How fortunate your father and mother are; you touch the earth and it turns to gold.

Until. at an appointment in the conference of days. Hakim ibn Hizam.

How fortunate your father and mother are; you will be the genius of your time.

And your time will give you. Who is the coming young man? Muhammad ibn Abdullah.

Bring him to me.

He is a relative of mine for whom I practice divination; I am a diviner from the tribe of Asad Shanwah, I have sharp vision and long experience in divination.

What is his name? Muhammad.

Why did he run away from me? I will tell him the news, I will tell him the news. Why did he run away from me?

Woe to you, O 'Aifa Lahab, what are you doing? What has happened to you?

And the judgment, the judgment. Where is the boy? Where is the orphan boy Muhammad?

Let me look at him. Let me look at him.

The orphan boy Muhammad.

By Allah, it will be chaos. Bring him back to me! Bring him back to me! O sons of Hashim.

O sons of Abdul Muttalib, Abdul Muttalib has died, and he was the leader of Mecca.

The Arabs saw no leader but him. By Allah, my father was a king without a crown.

There is no need in Mecca. Listen to me, my nephews, listen to your uncle. Say, uncle.

We are a family that inherited glory, generation after generation.

The leadership of Quraysh is among us, and it is ours. We will not leave it to others.

You spoke the truth, uncle. Your grandfather Qusay was the leader of his people.

The affairs of Mecca and the Sacred House were entrusted to him.

He established for Quraysh its traditions: leadership, guardianship, the House of Assembly, providing water, and hospitality.

And you know what we and our cousins did on the day when people lined up and prepared to fight between the alliance of the perfumed ones from Banu Abd Manaf.

With them were Banu Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza, Banu Zuhra ibn Kilab, Banu Tamim ibn Murrah, and Banu al-Harith ibn Fihr.

They swore not to abandon each other, nor to hand one another over as long as the sea of Sufah remained. Yes, yes, that happened, uncle.

And a group from Quraysh was with our cousins, the sons of Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy.

They are Banu Makhzum, Banu Sahm, Banu Jumah, and Banu Adi.

They are the blood-lickers, or the allies, and from between the two alliances came out Amir ibn Lu'ayy and Muharib ibn Fihr.

Abd Shams was the eldest of the sons of Abd Manaf.

The people were about to call for war.

If it were not for their agreement that leadership, providing food, and giving water would belong to Banu Abd Manaf, and so it became for Hashim.

And after him, for Abdul Muttalib. O uncle.

They were people of wealth and blessings. But now, as the sons and grandsons have increased,

Quraysh must help us with their wealth so that we can fulfill the needs of the pilgrims.

And so we can provide them with water and hospitality. My father left the responsibility of giving water to me.

That is, the two vineyards in Ta’if will return to me so I can sweeten the water of the basins for the pilgrims with their raisins.

Yes, my father left the task of giving water to al-Abbas, but we, the Banu Hashim, must help him.

As for hospitality and feeding the pilgrims, you will return to what your grandfather Qusay used to do. He would require Quraysh to give a portion of their provisions every year.

He would use it to help feed the pilgrims. We have become poor, uncle.

And we are not able to feed the pilgrims of the House and its visitors. By Allah, uncle, as much as I am able, I will not require Quraysh to give anything from their provisions.

But if time puts me in charge, then help me.

We will help you, Abu Talib. By Allah, the Arabs will not say that Banu Hashim fell short after the death of their elder.

This is how Hashim was, and this is how Abdul Muttalib was.

And by Allah, we do not accept humiliation nor do we commit it. We protect the distressed, maintain family ties, and care for the weak.

O sons of Hashim, Quraysh will not leave you the glory of your father and grandfather.

And we will not let Quraysh take from us what is rightfully ours.

Hashim once competed with Abd Shams and prevailed, so the matter was decided in favor of Hashim over Abd Shams.

And Umayyah challenged Abdul Muttalib, and Nufayl al-Adawi judged in his favor. We feed the pilgrims and take care of their needs.

While they continue their trade and accumulate their wealth.

So how then can they rule over us? O leaders of Quraysh, the fathers and grandfathers have passed away, and the sons and grandsons remain.

And now the alliances are shaking, and they will not return as they were. We are the sons of Abd Manaf.

