Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 306
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 306 children were such as were not capable of offering resistance to able - bodied and armed parties. On one occasion, the Jews sent a spy to assess the situation and report back to them. It so happened that at that time the only person who had been left to watc h over the women and children was the poet Hassan bin Thabet, who, on account of the weakness of his heart, was not capable of fighting. When the women saw the Jewish spy prowling about, Safiya bint Abdul Muttalib, aunt of the Holy Prophet, told Hassan to kill the fellow as he was a spy and was obviously bent upon mischief. But Hassan felt helpless and Safiya herself went forward with a tent pole and killed the man. It was then decided that he should be beheaded and his head should be thrown in the directio n on which the Jews were gathered in strength so that they might imagine that the women were well guarded. This ruse was successful, and the Jews went back to their strongholds. On one occasion some of the Muslims came to the Holy Prophet and requested that he should make special supplications for relief and also teach them some prayers that they might offer up. He told them not to lose heart and to pray that God may be pleased to cover up their weaknesses, and strengthen their hearts and remove their anxieties. He himself supplicated, ‘Allah, Revealer of commandments, Swift in calling to account, put the confederates to flight. Allah put them to flight, help us and shake them. O T hou that hearest the cry of the distressed and responds to the call of the afflicted, do Thou remove our anxiety, and our grief and our distress, for Thou seest in what situation my Companions and I are caught. ’ By good fortune, about that time, No’eim bin Mas’ood who