Hunt Back Country

I was wondering what a good draw wieght wood be for large game hunting with a bow and arrow? I want to either have recurve bow or a long bow. any suggetions would be a big help thatk you!

Bow Hunting: If you take the animal with your backup firearm in defense are you allowed to keep the carcass? With hogs in Texas you are, but I was just curious about other animals in other places. (Dangerous game of course, no blasting turkey's in self defense)

what is a good compound bow for hunting that i can get for around 200 bucks? even for small stuff like turkeys im looking to buy a bow that i can go in the bush with and bring back supper. something strong that wont break, and that i can get a turkey with, or other small game.

I live in Bris,QLD,Australia,How do i obtain a location and permission to bow-hunt on a property nearby ? I realise you cannot hunt within city limits as all animals are considered as fauna. I have been an archer for a few years and I am looking to further my skills. The game I would like to hunt is pigs and other feral pests such as rabbits, goats and foxes. I am a responsible person and at no time do I carry firearms, nor take dogs on any trip I would do. All hunting is done with a bow and arrow only.

Can someone with a felony conviction in New York state use a bow to hunt big game? Email any responses to: netherton1959@hotmail.com Thank you

I am buying my first bow, what kind should I get? I am 37 yrs old and 6'3". I know nothing about what type of bow to get. There is a Cabella's, Bass Pro Shop and Dick's sports close to me. I will use this bow for lots of practice and eventual hunting deer, turkey and possibly much larger game. I have become addicted to the Outdoor Channel watching big game bow hunting and mess around with my neighbors bow in the backyard. I want to begin seriously learning and hunting soon. I assume there are bows that will work for all sizes of game. I dont know what brand, style or anything else to get. I know I could spend a ton on a state of the art bow. I want to get a nice bow that can do it all but at the most reasonable price so, I dont want to get the best, most expensive bow. Something reasonable. Thanks in advance for the advice.

How do I get a hunting license and what do I need? Do I need a license for a bow as I would with a rifle? I prefer to learn with a bow but advice on this would help to guide me in the right direction. Is there a required course for a hunting permit? ANY advice on getting into hunting game would really help!

I'm interested in buying a long bow and getting into archery. Any tips on what to look for in a used bow? I've been told something around 45# draw weight is appropriate, for practicing especially. I'm 6'1'' (170 lbs) and in pretty good shape. Not sure what size bow would be best. I'm curious about what brands/makers, and what materials/style, to look for. I'd like to buy something quality that I'd be happy with for more or less a lifetime, as an heirloom, or whatever. I'm able to spend up to $300 on the bow, but obviously don't mind spending less. At this point I am more interested in target shooting than hunting, but I may progress to wanting to hunt. I am open to eventually getting another heavier-weight bow to hunt game, if necessary. I see lots of long bows on ebay. Any tips on what to look for or what to avoid? Thanks!

what would be a good small game arrow head? ive never hunted small game with a bow so i dont know.? i would like to know before i go and buy a wrong head. thank you.

what is the least amount of pull a bow can have so i can hunt small game like rabbits? I made a self bow ,no reflex or recurve, and its only about 8 or 9 pounds. will wooden dowels with a whittled points and fletchings made out of two pieces of tape work?(Im not crazy about the tape, ive seen an arrow shoot 70 feet with them)

Is pulling 150 pounds on a cross bow difficult???? HUNTING CROSSBOW ARCHERY DEER BIG GAME ARROW FLETCHING GUNS I am 15 and currently shoot a 53 pound compound and there is no way that i could pull 150 pounds on a compound. Is a crossbow easier. I know that there are devices and such would that make it easier. Also is 175 alot or send me links of a website that tells you how much draw at what age limit as i wasn't able to find any on google. THANKS I live in ontario canada where it is completely legal

Where is the perfect spot to aim with a bow and arrow,when hunting animals in "Lost in Blue"? "Lost in Blue" the DS game.

what is your favorite game to hunt in canada? I hunt deer with bow and rifle, black bear with bow and hunt moose with the bow only cause the tags are easier that way three of us went up north last season and got a nice cow with the bow beside that we seen 9 moose out of bow range. The small game hunting dosen't get my heart going as much but i do love running my beagles in the fox pen for competition.

which compund bow is best for hunting deer or other big game?

Many questions about firearm and bow safety! Please, need answers.? Here are a few questions I need help answering... 1. How do you tell if a muzzle loader is "charger" or not? 2 What are unique challenges of shooting and hunting with a bow and arrow? 3. What is the minimum draw weight of a bow for hunting big game in Saskatchewan? 4. What is the minimum broadhead diameter for hunting big game in Saskatchewan? 5. Why should you never dry fire a bow? 6. What is a haul line used for?

Hunting Bow? I was plain on going and buy a bow. I'm welling to spend up to $400 for a Good bow. I want one that can kill bear and large game power range. i was wandering what would be my best pick.

why is it legal to hunt big game with a bow and not with a .22?? (texas)? before you crucify me, i am an avid hunter with both bow and firearm, but i believe that a .22 is much more effective for most game (non dangerous) than a bow and arrow inside 50 yards. Also, a .22 is unquestionably more accurate than a bow, and less affected by wind, etc. i'd just like to hear other peoples opinion on this one...thanks

Shouldnt Al Gore be living in a recycled hut wearing a leaf thong to set an example for his sheep followers.? Well it was recently brought out in the open that Environmentalist Al Gores electric bill on just one of his houses averages 1349.00 a month let alone the millions he spends on his private jets to blow carbon all over the planet. What i am saying is a true environmentalist would be living in a recycled hut hunting game with a bow and arrow and wearing a leaf thong to impress the sheep that he leads do you agree?

Browning "Compound Wasp" bow for $15? I saw this at a garage sale. It's a compound bow. it says on it 45-60lbs so it's adjustable. Has the string and pulls fine, but i didn't see any sights on it. Is this something I could ever use (if properly tuned) for small game hunting?

Hunting mid-size game with a Crossbow...? Due to a somewhat serious neck injury which crushed the nerve roots going to my arms (primarily to the left, I'm right-handed), I find myself no longer able to draw a bow of sufficient weight to (cleanly, ethically) hunt mid-sized game (Deer, Turkey, Feral Hogs, etc.). I can legally hunt any of this game in Missouri with a crossbow (though MO state law classifies a crossbow with firearms, since you don't have to hold it drawn.), but I have no experience with them as hunting weapons. I owned one several years ago, but used it exclusively for target shooting, so I am familiar with their characteristics and use. What I don't know is this - How much crossbow do I need for deer? When I see them advertized I see two traits emphasized; draw weight and arrow speed in FPS. Which is more relevant? I see draw weights from 100 to almost 200 pounds, and arrow speeds from 120 to almost 300FPS (I know that's dependant on arrow weight). Help? What do I need to pay attention to?

Tell me if i have taken my civil defence preparedness to far because my friends are starting to call me weird? have bought over 5 years worth of M.R.E.'s and stored them in the underground fallout shelter i made, plus i have tons of survival gear hidden in secret caches in different secure area's just in case i need emergency back ups for whatever situation should befall me, i put two underground concrete water tanks in with my fallout shelter, one is a water storage tank and the other is for gray water, i based my shelter on Utah shelter systems(tm) but i have done a few things differnt so as not to incur there wrath, people that know me say i'm going overboard this survival phase they call it, but i would rather be overprepared than underprepared. I'm at over 1000 feet above sea level, and i do have an air lock in the decon room. I don't have guns in my shelter either but that doesn't mean i can protect myself, i like big game hunting with a good bow and arrow rather than a loud rifle, cross bows and bow and arrows are good enough for me. I would join up but i have medical problems that preclude my from joining, other wise i would jump at the chance. M.R.E.'s have a self life longer than than canned goods from the store because they are designed that way, the food you buy in the stores won't last as long, M.R.E.'s have a shelf life of around 10 years and canned food from the stores might last only 3 maybe 4 with out self contaminating it's self from the food inside breaking down and causing rust and peeling of internal layers of protection, canned foods from home are more resistant to this problem because most of the canned goods canned at home sealed in glass rather than metal and even then there only good for maybe 6 or 7 years depending on what was canned.

Do you know the answers to this Archery Quiz? Archery Quiz 1. The feathers (sometimes plastic) at the non-pointed end of the arrow are called the A. Ends B. Limbs C. Fletchings 2. The preferred bow for hunting is the A. Competition bow B. Longbow C. Compound bow 3. The longbow is usually made of A. Aluminum B. Steel C. Wood 4. Which hand should be your bow hand if you are right eye dominant? A. Right hand B. Left hand C. Either hand is okay 5. In North America, bow hunting is A. Illegal B. Legal C. Used only to hunt small game animals 6. Archery equipment costs A. Are high B. Are low C. Vary a great deal 7. A finger tab A. Prevents finger chafing B. Allows the bowstring to release more freely C. Both a) and b) are correct 8. Splitting an arrow that is already in the target with another arrow is called a A. Friar Tuck B. Robin Hood C. Maid Marian 9. The bow probably originated for A. Warfare B. Target Practicing C. Hunting 10. The wide knife-like arrow tip is called a A. Broadhead B. Vane C. Lancer 11. The bullseye of the archery target is which color? A. Red B. Gold C. Black 12. The crossbow takes A. Less skill and practice than the longbow B. More skill and practice than the longbow C. About the same skill as the longbow 13. The most popular type of archery is A. Target archery B. Field archery C. Flight shooting 14. In some countries in Europe, bow hunting is illegal because A. It is considered inhumane or cruel to animals B. There are fewer animals to be hunted C. The people lack bow hunting skills 15. Archery is a sport that is A. Relatively new B. Thousands of years old C. Hundreds of years old 16. Placing the arrow on the bowstring is called A. Nocking the arrow B. Casting the arrow C. Pinching the arrow 17. What invention limited the usefulness of bows in warfare? A. Firearms(guns) B. Swords C. Shields 18. What group of people dominated the Asian steppes and Eastern Europe by becoming great horseback archers? A. Greeks B. Chinese C. Mongols 19. The anchor point when drawing the arrow back is A. Near the ear B. Near the chin C. Near the elbow 20. The tip of the arrow is called the A. Pile B. Shaft C. Cresting

Hunting Weapon of Choice? I am curious to what is your hunting weapon of choice? Rifle, Shotgun, or bow. I know i have not defined the type of game but over all which do you prefer hunting with. Its a kind of general question.

Knife Hunting? Does anyone hunt deer or any game with a knife? Using it to kill the animal instead of a bow or gun.

Texas Hunting Fines Question!? My buddy was hunting on Type 2 public land in Texas and was stopped by a game warden. He was issued 3 citations: (1) Hunting with a rifle during bow season. (2) No hunters education card (he has taken the course but did not have the card on him? (3) Hunting without a valid license. I don't know why he did these things, i think he was unsure of the rules and regulations of public land in Texas. About how much money is he going to be paying? Haha yea i agree it was stupid of him. I appreciate the comments, but could you guys maybe throw a number out there, even if it is an estimate. I just want to know if i will be looking for a new roommate if he has to move out in order to pay the fines.

Our you a jack of all trades or a solo artist? I have alwasy belived that people should get good at one thing. To try to accomplish everything usually ends up in failure. For example: I use to hunt everything: ducks, geese, deer with a bow, small game, etc. I hunted so many things that I could never get good at it. Then I decided that I would become a predator hunter..... I call in fox, coon, bobcat, coyotes with mouth calls, electronics, hand calls. I got real good at that kind of hunting so much so that i even give seminars and such in it. Do you beleive that you should get good at one thing or should you be good at everything?

What should I get my brother for a birthday present? Ok so my brother is 8 turning 9 and his birthday is January 20. I am going to a mall tonight that has Target, Old Navy, Dicks, Dillards, Finish Line, Steve and Barry's and those are all the boys stores. I want to spend $10 - 25 since I am only 13 and don't have a lot of money. He is VERY into hunting (my family thinks that he has OCD with hunting), football, video games and some other small things but thats pretty much it. He has most of the Madden football video games, tons of footballs, a bow and arrow, hunting clothes, bb gun, and my dad is taking him hunting for a birthday present. I thought about a magazine subscription, but he already has Sports Illustrated Kids and just looks at some pics in it. So what should I get him? Ya I am being nice - especially since he doesn't give me anything for my birthday! He has a lot of Cabelas hunting video games also.

if you could would you hunt deer with a sharpen stick? I think hunting as lost its roots..all these guys with guns and bows..now hunting Bambi with a sharpen stick in animal hides and stalking the prey would make it more of a man's game..or hobbie..or sport..it would give bams a chance for once..

