IMAM ABU AL-FIDA, ISMA?L IBN KATHiR 325treated well those who came as pilgrims. But Aba Sufyzn b. Harb attacked him
in Mecca, imprisoning him in retaliation for this son 'Amr. Aba Sufyan spoke
the following verses on this,
'0 tribe of Ibn Akkd, answer his request; you had a
pact together, so do not surrender the chief in his
maturity.
The Bano 'Amr is lowly, contemptible, if they do not
release their prisoner's fetters."'Hassan b. Thiibit spoke the following verses in response,
"If Sa'd had been free to act that day in Mecca, he would
have killed many of you before he was captured.
Using a sharp sword or a bow of nab'a wood, its string
twanging when its arrows shoot."He went on, "The Bana 'Amr b. 'Awf went to the Messenger of God (SAAS)
and told him what had happened and asked him to give them 'Amr b. Abii
Sufym so they could release him and receive their own man in exchange. The
Prophet (SAAS) agreed and they sent 'Amr to Aba Sufym, who released Sa'd."
Ibn Ishaq went on, "Abn al-'As b. al-Rabi' b.'Abd al-Wzza b. 'Abd Shams b.
Umayya was among the captives, the son-in-law of the Messenger of God
(SAAS), husband of his daughter Zaynab."
Ibn Hisham added, "It was Khimsh b. al-Simma, of the Bana Harm, who
had captured him."
Ibn Ish~q continued, "Aba al-'As was a respected Meccan credited with much
wealth and goods. His mother was Hala, daughter of Khuwaylid, sister of
Khadija, daughter of Khuwaylid. It was Khadija who had asked the Messenger
of God (SAAS) to marry her daughter Zaynab to him, and he never disagreed
with her; this occurred before the beginnings of revelation.
"The Messenger of God (SAAS) had married his daughter Ruqayya, or Umm
Kulthm, to Wtba b. Aba Lahab. And when revelation began, Aba Lahab said,
'Let Muhammad look after his own!' He ordered his son Wtba to divorce
Ruqayya with the promise to give him any woman he wanted. He did so before
having consummated the marriage. She was then married by Wtbmm b. 'Affm,
God bless him. They approached Aba al-'As and said, 'Leave your wife and we
will marry you to any Quraysh woman yon desire.' He replied, 'No, hy God! I
will not leave her, and I do not want any other woman from Quraysh for my
wife.' The Messenger of God (SAAS), so I have been told, used to commend his
son-in-law for this."
I comment that the evidence of his praise for his son-in-law is well established
in the p(zih collection, as will be shown.
Ibn Ishaq stated, "The Messenger of God (SAAS) had no authority in Mecca
to allow or to forbid, since he was powerless. Islam had divided Zaynab,