when a group from Hudhayl came upon him on the road and said, “We can direct you to a house containing a treasure of pearls, emeralds, and silver.” He said, “Which house?” They replied, “A house in Mecca.” Hudhayl intended only his destruction, for they knew that no one had ever sought to harm it without perishing.

He mentioned this to the two rabbis, and they said, “We know of no house on earth belonging to Allah other than this House. So make it a place of worship, perform rites of devotion there, sacrifice, and shave your head. Those people intend nothing but your destruction, for no one has ever opposed it without perishing. Therefore, honor it and do there what its people do.”

When they told him this, he seized the group from Hudhayl, cut off their hands and feet, put out their eyes, and then crucified them. When he arrived in Mecca, he camped in the ravine of al-Bata'ih, clothed the House with coverings—being the first to clothe the House—and sacrificed six thousand camels in the ravine. He remained there for six days, circumambulated it, shaved his head, and then departed.

When he drew near to Yemen in order to enter it, Himyar barred his way. They said, “Do not enter among us after having abandoned our religion.” He called them to his religion and said, “It is a better religion than yours.” They said, “Then let the Fire judge between us.”

There was in Yemen a fire at the foot of a mountain to which they would submit for judgment concerning their disputes: it would consume the wrongdoer but would not harm the one wronged. Tubba' said, “You have dealt fairly.” So the people came out with their idols and the offerings by which they sought nearness in their religion, while the two rabbis came out with their copies of the Scriptures hanging around their necks. They sat before the fire at the place from which it emerged.

Then the fire came forth and advanced until it enveloped them. It consumed the idols, the offerings presented with them, and the Himyarite men who had carried them. The two rabbis emerged with their copies of the Scriptures around their necks, reciting the Torah, their foreheads perspiring, yet they were unharmed. The fire then recoiled until it returned to the place from which it had emerged. Thereupon, Himyar unanimously embraced their religion. Thus, this was the origin of Judaism in Yemen. (1)

Abu Hatim mentioned from al-Raqashi that Abu Karib As'ad the Himyarite was one of the Tubba' kings, and that he believed in the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, seven hundred years before he was sent.

We have been told that Ka'b used to say, “Allah condemned his people, but He did not condemn him.” (2)

Aishah used to say, “Do not revile Tubba', for he was a righteous man.” (3)

Sa'id ibn Jubayr said, “He was the one who clothed the House.” (4)

Abu Sa'id al-Shurayhi informed us; Abu Ishaq al-Tha'labi informed us; Abu Abdullah ibn Fanjawayh al-Dinawari informed us; Abu Bakr ibn Malik al-Qati'i related to us; Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal related to us; my father related to us; Hasan ibn Musa related to us; Ibn Lahi'ah related to us; Abu Zur'ah ibn Amr ibn Jarir related to us from Sahl ibn Sa'd, who said: I heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say, “Do not revile Tubba', for he had accepted Islam.” (5)