“Omm A’mmârah, this man has wounded thy son.”’ Nasybah says: ‘I struck the leg of that infidel with my sabre so that he fell, whereat the apostle of Allah laughed so heartily that his teeth became visible. He said: “Thou hast had thy revenge,” and after the idolater had departed to the regions of hell, he exclaimed: “Thanks be to God, who has caused thee to vanquish thy foe!”’ It is related of the above-mentioned A’bdullah that he said: ‘At the time when my mother was fighting around his lordship the refuge of prophecy—u. w. b.—she received a blow which made her blood flow abundantly. Therefore his lordship shouted to me: “Aid thy mother!” He also said: “May God bless you! You are of my family. Verily thou art better than such and such a one of my family. May God have mercy on thee!” (Let it not remain hidden that Nasybah had A’bdullah by Zayd B. A’assum, who had been her husband before A’dhar.) My mother said: “O apostle of God, pray that in paradise I may be one of thy com­panions.” Accordingly his lordship raised his blessed hands in supplication, and uttered the words: “O God, make them my companions in paradise.” My mother said: “After that I cared for no calamity which might befall me.”’

It is said that Nasybah was present also in the battle of Yamâmah, and it is recorded of her that she said: ‘On the day of Yamâmah I came to the battle-field with the intention to fight. My son was also present with me, and when the army of Moseylâmah the liar was put to flight by the army of Islâm, and had taken refuge in the “garden of death,” which had before been called the “garden of the merciful,” the Musalmâns pursued them, and a fearful struggle took place at the door of the garden, where Abu Dujjânah the Anssâri attained martyrdom. At last, how­ever, the banner of Khâled B. Alwolyd, who was the com­mander of the army, had been uplifted, and the professors of Islâm threw themselves into the garden. I joined those happy warriors, and united with them in searching for Moseylâmah, but suddenly one of these miserable fellows struck me with his sword, which severed my hand from my body. I swear by God that I returned to the battle in spite of that wound, and saw him killed after a short while, my son A’bdullah standing near his head, and cleaning his sabre from his blood. On that occasion I offered my prostrations of thankfulness to God, and engaged in curing my wounds.’ Some historians narrate that during the Khalifate of Fârûq a fine robe was brought into the assembly, and that those who were present said: ‘O Amir, give this robe to Ssafyah, the spouse of thy son, for she is a new bride.’ O’mar replied: ‘I shall send this dress to one who deserves it more than any other lady.’ Then he despatched the garment to Omm A’mmârah, and said to the company present in that assembly: ‘On the day of Ohod, when the army of Islâm had been dispersed, his holy and prophetic lordship had been slightly wounded, but Satan exclaimed: “Muhammad has been killed!” Therefore the Musalmâns were confused, and ran helter-skelter to Madinah, where the same news had spread, and the people, being terrified, were inclined to commit suicide. Some, however, went to Ohod, and the first man who recog­nised his lordship on the way was Ka’b B. Mâlek, who relates this interview as follows: “The eyes of his lordship were shining like stars, and I exclaimed: ‘O ye Anssâr! this is the apostle of God sound and safe.’ But the prophet beckoned to me to be silent.”’ Wâqidi relates that the prophet had put his cuirass on Ka’b, and that of Ka’b on himself. Ka’b fought valiantly, and received seventeen wounds.

When the companions knew that the apostle was alive they gathered around him from all sides. He proceeded to the pass of Ohod, and wished them to go to the mountain. A big stone was, however, in the way, to which he was unable to climb on account of fatigue. Accordingly Ttolhah sat down, and his lordship, placing his blessed foot on his back, stepped up to the rock, and said that Ttolhah had a claim to paradise.

When the battle-field had been abandoned by the warriors of the age in conformity with the saying,

Distich:

