Chapter Seven: Courage and Propriety in al-Hudaibiyah

Encyclopedia of Imam Ali (AS), written by Muhammad Muhammadi Rayshahri, abridged by Mahdi Gholamali, translated by Zaid Alsalami and Safyullah Khan, edited by Hamid Reza Salarkia and published by NORPUB.

28. الإرشاد عن فايد مولى عبد اللّه بن سالم:

28. Al-Irshad, narrating from Fayid, the retainer of `Abdullah ibn Salim who said:

 لَمّا خَرَجَ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله في عُمرَةِ الحُدَيبِيَّةِ

“When the Messenger of Allah (SA) went for the `Umrah of al-Hudaybiyyah,

نَزَلَ الجُحفَةَ فَلَم يَجِد بِها ماءً ،

he stopped in al-Juhfah, but he did not find water there.

فَبَعَثَ سَعدَ بنَ مالِكٍ بِالرَّوايا ،

He sent Sa`d ibn Malik with water carrier camels;

حَتّى إذا كانَ غَيرَ بَعيدٍ رَجَعَ سَعدٌ بِالرَّوايا فَقالَ :

after walking for a short distance, he returned with the water carriers and said:

يا رَسولَ اللّهِ ، ما أستَطيعُ أن أمضِيَ !

“O Messenger of Allah, I cannot go on.

لَقَد وَقَفَت قَدَماي رُعبا مِنَ القَومِ ! !

My feet trembled out of fear of the people!”

فَقالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله :

The Messenger of Allah (SA) said:

اِجلِس .

 “Sit down.”

 ثُمَّ بَعَثَ رَجُلاً آخَرَ ،

Then he sent another man,

فَخَرَجَ بِالرَّوايا

who went with the water carriers.

حَتّى إذا كانَ بِالمَكانِ الَّذي انتَهى إلَيهِ الأَوَّلُ رَجَعَ ،

When he got to the place to which the first one got, he too came back.

فَقالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله : لِمَ رَجَعتَ ؟ !

The Prophet (SA) asked him: “Why did you come back?”

فَقالَ : وَالَّذي بَعَثَكَ بِالحَقِّ مَا استَطَعتُ أن أمضِيَ رُعبا ! !

He said: “By He who sent you with the Truth, I was so scared that I could not go on.”

 فَدَعا رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ عَلِيَّ بنَ أبي طالِبٍ صَلَواتُ اللّهِ عَلَيهِما ،

The Messenger of Allah (SA) called the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS)

فَأَرسَلَهُ بِالرَّوايا ،

and sent him with the water carriers.

وخَرَجَ السُّقاةُ وهُم لا يَشُكّونَ في رُجوعِهِ

They left, and the drivers of the camels were certain that he would come back,

لِما رَأَوا مِن رُجوعِ مَن تَقَدَّمَهُ ،

because the others before him had come back.

فَخَرَجَ عَلِيٌّ عليه السلام بِالرَّوايا ،

Ali (AS) went out with the water carriers,

حَتّى وَرَدَ الحِرارَ فَاستَقى ، (حِرار : جمع حَرّة ـ وهي كثيرة في بلاد العرب ؛ كحرّة أوطاس وحرّة تبوك ـ وهي أرض ذات حجارة سود نخرة كأنّها اُحرقت بالنار. تقويم البلدان : ج 2 ص 234 و 245 «زجل»)

until he got to al-Hirar, and loaded the camels with water. [Al-Hirar, –plural of Harra– is the name of a place that has black stones full of holes as if they have been burnt in fire. There are many places in Arabia, like Harra Awtas, and Harra Tabuk. Taqwim al-Buldan, vol. 2, p. 234 & 245.]

ثُمَّ أقبَلَ بِها إلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و آله ولَها زَجَلٌ ،

He came back with them to the Prophet (SA), and the camels were making loud noises.

فَكَبَّرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله ، ودَعا لَهُ بِخَيرٍ .

The Prophet said: ‘Allah is Greater’, and prayed for goodness for him.

 الإرشاد : ج 1 ص 121 .

Al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 121.

29. صحيح البخاري عن البراء بن عازب :

29. Sahih al-Bukhari, from al-Bura’ ibn Azib:

لَمّا صالَحَ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله أهلَ الحُدَيبِيَّةِ ،

“When the Messenger of Allah (SA) made a peace agreement with the people of al-Hudaybiyyah,

كَتَبَ عَلِيٌّ بَينَهُم كِتابا ،

and the treaty was written by Ali,

فَكَتَبَ : مُحَمَّدٌ رَسولُ اللّهِ ،

he wrote: “Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.”

فَقالَ المُشرِكونَ :

The polytheists said:

لا تَكتُب «مُحَمَّدٌ رَسولُ اللّهِ» ؛

 “Do not write Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.

لَو كُنتَ رَسولاً لَم نُقاتِلكَ ! !

If you were a messenger, we would not fight you!”

فَقالَ لِعَليٍّ : اُمحُهُ .

So, he (SA) said to Ali: “Delete it.”

فَقالَ عَلِيٌّ : ما أنَا بِالَّذي أمحاهُ ،

Ali said: “I will not be the one to delete it.”

فَمَحاهُ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله بِيَدِهِ .

The Messenger of Allah (SA) deleted it himself.”

صحيح البخاري : ج2 ص960 ح2551 .

Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 2, p. 960.