A Critical Exposition of the Popular 'Jihad' Part 6

Bani Joheina.[95]

Bani Jufi.[96]

Bani Kalb.[97]

Bani Khas-am bin Anmar.[98]

Bani Khaulan.[99]

Bani Kilab.[100]

Bani Kinana.[101]

Bani Kinda.[102]

Bani Mahrah.[103]

Bani Moharib.[104]

Bani Morad.[105]

Bani Muntafiq.[106]

Bani Murrah.[107]

Bani Nakha.[108]

Bani Nohd.[109]

Bani Ozra.[110]

Bani Raha.[111]

Bani Rawasa.[112]

Bani Saad Hozeim.[113]

Bani Sadif.[114]

Bani Sadoos.[115]

Bani Sahim.[116]

Bani Sakeef.[117]

Bani Salamani.[118]

Bani Shaiban.[119]

Bani Sodaa.[120]

Bani Taghlib.[121]

Bani Tajeeb.[122]

Bani Tamim.[123]

Bath Tay.[124]

Bani Zobeid.[125]

[Footnote 65: For these deputations see Ibn Is-hak (died 151), Hishamee (died 213), Ibn Sad (died 213), Muir's Life of Mahomet, Vol. IV, Chap.

30th, Seerat Shami (died 942), and Halabi (died 1044). For the genealogies of these tribes consult Qalqashandi's Dictionary of Tribes, and Ibn Khaldun's History. Regarding the geographical positions of these tribes the reader is referred to the most valuable map of Arabia in Sir W. Muir's Annals of Early Caliphate, London 1882.]

[Footnote 66: The Life of Mahomet by Sir W. Muir, Vol. IV, pp. 181 and 226.]

[Footnote 67: A branch of Hawazin and sister tribe of the Sakeef inhabited the province of Najd and were of the Moaddite stock. The tribe had taken little share with the rest of the Bani Hawazin at the battle of Honain against the Moslems A.H. 8. The famous poet Lebid, author of one of the Moallakas, belonged to that tribe. [See the Life of Lebid from Ketab-ul-Aghani, in an article on the Moallaqah by Lebid, by C.J.

Lyall, C.S., in the Journals of the Asiatic Society, Bengal, No. 1, 1877, pp. 62-76: Calcutta.]]

[Footnote 68: Bani Abd-ul-Kays from Bahrein. The tribe has been described at page 47. There were many persons in the emba.s.sy. They were Christians before they embraced Islam.]

[Footnote 69: Descended from Anmar of the Kahtanite stock of Yemen.]

[Footnote 70: A sub-tribe of Asad, descendants of Rabia of the Moaddite stock. These are the Aneze of Burkhardt.]

[Footnote 71: Already described at p. 47. The rest of them now embraced Islam. It is said that Sura xlix, 17, refers to them.]

[Footnote 72: Bani Azd (Shanovah) from Yemen. This tribe was a portion of the Azdite tribe left at Yemen at the time of the northern emigration of Azd. They were a branch of Kahtan of the Kahtanite stock. In their emigration northward from Yemen they resided a long time in Hijaz at Batn Murr near Mecca. In their journey further on to the north of Syria, leaving Kozaa, they changed their name to Gha.s.san from their long residence, by the way, near a fountain of that name. The tribes Aus and Khazraj had separated afterwards from these Gha.s.sanides, and settled at Yathrib, afterwards known as Medina. One Surad was the chief of the emba.s.sy of Azd from Yemen to Mohammad at Medina. Sir W. Muir says: "This person was recognized by Mahomet as the ruler of his clan, and commission was given to him to war against the heathen tribes in his neighbourhood." (The Life of Mahomet, Vol. IV, page 219.) The Arabic word "_yojahid_," in the original biographies, only means "to strive,"

and does not mean "to make war," as understood by Sir W. Muir. He has himself translated the same word as "striving" in Vol. III, page 32. At page 265 of the same volume he translates it by "to do utmost." I have discussed the subject in full in Appendix A. of this work.]

[Footnote 73: Another branch of the Azd described above.]

[Footnote 74: Bani Bahila, otherwise called Saad Manat, descendants of Ghatafan of the Moaddite stock.]

[Footnote 75: Bani Bahra (bin Amr bin Al-Haf bin Kozaa), who were a branch of the Kozaa of the Himyarite stock, had emigrated to the north, and settled in the Gha.s.sanide territory.]

