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al-Muttalib and said to him, "Brother, last night I had a dream which horrified me, and I am afraid that it may portend evil and affliction for your people, so keep what I am going to tell you to yourself." He said, "What did you dream?" She said, "I saw a rider coming up on his camel. He halted in the valley and shouted at the top of his voice, 'Hasten to your deaths, you people of treachery, in three days' time!' I saw the people gathering round him, then he went into the mosque with the people following him. While they were round him, his camel climbed on top of the Ka'bah with him on its back. Then he shouted three times at the top of his voice as he had before, "Hasten to your deaths, you people of treachery, in three days' time!' Then his camel mounted to the summit of the mount of Abu Qubays with him on its back and he shouted the same thing. Then he picked up a boulder and sent it rolling down the mountain. When it reached the bottom it shattered into fragments, and a piece of it went into every house and settlement in Mecca."

Al-'Abbas said, "This is indeed a dream! As for you, keep it to yourself and do not mention it to anyone."

Then al-'Abbas went out and met al-Walid b. 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah, who was a friend of his. He mentioned the dream to him and asked him to keep it to himself. However al-Walid told it to his father, 'Utbah, and the story became public knowledge, and all Quraysh talked about it. Al-'Abbas said, "One morning I went to circumambulate the Ka'bah and there was Abu Jahl b. Hisham 70 sitting with a group of Quraysh talking about 'Atikah's dream. When Abu lahl saw me he said, "Abu al-Fadl, when you have finished your circumambulation, come over to us." So when I had finished, I went over to him and sat down with them. Then Abu Jahl said to me, "Sons of 'Abd al-Muttalib, when did this prophetess come among you?" I said, "What are you talking about?" He replied, "The dream which 'Atikah had." "What was that?" I asked. "Sons of 'Abd al-Muttalib," he replied, "are you not content with your men claiming to be prophets, that your women also claim to be prophets? 'Atikah claims that in her dream he

70. Abu Jahl of the clan of Makhzum was about Muhammad's age and a particularly bitter opponent; he led the force which went out to protect the caravan and was killed at Badr.

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said, 'Hasten in three days' time!' We shall be watching over you for these three days, and if what she says comes true, then so be it; but if the three days go by and nothing of this comes about, we will put it in writing that your family are the greatest liars among the Arabs."

Al-'Abbas said, "By God, I did not make a great issue of it. I simply rebutted it and denied that she had dreamt anything." Then we separated, and by that evening there was not a woman of the family of 'Abd al-Muttalib who had not come to me and said, "Did you allow that vicious profligate to attack your men, and then go on to attack the women, while you listened to it without being outraged by what you heard?" I replied, "By God, that is what I did do — I did not make an issue of it. God's oath, I will confront him, and if he says it again, I will give you satisfaction against him." On the third day after 'Atikah's dream, I went out in the morning seething with rage, thinking I had missed the chance of paying him back for his words. I went into the mosque and saw him, and, by God, I went towards him to confront him and to give him the chance to repeat some of what he had said so that I could attack him — he was a slight man, with sharp features, a sharp tongue, and a sharp glance. Suddenly, however, he went out towards the gate of the mosque at a great pace. I said to myself, "What is the matter with him, God curse him! Is all of this because he is afraid that I will revile him?" In fact, however, he had heard something which I had not, the voice of Damdam b. 'Amr al Ghifari, who was shouting in the bottom of the wadi, standing on his camel. He had cut off his camel's nose, put his saddle on back to front, and tom his shirt, and he was saying, "O people of Quraysh, The caravan! The caravan! Your wealth is with Abu Sufyan, and Muhammad and his companions have set off to intercept it, and I do not think you will reach it. Help! Help!"

This occurrence made me forget him and made him forget me. The people hastily equipped themselves, saying, "Do Muhammad and his companions imagine that it will be like the caravan of Ibn al-Hadrami? No, by God; they will find otherwise!" They were divided into two groups, some setting out in person and others sending another man in their place. Quraysh went out in a body, and none of their nobles stayed behind except for Abu

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Lahab b. 'Abd al-Muttalib/ 1 who stayed behind and sent in his place al-'As b. Hisham b. al-Mughirah. He induced the latter to do this because he owed Abu Lahab four thousand dirhams and was unable to pay him; so he hired al-'As for this sum to undertake the military duty in his place. Al-'As then went out on the expedition, while Abu Lahab stayed behind.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — 'Abd Allah b. Abi Najih: Umayyah b. Khalaf had decided to stay at home, being a bulky and heavy old man. 'Uqbah b. Abi Mu'ayt came to him while he was sitting in the mosque among his people carrying a brazier with fire and aloes-wood in it. He put it before him and said, "Scent yourself, Abu 'All, for you are one of the women." He replied, "May God disgrace you and that which you have brought!" Then he equipped himself and went out with the others.

When they had finished equipping themselves and had decided to set out, they remembered the state of war which existed between them and the Banu Bakr b. 'Abd Manat b. Kinanah, 72 and said, "We are afraid that they may attack us from the rear."

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq and Yazid b. Ruman — 'Urwah b. al-Zubayr. 73 When Quraysh had decided to set out, they remembered the quarrel between them and the Banu Bakr. This almost caused them to go back, but Iblls manifested himself to them in the form of Suraqah b. Ju'shum al- Mudliji, who was one of the nobles of Kinanah. He said, "I will guarantee you security against any unwelcome attention from Kinanah." So they went off speedily.

The Number of Muslims at Badr

According to Abu Ja'far (al-Tabari): The Messenger of God went out, as I have been informed by authorities other than Ibn Ishaq, on 3 Ramadan (February 28, 624} at the head of over three hundred and ten of his companions. There is a difference of opinion as

71. The Prophet's uncle, who is denounced in Surah ni; cf. 1339 below.

72. An important section of the nomadic tribe of Kinanah with grounds to the west of Mecca; cf. Watt, Medina, 6af., 81-4.

73. This follows IH, 432.

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to how many more than (three hundred and) ten there were. Some say there were three hundred and thirteen men.

Those who say this.

According to Abu Kurayb — Abu Bakr b. 'Ayyash — Abu Ishaq — al-Bara’: We used to relate that the people of Badr on the day of Badr were like the number of people of Saul , 74 three hundred men and thirteen men who crossed the river. The account ends at this point.

