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41
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 theifolks 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 (Peace be upon him),
however, continued on his way preaching Allâh'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 (Peace be upon
him). 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 (Peace be upon him) 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 levelled against
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) 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 Allâh revealed sixteen verses as regards Al-Waleed and
the cunning method he contemplated to manipulate the people expected to arrive in Makkah for
pilgrimage. Allâh 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 (Peace b e upon him), 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 (Peace be upon him) managed to create a stir in
the whole area, and even to convince a few people to accept his Call.
THE FIRST MIGRATION TO ABYSSINIA (ETHIOPIA):
The series of persecutions started late in
the fourth year of Prophethood, slowly at first, but steadily accelerated and worsened day by day
and month by month until the situation got so extremely grave and no longer tolerable in the middle
of the fifth year, that the Muslims began to seriously think of feasible ways liable to avert the painful
tortures meted out to them. It was at that gloomy and desperate time that
Sûrah Al-Kahf
(Chapter
18 — The Cave) was revealed comprising definite answers to the questions with which the
polytheists of Makkah constantly pestered the Prophet (Peace be upon him). It comprises three
stories that include highly suggestive parables for the true believers to assimilate. The story of the
Companions of the Cave implies implicit guidance for the believers to evacuate the hot spots of
disbelief and aggression pregnant with the peril of enticement away from the true religion:
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