Chief of the Prophets — Page 219
Chapter Nine 219 blessed hand of Muḥammad sa representing his nation and thereafter returned. 1 Arrest of Safānah bint Ḥātim Ṭā’ī In those days, the Ṭā’ī tribe started some mischief. Muḥammad sa sent ‘Alī bin Abī Ṭālib ra with 200 riders to capture them. The captives included Safānah bint Ḥātim, the daughter of Ḥātim Ṭā’ī. 2 When Muḥammad sa found out about her, he immediately released her as a favour. But the daughter of the generous father said that she would not like to be freed while her nation was imprisoned. Muḥammad sa immediately ordered the release of all the captives. Safānah’s brother ‘Adiyy bin Ḥātim had run away to Syria. When Safānah reached ‘Adiyy, and mentioned the favours and the generosity of Muḥammad sa , ‘Adiyy was so impressed that he immediately returned back and appeared before Muḥammad sa and accepted Islam representing his clan. Abū Bakr ra as the Amīr Ḥajj Since the tribes of Arabia were frequently visiting Madīnah during the season of Ḥajj , 3 Muḥammad sa himself stayed in Madīnah, sending a Ḥajj caravan to Makkah with Abū Bakr ra as the Chief (Amīr) and instructed him in the following words: Announce it on the day of sacrifice that no idolater after this year can perform Ḥajj , and no one should perform the circuit while being naked. 1 Sunan Abī Dāwūd and Ibni Mājah fi Khabr aṭ-Ṭā’if (Account of Ṭā’if) 2 An Arab whose generosity became a legend in Arabia. [Publisher] 3 Though the Ḥajj was performed in the month of Dhul-Qa‘dah, according to the system of counting of the months followed by the Quraish, every second or third solar year, one extra month was added to the year which was called Dhul-Ḥajjah and the Ḥajj was performed in that month. Therefore, the Ḥajj was performed in the virtual month of Dhul-Ḥajjah, which in reality was Dhul-Qa‘dah. When the Ḥajj was performed in the 10 A. H. , Muḥammad sa himself participated in it, and it came to be known by the name of Ḥajjatul-Wadā‘. It was the month of Dhul-Ḥajjah with respect to both the counting systems since the 9 A. H. had 13 months.