بَابُ الْقَافِ
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُسْلِمٍ الْكَشِّيُّ، ثنا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ أَبُو عُمَرَ الضَّرِيرُ الْحَوْضِيُّ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَالْفَضْلُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ أَبُو خَلِيفَةَ، قَالَا: ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ سَوَّارِ بْنِ قُدَامَةَ بْنِ عَنَزَةَ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الْمُخَرِّمِيُّ، ثنا عَفَّانُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا الْغَلَابِيُّ، ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ رَجَاءٍ الْغُدَّانِيُّ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ هِشَامِ بْنِ أَبِي الدُّمَيْكِ الْمُسْتَمْلِي، ثنا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَائِشَةَ التَّيْمِيُّ، قَالُوا: ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ حَسَّانٍ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ أَبُو الْجُنَيْدِ، أَخُو بَنِي كَعْبٍ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ حَدَّثَتْنِي جَدَّتَايْ صَفِيَّةُ وَدُحَيْبَةُ ابْنَتَا عُلَيْبَةَ وَكَانَتَا رَبِيبَتَيْ قَيْلَةَ، أَنَّ قَيْلَةَ بِنْتَ مَخْرَمَةَ، حَدَّثَتْهُمَا أَنَّهَا، كَانَتْ تَحْتَ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَزْهَرَ أَخِي بَنِي جَنَابٍ، فَوَلَدَتْ لَهُ النِّسَاءَ ثُمَّ تُوُفِّيَ، فَانْتَزَعَ بَنَاتَهَا مِنْهَا أَثْوَبُ بْنُ أَزْهَرَ عَمُّهُنَّ، فَخَرَجَتْ تَبْتَغِي الصَّحَابَةَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي أَوَّلِ الْإِسْلَامِ، فَبَكَتْ جُوَيْرِيَةُ مِنْهُنَّ حُدَيْبَاءُ، قَدْ كَانَتْ أَخَذْتَهَا الْفِرْصَةُ وَهِيَ أَصْغَرُهُنَّ عَلَيْهَا سُبَيِّجٌ لَهَا مِنْ صُوفٍ، فَرَحِمْتَهَا فَاحْتَمَلَتْهَا مَعَهَا، فَبَيْنَمَا هُمَا تَرْتِكَانِ الْجَمَلَ إِذِ انْتَفَخَتِ الْأَرْنَبُ، فَقَالَتِ الْحُدَيْبَاءُ الْقَصَبَةُ: لَا وَاللهِ لَا يَزَالُ كَعْبُكِ أَعْلَى مِنْ كَعْبِ أَثْوَبَ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَبَدًا، ثُمَّ لَمَّا شَنَّحَ الثَّعْلَبُ، فَسَمَّتْهُ اسْمًا غَيْرَ الثَّعْلَبِ نَسِيَهُ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ حَسَّانٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَتْ فِيهِ مَا قَالَتْ فِي الْأَرْنَبِ، فَبَيْنَمَا هُمَا تَرْتِكَانِ، إِذْ بَرَكَ الْجَمَلُ وَأَخَذَتْهُ رِعْدَةٌ، فَقَالَتِ الْحُدَيْبَاءُ الْقَصَبَةُ: أَدْرَكَتْكِ وَاللهِ أَخْدَةُ أَثْوَبَ فَقُلْتُ: وَاضْطُرِرْتُ إِلَيْهَا: وَيْحَكِ مَا أَصْنَعُ؟ قَالَتْ: قَلِّبِي ثِيَابَكَ ظُهُورَهَا لِبُطُونِهَا وَتَدَحْرَجِي ظَهْرَكَ لِبَطْنَكِ وَقَلِّبِي أَحْلَاسَ جَمَلِكِ، ثُمَّ خَلَعَتْ سَبِيجَهَا، فقَلَّبَتْهُ وَتَدَحْرَجَتْ ظَهْرها لِبَطْنِهَا، فَلَمَّا فَعَلْتُ مَا أَمَرْتَنِي انْتَفَضَ الْجَمَلُ، ثُمَّ قَامَ فَتَفَاجَّ، وَبَالَ فَقَالَتِ الْحُدَيْبَاءُ: أَعِيدِي عَلَيْكِ أَدَاتَكِ فَفَعَلْتُ مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ فَأَعَدْتُهَا، ثُمَّ خَرَجَتَا تَرْتِكُ، فَإِذَا أَثْوَبُ عَلَى إِثْرِنَا بِالسَّيْفِ مُصْلَتًا فَوَأَلْنَا إِلَى حِوَاءٍ ضَخْمٍ، فَدَارَهُ، حَتَّى أُلْقِيَ الْجَمَلُ إِلَى رُوَاقِ الْبَيْتِ الْأَوْسَطِ جَمَلٌ ذَلُولٌ فَاقْتَحَمْتُ دَاخِلَهُ بِالْجَارِيَةِ، فَأَدْرَكَنِي بِالسَّيْفِ فَأَصَابَ ظُبَّتَهُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ قُرُونِ رَأْسِي وَقَالَ: أَلْقِي إِلَيَّ بِنْتَ أَخِي يَا دَفَارُ، فَرَمَيْتُ بِهَا إِلَيْهِ، فَجَعَلَهَا عَلَى مَنْكِبِهِ، فَذَهَبَ بِهَا وَكُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَيْتِ وَمَضَيْتُ إِلَى أُخْتٍ لِي نَاكِحٍ فِي بَنِي شَيْبَانَ أبْتَغِي الصَّحَابَةَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَوَّلَ الْإِسْلَامِ، فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا عِنْدَهَا ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ مِنَ اللَّيَالِي تَحْسَبُ عَيْنِيَ نَائِمَةً جَاءَ زَوْجُهَا مِنَ السَّامِرِ فَقَالَ: وَأَبِيكَ لَقَدْ وَجَدْتُ لِقَيْلَةَ صَاحِبًا صَاحِبَ صِدْقٍ، فَقَالَتْ أُخْتِي: مَنْ هُوَ؟ قَالَ: حُرَيْثُ بْنُ حَسَّانٍ الشَّيْبَانِيُّ عَادَ وَافِدَ بَكْرِ بْنِ وَائِلٍ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ذَا صَبَاحٍ، فَقَالَتْ أُخْتِي: الْوَيْلُ لِي لَا تَسْمَعُ بِهَذَا أُخْتِي، فَتَخْرُجَ مَعَ أَخِي بَكْرِ بْنِ وَائِلٍ بَيْنَ سَمْعِ الْأَرْضِ وَبَصَرِهَا لَيْسَ مَعَهَا مِنْ قَوْمِهَا رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ: لَا تَذْكُرِيهِ لَهَا، فَإِنِّي غَيْرُ ذَاكِرَةٍ لَهَا، فَسَمِعْتُ مَا قَالَا، فَغَدَوْتُ فَشَدَدْتُ عَلَى جَمَلِي، فَوَجَدْتُهُ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ، فَسَأَلْتُهُ الصُّحْبَةَ، فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ، وَكَرَامَةً، وَرِكَابُهُ مُنَاخَةٌ عِنْدِي، فَخَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ صَاحِبَ صِدْقٍ، حَتَّى قَدِمْنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ صَلَاةَ الْغَدَاةِ، وَقَدْ أُقِيمَتْ حِينَ شَقَّ الْفَجْرُ، وَالنُّجُومُ شَابِكَةٌ فِي السَّمَاءِ، وَالرِّجَالُ لَا تَكَادُ تَعَارَفُ مِنْ ظُلْمَةِ اللَّيْلِ فَصَفَفْتُ مَعَ الرِّجَالِ امْرَأَةً حَدِيثَةَ عَهْدٍ بِجَاهِلِيَّةٍ، فَقَالَ لِيَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي يَلِينِي مِنَ الصَّفِّ: امْرَأَةٌ أَنْتِ أَمْ رَجُلٌ؟ فَقُلْتُ: لَا بَلِ امْرَأَةٌ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّكِ قَدْ كِدْتِ تَفْتِنِينِي فَصَلِّي فِي النِّسَاءِ وَإِذَا صَفٌّ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ قَدْ حَدَثَ عِنْدَ الْحُجُرَاتِ لَمْ أَكُنْ رَأَيْتُهُ حِينَ دَخَلْتُ، فَكُنْتُ فِيهِنَّ حَتَّى إِذَا طَلَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ دَنَوْتُ، فَجَعَلْتُ إِذَا رَأَيْتُ رَجُلًا ذَا رِدَاءٍ وَذَا قِشْرٍ طَمَحَ إِلَيْهِ بَصَرِي لَأَرَى رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَوْقَ النَّاسِ حَتَّى جَاءَ رَجُلٌ بَعْدَمَا ارْتَفَعَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَقَالَ: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: وَعَلَيْكَ السَّلَامُ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَعَلَيْهِ أَسْمَالُ مُلَيَّتَيْنِ قد كَانَتَا بِزَعْفَرَانٍ، وَقَدْ نَقَضَتَا وبيده عَسِيبُ نَخْلَةٍ مُقَصَّرٌ مَقْشُوٌّ قَفْرٌ غَيْرُ خُوصَتَيْنِ مِنْ أَعْلَاهُ قَاعِدُ الْقُرْفُصَاءِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمُتَخَشِّعَ فِي الْجِلْسَةِ أُرْعِدْتُ مِنَ الْفَرَقِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ جَلِيسُهُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أُرْعِدَتِ الْمِسْكِينَةُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: وَلَمْ يَنْظُرْ إِلَيَّ وَأَنَا عِنْدَ ظَهْرِهِ: يَا مِسْكِينَةُ عَلَيْكَ السَّكِينَةُ فَلَمَّا قَالَهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَذْهَبَ اللهُ عَنِّي مَا كَانَ دَخَلَ فِي قَلْبِي مِنَ الرُّعْبِ وَتَقَدَّمَ صَاحِبِي أَوَّلَ رَجُلٍ حُرَيْثُ بْنُ حَسَّانٍ، فَبَايَعَهُ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ وَعَلَى قَوْمِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ اكْتُبْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ بِالدَّهْنَاءِ لَا يُجَاوِزُهَا إِلَيْنَا مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا مُسَافِرٌ أَوْ مُجَاوِزٌ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: اكْتُبْ بِالدَّهْنَاءِ يَا غُلَامُ، فَلَمَّا أَمَرَ لَهُ بِهَا شَخَصَ بِي وَهِيَ وَطَنِي وَدَارِي فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، لَمْ يَسْأَلْكَ السَّوِيَّةَ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ إِذْ سَأَلَكَ، إِنَّمَا هَذِهِ الدَّهْنَاءُ عِنْدَكَ مَقِيدُ الْجَمَلِ وَمَرْعَى الْغَنَمِ وَنِسَاءُ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ وَأَبْنَاؤُهَا وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: