English Translation

Yahya ibn Sa'id told us, from Ibn Abi 'Arubah: Qatadah told us, from one who met the delegation, and he mentioned Abu Nadrah, from Abu Sa'id, that when the delegation of 'Abd al-Qays came to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), they said: "We are a tribe from Rabi'ah, and between us and you are the disbelievers of Mudar, and we cannot come to you except in the sacred months, so command us with something that, if we take hold of it, we will enter Paradise, and we will command with it, or call to it, those behind us." So he said: "I command you with four things and forbid you four things: worship God and do not associate anything with Him — though this is not one of the four — establish the prayer, give the zakat, fast Ramadan, and give a fifth of the spoils of war. And I forbid you four things: the gourd vessel, the hollowed-out log, the green jar, and the tarred vessel." They said: "What is your knowledge of the hollowed-out log?" He said: "A trunk that is hollowed out, then they throw into it unripe dates or dried fruit and water, until when its fermentation subsides you drink it, until one of you strikes his cousin with a sword" — and among the people was a man who had been wounded by that, and he began to hide it out of shame before the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). They said: "So what do you command us to drink from?" He said: "From water-skins whose mouths are tied." They said: "Our land is a land with many rats; skins of tanned leather do not last in it." He said: "Even if the rats gnaw it two or three times." And he said to al-Ashajj of 'Abd al-Qays: "You have two qualities that God loves: forbearance and deliberateness."