Religion

Sfo

802

The Life ofMuhammad They met their end when they went their way And I with the survivors am left to life's sorrows. Three men were sent forward and advanced To death's loathed pool of blood.

The names of those who died a martyr's death at Mu'ta: Of Quraysh: of the clan of B. Hashim, Jafar and Zayd. Of B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b: Mas'ud b. al-Aswad b. I:Iaritha b. Na<ila. Of B. Malik b. I:fisl: Wahb b. Sa'd b. Abu SarI,. Of the of the clan of B. al-I:farith b. al-Khazraj, 'Abdullah b.

Rawal:ta and 'Abbad b. Qays. Of B. Ghanam b. Malik b. ai-Najjar, al-I:farith b. Nu'man b. Usaf b.

Na<ila b. 'Abd b. 'Auf b. Ghanam. Of B. Mazin b. ai-Najjar, Suraqa b. 'Amr b. 'AFya b. Khansa' (791).

THE CAUSES THAT LED TO THE OCCUPATION OF MECCA, A.H. 8

After he had sent his force to Mu'ta the apostle stayed in Medina during the latter Jumada and Rajab. Then the B. Bakr b. 'Abdu Manat b. Kinana attacked Khuza'a while they were at a well of theirs in the lower region of Mecca called al-Watir. The cause of the quarrel was that a man of B. al-I:fa<irami called Malik b. 'Abbad-the I:Ia<irami being at that time allies of al-Aswad b. Razn-had gone out on a trading journey; and when he reached the middle of the Khuza'a country they attacked and killed him and took his possessions. So B. Bakr attacked a man of Khuza'a and killed him; and just before Islam Khuza'a attacked the sons of al-Aswad b. Razn al-Dili who were the most prominent chiefs of B. Kinana-Salma, Kul- thurn, and Dhu'ayb-and killed them in 'Arafa at the boundary stones of the sacred area.' One of the B. al-Dil told me that B. al-Aswad during the pagan era were

paid double bloodwit because of their position among them, while they only got a single bloodwit. While B. Bakr and Khuza'a were thus at enmity Islam intervened and

occupied men's minds. When the peace of I:fudaybiya was concluded between the apostle and Quraysh one of the conditions-according to what 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 wanted to enter into a treaty relationship with either party could do so; the B. Bakr joined Quraysh and Khuza'a joined the apostle. When the armis- tice was established B. al-Dil of B. Bakr took advantage of it against Khuzata in their desire to revenge themselves on them for the sons of Aswad whom they had killed. So Naufal b. Mu'awiya al-Dili, who 'Yas their leader at the time, went out with the B. al-Dil, though all the B. Bakr did not follow him, and attacked Khuza'a by night while they were at al-

The Life of Muhammad HI WaUr their well, killing one of their men. Both parties fell back and con- tinued the fight. Quraysh helped B. Bakr with weapons and some of them 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 Naufal, we are in the sacred area. Remember your God, remember your God!' He replied in blasphemous words that he had no god that day. 'Take your revenge, ye sons of Bakr. By my life, if you used to steal in the sacred area, won't you take vengeance in it?' Now on the night they attacked them in al-Watir they killed a man called Munabbih who had gone out with one of his tribesmen called Tamim b. Asad. Munabbih had a weak heart and he told Tamim to escape for he was as good as dead whether they killed him or let him go, for his heart had given out. So 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'. Tamim in excusing himself for running away from Munabbih said: 804

When I saw the B. Nufatha had advanced Covering every plain and hill, Rock and upland, no one else in sight, Leading their swift wide-nostrilled horses And I remembered the old blood feud between us, A legacy of years gone by; And I smelt the odour of death coming from them And feared the stroke of a sharp sword And knew that they would leave him they smote Meat for mother lions and carrion for crows, I set my feet firmly not fearing stumbling And threw my garments on the bare ground. I ran-no wild ass strong, lean-flanked, ran as I ran. She may blame me, but had she been there Her disapproval would have been urine wetting her. Men well know that I did not leave Munabbih willingly. Ask my companions (if you do not believe me) (792).

AI-Akhzar b. LU'I al-Dili describing the fight between Kinana and Khuzata said:

Have not the most distant A1,labish I heard That we repulsed B. Katb in impotent disgrace?2 We made them keep to the dwelling of the slave Rafi' And they were confined helpless with Budayl In the house of a low person who accepts humiliation After we had slaked our vengeance on them with the sword. We held them there for many a day

I Possibly the Abyssinians are meant. Z 'with arrows snapped off near the feathered end'.

542 543

80 5

806

The Life of Muhammad Until from every pass we charged down on them. We slaughtered them like goats, . We were like lions racing to get our teeth III them. They had wronged us and behaved as enemies And were the first to shed blood at the sacred boundary.. , When they pursued them with their vanguard m the wadI s bend They were like young ostriches in full flight.'

