The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 1 of 4

188 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
"So he stood at the ka'ba and called out, '0 you who made the pact of
al-f4al!' Men flocked to him from all sides, their swords unsheathed and shouting,
'Help is here; what's the matter?' He told them how Nabih had wronged
him by taking his daughter from him by force.
"The men went with him to Nabih's house and he came out to them. They
told him, 'Bring the girl out! You know who we are and the pact on which we've
agreed!' 'I'll do it,' he replied, 'But let me enjoy her tonight!' 'Certainly not, by
God,' they insisted, 'and there will he no intercourse!' So he brought her out to
them speaking the verses:
"My friends are gone, and I have not greeted al-Qatd; I did not say to them a
pleasant farewell,
For the al-fudd reiterated that they protect her; yet I still see myself not fearing
the al-fudtzl.
Don't think, girl, that I, that evening the riders left, did not feel disregarded by
their going."
And limes other than these were also given.
It has been said that this was known as the "pact of al-fdel" merely because
it was like an agreement reached by the Jurhum tribe that similarly favoured
victims over oppressors. There were those of their leaders who advocated this,
each one of whom bore the name "Fadl". They were al-Fadl h. Fadala, al-Fad1
b. Wada'a, and al-Fad1 h. al-Hiirith. This is what Ibn Qutayba stated. Others
give the names as al-Fad1 b. Shars'a, al-Fad1 b. Bida'a and al-Fadl h. Quda'a. It
was alSuhayli, God be pleased with him, who reported this.
Muhammad b. Ishaq b. Yam said, "Tribes of Quraysh suggested making a pact
and assembled for that purpose in the house of 'Ahd All& b. Jud'm because of
his high reputation and age.
"The pact made there at his house was between Banii Hashim, Banii 'Abd
al-Munalib, Banti Asad b. 'Abd al-Wzzs, Zuhra b. Kil~h, and Taym b. Murra.
They made a pact and agreement that they would support any man in Mecca
who was wonged, whether from their own people or someone who had merely
come there, against whoever had wronged him, and that they would ensure that
his rights be upheld.
"Quraysh named that agreement the 'pact of al-fudall'."
Muhammad h. Ishaq said that Muhammad b. Zayd b. al-Muhajir b. Qunfudh
of Taym related to him that he heard Tabs b. 'Abd Allah b. 'Awf al-Zuhri say
that the Messenger of God (SAAS) stated, "I wimessed in the house of 'Abd
Allah b. Jud% a pact made that I wouldn't have exchanged for the choicest
herd; and if it had been suggested after Islam, I would have responded positively
to it."