soon thereafter, the quraysh were to increase their attacks against muhammad. an example of the least of such injuries was the covering of muhammad's head with soil thrown at him by one of the plebeians of quraysh. muhammad withdrew to his home where his daughter, fatimah, moved to tears by the sight of her father, washed his head for him. it is certainly painful to us to hear our children cry, and more so to hear our daughters cry. indeed, every tear dropped from a daughter's eye is a ball of fire fallen upon our hearts, causing us to cry in pain. the daughter's sob and painful murmur fall heavily upon the father's heart, and fatimah's cries must have choked a compassionate father such as muhammad. however, what was he to do to reassure a person who had just lost her mother and who is now appalled by the insults heaped upon her father? nothing but to orient himself all the more to god, and to proclaim his conviction that god would give him final victory. he said to his daughter: "do not cry, o fatimah ! your father has god for protector." often muhammad would be heard saying: "by god. quraysh never harmed me so much as after the death of abu talib."