1852.] Mohammad's Journey to Syria. 589 



distinctly expressed, and in the last two Abu Talib immediately assents 

 when Ba/zyra urges the necessity, that he should leave Syria without 

 delay. Leaving Waqidy's traditions out of the question, the statement 

 as to whether he was sent back by Ami Talib, or whether Abu Talib 

 went himself back with him are divided. Abyary and the authors of the 

 Rawdhat al-AAbab, of the Madarij alnobuwat, of the Ma'arij alnobiiwat, 

 and of the Rawdhat alcafa, first Bombay edit. II. p. 38, and of the 

 Insan al'oytin say, that there are two versions extant, viz. some say that 

 Ami Talib went himself, others that he sent him back with a body of 

 men and continued his journey to Syria. The words of Abyary are, 



** £J*" <-^J **2**Jl <k'l *JlJLe j^aJ *A3 ^JUs yj &lxi JUJ' i£[y d &\x*3 



fl£J[j aj/s j ^ ^slj ^i ^J\ «j&o sjoJ>\ ^a^^a an d the words in the 

 Madarij are, j o^jb *£*jj e*.=L^ij $sj*Hj**j «5>^ £&° ^^°ji^ o*v 



^>9j j*U <3jh.j Kazeruny in the Persian translation, and the author of 

 the Tarykhe Ja'fary avoid the difficulty, the former by saying "they 

 took him back *- : «^f jb without delay to Makkah," and the latter by 

 saying " he went back to Makkah." 



The balance of evidence however is decidedly in favour of Moham- 

 mad's having been sent back, and that Abu Talib continued his journey 

 and attended to his affairs, for we have exclusive of Waqidy's tradition, 

 two original accounts, that of Tirmidzy, and that of Ibn Aby Shaybah 

 condensed by so high authorities as Nawawy and Abu. Sa'adat against 

 the single testimony of Ibn IsAaq, which is supported only by men 

 who have not made a special study of the traditions, and of the biogra- 

 phy of the prophet. Probability too is in favour of his having been 

 sent back. The roads from Syria to the i/ijaz were safe, being under 

 the protection of the Ghassanite kings, and the intercourse was very 

 frequent, so that there would have been constantly opportunities of 

 sending back a boy who being twelve years of age, could take care of 

 himself. It would have been perfectly superfluous for Abu Talib to 

 retrace his steps himself a day sooner than he found it expedient. If it 



ing Mohammad's connexion with Sergius, which began on his journey forKhadyjab. 

 It is remarkable that in the 70th chapter of Mas'udy and in Bal'amy's 7'abary only 

 the second journey is recorded, and that no mention is made of the first. 



4 f 2 



