Introduction to the Study of The Holy Quran — Page 132
132 This is the covenant in brief. It has been prepared from scraps to be found in historical records. It emphasises beyond any doubt that in settling disputes and disagreements between the parties at Medina, the guiding principles were to be honesty, truth and justice. Those committing excesses were to be held responsible for those excesses. The covenant makes it clear that the Prophet of Islam was determined to treat with civility and kindness the other citizens of Medina, and to regard them and deal with them as brethren. If disputes and conflicts arose later, the responsibility rested with the Jews. As we have already said, two or three months passed away before Meccans could renew their planned hostility against Islam. An occasion was provided by Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh, chief of the Aws tribe of Medina, who arrived at Mecca for the circuit of the Ka‘bah. Abu Jahl saw him do this and said, "After giving protection to this apostate Muhammad, do you expect you can come to Mecca and circuit the Ka‘bah in peace? Do you think you can protect and save him? I swear by God, that had it not been for Abu Sufyan, you could not have returned safe to your family. " Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh replied, "Take it from me, if you Meccans stop us from visiting and circuiting the Ka‘bah, you will have no peace on your road to Syria. " At about that time Walid bin Mughirah, a Meccan chief, became seriously ill. He apprehended that his end had come. The other chiefs of Mecca were sitting around. Walid could not control himself and began to cry. The Meccan chiefs wondered at this and asked him why he was crying. "Do you think I am afraid of death? No, it is not death I fear. What I fear is lest the Faith of Muhammad should spread and even Mecca go under him. " Abu Sufyan assured Walid that as long as they lived they would resist with their lives the spread of this Faith. 152 Meccans Preparing to Attack Medina From this narration of events it is quite clear that the lull in Meccan hostility was only temporary. The leaders of Mecca were preparing for a renewed attack on Islam. Dying chiefs bound their survivors to oaths of hostility against the Prophet, and roused them to war against him and his followers. The people of Medina were invited to take up arms against the Muslims and were warned that, if they refused to do so, the Meccans and their allied tribes would attack Medina, kill their men and enslave their women. If the Prophet had stood aside and done nothing for the defence of Medina, he would have incurred a terrible responsibility. The Prophet, therefore, instituted a system of reconnaissance. He sent parties of men to places round about Mecca to report on signs of preparations for war. Now and then, there were incidents—scuffles and fights—between these parties and Meccans. European writers say these incidents were initiated by the Prophet and that, therefore, in the wars which ensued, he was the aggressor. But we have before us the thirteen years of Meccan tyranny, their intrigues for antagonizing the people of Medina against the Muslims, and the threatened attack upon Medina itself. Nobody who remembers all