The Prophet had previously set guards over Medina...

The Prophet had previously set guards over Medina, headed by al-Harithah ibn an-Nu'man. 'Ali and az-Zubayr asked the guards if they had seen the woman, but they said that they had seen no one. They then met a woodcutter and asked him; he said, "I saw a dark woman who turned down towards al-Harrah." Thus they caught her; 'Ali took the letter from her and took her back to the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet called Hatib and said to him: "See what you have done!

" The man answered: "By Allah, I have faith in Allah and His Apostle. I have never doubted, but I am a man who has close relatives and family in Mecca.

I therefore wished to do the people of Quraysh a good turn in order that they in turn act kindly towards my family." `Umar ibn al-Khattab said: "Let me cut off his head, O Apostle of Allah; for-by Allah, he has acted hypocritically!" The Prophet replied: "He is of the people of Badr, whom Allah has looked kindly on and forgiven." He then commanded: "Expel him from the Mosque!" As men began to push him cut, he turned and looked at the Messenger of Allah, hoping that he would show mercy towards him.

The Prophet at last ordered that he be brought back, and said to him: "I have pardoned your crime. Seek forgiveness of your Lord, therefore, and do not commit such an act again." Allah then sent down: D you who have faith, do not take my enemies and your enemies as allies . . ., and so on to the middle of the surah [see Qur'an 60:1 et seq.].

Aban related on the authority of Abu `Abdillah (as-Sadiq) that when Abu Sufyan learnt of what the people of Quraysh had done to those of Khuza'ah while he was in Syria, he went to the Messenger of Allah and said to him: "O Muhammad, stop the blood of your people from being shed! Allow that pacts of protection (jiwar) be established among the people of Quraysh, and give us longer respite! " The Prophet replied: "But you have committed treachery, O Abu Sufyan." "No", Abu Sufyan answered.

The Prophet then declared: "We remain committed as we have been." Abu Sufyan met Abu Bakr soon after he left the Prophet. He requested him to grant protection to the people of Quraysh. Abu Bakr objected: "Alas for you, can anyone grant protection against the Messenger of Allah? " Abu Sufy5n then met `Umar and repeated to him the same request. He then went to Umm Habibah, wife of the Prophet, and went to sit on a mattress she had on the floor.

Umm Habibah, however, quickly folded the mattress and took it away.