The rapid conversation and devotion of the
early Muslims angered the Quraish. They didn’t take what they considered
“betrayal” to their religion, believes, and values lightly. Instead, they began
to persecute and torture Holy Prophet Muhammad PBUH and his loyal
companions (Sahaba e kiraam).
Quraish became violent and began physical
assault on Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
and early converts, various leaders of Makkan tribes began torturing any of the
converts of their respective tribes. Which created big hurdles and challenges
for Prophet Muhammad PBUH and early converts.
The list of persecutions is countless. Hazrat
Uthman bin Affan was wrapped in mat of palm leaves by his pagan uncle who
would set fire under him. Hazrat Bilal, the Negro was inhumanly tortured by his
master Umaya bin Khalaf. He was tied in rope and dragged by the street boys on
the order of brutal master Umaya bin Khalaf.
How can Muslims forget what happened to Hazrat
Ammar bin Yasir? He along with his parents paid heavy prices for embracing
Islam. Ammar bin Yasir died of repeated torture. Ammar bin Yasir’s mother, Bibi
Sumayyah, the first women martyr of Islam, was bayoneted to death by Abu
Jahl. Hazrat Khabbab bin Aratt was made to lie on a bed of coals.
Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ himself was persecuted. Thorny bushes were spread
in his way, and filth and garbage was thrown on him. The wife of Abu Lahab (one
of uncles of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) named Umme Jamil, lived in the
neighborhood of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ,
throw the remains of a slaughtered goat on the Holy Prophet ﷺ,
while he was busy in worship. Abu Lahab, too, would throw stones on Holy
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and mock him on the death of his second
son, declaring him as ‘al-abtar’ (mean without future hope, or progeny).
Another mortal enemy, Uqbah bin Abi Mu’ait,
put the guts of camel on Holy Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ
back as he prostrated in the Holy Ka’abah.
Three worst enemies of Islam in early days
Abu Lahab, Abu Jahal, and Umayya bin Khalaf
were among the worst enemies of Islam. Abu Jahal on several occasions inflicted
torture on Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ,
and all the three used every tactics to persecute the Holy Prophet Hazrat
Muhammad ﷺ physically, mentally, and emotionally.
When the tactics of all these three worst
enemies of slam didn’t worked, the Quraish tried to pressurized Abu Talib
(uncle and guardian of Hazrat Prophet Muhammad ﷺ,
and asked him to dissuade his nephew from his mission or at least withdraw his
protection, so that they could deal with him ﷺ
themselves. Abu Talib (Who was also father of Hazrat Ali and among the leaders
of Quraish tribe) refused both. Then handsome bribes were offered to Holy
Prophet Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ, but prophet said NO to all mortal offers
proposed by enemies of Islam.
Finally, the Quraish imposed a general social boycott on Banu Hashim that lasted for about three years. The Makkans formed a confederation hostile against Bani Hashim and Bani Abdul Muttalib. They took an oath not to have any kind of social interaction with them. This was written and attached to the wall of the Ka'bah. Abu Talib took the whole Bani Hashim (except Abu Lahab, who disowned his own tribe) to a small valley on the eastern outskirts of Makka, the mountain pass of Abu Talib (Shi'b-I- Abi Talib).
They remained isolated from 7th to 10th year of prophethood. These people lived an extremely hard and miserable life confined to the Valley without any food or provision. Only occasionally, some compassionate Makkans would provide them some food, or the members of Bani Hashim would themselves be able to buy some stocks during the four sacred months. Khadija's nephew Hakim bin Hizam was among such helpers. At last, differences begin to surface among the Makkans as some of the kind-hearted chiefs began to feel sorry, and a group of five leaders began to pressurize Abu Jahl and other die-hard Makkans to cancel the treaty.
They held negotiations within the sacred Mosque where Abu Talib was
also sitting in a corner. He told them that Holy Prophet ﷺ
had been divinely informed that the parchment on which the treaty was written,
had been eaten away except for the word Allah. Abu Talib challenged that if
that proved wrong, he would give up his nephew to them. A man went to see the
parchment, and found the prediction of Abu Talib absolutely true.
Then the boycott was brought to an end by the
intervention of Allah Himself. The Quraish, however, remained just as
unconvinced as before. At the end of boycott, the Holy Prophet ﷺ
had to bear the loss of his two greatest supporters, Abu Talib and Khadija, and
the Holy Prophet ﷺ declared the year 619 AD, as the year of
grief (Aam al Hazn).
After the boycott the Holy Prophet ﷺ
adopted a new strategy of spreading Islam to non-Makkans, and to restrict the
meetings and worships to Dar e Arqam, as public display made the Quraish lash
out even more violently.
