Psychological Warfare

Accepting a god other than one’s Maker creates servility in the soul and begets oppression. The souls of the Quraishi chiefs clung to worldly life, tightly shackled by a love of supremacy and the pleasures it gave them, and a refusal to be molded by the principles of ‘Right and Wrong’, ‘Halal (Lawful) and Haram (Forbidden)’, ‘Do and Do not do’. They resisted any thought of an afterlife, a return to Allah for repayment of evil with evil and good with good. They withheld themselves from belief and fought vigorously to withhold others, hindering people from the straight path, wanting it to remain crooked and unjust.

It was an open life-and-death battle in which the disbelievers employed every weapon of psychological warfare against the Prophet ﷺ to obstruct the truth he ﷺ preached and inflict on his blessed soul the invisible deadly wounds of inward failure and defeat, loss of confidence, breaking of will, destruction of purpose, killing of hope, and despair of support, which are deeper and more injurious than physical wounds.

1. A sorcerer! A madman! A liar!Rather, he is a poet!

Malicious attitudes and hateful looks angrily pursued the Prophet of Islam ﷺ, almost influencing his steps and causing him to slip and lose his balance and firmness on the earth. This is depicted in the Noble Qur’an, which portrays the inward wrath, enmity, and spite which was evident in the eyes of his opponents1: ﴾Verily, those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their eyes through hatred when they hear the Reminder (the Qur’an), and they say, “Verily, he (Muhammad ﷺ) is a madman!”﴿2

Their poisonous, feverish looks were accompanied by abusive cursing, insulting, and mocking: “You are a madman! You are a sorcerer! You are a liar!”

They reacted with insolent pride and opposition; confused and wavering, they swayed in their denial of the Message from one pretext to another:

﴾Nay, they say, “(The revelation is but) a mixture of false dreams! Nay, he has invented it! Nay, he is a poet! Let him then bring us a sign like the ones (Prophets) that were sent before (with signs)!”﴿3

– They called the Prophet ﷺ, “A sorcerer, a liar!”

﴾They wonder that a warner has come to them from among themselves. And the disbelievers say, “This is a sorcerer, a liar. Has he made the gods (only) one God? Verily, this is a curious thing!”﴿4

– They called him ﷺ, “A poet!”

﴾“Are we going to abandon our gods for the sake of a mad poet?”﴿5

– They called him ﷺ, “A madman!”

﴾“O you upon whom the Reminder (the Qur’an) has been sent down, indeed you are mad.”﴿6

– They called him ﷺ, “A soothsayer!”

﴾“Remind and preach (mankind, O Muhammad). By the Grace of Allah, you are neither a soothsayer nor a madman.”﴿7

But not for a moment did the chiefs of Quraish believe themselves when they said that Muhammad bin Abdullah ﷺ – known among them as the Honest Truth-Speaker – was a sorcerer, a liar, or a madman. This was just a weapon of provocation and misguidance; a war of deception that is well mastered by people of power. They used it to protect themselves and their positions from the danger of the truth embodied in this creed, which would certainly have shaken the false values and corrupted status quo on which these high people built themselves.8

Details of an agreement between the chiefs of Quraish to wage a defamatory propaganda campaign against Muhammad ﷺ and the truth revealed to him ﷺ is reported by Ibn Ishaq. Their aim was to protect themselves and their authority over the people of Makkah, and to repel the tribes that visited Makkah annually at the Hajj season from the new religion and its preacher. Ibn Ishaq said9:

A group of Quraish convened with Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah, who was a senior among them, at the time of the Hajj season.

He said to them, “O people of Quraish, the Hajj season has arrived. Delegations of Arabs will come to you. They must have heard about this companion of yours (meaning the Prophet ﷺ), so agree on one opinion regarding him. Let there be no contradiction or denial of one another’s statements.”

They said, “O Abu ‘Abd Shams, suggest and give us an opinion which we will say.”

He said, “No, you make the suggestions and I will listen.”

They said, “We will say he is a soothsayer.”

He said, “No, by Allah, he is not a soothsayer. We have seen soothsayers; his words are not the murmuring and rhyme of a soothsayer.”

They said, “We will say he is a madman.”

He said, “He is not a madman. We have seen madness and know it. There is not the choking, agitation, and anxiety of madness.”

They said, “We will say he is a poet.”

He said, “He is not a poet. We have known all forms of poetry, its chanting, hymning, lyrics, rhymed and unrhymed. It is not poetry.”

They said, “We will say he is a sorcerer.”

He said, “He is not a sorcerer. We have seen sorcerers and their sorcery. This is not their incantation and conjuration.”

They said, “What should we say, O Abd Shams?”

He said, “By Allah, his words have sweetness, with numerous roots strongly branching; their branches richly abounding in growth. Anything you say about them will be known to be falsehood. The closest thing you can say about him is that he is a magician, who came with words which are magic that separate man and his father, man and his brother, man and his wife, man and his clan. This way you will shun people away from him.”

They began to sit in the path of people who came at the Hajj season. They warned anyone who passed by them against him (meaning the Prophet ﷺ) and mentioned the (fabricated) story about him.

This was their way of resisting and preventing the truth from reaching people, to keep them living on a fake inherited creed. The chiefs had to make the populace believe that behind this new Call was a mystery whose secret they were most knowledgeable about and most capable of handling. They wanted people to leave such a matter to their gods and return to their inherited beliefs. They wanted people to silently rest while the chiefs protected their interests, beliefs, and gods!

It is the typical technique used by tyrants to distract people from concern about public matters and truth-seeking. People speaking amongst themselves and seeking to know the truth posed a danger to the chiefs, for they could only maintain their power by steeping people in lies.10

The Prophet of Mercy ﷺ reacted calmly and nobly to their war of words, as touched on in the story of Dimad ؓ. Ibn ‘Abbas ؓ said:

Dimad, who belonged to the tribe of Azd Shanu’ah, came to Makkah. He used to recite incantations to cure people of madness and bedevilment.

He heard some fools from among the people of Makkah saying that Muhammad ﷺ was mad.

He said, “If only I can see that man, perhaps Allah will cure him at my hand.”

It happened that he met with him and said, “O Muhammad, I recite incantations as a cure for this madness. Allah cures whom He wills at my hand. Would you like to try it?”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “All praises and thanks belong to Allah. We praise Him and seek His Help. Truly, whoever Allah guides, no one can misguide; and whoever He leaves astray, no one can guide. And I testify that there is no god but Allah Alone, with no partners, and that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger. Ama Ba‘d (Then after)…”

Dimad said, “Repeat these words of yours to me.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ repeated them to him thrice.

