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

320 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
"His mother asked what was the highest price paid to ransom a @raysh man.
She was told, 'Four thousand dirhams.' She therefore ransomed him with four
thousand dirhams she sent."
I comment that the given name of this Abn 'Aziz was Zurzra, according to
what Ibn al-Athir stated in his work Ghababar al-Sahaba (Compendium of
Compantons). Khalifa b. Khayat included him in his list of names of the
Companions. He was Mus'ab b. Wmayr's brother on his father's side. They had
another paternal brother who was Aba al-Rtim b. Wmayr. Those who would
have him as killed at Badr as an unbeliever are in error. That person was really
Abii 'Azza, as will be told hereafter. But God knows best.
Ibn Ishaq stated, "'Abd All& b. Abii Bakr related to me, that Y&ya b. 'Abd
Allah b. 'Abd al-Rahmm b. Sa'd b. Zurwa said, 'When the prisoners were
brought in, Sawda, daughter of Zarn'a, wife of the Prophet (SAAS) was with the
family of 'Afe", who were engaged in mourning for 'Afra"s two sons, 'Awf and
Mukwwidh. This was before the veil was made required for the wives of (the
Prophet). Sawda said, "I swear by God, there I was when someone came in and
said, 'They've brought in the prisoners!' So I went off to my house, where the
Messenger of God was, and there I found Aba Yazid Suhayl b. 'Amr in a comer
of the room with his hands tied with a rope behind his neck. I couldn't restrain
myself from saying, at the sight of Aba Yazid, '0 Aba Yazid! You gave yourself
up then! Couldn't you have died a noble death!'
""'I swear, I was then quite startled to hear the Messenger of God (SAAS)
call out from inside the house, 'Sawda, are you stirring up trouble for God and
for His messenger!' I replied, '0 Messenger of God, by Hi who sent you with
the truth, I couldn't restrain myself from saying as I did when I saw Aba Yazid
with his hands tied up at his neck!"""
Information will follow hereafter in detail recounting the arrival of the
prisoners in Medina, and how and at what cost they were ransomed. If God wills
it so, that is.
An Account of the joy of the Negus, God bless him, at the outcome of
the battle of Badr.
The ha& al-Bayhaqi stated, "Aba al-@sim 'Abd al-Rahman b. Wbayd Allah
al-Hurfi of Baghdad informed us, quoting Ahmad b. Salmm al-Najjad, quoting
'Abd Allah b. Abii al-Dunya, quoting Hamza b. alLCAbbas quoting, 'Abdm b.
Wthmxn, quoting 'Abd Allah b. al-Mubwak, quoting 'Abd al-Rahmm b. Yazid,
quoting Jabir, from 'Abd al-Rahm~n, a man from San%, who said, 'One day
the Negus sent for Ja'far b. Abii Talib and his Companions and when they
went in to him they found him in his house sitting on the ground dressed in
rags. Ja'far said, "We felt very sorry for him when we saw him, in this state,
and when he observed this in our faces, he explained, 'I have good news for you