Budayl b. 'Abdu Maniit b. Salama b. 'Amr b. al-Ajabb who was called Budayl b. Umm answered hIm thus:

May those people lose one another who boast _ Since we left them no chief to call them to assembly save Nafil. \Vas it for fear of a people you scorn That you went past al-\\ratir fearful, never to return? .. Every day we give to others to pay bloodwit for those they have kIlled While we take no help in paying our bloodWlt. We came to your home in al-Tala'a/ OUf swords silenced all complaints. From Bayd and 'Itwad3 to the slopes of Ratiwa We held off the attacks of horsemen. On the day of al-Ghamim' 'Ubays ran away. We terrified him with a doughty leader. . . \Vas it because the mother of onc of you defecated In her house In her trepidation .. I

While you were leaping about that we met no OPPosItIOn. By God's house you lie, you did not fight But we left you in utter confuSIOn (793)·

When Quraysh and B. Bakr had combined against Khuza'a and killed some of them, thereby breaking their covenanted word with .the apostle iolating Khuzii'a who were in treaty with him, <Arnr b. SalIm al-Khuza 1

Vf h I f B Ka'b went to the apostle 1ll Medina. (This led to theotecano. .. h' conquest of Mecca.) He stood by him as he was SIttIng among t e men In the mosque and said:

o Lord, I come to remind Muhammad Of the old alliance between our fathers. You are sons for whom we provided the mother, . Then we made peaces and have not changed our mInds.

I Fiithur is a lace in Najd as A.Dh. says; but unless the action to b f the reacted the haram it is hard to see what the combatants were domg. As fathur

th/contingent leads the pursuit of a fleeing enemy it is to be preferred here to

W;8 belonging to B. Kinana. The second hemistich is a reference to the proverb 'The sword comes before recrimination'. d M d'

3 Places belonging to Kinana. 4 Between Mecca an e ma. _. 5 S insists on this meaning for aslamna, despite the last verse, on the ground that Khuz.a a

. b M ,. Th- poem is a later invention and the natural translatIOnhad not yet ecome us lms. '" 'Then we bo:came Muslims' is to be preferred.

The Life of Muhammad Help us, now God guide you, And call God's servants to our aid. Among them the apostle of God prepared for war. I When he is wronged his face becomes black with anger With a great army foaming like the sea. Verily Quraysh have broken their promise to you, They bave violated tbeir pledged word, And they set men to watch out for me in Kada. 2 They claim that I can get no one to help us And they but a miserable few. They attacked us at night in al-Watir And killed us as we performed the ritual prayers (794).

The apostle said, 'May you be helped 0 'Amr b. Salim!'3 Then as a cloud appeared in the sky he said, 'This cloud will provide help for the B. Ka'b.' Then Budayl b. Warqa' came with a number of Khu2ii'a to the apostle

in Medina and told him of their misfortune and how Quraysh had helped B. Bakr against them. Having done so they returned to Mecca. The apostle said, 'I think you will see Abu Sufyan coming to strengthen the agreement and to ask for more time.' When Budayl and his companions had got as far as 'Usfan' they met Abu Sufyiin who had been sent by Quraysh to strengthen the agreement with the apostle and to ask for an extension, for they were afraid of the consequences of what they had done. Abu Sufyiin asked Budayl whence he had come because he suspected him of having visited the apostle. He replied that he had come along the shore and the bottom of this valley with the Khuza'a, and denied that he had been to Muhammad. When Budayl had gone off to Mecca Abu Sufyan said, •If Budayl came to Medina he will have given his camels dates to eat there,' so he went to where the camels had knelt and split up their dung and looked at the stones. 'By God, I swear Budayl has come from Muham- mad,' he said. Having arrived at Medina he went in to his daughter Vmm I:Iab'iba, and

as he went to sit on the apostle's carpet she folded it up so that he could not sit on it. 'My dear daughter,' he said, '! hardly know if you think that the carpet is too good for me or that I am too good for the carpet!' She replied: 'It is the apostle's carpet and you are an unclean polytheist. I do not want you to sit on the apostle's carpet.' 'By God,' he said, 'since you left me you have gone to the bad.' Then he went to the apostle, who would not speak to him; he then went to Abu Bakr and asked him to speak to the apostle 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 with it.' Then he went in to see 'Ali with whom was Fatima the apostle's

J Or, reading taharrada, 'enraged'. 2 A place on the heights above Mecca. J Or perhaps nu,irla here means 'You shall be helped'. Two days' journey on the road from Mecca to Medina.

810

545

Nn I War is compared to a came1.

B '080

The Life of Muhammad That old camel who groans from his arse. This is the time for war-its girths are tightened. I Don't feel safe from us, son of Dmm Mujalid, When its pure milk is extracted and its teeth are crooked. Don't be disappointed, for our swords Will open the door to death (796).

Muhammad b. Ja'far b. al-Zubayr from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr and another of our traditionists said that when the apostle decided to go to Mecca !:Iatib b. Abii Balta'a wrote a letter to Quraysh telling them that the apostle intended to come at them. He gave it to a woman whom Muhammad b. Ja'far alleged was from Muzayna while my other informant said she was Sara, a freed woman of one of the B. 'Abdu'I-Mu!!alib. He paid her some money to carry it to Quraysh. She put the letter on her .head and then plaited her locks over it and went off. The apostle received news from heaven of !:Iatib's action and sent 'Ali and al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwam with instructions to go after her. They overtook her in al-KhuIayqa of B. Abii A\1mad. They made her dismount and searched her baggage but found nothing. 'Ali swore that the apostle could not be mistaken nor could they, and that if she did not produce the letter they would strip her. When she saw that he was in earnest she told him to turn aside, and then she let down her locks and drew out the letter and gave it to him and he took it to the apostle. The apostle summoned !:Iatib and asked him what induced him to act thus. He replied that he believed in God and His apostle and had never ceased to do so, but that he was not a man of standing among Quraysh and he had a son and a family there and that he had to deal prudently with them for their sakes. 'Vmar wanted to cut off his head as a hypocrite but the apostle said, 'How do you know, 'Umar; perhaps God looked favourably on those who were at Badr and said, "Do as you please, for I have forgiven you.'" Then God sent down concerning J:Iatib: '0 you who believe, choose not My enemies and yours as friends so as to show them kindness' as far as the words 'You have a good example in Abraham and those with him when they said to their people: We are quit of you and what you worship beside God; we renounce you and between us and you enmity and hatred will ever endure until you believe in God alone.'2 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 went on his journey and put over Medina Abii Ruhm Kulthiim b. b. 'Utba b. Khalaf al-Ghifari. He went out on the lOth of Ramadan and he and the army fasted until when he reached al-Kudayd between: 'Usfan and Amaj he broke his fast. He went on until he came to Marr al-Zahriin with 10,000 Muslims; Sulaym numbered 700 and some say and Muzayna 1,000; and in every tribe there was a considerable number and Islam. The Muhajirs and Helpers went as one man; not one stayed behind.I i.e. reports from travellers and others who have seen the Muslims assembling.

