As mentioned above, prior to the era of entering the Dār-e-Arqam, public preaching had begun and the name of Islām begun to take on popularity in the streets of Makkah. Until now the Quraish were quiet to some extent, but now, even they began to worry that perhaps this ‘disease’ would further spread, and the plant of Islām might take on firm root in Makkan soil. For this reason, they turned their attention to Islām and attempted to halt its propogation forcefully. What were the causes of this opposition? We need not write too much in this regard, for all divine religions established in the world face opposition, the reason being that such religions unquestionably possess attributes as are unknown to the people of that time. Actually, these attributes are taken by the existing society as a definite bereavement to their current habits, beliefs and ideologies. In actuality, the rise of prophets occurs in such eras when the people of the world have strayed from the path upon which Allāh the Exalted wishes that they tread, and they consider their current false path to be the correct one. As such, whenever a new prophet comes, and invites people to the right path, the world rejects his invitation, thinking it fictitious, and prepares to oppose it. Hence, Allāh the Exalted states in the Holy Qur’ān:
“Alas for mankind! There comes not a messenger to them but they mock at him”1
Then, the strange thing is that it is usually those who are considered of high status that tend to be the most fervent in opposition. Thus, Allāh the Exalted says:
“The custom of Allāh is that in every town it is the great ones who break ties with Allāh, in opposition of the Messenger, and become the instigators of disorder and corruption.”2
Thus, when Abrahamas was sent, the distinguished people of his nation took hold of him and cast him into a fire. When Mosesas came, he was also made to confront violence and contention from the most powerful of his people. When the Messiah’sas turn came, the scholars of his nation and Pharisees put him to the cross. When Krishanas was sent to India, his nation stood up to annihilate him. Would then the chief of the prophets be exempt of this custom? Rather, his opposition was to be proportionally equivalent to the magnitude of his mission. Since the Holy Prophetsa was raised in an era when darkness was especially prevelant and it was inevitable that upon the advent of light, the armies of darkness would contend their utmost; so it happened as such – in comparison to all the prophets of the past, the Holy Prophetsa was faced with the most opposition. The primary causes as they appear for this opposition are as follows:
The people of the Quraish were idolaters of the highest degree. The honour and love of idols had become so impressed in their hearts that to hear even a word against them was unbearable. These wrongdoers had placed hundreds of idols in the Ka‘bah, which was built for the worship of Allāh the Exalted alone. They would turn to these idols for all their needs. When Islām came, its principle foundation was the unity of God, its clear commandment was not to bow one’s head before any human, tree, rock or star, etc., Rather: 
“Prostrate thyselves before that Being alone [Allāh], who hath created them.”3
Furthermore, the words used to describe the idols of the Quraish in the Holy Qur’ān appeared to the Quraish as very insulting, for they were declared the fuel of hell. For example, it is mentioned:
“O Ye People! Surely you and your idols which
you worship are the fuel of Hell.”4
These statements had blazed a fire among the Quraish, and they stood up united to obliterate Islām.
With the exception of idolatry, the customs and morals of the Arabs have been mentioned in the beginning of this book. The arena of adultery, alcohol, gambling, pillaging, murder, and unlawful gains was ever ablaze. Islām, on the other hand, condemned such things. As such, by accepting Islām, they were compelled to adopt a new way of life, and the Quraish were not prepared for this in the least. Similar was the case with ritualism, which had, as if, become part of the Arab religion. Islām, on the other hand, prohibited and crushed all vile, immoral, and irreligious rituals.
To honour the traditions of their ancestors and follow them, whether right or wrong, was a part of the Arab religion. For this reason, they insisted:
“Nay, we will follow that wherein we found our fathers”5
However, Islām declared God-given intellect an arbitrator between truth and falsehood, and with regards to their idolatrous ancestors, it clearly said:
“Shall they then follow their fathers, even if they had no sense at all and no guidance?”6
The Quraish were a very arrogant people. These people thought of no one like unto themselves. As far as slaves were concerned, they especially desired to debase them and keep them down-trodden. Quite the contrary, with respect to rights, Islām dispelled all such distinctions, developed a universal brotherhood, and brought both master and slave in the same row before God the Almighty. For the chieftains of the Quraish, this was no less than a cup of death.
Many people of influence and wealth existed among the Quraish. Despite the fact that the Holy Prophetsa, belonged to a noble dynasty, he possessed neither. In other words, due to his reclusive disposition, he was not among the chieftains of the Quraish, nor was he distinct in terms of his money and wealth. In this case, to act in obedience to the Holy Prophetsa, for the leaders of the Quraish, was a sacrifice of such magnitude as they were not at all ready to make. It is for this reason that they would say:
“Why has not this Qur’ān been sent down to some great man of Makkah or Ṭā’if?”7
In addition to these causes, another reason was that between the various tribes of the Quraish, there existed extreme hostility and enmity. As such the remaining tribes were in no way prepared to accept the superiority of the tribe of the Holy Prophetsa over their own. The tribes of the Banū Umaiyyah and Banū Makhzūm particularly harboured great enmity against the Banū Hāshim. For this reason, these two tribes were most fervent in their opposition to Islām.
1 Yāsīn (36:31)
2 Al-An‘ām (6:124)
3 Ḥā Mīm As-Sajdah (41:38)
4 Al-Anbiyā’ (21:99)
5 Al-Baqarah (2:171)
6 Al-Baqarah (2:171)
7 Az-Zukhruf (43:32)