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behind this agreement. People are impatient but God is not. He
lets matters take their course, until they reach the stage that He
intends.” (Recorded by Ibn ‘Asakir). It is realism which brings
success in this world; but people want instant success, and are
unwilling to go through the lengthy stages it takes to achieve it.
Now the Prophet began to make preparations for another
campaign. The target he kept secret even from Abu Bakr. Only in
Ramadan 8
a
.
h
., when theMuslim army was actually directed to set
out towards Makkah, did people realize where they were heading.
So stealthy and discreet was their advance that they reached
Murr’uz-Zahran without the Quraysh knowing that the Muslims
were upon them. The Prophet had prayed before he set out that
“the spies and informers of the Quraysh” should be restrained until
the Muslims entered the city of Makkah.
The Prophet went to amazing lengths to keep preparations
for the campaign of Makkah secret. He gave orders that Madinah
should be cut off from the rest of Arabia: no one was to be allowed
to enter or leave the city. A party, of which Ali was in charge,
was sent to guard the roads leading to Madinah. It was they
who arrested Hatib ibn Abi Balta’s messenger, who was taking a
letter to the Makkans to warn them of the danger to their city.
As Tabarani reported on the authority of Ibn Abbas, “Every tribe
provided manpower and weaponry in full measure.” No one was
left behind. The army of 10,000 was divided into groups of several
hundredmen. Each divisionmarched in ranks, led by a commander
bearing a standard. The Prophet asked his uncle Abbas to let an
old opponent of his, Abu Sufyan, witness the Muslims’ march.
Abu Sufyan watched from beside a narrow mountain pass as, row
upon row, the Muslim army filed past. He could hardly believe his
eyes. “Who has the power to confront this army?” he exclaimed. “I
have never seen anything like it!” The Prophet thus went to great
lengths to impress Abu Sufyan. At the same time he announced
that anyone entering Abu Sufyan’s house would be safe. The result
was that Abu Sufyan himself appealed to the people of Makkah
to capitulate to Muhammad, for no one was strong enough to
