Some Notes on Ridda Verses

ridda-verses.pdf Some notes on ridda verses M. J. KISTER The fragments of Wathima's Kitab al-Ridda contained in Ibn Hajar's Isaba have been carefully collected and edited with painstaking accuracy by W. Hoenerbach,l who provided them with a translation. Some printing errors in the original text of the ISaba as well as wrong readings or interpretations of some verses are pointed out in the following lines. Text p. 4, l. 16; translation p. 245: ••••• ",to ~ ::J.,J is translated by Hoenerbach: "An 'Uyaina lass gelangen dassichseinem Hause vorbrachte eine Rede ... " The reading and the translation are both incorrect. The text should be read: and should be translated: Tell 'Uyayna if you pass his abode: a pronouncement... This reading of the first hemistich of the verse is supported by the version recorded by al-Waqidi in his" Kitab al- Ridda" :2 , \:J\ J~"- • \ ~ ' ",,0 ~\ . • ::J.J o...u ~ 0 ~ ~ 0U1 ~_~0•~•J o&.o.~\ ~ • ~ _ • ~..T .J..J.r" ..::.." ~ , , , The expression abligh in 'arar;lta appears frequently in ancient poetry3 and is explicitly explained by the lexicographers.4 1 W. Hoenerbach, Walima's Kitab ar-Ridda aus Ibn Ifagar's I~aba, Akademie der WisAbhandlungen der Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaftlichen 1951). 1938), IVB, senschaften 2 3 und der Literatur, Klasse, Jahrgang 1951, Nr. 1 (Wiesbaden, Ms. Bankipore XV, 108-110, No. 1042, fol. 12a. Compo e.g. al-BaladhurI, Ansab al-ashraf, ed. M. Schloessinger (Jerusalem, p. 59, I. 5 \.k .;j y 1380), I, 195: ~. ':'I~ ~1 ti; ~ ':;"';'y Ibn 'Asakir, Damascus 1349, VI, 131:.r4! ':;"';'J~L..1 ':'1 tL ... VL Ta'rikh (Tahdhib), ed. AI;Imad 'Ubayd, ':;"';'y L:,;; al·'I~ami, SimI al-nuji1m al-'awali (Cairo, ... y-£ ~ ':'1 & (and see these verses in Labid, Diwan, ed. Il}san 'Abbas, al-Kuwayt 1962, p. 276; Yaqiit, 120 Ridda verses The first hemistich of the following verse (text p. 4, l. 17; translation p. 245) is read by Hoenerbach: and is translated: "Wissen liess ich ihn, dass Tulaiha b. Jjuwailid: ein Hund ... " The correct reading, according to the text recorded by al-Waqidi is: . '-7- 1-;) and should be translated: ,. 0 -___ ,0_J. _ _._ o_\J, ~. '" J.~~ - 0'. "-_>o.-::_A.» u1 ~ _ o_J ~ \ o 'Uyayna, indeed Tulayha b. Khuwaylid: is a dog ... A-' Uyayna (instead of A-' Uyaynatu) is a tarkhim.i The third line of this poetical fragment is recorded by Hoenerbach as follows: J ...• _ WI.... e-j\".- 0.)-".J-" 0JJ~L~ J J_ VI: J.~L> r-S""Lj\bl ~ • J ~~\ .... .,j._:_S"" 0 .•.• and is translated: "Wie da bestehen, wenn euch ereilt Jjalid und Muhagirs, markierte, mit ausgestreckten Vorderfiissen galoppierende [Pferde]!" But the second hemistich does not refer to horses. The copyist erred and misread the last word of this hemistich (sawiibi/:zu), which can be corrected from the Ms. of al-Waqidl and replaced by C"."