Page:Baladhuri-Hitti1916.djvu/33

 Prophet led them in prayer. This aroused the jealousy of their brothers banu-Ghanm ibn-‘Auf who said, "If we, too, could erect a mosque and invite the Prophet to pray in is as he prayed in our friends'! Abu-‘Âmir, too, may pass here on his way from Syria and lead us in prayer." Accordingly, they erected a mosque and sent an invitation to the Prophet to come and pray in it. But no sooner had the Prophet got up to start, than the following text was revealed to him: "There are some who have built a mosque for mischief and for infidelity and to disunite the 'Believers,' and in expectation of him who, in time past, warred against Allah and his Messenger," the one meant being abu-‘Âmir, "never set thou foot in it. There is a mosque founded from its first day in piety. More worthy it is that thou enter therein. Therein are men who aspire to purity and Allah loveth the purified. Which of the two is best? He who hath founded his building on the fear of Allah and the desire to please him," etc., referring to the mosque of Ḳubâ’.

Muḥammad ibn-Ḥâtim ibn-Maimûn from al-Ḥasan:—When the text, "Therein are men who aspire to purity" was revealed, the Prophet communicated with those who prayed in the mosque of Ḳubâ’ asking about the meaning of the purity mentioned in connection with their name, and they replied, "We, Prophet of Allah, wash after voiding excrement and urine."

"The mosque founded in piety." Muḥammad ibn-Ḥâtim from ‘Âmir:—Some of the people of Ḳubâ’ used to wash with water the place of exit of the excrement. Hence the text, "They aspire to purity."

‘Amr ibn-Muḥammad an-Nâḳid and Aḥmad ibn-Hishâm from Sahl ibn-Sa‘d:—Two men in the time of the Prophet disagreed regarding the "mosque founded in piety," the one