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

278 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
This is strange, and there is some weakness in its chain of authorities. If true, the
account would strengthen even further the prior statements. This is substantiated
by the alternative reading of some authorities who read the word murdafina: with
an "a" following the "d". But God knows best.
Al-Bayhaqi stated, "Al-H~kim informed us, quoting al-Asamm, while
Muhammad b. Sin% al-Q- related to us, quoting Wbayd All& b. 'Abd
al-Majid Aha 'Ali al-Hanafi, quoting 'Ubayd All& b. CAbd a l - ~ z n b.
Mawhab, quoting Ismacil b. 'Awf h. 'Abd Alhh h. Aha FWic, from CAhd AM b.
Muhammad b. Wmar b. CAli b. Aha Talih, from his father, from his grandfather,
who said, 'At the battle of Badr, I fought for a while, then hurried to see what the
Messenger of God (SAAS) was doing. When I got there, I found him prostrate in
worship, saying, "Yz Hayy! Yci Qayynm!" "0 Living One! 0 Eternal One!"; he
was saying nothing else. I returned to the fighting, then came back to find him still
prostrate and still repeating the same. Again I went off to battle, and once more
returned to find the same. He kept saying this till God gave him victory.'"
Al-Nasii'i related it in al-Yamm ma al-Layla (Day and Night) from Bund*,
from Wbayd Alhh b. 'Abd al-Majid Ahii 'Ali al-Hanafi.
Al-Acmash stated, from Aha Ishaq, from Abii Whayda, from CAbd AU%h b.
Masciid, who said, "I never heard any worshipper imploring God more strongly
than did Muhammad (SAAS) at the battle of Badr. He was saying, '0 God, I
beseech you in the name of Your promise and Your pact! 0 God, if this force
perishes, You will not be worshipped!' He then turned, and it was as if the moon
had cleft its face! He said, 'I seem to be seeing the enemy's destruction in the late
evening!"'
Al-Nasa'i related this from a hdith of al-Atmash.
He also said, "When we met in battle at Badr, the Messenger of God (SAAS)
arose, and I never saw anyone implore God more strongly for his rights than did
the Messenger of God (SAAS)." And he related as above.
It has been dehitively stated in the rahih collection of Muslim, on the authority
of Anas b. Mdik, as stated, above, how the Prophet (SAAS) gave details of
the circumstances of the deaths at Badr of the polytheists leaders. This information
will also be reported later from the sahih collection of Muslim on the
authority of Wmar h. al-Khatpb.
The conclusion to he drawn from the hdith of Ibn Mas'iid is that he gave
notice of this on the actual day of the engagement. This is appropriate. The other
two accounts, from Anas and from Wmar, suggest that he gave this information
one day prior thereto.
There is no objection to combining between these. He could have given this
information a day or more before, and (again) an hour before, on the actual day
of the battle. But God knows best.
61. Changing the vowel i to a has the effect of cbging the word From an active to a passive
participle.