CHAPTER FOURTEEN

MISSION OF MUHAMMAD (MECCA PERIOD, 610-622)

PRE-ISLAMIC HISTORY OF ARABIA
STRUGGLE BETWEEN JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY AND RISE OF ABRAHA
After the destruction of the Temple of Solomon in 70 A.D., Arabia was penetrated by Judaism. Persecuted and evicted from their
homeland, many Jews settled in pre-Islamic Arabia. In the north, there were settlements of Jews in Khaybar and Medina. In the
south, Judaism was professed in Yemen by some of the descendants of Himyar. The south was naturally more disposed towards
Judaism, since Christianity was associated with its two traditional enemies, Byzantium and Ethiopia. After five centuries of
evangelization, Christianity had managed to gain foothold in outlying areas such as in Hadramawt and city of Najran. The
struggle between Christianity and Judaism came to a head in the first quarter of the sixth century, when judaizing king of Himyar,
tried systematically to spread Judaism in the south, resulting in the famous massacre of the Christians of Najran.
In order to avenge this defeat, in A.D. 520, an Ethiopian expedition with the blessing of Byzantium destroyed the last judaizing
king of Himyar. The Ethiopian occupation ushered in anarchy and political upheaval for fifty years. An Ethiopian soldier of
fortune by the name of Abraha, successfully revolted and asserted his virtual independence. Various activities are associated with
his name as the building of a famous church in Sana, but more notorious is his expedition against Mecca. This event is recorded in
the Quran in the hundred-fifth surah, The Elephant. (See below). In the last quarter of the sixth century, the south was occupied by
Persian. The Ethiopian occupation gave a strong impetus to Monophysite Christianity, while the Persian occupation enables
Judaism and Nestorian Christianity to regain strength and admit an Indo-European form of religious experience, Iranian
Zoroastrianism.
During Muhammad’s times, the external politics of Mecca was dominated by the titanic struggle between the two super powers of
that time, Byzantine and Persian empires. Meccan trade dictated a policy of neutrality, for it connected the Persian-held Yemen in
the south with Byzantine Syria in the North. It would have been impossible for Meccan to maintain neutrality if they adopted
Christianity or Zoroastrianism. Arabs also knew that Judaism and Christianity, which were practiced in Byzantine and Persian
empires, were more sophisticated then their own pagan traditions. After fifty years, the Persian occupation was terminated by the
Arabs under the banner of Islam.
QURAYSH AS CUSTODIANS OF THE KABAH
The tribe of Quraysh were descendants from Fihr, surnamed Quraysh, which in ancient Arabic means a merchant. Fihr lived in
third century of C.E and was direct descendant of Ishmael. In the sixth century, Qusayy, a descendant of Fihr, laid the foundation
for the prosperity of Mecca as the great commercial republic of Arabia. In 570 C.E, a prophet named Muhammad was born, a
lineal descendant of Qusayy, in this prosperous metropolis. It was the same year when Hijaz was invaded by a large Abyssinian
army under the command of Abraha.
Taking its name (al-fil or the elephant) from the mention of the “Army of the Elephant” in the first verse the hundred-fifth surah,
alludes to the Abyssinian campaign against Mecca in the year 570 of the Christian era. Abraha, the Christian viceroy of the Yemen
(which at that time was ruled by the Abyssinians), erected a great cathedral at Sana, hoping thus to divert the annual Arabian
pilgrimage from the Meccan sanctuary, the Kabah, to the new church. When this hope remained unfulfilled, he determined to
destroy the Kabah; and so he set out against Mecca at the head of a large army, which included a number of war elephants as well,
and thus represented something hitherto unknown and utterly astounding to the Arabs: hence the designation of that year, by
contemporaries as well as historians of later generations, as “the Year of the Elephant”. Abraha’s army was totally destroyed on its
march - probably by an extremely virulent outbreak of smallpox or typhus and Abraha himself died on his return to Sana. God
destroyed the Army of the Elephant “so that the Quraysh might remain secure”.
AL-FIL (THE ELEPHANT: 105)
In the name of God, the most gracious, the dispenser of grace: (105:1-5) Are you not aware of how your Sustainer dealt
with the army of the Elephant? Did He not utterly confound their artful planning? Thus, He let loose upon them great
swarms of flying creatures which smote them with stone-hard blows of chastisement preordained, and caused them to
become like a field of grain that has been eaten down to stubble. [The phrase hijarah min sijjil is a metaphor for “stone-hard
blows of chastisement pre-ordained”, i.e., in God’s decree. The particular chastisement to which the above verse alludes seems to
have been a sudden epidemic of extreme virulence. This was the first time that spotted fever (hasbah) and smallpox (judari)
appeared in the land of the Arabs. The word hasbah - which, according to some authorities, signifies also typhus - primarily
means pelting or smiting with stones and the noun tair denotes any flying creature, whether bird or insect. Neither the Quran nor
any authentic Tradition offers us any evidence as to the nature of the flying creatures mentioned in the above verse; and since, on
the other hand, all the descriptions indulged in by the commentators are purely imaginary, they need not be seriously considered.
If the hypothesis of an epidemic is correct, the “flying creatures” - whether birds or insects - may well have been the carriers of
the infection. One thing, however, is clear: whatever the nature of the doom that overtook the invading force, it was certainly
miraculous in the true sense of this word - namely, in the sudden, totally unexpected rescue which it brought to the distressed
people of Mecca.] (106:1-4) So that the Quraysh might remain secure, [Lit.. “for the safeguarding of the Quraysh”, i.e., as the
custodians of the Kabah and the tribe in the midst of which the Last Prophet, Muhammad, was to appear. Thus, the security of the
Quraysh is a metonym for the security of the Kabah, the focal point of the Faith based on the concept of God’s oneness, for the
sake of which the army of Abraha was destroyed.] secure in their winter and summer journey. [I.e., the two annual trade
caravans - to the Yemen in winter and to Syria in summer - on which the prosperity of Mecca depended.] Let them, therefore,
worship the Sustainer of this Temple, [I.e., the Kabah (2:125).] who has given them food against hunger, and made them
safe from danger. [Abraham’s prayer, “O my Sustainer! Make this a land secure, and grant its people fruitful sustenance”
(2:126).]
SPIRITUAL AND MORAL CRISIS
In his book ‘The Religions of Man’, Huston Smith described social and moral conditions of Mecca in the following words: “The
world into which Muhammad was born is described by subsequent Muslims in a single word: barbaric. Life under the conditions
of the desert had never been serene. The Bedouin felt almost no obligation to anyone outside his tribe. Scarcity of material goods
and a fighting mood chronically inflamed by the blazing sun had made brigandage a regional institution and the proof of virility.
In the sixth century A.D. political deadlock and, the collapse of the magistrate in the leading city of Mecca made this generally
chaotic situation even worse. Drunken orgies often ending in brawls, and bloodshed were commonplace. The gaming impulse,
always strong among nomads, was uncontrolled, with Meccan gambling tables busy the night through. Dancing girls moved from
tent to tent inflaming the passions of the impetuous sons of the desert. Meanwhile the prevailing religion was providing no check
whatever. Best described as animistic polytheism, it peopled the desert with beastly sprites called Jinn. Fantastic personifications
of the terrors of the desert, there is no evidence that they inspired anything, in the way of genuine religious enthusiasm much less
moral conduct. On the whole, conditions could hardly have been better calculated to produce smoldering undercurrent which
erupted in sudden affrays and blood feuds some of which stretched on for decades”.
SHORT HISTORY OF MUHAMMAD’S LIFE (Before prophethood)
Nearly all the inhabitants of Mecca belonged to the tribe of Quraysh, which was subdivided into various clans. Muhammad
belonged to the clan of Hashim. When Muhammad was born in 570 C.E, his grandfather Abd al Muttalib was custodian of Kabah.
Abd al Muttalib had several sons: (1) Abu Talib, who was also the father of Ali, who will later be the fourth caliph and son-in-law
of Muhammad. (2) Abbas the progenitor of the Abbasid caliphs. (3) Hamza who would be martyred in the second battle of Uhud.
(4) Abu Lahab, who in the Quran is referred as a persecutor of Muslims was killed in the first battle of Badr. (5) Al Harith. (6)
Abdullah was the father of the Arabian prophet Muhammad.
CHILDHOOD OF MUHAMMAD
Muhammad’s early life was cradled in tragedy when his father Abdullah died in the twenty fifth year of his age. A few days after
his death, Amina gave birth to a son, who was named by his grandfather Muhammad, “the praised one.” Muhammad lost his
mother Amina, when he was six years old and his care was taken over by his grandfather Abd al Muttalib, who died when
Muhammad was nine years old. After the death of Abd al Muttalib, his son Abu Talib succeeded him in the patriarchate of Mecca.
It was in the house of his uncle Abu Talib that Muhammad spent rest of his childhood. Abu Talib was a man of a few means and
had many mouths to feed. Very little is known about Muhammad’s later childhood and early adult life. As a boy, he traveled twice
into Syria with his uncle Abu Talib. He also used to take care of his family’s and neighbor’s herd. Muhammad’s difficult
childhood as an orphan deeply affected him and even the Quran had to console the prophet. (See 96:3 below). He was, it is said of
sweet and gentle disposition. His bereavements made him sensitive to human suffering in every form and he was always ready to
help others, especially the poor and the weak. As he grew from childhood to youth and from youth to manhood the lawless strife
of his contemporaries, the repeated outbursts of pointless quarrels among the tribes frequenting the Meccan fairs, and the general
immorality produce in the prophet-to-be a sustained reaction of horror and disgust.
MARRIAGE TO KHADIJAH
Upon reaching maturity he took up the caravan business and at the twenty-five entered the service of a wealthy widow named
Khadijah. She was twice widowed and had turned down several noblemen of Quraysh who asked for her hand, believing that they
were after her wealth. Muhammad made a trip to Syria as an employee of Khadijah and through his adeptness, loyalty and hard
work made this business trip very successful. Khadijah was so much impressed by Muhammad’s prudence and integrity that
gradually their relation deepened into affection and love. She offered to marry him. She was 40 and Muhammad was only 25
years old. This truly was a love marriage for Muhammad also because he will not have another wife till after the death of his
beloved wife Khadijah. The match proved happy in every respect. During the long periods that lay ahead in which the world was
to turn desolate before Muhammad’s eyes and no one was to believe in him, not himself, Khadijah was to remain steadfast at his
side, consoling him and keeping alive thin flame of hope. God, tradition was to say, “Comforting him through her, for she made
his burden light.” They have several children; all the sons died in infancy, but the daughters lived to see the great events of their
father’s life. The youngest, Fatima was later married to Ali, the son of Abu Talib.
Muhammad was a very private man and lived quietly for next fifteen years. However, he did not completely withdraw from the
public life of Mecca. He revived the league which had been formed many years before for the protection of widows, orphans and
helpless stranger. During the rebuilding of Kabah, (which was destroyed during flood) dispute broke out among various clans as
to who will have the honor of placing the black stone in its place. Muhammad mediated this dispute successfully and bloodshed
was thus averted. His sense of honor, duty, and fidelity won him the high and enviable- titles of “The Upright,” and al-Amin “The
Trustworthy One.” Yet despite his concern for others he remained removed from them in outlook and ways, isolated in the midst
of an effete and chaotic society.
