Abū ʿUbayd said:

“In the dialect of Banū al-Ḥārith ibn Kaʿb, the terms al-wāqa and walī al-ʿahd both mean the designated successor; they say, ‘When this bishop dies, the other rises to take his place.’

Abū ʿUbayd also said:

Abū Ayyūb reported—and ʿĪsā ibn Yūnus related it to me from ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Ḥumayd, from Abū al-Malīḥ, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him—words to that same effect, and he added:

‘When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, passed away, they came to Abū Bakr, who confirmed the covenant for them and wrote them a document similar to the one issued by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Later, when ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him, assumed the caliphate, they engaged in ribā (usury) during his time, so ʿUmar expelled them and wrote to them:

“Henceforth, whichever governor of al-Shām or Iraq you encounter must grant you a tract of land; whatever you cultivate upon it is yours, purely for the sake of Allah and as a recompense for the land you have left behind.”’

He continued, ‘So they went to Iraq and settled in al-Najrāniyya.’

Abū ʿUbayd remarked, ‘It is a village near Kūfa.’

ʿUthmān wrote to al-Walīd ibn ʿUqba:

‘To proceed: indeed, al-ʿĀqib…’