No one can match us in honor, glory, and high status, but our cousins from Banu Hashim,

they see themselves as masters over us, so what do you think? We accepted the leadership of Hashim and Abdul Muttalib.

Should we also submit to al-Harith and Abu Talib? O leaders of Quraysh, you are all descendants of Lu'ay, and the sons of Qusay are brothers, as are the sons of Abd Manaf.

They have the numbers and the honor.

And leadership is not just a claim; the Arabs give it to those who deserve it. No one among the sons of Qusay has any superiority over another.

Wait, Utbah. By Allah, all the Arabs know that Hashim

saved his people in the year of famine, and he was called Hashim at that time.

Amr, who broke the bread into pieces for his people.

And during the time of Abdul Muttalib, the Abyssinians were defeated, and the birds of Ababil came and destroyed Abraha and his army.

So why are you raising your heads? If it was for Abdul Muttalib because of his age and honor, then we and his sons are equal in servitude.

We are the leaders of Quraysh, and I don't think anyone is ahead of another.

In lineage and status, but people advance and fall behind, and become leaders according to what they offer their people.

For their people. We only hope that hearts will be pure. We are the people of the Sacred Sanctuary, and the Arabs do not compare anyone to us. And after the campaign of Abraha,

the reputation and honor of Quraysh spread, so no wrongdoer would dare act there. Hold fast to what your fathers left you.

If you differ and turn against each other, your strength will be lost.

I leave you in goodness. Where are you going, son of Asad? Home. They will not surpass us anymore, for we are wealth and riches, and our lineage is like theirs.

So why do they look down on us? To bring down the head of Quraysh. Whoever lives will see, O cousins.

You are blessed, O teacher, you are blessed.

Go ahead, cousin. Then.

Tomorrow we travel to al-Sham. May the Lord of the House return you safely, Abu Talib.

May you be blessed, Fatima, may you be blessed. Are the children asleep? Yes, all of them except Muhammad.

My beloved Muhammad, he only sleeps when he is near me.

Tell him that his uncle also cannot sleep well unless he is near him. How much do you love him, Abu Talib.

By Allah, Fatima, I do not know whether my love is greater or my compassion and tenderness for you.

It is known that you will leave tomorrow for al-Sham. My eyes have not dried from tears.

Take care of him, Fatima. Orphanhood wounds his heart. He is, by Allah, a blessed boy. He is the blessed one of Banu Hashim.

Do not let him leave your sight. By Allah, my cousin, none of my children is more beloved to my heart than Muhammad.

I know, Fatima, I know. But it's the orphanhood, my cousin.

Now my children have grown up and become strong, and my mother is still alive.

And orphanhood has taken hold in my heart since the death of Abu Abdul Muttalib, so what about my nephew Muhammad?

How? I'm confused. What is it, my cousin? Are you the one who will go out with the trade caravan of Banu Hashim to.

To the land of Sham? No, rather my brother Abu Talib. Abu Talib.

But Abu Lahab was the one who was supposed to go out from among you. The matter among us is for Abu Talib. Have you all agreed on this?

And we will never turn away from him. Mother! Mother!

Peace be upon you, mother. Did you hear about the departure, my son? Yes, mother, and I came to say goodbye. May the Lord of the Kaaba be with you.

May Allah grant you success, my son, in your journey, in your going and returning, and bless your trade.

You, my son, are the leader of your people, and you need wealth, for wealth brings honor.

Perhaps this journey will be good, mother. And Muhammad, what did he do?

He is with my children and Fatima's wife is taking care of him, and as you know, his guardianship is a blessing that never leaves him. Send him to me, my son.

So he will be in my care, and he reminds me of his father.

My soul grieves for his father, and I will embrace him until you return from al-Sham. As you wish, mother.

I will speak to Fatima to send him with Baraka until I return. May Allah bless you, my son, and you protect your nephew as if he were your own son, you put him forward.

So do not let him feel the bitterness of being an orphan and the pain of loss. By Allah, mother, I cannot bear to be separated from you.

This boy, this boy amazes me. Why, my son?

He has not yet reached thirteen, yet he has the mind of men and the ambition of leaders, and he speaks only the truth.

He doesn't play around like other boys or mess around like children do. He is strong and steadfast, courageous, fears no one, and looks down on no one.

Also, mother, even when he was young, he always chose his words carefully.

