WEEK 02

DAY 03
Persecutions and Difficulties in Makkah
Prophet (P.B.U.H)
• The Prophet pbuh proclaimed the message of Islam openly on the mount of Safa after the divine
command for open preaching of Islam in 613 AD,
“Expound openly what you are commanded and turn away from those who join false gods with Allah.”
[15:94]
He was rejected by the gathering specially his uncle Abu Lahab cursed him. After this event he had to face
stiff opposition and both physical and mental persecutions. The influential people of Makkah like Abu Jahl,
Abu Lahab, Abu Sufyan etc became his enemies. The opposition increased gradually.
• The Quraish wanted to discredit Prophet (P.B.U.H)and his teachings in front of them and so came to the
decision that they would call him a magician who was so powerful that he could separate son from father,
brother from his brother, wife from her husband, and man from his clan.
The Quraish started to ridicule, degrade, and belittle the believers as well as the Prophet (P.B.U.H) himself
to demoralize them. They said that the Prophet (P.B.U.H) was mad and the he practised witchcraft.
• His uncle Abu Lahb called him “abtar” at the death of his second son. At that time Allah consoled and
comforted him with Surah al Kauthar and declared that his enemies were “abtar”. “For he who hates you,
he will be cut off.” [108:3 ] .
After the revelation of Surah Lahab , Abu Lahab also forced his sons Utba and Utaiba to divorce the
Prophet’s daughter Ruqayya and Umm-e-Kalsoom. Abu Lahb’s wife Umm-e-Jamil used to throw thorny
bushes in the path which the Prophet pbuh was expected to take.
• They also persecuted him physically. Once Abu Jahl threw camel’s intestines on him when he was
prostrating in prayer, his daughter Hazrat Fatima removed it from him. Once Utba tried to strangle him
when he was praying near the Kaabah. An old woman regularly pelted him with rubbish on his way to
prayer.
• The pagans of Makkah also tried to bribe him by offering him wealth, leadership and even promised to
marry him with the fairest girl if he abandoned the preaching of Islam. The prophet pbuh rejected all such
offers and said, “O Uncle! Even if they place the sun in my right hand and the moon on my left, to force
me to renounce my mission, I would not stop until Allah fulfills my mission or destroys me in the
process.” ‘Hearing this, Abu Talib said to him, ‘Go and preach what you please for, by Allah, I will not
forsake you.”
• The Prophet pbuh and his family were boycotted for three years i.e., from 7th till 10th year of prophet hood
and were forced to live in a narrow valley outside Makkah which is also known as Shib-e-Abu Talib. It was
a time of difficulties and hardships but the Prophet pbuh remained steadfast.
• They also came up with another proposal that he should worship their gods and in return they would
worship his God. Prophet told them that there would be no compromise as Allah guided him to declare,
“You have your religion and I have my religion.”[109:6]
• After Abu Talib’s death, he visited Taif for preaching Islam but people of banu Saqeef persecuted him
mercilessly. The makkans plotted to assassinate him, which forced him to migrate to Madina.

Followers / Early Converts:

• For the first few years the Prophet (pbuh) preached the message in secret. Initially only a handful of
Muslims accepted Islam, the main ones being Khadija, Zaid, ‘Ali and Abu Bakr, who in turn brought many
people to Islam including, ‘Uthman, Zubair ibn Awwam, and Talha. Other early converts were Bilal, Abu
 ‘Ubaida, Abu Salamah. Prayer was established morning and evening. They would pray and practise their
faith in secret, often praying in the mountains.
• The Prophet pbuh proclaimed the message of Islam openly on the mount of safa after the divine command
for open preaching of Islam in 613 AD,
“Expound openly what you are commanded and turn away from those who join false gods with Allah.”
[15:94]
He was rejected and after this event, period of persecutions and difficulties started for the prophet
pbuh and his followers especially the poor and the weak.
• Another victim of the cruelty of Quraish was Ammar bin Yasir (R.A), a freed slave of Banu Makhzum,
who had accepted Islam in its early days along with his parents. They were repeatedly made to lie on
the burning sand and beaten. At times, Ammar was also thrown on burning embers.
• His parents Sumayya and Yasir were persecuted to death by Abu Jahl when they refused to abandon
their faith. They were the first martyrs of Islam.
• Bilal bin Rabah (R.A) was the slave of Ummayah ibn Khalaf was severely beaten by his master.
Sometimes, a rope was put around his neck and he was dragged by street boys around the streets
and hiss of Makkah. He was deprived of food and drink, and one day during its hottest hour, he was
bound and a heavy stone was put on his chest. He was then asked to renounce his faith, but he kept
repeating ‘One, One’ to honour the oneness of Allah. Hazrat Abu Bakr was passing by and, moved by
the sight, he purchased Bilal from his master and freed him.
Not only the poor and the weak but the rich and the noble Muslims were also persecuted.
• Once Abu Bakr(R.A) was pulled by his beard and was dragged through the streets of Makkah for
protecting the Prophet pbuh.
• Usman(R.A) was wrapped in palm leaves and set fire to by his uncle; Khabab bin al-Arat was made to
lie on burning coal with a rock on his chest.
• Harith bin Abi Hala(R.A) was also killed by the Makkans when he was trying to protect the Prophet
against his enemies.
• Zinra (R.A), a Roman slave girl was beaten and made blind by her master.
• Suhaib Rumi(R.A) was beaten so badly that he became unconscious,
• Khubaib -bin--Arat(R.A), a blacksmith was branded by his own tools; his body was burnt badly as
they threw him on burning coal.
• Abdullah bin Masud(R.A) was persecuted mercilessly when he recited the Quran loudly near the
Kaaba.
The poor and the weak Muslims were deprived of their possessions and their means of livelihood were
taken away.
• Due to the severity of the persecutions, the Prophet (pbuh) told the believers to meet secretly at Dar
al-Arqam, In 5th year of prophet hood/615AD the Prophet (S.A.W) permitted some of his followers
specially the poor and the weak, to migrate to Abyssinia to the protection of the Christian king Negus.
The Quraish followed them and demanded Negus to send them back. He called the emigrants and
after listening to the speech of Jafar bin Abu Talib, he refused to send them back and the Makkans
had to return unsuccessfully.
• The Prophet pbuh and his family Banu Hashim were boycotted for three years i.e., from 7th till 10th
year of prophethood and were forced to live in a narrow valley outside Makkah which is also known
as Shib-e-Abu Talib. It was a time of difficulties and hardships but they remained steadfast. They were
not allowed to worship at the Kaaba.
(b) Why did the people fear the message that the Prophet had brought? [4]
• The Quryash were leaders of Makka and so were not ready to give up their power or prestige, they
could not imagine being equal with slaves.
• Although they thought well of the Prophet they would have wanted a prophet to come from their
own tribe rather than Banu Hashim, as they were always competing with other tribes for prestige.
 • The Ka’ba was a place of pilgrimage which brought them an income and they were not willing to risk
losing that income.
• They were comfortable with the way they lived their life, satisfying their needs and not thinking about
others less fortunate than themselves.
• By society changing to Islam they would have to give up their previous practices of drinking, or
treating women and slaves badly, and that did not suit them.
• It was against the religion of their forefathers, which they did not want to change.
5.(b) Drawing from this account, what advice could be given to Muslims now living in fear
of persecution? [4]
• living in a situation where their family may not want them to practise their faith, to pray, fast or wear
hijab, they can try to conceal their faith and practice it where they can and in secret.
• if they are being persecuted by the wider community for their beliefs, they could migrate to a safer
place where they would be accepted and allowed to live in freedom. It is not going to be an easy
journey, but the early Muslims did not go back on their decision.
• Elaborate further by giving your suggestions for Muslims facing persecutions in
different parts of world.