on the Day of Badr, the very man who sized us up for the enemy.”

ʿUmar then rose and went straight to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. When he had brought ʿUmayr into the Prophet’s presence, the Messenger of Allah said, “What has brought you here?”

ʿUmayr replied, “My son is your prisoner. Allow us to ransom our captives, for after all you are our kinsfolk and our tribe.”

The Prophet asked, “Then what is that sword doing round your neck?”

ʿUmayr said, “May Allah curse these swords—did they ever profit us in the least? I simply forgot it was hanging there when I dismounted.”

The Messenger of Allah said to him, “Tell me the truth: what has really brought you?”

He answered, “Nothing but my captive.”

The Prophet said, “And what agreement did you make with Safwan ibn Umayyah in the Hijr (the semicircular enclosure of the Kaʿba)?”

Startled, ʿUmayr exclaimed, “What agreement?”

The Prophet said, “You undertook to kill me on condition that he would maintain your household and pay off your debt—but Allah has come between you and that.”

ʿUmayr declared, “I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah and that there is no god but Allah. We used to deny you concerning the revelation that comes down to you from heaven, yet the conversation I had with Safwan in the Hijr was known to no one but the two of us, and Allah has informed you of it.”

He then related the rest of the story.