Abu Sufyan asked...

Abu Sufyan asked: "O daughter, would you consider me unworthy to sit on this mattress?" "Yes", she retorted, "this belongs to the Messenger of Allah. You ought not to sit on it while you are an abominable Associator! " He then went to Fatimah and addressed her saying: "O daughter of the Apostle of Allah and master of the Arabs, would you offer protection to the people of Quraysh and extend our period of truce, and thus be the noblest lady among the people?

" She answered: "My pact of protection is that of the Apostle of Allah." He begged again: "Would you order your two sons to offer protection to the people?" "By Allah", she said: "my sons would not know to whom of the people of Quraysh they should offer protection." Abu Sufyan then met 'Ali and said to him: "You are the closest in kinship to me. Matters have become difficult for me; find a way out for me." `Ali answered: "You are the chief elder of Quraysh.

Stand, therefore, at the door of the mosque and establish pacts of protection among the men of Quraysh. Then ride out and go to your people." "Do you consider this to be of benefit to me?" Abu Sufyan asked. "I do not know", 'Ali answered. Abu Sufyan did as `Ali suggested and cried out: "O people, I hereby declare a covenant of protection (jiwar) among the people of Quraysh ! " Abu Sufyan then mounted his camel and went to his people.

They asked: "What news have you?" He replied: "I went to Muhammad and spoke to him, but by Allah, he gave no answer to me. I then went to Ibn Abi Quhafah (Abu Bakr), but I found no good with him. I likewise went to `Umar ibn al-Khattab, but to no avail. I went to Fatimah, but she did not answer me. I finally met `Ali, and he advised me to declare a covenant of protection among the people, and they accepted. The men of Quraysh asked: "Did Muhammad allow it?" "No", he answered.

"Alas for you", they retorted, "the man (that is, `Ali) is playing tricks on you, while you declare covenants of protection among the people of Quraysh! " The Messenger of Allah set out for Mecca on Friday after the mid-afternoon prayers on the second of Ramadan (9/630), leaving Abu Lubabah ibn `Abdi 'l-Mundhir as his representative in Medina. He then summoned the chief of every tribe and asked him to call his people to arms.