ABU BASSYR COMES FROM MEKKAH TO MADINAH, BUT AGAIN RETURNS, BY ORDER OF HIS LORDSHIP THE REFUGE OF APOSTLESHIP—U. W. B.

When the prince of existences—the most excellent salutations to him!—returned from the station of Hoday­biah and arrived in Madinah, Abu Bassyr, who was an ally of Abu Zohrah, professed the faith, fled from Mekkah, and, performing the journey on foot, arrived in the space of seven days in Madinah. On that occasion Ahsan B. Sharyq and Azhar B. A’bd A’wuf wrote a letter to the apostle of God and sent it by a man named Kawther, of the tribe Bani A’amer. This epistle of the idolaters Abu B. Ka’b conveyed to his lordship, who learnt from the contents thereof that he was in conformity with the Treaty of Peace of Hodaybiah required to send back Abu Bassyr. His holy and prophetic lordship accordingly surrendered the man to them, whereon Abu Bassyr exclaimed: ‘O apostle of God, sendest thou me to the idolaters, who will certainly persecute and injure me, and will suggest to me doubts concerning my religion?’ But his lordship answered: ‘Verily thou knowest that we have made a treaty with the Qoraish, and that treachery is against our religion.’

Distich:

A man who breaks a treaty Is capable also of any other crime.

He also said: ‘Depart, therefore, and God will comfort thee and the Musalmâns [who are in Mekkah].’ The noble companions likewise took affectionate leave of Abu Bassyr, whereon the above-mentioned two idolaters started with him to Mekkah. When they reached Dhu-l-halyfah they halted to rest themselves, but Abu Bassyr entered the mosque, prayed with two flexions, and then placed his provisions in front of himself, offering them also to his two companions, who, however, replied: ‘We have no need of thy food.’ Then Abu Bassyr said with perfect kindness and affability: ‘Had you invited me to partake of your victuals, I would have complied with your wish.’ Hereat they were ashamed, brought forth their food, and all ate together. They were conversing with each other familiarly; Abu Bassyr asked for the name and genealogy of the A’ameri, and said: ‘Thy sword appears to be a good one.’ The A’ameri then drew it from the scabbard, and said: ‘It is a very excellent sword; I have often tried it, and found it efficient.’ Abu Bassyr replied: ‘Show me the sabre, that I may examine it.’ Hereon the A’ameri, being careless and unsuspicious, gave his sharp scimitar to Abu Bassyr, whereon the latter killed him with a single blow of it. Kawther [the surviving A’ameri] made his appearance in Madinah about the afternoon prayers, and waited on his lordship, who, catching sight of him from a distance, said: ‘This is a man who has returned.’ According to another tradition, he said: ‘Verily this man is frightened.’ While this man was relating that he had escaped death, and was even now in danger of being killed, Abu Bassyr also arrived, girded with the sword of the [killed] A’ameri and riding on a camel. He waited on his lordship, and said: ‘O apostle of God, thou hast kept thy word, and hast sent me back, but God the Most High and Glorious has delivered me from their hands.’ His lordship replied: ‘He would indeed be a firebrand of war if anyone were to aid him.’ By these words he alluded to the flight of Abu Bassyr, and hinted that the professors of Islâm, who were guarded and restrained in Mekkah, ought to [follow his example and] join him. Therefore as soon as Abu Bassyr had understood the import of these words he fled imme­diately, not halting in any place till he reached the station of A’yss, which was on the seashore. Fârûq then sent to the professors of monotheism, who were confined in Mekkah, a message of what his lordship the apostle— u. w. b.—had said concerning Abu Bassyr, and when Abu Jundal had heard these words he preferred flight to per­manency, and joined Abu Bassyr. In course of time the Musalmâns fled one by one [from Mekkah] to join him, so that, according to the tradition giving the smallest number, at least seventy of them assembled around him, and as the caravans of the Qoraish usually passed through that locality [i.e., the station of A’yss], they watched their opportunity and plundered them. The idolaters being dis­tressed by this proceeding, despatched Abu Sofyân B. Harb to his lordship—u. w. b.—to request him through the intercession of another individual [who had influence with the prophet] to summon Abu Bassyr and his comrades to Madinah, and [this having been done] the Qoraish revoked the condition [of the Treaty of Hodaybiah] that any one of them taking refuge with Muhammad should be surrendered to them. Therefore that manifester of pity complied with the request of the opponents, and wrote a letter to Abu Bassyr ordering him and his friends to come to Madinah; that epistle, however, reached Abu Bassyr when he was in the agony of death. He nevertheless took it into his hands, rubbed it over his face, complaining of the hardship of separation, till he was received into the mercy of God and [departed] to the gardens of paradise. Abu Jundal with all his companions shrouded and buried Abu Bassyr, started for Madinah, and after performing the journey waited on the prince of former and of latter days.