from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rajāʾ, on his authority.

ʿAqīl further related from al-Zuhrī: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Mālik al-Mudlijī told me that his father told him that he heard Surāqah ibn Mālik ibn Juʿshum say:

“Envoys from the unbelievers of Quraysh came to us, declaring that whoever killed or captured the Messenger of Allah ﷺ or Abū Bakr would receive the blood-money for each of them. While I was sitting in the gathering of my clan, the Banū Mudlij, a man from among them approached, stood over us, and said, ‘O Surāqah, a moment ago I saw some dark figures along the coast; I think they are Muhammad and his companions.’

I knew at once that it was they, but I replied, ‘It is not them. You saw So-and-so and So-and-so—they have gone out on some errand.’ I did not remain long in the assembly before I got up, went into my house, and told my slave-girl to bring out my horse and keep it for me behind a knoll at the foot of the hill. I then took my spear, slipped out the back of the house, pressed its iron tip into the ground and lowered the shaft until I reached my horse, mounted, and urged it on until I drew near them. When I was almost upon them, my horse stumbled and I was thrown.

I rose, reached into my quiver, drew out the divination arrows and cast lots to see whether I should harm them or not. The lot I disliked came up: ‘Do not harm them.’ I mounted again, defied the arrows, and urged the horse forward. As I drew still nearer I could hear the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reciting aloud—he never once looked back, whereas Abū Bakr kept glancing behind him. Suddenly the forelegs of my horse sank into the ground up to the knees, and I fell off once more. I struck the horse and it rose, but its legs could hardly free themselves; when it finally stood firm I saw at the spots where its forelegs had sunk a column of dust rising toward the sky like smoke.

I cast the arrows again, and the same unwelcome lot appeared: ‘Do not harm them.’ So I called out to them, offering safety. They halted for me, and I remounted