Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 341
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 341 with enmity towards them. The enemies of Islam had, for the moment, abandoned any design of open attack against Medina but had adopted the policy of causing the utmost harm and damage to the Muslims by all secret and perfidious means. One of the links in t his foul chain was the deceitful design of certain men of ‘Ak and Urainah clans of Bedouins. Eight of them arrived in Medina and, professing love for and attachment to Islam, became Muslims. After some time, they represented to the Holy Prophet that the da mp climate of Medina had upset their stomachs and spleens and that as they were not accustomed to city life and had lived in the open among animals they might be permitted to go and live somewhere outside Medina. The Holy Prophet told them to go and live a mong his herd of camels grazing in the plain south of Qaba, and drink of their milk. Following his advice, they soon recovered their strength, and suddenly, one day, attacked the keepers of the camels, and, having overpowered them, tortured them in diverse ways till they succumbed to the torment inflicted upon them. They then rounded up the camels and drove them away with them. One of the keepers, who had escaped, carried the tale of this tragedy to the Holy Prophet, whereupon a party of twenty was immediat ely dispatched in their pursuit, who overtook them after they had traversed a short distance and, having secured them with ropes, brought them to the Holy Prophet, who in accordance with his practice, that in default of any revealed commandment with refere nce to any situation, he followed the Mosaic law, directed that they should be treated in the same way as they had treated their victims. The directions of the Mosaic law in this context may be gathered from the