During this year [i.e., the ninth year after the Flight] when his holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.—had returned from Tabuk, crowds upon crowds arrived from the various Arab tribes, were blessed by making a profession of the Faith, and made happy by meeting the apostle of God. The numbers of those persons amounted to such multitudes that this year was surnamed ‘the year of the Wofûd.’ It was the custom of his lordship the apostle, on the arrival of each Wofod, to don nice robes, to order his companions to dress in clean clothes, and to adorn themselves with costly garments. He also ordered the Wofûd to be accommodated in good and clean houses, and to be entertained in the most hospitable manner. On their departure they were presented with gifts and provisions, so that they returned to their countries and dwelling-places full of joy and gratitude.
Among the number of the Wofûd, who were during this year admitted to the felicity of the hand-kiss, was also the Wofod of the Bani Murrah, which took place as follows: Thirteen individuals of the tribe Murrah had arrived together, made a profession of Islâm, and addressed the prophet as follows: ‘O apostle of God, we are the kinsmen and relatives of thy people, because we are connected with the district [lit., flag] of the Bani Ghâleb.’ His holy and prophetic lordship smiled at this assertion, and asked: ‘What is the state of your country?’ But as those people suffered from dearth and famine, they requested his lordship to pray for them. His lordship accordingly turned his face towards the Qiblah of petition and said: ‘O God, water them with rain!’ He then ordered Ballâl to rejoice every one of them with ten Oqyahs of silver, and honoured their chief, whose name was Hareth B. A’wuf, with a gift of twelve Oqyahs of silver. When that company had attained their purpose and returned to their tribe, they learned on inquiry that the very day when the above prayer had been uttered, a beneficent rain had actually fallen in their country.
Another Wofod was that of A’amer B. Ssa’ssa’h, which took place as follows: ‘A’amer B. Attafyl B. Mâlek B. Ja’fer B. Kallâb and Arbad B. Rabya’h or Arbad B. Hatys —according to two different traditions—had arrived during this year with a company of the Bani A’amer in Madinah. But A’amer had previously made an arrangement with Arbad which he expressed in the following words: ‘While I engage Muhammad in conversation thou must approach him from the rear, and relieve us of all our apprehensions by despatching him with thy sword.’ When they entered the august assembly, A’amer said: ‘O Muhammad, what will be my lot if I become a Musalmân?’ His lordship replied: ‘That of Musalmâns.’ A’amer continued: ‘Make me thy successor after thy demise.’ His lordship said: ‘That position cannot be attained by thy nation or tribe.’ A’amer continued: ‘If thou wilt not comply with my demand, then appoint me to be the commander and governor of the inhabitants of the desert.’ But the apostle of God placed the hand of refusal upon the breast of his petition, and said: ‘I shall make thee officer and commandant of a detachment of cavalry, and employ thee to fight for the religion of God.’ A’amer said: ‘I am at present the chief of such a company, and I swear by God that I shall go and collect an army of infantry and cavalry, numerous as locusts, to calculate the number whereof will exceed the powers of imagination, and shall attack thee therewith.’ After uttering these words, A’amer departed from the august assembly with Arbad, whom he reproached for having omitted to do what he had promised, but Arbad replied: ‘I swear by God that I intended to strike Muhammad with my sword, but thou wast between him and me.’ When these two wicked men had gone away, his holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.—cursed them. His prayer met with the honour of response, so that A’amer as well as Arbad were punished for their wicked intentions and evil deeds; the latter was, by a decree of Divine providence, struck dead by lightning; and the former became affected with a gland swelling in his throat. Alighting in a journey at the house of a Salulyah woman, he said to himself: ‘This gland is like the gland of the camel of death,’ and again departing from the house of the woman, he mounted his horse, but departed to hell whilst on this journey.
Another Wofod was that of the Bani Asad, ten men of whom had arrived in Madinah, had become Musalmâns, and, desiring their merit to become known, said: ‘We have started on the journey in a year of famine and distress; we performed the journey without being attacked by foes, and have arrived in this country by our own free will and choice, and we have embraced Islâm.’ With reference to this event, the blessed verse, ‘They upbraid thee that they have embraced Islâm; rather Allah upbraideth you that he hath directed you to the Faith if ye speak sincerely,’* was revealed.
Another Wofod was that of the Bani Albakâ, wherein also Moa’wiah B. Thôr B. A’bad B. Albakâ, who was one hundred years old, is said to have been present with his son Bashar. Moa’wiah spoke to the world-adorning mind of his holy and prophetic lordship—blessing, etc.— as follows: ‘I request thee to place thy auspicious hand on some of the limbs of my son Bashar, who stands to me in the relation of a son to his father, and has treated me very kindly.’ That prince accordingly touched his head and face, presented him with several goats, and pronounced a blessing upon them; and it is related that when famine and distress befell the country of the Bani Albakâ, the people of Moa’wiah remained free from the affliction thereof.
Another Wofod was that of the Bani Najyb, thirteen men of which tribe arrived, bringing the legal alms due for their property and cattle. His holy and prophetic lordship —u. w. b.—was highly pleased with their arrival, and issued orders for their accommodation in a good place. When they informed his lordship that they had brought their share of the Dzakât, he replied: ‘Take it back to your country and distribute it among the poor and needy.’ They, however, rejoined: ‘We have brought only what was over and above the necessities of the poor.’ It is related that when the Wofod of the Bani Najyb made inquiries about all the duties and obligations of the religion, his holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.—granted them longer interviews, and was more kind to them than to other people. He also gave them more presents than to others, and asked them: ‘Is there any one among you who has not received his gift?’ They replied: ‘There is a young man, inferior in age to all of us, and we have left him in our lodgings to take care of our baggage and cattle.’ His lordship said: ‘After you have returned to your quarters you must send that youth to me.’ They did as they were bidden, and when the young man entered the august assembly, he said: ‘O apostle of God, I am one of that company which has just waited on thee. Their necessities and requests have been responded to; please to comply also with my petition.’ His lordship asked: ‘What is thy request?’ The youth continued: ‘I swear by God that I have not left my country and arrived here with the intention of obtaining worldly goods from thee such as thou hast vouchsafed to bestow upon the others. But my reason for troubling thee is, that thou pray to God the Most High to wash off the volumes of my transgressions with the water of pardon, and to save, by the outpourings of forgiveness, this my body of clay from the fire of hell; also to relieve my heart of all covetousness for mundane possessions, and to make me content with poverty.’ When his holy and prophetic lordship—t. b. o. A. o. h. a. o. h. f.—became aware of the high aspirations of this individual more exalted than those of his peers, he uttered the following prayer with his blessed mouth, which was the interpreter of Divine mysteries: ‘O God, pardon him, have mercy on him, and cause his riches to dwell in his heart.’ Then he presented him with an amount equal to the sum of what all his companions had received; whereon those men returned to their tribe. It is related that during the Hajjatu-l-wodaa’ [the pilgrimage of valediction] his holy and prophetic lordship —u. w. b.—afterwards [again] met some of those individuals at Menâ, inquired about the young man, and they replied: ‘O apostle of God, we have never seen nor heard of a man more happy or noble than he, but in the balance of his aspirations the whole world, with all its contents, weighs not more than a gnat.’ Though numberless Wofûd had arrived during this year in the honoured city of Madinah, only the above ones have been recorded in this work, lest it should become too prolix. Farewell.