AN ADVISORY COUNCIL TO DEBAR PILGRIMS FROM MUHAMMAD'S CALl:

AN ADVISORY COUNCIL TO DEBAR PILGRIMS FROM MUHAMMAD'S CALl:

 During those days,

Quraish had another serious concern; the proclamation of the Call had only been a few months old

when the season of pilgrimage was soon to come. Quraish knew that the Arab delegates were

coming within a short time. They agreed that it was necessary to contemplate a device that was

bound to alienate the Arab pilgrims from the new faith preached by Muhammad (Peace be upon

him). They went to see Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah to deliberate on this issue. Al-Waleed invited

them to agree on a unanimous resolution that could enjoy the approbation of them all. However,

they were at variance. Some suggested that they describe him as Kahin, i.e., soothsayer; but this

suggestion was turned down on grounds that his words were not so rhymed. Others proposed

Majnun, i.e., possessed by jinn; this was also rejected because no insinuations peculiar to that state

of mind ware detected, they claimed. "Why not say he is a poet?" Some said. Here again they could

not reach a common consent, alleging that his words were totally outside the lexicon of poetry. "OK

then; let us accuse him of practising witchcraft," was a fourth suggestion. Here also Al-Waleed

showed some reluctance saying that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was known to have never

involved himself in the practice of blowing on the knots, and admitted that his speech was sweet

tasting root and branch. He, however, found that the most plausible charge to be levelled against

Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was witchcraft. The ungodly company adopted this opinion and

agreed to propagate one uniform formula to the effect that he was a magician so powerful and

commanding in his art that he would successfully alienate son from father, man from his brother,

wife from her husband and man from his clan.

It is noteworthy in this regard to say that Allâh revealed sixteen verses as regards Al-Waleed and

the cunning method he contemplated to manipulate the people expected to arrive in Makkah for

pilgrimage. Allâh says:

"Verily, he thought and plotted; so let him be cursed! How he plotted! And once more let

him be cursed, how he plotted! Then he thought; then he frowned and he looked in a bad

tempered way; then he turned back and was proud; then he said: 'This is nothing but magic

from that of old; this is nothing but the word of a human being!' " [74:18-25]

The most wicked of them was the sworn enemy of Islam and Muhammad (Peace b e upon him), Abu

Lahab, who would shadow the Prophet's steps crying aloud, "O men, do not listen to him for he is a

liar; he is an apostate." Nevertheless, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) managed to create a stir in

the whole area, and even to convince a few people to accept his Call.

THE FIRST MIGRATION TO ABYSSINIA (ETHIOPIA): The series of persecutions started late in

the fourth year of Prophethood, slowly at first, but steadily accelerated and worsened day by day

and month by month until the situation got so extremely grave and no longer tolerable in the middle

of the fifth year, that the Muslims began to seriously think of feasible ways liable to avert the painful

tortures meted out to them. It was at that gloomy and desperate time that Sûrah Al-Kahf (Chapter

18 — The Cave) was revealed comprising definite answers to the questions with which the

polytheists of Makkah constantly pestered the Prophet (Peace be upon him). It comprises three

stories that include highly suggestive parables for the true believers to assimilate. The story of the

Companions of the Cave implies implicit guidance for the believers to evacuate the hot spots of

disbelief and aggression pregnant with the peril of enticement away from the true religion:

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The young men said to one another): And when you withdraw from them, and that which

they worship, except Allâh, then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you

from His Mercy and will make easy for you your affair (i.e. will give you what you will need

of provision, dwelling, etc.)18:16].

Next, there is the story of Al-Khidr (The Teacher of Arabia) and Moses (Peace be upon him) in a

clear and delicate reference to the vicissitudes of life. Future circumstances of life are not

necessarily the products of the prevalent conditions, they might be categorically the opposite. In

other words, the war waged against the Muslims would in the future assume a different turn, and

the tyrannous oppressors would one day come to suffer and be subjected to the same tortures to

which the Muslims were then put. Furthermore, there is the story of Dhul-Qarnain (The Two Horned

One), the powerful ruler of west and east. This story says explicitly that Allâh takes His righteous

servants to inherit the earth and whatever in it. It also speaks that Allâh raises a righteous man

every now and then to protect the weak against the strong.

