God Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an:

“O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, showing them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth, expelling the Messenger and yourselves because you believe in Allah, your Lord, if you have come out for jihad in My cause and seeking My approval. You show them affection secretly, but I am most knowing of what you conceal and what you declare. And whoever among you does so has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way.”
(Qur’an, Surah Al-Mumtahanah 60:1)

This noble verse refers to a critical period in the history of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The Muslims intended to conquer Mecca and were preparing for a difficult battle. Meanwhile, the polytheists (mushrikin) who had repeatedly waged wars against the Prophet had cornered the Prophet and the Muslims. It is important to know that all wars fought by the Prophet, peace be upon him, were defensive in nature; he never initiated aggression. However, the pilgrimage to the House of God and the wealth of the emigrants (Muhajirin) in Mecca became the grounds for this extensive military campaign.

The polytheists of Mecca, eager to spy and learn about the situation in Medina, sent a singing woman named Sarah, who according to history had a notorious reputation, towards Medina. From the Prophet’s own words in a later conversation with this woman, it appears that she was involved with the pleasure-seeking youth of Mecca.

The story of this woman is transmitted in multiple hadith and tafsir (Qur’anic exegesis) books, indicating its importance—especially since God revealed a verse about this matter.

A stranger woman in Medina

Sarah was sent by the Meccan polytheists to “Hatib ibn Abi Balta’ah.” Hatib appeared to be Muslim, but in reality, he was a spy for the polytheists among the Muslims, leaking their secrets. Sarah searched the streets of Medina for Hatib, who was recognized by the Muslims. His notorious reputation was well-known among them. Sarah handed Hatib a letter from the people of Mecca without anyone noticing. They brought him before the Prophet, peace be upon him.

The Prophet asked her: “Have you come to accept Islam?” She said: “No.”
“Have you come to stay in Medina while remaining a polytheist?” Again she said: “No.”
The Prophet asked: “Then why have you come to Medina?”
Sarah said: “Because of poverty and need.”
According to narrations, the Prophet asked: “Do not the youths of Quraysh provide for you?”
She replied: “No.”

According to numerous authentic narrations and conclusive evidence, the Prophet was aware of every detail. Nothing escaped his knowledge. He knew well that Sarah had come to Medina for spying and had given the letter of the polytheists to Hatib, and that he would bring a reply to Mecca. However, it is God’s custom that the Prophet usually acts outwardly and does not disclose his supernatural knowledge.

The narration continues that the Prophet ordered that she be given a mount, provisions, food, clothing, and then be sent back to Mecca.

She had not yet gone far from Medina when this verse was revealed to the Prophet:

“O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies...” (Surah Al-Mumtahanah 60:1)

Gabriel descended to the Prophet and said that this verse was revealed regarding Hatib ibn Abi Balta’ah, who had written a letter to the polytheists and sent it via that woman, describing the military conditions of the Muslims.

The Prophet immediately called upon the Commander of the Faithful (Amir al-Mu’minin) — peace be upon him — and told him to go with some companions to Sarah’s location and retrieve the letter from her.

Denial of the Revelation

Amir al-Mu’minin — peace be upon him — with several companions went to the place the Prophet had specified and confronted Sarah. Clearly, Sarah was on the move and it would have taken some time for Amir al-Mu’minin and his companions to catch up with her. Determining this exact point of interception is not a simple matter and could only have been known through the Prophet’s supernatural knowledge and divine inspiration.

This incident is one of many evidences showing the Prophet’s knowledge of all matters.

On the other hand, the fundamental purpose of God’s creation — Blessed and Exalted is He — is the test of humanity. God affirms this in the Qur’an saying:

"Let us see how you act"; to observe how you behave.
The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) arrived at the appointed place with a few companions and reached Sarah. They asked her about the letter of Hatib to the Meccan polytheists. However, she claimed ignorance. No matter how much they insisted, she maintained she was unaware and said, "Due to severe poverty, I came to Medina, and the Prophet kindly gave me money and provisions. Now I am returning to Mecca to live for a while with the gift of the Prophet."
They asked her to dismount from her camel and stand aside. They searched her belongings but did not find any letter.

