added the jUlld of Qinnisri n , T:p a 7~ l:)the early uays of the Arab conquest.
Taurus or the Cilician Gates, e ass ar maY;;:mean that over Amanus or the
R 4080 An extract from Sura 59, 23
Vu
The Life of Muhammad
The LIfe of Muhammad
dom of Chosroes never attained. Sa ~ to him "
worlds. I have sent to you my son Arha. I have control only over myself
" 659
and if you wish me to come to you, 0 apostle of God, I wiU do so. I bear you what you already hold and y '. If you submIt I will give
witness that what you say is true'. y ", appomt you kmg over Y I .
a~an. Then he gave Kharkhasrah a irdl . . Our peap e In the
I was told that the Negus sent his son with sixty Abyssinians by boat. whIch one of the kings had gIven
'. h'1m. g e contaInIng gold and silver
and when they were in the middle of the sea the boat foundered and they They left him and came to W dh-
aU perished.)' is not the speech of a king I a an a~d. report~d. He exclaimed, 'This
T.157 2 (To via Salama. From 'AbduUah b. Abu Bakr from al-Zuhri from Abu W 'Il . n my 0pllllOn he Is a h
e \Vl see \vhat happens. If what he said is t prop et as he says.
Salama from 'Abdu'l-Ral,lman b. 'Auf. 'AbduUah b. I;!udhafa brought the has been sent by God; if it is not w rue ~hen he IS a prophet who
apostle's letter to Chosroes and when he had read it he tore it up. \"'hen
the apostle heard that he had torn his letter up he said, 'His kingdom will
Hardly had he finished speaking \vhe t~ust consHler the matter further.'
saying that he had killed Ch ebn ere Came a letter from Shirawayh
be torn in pieces.') b k'lr os roes ecause he had d h
Y I lllg their nobles and keep' th angere t e Persians
(T. via Yazid b. Abu I;!abib. Then Chosroes wrote to Badhan, who was n
that his men pledged their obed lllg emho the frontiers. He must see
governor of the Yarnan, 'Send two stout fellows to this man in the Hijaz lenCe to t e new king H .
man ab out \vhom Chos roes h d . b . e must sec the
and tell them to bring him to me.' So Badhan sent his steward Babawayh '1 f
lint! urther instructions came. a wntten ' ut not p k h'
rovo e 1m to war
T 1573 who was a skilled scribe with a Persian eaUed Kharkhasrah to carry a When Badhan received this letter h 'd 'W'
letter to the apostle ordering him to go with them to Chosroes. He told apostle,' and he became a Musr e s~~d' h lthout doubt this man is an
Babawayh to go to this man's country and speak to him and then come back Yaman. 1m as I t e Persians with him in the T. 1575
and report. When they got as far as al-Ta'if they found some men of The men of I;!imyar used to caU Kharkh h' _, .,.
Quraysh in (wadi) Nakhb and inquired about him. They told them tbat he of the g,irdl~ which the apostle gave him b a~ra ~)~u I-~~1 Jaza' b:cause
was in Medina. They rejoiced at meeting these men, saying, 'This is tongue IS mz'J'a""a To thO d h' ,ecause girdle m the :tIlmyari
, _ '" . IS ay IS Sons keep th . k _
good news, for Chosroes king of kings is moved against the man and you saId to Badhan 'I never spok t f e nlC name, Babawayh
wiU be rid of him.' 'B- - " e a a man or whom I f It
awe. adhan mquired 'Did he h I ' , . e morc respectful
The two men came to the apostle and Babawayh told him that Shiihan- , aveanypo lcewlthhrm?' He answered No.
shah king of kings Chosroes had written to the governor2 Badhan ordering
him to send men to bring him to him and that they had been sent to take
A SUMMARY OF THE APOSTLE'S FIGHTS
him away. If he obeyed, Badhan would write to the king of kings on his
behalf and keep him from him; but if he refused to come he knew what The apostle took part personally in twenty-seven (T.
SiX)I raids:
sort of man he was: he would destroy his people and lay waste his country. Waddan which was the raid of al-Ab .-'
B -t' h wa.
They had come in to the apostle's presence with shaven beards and long uwa. In t e direction of Radwa
moustaches, so that he could not bear to look at them. He advanced on 'Ushayra in the valley of Yan'bu"
Th fi .
them and said, 'Who ordered you to do this?' To which they replied, Th erst fight at Badr in pursuit of Kurz b. Jabir.
'Our Lord' meaning Chosroes. The apostle answered, 'But my Lord e great battle of Badr in whi ch G d I
has ordered me to let my beard grow long and to cut my moustache.' and their nobles and eaptured 0) s ew the chiefs of Quraysh (T.
B -Sl many.
Then he told them to come back in the morning. anu ~ aym until he reached al-Kudr.
News came from heaven to the apostle to the effect that God had given AI-Sawlq III pursuit of Abu Sufyan b 973
Shirawayh power over his father Chosroes and he had killed him on a Qarqara al-Kudr). . I;!arb (T. until he reached
T 1574 certain night of a certain month at a certain hour. Thereupon he sum- Ghatafan (T . .' toward s N aJ'd) ,w h'lch IS
. the raid of Dh - ,
moned them and told them. They said: 'Do you know what you are saying? Bal.1 r'-an, a mme in the H";- ('f b U '.'"1..marr.
UlJud. .IJaz .' a Ove al-Furu').
We can take revenge on you. What is easier? Shall we write this as from
you and teU the king of it?' He said, 'Yes, teU him that from me and teU I;!amra'u'l-Asad.
him that my religion and my sovereignty will reach limits which the king- Banu J\Tadfr.
Dhatu'l-Riqa' of Nakh!.
I It will be seen that there is no isntid for this tradition. I.H. has dealt with it in his
summary to this section, I have omitted T. 1574.. 4-I575. 5 because it is unintelligible The last battle of Badr.
without the preceding story from Yazid b. Abu I;:labib which evidently ran parallel wi.th Dumatu'l_Janda!.
what 1.1. had said.
2 malik.
I 1.1. has counted the pilgrimage as a r 'd
".
660 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 66 I
he were not we should make sure of him; so we bound him tightly and
AI-Khandaq. left him in charge of a young negro and told him to cut off his head if he
Banu Quray~a. tried to attack him.
Banu Li\!yiin of Hudhayl.
We went on until we came to (To the valley of) al-Kadid at sunset. We
Dhu Qarad. were in the wadi and my companions sent me on to scout for them. So
Banu'l-Mu~\aliq of Khuzii'a. . '
AI-Budaybiya not intending to fight where the polytheists oppo,ed hiS I left them and went on until I came to a hill overlooking the enemy's
camp. I went up to the top and looked down at the camp; and by God as
passage. I was lying on the hill out came a man from his tent and said to his wife
fChaybar. . .
Then he went on the accomplished pllgnmage. 'I see something black on the hill which I didn't see at the beginning of th~
day. Look and see if any of your gear is missing; perhaps the dogs have
The occupation of Mecca.
dragged off something.' She went to look and told him that nothing was
Bunayn. missing. He then told her to fetch him his bow and a couple of arrows and
AI-Tii'if. he shot me in the side. I pulled out the arrow and laid it aside and kept
Tabuk.
He actually fought in nine engagements:. Badr; u\!ud; al-Khan.~aq;
my place cr.did not move). Then he shot me again in my shoulder.
Again I pulled i,t out and kept my place. He said to his wife, 'If this had
Quray~a; al-~'1wHaliq; Khaybar; the occupatIOn; I:Iunayn; and al-Ta If. been a scout of some party he would have moved, for both my arrows hit
him; in the morning go and get them. Don't let the dogs gnaw them.'
Then he \vent inside his tent.
A SUMMARY OF THE EXPEDITIONS AND RAIDING
We'gave them time until they quietened down and went to sleep (T.
PARTIES until their cattle returned in the evening and they milked them and lay
These were thirty-eight (T. thirty-five) in number (T. bet,::een the time dmvn quietly, and a- third of the night passed) and towards dawn we
of his coming to Medina and his death). 'Ubayd~ b. al-Banth was sent attacked them and killed some and drove off the cattle. They cried out to
to the lower part (T. to the tribes) of Thamyatu I-Mara (T which IS a one another for aid, and a multitude that we could not resist came at us
well in the Hijaz); Bamza b. 'Abdu'l-Munalib to the coast m the dlIect,~n (T. omits and has 'and we went on quickly until we passed by al-Barith')
of al-'I~. (Some people date Bamza's raid b~fore ;hat of Ubayda); Sa d and \Ve went on with the cattle and passed Ibn al-Bar~a' and his companion
b. Abu Waqqii~ to al-Kharriir (T. m the HI)"z); Abdullah b. Ja\!sh to and carried them along with liS. The enemy were hard on our heels and only
Nakhla' Zayd b. Hiiritha to al-Qarda (T. a well m NaJd); Muhammad b. the \Vadi Qudayd was bet\"veen us, when God sent a flood in the wadi
Maslan:a's attack' on Ka'b b. aI-Ashraf; Marthad b. Abu Marthad al- from whence He pleased, for there were no clouds that \ve could see and 975
Ghanawj to al-Raji'; al-Mundhir b. 'Amr to Bi'r Ma'una; Abu 'Ubayda b. no rain. It brought such water that none could resist it and none could
al- Jarrah to Dhu'l-Qa~,a on the Iraq road; 'Umar b. al-Khat\iib to !urba pass over. And there they stood looking at us as we drove off their cattle.
in the B. 'Amir country; 'Ali b. Abu Tiilib to the Yaman; Ghahb b. Not one of them could cross to us as we hurried off ""ith them until we
'Ahdullah al-Kalbj, the KaIb of Layth, to al-Kadid wbere he smote B. got away; they could not pursue us, and \ve brought them to the apostle.
A man of Aslam on the authority of another of them told me that the
al-Mulawwa\!.
war-cry of the apostle's companions that night was Slay! Slay! A riijiz
of the Muslims \vho was driving the cattle rhymed:
GHALIB'S RAID ON THE B. AL-MULAWWAI:I
Abil 'I~Q,lsim refused to let you graze
Yaqub b. 'Utba b. al-Mughjra b. al-Akhnas from Muslim ~. 'Abdulla~ On luscious herbs which you amaze
b. Khubayb al-Juhanj from al-Mundhlr from Jundab b. M~'\h al-Juham With yellow tops the colour of maize (901).
974
told me that the latter said: The apostle sent Ghiihb~. Abdullah al-
Kalbj, Kalb of B. 'Auf b. Layth, on a night rald m which I took part. I will now continue the summary of the night raids and raiding parties: I
He ordered him to make a cavalry raid on B. al-Mulawwa\:1 \vho ;vere.ill 'Ali to B. 'Abdullah b. Sad of Fadak; Abu'l-'Aujii' al-Sulami to B;
al-Kadjd. We went out and when we reached Qudayd we fell m with Sulaym country where he and all his companions were killed; 'Ukkasha
al-Hiirith b. Miilik b. al-Bar~ii' al-Laythj and seized him. He said :hat he b. Mi\!~an to al-Ghamra; Abu Salama b. 'Abdu'l-Asad to Qa\an, a well
had come to be a Muslim and was going to the apostle. We to~d him that I From C. The whole passage in T. 1598 f. differs in phraseology though not in content

if he was a Muslim it would not hurt him to be tied up for a mght, and If from LH. who has apparently edited the text freely.
662 The Life of Muhammad The Llfe of Muhammad 663
of B. Asad in the direction of Najd. Mas'ud b. 'Urwa was killed there; them. Hardly had they left, him when his horse began to paw the ground
Muhammad b. Maslama, brother of b. I;Hiritha, to al-Qura\a' of Hawazin ; ~nd rear and he Said (to It \ I am more interested in the two men than you
Bashir b. Sad to B. Murra in Fadak; Bashir b. Sa'd in the direction of m the two horses.' He let her go until he overtook them and they 'd t
h' IS . Sal 0
Khaybar; Zayd b. I;Iaritha to al-Jamum in B. Sulaym country; Zayd also u.n, "- ecmg that you have behaved thus, spare us yOUf tongue and don't
to Judham in Khushayn country. So says Ibn Hisham, but al-Shafi'i bnn~ us bad luck today.' They agreed among'themselves that only
from 'Amr b. I;Iabib from Ibn IsJ.1aq say 'in I;Iisma country'. I;Iassan should speak. Now they had a word which they used in the
. d 'h' h h pagan
P:rIO W Ie t. cy learned one from another: if one \vanted to smite with
hIS sword ~e saId BurT or Thiiri. \Vhen they came near the army the men
THE RAID OF ZAYD B. l:lARITHA AGAINST JUDHAM
came runmng to them and Bassan said to them, '\Ve are IVluslims.' The
One whom I can trust told me from some men of J udham who knew about first man to m~et them .\vas on a. black horse cr.
\\'ith lance outstretched, T. I743
the affair that Rifa'a b. Zayd al-Judhiimi when he came to his people with the man :vho ~lsplayed It had as It were fixed it on the withers of his horse
the apostle's letter inviting them to Islam and they accepted it, was soon a~ he cr~e~, _F.o;ward, ou:strip. t~em!') a~d he advanced driving them.
followed by DiJ.1ya b. Khalifa al-Kalbi who came from Caesar, king of the Lna~f saId Bur~ but I;Iassan saId Gently. When they stopped by Zayd
Greeks, whom the apostle had sent having with him some merchandise b. I::Iantha Bassan SaId, '\Ve are IVluslims.' Zayd said 'Then r 't th
of his. When he reached one of their wadis called Shanar, al-Hunayd b. fi t - , Wh h d'd ,eCl e e
rs sura. ' en e I so Zayd ordered that it should be proclaimed
'D~ and his son 'D~ of pulay' a clan of Judham attacked DiJ.1ya and seized through the army that God had declared their land sacrosanct except as
everything he had with him. News of this reached some of al-pubayb of regards those who had broken their covenant.
the kin of Rifa'a b. Zayd who had become Muslims and they went after I;Iassan's sister, the wife of Abu Wabr h. 'Adiy b. Umayya b. al-pubavb
al-Hunayd and his son; al-Nu'man b. Abu Ji'al of B. al-pubayb was '~as among the 'pnso~ers and ~ayd told him to take her and she clasped
among them. They fell in with them and a skinnish took place. On that hIm by the waIst.. Lmmu'l-Flzr of pulay' said, 'Are you taking your
day Qurra b. Ashqar al-pifiiri of the clan al-pulay'. proclaimed his daughters and leavmg your mothers?' One of B. al-Kha~ib said, 'She is
origin and said, 'I am the son of Lubna,' and shot al-Nu'man b. Abu (of) B. al-pubayb and theIr tongue utters spells all the dav long' S
Ji'al with an arrow, hitting him in the knee, saying, 'Take that! I am the of th: ~rmy heard this and told Zayd and he gave orders th;t the hand~:~
son of Lubna.' Lubna was his mother. Now I;Iassan b. MilIa al-pubaybi J:fassan S SIster should be loosed from his waist and told her to sit with the
had been a friend of DiJ.1ya before that and he had taught him the first daughters of her uncle until God should decide what should be done with
sura of the Quran (902). They recovered what Hunayd and his son had them. So they went back. He forbade the army to go down into the valley 978
taken and restored it to DiJ.1ya, and DiJ.1ya went off and told the apostle whence they had come and they passed the night with their people. The'
what had happened and asked him to let him kill al-Hunayd and his son. sought theIr mght draught of milk from a herd belonging to Suwavd ~
The apostle sent Zayd b. I;Iaritha against them and that was what provoked Zayd and when they had drunk it they rode off to Rifa'a b. Zayd. A~on
the raid of Zayd on Judham. He sent a force with him. Ghatafan of those w~o w~nt were Abii ~ayd b. 'A~r; Abu Shammas b. 'Amr; SuwayJ
Judham and Wa'il and they of Salaman and Sa'd b. Hudhaym set off when b. Zayd, Ba Ja and Bardha and Tha laba sons of Zayd' l\lukh '1 h
Rifii'a b. Zayd came to them with the apostle's letter and halted in the Ad- U ' " . arn)a.
11'; na~f b . .1\!:lla.; and B,assan b. J\Tilla, until in the morning they
t

lava belt 8f alaajla', while Rifa'a was in Kura' Rabba, knowing nothing, came up WIt~ Rlfa a In Kura Rabba behind! the ~arra by a vvell there
with some of the B. al-pubayb while the rest of B. pubayb were in of Barra Layla. J:lassan said to him, 'Here you sit milking g~ats while the
\Viidi Madan in the region of the lava belt where it flows to the east. women of Judha~l1 cr. arc dragged as) prisoners. The letter \vhieh vou
Zayd's force came up from the direction of al-Aulaj and attacked al-Maqi~ brought ~as dec~lvc,d them.' ~ifa'a called for his camcl, and as he began
from the ~arra. They rounded up the cattle and men they found and killed to saddle It he saId: Arc you alIve or do vou call the 11"'I'ng)' \\'h .
al-Hunayd and his son and two men of B. al-AJ.1naf (903), and one of B. h. " T ~ enmornmg
camc_ t. ey and he \\lth Lmayya b. I)aHira, the brother of the slain
977 al-Kha~ib. When B. al-pubayb and the force in Fayfii'u Madan heard of
~ha~IbItc, dcp~rted early from behind l the [tarra; they journeyed for three
this some of them went off, among those ''''ho rode with them being flIghts to l\Iedma and when they entered it and came to the mosque a
I;Iassan b. Milla on a horse belonging to Suwayd b. Zayd called al-'Ajaja, ma~ looked at them and told them not to make their camels kneel lest
and Unayf b. Milla on a horse of MilIa's called Righal, and Abu Zayd b.
theIr legs should be cut off. So they dismounted, leaving them standing.
tAmr on a horse called Shamir. They went on until they came near the
When they entered the mosque and the apostle saw them he beckoned to
army when Abu Zayd and I:Iassan said to Unayfb. MilIa, 'Leave us and go,
them to advance; and as Rifa<a began to speak a man said, 'Apostle, these
for we are afraid of your tongue.' CT. SO he withdrew) and stopped near
I Or 'on the top of'.
The Life of Muhammad The Life of 1'vIuhammad 665
men are sorcerers,' and repeated the accusation twice. Rifa'a said, 'God Ward b. 'AmI' b. Madash, one of B. Sa'd b. Hudhayl, was killed by one of
be gracious to him who treats us well today.' Then he handed the apostle B. Badr (whose name was Sad b. Hudhaym~T. and I.H.). When Zayd
the letter which he had \vritten to him, saying, 'Take it, 0 apostle; it was came he swore that he would use no ablution l until he raided B. Fazara;
written long since but its violation is recent.' The apostle told a young and when he recovered from his wounds the apostle sent him against them
man to read it openly, and when he had done so he asked what had with a force. He fought cr.
he met) them in Wadi'l-Qura and killed
happened, and they told him. Three times he said, 'What am I to do about some of them. Qays b. al-Musal.'}.'ar al-Yamuri killed Mas'ada b. !:lakama
the slain?' Rifa'a answered, 'You know best, 0 apostle. \Ve do not regard b. Malik b. !:ludhayfa b. Badr, and Umm Qirfa Fatima d. Rabi'a b. Badr
as wrong what you think is right or the converse.' Abu Zayd b. 'AmI' was taken prisoner. She was a very old woman', wife of Malik. Her
said, 'Give us back those who are alive and those who are dead I dIS- daughter and 'Abdullah b. Masada were also taken. Zayd ordered Qays
regard.' The apostle said that Abu Zayd was right and told 'Ali to ride b. al-MusaJ:1J:1ar to kill Umm Qirfa and he killed her cruelly (To by putting
979
with them. 'Ali objected that Zayd would not obey him, whereupon the a rope to her two legs and to two camels and driving them until they rent
apostle told him to take his sword and gave it to him. 'Ali then said that her in two). Then they brought Umm Qirfa's daughter and Mas'ada's
he had no beast to ride, so they (T. the apostle) mounted him on a beast son to the apostle. The daughter of Umm Qirfa belonged to Salama b.
belonging to Thalaba b. 'AmI' called al-MikJ:1al and they went off, when 'AmI' b. al-Akwa' who had taken her. She held a position of honour
10 a messenger from Zayd b. !:laritha came on a camel of Abu Wabr called among her people, and the Arabs used to say, 'Had you been more pO\ver-
al-Shamir. They made him dismount and he asked 'Ali how he stood. He ful than Umm Qirfa you could have done no more.' Salama asked the
said that they knew their property and they took it. They went on and apostle to let him have her and he gave her to him and he presented her
fell in with the army in Fayfa'ul-FaJ:1latayn and took their property which to his uncle !:lazn b. Abu Wahb and she bare him 'Abdu'l-Rahman b.
thev held even to the smallest pad from a woman's saddle. When they had I:Iazn. .
fini~hed their task Abu Ii'al said: Qays b. al-MusaJ:1J:1ar said about the killing of Masada:
There's many a woman who scolds unkindly, I tried as his mother's son would to get revenge for \Vard.
\Vho but for us would be feeding her captor's fire As long as I live I will avenge Ward.
Pushed about with her t\\'o daughters among the captives \Vhen I sa\v him I attacked him on my steed,
\Vith no hope of an easy release. That doughty warrior of the family of Badr.
Had she been entrusted to 'Vl? and Aus I impaled him on my lance of Qa'eJahi make
Circumstances would have prevented her release. \Vhich seemed to flash like a fire in an open space.
Had she seen our camels in l\1il?r
She would have dreaded a repetition of the journey.
\Ve came to the waters of Yathrib in anger 'ABDULLAH B. RAWAI;IA'S RAID TO KILL AL-YUSAYR
(After four nights, search for water is painful) B. RIZii.:VI
With every hardened warrior like a wolf 'Abdullah h. RawJ.I.la raided Khaybar twice; on one occasion he killed
Dour on the saddle of his swift camel.
May every force l in Yathrib be a ransom
al-Yusayr b. Rizam (905). l\OW al-Yusayr cr.
the Jew) \\"as in Khaybar
collecting Ghatafan to attack the apostle. The latter sent 'Abdullah b. 981
For Abu Sulayman when they meet breast to breast RawaQa with a number of his companiDns, among whom were 'Abdullah
The day you see the experienced warrior humbled, b. Unays, an ally of B. Salima. \Vhen they came to him the)' spoke to
His head turning as he flees away (9 0 4).
Zayd b. I.\aritha also raided al-Taraf in the region of Nakhl on the road
him cr.and made him promises) and treated him \ycll, saying that if he
\vould come to the 3postlc he would give him an appointment and honour
to Iraq. him. They kept on at him until he \\Tnt with them with a number of
Jews. 'Abdullah b. Unays mounted him on his beast cr.
and he rode
ZAYD B. ~IARITHA'S RAID ON n. FAZARA AND TIlE behind him) until when he was in al-Oarqara, about six miles from
DEATH OF UMM QIRFA Khaybar, a1-Yusayr changed his mind ahout going to tIle apostle. 'Abdullah
Zayd also raided Wadi'l-Qura, where he met B. Fazara and some of his
I i.e. abstain frolll sexual intercourse. The Semites, like other ancient rcopks, tahoned
companions were killed; he himself was carried wounded from the field. intercourse during war. Cf. I Sam. 21. 5, 6 and lZubvnson Smith Ndi"ioll D/ til{, .)',:mitu
I A.Dh. in Bronnle's text has jibs with the explanation 'rascal'. 454 et passim. ' "'.
666 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 667
perceived his intention as he was preparing to draw his sword, so he were killed; and the raid of Kab b. 'Umayr al-Ghifari to Dhatu Atlah in
rushed at him and struck him with his sword cutting off his leg. AI- Syria in which he and all his companions were killed; and the r~ici of
Yusayr hit him with a stick of shauba! wood \vhich he had in his hand and 'Uyayna b. !:Ii.n on B. al-'Anbar of B. Tamim.
wounded his head (T. and God killed Yusayr). All the apostle's com-
panions fell upon their Jewish companions and killed them except onc
THE RAID OF 'UYAYNA B. I;II$N ON B. AL-(A~BAR OF B.
man who escaped on his feet (T. his beast). When 'Abdullah b. Unays
TAMIM
came to the apostle he spat on his wound and it did not suppurate or
cause him pain. The apostle sent him to raid them, and he killed some and captured others.
On the second occasion 'Abdullah b. 'Auk raided Khaybar and killed 'A..im b. 'Umar b. Qatada told me that 'A.'isha said to the apostle that she
Rafi' b. Abu'l-Huqayq. must free a slave of the sons of Isma'il, and he said, 'The captives of B.
al-tAnbar arc coming now. \Ve will give you one \vhom you can set free.'
When they were brought to the apostle a deputation from B. Tamim
'ABDULLAH B. UNAYS'S RAID TO KILL KHALID B.
rode with them until they reached the apostle. Among them were Rabi'a
SUFY.:\X B. NUBAYI;I b. Rufay'; Sabara b. 'Amr; al-Qa'qa' b. Mabad; Ward an b. Muhriz'
The apostle sent him against Khalid, who was in Nakhla or 'Urana Qays b. 'A..im; Malik b. 'Amr; al-Aqra b. !:Iabis; and Firas b. H~bis:
collecting men to attack the apostle, and he killed him. They spoke to the apostle on their behalf and he liberated som~ and
Muhammad b. Jafar b. al-Zubayr told me that 'Abdullah b. Unays accepted ransom for others.
said: The apostle called me and said that he had heard that Ibn Sufyan Among the B. al-'Anbar who were killed that day were 'Abdullah and
b. l'o.'ubayJ.> al-Hudhali was collecting a force to attack him, and that he two brothers of his, sons of Wahb; Shaddad b. Firas; and Hanzala b.
was in Nakhla or 'Urana and that I was to go and kill him. I asked him Darim. Among the women who were captured were Asma' 'd. l\1alik'
to describe him so that I might know him, and he said, 'If you see him he Ka's d. Ariy; Najwa d. Nahd; Jumay'a d. Qays; and 'Amra d. Matar. '
will remind you of Satan. A sure sign is that when you see him you will Salma d. 'Allab said about that day: .
feel a shudder.' I went out girding on my sword until I came on him with 'Adiy b. Jundab had a serious fall
a number of women in a howdah seeking a halting-place for them. It From which it was hard to rise.
was the time for afternoon prayer, and \vhen I saw him I felt a shuddering Enemies surrounded them on every side
as the apostle had said. I advanced towards him fearing that something And their glory and prosperity disappeared (907).
9 82 would prevent my praying, so I prayed as I walked towards him bowing
my head. When I came to him he asked who I \\'as and I answered, 'An
GHALIB B. ABDULLAH'S RAID ON THE LAND OF
Arab who has heard of you and your gathering a force against this fellow
B. MURRA
and has come to you.' He said, 'Yes, I am doing so.' I walked a short
distance with him and ",ihen my chance came I struck him with my sword The raid of Ghalib b. 'Abdullah al-Kalbi, the Kalb of Layth, was on the
and killed him, and went off leaving his women bending over him. \Vhen country of B. Murra in \vhich he slew l\lirdas b. Nahik, an allv of theirs
I came to the apostle he saw me and said, 'The aim is accomplished.' from al-!:Iurqa of Juhayna. Usama b. Zayd and 2 man of the A;sar killed
I said, II have killed him, a Apostle,' and he said, 'You are right.' him (908). Usama b. Zayd said: 'When I and a man of the Ansar ~vertook
Then he took me into his house and gave me a stick telling me to keep him an(~ attacked him \vith our \veapons he pronounced tile shahiida,
it by me. When I went out with it the people asked me what I was doing but we dId. not stay our hands and killed him. \Vhen we came to the apostle
with a stick. I told them that the apostle had given it to me and told me to \ve told hIm what had happened and he said, "\Vho \vill absolve vou
keep it, and they said, 'Why don't you go back to the apostle and ask him Usama, from ignoring the confession of faith?" I told him that the man"had
why?' So I did so, and he said, 'It is a sign between you and me on the ~ronounced t?C \vords merely to escape death; but he repeated his ques-
resurrection day. There are few men who will be carrying sticks then.' hon and contmued to do so until I wished that I had not been a Muslim
So 'Abdullah b. Unays fastened it to his sword and it remained with him heretofore and had only become one that day and that I had not killed the
until his death, when he ordered that it should be put in his winding man. I asked him to forgive me and promised that I would never kill a
sheet and it was buried with him (906). man who pronounced the shahiida. He said, "You \\Till say it after me 1
To return to the expeditions: The raid of Zayd b. !:Iaritha and Jafar Usama?" and I said that I would.' '
b. Abu Talib and 'Abdullah b. RawaJ.>a to Mu'ta in Syria in which all I i.e. after the prophet's death.
668 The LIfe of Muhammad The Life of Afuhammad 669
<AMR B. AL-'A~ RAIDS DH.\TU'L-SALASIL
give you, and I will tell you. God sent Muhammad with this religion and
he strove for it until men accepted it voluntarily or uy force. Once they had
The raid of 'Amr on Dhatu'l-Salasil in the country of (T. Bali and the entered it they were God's proteges and neighbours under His protection.
raid on) B. 'Ddhra. The apostle sent him to convoke the Arabs to war on Beware that you do not betray God's trust in regard to His neighbours so
Syria. The mother of al-'A~ b. \Va'il \vas a ",roman of Bali, so the apostle that He pursue you relentlessly on behalf of His protege. For if onc of you
sent him to them to claim their help. \Vhen <Amr came to water in the were wronged in this \vay his muscles would swell with anger if the sheep
country of Judham called al-Salsal cr. Salasil), from which the raid took or camels of his protege had been seized, and God is more angry on behalf
its name, he took alarm and sent to the apostle for reinforcements. The of those under His protection.' Thereupon we parted.
apostle sent him Abu 'Ubayda b. al-Jarra\! with the first Muhajirs among "Vhen the apostle died and Abu Bakr was set over men I went to him
whom were Abu Bakr and 'Umar. He told Ahu 'Ubayda when he sent him and reminded him that he had forbidden me to assume authority over
not to quarrel. Now when he reached 'Amr the latter said, 'You have two Muslims. He said that he still forbade me to do so, and when I asked
come only to reinforce me.' 'No,' said Abu 'Ubayda, 'but I have my sphere him what had induced him to assume authority over everyone he said that
of command and you have yours'; for he was a man of easy gentle disposi- he had no alternative; he was afraid that Muhammad's community would
tion on whom the affairs of this "mrld sat lightly. So when 'Amr insisted split up.
that he had come to reinforce him he said, 'The apostle told us not to Yazid b. Abu J:Iabib told me that he was informed on the authority of
quarrel, and though you disobey me I will obey you,' to which he replied, 'Auf b. Malik al-Ashja'i that he said: I was in the raid on which the apostle
'I am your superior officer and you are here only to reinforce me.' 'Have sent 'Amr b. al-'A~ to Dhatu'l-Salasil, in company with Abu Bakr and
it your own way,' said he, and 'Amr took the lead in the prayers. 'Umar. I passed by some people who were butchering a camel they had
An informant who had it from Rafi' b. Abu Rafi' al-Ta'iy who was slaughtered. They could not dismember it, while I was a skilled butcher;
Rafi' b. 'Umayra told me that the latter said: I was a Christian called so I asked them if they would give me a share if I divided it between them,
Sarjis, the surest and best guide in the sandy desert. During the pagan and when they agreed I took a couple of knives and cut it up on the spot.
period I used to bury water which I had put in ostrich shells in various I took my share and carried it to my companions and we cooked and ate it.
places in the desert and then raid men's camels. vVhen I had got them into Abu Bakr and 'Umar asked me \yhere I had got the meat, and when I told
the sand I was safely in possession of them and none dare follow me thither. them they said that I had done wrong in giving it to them to eat, and they
Then I \vould go to the places \vhere I had concealed the water and drink got up and forced themselves to exgurgitate what they had swallO\ved.
it. \Vhen I became a Muslim I \.,'ent on the raid on which the apostle \Vhen the army returned from that expedition I was the first to come to the
sent 'Amr b. al-'A~ to Dhatu'l-Salasil, and I made up my mind to choose apostle as he \vas at prayer in his house. \Vhen I saluted him he asked if
a companion, and selected Abu Bakr with w~om I rode. He wore a I were 'Auf b. Malik the butcher of that camel, and he would say nothing
Fadak cloak and whenever we halted he spread it out, and put it on when more.
we rode. Then he fastened it on him \vith a packing-needle. That was
the reason \vhy the people of Najd when they apostatized said, 'Are we to
accept as ruler the man \vith the cloak?' \Vhen we approached l\1edina THE RAID OF IBN ABU f.ADHAD ON THE VALLEY OF
on our return I told Abu Bakr that I had joined him so that God might Il?AM AND THE KILLI~G OF r AMIR B. AL-AJIBAT
profit me by him, and I asked for his advice and instruction. He told me AL-ASHJ A'j
that he would have given this even if I had not asked, and told me to pro- Yazid b. 'Abdullah b. Qusayt from al-Qa'qa' b. 'Abdullah b. Abu J:Iadrad
claim the unity of God and not to associate an'ything \vith Him; to perform from his father said: The apostle sent us to 14am with a number of Muslims
prayer; to pay the poor-tax; to fast in Rama<;lan; to go on pilgrimage; among whom were Abu Qatada al-J:Iarith b. Rib'iy; and Mu\!allim b.
to wash after impurity; and never to assume authority over two Muslims. Jaththama b. Qays. We set forth until when we were in the valley of
I told him that I hoped that I should never associate anyone with God; I<;lam (To this was before the conquest of Mecca) '},mir b. al-A<;lbat
that I would never abandon prayer if God so willed; that if I had the means al-Ashja'i passed by us on a camel of his with a meagre supply of provi-
I would always pay the poor-tax; that I would never neglect Rama(;H'in; sions and a skin of laban. As he passed us he saluted us as a Muslim and
that I would go on pilgrimage if I were able; and would wash after impu- we held off from him. But Mu\!allim b. Jaththama attacked and killed
rity; but as to leadership I observed that only those who exercised it were him on account of a quarrel they had had, and took his camel and provi-
held in honour with the apostle and the people, so why should he exclude sions. ""hen we came to the apostle and told him the news there came dmvn
me from it? He answered, 'You asked me for the best advice that I could concerning us: '0 you who believe, when you go forth in the way of God
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad
act circumspectly and do not say to one who salutes you, "You are no peace bet\\'een people. Are you sure that the apostle \vill not curse you so
believer," coveting the gain of this world,' &c. (909).I that God will curse you \vith his curse, or that he \;,"ill not be angry with
988 Muhammad b. Jafar b. al-Zubayr told me that he heard Ziyad b. you so that God will also be angry with you? I swear that unless you
J;lumayra b. Sa'd al-Sulami relating from Trwa b. al-Zubayr from his submit him to the apostle and let him do \vith him as he pleases I will
father from his grandfather who were both present at l;Iunayn with the bring fifty men of the B. Tamim who will all call God to witness that your
apostle: The apostle prayed the noon prayer with us, then he sought the friend who was slain \vas an unbeliever \vho never prayed at all and thus
shelter of a tree and sat beneath it in l;Iunayn. AI-Aqra' b. l:/ilbis and cause his blood to be disregarded." When they heard that they agreed to
'Uyayna b. l;Iien b. l;Iudhayfa b. Badr went up to him quarrelling about take the bloodwit (9II).
'.li.mir b. al-A<iba\ al-Ashjai, 'Uyayna, who was at that time chief of
Gha\afan, demanding vengeance for the blood of 'Amir and al-Aqra'
THE RAID OF IBN ABU J:IADRAD AL-ASLAMI ON
protecting Mu1)allim b. Jaththama because of his position among Khindif.
AL-GHABA TO KILL RIFA'A B. QAYS AL-JUSHAMI
The quarrel went on a long time in the apostle's presence and as we
listened we heard 'Uyayna say, '0 apostle, I won't let him off until I One whom I have no reason to suspect told me from Ibn I;ladrad as
make his \vomen taste the burning grief he made my women taste'; follows: I had married a \"loman of my tribe and promised her two hundred
while the apostle said, 'No, but you will accept fifty camels as blood- dirhams as a dowry. I came to the apostle and asked him to help me in the
money on this journey and fifty on our return.' He went on refusing the matter and when I told him the amount that I had promised he said,
offer when up got a man of B. Layth called Mukaythir, a short compact 'Good gracious,if you could get dirhams from the bottom of a valley you
fellow (9 IO), and said, '0 apostle, the only thing to which I can compare could not have offered more! I haven't the money to help you.' I waited
this man who has been slain in the beginning of Islam is sheep who come for some days when a man of B. Jusham b. Mu'awiya called Rifa'a b. 990
with their leaders shot and the ones behind run away. Let the law of blood Qays or Qays b. Rifa'a came with a numerous clan of B. Jusham and
stand today and accept bloodwit later.' The apostle lifted up his hand encamped with them in al-Ghaba intending to gather Qays to fight the
and said, 'No, you must take fifty camels as blood-money on this expedi- apostle, he being a man of high reputation among Jusharn. The apostle
tion and fifty more when we return,' and they accepted them. Then they summoned me and two other Muslims and told us to go to this man (T.
said, '\\There is this fellow of yours that the apostle may ask God's pardon and bring him to him or) bring news of him, and sent us an old thin she-
for him?' Thereupon a tall thin man wearing a garment which he had taken camel. One of us mounted her, but she was so weak that she could not
to fight 2 in got up and sat in front of the apostle. He admitted that he was get up until men pushed her up from behind, and even then she hardly
Mu1)allim b. Jaththama and the apostle said three times, '0 God, pardon managed to do so. Then he said, 'Make the best of her and ride her in
not Mu1)allim b. Jaththama.' He got up wiping away his tears with the turn.'
end of his garment. As for us, we still hoped that the apostle asked for the We set forth taking our arrO\vs and swords until we arrived near the
divine forgiveness for him, but what we saw him do was what has just settlement in the evening as the sun was setting. I hid at one end and
been said. ordered my companions to'hide at the other end of the camp and told
One whom I have no rcason to suspect told me from al-Basan al-Ba~ri them that when they heard me cry 'Allah akbar' as I ran to the camp they
989 that the apostle said when he sat before him, 'You gave him security in were to do the same and run with me. There we were \vaiting to take the
God and then you killed him l' Then he said the words which have been enemy by surprise or to get something from them until much of the night
quoted, and by God Mu1)allim died within a week, and the earth I swear had passed. Now they had a shepherd who had gone out with the animals
rejected him. They buried him again, but the earth rejected him, and yet a and was so late in returning that they became alarmed on his behalf. Their
third time the same thing happened. Worn out, his people made for two chief this Rifa'a b. Qays got up and took his sword and hung it round his
heights (forming a narrow gap) and laid him out between them and then neck, saying that be would go on the track of the shepherd, for some harm
rolled rocks on him until they had covered him. When the apostle heard must have befallen him; whereupon some of his company begged him not
about this he said, 'The earth has covered worse than he, but God wants to go alone for they "\Vould protect him, but he insisted on going alone.
to give you a warning of what you must not do by what He has shown you.' As he went he passed by me, and when he came in range I shot him in the
Salim Abii'l-Na<ir told us that he was informed that 'Uyayna b. l;Iien heart with an arrow, and he died without uttering a word. I leapt upon
and Qays were addressed privately by al-Aqra' thus: 'You men of Qays, him and cut off his head and ran in the direction of the camp shouting
you have opposed the apostle about a man slain when he wanted to make 'Allah akbar' and my two companions did likewise, and by God, shouting
I Sura 4. 96. 2 Or, perhap(l, 'die in'. I i,e. not to be wiped out by the blood of his slayer or tribesmen or to be paid for.
672 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of Muhammad
out to one another they all fled at once with their \vives and children and
such of their property as they could lay hands on easily. We drove off ABU'UBAYDA B. AL-JARRAI1'S RAID TO THE COAST
a large number of camels and sheep and brought them to the apostle and 'Ubiida b. al-Walid b. 'Ubiida b. al-i;liimit from his father from his grand-
991 I took Rifa'a's head to the apostle) who gave me thirteen of the camels to father 'Ubiida b. al-i;liimit told me: The apostle sent a force to the coast
help me with the woman's dowry, and I consummated my marriage. commanded by Abu 'Ubayda and furnished them with a supply of dates.
He began to ration them until the day came when he had to count them,
tABDU'L-RAI;Il'vL,\,N B. tAUF'S RAID ON DUMATU'L-JANDAL
and finally he could give each man but one date a day. One day he divided
them among us and a man lacked even a date and we felt the loss of them
One whom I have no reason to suspect told me from 'Am' b. Abu Rib1il). that day. When we were exhausted by hunger God brought us a whale
that he said that he heard a man of Ba~ra ask 'Abdullah b. 'Umar b. from the sea, and we fell upon its flesh and fat and stayed by it for twenty
al-Khattiib about wearing the turban flying loosely behind one. He ,aid nights until we grew fat and recovered our strength. Our leader took one
that he' ~vould give them information on the point. 'I was', he said, 'the of its ribs and set it in the way; then he sent for our largest camel and
tenth of ten of the apostle's companions in his mosque, namely Abu mounted our largest man upon it; he sat on it and came out from under it
Bakr, 'Vmar, 'Uthman, 'Ali, 'Abdu'l-Ral).man b. <Auf, Ibn Mas'Dd, without lowering his head. \Vhen we came to the apostle we gave him the
Mu'iidh b. Jabal, I:Iudhayfa b. aI-Yamiin, Abu Said al-Khudri, and myself. news and asked him what he thought about our having eaten the whale.
Suddenly one of the An$ar came and saluted the apostle and sat down and He said, 'It was food which God provided for you' (9 3).
asked the apostle who was the most excellent of the believers. "The best (Ibn I:Iamid told us from Salama b. al-Fac;ll from ' Muhammad b.
T. 1437
in character" he replied. "And who is the wisest?" "The one who most Isl).iiq from Ja'far b. ~l-Fac;ll b. al-I:Iasan b. 'Amr b. Umayya al-I,)amri
often reme~bers death and makes the best preparation for it before it from hIs father from h,s grandfather 'Amr b. Umayya that the last-named
comes to him. Such men are the wise." The man remained silent, and said: After the killing of Khubayb and his companions the apostle sent an
the apostle said to us, "0 Muhajirs, there are five things which may befall An~iiri with me telling us to go and kill Abu Sufyiin, so we set out. My
you and I pray God that you may escape them: moral decay never openly companIon had no camel and his leg was injured, so 1 carried him on my
shows itself among a people but they suffer from pestIlence and dIsease beast as far as the valley of Ya'jaj where we tethered our beast in Jhe
such as their fathers have never known; they do not use light weights and Corner of a pass and rested there. 1 suggested to my companion that we
measures but they are smitten by famine and the injustice of rulers; they should go to Abu Sufyiin's house and I would try to kill him while he
do not hold back the poor-tax from their herds but rain is withheld, for but kept watch. If there was a commotion or he feared danger he should take
for the beasts there \vould be no rain sent; they do not break the covenant to hIs camel and go to Medina and tell the prophet the news; he could leave
with God and His apostle but an enemy is given power over them and takes me because I knew the country well and was fleet-footed. When we
much of their possessions; and their imams do not give judgement about entered Mecca I had a small dagger like an eagle's feather which I held in
God's book and behave arrogantly' in regard to what God has sent down readiness: if anyone laid hold of me I could kill him with it. My com-
but God brings upon them the calamity they have engendered." , panIon asked that we might begin by going round the Ka'ba seven times
'Then he ordered 'Abdu'I-Ral,1miin b. 'Auf to make his preparatIOns for and pray a couple of rak'as. I told him that I knew more about the :Vleccans
992 the expedition, In the morning he wore a black turban of cott.on. ~he than he: in the evening their courts are sprinkled \vith \vater and they sit
apostle told him to approach and unwound it and then re\vound It leavmg there, and 1 am more easily recognizable than a piebald horse. However,
four fingers or so loose behind him, saying, "Turban you~self th~s, I?n he kept on at me until we did as he wanted, and as we came out of the
'Auf, for thus it is better and neater."2 Then he ordered BIlal to gIve h1m Ka<ba we passed by one of their groups and a man recognized me and
the standard and he did so. Then he gave praise to God and prayed for called out at the top of his voice, 'This is 'Amr b. Umayya!' Thereupon
himself. He then said, "Take it, Ibn 'Auf; fight everyone in the way of the Meccans rushed at us, saying, 'By God, 'Amr has come for no good.
God and kill those who disbelieve in God. Do not be deceitful with the He has never brought anything but evil,' for 'Amr was a violent unruly
spoil; do not be treacherous, nor mutilate, nor kill children. This is fellow in heathen days.
God's ordinance and the practice 3 of his prophet among you." Thereupon They got up to pursue us and I told my companion to escape, for the T. 1439
'Abdu'l-Ral)miin took the standard' (9I2). very thmg I feared had happened, and as to Abu Sufyiin there was no
I \V. tcafa!tllvvall"i 'become perplexed'.
means of getting at him. So \ve made off with all speed and climbed the
2 a'raj pel:h:~l~$ means 'morc in keo:ping with accepted practice'. mountain and went into a cave where we spent the night, having successfully
3 sira. eluded them so that they returned to Mecca. When we entered the cave
B 4080
Xx
The LiP of Muhammad
The Life of Muhammad 6
I put some rocks at the entrance as a screen and told my companion to
Umayya: 'When I got to Medina I assed 75
keep quiet until the pursuit should die down, for they would search for us and when they exclaimed at m p some shaykhs of the Ansar
that night and the following day until the evening. While we were in the e some young men h d .
to tell the apostle. Now I had b d ' ear my name and ran
cave up came 'Uthman b. Malik b. 'Ubaydullah al-Taymi cutting grass . Dun my pnsoner's th b .h
stnng, and when the apostle looked at him he 1 h d urnhs WIt my bow-
for a horse of his. He kept coming nearer until he was at the very entrance his back teeth. He asked my news and when I :~~ ~ so t at one could see
of the cave. I told my friend who he was and that he would give us away he blessed me') (9 1 4). , 0 m w h at had happened
to the Meccans, and I wcnt out and stabbed him under the breast with the
dagger. He shrieked so loud that the Mecc~ns heard him and came to-
wards him. I went back to the cave and told'my friend to stay where he was. SALIM B. 'UMAYR'S EXPEDITION TO KILL ABU ''''F
The Meccans hastened in the direction of the sound and found him at the Abil'AfakwasoneofB. 'Amrb. 'AufoftheB 'Uba dac . AK ,
last gasp. They asked him who had stabbed him and he told them that dIsaffection when the apostle killed al-Harith'b S y d1banS':reshowed hIS 995
it was I, and died. They did not get to know where we were and said, . . uway . ", am It and saId;
'By God, we knew <Aror was up to no good.' They were so occupied with Long have I lived but never have I seen
the dead man whom they carried off that they could not look for us, and An assct.TIb1y or collection of people
we stayed a couple of days in the cave until the pursuit died down. Then More faIthfUl to their undertaking
we went to al-Tan'lID, and 10, Khubayb's cross. I My friend asked if we And their allies when called upon
Than the sons of Qayla' when they assembled
T '44 0 should take him down from the cross, for there he was. I told him to leave
the matter to me and to get away from me for guards were posted round l\fe? who overthrew mountains and never sub~itted.
it. If he was afraid of anything he must go to his camel and tell the apostle A nder who carne to them split them in two (s .
'Permitted\ 'Forbidden'3 of all sorts of thO aymg)
what had happened. I ran up to Khubayb's cross, freed him from it, and H d b I' mgs.
carried him on my back. Hardly had I taken forty steps when they a you e leved in glory Or kingship
You would have followed Tubba' 4
became aware of me and I threw him down and I cannot forget the thud
The apostle said 'Wh ,'11 d I 'h ' .
when he dropped. They ran after me and I took the way to al-i?afra' 8-}" b 'CT ' 0 \\1 ea WIt tl:llS rascal for me?' whereupo
and when they wearied of the pursuit they went back and my friend rode a 1m. mayr, brother of B. 'Amr b 'A f n
forth and killed him Umama b!VI " U one of the weepers', went
to the prophet and told him our news. I continued on foot until I looked . .. uzaynya saId concerning that:
down on the valley of I)ajnan. I went into a cave there taking my bow and ~au gave the lie to God's religion and the man Ahmad!
arrows, and while I was there in came a one-eyed man of B. al-Dil driving AYhhu:, who was your father. evil is the son he pr~ducedI
a sheep of his. When he asked who I was I told him that I was one of B. . . anif gave y_o~ a th~ust in the night saying .
Bakr. He said that he was also, adding of B. al-Dil clan. Then he my Take that Abu Afak m spite of your age!'
dO\vn beside me and lifting up his voice began to sing: Though I knew whether it was man or jinn
\Vaq.
I won't be a Muslim as long as I live, Who slew you in the dead of night (I would say naught).'
Nor heed to their religion give.
(UMAYR B. (ADIY'S JOUR:'>iEY TO KILL 'ASMA' D. MAR\VAN
I said (to myself), 'You will soon know!' and as soon as the badu was
She was of B. Umayya b. Zayd. When Abu 'Afak '
asleep and snoring I got up and killed him in a more horrible way than dIsplayed disaffection. 'Abdullah b. al-H- ' h had been killed she
any man has been killed. I put the end of my bow in his sound eye, then father said that she was married to a ,a?~ ~h al-Fu<;layl from hIS
I bore down on it until I forced it out at. the back of his neck. Then I Zayd. Blaming Islam and its follower~:~esaid': alma called Yazid b.
came out like a beast of prey and took the highroad like an eagle hastening
until I came out at a village which, (said the narrator), he described; then I despise B. Malik and al-Nabit
to Rakuba and ai-Nagi' where suddenly there appeared two Meccans whom And 'Auf and B. al-Khazraj.
. I LH.'s account will b . .
T 1441 Quraysh had sent to spy on the apostle. I recognized them and called on 2 Q 1 ,e found 10 the sectIOn devoted to his add't'
3 a~ a was the putabve ancestress of Aus and Khazra', I IOns.
them to surrender, and when they refused I shot one and killed him, and -4- A gibe at the language of the Quran. J
the other surrendered. I bound him and took him to the apostle. I,e. You resisted Tubba' who after all '.
Sf,) why believe in Muhammad's ~laims? -' was a kmg In fact and a man of great reputation,
Ibn Is\lag from Sulayman b. Wardan from his father from 'Amr b. .5 Wellhausen P'91 p d '
This line is not in W.' ropose an emendatIOn of the text which hardly seems necessary~
I Sec 'v. 641 supra.
The Life of Muhammad The L'fe of Muhammad 677
You obey a stranger who is none of yours, accept Islam. He said, 'Enough, Muhammad; if you kill me you kill one
One not of Murad or Madh!,lij.r whose blood r:nust be paid for; if you want a ransom) ask what you like.'
Do you expect good from him after the killing of your chiefs Matters remamed thus so long as God willed and then the apostle said
Like a hungry man waiting for a cook's broth? that T~umama was to be released. When they let him go he went as far as
Is there no man of pride who would attack him by surprise al-Bagr , where he punfied hImself and then returned and paid homage
And cut off the hopes of those who expect aught from him? to the prophet m Islam. When evening came they brought him food as
usual" but he would take only a little of it and only a small guantity of the
I:lassan b. Thabit answered her: camel s n:11k. T~e ~ushms were astonished at this; but when the apostle
Banu Wa'il and B. Wagif and Khalma h~ar~ of It he saId, ~Thy are you, astonished? At a man who at the begin-
Are inferior to B. al-Khazraj. m,ng of the d.aY,ate WIth an u.nbehever's stomach and at the end of the day
When she called for folly woe to her in her weeping, w~th a Mushm s? An unbelIever eats with seven stomachs: the believer
WIth one only' (9'5).
For death is coming.
She stirred up a man of glorious origin,
Noble in his going out and his coming in.
THE EXPEDITION OF 'ALQAMA B. MUJ AZZIZ
Before midnight he dyed her in her blood
And incurred no guilt thereby. When Wagga~ b. Mujazziz al-Mudliji was killed on the day of Dh-
Qarad, 'Algama b. Mujazziz asked the apostle to send him on the trac~
When the apostle heard what she haa said he said, 'Who will rid me of of the people so that he might take vengeance on them. 'Abdu'l-'Aziz b.
Marwan's daughter l' 'Umayr b. 'Adiy al-Khalmi who was with him heard Muhammad from Muhammad b. 'Amr b. 'AIgama from 'Umar b. al-
him, and that very night he went to her house and killed her. In the morn- ;.rakam b. Th~uba? from Abu Said al-Khudri said: The apostle se!U
ing he came to the apostle and told him what he had done and he said, Alqama b. MUJazzIz, I bemg WIth the force, and \vhen we were on the way
'You have helped God ana His apostle, a 'Umayr!' When he asked if he he sum~oned a part of the force and appointed 'Abdullah b. Hudhafa
would have to bear any evil consequences the apostle said, 'Two goats al~Sahmi theIr leader. He was one of the apostle's companions-a f~cetious
won't butt their heads about her,' so 'Vmayr went back to his people. feHow: and when they were on the way he kindled a fire an'd said to the
Now there was a great commotion among B. Khatma that day about the men: ~ave I not claIm ~n ,Your obedience so that if I order you to do
affair of Bint Marwan. She had five sons, and when 'Umayr went to them s?methmg you ~ust do It? and when they agreed he said, 'Then by
from the apostle he said, 'I have killed Bint Marwan, a sons of Khatma. VIrtue of my claIm on your obedience I order you to leap into this fire.'
Withstand me if you can; don't keep me waiting.'2 That was the first Some of th~m began to gird up their loins so that he thought that they
day that Islam became powerful among B. Khalma; before that those who would,!ea p mto the fire, and then he said, 'Sit down, I Was only laughing
were Muslims concealed the fact. The first of them to accept Islam was ~t you. When the apostle was told of this after they had returned he said,
'Umayr b. 'Adiy who was caHed 'the Reader', and 'Abdullah b. Aus and If any?ne orders you to do something which you ought not to do do not
Khuzaymab. Thabit. The day after Bint Marwan was killed the men of B. obey hIm.' ,
Khatma became Muslims because they saw the power of Islam. .Muhamma.d b. Tall;a said that 'Alqama and his companions returned
WIthout fight mg.

THE CAPTURE OF THUMAMA B. ATHAL AL-I;lANAFI


I heard on the authority of Abu Said al-Magburi from Abu Hurayra KURZ B. JABIR'S EXPEDITION TO KILL THE BAJiLlS
that the latter said: The apostle's cavalry went out and captured a man of WHO HAD KILLED YASAR
997 B. I:lanifa not knowing who he was until they brought him to the apostle A traditionist told me from one who had told him from Muhammad b.
who told them that he was Thumama b. Athal al-I:lanafi and that they TaI!,la from 'Uthman b. 'Abdu'I-Ra!,lman that in the raid of Muharib
must treat him honourably in his captivity. The apostle went back to his and B. Tha'laba the apostle had captured a slave called Yasar, and h~ put
house and told them to send what food they had to him, and ordered that hIm m char?; of hIS mtlch-camels to shepherd them in the neighbourhood
his milch-camel should be taken to him night and morning; but this of aI-Jamma. Some men of Qays of Kubba of Bajil. came to the apostle
999
failed to satisfy Thumama. The apostle went to him and urged him to suffe~Ing from an epidemi~ and enlarged spleens, and the apostle told them
J Tw;) tribes of Yamani origin. 2 Cf, Sura II. 58. that If they went to the mIlch-camels and drank their milk and urine they
The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 6
wouid recover, so off they went. \Vhen they recovered their health and their ' d 'M ct h'Inks I see you if you had done that ret
Yo u." I sal, ' 79
hous ' d d' , , urnmg to my
bellies contracted to their normal size they fell upon the apostle's shepherd c an .spen mg a brIdal nIght therein with one of your \vives I The
Yasar and killed him and stuck thorns in his eyes and drove away his apos:le s~Tl11ed an~ then his pain overcame him as he \vas gain the' round
camels. The apostle sent Kurz b. Jabir in pursuit and he overtook them of hIS \\:lves~ untIl he was overpowered in the house of 1\1 g -
and brought them to the apostle as he returned from the raid of Dhti called hIS WIves and asked their p .. b .aymuna. He
and they agreed (9,8), ermlSSIOn to e nursed m my house,
Qarad, He cut off their hands and feet and gouged out their eyes.

