When God’s Messenger divided the portion of the relatives among the B. Hashim and the B. al-Muttalib, ‘Uthman b. ‘Affan and I came to him and said, "Messenger of God, these are our brethren of the B. Hashim whose superiority we do not deny because of the position in which God has placed you in relation to them, but tell us about our brethren of the B. al-Muttalib to whom you have given something while omitting us though our relationship is the same as theirs."* God’s Messenger replied, "The B. Hashim and the B. al- Muttalib are one body like this," and he intertwined his fingers. * Cf. Chapter 8a Shafi'i transmitted it, and there is something to the same effect in the version of Abu Dawud and Nasa'i. It says, "I and the B. al-Muttalib have not been separate in the pre-Islamic or in the Islamic period and they and we are one," intertwining his fingers.