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.

3 l;Iassan was no fighter. He relied on his tongue to hurt the enemy.

544 The Life of Muhammad daughter who had with her 'Ali's little son !:Iasan crawling in front of her. He appealed to 'Ali on the ground of their close relationship to intercede with the apostle so that he would not have to return disappointed; but he answered that if the apostle had determined on a thing it was useless for anyone to talk to him about it j so he turned to Fatima and said, '0 daughter 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 her little boy was not old enough to undertake such a task and in any case none could give protection 'against God's apostle. He then asked for 'Ali's advice in the desperate situation. He said, I I do not see anything that can really help you, but you are the chief of B. Kinana, so get up and grant protection between men and then go back home.' When he asked if he thought that that would do any good he replied that he did not, but that he could see nothing else. Thereupon Abu Sufyan got up in the mosque and said, '0 men, I grant protection between men.' He then mounted his camel and rode off to Quraysh who asked for his news. He said that Muhammad would not speak to him, that he got no good from Abii Qu\1afa's son, and that he found 'Umar an implacable enemy (795). He had found'Ali the most helpful and he had done what he recommended, though he did not know whether it would do any good. He told them what he had done and when they asked whether Muhammad had endorsed his words, he had to admit that he had not. They complained that 'Ali had made a fool of him and that his pronouncement was valueless, and he said that he could find nothing else to do or say. The apostle ordered preparations to be made for a foray and Abu Bakr

came in to see his daughter <A"isha as she was moving some of the apostle's equipment. He asked if the apostle had ordered her to get things ready, and she said that he had, and that her father had better get ready also. She told him that she did not know where the troops were going. Later the apostle informed the men that he was going to Mecca and ordered them to make careful preparations. He said, '0 God, take eyes and ears I from Quraysh so that we may take them by surprise in their land,' and the men got themselves ready. !:Iassan b. Thabit, inciting the men and mentioning the killing of the

men of Khuz.ra, said:

It pained me though I did not see in Mecca's valley The men of Banii Ka'b with their heads cut off By men who had not drawn their swords And the many dead who were left unburied.' Would that I knew if my help with its biting satire' Would injure Suhayl b. 'Amr, and i;3afwan

808

8rI

8IZ

546 The Life of Muhammad When the apostle had reached Man Quraysh were completely ignorant of the fact and did not even know he was domg. On nights Abu Sufyan b. I:Iarb and Hakim b. I;hzam and Budayl b. Warqa went out searching for news by eye or ear when al-"Abbas had met the apostle in the way (797)· Abu Sufyan b. al-l;Iarith b. 'Abdu'l-Mu!!alib and 'Abdullah b. Abu

Umayya b. al-Mughira had met the apostle also in Niqu'I-'Uqab between Mecca and Medina and tried to get in to him. Umm Salama spoke to him about them, calling them his cousin and his brother-in-law. He replied: 'I have no use for them. As for my c?usin he has my pride; and as for my aunt's son and my brother-Ill-law h: spoke_Insultingly of me in Mecca.' When this was conveyed to them Abu Sufyan who had his little son with him said, 'By God, he must let me in or I will take this little boy of mine and we will wander through the land until we die of hunger and thirst.' When he heard this the apostle felt sorry for them and let them come in and they accepted Islam. Abu Sufyan rCelted the follow- ing verses about his Islam in which he'excused himself for what had gone before:

By thy life when I carried a banner To give al-Lat's oavalry the victory over I was like one going astray in the darkness of the mght, But now I am led on the right track. I could not guide myself, and he who with God overcame me Was he whom I had driven away with all my might. I used to do all I could to keep men from Muhammad And I was called a relative of his, though I did not claim the relation. They are what they are. He who does not hold with them Though he be a man of sense is blamed and given the lIe. I wanted to be on good terms with them (Muslims) But I could not join them while I was not guided. Say to Thaqjf I do not want to fight them; Say, too, 'Threaten somebody else!' I was not tn the army that attacked 'Amir, I had no part with hand or tongue. 'Twas tribes that came from a distant land, Strangers from Saham and Surdad (798).

They allege that when he recited his "vords 'He who with God overcame me was he \vhom I had driven away with all my might' the apostle punched him in the chest and said, 'You did indeed!' When the apostle camped at I'vIarr al-Zahran 'Abbas said/ 'Alas, Qur-

aysh, if the apostle enters Mecca by force before they come and ask protection that will be the end of Quraysh for ever.' I sat upon the apostle s

I T. 1630 f. following Yiinus's version of I.I. has a slightly longer text. Only significam differences will be noted.

