Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 407
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 407 and foster - sisters who have nursed thee and fondled thee in their bosoms. We have known thee thou hast risen to this dignity. Be gracious, therefore, unto us, even as the Lord has been gracious unto thee. ’ The Holy Prophet was deeply touched, and turning k indly to them told them that if they had approached him earlier he would have released all their prisoners without ransom. He then inquired, ‘Which of the two, your families or your properties, is the dearer to you?’ ‘Our women and our children, they repli ed, ‘we would not take anything in exchange for them. ‘Then,’ continued the Holy Prophet, ‘whatsoever prisoners fall to my portion and that of my family, I give them up unto you. With regard to the rest, come again at the midday Prayer when the congregatio n is assembled, and ask of me to make intercession with them for you. They appeared at the appointed time and made their petition. Ansar; and Emigrants cheerfully followed the example of the Holy Prophet but some of the allied tribes, as Fezara, with Oyein a at their head, declined to do so. The Holy Prophet offered to recompense them the rate of six camels for every captive, to which they agreed, and the prisoners were all released. At the time of the division of the spoils, 44 camels and 40 sheep or goats fell to the lot of each soldier, and three times that number to every horseman. Out of the one - fifth that fell to the share of the Holy Prophet he took the opportunity of gaining, b y a princely liberality; the hearts of the leading chiefs of Mecca and of the Bedouin tribes. To the most powerful he presented each 100 camels. Among them were Abu Sufyan, his two sons, Yazeed and Muawiya, Hakim bin Hizam, Safwan, Suhail, Huweitib,