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Shouting the Truth and the
Polytheists’ Reaction:
The Prophet ’s voice kept
reverberating in Makkah until the following verse was revealed: "Therefore proclaim
openly (Allâh’s Message — Islamic Monotheism), that which you are
commanded, and turn away from Al-Mushrikûn (polytheists)."
[15:94]
He then commenced discrediting
the superstitious practices of idolatry, revealing its worthless reality and
utter impotence, and giving concrete proofs that idolatry per se or taking it as
the media through which an idolater could come in contact with Allâh, is
manifest falsehood.
The Makkans, on their part,
burst into outrage and disapproval. Muhammad 's
words created a thunderbolt that turned the Makkan time-honoured
ideological life upside down. They could ill afford to hear someone attaching to
polytheists and idolaters, the description of straying people. They started to
rally their resources to settle down the affair, quell the onward marching
revolution and deal a pre-emptive strike to its votaries before it devours and
crushes down their consecrated traditions and long standing heritage. The
Makkans had the deep conviction that denying godship to anyone save Allâah and
that belief in the Divine Message and the Hereafter are interpreted in terms of
complete compliance and absolute commitment, and this in turn leaves no area at
all for them to claim authority over themselves and over their wealth, let alone
their subordinates. In short, their arrogated religiously-based supremacy and
high handedness would no longer be in effect; their pleasures would be
subordinated to the pleasures of Allâah and His Messenger
and lastly they would
have to abstain from incurring injustices on those whom they falsely deemed to
be weak, and perpetrating dreadful sins in their everyday life. They had already
been fully aware of these meanings, that is why their souls would not condescend
to accept this ‘disgraceful’ position not out of motives based on dignity
and honour but rather because: "Nay! (Man denies
Resurrection and Reckoning. So) he desires to continue committing
sins." [75:5]
They had been aware of all
these consequences but they could afford to do nothing before an honest truthful
man who was the highest example of good manners and human values. They had never
known such an example in the history of their folks or grandfathers. What would
they do? They were baffled, and they had the right to be so.
Following careful
deliberations, they hit upon the only target available, i.e. to contact the
Messenger’s uncle, Abu Talib and request him to intervene and advise his
nephew to stop his activities. In order to attach a serious and earnest stamp to
their demand, they chose to touch the most sensitive area in Arabian life, viz.,
ancestral pride. They addressed Abu Talib in the following manner: "O Abu
Talib! Your nephew curses our gods; finds faults with our way of life, mocks at
our religion and degrades our forefathers; either you must stop him, or you must
let us get at him. For you are in the same opposition as we are in opposition to
him; and we will rid you of him." Abu Talib tried to appease their wrath by
giving them a polite reply.
The Prophet
,
however, continued on his way preaching Allâah’s religion and calling men
hitherto, heedless of all their desperate attempts and malicious intentions.
An Advisory Council to debar
Pilgrims from Muhammad’s Call:
During those days,
Quraish had another serious concern; the proclamation of the Call had only been
a few months old when the season of pilgrimage was soon to come. Quraish knew
that the Arab delegates were coming within a short time. They agreed that it was
necessary to contemplate a device that was bound to alienate the Arab pilgrims
from the new faith preached by Muhammad . They
went to see Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah to deliberate on this issue. Al-Waleed
invited them to agree on a unanimous resolution that could enjoy the approbation
of them all. However, they were at variance. Some suggested that they describe
him as Kahin, i.e., soothsayer; but this suggestion was turned down on
grounds that his words were not so rhymed. Others proposed Majnun, i.e.,
possessed by jinn; this was also rejected because no insinuations peculiar to
that state of mind ware detected, they claimed. "Why not say he is a
poet?" Some said. Here again they could not reach a common consent,
alleging that his words were totally outside the lexicon of poetry. "OK
then; let us accuse him of practising witchcraft," was a fourth suggestion.
Here also Al-Waleed showed some reluctance saying that the Prophet
was known to have never involved himself in the
practice of blowing on the knots, and admitted that his speech was sweet tasting
root and branch. He, however, found that the most plausible charge to be leveled
against Muhammad was witchcraft. The
ungodly company adopted this opinion and agreed to propagate one uniform formula
to the effect that he was a magician so powerful and commanding in his art that
he would successfully alienate son from father, man from his brother, wife from
her husband and man from his clan.
It is noteworthy in this regard
to say that Allaâh revealed sixteen verses as regards Al-Waleed and the cunning
method he contemplated to manipulate the people expected to arrive in Makkah for
pilgrimage. Allâah says: "Verily, he thought
and plotted; so let him be cursed! How he plotted! And once more let him be
cursed, how he plotted! Then he thought; then he frowned and he looked in a
bad tempered way; then he turned back and was proud; then he said: ‘This
is nothing but magic from that of old; this is nothing but the word of a
human being!’ " [74:18-25]
The most wicked of them
was the sworn enemy of Islam and Muhammad ,
Abu Lahab, who would shadow the Prophet’s steps crying aloud, "O men, do
not listen to him for he is a liar; he is an apostate." Nevertheless,
Muhammad
managed to create a stir in the whole
area, and even to convince a few people to accept his Call.
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