Life of Muhammad — Page 168
sa 168 Hearing this entreaty, the Prophet sa prayed to God at once and said: "My God, forgive the enmity which ‘ Ikrima ra has born against me. Forgive him the abuse which has issued from his lips. " The Prophet sa then stood up and put his mantle over ‘ Ikrima ra and said, "Whoever comes to me, believing in God, is one with me. My house is as much his as mine. " The conversion of ‘ Ikrima ra fulfilled a prophecy which the Holy Prophet sa had made many years before. The Prophet sa , addressing his Companions, once had said: "I have had a vision in which I saw that I was in Paradise. I saw there a bunch of grapes. When I asked for whom the bunch was meant, someone replied saying, ' For Ab u Jahl'. " Referring to this vision on this occasion of the conversion of ‘ Ikrima ra , the Prophet sa said he did not understand the vision at first. How could Ab u Jahl, an enemy of believers, enter Paradise and how could he have a bunch of grapes provided for him. "But now," said the Prophet sa , "I understand my vision; the bunch of grapes was meant for ‘ Ikrima ra. Only, instead of the son I was shown the father, a substitution common in visions and dreams" ( H albiyya , Vol. 3, p. 104). Of the persons who had been ordered to be executed as exceptions to the general amnesty was one who had been responsible for the cruel murder of Zainab ra , a daughter of the Prophet sa. This man was Habb a r ra. He had cut the girths of Zainab's ra camel, on which Zainab ra fell to the ground and, being with child, suffered abortion. A little later she died. This was one of the inhumanities which he had committed and for which he deserved the penalty of death. This man now came to the Prophet sa and said, "Prophet sa of God, I ran away from you and went to Iran, but the thought came to me that God had rid us of our pagan beliefs and saved us from spiritual death. Instead of going to others and seeking shelter with them why not go to the Prophet sa himself, acknowledge my faults and my sins and ask for his forgiveness?"