Disbelievers of Quraysh Mistreat the Believers – I
03/06/2009| IslamWeb
The disbelievers opposed the Da‘wah (call) of the Prophet, 
, in many ways, and they used various methods to avert people from the Way of Allah The Almighty and distort the features of Islam. However, all these means and methods proved to be a great failure. Therefore, they resorted to a meaner and fiercer way that expressed their failure and frustration: they decided to use strong-arm tactics by inflicting much harm and torture upon the believers, so as to divert them from their religion.
In addition to the prestige of prophethood, dignity and the strong personality that Allah The Almighty granted him, the Prophet, , was protected by his uncle, Abu Taalib, who was held in high esteem by the people of his tribe. Hence, the disbelievers did not dare to ignore his social standing. However, when they failed in their negotiations with Abu Taalib, and failed to make the Prophet, , stop insulting their gods and calling people to renounce the religion of their ancestors, Quraysh found no other alternative than to abuse the Prophet, . They had been trying to avoid using this method for fear of its serious consequences. Therefore, they began by mocking and insulting him. Moreover, they started physically injuring him and he was subjected to severe harm.
, was protected by his uncle, Abu Taalib, who was held in high esteem by the people of his tribe. Hence, the disbelievers did not dare to ignore his social standing. However, when they failed in their negotiations with Abu Taalib, and failed to make the Prophet, , stop insulting their gods and calling people to renounce the religion of their ancestors, Quraysh found no other alternative than to abuse the Prophet, . They had been trying to avoid using this method for fear of its serious consequences. Therefore, they began by mocking and insulting him. Moreover, they started physically injuring him and he was subjected to severe harm.Abu Lahab, another uncle of the Prophet, , was the worst of those who committed such vile acts. He was one of the leaders of Banu Haashim and hence not afraid like others. His hostility towards Islam and its people was clear from the very first day. He would even follow the Prophet, , into the markets and gatherings during the season of pilgrimage and accuse him of lying. He would throw stones at the Prophet, , until his feet bled.
, was the worst of those who committed such vile acts. He was one of the leaders of Banu Haashim and hence not afraid like others. His hostility towards Islam and its people was clear from the very first day. He would even follow the Prophet, , into the markets and gatherings during the season of pilgrimage and accuse him of lying. He would throw stones at the Prophet, , until his feet bled. The two sons of Abu Lahab, ‘Utbah and ‘Utaybah were married to the two daughters of the Prophet, , Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthoom, may Allah be pleased with them, before the mission of the Prophet, . After the mission, however, Abu Lahab ordered his sons to divorce their wives. Moreover, when the second son of the Prophet, , ‘Abdullaah, died, Abu Lahab was overjoyed and boasted to the disbelievers that Muhammad, , was ‘cut off’ - meaning, his lineage had been cut off with the death of his son.
, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthoom, may Allah be pleased with them, before the mission of the Prophet, . After the mission, however, Abu Lahab ordered his sons to divorce their wives. Moreover, when the second son of the Prophet, , ‘Abdullaah, died, Abu Lahab was overjoyed and boasted to the disbelievers that Muhammad, , was ‘cut off’ - meaning, his lineage had been cut off with the death of his son.Umm Jameel, Abu Lahab’s wife, was an insolent woman who used to insult the Prophet, , stir things up and wage war against him in order to sow dissension between him and the people. Furthermore, she would toss thorns in his path and throw dirt at his door.
, stir things up and wage war against him in order to sow dissension between him and the people. Furthermore, she would toss thorns in his path and throw dirt at his door. Another example of the harm to which the Prophet, , was subjected is that which was narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him, when he said:
, was subjected is that which was narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him, when he said: Once the Prophet was praying at the Ka‘bah and there was a group of people from Quraysh there too, all sitting together. One of them said, “Look at this hypocrite! Who can go to the slaughtered camel of so–and-so and get its feces, blood and amnion, then throw it between his shoulders when he prostrates?” The most wretched among them, ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ayt, was sent forth. When the Prophet prostrated, he put this filth between his shoulders. The Prophet continued to prostrate while the disbelievers burst into a fit of laughter. Someone went and called Faatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, who was still very young. She came quickly, removed this dirt and started to insult the disbelievers. When the Prophet finished his prayer, he supplicated against them saying:“O Allah! Destroy [the disbelievers of] Quraysh; O Allah! Destroy [the disbelievers of] Quraysh; O Allah Destroy [the disbelievers of] Quraysh,”He then he named ‘Amr ibn Hishaam, ‘Utbah ibn Rabee‘ah, Shaybah ibn Rabee‘ah, Al- Waleed ibn ‘Utbah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ayt and ‘Imaarah ibn Al-Waleed.
