From a radiant light that scatters the pitch-black night—
now visible to every eye from Tihāmah—
that is a Prophet, the lord of humankind,
having come with Islam after ages of disbelief.
The All-Merciful has exalted him above every leader,
a Messenger whose word is nothing but truth.
He is the most equitable judge among all judges;
he commands prayer and fasting,
charity and the maintenance of family ties (1),
and he forbids people all sin—
impurity, idols, and every unlawful thing.
A Hāshimite at the summit of nobility,
he proclaims his call openly in the Sacred Precinct.
He said: When we heard those words we dispersed from the idol, went to the Prophet ﷺ, and embraced Islam.
Al-Kharāʾiṭī said (2): ʿAbd Allāh al-Balawī narrated to us; ʿUmārah narrated to us; ʿAbd Allāh (3) ibn al-ʿAlāʾ narrated to me; Muḥammad ibn ʿAkbar (4) narrated to us, from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, that a man of Banū Tamīm called Rāfiʿ ibn ʿUmayr—renowned as the most reliable guide, the swiftest night-traveler, and the boldest in the face of danger; for these traits the Arabs dubbed him “Daʿmūs al-ʿArab,” for his instinctive guidance, resourcefulness (5), and daring on the road—recounted the beginning of his Islam and said:
“I was journeying across the sands of ʿĀlij (6) one night when drowsiness overcame me. I dismounted, hobbled my mount, rested my head on her foreleg, and lay down.
“Before sleeping I sought refuge, saying, ‘I seek the protection of the mighty master of this valley from the jinn, lest I be harmed or provoked.’ In my dream I saw a young man lying in wait for my she-camel with a spear in his hand, ready to plunge it into her throat. I awoke in fright, looked right and left, but saw nothing.
“I said, ‘Only a dream,’ and lay down again. I beheld the same vision a second time; I awoke, walked around my camel, and saw nothing, though she was trembling. I drifted off once more and saw the same thing; I awoke to find her thrashing. I turned and there stood a young man, exactly as in my dream, holding a spear, while an elderly man had grasped his hand, fending him off and saying:
O Mālik son of Muhalhil son of Dithār,
hold back! My waist-wrap and cloak are yours in ransom! (7)