Al-Qasama in the Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

The first event of Qasama in the pre-lslamic period of ignorance was practiced by us (i.e. Banu Hashim). A man from Banu Hashim was employed by a Quraishi man from another branch-family. The (Hashimi) laborer set out with the Quraishi driving his camels. There passed by him another man from Banu Hashim. The leather rope of the latter's bag had broken so he said to the laborer, "Will you help me by giving me a rope in order to tie the handle of my bag lest the camels should run away from me?" The laborer gave him a rope and the latter tied his bag with it. When the caravan halted, all the camels' legs were tied with their fetters except one camel. The employer asked the laborer, "Why, from among all the camels has this camel not been fettered?" He replied, "There is no fetter for it." The Quraishi asked, "Where is its fetter?" and hit the laborer with a stick that caused his death (later on Just before his death) a man from Yemen passed by him. The laborer asked (him), "Will you go for the pilgrimage?" He replied, "I do not think I will attend it, but perhaps I will attend it." The (Hashimi) laborer said, "Will you please convey a message for me once in your life?" The other man said, "yes." The laborer wrote: 'When you attend the pilgrimage, call the family of Quraish, and if they respond to you, call the family of Banu Hashim, and if they respond to you, ask about Abu Talib and tell him that so-and-so has killed me for a fetter." Then the laborer expired. When the employer reached (Mecca), Abu Talib visited him and asked, "What has happened to our companion?" He said, "He became ill and I looked after him nicely (but he died) and I buried him." Then Abu Talib said, "The deceased deserved this from you." After some time, the messenger whom the laborer has asked to convey the message, reached during the pilgrimage season. He called, "O the family of Quraish!" The people replied, "This is Quraish." Then he called, "O the family of Banu Hashim!" Again the people replied, "This is Banu Hashim." He asked, "Who is Abu Talib?" The people replied, "This is Abu Talib." He said, "'So-and-so has asked me to convey a message to you that so-and-so has killed him for a fetter (of a camel)." Then Abu Talib went to the (Quraishi) killer and said to him, "Choose one of three alternatives: (i) If you wish, give us one-hundred camels because you have murdered our companion, (ii) or if you wish, fifty of your men should take an oath that you have not murdered our companion, and if you do not accept this, (iii) we will kill you in Qisas." The killer went to his people and they said, "We will take an oath." Then a woman from Banu Hashim who was married to one of them (i.e.the Quraishis) and had given birth to a child from him, came to Abu Talib and said, "O Abu Talib! I wish that my son from among the fifty men, should be excused from this oath, and that he should not take the oath where the oath-taking is carried on." Abu Talib excused him. Then another man from them came (to Abu Talib) and said, "O Abu Talib! You want fifty persons to take an oath instead of giving a hundred camels, and that means each man has to give two camels (in case he does not take an oath). So there are two camels I would like you to accept from me and excuse me from taking an oath where the oaths are taken. Abu Talib accepted them from him. Then 48 men came and took the oath. Ibn 'Abbas further said:) By Him in Whose Hand my life is, before the end of that year, none of those 48 persons remained alive.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَعْمَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، حَدَّثَنَا قَطَنٌ أَبُو الْهَيْثَمِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو يَزِيدَ الْمَدَنِيُّ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ إِنَّ أَوَّلَ قَسَامَةٍ كَانَتْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ لَفِينَا بَنِي هَاشِمٍ، كَانَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ اسْتَأْجَرَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ مِنْ فَخِذٍ أُخْرَى، فَانْطَلَقَ مَعَهُ فِي إِبِلِهِ، فَمَرَّ رَجُلٌ بِهِ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ قَدِ انْقَطَعَتْ عُرْوَةُ جُوَالِقِهِ فَقَالَ أَغِثْنِي بِعِقَالٍ أَشُدُّ بِهِ عُرْوَةَ جُوَالِقِي، لاَ تَنْفِرُ الإِبِلُ. فَأَعْطَاهُ عِقَالاً، فَشَدَّ بِهِ عُرْوَةَ جُوَالِقِهِ، فَلَمَّا نَزَلُوا عُقِلَتِ الإِبِلُ إِلاَّ بَعِيرًا وَاحِدًا، فَقَالَ الَّذِي اسْتَأْجَرَهُ مَا شَأْنُ هَذَا الْبَعِيرِ لَمْ يُعْقَلْ مِنْ بَيْنِ الإِبِلِ قَالَ لَيْسَ لَهُ عِقَالٌ. قَالَ فَأَيْنَ عِقَالُهُ قَالَ فَحَذَفَهُ بِعَصًا كَانَ فِيهَا أَجَلُهُ، فَمَرَّ بِهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ، فَقَالَ أَتَشْهَدُ الْمَوْسِمَ قَالَ مَا أَشْهَدُ، وَرُبَّمَا شَهِدْتُهُ. قَالَ هَلْ أَنْتَ مُبْلِغٌ عَنِّي رِسَالَةً مَرَّةً مِنَ الدَّهْرِ قَالَ نَعَمْ. قَالَ فَكُنْتَ إِذَا أَنْتَ شَهِدْتَ الْمَوْسِمَ فَنَادِ يَا آلَ قُرَيْشٍ. فَإِذَا أَجَابُوكَ، فَنَادِ يَا آلَ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ. فَإِنْ أَجَابُوكَ فَسَلْ عَنْ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، فَأَخْبِرْهُ أَنَّ فُلاَنًا قَتَلَنِي فِي عِقَالٍ، وَمَاتَ الْمُسْتَأْجَرُ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ الَّذِي اسْتَأْجَرَهُ أَتَاهُ أَبُو طَالِبٍ فَقَالَ مَا فَعَلَ صَاحِبُنَا قَالَ مَرِضَ، فَأَحْسَنْتُ الْقِيَامَ عَلَيْهِ، فَوَلِيتُ دَفْنَهُ. قَالَ قَدْ كَانَ أَهْلَ ذَاكَ مِنْكَ. فَمَكُثَ حِينًا، ثُمَّ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ الَّذِي أَوْصَى إِلَيْهِ أَنْ يُبْلِغَ عَنْهُ وَافَى الْمَوْسِمَ فَقَالَ يَا آلَ قُرَيْشٍ. قَالُوا هَذِهِ قُرَيْشٌ. قَالَ يَا آلَ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ. قَالُوا هَذِهِ بَنُو هَاشِمٍ. قَالَ أَيْنَ أَبُو طَالِبٍ قَالُوا هَذَا أَبُو طَالِبٍ. قَالَ أَمَرَنِي فُلاَنٌ أَنْ أُبْلِغَكَ رِسَالَةً أَنَّ فُلاَنًا قَتَلَهُ فِي عِقَالٍ. فَأَتَاهُ أَبُو طَالِبٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ اخْتَرْ مِنَّا إِحْدَى ثَلاَثٍ، إِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تُؤَدِّيَ مِائَةً مِنَ الإِبِلِ، فَإِنَّكَ قَتَلْتَ صَاحِبَنَا، وَإِنْ شِئْتَ حَلَفَ خَمْسُونَ مِنْ قَوْمِكَ أَنَّكَ لَمْ تَقْتُلْهُ، فَإِنْ أَبَيْتَ قَتَلْنَاكَ بِهِ فَأَتَى قَوْمَهُ، فَقَالُوا نَحْلِفُ. فَأَتَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ كَانَتْ تَحْتَ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ قَدْ وَلَدَتْ لَهُ. فَقَالَتْ يَا أَبَا طَالِبٍ أُحِبُّ أَنْ تُجِيزَ ابْنِي هَذَا بِرَجُلٍ مِنَ الْخَمْسِينَ وَلاَ تَصْبُرْ يَمِينَهُ حَيْثُ تُصْبَرُ الأَيْمَانُ. فَفَعَلَ فَأَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا طَالِبٍ، أَرَدْتَ خَمْسِينَ رَجُلاً أَنْ يَحْلِفُوا مَكَانَ مِائَةٍ مِنَ الإِبِلِ، يُصِيبُ كُلَّ رَجُلٍ بَعِيرَانِ، هَذَانِ بَعِيرَانِ فَاقْبَلْهُمَا عَنِّي وَلاَ تَصْبُرْ يَمِينِي حَيْثُ تُصْبِرُ الأَيْمَانُ. فَقَبِلَهُمَا، وَجَاءَ ثَمَانِيةٌ وَأَرْبَعُونَ فَحَلَفُوا. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، مَا حَالَ الْحَوْلُ وَمِنَ الثَّمَانِيَةِ وَأَرْبَعِينَ عَيْنٌ تَطْرِفُ.

