and urging people to fight the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He was a poet. He then returned home and continued to offend the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with satirical verse and calls to oppose him, and to revile the Muslims until he caused them distress. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Who will deal with Ka‘b ibn al-Ashraf for me? He causes offense to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.’ Muhammad ibn Maslamah said, ‘I will, Messenger of Allah. I will kill him, if Allah wills.’ He said, ‘Then do so, if you are able.’” The accounts of the Prophet’s life relate how he went out to him and contrived to kill him, using words that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had permitted him to say.

In this year, the expedition of Uhud took place, one of the great battles. The account of it and its causes is lengthy. I have already given a brief account in the fourth volume of my commentary on the Jāmi‘ of al-‘Utbiyyah, and have therefore dispensed with recounting it here to avoid undue length.

In this year, the expedition to Hamrā’ al-Asad took place, on the day after the battle of Uhud.

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered the enemy to be pursued. The people went out to a place called Hamrā’ al-Asad, eight miles from Medina. He remained there on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, then returned to Medina. When the enemy learned that he had set out in pursuit of them, their resolve weakened. They had contemplated returning to Medina, but his setting out, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, deterred them, and they continued on to Mecca.

In Ramadan of this year, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, married Zaynab bint Khuzaymah of Banū ‘Āmir ibn Sa‘sa‘ah. She lived with him for two or three months.

In Sha‘bān of this year, he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, married Hafsah bint ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both.

In this year, ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān, may Allah be pleased with him, married Umm Kulthūm, the daughter of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

In this year, al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib was born in the middle of Ramadan.

In this year, Fātimah conceived al-Husayn. There was only a single period of purity between him and al-Hasan; it is also said that the interval was fifty nights. Allah Most High knows best.