Life of Muhammad — Page 154
sa 154 ‘ Abb a s ra and Ab u Sufy a n ra were old friends. ‘ Abb a s ra insisted that Ab u Sufy a n ra should accompany him on the same mule and go to the Prophet sa. He gripped Ab u Sufy a n's ra hand, pulled him up and made him mount. Spurring the mule, they soon reached the Prophet's sa camp. ‘ Abb a s ra was afraid lest ‘ Umar ra , who was guarding the Prophet's sa tent, should fall upon Ab u Sufy a n ra and kill him. But the Prophet sa had taken precautions, announcing that if anybody should meet Ab u Sufy a n ra he should make no attempt to kill him. The meeting impressed Ab u Sufy a n ra deeply. He was struck by the rise which had taken place in the fortunes of Islam. Here was the Prophet sa 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 sa 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 Ab u Sufy a n ra 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 thoughts, he appeared stupefied to outside observers. The Prophet sa saw this agitated Meccan leader. He told ‘ Abb a s ra to take him away and entertain him for the night, promising to see him in the morning. Ab u Sufy a n ra spent the night with ‘ Abbas. In the morning they called on the Prophet sa. It was time for the early morning prayers. The bustle and activity which Ab u Sufy a n ra saw at this early hour was quite unusual in his experience. He had not known — no Meccan had known — such early risers as Muslims had become under the discipline of Islam. He saw all the