VOL 7.5

Abu Jahl and Other Meccan Dead

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad (ibn Ishaq) — Thawr b. Zayd the mawla of the Banu al-Dll — 'Ikrimah the mawla of Ibn 'Abbas — Ibn 'Abbas: also 'Abd Allah b. Abi Bakr:

Mu'adh b. 'Amr b. al-Jamuh the brother of the Banu Salimah used to say, "When the Messenger of God had finished with his enemy, he gave orders that Abu Jahl should be searched for among the dead, and said, 'O God, let him not have escaped you!'" The first man who encountered Abu Jahl was Mu'adh b. 'Amr b. al- Jamuh, who said, "Abu Jahl was in a sort of thicket and I heard the people saying, TVe cannot get at Abu al-Hakam.' When I heard this, I made him my mark, and I made my way toward him.

When he was within my reach, I attacked him and struck him a blow which severed his foot and half his leg. By God, when it flew off I could only compare it to a date-stone which flies out of a date-stone crusher when it is struck.

"Then his son 'Ikrimah struck me on the shoulder and struck off my arm, which dangled at my side from a piece of skin. The fighting prevented me from reaching him after that. I fought the

whole day, dragging my arm behind me. When it began to hurt me, I put my foot on it and stood on it until I pulled it off."

Mu'adh survived this wound and lived until the caliphate of 'Uthman b. 'Affan.

Then Mu'awwidh b. 'Afra’ passed by Abu Jahl, who was now crippled, and struck him until he could no longer move, leaving him at his last gasp. Then Mu'awwidh fought until he was killed.

'Abd Allah b. Mas'ud 112 passed by Abu Jahl when the Messenger of God ordered that he should be searched for among the slain; the

112, One of the earliest Muslims and a client of the Meccan clan of Zuhrah; he later became an authority on the Qur'an. Cf. £/*, art. Ibn Mas'ud ((. Vadet).

62

The Foundation of the Community

Messenger of God had said to them, I have been told, "If you can- not identify him among the dead, look for the mark of a wound on his knee, for I jostled against him at a feast given by 'Abd Allah b. Jud'an 113 when we were boys. I was a little thinner than he was, and I pushed him, so that he fell on his knees and got a scratch on one of them, the mark of which never went away." 'Abd Allah b. Mas'ud said, "I found Abu Jahl at his last gasp and recognised

him, and put my foot on his neck. He had grabbed hold of me once at Mecca and had hurt me and punched me. Then I said, 'Has God disgraced you, O enemy of God?' 'In what way has he

disgraced me?' he replied. 'Am I anything more important than a man whom you have killed? Tell me, to whom is the victory?' I said, 'To God and his Messenger.'"

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq: Some men of the Banu Makhzum assert that Ibn Mas'ud used to say, "Abu Jahl said to me, 'You have ascended a difficult ascent, you little shepherd.' Then I cut off his head and brought it to the Messenger of God, and I said, 'O Messenger of God, this is the head of the enemy of God, Abu Jahl.' Then the Messenger of God said, 'Is this so, by God, than whom there is no other deity?' This

was the oath of the Messenger of God. I said, 'Yes, by God, than whom there is no other deity.' Then I threw down his head in front of the Messenger of God. He said, 'Praise be to God!' "

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq and Yazid b. Ruman — 'Urwah b. al-Zubayr — 'A’isha: When the Messenger of God ordered the dead to be thrown into the well, all were thrown into it, except Umayyah b. Khalaf. He had swollen up in his coat of mail and filled it. They went to move him, but he fell apart, so they left him where he was and flung upon him enough earth and stones to cover him. When he threw the dead into the well, the Messenger of God stood over them and said, "O people of the well, have you found what your Lord promised you to be true? For I have found what my lord promised me to be true." His companions said to him, "O Messenger of God, are you speaking to dead people?" He replied, "They know ( laqad ' alimu ) that what I promised them is the truth." 'A’ishah said, "Other

113. A prominent man in Mecca at an earlier period; cf. Watt, Mecca , index.

The Events of the Year 2 63

people report this saying with the words laqad sami'u (they hear), but the Messenger of God said ‘laqad 'alimu.'"

According to Ibn Humdyd— Salamah— Muhammad b. Ishaq — Humayd al-Tawil — Anas b. Malik: The companions of the Messenger of God heard the Messenger of God saying in the

depths of the night, "O people of the well, O 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah, O Shaybah b. Rabi'ah, O Umayyah b. Khalalf, O Abu Jahl b. Hisham — and he enumerated those who were with them in the well — have you found what your Lord promised you to be true? For I have found what my Lord promised me to be true." The Muslims said, "O Messenger of God, are you addressing people who have putrefied?" He replied, "You hear what I say no better than they, but they cannot answer me."

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — certain scholars: The Messenger of God, on the day on which he uttered these words, also said, "O people of the well, you were evil fellow tribesmen to your prophet! You disbelieved me, when other people believed me. You drove me out, when other people gave me shelter. You fought me, when other people came to my aid." Then he added, "Have you found what your Lord promised

you to be true?" . . . and the rest.

When the Messenger of God ordered the dead to be thrown into the well, 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah was taken and dragged to the well. As I have been informed, the Messenger of God looked into the face of his son Abu Hudhayfah b. 'Utbah, which was dejected and altered, and said, "Abu Hudhayfah, perhaps some sadness has entered you on account of your father," or words to that effect. "No, by God, O Messenger of God," he replied. "I had no doubts about my father, nor about his death. But I knew my father to be a judicious, forbearing, and virtuous man, and I used to hope that these qualities would lead him to Islam. When I saw what had happened to him and remembered the state of unbelief in which he died, after the hopes which I had had for him, it saddened me."

The Messenger of God prayed for his welfare and encouraged him.

The Division of the Booty

Then the Messenger of God gave orders concerning the contents of the camp which the people had collected, and it was all brought

64 The Foundation of the Community

together. Among the Muslims, however, there was a difference of opinion concerning it. Those who had collected it said, "It is ours. The Messenger of God promised every man that he could keep the booty he took." Those who were fighting and pursuing the enemy said, "If it had not been for us, you would not have taken it. We distracted the enemy from you so that you could take what you took." Those who were guarding the Messenger of God for fear that the enemy would attack him said, "By God, you have no better right to it than we have. We wanted to kill the enemy when God gave us the opportunity and made them turn their backs, and we wanted to take property when there was no one to protect it; but we were afraid that the enemy might wheel round and attack the Messenger of God, so we remained standing before him; you have no better right to booty than we have."

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — 'Abd al-Rahman b. al-Harith and other companions of ours — Sulayman b. Musa al-Ashdaq — Makhtil — Abu Umamah al-

Bahili: I asked 'Ubadah b. al-Samit about [Surat) al-Anfal ( 8 ). He replied, "It was revealed concerning us, the participants in the battle of Badr, when we disagreed about the booty and became very bad-tempered about it. God removed it from our hands and handed it over to his Messenger, and the Messenger of God divided it equally among the Muslims. In this matter there can be seen fear of God, obedience to his Messenger, and the settling of differences."

