196 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD"'He then commented, 'LThis, 0 Messenger of God, is what I feared."'"
Al-Bukhari related this from 'Ahd b. Humayd from 'Abd Allah b. Ahii Bakr.
And he also related it from Hamid b. Wmar, from Bishr h. al-MuFd?&al, from
Humayd.Muhammad h. Ishaq stated, 'Abd Allah h. Ahii Bakr related to me, from Yahya
b. 'Abd Allah, from a man of the family of 'Abd Allnh h. Salam, who said,
"Included in the statement reported as having been made by 'Ahd Allah b.
Salam, a learned rabbi, at his conversion to Islam, is the following, 'At Quba' I
heard of the Messenger of God (SAAS), and learned of his name, qualities and
appearance, and that his coming was at a time when we were expecting him. I
none the less remained secretive about this and silent until he came to Medina.
"'When he arrived in Quh~', he stayed among the Baua 'Amr b. 'Awf. A man
came and told me of his arrival; at that time I was at work at the top of a date-
palm and my aunt Khalida, daughter of al-Haith, was sitting below me.
"'When I heard the news of his arrival, I loudly praised God, and my aunt
exclaimed, upon hearing that, "Why, you'd not have been more pleased at hear-
ing of the coming of Moses, son of Aaron!"
"'I told her, 'LYes indeed, Aunt. He is, I swear, the very brother of Moses, son
of Aaron, and recognizing the same faith. He has been given the same mission
assigned to Moses."
"'She responded, "0 Nephew, is he the one whom we were told would be sent
with news of Judgement Day?" "Yes," I told her, and she said, "Then so it is
he."'
"'Abd All* continued, 'So I went to the Messenger of God (SAAS) and
embraced Islam, returned to my household and ordered them to do the same. I
kept my acceptance of Islam from my people, and told the Messenger of God
(SAAS), "The Jews are a people of liars; I would like you to let me inside a house
of yours, hide me from them, then ask them about me what status I have among
them before you tell them of my conversion to Islam. If they knew that they would
call me unreliable and would speak ill of me."' The account then continues
approximately as above.
"'Abd Allah continued, 'I then openly declared the acceptance of Islam by
myself and by my household; my aunt Khalida, daughter of al-ui%rith, also
accepted the faith."'
Y~UUS b. Bukayr quoted Muhammad b. Ishaq as follows, "'Ahd Allah b. Abii
Bakr related to me, quoting someone, from Safiyya, daughter of Huyay, who
said, 'None of the children of my father or my uncle were more popular with
them both than I was. Whatever child of theirs wanted their attention it was
always me they put first. When the Messenger of God (SAAS) came to Qubn',
the village of the Bana 'Amr h. 'Awf, my father and my uncle, Aba Yasir b.
Akh@h, went to him early in the morning and only returned at sunset, so tired
out that they could scarcely walk, staggering from exhaustion. I raced over to