Stories from Early Islam — Page 106
106 with the intention of killing the Muslim scholars. This small party was attacked by two hundred men with arrows and other weapons. The Muslims climbed up a near-by hill and challenged the enemy. The non -believers offered to spare their lives if they would come down and surrender themselves. The Muslims did not believe them and chose to fight to the finish. So when an attack was launched on them, they fought bravely. But being very few in number they could not do much. Seven of them fell down dead. To the remaining three they again said, ‘Surrender and your lives will be spared’. This time they surrendered. As soon as they came down, they were made prisoners, and were tied down with ropes. One of these three said that that was a breach of agreement and refused to go with them. At this they attacked him and killed him on the spot. The remaining two captives, namely Zaid and Khubaib were taken by them to Makkah and were sold as slaves. The Makkan who bought Khubaib, wanted to murder him so as to avenge his own father’s death, who had been killed in the battle of Badr. One day when Khubaib was doing some work with a sharp knife, his master’s child came close to him to see what he was doing. Khubaib took the child in his lap and began to talk to him. When the mother of the child noticed this, she was terri- fied in case the prisoner should harm the child. Khubaib saw the worried face of the mother. He said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid. I do not intend any harm to the child. We Muslims do not play false’