So does this mean you can carry your bow during huntin season and your gun or not??? It is illegal for a person taking or attempting to take game to carry or possess afield a centerfire or muzzleloading rifle, a bow and arrow, a centerfire or black powder handgun, or a shotgun with buckshot, slug or ball loads or cut shells, unless you have in your possession a 2007 firearm deer, combination deer or antlerless deer license for the appropriate DMU, with an unused kill tag issued in your name, or a 2007 firearm deer, combination deer or antlerless deer license for the appropriate DMU issued in your name with an unused deer management assistance permit (DMA) kill tag or an unused managed deer hunt permit.

Are you Bored? 474 Things To Do When You're Bored - Wax the ceiling - Rearrange political campaign signs - Sharpen your teeth - Play Houdini with one of your siblings - Braid your dog's hair - Clean and polish your belly button - Water your dog...see if he grows - Wash a tree - Knight yourself - Name your child Edsel - Scare Stephen King - Give your cat a mohawk - Purr - Mow your carpet - Play Pat Boone records backwards - Vacuum your lawn - Sleep on a bed of nails - DON'T toss and turn - Boil ice cream - Run around in squares - Think of quadruple entendres - Speak in acronyms - Have your pillow X-rayed - Drink straight shots...of water - Calmly have a nervous breakdown - Give your goldfish a perm - Fly a brick - Play tag...on West 35th Street - Exorcise a ghost - Exercise a ghost - Be blue - Be red - But don't be orange - Plant a shoe - Sweat - Give a Rorschach test to your gerbil - Turn - Write a letter to Plato - Mail it - Take your sofa for a walk - Start - Stop - Dial 911 and breathe heavily - Go to a funeral...tell jokes - Play the piano...with mittens on - Scheme - Sit - Stay - Water your family room - Cause a power failure - Roll over - Play dead - Find a witch - Burn her - Donate your brother's body to science - Ask why - Wriggle - Regress - Sleepwalk without sleeping - Try to join Hell's Angels by mail - Wonder - Be a square root - Ask stupid questions - Weld your car doors shut - Spew - Vacation at Three-Mile Island - Surf Ohio - Teach your pet rock to play dead - Go bowling for small game - Be a monk...for a day - Wear a sweatband to your wedding - Staple - Run away - Intimidate a piece of chalk - Abuse the plumbing - Bend a florescent light - Bend a brick - Annoy total strangers - Let the best man win - Believe in Santa Claus - Throw marshmallows against the wall - Hold an ice cube as long as possible - Adopt strange mannerisms - Blow up a balloon until it pops - Sing soft and sweet and clear - Sing loud and sour and gravely - Open everything - Balance a pencil on your nose - Pour milk in your shoes - Write graffiti under the rug - Embarrass yourself - Grind your teeth - Chew ice - Count your belly button - Sit in a row - Stack crumbs - Gesture - Save your toenail clippings - Make a pass at your blender - Punt - Make up words that start with X - Make oatmeal in the bathtub - Search for the Lost Chord - Chew on a sofa cushion - Sing a duet - Balance a pillow on your head - Hold your breath - Faint - Stretch - Flash your mailman - Teach your TA English - Learn to speak Farsi - Swear in Russian - Use an eraser until it goes away - Disassemble your car - Put it together inside out - Record your walls - Interview your feet - Make a list of your favorite fungi - Sell formaldehyde - Repeat - Ad lib - Fade - File your teeth- Whine - Rake your carpet - Re-elect Richard Nixon - Critique "Three's Company" - Listen to a painting - Play with matches - Buff your cat - Race ferrets - Paint your house...Day-Glow Orange - Have a formal dinner at White Castle - Read Homer in the original Greek - Learn Greek - Change your mind - Change it back - Watch the sun...see if it moves - Build a pyramid - Stand on your head - Stand on someone else's head - Spit shine your Nikes - See how long you can stay awake - See how long you can sleep - Paint your teeth - Wear a salad - Speak with a forked tongue - Paint stripes on a lake - Ski Kansas - Sleep in freefall - Kill a Joule - Test thin ice...with a pogo stick - Apply for a unicorn hunting license - Do a good job - Crawl - Invite the Mansons over for dinner - Paint your windows - Watch a watch until it stops - Flash your goldfish - Paint - Flirt with an evergreen - Smile - Rotate your garden...daily - Paint a smile - Shoot a fire hydrant - Apologize to it - Pretend you're blind - Annoy yourself - Get mad at yourself - Stop speaking to yourself - Be a side effect - Ride a bicycle...up Mt. McKinley - Duck - Redecorate...your garage - Develop a complex - Join the Army...be someone simple - Try harder - Hit the deck - Put leg-warmers on your furniture - Cut the deck - Crumple - Translate Shakespeare into English - Skydive to church - Cheer up a potato - Do aerobic exercises...in your head - Play cards with your swimming pool - Pinstripe your driveway - Play Kick the Fire Hydrant - Harness chipmunk power - Build a house with ice cubes - Call London for a cab - Mug a stop sign - Change your name...daily - Go for a walk in your attic - Challenge your neighbor to a duel - Build a house out of toothpicks - Howl - Wear a lampshade on your head - Memorize the dictionary - Stomp grapes in the bathtub - Find a bug and chase it - Make yourself a pair of wings - Be immobile - Dance 'til you drop - Check under chairs for chewing gum - Squish a loaf of bread - Moo - Bounce a potato - Outmaneuver your shadow - Climb the walls - Appreciate everything - Challenge yourself to a duel - Make napalm - Tattoo your dresser - Watch a bowling ball - Buy some diapers - Eat everything - Begin - Pour milk in the sink - Make cottage cheese - Tie-dye your sheets - Carpet your ceiling - Hold your earlobes - Fold your earlobes - Flap - Squawk - Read tea leaves - Analyze the Koran - Be Buddha - Award yourself a Nobel Peace Prize - Plug in the cat - Turn on everything - Drop pebbles down the chimney - Turn off your neighbor - Kill a plant - Buy a 1931 Almanac - Memorize the weather section - Think lewd thoughts about yourself - Blow bubbles - Send chills down your spine - Peel grapes - Make paper from the skins - Bloat - Catch them with your radiator - Get run over by a train of thought - Make up famous sayings - Bite your pinkie- Get your dog braces - Shave a shrub - Have a proton fight - Watch a car rust - Quiver - Rotate your carpet - Learn to type...with your toes - Set up your Christmas tree in April - Be someone special - Buy the Brooklyn Bridge - Mail it to a friend - Go back to square one - Factor your social security number - Take the fifth - Memorize a series of random numbers - Read the 1962 Des Moines white pages - Join the Foreign Legion - Learn Sanskrit - Exist...existentially, of course - Print counterfeit Confederate money - Kick a cabbage - Take a picture - Put it back - Sandpaper a mushroom - Play solitaire...for cash - Abuse your patio furniture - Run for Pope - Count to a million...fast - Make a schematic drawing...of a rock - Commit seppuku...with a paper knife - Revert - Think shallow thoughts - Starch your shoes - Polish your Calvin's - Contemplate a cockroach - Get a dog to chase your car - Let him catch it - Investigate the Czar - Form a political party - Climb a sidewalk - Have a political party - Get diagonal...with a good friend - Ride a loaf of bread - Sharpen a carrot - Interrogate a gerbil - Go bow hunting for Toyotas - Kidnap Cabbage Patch Kids - Jump back - Play to lose - Scalp a street light - Have your car painted...plaid - Read a tomato - Sharpen your sleeping skills - Watch a game show...take notes - Put out a fire - If you can't find a fire, make one - Interview a cloud - Play tiddlywinks...go for blood - Play basketball...in a minefield - Don't talk to things - Draw Lewis structures on your ceiling - Have your cat bronzed - Have your gerbil gilded - Write books about writing books - Create random equations - Mispell words - Tell your feet a joke - Throw a tomato into a fan - Sing the ABC song backwards - Pretend you're a dog - Dial-a-prayer and argue with it - Grease the doorknobs - String up a room - Stack furniture - Relive fond memories - Tie your shoelaces together - Gargle - Count your teeth with your tongue - Decay - Find your half-life - Design a better toilet seat - Shred a newspaper - Have a headache - Scratch - Sniff - Hatch an egg - Play air guitar - Act profound - Spill - Spell - Stare - Truncate - Slouch - Develop hearing problems - Put your feet behind your head - Tie bows in everything - Hold your hand - Watch the minute hand move - Grow your fingernails - Pretend you're a telephone - Ring - Radiate - Skip - Play hopscotch...with real scotch - Clock the velocity of your REMs - Put your shoes on the opposite feet - Cross your toes - Roll your tongue - Crystallize - Baby oil the floor - Hide - Attack innocent bunnies - Declare war - Destroy a tree - Hide the scrabble bag - Seduce your stick shift - Wink - Memorize the periodic table - Mummify - Pretend you're a roadie - Buy a Ginsu knife - Collect electrons - Correct typos that aren't there - Polish your neck...use Pledge - Recopy the Bible substituting your name for God - Loosen the lug nuts on your dad's new car - Drop your cat off the roof to see if it lands on all four feet - Count the bags under Walter Mondale's eyes - Unscrew all the lightbulbs and rearrange the furniture - Found the Jim Jones School of Bartending - Listen for non-satanic messages (i.e. "Drink milk") - Dress like Motley Crue...surprise your grandmother - Dial-a-Prayer and tell them they're wrong - Go into a bar and ask for a Molotov Cocktail - Learn everything there is to know about the Holy Roman Empire - Make a drive-in window at your local bank where there wasn't one before - Walk on water...but don't get caught - Confess to a crime...that didn't happen - Be in the wrong place at the right time - Plot the overthrow of your local School Board - Request covert assistance from the CIA - Discover the source of the Mississippi - Search for buried treasure...in Nebraska - Hot wax the bottom of your brother's dress shoes - Preach the philosophy of Marx...Groucho, that is - Drink as much prune juice as you can - Write a book about your previous life - Serve ping-pong balls...as hors d'oeuvres - Jump up and down...on your alarm clock - Make a quilt out of used cocktail napkins - Sterilize your stereo...with Jack Daniels - Carve you and your girlfriend's initials...in a marshmallow - Drive the speed limit...in your garage - Sing the national anthem...during your calculus final - Wear a three-piece suit...in a sauna - Pay off the national debt...with a bad check - Go to a cemetary and verbally abuse dead people - Give yourself a hernia...for Christmas - Defend your neighborhood from roving Mongol hordes - Recite romantic poetry...to your toaster - See if you really can build a nuclear device in your own basement - Go to McDonald's and pretend you can't speak English - Write to your congressmen, senators, President, etc. to tell them what a good - job they're doing...On April 1st - Find the heat capacity of your chemistry professor - Take apart all your major kitchen appliances...mix and match them - Turn your TV picture tube upside down - Phone in a death threat on President Kennedy - Put lighted EXIT signs on all your closets - Carry a tune...drop it, see if it breaks - Be planar...but don't tell your parents - Play hockey with your little cousin...as the puck - Make a deal with the devil...but keep your fingers crossed - Put instant concrete in your big brother's waterbed - Give a lecture on the historical significance of cream cheese - Debate politics with a fern - See how small you can scrunch your face- Sell firewood door to door...in Atlantis - Found the TLO (Toledo Liberation Organization) - Play nuclear chicken with a small third world nation - Raise professional certified racing turnips - Give your grandmother a raise and another day of paid vacation - Lead an aerobics class...for patients of the I.C.U. - Go to a drive-in movie in a tank - Go to a non-drive-in movie in a tank and drive in anyway - Send President Reagan an alarm clock...wind it up first - Found a cockroach stable and stud ranch - Send your goldfish to obedience school - Free the oppressed toasters of America - Weave a tablecloth out of copper tubing - Give your cat a suntan...in the microwave - Park your car...with a friend - Park your car...with a group of friends - Frame your first statement of bankruptcy - Place it on the wall of your office - Solve the population problem (x^2 + y^2 = population...solve for x) - Contribute to the population problem - Wear a T-shirt that says "I'll walk on you to see The Who" and a peace sign - Practice the Aztec method of heart removal on your professor - Find out who made the super glue commercials and give them your Ginsu knife - Get Ronco and K-tel to merge...they sell the same stuff anyway - Sneak into a nuclear physics lab and stay the night - Play with anything that looks interesting - Drop piston engines on two people and see who squishes first - See if your goldfish can live in Coors rather than water - Try to ignite water...the Mississippi might work - Draw Venn diagrams...screw them up - State fallacies as fact (like, "peanuts grow on bushes") - Visit the Architecture building...loudly criticize its design - Make a schematic drawing...of a rock - Wallpaper your laundry room...with pages from books you don't like - See if diamonds really do cut glass...on everything in your neighbor's house - Tenderize your tongue...chew on it for a while - See how long you can stare at a fluorescent light...try green - Bronze your sister's turtle - See how long it takes for her to notice - See what she does when she notices - Bronze your sister- If you lose, stop watering it and try again. - Increase your territorial holdings by force - Find out how many ways there really are to skin a cat - Boldly go where no man has gone before - Be a threat to the American way of life - Do research into the cause of World War III - Be a threat to the Northwestern Tibetan way of life - Re-establish the Roman Empire...in Pittsburgh