Dimad said, “I have heard the words of soothsayers, magicians, and poets, but I have never heard such words as yours. They reach the depth of the sea. Give me your hand to pledge allegiance to you for Islam.” And he pledged allegiance to him.”11

The truthful words that the Prophet ﷺ conveyed speak for themselves, laying bare any falsehood, and testifying to their Divine Origin. Words beyond the power of humans to say, unlike those of a soothsayer or a poet, but words of an honored Messenger: ﴾I swear by whatsoever you see, and by whatsoever you see not, that this (Qur’an) is verily the word of an honored Messenger. It is not the word of a poet; little is that you believe. Nor is it the word of a soothsayer; little is that you remember. This is the revelation sent down from the Lord of all that exists. And if he (Muhammad) had forged a false saying concerning Us, We surely would have seized him by his right hand. Then We certainly would have cut off the aorta from him. And none of you could have prevented it for him. And verily, this is a Reminder for the pious. And verily, We know that among you are deniers. And indeed, it will be (a cause of) regret upon the disbelievers. And verily, it (the Qur’an) is an absolute truth with certainty. So, glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most Great.﴿12

1 Adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, Surat Al-Qalam [68: 51].

2 Translated meanings of Al-Qalam 68: 51.

3 Translated meanings of Al-Anbiya’ 21: 5.

4 Translated meanings of Sad 38: 4-5.

5 Translated meanings of As-Saffat 37: 36.

6 Translated meanings of Al-Hijr 15: 6.

7 Translated meanings of At-Tur 52: 29.

8 Adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Sad [38: 4-5], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

9 Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah: Conspiracy of the Quraish to Denounce the Messenger ﷺ as a Magician, vol. 1.

10 Adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Sad [38: 4-5], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

11 Sahih Muslim, Book of Al-Jumu‘ah (Friday Prayer), Hadith no. 1436; a similar version of the Hadith is also reported by Ahmad (2613).

12 Translated meanings of Al-Haqqah 69: 38-52

2. Never will we show belief until we havea share of your prophethood

The Mushrikin1 of Makkh considered it beneath them to declare belief in the Prophet ﷺ and submit like the rest of the people. They placed themselves in the position of gods, gave their followers laws to follow, and ordered that they be obeyed. Pride and dominion inhibited them from accepting Islam for fear of becoming servants of Allah like the rest of the people.

They wanted special personal prerogatives that would secure the continuity of their spiritual and authoritative leadership. They stipulated for themselves a share of the Divine Revelations as a condition for accepting to be worshippers of Allah Alone2: ﴾And when a sign comes to them (proving the prophethood of Muhammad), they say, “Never will we believe until we receive the like of that which the Messengers of Allah have received.” Allah knows best with whom to place His Message.﴿3

Ibn Ishaq reported on the authority of Az-Zuhri that Abu Sufyan bin Harb, Abu Jahl bin Hisham, and Al-Akhnas bin Shurayq went out one night to listen to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he ﷺ was praying in his house. Each one of them took up a position for listening, and none of them knew that the others were also there.

They stayed listening to him all night until dawn. When they left, on their way home, they saw each other on the road and reprimanded each other, saying to one another, “Do not come back again, lest some of their fools see you and you give the wrong impression (i.e. that you like what you hear).”

They went away until the second night came, and each of them returned to his place and again spent the night listening to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When dawn came they left, but the road brought them face to face with one another again, so each of them reprimanded the others, saying the same as they had said the previous night.

Then they went away until the third night came, and each of them returned to his place and again spent the night listening to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When dawn came they left, but the road brought them together, so they said to one another, “Let us not leave until we vow not to come back.” They swore a vow to that effect and went their separate ways.

In the morning, Al-Akhnas bin Shurayq took his staff and went to the house of Abu Sufyan bin Harb. He said, “Tell me, O Abu Hanzalah (i.e. Abu Sufyan), what do you think of what you have heard from Muhammad?” Abu Sufyan said, “O Abu Tha‘labah (i.e. Al-Akhnas), by Allah, I have heard things I understand and know what is meant by them, and I have heard things I do not understand and do not know what is meant by them.” Al-Akhnas said, “Me too, by the One by Whom you swore.”

He left him and went to Abu Jahl. He entered his house and said, “O Abu Al-Hakam (i.e. Abu Jahl), what do you think of what you have heard from Muhammad?” He said, “What you have heard. We and Banu ‘Abd Manaf competed for honor and position. They fed people, so we fed people; they engaged in battle, so we engaged in battle; they gave away (charity), so we gave away, until we were neck and neck with them like two race horses. Then they said, ‘We have a prophet among us who receives revelations from heaven.’ How could we compete with this? By Allah we will never believe in him.”4 According to the report on the authority of Muqatil, he said, “By Allah we will never believe in him and shall never follow him until we receive revelations as he receives.”5

They did not doubt the truthfulness of Muhammad ﷺ, whom they had never heard tell a lie in his long life among them, or the truthfulness of the Message, or the fact that the Qur’an is not the words of a human. But in spite of all this, they preferred Shirk, knowingly denied the truth, and hid their belief to protect their authority and standing.6 ﴾We indeed know that it grieves you (O Muhammad) what they say. It is not you that they belie, but it is the Ayat (the Qur’an) of Allah that the wrongdoers deny.﴿7

Ibn Jarir reported that on the day of the Battle of Badr, Al-Akhnas met Abu Jahl and withdrew to talk privately with him. Al-Akhnas said, “O Abu Al-Hakam, tell me about Muhammad. Is he truthful or a liar? There is no one here of the Quraish other than the two of us listening to our conversation.”

Abu Jahl said, “Woe to you! By Allah, Muhammad is truthful. Muhammad has never told a lie in his life. But if the Family of Qusai enjoyed alone the privileges of leadership, guardianship of the Sacred House, the honor of providing pilgrims with water and the honor of prophethood, what would be left for the rest of the Quraish?”8

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1 Plural of Mushrik: One who associates others with Allah in His Divinity or worship.

2 Adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-An‘am [6: 124], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

3 Translated meanings of Al-An‘am 6: 124.

4 Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah: The Quraish Stealthily Hearing the Recitation of the Prophet ﷺ, vol. 1; reported also in Tafsir Ibn Kathir, interpretation of Surat Al-An‘am [6: 33], vol. 2.

5 Tafsir Al-Baghawy, Ma‘alim At-Tanzil, interpretation of Surat Al-An‘am [6: 124].

6 Adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-An‘am [6: 33], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

7 Translated meanings of Al-An‘am 6: 33.

8 Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Tafsir Al-Baghawy, interpretation of Surat Al-An‘am [6: 33].

3. Shall we believe in you while you are followedby the lowest of people?

The followers of Muhammad ﷺ, mostly the poor and slaves, were a subject of ridicule and laughter for the strong, wealthy chiefs of Quraish. They arrogantly said, “Had it been good, that to which Muhammad is calling us, Bilal, Suhaib, ‘Ammar, and their like would not have preceded us to it.”1

﴾And those who disbelieve say of those who believe, “Had it been good, they would not have preceded us thereto.” And when they are not guided by it (this Qur’an), they will say, “This is an ancient lie.”﴿2

Derisive glances were exchanged whenever they passed by the Companions of Muhammad ﷺ like ‘Ammar, Khabab, Suhaib, and Bilal.3 The Noble Qur’an depicts their mocking attitude towards the believers, saying:

﴾Verily, those who committed crimes used to laugh at those who believed. And whenever they passed by them, used to wink one to another (in mockery). And when they returned to their own people, they would return jesting. And when they saw them, they said, “Verily, these have indeed gone astray!”﴿4

Their plan was mainly to polarize and divide, as a defensive stance against the unity this religion enjoins. While the Prophet ﷺ was sitting surrounded by slaves and weak Muslims, they passed by and said, “O Muhammad! Are you pleased with these (slaves) from among your people? Has Allah bestowed His Grace on these from among us? Should we be followers of these? Drive them away from you! Perhaps if you drive them away, we will follow you.”