MUHAMMAD’S SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
There were, however, fifteen years of preparation and spiritual communion after his marriage before his ministry was to begin.
There was a huge barren rock on the outskirts of Mecca known as Mount Hira. In this rock was a cave which Muhammad, in need
of deep solitude, began to frequent. He used to withdraw into seclusion of the cave of Mount Hira and there apply himself to
ardent devotions consisting of long vigils and prayers. Peering into the mysteries of good and evil, unable to accept the crudeness,
superstition, and fratricide that were accepted as normal, this great fiery heart, seething, simmering like a furnace of thoughts, was
reaching out for God. His vigils often lasted the entire night. Soon from this mountain cave was to sound the greatest phrase of the
Arabic language; the deep, electrifying cry which was to rally a people and explode their powers to the limits of the known world:
La ilaha illa Allah! There is no God but Allah!
THE BEGINNING OF REVELATION: Al-Alaq, the Germ-cell (610 C.E)
The first five verses of the ninety-sixth surah (Al-Alaq, the germ-cell) represent the very beginning of the revelation of the
Quran. Although the exact date cannot be established with certainty, all authorities agree in that the first five verses were revealed
in the last third of the month of Ramadan, thirteen years before the hijrah (corresponding to July or August, 610, of the Christian
era). Muhammad was then forty years old. During one of his vigil in Mount Hira, one night, the Angel of Revelation suddenly
appeared to him and said, “Read!” Muhammad at first thought that he was expected to read actual script, which, being unlettered,
he was unable to do; and so he answered “I cannot read” - whereupon, in his own words, the angel “seized me and pressed me to
himself until all strength went out of me; then he released me and said, ‘Read!’ I answered, ‘I cannot read…’ Then he seized me
again and pressed me to himself until all strength went out of me; then he released me and said, ‘Read!’ - to which I (again)
answered, ‘I cannot read….’ Then he seized me and pressed me to himself a third time; then he released me and said, ‘Read in the
name of thy Sustainer, who has created - created man out of a germ-cell! Read - for thy Sustainer is the Most Bountiful One…’ ”:
and so Muhammad understood, in sudden illumination, that he was called upon to “read”, that is, to receive and understand, God’s
message to man. (The translation of the Quran is presented below in bold letters and the explanation in parentheses.)
(96:1-5) Read in the name of your Sustainer, [Or read in the name of your Sustainer this divine writ. The imperative iqra may
be rendered as “read” or “recite”. The former rendering is by far the preferable in this context as the concept of “reciting” implies
no more than the oral delivery - with or without understanding - of something already laid down in writing or committed to
memory, whereas “reading” primarily signifies a conscious taking-in, with or without an audible utterance but with a view to
understanding them, of words and ideas received from an outside source: in this case, the message of the Quran.] who has
created - created man out of a germ-cell! [The past tense in which the verb appears in these two verses is meant to indicate that
the act of divine creation has been and is being continuously repeated. It is also noteworthy that this very first Quranic revelation
alludes to man’s embryonic evolution out of a “germ-cell” - i.e., out of a fertilized female ovum - thus contrasting the
primitiveness and simplicity of his biological origins with his intellectual and spiritual potential: a contrast which clearly points to
the existence of a conscious design and a purpose underlying the creation of life.] Read - for your Sustainer is the Most
Bountiful One who has taught [man] the use of the pen - taught man what he did not know! [“The pen” is used here as a
symbol for the art of writing or, more specifically, for all knowledge recorded by means of writing: and this explains the symbolic
summons “Read!” at the beginning of verses 1 and 3. Man’s unique ability to transmit, by means of written records, his thoughts,
experiences and insights from individual to individual, from generation to generation, and from one cultural environment to
another endows all human knowledge with a cumulative character; and since, thanks to this God-given ability, every human being
partakes, in one way or another, in mankind’s continuous accumulation of knowledge, man is spoken of as being “taught by God”
things which the single individual does not - and, indeed, cannot - know by himself. This double stress on man’s utter dependence
on God, who creates him as a biological entity and implants in him the will and the ability to acquire knowledge, receives its final
accent in the next three verses. Furthermore, God’s “teaching” man signifies also the act of His revealing, through the prophets,
spiritual truths and moral standards which cannot be unequivocally established through human experience and reasoning alone:
and, thus, it circumscribes the phenomenon of divine revelation as such.]
Arousing from his trance, Muhammad felt as if the words he had heard has been branded on his soul. After this supernatural
experience, Muhammad hastened home to his wife and said “O Khadijah! He of whom one would not have believed it (meaning
himself) has become either soothsayer or one possessed – mad.” She replied, “God is my protection, He will surely not let such a
thing happen to you; for you speak the truth, do not return evil for evil, keep faith and kind to your relatives and friends. What has
befallen you?” Muhammad told her what he has seen. Whereupon she answered and said, “Rejoice, O dear husband, and be a
good cheer. He, in whose hand is Khadijah’s life, is my witness that you will be the prophet of this people.”
HIATUS IN REVELATION
After the Prophet’s earliest revelation - consisting of the first five verses of surah 96 (“The Germ-Cell”) - a period elapsed during
which he received no revelation at all. The length of this break in revelation cannot be established with certainty. One can imagine
the spiritual anguish, the mental doubts, and the waves of misgivings which followed in the wake of this experience. Was the
voice really God’s? Would it come again? Above all, what would it require? It was a time of deepest distress for the Prophet: the
absence of revelation almost led him to believe that his earlier experience in the cave of Mount Hira was an illusion; and it was
only due to the moral support of his wife Khadijah and her undaunted faith in his prophetic mission that he did not entirely lose
his courage and hope. Like Isaiah (6:1-13) and other great prophets of the Hebrew scripture before him, Muhammad was
overwhelmed by his experience of the Holy. His struggle to understand that experience was without the benefit of the religious
context of the Biblical Prophets. It is to Muhammad’s credit that he subjected his initial encounter with the divine presence to
careful scrutiny.
THE ENFOLDED ONE (THE 74 SURAH)
At the end of this intermission the Prophet had a vision of the Angel Gabriel, “sitting between heaven and earth”. Almost
immediately afterwards, the seventy-fourth surah, (The Enfolded One) was revealed; and from then on, in Muhammad’s own
words, “revelation became intense and continuous” . Although some verses of this surah may have been revealed at a slightly later
time, there is no doubt that all of it belongs to the earliest part of the Mecca period, that is, to the very beginning of Muhammad’s
mission. But in spite of its early origin and its brevity, the surah outlines almost all the fundamental concepts to which the Quran
as a whole is devoted: the oneness and uniqueness of God, resurrection and ultimate judgment; life after death and the allegorical
nature of all descriptions relating to it; man’s weakness and utter dependence on God, his proneness to false pride, greed and
selfishness; each human being’s responsibility for his own behavior and doings; paradise and hell as natural consequences of
one’s earthly life, and not as arbitrary rewards or punishments; the principle of the historical continuity of all true religious
experience; and various other ideas and concepts which were to be more fully developed in later revelations. Muhammad’s life
was no longer his own. From that time forth it was given to God and to man, preaching with unswerving purpose in the face of
relentless persecution, insults and outrage, the words which God was to transmit for twenty-three years. The entire seventy-fourth
surah is reproduced below.
ARISE AND WARN
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace: (74:1-10) (O) you [in your solitude] enfolded! [The
expression signifies “one who is covered (with something)” or “enfolded (in something)”; and all philologists point out that the
verb from which the above participial noun is derived, may equally well have a concrete or abstract connotation. Most of the
commentators understand the phrase “O thou enfolded one” in its literal, concrete sense, and assume that it refers to the Prophet’s
habit of covering himself with a cloak or blanket when he felt that a revelation was about to begin. However, this apostrophe may
well have been used metaphorically, as an allusion to Muhammad’s intense desire for solitude before the beginning of his
prophetic mission (See introductory note to surah 96): and this would explain his being thus addressed in connection with the
subsequent call, “Arise and warn” - i.e., Give now up your solitude, and stand up before all the world as a preacher and warner.]
Arise and warn! And your Sustainer’s greatness glorify! And your inner self purify! And all defilement shun! [Lit., “thy
garments purify”, this is often metonymically applied to that which a garment encloses, i.e., a person’s body or, in a wider sense,
his self or his heart, or even his spiritual state or conduct. The well-known idiomatic phrases, “one who is clean in his garments”
and “one who is filthy in his garments”, stress the significance of “free from faults and vices” and “vicious and perfidious”,
respectively. The meaning of this verse is purify your heart of all that is blameworthy.] And do not through giving seek yourself
to gain, [Do not bestow favors to obtain increase] but unto your Sustainer turn in patience. And [warn all men that] when
the trumpet-call [of resurrection] is sounded, that very Day shall be a day of anguish, not of ease, for all who [now] deny
the truth! [This is the earliest Quranic occurrence of the expression kafir]
NO PUNISHMENT IN THIS LIFE FOR THOSE WHO DENY THE TRUTH
(74:11-25) Leave Me alone [to deal] with him whom I have created alone, [The above sentence can be understood in either of
these two senses, depending on whether one relates the expression “alone” (wahid) to God - thus stressing His uniqueness as
Creator - or to this particular object of His creation, man, who begins and ends his life in a state of utter loneliness (see 6:94 and
19:80 and 95). In either case, our attention is drawn to the fact of man’s inescapable dependence on God. Beyond that, the phrase
in question carries a further meaning, namely, “Leave it to Me alone to decide what to do with him who forgets that I am his
Creator and Sustainer” - thus forbidding any human punishment of “those who deny the truth”. It would be inconceivable for
Muhammad to violate the Quran and compel idol worshippers of Arabia to accept Islam.] and to whom I have granted
resources vast, and children as [love’s] witnesses, and to whose life I gave so wide a scope: [Whom I have endowed with
potentialities far beyond those open to other living beings.] and yet, he greedily desires that I give yet more! Nay, verily, it is
against Our messages that he knowingly, stubbornly sets himself – [One who opposes or rejects something that is true,
knowing it to be true. The element of human contrariness and stubbornness is also implied here as a permanently recurring
phenomenon.] [and so] I shall constrain him to endure a painful uphill climb! [The term “ascent” or “climb” has the
connotation of something extremely difficult, painful or distressing. It is an allusion to the loss of all instinctive innocence - and,
hence, to the individual and social suffering - which unavoidably follows upon man’s willful neglect of moral and spiritual truths
(God’s messages) in this world, and bars his spiritual development in the life to come.] Behold, [when Our messages are
conveyed to one who is bent on denying the truth,] he reflects and meditates [as to how to disprove them] - and thus he
destroys himself, the way he meditates: [He is rejected from God’s grace, i.e., killed spiritually by his own action or attitude.]
yea, he destroys himself, the way he meditates! - and then he looks [around for new arguments], and then he frowns and
glares, [He becomes emotionally involved because he suspects in his heart that his arguments are weak.] and in the end he turns
his back [on Our message], and glories in his arrogance, and says, “All this is mere spellbinding eloquence handed down
[from olden times]! This is nothing but the word of mortal man!” [The term usually denotes “sorcery” or “magic” primarily
signifies the turning of something from its proper (or natural) state of being into another state; hence, it is often applied to the
fascination or enchantment caused by exceptional spellbinding eloquence. In its pejorative sense - as used by deniers of the truth
to describe a divine message - it has also the connotation of willful deception or delusion.]
