from a man of Rabi'ah who said: "I arrived in Al-Madinah, entered upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and mentioned the emissary of 'Ad to him. I said: 'I seek refuge in Allah from being like the emissary of 'Ad.' So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'And what of the emissary of 'Ad?'" He said: "I said: You have got the one who is informed about it. When 'Ad suffered from famine they sent Qail and he stayed with Bakr bin Mu'awiyah. He gave him wine to drink and two slave girls to sing for him. Then he went out towards the mountains of Murrah and said: "O Allah! I did not come to You to cure a sick person, nor to ransom a captive! So give water to Your slave as You used to do, and give water to Bakr bin Mu'awiyah along with him." He said that out of gratitude for the wine which he gave him to drink. So two clouds appeared and it was said to him: "Choose one of them." So he chose the black one. It was said to him: "Take it as ashes that will leave none in 'Ad." So he mentioned that the wind sent upon them was not more than this circle - meaning the circle of a ring - then he recited: "...We sent against them the barren wind; it spared nothing that it reached, but blew it into broken spreads of rotten ruins. (51:41 & 42)"  

قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذُكِرْتُ عِنْدَهُ وَافِدَ عَادٍ فَقُلْتُ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِثْلَ وَافِدِ عَادٍ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَمَا وَافِدُ عَادٍ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ عَلَى الْخَبِيرِ سَقَطْتَ إِنَّ عَادًا لَمَّا أُقْحِطَتْ بَعَثَتْ قَيْلاً فَنَزَلَ عَلَى بَكْرِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ فَسَقَاهُ الْخَمْرَ وَغَنَّتْهُ الْجَرَادَتَانِ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ يُرِيدُ جِبَالَ مَهْرَةَ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي لَمْ آتِكَ لِمَرِيضٍ فَأُدَاوِيَهِ وَلاَ لأَسِيرٍ فَأُفَادِيَهُ فَاسْقِ عَبْدَكَ مَا كُنْتَ مُسْقِيَهُ وَاسْقِ مَعَهُ بَكْرَ بْنَ مُعَاوِيَةَ يَشْكُرْ لَهُ الْخَمْرَ الَّذِي سَقَاهُ فَرُفِعَ لَهُ سَحَابَاتٌ فَقِيلَ لَهُ اخْتَرْ إِحْدَاهُنَّ فَاخْتَارَ السَّوْدَاءَ مِنْهُنَّ فَقِيلَ لَهُ خُذْهَا رَمَادًا رَمْدَدًا لاَ تَذَرُ مِنْ عَادٍ أَحَدًا وَذُكِرَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُرْسَلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الرِّيحِ إِلاَّ قَدْرُ هَذِهِ الْحَلْقَةِ يَعْنِي حَلْقَةَ الْخَاتَمِ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ (إذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ * مَا تَذَرُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ أَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ جَعَلَتْهُ كَالرَّمِيمِ ) الآيَةَ  

[Machine] I went to complain to Alaa ibn Al-Hadrami about it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . I passed by Al-Rabadha and there was an old lady from the Banu Tamim sitting alone. She said to me, "O Abdullah, I have a need with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . Can you convey it to him?" I agreed and carried her on my camel and we arrived at Al-Madinah. When we reached the mosque, it was filled with its people and there was a black flag flapping with a proud horseman holding a sword in front of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . I asked, "What's happening with the people?" They replied, "They want to appoint Amr ibn Al-Aas as their leader." So I sat down. Then he (the Messenger of Allah) entered his house or his tent, and I sought permission to enter. He allowed me to come in, so I entered and greeted him. He asked, "Did you have any dealings with the Banu Tamim?" I replied, "Yes." He said, "They owed us some debts and I passed by an old lady from the Banu Tamim who asked me to convey this to you." Then, she entered and I said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , "If you find it appropriate, create a separation between us and