Jesus In India — Page 133
CHAPTER FOUR 123 say Our Master, the Seal of the Prophets, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, announced his claim to being a Messenger from Allah, these people were to be found in the eastern part of Herat. A Quraish chief Khalid bin Walid brought to them the tidings of the Prophet's Coming with a view to bringing them under the banner of the Divine Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Five or six chiefs were elected to accompany him, of whom the principal chief was Qais, whose other name was Kish. After accepting Islam, these people fought bravely for the cause of Islam and made many conquests. The Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave them many gifts on their return journey, blessed them, and prophesied that they would attain great power and ascendancy. The Holy Prophet (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also prophesied that the chiefs of this tribe would always be known as Maliks. He gave Qais the name of ʻAbdul Rashid and conferred upon him the title Pahtaan. Afghan writers say that this is a Syriac word which means a rudder. As the newly converted Qais was, like the rudder of a ship, a guide to his tribe, he was awarded the title Pahtaan. At what period the Afghans of Ghor moved forward and set- tled in the Kandahar country, which is now their home, is not known. This happened probably in the first century of the Islamic calendar. The Afghans maintain that Qais married the daughter of Khalid bin Walid, by whom he had three sons whose names were Saraban, Patan, and Gurgasht. Saraban had two sons, called Sacharj Yun, and Karsh Yun and it is their descendants indeed who are today known as the Afghans or Beni-Israel. The people