ALLEGORICAL NATURE OF PUNISHMENT IN AFTERLIFE
(74:26-31) [Hence,] I shall cause him to endure hell-fire [in the life to come]! [The term “hell-fire”, one of the seven
metaphorical names given in the Quran to the concept of the suffering in the hereafter which man brings upon himself by sinning
and deliberately remaining blind and deaf, in this world, to spiritual truths. The allegorical character of this and all other Quranic
descriptions of man’s condition and destiny in the hereafter is clearly alluded to in the subsequent verses.] And what could make
you conceive what hell-fire is? It does not allow to live, and neither leaves [to die], making [all truth] visible to mortal man.
[This relates to the sinner’s belated cognition of the truth, as well as to his distressing insight into his own nature, his past failings
and deliberate wrongdoings, and the realization of his own responsibility for the suffering that is now in store for him: a state
neither of life nor of death.] Over it is nineteen [powers]. For We have caused none but angelic powers to lord over the fire
[of hell]; [Most of the classical commentators are of the opinion that the nineteen are the angels that act as keepers or guardians of
hell.] and We have not caused their number to be aught but a trial for those who are bent on denying the truth - [This is an
allusion to the allegorical character of this passage, which “those who are bent on denying the truth” are unwilling to recognize as
such and, hence, fail to grasp its real purport. By speculating on the reasons which allegedly induced Muhammad - whom they
regard as the author of the Quran - to lay stress on one particular number, they tend to take the allegory in a literal sense, thus
missing its point entirely.] to the end that they who have been granted revelation aforetime might be convinced [of the truth
of this divine writ]; [Namely, by being enabled, through an understanding of the above allegory, to appreciate the rational
approach of the Quran to all questions of faith. The reference to “those who have been granted revelation aforetime” is the earliest
statement outlining the principle of continuity in mankind’s religious experience.] and that they who have attained to faith [in
it] might grow yet more firm in their faith; and that [both] they who have been granted the earlier revelation and they who
believe [in this one] might be freed of all doubt; and that they in whose hearts is disease [In this instance, the half-hearted
ones who, despite their ability to discern between right and wrong, incline towards unbelief.] and they who deny the truth
outright might ask, “What does [your] God mean by this parable?” In this way God lets go astray him that wills [to go
astray], and guides aright him that wills [to be guided]. [Or: “God lets go astray whomever He wills, and guides aright
whomever He wills”. The stress on the allegorical nature of the above passage, spoken of as a “parable”, has the purpose as to
prevent the followers of the Quran from attaching a literal meaning to its eschatological descriptions - a purpose that is
unmistakably expressed in the concluding sentence of this passage: “All this is but a reminder to mortal man”.]And none can
comprehend thy Sustainer’s forces save Him alone: and all this is but a reminder to mortal man.
SINNER’S SUFFERING IN HEREAFTER AS NATURAL OUTCOME OF WRONGDOING
(74:32-48) Nay, but consider the moon! [The truth thus to be stressed is the implied statement that just as the changing phases of
the moon and the alternation of night and day are the outcome of God-given, natural laws, so, too, a sinner’s suffering in the
hereafter is but a natural outcome of his deliberate wrongdoing in this world.] Consider the night when it departs, and the
morn when it dawns! Verily, that [hell-fire] is indeed one of the great [forewarnings] - a warning to mortal man - to every
one of you, whether he chooses to come forward or to hang back! [Irrespective of whether one has chosen to follow or to
disregard the divine call: implying that even true believers may stumble into sinning, and hence need to be warned.] [On the Day
of Judgment,] every human being will be held in pledge for whatever [evil] he has wrought - save only those who shall
have attained to righteousness: [All those, whose conduct in life will have earned them God’s forgiveness of whatever sins they
may have committed.] [dwelling] in gardens [of paradise], they will inquire of those who were lost in sin: “What has
brought you into hell-fire?” They will answer: “We were not among those who prayed, [In view of the fact that at the time of
the revelation of this very early surah the canonical prayer had not yet been made obligatory on the followers of the Quran, it is
reasonable to assume that in the above context this term is used in its widest sense, namely, conscious belief in God.] and neither
did we feed the needy; and we were wont to indulge in sinning together with all [the others] who indulged in it; and the
Day of Judgment we were wont to call a lie - until certainty came upon us [in death].” And so, of no benefit to them could
be the intercession of any that would intercede for them. [Implying that there would be none to intercede for them with God.
As regards the much-misunderstood Islamic concept of “intercession”, see 10: 3 - “there is none that could intercede with Him
unless He grants His leave there for”.]
SIN OF ARROGANCE AND FALSE PRIDE
(74:49-56) What, then, is amiss with them [With so many people who refuse to listen to the truth] that they turn away from all
admonition as though they were terrified asses fleeing from a lion? Yea, every one of them claims that he [himself] ought to
have been given revelations unfolded! [Every one of them wants to be given wide-open scriptures, or scriptures unfolded, i.e.,
open to everyone’s understanding, without the intervention of a prophet. The above is the earliest illustration of the arrogance or
false pride to which the Quran so often refers.] Nay, but they do not [believe in and, hence, do not] fear the life to come. Nay,
verily, this is an admonition - and whoever wills may take it to heart. But they [who do not believe in the life to come] will
not take it to heart unless God so wills: [for] He is the Fount of all God-consciousness, and the Fount of all forgiveness.
[Namely, unless He bestows His grace on them by making their minds and hearts receptive to the truth, so that they are compelled
- from within themselves, as it were - to make the right choice.]
PROPHET’S VISION OF THE ANGEL GABRIEL (angel of revelation)
(53:1-12) Consider this unfolding [of God’s message], as it comes down from on high! This fellow-man of yours has not
gone astray, nor is he deluded, and neither does he speak out of his own desire: that [which he conveys to you] is but [a
divine] inspiration with which he is being inspired - something that a very mighty one has imparted to him: [I.e., the Angel
of Revelation, Gabriel.] [an angel] endowed with surpassing power, who in time manifested himself in his true shape and
nature, appearing in the horizon’s loftiest part, [According to the Quran and the testimony of authentic Traditions, the Prophet
had no more than twice in his lifetime a vision of this angelic force “manifested in its true shape and nature” : once after the
period of hiatus of revelation (see surah 74), and another time in the course of his mystic vision known as the “Ascension” (see
chapter “Heaven”).] and then drew near, and came close, until he was but two bow-lengths away, or even nearer. [This
graphic description of the angel’s approach, based on an ancient Arabian figure of speech, is meant to convey the idea that the
Angel of Revelation became a clearly perceptible, almost tangible, presence.] And thus did [God] reveal unto His servant
whatever He deemed right to reveal. [This is an allusion to the exceptional manifestation of the angel “in his true shape and
nature” as well as to the contents of divine revelation as such. The above phrase also implies that even to His chosen prophets
God does not entirely unveil the ultimate mysteries of existence, of life and death, the purpose for which He has created the
universe, or of the nature of the universe itself.] The [servant’s] heart did not give the lie to what he saw: [The Prophet was
fully aware of the spiritual character of his experience, there was no conflict between his conscious mind and his intuitive
perception (the “vision of the heart”) of what is normally not perceptible.] will you, then, contend with him as to what he saw?
[Thus the Prophet’s vision of the angel was not a delusion but a true spiritual experience, which could only be conveyed to others
by means of symbols and allegories and skeptics all too readily dismiss as fancies, “contending with him as to what he saw”.]
(81:22-24) This fellow-man of yours is not a madman: [The characterization of Muhammad as this fellow-man of yours is
meant to stress his absolute humanness, and thus to counteract any possibility on the part of his followers to deify him.] he truly
beheld [the angel - beheld] him on the clear horizon; [This is evidently a reference to the Prophet’s vision of the Angel Gabriel
which ended the break in revelation as mentioned in the introductory note to surah 74 above.] and he is not one to begrudge
others the knowledge [of whatever has been revealed to him] out of that which is beyond the reach of human perception.
[And so he conveys this revelation to you.]
AL-QALAM: THE PEN (68)
In the chronological order of revelation the sixty-eighth surah, AL-QALAM (the pen), most probably occupies the third place.
(68:1-9) Consider the pen, and all that they write [therewith]! [The mention of the pen is meant to recall the earliest Quranic
revelation, namely, the first five verses of surah 96 (The Germ-Cell), and thus to stress the fact of Muhammad’s prophethood. As
regards the symbolic significance of the concept of the pen, see 96:3-5.] You are not, by your Sustainer’s grace, a mad-man!
[This is in response to the taunt with which most of Muhammad’s contemporaries greeted the beginning of his preaching, and
with which they continued to deride him for many years. The above passage relates not merely to the Prophet but also to all who
followed or will follow him: in this particular instance, to all who base their moral valuations on their belief in God and in life
after death.] And, verily, your reward shall be never-ending - for, behold, you keep indeed to a sublime way of life; [The
term way of life, describes a person’s character, innate disposition or nature in the widest sense of these concepts, as well as
habitual behavior which becomes, as it were, one’s second nature. Moreover, we have several well-authenticated Traditions
according to which Muhammad’s widow Aishah, speaking of the Prophet many years after his death, repeatedly stressed that “his
way of life was the Quran”.] and [one day] you shall see, and they [who now deride you] shall see, which of you was bereft
of reason. Verily, thy Sustainer alone is fully aware as to who has strayed from His path, just as He alone is fully aware of
those who have found the right way. Hence, defer not to [the likes and dislikes of] those who give the lie to the truth: they
would like you to be soft [with them], so that they might be soft [with you]. [They would like you to be conciliatory in the
matter of ethical principles and moral valuations, whereupon they would reciprocate and desist from actively opposing you.]
PRAYER AT NIGHT AND SPIRITUAL AWARENESS (surah 73, the enwrapped one)
The seventy-third surah, al-muzzammil (the enwrapped one) is almost certainly the fourth in the order of revelation. Although
some of its verses may have come at a slightly later date, the whole of it belongs to the earliest Mecca period. For the most part,
this surah emphasizes the great spiritual value of praying at night.
(73:1-9) O you enwrapped one! [The expression “one who is covered with anything”, “enwrapped” or “enfolded in anything”;
and, like that other expression, it may be understood in a concrete, literal sense - i.e., “wrapped up in a cloak” or “blanket” - as
well as metaphorically, i.e., “wrapped up in sleep” or even “wrapped up in oneself”. Hence, the commentators differ widely in
their interpretations of the above apostrophe, some of them preferring the literal connotation, others the metaphorical; but there is
no doubt that irrespective of the linguistic sense in which the address “you enwrapped one” is understood, it implies a call to
heightened consciousness and deeper spiritual awareness on the part of the Prophet.] Keep awake [in prayer] at night, all but a
small part of one-half thereof - or make it a little less than that, [All but a small part of one-half thereof, i.e., of the night.] or
add to it [at will]; and [during that time] recite the Quran calmly and distinctly, with your mind attuned to its meaning.
