'Who is it will tell the Messenger, Muhammad, from
me, "You are truth; and the All-Powerful is to be praised.
You are a man who calls to the truth and to right
guidance, with witness for you from God the Almighty.
You are a man given a position of power among us,
there being steps both easy and high up to where you are.
You are someone whose opponents are unhappy being
fought, while those with whom you make peace are content.
But when I think of Badr and those who fought it, I am
overcome again by sorrow and depression."'I comment that thereafter this Abn 'Azza broke the pact he had made with the
Messenger of God (SAAS), and he fell under the influence of the polytheists and
rejoined them. At the battle of Uhud he was again taken captive, and he again
asked the Messenger of God (SAAS) to set him free. But the latter replied, "I'll
not let you stroke your beard and say that you deceived Mubmmad twice!" And
so his head was cut off at Uhud, as will be related in the account of that engage-
ment.
It is said that it was of hi that the Messenger of God (SAAS) spoke as fol-
lows, "A believer will not be bitten twice from the same lair." This is one of those
proverbs uttered only by the Messenger of God (SAAS).Ibn Ishaq stated, "Muhammad h. Jacfar b. al-Zuhayr related to me, from 'Uma
b. al-Zuhayr, as follows, 'Wmayr b. Wahb al-Jumalg was sitting with Safwan b.
Umayya in the hijr shortly after the losses that were suffered at Badr. He,
Wmayr, was one of the devilish Q-uraysh provocateurs, a man who had grievously
harmed the Messenger of God (SAAS) and his Companions at Mecca. His son
Wahb b. Wmayr was one of those taken captive at Badr.'"
Ibn Hisham stated, "The person who captured him was Rif& b. Rzfic, one of
the Bann Zurayq."
Ibn Ishaq went on, "Muhammad b. Jacfar related to me, from Wrwa, that
Wmayr made mention of the fate of those caste into the pit at Badr, at which
Safw- said, 'I swear, there's nothing good in life now they are gone.' Wmayr
agreed, 'You are right. Were it not for a debt I can't pay and children whose sur-
vival after me concerns me, I would ride off to Muhammad to kill him; I have
cause against them, since my son is a prisoner in their hands.'
"Safwm b. Umayya seized the opportunity to say, 'Consider your debt my
responsibility; I will redeem it and consider your children as my own, caring for
them as long as they live. Everything I have will be theirs.'
"Wmayr suggested, 'Keep this matter a secret between us both.' Safwzn
agreed.
"Wmayr then called for his sword, sharpened it, put poison on it and left for
Medina. While Wmar b. al-Khat@b was there talking with a group of Muslims
about Badr and recalling how God had honoured them and how He had treated