The Life of Muhammad 547 white mule and went out on it until I came to the arak trees, thinking that I might find some \voodcutters or milkers or someone who could go to Mecca and tell them where the apostle was so that they could come out 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 I:Iakim b. I:Iazam) and Budayl talking together. Abu Sufyan was saying, 'I have never seen such fires and such a camp before.' BudayI was saying, 'These, by God, are (the fires of) Khuza'a which war has kindled.' Abu Sufyan was saying, 'Khuzj'a are too poor and few to have fires and camps like these.' I recognized his voice and called to him and he recognized my voice. I told him that the apostle was here with his army and expressed 813 concern for him and for Quraysh: 'If he takes you he will bebead you, so ride on the back of this mule so that I can take you to him and ask for you his protection.' So he rode behind me and his two companions returned. Whenever we passed a l\1uslim fire we were challenged, and when they saw the apostle's mule with me riding it they said it was the prophet's uncle riding his mule until I passed by 'Umar's fire. He challenged me and got 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 delivered you up without agreement or word.' Then he ran towards the apostle and I made the mule gallop, and the mule won by the distance a slow beast wiIl outrun a slow man. I dismounted and went in to the apostle and 'Umar came in saying the same words and adding, 'Let me take of! his head.' I told the apostle that I had promised him my protec- tion; then I sat by him and took hold of his head and said, 'By God, none shall talk confidentially to him this night without my being present'; and when 'Vmar continued to remonstrate I said, 'Gently, 'Umar! If he had been one of the B. 'Adiy b. Ka'b you would not have said this; but you know that he is one of the B. 'Abdu Manaf.' He replied,.'Gently, 'Abbas! for by God your Islam the day you accepted it was dearer to me than the Islam of al-Khattab would have been had he become a Muslim. One thing I surely know is that your Islam was dearer to the apostle than my father's would have been.' The apostle told me to take him away to my quarters and bring him back in the morning. He stayed the night with me and I took him in to see the apostle early in the morning and when he saw him he said, 'Isn't it time that you should recognize that there is no God but Allah?' He answered, 'You are dearer to me than father and mother. How great is your clemency, honour, and kindness! By God, I thought that had there been another God with God he would have continued to help me.' He said: '\Voe to you, Abu Sufya-n, isn't it time that you recognize that I 814 am God's apostle?' He answered, 'As to that I still have some doubt.' I said to him, 'Submit and testify that there is no God but Allah and that

Muhammad is the apostle of God before you lose your head,' so he did so. I pointed out to the apostle that Abu Sufyan was a man who liked to have some cause for pride and asked him to do something for him. He said, 'He

it from her neck. When the apostle came in and entered the mosque Abu Bakr came leading his father. On seeing him the apostle said, 'Why did you not leave the old man in his house so that I could come to him there I' Abu Bakr replied that it was more fitting that he should come to him than vice versa. He made him sit before him and stroked his chest and asked him to accept Islam and he did so. When Abu Bakr brought his father in his head was as white as edelweiss, and the apostle told them to dye it. Then Abu Bakr got up and taking his sister's hand said, II ask in the name of God and Islam for my sister's necklace' and none answered him, and he said, 'Sister, regard your necklace as taken by God (and look to Him to requite you) for there is not much honesty among people nowadays.' 'Abdullah b. Abu Naji\> told me that the apostle divided his force at

Dhu Tuwil ordering al-Zubayr b. al-'Awwilm to go in with some of the men from Kudil. Al-Zubayr commanded the left wing; Sad b. 'Ubilda he ordered to go in with some of the men from Kadil'. Some traditionists allege that when Sa'd started off he said,

Today is a day of war, Sanctuary is no more,

and one of the muhiljirs (800) heard him and told the apostle that it was to be feared that he would resort to violence. The apostle ordered 'Ali to go after him and take the flag from him and enter with it himself. 'Abdullah b. Abu Naji\> in his story told me that the apostle ordered

Khillid to enter from ai-Lit, the lower part of Mecca, with some men. Khil- lid was in command of the right wing with Aslam, Sulaym, Ghifilr, Muz- ayna, Juhayna, and other Arab tribes. Abu 'Ubayda b. al-Jarril\> advanced with the troops pouring into Mecca in front of the apostle who entered from Adhilkhir' until he halted above Mecca and his tent was pitched there. 'Abdullah b. Abu Naji\> and 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr tcld me that i;3afwiln

b. Umayya and 'Ikrima b. Abu Jahl and Suhayl b. 'Arnr had collected some men in al-Khandama' to fight. J:Iimas b. Qays b. Khillid brother of B. Bakr was sharpening his sword before the apostle entered rvlecca, and his wife asked him why he was doing so. When he told her it was for Muhammad and his companions she said that she did not think that it would do them any harm. He answered that he hoped to give her one of them as a slave and said:

I have no excuse if today they advance. Here is my weapon, a long-bladed lance, A two-edged sword in their faces will dance!

Then he went to al-Khandama with i;3afwiln, Suhayl, and 'Ikrima and 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, 1352, ii. 232 fr. as a pass near Mecca.

Not mentioned by YaqUi. Au. i. 146 says it is a peak on Abu Qubays.

