170 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMADHer story is very well known and related from various paths all confirming one
another.The Story of Umm Ma'bad al-Khuza'iyya.
Yanus stated, from Ibn Ishxq, "The Messenger of God (SAAS) stayed at the
tent of Umm Ma'bad, whose name was CXtika, daughter of Khalaf h. Ma'bad h.
Rabi'a b. Avram. The travellers wanted a meal served but she said, 'We have no
food, no milch-camel and the only ewes we have are in heat.'
"The Messenger of God (SAAS) then asked to be brought one of her sheep.
He wiped its teat with his hand, said a prayer and it gave milk into a tumbler,
foaming. He said, 'Drink this, Umm Ma'bad!' She replied, 'No, you drink it; you
have more right to it than me.' But he gave it hack to her and she did drink it.
He then called for another ewe in heat and did the same as before and this time
he drank it. He then called for another ewe, did the same and gave it to his guide
to drink. Again he did the same, giving it now to 'Arnir. And then they left.
"The Quraysh men, searching for the Messenger of God (SAAS), eventually
came to Umm Ma'bad and asked her about him, saying, 'Have you seen
Muhammad who looks so-and-so?' And they described him to her.
"She replied, 'I don't know what you are saying, though a young man did
come and get milk from ewes in heat.'
"'That's the one we want,' the Quraysh man told her."
The hafis Aha Bakr al-Bazm stated that Muhammad b. Macmar related to him
from Yacqiib b. M&ammad, from 'Abd al-Ra)?m%n b. Wqba b. 'Abd al-Ra)?m%n
b. Jzbir b. 'Abd All&, who quoted his father as having related that Jzbir stated,
"When the Messenger of God (SAAS) and Aba Bakr left as Emigrants and
entered the cave, there was a crevice that Aha Bakr blocked off with his heel until
morning, for fear that something might come out at the Messenger of God
(SAW.
"They stayed in the cave for three nights, then left and stayed at the tents of
Urnm Ma'bad. She sent him the message, '1 see handsome faces; the tribal quarter
is better equipped to honour you than I am.'
"That evening, while staying there in her camp, she sent over to them with a
young son of hers, a ewe and a broad knife. The Messenger of God (SAAS) said,
'Take back the knife and bring us a farrq,' that is a qadah, a bowl. She sent back
a message that the ewe had no milk and had no lamb. He said, 'Do send us a
bowl.' She brought one and he tapped the ewe on the back and it ruminated, and
milk streamed forth. He filled the howl and drank, gave it to Abn Bakr to drink,
took more mlk and sent it to Umm Ma'bad."
Then al-Bazza stated, "We know of this anecdote being related only through
this one chain. And regarding 'Abd al-wm~ b. Wqba, the only person we know
who quoted from hi was Ya'qab b. Muhammad, even though his ancestry was
well known."