~. The verse should accordingly be translated: How [can] duration [be expected] when Khalid will come to you: and [fighting] Muhajirun, with badges on their garments, tall and strong men.e Mu'jam al-bulddn (Beirut, 1375/1956), II, 68, s.v. Tayman dht ?iliil; Abu I-Baqii' Hibatullah, al-Mandqib al-mazyadiyya, Ms. Br. Mus. Add. 23296, fo!. 139b); and see Reckendorf, Wafa' al-wafd, ed. MuhamArabische Syntax, Heidelberg 1921, p. 110. And see al-Samhudt, mad Muhyi I-DIn 'Abd al-Hamid (Cairo, 1374/1955), III, 1047: ~.... 4i.::-,;. y .; 1 4 5 6 C~ : I~..;: [, 4.WA.. t:--1~i )1 i See e.g. Lisan al-tarab.s.v. "ar d: ~ u.J.Y'.;1 ~ , G.A:....J'::-';'y';l ~.i_ c.li See Wright, A Grammar of the Arabic Language (Cambridge, 1951), II, 88 (§38, rem. C). In al-Waqidl's version the verse runs as follows: L~ ';.JL..:... ';.JJ':"4.J :.J!,J .:;.$. .;1.......;)1!, ~lS"" 121 It is evident that ';.JL..:... as to be replaced by .;,.,..,.,....~ h because of the metre. M. J. Kister It may be useful to record here the report of al-Waqidl verses referring to this story. with the additional ~I JJ Le. o;";:"~...\-J)I0. ..u\:>- Jl ~ ~I ~) ~ y,i 0' ~... f (sic!) ~";:I 0. ~~~:;...u. JI ..L...i ~ ./}Jl J.r->..u4 ()..r"4J o~~4 ~"";)4)L,., 1~1~ 0i ~ t V"'\:J4 ~ J ...\~y>- 0. ~~j ~~=4j" ~~jl :...r ~ ~I ~) ..L})I . ..u\:>- ) .•.J : Jli . ~~b 0 ~ 0~ ? 7..:...,.J.j ..L...i ~ J\[..k:;JI ~I...\~ U. 41 J~ ~) ~ rf 01.SJ : Jli . ..L...i ~ 4t;~i ~~ ~..?t;: Jli J~I J. . ...\~)I ...u\:>- Jl 0. ~ ~4 •••• c:. 8 J.'JI-.j~ ~$J " ()P.:~ J.... ~I ~) ~ ~i Jl~)' : u~~1 " ~f" o~°.D cjJ..u\:>I) ,.--",} J ~~ Jl oa£ J •. ()...\r: i$)1}l1 ~ U. ~~~ " ~ _0 0 L."'" LII J::.i...:;.ll ~ ~ J • J... k"-: ':1~ J :# 0 ••••. ~o)...\-j u),rA " ~ ", ;. ~ t; ~~...>-~I.JL..:....)' lj ~)' 0....,. .... 0"" 0 .... _ ~..r>J I ,0._;' - 0. ........" , c:t.. ,,~ ) 0. 1O~ ~...lC. ~) ~J 12e-k t; ,,)...\~ 0. ~ .!l.~J ) ~ ~ ~L)' o~~ r-=L..:j :"':";;:"j 01 0 01 ~~~ &1 -,'t ... .-" ~..;..,-:-~ 01 ~~I _o,} 9 J 0 lA...\...>- .) .:..U lA , ::: ~..>. J _o ,,_ 0. ~ 01. ,.... 11 .!l.; l.t ':1J 1 0 I0 ••.. e"';' 1 J3~ 0y.r-;. ~) ~ 0J.r:-L~J OIl ~~ '-':l J '::'-..>c...j ) L..,a.:.;~~ ~~ ts'" j:kJ " c.~u J e:-::G L-~ !JI~) oL~1 LJ IS) ...\~0,a.) ~o_.... ~:II:";.Q, !J !/II ,p~~~ J;. J J::..a.tJ oJ /....:Jf .... ~[.~...u. o~ 0 14 0 ~yi; ~ 41)'1 J~ 1t..1o ~4 !Jl:~ _,.. c-~ "0- ~ 0r: ~.r.~1 c.[;;-~ \..... c: 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 ~~; ~J-:l:L:I r:~4 i~J Reading uncertain. Text: J.:.IlI .jy,- ~, Text: ...::.;,£ ;........;i instead of .l.;i; see such a case reported in L. 'A., s.v. khs 'a. Text: .;. I (instead of .;.4), Text: .!.l;4. Text: ~t.;. See note 6 above. Text: r-t""'~. Text: .A.L.....J. 122 Ridda verses J ~ elk) ')~L,.:. 0 . ~ J ..r'L:J~ ,.~L,.:. ~I;J ~ ~ 0 ~u e-:"4- ~J.C$"" O~J-,:!li Ji~~ ,.~-;... •• ~ ,. •••• "' •••• 17,.Ut..:':"':jt. JJ}i I~\" ~o~1j.-.J 1.1-r. o~i J JI ~I oM. -'J. ~i~ if ,.~J 160 0 if f" ~i";J.,li 0.Ai if 44} ~ U..r.-" J ,. ~lAl~~ ~:81 <..>;J elJ ~ I~l .!jllS'" i~1 ~ J.il ~JI)lI ~ WI ~ U. ~-::.~ ~ ~ J l..l~ j-PJ LJ.j : Jli \.. o.)i !r-=~I : Jw o)j ~ ~ ii l:J T~ y)rl .)