The Return of the Muslims to Medina

After the victory, the Messenger of God sent 'Abd Allah b. Rawahah to take the good news that God had given the victory to his Messenger and the Muslims to the people of the upper part (of Medina), and he sent Zayd b. Harithah to the people of the lower part. Usamah b. Zayd said , 114 "The news came to us when we had buried Ruqayyah, the daughter of the Messenger of God, who was married to 'Uthman b. 'Affan. The Messenger of God had left me

to look after her together with 'Uthman. Then Zayd b. Harithah

1 1 4. Usamah, the son of Muhammad's adopted son, Zayd b. Harithah, was pos-

sibly only about eleven at this time.

The Events of the Year i

65

arrived so I went to him. He was standing in al-Musalla sur- rounded by people, and he was saying, "Utbah b. Rabi'ah has been killed, and Shaybah b. Rabi'ah, Abu Jahl b. Hisham, Zam'ah b. al- Aswad, Abu al-Bakhtari b. Hisham, Umayyah b. Khalaf, and Munabbih and Nubayh, the sons of al-Hajjaj.' I said, 'Father, is this true?' 'Yes, by God, my son,' he replied."

Then the Messenger of God came back to Medina, bringing with him the booty which had been taken from the polytheists.

In charge of the booty he put 'Abd Allah b. Ka'b b. Zayd b. 'Awf b. Mabdhul b. 'Amr b. Mazin b. al-Najjar. Then he himself advanced, halting when he had emerged from the defile of al-Safra'

at a sand dune called Sayar between the defile and al-Naziyah beside a scull tree. There he divided equally the booty which God had bestowed upon the Muslims from the polytheists. After water had been brought to him from the spring there called al- Arwaq, he travelled on. When he was at al-Rawha', the Muslims met him, congratulating him and the Muslims with him on the victory which God had given them. *

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — 'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatadah and Yazid b. Ruman: Salamah b. Salamah b. Waqsh said, "What are they congratulating us on? By God, we met nothing but bald old women like hobbled sacrificial camels, so we slaughtered them." The Messenger of God smiled and said, "My nephew, those were the mala'." liS

The polytheist captives were with the Messenger of God, and there were forty-four of them. There was a similar number of dead. 114 Among the captives were 'Uqbah b. Abx Mu'ayt and al- Nadr b. al-Harith b. Kaladah, 117 but when the Messenger of God was at al-Safra' he had al-Nadr b. al-Harith killed by 'Ali b. Abi Talib.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — one of the scholars of the people of Mecca: Then the Messenger of God went on, and when he was at f Irq al-?abyah he killed -

115. The council or senate of Mecca; cf. Watt, Mecca, 8f.

1 16. Ibn Ishaq has lists which give the numbers as $0 dead and 43 prisoners (IH, 5 1 1, 51$); but Ibn Hisham adds further names which bring the totals to 70 dead and 70 prisoners.

1 17. Of the Meccan clan of ‘Abd al-Dar; he had produced Persian stories which he claimed were as good as those in the Qur'an

66

The Foundation of the Community

Uqbah b. Abi Mu'ayt. When the Messenger of God ordered him to be killed, 'Uqbah said, "Who will look after my children, Muhammad?" 'Hellfire," Muhammad replied. He was killed by 'Asim b. Thabit b. Abi al-Aqlah al-Ansari, a member of the Banu 'Amr b. 'Awf. As I was informed by Abu 'Ubaydah b. Muhammad b. ’Ammar b. Yasir, when the Messenger of God reached 'Irq al- Zabyah and killed 'Uqbah b. Abi Mu'ayt, he was met by Abu Hind, the mawla of Farwah b. 'Amr al-Bayadi with a butter-skin full of hays (ground dates mixed with butter). He had stayed away from Badr, but afterwards he was present at all the other battles with the Messenger of God; he was the Messenger of God's cupper. 11 ® The Messenger of God said, "Abu Hind is truly a man of the Ansar, so relate yourselves to him by marriage," and they did so. Then the Messenger of God went on, reaching Medina a day before the captives.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — 'Abd Allah b. Abi Bakr — Yahya b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. As'ad" 9 b. Zurarah: When the captives were brought in, Sawdah bt. Zam'ah, the wife of the Prophet, was with the family of ‘Afra’ participating in their mourning for her sons 'Awf and Mu'awwiah. This was before the veil had been imposed on women. Sawdah used to say, "By God, I was with them when someone came to us and said, 'Here are the captives who have been brought.' I went to my house," she said, "and the Messenger of God was there, and there was Abu Yazid Suhayl b. 'Amr lM at one side of the room with his hands tied to his neck with a rope. By God," she said, "I could not restrain myself, when I saw Abu Yazid like that, from saying, 'Abu Yazid, did you surrender yourself? Why did you not choose an honourable death?' By God, it was only the voice of the Messenger of God coming from the house saying, 'Sawdah, (are you saying) this against God and to his Messenger?' which brought me back to myself. 'O Messenger

118. Cupping as a medical treatment to draw blood was popular with the Arabs.

119. IH, 459, reads As'ad, the well-known brother of Sa'd; but the editor of al- Tabari says that As'ad had no sons.

120. Of the Meccan clan of 'Amir (to which Sawdah belonged), and brother of her former husband. He was prominent in the resistance to Muhammad in the years preceding the conquest of Mecca, but afterwards became a good Muslim; cf. Watt, Medina, index.

The Events of the Year 2

67

of God / 1 said, 'by him who sent you with the truth, when I saw Abu Yazid with his hands tied to his neck with a rope I could not restrain myself from saying what I said/"

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah b. al-Fadl — Muhammad b. Ishaq — Nubayh b. Wahb, the brother of the Banu ‘Abd al-Dar:

When the Messenger of God came with the captives he divided them up among his companions, saying, "Look after the captives well." Abu 'Aziz b. 'Umayr b. Hashim, the brother of Mus'ab b.

'Umayr by his father and his mother, was among the captives.

Abu 'Aziz said, "My brother Mus'ab b. 'Umayr passed by me while a man of the Ansar had me captive, and said, 'Hold on to him tight, for his mother has property and she may ransom him

from you/ I was in a group of the Ansar when they brought me from Badr. When they took their lunch and their supper, they gave me bread in preference to themselves while they ate dates, because the Messenger of God had enjoined them concerning us,

'No crust of bread will fall into the hands of any one of them, but that he will reward me for it/ I would feel ashamed and give it back to one of them, but he would return it to me without touching it."