As a consequence, the following Ayat were revealed:5

﴾And do not drive away those who call upon their Lord morning and afternoon seeking His Face. Nothing of their account falls upon you, and nothing of your account falls upon them, that you should drive them away and thus be of the unjust. Thus We have tried some of them with others, that they might say, “Are these the ones whom Allah has favored from among us?” Does not Allah know best those who are grateful?﴿6

Allah further revealed about those slaves whom the Prophet ﷺ was ordered not to drive away: ﴾And when those who believe in our Ayat come to you, say, “Peace be on you.” Your Lord has decreed upon Himself mercy.﴿7 Thus, whenever the Prophet ﷺ saw them, he was the first to greet them. He ﷺ said, “All praises and thanks to Allah Who made in my Ummah8 those whom He ordered me to greet first.”9

Khabab ؓ said, “So we sat so close to him ﷺ until we placed our knees over his knees.”

Khabab went on narrating, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to sit with us; when he ﷺ wanted to leave, he would rise and leave us. Then, Allah U revealed: ﴾And keep yourself (O Muhammad) patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His Face, and let not your eyes turn away from them, desiring the adornment of the worldly life. And obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lust and whose affair (deeds) has been lost.﴿10”

Khabab said, “So we used to sit with the Prophet ﷺ, and when we reached the hour in which he used to get up, we stood up and left him so that he could leave (after we had gone).”11

These were the people whom the Messenger ﷺ sat patiently with, by Command of his Lord U, to eradicate all discriminatory barriers. Among them was the poor blind man, Ibn Umm Maktum ؓ, for whose sake Allah revealed a Surah (Chapter) of the Qur’an – ‘Abasa.

This poor blind man, Ibn Umm Maktum, came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at a time when he ﷺ was busy calling to Islam a group of the most powerful and influential chiefs of Quraish, hoping that their embracing of Islam would help out Islam, which was struggling through hard circumstances and obstacles in Makkah. These chiefs had been using the power of their wealth, rank, and authority to impede the way to Islam, putting all their effort in plotting against it to paralyze and freeze it in Makkah.

Tribes outside Makkah were well aware that against Muhammad ﷺ, the Prophet of Islam, stood his own kindred, who should have been his most ardent supporters. Consequently, they were disinclined to take any interest in a call opposed by its own people, especially as their tribal communities gave high consideration to tribal position.

Therefore, acceptance of Islam by these influential and powerful men meant to the Messenger ﷺ the removal of sharp thorns from the path of Islam in Makkah. It would also ensure for Islam the freedom to expand outside Makkah.

This crucial meeting was in progress when the blind poor man came to the Messenger ﷺ, and he interrupted him, saying, “O Messenger of Allah, recite to me. Teach me from what Allah has taught you.” Despite being aware that the Messenger ﷺ was busy, he repeated his request several times. The Messenger ﷺ disliked the man interrupting his meeting, and the annoyance appeared on his face – which could not be seen by the blind man. ﴾He frowned and turned away﴿12 from the blind man, who had interrupted the crucial meeting of which he ﷺ had great hopes for his Message.

Here, heaven intervened to say the final word and decide the balance of values regardless of all circumstances and considerations, including the consideration of what may serve the interests of Islam, as seen by men, and even by the greatest man, Muhammad ﷺ.

Divine instructions were revealed, following the Qur’anic method of making use of isolated incidents to lay down fundamental and permanent principles. The principles established here – and their consequent effects – are indeed Islam itself.

They constitute the truth, which Islam and all earlier Divine Messages seek to plant in human life. They are not merely outlines of how an individual or a class of people should be treated. The heart of the matter is something far more important. It is: how should people evaluate things in their lives? From where should they derive their criteria and standards for such an evaluation?

People live on earth and establish a multitude of ties, each having its own weight and gravity. They deal with and assess others according to their level of power, wealth, and prestige, which determine the position of every person or class of people in relation to others, and divide them into higher and lower, according to earthly scales. Islam replaces all these heavy values with the one outweighing in the Balance of Allah U: ﴾The noblest of you in the Sight of Allah is the one who fears Him most.﴿13

Consequently, a reprimand, severe in tone, descended from Allah, the Most High; and for the first time in the entire Qur’an the beloved Messenger ﷺ is told, “No.” The principle involved here is the great foundation upon which this religion rests.

The reprimand is addressed at first in the third person: ﴾He frowned and turned away. Because there came to him the blind man﴿14 to suggest that the subject is hateful to Allah ؓ for confronting His beloved Messenger, out of compassion and mercy towards him ﷺ.

The reprimand – after this subtle allusion to the action that necessitated it – takes the form of direct address starting somewhat mildly: ﴾But how could you tell? Perhaps he might be purified (from sins). Or receive admonition and the admonition might benefit him.﴿15 How could you know? Great goodness might happen. This poor blind man, who came willingly, might be purified through what he would hear from you or his heart awakened through admonition and filled with light, becoming ready to receive and give, as happens every time faith genuinely enters a soul. It is, indeed, what carries real weight in the Scales of Allah.

The reprimand then takes a severer tone. It wonders at the action, saying: ﴾As for him who thinks himself self-sufficient, to him you give attention. Though not upon you (is any blame) if he remains unpurified (from disbelief). But as for him who came to you running, and is afraid (of Allah and His Punishment), from him you are distracted.﴿16 You give your attention to and strive to guide aright those who show no need or interest in you, your religion, guidance, goodness, light, and purity. You turn to them while they are turning away from you. ﴾Though not upon you if he remains unpurified.﴿ You are not to be blamed if they choose to remain in filth. You will not be accountable for their guilt, and they will be no support for you. ﴾But as for him who came to you running﴿ willing, groping his way with outstretched hands, ﴾from him you are distracted﴿ – inattentive and neglectful, giving a strong description of the act of not paying due attention to the man who came seeking the right guidance.

The tone gets even stronger and the reproof becomes outright prohibition: ﴾No﴿ – this should never be. You should equally warn the strong and the weak, the poor and the rich, the master and the slave, the men and the women, the young and the old. Then Allah U will guide whomever He chooses to the straight path. His is the profound wisdom and the decisive proof.

This Call, the great and honorable Islam, has no need for anybody’s support. It cares only for the one who wants it purely for its worth and seeks to be purified by it, whatever be their position in human society. ﴾Indeed, it is an admonition. So whoever wills, let him pay attention to it. In Records held in honor, exalted, purified. In the hands of scribes (angels). Honorable and obedient.﴿17

That is the balance, the Balance of Allah; and that is the word, the Word of Allah, against which there is no word or resistance.