He never does anything indecent, neither in speech nor in behavior, and what's even stranger is that.

He loves solitude, he likes to take his flock to the mountains of Mecca alone.

But I've noticed that he doesn't care about the idols in the Kaaba.

He doesn't respect or honor them like the youth of Quraysh do. Have you spoken to him about that, my son?

Yes, I spoke to him, mother, I spoke to him.

I didn't find out anything specific about this matter, but I know that he doesn't care for the idols of the Kaaba, he doesn't perform sujud to Hubal or Al-Uzza.

During tawaf, it's strange, mother, but even so, he has a pure heart and speaks truthfully.

He respects the elders and cares for the young, he is loyal and trustworthy.

Yes, my son, he is the trustworthy one.

And his father was trustworthy, and Quraysh says he is a trustworthy boy.

He is from Banu Hashim, mother, and their lineage is not lacking. You are the peak of honor, my son.

No one can deny that about you.

You are blessed, mother.

Do not forget what I advised you, uncle. I will, Abd al-Uzza.

I will, by protecting Hubal and caring for him. It is time to leave, Abu Talib is late.

He is coming, Harb.

O people of Quraysh, this is the summer caravan to al-Sham, carrying Indian silk, Yemeni incense, and frankincense.

And ivory, Socotran aloe, spices, and incense. O people of Quraysh, we will return at the end of the journey.

We will bring you from al-Sham wheat, glass, Syrian textiles, and the wines of Andarin and Adhri'at.

Will you not also bring with you some of the daughters of the Romans, with blond hair and fair necks?

Tall, beautiful women.

You are still the same as always, O gold weigher.

I traded in everything, everything, but my wealth did not increase until I traded in slave girls and maidservants.

Those with the banners, they filled my treasuries. O son of Jud'an, you are truly generous and wealthy.

But we, the sons of Hashim, do not approve of trading in the bodies of maidservants and their children. But Quraysh does not deny it.

How many young men have come from a maidservant.

And he was noble. May Allah keep us away from slander.

O Abu Talib, he is weeping bitterly over your departure. How is that, lady of Banu Hashim?

I don't know what to do for Muhammad. I tell him.

Your uncle will go to Sham, and return with the gifts of Sham, and he will bring you what will please your eyes, and he says.

My eyes will only be pleased with what, and my uncle is close to me. Look at him, he is deeply attached to you, Abu Talib. By Allah, Baraka, I am sad at your departure.

But he is still too young for such a difficult and long journey.

Look at him, he is crying.

O light of my eyes, your uncle, O Muhammad, let your tears dry.

Rather, let your heart be at ease and your soul be at ease. By Allah, I will not go to al-Sham except with you. I will never leave you.

It has begun. So you have heard about the journey to al-Sham then, O son of al-Huwairith.

Yes, O Waraqah, I have trade and I have a dream. Listen, O Uthman.

You know that I refuse to worship idols, and I am here far away.

A scholar passes by here and a scholar passes by there.

A Jew and a Christian pass by, but I do not meet anyone who follows the religion of our forefather Ibrahim. The Hanifs? Yes.

The Hanif religion is the faith of our forefather Ibrahim, but our people have added things to it that do not belong. That is how they found their fathers. Listen, O Uthman.

You are the one who travels, so seek it out for us. Perhaps we will find what we are searching for. I will search, O Wa'il, I will search, and I will come back to you with news.

Where are you taking Muhammad, O Abu Talib?

To Sham. How, my brother, when he is still young and cannot bear the hardships of the road, its thirst, its hunger, and its heat?

Take him back to your house, O Abu Talib, and we will provide for him as you provide. No, by Allah, I will never leave him. His uncle said to me.

Why are you leaving me? His words pierced my chest like a burning arrow, and his tears flowed down his cheeks.

Leave him with me. As long as he is with me, do not worry about him. What can I say? Take care of him, Abu Tariq, take good care of him.

Are you advising me about Muhammad, O Harith? By Allah, there is nothing in this world more beloved to my heart than him.

O people of Quraysh, the time has come for the summer journey to al-Sham.

Let us set out under the protection of the gods, people of Quraysh.

Protect us in your homes, protect us among your families.

Safe travels, my people.

Safe travels.

The caravan of Mecca is late. Why is it late? Do you think he is with them, Bahira?

