The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 2 of 4

IMAM ABU AL-FIDA'
ISMA~L IBN KATH~R 127
Ihn Hisham stated, "Qays started DZhis and al-Ghahr2' in the race, while
Hudhayfa started al-Khactar and al-HanfW." The former account is more
accurate.
As for the war of Hzub, the reference is to Hatib b. al-H&th b. Qays b.
Haysba h. al-Harith b. Umayya b. Mu%wiya b. M ~ik b. 'Awf b. 'Amr b. 'Awf
b. Mdik b. al-Aws who had killed a Jew who was under the protection of the
Khazraj. Zayd h. al-H~rith b. Qays b. Mdik h. Ahmar b. H&tha b. Tha'laba b.
Ka'b b. Malik h. Ka'b b. al-Khazraj b. al-Harith b. al-Khazraj, he being known
as Ihn Fushum, went out after this man H~hb, accompanied by a group of his
men of the Bano al-Harith h. Khazraj. They killed Hzcih and this led to a war
between the Aws and the Khazraj. The fighting was very fierce and ultimately
the Khazraj were victorious. At that time al-Aswad b. al-Swit al-Awsi was
killed by al-Mujadhdhar h. Dhiyad, an ally of the Bann 'Awf b. al-Khazraj. This
led to further wars between them that would be lengthy to relate.
The point is that Aba Qays b. al-Aslat gained nothing from all his knowledge
and understanding when Mus'ah b. 'Umayr came to Medina and called upon its
people to accept Islam, many of whom agreed.
So that, as has been said, not a house there was without a Muslim man or
woman except that of the Bann Waqif, Abn Qays's tribe, who held them hack
from Islam. It was also he who spoke the verses:
"0 Lord of mankind, some things have given pain,
significant and trivial matters combined,
0 Lord of mankind, if we should have gone astray, then
guide us to the proper path.
Were it not for our Lord, we would be Jews, and the
religion of the Jews lacks proper fonn.
Were it not for our lord, we would he Christians, with
the monks up in the mountains of Galilee.
But when created, we were made hanifs from many
generations back.
We lead the camels to slaughter, passive and in shackles,
their necks bare, hut wearing saddles."
The gist of what he says is that he was undecided as to how to react to what he had
heard about the mission of the Messenger of God (SAAS), so he prevaricated
despite his learning.
The person who kept him hack from Islam initially was 'Abd Allah h. Ubayy
b. Salnl, after Abn Qays had informed him that the person who had announced
his coming was a Jew; and so be dissuaded him from accepting Islam.
Ibn Ishaq stated, "He did not accept Islam up to the time of the conquest of
Mecca, he and his brother, and so he left."
Al-Zubayr b. BakkZr denied that Abn Qays accepted Islam. As did al-Waqidi,
who stated, 'He had intended to accept Islam when first the Messsenger of God