Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 415
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 415 remained behind without permission came forward to exculpate themselves. They were suitably dealt with, under divine direction, according to the degree of their culpability. About two months after the return of the army from Tebuk, Abdullah bin Ubayy, the leader of the disaffected party, died. With his death no one was left in the ranks of the disaffected possessing power or influence. The faction had died out. Those who had h itherto been lukewarm or disloyal soon embraced, heart and soul, the cause of Islam, and the authority of the Holy Prophet became fully and finally consolidated in Medina. It was now ten months since the siege of Taif had been raised. Its inhabitants, still wedded to idolatry, maintained a sullen isolation. Urwah bin Masood, who had been one of the emissaries sent by Quraish to the Muslim camp at Hudaibiyya, was absent durin g the siege of his native city, having gone to Yemen to learn the use of warlike engines for its defence. On his return, finding that all Mecca and the surrounding tribes excepting Taif had submitted to the Holy Prophet, and being himself favourably impres sed with what he had seen at Hudaibiyya, Urwah went to Medina and embraced Islam. His first generous impulse was to return to Taif and invite his fellow citizens to share in the blessings of the new faith. The Holy Prophet, well knowing their bigotry and i gnorance, warned him of the danger he would incur, but, presuming on his popularity at Taif, he persisted in the design. Arriving in the evening he made public his conversion and called on the people to join him. They returned to consult upon the matter. I n the morning, ascending his roof, he made the Call to Prayer, upon which the rabble surrounded his house and shot