parties," to which ʿUmar replied, "May Allah cut off the alliance what is still connected and wear out what is still new." Abu-Sufyân then said, "By Allah I never saw a worse head of a tribe than thou!" Thence he went to Fâṭimah who asked him to meet ʿAli. This he did and made the same request. ʿAli replied, "Thou art the sheikh of Ḳuraish and its chief. Renew therefore the alliance and reconcile the parties." Abu-Sufyân then clapped his right hand against the left saying, "I have renewed the alliance and reconciled the parties."
He then left and came to Makkah. The Prophet had said, "Abu-Sufyân is coming. He returns satisfied without having effected any result." When he returned to the people of Makkah he told them what had happened and they said, "By Allah we know none more foolish than thou. Thou dost bring us neither war that we may be warned, nor peace that we may feel safe."
Khuzâʿah then came to the Prophet and complained of what had befallen them. The Prophet said, "I was ordered to secure one of the two towns Makkah or aṭ-Ṭâʾif." Thereupon, the Prophet ordered that the march be commenced. Thus he set out with the Companions saying, "O Allah, strike upon their ears [with deafness] that they may not hear,[1] so that we may take them by surprise!" The Prophet pressed the march until he camped at Marr aẓ-Ẓahrân. Ḳuraish had asked abu-Sufyân to return. When he [abu-Sufyân] got to Marr aẓ-Ẓahrân and saw the fires and the tents he said, "What is the matter with the people? They seem like the people celebrating the night of ʿArafah." Saying this, he was surrounded by the Prophet's horsemen, who took him prisoner; and he was brought before the Prophet. ʿUmar came and wanted to execute him, but al-
- ↑ Cf. Kor., 18: 10.