According to Muhammad b. 'Ubayd al-Muharibl — Abu Malik al-Janbi — al-Hajjaj — al-Hakam — Miqsam — a 'Abbas: The Emigrants on the day of Badr were seventy-seven men, and the Ansar were two hundred and thirty-six men. The banner of the Messenger of God was carried by 'All b. Abl Talib and the banner of the Ansar was carried by Sa'd b. 'Ubadah.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Ibn Ishaq 76 : Those who were present, took part 75 in it, and reaped its reward were three hundred and fourteen men.

According to others: They were three hundred and eighteen.

Still others claim they were three hundred and seven. As for most of the early scholars, they (merely) say that there were over three hundred and ten men.

Those who say this.

According to Harun b. Ishaq — Mus'ab b. al-Miqdam and Ahmad b. Ishaq al-Ahwaz! — Abu Ahmad al-Zubayri — Isra’il — Abu Ishaq — al-Bara’: We used to relate that the number of the people of Badr was the same as the number of the people of Saul who crossed the river with him; and nobody crossed with him but believers, over three hundred and ten of them.

According to Ibn Bashshar — Abu 'Amir — Sufyan — Abu Ishaq

74. Saul, king of Israel, is mentioned in the Qur’an as Talut. The story to which reference is made here is to be found in al-Mas'udi, Muruj al-dhahab, ed. and tr. C. Barbier de Meynard and Pavet de Courteille, Paris 1861, i.102. Al-Mas'udi speaks of 3 1 3 men, but there seems to be some confusion with the story of Gideon and his 300 men in fudges 7.

75. Reading daraba not daruba.

76. IH, 506, after giving a complete list of names, concludes that there were 83 Emigrants and 231 of the An$ar, or 314 in all.

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— al-Bara’: We used to relate that the companions of the Prophet on the day of Badr were over three hundred and ten, the same as the number of the people of Saul who crossed the river, and none but believers crossed with him.

Ibn Wakl'— his father— Sufyan— Abu Ishaq— al-Bara’ give a similar account.

According to Isma'Il b. Isra’il al-Ramli — 'Abd Allah b. Muhammad b. al-Mughirah — Mis'ar — Abu Ishaq — al-Bara’: The number of the people of Badr was the number of the people of Saul.

Ahmad b. Ishaq — Abu Ahmad — Mis'ar — Abu Ishaq — al-Bara’ give a similar account.

According to Bishr b. Mu'adh — Yazid — Sa'id — Qatadah: We were told that the Prophet of God said to his companions on the day of Badr: "You are the same number as the people of Saul on the day that he met Goliath." The companions of the Prophet of God on the day of Badr were over three hundred and ten men.

According to Musa b. Harun — 'Amr b. Hammad — Asbat — al- Suddi: Saul had over three hundred and ten men, the same number of people as the people of Badr.

According to Al-Hasan b. Yahya — 'Abd al-Razzaq — Ma'mar — Qatadah: There were with the Prophet on the day of Badr over three hundred and ten men.

The Advance of the Muslims to Badr

Resumption of the narrative of Ibn Ishaq. 77

When several days of Ramadan had passed, the Messenger of God went out at the head of his companions, putting Qays b. Abl Sa'sa'ah, the brother of the Banu Mazin b. al-Najjar, in charge of the rearguard. He himself went ahead, and when he was near al- Safra’ he sent Basbas b. 'Amr al-Juhani — the confederate of the Banu Sa'idah (of the Ansar) — and 'Adi b. Abi al-Zaghba’ al-Juhani — the confederate of the Banu al-Najjar (of the Ansar) — to Badr, in order to glean information for him about Abu Sufyan b. Harb and his caravan. Then the Messenger of God, having sent them on in advance, continued his march. When he got to al-Safra’, which is

77- IH, 433f-

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a village between two mountains, he asked the names of its two mountains. They said, "One of them is called Muslih and the other is called Mukhri’." He asked about the people who lived in them, and they said, "The Banu al-Nar and the Banu Huraq, two clans of the Banu Ghifar." The Messenger of God took a dislike to these mountains and to passing between them, regar ding their names and the names of their inhabitants as an evil omen, 7 * so leaving them and al-Safra’ to his left, he went to the right along a valley called Dhafiran. When he had gone part way along it, he came out of it and halted. Here he received news that Quraysh had marched to protect their caravan. The Prophet consulted the people and told them about Quraysh. Abu Bakr stood up and spoke well; then 'Umar b. al-Khattab stood up and spoke well; then al-Miqdad b. 'Amr stood up and said, "O Messenger of God, carry on as God has commanded you, and we, by God, are with you,- we will not say, as the Children of Israel said to Moses, 'Go

thou and thy Lord and fight! We will sit here/ 7 ’ but we will say,

'Go thou and thy Lord and fight! We will fight with thee/ By him who sent you with the truth, if you led us to Bark al-Ghimad M (meaning the town in Abyssinia), we would fight with you

against those who stood in our way until you reached it." The Messenger of God replied, "Well said!" — and prayed for blessings for him.

According to Muhammad b. 'Ubayd al-Muharibi — Isma'il b. Ibrahim Abu Yahya — al-Mukhariq— Tariq — 'Abd Allah b. Mas'ud:

I saw something in al-Miqdad as a result of which I would rather be his companion than anything else in the world. He was a man who could read people's faces; when the Messenger of God was angry, his cheeks grew red, and so al-Miqdad came to him when he was in this condition and said, "Rejoice, O Messenger of God!

We will not say to you, as the Children of Israel said to Moses,

'Go then and thy Lord and fight! We will sit here/ but, by him who sent you with the truth, we will be before you and behind

78. Muslih and mukhri ’ both mean "defecating"; nar is "fire" and huraq "burning."

79. Qur.5.24.

80. This is said to be a place five nights' journey beyond Mecca towards the sea,

or a town in the Yemen, or in the furthest part of the region of Hajar (eastern Arabia).

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you, on your right hand and on your left hand, until God gives you victory!"

Resumption of the narrative of Ibn Ishaq. 81

Then the Messenger of God said, "Advise me, people," meaning by this the Ansar, for they were the bulk of his force. The reason for this was that, when they had sworn allegiance to him at al-'Aqabah, 82 they had said, "O Messenger of God, we are exempt from having to protect you until you reach our dwelling-place, but when you reach us, you will be under our protection, and we will protect you as we would our children and our womenfolk." The Messenger of God was afraid that the Ansar might not consider themselves obliged to come to his aid except against those of his enemies who attacked him at Medina, nor might they consider themselves obliged to let him lead them out of their own territory against an enemy.

