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

168 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
arrived with provisions in a leather table-cloth for them. But she forgot to tie it
up and when they were about to depart she came out to tie it up hut had no cord.
So she untied her girdle to make a cord of it which she used to attach it. She used
then to be called, 'she of the two girdles'."
Ibn IshXq stated, "Aha Bakr brought up the two mounts and offered the best
of them to the Messenger of God (SAAS) and asked him to mount the camel.
But the latter responded, 'I couldn't ride a camel that I don't own.' Abii Bakr
told him, 'But please consider it yours'. 'No,' he replied, 'but what price did you
pay for it?' He told him and the Messenger of God (SAAS) then said, 'Well, I'll
take it for that.' 'It's yours,' Aha Bakr told him."
Al-Waqidi related, with full chains of authorities, that the Messenger of God
(SAAS) took the camel called al-&a'. He also said, "Aba Bakr had bought
both camels for 800 dirhams."
Ibn 'Asskir related through Abii Usma, from Hishm, from his father from
'A'isha, who said, "(The camel he chose was) al-Jad'a'." Al-Suhayli related this
similarly from Ibn Ishnq, that it was al-Jad%'. But God knows best.
Ibn Ishaq stated, "And so they rode off; Aha Bakr mounted 'Amir b. Fuhayra,
his freed-man, behind himself to serve them both on the way.
"I was told that Asm2 said, 'When the Messenger of God (SAAS) departed
with Aba Bakr, a number of Quraysh men came to us, including Abii Jahl'". Ibn
Ishaq then related how Abn Jahl struck her so hard on the cheek that he knocked
off an earring, as told above.
"She went on, 'We remained for three nights without knowledge of the
whereabouts of the Messenger of God (SAAS) until a man of thejinn, a spiritman,
arrived from the lower parts of Mecca, singing verses of Arabic songs.
People followed him, listening to his voice without seeing him. Eventually he
came out to the upper parts of Mecca, reciting,
'God, Lord of all men, awarded His very best reward to
two Companions who stayed at the tents of Umm Ma'bad.
They stayed there in good will, and then left; and
lucky is he who becomes the Companion of Muhammad
Their girl's position brings credit to the Banti Ka'b,
and her sitting there watching for the believers.'
"Asmx' said, 'When we heard what he said we knew where the Messenger of
God (SAAS) was headed, towards Medina."
Ibn Ishaq said, "They were four in number; the Messenger of God (SAAS),
Abii Bakr, 'Amir h. Fuhayra, freed-man of Abii Bakr, and 'Abd Allah b. Arqat."
That is what Ibn Ishaq states, but it is well known that the name of the fourth
was 'Abd All?& b. Urayqit al-Dili who at that time was still a polytheist.
Ibn Ishaq stated, "When their guide, 'Abd All?& h. Arqat, led them off, he took
them down to the lower part of Mecca and from there along the coast, crossing