He must grant me permission, or I shall take this son of mine by the hand and wander the land until we die of thirst and hunger.” When this reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, he felt compassion for them and granted them permission. They entered and embraced Islam. (1)

When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, encamped at Marr al-Ẓahrān, al-ʿAbbās said: “What a terrible morning awaits Quraysh! By Allah, if the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, enters by force before they seek safe-conduct from him, it will mean the destruction of Quraysh forever.”

He said: “So I sat upon the Messenger of Allah’s white mule and rode out on it until I reached al-Arāk. I said: ‘Perhaps I may meet some wood-gatherers, a seller of milk, or someone in need who is going to Mecca, so that he may inform them of the whereabouts of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and they may go out to him and seek safe-conduct from him before he enters it against them by force.’

“By Allah, as I rode upon it, searching for what I had gone out to find, I heard the voices of Abū Sufyān and Budayl ibn Warqāʾ conversing with one another. Abū Sufyān was saying: ‘Never have I seen fires or an army like those of today.’ Budayl said: ‘By Allah, these are the fires of Khuzaʿah; the war has stirred them up.’ Abū Sufyān said: ‘By Allah, Khuzaʿah are too weak and contemptible for these to be their fires and their army.’

“I recognized his voice and said: ‘O Abū Ḥanẓalah!’ He recognized my voice and said: ‘Abū al-Faḍl?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘What brings you here? May my father and mother be your ransom!’ I said: ‘Woe to you, Abū Sufyān! The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, is here with the people. What a terrible morning awaits Quraysh, by Allah!’ He said: ‘What recourse is there? May my father and mother be your ransom!’ I said: ‘By Allah, if he gets hold of you, he will surely strike off your neck. So mount…’