20. The account of the conversion of al-Ṭufayl b. ʿAmr al-Dawsī
Sirat Ibn Hisham 438No grade recorded
قِصَّةُ إسْلَامِ الطُّفَيْلِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو الدَّوْسِيِّ [ تَحْذِيرُ قُرَيْشٍ لَهُ مِنْ الِاسْتِمَاعِ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، عَلَى مَا يَرَى مِنْ قَوْمِهِ، يَبْذُلُ لَهُمْ النَّصِيحَةَ، وَيَدْعُوهُمْ إلَى النَّجَاةِ مِمَّا هُمْ فِيهِ. وَجَعَلَتْ قُرَيْشٌ، حِينَ مَنَعَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ، يُحَذِّرُونَهُ النَّاسَ وَمَنْ قَدِمَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ الْعَرَبِ. وَكَانَ الطُّفَيْلُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الدَّوْسِيُّ يُحَدِّثُ: أَنَّهُ قَدِمَ مَكَّةَ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِهَا، فَمَشَى إلَيْهِ رِجَالٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ، وَكَانَ الطُّفَيْلُ رَجُلًا شَرِيفًا شَاعِرًا لَبِيبًا، فَقَالُوا لَهُ: يَا طُفَيْلُ، إنَّكَ قَدِمْتَ بِلَادَنَا، وَهَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِنَا قَدْ أَعْضَلَ بِنَا، وَقَدْ فَرَّقَ جَمَاعَتَنَا، وَشَتَّتْ أَمْرَنَا، وَإِنَّمَا قَوْلُهُ كَالسِّحْرِ يُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ الرَّجُلِ وَبَيْنَ أَبِيهِ، وَبَيْنَ الرَّجُلِ وَبَيْنَ أَخِيهِ، وَبَيْنَ الرَّجُلِ وَبَيْنَ زَوْجَتِهِ، وَإِنَّا نَخْشَى عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَى قَوْمِكَ مَا قَدْ دَخَلَ عَلَيْنَا، فَلَا تُكَلِّمَنَّهُ وَلَا تَسْمَعَنَّ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا.
✧ The Story of the Islam of al-Tufayl b. ʿAmr al-Dawsī [Quraysh’s warning to him against listening to the Prophet ﷺ] Ibn Isḥāq said: The Messenger of God ﷺ, despite what he saw from his people, was offering them sincere counsel and calling them to salvation from what they were in. Quraysh, when God protected him from them, began warning people against him, and warning those Arabs who came to them. Al-Tufayl b. ʿAmr al-Dawsī used to relate that he came to Makkah while the Messenger of God ﷺ was there, and men of Quraysh came up to him—al-Tufayl was a noble man, a poet, and intelligent—and they said to him, “O Tufayl, you have come to our land, and this man who is among us has caused us great distress, he has divided our community and scattered our affairs. His speech is nothing but sorcery, separating a man from his father, a man from his brother, and a man from his wife. We fear for you and your people what has befallen us, so do not speak to him and do not listen to anything from him.”
Sirat Ibn Hisham 439No grade recorded
[ اسْتِمَاعُهُ لِقَوْلِ قُرَيْشٍ ثُمَّ عُدُولُهُ وَسَمَاعُهُ مِنَ الرَّسُولِ ] قَالَ: فَوَاَللَّهِ مَا زَالُوا بِي حَتَّى أَجْمَعْتُ أَنْ لَا أَسْمَعَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا وَلَا أُكَلِّمَهُ، حَتَّى حَشَوْتُ فِي أُذُنَيَّ حِينَ غَدَوْتُ إلَى الْمَسْجِدِ كُرْسُفًا فَرَقًا مِنْ أَنْ يَبْلُغَنِي شَيْءٌ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ، وَأَنَا لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَسْمَعَهُ. قَالَ: فَغَدَوْتُ إلَى الْمَسْجِدِ، فَإِذَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي عِنْدَ الْكَعْبَةِ. قَالَ: فَقُمْتُ مِنْهُ قَرِيبًا فَأَبَى اللَّهُ إلَّا أَنْ يُسْمِعَنِي بَعْضَ قَوْلِهِ. قَالَ: فَسَمِعْتُ كَلَامًا حَسَنًا قَالَ: فَقُلْتُ فِي نَفْسِي: وَاثُكْلَ أُمِّي، وَاَللَّهِ إنِّي لَرَجُلٌ لَبِيبٌ شَاعِرٌ مَا يَخْفَى عَلَيَّ الْحَسَنُ مِنْ الْقَبِيحِ، فَمَا يَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أَسْمَعَ مِنْ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ مَا يَقُولُ فَإِنْ كَانَ الَّذِي يَأْتِي بَهْ حَسَنًا قَبِلْتُهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ قَبِيحًا تَرَكْتُهُ
✧ [His listening to the statement of Quraysh, then his turning away, and his hearing from the Messenger] He said: By God, they continued with me until I resolved not to hear anything from him or speak to him, until, when I went early to the mosque, I stuffed cotton into my ears, out of fear that something of his speech might reach me, while I did not want to hear it. He said: I went early to the mosque, and there was the Messenger of God ﷺ standing in prayer at the Kaʿbah. He said: I stood near him, but God refused except to let me hear some of his speech. He said: I heard fine words. He said: I said to myself: O bereavement of my mother! By God, I am an intelligent man, a poet; what is good is not hidden from me, nor what is bad. What prevents me from listening to what this man says? If what he brings is good, I will accept it, and if it is bad, I will leave it.
