Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (2/421)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

At that point the people of Ḥimyar unanimously embraced his religion, and from that event Judaism first found its roots in Yemen.

Ibn Isḥāq said: A narrator told me that the two rabbis and those who had gone out from Ḥimyar were actually following the Fire in order to drive it back. They declared, “Whoever turns it back is most entitled to the truth.” Men from Ḥimyar therefore advanced toward it carrying their idols, hoping to repel it. The Fire moved toward them to consume them, so they swerved aside and could not turn it back. The two rabbis then stepped forward, reciting the Torah, and the Fire recoiled from them until they forced it to return to the very mouth from which it had emerged. On witnessing this, Ḥimyar unanimously accepted the rabbis’ faith—though Allah knows best which version of the story is correct.

Ibn Isḥāq also said: Riʾām was a shrine they revered; they would slaughter animals there and receive oracular responses from within it while they were still in their idolatry. The rabbis said to Tubbaʿ, “It is nothing but a devil who beguiles them through this place—leave it to us.” He answered, “It is yours to deal with.” People of Yemen allege that they then drew out of the shrine a black dog, slaughtered it, and demolished the building. Its remnants, I was told, still bear traces of the blood that used to be poured upon it.

We have already cited in the Tafsīr the ḥadīth of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Do not revile Tubbaʿ, for he had embraced Islam.” Al-Suhaylī said: Muʿammar related, from Hammām ibn Munabbih, from Abū Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Do not revile Asʿad al-Ḥimyarī, for he was the first to clothe the Kaʿbah.”

Al-Suhaylī further reported that Tubbaʿ composed the following verses when the two rabbis informed him about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him):

I testify that Aḥmad is indeed
a Messenger from God, Creator of souls;
Were my years to reach the span of his life,
I would be his minister and his kin;
With the sword I would strive against all his foes,
and lighten his breast of every care.

(1) In manuscript B: “fa-asfaqat Ḥimyār ʿinda dhālika …” and wa aṣfaqū ʿalā al-amr (they rallied together on the matter). (2) In manuscript Ṭ: “dīnahumā.” Ṭ also reads “baʿda hādhā” (after this); accordingly, the original text begins from that point. (3) In manuscript Ṭ: “fa-danā.” (4) In manuscript Ṭ: “wahiyā tanquṣ” (and it is truncated). (5) In manuscript Ṭ: “fīhi” (in it). (6) An addition found in manuscript Ṭ and in the sīrah. (7) In manuscript B: “kamā dhukira fīhi āthār …” (as the traditions are mentioned therein …). (8) Manuscript B adds here: “thumma ṣāra al-mulk fīmā baʿd … al-Yamāmah” (then the kingdom later became … al-Yamāmah). This passage will appear shortly in editions A and Ṭ. (9) It was narrated by Aḥmad in al-Musnad (vol. 5, p. 340) on the authority of Sahl b. Saʿd al-Sāʿidī; it is an authentic hadith. (10) Al-Rawḍ al-Anf, vol. 1, p. 36. (11) Al-Suyūṭī records it in Ad-Durr al-Manthūr (vol. 6, p. 31) from the narration of Ibn Mardawīyah; Allah knows best. (12) Al-Rawḍ al-Anf, vol. 1, p. 35. (13) This is the reading in manuscript Ṭ, which matches al-Suhaylī’s text; in editions A and B: “ʿan wajhihi”; in B: “kull gham.”

فأصفقت (١) عند ذلك حمير على دينه (٢) ، فمن هنالك وعن ذلك كان أصل اليهودية باليمن. قال ابن إسحاق: وقد حدّثني مُحدِّث أن الحَبْرَيْن ومَن خرج من حِمْير إنما اتَّبعوا النار ليردُّوها، وقالوا: من ردّها فهو أولى بالحق، فدنا منها رجال حِمير بأوثانهم ليردُّوها، فدنت منهم لتأكلهم، فحادوا عنها ولم يستطيعوا ردّها، ودنا (٣) منها الحَبْران بعد ذلك وجعلا يتلوان التوراة وتنكص (٤) عنهما حتى رداها إلى مخرجها الذي خرجت منه، فأصفقت عند ذلك حِمير على دينهما. والله أعلم أي ذلك كان. قال ابن إسحاق: وكان رِئام بيتًا لهم يعظِّمونه وينحرون عنده ويكلَّمون منه (٥) إذ كانوا على شركهم. فقال الحبران لِتُبّع: إنما هو شيطان يفتنهم بذلك (٦) فَخَلِّ بيننا وبينه. قال: فشأنكما به. فاستخرجا منه فيما يزعم أهل اليمن كلبًا أسود، فذبحاه، ثم هَدَما ذلك البيت، فبقاياه اليوم كما ذُكر لي بها آثار (٧) الدماء التي كانت تهراق عليه (٨) . وقد ذكرنا في التفسير الحديث الذي ورد عن النبي ﷺ : "لا تسبوا تُبّعًا فإنّه قد كان أسلم" (٩) قال السهيلي (١٠) : ورَوى معمر عن همام بن منبه عن أبي هريرة أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: "لا تسبُّوا أسعد الحميري فإنه أوّل من كسا الكعبة" (١١) . قال السهيلي (١٢) وقد قال تُبَّع حين أخبره الحبران عن رسول الله ﷺ شعرًا: شهدْتُ على أحمدٍ أنه … رسولٌ منَ الله باري النسم فلو مُدَّ عمري إلى عُمره … لكنتُ وزيرًا له، وابنَ عم وجاهدت بالسيف أعداءَه … وفرّجتُ عن صدرِه كلَّ هم (١٣)

(١) في ب: فأصفقت حمير عند ذلك … وَأصفقوا على الأمر: اجتمعوا عليه. (٢) في ط: دينهما. وعبارة ط. بعد هذا. فمن هنالك كان أصل .... (٣) في ط: فدنا. (٤) في ط: وهي تنقص. (٥) في ط: فيه. (٦) زيادة من ط. والسيرة. (٧) في ب: كما ذكر فيه آثار … (٨) زاد في ب هاهنا قوله: ثم صار الملك فيما بعد … اليمامة. وسيأتي هذا بعد قليل في أ وط. (٩) أخرجه أحمد في المسند (٥/ ٣٤٠)، عن سهل بن سعد الساعدي ﵁ ، وهو حديث صحيح. (١٠) الروض الأنف (١/ ٣٦). (١١) ذكره السيوطي في "الدر المنثور" (٦/ ٣١) من رواية ابن مردويه، والله أعلم به. (١٢) الروض الأنف (١/ ٣٥). (١٣) كذا في ط، وهو موافق لنص السهيلي: وفي أ وب: (عن وجهه). وفي ب: (كل غم).