If you have come forth to strive in My Cause and to seek My Good Pleasure [...

If you have come forth to strive in My Cause and to seek My Good Pleasure [, do not befriend them]. You show friendship to them in secret while I am All-Aware of what you conceal and what you reveal. And whoever of you does that, then verily he has gone astray from the Straight Path. Occasion of Revelation. The majority of Qur’anic exegetes have explicitly mentioned that the blessed Verse concerns Hatib ibn Abi Bulta‘a.

In his Majma‘ al-Bayan, Tabarsi narrates that a certain woman by the name of Sara, from a Meccan tribe, departing from Mecca for Median, came unto Allah's Messenger (S). The Noble Prophet (S) asked her whether she had converted to the Islamic faith and had come there. She provided a negative reply. Upon being asked by the Noble Prophet as to the reason lying behind her departure, she replied: "We were descended from you.

Now that all my guardians have departed, I have been severely rendered in need. I have come here so that you may provide me with clothes and a mount." The Noble Prophet (S) asked inquired: "What happened to the Meccan youth?" The question alluded to her profession as a vocalist performing for the youth." She replied that following the battle of Badr, no one had asked her to perform on the vocals. The response reflects the severity of the polytheists' defeat at the battle of Badr.

Thus, the Noble Prophet (S) ordered the children of ‘Abd al-Muttalib to provide her with clothes, a mount, and some money for her travel. The Noble Prophet (S) was preparing himself for the conquest of Mecca at the time when Hatib ibn Abi Bulta‘a, a Muslim of fame who had participated at the battle of Badr and the Ridhwan Pledge (Bay‘a) came unto Sara. He wrote a letter and asked her to hand it to the people of Mecca. He also provided her with ten dinars and some brocade.

In his letter, Hatib had informed the people of Mecca that Allah's Messenger intended to confront them and had asked them to prepare themselves for defending themselves. Sara took the letter and headed for Mecca. Upon being apprised of the story by Gabriel, the Noble Prophet (S) ordered Hadhrat ‘Ali (as), ‘Ammar Numayr, Zubayr, Talha, Miqdad, and Abu Marthad to mount and head for Mecca.

He told them that they would meet with a woman en route who would carry a letter from Hatib to Meccan polytheists. They were ordered to seize the letter. Upon meeting with her, she denied carrying such letter and swore to the same. They searched her luggage, but they failed to find it.