In the twelfth year of the mission twelve individuals arrived from Madinah for the purpose of circumambulating the Ka’bah. They met his lordship the refuge of termination —u. w. b.—at A’qâbah,* where they paid him homage, and promised not to attribute partners to God, not to steal, neither to speak nor to act falsely, not to kill their [female] infants for fear of poverty, and not to transgress the commands of the apostle—u. w. b. His lordship the refuge of apostleship—u. w. b.—said to them: ‘If you keep this covenant, paradise will be your lot. But if you commit any sins excepting idolatry and infidelity your pardon or chastisement will depend on the will of God.’ The names of those twelve men are the following: Saa’d B. A’bâdah, Asaa’d B. Zarârah, A’wuf and Moa’adh the [two] sons of Ghufrân, Râfi’ B. Mâlek, Mundhar B. Ssâmat, Yazid B. Tha’lebah, O’tbah B. A’amer, Qottaybah B. A’amer B. Jadylah, Abu-l-hâshem B. Althyân, and A’wym B. Saa’dah. It is related of A’bâdah B. Ssâmat that he said: ‘We promised obedience to the apostle of Allah in prosperity and trouble, in wealth and in poverty.’
It is related that his lordship the apostle—u. w. b.—sent Mossa’b B. O’mayrah with the above-named twelve individuals to Madinah to spend his happy days in teaching them the Qurân and the principles of the religious Law. Mossa’b was a youth who had been brought up daintily by his parents, but when he became a Musalmân they persecuted him. During the confinement in the Shi’b [a hollow in Mekkah; see footnote 186], he was with his holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.—and shared all his hardships. He also knew by heart whatever had been revealed of the Qurân up to that time. Now, however, he proceeded by the advice of his lordship the apostle—u. w. b.—with the Anssâr to Madinah, alighted in the house of Asaa’d B. Zarârah, and visited the houses of the people, inviting them to profess the right religion and to walk in the straight path, whereon some attained the nobility of Islâm and became Musalmâns. One day Asaa’d B. Zarârah and Mossa’b B. O’mayrah went to the quarters of the Bani Azfar and of the Bani A’bdu-l-ashhal, who assembled around them, and the greater portion of them became converted. When Saa’d B. Ma’adh, who was the son of Asaa’d B. Zarârah’s aunt, and the highest chief of the tribe, heard this news he spoke to Syd Usyd B. Khazir as follows: ‘Abu Emâmah, namely Asaa’d B. Zarârah, has brought a stranger, and restrains the weak-minded among us from walking in the accustomed road; and, by Allah! if it were not for the ties of consanguinity I would finish him! Go now and prohibit him from carrying on that business.’ Usyd B. Khazir went with the short spear he had in his hand towards the people, and when the eyes of Asaa’d alighted upon him he said: ‘This is one of the best and noblest men of the tribe; if he professes the Faith, a great multitude will follow him. When Usyd B. Khazir had arrived close to them he stopped and, [ironically] smiling in his great anger, asked: ‘Why do you come to our dwellings and befool the intellects of the weak-minded among us?’ Aasa’d replied: ‘O Abu Yahia, thou art a man adorned with a perfect understanding, and decorated with the accomplishments of knowledge. Sit down a little, and condescend to hearken awhile to enable thee to receive and to assent to our proposal, or we will endeavour to remove any objections thou mayest offer.’ Usyd replied: ‘Thou hast spoken justly,’ stuck his short spear into the ground, and sat down. Mossa’b, however, began, after a suitable prelude, to recite portions of the Qurân, and to invite Usyd to profess the Faith. Asaa’d and Mossa’b reported: ‘We swear by God that before Usyd ever spoke one word the light of Islâm became visible on his person; and when Mossa’b had ended his recital, Usyd asked: ‘What do you when you enter Islâm?’ They replied: ‘Wash thyself, put on clean garments, and having pronounced the Kalimat [i.e., confession of the Faith] of monotheism, hold orisons with two prayer-flexions, for we have done so.’ Usyd complied, and, after making his profession of the Faith, continued: ‘If there be any men of my tribe desirous to follow my example, no one can impede them.’ After that he rose and went to Saa’d B. Ma’adh. When the latter beheld him, he exclaimed: ‘I swear by God that Usyd B. Khazir has not returned in the same manner as he had departed.’ Then he asked: ‘What hast thou done?’ He replied: ‘I have threatened and prohibited them; but I have heard that they wish thee ill, that they want to murder the son of thy aunt, namely Assa’d B. Zarârah, and so break the treaty between themselves and thee.’ Usyd’s object in making this assertion was to induce Saa’d B. Ma’adh to go to them and to protect the son of his aunt.’ Saa’d then rose angrily, and said: ‘Thou hast done nothing;’ and, taking hold of his hand, he proceeded towards them. When Asaa’d B. Zarârah beheld Saa’d B. Ma’adh, he said to Mossa’b: ‘By Allah! before he ever professed Islâm I perceived the signs thereof on his countenance. This man is the prince of his tribe, and if he follows us no one will resist.’ When Saa’d came near them he spoke words similar to those uttered before by Usyd, and received the same answer from Asaa’d. When Saa’d took a seat, Mossa’b proposed Islâm to him, and said: ‘In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Clement! This is a revelation from the Merciful and Compassionate.’ (Mossa’b said, By Allah! before Saa’d ever mentioned his intention of embracing Islâm, I perceived the signs of it on his face.) Then Saa’d despatched a person to his house—by the advice of Mossa’b—to bring clean garments, and after he had pronounced the Kalimat [formula] of monotheism, and held devotions with two prayer-flexions, he returned to his tribe and shouted: ‘Let all men and women come forth from their houses, because this day is not a day of retirement.’ When the people had assembled, he said: ‘O people, what is my position among you? And how am I known among you?’ They replied: ‘We consider thee to be the highest and best of us, and obey thee. Order whatever thou pleasest, for thy commands are a law unto us.’ Saa’d continued: ‘It is illicit to your men and to your women to speak to me, until you believe in Allah and in the veracity of Muhammad as His elected one.’ The chronicler says: ‘I swear by Allah that on the said day neither a man nor a woman was left in the tribe Bani A’bdu-l-ashhal but became a Musalmân.’ After that Mossa’b invited the inhabitants of Madinah with the greatest publicity to profess Islâm, and they did so in crowds. Most of the nobles of the tribes Awus and Khazraj having been invested with the robe of the Faith, Mossa’b reported in detail all the conversions that had taken place, and was also himself admitted to the honour of kissing the feet of his holy and prophetic lordship.