The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 299
VII - Commencement of War with the Tribes of Najd and the Jews, the Marriage of Ḥaḍrat Fāṭimah and Ḥafṣah, and a Few Miscellaneous Incidents 299 that in actuality, Muḥammad [sa] was not the Prophet who had been promised to them. This response served the purpose of Ka‘b, and satisfied with their answer, he reinstated their yearly stipend. 1 In any case, this was merely religious opposition, which although was expressed in an unpleasant manner, could not at all be objectionable, and nor could Ka‘b be brought to task merely on this account. However, after this, the opposition of Ka‘b took on a more dangerous form, and ultimately, after the Battle of Badr, he began to employ such conduct, as was extremely mischievous and seditious, and created very dangerous circumstances for the Muslims. In actuality, prior to the Battle of Badr Ka‘b thought that this religious zeal was a temporary one, and gradually, all of these people would disperse on their own and revert to their ancestral religion. However, on the occasion of Badr, when the Muslims were granted an extraordinary victory, and most of the chieftains of the Quraish were slain, he understood that this new religion would not die out by itself. Hence, after Badr, he resolved to exert his best efforts to abolish and utterly destroy Islām. The first expression of his heart-felt rancour and jealousy was at the occasion when news of the victory of Badr reached Madīnah. Upon hearing this news, at the outset, Ka‘b said that this news seemed to be false, because it was impossible for Muḥammad [sa] to triumph over such a large army of the Quraish, and for such renowned chieftains of Makkah to be mixed to dust; if this news was true, then death was better than such a life. 2 When this news had been confirmed and Ka‘b was assured that the victory at Badr had granted Islām such strength as was beyond his wildest dreams, he was overcome with anger and rage. He immediately prepared for journey and took to Makkah, and upon reaching there, by the power of his persuasive speech and poetic tongue, inflamed the fire that was kindling in the hearts of the Quraish. He created an unquenchable thirst in their hearts for Muslim blood, and filled their hearts 1 Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 2, p. 368, Qatlu Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf. . . . . , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 2 * Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 2, p. 265, Sariyyatu Qatli Ka‘b bin Al-Ashraf, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, p. 516, Maqtalu Ka‘bibnil- Ashraf, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)