288 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMADform of Suraqa b. Mdik b. Ja'sham; he addressed the polytheists, saying, 'No
one will defeat you today. I shall protect you!'
"When the battle lines were drawn, Aba Jahl spoke the words, 'The one more
worthy of the truth, provide him with assistance.'
"The Messenger of God (SAAS) raised up his hands and prayed, '0 God, if
this force is destroyed, You will never be worshipped on earth.'
"Gabriel told him to pick up a handful of soil. He did so and threw it into the
faces of the polytheists. Every one of those whose eyes, nostrils or mouth any of
this soil touched turned and retreated.
"Gabriel went towards Satan and at the time when the former saw hi his
hand was holding that of a polytheist. Satan withdrew his hand and retreated,
along with his party of devils. The polytheist asked him, 'I thought you claimed
to be our protector?' He replied, 'I see what you do not. I fear God, for God is
mighty in His punishment.' He said this when he saw the angels."
Al-Bayhaqi related this in Dal~i'il (The S~gns).Al-Tabmi stated, "Mas'ada b. Sa'd al-CAW related to us, quoting Ibmhim b.
al-Mundhir al-Hizami, quoting 'Abd al-CAziz b. 'Imrzn and Hishan b. Sacd, from'Abd Rabhihi b. Sacid h. Qays d-Anszri, from Rifz'a b. =', who said, 'When
Satan saw how the angels dealt with the polytheists at Badr, he was afraid that the
same would happen to hi. Al-HGth b. Wishan was staying very close to him,
believing him to be Surqa b. Malik; Satan struck d-H%rith hard in the chest, then
hurried away and threw himself into the sea, raising his hands into the air and
pleading, "0 God, I ask you to look kindly down upon me!" He was afraid that he
was going to be killed. Abii Jahl came up and called out, "0 people, do not be dis-
turbed by the rambling of Surzqa b. Mdik; he was about to attend a meeting with
Muhammad! And don't be scared by the killing of Shayba, Wtba and al-Walid;
their time had come. I swear by al-Litt and al-Wza, we'U not go back home before
we have scattered them into the mountains. I don't expect any of you to kill any
of them. Just capture them roughly and make them aware of their bad behaviour
in parting company with you and in abandoning al-Lat and al-Wzm"'"
"Abii Jahl then quoted the line:
'Fierce warfare will not take revenge on me, spry like
a two-year old camel; I am young in years.
It was for such as this that my mother bore me."'
Al-Waqidi related, from Miisa b. Yacqiib al-Zamci, from Abii Bakr b. Ahii
Sulayma, from Abii Hatma, (who said), "I heard Maw% b. al-Hakam ask
Hakim b. Hizam about the battle of Badr. The sheikh was reluctant, but when
Marw~n insisted Hakim said, 'We met and engaged in battle, and I heard a
sound of something falling from the sky to the ground, making a noise like
pebbles dropping into a brass basin. Then the Prophet (SAAS) picked up a
handful of dirt and threw it. And we were defeated."'