Rifle question small game? Hey guys.. im pretty new in the hunting world as i recently got a job where i actually have time to hunt. I started out with a bow and really enjoyed whitetail season last winter although i only got one shot off and whizzed one about 1 inch too high... anyways, Im looking for a rifle to hunt small game. Mainly ground hogs, rabbits, stuff like that. any suggestions? I dont need anything special. No mods really needed, dont want to spend a ton on it.... just something to go out with buddies on a saturday morning and have some fun... any suggestions? also how risky is it to buy used? I assume it is pretty safe from a reputable dealer but just want to make sure... why would you suggest a shotgun... again i am pretty much a noob to this and have just been told a rifle is better for small game. Just wondering

If a local municipality outlaws the use of any sort of weapons(guns, bows and arrows, etc....)what can be done A municipality in my area has decided to outlaw the use of any firearms or bows and arrows. There are many areas within the municipality that are rural, but fall under their jurisdiction. Do they have the right to tell someone what they can and can't do on their own property? Their goal is to restrict anyone from hunting within the jurisdiction. I contacted the Fish and Game commission and they said that the state has complete authority over all hunting but many (power hungry -my words) municiplaities will enact anti-gun/anti-bow laws to get around the states authority. What if anything can be done? Is this unconstitutional? I can understand if they want to restrict firearms for safety, but I cannot remember anyone being killed by a bowhunter. If their argument is for safety purposes, they should first outlaw all bars in the area. A woman was recently killed by a drunk driver in their jurisdiction. Obviously, safety of the citizens is not priority # 1. No antihunting answers please

Why when i say I'm a hunter people automatically think I do it the laziest way possible? I am an actuall hunter, I don't use a blind or a tree stand but i also see nothing wrong with that. In some cases that is the only why of getting what your after. In my experience people hear hunter and think " Oh he must sit somewhere all day and shoot anything that comes in range."THATS NOT HUNTING! I stalk my game, usually with a bow, and if I get lucky enough to get something I'm gratefull and i respect my kill for giving its life to provide food for my family. Stand together or hang apart.

Writning story PLEASE read it and give me some feedback.? “John! Help! THE KIDS, THE KIDS, get them out first…” Jag woke covered with sweat. “Man, I have to stop that” he said, in a worried voice after waking up from another nightmare of when he lost his family in a fire. A lighting strike hit a tree by their cabin starting it on fire and then the cabin went up in flames 2 years ago. “I have to get something today, I haven’t eaten since last week” he said as he gathered his bow and arrows he had made from a pine tree he cut down. He did have a 20 gauge shotgun but no ammo and it was the only thing he had recovered from the fire, (besides some clothes and a blanket). He had not found any shells so the gun proved worthless. He set out to his makeshift tree stand he built out of the wood from the pine he cut down with an axe that was in the shed that was about 100 yards from the house. When he got his sweatshirt and coat on he left to go out to the stand. It was still very dark out, no later than 4 in the morning, so navigating his way to the stand was difficult, and when he got there the sun was already completely up. When he got up the tree he started calling for deer with a grunt that he mastered over the last 3 years of hunting. 4 hours later he had seen nothing and with his stomach roaring with hunger he got up to see if he could chase a rabbit out. He got down from his stand and made his way into a thick brush pile where two rabbits darted out straight ahead of him. It freighted him so much that he fell down but his years of hunting told him never to take his eye of the game, and he watched them both stop side by side about 15 yards from his current position. He slowly got to his knees and pulled out an arrow and just then both rabbits took off like lighting for no apparent reason, knowing it wasn’t him Jag looked around to see what scared them. He looked to his left and about 10 yards away was a little fawn eating the clover. He drew back his arrow took the shot and missed about a foot above it. The deer took off into some brush but Jag wasn’t about to give up yet. He slowly walked around the brush that the deer went into and climbed a tree that he thought would over look the whole brush. When he got to the top he could see the fawn munching on the same patch of clover that he took the last shot. It was about a 45 yard shot from there. Jag had never hit anything from more than 30 with his bow and never attempted anything from more than 40, so this was a very difficult shot for him. But his hunger drove him to take it. He used his best arrow that he had and drew it back let it go and watched the arrow go straight into the lung area of the fawn. The deer ran about 5 yards and dropped dead. Jag was so excited he failed to remember he was in a tree and almost fell out and experienced about 50 ft drop. He dropped his bow witch made a loud snap when it hit the ground. Jag climbed down to see his bow completely snapped in 4 different places. He took the string and left the rest to lay knowing he couldn’t fix it. He went to retrieve his game. By the time he got home, changed, and had the deer cleaned and put in the fridge he had in the shed, it was past midnight, so he was eager to get to sleep knowing he had a long day tomorrow making a new bow. He slept ‘till about 8 the next day and got rite to work cutting down a small pine he had next to the cabin. He took off all the needles and cut the real small twigs off, and started taking off the bigger branches to make into arrows and then take the main beam of the tree and make that into the bow. Once he got all the branches off he took them and put them into the shed so he could work on the arrows tonight because they were smaller and fit into the shed which was only about an 8x10 little room that had a little heater and a small fridge/freezer. It had blankets he found in his room after the fire that he used as his bed. Then he took the main part of the tree and started taking off the bark to get the woody part. Once he got all the bark off, he took his pocket knife he got from his grandpa when he was 5 years old and always kept in his sweatshirt pocket, and started shaving down the tree to about a 3” diameter stick that was about 4’ long and then he took the axe and chopped off the ends to make it about 3 ft long and stated to make it into the bow. He made it so in the middle it was the same 3” diameter circle for a grip and then the top and bottom were made into about 2” wide ½ inch thick board type piece so it was flexible, than he made notches on both sides of the top and bottom to wrap the string around (witch was some 30 pound test fishing line) and tied a triple knot around it and then he was done. He went back inside to work on the arrows. He only used the branches that seemed not to be dead or rotted so that eliminated almost half of the branches he had. He took the remaining 5 branches or so and shaved off the bark and then made about a 2 ½ ft long arrow with a pointed front and end with leaves for stability. It was about 3 in the afternoon and he only had a little handful of berries in the morning so he was really hungry. He took some of the new meat from the fawn he shot yesterday and put it in the wood heater in a small pan. And let it cook a while then he flipped the meat and put it back in. When he got done eating he went to bed for the nite.

multi purpouse rifle? im looking at going on some hunts and want to get a rifle that will do it all to say i wanted to get a savage arms 300 win mag but was looking at getting a wood stock instead and the 300 dosent come in that caliber so now my choices are 30-06, 270, 7mm, 25-06, 308, 22-250, 243 the game i am looking at hunting consist of boar, whitetail deer, brown and black bear, moose, and etc i will also be hunting part time with a reflex compound bow and possably a muzzle loader

Do you believe these wierd facts? Or are they fiction? Have fun. 1 The game of hardball was derived from the game of baseball when too many players suffered from hernia playing it. 2 The coach of a football team orders a screen pass to keep insects off the field. 3 Hang gliding was discontinued in one state, because suicidal people were afraid to go that route. 4 Horseshoe competition has caused an animal rights group to protest the game, because it was creating a shortage of horseshoes for the horses. 5 Hunters are protesting a new law that requires having a hunting license to go Easter Egg Hunting. 6 Wind surfing has become popular for surfers who can't swim. 7 Archers can be recognized by their bow legs. 8 Colonel Custer was the first man to wear an "Arrow Shirt." 9 Kite flying has become the chosen sport for those who flunked their aviation courses. 10 Aircraft have on board veterinary clinics for birds that are fearful of heights. Best response gets 10 points oops, I misspelled weird. Actually my keyboard did. Sometimes the letters inadvertly fall due to a sticky situation. Thanks to the person that caught this.

i am writing a story, please read it and rate it 1-10. tell me what i could do better? “John! Help! THE KIDS, THE KIDS, get them out first…” Jag woke covered with sweat. “Man, I have to stop that” he said, in a worried voice after waking up from another nightmare of when he lost his family in a fire started by a lighting strike in the little cabin they owed deep in the woods of Clearbrooke Minnesota. “I have to get something today, I haven’t eaten since last week” he said as he gathered his bow and arrows he had made from some driftwood and a pine tree he cut down. He did have a 20 gauge shotgun but no ammo and it was the only thing he had recovered from the fire, (besides some clothes and a blanket) that took his parents, his sister, and his uncle who was living with him 5 years ago. He had not found any shells so the gun proved worthless. He set out to his makeshift tree stand he built out of the wood from the pine he cut down with an axe that was in the shed next to the house that wasn’t burned by the fire. When he got his sweatshirt and coat on he left to go out to the stand. It was still very dark out, no later than 4 in the morning, so navigating his way to the stand was difficult, and when he got there the sun was already completely up. When he got up the tree he started calling for deer with a grunt that he mastered over the last 5 years of hunting since the fire. 4 hours later he had seen nothing and with his stomach roaring with hunger he got up to see if he could chase a rabbit out. He got down from his stand and made his way into a thick brush pile where two rabbits darted out straight ahead of him. It freighting him so much that he fell down but years of hunting told him never to take his eye of the game, and he watched them both stop side by side about 15 yards from his current position. He slowly got to his knees and got out an arrow and just then both rabbits took off like lighting for no apparent reason, know it wasn’t him Jag looked around to see what scared them. He looked to his left and about 10 yards about was a little fawn eating the clover that was growing there. He drew back his arrow took the shot and missed about a foot above it. The deer took off into some brush but Jag wasn’t about to give up yet. He slowly walked around the brush that the deer went into and climbed a tree that he thought would over look the whole brush. When he got to the top he could see the fawn munching on the same patch of clover that Jag took the last shot. It was about a 45 yard shot from there. Jag had never hit anything from more that 30 with his bow and never attempted anything from more than 40, so this was a very difficult shot for him. But his hunger drove him to take a it. He used his best arrow that he had and drew it back lrt it go and watched the arrow go straight into the lung area of the fawn. The deer ran about 5 yards and dropped dead. Jag was so excited he failed to remember he was in a tree and almost fell out and experienced about 50 ft drop. He dropped his bow witch made a loud snap when it hit the ground. Jag climbed down to see his bow completely snapped in 4 different places. He took the string and left the rest to lay knowing he couldn’t fix it. He went to retrieve his game. By the time he got home, changed, and had the deer cleaned and put in the fridge he had in the shed, it was past midnight, so he was eager to get to sleep knowing he had a long day tomorrow making a new bow. He slept ‘till about 8 the next day and got rite to work cutting down a small pine he had rite by the cabin to use for the bow, and maybe some new arrows. He took off all the needles and cut the real small twigs off, and started taking off the bigger branches to make into arrows and then take the main beam of the tree and make that into the bow. Once he got all the branches off he took them and put them into the shed so he could work on the arrows tonight because they were smaller and fit into the shed witch was only about an 8x10 little room that had a little heater and a small fridge/freezer along with the pile of leaves with a couple blankets he found in his room after the fire Jag used as his bed. Then he took the main part of the tree and started taking off the bark to get the woody part of the tree. Once he got all the bark off, he took his pocket knife he got from his grandpa when he was 5 years old and always kept in his sweatshirt pocket, and started shaving down the tree to about a 3” diameter stick that was about 4’ long and then he took the axe and chopped off the ends to make it about 3 ft long and stated to make it into the bow. He made it so in the middle it was the same 3” diameter circle for a grip and then the top and bottom were made into about 2” wide ½ inch thick board type piece so it was flexible, than he made notches on both sides of the top and bottom to wrap the string around (witch was some thick 30lbs fishing line he found in the shed) and tied a triple knot around it and then he was done. He went back inside to work on the arrows. He only used the branches that seemed not to be dead or rotted so that eliminated almost half of the branches he had. So he took the remaining 5 branches or so and began to shave off the bark and then make about a 2 ½ ft long arrow with a pointed front and end with leaves for stability. i ahve done a lot of changing already and spell checked it but thanks for the ideas and i will post it agian with more, come look agian and see if its better.

