Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth

20
The Life of Muhammad
Could there be after I;Iimyar's tribes were destroyed one mom by
calamity's stroke,
A thousaod thousaod with spearmen (glittering) like the sky before
rain.
Their cry deafened the chargers aod they put to flight the warriors
with their pungent smell. .'
Witches as the saod in number the very sap of trees dned at thelt
approach.
'Amr b. Ma'di Karib a1-Zubaydi said concerning a dispute which he had
with Qays b. Makshul) a1-Murlidi when he heard that he had threatened
him, aod bringing to memory the lost glory of I;Iimyar:
Do you threaten me as though you were Dhu Ru'ayn
Or Dhu Nuwlis in the days of their prime?
Many a man before you was prosperous
With a kingdom firmly rooted among men.
Ancient as the days of 'Ad
Exceeding fierce, overcoming tyrants,
Yet his people perished
And he became a waoderer among men (3 2 ).
25 HOW ABRAHA SEIZED POWER IN THE Y AMAN AND
KILLED ARYAT'
Aryli\ held sway in the Yamao for some years aod then Abraha the
Abyssinian (T. who was in his army) disputed his authority, and the
Abyssiniao s split into two parties each claiming supporters. When war
was about to begin, Abraha sent to Aryli\ asking hhn to avert the daoger of
internecine war aod inviting hhn to settle the dispute by personal combat,
the winner to be the sole commaoder ofthe army. Aryal agreed aod Abraha
went forth to meet him. He was a short fat man holding the Christiao
faith; aod Aryal advaoced against him spear in hand; he was ~ big, tall,
haodsome man. Abraha had a young mao called 'Atawda at hiS back to
defend hhn against attack from the rear. Arylil raised his spear striking
at Abraha's skull aod hit him on the forehead splitting his eyebrow. nose,
29 eye, and mouth. It was for this reason that he was called ai-Ashram
(split-face). Thereupon 'Atawda coming ?ut from behind Abraha att.a~ked
Aryli\ and killed hhn, and Arylil's armyJomed Abraha, aod the AbysslnIaos
in the Yamao accepted him as their chief. (T. Then 'Atawdacried: "Atawda
you see, of an evil company; parentless in nobility', meaning that Abraha's
slave had killed Aryli\. AI-Ashram asked what he waoted, :or though ~e
had killed himblood-money must be paid. He asked and obtamed from him
I A slightly longer aCCOWlt is given in Au. i. 86.
The Life of Muhammad 21
the right ofprimae noelis in Yamao.) Abraha paid blood-money for killing
Arya\. (T. All this happened without the knowledge of the Negus.)
Wh~n t~e news of this affair reached the Negus he was filled with rage
and said: Has he attacked my amir aod killed him without aoy order from
me I' Then he swore ao oath that he would not leave Abraha alone until
he had trodden his land aod cut off his forelock. So Abraha shaved his
head and filled a leather bag with the earth.ofth. Yarnan aod sent it to the
Negus with the following letter: '0 King, Arylil was only thy slave and I
too am thy slave. We disputed about your orders; everyone must obey
you; but I. ,,:as stronger, firmer, aod more skilful in managing the affairs of
the AbysslnIans. Now when I was told of the king's oath I shaved the
whole of my head aod I send it to you with a bag ofthe dust of my laod that
you may,Put It beneath your feet and thus keep your oath concerning me.'
When thiS message reached the Negus he was reconciled to him aod wrote
to hi~ th~t he was to stay in the Yarnan until further orders; so Abraha
rema,,;ed m the Yaman. (T. When Abraha perceived that the Negus was T.933
reconcIled and had made him viceregent of the Yamao, he sent to Abu
:wurra b. Dh? Yazan and took away from him his wife Rayl)ana d.
Alqama b. Mahk b. Zayd b. Kahlan. Abu Murra who is Dhu Jadan had
a son by her-Ma'di ~arib. Afterwards she bore to Abraha a son Masriiq
aod a daughter Basbasa. Abu Murra took to flight. His slave 'Atawda
went on exercising his right in Yarnan until a man of Himyar of Khath"am
attacked aod killed him; and when the news reached Abraha who was
a lenient noble character, a Christian of temperate habits h~ told the
people that it was high time that they had an official with d~e self-control
a~d tha: had he known that 'Atawda would have chosen such a reward for
hiS serv~ces he would not have allowed him to choose his reward. Further no
bloodwlt would be exacted and he would not take any action against them
for killing 'Atawda.)
THE HISTORY OF THE ELEPHANT AND THE STORY OF
THE INTERCALATORS
Then Abraha b~ilt the cathedral' in San'a', such a church as could not be
seen elsewhere m any part of the world at that time. He wrote to the
Ne.gus saying: '! have built a church for you, 0 King, such as has not been
budt for any kmg before you. I shall not rest until I have diverted the
A.'abs' pilgrimage to it.' When the Arabs were talking about this letter of
hIS, one of the calendar intercaIators was enraged. He was of the B.
Fuqaym b. 'Adiy b. 'Amir b. Tha'laba b. a1-I;Iarith b. Mlilik b. Kinana b.
Khuzayma b. Mudrika b. lIyas b. Mu