1287 – Al-Firyābī informed us, saying: al-Hasan ibn al-Sabbāh narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Kathīr narrated to us, from Maʿmar, from al-Zuhrī, from ʿUrwah, from Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her—who said:

“As long as I can remember, my parents always practiced this religion. Not a day passed without the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—visiting us at both ends of the day, morning and evening. When the Muslims were subjected to persecution, Abū Bakr set out as an emigrant toward the land of Abyssinia. When he reached Barak al-Ghimād, he met Ibn al-Daghinah, the chief of ⦗1825⦘ al-Qārah. He asked, ‘Where are you going, Abū Bakr?’ He replied, ‘My people have driven me out, so I intend to roam the earth and worship my Lord—Glorious is His Majesty.’ He said, ‘You must not leave, nor should a man like you be driven out. You help the destitute earn a livelihood, maintain ties of kinship, bear the burdens of the helpless, honor the guest, and assist those afflicted by hardship in the cause of truth. Return and worship your Lord in your own town, for I grant you my protection.’

“Ibn al-Daghinah then traveled back with Abū Bakr until he came to the disbelievers of Quraysh and said, ‘Abū Bakr must not leave, nor should he be driven out. Would you expel a man who provides people with what they lack, maintains ties of kinship, bears the burdens of the helpless, honors the guest, and assists those afflicted by hardship in the cause of truth?’ Quraysh honored Ibn al-Daghinah’s protection and said, ‘Tell Abū Bakr to worship his Lord in his home, do whatever he wishes there, and recite whatever he wishes there, but he must not make his recitation or prayer public. We fear that he may sway our women and sons.’”

Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her—said: “Ibn al-Daghinah went to Abū Bakr and told him this. Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—continued in that manner for as long as Allah willed, but then he decided otherwise. He built a mosque in the courtyard of his home and would pray there. The women and children of the polytheists would crowd around him, marveling at him and watching him. Abū Bakr—may Allah be pleased with him—was given to weeping and could not restrain his tears when he recited the Quran. This alarmed the disbelievers of Quraysh, so they summoned Ibn al-Daghinah. When he came to them, they said, ‘We accepted Abū Bakr under your protection on condition that he worship his Lord inside his home, but he has gone beyond that: he has built a mosque in the courtyard of his home and recites publicly. We fear that he may sway our women. If he is willing to confine himself to what was agreed, let him do so; but if he refuses, ask him to release you from your pledge of protection. We would hate to violate your protection, but we will not permit Abū Bakr to worship openly.’

“Ibn al-Daghinah went to him and said, ‘Abū Bakr, you know the terms upon which I pledged you my protection. Either confine yourself to them or release me from my pledge, for I do not wish the Arabs to hear that the protection I extended to a man was violated.’ Abū Bakr replied, ‘I release you from your protection and am content with the protection of Allah—Glorious is His Majesty—and His Messenger.’ At that time, the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—was in Mecca.”

1288 – Abū Ahmad Hārūn ibn Yūsuf narrated to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿUmar narrated to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq narrated to us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, from al-Zuhrī, who said: ʿUrwah informed me, from Aisha—may Allah have mercy on her—who said: “As long as I can remember, my parents always practiced this religion.” The rest of the hadith was then related in the same manner, through to its end.