This happened in Makkah, at a time when Islam was ferociously resisted with only a small number of followers in support of its cause.

The attempt to convert the dignitaries was not promoted by any personal interest, nor was the inattention to the blind man out of personal feeling. They were only for the sake of the Message. But that is the ethics of the Call, first and last; and the balance it came to establish in the life of humanity, free from all pressures of worldly considerations, unconfined by the narrow limits of circumstances.

The Prophet ﷺ, deeply and powerfully touched by these Divine instructions and by the reprimand, worked tirelessly throughout his life for the establishment of this great principle in Islamic society. He ﷺ used to say to Ibn Umm Maktum ؓ, whenever he met him after that incident, “Welcome to the man for whose sake my Lord reproved me.”18

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1 Circumstances of revelation on the authority of Qatadah: Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jami‘ li-Ahkam Al-Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-Ahqaf [46: 11].

2 Translated meanings of Al-Ahqaf 46: 11.

3 Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas: Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jami‘ li-Ahkam Al-Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-Mutaffifin [83: 29-32].

4 Translated meanings of Al-Mutaffifin 83: 29-32.

5 Narrated by ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud: Jalal Ad-Din As-Suyuti, Ad-Durr Al-Manthur; Tafsir At-Tabari, Jami‘ Al-Bayan, interpretation of Al-An‘am [6: 52-53].

6 Translated meanings of Al-An‘am 6: 52-53.

7 Translated meanings of Al-An‘am 6: 54.

8 People of one faith from every race.

9 Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jami‘ li-Ahkam Al-Qur’an, interpretation of Al-An‘am [6: 54].

10 Translated meanings of Al-Kahf 18: 28.

11 Sunnan Ibn Majah, Book of Az-Zuhd (Renunciation), Hadith no. 4117; Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jami‘ li-Ahkam Al-Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-An‘am [6: 52].

12 Translated meanings of ‘Abasa 80: 1.

13 Translated meanings of Al-Hujurat 49: 13.

14 Translated meanings of ‘Abasa 80: 1-2.

15 Translated meanings of ‘Abasa 80: 3-4.

16 Translated meanings of ‘Abasa 80: 5-10.

17 Translated meanings of ‘Abasa 80: 11-16.

18 Adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat ‘Abasa [80: 1-16], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

4. We will make you our king

The disbelievers tried to tempt the Prophet ﷺ with worldly riches, power, and sovereignty; laying them under his feet, hoping that this might dissuade him from calling people to Islam and worshiping Allah, Alone, with undivided allegiance.

An envoy of the pagan leaders, ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘ah, came to bargain with the Prophet ﷺ, saying, “If you are only seeking wealth with the matter with which you came, we will collect for you from our wealth until you become the richest among us. If you are seeking high rank, we will make you our master and will decide no matter without you. If you are seeking dominion, we will make you a king over us. And if that which comes to you is an evil spirit you see and cannot drive away from yourself, we will seek treatment for you, and we will freely spend the foremost portion of our wealth until we cure you of it.”

When ‘Utbah finished, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who was listening to him, said, “Have you finished, O Abul-Walid?” He said, “Yes.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Then listen to me.” ‘Utbah said, “I will.” And he ﷺ recited:

﴾In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful: Ha­-Mim1. (This is) a Revelation from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A Book whose Ayat are explained in detail. A Qur’an in Arabic for a people who know. A giver of glad tidings and a warner; but most of them turn away, so they do not hear. And they say, “Our hearts are within coverings from that to which you invite us, and in our ears is deafness, and between us and you is a barrier, so work (on your way); indeed, we are working.” Say (O Muhammad), “I am only a human being like you. It is revealed to me that your God is only One God. Therefore, take the Straight Path to Him and seek forgiveness from Him. And woe to the Mushrikin.”﴿2

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ continued reciting the Surah to ‘Utbah, who listened attentively to the recited Ayat, supporting himself upon his hand placed behind his back. On reaching the Ayah that required prostration, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prostrated himself and then said, “You have heard, O Abul-Walid, what you have heard; it is you and this.”

‘Utbah went back to his companions, who whispered to one another, “We swear by Allah, Abul-Walid has returned to you with a different countenance from that with which he departed.”

When he sat with them, they said, “O Abul-Walid, what is behind you?”

He said, “Behind me is that I heard a saying which I swear by Allah the like of it I have never heard. By Allah it is neither poetry, nor magic, nor soothsaying. O people of Quraish, obey me and lay it on me. Do not come between this man and what he is in. Withdraw from him. By Allah, the saying I heard from him will be a great event. Should the Arabs defeat him, others than you will rid you of him. Should he triumph over the Arabs, his supremacy will be yours, his glory will be yours, and you will be the most fortunate of all people by him.”

They said, “He bewitched you with his tongue, by Allah, O Abul-Walid.”

He said, “That is my opinion regarding him. Do with him as you please.” 3

1 These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’an, and none but Allah Alone knows their meanings.

2 Translated meanings of Fussilat 41: 1-6.

3 Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah, ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘ah Negotiating with the Messenger ﷺ, vol. 1.

5. Prostrate before our godsto prostratebefore your God!

The disbelievers tried to bargain with the Prophet ﷺ, saying:

“O Muhammad! Come, let us worship what you worship and you worship what we worship so that you and we share the matter. If what you worship is better than what we worship, we will take a share of it. And if what we worship is better than what you worship, you will take a share of it.”

The answer came down in Ayat revealed from heaven1:

﴾Say: “O disbelievers! I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshipers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshiper of what you worship. Nor will you be worshipers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”﴿2

The Arabs before Islam did not deny Allah U, but at the same time they did not know Him in the true essence He described Himself with: The One God, The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need. They set up partners with Allah in worship and did not make a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him, nor worship Him such as is due to Him.

They worshipped idols besides Him, which they made to symbolize their pious ancestors, great figures of the past or the angels whom they claimed to be the daughters of Allah. Or else they just forgot the symbols and worshiped them as gods. In all cases, they used these idols as mediators between themselves and Allah U, as the Noble Qur’an quotes them as saying: ﴾“We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah.”﴿3

They admitted that it is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth, controls the sun and the moon, and sends down rain from the sky, as quoted in Surat Al-‘Ankabut: ﴾If you asked them, “Who created the heavens and earth and subjected the sun and the moon?” they would surely say, “Allah.”﴿4 And: ﴾If you asked them, “Who sends down rain from the sky and thereby gives life to the earth after its lifelessness?” they would surely say, “Allah.”﴿5 Moreover, Allah superseded their gods in their oaths and supplications (i.e. they said, “by Allah” and “O Allah”).

But in spite of their faith in Allah, their Shirk corrupted their beliefs, as well as their traditions and rites, to the extent that they assigned to their alleged gods a portion of their harvest, their cattle, and even their offspring. This portion often obliged them to sacrifice their own children.

The Arabs also believed that they were the true followers of the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham ﷺ); that they were more rightly guided than the People of the Scripture (the Jews and Christians) inhabiting the Arabian Peninsula at that time.

