The scouts were on alert, and the tribe of Khuzaʿah was allowing no one to pass behind them. When Abū Sufyān and his companions appeared, the Muslim cavalry seized them. ʿUmar moved toward Abū Sufyān, stabbing at his neck, until al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib—who was a friend of Abū Sufyān—placed him under his protection.

Ibn Isḥāq (1) relates: Al-ʿAbbās said, “When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ halted at Marr al-Ẓahrān I exclaimed, ‘Alas for Quraysh this morning! By Allah, if the Messenger of Allah ﷺ enters Mecca by force before they come to him and sue for safety, Quraysh will perish for ever.’

“So I mounted the Messenger of Allah’s white mule and rode out until I came to the arak trees. I thought, ‘Perhaps I can find a wood-cutter, a milk-seller, or anyone with business who might go to Mecca and inform them of the Messenger of Allah’s position, so that they can come out to him and seek protection before he enters by force.’

“By Allah, while I was riding along in search of that, I heard Abū Sufyān and Budayl ibn Warqāʾ conversing. Abū Sufyān was saying, ‘I have never seen fires or an army like tonight!’ Budayl replied, ‘By God, this must be Khuzaʿah, whom war has roused.’ Abū Sufyān answered, ‘Khuzaʿah are too abased and too few to have such fires and such an army.’

“I recognized his voice and called out, ‘O Abū Ḥanzalah!’ He recognized my voice and said, ‘Abū al-Faḍl?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘What is the matter—may my father and mother be your ransom?’ I said, ‘Woe to you, Abū Sufyān! This is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with his people—by Allah, the morning calamity of Quraysh has come!’ He said, ‘What way out is there—may my father and mother be your ransom?’ I replied, ‘By Allah, if he captures you he will strike off your head. Mount behind me on this mule so that I may take you to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and obtain safety for you.’

“So he mounted behind me, while his two companions turned back—

ʿUrwah says: Rather, they went to the Prophet ﷺ, embraced Islam, and he began asking them about the people of Mecca.

Al-Zuhrī and Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah say: Rather, they entered with al-ʿAbbās upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

[Ibn Isḥāq continues:] “I brought him along; whenever we passed a fire of the Muslims they would ask, ‘Who is this?’ When they saw the Messenger of Allah’s mule with me upon it they said, ‘The uncle of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, riding the mule of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’

“When I reached the fire of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, he asked, ‘Who is this?’ and came toward me. When he saw Abū Sufyān on the back of the mount he exclaimed, ‘Abū Sufyān, enemy of Allah! Praise be to Allah who has delivered you to us without pact or covenant!’ [ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr claims that ʿUmar jabbed at Abū Sufyān’s neck (2) and intended to kill him, but al-ʿAbbās restrained him.]

Mūsā ibn ʿUqbah, on the authority of al-Zuhrī, likewise reports that the scouts of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ seized them, holding the reins of their camels and asking, ‘Who are you?’ They replied, ‘A delegation of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’ Al-ʿAbbās met them and brought them to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He spoke with them for most of the night, then invited them to testify that there is no deity but Allah. They gave the testimony—and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Ḥakīm and Budayl declared it, while Abū Sufyān said, ‘I do not know about that.’ After dawn, however, he accepted Islam. They then asked the Prophet to grant Quraysh security, and he said:

‘Whoever enters the house of Abū Sufyān is safe’—and it was in the upper part of Mecca—‘whoever enters the house of Ḥakīm ibn Ḥizām is safe’—and it was in the lower part of Mecca—‘and whoever closes his door is safe.’