~ ~ ~Jo.i...; U) ,.~-;'" ~u. ~ ~ c Il~ ~~bY'" ,. ~ i 0~~ .... : Jli . ~j~1 --;} Il~ U~ J I:-.;J ...L4lJ : J~ I.5"J U. G ~ ~Ll.1 ~ J..LJL>J o~~ c.Lji 0 - . ..~~ __ J L. I~l 18J~0.~~ ~~I J ~:;'i ,..[..... J J ~~ • --'--::~ J 4--:"""'; 0 .... r:.,: J 19 ..l.-l~~ ~...LJ:I J~)rl J _0 Co 1 ~";:~jt:; ..•. ..L-~ I., J. ~:r) Jo o __ ~.".JI J~..Q .... L. Jfp'-~.tI ~1 w 0L-.c 2oJ..l~VI J J~jl J. •.•.•. ~i L.~..LJI ~~ ~t.G~l-11~J • 23., JL;LI 22u ~ ~I oL...-jl~I ,. ,. L..4 '-? ~ 21":"':JlI J 0 •..• J ,,---.;1 Jw ~I •. ~~I Il~ J~ if ~bY'" ~ 24~) : ~ J0. ~i":";~ LJ. : Jli J~ \lJliJ ~ J.Ji i ' T~..L!.1L..S:;1.!jllJ ~~ J..MlIIl~ or:.,: l~;" .-... ~ .;;\ .Jf J4::;~ ~J°.,i \.. ~~ , ~ ~?-IJ, u~~)rl . .. .. :~w o~ .... o .... J 4-><-::jJ, 16Text: §. 17Text: ...,..L&.. 18The metre tmutaqdrib), 19 20 of this hemistich (tawil) does not suit the metre of the following verses Text: ~!J. Text: -,!')\). .:..) which should be altered for metrical reasons. Text: 0-"",)\)1. Text: .).)~I. Text: ~J' 21Text: 22 23 24 123 M. J. Kister Al-Waqidi's report helps us to gain a better insight into the situation prevailing among the rebelling Asad-Ghatafan while they were preparing for a struggle with the forces of Khalid b. al-Walid and points to the dissensions among them. It gives us a description of the split which took place when a clan loyal to Medina left the tribe. It elucidates the setting of the three verses quoted by Ibn Hajar in his Isiiba and indicates the source of Wathima. It gives us some notion of the style and composition of al-Waqidl's Ridda. Text p. 16, penult.; translation p. 260: J~<]\ -:.:...~ ~\~\ J ~~ 2SL. ~ ~ Hoenerbach remarks that the first hemistich of the verse does not make sense to him. ("Der erste Halbvers ist mir unverstandlich"), This hemistich can be understood by comparison with expressions of this kind in ancient Arabic poetry. It is used by Ibn al-Dumayna when addressing his beloved: yo umayma l-qalbi,26 "0 Umayma of the heart", "0 my beloved Umayma". Accordingly the first hemistich should be translated: ~JG...,;-l\ ~"[l..;~~ P~ JL-k o my beloved Su'ad, the daughter of UtM!. The whole poetical fragment with the additional verses as quoted by alWaqidi and Ibn Hubaysh may here be recorded: 30~J~) 29~"[.O.~';~1 0 ;;.:o-...[.~ "CL. J . ~ G...w~JI ~ ~ r-. r 3t~J~J }~ 0 28p ~Jlk J 27~JUf ::..~ 0 W ~~\~\ ~~~ 0 ~ Lrl • -Jb ~JI ~..L>~ ~ ~ •••• ~\- ~ J~ ~~ 4- ....JJ~ f~~~ ..:...,. if .•~ <]\ J ~i~\ ~ ~~t 33J~ if ~..b-\ l.J 32"'Y~ ..r ',?fJ\ ',?J~ 'Y 4; 2S Ibn Hubaysh, Kitab al-maghiizt, Ms. Leiden Or. 343, p. 33: ,)!.;lJ1 ,)\....... Ibn al-Dumayna, al·Waqidi: this is also the version of al-Waqidl's Ridda, foJ. 17b, penult. 26 Dtwtin, ed. Ahmad Ratib al-Naffah (Cairo, 1378/1959), pp. 13 (= IV, 1),21 (= VIII,2), 112 (= L, 81),165 (= IV, 1). 27Ms. 28 Ms. al-Waqidi: J.,J. Jb"i. 29Ms. Ibn l;Iubaysh: ~. 30Ms. al-Waqidl: J~)1. 31 32 Ms. al-Waqidi: Ms. al-Waqidi:~. JL....J. J")\....; 33Ms. al-Waqidl: 124 J;' -';!J. Ridda verses .J L.!...o 1 <..