was praying at the Ka‘bah and there was a group of people from Quraysh there too, all sitting together. One of them said, “Look at this hypocrite! Who can go to the slaughtered camel of so–and-so and get its feces, blood and amnion, then throw it between his shoulders when he prostrates?” The most wretched among them, ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ayt, was sent forth. When the Prophet prostrated, he put this filth between his shoulders. The Prophet continued to prostrate while the disbelievers burst into a fit of laughter. Someone went and called Faatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, who was still very young. She came quickly, removed this dirt and started to insult the disbelievers. When the Prophet finished his prayer, he supplicated against them saying:“O Allah! Destroy [the disbelievers of] Quraysh; O Allah! Destroy [the disbelievers of] Quraysh; O Allah Destroy [the disbelievers of] Quraysh,”He then he named ‘Amr ibn Hishaam, ‘Utbah ibn Rabee‘ah, Shaybah ibn Rabee‘ah, Al- Waleed ibn ‘Utbah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ayt and ‘Imaarah ibn Al-Waleed.Ibn Mas‘ood, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “that he later saw them all killed in the Battle of Badr, and they were all thrown into a pit that had been dug for the disbelievers who were killed at Badr.” [Al-Bukhari]
Furthermore, the leaders of Quraysh gathered in Al-Hijr one day, complaining that they had come to the end of their patience with the Prophet, , and that he had gone too far in ridiculing their dreams and insulting their gods. Then, suddenly the Prophet, , appeared and they all jumped up at once. They surrounded him saying: “You are the one who says such-and-such!” The Prophet, , replied in the affirmative. One of them therefore tugged him violently from the top of his garment. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, came and pushed him away from the Prophet, , and said while exclaiming, "Do you want to kill a man simply because he says, ‘My Lord is Allah’?"
, and that he had gone too far in ridiculing their dreams and insulting their gods. Then, suddenly the Prophet, , appeared and they all jumped up at once. They surrounded him saying: “You are the one who says such-and-such!” The Prophet, , replied in the affirmative. One of them therefore tugged him violently from the top of his garment. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, came and pushed him away from the Prophet, , and said while exclaiming, "Do you want to kill a man simply because he says, ‘My Lord is Allah’?" ‘Urwah ibn Az-Zubayr 
narrated this incident as follows: “I asked ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr to inform me about the worst thing that the disbelievers did to the Prophet . He said, ‘Once, while the Prophet was praying in Al-Hijr of the Ka‘bah, ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ayt came and put his garment around his neck and throttled him violently. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, came, caught him by his shoulder and pushed him away from the Prophet saying: "Do you want to kill a man simply because he says, My Lord is Allah?’" [Al-Bukhari]
narrated this incident as follows: “I asked ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr to inform me about the worst thing that the disbelievers did to the Prophet . He said, ‘Once, while the Prophet was praying in Al-Hijr of the Ka‘bah, ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ayt came and put his garment around his neck and throttled him violently. Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, came, caught him by his shoulder and pushed him away from the Prophet saying: "Do you want to kill a man simply because he says, My Lord is Allah?’" [Al-Bukhari]In fact, if we were to research all the situations when Quraysh offended the Prophet, , either by words or actions, then we would need a tremendous amount of space to mention them all. These people went to the extent that they tried to kill the Prophet, . They made this attempt at the end of the Makkan era. Their hostility towards him increased after the death of his uncle, Abu Taalib, who would defend and protect him. After his death, Quraysh became very audacious in the way they harmed the Prophet, . The Prophet, , would recall the harm that he had experienced at the hands of the Quraysh which preceded and far surpassed any harm that his followers were subjected to, saying: “I was intimidated in the cause of Allah The Almighty and no one was intimidated like me, and I was harmed in the cause of Allah The Almighty and no one was harmed like me.”[At-Tirmithi and others]
, either by words or actions, then we would need a tremendous amount of space to mention them all. These people went to the extent that they tried to kill the Prophet, . They made this attempt at the end of the Makkan era. Their hostility towards him increased after the death of his uncle, Abu Taalib, who would defend and protect him. After his death, Quraysh became very audacious in the way they harmed the Prophet, . The Prophet, , would recall the harm that he had experienced at the hands of the Quraysh which preceded and far surpassed any harm that his followers were subjected to, saying: “I was intimidated in the cause of Allah The Almighty and no one was intimidated like me, and I was harmed in the cause of Allah The Almighty and no one was harmed like me.”[At-Tirmithi and others]www.islamweb.net