The first event of Qasama in the pre-lslamic period of ignorance was practiced by us (i.e. BanuHashim). A man from Banu Hashim was employed by a Quraishi man from another branch-family.The (Hashimi) laborer set out with the Quraishi driving his camels. There passed by him another manfrom Banu Hashim. The leather rope of the latter's bag had broken so he said to the laborer, "Will youhelp me by giving me a rope in order to tie the handle of my bag lest the camels should run away fromme?" The laborer gave him a rope and the latter tied his bag with it. When the caravan halted, all thecamels' legs were tied with their fetters except one camel. The employer asked the laborer, "Why,from among all the camels has this camel not been fettered?" He replied, "There is no fetter for it."The Quraishi asked, "Where is its fetter?" and hit the laborer with a stick that caused his death (lateron Just before his death) a man from Yemen passed by him. The laborer asked (him), "Will you go forthe pilgrimage?" He replied, "I do not think I will attend it, but perhaps I will attend it." The (Hashimi)laborer said, "Will you please convey a message for me once in your life?" The other man said, "yes."The laborer wrote: 'When you attend the pilgrimage, call the family of Quraish, and if they respond toyou, call the family of Banu Hashim, and if they respond to you, ask about Abu Talib and tell him thatso-and-so has killed me for a fetter." Then the laborer expired. When the employer reached (Mecca),Abu Talib visited him and asked, "What has happened to our companion?" He said, "He became illand I looked after him nicely (but he died) and I buried him." Then Abu Talib said, "The deceaseddeserved this from you." After some time, the messenger whom the laborer has asked to convey themessage, reached during the pilgrimage season. He called, "O the family of Quraish!" The peoplereplied, "This is Quraish." Then he called, "O the family of Banu Hashim!" Again the people replied,"This is Banu Hashim." He asked, "Who is Abu Talib?" The people replied, "This is Abu Talib." Hesaid, "'So-and-so has asked me to convey a message to you that so-and-so has killed him for a fetter(of a camel)." Then Abu Talib went to the (Quraishi) killer and said to him, "Choose one of threealternatives: (i) If you wish, give us one-hundred camels because you have murdered our companion,(ii) or if you wish, fifty of your men should take an oath that you have not murdered our companion,and if you do not accept this, (iii) we will kill you in Qisas." The killer went to his people and theysaid, "We will take an oath."Then a woman from Banu Hashim who was married to one of them (i.e.the Quraishis) and had givenbirth to a child from him, came to Abu Talib and said, "O Abu Talib! I wish that my son from amongthe fifty men, should be excused from this oath, and that he should not take the oath where the oathtakingis carried on." Abu Talib excused him. Then another man from them came (to Abu Talib) andsaid, "O Abu Talib! You want fifty persons to take an oath instead of giving a hundred camels, andthat means each man has to give two camels (in case he does not take an oath). So there are twocamels I would like you to accept from me and excuse me from taking an oath where the oaths aretaken. Abu Talib accepted them from him. Then 48 men came and took the oath. Ibn `Abbas furthersaid:) By Him in Whose Hand my life is, before the end of that year, none of those 48 personsremained alive.