QURAISH'S MACHINATION AGAINSTN THE EMIGRANTS:

QURAISH'S MACHINATION AGAINSTN THE EMIGRANTS:  

Quraish could not tolerate the

prospect of a secure haven available for the Muslims in Abyssinia (Ethiopia), so they despatched two

staunch envoys to demand their extradition. They were 'Amr bin Al-'As and 'Abdullah bin Abi Rabi'a

— before embracing Islam. They had taken with them valuable gifts to the king and his clergy, and

had been able to win some of the courtiers over to their side. The pagan envoys claimed that the

Muslim refugees should be expelled from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and made over to them, on the

ground that they had abandoned the religion of their forefathers, and their leader was preaching a

religion different from theirs and from that of the king.

The king summoned the Muslims to the court and asked them to explain the teachings of their

religion. The Muslim emigrants had decided to tell the whole truth whatever the consequences were.

Ja'far bin Abi Talib stood up and addressed the king in the following words: "O king! we were

plunged in the depth of ignorance and barbarism; we adored idols, we lived in unchastity, we ate

the dead bodies, and we spoke abominations, we disregarded every feeling of humanity, and the

duties of hospitality and neighbourhood were neglected; we knew no law but that of the strong,

when Allâh raised among us a man, of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty, and purity we were

aware; and he called to the Oneness of Allâh, and taught us not to associate anything with Him. He

forbade us the worship of idols; and he enjoined us to speak the truth, to be faithful to our trusts, to

be merciful and to regard the rights of the neighbours and kith and kin; he forbade us to speak evil

of women, or to eat the substance of orphans; he ordered us to fly from the vices, and to abstain

from evil; to offer prayers, to render alms, and to observe fast. We have believed in him, we have

accepted his teachings and his injunctions to worship Allâh, and not to associate anything with Him,

and we have allowed what He has allowed, and prohibited what He has prohibited. For this reason,

our people have risen against us, have persecuted us in order to make us forsake the worship of

Allâh and return to the worship of idols and other abominations. They have tortured and injured us,

until finding no safety among them, we have come to your country, and hope you will protect us

from oppression."

The king was very much impressed by these words and asked the Muslims to recite some of Allâh's

Revelation. Ja'far recited the opening verses of Sûrah Maryam (Chapter 19 — Mary) wherein is told

the story of the birth of both John and Jesus Christ, down to the account of Mary having been fed

with the food miraculously. Thereupon the king, along with the bishops of his realm, was moved to

tears that rolled down his cheeks and even wet his beard. Here, the Negus exclaimed: "It seems as

if these words and those which were revealed to Jesus are the rays of the light which have radiated

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from the same source." Turning to the crest-fallen envoys of Quraish, he said, "I am afraid, I cannot

give you back these refugees. They are free to live and worship in my realm as they please."

On the morrow, the two envoys again went to the king and said that Muhammad (Peace be upon

him) and his followers blasphemed Jesus Christ. Again the Muslims were summoned and asked what

they thought of Jesus. Ja'far again stood up and replied: "We speak about Jesus as we have been

taught by our Prophet (Peace be upon him) , that is, he is the servant of Allâh, His Messenger, His

spirit and His Word breathed into Virgin Mary." The king at once remarked, "Even so do we believe.

Blessed be you, and blessed be your master." Then turning to the frowning envoys and to his

bishops who got angry, he said: "You may fret and fume as you like but Jesus is nothing more than

what Ja'far has said about him." He then assured the Muslims of full protection. He returned to the

envoys of Quraish, the gifts they had brought with them and sent them away. The Muslims lived in

Abyssinia (Ethiopia) unmolested for a number of years till they returned to Madinah.

In this way Quraish's malicious intentions recoiled on them and their machination met with utter

failure. They came to fully realize that the g rudge they nursed against he Muslims would not operate

but within their realm of Makkah. They consequently began to entertain a horrible idea of silencing

the advocate of the new Call once and for all, through various channels of brutality, or else killing

him. An obstinate difficulty, however, used to curtail any move in this direction embodied by the

Prophet's uncle Abu Talib and the powerful social standing he used to enjoy as well as the full

protection and support he used to lend to his nephew. The pagans of Makkah therefore decided to

approach Abu Talib for the second time and insisted that he put a stop to his nephew's activities,

which if allowed unchecked, they said, would involve him into severe hostility. Abu Talib was deeply

distressed at this open threat and the breach with his people and their enmity, but he could not

afford to desert the Messenger too. He sent for his nephew and told him what the people had said,

"Spare me and yourself and put not burden on me that I can't bear." Upon this the Prophet (Peace

be upon him) thought that his uncle would let him down and would no longer support him, so he

replied:

"O my uncle! by Allâh if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left on

condition that I abandon this course, until Allâh h as made me victorious, or I perish therein,

I would not abandon it." The Prophet (Peace be upon him) got up, and as he turned away,

his uncle called him and said, "Come back, my nephew," and when he came back, he said,

"Go and preach what you please, for by Allâh I will never forsake you."

He then recited two lines of verse pregnant with meanings of full support to the Prophet (Peace be

upon him) and absolute gratification by the course that his nephew had chalked out in Arabia.

