IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' ISMA'iL IBN KATHiR 321that will make you rejoice. A spy has come to me from your land and has told me
that God has given victory to his Prophet, defeated his enemy, taken captive
so-and-so and so-and-so, and killed so-and-so and so-and-so. The forces met in
a valley called Badr where many thorny trees grow. It's as if I can see it now, for
I used to look after camels there for my master, a man of the Banii Damra.'"
"'Jacfar then asked the Negus, "Why are you sitting on the ground, without
even a carpet, dressed in those old clothes?" He replied, "We agree with what
God sent down to Jesus - that it is the duty of God's worshippers to behave in
humility when God performs some favour for them. Since God has favoured me
with the victory of his Prophet (SAAS), I am acting in humility in this way for
him.""?Chapter: On the am'nal of the news of those stricken at Badr to their families in Mecca.Ibn Isbq stated, "The first to amve in Mecca with news of the Quraysh casualties
at Badr was al-Haysumm b. 'Abd All& al-Khmci. When he was asked for news,
he reported the deaths of Wtha b. Rabi'a, Shayba b. RabT'a, Ahn al-Hakam b.
Hishm, Umayya b. Khalaf, Zam'a b. al-Aswad, Nuhayh and Munabbah, and Abii
al-Bakhtari b. Hish.
"As he ennumerated the Quraysh nobles, Safwan h. Umayya commented,
'That makes no sense; ask him about me!' So they asked him what had happened
to Safwm b. Umayya, and he responded, 'He's over there, sitting in the hijr; I
saw the deaths of his father and his brother when they were killed.'"
Miisa b. Wqba stated, "When the news reached Mecca and was verified, the
women cut off their hair; and many horses and riding camels were slaughtered."
Al-Suhayli recounted, from the book Dal@il (The Signs) of @sim b. Thzhit,
whose author said that at the time of the battle of Badr the people of Mecca heard
a spirit calling out,
'The hanifs brought a battle to bear at Badr because of
which the power of Chosroe and Caesar will collapse,
It sent men of Lu'ayy to their death, and brought forth
unmarried women to smke the ground in despair.
Woe to him who becomes Muhammad's enemy, deliberately
straying from the right path and gemng lost!"Ibn Ishaq stated, "Husayn b. 'Abd Allah b. Wbayd All& b. 'Abbzs related to me,
fiom (Ikrirna, the freed-man of Ibn 'Abbzs, who said, 'AbU R;lfic, the freed-man
of the Messenger of God (SAAS) said, "I was a slave of al-'Abbzs h. 'Abd
al-Mut~lib at the time when Islam had entered us, the people of the house. Al-
'Abbas accepted Islam, as did Umm al-Fadl and myself as well. AlLCAbh% was
concerned about his people and disliked opposing them and so he concealed his
acceptance of Islam. He was a man of great wealth that was scattered amongst his
people. Abn Lahab had stayed behind from Badr and had sent al-'As b. Hisb