Life of Muhammad — Page 161
sa 161 He then explained the conditions under which the Prophet sa had promised peace to the Meccans. On hearing these conditions the people of Mecca ran for protection to the places which had been named in the Prophet's sa proclamation. From this proclamation eleven men and four women had been excepted. The offences which they had committed were very grave. Their guilt was not that they had not believed nor that they had taken part in wars against Islam; it was that they had committed inhumanities which could not be passed over. Actually, however, only four persons were put to death. The Prophet sa had ordered Kh a lid bin Wal i d ra not to permit any fighting unless they were fought against and unless the Meccans first started fighting. The part of the town which Kh a lid ra entered had not heard the conditions of peace. The Meccans posted in that part challenged Kh a lid ra and invited him to fight. An encounter ensued in which twelve or thirteen men were killed ( Hish a m , Vol. 2, p. 217). Kh a lid ra was a man of fiery temper. Somebody, warned by this incident, ran to the Prophet sa to request him to stop Kh a lid ra from fighting. If Kh a lid ra did not stop, said this man, all Mecca would be massacred. The Prophet sa sent for Kh a lid ra at once and said, "Did I not stop you from fighting?" "Yes, you did, O Prophet sa of God, but these people attacked us first and began to shoot arrows at us. For a time I did nothing and told them we did not want to fight. But they did not listen, and did not stop. So I replied to them, and dispersed them. " This was the only untoward incident which took place on this occasion. The conquest of Mecca was thus brought about practically without bloodshed. The Prophet sa entered Mecca. They asked him where he would stop. "Has ‘ Aq i l left any house for me to live in?" asked the Prophet sa. ‘ Aq i l was the Prophet's sa cousin, a son of his uncle. During the years of the Prophet's sa refuge at