Chief of the Prophets — Page 8
Chapter One 8 Banū Taghlib tribe, and his wife Ḥalīlah bint Murrah, who belonged to the Banū Bakr bin Wa’il. Ḥalīlah’s brother Jassās lived with her maternal aunt Basūs. Once, a guest by the name of Sa‘d stayed with Basūs. Sa‘d had a she-camel which grazed along with the camels of Jassās in the pastures of Kulaib because of their mutual relationship and kinship. Once, it so happened that Kulaib was walking by a tree in his pasture and he heard a bird chirping. He noticed a bird that had laid eggs in a nest in the tree. Kulaib, who was a hot-tempered Bedouin chieftain firmly said to the bird, “Fear not, I shall protect you. ” The second day when Kulaib passed that place, he found the eggs of the bird trampled on the ground and the bird making a painful sound. This agonizing scene enraged him. He looked around and noticed Sa‘d’s she-camel. Kulaib assumed that the she-camel trampled the eggs. He ran to his brother-in-law Jassās and said, “Listen Jassās! At this time my mind entertains a particular thought, if I am convinced of this thought I shall act upon it. Anyhow, the camel of Sa‘d better not pasture in this area again with the herd. ” This infuriated Jassās, who also possessed a fiery Bedouin nature said, “This camel belongs to our guest—she will graze wherever my camels graze. ” Kulaib replied, “If I see that she-camel grazing here, I will pierce her breast with my arrow and kill her. ” Jassās retorted, “I swear by Wa’il’s idol that if you do it, I will shoot a barrage of arrows in your chest. ” Kulaib, extremely agitated, and burning with rage, went to his wife Ḥalīlah, and said, “Halīlah, do you know of anyone who would protect his neighbor over me?” She said, “There are none who dare it, except my brother Jassās. If he says something, he will most definitely fulfill it. ” Afterwards when Ḥalīlah, came to know about the actual event, she tried hard to sort out the matter, but in vain.