News of Defeat Reaches Mecca

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq: The first person to reach Mecca with news of the defeat of Quraysh was al-Haysuman b. 'Abd Allah b. Iyas b. Dubay'ah b. Mazin b. Ka'b b. 'Amr al-Khuza'i. (According to Abu Ja'far (al-Tabari), Al- Waqidl says his name was al-Haysuman b. Habis al-Khuza'i.) "What has happened?" they asked. He said, "'Utbah b. Rabi'ah has been killed, and also Shaybah b. Rabi'ah, Abu al-Hakam b. Hisham, Umayyah b. Khalaf, Zam'ah b. al-Aswad, Abu al-Bakhtari b. Hisham, and Nubayh and Munabbih, the sons of al-Hajjaj." When he started to enumerate the nobles of Quraysh, Safwan b. Umayyah, who was sitting in the Hijr, said, "By God, if this man is in his right mind, question him about me." "What happened to §afwan b. Umayyah?" they asked."There he is sitting in the Hijr," he said, "and by God, I saw his father and his brother when they were killed. ”

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq

68

The Foundation of the Community

— Husayn b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Ubayd Allah b. 'Abbas — 'Ikrimah the mawla of Ibn 'Abbas: Abu Rafi', the mawla of the Messenger of God, said, "I was a slave of al-'Abbas b. 'Abd al-Muttalib, and Islam had entered us, the Ahl al-Bayt ("the people of the house," that is, Muhammad's extended family). Umm al-Fadl m became a Muslim, and I became a Muslim. Al-'Abbas was afraid of his people and was unwilling to oppose them, and he concealed the fact that he had become a Muslim. He had much property which was dispersed among his people. Abu Lahab, the enemy of God, had not gone to Badr and had sent in his place al-'As b. Hisham b. Al Mughirah; this is what they did — no man stayed away without sending another man in his place. When the news of the disaster which befell Quraysh at Badr came, God humbled and disgraced Abu Lahab, while we felt strength and might in our souls.

"I was a weak man, and I used to make arrows, which I would smooth in the enclosure of Zamzam. 112 By God, I was sitting there smoothing arrows, and Umm al-Fadl was sitting there with me, both of us overjoyed by the news we had received, when the evildoer Abu Lahab approached, dragging his feet in malice. He sat down by the guy rope of the enclosure, so that his back was to my back. While he was sitting there the people said, 'Here is Abu Sufyan b. al-Harith b. 'Abd al-Muttalib who has just arrived.' Abu Lahab said, 'Come over here, my nephew, for you have news.' He sat down next to him while the others stood around him. Then Abu Lahab said, 'My nephew, tell me, what happened to our people?' 'Nothing, by God,' he replied, 'except that we met them and turned our backs, while they killed us and took us captive as they saw fit. Even so, I swear by God, I do not blame our people. We met white-robed men on piebald horses, between heaven and earth, for which we were no match and which nothing could resist."

"I lifted the guy rope of the enclosure with my hand and said, 'Those were the angels.' Abu Lahab raised his hand and gave me a violent blow on the face. I rushed at him but he picked me up and threw me to the ground and then knelt on me and beat me, for I was a weak man. Umm al-Fadl went to one of the tent poles of

121. The wife of al-'Abbas.

122. A well near the Ka'bah.

The Events of the Year 2

69

the enclosure, picked it up and gave him a blow which split his scalp open and made an unpleasant wound. Then she said, 'You treat him arrogantly when his master is absent!' He got up and turned away humiliated. By Cod, he only lived for seven days before God afflicted him with pustules from which he died. 113 His two sons left him for two or three days without burying him until he began to stink in his house, for Quraysh were as afraid of pustules and their infectiousness as people are afraid of the plague.

Finally, a man of Quraysh said to them, 'Woe to you! Are you not ashamed that your father is stinking in his house and you do not bury him?' 'We are afraid of those ulcers,' they said. 'Go, and 1 will come with you,' he said. They did not wash his corpse except by throwing water over it from a distance without touching it.

Then they lifted it up and buried it in the highest part of Mecca next to a wall, and then threw stones over it until they covered it."

The Treatment of the Captives

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah b. al-Fadl — Muhammad b. Ishaq — al-'Abbas b. 'Abd Allah b. Ma'bad — a member of his family — 'Abd Allah b.'Abbas: On the evening after the day of Badr, when the captives were confined in fetters, the Messenger of God could not sleep in the first part of the night. His companions said, "O Messenger of God, why do you not sleep?" He said, "I can hear al-'Abbas writhing in his fetters." So they went to al-'Abbas and released him from his fetters, and the Messenger of God went to sleep.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah b. al-Fadl — Muhammad b. Ishaq — al-Hasan b. 'Umarah — al-Hakam b. 'Utaybah — Miqsam — Ibn 'Abbas: The man who took al-'Abbas captive was Abu al- Yasar Ka'b b. 'Amr, the brother of the Banu Salimah. Abu al-Yasar was a slightly-built man, and al-'Abbas was a big man, and the Messenger of God said to Abu al-Yasar, "How did you take al- 'Abbas captive, Abu al-Yasar?" "O Messenger of God," he replied, "a man whom I have never seen before or after helped me against

123. From here to the foot of p. 1341 is not in Ibn Hisham's text of Ibn Ishaq, though al-Tabari gives the latter as his source.

70

The Foundation of the Community

him. His appearance was so-and-so." The Messenger of God said, "A noble angel helped you against him."

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah b. al-Fadl — Muhammad b. Ishaq: and Yahya b. f Abbad — his father 'Abbad: Quraysh bewailed their dead, and then said, "Do not act thus, in case Muhammad and his companions get to hear of it and rejoice at your misfortune; and do not send any messages concerning the ransom of your captives, but keep Muhammad and his companions waiting, so that they do not make excessive demands for ransoms."

Al-Aswad b. al-Muttalib had lost three sons, Zam'ah b. al-Aswad, f Aqil b. al-Aswad, and al-Harith b. al-Aswad, and he wanted to weep for them. 124 While he was in this condition, he suddenly heard a woman wailing in the night. He said to his slave, as he himself had lost his sight, "See if wailing has been made lawful and whether Quraysh are weeping for their dead, so that perhaps I can weep for Abu Hakimah (meaning Zam'ah), for my belly is on fire." When the slave came back he said, "It is only a woman weeping for a camel of hers which she has lost." It was on that oc- casion that he composed the following verses:

Does she weep because a camel of hers is lost, and does sleeplessness prevent her from sleeping?

Do not weep for a young camel, but for Badr where our

good fortune deserted us

For Badr and the chiefs of the Banu Husays, and

Makhzum and the clan of Abu al-Walld. 125

And weep, if you must weep, for e AqIl, and weep for

al-Harith, the lion of lions

Weep for them all without tiring, and there is no

equal to Abu Hakimah.

