Islamic History
Abu Sufyan's Message to the Quraysh for Their Return to Mecca
Abu Sufyan, when he had protected and saved the trade caravan, sent a man to the Quraysh army and said: “You set out only to protect your caravan, your people, and your goods. Behold, Allah has saved them. Now return!” Abu Jahl said: “By God, we will not return until we reach Badr! We will stay there for three days. We will slaughter camels, eat, and drink. Female entertainers will perform and sing songs. The surrounding Arabs will hear about this, and from then on they will always be afraid of us! March on!” When the messenger reached Hadde and informed Abu Sufyan that the Quraysh army had not heeded Abu Jahl’s advice to return but instead went to Badr, Abu Sufyan said: “Woe to my people! This is the doing of Amr b. Hisham [Abu Jahl]! His unwillingness to return is for leadership! It is recklessness! Recklessness is deficiency and misfortune!”[48]