'ALI'S RAID ON THE YAMAN THE APOSTLE'S ILLNESS IN THE HOUSE OF 'A'IsHA.'
I005

'Ali raided the Yaman twice (9,6), The apostle went out walking between two men of I' f 'j
;hom was al-Fa~l b, al-'Abbas. His head was bound i~sa ~:~~' o~\Of
eet 'vere draggmg as he came to my ho 'Gb d I .an IS
USAMA B. ZAYD'S MISSION TO PALESTINE tion to 'Abdullah b, al-'Abbas who toldu~e~ th tatYh u lahh told thIs tradi-
(T b h 'Ii." a c ot er man was 'AI-
h' ut tblat ,sha could not bring herself to speak well of him tho ~
I
The apostle sent Usama to Syria and commanded him to take the cavalry
into the borders of the Balqii' and al-Diirtim in the land of Palestine. So s e was a e to do so), ug
1006
the men got ready and all the first emigrants went with Usama (9'7)' Th,en the apostle's illness worsened and he suffered much '
saId, Pour seven skms of water from different ,veIls over me so tt~l~. He
go out to the men and instruct them' W d I' '! a, may
THE BEGINNING OF THE APOSTLE'S ILLNESS belongin t H f d ' . e rna e urn SIt (o\\'n III a tub
'Enough go. a :?,: . "Croar and we poured water over him until he cried
While matters were thus the apostle began to suffer from the illness by ,enoug h . '
which God took him to what honour and compassion He intended
for him shortly before the end of i?afar or in the beginning of RabI'u'l- wi~l-~~~r:a~a:o~:~ ~;:~~] ~~t~~sl::et~~~ 7;m ;~at~he
afostle went out
P d" _fIe . rst t llng he uttered
1000 awwal. It began, so I have been told, when he went to Baqi'u'l-Gharqad was a prayer over the men of Uhud askl'ng G
, f . < a S orglvencss for th ]
in the middle of the night and prayed for the dead. Then he returned to praymg or them a long time', then he sa'(] I 1 'G 0 d j gIven on emf ant
his family and in the morning his sufferings began.
'Abdullah b. 'Umar from 'Ubayd b. Jubayr, a freedman of al-J:Iakam
1as '
~ervants the choice between this \vorld and that which is with G 0 d hIS
as chose.n th; latter.' Abu Bakr perceived that he meant hims;l~ an
h'
t
e
b. Abti'l-'A~, from 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. al-'A~ from Abti Muwayhiba, a ~Pt, saymg, Nay, we and our children will be your ransom' H an1 ~c
freedman of the apostle, said: In the middle of the night the apostle sent ently, Abu. Bakr,' adding, 'See to these doors that 0 . e rep Ie ,
for me and told me that he was ordered to pray for the dead in this cemetery and shut them except one from Abu Bakr's
a better friend to me than he' (9 1 )
hallS
f
e, or
iC;
on to the mosque
no\v no one \vho is
and that I was to go with him. I went; and when he stood among them he
said, 'Peace upon you, 0 people of the graves! Happy are you that you are 'Abdu'!-Ra!:Iman b. 'Abdullah t~id me from one of h f' ,-
so much better off than men here. Dissensions have come like waves of b, al-Mu alIa that the apostle said in his speech that d~ e ,~r;lyof Sa l(~
darkness one after the other, the last being worse than the first.' Then he to choose a fnend on earth I would choose Abu B k y, were ab.le
turned to me and said, 'I have been given the choice between the keys of the an~ brotherhood in the faith remain until God unite: ~~ bU~Icomradeshl~
treasuries of this world and long life here followed by Paradise, and meeting 1uhammad b. la'far b. aI-Zubavr told me from' . In I~ presence.
my Lord and Paradise (at once).' I urged him to choose the former, but other learned men that the apostle- found the c Urn a b. al-Z~bayr and
he said that he had chosen the latter. Then he prayed for the dead there expedition of Usama b Zavd h'l h ffP ople tardy In JOInIng the
' h . . W I e e was su enng so he ' .
and went away. Then it was that the illness through which God took him h IS ead bound up until he sat in th 1. . ~ ' \\ent out wIth
leadership of Usama saying 'H he pu pIt. "'ow people had criticized the
began. b f " e as put a young man m comm d f h
Ya'qtib b. 'Utba from Muhammad b. Muslim al-Zuhri from 'Ubay- est a the emigrants and the helpers' Aft . . . an ate
dullah b. 'Abdullah b, 'Utba b. Mas'tid from 'Nisha, the prophet's wife, said, '0 men , dispatch TL Tsa-ma's f
oree'for t her
augPhraIslllg
y God
. .. asl'IS His .due he
said: The apostle returned from the cemetery to find me suffering from as you criticized the leadership of his' father b f o~. cntlC1~C . lIS leadership
a severe headache and I was saying, '0 my head!' He said, 'Nay, <,A'isha, of the command as his father " Th he are lIn, he IS Just as worthy
o my head!' Then he said, 'Would it distress you if you were to die before hurried on with their preparati:~:: Thee~po:tt~me~o\bvn and the people I007
e s pam ecame severe and
me so that I might wrap you in your shroud and pray .over you and bury
I 1.1.'8 tradition from 'A'isha continues.
680 The Life of Muhammad The LIfe of ]V!uhammad 681
Usama and his army went out as far as al-Jurf, about a stage from Medina, "You arc like Joseph's companions; tell him to preside at prayers." 1'\'ly
and encamped there and men gathered to him. When the apostle became only reason for saying what I did was that I wanted Abu Bakr to be spared
seriously ill 1Jsarna and his men stayed there to see what God would thIs task, because I knew that people would never like a man who occupied
decide about the apostle. the apostle's place, and would blame him for every misfortune that occurred,
Zuhri said that 'Abdullah b. Ka'b b. Malik told him that the apostle said and I wanted Abu Bakr to be spared this.'
on the day that he asked God's forgiveness for the men of UJ.1ud, '0 Ibn Shihab said, 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr b. 'Abdu'l-Rahman b. al- 109
Muhajirs, behave kindly to the An~ar, for other men increase but they in the !:Iarith b. Hisham told me from his father from 'Abdullah b. Zama'a b.
nature of things cannot grow more numerous. They were my constant al-Aswad b. al-Mullalib b. Asad that when the apostle was seriously ill
comfort and support. So treat their good men well and forgive those of them and I wIth a number of Muslims was with him Bil,,1 called him to prayer,
who are remiss.' Then he came down and entered his house and his pain and he told us to order someone to preside at prayers. So I \vent out and
increased until he was exhausted. Then same of his wives gathered to there was 'Umar with the people, but Abu Bakr was not there. I told
him, Umm Salama and Maymuna and some of the wives of the Muslims, 'Umar to get up and lead the prayers, so he did so, and when he shouted
among them Asma' d. 'Umays while his uncle 'Abbas was with him, and Allah Akbar the apostle heard his voice, for he had a powerful voice, and he
they agreed to force him to take medicine. 'Abbas said, 'Let me force asked where Abu Bakr was, saying twice over, 'God and the l\luslims
him,' but they did it. When he recovered he asked who had treated him forbid that.' So I was sent to Abu Bakr and he came after 'Umar had
thus. When they told him it was his uncle he said, 'This is a medicine finished that prayer and presided. 'Umar asked me what on earth I had
which women have brought from that country,' and he pointed in the done, saying, 'When you told me to take the prayers I thought that the
direction of Abyssinia. When he asked why they had done that his uncle apostle had given you orders to that effect; but for that I would not have
said, 'We were afraid that you would get pleurisy;' he replied, 'That is a done so.' I replied that he had not ordered me to do so, but when I could
disease which God would not affiict me with. Let no one stop in the house not see Abu Bakr I thought that he was most \vorthy of those present to
until they have been forced to take this medicine, except my uncle.' preside at prayers.
1008 Maymuna was forced to take it although she was fasting because of the Al-Zuhri said that Anas b. Malik told him that on the Monday (T.
apostle's oath, as a punishment for what they had done to hIm. the day) on which God took His apostle he went out to the people as they
(To Muhammad b. Jafar b. al-Zubayr told .me from 'Urwa b. al- were praying the morning prayer. The curtain was lifted and the door
Zubayr that ',~'isha told him that when they sald that they were afrald opened and out came the apostle and stood at '.A.'isha's door. The Muslims
that he would get pleurisy he said, 'That is something which comes from wen~ almost scduced from their prayers for joy at seeing him, and he
the devil and God would not let it have power over me.') motlOned to them (To with his hand) that they should continue their
Sa'idb. 'Ubayd b. al-Sabbaq from Muhammad b. Usama from his prayers. The apostle smiled with joy \vhen he marked their mien in prayer,
father told me that when the apostle's illness became severe he and the men and I never saw him with a nobler expression than he had that day. Then
came down to l\ledina and he went in to the apostle who was unable to he went back and the people went away thinking that the apostle had
speak. He began to lift his hand towards heaven and then bring it down recovered from his illness. Abu Bakr returned to his wife in al-Sunh.
upon him, from which he knew that he \vas blessing him. Muhammad b. Ibrahim b. al-!:!arith told me from al-Qiisim b. Muham- 1010
Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri told me from 'Ubayd b. 'Abdullah b. 'Utba from mad that when the apostle heard '1Jmar saying Allah Akbar in the prayer
'Nisha that she used to hear the apostle say, 'God never takes a prophet he asked where Abu Bakr was. 'God and the Muslims forbid this.' Had
to Himself without giving him the choice.' When he was at the point of it not been for what 'Umar said when he died, the Muslims would not
death the last word I heard the apostle saying was, 'Nay, rather the Exalted have doubted that the apostle had appointed Abu Bakr his successor; but
Companion of paradise." I said (to myself), Then by God he is not choosing he said when he died, 'If I appoint a successor, one better than I did so;
us! And I knew that that was what he used to tell us, namely that a prophet and if I leave them (to elect my successor) one better than I did so.' So
does not die without being given the choice. the people knew that the apostle had not appointed a SUCcessor and 'Umar
Al-Zuhri said, !:Iamza b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar told me that 'Nisha said: was not suspected of hostility towards Abu Baler. I
'When the prophet became seriously ill he ordered the people to tell Abu Bakr b. 'Abdullah b. Abu Mulavka told me that when the Mondav
Abu Bakr to superintend the prayers. 'Nisha told him that Abu Bakr was ca~e the apostle went out to morning' prayer with his head wrapped up
a delicate man with a weak voice who wept much when he read the Quran. whIle Abu Bakr was leading the prayers. When the apostle went out the
He repeated his order nevertheless, and I repeated my objection. He said, people's attention wavered, and Abu Bakr knc\v that the people would not
I Cf. Sura 4. 71. I Abu Bakr appointed 'Umar to succeed him; the prophet made no appointment.
682 The Life of Muhammad The Lrfe of Muhammad 683
behave thus unless the apostle had come, so he withdrew from his place; hands and feet of men who allege that the apostle is dead.' When Abu
but the apostle pushed him in the back, saying, 'Lead the men in prayer,' Bakr heard what was happening he came to the door of the mosque as
and the apostle sat at his side praying in a sitting posture on the right of 'Vmar was speaking to the people. He paid no attention but went in to
Abu Bakr. When he had ended prayer he turned to the men and spoke 'A.'isha's house to the apostle, who was lying covered by a mantle of
to them with a loud voice ,vhich could be heard outside the mosque: Yamani cloth. He went and uncovered his face and kissed him, saying,
'0 men, the fire is kindled, and rebellions come like the darkness of the 'You are dearer than my father and mother. You have tasted the death
night. By God, you can lay nothing to my charge. I allow only what the which God had decreed: a second death will never overtake you.' Then he
Quran allows and forbid only what the Quran forbids.' replaced the mantle on the apostle's face and went out. 'Vmar was still
When he had ended these words Abu Bakr said to him: '0 prophet speaking and he said, 'Gently, 'Umar, be quiet.' But 'Umar refused and
of God, I see that this morning you enjoy the favour and goodness of God went on talking, and \vhen Abu Bakr saw that he \vQuld not be silent he
as we desire; today is the day of Bint Kharija. May I go to her l' The went forward to the people who, when they heard his \vords, came to him
apostle agreed and went indoors and Abu Bakr went to his wife in aI-Sun\>. and left 'Umar. Giving thanks and praise to God he said: '0 men, if
AI-Zuhri said, and' Abdullah b. Kab b. Malik from' Abdullah b. 'Abbas anyone worships Muhammad, I\1uhammad is dead: if anyone worships
told me: That day 'Ali went out from the apostle and the men asked him God, God is alive, immortal.' Then he recited this verse: 'l\luhammad is
1011 how the apostle was and he replied that thanks be to God he had recovered. nothing but an apostle. Apostles have passed away before him. Can it
'Abbas took him by the hand and said, "Ali, three nights hence you will be be that if he were to die or be killed you would turn back on your heels?
a slave. I swear by God that I recognized death in the apostle's face as I He who turns back does no harm to God and God will reward the gratefuL"
used to recognize it in the faces of the sons of 'Abdu'l-Mullalib. So let By God, it was as though the people did not know that this verse (To
us go to the apostle; if authority is to be with us, we shall know it, and if it concerning the apostle) had come down until Abu Bakr recited it that day.
is to be with others we will request him to enjoin the people to treat us The people took it from him and it was (constantly) in their mouths. 101 3
well.' 'Ali answered: 'By God, I will not. If it is withheld from us none 'Vmar said, 'By God, when I heard Abu Bakr recite these words I \vas
after him will give it to us.' The apostle died with the heat of noon that day. dumbfounded so that my legs would not bear me and I fell to the ground
Ya'qub b. 'Utba from al-Zuhri from 'Urwa from '.~'isha said: The knowing that the apostle was indeed dead.'
apostle came back to me from the mosque that day and lay in my bosom.
A man of Abu Bakr's family came in to me with a toothpick in his hand
and the apostle looked at it in such a way that I knew he wanted it, and THE MEETING IN THE HALL OF B. SirIDA
when I asked him if he wanted me to give it him he said Yes; so I took it When the apostle was taken this clan of the An~ar gathered round Sad
and chewed it for him to soften it and gave it to him. He rubbed his teeth b. 'Ubada in the hall of B. Sa'ida, and 'Ali and al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam
with it more energetically than I had ever seen him rub before; then he and Tal\>a b. 'Ubaydullah separated themselves in Fa\ima's house while
laid it down. I found him heavy in my bosom and as I looked into his the rest of the Muhajirin gathered round Abu Bakr accompaniep by
face, 10 his eyes were fixed and he was saying, 'Nay, the most Exalted Com- Usayd b. 1:Iu<;Iayr with the B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal. Then someone came to
panion is of paradise.' I said, 'You were given the choice and you have Abu Bakr and 'Umar telling them that this clan of the An~ar had gathered
chosen, by Him Who sent you with the truth!' Andso the apostle was taken. round Sad in the hall of B. Sa'ida. 'If you want to have command of the
Ya\>ya b. 'Abbad b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr from his father told me people, then take it before their action becomes serious.' Now the apostle
that he heard 'A'isha say: The apostle died in my bosom during my turn: was still ifol his house, the burial arrangements not having been completed,
I had wronged none in regard to him. It was due to my ignorance and and his family had locked the door of the house. 'Umar said, 'I said to
extreme youth that the apostle died in my arms. Then I laid his head on a Abu Bakr, Let us go to these our brothers of the An~ar to see what they
pillow and got up beating my breast and slapping my face along with the are doing.'
1012 other women. In connexion with these events 'Abdullah b. 'Abu Bakr told me from
Al-Zuhri said, and Said b. al-Musayyib from Abu Hurayra told me: Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri from 'Ubaydullah b. 'Abdullah b. 'Utba b. Ma,ud
When the apostle was dead 'Umar got up and said: 'Some of the dis- from 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas who said, I was waiting for 'Abdu'l-Ral)man
affected will allege that the- apostle is dead, but by God he is not dead: he h. <Auf in his station in Mina while he was with 'Vmar in the last pil-
has gone to his Lord as Moses b. 'Imran went and was hidden from his grimage which 'tTmar performed. \"rhen he returned he found me \vaiting
people for forty days, returning to them after it was said that he had died. for I was teaching him to read the Quran. 'Abdu'lRa\>man said to me:
By God, the apostle will return as Moses returned and will cut off the I Sura 3. 138.
The Life of Muhammad
The LIfe of Muhammad 685
'I wish you could have seen a man who came to the commander of the
faithful and said, "0 commander of the faithful, would you like a man Did not the apostle say, 'Do not praise me extravagantly as Jesus son
101 4 who said, By God, if 'Umar were dead I would hail So-and-so. Fealty of Mary was praised and say The servant and the apostle of God l' I
given to Abu Bakr was a hasty mistake and was ratified." , 'Vmar was have heard that someone said, 'If 'Umar were dead I would hail So-and-so.'
angry and said, 'God willing, I shall get up among the men tonight and Don't let a man deceive himself by saying that the acceptance of AbU
warn them against those who \vant to usurp power over them.' I said, Bakr was an unpremeditated affair' which was ratified. Admittedly it was
'Don't do it, commander of the faithful, for the festival brings together that, but God averted the evil of it. There is none among you to whom
the riff-raff and the lowest of the people; they are the ones who will be in people would devote themselves as they did to Abu Bakr. He who accepts
T. 1820 the majority in your proximity (T. your assembly) when you stand among a man as ruler without consulting the Muslims, such acceptance has no
the people. And I am afraid lest you should get up and say something validity for either of them: they are in danger of being killed. What
which they will repeat everywhere, not understanding what you sayar happened was that when God took away His apostle the An~ar opposed us
interpreting it aright; so wait until you come to Medina, for it is the home and gathered with their chiefs in the hall of B. Sa'ida; and 'Ali and
of the sunna and you can confer privately with the lawyers and the nobles al-Zubayr and their companions withdrew from us; ",,,hi Ie the Muhajirin
of the people. (T. you will come to the home of the hijra and the sunna and gathered to Abu Bakr.
you can confer privately with the apostle's companions both muhiijirin and I told Abu Bakr that we should go to our brothers the An~ar, so we went
an,iir.)' You can say what you will and the lawyers (T. they) will under- off to go to them when two honest fellows met us and told us of the con-
stand what you say and interpret it properly.' 'Umar replied, 'By God, if clusion the people had come to. They asked us where we were going, and
He will I will do so as soon as I get to Medina.' when we told them they said that there was no need for us to approach
We came to Medina at the end of Dhu'l-J:lijja and on the Friday I them and we must make OUf own decision. I said, 'By God, we will go
returned quickly when the sun had set and found Sa'fJ b. Zayd b. 'Amr to them,' and we found them in the hall of B. Sa'ida. In the middle of
b. Nufayl sitting by the support of the pulpit and I sat opposite him knee them Was a man wrapped up. In answer to my inquiries they said that he
to knee. Immediately 'Vmar came out and \vhen I saw him coming I said was Sa'd b. 'Ubada and that he was ill. When we sat down their speaker
to Sa'jd, 'He will say something tonight on this pulpit which he has never pronounced the shahiida and praised God as was fitting and then con-
said since he \vas made caliph.' Satid was annoyed and asked, 'What do tinued: 'We are God's Helpers and the squadron of Islam. You, 0
you suppose that he is going to say that he has never said before?' 'Umar Muhajirin, are a family of ours and a company of your people have corr:e
sat in the pulpit, and \vhen the muezzins were silent he praised God as to settle.' (,Umar) said, 'And ]0, they were trying to cut us off from our
was fitting and said: 'I am about to say to you today something which God origin and wrest authority from us." When he had finished I wanted to
has willed that I should say and I do not know whether perhaps it is my
aya of which it is the, beginning was well known in 1.('s time. It continues: 'If an adult
last utterance. He who understands and heeds it let him take it \vith him man ~r wo.man commIt. ad~ltery sto?e them without exception as a punishment from God.
whithersoever he goes; and as for him who fears that he ,vill not heed it, God 1~ .mlghty. and wI~e. See Ntlldeke.Schwally, Gesch. d. Qoram, i. 248, where the
he may not deny that I said it. God sent Muhammad and sent down the auth~ntles are ~I:-,en. If It was_ part of the Quran it is difficult to see where it stood originally.
Mu~hm auth~Jntles su.ggest Sura 33, b!lt the rhyme forbids this; and Sura 24, but there the
scripture to him. Part of what he sent down "vas the passage on stoning; pUnJshment IS scourgIng. Most commentators hold that the verse is one of those that wa
we read it, we were taught it, and we heeded it. The apostl stoned aft.erwards. abrogated, while others say that it was acci~entally lost owing to a domesti~
anJm~1 eatIng the part of t~e page on which the revelation was written. Cf. Zamakhshari
(adulterers) and we stoned them after him. I fear that in time to come men ?n Su~a 33, and ot?ers. ThIS tradition which is carried back to 'A'isha is condemned as the
will say that they find no mention of stoning in God's book and thereby mventJOn of sectanans. There is a real problem which can hardly be satisfactorily solved'
lOIS go astray by neglecting an ordinance which God has sent down. Verily o~ the one .hand, the Q~r~n teaches that adulterers must be scourged; on the other hand:
thiS exceedmg early tradltlOn-much older than the later canonical collections of hadith-
stoning in the book of God is a penalty laid on married men and women that they. must be stoned is.evidentl! the authorit~ ~hich lies behind the penalty prescribed
who commit adultery, if proof stands or pregnancy is clear or confession by ~ushm lawbooks to thIS day. See the authontles quoted op. cit., p. 25I.
is made. Then we read in what we read from God's book: "Do not desire SInce the words sha,ykha ~nd alba~ta occur nowhere in the Quran and since the first part
of t~e ver~e appears m a sl~~htly different form as a saying of Muhammad in Muslim's
to have ancestors other than your own for it is infidelity so to do." '2 $aJ;~~. (lman 27), th~ prob~bJ1lty IS that it never formed part of the Quran. However, if the
tradltlO",:al. form ~f Vmar s sp:ech as gi,ven by r.r. (and by T on another authority) is
I The difference between the two reports of what r.r. said is interesting. Ziyiid makes the authentiC, l~ re~ams to be explaIned why Vmar, who was a most truthful man, should have
lawyers and the sharifs the ultimate authority while T. has nothing to say about them and stated pubhcly In the strongest possible terms that the verse was to be read in the Oura
regards the prophet's companions as the real authorities. If the tradition is genuine T.'s I falta .. I have translated this 'hasty mistake' on p. 684. The exact meaning is so;~_
version must be authentic because there can hardly have been lawyers in 'Umar's day. what elUSive.
lIoweYer, it is possible that at that timefiqh did not bear its later meaning. Z The crucial word qala indicating that 'Vmar was the speaker is missing from \V. T.
Z This citation, which on the face of it has nothing to do with adultery, shows that the 1822 makes th~ ~assage p.e~fectly clear. 'He said When I saw that they wanted to cut us;ff
from (yakhtaZllu) our ongm and wrest authority from us and I had prepared,' &c. The
686 The Life of Muhammad The Lzfe of Muhammad 687
1016 speak, for I had prepared a speech in my mind which pleased me much. that by which He guided His apostle, and if yo,", hold fast to that God will
I wanted to produce it before Abu Bakr and I was trying to soften a certain guide you as He guided him. God has placed your affairs in the hands of
asperity of his; but Abu Bakr said, 'Gently, 'Umar l' I did not like to the best one among you, the companion of the apostle, "the second of the
anger him and so he spoke. He \vas a man with more knowledge and dignity two when they were in the cave", I so arise and s\\'ear fealty to him.'
than I, and by God he did not omit a single word which I had thought of Thereupon the people swore fealty to Abu Bakr as a body after the pledge
and he uttered it in his inimitable way better than I could have done. in the hall.
He said: 'All the good that you have said about yourselves is deserved. Abu Bakr said after praising God: 'I have been given authority over you
But the Arabs will recognize authority only in this clan of Quraysh, they but I am not the hest of you. If I do well, help me, and if I do ill, then put
being the best of the Arabs in blood and country. I offer you one of these me right. Truth consists in loyalty and falsehood in treachery. The weak
two men: accept which you please.' Thus saying he took hold of my hand among you shall be strong in my eyes until I secure his right if God will ;
and that of Abu 'Ubayda b. al-Jarra\! who was sitting between us. Nothing and the strong among you shall be weak in my eyes until I wrest the right
he said displeased me more than that. By God, I would rather have come from him. If a people refrain from fighting in the way of God, God will
fOr\vard and have had my head struck off-if that were no sin-than rule smite them with disgrace. \Vickedness is never widespread in a people
over a people of whom Abu Bakr was one. but God brings calamity upon them all. Obey me as long as I obey God
One of the Ansar said: 'I am the rubbing post and thefruitful propped-up and His apostle, and if I disobey them you owe me no obedience. Arise
palm. I Let us have one ruler and you another, 0 Quraysh.' Altercation to prayer. God have mercy on you.'
waxed hotter and voices \vere raised until \\'hen a complete breach was to I:fusayn b. 'Abdullah told me from 'Ikrima from Ibn 'Abbas who said:
be feared I said, 'Stretch out your hand, Abu Bakr.' He did so and I 'When 'Vmar was caliph I was \valking with him while he was intent on 1018

paid him homage; the Muhajirin followed and then the An~ar. (In doing business of his. \Ve were alone and he had a whip in his nand, and as he
so) we jumped on Sad b. Thada and someone said that we had killed him. talked to himself he swished the side of his legs with his whip. As he
I said, 'God kill him.' turned to me he asked me if I knew what induced him to speak as he did
AI-Zuhri said that '1-'rwa b. al-Zubayr told him that one of the two when the apostle died. I said that only he could know that, and he went on:
men whom they met on the way to the hall was 'Uwaym b. Sa'ida and the "It was because I used to read 'thus we have made you a middle people
other was Man b. 'Adiy, brother of B. al-'Ajlan. Concerning 'Uwaym we that you may be witnesses against men and that the apostle may be a
have heard that when the apostle was asked who were those of whom God witness against you,'2 and by God I thought that the apostle vmuld remain
said 'In it are men who love to purify themselves and God loves those who among his people until he could witness against them as to the last things
purify themselves'/ the apostle said that the best man of them was 'Vwaym they did. That was what induced me to say what I did." ,
b. Sa'ida. As to Ma'n, we have heard that when mt!n wept over the apostle's
death and said that they wished that they had died before him because
THE BURIAL PREPARATIONS
they feared that they would split up into factions, he said that he did not
1017 want to die before him so that he could bear \vitness to his truth when he When fealty had been sworn to Abu Bakr men came to prepare the apostle
was dead as he had done when he was alive. 1\la'n was killed on the day for burial on the Tuesday. 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr and I;lusayn b. 'Abdullah
of al-Yamama as a martyr in the caliphate of Abu Bakr, the day of and others of our companions told me that 'Ali and <Abbas and his sons
Musaylima the arch-liar. .1-Fa9l and Qutham, and Usama b. Zayd, and Shuqran freedman of the
AI-Zuhri told me on the authority of Anas b. Malik: On the morrow of apostle were those who took charge of the washing of him; and that Aus
Abu Bakr's acceptance in the hall he sat in the pulpit and 'Vmar got up b. Khauli, one of B. 'Auf b. al-Khazraj, said, 'I adjure you by God, 'Ali, and
and spoke before him, and after praising God as was meet he said, '0 by our share in the apostle.'3 Aus was one of the apostle's companions who
men, yesterday I said something (T. based on my own opinion and) had been at Badr. 'Ali gave him permission to enter and he came in and
which I do not find in God's book nor was it something which the apostle sat down and was present at the washing of the apostle. 'Ali drew him
entrusted to me; but I thought that the apostle would order our affairs on to his breast and <Abbas and al-Fa<;i1 and Qutham turned him over
(T. until) he was the last of us (alive). God has left His book with you, along with him. Usama and Shuqran poured the water over him, while
'Ali washed him, having drawn him towards his breast. He still wore his
p:lssage is of great importance in that it shows how the Emigr~nts were then the dominating shirt with which he rubbed him from the outside without touching the
party and hellcefol-th the 1\Il~ar would have to take a subordmate place. .
I i.e. a man who can cure people's ills and 15 held m high esteem because of hiS great ex- I Sura 9. 40. .:.: Sura 2. 137.
pe"rience. .:.: Sura 9 109 3 sc. 'that you will let me take part' or some such apodosis.
688 The Life of Muhammad The Life of NJuhammad 68 9
apostle's body with his hand the while he said, 'Dearer than my father
10 1 9 the sons of 'Abbas, and Shuqran. Aus implored 'Ali in the name of God
and my mother, how swce,t you are alive and dead!' The apostle's body and hIs sh~arc In the apostle to let him descend, and he let him go \vith the
did not present the appearance of an ordinary corpse. o:hers. \\' hen the apostle was laid in his grave and the earth was laid over
YaJ:xya b. 'Abbad b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr from his father 'Abbad hIm Shuqran his freedman took a garment \vhich the apostle used to \vear
from 'Nisha: When they wanted to wash the apostle dispute arose. They and use as a rug. and buried (T. cast) it in the grave saying, 'By God, none
did not know whether they were to strip him of his clc>thes as they stripped shall ever ,','ear It after you,' so it ,vas buried with the apostle.
their dead or to wash him with his clothes on. As they disputed God cast Al-l\fughira b. Shu'ba used to claim that he was the last man to be \vith
a deep sleep upon them so that every man's chin was sunk on his chest. the ap?stle. H~ use~ to say, 'I took my ring and let it fall into the grave
Then a voice came from the direction of the house', none knowing who it and saId, My nng has dropped. But I threw it in purposely that I might
was: '\Vash the apostle with his clothes on.' So they got up and went touch the apostle and be the last man to be with him.'
to the apostle and \vashed him with his shirt on, pouring water on the My father IsJ:xaq b. Yasar told me from :l1iqsam, freedman of 'Abdullah
T. 1831 shirt, and rubbing him with the shirt between him and them (T. 'Nisha b. al-Ijarith b. Naufal, from his freedman 'Abdullah b. al-Ijarith: I went
used to say, 'Had I known at the beginning of my affair what I knew at the o~ .the ht.tIe ~)llgnmage \vith 'Ali in the time of 'l~mar or 'Uthman and he 1021

end of it none but his wives would have washed him'). vIsIted
'1 . hIS sIster Dmm Hani' d. AbU Talib. . When he had fi nts
. h e d h'IS
Ja'far b. Muhammad b. 'Ali b. al-Ijusayn from his father from his pI gnmage cr. I poured out) ablution water was poured out for him and he
grandfather 'Ali b. al-Ijusayn, and al-Zuhri from 'Ali b. al-Ijusayn, said washed. When he had finished some Iraqis came in saying that they had
that when the apostle had been washed he was wrapped in three garments, come ~oask hI~ about a :ualtter on whIch they would like him to give them
two of ~u~ar make I and a striped mantle wrapped the one over the other. some mformatIOn. He saId, I suppose that al-l\lughira tells \'ou that he was
Ijusayn b. 'Abdullah told me from 'Ikrima from Ibn 'Abbas: Now the l~st ~erso~ to be with the apostle?' \Vhen they said that that was so,
Abu 'Dbayda b. al-JarraJ:x used to open the ground as the Meccans dig, he saId, He lIes. The last man to be with the apostle was Qutham b
'Abbas.' .
and Abu TalJ:xa Zayd b. Sahl used to dig graves for the Medinans and to
make a niche in them and when they wanted to bury the apostle aI-'Abbas !;laliJ:x b. Kaysan told me from al-Zuhri from Tbavdullah b. 'Abdullah
called two men and told one to go to Abu 'Ubayda and the other to Abu b. 'Utba that 'A'isha told him: The apostle wore a black cloak when he
TalJ:xa saying, '0 God, choose for (T. thy) the apostle.' The one sent to suffered severe pain. Sometimes he would put it over his face at others he
Abu TalJ:xa found his man and brought him and he dug the grave with the would .take it off, saying the while, 'God slay a people ,vho cho~se the graves
niche for the apostle. 2 of th:lr prophets as mosques,' warning his community against such a
practlce.
When the preparations for burial had been completed on the Tuesday
he was laid upon his bed in his house. The Muslims had disputed over the On th~ sa~e authority I was told that the last injunction the apostle
place of burial. Some were in favour of burying him in his mosque, while gave was m hIS ,vor~s 'Let not two religions be left in the Arabian peninsula.'
others wanted to bury him with his companions. Abu Bakr said, 'I heard (T The apostle dIed on the 12th RabI'u-l-awwal on the very day that he T. 18 34
the apostle say, "No prophet dies but he is buried where he died" '; so ~am: to ~'Ied~na as a~ enugrant, having completed exactly twelve years
1020 the bed on which he died was taken up and they made a grave beneath it. In .hls migratIOn.) \\ihen the apostle ,vas dead the IHuslims 'vere sore

Then the people came to visit the apostle praying over him by companies: stncken. 1 have heard that 'A'isha used to say, '\Vhen the apostle died the
first came the men, then the women, then the children (T- then the Arabs apostatized and Christianity and Judaism raised their heads and
slaves). No man acted as imam in the prayers over the apostle. The di.saffe~tio~ appeared. The l\lusIims became as sheep exposed to rain on a
apostle was buried in the middle of the night of the Wednesday. Wlllter s lllght through the loss of their prophet until God united them
'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me from his wife Fatima d. (T. Muhammad under Abu Bakr' (920).
b.) 'Umara from 'Amra d. 'Abdu'I-RaJ:xman b. Sad b. Zurara that 'Nisha ~Iass;'in said mourning the apostle:
102 5
said: We knew nothing about the burial of the apostle until we heard the
sound of the pickaxes in the middle of the Wednesday night. Ibn Ishaq Tell the poor that plenty has left them
said: Fatima told me this tradition. With the prophet who departed from them this morning.
Those who descended into the grave were 'Ali and al-Falll and Qutham 'Vho was It who has a saddle and a camel for me
My family's sustenance ,,,,hen rain fails? '
I There are two towns of this name, one in the Yaman and the other in al-Yamama in B. Or ,vith ,vhom can ,ve argue without anxiety
Tamim territory.
\Vhen the tongue runs away with a man?
~ All Muslim graves contain this niche or recess.
B 4080 Yy
690 The Life of Muhammad
He was the light and the brilliance we followed.
He was sight and hearing second only to God. IBN HISHAM'S NOTES
The day they laid him in the grave
And cast the earth upon him 10. \Vhat I have just \vritten about the prophet's genealogy back to Adam
Would that God had not left one of us and about Idris and others I \vas told by Ziyad b. ~A.bdullah al-Bakka'i on
And neither man nor woman had survived him! the authority of lVIuhammad b. Is!;aq.
The Banii'l-Najjiir were utterly abased, Khalliid b. Qurra b. Khiilid al-Sadusi on the authority of Shayban b.
But it was a thing decreed by God. Zuhayr b. Shaqiq from Qatada b. Di'ama gave a slightly different version
The booty was divided to the exclusion of all the people from Isma'il upwards, namely: Asragh-Arghii--Falikh-~Abir and (later)
And they scattered it openly and uselessly among themselves.' Mahla'il b. Qayin b. Aniish.
God willing I shall begin this book with Isma'il son of Ibrahim and men
1026 l;Iassan also said: tion those of his offspring who were the ancestors of God's apostle one by one
I swear that no man is more careful than I with what is known about them, taking no account of Isma'il's other children,
for the sake of brevity, confining myself to the prophet's biography and
In swearing an oath true and without falsehood.
omitting some of the things which 1.1. has recorded in this book in which
By God, no woman has conceived and given birth there is no mention of the apostle and about \vhich the Quran says nothing
To one like the apostle the prophet and guide of his people; and \vhich are not relevant to anything in this book or an explanation of it or
Norhas God created among his creatures evidence for it; poems \vhich he quotes that no authority on poetry whom I
One more faithful to his sojourner or his promise have met knows of; things \hich it is disgraceful to discuss; matters which
Than he who was the source of our light, would distress certain people; and such reports as al-Bakka'i told me he
Blessed in his deeds, just, and upright. could not accept as trustworthy-all these things I have omitted. But God
Your wives stripped the tents in mourning willing I shall give a full account of everything else so far as it is known and
And did not strike the pegs behind the curtains. trustworthy tradition is available.
Like nuns they put on garments of hair II. Some say I\li9i.h;l. }urhum was the son of Qal:Jt:ln from whom all the
Certain of misery after happiness. people of the Yam an are descended, the son of 'Abir b. Sh5.likh b. Arfakh-
o best of men, I was as it were in a river shadh b. Sam b. NU!).
Without which I have become lonely in my thirst (92 I). 12. The Arabs say Hajar and Ajar, changing the h into a as in the verb

I Apparently 'the people' are the An~ar and 'they' are the Quraysh. The connexion of hariiqa and ariiqa 'to pour out'. Hajar was an Egyptian. 'Abdullah b.
this line with the preceding is obscure. This and the following poem come via I.!. 'Vahb from 'Abdullah b. LahI'a on the authority of 'Umar client of Ghufra
told me that the apostle said: '3hm piety in dealing with the protected
peoples, those of the settled lands, the black, the crinkly haired, for they
have a noble ancestor and marriage tics ('A'ith us).' The said 'Cmar explained
that by ancestry the prophet referred to the fact that the prophet Isma'il's
mother came from them, and the marriage tie \Vas contracted when the apostle
took one of them as concubine.
Ibn Lahl'a said: Isma'll's mother Hagar, the mother of the Arabs,! came
from a town in Egypt facing Farama/ and Ibrahim's mother l\Eiria, the
prophet's concubine whom the Muqauqis gave him, came from Bafn 3 in
the province of An1ina.
13. All the Arabs are descended from Isma'il and Qal:Jtan. Some of the
people of the Yaman claim that Qa1).tan was a son of Isma'I! and so according
to them Isma'il is the father of all the Arabs.

I The text (both Vi. and C.) has 'came from Umm al-'Arah', but I ha\'e followed the
reading of \V.'s 1\15. D. Yiiq. i, 356, who agrees with \V. and c., adds: 'Others say Cmm
al-'Arik: and it is said that she came from a town called Yflq ne;lr lJmm Dunayn.'
2. Said to he the ancient Pelusium.

3 In the ~a';d on the cast bank of the ~ik.


The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes
14. 'Akk dwelt in the Yarnan because he took a wife among the Ash'arites
HOW 'A2\1R B. 'A:\lIR LEFT THE YA1IAN A~D TIlE STORY OF
and lived with them and adopted their language. The Ash'arites are
THE DAM OF MARIll
descended from Ash'ar b. Nabt b, Udad b. Zayd b. Humaysa' b. 'Amr b.
'Arlb b. Yashjub b. Zayd b. Kahliin b. Saba' b. Yashjub b Ya'rub b. The cause of 'Amr's migration from the Yaman as it was told me by Abo
Qai:ltan. Others say Ash'ar is Nabt b. Udadj or that Ash'ar was the son Zayd al-An~ari: is as follows: 'Amr saw a rat burrowing in the dam at
of f\.18.lik who was Madhl)ij b. Udad b. Zayd b. Humaysa'; or Ash'ar is the l\1arib where they used to hold back the water and then direct it where it was
son of Saba' b. Yashjub. most needed. He pelceived that the dam could not last and he determined
Abu Mu!)riz Khalaf al-A!)mar and Abu 'Ubayda quoted to me the follow- to leave the Yaman. He proposed to deceive his people in this wise. He
ing verse of 'Abbas b. Mirdas \vho belonged to B. Sulaym b. Mansur b. ordered his youngest son to get up and hit him in retaliation for his rough
'Ikrima b. Kha1afa b. Qays b. 'Ayliin b. Mullar b. Niziir b. Ma'add b. t~e.at~ent; and when he did so 'Amr said publicly that he would not go on
Admin in which he boasted of his descent from' AIde hvmg III a land where the youngest son could slap his father's face. He offered
his goods for sale .and the principal men of the Yaman took advantage, as
And 'Akk b. 'Adoan who made a mock ofI Ghassan they thought, of hIS rage, and bought his property, and he went off with his
Until they were driven out completely. sons and grandchildren. The Azdites said that they would not remain if
Ghassan is the name of the water got from the dam at l\13.rib 2 in the Yarnan 'Amr left th~ country so they sold their property and went with him. They
which was drunk by the descendants of l\Hizin b. al-Asd b. al-Ghauth and tra~e~led lllntll they came to the land of the 'AIde tribe which they pt7nctrated,
they were named after it. Others say that Ghassan is the name of water at deslr.mg t~ ~nd settlements. 'Akk took up aralS against them, but the ~~hting
aI-Mushallai near aI-JuDfa,3 and those who drink of it and take their name was mdecIsive. It was of this that 'Abbas b. l\lirdas composed the verse on
from it are the tribes descended from Mazin b. al-Asd b. al-Ghauth b. Nabt p. 6. Af:er this they moved on ~nd went their several ways in the lands.
b. Miilik b. Zayd b. Kahliin b. Saba' b. Yashjub b. Ya'rub b. Qa!)liin. Among The f~mIly of ~~fn~ b. 'Amr b. 'Amir settled in Syria; Aus and Khazraj in
the verses of f:Iassan b. Thabit aI-An~ari-the Am;;ar being the tribes of Aus Yathnb; Khuza a In .l\larr;1 Azd aI-Sarat in AI-Saraf~ and Azd 'Uman in
and Khazraj, the two sons ofJ:Iaritha b. Tha'iaba b. "Amr b. "Amir b. f:Iaritha 'Dman.
b. Imru'ul-Qays b. Tha'laba b. Miizin b. al-Asd b. al-Ghauth-is this: ,Then God sent a torrent against the dam and destroyed it. Concernipg
thIS event GO,d revealed to his prophet Muhammad: 'Saba' in their dwelling-
If you ask about us we are a noble people. place had a SIgn: two gardens one to the right and another to the left; (they
AI-Asd is our forefather and Ghassan our water. were. comm~nded) Eat from what your Lord has furnished and be grateful
The Yamanites and some of the 'Akk who live in Khurasan report their to HIm. It IS a goodly land and a forgiving Lord. But they turned away and
descent from 'Akk b. 'Adnfm b. 'Abdullah b. al-Asd b. al-Ghauth. Others say !Ve sent againstthem the torrent of al-'Arim.'3 This latter word means. 'd;ms"
'Udthan in the place of 'Adnan. Its singular is 'arima according to what Abu 'Ubayda told me. . ,
:;I-A'shii of B. Qays b. Tha'laba b. 'Ukiiba b. ~a'b b. 'Aly b. Bakr b.
15. The Yamanites say Qw:J.a'a \vas the son of Malik b. Ijimyar. 'Amr b. Wa II b. Hmb b. Af1ii b. Jadila b. Asad b. RabI'a b. Niziir b. Ma'add.
Murra al-JuhanI-Juhayna b. Zayd b. Layth b. Sud b. Aslam b. al-J:Iiif b. (Others say Afsii b. Du'mI b. JadIla.) AI-A'shii' (:\laymun b. Qavs b. Jandal
Qu4a' a~said: b. Sharii!)Il b. 'Auf b. Sa'd b. I;lubay'a b. Qays b. Tha'laba) wrote the
Sons of the noble renowned shakyh we are, following lines:
Qu<;Hfa son of Malik son of I:Jimyar.
Herein is a moral for him who looks for it.
Our descent is famous and undisputed,
The dams (that were breached) destroyed ~\Iarib.
It is engraved on stone beneath the pulpit. 4
(I:Iimyar had built them of marble for them.
16. The name is also written Qana~. \Vhen the floods rose high they stood fast.
\Vhen their water was sent out in channels
17. Lakhm was the son of 'Adiy b. al-I:Iarith b. l'vIurra b. Udad b. Zayd b. It watered the crops and the vines).
Humaysa' b. 'Amr b. 'Arlb b. Yashjub b. Zayd h. Kahliin b. Saba'. Others Then they became wanderers unable
say of 'Adiy b. 'Amr b. Saba'. According to others Rahi"'a b. Na~r b. Abu To give drink to their tender babes."'"
Haritha b. 'Amr b. 'Amir. He remained behind in the Yarnan after 'Amr b.
I M~rr, called Marr al-Zaharan (and !\1arr Z;ahariin), is a day's journey from Mecca.
'Amir's migration thence. 2 ~:ld to be a mountain overlooking 'Arafa. See further Yaqut, Mu'Jam.
3 Sura 34. 14.
IA reading talaqqalJu. 'got the name of' yields a better sense. 4 This poe.m occurs in several rival forms in Hamdani's IJdil, viii, ed. D. H. rVlilller in
.2Or Ma'rib here and hereunder. S.B.W.A" Vlem:a,~I881.' vo1. xcv.ii, p. I037. Yaqut, llIu'Jam al-Buldan, iv, 387, and the
3 MushaUal is a mountain near Medina. Al-Juf:1fa lies on the Medina-Mecca road.
M~S. of Ibn I-!lsham differ conSiderably. I have followed the text of the Cairo edition
4 The second hemistich is missing in W,'s edition and the first is taken as a chapter-
whl~ch ag!ccs wlth_ \V.Gstenf~ld's tc;t. A better text with full critical notes is Gedichte von
heading. Yaqut describes JUf:1fa as the ruin of an old city that once was of considerable size Abu BaFlr 1~Iaymull tbn QaH alA shci . . . ed, Rudolf Geyer (Gibb Memorial Trustees),
possessing a pulpit. London, 1928, p. 34.
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes
Umavva b. Abu al-$alt the Thaqafite-the name of Thaqif is Qasiy b. 22. The order should be Yashjub b. Ya'rub b. Qal)tan.
rvIunabbih b. Bakr b. Hawazin b. lVlan$ur b. 'Ikrima b. Khasafa b. Qays b. 23. Of him it was said:
'Aylan b. l\1u9ar b. Nizar b. ?vIa'add b. 'Adnan-recited:
vVould that it were my lot to get from Abu Karib
From Saba' who dwelt in ~Iarib when The exclusion of his evil by the good he has!
They built dams against its torrent.
24. 'AIm b. Talla was 'AIm b. Mu'iiwiya b. 'AmI b. 'Amir b. Malik b.
This verse occurs in a poem of his, but it is also attributed to al-Nabigah aI-Najjar; Talla, his mother, was d. '.Amir b. Zurayq b. 'Abdu I:Iaritha b.
al-]a'd"i whose name was Qays b. 'Abdullah, one of B. Ja'da b. Ka'b b. Malik b. Gha<;lb b. ]usham b. al-Khazraj.
Rabi'a b. 'Amir b. $a'$3'a b. Mu'awiya b. Bakr b. Hawiizin. But this is a
25 'The poem in which this line occurs is a later invention and therefore
long story which I am compelled to cut short for the reasons I have already we have not recorded it.
given. I
T 909 (Before that a soothsayer ShiHi' b. Kulayb al-Sadafi: had come to Tubba' 26. The rhyming words are not inflected.
and lived with him and \vhen he wished to bid him farewell Tubba' asked 27 In Bal;t.rayn according to what a scholar told me.
him whether he had anything of importance to communicate, and in the
customary rhymes of sal' he told him in reply to the question whether any 28. Another reading is libiibi libiibi.
king would fight with Tubba', 'No, but the king of Ghassan had a son whose 29. Nakhmiis is a I:Iimyari word meaning 'head'.
kingdom would be surpassed by a man of great piety, helped by the Almighty,
described in the psalms; his people would be favoured by revelation, he 30. Ukhdl1d means a long trench such as a ditch or a brook and so on. The
would dispel darkness by light, Al)mad the prophet. How blessed his people plural is akhiidid. Dhu'l-Rumma whose name was Ghaylan b. <Uqba, one
when he comes, one of the sons of Lu'ayy of B. Qu~ayy!' Tubba' sent for a of B. 'AdIy b. 'Abdu Manaf b. Udd b. Tiibikha b. lIyas b. Mu<;lar, uses the
copy of the psalms, examined them, and found the description of the prophet. word in one of his odes:
Ibn Isl)aq gleaned and assembled the following traditions from what From the 'Iraqi land which an ukhdl1d waters
Sa'id b. Jubayr told him from 1. 'Abbas and some learned Yamani tradi~ Between the desert and the palm.
tionist: A Lakhrnid king was in Yarn an in the territory of the Tubba<s
of Himyar called Rabl'a b. Na$r. Before him there had reigned in the Here the word means a canal. The mark of a sword or a knife in the skin is
called ukhdiid and so is the weal from the cut of a whip.
Yarnan Tubba' I, Zayd b. Sah1. 2 With him came Shamir Yur<ish b. Yasir
Yun'im b. 'Amr Dhu'l-Adh'ar his cousin and Shamir Yur'ish who raided 31. His mother was al-Dhi'baand his name was Rabi'a b. 'Abdu YaW b.
China and built Samarqand and discomfited al-BIra. 3 He it was who said: Salim b. Malik b. I;lu\ayt b. ]usham b. QasIy.
I am Shamrr Abu Karib al-YarnanI. 32. Zubayd b. Salama b. :Vlazin b. l'vIunabbih b. i?ab b. Sad al-'AshIra
I imported horses from Yaman and Syria b. MadhQij; others say Zubayd b. Munabbih b. $a'b b. Sa'd al-'Ash'lra; or
That I might send the slaves who rebelled against us Zubayd b. $a'b; and Murad is YUQabir b. Madhl;tij. Abu 'Ubayda told me
In'Athrn and Yam beyond China. 4 the following: 'Umar b. al-Khattab wrote to Salman b. Rabta al-Bahili-
We rule in their land by a just law Bahila being the son of Ya'$ur b. Sa'd b. Qays b. 'Aylan-when he was in
That no creature can transgress.) Annenia ordering him to show preference to those who possessed pure
18. The Yarnanites and Bajila say the B. Anmar b. hash b. Lil)yan b. 'Amr Arab horses, as against those who owned mixed breeds, when distributing
b. al~Ghauth b. Nabt b. Malik b. Zayd b. Kahlan b. Saba'. Another version spoils. Accordingly he mustered the cavalry and as he passed by 'Amr b.
is hash b. 'Amr b. Lil)yan b. al-Ghauth. The home ofthe Bajilaand Khath'am Ma'di Karib's horse he said: 'This horse of yours is of mixed breed.'
is the Yarnan. 'Aror was furious and said: 'A mongrel knows a mongrel like himself!'
Qays sprang at him and threatened him, whereupon 'Amr recited the
19. ame} means 'doubt' in the I:Iimyari tongue. Abu 'Amr said it meant verses just quoted.
'false' . This is what Sat'll) the soothsayer meant when he said (v.s.):
20. According to Khalaf al-Al:unar his name was alwNu'man b. al-Mundhir The Ethiopians on your land shall bear
b. al-Mundhir. Ruling from Abyan to J urash everywhere.
21. Some say al-Ra'ish. And what Shiqq the soothsayer meant when he said:
1 As LH. has obviously cut out much of what 1. I. had written and so the following The blacks on your land shall bear,
extract from Tabari's version of 1,1. is left in the air, I have included it here.
:l Here follows his genealogy which is given by I.L when he deals with Abu Karib.
Phlck your little ones from your care,
J A poor pun. Ruling from Abyan to Najran everywhere.
.. Yim is in t.he Yaman. The name 'Athm is unknown and the reading is not certain.
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes
33. The expreSSIOn liyuwii,ti'u means 'make to coincide' and muu'iita'a These words occur in one of his odes. The rajaz poet says:
means 'agreement'. The Arabs say 'lL'ata'tuka 'alii hiidha'l-amr, meaning And they were made as blades of corn that have been de\'oured.
'I agree with you in that'.
J(ii' in poetry means 'coincidence', i.e. the repetition of the same rhyming An explanation of the idiom employed here is to be found in works on
word with the same fonn, as in the lines of al-'Ajjaj ,vhose full name was grammar.
'Abdullah b. Ru'ba, one of the B. Sa'd b. Zayd ManiH b. Tamlm b. Murr b. The words lltifU Quraysh mean 'their assembling the party to go to
Udd b. Tabikha b. I1yas b. Mu<!ar b. Nizar. Syria for trade'. They had two expeditions; onc in winter and one in summer.
Abu Zayd al-An9arI told me that the Arabs use the first and fourth fonns of
In the current of the water-wheel set free (mursal)
> alaf in the same sense and he quoted to me the words of Dhu'l-Rumma:
The stream rises in the stream set free (mursal).
Of the sand-dwellers are the tawny-backed white-bellied (gazelles)
34. The first of the sacred months is al-Mul)arram.
In whose colouring the rays of the sun become clearly seen.
35. i.e. he defecated in it.
[This man was Said b. Aus b. Thabit. Cf. Yaq. 4, p. 235]
36. qitt is a document, cf. Sura 38. 15 'Bring us our written fate quickly'. l\latrud b. Ka'b al-Khuza'i said:
[This comment is omitted in C" but it certainly belongs to the text because Who are generous when the stars fail to bring rain
A.Dh. in his commentary explicitly refers to it.] And who set out upon their accustomed way.
37. Thaqif is Qasiy b. Munabbih b. Bakr b. Hawazin b. 'Ikrima b. Kha~afa I shall mention this and other verses of his later on if God will. Jlaf is also
b. Qays b. 'Aylan b. Mu<;!ar b. Nizar b. Maadd b. 'Adnan. used of a man who has a thousand camels, cattle, or sheep, or other posses-
38. Abu 'Ubayda the grammarian quoted to me the verses of l)idir b. sions. In one of his odes al-Kumayt b. Zayd, one of B. Asd b. Khuzayma
T

al-Khattab al-Fihri: b. Mudrika b. Ilyas b. MUQar b. 1\ izar b. IvIa'add, said:


Thaqif fled t.l their Lat temple In a vear of which the owner of a thousand camels says
Returning frustrated utterly hopeless. This "makes the man who longs for milk walk on foot.
Cf. SOra 3. 12.2.
Ildf is also used when a people become a thousand in number. In one of his
)9. Al-\Vaqidi added: odes al-Kumayt b. Zayd said:
If you arc going to abandon them and our place of prayer, then some- The family of I\1uzayqiya' on the morn they met
thing (we do not understand) seemeth best to Thee. The Banu Sa'd b. l)abba \vere a thousand strong.
This is as far as the genuine text goes. 1l1l! also means the joining of one thing to another so that it adheres and
sticks tv it. It also means to complete the thousand.
40. This is as far as the genuine text goes. Tamti{im meanS 'barbarians'.
43. i;iayfj b. al-Aslat b. Jusham b. 'lVa'iI b. Zayd b. Qays b. 'Amira b. Marra
41. The words 'not the conqueror' do not come from 1.1. b. Malik b. al-Aus.
42. Ababil means 'flocks'; so far as we know the Arabs do not use the noun 44. This ode is also attributed to Umayya b. Abcn-~alt.
in the singular. As to al-sijjll Yiinus the grammarian ancl Abu 'Ubayda told 45. Abu Zayd al-An~arl quoted me his words 'Upon the pnsses', &c., which
me that among the Arabs it means strong and hard. Ru'ba b. al-'Ajjaj
occur in an ode of Abu Qays which I shall refer to later, God willing. The
said:
kunya Abu Yaksum applies to Abraha.
They were smitten as the owners of the elephant were smitten.
Stones of siyj'il fell upon them 46. These lines of his occur in an ode on the Battle of Badr which I shall
And birds, Ababil, sported with them. refer to later, God \-villing.
These words occur in one of his rajaz poems. Some commentators say that 47. The lines are ascribed to Umayya b. Abu'l-~alt b. Abu Rabta al~
sijjil is really t\\'0 Persian words which the Arabs have made' into one, Thaqafi.
namely sanj and jill; sanj means stOne and Jill means clay, and so a pebble 48. AI-Farazdaq-his name was Hammam b. Ghalib, one of B. l'vTujashi'
made of stOne and clay. 'Ad means leaves (or shoots) of herbage which have b. Darim b. Malik b. I:Ian~ala b. I'vTalik b. Zayd I\Ianat b. Tamlm-
not been cut; its singular is 'a,~fa. Abu 'Ubayda told, me it is also called eulogizing Sulayman b. 'Abdu'I-l\lalik b. Marwan and satirizing al-I;-Iajjaj 41
'u$afa and 'a,~ifa. He quoted to me the lines of 'Alqama b. 'Abada, one of b. YOsuf and mentioning the elephant and his army, said:
B. Rabi'a b. Malik b. Zayd Manat b. Tamjm: \Vhen al-I-1ajjaj's presumption led him to excess
It waters torrents whose herbage droops. He said 'I will mount to the skies'l
The bed of the stream is raised by the rush of water. I Literally, 'on ladders'. Cf. Bevan's editiort, Lciden, 1905-7, p. 348f.
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes
As Koah's son said 'I will climb afterwards deposing him and appointing Badhan. This man continued in
A lofty mountain to escape the waters.' office until God sent ::-VIuhammed the prophet.
God smote him I in his body as he smote I was told on the authority of al-ZuhrI that he said that Chosroes wrote to
In defence of His holy Temple B5.dhan the following letter:
The armies leading the elephant until
lIe turned them to dust haughty as they were.
'I have been told that a man of the Quraysh has come forth in :"'Iecca
May you be preserved as the temple was when asserting that he is a prophet. Go to him and invite him to withdraw.
If he withdraws, well and good, if not, send his head to me.'
The leader of the foreign polytheists brought his elephantl
'Abdullah b. Qays al.Ruqayyiit, one of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy b. Ghiilib Badhan sent Chosroes' letter to the apostle of God, who replied, 'God has
mentioning Abraha the split-nosed and his elephant, said: promised me that Chosroes will be killed on such-and-such a date.' Now
when Badhiin got this letter he waited to see \\'hat would happen, saying that
Split-nose bringing his elephant drew near if he were a prophet, what he said would come to pass. God killed Chosroes
But retreated, his army overthrown; on the day \\'hich the prophet had named. He was killed by his son Shirawayh.
Birds \vith pebbles hovered over them Khiilid b. I;Iiqq al-ShaybfmI said:
So that they were as though they had been stoned.
\Vhosoever shall attack it will withdraw And Chosrocs, when his sons cut him in pieces
Defeated and covered with shame. vVith swords as the butcher cuts up joints,
The fates were hatching an evil day for him.
49 Abu 'Ubayda told me that when Sayf. b. Dhii Yazan entered his pre- I t came, for every child must come to the birth.
sence he bowed his head and the king said: 'Does this fool come in to me
AI-ZuhrI said: When the news reached Badhiin, he scnt word to the apostle
by a high door and then bow his head.?' When Sayf was told of this he said:
of God that he and the Persians with him accepted Islam. His messengers
'1 did this only because of my anxiety, for everything presses on me!'
said to the apostle of God, 'To whom db we belong?' He replied, 'You are
50. Khalliid b. Qurra al-Sadusi quoted to me the last of these verses as of us and related to us, the people of the house.'
coming from an ode of A'shii of B. Qays b. Tha'laba, but other authorities I have been told that al-ZuhrI said, It was then the apostle of God said,
on poetry deny that he wrote it. 2 'Salman is of us, the people of the house.'
This is what Satih meant when he said: 'A pure prophet to whom revela-
51. Others say Umayya b. Abu'li;lalt.
tion will come fr~~ on high', and what Shiqq meant when he said: (his
52. These lines which Ibn ISQaq reported are genuine except the last verse kingdom) would be cnded by an apostle who would bring truth and justice
which belongs to al-Nabigha al-]a'dI whose name was I:Iibban b. "Abdullah from I a people of religion and virtue. Dominion shall rest among his people
b. Qays, one of R. ]u'da b. Ka'b b. Rabta b. 'Amir b. $a'!?a'a b. I\1u'awiya b. until the Day of Separation.
Bakr b. Hawazin.
56. Dhimar should be spelt Dhamar according to what Yiinus told me.
53. i.e. one of the sons of Imru'u'l-Qays b. Zayd Manat b. TarnIm, or as
others say, 'AdIy one of the 'Ibad of al-I;IIra. 57. THE STORY OF THE KING OF AL-I:IAJ?R
54. Abu Zayd al-An~arI quoted to me the verse 'THe day that the barbarians, Khalliid b. Qurra b. Khahd al-SadusI on the authority of ] annad, or of
&c.' as from al-IVIufat;:l<;lal al-OabbL one of the learned genealogists in aI-Kufa, told me that al-Ku'man b. a1-
This is what Satn~ meant when he said that Iram b. Dhu Yazan would Mundhir was descended from Satiriin2 king of al-l;Ia<;ir, a great fortress built
come against them from Aden and not leave one of them in the Yam an; like a town on the bank of the Euphrates. It is he to whom 'AdIy b. Zayd
and it is what Shiqq meant by his words: refers in his hnes:
'A young mim neither remiss nor base When the master of al-I;Ia<;ir built it
Coming against them from DhG. Yazan's house.' When the Tigris and Khiibur were brought to i(J
He constructed it of marble and plastered it with gypsum,
55. When \Vahriz died, Chosroes appointed his son al-Marzubiin ruler
Birds nested in its roof.
of the Yaman. \Vhen Marzubiin died, Chosroes appointed his son al-
Yet the fates did not respect it.
Taynujan J ruler over the Yarnan. and when he died he appointed his son,
Its lordship departed, its gate is forsaken.
lOr, 'May God smite him', &c. I On p. 6 bayn for min here.
:1 According to Ntildeke, Gesch. d. Perser u. Araber, p. 33, al~l;Ia<,ir was in ruins by 363
1 Nevertheless the reader will find it on p. 205 of Geyer's edition of al~A'sha's Did,an
and so Shiipur (II) cannot have been its destroyer. The point is made by the Cairo edltors
cited above.
3 Probably an error for Baynujan. See N6ldeke's footnote (d), Tab. 958.
of Ibn Hishiim.
3 i.e. the income arising from the land they watered.
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 71
700
He it is to whom Abu Duwiid al-Iyadl refers in his line: But the bride's lot was that at the light of dawn
Her locks ran red with blood.
I saw that death had descended from al-!;Ia<;lr, AI-Ijac;lr was destroyed and given up to plunder.
Dpon al-Satirun lord of its people. The clothes-racks of her chamber did not escape the fire.
This verse occurs in one of his odes, but it is also attributed to Khalaf 58. Also Iyad, as the following verse from one of the poems of al-l;Iarith
al-A1:lmar; others say to Bammad the reciter. b. Daus al-Iyadi shows. (It is also attributed to Abu Du\vad al-Iyadi whose
Now Chosroes Sabur Dhu'I-AktafJ had attacked Satinln, king of al-!;Ia<;lr, name was Jariya b. aI-I;Iajjaj)'
and besieged the town for nvo years. One day the latter's daughter, looking
Young men handsome in face
down from the castle, had seen Sabur in his silk brocade with his golden
Of Iyad b. Nizar b. Ma'add.
crown inset with topazes, rubies, and pearls on his head, a fine figure of a
man, and she sent secretly to ask him if he would marry her if she opened The mother of Mu<;lar and Iyad was Sauda d. <Akk b. <Adnan; The mother
the gate to him. He agreed to do so. Night came and Satirun became drunk, of Rabi'a and Anmar was Shuqayqa, another of his daughters; others say it
for he never went to bed sober. She took the keys of the castle from beneath was a third daughter named ]um<a.
his head and sent them "vith one of her freedmen who opened the gate and 59. The Yamanites and Bajl1a say Anmar is the son of hash b. Li1)yan b.
Sabur came in and killed Satirun and gave al-!;Ia<).r to the soldiery and 'Amr b. al-Ghauth b. Nab! b. Malik b. Zayd b. Kahlan b. Saba'. Others
destroyed it. He took a\vay the girl and married her. say Irash b. <Amr b. Libyan b. al-Ghauth. The home of Baji"la and Khath'am
At night as she was sleeping upon her bed she began to toss about restlessly
is the Yaman.
and could not sleep, so he called for a lamp and the bed waS searched and a
myrtk leaf was found in it. Sabur asked if that was the cause of her waking, 60. Their mother was a Jurhumite.
and when she said that it was, he asked ho\',' her father had brought her up. 61. Khindif was the daughter of 'Imrfm b. al-Uaf b. Quq,fa.
She answered that he had given her a bed of brocade, clothed her in silk,
fed her on marrow, and given her wine to drink. 'If this is the way you 62. His name was 'Abdullah b. 'Amir; others say 'Abd aI-RaDman b.
reward your father you will soon betray me,' he said, and ordered that her $akhr.'
hair should be tied to a horse's tail; the horse galloped away with her until 63. A certain learned person told me that 'Amr b. Lubayy ,vent from I\lecca
she was killed. Here arc some lines of A'sha of B. Qays b. Tha'laba: to Syria on a certain matter, and when he reached Moab in the Balqa'-
Have you thought of al-I:1a9r when its people prospered, the 'Amali"q were there at the time, the sons of 'Imlaq, or as some say of 'Imliq
But does prosperity ever endure? b. Lawadh b. Sam b. Nul).-he saw the people \vorshipping idols, and asked
For two years Shahbo.r kept his armies there what they were. They replied that they were idols which they were v,ror~
Smiting it with axes. shipping, and when they prayed for rain they got it and when they asked for
\Vhen he prayed to his Lord help they received it. He asked them to spare him an idol to take away to the
He turned to him and took no vengeance. 2 land of the Arabs and they gave him one called Hubal. So he took it to
Mecca and set it up and ordered the people to serve it and to venerate it.
Here' are some lines of 'Adi"y b. Zayd on the subject:
64. I shall say more about"the poem from which this line is taken later on,
Fate descended on al-J:la<).r from above, God willing. Kalb is Ibn \Vabra b. Taghlib b. I:Iulwan b. 'Imran b. al-I;Iaf
A grievous disaster.
b. Qu<!ii'a.
A spoilt darling did not protect her father
When her watchman gave up hope because of her treachery 3 65. The name is also spelt An'am. Tayyi' is Ibn Udad b. Malik. And
When she made his evening cup of unmixed wine Malik is Madhl).ij b. Udad; others say Tayyi' is the son of Udad b. Zayd
(For wine destroys the mind of the drinker). b. Kahlan b. Saba'.
She betrayed her people for a night of love, 66. Said Malik b. Nama, al-Hamdiini:
Thinking that the prince would marry her.
Allah brings well-being and misfortune in the world.
I He of the shoulders. Ya'tiq can neither hurt nor heal.
2 A poor sense. Evidently Abu Dharr wa~ not satisfied as he adds to his gloss the phrase
Hamdan's name was Ausala b. I\.1ftlik b. Zayd b. Rabl'a b. Ausala b.
which refers difficulties to the divine omniscience.
3 This line hus given much trouble to commentators. The first word can be read as al-Khiyar b. I\.'Iillik b. Zayd b. Kahlan b. Saba'. Some SZly Ausnla was son
rabi'a, meaning 'v.-atcher'. and would then refe. to the gir1100king down from the wall. of Zayd b. Ausala b. al-Khiyar; others, Hamdan is the son of Ausala b.
Lihhabbihii, the reading adopted above, is taken from the variant giv~n by the Cairo editors Rabi'a b. Malik b. al-Khiyiir b. Malik b, Zayd b. Kahliin b. Saba'.
in place of the liJ;aynihii of their and W.'s text. I\las'lldi, Jlrfuruju'l-Dhahab, iv. 86, has
I It is noteworthy that even the name of this prolific putative father of tradition is un-
Ji};ubbihii. However, li~aynihii 'to her own destruction' is the reading first given by Abu
Dharr and 'to her own destruction' yields a good sense. certain.
702 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 73
67. KhauHin was Ibn 'Amr b. al-J:Iaf b. QuQ.ifa; others say Ibn 'Amr b. A century was followed by nvo more.
Murra b. Udad b. Zayd b. Mihsa' b. 'Amr b. 'Arib b. Zayd b. Kahlan b. From countless months I have added to my years.
Saba'; others say Ibn 'Amr b. Sa'd al-'Ashira b. Madh\1ij. What remains is as what went before.
Days pass and nights follow them.
68. I shall say morc about him later on, God willing. Daus was the son of
'Udthan b. 'Abdullah b. Zahran b. Ka'b b. al-l;liirith b. Ka'b b. 'Abdullah However, some people ascribe these verses to Zuhayr b. Janab al-Kalbi. 1
b. Malik b. Nalr b. al-Asd b. al-Ghauth. Others say Daus b. 'Abdullah b. 77. This is really a verse of al-Aswad b. Ya'fur al-Nahshal1, :0:ahshal being
Zahran b. al-Asd b. al-Ghauth. the son of Darim b. Malik b. l,Ianz;ala b. ::Ylalik b. Zayd I\1anat b. Tamim.
69. I shall have more to say about this later on, God ,\villing. Abu Mu1).riz Khalaf al-Abmar quoted the verse to me in the fom1:
The people of al-Khawarnaq and al-Sadir and Bariq
70. Allies of the sons of Abu Tiilib especially. Sulaym was b. l\Ian~u.r b.
And the temple Dhu'l-Shurufar of Sindad. 2
'Ikrima b. Kha~afa b. Qays b. 'Aylan.
78. It is said that anything that she gives birth to after that belongs to their
7r. These m'O verses were composed by Abu Khirash aI-HudhalI whose
sons and not their daughters.
name ,"vas Khuwaylid b. l\lurra, and arc taken from a longer poem. Guar-
diansl means those in charge of the affairs of the Ka'ba. Cf. the lines of 79. All this information according to the Bedouin is wrong, except so Jar
Ru'ba b. al-'Ajjaj in onc of his rajaz poems which I shall say more about as concerns the l;Iaml; there Ibn Is1).aq is right. Among the Arabs the Bal:l1ra
later on God willing: is the she-camel whose ear is slit and \vho is not ridden, whose hair is not
Nay, by the lord of the birds who rest safely shorn and whose milk is only drunk by the guest or given in alms, or left to
In the victims' enclosure and the overseer's2 house. their gods. The Sa'iba is a she-camel which a man vows that he will set free
if he recovers from his sickness or if he gains an object which he sed:s; and
72. AI-Kumayt b. Zayd, one of B. Asad b. Khuzayma b. l\ludrika, said in one when he has freed a she-camel or a camel for one of their gods, then it runs
of his odes: free and pastures, no profit being made from it. The \Va,,?Ila means a e\ve
Tribes swore they \vould not flee whose mother has twins at every birth. Its owner gives the ewes to his gods
Turning their backs on l\lanat. and keeps the males for himself. If her mother gives birth to a male lamb
The apostle of God sent Abu Sufyan b. l;Iarb-others say CAly b. Abu with her, they say Wa$alat (she has joined) her brother, and her brother is
Talib-with orders to destroy it. freed with her, no profit being made from him. I was given this information
by YQnus b. J:Iabib the grammarian and others, each contributing his part
73. The name is also spelt Dhu'l-Khulu~a. A certain Arab said: thereto.
If you, Dhu'l-Khulu;;a, were the avenger of blood
80. The poet says:
As I, and your father had been slain,
You would not forbid the killing of enemies t Round the Wa~Ila in Shurayf is a three-year-old camel,
And those whose backs are taboo and those who are set free. 3
His father had~been killed and he wanted to tak:: vengeance; but first he
'\-vent to DhQ 'l-Khala~a to get an oracle from the arrows. \Vhcn the arrow Tamim b. Ubayy b. 1\Iuqbil, one of B. 'Amir b. $aC~a'a, said:
forbidding him to proceed came out he spoke the verses quoted above. Therein is the rumbling of the young onager stallion
Some attribute them to Imru'u'!-Qays b. ~ujr al-Kindi. The apostle of Like the grumbling of the Diyafi camel in the midst of the Ba1;iras.
God dispatched Jarir b. 'Abdullah al-Bajali to destroy the idol.
This verse belongs to one of his odes and the plural of Bab'ira is Ba(ui'ir
74. I was told by a traditionist that the apostle of God sent CAli b. Abu and Bubur. The plural of War'ila is Wara'it and TVllru1. The plural of
Talib to destroy it, and he found there nvo swords called al-RasQb and al- multitude of Sa'iba is Sawa'ib and Suyyab, and the plural of multitude of
1\1ikhdham. \Vhen he brought them to the apostle of God he gave them ijamf is ijawamf.
back to him. They are in fact the nyo swords which 'Ali had.
81. And the Khuz:l'a say we are the sons of cAmr b. RabI'a b. Haritha b.
75. r have gi'\'C11 an account of it in the preceding pages. cAmr b. 'Amir b. I:Iarith~ b. Imru'u'l-Qays b. Tha'laba b. IVLlzin b.' al-Asel b.
76. The second half of the verse was uttered by a man of B. Sa'd. It is al-Ghauth; and Khindif is their mother, according to what Abu 'Ubayda
said that al-l\'lustaughir b. Rabi'a b. Ka'b b. Sacd lived 330 years. He, who and other learned traditionists told me. Others say Khuzaca are the sons of
lived longer than any man of l'vluqar, said: I These verses (with unimportant variants) are in K. al-Alu'ammarin, ed. Gold7.iher,
Leiden, 1899,1\'0. X and p. 7.
I am weary of life and its length. 2 One's confidence in Ibn Hisham is not strengthened by this quotation. However,
I have lived for hundreds of years. it is to be noted that he does not claim that this notorious forger's version is tu be preferred.
2 Masdan. 3 These lines contain all three terms.
I Sadana.
704 The Life of Aiuhammad
Ibn Hishiim's Notes 705
I;Liritha b. 'Amr b. < Amir. They were called Khuza'a because they separated I
from the descendants of 'Amr b. 'Amir when they left the Yarnan on their bracelets and ~he like: and qurush means trade and profit. The poet means
way to Syria. They settled in l\1arr al-Zahran 2 and dwelt there. 'Aun b. that fat and mIlk used to make them independent of this. Mahd means pure
milk. ..
Ayyub .I-An,ari, one of B. 'Arnr b. Sawad b. Ghanm b. K.'b b. Salama of
al-Khazraj in IVluslim times, said: Abu Jilda al-Yashkuri, Yashkur being Ibn Bakr b. Wa'il, said:
\Vhen we dropped down to the vale of Marr Brethren have slandered us I
Khuz<i'a separated from us with troops of horsemen. In our early days and of late.
They protected every valley of Tih5.ma 84 AI-$alt too was a son of al-Nac;lr according to Abu 'Amr al-l\1adani the
And they were protected by their firm lances and sharp swords. mother of all three was d. Sa'd b. Zarib al-'Adwani. 'Adwan was the'son
Abii'l-Mutahhar Isma"n b. Rufi' al-An~ari, one of B. J:Iaritha b. al-I:Iarith of :Amr b. Qays b. 'Aylan. Kuthayyir b. 'Abd al-RaQman, namely Kuthayyir
b. al-Khazraj b. 'Amr b. Malik b.I-Aus, said: of Azza one of B. MulayQ. b. 'Amr of Khuza'a, said:
\\Then we dropped down to the vale of Mecca, Khuzu'a Is not my father al-$alt or are not my brethren
Found the home of the tyrant agreeable. The best known to the nobles of the Banu al-Nadr?
They settled in hordes and sent their horses far afield You can see the same YamanI warp in us and th~m,
Over every tribe betv."een hill and lmvland. The same I:1a<;lrami sandals of peculiar design.
They drove Jurhum from the vale of l\;Iecca and If you are not of the BanD. Nadr then leave
Wrapped themselves in Khuza'a's power and glory. The green arak trees at the ends of the valleys.
These verses occur in one of his odes. God 'willing, I shall refer to the Of those :vho are related to al-$alt b. al-Nac;lr of Khuza'a are B. :!\/Iulavh b.
expulsion of ] urhum later on. Amr the tnbe of Kuthayyir of 'Azza. . .

82. Others say the name should be spelt al-Haun. 85 He was not the eldest son of Muc;lag.

83. The mother of al-Na<;ir and 1\falik and lVIilkiin was Barra d. l\1urr. The 86. Janda!a ,,:as the d . .Fihr, and the mother of Yarbu' b. !:lan,~la b. Malik
mother of 'Abdu l\lanat was Baja d. Suwayd b. al-Ghitrrf b. Azd Shanu'a. b. Zayd Ma~at b. TamI;n, her mo:her being Layla d. Sa'd. ]arir b: 'Atiyya
Shanu'a was 'Abdull.h b. Ka'b b. 'Abdull.h b. Malik b. Na~r b. al-Asd b. b. al-Kh.taf1, the latter s name berng Hudhayfa b. Badr b. Salama b. 'Auf
al-Ghauth. They were called Shanu'a because of the hatred bcnveen them. b. Kulayb b. Yarbu' b. !:lan,ala, said:
Shan'an means hatred. When I was angry the sons of ] andala
AI-Na<).r is Quraysh, one born of his line is a Qurayshite, but those outside
In my defence threw stones which were like rocks.2
his line are not. ]arIr b. 'Atiyya, one of B. Kulayb b. YarbD.' b. I:Ianz;ala
b. l\lalik b. Zayd l\;Ianat b. Tamim, in a eulogy of Hisham b. "Abdu'l- 87. A third son was Qays whose mother was Salma d. Ka'b b. 'Amr al-
Malik b. 1\lanvan, said: Khuza'i. She was the mother of the two sons just mentioned.
The mother who bore Quraysh 88. ~~me say that al-l;Iarith was a son of Luayy. They are the ]usham b.
Is of no mean lineage nor sterile, al-l;Ianth among Hizzan of Rabi'a. ]arir said:
No sire is nobler than your ancestor,
Ko maternal uncle nobler than Tamim. Sons of ]usham, you belong not to Hizzan. Relate
Y?urselves to the nobles of Lu'ayy b. Ghalib.
He meant Barra d. ]\1urr sister of Tamim b. l\lurr, the mother of al-Na<).r. Give not your daughters to the tribe of -Oaur
It is said that Fihr b. l\'15.1ik is Quraysh, and the line of Quraysh is in his Nor to Shukays:3 they are bad dwellings for strange women.
descendants alone. The name Quraysh is derived from taqarrush, meaning
merchandise and profit. Ru'ba b. al-"Ajjaj said: A!so Sa'd. , Ther a:e the Bunana who helong to Shayban b. Thalaba b.
Ukaba b. $a b b. All b. Bakr b. Wa'il of Rabi'a. Bunana was a nurse from
Fat meat and pure milk B. a}-Qayn b. Jasr b., Shay'ullah (or Say'ullah) b. al-Asd b. Wabara b.
Make them despise poor wheat Tha ~a~a b. I;IuI~an b. Imran b. al~l;Iaf b. Qu<;la'a. Some say d. of al-Namir
And the faIlings of the doom-palm. 3 b. QasIt of RabI a; others say d. ]arm b. Rabban b. I:Iulwan b. 'Imran b.
Shughush means 'wheat'; and khashl means the knobs of anklets and
1 qarrashll. ~ike all ""words of this kind, which originally meant some form of h sic 1
1 Takhazza'a, to separate or remain behind; in this case both meanings apply. VlOlenche, the onginal meaning is 'to crush the bones'. The name Quraysh is probabfy ~ake~
2 This place is an easy day's journey from i\.lccca in the direction of Medina. f rom t e dugong. Cf. Kulayb, &c.
3 The rendering given above is based on Abu Dharr's commentary. He rightly abandons "dTher/e is a play on the wordjandala, large stone. For the idiom see Lammens L'Arabie
Ibn Hisham's opinion in favour of the view of al-\\'aqashi which suits the context better. ocet enta e, 173 n. z. '
3 Two clans of the 'AnaZ8j see Cairo edition, p. 100.

B4080 ZZ
Ibn Hishiim's Notes
706 The Life of Muhammad
They were called Jadara because 'Amir b. 'Amr b. Ju'thuma married d.
al-Haf b. Quc,la'a. Also Khuzayrna. They are the 'kidha among ~ha!ban aI-J:larith b. l\1uc;lac;l al-Jurhumi, Jurhum being lords of the Ka~ba, and built
b. Tha'laba. 'A.'idha was a Yamanite woman, the mother of B. Abld b. a wall for the Ka'ba and so was called al-Jadir, while the name in the plural
Khuzayma b. Lu'ayy. -' d K 'b attached itself to his offspring.
The mother of all the sons of Lu'ayy except <Amir was Mawlya . _3.
b. al-Qayn b. Jasr. 'Amir's mother was Makhs_h~ya d. ~hayban b. Mu1)anb 95. Nu'm d. Kilab was the mother of Sa'd and Su'ayd sons of Sahm b.
~Amr b. Hu~ay~ b. Ka'b b. Lu'an'. Her mother was Fatima d. Sa~d b.
b. Fihr. Others say Layla d. Shayban b. Mul,anb b. FIhr,
Saya!.
8 . I have heard that one of his sons came to t~e apostle of C;:;od, clain:ing
9 f S- The apostle said 'The poet? . and one of hIs compamons 96. The name is also written I:Iubshiya b. Salul.
d escent rom ama.
said: 'I think, apostle of God, you mean the saymg 97. In this genealogy 'Utba b, Ghazwan b. Jabir b. Wahb b. Nusayb b,
Many a cup hast thou spilt, 0 b. Lu'ayy, . , Malik b. al-I:Iarith b. l\lazin b. Man~ur b. 'Ikrima differed from them.
For fear of death which otherwise would not have been .!?pllt. Other children of ~Abdu Manaf were Abu ~Amr, Tumac;lir, Qiliiba,
J:!ayya, Rayta, Umm al-Akhtham, Umm Sufyan. The mother of Abu 'Amr
He answered, 'Yes.' was Rayta, a woman of Thaqif; the mother of the rest of the girls was
90. This is what Abo. 'Ubayda quoted to me from the poem. I '.A.tika d. Murra b. Hilal, mother of Hashim b. 'Abdu Manaf; her mother was
~afiya d. I:Iauza b. 'Amr b. Salul b. ~a'~a'a b. TvIu'awiya b. Bakr b. Hawazin;
gI. Abu 'Ubayda recited these vcr,ses to. me as from '.Amir b. al-Kha~afiJ $afiya's mother was d. ~A'idh Allah b. Sa'd al~'Ashira b. Madh1).ij.
i.e. Kha~afa b. Qays b. ~Aylan, addmg a hne Hashim b. ~Abdu l'vIanaf had four sons and five daughters: ~Abdu'l
His spear bereaved women of their sons. Muttalib, Asci, Abu $ayfi, Nac;lla, ShiH', Khalida, Oa'ifa, Ruqayya, tJayya.
He also told me that Hashim said to 'Amir: 'Compose a good verse about The mother of 'Abdu'l-Muttalib and Ruqayya was Salma d. 'Amr b. Zayd
b. Labid b. l.;lariim b. Khidash b. 'Amir b. Ghanm b. 'Adiy b. al-:-Iajjar
me an d I W1'11 pav you l'
ro 't' Thereupon '.Amir composed the first verse
r 1 , . . f 'I d whose name was Taymu'llah b, Tha'laba b. 'Amr b. al-Khazraj b. I:Iaritha
which did not pl~ase Hashim; he added the second whIch lIkewise, al e
d 0 wI'th the third' but when he added the fourth, As he b. 'Amr b. ~Amir. Her mother was 'Amira d. $akhr b. al-J:Hirith b. Tha'laba
to p 1ease h 1m, an s , d h' b. Mazin b. al-Najjar, and 'Amira's mother was Salma d. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal
slew the guilty and the innocent', he was satisfied and. rewardc 1m.
al-Najjariya. Asci's mother was Qayla d. ~Amir b. Malik al-Khuza'i. The
This is what al-Kumayt b. Zayd meant when he saId:
mother of Abu Sayfi and Hayya was Hind d. 'Amr b. Tha'laba al-Khazrajiya.
Hashim of Murra who destroyed kings The mother of Nac;lla and Shifa' was a woman of Quc;la'a; and the mother of
Whether they had wronged him or not. Khalida and Oa'ifa was Waqida d. Abu ~Adiy al-Maziniya.
This verse occurs in one of his odes. 'Amir's words 'Day of al-Haba'at'
have not Abu 'Ubayda's authority. THE CHILDREN OF 'ABDU'L-MUTTALIB B. HASHIM

2 Zuhayr was one of B. Muzayna b. Udd b. Tabikha b. al-Ya's b. I'vIuc;l~ar. 'Abdu'I-I\1uttalib had ten sons and six daughters: aI-'Abbas, Hamza,
~thers say he was the son of Abu Sulma of Ghatafan, or an ally of Ghat afan . 'Abdullah, Abu Talib (whose name was 'Abdu I'vIanaf), al-Zubayr, al-
J:Iarith, J:lajl, aI-Muqawwim, Oirar, and Abu Lahab (whose name was
- . B 'Ad- b Haritha b 'Amr b. 'Amir b. Haritha b. Imru'u'I- 'Abdu'l-'Uzza), $afiya, Umm J:lakim al-Bayc;la', 'Atika, Umayma, Arwa,
93 B anq are. lY" . ' . Sh -,
Q~Ys b. Tha'iaba b. l\liizin b. a~-Asd b. a.I-Ghauth who are among anu a. k
and Barra.
AI-Kumayt b. Zayd in one of hIS odes ;ald: The mother of al-'Abbas and Oirar was Nutayla d. ]anab b. Kulayb b.
Azd Shanu' a came out against us with Malik b. 'Amr b. 'Amir b. Zayd Manat b. 'Amir (who was al-J;lal,yan) b.
A crowd of hornless rams they thought were horned. Sad b. al-Khazraj b. Taymu'l-Lat h. al-Namir b. Qasi\ b. Hinb b. Afsa
We did not say to Bariq, 'You have done wrong,' b. Jadila b. Asad b. Rabi'a b. Nizar. Some say Af.;;a' b. Du'mi b. Jadila.
Nor did we say, 'Give us satisfaction.' The mother of Hamza, al-!.1uqawwim, and Hajl (who was nicknamed
z al-Ghaydaq because of his great liberality and his wealth) and $afiya, was
They got the name Bariq because they went about in quest of hcrbage. Ha.la d. \Vuhayb b. 'Abdu Manat b. Zuhra b. Kilab b. I'vlurra b. Ka'b b.
. u'thuma al-Asd is also spoken of as Ju'thuma al-Aztl.._ He was t~~ son Lu'ayy.
~iY~shkurb.Mubashshirb. ~ab b. Duhman b. Nasr b. Zahran b. al-l;Ianth b. The mother of 'Abdullah, Abu Talib, al-Zubayr, and all the girls other
Ka'b b. 'Abdullah b. Malik b, Nair b. al-Asd b, al-Ghauth, Some omIt the than $afiya was Fatima d. 'Amr b. 'A'idh b. 'Imran b. I\1akhzum b. Yaqa~a
b. Murra b. Kab b. Lu'ayy h. Ghiilib b. Fihr b. Malik b. al-Nac,lr. Her mother
names italicized. d was $akhra d. 'Abd b. 'Imran of the same line. $akhra's mother was
. .
r Indicatmg t h at some 0 f I .j . '.~ quotation has been cut out? For the full poem see Mufa4., Takhmur d. 'Abd b. Qu~ayy b. Kilab b. Murra, &c.
No 89 where the last line is explained. .
.. B arq
' means j'ghtning
1
which indicates rain; where rain falls there 15 pasture.
708 The Life of Muhammad
Ibn Hishiim's Notes
The mother of al-I;Iarith was Samra' d. Jundub b. I:Iujayr b. Ri'iib b.
108. The meaning of fajar is 'gift', as in the lines of Abu. Khirash al-
I:Iabib b. Suwa'a b. 'Amir b. $a'~a'a b. Mu'awiya b. Bakr b. Hawazinh. Hudhalf:
Man~:Hlr b. 'Ikrima.
Jamll b. Ma'mar has starved my guests
The mother of Abu Lahab was Lubna d. Hajir b. 'Abdu Maniif b,
By killing a generous man to whom widows resort. I
Oatir b. !;IubshIya b. Salul, &c.
'Abdullah b. 'Abdu'l-Mul\alib begat the apostle of God (may God bless 10 9. This speech and the preceding one from a tradition of 'All about the

and preserve him), lord of the children of Adam, Ivluhammad b. Abdullah digging of Zamzam are sat
and not poetry in my opinion.
b. 'Abdu'l-Munalib. May the blessing of God, His peace, His mercy, and 110. A poet has said:
His grace be upon him and his family. His mother was Amina d. Wahb b.
'Abdu Manaf b. Zuhra b. Kilab b. Murra b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. GMlib b. God send rain to the wells whose site I know,
Fihr b. Malik b. al-Nadr. Her mother was Barra d. 'Abdu'l'Uzza b. Jurab and Malkum and Badhdhar and al-Ghamr.
'Uthman b. 'Abdu'l-Darb. Qu~ayy b. Kiliib b. Murra, &c. Barra's mother III. He was the father of AbU Jahm b.!;Iudhayfa.
was Umm !;Iabib d. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b. Qu~ayy, &c. Umm !;Iabib's
mother was Barra d. 'Auf b. 'Ubayd b. 'Uwayj b. 'Adfy b. Ka'b b. Lu'ayy b. 112. He means 'Abdu'l-Muttalib. I shall mention this ode later if God
GMlib, &c. will. [See p. 112 W.] ..
Thus the apostle of God was the most noble of the sons of Adam in respect 113 'A'idh was b. 'Imran b. Makhzum.
of his descent both from his father's and his mother's side.
114 Another reading is 'man Or beast'. [This is T.'s reading.] Inserted in
98. Others spell the name Mi<;lac;l. this story is a rajaz poem which no authority on poetry regards as genuine.
99. Abu 'Ubayda told me that Bakka is the name of the valley of Mecca 115 Mariii' are mentioned in the sura of Moses, 'We made foster-mothers
because it is thickly populated I and quoted to me the verse: unlawful for him'. [The point is that rueja'ii' in the text means 'children at
When great heat overtakes him who waters his camels with.. yours, the breast' whereas we should expect 'foster-mothers'. Therefore either
Leave him alone until his camels are rounded up. we must suppose that dhawiit is to be mentally supplied or we must take the
i.e. leave him until he gets his camels together, i.e. until he brings them to word literally: where there are babes at the breast there must needs be
women to suckle them.]
the water and they crowd upon it. Bacca is the place of the temple and the
mosque. These lines are from 'Arnan b. Ka'b b. 'Amr b. Sa'd b. Zayd 116. Some say Hilal b. Na!?ira.
Manat b. Tam'im.
117 T~e mother of 'Abdu'l.Muttalib was Salma, d. 'Amr, the Najjarite,
100. The words 'his sons are ours' are not from LI. and thIS is the maternal relationship which 1.1. mentions in linking the
apostle with them.
101. This is as far as the genuine poetry goes. Some learned authorities
told me that these verses are the first poetry spoken among the Arabs and 118. I have -never met any authority on poetry who knows these verses
that they were found inscribed on stone in the Yaman. I was not told who but since they are quoted on the authority of 1\1uhammad h. Sa'ld b. al~
their author was. Musayyib I have included them here.
102. Others say I;Iubshlya b. Salul. 119 AI-Musayyib was the son of !;Iazn b. Abu Wahb b. 'Amr b. 'A'idh b.
103. $afwan was the son of Janab b. Shijna b. 'Utarid b. 'Auf b. Ka'b b. 'Imran b. l\1akhzum.
Sa'd b. Zayd Manat b. Tamlm.
120. 'Thy mother was a pure pearl of Khuza'a' refers to Abu Lahab whose
104. The name is sometimes written Shuddakh. mother was Lubna d. Hajir the Khuza'ite. The words 'In the path of his
forefathers' come from a source other than 1. 1.
105. A poet has said:
By my life Qu~ayy was called 'uniter' 121. 'A'idh b. 'Imran b. !\1akhzum.
Because Allah united the tribes of Fihr by him. 122. Lihb belong to Azd Shaml'a.
106. These verses are attributed to Zuhayr b. Janab al-KalbL
123. It was like the mark of a cupping-glass.
107. One of the authorities on poetry in the Hijaz gave me the line 'A people
12 4. When the apostle \\'as 14 or 15 years old according to what Abu 'Ubayda
in Mecca', &c. [The point of this corrunent is that the line exists in another
form which violates one of the canons of poetry.] the grammarian told me on the authority of Abu 'Amr b. al-'Ala' a sacrilegious
I For 'ajja/a the reading in ash'iir al-HlIdhaliyin isjajja'a, 'was pained at the state of'.
1 TabiikkU. 'they came together in crowds'. For the full text of the lament v.i. note 837.
Ibn Hish{lm's Notes 7"
710 The Life of Muhammad
126. At the age of 25 the apostle married Khadija d. Khuwaylid b. Asaci b.
war broke out between the Quraysh and their allies the Kinana and Qays 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b, QUlayy b, Kilab b, Murra b. Kab b. Lu'ayy b. GMlib as
'Aylan. The cause of it was that 'Urwa al~Ral).l).al b. 'Utba b. Jaofar b. Kilab more than one learned person told me from Abu' Amr of Medina.
b. RabI'a b. 'knir b. $a'~a'a b. Mu'awiya b. Bakr b. Hawazin had given safe
conduct to a caravan of al-Nu'man b. al-Mundhir. AI-BarraQ. b. Qays, one 127. The apostle gave her as a dowry nventy she-camels. She was the first

of B. I)amra b. Bakr b. 'Abdu Manat b. Kimina, said to him, 'Did you give it woman that the apostle married, and he took no other wife during her life-
safe conduct against Kinana? to which he replied, 'Yes, and against every- time. l\iay God be pleased with her!
body else.' So 'Unva al-Ral).l).al went out with the caravan and al-BarraQ. 128. His sons came in the order: al-Qasim, al-Tayyib, and aI-Tahir; and
also went out with the object of taking him off his guard. When he was in his daughters in the order: Ruqayya, Zaynab, Umm Kulthlim, and Fatima.
Tayman Dhil Tilal in the high ground 'Urwa failed to post a guard and [Commentators point out that these are not names but epithets applied to the
al-Barra<;l leapt upon him and killed him in the sacred month: that is why
one son 'Abdullah.]
the war was called sacrilegious. AI-Barra<;i composed the following lines
about it: 129. Ibrahjm's mother was Mariya the Copt. 'Abdullah b. Wahb from I.

Many a calamity which has disquieted men before me Lahi'a told me that Mariya was the prophet's concubine. The Muqauqis
Have I met with detennination, 0 Banu Bakr. I presented her to him from J:lafn in the province of An~ina.
I destroyed thereby the houses of the Banu Kilab 130. Quraysh cut his hand off. They allege that the people who stole the
And I reduced the dients to their proper place. treasure deposited it \vith Duwayk. [One can see from 1.1.'s \vords in T
I lifted my hand against him in Dhu Tilal how LH. abbreviated his author's account.]
And he fell dizzily like a hewl\ down tree.
131. 'li.'idh b. 'Imran b. MakhzQm.
Labjd b. Rabl'a b. Malik b. Jafar b. Kilab said:
Tell the Banu Kilab and'.Amir if you meet them 132. According to another account, 'we are not going astray'.
Great events have those who can deal with them. Z 133. Another reading is 'our pudenda were not covered'. The KaOba at the
Tell the Banu Numayr if you meet them time of the apostle was 18 cubits high. It was covered with white Egyptian
And the uncles of the slain, Banil Hilal, cloth, later with Yamani stuff. The first to cover it with brocade was al-
That the traveller al-Ral).l).al is dead l;Iajjaj b. YQsuf.
Lying by Tayman OM Tila!.
134. Abu 'Ubayda the grammarian told me that B. 'Amir b. $ao:;;a'a b.
A messenger came to Quraysh saying that al-Barra<; had killed 'Urwa l\1u'awiya b. Bakr b. Haw3zin entered into this with them, and he quoted to
while they were in 'Uka=?3 in the sacred month, and they rode off without
me the lines of <Amr b. l\'1a'dikarib:
the knowledge of Hawazin. \Vhen the latter heard of it they pursued them
and overtook them before they reached the sacred territory, and they fought o 'Abbas, if our horses had been in good fettle
till nightfall. \Vhen they entered the sacred territory Hawazin gave up the In Tathlith you would not have vied with the Hums in my absence.
fight. Sporadic encounters took place on the following days, but the people Tathlith is a place in their country and shiyar means fat and well fonned.
had no commander-in-chief, each tribe being commanded by its head. The By Hums he means B. 'Amir b. $a':;;aoa; and by 'Abbas he means 'Abbas b.
apostle \Va:. present at some of these encounters, his uncles having taken him Mirdas al-Sulami who had raided B. Zubayd in Tathlith. He quoted to me
with them. He used to say that he picked up the arrows which the enemy the verse of Laqir b. Zurara al-Darimi about the battle of Jabala:
had shot and gpye them to his uncles to shoot.
Speed, 0 my horse, the Banu 'Abs are a great people I among the I~ums
125. The story of the struggle is too long to be mentioned here. I cannot because B. 'Abs were allies of B. 'Amir b. $a<~a'a at the battle of Jabala.
allow it to interrupt the prophet's biography. This battle was between B. 1;Ian~ala b. Malik b. Zayd I\IaniH b. Tamim
I The line occurs in a different form in al~'lqd al-Farid. Cf. yaq. iii. 579 and Agh. and B. 'Amir b. ~a.'~a'a. The victory went to B. 'Amir, and Laqir was killed,
xix. 75. and I:Iajib b. Zunira b. 'Uds was taken prisoner. 'Amr b. 'Amr b. 'Dds b.
Z The text, metre, and translation in Brockelmann's edition (p. 57 Arabic and p. 61
Gennan) are at fault here. There is a play on the word mawrili rendered 'clients' in the first
Zayd b. 'Abdullah b. Darim b. Malik b. Han~ala fled, and Jarir said to
poem; here it means 'masters'. Maulri is one of those elusive terms whose meaning can be al-Farazdaq in reference to him:
detennincd only by the context. Originally it meant a relative pure and simple without
differentiating between a tribesman by birth or by sworn alliance. Already in the poetry 'Tis as though you had not seen Laqir and Bajib
of the Sira the maulri is lower than the tamim or tari/:l, the pure-blooded tribesman. Cf. And 'Amr b. 'Amr when they cried, Help, 0 Darim!
528. 15 i)ilfuhri wa-tamimuhri. In the Quran maulri means 'lord' and also 'helper'. Mter the
Arab conquests the word meant 'client', 'freed slave'. Then they met at the battle of Dhl1 Najab when I-;Ian?ala had the better of
3 On the site of 'Uki:? cr. the excellent article with map by l;Jamad al~Jasir in the Majalla
of the Arab Academy of Damascus, 1951, iii. 377 f., where I.I. is cited from Shjfri'u'l~ I The variant ~Iilla is noteworthy; cr. Naq. 666.17.
gharrim bj~akhbriri'l~baladi l-i)arrim as saying that it lay between Nakhla and Ta'if.
712 The Life of Muhammad
Ibn Hishiim's Notes 71 3
B. <Amir and !;1assan b. I\1u'awiya aI-Kindt was slain. He was known as
Ibn ~~bsha. Yazid b. al-$a'aq al-Kilabi was taken prisoner and al-Tufayl 139. Yastaftilzun means 'they asked for help'. It also means 'they arbitrated'
o

b. Mahk b. Ja'far b. K,!ab the father of 'Amir b. al-Tufayl fled. About him as in the verse of the Quran, '0 our Lord judge bem'een us and our people
al~Farazdaq said: . rightly, thou being the best of judges' (7 87).
Of them was Tufayl b. Malik who delivered 140. Qayla was d. Kahil b. 'Udhra b. Sa'd b. Zayd b. Layth b. Sud b. Aslum
On his horse QUfZul a man swift to flee. b. al-I:Iaf b. Qw;Hi'a, the mother of al-Aus and al-Khazraj. AI-Nu'man b.
We smote the head of Ibn Khuwaylid, Bashir al-An:;;ari praising al-Aus and al-Khazraj said:
Adding to the owls that haunt a man's grave. r :l'\oble sons of Qayla! None who mingled with them
To this Jarir replied: Found fault with their company;
We dyed the crown of Ibn Kabsha. Generous, heroes, rejoicing in hospitality,
When the cavalry met he encountered a man who shattered his skull.z Following the traditions of their fathers as a duty.

The story of the battles of Jabala. and Dhu Najab is too long to be dealt 14I. 'Urawa' means trembling from cold, and shuddering fits; if accom-
with here for the reasOns given when the Sacrilegious War was discussed. panied by sweating it is the sweat of fever.
135 Rahaq means rebellion and folly, as in the line of Ru'ba b. al-'Ajjaj: 142. There is a story about 'Uthman \vhich I cannot repeat for reasons
When fever makes the vicious camel mad. [Cr. Diwiin xli. 4.] given above. [See Suhayli.]
T~is vers~ occurs in One of his rajaz poems. Rahaq also means seeking a 143. These verses really belong to an ode of Umayya b. Abo.'l-Salt, except for
thIng untIl you get near it whether you take it or not. The same poet the first m'o, the fifth, and the last verse. The second half of the first verse
describing wild asses, says: ' dof's not come via 1.1.
Their tails flick and they shudder when they fear they will be overtaken. 144. Al-Ba<;lrami was 'Abdullah b. 'Imad b. Akbar, one of the Sadif whose
The word is al~o used as a ma~dar. '1 have borne (rahiqtu) a crime or hard- name was 'Ann b. Malik, one of the Sakun b. Ashras b. Kindt (some say
ship which you have laid upon me as a heavy burden.' It is used in the Kinda) b. Thaur b. Marta' b. 'Afir b. 'Adiy b. al-l:larith b. Murra b. Cdad b.
Quran in the same sense: 'We feared that he would press hardly upon them Zayd b. Mihsa' b. 'Amr b. 'Arib b. Zayd b. Kahlan b. Saba'. Others say
in rebellion and unbelief' (18. 79); also, 'Do not treat me harshly for what I Marta' b. Malik b. Zayd b. Kahlan b. Saba'.
h.ve done' (18. 72). 145. Another reading is: 'Piety preserves, not pride.' The words 'facing the
13 6 . AI-Ghaytala was of B. Murra b. 'Abdu Manat b. Kinana, brothers Ka'ba' are from a traditionist.
of Mudlij b. Murra. She was the mother of the Ghayali! whom Abu Talib 146. The first two verses of this poem are attributed to Umayya b. Abu
mentions in his lines: . al-$alt and the last verse occurs in one of his odes. The ,vords 'vain idols'
Foolish are the minds of the people who exchanged us have not I.1.'s authority.
For the Bano. Khalaf and the Ghaya~il. 147. The Arabs say tabannuth and tabannuf meaning the I,Ianifite religion,
Ghaya~il is the name given to her Sons among B. Sahm b. <Amr b. Hu~ay!? substituting f for th, just as they say Jadath and Jadaf meaning a grave.
Ru'ba b. al-'Ajjaj said:
137. This is sal, not poetry.
If my stones were \vith the other gravestones (ajdaf), metming ajdath.
138. Another version is 'A man will cry in eloquent language saying There This verse belongs to a rajaz poem of his, and the verse of AbO. Talib to an
is no God but Allah.' ' ,
ode by him which I will mention, please God, in the proper place. AbO.
An authority on poetry recited to me the following lines: 'Ubayda told me that the Arabs say fumma instead of thumma.
I was amazed at the jinn and their dumbfounding,
As they saddled their beasts with their cloths, 148. QaJb here means a hollow pearL One in whom I have confidence told
Making for Mecca, seeking guidance. me that Gabriel came to the apostle and said, 'Give Khadija greetings from
Believing jinn are not like impure jinn. her Lord.' The apostle said, '0 Khadlja, Gabriel proclaims peace to you
from your Lord.' She replied, 'God is peace, from Him comes peace, and
I A reference to the ancient belief that owls came forth from the skulls of the slain and peace be upon Gabriel.'
remained by their graves. The text in Naq. 386. 3 is superior.
z T~is.is t.he mean!ng given to mifqa' by A. Dh. (d. Naq. 835. 4). The rendering given 149. Saja means 'to be quiet'. Umayya b. Abo.'l-$alt the Thaqafite (Df'wan
by WeI! 15 nghtly rejected by the Arabic commentators, though the alteration of damma xviii) said:
'meeting' to t;laJia 'clamour' seems to be due to someone who gave the more usual m"eaning
of 'loud-voiced' or 'eloquent' to miNa'. When he came by night my friend ' ....as asleep
And the night was quiet in blackest gloom.
71 4 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes
You can say of the eye when its glance is fixed it is siijia. Long will I grieve and fear for him!
JarIr said: I shall use the best camels in scouring the land
They shot you as they went with quiet eyes Nor weary of searching though the camels tire,
Slaying you from between the howdah curtains. So long as I live till death comes to me.
~A'il means 'poor'. For all must die, though hope deceives men.
Abu Khirash al-Hudhali said: Then he came to him while he was with the apostle, who told Zayd that
The destitute went to his house in winter he could stay with him or if he preferred go away with his father. He replied
A poor man clad in tv."0 garments finding his way by the barking of the that he would certainly stay with him, and he remained with the apostle until
dogs. I God made him His prophet, when he believed in him, prayed with him, and
The plural is <ala and 'uyyal. <A'il also means one who has a large family became a Muslim. When God revealed 'name them after their fathers'
and one who is afraid; and in the Quran 'That is more likely that you will (Sura 33. 5) he said, 'I am Zayd b. l:Iaritha.'
not be unjust' (4. 3). 152. Abu Bakr's name was <Abdullah. He was called <Atiq because of his
Abu Talib said: fine handsome face.
In a just balance he gives full weight of barley.
He is in himself an unerring witness. (See further 175. 17.) 153 The words 'at his invitation' are not from 1.1. <akama 'hold back'
means talabbuth 'delay', as in the line of Ru'ba b. al-<Ajjaj:
~A'ilalso means a tiresome, wearisome thing; you can say, 'this thing has
exhausted me' 'alani, i.e. oppressed and wearied me. Waththab took her away and delayed not ('akama).
al-Farazdaq said:
154. This latter was of B. Tamim; others say of Khuza<a.
You see the most prominent chiefs of Quraysh
\Vhenever a great misfortune occurs. ISS. AI-Qara was their nickname; it is said of them
Those who challenged the Qara at shooting played them fair.
ISO. Some add 'and Talib'.
They were a tribe of archers.
151. Zayd b. I.Iaritha b. Shara1)il b. Ka'b b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b. Imru'u'l-
Qays b. 'Amir b. al-Nu'man b. 'Amir b. 'Abdu Wudd b. 'Auf b. Kinana b. 156. 'Anz b. \Va'il was the brother of Bakr of Rabi'a b. Nizar.
Bakr b. 'Auf b. 'Udhra b. Zayd Allat b. Rufayda b. 'Thaur b. Kalb b,
Wabra. l~ak'im b. l;Iiz3m b. Khuwaylid had come from Syria with a party IS7. The reason he was called al-Na1).1)am was because the apostle said,
of slaves among whom was Zayd, then a young man. His aunt, who by that 'I heard his singing in Paradise.' His nabm means his voice.
time was the apostle's wife, came to see him and he invited her. to choose 158. He had been born a slave among al-Asd; he was a black and Abu Bakr
anyone of the young slaves she liked. She chose Zayd and took him away bought him from them.
with her. \\Then the apostle saw him he asked her to give him to him. She
did so and he freed him and adopted him as his son. This was before revela~ 159. Or Humayna.
tion came to him.
160. His name was Mihsham b. ~Utba b. Rabi'a ... b. Lu'ayy.
His father Baritha was exceeding sorrO\vful at his loss and mourned him
in the following verse: 161. Bahila brought him and sold him to al-Khattab b. !\"ufayl who adopted
I wept over Zayd, not knowing what had happened- him; but when God revealed, 'Call them after their fathers' na.mes,' he said,
Whether I could hope to see him again or whether he was dead. 'I am Waqid b. <Abdullah,' according to what Abu <Amr aI-Madani said.
By God I do not know, often though I ask, 162. 'Ammar was an <Ansi from Madhl;1ij.
Whether he lies dead on hill or plain.
\Vould that I knew if thou wouldst ever return! 163 Namir was the son of Qasil b. Hinb b. Afja b. Iadila b. Asad b. Rabi'a
All that I ask of the world is that thou return to me. b. Nizar; some say of Af~a b. Du'mi b. ladna. It is said that ~uhayb was
Sunrise reminds me of him; the sunset brings his memory before me. z the freedman of 'Abdullah b. Iud'an b. 'Arnr b. Ka'b b. Sa'd b. Taym. It is
When the winds blow they stir up thoughts of him. also said that he was a Greek. One of those who maintain that he was from
al~N amir b. Qasit said that he was a prisoner in Byzantine territory and was
The word mustanbi{1 means the man who at night imitates the barking of dogs so that
if an encampment is near the dogs ,vill take Up his challenge and he can find his way to food bought from them. There is a tradition of the prophet which runs: '~uhayb
and warmth from the direction their barking gives him. The two ragged garments are the is the first of the Greeks' (sc. to accept Islam).
gown and the waistband, the indispensable minimum.
2 Cf. al-Khansa, cd. Bcyrout, p. 55. 164. $ada' means 'distinguish between truth and falsehood'. Abu Dhu'ayb
716 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 7' 7
al~Hudhali whose name was Khuwaylid b. Khalid, describing wild asses and 174. The words 'allied themselves with treacherous people against us' refer
their mates, said: to B. Bakr b. 'Abdu Manat b. Kinana. These arc the Arabs whom Abu
I t was as though they were a bundle of gaming arrows Talib mentions in his verse above. [See p. 127, n. 4.J
And a shuffler thereof dealing out the arrows and proclaiming what he
175. I.!. relates Abu Qays here to B. Waqif, whereas in the story of the
produced. elephant he is related to Khatma. The reason is that the Arabs often relate
i.e. distinguishing the arrows and making their shares clear. [The allusion a man to the brother of his grandfather if he happens to be better known.
is to the game of maysir ,vhich was popular among the ancient Arabs. See Abu 'Ubayda told me that al-J:Iakam b. 'Amr al-Ghifari was of the sons
Mula';. 863 17] of Nu'ayla, brother of Ghifar b. Mulayl. Nu'ayia was the son of Mulayl
Ru'ba al_fAjjaj said: b. :Oamra b. Bakr b. 'Abdu Manat. They had said that 'Utba was the son
of Ghazwan al-Sulami, he being of the sons of Mazin b. Man~ur; Sulaym was
You are the clement and the avenging prince
I. Man$ur. Abu Qays was of B. Wa'il; Wa'il, Waqif, and Khapua are
Declaring the truth and driving away the wrongdoer.
brothers of alAus.
165. Abu Sufyan's name was $akhr. 176. The line Htis as water poured at random', and the verse 'if you buy
166. Al-'A~ b, Wa'il b. Hashim b. Su'ayd b. Sahm b. 'Amr b. Hu~ay~. spears', &c., and 'men's Lord has chosen a religion' and 'his cavalry was in
the plains' were quoted to me by Abu Zayd al-An~ari and others. As to his
167. I have left out hvo verses in which he violently insulted him. words 'Know you not what happened in the war of Dal)is?' Abu 'Ubayda
168. A variant reading is 'his root is in copious water', told me that Dal;1is was a horse belonging to Qays b. Zuhayr b. Jadhlma b.
Rawii!)a b. Rabr. b. al-I;Iarith b. Mazin b. QUtay'a b. 'Abs b. Baghi<,l b.
169. 'Anfd means 'obstinate opponent' as in the line of Ru'ba b. aI-'Ajjaj: Rayth b. Ghatafan which he raced against a mare of I:Iudhayfa b. Badr
We \vcre smiting the head of the obstinate Cunnad). b. 'Amr b.Zayd b. Ju'ayya b. Laudhan b. Tha'laba b. 'Adiy b. Fazara b.
Dhuby,m b. BaghJ<,I b. Rayth b. GhataIan called al-Ghabra'. I;Iudhayfa hid
170. basara means 'he had an angry expression' as in the words of al.'Ajjaj: some of his men in ambush and ordered them to hit Da1).is in the face if they
Firm in jaw, angry in visage, a biter, saw him taking the lead. This is precisely what happened, and so Ghabra'
came in first. When the rider of Da!:tis came in he told Qays what had
describing a forbidding face. happened, and his brother Malik b. Zuhayr got up and slapped al-Ghabra'
17!, The singular of tid-in is tid-a. You say 'arjif.auhu, meaning 'they divided in the face, whereupon J:Iamal b. Badr got up and slapped IVIalik's face.
it' as in the line of Ru'ba Afterwards Abu'l-Junaydib al-'Absi fell in ""ith 'Auf b. I:Iudhayfa and killed
him; then a man of the B. Fazara met Malik and killed him, and J;Iamal,
The religion of God is not divided. Hudhayfa's brother, said:
172. This is as much of the ode as seems to me to be genuine; many com We have killed Malik in revenge for 'Auf.
petent authorities on verse deny the authenticity of most of it. . If you try to get more than your due from us you will be sorry.
A man I can trust told me that in a year of drought the people of Medina
came to the apostle and complained of their trouble. He mounted the pulpit AI-Rabi' b. Ziyiid al-'Absi said:
and prayed for rain. Hardly had the rain begun than the people living in After Malik b. Zuhayr has been killed,
exposed districts came to complain that they were inundated. The apostle Can women hope for carnal delights?I
said: '0 God, round us, not on us!' Thereupon the clouds moved away
Thus war broke out between 'Abs and Fazara, and I:Iudhayfa b. Badr and
from the town itself and encircled it like a crown. The apostle said, 'If
his brother !;Iamal were killed. Qays b. Zuhayr was grieved and composed
Abu Talib could but have. seen this day how he would have rejoiced!' One
an elegy on him:
of his' companions said, 'I suppose you refer to his line:
How many a knight who is no knight is called (to war)
A noble man for whose sake the clouds drop rain,
But at al-Haba'a there was a true knight.
The support of orphans and the defence of widows,'
So weep for I:Iudhayfa; you will not mourn his like
and he said 'Quite so.' Until tribes not yet born shall have perished.
The expression 'its bushes' is not from 1. I. He also said:
173. He was called al-Akhnas because he withdrew (khanasa) with the people The young man J:Iamal b. Badr did wrong,
at the battle of Badr. Of course his name was Ubayy; he came from B. And injustice is an evil food.
'lIiij b. AbU Salma b. 'Auf b. 'Uqba. I i.e. War will break out and then sexual relations will be taboo.
718 The Life of Muhammad
Ibn Hishiim's Notes 719
Al-l;Iarilh b. Zuhayr the brother of Qays said:
which no rain falls, and drought, desolation, and hardship result. The same
I left at al-Habii'a without pride poet describing eamels wrote:
I:Iudhayfa's body 'mid the broken spears.
Their bellies contain naught but disease and barrenness.
Some say that Qays raced the horses DaD-is and al-Ghabni', while J:lud- They are nothing bJ-lt inflated bones.
hayfa raced al-Khanar and al-J:lanfa'; but the first account is the sounder.
I cannot go into the story further because it interrupts the apostle's biography. 182. Raqfm is the book in which their story was inscribed (ruqima), pI.
As to the words 'war of I;Hitib' the reference is to I;!atib b. al-l;Iarith b. ruqum. AI-<Ajjaj said:
Qays b. Haysha b. al-l;Iarith b. Umayya b. Mu'awiya b. Malik b. 'Auf b. The place of the inscribed volwne (muraqqam).
'Amr b. 'Auf b. IV1iilik b. al-Aus who had killed a Jew under the protection
of al-Khazraj. So Yazjd b. al-l;Iarith b. Qays b. Malik b. A!)mar b. Haritha 18 3. Shala! means 'exaggeration and going beyond what is right'. A'sha
b. Tha'laba b. Ka'b b. al-Khazraj b. al-l;Iarith b. al-Khazraj known as Ibn of B. Qays b. Tha'laba said:
Fusl:n.un from his mother Fusl:mffi. a woman of al-Qayn b. Jasr, went out by They will not cease, nothing will halt the wicked
night with a number of B. I:Hirith b. al-Khazraj and killed I:L1tib. Thus war
But a thrust in which the oil and the wick perish.
broke out between al-Aus and al-Khazraj and was waged bitterly until
victory went to al-Khazraj. Suwayd b. $amit b. Khalid b. 'Atiyya b. f:Iaut [i.e. a deadly wound. Dfwiin, ed. R. Geyer, xlviii. I. I, beginning hal not la
b. l;Iabib b. 'Arm b. 'Auf b. Malik b. al-Aus was killed by al-:'vfujadbdhir as here].
b. Dhiyad al-Balawl whose name was 'Abdullah, an ally of B. 'Auf b.
184. Taziiu.Jara means 'to incline' from ziir. Imru'ul-Qays b.l;iujr said:
al-Khazraj. Al-Mujadhdhir went out with the apostle to the battle of
UQud and al-f:Iarith b. Suwayd went out with him. Al-J:Iarith took al- I am a chief; if I return a king
Mujadhdhir off his guard and killed him in revenge for his father. (I shall 'Twill be in such a way as to make the guide appear to be going astray.
mention the story in its proper place if God will.) I cannot go into the Abu'I-Za1)f al-Kulaybl describing a district said:
details of the war which followed for the reasons which have been given
already. The coarse salt herbage is not what we want.
To do without water for five days makes the camels thin.
177. A learned traditionist told me that the worst treatment that the apostle
met from Quraysh was one day when he went out and everyone that met him, Taqriuhum dhata l-shimiili means passing them and leaving them on the
free or slave, called him a liar and insulted him. He returned to his house left. Dhu'l-Rumma said;
and wrapped himself up because of the violence of the shock. Then God To howdahs which passed by the sand-dunes of I\lushrif
revealed to him, '0 thou that art enwrapped, Rise and warn' (Sura 74) To the left while on their right are the horsemen.
178. Others put 'Alqama and Kalada in reverse order. [A.Dh. says that fawaris means sandhills.]

