276 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XVIII, 
it the bidding of God that he should proceed against the Jew- 
ish Bani Qurayzah, and added that he himself was making 
his way thither. ‘Ali was given the standard of the Muslims 
and was dispatched against them. The Prophet followed later, 
and as he passed by his companions (Najjarites, Caet., I, 627) 
in As-Saurayn before reaching the Banu Qurayzah he asked 
whether anyone had gone by that way. They answered that 
Dihyah b. Khalifah al-Kalbi had gone past on a white she- 
mule, with a saddle on which was velvet brocade. The Prophet 
said: ‘‘ That was Gabriel, who has been sent to the Bani 
Quraizah to shake the fortresses in their midst, and cast terror 
into their hearts” (Tab., I, 1485-6). In a tradition of ‘A’- 
ishah it is the Bani’ Ghanam whom the Prophet passed on his 
way; here it is incidentally stated that the features and 
beard of Dihyah used to be likened to those of Gabriel (Tab., I, 
1487) 
The following tradition of ‘A’ishah is another instance 
in which Gabriel was mistaken by the beholder for Dihyah. 
She relates: ‘The Prophet started up violently ; I looked and, 
lo, there was a man standing with him, on a riding-beast, and 
wearing a white turban, the end of which he had let hang down 
loose between his shoulders, and the Apostle of God ( p#le ) had 
his hand on the mane of his riding-hack. I said: ‘‘ O Apostle 
of God, your starting up made me afraid of him!” He asked: 
“Did you see him?” I replied: “ Yes”? He asked: ‘‘ Whom 
did you see?”” I answered: “1 saw Dihyah al-Kalbi.” He 
as “That was Gabriel,—Peace be on him,” (Ibn S., IV, I, 
_ Another form of the tradition makes it a case of deliberate 
impersonation of Dihyah by Gabriel: Gabriel used to come to 
the Prophet in the form of Dihyah al-Kalbi (Ibn S., ib., 15-18). 
_ There is another variety of tradition in which the onlooker 
likens the apparition, subsequently known to be Gabriel, to 
Dihyah. ‘A’ishah says : I saw Gabriel standing in this room of 
The tradition takes yet one more form. The Prophet said : 
The likest I have seen to Gabriel was Dihyah al-Kalbi (Ibn S., 
IV, 1, 184, 1. 15). te 
He appears to have been yet more distinguished as a diplo- 
mat than as a soldier, for the Prophet entrusted to him two 