The Jews and Christians preached respectively that Ezra ﷺ and ‘Isa (Jesus ﷺ) were the sons of Allah, whereas they, the Arabs, worshiped the angels and jinn – the true offspring of Allah as they alleged. Therefore, they considered themselves more rightly guided because (as they alleged) the kinship of the angels and jinn with Allah was closer than that of Ezra ﷺ and ‘Isa ﷺ, which is all absolute Shirk: ﴾They join the jinn as partners in worship with Allah, although He has created them (the jinn), and they falsely attribute sons and daughters to Him without knowledge. Be He Glorified and Exalted above (all) that they attribute to Him.﴿6

Therefore, when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came to them and declared his religion to be that of Ibrahim ﷺ, they argued that there was no reason for them to forsake their beliefs and follow Muhammad’s instead.

At the same time, they tried a plan for a middle ground between them and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They suggested to him that he should prostrate himself before their gods in return for their prostration before his God! And that he should stop censuring their gods and their manner of worship in return for whatever he stipulated!

The confusion in their beliefs and their worshiping various gods while acknowledging Allah made them feel that the gap between them and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was not unbridgeable. They believed that an agreement was somehow possible by splitting into two camps that would meet in the middle and grant him some personal concessions.

To clear up this muddle in their minds and block any future attempts, and to firmly distinguish between one worship and another, one doctrine and belief and another, this Surah was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ in such a decisive, assertive, repetitive tone to demarcate Tawhid7 from Shirk, and to establish a true criterion, allowing no bargaining or vain arguments.8

1 Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah: Circumstances of the revelation of Surat Al-Kafirun, vol. 2; Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Rahiq Al-Makhtum; Second Phase (Open Preaching):Compromises and Concessions.

2 Translated meanings of Al-Kafirun 109: 1-6.

3 Translated meanings of Az-Zumar 39: 3.

4 Translated meanings of Al-‘Ankabut 29: 61.

5 Translated meanings of Al-‘Ankabut 29: 63.

6 Translated meanings of Al-An‘am 6: 100.

7 Monotheism; belief in the Oneness of Allah U.

8 Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surah Al-Kafirun [109], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

6. Turn Mount As-Safa into gold for usto believe you!

The disbelievers shut their ears against all guidance and hinged their belief in the Prophet ﷺ on a material miracle. Ibn ‘Abbas ؓ narrated:

The chiefs of Quraish said to the Prophet ﷺ, “O Muhammad! If you will not accept any of the offers we made you, surely you know that none of the people have a smaller town, scarcer water, or harder living than us. Ask your Lord Who sent you with that message to move these mountains that narrowed our living away from us and to stretch out our town and cause rivers like those of Syria and Iraq to gush forth within it for us. And to resurrect our dead forefathers – and let Qusai bin Kilab be one of them, for he was a truthful sheikh – to ask them about what you say if it is true or false. If they affirm what you say and you fulfill what we have asked of you, we shall believe you and acknowledge your status in the Sight of Allah, and that He has sent you as a Messenger, as you say.”

He ﷺ said, “Not with this I am sent to you. I have brought you the Message from Allah with which He has sent me. I have conveyed the Message with which I am sent to you. If you accept it, there will be goodness for you in the life of this world and the hereafter. But if you return it to me rejected, I shall show patience with the Decree of Allah (Exalted be He) until Allah judges between me and you.”

They said, “If you do not fulfill this for us, then seek for yourself. Ask your Lord to send an angel with you who affirms what you say, and answers us back on your behalf. Ask Him to make for you gardens, palaces, and rivers of gold and silver so you will be in no need of what we see you wanting; for you go to the markets and seek a livelihood as we do. We can thus acknowledge your superiority and rank in the Sight of your Lord, if you are a Messenger as you claim.”

He ﷺ said, “I will not do this. I am not the one who asks this from his Lord. I am not sent to you with this. Allah has sent me as a giver of glad tidings and a warner. If you accept what I have come to you with, there will be goodness for you in the life of this world and the hereafter. But if you return it to me rejected, I shall show patience with the Decree of Allah (Exalted be He) until Allah judges between me and you.”1

The only thing that would convince the Arabs of Makkah to believe was to see a miracle that instantly turned land into sea or a desert into gardens. This alone could persuade them:

﴾And they say, “We will not believe you until you break open a spring from the ground for us. Or (until) you have a garden of date palms and grapes and make rivers gush forth within them in force and abundance. Or you make the heavens fall upon us in fragments as you have claimed, or you bring Allah and the angels before (us) face to face. Or you have a house of gold or you ascend into the sky. And (even then), we will not believe in your ascension until you bring down to us a book we may read.” Say, “Exalted is my Lord! Am I anything but a human messenger?”﴿2

Nothing of what they demanded was hard or difficult for Divine Power. ﴾If We willed, We could send down to them from the heaven a sign for which their necks would remain humbled.﴿3

But Divine Wisdom insisted on elevating the human mind, which they cheapened. This Supreme Power has not given mankind a mind capable of miracles – when cared for and paid attention to – to have this gift wasted and instead fulfill the wishes of some ignorant people who stultified themselves and their minds, and refused to listen to reason and instinct while asking for material miracles in order to believe their Prophet.4

Miracles that supported past Messages did not prevent denial of and disbelief in them; therefore, there is no use in sending more. ﴾And nothing stops Us from sending signs but that the people of old denied them.﴿5

Most of the past nations, in spite of the miraculous signs sent to them, did not respond to the truth or to the Call of the Messengers, not because of insufficient evidence but, rather, because of obstinacy and impudence. Thus, torment came down upon them all, as dictated by the Law of Allah that never changes regarding the destruction of those who deny the signs.6 Allah U says: ﴾Not one of the towns, of those that We destroyed, believed before them (though We sent them signs).﴿7

This is because when obduracy goes as far as inhibiting people from belief, even when they see a material, visible miracle it leaves them without any excuse or hope of reform. Thus, torment is justified against them.

Time and again signs were sent, time and again people denied them, and time and again the deniers were destroyed; so why would these people believe because of a miracle sent to them, when they were no better than those destroyed?8 Allah U then poses the self-evident question:

﴾Will they then believe?﴿9

Therefore, a different course had to be pursued with humanity in the Last Message, a course that would compel people to respect the human mind for their own good and, more importantly, for the good of future generations.

Allah gratified humanity in its childhood with all kinds of dazzling miracles until it became strong and mentally mature. He left it to use its mental gifts to recognize right from wrong, either for people to destroy themselves through disbelief in spite of clear evidence or rescue themselves through faith upon clear evidence.10

That is what led to the decision that the greatest and lasting miracle of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ be the Ever-Glorious Qur’an. That is the challenge serving as evidence on which the Messenger ﷺ relied in his Call. ﴾Is it not sufficient for them that We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) which is recited to them? Verily, herein is mercy and a reminder (or an admonition) for a people who believe.﴿11

Miracles of past Prophets were something other than the Message they preached. The healing gift of ‘Isa (Jesus ﷺ) was separate from the Gospel, and the stick of Musa (Moses ﷺ) was separate from the Torah. Allah U willed that the miracle supporting the Last Message be inseparable from its essence. Thus, the truths of the Message and the proofs of its truthfulness are in one Book.

