and Abū Dujānah—whose name was Simāk ibn Kharashah—said, “I will, Messenger of Allah! But what is its due?” He replied, “That you never strike a Muslim with it and that you never flee from an unbeliever.”

The Prophet then placed the sword in his hand. Whenever Abū Dujānah meant to fight he would tie a distinctive band around his head, so I said to myself, “I shall watch and see what he does.” Nothing rose up before him but that he split it and cut it down, until he came upon a group of women at the foot of the mountain beating their tambourines. One of them was chanting:

“We are the daughters of Tāriq,
strolling upon embroidered cushions.
If you advance, we shall embrace you;
if you retreat, we shall part from you—
a parting without affection.”