"They let us sleep peacefully on the road at the foot of the...

"They let us sleep peacefully on the road at the foot of the mountain and massacred us while we were bending and prostrating in prayer."(88) O Amru bin Salim', the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said, 'certainly, we shall help you'. Then he went into his house saying aloud, "May Allah never give me victory over my enemies if I refrain from helping Khuza'ah." The Quraish heard of the intentions of the Prophet (s.a.w.) and became disconcerted and restless.

As a bid to emphasize their commitment to the covenant with the Muslims and ward off the wrath of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) they sent Abu Sufyan to see the Prophet (s.a.w.) and have a dialogue with him. By the time Abu Sufyan arrived at Madinah, the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.) had full details of the latest steps of the Quraish.

He knew how deeply they were worried, so when Abu Sufyan offered to renew the truce the Prophet (s.a.w.) turned a deaf ear to him and refused to listen to his false promises. Abu Sufyan, upset as he was, thought of asking for the help of the companions of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.) to change his position. He called on Abu Bakr, and explained the matter to him, but he refused to help him. He went from there to the house of Umar bin al-Khattab, who likewise, disappointed him.

Abu Sufyan went to the room of his daughter, Um Habibah, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.).There he found that when he wanted to sit down his daughter rolled back the mattress. "This is the mattress of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.)," she said to him. "you certainly can't, be seated on it while you are an unclean polytheist." From there he went to the daughter of the Holy Prophet, Fatimah al-Zahra' (a.s.) who also rebuffed him.

When he put forth his problem to Ali (a.s.), Ali (a.s.) said to him: The Messenger of Allah has set his mind to do something. We can't talk to him about it." Hopelessly and helplessly, he returned to Mecca. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) proceeded to prepare himself for war and ordered the people to get ready.

He implored Allah, saying: O Lord, blind the spies of the Quraish to the news of our arrangements, till we overcome them in their land."(89) Under the leadership of the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.), the Muslim army marched towards Mecca. It was 10,000- strong. When the army reached the outskirts of the city, the Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.) ordered each and every single Muslim to build a fire, so the darkness of the spacious desert turned into bright daylight.