The Arrival of Ṭāriq ibn ʿAbd Allāh (1) and His Companions

Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī (2) narrated—through the route of Abū Janāb (3) al-Kalbī, from Jāmiʿ ibn Shaddād al-Muḥāribī—that a man of my tribe named Ṭāriq ibn ʿAbd Allāh related to me, saying:

“I was standing in the marketplace of Dhū al-Majāz when a man approached wearing a cloak and proclaiming,

‘O people, say: Lā ilāha illā Allāh and you will prosper!’

Another man followed him, pelting him with stones and calling out, ‘O people, he is a liar!’ (4)

I asked, ‘Who is this?’ They replied, ‘A youth of Banū Hāshim who claims that he is the Messenger of Allah.’

I asked, ‘And who is the one treating him like this?’ They said, ‘His uncle ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā.’ (5)

“When people later embraced Islam and migrated, we left al-Rabadhah (6) for Madinah to purchase its dates. When we drew near its walls and palms I said, ‘Let us dismount and change into other clothes.’ Just then a man clad in two worn garments greeted us and asked,

‘From where have you come?’

We replied, ‘From al-Rabadhah.’

He said, ‘And where are you headed?’

We answered, ‘To this city.’

He asked, ‘What do you seek here?’

We said, ‘We wish to buy some of its dates. We have with us a woman traveller and a red camel with a halter.’ (7)

He said, ‘Will you sell me your camel?’

We replied, ‘Yes—for such-and-such a measure of dates.’

“He did not haggle over the amount, but took hold of the camel’s halter and walked off. When he disappeared beyond the city’s walls and palms we said, ‘What have we done? We sold our camel to someone unknown and took no payment!’

“The woman with us said, ‘By Allah, I saw a man whose face looked like one half of the full moon. I guarantee the price of your camel.’

“Soon the man returned and said, ‘I am the messenger of the Messenger of Allah to you. Here are your dates—eat, be satisfied, measure, and take in full.’ We ate until we were full and measured until we had received our due. Then we entered Madinah and went into the mosque, where he was standing on the pulpit addressing the people. We caught part of his sermon as he was saying:

‘Give in charity, for charity is better for you. The upper hand is better than the lower hand—[begin with] your mother and your father, your sister and your brother, and those nearest to you, nearest.’

“Then a man from Banū Yarbuʿ—or, he said, a man from the Anṣār—came forward and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we have blood-claims against these people from the Days of Ignorance.’

“He replied, ‘A father bears no liability for the wrongdoing of his child,’ (8) repeating it three times.

Al-Nasāʾī (9) also transmitted the section on the excellence of charity from him, through Yūsuf ibn ʿĪsā, al-Faḍl ibn Mūsā, and Yazīd ibn