815

816

548 The Life of Muhammad who enters Abu Sufyiln's house is safe, and hewho locks his door is safe, and he who enters the mosque is safe.' When he went off to go back the apostle told me to detain him in the narrow part of the wadi where the mountain projected' so that God's armies would pass by and he would see them; so I went and detained him where the prophet had ordered. The squadrons passed him with their standards, and he asked who they

were. When I said Sulaym he would say, 'What have I to do with Sulayml' and so with Muzayna until all had passed, he asking the same question and making the same response to the reply. Finally the apostle passed with his greenish-black squadron (799) in which were Muhiljirs and whose eyes alone were visible because of their armour. He said, 'Good heavens, 'Abbas, who are these I' and when I told him he said that none could with- stand them. 'By God, 0 Abu Fac,ll, the authority of your brother's son has become great.' I told him that it was due to his prophetic office, and he said that in that case he had nothing to say against it. I told him to hurry to his people. When he came to them he cried at the

top of his voice: '0 Quraysh. this is Muhammad who has come to you with a force you cannot resist. He who enters Abu Sufyan's house is safe.' 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 said, 'Woe to you, don't let this woman deceive you, for you cannot resist what has come. He who enters Abu Sufyiln's house will be safe.' 'God slay you,' they said, 'what good will your house be to us 1>2 He added, 'And he who shuts his door upon himself will be safe and he who enters the mosque will be safe.' Thereupon the people dispersed to their houses and the mosque. 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr told me that when the apostle came to Dhu Tuwil

he halted on his beast turbaned with a piece of red YamanI cloth and that he lowered his head in submission to God, when he saw how God had honoured him with victory, so that his beard almost touched the middle of the saddle. Ya\>yil b. 'Abbild b. 'Abdullah b. al-Zubayr from his father fr.om

grandmother Asmil' d. Abu Bakr said: W?en the apostle stopped III Dhu Tuwil Abu Quhilfa said to a daughter of hIS, one of hiS youngest chrldren, 'Take me up Abu Qubays,' for his sight had almost gone. When they got there he asked her what she could see and she told him 'a mass of black.' 'Those are the horses,' he said. Then she told him that she could see a man running up and down in front of them and he said that that was the adjutant, meaning the man who carries and transmits the orders .to the cavalry. Then she said, 'By God, the black mass has spread.' He SaId, 'In 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 to his house. The girl had a silver necklace and a man who met her tore

I Lit. 'at the nose of the mountain'. Z i.e. it could not provide cover for them all.

The Life of Muhammad 54-9

8'7

Kurz b. Jabir, one of rhe B. Mu/:1arib b. Fihr, and Khunays b. Khiilid b. Rab!'a b. 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 were killed together. Khunays was killed first and Kurz put him between his feet and fought in his defence until he was slain, saying meanwhile:

Safra' of the B. Fihr knows The pure of face and heart

8,8 That I fight today in defence of Abu i?akhr.

Khunays was surnamed Abu i?akhr (801). Salama b. al-Mayla', one of Khiilid's horsemen, was killed, and the

polytheists lost about 12 or 13 men-; then they took to flight. Bimas ran off and went into his house and told his wife to bolt the door. When she asked what had become of his former words he said:

If you had witnessed the battle of Khandama When i?afwan and 'Ikrima fled And Abu Yazld was standing like a pillar' And the Muslims met them with their swords Which cut through arms and skulls, Only confused cries being heard Behind us their cries and groans, You would not have uttered the least word of blame (802)

The apostle had instructed his commanders when they entered Mecca 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. Among them was 'Abdullah b. Sa'd, brother of the B. 'Amir b. Lu'ayy. The reason he ordered him to be killed was that he had been a Muslim and used to write down revelation; then he apostatized and returned to Quraysh and fled to 'Uthman b. 'Affan whose foster-brother he was; The latter hid

819 him until he brought him to the apostle after the situation in Mecca was tranquil, and asked that he might be granted immunity. They allege that the apostle remained silent for a long time till finally he said yes. When IUthman had left he said to his companions who were sitting around him, 'I kept silent so that one of you might get up and strike off his head!' One of the said, 'Then why didn't you give me a sign, a apostle of God I' He answered that a prophet does not kill by pointing (803). Another was'Abdullah b. Khatal of B. Taym b. Ghalib. He had become

a Muslim and the apostle sent him to collect the poor tax in company with one of the He had with him a freed slavewho served him. (He was a Muslim.) When they halted he ordered the latter to kill a goat for him and prepare some food, and went to sleep. When he woke up the man had

done nothing, so he attacked and killed him and apostatized. He had two singing-girls Fartana and her friend who used to sing satirical songs about the apostle, so he ordered that they should be killed with him. Another was al-I;luwayrith b. Kuqaydh b. Wahb b. 'Abd b. one

of those who used to insult him in Mecca (804). Another was Miqyas b. I;lubaba' because he had killed an who

had killed his brother accidentally, and returned to Quraysh as a polytheist. And Sara, freed slave of one of the B. 'Abdu'l-Muttalib; and 'Ikrima b. 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 and asked immunity for him and the apostle gave it. She went tq the Yarnan in search of him and brought him to the apostle and he accepted Islam. (T- 'Ikrima used to relate, according to what they say, that what T. ,640 turned him to Islam when he had gone to the Yaman was that he had deter- mined to cross the sea to Abyssinia and when he found a ship the master said, '0 servant of God, you cannot travel in my ship until you ledge that God is one and disavow any rival to Him, for I fear that if you do not do so we should perish.' When I asked if none but such persons was allowed to travel in his ship he replied, 'Yes, and he must be sincere.' So I thought: Why should I leave Muhammad when this is what he has brought us? Truly our God on the sea is our God on the dry land. There- upon I recognized Islam and it entered into my heart.) 'Abdullah h. Khatal was killed by Said b. I;lurayth al-Makhzumi and Abu Barza al- Aslami acting together. Miqyas was killed by b. 'Abdullah, one 820

of his own people. Miqyas's sister said of his killing:

By my life, NumayIa shamed his people And distressed the winter guests when he slew f!.fiqyas. 'Vhoever has seen a man like IVliqyas \Vho provided food for young mothers in hard times.

