IMAM ABO AL-FIDA' ISMA~~L IBN KATHTR^237Take care, for you have erred, and do not decry me; woe
upon you, Ibn Jahl, misleader of your tribe!"
Ibn Hisham commented, "Most authorities on poetry deny that this poem is to
be attributed to Sag."
Ibn Ishaq stated further, "The banner given to Wbayda, so I have been told,
was the first awarded by the Messenger of God (SAAS) to any Muslim."
Al-Zuhri, Mna b. Wqba, and al-Waqidi disputed Ibn Ishaq in this and main-
tained that Hamza received a flag before Wbayd b. al-Hzrith. But God knows best.
It will be related hereafter, from a hadith of Sa'd b. Aba Waqqq, that the first
leader of these raids was 'Abd Allsh b. Jahsh al-Asadi.
Ibn Ishaq went on, "Some scholars maintain that the Messenger of God
(SAAS) sent him out when he arrived from the mission to al-Abw2 before he
reached Medina. Masa b. Wqba related it so from al-Zuhri."Ibn Ishaq stated, "The Messenger of God (SAAS), while resident there, sent
Hamza b. 'Abd al-Murwlib b. Hashim to the sea coast near al-'fq along with 30
mounted men drawn from the Emigrants; there were no Helpers among them.
Hamza confronted Abii Jahl b. Hishzm and 300 mounted Meccans there on the
shore. But Majdi b. 'Amr al-Juhani interposed himself between the opposing
parties, for he was at peace with both. Both sides withdrew from one another and
so no fighting occurred."
Ibn Ishzq continued, "Some people say that Hamza's banner was the first
awarded by the Messenger of God (SAAS) to any of the Muslims. This was
because he had dispatched Hamza and Wbayda at the same time; this confused
people."
I comment that Mnsa b. Wqba quoted al-Zuhri as saying that he had dis-
patched Hamza before Wbayda b. al-H%~%h. He maintained that Hamza's mis-
sion came before the expedition to al-Abw2'. And that when the Messenger of
God (SAAS) returned from al-Abw2 be dispatched Wbayda b. al-Harith along
with 60 Emigrants. He then related much as above.
It has been stated above that al-Waqidi said, "The raid made by uamza in
Ramadan took place in 1 AH; Wbayda's expedition came thereafter, in Shawwd
in the same year." But God knows best.
Ibn Ishaq quoted from Hamza, God be pleased with him, poetry indicating
that his banner was the first awarded in Islam. However Ibn Ishaq stated, "If
Hamza did speak this, then so it was. He only ever spoke the truth. But God
knows best what happened. What we have heard from scholars was that Wbayda
was first. The poem is as follows:
'0 my people, contemplate wisdom and foolishness and
failure in man's thought and intellect,
About those who have wronged us while we have not
violated their people or property.