Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 396
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 396 Hakim bin Hizam, Khadija’s nephew, and Budail, the Khuzaa chief, Abu Sufyan sallied forth on the Medina road. Ten thousand fires were by this time blazing on the mountain tops and appearing in full sight engaged their speculations, when suddenly in the dar k Abu Sufyan was accosted by Abbas, who pointed out to him the wisdom of casting in his lot with the Muslims. ‘Seat thee upon the mule behind me,’ Abbas told him, ‘and I will conduct thee to the Holy Prophet, and thou shalt seek quarter from him. ’ They wer e soon at the tent of the Holy Prophet, who, when Abbas apprised him of the arrival of Abu Sufyan, told him to take him to his tent, treat him well and to bring him up in the morning. At dawn Abu Sufyan was deeply impressed by the serried ranks of the Musl ims following the Holy Prophet in Prayer. He realised that the Meccans had no means of withstanding such a formidable host. When he was received by the Holy Prophet, he enquired, ‘If we do not oppose you by the sword, will you still employ the sword agains t us?’ He was assured that if they did not resist with force, no force would be employed against them. The Holy Prophet then enquired from Abu Sufyan, ‘Have you not yet discovered that there is no god but the Lord alone?’ ‘Had there been any god beside,’ r eplied Abu Sufyan, ‘surely, he would have been of some avail to us. ’ ‘Then do you acknowledge,’ enquired the Holy Prophet, ‘that I am the Messenger of the Lord?’ ‘As to this,’ countered Abu Sufyan, ‘there is yet in my heart some hesitancy. ’ ‘Woe is thee,’ exclaimed Abbas, ‘this is no time for hesitancy. ’ It was, indeed, no time for idle pride or scruple, and so Abu Sufyan, finding no alternative, repeated the formula of belief in God and in Muhammad as His Messenger.