Writing a long story, PLEASE READ AND GIVE FEEDBACK, will take a while to read but would be very gratefull!!? “John! Help! THE KIDS, THE KIDS, get them out first…” Jag woke covered with sweat. “Man, I have to stop that” he said, in a worried voice after waking up from another nightmare of when he lost his family to the fire. A lighting strike hit a tree by their cabin starting it on fire, and then the cabin went up in flames, 2 years ago. He was 13 at the time and knowing there was no houses or anything else for hundreds of miles he stayed there living in a shed that was about 100 yards from the cabin he used to call home. The fire took his parents, John and Kristy, his sister, Nadia, and his uncle, Tom. Leaving just him alone to use the survival techniques his parents used to live when they lived as kids. He would have to endure cold summers and colder winters. Wolves, finding food or animals to hunt. And above all a way to survive. 2 YEARS LATER “I have to shoot something today, I haven’t eaten since last week” Jag said as he gathered his bow and arrows he had made from a pine tree he cut down. He did have a 20 gauge shotgun but no ammo and it was the only thing he had recovered from the fire, (besides some clothes and a blanket). He had not found any shells so the gun proved worthless. He set out to his makeshift tree stand he built out of the wood from the pine he cut down with an axe that was in the shed. When he got his sweatshirt and coat on he left to go out to the stand. It was still very dark out, no later than 4 in the morning, so navigating his way to the stand was difficult, and when he got there the sun was already completely up. When he got up the tree he started calling for deer with a grunt that he mastered over the last 3 years of hunting. 4 hours later he had seen nothing and with his stomach roaring with hunger he got up to see if he could chase a rabbit out. He got down from his stand and made his way into a thick brush pile where two rabbits darted out straight ahead of him. It freighted him so much that he fell down but his years of hunting told him never to take his eye of the game, and he watched them both stop side by side about 15 yards from his current position. He slowly got to his knees and pulled out an arrow and just then both rabbits took off like lighting for no apparent reason, knowing it wasn’t him Jag looked around to see what scared them. He looked to his left and about 10 yards away was a little fawn eating the clover. He drew back his arrow took the shot and missed about a foot above it. The deer took off into some brush but Jag wasn’t about to give up yet. He slowly walked around the brush that the deer went into and climbed a tree that he thought would over look the whole brush. When he got to the top he could see the fawn munching on the same patch of clover that he took the last shot. It was about a 45 yard shot from there. Jag had never hit anything from more than 30 with his bow and never attempted anything from more than 40, so this was a very difficult shot for him. But his hunger drove him to take it. He used his best arrow that he had and drew it back let it go and watched the arrow go straight into the lung area of the fawn. The deer ran about 5 yards and dropped dead. Jag was so excited he failed to remember he was in a tree and almost fell out and experienced about 50 ft drop. He dropped his bow witch made a loud snap when it hit the ground. Jag climbed down to see his bow completely snapped in 2 different places. He took the string and left the rest to lay knowing he couldn’t fix it. He went to retrieve his game. By the time he got home, changed, and had the deer cleaned and put in the fridge he had in the shed, it was past midnight, so he was eager to get to sleep knowing he had a long day tomorrow making a new bow. He slept ‘till about 8 the next day and got rite to work cutting down a small pine he had next to the cabin. He took off all the needles and cut the real small twigs off, and started taking off the bigger branches to make into arrows and then take the main beam of the tree and make that into the bow. Once he got all the branches off he took them and put them into the shed so he could work on the arrows tonight because they were small and fit into the shed which was only about an 8x10 little room that had a little heater and a small fridge/freezer. It had blankets he found in his room after the fire that he used as his bed. Then he took the main part of the tree and started taking off the bark to get the woody part. Once he got all the bark off, he took his pocket knife he got from his grandpa when he was 5 years old and always kept in his sweatshirt pocket, and started shaving down the tree to about a 3” diameter stick that was about 4’ long and then he took the axe and chopped off the ends to make it about 3 ft long and stated to make it into the bow. He made it so in the middle it was the same 3” diameter circle for a grip and then the top and bottom were made into about 2” wide ½ inch thick board type piece so it was flexible, than he made notches on both sides of the top and bottom to wrap the string around (witch was some 50 pound test fishing line that was in the shed) and tied a triple knot around it and then he was done. He went back inside to work on the arrows. He only used the branches that seemed not to be dead or rotted so that eliminated almost half of the branches he had. He took the remaining 5 branches or so and shaved off the bark and then made about a 2 ½ ft long arrow with a pointed front and an end with leaves for stability. It was about 3 in the afternoon and he only had a little handful of berries in the morning so he was really hungry. He took some of the new meat from the fawn he shot yesterday and put it in the wood heater in a small pan. And let it cook a while then he flipped the meat and put it back in. When he got done eating he went to bed for the night When he got up the next morning it was freezing cold and he knew that winter was approaching. He decided to go get as much firewood as he could so he wouldn’t have to go more than once this winter. He grabbed his axe and put on a couple layers of clothes and gloves, and headed out. He cut down a couple pine trees and had to go in and warm up because his hands were freezing. When he took off his gloves both his hands were frost-bitten on all the fingers. Knowing that he could lose his fingers to the frost bite he quickly put then above the fire. His fingers burned with pain and he was screaming at the top of his lungs in agony. A good 12 hour later all his fingers where back to normal but it was late and it was starting to snow so he knew that gathering wood tomorrow would be a much harder task. At 7 the next morning he was getting ready to go gather wood. Since he had no windows he didn’t know how much snow ended up falling. When he opened the door he looked out with shock. There was 3ft of snow that fell last night. The table that he cleaned his game on was 3 ft tall and he couldn’t even see it. He knew he had to get the wood so he grabbed his axe and made sure to put as many layers of clothes and gloves on as he could. He went out to the nearest pine tree and started chopping when he heard a load but far away growling and what sounded like dogs fighting. Then he heard it again but closer, and then again even closer. Jag went inside grabbed his bow and looked out the crack he had opened of the door to see 3 Timberwolves staring directly at Jag. One looked too big to be a wolf and the others where bigger than normal but small compared to what jag figured was the leader of the pack. He quick closed the door and put a couple big logs up against it so there was no way they could get in. His mind was racing with thoughts of them breaking through the door and getting him. He tried to calm himself but he was too scared to become calm. He heard them growling right outside the door and on the side and in the back. They had completely surrounded the small shed Jag called home. He waited for what seemed like hours before he stopped hearing them walking around. He finally calmed himself down enough to peek out the door to see what was out there. He didn’t see anything at first but he wasn’t convinced they were gone. He banged on the wall trying to scare anything away. He didn’t hear nor see anything so he thought they must have left. When he looked out one last time he saw snow and the sun going down and he realized that he didn’t have any wood stacked yet and it was already night. He had a little meal of meat and some more berries he had found on a bush and went to sleep. Jag barely slept all night, he was up at every little noise and had dreams of the wolves so he was up at 6 the next day. He got lucky, only about 2 inches of snow fell last night but the 3 feet from 2 days ago was still there and was not leaving ‘till spring. He dressed up and went outside with his bow arrows and axe to cut some wood that he desperately needed. He cut 1 big oak and 2 smaller pines and chopped for about 5 hours strait and had almost the whole back of the shed filled. He had cut down way more than needed so he was trying to think of what to use it for. He finally decided, after a meal of meat and some turkey eggs he found, that he would build a section just for his meat over the winter. He figured that he can’t go hunting every couple days so this way he can kill a bunch off deer and have somewhere to store it. He had about 8 hours of daylight left so he figured he would finish by tonight or early tomorrow. He started by finishing cutting up the oak and using that for the base. Then he would take the pine tree me a roof and use the pine branches as some kind of shingles. He began to chop again for another couple hours. When he finished cutting the Oak and a couple more pines he cut down he had enough for a 6x6 little hut that was 5 ft tall. He went and found a tree that’s bark was really stringy and very strong so he peeled off a bunch planning on using it as a chord to tie the logs together to form the walls. He had to cut some of the logs in half to make a room door. There was about 2 hours of sun light left when he had all the wood cut and ready to go. He had to get something to eat so he took some of the fruit he had stored for a snack and got back to work. He dug a 6x6 area in the snow to lay down the logs. He then took four logs and laid them down in a square shape. He had the ones with the door spot in it on the bottom. He put the other two pieces on top of the last two and bound them together. He then took four more and did the same thing. He tied them together with the bark he got and it worked perfectly. After about another 2 hours of work all he had to do was put on the roof and the needle branches. He went inside and had a big slab of meat and an apple for supper, watched the stars for a while and went to bed. When he woke up the next morning he heard the worst noise he had ever heard before. The familiar sound of a wolf growling right in his front door. He immediately took the logs and put them against the door, and got his new bow ready. He banged the stock of his gun against the door as hard as he could to try to scare away the wolf form the front of his door. It worked he heard the wolf run away little bit but he knew he didn’t go very far. He went up to the door opened it just a sliver and he could see the wolf about 20 yards away. It was the Leader of the pack. Jag closed the door got his bow and new arrows and opened it up again. He drew back an arrow, sighted it in right below the big wolfs shoulder, but the wolf turned and looked right at him and started running. Jag quickly aimed and fired and closed the door before he could see if he hit. He didn’t hear anything so he didn’t know if it hit and killed it instantly, or if the wolf just ran away. He barely opened the door, so he could just see out and what he saw was both good and very bad. He had hit the big wolf and killed it, but the other members of the pack were out there and they were mad. There were 3 of them and they all were howling and barking viciously. Jag didn’t want them to notice him so he closed the door very quietly and put the logs against it.

