Introduction to the Study of The Holy Quran — Page 198
198 "O People, I renew, on behalf of the Meccans, our assurance of peace to you. " 226 The people of Medina did not understand this speech. So, they only laughed. The Prophet said to Abu Sufyan, "Your statement is one-sided and we cannot agree to it. " In the meantime, the Prophet had sent word to all the tribes. Assured that they were ready and on the march, he asked the Muslims of Medina to arm themselves and prepare. On the 1 st January, the Muslim army set out on its march. At different points on their way, they were joined by other Muslim tribes. Only a few days’ journey had been covered, when the army entered the wilderness of Faran. Its number—exactly as the Prophet Solomon had foretold long before—had now swelled to ten thousand. As this army marched towards Mecca, the silence all around seemed more and more ominous to the Meccans. They persuaded Abu Sufyan to move out again and find out what the Muslim design was. He was less than one day’s journey out of Mecca when he saw at night the entire wilderness lit up with campfires. The Prophet had ordered a fire in front of every camp. The effect of these roaring fires in the silence and darkness of the night was awful. "What could this be?" Abu Sufyan asked his companions, "Has an army dropped from the heavens? I know of no Arab army so large. " They named some tribes and at every name Abu Sufyan said, "No Arab tribe or people could have an army as large. " Abu Sufyan and his friends were still speculating when a voice from the dark shouted, "Abu Hanzalah"! (Hanzalah was a son of Abu Sufyan. ) "‘Abbas, are you here?" said Abu Sufyan. "Yes, the Prophet’s army is near. Act quickly or humility and defeat await you," replied ‘Abbas. ‘Abbas and Abu Sufyan were old friends. ‘Abbas insisted that Abu Sufyan should accompany him on the same mule and go to the Prophet. He gripped Abu Sufyan’s hand, pulled him up and made him mount. Spurring the mule, they soon reached the Prophet’s camp. ‘Abbas was afraid lest ‘Umar, who was guarding the Prophet’s tent, should fall upon Abu Sufyan and kill him. But the Prophet had taken precautions, announcing that if anybody should meet Abu Sufyan he should make no attempt to kill him. The meeting impressed Abu Sufyan deeply. He was struck by the rise which had taken place in the fortunes of Islam. Here was the Prophet whom Meccans had banished from Mecca with but one friend in his company. Hardly seven years had passed since then, and now he was knocking at the gates of Mecca with ten thousand devotees. The tables had been completely turned. The fugitive Prophet who, seven years before, had escaped from Mecca for fear of life, had now returned to Mecca, and Mecca was unable to resist him. Fall of Mecca Abu Sufyan must have been thinking furiously. Had not an incredibly great change taken place in seven years? And now as leader of the Meccans, what was he going to do? Was he going to resist, or was he going to submit? Troubled by such