Sirat Ibn Hisham 166
ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib and His Son al-Ḥārith and What Occurred Between Them and Quraysh During Their Digging of Zamzam
[ عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَابْنُهُ الْحَارِثُ وَمَا كَانَ بَيْنَهُمَا وَبَيْنَ قُرَيْشٍ عِنْدَ حَفْرِهِمَا زَمْزَمَ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: فَلَمَّا بُيِّنَ لَهُ شَأْنُهَا، وَدُلَّ عَلَى مَوْضِعِهَا، وَعَرَفَ أَنَّهُ صُدِّقَ، غَدَا بِمِعْوَلِهِ وَمَعَهُ ابْنُهُ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، لَيْسَ لَهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلَدٌ غَيْرَهُ، فَحَفَرَ فِيهَا. فَلَمَّا بَدَا لِعَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ الطَّيَّ كَبَّرَ، فَعَرَفَتْ قُرَيْشٌ أَنَّهُ قَدْ أَدْرَكَ حَاجَتَهُ، فَقَامُوا إلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا: يَا عَبْدَ الْمُطَّلِبِ، إنَّهَا بِئْرُ أَبِينَا إسْمَاعِيلَ، وَإِنَّ لَنَا فِيهَا حَقًّا فَأَشْرِكْنَا مَعَكَ فِيهَا؛ قَالَ: مَا أَنَا بِفَاعِلِ، إنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ قَدْ خُصِصْتُ بِهِ دُونَكُمْ، وَأُعْطِيتُهُ مِنْ بَيْنِكُمْ، فَقَالُوا لَهُ: فَأَنْصِفْنَا فَإِنَّا غَيْرُ تَارِكِيكَ حَتَّى نُخَاصِمَكَ فِيهَا، قَالَ: فَاجْعَلُوا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ مَنْ شِئْتُمْ أُحَاكِمُكُمْ إلَيْهِ، قَالُوا: كَاهِنَةُ بَنِي سَعْدٍ هُذَيْمٌ، قَالَ: نَعَمْ؛ قَالَ: وَكَانَتْ بِأَشْرَافِ الشَّامِ. فَرَكِبَ عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَمَعَهُ نَفَرٌ مِنْ بَنِي أَبِيهِ مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ مَنَافٍ، وَرَكِبَ مِنْ كُلِّ قَبِيلَةٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ نَفَرٌ. قَالَ: وَالْأَرْضُ إذْ ذَاكَ مَفَاوِزُ. قَالَ: فَخَرَجُوا حَتَّى إذَا كَانُوا بِبَعْضِ تِلْكَ الْمَفَاوِزِ بَيْنَ الْحِجَازِ وَالشَّامِ، فَنِيَ مَاءُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ، فَظَمِئُوا حَتَّى أَيْقَنُوا بِالْهَلَكَةِ، فَاسْتَسْقَوْا مَنْ مَعَهُمْ مِنْ قَبَائِلِ قُرَيْشٍ، فَأَبَوْا عَلَيْهِمْ. وَقَالُوا: إنَّا بِمَفَازَةٍ، وَنَحْنُ نَخْشَى عَلَى أَنْفُسِنَا مِثْلَ مَا أَصَابَكُمْ فَلَمَّا رَأَى عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ مَا صَنَعَ الْقَوْمُ وَمَا يَتَخَوَّفُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ. قَالَ: مَاذَا تَرَوْنَ ؟ قَالُوا: مَا رَأْيُنَا إلَّا تَبَعٌ لِرَأْيِكَ، فَمُرْنَا بِمَا شِئْتَ؛ قَالَ: فَإِنِّي أَرَى أَنْ يَحْفِرَ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ حُفْرَتَهُ لِنَفْسِهِ بِمَا بِكُمْ الْآنَ مِنْ الْقُوَّةِ، فَكُلَّمَا مَاتَ رَجُلٌ دَفَعَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ فِي حُفْرَتِهِ ثُمَّ وَارَوْهُ، حَتَّى يَكُونَ آخِرُكُمْ رَجُلًا وَاحِدًا، فَضَيْعَةُ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ أَيْسَرُ مِنْ ضَيْعَةِ رَكْبٍ جَمِيعًا، قَالُوا: نِعْمَ مَا أَمَرْتَ بِهِ فَقَامَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ فَحَفَرَ حُفْرَتَهُ، ثُمَّ قَعَدُوا يَنْتَظِرُونَ الْمَوْتَ عَطَشًا، ثُمَّ إنَّ عَبْدَ الْمُطَّلِبِ قَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: وَاَللَّهِ إنَّ إلْقَاءَنَا بِأَيْدِينَا هَكَذَا لِلْمَوْتِ، لَا نَضْرِبُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا نَبْتَغِي لِأَنْفُسِنَا، لَعَجْزٌ، فَعَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَرْزُقَنَا مَاءً بِبَعْضِ الْبِلَادِ، ارْتَحِلُوا، فَارْتَحَلُوا. حَتَّى إذَا فَرَغُوا، وَمَنْ مَعَهُمْ مِنْ قَبَائِلِ قُرَيْشٍ يَنْظُرُونَ إلَيْهِمْ مَا هُمْ فَاعِلُونَ، تَقَدَّمَ عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ إلَى رَاحِلَتِهِ فَرَكِبَهَا. فَلَمَّا انْبَعَثَتْ بِهِ انْفَجَرَتْ مِنْ تَحْتِ خُفِّهَا عَيْنُ مَاءٍ عَذْبٍ، فَكَبَّرَ عَبْدُ الْمُطَّلِبِ وَكَبَّرَ أَصْحَابُهُ، ثُمَّ نَزَلَ فَشَرِبَ وَشَرِبَ أَصْحَابُهُ وَاسْتَقَوْا حَتَّى مَلِئُوا أَسْقِيَتَهُمْ، ثُمَّ دَعَا الْقَبَائِلَ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ، فَقَالَ: هَلُمَّ إلَى الْمَاءِ، فَقَدْ سَقَانَا اللَّهُ، فَاشْرَبُوا وَاسْتَقَوْا، فَجَاءُوا فَشَرِبُوا وَاسْتَقَوْا. ثُمَّ قَالُوا: قَدْ وَاَللَّهِ قُضِيَ لَكَ عَلَيْنَا يَا عَبْدَ الْمُطَّلِبِ، وَاَللَّهِ لَا نُخَاصِمُكَ فِي زَمْزَمَ أَبَدًا، إنَّ الَّذِي سَقَاكَ هَذَا الْمَاءَ بِهَذِهِ الْفَلَاةِ لَهُوَ الَّذِي سَقَاكَ زَمْزَمَ، فَارْجِعْ إلَى سِقَايَتِكَ رَاشِدًا. فَرَجَعَ وَرَجَعُوا مَعَهُ، وَلَمْ يَصِلُوا إلَى الْكَاهِنَةِ، وَخَلَّوْا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهَا
Translation
✧ [ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib and his son al-Ḥārith and what occurred between them and Quraysh when they dug Zamzam] Ibn Isḥāq said: When its matter was made clear to him, and he was guided to its location, and he knew that he had been told the truth, he went early with his pickaxe, accompanied by his son al-Ḥārith b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib—he had no other son that day—and he dug there. When the masonry appeared to ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, he proclaimed Allāhu akbar, and Quraysh knew that he had attained his need. They rose to him and said, “O ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, it is the well of our father Ismāʿīl, and we have a right in it, so make us partners with you in it.” He said, “I will not do so; this matter has been granted to me exclusively, apart from you, and I have been given it from among you.” They said to him, “Then deal fairly with us, for we will not leave you until we dispute it with you.” He said, “Appoint between me and you whom you wish; I will submit to their judgment.” They said, “The priestess of Banū Saʿd Hudhaym.” He said, “Yes.” He said: She was at the uplands of Syria. So ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib mounted, with him a group of his father’s sons from Banū ʿAbd Manāf, and from every tribe of Quraysh a group mounted. He said: The land then was desolate wastes. He said: They set out, and when they were in some of those wastes between the Ḥijāz and Syria, the water of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib and his companions ran out, and they thirsted until they were certain of destruction. They asked those with them from the tribes of Quraysh for water, but they refused them, saying, “We are in a desolate waste, and we fear for ourselves the like of what has befallen you.” When ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib saw what the people did, and what he feared for himself and his companions, he said, “What do you think?” They said, “Our opinion is but to follow yours, so command us as you wish.” He said, “I think that each man of you should dig a pit for himself with the strength you still have; whenever a man dies, his companions push him into his pit and then cover him, until the last of you is a single man. The loss of one man is easier than the loss of the whole riding party.” They said, “Excellent is what you have commanded.” So each one of them rose and dug his pit, then they sat awaiting death from thirst. Then ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib said to his companions, “By Allah, our throwing ourselves into the hands of death like this, not striking out into the land or seeking for ourselves, is a weakness. Perhaps Allah will provide us water in some region; travel on.” So they traveled on. When they had finished, and those with them from the tribes of Quraysh were watching what they would do, ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib advanced to his riding camel and mounted it. When it set off with him, a spring of sweet water gushed from beneath its hoof, and ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib proclaimed Allāhu akbar, and his companions proclaimed Allāhu akbar. Then he dismounted and drank, and his companions drank and drew water until they filled their water-skins. Then he called the tribes of Quraysh, saying, “Come to the water, for Allah has given us to drink; drink and draw water.” They came and drank and drew water. Then they said, “By Allah, the case has been decided for you against us, O ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib; by Allah, we will never dispute with you over Zamzam. The One who gave you this water in this desert is the One who gave you Zamzam. Return to your watering place rightly guided.” So he returned, and they returned with him, and they did not reach the priestess, and they left the matter between him and her.
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