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

IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' 1SMA?L IBN KATHfR 229
to his brother al-Juhs seeking forgiveness so that he could return to his people.
And so it was, as I have been informed on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas, that God
revealed, "How could God lead a people aright who have apostatized after having
believed and given testimony that the Messenger is the truth, and after
they had received proofs? God does not guide a people who are unjust" (stirat
Al-'Imriin; 111, v.86).
"Also there were Bijad b. 'Uthmzn b. 'Amir and Nabtal b. al-Haith. It was
about the latter that the Messenger of God (SAAS) said, 'Whoever would like to
see Satan, let him look at this man!' He was a very tall, black man with a mass of
hair, red eyes and flushed cheeks. He used to listen to what the Messenger of
God (SAAS) said then report on it to the hypocrites. It was he who said,
'Muhammad is just ears; he believes what anyone says to hi!' God revealed
concerning him, 'And among them are those who harm the Prophet by saying
that he is ears' (stirat al-Tawba or al-Barii'a; IX, v.61).
"And there was Abn Habiba b. al-Az'ar. He was one of those who built
the mosque at al-Jlira. Also there were Tha'laba b. HZeb and Mu'attib b.
Qushayr. It was these two who promised God that if He gave them of His
bounty they would believe. They, however, broke their promise upon which
the above was revealed . It was Mu'attib who said at the battle of Uhud, 'If
we had any say in it, we'd not be killed here!' A verse was then revealed
about him. It was also he who said, at the battle of al-Ahziib, the 'schisms',
'Muhammad used to promise us we would enjoy the treasures of Chosroe and
Caesar, but we're not safe to go to the toilet!' The verse revealed about him
was 'and when the hypocrites, and those in whose breasts is disease, say, "All
that God and His Messenger have promised us is mere fancy""' (siirat al-Ahziib;
XXXIII, v. 12).
Ibn Ishaq went on, "And there was al-Hzrith b. Haub."
Ibn Hishm commented, "Regarding Mu'attib b. Qushayr, and Tha'laba and
al-Harith, the two sons of Hxtib, they were of the Banti Umayya b. Zayd and
took part in the battle of Badr. These were not hypocrites, or so I have been told
by a scholar whom I trust. Ibn Ish8q in fact mentioned Tha'laba and al-Haith
as being of the Bann Umayya b. Zayd and gave their names as participants in the
battle of Badr."
Ibn Ishaq's account continues, "Also there were 'Abbad b. Hunayf, brother of
Sahl b. Hunayf, and Bahaj, who participated in building the mosque, al-Dira.
And there were 'Amr b. Khidham, 'Abd All& b. Nabtal, J&ya b. 'Amir b.
al-'Ai!af and his two sons Yazid and Mujmi: also involved in the construction
of the Dirar mosque. Mujmi' was a young man who had collected most parts of
the Qur'an and would pray with the others in prayer there. When the Dirar
mosque was destroyed, after the Tabnk expedition, as will be explained hereafter,
during the reign of Wmar, the people of Qubz' asked the Caliph whether
Mujmi' could lead them in prayer. He refused, saying, 'By God, was he not the
Imam of the hypocrites in the DirZr mosque?'