As for Ibn Khatal's two singing-girls, .one was killed and the other ran away until the apostle, ask.ed for immunity, gave it her. Similarly Sara, who lived until in the time of 'Vmar a mounted soldier trod her down in the valley of Mecca and killed her. AI-I;luwayrith was killed by 'AlL Sajd b. Abu Hind from Abu Murra, freed slave of'AqH b. Abu Talib,

told me that Umm Hani' d. Abu Talib said: When the apostle halted in the upper part of Mecca two of my brothers-in-law from B. Makhzum fled to me. (She was the wife of Hubayra b. Abu Wahb al-MakhzumL) 'Ali came in swearing that he would kill them, so I bolted the door of my house on them and went to the apostle and found him washing in a large bowl in which was the remains of dough \vhile his daughter Fatima \vas screening him with his garment. When he had washed he took his garment and wrapped himself in it and prayed eight bendings of the morning prayer.

550 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 55 r

I This explanation of mu'tima is based on So's statement that elsewhere 1.1. says that 8uch is the meaning. The alternative 'A widow left with fatherless children' is supported by Azraq:, 4-7 (quoted by NBldeke, Glos. 103 and To's kal-ma'tama).

I W. J;Jubiiba. On p. 728 he writes $uhaba which may well be right in spite of C. which follows the Qamus.

Then he came forward and welcomed me and asked me why I had come. When I told him about the two men and 'Ali he said: 'We give protec- tion to whomsoever you give protection and we give safety to those you protect. He must not kill them' (805). . Muhammad b. Jafar b. al-Zubayr from 'Ubaydullah b. 'Abdullah b.

Abu Thaur from $afiya d. Shayba told me that the apostle after arriving in Mecca when the populace had settled down went to the temple and en- compassed it seven times on his camel touching the black stone with a stick which he had in his hand. This done he summoned 'Uthmiin b. Tal1,la and took the key of the Ka'ba from him, and when the door was opened for him he went in. There he found a dove made of wood. He broke it in his hands and threw it away. Then he stood by the door of the Ka'ba while the men in the mosque gathered to him. I [1.1. from 'Abdullah b. Abu Bakr from 'Ali b. 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas: The

apostle Mecca on the day of the conquest and it contained 360 idols which Iblis' had strengthened with lead. The apostle was standing by them with a stick in his hand, saying, 'The truth has come and false- hood has passed away; verily falsehood is sure to pass away' (Sura '7. 82). Then he pointed at them with his stick and they collapsed on their backs one after the other. When the apostle prayed the noon prayer on the day of the conquest he

ordered that all the idols which were round the Ka'ba should be collected and burned with fire and broken up. Fa<jiila b. al-Mulawwi1,l al-Laythi said commemorating the day of the conquest:

Had you seen Muhammad and his troops The day the idols were smashed when he entered, You would have seen God's light become manifest And darkness covering the face of idolatry.

1.1. from I:!akim b. 'Abbiid b. I:!anif and other traditionists: Quraysh had put pictures in the Ka'ba including two of Jesus son of Mary and Mary (on both of whom be .peace!). I. Shihiib said: Asma' d. Shaqr said that a woman of Ghassan joined in the pilgrimage of the Arabs and when she saw the picture of Mary in the Ka'ba she said, 'My father and my mother be your ransom! You are surely an Arab woman!' The apostle ordered that the pictures should be erased except those of Jesus and Mary. 3] A traditionist' told me that the apostle stood at the door of the Ka'ba

and said: 'There is no God but Allah alone; He has no associate. He has made good His promise and helped His servant. He has put to flight the

1 Other explanations given for the word istakaffa are 'fixed their gaze on' and 'aur. rounded'.

2 A parallel tradition on the authority of 1. <A'bbiis via al-Zuhri simply says that the idols were sp-engthened by lead. 3 Apparently I.H. has cut out what 1.1. wrote and adopted the later tradition that all the

pictures were obliterated. A more detailed account of these pictures will be found in A2.r. 104-6.

4 T. here name. the informants u 'Umar b. Mus'ab al.Wajib from Qatida al.Sadliai.

The Life of Muhammad 553 confederates alone. Every claim of privilege' or blood or property are abolished bv me aceDt the =todv of the temple and the watering of the pilgrims. The unintentionally slain in a quasi- intentional way by club or whip,' for him the bloodwit is most severe: a hundred camels, fatty of them to be pregnant. 0 Quraysh, God has taken from you the haughtiness of paganism and its veneration of ancestors. Man springs from Adam and Adam sprang from dust.' Then he read to them this verse: '0 men, We created you from male and female and made you into peoples and tribes that you may know one another: of a truth the most noble of you in God's sight is the most pious' to the end of the passage.3 Then he added, '0 Quraysh, what do you think that I am about to do with you?' They replied, 'Good. You are a noble brother, son of a noble brother.' He said, 'Go your way for you are the freed ones.' [T. Thus the apostle let them go though God had given him power over

