So he kept the people away from him. When Abū Sufyān beheld the vastness of the army, he exclaimed, “Never have I seen a host like tonight’s assembled for any people!” ʿAbbās freed him from their hands and said, “You will be killed unless you submit and testify that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah.” Abū Sufyān tried to utter the words ʿAbbās urged upon him, but his tongue would not respond, and he spent the night with him.
As for Ḥakīm and Budayl, they entered upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and accepted Islam. The Prophet questioned them about the situation in Mecca.
When the call to the dawn prayer was given, the camp stirred, and Abū Sufyān grew alarmed. “O ʿAbbās,” he asked, “what are they doing?” ʿAbbās replied, “They have heard the call to prayer, so they are getting ready to attend the Prophet ﷺ.” When Abū Sufyān saw the people passing by to pray and saw them bow and prostrate whenever the Prophet ﷺ did, he said, “O ʿAbbās, he commands them to do nothing except that they obey at once!” ʿAbbās answered, “If he were to forbid them food and drink, they would obey.” Abū Sufyān said, “O ʿAbbās, speak to him on behalf of your people—does he have any pardon for them?”
ʿAbbās therefore brought Abū Sufyān before the Prophet ﷺ and said, “O Messenger of Allah, this is Abū Sufyān.” Abū Sufyān said, “O Muḥammad, I have sought the help of my deity and you have sought the help of yours; by God, never have I faced you without you prevailing over me. Had my god been true and yours false, I would have defeated you. I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
ʿAbbās then said, “O Messenger of Allah, I would like your permission to return to my people, warn them of what is coming, and invite them to Allah and His Messenger.” The Prophet granted him leave. ʿAbbās asked, “What shall I say to them?” He replied, “Whoever says lā ilāha illā Allāh—‘there is no god but Allah, He alone without partner’—and testifies that Muḥammad is His servant and Messenger, and refrains from fighting, is safe; whoever sits at the Kaʿbah and lays down his arms is safe; and whoever closes his door upon himself is safe.”
ʿAbbās said, “O Messenger of Allah, Abū Sufyān is our cousin. I would like him to return with me; could you single him out for some favor?” He said, “Whoever enters the house of Abū Sufyān is safe.” Abū Sufyān kept asking him to clarify—and the house of Abū Sufyān stood in the upper part of Mecca. The Prophet added, “Whoever enters your house, Ḥakīm, is safe.” And the house of Ḥakīm