The Beginning of the Call? Just save it ? read it ? The Beginning of the Call -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This chapter will present a brief account of the life of the Messenger of Allah (Allah's blessings and peace be upon him and the people of his household) from the time of his call until his migration to Medina. It will indicate the time when he was commanded to fight, and will present some of the signs and miracles which were wrought at his hands during that period. It consists of eight sections. The Beginning Of His Call 'Ali ibn Ibrahim [al-Qummi, who is one of our most respected traditionists, related that when the Prophet was thirty-seven years of age, a person used to come to him in his dreams, addressing him and saying: "O Apostle of Allah ! ", but he used to ignore this. After a long time had passed, and as he was among the hills grazing the sheep of his uncle Abu Talib, he saw and heard a person addressing him: "O Messenger of Allah ! " He asked: "Who are you?" "I am Gabriel", the person answered; "Allah has sent me to you so that He may take you for a messenger." The Messenger of Allah told Khadijah of what happened. Khadijah had already been informed of the accounts of the Jews and Bahira', and what Muhammad's mother Aminah had also recounted. Thus, she answered: "O Muhammad, I do hope that it is true!" The Prophet used to hide all this, until one day Gabriel came to him with heavenly water and said: "O Muhammad, rise and perform your ablutions for prayers! " Gabriel taught him the ablutions - washing the face and the two hands from the elbows down, rubbing the head and the two feet to the two heels. He also taught him prostration (sujud) and kneeling (ruku'). When the Prophet attained his fortieth year, Gabriel commanded him to perform the prayers and taught him their rites, except their prescribed times. The Messenger of Allah used to pray two rak`ahs every time he prayed. 'Ali ibn Abi Talib was very much attached to the Prophet, accompanying him wherever he went. One day he saw him praying. He asked: "O Abu 'l-Qasim, what is this that you are doing?" The Prophet answered: "It is the prayer which Allah commanded me to perform." He then called 'Ali to Islam; he accepted, and used to pray with him. Khadijah also entered into Islam. Thus at that time only the Messenger of Allah, 'Ali and Khadijah used to pray. After a few days, Abu Talib came in to see the Messenger of Allah, accompanied by Ja'far (the Prophet's cousin). He saw the Prophet and `Ali standing beside him in prayer. Abu Talib said to Ja'far, "Stand by the side of your cousin." As he stood at the other side of the Prophet, the Messenger of Allah stepped forward and stood in front of the two men (as prayer leader). Seeing them, Abu Talib recited the following verses: In truth, Ali and Ja`far are my trust, In times of hardship and sorrow. By Allah, I shall never abandon the Prophet, Nor would any of my sons of high birth abandon him - Do not abandon, but rather support your cousin, The son of my brother from my mother as well as my father. Al-Qummi related further that the Prophet used to trade for Khadijah before he married her. When he was working for her, she sent him with a caravan belonging to the people of Quraysh to Syria. He was accompanied by a servant of hers called Maysarah. They encamped one day beneath a hermitage belonging to one of the monks living in the area. The monk came down from his cell and looked intently at the Messenger of Allah. He then asked: "Who is this man?" The people answered: "He is the son of `Abdu'l-Muttalib." The monk retorted: "His father could not be alive." Then looking at his eyes and between his shoulders, he exclaimed: "This is the Prophet of the people! This is the Prophet sent with the sword!" When Maysarah returned, he told Khadijah what happened and what had convinced her to offer herself to the Prophet in marriage. Khadijah gained a thousand dinars from that caravan. One day the Prophet went into a market of the Arabs where he saw Zayd [ibn al-Harithah]. Zayd was a smart youth; the Prophet thus bought him for Khadijah. When, however, the Prophet married her, she gave him Zayd as a gift. When the Messenger of Allah received the call to Prophethood, and 'Ali accepted Islam, Zayd also became a Muslim after him. Thus `Ali, Ja'far, Zayd and Khadijah used to pray behind the Messenger of Allah. Ash-Shaykh Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Bayhaqi reported in his book Dala'ilu'n-Nubuwwah on the authority of `Ali, who said: "We were with the Messenger of Allah in Mecca when he went out into its suburbs. He did not pass by a tree or mountain but that it met him with the greeting `Peace be upon you O Apostle of Allah.' " [31] It is reported that 'Ali said: "I remember when I used to go with the Prophet into the valley, how he did not pass by a stone or tree but that it exclaimed, `Peace be upon you O Apostle of Allah', while I stood and listened." A man called `Afif [al-Kindi] related that, "I was a merchant; I came to Mina one day during the hajj (pilgrimage) season. al-`Abbas ibn `Abdi'l-Muttalib was also a merchant. I therefore came to trade with him.. As we were thus occupied, a man came out of a tent to pray: He faced the Ka'bah, and soon a woman came out and likewise stood in prayer. A youth also came out to pray with them. I exclaimed, `O `Abbas, what is this religion? We do not know what this religion is.' He answered, `This is Muhammad ibn `Abdillah, who claims that Allah called him to be a messenger, and that the treasures of Kisra (Khusraw, the Sasanid Persian Emperor) and Qaysar (Caesar, the Byzantine Emperor) will be opened for him. This is his wife Khadijah, daughter of Khuwaylid, who has believed in him. The youth is his cousin 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, who also believed in him.' " `Afif then concluded: "Would that I had believed in him on that day so that I would have been the second man to follow him." Ibn Ishaq reported that when the Prophet came out of the tent he looked at the sky, and when he saw the sun had inclined, he rose up to pray. Ibn Ishaq also mentioned Khadijah's standing in prayer behind him. It is related on the authority of Mujahid ibn Jabr ( a well-known Qur'an interpreter and traditionist), who said: "Among the favors which Allah bestowed upon 'Ali ibn Abi Talib and the great good He willed for him, was this: The people of Quraysh suffered a great shortage of food. Abu Talib had many children. Thus the Messenger of Allah said one day to his uncle `Abbas, who was one of the wealthiest men among the sons of Hashim, `O `Abbas, your brother Abu Talib is a man with many children, and you can see for yourself how people are suffering as a result of this crisis. Come let us go and relieve him and his children.' They thus went to him and discussed the matter. He answered: `Leave `Aqil (a brother of 'Ali) .and take whomever you wish.' The Messenger of Allah took . 'Ali into his home, and `Ali remained with the Messenger of Allah until Allah called him to be a prophet. `Ali then followed him, believed in him and assented to him." 'Ali ibn Ibrahim [al-Qummi] related that three years after this, Allah revealed to the Apostle of Allah: Declare openly what you have been commanded and be not concerned with the Associators [Quran S : 94] . The Messenger of Allah therefore went out, stood up at al-Hijr [that space which encompasses the Ka'bah on the north] and proclaimed: "O people of Quraysh and you Arab people, I call you all to the worship of Allah alone, and call you to reject all partners with Him, and all idols. I call you all to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah. Heed my call that you may through it have dominion over all the Arabs. Through it also would non-Arabs submit to your authority. Through it you would be kings in Paradise." But they mocked and laughed at him, exclaiming: "Muhammad son of `Abdullah has gone mad!" They caused him much hurt with their tongues. Abu Talib asked: "O son of my brother, what is this?" He answered: "Uncle, this is Allah's religion which He chose for His angels and prophets. It is the religion of Abraham and the prophets after him. Allah has sent me also as a messenger to humankind." Abu Talib said: "O son of my brother, surely your people will not accept this from you! Desist, therefore, from proclaiming it to them." "I shall not do so", the Prophet answered, "because Allah has commanded me to call (people to Islam)." Thus, Abu Talib left him alone. The Messenger of Allah intensified his effort in calling the people and warning them at all times. Those among the People of the Book who heard the news accepted Islam. When, however, the people of Quraysh saw people entering Islam, they were alarmed. They thus went to Abu Talib and demanded: "Restrain your nephew from us, for he has declared our mind to be foolish, and has insulted our gods! He has corrupted our youths, and has dissolved our unity!" Abu Talib then called him and said: "O my brother's son, the people have come to me asking that you desist from insulting their gods." The Prophet answered: "O uncle, I cannot disobey the command of my Lord." Thus he used to call them and warn them of the impending divine punishment. The people of Quraysh gathered in assembly and enquired: "To what does Muhammad call us?" He answered: "I call you to bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and to reject all associates with Him." They protested: "Shall we then abandon three hundred and sixty gods and worship only one God?" Thus Allah mentions in the Qur'an their saying: They marvel that a warner from among them came to them, and the rejecters of faith said, "He is a magician, a liar. Does he wish to render all gods one? This, indeed is a strange thing". . ., and so on to His saying, No! But they have not yet tasted the torment [Qur'an 38: 4 - 8] . The people then came together to Abu Talib and said: "O Abu Talib, if poverty is the cause of your nephew's action, then we will gather so much wealth for him that he would be the wealthiest man of Quraysh." Abu Talib called him and informed him of their offer. The Messenger of Allah, however, said: "Uncle, I have no need of wealth! Heed my call, so that you may be kings in this world and in the world to come! Then will both Arabs and non-Arabs submit to your authority." They dispersed, but soon returned to Abu Talib and said: "O Abu Talib, you are one of our foremost notables! You see that your nephew has declared us to be of foolish mind. He has cursed our gods and dissolve our unity! Let us give you `Umarah ibn al-Walid, the most handsome and bright youth of Quraysh, the freshest youth and the noblest of lineage to be your son - on condition that you turn over Muhammad to us that we may kill him." He answered: "You have not dealt justly with me! Would you give me your son that I may bring him up, and yet take my son to kill him?" Finally, despairing of convincing him, they desisted. Al-Hafiz (al-Bayhaqi) related in his book Dala'ilu'n-Nubuwwah on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Talhah, that Talhah ibn `Ubaydillah said: "I was present one day at the market of Busra, where I heard a monk who lived in a cell say: `Enquire of the people of this fair if there is anyone among them of the people of the Sanctuary (that is, Mecca).' I replied: `Yes, I am.' He asked: `Has Ahmad come forth yet?' `Who is Ahmad?' I asked. He replied: `The son of `Abdullah ibn `Abdi 'l-Muttalib. This is the month in which he should come forth. He is the last of the prophets. The place of his appearance is the Sanctuary, and that of his migration is a place of date-palms and black stones (that is, Medina). Beware lest anyone accept him before you do.' " Talhah continued: "I kept what he said in my heart, and .hastened to Mecca. I enquired if anything unusual had happened, and was told that, 'Muhammad ibn `Abdillah al-Amin has declared himself a prophet. Ibn Abi Quhafah (that is, Abu Bakr) has followed him.' I thus went to Abu Bakr and said: `Have you really become a follower of this man?' `Yes', he answered. `You too go to him and follow him, for he invites men to the truth.' " Talhah then told Abu Bakr what the monk had said. Abu. Bakr took Talhah to the Apostle of Allah, whereupon Talhah became a Muslim. He told the Messenger of Allah what the monk had said, which gladdened the Apostle of Allah. [32] When both Abu Bakr and Talhah had accepted Islam, a man called Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid ibn al-`Adawiyyah took them and tied them together with one rope. The people of Taym (the tribe to which Abu Bakr belonged) did not protect them. Nawfal ibn Khuwaylid was known as the harshest man of the Quraysh. The Quraysh Admit The Miraculous Qualities Of The Qur'an The Messenger of Allah never ceased to insult the gods of the Associators, nor did he cease reciting the Qur'an to them. But they used to say: "This is only the poetry of Muhammad." Some of them also said: "It is rather oratory discourse." There was an old man called al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah who was a judge among the Arabs, whom they brought difficult cases. They likewise used to recite their poems to him in order that he might judge among them. Whatever he judged to be good, that was chosen by all. He had many sons, who never left Mecca. He also possessed ten slaves, every one of whom had one thousand dinars to use as capital in trade. At that time he alone owned a qintar, [the skin of a bull filled with gold]. al-Walid was one of those who mocked the Messenger of Allah and he was the uncle of Abu Jahl ibn Hisham. The people went to al-Walid and asked: "O Abu `Abd ash-Shams, what is this which Muhammad is uttering? Is it magic, soothsaying, or oratory?" He replied: "Let me hear his words." He thus came to the Messenger of Allah while he was sitting in the Ka'bah and said: "O Muhammad, recite for me some of your poetry! " He answered: "It is not poetry, but rather the word of Allah, with which He sent His prophets and apostles." al-Walid insisted: "Recite some of it to me." The Messenger of Allah then recited: "In the name of Allah, the All-merciful, the Compassionate. " When al-Walid heard the name ar-Rahman (the All-merciful), he mockingly said: "Do you call us to follow a man of Yamamah who is called ar-Rahman?" The Prophet answered: "No, rather I call men to Allah, Who is the All-merciful, the Compassionate." He then recited