>-L-J,I J..$o 10 J .....,. J 4;> _ i _J4!. L-:J ~ "JL~;J .J t;ul 37<..>.r=-f36' Of--:::-"; 0.;D -i _JI.LJ)11 .. p ~ ~I ~I JJ '0'. 34"~1 J~ J 0'._~ ~_~ ".)1 -i~\-~i ';.~ -UL£. ~~ 40"[~") 39'~ 41 r: ~ -~~ ,~~I 0.)1_~::..:u t~38~~ o~;'i 35°~~ _J~1I "J>S "':')11-~ ....JJI _{~ ~~f ':J ~:j\j \ .;:-~ 4- J~ ~~ 0;s.:; 0.)1 Text p. 18,1. 2; translation p. 261,1. 20: The second hemistich of the verse referring to Musaylima is read by Hoenerbach: and translated: "[Wahrlich] ich ward rein von dir vom Verdacht der Anteilungsnahme an der ketzerischen Verleumdung". The correct reading is: .)"":~I and the hemistich should be translated: " I clear myself before you from the repudiator, the unbeliever. Text p. 19, n. 14-15; translation p. 263: ~"~I ~_~l>- if _Jj"")10~ P - ~j ".)1 \5" • .)l-~ are translated by Hoenerbach: .)\5" •~ "Wahrlich der Mord, an einem Gesandten, eben geschehen, in den friihen Tagen teuer kam! 34 35 Ms. al-Waqidl: J"ll. 36 37 Ms. 39 40 41 Ms. al·Waqidi: r"-':' Ms. al-Waqidl: ),...:.J_' al-Waqidt: ';-1>4. 38 Ms. Ibn Hubaysh: -,.J.i; the verse is missing in al-Waqidl's Ridda. Ms. al-Waqidi: Ms. al-Waqidl: ~.J' Ms. al-Waqidl: ~.I;, .t1.J' 125 M. J. Kister Wie schlimm sind die Angehorigen der bani Hanlfa, gleich ob sie vordem dahingegangen oder dem Islam noch erlebt haben". But hddithu l-dahri does not mean "eben geschehen". Hddithu l-dahri may be compared with hadath al-dahri mentioned above and denotes, like "azim, a serious affair, a grave event. The first verse should thus be translated: Indeed the murder of the messenger is a serious event of fate: a grave deed in bygone time. An emendation in the reading of two words in the second verse may be proposed: ~ may probably be replaced by ~ and the unusual ~.Y. by J..\-j is translated by Hoenerbach: "Wie siehst du mich und meinen Bruder 'Utarid, den Verlocker von den bani Hanlfa vertreiben". The correct reading is I.))l,ll and the correct translation is: How do you consider me and my brother 'Utarid ; blocking the Banu Hanlfa from the roads which lead to water. Text p. 23, ll. 15-16; translation p. 268, 11.3-6: ~~~~ ~0~i .~ 1--:;..>- J':>JJL-J.;I ,-:?j-~ is rendered by Hoenerbach: "Moge Gott Garud belohnen statt Aban b. Sa'Id (d.h. statt meiner; denn er kann es besser als ich) und Subah und sein Bruder Harim sind die beste Stutze", The correct translation is: May God give al-Jarud a [good] reward for [what he did for] Aban b. Sa'id And [reward] Subah; and his brother Harim is the best Ieader.42 42 Al-Waqidl, op. cit., foJ. 8a, sup.: -I::-- .;::>-; five additional verses are recorded. 126 Ridda verses Text p. 31 ult. - 32 ll. 1-2; translation p. 277 sup. J :;-.f;) w~\ J-~~\ ~ ~ J .