and the hypocrites, whose purpose is to malign Islam and its adherents, including the Prophet’s household and others. Anyone who hears such a story, how widely it circulates, and the falsehoods it contains may think or say: “The accounts transmitted to us of the miracles of the prophets and the wonders granted to Allah’s righteous servants are of this same kind.” Then, if it were established that the community had taken its own Prophet’s household captive, this would constitute an attack on the best community brought forth for mankind whose gravity Allah alone knows. Every rational person knows that bukht camels had already been created and existed before Allah sent the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and before the Prophet’s household existed, just as other camels, sheep, cattle, horses, mules, and goats existed.

This fabrication is merely like their lie that Alī—may Allah be pleased with him—put out his hand at Khaybar, and a mule stepped on it, whereupon he said to it: “May Allah put an end to your offspring!” Every rational person knows that mules have never had offspring. Moreover, they had no mule with them at Khaybar; indeed, the Muslims had no mules at all. The first mule they acquired was the one that al-Muqawqis—the ruler of Egypt—gave to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. It remained with him until his death.

In Sahīh Muslim, Abū Hurayra reports that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“There are two kinds of people from my community who will be among the inhabitants of the Fire whom I have not yet seen: women who are clothed, straying and leading others astray, with things upon their heads resembling the humps of bukht camels. They will neither enter Paradise nor smell its fragrance. And men carrying whips like cattle’s tails, with which they beat Allah’s servants.”

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, thus likened those wearing the large head-wraps that would appear after his death to the humps of bukht camels. Had his listeners not already known these camels, they would not have understood. These head-wraps have