124. Al-Tabari appears to have made a mistake here and to have confused al- Aswad b. f Abd Yaghuth (of the clan of Zuhrah) with al-Aswad b. al-Muttalib (of the clan of Asad). The former had no son called Zam'ah (al-Zubayri, Nasab Quraysh, ed. E. Levi- Provencal, Cairo 1953, 262), but the latter had a son Zam'ah and his kunyah was Abu Zam'ah. Al-Tabari is also mistaken in speaking of al- Harith b. al-Aswad; the man who died was his grandson al-Harith b. Zam'ah b. al- Aswad. Below (1374) one should read Abu Zam'ah al-Aswad, since Zam'ah b. al- Aswad was killed at Badr.

125. Banu Husays means the clans of Sahm and Jumah, Husays being nominally their grandfather. Abu al-Walld is presumably 'Utbah b. Rabi'ah of 'Abd Shams.

The Events of the Year 2

71

Indeed, men have become chiefs after them who would never have become chiefs if not for Badr.

Among the captives was Abu Wada'ah b. Dubayrah al-Sahmi.

The Messenger of God said, "He has a son who is a shrewd merchant with much money. It is as though he had already come to you about his father's ransom." When Quraysh said, "Do not hurry in ransoming your captives, so that Muhammad and his companions do not make excessive demands on you," al-Muttalib b. Ab! Wada'ah, who was the man the Messenger of God meant, said, "You are right! Do not hurry in ransoming your captives." Then he slipped away at night, went to Medina, ransomed his father for four thousand dirhams, and departed with him. After that, Quraysh sent to discuss ransoming the captives. Mikraz b. Hafs b. al-Akhyaf came to ransom Suhayl b. 'Amr, who had been taken captive by Malik b. al-Dukhshum, the brother of the Banu Salim b. 'Awf; Suhayl b. 'Amr had a split lower lip.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — Muhammad b. 'Amr b. 'Ata' b. 'Ayyash b. 'Alqamah, the brother of the Meccan clan of Banu 'Amir b. Lu'ayy: TJmar b. al-Khattab said to the Messenger of God, "O Messenger of God, pull out Suhayl b. 'Aim's two lower front teeth so that his tongue will loll out and he will never be able to stand up and make speeches against you anywhere." The Messenger of God said, "I will not mutilate him, or God will mutilate me even if I am a prophet."

I have heard that the Messenger of God said to 'Umar in this hadith, "Perhaps he will play a role which you will not find blameworthy." When Mikraz bargained with them over his ransom and finally reached an agreement with them, they said, "Give us what is due to us." He replied, "Fetter my foot instead of his and let him go, so that he can send you his ransom." So they

let Suhayl go, and imprisoned Mikraz in his place.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — al-Kalbi — Abu §alih — Ibn 'Abbas: The Messenger of God said to al-'Abbas b. 'Abd al-Muttalib when he reached Medina

with him, "Al-'Abbas, you must ransom yourself, your two nephews, 'Aqil b. Abi Talib and Nawfal b. al-Harith, and your confederate, 'Utbah b. 'Amr b. Jahdam, the brother of the Banu al-Harith b. Fihr, for you are a wealthy man." "O Messenger of God," he

72

The Foundation of the Community

replied, "I was a Muslim, but the people forced me (to fight) against my will." "God knows best concerning your Islam," he said. "If what you say is true, God will reward you for it. As for your external acts, they were against us; so ransom yourself." The Messenger of God had taken twenty ounces ( uqiyyah ) of gold from him after Badr, and al-'Abbas said, "O Messenger of God, credit me with this amount towards my ransom." "No," he said, "that was something which God gave to us from you." "I have no money," al-'Abbas then said. "Well," was the reply, "Where is the money which you deposited with Umm al-Fadl bt. al-Harith in Mecca when you were setting out? You were by yourselves, and you said to her, 'If I am killed on my journey, so much is for al- Fadl, so much is for 'Abd Allah, so much is for Qutham, and so

much is for 'Ubayd Allah'?" "By him who sent you with the Truth," he said, "nobody knows this except myself and her, and I know that you are the Messenger of God." So al-'Abbas ransomed

himself, his two nephews, and his confederate.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah b. al-Fadl — Muhammad (Ibn Ishaq) — 'Abd Allah b. Abi Bakr b. Muhammad b. 'Amr b. Hazm: 'Amr b. Abi Sufyan b. Harb, who was married to the daughter of 'Uqbah b. Abi Mu'ayt, was a captive in the hands of the Messenger of God, one of the captives of Badr. They said to Abu Sufyan, "Ransom 'Amr." "Shall I lose both my blood and my wealth?" he asked. "They have killed Hanzalah and I am to ransom 'Amr? Leave him in their hands and they can hold on to him as long as they like." While he was imprisoned in this way in the custody of the Messenger of God, Sa'd b. al-Nu'man b. Akkal, the brother of the clan of 'Amr b. 'Awf, from the subclan of Mu'awiyah,'“ went to Mecca to perform the 'umrah accompanied by a young wife. He was a very old man, a Muslim, who had flocks in al-Naqi'. From there he went to perform the 'umrah, not fearing what was to befall him and not imagi nin g that he would be held captive in Mecca. He came simply to perform the 'umrah, for Quraysh had undertaken not to interfere in any way with anyone who came to perform the hajj or the 'umrah, apart from helping them. Abu Sufyan wrongfully imprisoned him at Mecca in

126. Cf. genealogical table in Watt, Medina, 154.

The Events of the Year 2

73

exchange for his son 'Amr b. Abl Sufyan. Then Abu Sufyan composed the following lines of verse:

O clan of Ibn Akkal, answer his prayer; may you lose one another! Do not forsake your mature chief.

The Banu 'Amr are base and lowly if they do not remove the fetters from their captive.

The Banu 'Amr b. 'Awf went to the Messenger of God, told him about this, and asked him to give them 'Amr b. Abi Sufyan so that they could obtain the release of their shaykh. The Messenger of God did so, and they sent 'Amr to Abu Sufyan, who allowed Sa'd to go.

The Release of Zaynab's Husband

Among the captives was Abu al-'A? b. al-Rabi' b. 'Abd al-'Uzza b. 'Abd Shams, the son-in-law of the Messenger of God, being the husband of his daughter Zaynab. Abu al-'As was one of the esteemed men of Mecca in respect of wealth, trustworthiness, and commerce. He was the son of Halah bt. Khuwaylid (sister of Muhammad's wife Khadijah) so that Khadijah was his maternal aunt. Khadijah asked the Messenger of God to marry him (to Zaynab) and he did not oppose this; this was before he had received any revelations. He married him (to her) and (Khadijah) used to regard Abu al-'As as her son. When God honoured his Messenger with his Prophethood Khadijah and his daughters believed in him, testified that the message which he brought was the truth, and followed his religion, but Abu al-'As held fast to his polytheism. The Messenger of God had married one of his daughters, either Ruqayyah or Umm Kulthum, to 'Utbah b. Abi Lahab , 127 and when he openly proclaimed the command of God to Quraysh and they shunned it, they said to one another, "You had relieved Muhammad of the worry of providing for his daughters; but now return his daughters to him and let him have responsibility

127. As becomes clear later, this was not an actual marriage but only a betrothal. It is sometimes said that two daughters of Muhammad had been betrothed to two sons of Abu Lahab. It was apparently Ruqayyah who, on being rejected by 'Utbah, was married to 'Uthman.