Those who had come with the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) became disappointed and said, "O Ali, let us return. There is no letter." But the Commander of the Faithful said, "The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) does not err. Surely, she has the letter."

The woman continued to deny the existence of the letter until the Commander of the Faithful drew his sword and said, "Give the letter or I will cut off your neck." The threat from the Commander of the Faithful worked. The woman went to a corner, adjusted her headscarf, pulled the letter out from between her hair, and handed it over to the Commander of the Faithful. As the late scholar Allameh Majlisi and others have mentioned, she had wrapped her hair around the letter so tightly that even if a woman had tried to search her hair, she would not have noticed the letter.

The Commander of the Faithful took the letter from the woman and went to the Prophet. In that letter, Hatib had written to the Meccan polytheists that the Prophet was preparing military equipment and intended to fight them. The Prophet called Hatib and said to him, "What made you do this?" He replied, "I wanted to have a favor with the people, and I did not intend to turn away from my faith."

Hatib had relatives and kin in Mecca and feared that because he was in the Prophet’s army, the polytheists would harm them. He wanted to gain their favor by this act so that his relatives would remain safe.

His excuse was unacceptable. In the battlefield, anyone who discloses military secrets, by logic everywhere in the world, is declared a traitor. In Arabic, this is called "al-khiyana al-uzma" (the greatest treason), something like a conspiracy against the regime; a treason that in wartime is considered the most dangerous. Today, in all parts of the world, those who reveal military information are executed. This is something accepted by human logic and law nowadays with almost no opposition. However, the noble Messenger of God refrained from killing Hatib and pardoned him. It is no coincidence that God calls His Prophet in the Qur’an "And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds" (21:107).

Sarah was also deserving of execution, but the Commander of the Faithful spared her. Had Hatib’s letter reached the polytheists, many bloods would have been shed on both sides, causing numerous casualties and heavy losses.

One such event occurred about fifty years ago in Iraq during the time of Abdul Karim Qasim, Abdulsalam Arif, and Abdulrahman Arif. These few and others who had revolted together fell out over minor issues, and the one in power executed his partner in a place called "Abu al-Taboul." Similar events have repeated elsewhere in the world. The Prophet of God was unique in that he did not punish the spy; he neither punished that woman nor deprived Hatib of anything or punished him. He only asked for his reason and motive, and Hatib gave an excuse worse than the sin.

The story of Hatib is one of hundreds of stories whose human aspect is instructive and unparalleled for mankind. The Prophet of God managed this sensitive historical event without shedding a drop of blood, which itself is significant. The life of the Prophet contains many unexplored topics worthy of study and dissemination by Muslims to the world, to help alleviate problems and tensions.

Looking briefly at the world and reflecting on the events around us, we realize that even in many wealthy and advanced countries, people cannot rest peacefully. Many dangers threaten humanity today, all due to alienation from the culture of mercy and compassion, which was fully manifested in the governance of the Prophet and the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon them).

Today, comfort and peace come through accepting the true culture of Islam, realized under the governance of the two precious jewels, the Prophet and the Commander of the Faithful. Western scholars should examine this with a fresh and unbiased perspective to see and understand that apart from the governance of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and Imam Ali (peace be upon him), and perhaps other divine prophets (since this is the way of God), no other system of governance can be found.

If Islamic and non-Islamic countries want a comfortable and prosperous life, they must take the history of the Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali as their model and guide.

Why should countries wait for another hundred or two hundred years, after widespread oppression and millions of deaths, to gradually adopt the governance style of the Prophet and Imam Ali?

The Prophet of Islam, the mercy to the worlds, is a mercy for everyone — Muslims and non-Muslims, even the oppressors. Millions in the world will perish, and after much error and misjudgment, the truth of these two jewels and their correct governance method will become evident to them. Then gradually the correctness of Islamic teachings will be clear, and they will turn to true Islam.

I hope God, the Blessed and Exalted, grants all the world the success to follow more closely the method, speech, and actions of the Prophet of Islam so that humanity may attain that ideal city (Medina al-Fadila) of the time of the Prophet and Imam Ali.

We seek from God the success to follow the path and method of the noble Messenger of God so that by following it, we may reach the ideal city of humanity, which so far has been only a dream and imagination.

May God’s blessings be upon Muhammad and his pure family.