Hatib's letter to Quraysh

When the Prophet resolved to march to Mecca, Hatib ibn Abi Balta'a wrote to Quraysh informing them — and the news came from heaven ¹. Ali and al-Zubayr overtook the carrier at al-Khaliqa and drew the letter from the plaits of her head ².

Hatib wrote to Quraysh telling them what the Prophet had resolved — the march upon them — and gave the letter to a woman, who put it in the plaits of her head — her hair — and set out with it ¹. On her identity there are two accounts: Ibn Ishaq, from Ibn Ja'far, from Urwa says she was a woman of Muzayna; in another account she was Sara, client of Banu Abd al-Muttalib ¹.

The Prophet sent Ali, al-Zubayr and al-Miqdad ibn Amr, saying: "Go to Rawdat Khakh; there is a woman travelling there with a letter — take it from her" ³. They overtook her at al-Khaliqa — Banu Abi Ahmad's barren land — and she denied it; they left her till nightfall, and she brought the letter out of the plaits of her head ².

Hatib was brought, and Umar said: "Messenger of God, let me strike this hypocrite's neck" ². Hatib excused himself: there was no unbelief or apostasy in me; but I am a man with no root or clan among the people — my children and family are among them, so I made them a deed by which they would protect my family ².

The Prophet said to Umar and Abu Bakr: "Believe Hatib", then said: "How do you know, Umar — perhaps God looked upon the people of Badr and said: Do as you will, for I have forgiven you" ². The opening of Surat al-Mumtahana descended concerning his affair in the account ².

The account links this incident with the opening of Surat al-Mumtahana: alliance with the warring enemy who fights over God, and the distinction between that and kindness to those who did not fight ².