Hidāyat al-Ḥayārā - Ibn al-Qayyim - (الكتاب/74)

Hidāyat al-ḤayārāIbn al-Qayyim

While I was still with him, a cousin of his from Banū Qurayzah came from Medina, bought me from him, and took me back to Medina. By Allah, the moment I saw the city I recognized it from my companion’s description, so I settled there.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had already been commissioned and remained in Mecca for a time, yet I heard nothing about him because I was absorbed in the toil of bondage. When he later emigrated to Medina, by Allah, I was perched atop a palm-tree that belonged to my master, busy with some work while he sat beneath me. A cousin of his arrived and, standing beside him, said, “So-and-so, may Allah fight Banū Qaylah (1)! By Allah, they are right now gathered together (2) around a man who arrived from Mecca today, claiming that he is a prophet.” At those words a shiver (3) seized me, and I feared I would fall on my master. I climbed down in haste and began asking that cousin, “What did you just say?” My master grew angry, struck me a harsh blow, and said, “What concern is that of yours? Get back to your work!” I replied, “Nothing; I only wished to verify what he said.”

I had a small amount of something I had managed to save. When evening came I took it and went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who was then in Qubā’. I entered and said, “It has reached me that you are a righteous man and that you have companions with you who are strangers and in need. This is something I have kept aside for charity; I considered that you are more deserving of it than anyone else.” I brought it close to him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to his companions, “Eat,” while he himself refrained and did not eat. I said to myself, “This is the first sign.”

(1) Banu Qayla refers to the two Medinan tribes, Aws and Khazraj. Ibn Ishaq states that Qayla was the daughter of Kahil ibn Adhra ibn Saʿd ibn Qudaʿa, and that she was the ancestress of both Aws and Khazraj. (2) The reading preserved in al-Sira al-nabawiyya is “in Qubaʾ,” which is the correct form. (3) Manuscript G reads ʿurwāʾ. The word ʿurwāʾ denotes the shivering caused by cold and trembling; when this shivering is accompanied by perspiration, it is called ruḥadāʾ.

فبينا أنا عنده، إذْ قَدِمَ عليه ابنُ عمٍّ له من بني قُرَيْظَةَ من المدينة، فابتاعني منه، فحملني إلى المدينة، فوالله ما هو إلا أن رأيتُها فعرفتُها بصفة صاحبي، فأقمتُ بها. وبُعِثَ رسولُ الله ﷺ، فأقام بمكةَ ما أقام، لا أسمع له بذِكْرٍ، مع ما أنا فيه من شغل الرِّقِّ، ثم هاجر إلى المدينة، فوالله إنّي لفي رأس عَذْقٍ لسيِّدي أعمل فيه بعض العمل، وسيّدي جالس تحتي، إذْ أقبل ابنُ عمٍّ له حتى وقف عليه، فقال: يا فلان، قاتل الله بني قَيْلَةَ (١) والله إنهم الآن لمجتمعون معنا (٢) على رجلٍ قَدِم عليهم من مكةَ اليومَ، يزعمون أنّه نبيٌّ. فلما سمعتُها أخذتني العُرَوَاءُ (٣) حتى ظننتُ أنِّي ساقطٌ على سيِّدي، فنزلت عن النخلة فجعلت أقولُ لابنِ عمِّه ذلك: ما تقول؟ فغضب سيِّدي فلَكَمَنِي لكمةً شديدةً، ثمَّ قال: مالَكَ ولهذا؟ أقْبِلْ على عَمَلِكَ! فقلت: لا شيء، إنما أردتُ أن أستثبته عمَّا قال. وقد كان عندي شيءٌ جمعته، فلما أمْسَيْتُ أخذتُه ثم ذهبت به إلى رسولِ اللهِ ﷺ، وهو بقُبَا، فدخلتُ عليه، فقلت له: إنَّه قد بلغني أنِّك رجل صالح ومعك أَصحابٌ لك غُرَبَاء ذوو حاجة، وهذا شيء كان عندي للصدقة، فرأيتكم أحقَّ به من غيركم، فقرَّبْتُهُ إليه، فقال رسول الله ﷺ لأصحابه: "كُلُوا"، وأمسك فلم يأكل. فقلت في نفسي: هذه واحدة.

(١) بنو قيلة هم الأوس والخزرج. قال ابن إسحاق: قيلة بنت كاهل بن عذرة بن سعد بن قضاعة، وهي أم الأوس والخزرج. (٢) في "السيرة النبوية": "بقباء". وهو الصواب. (٣) في "غ": "عرواء". والعرواء: الرّعدة من البرد والانتفاض، فإن كان مع ذلك عَرَقٌ فهي الرُّحَضَاء.