ause of refusing to return, but Mohammad argued that it
was not proper for him to break the terms of the peace, and Abu Basir
was compelled to set out for Mecca. But he had travelled only a few
miles when he treacherously seized the sword of one of his escorts and
slew him. The other servant fled back to Medina, whither Abu Basir also
followed him. On the return of the latter, he contended that the Prophet
had already fulfilled the treaty to its very letter in delivering him
up, but the Prophet replied, "Alas for his mother! What a kindler of
war, if he had with him any one!" When he heard this "he knew that the
Prophet was again going to send him back to his guardians,[268] the
Koreish, so he went away to the seashore, where he, with others who had
joined him after their flight from captivity at Mecca, used to waylay
the caravans from Mecca." This story, which is also briefly narrated by
Ibn Is-hak, and more fully by Shamee, Zoorkanee and Ibn-al-Kyyim, does
not show that Mohammad acted against the spirit and letter of the truce
of Hodeibia.

He himself never countenanced Abu Basir; on the contrary, he delivered
him up in conformity with the terms of the treaty of Hodeibia, and when
he had returned, Abu Basir had every reason to believe that Mohammad
would again despatch him to the quarters whence he had come. But it
appears Abu Basir went away to the seashore, out of Mohammad's
jurisdiction, and it was not the duty of the Prophet to effect his
arrest and send him back to Mecca whilst he was not with him, or rather
out of his jurisdiction. Had he even kept him with himself at Medina
after he had once made him over to the party sent forth to take charge
of him, and were no other demands made for his delivery, I do not think
Mohammad could be fairly blamed for it according to the international
law of the Arabs, or even according to the terms of the treaty of
Hodeibia itself.

6.--_Employment of Nueim to break up the confederates who had besieged
Medina._

[Sidenote: 79. Nueim not employed by the Prophet to circulate false
reports in the enemy's camp.]

When Medina was besieged for several days by the Koreish and their
confederates, the army of Medina was harassed and wearied with
increasing watch and duty. Nueim, an Arab of a neutral tribe,
represented himself as a secret believer, and offered his services to
the Prophet, who accepted them, and employed him to hold back the
confederates from the siege, if he could, s