the Banu Tamim." So he requested for a pot of dehn oil, which was smeared on her and she became calm and excited. She asked, "O Messenger of Allah, where will you send Mu'adh?" He replied, "I said, 'I am to them like the Mazi (a type of she-camel) is to the A'd. He replied, 'Indeed, the Mazi died due to carrying loads, and I am to carry this load. But I don't feel that it has been a burden on me. I seek refuge with Allah and His Messenger from being like the feathers of 'Ad.' He asked, 'What is a feather of 'Ad?' He knew the answer better than anyone else, but he wanted to narrate so I replied, 'The 'Ad endured famine, so they sent for a wafid (a person who delivers messages on behalf of others) and they called him Qayl (previously asked). He passed by Mu'awiya ibn Bakr's tent and stayed with him for a month, giving him alcohol to drink and being entertained by two servant girls called al-Jaradatan. When the month was over, he left for the mountains of Tihamah and called out to Allah, "O Allah, You know that I didn't come to cure the sick nor free captives, so let the rains fall on 'Ad as You make them drink, and don't leave a single one of them alive." Then, thick black clouds passed over them and called out, "Take it (rain) from this side and take it from the black part." So he pointed to one of the black clouds and said, "Take it from this one, gray ash". And he said, "Let there not be a single person among the 'Ad." Abu Wa'il said: It was conveyed to me that when the wind was sent against them, it didn't stop until they were annihilated. Then Abu Wa'il said, "The man and the woman, when they send a wafid (messenger) to them, they should not be like the wafid of 'Ad."  

خَرَجْتُ أَشْكُو الْعَلَاءَ بْنَ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَمَرَرْتُ بِالرَّبَذَةِ فَإِذَا عَجُوزٌ مِنْ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ مُنْقَطِعٌ بِهَا فَقَالَتْ لِي يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ إِنَّ لِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ حَاجَةً فَهَلْ أَنْتَ مُبَلِّغِي إِلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ فَحَمَلْتُهَا فَأَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَإِذَا الْمَسْجِدُ غَاصٌّ بِأَهْلِهِ وَإِذَا رَايَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ تَخْفِقُ وَبِلَالٌ مُتَقَلِّدٌ السَّيْفَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ مَا شَأْنُ النَّاسِ؟ قَالُوا يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ وَجْهًا قَالَ فَجَلَسْتُ قَالَ فَدَخَلَ مَنْزِلَهُ أَوْ قَالَ رَحْلَهُ فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأَذِنَ لِي فَدَخَلْتُ فَسَلَّمْتُ فَقَالَ هَلْ كَانَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ شَيْءٌ؟ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ وَكَانَتْ لَنَا الدَّبْرَةُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَرَرْتُ بِعَجُوزٍ مِنْ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ مُنْقَطِعٌ بِهَا فَسَأَلَتْنِي أَنْ أَحْمِلَهَا إِلَيْكَ وَهَا هِيَ بِالْبَابِ فَأَذِنَ لَهَا فَدَخَلَتْ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنْ رَأَيْتَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ حَاجِزًا فَاجْعَلِ الدَّهْنَاءَ فَحَمِيَتِ الْعَجُوزُ وَاسْتَوْفَزَتْ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَإِلَى أَيْنَ تَضْطَرُّ مُضَرَكَ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنَّمَا مَثَلِي مَا قَالَ الْأَوَّلُ مِعْزَاةُ حَمَلَتْ حَتْفَهَا حَمَلْتُ هَذِهِ وَلَا أَشْعُرُ أَنَّهَا كَانَتْ لِي خَصْمًا أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ كَوَافِدِ عَادٍ قَالَ هِيهْ وَمَا وَافِدُ عَادٍ؟ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْحَدِيثِ مِنْهُ وَلَكِنْ يَسْتَطْعِمُهُ قُلْتُ إِنَّ عَادًا قَحَطُوا فَبَعَثُوا وَافِدًا لَهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ قَيْلٌ فَمَرَّ بِمُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ بَكْرٍ فَأَقَامَ عِنْدَهُ شَهْرًا يَسْقِيهِ الْخَمْرَ وَتُغَنِّيهِ جَارِيَتَانِ يُقَالُ لَهُمَا الْجَرَادَتَانِ فَلَمَّا مَضَى الشَّهْرُ خَرَجَ جِبَالَ تِهَامَةَ فَنَادَى اللهُمَّ إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي لَمْ أَجِئْ إِلَى مَرِيضٍ فَأُدَاوِيَهُ وَلَا إِلَى أَسِيرٍ فَأُفَادِيَهُ اللهُمَّ اسْقِ عَادًا مَا كُنْتَ مُسْقِيَهُ فَمَرَّتْ بِهِ سَحَابَاتٌ سُودٌ فَنُودِيَ مِنْهَا اخْتَرْ فَأَوْمَأَ إِلَى سَحَابَةٍ مِنْهَا سَوْدَاءَ فَنُودِيَ مِنْهَا خُذْهَا رَمَادًا رِمْدِدًا ولَا تُبْقِ مِنْ عَادٍ أَحَدًا قَالَ فَمَا بَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ بُعِثَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الرِّيحِ إِلَّا قَدْرَ مَا يَجْرِي فِي خَاتِمِي هَذَا حَتَّى هَلَكُوا قَالَ أَبُو وَائِلٍ وَصَدَقَ قَالَ فَكَانَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ وَالرَّجُلُ إِذَا بَعَثُوا وَافِدًا لَهُمْ قَالُوا لَا تَكُنْ كَوَافِدِ عَادٍ  

[Machine] I passed by an old woman wearing a torn cloak in the region of Bani Tamim. She asked, "Where are you headed?" We replied, "We are looking for the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ ." She said, "Take me with you, for I have a need for him." I entered the mosque, which was crowded with people, and I saw a black flag waving and Bilal holding a sword standing in front of the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ . So I sat in the mosque, and when the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , entered, he granted me permission to approach. I said, "O Messenger of Allah, did anything happen between you and the people of Tameem?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah. We had an incident with them. I saw an old woman among them wearing a torn cloak, and she said that she has a need for the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ . So I carried her, and here she is at the door." The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , gave her permission to enter, and when she sat down, I said, "O Messenger of Allah, if you see fit, please reconcile between us and the people of Tameem because they were hostile towards us. I carried this old woman, and I feel like she is a bad omen for me. I seek refuge with Allah and the Messenger of Allah from becoming like the people of Aad." The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , asked, "Who are the people of Aad?" I said, "According to the "knowledgeable ones," I have fallen into a mistake." The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , said, "He is unable to comprehend what I am saying." Then Afeefan said, "I seek refuge with Allah from becoming like the first one." The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , asked, "What did the first one say?" He said, "According to the "knowledgeable ones," I have fallen into a mistake." He said, "Owee, he is able to understand it." Then the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , said, "Indeed, the people of Aad suffered from famine, so they sent their envoy with a message. It is said that he stayed with Muawiyah ibn Bakr for a month, where he was given alcohol to drink and locusts to eat." He said, "Peace be upon you," meaning the two dishes. Then he continued until he reached the mountains of Mahrah and said, "O Allah, You know that I did not come to capture a prisoner or to cure a sick person, so give water to Your servant what You give him to drink, and give along with him Muawiyah ibn Bakr, who will be grateful to You for the alcohol he drank with him." He said, "Then black clouds passed by and from it a voice was heard saying, 'Choose the cloud.' It was said, 'This is a black cloud.' It was said, 'Take it as ashes and scatter it in the land of Aad, so that no one from among them remains.'" He said, "I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, I have heard that only a portion of the wind is sent upon them, as much as the sign seen in the ring.' Abu Wa'il said, 'That is exactly what we have heard.'"  

