Life-of-Muhammad

Life of Muhammad sa 93their death. Some were only waiting to die in the path ofGod and reach their goal.The enemy attacked the ditch fiercely anduninterruptedly. Sometimes he succeeded in clearing it.One day, important generals of the enemy succeeded ingoing across. But they were attacked so bravely by theMuslims that they had to fall back. In this encounter,Naufal, a big leader of the disbelievers, lost his life. Sobig was this leader that the disbelievers thought theywould not be able to stand any insult to his dead body.They, therefore, sent word to the Prophet sa , that if hewould return the body of this chief, they would pay tenthousand dirhams. It was a high price for the return ofthe dead body. The offer was made out of a sense ofguilt. The disbelievers had mutilated the Muslim dead atUhud and were afraid that Muslims would do the same.But the teaching of Islam was different. Islam forbadeoutright the mutilation of the dead. When the Prophet sareceived the message and the offer, he said, "What usehave we for this body? We want nothing in return forthis. If it please you, take away the body" (Zurqani, Vol.2, p. 114).A passage in Muir's Life of Mohammad(London-1878, p.322) describes eloquently thefierceness of the attack on Muslims. We need notapologize for quoting it here:Next morning, Mahomed found the whole force of theAllies drawn out against him. It required the utmostactivity and an unceasing vigilance on his side to frustratethe manoeuvres of the enemy. Now they would threaten ageneral assault; then breaking up into divisions they wouldattack various posts in rapid and distracting succession;and at last, watching their opportunity, they would masstheir troops on the least protected point, and, under coverof a sustained and galling discharge of arrows, attempt toforce the trench. Over and again a gallant dash was madeat the city, and at the tent of Mahomed sa , by such leadersof renown as Khalid ra and ‘Amr ra ; and these were onlyrepelled by constant counter-marches and unremitting