Seeking Protection to Re-Enter Makkah

So this was an example of something good that happened to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) after something that was difficult, mentioned to have happened after al-Ṭāʾif. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) now had to enter Makkah again. Now, getting in was not like leaving: leaving had been easy, but it was not easy to get into Makkah again, especially after the news reached Makkah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had gone to preach his message to the people of al-Ṭāʾif. So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was not able to go into Makkah again; he had to seek the protection of someone in order to enter his own town. He was camping outside of Makkah, trying to find somebody who would sponsor him and give him protection.

He sent a message with a man named Rayqāt to al-Akhnas ibn Shuraiq, who was living in Makkah as an ally of the people of Quraysh, though not one of them himself. When al-Akhnas received the message from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he said: "Since I am an ally of Quraysh, I cannot give protection to somebody who is from Quraysh. I am only an ally — I cannot go beyond my authority and give protection to somebody from the tribe I am allied to." So al-Akhnas turned down the request.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent the same message to Suhayl ibn ʿAmr, who said: "I cannot give you protection, because the clan of ʿAmr ibn Luʾayy cannot give protection to somebody who is from Kaʿb ibn Luʾayy." A third time, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent a request, this time to Muṭʿim ibn ʿAdī, who accepted it, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went and spent the night at his house. Early the next morning, Muṭʿim asked six or seven of his sons to carry their swords, put on special dress, and go out surrounding the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), escorting him to the Kaʿbah. When they reached it, they took up positions watching over the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while he made ṭawāf. Abū Sufyān came to Muṭʿim and asked him: "Are you giving him protection, or are you following him?" Muṭʿim said: "I am only giving him protection." Abū Sufyān said: "If that is the case, we will accept your protection." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then continued giving daʿwah in Makkah under the protection of Muṭʿim ibn ʿAdī.