IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' ISMA'IL IBN KATHiR^143Chapter: The beginning of emigration from Mecca to Medina.Al-Zuhri stated, from Wrwa, that 'A'isha said, "The Messenger of God (SAAS),
he being at Mecca at the time, addressed the Muslims as follows,'I have been
shown the place of your migration; I have been shown a salty, swampy plain with
palm-groves between two tracts of rocks.'
"Some people migrated towards Medina when the Messenger of God (SAAS)
said that, while other Muslims who had gone to Abyssinia returned and went
there instead."
Al-Bukh~ri related this.
Aha Mnsa stated that the Prophet (SAAS) said, "In my sleep I saw that I
would be migrating from Mecca to a place where there were palm-groves. My
imagination told me that it was to be in d-Yamiima or Hajar, but it turned out to
be the town of Yathrib."
This hadith is given at length by al-Bukhri with a variety of chains of author-
ity.
Muslim also related both of the above ahadith with limes of authority from
Aba Kurayb. Muslim added 'Abd Allah b. Murad and quoted both traditions on
the authority of Abii Uszma, from Yazid h. 'Abd Allah b. Aba Burda, from his
grandfather, Abn Burda, from Abn Mosa 'Abd All& b. Qays al-Ash'ari, from
the Prophet (SAAS), giving the whole hadith.
The &fis Aba Bakr al-Bayhaqi stated, "The ha& Abii 'Abd Allah informed
us, quoting Abii al-'Abbas al-@sim b. al-Qsim al-Saywi of Merv, quoting
Ibfihim b. Hila, quoting alLCAmiri, from 'Ali b. al-Hasan b. Shaqiq, quoting 'is2
b. Whayd al-Kindi, from Ghaylan b. 'Abd Allah al-'Amiri, from AbO ZurLa b.
'Amr b. Jarir, from Jarir, that the Prophet (SAAS) said, 'God revealed to me,
"Any one of these three places you go to will be the place of your migration:
Medina, d-Babrayn or Qnnasrin."'
"The scholars state that thereafter he decided for Medina, and told his
Companions to migrate there."
This is a very strange hadith. Al-Tirmidhi related it in a digression in his com-
pendium, giving only one account, from Abn 'Ammar al-Husayn b. Hurayth,
from al-Fad1 b. Mosa, from 'fsa b. Wbayd, from Ghayla b. 'Abd Alliih
al-'Amiri, from Abii Zurca b. Wmar b. Jarir, from Jarir, who said, "The
Messenger of God (SAAS) said, 'God revealed to me, "Any one of these three
places you go to will be the site of your migration: Medina, al-Babyn or
Qnnasrin.""' He (al-Tiidhi) then commented, "This tradition is gharib,
unique; we know of it only on the authority of al-Fadl, and Abii 'Ammzr alone
narrated it."
I comment that this authority Ghaylan b. 'Abd All* al-'Amiri is mentioned
by Ibn Hiban in al-Thiqzt (The Tmstmorthy Authorities). However, he states, "He
related, from Abii Zur'a, a spurious hadith about the hijra, the emigration." But
God knows best.