Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth
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2# The <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muhammad</strong><br />
Zayd and Mujammi'. They were also concerned with the mosque <strong>of</strong>al<br />
J;>iriir. Mujammi' was a youth who had collected most <strong>of</strong> the Quran and<br />
he used to lead them in prayer. When the mosque had been destroyed and<br />
certain men <strong>of</strong> B. 'Aror b. 'Auf who used to lead their people in prayer in<br />
their mosque, died, in the time <strong>of</strong> 'Umar, Mujammi' was mentioned to act<br />
as leader but 'Umar would not have it, saying, IvVasn't he the imam <strong>of</strong> the<br />
hypocrit~s in the mosque <strong>of</strong> aI-J:)irar?' He replied: 'By God',I knew nothing<br />
<strong>of</strong> their affairs. But I was a youngster who could reCIte the Quran,<br />
whereas they could not, so they put me forward to lead the prayers. Their<br />
affair seemed to me to accord with the best account they gave.' They allege<br />
that 'Umar let him go and lead the prayers <strong>of</strong> his people. .<br />
Of B. Umayya b. Zayd b. Miilik: Wadi'a b. Thiibit, one <strong>of</strong> the bUilders<br />
<strong>of</strong> the I)irar mosque who said, 'We wefe only talking and jesting.' So<br />
God sent down: 'If you ask them they will say we were only talking and<br />
jesting. Say: Is it about God and His signs and His apostle you were<br />
jesting I' to the end <strong>of</strong> the passage. .<br />
Of B. Ubayd h. Zayd b. Miilik: Khidhiim b. Khiihd, from whose house<br />
the mosque <strong>of</strong> al-I!irar was carved out; and Bighr and Rafi< the two<br />
sons <strong>of</strong> Zayd.<br />
Of B. al-Nablt (298) <strong>of</strong> the clan <strong>of</strong> B. I~iiritha b. al-Hiirith b. al-Kha2raj<br />
b. 'Amr b. Malik b. al-Aus: Mirba' b. Qani who said to the apostle when<br />
he passed through his garden on his way to Ul,Iud: 'I do not allow you<br />
<strong>Muhammad</strong> to pass through my garden even if you are a prophet.' .He<br />
took a handful <strong>of</strong> dirt and said: 'By God, if I did not know that I mIght<br />
throw it on others I would throw this dirt at you.' The people pressed on<br />
him to kill him and the apostle said: 'Let him alone. For this blind man<br />
is blind <strong>of</strong> heart and blind <strong>of</strong> perception'. Sa'd b. Zayd brother <strong>of</strong> B.<br />
'Abdu'I-Ashhal hit him with his bow and wounded him; also his brother<br />
Aus b. Qay?i, who said to the apostle on the day <strong>of</strong> the Trench: :Our<br />
359<br />
houses lie open to the enemy, so glve us leave to go back to them. So<br />
God revealed concerning him: 'They say OUf houses lie open to the enemy.<br />
They are not open; all they want is to run away' (299)·1 . _ .<br />
Of B. Zafar (;:':afar's name was Ka'b b. al-Hanth b. al-Khazra]): Ha\lb b.<br />
Umayya ·h. Rafi'. He was a sturdy old man steeped long in paganism.<br />
A son <strong>of</strong> his was one <strong>of</strong> the best <strong>of</strong> the Muslims, Yazid by name. He was<br />
disabled by wounds received at Ul,Iud and was carried to the house <strong>of</strong> the<br />
B. Zafar.<br />
'Asim b. 'Umar b. Qatada told me that the Muslims there both men and<br />
wom~n gathered to him when he was at the point <strong>of</strong> death and ,:ere sayi~g:<br />
'Rejoice, 0 son <strong>of</strong>J~a\ib, in the thought <strong>of</strong> paradise!'. Then hIS hypocnsy<br />
showed itself, for his father said, 'Humph! By God 1t IS a garden <strong>of</strong> rue.<br />
