Abou Hadrad: the dower of thirteen camels, Mouhallim and the curse

Ibn Ishaq reports, in the story of Abou Hadrad and his campaign toward al-Ghaba, what Ja’far ibn Abdallah ibn Aslam related from Abou Hadrad himself: "I married a woman of my people and dowered her with two hundred dirhams. I came to the Messenger of Allah seeking his help for my marriage, and he said: how much have you dowered her? I said: two hundred dirhams. He said: glory to Allah!

By Allah, were you to take it from a valley, it would not grow less. And by Allah, I have nothing with which to help you. I remained some days, and then a man of Jucham ibn Mou’awiya, called Rifa’a ibn Qays, began gathering the people at al-Ghaba to fight the Messenger of Allah; he was a man of name and nobility among Jucham. The Messenger of Allah called me, with two Muslim men, and said: go out against this man until you bring back news and knowledge of him.

He offered us a barren mare which one of us mounted; she could not stand until the men held her up from behind with their hands. He said: set out upon this one. We went out with our weapons to the plain at sunset; I hid on one side and ordered my two companions to hide on another, telling them:

when you hear me magnify Allah and shout into the camp, magnify and shout with me. Night covered us until the embers of the isha had died. They had a shepherd who had loosed himself into the country, who was late to them, and they feared for him. Their man Rifa’a ibn Qays rose, took his sword, hanging it at his neck, and said: by Allah, I shall see to the matter of our shepherd; he has met with harm.

A group said: by Allah, do not go; we suffice you. He said: none goes but I. They said: then we are with you. He said: by Allah, let none of you follow me.

He went out passing by me; when I was able, I breathed an arrow into his heart, and by Allah he did not speak. I sprang upon him, cut off his head, then shouted into the camp magnifying Allah, and my two companions shouted and magnified. There was nothing but the flight of those within it, each for himself, with all they could of their women, their children and the light goods they had. We brought back great camels and many sheep, and I came carrying the head of Rifa’a with me.

He gave me of those camels thirteen camels for my dower, and I gathered my family to me."

Ibn Ishaq further reports through Yazid ibn Abdallah ibn Qousayt, from Ibn Abdallah ibn Abi Hadrad, from his father: "The Messenger of Allah sent us toward Idam in a company of Muslims, among them Abou Qatada al-Harith ibn Ribi’y and Mouhallim ibn Jathama. We were in the belly of Idam when Amir ibn al-Adhbat al-Ashja’i passed by us on his donkey, with his guide and a skin of milk. He greeted us with the greeting of Islam, and we withheld our hands from him; but Mouhallim ibn Jathama charged him and killed him over some matter between the two of them, and took his caravan and his guide. When we came to the Messenger of Allah and informed him, the Quran came down upon us: O you who believe, when you strike in the path of Allah, make discernment, and say not to him who gives you the salam: you are not a believer, seeking the goods of the present life; yet with Allah are abundant spoils. So were you before, but Allah has been gracious to you. Make discernment then: surely Allah is, of what you do, Informed (an-Nisa, 94)." Imam Ahmad reports this hadith likewise.

Ibn Ishaq reports through Ziyad ibn Doumayra, who related to Urwa ibn az-Zoubayr from his father and grandfather, both present at Houmayn: "The Messenger of Allah prayed the dhouhr, then went to the shade of a tree and sat in it. There advanced to him Ou’yané ibn Badr, seeking the blood of Amir ibn al-Adhbat, the lord of Qays, and there came al-Aqra’ ibn Habis defending Mouhallim, the lord of Khindif. The Messenger of Allah said to the people of Amir: would you take from us now fifty camels, and fifty when we return to Medina? Ou’yané said: by Allah, I will not leave him until I cause his women to taste grief such as he caused my women to taste.

There rose a man of the Banu Layth, called Ibn Moukaytil, a man of middle stature and thick flesh, who said: O Messenger of Allah, I find for this slain man no parallel in the bright hour of Islam but as sheep returned from pasture, when the first is seized and the rest scatter: legislate today and change tomorrow. The Messenger of Allah said: would you take fifty camels now and fifty when we return to Medina? He did not cease speaking to them until they accepted the blood-money. The people of Mouhallim said: bring him, until the Messenger of Allah seek forgiveness for him.

There came a man of tall stature and thick flesh, in a garment that seemed prepared for his killing, and he stood before the Prophet. The Prophet said: O Allah, forgive not Mouhallim. And he said it three times. Mouhallim rose, catching his tears with the edge of his garment."

His people claim that he later sought forgiveness for him. Abou Dawoud and Ibn Majah report versions of this story; the correct one is that of Ziyad ibn Sa’d ibn Doumayra. Ibn Ishaq reports through Salim Abou an-Nadr that they did not accept the blood-money until al-Aqra’ ibn Habis rose and said to them: O assembly of Qays, the Messenger of Allah has asked you for a slain man, that he might by him make peace among the people, and you have refused him. Are you sure that the Messenger of Allah will not be angry with you, and that Allah will not be angry for his anger, or that the Messenger of Allah will not curse you, and that Allah will not curse you with his curse?

By Allah, you will surely hand him over to the Messenger of Allah, or I shall come with fifty of the Banu Tamim, all testifying that the slain man was an unbeliever who never prayed, and I shall make his blood lawful. When he had said that to them, they took the blood-money. This version is discontinuous and difficult.

Ibn Ishaq also reports, through a chain whose narrator is trustworthy, from al-Hasan al-Basri, that when Mouhallim sat before the Prophet he said to him: did you place him in safety by Allah, then kill him? And the Prophet invoked against him. Al-Hasan said: and by Allah, Mouhallim did not remain but seven days before he died. The earth rejected him; they buried him, and it rejected him; they buried him, and it rejected him; they piled stones upon him until they covered him. That reached the Messenger of Allah, and he said: "Indeed the earth closes upon whoever is worse than he, but Allah willed to admonish you concerning the sanctity of what is among you, by what He has shown you of him." Ibn Jarir reports through Waki’, from Jarir, from Ibn Ishaq, from Nafi’, from Ibn Omar, a similar version: Mouhallim came in two mantles and sat before the Messenger of Allah that he might seek forgiveness for him; he said:

may Allah not forgive you. Mouhallim rose, catching his tears with his two mantles, and his seven days did not pass before he died. They buried him and the earth rejected him; they came to the Prophet and mentioned it to him, and he said: "Indeed the earth accepts whoever is worse than your companion, but Allah willed to admonish you concerning your sanctity." Then they cast him between two mountain slopes, throwing stones upon him, and the verse came down: O you who believe, when you strike in the path of Allah, make discernment. Moussa ibn Oqba reports this story from az-Zouhri, as does Chou’ayb from az-Zouhri, from Abdallah ibn Mouhab, from Qabisa ibn Dhu’ayb, without naming Mouhallim or Amir; the Bayhaqi reports it from al-Hasan al-Basri, saying that in it came down the word of the Most High. We have treated the cause of the descent of this verse and its meaning in the tafsir with what suffices, and to Allah belong praise and favor.