Sirat Ibn Hisham 209
The story of Baḥīrā
قِصَّةُ بَحِيرَى [ نُزُولُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِبُحَيْرَى ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: ثُمَّ إنَّ أَبَا طَالِبٍ خَرَجَ فِي رَكْبٍ تَاجِرًا إلَى الشَّامِ، فَلَمَّا تَهَيَّأَ لِلرَّحِيلِ، وَأَجْمَعَ الْمَسِيرَ صَبَّ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ - فِيمَا يَزْعُمُونَ - فَرَقَّ لَهُ ( أَبُو طَالِبٍ ) وَقَالَ: وَاَللَّهِ لَأَخْرُجَنَّ بِهِ مَعِي، وَلَا يُفَارِقُنِي، وَلَا أُفَارِقُهُ أَبَدًا، أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ. فَخَرَجَ بِهِ مَعَهُ فَلَمَّا نَزَلَ الرَّكْبُ بُصْرَى مِنْ أَرْضِ الشَّامِ، وَبِهِمَا رَاهِبٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ بَحِيرَى فِي صَوْمَعَةٍ لَهُ، وَكَانَ إلَيْهِ عِلْمُ أَهْلِ النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ وَلَمْ يَزَلْ فِي تِلْكَ الصَّوْمَعَةِ مُنْذُ قَطُّ رَاهِبٌ، إلَيْهِ يَصِيرُ عِلْمُهُمْ عَنْ كِتَابٍ فِيهَا فِيمَا يَزْعُمُونَ، يَتَوَارَثُونَهُ كَابِرًا عَنْ كَابِرٍ. فَلَمَّا نَزَلُوا ذَلِكَ الْعَامَ بِبَحِيرَى وَكَانُوا كَثِيرًا مَا يَمُرُّونَ بِهِ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ فَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمْ وَلَا يَعْرِضُ لَهُمْ حَتَّى كَانَ ذَلِكَ الْعَامُ. فَلَمَّا نَزَلُوا بِهِ قَرِيبًا مِنْ صَوْمَعَتِهِ صَنَعَ لَهُمْ طَعَامًا كَثِيرًا، وَذَلِكَ فِيمَا يَزْعُمُونَ عَنْ شَيْءٍ رَآهُ وَهُوَ فِي صَوْمَعَتِهِ، يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُ رَأَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَهُوَ فِي صَوْمَعَتِهِ، فِي الرَّكْبِ حِينَ أَقْبَلُوا، وَغَمَامَةٌ تُظِلُّهُ مِنْ بَيْنِ الْقَوْمِ. قَالَ: ثُمَّ أَقْبَلُوا فَنَزَلُوا فِي ظِلِّ شَجَرَةٍ قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ. فَنَظَرَ إلَى الْغَمَامَةِ حَيْنَ أَظَلَّتْ الشَّجَرَةُ، وَتَهَصَّرَتْ أَغْصَانُ الشَّجَرَةِ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى اسْتَظَلَّ تَحْتَهَا. فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ بَحِيرَى نَزَلَ مِنْ صَوْمَعَتِهِ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ إلَيْهِمْ، فَقَالَ: إنِّي قَدْ صَنَعْتُ لَكُمْ طَعَامًا يَا مَعْشَرَ قُرَيْشٍ، فَأَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ تَحْضُرُوا كُلُّكُمْ، صَغِيرُكُمْ وَكَبِيرُكُمْ، وَعَبْدُكُمْ وَحُرُّكُمْ: فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ: وَاَللَّهِ يَا بَحِيرَى إنَّ لَكَ لَشَأْنًا الْيَوْمَ، فَمَا كُنْتَ تَصْنَعُ هَذَا بِنَا، وَقَدْ كُنَّا نَمُرُّ بِكَ كَثِيرًا، فَمَا شَأْنُكَ الْيَوْمَ ؟ قَالَ لَهُ بَحِيرَى: صَدَقْتَ، قَدْ كَانَ مَا تَقُولُ، وَلَكِنَّكُمْ ضَيْفٌ، وَقَدْ أَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أُكْرِمَكُمْ وَأَصْنَعَ لَكُمْ طَعَامًا فَتَأْكُلُوا مِنْهُ كُلُّكُمْ. فَاجْتَمِعُوا إلَيْهِ، وَتَخَلَّفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ بَيْنِ الْقَوْمِ، لِحَدَاثَةِ سِنِّهِ، فِي رِحَالِ الْقَوْمِ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ. فَلَمَّا نَظَرَ بَحِيرَى فِي الْقَوْمِ لَمْ يَرَ الصِّفَةَ الَّتِي يَعْرِفُ وَيَجِدُ عِنْدَهُ، فَقَالَ: يَا مَعْشَرَ قُرَيْشٍ، لَا يَتَخَلَّفَنَّ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ طَعَامِي؛ قَالُوا لَهُ: يَا بَحِيرَى، مَا تَخَلَّفَ عَنْكَ أَحَدٌ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكَ إلَّا غُلَامٌ، وَهُوَ أَحْدَثُ الْقَوْمِ سِنًّا، فَتَخَلَّفَ فِي رِحَالِهِمْ؛ فَقَالَ: لَا تَفْعَلُوا، اُدْعُوهُ فَلِيَحْضُرْ هَذَا الطَّعَامَ مَعَكُمْ. قَالَ: فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ مَعَ الْقَوْمِ؛ وَاَللَّاتِ وَالْعُزَّى، إنْ كَانَ لَلُؤْمٌ بِنَا أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ عَنْ طَعَامٍ مِنْ بَيْنَنَا، ثُمَّ قَامَ إلَيْهِ فَاحْتَضَنَهُ وَأَجْلَسَهُ مَعَ الْقَوْمِ. فَلَمَّا رَآهُ بَحِيرَى جَعَلَ يَلْحَظُهُ لَحْظًا شَدِيدًا وَيَنْظُرُ إلَى أَشْيَاءَ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ، قَدْ كَانَ يَجِدُهَا عِنْدَهُ مِنْ صِفَتِهِ، حَتَّى إذَا فَرَغَ الْقَوْمُ مِنْ طَعَامِهِمْ وَتَفَرَّقُوا، قَامَ إلَيْهِ بَحِيرَى، فَقَالَ ( لَهُ ): يَا غُلَامُ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِحَقِّ اللَّاتِ وَالْعُزَّى إلَّا مَا أَخْبَرْتَنِي عَمَّا أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْهُ؛ وَإِنَّمَا قَالَ لَهُ بَحِيرَى ذَلِكَ، لِأَنَّهُ سَمِعَ قَوْمَهُ يَحْلِفُونَ بِهِمَا. فَزَعَمُوا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ ( لَهُ ): لَا تَسْأَلْنِي بِاَللَّاتِ وَالْعُزَّى، فَوَاَللَّهِ مَا أَبْغَضْتُ شَيْئًا قَطُّ بُغْضَهُمَا، فَقَالَ لَهُ بَحِيرَى: فَبِاَللَّهِ إلَّا مَا أَخْبَرْتَنِي عَمَّا أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْهُ؛ فَقَالَ لَهُ: سَلْنِي عَمَّا بَدَا لَكَ. فَجَعَلَ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ مِنْ حَالِهِ فِي نَوْمِهِ وَهَيْئَتِهِ وَأُمُورِهِ؛ فَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُخْبِرُهُ، فَيُوَافِقُ ذَلِكَ مَا عِنْدَ بَحِيرَى مِنْ صِفَتِهِ، ثُمَّ نَظَرَ إلَى ظَهْرِهِ، فَرَأَى خَاتَمَ النُّبُوَّةِ بَيْنَ كَتِفَيْهِ عَلَى مَوْضِعِهِ مِنْ صِفَتِهِ الَّتِي عِنْدَهُ. قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: وَكَانَ مِثْلَ أَثَرِ الْمِحْجَمِ. قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ، أَقْبَلَ عَلَى عَمِّهِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: مَا هَذَا الْغُلَامُ مِنْكَ ؟ قَالَ: ابْنِي. قَالَ لَهُ بَحِيرَى: مَا هُوَ بِابْنِكَ، وَمَا يَنْبَغِي لِهَذَا الْغُلَامِ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَبُوهُ حَيًّا؛ قَالَ: فَإِنَّهُ ابْنُ أَخِي؛ قَالَ: فَمَا فَعَلَ أَبُوهُ ؟ قَالَ: مَاتَ وَأُمُّهُ حُبْلَى بِهِ؛ قَالَ: صَدَقْتَ، فَارْجِعْ بِابْنِ أَخِيكَ إلَى بَلَدِهِ، وَاحْذَرْ عَلَيْهِ يَهُودَ، فَوَاَللَّهِ لَئِنْ رَأَوْهُ وَعَرَفُوا مِنْهُ مَا عَرَفْتُ لَيَبْغُنَّهُ شَرًّا، فَإِنَّهُ كَائِنٌ لَابْنِ أَخِيكَ هَذَا شَأْنٌ عَظِيمٌ، فَأَسْرِعْ بِهِ إلَى بِلَادِهِ.
