Life of Muhammad — Page 156
sa 156 worthy of worship, we might have had some help against you from him. " "Has it not also dawned upon you that I am a Messenger of Allah sa ?" "My father and my mother be a sacrifice to you, on this I still have some doubts. " While Ab u Sufy a n ra hesitated to acknowledge the Prophet sa as Messenger of God, two of his companions who had marched out of Mecca with him to do reconnoitring duty for the Meccans, became Muslims. One of them was H ak i m bin H iz a m ra. A little later, Ab u Sufy a n ra also joined, but his inner conversion seems to have been deferred until after the conquest of Mecca. H ak i m bin H iz a m ra asked the Prophet sa if the Muslims would destroy their own kith and kin. "These people," said the Prophet sa , "have been very cruel. They have committed excesses and proved themselves of bad faith. They have gone back on the peace they signed at H udaibiya and attacked the Khuz a ‘ a savagely. They have made war in a place which had been made inviolate by God. " "It is quite true, O Prophet sa of God, our people have done exactly as you say, but instead of marching upon Mecca you should have attacked the Haw a zin," suggested H ak i m ra. "The Haw a zin also have been cruel and savage. I hope God will enable me to realize all the three ends: the conquest of Mecca, the ascendancy of Islam and the defeat of the Haw a zin. " Ab u Sufy a n ra , who had been listening, now asked the Prophet sa : "If the Meccans draw not the sword, will they have peace?" "Yes," replied the Prophet sa , "everyone who stays indoors will have peace. " "But O Prophet sa ," intervened ‘ Abb a s ra , "Ab u Sufy a n ra is much concerned about himself. He wishes to know if his rank and position among the Meccans will be respected. "