|
The Jews hummed and hawed
for a while and then came out with their terms. "Our position
is more delicate than yours. If you have no success you may abandon
us, and then we will be left alone to face the wrath of Muhammad.
To make sure that this does not happen, you must give us hostages
from your best families who will stay with us until the battle has
been fought to a satisfactory conclusion. Anyway, tomorrow is Saturday
and Jews are forbidden to fight on the Sabbath. Those who break
the Sabbath are turned by Allah into pigs and monkeys."
Ikrimah returned empty?handed. Abu Sufyan then decided to make one
more attempt at persuading the Jews to join battle on the morrow,
and sent another delegation to Kab; but the stand of the two sides
remained the same:
Quraish: No hostages; fight
tomorrow!
Jews: No fighting on the
Sabbath; anyway, hostages first!
All three groups now said, "Nuaim was right. How wise he
was in his advice to us!" 1 Nuaim
had done his work well. The Bani Quraizah had been neatly detached
from the alliance.
The next morning, Saturday, March 15, Khalid
and Ikrimah, tiring of the delay and seeing no hope of concerted
action by the Allies, decided to take matters into their own hands
and try to force a decision one way or another. They moved forward
with their cavalry squadrons to a place just west of Zubab, where
the ditch was not as wide as in other places and where it could
be cleared on horseback or by men scrambling across on foot. This
place was right in front of the Muslim camp, which nestled at the
foot of Sil'a.
Ikrimah's squadron moved up first and a
small group jumped the ditch, the horses landing neatly on the Muslim
side. There were seven men in the group, including Ikrimah and an
enormous man who urged his enormous horse ahead of the group and
began to survey the Muslims, who were surprised by the sudden appearance
of the Quraish. The stage was now set for one of the most remarkable
duels of history, which, because of its unusual course, is here
described in full detail.
This huge man was of a tremendous height
and bulk, and while on his feet would tower above his fellow men.
Sitting on his great horse, he looked positively unreal. Big, strong
and fearless, he had a fierce countenance-an aspect which thrilled
his comrades and dismayed his enemies.
This was Amr bin Abdu Wud. (We shall call
him the Giant!) Horse and rider stood motionless as he let his gaze
wander scornfully over the ranks of the Muslims.
Suddenly the Giant raised his head and roared,
"I am Amr bin Abdu Wud. I am the greatest warrior in Arabia.
I am invincible. I... I. . ." He certainly had a high opinion
of himself. "Is there anyone among you who has the courage
to meet me in personal combat?"
The challenge was received by the Muslims
in silence. They looked at one another. They looked at the Holy
Prophet. But no one moved, for the Giant was famous for his strength
and skill, and though wounded several times, had never yet lost
a duel, nor spared an opponent. It was said that he was equal to
500 horsemen; that he could lift a horse bodily and hurl it to the
ground; that he could pick up a calf with his left hand and use
it as a shield in combat; that he could... The stories were endless.
The vivid Arab imagination had created around this formidable warrior
a legend of invincibility.
So the Muslims remained silent, and the
Giant laughed with contempt-a laugh in which the Quraish also joined,
for they stood quite close to the ditch and could see and hear all
that went on.
1. Ibn Hisham: Vol. 2, pp. 230 - 231; Ibn
Sad: p. 574.
| 