Translation
✧ The Story of Baḥīrā [The halting of Abū Ṭālib and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at Buḥayrā] Ibn Isḥāq said: Then Abū Ṭālib set out in a caravan as a merchant to Syria. When he had made ready for departure and resolved upon the journey, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ clung to him—so they allege—and Abū Ṭālib felt compassion for him and said: By Allah, I will take him out with me, and he shall not part from me, nor I from him, ever—or as he said. So he took him out with him. When the caravan halted at Buṣrā in the land of Syria, there was a monk called Baḥīrā in his cell, and he had knowledge of the people of Christianity. There had never ceased to be a monk in that cell, to whom their knowledge came from a book in it, as they allege, which they inherited from one generation to the next. When they halted that year at Baḥīrā—and they had passed by him many times before without his speaking to them or presenting himself to them—when they halted near his cell that year, he prepared for them abundant food. That was, as they allege, because of something he saw while he was in his cell. They allege that he saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, while he was in his cell, in the caravan when they approached, and a cloud was shading him from among the people. He said: Then they approached and halted in the shade of a tree close to him. He looked at the cloud when it shaded the tree, and the branches of the tree lowered themselves over the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until he was shaded beneath them. When Baḥīrā saw that, he descended from his cell and sent to them, saying: I have prepared food for you, O company of Quraysh, and I would like all of you to attend, young and old, slave and free. A man among them said to him: By Allah, O Baḥīrā, you have some matter today; you never used to do this with us, and we have passed by you often. What is your matter today? Baḥīrā said to him: You are right; what you say is true. But you are guests, and I wished to honor you and prepare food for you so that you may all eat of it. So they gathered to him, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stayed behind from among the people, because of his young age, in the baggage of the people under the tree. When Baḥīrā looked at the people, he did not see the description that he knew and had with him, so he said: O company of Quraysh, let none of you remain behind from my food. They said to him: O Baḥīrā, no one has remained behind from you who ought to come to you except a boy, and he is the youngest of the people in age, so he remained behind in their baggage. He said: Do not do so; call him, so that he may attend this food with you. He said: A man of Quraysh who was with the people said: By al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā, it is indeed a disgrace to us that the son of ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib should remain behind from food from among us. Then he went to him, embraced him, and seated him with the people. When Baḥīrā saw him, he began to gaze at him intensely and to look at things in his body that he had found with him in his description, until when the people finished their food and dispersed, Baḥīrā went up to him and said: O boy, I ask you by al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā, unless you tell me about what I ask you. He only said that to him because he had heard his people swearing by them. They allege that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: Do not ask me by al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā, for by Allah, I have never hated anything as much as I hate them. Baḥīrā said to him: Then by Allah, unless you tell me about what I ask you. He said to him: Ask me about whatever seems good to you. He began to ask him about things concerning his state in his sleep, his appearance, and his affairs. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ began to tell him, and that agreed with what Baḥīrā had with him of his description. Then he looked at his back and saw the seal of prophethood between his shoulders, in the place that was in his description that he had with him. Ibn Hishām said: It was like the mark of the cupping-glass. Ibn Isḥāq said: When he had finished, he turned to his uncle Abū Ṭālib and said: What is this boy to you? He said: My son. Baḥīrā said: He is not your son, and it is not fitting for this boy that his father should be alive. He said: He is my brother's son. He said: What happened to his father? He said: He died while his mother was pregnant with him. He said: You have spoken truly. Return with your brother's son to his country, and beware of the Jews concerning him, for by Allah, if they see him and recognize in him what I recognize, they will surely seek evil for him. For there is a great matter in store for this brother's son of yours, so hasten with him to his country.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.