Sirat Ibn Hisham 440No grade recorded
[ الْتِقَاؤُهُ بِالرَّسُولِ وَقَبُولُهُ الدَّعْوَةَ ] قَالَ: فَمَكَثْتُ حَتَّى انْصَرَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إلَى بَيْتِهِ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ، حَتَّى إذَا دَخَلَ بَيْتَهُ دَخَلْتُ عَلَيْهِ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ، إنَّ قَوْمَكَ قَدْ قَالُوا لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا، لِلَّذِي قَالُوا، فَوَاَللَّهِ مَا بَرِحُوا يُخَوِّفُونَنِي أَمْرَكَ حَتَّى سَدَدْتُ أُذُنَيَّ بِكُرْسُفٍ لِئَلَّا أَسْمَعَ قَوْلَكَ، ثُمَّ أَبَى اللَّهُ إلَّا أَنْ يُسْمِعَنِي قَوْلَكَ فَسَمِعْتُهُ قَوْلًا حَسَنًا، فَاعْرِضْ عَلَيَّ أَمْرَكَ. قَالَ: فَعَرَضَ عَلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْإِسْلَامَ، وَتَلَا عَلَيَّ الْقُرْآنَ، فَلَا وَاَللَّهِ مَا سَمِعْتُ قَوْلًا قَطُّ أَحْسَنَ مِنْهُ، وَلَا أَمْرًا أَعْدَلَ مِنْهُ. قَالَ: فَأَسْلَمْتُ وَشَهِدْتُ شَهَادَةَ الْحَقِّ، وَقُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ، إنِّي امْرُؤٌ مُطَاعٌ فِي قَوْمِي، وَأَنَا رَاجِعٌ إلَيْهِمْ، وَدَاعِيهمْ إلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، فَادْعُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ لِي آيَةً تَكُونُ لِي عَوْنًا عَلَيْهِمْ فِيمَا أَدْعُوهُمْ إلَيْهِ فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ لَهُ آيَةً [ الْآيَةُ الَّتِي جُعِلَتْ لَهُ ] قَالَ: فَخَرَجْتُ إلَى قَوْمِي، حَتَّى إذَا كُنْتُ بِثَنِيَّةٍ تُطْلِعُنِي عَلَى الْحَاضِرِ وَقَعَ نُورٌ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيَّ مِثْلُ الْمِصْبَاحِ فَقُلْتُ: اللَّهُمَّ فِي غَيْرِ وَجْهِي، إنِّي أَخْشَى، أَنْ يَظُنُّوا أَنَّهَا مُثْلَةٌ وَقَعَتْ فِي وَجْهِي لِفِرَاقِي دِينَهُمْ. قَالَ: فَتَحَوَّلَ فَوَقَعَ فِي رَأْسِ سَوْطِي. قَالَ: فَجَعَلَ الْحَاضِرُ يَتَرَاءَوْنَ ذَلِكَ النُّورَ فِي سَوْطِي كَالْقِنْدِيلِ الْمُعَلَّقِ، وَأَنَا أَهْبِطُ إلَيْهِمْ مِنْ الثَّنِيَّةِ، قَالَ: حَتَّى جِئْتُهُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُ فِيهِمْ
✧ [His meeting with the Messenger and his acceptance of the call] He said: I stayed until the Messenger of God ﷺ went back to his house, then I followed him, and when he entered his house I entered upon him and said: O Muhammad, your people have said to me such-and-such, for what they said. By God, they kept frightening me about your affair until I stuffed my ears with cotton lest I hear your words; then God refused but to make me hear your words, and I heard them—a fine speech. So present to me your affair. He said: The Messenger of God ﷺ presented Islam to me and recited the Qur'an to me, and by God, I never heard any speech better than it, nor any affair more just than it. He said: So I became a Muslim and bore the witness of truth, and I said: O Prophet of God, I am a man obeyed among my people, and I am returning to them and calling them to Islam; so pray to God to make for me a sign that will be a help to me with them in what I call them to. He said: O God, make for him a sign. [The sign that was made for him] He said: So I went out to my people, and when I was at a mountain pass that would bring me out overlooking the settlement, a light fell between my eyes like a lamp. I said: O God, in other than my face, for I fear they will think it is a disfigurement that fell on my face for parting with their religion. He said: It moved and fell on the head of my whip. He said: The people of the settlement began to catch sight of that light on my whip like a hanging lantern, while I descended to them from the pass. He said: Until I came to them and was among them in the morning.
