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

474 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
the latter say to 'Ahd All& b. Umayya, 'If God conquers al-Ta'if for you
tomorrow, be sure to take Ghaylan's daughter; she exposes four folds of flesh
when approaching and eight when she turns her hack.' And so the Messenger
of God (SAAS) said, 'Don't have such persons in your company!'"
According to Ihn Wyayna and Ibn Jurayj the name of the effeminate was Hit.
Al-Bukhnri also related it, as did Muslim, with lines of transmission from
Hishzm b. 'Urwa, from his father. In one version there are the words, "whom
they considered devoid of normal male sex drive". And in one there is the
phrase, "And so the Messenger of God (SAAS) said, 'I would not have this man
know what is here. Don't have such people in your company."'
This implies that if he were someone who understood that, then he would be
included (for consideration) with those referred to in God Almighty's words, "or
the children who are not conscious of the private parts of women" (siirat al-Niir;
XXIV, 3 1).
By the word al-mukhannath in the usage of the early authorities is meant those
devoid of (sexual) interest in women; the word does not refer to homosexuals.
For had he been like that, his execution would certainly have been necessary, as
the hadith tradition indicates, and as Aba Bakr, 'the Trusting', may God be
pleased with him, himself decreed execution.
The meaning of the phrase given above, "she exposes four folds of flesh when
approaching and eight when she turns her back" is a reference to the folds of
flesh on her stomach; these would appear as four folds as she approached and
each of these would become two as she moved away. This woman was named
Badiyya, daughter of Ghaylm b. Salama, and she was a lady of Thaqif.
Al-Bukhnri quoted Ibn Jurayj as giving the name of this mukhannath as Hit.
This is widely accepted as fact. However, Ymus quoted Ibn Ishnq as stating,
"With the Messenger of God (SAAS) there was a freed-man of his aunt Bint
'Amr b. 'Ayid, a mukhannath named Mati'. He would go into the presence of the
wives of the Messenger of God (SAAS) in his home; he was not considered
as having the normal desire for women that men have. Then he (the Messenger
of God (SAAS)) overheard him saying to Khdid b. al-Walid, 'Khaid, if the
Messenger of God (SAAS) should conquer al-Tn'if, then be sure that Badiyya,
daughter of Ghaylm, does not slip away from you. She exposes four folds
of flesh when she approaches you and eight when she turns her back.' When
he heard this, the Messenger of God (SAAS) said, 'I would not have thought
this man would notice such as that.' He then told his women, 'Let hi not
have access to you.' He was then banned from the house of the Messenger of
God (SAAS)."
Al-Bukhi stated that it was related to hi by 'Ali b. CAbd Allnh, quoting
Sufynn, from 'Amr, from Aba alLCAbbas, the blind poet, from 'Ahd All& b.
'Amr, who said, "When the Messenger of God (SAAS) besieged al-Ta'if, but
did not overcome them, he said, 'We'll be leaving tomorrow, if God wills it.'