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

470 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
Ibn Ishaq went on, "The Messenger of God (SAAS) then travelled - from
Hunayn to al-Ta'if - by way of Nakhla al-Yamaniyya, Qarn, al-Mulayh and
Buhrat al-Rugha1 of Liyya; he had a mosque constructed there and performed
the prayers.
"'Amr b. Shu'ayh related to me that when the Messenger of God (SAAS)
stopped that day at Bulpt al-Rugha' he allowed retaliation in kind for blood
spilled, that being the first occasion in Islam that such permission was given. A
man of Banii Layth had killed someone of Hudhayl and he executed him for it.
While at Liyya he ordered the destruction of the fort of Malik b. 'Awf.
"He then proceeded along a path known as al-Dayyrqa, 'the narrow, difficult
path'. As he was setting out along it he asked what it was called and it was so
named to him. He commented, 'No; it's al-Yusra, "the easy road".'
"Emerging from it he passed Nakhb and made a halt beneath a lote tree known
as al-Siidzra, near property owned by a man of Thaqif. The Messenger of God
(SAAS) sent word to him to either come out or have his wall destroyed. He
refused to emerge and so the Messenger of God (SAAS) ordered that his wall
be demolished."
Ihn Ishaq then quoted IsmaCi1 b. Umayya as quoting Bujayr b. Abii Bujayr to
have said, "I heard 'Abd Allah b. 'Amr say that he heard the Messenger of God
(SAAS) say when he went forth with him to al-?%]if and passed by a grave,
LThis is the tomb of Abii Righnl? he being the father of Thaqif. He was of
Thamiid and one of those defending their SanChIary there. When he went out
(with Abraha) he was afflicted by that same vengeance that came down upon his
people at that place, and he was buried there. The proof of this is that along with
him a golden bough was buried. If you exhume hi, you will find it.'
"The men promptly did so and retrieved the bough, along with his remains."
Abii Da'iid narrated this from Y&ya b. Mu'in, from Wahb b. Jarir b. Hzzim,
from his father, from Muhammad b. Ishiiq.
Al-Bayhaqi narrated it from a hadith of Yazid b. Zuray', from Rawh b.
al-@sim, from Isma'il b. Umayya.
Ibn Ishaq stated, "The Messenger of God (SAAS) then travelled on and
established his camp near al-TZ'if. Some of his men were killed by arrows because
the camp had been set close to alLT2if. They therefore withdrew to the place
where today stands his mosque, built by Thaqif after their acceptance of Islam.
It was CAmr h. Umayya b. Wahb who built it. It had in it a column from which,
so they say, a cracking sound could be heard every morning when sunlight
struck it.
"He besieged them there for some 20 days." Ibn Hisha gives this figure
as 17.
145. This related to the advance made in the area by Ahraha (see Val. I above, p.22) who was
persuaded in al-Ta'if to leave their temple undisturbed and to continue on to attack the sanctuary
at Mecca.