As for their rational exclusion of resurrection, Allah responds to it by the following verses:
Are you a more difficult creation or is the heaven? He [i.e., Allah] constructed it. (An-Naziat: 27)
He also clarifies that revival (bringing life to the dead) is easier for Him. Allah says:
Do they not see that Allah, who created the heavens and earth and did not fail in their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes. Indeed, He is over all things competent. (Al-Ahqaf: 33)
And you have already known the first creation, so will you not remember? (Al-Waqe’a: 62)
and then is [even] easier for Him. (Ar-Rum: 27)
As We began the first creation, We will repeat it. (Al-Anbeyaa: 104)
Did We fail in the first creation? (Qaf: 15)
Thus the Quran responded to their allegations and doubts conclusively and irrefutably. But they were troublemakers, arrogant and opinionated. They tried to impose their views on other people insisting on their transgression and wickedness.
3- Deterring people from listening to the Quran and comparing it to the myths of previous nations:
Polytheists tried to prevent people from listening to the Quran and the calling of Islam in every possible way. They were annoying people and stirring up riot everywhere. Add to this their provocative singing and tumultuous amusement which they reverted to whenever they saw the Prophet (PBUH) getting ready for the calling or praying and reciting the Quran. Allah says;
And those who believe say, “Do not listen to this Quran and speak noisily during [the recitation of] it that perhaps you will overcome. (Fussilat: 26)
As a result, the Prophet (PBUH) did not manage to recite the Quran at their places of meeting but in the late months of the fifth year of Prophethood. This also happened by surprise.
An-Nadr Ibnul-Harith, one of the wicked Quryashites, when to Hirah and learned the dialogues of Persian kings and those of Rustom Spendyar. Whenever the Prophet (PBUH) convened an assembly to preach Muslims, An-Nadr followed him saying: “I swear by Allah that Muhammad does not speak better than me, then he talks about Persian kings and Rustom saying: “What makes Muhammad better than me in speech”?
The narration of Ibn ‘Abbas indicates that An-Nadr bought songstress (chanteuses). Upon knowing that someone would embrace Islam, he set a chanteuse him to provide him with foods and wine and song for him till he has no tendency to Islam. Regarding this, Allah says:
And of the people is he who useless speech to mislead [others] from the way of Allah without knowledge. (Luqman: 6).
Policy of persecution:
Polytheists implemented all the aforementioned methods to foil and abort the calling after it has appeared in the fourth year of Prophethood. They limited themselves to these methods for many months. But when they failed to frustrate the calling of Islam, they decided to persecute and exert pressures on Muslims to force them to renounce their religion. Each chieftain began to torture very brutally and ruthlessly his tribesmen who followed Islam. Each master tortured atrociously his slave who selected the path of belief.
It was natural for the rabble and unimportant people to hasten to placate their masters and leaders and satisfy their desires, the act which could much harm to Muslims, especially, the weak ones. Here are some examples of the persecutions and agonies Muslims suffered at the hands of polytheists:
1- Whenever Abu Jahl heard of notable’s conversion to Islam, he forsook and threatened him with big financial and social losses. As for a weak person, he used to hit and persecute him. The uncle of Uthman Ibn ‘Affan was wrapping him in a mat made of palm leaves then set fire beneath him.
2- When the mother of Mus’ab Ibn ‘Umayr knew of his conversion to Islam, she made him starve and expelled him out of his house till his skin got scabrous. Yet he was one of the richest people who lived in ease.ss
3- Bilal suffered at the hands of Umayya Ibn Khalaf. He was fastening a rope around his neck and handing him to boys to wander with him through the mountains of Mecca. They were pulling him through his neck to the point that the rope could suffocate him while he was saying: “One! One!” Also whenever it got hotter at noon, Umayya was getting Bilal (his slave) out and throwing him in the desert of Mecca. Then he brought a huge rock and put it on his chest saying to him: “No, By Allah! You will continue to be tortured in such a manner till you have died or disbelieved in Muhammad and worshipped Al-Lat and Al-Uzza. But Bilal kept saying: “One! One! If I know a word that could infuriate you more, I will say it.” Luckily, once Abu Bakr passed him while polytheists were torturing him. So he brought him for seven or five okes of silver and manumitted him.
4- Suhaib Ibn Sinan Ar-Rumy suffered from severe torture to the degree that he lost his consciousness.
‘Ammar Ibn Yasir was a freed slave for Banu Makhzum. His parents and he embraced Islam, which enraged and prompted polytheists, in particular, Abu Jahl to drive them out to the desert whenever swelter was unbearable to torture them by its scorching heat. Passing them while being persecuted, the Prophet (PBUH) said to them: “Be patient, family of Yasir. For you are promised to enter Paradise.” As a result, Yasir died from torture. Whereas Abu Jahl stabbed Sumayya, ‘Ammar’s mother, to death with a lance in her front private parts. So she was the first female martyr in Islam. As for ‘Ammar, they escalated his persecution either by heat, putting hot rocks on his breast or immersing in water. They said to him: “We will leave you if you offend Muhammad or speak highly of Al-Lat and Al- Uzza.” To save himself, he agreed to do so by coercion. Then he came to the Prophet (PBUH) shedding tears and apologizing to him. In this respect Allah said:
Whoever disbelieves in [i.e., denies] Allah after his belief except for one who is forced] to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith. (An-Nahl: 106)
5- There was a freed slave pertaining to Banu ‘Abdud-Dar whose name was Aflah. His tribe used to get him out at noon when it was hotter, with iron fetters put around his feet. Then they stripped him off and forced him to lie down in the desert and put a rock on his chest to prevent him from moving. This continued till he immigrated to Abyssina. Once polytheists tied a rope to his leg, pulled, threw him in the desert and suffocated him till they thought that he died. Abu Bakr, when he passed him, bought and manumitted him.
6- Khabab Ibn Al-Aratt was freed slave to Umm Anmar bint Seba’a Al-Khuza eyya. He worked as a blacksmith. Embracing Islam, his mistress torture him by fire. She was bringing a heated piece of iron to put it on his back so that he would disbelieve in Muhammad. But this increased and strengthened his faith. Polytheists also tormented him so severely; they made him lie down on very hot flammable rocks and then placed a big stone upon him to prevent him from rising. So the rocks caused him gaping and serious wounds in his back.
7- Zinnira, who was a Roman bond mind, embraced Islam and thus she was tortured and lost her sight. When people said to her:”Al-Lat and Al-Uzza harmed you”, she replied: “No, by Allah they could never do harm to me. This came from Allah, and if He wills, He will remove this harm”. Next morning, she regained her sight. Thereupon Qurayshites said: “This is a sorcerous act of Muhammad.”
8- Umm’Ubais, a bondmaid belonging to Banu Zahra, embraced Islam and suffered at the hands of polytheists, particularly, her master Al-Aswad Ibn ‘Abd Yaghus, who was one of the bitterest enemies of the Prophet.
9- The bondmaid of ‘Umar Ibn Muammel embraced Islam. ‘Umar Ibnul-Khattab (when he was a polytheist) was torturing her till tiredom stopped him. He said to her: “I left only because if my tiredness..
To be continued
