true, then speak to me in words that I will understand, but do not weaken the people’s resolve. If they remain faithful to the covenant between us and them, then proclaim it openly to the people.”
So they went out and came to them, finding them even worse than the reports they had received concerning them. They spoke abusively of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying, “There is neither pact nor covenant between us and Muhammad.” Sa'd ibn Ubadah exchanged insults with them, for he was a man of sharp temper. Sa'd ibn Muadh said to him, “Leave off trading insults with them. What lies between us and them is far more serious than insults.”
Then Sa'd, Sa'd, and those with them returned to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. They greeted him and said, “Adal and al-Qarah”—alluding to the treachery of Adal and al-Qarah against the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, at al-Raji', namely Khubayb ibn Adi and his companions. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah is Most Great. Rejoice, O company of Muslims!”
At that point the trial became severe and fear intensified. Their enemy came upon them from above them and from below them, until the believers were tested by every manner of apprehension. Hypocrisy emerged among some of the hypocrites, so that Mu'attib ibn Qushayr, a member of Banu Amr ibn Awf, said, “Muhammad used to promise us that we would consume the treasures of Chosroes and Caesar, yet one of us cannot even go out to relieve himself! Allah and His Messenger have promised us nothing but delusion.”
Aws ibn Qayzi, one of Banu Harithah ibn Qayzi, even said publicly before a gathering of his tribesmen, “Messenger of Allah, our homes are exposed to the enemy. Give us permission to return to our dwellings, for they lie outside Medina.”
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the polytheists remained thus for a little over twenty nights, nearly a month. There was no fighting between the two sides apart from the shooting of arrows and the throwing of stones.
When the hardship upon the people became severe, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent to Uyaynah ibn Hisn and al-Harith ibn Awf, the two leaders of Ghatfan. He offered them one-third of the produce of Medina on condition that they withdraw, together with those under their command, from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Companions. A peace agreement was accordingly reached between him and them, and they drafted the document, though it had not yet been witnessed.
The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, mentioned this to Sa'd ibn Muadh and Sa'd ibn Ubadah and consulted them about it. They said, “Messenger of Allah, is this something Allah has commanded you to do, such that we have no choice but to comply with it? Or is it something you wish to do? Or is it a measure you are taking for our sake?”
He said, “No; rather, it is [a measure I am taking] (1) for your sake. By Allah, I am doing this only because I have seen the Arabs aiming at you from a single bow and gathering against you from every side. So I wished to break their strength against you.”
Sa'd ibn Muadh said to him, “Messenger of Allah, we and these people were once upon associationism with Allah and worshipping idols; we neither worshipped Allah nor knew Him. Yet they did not aspire to eat even a single fruit from it except as guests or through purchase. Now that Allah has honored us with Islam and strengthened us through you, should we give them our wealth? We have no need of this. By Allah, we shall give them nothing but the sword, until Allah judges between us and them.”
[The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said] (2), “Then that is your decision.” Sa'd took hold of the document and erased what had been written in it. Then he said, “Let them exert their utmost against us.”