مَرَرْتُ بِعَجُوزٍ بِالرَّبَذَةِ‍ مُنْقَطَعٌ بِهَا فِي بَنِي تَمِيمٍ فَقَالَتْ أَيْنَ تُرِيدُونَ؟ قُلْنَا نُرِيدُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ فَاحْمِلُونِي مَعَكُمْ فَإِنَّ لِي إِلَيْهِ حَاجَةً قَالَ فَدَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ وَالْمَسْجِدُ غَاصٌّ بِالنَّاسِ وَإِذَا رَايَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ تَخْفِقُ وَبِلَالٌ مُتَقَلِّدٌ بِالسَّيْفِ قَائِمٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَعَدْتُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَذِنَ لِي فَدَخَلْتُ فَقَالَ «هَلْ كَانَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ تَمِيمٍ شَيْءٌ؟» قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَكَانَتْ لَنَا الدَّبْرَةُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَقَدْ مَرَرْتُ عَلَى عَجُوزٍ مِنْهُمْ بِالرَّبَذَةِ مُنْقَطَعٌ بِهَا فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ لِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ حَاجَةً فَحَمَلْتُهَا وَهَا هِيَ تِلْكَ بِالْبَابِ قَالَ فَأَذِنَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَدَخَلَتْ فَلَمَّا قَعَدَتْ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنْ رَأَيْتَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الدَّهْنَاءَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ تَمِيمٍ فَافْعَلْ فَإِنَّهَا كَانَتْ لَنَا مَرَّةً قَالَ فَاسْتَوْفَزَتِ الْعَجُوزُ وَأَخَذَتْهَا الْحَمِيَّةُ وَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَأَيْنَ تَضْطَرُّ مُضَرَكَ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَنَا وَاللهِ كَمَا قَالَ الْأَوَّلُ بَكْرٌ حَمَلَتْ حَتْفًا حَمَلْتُ هَذِهِ وَلَا أَشْعُرُ أَنَّهَا كَائِنَةٌ لِي خَصْمًا أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ وَبِرَسُولِ اللهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ كَوَافِدِ عَادٍ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «وَمَا وَافِدُ عَادٍ؟» قَالَ قُلْتُ عَلَى الْخَبِيرِ سَقَطْتَ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «إِنَّهُ لَيَسْتَطْعِمُنِي الْحَدِيثَ» وَقَالَ عَفَّانُ أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ كَمَا قَالَ الْأَوَّلُ قَالَ «وَمَا قَالَ الْأَوَّلُ؟» قَالَ عَلَى الْخَبِيرِ سَقَطْتَ قَالَ «هِيهِ يَسْتَطْعِمُهُ الْحَدِيثَ» فَقَالَ إِنَّ عَادًا قَحَطُوا فَبَعَثُوا وَافِدَهُمْ قَيْلًا فَنَزَلَ عَلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ بَكْرٍ شَهْرًا يَسْقِيهِ الْخَمْرَ وَتُغَنِّيهِ الْجَرَادَتَانِ قَالَ سَلَّامٌ يَعْنِي الْقَيْنَتَيْنِ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَضَى حَتَّى أَتَى جِبَالَ مَهْرَةَ فَقَالَ اللهُمَّ إِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي لَمْ آتِ لِأَسِيرٍ فَأُفَادِيَهُ وَلَا لِمَرِيضٍ فَأُدَاوِيَهُ فَاسْقِ عَبْدَكَ مَا أَنْتَ مُسْقِيهِ وَاسْقِ مَعَهُ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنَ بَكْرٍ شَهْرًا يَشْكُرُ لَهُ الْخَمْرَ الَّتِي شَرِبَهَا عِنْدَهُ قَالَ فَمَرَّتْ سَحَابَاتٌ سُودٌ فَنُودِيَ مِنْهَا تَخَيَّرِ السَّحَابَ وَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذِهِ لَسَحَابَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ قَالَ فَنُودِيَ مِنْهَا أَنْ خُذْهَا رَمَادًا رِمْدِدًا لَا تَدَعُ مِنْ عَادٍ أَحَدًا قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ فَبَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُرْسَلْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ الرِّيحِ إِلَّا كَقَدْرِ مَا يُرَى فِي الْخَاتَمِ قَالَ أَبُو وَائِلٍ وَكَذَلِكَ بَلَغَنَا