The Prophet’s calling gained wider acceptance and people embrace Islam one by one. But there occurred animosity and disagreement between those who embraced Islam and their family members who remained unbelievers. This made Quraish resent so bitterly what they observed and knew.
A consultative council was set up to prevent pilgrims from listing to the calling of the Prophet (PBUH):
There was something that concerned Qursaish very much: it was that the proclamation of the calling was made several months ago and it approached the season of pilgrimages, so the various deputations of Arabs would come to Mecca and listen to the call of Muhammad. Therefore, they agreed to say a word to Arabs about Muhammad so that his calling would not influence them. They went to Al-Walid Ibnul-Mughirah to have discussions on this word. Al-Walid said to them: “Agree to a single opinion about him and don’t differ over it lest some of you should belie or contradict others.” They said: “But we want you to talk and give a single opinion to adhere it. He said: “No, but I want you to talk first and i will listen to you.””They said: “We say that he is a diviner” He replied: “No, by Allah he is not so. We see diviners how they show their passions and rhymed prose.” They said: “He is mad.” He said: “He can never be lunatic. We are aware of insanity; he had nothing to do with its obsessions, unconsciousness and spasms. “They said: “So he is a poet.” He said: “He is not a poet. As we know all types of poetry. They said: “He is sorcerer.” He said: “He is not a sorcerer. As we knew well sorcerers, their blows and knots.”
After making all their false suggestions, they said: “So what can we say?” He said: By Allah, his words are favourable and charming. And if you say a word of that, it will be known as false. The nearest thing to say about him is to state that he is a sorcerer who brought sorcerous words to separate by them a son from his father, a person from his brother, a man from his wife and a person from his clan. This, in my standpoint, can make Arabs turn their back on him.”
Some narrations indicate that when Al-Walid objected to all their suggestions, they said: “Then, show us your unobjectionable opinion.” He said to them: “Give me some time to think about it.” So he took a long time thinking about his final view and at last he said the aforementioned words. On Al-Walid Allah revealed sixteen verse of the chapter of Al-Muddathir (from verse 11 to 26). As for the verse s which depicts his thinking, they read:
Indeed, he thought and deliberated, so may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated. Then may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated. Then he considered [again]; then he frowned and scowled: then he turned back and was arrogant. And said: “This is not but magic imitated [from others]. This is not but the word of a human being. (Al-Muddathir: 18-25)
As soon as the council agreed to such a decision, they hastened to implement it. They stood in the roads of coming pilgrims to warn them of Muhammad and talk about his story.
As regards Allah’s Messenger, he went out following people in their house and markets to invite them to worship of Allah. But Abu Lahab was keeping track of the Prophet (PBUH) to dissuade people from listening to him by saying: “Don’t obey such a liar who changed his religion”.
Despite Quraish’s preventive procedures, the Prophet’s calling was known to all Arabs and he was talked about all over Arabia.
Various ways of opposing the calling:
Once Quraish finished the activities of hajj, they thought of other new ways through which they could nip the Islamic calling in the bud. These methods can be summarized into the following points:
1-Derision, disdain, disbelief and belying.
They attempted to frustrate Muslims and undermine their morale. So they impeached the Prophet (PBUH) for false accusations and silly abuses. They used to describe him as ‘mad’; they labelled him as ‘a sorcerer and liar’. Allah says:
And they said: you to whom remembrance [revelation] was revealed are insane. (Al-Hijr: 6).
And they wondered that a Warner from among them came to them; unbelievers said: this [man] is a sorcerer and liar. (Sadh: 4).
They also used to meet and receive the Prophet (PBUH) by resentful and disgruntled gazes and impetuous and indiscreet feelings.
And indeed, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes [i.e., looks] when they hear the message, and they say, “Indeed, he is mad. (Al-Qalam: 51).
Whenever they saw the weak followers of the Prophet (PBUH) sitting with him, they derided them and said caustically, “These are his companions
Are favoured by Allah from among us! Is Allah not more aware of those who show gratitude? (Al-An’am: 53).
Allah tells us in the Quran that they also used to do the following:
Really, those who committed guilt’s [disbelievers] used to laugh at those who believed [Muslims]. Whenever they passed them, they winked at each other [deriding believers]. And when they went to their families, they used to return with delight. And whenever they saw them, they said: those, indeed, are aberrant. But they were sent as watchers over them. (Al-Mutaffifin: 29-33).
They escalated their derision, ridicule and impugnation so excessively that the Prophet (PBUH) was grieved. Allah says:
And We already know that your breast is constrained by what they say. (Al- Hijr: 97)
Then Allah strengthened and commanded him to stick to what could dispel his grief and trouble through the verse reading:
So exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord and be of those who prostrate [to Him]. And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty [i.e., death]. (Al-Hijr: 98-99)
Also Allah told him before that He protests him from deriders as in the verse reading:
Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers. Indeed, we are sufficient for you against the mockers. (Al-Hijr: 95-96)
Allah informs that their deeds will bring destruction and bad consequences upon them. He says:
And already were messengers ridiculed before you, but those who mocked them were enveloped by that which they used to ridicule. (Al-An’am: 10)
2-Arousing doubts and disseminating false information:
They resorted to many various methods of spreading wrong statements about the instructions of Islam and the Prophet’s character to a considerable extent so that they would not leave room for the public to think of or contemplate his calling. They used to say about the Quran:
The revelation is but a mixture of false dreams. (Al-Anbeyaa: 5) which Muhammad used to have by night and recount them by day. They said: Rather he invented on his own. They also claimed:
It is only a human being who teaches him [i.e., the Prophet]. (An-Nahl: 103)
And those who believe say, “This [Quran] is not except a falsehood he invented, and another people assisted him in it. (Al-Furqan: 4).
It means that he and his companions took part in fabricating it. Allah says:
And they say, “Legends of the former peoples which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon. (Al-Furqun: 5).
To be continued
