OPPOSITION AND PERSECUTIONS

REASONS FOR PERSECUTIONS:

The Ouraish were the leading tribe in the Arabian Peninsula. They were used to idol worship that
the Holy Prophet pbuh openly condemned. They took the teachings of Islam as an insult to their
religion and the ways of their forefathers.
The location of the Ka'abah in Makkah gave them an important position as the custodians of the
House. It was a source of income for them, particularly the priests, as the pilgrims to the Ka'abah
would being rich gifts for their idols. In the rise of Islam, they saw the danger to their dignity and
prestige and the loss of the important position which they had held for centuries.
Apart from idol worship, adultery, drinking, gambling, murder and plunder were common among
the Arabs. Islam condemned all these. Embracing Islam meant discarding these evil practices
and adopting a new mode of life. The Quraish were not at all ready to do that.
The chiefs, particularly those belonging to the Banu Umayyah, could not bear that anybody from
among the Banu Hashim, the tribe to which the Holy Prophet pbuh belonged, should have
supremacy over them. They were also of the view that the Ouran should have been sent down to
some influential person. The Quran says: "Also, they say: why is not this Quran sent down to
some leading man in either of the two (chief) cities." (43: 31)The Ouraish were proud of their
chiefs, against whom they were not ready to accept the supremacy of the Holy Prophet pbuh who
neither had wealth nor sons nor any other sign of worldly power. The Quraish used to say: "Is
this the one whom Allah has sent as a messenger?" (25:41)\

Write about the persecution faced by the Prophet (pbuh) after he started preaching Islam
openly. 10 MARKS

When the Prophet received the order from Allah “Expound openly as you are commanded;
and turn away from those who join false gods with Allah” the Prophet invited the Quraish
and declared openly his mission of preaching Islam on Mount Saffa.
He immediately faced opposition.. Abu Lahab said to him “may you perish forever, did you
call us for such a thing? The Prophet was shocked at the harsh response and rejection of
Quraish. Allah comforted the Prophet by revealing the following Ayat: “may the hand of Abu
Lahab perish, doomed he is. His wealth and his property shall not save him, he shall be
thrown into a blazing fire of hell” (al Quran)
The Makkans adopted a policy to persecute the Prophet mentally, physically and emotionally. He
was called a magician, poet, mad man, or possessed by jinn “And the Unbelievers would
almost trip thee up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say: Surely he is
possessed!"(Al-Qalam 68:51)
Abu lahab’s wife Ume Jamil used to put thorny bushes and rubbish on the door of Prophet’s
house. Quraish hired poets to write abusive poems against the Prophet. Abu Lahab forced his
two sons Uthba and Uthaiba to divorce the Prophet’s daughters Ruqayya and Umm Kulthum.
They laughed and mocked him after his son’s death, calling him “abtar”. Utba bin Mueet
strangled him with a piece of cloth during prayer

Abu Jahl had the foetus of a she–camel placed on the Prophet’s back while he was praying at the
Ka’ba, which was removed by his daughter Hazrat Fatima. His followers were also persecuted
which hurt the Prophet (pbuh) too. Makkans asked the Prophet to worship their gods if he wants
them to worship Allah. Upon this Prophet pbuh replied “you have your religion and I have my
religion” (Quran)

The Prophet (pbuh) and Banu Hashim were boycotted and were not allowed business dealings or
social contact with the Makkans; they stayed in Shib i Abi Talib for miserable three years, where
they had little food or water.

When the Prophet (pbuh) visited Ta’if to try and spread the message of Islam there, he was
ridiculed and the leaders sent children to throw stones on him. He was bleeding and took refuge
in a nearby orchard.

The Quraish held a meeting at Dar-un- Nadwa to assassinate the Prophet. They devised a plot
involving 11 men from the leading clans of Makkah to murder the Prophet (pbuh) which
eventually led to his migration to Yasrib.

Delegation was sent to Prophet to bribe him with wealth, marriage with the fairest girl and
leadership. Qurish met Abu Talib to make him stop his nephew pbuh. When Abu Talib asked the
Prophet to stop his preaching Prophet replied: “If they place the sun on my right hand and the
moon on my left hand and ask me to stop preaching the word of the God to the people I
will not desist from doing my duty” (Hadith)

Write about the persecution faced by the Prophet (pbuh)’s companions after the Prophet
pbuh started preaching Islam openly. 10 MARKS

The companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) faced severe persecution as they
embraced Islam and openly practiced their faith in the early years of the mission. This period
was marked by relentless cruelty and oppression from the Quraysh, the tribal leaders of Makkah.

Hazrat Bilal (RA) a slave of Ummayya bin Khalaf, faced brutal treatment. Ummayya would tie
his hands and drag him through the scorching streets of Makkah, placing hot stone on his chest.
Despite the torment, Bilal's steadfast response was the powerful declaration of monotheism,
"Ahad, Ahad" (One, One).Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir’s parents, Yasir and Summayya, were
tortured by Abu Jahl, with Summayya becoming the first martyr in Islam. Ammar himself faced
torture, yet remained resilient in his faith.Hazrat Abu Bakar RA a close companion of the
Prophet, was violently dragged by his beard, enduring physical abuse for his commitment to
Islam.
Hazrat Usman RA another companion, was tied up with ropes and subjected to beatings for his
refusal to renounce Islam.Abdullah bin Masood faced severe beatings in the courtyard of the
Kaaba, enduring physical assault for his faith.Hazrat Khabab bin Arat a blacksmith, suffered
further cruelty as he was branded by his own burning coal equipment.Hazrat Haris bin Abi
Hala: Haris, while protecting the Prophet, was killed by the Quraysh, illustrating the dangerous
conditions faced by those who supported Islam.Labaneh, a female slave, Labenah, endured
merciless beatings as a result of her acceptance of Islam.Zinrah a slave girl, Zinrah, faced brutal
beatings that ultimately led to her turning blind. Abu Zarr Ghaffari was attacked by a crowd of
non believers and he fell down senseless.

The persecution extended beyond physical abuse. The Quraysh imposed a boycott on the
Hashmites, writing clauses and hanging them on the wall of the Kaaba. This boycott severed
social and economic ties, subjecting the Prophet's family and followers to three years of misery.
Conditions under the Shabi abi Talib were severe, marked by lack of food and the heartbreaking
cries of children.

Despite the immense challenges, the resilience of the early companions played a crucial role in
the survival and eventual triumph of Islam in the face of adversity.