Sirat Ibn Hisham 441No grade recorded
[ دَعْوَتُهُ أَبَاهُ إلَى الْإِسْلَامِ ] قَالَ: فَلَمَّا نَزَلْتُ أَتَانِي أَبِي، وَكَانَ شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا، قَالَ: فَقُلْتُ: إلَيْكَ عَنِّي يَا أَبَتِ، فَلَسْتُ مِنْكَ وَلَسْتَ مِنِّي قَالَ: وَلِمَ يَا بُنَيَّ ؟ قَالَ: قُلْتُ: أَسْلَمْتُ وَتَابَعْت دِينَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ، قَالَ: أَيْ بُنَيَّ، فَدِينِي دِينُكَ ؟ قَالَ: فَقُلْتُ: فَاذْهَبْ فَاغْتَسِلْ وَطَهِّرْ ثِيَابَكَ، ثُمَّ تَعَالَ حَتَّى أُعَلِّمَكَ مَا عُلِّمْتُ. قَالَ: فَذَهَبَ فَاغْتَسَلَ، وَطَهَّرَ ثِيَابَهُ. قَالَ: ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَعَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ الْإِسْلَامَ، فَأَسْلَمَ. [ دَعْوَتُهُ زَوْجَهُ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ ] ( قَالَ ) ثُمَّ أَتَتْنِي صَاحِبَتِي، فَقُلْتُ: إلَيْكَ عَنِّي، فَلَسْتُ مِنْكَ وَلَسْتَ مِنِّي، قَالَتْ: لِمَ ؟ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي، قَالَ: ( قُلْتُ: قَدْ ) فَرَّقَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ الْإِسْلَامُ، وَتَابَعْتُ دِينَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ ؟ قَالَتْ: فَدِينِي دِينُكَ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ فَاذْهَبِي إلَى حِنَا ذِي الشَّرَى - قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: وَيُقَالُ: حِمَى ذِي الشَّرَى - فَتَطَهَّرِي مِنْهُ. ( قَالَ ): وَكَانَ ذُو الشَّرَى صَنَمًا لِدَوْسٍ، وَكَانَ الْحِمَى حِمَى حَمَوْهُ لَهُ، ( وَ ) بِهِ وَشَلٌ مِنْ مَاءٍ يَهْبِطُ مِنْ جَبَلٍ. قَالَ: فَقُلْتُ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي، أَتَخْشَى عَلَى الصَّبِيَّةِ مِنْ ذِي الشَّرَى شَيْئًا، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: لَا، أَنَا ضَامِنٌ لِذَلِكَ، فَذَهَبَتْ فَاغْتَسَلَتْ، ثُمَّ جَاءَتْ فَعَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهَا الْإِسْلَامَ، فَأَسْلَمَتْ
✧ [His call to his father to Islam] He said: When I alighted, my father came to me, and he was a very old man. He said: I said: ‘Get away from me, father, for I am not of you and you are not of me.’ He said: ‘Why, my son?’ He said: I said: ‘I have submitted and followed the religion of Muḥammad ﷺ.’ He said: ‘My son, is my religion your religion?’ He said: I said: ‘Go and wash, and purify your garments, then come so that I may teach you what I have been taught.’ He said: So he went and washed, and purified his garments. He said: Then he came, and I presented Islam to him, and he submitted. [His call to his wife to Islam] He said: Then my wife came to me, and I said: ‘Get away from me, for I am not of you and you are not of me.’ She said: ‘Why? May my father and mother be your ransom.’ He said: I said: ‘Islam has separated me from you, and I have followed the religion of Muḥammad ﷺ.’ She said: ‘Then my religion is your religion.’ He said: I said: ‘Go to the protected sanctuary of Dhū al-Sharā—Ibn Hishām said: It is also said: the protected sanctuary of Dhū al-Sharā—and purify yourself there.’ He said: Dhū al-Sharā was an idol of the Daws, and the protected sanctuary was a sanctuary they had reserved for it, and in it was a watercourse from a mountain. He said: She said: ‘May my father and mother be your ransom, do you fear anything from Dhū al-Sharā for the little girl?’ He said: I said: ‘No, I am responsible for that.’ So she went and washed, then came, and I presented Islam to her, and she submitted.
