86. Ḥassān's poetry enumerating the expeditions

1. Sirat Ibn Hisham 1521No grade recorded

   شِعْرُ حَسَّانَ الَّذِي عَدَّدَ فِيهِ الْمَغَازِيَ وَقَالَ حَسَّانُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ يُعَدِّدُ أَيَّامَ الْأَنْصَارِ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، وَيَذْكُرُ مَوَاطِنَهُمْ مَعَهُ فِي أَيَّامِ غَزْوِهِ: قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: وَتُرْوَى لَابْنِهِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ حَسَّانَ: أَلَسْتُ خَيْرَ مَعَدٍّ كُلِّهَا نَفَرًا وَمَعْشَرًا إنْ هُمْ عُمُّوا وَإِنْ حُصِلُوا قَوْمٌ هُمْ شَهِدُوا بَدْرًا بِأَجْمَعِهِمْ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ فَمَا أَلَوْا وَمَا خَذَلُوا وَبَايَعُوهُ فَلَمْ يَنْكُثْ بِهِ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُ فِي إيمَانِهِمْ دَخَلُ وَيَوْمَ صَبَّحَهُمْ فِي الشِّعْبِ مِنْ أُحُدٍ ضَرْبٌ رَصِينٌ كَحَرِّ النَّارِ مُشْتَعِلُ وَيَوْمَ ذِي قَرَدٍ يَوْمَ اسْتَثَارَ بِهِمْ عَلَى الْجِيَادِ فَمَا خَامُوا وَمَا نَكَلُوا وَذَا الْعَشِيرَةِ جَاسُوهَا بِخَيْلِهِمْ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ عَلَيْهَا الْبَيْضُ وَالْأَسَلُ وَيَوْمَ وَدَّانَ أَجْلَوْا أَهْلَهُ رَقَصًا بِالْخَيْلِ حَتَّى نَهَانَا الْحَزْنُ وَالْجَبَلُ وَلَيْلَةً طَلَبُوا فِيهَا عَدُوَّهُمْ لِلَّهِ وَاَللَّهُ يَجْزِيهِمْ بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَغَزْوَةً يَوْمَ نَجْدٍ ثُمَّ كَانَ لَهُمْ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ بِهَا الْأَسْلَابُ وَالنَّفَلُ وَلَيْلَةً بِحُنَيْنٍ جَالَدُوا مَعَهُ فِيهَا يَعُلُّهُمْ بِالْحَرْبِ إذْ نَهِلُوا وَغَزْوَةَ الْقَاعِ فَرَّقْنَا الْعَدُوَّ بِهِ كَمَا تُفَرَّقُ دُونَ الْمَشْرَبِ الرَّسَلُ وَيَوْمَ بُويِعَ كَانُوا أَهْلَ بَيْعَتِهِ عَلَى الْجِلَادِ فَآسَوْهُ وَمَا عَدَلُوا وَغَزْوَةَ الْفَتْحِ كَانُوا فِي سَرِيَّتِهِ مُرَابِطِينَ فَمَا طَاشُوا وَمَا عَجِلُوا وَيَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ كَانُوا فِي كَتِيبَتِهِ يَمْشُونَ كُلُّهُمْ مُسْتَبْسِلٌ بَطَلُ بِالْبِيضِ تَرْعَشُ فِي الْأَيْمَانِ عَارِيَةً تَعْوَجُّ فِي الضَّرْبِ أَحْيَانًا وَتَعْتَدِلُ وَيَوْمَ سَارَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ مُحْتَسِبًا إلَى تَبُوكَ وَهُمْ رَايَاتُهُ الْأُوَلُ وَسَاسَةُ الْحَرْبِ إنْ حَرْبٌ بَدَتْ لَهُمْ حَتَّى بَدَا لَهُمْ الْإِقْبَالُ وَالْقَفَلُ أُولَئِكَ الْقَوْمُ أَنْصَارُ النَّبِيِّ وَهُمْ قَوْمِي أَصِيرُ إلَيْهِمْ حَيْنَ أَتَّصِلُ - مَاتُوا كِرَامًا وَلَمْ تُنْكَثْ عُهُودُهُمْ وَقَتْلُهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إذْ قُتِلُوا قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: عَجُزُ آخِرِهَا بَيْتًا عَنْ غَيْرِ ابْنِ إسْحَاقَ.

