Victory and After

made, even if there is a danger of the peace terms being broken. If they incline to peace, make peace with them, and put your trust in God. Indeed He is the Hearing, the Knowing. Should they seek to deceive you, God is all-sufficient for you. He has made you strong with His help and rallied the faithful around you.159 One of those sentenced to death and subsequently forgiven was ‘Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl. Along with his father, he had been an active opponent of Islam and had subjected the Prophet and his companions to all forms of persecution. Yet, when news came that ‘Ikrimah was coming to accept Islam, the Prophet told his companions not to insult ‘Ikrimah’s father “for abuse of the dead hurts the living.” After the conquest of Makkah, magnanimity such as this turned Islam’s most implacable foes into staunch custodians of faith.