When the Messenger of God said this, Sa'd b. Mu'adh said to him, "By God, you seem to mean us, O Messenger of God." "Yes," he replied. "We have believed in you and accepted that what you say is true," Sa'd replied, "and we have testified that the message you have brought is the truth, and we have given you our word and covenant to that effect, to heed and to obey; so proceed as you wish, O Messenger of God, and by him who sent you with the truth, if you lead us headlong to that sea and plunge into it, we will plunge into it with you and not a single man will lag behind. We are not unwilling for you to meet the enemy with us tomorrow; we are steadfast in war and true in battle. It may be that God means to show you something through us which will gladden your heart, so lead us with God's blessing."

The Messenger of God was gladdened by Sa'd's reply, and it filled him with vigour. Then he said, "March, with God's blessing, and rejoice, for God has promised me one of the two opposing parties. By God, I seem to be looking at the slaughtered enemy now!"

Then the Messenger of God set out from Dhafiran and went through the mountain passes called al-Asafir. Then he descended

81. IH, 434-8.

82. Cf. IH, 296f.; Watt, Mecca, 144-9.

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from them to a village called al-Dabbah, leavihg al-Hannan (which is a huge sand dune as big as a mountain) to the right.

Then he camped near Badr.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — Muhammad b. Yahya b. Hibban: The Messenger of God and one of his companions rode to an Arab shaykh and asked him what he had heard about Quraysh and about Muhammad and his companions. The shaykh said, "I will not tell you until you tell me which side you are from." The Messenger of God replied, "If you tell us, we will tell you." "The one for the other?" he asked. "Yes," he

said. The shaykh said, "I have heard that Muhammad and his companions set out on such-and-such a date, and if the person who told me was telling the truth, he is today at such-and-such a place — naming the place where the Messenger of God in fact was — and I have heard that Quraysh set out on such-and-such a date, and if the person who told me was telling the truth, they are today at such-and-such a place — naming the place where Quraysh in fact were." When he had finished giving this information, he said, "Which side are you from?" The Messenger of God replied, "We are from water," and then left, while the shaykh was saying, "What do you mean, from water? From the water of Iraq?"

Then the Messenger of God went back to his companions, and the next morning he sent 'Ali b. Abi Talib, al-Zubayr b. al- 'Awwam and Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas and a few of his companions to the water of Badr to reconnoitre it for him, according to Ibn Hu- mayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — Yazid b. Ruman — 'Urwah b. al-Zubayr. They came across a party of water-carriers from Quraysh there, including Aslam, a slave of the Banu al- Hajjaj, and ’Arid Abu Yasar, a slave of the Banu al-'As b. Sa'id, and took them to the Messenger of God. The Messenger of God was standing praying, so the companions questioned the slaves. They said, "We are water-carriers of Quraysh, who have sent us to get water for them from the water." This was unwelcome news to the companions, as they had hoped that the slaves belonged to Abu Sufyan; so they beat them, and when they had weakened them the slaves said, "We belong to Abu Sufyan," and were left alone.

The Messenger of God bowed and prostrated himself twice,

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then greeted the companions and said, "When the slaves tell you the truth you beat them, and when they lie to you you leave them alone. By God, they are telling the truth, they belong to Quraysh. Tell me, where are Quraysh?" They replied, "They are behind that sand dune which you can see on the far bank." (The sand dune was al-'Aqanqal.) The Messenger of God said to them, "How many men are there?" They replied, "A lot." He said, "How many?" "We do not know," they replied. "How many camels do they slaughter every day?" he asked. "Nine or ten a day," they replied. The Messenger of God said, "They are between nine hundred and a thousand." Then the Messenger of God said to them, "Which of the nobles of Quraysh are among them?" They replied, "'Utbah b. Rabi'ah, Shaybah b. Rabi'ah, Abu al-Bakhtarx b. Hisham, Hakim b. Hizam, Nawfal b. Khuwaylid, al-Harith b. 'Amir b. Nawfal, Tu'aymah b. 'Adi b. Nawfal, al-Nadr b. al-Harith b. Kaladah, Zam'ah b. al-Aswad, Abu Jahl b. Hisham, Umayyah b.

Khalaf, Nubayh and Munabbih the sons of al-Hajjaj, Suhayl b. 'Amr, and 'Amr b. 'Abd Wudd." The Messenger of God turned to the people and said, "Here Mecca has flung its dearest flesh and blood to you!" M Basbas b. 'Amr and 'Adi b. Abi al-Zaghba’ had gone ahead and stopped at Badr. They halted their camels by a hillock near the water and took an old water-skin to fetch water. Majdi b. 'Amr al-Juhani was at the water, and 'Adi and Basbas heard two slave

girls belonging to the settled inhabitants discussing a debt at the water. The first said to the second, "The caravan will come tomorrow or the day after. I will work for them, and then I will pay you what I owe." Majdi said, "That's right," and then separated them. 'Adi and Basbas heard this, mounted their camels and left. They came to the Messenger of God and told him what they had heard.

Abu Sufyan Takes Evasive Action

Abu Sufyan came in advance of the caravan as a precaution and arrived at the water. He said to Majdi b. 'Amr, "Have you noticed

                      

83. The list includes most of the leading men of Mecca apart from the older gen-

eration. For details see Watt, Mecca, Medina, index.

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anyone?" He replied, "I have not seen anyone I do not know, except that I saw two riders who halted their camels by that hillock, filled their water-skin with water, and left." Abu Sufyan went to the place where they had halted their camels, picked up some of the camels' droppings, and crumbled them,- they contained date stones. "By God," he said, "This is the camel fodder of Yathrib!" M He went back hastily to his companions, turned his caravan away from that road, and took the coastal route, leaving Badr on his left. Then he set off with all speed.

The Advance of Quraysh

Meanwhile Quraysh were advancing. They halted at al-Juhfah, where Juhaym b. al-Sali b. Makhramah b. al-Muttalib b. 'Abd Manaf had a dream. He said, "I was between sleep and wakefulness when I had a dream. I saw a man coming on a horse. Then he stopped, and he had a camel with him. Then he said, "Utbah b. Rabi'ah, Shaybah b. Rabi'ah, Abu al-Hakam b. Hisham, Umayyah b. Khalaf, and so-and-so and so-and-so — enumerating nobles of Quraysh who were killed on that day — have been killed.' Then I saw him stab his camel's chest and send it off into the camp, and there was not a single tent in the camp which it did not sprinkle

with its blood."