امْسِكْ يَا غُلَامُ، صَدَقْتِ الْمِسْكِينَةُ، الْمُسْلِمُ أَخُو الْمُسْلِمِ يَسَعُهُمَا الْمَاءُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَيَتَعَاوَنَانِ عَلَى الْقِيَانِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ حُرَيْثٌ قَدْ حِيلَ دُونَ كِتَابِهِ ضَرَبَ بِإِحْدَى يَدَيْهِ عَلَى الْأُخْرَى ثُمَّ قَالَ: كُنْتُ أَنَا وَأَنْتِ كَمَا قَالَ: وَحَتْفَهَا تَحْمِلُ ضَأْنٌ بِأَظْلَافِهَا. فَقَالَتْ: وَاللهِ مَا أَعْلَمُ إِنْ كُنْتُ لَدَلِيلًا فِي الظَّلْمَاءِ لدولا لَدَى الرَّجُلِ عَفِيفًا عَنِ الرَّفِيقَةِ حَتَّى قَدِمْنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَلَكِنْ لَا تَلُمْنِي عَلَى أَنْ أَسْأَلَ حَظِّيَ إِذْ سَأَلْتَ حَظَّكَ، قَالَ: وَمَا حَظُّكِ فِي الدَّهْنَاءِ لَا أَبَا لَكِ؟ قُلْتُ: مَقِيدُ جَمَلِي تَسْأَلُهُ لِجَمَلِ امْرَأَتِكَ، قَالَ: لَا جَرَمَ أَنِّي أُشْهِدُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنِّي لَكِ أَخٌ وَصَاحِبٌ مَا حَيِيتُ إِذَا تَنَيْتَ عَلَيَّ هَذَا عِنْدَهُ، فقلتُ: إِذْ بَدَأْتُهَا فَلَنْ أُضَيِّعَهَا، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَيُلَامُ ابْنُ هَذِهِ أَنْ يَفْصِلَ الْخُطَّةَ وَيَنْصُرَ مَنْ وَرَاءَ الْحُجْرَةِ، فَبَكَيْتُ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ: قَدْ وَاللهِ وَلَدَتْهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ حَرَامًا، فَقَاتَلَ مَعَكَ يَوْمَ الرَّبَذَةِ، ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ يَمِيرُنِي مِنْ خَيْبَرَ، فَأَصَابَتْهُ حُمَّاهَا، فَمَاتَ، فَتَرَكَ عَلَيَّ النِّسَاءَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ لَمْ تَكُونِي مِسْكِينَةً لَجَرَرْنَاكِ عَلَى وَجْهِكِ» أَوْ «لَجُرِرْتِ عَلَى وَجْهِكِ» - شَكَّ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ حَسَّانٍ أَيُّ الْحَرْفَيْنِ حَدَّثَتْهُ الْمَرْأَتَانِ - أَتُغْلَبُ إِحْدَاكُنَّ أَنْ تُصَاحَبَ فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا، فَإِذَا حَالَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ مَنْ هُوَ أَوْلَى بِهِ اسْتَرْجَعَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «رَبِّ آسِنِي مَا أَمْضَيْتُ، فَأَعِنِّي عَلَى مَا أَبْقَيْتُ، فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ إِحْدَاكُنَّ لَتَبْكِي، فَتَسْتَعِينُ لَهَا صُوَيْحِبَةً، فَيَا عِبَادَ اللهِ لَا تُعَذِّبُوا مَوْتَاكُمْ، ثُمَّ كَتَبَ لَهَا فِي قَطِيعَةِ أَدِيمٍ أَحْمَرَ لِقَيْلَةَ وَالنِّسْوَةِ مِنْ بَنَاتِ قَيْلَةَ، أَلَّا يُظْلَمْنَ حَقًّا وَلَا يُكْرَهْنَ عَلَى مَنْكَحٍ وَكُلُّ مُؤْمِنٍ وَمُسْلِمٍ لَهُنَّ نَصِيرٌ، أَحْسِنَّ وَلَا تُسِئْنَ» قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ: فَسَّرَهُ لَنَا ابْنُ عَائِشَةَ، فَقَالَ: الْفِرْصَةُ: ذَاتُ الْحَدَبِ، وَالْفِرْصَةُ: الْقِطْعَةُ مِنَ الْمِسْكِ، وَالْفِرْصَةُ: الدَّوْلَةُ يُقَالُ: انْتَهِزْ فِرْصَتَكَ أَيْ دولتكَ. السَّبِيجُ شَمْلُ كِسَاءٍ. الرَّتْكَانُ ضَرْبٌ مِنَ السَّيْرِ. الِانْتِفَاجُ السَّعْيُ، السَّفَرُ. شَنَّحَ أَيْ وَلَّاكَ مَيَامِنَهُ، وَبَعْضُ الْعَرَبِ يَجْعَلُ مَيَاسِرَهُ وَهُمْ يَتَطَيَّرُونَ بِأَحَدِهِمَا وَيَتَفاءَلُونَ بِالْآخَرِ. تَفَاخَّ تُفْتَحُ. فَوَأَلْنَا لُحْبَانًا إِلَى حِوَاءٍ. دَفَارُ يَا مُنْتِنَةُ، مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُ الْعَرَبِ فِي الدُّنْيَا: أُمُّ دَفْرٍ لِنَتَنِهَا ثُمَّ نَشَدَتْ عَنْهُ اسْتَخْبَرَتْ عَنْهُ الْمَقْشُوُّ الْمَقْشُورُ. الْفُتَّانُ الشَّيَاطِينُ، وَاحِدَتُهَا فَاتِنٌ. حَتْفَهَا تَحْمِلُ ضَأْنٌ بِأَظْلَافِهَا: مَثَلٌ مِنْ أَمْثَالِ الْعَرَبِ فِي شَاةٍ بَحَثَتْ بِأَظْلَافِهَا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَأَظَهْرَتْ مُدْيَةً فَذُبِحَتْ بِهَا فَصَارَتْ مَثَلًا. الْقَضِيَّةُ: انْقَضَاءُ الْأُمُورِ. وَشَخَصَ أَيِ ارْتَفَعَ بَصَرِي. فَكِبْرًا مِنْ إِكْبَارٍ، مَا سَمِعْتُ. آسِنِي أَيِ اجْعَلْ لِي أُسْوَةً بِمَا تُعْطِي بِهِ، قَالَ ابْنُ مُتَمِّمِ بْنُ نُوَيْرَةَ
[البحر الطويل]
