They now sank into a deep, sonorous sleep after a long, exhausting day (1) spent circling their idols and slaughtering animals in their honor… yet the companions of Musʿab ibn ʿUmayr, the Muslims of Yathrib, did not close an eyelid. And how could they? Their hearts pounded with the joy of a meeting for which they had crossed vast deserts (2) and trackless wastes (3), and their very breasts could scarcely contain the yearning to behold their beloved Prophet—may blessings and peace be upon him. Most of them had believed in him before they were privileged to meet him, and had grown attached to him before their eyes were blessed with the sight of him.

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Toward the end of the first watch of the night on the middle Day of Tashrīq,