The Young Man Who Turned the Question Around

At this, a young man from Rabīʿah stood up — Daghfal, his beard just beginning to sprout, meaning he was young — and jumped up and grabbed the bridle of Abū Bakr's camel, reciting: "Those who ask of us will be asked of; as for the burden of proof, we neither know it nor bear it as a responsibility." He then said: "Hey, you — you asked, and we replied, hiding nothing from you. We want to ask you something: who are you? Now it is our turn. You asked us questions, we answered — give us a chance to ask you. So who are you?" Abū Bakr said: "I am a man from Quraysh." The youth said: "Well said — you are a people of leadership and nobility, the vanguard and guide of the Arabs." There was nothing to complain about there: he was from Quraysh, from the nobility. "Now let me narrow it down," he said, "what part of Quraysh are you from?" Abū Bakr said: "I am of Banū Taym ibn Murrah." Banū Taym ibn Murrah were a small clan within Quraysh, not famous, not known for any special strength or distinction. The young man said: "You have shown the archer where the target is," and asked: "Is Quṣayy ibn Kilāb, who drove out those trying to conquer Makkah, a kinsman of yours? — that Quṣayy who drove the rest of them away, brought his own people together from all over and settled them in Makkah to cover the Temple and seated Quraysh in its dwellings, the man who was known as al-Mujammiʿ, the Unifier, of whom a poet said: 'Was it not your father who was called the Unifier, by whom Allah brought together the tribes of Fihr?'" Abū Bakr said: "No." "Then is ʿAbd Manāf, the ultimate giver of counsel, and Abū al-Qāsim, the great leader of your stock, from you?" Abū Bakr said no.

"Then is ʿAmr — Hāshim, who prepared bread and meat into the dish, as already described, the one now known for having begun al-tharīd, the dish of farīd, for his people and all of Makkah — is he not of you, the one of whom the poet said: 'ʿAmr al-ʿUlā prepared the farīd for his people, while the men of Makkah were destitute and under famine; to him are attributed both journeys, that of winter and that of summer. Quraysh were as an egg, which when split open had as its finest part, its yolk, ʿAbd Manāf. They are the wealthiest, as none other is known, and there are those who say: come in to the guests. They are those who strike down the purest white sheep, those who protect the innocent with their swords; how fine it would be for you to stay at their abode — they will protect you from every ill and accusation.' Is he of you?" Abū Bakr said: "No."

The youth continued: "You must be related to ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, that venerable man of much praise, controller of the Makkan caravan, feeder of the birds of the sky and the wild beasts, of the lions of the desert, he whose face shines like a moon on a dark night" — ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib was called the feeder of the lions, the beasts and the birds because of the hundred camels he would slaughter and refuse to take anything of for himself — "is he of you?" Abū Bakr said: "No." "Then are you of those with the privilege of ifāḍah?" No. "Of ḥijābah?" No. "Of nadwah?" No. "Of zakāh?" No. "Of providing rifādah?" No.

To every question Abū Bakr answered no, until this became too much for him, and he turned to leave, pulling the bridle out of the youth's hand. The young man responded by reciting a line of poetry: "Ṣād fa-dhirāʿ al-sayli dhirāʿun yadfaʿuh, fa-tāratan yaṣdaʿuhu wa-tāratan yaḥdhibuhu" — your flag has met a greater flood coming from me; at one time it will crack it, at another it will pass right over it: he had thought to flood him, and was shown a greater flood in return. He then said: "I swear, O brother of Quraysh, if you had continued to hold out, I would have proven to you that you belong to the lowest class of Quraysh, not to its elite."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came over smiling after this exchange, and ʿAlī told Abū Bakr: "Well, this Bedouin has turned out to be a disaster for you." There is never a catastrophe without another that follows, and calamity is compounded by words.