at Mecca.
Musab had distinctly reminded him of his torturing the companions of
Mohammad,[234] so there was nothing of a cruel and vindictive spirit of
the Prophet displayed towards his enemies in the execution of Nazr as it
is made out by Sir W. Muir.[235] On the other hand, his execution is
denied by some critics, like Ibn Manda and Abu Naeem, who say, that
Nazr-bin-Haris was present at the battle of Honain, A.H. 8, six years
after that of Badr, and was presented with one hundred camels by
Mohammad. Sir W. Muir himself puts down very quietly Nadhir Ibn al
Harith's name in a foot-note (Vol. IV, page 151) as a recipient of one
hundred camels at Honain. The same Nadhr-bin-Harith is shown among the
earliest Moslem refugees who had fled to Abyssinia. These discrepancies
leave no doubt that the story of Nadhr's execution is not a fact. It is
also related by the narrators, who assert Nazr's execution at Badr, that
his daughter or sister came to Mohammad and addressed him several
verses, the hearing of which produced such a tender emotion in him, that
his eyes shed tears and said, he would not have issued orders for his
execution had he heard these verses before. The following are two of the
verses which Mohammad heard:

_"Ma kan Zarraka lao mananta va rubba mamannal
fata va ho-al mughizul mohnihoo."_
Thou wouldst no harm have seen to set him free,
Anger how high for pardon has no plea.

But Zobier-bin-Bakar says, he heard some learned men who objected to
these verses on the ground that they were all concocted; and I think
that the whole story of Nazr's execution is a spurious one.

2.--_Okba-bin-Mueit_.

[Sidenote: 60. The execution of Okba.]

Another prisoner, named Okba, was executed after the battle of Badr for
a crime similar to that of Nazr. It is related that while he was going
to be executed, he asked who would take care of his little girl.
Mohammad replied, "Hell-fire!" This is altogether an apocryphal story,
and owes its origin to the relation of Okba to the tribe of Banunnar, or
the "children of fire." Wackidi does not give his authorities for the
story, and Ibn Is-hak gives only one immediately before him, which is
cut short of another intervening link of authorities up to the scene of
occurrence. Abu Daood narrates it from Masrook, who gave it on the
authority of Abdullah-bin-Mas-ood, who does not say he was present at
the scene or he heard it directly or indirectly from Mohammad. Besi