1153 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; my father narrated to me; Ismaʿil ibn Ibrahim ibn ʿUlayyah narrated to us; Sulayman ibn al-Mughīrah informed me, from Humayd ibn Hilal, who said:

Among us there was a man called al-Aswad ibn Kulthum. When he walked, his gaze never rose beyond his own feet. He would pass by walls which, in those days, were low enough for the women inside to be seen, and it might happen that one of them had set aside her garment or veil. When they first caught sight of him they would be startled, then say, “No, it is only al-Aswad ibn Kulthum.”

When he was about to set out on campaign he said, “O Allah, this soul of mine claims in times of ease that it loves to meet You. If it is truthful, then grant it that meeting; but if it recoils—” Ismaʿil added, “—then compel it to do so,” and on another occasion, “—then grant it that even though it dislikes it—; and feed my flesh to wild beasts and birds.”

He set off into the mountains, and they entered a walled orchard. The enemy noticed them, came upon them through a breach in the wall, and al-Aswad dismounted, struck his horse so that it bolted and escaped. He then went to the water, performed wudu (ablution), and prayed. The non-Arabs used to say, “Such is the surrender of the Arabs when they surrender.” He advanced and fought until he was killed (may Allah have mercy on him).

Afterwards the main body of the army passed by that orchard, and someone said to his brother, “Why do you not go in and see what bones or flesh of your brother remain?” He replied, “No. My brother offered a supplication that was answered, and I will not interfere with any part of it.”