Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his Companions came to Mecca and the fever in Medina had weakened them. Thereupon the polytheists (of Mecca) said: There would come to you a people whom the fever has made weak and they have suffered severely from it. They sat in Hatim. Thereupon Allah's Apostle ﷺ commanded them to walk quickly ift three circuits and walk (in four) between the two corners. so that the polytheists should. see their endurance. The polytheists then said (to one anothery You were under the impression that fever had emaciated them. whereas they are stronger than so and so. Ibn Abbas said: He (the Holy Prophet) did not command them (the Muslims) to walk quickly in all the circuits out of kindness to them. (Using translation from Muslim 1266a)
قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ مَكَّةَ وَقَدْ وَهَّنَتْهُمْ حُمَّى يَثْرِبَ فَقَالَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ إِنَّهُ يَقْدَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ غَدًا قَوْمٌ قَدْ وَهَّنَتْهُمُ الْحُمَّى وَلَقُوا مِنْهَا شِدَّةً فَجَلَسُوا مِمَّا يَلِي الْحِجْرَ فَأَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَنْ يَرْمُلُوا ثَلَاثَةَ أَشْوَاطٍ وَيَمْشُوا بَيْنَ الرُّكْنَيْنِ؛ لِيَرَى الْمُشْرِكُونَ جَلَدَهُمْ فَقَالَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ هَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّ الْحُمَّى قَدْ وَهَّنَتْهُمْ هَؤُلَاءِ أَجْلَدُ مِنْ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَلَمْ يَمْنَعْهُمْ أَنْ يَرْمُلُوا الْأَشْوَاطَ إِلَّا الْإِبْقَاءُ عَلَيْهِمْ