IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' ISMK?L IBN KATH~R 29"'If what my nephew has said is so, then you should recognize that and, by
God, we will never surrender him to you before the last of us is dead!
"'But if what he said is false, then we will deliver hi to you for you to kill or
to spare his life.'
"'We'll agree to that', they replied.
"They then opened up the deed and found that he (Muhammad), the truth-
ful and the trustworthy (SAAS) had proved correct. When Quraysh saw it to be
as Aba Tdib had said, they said, 'By God, this has to be some magic done by
your man! '
"They then reneged and reverted to even worse impiety and violence against
the Messenger of God (SAAS) than before, doing their best to destroy him as
they had formerly compacted.
"That group of men of the Banii 'Abd d-Munalib responded by saying, 'It is
others, not us, who are more blameworthy in telling ties and using magic. We
very well know that the boycott of us you agreed on was closer to sorcery and
magic than what we did. If you had not agreed to use magic the deeds before you
would not have been spoiled and God's name would not have been erased while
reference to your evil was retained. Is it we who rely on magic, or you?'"
"Thereafter some men of 'Abd Manaf and Qusayy, along with those of Quraysh
born to women of the Banii Hashim, including Abn al-Bakhturi, al-M~$~im b.
'Adi, Zuhayr b. Aba Umayya b. al-Mughira, Zam'a b. al-Aswad and Hish- b.
'Amr, of the Bana 'Amir b. Lu'ayy (the last-mentioned having had charge of the
deed), along with other prominent members of their community, stated that they
disavowed the action.
"To this Abii Jahl, God damn him, responded, LBut this matter is not revoc-
able! '
"Abii Tab spoke verses regarding their deed and praised the men who had
disavowed their former agreement, and he also commended the Negus."
Al-Bayhaqi stated, "Our sheikh, Abii 'Abd Allah, the ha&?, also related it
thus, that is through Ibn Lahi'a, from Abii al-Aswad, from Wrwa b. d-Zubayr,
meaning in the same context as that given by Masa b. CUqba, God bless hi."
We have previously told of Masa b. Wqba that he stated, "The migration to
Abyssinia only occurred following their entry into the enclave, and was the result
of the Messenger of God (SAAS) having told them to do so." But God knows
best.
I observe that it is most likely that Abn Tdib spoke his lamiyya, his ode
rhyming in 'l', as previously quoted, also only after they went into the enclave.
And so making reference to it here is most appropriate. But God knows best.
Thereafter al-Bayhaqi related, through Yiinus, from Muhammad b. Ishaq, as
having said, "When the Messenger of God (SAAS) set out to fulfil the mission
entrusted to him, the Banii Hashim and the Bana d-Muttalib undertook to