PERSECUTION ON FOLLOWERS

BACKGROUND

 After three years holy prophet was ordered by Allah to go with his message on public.
 Following the orders Muhammad (PBUH) gathered Quraish on mount of
Saffah. There then Mohammad (PBUH) shared the message of unity of Allah.
 The public declaration of Mohammad (PBUH)’s message and more conversion made the Quraish
furious and developed social, economical and religious insecurities in them.
 The open invitation to Allah’s message brought hostility and opposition to the Prophet (saw) and his
followers.
 It was also decided by the leaders of Quraish to persecute and opposed Prophet (saw) and his
followers in every respect and manner, but they sacrificed for the noble cause of Allah (swt).

HAZRAT ABU BAKAR

 Despite the fact that he was considered to be the noblest of all people in Makkah, Hazrat Abu Bakar
(RA) was beaten to such an extent that his nose and ears and his entire face were bloodstained.
 Once the Prophet (saw) was strangulated by Uqbah bin Abi Mu’it, Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) came and
caught him by his shoulder and pushed him away from the Prophet (saw) and said: “Do you
want to kill a man just because he says, My Lord is Allah?”
 He was kicked, thrashed with shoes, trampled under feet and handled most roughly and severely.
He became unconscious and half dead; none hoped that he would ever survive this fierce attack. But
soon he recovered and served his services to Islam.

HAZRAT USMAN

 Hazrat Usman (RZ)’s uncle Hakam who was the tribal head of Banu Umayyah, tortured him by
enrolling him in palm leaves and setting up a fire underneath for suffocation.
 He was locked in the room and not given any food, drink until he fainted.
HAZRAT AMMAR AND HIS PARENTS

 Hazrat Ammar (RA) and his parents were also subjected to the severest afflictions.
 They were tormented on the burning sands of Makkah.
 The Prophet (saw) while passing on them would enjoin patience, giving them glad tidings about
paradise.
 His father Hazrat Yasir (RA) died after pro-longed sufferings at the hands of persecutors, and his
mother Hazrat Summayyah (RA) was killed by Abu Jahal.
 She had refused to renounce Islam in the race of terrible torture in her old age. The blessed lady was
the first to receive martyrdom in the cause of Islam.
HAZRAT BILAL

 He is the Bilal known as the “Muazzin”.

 He was Abyssinian by birth and a slave of Umayyah bin Khalaf.
 When his master came to know of his Islam, he made him lie or hot sand and a place a heavy stone
on his chest so that he could not turn, and the master used to say: “Give up your Islam;
else you shall be suffocated to death”.
 Hazrat Bilal (RA) used to utter “AHAD, AHAD” (Allah is one). The master would also pass
a rope round his neck and handover to urchins to drag him into streets.
 Later, he was freed by Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA).

HAZRAT KHABBAB

 Hazrat Khabbab (RA) is also one of those blessed persons who offered themselves for sacrifice and
sufferings for the cause of Allah (swt).
 He was made to put on steel armor in the sun to sweat and swelter.
 He was slave of Umm e Ammar.
 When she came to know that he was visiting Prophet (saw), she used to brand his head with a hot
iron rod.
 Hazrat Umar (RA) during his caliphate once inquired of him about the details of his suffereings after
embracing Islam.
 He showed him his back, seeing it Hazrat Umer (RA) remarked. “I have never seen such a
back before.”
 He said, “My body was dragged over loads of flaming charcoal, and the
blood and fat coming out of my back put out the fire.”

HAZRAT ZUNAYRA

 She was a slave in Hazrat Umar’s family.

 When she accepted Islam she was beaten badly by Hazrat Umar (RA).
 Abu Jahl also give her such a sound beating that she lost her eyes.
 Many years later she recovered her sight, so the Quraish attributed this recovery to the
“sorcery” of Muhammad.
 Abu Bakr bought her and set her free.

HAZRAT LUBINAH

 She was a slave of Mumil bin Habib.