179. He it is who according to my infonnation said, 'I will send down some- Fajwa means 'space', pI. fifa', as the poet says:
thing like what God has sent down.' You clothed your people with shame and debasement
180. biihhi'un nafsak means 'committing suicide' according to \vhat Abu Until they became outfaws and forsook the space where their dwelling
was.
'Ubayda told me. Dhu'l-Rumma said:
o thou that dcstroycst thyself 18 5. Wafdmcans 'a door'. 'Ubayd b. Wahb al-'Absi said:
In longing for that '.vhieh fate has taken from thee. In a desert land its door wide open to me
The plural is bdkhi'iin and bakha'a. The Arabs say 'I have impressed In which my merits are not unknown.
(bakha'a) my advice upon him', i.e. I have laboured so to do.
Wafid also means 'courtyard'. Plurals WQii'id, U'uud, u'udan, and Ufud and
181. 5;a'id means 'the ground'; pI. u'ud. Dhu'l-Rumma, describing a udiin.
little gazelle, said:
186. His name was Alexander. He built Alexandria and it was named after
In the morning it leapt gaily over the ground him.
As though wine coursed through the very bones of its head.
187. Yanbit means 'water 'Vihich bursts forth from the earth'. The plural is
Sa'id also means 'the \vay', as you find in the tradition 'Beware of sitting by yaniibi'. Ibn Hanna, whose name was Ibrahim b. <Ali al-Fihri, said:
the wayside' meaning the road. The word juruz means 'barren land', pl.
ajraz. You can say sana juruz, 'a barren year', and sinuna ajraz, i.e. years in If you shed a tear in every dwelling
Their source would dry, but your tears would be a spring (yanbu').
The Life of 1l1uhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 721
720
Kisafmeans 'portions'of punishment'. The singular is kisfa, like sidra; it is Nddi means 'those sitting together' and zabiiniya means 'rough, violent
also the singular of kisj. Qabil is that \vhich is opposite before the eyes; people', and in this context 'the guardians of Hell'. In reference to this world
compare God's saying, 'Punishment will come to them straight in their it means 'the troops who act as a man's bodyguard' and the singular is
faces', i.e. visibly (Sura 18. 53). zibniya, '
Abu 'Obayda quoted to me the lines.of A'sha of the Banil Qays: Ibn al-Ziba'ni said in reference to them:

I will befriend you until you do -the same again, Lavish in hospitality, thrusting in battle,
Like the cry of the woman in travail, whom her midwife helps.1 Zabdniya, violent, coarse are their minds.
She is thus called because she faces her and receives her child. Qabil He means 'violent'. $akhr b. 'Abdullah al-Hudhali, the 'erring $akhr', said:
with the plural qubul means 'gathering', as in the Quran, 'We will gather
And of Kabir is a number of dare-devils. I
to them everything in groups' (Sura 6. III). The plural is like subul
and surur and qumWj, all of the fa'a fonn. Qabfl also occurs in a proverb: 189. Others say of 'Anaza b. Asad b. Rabl'a.
'He does not know the comer from the goer', i.e. he does not know how to
distinguish what is coming forward from what is going back. AI-Kumayt b. 190. 'Uthman b. Ma~'un was in charge of them according to the infonnation
Zayd said, 'Affairs were so divided in their view that they could not tell the a traditionist gave me.
comer from the goer.' It is said that by this word qabfl is meant 'a thread'.
191. Humayna.
What is twisted towards the forearm is the qabil, and what is twisted towards
the ends of the fingers is th~ dabir, so called because it comes forward and '92. Mu'ayqib belonged to Daus.
goes back, as 1 have explained. It is said that the thread of the spindle when
it is twisted towards the knee is the qabfl, and when it is ffi'isted towards the 193, According to others Hazal b. Fas b. Dharr and Dahir b. Thaur.
thigh it is the dabir. QabU also is used of a man's tribe. Zukhruj means
'gold'. Muzaklzraj means 'adorned with gold'. Al-'Ajjaj said: 'A ruined 194 Shammas's name was 'Uthman. He was called Shammas for the reason
house, whose outlines you would think was a book, gilded and illuminated.' that a deacon came to Mecca in pagan times, a man so handsome as to excite
You can call any ornamented thing muzakhraj. general admiration. 'Utba b, Rabi'a, who was the maternal uncle of Sham.
mas, said, '1 will bring you a Shammas more handsome than he,' and he
188. Nasja'an means 'we will seize and drag', as the poet said: fetched his sister's son 'Uthman b, 'Uthman, and so he was called Shanunas
according to what 1. Shihab and others said,
A people, who when they hear a cry for help,
You see them bridling their mares or taking hold of their forelocks. 195 Others say I:Iubshiya b. Salul who was called Mu'attib b, I:Iamra' ,
The midi means 'the meeting place in which people gather together and
settle their affairs' as in the book of God, 'And commit not wickedness in 196. Shura!)bil b. Abdullah, one of the Ghauth b. Murr, brother of Tamim
b. Murr.
your assembly'. Another form of the word is nadi. 'Abid b. al-Abra!? said:
Look to your own affairs, for I belong to the Banu Asad, '97 Al-'~ b. Wa'il b. Hashim b. Sa'd b. Sahm.
A people of assemblies, generosity, and meetings.
198. Sa'd b. Khaula was from the Yarnan.
And in the book of God, 'and the best as a company' (19. 74), The plural is
andrya, 'Let him call his gang' is like the expression 'ask the city' (12. 82), 199., ~nother ~eading i~ ~ibra.n 'great wealth': and suyum 'you may pasture
meaning, of course, the people of the city. at WIll, Dabr m AbYSSInIan means 'mountain',
Salama b. Jandal, one of B. Sa'd b, Zayd I\.1anat b. Tamim said:
zoo. A traditionist told me that his son added, 'May God reward him well '
There were two days, one a day of conference and meetings, to which he replied, 'May God not reward him well' [presumably becaus'e
And a day given up to a foray against the enemy. he was not a Muslim].
And AI-Kumayt b. Zayd said: ZOI. And, it is said, al-Na<;ir b. al-I:Iarith.
No verbose prattlers in the assembly
And none silent under duress. 2 zoz. Tabbat means 'be lost' and tabdb means 'loss'.
I:Iabib b, Khudra al.Khariji, one of B. Hilal b. 'Amir b. $a':tia'a, said:
So A.Dh, nut cf, Geyer's Diwan oj al-A'shd (Gibb Memorial Series), 124, where the o Tib, we are among a people
reading is qab(jl (not qabil) and where the unknown expositor (cf. pp. xviii f.) shows that
the context demands an oath: 'r will not befriend you'; tabitil, he says, means ta'tarijil.
Whose glory has departed in death and destruction (tabab),
Z Inasmuch as aimata is both transitive and intransitive it would be possible to translate
by 'nor silencing others by violence I Kabit was a clan of Hudhayl. Cf. Kosegarten 10. 2,
B 4080
3A
722 The Life of Muhammad
Ibn Hishiim's Notes
203. Jid means 'neck', as in the verse of A'sha of B. Qays: 72 3
in and look at it, saying, HThe nearest thing to muhl which you will ever see
The day that Qutayla showed us a lovely neck is this.'"
Which necklaces adorned The poet said:

[Diu'an, p. 140. 6 (with unimportant var~ants).J' The plu~al is a~ya! .. Masad My Lord will give him molten metal to swallow at a draught.
is fibre crushed like cotton, ~nd rop.e 15 twlsted.!r~m It" ~lwNablgha al- It will shrivel the faces while it is molten in his belly.
Dhubyani whose name was Zlyad b. Amr b. Mu aWlya saId.
It is said that muhl also means pus. I have been told that Abu Baler when he
Many a fat young mare has a tooth was at the point of death ordered that two old garments should be washed
Which has a sound like the waterwheel and the rope. I and that he should be wrapped in them. 'A'isha said to him, 'My dear father,
Allah has so enriched you that you do not need them, so buy a shroud.' He
The singular is masada.
answered: lIt will be only an hour until it becomes pus.'
204. The words 'his religion we loathe and hate' are not from I.I. The poet said:

205. Humaza is one who insults a ~?n p~blicly. He shuts. his eyes upon him He mingled loathsome pus frOm it with water
and winks at him. I:Iassan b. Thablt said: Then he drank death draught after draught. I
0
I bit into you with a rhyme that burnt like fire 2 9. I. Umm Maktfun was One of B. <.Amir b. Lu'ayy whose name was
And you grovelled in humiliation. 2 'Abdullah, or, according to some, 'Amr.
Plural humazat. Lumaza is one who insults a man secretly. Ru'ba b. 210. Nubzf means 'plunder'. I have omitted the last verse.
al-J:Iajjaj said:
21 I. They were all confederates and were called A.Qablsh because they had
In the shadow of him who oppresses, despises, and slanders me. made an alliance in a valley called al-Al;1bash below Mecca.
Plural lumaza.
212. A traditionist told me that the apostle said to Abu Talib, a uncle,
6 A'j}a-k means 'liar'. Cf. 'La, it is- of their lying that they say God has Allah my Lord has given worms power over the Quraysh document. They
20 .
begotten. Verily they tell a lie' (Sura 37. 151). R U'b a Sal'd : have left every name of God in it and destroyed the injustice, boycott, and
malice. He said, IDid your Lord tell you of this ?' and when he said that He
Not of a man who uttered a lying speech.
had, he was amazed because none had come to see him. Immediately he >

207. The ba~ab of Gehenna is everything that is ~indl.ed in it. Abu Dhu'ayb went and told Quraysh what Muhammad had said and enjoined them to
al-Hudhali whose name was Khuwaylid b. Khahd sald: look to their document. 'If it is as my nephew says, then end your boycott
and your course of action; if he is lying I hand him over to you.' The people
Quench, do not kindle, and do not feed the flame
Were satisfied with this offer and bound themselves accordingly. On inspec-
Of war lest its horrors hasten on you.
tion they found that the apostle was right; but this but increased their malice.
Another reading is 'And do not be the firestick' [the equivalent of our poker. Thereupon a number of Quraysh took steps, which have just been recorded,
Dfwan xxx, C. 6]. As the poet says: to destroy the boyoott.

I stirred up my fire for him and he saw ~he blaze. 21


3. The word 'both' (in v. 2) is not from I. I. As to the words 'you protected
Unless I had stirred it he would have mIssed the way. God's apostle from them' the point is this: When the apostle departed
from al-Ta'if having failed to convert its people, he went to I;fira'. Then
S Muhl means molten bronze or lead or any other metal, according to
:~h~t Abu 'Ubayda told me. We were told that al-J:Iasan b. Abu'I-J:Iasan
he sent to al-Akhnas b. Shariq to ask his protection. He replied that he was..
a balif, Z and as such could not grant protection. The apostle then appealed
a 1- B asn- sal'd'.
"Abdullah
. b Mas'ud was put in charge of the treasury
d' b of to Suhayl b. 'Amr, who replied that B. <.Amir did not give protection against
Kufa 'by <Umar. One day he ordered silver to be melted down, an It egan
B. Ka'b. Finally he sent to al-Mufim b. 'Adly, who agreed. Thereupon
to change its colour, so he ordered everyone who was near the door to come
he armed himself and his household and went out to the mosque. 'J:hen
I 'This constant screammg. and squea I'tng 0 f t h e d raw- wheels was a, characteristic
C feature
h he invited the apostle to enter. He did so and walked round the temple and
of the otherwise silent oasis, rather irritating at first to the new-comer. Douglas arrut ers,

Ar2ab;~e~fr~7:It~;e;d~:sn~o:-:a~;:atPit 9~ill be found that all words of cursi.ng, .slandering~ I The text has al-mutuna, which means 'the sides of the back'. This seems to yield a
pOor sense and I have adopted the reading suggested to me by Professor Affifi: al-manuna.
and backbiting originally indicate sbme sort of physical injury and the sense 15 ~~tll appa~e~e 2 The flalif, often rendered 'ally', was a refugee protected by a solemn covenant and oath,
7
here. By I.H.'s tim(' it was neglected and all but for~~tten.. The ~roper rea. mg us f r
fakhta4a'ta not ... tu as in C. The text in Diwan 111. 6 dIffers WIdely and IS use ess 0
so that the jar was often a balif. A refugee. though admitted to a tribe, could not act in the
name of the tribe and give a protection which would be upheld by every other member.
comparison. Thus aI-Akhnas's reply was perfectly correct.
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes
72 5
prayed there. Then he went to his house. That is what Bassan is referring With preparation such as he has made.
to. [This is an abbreviation of I.I.'s account in T. 1203.] Beware of the bodies of animals-touch them not
Bleed them not with an iron arrow. '
214. Hisham was one of Su1;lim or Sukham. Do not venerate standing stones
215. Or bim4. Nor worship idols, but worship God.
Come not near a free woman-she is unlawful to you.
216. AL-A 'SHA OF THE BANU QAYS B. THA'LABA Marry or remain celibate.
Khalliid b. Ourra b. Khalid al-Sadiisi and other shaykhs of Bakr b. Wii'il Wrong 'not your kinsman
from scholars told me that al-A'sha of B. Oays b. Thalaba b. 'Ukaba b. Nor the prisoner in bonds.
~a<b b. <Ali b. Bakr b. la'il went to the apostle desiring to accept Islam and Glorify God night and morning.
composed the following poem in praise of the apostle: I Praise God and not Satan.
Mock ~ot the poor man in his need,
Did your sore eyes not close the night Nor think that wealth can make a man immortal. I
You lay sleepless as though a snake had bitten you?
'Twas not for desire of women, for before this . When he was oe,ar Mecca or actually in it one of the heathen Quraysh met
You had forgotten the society of Mahdad. hIm and he told hIm that he was making for the apostle of God to adopt
But I see that Time the deceiver Islm.n. He said to him, '0 Abo Ba~ir, he prohibits fornication!' AI-A'sha
Destroys again what my hands have repaired. rephed, 'But that's something I've no desire for.' 'Ah but he forbids winel'
Youth, maturity, and wealth I'v~ lost. 'Now that's something that I still take pleasure in. I ~ill go away and drink
In God's name, how this Time does change! long and deeply for a year and then return and accept Islam.' So he went
Ever since I was young have I sought wealth away and died in the year, so that he did not return to the apostle.
In all four stages of man's growth. 217. Some say Irasha.
I made full use of the swift tawny camels
Racing across the land between al-Nujayr and ~arkhad. 218. Yul[zidilna ilayhi means 'incline to' and il[zad is 'inclining away from
If you ask about me (and many an importunate the truth'. Ru'ba b. al-'Ajjaj said:
Asks about A'sha) whither he has gone When every heretic (mulbid) followed al-J;la\1\1ilk.
G you who ask me whither they are going,
I tell you they have a meeting with the people of Medina. AI-J;la\1\1ak the Kharijite.
She urges forward her swift hindlegs,
219. The owner of Mal\1iib was 'Aufb. al-Al)wa~ b. Jafar b. Kilab who died
Folding back her forelegs but not as though hobbled.
in Mali:lub. When he says 'at alwRida' is the house of another great man'
In the noonday's savage heat she's frisky he means ShuraYD b. al-A1;lwa!;> who died in al-Rida'. By Kauthar he means
When you'd think the chameleon would sink his head. 2 kathir, for the former is derived from the latter. AI-Kumayt b. Zayd said
I swore I would not spare her fatigue in praise of Hisham b. 'Abdu'l-Malik b. Marwan:
Or footsoreness till we met Muhammad.
When she kneels at the door of Hashim's son You are kathzr, 0 Ibn Marwan, good;
She may rest and partake of his bounty. And your father, the son of noble women, was great (kauthar).
A pro~t who sees what you cannot see, Umayya b. Abu 'A'idh al-Hudhali describing a wild ass said:
Whose r~putation has reached the lOWlands and the hills.
His gifts and presents are not intermittent: He protects his females when they run
If he gives today it does not stop him giving tomorrow. And bray in clouds of dust as though covered with a cloth.
I adjure thee, did you not hear the counsel of Muhammad By kauthar he means a cloud of dust which he likens to horsecloths because
The prophet of God when he counselled and witnessedl of its denseness.
If you do not travel with provision of piety
And 1Jiter death meet one who has taken such provision 220. i.e. Ja'far b. 'Arm b. Umayya al-J;lamrI.
You will regret that you are not like him
221. The following description of the apostle comes from 'Umar, freedman
I See GedUhte von Abu Ba~ir Maimun b. Qays al-A'shti .., ed. Rudolf Geyer (Gibb of Ghufra from Ibrahim b. Muhammad b. 'All b. AbU Talib. 'All used to
Memorial Series), London, 1928, pp. 101 f. I have transposed verses 7 and 8 in the text
of the Sira, as the order of the Diwdn is obviously right. The text will repay coUation. It will be observed that Ibn Is?aq knows nothing about this poem which, especially
1.
2 This creature is said to face the sun througholut its daily course, and so at noon it would In Its later verses, falls below the high standard of Arabic verse. For enlightened Arab
(and s):louldl) peer up at the sky. criticism see Ta Ha l;lusayn, Fi'l-Adabi'l-Jiihili, p. 1,58.
The LIfe of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 72 7
say when he described the apostle: 'He was neither too tall nor unduly short 229 Afra' was d. 'Ubayd b. Thalaba b. Ghanm b. Malik b. aI-Najjar.
but of nonnal height; his hair was not too curly nor lank, but definitely curly;
his face was not fat nor rounded; it was white tinged with red; his eyes were 230. Others say '.Amir b. al~Azraq.
black, fringed with long lashes; he was firmly knit and broad shouldered;
231, 'Amr was Ibn Sawad. He had no son called Ghanm.
the hair on his body was fine, thick on hands and feet. When he walked he
picked his feet up smartly as though he were going down hill, when he 232. Dhakwan was an emigrant and a helper.
turned he turned his whole body~ between his shoulders was the seal of
prophecy, he being the seal of the prophets., He was the most generous of 233 T~ey were called Qawaqil because '\vhenever anyone asked for their
men, the boldest, most veracious, most faithful to his undertaking; the prote~tlO~ they ~sed to say as they handed him an arrow, '\\Talk where
gentlest, with easy manners, the noblest in social intercourse. Those who you ltke m'Yathnb with it.' Qauqala means a way of walking.
saw him for the first time were overcome with awe; those who knew him 234 Tayyihan can be spelt Tayhan like mayyit and mayt.
well loved him. Neither before nor after him have 1 seen his like. God bless
and preserve him!' 235 Zafar's name was Ka'b b. al-J:Iarith b. al-Khazraj b. 'Amr b. Malik
h. al-Aus.
222. Add 1. Su'ayd b. Sahm.
236. The two verses beginning 'were it not' and the last line were quoted
223. 1 have omitted a verse which is obscene. to me by a man of the An:;;ar or a man of Khuza'a.
224. Abu 'Ubayda told me that the woman who stood up in defence of 237 'Aun b. Ayyub al-An:;;ari said:
J)irar was Umrn Jamil; and since others say it was Umrn Ghaylan, it may
well be that both played their part with the other women who were there. To ~s belongs the man who was the first to pray
When 'Umar came to power Umrn Jamil came to him, for she thought that Facmg the RaDman's Ka'ba betvleen the sacred sites.
he was his brother and when her genealogy had been given he knew her meaning al-Bara' b. l\1a'rur.
story and said to her, '1 am not his brother except in Islam. He is now on
active service. I know how much he owes you.' So he made her a gift as ~38. Hadm can be read hadam, meaning sanctity; i.e. what is sacred to you
though she were a traveller. The narrator says: I.H. said, J)irar had met IS sacred to me and your 'blood' is my blood.
'Umar at the battle of Badr when he began to beat him with the flat of his
239 He was Ghanm b. 'Auf, brolher of Salim b. 'Auf b. 'Amr b. 'Auf.
sword saying, 'Be off with you,!. al-Khattab, I will not kill you!' 'Umar
remembered this in his favour after he had become a Muslim. [This is a 240. Though some say the last name should be b. Khunays.
passage which W. relegated to his critical notes, hut C. prints it without
comment. The expression 'The narrator (rawi) said' is unique in the SiTa 241. The le~rned number among them Abu'l-Haytham b. al-Ta 'vahan b
they do not mclude Rifa'a. ). ,ut
and therefore to be suspectedj On the other hand, the story rings true.]
Ka'b b. Malik mentions them in the poem which Abu Zayd al-An~ari
225. 'Abid b. al-Abras said: quoted to me:
News came to me from Tamlm that they Tell Ubayy that his opinion was false.
Were indignant and wrathful at the slain of 'Amir. He died on the morning of the gully I and death is inevitable.
:May God refuse what your soul desires.
See Diwan of Abid, ed. Sir Charles Lyall, 1913, p. 16. Considerable un-
He Sees and hears as He watches the affairs of men.
certainty about the word dha'ira prevails. [Commentators, ancient and
Tell Abu Sufyan that there appeared to us
modern, differ. The reading of the Diwan and T. tagharjrjabil seems preferable
A shining light of God's guidance in Ahmad.
to C.'s ta'aHabil.] W. has ta~'a'abi1, 'found it hard to bear'.
Don't be too eager in gathering what v~u want
226. Rabi'a b. 'Abbad is the correct form. But gather whatever vou can . ,
Beware! Know that "\~hen th~ tribe gave their allegianc;e2
227. Al-Nabigha said: They refused to allow you to break our covenant.
As though you were a camel of the Banu Uqaysh Both aI-Bad' and Ibn 'Amr refused
With an old ,kin rattling behind your legs As did also As'ad and Rafi'. '
Sa'd al-Sa'idi refused and Mundhir
(to scare it into movement).
\Vould cut off your nose if you attempted it.
22~. ,Fira, b. 'Abdullah b. Salama b. Qushayr b. Ka'b b. Rab!'s b. 'Amir b, I i.e. where fealty was sworn' v s
o~e ;fter
2
Sa ~a a. wo rd?r, 'when they followed the other'. This is one of the forger's favourite
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hisham's Notes
Ibn Rabi' if you got his word 257. al-l;Iubla was SiHim b. Ghanm b. 'Auf and he got the name from his
Would not surrender him. Let none hope for that. big belly. [See S. in loc.]
Likewise Ibn Rawaha would not give him up to you.
He would rather drink deadly poison than perjure himself 258. Rifa'a was the son of Malik b. al-Walid b. 'Abdullah b. Malik b.
In loyalty to him. And al-Qauqili b. ~amit Thalaba b. Jusham b. Malik b. Salim.
Is far from doing what you propose. 259. al-Mundhir was the son of 'Amr b. Khanash.
Abu Haytham also was faithful,
Bound by his word. 260. This verse really comes from an ode of Abu Du'ad al-IyadL The
You cannot hope to get Ibn I:Jugayr's help. word bub means 'painful distress'. Some manuscripts add 'in another context
Why don't you abandon your foolish error? "need" is the meaning; the word also means "sin'''.
Sad the brother of 'Amr b. 'Auf
261. The word qull means 'one', as in the line of Labid b. Rabi'a:
Is utterly opposed to your suggestion.
These are stars which will bring you ill fortune The fate of every freeborn man is one
When they rise in the darkness of the night. However many they be.
Thus Ka'b mentions Abii'l-Haytham among them, but he passes over (Diwiin, Chalidi, 19.)
Rita'a. 262. Others say Ijumayra.
242. $alul was a woman of Khuza'a named Umm Ubayy b. Mali~ b. al~
263. The words 'anyv.rhere but to Yathrib' and 'when friendship is lacking'
I;Iarith b. 'Ubayd b. Malik b. Salim b. Ghanm b. 'Auf b. al-Khazra].
are not from 1.1. By idh he means idha 'when' as in the word of Allah
243. The name is also written 1. Uzayb. (Sura 34. 30) 'ldh the sinners are stationed before their Lord'. AbO Najm
al-'Ijli said:
244. The man who took pity on him was Abu'I-Bakhtari b. Hisham.
Then may God reward him for us when He awards
244a. For kanat bariyyan some say kana baq;:qan. The gardens of Eden in highest heaven.
245. The name is sometimes spelt Za'aura'. 264. One I can trust told me that the apostle said when he was in Medina: 'Who
246. 1.1. relates him to B. 'Amr b. 'Auf, but he was of B. Chanm b. al- will bring me 'Ayyash and Hisham?' AI-Walid b. al-\Valid b. al-Mughira
8alm. It often happens that when a man lives among a tribe he is supposed volunteered to do so and came to Mecca secretly. He met a woman carrying
to be related to them. some food and asked her where she was going. She said that she was going
to two prisoners, and he followed her so that he could learn where they were.
247. Or Umayya b. aI-Bark. He found that they were in a house which had no roof, and when night fell
248. Or Rifa'a b. al-!:Iarith b. Sawad. he climbed the wall; then he took a stone and put it under their fetters and
cut them through with a stroke of his sword. For this reason his sword was
249. !:Iudayla was d. Malik b. Zayd Mana< b. !:Iabib b. 'Abdu !:Iaritha b. called 'the stone-cutter'. Then he mounted them on his camel and led them
Malik b. Gha<;lb b. Jusham b. al-Khazraj. away. He stumbled and:,cut his toe and said:
250. The genealogy of GhazIya should be Ghaziya b. 'Amr b. 'AtIya b. You are naught but a toe that bled.
Khansa'. This has happened to you in the way of Allah.

251. Some say Wadfa. Then' he took them to the apostle in l\1edina. [\V. ascribes this passage to
I.I. himself.]
252. Some spell the name Jabbar.
265. AbU KhaulI belonged to B. 'Ijl b. Lujaym b. ~ab b. 'Ali b. Bakr b.
253. ~ayfI was I. Aswad b. 'Abbad b. 'Amr b. Ghanm b. Sawad. Sawad had Wail.
no son called Ghanm.
266. It was mentioned to me that Abo 'Uthman al-Nahdi said that he had
254. 'Umayr was the son of al-I:Iarith b. Labda b. Tha'laba. heard that when $uhayb wanted to emigrate the unbelieving Quraysh said,
255. The Aus referred to above was 1. 'Abbad b. <Adiy b. Ka'b b. 'Amr b. 'You came to us a penniless beggar and have acquired wealth among us,
and then you think that you can go off \....ith your money. By God, that shall
Udhan b. Sad. (For Udhan W. has Udayy.)
not be!' However, Suhayb was so eager to be off tfJ.lt he made his money
25 6 . His ancestor Ghanm b. <Auf was the brother of Salim b. 'Auf b. 'Amr over to them, and when the apostle heard of it he exclaimed twice: '$uhayb
b. 'Auf. has made a profit!'
73 0 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 73'
267. Or I:!ulayn. 283. The mufral;t is one burdened with debt and a large family as the poet
268. Salim,was th; fonne; slave 0: Thubayta d. Ya'ar b. Zayd b. 'Ubayd b.
Zayd b. Mahk b. Auf b. Arm b. Auf b. Malik b. al-Aus. When she freed
says:
If you never return what has been left in your care
hl~n: he was attached to Abu I;Iudhayfa, who adopted him. Others call him And take charge of more property the trust-money will make you a
S~hm, freedman of Abu I:Iudhayfa; and it is said that Thubayta was the pauper.
wIfe of the latter and that she freed him and so he got the name of Ab-
I:Iudhayfa's freedman. U 284. Another version is 'in beneficent loyalty'. Yutigh means 'to destroy' or
'ruin',
26?, Man~n means 'death'; raybu'l-manun means its dread and its Occurrence 285. Ja'far at that time was absent in Abyssinia.
as m the Ime of Abu Dhu'ayb al-Hudhali:
286. I have heard more than one learned person say that Abu Dharr was
Are you distressed at the thought of death and its occurrence?
Fate does not excuse those who fear. Jundub b. Junada.
287. Some say 'Uwaymir was the son of 'Amir or of Zayd.
27,0. A learned traditionist told me that al-I:Jasan b. Abu'l-Hasan al-Basri
~aId that .w~en they came to the cave at night Abu Bakr went i~ and search~d 288. 1. Jurayj mentioned that <Ata' said to him: 'I heard 'Vbayd b. 'Vmayr
It to s.ee If It harboured wild beasts or snakes, guarding the apostle with his al-LaythI say: The prophet and his companions had conferred about a
own hfe. clapper for summoning to prayer and while 'Vmar was intending to buy
two pieces of wood for the clapper he heard in his sleep a voice saying,
2?1. I have heard more than one learned traditionist say 'She of the two "Don't make a clapper but call to prayer". So he went to the apostle to tell
gIrdles', the e~plan~tion being that when she wanted t6 fasten on the bag him of what he had seen and the prophet himself had actually had a revela-
s~e tore her girdle 10 two, using one piece as a rope and the other as her tion of it. 'Vmar had hardly got back to his house when Bilal was calling.
gIrdle.
When he told the apostle of this he said, "Revelation got before you!" ,
272. V.mm Ma'bad belonged to B. Ka'b of Khuza'a. The words 'who 289. His full name was AbU Qays $inna b. Abu Anas b. $inna b. Malik
r~sted I~ the two tents' and 'they came with good intent and went off at b. 'Adiy b. 'Amir b. Ghanm b. 'Adiy b. aI-Najjar.
mg~tfall do not come fro~ 1.1.. [However, T. (1240-1) who often ignores
1.1. s verses quotes these hnes wIth a few variations as does LS. 156. 17.] 290. There is a variant farfudi1.humu for farfiquhumu.

273 Others say 'Abdullah b. Urayqil. 291. The line beginning 'Go where you will' and the following verse are the
work of Ufnun al-TaghlibI who was ~uraym b. Ma'shar. 1
274 'Abdu'I-Ra1)man was I. al-I;Iarith b. Malik b. Ju'shum.
292. Or Lu~ayt.
275 Others say Lift, as in the line of Ma'qil b. Khuwaylid al'-HudhalI:
293. Or I. J;layf.
A stranger from the people of Lift drawing milk
For a clan between Athla and Nil)am. 294. Or Azar b. Azar.

276. Or Mijaj. 295. Alim means 'painful'. Describing camels Dhu'l-Rumma said:

277. Or al- 'Agwayn. We urge on the tall camels


While the painful heat of noon smites them in the face. [Diwan lxxvi. 16.]
27 8 . Or al-'Abablb or al-'Ithyana which means al-'Ababib. 296. al-Mujadhdhar had killed Suwayd b. ~amit in one of the engagements
279 Or al-Qa1)a. between Aus and Khazraj, and at U1J,ud al-I;Iarith sought to take al-l\1ujadh-
dhar unawares to kill him in revenge for his father. It was only this man
280. Or al-Gha'ir. that he killed. I have heard more than one learned traditionist say this. The
proof that he did not kill Qays b. Zayd is that 1.1. does not mention him
281. This is no rajaz but bald prose. [Few will be found to dispute this among those that died at U1)ud.
statement!]
297. Mu'attib b. Qushayr and Tha'laba and al-I;Iarith, the two sons of
282. I asked more than one authority on poetry about this rajaz and all they I;Iiitib of B. Vmayya b. Zayd, were at Badr and were Hot hypocrites, according
would say was that they had heard that 'Ali composed it, but it was not
known whether he had or not. I Hirschfeld included this poem in l;Iassiin's Diu-an. Cf. r\o. xix and H.'s note on p. 4I.
73 2 The Life of Muhammad
Ibn Hishiim's Notes 733
to what a trustworthy traditionist told me. 1.1. himself includes Tha'laba
and al-:E;liirith among the B. Umayya who were at Badr. 306. Jahra means 'so that we can see clearly with nothing to conceal Him
from us'. Abu'l-Akhzar al-I:Iumani, named Qut~yba, said:
298. i.e. 'Amr b. Malik b. al-Aus.
Making plainly visible the midst of the waters which was covered with
299 'Aura means 'open to the enemy and abandoned J , plural 'aurat. Al- sand.
Nabigha al-Dhubyani said:
Here yajharu means 'bringing the water to light and clearing away from it
When you meet them you don't find a house exposed to attack. the sand and other matter which was hiding it'.
The guest is not forbidden and nothing is neglected.
37. Mann is something which fell on their trees in the early morning and
'Aura also means a man's wife J and also the pudenda. they used to gather it; it is sweet like honey. They both ate and drank of it.
300. Adriijak means 'Go back by the way you came', as in the words of the al-A"ha of B. Oays b. Thalaba said:
poet: If they were given manna and quails to eat on the ground
He went back and retraced his steps A man would never see good food among them!
And he who was there behaved unjustly.
Salwa are birds, singular salwat; another name for them is sumana. Honey J
30r. Ladm means 'a blow with the clenched fist'. Tamim b. Ubayy b. tOO, is called salwa. Khalid b. Zuhayr alHudhalI said:
Muqbil said:
He swore to them, By God it J s true J
The heart pounded beneath its arteries You're sweeter than honey fresh from the comb.
Like the thump of a stone which a boy throws into soft ground.
l;litta means 'Remove our sins from us'.
Ghayb means 'low ground'. Abhar are the arteries of th~ heart.
308. The tradition appears in a slightly different form with ~inta for ~int
302. Sa'ida b. Ju'ayya al-Hudhali said:
and sha'ira for sha'ir.
They said, We saw people standing round him.
There was no doubt that a man had been killed there. 309. Fum is wheat. Umayya b. Abu'l-~alt al-Thaqafi said:
Rayb also means 'suspicion', as in the line of Khalid b. Zuhayr aIR On large dishes like cisterns there were
Hudhali: Pieces like silver among the pure wheat.
As though I suspected him. Wadhil means pieces of silver and fum is flour; singular filma.
He was the son of the brother of Abu Dhu'ayb al-HudhalL 310. Illa amanfya meanS 'except reciting' because the ummf is one who
can recite but cannot write. He says that they do not know how to write but
303 'Amiha means 'bewildered'. The Arabs say a man is 'amih and amih. they can read a book. I.H. said on the authority of Abu 'Ubayda and Yunus
Ru'ba b. al.'Ajjaj describing a country said: that they interpreted what God says to refer to the Arabs. Abu 'Ubayda
The blindest guidance is from the ignorant in perplexity. told me about that. Yunus b. I;Iabib the grammarian and Abu 'Ubayda told
Plural of <amih is 'ummah, and plural of 'amih is 'amihun; fern. 'amiha and me that the Arabs say tamanna in the sense of 'he recited' and in the Quran
'amha'. we find 'We never sent an apostle or a prophet before thee but when he
recited Satan cast (something) into his recitations' (Sura 22. 51). [As the
304. $ayyib means rain from $iiba, ya$ubu, like s~yyid from sada, yasadu sequel shows, this could mean: 'when he desired something Satan cast
and mayyit from mata, yamiltu. Plural $ay(j'ib. 'Alqama b. 'Abada, one of something into his desire. '] Abu 'Ubayda the granunarian quoted to me:
B. Rabi'a b. Malik b. Zayd Manat b. Tamim, said:
He recited God's book at the beginning of the night
When the clouds poured down on them And at the end of it death claimed him.
They were like birds creeping about in terror of the thunder.
and also:
and the line: He recited God's book at night alone
Do not think me an inexperienced wight. As David recited the psalms at his ease.
May rains refresh you wherever they fall.
The singular of amant is umniya; amant can also mean a man's desire for
305. Andiid means 'the like things'; singular nidd. Lahid b. Rabi'a said: wealtlt and other things. [There is no real distinction between reading and
Praise God who has no rival. reciting. Right down to the Middle Ages it was a matter of surprise if a
In His hands is good: what He wills He does. man was able to read a text without fanning the words with his lips and so
reciting it.]
734 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 735
3 I I. Safaka means 'pour out'. The Arabs say 'he shed his blood' and 'he Qils ~eans a monk's cell; aftanani is the dialect of Tamfm, fatanani being
poured out wine'. The poet says: the dIalect of Qays. 1arir said;
Whenever a guest comes into our land There's no union when Hind departs. Had she stayed
We shed the blood of the victims in the dusty earth. She would have entertained me and the cassocked one within his cell.
By bill is meant clay mingled with sand which the Arabs call sahla. The i.e. the monk's cell. Rabbani is derived from rabb which means 'master'.
word occurs in a hadfth: when Pharaoh said '.I believe that there is no God In God's book you find 'He gave his mastet wine to drink' (12. 41), where
but He in whom the children of Israel believe' Gabriel took some river mud rabb means 'master'.
and slime and threw it in his face. I;Itil is like bam'a.
317. AbU Qays b. al-Aslat said:
312. Bei'it bi-ghaabin means 'they admitted it and bore it'. A'sha of B.
Qays b. Thalaba said: I was pained at the loss of a doughty defender.
A permanent grief afflicted me.
I will befriend you until you do the same again Though you killed him, a
Like the cry of the woman in travail whom the midwife helps. Sharp sword has bitten into 'Amr'$ head.
[This line has been quoted on W. 199, q.v.] Yassarathii means 'made The story of Bu"ath is too long to go into here for the reasons which I have
her sit down to bring forth'. given above. Sanin is the same as masnun from sannahu, 'he sharpened it'.
313. Sha!'un means 'shoots', singular shat'atun. The Arabs say qad ashta'a 3 1 8. The ana' of the night are the hours, the singular being inyun. Al~
al-zar"u, 'the seed has sprouted' when it has put forth its shoots. Azara Mutanakhkhil al-Hudhali whose name was Malik b. 'Uwaymir said be~
means 'strengthened'. That which preceded it is like mothers. [Because he wailing the loss of his son Uthayla:
has explained 'shoots' by firiikh which could mean 'chicks'.] Imru'ul-Qays
b. Bujr al-Kindi" said: Sweet and bitter was his nature like the shuffling of gaming arrows.
At any hour the night demanded he stood ready shod.
On a slope whose herbage equalled l the late trees
The track of conquering and defeated armies. Lahld b. Rabi"a describing a wild ass said:
I;!umayd b. Malik b. al-Arqat one of B. Rab!'a b. Malik said: Throughout the day he is as excited as though he were a misguided
fellow
Seed produce and clover whose herbage is matted and strong.
Whom a boon-companion had given wine among the wine sellers.
Suq without hamza is plural of siiq, the stem of a plant.
According to what Yfmus told me you can say inan with alif maWilra.
314. Sawii'un means the middle (of the path), as in the lines of Bassan b. [So points out that inan is used in the Quran.]
Thiibit:
Alas for the prophet's helpers and family 3 1 9. famasa means to rub off and make level so that eye, nose, mouth, and
After he was concealed in the middle of the grave! everything that made up the face is no more to be seen; similarly 'We
blotted out their'eyes' (Sura 54. 37), the effaced of eye with no gap between
315. Shatra means 'towards'. 'Amr b. Al)mar al-Bahili (Bahita was the son his eyelids; and you can say 'I-erased the writing and the mark' so that nothing
of Ya"i?ur b. Sa'd b. Qays b. "Aylan) describing his camel, said: can be seen of it. AI-Akhtal whose name was al-Ghauth b. Hubayra b.
She takes us towards lam' tucking her tail between her legs, al-~alt al-Taghlibi, describing a camel he had tried hardly, said:
Her tail nearly reaches her girth. We gave her the hard task of going to every distant well whose mark was
Qays b. Khuwaylid al~Hudhali,'also describing his camel, said: obliterated
The sluggish ('V.I. untrained) camel has an all-pervading disease Where you can see the chameleons writhing in the heat. (Akhtal 7. 5.)
One looks at her with a tired eye. $ilwa in the singular is fuwwa, which means a mark to indicate a road or a
JI"ra'us is his 'camel; she had a disease and he looked at her with a tired eyv waterhole. He says that it was rubbed off and made level with the ground so
The word occurs in Slira 67 4. that there was nothing showing above the soil.

316. Rabbanryun are the learned, the lawyers, and the chiefs. The singular 3'20. al-Jibt among the Arabs means whatever is worshipped other than
is rabbanL A pact said: God. Ttighut means everything that leads away from the truth; plural
Were I living as a monk in a cell jubilt and tawtighit. I was told that Abu Naji"l) said that jibt means sorcery
and {tighiit Satan.
Her voice would have enticed me forth and the most learned of them
too! 321. This paragraph is what I.I. said: what follows continues the preceding
I Lane, 52 b, c, indicates that 'engirdled' is a possible meaning. hadith.
The Life of Muhammad
Ibn Hishiim's Notes
322. Ayyana means 'when', as in the line of Qays b. al-I:Iudadlya al- 737
Khuzii'i": ~~~as~~~~'d~~eh~;;:~s~~~~~mporary with the prophet, went out walking
and his father said to him 'D~~as:;Ot~;dfSO~u~ble'.m~aning th: prophet,
vVith a secret that we shared I came
To ask her when he who was away would return.
Mursaha means 'end' and the plural is marasin. AI-Kumayt b. Zayd al-
Asadi said:
And those who found the door which others missed
E~~~!~!:~~f';J:l::~d:Et~~~~~;t~=~~;;~~h~;~;~~fia~~~
To you she runs with loosened girth
The haven of the principles of Islam. (Agh. xv. 123. 26.)
Her foal 'tis clear soon comes to birth.
The mursa of a ship is where it comes to rest. lfafiyun 'anha comes in a The Christians' faith she Scorns its worth.
sentence in which the order is inverted. He says: 'They will ask you about it
Wa{itn means a camel's girth. Hisham b 'Unva said t __
as though you would favour them,' i.e. tell them what you will not tell any- the second line' but Ab - 'Ub d d' . . . hat the iraqIs added
One else. AI-lzaJiy means 'the kind, the considerate', and in God's book , U ay a quote It m Its place.
'Verily He is gracious to me' (19. 48). The plural is aJ;Jiya'. A'sha of B. 328. Kaffalahii means 'he took her to himself',
Qays b. Thalaba said:
329 A.qlamahum means their arrows by which they cast 1 t f h
If you ask about me, many a one asks about A'sha, Zachanah's lot d h 0 s or er.
Where has he gone? Good friends that they are. Ab u-'I -.H asan a I- Bcam~ 0';1t an
a~n saId.
e took her according to what aI-Hasan b
. .
l:!afiy also means al-musta!lJf, the one who exceeds all bounds In asking
330. al-akmah is one who is born blind . Ru'ba b . a I- 'A"-'
JJaJ sal'd :
questions.
I cried out and it withdrew as a blind man does.
323. Yw;ltihilna means they imitate their speech, the speech of the infidels.
If you say something and someone says the same thing he copies (yw;lahi) Plural kumh. R ' , I
arraJ u means' cried out at the lion and threatened it'.
you.
33 I. A~u 'Ubayda said nabtahil means 'let us invoke a curs '
Qays saId: e. A'sha of B.
324. Zahir means 'help'. The Arabs say ta;aharil 'alayhi, i.e. they helped
one another against him. The poet said:
Don:t sit down when you have kindled the fire of war
a namesake of the prophet, you were a support to religion PraYIng for protection from its evil when it comes and curSIng . Iou dl y.
And a help to the imam.
The plural is zuhara'.
ii' ':v
reads e ', &~., ?ut the context (see Diwan vi. 52) shows that W. is ri ht]
e means We wIll Invoke a curse'. The Arabs say God bahal g .
'May he c h" d ' . a someone I.e
. urse 1m; an on hIm be the bahla of God' or buhl' h ' .
325. al-~amad means one on whom one depends and in whom one takes Tabtahtlu also me tO b ' a, I.e. t e curse.
refuge. Hind d. I\la'bad b. Na<;lla mourning 'Amr b. Mas'tid and Khalid to ado t th' a~s h e .earn:st In prayer. [It would seem more natural
p IS meanIng ere In spIte of LH.]
b. Na<;lla her two uncles the Asadites (they were killed by al-Nu'man b.
al-Mundhir al-Lakhmi and he built the two standing stones which are m 332. There is a variant reading malun for nakhlun.
Ktifa over them) said:
333 .. Muzaham is the name of a fort.
One came early to tell me of the death of the two best of Asad,
'Amr b. Mas'tid and the dependable chief (al-~amad). 334 The second verse has not LI.'s authority.

[The meaning of this word is most obscure and commentators on the 335 By his tauq he means his taqa (might).
Quran differ widely. The Ghariyan were two standing stones which were
336. Shama and Tafil are two mountains in Mecca.
smeared with the blood of the victims sacrificed there. See W. R. Smith,
RS. 157, 201, 210 and the literature cited there. For the present-day 337 He left Sad b. 'Ubiida in charge of Medina.
survival of the rite see Freya Stark, A Winter in Arabia, London, 1940, 153.]
338. This was the first of his raids.
326. Others say Kurz.
339 I. AbU 'Amr b. al-'Alii' from Abu 'A I 'I d -
M'k b H f ~ mr a -lY a am told me that
327. I have heard that the chiefs of Najrah used to inherit books from their IF:haz . . ~ s b. al-Akhyaf, one of B. Mals b. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy b GhTb
predecessors. Whenever one chief died and authority passed to his successor b . I r, was In command of them. . a1
he would seal those books with the seals that were before his time and not
340. l'vlost authorities on poetry deny that this ode is from Aba Bak
B,~ ~
3 B
Ibn Hishiim's Notes 739
The Life of Muhammad
8 364. Saby is the lungs together with the parts above the navel adjoining
73 . d verse Most authorities on poetry deny that I. the windpipe; what is below the navel is called qUfh, as in the prophet's
341, I have omltte one . .
Ziba'ra was the author of thIS ode. saying related to me by Abu 'Ubayda: 1 saw 'Amr b. LUQayy dragging his
. . d that Sa'd wrote this verse. guts (gush) in hell fire.
34 2 . Most authorlttes on poctry eny
. . H a's verse. 365. According to some Sawwad. Sawad of the An{>ar was another man.
" lost authorities deny that thIS IS . am2
343 " 366. Another reading is mustan$il.
't' deny that Abu Jahl was the author.
344 Most aut h on leS
. I S-"b b 'Uthman b. Maz'iin in charge of Medina. 367. Others read ia'uljimannahu, '1 will strike his jaw with my sword'.
345. He put a - a 1
e put Abu Salama 'Abdu'l-Asad in charge of Medina. 368. ai-mari is not from 1.1. It means a camel whose milk is dra\vn with
346. H t difficulty.
. k I ft r Harnza was sen .
Som e traditionists say that thIS too P ace a e .
347 369. Abii'l-Bakhtari was al-'A s b. Hisham b. al-!;larith b. Asad.
34 8 . He left Zayd b. I:;!aritha in charge of Medina. .
370. By 'milk' he meant 'I shall redeem myself from my captors v.'ith camels
b 'Abbiid or according to others MalIk b.
349. His name was A~dullah. " was < Amr b. Malik, one of al- rich in milk'.
'Abbad, one of aH'adtf. sadif s _name
371. A learned traditionist told me that 'Ali said: 'Turbans are the crowns
- b . Ashras b. Kinda or KmdL
S ak un d - of the Arabs. The mark of the angels at _Badr was \-vhite turbans flowing
b the Muslims and <Amr b. al-J:la. rami
350. It was the first booty taken / k'll d 'hile 'Uthman b. 'Abdullah freely behind them except Gabriel who wore a yellow turban.'
was the first man that the Mus ~ms Ie., .. 372. The war-cry of the apostle's companions that day was 'Onet One!'
and al-Hakam b. Kaysan were theIr first pnsoners.
' e verses come from'Abdullah b. Jal;l.sh. 373. lfaraja means 'thickly matted growth'. There is a tradition that
351. Th 'Vmar asked a Badu what the word meant and he said that it was a kind of
352. Or Hashim. , ' growth which could not be penetrated.
, detennined man', but here a sword.
353. Furafir elsewhere .mea~s a , and it can be applied to a buck or ~he 374. l)abatha means 'to clutch and hold someone'. -Oabi' b. al-J:Iarith
Ayhab means 'without mtelhgen,ce , too weak to exact vengeance. al-Burjumi said:
male ostrich. Al-Kh~lil said that It ;ne;:~ ::t~haYhab. Most of this useful Because of the love between me and you
[Lexicographers vaCIllate between ay I've become like one who holds water in his hand.
note is lacking in W.]
, or 'Abdullah) b. Umm Maktiim brother Others said that he said: 'Is it a disgrace for a man to be killed by you?'
354. On Monday 8th and left ~r ( prayers Later he sent back Abu Then he asked for tidings of the battle.
of B 'Amir b. Lu'ayy to presI e over. . .
. I R h-> to take conunand In Medma. 375. Abu 'Ubayda and others of those learned in the wars told me that
Lubaba from a - au. a
'Umar said to Sa'id b. al-'A{> when he passed him: 'Methinks you've some-
355. It was white. thing on your mind. You are thinking that I killed your father. Had 1
The Ans.""s flag was with Sad b. Mu'adh. killed him 1 should not apologize to you for having done so. As a matter of
35 6 . fact I killed my maternal uncle al-'A.{> b. Hisham b. al-I\-1ughira. I passed
357. Dhatu'l-Jaysh. by your father as he was tearing up the ground as an ox does with his horn
35 8 , The word :(I:abya is not from 1.1. and I turned to one side. It was his cousin 'Ali who went for him and killed
him.'
359. Said to be Abii Bakr.
376. !;lihal b. Tulay1)a and Thahit b. Aqrarn al-An,ari.
3 60 . The old man's name was Sufyan alwI)amri.
377. Abu Bakr called his son 'Abdu'l-Rahman who was at that time among
Th last two lines come from more than one rOwE. the polytheists saying, 'Where is my property you rascal?' And he replied:
61
3 . e f Ab- Jahl' her name was Asma' d,
362. al-!;laIl1'aliya was the motjhebr ;_ . u Mft1ik b. HlUl1'ala b. MiUik b, Save weapons and horses nothing is left
Mukharriba, one of B. Nahsha . arun b . . But a sword to slay a senseless old dolt!
Zayd Manat b. Tamim.
378. His name was ~udayy b. 'Ajlan.
3 6 3. Ge':ting it ready.
740 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes
74'
379. Said to have been 'AdlY b. Abu'l-Zaghbii'. 399 The ransom of ~he polytheists was fixed at 4,0<:l'0 dirhams per man,
though some got off wIth 1,000. Those who had nothing the apostle released
380. ai-mala' means the nobles and chiefs. freely.
381. The name of this place is not mentioned by I. I. 400. Rifa'a b. R<ifi', one of B. Zurayq, captured him.
382. It is said that 'Ali killed him. AI-Zuhri and other traditionists told 41. Naka~a means 'returned'. Aus b. I:Iajar, one of B. Csayd b. 'Amr b.
me so. Tamim, said:
383. ijamft means a ziqq. You turned On your heels the day you came
Leading away the spoils of a large army.
384. Abu 'Aziz was the standard-bearer of the polytheists at Badr after
al-Na9.r, and when his brother Mu~'ab said these words to Abl1'I-Yasar [In W.'s text this line reads:
who nad captured him he said, 'Brother, is this the sort of advice you give You .turned On your heels then you came (on)
about me?' Mu~'ab answered, 'He is now my brother in your place.' His Hopmg for the spoils &c.]
mother asked what was the most that was paid to redeem a Qurash!, and
when she was told that it was 4,000 dirhams she sent the money and re- 4 0 2. Abu Zayd al-An~ari quoted to me the line 'When he came to them
noble of race'.
deemed him.
385. Abu Sufyan's name was al-Mughlra. 4 0 3. Others say al-Nac;lr b. al-I:farith b. 'Alqama b. Kalda.