their lives and they were his spoil. For this reason the Meccans were called 'the freed ones'. Then the populace gathered together in Mecca to do homage to the apostle in Islam. As I have heard, he sat (waiting) for them on al-$afa while 'Umar remained below him imposing condi- tions on the people who paid homage to the apostle promising to hear and obey God and His apostle to tl::o best of their ability. This applied to the men; when they had finished he dealt with the women. Among the Quraysh women who came was Hind d. 'Utba who came veiled and dis- guised because of what she had done especially in regard to I:!arnza, for she was afraid that the apostle would punish her. According to what I heard, when they approached him he asked if they gsve their word not to associate anything with God, and Hind said, 'By God, you lay on us something that you have not laid on the men and we will carry it out.' He said, 'And you 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 Sufyan who was present when she said this told her that so far as the past was concerned it was lawful. The apostle said, 'Then you are Hind d. 'Utba?' and she said 'I am; forgive me what is past and God will forgive you.' He said, 'And do not commit adultery.' She answered, 'Does a free woman commit adultery, 0 apostle of God?' He said, 'And you shall not kill your children.' She said, 'I brought them up when they were little and you killed them on the day of Badr when they were grown up, so you are the one to know about them!' 'Umar laughed immoderately at her reply. He said,"You shall not invent slanderous tales.' She said, 'By God, slander is disgraceful, but it is sometimes better to ignore it.' He said, 'You shall not disobey me in carrying out orders to do good.' She said, 'We should not have sat all this time if we wanted to disobey you in such orders.' The apostle said to 'Umar, 'Accept-their troth,' and he asked God's forgiveness for them while 'Umar accepted their homage on his behalf. The apostle never used to take the women's hands; he did not touch a woman nor did

821

Azr. i. 70

Azr. i. 107

552 The Life of Muhammad

I Especially inherited authority. 2 i.e. manslaughter. J Sura 49. 13.

one touch him except one whom God had made lawful to him or was one Ibn Is!)iiq from Abbiin b. i;liiJi\t said that the women's homage

according to what some traditionists had told him was in this wise: a vessel containing water was put in front of the apostle and when he laid the conditions upon them and they accepted them he plunged his hand into the vessel and then withdrew it and the women did the same. Then after that he would impose conditions on them and when they accepted them he said, 'Go, I have accepted your homage,' and added nothing further.]l Then the apostle sat in the mosque and 'Ali came to him with the key of

the Ka'ba in his hand asking him to grant his family the right of guarding the temple as well as the watering of the pilgrims, but the apostle called for 'Uthmiin b. Tal!)a and said, 'Here is your key; today is a day of good faith' (806). Said b. Abu Sandar al-Aslami from one of his tribesmen said: We had

with us a brave man called A!)mar Ba'san. 2 When he slept he snored so loudly that everyone knew where he was. When he spent the night with his clan he slept apart. If the clan was attacked at night they would call his name and he would leap up like a lion and nothing could withstand him. It happened that a party of raiders from Hudhayl came, making for the people at their water; and when they drew near Ibn al-Athwa' al- Hudhali told them not to hurry him until he had looked round; for if .A1;mar was among the group there was no way to get at them. He snored so loudly that one could tell where he was. So he listened and when he heard his snoring he walked up to him and thrust his sword into his breast pressing on it so that he killed him. Then they rushed upon the party who cried 'A!)marl' But they had no A!)mar. On the morrow of the conquest of Mecca Ibn al-Athwa' came into

Mecca to look round and find out what the situation was. Now he was still a polytheist, and Khuza<a saw and recognized him, and they surrounded him as he was at the side of one of the walls of Mecca, saying, 'Are you the man who killed Al;1mar?' 'Yes', he said, 'and what about it?' Thereupon Khirash b. Umayya advanced on him with drawn sword saying, IGet away from the man.' We supposed that he wanted to get the people away from him; but when we drew away he ran at him and thrust his sword in his belly. By God, I can almost see him now with his entrails flowing forth from his belly and his eyes two mere slits in his head the while he said, 'Have you done it, you men of Khuzii'a /' until he collapsed and fell. The apostle said, 'Stop this killing, Khuzii'a; there has been too much killing even if there were profit in it. I will pay the bloodwit for the man you have killed.' 'Abdu'I-Ra!)miin b. I:J:armala al-Aslami from Sa'id b. al-Musayyib told

me that when the apostle heard what Khiriish had done he said, 'Khiriish is too prone to kill,' thereby rebuking him.

I pp. r642 Cult.) to r644. r3. t Or Il;lmarra Ba'san. A strange nickname. 'Red in power', 'Ruddybold', or the like.

8»

554 The Life of Muhammad The Life of Muhammad 555 Sa'id b. Abu Sa'id al-Maqburi from Abu Shuray!) al-Khuzii'i said:

When 'Amr b. al-Zubayr' came to Mecca to fight his brother 'Abdullah I came to him and said, IListen! When we were with the apostle the day after the conquest of Mecca, Khuzii'a attacked a man of Hudhayl and killed him, he being a polytheist. The apostle arose and addressed us, saying, {l God made Mecca holy the day He created heaven and earth, and it is the holy of holies until the resurrection day. It is not lawful for anyone who believes in God and the last day to shed blood therein, nor to cuI down trees therein. It was not lawful to anyone before me and it will not be lawful to anyone after me. Indeed, it is not lawful for me except at this time because of (God's) anger against its people. Now it has regained its former holiness. Let those here now tell those that are not here. If anyone should say, The apostle killed men in Mecca, say God permitted His apostle to do so but He does not permit you. Refrain from killing, you men of Khuzii'a, for there has been too much killing even if there were profit in it. Since you have killed a man I will pay his bloodwit. If anyone is killed after my sojourn here his people have a choice: they can have his killer's life or the blood-money." Then the apostle paid the bloodwit for the man whom Khuzii'a had slain.' 'Amr replied, 'Be off with you, old man! We know more about its sanctity than you. It does not protect the shedder of blood, nor the man who casts off his allegiance nor him who withholds tax.' Abu ShurayJ; answered, 'I was there and you were not. The apostle ordered us who were present to tell those who were absent. I have told you and the responsibility now rests with you' (807). Muhammad b. Ja'far from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr told me that i;lafwiin b.

