CHAPTER VII
Makkah
The cause of its invasion. When the Prophet made arrangements with the Ḳuraish in the year of al-Ḥudaibiyah and wrote down the statement of the truce[1] to the effect that he who desires to make a covenant with Muḥammad can do so, and he who desires to make a covenant with Ḳuraish can do so; and that he of the Companions of the Prophet who comes to Ḳuraish should not be returned, and he of the banu-Ḳuraish or their allies who conies to the Prophet should be returned, then those of Kinânah who were present rose and said, "We will enter into a covenant with Ḳuraish, and accept their terms"; but Khuzâʿah said, "We will enter into the covenant of Muḥammad and his contract." Since between ʿAbd-al-Muṭṭalib and Khuzâʿah an old alliance existed, ʿAmr ibn-Sâlim ibn-Ḥaṣîrah-l-Khuzâʿi composed the following verse:
"O Allah! I am seeking from Muḥammad
the hereditary alliance of our father and his."[2]
One of the clan of Khuzâʿah hearing one of the clan of Kinânah sing a poem satirizing the Prophet, attacked him and crushed his head. This incident provoked evil and fighting between the two parties. Ḳuraish reinforced banu-Kinânah and together they attacked Khuzâʿah in the night time, thus violating the covenant and the arrangement.
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