Abu Jahl heard of this dream, and said, "This is yet another prophet from the clan of al-Muttalib. He will know tomorrow who is killed, if we meet in battle."

When Abu Sufyan saw that he had assured his caravan's safety, he sent to Quraysh saying, "You only came out to protect your caravan, your men, and your property. God has kept them safe, so go back." But Abu Jahl b. Hisham said, "By God! We will not go back until we have reached Badr — Badr was the location of one of the Arab festivals; every year a market was held there — spent three days there, slaughtered camels, given food to eat and wine to drink, and had our singing girls perform there, so that the Arabs may hear of what we have done and continue to hold us in

84. Since Yathrib (Medina) was an oasis, its camels could be fed on dates. The

two scouts were actually nomads of the tribe of Juhaynah, as was also Abu Suf-

yan's scout, Majdi b. *Amr.

I1306]

{1307!

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awe. Go ahead!" Al*Akhnas b. Shariq b. 'Amr b. Wahb al- Thaqafi/ 5 who was a confederate of the Banu Zuhrah, who were at al-Juhfah, said, "O Banu Zuhrah, God has saved your property and rescued your companion Makhramah b. Nawfal. You only came out to defend him and his property, so let any charge of cowardice rest on my shoulders and go back; for there is no need for you to take the field except in the defence of property. Ignore what this man is saying," meaning Abu Jahl. So they went back, and not one of the clan of Zuhrah took part in the battle, since his word was law among them.

There was not a clan of Quraysh from which some men did not go out (to Badr), except for the Banu 'Adi b. Ka'b, from whom not a single man had gone out. Since the Banu Zuhrah had gone back with al-Akhnas b. Shariq, nobody from those two clans was present at Badr. The rest went on.

Words were exchanged between Talib b. Abi Talib, 84 who was with the army, and some of Quraysh, who said, "By God, Banu Hashim, we know that your sympathies are with Muhammad, even if you have come out with us," and so Talib was among those who returned to Mecca.

According to Abu Ja'far (al-Tabari): As for Ibn al-Kalbi, 87 among the narratives I was told on his authority is the following: Talib b. Abi Talib set out for Badr with the polytheists. He was sent out against his will, and he was not among the captives, nor the dead, and he did not return to his family. He was a poet, and he is the one who said:

O Lord, if Talib goes on an expedition in one of these defiles

Let him be plundered, not the plunderer, conquered not the conqueror.

85. Although he was a confederate belonging to the tribe of Thaqlf in al-Ta’if, he appears to have been the leading man in the clan of Zuhrah in Mecca at this time,he may have been related to them matrilineally. Cf. Watt, Mecca, index.

86. Muhammad's cousin, son of his uncle and guardian Abu Talib, who was now dead.

87. Hisham b. Muhammad, known as Ibn al-Kalbi, was a well-known scholar of pre-Islamic and early Islamic affairs; cf. EP, art. (al-)Kalbi, II.

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Resumption of the narrative of Ibn Ishaq.”

Quraysh went on and halted on the further bank of the wadi behind al-'Aqanqal. The bed of the wadi (which is called Yalyal) lies between Badr and al-'Aqanqal, the sand dune behind which were Quraysh, and the wells at Badr are on the bank of the Yalyal which is nearer to Medina. God had sent rain, and the wadi-bed was soft; the effect of the rainfall as far as the Messenger of God and his companions were concerned was to compact the ground without impeding their movement, but its effect on Quraysh was that they were not able to set off because of it. So the Messenger of God set out to get to the water before them, and when he got to the nearest well of Badr he halted.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — some men of the Banu Salimah: Al-Hubab b. al-Mundhir b. al- famuh 89 said, "O Messenger of God, do you consider that this is a position in which God has placed you, and that it is not for us to move it forward or back, or do you consider that it is a matter of judgement, tactics and stratagem?" He replied, "Certainly not; it is a matter of judgement, tactics and stratagem." Then al-Hubab b. al-Mundhir b. al-Jamuh said, "O Messenger of God, this is not the proper position for you. Arise with your men and go to the nearest well to the enemy. Halt there and then fill in the other wells. Then build a cistern next to it and fill it with water. Then we will fight the enemy and have water to drink while they do not." The Messenger of God said, "You have given judicious advice." Then the Messenger of God and the men who were with him arose and went to the well nearest to the enemy and halted there. Then he gave orders to fill in the other wells, and to build a cistern next to the well at which he had halted. This was filled [with water and then they drew water from it in their drinking vessels.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — 'Abd Allah b. Abi Bakr: Sa'd b. Mu'adh said, "6 Messenger of God, let us build you a shelter of stripped palm branches, in which you

88. IH, 439-41.

89. This man, of the clan of Salimah, appears to have been the leader of the Khazraj at Badr but is not specially prominent in later events.

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can remain, and we will keep your riding-camels ready by you. Then we will meet our enemy, and if God gives us strength and grants us victory over our enemy, that will be as we would wish? and if it turns out otherwise, you can mount on your ridingcamels and join those of our people who are left behind us (in Medina), for there remain behind from your expedition, O Prophet of God, many people who love you just as greatly as we do, and would not have remained behind from your expedition if they had thought that you would become involved in fighting. God will defend you by means of them, and they will give you good advice and strive along with you."

The Messenger of God praised him greatly and prayed for God's blessings on him. Then a shelter was built for the Messenger of God and he stayed in it.

At dawn Quraysh had set out and advanced, and when the Messenger of God saw them moving down from al-'Aqanqal, which is the sand dune from which they came, to the wadi, he said, "O God, here come Quraysh in their arrogance and their pride, opposing you and calling your Messenger a liar. O God, give me the aid which you have promised me. O God, destroy them this morning."

When the Messenger of God saw 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah among the  enemy on his red camel he said, "If there is good in any of the enemy, it is in the man on the red camel. If they obey him, they will be rightly guided."

Preparations and Discussions of Quraysh

Khufaf b. Ayma’ b. Rahdah al-Ghifari, or his father Ayma’ b. Rahdah 90 sent his son with a present of some slaughter-camels to Quraysh, as they passed by him, and added, "If you would like me to reinforce you with arms and fighting men, I will do so." They sent a message back to him by his son, saying, "You have discharged the duties of kinship and done what was incumbent upon you. By my life, if we are fighting against men, we are not too

90. The small nomadic tribe of Ghifar was reckoned a part of Bakr b. 'Abd Manat, but some members seem to have been friendly to Quraysh.