the beginning of "Ha mim: as-Sajdah ", (Surah 41) until he reached verse (13) But if they turn back, say: "I have warned you of a great catastrophe like the catastrophe of Ad and Thamud. " When al-Walid heard this, he trembled and every hair on his head and in his beard stood on end. He then rose and went to his home, and did not return to the people of Quraysh. The people said to Abu Jahl, "O Abu 'l-Hakam, (that is, al-Walid) has abandoned his religion for the religion of Muhammad! Do you not see that he has not returned to us? He must have, therefore, accepted his claim and gone to his home." The people of Quraysh became exceedingly saddened by this. Abu Jahl went to al-Walid the next day and said: "O uncle, you have brought low our heads and disgraced us!" He answered: "How have I done that, O son of my brother?" "Have you turned to the religion of Muhammad?" he asked. "No", answered al-Walid, "I did not do so. Rather, I stand by the religion of my people and my forefathers. I have, however, heard great words which cause skins to shudder." Abu Jahl asked: "Is it poetry?" "No, it is not poetry", answered his uncle. Abu Jahl asked further: "Is it oratory discourse?" al-Walid answered: "No, for oratory discourse is of connected rhymed prose; yet this is free prose whose different parts do not resemble one another. It is possessed of great beauty." Abu Jahl insisted: "So it is oratory." "No", answered his uncle. Abu Jahl asked: "What is it then?" al-Walid said: "Let me think about it for a while." The next day, the people asked al-Walid: "O Abu `Abd ash-Shams, what do you say?" He answered: "Say it is magic, for it has truly attracted the hearts of the people." Thus, Allah sent down concerning him in the Qur'an - Leave me to deal with him whom I have alone created, and whom I have granted great wealth and sons, constantly present with him . . . and so on to Allah's saying: Over it (that is, Hell) stand nineteen (angels) [Qur.74:11-30]. In a tradition related by Hammad ibn Zayd on the authority of `Ikrimah (a slave and pupil of Ibn `Abb5s and a well-known traditionist), he reported that al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah came to the Messenger of Allah and asked him to recite some verses of the Qur'an. He recited: "Allah surely commands justice and doing good, and giving (of one's wealth) to near relatives. He likewise forbids lewdness, indecency and insolence. He thus admonishes you, that perhaps you may remember" [Qur'an. 16:90] . al-Walid said: "Recite the verse once more!" He did, and al-Walid exclaimed: "By Allah, it indeed is possessed of great sweetness and adorned with great beauty. Its top is indeed fruitful, and its bottom is like a palm-tree laden with fruits! Nor can any mortal utter such speech." How Allah Protected Muhammad Against The Mockers It is related that those who mocked the Messenger of Allah were five: al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, al-`As ibn Wail as-Sahmi, al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib, who was also known as Abu Zama'ah, al-Aswad ibn `Abd Yaghuth of the tribe of Zuhrah and al-Harith ibn at-Tulatilah al-Khuza`i. It is said that al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah passed one day by the Messenger of Allah, while the angel Gabriel was with him. Gabriel addressed the Prophet, saying: "Here comes al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, who is one of the mockers." "Yes", he answered. Then al-Walid passed by a man of the tribe of Khuza'ah, sharpening his arrows at the door of the mosque. He accidentally stepped on some of them, a silver went into the bottom of his foot, and blood gushed out. Gabriel pointed to that spot, and blood continued to flow until it stained the bed of his daughter. Frightened, the girl cried out: "O maid, the mouth of the water skin has come untied! " "This is not the water of the water skin", said al-Walid, "it is the blood of your father. Call together for me my sons and the sons of my brother, for I am about to die." When they all gathered, he made his will, and immediately breathed his last. Al-Aswad ibn al-Muttalib passed one day by the Messenger of Allah. Gabriel pointed to his eyes and he became blind, and soon after died. al-Aswad ibn `Abd Yaghuth also passed by the Prophet one day; Gabriel pointed to his stomach, and he drank so much water that his belly swelled until it burst. al-`As ibn Wail passed also by the Prophet, and Gabriel pointed to his foot. Soon a splinter went into the bottom of his foot and came out of the top. His foot swelled up, and soon he died. at-Tulatilah passed by the Prophet, and Gabriel spat in his face. The man then went out into the Tihamah mountains (in the vicinity of Mecca), where he was hit by a burning sand storm. He was burnt and turned black. When he returned home. his family would not let him in, saying, "You are not of this family." He went away and was afflicted with great thirst. He thus drank until his stomach burst, and he died. All this happened in fulfilment of Allah's saying: We have surely protected you against the mockers [Qur'an. 15:95]. The Migration To Abyssinia And An-Naiashi's Assent To Muhammad's Prophethood When the people of Quraysh intensified their harsh treatment of the Messenger of Allah and his Companions, he ordered some of his Companions to migrate to Abyssinia. He delegated Ja'far son of Abu Talib to take charge of them, and he set out with seventy men until they took to sea. When the people of Quraysh knew of their departure, they sent `Amr ibn al-`As as-Sahmi and `Umarah ibn al-Walid to an-Najashi (Negus) .of Abyssinia, requesting him to return the men to the people of Quraysh. They were also instructed to tell the King that these men had gone against the wishes and traditions of their people. `Umarah was a handsome and wealthy man. `Amr ibn al`As set out with his wife. When they boarded the ship, they became intoxicated with wine. `Umarah then said to `Amr ibn al-`As : "Tell your wife to kiss me!" The latter answered: "Glorified be Allah! Is this possible?" `Umarah waited until `Amr got drunk, then he pushed him overboard. `Amr was on the edge of the ship; thus he held on to the edge, and people rushed to his rescue. When `Amr saw what `Umarah had done to him, he said to his wife, "Kiss him! ", which she did. When they reached Abyssinia, they went straight to an-Najashi bearing presents for him. `Amr addressed him saying: "O King, these people have gone against our religion and sought refuge with you. Return them, therefore, to us! " The King sent for Ja'far and said to him: "These men are requesting that I return you all to them." He answered: "O King, ask them, are we their slaves?" "No", answered `Amr, "rather they are free and noble men." "Ask them," Ja'far continued, "do we then owe them debts which they have come to claim from us?" `Amr answered: "They owe us no debts which we have come to claim." Ja'far continued: "Have they come then to avenge any blood of theirs that we had wrongfully shed?" `Amr answered: "They have shed no blood for which we come to exact vengeance or blood money." Ja'far asked: "What then do you want from us?" `Amr said: "They have opposed us in our religion and the religion of our forefathers and insulted our gods. They have corrupted our youths and spread dissension among us. Return them to us, therefore, that our unity might be restored." Ja'far then addressed the King saying: "O King, we have opposed them in order to follow a prophet whom Allah has raised among us. He commands us to repudiate equals to Allah, and that we abandon chance games by means of arrows. He enjoins prayers and almsgiving upon us. He has prohibited wrongdoing, oppression and the unlawful shedding of blood. He has prohibited adultery, usury, and eating the flesh of dead animals which have not been properly slaughtered, as well as eating blood. He has enjoined decency and good works upon us, and that we show kindness to near relatives. He forbids grave immorality, indecency and insolence." The King said: "It is with such (teachings) that Allah also sent Jesus son of Mary! " Then addressing Ja`far, he continued: "Do you know by heart any of the revelations which Allah sent down to your prophet?" "Yes", he answered. "Recite then! " the King demanded. Ja'far recited the Surah of Maryam (Surah 19). When he reached the words - Shake down towards you the branch of the palm-tree, and it shall drop down before you ripened dates ready to be picked. Eat and drink, therefore, and be of good cheer [Qur'an. 19 : 25 - 26 ] - an-Najashi wept and exclaimed: "By Allah this is the truth!" `Amr protested: "O King, this man has abandoned our religion; give him to us that we may take him back to our country! " an-Najashi lifted his hand and slapped him saying: "If you utter any evil against him, I will kill you!" `Amr finally said: "O King, if this is what you say, then we shall not interfere with him." A young maid stood by an-Najashi keeping flies away from him. She kept her eyes on `Umarah ibn al-Walid, as he was a handsome young man. When they went to their lodgings, `Amr said to him: "Why do you not send a message to the King's maid?" `Umarah sent a message to her, and she answered him. `Amr said: "Tell her to bring you with her some of the King's perfumes. She did so, and `Amr ibn al`As took the perfume. He had kept in his heart what `Umarah had done to him when he attempted to throw him overboard. Thus, he took the perfume and went to an-Najashi, and said to him: "O King, it is fitting that we take cognition of the King's honour and magnanimity toward us, and that we do not betray him in his own realm. Yet, my companion who is with me has sent messages to your maid and tempted her. She even brought him some of your perfumes." He then showed the King the perfume. an-Najashi was exceedingly angry and was about to kill `Umarah. But he changed his mind and said: "It is not right that I kill him, for they entered our realm under a pledge of protection." He thus called his magicians and said to them: "Do something to him that would be worse than death! " They took him and injected mercury into his generative organ. He lost his mind, so that he lived with the wild beasts and shunned human company. [33] The people of Quraysh sent men to bring `Umarah back home. The men lay in wait for him until he came with wild beasts to drink at a spring. Thus they caught him, but he continued to struggle and scream in their hands until he expired. `Amr, however, returned to the people of Quraysh and recounted to them his story. As for Ja'far, he remained in Abyssinia enjoying the best of hospitality and honour. He remained there until he heard that the Messenger of Allah had established a truce with the people of Quraysh and that peace had prevailed between them and the Muslims. He then returned with a large company of people. He arrived to find that the Messenger of Allah had conquered Khaybar (a Jewish settlement near Medina). A son was born to Ja'far by Asma', daughter of `Umays. an-Najashi also had a son, whom he called Muhammad. Asma' gave an-Najashi's son of her own milk to drink (thus making him a nursing brother of her own son). Abu Talib recited these verses urging an-Najashi to support the Prophet and his followers: Know, O King of the Ethiopians, that Muhammad is a prophet like Moses and Jesus son of Mary. He came with guidance such as they brought, for each of them was by Allah's command well -protected. Concerning him, you recite verses in your own scriptures; a true account it is, not a fantastic tale. Do not, therefore, set up equals with Allah; rather become Muslims, for the way of truth is not obscured in darkness. The traditionist Abu `Abdillah (al-Bayhaqi) transmitted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ishaq that the Messenger of Allah sent `Amr ibn Umayyah ad-Damri to an-Najashi regarding Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and his Companions. He sent a letter with him which read thus: "In the name of Allah, the All-merciful, the Compassionate - From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah to the Negus, the King of Abyssinia - I convey to you the praises of Allah the King, the Holy, the Accepter of Faith, the Guardian [Qur.59:23]. I furthermore bear witness that Jesus son of Mary is the Spirit of Allah and His Word, which He sent down to Mary [Qur'an. 4 : 171) , the pure and chaste virgin who then conceived Jesus, whom Allah created of His Spirit which he breathed into him -just as he created Adam with His Hand and breathed of His Spirit into him. I thus call you to the worship of the One and only Allah alone Who has no associate, and that you obey Him, follow me and believe in me and the message which was vouchsafed me. For I indeed am the Messenger of Allah. I have, moreover, sent to you my cousin Ja'far with a company of the Muslims. When they come to you, show hospitality to them and do not be arrogant. I call you and your hosts to Allah! I have conveyed my message to you and given good counsel. Peace be with those who follow true guidance." An-Najashi wrote in answer to the Messenger of Allah: "In the name of Allah, the All-merciful, the Compassionate - to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah - from the Negus al-Ashamah ibn Abhar: peace be upon you O Prophet of Allah and Allah's mercy and blessings - there is no god but He Who guided me to Islam. I have received your letter, O Messenger of Allah, concerning the importance you give in the case of Jesus. By the Lord of the heaven and earth, Jesus does not exceed what you have mentioned concerning him. We acknowledge what you have written to us, and have thus shown hospitality to your cousin and Companions. I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah truly and that you tell the truth. I have, therefore, given allegiance (bay `ah) to you and your cousin. I have accepted Islam to Allah, the Lord of all beings at his hands. I have sent to you, O Messenger of Allah, Arijan ibn Ashamah ibn Abhar, I have-indeed no authority except over myself alone. If, therefore, you wish that I come to you, I would come, O Messenger of Allah. For I bear witness that what you say is the truth." An-Najashi then sent presents to the Prophet. He sent him also Mariyah the Copt, the mother of the Prophet's son Ibrahim. He sent him much clothing and aromatics, and a mare. He also sent him thirty learned men to hear his words and observe his conduct. When they arrived in Medina, the Messenger of Allah called them to. Islam, and they accepted Islam and returned to the Negus. Jabir ibn `Abdillah al-Ansari reported that, "When an-Najashi died, the Messenger of Allah prayed over Ashamah, the Negus." The Prophet Is Persecuted By The Associators And Hamzah Accepts Islam The people of Quraysh redoubled their efforts in troubling the Messenger of Allah. The harshest of men toward him was his uncle Abu Lahab. One day the Prophet was sitting in the precincts of the Ka'bah, when the people sent for a birth sack of a sheep and threw it at him.