[The term tartil primarily denotes “the putting (of something) together distinctly, in a well-arranged manner, and without any
haste”. When applied to the recitation of a text, it signifies a calm, measured utterance with thoughtful consideration of the
meaning to be brought out. A somewhat different significance attaches to a variant of this phrase in 25:32, applying to the manner
in which the Quran was revealed.] Behold, We shall bestow upon you a weighty message - [and,] verily, the hours of night
impress the mind most strongly and speak with the clearest voice, [Lit., “are strongest of tread and most upright of speech”.]
whereas by day a long chain of doings is your portion. But [whether by night or by day,] remember thy Sustainer’s name,
and devote yourself unto Him with utter devotion. The Sustainer of the east and the west [is He]: there is no deity save
Him: hence, ascribe to Him alone the power to determine your fate, [For this rendering of the term wakil, see 17:2.] (73:20)
Behold, [O Prophet,] thy Sustainer knows that you keep awake [in prayer] nearly two-thirds of the night, or one-half of it,
or a third of it, together with some of those who follow you. [Lit., “of those who are with you.” With this concluding passage,
the discourse returns to the theme of the opening verses, namely, the great spiritual value of praying at night.] And God, who
determines the measure of night and day, is aware that you would never grudge it: [Lit., “count it”, i.e., the length of your
vigil.] and therefore He turns towards you in His grace. Recite, then, as much of the Quran as you may do with ease. He
knows that in time there will be among you sick people, and others who will go about the land in search of God’s bounty,
and others who will fight in God’s cause. [This reference to “fighting in God’s cause” has induced many commentators to
assume that the whole of verse 20 was revealed at Medina, that is, years after the rest of the surah: for, the principle of “fighting in
God’s cause” (jihad) was introduced only after the Prophet’s hijrah from Mecca to Medina. This assumption must, however, be
dismissed as unwarranted. Although there is no doubt that jihad was first sanctioned during the Medina period, the sentence in
question is clearly expressed in the future tense: “in time there will be” - and must, therefore be understood as a prediction of
future circumstances. With all this, the above passage stresses the necessity of avoiding all exaggeration even in one’s devotions.]
Recite, then, [only] as much of it as you may do with ease, and be constant in prayer, and spend in charity, [For an
explanation of the term zakah - of which the above is the earliest Quranic instance - see 2:43.] and [thus] lend unto God a
goodly loan: for whatever good deed you may offer up in your own behalf, you shall truly find it with God - yea, better,
and richer in reward. And [always] seek God’s forgiveness: behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!
RECEIVING DIVINE WRIT SLOWLY (admonition)
(75:16-19) Move not your tongue in haste, [repeating the words of the revelation:] [This passage is addressed to the Prophet,
who is said to have been afraid that he might forget some of the revealed words unless he repeated them at the very moment of
revelation; but it also has a wider import as they apply to every believer who reads, listens to or studies the Quran. In 20:114 we
are told not to draw hasty - and therefore potentially erroneous - conclusions from isolated verses or statements of the Quran,
since only the study of the whole of its message can give us a correct insight. The present passage, on the other hand, lays stress
on the need to imbibe the divine writ slowly, patiently, to give full thought to the meaning of every word and phrase, and to avoid
the kind of haste which is indistinguishable from mechanical glibness, and which, moreover, induces the person who reads, recites
or listens to it to remain satisfied with the mere beautiful sound of the Quranic language without understanding - or even paying
adequate attention to - its message.] for, behold, it is for Us to gather it [in your heart,] and to cause it to be read [as it ought
to be read]. [I.e., it is for Us to make you remember it and to cause it to be read with mind and heart. As pointed out in the
preceding note, the Quran can be understood only if it is read thoughtfully, as one integral whole, and not as a mere collection of
moral maxims, stories or disjointed laws.] Thus, when We recite it, you follow its wording [with all your mind]: [I.e., its
message as expressed in words. Since it is God who reveals the Quran and bestows upon man the ability to understand it, He
attributes its recitation to Himself.] and then, behold, it will be for Us to make its meaning clear. [I.e., if the Quran is read as it
ought to be read, it becomes - as stressed by Muhammad Abduh – “its own best commentary”.]
SUBSIDING OF REVELATION (93rd surah, The Bright Morning Hour)
It is said that after surah Eighty-nine, (Al-Fajr) was revealed, some time elapsed during which the Prophet did not receive any
revelation, and that his opponents in Mecca taunted him on this score, saying, “Your God has forsaken and scorned you!” –
Where upon the ninety-third surah (The bright morning hour) was revealed in very early Mecca period. Whether or not we accept
this somewhat doubtful story, there is every reason to assume that the surah as such, although in the first instance addressed to the
Prophet, has a far wider purport: it concerns - and is meant to console - every faithful man and woman suffering from the sorrows
and bitter hardships which so often afflict the good and the innocent, and which sometimes cause even the righteous to question
God’s transcendental justice.
GOD’S MERCY BOUND TO LIGHTEN EVERY SUFFERING
(93:1-11) Consider the bright morning hours, and the night when it grows still and dark. [The expression “bright morning
hours” apparently symbolizes the few and widely-spaced periods of happiness in human life, as contrasted with the much greater
length of “the night when it grows still and dark”, i.e., the extended periods of sorrow or suffering that, as a rule, overshadow
man’s existence in this world (90:4). The further implication is that, as sure as morning follows night, God’s mercy is bound to
lighten every suffering, either in this world or in the life to come - for God has “willed upon Himself the law of grace and mercy”
(6:12 and 54).] Your Sustainer has not forsaken you, nor does He scorn you: [As the thoughtless might conclude in view of
the suffering that He has willed you to bear.] for, indeed, the life to come will be better for you than this earlier part [of your
life]! And, indeed, in time will thy Sustainer grant you [what your heart desires], and you shall be well-pleased. Has He not
found you an orphan, and given you shelter? [Allusion to the fact that Muhammad was born after his father’s death, and that
his mother died when he was only six years old. Apart from this, however, every human being is an orphan in one sense or
another, as everyone is “created in a lonely state” (6:94), and “will appear before Him on Resurrection Day in a lonely state”
(19:95).] And found you lost on your way, and guided you? And found you in want, and given you sufficiency? Therefore,
you shall never wrong the orphan, and him that seeks [your] help you shall never chide, [The term “one who asks”, signifies
not only a beggar but anyone who asks for help in a difficult situation, whether physical or moral, or even for enlightenment.] and
of your Sustainer’s blessings you shall [ever] speak. [Rather than of your suffering]
FORGIVENESS OF SINS OF MUHAMMAD
The ninety-fourth surah (The opening-up of the heart), was revealed almost immediately after the preceding one, appears to be a
direct continuation of the latter. (94:1-8) Have we not opened up your heart, and lifted from you the burden that had
weighed so heavily on your back? [The burden of your past sins is now forgiven. In the case of Muhammad, this relates
apparently to mistakes committed before his call to prophethood, and is obviously an echo of 93:7 – “Has He not found you lost
on your way, and guided you?”] And [have We not] raised you high in dignity? [Or raised high in eminence] And, behold,
with every hardship comes ease: verily, with every hardship comes ease! Hence, when you are freed [from distress],
remain steadfast, and unto your Sustainer turn with love.
(108:1-3) Behold, We have bestowed upon you good in abundance: hence, pray unto your Sustainer [alone], and sacrifice
[unto Him alone]. Verily, he that hates you has indeed been cut off [from all that is good]! [The abundant bestowal on the
Prophet of all that is good in an abstract, spiritual sense, like revelation, knowledge, wisdom, the doing of good works, and
dignity in this world and in the hereafter; with reference to the believers in general, it evidently signifies the ability to acquire
knowledge, to do good works, to be kind towards all living beings, and thus to attain to inner peace and dignity.]
ETHICAL UNITY UNDERLYING GOD’S TEACHINGS (the ninety-fifth surah, The Fig)
The ninety-fifth surah (The fig) also belong to early Mecca period and formulates a fundamental moral verity, stressing the fact
that it is common to all true religious teachings. The “title” - or, rather, the key-word by which it is known - is derived from the
mention of the fig (i.e., fig tree) in the first verse. (95:1-3) Consider the fig and the olive, and Mount Sinai, and this land
secure! [The fig and the olive symbolize the lands in which these trees predominate: i.e., the countries bordering on the eastern
part of the Mediterranean, especially Palestine and Syria. As it was in these lands that most of the Abrahamic prophets mentioned
in the Quran lived and preached, these two species of tree may be taken as metonyms for the religious teachings voiced by the
long line of those God-inspired men, culminating in the person of the last Judaic prophet, Jesus. Mount Sinai, on the other hand,
stresses specifically the apostleship of Moses, inasmuch as the religious law valid before, and up to, the advent of Muhammad -
and in its essentials binding on Jesus as well - was revealed to Moses on a mountain of the Sinai Desert. “This land secure”
signifies Mecca, where Muhammad, the Last Prophet, was born and received his divine call. Thus, verses 1-3 draw our attention
to the fundamental ethical unity underlying the teachings - the genuine teachings - of all the three historic phases of monotheistic
religion, metonymically personified by Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.]
EARLY CONVERTS, GOING PUBLIC AND ONSET OF PERSECUTION
For the first two years, Muhammad kept quiet about his experience and opened his soul only to those who were close to him.
Most early converts were Muhammad’s nearest relatives or his intimate friends, who knew him best and were convinced of truth
of his mission. His wife Khadijah was not only the first convert but also Muhammad’s greatest supporter and confidant. She
comforted him and made his burden light, assuring him of her faith in him. The next disciple was young Ali, who will be the
fourth caliph and one of the greatest warriors of Islam. Once Abu Talib, the father of Ali, was surprised to find Muhammad,
Khadijah and Ali in attitude of prayer and he said to Muhammad, “O son of my brother, what is this religion you are following?”
“It is the religion of God, of his angels, of his prophets, and of our ancestor Abraham,” answered the prophet. “God has sent me to
his servants to direct them towards the truth; and you O my uncle are the most worthy of all. I should thus call upon you to accept
the truth and help in spreading it.” Replied Abu Talib “I cannot abjure the religion of my fathers, but by the Supreme God, while I
am alive none shall dare to injure you.” Soon after Zaid, adopted son of Muhammad became a convert to the new faith.
He was followed by a leading member of the Quraysh, Abu Bakr, who afterward became famous in history as the first caliph. He
was a wealthy merchant, prudent, honest and amiable; he enjoyed great consideration among his compatriot. He was but two
years younger than the prophet and his unhesitating adoption of new faith was of great moral effect. Five notables followed in his
footstep, among them Uthman ibn Affan, who afterward became third caliph; Abd al Rahman; Sad ibn Abu Waqqas, afterward
conqueror of Persia; al Zubayr ibn al Awwam, nephew of Khadijah. Many of the converts, including significant numbers of
women, were from the poorer clans and slaves.