386. Here is an example of faulty rhyming known as iqwii: which is often 4 0 4. THE NAMES OF THE HORSES OF THE MUSLIMS AT BADR
found in their verse. We call it ikjii'. I have omitted some better known
A learned perso~ told me that at Badr the l'vluslims had the following horses:
lines that occur in 1.1.'s narrative.
al-,Sa~al be:ongmg to Marthad . . . al-Ghanawi; Ba'zaja belonging to al-
387. Some authorities on poetry deny that these lines are Ibn Dukhshum's. MIqda? b. Amr al-Bahrani ~others say its name was Sabl).a); al-Ya'sub
belongmg to al-Zubayr b. al- Av,..'Wam. The polytheists had one hundred
388. I shall mention the tradition about that stand later. God willing. horses.
389. Some authorities on poetry deny the authenticity of these lines. 40r Mukii' ~eans whistling and tatdiya means clapping.
Antara b. Amr b. Shaddad aI-'Absi said:
390. 'Amr's mother was d. Abu 'Amr and the sister of Abu Mu'ayt b.
Abu 'Arm. I\Il,any an equal have I left on the ground
HIS blood whistling in his throat like a camel's breath
391. 'All had captured him.
mean.i~g th_e sound of the blood rushing out of the wound li~e whistling.
392. Khirash b. al-$imma, one of B. I;Iaram, had captured him. AI-TInmmal). b. I:fakim al-Ta'iy said:
393. It was Abu Khaythama. "Vhen it is ,frightened it stamps its feet and stands listening
In a safe dIstant refuge of the two mountains of Ibna Shamam. .
394. Another reading is 'a shirt of fire'.
He is ~.pea.king of the mountain goa~ which when frightened stamps on the
395. Abu Sufyan's sworn friend who is referred to here was <Uqba b. rock v,..lth I~S fe,et, and t~en stands stIll and listens. Its stamping on the rock
<Abdu'I-J:Iarith b. al-J:Ia<,lrami. As for 'Amir b. al-J:Iac;lrami, he was slain makes a nOl~e Itke clapp mg. MU$dan means a safe refuge. Ibna Shamam are
at Badr. two mountams. [No. 47, line 28, in Krenkow's edition,]
396. 1.1. has named the (nan in his account as Nafi' b. 'Abdu Qays. 4 0 6. Ankal means fetters, singular nikl. Ru'ba b, al-<Ajjaj said:
397. Abu <Ub.ayda told me that when Abu'l-'A~ came from Syria with the My fetters will keep you from wanting any other fetters.
property of the polytheists he was asked if he would like to become a Muslim
40 7. Tukhuwwifa is an alteration of the word that 1.1. wrote whi h I h
and take the property because it belonged to polytheists. He answered: 'It not rec d d [A Dh . , cave
~r e. . . wntes: the word (takhau"'''waja) is written ta kh
would be a bad beginning to my Islam if I were to betray my trust.' 'Abdu'l-
waw, wlthfath~. It is sai~ t,hat takhawu""G;ftu was written originally and th=~
Wirith b. Sa'id al-Tannuri from Dii'ud b. Abu Hind from 'Amir al-Sha'bi
1.H. corrected It because It IS the wrong way to speak of God.' This seems
told me the same thing as Abu 'Ubayda about Abu'l-'A~.
probable because elsewhere in t,hi.s section 1.1. ventures to put words into
398. Khalid b. Zayd Abu AyyUb al-An~arl, brother of B. aI-Najjar, had the mouth of God when explammg the meaning of this sura. W. reads
captured him. yatakhazvwaju (or the corresponding passive); C.'s reading seems preferable.]
742 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 743
408. The explanation of this passage has already been given. 416. Abu Balta"a's name was "Amr, a Lakhmite; his freedman Sa'd was a
Kaibite.
409 Jana,bil lilsalm means 'they inclined to peace'. Al-junu}.z is 'declining'.
Labid b. Rabi'a said: 417. Others say Hazl b. Qiis b. Dharr.

The bending of the polisher over his hands 418. AI-Qara is their nickname as in the line:
Stooping to find the rust on the arrow-heads. Those who compete in archery with the Qara will have been fair to them.
He means the polisher who bends over his work. Nuqab means 'rust' on a They were great bowmen.
s\vord; yajtali means polishing a sword. Salm also means 'peace' J and in
the book of God 'Be not weak and call to peace when you have the upper 419. He was called Dhu'l-Shimalayn because he was ambidextrous; his
hand',' It is also rcad as silm with the same meaning. Zuhayr b. Abu Sulma name was 'Umayr.
said:
You said if we can possibly attain peace 420. Khabbab belonged to B. Tamim and has descendants in Kufa; others
By money and good words we will make peace. 2 say that he belonged to Khuza'a.

I was told that al-J:lasan b. Abu'l-J:lasan al-Ba~ri said that 'and if they incline 42I. His real name was 'Abdullah; he was nicknamed 'Atiq because he was
to salm' meant Islam; and in the book of God '0 you who believe enter into so handsome.
silm all of you' can be read as 'into salm' which is Islam. Umayya b. Abu'l-
$alt said:
422. He too was born a slave among the Asd. He was a black whom Abu
Bakr bought from them.
They did not come back to salm when God's apostles
Warned them, and they were not supporters of it. 423. AI-Namr was the son of Qasi! b. Hinb b. Afja b. ladila b. Asad b.
Rabi'a b. Nizar; others say Af~a b. Du'mi b. ladila b. Asad b. Rabi'a b.
The Arabs call a long bucket a salm. Tarafa b. al-'Abd, one of B. Qays b.
Nizar. It is said that ~uhayb was the freedman of 'Abdullah b. lud'an b.
Tha'laba, describing a she-camel of his, said:
'Amr b. Ka'b b. Sa"d b. Taym and that he was a Rumi. Those "\-vho say that
Her two forelegs are splayed as though he belonged to al-Namr maintain that he was merely a prisoner among the
She was borne down by the weight of two buckets. Byzantines and that he was bought from them (i.e. ransomed). However,
There is a variant reading diiliJ. 3 there is a tradition that the prophet said '~uhayb is the first-fruits of Byzan~
tium'.
410. Zayd b. J:laritha b. Shural)bII b. Ka'b b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza b. Imru'u'I~
Qays b. 'Amir b. aI-Nu'man b. 'Amir b. 'Abdu Wudd b. 'Auf b. Kinana b. 424. Shammas's name was 'Uthman; he ,vas called Sharnmas for the reason
Bah b. 'Auf b. 'Udhra b. Zaydullah b. Rufayda b. Thaur b. Kab b. that a Shammas came to Mecca in pagan times, a man so handsome as to
\Vabra. excite general admiration. 'Utba b. RabI'a, who was the maternal uncle of
Shammas, said, 'I will bring you a Shammas who is more handsome than
411. Anasa was an Abyssinian and Abu Kabsha a Persian. he', and he brought his nephew 'Uthman b. 'Uthman. Thus he was called
Shammas according to what Ibn Shihab and others told me. [This is a
412. Kannaz b. J:lu~ayn.
repetition of what I.H. has already said on W., p. 212.]
413. AbU. I:Iudhayfa's name was Mihsham; and Salim a freed slave of
425. The latter was an "Ansi of l\1adhl)ij.
Thubayta d. Yaar b. Zayd b. 'Ubayd b. Zayd b. Malik b. 'Auf b. 'Amr b.
'Auf b. I\15lik b. Aus. She set him free and he was attached to Abu I:Iudhayfa, 426. Mihja' was from 'Akk b. 'Adnan.
who adopted him as a son. It is said that Thubayta d. Ya'ar was the wife of
AbU. I:Iudhayfa and she freed Salim. Others say he was Abu I;Iudhayfa's 427. Abu Khauli was of B. 'Iji b. Lujaym b. ;;lab b. 'Ali b. Bah b. Wii'il.
freedman. 428. 'Anaz b. Wa'iI was b. Qasi\ b. Hinb b. Afsa b. ladila b. Asad b. Rab!'a
4'4. Midlaj. b. Nizar; others say Af~a was b. Du'rni b. laciila.

415. AbU. Makhshi was a Ta'iy, his name being Suwayd b. MakhshL 429. Sa'd b. Khaula came from the Yarnan.

J 2.204.
430. Many learned men other than I. I. mention among the emigrants at
1 Lyall, Ten Ancient Arabic Poems, Calcutta, r894, p. 58, I. 9. Badr: of B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy, Wahb b. Sa'd b. AbU Sarh and J:!a\ib b. 'Amr;
3 Op. cit., p. 35, 1. 21, shows that this is the true reading. The diilij is the man who and of B. aI-J:!arith b. Fihr, 'Iyac;l b. AbU Zuhayr.
carries two large buckets from well to cistern holding- them away from his body to avoid
wetting his clothes. In this attitude his arms remind the poet of the widespread legs of his 43 I. Or Za'warii.
camel.
744 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 745
432. Aslam was the son of I:Iaris b. 'Adiy. 459. Another form of the name is Quryus.

433. Others say' Ati!< b. aI-Tayyahan. 460. His full name was Malik b. al-Dukhsham b. Malik b. al-Dukhsham b.
Marl1akha.
434. 'Abdullah b. Sahl was the brother of B. Za'iirii. Others say he belonged
to Ghassan. 46r. It is said that 'Amr b. 1y3.5 was the brother of Rabi' and Waraqa.

435. Zafar was b. al-Khazraj b. 'Amr b. Malik b. al-Aus. 462. She was their mother, their father being 'Amr b. Omara.

436. 'Ubayd was called Muqarrin because he bound four prisoners tOM 463. Others say Qasr b. Tamim b. Irasha and Qismil b. Faran. al-Mujadh~
gether at Badr. It was he who captured 'Aqil b. Abu Talib. dhar's name was 'Abdullah.

437. Others say his name was Mas'ud b. 'Abdu Sa'd. 464. Others say Ba!)!)ath b. Tha'iaba.

438. 'Umayr b. Ma'bad is correct. 465. 'Utba b. Bahz from B. Sulaym.

439. The latter was his mother's name. 466. He was Simak b. Aus b. Kharasha b. Laudhan b. 'Abdu Wudd b.
Zayd b. Tha'iaba.
440. He sent them back from al-Rau!)a'. !:Iiilib was b. 'Amr b. 'Ubayd b.
Umayya, and Abu Lubaba's name was Bashir. 467. It is said that al-Mundhir was b. 'Amr b. Khanbash.

441. He was b. Thabit b. al-Nu'man b. Umayya b. Imru'uI-Qays b. 468. Malik b. Mas'iid was b. al-Badiy according to some learned authorities.
Tha'iaba. 469. It is said that Ka'b was b. Jammaz and was from Ghubshan.
442. He was Abu Oayya};1's brother, and it is said that his name was Abu 470. Oamra and Ziyad were the sons of Bishr.
I:Iabba:. It is said that it was Imru'ul-Qays who was called al-Burak b.
Tha'iaba. 471. In all the above cases it was ai-Jamul). b. Zayd b. I:Iaram except for the
grandf~ther of al-$imma b. 'Aror, who was aI-Jamul). b. I:Iaram. 'Umayr b.
443. Others say Thabit was b. 'Arm b. Thalaba. al~I:Ianth was b. Labda b. Tha'laba (is the name of the twelfth on the list).
444. Others say al-J:laris b. Jal)jaba. 472. It is said that ]abbar was b. $akhr b. Umayya b. Khunas.
445. Others say Tamim b. Inlsha and Qismil b. Fariin.
473. Others say Buldhuma or Bulduma.
446. 'Arfaja was b. Kab b. al-Na!)!)al b. Ka'b b. !:Iaritha b. Ghanm.
474. Others say Sawiid was b. Rim b. Zayd b. Thalaba.
447. Tamim was the freedman of Sad b. I<;haythama.
475. Others say Mabad b. Qays was b. $ayfi b. $akhr b. !:Iaram b. Rabi'a.
8. Others say JuBis, but I regard that as wrong.
476. Sawad had no son with the name Ghanm.
449. Others say Qays was b. 'Abasa b. Umayya.
477 'Antara was from B. Sulaym b. Man:;;ur, then of B. Dhakwan.
450" Fus};mffi was his mother, wife of al-Qayn b. Jasr.
478. Aus was b. 'Abbad b. 'Adiy b. Kab b. 'Amr b. Udayy b. Sad. I.I.
451. Sufyan b. Nasr b. 'Arm b. al-!:Iarith b. Ka'b b. Zayd.
relates Mu'adh b. Jabal to B. Sawad because he lived with them' he was not
452. Others say 'Abdullah b. 'Umayr b. 'Adiy b. Umayya b. Jidiira. of their stock. '
453. Zayd was b. al-Murayy. 479. 'Amir is said to be the son of aIMAzraq.
454. Salim b. Ghanm b. 'Auf got the name of !:Iublii from his big belly. 480. Others say Qays b. !:Iijn.
455. Others say 'Amr b. Salama. He was of Baliy of Qul1ii'a. 481. His name should be spelt Busr.
456. Ma'bad was b. 'Ubiida b. Qashghar b. al-Muqaddam; and it is said 482. Or Wadfa.
that 'Ubada was b. Qays b. al-Qudm.
483. Or Rukhayla.
457. 'Amir b. al-'Ukayr; others say 'Ajim b. aI-'Ukayr.
484. Others say 'Ulayfa.
458. This is Ghanm b. 'Auf, brother of Salim b. 'Auf b. 'Amr b. 'Auf b.
al-Khazraj, and Ghanm. b. Salim preceded him according to 1.1. 485 Others say 'Usayr or 'Ushayra.
746 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 7+7
486. J:laritha b, alNu'man was the son of Nat' b. Zayd. 5 0 8. Others say at al-Athil; it is said that his name was aI-Nadr b. aI-Harith
b. 'Alqama b. Kalada b. 'Abdu Manar. ' .
487. Or' Abid.
4 88 . She was d. 'Ubayd b. Thalaba b. 'Ubayd b. Thalaba b. Ghanm b. 5 0 9. Bilal killed Zayd, who was an ally of B. 'Abdu'l-Dar from B. Mazin.
Others say that al-Miqdad killed him.
I\lalik b. aI-Najjar. It is said that Rifira was b. al-J:Iarith b. Sawad.
5 10 . 'AIr, or according to others 'Abdu'I-Ra1).man b, 'Auf, killed him.
489. Or Nu'ayman.
490. Abu'l-Bamra' was the freedman of al-I;Iarith b. Rifa'a. 511. He was one of B. 'Amr b. Tamim, a stout warrior whom 'Ammar b.
Yasir killed.
491. I:fudayla was d. Malik b. Zaydullah b.l:fablb b. 'Abdu I:faritha b. Malik
5 I 2. Abu Dujana killed him.
b, Gha<;lb b. Jusharn b. al-Khazraj and the mother of Mu'iiwiya b. 'Amr b.
Malik b. aI-Najjar and the B. Mu'awiya are named after her. 5 1 3. Kharija b. Zayd killed him, though others say 'Ali did. I;Iarmala was
of Asd.
49 2 . They are the B. Maghala d. 'Auf b. 'Abdu Manat b. 'Amr b. Malik b.
Kinaoa b. Khuzayma. Others say that they are of B. Zurayq. Maghala 514. 'AlI killed him.
waS the mother of 'Adiy b. 'Amr b. Malik b. aI-Najjar and the B. 'Adiy trace 5 I 5. Ijamza killed him.
their descent from her.
5 1 6. 'Ali, or according to others 'Amrnar, killed him.
493. Abu Shaykh was Ubayy b. Thiibit, brother of I:Iassan b. Thfrbit.
5 ' 7. Sad b. al-Rabi' killed him.
494. Others say Saw'Nad.
5 1 8. Man b. 'Adiy, an ally of D. 'Ubayd, killed him.
495. Others say Abii'l-A'war was al-l;l"firith b. Zalim.
519. 'AlI killed him.
49 6 . Bujayr was from 'Abs b. DaghI<;I b. Rayth b. Ghatafan of the clan of B.
5,20.,~l-Sa'ib b. Abu'l-Sa'ib was a partner of the apostle; and there is a
Jadhima b. Rawa!:ta. ~radItlOn that the prophet said that he was an excellent partner who was never
497. IVIost traditionists mention among the Kha~raj who wefe at Badr: III tempered or obstinate. According to our information he became an
Of the B. al-'AjIao b. Zayd b. Ghaom b. Salim b. 'Auf b. 'AIm b. 'Auf: excellent Muslim, but God knows the truth. Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri men~
'!than b. Malik b. Amr, and Mulayl b. Wabara b. Khalid; and 'I,ma b. tioned from 'Ubaydullah b. 'Utba from Ibo 'Abbas that al-Sa'ib b. Abu'l-
al-Husavo b. Wabara. Of the B.l:fablb b. 'Abdu J:Iaritha b. Malik b. Gha<;lb Sa'ib b. 'Abid b. 'Abdullah b. 'Vmar b. Makhzum was one of the Quraysh
b. jush~m who are among the B. Zurayq: Hilal b. aI-Mu'alla b. Laudhan b. who Swore fealty to the apostle, and on the day of al-Ji'rana he gave him his
Haritha b. 'Adiy b. Zayd b. Thalaba b. Malik b. Zaydu Manat b. I:fablb. share of the booty of I;Iunayn. Someone other than Ibn Isryaq said that
al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam killed him. (This explanation of yushiirt is in
498. Brother of Sad b. Abu Waqqa, according to I.H. accordance with the Listin under sharra.)
499. Zayd b. J:Hiritha killed him; others say I:Iamza, Ali, and Zayd killed 521. Others say I:fajiz. 'AII.killed I:fajib.
him between them.
522. al-Nu'man b. :Malik killed him in single combat.
500. 'Ammar b. Yasir killed 'Amir and aI-Nu'man b. 'A~r killed al-I;Iarith.
He was an ally of al-Aus. 52 3. Yazid b. Ruqaysh killed 'Amr and Abu Burda killed Jabir.
524. 'AlI killed him.
501. Salim, freedman of Abu l;Iudhayfa, killed 'Umayr.
5 2 5. J:Iamza killed him with the help of Sad b. Abu Waqqa,.
502. Others say 'Ali killed him.
5 26 . 'All, or al-Nu'man b. Malik, or Abu Dujana killed him.
503. I::Iarnza and 'Ali shared in the killing of him.
527 Abu'l-Yasar killed him.
5 0 4. Th1ibit b. al-]idh', brother of D. !Jar;"tm. killed him; others say
J:lamza, 'Ali, and Thiibit did. 5 28 . Others say it was Mu'adh b. 'Afra' and Kharija b. Zayd and Khubayb
b. 15M jointly.
505. 'Ammar b. Yasir killed him.
529 'Ali killed him, or according to others al-I:Jusayn b. al-I:Jarith and
506. Barnza and 'Ali killed him. 'Uthman b. Ma~'un together.
507. Abu'l-Bakhtari was aI-'A.!? b. I:Iashim. 530. Others say 'Ukkasha b. Mi1).~an did so.
7+8 The Life of Muhammad
. Ibn Hishiim's Notes
53I. Others say Abu Dujana did so.
7+9
From B. al-Mutta1ib: <Aqil b. 'Amr, an ally. and his brother Tamlm,
532. Abu 'Ubayda from AbU 'Amr told me that the polytheists lost 70 and his son. 3.
killed and an equal number of prisoners. This agrees with what Ibn' Abbas From B. 'Abdu Shams: Khalid b. Asid b. Abu'l-'I~; and AbU'I-'Arl<;l
and Sa'id b. al-Musayyab said; and in God's book (we read) 'and is it not a Yasar, freedman of al-'A~ b. Umayya. 2.
fact that when a disaster befell you you had brought twice as great a disaster on From B. Naufal: Nabhan, one of their freedmen. I.
them'; this He said in reference to those who took part in the battle of Badr. From B. Asad b. 'Abdu'l-'Uzza: 'Abdullah b. l;Iumayd b. Zuhayr b.
Those of them who were martyred number 70 men. He says : 'You brought al-I;Iarith. I.
disaster at Badr on twice as many as you lost as martyrs at UQ.ud, 70 dead From B. 'Abdu'l-Dar: 'Aqil, an ally of theirs from the Yaman. I.
and 70 prisoners.' Abu Zayd al-An~ari quoted to me the line of Ka'b b. From B. Taym b. Murra: Musa/i' b. 'Iya<;l b. ;>akhr b. 'Amir b. Kab b.
Malik: Sad b. Tayrn; and Jabir b. al-Zubayr, an ally. 2.
There remained where the camels rest (by the trough) From B. Makhzum: Qays b. al-Sa'ib. I.
Seventy dead, among them 'Utba and al-Aswad. From B. Juma\>: 'Amr b. Ubayy b. Khalaf; and Abu Ruhm b. 'Abdullah
He means the slain at Badr. God willing, I shall mention this ode of his an ally; and an ally of theirs whose name escapes me; and two freedmen
later on. of Umayya b. Khalaf, one of them Nistas, and Abu Rafi' a slave of
Here are some of the names which I. I. does not mention of the slain at Umayya b. Khalaf. 6.
Badr: From B. Sahm: Aslam freedman of Nubayh b. al-I;fajjaj. I.
Of B. 'Abdu Shams: Wahb b. al-J:Iarith of B. Anmar: an ally; and 'Arnir From B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy: l;Iabib b. ]abir; and aI-Sa'ib b. Malik. 2.
b. Zayd an ally from the Yarnan. Total 2. From B. al-J:Iarith b. Fihr: Shafi' and Shafi',-tvt'O allies of theirs from the
Of B. Asad b. Abdu'I-'Uzz5: 'Uqba b. Zayd an ally from the Yarnan and Yaman. 2.
'Umayr a freedman of theirs. Total 2. 537. Most authorities on poetry refuse to accept it and its counterblast as
Of B. 'Abdu'l-Dar: Nubayh b. Zayd and 'Ubayd b. Salit an ally from authentic.
Qays. Total 2.
From B. Taym b. Murra: Malik b. 'Ubaydullah, brother of Tall,la, who 538. We have changed two words in 1.1.'s version of this ode, namely,
was taken prisoner and died in captivity and so is counted among the 'boastful'I at the end of line 20 and 'kindly' at the beginning of line 23,
slain; and some add 'Amr b. 'Abdullah b. ]ud'an. Total2. because he casts aspersions on the prophet in them.
Of B. Makhzum: l;Iudhayfa b. AbU l;Iudhayfa whom Sad b. Abu The following verses which 1.1. attributes to 'Ali b. Abu Talib are not
Waqqas killed; and Hisham b. Abu l;Iudhayfa whom ;>uhayb killed; recognized by any authority on poetry, nor is the counterblast. \Ve have
and Zuhayr b. Abu Rifa'a whom Abu Usayd killed; and AI-Sa'ib b. included them only because they mention that 'Amr b. 'Abdullah b. Jud'an
Abu llifa'a whom 'Abdu'l-Ra\>man b. 'Auf killed; and 'A:idh b. al- was killed at Badr, although 1.1. does not mention him among the slain as
Sa'ib who was taken prisoner, then redeemed, and then died on the way these verses do.
home from a wound which J:Iamza had given him; and 'Umayr an ally
539. Others say the author was al-A'sha b. Zurara b. al-Nabbash one of the
from Tayyi'; and Khiyar an ally from al-Qara. Total 7.
B. Usayd b. 'Amr b. Tamim an ally of B. Naufsl b. 'Abdu Manaf.
Of B. Juma\> b. 'Amr: Sabra b. Malik an ally. Total 1.
Of B. Sahm b. 'Amr: al-I;Iarith b. Munabbih whom ;>uhayb killed; 540. We have omitted three verses of I:fassan's poem because they are
'Amir b. Abu 'Auf b. I;lubayra whom 'Abdullah b. Salama al-'Ajlani obscene.
killed; others say Abu Dujana. Total 2.
541. We have left out one verse which is obscene.
533. Others say Ibn AbU Wa\>ra.
542. Some say that 'Abdullah b. al-J:Iarith al-Sahmi was the composer.
534. He was al-l;Iarith b. 'A'idh b. 'Uthman.
543. The fifth verse comes from Abu Zayd al-An~ari.
535. There is a variant reading for backs, namely 'heels'.. Khalid was from
Khuza'a; according to others an 'UqaylL
become a Muslim and was concealing his faith out of fear of his people.' The writer is
536. One name is missing from I.1.'s list to make up the total number he concerned with 'Abbas's orthodoxy; but we may be confident that political reasons and
concern for personal safety led to the excision of the name of the ancestor of the new dynasty.
gives. I Among the prisoners he does not mention are the following: It is perfectly clear that I.I. originally wrote his name and put the total at the end of the
From B. Hashim b. 'Abdu Manaf: 'Utba, an ally of theirs from B. section '3 men'. Every other clan contains the names and the total numbers of its men
Fihr. I. taken prisoner except the clan of Hashim. Whether he himself struck out the offendin.'\
words when he gave his copy to the caliph al-Man~u.r, or whether a later copyist did so, is
I This remark is interesting for more than one reason. Abu Dharr says of the Hashimite unimportant. Clearly the change came about when the sons of 'Abbas replaced the sons of
list: 'He does not mention al.'Abbas b. 'Abdu'l-Munalib with the other two because he had Umayya. .,.
I For ai-JaIMri a simple restoration would be al~fajri 'villainous'.
75 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 75'
544 Abu Zayd al-An~ari quoted to me the verse about Abu Jah1. 559. The last line was cited to me by some authorities on poetry.
545 The last line is not from 1. I. 560. One tradition of this poetry separates the line, 'no lion of the jungle',
&c., from the two preceding verses.
546. Some authorities on poetry deny that these verses are 'Ubayda's.
561. Most authorities on poetry deny that Hind said this.
547 :When <Ubay~a's foot was smitten he said, 'By God, if Abu Talib
had lIved to see thIS day he would know that I have a better right th;n he 562. It is said (though only God knows the truth) that when the apostle
to say: heard this poetry he said, 'If I had heard this before he was killed I would have
You lie, by God's house, spared him.'
Muhammad shall not be maltreated
Before we have used OUf swords and
bows in his defence. 563. He put in charge of Medina Siba' b. 'Urfuta al-Ghifari or Ibn Umm
Maktiim.
We will not betray him until we lie dead around him
And be unmindful of our children and wives.' ' 564. He put Bashir b. 'Abdu'l-Mundhir who was AbU. Lubaba in charge of
These two verses are in the ode of Abu Talib which we have already Medina.
quoted (p. 174). .
565. It was called the raid of al~Sawiq because most of the provisions which
548. Some authorities On poetry deny that pirar was the author of these the raiders threw away was sawiq, i.e. parched corn, and the Muslims seized
lines. a great deal of it. This is what Abu. 'Ubayda told me.

549 Some authorities On poetry deny I;:Iarith's authorship of these lines 566. He put 'Uthman b. 'Affan in chatge of Medina.
and the second line is not from 1. 1. '
567. He put I. Umm Maktum in chatge of Medina.
550. A~u. 'Ubayda, the gram~arian, quoted to me the last line, saying that 568. 'Abdullah b. Jafat b. al-Miswat b. Makhtama ftom Abu 'Aun said,
(Shaddad) had become a l\;Iusltm and then apostatized, thus: 'The affair of the B. Qaynuqa' arose thus: An Arab woman brought some
The apostle tells us that We shall live again. goods and sold them in the market of the B. Qaynuqa'. She sat down by a
But what sort of life have corpses and wraiths? goldsmith, and the people tried to get her to uncover her face but she refused.
The goldsmith took hold of the end of her skirt and fastened it to her back
551. ";'e have or~itted two verses in which he spoke disparagingly of the so when she got up she was immodestly exposed, and they laughed at her.
apostle s ~ompamons. Another learned authority on poetry recited to me She uttered a loud cry and one of the Muslims leapt upon the goldsmith and
the pe~lUlt~ate verse and also the line beginning 'givers of hundreds' and the killed him. He was a Jew, and the Jews fell upon the Muslim and killed him,
followmg lme.
whereupon the Muslim's family called on the Muslims for help against the
55 2 ., This ode. has been handed down in a confused state which cannot be Jews. The Muslims were enraged, and bad feeling sprang up between the
co~sIde~ed satIsfactory. Abu Muryriz Khalaf al-Arymar and another person two parties.'
reCIted It to me, one quoting what the other left out. I 569. This was called dhiitu'l-fw;li1l.
553. He Was a polytheist. 570. He besieged them for fifteen nights and put Bashir b. 'Abdu'l-l'vlundhir
554 (which are the most authentic of the poetry about the men of Badr). in charge of Medina.

555 AbU. Muryriz Khalaf al-Arymar recited to me the line, 'We left the way 571. Futat belonged to B. 'Ijl, an ally of B. Sahm.
and they 1overtook
. , . us as swift as the tides of the sea'Ithus The I,'ne, 'n I'
0 Ion 572. Abu Sufyan b. al-l;Iatith b. 'Abdu'I-Mullalib wtote a countetblast
f rom h 1S aIr, IS not from 1. 1.

which we shall mention together with the verses of J:lassan in their proper
556. ,I have dr~pped the ode of Abu Usama rhyming in L because it only place, God willing. [See p. 449.]
m.en~lOns Badr III the first and second verses, in order to keep the narrative 573. The words tubba' and usarru bisukhtihim do not come from 1.1.
wlthm bounds.
574. Most authorities on poetry deny J:lassan's authorship. The first two
557 Some authorities on poetry deny that Hind was the author. words are not from I. I.
55 8 . Some authorities on poetry deny that Hind wrote this. 575 Her name was Maymuna d. 'Abdullah. Most authorities On poetry
, rdH;rthen sets o~t the ,:hole poem. The only difference of any significance is that line deny that she wrote these verses and that Ka'b composed the counterblast
3 rea s n a death hke theirs the Gemini fell'. to them.
75 2 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hisham's Notes 753
576. Another version is: 'Will you give me your wives as a pledge?' He 585. The apostle allowed Samura b. Jundub al-Fazari and Rafi' b. Khadij
answered: 'How can we give our wives to you as a pledge when you are the brother of B. I:Iaritha to go to battIe, although they were but fifteen years of
most amorous, highly scented man in Medina?' He retorted, 'Then will you age and he had sent them back at first. But he was told that Rafi' was a
give your sons as a pledge?' good archer so he let him go, and after having given him pennission he was
told that Samura could throw Rafi' in wrestling so he let him go too. The
577 These verses occur in an ode of his on the battle with B. N at;lir which following he turned back: Usama b. Zayd; 'Abdullah b. 'Umar b. al-Khallab;
I shall mention in its proper place, God willing. [See p. 441.] Zayd b. Thabit, one of B. Malik b. aI-Najjar; al-Bara' b. 'Azib, one of B.
l;Iaritha; <AmI' b.l;Iazm, one of B. Malik b. aI-Najjar; Usayd b. Z;uhayr, one
578. I shall mention the killing of Sallam in its proper place, God willing. of B. l;Iaritha. He let them fight at the Trench when they were fifteen
The word 'deadly' does not come from 1.I. years of age.
579 Or Subayna. His full name was Mul:layyi~a b. Masud b. Ka'b b. 586. The companions' war-cry that day was 'Kill, Kill!'
'Amir b. 'Adiy b. Majda'a b. I;Iaritha b. al-l;Iarith b. al-Kbazraj b. 'Amr b.
Malik b. al-Aus. 587. More than one traditionist has told me that Al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam
said, 'I was annoyed when 1 asked the apostle for the sword and he refused
580. Abu 'Ubayda told me on the authority of Abu <Amr, the Medinan, me and gave it to Abu Dujana. 1 thought, "I am the son of $afiya, his
when the apostle got the better of the B. Quray~a he seized about four aunt, and belong to Quraysh, and 1 went and asked him for it before this
hundred men from the Jews who had been allies of Aus against Khazraj, man, yet he gave it to him and left me. By God, I will see what he is doing."
and ordered that they should be beheaded. Accordingly Khazraj began to So 1 followed him. The man drew out his red turban and wrapped his head
cut off their heads with great satisfaction. The apostle saw that the faces of in it. The An~ar said, "Abu Dujana has donned the turban of death."
Khazraj showed their pleasure, but there was no such indication on the part of This is what they used to say when he put it on. As he went forth he was
Aus, and he suspected that that was because of the alliance that had existed saying,
between them and the B. Quray~a. When there were only twelve of them Among the palms of that mountain side,
left he gave them over to Aus, assigning one Jew to every two of Aus, saying, In solemn words my comrade cried,
'Let so-and-so strike him and so-and-so finish him off.' One of those who Behind the ranks I'll never bide,
was 80 handed over to them was Ka'b b. Yahudha, who was an important With God's own sword their ranks divide..'
man among them. He gave him to l\lu1?-ayyi~a and Abu Burda b. Niyar
(it was Abu Burda to whom the apostle had given permission to sacrifice There is a reading kubill for kayyill.
a young goat on the feast of AgQa). He said, 'Let MUQayyi$a strike him and
588. Others say Sharlq b. al-Akhnas b. Shariq.
Abu Burda finish him off.' So l\1uQayyi$a fetched him a blow, which did not
cut in properly, and Abu Burda dispatched him and gave him the finishing 589. A kind of bird inclining to black in colour.
stroke. I:1uwayyi$a, who was still an unbeliever, said to his brother, Mul)ay-
yi$a, 'Did you kill Ka'b b. Yahudh5?', and when he said he did, he said, 590. I have heard that Wal)shr was always being punished for drinking
'By God, much of the flesh on your belly comes from his wealth; you are a wine until he was struck off the pension list. 'Vmar used to say: '1 knew
miserable fellow, :rvIuQayyi~a.' He replied, 'If the one who ordered me to that God would not leave the slayer of ~amza unpunished.'
kill him had ordered me to kill you, I would have done so.' He was amazed 591. Maslama b. 'Alqama al-Mazini told me: When the fighting was fierce
at this remark and went away astounded. They say that he used to wake up on the day of Uhud the apostle sat under the flag of the An$ar and sent a
in the night astonished at his brother's words, until in the morning he said, message to 'Ali to tell him to bring the flag forward, which he did, saying,
'By God, this is indeed a religion.' Then he came to the prophet and accepted 'I am Abu'l-Qu$am' or 'Abu'l-Fu~am' according to 1.H. Abu Sa'd b. Abu
Islam. MUQayyi$a then spoke the lines which we have written above. TalQa, who was in charge of the standard of the polytheists, called to him,
581. Others say Ruqayya. 'Would you like to meet my challenge, Abu'l-Qu$am?' When 'Ali accepted
the challenge they fought between the ranks and exchanged two blows until
582. A traditionist told me that the apostle said: 'I saw some cows of mine 'Ali smote him and laid him on the ground. Then he left him without dis-
being slaughtered; they are those of my companions who will be killed. patching him. V\ihen his companions asked why he did not finish him off he
As to the dent which I saw in my sword, that is one of my family who will said: 'He exposed his person to me (as a sign of abject surrender) and the
be killed.' tie of kindred made me pity him and I knew that God would certainly
kill him.'
583. He put 1. Umm l\1aktilm in charge of the public prayers. It is said that Abu Sa'd went out between the ranks and cried, 'I will
584. For kuZZab some say hilab. [A small hook or peg on the hilt of the break in pieces anyone who fights me,' and none went out against him.
sword is meant.] Then he cried: '0 yo.u companions of Muharrunad, you allege that your
B 4080 3c
754 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 755
dead are in paradise and our dead are in hell. By al-Lat you lie. If you to see a martyr walking on the face of the earth, let him look at Tall;1a
knew that was true one of you would come out to me.' So 'All went forth b. 'Ubaydullah.'
and after exchanging a couple of blows <All smote him and killed him. 'Abdu'I~'Azlz from Isl).aq b. Yal).ya b. Tall).a from 'Isa b. Tall).a from
592. Some say that he heard a cry for help. You. find th:s expression in the 'A'isha from Abu Bakr said that Abu 'Ubayda b. aI-Iarrai). pulled out one of
hadith: 'The best man is he who takes hold of hIS horse s bndle: whenever the rings from the apostle's face and his front tooth fell out. He pulled out
he hears a cry of fear he flies towards it.' Al-Tirimma.l}. b. I;IakIm a1-Ta'iy another ring and the other incisor fell out. So Abu 'Ubayda was short of his
(Tirimmii!) means 'a tall man') said: two front teeth.

I am of the family of Malik, glorious champions 599 We have omitted tv.o obscene verses.
Whenever the timorous cry for help.
600. 'Umara's mother, Nusayba d. of Ka'b al~:rvIazinlya, fought on the day
593. I;Iassan b. Thiibit, according to Ibn Hisham, answered him thus: of U!)ud.
You mention the proud stallions of Hashim's line Sa'id b. Abu Zayd aI-An~ari said that Umm Sa'd d. of Sa'd b. al.Rabr
And there you lie not but speak the truth. used to say: 'I went in to see Dmm 'Umara and said, "0 aunt, tell me your
Are you pleased that you killed I;Iarnza story," and she answered: "I went out at the beginning of the day to see
The noble one whom you yourself call noble? what the men were doing, carrying a skin with water in it, and I came up to
Did they not kill 'Amr and 'Utba the apostle who was with his companions while the battle was in their favour.
And his son and Shayba and al-!;Iajjiij and Ibn !;Iabib When the Moslems were defeated, I betook myself to the apostle and stood
The day that al-'A~ challenged 'All who frightened him up joining in the fight and protecting him with my sword and shooting with
With a blow of his sword dripping with blood? my bow until I suffered many wounds." , Umm Sa'd said, 'I saw on her
shoulder a deep gash and asked who was responsible for it. She said, "Ibn
594. The words 'or jackals' do not come from 1.1. [This is an interesting
Qami'a, God curse him! When the men fell back from the apostle he came
note from I.H., because it indicates that he knows that the text of the poem
forward saying 'Lead me to Muhammad; let me not survive if he does.'
has been tampered with. In this case we are able to recover the true te~t
MUl?'ab b. 'Umayr and I and some men who held their ground with the
from Tab. 1414 which reads: 'hyaenas and jack~ls woul~ have crunche~ hIS
apostle blocked his path. It was he who gave me this wound, but I struck
bones' with /arfarat for qarqarat. The alteratIOn conSIsts of one dot, but
one w~uld have expected that I.H., knowing the true text, would have
him several times for that. However, the enemy of God was wearing two
coats of mail".'
followed it.
601. A learned traditionist told me that 'Abdu'l-Ral).man b. 'Auf was injured
595. al-I:Iarith answered Abu Sufyan thus be~ause he suspe?ted tha! h~
in the mouth and his teeth were broken and he had twenty wounds or
was hinting at him when he said 'my horse remaIned but a stone s throw off ,
more, one of them in his foot so that he became lame.
for he had fled on the day of Badr.
602. The sha'ra' is a fly that stings.
596. The one who cried aloud was the spirit of the hill, i.e. Satan.
597. The last verse is ascrib~d t? Abu Khi:ash, al-Hudha!i. Kh~laf a!"" 603 Tada'da'a means 'he began to roll off his horse'.
Ahmar quoted it to me as hIS wIth the readIng her hands , mea~mg his 604 Usra means 'tribe'.
wife's, with no connexion with Ul:lUd. The verses are also ascnbed to
Maqil b. Khuwaylid al-Hudhall. 605. Khalid b. al-Walid was commanding the cavalry.
598. Rubay!) b. 'Abdu'l-Ra!)man b. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri from his father 606. I heard on the authority of 'Ikrima from I. 'Abbas that the apostle
from Abu Said al-Khudri said that 'Utba b. Abu Waqqii~ pelted the apostle did not reach the step cut in the glen. 'Umar, the client of Ghufra, said
that day and broke his right lower incisor and wounded his lower lip, and that the prophet prayed the nOOn prayer on the day of UQud sitting, because
that 'Abdullah b. Shihab al-Zuhri wounded him in the forehead. and that of the wounds he had suffered; and the Muslims prayed sitting behind him.
Ibn Qami'a wounded his cheekbone. Two rings from his helmet. were
forced into his cheek, and the apostle fell in a hole which Abu'Armr had 67. A traditionist in whom I have confidence told me that al-Harith killed
made so that the Muslims might fall into it unawares. 'Ali took hold o~ the al-Mujadhdhar but did not kill Qays. An indication of the sam~ fact is that
apostle's hand and TallJ.a b. 'Ubaydullah lifted him until he stood upnght. Ibn Is1).aq does not mention him among those who were slain at Ul)ud. The
Malik b. Sinan, the father of AbU. Sa'id al-Khudri, suc~e~ the blood from reason that he killed al-Mujadhdhar was because he had killed his father
the apostle's face. Then he swallowed it. The apostle saId,' !Ie w~o~e b~ood Suwayd in one of the skirmishes between Aus and Khazraj. We have
mingles with mine will not be touched by the fire of h~ll. , Abdu 1- ~IZ b. mentioned that in an earlier passage of this hook. While the apostle was with
Muhammad al-Darawardi said that the prophet SaId, He who wIshes a number of his companions, suddenly al-I;Iarith appeared from one of the
gardens of Medina 'W"Caring two blood-stained gannents. The apostle
756 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Noles 757
ordered 'Uthman to cut his head off. Others say it was one of the An~ar companions. ~afwan b. Umayya said to them: 'Do not do it, for the enemy
who did so. V.s. p. 242. are infuriated and we fear that they may fight as they did not fight before; so
return,' and they did return. \~lhen the prophet who was in J:Iamra'u'I-Asad
608. We have omitted three obscene verses. heard that they had decided to return he said: 'Stones have been marked for
609. She was d. Khiilid b. Khunays, who was I. I:Iiiritha b. Laudhiin b. them. I Had they been pelted with them that morning they would have been
'Abdu Wudd b. Zayd b. Tha'laba b. al-Khazraj b. Sii'ida b. Ka'b b. a1- like yesterday that is past,'
Abu 'Ubayda said: 'On that journey of his before he returned to Medina,
Khazraj. the apostle seized Mu'awiya b. al-Mughira, who was the grandfather of
610. This is only one of the verses he composed; others also he wrote 'Abdu'I-M:11ik b. Marwan, the father of his mother 'A'isha, and Abu <Azza
rhyming in d and dh which I have omitted because of their obscenity. IT al-J umaryi. The apostle had taken him prisoner at Badr and then released
gives them. I commend I.H.'s reticence.] him. He asked the apostle to forgive him, but he said "You shall not stroke
your cheeks in :\1ecca after this and say 'I have deceived Muhammad twice.'
611. 1. Qarni'a's name was 'Abdullah. Strike off his head, Zubayr," and he did so.'
612. Abu Bakr al-Zubayri told me that a man went into Abu Bakr whi.le I have heard that Sa'id b. al-Musayyab said that the apostle said to him:
Sa'd's little daughter was in his arms and he was kissing her. The man said 'The believer should not be bitten twice by the same snake. Cut off his
to him, 'Who is this?' and he replied it is the daughter ofa better man than head, 0 'A~im b. Thiibit', and he did so.
I, Sa db. al-Rabi', who was one of the chiefs on the day of al-'Aqaba who It is said Zayd b. Ijaritha and 'Ammar b. Yasir killed Mu'awiya b. al-
was present at Badr and found martyrdom at Ul:;1ud.' Mughira after J:Iamra'u'I-Asad. He had taken refuge with 'Uthman b.
'Man, who asked the apostle to give him sanctuary, and he did so on the
613. When the apostle stood over J:Iarnza's body he sa~d, 'I have ne:er condition that if he were found after three days he should be killed. He
been so hurt before. Never have I been more angry. Then he saId: stayed there more than three days and hid himself. The prophet sent the
'Gabriel came to me and told me that I:Jamza was written among the people two of them and said, 'YOI.' will find him in such-and-such a place.' They
of the seven heavens: "I:Jamza b. 'Abdu'I-Muna1ib, the lion of God and the found him there and killed him.
lion of his apostle." , The apostle and I:Jamza and Abo. Salama b. 'Abdu'l-Asad
were foster-brothers whom a freedwoman of Abo. Lahab had fostered. 619. Tubawwi'u means 'you chose positions and sites for them.' AI-Kumayt
b. Zayd said:
614. On that day he forbade lamentation. Abu 'Ubayda told me that wh_en Would that I before him
the apostle heard their weeping he said: .'God have ~ercy on the An~ar; Had chosen a place to sleep in.
for it has long been their custom to prOVIde consolatIOn. Tell the women
to go away.' (I read 'atamat with C. for W.'s 'alimtu or 'alimta.) 620. A traditionist from al-Asd said: The two parties said 'We do not wish
that we had not thought as we did because God took us in hand.'
0 1 5.
Jalal may mean little or much; here it means 'little', as in the verse
of Imru'u'l-Qays; 621. Musawwamin means 'plainly marked'. We have heard that aI-J:Iasan
b. Abu'I-J:Iasan al-Ba~ri said: 'They had marked the taIls and forelocks of
Now that the BanD. Asad have killed their chief
their horses with white wool.' As for Ibn Ishaq he said: Their distinguishing
Everything else is of no account.
mark on the day of Badr was white turbans, which I have recorded in the
and in the verse of al-I:Jarith b. Wa'}a al-Jarmi it mcans 'much': story of Badr. Simil means 'distinguishing mark'. In the book of God you
If I pardon I shall pardon a great crime. read: 'Their mark is on their faces (it is) the result of prostration' (48. 29),
If I punish I shall weaken my own bone. i.e. their distinguishing mark. 'And stones of clay massed, marked' (II. 84),
Le. 'plainly marked'. We have heard that al-I;1asan said 'A mark upon
616. The apostle's sword used to be called DhD.'I-Faqar. A traditionist told them? It was not a mark of the stones of this world, but of the stORes of
me that I. Abu Najiry said: 'Someone called out on the day of Ul:;1ud: punishment'. Ru'ba b. al~'Ajjaj said:
There is no sword but Dhu'l-Faqar
Proud steeds now meet their match in me.
And no hero but 'Ali.' They cannot keep up with me though marked out (as the finest).
A traditionist also told me that the apostle said to 'AI~: 'The pol~thcist~ Their eyes look up helplessly as they gallop full speed.
will not inflict another defeat like this on us before God gIves us the VIctory.
Ajdhamu with dhiil means 'run fast' and ajdamii with dill meanS 'give up'.
617. He put 1. Umm MaktD.m in charge of Medina. These verses occur in a rajaz poem of his. Musawwama also means 'at
pasture' j and in the book of God 'and horses at pasture' (3. 12) and 'trees
618. Abu 'Ubayda told us that whenAbu Sufyan went away on the day of
Ul:;1ud he wanted to go back to Medina to extenninate the rest of the prophet's I i.e. stones had been 'earmarked' for them.
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hisham's Notes 759
on which you send beasts to pasture' (16. 10). The Arabs say sawu'ama and 634. 'Ubayd belonged to B. I:labib.
asama when a man pastures his horses and camels. AI-Kumayt said: 635. We have been told of five others whom 1.1. does not mention, namely:
He was a gentle shepherd and we lost him. Of al-Aus of B. Mu'awiya b. f\..1aIik: Malik b. Numayla an ally of theirs
The loss of the pastor is the loss of the pastured. from l\1uzayna.
The word musjib means 'gently leading, kind to the flock'. Of B. Khatma-Khatma's name was 'Abdullah b. Jusham b. l\1alik b.
al-Aus-al-Harith b. 'AdIy b. Kharasha b. lJmayya b. 'Amir b. Khatma.
622. Yakbitahum means 'afflict them to the utmost and prevent them from Of B. Amr b. Malik b. aI-Najjar: Iyas b. Adiy.
attaining their desires'. Dhu'l-Rumma said: Of al-Khazraj of B. Sawiid b. Malik: Malik b. Iyas.
While I forget past sorrow I shall not forget our perplexity, Of B. Salim b. Auf: 'Amr b. Iyas.
Poised between pleasure and frustration. Thus bringing the total to 70.
The word also means 'that he may throw them on their faces'. 636. It is said that'Ali killed him.
623. Ribbiyiln, singular ribbl, and al-ribiib is applied to the sons of 'Abdu 637. It is said that 'Abdu'l-Ra!)rnan b. 'Auf killed Kilab.
Manat b. Udd b. Tabikha b. Ilyas and to Oabba because they gathered
together and made alliances; by this they mean multitudes. Singular of 638. 'Ali, Sa'd b. Abu \Vaqqa{> and Abu Dujana have also been claimed as
ribiib is ribba and ribiiba which mean large numbers of sticks and arrows and his slayer.
such-like and they compare them to them. Umayya b. Abu'l-$alt said: 639. It is said that 'Abdullah b. Mas'lid killed 'Ubayda.
Round their leaders are swarms, myriads, 640. 'A'idh was b. 'Imrlin b. Makhziim.
Clad in nailed armour.
641. Abu Zayd quoted these lines to me as from Ka'b b. Malik and the
Ribaba also means the cloth in which arrows are wrapped. Sanawwar means
verse of Hubayra, 'many a night when the host wanns his hands,' &c., is
armour, and dusur are the nails in coats of mail. God says: 'We carried him
credited to Janub sister of 'Amr Dhu'l-Kalb al-HudhalI in some verses
on a thing of planks and nails' (54. 13). Abu'l-Akhzar al-I;Iimmani of of hers about some other fight. [ef. Diwiin der Hudhailiten, ed. Kosegarten,
Tamim said:
p. Z43]
Nails on the ends of a straightened shaft.
642. Ka'b had said, 'Our fighting is on behalf of our stock,' and the apostle
624. J:Iass means rooting out. You can say /:zasastu something when you asked, 'Would it do to say our fighting is on behalf of our religion?' Ka'b
exterminate it by the sword or such-like. Jarir said: said 'Yes,' and the apostle said: 'Then it is better,' and so Ka'b phrased it
The swords exterminated them as when thus.
A flame rose high among felled trees.
643. Abu Zayd quoted me the words 'an example to be talked of' and the
And Ru'ba b. al-~Ajjaj said in a rajaz poem: verses preceding and the words 'Among Quraysh', &c., as from a source
When we complained of a year that blasted (by cold) other than I. I.
Devouring the dry after the green. 644. Some authorities on poetry deny that Oirar was the author. Ka'b's
words 'light-giving straight way' were quoted by Abu Zayd al-An{>ari.
625. al-Sakan was 1. Raft b. Imru'ul-Qays, or al-Sakn.
645. Some authorities on poetry deny the authenticity of these last t\Vo
626. Others say 'Atik b. al-Tayyahan.
poems. The words miic;li'l-shabiiti and watayrun yaJufna are not from 1.1.
627. Qays was b. Zayd b. J;lubay'a and Malik was b. Ama b. J;lubay'a.
646. Ka'b b. Malik answered him according to I.H.:
628. Abu I:layya was b. 'Amr b. Thabit. Tell Fihr in spite of the distance between us
629. And, it is said, Suwaybiq b. al-l;Iarith b. l:Iatib b. Haysha. (For they have true news of us today)
That we were steadfast while death's standards fluttered
630. 'Amr b. Qays was b. Zayd b. Sawlid. That morn on the floor of Yathrib's valley.
We stood firm against them, for steadfastness is our nature:
63 I. Aus was the brother of J:Iassan b. Thabit. When poltroons flee we rise to the occasion.
632. Anas b. al-NaQr was the uncle of Anas b. Malik, the apostle's servant. 'Tis our wont to go forward finnly.
Of old we did so and gained the first place.
633. Abu Sa'id's name was Sinan, or as others say Sa'd.
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes
We have an unconquerable band led by a prophet 659. 'Ac,lal and al-Qara belonged to al-Haun or alHiin b. Khuzayma b.
Who has brought the truth, is clement, and acclaimed as true. Mudrika.
Can it be that the mixed tribes of Fihr have not heard
Of the maiming of bodies and the splitting of skulls? 660. Habil means 'bereaved'.

647. Some authorities on poetry deny that ~Amr said this. 661. They sold them to Quraysh for two prisoners of Hudhayl who were
in Mecca.
648. This poem is the best that has been written on the subject. I:Iassan
composed it at night and summoned his people, saying: '1 am afraid that 662. al-l;Iarith b. 'Amir was the maternal uncle of Abu Ihab. The latter
death may overtake me before the morning and it may not be recited in my was one of B. Usayd b. 'Amr b. Tamimj others say one of B. 'Udas b. Zayd
name.' b. 'Abdullah b. Darim of B. Tamim.
Abu 'Ubayda quoted to me the verse of al-l;Iajjaj b. 'Ilat al-Sulami in 663. I t is said that the youngster was her son.
praise of ~AII in which he mentioned his killing Tall;la b. Abu Taiba b.
Abdu'l~Uzza, the standard-bearer of the polytheists, on the day of Ul;1ud: 664. Khubayb remained imprisoned until the sacred months had passed
and then they killed him.
By God, what a fine protector of women is Fatima's son
Whose paternal and maternal uncles were noble! 665. al-aladd means one who makes mischief with violent OpposItIon,
You quickly dealt him a deadly thrust pluralludd, as in God's book: 'that you may warn thereby a contumacious
\Vhich left Tall;la with his forehead cleaving to the dust; people' (19. 97). Al-Muhalhil b. Rab;'a al-Taghlibi whose name was
You attacked them like a hero and made them retreat Imru'ul-Qays {others say 'Adiy b. Rabi'a [So shows conclusively that it was
At the mountain foot, where they fell one after another. 'Adiy] said:
649. Most authorities on poetry deny J:Iassan's authorship. The verses Beneath the stones lies one a menace to his enemies, a boon to his friends,
'Who in the winter', 'Who leapt to their bridles', and 'By one .who suffered A doughty adversary, great in argument.
time's misfortunes' are no'tfrom 1.1. Others report 'with an argument that silences his opponents'.
650. Abu Zayd quoted to me the verse IHow we behave' and the next mighlaq here means alandad as in the line of al.Tirimma1;l. b.l;Iakim describ-
verse and the third verse from it and the beginning of the fourth and the ing the chameleon:
words 'We grow up and our fathers perish' and the next verse and the third He looks down on tree stumps as though
verse from it. He were an adversary who had overcome his contumacious rivals.
651, Abu Zayd quoted me the poem from the words 'Advancing and [DEwan, ed. Krenkow, 141,1. 16.]
encouraging us" to the end.
666. Yashri nafsahu means 'selling himself'. Sharau means 'they sold'.
652. Abu Zayd recited it to me as from Ka'b b. Malik. Yazid b. Rabi'a b. Mufarrigh al-I:Iimyari said:
653. Abu Zayd quoted me the words lyou have not won' and 'of Him who And I sold Burd. Would that I had died
grants the best favours'. Before I sold him.

654. Some authorities on poetry deny J:)irar's authorship. Hurd was a slave whom he sold. Shard also means lhe bought', as in the
poet's words:
655. An authority on poetry told me that 'Ali did not utter these words, I said.to her, Grieve not, Umm Malik, over your sons
and I have never met anyone who recognized them as 'Ali's. They were Though a mean fellow has bought them.
spoken by an unknown Muslim. The phrase 'as night' has not 1.1:s
authority. 667. Some authorities on poetry deny his authorship.
656. The words 'all of us' and 'they would have a morning draught' have 668. For rufaq there is a variant furuq. We have omitted the rest of the poem
not 1.1.'s authorirj. because he used obscene language.
657. An authority on poetry quoted to me her words 'In sorrow and tears,' 669. This poem resembles the preceding. Some authorities on poetry deny
&c. that Bassan composed it. I have omitted some words of I;1assan about the
affair of Khubayb for reasons I have given.
658. An authority on poetry quoted to me her line 'Some from whom I
sought vengeance,' &c. Some authorities deny that Hind uttered it, and 670. Anas was al-Ajamm al-Sulami, maternal uncle of Mu\'im b. 'Adiy
only God knows the truth. b. Naufal b. 'Abdu Manaf. When he says "Udas expelled' he means
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hisham's Notes
I;fujayr b. Abu 1Mb; othera say al-A'sM b. Zuriira b. aI-Nabbiish aI-Asadi, Sinaf means 'girth'. Wajif means 'throbbing of the heart and the liver',
who was an ally of B. Naufal b. 'Abdu Maniif. i.e. the beat. Qays b. al-Khatim al-Zafari said:
671. Z;uhayr b. al-Agharr and Jiimi' were the Hudbaylls who sold Khubayb. Though they brought what they know,
Our livers palpitate behind them.
672. Abu Zayd quoted the last line to me.
673. The last verse is on the authority of Abu Zayd. 683. Qays b. Ba!)r al-Ashjai.

674. Most authorities on poetry deny I;fassan's authorship. A variant in the 684. <Amr b. Buhtha was of Ghatafan. The words lin a distant place' are
last line is yujaddila. So C. W. has tujuddila. not from 1.1.