Sirat Ibn Hisham 442No grade recorded
[ دَعْوَتُهُ قَوْمَهِ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنْهُمْ وَلِحَاقُهُمْ بِالرَّسُولِ ] ثُمَّ دَعَوْتُ دَوْسًا إلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، فَأَبْطَئُوا عَلَيَّ، ثُمَّ جِئْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِمَكَّةَ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إنَّهُ قَدْ غَلَبَنِي عَلَى دَوْسٍ الرِّنَا فَادْعُ اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ دَوْسًا ارْجِعْ إلَى قَوْمِكَ فَادْعُهُمْ وَارْفُقْ بِهِمْ. قَالَ: فَلَمْ أَزَلْ بِأَرْضِ دَوْسٍ أَدْعُوهُمْ إلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، حَتَّى هَاجَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، وَمَضَى بَدْرٌ وَأُحُدٌ وَالْخَنْدَقُ، ثُمَّ قَدِمْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِمَنْ أَسْلَمَ مَعِي مِنْ قَوْمِي وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِخَيْبَرِ. حَتَّى نَزَلْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ بِسَبْعِينَ أَوْ ثَمَانِينَ بَيْتًا مِنْ دَوْسٍ، ثُمَّ لَحِقْنَا بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِخَيْبَرِ، فَأَسْهَمَ لَنَا مَعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
✧ [His call to his people to Islam, what happened with them, and their joining the Messenger] Then I called Daws to Islam, but they were slow to respond to me. Then I came to the Messenger of God ﷺ in Makkah and said to him: O Prophet of God, fornication has overcome me among Daws, so pray to God against them. He said: O God, guide Daws. Return to your people and call them, and be gentle with them. He said: I did not cease being in the land of Daws calling them to Islam, until the Messenger of God ﷺ emigrated to Madinah, and Badr, Uhud, and the Trench passed. Then I came to the Messenger of God ﷺ with those of my people who had become Muslim with me, while the Messenger of God ﷺ was at Khaybar. Until I arrived in Madinah with seventy or eighty households of Daws. Then we caught up with the Messenger of God ﷺ at Khaybar, and he allotted us a share along with the Muslims.
Sirat Ibn Hisham 443No grade recorded
[ ذَهَابُهُ إِلَى ذِي الْكَفَّيْنِ لِيَحْرِقَهُ ] ثُمَّ لَمْ أَزَلْ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، حَتَّى إذَا فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ مَكَّةَ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ابْعَثْنِي إلَى ذِي الْكَفَّيْنِ صَنَمِ عَمْرِو بْنِ حُمَمَةَ حَتَّى أُحْرِقَهُ. قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: فَخَرَجَ إلَيْهِ، فَجَعَلَ طُفَيْلٌ يُوقِدُ عَلَيْهِ النَّارَ وَيَقُولُ:: يَا ذَا الْكَفَّيْنِ لَسْتُ مِنْ عُبَّادِكَا مِيلَادُنَا أَقْدَمُ مِنْ مِيلَادِكَا: إنِّي حَشَوْتُ النَّارَ فِي فُؤَادِكَا
✧ [His going to Dhū al-Kaffayn to burn it] Then I did not cease to be with the Messenger of God ﷺ, until God granted him victory over Makkah. He said: I said, "O Messenger of God, send me to Dhū al-Kaffayn, the idol of ʿAmr b. Ḥumamah, so that I may burn it." Ibn Isḥāq said: So he went out to it, and Ṭufayl began to kindle fire upon it and say: O Dhū al-Kaffayn, I am not one of your worshippers; Our birth is older than your birth; Indeed, I have stuffed fire into your heart.
