Note [édition originale] : The unjust person.] It is supposed by some that these words particularly relate to
Okba
Ebn Abi Moait, who used to be much in
Mohammed’s company, and having once
invited him to an entertainment, the prophet refused to taste of his meat
unless he would profess
Islâm; which accordingly he did. Soon after,
Okba,
meeting
Obba Ebn Khalf, his intimate friend, and being reproached by him for
changing his religion, assured him that he had not, but had only pronounced
the profession of faith to engage
Mohammed to eat with him, because he could
not for shame let him go out of his house without eating. However,
Obba
protested that he would not be satisfied, unless he went to
Mohammed, and set
his foot on his neck, and spit in his face: which
Okba, rather than break with
his friend, performed in the public hall, where he found
Mohammed sitting;
whereupon the prophet told him that if ever he met him out of
Mecca, he would
cut off his head. And he was as good as his word: for
Okba, being afterwards
taken prisoner at the battle of
Bedr, had his head struck off by
Ali at
Mohammed’s command. As for
Obba, he received a wound from the prophet’s own
hand, at the battle of
Ohod, of which he died at his return to
Mecca
3.
-
3
Al Beidawi. V. Gagnier, Vie de Mahom. vol. I. p. 362.