Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (2/430)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

Ibn Isḥāq relates:

When Abraha reached al-Mughammis he sent an Abyssinian called al-Aswad ibn Maqṣūd with a detachment of cavalry as far as Mecca. There he carried off the property of the people of Tihāmah—Quraysh and others—and in the haul were two hundred camels belonging to ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim, who at that time was the elder and chieftain of Quraysh. Quraysh, Kinānah, Hudhayl, and everyone then present in the Sacred Precinct (1) resolved to fight him, but when they realized they had no power to withstand him they gave up the idea.

Abraha next dispatched Hunāṭah the Himyarite to Mecca with these instructions: “Look for the leader and nobleman of this town and say to him, ‘The king declares: I have not come to wage war on you; I have come only to demolish this House. If you do not oppose me in battle (2), I have no desire (3) to shed your blood. If he does not intend to fight me, bring him to me.’ ”

When Hunāṭah entered Mecca he asked who was the chief and noble of Quraysh, and was told, “ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib ibn Hāshim.” He went to him and delivered Abraha’s message. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib replied, “By Allah, we do not wish to fight him—we have no strength for that. This is the Sacred House of Allah, the House of His close friend Abraham ﷺ, as he said. If He protects it from him, it is His Sanctuary and His House (4); but if He abandons it to him, by Allah, we have no means of defending it.” Hunāṭah (5) said, “Come with me to him, for he has ordered me to bring you.” So ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib went with him, accompanied by some of his sons, until they reached the camp. There he asked after Dhū Nafar—who was his friend—until he was admitted to him in his confinement.

He said, “O Dhū Nafar, have you any resource that could help us in what has befallen us?” Dhū Nafar answered, “What help can a prisoner give when he is in the hands of a king who means to kill him morning or evening? I can do nothing about what has come upon you—save that Anīs, the keeper of the elephant, is a friend of mine. I shall send for him and commend you (6) to his care, impress upon him (7) the duty he owes you, and ask him to secure permission for you to meet the king, so you may speak to him as you wish and he may, if able, intercede for you with good.” ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said, “That will suffice.”

Dhū Nafar then sent word to Anīs: “ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib is the chief of Quraysh and the keeper of Mecca’s spring; he feeds people in the valley and even the wild beasts on the mountaintops. The king has taken two hundred of his camels (8); obtain permission for him to see the king and assist him in whatever way you can.” Anīs replied, “I shall.” He spoke to Abraha, saying, “O King, the chief of Quraysh is at your door seeking permission to enter. He is the keeper of Mecca’s spring, the one who feeds people in the valley and the wild beasts on the mountaintops. Admit him that he may present his request.” He said (9) this, and Abraha granted him audience. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib was the most handsome and imposing of men.

(1) In manuscript B: “and whoever was among the chief custodians of the sanctuary.” (2) In manuscript T: “for us in his place.” (3) In manuscript B: “for him.” (4) In manuscript B: “his house and its sanctuary.” (5) Not in manuscript B. (6) In manuscripts B and T: “and I enjoin him.” (7) An addition in B and T, aligning with the text of the Sīra. (8) In B’s wording here there is some alteration that contradicts the original and the Sīra, but it is nothing new. (9) Not in manuscript T. In B: “So Abraha granted him permission, and he said: ‘and he was…’.”

قال ابن إسحاق: فلما نزل أبرهة المغمِّس بَعَث رجلًا من الحبشة يقال له: الأسود بن مقصود على خيل له حتى انتهى إلى مكة. فساق إليه أموال أهل تِهامة من قُريش وغيرهم. وأصاب فيها مئتي بعير لعبد المطلب بن هاشم - وهو يومئذ كبير قُريش وسيدها - فهمَّت قريش وكنانة وهذيل ومن كان بذلك الحرم (١) بقتاله. ثم عرفوا أنه لا طاقة لهم به، فتركوا ذلك. وبَعث أبرهة حُنَاطَة الحميري إلى مكة، وقال له: سَلْ عن سيّد أهل هذا البلد وشريفهم، ثمّ قل له: إن الملك يقول إني لم آت لحربكم، إنما جئت لهدم هذا البيت، فإن لم تعرضوا دونه (٢) بحرب، فلا حاجه (٣) لي بدمائكم، فإن هو لم يرد حربي فائتني به. فلما دخل حُناطة مكّة سأل عن سيد قريش وشريفها، فقيل له: عبد المطلب بن هاشم. فجاءه، فقال له ما أمره به أبرهة. فقال له عبد المطلب: والله ما نريد حربه، ومالنا بذلك من طاقة، هذا بيت الله الحرام وبيت خليله إبراهيم (عليه السلام) أو كما قال - فإن يمنعه منه فهو حَرَمُه وبيته (٤) ، وإن يُخَلِّ بينه وبينه فوالله ما عندنا دَفعٌ عنه. فقال له (٥) حُنَاطة: فانطلق معي إليه فإنه قد أمرني أن آتيه بك. فانطلق معه عبد المطلب ومعه بعض بنيه، حتى أتى العسكر، فسأل عن ذي نَفْر -وكان له صديقًا- حتى دخل عليه وهو في محبسه، فقال له: يا ذا نفر هل عندك من غَناء فيما نزل بنا؟ فقال له ذو نفر: وما غَناء رجل أسير بيدي ملك ينتظر أن يقتله غُدوًّا أو عشيًّا؟ ما عندي غَناء في شيء مما نزل بك، إلا أن أُنَيْسًا سائسَ الفيل صديق لي، فسأرسل إليه فأوصيه (٦) بك وأعظم عليه (٧) حقك، وأسأله أن يستأذن لك على الملك فتكلمه بما بدا لك، ويشفع لك عنده بخير إن قدر على ذلك. فقال: حسبي. فبعث ذو نفر إلى أنيس فقال له: إن عبد المطلب سيد قريش وصاحب عين مكة، يُطعم الناس بالسهل، والوحوشَ في رؤوس الجبال، وقد أصاب له الملك مئتي بعير (٨) ، فاستأذِنْ له عليه وانفعْه عنده بما استطعت. قال: أَفْعَلُ. فكلّم أنيس أبرهة، فقال له: أيها الملك هذا سيد قريش ببابك يستأذن عليك، وهو صاحب عين مكة، وهو الذي يطعم الناس بالسهل، والوحوشَ في رؤوس الجبال، فائذن له عليك فليكلمك في حاجته. قال (٩) : فأذن له أبرهة. وكان عبد المطلب أوسَم الناس وأعظمهم

(١) في ب: ومن كان من أكابر الحرم. (٢) في ط: لنا دونه. (٣) في ب: له. (٤) في ب: بيته وحرمه. (٥) ليست في ب. (٦) في ب وط: وأوصيه. (٧) زيادة من ب، وط، موافقة لنص السيرة. (٨) في عبارة ب هاهنا بعض التصرف مما يخالف الأصل ونص السيرة، ولا جديد في ذلك. (٩) ليست في ط. وفيه: فأذن له أبرهة قال وكان …