Life of Muhammad — Page 144
sa 144 this Bishr ra said that he also thought the same. He wanted to throw away the meat but was afraid it might disturb the Prophet sa. "Seeing you take a morsel," he said, "I also took one, but I soon began to wish you had not taken yours at all. " Soon afterwards Bishr ra became ill and, according to some reports, died there and then. According to other reports he died after remaining ill for some time. The Prophet sa then sent for the woman and asked her if she had poisoned the meat. The woman asked the Prophet sa how he ever got to know about it. The Prophet sa was holding a piece in his hand, and said,"My hand told me this," meaning he was able to judge from its taste. The woman admitted what she had done. "What made you do this? " asked the Prophet sa. "My people were at war with you and my relations were killed in this battle, I decided to poison you, believing that if you were an impostor you would die and we should be safe, but if you were a Prophet sa , God would save you. " Hearing this explanation the Prophet sa forgave the woman, although she had earned, the penalty of death ( Muslim ). The Prophet sa was ever ready to forgive, and punished only when punishment was necessary, when it was feared the guilty one would continue to commit mischief. THE PROPHET'S sa VISION FULFILLED In the seventh year after the Hijra, in February 629 to be exact, the Prophet sa was due to go to Mecca for the circuit of the Ka ‘ ba. This had been agreed to by the Meccan leaders. When the time came for the Prophet sa to depart, he collected two thousand followers and set out in the direction of Mecca. When he reached Marra zz uhr a n, a halting place near Mecca, he ordered his followers to shed their armours. These were collected in one place. In strict conformity with the terms of the agreement signed at Hudaibiya, the Prophet sa and his