Life of Muhammad — Page 127
sa 127 When the agreement had been written down and the signatures of the parties affixed, there soon arose an occasion which tested the good faith of the parties. A son of Suhail, the Meccan plenipotentiary, appeared before the Prophet sa , bound, wounded and exhausted. He fell at the Prophet's sa feet and said, "O Prophet sa of God, I am a Muslim at heart, and because of my faith I have to suffer these troubles at the hands of my father. My father was here with you. So I escaped and managed to come to you. " The Prophet sa had not spoken when Suhail intervened and said that the agreement had been signed and he would have to go with him. Ab u Jandal ra — this being the young man's name — stood before the Muslims, a brother of brothers, driven to desperation by the ill-treatment of his father. To have to send him back was an obligation they could not endure. They unsheathed their swords and seemed determined to die or save this brother. Ab u Jandal ra himself entreated the Prophet sa to let him remain. Would he send him back to the tyrants from whose clutches he had managed to escape? But the Prophet sa was determined. He said to Ab u Jandal ra , "Prophets do not eat their words. We have signed this agreement now. It is for you to bear with patience and to put your trust in God. He will certainly provide for your freedom and for the freedom of other young persons like you. " After the peace had been signed, the Prophet sa returned to Medina. Soon after, another young convert from Mecca, Ab u Ba si r ra by name, reached Medina. But in accord with the terms of the agreement, he also was sent back by the Prophet sa. On the way back, he and his guards had a fight in the course of which he killed one of the guards and thus managed to escape. The Meccans went to the Prophet sa again and complained. "But," said the Prophet sa , "we handed over your man to you. He has now escaped out of your hands. It is no longer our duty to find him and hand him over to you again. A few days later, a woman escaped to Medina. Some of her relations went after her and demanded her return. The Prophet sa