364 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMADMay God reward all the tribes of <All, whether widowed
or married,
If they do not attack so fiercely that all the barking
dogs slimk home.
On horses trained for journeys short or long, their
heads held high and accompanying the unsubmissive ones.
Brave men on fine horses as though attacking fierce,
scowling lions.
Each combatant meets his foe as though merely walking
to shake his hand,
About a thousand or a thousand more, some lancers, some
in chain-mail.'"Ibn Hishw stated, "We have omitted from this poetry two lines that impugn the
Companions of the Messenger of God, may God be pleased with them."I would comment that this is the poetry of a man who is feeble-minded and
degenerate, a man whose ignorance and limited intelligence led him to praise the
polytheists and to damn the believers.
He expressed affection in Mecca for Aba Jahl b. Hishm and other accursed
unbelievers and ignorant and insignificant persons, but felt none for God's ser-
vant, Messenger and true friend, the pride of mankind, none for him whose face
was more luminous than the moon, a man possessed of perfect knowledge, com-
plete intelligence, none for God's trustworthy Companion who is ready to give
trust, a man eager for good works and honourable deeds, a man willing to spend
thousands and hundreds more in obedience to the Lord of the earth and of the
heavens.
And similar praise can be given to the rest of his noble and eminent
Companions who emigrated from the abode of disbelief and ignorance to that of
knowledge and Islam. May God be pleased with them all as long as light and dark
intermingle, and as long as the days and the nights follow one another in succes-
sion.
We have omitted many poems quoted by Ibn Ishsq, God bless him, due to our
fear of being long-winded and tiresome. There is enough in the poetry we have
given. And to God is all praise and credit.
Al-Umawi has stated in his work on the military expeditions, as follows, "I
heard my father say, and SulaymZn b. Arqam related to us, from Ibn Sirin, from
Aba Hurayra, that the Messenger of God (SAAS) expressed forgiveness for
the poetry before Islam. Sulaym;7n said, "Al-Zuhri reported that, saying, 'He
forgave it all except for two odes; one was the words of Umayya in which
he recalled those fallen at Badr, and the poem of al-A'sha in which he made
reference to a man with sunken eyes.'"
This is a strange hadith. And this Sulaymm b. Arqam is to be disregarded. But
God knows best.