22. The account of the Irāshī who sold his camels to Abū Jahl
Sirat Ibn Hisham 449No grade recorded
[ إنْصَافُ الرَّسُولِ لَهُ مِنْ أَبِي جَهْلٍ ] فَأَقْبَلَ الْإِرَاشِيُّ حَتَّى وَقَفَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَقَالَ: يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ إنَّ أَبَا الْحَكَمِ بْنَ هِشَامٍ قَدْ غَلَبَنِي عَلَى حَقٍّ لِي قِبَلَهُ، وَأَنَا ( رَجُلٌ ) غَرِيبٌ ابْنُ سَبِيلٍ، وَقَدْ سَأَلْتُ هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ يُؤَدِّينِي عَلَيْهِ، يَأْخُذُ لِي حَقِّي مِنْهُ، فَأَشَارُوا لِي إلَيْكَ، فَخُذْ لِي حَقِّي مِنْهُ، يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ قَالَ: انْطَلِقْ إلَيْهِ، وَقَامَ مَعَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ قَامَ مَعَهُ قَالُوا لِرَجُلِ مِمَّنْ مَعَهُمْ: اتْبَعْهُ، فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا يَصْنَعُ. قَالَ: وَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى جَاءَهُ فَضَرَبَ عَلَيْهِ بَابَهُ: فَقَالَ: مَنْ هَذَا ؟ قَالَ: مُحَمَّدٌ، فَاخْرُجْ إلَيَّ، فَخَرَجَ إلَيْهِ، وَمَا فِي وَجْهِهِ مِنْ رَائِحَةٍ قَدْ اُنْتُقِعَ لَوْنُهُ، فَقَالَ: أَعْطِ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ حَقَّهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ، لَا تَبْرَحْ حَتَّى أُعْطِيَهُ الَّذِي لَهُ، قَالَ: فَدَخَلَ، فَخَرَجَ إلَيْهِ بِحَقِّهِ فَدَفَعَهُ إلَيْهِ. ( قَالَ ): ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَقَالَ لِلْإِرَاشِيِّ: الْحَقْ بِشَأْنِكَ، فَأَقْبَلَ الْإِرَاشِيُّ حَتَّى وَقَفَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ الْمَجْلِسِ، فَقَالَ: جَزَاهُ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا، فَقَدْ وَاَللَّهِ أَخَذَ لِي حَقِّي
✧ [The Messenger's obtaining justice for him from Abū Jahl] The Irāshī came forward until he stood before the Messenger of God ﷺ and said, "O servant of God, Abū al-Ḥakam b. Hishām has deprived me of a right I have against him. I am a stranger, a wayfarer. I asked these people about a man who would help me against him, who would take my right from him, and they pointed me to you. So take my right from him, may God have mercy on you." He said, "Go to him." The Messenger of God ﷺ rose and went with him. When they saw him rise and go with him, they said to a man among them, "Follow him and see what he does." The Messenger of God ﷺ went out until he came to him and knocked on his door. He said, "Who is this?" He said, "Muḥammad, come out to me." He came out to him, with no color in his face, his complexion having paled. He said, "Give this man his right." He said, "Yes, do not leave until I give him what is his." He entered, then came out to him with his right and handed it to him. Then the Messenger of God ﷺ turned away and said to the Irāshī, "Go about your business." The Irāshī came forward until he stood before that assembly and said, "May God reward him well, for by God he took my right for me."