CONTEMPT FOR POOR MUSLIMS OF MECCA
(46:11) But they who are bent on denying the truth speak thus of those who have attained to faith: “If this [message] were
any good, these [people] would not have preceded us in accepting it!” And since they refuse to be guided by it, they will
always say, “This is [but] an ancient falsehood!” [I.e., the concept of divine revelation as such. Above refers, specifically, to
the contempt with which the pagan Quraysh looked down upon the early followers of Muhammad, most of whom came from the
poorest, lowliest strata of Meccan society. However, the above verse has undoubtedly a timeless import as the poor and lowly
have always been among the first to follow a prophet. Moreover, it may also have a bearing on our times as well, as the materially
powerful nations, whom their technological progress has blinded to many spiritual verities, are increasingly contemptuous of the
weakness of those civilizations in which religion still plays an important, albeit largely formalistic, role; and so, not realizing that
this very formalism and the ensuing cultural sterility, and not religious faith as such, is the innermost cause of that weakness, they
attribute it to the influence of religion per se, saying as it were, “If religion were any good, we would have been the first in
holding on to it” - thus justifying their own materialistic attitude and their refusal to be guided by spiritual considerations.]
DISASSOCIATE FROM LOWLY MUSLIMS
(6:52) Hence, repulse not [any of] those who at morn and evening invoke their Sustainer, seeking His countenance. You are
in no wise accountable for them - just as they are in no wise accountable for you - and you have therefore no right to
repulse them: for then you would be among the evildoers. [I.e., for whatever in their beliefs or actions does not coincide with
the teachings of the Quran, and vice-versa. In other words, all are accountable to God alone.]
According to Traditions, above verse was revealed when, several years before the Muslims' exodus to Medina, some of the pagan
chieftains at Mecca expressed their willingness to consider accepting Islam on the condition that the Prophet would dissociate
himself from the former slaves and other lowly persons among his followers - a demand which the Prophet, of course, rejected.
This historical reference does not, however, provide a full explanation of the above passage. In accordance with the Quranic
method, allusions to historical events - whether relating to contemporary occurrences or to earlier times - are always made with a
view to expressing ethical teachings of a permanent nature; and the passage under consideration is no exception in this respect. As
the wording shows, it relates not to “lowly” followers of Islam but to people who, while not being Muslims in the current sense of
this word, believe in God and are always at morn and evening seeking His countenance (i.e., His grace and acceptance). Although
primarily addressed to the Prophet, the exhortation voiced in this passage is directed to all followers of the Quran: they are
enjoined not to repulse anyone who believes in God - even though his beliefs may not fully answer to the demands of the Quran -
but, on the contrary, to try to help him by means of a patient explanation of the Quranic teachings.
GOING PUBLIC
For a time a successful movement seemed to be developing, but eventually opposition and hostility made their appearance. After
two years of preaching quietly, God commanded Muhammad to appeal the Quraysh publicly. (For Meccans’ objection to Islam
see the next chapter.) (26:214-220) And warn [whomever you can reach, beginning with] your kinsfolk, and spread the
wings of your tenderness over all of the believers who may follow you; [For an explanation of the metaphorical expression
“lower thy wing” - rendered here as “spread the wings of your tenderness” - see 17:24. The phrase “all of the believers who
follow you” shows that the above passage is not only addressed to the Prophet but to everyone who chooses to be guided by the
Quran, and who is herewith called upon to extend his loving kindness and care to all believers who may follow him i.e., who may
regard him as spiritually or intellectually superior or more experienced.] but if they disobey you, say, “I am free of
responsibility for aught that you may do!” - and place your trust in the Almighty, the Dispenser of Grace, who sees you
when you stand [alone], [This may means wherever you may be, or when you stand up for prayer.] and [sees] your behavior
among those who prostrate themselves [before Him]: [Among the believers, as contrasted with those who disobey you.] for,
verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing!
PERSECUTION
The people of Mecca began their attack with ridicule: pin-pricks of laughter, petty insults and hoots of derision. When these
proved ineffective their words took a fiercer turn in abuse, calumny, vilification, and threat. When these, too, failed they turned
from taunts to open persecution. They covered Muhammad and his followers with dirt and filth while they were engaged in their
devotions. They pelted them with stone, beat them with sticks, threw them in prison, and tried to starve them out by refusing to
sell to them.
For the time being, Muhammad was exempt from immediate violence owing to the protection of Abu Talib and his kinsmen. The
Quraysh decided upon an organized system of persecution. In order, not to violate their laws of vendetta, each family took upon
itself the task of strangling the new religion within its own circle. Each household tortured its own members, or clients and slaves
who had converted to Islam. Many were thrown into prison, starved, and beaten.
A favorite form of torture was to expose them to the burning heat of the desert where reduced by thirst they would be offered the
alternative of adoring idols or death. The hill of Ramdha and a place called Batha became scene of cruel torture. The case of Bilal,
who was the first muezzin to call the faithful to prayer, is well documented. He was a black slave and his master inflicted torture
by exposing to the heat of sun when it was greatest. He was made to lie on bare back with a large block of stone placed on his
chest. He was given the choice between death or abjuring Islam. The slave refused to surrender. As he lay dying of thirst his only
word, which he kept repeating over and over, was “ahadun, ahadun” “One [God], one,” until his master seeing that he would
never recant sold him to Abu Bakr. His heroism was typical. Similarly, there were many other Muslim slaves both men and
women which were rescued by Abu Bakr.
At the sacrifice of all their worldly interest and hopes, and at repeated risks of death itself, followers adhered to the new prophet,
with a loyalty and devotion seldom paralleled in the world’s history. “Never since the days when primitive Christianity startled
the world from its sleep and waged a mortal, conflict with heathenism,” wrote William Muir whose words assume added weight
because he was on the whole a severe critic of Islam, “had men seen the like arousing of spiritual life - the like faith that suffered
sacrifice, and took joyfully the spoiling of goods for conscience sake.”
Muhammad himself set the pattern for their fidelity. Standing with his band, as it were, in the lion’s mouth, his heart never
flinched nor wavered. On the contrary, persecution only caused him to throw his heart and soul more fervently into his preaching.
He adjured his listeners to turn from their false gods, abandon their evil ways and prepare for the day of reckoning when the earth
would be folded up and none would be near but God.
At first the odds were so heavily against him that he made few converts; three long years of heart breaking effort yielded less than
forty. Slowly but steadily men of energy, talent, and worth, became convinced of the truth of his message until by the end of a
decade several hundred families were acc1aiming him as God’s authentic spokesman. By this time the Meccan nobility was
thoroughly alarmed. What had begun seemingly, as a pretentious c1aim of God’s prophet had turned into a serious revolutionary
movement that was threatening their very existence. They were determined to silence the fiery troublemaker forever. (Excerpt
from “The religion of man” by Huston smith). The core of Muhammad’s opposition was his own uncle Abu Lahab, the chief of
Umayyad Abu Sufyan, and Abu Jahl.
THE TWISTED STRANDS (The hundred-eleventh surah)
The hundred-eleventh surah (the twisted strands), a very early surah - the sixth in the order of revelation - derives its name from
its last word. It relates to the bitter hostility always shown to the Prophet’s message by his uncle Abu Lahab: hostility rooted in his
inborn arrogance, pride in his great wealth, and a dislike of the idea, propounded by Muhammad, that all human beings are equal
before God and will be judged by Him on their merits alone.
As reported by several unimpeachable authorities - the Prophet ascended one day the hillock of As-Safa in Mecca and called
together all who could hear him from among his tribe, the Quraysh. When they had assembled, he asked them: “O sons of Abd al-
Muttalib! O sons of Fihr! If I were to inform you that enemy warriors are about to fall upon you from behind that hill, would you
believe me?” They answered: “Yes, we would.” Thereupon he said: “Behold, then, I am here to warn you of the coming of the
Last Hour!” At that, Abu Lahab exclaimed: “Was it for this purpose that you has summoned us? May you be doomed!” And
shortly afterwards this surah was revealed. In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace: (111:1-5)
Doomed are the hands of him of the glowing countenance, and doomed is he! [The real name of this uncle of the Prophet was
Abd al-Uzza. He was popularly nicknamed Abu Lahab (He of the Flame) on account of his good looks, which was most notably
expressed in his glowing countenance. Since this nickname appears to have been applied to him even before the advent of Islam,
there is no reason to suppose that it had a pejorative significance. The expression “hands” in the above clause is, in accordance
with classical Arabic usage, a metonym for power, alluding to Abu Lahab’s great influence.] What will his wealth avail him,
and all that he has gained? [In the life to come] he shall have to endure a fire fiercely glowing, [This expression is a subtle
play upon the meaning of the nickname Abu Lahab.] together with his wife, that carrier of evil tales, [Lit., “carrier of
firewood”, a well-known idiomatic expression denoting one who surreptitiously carries evil tales and slander from one person to
another so as to kindle the flames of hatred between them. The woman’s name was Arwa umm Jamil bint Harb ibn Umayyah: she
was a sister of Abu Sufyan and, hence, a paternal aunt of Muawiyah, the founder of the Umayyad dynasty. Her hatred of
Muhammad and his followers was so intense that she would often, under the cover of darkness, scatter thorns before the Prophet’s
house with a view to causing him hurt; and she employed her great eloquence in persistently slandering him and his message.]
[who bears] around her neck a rope of twisted strands! [In the abstract sense in which above phrase is used here, it seems to
have a double connotation: it alludes to the woman’s twisted, warped nature, as well as to the spiritual truth that “every human
being’s destiny is tied to his neck” (17:13) - which, together with verse 2, reveals the general, timeless purport of this surah.]
OVERWHELMING MUHAMMAD WITH CROWD
(72:18-28) And [know] that all worship is due to God [alone]: hence, do not invoke anyone side by side with God! Yet [thus
it is] that whenever a servant of God stands up in prayer to Him, they [who are bent on denying the truth] would gladly
overwhelm him with their crowds. [Lit., “would almost be upon him in crowds” - i.e., with a view to “extinguishing God’s
(guiding) light”. The above verse refers to the Prophet Muhammad and the hostility shown to him by his pagan contemporaries.
