Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (5/307)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

“Which of the believers is the most prudent?”
He replied, “Those who remember death most often and who best prepare for it before it comes upon them; they are the truly prudent.” (1)

The young man then fell silent. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ turned to us and said:

“O company of Emigrants! There are five traits; should you be afflicted with them—and I seek refuge in Allah that you ever live to see them:
• Whenever lewdness becomes widespread among a people to the point that they publicize it, plague and diseases that never befell their forefathers will spread among them;
• Whenever they cheat in measure and weight, they will be seized by drought, high prices, and the tyranny of their rulers;
• Whenever they withhold the zakāt from their wealth, rain will be withheld from the sky, and were it not for the animals they would receive no rain at all;
• Whenever they break Allah’s covenant and the covenant of His Messenger, Allah will empower an enemy from outside their own ranks to take some of what they possess;
• Whenever their leaders fail to judge by the Book of Allah, picking and choosing from what Allah has revealed, Allah will set discord among them.” (4)

He continued: The Prophet then ordered ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf to prepare for the expedition he had appointed him over. The next morning ʿAbd al-Raḥmān appeared wearing a black woollen turban. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ drew him close, untied the turban, then wrapped it around him anew, letting about four fingers’ length hang down his back.

He said, “In this manner, son of ʿAwf, bind your turban; it is neater and more recognizable.” He then instructed Bilāl to hand him the banner, which he did. The Prophet praised Allah and invoked blessings upon himself, then said:

“Take it, son of ʿAwf. March forth all of you in the cause of Allah. Fight those who disbelieve in Allah. Do not embezzle spoils, do not betray, do not mutilate, and do not kill a child. This is Allah’s covenant (7) and the way of His Prophet (8) among you.” ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf thereupon took the banner.

Ibn Hishām adds: He set out toward Dūmat al-Jandal.

The expedition of Abū ʿUbaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ (9) and his companions (10)—about three hundred mounted men—to the seashore likewise took place. The Prophet ﷺ provided them with only a small sack of dates (11). During that expedition occurred the story of the ʿanbar, the enormous fish the sea cast ashore; they all ate from it for nearly a month until they grew stout, and they brought back strips of its flesh as provisions. When they returned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ they offered him some of it, and he ate from it, as related in the aforementioned ḥadīth.

(1) Narrated by Ibn Majah, hadith no. 4259, on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar. Its isnād is weak due to its length; however, its final section, from “the best of them in character” onward, is supported by corroborating reports. (2) Printed edition: “yaghlabū ‘alayhā.” (3) Printed edition: “alladhī.” (4) Narrated by Ibn Majah, hadith no. 4019, on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar; al-Hakīm also reported it (4/540) and authenticated it—a verdict endorsed by al-Dhahabī—although its isnād is only ḥasan (good). Part of it is further corroborated by a report from Buraydah ibn al-Ḥusayb, making it a ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) hadith by its multiple chains and supporting reports. (5) This wording is not found in the printed edition. (6) Karabīs, the plural of kirbās, denotes cotton (al-Nihāyah: kirbās). (7) Autograph: “fa-hādhā ‘ahd Rasūl Allāh ﷺ ” (“This is the covenant of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.”). (8) Printed edition: “nabiyyakum” (your Prophet). (9) al-Sīrah of Ibn Hishām, vol. 2, pp. 632–633. (10) This wording is not found in the printed edition. (11) Printed edition: “wazawwudūhu” (and they supplied it).

