“Meet them at first light, and drink wine in the evening.”
We did meet them, but they routed and overpowered us.
We returned to him and said, “What is the matter with you? What have you done to us?”
We looked at him: his eyes had turned blood-red, his ears were sticking up, and anger had so twisted him that he was almost bursting. He rose to his feet; we mounted our animals and overlooked this failure, and some time passed.
Then he summoned us and said, “Would you like a raid that will grant you honor, provide you safe-keeping, and leave a treasure in your hands?”
We replied, “We are in desperate need of that!”
He said, “Mount!”—so we mounted and asked, “Against whom?”
He answered, “Banū al-Hārith ibn Muslimah.”
Then he said, “Stop.” We halted, and he continued, “Set upon Fahm.”
Then he said, “You have no blood-claim against them; go after Muḍar—they are masters of horses and livestock.”
Then he said, “No, rather the clan of Durayd ibn al-Ṣimmah—few in number and loyal to their covenant.”
Then he said, “No, instead attack Kaʿb ibn Rabīʿah and settle in the estate of ʿĀmir ibn Ṣaʿṣaʿah. Strike them there!”
We confronted them, but they defeated and disgraced us.
We came back and said, “Woe to you! What are you doing to us?”
He replied, “I do not know; the one who used to tell me the truth has lied to me. Confine me in my house for three days, then come to me.”
We did so, and on the third day we opened the door; he was like a glowing ember of fire.
He said, “People of Daws, the heavens have been guarded and the best of the prophets has arisen.”
We asked, “Where?”
He said, “In Mecca. I am about to die. Bury me on the summit of a mountain, for I shall blaze like fire; if you leave me I shall be a disgrace to you. When you see me flaming and blazing, throw at me three stones and with each stone say, ‘In Your Name, O Allah,’ for then I shall settle down and be extinguished.”
He died, and immediately burst into flame. We did as he had commanded: we cast three stones at him, saying with each stone, “In Your Name, O Allah.” The fire subsided and was put out. We remained where we were until the pilgrims arrived and informed us of your mission, O Messenger of Allah. Most extraordinary indeed.
Al-Wāqidī also related—from Ibn Abī Dhīb, from Muslim ibn Jundub, from al-Naḍr ibn Sufyān al-Hudhalī, from his father—who said: “We set out with one of our caravans to Syria. When we were between al-Zarqāʾ and Maʿān, having halted for the night …”