[Footnote 76: Bani Bajila, a sister of Khas-am and descendants of Anmar bin Nizar of the Kahtanite stock. They inhabited Yemen. The Bajila after professing Islam had destroyed the famous image of Kholasa.]

[Footnote 77: A branch of Bani Aamir bin Saasaa in the centre of Arabia.]

[Footnote 78: They lived about Yemama and the sh.o.r.es of the Persian Gulf. They were one of the Moaddite tribes. The war of Basus between Bani Bakr and their sister tribe Bani Taghlib had lasted for forty years. There have been famous poets in the Bani Bakr tribe, among whom are Tarafa, Haris bin Hiliza, and Maimun Al-Asha. The Bani Bakr and Bani Tamim were constantly at war, which was abandoned under the influence of Islam, when both the parties were converted to it during the lifetime of Mohammad.]

[Footnote 79: They were a branch of the Kozaa from the Himyarite stock, the descendants of Kahtan, and had settled in the north of Arabia in the Gha.s.sanide territory on the borders of Syria.]

[Footnote 80: A sub-tribe of Kozaa.]

[Footnote 81: A clan of the tribe of Lakhm.]

[Footnote 82: An Arab of the Bani Juzam in the north of Arabia and Governor of Amman in the Gha.s.sanide territory announced his conversion to Mohammad by a despatch in A.H. 8.]

[Footnote 83: They have already been described at page 46. Their deputation waited upon Mohammad on his return from Tabuk.]

[Footnote 84: Descendants of Anmar of the Kahtanite stock.]

[Footnote 85: A sub-tribe of Azd at Yemen.]

[Footnote 86: Already described under Bani Azd.]

[Footnote 87: Bani Hamadan of the Kahtanite descent. An important tribe in the east of Yemen.]

[Footnote 88: A Christian branch of the Bani Bakr who inhabited Yemama.

"The account of the emba.s.sy of the Bani Hanifa is more decidedly unfavourable to Christianity, but its details appear of doubtful authority. Moseilama, the false Prophet, was among the number, and there are some unlikely antic.i.p.ations of his sacrilegious claims.

"As the emba.s.sy were departing, Mahomet gave them a vessel in which were the leavings of the water with which he had performed his l.u.s.tration; and he said,--'_When you reach your country, break down your church, and sprinkle its sight with this water, and make in its place a mosque_'....

"The story appears to me improbable, because nowhere else is Mahomet represented as exhibiting such antagonism to Christians and their churches when they submitted themselves to him."--Muir's Life of Mahomet, Vol. II, pp. 303-4, _footnote_. The author changes his opinion in the fourth volume of his work and says: "I have there stated (in Vol.

II) the story to be improbable. But I am now inclined to think that during the last year or two of Mahomet's life, there was quite enough of antagonistic feeling against Christianity as it presented itself in the profession of the Arab and Syrian tribes to support the narrative."--Life of Mahomet by Sir W. Muir, Vol. IV, page 218, _footnote_.

This is a mere presumption on the part of the writer, and there is no proof of Mohammad's antagonism towards Christianity at any period of his life except against those who waged war with him. The following verse of the Koran will show how far I am true:--

"Verily they who believe (Moslems), and they who follow the Jewish religion, and the Christians and Sabeites, whoever of those believeth in G.o.d and the Last Day, and doth that which is right shall have their reward with their Lord: Fear shall not come upon them, neither shall they be grieved."]

[Footnote 89: Also a Christian tribe in Yemen descended from the Kahtanite stock of the Bani Madhij, and collateral therefore with Bani Kinda. Two of the emba.s.sy, one of them being Akil or Abd-ul-Masih, the chief of the deputation, adopted Islam. The rest returned with a full guarantee from Mohammad for the preservation of their social and religious liberty. Further information regarding the Bani Haris of Najran will be found at pp. 48 and 106 of this book.

"_Katib al Wackidi_, p. 69. The subsequent history of the Najran Christians is there traced. They continued in possession of their lands and rights under the treaty during the rest of Mohammad's life and the whole of Abu Bakr's Caliphate. Then they were accused of taking usury, and Omar expelled them from the land, and wrote as follows:--

"The despatch of Omar, the Commander of the Faithful, to the people of Najran. Whoever of them emigrates is under the guarantee of G.o.d. No Moslem shall injure them;--to fulfil that which Mahomet and Abu Bakr wrote unto them.