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to Abyssinia. When he reached Bark al-Ghimād (1), Ibn al-Daghinah (2), the chief of al-Qārrah (3), met him and asked: ‘Where are you heading, Abū Bakr?’
He replied: ‘My people have driven me out, so I intend to travel through the land and worship my Lord.’
Ibn al-Daghinah said: ‘A man like you should neither leave nor be driven out. You provide people with what they lack, maintain ties of kinship, support those unable to support themselves, honour guests, and help others in times of genuine hardship (4). I will grant you my protection, so worship (5) your Lord in your own land (6).’
Ibn al-Daghinah then set out and returned with Abū Bakr (7). He went around to the leading disbelievers of Quraysh and told them: ‘A man like Abū Bakr should neither leave nor be driven out. Would you drive out a man who provides people with what they lack, maintains ties of kinship, supports those unable to support themselves, honours guests,
(1) From Fath al-Bārī, 7/232: “Bark al-Ghimād … is a place five nights’ journey from Mecca towards Yemen. Al-Bakrī said that it lies in the remotest part of Hajar. Al-Hamdānī stated in Ansāb al-Yaman that it lies in the remotest part of Yemen. The first view is preferable.”
(2) Ibn al-Dughunna: according to the lexicographers, both the dāl and the ghayn take a damma (u), and the nūn is doubled. It has been said that this pronunciation resulted from laxity in his tongue and that the correct vowel is a kasra (i). Both the single and doubled consonant are attested through a transmission route. The name refers to his mother, or, according to other accounts, his paternal grandmother or his riding animal. Al-daghina means “the drooping one”; its original sense is a cloud yielding abundant rain. There is disagreement over his personal name …
(3) The phrase “he was the chief of al-Qārra”: the name is written with a qāf and a doubled rā’. This is a well-known tribe descended from al-Hūn—with a damma (u) and an undoubled consonant—ibn Khuzayma ibn Mudrika ibn Ilyās ibn Mudar. They were allies of Banū Zuhra of Quraysh, and their prowess in archery was proverbial.
(4) Ibn Hajar said: “The correspondence between Ibn al-Daghina’s description of Abū Bakr and Khadīja’s description of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—indicates Abū Bakr’s great merit and his possession of qualities representing the highest degrees of excellence in its various forms.”
(5) م: fa-rji‘ī fa‘bud … (“Return [feminine singular], then worship …”).
(6) ن, م, س: bi-bilādika (“in your lands”).
(7) ن: “Ibn al-Daghina set out; Ibn al-Daghina returned; he returned with Abū Bakr.”
إِلَى الْحَبَشَةِ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ بَرْكَ الْغِمَادِ
(١)
لَقِيَهُ ابْنُ الدَّغِنَةِ
(٢)
. وَهُوَ سَيِّدُ الْقَارَّةِ
(٣)
فَقَالَ: أَيْنَ تُرِيدُ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ؟
قَالَ:
أَخْرَجَنِي قَوْمِي، فَأَنَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَسِيحَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَأَعْبُدَ رَبِّي،
قَالَ ابْنُ الدَّغِنَةِ:
إِنَّ مِثْلَكَ لَا يَخْرُجُ وَلَا يُخْرَجُ فَإِنَّكَ تُكْسِبُ الْمَعْدُومَ، وَتَصِلُ الرَّحِمَ، وَتَحْمِلُ الْكَلَّ وَتُقْرِي الضَّيْفَ، وَتُعِينَ عَلَى نَوَائِبِ الْحَقِّ
(٤)
، وَأَنَا لَكَ جَارٌ، فَاعْبُدْ
(٥)
رَبَّكَ بِبَلَدِكَ
(٦)
، فَارْتَحَلَ ابْنُ الدَّغِنَةِ فَرَجَعَ مَعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ
(٧)
،
فَطَافَ فِي أَشْرَافِ كُفَّارِ قُرَيْشٍ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ:
إِنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ لَا يَخْرُجُ مِثْلُهُ وَلَا يُخْرَجُ أَتُخْرِجُونَ رَجُلًا يُكْسِبُ الْمَعْدُومَ وَيَصِلُ الرَّحِمَ، وَيَحْمِلُ الْكَلَّ وَيُقْرِي الضَّيْفَ،
(١) مِنْ فَتْحِ الْبَارِي " ٧/٢٣٢: " بَرْكَ الْغِمَادِ. . مَوْضِعٌ عَلَى خَمْسِ لَيَالٍ مِنْ مَكَّةَ إِلَى جِهَةِ الْيَمَنِ، وَقَالَ الْبَكْرِيُّ: هِيَ أَقَاصِي هَجَرَ، وَحَكَى الْهَمْدَانِيُّ فِي أَنْسَابِ الْيَمَنِ: وَهُوَ فِي أَقْصَى الْيَمَنِ، وَالْأَوَّلُ أَوْلَى ".
(٢) ابْنُ الدُّغُنَّةِ: بِضَمِّ الْمُهْمَلَةِ وَالْمُعْجَمَةِ وَتَشْدِيدِ النُّونِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ اللُّغَةِ، وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ لِاسْتِرْخَاءٍ فِي لِسَانِهِ وَالصَّوَابُ الْكَسْرُ. وَثَبَتَ بِالتَّخْفِيفِ وَالتَّشْدِيدِ مِنْ طَرِيقٍ، وَهِيَ أُمُّهُ، وَقِيلَ: أُمُّ أَبِيهِ، وَقِيلَ: دَابَّتُهُ، وَمَعْنَى " الدَّغِنَةِ " الْمُسْتَرْخِيَةُ، وَأَصْلُهَا الْغَمَامَةُ الْكَثِيرَةُ الْمَطَرِ، وَاخْتُلِفَ فِي اسْمِهِ. . "
(٣) قَوْلُهُ: " وَهُوَ سَيِّدُ الْقَارَّةِ " بِالْقَافِ وَتَشْدِيدِ الرَّاءِ، وَهِيَ قَبِيلَةٌ مَشْهُورَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي الْهُونِ: بِالضَّمِّ وَالتَّخْفِيفِ، ابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ بْنِ مُدْرِكَةَ بْنِ إِلْيَاسَ بْنِ مُضَرَ؛ وَكَانُوا حُلَفَاءَ بَنِي زُهْرَةَ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ، وَكَانُوا يُضْرَبُ بِهِمُ الْمَثَلُ فِي قُوَّةِ الرَّمْيِ ".
(٤) قَالَ ابْنُ حَجَرٍ: " وَفِي مُوَافَقَةِ وَصْفِ ابْنِ الدَّغِنَةِ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ بِمِثْلِ مَا وَصَفَتْ بِهِ خَدِيجَةُ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى عَظِيمِ فَضْلِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَاتِّصَافِهِ بِالصِّفَاتِ الْبَالِغَةِ فِي أَنْوَاعِ الْكَمَالِ ".
(٥) م: فَارْجِعِي فَاعْبُدْ. . .
(٦) ن، م، س: بِبِلَادِكَ.
(٧) ن: فَارْتَحَلَ ابْنُ الدَّغِنَةِ، فَرَجَعَ ابْنُ الدَّغِنَةِ، فَرَجَعَ مَعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ.