Chapter 16 : Opposition Tactics of The Quraysh Flashcards
Regarding the opposition tactics used by the Quraysh to undermine The Prophet
1) Appeal to The Chief of Quraysh
- When The Prophet started preaching, Quraysh went to Abu Talib gently and said
” O Abu Talib, this is your nephew cursing our idols and preaching a new message, surely you cannot let this happen. “
- Abu Talib did not want confrontation so he gave them some gentle words and let them go their way
- As new people converted to Islam, they increased the pressure on Abu Talib
- They accused The Prophet of cursing their idols and insulting their forefathers [ This never happened ]
” And do not insult those they involve other than God because they will revile Allah in ignorance out of spite. “
- Al Quran [ 6 : 108 ]
- Quraysh even went so far as to bribe The Prophet with money, women and even kingship over Arabia provided that he discontinued his preaching
- Abu Talib summoned his nephew and conveys the grievances of Quraysh as well as the bribe offers
- The Prophet responds as follows :-
” O my uncle, I swear by God, if they were to place the sun in my right hand, and the moon in my left hand, I cannot give up this message until I succeed in what I am doing or I die a death in this path preaching what I am preaching. “
- Abu Talib replies as follows :-
” Go forth, O my nephew and speak what you wish. I swear by God that I will never surrender you to anyone ever. “
2) A Treacherous Offer
- The Quraysh then made a very treacherous offer :-
” O Abu Talib, this is Umarah Ibn Al Waleed, the most noble and most handsome youth of Quraysh. Take him and adopt him as a son and surrender to us this nephew of yours who has opposed your religion and the religion of your forefathers … “
- Abu Talib responded angrily :-
” My God, you are unjust to me. You give me your son so I can feed him for you and I give you my son so you can kill him ?! By God this will never happen ! “
- Mu’tim Ibn Uday who was a friend of Abu Talib said the following :-
” O Abu Talib, it seems that you are unwilling to accept any offer your people are making to you … “
- Mu’tim Ibn Uday is the senior most person in all of Makkah
- He was the one that prevented the bloodshed in the Kaabah by suggesting the solution to the Black Stone [ Whoever walks in first ] [ Thus this is the least hostile person that has the most sense ]
3) Censuring The Quran in Public Spaces
” The faithless say ‘ Do not listen to this Quran and hoot [ Make meaningless noises ] it down so that you may prevail. ‘ “
- Al Quran [ 41 : 26 ]
” Abu Sufyan, Abu Jahl [ Amr Ibn Hisham ], and Al Akhnas gathered one night [ Outside The House of The Prophet ] to secretly listen to the Quran … Al Akhnas later went to Abu Sufyan and asked ‘ What do you think ? ‘ Abu Sufyan replied ‘ I know [ It is the truth ] but i refuse [ To acknowledge it ].’ Abu Sufyan then asked ‘ What do you think ? ‘ He replied ‘ I believe it is the truth. ‘ “
- This proves that even though they condemned and prohibited The Quran from being recited in public, they believed that the Quran is the truth [ But refused to acknowledge it ]
4) Mocking The Prophet and The Believers
- The Prophet was ridiculed by members of his clan like Abu Lahab Bin Abdul Muttalib
- Abu Jahl [ Amr Ibn Hisham ] incessantly ridiculed The Prophet and his companions
- If it was a person of status, he would make fun of him and say to him
” How can you leave the religion of your father ? Are you better than your father and grandfather ? “
- And it it was a lowly person, he would get physical and abuse them
5) Character Assassination
A. Madman
” And those who disbelieve would almost smite you with their eyes when they hear the reminder, and they say ‘ Most surely he is mad. ‘ “
- Al Quran [ 68 : 51 ]
B. Magician
” So it was that there did not come to those who were before them any Messenger but they said ‘ A magician ‘ or ‘ A crazy man ! ‘ “
- Al Quran [ 51 : 52 ]
- This verse in the Quran states that every Prophet / Rasul that was ever sent to any community was either accused of being a Magician, A Madman or Both
C. Poet
” Nay ! say they, Medleys of dreams, nay ! he has forged it, nay ! He is a poet, so let him bring to us a sign as the former [ Prophets ] were went [ With ] “
- Al Quran [ 21 : 5 ]
- The Quran is very clear that The Prophet is not a poet as it is not befitting for a Prophet
” And We have not taught him poetry, nor would this be suitable for him, it is but a reminder and a clear recitation. “
- Al Quran [ 36 : 69 ]
Story of Al Waleed Ibn Al Mughira
- Once The Prophet was reciting The Quran and Al Waleed managed to listen uninterrupted for the first time
- And he is mesmerized such that he stops in his tracks and listens until The Prophet finishes and goes away
- He muttered something as he walks away and it spread in the people of Makkah
- Again, the people of Makkah were few and its a very small village so everything spreads [ Gossip was rampant ]