[ According to al-Jazari, the well-known lexicographer and traditionist, this happened while the Prophet was praying. (ed. )] The Messenger of Allah was greatly saddened by this, and went to Abu Talib to complain, saying: "O uncle, how is my status among you?" Abu Talib asked: "What is the matter O son of my brother?" He replied: "The people of Quraysh threw a birth sack at me." Abu Talib then said to Hamzah: "Take up the sword!" The people of Quraysh were assembled in the Mosque. Both Hamzah and Abu Talib went in with their swords. Abu Talib ordered Hamzah, saying: "Rub the birth sack over their moustaches, and if anyone resists, cut off his head!" But no one moved while he rubbed the birth sack over their moustaches.. He then turned to the Messenger of Allah, and said: "O son of my brother, this is your status among us!" In the book Dala'ilu'n-Nubuwwah (of al-Bayhaqi) [34], it is reported on the authority of Abu Dawud who reported from Shu'bah who reported from Abu Ishaq (as-Sabi`i), who heard `Amr ibn Maymun relate on the authority of `Abdullah (ibn Mas'ud), who said: "While the Messenger of Allah was prostrating in prayer one day, with some men of Quraysh sitting all around him, and the birth sack of a she-camel lying around, some dared others men saying: `Who would take this birth sack and throw it at his back?' A man called `Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt took up the birth sack and threw it at the Prophet's back. Fatimah (the Prophet's daughter) came and took the camel's birth sack off the Prophet's back, and cursed those who did that to him." `Abdullah continued: "I never saw the Messenger of Allah invoke Allah against them except on that day. He said: "O Allah, I leave to you the people of Quraysh! O Allah to you do I leave Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, `Utbah ibn Rabi `ah, Shaybah ibn Rabi `ah, `Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt, Umayyah ibn Khalaf or Ubayy ibn Khalaf (Shu'bah was confused). The Prophet enumerated seven men in all." `Abdullah went on: "I saw them all slain in the Battle of Badr and thrown into a well. Umayyah ibn Khalaf, however, was a very fat man. His body disintegrated as it was dragged along before reaching the well.' " [35] It is related on the authority of Khabbab (a well-known Companion), who said: "I came one day to the Messenger of Allah, while he lay in the shade of the Ka` bah using his mantle as a pillow. We had endured much suffering at the hands of the people of Quraysh. Thus I asked: `O Messenger of Allah, would you not invoke Allah on our behalf?' He sat up, red in the safe, and said: `Those who were before you -often were their flesh and nerves scraped with sharp iron combs. Yet they did not turn away from their faith. A man would be sawed in half from his head down, yet he would not be turned away from his faith. But Allah shall indeed bring this affair to fruition, so that a horseman would travel all the way between San'a and Hadramawt fearing no one but Allah, or the wolf that may attack his sheep.' " [36] It is also related on the authority of Jabir (son of the famous Companion, `Abdullah al-Ansari) that the Messenger of Allah passed one day by `Ammar ibn Yasir and his family while they were being tortured for Allah's sake. He said: "Be of good cheer, O family of `Ammar, for you shall soon enter Paradise! " It is reported on the authority of Mujahid [ ibn Jabr] (a well-known traditionist of the second generation) that the first martyr in Islam was Sumayyah, the mother of `Ammar, whom Abu Jahl stabbed in the heart. 'Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Qummi reported that Abu Jahl met the Messenger of Allah one day and spoke harsh words to him. All the men of the Hashimite clan angrily assembled. Hamzah had just returned from hunting, when he saw the crowd and enquired about the commotion. A woman called down to him from one of the roof-tops saying: "O Abu Ya'la, `Amr ibn Hisham (i.e., Abu Jahl) confronted Muhammad and insulted him." Hamzah enraged, went to Abu Jahl hit him with his bow on the head and picked him up and beat him hard against the ground. People crowded around them, and it was feared that great conflict might ensue. People then asked Hamzah: "O Abu Ya'la, have you then turned to the religion of your nephew?" "Yes", he answered: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah." He said this only as a result of anger and feeling of support for his nephew. When, however, he returned to his home, he regretted his decision. Thus he went to the Messenger of Allah and asked: "O son of my brother, is what you say the truth?" The Messenger of Allah recited to him a Surah of the Qur'an, and Hamzah saw the truth and stood firm in the faith of Islam. The Messenger of Allah was exceedingly happy. Abu Talib also was glad to learn of Hamzah's Islam, and recited the following verses: Be steadfast, O Abu Ya`la in the faith of Ahmad; Show forth your faith; may you be strengthened in your resolve! Follow the footsteps of him who came with true' faith from his Lord; Do not, O Hamzah, be a rejecter of faith! It made me glad when you said that you are a man of faith; Be then a true supporter of the Messenger of Allah in Allah's cause. Call openly the people of Quraysh to that which you yourself have been given; Proclaim to them that Ahmad is indeed not a magician! The Prophet's Night Journey To Jerusalem And His Hiding In A Ravine Belonging To Abu Talib The Messenger of Allah was transported by Allah from Mecca to Jerusalem, (see Qur'an. 17 :1) . Gabriel carried him thither on al-Buraq (a celestial horse), and showed him the prayer chambers of the prophets before him. After the Prophet had led them all in prayer, Gabriel brought him back to Mecca. On his way back, the Prophet passed by a caravan belonging to the people of Quraysh. They had with them water in a vessel, from which he drank, and poured out the rest. They also lost one of their camels and went out in search of it. Next morning Muhammad recounted to the people of Quraysh: "Allah transported me by night to Jerusalem where He showed me the signs and stations of the prophets. I have also passed by a caravan in such and such a place, where they lost one of their camels. I drank from a vessel of water which they had, and poured out the rest of the water." Abu Jahl said: "You have now an opportune moment; ask him, therefore, how many columns and lamps are in Jerusalem! " They thus said to him: "O Muhammad, here is someone who has been to Jerusalem! " Describe for us its columns, lamps, and prayer chambers! " Gabriel came and suspended an image of Jerusalem before the Prophet's eyes, and he told them whatever they wished to know about the holy city. When he had informed them, they said: "Let us wait until the caravan returns and we question the people about what you have told us:" "The sign of the truth of what I have said is that the caravan will appear at sunrise led by a red camel carrying two white sacks", the Prophet said. Next morning, they went out looking towards the hill outside the city and saying: "The sun shall soon rise." As they were thus wondering, the caravan appeared, led by a red camel, just as the disk of the sun was becoming visible. They asked the men with the caravan about the things which the Messenger of Allah had told them. The men answered: "It is true, it was as he said. We lost a camel in such and such a place; we left water by night, but when we woke up next morning, the water was all poured out." Yet, all this only increased the people of Quraysh in their stubbornness. They then all gathered in their assembly hall and prepared a written pledge neither to share food with the sons of Hashim, nor to speak to them. Nor would they transact any trade with them, or intermarry with them. They would not even socialize with them in any way, until they turned Muhammad over to them that they might kill him. They agreed to be as one hand against Muhammad, either to assassinate him, or kill him openly. When Abu Talib learned of all this, he gathered the sons of Hashim, forty men in all, and went into a secret ravine. Abu Talib swore to them by the Ka'bah, the haram, the rukn and the station (maqam of Abraham) that if even a thorn was to prick Muhammad, "I will steadfastly fight against you all, 0 sons of Hashim." Abu Talib fortified the ravine and set up guards over it night and day. At night he kept guard himself with his sword, while the Messenger of Allah slept. Then he had him get up and sleep in another spot, guarded by his own sons and the sons of his brother. They watched over the Prophet during the day as well. In the end, they endured much hardship. Thus it was that no one of the Arabs entering Mecca dared buy from or sell anything to the family of Hashim, for fear that his wealth would be seized. To that end, Abu Jahl, al-`As ibn Wail as-Sahmi, an-Nadr ibn al-Harith ibn Kaladah and `Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt used to go out to the roads leading to Mecca, and anyone they saw carrying goods, they forbade to trade with the sons of Hashim. Otherwise they threatened to seize his wealth. Khadijah, however, had much wealth, which she spent in caring for the Messenger of Allah while he was in the ravine. Mut'im ibn `Adiyy ibn Nawfal ibn `Abdi'lMuttalib refused to sign the pledge, saying: "This is wrongdoing." The document was, nonetheless, sealed with forty seals, representing all the notables of Quraysh. They then hung it in the Ka'bah. Abu Lahab also concurred with them in this action. During the special seasons (when fighting was banned), the Messenger of Allah would go around the Arab tribes and plead with them: "If you would protect me, I would recite to you the Book of my Lord, and your reward with Allah shall be Paradise." Abu Lahab would follow close behind him and say: "Do not accept his offer! He is my brother's son. He is a magician and a liar." Thus it went on, and the sons of Hashim remained in the ravine for four years, having no security except during special seasons, nor could they buy or sell anything except during these seasons. There were two seasons held in Mecca every year: that of the `umrah (lesser pilgrimage) during Rajab, and the pilgrimage season in Dhi'l-Hijjah (the 7th and 12th months respectively). Hence, only when either of these two special seasons come did the sons of Hashim leave their ravine to buy and sell. Then no one of them dared venture out till the next season. They therefore suffered much hardship and hunger. The people of Quraysh sent a message to Abu Talib, saying: "Turn Muhammad over to us that we may kill him; then we would make you king over us." In response, Abu Talib recited a long poem, in which he says: When I saw that these people had no love, having cut off all ties and means of friendship; (I said): Do you not know that we do not regard our son as a liar, Nor does he utter vain words. Pure is he, that for the sake of his face prayers for rain are answered; Generous towards orphans is he, and a protection for widows. The errant of the clan of Hashim crowd around him; For with him they find bounty and generous gifts. You lie, by Allah's house! We shall never abandon Muhammad; Rather we shall wield the sword and strive to protect him. We shall never betray him, until we fall slain before him; For his sake we shall neglect our sons and wives. By my life! I have been charged with great affection for Ahmad! I loved him with the love of a faithful lover. I have sacrificed willingly my soul for him and protected him; I have defended him with all that is precious, Even the bones of my breast! He remains an object of beauty in this world for its inhabitants; A harsh match to anyone showing enmity toward him is he, and the ornament of every assembly. He is clement, wise, unwavering and not foolish; Friend of the Lord of Truth, never indulging in vain disputation. Thus the Lord of human servants has strengthened him with His victory; He caused a religion to prevail whose truth knows no falsehood. When they heard this poem, they despaired of convincing Abu Talib. Abu 'l-`As ibn Rabi', who was the Messenger of Allah's son-in-law, used to bring by night camels laden with wheat and dates to the entrance of the ravine and call out loudly to them, so that they would rush in, and the sons of Hashim would have provisions. The Messenger of Allah used to say: "Abu 'l-`As has established a tie of marriage with us and has honoured well this marriage relation. He brought laden camels to us when we were besieged and delivered them to our ravine by night." When the Messenger of Allah had spent four years in the ravine, Allah sent against the hostile document of the Quraysh an earthworm which licked clean all words of unkindness to next of kin, and all wrongdoing and oppression. It only spared the name of Allah. Gabriel came down to the Messenger of Allah and told him about it. The Messenger of Allah then told Abu Talib, who went to the men of Quraysh as they assembled in the mosque. When they saw him they said: "Abu Talib has finally given in; he has now come to turn his nephew in." He drew near and greeted them with the salutation of peace. They all rose up and received him with deference. They then said: "O Abu Talib, we know that you wish our friendship and return to our society! You will turn your nephew over to us." He answered: "No, by Allah, it is not for this that I have come to you. Rather my nephew tells me - and he utters no lies - that Allah has told him that He sent an earthworm against your hostile document, which ate every word of unkindness to next of kin, of wrongdoing and oppression. It only spared the name of Allah. Bring your document, and if what he says is true, then fear Allah and abandon your wrongdoing, oppression and unkindness toward blood relations. If, on the other hand, what he says is false, I will turn him over to you. If you wish, you