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out of season. The Noble Qur'an, in direct reference to this man's ignominious deeds, attached to
him nine abominable traits:
And obey not everyone who swears much, — and is considered worthless, a
slanderer, going about with calumnies, hinderer of the good, transgressor, sinful,
cruel — after all that base-born (of illegitimate birth). [68:10-13]
Abu Jahl's arrogance and haughtiness blocked all avenues that could produce the least light of belief
in his heart:
So he (the disbeliever) neither believed [in this Qur'an, in the Message of
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] nor prayed! [75:31]
He, moreover, wanted to debar the Prophet (Peace be upon him) from the Noble Sanctuary. It
happened once that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was praying within the precinct of the Sacred
House, when Abu Jahl proceeded threateningly and uttering abusive language. The Prophet (Peace
be upon him) chided him severely to which Abu Jahl answered back defiantly claiming that he was
the mightiest in Makkah; Allâh then revealed:
Then, let him call upon his council (of helpers). [96:17]
In another version of the same incident, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) took Abu Jahl by his neck,
rocked him severely saying:
Woe to you [O man (disbeliever)]! And then (again) woe to you! Again, woe to you
[O man (disbeliever)]! And then (again) woe to you! [75:34, 35].
Notwithstanding this reproach, Abu Jahl would never wake up to himself nor did he realize his
foolish practices. On the contrary, he was determined to go to extremes, and swore he would dust
the Messenger's face and tread on his neck. No sooner had he proceeded to fulfill his wicked
intention than he was seen turning back shielding himself with his hands (as if something horrible in
his pursuit). His companions asked him what the matter was. He said: I perceived a ditch of burning
fire and some wings flying. Later on, the Messenger commented saying, If he had proceeded
further, the angels would have plucked off his limbs one after another.
Such was the disgraceful treatment meted out to the Prophet (Peace be upon him), the great man,
respected as he was by his compatriots, with an influential man, his uncle Abu Talib, at his back to
support him. If the matters were so with the Prophet (Peace be upon him), what about those people
deemed weak with no clan to support them? Let us consider their situation in some detail. Whenever
Abu Jahl heard of the conversion of a man of high birth with powerful friends, he would degrade his
prudence and intellect, undermine his judgement; and threaten him with dire consequences if he
was a merchant. If the new convert was socially weak, he would beat him ruthlessly and put him to
unspeakable tortures.
The uncle of Uthman bin Affan used to wrap Uthman in a mat of palm leaves, and set fire under
him. When Umm Musab bin Umair heard of her son's conversion, she put him to starvation and then
expelled him from her house. He used to enjoy full luxurious easy life, but in the aftermath of the
tortures he sustained, his skin got wizened, and he assumed a horrible physical appearance.
Bilal, the slave of Omaiyah bin Khalaf, was severely beaten by his master when the latter came to
know of his conversion to Islam. Sometimes a rope was put around his neck and street boys were
made to drag him through the streets and even across the hillocks of Makkah. At times he was
subjected to prolonged deprivation of food and drink; at others he was bound up, made to lie down
on the burning sand and under the crushing burden of heavy stones. Similar other measures were
resorted to in order to force him to recant. All this proved in vain. He persisted in his belief in the
Oneness of Allâh. On one such occasion, Abu Bakr was passing by; moved by pity, he purchased
and emancipated him from slavery.
Another victim of the highhandedness of Quraish was Ammar bin Yasir, a freed slave of Bani
Makhzoum. He, along with his mother and father, embraced Islam in its early phase. They were
repeatedly made to lie on the burning sand and were beaten severely. Ammar was at times tossed
up on embers. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was greatly moved by the atrocities which were
being perpetrated upon Ammar and his family. He always comforted them and raised his hand in
prayer and said: Be patient, you will verily find your abode in the Paradise. Yasir, the father, died
because of repeated tortures. Sumaiyah, Ammar's mother was bayoneted to death by Abu Jahl
himself, and thus merited the title of the first woman martyr in Islam. Ammar himself was subjected
to various modes of torture and was always threatened to sustain severe suffering unless he abused
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and recanted to Al-Lat and Uzza. In a weak moment, he uttered a
word construed as recantation though his heart never wavered and he came back once to the
Prophet (Peace be upon him), who consoled him for his pain and confirmed his faith. Immediately
afterwards the following verse was revealed:
Whoever disbelieved in Allâh after his belief, except him who is forced thereto and
whose heart is at rest with Faith —. [16:106]
Abu Fakeeh, Aflah, a freed slave of Bani Abd Ad-Dar was the third of those helpless victims. The
oppressors used to fasten his feet with a rope and drag him in the streets of Makkah.
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