IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' ISMA?L IBN KATHER 133the son of 'Abd Allah - who said, 'The Messenger of God (SAAS) said to the
an@- leaders, LLWill you then give me refuge and protect me?" "Yes," they said,
"and what will we receive?" "Paradise," he replied."'
Al-Bazzar then added, "We know of this hadith only from this one chain of
authorities back to Jabir."Ibn Ishaq then related, from Ma'bad, from 'Abd Allah, from his father Ka'b b.
MaIik, who said, "That night we went to bed among our people in our caravan.
But when one-third of the night had passed, we left the caravan to attend the
rendezvous with the Messenger of God (SAAS). We slipped away, keeping our-
selves hidden like sand-grouse and met in the defile at al-'Aqaba. We were 73
men in number and two of our women accompanied us, Nasiba, daughter of
Ka'b, mother of Wmara, a wife from the Banii Main b. d-NajjSr, and Asma),
daughter of 'Amr b. 'Adi b. Niibi, one of the wives of the Banii Salama, she being
the mother of Mani'."
Ibn Ishaq quoted from an account of Yanus b. Bukayr, giving their names and
genealogies and the information that some sources give their number as 70; but
the Arabs (i.e. the bedouin, tr.) often deal only in round numbers.
Wrwa b. al-Zubayr and Masa b. Wqha stated, "They were 70 in number,
with one woman." He also said that 40 of them were adult, while 30 were youths,
the youngest of them being Abii Mas'iid and Jabir b. 'Abd All&.
Ka'b b. Malik stated, "When we met at the defile we waited and the
Messenger of God (SAAS) did come, accompanied by alLCAbb% b. 'Abd
al-Muc$lib. At that time al-'Abbas was still following his people's religion,
although he was keeping track of his nephew's affairs and watching over him.
"When they sat down, the first to speak was d-'Abbas b. 'Abd al-Mut$lib,
who said, '0 Khazraj' - the Arabs used to know the an@r as Khazraj, whether
they were Khazraj or Aws - 'Muhammad holds with us a position of which you
are aware. We protect him from our people who think about him as we do. He is
respected among his people and safe in his own town. But he is determined to
join up with you. If you thimk you will keep trust with him in the invitation you
have given him and will protect him from his opponents, then it's up to you to
accept your responsibilities. But if you think you might deliver him over and
abandon him after he has joined you, then leave him right now. He does have
respect and protection among his own people and in his town.'
"We replied, 'We hear what you say. Speak to us, 0 Messenger of God, and
take for yourself and for your Lord whatever you want.'
"The Messenger of God (SAAS) then spoke, recited the Qur'an, invited
people to God and acclaimed Islam. He said, 'I ask you to pledge that you will
defend me as you do your women and children.'
"Al-Bar2 b. Ma'miir then took him by the hand and said, 'Yes indeed; we
will, I swear by Him who sent you with the truth, protect you as we do our
women from whatever threatens them. We pledge ourselves to you, 0