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"And warn your tribe [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] of near kindred." [26:214]
The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) ascended Mount As-Safa and started to call: "O Bani
Fahr! O Bani 'Adi (two septs of Quraish)." Many people gathered and those who couldn't, sent
somebody to report to them. Abu Lahab was also present. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
"You see, if I were to tell you that there were some horsemen in the valley planning to raid you, will
you believe me?" They said: "Yes, we have never experienced any lie from you." He said: "I am a
warner to you before a severe torment." Abu Lahab promptly replied: "Perish you all the day! Have
you summoned us for such a thing?" The verses were immediately revealed on that occasion:
"Perish the two hands of Abi Lahab..." [111:1].
Muslim reported another part of this story on the authority of Abu Hurairah (May Alah be pleased
with him) — He said: "When the following verses were revealed:
"And warn your tribe [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] of near kindred." [26:214]
The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) called all the people of Quraish; so they gathered and
he gave them a general warning. Then he made a particular reference to certain tribes, and said: "O
Quraish, rescue yourselves from the Fire; O people of Bani Ka'b, rescue yourselves from Fire; O
Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) , rescue yourself from the Fire, for I have no
power to protect you from Allâh in anything except that I would sustain relationship with you."
It was verily a loud suggestive Call stating unequivocally to the closest people that belief in his
Message constituted the corner-stone of any future relation between him and them, and that the
blood-relation on which the whole Arabian life was based, had ceased to exist in the light of that
Divine ultimatum.
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 (Peace be upon him)
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 Allâh 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 highhandedness would no
longer be in effect; their pleasures would be subordinated to the pleasures of Allâh 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]
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