Hassan ibn Thabit's poem 'Those are my people, if you ask, noble'

A long qasida on the rhyme of the mim, which Ibn Ishaq transmits from Hassan ibn Thabit. It is the third of his poems with which Ibn Ishaq closes the section on the Declaration of Immunity. It tells the history of the Ansar, from their old rule to their support of the Prophet. ¹

The poet opens by saying that his people are noble, honour the guest, protect their client and console their neighbour, and that they were kings in their land and were not ruled. ¹ He then calls to mind Ad, Thamud and the remnants of Iram, and describes the people of Yathrib who built fortresses among the palm trees and tamed their cattle, which the Jews had taken over and on whom they lived from the juice of the harvest. ¹ He relates that his people marched against them on camels and horses; when they encamped at the two sides of Sirar, the advance of the horsemen surprised them, and they fled quickly, and the Ansar returned with their leaders, their women and their children, inheriting the dwellings of those people, who had been their kings. ^{1 2} When the rightly guided Messenger came to them with truth and light after darkness, they said: you have spoken truly; come to us and stay with us. They made themselves and their children a shield for him, and stood with their swords fighting on his behalf. ^{2 3} The poem ends by saying that this is an ancient glory they inherited from their leaders, and that they have a favour over people. ³

One of its lines says: "When the rightly guided Messenger came to us with truth and light after darkness, we said: you have spoken truly, messenger of the Sovereign; come to us, and stay with us." ²

Ibn Hisham says that Abu Zayd al-Ansari recited two of its verses to him in two different versions, and that the line "and every dark-eyed one whose heart is distracted" comes from him too. ³ The editors note that this Abu Zayd is the linguist transmitter, and that the older parts of the biography end at this point in the eighteenth part. ³

The editors collate the verses with the diwan of Hassan and mark the variants, and explain its rare words: "al-aysar" are those who take part in games of chance; "ghashm" is the worst oppression; "dajjana" means kept in the house; "al-nawadih" are the camels used for drawing water; "al-hijan" is the white one; "al-salhaba" is a tall mare; "al-kuma" are the brave who cover themselves with armour; "lahu mai'a" describes a polished sword; "al-qarum" are the lords. ^{1 2 3}