• "" _4-.::~ ~ " J ~lI 0 Co -~l-J' °01J ':;' J "" J &- w~ J ~..L-.,.a...l\ r: w J _ ':1~~\ .... (L-AJ\ L-~\ WI c. ~Y"J o~\ w Jl ~;)y--i ~ The three verses are translated by Hoenerbach as follows: "Ein jeder - und sei meine Geduld gegen ihn noch so gross! - ausser dem Propheten ist gering. o du Herr und Haupt des Befehls, du bist der bestatigte as-Siddiq! Unter euch ist der Befehlsherr; nehmet ihn an und geleitet und fiihrt zum Heil!" Both the texts consulted by Hoenerbach in the first verse had yi JS"'; this was altered by him into ':J~ JS"'. The correct reading is in fact JJ JS"', "every calamity, disaster, grave event" and the verse should be translated: Every disaster, even if the grief over it increases in my soul, is paltry+' in relation to that of the [death of the] Prophet. The second verse should be rendered as follows: o you the one who acts, the one chosen to rule You are indeed the verifier [of the words of the Prophet], the Siddiq, The yi in the third verse denotes, as in the second verse, "rule, power, authority"; the I~ is a demonstrative pronoun (see Wright, op. cit., I, 265). The verse should be translated: This authority is amongst you (i.e. belongs to you), therefore (you people) grasp it, and lead and drive towards salvation. A prose passage (text p. 34, ll. 18-19; translation p. 279, ll. 25-26), may be elucidated: this is translated: "Ihr sollt in dieser Sache nicht weiter, sondern eher zuruckgehen". 43 Comp. antithetically: ~ oj.; in Ibn Abi 1-l;Iadid's Sharb nahj al-baldgha, ed. AbU Siyar a'Iiim al-nubala', ed. 4.1 ~ .:...J;... .ill I·PaQI Ibrahim (Cairo, 1964), I, 156; and comp. al-Dhahabl, As'ad Talas, Cairo, 1962, 1,149: J."....)i ~ ..L.J J.,j ~ 127 M. J. Kister The correct translation is: You verily need more to increase in this matter (i.e. belief, faith, religion of Islam) than to decrease in it. Text p. 38, 1. 1; translation p. 282, 1. 27: is translated by Hoenerbach: "Sie antworteten: Staub aus Torheit in deinem Munde". The late Professor D. Z. Baneth communicated to me the following correction: So they said out of foolishness: Dust into your mouth. The poem of Hassan, composed in connection with the marriage of Khalid b. al-Walld with the daughter of Majja'a, was edited by Muhammad Hamidullah in .his Majmii'at al-wathii'iq al-siyiisiyya /i-l- "ahdi l-nabawiyyi, Cairo 1376/ 1956, pp. 271-2, from al-Waqidi's Ridda (fol. 25a). The missing last word in the first verse of the poem .)..ll:ll can be provided from the new edition of Hassan's Diwan by Walid N. Arafat, London 1971, p. 459 (CCLXXXIV, 1), quoted from Ibn Durayd's Ishtiqdq. The word <.?l:.;. in verse 3 has to be corrected into ~l:.;., as in Arafat's edition; in fact; this is how the word occurs in the Ms. of al-Waqidl, The version of verse 7 of the poem in al-Waqidi's Ridda differs from that in Ibn Durayd's Ishtiqdq (verse 6 in Arafat's edition). The verse in the Ishtiqdq runs as follows: J ...\.....41 .:-'.)-::...JI • & .... ~ 0... 0 Muhammad Hamldullah - follows:J reads the verse in the Ms. of al-Waqidi as " ~~ ~ f ~J~_.) J •. ~;k" 1 .'r.::""" T 0..G 0.JL•• ~I ..L..J ...u~ .)~ JI i.,r.ll~ ~UI ~ But the correct reading is: J t .....:w. ~ ..Lj~ -.)~ ~i u·.:-"-~UI ~ 128