Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 389
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 389 opportunity for conciliating the citizens of Mecca to the best effect, and not without success. But the time was short. Already the stipulated three days were ended, and he had entered on a fourth, when Suhail and Huweitib, chief men of Quraish, appeared a nd insisted that he and his followers withdraw from the city. The Holy Prophet gave immediate orders for departure and by nightfall not one of the pilgrims was left behind. Not long after, Khalid bin Waleed, the Quraish commander who had turned the rear of the Muslims in the battle of Uhud, repaired to Medina, and gave in his adhesion to the cause of Islam. Two others followed him. One, his friend, the equally famous Amr, of versatile ability and weighty in counsel, who had been employed by Quraish in their embassy to Abyssinia. The other was Uthman, son of Talha, a chief of some note, and custodian of the Ka’aba. He had no doubt, in that capacity, attended with the keys of of fice to give the Holy Prophet admittance to the Holy House; and, perhaps, like many others who gazed from a respectful distance on that memorable scene, was won over by the devotion of the Holy Prophet to the Ka’aba and the elevation and beauty of the serv ice then performed. The position of the Holy Prophet at Mecca was greatly strengthened by the accession of such leading men. There can be no doubt that the movement in his favour was not confined to those just mentioned, but was wide and general; and that the cause of Islam was gaining popularity in Mecca day by day. During the spring and summer of the eighth year of the Hijra several military excursions were undertaken, with varied fortunes. A party of fifteen men was sent to Dhat Atlah, on the border of