Sham'un, go and look for their caravan. This is the time they are supposed to arrive.

The time has come for them to arrive in Busra.

I have a need with them, I want to look into it, so go out to the southern gate and look for their caravan.

If they have arrived, come back to me immediately and inform me, for I am waiting for news about them impatiently. Go on, Shimon.

Go on, Shimon, go on. Alright, father.

Stop.

For about a month we have been traveling from Mecca to al-Sham. Is Busra still far? It's not far, just a farsakh away.

This is the land of the Romans, and they are People of the Book, like the Christians of Najran. There is no one left here who worships idols. You are someone of importance, son of al-Huwairith.

No one is of importance. Listen, Abu Talib. Say, son of the disciple.

A young boy, tender-skinned, not yet thirteen. He came with us from Mecca; I have not heard a complaint from him, nor seen any annoyance or distress.

He is from the lineage of Hashim.

What is even more amazing is his manners, courage, diligence, modesty, his care for the caravan, and his management of the journey.

He acts like a capable man. I have not heard a single word from him out of place. He can handle even more.

More than his capacity, O Abu Talib. I have not seen anyone like your nephew. Do you seek omens, O son of Al-Huwairith? How would I know?

And I am not from Banu Lahb, nor from Azd Shanou'a, but it is observation and reflection, O Abu Talib, and this solitude that he surrounds himself with.

Calm, wandering far away, alone in thought and purity of heart.

These are not the qualities of young men his age; they are the traits of the wise. You have insight, O son of Al-Huwairith. My nephew Muhammad is noble.

We have never known a slip from him. And above all this, he is trustworthy.

Yes, my nephew Muhammad the trustworthy, there is no wealth like a noble young man. May Allah have mercy on his father Abdullah.

Upon him is the radiance of the light of prophethood.

And his guidance is evident.

Nor the era.

His mornings and evenings are with Muhammad. O Umm Talib.

What is it, Baraka? Where are you going? To Mount Ajyad.

To Mount Ajyad, and what are you doing in Ajyad? I am looking for the travelers, Umm Talib. I miss Muhammad.

And how could I not miss him.

I am his mother who raised him, I held him as a child, I saw his tears as a baby and a young boy, and by the Lord of this House, you are a part of me that cannot be separated from me.

Calm down, Baraka, calm down, it is not yet time for them to arrive. I know.

I know, Umm Talib, but I can't hold back my longing. Baraka, Muhammad is in Sham with his uncle, and by Allah, I miss him too.

But what can we do? We have nothing but sabr. I know, but I will go to Ajyad. You are strange.

And what will you do in Ajyad? I look from there toward Sham, hoping to catch the scent of Muhammad coming from it.

Oh, your loyal heart. May you be blessed, Baraka.

Go. O heavens and earth.

What is this? A cloud.

In the heat of this summer, she moves alone in the sky.

Above that cloud of dust, O monk, O monk Simeon, O Simeon, come to me.

O Simeon, I see nothing but that.

The caravan of the Arabs from the people of Mecca has arrived, so come to it, my son.

And make sure for me. Go on. So if the caravan has arrived, what should I do? If you confirm that they have come, return to me immediately.

For I have a need with the merchants of Mecca. Go on, go on, O Simeon. As you command, my father. This is truly astonishing.

Could it be him? Could it be him, Bahira? The Prophet.

Awaited. O people of the caravan, O merchants of Quraysh.

We have approached the walls of Busra, and the Romans will not allow us to pass. Their official will come now.

He will tax us and take the levy, and he will not allow a single camel to cross. If any of us wants to enter Busra, he may enter, but without weapons.

No weapons and no horses. These Romans, if they get angry with us, will prevent us from entering al-Sham, or at the very least, from reaching Busra.

And you know that we cannot do without the caravan of al-Sham.

Welcome, O Arab brother, has the caravan from Mecca arrived?

Yes, it has arrived, and we are the merchants of Quraysh. I want to ask you.

Are there monks in Busra who know Allah and understand the Christian religion? Yes. Like who? The monk Bahira. Are we alone, Zayd?

Yes, Waraqa, speak. My heart is telling me, Zayd.

And my heart has always told me the truth: our people are upon nothing. You have expressed what is in my heart, Waraqa, so what do you have to say?

