Assalamu'alaikum

Before beginning chapter 4, just something to keep in mind as we continue to learn the seerah of Prophet Muhammad pbuh.. and that is the conflict that occurred between Bani Hashim and Bani `Abd ad-Daron who should rightfully take over Makkah. But a deal was made that Bani Hashim would look after the pilgrims and taxes, and Bani `Abd ad-Dar would look after the Ka`bah. At the end of learning seerah when Prophet Muhammad pbuh conquers Makkah, the issue of who the keys of the Ka`bah are to be handed to will come back to this original conflict.

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Now to chapter 4 inshaAllah - `The Recovery of a Loss`.. remember what was lost in chapter 2?

Since we last heard of Shaybah or `Abd al-Muttalib, he has now grown up and has become a very influential individual among the Quraysh. He has one son by the name of Harith.

Now on the north-west side of the Ka`bah, there is a small area surrounded by a low semi-circular wall. The space within this area is called Hijr Ismail because the tombs of Prophet Ismail and Hajar lie there. It is considered
part of the Ka`bah although it`s not physically a part of it, and thus pilgrims will pass around the outside of the wall when circulating around the Ka`bah.

One night `Abd al-Muttalib went to sleep in the area of Hijr Ismail, and he had a dream to dig up the well of zam-zam. At the time, `Abd al-Muttalib didn`t know what the well of zam-zam was, but in his dream he was told that he will not regret digging it up, and that it was his inheritance. He was also told that the well would never dry, and would never fail to water all the pilgrims. He was told to look for a place where there was blood, dung, an ants` nest and pecking ravens. And finally he was told to pray for water that will water God`s pilgrims.

The dream repeated several times, and finally he went to look for the place that was mentioned in his dream. He looked for the place, and found between two rocks that had been taken as idols the place that the Quraysh would usually sacrifice their animals. There was aways blood there, and there was also dung, an ants` nest and a pecking raven.

So `Abd al-Muttalib started to dig, and after a while the Quraysh began to gather and ask what he was doing. Many were upset as he was digging up a sacred place. But `Abd al-Muttalib refused to stop digging and asked his son Harith to stand by him and protect him. Things began to become increasingly tense and heated when suddenly..

`Abd al-Muttalib hit something. It was the treasure of the Ka`bah which has been buried by the Jurhum tribe. Suddenly the Quraysh were not so worried about the fact that he had been digging up a sacred place, but they became worried as to who would get the treasure as they all wanted their share.

The well of zam-zam then reemerges, which was a very important event as the well had been lost for centuries. `Abd al-Muttalib received much prestige as he was the one who had recovered the zam-zam well.

The Quraysh began to argue about the gold, and at first `Abd al-Muttalib felt that the gold should be his as it was his dream which led him to find it. He also felt the well of zam-zam should be his, as it was the responsibility of Bani Hashim to water the pilgrims.

But to settle the argument, divining arrows were used. These were arrows to supposedly find out what the `divine` wanted, and arrows were thrown and a decision was made based on where the arrows faced. [Shaykh Hamza Yusuf mentions that this sort of behaviour is part of human nature].

So for every piece of treasure that was diggen up, arrows were cast. For some of the treasure, it went to `Abd al-Muttalib. And for some other parts of treasure, it went to the Ka`bah. But none went to any of the Quraysh. And as to who should control the zam-zam well, Bani Hashim was determined to control it.. as it was their function to water the pilgrims anyway.

Wassalam.