for a saw to be brought] (1). He placed the saw at the parting of his head and split him with it until his two halves fell apart] (2). Then the king’s courtier was brought and told, “Renounce your religion.” But he refused, so the saw was placed at the parting of his head and he was split with it until his two halves fell apart.

Then the boy was brought and told, “Renounce your religion.” But he refused, so the king handed him over to a group of his men and said, “Take him to such-and-such a mountain and climb it with him. When you reach its summit, if he renounces his religion, then let him go; otherwise, throw him down.” [So they took him] (3) and climbed the mountain with him. The boy said, “O Allah, suffice me against them in whatever way You will.” The mountain shook beneath them, and they fell. The boy then came walking to the king.

The king asked him, “What became of your companions?” He replied, “Allah has sufficed me against them.” So the king handed him over to another group of his men and said, “Take him and carry him in a small vessel [to the deep waters of such-and-such a sea] (4). If he renounces his religion, then let him go; otherwise, [throw him into the sea] (5).” They took him away, and he said, “O Allah, suffice me against them in whatever way You will.” Their ship overturned, and they drowned. Then he came walking to the king.

The king asked him, “What became of your companions?” He replied, “Allah has sufficed me against them.” Then he said to the king, “You will not be able to kill me unless you do what I command you to do.” The king asked, “And what is that?” He said, “Gather the people in one open place and crucify me upon a trunk. Then take an arrow from my quiver, fit it to the bow, and say, ‘In the name of [Allah] (6), the Lord of the boy.’ Then shoot me. If you do that, you will kill me.”

So he gathered the people in one open place, crucified him upon a trunk, took an arrow from his quiver, and placed [the arrow] (7) on his bow. Then he said, “In the name of [Allah] (8), the Lord of the boy,” and shot him. The arrow struck his temple, and he placed his hand upon the spot in his temple where the arrow had struck. Then he died.

The people said three times, “We believe in the Lord of the boy.” The king was then approached and told, “Do you see what you had feared? By Allah, what you feared has indeed come upon you: the people have believed.” So he ordered trenches to be dug at the entrances to the roads, and fires were kindled in them. He said, “Whoever does not renounce his religion, cast him into them,” or, “Tell him, ‘Enter them.’” They did so, until a woman came with her infant son. She hesitated to fall into it, so the boy said to her, “O mother, be patient, for you are upon the truth.”

This is a sound hadith, recorded by Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj from [Hudbah ibn Khalid, from] (9) Hammad ibn Salamah. (10) Hammad ibn Salamah.

Muhammad ibn Ishaq related from Wahb ibn Munabbih that a man who had remained upon the religion of Jesus came to the people of Najran and [called them to it] (11), and they responded to him. Dhu Nuwas the Jew then marched against them with his forces from Himyar and gave them the choice between the Fire and Judaism. They refused, so he had trenches dug and burned twelve thousand of them. Then, when Aryat gained control of Yemen, he departed