“These people,” he said, “have honored us, enriched us, and placed servants at our command. Yet they insist on opposing him; were I to follow him, they would strip us of everything you now see.”
The narrator adds: Kurz kept that reply buried in his heart until, later on, he accepted Islam.
Ibn Isḥāq also relates(1) that when the delegation entered the Prophet’s Mosque they came in full finery, clad in handsome garments. The time for the ʿAṣr prayer had arrived, so they rose and prayed facing the east. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Leave them be.” Their spokesmen were Abū Ḥārithah ibn ʿAlqamah, al-Sayyid, and al-ʿĀqib. Concerning them the opening verses of Sūrat Āl ʿImrān were revealed, together with the passage of mutual imprecation(2). They refused to engage in it and instead asked that a trustworthy envoy be sent with them, so he dispatched Abū ʿUbaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ, as recorded in the narration of al-Bukhārī. We have discussed this in detail in our commentary on Sūrat Āl ʿImrān(3). All praise and grace belong to Allah.
The Delegation of Banū ʿĀmir and the Story of ʿĀmir ibn al-Ṭufayl and Arbad ibn Qays(4)
Ibn Isḥāq says(5): The delegation of Banū ʿĀmir came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Among them were ʿĀmir ibn al-Ṭufayl, Arbad ibn Qays ibn Jazʾ ibn Jaʿfar ibn Khālid(6), and Jabbār ibn Sulma(7) ibn Mālik ibn Jaʿfar(8). These three were the leaders of their people—and their devils. ʿĀmir ibn al-Ṭufayl, the enemy of Allah, approached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intending treachery.
His people had said to him, “ʿĀmir, the people have embraced Islam; so do the same.”
He replied, “By Allah, I have sworn not to stop until all the Arabs follow in my footsteps—shall I then follow in the footsteps of this youth from Quraysh?”
He then said to Arbad, “When we reach the man, I will keep his attention on me; once I have done that, strike him with the sword.”
When they stood before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, ʿĀmir ibn al-Ṭufayl said, “Muḥammad, grant me a private audience.”(9)
He answered, “No, by Allah— not until you believe in Allah alone.”
ʿĀmir repeated, “Muḥammad, let me speak with you in private.”
The Prophet kept addressing him while ʿĀmir waited for Arbad to carry out his plan, but Arbad could do nothing. Seeing Arbad’s inaction, ʿĀmir said, “Muḥammad, grant me a private word.”
He replied, “No—not until you believe in Allah alone, without partner.”
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ refused, ʿĀmir said, “By Allah…"