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

70 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
them, 'When you reach him, tell him that we have decided to come on after him
and his Companions to wipe out the rest of them!'
"The men passed by the Messenger of God (SAAS) at Hamrs' al-Asad and
told him what Aba Sufyw had said. To this he commented, 'God suffices for
us; a fine protector is He!"'
Al-Hasan al-Bqri gave the same tradition.
Al-Bukhri stated, "Ahmad b. Yanus related to us, saying, 'Abn Bakr related
to us, from Aha Husayn, from Aha al-Duha, from Ibn 'Abbs, that this phrase
Easbuna Allah ma naha al-makil, "God suffices for us; a fine protector is He"
was spoken by Abraham when he was cast into the fue. Muhammad (SAAS)
spoke it when they told him, "The people have assembled for you; make them
afraid." And he did inspire greater faith in them and they said, "God suffices
for us; a fine protector is He."'"
Al-Bukhsri is alone in giving this account.
He also stated, "Muhammad b. Salm related to us, quoting Aba Mu'swiya,
from Hishm, from his father, from 'A'isha, God bless her, who said to 'Umra
about the verse, 'Regarding those who responded to God and to His messenger
after all the injuries they had suffered, those of them who do good and who
are pious shall have a great reward' (siirat Al-'Imr~n; 111, v.171): 'Nephew, your
fathers were among these, al-Zubayr and Aba Bakr, God be pleased with
them. When the Messenger of God (SAAS) suffered his losses at Uhud and the
poIytheists withdrew, he was concerned that they might return. And so he
asked, "Who will pursue them?" Seventy of his men volunteered, including Aba
Bakr and al-Zubayr."'
This is the account given by al-Bukhiiri. Muslim gave it in an abbreviated
form through Hishzm. Sa'id b. Mansfir and Aha Bakr al-Humaydi jointly
related this from Sufym b. Wyayna. Ihn Msjah also verified it through him,
from Hishiim b. 'Urwa. Al-H&ii related it in his compendium through Abii
Sa'id from Hishb h. Wrwa; he related it from a hadith of alSuddi, from 'Urwa.
He said that both scholars considered the tradition ~abh, authentic, but that
these scholars had not narrated it.
This is what he stated. But the context of this is very strange. For it is well
known by the scholars who have written on the military expeditions that all
those who advanced with the Messenger of God (SAAS) to Harnrs' al-Asad were
those who had been present at Uhud and that these totalled 700, as is told above,
of whom 70 were killed, the remainder surviving.
Ibn Jarir related, through al-'Awfi, from Ihn 'AbhS, who said, "God cast
terror into the heart of Abii Sufym after what had happened at Uhud and he
returned to Mecca. The battle of Uhud took place in Shawwiil. The merchants
would come to Medina in Dha al-QaCda, staying once every year at Badr
al-Sughrii. They arrived again after the battle of Uhud. The Muslim warriors
had suffered severe injuries and were complaining of these to the Messenger
of God (SAAS). However, he told his men to go forth and continue what they