While this may have been so, the passage has a general import as well, alluding to the hostility shown by the majority of people,
at all times and in all societies, to a minority or an individual who stands up for a self-evident - but unpopular - moral truth.] Say:
“I invoke my Sustainer alone, for I do not ascribe divinity to anyone beside Him.” Say: “Verily, it is not in my power to
cause you harm or to endow you with consciousness of what is right.” Say: “Verily, no one could ever protect me from
God, nor could I ever find a place to hide from Him if I should fail to convey [to the world whatever illumination comes to
me] from God and His messages.” Now as for him who rebels against God and His Apostle - verily, the fire of hell awaits
him, therein to abide beyond the count of time. [This obviously relates to “those who are bent on denying the truth” - i.e.,
consciously - and thus destroy their own spiritual identity. The people alluded to in this particular instance are those who “would
gladly overwhelm God’s servant with their crowds” (verse 19).] [Let them, then, wait] until the time when they behold that
[doom] of which they were forewarned: [The Day of Judgment.] for then they will come to understand which [kind of man]
is more helpless and counts for less! [Less significant despite its greater numbers] Say: “I do not know whether that [doom]
of which you were forewarned is near, or whether my Sustainer has set for it a distant term.” He [alone] knows that which
is beyond the reach of a created being’s perception, and to none does He disclose aught of the mysteries of His Own
unfathomable knowledge, [The possessive pronoun “His” in the phrase evidently indicates God’s exclusive knowledge of “that
which is beyond the perception of any created being” (al-ghayb): hence the above, somewhat free, rendering of this truly
untranslatable phrase.] unless it be to an apostle whom He has been pleased to elect [there-for]: [And it is not God’s will to
give you insight into that which is beyond the reach of human perception: but to that end God elects whomsoever He wills from
among His apostles.] and then He sends forth [the forces of heaven] to watch over him in whatever lies open before him and
in what is beyond his ken – [The phrase implies that the very fact of his being graced by divine revelation protects every apostle,
spiritually, in all concerns of his life, irrespective of whether these concerns are obvious to him or are beyond his ken.] so as to
make manifest that it is indeed [but] their Sustainer’s messages that these [apostles] deliver: for it is He who encompasses
[with His knowledge] all that they have [to say], [About knowledge and wisdom.] just as He takes count, one by one, of
everything [that exists].
URGING ABU TALIB TO RELINQUISH HIS PROTECTION FOR MUHAMMAD
At last the time came for the aristocracy of his tribe the Banu-Umayyah, to engage in active persecution. Muhammad took the
initiative of attacking gods and idols of Mecca directly; initially he did not mention them at all. The Quraysh took this as a very
serious offence because until then they had only ridiculed him. If this man were to succeed in converting the people of Mecca and
in turning them against their old worship, what would happen to Meccan trade? What would remain of Mecca’s religious
eminence? These were ominous thoughts and called for the more severe measures. They met Abu Talib, Muhammad’s uncle and
urged him to stop his nephew from attacking their religion, blaspheming their gods and condemning their forefathers for unbelief.
They urged Abu Talib to either stop Muhammad from preaching or relinquish his protection of him. They met Abu Talib three
times and finally gave the ultimatum that either you stop your nephew or we fight both of you. Muhammad, on the other hand,
was equally determined and said, “By God Almighty I swear, even if they should put the sun in my right hand and moon in my
left hand that I abjure this cause, I shall not do so until God has vindicated it or caused me to perish in the process.” Abu Talib
refused to forego his protection of Muhammad and communicated his resolution to his clan Banu Hashim and Banu al Muttalib.
All of them pledged to protect Muhammad except for Abu Lahab. The tribal bond they shared with Muhammad and their
traditional rivalry with Banu Umayyah (to which Abu Sufyan belonged) influenced their decision to stand by Muhammad.
COERCION IN RELIGION
(96:9-19) Have you ever considered him who tries to prevent a servant [of God] from praying? [Lit., “who forbids a servant
(of God) when he prays”, implying an attempt at preventing. This passage an allusion to Abu Jahl, the Prophet’s bitterest
opponent in Mecca, who persistently tried to prevent Muhammad and his followers from praying before the Kabah. However, the
purport of the above passage goes far beyond any historical incident or situation as it applies to all attempts, at all times, to deny
to religion (symbolized in the term “praying”) its legitimate function in the shaping of social life - attempts made either in the
conviction that religion is every individual’s “private affair” and, therefore, must not be allowed to “intrude” into the realm of
social considerations, or, alternatively, in the pursuit of the illusion that man is above any need of metaphysical guidance.] Have
you considered whether he is on the right way, or is concerned with God-consciousness? [Lit., “or enjoins God-
consciousness (taqwa)” - i.e., whether his aim is to deepen his fellow- men’s God-consciousness by insisting that religion is a
purely personal matter: the obvious implication being that this is not his aim, and that he is not on the right way in thinking and
acting as he does. Throughout this work, the term taqwa - of which the present is the earliest instance in the chronology of
Quranic revelation - has been rendered as “God-consciousness”, with the same meaning attaching to the verbal forms from which
this noun is derived. (See 2:2.)] Have you considered whether he may [not] be giving the lie to the truth and turning his
back [upon it]? [Because in his arrogance he cannot face it] Does he, then, not know that God sees [all]? Nay, if he desists
not, We shall most surely drag him down upon his forehead - the lying, rebellious forehead! - [Or: “by his forelock” - an
ancient Arabian expression denoting a person’s utter subjection and humiliation (see 11:56). However, the term “forelock” may
have been used here metonymically for the place on which the forelock grows, i.e., the forehead.] and then let him summon [to
his aid] the counsels of his own [spurious] wisdom, [This may be a reference to the traditional council of elders in pagan
Mecca; but more probably, it is an allusion to the arrogance which so often deludes man into regarding himself as “self-
sufficient”.] [the while] We shall summon the forces of heavenly chastisement! Nay, you pay no heed to him, but prostrate
yourself [before God] and draw close [unto Him]!
OFFER OF TEMPTATION BY UTBAH IBN RABIAH
One day while Muhammad was sitting by himself in Kabah, he was approached by Utbah Ibn Rabiah, the father-in-law of Abu
Sufyan and one of the distinguish leader of the Quraysh. Utbah made several proposals to Muhammad and said, “You certainly
enjoy among us great eminence and noble lineage, and you have brought about great issues and divided our people. Listen to me,
for I am about to make several proposals to you and certainly one of them will prove satisfactory to you. If by bringing up this
conflict, you have sought to increase your wealth, know that we are prepared to give you of our wealth until you become the
richest man among us. If on the other hand, you desire power and honor, we would make you our chief and endow you with such
power that nothing could be done without your consent. Finally, if you are unable to cure yourself of the visions that you have
been seeing, we shall be happy to seek for you at our expense all the medical service possible until your health is restored.” When
he finished, Muhammad recited to him chapter 41 from the Quran from the beginning until the verse: (41:37) Now among His
signs are the night and the day, as well as the sun and the moon: [hence,] adore not the sun or the moon, but prostrate
yourselves in adoration before God, who has created them - if it is Him whom you [really] worship. [At this point the Holy
Prophet prostrated himself as commanded in above verse; then raising his head, said, “This is my reply, and now you may act as
you please.” Utbah returned to Quraysh spellbound by the beauty of what he had heard and gave his opinion to leave Muhammad
alone and let all the Arabs together to deal with him; they would thereby reap a harvest of pride in the event that Muhammad
wins, or enjoy an effortless victory in the event he loses. The Quraysh however, rejected his advice and intensified their attacks
and inflicted all sorts of injuries upon companions of Prophet.]
THE FIRST EXILE (EMIGRATION TO ETHIOPIA (615 C.E)
Profoundly afflicted by the suffering of his disciples at the hand of Quraysh, Muhammad advised them to seek refuge in the
neighboring Christian kingdom of Abyssinia. Fewer than hundred Muslims secretly immigrated to Abyssinia. The Quraysh sent
two of their ambassadors to king Negus, in order to extradite these fugitives back to Mecca. The major charge was the abjuration
of their old religion and adoption of a new one. King Negus however rejected the demand of extradition of Muslims and allowed
them to stay. (For details, see under the chapter of Jesus and New Testament Prophets)
FROWNED AND TURNED AWAY (admonishment to the prophet)
God rebuked Muhammad many times in the Quran for erring as the episode related below demonstrates. Revealed at a very early
stage of the Prophet’s mission, the eightieth surah (He frowned) has always been designated by the predicate with which its first
sentence opens. The immediate cause of the revelation of the first ten verses was an incident witnessed by a number of the
Prophet’s contemporaries. [One day, as recorded in many well-authenticated Traditions, the Prophet was engrossed in a
conversation with some of the most influential chieftains of pagan Mecca, hoping to convince them - and, through them, the
Meccan community at large - of the truth of his message. At that point, he was approached by one of his followers, the blind Abd
Allah ibn Shurayh - with the request for a repetition or elucidation of certain earlier passages of the Quran. Annoyed by this
interruption of what he momentarily regarded as a more important endeavor, Muhammad “frowned and turned away” from the
blind man - and was immediately, there and then, reproved by the revelation of the first ten verses of this surah. In later years he
often greeted Abd Allah with these words of humility: “Welcome unto him on whose account my Sustainer has rebuked me!”
(80:1-10) He frowned and turned away because the blind man approached him! [Indirectly, the sharp Quranic rebuke
(stressed, in particular, by the use of the third-person form in verses 1-2) implies, firstly, that what would have been a minor act of
discourtesy on the part of an ordinary human being, assumed the aspect of a major sin, deserving a divine rebuke, when
committed by a prophet; and, secondly, it illustrates the objective nature of the Quranic revelation: for, obviously, in conveying
God’s reproof of him to the world at large, the Prophet “does not speak out of his own desire” (53:3).] Yet for all you did know,
[O Muhammad,] he might perhaps have grown in purity, or have been reminded [of the truth], and helped by this
reminder. Now as for him who believes himself to be self-sufficient - [I.e., who does not feel the need of divine guidance: a
reference to the arrogant pagan chieftains with whom the Prophet was conversing.] to him you did give your whole attention,
although you are not accountable for his failure to attain to purity; but as for him who came unto you full of eagerness and
in awe [of God] - him did you disregard! [Neither self-esteem nor pride prevented Muhammad from conveying the revelation,
whether it was for or against him.]
SATANIC VERSES AND THREE GODDESSES (al-Lat, al-Uzza and Manat)
The story of satanic verses is not mentioned in the Quran or in any of the early oral or written sources. It is not included in ibn
Ishaq’s Sira, the most authoritative biography of the Prophet, but only in the work of the tenth-century historian Abu Jafar at-
Tabari (d. 923). There are many among Muslim scholars who believe that the story of goddesses was nothing but fabrication and
forgery authored by enemies of Islam hundreds of years later.
According to Tabari, Muhammad was distressed by the rift that had developed between him and most of his tribe. Persecution was
becoming fiercer and fiercer every day. The sufferings of his followers were increasing and the whole city was up in arms against
them. The sight of his poor disciples afflicted him deeply; his weary struggle with the Arabian idolatry filled him with grief.
Muhammad uttered some rogue verses which allowed the three goddesses to be venerated as intercessors. He spoke respectfully
of the three moon-goddesses, and asserted that their intercession with God might be hoped for. Later, however, Tabari says that
Gabriel told the Prophet that these verses were of “Satanic” origin and should be excised from the Quran and replaced by the lines
which declared that the three goddesses were mere projections and figment of imagination. It is reported that one day, in one of
his prophetic trances, Muhammad was reciting within the Kabah some verses which now form part of the 53 chapter of the Quran.
When he came to the words: (53:19) “Have you, then, ever considered [what you are worshipping in] Al-Lat and Al-Uzza, (53:20)
as well as [in] Manat, the third and last [of this triad]?”, an idolater who was present on the occasion, and whom tradition has
converted into the devil, anxious to avert the threatened denunciation called out: “They are exalted damsel, and their intercession
with God may be hoped for.”
