43. The Detachment of Hamzah to the Seashore

Sirat Ibn Hisham 683No grade recorded
سَرِيَّةُ حَمْزَةَ إلَى سَيْفِ الْبَحْرِ [ مَا جَرَى بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْكُفَّارِ ] وَبَعَثَ فِي مَقَامِهِ ذَلِكَ، حَمْزَةَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ، إلَى سَيْفِ الْبَحْرِ، مِنْ نَاحِيَةِ الْعِيصِ، فِي ثَلَاثِينَ رَاكِبًا مِنْ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ، لَيْسَ فِيهِمْ مِنْ الْأَنْصَارِ أَحَدٌ. فَلَقِيَ أَبَا جَهْلِ بْنَ هِشَامٍ بِذَلِكَ السَّاحِلِ فِي ثَلَاثِ ماِئَةِ رَاكِبٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ. فَحَجَزَ بَيْنَهُمْ مَجْدِيُّ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الْجُهَنِيُّ. وَكَانَ مُوَادِعًا لِلْفَرِيقَيْنِ جَمِيعًا، فَانْصَرَفَ بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ عَنْ بَعْضٍ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنَهُمْ قِتَالٌ.
✧ The Detachment of Ḥamzah to Sayf al-Baḥr [What transpired between the Muslims and the disbelievers] And he sent, during that stay of his, Ḥamzah b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib b. Hāshim to Sayf al-Baḥr, from the direction of al-ʿĪṣ, with thirty riders from the Emigrants, none of the Anṣār being among them. He encountered Abū Jahl b. Hishām on that coast with three hundred riders from the people of Makkah. Then Majdī b. ʿAmr al-Juhanī intervened between them, and he was in a truce with both parties together, so some of the people withdrew from the others, and there was no fighting between them.
Sirat Ibn Hisham 684No grade recorded
[ كَانَتْ رَايَةُ حَمْزَةَ أَوَّلَ رَايَةٍ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ وَشِعْرُ حَمْزَةَ فِي ذَلِكَ ] وَبَعْضُ النَّاسِ يَقُولُ: كَانَتْ رَايَةُ حَمْزَةَ أَوَّلَ رَايَةٍ عَقَدَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ لِأَحَدِ مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ بَعْثَهُ وَبَعْثَ عُبَيْدَةَ كَانَا مَعًا، فَشُبِّهَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ. وَقَدْ زَعَمُوا أَنَّ حَمْزَةَ قَدْ قَالَ فِي ذَلِكَ شِعْرًا يَذْكُرُ فِيهِ أَنَّ رَايَتَهُ أَوَّلُ رَايَةٍ عَقَدَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَإِنْ كَانَ حَمْزَةُ قَدْ قَالَ ذَلِكَ، فَقَدْ صَدَقَ إنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ، لَمْ يَكُنْ يَقُولُ إلَّا حَقًّا، فَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ أَيَّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ. فَأَمَّا مَا سَمِعْنَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ عِنْدَنَا. فَعُبَيْدَةُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ أَوَّلُ مَنْ عُقِدَ لَهُ. فَقَالَ حَمْزَةُ فِي ذَلِكَ، فِيمَا يَزْعُمُونَ: قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: وَأَكْثَرُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ بِالشِّعْرِ يُنْكِرُ هَذَا الشِّعْرَ لِحَمْزَةِ ؓ:: أَلَا يَا لَقَوْمِي لِلتَّحَلُّمِ وَالْجَهْلِ وَلِلنَّقْصِ مِنْ رَأْيِ الرِّجَالِ وَلِلْعَقْلِ وَلِلرَّاكِبِينَا بِالْمَظَالِمِ لَمْ نَطَأْ لَهُمْ حُرُمَاتٍ مِنْ سَوَامٍ وَلَا أَهْلِ كَأَنَّا تَبَلْنَاهُمْ وَلَا تَبْلَ عِنْدَنَا لَهُمْ غَيْرُ أَمْرٍ بِالْعَفَافِ وَبِالْعَدْلِ وَأَمْرٍ بِإِسْلَامٍ فَلَا يَقْبَلُونَهُ وَيَنْزِلُ مِنْهُمْ مِثْلَ مَنْزِلَةِ الْهَزْلِ فَمَا بَرِحُوا حَتَّى انْتَدَبْتُ لِغَارَةِ لَهُمْ حَيْثُ حَلُّوا ابْتَغَى رَاحَةَ الْفَضْلِ بِأَمْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، أَوَّلُ خَافِقٍ عَلَيْهِ لِوَاءٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَاحَ مِنْ قَبْلِي لِوَاءٌ لَدَيْهِ النَّصْرُ مِنْ ذِي كَرَامَةٍ إلَهٍ عَزِيزٍ فِعْلُهُ أَفَضْلُ الْفِعْلِ عَشِيَّةَ سَارُوا حَاشِدِينَ وَكُلُّنَا مَرَاجِلُهُ مِنْ غَيْظِ أَصْحَابِهِ تَغْلِي فَلَمَّا تَرَاءَيْنَا أَنَاخُوا فَعَقَّلُوا مَطَايَا وَعَقَّلْنَا مُدَى غَرَضِ النَّبْلِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ: حَبْلُ الْإِلَهِ نَصِيرُنَا وَمَا لَكُمْ إلَّا الضَّلَالَةُ مِنْ حَبْلٍ فَثَارَ أَبُو جَهْلٍ هُنَالِكَ بَاغِيًا فَخَابَ وَرَدَّ اللَّهُ كَيْدَ أَبِي جَهْلِ وَمَا نَحْنُ إلَّا فِي ثَلَاثِينَ رَاكِبًا وَهُمْ مِائَتَانِ بَعْدُ وَاحِدَةٍ فَضْلِ فَيَا لَلُؤَىَ لَا تُطِيعُوا غُوَاتَكُمْ وَفِيئُوا إلَى الْإِسْلَامِ وَالْمَنْهَجِ السَّهْلِ فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يُصَبَّ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابٌ فَتَدْعُوَا بِالنَّدَامَةِ وَالثُّكْلِ
✧ [The banner of Hamzah was the first banner in Islam, and Hamzah's poetry about that] Some people say: The banner of Hamzah was the first banner that the Messenger of God ﷺ tied for any of the Muslims. That is because his expedition and the expedition of ʿUbaydah were together, so the matter became confused for people. They have claimed that Hamzah spoke poetry about that, mentioning that his banner was the first banner that the Messenger of God ﷺ tied; and if Hamzah did say that, then he has spoken truly, if God wills—he would only say the truth, and God knows best which of that was the case. As for what we have heard from the people of knowledge among us, ʿUbaydah b. al-Ḥārith was the first for whom a banner was tied. So Hamzah said about that, as they allege: Ibn Hishām said: Most of the people of knowledge of poetry deny this poetry to Hamzah ؓ: Alas, O my people, for forbearance and ignorance, and for the deficiency in men's judgment and reason; and for those who ride us with injustice—we have not trodden for them any sacred things of pasturing livestock or family. It is as if we have bereaved them, but there is no bereavement with us for them except a command to chastity and justice, and a command to Islam, but they do not accept it, and they treat it as a jest. They did not cease until I roused myself for a raid against them where they had halted, seeking ease of excellence, by the command of the Messenger of God, the first banner upon which a standard was raised; before me no standard had appeared. With him is victory from the Possessor of Generosity, a Mighty God whose deed is the most excellent of deeds. On the evening they marched, gathering, and every one of us—his cooking pots from the anger of his companions boil. When we caught sight of each other, they made their camels kneel and hobbled riding beasts, and we hobbled the blades of arrow-targets. We said to them: The rope of God is our helper, and you have nothing but error as a rope. Thereupon Abū Jahl rose, transgressing, and he failed, and God turned back the plot of Abū Jahl. We are only thirty riders, while they are two hundred, with one more of merit. So O Luʾayy, do not obey your tempters, and return to Islam and the smooth path. For I fear that a punishment will be poured upon you, and you will call out in regret and bereavement.
