Ṣuwar min Ḥayāt al-Ṣaḥābiyyāt - Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha - (57)

She said, "I would only sorrow for you if you were to be killed for a false cause."

He replied, "Rest assured that your son has never wilfully committed a sinful deed, never perpetrated an indecency, never tampered with the law of Allah, never betrayed a pledge of safety, never deliberately wronged any Muslim or covenant-protected non-Muslim (1), and nothing has ever been dearer to him (2) than the good pleasure of Allah…

"I do not say this to declare myself pure—Allah knows me better than I know myself—but only to bring comfort (3) to your heart."

She said, "Praise be to Allah who has made you as He loves and as I love…

"Come closer, my son, so that I may breathe your scent and feel your body, for this may be our last meeting."

ʿAbd Allah thereupon bent down over her hands and feet, covering them (4) with kisses, while she moved her nose over his head, face, and neck, smelling him and kissing him

(1) al-mu'ahadat (covenants/treaties): al-dhimmi (the protected non‐Muslim subject). (2) aathara (preferred): afdal (superior). (3) al-'aza (consolation): al-sabr (patience). (4) yuwasi'uhuma li-thaman (it extends them with a kiss): yamla'uhuma taqbeelan (it fills them with respectful kissing).

قالت: إنما أحزن عليك لو قتلت في باطل. قال: كوني على ثقةٍ بأنَّ ابنك لم يتعمَّد إتيان منكرٍ قطُّ، ولا عمل بفاحشةٍ قطُّ، ولم يجر في حكم الله، ولم يغدر في أمان، ولم يتعمَّد ظلم مسلمٍ ولا معاهدٍ (١)، ولم يكن شيء عنده آثر (٢) من رضي الله ﷿ ... لا أقول ذلك تزكيةً لنفسي، فالله أعلم منِّي بي، وإنَّما قلته لأدخل العزاء (٣) علي قلبك. فقالت: الحمد لله الذي جعلك على ما يحبُّ وأحبُّ ... اقترب منِّي يا بنيَّ لأتشمَّم رائحتك وألمس جسدك فقد يكون هذا آخر العهد بك. فأكبَّ عبد الله على يديها ورجليها يوسعهما (٤) لثماً، وأجالت هي أنفها في رأسه ووجهه وعنقه تتشمَّمُه وتُقبِّلُه ...

(١) المعاهد: الذميُّ. (٢) آثر: أفضل. (٣) العزاء: الصَّبر. (٤) يوسعهما لثماً: يملؤهما تقبيلاً.