Selections from The Art of Party Crashing in Medieval Iraq

Early Party-Crashing

11 Early Party-Crashing 14 Abu al-Hasan Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rizq alBazzaz told us, Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn ‘Umar ibn ‘Ali ibn Harb al-Ta’i told us, ‘Ali ibn Harb told us, Sufyan told us on the authority of ‘Asim ibn Abu al-Nujud, or Abu al-Husayn ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Bashran al-Mu‘addal told us a number of times, Muhammad ibn ‘Amr ibn al-Bakhtari al-Razzaz told us, Sa‘dan ibn Nasr ibn Mansur Abu ‘Uthman al-Bazzaz told us, Sufyan ibn ‘Uyayna al-Hilali told us on the authority of ‘Asim, on the authority of Zirr, who said, ‘Abd Allah said: Give lunch to the knowing or the learned, but do not give lunch to the “He’s-with-me.” The Art of Party-Crashing 12 This is the end of the report of ‘Ali ibn Harb, but Sa‘dan adds, Sufyan said, Abu al-Za‘ra’ said, on the authority of Abu al-Ahwas, who said, ‘Abd Allah said: In the days before Islam we called someone invited to a party, who brought someone uninvited along with him, a “He’s-with-me.”1 15 ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn ‘Uthman al-Sayrafi told me, ‘Ali ibn ‘Umar ibn Ahmad al-Hafiz told us, Abu Rawq al-Hamadhani told us ibn Basra, Bahr ibn Nasr told us in Mecca, ‘Abd Allah ibn Wahb told us, and he said, I heard Sufyan al-Thawri said, Abu alZa ‘ra’ told us on the authority of Abu al-Ahwas on the authority of ‘Abd Allah, and he said: In the pre-Islamic time they considered the “He’s-with-me,” the one who is invited to a feast and is accompanied by another person, as well as the one whose beliefs are loaded on with others’. Al-Khatib said: 1. The original Arabic word is imma‘a, seemingly a contraction of “He is with him.” Early Party-Crashing 13 This means one who makes his beliefs conform to those of other men without looking at the evidence or seeking proof. It is derived from the saddle load that hangs on a horse, for likewise this man hangs the issues of his beliefs on others , relying on imitation rather than striving in his own mind. 19 Al-Hasan ibn Abu Bakr told us, ‘Abd al-Malik ibn alHasan al-Mu‘addal told us, Abu Yusuf al-Qadi told us, Sulayman ibn Harb told us, Hammad ibn Salama told us on the authority of Thabit, on the authority of Anas: One of the Prophet’s neighbors was a Persian, and he made stew that was the most wonderfulsmelling thing. One day he was making some food, and went over to the Prophet, who had ‘A’isha by his side, and beckoned for him to come eat. “Can she come with me?” asked the Prophet of God, pointing at ‘A’isha. “No,” said the man. He pointed at ‘A’isha again and said, “Can she come with me?” “No,” said the man. He pointed at her a third time and said, “Can she come with me?” The Art of Party-Crashing 14 The man said, “Yes,” and so ‘A’isha went with him.2 21 ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Bashran alMu ‘addal told us, Muhammad ibn ‘Amr al-Razzaz told us, Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Yazid told us, Wahb ibn Jarir told us, Shu‘ba told us on the authority of al-A‘mash on the authority of Abu Wa’il, on the authority of Abu Mas‘ud that: A man of Medina named Abu Shu‘ayb invited the Prophet to come over and to bring five friends. The Prophet sent word back to him asking, “May I bring six?” The man said that he could. 23 Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Yahya ibn Ja‘far al-Isbahani told us, Abu al-Qasim Sulayman ibn Ahmad ibn Ayyub al-Tabarani told us, ‘Amr ibn Thawb al-Judhami told us, Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Firyabi told 2. ‘A’isha was the prophet Muhammad’s favorite wife. Early Party-Crashing 15 us, Sufyan told us on the authority of al-A‘mash, on the authority of Abu Wa‘il, on the authority of Abu Mas’ud: We knew a man named Abu Shu‘ayb, who...