ONECE MORE QURAISH APPROACHES ABU TALIB: Quraish, seeing that the Messenger of Allâh

(Peace be upon him) was still intent on his Call, realized that Abu Talib would never forsake his

nephew even if this incurred their enmity. Some of them then went to see him once more taking

with them a youth called 'Amarah bin Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah, and said, "O Abu Talib! we have

brought you a smart boy still in the bloom of his youth, to make use of his mind and strength and

take him as your son in exchange for your nephew, who has run counter to your religion, brought

about social discord, found fault with your way of life, so that we kill him and rid you of his endless

troubles; just man for man." Abu Talib's reply was, "It is really an unfair bargain. You give me your

son to bring him up and I give you my son to kill him! By Allâh, it is something incredible!!" Al-

Mut'im bin 'Adi, a member of the delegation, interrupted saying that Quraish had been fair in that

bargain because "they meant only to rid you of that source of hateful trouble, b ut as I see you are

determined to refuse their favours." Abu Talib, of course, turned down all their offers and challenged

them to do whatever they pleased. Historical resources do not give the exact date of these two

meetings with Abu Talib. They, however, seem more likely to have taken place in the sixth year of

Prophethood with a brief lapse of time in between.

THE TYRANTS' DECISION TO KILL THE PROPHET: Now that all the schemes and conspiracof

Quraish had failed, they resorted to their old practices of persecution and inflicting tortures on the

Muslims in a more serious and brutal manner than ever before. They also began to nurse the idea of

killing the Prophet (Peace be upon him). In fact, contrary to their expectations, this new method and

this very idea served indirectly to consolidate the Call to Islam and support it with the conversion of

two staunch and mighty heroes of Makkah, i.e. Hamzah bin 'Abdul-Muttalib and 'Umar bin Al-

Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him).

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'Utaibah bin Abi Lahab once approached the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and most defiantly and

brazenly shouted at him, "I disbelieve in: "By the star when it goes down." [53:1] and in "Then he

(Gabriel) approached and came closer." [53:8] In other words: "I do not believe in any of the

Qur'ân." He then started to deal highhandedly with Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and laid violent

hand on him, tore his shirt and spat into his face but his saliva missed the Holy face of the Prophet

(Peace be upon him). Thereupon, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) invoked Allâh's wrath on

'Utaibah and supplicated:

"O Allâh! Set one of Your dogs on him."

Allâh responded positively to Muhammad's supplication, and it happened in the following manner:

Once 'Utaibah with some of his compatriots from Quraish set out for Syria and took accommodation

in Az - Zarqa'. There a lion approached the group to the great fear of 'Utbah, who at once recalled

Muhammad's words in supplication, and said: "Woe to my brother! This lion will surely devour me

just as Muhammad (Peace be upon him) supplicated. He has really killed me in Syria while he is in

Makkah." The lion did really rush like lightning, snatched 'Utbah from amongst his people and

crushed his head.

It is also reported that a wretched idolater from Quraish, named 'Uqbah bin 'Abi Mu'ait once trod on

the Prophet's neck while he was prostrating himself in prayer until his eyes protruded.

More details reported by Ibn Ishaq testify to the tyrants' deeply-established intentions of killing the

Prophet (Peace be upon him). Abu Jahl, the archenemy of Islam, once addressed some of his

accomplices: "O people of Quraish! It seems that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is determined to

go on finding fault with our religion, degrading our forefathers, discrediting our way of life and

abusing our gods. I bear witness to our god that I will carry a too heavy rock and drop it on

Muhammad's head while he is in prostration to rid you of him, once and for all. I am not afraid of

whatever his sept, Banu 'Abd Munaf, might do." The terrible unfortunate audience endorsed his plan

and encouraged him to translate it into a decisive deed.

In the morning of the following day, Abu Jahl lay waiting for the arrival of the Messenger of Allâh

(Peace be upon him) to offer prayer. The people of Quraish were in their assembly rooms waiting for

news. When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) prostrated himself, Abu Jahl proceeded carrying the

big rock to fulfill his wicked intention. No sooner had he approached closer to the Prophet (Peace be

upon him) than he withdraw pale-faced, shuddering with his hands strained the rock falling off.

Thereupon, the people watching hurried forward asking him what the matter was. He replied: "When

I approached, a male-camel unusual in figure with fearful canines intercepted and almost devoured

me." Ibn Ishaq reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him), in the context of his comment on

the incident, said "It was Gabriel (Peace be upon him) , if Abu Jahl had approached closer, he would

have killed him. " Even so the tyrants of Quraish would not be admonished, contrariwise, the idea of

killing the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was still being nourished in their iniquitous hearts. On the

authority of 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As, some people of Quraish were in a place called Al-Hijr

complaining that they had been too patient with the Prophet (Peace be upon him), who suddenly

appeared and began his usual circumambulation. They started to wink at him and utter sarcastic

remarks but he remained silent for two times, then on the third, he stopped and addressed the

infidels saying:

"O people of Quraish! Hearken, I swear by Allâh in Whose Hand is my soul, that you will one

day be slaughtered to pieces." As soon as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) uttered his word

of slaughter, they all stood aghast and switched off to a new style of language smacking of

fear and even horror trying to soothe his anger and comfort him saying: "You can leave Abul

Qasim, for you have never been foolish."

'Urwa bin Az-Zubair narrated: I asked Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As to tell me of the worst thing that

the pagans did to the Prophet (Peace be upon him). He said: "While the Prophet (Peace be upon

him) was praying in Al-Hijr of Al-Ka'bah, 'Uqbah bin Al-Mu'ait came and put his garment around the

Prophet's neck and throttled him violently. Abu Bakr came and caught him by his shoulder and

pushed him away from the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said: "Do you want to kill a man just

because he says, My Lord is Allâh?"

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