Detailed Account

After the rejection at Ta'if, the Prophet ﷺ could not safely re-enter Makkah without tribal protection, as Abu Lahab had withdrawn the protection previously provided by Abu Talib. Outside Makkah, he sent messages to several tribal leaders requesting protection (jiwar). Akhnas ibn Shariq and Suhayl ibn Amr both declined, but Mut'im ibn Adi—a respected polytheist leader of Banu Nawfal who had helped end the boycott—agreed despite not accepting Islam. Mut'im and his sons armed themselves and escorted Muhammad ﷺ to the Ka'bah, where Mut'im publicly announced from his camel: 'O people of Quraysh! I have granted protection to Muhammad, so let no one harm him.' This protection allowed the Prophet ﷺ to resume his activities in Makkah, though under increasingly difficult circumstances. The Prophet ﷺ never forgot this kindness. Years later, after the Battle of Badr when Muslims were deciding the fate of prisoners, he stated: 'Had Mut'im ibn Adi been alive and spoken to me about these captives, I would have released them all for his sake.' This incident demonstrates the complex social fabric of Makkan society where tribal values sometimes transcended religious differences, and how the Prophet ﷺ acknowledged and reciprocated honorable conduct regardless of faith differences.