Sirat Ibn Hisham 450No grade recorded
[ مَا رَوَاهُ أَبُو جَهْلٍ عَنْ سَبَبِ خَوْفِهِ مِنْ الرَّسُولِ ] قَالَ: وَجَاءَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي بَعَثُوا مَعَهُ، فَقَالُوا: وَيْحَكَ مَاذَا رَأَيْتُ ؟ قَالَ: عَجَبًا مِنْ الْعَجَبِ، وَاَللَّهِ مَا هُوَ إلَّا أَنْ ضَرَبَ عَلَيْهِ بَابَهُ، فَخَرَجَ إلَيْهِ وَمَا مَعَهُ رُوحُهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ: أَعْطِ هَذَا حَقَّهُ، فَقَالَ: نَعَمْ، لَا تَبْرَحْ حَتَّى أُخْرِجَ إلَيْهِ حَقَّهُ، فَدَخَلَ فَخَرَجَ إلَيْهِ بِحَقِّهِ، فَأَعْطَاهُ إيَّاهُ. قَالَ: ثُمَّ لَمْ يَلْبَثْ أَبُو جَهْلٍ أَنْ جَاءَ، فَقَالُوا ( لَهُ ) وَيْلَكَ مَا لَكَ ؟ وَاَللَّهِ مَا رَأَيْنَا مِثْلَ مَا صَنَعْتُ قَطُّ قَالَ: وَيْحَكُمْ، وَاَللَّهِ مَا هُوَ إلَّا أَنْ ضَرَبَ عَلَيَّ بَابِي، وَسَمِعْتُ صَوْتَهُ، فَمُلِئَتْ رُعْبًا، ثُمَّ خَرَجْتُ إلَيْهِ، وَإِنَّ فَوْقَ رَأْسِهِ لَفَحْلًا مِنْ الْإِبِلِ، مَا رَأَيْتُ مِثْلَ هَامَتِهِ، وَلَا قَصَرَتِهِ وَلَا أَنْيَابِهِ لِفَحْلٍ قَطُّ، وَاَللَّهِ لَوْ أَبَيْتُ لَأَكَلَنِي
✧ [What Abū Jahl related about the reason for his fear of the Messenger] He said: The man whom they had sent with him came, and they said: Woe to you! What did you see? He said: A wonder among wonders. By Allah, it was only that he knocked on his door, and he came out to him while he was barely alive. He said to him: Give this man his due. He said: Yes, do not leave until I bring out his due to him. So he entered and then came out to him with his due, and gave it to him. He said: Then Abū Jahl did not wait long before he came, and they said to him: Woe to you! What is the matter with you? By Allah, we have never seen the like of what you did. He said: Woe to you! By Allah, it was only that he knocked on my door, and I heard his voice, and I was filled with terror. Then I went out to him, and above his head there was indeed a stallion-camel, the like of whose head, neck, and fangs I have never seen in any stallion-camel. By Allah, had I refused, it would have eaten me.
Sirat Ibn Hisham 448No grade recorded
أَمْرُ الْإِرَاشِيِّ الَّذِي بَاعَ أَبَا جَهْلٍ إبِلَهُ [ مُمَاطَلَةُ أَبِي جَهْلٍ لَهُ، وَاسْتِنْجَادُهُ بِقُرَيْشِ، وَاسْتِخْفَافُهُمْ بِالرَّسُولِ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ الثَّقَفِيُّ، وَكَانَ وَاعِيَةً، قَالَ: قَدِمَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ إرَاشٍ - قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: وَيُقَالُ: إرَاشَةَ - بِإِبِلِ لَهُ مَكَّةَ، فَابْتَاعَهَا مِنْهُ أَبُو جَهْلٍ، فَمَطَلَهُ بِأَثْمَانِهَا. فَأَقْبَلَ الْإِرَاشِيُّ حَتَّى وَقَفَ عَلَى نَادٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ، وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْمَسْجِدِ جَالِسٌ، فَقَالَ: يَا مَعْشَرَ قُرَيْشٍ، مَنْ رَجُلٌ يُؤَدِّينِي عَلَى أَبِي الْحَكَمِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ، فَإِنِّي رَجُلٌ غَرِيبٌ، ابْنُ سَبِيلٍ، وَقَدْ غَلَبَنِي عَلَى حَقِّي ؟ قَالَ: فَقَالَ لَهُ أَهْلُ ذَلِكَ الْمَجْلِسِ: أَتَرَى ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلَ الْجَالِسَ - لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَهُمْ يَهْزَءُونَ بِهِ لِمَا يَعْلَمُونَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ أَبِي جَهْلٍ مِنْ الْعَدَاوَةِ - اذْهَبْ إلَيْهِ فَإِنَّهُ يُؤَدِّيكَ عَلَيْهِ.
✧ The affair of the Irāshī who sold Abū Jahl his camels [Abū Jahl's delaying payment to him, his seeking help from Quraysh, and their making light of the Messenger] Ibn Isḥāq said: ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿAbd Allāh b. Abī Sufyān al-Thaqafī, who was a retentive memorizer, related to me: A man from Irāsh—Ibn Hishām said: It is also said Irāshah—came to Makkah with camels of his, and Abū Jahl bought them from him but delayed paying him their price. The Irāshī came forward and stood by an assembly of Quraysh, while the Messenger of God ﷺ was sitting in a corner of the mosque. He said, “O company of Quraysh, who is a man who will help me get my due from Abū al-Ḥakam b. Hishām? For I am a stranger, a wayfarer, and he has overpowered me regarding my right.” He said: The people of that assembly said to him—pointing to the Messenger of God ﷺ, mocking him because of the enmity they knew existed between him and Abū Jahl—“Do you see that man sitting there? Go to him, for he will help you get your due from him.”