Quraysh's Divided Ranks

Banū Zuhrah, in fact, withdrew — Banū Zuhrah, the followers of al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq, withdrew and refused to join in this battle. They said, "We are not going to go out and fight our brothers." So in the end, even though ʿUtbah was one of their leaders, and he was trying to convince them to go back, and stood up and spoke and told the people of Quraysh some very convincing words, at the end of the day it was Abū Jahl who carried the vote.

Did ʿUtbah not try? Did Ḥakīm not try? In fact, another incident can be given as an example, to show how the disbelievers have a different standard when it comes to Islam. Abū Sufyān's son was taken as a prisoner of war by the Muslims, and they told him to come and ransom him. He said, "They killed one of my sons, and now they want me to ransom the other? Let him stay with them." There was a member of one Arab tribe who was a Muslim and went to Makkah for ʿumrah or for pilgrimage — and the people of Quraysh would honour any pilgrim; they never violated any pilgrim who came to Makkah, they would respect them all, they would honour them, they would host them, and the honour of Quraysh was based upon being generous to the pilgrims. So here was a Muslim going to Makkah for ʿumrah or for ḥajj, and he was taken prisoner — Abū Sufyān took him prisoner. Ibn Isḥāq says that Quraysh had only ever treated well those who came as pilgrims; this was the first time they would violate that law. His family went to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said, "Our son has been taken prisoner," and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ended up freeing the son of Abū Sufyān so that Abū Sufyān would free this pilgrim.