The Noble Qur’an – with the laws of moral, social, and political justice it contains and the ethics, virtues, and rectitude it implants – is the very Message of Islam and its miracle.

The Noble Qur’an testifying to the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ is not like the turning of Musa’s stick into a snake or ‘Isa bringing the dead to life, giving sight to those born blind, and healing the leper.

Even though these acts only happened at the hands of prophets, and the populace responded to them, they are irrelative to the mission of a prophet or the aims of Revelation and Divine Law. As for the Noble Qur’an, it attests to prophethood and the truth of Islam the same as healing attests to medicine.12 Thus, the human instinct naturally responds to the Divine Words, finding in them guidance and healing.

Islam refuses to pressure the mind or the will to believe. It builds belief on absolute mental freedom and does not resort to miracles that compel the power of mind to instill certainty.

Rather, Islam draws the mind to the wondrous signs of creation and the moral values that the Messages contain, and urges it to use its faculties to accept or reject belief.

The Noble Qur’an directly addresses the mind, unchaining it from the fetters that have restrained it and restoring to it its natural position.13

It opens the eyes and hearts of people so that they may contemplate the endless wonders of creation in the heavens, on the earth, and in themselves, all testifying to the One Almighty, All-Powerful God, and to the truthfulness of the Message of God’s Oneness:

﴾Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, and the ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits mankind, and the water (rain) which Allah sends down from the sky and makes the earth alive therewith after its death, and the moving (living) creatures of all kinds that He has scattered therein, and in the veering of winds and clouds which are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed Ayat (proofs, evidence, signs) for people who use reason.﴿14

Certainly, these wondrous spectacles, when reflected upon with open eyes and a conscious heart as the Noble Qur’an urges, will cause a shiver to run through the body from the Mightiness of Allah’s Power.

In each of them lies the miracle that inspires hearts and guides souls towards their Maker. True faith is formed by contemplating the signs in the universe after freeing the mind from the dullness of familiarity and inattention, and starting to watch the universe with new feelings, inquisitive looks, and a heart receptive to faith, walking the earth as a pioneer who has first landed on it, where every flash attracts the eyes, every sound draws the ears, and every move interests the senses, where the whole being is amazed by the successive marvels meeting the eyes, heart, and emotions… that is the miraculous work of the Noble Qur’an on souls15:

﴾Do they not look at the camels, how they are created? And at the heaven, how it is raised? And at the mountains, how they are rooted and fixed firm? And at the earth, how it is spread out?﴿16

﴾Do they not see the birds above them, spreading out their wings and folding them in? None upholds them except the Most Merciful (Allah). Verily, He is the All-Seer of everything.﴿17

﴾Have they not looked at the heaven above them, how We have made it and adorned it, and there are no rifts in it? And the earth We have spread it out, and set thereon mountains standing firm, and have produced therein every kind of lovely growth (plants). ﴿18

﴾Say: “Behold all that is in the heavens and the earth,” but neither signs nor warners benefit those who believe not.﴿19

﴾See you not that Allah has subjected for you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and has completed and perfected His Graces upon you, (both) apparent and hidden?﴿20

﴾Have they not seen how We drive water (rain clouds) to barren land, and therewith bring forth crops providing food for their cattle and themselves? Will they not then see?﴿21

﴾Have they not traveled through the land, and have they hearts wherewith to understand and ears wherewith to hear? Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts that are in the breasts that grow blind.﴿22

﴾It is Allah Who has subjected to you the sea, that ships may sail through it by His Command, and that you may seek of His Bounty, and that you may be thankful, and has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. It is all as a favor and kindness from Him. Verily, in it are signs for a people who give thought.﴿23

That is the living miracle of the Prophet of Islam ﷺ. As long as humans respect their minds, the value of this miracle shall persist. It shall persist as long as the mind remains the most precious commodity in life and as long as people use it to judge matters and guide humanity to the horizons of success and perfection.24

1 Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah, The Talk that Took Place between the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the Chiefs of Quraish, vol. 1.

2 Translated meanings of Al-Isra’ 17: 90-93.

3 Translated meanings of Ash-Shu‘ara’ 26: 4.

4 Adapted from Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Aqidat Al-Muslim, chapter of Prophethoods, fifth edition, Dar Ad-Da‘wah.

5 Translated meanings of Al-Isra’ 17: 59.

6 Adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-Anbiya’ [21: 5], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

7 Translated meanings of Al-Anbiya’ 21: 6.

8 Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, Surat Al-Anbiya’ [21: 6].

9 Translated meanings of Al-Anbiya’ 21: 6.

10 Adapted from Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Aqidat Al-Muslim, chapter of Prophethoods, fifth edition, Dar Ad-Da‘wah.

11 Translated meanings of Al-‘Ankabut 29: 51.

12 Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Aqidat Al-Muslim, chapter of Prophethoods, fifth edition, Dar Ad-Da‘wah.

13 Adapted from Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Aqidat Al-Muslim, chapter of Prophethoods, fifth edition, Dar Ad-Da‘wah.

14 Translated meanings of Al-Baqarah 2: 164.

15 Adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-Baqarah [2: 164], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

16 Translated meanings of Al-Ghashiyah 88: 17-20.

17 Translated meanings of Al-Mulk 67: 19.

18 Translated meanings of Qaf 50: 6-7.

19 Translated meanings of Yunus 10: 101.

20 Translated meanings of Luqman 31: 20.

21 Translated meanings of As-Sajdah 32: 27.

22 Translated meanings of Al-Hajj 22: 46.

23 Translated meanings of Al-Jathiyah 45: 12-13.

24 Adapted from Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Aqidat Al-Muslim, chapter of Prophethoods, fifth edition, Dar Ad-Da‘wah.

7. After dying and becoming dust, shall we then be resurrected?

The disbelievers of Quraish received the Prophet ﷺ and his Message with derision and denial. Khabab ؓ narrated:

I came to Al-‘Asi bin Wail As-Sahmi to demand from him money that he owed me.

He said, “I will not give you (your money) until you disbelieve in Muhammad.”

I said, “No, until you die and then be resurrected.”

He said, “Will I die and then be resurrected!”

I said, “Yes.”

He said, “Then I will have wealth and children there and pay you back.”

