Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 402
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 402 The Holy Prophet prayed accordingly and then bestowed his own mantle on Ikramah, saying, ‘He who comes to me believing in God can claim my house as his. ’ Ikramah proved himself a sincere and zealous believer and set the seal on his faith by laying down his life in defence of it on one of the Syrian battlefields some years later. At last the Holy Prophet bethought himself of procuring some nourishment. He went to the house of his cousin, Um Hany, daughter of Abu Talib, who was delighted to welcome him but was distressed that she had nothing in the house which she could offer him ex cept a piece of very stale bread, too hard to be swallowed. When she mentioned this to the Holy Prophet, he smiled and said, ‘Surely, Um Hany, it can be softened by being soaked in water. And have you anything which might make it more palatable?’ She repli ed, ‘There is a little of the dregs of some vinegar left from long ago. ’ The Holy Prophet observed, ‘That would be excellent. ’ He then proceeded to soak the piece of bread in water and when it was softened he ate it with the few drops of black vinegar, fir st pronouncing the name of God over the meal and rendering thanks to Him when he finished, as if it had been a banquet. He thanked his cousin and observed, ‘Um Hany, what a bounty bread and vinegar is!’ During the succeeding fortnight, while occupied in the arrangement of public affairs at Mecca, the Holy Prophet sent forth several armed parties to destroy the idolatrous shrines in the vicinity and secure the submission of the surrounding tribes. In the c ourse of one of these operations Khalid put to death some members of a tribe who had tendered submission and laid down