At that time, whenever people were afflicted by a calamity and sought relief, both Muslim and polytheist alike would turn to Allah, exalted is He, at His Sacred House in Mecca. Thus, many diverse people would gather in Mecca, differing in their religions, yet all venerating Mecca.

The inhabitants of Mecca at that time were the Amalekites. They were called Amalekites because their forefather was Amliq ibn Ladha ibn Shem ibn Noah. Their chief in Mecca at that time was a man named Mu'awiyah ibn Bakr. Mu'awiyah's mother was Kalahdah bint al-Khaybari, a man from Aad.

When rain was withheld from Aad and they were severely distressed, they said, “Prepare a delegation from among yourselves to go to Mecca and pray for rain on your behalf.” They therefore sent Qayl ibn Anz; Luqaym ibn Huzal, of Huzayl; Aqil ibn Sandin ibn Aad the Elder; Marthad ibn Sa'd ibn Afir, who was a Muslim concealing his faith; and Jalhamah ibn al-Khaybari, the maternal uncle of Mu'awiyah ibn Bakr. They then sent Luqman ibn Aad the Younger ibn Sandin ibn Aad the Elder. Each of these men set out accompanied by a group of his people, until their delegation numbered seventy men.

When they arrived in Mecca, they lodged with Mu'awiyah ibn Bakr, who lived on the outskirts of Mecca, outside the Sacred Precinct. He received them generously, for they were his maternal uncles and relatives by marriage. They remained with him for a month, drinking wine while the two Jaradahs—two singing-girls belonging to Mu'awiyah ibn Bakr—sang for them. Their journey had taken a month, and their stay lasted a month.

When Mu'awiyah ibn Bakr saw how long they had remained, although their people had sent them to seek relief from the calamity that had struck them, this distressed him. He said, “My maternal uncles and relatives by marriage have perished, while these men remain with me as my guests. By Allah, I do not know what to do with them. I am ashamed to tell them to go forth for the purpose for which they were sent, lest they think that I am weary of their staying with me, while those of their people whom they left behind have perished from exhaustion and thirst.”

He complained about their affair to his two singing-girls, the two Jaradahs. They said, “Compose some verses which we can sing to them without their knowing who composed them. Perhaps that will stir them to act.” Mu'awiyah ibn Bakr then said:

“Come now, Qayl—woe to you! Rise and supplicate,
Perhaps Allah will send us rainclouds,
And water the land of Aad; for Aad
Has come to where they cannot make their speech understood,
From grievous thirst. We hold out no hope
For either old man or boy.
Their women once lived in comfort,
But now their women are bereft of husbands.
Wild beasts come to them openly,
Unfearing of an Aadite’s arrows.
Yet here you are, enjoying all you desire,
Your days and nights spent in perfect ease.
How wretched is your delegation among the delegations of peoples!
May they never receive greeting or peace.”

When the two Jaradahs sang this to them, some of them said to the others, “People, your people sent you only to seek relief from the calamity that has befallen them, yet you have delayed too long. Enter this Sacred Precinct and pray for rain for your people.” Marthad ibn Sa'd ibn