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When the men of Al-Zutt rode Muhammad all night long

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In Hadiths such as Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal 3778 and 3688 mention a strange story of a night excursion Muhammad took with a certain Abdullah ibn Masoud. You can read the linked Hadiths in Arabic with the help of Google translate. The first half ignore hadith is the interesting bit. You can read the full text on the linked websites. Here are translations in English without repetitive and unnecessary words:

Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal 3778

It is reported from Ibn Masud that the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, sent for me. We went out until we reached such and such a place. He drew a line for me and said, “Stay within the boundary of this line and do not leave it, for if you leave it you will perish.”

I stayed within it. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, went on some distance, a short while or somewhat farther. Then beings appeared, described as resembling the Zutt, or something similar. They were naked, I could not see their private parts, they were tall and thin, with little flesh.

They came and began to ride the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Prophet of God was reciting to them. They would come toward me, circling around me and crossing in front of me. I was terrified of them with intense fear, and I sat down.

When the column of dawn broke, they began to depart. Then the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, came back feeling heavy and in pain from how they rode him. He said that he felt heavy. He placed his head in my lap.

…

Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal 3688

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, asked me to accompany him. We went out until we reached a certain place, where he drew a line on the ground for me and said, “Stay within this boundary and do not leave it. If you leave it, you will perish.”

I remained inside it. The Messenger of Allah went on some distance away. Then there appeared beings who resembled the Zutt. They wore no clothes, though I could not see their private parts. They were tall and lean.

They came and began to ride the Messenger of Allah, and he began reciting over them. They also approached me, circling around me and obstructing me. I was seized by an intense fear of them and sat down.

When the light of dawn broke, they departed.

After that, the Messenger of Allah returned feeling heavy and in pain from what they had done to him, saying that he felt weighed down. He then placed his head in my lap.

…

What it sounds like

Muhammad went out into the desert. Ibn Masoud did not know what they were doing there, but Muhammad had apparently pre-arranged this rendezvous with some beings. Muhammad tells Ibn Masoud to stay within a line, perhaps a circle, or else he would perish. What happens next explains what kind of perishing he could expect.

Dark, tall, skinny naked beings that looks like men from Al-Zutt appear. The term “al-Zutt” in early Islamic texts usually refers to a people of South Asian origin, often associated with the Jats or other groups from the Indian subcontinent, especially in regions corresponding to modern-day Pakistan and northwest India. The Al-Zutt were known to be strong, virile, fierce warriors, and are often described as having a reputation for sexual indulgence. In historical and literary sources, particularly from the 9th–10th centuries, they were sometimes depicted as highly sexualized or lustful in popular accounts. Some chronicles note their supposed promiscuity or indulgence in sexual pleasures. 1, 2, 3

These naked beings begins to “ride” (yarkabun) Muhammad. In Arabic, the verb “yarkab” (يركب) literally means “to ride” or “to mount.” In most contexts, it’s neutral, e.g., riding a horse, bike, or vehicle. However, like many verbs in Arabic, it can take on a sexual connotation depending on context, especially when paired with a human object. For example: “yarkabuhu” can literally mean “he rides him/it,” and if said about a person in an intimate context, it can imply sexual intercourse. If the object is clearly a person and the context is intimate or adult, listeners can interpret it sexually. Since it makes no sense that they would put a saddle and bridle on Muhammad and ride him around like a pony, it is clear that “yarkabun” is definitely used in a sexual sense here, just like how in English “ride” can be a sexual euphemism.

Notice that this scene made Ibn Masoud very afraid, and his immediate reaction was to sit down, likely to protect his behind from being ridden as well.

And when dawn breaks, Muhammad stumbles over to Ibn Masoud in lots of pain from having the Al-Zutt riding him all night long.

So basically you have men known for their sexual virility meeting Muhammad for an all night butt sex orgy, causing Muhammad to have so much pain that he collapsed.

Must have been quite an evening…

  1. Al-Tabari (d. 923 CE), History of Prophets and Kings – While discussing various ethnic and tribal groups in Iraq, Al-Tabari mentions the Al-Zutt as a distinct community of Indian origin. Though he focuses more on their military role and settlement patterns, later commentators added stories about their sexual behavior, often emphasizing their “exotic” and lustful nature. ↩

  2. Al-Masudi (d. 956 CE), The Meadows of Gold – He describes the Zutt as physically imposing and “beautiful,” and some later manuscripts include anecdotal remarks about their indulgence in sensual pleasures. This is framed as part of their “otherness” compared to Arab or Persian populations. ↩

  3. Al-Jahiz (d. 868 CE), Kitab al-Hayawan and various essays – While not extensively focused on the Zutt, he sometimes uses them in moralistic examples of ethnic groups reputed for licentiousness or sexual excess. These descriptions were more literary than ethnographic, meant to illustrate moral points about self-control and vice. ↩