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weak to deal with them, and if we are fighting God, as Muhammad claims, nobody has any power against God."

When Quraysh halted, a number of them advanced until they reached the cistern of the Messenger of God; among them was Hakim b. Hizam, riding his horse. The Messenger of God said,

"Let them drink." Every man who drank was killed that day, with the exception of Hakim b. Hizam. He escaped on his horse called al-Wajih, and later became a Muslim, and a very good one.

When he wanted to swear a very forcible oath, he would say, "No, by him who saved me on the day of Badr."

According to Ibn Humayd— Salamah— Muhammad b. Ishaq and Ishaq b. Yasar and other scholars — some shaykhs of the Ansar: When the enemy army had settled down, they sent

'Umayr b. Wahb al-Jumahi, saying, "Estimate Muhammad's numbers for us." So he circled the camp on his horse and then went back to them, saying, "Three hundred men, give or take a

few, but give me a little more time so that I can see if they have any men lying in ambush or any reserves." He then rode about in the wadi for a considerable distance, but he could not see anything. He went back to them and said, "I could not see anything, but I saw, O people of Quraysh, saddlecloths carrying doom, the water-camels of Yathrib carrying certain death. The enemy are people who do not have any safe refuge or retreat except their swords. By God, I do not think a man of them will be killed until he has killed a man of you, and if they kill as many of you as there are of them, what will be the good of life after that? So decide as you think fit."

When Hakim b. Hizam heard that, he went on foot among the {1313] army to TJtbah b. Rabi'ah and said, "Abu al-Walid, today you are a great man of Quraysh, their chief and obeyed among them. Would you like to continue to be remembered by them with gratitude to the end of time?" "How will I achieve that, Hakim?" he asked.

"Take the people back with you," he said, "and take upon yourself the responsibility for the blood of your confederate 'Amr b. al- Hadrami." "I will do so," he replied. "You are my witness in this.

He was my confederate, and it is for me to seek compensation for his killing and for the property of his which was taken. So go to Ibn al-Hanzaliyyah (meaning Abu Jahl b. Hisham), for I do not fear that anyone else will dispute the matter."

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According to Al-Zubayr b. Bakkar — 'Imamah b. 'Amr al-Sahmi — Musawwar b. 'Abd al-Malik al-Yarbu'l — his father — Sa'id b. al- Musayyab: While we were with Marwan b. al-Hakam 91 his chamberlain came in and said, "Abu Khalid Hakim b. Hizam is here." "Admit him," he said. When Hakim b. Hizam came in he said, "Welcome, Abu Khalid! Come close." Then Marwan left his place at the head of the majlis until he was halfway between him and the cushion. Then Marwan welcomed him and said, "Tell us the story of Badr." He said, "We went out and halted at al-Juhfah. Then one of the clans of Quraysh left in their entirety, and not one of their polytheists was present at Badr. Then we went on and halted on the bank which is mentioned by God . 92 1 went to 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah and said, 'Abu al-Walid, would you like to win the honour of this day as long as you live?' 'What must I do?' he asked. 'You want nothing from Muhammad but restitution for the blood of Ibn al-Hadrami' I said, 'for he was your confederate; so take upon yourself the responsibility for his blood-money, and take the people back to Mecca with you.' 'I will do as you say,' he said. 'I will take upon myself the responsibility for his blood-money. Go to Ibn al-Hanzaliyyah (meaning Abu Jahl) and say, "Would you and those with you be prepared to retreat from your cousin today?" '

"So I went to him, and saw him in a group of people in front of him and behind him. Suddenly I beheld Ibn al-Hadrami 93 standing at his head and saying, 'I take the responsibility for avenging me away from the clan of 'Abd Shams and give it to the clan of Makhzum.' So I said to him, "Utbah b. Rabi'ah says to you, "Would you and those with you be prepared to retreat from your cousin today?" ' Abu Jahl said to me, 'Could he find no other emissary but you?' I replied, 'No, and I have no intention of being an emissary for anybody except him.' I went out hastily to 'Utbah (Hakim continued) in order not to miss any of the story. 'Utbah was leaning on Ayma’ b. Rahdah al-Ghifari, who had given ten slaughtercamels to the polytheists, when Abu Jahl appeared with malice

91. A prominent member of the clan of Umayyah, probably governor of Medina at the time of this incident. He became caliph in 64/684 but died about ten months later and was succeeded by his son 'Abd-al-Malik.

92. Qur. 8.42, "when ye were on the near bank (of the valley) "

93. 'Amir b. al-Hadrami, brother of the man killed at Nakhlah.

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all over his face, and said to TJtbah, 'Your lungs are inflated with fear.' 'You will soon find out,' retorted 'Utbah. Abu Jahl drew his sword and slapped his horse's back with it, and Ayma’ b. Rahdah said 'This is an evil omen.' Thereupon the battle began."

Resumption of the narrative of Ibn Ishaq.”

Then 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah rose up to give a speech. "O people of Quraysh," he said, "you will achieve nothing by meeting Muhammad and his companions in battle. By God, if you defeat him you will not be able to look one another in the face without loathing, for you will see someone who has killed the son of your paternal or maternal uncle, or a man from your clan. Go back, and leave Muhammad to the rest of the Arabs. If they kill him, that will be what you want, and if not he will find that you have not done to him what you would have liked to do (and will respect you for it)."

"I left," said Hakim, "to go to Abu Jahl, and I found him preparing his coat of mail which he had removed from its bag. 'Abu al- Hakam,' I said to him, "Utbah has sent me to you to tell you

such-and-such (repeating what he had said).' 'By God!' he replied, 'his lungs were inflated with fear when he saw Muhammad and his companions. No, by God, we will not go back until God gives the decision either for us or for Muhammad and his companions.

What is really troubling 'Utbah is not what he says, but the fact that he sees Muhammad and his companions so few in number that one slaughtered camel would suffice them. His son is among them, and he is afraid of you for his sake.'

"Then he sent to 'Amir b. al-Hadrami and said to him, 'This confederate of yours wants to take the army back at a time when you see your revenge before your eyes; so rise and remind them of your covenant and your brother's murder.' So 'Amir b. al-Hadrami rose and uncovered himself; then he shouted out, 'Alas for 'Amr! Alas for 'Amr!' Then the zeal for battle grew intense, and they were ruined. They agreed upon the evil course on which they were set, and the counsel which 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah had urged upon them was wasted on them.

