Hadith 148

n any bigger than it, nor more fortified than it’. We departed and carried our belongings. When we were nearer to it, there was a large valley of water between us and it; it was not impossible for anyone that he travels it. He-as said: ‘Woe be unto you all! Are you not seeing this dry road which is in the middle of it? ’ We said, ‘No’. He-as said: ‘Look in front of you and on your right! ’ We looked, and there, by Allah-azwj, was a dry coastal road easy to travel. We rejoiced and said, ‘Allah-azwj has Conferred upon us with Abu Talib-asws’. He-as travelled and we travelled behind him-asws until we entered the island and we settled. Abu Talib-asws stood up and drew a line around the entirety of the caravan, then said: ‘O people! Rejoice, for the people (bandits) will never (be able to) arrive to you, nor anyone of them with any evil’. He said, ‘And the Bedouins came running behind us. When they ended up to the valley, there it was like a huge ocean having formed a barrier between them and us. They remained bewildered. They looked at each other and said, ‘O people! Have you ever seen an island over here at all, or any ocean? ’ They said, ‘No’. When their astonishment was a lot, an elder from them said – and the experience had passed upon him – ‘O people! I shall notify you all upon the explanation of this matter, just now’. They said, ‘Give, O sheikh, for you are our most ancient, and our eldest is years, and the most experienced of us’. He said, ‘The people called out, and they called out to them. They said, ‘What do you want? ’ The sheikh said, ‘Say to them, ‘Is there anyone among you from the sons of Abdul Muttalib-asws? ’ They called out to them saying, ‘Yes, among us is Abu Talib-asws son-asws of Abdul Muttalib-asws’. The sheikh said, ‘O people! ’ They said, ‘Yes! ’ He said, ‘It is then impossible for us to arrive to them with evil originally, so leave and do not be pre-occupied with them, for by Allah-azwj, there will not be in your hands from them, neither little nor more’. They said, ‘You are senile, O sheikh! Should we disperse from them and leave such a lot of wealth, and the new chattels from them? ! No, by Allah-azwj! But we shall besiege them, or (until) they come out to us, and we will plunder them’. Then sheikh said, ‘I have advised to you all, but you do not love the advisers [7: 79], so neglect your advice and leave’. They said, ‘Be quiet, O ignorant one! ’ They moved their riding animals in order to besiege them. When they were moving, one of them saw the dry road. He shouted, ‘O people! Over here is a dry road! ’ The people, all of them saw the dry road, and they rejoiced and said, ‘Let us rest a while and feed our animals, then we shall depart to them, for they will not be able to defend themselves’. They did so. When they wanted to d