Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 199
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 199 the control of the Muslims, who tried to stop them, but the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, directed that they should be permitted to drink from the spring in peace, which they did and returned to their ranks. Now the forces faced each other in such order that the numbers of the Muslims appeared to Quraish double their actual strength, which disturbed Quraish, while the numbers of Quraish appeared to the Muslims smaller than their actual strength. Quraish depute d Umair bin Wahb to ride around the Muslim force and to make an estimate of their strength, and also discover whether there was any supporting force hidden behind them. Umair soon returned from his errand and reported his estimate of the numbers of the Mus lim force and that there was no supporting force behind them; and added: ‘Ye Quraish, calamities approach you, fraught with destruction. Their numbers are small, but death is astride upon the camels of Yathrab. Their only refuge is the sword. Not a man of them shall fall but in his stead one of ourselves will be slain; and when there shall have been slaughtered amongst us a number equal unto them, of what avail will life be to us after that?’ Quraish were perturbed at Umair’s words and Suraqa bin Malik was so overcome that he left them and went back. When someone tried to restrain him, he said, ‘I see that which you do not. ’ When Hakeem bin Hizam heard Umair’s description of the Muslim force, he went to Utba bin Rabi’a and said to him, ‘Utba, you are seeking retribution from Muhammad for the killing of Amr bin Hadhrami, who was your confederate. Would it not do if you were to pay his heirs his blood money and lead Quraish