"When 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah heard that Abu Jahl had said, 'His

94 - IH, 441 - 4 -

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lungs are inflated with fear/ he said, 'That cowardly wretch will find out whose lungs are inflated with fear, mine or his!' Then he asked for a helmet to put on his head, but he could not find a helmet in the army to fit him because his head was so big. When he saw this, he wrapped a striped cloth he had round his head."

The Fighting Begins

In the expedition was al-Aswad b. 'Abd al-Asad al-Makhzumi, who was a quarrelsome and bad-natured man. He now said, "I make a covenant with God that I will drink from their cistern and

will destroy it, or will die in the attempt." When he took the field, Hamzah b. 'Abd al-Muttalib came out to meet him, and in the encounter Hamzah struck him and cut off his foot together

with half his leg before he had reached the cistern. He fell on his back with blood gushing from his leg toward his companions.

Then he crawled toward the cistern and flung himself into it, intending’ 5 to fulfil his oath; but Hamzah followed him and struck him a blow which killed him in the cistern.

After this, 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah took the field, between his brother Shaybah b. Rabi'ah and his son al-Walid b. 'Utbah. When he had drawn clear of the battle line, he issued a challenge to single combat. Three young men of the Ansar came forward to meet him, 'Awf and Mu'awwidh, sons of al-Harith with 'Afra’ for their mother, 96 and another man called 'Abd Allah b. Rawahah. The Meccans said, "Who are you?" and the three young men replied, "A group of the An$ar." "We have no business with you," the Meccans said. Then their herald called out, "Muhammad, send out people of our rank from our tribe!" The Messenger of God said, "Hamzah b. 'Abd al-Muttalib, rise; 'Ubaydah b. al-Harith, rise; 'All b. Abi Talib, rise." When they arose and approached the three Meccans, the latter said, "Who are you?" 'Ubaydah said "'Ubaydah," Hamzah said, "Hamzah," and 'Alt said "All." The Meccans said, "Yes, these are noble equals." 'Ubaydah b.

95. Omitting za'ama.

96. Each of these two (and a third brother) was commonly known as "Ibn ‘Afra’," perhaps a relic of the former matrilineal kinship system. See Watt, Medina, 166, 378, etc.

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Al Harith, who was the oldest of the Muslims, engaged 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah in single combat, Hamzah engaged Shaybah b. Rabi'ah, and 'All engaged al*Walid b. 'Utbah. It was no time before Hamzah had killed Shaybah, and 'All had killed al-Walid. 'Ubaydah and 'Utbah, however, each inflicted a blow upon his adversary which disabled him. Hamzah and 'Ali then turned upon 'Utbah with their swords and finished him off, and lifted up their companion 'Ubaydah and brought him to his companions. His foot had been cut off and the marrow was flowing out. When they brought 'Ubaydah to the Messenger of God he said, "Am I not a martyr, O Messenger of God?" "Yes indeed," Muhammad replied. "If Abu Talib were alive," said 'Ubaydah, "he would know that I am more worthy than he of his line of verse when he

says:

We keep him safe until we are struck down around him, and forget our sons and our wives."

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — 'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatadah: 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah said to the young men of the Ansar when they gave their lineages, "Noble equals!

But we only want men of our own tribe!"

The armies then advanced and drew near to one another. The Messenger of God had ordered his companions not to attack until he gave the command, and he had said, "If they approach you, keep them at a distance from you with a hail of arrows." The Messenger of God remained in the shelter with Abu Bakr.

According to Abu Ja'far (al-Tabari) — Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — Abu Ja'far Muhammad b. 'All b. al- Husayn: The Battle of Badr was on Friday morning, 17 Ramadan

(March 13, 624).

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — Hibban b. Wasi' b. Hibban b. Wasi' — some shaykhs of his people: The Messenger of God straightened the ranks of his companions on the day of Badr with an arrow which he had in his hand.

As he passed by Sawad b. Ghaziyyah, the confederate of the Banu 'Adi b. al-Najjar, who was standing forward from the line in his eagerness to fight, the Messenger of God poked him in the stomach with the arrow and said, "Get into line, Sawad b. Ghaziyya."

"O Messenger of God," he said, "you have hurt me! God has sent

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you with the truth, so allow me to retaliate!" The Messenger of God uncovered his stomach and said, "Take your retaliation!" Sawad embraced him and kissed his stomach. "What induced you to do that, Sawad?" he asked. "O Messenger of God," he replied, "you see the situation we are in. I was not sure that I would not be killed, and I wanted my last recollection of you to be that my skin had touched yours." The Messenger of God prayed for his welfare and encouraged him. After straightening the ranks, the Messenger of God went back to the shelter and entered it. Abu Bakr was there with him but nobody else. The Messenger of God

was calling on his Lord to grant him the aid which he had promised him, saying, among other things, "O God, if this band of people perishes today (meaning the Muslims), you will not be

worshipped after today." Abu Bakr was saying, "O Prophet of God, do not call upon your Lord so much; for God will assuredly fulfil what he has promised you."

According to Muhammad b. 'Ubayd al-Muharibi — 'Abd Allah b. al-Mubarak — 'Ikrimah b. 'Ammar — Simak al-Hanafl — Ibn 'Abbas — 'Umar b. al-Khattab: When it was the day of Badr, and the Messenger of God looked at the polytheists and their number, and then looked at his companions, who were something over three hundred, he turned toward the Qiblah and began to pray, saying, "O God, fulfil what you have promised me. O God, if this band of Muslims perishes, you will not be worshipped on the earth." He continued to say this until his cloak fell off. Abu Bakr picked it up and put it back on him, then grasped him from behind and said, "O Prophet of God, whom I value more than my father and mother, this is enough of calling upon your Lord. He will assuredly fulfil what he has promised you." Then God revealed, "When ye sought help of your Lord and he answered you (saying): I will help you with a thousand of the angels, rank on rank." 97

According to Ibn Waki' — al-Thaqafi (meaning 'Abd al-Wahhab) — Khalid — 'Ikrimah — Ibn 'Abbas: The prophet said when he was in his awning on the day of Badr, "O God, I ask you to keep your contract and your promise. O God, if you so wish, you will not be worshipped after today." Abu Bakr took his hand and said, "This is enough, O Prophet of God. You have tired your Lord with your

97. Qur. 8.9.

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importuning." He was in his coat of mail, and he went out saying, "The hosts will all be routed and will turn and flee. Nay, but the Hour (of doom) is their appointed tryst, and the Hour will be more wretched and more bitter (than this earthly failure). " 9 *

Resumption of the narrative of Ibn Ishaq. 99

The Messenger of God slept a light sleep in the shelter for a while; then he awoke and said, "Abu Bakr, God's aid has come to you. Here is Gabriel, taking hold of the reins of his horse and leading it, and there is dust on its front teeth."

