when the preparations of the idolaters for departure came to an end, abu sufyan went up the mountain and called out: "is muhammad [pbuh] among you?" they did not answer him. then he asked "is ibn abi quhafah (i.e. abu bakr) among you?" they did not answer. he asked again: "is ‘umar bin al-khattab among you?" they did not answer him; for the prophet [pbuh] forbade them answering him. he only asked about those three. that is because he and his people knew quite well that the call to islam depended to a large degree on those men. abu sufyan then said: "as for those three, we have relieved you of." ‘umar could not help but talking, so he said, "o enemy of allâh, those whom you have just mentioned, i tell you that they are still alive. allâh has maintained what you hate." abu sufyan answered: "the mutilation of your killed is something i did not order it; but it did not displease me." then he shouted: "hubal (an idol), let it be sublime!" the prophet [pbuh] said: "why do you not reply?" "what shall we say?" they asked him. "say: allâh is more sublime and exalted and mightier as well."

he said: "al-‘uzza (i.e. an idol) is ours but you have no ‘uzza." "why do you not reply?" the prophet [pbuh] said. "what shall we say?" they inquired. he said: "say allâh is our protector, but you have no protector."

abu sufyan said: "well deeds! today is a vengeance for badr day. this for that. war is attended with alternate success." ‘umar’s reply was: "no. they are not the same. our killed men are housed in paradise; but yours are in fire."

then abu sufyan said: "come on, ‘umar!" the messenger of allâh [pbuh] said: "go and see what the matter is." he went there. abu sufyan asked him: "i beseech you by allâh’s name to tell me the truth: have we killed muhammad [pbuh]?" ‘umar said: "o allâh, ‘no’ and now he is listening to you words." he said: "for me, you are more truthful than ibn qami’a, and even more reliable." [ibn hisham 2/93,94; za'd al-ma'ad 2/94; sahih al-bukhari 2/579]