74

The Foundation of the Community

for them." When they went to Abu al-'As b. al-Rabi' and said to him, "Leave your wife, and we will marry you to any woman you wish from Quraysh," he replied, "By God, I will do no such

thing! I will not leave my wife, and I do not want any woman from Quraysh in exchange for my wife." I have been told that the Messenger of God used to praise him for being a good son-inlaw.

Then they went to the evildoer, the son of the evildoer, 'Utbah b. Abi Lahab, and said to him, "Divorce Muhammad's daughter and we will marry you to any woman you want from Quraysh." He said, "If you will marry me to the daughter of Aban b. Sa'id b. al-'As or the daughter of Sa'id b. al-'As, I will leave her." So they married him to the daughter of Sa'id b. al-'As, and he left Muhammad's daughter. The enemy of God had not yet consummated the marriage, and God rescued Muhammad's daughter from his enemy's clutches, to her honour and his shame. 'Uthman b. 'Affan (the later caliph) succeeded 'Utbah as her husband.

The Messenger of God could not permit or forbid such marriages while in Mecca, since he was not in a position of authority. 118 Although Islam had in a sense separated Zaynab, the daughter of the Messenger of God, from Abu al-'As b. Rabi' when she became a Muslim, the Messenger of God was not able actually to separate them, and she continued to live with him until the Hijrah of the Messenger of God to Medina, despite the fact that she was a Muslim and he a polytheist. When Quraysh marched to Badr, Abu al-'As b. Rabi' marched with them, was taken captive on the day of Badr, and held in custody by the Messenger of God in Medina.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — Yahya b. 'Abbad b. 'Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr — his father, 'Abbad 119 — 'A'ishah the wife of the Messenger of God: When the people of Mecca sent to negotiate about ransoming their captives, Zaynab, the daughter of the Messenger of God, sent money for the ransom of Abu al-'As b. al-Rabi' and included with it a necklace which Khadijah had presented to her when Abu al-'As married her. When the Messenger of God saw it, his heart softened greatly, and he said to the Muslims, "If you see fit to set free

128. The marriage of a Muslim woman to a non-Muslim, whether pagan or from the People of the Book, was later forbidden.

129. Cf. n.16; 'A'ishah was also maternal aunt of 'Abbad.

The Events of the Year 2

75

Zaynab's captive for her and to return her property to her, do so."

They said, "Yes, O Messenger of God," and set Abu al-'As free and returned Zaynab's property. Either the Messenger of God extracted an undertaking from Abu al-'A§, or he promised the Messenger of God that he would let Zaynab go to him, or else this was one of the conditions of his release which was not made public either by him or the Messenger of God so that we might know what it was. Whatever the truth of this, however, after Abu al-'As had been allowed to go and had reached Mecca, the Messenger of God sent Zayd b. Harithah and a man of the Ansar, saying, "Be in the Batn Ya'jaj until Zaynab passes by you, and then accompany her back to me." The two went there, a month or so after Badr. When Abu al-'As reached Mecca, he told Zaynab to go to her father, and she proceeded to get ready to travel.

Zaynab’s Journey to Medina

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — 'Abd Allah b. Abi Bakr b. Muhammad b. 'Amr b. Hazm: I have been told that Zaynab said, "While I was getting ready to travel in Mecca in order to join my father, Hind bt. 'Utbah 130 met me and said, 'Daughter of Muhammad, have I not heard that you wish to join your father?' I said, 'I do not want to do so.' She said, 'Cousin, do not deny it. If you need anything which will make your journey more comfortable or any money to help you reach your father, I have whatever you need, so do not be ashamed to ask; for men's quarrels have nothing to do with the women.' And, by God, I am sure that she meant what she said, but I was afraid of her, and denied that I wanted to go. Nevertheless, I got ready to travel."

When the daughter of the Messenger of God had completed her preparations, her brother-in-law, Kinanah b. al-Rabi', her husband's brother, brought her a camel, which she mounted. Then, taking his bow and quiver, he went out with her in broad daylight

130. Hind was the wife of Abu Sufyan, who was of the same clan as Zaynab's husband, and this may be why Hind was friendly here; but she thirsted for vengeance on Muhammad's uncle Hamzah because he had killed her father and uncle at Badr.

76

The Foundation of the Community

, leading the camel with her in the camel litter. The men of Quraysh discussed this, and went out in pursuit of her, catching up with her at Dhu Tawa. The first men to reach her were Habbar b. al-Aswad b. al-Muttalib b. Asad b. 'Abd al-'Uzza and Nafi' b. 'Abd al-Qays al-Fihri. Habbar threatened her with a spear while she was in the camel litter? it is said that she was pregnant, and that when she went back again to Mecca, she had a miscarriage. After Habbar's threat, her brother-in-law knelt down, spread out the contents of his quiver, and said, "By God, if any man comes near me I will put an arrow into him." At this, they drew back

from him until Abu Sufyan and the main body of Quraysh arrived. Abu Sufyan said, "Man, lower your bow so that we can talk to you." He lowered his bow, and Abu Sufyan came up and stood by him, and said, "You did the wrong thing in taking the woman away in public under everyone's noses. You know the affliction and disaster which have befallen us as a result of Muhammad's actions. If his daughter is taken away from among us publicly, under their noses, people will think that this shows the humiliation which has befallen us as a result of the disaster we suffered, and that it is weakness and feebleness on our part. By my life, we have no need to keep her away from her father, and we have no intention of exacting vengeance in that way. But take the woman back, and when the clamour has died down and people are saying that we have brought her back, slip out secretly with her, and reunite her with her father." Kinanah did so, and when the clamour had died down he took Zaynab out by night and handed her over to Zayd b. Harithah and his companion, and they took her to the

Messenger of God.

The Conversion of Abu al-'As

Abu al-'As remained in Mecca, and Zaynab remained with the Messenger of God in Medina, separated by Islam. Just before the conquest of Mecca, however, Abu al-'As went on a trading expedition to Syria. He was regarded as a trustworthy man, and he had with him, besides his own merchandise, goods belonging to other men of Quraysh which they had entrusted to him to trade with. When he had concluded his business and was on his return journey, he encountered a detachment of the Messenger of God's

The Events of the Year 2

77

men. They seized the goods he had with him, but he himself managed to elude them by flight. After the detachment reached Medina with his property which they had seized, Abu al-'As came under cover of night, entered the house of Zaynab, the daughter of the Messenger of God, and sought her protection, which she gave. He did this, seeking the recovery of his property.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — Yazld b. Ruman: When the Messenger of God came for the morning prayer, he said, "Allah Akbar" and the people responded. Then Zaynab cried out from the women's bench, "O people, I have taken Abu al-'As b. al-Rabf under my protection."