Mihja', the mawla of 'Umar b. al-Khattab, was struck by an arrow and killed. He was the first Muslim to be killed. Then Harithah b. Suraqah, one of the Banu 'Adi b. al-Najjar, was struck by an arrow as he was drinking at the cistern and was killed. Then the Messenger of God went out to his men and urged them to battle. He promised every man that he could keep all the booty he took, and then said, "By him in whose hands Muhammad's soul rests, if any man fights them today and is killed, fighting steadfastly and with resignation, going forward and not turning back, then God will cause him to enter Paradise." 'Umayr b. al-Humam, the brother of the Banu Salimah, who was holding some dates in his hand and eating them, said, "Excellent! All that stands between me and entering Paradise is being killed by these people!" Then he threw down the dates, took his sword, and fought the enemy until he was killed, reciting the following lines:

I hasten to God without provision except fear of God

and working for the Hereafter

And patience in God in the struggle, for every other

provision is liable to be exhausted

Except for fear of God, piety and right guidance.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — 'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatadah: 'Awf b. al-Harith, known as Ibn 'Afra’, said, "O Messenger of God, what makes the Lord laugh

98. Qur. 54-45f.

99. IH, 444-64. In this, al-Tabari follows Ibn Ishaq closely, though he has a short passage from another source on p.1328. He has also retained from Ibn Ishaq passages about the capture of al-' Abbas (1340, 1344) which are omitted from Ibn Hisham's recension of Ibn Ishaq in the form in which we have it; see n.6s-

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with joy at his servant?" He replied, "Plunging his hand into the enemy without armour." So he took off a coat of mail he was wearing and threw it away ; then he took his sword and fought the enemy until he was killed.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — Muhammad b. Muslim b. Shihab al-Zuhri — 'Abd Allah b. Tha'labah b. Su'ayr al-'Udhri the confederate of the Banu Zuhrah: When the armies met and drew close to one another, Abu Jahl said, "O God, whichever of us has severed the ties of kinship more, and has committed more unacceptable acts, destroy him today." He was thus asking God to give the victory against himself.

Then the Messenger of God picked up a handful of gravel and faced Quraysh with the words, "May their faces be deformed!" 100 Then he threw it at them, and ordered his companions to attack. A rout followed, in which God killed many chiefs of Quraysh and caused many of their nobles to be taken captive. While the Muslims were taking captives, the Messenger of God was in his shelter. Sa'd b. Mu'adh was standing at the door, girt with his sword, along with a few of the Ansar, guarding the Messenger of God, since they were afraid that the enemy would wheel round and attack him. The Messenger of God, I have been told, saw in the face of Sa'd b. Mu'adh disapproval of what the people were doing, and said, "It seems, Sa'd, that you disapprove of what the people are doing." "Yes, by God, O Messenger of God," he replied. "This was the first defeat inflicted by God on the polytheists, and killing the prisoners would have been more pleasing to me than sparing them."

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — al-' Abbas b. 'Abd Allah b. Ma'bad — a member of his family — Ibn 'Abbas: The Messenger of God said to his companions that day, "I know that some of the Banu Hashim and others have been forced to march against us against their will, having no desire to fight us. Whoever of you meets one of the Banu Hashim, let him not kill him; whoever meets Abu al-Bakhtari b. Hisham b. al- Harith b. Asad, let him not kill him; whoever meets al- 'Abbas b.

100. See 1288 above and n.6o.

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'Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Messenger of God , 101 let him not kill him, for he has been forced to march against us against his will."

Abu Hudhayfah b. 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah 101 said, "Are we to kill our fathers, our sons, our brothers, and our clansmen, and leave al- ’Abbas alone? By God, if I meet him I will hack him with my sword!" These words reached the Messenger of God, and he said to ‘Umar b. al-Khattab, "Abu Hafs, have you heard what Abu Hudhayfah says? He says, 'I will strike the face of the uncle of the Messenger of God with my sword!'" 'Umar said, "O Messenger of God, give me permission and I will cut off his head with my sword. By God, he is a Hypocrite!" In later times 'Umar used to say, "By God, that was the first day on which the Messenger of God addressed me by the name Abu Haf§."

Abu Hudhayfah used to say, "I never felt safe afterwards on account of those words which I spoke that day, and I continued to be afraid because of them, but hoped that martyrdom might expiate them." He was killed as a martyr on the day of al-Yamamah . 103

The Messenger of God forbade the killing of Abu al-Bakhtari because he used to restrain the people from harming the Messenger of God while he was still in Mecca. He himself neither injured him nor caused him any unpleasantness; and he was one of those who were active in cancelling the document 104 which Quraysh drew up against the Banu Hashim and the Banu al-Muttalib.

He was met by al-Mujadhdhar b. Dhiyad al-Balawl, the confederate of the Banu 'Adi of the An§ar. los Al-Mujadhdhar b. Dhiyad said to Abu al-Bakhtari, "The Messenger of God has forbidden us to kill you." Abu al-Bakhtari had a fellow rider with him, who had come with him from Mecca, whose name was Junadah b. Mulayhah bt. Zuhayr b. al-Harith b. Asad. Junadah was a member of the Banu Layth, and Abu al-Bakhtari's full name was al-'As b.

101. See 129^ above and n.65.

102. Abu Hudhayfah was of the clan of r Abd Shams, and his father and several other kinsmen were among those killed at Badr.

103. The fierce battle in 12/633 in which the false prophet Musaylimah was defeated.

104. The so-called "boycott" of the clans of Hashim and al-Mutfalib; cf. Watt, Mecca , 120-2.

105. Of the tribe of Bali; IH, 446, says he was a confederate of the clan of Salim b. e Awf.

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Hisham b. al-Harith b. Asad. He replied, "And my fellow rider?" Al-Mujadhdhar said, "No, by God. We will not spare your fellow rider. The Messenger of God only gave us orders about you." "No, by God," he replied. "Then he and I will die together. The women of Quraysh in Mecca will not relate of me that I abandoned my fellow rider in my greed for life." As he was engaged by al-Mujadhdhar and insisted on fighting, Abu al-Bakhtan recited the following lines of rajaz:

The son of a noble woman will not surrender the man who shares his food

Until he dies or sees his (friend's) way (clear).

