Life of Muhammad — Page 173
sa 173 thunder, not on deaf ears but on ears agog. It had an electric effect. The very Companions who had found themselves powerless to urge their mounts towards the battlefield, began to feel they were no longer in this world but in the next, facing God on the Judgement Day. The voice of ‘ Abb a s ra did not sound like his own voice but the voice of the angel beckoning them to render an account of their deeds. There was nothing then to stop them from turning to the battlefield again. Many of them dismounted and with only sword and shield rushed to the battlefield, leaving their animals to go where they liked. Others dismounted, cut off the heads of their animals and rushed back on foot to the Prophet sa. It is said that the An sa r on that day ran towards the Prophet sa with the speed with which a mother-camel or a mother-cow runs to her young on hearing its cries. Before long the Prophet sa was surrounded by a large number of Companions, mostly An sa r. The enemy again suffered a defeat. The presence of Ab u Sufy a n ra on the side of the Prophet sa on this day was a mighty divine Sign, a Sign of the power of God on the one hand and of the purifying example of the Prophet sa on the other. Only a few days before, Ab u Sufy a n ra was a bloodthirsty enemy of the Prophet sa , commander of a bloodthirsty army determined to destroy the Muslims. But here, on this day the same Ab u Sufy a n ra stood by the side of the Prophet sa , a friend, follower and Companion. When the enemy camels stampeded, Ab u Sufy a n ra , a wise and seasoned general, saw that his own horse was likely to run wild. Quickly he dismounted and, holding the stirrup of the Prophet's sa mule, started going on foot. Sword in hand, he walked by the side of the Prophet sa determined not to let anyone come near the Prophet's sa person without first attacking and killing him. The Prophet sa watched this change in Ab u Sufy a n ra with delight and astonishment. He reflected on this fresh evidence of the power of God. Only ten or fifteen days before, this man was