As a consequence, the following Ayah was revealed1: ﴾Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our Ayat and yet said, “I shall certainly be given wealth and children (if I live again).”﴿2

The disbelievers swore their most solemn oaths that Allah U will not resurrect the dead. Although they acknowledged that Allah exists, they negated the belief that He will resurrect the dead, seeing it as impossible after death, decay, and becoming dust3:

﴾And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths that Allah will not resurrect one who dies. But yes (He will resurrect them) – (it is) a promise (binding) upon Him in truth, but most of mankind know not. In order that He may make manifest to them the truth of that wherein they differ, and that those who disbelieved (in Resurrection, and in the Oneness of Allah) may know that they were liars.﴿4

They uttered words similar to the past nations who disbelieved and denied the hereafter, their hearts resembling one another:

﴾“This is not but a human being like you; he eats of that which you eat, and drinks of what you drink. If you were to obey a human being like yourselves, then verily, you indeed would be losers. Does he promise you that when you have died and have become dust and bones, you shall be brought out (of the graves)? How far, how far, is that which you are promised? Life is not but our worldly life. We die and we live. And we will not be resurrected. He is only a man who has invented a lie against Allah, and we are not going to believe in him.”﴿5

They were blind to the first miracle of bringing them into existence, and blind to the nature of Divine Power, which must not be measured by human mentality or against human abilities. Bringing something into being is nothing for Divine Power. It is enough to will a thing to be and it is:

﴾Verily, Our Word to a thing when We intend it is only that We say to it, “Be!” and it is.﴿6

To Divine Power there is nothing difficult or easy, possible or impossible; directing the Intention towards a thing is enough to bring it into being or back to being, whatever it be.7

It was narrated that Ubai bin Khalf brought some decayed bones and started crumbling and scattering them in the air before the Prophet ﷺ while wondering: Who can give life to bones that have rotted?

﴾Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfah (mixed drops of male and female sexual discharge). Yet behold! He stands forth as an open opponent. And he puts forth for Us an example, and forgets his own creation. He says, “Who will give life to these bones when they have rotted away and became dust?”﴿8

Humans do not doubt that this fragile fluid, comprised of a mixture of male and female discharge without form or worth, constitutes their origin.

A semen drop contains thousands of cells… one of these thousands of cells joins with an egg to become an embryo, then this man who argues with and opposes his Lord, haughtily demanding evidence.

﴾Let man see from what he is created. He is created from a fluid, ejected. Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs. Indeed, Allah is Able to bring him back (to life).﴿9

Divine Power of Creation is what makes this semen drop into a man, who then believes it to be too hard for this Power to bring him back and resurrect him after decay and oblivion. ﴾Those who disbelieve have claimed that they will never be resurrected. Say, “Yes. By my Lord, you will surely be resurrected; then you will surely be informed of (and recompensed for) what you did. And that, for Allah, is easy.”﴿10

Does the semen drop show more life, power, or worth than decayed bones? Does not man come from this drop? Is it not the first creation? Is He not Who transformed this drop into a man who defies and opposes, able to make his decayed bones living again?11

An answer of simple logic was sent down to push back the denying questioner to the limits he haughtily overstepped:

﴾Say (O Muhammad), “He will give life to them Who created them for the first time. And He is the All-Knower of every creation.”﴿12

A more challenging answer is given to the deniers in another Ayah:

﴾Say (O Muhammad), “Be you stones or iron, or some created thing that is yet greater (or harder) in your breasts.” Then, they will say, “Who shall bring us back (to life)?” Say, “He Who created you first.” Then, they will shake their heads at you and say, “When will that be?” Say, “Perhaps it is near!”﴿13

Bones and mortal remains still contain the smell of humanity and the relics of life, whereas iron and stones are more devoid of life. Thus, be you (deniers) stones or iron – or any other creation further removed from life than stones and iron, and even more difficult in your thoughts to be given life and resurrected – Allah U shall certainly resurrect you.14

As to how will this be, the Prophet ﷺ directs the inattentive eyes to the source and substance of mankind’s own creation, nutrition, and place of return: to land, dust, and water – the element of life:

Abu Razin ؓ asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how will Allah bring the dead to life?”

He ﷺ said, “Have you not passed by a barren valley, then passed by it green?”

Abu Razin said, “Yes, I have.”

He ﷺ said, “Thus Allah brings the dead to life.”15

A barren land or a grain in the darkness of the earth is still and dry without water, neither dead nor alive; then the fall of rain stirs life into it and, by the Will of Allah, it becomes verdant gardens laden with ripe fruits of every kind:

﴾And you see the earth barren, but when We send down water (rain) on it, it is stirred (to life). It swells and puts forth every lovely kind (of growth). That is because Allah is the Truth, and it is He Who gives life to the dead, and it is He Who is Able to do all things. And surely, the Hour is coming, there is no doubt about it. And surely, Allah will resurrect those in the graves.﴿16

Is resurrection anything other than this? ﴾And He revives the earth after its death. And thus shall you be brought out (resurrected).﴿17

Bringing bodies forth from graves is nothing more than causing a plant in the darkness of the earth to come forth and grow:

﴾And We send down blessed water (rain) from the sky, then We produce therewith gardens and grain (every kind of harvests) that are reaped. And tall date palms, with ranged clusters; a provision for (Allah’s) servants. And We give life therewith to a dead land. Thus will be the resurrection (of the dead).﴿18

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah shall send down rain, as if it is dew, and there will grow out of it the bodies of people.”19

The earth and whatever is on it is only a small, modest creation compared to the immense existence beyond it, and the creation of people compared to the universe is but simple. ﴾The creation of the heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation of mankind, yet most of mankind know not.﴿20

How can man find it hard to believe that one who has built a lofty palace, with towering pillars, can rebuild a simple cottage after its destruction? ﴾And if you (O Muhammad) wonder (at these Mushrikin who deny your Message), then wondrous is their saying, “When we are dust, shall we indeed then be (raised) in a new creation?”﴿21

Resurrection is a truth beyond doubt, which needs for its inevitable journey a provision of good, righteous deeds. Its back and forth journey from death to life is the everyday journey of awakening after sleep.

The Prophet ﷺ delivered a sermon at the beginning of his mission, in which he ﷺ said, “By Allah, you shall die the same as you sleep, be resurrected the same as you wake up, and be recompensed for your deeds, good for good and evil for evil. And it is either Paradise forever or Hellfire forever.”22

1 Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Tafsir Al-Qur’an, Hadith no. 4363; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Al-Bukhary (1949, 2114, 2247, 4364, 4365, 4366), Muslim (5003), At-Tirmidhy (3086), and Ahmad (20156, 20163).

2 Translated meanings of Maryam 19: 77.

3 Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat An-Nahl [16: 38-40], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

4 Translated meanings of An-Nahl 16: 38-39.

5 Translated meanings of Al-Mu’minun 23: 33-38.

6 Translated meanings of An-Nahl 16: 40.

7 Ibid.

8 Translated meanings of Ya-Sin 36: 77-78.

9 Translated meanings of At-Tariq 86: 5-8.

10 Translated meanings of At-Taghabun 64: 7.

11 Adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, Surat Ya-Sin [36: 77-79].

12 Translated meanings of Ya-Sin 36: 79.

13 Translated meanings of Al-Isra’ 17: 50-51.

14 Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-Isra’ [17: 50-52], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

15 Musnad Ahmad, Book of Medinans, Hadith no. 15607; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Ahmad (15603, 15604, 15605).

16 Translated meanings of Al-Hajj 22: 5-7.

17 Translated meanings of Ar-Rum 30: 19.

18 Translated meanings of Qaf 50: 9-11.

19 Narrated by ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr: Sahih Muslim, Book of Al-Fitan wa Ashrat As-Sa‘ah (Trials and Portents of the Last Hour), Hadith no. 5233; a similar version of the Hadith is also reported by Ahmad (6268).