Woe to them, Zayd. How can they claim that we are following the religion of our father Ibrahim?

And they call out in their talbiyah: "Here I am, O Allah, here I am." Then they say: "You have no partner except a partner who belongs to You; You own him and whatever he owns."

Do they associate al-Lat, al-Uzza, Hubal, Suwa', and Manat with Allah?

Is this the religion of Ibrahim, Zayd? No, by the Lord of the Ka'bah. So what should we do then? We seek the religion of our father Ibrahim, whether in secret or openly.

Rather, in secret and in hiding, Zayd. By Allah, if our people knew about us, we would see great harm from them.

Even if we do not speak badly about their idols.

Not only that, but we still do not know the direction of the religion of our father Ibrahim. They have mixed it with things that do not belong to it, Zayd.

By Allah, I no longer know right from wrong. Ibrahim was upright. Yes, so we should be upright like him, but how can we know his prayer and his du'a?

We know one thing: Allah is One, so we affirm His oneness, and He alone is the Creator, so we prostrate to Him, and we do not prostrate to their idols.

And we do not eat from the sacrifices slaughtered on their altars.

And we avoid indecency and immorality, and everything that harms honor and dignity, like usury, adultery, lying, magic, and fortune-telling. You are right, Waraqa, and we follow the upright way in the caves of the mountains of Mecca.

Yes, we pray there, but what kind of prayer? We say to our Lord.

You alone are our Lord and Creator, and we do not acknowledge anything else.

As for Mecca, besides us. Ubayd Allah ibn Jahsh, this young man does not stay away from us, and I will speak to him.

Uthman. Uthman ibn al-Huwayrith. Uthman? That man full of ambition?

He is like us, Zayd, but he is a man of forbearance and ambition.

But I, but I do not know what he is thinking. He went to al-Sham, maybe he will bring us some news.

It will benefit us in our affairs. Our Lord, illuminate our path for us.

People of the caravan, people of the caravan.

Merchants of Mecca, this is a monk from Busra. What do you want, monk? My father is inviting you.

Your father? And who is your father? My father is the monk Bahira. Who doesn't know Bahira, the knowledgeable, wise, devout man? The people of the whole region,

hold him in the highest esteem, and he is inviting you to a meal tomorrow at noon, hoping that none of you will be absent.

And he insists on your attendance. He is blessed. Why is he so insistent on inviting us? Bahira the monk.

He invites you and insists on his invitation, and you ask what happened.

He never did this before. Every year we come here, and this is the first time he invites us to his meal.

Rather, we used to pass under his cell, and he would barely notice us, so what is it with him this year? The monk has a great matter, and I will go to Busra.

What should I say to him? Tell the monk Bahira.

We will come to him tomorrow, and we will not ignore his invitation, and none of you should be absent.

It will be so, O monk, it will be so. Convey our greetings and thanks to your father. By Allah, sir.

I don't think any people are truly upon something, and I will search for the religion of our father Ibrahim.

Where will you search, Waraqa? Won't you take me with you?

If I find something, I will tell you what I have learned.

Woe to them, sir. They say that our father Ibrahim established the foundations of the House by the command of the One Allah, purified it, and prepared it for the pilgrims and those who visit.

And for those who pray and affirm the oneness of their Lord. What's more, they say that Amr ibn Luhayy brought the idols to Mecca.

And before that, there was not a single idol there, and that he set up this stone they call Hubal inside the Kaaba.

And they say, "We do not worship the idols, but we seek to draw closer to Allah through them," as if Allah would not bring them near unless they intercede with Him through a stone. You spoke the truth, Waraqa.

But do you think they will leave us alone if we declare that we do not follow their religion?

By Allah, preaching will make your life miserable. We hide what is on our minds, sir.

Let us keep away from what they are upon, and not prostrate to an idol.

By Allah, I will not eat the meat slaughtered for their idols. My Lord, if only I knew which path is most beloved to You.

My hands are tied.

When will these Arabs arrive? Haven't they come yet? They are coming, my father, they are coming.

A command from the Great Lord, the One exalted in the highest, with wisdom and oneness, that I meet among them.

Whom am I waiting for.

Welcome, merchants of Mecca. Please, gentlemen, please come in.

Please.

Please, please. What do you want?

You see, nobles of Quraysh, does the monk Bahira, who is among the elite, want to learn trade?