When the Messenger of God had completed his prayer, he turned round to the people and said, "O people, did you hear what I heard?" They said, "Yes." He said, "By him in whose hand

Muhammad's soul rests, I knew nothing of this until I heard the words you heard from Zaynab. It is the case, however, that the humblest of the Muslims has the right to extend protection (to someone) on their behalf ." 131 Then the Messenger of God left and went to visit his daughter, and said, "Look after him well, but do not let him come near you, for you are not lawful for him (as a wife)."

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah— Muhammad b. Ishaq 'Abd Allah b. Abi Bakr: The Messenger of God sent to the detachment who had seized Abu al-‘As's property and said, "You know this man's relationship to us, and you have seized his property. If you would do him a kindness and return his property to him, we would like that, but if you do not wish to, then it is God's booty which he has bestowed upon you, and you have a better right to it." They replied, "O Messenger of God, we will return it to him."

So they returned his property to him; one man even brought rope, another brought old wateskins and leather bottles, and somebody even brought pegs for fastening sacks, until they had returned his property in its entirety, and nothing was missing. Abu al-'As then went to Mecca, and to every member of Quraysh who had entrusted him with merchandise handed over what

131. This is the practice of ijarah, that is, the granting of protection as a "neighbour" (;ar). Muhammad emphasizes that the protection given by Zaynab is to be binding on all Muslims.

[l35ll

78

The Foundation of the Community

belonged to him. Finally, he said, "Men of Quraysh, has any of you property remaining with me which he has not received back?" They said, "No, may God reward you well. We have found you to be faithful to your promise and generous." "Indeed then," he said,

"I testify that there is no deity but God, and that Muhammad is his servant and his Messenger. By God, nothing prevented me from accepting Islam when I was with him except the fear that you might think that I only wanted to help myself to your merchandise. Now that God has delivered it to you and I have no more to do with it, I accept Islam." Then he left Mecca and went to the Messenger of God.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — Da'ud b. al-Husayn — 'Ikrimah the mawla of Ibn 'Abbas — 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas: The Messenger of God returned Zaynab to him on the terms of his previous marriage six years earlier, and did not make any new conditions.

The Conversion of 'Umayr b. Wahb

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah b. al-Fadl — Muhammad b. Ishaq — Muhammad b. Ja'far b. al-Zubayr — 'Urwah b. al- Zubayr: 'Umayr b. Wahb al-Jumahl was sitting in the Hijr with Safwan b. Umayyah, a little after the disaster suffered by Quraysh at Badr. 'Umayr b. Wahb was one of the evil men of Quraysh, those who used to torment the Messenger of God and his companions, and cause them distress so long as they remained in Mecca. His son Wahb b.'Umayr was among the captives of Badr. While 'Umayr was discussing the People of the Well and what had happened to them, Safwan said, "By God, there is nothing good in life after their death." "You are right, by God," replied 'Umayr. "If I did not have a debt which I cannot discharge, and a family who I fear might perish when I am gone, I would ride to Muhammad and kill him. I have cause against his followers, for my son is captive in their hands." Safwan b. Umayyah seized this opportunity and said, "I will accept your debt and will discharge it for you, and I will look after your family in exactly the same way as my own, as long as they live. They will lack nothing that is within my means." "Keep this agreement between us a secret, then," 'Umayr said. "I will do so," Safwan replied.

The Events of the Year 2

79

Then 'Umayr called for his sword, had it sharpened and poisoned, and set out and came to Medina. While 'Umar b. al-Khattab and a number of Muslims were in the Mosque talking about the day of Badr and discussing the way God had honoured them by it, and what he had taught them by the fate of their enemy,

'Umar suddenly noticed 'Umayr b. Wahb making his camel kneel at the door of the Mosque, and girt with his sword. "This is the dog, the enemy of God, 'Umayr b. Wahb," he said. "He has certainly come for some evil purpose. He is the one who set us against one another and estimated our numbers for the enemy on the day of Badr." 'Umar then went in to the Messenger of God and said, "O Messenger of God, here is the enemy of God 'Umayr b.

Wahb, who has come wearing his sword." "Bring him in to me, then," he said. 'Umar went up to him, took hold of the shoulderbelt from which his sword was hanging, and seized him round the neck with it. Then he said to some men of the Ansar who were with him, "Go in to the Messenger of God and sit near him, and watch out for this villain, for he is not to be trusted." 'Umar then took 'Umayr in to the Messenger of God, and when the Messenger of God saw him with 'Umar grasping his sword-belt he said, "Let him go, 'Umar. Approach, 'Umayr." He approached and said, "An'imu sabahan" (good morning). This was the greeting of the people of the Jahiliyyah among themselves. The Messenger of God replied, "God has honoured us with a greeting better than your greeting, 'Umayr, which is " al-salam " (peace), the greeting of the people of Paradise." "By God, Muhammad," he said, "You have not been using this expression for long." "What brings you here, 'Umayr?" he asked. "I have come for this captive who is in your hands," he said, "so treat me well over him." "What is that sword round your neck for?" he asked. "God curse the swords,"

'Umayr said. "Have they been of any use to us?" "Tell me the truth," he replied, "about what you have come for." "I have come for nothing but this," 'Umayr insisted. "No," the Messenger of God replied. "While you and Safwan b. Umayyah were sitting in the Hijr and discussing the People of the Well of Quraysh, you happened to say, 'If it were not for a debt which I owe and for my family, I would go and kill Muhammad.' Safwan then said he would be responsible for your debt and your family on condition that you would kill me for him. God has intervened, however, between

8o

The Foundation of the Community

you and me." Then 'Umayr said, "I testify that you are the Messenger of God. We used to disbelieve the tidings of Heaven which you brought us and the revelations which came down to you. This is a meeting at which only Safwan and I were present. By God, I know that nobody but God can have informed you of it. Praise be to God who has guided me to Islam and led me along this path." Then he pronounced the Shahadah, m and the Messenger of God said to the Muslims present, "Instruct your brother in his faith, teach him to recite and understand the Qur'an, and release his captive for him," and they did so.

Later 'Umayr said, "O Messenger of God, I used to strive to put out the light of God and to persecute those who were in God's religion. I would like you to give me permission to go to Mecca and call the people there to God and to Islam. Perhaps God will guide them rightly; but, if not, I will make difficulties for them in their religion as I used to make difficulties for your companions in theirs."

