Muhammad E. Esahâq says: ‘O’mayr B. Wohob was one of the Satans of the Qoraish during the time of ignorance. In the battle of Bedr he had saved his life by flight, but his son was captured in the grasp of fate. A short while after the just-named calamity of the idolaters O’mayr and Ssafuwân were sitting together in a room and talking with each other about those who had been overcome and slain at Bedr. On that occasion Ssafuwân B. Ommyah said: “I swear by God that life is bitter after losing them.” O’mayr replied: “By Allah such is the case, and if I had no debtors, creditors, connections and dependents to hinder me, I would, on the pretence that my son is a prisoner in Madinah, go there and kill Muhammad. This would be very feasible, as I am informed that Muhammad walks about alone in the streets.” Ssafuwân replied: “Thou art aware that in supporting and protecting my connections and dependents I have no equal nor peer in Mekkah. I bind myself to provide for thee and thine, and shall stand security for all thy debts.” Hereon O’mayr agreed to go. Ssafuwân made arrangements for the journey, gave him a camel to ride, incorporated O’mayr’s family and maintenance with his own, and became bail for his liabilities. Then O’mayr said to Ssafuwân: “This matter is to be kept secret from everyone until it is successfully terminated.” After that he impregnated his sabre with poison and departed. When he had traversed the distance and terminated the journey he duly arrived in Madinah, alighted at the gate of the apostle’s mosque from his camel, and intended to hasten into the presence of his holy and prophetic lordship. On that occasion Fârûq happened to be sitting with a number of friends discussing the fight of Bedr, and the protection of God the Most High, which had on the said day fallen to the lot of the professors of Islâm, when all of a sudden his eye alighted upon O’mayr, from whose shoulder a sabre was dangling. He became suspicious of him, and instigated the Musalmâns to secure him, saying: “This man is O’mayr B. Wohob, and an enemy of God, who had on the day of Bedr reconnoitred the army, had borne news of its paucity to the idolaters, and had incited them to attack us, saying: ‘The companions of Muhammad amount to just as many as can be seen, for none of them are in ambush.’” Accordingly the Musalmâns took hold of O’mayr by the command of Fârûq, who made haste to wait upon his holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.—and said: “O’mayr, who is a wicked traitor, has come armed, and there is no telling what his evil intention may be.” Then his lordship ordered Fârûq to bring him in. O’mar took hold with one hand of O’mayr’s shoulder-belt and with the other of the hilt of his sword, leading him thus into the most noble assembly. His lordship beckoned to Fârûq to let go his hold, and said: “O’mayr, come a few steps nearer.” The latter complied, and uttered the salutation current during the time of ignorance, whereon the apostle said: “God, whose magnificence be glorified, has forbidden us to use thy greeting, and has bestowed upon us that of the denizens of paradise, which is Salâm [i.e., peace, or salutation].” Then he asked O’mayr why he had come, and the latter replied: “I came for the sake of thy prisoner, whom I desire thee to treat well.” His lordship rejoined: “O’mayr, tell me truly what the reason of thy coming is.” But O’mayr repeated his former answer. Hereon his lordship asked: “What arrangements hast thou made in the chamber with Ssafuwân?” These words staggered O’mayr, and he requested the prophet to narrate what arrangements had been made on the said occasion. That prince continued: “Thou hast promised to kill me on condition that he would pay thy debts,” and related the whole conversation from beginning to end, with his wonderfully eloquent tongue, concluding with the words: “God the Most High interposed between thee and this business.” But according to another tradition he said: “Between thee and me there is a mode.” O’mayr was so impressed with these words that he exclaimed: “I testify that thou art the apostle of God, and that what thou sayest is true! And I testify that there is no other God but Allah! O apostle of God, we have accused thee of falsehood concerning the Divine revelation and the information thou receivest from heaven, but now I am convinced that everything is true, because not a soul except myself and Ssafuwân could be aware of what has transpired between us two, nor has anyone except the Most High informed thee of what took place. I thank the Omnipotent for having vouchsafed to show me the straight path and the true way.” When O’mayr was made happy by his profession of Islâm, all the Musalmâns rejoiced, and Fârûq said: “When I first beheld O’mayr I loved a swine more than him, but now I like him more than some of my own children.” After O’mayr had made his profession of Islâm his lordship the refuge of termination—u. w. b.