Introduction to the Study of The Holy Quran — Page 192
192 time. Yet the Prophet had the goats returned, and this in order to impress upon a new convert the importance of discharging a trust. The third incident relates to a Jewish woman who tried to poison the Prophet. She asked the Companions what part of an animal the Prophet relished for a dish. She was told that he preferred the shoulder of lamb or goat. The woman slaughtered a goat and made cutlets on hot stones. Then she mixed with them a deadly poison, especially in pieces cut from the shoulder, believing the Prophet would prefer them. The Prophet was returning to his tent, having said the evening prayers in congregation. He saw this woman waiting for him near his tent and asked, "Is there anything I can do for you, woman?" "Yes, Abul-Qasim, you can accept a present from me. " The Prophet asked a Companion to take whatever the woman had brought. When the Prophet sat down to his meal this present of roasted meat was also laid before him. The Prophet took a morsel. A Companion Bishr bin al-Bara’ bin al-Ma‘rur also took a morsel. The other Companions present at the meal stretched their hands to eat the meat. But the Prophet stopped them saying, he thought the meat was poisoned. Upon this Bishr said that he also thought the same. He wanted to throw away the meat but was afraid it might disturb the Prophet. "Seeing you take a morsel," he said, "I also took one, but I soon began to wish you had not taken yours at all. " Soon afterwards Bishr became ill and, according to some reports, died there and then. According to other reports he died after remaining ill for some time. The Prophet then sent for the woman and asked her if she had poisoned the meat. The woman asked the Prophet how he ever got to know about it. The Prophet was holding a piece in his hand, and said, "My hand told me this," meaning he was able to judge from its taste. The woman admitted what she had done. "What made you do this?" asked the Prophet. "My people were at war with you and my relations were killed in this battle, I decided to poison you, believing that if you were an impostor you would die and we should be safe, but if you were a Prophet, God would save you. " Hearing this explanation the Prophet forgave the woman, although she had earned, the penalty of death. 221 The Prophet was ever ready to forgive, and punished only when punishment was necessary, when it was feared the guilty one would continue to commit mischief. The Prophet’s Vision Fulfilled In the seventh year after the Hijrah, in February 629 to be exact, the Prophet was due to go to Mecca for the circuit of the Ka‘bah. This had been agreed to by the Meccan leaders. When the time came for the Prophet to depart, he collected two thousand followers and set out in the direction of Mecca. When he reached Marraz- Zahran, a halting place near Mecca, he ordered his followers to shed their armours. These were collected in one place. In strict conformity with the terms of the