When the valiant lion leaves the desert, Then the jackal becomes alert,

Hind with all the women of the advocates of hostility entered among the slain Musalmâns, and excepting only Hanttalah —the death of which happy individual has already been recorded above—they ripped open the abdomen of every one of the killed, took out the liver, and having cut off the ears and noses of the martyrs, they made of them neck­laces and bracelets for themselves. When the opponents were about to return to Mekkah, they wished to ascertain whether the prince of existences was among the living or the dead. Abu Sofyân approached the mountain, and shouted: ‘Is Muhammad among you?’ But by order of the prince of the favourites [of God] his companions gave no reply. He again exclaimed: ‘Is the son of Abu Kohâfah [i.e., Abu Bakr] among the people?’ This time they also remained silent, and when he asked the third time for O’mar, he likewise heard no answer, turned to his co-religionists, and said: ‘All those whose names I called out have been killed, because had they been alive they would have answered.’ At these words O’mar lost his patience, and exclaimed: ‘O enemy of God, thou hast lied! Those whom thou wouldst not have to live are still alive.’ After that Abu Sofyân commenced to praise his idol, saying: ‘Hobal is the highest.’ And by order of his holy and pro­phetic lordship—u. w. b.—the people replied: ‘Allah is the highest and the most glorious.’ Abu Sofyân continued: ‘Honour we have, and you have none.’ The companions answered by the command of his lordship: ‘God is our Lord, and not yours.’ Abu Sofyân said: ‘One day for another, and battles are judicial decrees’—meaning that this day was a requital for the fight at Bedr, and that wars are prophecies, inclining the victory sometimes to one side and sometimes to the other. He also said: ‘Your slain combatants have been dishonoured; not by my orders, but I am not angry at that. The next meeting between you and us will be at Bedr during the coming year.’ The com­panions replied by command of the prophet: ‘Let it be so.’ After that Abu Sofyân returned disappointed and hopeless to Mekkah with the army of aberration. His lordship, however, and his companions were apprehensive lest the idolaters might go to Madinah and plunder it. Therefore his lordship the apostle of men and demons ordered A’li Abu-r-ryhân* Bin Abu Tâleb—u. w. b.—to follow them, and to bring correct information. On that occasion he uttered with his wonderfully eloquent tongue the words: ‘If they are riding camels and leading their horses they are going to Mekkah, but if they are mounted on their horses and leading their camels they are marching to Madinah; and if they are going there I shall forestall and punish them.’ A’li acted as he was bid, and brought the news that the idolaters were going to Mekkah.

It is related that when the rumour that the apostle had been killed spread in Madinah, Fattimah Zohra—u. w. b.— and a number of the ladies of the family hastily proceeded to the battle-field. When the apple of the eye of the Mussttafa—u. w. b.—saw her father with his teeth broken, wounded, and suffering, she wept. She embraced his lordship the apostle, who was also much affected. A’li B. Abu Tâleb brought a jug of water, wherewith Fattimah washed off the blood from the face of that prince. It is said that although Fattimah tried much to stanch the blood of the apostle’s wound, she was unable to succeed, until at last she found a piece of matting, burnt it, and stopped the blood by spreading the ashes of it over the spot.

It is related that when the idolaters returned to Mekkah, the Musalmâns went in search of the wounded and killed. On that occasion his holy and prophetic lordship asked: ‘What is the matter with Hamzah, that I do not see him?’ Accordingly A’li—u. w. b.—went to look for him, and when he discovered his mutilated corpse he wept. He immediately returned and informed the apostle, who accompanied him in his own august person, and when he saw that Hamzah’s ears and nose had been cut off, he became very sad and melancholy, and swore on oath that if he obtained an opportunity he would disembowel seventy of the polytheists. Then Jebrâil descended, bringing the verse: ‘If you have been punished, then punish them as you have been punished; but if you are patient it will be better.’ Accordingly the apostle said, ‘I shall be patient,’ and gave up his intention.

Some writers of biographies and of the sayings of the prophet relate that his lordship prayed over the corpse of Hamzah, and that every martyr brought was placed near the latter and prayed over, so that seventy prayers were recited over Hamzah. All the U’lâma who have written histories on biographies agree that the martyrs were not washed, but interred in their blood-sprinkled garments. His lordship also ordered every corpse to be buried where it was found, so that any person who had carried away a dead body was obliged to bring it back. All those, however, whom the prophet loved were buried together in one grave. During the latter part of the day his lordship marched back to Madinah, and the men, together with the women of every tribe they passed through, rendered thanks for the safety of his holy and prophetic essence—u. w. b.—saying: ‘Any calamity besides that of losing thee is trifling and easy to bear.’ They spoke thus, although most of them were in affliction and mourning. When the apostle arrived at Madinah, he heard sounds of lamentation—uttered by women—issuing from the majority of the Anssâr habita­tions; but hearing no voice issuing from Hamzah’s house, he asked: ‘Has Hamzah no women here to bemoan him?’ When Sa’d B. Ma’adh and Asyd B. Khadzyr, with all the Anssâr, heard these words, they said to their women: ‘Go first to Hamzah’s house and weep for him. Then return to your own domiciles and cry for your own relatives.’ Accordingly the Anssâr women went between evening and bedtime to the house of the apostle’s uncle and lamented nearly till midnight. Then his lordship awoke from his sleep, and asked: ‘What noise is this?’ But being informed of the true state of the case, he said: ‘May God reward you, your children, and your children’s children!’