 When she embraced Islam Hazrat Umar tortured her, and whenever he paused, he said: “I
have not stopped beating you out of pity. I have stopped because I am
exhausted.”  He resumed beating her after he had rested.

 Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) bought her and set her free.

SUHAIB

 When he became a muslim, Quraish beat him up savagely but could not shake his faith.

ABU FUKAIHA

 Slave of Safwan bin Umayya.

 Like Hazrat Bilal he was also dragged by his master on hot sand with a rope tied to his feet.
 Hazrat Abu Bakar freed him.

ABU DHARR

 Went to Kaabah and shouted, “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his
messenger”.
 As expected infidels fell upon him, and started beating him.

NAHDIYYA AND UMM UNAYS

 Two female slaves.

 Their masters tortured them for accepting Islam.
 Abu Bakr freed them.

 MUSAB BIN UMAIR

 Was expelled from his house and suffered too much for Islam.

ABDULLAH BIN MASOOD

 Other than these inhumanities and cruelties Muslim were also disallowed to worship at Ka’bah.
 If any Muslim attempted to offer any worshipping rituals near Ka’bah the Quraish reacted furiously.
 This happened once when Hazrat Abdullah bin Masud recited verses of Quran before Ka’bah and the
Quraish whipped him so hard that he received fatal injuries.

RELIEF FOR FOLLOWERS

 Due to the severity of the persecutions, the Prophet (pbuh) told the believers to meet secretly at
Dar al-Arqam, where they would learn about their new faith.
 Also because of the persecutions, the Prophet (pbuh) allowed some people to migrate to
Abyssinia.
 Later a social and economic boycott was imposed on the Muslims and they were to live in Shib-i-
Abi Talib, where they faced great hardships for many years.

PERSECUTION ON PROPHET
BACKGROUND

 Holy Prophet started preaching from his clan.

 As he got chance after dinner and invited towards the new religion. He also informed them about his
mission and prophet hood.
 The overall reaction was very rude by the members of his clan (Banu Hashim).
 After three years he was ordered by Allah to go with his message on public.
 Following the orders Muhammad (PBUH) gathered Quraish on mount of Saffah.
 There then Mohammad (PBUH) shared the message of unity of Allah.
 The public declaration of Mohammad (PBUH)’s message and more conversion made the Quraish
furious and developed social, economical and religious insecurities in them.
 A new stage of Islamic movement began to harass Prophet (saw) and opposing him and ridiculing
and jeering at him all the times.
 The Quraish realized that Mohammad (PBUH) is the root cause of all their furies and insecurities
therefore they agreed on taking measures against him. So, to stop Mohammad (PBUH), the leaders
of Quraish agreed on opposing and persecuting him as per their power.

MENTAL AND VERBAL TORTURE

 Whenever the Prophet (saw) tried to preach a group, the pagans would disperse the crowd before
he had chance to convey his message. Meanwhile, the non-believers also invented a new way of
abusing Prophet (saw) by calling him Muhammam (intensely condemned) instead of
Muhammad (praise worthy).
 Abu Lahab ordered his sons to divorce their wives, who were Mohammad (PBUH)’s daughters.
 The Quraish also noticed Mohammad (PBUH) was more famous among the common man with his
new message and teachings. Therefore, to negate his fame and to cut down his link with the
common man they planned to spread a rumor that Mohammad (PBUH) is a magician so that the
common man would be hesitant to listen to him and to believe in him.
They called him a magician, the liar and the poet when he (PBUH) shared revelation with them.

