The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 3 of 4

30 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
over it, holding the hanner between his neck and chest. He was killed right
over it, and as he died, he said, "0 God, have I 'azarru" (for 'adhartu, improperly
pronouncing the dh sound) that is, 'Am I absolved?"'
"Hasszn h. Thxhit spoke the following verses on this:
'You were proud of your flag, yet poor pride it was to
give it over to Sawsh
You entrusted your pride in it to a slave, grovelling
in the dust on the ground
You thought - and a fool too has thoughts - though
rarely does he get them straight
That fighting us would be as when we would meet in
Mecca, with you selling us red leather hags.
It pleased us well when his hands turned red, though it
was not dye that made them so.'
"Hasszn also spoke the verses that follow regarding how it was 'Amra, daughter
of 'Alqama, who raised their hanner for them:
LWhen the 'Adl were led to us, like gazelles of Shirk,
their eyebrows prominent,
We set at them, thrusting at them from all sides,
destroying, punishing and aggrieving them,
Were it not for the woman of al-H%rith having taken
their banner, they would have been sold in the markets
like slaves."'
Ihn Ishxq stated, "The Muslim ranks broke and the enemy gained advantage
over them. It was a day of trial and testing in which God honoured some with
martyrdom. At last the enemy hroke through to the Messenger of God (SAAS);
he was hit with a rock and fell on his side, breaking his front teeth, slashing his
face and splitting his lip. The man who struck him was Wtba h. Abo Waqqss.
L'Humayd al-Tawil related to me, from Anas h. Mdik, who said, 'The front
tooth of the Prophet (SAAS) was broken at the battle of Ubd, and he was
slashed in the face. Wiping off the blood, he said, "How could any people
prosper who would bloody the face of their prophet while he invites them to
come to God?" And so God sent down the verse: "You have no say in the matter;
He may indeed forgive them or punish them (though) they are wrongdoers"'"
(swat iq7/ 'Zmrcin; 111, v. 127).
Ibn Jarir stated in his history, "Muhammad h. al-Husayn related to us, as did
Ahmad b. al-Fadl, as did Asha!, from al-Suddi, who said, 'Ibn Qami'a al-H%ithi
came up and cast a rock at the Messenger of God (SAAS) which hroke his nose
and his front teeth, gashed his face and knocked him over. His Companions then
scattered away from him, some going hack to Medina and others climbing up
the mountain to al-Sakhra. The Messenger of God (SAAS) began calling out to