Or does he want to make us love his religion? This is truly strange, son of Umayya, no monk of Qattan has done this before.

Monks are always gentle with the Bedouins, and their homes and churches have long been a refuge for the hungry, the thirsty, and those in need.

Monks have humble hearts and souls overflowing with mercy.

Please, gentlemen, our master is waiting for you.

Please, gentlemen, please.

You are most welcome and have come to a place made easy for you.

Welcome, noble people of Mecca. Please come in, you have honored my home, people of the Sacred House.

Do you know the Sacred House, venerable monk?

And who does not know it, my master? In fact, I know the whole peninsula.

Its tribes and their deities, and I know the story of the martyrs of the trench in Najran, and I know that Dhu Nuwas, the Jewish king,

committed that terrible, heinous act, and that the Arabs did not incline towards the Jewish religion despite the atrocities.

And the attempts made by Dhu Nuwas, his priests, and his rabbis. Nor did they incline towards Christianity, respected monk.

Who are you, sir? I am Abd Manaf ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim.

And they call me Abu Talib. Ah, so you are the master of Mecca and the son of its master.

You are right, our master. Please, eat, eat from what is in front of you. A generous table, not like the tables of Abdullah ibn Jud'an.

We have never seen anything like this before today. Enjoy, please.

You travel a lot, Umm Talib. The summer journey to Sham takes almost three months.

But make du'a to the Lord of the Kaaba, Baraka, that He grants them success in their trade, so they profit and do not lose.

They will profit. They will profit, Umm Talib. They will profit. Are you sure about that? Yes. They will profit.

Pure, fresh water. And fruit that a person desires in his dreams.

A good, blessed table, O Bahira the monk. But, my master, do all Christians eat the same?

No, O Qurayshi master, rather there are sects and denominations.

And they differ. Their disagreements have reached the point of slaughtering each other, and even the empire sometimes kills those who do not follow its doctrine.

Arianism and Jacobitism are sects that are violently persecuted.

Even the Copts and the Abyssinians are in bitter and constant conflict with the doctrine of Byzantium, but by Allah, tell me.

Did you all come to my invitation? I mean, did you not leave anyone behind? From Quraysh, no one is left, we all came.

Except for a young boy we left with our belongings and among our servants.

A young boy, did I not ask you not to let anyone from the people of Mecca miss my invitation?

O Simon, go to him and bring him. By Allah, it is shameful of us that we left the boy with our belongings and came.

But he is a young boy. We did not expect that you would want him with us, so we left him in the corner. Who is his father among you?

Abu Talib. Are you his father, sir? No, rather his uncle.

His father and mother died, so his grandfather Abdul Muttalib took care of him, then I took care of him.

By Allah, he is the most beloved of my children to me, and you leave him behind in the caravan.

By Allah, I do not like to be separated from him, and for this reason I brought him to Sham, but I was afraid that my cousins would say: He brought him to.

to the table of the leaders of Quraysh. How old is he? And did his father die before his mother or.

He is approaching thirteen. His father died while he was still in his mother's womb.

And his mother died before he reached the age of six.

Lord, is that what he says?

That he is the awaited one, the one mentioned in the Gospel? Could he be the good news my brother Isa brought? Will Bahira's eyes be blessed to see him?

Before death. What is it, monk? You keep asking about the boy. Are you worried about him? You know the monks.

How their hearts ache for orphans. By Allah, there is no disgrace after what we did. How could we leave him and come here.

This is the house, sir, the boy.

Come, my son, come. Is this your nephew, Abu Talib? Yes, he is my nephew Muhammad.

Muhammad. Why is the monk Bahira so interested in Muhammad, when he has ignored all of us?

A lasting blessing, noble monk. What's wrong? Eat and enjoy your meal. Thank you, we are full.

The caravan traders are waiting. Thank you, shepherd.

Abu Talib.

I have something to say to you.

What does the monk want from Abu Talib? Rather, what does he want from his nephew Muhammad?

O Abu Talib, take your nephew Muhammad back to his homeland and beware of the Jews for him.

By Allah, if they see him and recognize in him what I have recognized, harm will surely reach him. Also, beware of the people of Mecca for him, for among them are those who wish him harm as well.

Also, your nephew will have a great future, so hurry with him to his homeland. Go on.