فَقُلْتُ لَهَا طُولُ الْأَسَى إِذْ سَأَلْتَنِي ... وَلَوْعَةُ حُزْنٍ تَتْرُكُ الْوَجْهَ أَسْفَعَا
أَسْفَعُ: أَيْ أَسْوَدُ
Abdullah bin Hassan al-Anbari, Abu al-Junayd, the brother of Banu Ka'b al-Anbari (may Allah have mercy on him), said: My two grandmothers, Safiyyah and Duhaybah, the daughters of Ulaybah, who were the stepdaughters of Qaylah, told me that Qaylah bint Makhramah told them that she had been married to Habib bin Azhar, the brother of Banu Janab, and she bore him daughters. Then he died, and his brother Athwab bin Azhar, who was their (the daughters') paternal uncle, took her daughters away from her. So she set out in the early days of Islam seeking to join the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). One of her little girls, Hudayba', began to cry. Some ailment had afflicted her, and she was the youngest of them all, wearing a small woollen garment. She felt pity for her and took her along with her. Then, while the two of them were riding the camel along, a hare suddenly leapt up (in front of them), and Hudayba', who was slender, said: No, by Allah! In this matter your standing will always remain above Athwab's standing. Then, when a fox turned (its side to them), she called it by some name other than fox, which Abdullah bin Hassan forgot, and then she said about it what she had said about the hare. Then, while the two of them were driving (the camel) along, the camel knelt down and was seized by a trembling, and Hudayba' said: By Allah! Athwab's grip has caught up with you. So I said, being forced to turn to her: Woe to you, what shall I do? She said: Turn your clothes inside out, back to front, roll your back over towards your front, and turn over the saddle-cloths of your camel. Then she took off her small garment, turned it inside out, and rolled her back over towards her front. When I had done what she told me, the camel shook itself, then stood up, spread its legs and urinated. Then Hudayba' said: Put your gear back in order, so I did as she told me and put it back in order. Then we both set out, driving (the camel) along, and suddenly Athwab was behind us with a drawn sword. So we took refuge in a large tent and circled around it, until the camel was turned towards the curtain of the middle tent, a docile camel, and I rushed inside it with the girl to take refuge. He reached me with the sword, and its tip touched part of the locks of my head, and he said: Hand over my niece to me, O foul-smelling woman! So I threw her towards him, and he put her on his shoulder and went off with her, and I knew him better than the people of the household did. Then I went to a sister of mine who was married among Banu Shayban, wishing to join the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the early days of Islam. Then one night, while I was with her and she thought my eye was asleep, her husband came back from the night's conversation and said: By your father! I have found a companion for Qaylah, a true companion. My sister said: Who is he? He said: Hurayth bin Hassan al-Shaybani, who returned in the morning to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) leading the delegation of Bakr bin Wa'il. My sister said: Woe to me! My sister must not hear this, or else she will set out with my brother Bakr bin Wa'il, between the hearing and the sight of the earth, without any man of her people with her. He said: Do not tell her about it. (She said:) I am not going to tell her. But I heard everything they said, so in the morning I got up, saddled my camel, and found him (Hurayth) not far off. I asked him for his company, and he said: Yes, and