Narrated 'Aisha:

Allah caused the day of Buath to take place before Allah's Apostle was sent (as an Apostle) so that when Allah's Apostle reached Medina, those people had already divided (in different groups) and their chiefs had been killed or wounded. So Allah made that day precede Allah's Apostle so that they (i.e. the Ansar) might embrace Islam. Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: To run along the valley between two green pillars of Safa and Marwa (mountains) was not Sunna, but the people in the pre-islamic period of ignorance used to run along it, and used to say: "We do not cross this rain stream except running strongly. "

حَدَّثَنِي عُبَيْدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ كَانَ يَوْمُ بُعَاثٍ يَوْمًا قَدَّمَهُ اللَّهُ لِرَسُولِهِ ﷺ، فَقَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقَدِ افْتَرَقَ مَلَؤُهُمْ، وَقُتِّلَتْ سَرَوَاتُهُمْ وَجُرِّحُوا، قَدَّمَهُ اللَّهُ لِرَسُولِهِ ﷺ فِي دُخُولِهِمْ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ.

Narrated Abu As-Safar:

I heard Ibn 'Abbas saying, "O people! Listen to what I say to you, and let me hear whatever you say, and don't go (without understanding), and start saying, 'Ibn 'Abbas said so-and-so, Ibn 'Abbas said so-and-so, Ibn 'Abbas said so-and-so.' He who wants to perform the Tawaf around the Ka'ba should go behind Al-Hijr (i.e. a portion of the Ka'ba left out unroofed) and do not call it Al-Hatim, for in the pre-Islamic period of ignorance if any man took an oath, he used to throw his whip, shoes or bow in it.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْجُعْفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُطَرِّفٌ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا السَّفَرِ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ يَقُولُ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، اسْمَعُوا مِنِّي مَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ، وَأَسْمِعُونِي مَا تَقُولُونَ، وَلاَ تَذْهَبُوا فَتَقُولُوا قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ مَنْ طَافَ بِالْبَيْتِ فَلْيَطُفْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْحِجْرِ، وَلاَ تَقُولُوا الْحَطِيمُ، فَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ كَانَ يَحْلِفُ فَيُلْقِي سَوْطَهُ أَوْ نَعْلَهُ أَوْ قَوْسَهُ.

Narrated 'Amr bin Maimun:

During the pre-lslamic period of ignorance I saw a she-monkey surrounded by a number of monkeys. They were all stoning it, because it had committed illegal sexual intercourse. I too, stoned it along with them.

حَدَّثَنَا نُعَيْمُ بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، عَنْ حُصَيْنٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ، قَالَ رَأَيْتُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ قِرْدَةً اجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْهَا قِرَدَةٌ قَدْ زَنَتْ، فَرَجَمُوهَا فَرَجَمْتُهَا مَعَهُمْ.