Preaching and Persecutions

On the first day of the message, the following people accepted the message and converted:

• Khadijah bint Khwalid: Wife of P. Muhammad was the first to convert
• Zaid Bin Harithah: Adopted son of the Prophet Muhammad
• Ali bin Abi Talib: Prophet (SAW)'s cousin who had been living with the Prophet since childhood
• Abu Bakr As-Siddiq: Prophet (SAW)'s best friend

The following people soon followed

• ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan Al-Umawi
• Az-Zubair bin ‘Awwam Al-Asadi
• ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf
• Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas
• Talhah bin ‘Ubaidullah At-Tamimy
• Bilal bin Rabah
• Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah
• Abu Salamah bin ‘Abd Al-Asad
• Al-Arqam bin Abi Al-Arqam
  
• ‘Uthman, Qudama and ‘Abdullah bin Maz‘oun
  
• ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Harith bin Al-Muttalib bin ‘Abd Munaf
• Sa‘id bin Zaid Al-‘Adawi
• Fatimah bint Al-Khattab (sister of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab)
• Khabbab bin Al-Aratt
• ‘Abdullâh bin Mas‘ud Al-Hadhali

These were the forerunners of Islam. We will study some of them next semester

Lesson: Whenever you start dawah or any major project that needs lots of people to support it, start with work of mout, however, choose your messengers carefully. Word of mouth will spread quickly and those who follow you will be committed to the message longer

As more an more people started accepting Islam, the Quraish leaders started hearing rumors of a new Prophet. At first they dismissed this as the rantings of a religious philosopher.

But as they saw how quickly people were being drawn to this religion, the Quraish started to worry and started looking at Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as a threat to their way of life.

Although Prophet (SAW) was able to preach underground for three years, it was to be no more.

Lesson: People in the position of authority are always disturbed with people who advocate change in mentality. However, you must stick to what you know is right.

When Allah ordered the Prophet (SAW) to preach to the Quraish at large, the Prophet (SAW) once again started with the people closest to his family who had not yet converted to Islam.

He started by calling his extended family including children of Abu Muttalib to a meeting:

• Abu Lahab took the inituative by infhetorming the Prophet (SAW) that he should get to the point and that there is no guarentee that the family wpuld be able to help him. Furthermore, Abu Lahab continued to tell the Prophet that he should forget about changing the family because they should try to fit into the society than stay apart and that the Prophet was the wort thing that had happened to any family.
• Prophet SAW dismissed this meeting called another at which he gave his message to his family.
• Abu Talib replied that he would help in any way possible and would provide the Prophet with protection however he would not quit the religion of his forefathers

After he had given the message to his family, the Prophet (SAW) called Makkah togather with a call of emergency. This is how the story goes: he stood up on Mount As-Safa one day and called out loudly: "O Sabahah! The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and then started to call: "O Bani Fahr! O Bani 'Adi (two septs of Quraish)." Many people gathered and those who couldn't, sent somebody to report to them. Abu Lahab was also present. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:"You see, if I were to tell you that there were some horsemen in the valley planning to raid you, will you believe me?" They said: "Yes, we have never experienced any lie from you." He said: "I am a
warner to you before a severe torment." Abu Lahab promptly replied: "Perish you all the day! Have you summoned us for such a thing?" The verses were immediately revealed on that occasion: "Perish the two hands of Abi Lahab..." [111:1].

After saying this the Prophet continued to discredit the practices of idolatry. At this the Arabs burst into outrage and disapproval.

Why did Makkan leaders not want to come into Islam?

• Accepting that Allah is the only God meant that they would have to acknowledge that their pleasures, authority, power, wealth, and reign is subordinate to His and thus they would not be able to engage in depraved but profitable acts such as slavery, infantacite (killing babies), gambling, interest, etc.

Lesson: Although it is a wonderful to preach Islam it is also important to take care of your well being. So if you plan on going to a territory that will be hostile to your message be sure to take someone who can protect you. Always SAFTEY FIRST.

Lesson: Taking inituative is just like anything else in life. If you take initiative for good you get numerous rewards but if you take initiative for some thing bad you get many punishment. So before you do or say anything, think about whether you are willing to take the consequences of it.

When the Quraish realized that their way of life was being threatned they decided to retaliate. Of course they couldn't say effectively that the Prophet (SAW) was lying or crazy since he was the wisest and most honest person amongst them. So they tried persuading the Prophet from Islam

First they approached Abu Talib, the Prophet (SAW)'s protector and asked him to advise his nephew to stop the message by saying "Your nephew curses our gods; finds faults with our way of life, mocks at our religion and degrades our forefathers; either you must stop him, or you must let us get at him. For you are in the same opposition as we are in opposition to him; and we will rid you of him." This tactic was designed to the most sensitive area of Arab life, ancesteral pride. However, the Prophet continued to preach as usual.

Lesson: Build a strong reputation and personality for yourself before you go out to change the world. If you are confident in yourself, people will be more likely to listen to you and will find it more difficult to oppose you

Lesson: Evaluate your beliefs. A favorite tactic of those who wish to disuade you from your path is attacking your core beliefs. It is important that you know what your beliefs are and that you are able to identify any temptation due to it.

Lesson: When you give your support to someone, realize that you will become a target of all that the directed to the person you protect. You need to be strong and stand by what you believe. However, you also need to be able to deal with your oppositition with courtesy so that your temper may not be used against you.

When the time for Hajj came, the Quraish got more concerned. They did not want the business that came from the practice of idol worship to go away especially since they would discuss it with others and spread Islam.

The Quraish met to create a strategy that would make sure that the pilgrims didnt even listen to the Prophet (SAW). The advisor at this meeting was Al-Waleed bin Al Mugheerah. The ideas were:

• To tell the pilgrims that the Prophet (SAW) was a soothsayer, but this was rejected because his words did not rhyme as much
• To tell the pilgrims that the Prophet (SAW) was possessed by a jimm, but the Quraish realized that he didnt act weird or crazy
• To tell the pilgrims that the Prophet (SAW) was a poet, except the Prophet (SAW)'s poetry was not normal to Arabia
• To tell the pilgrims that the Prophet (SAW) was practicing witchcraft, but pilgrims knew the Prophet (SAW) to never practice wuthcraft.
• To tell the pilgrims that the Prophet (SAW) broke up families

Out of these reasons Waleed and his team decided that witchcraft and breaking up families were the best weopens in order to make sure that pilgrims did not listen to him (witchcraft) and if they did they would discredit him (because he was breaking up families).

Lesson: All attempts against a message or change are planned out not accidental. If those who oppose you streategize, you should too.