Life-of-Muhammad

144Life of Muhammad sathis Bishr ra said that he also thought the same. Hewanted to throw away the meat but was afraid it mightdisturb the Prophet sa . "Seeing you take a morsel," hesaid, "I also took one, but I soon began to wish you hadnot taken yours at all." Soon afterwards Bishr ra becameill and, according to some reports, died there and then.According to other reports he died after remaining ill forsome time. The Prophet sa then sent for the woman andasked her if she had poisoned the meat. The womanasked the Prophet sa how he ever got to know about it.The Prophet sa was holding a piece in his hand, andsaid,"My hand told me this," meaning he was able tojudge from its taste. The woman admitted what she haddone. "What made you do this? " asked the Prophet sa ."My people were at war with you and my relationswere killed in this battle, I decided to poison you,believing that if you were an impostor you would die andwe should be safe, but if you were a Prophet sa , Godwould save you."Hearing this explanation the Prophet sa forgave thewoman, although she had earned, the penalty of death(Muslim). The Prophet sa was ever ready to forgive, andpunished only when punishment was necessary, when itwas feared the guilty one would continue to commitmischief.THE PROPHET'S sa VISION FULFILLEDIn the seventh year after the Hijra, in February 629to be exact, the Prophet sa was due to go to Mecca for thecircuit of the Ka‘ba. This had been agreed to by theMeccan leaders. When the time came for the Prophet sa todepart, he collected two thousand followers and set outin the direction of Mecca. When he reachedMarrazzuhran, a halting place near Mecca, he orderedhis followers to shed their armours. These were collectedin one place. In strict conformity with the terms of theagreement signed at Hudaibiya, the Prophet sa and his