The Messenger of God gave him permission and he went to Mecca. After 'Umayr b.Wahb had left Mecca, Safwan used to say to Quraysh, "Rejoice, good news will come to you, in a few days from now, of an event which will make you forget what happened at Badr." $afwan used to ask riders about 'Umayr, until one arrived who told him that he had become a Muslim. Safwan swore that he would never again speak to 'Umayr and never again confer any benefit on him. 'Umayr, on arriving in Mecca, remained there calling people to Islam and making great difficulties for those who opposed him,- many people accepted Islam at his hands.

Discussions About the Lawfulness of Taking Captives

When the events of Badr were over, God revealed al-Anfal (Surah 8) in its entirety concerning it.

According to Ahmad b. Mansur — 'Asim b. 'All — 'Ikrimah b. 'Ammar — Abu Zumayl — 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas — 'Umar b. al- Khattab: On the day of Badr, the two armies met, and God de-

132. The shahadah is the profession of faith: "I bear witness there is no deity but God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God." Pronouncing this made a man a Muslim.

The Events of the Year 2

81

feated the polytheists. Seventy of them were killed and seventy were taken captive. On that day the Messenger of God consulted Abu Bakr, 'All and 'Umar. Abu Bakr said, "O Prophet of God, these people are cousins, fellow clansmen and nephews. I think that you should accept ransoms for them so that what we take from them will strengthen us, and perhaps God will guide them aright so that they may be an assistance for us." The Messenger of God said, "What do you think, Ibn al-Khajtab?" I said, "I say no, by God! I am not of the same opinion as Abu Bakr. I think that you should hand so-and-so over to me so that I can cut off his head, and that you should hand Hamzah's brother over to him so that he can cut off his head, and that you should hand over ,'Aqil to 'All (his brother) so that he can cut off his head. Thus God will

know that there is no leniency in our hearts towards the unbelievers. These are their chiefs, their leaders, and their foremost men."

The Messenger of God liked what Abu Bakr said and did not like what I said, and accepted ransoms for the captives. The next day I went to the Prophet in the morning. He was sitting with Abu Bakr, and they were weeping. I said, "O Messenger of God, tell me, what has made you and your companion weep? If I find cause to weep, I will weep with you, and if not, I will pretend to weep because you are weeping." The Messenger of God said, "It is because of the taking of ransoms which has been laid before your companions. It was laid before me that I should punish them, more nearly than this tree (and he pointed to a nearby tree)." God revealed: "It is not for any Prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land ..." to the words, "(Had it not been for an ordinance of Allah which had gone before) ... an awful doom had come upon you on account of what ye took." 133 After that, God made die booty lawful for them. In the following year, at Uhud, they were punished for what they had done. Seventy men of the companions of the Messenger of God were killed, and seventy were taken captive. (Muhammad's) lateral incisor was -

133. Qur. 8.67!. The verses are interpreted to mean that Muhammad should not have taken captives at Badr and that the Muslims should not have been so anxious to gain the ransom money. The next verse, however, says that they may keep and enjoy what they have taken (69).

82

The Foundation of the Community

broken, his helmet was shattered on his head, and the blood flowed over his face; the Prophet's companions fled and took to the mountain. (Then) God revealed: "And was it so, when a disaster smote you, though ye had smitten (them with a disaster) twice (as great), that ye said, How is this? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): It is from yourselves. 'Lo! Allah is able to do all things. ' " lM And this other verse was revealed: "When ye climbed (the hill) and paid no heed to anyone, while the messenger in your rear was calling you (to fight). Therefore, he rewarded you grief for (his) grief that (he might teach) you not to sorrow either for that which

ye missed or for that which befell you Then after grief he sent down security for you." 135

According to Salm b. Junadah — Abu Mu'awiyah — al-A'mash — 'Amr b. Murrah — Abu Ubaydah — 'Abd Allah: When it was the day of Badr and the captives were brought, the Messenger of God asked, "What do you say concerning these captives?" Abu Bakr replied, "O Messenger of God, they are your people and your family. Spare them and give them time. Perhaps God will relent against them." 'Umar said, "O Messenger of God, they have called you a liar and driven you out. Bring them forward and cut off their heads." 'Abd Allah b. Rawahah said, "O Messenger of God, look for a wadi with a lot of firewood in it, put them in it and set fire to it around them." Al-'Abbas said to him, "Your own kin have severed the bonds of kinship."

The Messenger of God was silent and did not answer them. Then he went indoors, and some people said, "He will take Abu Bakr's advice," some said, "He will take 'Umar's advice," and

other people said, "He will take the advice of 'Abd Allah b. Rawahah." When the Messenger of God came out again, he said, "God softens the hearts of men in each, so that they become

softer than milk, and God hardens the hearts of men in each so that they become harder than stones. Abu Bakr, you are like Abraham, who said, 'Whoso followeth me, he verily is of me. And whoso disobeyeth me — Still thou art Forgiving, Merciful.' 136 And Abu Bakr, you are (also) like Jesus, who said, 'If thou punish them, lo! they are thy slaves, and if thou forgive them (lo! they are

134. Qur. 3.165.

135. Qur. 3 .i 53 f.

The Events of the Year 2

83

thy slaves). Lo! Thou, only Thou art the Mighty, the Wise .' 137 You, 'Umar, are like Noah, who said, 'My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers in the land .' 138 And you are like Moses, who said, 'Our Lord! Destroy their riches and harden their hearts so that they believe not till they see the painful doom .'" 139

Then the Messenger of God said, "You today are a single household. Let not one of them escape without paying a ransom or losing his head." 'Abd Allah b. Mas'ud said, "Except for Suhayl b. Bayda', for I heard him professing Islam." The Messenger of God was silent, and I do not think that I have ever been more fearful that stones would fall on me from Heaven than I was that day; but at last the Messenger of God repeated, "Except for Suhayl b. Bayda'." In respect of this matter God revealed, "It is not for any Prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land . . ." to the end of the three verses.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq: When it was revealed, "It is not for any Prophet to have captives . . ." the Messenger of God said, "If punishment were to descend from Heaven, none would escape from it but Sa'd b. Mu'adh, because he said, 'O Prophet of God, extensive killing is dearer to me than sparing men's lives.'"

Abu Ja'far (al-Tabari) says: The total number of the Emigrants who were present at Badr and who were given a share and a reward from it by the Messenger of God was eighty-three, according to Ibn Ishaq (Ibn Humayd — Salamah). The total number of al- Aws who were present and received a share was sixty-one, and the total number of al-Khazraj who were present was one hundred and seventy, according to Ibn Ishaq. The total number of Muslims martyred on that day was fourteen men, six from the Emigrants and eight from the Ansar.

The polytheists, so al-Waqidi asserts, consisted of nine hundred and fifty fighters, and their cavalry consisted of a hundred horse.

On that day the Messenger of God sent back a number of people whom he considered to be too young, according to al-Waqidi.

