Page:Baladhuri-Hitti1916.djvu/148

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CHAPTER XVIII

Al-Yamâmah

The origin of the name. Al-Yamâmah was first called Jau but was later named after a woman, al-Yamâmah, daughter of Murr [from the tribe] of Jadî, who was crucified at its gate. Allah knows whether this is true.

The envoys to the Prophet. When the Prophet wrote to the kings of the world in the year 7 (or 6 as it is said), he wrote to Haudhah ibn-ʿAli-l-Ḥanafi and the people of al-Yamâmah summoning them to Islâm. His letter to this effect he forwarded with Salîṭ ibn-Ḳais ibn-ʿAmr al-Anṣâri[1] (later al-Khazraji). The people of al-Yamâmah, thereupon, sent to the Prophet their delegation, one of whom was Mujjâʿah ibn-Murârah. To Mujjâʿah and in accordance with his request, the Prophet gave out as fief a piece of unutilized land. Another delegate was ar-Rajjâl[2] ibn-ʿUnfuwah who became Moslem and read the "Sûrah of the Cow" and other Sûrahs of the Koran. He, however, apostatized from Islâm after a time. Among the delegates was one, Musailimah, the false Prophet,[3] Thumâmah ibn-Kabîr ibn-Ḥabib,[4] who said to the Prophet, "If it be thy will, we will leave all authority in thy hand and swear allegiance to thee, with the understanding that after thee, all will return to us [Musaili-

  1. Cf. Hishâm, p. 971.
  2. Raḥḥal, see ibn-Saʿd in Skizzen, vol. iv, p. 46.
  3. Bukhâri, vol. iii, p. 167.
  4. Ibn-Duraid, p. 209; Nawâwi, p. 554; Hishâm, p. 945.

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