1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from Malik ibn ‘Atiyyah from abu Hamzah al-Thumaliy who has said the following: “I once was with abu Ja’far when a man asked permission for a meeting. He came in and offered Salam (the phrase of offering greeting of peace). Abu Ja’far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, said welcome to him, gave him a place nearby and asked about his condition. The man said, T pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I proposed marriage to your Mawla’, so and so ibn abu Rafi‘ for his daughter so and so but he refused, turned away from me, considered me worthless, because of my ugliness, poverty and alienation, which attacked and broke my heart and I wished death to approach me.’ Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, said, ‘You must go; you are my messenger to him and say to him that Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husayn and ibn Ali ibn abu Talib says, “You must give your daughter so and so in marriage to my Mawla’ Munjih ibn Rabah and do not refuse.’” Abu Hamzah has said that the man jumped out with joy with the letter from abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam. When he left abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, said, ‘There was a man from the people of Yamamah called Juwayabir who came to the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, seeking success through Islam. He became a Muslim and a good Muslim. He was of short height, ugly looking, poor, naked and he was of the ugly looking people of Sudan. The Messenger of Allah associated with him closely because of his alienation and nakedness and had assigned one Sa‘ of dates by the measure of the first Sa‘ food for him, clothed him with two pieces of sheets, commanded him to stay in Masjid and sleep there during the night. He lived that way as long as Allah wanted until the number of emigrants grew of those who accepted Islam of the poor people in al-Madinah and the Masjid became smaller and congested. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent revelation to His holy prophet, to clean the Masjid, move from it those who slept there in the night, commanded to block all doors that opened to the Masjid except the door of Ali and the door to the living-quarter of Fatimah, ‘Alayha al-Salam. Everyone after sexual relation and before Ghusl (bath) was barred from entering the Masjid, and no alien could sleep in the Masjid. So the Messenger of Allah commanded to blocking all doors that opened to the Masjid except the door of Ali, and allowed the door of the living-quarter of Fatimah, ‘Alayha al-Salam, to remain as they were before.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, then commanded to build a canopy for the Muslims which was built and that was the platform or the edge. He (the Messenger of Allah) then commanded the emigrants and the poor ones to stay there for the night and days. They made it their home and gathered therein. The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, would come to see them, bring for them wheat, dates, barley and raisins whenever available. The Muslims sympathized with them because the Messenger of Allah sympathized with them and spent their charity on them. The Messenger of Allah one day looked at Juwayabir with kindness and sympathy and said to him, “I wish you to get married with a woman to safeguard your chastity and receive help for your worldly affairs as well as those of the hereafter.” Juwayabir then said, “O Messenger of Allah, I pray to Allah to keep my soul and the souls of my parents in service for your cause, who will want me? By Allah, I do not have any good position and social standing, or wealth, or physical beauty. No woman will ever pay attention to me.” The Messenger of Allah then said, “O Juwayabir, Allah by means of Islam has removed those who were called noble in pre-Islamic time of darkness and ignorance and has honored them with Islam. To those who did not have any social position before Islam, Allah has granted honor as well as to those who were considered low in the time of ignorance. With Islam He has removed the pride of the time of ignorance and people’s expressing pride because of tribes and strong genealogy. Today (we say) all people, white and black, those from Quraysh, Arab, non- Arab are all from Adam, and Adam was created by Allah from clay. The most beloved in the sight of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, on the Day of Judgment will be those who are most obedient to Him and most pious before Him. O Juwayabir, I do not see any of the Muslims as better than you except because of his being more pious and more obedient to Allah than you.’” He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘O Juwayabir, you must go to Ziyad ibn Labid; he is an honorable man of the tribe of Bayadah, due to social standards and say to him, “I am the messenger of the Messenger of Allah to you and the Messenger of Allah says, ’You must give your daughter al-Dhalfa’ in marriage to Juwayabir.”” He (the Imam) said that Juwayabir left with the message from the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, to Ziyad ibn Labid when he was at home with a group from his people. Juwayabir asked permission. He was informed and permission was granted. He entered and offered his greeting of peace, then said, ‘I am a messenger from the Messenger of Allah to you for a certain issue: if you like I can convey it to you in private or if you want I can say it in public.’ He said, ‘Say it in public; it is an honor for me and a privilege.’ Juwayabir said, ‘The Messenger of Allah says to you, “You must give your daughter al-Dhalfa’ in marriage to Juwayabir.’” Ziyad then asked him, ‘Has the Messenger of Allah sent you with this?’ Juwayabir replied, ‘Yes, I never want to speak a lie against the Messenger of Allah.’ Ziyad said, ‘We do not give our young girls in marriage to anyone, unless he is a good match for us of the people of al-Ansar (people of al- Madinah); so you must go back, O Juwayabir, until I meet the Messenger of Allah and inform him of my excuse.’ Juwayabir returned back saying, ‘By Allah, this is not what the Quran is all about or Prophet Muhammad, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, has appeared for it.’ Al-Dhalfa’, daughter of Ziyad in her living-quarter heard what Juwayabir said. She sent someone to her father to ask him to come to her room and he went to her. She asked, ‘What were the words that I heard you spoke to Juwayabir?’ He said to her, ‘He told me that the Messenger of Allah had sent him and he (the Messenger of Allah) said, “You must give your daughter, al-Dhalfa’ in marriage to Juwayabir.’” She then said, ‘By Allah Juwayabir cannot lie against the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, in his presence. You must now send a messenger to call him back.’ Ziyad sent a messenger to call Juwayabir and approached him and said. ‘O Juwayabir, you are welcome. You must not be worried and wait until I come back.’ Ziyad went to the Messenger of Allah and said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul and the souls of my parents in service for your cause, Juwayabir has brought your message to me that says, “The Messenger of Allah commands you to give your daughter al-Dhalfa’ in marriage to Juwayabir.” I was not so soft speaking to him. We do not give our young women in marriage to anyone except to our match of al-Ansar (people of al-Madinah).’ The Messenger of Allah said to him, ‘O Ziyad, Juwayabir is a believing person. A believing man is a match of a believing woman. A Muslim is a match of a female Muslim. Therefore you must give her in marriage to him. O Ziyad, you must give her in marriage to him and you must not refuse.’ He (the Imam) said that Ziyad returned back to his home, went to his daughter and said to her what he had heard from the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, She said to him, ‘If you disobey the Messenger of Allah, you will become an unbeliever, so you must give in marriage to Juwayabir.’ Ziyad came out, held the hand of Juwayabir, took him before his people, gave her to him in marriage according to the tradition of Allah and the tradition of the Messenger of Allah and took responsibility of mahr (dower). He (the Imam) has said, ‘They prepared al-Dhalfa’ for her wedding, sent for Juwayabir and asked him, ‘Do you have any house so we escort her to your house?’ he replied, ‘No, by Allah, I do not have any house.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘They prepared her for her wedding, prepared for them a house, furnishings, household necessities, dressed Juwayabir with two dresses, brought al-Dhalfa’ to her house, and admitted Juwayabir also there. Juwayabir went in the house after al-‘Isha’ Salat (prayer). He looked at the house, the furnishings, the sweet smelling fragrance, thus, he moved to a corner of the house and began to recite from the Quran, in Ruku’ (bowing down on one’s knees) and in Sajdah (prostration) until it was dawn. He heard the call for Salat (prayer), so he went out for Salat (prayer) as well as his wife. She made wudu and performed Salat (prayer) of the morning and she was asked about being touched. She replied, ‘He continued reciting the Quran in Ruku ’ and Sajdah until the call for Salat (prayer) was said then he went out.’ In the second night he did just as he had done the night before but they did not tell it to Ziyad. In the third night he again did as he had done before, then her father was informed. He went to the Messenger of Allah and said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul and the souls of my parents in service for your cause, O Messenger of Allah, you commanded me to give my daughter in marriage to Juwayabir and by Allah we did not want to do so; but obedience to you made it necessary on us to do so.’ The Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, asked, ‘What is it that you disliked about him?’ he replied, ‘We prepared a house for him with furnishings, household necessities, sent my daughter to that house, he also was admitted there after al- ‘Isha ’ Salat (prayer) but he did not speak to her, did not look at her and did not go close to her, instead he stood in one corner of the house, continued reciting al-Quran, in Ruku’ and Sajdah (prostration) until the call for Salat (prayer) was said. He went out for Salat (prayer); he did it again in the second, and in the third nights. He did not go close to her and did not speak to her until the time of my coming to you. We did not find him to be interested in women. Please look into our problem.’ Ziyad went back and the Messenger of Allah sent for Juwayabir and asked him, ‘Is it the case that you do not go close to women?’ Juwayabir replied, ‘A male person I am O Messenger of Allah and I indeed have intense desire and passion for women.’ The Messenger of Allah said, to him, ‘I am informed otherwise about what you are telling to me. I am told that they prepared for you a house, furnishings, the necessities of a household and she was brought to you in that house, a beautiful young woman and rich with sweet smelling perfumes. You went after performing your al-‘Isha ’ Salat (prayer) but did not look at her, did not speak to her, and did not go close to her. What was your wisdom in it?’ Juwayabir replied, ‘O Messenger of Allah, when I entered the vast house, saw the furnishings, the household necessities, the young beautiful girl, rich in sweet smelling perfumes, remembered my condition in which I lived, my alienation, my poverty, and lowliness, my clothes with the emigrants and the destitute people; I then loved at first to thank Allah for what He had given to me and tried to become closer to Him. I then went to one corner of the house and continued in Salat (prayer) reciting al-Quran in Ruku ’ (bowing down on one’s knees) and Sajdah (prostration) thanking Allah until I heard the call for Salat (prayer), then I went out. In the day I decided to fast that day and did so for three days and nights and I thought to do that for what Allah had given to me although my thanks were very little, however, I will make her happy and make them happy tonight, by the will of Allah.’ The Messenger of Allah then sent a message to Ziyad who came to the Messenger of Allah and he (the Messenger of Allah) informed him about Juwayabir. They became delighted. Juwayabir kept his promise. Thereafter, the Messenger of Allah went out for an armed expedition, Juwayabir was with him and he became a martyr, may Allah, most High grant him mercy. In the community of al-Ansar (people of al-Madinah) there was no single woman in such a great demand than her (al-Dhalfa’) after Juwayabir.’”