Expulsion from the Tribes

eight families. Khalid ibn Walid was Maymuna’s nephew, whom she had brought up as a son. So Khalid, the Quraysh’s greatest warrior, became the Prophet’s stepson. After this Khalid did not join in any hostilities against the Muslims, and before long he himself entered the fold of Islam. After his marriage to Maymuna the Prophet had arranged a wedding reception for the people of Makkah, but the Quraysh reminded him that—according to the terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah—he was only allowed to remain in Makkah for three days. His period was up and he would have to leave the city immediately. The wedding reception, which was aimed at softening the hearts of the people could not take place. Khalid ibn Walid and ‘Amr ibn al-‘As became Muslim together. Someone who saw them on their arrival in Madinah exclaimed: “With these two in the bag, Makkah has been tamed.” Umm Habiba, the daughter of Abu Sufyan, a prominent member of the Quraysh, and her husband Ubaidullah ibn Jahsh accepted Islam and emigrated to Abyssinia. There, however, the husband became a Christian. Not long after that he died. Hearing of this, the Prophet made arrangements to marry Umm Habiba by proxy. After the death of Abu Jahl on the field of Badr, Abu Sufyan had become the most prominent leader of the Quraysh. The Prophet would now be his son-in-law. The marriage had to be completed by proxy, for it was feared that if Umm Habiba returned to Makkah, her father would not allow the marriage. The ceremony was then conducted by Najashi, king of Abyssinia, and the bride left immediately for Madinah. With this relationship now established, Abu Sufyan could no longer be at enmity with the Prophet, and he converted to Islam one day before the conquest of Makkah. The other aspect of this policy was that of “striking terror” into the hearts of the enemies of Islam. This consisted of mustering up enough strength and making such a show of it that there would be no need to use it. The defeat of the Muslims at Uhud (3 a.h.) coul d have tur ned into a rout if Abu Sufyan had followed up his victory with another attack, instead of turning back to Makkah. Indeed,