After we had sat for a short while, their spokesman pronounced the testimony of faith and praised Allah as He deserves. He then said:
“To proceed: We are Allah’s supporters and Islam’s battalion. You, company (1) of Emigrants, are but a small band, and a small contingent (2) from among your people has now arrived. [And now they] (3) intend to deprive us of what is rightfully ours (4) and exclude us (5) from this matter.”
When he fell silent, I wanted (6) to speak. I had prepared (7) a speech that pleased me, intending to deliver it before Abū Bakr, and I was mindful of his occasional sharpness. When I was about to speak, Abū Bakr said, “Wait a moment (8).” I did not wish to anger him, so Abū Bakr spoke. He was more forbearing and dignified than I. By Allah, there was not a single phrase in my carefully prepared speech that pleased me but that he expressed extemporaneously in the same or better words. Then he fell silent.
He said:
“You are indeed worthy of whatever good you have mentioned concerning yourselves. Yet this authority will be acknowledged (9) only as belonging to this clan of Quraysh. They hold the most central position among the Arabs
(1) (H), (R), (Y), and (B) read: *maʿāshira* (“companies”).
(2) Ibn Hajar states: “In the phrase ‘A small contingent from among your people has arrived,’ *daffat dāffa* is spelled with an unpointed *dāl* followed by *fāʾ*. It means ‘a small number.’ It derives from *daff*, meaning to travel slowly in a group.”
(3) The words “and now they” occur only in (B) and al-Bukhārī.
(4) Ibn Hajar states: “*Yakhtazilūnanā*, spelled with *khāʾ* and *zāy*, means that they would cut us off from the matter and take exclusive control of it to our exclusion. Abū Zayd said: ‘*Khazaltuhu ʿan hājatihi* means: I hindered him from fulfilling his need.’ Here, ‘what is rightfully ours’ means what they were entitled to in the matter.”
(5) (H), (R), and (Y) read: “to uproot us.” The word is unpointed in (N) and (M). Ibn Hajar states: “Al-Mustamlī’s recension reads *wa-an yahdunūnā*, spelled with an unpointed *hāʾ* and a dotted *dād*. It means ‘to exclude us,’ according to Abū ʿUbayd. This is like saying *hadanahu* or *ihtadanahu ʿan al-amr*: he removed him to one side, took exclusive control of the matter, or prevented him from having any part in it.”
(6) (H), (R), (Y), and (N) read: “and I wanted.”
(7) Ibn Hajar states: “*Qad zawwartu*, spelled with *zāy* followed by *rāʾ*, means ‘I prepared and refined it.’ Mālik’s recension reads *rawaytu* (‘I considered it carefully’), from *rawiyya* (deliberation), the opposite of spontaneity.”
(8) Ibn Hajar states: “In *ʿalā rislika* (‘wait a moment’), the *rāʾ* bears a *kasra* and the *sīn* is vowelless; the *rāʾ* may also bear a *fatḥa*. It means *ʿalā mahalika* (‘take your time’).”
(9) (N), (H), (R), and (Y) read: “and we will never acknowledge.”