You have sent this poor fellow to his death by your deception.'<br />
Also IJu,-hayr b. Ubayriq Abu Tu'ma, the 'Stealer <strong>of</strong> the Two Breastplates'<br />
concerning whom God sent down: 'And argue 'not 0)1 behalf <strong>of</strong><br />
I Sura g. 66.<br />
The <strong>Life</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Muhammad</strong> 245<br />
those who deceive themselves. God does not love a sinful deceiver. 'J<br />
Also Quzman, an ally <strong>of</strong> theirs.<br />
The same 'A~im told me that the apostle used to say: 'He belongs to the<br />
people <strong>of</strong> hell.' At Ul,Iud he fought so valiantly that he killed several<br />
polytheists. But they severely wounded him and he was carried to the<br />
quarters <strong>of</strong> the n. ~afar. The l\1uslims said, 'Cheer up, 0 Quzman; you<br />
have done gallantly today and your sufferings have been for God's sake.'<br />
He said: 'Why should I cheer up? I fought only to protect my people.'<br />
And when the pain <strong>of</strong> his wounds became unendurable he toDk an arrow<br />
from his quiver and cut a vein in his hand and thus committed suicide.<br />
Among B. 'Abdu'l-Ashhal no hypocrite male or female was known<br />
except al-J;lal,Il,Iak b. Thabit, one <strong>of</strong> the B. Ka'b <strong>of</strong> the family <strong>of</strong> Sa'd b.<br />
Zayd. He was suspected <strong>of</strong> hypocrisy and love <strong>of</strong> the Jews.<br />
Hassan b. Thabit said <strong>of</strong> him:'<br />
Who will tell al-Dal,Il,Iak that his veins<br />
Were unable to be glorified in Islam)<br />
Do you love the ]C\VS <strong>of</strong> al-J:Iijaz and their religion,<br />
You liver-hearted ass, and not love <strong>Muhammad</strong>?<br />
Their religion \vill never march with ours<br />
As long as men roam the open desert.<br />
I have heard that before his repentance Juliis together with Mu'attib,<br />
Riifi', and Bishr used to make false pr<strong>of</strong>ession <strong>of</strong> Islam.' Some Muslims<br />
asked them to go to the apostle to settle a matter in dispute between them<br />
while they wanted to refer it to the kahins who acted as arbitrators in th~<br />
pagan era. So God sent down concerning them: 'Hast thou considered<br />
those who allege that they believe in what has been sent down to thee<br />
~nd what was sent down before thee who \vish to go to idolatry for arbitration<br />
when they have been commanded to give up belief in it? Satan wishes<br />
to lead them far astrav.'4<br />
Of Khazraj from B. ai-Najjar: Riifi' b. WadI'a, Zayd b. 'Amr, 'Amr<br />
b. Qays, and Qays b. 'Amr b. Sah!.<br />
Of B. Jusham <strong>of</strong> the clan <strong>of</strong> B. Salima: al-Jidd b. Qays who said, '0<br />
<strong>Muhammad</strong>, give me leave (to stay at home) and tempt me not.' So God<br />
sent down concerning him: 'Of them is he who says, Give me leave (to stay<br />
at home) and tempt me not. Surely it is into temptation that they have<br />
fallen and hell encompasses the unbelievers.'s<br />
Of B. 'Auf b. al-Khazraj: 'Abdullah b. Ubayy b. Salli!. He was the<br />
head <strong>of</strong> the hypocrites. They used to gather to him and it was he who said<br />
'If we go back to Medina the stronger will drive 'out the weaker.' Thi~<br />
was during the raid on the B. al-Mu~\aliq and the whole sura <strong>of</strong> the<br />
,. 1 Sura 4. 107. 1.H. has omitted much <strong>of</strong> what Yunus reported from 1.1. See Suhayli,<br />
11. 328 f. . _ . 2 Diu'an, p. 34.<br />
. Read yadda una (agamst both C. and W.) in accord with Slira 67.27; and for the mean·<br />
mg see Lane, 884a and b.<br />
.. Sura 4. 63· 5 Sura 9. 49.