The Quraysh were overjoyed either at the trick or at Muhammad’s supposed concession, hastened to express their willingness to
come to terms with him. When Muhammad learnt what had happened he immediately proclaimed the words: (53:21) “Why - for
yourselves [you would choose only] male offspring, whereas to Him [you assign] female: (53:22) that, lo and behold, is an unfair
division! (53:23) These [allegedly divine beings] are nothing but empty names which you have invented - you and your
forefathers - [and] for which God has bestowed no warrant from on high.” This was the most radical of all the Quranic
condemnations of the ancestral pagan gods, and after these verses there was no chance of reconciliation with the Quraysh.
And so Muhammad made his first and last concession that is, if this incident ever happened. The life of Muhammad is not the life
of a god, but of a man; from first to last it is intensely human. Muhammad had repeatedly said that he was only a man, that as a
man, God had revealed to him certain messages for guidance of mankind and that without God’s special protection in this regard
he was as fallible as anyone. In the final analysis, which ever version of the story of satanic verses is true, Muhammad’s
infallibility in conveying the revelation is confirmed. Thus pristine, simple but elegant, uncompromising version of monotheism
of Islam took root in the cradle of paganism of Arabia. This is in sharp contrast to earlier Christian history, where Jewish concept
of one God was eventually compromised into Trinity, in order to appease pagans of Roman Empire.
(53:19-25) Have you, then, ever considered [what you are worshipping in] Al-Lat and Al-Uzza, as well as [in] Manat, the
third and last [of this triad]? [The Quran draws our attention to the false symbols which men so often choose to invest with
divine qualities or powers: in this instance - by way of example - to the blasphemous imagery of the Prophet’s pagan
contemporaries epitomized in the triad of Al-Lat, Manat and Al-Uzza. These three goddesses - regarded by the pagan Arabs as
“God’s daughters” side by side with the angels (who, too, were conceived of as females) - were worshipped in most of pre-Islamic
Arabia, and had several shrines in the Hijaz and in Nejd. The worship of Al-Lat was particularly ancient and almost certainly of
South-Arabian origin; she may have been the prototype of the Greek semi-goddess Leto, one of the wives of Zeus and mother of
Apollo and Artemis.] Why - for yourselves [you would choose only] male offspring, whereas to Him [you assign] female:
that, lo and behold, is an unfair division! [In view of the contempt which the pagan Arabs felt for their female offspring, their
attribution of daughters to God was particularly absurd and self-contradictory: for, quite apart from the blasphemous belief in
God’s having offspring of any kind, their ascribing to Him what they themselves despised gave the lie to their alleged reverence
for Him whom they, too, regarded as the Supreme Being - a point which is stressed with irony in the next sentence.] These
[allegedly divine beings] are nothing but empty names which you have invented - you and your forefathers - [and] for
which God has bestowed no warrant from on high. They [who worship them] follow nothing but surmise and their own
wishful thinking - although right guidance has now indeed come unto them from their Sustainer. [An allusion to the pagan
idea that those goddesses, as well as the angels, would act as mediators between their worshippers and God: a wishful idea which
lingers on even among adherents of higher religions in the guise of a veneration of saints and deified persons.] Does man
imagine that it is his due to have all that he might wish for, despite the fact that [both] the life to come and this present
[one] belong to God [alone]? [Despite the fact that God is omnipotent and omniscient and does not, therefore, require any
mediator between Himself and His creatures.]
CONVERSION OF UMAR IBN AL KHATTAB
The Arabic of the Quran was a new literary form and a masterpiece of Arab prose and poetry. Many of the first believers were
converted by the sheer beauty of the Quran, which resonated with their deepest aspirations, cutting through their intellectual
preconceptions and inspiring them at a level more profound than the cerebral, to alter the whole way of life. One of the most
dramatic of these conversions was that of Umar ibn al Khattab.
At the time of his conversion, Umar was a mature man of thirty to thirty-five years of age, who was devoted to the old paganism,
passionately opposed to Muhammad’s message and was determined to wipe out the new message. But he was also an expert in
Arabian poetry and the first time he heard the words of the Quran he was overcome by its extraordinary eloquence. As he said, the
language broke through all his reservations about its message: “When I heard the Quran my heart was softened and I wept, and
Islam entered into me.”
Upon learning that his sister Fatima and her husband had converted to Islam, he went straight to their house. Upon entering the
house without knocking, he found them listening to a third person reciting. They, too, having heard him approach, had hid their
visitor and put away the manuscript of the Quran from which they were reading. Umar asked, “What is this cantillation that I have
heard as I walked in?” The pair denied hearing anything. Flying into a rage, Umar told them that he knew that they had foresworn
their faith and entered into that of Muhammad. He chastised them and delivered a strong blow to his brother-in-law. Fatima rose
to protect her husband. As she came between the two men, Umar hit her on the head and caused her to bleed. At this, the pair lost
their fear entirely and said together, “Yes, indeed! We have become Muslims. Do what you will!” At this surge of courage, as well
as upon seeing the blood of his sister flow, Umar was moved. After calming down a little, he asked his sister to let him see the
manuscript which she and her husband had been reading together. After she surrendered the manuscript (the twentieth chapter of
the Quran) to him, he read it and his face changed to an expression of regret for what he had just done. As for what he had just
read, he was deeply shaken by its beauty, its majesty, the nobility of its call, and the magnanimity of its message. (20:1-8) O
man! We did not bestow the Quran on you from on high to make you unhappy, [The ethical discipline imposed upon man by
the teachings of the Quran is not meant to narrow down his feel of life, but, on the contrary, to enhance it by deepening his
consciousness of right and wrong.] but as an exhortation to all who stand in awe [of God]: revelation from Him who has
created the earth and the high heavens - the Most Gracious, established on the throne of His almightiness. Unto Him
belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, as well as all that is between them and all that is beneath the sod.
And if you say anything aloud, [He hears it -] since, behold, He knows [even] the secret [thoughts of man] as well as all
that is yet more hidden [within him]. [He knows not only mans unspoken, conscious thoughts but also all that goes on within
his subconscious self.] God - there is no deity save Him; His [alone] are the attributes of perfection!
He left the house of his sister and went straight to Muhammad and declared his conversion to Islam. Thus, the new faith gained a
valuable adherent, who will later be the second caliph and perhaps one of the great administrators in the history of Islam.
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BOYCOTT (616 CE)
The return of ambassadors from Ethiopia and the announcement of their unsuccessful mission roused the Quraysh to frenzy.
Towards the end of 616 CE, they bound themselves by a solemn document, not to enter into any contract of marriage or
commercial relations with the Hashmites and the Muttalibities. This meant that nobody could sell them any food. Fearful that this
might be the prelude to some other attack, the beleaguered families abandon their homes and concentrated in an isolated section
of Mecca. The provisions which they have carried with them soon exhausted and the cries of the starving children could be heard
outside. They lived in this defensive position with Muhammad in their midst for two long years and food shortages may have
been responsible for the death of Muhammad’s wife Khadijah.
Probably they would have perished but for the occasional help they received surreptitiously from their compassionate
compatriots. After two years the blockade was lifted with the help of two kind hearted chiefs of Quraysh. The unbelievers who
brought about the revocation of the boycott pact went to Muhammad and asked him to make some gesture of reconciliation by
giving their gods some recognition. The holy Prophet must have been tempted but in the end he rejected this offer.
(17:73-75) And, behold, they [who have gone astray] endeavor to tempt you away from all [the truth] with which We have
inspired you, [O Prophet,] with a view to making you invent something else in Our name - in which case they would surely
have made you their friend! [This relates to an offer of compromise made by the pagan Quraysh: they demanded of the Prophet
that he give some sort of recognition to their tribal deities and attribute this recognition to God: in return, they promised to
recognize him as a prophet and to make him their leader. Naturally, the Prophet rejected this offer.] And had We not made you
firm [in faith], you might have inclined to them a little – [The implication is that the Prophet’s deep faith made it impossible
for him to consider anything of this kind.] in which case We would indeed have made you taste double [chastisement] in life
and double [chastisement] after death, and you would have found none to succor you against Us! [I.e., for having gone
astray despite the revelation bestowed on you by God, and for having by your example, led your followers astray as well. The
purport of the above passage goes, however, beyond the historical event or events to which it relates: it expresses the idea that any
conscious offence against a fundamental truth is an unforgivable sin.]
PERSECUTION OF BELIEVERS
(85:4-10) They destroy [but] themselves, they who would ready a pit of fire fiercely burning [for all who have attained to
faith]! [In order to explain this parabolic passage the commentators interpret it - quite unnecessarily - in the past tense, and
advance the most contradictory legends meant to “identify” those evildoers in historical terms. The result is a medley of stories
ranging from Abraham’s experiences with his idolatrous contemporaries (21:68-70) to the Biblical legend of Nebuchadnezzar’s
attempt to burn three pious Israelites in a fiery furnace (The Book of Daniel iii, 19 ff.), or the persecution, in the sixth century, of
the Christians of Najran by the King of Yemen, Dhu Nawas (who was a Jew by religion), or the entirely apocryphal story of a
Zoroastrian king who burnt to death those of his subjects who refused to accept his dictum that a marriage of brother and sister
was permitted by God; and so forth. None of these legends needs, of course, to be seriously considered in this context. As a matter
of fact, the very anonymity of the evildoers referred to in the above Quranic passage shows that we have here a parable and not an
allusion to historical or even legendary events. The persecutors are people who, having no faith whatsoever, hate to see faith in
others (see verse 8 below); the “pit of fire” is a metaphor for the persecution of the latter by the former: a phenomenon not
restricted to any particular time or to a particular people but recurring in many forms and in varying degrees of intensity
throughout recorded history.] Lo! [With glee do] they contemplate that [fire], fully conscious of what they are doing to the
believers, whom they hate for no other reason than that they believe in God, the Almighty, the One to whom all praise is
due, [and] to whom the dominion of the heavens and the earth belongs. But God is witness unto everything! Verily, as for
those who persecute believing men and believing women, and thereafter do not repent, hell’s suffering awaits them: yea,
suffering through fire awaits them!
THE YEAR OF MOURNING (619 CE)
After the repudiation of the boycott pact, Muhammad and his companions emerged from their quarters. Muhammad resumed his
call to Quraysh and the tribes who use to come to Mecca during holy months. A few months later Abu, Talib and then Khadijah
prophet’s wife passed away. In Abu Talib, Muhammad lost the guardian of his youth, who stood between him and his enemies.
The death of Khadijah was a severe psychological blow. When none believed in Muhammad and his own heart was full of doubt,
it was khadijah’s love and faith which had stood by for him. One of the great disappointments of Muhammad life was his failure
to convert Abu Talib.