 They also called him Abtar on the death of his second son in infancy. To console Mohammad (PBUH)
Allah sent verses of Surah Kauthar. It states: “Verily, we have granted you the
 Abundance …. Indeed, he who hates you, will be cut off (from future’s
hopes)”. (108:1-3) Al-Kauthar.
 During the time when there was a gap between the revelations the makkans used to mock the
Prophet that his God had abandoned him. Surah Duha was revealed to console him.
 Utba bin Rabi’ah, who was one of the leaders of the Quraish, thought of a clever way to end the
divisions that were happening in the city. He went to the Prophet (saw) and gave him this offer, “If
you want money, we will pool our property together so you will be the
richest man amongst us. If you want status, we will make you our
leader, so that no one can decide anything without your consent. If you
are unable to cure yourself of the visions that you have been saying,
we will pay for all the medical services……….” But the blessed Prophet (saw)
refused these offers and instead recited Surah 41, which wondered Utba.
 Quraish also sought a sort of compromise with the Messenger of Allah (saw) and proposed that,“If
Prophet would worship their gods, Lat and Uzza, for a year, they would
worship his God for the same space of time”. Soon the Surah Kafiroon revealed to
reply this cunning offer. Mohammad(PBUH) strongly turned down the offer and recited the
following verse: “to you be your religion, and to me mine.” (109:6) Al-
Kafiroon
 The Makkans also asked Abu Talib to restrain his nephew or give him up to them. On this occasion
when Abu Talib conveyed their message to the Prophet (saw). He replied: “O my Uncle! If
they placed the sun on my right hand and the moon on my left to force
me to give up my mission, verily I would not do it, until Allah made me
victorious, or I died (in the struggle).” Seeing Mohammad (PBUH)’s determination
and involvement Abu Talib continued both his support and security for Muhammad (PBUH).
In reaction to this, the Quraish boycotted Abu Talib, his family, Banu Hashim. Prophet (PBUH) and
his loyal supporters excluding few who were Muhammad (PBUH)’s enemies like Abu Lahab For the
security of Muhammad (PBUH) Abu Talib took him and others to a valley named Shib Abi Talib
where Muhammad (PBUH) and others spent three years in severe hunger, thirst and heat.

 After three years of boycott, due to the intervention of few generous members of the society of
Makkah the boycott was lifted by Quraish.
 Soon after this Abu Talib and Hazrat Khadija (RZ) died in the tenth year of prophet hood. As both
were so close to Mohammad (PBUH) and their death brought grievance in his life, for this reason the
year in which they died came to be known as ‘The Year of Grief’.

PHYSICAL TORTURE

 Their cruelties became more intensified when they tortured him physically.  An old woman petted
rubbish upon him whenever he passed by her street.
 Abu Lahab and Umme Jamil threw thorns and remainings of animals on his ways.
 Once Uqba bin Abi Mu’it, came up with the intensities of the slaughtered camel, and stayed to the
side by Holy Prophet (saw) by calling him
 Muhammad, as he caught the opportunity he laid the on the Prophet’s back and shoulder. Prophet
(saw) remained in that condition until Hazrat Fatima (RA) came and removed the filth from her
Father’s back.

 On one occasion, Ubqa bin Abi Mu’it saw Prophet (saw) praying; he waited for him to place his
forehead on the ground. He then placed his foot on Prophet’s neck and pressed down with all his
weight until Prophet eyes swelled.
 Once Prophet (saw) was praying in Ka’abah, Ubqa bin Abi Mu’it rolled his sheet round the neck of
Prophet (saw) and tried to strangle him. There Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) secured Prophet (saw).
 Whenever Ummayah bin Khalaf saw Prophet (saw), he would taunt him before the people of
Makkah.
 Similarly, his brother, Ubai bin Khalaf crumbled a rotten bone and threw it in the face of Prophet
(saw).
 Once Holy prophet was preaching, Abu Jahal took a stone and cracked prophet’s head which began
to bleed.
 Once Uqbah attended the preaching of prophet. When his friend Ubai bin Khalaf came to know
about it, he ordered Uqbah to spit on Prophet face and he shamelessly do it.
Once Utaibah bin Abi Lahab argued with prophet on the matter of preaching and then laid violent
hand on him, tore his shirt and spat on prophet’s face but his saliva missed prophet’s face.

 Mohammad (PBUH) here reflected one of the biggest models of magnanimity and rather than
seeking revenge he (PBUH) forgave his tortures and prayed for them.