675. The Anjiiri was al-Mundhir b. Muhammad b. 'Uqba b. U!)ay!)a b. 684b. Some of our traditionists tell me that some anonymous Muslim recited
al-Julii!). the verses. I have never met anyone who kne'Y them as lAli's.
676. Of B. Kiliib. AbU 'Amr aI-Madani said that they were of B. Sulaym. 685. Or 'Abdullah b. Rawii!)a.
677. J:Iakam b. Sa~d was of al-Qayn b. Jastj Ummu'l-Banin was d. tAmr b. 686. Abu 'Amr aI-Madani said: After B. NaQir the apostle attacked B.
<knir b. Rabla b. 'knir b. $a'!?a'a and the mother of Abu Baril.'. al-Mu!?taliq. I shall relate their story in the place in which 1.1. related it.
678. The last verse was quoted to me by Abu Zayd. He quoted to me the 687. He put Abu Dharr al-GhifarI in charge of Medina, or according to
following as from Ka'b b. l\HJik pouring scorn on B. Ja'far b. Kilab: others <Uthman b. <Affan. It was called Dhatu'l-Riqa' because they patched
You abandoned your protege to the B. Sulaym their flags there. Others say because there was a tree of that name there.
In your impotence and poltroonery fearing to fight. [Cf. W. R. Smith, Religion of the Semites, 185.]
Had there been a covenant with 'v qayl,
That agreement would have stood firm. 688. <Abdu'l-Warith b. Sa<id al-Tannuri, surnamed Abu <Ubayda, told us
Or with alwQurata'-they would not have betrayed him. from Yunus b. 'Ubayd from al-I;iasan b. Abu'l-I;:Iasan from ]iibir b. <Ab-
They have ever kept their faith though you have not been loyal. dullah concerning the prayer of fear: the apostle prayed two bows with one
section, then he ended with the invocation of peace, while the other section
The Qurata' are a tribe of I;iawazin. There is another reading 'with
were facing the enemy. Then they came and he prayed two other bows with
Nufayl' for 'with lUqayl' and this is correct because al-Qurata' are near to
them, ending with the invocation of peace.
Nufayl. <Abdu'l-Warith from Ayyub from Abu'l-Zubayr from ]abir: The apostle
679. He left 1. Umm Maktum in charge of Medina. ranged us in two ranks and bowed with us all. Then the apostle prostrated
himself and the front rank prostrated. When they raised their heads those
680. This was in Rabfu'l-awwal. He besieged them for six nights and the
next to them prostrated themselves. Then the front rank went back and the
prohibition of wine came down.
rear rank advanced until they occupied their place. Then the prophet bowed
68 I. Lina are of different kinds. Palms neither fruitful nor bearing good dates with them all; then he prostrated and those next him did likewise. When they
according to what Abu 'Ubayda told me. [This explanation, which is also raised their heads those behind prostrated themselves. The prophet bowed
that of S. ii. 177, who says that the prophet did not cut down palms that bore with them all and each one of them prostrated twice.
t
edible dates, should be compared with the lexicons which state that the <Abdu'l-Warith b. Sa<id al-Tannuri from Ayyub from Nafi from Ibn
'ajwa, the best kind of date, grows on the lina. See Lane, 1969a.] <Umar said: The imam stands and one section stands with him while another
The saddle~frames above it looked like a bird's nest section are near the enemy. The imam bows and prostrates with them. Then
On the thick-trunked palm as its sides oscillated. they withdraw and become those nearest the enemy. The others advance
and the imam performs one bow and one prostration with them. Then each
682. Aujaftum means 'You drove them fast and wearied them in running section prays with one bow. They have one bow with the imam and one by
Tamim b. Ubayy b. Muqbil, one of B. 'Amir b. $ajaa, said: themselves.
Protectors with swords newly polished
689. It was plated with silver.
From riders when they urged their steeds at a gallop.
. , "
I.e. runnmg. 690. The two men were Ammar b. Yasir and 'Abbad b. Bishr.
Abu Zayd al-Ta'iy whose name was I:Iannala b. al-l\1undhir said: 691. Another reading is unfidhaha.
Their girths tightened like Indian lances 692. He left 'Abdullah b. 'Abdullah b. Ubayy b. Saliil al-Anjiiri in charge of
Because of the length of the run (wajfj) through land bare of pasture.
Medina.
764 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes
693. Abu. Zayd quoted it to me as from Ka<b b. Malik. besieging B. Quray?a, '0 squadron of the Faith'; and he and al-Zubayr b.
al-'Awwam advanced and he said, 'Either I will taste what I:Iarnza tasted or I
694. We have omitted the remaining verses because the rhyme is faulty, will conquer their fort.' They said, '0 Muhammad, we will submit to the
Abu Zayd quoted to me the line 'that young gazelles', &c., and the following judgement of Sa'd b. Mu'adh.'
verse as coming from l;iassan in connexion with the line 'You can say good~
bye to Syria', &c. He also quoted his line 'Take Abu Sufyan a message'. 710. fuqqiibiya means a kind of brocade.
695 In Rabru'l~awwal, leaving Siba' b. 'Urfuta al-Ghifari in charge of 7 I I. This was the woman who threw the millstone on Khallad b. Suwayd
Medina. and killed him.
696. Liwiidh means 'concealing something in flight'. J:Iassan b. Thahit said: 712. Qabla is the receiving of the bucket of the camel drawing water.
Quraysh fled from us to hide themselves Zuhayr b. Abu Sulma said concerning qabla:
So that they stood not firm, their minds unstable. Whenever his hands get hold of the bottom of the bucket
This is a verse which we have mentioned in the poetry about Badr (p. 626). He sings as he stands pouring out the water.
697. He put 1. omm Maktum in charge of Medina. Another reading is U'aqabilin yatalaqqii, meaning 'the receiver of the bucket
takes hold of it'. The niicjib is the camel that draws the water to irrigate.
698. A traditionist whom I trust told me that Mu'attib was not one of the Cf. Sharb DfU'iin Zuhayr, Cairo, 1944, p. 40. [Here 1.H. is explaining the
disaffected; his argument was that he was at Badr. variant qabla for fatla.]
699. Or 'Amr b. 'Abd b. Abu Qays [apparently a lateroattempt to remove the
713. Aq!tir means 'sides', singular qi!r. Qutr, plural aqtiir, has the same
heathen name of Wudd].
meaning. AI-Farazdaq said:
700. It is said that Salman the- Persian advised the apostle to make it. A What wealth did God open to them
traditionist told me that on this day the Muhajirs claimed that Salman As the horses rolled on their sides
belonged to them, while the Am?ar said that he was their man; but the apostle
said, 'Salman belongs to us, the people of the house.' [i.e. to get to their feet]. Aq!ar and aqtiir are variant readings.

701. Most authorities on poetry doubt 'Ali's authorship. 714. Salaqiikum means 'they injured you with talk, burned and distressed
you'. The Beduin say 'an eloquent (salliiq) speaker and khatib mislaq and
702. Fur'ul is a young hyaena. At the battles of the Trench and B. Quray~a
mislrig,' A'shii of B. Qays b. Thalaba said:
the cry of the apostle's companions was lJii Mim [the letters prefixed to
suras 40, 41, 43, 45, and 46] 'They will not be helped!' Among them is glory, tolerance, and nobility,
Among them is the sharp eloquent orator.
703. It is said that the man who shot Sa'd was Khafiija b. 'A~im b.l;libbiin.
715. Qacjti nabbaku means 'died'; nabb means 'breath', according to what
704. Madijil is a kind of Yaman cloth.
Abu 'Ubayda told me; its plural is nubab. Dhu'l-Rumma said:
705. He left 1. Umm Maktum in charge of Medina. The night that the I:farithis fled
706. Others say AnnI. After Haubar died (qacja nab-bahu) in the cavalry charge.

707. God sent down concerning Abu Lubaba according to what Sufyan b. Haubar was one of B. al-Harith b. Ka'b. He means Yazid b. Haubar. Nal;b
'Uyayna from !sma'il b. Abu Khalid from 'Abdullah b. Abu Qatada said, also means 'vow'. Jarir b. al-Khatafi said:
'0 ye who believe, do not betray God and the apostle and be false to your In Tikhfa we fought the kings, and our cavalry
engagements while you know what you are doing (8. 27). Went on the night of Bistam to fulfil their vow.
708. He remained tied to a stump for six nights. His wife used to come to He means the vow they had sworn to kill him and they did kill him. BistAm
him at every time of prayer and untie him for prayer. Then he would return was Bistam b. Qays b. Mas'ud al-Shaybani, who was Ibn Dhu'l-Jaddayn.
and tie himself to the stump according to what a traditionist told me, and the Abu 'Ubayda told me that he was the knight of Rabra b. Nizar. Tikhfa is a
verse which came down about his repentance is the word of God: 'And others place on the Basra road. Nabb also means 'wagers', i.e. 'bets'. AI-Farazdaq
who confess their sins have mingled good actions with bad; it may be that said
God will forgive them: God is forgiving, merciful' (9. 103).
When Kalb bet against people which of us
709. A traditionist whom I trust told me that 'Ali cried as they were Is more generous and liberal?
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes
Another meaning is 'weeping'. Nabb also means 'necessity and need', You 722. A trustworthy person told me that he was told on the authority of
can say 'They have nothing I want.' Malik b. Buwayra al~Yarbu<i said: al-Zuhri that that day 'Ali killed 'Arm b. 'Abdu Wudd and his son His!.
Others say 'Amr b. 'Abd. [Presumably the name of the heathen deity' h..
They have nothing I want except that I been dropped.]
Seek the red~eyed camels of Shudun that you want.
723. One whom I can trust told me from 'Abdu'l-Malik b. Ya!)yii b. 'Abbiid
Nahiir b. Tausi'a, one of B. Taymu'l-Liit b. Tha'laba b. 'Ukiiba b. :;lab b.
b.. 'AbduIlah b. al-Zubayr: When Kab said, 'Quraysh came to contend with
'Ali b. Bakr b. Wa'il, who were clients of B. l;Ianifa, said:
their Lord', &c., the apostle said: 'God thanks you, Ka'b, for saying that.'
A long gallop saved Yusuf al-Thaqafi
After the standard had fallen. 724. Abu Zayd quoted to me verses 8 and 20; and v. II with the variant
Had they overtaken him they would have fulfilled their need of him. 'as though to the top of Quds al-Mashriq'.
There is a protector for every (victim) missed.
725. The verses 'We kept every fine . . . courser' and the following verse
Na!;lb also means '3 gentle rapid gait'. and the third and fourth and the verse 'Haughty as an angry lion' and the
following verse are from Abo. Zayd.
716. Sul).aym slave of B. al-l;Iasl).as who are of B. Asaci b. Khuzayma said:
The chiefs I lay dead on the ground 726. Some authorities on poetry deny his authorship. The words "Amr to
And Tamim's women hastened to the forts. dismoWlt' are not from 1.1.

$aya/f also means 'horns'. AI-Nabigha aI-Ia'di said: 727. Some authorities on poetry deny J:Iassan's authorship.

(Death smote the) chiefs of my tribe so that I was alone 728. These verses are credited to Rabia b. Umaya al.Dili, whose last verse
Like the horn of a bull whose other horn is broken off. runs:
You brought the Khazraji to his knees
Abu Duwad al-Iyadi said:
And so I saw my desire on him.
The blackness of their horns scared us.
The verses are also credited to Abu Us3.ma al-Jushami.
Their feet as it were sprinkled with pitch and tar.
$aYi4i also means the weaver's implement according to what Abu 'Ubayda 729. Or his leg.
told me, and he quoted me the line of Durayd b. al-~imma al J ushami, w
730. Another reading is Yabuttu, 'annuls'.
Jusham b. Mu~awiya b. Bakr b. Hawazin:
731. He left I. Unun Maktiim in charge of Medina.
I looked at him as the spears 2 went through him
As the $ayii# go through the outstretched web. 732. More than one traditionist asserted that Waqqa~ b. MuQriz aI-Mudliji
$ayiiti also means the protuberances on the feet of cocks like little horns. was also killed that day
It also means 'roots'. He told me that the Arabs say, 'May God cut off his 733 Sa'd's horse was Laryiq; Miqdad's was Ba'zaja or Sabl:ta; 'Ukasha's was
firiya, i.e. his root'. Dhu'l-Limma; Abu Qatada's was J:Iazwa; 'Abbad's was Lamma'; Usayd's
717. The metaphorical meaning of this tradition is (explained in) the words was MasnQnj and Abo. <'Ayyash's was Julwa.
of 'Aisha: 'The apostle said, The grave has a hold on people; if anyone were 734. He left I. Unun Maktfun in charge of Medina.
to escape from it it would be Sa'd b. Mu'adh:
735. When I;Iassan said this Sa'd b. Zayd was enraged against him and swore
718. She was Kubaysha d. Riifi' b. Mu'iiwiya b. 'Ubayd b. Thalaba b. that he would never speak to him again. He said: 'He has actually attributed
'Abdu' l-Abjar, who was Khudra b. 'Auf b. al-I;Iarith b. al-Khazraj. my horses and my horsemen to al-Miqdad!' I:Iassan excused himself, saying,
7 I 9. You can say sahmu ghaTbin and sahmun gharbun with or without uta/a. 'That was not my intention, I swear. But al-Miqdad's name suited the
It is not known whence the arrow comes or who shot it. rhyme'. I;Iassan composed other verses to placate Sa'd:

720. He was 'Uthmiin b. Umayya b. Munabbih b. 'Ubayd b. al-Sabbiiq. If you seek the stoutest warrior
Or an able man, go to Sa'd,
721. I have heard from aI-Zuhri that they gave 3 the apostle 10,000 dirham~
Sa'd b. Zayd the dauntless.
for his body.
I The poet is speaking of mountain goats.
But Sa'd would not accept the apology and it availed him naught.
% W.'s wal-riQu makes no sense and violates the metre. It is one of hi.!! very few mistakes.
736. AbU Zayd quoted me the line 'We feed the guest'.
3 Perhaps the sense here is merely 'they offered to give'.
The Life of Muhammad
Ibn Hishiim's Notes
737. He put Abu Dharr al-GhiIari or Nurnayla b. 'Abdullah al-Laythi in
charge of Medina. 743 Another version is '... after God has guided' you to Islam'.
738. The war-cry of the Muslims on the day of B. Mu~taliq was '0 victorious 744 The verse 'a noble woman' and the one after and 'H' k' h
auth 't f Ab - Z ' IS ran are on t e
one, slay, slay!' d on y? < ,l.}- ~Yd. Abu 'Ubayda told me that a woman praised Hassan's
739. It is said that when the apostle departed from the raid with Juwayriya aughter In A Isha s presence, saying: .
and was at Dhatu'l-]aysh he entrusted her to One of the An(>3.r and went Chaste, keeping to her house, ahove suspicion
forward to Medina. Her father al-I;Hirith came bringing his daughter's Never thinking of reviling innocent women' '
ransom. When he was in aI-<Aqiq he looked at the camels he had brought as
and 'A'isha said, 'But her father did!' '
her ransom and admired two of them greatly, so he hid them in one of the
passes of al..'Aqiq. Then he came to the prophet and told him that he had 745 l;:Iassan and his two companions.
brought his daughter's ransom. He said: 'Where are the two camels which
you have hidden in al-'Aqiq in such-and-such a pass?' AI-I;Hirith exclaimed: 746. He put Numayla b. 'Abdullah in charge of Medina.
'I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and that you, Muhammad, are 747 Others say Busr.
the apostle of Allah j for none could have known of this but God.' He and
his two sons who were with him and some of his men accepted Islam and he 748. Af~a b. I;Iaritha.
sent for the two camels and brought them and handed ail of them over to the
prophet. His daughter was handed over to him and became an excellent 749 For yafzmadunaka some say yamdafzunaka.
Muslim. The apostle asked her father to let him marry her and when he
750. !n saying this <Unva meant that al-Mughira before he became a
agreed he gave her 400 dirhams as dowry.
~usl:m had killed thirteen men of B. Malik of Thaqif. The two clans of
740. She was Umrn Riiman, Zaynab d. 'Abdu Duhman, one of B. Firas b. haqlf fou~ht, the ~. Malik t?e family of the slain, and the allies the family
Ghanam b. Malik b. Kiniina. of a!I~Mughlra,.and Urwa paId the bloodwit for the thirteen men and that
sett ed the affaIr.
741. Others say it was 'Abdullah b. Ubayy and his companions. The one
who had the greater share therein was 'Abdullah, as I. I. has shown above.
[presumably 1.Ho's note ends at this point.]
~51. Waki< from Isma'fl b. Abu Khalid from al-Sha'bi mentioned that the
f rst one to pledge the apostle was Abu Sinan al-AsadL One whom I trust
742. In the tradition kibrahu and kubrahu occur, but the Quran has kibrahu ram one who told him with a chain of witnesses going back to Ab- M 1 k
with kasr. 'Let not those who possess dignity among you.' ydtali means 'be and I Ab - 'U ld u u ay a
'U hm'- u . ~ar, to me that the apostle gave himself a pledge On behalf of
remiss', as in the line of Imru'ul-Qays al-Kindi: tan, stnkmg one of his hands on the other.
Many a troublesome opponent have I repelled for love of you,
752. Ma'kuf means (bound'. A'sha of B. Qays b. Tha'laba said:
One who advised and reproved me without ceasing (mu'tali)
(Mu'all. v. 41). It is said that the Quranic words mean 'Let not those who 'Twa.s as t~ough the thread kept the beads from scattering
On eIther SIde of Omm GhazaI's graceful neck.
possess dignity take an oath', which according to what we have heard is what
ai-Hasan Abu'l-Hasan al-Basri said. And in God's book 'Those who forswear 7f~ ~_~ave heard :hat Mujahid said, 'This passage came down concerning
their wives' (yu;luna) is fr~m aliya and aliya means an oath. I;!assan b. ~b- a 1 _? al-Waltd b. al-Mughfra and Salama b. Hisham and <Ayyash b
Thabit said: u Rab, a and Abu Janda! b. Suhayl and others like them.' .
I swear that no man is more careful than I
In swearing an oath true and free ftom falsehood. 7~4. The proof .of, al-Zuhri's assertion that the apostle went to aI-Huda bi a
:lth 1,400 men IS m the words of Jiibir b. 'Abdullah: 'Then in the ~ear ~ t~e
I shall mention this verse. in its context later (v.i., W. p. 1026, 1. 2). The on quest of IVlecca two years afterwards the apostle marched with 10,000.'
meaning of an yu'tu in this case is an Iii yu'tu; and in God's book we read:
'God makes it plain to you an tar,lillu, meaning an Iii taillu; He holds back 755 Abu Ba!?ir was of ThaqIf.
the sky lest (an) it should fall on the earth, meaning an Iii.' 1. Mufarrigh aIR 756. Abu Unays was an Ash'arL
l;iimyari said:
May I never frighten the camels at dawn. 757 T~e singular of 'i~am is 'i~ma which means a cord or rope. al-A'sha b.
Qays saId:
May I not be called Yazid
If, fearing death, I make my shame public To Imru'ul-Qays We make long journeys
While the fates watch me lest I should turn aside. And we take ropes from every tribe. (Diu-lin iv. 20.)

i.e.-Iii aMda. 758. A~u 'U?ayda told us that some who were with the apostle when h
to Med d h' 'D'd e came
ma sal to 1m, I you not say that you would enter l\1ecca safely.~:
B4080 3 D
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes
77 . I'Th 'd They help him in every matter that troubles him
d ICertainly but did I say that it would be thIS year. ey ~al
H e an!were " . h h t Gabriel said to me Endangering their lives in defence of Muhanunad's,
No and he went on: 'It is in accordance WIt w a . Sincerely believing in the news of the unseen,
'H N I b ,rAbdullahin charge ofl\tledina and gave the standard Aiming thereby at glory and honour in the time to come.
759. e put umaya .
to Ali. It was white. 770. On the day of Khaybar the apostle decided which were Arab horses and
760. The war-cry of the companions at Khaybar was '0 victorious one, slay which were of mixed blood.
slayt' 771. He was called '~Ubayd al-Siham' because he bought the shares. He was
7 6 1. Abu Zayd quoted the lines thus: 'Ubayd b. Aus, one of n.l;laritha b. al-l;liirith b. al-Khazraj b. 'Amr b. Mlllik
b. Aus.
Khaybar knows that 1 am Ka'b
And that when war breaks out 772. (Loads refer to) wheat, barley, dates, and datestones, &c. He distri-
I advance against terrors, bold and .doli:, . buted them according to their needs. [This useful explanatory note from
I carry a sharp sword that glitters hke lIghtnmg I.H. is not in W.'s text and there is no mention of the reading in his critical
In the hand of a warrior sans rep:oche. notes in vol. iii. C. notes that it is missing in W. but does not state what
We will crush you till the strong ,s humbled. manuscripts contain it. Datestones were pounded up and used for camel
food.] The need of B. 'Abdu'l-Muttalib was greater and so he gave them
Marl)ab was from l;Iimyar.
more.
7 62 . It was white. 773. Some say 'Azza b. :\!Ialik and his brother Murran or Manvan b. Malik.
7 6 3. Judham is the brother of Lakhm. . l' [This latter divergence obviously shows that the tradition rested on manu-
f I'd were uncovered from the eyes as an anuna s scripts which could not be read with certainty.]
764. Farrat means the eye I S . th' He means 'they uncovered
(lips) are uncovered when one 100:
s a\lt~ t~~, ~eaning the An~ar. [But the
the ~eye1ids from the covers of t e C) eSlg
774. According to Malik b. Anas he said Kabbir Kabbir! [There is no
difference in the meaning.]
Jews must be referred to here.] ~
775. Or Aslam.
-Habib: I. Uhayb b. Su1:Iaym b. Ghiyara of B. Sa d b. Layth,
7 65 0 r b . aI f h' . 776. Some say 'to Qa6ida'.
an ally of B. Asad and the son a t elr SIster.
_Aswad the shepherd waS one of the people of Khaybar. 777. The word khatar means 'share'. You can say akh/ara lifuliin khataran,
7 66 . Al 'someone gave me a share'.
Another reading is 'the spoil of Muharrunad', &c.
6 778. Sufyan b. 'Uyayna from al-Ajla1;t from al-Sha'bl said that Ia'far b.
7 7. .f K 'b b Malik and he quoted:
7 68 . Abu Zayd quoted these verses to me rom a '. Abu Tiilib came to the apostle the day he conquered Khaybar. The apostle
What stopped him was the behaviour of ~lS horse. kissed his forehead and taking hold of hIm said: 'I don't know which gives
B t for that he would not have been remISS. me the greater pleasure-the conquest of Khaybar or the arrival of Ia'far.'
u d' . h d
769. A rhapsodist quoted to me his words 'when I charged' an pens e 779. Others say her name was Humayna.
in the feeding place'. . Ib H' ham on the authority of Abu 780. He put 'Uwayf b. al-Agbat al-Dm in charge of l\tedina. This is also
Ka'b b. Malik said, accordmg to n IS
called the 'Pilgrimage of Retaliation' because they prevented him from pil-
Zayd: grimage in Dhu'l-Qa'da in the holy month in A.H. 6; and the apostle retaliated
We came down to Khaybar and its drinking Pdla~eshi hand' and entered Mecca in the very month in which they had shut him out, in
. h . s showe m s .
With every strong warnor:, ose vem A.H.7. We have heard that I. 'Abbas said: 'God revealed concerning that,
Brave in dangers, nO weaklIngs. "And forbidden things are subject to retaliation" , (2. 190).
Bold against the enemy in e~ery battle,
Generous with food every wmter,. 781. The words 'We will fight you about its interpretation' to the end of the
Smiting with the blade of an Indian sword. ,. d verses were spoken by 'Ammar b. Yasir about another battle. The proof of
They think death praiseworthy if they get th~ ~~~ om that is that 1. Rawarya referred only to the polytheists. They did not believe
They hope for from God and victory ;hrou;e e a . in the revelation and only those who did would fight for an interpretation.of
They protect and defend Muhammad s pro g. it. [So says the occasion was the battle of ~iffin, and this certainly gives point
They fight for him with hand and,tong ue . to the verses which are to be found in the K. $iffin.]
I Because he gripped his sword so firmly.
772 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 773
782. She had entrusted her sister Umm al-FaQ.l with her affairs; she, being 793 The words 'except Nafil' and 'to the slopes of Ra<;lwa' are not from 1.1.
married to al-' Abbas, confided the matter to him, and he married her to the Concerning him I:Jassan b. Thabit said:
apostle in Mecca and gave her as dowry on the apostle's behalf 400 dirhams.
God curse the tribe we left deprived of their best men
783. God sent down to him-so Abu "Ubayda told me-'God has fulfilled With none but Naqib to call them together.
the vision in reality to His apostle, "You shall enter the sacred mosque if God o Naufal, testicles of a donkey who died last night.
will in safety with heads shaved and (hair) shorn, not fearing". He knows When have you ever been successful, you enemy of baggage!
what you do not know, and He has wrought besides that a victory near by' [The la~t insult means 'you never equip yourself for a foray', or, perhaps,
(48. 27), i.e. Khaybar. 'you thIef!']
784. Some authorities on poetry quoted the verses to me thus:
794 Another reading is 'Help us, God guide you, with strong aid'; and
You are the apostle and he who is deprived of his gifts 'We provided the mother and you are the son'.
And the sight of him has no real worth.
May God confirm the good things He gave you 795 Another reading is 'the Worst enemy'.
Among the apostles, and the victory as they were helped. 796. By the words 'By men who had not drawn their swords' he means
I perceived goodness in you by a natural gift, Quraysh, and by 'the son of Umm Mujalid' he means 'Ikrima b. Abu ]ahl. I
An intuition which is contrary to what they think of you,
797. He met him in al-Ju1)fa migrating with his family; before that he had
meaning the polytheists.
lived in I\lecca in charge of the watering with the goodwill of the apostle,
785. Another reading is: according to what al-ZuhrI told me.
We urged on our horses from the thickets of QurQ. 79 8 . Another reading is 'And one whom 1 had driven out led me to the truth'.
[This "is the reading of T. 1212, 1. 9 and Yaq. iv. 53, 1. 22, who safs that
799 It was called greenish-black because of the large amount of steel in it.
QurQ is in the Wadi'l-Qura. I.I.'s reading is given in Yaq. iv. 57I.] The Al-I:Jarith b. I:Iilizza al-Yashkuri said:
words 'We arranged their bridles' are not from I.I.
Then I:Jujr, I mean Ibn Dmm Qatam,
786. Others say 'Ubiida b. Malik. With his greenish-black horsemen
787. A traditionist whom 1 trust told me that Ja'far took the flag in his right meaning the squadron; and I:Iassan b. Thabit said:
hand and it was cut off; then he held it in his left hand and that was cut off;
then he held it to his breast with his arms until he was slain. He was 33 When he saw Badr's valley walls
years old. For that God rewarded him with a pair of wings in Paradise with Swarming with the blackmailed squadrons of Khazraj
which he flew whither he would. It is said that a Greek gave him a blow in his poem Dn Badr [v.s. 525].
which cut him asunder.
800. Said to be 'Umar.
788. Another reading is 40 skins (manta).
801. He was of Khuza'a.
789. The words 1. al- Trash are not from I. 1. The third verse is from Khallad
b. Qurra: others say Malik b. Rafila. 802. An authority on poetry quoted me his saying 'like a pillar' which is
credited to aI-Ri'ash al-HudhalL On the day of Mecca, I:Iunayn, and al-
790. AI-Zuhri according to our information said that the Muslims made Ta'if the battle-cry of the muhajirs was '0 Banu 'Abdu 'l-Ralunan" of the
Khalid their chief and God helped them, and he was in charge of them until Khazraj, '0 Banu "Abdullah'; of the Aus, '0 Banu "Ubsydull~h'. '
he came back to the prophet.
803. Afterwards he became a Muslim and 'Umar gave him a governorship
79I. To these 1. Shihab added: From B. Mazin: Abu Kulayb and Jabir, and so did 'Uthman after him.
sons of 'Amr b. Zayd b. 'Auf b. Mabdhul, full brothers. From B. Malik b.
M~a: 'Amr and 'Amir, sons of Sa'd b. al-I:Iarith b. 'Abbad b. Sad b. 'Amir 804 AI-'Abbas had put Falima and Umm Kulthum, the two daughters of
b. Thalaba b. Malik b. Af~a. Others say, Abu Kilab and Jabir sons of the apostle, on a camel to take them from Mecca to Medina and al-Huway-
'Amr. rith goaded the beast so that it threw them to the ground. .

792. The poem is ascribed to J:Iabib b. 'Abdullah al-A'lam al-Hudhali, and 805 They were al-J:Iarith b. Hisham and Zuhayr b. Abu Umayya b. aJ.
the verse '1 remembered the ancient blood-feud' is from Abu 'Ubayda, also Mughira.
the words 'wide-nostrilled' and 'strong, lean-flanked', &c. I W. leaves this sentence under I.I.'s name.
774- The Life of Muhammad Ibn llishiim' s Notes 775
806. Sufyan b. 'Uyayna mentioned that the apostle said to 'AIi, 'I give you He told me that Fac;l.:ila b. 'Omayr b. al-?vlulawwal). al-LaythI wanted to
only that which you have lost; not that which you will cause others to lose.' kill the prophet as he was going round the temple in the year of the conquest.
A traditionist told me that the apostle entered the temple on the day of the When he drew near, the apostle asked him what he was muttering. He replied
occupation, and saw the figures of angels and other beings and a picture of that he was only mentioning the name of God. The prophet laughed and
Abraham with divining arrows in his hand. 'God slay them,' he said, 'they said, (Ask God's forgiveness,' and he put his hand on his chest and his heart
have pictured OUf shaykh as a man divining with arrows. What has Abraham became at rest. Fa<;lala used to say, 'As soon as he took his hand from my
to do with such things? "Abraham was not a Je\\' nor a Christian, but h~ was a chest none of God's creatures was dearer to me than he; so I went back to
bani!, a Muslim, and was not a polytheist'" (3. 60). Then he gave orders that my people. I passed by a woman with whom I used to have converse, and
all those pictures should be erased. [Azraqi, Mecca, 1352, 104 ult., records when she asked me to join her I refused.' He used to say,
a tradition that the picture of Jesus and Mary was retained by the prophet.] She said, Come and talk! and I said,
He also told me that the apostle and Bilal entered the Ka'ba, and when the God and Islam make it unlawful.
fanner came out Bilal remained behind. Abdullah b. 'Omar went in to him If you had seen Muhammad and his victorious entry
and asked him where the apostle had prayed, but he did not ask how many The day the idols were smashed
times. When Ibn 'Omarwent into the temple he walked straight forward until You would have seen God's religion shining plainly
there was a space of about three cubits between the wall and the door behind And darkness covering the face of idolatry.
him; then he would pray, making for the place which Bilal had told him of.
He also said that when the apostle entered the Ka'ba in the year of the 808. A traditionist of Quraysh told me that $afwan said to 'Omayr, 'Con~
conquest in company with Bihil he ordered him to call the people to prayer. found you, get a\vay and do not speak to me, for you are a liar,' because of
Now Abu Sufyan b. I;Iarb and 'Attab b. Asld and al-l:):arith b. Hisham were what he himself had done, Vle have mentioned the latter in the end of the
sitting in the courtyard of the Ka'ba. <Attab b. Asld said, 'God has honoured account of the battle of Badr.
Asld in not letting him hear this, for it would have enraged him.' AI-I;Iarith
809. Some authorities on poetry deny his authorship of this poem.
said, -If I knew that he was right I would follow him.' Abu Sufyan said,
'I say nothing. If I were to speak the very stones would tell him of it: 810. Another version is 'And kinship's cords were severed from you.'
Thereupon the prophet came out to them and said, 'I know what you said,'
arid. repeated their words. Al-J:Iarith and 'Attab said, 'We bear witness that 81 I. Bassan said this on the day of the occupation. For 'ayba some recite
you are the apostle of God. There was none with us who could have known 'atba. AI-ZuhrI is reported to have said: '\Vhen the apostle saw the women
this so that we could say that it w~s he who told you.' flapping their veils at the horses he looked at Abu Bakr with a smile.)
812. This is part of a longer ode of his.
8C17. I heard that the first man for whom the apostle paid the bloodwit was
]unaydib b. al-Akwa'. The B. Ka'b killed him and the apostle paid a hundred 813. 'Abbas b. Mirdas aI-Sulami said:
she-camels for him.
I heard from Yal).ya b. Sa'Id that when the prophet entered Mecca he \Vith us on the day Muhammad entered Mecca
stood on al~$afa praying to God. The An~ar were all round him and were Were a thousand marked men I-the valleys flowed ",,lith them.
saying among themselves, 'Do you think that now that God has given him They had helped the apostle and been present at his battles,
power over his land and his town that he will remain in it?' When he had Their mark on the day of battle being to the fore.
ended his prayers he asked them what they had been saying. At first they In a strait place their feet were firm.
would not say, but finally they told him and he said: 'God forbid! The place They split the enemies' heads like colocynths.
where I live will be your place, and the place where I die will be yours.' Their hooves had traversed N ajd beforehand
A traditionist in whom I have confidence with a chain going back to Till at last black I:Iijaz became subject to them.
Ibn Shihiib al-Zuhri from 'Ubaydullah b. 'Abdullah from Ibn 'Abbas said: God gave him the mastery of it.
The apostle entered Mecca on the day of conquest riding his camel, and went The judgment of the sword and victorious fortune subdued it to us.
round the Ka'ba on it. All round the temple were images set in lead, and the One old in authority, proud in mien,
apostle was pointing at them with a stick in his hand, saying, 'Truth has Seeking the bounds of glory, exceeding generous.
come and falsehood has passed away: falsehood is bound to pass away'
(17. 82). If he pointed at the image's face it fell backwards; if he pointed at ABBAS B. MIRDAS BECOMES A MUSLIM
its back it fell on its face, until there was not one of them standing. Tamim
b. Asad al-Khuz~n said concerning that: According to what an authority on poetry told me the father of 'Abbas had
an idol which he used to worship. It was a stone called I)arnari. One day
In the idols there is an instructive lesson
I i.e. with a distinguishing turban or emblem; or the word might mean 'released'
To one who hopes for reward or punishment. 'let go'.
The Life Df Muhammad Ibn Hishfim's Notes 777
Mirdas said to his son, 'Worship :Oamari, for it can both help and hurt you.' became hot. 'Umar said that the first was his son 'Abdullah and the other
When'Abbas was by Oamari he heard a voice saying from within it: was Salim, a client of Abu I;Iudhayfa.
Say to all the tribes of Sulaym,
816. Abo. 'Amr aI-Madani said: When Khalid came to them they said,
Qamari is dead and the people of the mosque do live.
'We have changed OUf religion, we have changed our religion.'
He of Quraysh who has inherited prophecy and guidance
After the Son of Mary is the rightly guided one. 81 7. The word Busy and 'remained with the marriage-makers' are not
l)amari is dead though once he was worshipped from I.I.
Before scripture came to the prophet Muhammad.
8 I 8. Most authorities on poetry deny the authenticity of the last two lines.
At that rAbbas burned :Qamari and joining the prophet became a Muslim.
8Ig. More than one authority on poetry recited the first line to me.
la'da b. 'Abdullah al-khuza'i: on the day Mecca was entered said:
a Ka<b b. 'Amr, hear a claim that is true 820. The words 'Take to Hawazin' to the end of the poem deal with this
Of death decreed for him on the day of battle, battle. What goes before has reference to something else. They are quite
Decreed for him from everywhere, I distinct, but 1. 1. has made them into one poem.
That he should die by night weaponless. 821. Abu Sufyan's son was named Ia'far, his own name being al-Mughira.
We are they whose horses closed up Chazal, Some people count Qutham b. al-'Abbas among them and omit Abu
And Lift and Fajju Tila!:l we closed up. Sufyan's son.
We brandished our spears behind the Muslims
In a great army supported by our horses. 822. Kalada b. al-I;.lanbal.
Bujayd b. 'Imran al-Khuza'i said: 823. J:iassan b. Thabit lampooning Kalada said:
God created the clouds to help us, I saw a black man afar off and he scared me.
Heaps of low-lying clouds one above another. 'Twas Abu J:Ianbal leaping on Umm l;Ianbal.
Our migration is in our country where we have 'Twas as though that with which he leapt upon her belly
A book which comes from the best of dictators and writers. Was the foreleg of a camel sired by a mighty stallion!
For our sakes Mecca's sanctuary was profaned Abu Zayd quoted these two verses to us, and said that in them he lampooned
That we might get revenge with our sharp swords. $afwan b. Umayya who was half-brother to Kalada on his mother's side.
814. 'Abbas b. Mirdas said concerning this: (This passage is not in W.)
Since you have made Khalid chief of the army 824 These two verses were not spoken by Malik and were about another
And promoted him he has become chief indeed battle.
In an anny guided by God whose commander you are
By which we smite the wicked with every right. 825. Or 'the smell of death'.

These two verses belong to an ode of his about the battle of J:iunayn which 826. An authority on the oral tradition of poetry quoted to me the second
I shall mention later, God willing. [See p. 583.] hemistich in the fonn:
And His cavalry has the best claim to constancy.
815. A traditionist who had it from Ibrahim b. Ja'far al-MaJ:unudi: told me
that the apostle said: 'In a dream I swallowed a morsel of dates mixed with 827 Ghaylan is b. Salama al-Thaqafl, and 'Urwa is b. Mas'ud al-Thaqafi.
butter and enjoyed the taste of it; but some of it stuck in my gullet when I was
trying to swallow it and 'Ali thrust in his hand and pulled it out.' Abu Bakr
828. Some say I. Ladh'a.
said: 'This is one of the parties you sent out. You will hear tidings which 829. The name of the man who killed Durayd was 'Abdullah b. Qunay' b.
you will like and dislike, and you will send 'Ali to put matters right.' Uhban b. Tha'laba b. Rabl'a.
He told me that one of the men escaped and came to the apostle to tell
him the news. The apostle asked if anyone opposed Khalid, and he replied 830. These verses of Malik have nothing to do with this battle. You can
that a fair man of medium height had done so but Khalid drove him away. see that from the words of Durayd at the beginning of this account, 'What
Another man tall and of dwnsy figure argued with him until the dispute of Ka'b and Kilab?' to which they replied, 'Not one of them is here.' Now
la'far was the son of Kilab and in these verses Malik says 'la'far and B.
I Lit. 'from his earth and his sky'. Cf. Werner Caskell, Das Schicksal in der altarabischen Hilal would have returned.'
Poesie, Leipzig, I926, 16 f. I have heard that cavalry came up while Malik and his party were at the
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 779
pass and when he asked his men what they could see they said that they saw the line 'We had charge of the flag' he recited the line 'We dyed it with
a force who lay their lances between the ears of their long-flanked steeds. blood'.
He said that they were B. Sulaym and they had nothing to fear from them.
837 Abu 'Ubayda told me that Zuhayr b. al-'Ajwa al-Hudhali was taken
When they came near they took the road at the bottom of the wadi. Next
prisoner at I:Iunayn and handcuffed. ]amil b. l'vla'mar al-]umahi saw him
came men with no distinguishing mark carrying their lances at the side.
and said, 'Are you the man who has been acting offensively against us ?',
He said that there was nothing to fear: they were Aus and Khazraj. When
and he struck off his head. Abu. Khirash, who was his nephew said in
they came to the bottom of the pass they took the same road as B. Sulaym. lamenting him: '
Then they said that they saw a horseman long of thigh carrying his lance on
his shoulder, his head wrapped in a red cloth. 'That is al-Zubayr b. a1- ]ami:I b. Ma'mar has half-starved my guests
'Awwam,' he said. 'I swear by al-Lat that he will fight you, so stand firm.' By killing a generous man to whom widows resorted.
When al-Zubayr came to the foot of the pass he saw them and made for them The belt of his sword was long, no short one when he brandished it.
and kept thrusting at them until he drove them from it. And the cord was loose upon him. I
So generous he would almost give away his girdle
83 I. An authority on poetry whom I do not suspect told me that Abu When the cold north winds were fierce.
'Amir al-Ash'ad met ten polytheists, all brothers, on the day of Autas. To his tent the poor man went in winter
One of them attacked and AbU. 'Amir fell upon him calling him to Islam, And the poor night traveller in his worn-out rags
saying, '0 God, testify against him,' and he k"illed him. They began to Who goes halffrozen when the night winds blow
attack him one by one until he killed nine of them and then he began to Driving him to seek refuge.
fight the tenth calling on God as before. The man cried, '0 God, do not What ails the people of the camp that they did not separate
testify against me,' and Abu 'Amir let him go and he escaped and afterwards When the eloquent chief had gone?
became a good Muslim. When the apostle saw him he said, 'This is the I swear if you had met him when he was not bound
survivor of Abu. 'Amir's onslaught.' Two brothers shot Abu. 'Amir, al-'AHf Hyaenas would have visited you at the mountain foot.
and Aufa Sons of al~I:Iarith of B. Jusham b. Mu'awiya; one of them hit If you had faced him when you met him
his heart and the other his knee and so he died. Abu. Musa assumed com- And fought him if you are a fighter
mand and attacked and killed the pair of them. One of the B. Jusham hment- Jami! would have met the most ignominious end;
ing them said: Rut a man whose hands are bound cannot defend himself. Z
The killing of al-'AI:f and Aufa was a calamity, We were not as we used to be at home 0 Umm Thabit
They could not be touched while life was in them. But chains were round our necks.' ,
They were the ones who killed Abu'Amir The young man like the old man does naught but what is right
Who was a sharp sword with wavy marks. And the women blamers have nothing to say. '
They left him on the battlefield Sincere brethren have become as though
As though wrapped in a crimson robe. One had poured on them the dust of the grave.
You have not seen their like among men, But don't think that I have forgotten the nights in Mecca
Less likely to stumble or better shots. When we could not be held back from what we took in hand
When men were men and the country was famous '
832. God sent down concerning the day of I;Iunayn: 'God gave you victory And doors were not shut in our faces.
in many places and on the day of Bunayn when you exulted in your multi-
tude' to the words 'That is the reward of the unbelievers' (9. 25). 838. It is said that his name was AM Thawiib Ziyiid b. Thawiib. Khalaf
al-AJ:unar quoted me the words 'Red blood flowed because of our rage' and
833. One of the rhapsodists said about it: the last verse as not from 1.1.
When your prophet's uncle and friends arose 839 Some say 17 days.
They cried, Help, 0 squadron of the faith!
Where are those who answered their Lord 840. The apostle shot at them with catapults. One I can trust told me that
On the day of al-'Uray~ and the homage of al-Ri~wan? the apostle was the first to use a catapult in Islam when he fired at the men
of Tii'if.
834. The words 'covered with dust' are not from 1.1.
841. It is said that the mother of Da'ud was Maymuna d. Abu Sufyiin who
835 Khalaf al-Al;unar quoted to me the words' And cried Stop!'.
wD~_ m amed to Abu Murra b. 'Urwa b. Mas'ud, and she bore to him
836. An authority on poetry recited to me 'we were his right wing', &c., aud .
but he knew nothing of the verse beginning 'we carried his banner'. .After I A frequent cliche for a tall man. Z S. misses the point here.
780 The LIfe of Muhammad
Ibn Hishiim's Notes
842. 1. I. gave the names of those slaves who came.
From mixed tribes:
843. The word yuqbisu is not from 1.1.
B. Bakr b. 'Abdu Manat b. Kinana: Naufal b. Mu'awiya b. 'Urwa b.
844. Others say I. J:Iubab. $akhr b. Razn b. Yamar b. Nufatha b. 'Adiy b. ai-Oil.
B. Qays of the B. 'Amir b. $a'!?a'a clan of the sub-division B. Kilab
845. Another tradition is 'had we shared our salt with', &c.
b. Rabi'a b. 'Amir b. $a~a'a: 'Alqama b. 'Ulath" b. 'Auf b. al-A!)wa~
846. Zayd b. Aslam from his father said that 'AqiI b. Abu Bakr went in to b. Iafar b. Kilab and Labid b. Rabi'a b. Malik b. la'far b. Kilab.
his wife Fatima d. Shayba b. Rabf a on the day of I:Iunayn with his sword B. 'Amir b. Rabi'a: Khalid b. Haudha b. Rabi'a b. 'Amr b. 'Amir b.
dripping with blood. She said, 'I see that you have been fighting, and what Rabi'a b. <Amir b. Sa<~a'a and I;:Iarrnala b. Haudha his brother.
plunder have you got from the polytheists?' He said 'Take this needle to B. Na~r b. Mu'awiya: Malik b. 'Auf b. Sa'id b. Yarbu'.
make your clothes with' and handed it to her. Then he heard the apostle's B. Sulaym b. Man!?ur: <Abbas b. Mirdas b. Abu <Amir brother of B.
crier ordering men to return anything they had taken even to a needle and al-J:Iarith b. Buhtha b. Sulaym.
thread; so he came back and said 'I'm afraid you have lost your needle' and B. Gha\afan, of the clan of B. Fazara: 'Uyayna b. J:Ii~n b. J:Iudhayfa b.
took it and threw it into the common stock. Badr.
B. Tamim of the clan of B. I:1an~ala: al-Aqra' b. Babis b. 'Iqal of B.
847. NUi?ayr b. al-J:Iarith b. Kalada, and it may be that his name was al-
l\1ujashi' b. Darim.
J:Iarith also.
851. When the apostle made these gifts to Quraysh and the Beduin tribes
848. His name was'Adiy b. Qays.
and gave nothing to the An1?ar, J:Iassan b. Thabit reproached him in the
849. Yunus al-Na:Q.wi quoted me the verse with the word 'l\lirdas' in place following verse:
of 'my father'. [This is T .'s reading. Another reading of 1. 1. is 'my father
Anxieties increased and tears flowed copiously
and my grandfather'.] While I wept continuously
850. A traditionist told me that 'Abbas b. Mirdas came to the apostle who In longing for Shamma' the lovely, the slender,
said to him, 'So you are the one who said: Without impurity or weakness.
Speak no more of Shamma' since her love has waned,
My spoil and that of 'Ubayd my horse (When love has grown cold there is no joy in meeting),
Is shared by al-Aqra and Uyayna.' And come to the apostle and say, 0 thou most trusted
Abu Bakr said, 'Between 'Uyayna and al-Aqra'.' The apostle said, 'It's By believers from all mankind.
the same thing.' Abu Bakr said, 'I testify that you are as God said, "We have Why were Sulaym invited-mere outsiders,
not taught him poetry and that is not fitting for him" , (Sura 36. 69). Before a people who gave you shelter and help?
A traditionist in whom I have confidence from al-Zuhri-'Ubaydullah b. God called them Helpers because they helped true religion
'Abdullah b. 'Utba-Ibn 'Abbas-said: Tbe apostle accepted the homage of While repeated wars broke out
Quraysh and others and gave them on the day of al-Ji'rana some of the spoil And they vied in running in the way of God, enduring hardship,
of J:!unayn, thus: Showing neither cowardice nor alarm.
B. Umayya: Abu Sufyan b. J:Iarb; Taliq b. Sufyan; and Khiilid b. Asid. And when men gathered against us for your sake
B. 'Abdu'I-Oar: Shayba b. 'Uthman b. Abu Tal!)a; Abu Sanabil b. And we had but our swords and lances as a refuge
Ba'kak b. al-J:Iarith b. 'Umayla b. al-Sabbaq; 'Ikrima b. 'Amir b. We fought them, sparing nOne
And abandoned nothing revealed in the suras.
Hashim.
B. Makhzum: Zuhayr b. Abu Umayya b. al-Mughira; al-J:Iarith b. Those who love war do not shun Our assembly
Hisham b. al-Mughira and Khiilid his brother; Hisham b. al-Walid b. And when its fire blazed we were the kindlers.
al-Mughira; Sufyan b. 'Abdu'I-Asad b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr; and al-Sa'ib As we repelled the hypocrites at Badr their hopes unrealized
And through us victory was sent down. I
b. 'Nidh b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr.
B. 'Adiy b. Kab: MU\i' b. al-Aswad b. J:Iaritha b. Nac;1la, and Abu Iahm b. We were your army at the mountain slope of U:Q.ud
When MuQ.ar insolently gathered their adherents.
Hudhayfa b. Ghiinim.
B. Juma!) b. 'Amr: $afwan b. Umayya b. Khalaf; U!)ay!)a b. Umayya his We were not remiss or cowardly,
brother, and 'Umayr b. Wahb b. Khalaf. And they did not find us stumblers though all others were.
B. Sahm: 'Adiy b. Qays b. J:Iudhiifa. 852. I have heard that Zayd b. Aslam said that when the apostle appointed
B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy: J:Iuwaytib b. 'Abdu'I-'Uzza and Hisham b. 'Amr b. 'Attab as governor in Mecca his allowance was a dirham a day. He got up
Rabi'a b. al-J:Iarith b. J:Iubayyib.
I Or perhaps 'Concerning us the verse about "victory" "ias sent down'.
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes
and addressed the people in these words: 'God make hungry the liver of a I had gone to the top of Suwaylim's house
man who is hungry on a dirham a day! The apostle has allowed me a dirham And I crawled away on one whole leg and my elbow.
every day and I have no need of anyone.' 1'vly salaams to you, I'll ne'er do the like again
I'm afraid. He whom fire surrounds is burned,
853- The apostle arrived in Medina on 24th Dhu'l-Qa'da according to what
'Amr aI-Madani alleged. 859 A trustworthy person told me that 'Uthman spent on the raiding force
a thousand dinars. The apostle said, '0 God, be pleased with 'Utruniin for
854. Another version is AI-Ma'mur (the one under orders). The words I am pleased with him.'
'Tell me plainly' are not from Ibn Isl).aq. An authority on poetry quoted me
the lines thus: 860. He put l\fuhammad b, Ivlaslama al-An~ari in charge of Medina.
<Abdu'l-<Azlz b. Ivluhammad al-Darawardi from his father told me that
Who will give Bujayr a message from me:
Do you accept what I said at the mountain foot?
he put Sibir b. 'Urfuta cr.
brother of B. Ghifar) over Medina when he
set out for Tabuk.
You have drunk with al-Ma'miin a full cup
And he has added a second draught of the same. 861. Abu Khaythama (his name was Malik b. Qays) said:
You have gone against true guidance and followed him. "Vhen I saw men hypocritical in religion
Woe to you, to what has he led you? I undertook that which is more chaste and nobler.
To a religion your parents knew naught of And I pledged my fealty to Muhanunad.
And your brother has naught to do with. And did no sin or wrong.
If you don't accept what I say I shall not grieve I left the dyed one in the hut
Nor say if you stumble God help you! Where dates had ripened and camels were full of milk.
He sent this to Bujayr, and when he received it he did not like to hide it When the hypocrite doubted my soul
from the apostle so he recited it to him. When he heard the words 'AI- Flowed gently to the religion following wherever it led,
Ma'mun has given you a full cup' he said, 'That is true and he is the liar! 862. I have heard that al-Zuhri said: When the apostle passed by al-J:fijr
I am al-Ma'mun'; and when he heard the words 'A religion your parents he covered his face with his cloak and urged his camel on saying, 'Do not go
knew naught of' he said, 'Certainly, his father and mother did not follow it.' among the houses of those who sinned unless you are riding fast for fear that
855. Or al-Ma'miir. you may meet with the fate that befell them.'
863. Others say 1. Lu~ayb. [T. also has this reading, so that an early
856. Ka<b composed this ode after he caITJ.e to the apostle at Medina. His
scribe is probably at fault.]
verses IThe qurad crawls over her' and IOnagerlike is she' and 'She lets a
tail' and 'When he springs on his adversary' and IAlbeit ever in his wadi' 864. Some say Makhshiy.
are not on the authority of 1.1.
86 5. He was called Dhu'l-Bijadayn because when he broke away to Islam
857. It is said that the apostle said to him when he recited to him 'Su'ad is his people tried to stop him and so persecuted him that they left him with
gone', 'Why didn't you speak well of the An~ar, for they deserve such only one garment upon him. (The bijad is a coarse rough wrapper.) He fled
mention?' So Ka<b spoke these words in an ode of his, I was told that 'Ali from them to the apostle, and when he came near he rent his bijad into two
b. Zayd b. Jud'an said that Ka<b recited 'Su<ad has gone' to the apostle in parts, girding his middle with one and wrapping himself in the other. Then
the mosque. he came to the apostle and was called 'He of the two garments'. Bijad also
means a cloak of black hair, as in the words of Imru'u'l-Qays:
858. A trustworthy person told me on the authority of Muhammad b.
Tal!).a b. 'Abdu'I-RaJ:unan from Is!).aq b. Ibrahim b. 'Abdullah b. J:Iaritha And when at first its misty shroud bore down on Aban's top
from his father from his grandfather: The apostle heard that the hypocrites He stood like an ancient man in a grey-streaked mantle wrapped.
were assembling in the house of Suwaylim the Jew (his house was by Jasum) 866. Or 'than their eyesight'.
keeping men back from the apostle in the raid on Tabuk. So the prophet
sent TalQ,a b. 'Ubaydullah with a nmnbcr of his friends to them with orders 867. Bi..f atrina is the same as bi-faturina.
to bum Suwaylim's house down on them. TalQ,a did so, and al-DaQ,Q.ak b.
868. Latubkayanna is not from 1.1. [This is a most interesting note.
Khalifa threw himself from the top of the house and broke his leg, and his
Obviously I.H. is querying only the one word, and in T. we have ala'bkiyan
friends rushed out and escaped. AI-Dal).l).ak said concerning that:
which must be right. The doggerel is in the familiar 'I'm the king of the castle'
By God's temple Muhammad's fire mould which seems to have been frequently used by women when uttering
Almost burnt Da!).!).ak and Ibn Ubayriq. taunts. The translation is no wo~e than the original!]
784 The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hisham's Notes
869. III means bilf (treaty or oath). Aus b. I;lajar, one of B. Usayyid b. brotherhood Mu"awiya took what he left as his heir. AI-Farazdaq said to
~ Amr b. Tamim, said: Mu'awiya:
Were it not for Banil Malik who respect a treaty, Your father and my uncle, 0 l\lu'awiya, left an inheritance
For Malik are an honourable people who respect treaties. So that his next of kin might inherit it.
But how come you to devour the estate of al~Hutat
This verse occurs in an ode of his. Plural iiliil. The poet says:
\\-'hen the solid estate of I:Iarb was melting in ~our hand?
There is no treaty whatever between me and you,
So do not relax your effort. 878. And 'Ularid b. I;lajib, one of B. Darim b. lvIalik b. Hanzala b. lvIalik
b. Zayd Manat b. Tami:m; and al-Aqra' b. I:!abis, one 'of B. Darim b.
Dhimma means 'ahd (compact). AI-Ajda' b. Malik al-Hamdani, who was Malik; and al-I:Iutat b. Yazld of the same; and al-Zibriqan b. Badr, one of
the father of Masriiq b. al-Ajd& the lawyer, said: B. Bahdala b. 'Auf b. Ka'b b. Sad b. Zayd lvIanat b. Tamim; and 'Amr b.
There is an agreement binding on us al-Ahtarn, one of B. lvIinqar b. 'Ubayd b. al-I;larith b. 'Amr b. Ka'b- b.
That you should not overstep our boundary near or far. Sa"d b. Zayd Manat b. Tamlm; and Qays b. 'A~im, one of B. Minqar.

