In comparison to these hardships inflicted upon the Muslims, the personal state of the Holy Prophetsa in this storm of dishonour was not well either. No doubt, after the decision of the Banū Hāshim and Banū Muṭṭalib, although the Holy Prophetsa commanded the general support of his dear ones and relatives, and in intertribal politics, this support held significant weight, yet first and foremost, because of the disloyalty and betrayal of the Holy Prophet’ssa paternal uncle, Abū Lahab, the strength of this decision was weakened. Secondly, the Quraish had also threatened that if the Banū Hāshim and Banū Muṭṭalib did not refrain from backing and protecting the Holy Prophetsa, they would fight them all. Until now, although they had not given this threat a practical form, they were engaged in its preparation. However, through reproach and slander, and by mockery, whilst safeguarding themselves they would instigate physical confrontations as well. The first thing they did was to organize a meeting and deliberated upon the issue that with the season of Ḥajj in the offing, Islām would definitely find popularity among the pilgrims and people will flock to us to inquire about this new prophet, and what he claims. For this reason, through mutual consultation, we should think up an answer, so that our inter-discrepancy does not give a negative impression to the pilgrims. Therefore, all the chieftains of the Quraish gathered at the home of Walīd bin Mughīrah. Walīd made an inaugural speech and elucidated the entire issue. He explained:
“Now the time for Ḥajj has arrived and word of Muḥammad’s [peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him] claim has reached out, and the people who shall come for Ḥajj shall most definitely question us about him. Therefore, by consultation, we should agree upon a compelling answer, so that we do not negate one another and thus lessen the influence of our plan.”
At this, one person suggested, “Our answer is simple: This man is a soothsayer. And through his soothsaying, he has gathered a few people around him.” Walīd said:
“How can we call him a soothsayer, when none of his qualities correspond to this? He does not sing like a soothsayer, nor does he possess the precise exposition of a soothsayer.”
Another person said, “Then we can say that Muḥammad [peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him] is mad and tends to speak in the vehemence of his madness.” Walīd said:
“Who will believe us? And what symptoms of insanity can we possibly justify in Muḥammad [peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him]? There is no anxiety in him, no restlessness, nor does he possess the necessary distraction of mind that is found in an insane man. Who will believe our claim?”
A third person said, “We can say that this person is a poet, and is pulling people towards himself through his enchantingly persuasive couplets.” Walīd responded “By calling him a poet, how shall we display examples of poetic style such as Rajaz, Hazaj, Qarīḍ, Maqbūḍ and Mabsūṭ1 in his poetry.” Upon this, a fourth person said, “We should project him as a magician.” Walīd said, “Then how shall we show him as one who casts spells and performs tricks.” People said, “O ‘Abdu Shams, then you ought to tell us what we should do.” Walīd responded:
“In this regard, I am myself perplexed, as to the proper course of action. Whatever we suggest does not seem to apply to Muḥammad [peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him] and to make a statement that the people do not accept shall make us the target of laughter.”
In this way, discussions continued and it was ultimately decided that since nothing else comes to mind, the suggestion of declaring him a magician seems to hold more weight among the suggestions presented in the meeting. Hence, it was decided that on the occasion of Ḥajj, everyone would tell the people coming from outside that Muḥammad [peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him] was a magician who, through his secret magic was separating son and father, brother and brother, and husband and wife from one another. Therefore, on the occasion of Ḥajj, the talk of the town was that Muḥammad [peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him] is a magician who sows the seed of separation and divergence in every home that he enters. Moreover, this propaganda spurred a dangerous uproar throughout the tribes of Arabia against the Holy Prophetsa.2
The Quraish did not rest at this, but instigated the vagabond and wilful people of Makkah to continue teasing the Holy Prophetsa. Therefore, caught up in this instigation, vagabond-mannered people would talk nonsense about the Holy Prophetsa in front of him and behind his back. The purpose of this was none other than to cause grief and to raise tumult through provocation. The routine of the people who lived as neighbours to the Holy Prophetsa was that they would throw rocks into the home of the Holy Prophetsa and place thorns at the front of his door. They would place filthy and foul-smelling things in his home. Whenever their actions caused suffering to the Holy Prophetsa, they would be pleased and would chuckle and burst into laughter. One time, someone placed a very filthy and putrid thing in the Holy Prophet’ssa home. The Holy Prophetsa picked it up himself, and brought it outside, and said, “O Banū Abdu Manāf! Is this how you fulfill the right of your neighbour?”3 But the ears, to which this cry reached, were completely deaf to an appeal of decency. In those days, the Quraish also decided that the Holy Prophetsa would be called upon by the name ‘Mudhammam’, meaning ignominious and scornful instead of Muḥammad. As such, this name found great popularity in Makkah for some time and the Quraish were not even shameful enough to realize that this was the same person, who we used to call Amīn, prior to his claim to prophethood. When the Holy Prophetsa found out about this, he smiled and said, “My name is Muḥammad - how can someone who is Muḥammad be called Mudhammam? Look how God protects me from their cursing.”4
But in this time as well, the torture of the Quraish was not confined to verbal abuse alone. At times, in their fury or finding an opportunity, they would not think much of causing the Holy Prophetsa practical harm or inflicting bodily pain upon him as well. Therefore, there is an incident, perhaps during the same era, that one time when the Holy Prophetsa was offering his Ṣalāt near the Ka‘bah, ‘Uqbah bin Abī Mu‘īṭ stood up in rage and began to strangle the Holy Prophetsa with a cloth until his breath began to stop. When Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakrra was informed of this, he came running and saved the Holy Prophetsa from the evil of this wretched man and addressed the Quraish saying:
اَتَقْتُلُوْنَ رَجُلاً اَنْ یَّقُوْلَ رَبِّیَ اللّٰهُ
“Do you murder a man only because he says my Lord is Allāh?”5
At another instance, when the Holy Prophetsa announced the unity of God in the courtyard of the Ka‘bah, the Quraish gathered around the Holy Prophetsa in their rage, and raised an uproar. When the step-son of the Holy Prophetsa (Ḥārith bin Abī Hāllah, the son of Ḥaḍrat Khadījahra) was informed, he came running and noticing this state of danger, tried to save the Holy Prophetsa from the Quraish. But the state of rage rampant among the young men of the Quraish was such as led an evil man to slay Ḥārith by his sword at the scene.6 Due to the noise and turmoil at the time, it could not be ascertained as to who was responsible for this.
1 These were terms of the poets of Arabia. (Author)
2 As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Malik bin Hishām, pp. 203-204, Bābu Taḥayyuril-Walīd-ibnil-Mughīrati fīmā Yaṣifu bihil-Qur’ān, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)
3 Tārīkhuṭ-Ṭabarī, By Abū Ja‘far Muḥammad bin Al-Jarīr Ṭabarī, Volume 2, p. 241, Bābu Dhikril-Khabri ‘ammā kāna min Amri Nabiyyillāhisa ‘inda Ibtidā’illāhi Ta‘ālā......, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002)
4 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābul-Manāqib, Bābu Mā Jā’a fī Asmā’i Rusūlillāhsa, Ḥadīth No. 3533
5 Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābu Manāqibil-Anṣār, Bābu Mā Laqiyan-Nabiyyusa wa Aṣḥābahu minal-Mushrikīna bi-Makkah, Ḥadīth No. 3856
6 Al-Iṣābatu fī Tamīziṣ-Ṣaḥābah, Volume 1, p. 696, Al-Ḥārith bin Abī Hāllah, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Third Edition (2005)