Muhammad and The Jews — Page 54
of his style. The following lines are devoted to Umm al-Fag! bint al-I;Iarith: Are you off without stopping in the valley And leaving Umm al-Fa<;ll in Mecca? Out would come what she bought from the pedlar of bottles, Henna and hair dye What lies 'twixt ankle and elbow is in motion 1 When she tries to stand and does not Like Umm I;Iakim when she was with us The link between us firm and not to be cut She is one of B. "Amir who bewitches the heart, And if she wished she could cure my sickness. The glory of women and of a people is their father A people held in honour true to their oath. Never did I see the sunrise at night till I saw her Display herself to us in darkness of the night. 2 While this campaign of vulgarity and abuse was conducted by the poets, a Jew from the B. Qaynuqa", Shas b. Qays, ordered a Jewish youth to recite some poems composed on the occasion of the battle of BuGath to a mixed gathering of Muslims composed of the A ws and the Khazraj till they got so worked up that both the A ws and the Khazraj challenged each other saying, "If you wish we will do the same again'. The excited parties said, 'We will. Your meeting place is outside-that being the volcanic tract-To arms! To arms!". 3 As soon as the Apostle heard the news he hurried to the spot with the Emigrants and address- ed the men of the Aws and the Khazraj thus: 0 Muslims, remember God. Remember God. Will you act as pagans while I am with you after God has guided you to Islam and honoured you thereby and made a clean break with paganism; delivered y()u thereby from unbelief; made you friends thi:reby? 4 The following verses were revealed on the occasion : 5 0 ye who believe, if you obey any party of those who have been given the Book, they will turn you again into disbelievers after you have believed. How would you disbelieve, while you are the people to whom the signs of Allah are rehearsed and among whom the Messenger of Allah is present. He 1 Guillaume's translation (The Life of Muhammad, pp. 366-67). The pornographic nature of this line becomes evident when it is realised that it refers to the motion of Umm al-FaQl's buttocks when she is reclining. 2 Al-Tabari, Vol. II, p. 488. Ibn Hisham has edited 'out the passage. 3 Ibn Hisham, p. 386. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. , p. 387.