This is one of three verses of his. Plural dhimam. 879 Another version is:

870. Walija means dakhil (friend), plural walii'ij from walaja, yaliju, he From us kings arc born and \ve take the fourth
and
entered' and in God's book 'until a camel goes through the eye of a needle'
(7. 38).' He says they have not chosen a friend other than him, concealing From every land submissively, so we are obeyed.
feelings towards him other than they show, like the disaffected do displaying One of the B. Tamiln recited it to me, but most authorities on poetry deny
faith to those who believe 'and when they go apart to their devils they say: al-Zibriqan's authorship.
We are with you' (2. 13). The poet says:
880. Abu Zayd quoted the verse thus:
Know that you have been made a friend
To whom they bring undiluted death. Everyone whose heart is devout
Approves of it and the thing they have begun.
871. Aua'il khiliilakum means 'hurried among your lines'. Ida' is a way
An authority on poetry among B. Tamlm told me that when aI-Zibriqan
of moving, faster than walking. Al-Ajda' b. Malik alHamdanl said:
came with the deputation to the apostle he got up and said:
My gallant horse will catch a wild bull for you
We have come to you that men may know our superiority
By outrunning it at a pace between a gallop and a trot. \Vhenever they gather at the fairs
[Perhaps the wild bull itself is addressed.] That we are the foremost in every field
And that none in al-I:Iijaz are like Darim.
872. Some ascribe the poem to his son rAbd.u'I~Ra1;linan. That we put champions to flight in their arrogance
And smite the heads of the proud and powerful.
873. The last hemistich is not from 1.1. Ours is the fourth part in every raid
874. The words 'and he has given us a name' are not from 1.1. In Najd or in foreign lands.
Then I;:Iassan got up and answered him saying:
875. Abu Zayd a1-An~ariquoted to me the verses 'They were kings,. &c.,'
and 'In Yathrib they had bUllt forts' and 'Dark bays, spirIted' as from hIm. Is glory aught but ancient lordship and generositv
The dignity of kings and the bearing of great bu;(lens?
876. Abu 'Ubayda told me that that was in the year 9 and that it was called We helped and sheltered the prophet \1uhammad
the year of the deputations. \Vhcther l\'!a'aJd liked it or not
In a unique tribe whose root and wealth
877. (Not I;labljab but) al-I;lutat. The apostle established brotherhood Is in Jabiyatu'l-Jaulan among the foreigners.
between him and Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan. The apostle did this between We helped him when he dwelt among us
a number of his companions, ,e.g. between Abu Bakr and 'Vmar; 'Uthman Against every wrongful aggressor.
and 'Abdu'l-Rahman b. 'Auf' Talha b. 'Ubaydullah and al-Zubayr b. al-
\Ve put our sons and daughters before him
'Awwam; Abu Dharr al.GhifarI a~d al-Miqdad b. <Amr al-Bahrani; and
And we were pleased to forgo the spoils for his sake. I
Mu'awiya b. Abu Sufyan and al-I:Iutat b. Yazi:d al-Mujashi'i:. AI-I:Iutat.died
in the presence of Mu'awiya during his caliphate and by virtue of this At Hunayn.
n 4060
3E
The LIfe of Muhammad
Ibn Hz"sham's Notes
Vle smote men with our sharp s\vords
894 Abu 'Gbayda recited the verse to me thus:
Until they flocked to his religion
And \ve begat the greatest of Quraysh. I I gave you an order on the day of Dhu $an 'a'.
We bcgat the prophet of good of Hashim's line. I ordered you to fear God, to come to Him and accept His promise
Do not boast, 0 Banil Darim, for your boast But you were like a little donkey ,
\Vill turn to shame when noble deeds are mentioned. \Vhose lust beguiled him away.
Curse you, would you boast against us
When you are our servants, half wet-nurses and half slaves? He did not know the rest of the poem. [Five more verses are given by T
(1733 f.).] ..
If you've come to save your lives and property
Lest they be divided as booty,
895 The word bithafn' is on Abu 'Ubayda's authority.
Then give not God an equal and embrace Islam
And do not dress like foreigners.
8.9 6 . AI-Ash'ath was a SOn of 'the cater of bitter herbs' on his mother's
881. There is another verse which we have omitted because it is obscene. sIde._ !he eater,s_ ",~ere al-I:-Iarith b. 'Amr b. I:-Iujr b. 'Amr b. l\lu'awiva b.
al-I:Ianth ~. l\Iu a~""lya b. Thaur b. .l.VIuratti' b. .l.VIu'a\....iya b. Kindi or Kinda.
882. Another version is '0 boil like the boils of a camel and death in the He was gIven thIS name because 'Amr b. al-Habula al-Ghassani raided
house of a Saluli woman!' them when al-I:Iarith was ~way and plundered and took captives. Among the
!atter was Umm Unas ~. Auf b. l\Iul)allam al-Shaybani, wifc of al-Harith b.
883. Zayd b. Aslam from 'Ata' b. Yasar from 1. 'Abbas said: God sent down :un~' On the way she saId to 'Amr: 'l\lethinks I sec a black man with' blubber
concerning 'Amir and Arbad: 'God knows what every female carries, what lIps lIke those of a camel eating bitter herbs who has seized thy neck' .
the wombs keep small and what grows larger' as far as the words 'and they I H- . h S h " meaning
a - . ant. 0 e was called 'the eater of bitter herbs'. 1\.1urar arc plants
have no friend against Him.' He said, 'The mu'aqqibiit are those who "by ~hen al-I:Lir~th follo,":ed ~im with B. Bakr b. \Va'il, overtook him and killed
God's order" protect Muhammad.' Then He mentioned Arbad and how hIm and deltvered hIS \\flfe, and what he had seized. AI-H,'irith b HT
God killed him and said 'And He sends thunderbolts and He smites whom aI-Yashkuri said to 'Amr b. al-l\Iundhir who was 'Amr b. i-lind al-Lak~~~~
He will' as far as the words 'powerful in device' (13. 9-14).
~e .forced you, lord of Ghassan, to pay for (killing) I\lundhir
884. His verse '\Vho spoiled the spoiler' is on the authority of Abu 'Ubayda \\ hI Ie the blood that was shed could not be measured,,
and his verse 'Liberal when times were bad' has not 1.1.'s authority.
because al-!:Iarith. al-A'raj al-Ghassani had killed his father al-l\lundhir.
885. The last verse has not I.I.'s authority. [It is to be found in Die Gedichte The verse ~ccurs In ~~ odc of his. This story is too long for me to relate as
des Labid, ed. C. Brockelmann, Leiden, 1891, p. 2, with some variants.] ! have avoI~~d'prohxlt~. Some .say the eater of bitter herbs \vas I:Iujr b.
Amr b. ~u aWlya :\'ho IS the ~ubJect of this story, and got the name because
886. These tv.'o verses are part of a larger poem of his [cd. Chalidi, pp. 15 f.] he and hIS companIOns ate thIS herb on this raid.

887. al-Jarud b. Bishr b. al-Mu'alla was in the deputation. He was a


Christian. 897. THE COMING OF THE DEPUTATIO:".~ OF HAMD.i.~

888. Another report is that he said, 'I am done with him who does not
~ccording to ,",,:hat ~ trush-vo~hy a~thorit? tol(~ me from 'Ann b. 'Abdullah
. Udhayna al- Abdl fro~ Abu IsI:wq al-Subay 1::l deputation from I-Iamd,ln
pronounce the shahiida.'
among v.'hom \vere lVIiihk b. Namat, and Abu Thaur Dhu'!-I\'IIS)l'- d
M-n b A ' ' . - - dr, an
889. Musaylima b. Thumama surnamed Abu Thumama. a 1 _ .. ~ yla, and I)lmam b. :I\Ialik al-Salm,inl, and 'Amira b. I\-IaIik
al-Khanfl
b came and met the apostle on his return from Tabu-k., weanng.
890. Or al-l;Iaushiya [in Najd]. TO es of Ya:nan cloth, and, turbans of Aden, with wooden saddles on 1\-lahri
a?d ArJ:tabl camels. Maltk b. Namat and another man were the rajaz
891. Malik b. I:Iarim al-Hamdani was the leader on that day. sIngers of the people, one of them saying:
892. ,The first verse and the words 'If we conquer' are from someone other Hamdan has the best of princes and of subjects'
than 1.1. [It is not cited by T., a fact which might perhaps indicate that it It has no equal in the universe. '
was added by an interpolator.] High is its position, and from it come
893. Abu"Ubayda quoted me the line thus: 'Hoping for its welfare and the Warriors and chiefs! with goodly wealth therein.
praise of it.'
A.Dh. is \\Tong in saying that this word (dka-l) means 'what kings take from their
1 Through the prophet's great-grandmother. v.s. subjects'. See Lane.
788 The Life of Muhammad
Ibn Hishiim's Notes
While the other responded: h
t at to
G od. Every one of them the next . 789
Camels haltered with ropes of palm language of the people to whom th mornmg became able to speak the
Pass through land knowing water's balm. Th ey were sent.'
e apostle sent letters with his com a .
The dust of summer does no harm. inviting them to Islam H t D' p mons and sent them to the kings
of Rum; 'Abdullah b HUd~-fsent Ch1Dya b. K~alifa aI-KaIbr to Caesar, king
This Malik stood before the apostle and said, '0 apostle of God, the 1D ' . k' a a 0f asroes kmg of Pers'13; 'Amr. b U mayya
a-.amrltotheN . .'
choicest of Hamdan's settled and nomad folk have come to you on fine M egus, mg 0 AbyssInIa' Hiitib b Ab - B I .
swift camels, linked by the cords of Islam. No blame so far as God is con- uqauqis, king of Alexandria' 'Amr b 'l;A' . ~ a ta a to the
<Iyadh, sons of al-}ulunda the Azd-' k , . af-'U~ ~l-Sahr~l1 to Jayfar and
cerned attaches to them from the district of Kharif and Yam and Shakir B . 'A mIt
' b . Lu'ayy to Thumama b IS,Uth-lmgs a man' Saltt b 'Am f
the camel and horse folk. They have answered the apostle's call and have d H ' .' r one 0
kingsofal-Yamama'al_'Ala'b 1 H' d a _an aUdha~. 'Ali, theI;fanafIs,
withdrawn from the goddesses and sacrificial stones. Their word will not be '
k mg ' . a - a rarnt to al-IVlundh b S- - I 'Ab
of Bahrayn' ShuJ'a-' b W hb' I' A d- . Ir . awa a ~ cli,
broken while stands mount La'la' and while the young hart runs on Sala'.' " . a a - s I to al-H- th b Ab - ,
Ghassani, king of the Roman border. . an , U Shimr al-
The apostle wrote a letter for them: 'To the district of Kharif and the
(He sent Shuja' b Wahb t ] b I b 1
M~hkajir Uma~a al-Ma~hz~tto~1~H~J~ha~ '~b~~a~~7;i
people of the high country and the sand hills with their envoy Dhu'l-Mish'a.r
Malik b. Namat and those of his people who are Muslims. Theirs is the high bfAbu an d. al-
yan mgo theYaman I I h . h" a-1 H Im-
ground and the low ground so long as they perform prayer and pay alms; and Haudha and al_M~ndhir~)ve gIven t e genealogy of Salit and Thu~ama
they may eat its fodder and pasture on its herbage. For this they have God's
promise and the guarantee of His apostle and their witnesses an: the emigrants 91. Another version is 'the colour of gold'.
and the helpers.'
Malik b. Namat said concerning this: 902. Some say the nam Q
Milla. es were una b. Ashfar al-.I)ifari and I:Iayyan b.
I remembered the apostle in the darkness of the night
When we were above Ra1)raqa.n and $aldad 903 Or al-Ajnaf,
While the camels tired with sunken eyes
9 0 4. The words 'with no hope f 1
Carried their riders on a far-stretching road. h er release' are not from 1.1. a an easy re ease' and 'cIrcumstances
Strong, long-striding camels
Carried us along like well-fed ostriches. 905. Or b. Razim.
I swear by the Lord of the camels that run to l\1ina
Returning with riders from a lofty height 906. 'Abdullah b. Unays said about that:
That the apostle of God is held true among us, I left Ibn Thaur like a young camel
An apostle who comes with guidance from the Lord of the throne. ~~rou~ded by mourning women cutting their shirts into strips
No camel has ever carried one more fierce en t e ,":omcn were behind me and behind him .
Against his enemies than Muhammad, . I fetched hIm a stroke \vith a sharp I n d'Ian Sword
.
Nor more generous to one who comes asking for kindness, WhIch could bite into the heads of ;rmoured men
Nor more effective with the edge of his sharp sword. As a flame burns up the tinder.
898, AI-Yarbu'L I said to him as the sword bit into his head'
I am Ibn Unays, no mean horseman' .
899. He put Abn Dujana al~Sa'idl-otherssay Siba.' b. 'Urfuta al~Ghifari I am .the son of one who never remo~ed his cooking-pot
in charge of Medina. No :rllggar~ he;-wide was the space before his door. '
I saId to him, Take that with the blow of a noble man
900. The apostle had sent some of his companions as messengers carrying Who turns to the religion of the prophet Muhammad'
letters to the kings inviting them to Islam. One in whom I have confidence Wheneve~ the prophet gave thought to an unbeliever'
on the authority of Abu Bakr al-HudhaIi told me: 'It' reached me that the I got to hIm first with tongue and hand.
apostle went out one day after his 'umra from which he had been excluded
on the day of al-J:1udaybiya and said "God has sent me as a mercy to all 9 0 7. About that al-Farazdaq said:
men, so do not hang back from me as the disciples hung back from Jesus Ibn !:Iabis in. the presence of .the apostle took the high place
son of Mary." , They asked how they had hung back and he said: 'He called Of One who IS resolved on gaming glory.
them to that to which I have called you. Those who were sent on a near I As will be seen in the text T arr h I"
mission were satisfied and content; those who were sent on a distant mission Why LH. should have disturbed' I I ~nges t e 1st of the ~~ssengers in a different order.
A h b ' , s account and put It In h' .
showed their displeasure and took it as a burden, and Jesus complained of s as een explained in a footnote to W 97 th ' IS own name IS obscure.
'do not differ in your response to me'.' 2, c expresswn lei takhtallfu 'alayya may mean
79 0 The LIfe of Muhammad Ibn Hishiim's Notes 79 1
For him (Muhammad) released the prisoners in his ropes and he said 'Amr b. Umayya, and died on the spot without having revealed
\\-Those necks \verc encircled by halters. where we were. They carried him away. \Vhen night fell I told my com-
He spared the mothers who feared for their sons panion that we must get 3\\'3Y, so we left IVlecca making for rVledina. \Vc
The high price of ransom or the division of the captives into shares. passed by some guards who were \vatching the corpse of Khuba~yb b.
~AdIy when one of them said, 'By God, I have never seen before tonight
These verses are in one of his odes. 'Ad!y b. Jundab was of B. al-<Anbar.
anything more like the gait of 'Amr b. Umayya; were it not that h~ is in
Al-~Anbar was b. 'Amr b. Tamim.
Medina I should have said that it was he.' \Vhen he came in face of the
908. According to Abu 'Ubayda the name was al-I:Iuraqa. gallows he ran to it and took it and carried it away, and the t\.vo of them
hurried off, while they (the guards) came behind him, until he came to a
909. Abu 'Amr b. aI-'Ala: read this passage with a slight orthographical hollow in the cliff at the ravine of Ya'jaj \vherc he threw the gallov.'s into the
addition. hollow and God hid him from them while they could do nothing. I said to my
companion, 'Escape! Escape! until you get to your camel and mount it
<;)10. Mukaytil. while I occupy the men so that they cannot hinder you', for the AnsarI
could hardly walk. .
91 I. Mu1)allim in all this story is not on 1.1.'s authority. He was Mu1).allim
b. Jaththama b. Qays al-Laythi. l\1ulajjam, according to what Ziyad told us I went on until I came out at Oajnan;1 then I betook me to a mountain
from I.!. and entered a cave. \-Vhilc I was there suddenly an old man of B. al-DIl, a
one-eyed man, came in ,vith a young sheep and asked who I was. I told him
912. And he set forth for Dumatu'l-]andal. I was of B. Bakr and he said he was too. I said '\Velcome,' and as he stretched
himself out he lifted up his voice and said:
913. THE SENDING OF <AMR B. UMAYYA AL-:gAMRi TO KILL I won't be a J\Juslim as long as I live
ABU SUFYA~ B. l;IARB AND WHAT HE DID ON THE WAY Nor heed to their religion give.
Among the missions and expeditions which the apostle sent out which Ibn I said to myself 'You will soon knov./!' I gave him time until when he was
Isl).aq does not record l is the mission of'Amr b. Umayya al-Qamri, whom the asleep I took my bow and inserted the end of it in his sound eye and bore
apostle sent to Mecca-according to what a trustworthy traditionist told me- dO\vn upon it until it reached the bone. Then I hurried off until I came to
after the killing of Khubayb b. <Adiy and his companions, ordering him to al-<'Arj,2 then Rakuba 3 until I dropped down to al-~aqi'4 \vhere there were
kill Abu Sufvan b. Harb. lith him he sent Jabbar b. $akhr al-An~arI. two polytheists of Quraysh who had been scnt as spies to 1\1edina. I called on
When they r~ached :;\lecca they tied their t\vo camels in one of the narrow them to surrendl'r but they rdused, so I shot one and killed him and the
passes of Ya'jaj and entered the to\vn by night. Jabbar suggested to <'Amr other surrendered. I bound him tightly and took him to ::'vIedina.
that they should circumambulate the temple and pray two rak'as, to which
'Amr replied that at night the inhabitants were wont to sit in their court-
yards. 'God willing they won't be,' he replied. ~Amr said: We went round 9 1 4. ZAYD B. ~IARITIIA'S EXPEDITION TO MADYA~
the temple and prayed and then came away making for Abu Sufyan. As This is recorded by <Abdullah b. J:Iasan b. Basan from his mother Fatima d.
we were walking in the town a man looked at me and recognized me and al-J:Iusayn b. <'Ali. Zayd was accompanied by I)umayra, a client of' 'All's,
cried, 'It's <'Amr b. Umayya. By God, he has come only for some evil and a brother of his. They took several captives from the people of l\11n5.'
purpose.' I told my companion to run and we went out quickly and got up a which is on the shore, a mixed lot among them. They were sold as slaves and
mountain, and they came out in pursuit of us and did not desist until we had families were separated. The apostle arrived as they were weeping and
got to its top. \Ve came back and went into a cave in the mountain and passed inquired the reason. \-Vhen he \vas told he said, 'Sell them only in lots',
the night there, having piled rocks in front of it. In the morning came a meaning the mothers \vith the children.
man of Quraysh leading a horse, cutting grass for it, drawing near to us as
we \vere in the cave. I said, 'If he sees us he will give the alarm and we shall 9 1 5. I have heard that when he went on the little pilgrimage he uttered the
be taken and killed.' Now I had a dagger with me which I had got ready for cry 'Labbayka' in the vale of .:\.Jecca. He \vas the first to enter l\Iecca with the
Abu Sufyan, and I stabbed him in the chest and he gave a cry which reached cry. Quraysh seized him and exclaimed at his audacity. They were about to
the ears of the Meccans, so I \vent back and entered the cave. The men came strike off his head when one of them said, 'Let him alone, for you have need
running to him as he was at the last gasp and asked hini who had stabbed him of al-Yamama for your food' so they let him go his way.

1 This statement implies that the MS. which I.E. had contained no account of these
1 A mountain near Mecca.
happenings, but the extract from Tab. 1437 f. which I have restored to the text gives a 2 A place on the Mecca road. The name is also given to a wadi in the Hijaz.
graphic description on the authority of 1.1. S. also points out that I.H. is in error in saying 3 A pass between the two harams.
that 1.1. does not report the story. 4 In lVIuzayna country abo'ut t"..o nights' journey from Medina.
79 2 The Life of Muhammad
Ibn Hishiim's Notes 793
Concerning this al-Banafi said:
He married Zaynah d. J aQ.sh b. Ri'fib al-Asadiya. Her brother Abu Al).mad
It was our man who said publicly in Mecca married her to him and the apostle gave her four hundred dirhams. She
In the sacred months 'labbayka' despite Abu Sufyan. had been previously married to Zayd b. I:Iaritha, the freed slave of the
I was told that when he became a Muslim he said to the apostle: 'Your face apostle, and it was about her that God sent down: 'So when Zayd had done
.used to be the most hateful to me, but now it is the most beloved.' He spoke as he wished in divorcing her We married her to yoU.'I
similarly about (his) religion and country. Then he went on the little pil- He married Umm Salama d. Abu Umayya b. alRMughira al-Makh-
grimage, and when he came to Mecca they said, 'Have you changed your zumiya. Her name was Hind. Her son Salama b. Abu Salama married her
religion, Thumama?' 'No,' he said, 'but I follow the best religion, the to him and the apostle gave her a bed stuffed with palm-leaves, a bowl, a
religion of Muhammad; and by God not a grain of corn will reach you from dish, and a handmill. She had been married to Abu Salama b. <Abdu'l-Asad
aI-Yama-rna until the apostle gives permission.' He went back to aI-Yamarna whose name was 'Abdullah. She had borne him Salama, 'Vmar, Zaynab,
and prevented them from sending anything to Mecca. Then the people and Ruqayya.
Wrote to the apostle: 'You order that ties of kinship should be observed, yet He married I:Jaf~a d. 'Vmar with her father's consent and the apostle
you sever those with us; you have killed the fathers with the sword and the gave her four hundred dirhams. She had been married to Khunays b.
children with hunger.' So the apostle wrote to him to let the carriage of I;ludhafa al-Sahmi.
food go on. He married Dmm I:Jabiba whose name was Ramla d. Abu Sufyan. Khalid
b. Sa'id b. al. 'A~ married her to him when they were both in Abyssinia and
916. Abu'Amr al-l\ladani said: The apostle sent'Ali to the Yaman and sent the Negus gave her on behalf of the apostle four hundred dinars. It was he
Khalid b. al-Walid with another force and ordered that when the forces who arranged the marriage for the apostle. She had been married to
met <Ali was to be in supreme command. 1.1. mentioned the sending of 'Ubaydullah b. JaJ:>sh al-Asadi.
Khalid in his account, but he did not reckon it among the missions and He married Juwayriya d. al-I:Iarith b. AbO. Oirar aI-Khu~a'iya who was
expeditions so that the number of them in his account ought to be 39. among the captives of B. Mu~taliq of KhJ.;.zifa. She had fallen to the lot of
Thiibit b. Qays b. al-Shammiis al-An$arr and he wrote a contract of redemp-
917. This is the last mission which the apostle dispatched. tion which she brought to the apostle asking his help. He asked her if she
would like something better than that, and when she asked what that could
918. THE APOSTLE'S WIVES
be he said, 'Shall I rid you of the contract and marry you myself?' She said
They were nine: 'j\'isha d. AbU. Bakr; I:Iaf!,>a d. 'Vmar; Urom l;Iabiba Yes, and so he married her. This tradition was given us by Ziyiid b. tAb.
d. Abu Sufyan; Umm Salama d. Abu Umltyya b. al-Mughira; Sauda d. dullah a!-Bakka'i from Muhammad b. Isl)aq from Muhammad b. Jafar
Zamaa b. Qays; Zaynab d. Jal)sh b. Ri'ab; Maymuna d. al-I;larith b. b. al-Zubayr from 'Urwa from 'A'isha. 2
I;lazn; Juwayriya d. al-I;liirith b. Abu !;lirar; and ~afiya d.l;luyay b. Akhlab It is said that when the apostle came back from the raid on B. al.Mu~taliq
according to what more than one traditionist has told me. with Juwayriya and was in the midst of the anny he gave Juwayriya to one
He married thirteen women: Khadija d. Khuwaylid, his first wife whom of the An~ar and ordered him to guard her. When the apostle reached Medina
her father Khuwaylid b. Asad~ or according to others her brother 'Amr, her father al-I:Iarith came to him with his daughter's ransom. When he was
married to him. The apostle gave her as dowry twenty she-camels. She in al-'Aqiq he had looked at the camels which he had brought for the ranSOm
bare all the apostle's children except Ibrahim. She had been previously and admired two of them greatly, so he hid them in one of the passes of
married to AbO. Hala b. Malik, one of B. Usayyid b. 'Amr b. Tamitn, an ally aI-'Aqiq. Then he came to the prophet saying, 'Here is my daughter's
of B. 'Abdu'l-Dar to whom she bore Hind b. Abu Hila and Zaynab. Before ransom.' The apostle said: 'But where are the two camels which you hid
that she had been married to 'Utayyiq b. 'Abid b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar b. in al-'Aqiq in such-and-such a pass?' AI-I:Iarith said, 'I testify that there is no
Makhzum to whom she bore <Abdullah and Jariya. God but Allah and that you are the apostle of God, for by God none could
He married'A' isha in Mecca when she was a child of seven and lived with have known of that but God most High'; so he became a Muslim, as did two
her in Medina when she was nine or ten. She was the only virgin that he of his sons who were ,~. . ith him and some of his people. He sent and fetched
married. Her father, Abo. Bakr, married her to him and the apostle gave her the two camels and handed them over to the prophet and his daughter
four hundred dirhams. Juwayriya was given back to him. She became an excellent l\luslim. The
He married Sauda d. Zamaa b. Qays b. 'Abdu Shams b. 'Abdu Wudd b. apostle asked her father to let him marry her and he agreed and the apostle
Na~r b. Malik b. I:Iisl b. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy. Salit b. 'Amr, or according to gave her four hundred dirhams. She had been previously married to a cousin
others Abu !;Iatib b. 'Amr, married her to him, and the apostle gave her of hers called 'Abdullah. It is said that the apostle bought her from Thabit
four hundred dirhams. b. Qays, freed her, married her, and gave her four hundred dirhams.
Ibn Isl).aq contradicts this tradition saying that Salit and Abu I:Utib were He married ~afiya d.l;luyay b. Akhlab whom he had captured at Khaybar
absent in Abyssinia at this time. Before that she had been married to al-
Sakriin b. ' Amr b, ,Abdu Shams. I SUra 33. 37.
:I This comment refers to what I.I. reported on W., p. 729.
794 The LIfe of Muhammad Ibn Hisham's Notes 795
and chosen for himself. The apostle made a feast of gruel and dates: there anyone troubles us we will cut off his head.' Thereupon the people aban-
was no meat or fat. She had been married to Kinana b. al-Rab!' b. Abu'I~
1
doned their intention and 'Attab reappeared once more. This is the stand
I:Iuqayq. which the apostle meant when he said to 'Umar: 'It may well be that he will
He married l\Taymilna d. aI-IJarith b. I;:Iazn b. Ba}:lir b. Huzam b. Ruwayba take a stand for which you cannot blame him' [z..'.s. p. 312].
b. 'Abdullah b. Hilal b. 'Amir b. :;;a.a'a. AI-'Abbiis b. 'Abdu' I-Muttalib
married her to him and gave her on the apostle's he half fOUf hu~dred 921. J:lassan b. Thabit said, mourning the apostle, according to what Ibn
dirhams. She had been married to Abu Ruhm b. <Abdu'l-'Uzza b. Abo. Hisham told us on the authority of Abu Zayd al-An$ari: l
Qays b. 'Abdu Wudd b. Nasr b. Malik b. Hisl b. 'Amir b, Lu'ayy. It is In Tayba2 there is still the impress and luminous abode of the apostle,
said that it was she '\vho gave herself to the prophet because his offer of Though elsewhere traces disappear and perish.
marriage came to her when she \vas on her camel. She said, 'The camel and The marks of the sacred building that holds
what is on it belongs to God and His apostle.' So God sent down: 'And The pulpit which the guide used to ascend will never be obliterated.
a believing woman if she gives herself to the prophct.'2 Plain are the traces and lasting the marks
It is said that the one who gave herself to the prophet was Zaynab d. And his house with its mosque and place of prayer.
Jabsh, or Umm Sharik Ghaziya d. Jabir b. Wahb of B. IVlunqidh b. 'Amr There are the rooms where God's light
b. 1\la'i$ b. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy. Others say it was a woman of B. Sarna b. Used to come down brilliant and bright,
Lu' ayy and the apostle postponed the matter. Memorials for ever indestructible.
He married Zaynab d. Khuzayma b. al-Harith b. 'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. If part decay, part is ever renewed.
'Abdu I\!Ianaf b. Hilal b. cA.tnir b. $a'.:;aca \vho was called 'lVlother of the I know the marks of the apostle and his well-known place
Poor' because of her kindness to them and her pity for them. Qabisa b. And the grave whose digger hid him in the dust.
'Amr al-Hilali married her to him and the apostle gave her four hundred There I stood weeping the apostle,
dirhams. She had been married to 'Ubayda b. al-I;Iarith b. al-l\Tunalib b. My very eyelids ran with tears,3
rAbdu Manafj before that to Jahm b. 'Amr b. al-I,-Iarith who was her cousin. Reminding me of. his favours. Methinks my soul
The apostle consummated his marriage with eleven women, nvo of whom Cannot recount them and halts bewildered.
died before him, namely Khadija and Zaynab. He died leaving the nine we Ahmad's loss exhausted my soul with pain
have mentioned. vVith nvo he had no marital relations, namely Asma' d. 'V'hile it recounted the apostle's favours.
al-Nu'man, the Kindite woman, whom he married and found to be suffering Yet has it failed to recapture a tithe of what he did
from leprosy and so returned to her people with a suitable gift; and 'Amra But my soul can only report what it feels.
d. Yazid the Kilab woman who was recently an unbeliever. \Vhen she came to Long did I stand crying bitterly
the apostle she said 'I seek God's protecti~n against you,' and he replied that Over the mound of the grave where A1)mad lies.
one who did that was inviolable so he sent her back to her people. Others Be blessed, 0 grave of the apostle, and be blessed
say that the one \vho said this was a Kindite \voman, a cousin of Asma' d. The land in which the righteous guided one lived,
aI-Nu'man, and that the apostle summoned her and she said 'We are a people And blessed the niche that holds the good one
to whom others come; we come to none!' so he returned her to her people. Sunnounted by a building of broad stones!
There were six Quraysh \yomen among the prophet's wives, namely, Hands poured dust upon him, eyes their tears,
Khadija, 'A'isha, I;Iaf$a, Umm I:Iabiba, Umm Salama, and Sauda.3 And the lucky stars set at the sight.
The Arab women and others were seven, namely, Zaynab d. ] a1)sh, They hid kindness, knowledge, and mercy
l\laymuna Zaynab d. Khuzayma, Jmvayriya, Asm:1:, and 'Amra. The The night they laid him unpillowed in the dust
non-Arab woman \vas $afiya d. I;Iuyay b. Akhtab of B. al- Na 9i r. And went away in sorrow \vithout their prophet,
Their anns and backs devoid of strength.
9 1 9. Another tradition is 'except Abu Bakr's door'.
They mourn him whose day the heavens mourn-
~20. Abu 'Uba:yda and other traditionists told me that when the apostle was The earth too-yet men grieve more.
dead most of the I\Jcccans meditated withdrawing from Islam and made up Can any day the dead is mourned
their minds to do so. 'Attab b. Asid 4 Vient in such fear of them that he hid Equal the mourning of the day l\Iuhammad died?
himself. Then Suhayl b. 'Aror arose and after giving thanks to God mentioned On which the seat of revelation was taken from them
the death of the apostle and said, 'That will increase Islam in force. If Which had beeri a source of light everywhere.