gladly. And his mount was kneeling beside me. So I set out with that true companion, until we came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while he (peace and blessings be upon him) was leading the people in the Fajr prayer. The prayer had been started when the dawn broke, the stars were still interlaced in the sky, and the men could hardly recognise one another because of the darkness of the night. I stood in the row with the men, a woman newly come out of the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance). The man next to me in the row said to me: Are you a woman or a man? I said: No, rather I am a woman. He said: You nearly put me to trial; pray with the women. And there, by the apartments, a row of women had formed which I had not seen when I came in. So I stayed with them until, when the sun rose, I drew near, and whenever I saw a man with a cloak and with hair, my gaze would rise towards him, thinking that perhaps this was the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who would appear above the people. Until, after the sun had risen high, a man came and said: Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah! The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah." He (peace and blessings be upon him) was wearing two old sheets that had once been dyed with saffron and had now faded, and in his (peace and blessings be upon him) hand was a small, peeled, dry palm stalk with only two leaves left at its top, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting on his haunches. When I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sitting in that humble manner, I trembled with fear. A man sitting with him (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Messenger of Allah, this poor woman has started trembling. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), without looking at me, while I was behind his (peace and blessings be upon him) back, said: "O poor woman, may tranquillity be upon you." When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said this, Allah removed from my heart all the fear that had entered it. My companion, Hurayth bin Hassan, was the first to come forward, and he pledged allegiance on Islam for himself and for his people. Then he said: O Messenger of Allah, write (a document) between us and Banu Tamim fixing al-Dahna' as the boundary, so that none of them comes beyond it towards us except a traveller or someone passing through. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O boy, write (the boundary of) al-Dahna'." When he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave this order for him, I was astonished, for it was my homeland and my home, and I said: O Messenger of Allah, when he asked you, he did not ask you for what is fair in the matter. This al-Dahna' is, in your view, merely a place for tethering camels and grazing goats, while the women of Banu Tamim and their sons are beyond it. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Stop, O boy. The poor woman has spoken the truth. The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim; both have an equal right to the water and the trees (of the pasture), and they help one another against the tempters (the devils)." When Hurayth saw that his document had been blocked, he struck one of his hands upon the other and said: You and I have become as it is said: The sheep digs up its own death with its hooves. I said: By Allah! As far as I know, you were (an excellent) guide in the darkness, generous by the mount, and chaste towards your female travelling companion, until we came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); but do not blame me for asking for my share when you asked for your share. He said: What is your share in al-Dahna', may you have no father? I said: The place for tethering my camel, which you are asking for your wife's camel. He said: No harm; I call the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to witness that I am your brother and companion as long as I live, since you have praised me thus before him (peace and blessings be upon him). I said: Since I have begun this, I will not let it go to waste. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Is the son of this (woman) to be blamed for settling the matter and helping the one who is behind the room?" Then I wept, and said: By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I gave birth to him in a haram (that is, in a sacred month), then he fought alongside you on the Day of al-Rabadhah, then he went to bring me provisions from Khaybar, and its fever struck him and he died, and he left women behind him. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By the One in whose hand is my soul, were you not a poor woman, we would have dragged you on your face," or "you would have been dragged on your face" (Abdullah bin Hassan was unsure which of the two wordings the two women had told him), "Is any one of you unable to keep good company with someone in this world, and then, when (death) comes between him and one who is more entitled to him, to say Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (We belong to Allah and to Him we return), and then say: My Lord, grant me consolation for what You have brought to completion, and help me with what You have left remaining? By the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, one of you women will weep, and a female friend will weep too to help her. So, O servants of Allah, do not cause your dead to be punished." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) had it written on a piece of red leather for Qaylah and the women among Qaylah's daughters, that no right of theirs is to be taken from them, nor are they to be compelled into marriage, and every believer and Muslim is their helper; let them (the women) do good and not do evil. Muhammad bin Hisham said: Ibn A'ishah explained it to us; he said: al-firsah means hunchbackedness (dhat al-hadab); al-firsah is also a piece of musk; and al-firsah is also used for (one's) turn of fortune, as it is said: Seize your opportunity, that is, your turn of fortune. Al-sabij is a kind of wrap. Al-ratkan is a particular kind of gait. Al-intifaj means running and travelling. Shannaha means it turned its right side towards you, and some Arabs use it for the left side; they regarded one as an ill omen and the other as a good omen. Tafakhkha means to open. "Fa-wa'alna luhbanan ila hiwa'" means we took refuge. Dafar means O foul-smelling woman; from this the Arabs call the world "Umm Dafr" because of its foulness. Then "nashadat 'anhu" means she made enquiries about him. Al-maqshuw means peeled. Al-futtan means the devils; the singular is fatin. "The sheep carries its death with its hooves" is a well-known Arab proverb about a sheep that dug the ground with its hooves and turned up a knife with which it was slaughtered, so it became a proverb. Al-qadiyyah means the conclusion of affairs. "Wa shakhasa" means my gaze rose. "Fa-kibran" means as a great matter, that is, what I heard. "Asini" means grant me the same consolation that You grant. Ibn Mutammim bin Nuwayrah said (in the tawil metre): "I said to her when she asked me: long grief, and the burning of sorrow, leaves the face darkened." Asfa' means black.