Sirat Ibn Hisham 685No grade recorded
[ شِعْرُ أَبِي جَهْلٍ فِي الرَّدِّ عَلَى حَمْزَةَ ] فَأَجَابَهُ أَبُو جَهْلِ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، فَقَالَ: عَجِبْتُ لِأَسْبَابِ الْحَفِيظَةِ وَالْجَهْلِ وَلِلشَّاغِبِينَ بِالْخِلَافِ وَبِالْبُطْلِ وَلِلتَّارِكِينَ مَا وَجَدْنَا جُدُودَنَا عَلَيْهِ ذَوِي الْأَحْسَابِ وَالسُّؤْدُدِ الْجَزْلِ أَتَوْنَا بِإِفْكٍ كَيْ يُضِلُّوا عُقُولَنَا وَلَيْسَ مُضِلًّا إفْكُهُمْ عَقْلَ ذِي عَقْلِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ: يَا قَوْمَنَا لَا تُخَالِفُوا عَلَى قَوْمِكُمْ إنَّ الْخِلَافَ مُدَى الْجَهْلِ فَإِنَّكُمْ إنْ تَفْعَلُوا تَدْعُ نِسْوَةٌ لَهُنَّ بَوَاكٍ بِالرَّزِيَّةِ وَالثُّكْلِ وَإِنْ تَرْجِعُوا عَمَّا فَعَلْتُمْ فَإِنَّنَا بَنُو عَمِّكُمْ أَهْلُ الْحَفَائِظِ وَالْفَضْلِ فَقَالُوا لَنَا: إنَّا وَجَدْنَا مُحَمَّدًا رِضًا لِذَوِي الْأَحْلَامِ مِنَّا وَذِي الْعَقْلِ فَلَمَّا أَبَوْا إلَّا الْخِلَافَ وَزَيَّنُوا جِمَاعَ الْأُمُورِ بِالْقَبِيحِ مِنْ الْفِعْلِ تَيَمَّمْتُهُمْ بِالسَّاحِلَيْنِ بِغَارَةٍ لِأَتْرُكَهُمْ كَالْعَصْفِ لَيْسَ بِذِي أَصْلِ فَوَزَّعَنِي مَجْدِيٌّ عَنْهُمْ وَصُحْبَتِي وَقَدْ وَازَرُونِي بِالسُّيُوفِ وَبِالنَّبْلِ لِإِلٍّ عَلَيْنَا وَاجِبٍ لَا نُضَيِّعُهُ أَمِينٌ قَوَاهُ غَيْرُ مُنْتَكِثِ الْحَبْلِ فَلَوْلَا ابْنُ عَمْرٍو كُنْتُ غَادَرْتُ مِنْهُمْ مَلَاحِمَ لِلطَّيْرِ الْعُكُوفِ بِلَا تَبْلِ وَلَكِنَّهُ آلَى بِإِلٍّ فَقَلَّصَتْ بِأَيْمَانِنَا حَدُّ السُّيُوفِ عَنْ الْقَتْلِ فَإِنْ تُبْقِنِي الْأَيَّامُ أَرْجِعْ عَلَيْهِمْ بِبِيضٍ رِقَاقِ الْحَدِّ مُحْدَثَةِ الصُّقْلِ بِأَيْدِي حُمَاةٍ مِنْ لُؤَيِّ بْنِ غَالِبٍ كِرَامٍ الْمَسَاعِي فِي الْجُدُوبَةِ وَالْمَحْلِ قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: وَأَكْثَرُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ بِالشِّعْرِ يُنْكِرُ هَذَا الشِّعْرَ لِأَبِي جَهْلٍ
✧ [The poem of Abū Jahl in reply to Ḥamzah] Abū Jahl b. Hishām answered him, saying: I marvel at the causes of anger and ignorance, and at those who stir up discord with opposition and falsehood, and at those who abandon what we found our forefathers upon, men of noble lineage and abundant lordship. They brought us a lie to lead our minds astray, but their lie does not lead astray the mind of one who has a mind. So we said to them: O our people, do not oppose your people; opposition is the blade of ignorance. For if you do so, women will call with lamentation for them, weeping over calamity and bereavement. But if you return from what you have done, we are the sons of your paternal uncle, people of protection and excellence. They said to us: We have found Muḥammad to be pleasing to those of us of sound judgment and reason. When they refused aught but opposition and adorned the sum of affairs with ugly deeds, I aimed at them on the two coasts with a raid, to leave them like scattered chaff without root. But Majdī restrained me from them and my companions, though they had supported me with swords and arrows, because of a bond upon us, binding, which we do not neglect—a faithful protector whose rope is not broken. Were it not for Ibn ʿAmr, I would have left among them feasts for the hovering birds without delay. But he swore by a bond, and the edges of our swords were drawn back from killing by our right hands. If the days spare me, I will return upon them with white, thin-edged blades, newly polished, in the hands of protectors from Luʾayy b. Ghālib, noble in endeavors in drought and barrenness. Ibn Hishām said: Most of the people of knowledge of poetry reject this poem as being by Abū Jahl.