Sûrah Az-Zumar (Chapter 39 — The Crowds) was then revealed pointing directly to migration and

stating that the earth is spacious enough and the believers must not consider themselves

constrained by the forces of tyranny and evil:

"Good is (the reward) for those who do good in this world, and Allâh's earth is spacious (so

if you cannot worship Allâh at a place, then go to another)! Only those who are patient shall

receive their rewards in full without reckoning." [39:10].

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) had already known that Ashamah Negus, king of Abyssinia

(Ethiopia), was a fair ruler who would not wrong any of his subordinates, so he permitted some of

his followers to seek asylum there in Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

In Rajab of the fifth year of Prophethood, a group of twelve men and four women left for Abyssinia

(Ethiopia). Among the emigrants were 'Uthman bin 'Affan and his wife Ruqaiyah [the daughter of

the Prophet (Peace be upon him)]. With respect to these two emigrants, the Prophet (Peace be upon

him) said:

"They are the first people to migrate in the cause of Allâh after Abraham and Lot (Peace be

upon them) ."

They sneaked out of Makkah under the heavy curtain of a dark night and headed for the sea where

two boats happened to be sailing for Abyssinia (Ethiopia), their destination. News of their intended

departure reached the ears of Quraish, so some men were despatched in their pursuit, but the

believers had already left Shuaibah Port towards their secure haven where they were received

warmly and accorded due hospitality.

In Ramadan of the same year, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) went into the Holy Sanctuary where

there was a large host of Quraish polytheists, including some notables and celebrities. Suddenly he

began reciting Sûrah An-Najm (Chapter 41 — The Star). The awe-inspiring Words of Allâh

descended unawares upon them and they immediately got stunned by them. It was the first time for

them to be shocked by the truthful Revelation. It had formerly been the favourite trick of those

people who wished to dishonour Revelation, not only not to listen to it themselves but also to talk

loudly and insolently when it was being read, so that even the true listeners may not be able to

hear. They used to think that they were drowning the Voice of Allâh; in fact, they were piling up

misery for themselves, for Allâh's Voice can never be silenced, "And those who disbelieve say:

"Listen not to this Qur'ân, and make noise in the midst of its (recitation) that you may

overcome." [41:26].

When the unspeakably fascinating Words of Allâh came into direct contact with their hearts, they

were entranced and got oblivious of the materialistic world around them and were caught in a state

of full attentiveness to the Divine Words to such an extent that when the Prophet (Peace be upon

him) reached the stormy heart-beating ending:

"So fall you down in prostration to Allâh and worship Him (Alone)." [53:62]

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The idolaters, unconsciously and with full compliance, prostrated themselves in absolute god-fearing

and stainless devotion. It was in fact the wonderful moment of the Truth that cleaved through the

obdurate souls of the haughty and the attitude of the scoffers. They stood aghast when they

perceived that Allâh's Words had conquered their hearts and done the same thing that they had

been trying hard to annihilate and exterminate. Their co-polytheists who had not been present on

the scene reproached and blamed them severely; consequently they began to fabricate lies and

calumniate the Prophet (Peace be upon him) alleging that he had attached to their idols great

veneration and ascribed to them the power of desirable intercession. All of these were desperate

attempts made to establish an excusable justification for their prostrating themselves with the

Prophet (Peace be upon him) on that day. Of course, this foolish and iniquitous slanderous

behaviour was in line with their life-consecrated practice of telling lies and plot hatching.

News of this incident was misreported to the Muslim emigrants in Abyssinia (Ethiopia). They were

informed that the whole of Quraish had embraced Islam so they made their way back home. They

arrived in Makkah in Shawwal of the same year. When they were only an hour's travel from Makkah,

the reality of the situation was discovered. Some of them returned to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), others

sneaked secretly into the city or went in publicly but under the tutelage of a local notable. However,

due to the news that transpired to the Makkans about the good hospitality and warm welcome that

the Muslims were accorded in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), the polytheists got terribly indignant and started

to mete out severer and more horrible maltreatment andtortures to the Muslims. Thereupon the

Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) deemed it imperative to permit the helpless creatures to

seek asylum in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) for the second time. Migration this time was not as easy as it

was the previous time, for Quraish was on the alert to the least suspicious moves of the Muslims. In

due course, however, the Muslims managed their affairs too fast for the Quraishites to thwart their

attempt of escape. The group of emigrants this time comprised eighty three men and nineteen or, in

some versions, eighteen women. Whether or not 'Ammar was included is still a matter of doubt.