In the combat between the two he was killed by al-Mu)adhdhar b. Dhiyad.

Then al-Mujadhdhar b. Dhiyad went to the Messenger of God and said, "By him who sent you with the truth, I tried to make him give himself up so that I could bring him to you, but he insisted on fighting, and I fought him and killed him."

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — Yahya b. 'Abbad b. 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr — his father: also 'Abd Allah b. Abl Bakr and others (than he and Yahya) — 'Abd al- Rahman b. 'Awf: Umayyah b. Khalaf was a friend of mine in Mecca. My name was 'Abd 'Amr, but when I became a Muslim I was called 'Abd al-Rahman.‘“ Umayyah used to meet me when we were in Mecca and would say, '"Abd 'Amr, do you dislike the name your father gave you?" I would reply, "Yes." He would then say, "I do not recognise al-Rahman, so find some name that I can call you by when we meet. You do not answer to your old name, and I will not call you by something I do not recognise." When he called me 'Abd 'Amr, I would refuse to answer him. At length I said to him, "You suggest whatever name you like for our use, Abu 'All." He said, "Well then, you are 'Abd al-Ilah ." 107 1 agreed.

106. Omitting the words wa-nahnu bi-Makkah.

107. The form 'Abd 'Amr, "servant (or slave) or 'Amr," implies that 'Amr was a pagan deity, and for this reason this name and several others were changed by Muhammad. Nothing has been recorded, however, of any such deity; but it might conceivably be a secondary name or epithet of a deity known by some other name. The pagan Umayyah rejects Rahman as a name of the one God. * Abd al-Ilah means "servant of the god," and could be understood as either polytheistic or monotheis- tic. Cf. J. Wellhausen, Reste arabischen Heidentums a , Berlin 1897, 1-9.

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After that when I passed him, he would say "'Abd al-Ilah!" — and I would answer him and talk with him. On the day of Badr I passed him as he was standing with his son 'All b. Umayyah, holding his hand. I had with me some coats of mail which I had taken as plunder, which I was carrying, and when he saw me he said, "'Abd 'Amr! " — so I did not answer him. Then he said, "'Abd al- Ilah!" — and I said, "Yes." "Would you like to take me (as prisoner)?" he asked. "I will be more use to you than those coats of mail which you are carrying." I said, "Yes! Come here then." I flung away the coats of mail and took his hand and his son 'All's hand while he said, "I have never seen a day like this. Have you no need for milk?" 10 * Then I left, taking the two of them with me.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — 'Abd al-Wahid b. Abi 'Awn — Sa'd b. Ibrahim b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf — his father — 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf: Umayyah b. Khalaf said to me, while I was between him and his son, holding them by the hands, "'Abd al-Ilah, who is that man in your army wearing an ostrich feather on his chest as a mark of identification?" I said, "That is Hamzah b. 'Abd al-Muttalib." He said, "He is the one who wrought such havoc on us." 'Abd al-Rahman continued: And, by God, while I was leading them, Bilal 1 " saw him with me. It was Umayyah who used to torture Bilal in Mecca in

an attempt to make him abandon Islam. He used to take him out to the sun-baked ground of Mecca when it was scorching hot and make him lie down on his back. Then he would order a huge boulder to be placed on his chest, and then he would say, "You will stay like this until you leave the faith of Muhammad." Bilal would say, "God is one, God is one." When he saw Umayyah Bilal said, "The head of disbelief, Umayyah b. Khalaf! May I not be spared, if they are spared!" I said, "Bilal, would you harm my captives?" "May I not be spared, if they are spared!" he replied.

"Do you hear what I am saying, son of the black woman?" I asked. "May I not be spared if they are spared!" he said. Then he shouted at the top of his voice, "O Helpers of God, the head of disbelief, Umayyah b. Khalaf ! May I not be spared if he is spared!"

108. He is referring to the fact that the ransom will be paid in milch-camels.

109. Bilal was an Abyssinian slave, tortured to make him renounce Islam (IH, 205), and ransomed by Abu Bakr. He was the first muezzin.

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People surrounded us and placed us under a kind of restraint, while I was trying to protect Umayyah. One man struck his son, who fell down. Umayyah gave a scream the like of which I have never heard. I said, "Save yourself, for there is no escape (for him). 110 By God, I cannot do anything for you." Then they hacked at them with their swords until they had finished with them. 'Abd al-Rahman used to say, "May God have mercy on Bilal! I lost my coats of mail, and he deprived me of my captives."

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — 'Abd Allah b. Abi Bakr — Ibn 'Abbas — a man from the Banu Ghifar: I and a cousin of mine went and mounted a hill from

which we could overlook Badr (we were polytheists then) to await the outcome of the battle and see who would be defeated, so that we could join in the plundering afterwards. While we were on the hill a cloud approached us. We heard the neighing of horses in it, and I heard a voice saying, "Forward, Hayzum!" 1 " As for my cousin, the covering of his heart split open, and he died on the spot; as for myself, I almost perished, but then pulled myself together."

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — his father Ishaq b. Yasar — some men of the Banu Mazin b. al- Najjar — Abu Da’ud al-Mazini, who was present at Badr: I was pursuing one of the polytheists on the day of Badr in order to strike him, when his head suddenly fell off before my sword touched him. Then I knew that someone other than I had killed him.

According to 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Abd al-Hakam al-Misri — Yahya b. Bukayr — Muhammad b. Yahya al-Iskandarani — al-'Ala’ b. Kathir — Abu Bakr b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. al-

Miswar b. Makhramah — Abu Umamah b. Sahl b. Hunayf: My father said to me, "My son, I saw us Muslims on the day of Badr, and saw that one of us would wave his sword at a polytheist, and the man's head would fall from his body before the sword touched him."

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — al-Hasan b. 'Umarah — al-Hakam b. 'Utaybah — Miqsam the

110. Adding bi-hi with IH.

111. The angel Gabriel's horse; for angelic help cf. Qur. 8.9,12.

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mawla of 'Abd Allah b. al-Harith — 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas: The sign of the angels on the day of Badr was white turbans which trailed down their backs, and on the day of Hunayn it was red turbans.

The angels did not fight on any day except the day of Badr; on the other days they were assistants and helpers, but they struck no blows.