may kill him, or if you wish you may spare his life." They brought the document down from the Ka'bah, still bearing forty seals. When it was brought before them, every man saw his seal. When, however, they .opened it, they found no letters except the phrase: `in your name, O Allah.' Abu Talib then pleaded with them saying: "O people, fear Allah and desist from what you are doing! " But the people dispersed, and no one spoke a word. Abu Talib then returned to the ravine and recited his poem rhyming with the letter `b' and which begins as follows: Who shall endure standing on guard till night's end, Or the retreat which your divided people have decreed. In the document there was indeed a lesson; Anyone knowing about it would surely marvel. Allah had Himself erased from it their rejection of faith and insolence, As well as their hostility toward him who proclaimed the truth openly. Thus what they said came to nought, For anyone inventing falsehood only tells lies. Yet the son of Abdullah has been truthful among us, in spite of our people's wrath. Do not think that we shall betray Muhammad; For neither our honour nor fidelity would permit it! A strong Hashimite hand shall protect him; He whose deeds among men are the best of deeds. Then some of the sons of `Abd Manaf and the sons of Qusayy, as well as other men of Quraysh who were born to women of the sons of Hashim - among whom was Mut'im ibn `Adiyy ibn `Amir ibn Lu'ayy, an old man of great wealth and many children, and Abu 'l-Bakhtari ibn Hisham and Zuhayr ibn (Abi) Umayyah al-Makhzumi and other of their notables - said: "We dissociate ourselves from this document." Abu Jahl likewise said: "This is a matter which was decided in the dark." Thus the Prophet and those who were with him were able to leave the ravine. Two months later, Abu Talib died. Khadijah also died soon after. These were two grave occurrences which the Messenger of Allah had to endure, and he was greatly saddened. He went in to see Abu Talib while he was breathing his last. He said: "O uncle, you cared for a child until he grew up. You supported him when he was a grown man, and cared for him as an orphan. May Allah, therefore, reward you on my behalf with the best reward. Give me a word (that is, the shahadah) that I may intercede with it on your behalf with my Lord." Abu Talib replied: "O son of my brother, were I not to fear the reproach of people after me, I would have gladdened your heart." Saying this he died. Muhammad ibn Ishaq reported that Khadijah daughter of Khuwaylid, and Abu Talib died in the same year. [37] Thus afflictions followed one another for the Messenger of Allah after the death of Khadijah and Abu Talib - for she was a true helper (wazir) to him in Islam, and he found comfort in her. Abu `Abdillah ibn Mandah reported in the Kitabu'l-Ma`rifah that Khadijah died three days after Abu Talib. [38] al-Waqidi claimed that they all left the ravine three years before the Migration. In that year Khadijah and Abu Talib died within the space of thirty-five nights. The Prophet Offers Himself To Neighboring Arab Tribes. The Allegiance Of The Ansar To Him, And The Event Of Al-`Aqabah It is reported in the book entitled Dala'ilu'n-Nubuwwah [39] on the authority of az-Zuhri (a well-known traditionist), that the Messenger of Allah used to offer himself as a prophet to the Arab tribes every year during the pilgrimage season. He used to speak to the chief of every tribe, requesting only that they give him shelter and protection. He said: "I shall not ask anyone of you to do anything he does not wish to do. For anyone of you who accepts what I have come to call you to, it is well. But I shall not compel anyone who would refuse. I only ask that you protect me from those who wish to kill me, so that I might convey the messages of my Lord - and Allah decrees what He wills for me and those who will follow him." Yet no one of them accepted him. Everyone he spoke to of these tribes would say: "The people of this man know best his claims. Do you think that a man can reform us when he has corrupted his own people, and who have therefore, abandoned him? " When Abu Talib died, trials increased greatly as never before for the Messenger of Allah. He thus turned to the tribe of Thaqif in the city of at-Ta'if in the hope that they might give him shelter. He sought three men, who were the notables of Thaqif in those days. They were brothers: `Abd Yalayl ibn `Amr, Habib ibn `Amr and Mas'ud ibn `Amr. He offered himself to them and told them of the trials that had afflicted him at the hands of his people. One of them exclaimed: "I swear that I would even steal the curtains of the Ka'bah, if Allah had truly sent you with anything! " The other said: "Could not Allah send someone other than you?" The third exclaimed: "By Allah, I shall never speak to you henceforth. By Allah, if you are truly the Messenger of Allah, you would be of too great honour for me even to speak to you. If, on the other hand, you lie concerning Allah, you would be too evil for me to speak to you." They mocked him and revealed to their people their conversation with him. The men then placed people in two lines in his way. When the Messenger of Allah passed between the two lines, he did not lift his feet or put them down but that they pelted them with stones. They repeated this until his feet bled. He escaped from them with his feet gushing blood, and ran to one of their gardens and took shelter under a tree, sad and suffering much pain. `Utbah ibn Rabi `ah and Shaybah ibn Rabi `ah were in the garden. He therefore did not wish to remain with them, as he knew their great hostility to Allah and His Messenger. When they saw him, they sent to him a servant of theirs called `Addas who was of the people of Naynawa (Nineveh), with grapes. When `Addas came to him, the Messenger of Allah asked: "From which land are you?" He answered: "I am of the people of Nineveh." He said to him: "So you are from the city of the righteous man Yunus (Jonah) son of Mitts (Matthew)." `Addas asked him: "How do you know who Yunus was? " The Messenger of Allah, who never looked down at anyone so much as not to convey to him the message of his Lord, answered: "I am the Messenger of Allah. Allah, exalted be He, informed me of the account of Yunus ibn Mitts." When he had told him what Allah had revealed to him concerning Yunus ibn Mitts, `Addas fell prostrate before Allah and began to kiss the Prophet's feet while they continued to gush blood. When `Utbah and Shaybah saw what their servant was doing, they kept silent. But when he returned to them they asked: "Why did you prostrate yourself before Muhammad and kiss his feet, while we never saw you do so to any of us?" He answered: "He is a righteous man who told me things which I recognized concerning a messenger whom Allah had sent to us, whose name was Yunus ibn Mitts." They laughed and said "Let him not tempt you away from your Christianity, for he is a deceitful man." The Messenger of Allah then returned to Mecca. `Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim (al-Qummi) reports that when the Messenger. of Allah returned from the city of at-Ta'if and approached Mecca with the intention of performing the `umrah (lesser pilgrimage), he did not wish to enter Mecca where he had no protector. He saw a man of the Quraysh who had secretly embraced Islam and said to him: "Go to al-Akhnas ibn Shurayq and tell him that Muhammad asks you to protect him until he performs the circumambulations ( tawaf , around the Ka'bah) and the running (sa`i) between the two hills of as-Safa and al-Marwa, for he has come to perform the `umrah." The man went to al-Akhnas and conveyed to him what the Messenger of Allah had said. al-Akhnas answered: "I am not of the Quraysh, but only an ally, and an ally cannot offer protection. I fear that they would violate my protection, and that would be an insult." The man returned to the Messenger of Allah and told him. The Messenger of Allah was hiding in the ravine of Harra' with Zayd ibn al-Harithah. He said to the man: "Go to Suhayl ibn `Amr and ask him to protect me only until I circumambulate the House (that is, the Ka'bah) and perform the sa`i (running between as-Safa and al-Marwa)." The man went and told Suhayl, but he answered: "No, I will not." The Messenger of Allah sent the man to Mut'im ibn `Adiyy (ibn `Amir) to make the same request. When the man went to him he asked: "Where is Muhammad?" The man, however, did not wish to tell him where the Prophet was. He rather answered: "He is nearby." Mut'im said: "Go to him and say that I shall give you protection. Come, therefore, and circumambulate and run as you wish." The Messenger of Allah entered the city. Mut'im said to his sons, his sister, and to his brother, who was called Tu'aymah ibn `Adiyy: "Take up your arms, for I have offered Muhammad protection! Stay around the Ka'bah until he performs the circumambulation and running." There were ten men in all who took up arms. Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, then came in to the mosque. Abu Jahl saw him and said: "O people of Quraysh, here is Muhammad alone. His supporter has died; do with him, therefore, as you please." Tu'aymah ibn `Adiyy said to him: "O uncle, do not speak, for Abu Wahb (that is, Mut'im) has offered Muhammad protection." Abu Jahl went to Mut`im and asked: "Are you a protector, or one who has abandoned his religion for another?" He answered: "I am only a protector." Abu Jahl said: "In that case your protection will not be violated." When the Messenger of Allah had finished his circumambulation and running, he came to Mut'im and said: "O Abu Wahb, you have protected and done well! Release me now from your protection." Mut'im replied: "What would prevent you from remaining in my protection?" He answered: "I detest remaining in the protection of an Associator for more than one day." Mut'im then exclaimed: "O people of Quraysh, Muhammad has released himself from my protection! " 'Ali ibn Ibrahim (al-Qummi) reported that As'ad ibn Zurarah and Dhakwan ibn `Abd Qays, both of whom were of the Khazraj tribe of Medina, came to Mecca during one of the pilgrimage seasons. At that time a state of war, which had already lasted for a long time, existed between the Aws and Khazraj (both of which were Medinan tribes). The people did not lay down their arms by day or night. In the last engagement between them on the day of Bu'ath [40], the Aws tribe had prevailed over the Khazraj. As'ad ibn Zurarah and Dhakwan came to Mecca for the `umrah of the sacred month of Rajab seeking an alliance against the Aws tribe. As'ad ibn Zurarah was a friend of `Utbah ibn Rabi `ah. He thus came to him as a guest and said: "A long period of war has prevailed between us and our people. We have come, therefore, seeking alliance against them." `Utbah answered: "Your dwellings are far from ours, and we have an important preoccupation which prevents us from undertaking any other." As'ad asked: "What is your preoccupation, when you live securely in your sacred city? " "A man has appeared among us who claims that he is the Messenger of Allah", answered `Utbah. He continued: "This man has declared our minds foolish, and insulted our gods. He has also corrupted our youths and dissolved our unity." "Who is he?" As'ad asked. `Utbah replied: "He is the son of `Abdullah son of `Abdu 'l-Muttalib. He is of a family that is of high honour and status among us." As'ad and Dhakwan as well as all the people of the Aws and Khazraj tribes used to hear from the Jews of an-Nadir, Qurayzah and Qaynuqa' - who lived among them - that: "The time has come when a prophet shall appear in Mecca, whose migration shall be to Medina. With him we shall slay you all, O people of the Arabs! " When As'ad heard all this from `Utbah, the things which he had heard from the Jews came back into his mind. He thus asked: "Where is he?" `Utbah answered: "He is sitting in the Ka'bah. They do not come out of their ravine except during the pilgrimage season. As for you, do not listen to him or speak to him, for he is a sorcerer who would bewitch you with his words." All this took place at the time when the men of Hashim were besieged in the ravine. As'ad said: "What shall I do when I have come for the `umrah and it is necessary for me to circumambulate the House? " He answered: "Plug your ears up with cotton." As'ad then went into the sanctuary, having stuffed his ears with cotton. He circumambulated the House while the Messenger of Allah was sitting in the sanctuary with some of the men of Hashim. He looked at the Prophet and passed him by. As he passed by, however, performing the second circumambulation, he said to himself: "Truly, there is no one more foolish than I ! Should all this occur in Mecca, and I know not what it is so that I might go back to my people and tell them? " He thus took the cotton out of his ears, threw it away and addressed the Messenger of Allah, saying: "Have a happy morning!" This was the greeting of the Arabs before Islam. The Messenger of Allah turned to him and said: "Allah has given us another greeting instead which is better than this one; it is the greeting of the people of Paradise: `as-Salamu `alaykum' [peace be upon you] ." As'ad said: "You must have come recently to this! What do you call men to, O Muhammad?" He replied: "To the witness (shahadah) that there is no god but Allah, and that I am the Messenger of Allah! I enjoin upon you that: `You associate nothing with Him, and that you act kindly towards your parents. Do not kill your children for fear of poverty, for We shall provide both for you and them. Do not come near vile transgressions, be they disclosed or hidden, and do not kill a soul, which Allah has made unlawful except with justice. With all this you have been charged that perhaps you may understand. Do not come near the wealth of an orphan except in the fairest manner, until he reaches the age of discretion. Give full and just measure and weight. Yet We do not charge a soul except in accordance with its capacity. When you speak, speak justly, even if it be against one who is nearest of kin. Fulfil Allah's covenant. You are enjoined to all this, that perhaps you may recollect.' " [41] When As'ad heard this, he exclaimed: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, having no associate, and that you are the Messenger of Allah! O Messenger of Allah, may my father and my mother be a ransom for you! I am of the city of Yathrib (Medina), of the Khazraj tribe. Al