- As he walks away, he says a beautiful prose describing the beauty of the Quran as a Pagan :-
” By God, I have heard a speech from Muhammad right now that is neither from the speech of men nor jinn. It has a rhythm, the top of it is fertile, the height of it is beautiful and it surpasses everything i’ve heard and nothing can surpass it. “
- When the news reached Abu Jahal [ Amr Ibn Hisham ], he went to Al Waleed Ibn Al Mughira and said :-
” Your people have heard your praise of the Quran and they will not be satisfied with you until you say something against it. “
- Al Waleed said :-
” What do you want me to say ? Tell me, i’ll say it. “
- Abu Jahal says :-
” Call him a madman. “
- Al Waleed then replied :-
” But he is not a mad man, and everybody knows he is not a mad man. We have seen crazy people but he has no symptoms of a crazy man. “
- Then Abu Jahal said :-
” Say he is a fortune teller. “
- But Al Waleed replied :-
” He is not a fortune teller. “
- So Abu Jahal said :-
” Call him a magician. “
- But again Al Waleed said :-
” He is not a magician. “
- Then Abu Jahal said :-
” Say he is a poet. “
- But Al Waleed said :-
” By Allah, I am the best poet amongst you. And I am telling you that this is not the type of poetry that we are used to. “
- So Abu Jahal said :-
” You need to say something and we wont be satisfied with you until you say something. “
- So Al Waleed says :-
” Leave me alone for a few days. “
- Al Waleed began walking around his house thinking about what he is going to say as he is frowning until he gets an idea
- But before he could say it, God revealed in the Quran exactly what was happening in the privacy of his house and the feelings in his heart and the expressions in his face that nobody [ Not even his family ] knew :-
” Leave Me [ To deal ] with him whom I created alone [ Wahidan ]. And furnished him with abundant [ mamdudan ] wealth, and sons abiding in his presence. And I prepared for him such preparation [ Tamhidan ]. Yet he desires that I should give him more. Nay [ Kalla ] ! For he has been hostile [ Anidan ] to Our signs. Soon I will overwhelm him [ Sa-urhiquhu, from Irhaq ] with hardship [ Saudan ]. Indeed he reflected [ Fakkara, from Tafkir ] and appraised [ Qaddara, from Taqdir ]. Perish he, the way he appraised ! Again, perish he ! The way he appraised ! Then he looked. Then he frowned [ Abasa, from Ubus ] and scowled [ Basara, from Busur ]. Then he walked away [ Adbara, from Idbar ] disdainfully [ Istakbara, from Istikbar ]. Thus he said ‘ This is nothing but magic handed down. This is only the speech of a mortal. ‘ Him shall I soon fling into [ Sa-uslihi ] Saqar [ Hell ]. Ah, and what do you know of Saqar ? It neither spares, nor leaves [ Anything ]. It discolours [ Lawwahah ] the skins [ Lil-bashar ]. There are nineteen [ Keepers ] over it. We have assigned only angels as keepers of the fire, and We have made their number merely a stumbling block for the faithless, and that those who were given the Book may be reassured, and the faithful may increase in [ Their ] faith, and that those who were given the Book and the faithful may not doubt, and that those in whose hearts is a disease may say, and the faithless [ Along with them ] ‘ What did Allah mean by this description ? ‘ Thus does Allah lead astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills. No on knows the hosts of your Lord except Him, and it is just an admonition for all humans. “
- Al Quran [ 74 : 11 - 31 ]
6) Demanding A Miracle
” And they say ‘ We will by no means believe in you until you cause a faountain [ Yanbu’an ] to gush forth [ Tafjura, from Fajr ] from the earth for us. Or you should have a garden of palms and grapes in the midst of which [ Khilalaha ] you should cause rivers to flow forth, gushing out. Or you should cause the heaven to come down upon us in pieces [ Kisafan ] as you think, or bring Allah and the angels face to face [ With us ] [ Qabilan ]. Or you should have a house of gold [ Zukhruf ], or you should ascend [ Tarqa, from Ruqiyy ] into heaven, and wel will not believe in your ascending [ Liruqiyyika ] until you bring down to us a book which we may read. ‘ Say ‘ Glory be to my Lord, am I aught but a mortal messenger ? ‘ “
- Al Quran [ 17 : 90 - 93 ]
7) Making Compromises
- The Quraysh would negotiate directly with The Prophet saying
” Let’s reach a compromise. One day we’ll all be Muslim, the next day we’ll all worship our gods [ Idols ] “
- This is the compromise they wanted but of course there is no compromise in Monotheism
- God then revealed Surah Al Kafirun :-
” Say ‘ O disbelievers [ Al-kafirun ] ! I will not serve what [ Ma ] you serve [ Ta’buduna ]. And you will not serve what [ Ma ] I serve. And I will not be a servant of what [ Ma ] you have served. And you will not serve what [ Ma ] I serve. To you be [ Lakum ] your religion, and to me [ Li ] my religion [ Din ]. ‘ “
- Al Quran [ 109 : 1 - 6 ]