r Presumably because she was a Jewess and would eat only kosher meat. I He died in 215.
2 Sura 33. 49. 2 Tayba is one of the names of Medina. The opening lines are a conscious adaptation of
J The genealogies \vhich have already been given have been omitted. the old Arabian nasib.
4 He was governor of Mecca when the prophet died. 3 So C. readingjafn for W.'sjinn.
The Life of Muhammad Ibn Hisham's Notes 797
He led to the Compassionate those who imitated him, A glorious Lord brought him up as a boy
Delivering from the terror of shame and guiding aright, And he became perfect in most virtuous deeds.
Their imam guiding them to the truth with vigour. To his knowledge the Muslims resorted;
A truthful teacher, to obey him was felicity, No knowledge was withheld and no opinion was gainsaid.
Pardoning their lapses, accepting their excuses. I say, and none can find fault with me
And if they did well God is most generous in recompense. But one lost to all sense,
If misfortune befell too heavy for them to bear I shall never cease to praise him.
From him came the easing of their difficulty. It may be for so doing I shall be for ever in Paradise
And while they enjoyed God's favour, With the chosen one for whose support in that I hope
Having a guide by which the clear path could be sought, And to attain to that day I devote all my efforts.
It pained him that they should go astray from guidance. I;Iassan also said:
He was anxious that they should go on the right path.
He sympathized with them One and alP \Vhat ails thine eye that it cannot sleep
In his kindness he smoothed their path. As though its ducts were painted with the kOD} of one suffering from
But while they enjoyed that light ophthalmia
Suddenly death '5 arrow hit its mark In grief for the guided one who lies dead?
And sent the praised one back to God a best man that ever walked the earth, leave us not!
While the very angels wept and praised him. 2 Alas, would that my face might protect thee from the dust,
The holy land became desolate That I had been buried before thee in Baqi'u'l-Gharqad!
At the loss of the revelation it once knew: Dearer than f~ther and mother is he whose death I saw
Deserts uninhabited save the grave in which our lost one descended On that Monday-the truly guided prophet.
Whom Bal:"it and Gharqad J and his mosque mourn. When he died I lost my wits distracted,
In those places desolate, now he is gone, Would that I had ne'er been born!
Are places of prayer devoted to him, Am I to go on living in Medina without you?
And at the great stoning place there dwellings and open spaces, Would that I had been given snake poison to drink;
Encampment, and birthplace are desolate. Or that God's decree would reach us soon,
o eye, weep the apostle of God copiously, Tonight or at least tomorrow;
May I never find you with your tears dried! That our hour might come and we might meet the good
Why do you not weep the kindly one The pure in nature, the man of noble descent! '
\Vhose bounteous robe covered all men? a blessed firstborn of Amina
Be generous with your tears and cries Whom that chaste one bore on the happiest of days!
At the loss of him whose equal will ne'er be found. He shed a light on all creatures,
Those gone by never lost one like l\1uhammad He who is guided to the blessed light is rightly guided.
And one like him will not be mourned till Resurrection Day o Lord, unite us with our prophet in a garden
More gentle and faithful to obligation after obligation; That turns away the eyes of the envious,
More prone to give without thought of any return; In the garden of Paradise. Inscribe it for us,
More lavish with wealth newly gained and inherited o Lord of Majesty, Loftiness, and Power.
When a generous man would grudge giving what had long been his. By God as long as I live I shall not hear of the dead
More noble in reputation when claims are examined; But I shall weep for the prophet Muhammad.
More noble in princely Meccan ancestry;+ Alas for the prophet's Helpers and kin
More inaccessible in height and established in eminence After he has been hidden in the midst of the grave.
Founded on enduring supports, The land became too strait for the Ansar
Firmer in root and branch and wood Their faces were black as antimony. . ,
Which rain nourished making it full of life. We gave him his ancestors, I his grave is with us
His overflowing goodness to us is undeniable. '
I Or 'not preferring one to another'.
2 Another reading is 'the unseen angels' (jinn) and yubmadu. But perhaps Jafn should
God honoured and guided us his Helpers by him
be read here for flagq. 'The eyes of the angels', &c. In every hour that he was present.
3 Bala~ lay between the mosque and the market of Medina, while Gharqad was its
cemetery. A.Dh. renders 'plane and box-tree'. I By way of the mother of 'Abdu'l~Muttalib Salma d. 'Amr b. Labid b. f,Iallfis of n.
4 Lit. 'valley ancestry'. The valley-dwellers of Quraysh were regarded as the aristocracy,
Najjar. .. ,
The Life of Muhammad
God and those who surround His throne and good men
Bless the blessed AJ:unad. I ADDENDA
922. The last half of the first verse has not I.I.'s authority,
p. 28, n. I. I have discussed the significance of this story in the The Islamic
I It is worth noting that the verse Quarterly, 1954, pp. 9 ~.
The Christians and Jews of Yathrib rejoiced
\Vhen he was laid in his grave p. 30, 1. 13. For the text of Sabaean inscriptions recently discovered in
included in J;I.'s Diwcin (cxxxiii) without comment is not to be found in any MS. of LII., Su'ildi Arabia see G. Ryckmans in Museon, lxvi, 1953, pp. 267-317; and for
nor is it in C. or \V. or SuhaylI's text. It may well be condemned as a latcr addition. W. an historical commentary on the same ib., pp. 319-42. Professor Sidney
(iii, pp. Iiv-lv) held that I.I-I.'s text ofl,Iassan's poems was superior to the Diwan which has Smith, 'Events in Arabia in the 6th century A.D.', in B.S.O.A.S., 1954,
been published several times since his day but never with the care it deserves. \V.'8 judge-
ment still stands. pp. 425-68, has discussed all that Greek, Syriac, Sabaean, and Arabic
authorities rcport. So far as the Arabic writers arc concerned, his verdict is
that their account 'is not incompatible with the known facts'.
p. 65, n. 3. "The Meccan editor of al-Azraqi (ii. 176 and 179) throws no light
on the confusion.
p. 88, 1. 14. I have adopted the reading of C. against \V. in spite of the intro-
duction to the verse.
p. 100,1. 13 from end. The last three verses are reminiscent pf the Quran, as
are the lines beginning 'I submit myself' on p. 102,1. 28.
p. ISO, pen. Perhaps what 'Dmar said was '(The birds) must be ostriches'
(na' ama), and the prophet immediately punned on the \vord by saying an'ama.
p. lSI. I have shown in AI-Andalus, xviii, 1953. pp. 323-36, that the I\Iasjid
al-Aq$a was not at Jerusalem but at al-Ji'rana, a place within the sacred area
of Mecca.
p. 191, I. II. For 'protection' read 'neighbourliness'.
p. 226, I. 6 from end. Dhil Rashr is correct. See Yaqilt. iv. 276 ult. \Y. has
Dhii Kashd.
p. 233, II. 16 and 18. The host has only a limited control over his ally (/:Ialif),
who is his equal, but the sojourner (jar) is his dependant and he is responsible
for his acts because he has authority over him. Cf. p. 723.
p. 238, 1. I I. Azraqi, ii. 118, who says that Ibn 'Abbas was frequently seen to
visit ~inna as he repeated this poem. apparently knew no more than seven lines
corresponding roughly to 1-3 and 6-9 in LI.'s version and to No. XIX in
Hirschfeld's edition of the Dfwtin of I;iassan b. Thabit. I.H. in his note
No. 291 says that lines 12 and 13 were not composed by $inna but by a
certain Taghlibite called $uraym b. Ma'shar. He accepts lines 4-5 and 10-12
without comment. Azraqi's version is complete in itself. It falls into the
pattern of An$ur'i propaganda; it shows how the Medinans welcomed
Muhammad when Quraysh (Hirschfeld's 'l'VIccca' violates the scansion)
spurned him, and how they devoted their lives and their wealth to his servicc.
Thus the history of this \poem illustrates what has been said on pp. xxvi f.
about An~.rl propaganda and about poems fathered on J:Iassan.
p. 384, 1. 7 from end. W. has 'Abdullah b. J;Jayf. Authorities differ.
Addenda
800 . a dati'l-balad 'more forlorn than
8 n I cr.the proverb adhallu rntn b ~. 1 . its eggs in the sand of
p. 4(9 , . 'h") egg' The ostrich was suppose to eave
an ostnc s to them.
INDEX OF PROPER NAMESr
the desert and never return _. '1 d b'u b al_Sikkit in K. al- (L = locality; P = poet; T = tribe; a11 others = persons)
f1 "ntoya IS certl e J A h 'b-
7 n 4 The change 0 wmza 1 . 1 Yathribi and t rl 1;
~:lb ~t'a"l-Ibdal, 5,4-56. Among hlS examp es are Abiin b. Sa'id, 503, 526.
- b. 'Uthman, xiv, ~I5.
Aus b. 'Auf. 614....15.
- b. J:Iajar (P), 741. 784.
yadayhi and adayhl. . ,'t! which '!vluham- Abraha, 20-30. - b. Khauli. 687.
. f tl "night Journey \\1 1. Abraq, a1 (Ll, 591. - b. Tamirn (P), 50.
p. 597, 1. 8. This was th~ occas1,on ~ S~e the note on p. lSI above. Abwa, al (Ll, 73. AUla! (L), 566, 574-5, 577, 581-', 591.
rna ' s ascen t to heaven IS aSSoClate .
d Abyan (L), 6. Ay!a (L), 18o, 607.
Adhrul:t (L), 607. Ayman b. Umm Ayman. 569.
Afak, abu (P), 675. A2d, aI (T), 64"
Ahlwardt, W., 404. Azraqi. aI, xviii, xxxi. 549. 550, 552, 799.
Al)abish. 17 I.
A1,lmad. abu, b. Ja1).sh (P), 215-16, 230. 'Abbas b. 'Abdul-Mullalib, 79, II',
Ajda' aI, b. Malik (P), 6390 784. 117.192,202,214.301,309,310,312,
Akh<;lar, a! (Ll, 608. 338, 520, 53 I, 546-8, 569. 570, 641,
Akhnas. aI, b. Shariq, 142, 158. 164, 65 1,680-2. 68 7.748.
194,29 6 ,429, 507, 723. - b. Mirdas (P), H3, H4, 563, 568,
Akblal, al (P), 735. 572, 577-82, 593, 595, 775--f:J, 780.
Aktham b. al-laun al-Khuza'i. 35. - b. 'Ubada. 204, 205.
Amaj (L), 8, ~26. 485, 545. 'Abdul-Asad, B. (T), '12-13.
Amina d. Abu Sufyan, 589. - Ashhal. B. (T). 197, ~oo, ~05. ~45,
- d. Wabb, 68-7J. 373,384,399.463,487,517.605,683.
Anas b. 'Abbas aI-SuI ami (P), ;36. 'Abdu 'Arnr ('Abdul-Ral).man), 30~-3.
- b. Rati', 197. 'Abdul-Dar. 48, 345. 374. 559. 569.
- b. Zunayrn (P), 559. 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas, 145.
Aqra' b.l;Iiibis. 593, 595, 6~8, 6jl, 670. - b. 'AbduI-Asad, 213.
Arak, al (L), 188. - b. 'Abdu!-Mul;alib, 57-59, 79.
Arbad b. Qays, 631-4. - b. 'Amr b. al-'A!, 595.
Arik (Ll, 579. - b. 'Amr b. Haram, 203, 388.
Arwa d. 'Abdul-Munalib (P), 76. - b. Arqat, 2~3, 226.
Aryat. 18; 20. - b. 'Atik, 48., 666.
Asad, B. (T), 568. - b. abu I:Iadrad, 567, 669, 67~.
- b. Ubayd. 94. 262, 463. - b. al-ljarith, 70, 149.
As'ad b. Zurara, 199, 200, 205. 346. - b. l;:Iudhafa, 56~.
A'sha.. aI, B. Qays b. Tha'Iaba (P), 34, - b. Jal}.sh. ~14. ~8Q-<), 388.
39, 44. 68 3, 700, 719, 720. 72~, 7~4, - b. Mas'ud, 141. 304, 7~~.
733,734,73 6 ,737,765,7 6 9. - b. Muslim, 180.
A'sha. aI, B. Zurara, al-Tamimi (P). - b. Qays al-Ruqayyat (P), 698.
4 2 4. - b. abu Rabi'a. 150-2, 155, 370.
A~l).am b. Abjar, 657. - b. Rawa1).a. xxvi, ~79, 308. 315, 364.
Ash'ath, aI, b. Qays. 641, ,87. 4~~,4j6,448.451.453,498.523,525,
ASid b. Sa'ya, 94. 53 1 ,53',533-9,665-6.
Asin. M., xxi. - b. Sa'd. 550.
Asma' d. Manvan (P). 675--f:J. - b. Salam, 240. ~6~, ~67.
- d. 'Umays, 680. - b. aI-Thamir, r6-18.
Aswad. aI b. 'Abdu Yaghuth, 181, 18,. - b. Dbayy, ~05. ~06, 277-9, 363, 371.
- B. (T), 590. . 372. 437, 463, 481. 491-~, 495. 604.
- b. Ka 'b a1- 'Ansi, 648. 621, 6~3.
- b. al-MuHalib, II9. 165. 187. 31I. - b. Umayya, 140.
:..- b. Ya'fur, 70j. - b. Unays. 482. 666, 789.
Athir. b. aI, xxxiii. 589. - b. abu Urnayya b. al-Mughira (Pl,
Aural, al (L), 577. 188, 546.
Aus, al (T), 38, 39. 197, Z39, 262, 343. - b. al-Ziba'ra, 28. 163, 28~, 345, 408.
462, 4 6 3, 481, 482, 496, 568. 4 11 .424,47 1.508.
-Allah (T), '30. - al-Zubayr, 58, 554.
I I am grateful to Dr. ]. M. B. Jones and Miss Avril Barnett for help in the
compiling of the Indexes.
B.4080 1F
Index of Proper Names
802 Index of Proper Names
Budayl b. 'Abdu Manat (P), 542, 560. Fadak (L), 5r5~r6, 523.
'Abdul-l\Ialik (caliph), xiv, xvi, 58, 99, 'Amr b. TalIa, 7, 8. FaQ.iila b. al-Mulawwib al-Laythi, 552.
- b. Tiban, 12, J3, 695 - b. Warqa', 501, 54J, 543, 546.
655 Bujayd b. 'Imran (P), 776. Fa41, aI, b. 'Abbas, 569, 679, 687, 688.
_ b. Umayya, 99, J64, 265, 434, 437, Fabm (T), 594.
'Abdu Manaf (1'),172, 189, 191, 222. Bujayr b. Zuhayr (P), 560, 576, 591,
'Abdul-Mu~talib, 24-28, 45,59, 6r, 62-
484, 526, 589, 614, 6J5, 657, 67:1-5, Fakhkh (L), .80.
597~8.
64, 66~68, 70, 72~74' 79 0 - J BU!r3 (L), 69, 79, 654 Farazdak, a1 (P), 697, 712, 704, 765, 785,
'Abdul-Rabman b. 'Auf, xlvi, 492, 5 62 , 'Amra d. Durayd (P), 574-5
'Antara b. 'Anu al_'Absi (P), 741. Buwat (L), 285. 78 9.
622,672, 68 3,755. Buwayra, al (L), 481-2. Farwa b. 'Amr, 644.
'Aqaba (L), J97, 203, 205, 207, 294, 6IO. - b. Musayk (P), 639~41.
- b. I:Jassan, 416, 499. 'Aqil b. abu Talib, 69, J 14, 3 I 2.
'Abdu YaHl b. fAror, 614-15. Carruthers, D., 722. Fatima d. al Khattab, 156.
Abid b. al-Abra~ (P), 720, 726. 'Aq'iq (L), I I , S80, 590, 768 . Caskell, W., 776. - d. Muhammad, 286, 389, 551, 683.
'Arafa (L), 36, 49, 88, J24, 173, 207, Fayd (L), 637.
'Abs, B. (T), 568. Da1;l1;lak, aI, b. Khalifa, 782.
'Addas, 193. 540, 65 2 . Faymiyiin, J4-16.
'Acj (L), 54 - b. Sufyan, 570, 577, 579, 581, 59!.
'Adiyb. !:Iamra', IgI. Fazara, B. (T), 593, 664.
'A~, ai, b. Hisham (Abul-Bakhtari), I J8, Damascus, 657.
- b. J:latim, 637-9 Darum, al (L), 652. Finbii~, 263, 369.
133, 160~1, J65, 172, 29J, 3 0I , 310. Fischer, A., xii, xv.
_ b. Ka'b B. (T), 296, 503, 547 _ abul, b. al-Rabi', 313-14, 3 J6 . Daus Dhu Tha'laban, J8.
- b. ai-Najjar (1'),73,228. De Goeje, xx..xii, 439. Flick, J., xiii, xiv, xvii, xxx, xxxiv, 453.
_ b. \Va'il, 119, J33, 162, J71, 180, J81, Fuqaym, B. b. Adiy (T), 21.
- b. Rab;'a (P), 761. _ 18 7. Dhakwan (T), 58o-I.
- b. Zayd (P), 32, 698, 700. Dharr, abu, xli, J49, J70, 229, 237, 282, Fuqaymiya d. Umayya, 590.
'Asim b. 'Adiy, 622. Furn', al (L), 362.
'Adwan (1'), So, 52. -"b. Thabit, 426-33. 355,357,365,380,44,409,438,446,
'Affan b. abul-'A!;>, 562. _ b. 'Umar b. Qatada, xv, xxv. 473,542,558,560,606,626,638,651,
'Affifi, A. A., 85, 723 664, 700, 712, 7J9, 720, 741, 748-g, Gaudefroy-Demombynes, 279.
'A'isha, xix, xxiii, 457, 468, 493-9, 5 0 9, 'Atawda, 20. Geiger, A., 250, 25 I, 252.
'Atika d. 'Abdul-Muttalib (P), 76, 29 787, 796.
544, 678~83, 723, 7 66 , 7 6 9. Dbatul-Riqa' (L), 455~7. Geyer, R., 693, 698, 719, 720, 7 2 4.
_ d. abu Sufyan, 18 9. Ghaba, al (L), 67r.
'Ajjaj, al (P), 696, 719, 720. 'Atiya b. 'Ufayyif (P), 597 - Salasil (L), 668~9.
'Ajlan, B. (T), 622. Dhi'ba al-Thaqafi, b. (P), r9. Gbalib b. 'Abdullah, 660-r, 667.
'Attab b. Usayd, 568, 65 2 . Gbalafiin (T), 4', .65, 36., 445. 450,
'Akk (T), 89. 'Auf b. al-Khazraj B. (T), 490, 64 Dhii Amarr (L), 362.
'Alii', ai, b. al-I:Ia<;lrami, 636. - Aw.n (L), 605. 452, 454, 486, 488, 5 II, 662, 670.
_ b. Lu'ayy, 42, 573, 578, 580- 1,739. Ghauth, al, b. Murr, 49.
'Ali b. abu Tiilib, 113-15. 117,128,15 6 , - Baqar (L), 575.
2
221,228,229,285-6, 29 , 293. 295,
'Aun b. Ayyub (P), 704 Ghayatil, 125,712.
'Ayyash b. abu Rabi'a, 2I6- J 7 -l-Haram, 616.
299,341,377,381,382,386,424,437, - Jadan, abu Murra, 19, 21, Ghaylan b. Salama, 572, 587.
0 'Azzarn, M. A., xxvii. Ghaziya B. (T), 573.
441, 455, 46J,477,492,496,504, 5 S, - I-Khimiir, 566, 572, 573.
543~4, 5+5, 549, 55 r , 554, 56r, 56 9, - I-Majaz (L), 189, 190. Ghazza (L), 58, 59, 654'
Badr, 289-314,447,602,605,614,624. Ghifar, B. (T), 216, 486, 490,517,518,
570, 593,604,6J9,638,650,664,678, - Nafr, 23, 25.
679,682,683,685,687,688,689,753, Badhan, 658. - Qarad (L), 486~90, 6'5. 549, 557, 571, 63, 609, 6 23.
6 Bal)ira, 79-81. - Ru'ayn, 12, 20, 643. Ghumay,a (L), 56r, 563, 565.
75 6,774,77 ,79J. Bajila (T), 677- Ghwndiin (L), 19, 32.
'Alqama b. 'Abada, 696, 73 2. Bakka'i, aI, xvii, xli, 52.l, 555 -l-Rumma, 695, 697, 718, 719, 731,
'Amir b. nl-Akwa' (P), 5Jo. Go1dziher, I., xviii, xxxiv, I19,702.
Bakr, abu, 114, 13J, J44, J55, 16J, 162, 75 8,76 5, Guillaume, A., xxx, 14, 161.
- abul-Ash'af'i, 575-6 . 17 1, 182, 22J, 223-5, 227, 263, 281, - Shaughar (L), 568.
- b. Fuhayra, 280. 288,293,30,381,497,502,504,514, - Tuwa (L), 217, 315, 500, 548.
- b. al-Kha~afi, 7 06 . - 'Ushayr (L), 625. Hagar, 4, 691.
525, 543-4, 549, 569, 57 J , 590, 608, Hamdan, 639, 643, 787.
- b. Lu'ayy (T), r84, 457, 564 615,616,6J7,619,642,668,669,679, - Yazan, 585.
_ b. Malik b. Ja'far, xliv, 433 Dbubyan B. (T), 568. Harlin b. abu'Isa, xvii.
680-9, 715, 723, 739, 77 6 . Dibya b. Khalifa, 5Il, 655-6, 662. Hashim, B. (T), 172, 301,
- b. Rabi'a, 214. _ B. (T), 5, 54, 29 1 , 49 2 ,5 0 4,54,5 6 9,
- b. ~a'~a'a Cfl, 89, r95 DiI, al (T), 6r8, 674. - b. 'Abdu Manaf, 58.
6r8. Dougbty, C., 605. Hayyaban, aI, b. 94.
- b. al-Tufayl, 63 1- 2 . Baladhuri, ai, xxxii, 439, SIS, 524, 643,
Duff, al (L), I I . Hawazin (T), xlvi, 566-g3.
- b. ~arib, 51. Haytham, abul, 205.
'Ammar b. Yasir (P), xxvii, 229, 607 647 Dughunna, aI, b., 17J, 574.
Bali (T), 532, 63 8. Hell, J., xxv.
'Ammuriya (L), 96, 9 8 . Balqa (L), r03, 65 2
Dumatul-Jandal, 449, 607
'Amr b. 'Abdullah abu 'Uzza, 3 17- 18 , Durayd b. al-~imma, 566-7, 574-5, 766. HeracIius (T), 654--7.
Baqi'ul-Gharqad (L), II, 97, 368, 79 6 Hilal, B. (T), 566, 575. 577
37 Bara', aI, b. Ma'rur, 202, 205, 7 2 7. Duwad, abu (P), 700, 729, 766.
Hind d. Ma'bad, 736.
- b. 'Abdu Wudd, 455 Barquqi, aI, 207 - d. Sa'd, 228.
_ b. al-Ahtam, 63 J. J;>abi' b. aI-I.:.larith (P), 739.
Barra d. 'Abdul-Muttalib (P), 74 Oaghatir, 656. - d. 'Utba, 3J4, 316, 358-g, 374, 379,
_ b. aI-'A::?, J50-2, J5S, 4 13, 414, 484, Barraq., al (P), 710. J)ajanan (L), 184, 674. 385, 386, 425-6, 548, 553
668-<). Bayada B. (T), 200, 228. - d. Uthatha (P), 359, 385
_ b. 'Auf, B. (T), 213, 217, 240, 24 1, Oamdam b. 'Amr, 289, 291, 315.
24 2 , 3 13, 462, 603-4, 606, 612, 622. Bayharjl b. Firas, 195 - b. al-I:Iarith (P), 584. Hirschfeld, H., 174,731,799.
8 Bevan, A. A., 58J, 697 J;>amra, B. (T), 285, 448. Hisham b. 'Amir, 172, 175.
- b. aI-l:Iarith (P), 47, 4 .
88 Bilal, xlv, 143, 235, 236, 280, 303, 446 , Oimam b. Tha'laba, 634-5. - b. al-'A~, 216.
_ b. al-Jamub, 207-8, 385, 3 . 5 1 5,5 17,67 2,681,73 1 ,774.
8 Oirar (L), 244. - b. ~ubaba, 490, 492.
- b. Jil:tash, 437, 43 , 445 Bi'r Ma'una (L), xliv, 433-6 . - b. 'Urwa, xiii.
- b. Lu'ayy, 35 - b. al-Khattab (P), J90, 206, 343, 351,
_ b. Ma'di Karib (P), 20, 646, 7 II . Braiinlich, E., 412. 410, 4J3, 423, 454, 470, 696. - b, al-Walid, r45, 189-<)0.
Bronnle, P., 651,
- b. S.lim (P), 542
Index of Proper Names Index of Proper Names 805
Hopkins, J., 427. 631,676,689,69,722.731,734,754. Jaun, 01 (P), 188--<). Khazraj, al (T), 7, 38, 39, 197,23,239,
Horovitz, J" xv, xvi, xxiii, xxv, xxxii. 760,764,767,768,773,775,777,780, Jeffery, A . 126, 323, 507. 262,343,4 82 ,493,494,496,570,675,
Huart, C., xviii. 785,795-8 ,799. Jerusalem (Aelia), 181, 654. 676, 752.
Hubayra b. abu Wabb b. 'AIm (P), 404- l;Iassan b. Tibin ahu Karib. 12, 13. Ji1da, abu (P), 705. Khindif (T), 587.
S, 4 0 7. 477. 478, 557, 597 I:Iitib b. abu Balta's, 545. Ji'a1, abu (P), 664. Khirash, abu, al-Hudhali (P), 709, 7 13,
Hudhayl (T). 8, 9. II, 25, 36, 426-33. l;Iijr, a1 (L), 60S, 783. Ji'rana, 226, 576, 582-3, 597. 754, 779
554, 589, 651, 666. l;Iimas b. Qays (P), 549-50. Jirba (L), 512. - b. Umayya, 503, 505, 554.
HOn, ai, b. Khuuyma (T), 171. l;Iims (L), 654. Jones, J. M. B., xxxii. Khubayb b. 'Adiy, 426-33. 453, 485,
l;Iimyar.642-4. Jubayr b. Mufim, 206, 37L 673-4
l;labib b. Khudra (P), 721. l;Iudaybiya, a1 (L), 499, 509, 540, 618, Judda (L), 84, 555. Khufaf(T), 578, 580-1.
l;Iadas (T), 536. 648. Judham, B. (Tl, 662, 668. Khuwaylid b. Khalid (abu Dhu'ayb)
l;Ia<!an (L), 568. l;Iudhayfa b. Abd, 22. Juhayna, B. (T), 577, 598. (P), 715-16, 722, 730, 732.
l;Ia<j.r, a1 (L), 699. - abu, b. 'Utbs, 301, 306. Juma!), B. (T), 171, 192, 349, 593. Khuza'a (T), 46, 47, 48, 52, 54, 188,
l;Iafar, aI (L), 581. - b. al-Yaman, 460. Junada b. 'Auf, 22. 39,49, 501, 504. 540-3, 547, 554,
l;laf,a d. 'Urnar, 679. l;Iulayl b. l;IubshIya, 48, 49. Jurash (Ll, 584, 587, 642. 7 0 3.
l:;Iajar b.. xv, xxxiii. l;Iulays al, b. Zabban (or b. 'Alqama). Jauf, al (L), 604. Ki1ab B. (T), 566, 568, 577-
l:Iajjij. al, b. "!Hit, 519. 760. 386, 52. Jurhum (T), 9, 45, 46. Kimina (T), 46, 52, 292, 452, 540, 541-
I:IJ.jjI Khalrfa. xv, xxxiv, xlii. l;Iumayd b. Malik (P), 734. Jusham, B. (T), 566-'7, 577, 579, 586 , 2,544,561,565,589,602.
HajOn, al (L), 173-4. l:lunayn (L), 124, s66-()7, 620, 670. 671. - b. 'Abdu Yam (P), 588.
I;Iakam, abul, b. Sa'd, 425. l;luoayn, ai, b.al-Humam (P), 43. Juwayria d. al-l;Iarith, 490, 493, 768. - b. al-Rabi' (P), :b6, SIl, 515.
I;Iakim b. l;Iizim, 546. l;Iuwaytib b. 'Abdul-'Uzza. 531. Kinda (T), 607, 639, 640, 641-2.
- b. Umayya, 130. l;Iuwayyisa b. Mas'l1d, 369, 524. Ka'b B. (T), 6o, 92, 188, 542, 544, 564, Krenkow, F., xxxiii, 595, 741. 761.
Halima d. abu Dhu'ayb, 70. l;Iuyayy b. Akhtab, 256, 258, 264. 270, 566 , 575 Kulthum b. Hidm, 227.
J;Iamidullah, M., 368, 371. 361,438,450.452,461,464.465,482. - b. Asad a1-Qura:;;:i, 452, 461,,464, 465. Kumayt b. Zayd (P), 697, 706, 720, 725.
l;Iamn~ d. Ja!).sh, 495, 497, 499. - b. ai-Ashraf, 364-9, 482. 736, 757, 758.
l;Iarnri u1-~..d (L), 390, 100, 757. Ibrahim b. 'Ali (b. Harma) (P), 719. - b. 'Amr, 310. Kurz b. Jabir, 286, 550. 677-8.
l;Iarnza b. Abdul-Munohb, 83, 117, Iram b. Dhl1 Yazan, 5. - b. Malik: (P), 36, 278, 344, 350, 362, Kuthayyir b. 'Abdul-Ral;unan (P), 70S.
131, 156, 191, 283-5, 299, 303, 340, lsb,aq b. Yasar, xiii, xxiii. 381,405,409,414,419-22,423,435;
371-'7, 385-8, 75 6 . Imru'ul-Qays (P), 719, 734, 756, 768. (T), 33 1, 333, 370, 473-6, 486, 489, Labid b. Rabi'a (P), 169, 180, 632-4,
l;Ianifa B. (T), 506, 636, 648. Indians, 646. 513,538,587,610,613,748,759,762. 710, 729, 732, 735, 742.
l;Ian~la b. abu 'kniT, 377, 626. Insan (T), 568. 770. Labab, abu, 84, 117. 159, 161, 170, 191,
I:Iarh b. Umayya, 82. Ishmael, 45, 628. 691. - b. Zuhayr (P), xxviii, 597--601, 782. 195,291,3 10-11.
l:llrith, aI, B. (T), 171, 386,615, 629. Iyad (T), 23. Kada, 543, 549. Lakhm (T), 532, 536, 692.
645-8 . Kalbi, al, b., xxxi. Lakhni'a YanUf, 13, 14.
- b. 'Abdu Kulal, 642. 'Ikrima b. Abu Jahl. 370, 424, 431. 457, Karbala (L), 354. Lammens, H., 67, 174, 234.
- b. 'Abdu Mana' (T), 502. 460, 549, 551, 556. Karib, abu, Tibin As'ad, 6, 8. Lane, E. W., 149, 232, 34, 362, 413,
- b. 'Abdul-'Uzza, 70. 'lsa b. Maryam, xliii, 17,72, 98, 163-4, Kathir, b., xxxiii. 5 13,5 65,65 1,734,787.
- b. 'Amir b. Naufal, 84. J84, 186, 24, 253, 257, 275--6, 662, Kennett, A., 10. Langdon, S. H., 207.
- b. abu Oirir, 490. 65j, 657, 68 5, 774, 788 . Khabhah b, al-Aratt, 156, 162, 179. Layth, B. (T), 589, 651.
- b. HishAm, 205. 217. 319. 341, 342, 'I~, al (L), 283, 508. Khadlj b. aI"Auja' (P), 586-7. - b. abu Sulaym, 86.
346 ,365, 379, 53 6, 774 'Isr,5I1 Khadija, 82-83, 106-13,191,313. ,Lil,yan, B. (Tl, 485.
- b. al-l;Iarb; 206. Khalaf, B. (T), 125. Liya (L), 57J, 589.
- b. l;Ii1i22a (P), 773, 787. Ja'adira, a1 (P), 366. Kh01id b. 'Ahdu1-'Vzza (P), 7. Loth, 0., xxxii.
- b. Kalada, 590. Jahal b. Jawwal (P), 464, 481. - b. aI-A'lam, 339. Lubaba, abu, b. 'Abdul-Mundhir, 462,
- abu Qatilda b. Rib'i, 488, 669. Jabbar b. SaIma, 63 I. - b. Sa'id, 526-7, 615. 617, 640. 764
- b. Tula\ila, 187. - b. $akhr, 524-5, 790. - b. al-Walid, 190,373,484,500,535, Luqaym, b. al- 'Absi (P), 439, 517.
- b. Wa'!a (P), 756. Jadd, aI, b. Oays, 503, 602. 621. 53 6-7, 549, 561 -5, 576, 583. 607-8, Luqman, 196.
- b. Zuhayr (P), 718. Jadhlma, B. (T), 561-5. 645,646,776-7,791. Lyall, C., 342, 44, 726, 742.
- b. ~a1im (P), 43. Ja'far b. abu Talib, I14, 151,484, 532-eJ. - b. Zayd, abu Ayyub, 228, 246, 517.
l;Iiritha, B. (T), 201, 372, 512, 5 I 5, 524, Jahdam, 561-3. - b. Zuhayr ol-Hudhali (P), 732, 733. Ma'ab (L), 532.
603. Ja!).!)iif b. l;Iakim (P), 563. Khallad b. Suwayd, 469, 765. Ma'afir (L), 643.
- b. Shara!).il (P), 714. Ja1;li~, aI, 29, 431. Khandaq, al (L), 450-60. Ma'an (L), 532-3, 644.
l;Iarmala b. a1-Mundhir (P), 762. Jabjab b. Mas'ud, 490. Kha~im al-Tamimi (P), 164. Ma'arri, aI, abut-'Ala', 553.
l;lassin b. Milla, 662-3. JaW, abu, 119, 120, 131, 133, 135, 141. Khanab, aI, 102. Ma'bad aI-Khuza'i, 390-1, 448.
- b. Thabit, xv, xxv, xxviii, xxix, xxx, 142, 145, 160, 161, 162, 167, 177-8, Khallikin, b. xlii. Mai;lmud b. Maslama. 487, 511, 513,
123,174.175,190,206,238,245.306, 179,181,191,194,214,217,222.283, Khath'am (~, 23, 585, 642. 515
313, 317. 320, 340, 345~, 364, 365, 284, 290, 296, 298, 304, 342, 505. Khawaniq, a1 (Ll, 564. Majanna (L), 597.
369,379,380,382,386,405,408,412. Jahm, abu, b.l;Iudhayfa. 510. Khawwit b. Jubayr (P), 443, 453. Makhzum, B. (T), 132, 145, 170, 188,
4 15. 417. 218, 425, 430-2. 435, 436. Jandal, abu, b. Buhay1, 50S. Khaybar (L), xlv, 177, 207, 437, 482, 508, S5 I.
#8, 457, 45 8 , 47 2 , 476, 478-80, 48o, Jarir b. 'Atiya (P), 704. 7II. 712. 714. 510-19,530,587,613,625,648.665, Maki;l.ul, slave, 576.
483,488-g,497~,520-I,537-8,539, 735,75 8 ,76 5. 666. MaU,lib (L), 180.
5#-5. 556, 558, 624, 626, 629) 630, Jariid b. 'Amr, 635-6. Khayf, al (L), 508. MAlik, B. (T), 566, 572, 614, 615.
Index of Proper Names Index of Proper Names
806
Mukhashshin b. I:Iumayyir, 607. 622. Qacada, al (L), 364. Sa'd b. 'Ubada, 206,279,453,496,549,
Miilik b. Anas, xiii, xvi, xxiv. Qarib b. al-As\vad, 566, 572, 573, 617. 596, 683, 685, 686.
- b. 'Auf al-N~ri (P), 566-7, 570-1, Mulawwal;>, B. (T), 660-1,
Qarqara, al (L), 665. ~ b. Abu Waqqai;i, 118, 281, 283, 286,
573-5, 586, 58 9, 593-4 Mulayl;>, al (L), 589.
Miiller, D. H., 693. Qatan, b. al-Khuza'i, xliii. 377,3 8 1.
- b. Buwayra (P), 766. Qayla, B. (T), 125,227,713. Sahm, B. (T), 5".
- b. Dukhshum (P), 3", 609. Munabbih b. al-I:Iajjaj, 119, 153
Mundhir, al, b. 'Amr aI-Sa'idi, xliv, Qaynuqii' B. ('1'), 253, z60, 363-4, 463, Sal:tba, al (L), 5 I I.
- b. Nama~ al-Hamdani (P), 701, 787, Sa'id b. 'A.mir, +~8-9.
206, 434. 481,482,64,751.
7 88 . Qays, B. (T), 579, 590, 671. - b. al-'A~, 526, 739.
- b. Qays (P), 783. Murara b. al-Rabi', 610-12.
Murr b. Udd (P), 50. - abu, b. abu Anas (P), 236-8. - b. Zayd, 156, 486, 684.
- b. ~ayf (or J;>ayf), ,87. - b. '.A$im, 631. Sa'ida, B. (n, 605, 683-7.
- b. 'Uwaymir al-Hudhali (P), 735. Murra B. (T), 667.
lIvliisa b. 'Uqba, xv, xvi, xxv, xliii, 184. - 'Aylan (T), 8" 566, 586. - b. Ju'ayya al-Hudhali (P), 732.
- b. Ziifila, 532, 536. - b. al-I::!udadiya (P), 736. Sal' (L), 486.
Man b. 'Adiy, 686. 35,3 13.434,5 2 3,597,65 0 . - b. al-Kha,im (P), 763. Saluma, abu, 170,213.
Manlliur, aI, caliph, xiv, 70. Musafi' b. 'Abdu Manat, 370. 477
Musafir b. abu 'Amr (P), 65. - b. Khuwaylid (P), 734. - b. al-Akwa', 488,510.
Maqil b. Khuwaylid al-Hudhal1 (P)mo. - b. Makhrama, xiii. - b. 'Amr, 486-7.
Margoliouth, D. S., 37. Mushallal (L), 39.
Musaylirna, 212, 377, 636. 648, 649, 686. - b. al-Musab-!:tar, 536, 665. - b. Fa<;il, xvii, xxi, xxxi.
Marl).ab, Jew, (P), 512-13. - b. Zuhayr (P), 717. - b. Salama b. Waqsh, 93.
Mario, 693. Mu~'ab b. 'Umayr. xliii, 199, 200. 373.
Quba (L), 213, 217, 227, 240. Salama b. Jandal (P), 720.
Marrul-;;\ahran (L), 597. 377, 38 9. 755 Qubays, abu (L), 171. Salim b. 'Auf, E. (T), 228, 64, 609, 615.
Marthad b. abu Marthad, 426-33. Mu,\aliq B. (T), '7',490-3,494.
Mustaughir, ai, b. Rabi'a (P), 39, 702. QUQa'a (T), 49, 5', 638, 69" - b. 'Umayr, 63, 675.
Marwa (L), 18o.
Marwan b. Qays al-Dausi, 590-1. Mu'ta (L), 531-4. QuJ:Hifa abu, 548-9. Salima, B. (T), 594, 602, 606, 6I1, 622.
Mut'iro b. 'Adiy, 120-7. 172-4. 194 Qutayba, abul Akhzar (P), 54, 733, 758. Sallam b. abul-Buqayq (abu Rati'), 482-
Maryam, 275, 552, 774 Qutba b. Qatada, 534, 536.
Masjid al-Aql?ii (L), 181, 799. I\lunalib, aI, 59. 4
Masnad (L), 'II. Mu,ayna (T), 545, 549, 557. 56 8. Qudayd (L), 490, 583. - b. ~1ishkam, 361, 482, 516, 558.
Masruq b. Abraha, 2 I I 3 I. Muzdalifa (L), 36,49,5, 577, 65" Qurayza, B. (T), 7, II, 97, 265, 267, Salma d. 'AInr, 59, 228, 797.
458-9,461-8,481,482,485,752,765. - d. Qays, 466.
Ma\Iiid b. Ka'b (P), 59, 60, 78, 697
Nabigha, al (P), 123.221,6<)8,722,726, Qu~ayy b. KiHib (P), 48, 52, 54. 56, 221. Salman the Persian, 95, 452, 764.
Mauhab b. Riyal;> (P), 508.
Maymiina d. al-I:Iiirith, 531, 680. 732, 7 66 . QutayJa d. al-J:-Iarith (P), 360. Sarna h. LU'iIYY (p), 4'.
Nabtal b. al-l:larith, 243, 622. Qutham b. 'Abbas, 68j-8. Sammak, 44I, 442.
Maysara, 82.
Maytiin (L), 48,. NaQ.ir, B. al (T), 7. 253, 265, 267, 361, Qu,al;1 (L), 65" Sarif (L), ZI6, 531, 649.
Maz'Un, B. (T), '30. 437-45,45 0 ,4 81 ,5 15. Quzman, 383. Sa\il;>, 5, 695, 698.
Mecca, 45-51, 561, 566-9, 57 8- 83. 593. NaQ.r b. al-l:;Iarith, 133, 135-6, 162, 163, Sauda d. Zama'a, 309.
597, 601. 181,27,38,360. Rabi: b. Ziyad (P), 7'7. Sawad b. Ghaziya, 300.
Melamede, G., xv. Nahar b. Tausi'a (P), 766. Rabt a b. I::!aram, 48. Sayf b. DhQ Yazan (P), 30, 32.
Mil:tjan, abu, b. l;Iabib (P), 594. Nahis (T), 23. - b. al-ijarith, 641, 651. Sayyidul-Nas, b., xxxiv, xxxv, 236.
Najiya b. Jundub, 501, 521. - b. Na~r, 4, 7. Schacht, J" 531.
Mikraz b. l;Iafl? (P), 292, 312, 501.
Mina (L), 50, 56, 113, 195. 205, 4 88 , Najjar, B. al (T), 7, 8, 205, 235, 49 2 , - b. Umayya (P), 65', 767. Schultess, W., 23.
508, 619, 652, 683. 497 1 5 17,63 6 . Ra<;lwa (L), 4'3, 54'. Sergeant, R. B., 525.
Miqdiid b. 'Amr, 281, 293. 487-8, 767. Najm:abu, al-'Ijli (P), 729. Raji', al (L), 426-33, 485, 5I1. Shaddad, abu Bakr, b. al-Aswad, 352,
Miqyas b. $ubaba, 492, 551. Najran (L), 6, 14-18,257,270,645,650, Ray!:tana d. 'Anlr, 466. 377-9
MiS\al;> ('Auf) b. Uthatha, 495, 497, 499 736. Ri:~b, B. (T), 575, 577- - b. 'Ari<;l (P), 490, 588.
Moberg, A., 18. Nakhla (L), 38, '93. ,87, 565, 574, 666. R~ as,h, aI, al-Hudhali (P), 773. Shahran (T), 23.
Mu'adh b. 'Afra, 242, 384. Naqi', al (L), 491, 674. Rlda (L), 18o. Shakar (L), 64"
- b. 'Amr, 304. Na,ibin (L), 96. Rifa'a b. Qays, 258, 264, 671-2. Shayba b. Rabi'a, 1I8, 133, 191, 193,
- b. Jabal, 6II,:~3, 644 Na~r, B. (T). 566, 575, 579 - b. Samaw'al, 466. 296, 299, 306, 340, 342-60.
Mu'awiya b. abu Sufyan, 375, 388,428, Naufal b. Mu'awiya al-Dili, 540-1. - b. Zayd, 49J, 516, 64, 648, 662. - b. 'Uthman, 569.
510. Nicholson, R. A., 29. 601. Righal, abu, 24. Shayban, B. (T), 565.
- abu Usama, b. Zubayr (P), 355. Noldeke, T., xvii, xxiv, xxxii, xxxiii, xli, Riz,ab- b. Rabra.~~), xxvii, 49,52,53,55. Shiqq b. Sa'd b. Nizar, 5, 695, 698.
Mu'awwidh b. 'Afra, 34, 309. 13, 14, 36o. 412, 550. 581, 674, 69 8 , Ru ba b. al- AJja), 696, 72, 704, 713, Shuqran, maula, 687.
Mudlij b. Murra (T), 561, 563-4. 699 715, 716, 722, 725, 732, 737, 757, Shura!:tbil b. Sa'd, xv.
Mufarrigh b. al-!:Jimyari (P), 768. Nu'aym b. 'Abdullah, 156. 75 8. Sifal;>, al (L), 124.
Mughanunas, al (L), 24, 190. - b. Mas'ud, 458, 460. Rukana al-Muttalibi, 178-9. Silwan (L), 568.
Mughira, ai, B. (T), "3. Nubayh b. al-l;lajjaj, 119, 133. Ryckmans, G., 14, 37, 799. Si.rnak, abu Dujana, b. Kharasha, 373-5,
- b. Shu'ba, 52, 572, 589, 615-17, 689 Nufatha, B. (T), 54!. 3 81 ,43 8 .
MuQallim b. Jaththama, 669-'70. Nufayl b. !:Jabib (P), '3, 26, 27 Sa~hau, E., xiv, xvi, xvii. Sirafi, aI, xxxii, 595.
Muhammad b. Maslama, 367, 5 IS. Nu'm wife of Shammas (P), 425 Sa d, B. ('D, 573. 576, 6,8, 635. Sirin, 499.
Muhayyi~a b. Mas'ud, 369, 515, 524, Nu'man, aI, b. 'Adiy (P), 529. - b., xxxu. Smith, Sidney, 37, 799.
75', - b. a1~Mundhir, 30, 592. - b. Bakr, B. (T), 7', 566, 568, 586, - W. R., 37, 49, 641, 647, 763.
Mul;>riz b. Na<;lla, 487. 592, 634 Stark, F., 736.
Muir. W., 171. Qa' (L), 625. - b. Khaythama, 227. Subay'a d. al-Al;>abb (P), 9.
Mujadhdhar b. Dhiyad. Z42. 301-2, Qadisiya (L), 639. - b. Mu'adh, 200, 297, 301, 326, 389, Sufyan, abu, b. J:Iarb, 118, 133, 142,
384,731, 755 Qanat (L), 6'5. 453, 457~ 463-4,468,608,626,766. 18 9, 190, 191, 230, 289, 293-313,
808 Index of Proper Names Index of Proper Names
315-16, 32.5, 361-2, 370, 374. 377-9. Taha l:Iusayn, 725. 318-19,386,428,490,492,504,505, Yahuda, A. S., 2,51.
3 86 , 428, 447-9, 450, 459. 460, 503. Ti'if, al (L), '9a, 573-5, 58a, 584, 587- 510, 514, 52,5, 529, 543-4, 547, 553, YaksUm b. Abraha, 30.
508.543-4,545-8,553.569,570,589. 94, 597, 616- 17. 567,569, 590,593,596,608,623,668, Yamama, al (L), 140, 377, 607-8, 636,
616, 61 7,673,740,774. Talb.a, abu, b. Sahl, 498, 5 II, 570. 669,68,, 68 3--'7, 73 r , 739, 753, 799. 648,79"
Sufyan, abu, b. al-J:larith (P), 481, 54-6, - b. 'Ubaydullah, 486, 6r3, 683, 78a. 'Umar b. Rabi'a, xv. Yaman (L), 562" 568, 583-4, 601, 607,
569. Tiilib, ahu (P), 79, 105, 114, II7-2I, 'Umara b. I:Iazm, 605--6. 638, 642" 644, 647, 648.
Suhaylb.AJnr, 194,206,309,312.499- 122, 150, 160, 170, 173, 191-2, 299, - b. 'Uqba, 509. Ya'mar b. 'Auf, 52.
506 ,57.544.549.794- 716,7 17,7 23,75. - b. al-Walid, II9. Yiimin b. 'Umayr, 438.
Suhayli, aI, xxiii, xxiv, xxxiv, xlii, 81, - h. Abu Talib (P), 29, 296, 351. 'Umayr b. 'Adiy, 675--6. Yiiqut, xxxvi, U4, 188, 206, 216, 227,
129.167,27,223,229,233,24,305, Tarafa b. ai Abd, 74a. - b. al-I:Iumim (P), 300. 280,380,409,481,500,528,549,616,
36,311,312,319,359,428,456,458, Tayyi' (T),605, 608, 638. - b. Qays (P), aa. 693, 77a.
550,551,560,624,628,636,644,713. Tayyib, ai, 'Abdullah, xxvii, 29. - b. Sa'd, 242. Yiisir, Jew, 513-14.
729,735.,61,762,771,79,798. Tirimrna!;< b. Hakim (Pl, 74', 754, 761. - b. Wahb, 318-19, 565. 604. Yazid b. I:Iabib, xiii.
Su!)aym, slave (Pl, 766. Tufayl, ai, b. 'Aror, 175. 'Uqba b. abu Mu'ayt, 136, 164, 191, - b. Rabi'a al-I:Iimyari, 761.
Sulifa d. Sad, 377, 4a7. Tulayha b. Khuwaylid (Pl, 305. 270, 291, 308. - b. abu Sufyan, 189.
Sulaym, B. (Tl, 36o, 434, 545, 548 , 549, 'Urwa b. Mas'Od, 502, 572, 587, 589, YOnus b. Bukayr, xvii, xxi, xxxi, xxxiii,
557. 562, 565, 568, 570, 574-5, 578, Ubayy b. Khalaf, 164-5, 181, 381. 614, 61 5, 617 xli, 377, 416, 428, 546, 595.
5 8 3, 593, 778. - b. Malik, 590-1. - b. al-Zubayr, xiv. - b. l:Iabib, 733, 735, 780.
Suwayd b. ai-Simi' (P), '96. Vb-ud (L), 370-426, 482, 562, 569, 624, 'U,fin, 8, :u6, 485, 500, 543, 545.
SUyfIti, ai, 577. 68o, 753. 'U]irid b. !:Iajib, 6a8. Ziibir, ai, b. Bata, 465.
Ukaydir b. 'Abdul-Malik, 607-8. 'Utba b. Rabi'a, 118, 132-3, 191, 193, Zabf, abul, al-Kulaybi (P), 7'9.
Safiya d. Abdul-Mu\\alib (Pl, 74, 387- Umiima b. Muzayriqa (P), 675. 214, 296, 297, 298, 306, 340, 342- Zama'a b. al-Aswad, 172, 181.
8, 458, 513. Umayma d. 'Abdul-Mullalib (Pl, 75. 60. Zamakhshari, ai, 685.
- d. l:Iuyayy, 241, 511, 514-17. Umayya b. abu ',A'idh al-Hudhali, 725. 'Vthman b. 'Affan, 167, 169, 229, 503, Zamaarn (L), 45-46, 53, 6a, 65--j)6.
- d. Musafir (Pl, 359. - b. Khalaf, 143, 162, -.J8I, 191, 291, 550, 562 , .$93, 603, 606, 713, 757. Za'na, abu, b. 'Abdullah, 424.
safri' al (L), 308, 359, 565. 302, 305, 306,427. - b. abul- '~, 616. Zayd, mauIa, 114.
~afwin b. al-Mu'attal al-Sulami, 494. - abu, b. al-Mughira, 86. - b. Maz'un (P), 149, 169, 590. - abu, al-Anl;liiri, 697, 698, 727, 741,
49 8 , 499 - b. abu $alt (P), 23, 353, 355, 694, - b. Taiba, a14, 377, 485, 55a, 554. 750,760,764,768,769,770,777,784,
- b. Umayys, 318, 370, 427, 544. 549, 697,69 8 ,7 13,733,742,75 8 . 'Uyayna b. l:Ii~n, 486, 590, 593, 595, 7 85.
555, 567, 569, 58a, 756. Umm al-Faliil, 309-12, 366. 6a8, 667, 670' - b. 'Amr (P), 99, 100, 101, 102, 103.
$akhr b. 'Abdullah al-Hudhali, 721. - H.iini', 689. - b. Arqam, xlv, 491-2, 533.
Silib, '4-,6. - J:labiba d. Abu Sufyin, 543. Waddan (L), 6a5. - b.l:iiiritha, 186,308,314,364, 532-g,
$alt, abu, b. abu Rabi'a (P), 29, 32. - !:Iakim aI-BaYda' (Pl, 75. Widil-Fur' (L), 5X I. 662-5, 738, 791.
$an's (L), 21, 31, 32, 180,648. - Jamil, x61. - Quri (Ll, 96, 5r6, 5a5, 664. - al~Khayl, 637.
$ayfi, abu Qays b. al-Aslat (P), 28, 29, - Kulthum d. 'Uqba, 509. Wadi'a b. Thiibit, 606-8, 622. - b. al~Lul;layt al.Qaynuqi'i, 605--6.
128, 201, 735. - Mis~ab- d. abu Ruhm, 495. Wahb of B. LayIh (P), 564. - b. Su!;<ir (Pl, 586.
sMa (Ll, 49. - Qirfa, 665. - b. Munabbih, xv, xvii, xviii. Zaynab d. al~I:Iiirith, 516.
surad b. 'Abdullab, 64a. - Salama, 229, 546, 589, 680. Wahriz, 31, 33. - d. I:Iayyan, 593.
- 'Um.ara, 755. Wabshi, 371, 375--'7, 753. - d. Jabsh, 495.
TabUk (L), 602-8, 69, 610, 6II, 614, Usiima, abu, al-Jushami, 457, 750. Wajj (Ll, 573, 584, 587, 6r7. - d. Muhammad, 3'4, 3r6-r7.
620, 622, 624, 625, 62.7, 642. - b. Zayd, xliv, xlv, 308, 496, 521, 523, Wajra (Ll, 580. Zibriqin, aI, 628, 629, 630, 785.
Tarnim, B. (Tl, 586, 593, 595, 6a8-9, 569, 65a, 667, 678, 687 Walid, aI, b. al-Mughira, 84, 8S, 119-21, Zubayd, B. (T), 640--r.
631, 671. Usayd b. l:iuc;layr, 200, 389, 468, 481, 133,163,165,166,167,169 171,181, Zubayr, aI, b. al-'Awwam, xlvii, 153,
- b. Asad (Pl, 541, 774. 49',49 6 , 68 3. r87 295,3 88 ,5 13- 14, SIS, 52 5, 545, 549,
- b. Ubayy, 703, 73 I. Uzayhir, abu, 188-90. - b. 'Uqba, 493, 50<). 6 83, 68 5, 753, 765, 77 8 .
Tan'im, al (L), 184,213,427,519,531, Waqidi, aI, xiv, xviii, xxxi, x84, 383, Zuhayr b. abu Sulma (P), 44, 221, 742,
65' 'Ubiida b. al-$amit, 363, 490. 49a, 696. 76 5.
Thabir (L), l0S, 123. 'Ubayd b. 'Umayr, 105. Waqqii~ b. Mujazziz, 677. - b. abu surad (P), 59a-3.
Thibi' b. Qays, 465, 493, 498, 6a9. - b. Wahb al-'Absi (P), 7r9. Waraqa b. Naufal (P), 73, 83, 99, 103, - b. abu Umayya, 172.
Tha'iaba b. Sad (P), 4a, 54. 'Ubayda, abu, 698, 706, 708, 709, 7II, 107, 144. ZuhrJ, ai, xiii, xvi.
- b. Sa'ya, 94, 262,463,466. 717,718,720,726,733,737,738,739, Wasi', 578. 579. Zur'a DhO Nuwas, 13, 14, 17.
Thimir, aI, 16. 740,748,750,752,756,760,762,769, Weil, G., xli. - DhO. Yazan, 643.
Thaniyatul-Murra (L), 281. 77a, 779, 784, 7 85, 786, 787, 789 Wellhausen, J., xxxii, 37, 49, 233.
- Wadi' (L), 604. - b. al-l:iarith, 2.81-3, 299, 349. Wright, W., 577. :(':ahrin (Ll, r88, 4a7.
Tbaqif (Tl, '9a, 566, 57a-4, 577, 584, - abu, b. al~Jarriib, xlvi, 549, 668, 673- Wilstenfeld, F., xiii, xxiv. xli. :(':urayba (Ll, 5a6.
586-7, 589-93,6'4-17, 6a7 5, 686, 688, 755.
Thaur (L), l0S, 123. 'Ubaydullah b. Jabsh, 527.
Tbumima b. Alhl, 676--'7. 'Udhra, B. (T), 55, 534.
Tubba" 7, 9, 578. 'Uki~ (Ll, 7'0.
Twitchell, K. S . 98. 'Ukkiisha b. Mibl;lan, 305, 487-8.
'Umar b. al~Khaniib, 42, 43, 92" 100,
Tabar! at, xxxiii. ISS-(), 180, 191, 216, 235, 293, 301,
Imad Index SIl
'Amr b. 'Ubayd, II8, 400, 445. I:;Iusayn b. 'Abdullah, 159, 195, 39,
ISNAD INDEX - b. Umayya, 675.
'Amra d. 'Abdul-Ra1;l.man, xxiii, 28, 38,
687 bi', 688.
- b. 'Abdul-Rahman, 197, 370, 380,
468, 494> 688. 3 84.
Aban b. $iilib, 531, 553. 'Abdullah b. abu Salit. 511. 'Aqil b. Jabir, 446.
Ajlai:l, aI, 771 (IH). - b. Safwin, 84- 'A!?im b. 'Umar, 93, 94, 95, 98, 196, 197, Ibnihim b. 'Abdul-Ra1;l.man b. 'Auf.
Anas b. Malik, xliv, xlv, 18o, 306, 380, - b. abu TaIba, 570. 204-5, 235, 244, 245, 254, 277, 289, xlvi.
381,434 (T), 5II, 57', 607, 68" 686. - b. Tha'laba, 301, 388. ~99, 300, 308, 363,364, 370,374, 381 , - b. Jafar al-Mai:lrnudi, 776 (IH).
Asma' d. abu Bakr, 99. 224, 225, 548. - b. Unays, 666. 383 ler, 426, 428, 450, 454, 457, 464, - b. M~ammad b. Tal.\:la, 10.
, - d. Shaqr, 552. - b. 'Umar b. al-KhaHab, xliii, xliv, 486 his, 487, 490, 492, 569, 570, 596, - b. Sa d, 604.
- d. 'Umays, 535. xlv, 158, 267, 377, 525, 593 bis, 650, 598,601,602,605,607,667 Is.\:laq, abu, al-Dausi, 316.
Ayyub b. 'Abdul-RaDman, 466. 672, 678, 763 (IH). 'AtA'b. abu Marwan al-Asiami. 510. - b. 'Abdullah, 571.
- b. Bashir, 679, 763 bis (IH). - b. 'Utba, 655. - b. abu Ribiil), 326, 506, 531, 672. - b. Ibrahim, 782 (IH).
- b. 2ama'a, 681. - b. Yasar, 648, 731, 786. ~ abu, al-Subay'i, 787 (IH).
'Abbad b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr, 50, - b. al-Zubayr, 379, 383. 'A~iya al-Qur8:?i, 466. - b. Yai:lya, 755 (IH).
31 1,3 14.428,45 8,534,548,682,688. - b. al-Zurayr, 62, 105. 'Auf b. Malik, 669. - b. Yasar, 56, 169, 176,213,297,303,
'Abbas, ai, b. 'Abdullah b. Ma'bad, 73, 'Abdul-Malik b. 'Abdullah, 177. 363,385,388,433,461,497,572,689.
19 1,29,301,3 10 . - b. Rashid, 53 Bakr, abu, 755 (IH). Isma'il b. abu I;Iakim, 107.
-b. Sahl, 605. - b. 'Ubaydullah, 103. - b. 'Abdullah, 681, - b. Ibrahim b. 'Uqba, xliv, xlvi, 267.
'Abdul-'Aziz b. 'Abdullah, 155. - b. 'Umayr, 466. - b. 'Abdul-Ral;uruin, 150, 153. - b. Ilyas b. 'Mif, 113.
- b. Muhammad, 677, 754 (IH). - b. Yai:lya, 767 (IH). Bukayr b. 'Abdullah, 316. - b. abu Khalid, 764 (IH), 769.
'Abdullah b. 'Abbas, 95,112, II7, 136, 'Abdul-Ra1)man b. 'Abdullah b. Ka'b, Burayda b. Sufyan, 387. 514, 606. - b. Muhammad, 389.
139,143,19 1,221,243,25 0 ,25 2,255, 610, 679. Bushayr b. Yasar, 524. - b. Umayya, 400.
256 bis, 257. 267, 289, 290, 301, 303 - b. 'Arnr, 464.
bis, 304, 309. 310 bis, 312, 317, 326 - b. 'Auf, 302, 303. Da'ud b. al-I;Iu!?ayn, 141, 267, 317. 'Ikrima, mauIa, 133, 141, 252, 255, 256,
363,368,384, 387, 388, 400 bis, 429: - b. Bujayd, 52.4. - abu, al-Mazini, 303. 257,267,29,304,317,363,368,429,
50S, 56,530,531,545,623,635,655, - b. al-I;Hirith, ISS, 159,307, 68!. 503,687,688,755 (IH).
Fa~ima d. al-I:;Iusayn b. Ali, 791 (IH). 'Is> b. 'Abdullah, 616.
679,682,687,688,755 (IH), 774, 786. - b. I:Iannala al-Aslami. 554.
- b. 'Abdul-RaQman al-l'vlakki, 255. - b. ]a-bir, 569, 570. - d. 'Umara, 688. - b. Tali:la, 755 (IH).
- - b. Ma'mar, 650. - b. Ka'b b. Malik, xliv, xlv, 4. 199. Firiis, abu, Sunbula al-Aslami, 564.
- b. 'Amr b. al-'A~, 130,280,592,678. 2 0 5.
Jabir b: 'Abdullah, 256, 400, 445, 446
Ghay~ala, 91. &is, 451, 468, 486, 500, 503, 512 bis,
- - b. Damra, 511. - b. abu Labiba, 91.
- b. abu Bakr, xxiii. xxv, xxviii, 18,28, - b. Malik b. Ju'shum, xliii, 225. 569, 570, 763 bis (IH).
35, 37, 73, 88, 200, 204-5, 206, 235, - b. al-Qasim, 171, 535, 649. Harlin, 5 I I. Ja'far b. 'Abdullah b. Aslam, 278, 374.
- b. 'UsayIa, 199. Haytham, abul, b. Na~r al-Asiami 510. - b. 'Amr, 186, 375.
241,289,297,302,33,34,39,313, Hisham b. 'Urwa, 99, III, 144: 191, - b, aI-Fa<;ll, 673.
314,316,364,390,433,438,450,468, - b. 'Uwaymir, 227.
486 bis, 490, 494. 500, 52, 503, 512, 'Abdul-Wai:lid b. abu 'Amr, 303, 389. 224,279,435,5 13,5 14.737. - b. Muhammad, 154, 688,
- Warith b. Sa'id. abu 'Ubayda, 763 Hurayra, abu, 35, 250, 266, 270, 316, Jahm b. Abu Jahm, 70.
5 IS, 523, 525, 53 I, 533, 535, 536, 548, 384,388,445 (T), 452,516,648,676,
549,552.57,571,596,602,605,644, ter (IH). Jubayr b. Mufim, 88, 572.
'A'idhullah b. 'Abdullah, '99. 682. JW1dub b. Makith, 660.
65 8,681,683,687,688.
- b. aI-FaQ.I, xlv, 375, 377. 'A'isha, 38, l0S, 154, !71, 181, 183,223. Jurayj, b., 731.
- b. al-I:Iarith, I 17, 689. 224,279,35,4 64,493-7,535- 6 ,649, I:;Iabban b. Wasi" 300.
- b. Basan, 17,514. 667, 678, 680 ler, 682 bis, 688 bis, I:;Iabib b. abu Aus, 484. Ka'b b. ~~r (abul-Yasar), 514.
- - b. Ha,an, 791 (IH). 689 bis, 755 (IH). l;Iadrad, b. abu, 563, 669. - b. Mahk, 202, 205.
'Ali b. 'AbduHah b. 'Abba~, 552. I;Iaf!?a d. 'Umar, 650. Kalbi, ai, 312 (T).
- b. Ja'far, 70, III, 751, I;lakam, ai, b. 'Utayba, 310 (T).
- b. Ja1;l.sh, 230. - b. al-I;Iusayn b. 'Ali, 91. 688. Kathir b. al- 'Abbas, 569.
- b. Ka'b b. Malik, xlv, 93, 195, 202, - b. Nafi'al-Jurashi. 92. l;Iakim b. 'Abbad, 552. Khiilid b. Ma'dan, 72, 139.
- b. abu Talib, 117. - b. I;Iakim b. Abbad, 389, 561, 619. - b. Yas>r, 656 (T).
203, 361,45,457,482,486 bis, 487, - b. Jubayr, 145. KulthUm, abu Ruhm, b. al-Husayn,
680, 682. 'Alqama b. Waqqa!? 464, 494. l;Iamza b. 'Abdullah b. 'Umar, 680.
'Amir b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr. 144, 608.
- b. Kharija, 390. I;fanash al-~an'ani, 512.
- b. l\las'ud, ISS, 181, 182, 186,400, 53 6 . I;Hirith, aI, b. al-FuQayl, 400. Layth b. abu Sulaym, 652.
606, 608. - b. Wahb, 572. - b. Hisham, 681.
- b. al-Mughaffal, 516. 'Aromar b. Yasir, 285.
'Amr b. 'Abdullah, 787 (IH). - b. M>Iik, 568. Ma'bad b. Ka'b, 202, 203, 205.
- b. al-Mughith, 364, 367. I;Iasan, ai, b. abul-I;Iasan, 181, 182, 183, - b. Malik aI-An~ari, 461.
- b. Muhammad b. 'Aqil, 400. -- b. al- 'A" 484.
- b. 'Auf. xlvi. 400,445,488,67,73 (IH), 737, 742, Ma.\:lmud b. 'Abdul-Ra.\:lrnan, 468.
- b. Mukaddam, 590.
- b. Dinar. 512. 757, 7 6 3. - b. 'Amr, 380.
- b. abu Naji.\:l, xxi, 84, II4, 143. 157, - b. MUhammad b. 'Ali, 56, II8. - b. Labid, 95, 197, 383, 400, 596, 605.
221,291,326,428,55,56,512,519, - b. abu Ja'far, 91. - b. 'Urn>ra, 31o (T).
- b. Kharija. 652. Mak1;l.ul, 307, 512.
531,549 bis, 596, 650, 652. l;Iassan b. Thiibit, 70. Malik b. Anas, 771 (IH).
- b. abu Qatada, 764 (IHL - abut aI-Madani, 792 (IH).
l;Itunayd aI-Tawil, 306, 380, 381, 388, - b. Rabi'a, 303.
- b, Sahl (abu Lay!a), 457, 5'2, - b., Shu'ayb, 524, 589, 592.
434 (T), 5 II , - abu, b. Tha'laba al-Qura?:i, 10.
812 Isniid Index Isniid Index
Marthad b. 'Abdullah, 62, 199, 229. Qays b. Makhrama, 69. Ukayma, b. al-Laythi, 608. Wiiqid, abu, al-Laythi, 568.
Marwan b. al-l;Iakam, xlv, 500, 540. Urnama, abu, al-Bahili, 307.
- b. 'Uthmiin, 516. Rabi'a b. 'Ibad, 195. Umayya b. 'Abdullah b. 'Am" 567. Ya1).ya b. abul-Ash'ath, 113.
Marziiq, maula, 512. Rafi', abu, maula, 309, 514, 668. - b. abul-salI, 518. - b. 'Abbad, 50.79, 225, 32, 311, 314,
Mawiya (Maria ?), 428. Riishid, mauIa, 484. Umm 'Abdullah d. abu I;!athma, 379,383,428,458,534,548,652,682,
Miqsam, maula, 303, 310 (T), 388 , 595, Rubay!) b. 'Abdul-Rahman, 754 (IH). 155 688,
68 9. Ruhm, b. akhi abi, al-Ghifari, 608. - Hani', 181, 184,551. - b. 'Abdullah. 235, 309, 494, 650.
Mis'ar b. Kidam, 155. - 'Isa of Khuza'a, 535. - b. 'Urwa, 130, 141.
Miswar b. Makhrama, xlvi, 500, 540. Sa'd b. Ibrahim, xlvi, 155,33. - Ja'far d. Muhammad, 535. Ya'qub b. 'Utba b. aI-Mughira, 4, 27,
MU'idh b. Rifa'a, xxiii, 468 bis. - b. abu Waqqa~, 382, 389. - Sa'd, 755 (IH). 91, 119, 183.498, 563, 572, 614, 660,
Mu'attih, abu, b. 'Arm, 510. Sahl b. abu I:Iathma, 524. - Salama, 150, 153.213,536. 678, 682.
Mu'awiya b. ahu Sufyiin, xx, 181, 183. Sa'id b. 'Abdul-Rai)man, 70, 556. Usama b. Zayd, 279 his. Yazid b. 'Abdullah, 57, 58, 512, 648,
Mughira, aI, b. 'Abdul-Ra~in, 433. - b. abu 'Aruba, 105. 669.
- b. ahu Labid, 14. - abu Hind, 551, 616. 'Ubada b. al $imit, 199,208,307,512, - b. ahu l;:Iabib, 62, 98, 199,229,316,
Muhammad b. 'Abdullah (abu 'Atiq) , - b. lubayr, 133, 145, 252, 255, 257, 673- 484, 512, 653, 669
'44 270, 363,429, 494. - b. al-Walid, 208,363,673. - b. Muhammad b. Khaytham, 285.
- - b. Zayd, 236. - abu, al-Khudri, 181, 185-6,596,648, 'Ubayd b. Jubayr, 678. - b. RUman, 154, 187, 289, 290, 292,
- b. 'Abdul-RaJ:unan, 42, 195. 386, 650, 677, 754 (IH). - b. 'Umayr aI-Laythi, 73" 35,308,316,361,437,445,450,493,
445 (T). - b. Mina, 451. 'Ubayda, abu, b. Muhammad b. 'Am- 662.
- b. 'Ali: b. l;lusayn, 99, 299. 326, 561. - b. al-Musayyib, xlv, xlvi, 183, 266, mir,595 - b, Tal!)a, 650.
596, 61 9,688. 517,554,682,757 (IH). 'Ubaydullah b. Abdullah b. 'Utba, 494, - b. 'Ubayd aI-Sa'di, 576, 593.
- b. 'Am, b. 'Alqama, 6n - b. abu Sa'id al-Maqburi, 555, 676. 523,545,552,566,623,653,655,678, - b. Ziyid, 16, 143, 165, 192,222,460.
- b. Ibrahim b. al-l;Iarith, 35. 57, 236, - b. abu Sandar al-Aslami, 554. 679,680,683 ms, 689, 774 (IH). Yiinus b. 'Ubayd, 763 (IH).
498,510,524.595,608,681. - b. 'Ubayd, 680. - b. al-Mughira, 200.
- b. Ja'far b. al~Zubayr, 42, 99. 227. - b. sbu Zayd aI-An~ad, 755 (IH). 'Umac b. 'Abdul- 'A2i2, 98. Zakariya, 229.
236,2.71,277.318,361,387,445.464, Salama, abu b. 'Abdul-RaJ:unan, 231, - b. al.l;Iakam, 677. Zayd b. Aslam, '95,780 (IH), 781, 786.
493,5 2 7,53 2,53 6,545.55 2.555,666, 270, 571. - b. 'Abdullah b, 'Um", 279. Zaynab d. Ka'b, 650.
670, 679, 680. - b. 'Amr b. al.Akwa, 514. - b. M~'ab, 552. Zinid, abul, 195, 224.
- b. Ka'b. aI-Qufa+i, 16-17, 132, 165. - b. Nu'aym, 649. 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr, xliv, xlv, xlvi, 105, Ziyad b. I)umayra, 670.
167,192,222,285.387,45,460,606. Salim, maula, 5 16. JII, 153, 154, 171, 187,212,223,227, Zubayr b. 'Ukkasha, 145.
- b. Khaytham, 285. - b. 'Abdullah, xliii, xliv, xlv. 236,279 his, 289, 290, 292, 35, 318, Zubayr abuI, aI-Makki, 488.
- b. Qays, 167. - abul-Nac;lr, 670. 445 (T), 46 4. 493 his, 494, 500, 509, Zuhri, aI, xliii, xliv, xlv, xlvi, 4, 91,105,
- b. Sa'id b. al~Musayyib, 73, 176,291. SaHam b. Kirkira, 512. 527,53 2 .53 6 ,54,545,555,670,679, 142, 150, 152, 171, 179, 181-4, 195,
- b. sali!), 239. Samma b. Jundub, 388. 680 (T), 682, 686. 199, 225, 239, 266, 279 his, 280, 289,
- b. Tali)a, z67, 64, 677, 782. Sha'bi, aI, 239, 769 (IH), 771. 'Utba b. Muslim, 112, 270. 301,370,372,381,388,391,450,454,
- b. abu Umama, 199, Z57. Shahr b. I:Iaushab, 255, 652. 'Udunan b. abul-'p"" 616. 465,482,495, 500 , 501,50z, 504,505,
- b. Usama, 680. Shu'ba b. al-l:!ajjaj, 466. - b. 'Abdul-Rahman, 677. 56,509,517,518,523,524,54,545,
- b. al-Walid, 634. Shurayl)., abu, aI-Khuza'i, 555. - b. abu Sulayman, 88. 552,555,563,566,568,569,595,602,
- b. Yai)ya, 294, 370, 490. Sinan b. abu Sinan al-Du 'ali, 568. 608,610,623,641,645,653 In's, 655,
- b. Zayd b. al-Muhajir, 57. Sufyan, abu, maula, 384. Wahb b. Kaysan, 15,446. 678, 679, 680 'er, 681 bis, 682, 683.
Mujahid b. Jabr, 114, 143, ZZI, 505, - b. Farwa, 514. - b. Munabbih. 14, 16. 686 ms, 688, 689 bis, 767 (IH) 772,
53 I. - abu, b. I:Iarb, 653, 655. Waki', 769 (IH). 773,774,775, 78 3.
Mundhir, aI, 660. - b. 'Uyayna, 229, 764 (IH), 771,
Murra, abu, maula, 551. 774
Musa b. Yasar, 388. Sulayman b. Muhammad b. Ka'b, 650.
Muslim b. 'Abdullah, 660. - b. Musi, 307.
Mutarrif b. 'Abdullah, 616. - b. $ultaym, 518.
Muttalib, ai, b. 'Abdullah, 69. - b. Wardan, 674.
Muwayhiba, abu, 678. - b. Yasar, 316, 375, 377, 648.
Suraqa b. Malik b. ]u'shum, xliii, 225.
NiHi' b. Jubayr, xliv, xlv, 88, lIZ.
- maula, Z16, 217, z67, 524, 593, 571, $adaqa b. Yasar, 446.
650, 763 (IH). $afiya d. l;Iuyayy, 241.
Na~r b. Duhr al-Astami, 51o. - d. Shayba, 552.
Nu'aym b. Mas'ud, 649. $alil). b. Ibrahim, 70, 93,169, 381.
Nubayh b. Wahb, 309. - b. Kaysan, 250, 267, 382, 385, 386,
523, 689 bis.
Qa'qa" aI, b. 'Abdullah, 669. - b. abu Umama b. Sahl, 365.
Qasim, ai, b. 'Abdul-Rahman, 381.
- b. Muhammad, 171, 186, 649, 681. Thaur b. Yazid, 72, 139,34,368,516.
Qatida, abu, al-An~ari, 571.
- b. Di'ama, '105, 181, 182,552. Tal!)a b. 'Abdullah, 57.
INDEX OF SUBJECTS
INDEX OF BOOKS CITED
Abvssinians, 18 f., 484, 657-8. Martyrs at Badr, 336-7.
Aghani, aI, xxviii, xxix, 174. Mu'atnrrlarin, ai, 703. As~ent to heaven (mi 'raj), xliii, 18I-?, Polytheists slain at Badr, 337-8, 748.
Akhbarul-Na/:1wiyin al-Ba~rIyin, 595. Milal, ai, wal-Ni!:lal (Shahrastani), 353. 800. Polytheists captured at Badr, 338-9,
Arabia Deserta, 605. Mubtada' aI, xv, xviii. 74 8-9.
Arabian Adventure, 722. Mufac:;lc;laliyat, 35, 42, 500, 706. Byzantines, 18,271,278,532--6,602-6, Women at battle of U!:lud, 37 r.
L'Arabie occidentale, 67. 174,234. Muhammad in Medina, xxxii, 63 I. 620-I, 644, 645, 653-7 Martyrs at Ui).ud, 401-3, 759
Arabische Syntax, 581, Muqaddima of 1. Qutayba, 279. Polytheists slain at Ubud, 403.
Arabiya, 453. Murujul-Dhahab, 700. Christians, xlv, 14, 73, 79, 95"""'96, 179- Martyrs at al-Khandaq, 469.
Araburn Proverbia, 632. Mustadrak, aI, xxxiii. 80, 182, 192,258,27-7,637-9,643, The killers of Sallam b. abul-!:Iuqayq,
A~nam, aI, xxxi, 35, 177. 1\luwatta', aI, xl. 653-7 4 82 .
Asn'ir a1-Tanzil, 323. .Mu?hir, aI, xlii, 577. Chronology, 239, 28I. Places between Medina and 'Usfi'in,
Curses, 428-9. 4 8 5-6.
Bedouin Justice, 10. Naqa'iq, 374, 712. Witnesses to agreement at Huday-
Bukhala', aI, 431. Nihaya, aI, fi gharib al-IJadith, SS9, 650. Divination, 64, 66-68, 19 6 . biya, 505.
Fire in ordeal, 10. Martyrs at Khaybar, 518.
Chalaf al~Abmar's Qaside, 404. Origins of Muhammadan Jurispru- Recipients of spoil of Khaybar, 521-
dence,54 I Genealogies of the tribes, 2-4, 34-35, 3; of Wadil-Qurii, 525-6.
Delectus veterum carminum Arabico- 40-41, 44-45, 707-8 . Those who returned from Abyssinia
rum, 360, 413. Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, 530. Gospel extracts, 103, 655 (second batch), 526-30.
Diwan of 'Abid, 726. Pirqe Abh6th, 523-4. Martyrs at Mu'ta, 540, 791; at
Poems of 'Amr son of Qami'a, 342. I:Iajj, 49-51,55,87-89, 12 3,649-5 2 . I:Iunayn, 576; at aJ-'fa'if, 594-6.
Fihrist, aI, xvii, xxv. Prophecy and Divination, 161, Hypocrites, 240, 247-70. Recipients of spoil of I:Iunayn, 592,
Fil-adab al-Jahili, 725. 780.
Foreign Vocabulary of the Quran, 126, Qamus, aI, 638. Idols, 24, 35, 39, 176-7,207,565,776. Deputation from B. al-I:Iarith, 646.
323, 5 0 7. Qi!?a!?ul-Anbiya', xviii. Intercalation, 21, 52, 620. Collectors of the poor tax, 648-9.
Flinf Mu'allaqat, 189. Destinations of the Twelve Apostles,
Futu.l:lUl-Buldan, xxxii, 439, 456. al-Raudul-Unuf, xxxiv. Jews, 93,128,06-9, r63, 192, 197, 2 3,
23 1 -3,239,242,246-7,247-7 0 ,437- 653
Religion of the Semites, 647, 665,763. Letters to potentates, 653, 789.
Gedichte von abu Ba!?ir Maymun, 693, Risalatul-Ghufran, 353. 45, 450, 461-8, 482-4, 510-19, 626, Muhammad's campaigm, 659-60.
698, 7 I 9, 724. 643, 647, 654, 665, 75 2. Muhammad's raiding parties, 660,
Geschichte d. Perser u. Araber, 699. Das Schicksal in der altarabischen 661-2,666-7
- des Qorans, 685. Poesie, 776. Ka'ba, 7, 9, 24, 35, 62-64, 84-86 , 87- 89, Deputation from B. Tamim, 667
Semitic Mythology, 207. 55 2, 774 Muhammad's wives, 792-4.
F;Iamasa, 500, 574. Sharh diwan Zuhayr, 765. Lists:
J:Iayawan, 29. Shifa'ul-gharam bi akhbaril-baladil- Abu Bakr's converts, IIS-16, II7 Persians, 30-34, 654, 69 8-700.
J:-Iayy b. Yaq?an, 631. !:laram, 710. Those fed by Abu Bakr, 140. Poetry of the Sira, xxv f.
Skizzen und Vorarbeiten, 233. First emigrants to Abyssinia, 146. Prayer: ritual, 112, 186-7, 199; cal1 to,
'Iqd, ai, al-Farid, 710. Those who returned from Abyssinia, 235-6
Isnl'iliyat, aI, xviii. al-Tashawwuf ila rijulil- Ta$awv,:uf, 427.
167-9
Ten ancient Arabic Poems, 742. Khazrajis at al-'Aqaba, 197-9. Qibla, 135, 137, 202, 258~9, 269, 289
Jamhara, aI, 416. Tijan aI, xv, xviii. The Twelve leaders at al-'Aqaba, Quran:
lami' of l\lu'ammar b. Rashid, 240. Translations of Eastern Poetry and Interpolations in, 165,684-5.
Prose, 601. 197-9
Those at the second 'Aqaba, 208-12. Sura of the Cow, 247-70; spoils, 32I-
Kashshi'if, aI, 323. Tabaqatui-Shu 'ara', xxv. Emigrants to Medina, 2r5 7; family of 'lmran, 391~401;
Lodgements of the emigrants, 2i8. exile, 438-9; the Confederates,
Lisanul-'Arab, 123, 124,416,558. Usdul-Ghaba, xvii. Stages on the hijra to Medina, 226~7 466-8; the Conquest, 505-7.
Life of Muhammad, 17I. 'Uyunul-athar, xx..xv, 236, 638. Emigrants and Helpers who became Quraysh, 52-61, 86.
brothers, 234-5, 784.
l\la'arif, ai, xxxii. \Vaq'at 0iffin, xxvii, 771. Hostile Jews, 239 $abi', 205, 639
Maq~ura, aI, 53. Was hat Muhammad aus dem Juden- An!?ari hypocrites, 242-6. Sacred months, 286-9
Monuments of Arabic Philology, see thum aufgenommen?, 25 I. Jewish hypocrites, 246-70. Soothsayers, &c., 90,121,135.
Abu Dharr (Index of Proper Names). A Winter in Arabia, 736. Names of Christians of Najnln, 27I.
Halts between Medina and al- Taboos, 40, 87-89, 703
'Ushayra, 285; Badr, 293.
Quraysh \vho fed the pilgrims, 320-1. Cmmi,25 2.
Emigrants at Badr, 327-30.
Helpers at Badr, 330-6. \Vitchcraft, 240.

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