الحث على قتال أهل الشام

[2] This sentence is employed for such severance after which there is no occasion or possibility of joining. The author of Durrah Najafiyyah has quoted several views in its explanation: (i) Ibn Durayd’s view is that it means that, “Just as when the head is severed its joining again is impossible in the same way as you will not join me after once deserting me.” (ii) al-Mufaddal says ar-ra’s (head) was the name of a man, and a village of Syria, Bayt ar-ra’s is named after him. This man left his home and went away somewhere and never again returned to his village after which the proverb sprang up “you went as ar-ra’s had gone.” (iii) One meaning of it is that “Just as if the joints of the bones of the head are opened they cannot be restored, in the same way as you will not join me after cutting from me.” (iv) It has also been said that this sentence is in the sense of separating completely. After copying this meaning from the Sharh of ash-Shaykh Quṭbu’d-Dīn ar-Rāwandī, the commentator Ibn Abi’l-Ḥadīd has written that this meaning is not correct because when the word “ar-ra's” is used in the sense of whole it is not preceded by “alif” and “lam”. (v) It is also taken to mean that “You will so run away from me as one (fleeing for life) to save his head.” Besides this, one or two other meanings have also been stated but being remote they are disregarded. First of all it was used by the philosopher of Arabia Aktham ibn Sayfi while teaching unity and concord to his children. He says: O my children do not cut away (from each other) at the time of calamities like the cutting of head, because after that you will never get together.