Umayya went out to Judda to take ship to the Yaman. 'Umayr b. Wahb told the prophet that i;lafwiin, who was a chief among his people, had fled from him to cast himself into the sea, and asked him to grant him immu- nity. The prophet agreed to do so, and 'Umayr asked him for a sign to prove it, and he gave him the turban with which he had entered Mecca. 'Umayr took it and overtook i;lafwiin just as he was about to embark. He begged him not to commit suicide and produced the token of his safety. Safwiin told him to be off and not to speak to him. He replied, 'My parents be your ransom! He is the most virtuous, most pious, most clement, and best of men, your very cousin. His honour is your honour.' He replied, II go in fear of my life because of him.' He answered, 'He is too clement and too honourable to kill you.' So he went back with him to the apostle and told him that 'Umayr had said that he had promised him immunity. He said that that was true. i;lafwiin asked for two months in which to make up his mind, and he gave him four months (808). . AI-Zuhri told me that Umm I:J:akim d. al-I:J:iirith b. Hishiim and Fiikhlta

d. al-Walid (who was married to i;lafwiin, while Umm I:J:akim's husband

I S. here poinh out that this is a mistake on the part of I.H. and that the man was 'Amr b. Sa'id b. b. Umayyaj that the mistake is due either to I.H. or to al·Bakkii'ij and that the true tradition is given by Yunus.

8Z5 8z6

557556 The Life of Muhammad 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 Yaman and brought him back. When 'Ikrima and Safwan became Muslims the apostle confirmed their first marriages. . Said b. Abdu'I-Ral).man b. I:!assan b. Thabit told me that Hassan

directed a single verse and no more at 1. al-Ziba'ra who was in Najran at the time:'

Do not be without a man, hatred of whom Has made you live in Najran in utmost misery!

827 When this reached 1. al-Zibara he went to the apostle and accepted Islam. Then he said:

o apostle of God, my tongue is repairing The mischief I did when a perishing (sinner) When I followed Satan in going astray. (He who turns aside with him must perish.) My flesh and my bones believe in my Lord. My heart bears witness that you are the warner. I will drive the clan of Lu'ayy from you there, AIl of them being deceived.

When he became a Muslim he said also: Cares and anxieties withheld sleep from me And night pitch black was agitated above me Because I heard that Ahmad had blamed me' I passed the night like man with fever. ' o best of those, a swift light-footed Straight-running camel ever carried, Forgive me for what I said and did When I went wandering in error, What time gave me most misleading orders, And Makhziim did the same; When I supported evil courses Led by those who erred, whose way was ill omened. Today my heart believes in the prophet Muhammad. He who misses this is a loser. Enmity has passed, its ties are ended' Kinship and reason call us together. ' Forgive my mistakes-my parents be thy ransom, .For you arc compassionate having found mercy. Upon you is the sign of God's knowledge, A light most bright and a seal imprinted.

t The point is interesting because the Dfwan (H. cxlii) adds two more verses which fit the context poorly. almost as though Bassan's grandson knew that they had been grafted on to l;lassan s lme and resented the impertinence.

The Life of Muhammad After His love He gave you His proof to honour you And God's proof is great. I testify that your religion is true And that you are great among men. And God testifies that Al).mad is the chosen, The noble one, cynosure of the righteous, A prince whose lofty house is from I:!ashim, Strong from top to bottom (809).

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 Hind. When he heard that she had become a Muslim he said:

Does Hind long for you or do you know that she has asked about you? Thus distance produces many changes. On a high inaccessible fort in Najran she has banished my sleep. When night falls her phantom roams abroad. o that reproacher who wakes me at night and blames me! She reproaches me by night-may her error err utterly! Asserting that if I obey my family_I shall perish, But will anything but the loss of her kill me? But I am of a people who if they do their utmost They attain their end forthwith. I protect the rear of my tribe When they wheel beneath the spear points And the swords in their hands become like The sticks boys play with, no shade but the swords.' I loathe the envious and their works: God will provide food for myself and my family. Words spoken without truth Are like an arrow without a head. If you have followed Muhammad's religion And the ties of kinship draw you to your kin, Then stay far distant on a high round rock, Dry dust its only moisture (810).'

The Muslims who were present at the conquest of Mecca numbered 10,000: of B. Sulaym 700 (some say 1,000); of B. Ghif1iI 400; of Aslam 400 ; of Muzayna 1,003; and the rest of them were from Quraysh and the and their allies and parties of Arabs from Tamim and Qays and Asad.

I This line is an imitation of 1. 41 in the Mu'alIaqa of 'Amr b. Kulthum: ha'anna suyufanii minna waminhum makharfqun bi'oydi w'ibinii.

Some lexicographers favour a rendering 'knotted rags'. In either case the meaning is that they regarded the swords 8S mere toys.

1. The poet apostrophizes himself.