136. Qur. 14.36.

137. Qur. 5.118.

138. Qur. 71.26.

139. Qur. 10.88.

84 The Foundation of the Community

Among them, he claims, were 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar, Rafi' b. Khadij, al-Bara' b. 'Azib, Zayd b. Thabit, Usayd b. Zuhayr and 'Umayr b. Abi Waqqas. Then he allowed 'Umayr to take part after

sending him back, and he was killed on that day . 140

Before setting out from Medina the Messenger of God had sent Talhah b.'Ubayd Allah and Said b. Zayd b. 'Amr b. Nufayl along the road to Syria to gather information about the caravan. Their return to Medina did not take place until the actual day of the battle of Badr. They met the Messenger of God at Turban, which is the descent from Badr, as he was making for Medina.

Al-Waqidi says : 141 The Messenger of God set out from Medina with three hundred and five men. The Emigrants numbered seventy-four, and the rest were Ansar. Eight (other) men got their rewards and shares; three of the Emigrants, 'Uthman b. 'Affan who stayed behind to look after (his wife) the daughter of the Messenger of God, until she died, together with Talhah b. 'Ubayd Allah and Said b. Zayd, whom he sent to gather information about the caravan; and five of the Ansar, Abu Lubabah Bashir b. 'Abd al-Mundhir, whom he left in charge of Medina, *Asim b. 'Adi b. al-'Ajlan, whom he left in charge of the 'Aliyah, al-Harith b. Hatib, whom he sent back from al-Rawha' to the Banu 'Amr b. 'Awf on account of some news he had about them, al-Harith b. al- Simmah, who broke his leg at al-Rawha' (he belonged to the Banu Malik b. al-Najjar), and Khawwat b. Jubayr, who was from the Banu Amr b. 'Awf, who also broke his leg. There were seventy camels and two horses, one belonging to al-Miqdad b. 'Amr and one to Marthad b. Abi Mart had . 142

According to Abu Ja'far (al-Tabari) — Ibn Sa'd — Muhammad b. 'Umar — Muhammad b. Hilal — his father — Abu Hurayrah: The Messenger of God was seen in pursuit of the polytheists on the day of Badr with drawn sword reciting, "The hosts will all be routed and will turn and flee ." 143 On the Badr expedition, the Messenger of God took his sword Dhu al-Faqar as booty. It had belonged to Munabbih b. al-Hajjaj. On that day he also took Abu

140. W, 21.

141. W, ioi; W. says that *A$im b. 'Adi was left in charge of Quba* and of Ahl al- 'Aliyah, "the people of the upper districts."

142. W, 102.

143. Qur. 55.45.

The Events of the Year 2

85

Jahl's camel as booty. It was a Mahri dromedary on which he used to go on raids and which he used to put to stud with his milch camels.

The Campaign Against the Banu Qaynuqa'

Abu fa'far (al-Tabari) says: The Messenger of God remained in Medina after his return from Badr. When he first came to Medina he had made a compact with its Jews that they would not aid anyone against him and that if any enemy attacked him there they would come to his aid. After the Messenger of God killed many polytheists of Quraysh at Badr, (the Jews) were envious and behaved badly towards him, saying, "Muhammad has not met anyone who is good at fighting. Had he met us, he would have had a battle which would be unlike a battle with anyone else." They also infringed the contract in various ways.

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq: m What happened with regard to the Banu Qaynuqa' was that the Messenger of God assembled them in the Market of the Banu Qaynuqa' and said, "O Jews, beware lest God bring on you the like of the retribution which he brought on Quraysh. Accept Islam, for you know that I am a prophet sent by God. You will find this in your scriptures and in God's covenant with you." They replied, "Muhammad, do you think that we are like your people?

Do not be deluded by the fact that you met a people with no knowledge of war and that you made good use of your opportunity. By God, if you fight us you will know that we are real men!"

According to Ibn Humayd — Salamah — Muhammad b. Ishaq — 'Asim b. 'Umar b.Qatadah: The Banu Qaynuqa' were the first Jews to infringe the agreement between them and the Messenger of God; they took to arms between Badr and Uhud.

According to Al-Harith — Ibn Sa'd — Muhammad b. 'Umar — Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah — al-Zuhri: The campaign of the Messenger of God against the Banu Qaynuqa' was in Shawwal (which began March 27, 624) in the second year of the Hijrah.

144. IH, 545. The Jewish clan had a settlement near the middle of the oasis of Medina; they worked as goldsmiths and armourers but did not engage in agriculture.

86

The Foundation of the Community

According to Al-Zuhri — 'Urwah: Gabriel brought the following verse down to the Messenger of God: "And if thou fearest treachery from any folk, then throw back to them their treaty fairly." 145 When Gabriel had finished delivering this verse, the Messenger of God said, "I fear the Banu Qaynuqa'."

'Urwah says: It was on the basis of this verse that the Messenger of God advanced upon them.

According to Al-Waqidi — Muhammad b. Salih — 'Asim b.'Umar b. Qatadah: The Messenger of God besieged them for fifteen days and prevented any of them from getting out. They then surrendered at the discretion of the Me'senger of God. They were fettered, and he wanted to kill them, but 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy spoke to him on their behalf. 146

Resumption of the narrative of Ibn Ishaq — 'Asim b. 'Umar b.

Qatadah.

The Messenger of God besieged them until they surrendered at his discretion. 'Abd Allah b. Ubayy b. Salul rose up when God had put them in his power, and said, "Muhammad, treat my mawali well"; for they were the confederates of al-Khazraj. The Prophet delayed his answer, so 'Abd Allah repeated, "Muhammad, treat my mawali well." The Prophet turned away from him, and he put his hand into (the Messenger's) collar. The Messenger of God said, "Let me go!" — he was so angry that they could see shadows in his face (that is, his face coloured). Then he said, "Damn you, let me go!" He replied, "No, by God, I will not let you go until you treat my mawali well. Four hundred men without armour and three hundred with coats of mail, who defended me from the Arab and the non- Arab alike, and you would mow them down in a single morning? By God, I do not feel safe and am afraid of what the future may have in store." So the Messenger of God said, "They are yours."

According to Abu Ja'far (al-Tabari) — Muhammad b. 'Umar — Muhammad b. Salih — 'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatadah: The Prophet said, "Let them go; may God curse them, and may he curse ('Abd Allah b. Ubayy) with them." So the Muslims let them go. Then

145. Qur. 8.58.

146. W, 177, summarized.

The Events of the Year a

87

the Messenger gave orders to expel them, and God gave their property as booty to his Messenger and the Muslims. The Banu Qaynuqa' did not have any land, as they were goldsmiths. The Messenger of God took many weapons belonging to them and the tools of their trade. The person who took charge of their expulsion from Medina along with their children was 'Ubadah b. al- Samit. He accompanied them as far as Dhubab, saying "The most  distant and furthest honour is the furthest." On this occasion the Messenger of God left Abu Lubabah b. 'Abd al-Mundhir in charge of Medina.