Chief of the Prophets — Page 9
Chapter One 9 Kulaib was always looking for an opportunity to take revenge for the trampling of the bird’s eggs. One day by a stroke of luck, Kulaib was watering his camels when Jassās arrived with the same purpose. Coincidently, Sa‘d’s she-camel got separated from Jassās’s herd and started drinking water with Kulaib’s camels. Kulaib thought that Jassās had intentionally let her loose. Kulaib became incensed with rage. He immediately got out his bow, and launched a forceful arrow into the breast of the camel, and she, in great agony, ran towards the house screaming with pain. The animal had barely reached the house of Jassās’ aunt when it fell down to the ground. This dreadful scene enraged Basūs, Jassās’ aunt. She started wailing with loose hair according to the tradition of Arabs, “Shame! Shame! We have been disgraced! The camel of our guest has been killed. ” Jassās could not bear this humiliation. Infuriated with the humiliation and shame, he rushed forward and killed Kulaib. As a result, a rage overtook the two tribes, and a fierce war was fought for the next 40 years. Finally when the long continuous fighting had greatly weakened the two tribes, the ruler of the state of Ḥīrah reconciled the two tribes, and brought the long running war to an end. In Arabia, the practice of revenge was so widespread that it would often spiral out of control resulting in a chain of vengeful killings. Blood money 1 was also practiced to an extent, but usually the relatives of the person killed would be satisfied with nothing less than the execution of the killer according to the rule of retribution. But the matter would not end there. When the fire of one side was extinguished, it would start blazing on the other side, and so the gulf of hatred and spirit of vengeance would find such life that many times it would annihilate and destroy tribe after tribe. 1 The relatives of the person killed were paid monetary recompense by the killer. [Publisher]