Sirat Ibn Hisham 444No grade recorded
[ جِهَادُهُ مَعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ بَعْدَ قَبْضِ الرَّسُولِ، ثُمَّ رُؤْيَاهُ وَمَقْتَلُهُ ] قَالَ: ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَكَانَ مَعَهُ بِالْمَدِينَةِ حَتَّى قَبَضَ اللَّهُ رَسُولَهُ ﷺ. فَلَمَّا ارْتَدَّتْ الْعَرَبُ، خَرَجَ مَعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَسَارَ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّى فَرَغُوا مِنْ طُلَيْحَةَ، وَمِنْ أَرْضِ نَجْدٍ كُلِّهَا. ثُمَّ سَارَ مَعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ إلَى الْيَمَامَةِ، وَمَعَهُ ابْنُهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ الطُّفَيْلِ، فَرَأَى رُؤْيَا وَهُوَ مُتَوَجِّهٌ إلَى الْيَمَامَةِ، فَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: إنِّي قَدْ رَأَيْتُ رُؤْيَا فَاعْبُرُوهَا لِي، رَأَيْتُ أَنَّ رَأْسِي حُلِقَ، وَأَنَّهُ خَرَجَ مِنْ فَمِي طَائِرٌ، وَأَنَّهُ لَقِيَتْنِي امْرَأَةٌ فَأَدْخَلَتْنِي فِي فَرْجِهَا، وَأَرَى ابْنِي يَطْلُبُنِي حَثِيثًا، ثُمَّ رَأَيْتُهُ حُبِسَ عَنِّي، قَالُوا: خَيْرًا، قَالَ: أَمَّا أَنَا وَاَللَّهِ فَقَدْ أَوَّلْتُهَا ؟ قَالُوا: مَاذَا ؟ قَالَ: أَمَّا حَلْقُ رَأْسِي فَوَضْعُهُ، وَأَمَّا الطَّائِرُ الَّذِي خَرَجَ مِنْ فَمِي فَرُوحِي، وَأَمَّا الْمَرْأَةُ الَّتِي أَدَخَلَتْنِي فَرْجَهَا فَالْأَرْضُ تُحْفَرُ لِي، فَأُغَيَّبُ فِيهَا، وَأَمَّا طَلَبُ ابْنِي إيَّايَ ثُمَّ حَبْسُهُ عَنِّي، فَإِنِّي أُرَاهُ سَيَجْهَدُ أَنْ يُصِيبَهُ مَا أَصَابَنِي. فَقُتِلَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ شَهِيدًا بِالْيَمَامَةِ، وَجُرِحَ ابْنُهُ جِرَاحَةً شَدِيدَةً، ثُمَّ اسْتَبَلَّ مِنْهَا، ثُمَّ قُتِلَ عَامَ الْيَرْمُوكِ فِي زَمَنِ عُمَرَ ؓ شَهِيدًا
✧ [His striving with the Muslims after the Messenger's passing, then his dream and death] He said: Then he returned to the Messenger of God ﷺ, and was with him in Madinah until God took His Messenger ﷺ. When the Arabs apostatized, he went out with the Muslims and marched with them until they finished with Ṭulayḥah and all of the land of Najd. Then he marched with the Muslims to al-Yamāmah, and with him was his son ʿAmr b. al-Ṭufayl. He saw a dream while heading to al-Yamāmah and said to his companions: "I have seen a dream, so interpret it for me. I saw that my head was shaved, that a bird came out of my mouth, that a woman met me and inserted me into her vulva, and I saw my son seeking me urgently, then I saw him held back from me." They said: "Good." He said: "As for me, by God, I have interpreted it." They said: "What?" He said: "As for the shaving of my head, it is its being laid down. As for the bird that came out of my mouth, it is my spirit. As for the woman who inserted me into her vulva, it is the earth being dug for me, so I will be hidden in it. As for my son's seeking me and then his being held back from me, I think he will strive to be struck by what struck me." He was killed, may God have mercy on him, as a martyr at al-Yamāmah, and his son was severely wounded, then recovered from it, then was killed in the year of al-Yarmūk in the time of ʿUmar ؓ as a martyr.