Islamic History
Discussions and Terrible Decisions Made About Our Prophet
The polytheist Quraysh said to each other about our Prophet, peace be upon him: “This man’s affair has become widespread as you see. By Allah, we are not sure that he will not march over us with his followers who are not from us! So, unite your opinions about him!” They began to confer and discuss. One of them,293 Abu’l-Bakhtari294 or Hisham b. Amr:295 “Imprison him in chains and lock the door on him! Then wait for a similar fate to befall him as that which befell Zuhayr, Nabiga, and the poets before them, and see if he dies!” said.
The Najdi sheikh said: “No! By Allah, this is not a sensible opinion for you: By Allah, if you imprison him as you say, he will break out from behind the locked door, reach his companions, and they will immediately march over you, take him away from you, and prevail over you in such a way that they become numerous. This is not a sensible opinion for you. Think of something other than this!”296 The assembly said: “The sheikh is right!”297 They began to think and discuss again. One of them,298 Abu’l-Bakhtari299 or Abu’l-Aswad Rabi’a b. Amr:300 “Let us expel him from among us and banish him from our land.”
“When he leaves us, by Allah, wherever he goes! Wherever he falls! We have no need for him! When he is far from us and we are rid of him, our affair will be set right, and our good fortune will continue as it is,” he said. The Najdi sheikh said: “No! By Allah, this is also not a sensible opinion for you! Do you not see that his speech is beautiful, his conversation is sweet, and he has won the hearts of people with what he brings?
By Allah, if you do as you say, you cannot be sure that he will not settle among one of the Arabian tribes, bring them under his rule and make them his followers, march over you with them, and overcome you in your lands, take your affair from your hands, and do to you what he wants! Think of another measure regarding him!”301 The polytheists said: “By Allah, the sheikh is right!”302 “By Allah, I have an opinion about him that you have not thought of and not expressed,” he said. “What is your opinion, O father of Hakim?” they asked.
“My opinion is: Let us take a strong, powerful, keen-eyed, honorable, noble youth from each tribe among us. Then, give each of them a sharp