—said to his companions: “Teach your brother the Qurân, and liberate his prisoner.” O’mayr said: “O apostle of God, ere this I attempted to extinguish the Divine light; but now, as I have received grace, allow me to return to Mekkah and to invite the Qoraish to accept Islâm, and possibly God the Most High and Glorious will guide them, and, by leading them out from the wilderness of aberration, will bring them to salvation.” As soon as O’mayr had obtained leave, he returned with his son to his country. While, however, O’mayr had been in Madinah, Ssafuwân often said to the Qoraish: “You will soon receive joyous news, the pleasure whereof will blot out the calamity of Bedr from your minds;” and he asked everyone who arrived in Mekkah wkether anything [extraordinary] had taken place in the country of Yathreb. In this manner he one day also asked a traveller about O’mayr, but the man replied: “He has become a Musalmân.” Hereon Ssafuwân, with all the idolaters, pronounced a malediction upon O’mayr, and Ssafuwân swore that he would never speak one word to O’mayr during his whole life, nor aid his family henceforth. Nevertheless, when O’mayr arrived in Mekkah, numerous idolaters agreed with him, and made their profession of Islâm.’
During this, i.e., the second year of the Flight, O’ssmâ, the Jewess, a daughter of Merwân, was killed. She was a woman well known in her tribe, and accustomed always to speak evil of the Musalmâns, to open her filthy mouth in depreciations against his prophetic lordship—u. w. b.—and against his companions. While the apostle of God was marching to Bedr some silly verses of O’ssmâ were brought to the notice of O’mayr B. A’dy, who was a blind man, but had at the very beginning sincerely and zealously professed Islâm, being well known in Madinah for the obedience and love he manifested towards God and His apostle—u. w. b. This individual made a vow that if God the Most High and Glorious would bring His favourite safely back to Madinah he would kill that accursed woman. On account of his cecity, O’mayr had been obliged to deprive himself of the pleasure of accompanying the august cavalcade on that expedition; but when his lordship the refuge of apostleship returned victoriously and joyously from the battlefield of Bedr to the mansion of his dignity, O’mayr walked on a certain night with a guide to the dwelling of O’ssmâ, which he entered, and, groping about, discovered that she was just suckling an infant. O’mayr separated the latter from O’ssmâ, and plunged a sword so well into her bosom that it came out at her back. He returned during the same night and assisted at the matutinal devotions of the apostle of God. When his lordship had completed his prayers he glanced at O’mayr, took cognizance, by the light of prophecy, of what had taken place, and asked: ‘Hast thou killed the daughter of Merwân?’ O’mayr replied: ‘Yes, O apostle of God;’ but fearing that his act might have displeased the most noble mind, he queried: ‘Has this deed entailed any blame upon me?’ But the apostle of God replied: ‘Henceforth zeal will no more butt against her,’ which proverb was uttered by his lordship for the first time. O’mayr states that the apostle —u. w. b.—looked at the persons who were around him, and exclaimed: ‘If you desire to behold a man who had aided God and His apostle secretly, look at O’mayr B. A’dy.’ In the Raudzatu-l-âhbâb this event is said to have taken place as follows: During the second year after the Flight O’mayr B. A’dy sent a man to kill O’ssmâ, the daughter of the Jew Merwân, who constantly spoke evil of the Musalmâns, insulted and ridiculed the apostle. The writer of these lines says that this tradition, which belongs to the author of the Mostaqadza’, is more probable, because, if we consider that many thousands of persons were most ready to execute the behests of his lordship the Mussttafa—u. w. b.—it is not likely that a blind man would be appointed to kill anyone.