The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 2 of 4

256 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
"Abii Jahl kept on at him until Umayya responded, 'You win! I'll purchase the
finest camel in Mecca!'
"He then told his wife, 'Umm Safwnn, get my equipment ready!' 'But have
you forgotten what your Yathrib friend told you?' 'No,' he replied, 'I only want
to go a little way with them.'
"After leaving, Umayya tied up his camel at every stop they made, right on up
to Badr, where God took his life."
Al-Bukh~ri also told this elsewhere, on the authority of Muhammad b. Ishnq,
from Wbayd Allzh b. Mnsa, from Isrx'il, from Abo IshZq, that account being
similar.
Al-Bukh~ri alone gives this.
Im%n Ahmad related it from Khalaf h. al-Walid, from Aha Sacid, both of
them quoting Isr2il. In Isrn'il's account Umayya's wife commented, "I swear,
Muhammad never lies."
Ibn Ishzq stated, "When they had gathered their equipment and were assembled
to depart, Quraysh remembered the &spute they had with the Banii Bakr h.
'Abd Manat h. Kinma. They expressed fear that they might attack their rear.
This quarrel related to a son of Haf~ b. al-Akhyaf of the Banii 'Amir b. Lu'ayy
who had been killed by a man of the Bano Bakr, on the orders of 'Amir b. Yazid
b. 'Amir b. al-Mulaww&. His brother Mikraz b. Hafs took revenge for him, killing
'Amir by plunging his sword into his stomach.
"He then brought the sword by night and hung it up in the curtains of the
kacba. Quraysh therefore feared the Banii Bakr for what had occurred between
them."
Ihn Ishzq went on, "Yazid b. Riimn related to me, from Wrwa b. al-Zubayr,
who said, 'When Quraysh were ready to leave they remembered their problem
with the Banii Bakr and that almost diverted them. But Iblis, Satan, appeared to
them in the form of Surxqa b. Mgik b. Jucsham al-Mudliji, one of the nobles of
the Banu Kinma. He told them, "I will give you protection against Kinma
attacking you from your rear." They therefore hurried away to battle."'
I observe that this illustrates the words of the Almighty, "Do not be like those
who left their homes exulting and showing off before men, blocking people from
the way of God, for God was aware of what they were doing. And when the devil
made their works look good to them, he said, 'No one will overcome you today;
I will be your protector.' But when the two factions met he turned on his heels,
saying, 'I am quit of you; I see what you do not see. I fear God! God is fierce in
punishing."' (sarat al-Anfa& VIII, v.47-8).
He, God curse him, deceived them, so that they left, with him following
behind them, stage by stage, bringing his troops and his banners with hi, as
several of them reported. And so he delivered them to their deaths. When he saw
the strife, and the angels coming down to help and sighted Gabriel, he turned on
his heels and said, "1 am quit of you; I see what you do not see. I fear God!"