those whose blood the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—had declared forfeit, such as Miqyas ibn Hubābah (1) and Abd Allāh ibn Khatal, both of whom were killed. The blood of Abd Allāh ibn Sad ibn Abī Sarh was likewise declared forfeit, but the Prophet subsequently accepted his pledge of allegiance. Those whose blood he declared forfeit were only [a group] (2) few in number—around ten.

Abū Sufyān was among those most intensely (3) hostile to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. During the Battle of Badr, he was [the one] (4) who sent word to Quraysh, calling upon them to mobilize. For the Battle of Uhud, [he was the one] (5) who gathered the wealth they had with him for trade and asked Quraysh to spend it on fighting the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He was one of the army’s foremost commanders on the day of Uhud, and he was also the leader of the Confederates. Al-Abbās seized him when he had neither pledge nor covenant of protection, and Umar walked alongside him, saying to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—: “O Prophet of Allah, this is Allah’s enemy, Abū Sufyān. Allah has delivered him into our hands without any pledge or covenant, so strike off his head.” Al-Abbās argued with him over the matter. Abū Sufyān then embraced Islam, and the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—granted him safety and said:

“Whoever enters the house of Abū Sufyān is safe; [whoever enters the mosque is safe] (6); and whoever lays down his weapons is safe.”

How, then, could Muāwiya’s blood have been declared forfeit (7), when he was merely a young man who had committed no offense peculiar to himself,