that the blood money belonged to the ʿāqilah (those collectively liable for blood money), until al-Dahhāk ibn Sufyān—whom the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had appointed over some desert communities—wrote to inform him:

“The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—awarded Ashyam al-Dibābī’s wife a share of the blood money paid for her husband’s death.”

He therefore abandoned his earlier view, saying: “Had we not heard this, we would have ruled otherwise.”

Nor did he know the ruling concerning the Magians with regard to the jizyah until ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn ʿAwf—may Allah be pleased with him—informed him that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had said:

“Treat them as you treat the People of the Book.”

When he arrived at Sargh and learned that plague had broken out in Syria, he consulted the early Emigrants who were with him, then the Ansār, and then those who had embraced Islam at the conquest of Mecca. Each offered the advice he thought best, but none informed him of any Sunnah on the matter until ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn ʿAwf arrived and told him of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—concerning plague, and that he had said:

“If it breaks out in a land where you are, do not leave to flee from it; and if you hear of it in a land, do not go there.”

He and Ibn ʿAbbās also discussed the case of someone who experiences doubt during his prayer. The Sunnah concerning this had not reached him until ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn ʿAwf related from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—that:

“He should disregard the doubt and proceed on the basis of what he is certain of.”

Once, while he was travelling, a wind arose, and he began saying: “Who can tell us about