when he was brought out to them with that—along with Abū Sufyān was his son—he said: "By Allāh, he will either permit me or I will take my son by the hand, and we will wander the earth until we die of thirst and hunger." When this reached the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), he felt compassion for them and permitted them, so they entered and accepted Islam. (1) When the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) descended at Marr al-Ẓahrān, al-ʿAbbās said: "Woe to Quraysh in the morning! By Allāh, if the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) enters by force before they seek his protection, it will be the destruction of Quraysh until the end of time." He said: "I sat on the white mule of the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) and went out on it until I reached the arāk trees. I said: 'Perhaps I will meet some woodcutters, or a milkman, or someone in need who is going to Mecca to inform them of the location of the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) so they can come out to him and seek his protection before he enters upon them by force.'" He said: "By Allāh, I was riding it and searching for what I had set out for when I heard the voices of Abū Sufyān and Budayl ibn Warqāʾ; they were conversing, and Abū Sufyān was saying: 'I have never seen fires or an army like today.'" Budayl said: "These are, by Allāh, the fires of Khuzāʿah; the war has kindled them." He said: "Abū Sufyān said: 'Khuzāʿah, by Allāh, are too humiliated and lowly for these to be their fires and army.'" He said: "I recognized his voice and said: 'O Abū Ḥanẓalah!' He recognized my voice and said: 'Abū al-Faḍl?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'What is the matter, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you?' I said: 'Woe to you, O Abū Sufyān! This is the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallá Allāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) among the people, and woe to Quraysh in the morning, by Allāh!' He said: 'What is the solution, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you?' I said: 'By Allāh, if he captures you, he will surely strike your neck, so ride...'"
فلما أخرج إليهما بذلك- ومع أبي سفيان بنيٌّ له- فقال: والله ليأذنن لي أو لآخذن بيد ابني هذا، ثم لنذهبن في الأرض حتى نموت عطشاً وجوعاً، فلما بلغ ذلك رسول الله ﷺ رق لهما، ثم أذن لهما، فد خلا وأسلما. (١) فلما نزل رسول الله ﷺ بـ (مر الظهران) ؛ قال العباس: واصباح فريش! والله لئن دخل رسول الله ﷺ عنوة قبل أن يستأمنوه؛ إنه لهلاك قريش إلى آخر الدهر. قال: فجلست على بغلة رسول الله ﷺ البيضاء؛ فخرجت عليها حتى جئت الأراك، فقلت: لعلي ألقى بعض الحطابة، أو صاحب لبن، أو ذا حاجة يأتي مكة ليخبرهم بمكان رسول الله ﷺ ليخرجوا إليه، فيستأمنونه قبل أن يد خلها عليهم عنوة. قال: فوالله إني لأسير عليها وألتمس ما خرجت له؛ إذ سمعت كلام أبي سفيان وبد يل بن ورقاء؛ وهما يتراجعان، وأبو سفيان يقول: ما رأيت كاليوم قط نيراناً ولا عسكراً. قال يقول بديل: هذه- والله- نيران خزاعة؛ حمشتها الحرب (٢) . قال: يقول أبو سفيان: خزاعة- والله- أذل وألأم من أن تكون هذه نيرانها وعسكرها. قال: فعرفت صوته، فقلت: يا أبا حنظلة! فعرف صوتي فقال: أبو الفضل؟ فقلت: نعم، قال: ما لك فداك أبي وأمي؟! فقلت: ويحك يا أبا سفيان! هذا رسول الله ﷺ في الناس، واصباح قريش والله! قال: فما الحيلة فداك أبي وأمي؟! قال: قلت: والله لئن ظفر بك ليضربن عنقك، فاركب