   ✧ Ḥassān's poem in which he enumerated the expeditions. Ḥassān b. Thābit said, enumerating the days of the Anṣār with the Prophet ﷺ, and mentioning their stations with him in the days of his raiding: Ibn Hishām said: It is also related on the authority of his son ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Ḥassān: Am I not the best of all Maʿadd in men and in clan, whether they are made numerous or counted? A people who all witnessed Badr with the Messenger, and they did not fall short and did not fail. They pledged allegiance to him, and not one of them broke it, and in their faith there was no defect. On the day when they were surprised in the pass of Uḥud, a firm blow like a blazing fire's heat. On the day of Dhū Qarad, the day when he stirred them to action on the swift horses, they did not flinch and did not hold back. And at Dhū al-ʿUshayrah they trod it with their cavalry with the Messenger, upon them white helmets and spearheads. On the day of Waddān they cleared its people, making them dance with the horses, until the rugged ground and the mountain stopped us. And a night in which they sought their enemy for God's sake, and God will reward them for what they did. And a raid on the day of Najd, then they had with the Messenger there the spoils and the extra shares. And a night at Ḥunayn when they fought alongside him, and he watered them with war when they had drunk their fill. The raid of al-Qāʿ: by it we scattered the enemy as the camels are scattered from the watering place. On the day of the pledge they were the people of his pledge upon the fighting, and they supported him and did not turn aside. On the raid of the conquest they were in his expeditionary force, keeping watch, and they did not waver and did not hasten. On the day of Khaybar they were in his battalion, all of them walking as bold heroes. With white swords trembling in right hands, bare, bending sometimes in the strike and straightening. And on the day the Messenger of God marched, seeking God's reward, to Tabūk, they were his first banners, and the managers of war when war appeared to them, until advance and return became clear to them. Those are the people, the Anṣār of the Prophet, and they are my people to whom I shall return when I am joined. They died nobly, and their covenants were not broken, and their killing was in the way of God when they were killed. Ibn Hishām said: The last foot of the final verse is from other than Ibn Isḥāq.

2. Sirat Ibn Hisham 1522No grade recorded

   قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَقَالَ حَسَّانُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ أَيْضًا: كُنَّا مُلُوكَ النَّاسِ قَبْلَ مُحَمَّدٍ فَلَمَّا أَتَى الْإِسْلَامُ كَانَ لَنَا الْفَضْلُ وَأَكْرَمَنَا اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَيْسَ غَيْرَهُ إلَهٌ بِأَيَّامٍ مَضَتْ مَا لَهَا شَكْلُ بِنَصْرِ الْإِلَهِ وَالرَّسُولِ وَدِينِهِ وَأَلْبَسَنَاهُ اسْمًا مَضَى مَا لَهُ مِثْلُ أُولَئِكَ قَوْمِي خَيْرُ قَوْمٍ بِأَسْرِهِمْ فَمَا عُدَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقَوْمِي لَهُ أَهْلُ يَرُبُّونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ مَعْرُوفِ مَنْ مَضَى وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْهِمْ دُونَ مَعْرُوفِهِمْ قُفْلُ إذَا اخْتُبِطُوا لَمْ يُفْحِشُوا فِي نَدِيِّهِمْ وَلَيْسَ عَلَى سُؤَالِهِمْ عِنْدَهُمْ بُخْلُ وَإِنْ حَارَبُوا أَوْ سَالَمُوا لَمْ يُشَبَّهُوا فَحَرْبُهُمْ حَتْفٌ وَسِلْمُهُمْ سَهْلُ وَجَارُهُمْ مُوفٍ بِعَلْيَاءَ بَيْتُهُ لَهُ مَا ثَوَى فِينَا الْكَرَامَةُ وَالْبَذْلُ وَحَامِلُهُمْ مُوفٍ بِكُلِّ حَمَالَةٍ تَحَمَّلَ لَا غُرْمٌ عَلَيْهَا وَلَا خَذْلُ وَقَائِلهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ إنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ وَحِلْمُهُمْ عَوْدٌ وَحُكْمُهُمْ عَدْلُ وَمِنَّا أَمِيرُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ حَيَاتَهُ وَمَنْ غَسَّلَتْهُ مِنْ جَنَابَتِهِ الرُّسْلُ قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: وَقَوْلُهُ: وَأَلْبَسْنَاهُ اسْمًا عَنْ غَيْرِ ابْنِ إسْحَاقَ: قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَقَالَ حَسَّانُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ أَيْضًا: قَوْمِي أُولَئِكَ إنْ تَسْأَلِي كِرَامٌ إذَا الضَّيْفُ يَوْمًا أَلَمْ عِظَامُ الْقُدُورِ لِأَيْسَارِهِمْ يَكُبُّونَ فِيهَا الْمُسِنَّ السَّنِمْ يُؤَاسُونَ جَارَهُمْ فِي الْغِنَى وَيَحْمُونَ مَوْلَاهُمْ إنْ ظُلِمْ فَكَانُوا مُلُوكًا بِأَرْضِيِّهِمْ يُنَادُونَ عَضْبًا بِأَمْرِ غُشُمْ مُلُوكًا عَلَى النَّاسِ، لَمْ يُمْلَكُوا مِنْ الدَّهْرِ يَوْمًا كَحِلِّ الْقَسَمْ فَأَنْبَوْا بِعَادٍ وَأَشْيَاعِهَا ثَمُودَ وَبَعْضِ بَقَايَا إرَمْ بِيَثْرِبَ قَدْ شَيَّدُوا فِي النَّخِيلِ حُصُونًا وَدُجِّنَ فِيهَا النَّعَمْ نَوَاضِحَ قَدْ عَلَّمَهَا اليهو دُ ( عَلْ ) إلَيْكَ وَقَوْلًا هَلُمْ وَفَمًا اشْتَهَوْا مِنْ عَصِيرِ الْقِطَا فِ وَالْعَيْشِ رَخْوًا عَلَى غَيْرِ هَمْ فَسِرْنَا إلَيْهِمْ بِأَثْقَالِنَا عَلَى كُلِّ فَحْلٍ هِجَانٍ قَطِمْ جَنَبْنَا بِهِنَّ جِيَادَ الخيو لِ قَدْ جَلَّلُوهَا جِلَالَ الْأَدَمْ فَلَمَّا أَنَاخُوا بِجَنْبَيْ صِرَارٍ وَشَدُّوا السُّرُوجَ بَلِيِّ الْحُزُمْ فَمَا رَاعَهُمْ غَيْرُ مَعْجِ الْخُيُو لِ وَالزَّحْفُ مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ قَدْ دَهِمْ فَطَارُوا سِرَاعًا وَقَدْ أُفْزِعُوا وَجِئْنَا إلَيْهِمْ كَأُسْدِ الْأُجُمْ عَلَى كُلِّ سَلْهَبَةٍ فِي الصِّيَا نِ لَا يَشْتَكِينَ نَحُولَ السَّأَمْ وَكُلِّ كُمَيْتٍ مُطَارُ الْفُؤَادِ أَمِينِ الْفُصُوصِ كَمِثْلِ الزُّلَمْ عَلَيْهَا فَوَارِسُ قَدْ عُوِّدُوا قِرَاعَ الْكُمَاةِ وَضَرْبَ الْبُهَمْ مُلُوكٌ إذَا غَشَمُوا فِي الْبِلَا دِ لَا يَنْكُلُونَ وَلَكِنْ قُدُمْ فَأُبْنَا بِسَادَاتِهِمْ وَالنِّسَاءِ وَأَوْلَادُهُمْ فِيهِمْ تُقْتَسَمْ وَرِثْنَا مَسَاكِنَهُمْ بَعْدَهُمْ وَكُنَّا مُلُوكًا بِهَا لَمْ نَرِمْ فَلَمَّا أَتَانَا الرَّسُولُ الرَّشِيدُ بِالْحَقِّ وَالنُّورِ بَعْدَ الظُّلْمْ قُلْنَا صَدَقْتَ رَسُولَ الْمَلِيكِ هَلُمَّ إلَيْنَا وَفِينَا أَقِمْ فَنَشْهَدَ أَنَّكَ عَبْدُ الْإِلَهِ أُرْسِلَتْ نُورًا بِدِينٍ قِيَمْ فَأَنَا وَأَوْلَادُنَا جُنَّةٌ نَقِيكَ وَفِي مَالِنَا فَاحْتَكِمْ فَنَحْنُ أُولَئِكَ إنْ كَذَّبُوكَ فَنَادِ نِدَاءً وَلَا تَحْتَشِمْ وَنَادِ بِمَا كُنْتَ أَخْفَيْتَهُ نِدَاءً جَهَارًا وَلَا تَكْتَتِمْ فَسَارَ الْغُوَاةُ بِأَسْيَافِهِمْ إلَيْهِ يَظُنُّونَ أَنْ يُخْتَرَمْ فَقُمْنَا إلَيْهِمْ بِأَسْيَافِنَا نُجَالِدُ عَنْهُ بُغَاةَ الْأُمَمْ بِكُلِّ صَقِيلٍ لَهُ مَيْعَةٌ رَقِيقِ الذَّبَّابِ عَضُوضٍ خَذِمْ إذَا مَا يُصَادِفُ صُمَّ الْعِظَا مِ لَمْ يَنْبُ عَنْهَا وَلَمْ يَنْشَلِمْ فَذَلِكَ مَا وَرَّثَتْنَا الْقُرُو مُ مَجْدًا تَلِيدًا وَعِزًّا أَشَمْ إذَا مَرَّ نَسْلٌ كَفَى نَسْلُهُ وَغَادَرَ نَسْلًا إذَا مَا انْفَصَمْ فَمَا إنْ مِنْ النَّاسِ إلَّا لَنَا عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْ خَاسَ فَضْلُ النَّعَمْ قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: أَنْشَدَنِي أَبُو زَيْدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ بَيْتَهُ: فَكَانُوا مُلُوكًا بِأَرْضِيِّهِمْ يُنَادُونَ غُضْبًا بِأَمْرِ غُشُمْ وَأَنْشَدَنِي: بِيَثْرِبَ قَدْ شَيَّدُوا فِي النَّخِيلِ حُصُونًا وَدُجِّنَ فِيهَا النَّعَمْ وَبَيْتُهُ: وَكُلُّ كُمَيْتٍ مُطَارُ الْفُؤَادِ: عَنْهُ.