FAILURE TO CONVERT ABU TALIB
(28:56-57) Verily, you cannot guide aright everyone whom you love: but it is God who guides him that wills [to be guided];
[Or: “God guides whomever He wills” - either of these two renderings being syntactically correct. According to several extremely
well authenticated Traditions, the above verse relates to the Prophet’s inability to induce his dying uncle Abu Talib, whom he
loved dearly and who had loved and protected him throughout his life, to renounce the pagan beliefs of his ancestors and to
profess faith in God’s oneness. Influenced by Abu Jahl and other Meccan chieftains, Abu Talib died professing, in his own words,
“the creed of Abd al-Muttalib” or, according to another version, “the creed of my ancestors”. However, the Quranic statement
“you cannot guide aright everyone whom you love” has undoubtedly a timeless import as well: It stresses the inadequacy of all
human endeavors to convert any other person, however loving and loved, to one’s own beliefs, or to prevent him from falling into
what one regards as error, unless that person wills to be so guided.] and He is fully aware of all who would let themselves be
guided. [Thus, God’s guidance is but the final act of His grace with which He rewards all who desire to be guided.] Now some
say, “If we were to follow the guidance to which you invite us, we would be torn away from our very soil!” [This passage
has obviously twofold connotation. On the historical plane, it echoes an objection voiced by many pagan Meccans to
Muhammad’s preaching: “If we were to accept your call, most of the other tribes would regard this as a betrayal of our common
ancestral beliefs, and would drive us away from our land.” In a more general, timeless sense it reflects the hesitation of so many
people - of whatever period, environment or religious persuasion - who, while realizing the truth of a new spiritual call, are yet
fearful of acknowledging it as true lest this acknowledgment cause a total breach between them and their community and thus, as
were, cut the ground from under their feet.] Why - have We not established for them a sanctuary secure, to which, as a
provision from Us, shall be gathered the fruits of all [good] things? But most of them are unaware [of this truth]. [Like the
preceding expression of fear, this Quranic answer, too, can be understood in two senses. In the limited, historical sense it is an
allusion to Abraham’s prayer that the land around the Kabah be made secure for all times and its natural barrenness be
compensated by fruitful help from outside (14:35-41 and 2:126), and to God’s acceptance of this prayer: thus, the Prophet’s
Meccan contemporaries are reminded that they need not fear to be dispossessed of this holy land so long as they remain righteous
and trust in God. In its purely spiritual connotation, on the other hand, the “sanctuary secure” is God’s promise that all who have
faith in Him and are conscious of their responsibility to Him shall be graced with a sense of inner peace in this world and with
enduring bliss in the life to come; and since they are thus to be rewarded with the fruits of all their good deeds, “no fear need they
have, and neither shall they grieve” (See 2:62, 3:170, 5:69, 6:48, 7:35, 10:62, 46:13 and 29:67).]
PERSECUTION IN TAIF
After the death of Abu Talib, he was succeeded as chief of the clan by Abu Lahab, another Muhammad’s uncle and his great
adversary. Fearing the Lack of support from his clan, Muhammad made approaches to various nomadic tribes and then visiting
the town of Taif in the hope of finding a base there. Accompanied by his faithful servant Zayd, he arrived among the tribe of
Thaqif. He called them to worship one God and his words caused a storm of indignation. They drove him from the city by pelting
him with stones until the evening. Wounded and bleeding, foot sore and weary, he betook himself to prayer under the shade of a
tree complaining to God but not cursing his tormenters. Raising his hands towards heaven, he cried: “O Lord! I make my
complaint unto Thee, out of my feebleness, and the vanity of my wishes, I am insignificant in the sight of men. O Thou most
merciful! Lord of the weak! Thou art my Lord! Do not forsake me. Leave me not a prey to strangers, nor to mine enemies. If
Thou art not offended, I am safe. I seek refuge in the light of Thy countenance, by which all darkness is dispersed, and peace
comes here and hereafter. Let not thy anger descends on me; solve my difficulties as it please Thee. There is no power, no help,
but in Thee.” On his return Muhammad was unable to enter Mecca until he found the chief of another clan willing to give him
protection.
PLEDGES OF AL-AQABAH (621-622)
The outlook for Muhammad and the Muslims was extremely gloomy. He retired from his people, preaching occasionally, but
confining his efforts mainly to strangers who congregated in Mecca during the season of the annual pilgrimage, hoping, to find
among them some who would believe in him and carry the truth to their people. As he faced this severest crisis of his career,
Muhammad was suddenly waited on by a delegation leading citizens of Yathrib, a city some two hundred miles to Mecca’s north.
One day, during the pilgrimage in the summer of 620, he met six men from Medina (Yathrib). These men were so impressed by
Muhammad that at the pilgrimage of 621, five of them came back to Mecca with seven others to have further discussions with
Muhammad. The twelve represented the most important clans of Yathrib and they accepted their readiness to accept Islam. This is
known as the First Pledge of al-Aqabah, from the name of the hill on which the conference was held. The pledge they took was as
follows: “We will not associate anything with God; we will not steal, nor commit adultery, nor fornication; we will not kill our
children; we will abstain from calumny and slander; we will obey the Prophet in everything that is right.” At the pilgrimage of
June 622 seventy-five persons came to Mecca from Yathrib and not merely repeated the former pledge but also offer invitation
and a guarantee of security and protection for the guest and his followers. This was the second pledge of al-Aqabah.
PLOT TO KILL MUHAMMAD
To escape the Umayyad persecution, Muhammad encouraged his followers to emigrate from Mecca in small numbers unnoticed
by the leaders of Quraysh. Most of his disciples had left and Muhammad, Ali and Abu Baker remained behind. Fearing the escape
of Muhammad, an assembly of the Quraysh chiefs met to decide further action. Assassination of Muhammad was proposed, but
killing by one man would have exposed him to the vengeance of blood. The difficulty was solved by Abu Jahl who suggested that
a number of men, chosen from different families should attack Muhammad simultaneously. The responsibility of the deed would
rest upon all and the relatives of Muhammad would be unable to avenge it. The assassins were posted around Muhammad
dwelling. They watched all night through a hole in the door, waiting to murder him when he should leave his house in the early
dawn. Muhammad confided his plan to Ali ibn Abu Talib and asked him to cover himself with the Prophet’s green mantle and
sleep in his bed. The killers outside felt reassured whenever looking through the hole in the door and saw somebody in the bed.
Just before dawn, Muhammad slipped away without being noticed, picked up Abu Bakr at his house and traveled southward
towards the cave of Thawr.
When the Meccan leaders got wind of the exodus they did everything in their power to prevent his going, but he eluded their
watch and hid with a companion in a crevice south of the city. They were expected to go northward towards Medina and southerly
direction of their flight was inconceivable to everyone. They stayed three days in this cave till their final flight to Medina.
Horsemen scouring the countryside came so close to discovering them that Abu Bakr was moved to despair., “We are but two,” he
cried. “Nay, we are three,” Muhammad answered, “for God is with us.” They were not discovered and after three days when the
search had slackened, they managed to procure two camels and made their hazardous way by unfrequented paths to the city of
their destination. After about nine days of traveling they reached the outskirts of the oasis of Medina on 24 th of September, 622.
This is the Hijra which is the basis of Islamic chronology, but reckoning commences with the first day of the Arab year in which
the emigration took place, viz. July 16th 622. (8:30) And [remember, O Prophet,] how those who were bent on denying the
truth were scheming against you, in order to restrain you [from preaching], or to slay you, or to drive you away: thus have
they [always] schemed: but God brought their scheming to nought - for God is above all schemers. [While the first sentence
of this verse is a reference to the persecution to which the Prophet and his followers had been exposed in Mecca before their
exodus to Medina, this concluding passage points to the ever-recurring fact of man’s religious history that those who deny the
truth of divine revelation are always intent on rendering its preachers powerless or destroying them, either physically or,
figuratively, through ridicule.]
EXODUS TO MEDINA (1H OR 622 CE)
(9:40) If you do not succor the Apostle, [Muhammad.] then [know that God will do so - just as] God succored him at the
time when those who were bent on denying the truth drove him away, [and he was but] one of two: [An allusion to the
Prophet’s flight, in the company of Abu Bakr, from Mecca to Medina in the year 622 of the Christian era. The expression “the
second of two” does not imply any order of precedence but is synonymous with “one of two”; the Prophet’s saying to Abu Bakr,
on that very occasion, “What could, in your opinion, happen to two men who have God as the third with them?”] when these two
were [hiding] in the cave, [and] the Apostle said to his companion, “Grieve not: verily, God is with us.” [When the Prophet
and Abu Bakr left on their hijrah to Medina, they first hid for three nights in a cave on Mount Thawr, in the vicinity of Mecca,
where they were almost discovered and apprehended by the pagan Quraysh who were pursuing them.] And thereupon God
bestowed upon him from on high His [gift of] inner peace, and aided him with forces which you could not see, and brought
utterly low the cause of those who were bent on denying the truth, whereas God’s cause remained supreme: for God is
almighty, wise.
(39:10) And [remember:] wide is God’s earth, [and,] verily, they who are patient in adversity will be given their reward in
full, beyond all reckoning!’ ” [I.e., there is always a possibility of doing good and “migrating from evil unto God” - which is the
permanent, spiritual connotation of the concept of hijrah implied here: see 4:97.]
(47:13-14) And how many a community of greater power than this your community which has driven you out, [O
Muhammad,] have We destroyed, with none to succor them! [It is said that this verse was revealed on the first night of the
Prophet’s hijrah from Mecca to Medina.] Can, then, he who takes his stand on a clear evidence from his Sustainer be likened
unto one to whom the evil of his own doings [always] seems goodly, and unto such as would follow but their own lusts?
PREDICTION OF DEFEAT OF QURAYSH
(5:11) O you who have attained to faith! Remember the blessings which God bestowed upon you when [hostile] people
were about to lay hands on you and He stayed their hands from you. Remain, then, conscious of God: and in God let the
believers place their trust. [An allusion to the weakness of the believers at the beginning of the Quranic revelation, and - by
implication - to the initial weakness of every religious movement]
(17:76-77) And [since they see that they cannot persuade you,] they endeavor to estrange you from the land [of your birth]
[This Meccan surah, revealed at a time when the persecution, both physical and moral, which the Prophet and his followers had to
suffer at the hands of the pagan Quraysh reached the peak of its intensity.] with a view to driving you away from it - but, then,
after you would have left, they themselves will not remain [in it] for more than a little while: [This prophecy was fulfilled a
little over two years later, in the month of Ramadan, 2 H., when those same leaders of the Quraysh were killed in the battle of
Badr.] [such has been Our] way with all of Our apostles whom We sent before your time; and no change will you find in
Our ways. [The people who drove them away were invariably punished with destruction.]
CONCLUSION
(27:91-93) [Say, O Muhammad:] “I have been bidden to worship the Sustainer of this City – [I.e., Mecca, where the first
temple dedicated to the One God was built (3:96).] Him who has made it sacred, and unto whom all things belong: and I have
been bidden to be of those who surrender themselves to Him, and to convey this Quran [to the world].” Whoever,
therefore, chooses to follow the right path, follows it but for his own good; and if any wills to go astray, say [unto him]: “I
am only a warner. And say: “All praise is due to God! In time He will make you see [the truth of] His messages, and then
you shall know them [for what they are].” And your Sustainer is not unmindful of whatever you all may do.
The hijrah marks the end of the pre-Islamic era and the start of the Islamic.