المؤمنين أكْيسُ؟ قال: أكْثَرُهُمْ ذِكْرًا للمَوْتِ وأحْسَنُهُم استعدادًا له قبلَ أنْ ينْزِلَ به، أولئك الأكْياس (١) ، ثم سَكَتَ الفَتى. وأقْبَلَ علينا رسولُ اللَّه ﷺ ، فقال: يا مَعْشَرَ المُهاجرين، خمسُ خِصالٍ إذا نَزَلْنَ بكم -وأعوذُ باللَّه أن تُدْرِكوهنَّ- إِنَّه لم تظْهَر الفاحِشَةُ في قَوْمٍ قَطّ حتّى يُعْلنوا بها (٢) إِلَّا ظَهَرَ فيهم الطّاعونُ والأوْجاعُ التي لم تكُنْ في أسْلافِهِم الذين (٣) مَضَوْا، ولم يَنْقُصوا المِكْيالَ والمِيزانَ إِلَّا أُخذوا بالسِّنين وشدَّة المُؤْنَةِ وجَوْرِ السُّلْطان، ولم يَمْنَعوا الزكاةَ من أموال إِلَّا مُنعوا القَطْر من السماء، فلولا البَهائمُ ما مُطروا، وما نقَضَوا عَهْدَ اللَّهِ وعهدَ رسولِهِ إِلَّا سَلَّطَ عليهم عَدُوًّا من غَيْرِهم، فأخذَ بعض ما كان في أيديهم، وما لَمْ يَحْكُمْ أئمتُهُمْ بكتابِ اللَّه ويتَخَيَّروا فيما أنزلَ اللَّهُ إلّا جَعَلَ اللَّه بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُم (٤) . قال: ثم أمر عبدَ الرحمن بن عوفٍ أن يَتَجهَّزَ لسريَّةٍ بعثه (٥) عليها، فأصبحَ وقد اعتمَّ بعمامةٍ من كَرابيس (٦) سَوْداء، فأدْناهُ رسولُ اللَّه ﷺ ، ثم نَقَضَها، ثم عَمَّمه بها، وأرسل منْ خَلْفِهِ أربعَ أصابعَ أو نحوًا من ذلك. ثم قال: هكذا يا بنَ عَوْفٍ فاعْتَمَّ، فإنَّه أحسنُ وأعرفُ، ثم أمر بلالًا أن يَدْفعَ إليه اللواءَ فَدَفَعَهُ إليه، فحمد اللَّه وصلَّى على نفسه، ثم قال: خُذْه يا بنَ عْوفٍ، اغْزُوا جميعًا في سَبيل اللَّهِ، فقاتِلوا من كفر باللَّه لا تَغُلُّوا ولا تَغْدروا ولا تُمَثلُوا ولا تَقْتُلوا وليدًا. فهذا عَهْد اللَّهِ (٧) ، وسيرةُ نبيِّه (٨) فيكم. فأخذ عبدُ الرحمن بن عوف اللواءَ. قال ابن هشام: فخرج إلى دُومة الجَنْدَل. بَعْثُ أبي عُبَيْدَةَ بن الجَرّاح (٩) وأصحابه (١٠) وكانوا قريبًا من ثلاثمئة راكبٍ إلى سيفِ البَحْرِ، وتزويده (١١) (رحمهم الله) إيَّاهم جرابًا من تمر، و (فيها) قصةُ العَنْبَر، وهي الحوتُ العظيمُ الذي دَسَرَهُ البَحْرُ وأكلُهم كلُّهم منه قريبًا من شهر حتى سَمِنوا، وتَزَوَّدوا منه وشَائق -أي شَرائِحَ- حتى رجَعوا إلى رسول اللَّه ﷺ فأطْعَموه منه، فأكلَ منه، كما تقدّم بذلك الحديث.

(١) رواه ابن ماجه رقم (٤٢٥٩) من حديث ابن عمر ﵁ ، وإسناده ضعيف لطوله ولكن لفقراته الأخيرة "أحسنهم خلقًا" إلى آخره، شواهد يقوى بها. (٢) ط: (يغلبوا عليها). (٣) ط: (الذي). (٤) رواه ابن ماجه رقم (٤٠١٩) من حديث ابن عمر ﵁ ، ورواه الحاكم (٤/ ٥٤٠) من حديث ابن عمر، وصححه، ووافقه الذهبي ولكن إسناده حسن فقط، ولبعضه شاهد من حديث بريدة بن الحصيب، فهو حديث صحيح بطرقه وشواهده. (٥) ليس اللفظ في ط. (٦) كرابيس هي جمع كِرْباس، وهو القطن (النهاية: كربس). (٧) أ: (فهذا عهد رسول اللَّه ﷺ ). (٨) ط: (نبيّكم). (٩) سيرة ابن هشام (٢/ ٦٣٢ - ٦٣٣). (١٠) ليس اللفظ في ط. (١١) ط: (وزودوه).