   ✧ Ibn Isḥāq said: Ḥassān b. Thābit also said: We were kings of the people before Muḥammad ﷺ; when Islam came, the excellence was ours. God, besides whom there is no god, honored us with days that passed, which have no like, with the help of God, the Messenger, and his religion; and we clothed him with a name that has passed, which has no equal. Those are my people, the best people in their entirety; whatever good is counted, my people are its people. They nurture with kindness the kindness of those who have passed, and there is no lock upon their kindness. When they are put to trial, they do not commit indecency in their assembly, and there is no stinginess with them toward those who ask them. If they fight or make peace, they are not matched; their war is death, and their peace is easy. Their neighbor is fulfilled, his house is in the heights; he has, as long as he dwells among us, honor and generosity. Their guarantor fulfills every guarantee he has undertaken; there is no loss upon it and no abandonment. Their speaker speaks the truth, if a speaker speaks; their forbearance is aged, and their judgment is just. Among us is the Commander of the Muslims, his life, and the one whom the envoys washed from his state of impurity. Ibn Hishām said: His statement "and we clothed him with a name," on the authority of other than Ibn Isḥāq. Ibn Isḥāq said: Ḥassān b. Thābit also said: My people are those—if you ask—noble ones, when a guest one day suffers, the great pots for their affluent ones; they throw into them the old humped camel, they share with their neighbor in wealth, and they protect their client if he is wronged. They were kings in their lands, called to with sharpness by a command of oppression, kings over the people; they were not owned by fate for a day like the untying of an oath. They brought news of ʿĀd and its factions, Thamūd, and some remnants of Iram. In Yathrib they built fortresses among the palm trees, and livestock were domesticated there. Camel trains which the Jews taught to you, and a saying "Come on," and a mouth. They desired some of the juice of the partridge, and a soft life without worry. Then we traveled to them with our baggage upon every noble, stout, lustful stallion. We brought with them the swift horses, they had covered them with coverings of tanned leather. When they made their camels kneel at the sides of Ṣirār and tightened the saddles with straps tied tightly, nothing startled them except the hastening of the horses and the advancing from behind them, which had suddenly come upon them. They flew away quickly, and they were terrified, and we came to them like lions of the thicket, upon every long, lean she-camel in the mirage, they do not complain of weariness from fatigue, and every bay horse, swift of heart, trustworthy of joints, like polished arrowheads. Upon them are riders who have been accustomed to clashing with champions and striking the sturdy ones, kings when they oppress in the lands, they do not retreat, but advance. We returned with their chieftains and the women, and their children among them are divided up. We inherited their dwellings after them, and we were kings in them, we did not leave. When the rightly guided Messenger came to us with truth and light after injustice, we said: You have spoken truth, O Messenger of the King; come to us and stay among us. We bear witness that you are the servant of God, sent as a light with an upright religion. We and our children are a shield; we protect you, and in our wealth, so command. We are those—if they call you a liar, then call out a call and do not be shy, and call with what you have concealed a call openly and do not hide it. Then the misguided ones marched with their swords to him, thinking that he would be cut down. We stood against them with our swords, we fight for him against the oppressors of the nations, with every polished sword that has a gleam, thin of edge, biting, sharp. When it meets the solid bones, it does not turn away from them and does not chip. That is what the generations bequeathed to us: ancient glory and lofty might. When a progeny passes, its progeny suffices, and leaves a progeny when it is severed. There is no one among the people except that we have over him—even if he is treacherous—the favor of blessings. Ibn Hishām said: Abū Zayd al-Anṣārī recited to me his verse: "They were kings in their lands, called to with anger by a command of oppression." And he recited to me: "In Yathrib they built fortresses among the palm trees, and livestock were domesticated there." And his verse: "And every bay horse, swift of heart," from him.