20 Translated meanings of Ghafir 40: 57.

21 Translated meanings of Ar-Ra‘d 13: 5.

22 Adapted from Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Aqidat Al-Muslim, chapter of Immortality, fifth edition, Dar Ad-Da‘wah; and Al-Mahawir Al-Khamsah lil-Qur’an Al-Karim (The Five Axes of the Noble Qur’an), chapter of Resurrection and Recompense, Dar Al-Shorouk.

8. Allah did not reveal anythingto a human being

The Mushrikin, with vague and vain arguments designed to overthrow the truth and a stubborn refusal to see it, claimed: ﴾Nothing did Allah send down to any human being﴿,1 although close to them in the Arabian Peninsula lived People of Scripture, the Jews, whom they acknowledged to be followers of a Divine Book, the Torah.

Such a claim – in the past or present – could only be made by those who do not esteem Allah as is due to Him, nor understand the Generosity of Allah, His Kindness, Mercy, and Justice.

Allah, the Most Kind, Ever-Merciful, and All-Wise, would not leave man alone when He created him. He knows his innermost secrets and outward deeds, strengths and weaknesses, abilities and inabilities, and his need to resort to a just balance to weigh with it his words and deeds, beliefs and ideals, systems and laws to see whether they prove right or wrong, true or false.

Allah U knows that the mind He has given man will be subject to internal pressures from wants, cravings, and inclinations. To man is entrusted the powers of the earth, over which he is given authority to make use of, having been subjected to him by Allah. Yet it is not entrusted to man to form independent beliefs about existence or lay the basic laws of life.

This belongs in the domain of the creed sent down by Allah to provide the correct beliefs that must be held about existence and life.

Therefore, Allah does not entrust man to his mind alone, or to the Fitrah (innate pure nature) He has placed in him through which he naturally knows his Lord, loves Him, yearns for Him, and beseeches for His Help in times of calamity. This Fitrah may become distorted because of internal and external pressures, and under forces of temptation and desire.

Rather, Allah entrusts mankind to His Revelations, His Messengers, His Guidance, and His Books, to restore to their inborn nature its purity and uprightness, to their minds its righteousness and soundness, and to remove the coverings from within and outside their souls which mislead them from the path.

This is what befits the Generosity of Allah, His Kindness, Mercy, Justice, Wisdom, and Knowledge. He U would not create mankind then leave them neglected, and then bring them on the Day of Judgment to account for their deeds without having sent among them a Messenger. ﴾And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).﴿2

In the face of the fact that both the Message of Musa (Moses ﷺ) and its followers were acknowledged among the Arabs in the Peninsula, Allah U commanded His Messenger ﷺ to contradict the Mushrikin who denied any message or revelation with the following truth:

﴾Say (O Muhammad), “Who then sent down the Book which Musa (Moses) brought, a light and guidance to mankind.”﴿3

Confront them with this truth and leave the answer4:

﴾Say, “Allah (sent it down).” Then leave them to play in their vain discussions.﴿5

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1 Translated meanings of Al-An‘am 6: 91.

2 Translated meanings of Al-Isra’ 17: 15.

3 Translated meanings of Al-An‘am 6: 91.

4 “Allah did not reveal anything to a human being” is adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-An‘am [6: 91], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

5 Translated meanings of Al-An‘am 6: 91.

9. You are not a Messenger!

The disbelievers of Quraish tried to implant doubt in the heart of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his followers by denying his prophethood altogether. They claimed that he ﷺ was neither a prophet nor a messenger. Allah U answered them saying:

﴾And those who disbelieve say, “You are not a messenger.” Say (O Muhammad), “Sufficient is Allah as Witness between me and you, and (the witness of) whoever has knowledge of the Scripture.”﴿1

The previous Ayah calls to witness the scholars of the People of Scripture who had the description of Muhammad ﷺ in their Books and the tidings of his advent conveyed to them by their Prophets. Allah U says in another Ayah:

﴾My Mercy embraces all things. I will decree it for those who fear (Me) and give Zakah and those who believe in Our Ayat. Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel.﴿2

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is described in the Torah with some of the qualities attributed to him in the Qur’an (as follows): ﴾O Prophet! Verily, We have sent you as a witness, and a bringer of glad tidings, and a warner﴿3 and a refuge for the illiterates (i.e. the Arabs). You are My Servant and My Messenger. I have called you “Al-Mutawakkil” (the one who relies on Allah, Alone, for each and everything). Neither discourteous, nor harsh, nor clamorous in the markets, nor repels (repays) evil with evil. Rather, he pardons and forgives. Allah will not take him (in death) until He straightens through him the crooked religion, by making them (people) say: “There is no god but Allah,” and so opens by it blind eyes, deaf ears, and sealed hearts. 4

The Jewish rabbis and Christian monks could recognize the Prophet ﷺ even before his mission. They knew the time of his Message and were sure of his birth.

Abu Talib, the uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, once traveled with a trade caravan to Syria, having in his company the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who was still a boy. The caravan reached Busra, where there lived a monk called Bahira, the most knowledgeable of Christian scholars at that time. Since becoming a monk he had secluded himself at his hermitage.

Many a time the caravan passed by his place, but monk Bahira never talked or appeared to them until that year, when they stayed near his hermitage.

He prepared much food for them because of something – as they said – he saw while in his hermitage. They narrated that on their arrival he saw from his hermitage the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the caravan, with a cloud shading him alone among the people.

Upon seeing this sign, Bahira descended from his hermitage and sent for the caravan. He said, “I have prepared food for you, O people of Quraish, and I would love that you all should attend, the young of you and the old, the slaves and the free.”

After the banquet, Bahira approached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “O boy, I adjure you by Al-Lat and Al-‘Uzza (two idols of the pagan Arabs) to tell me what I shall ask you.”

Monk Bahira adjured him in their name only because he had heard the Quraish swearing by these idols. It is said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, “Do not ask me in the name of Al-Lat and Al-‘Uzza. By Allah, I have never hated anything more than them.”

Bahira said, “Then in the Name of Allah tell me what I shall ask you.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Ask me about whatever you like.”

Bahira asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about certain personal matters related to his sleeping, his form, and his affairs, to which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave him replies, all agreeing with what Bahira had of his description. He then looked at his back and saw the seal of prophethood between his shoulders, in exactly the same position stated in the description he had with him.

Upon finishing, his uncle Abu Talib arrived.

Bahira asked him, “What is this boy to you?”

“He is my son,” Abu Talib replied.

“He is not your son, and the father of this boy should not be alive,” Bahira said.

“He is my nephew,” Abu Talib replied.

“What became of his father?” Bahira asked.

“He died while his mother was pregnant with him,” Abu Talib replied.

“You told the truth. Return with your nephew to his homeland and guard him against the Jews. By Allah, if they saw him and learned from him what I did, they would seek to do him harm. This nephew of yours will be of great importance. Hasten to take him back to his land,”5 Bahira said.

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1 Translated meanings of Ar-Ra‘d 13: 43.

2 Translated meanings of Al-A‘raf 7: 156-158.

3 Translated meanings of Al-Ahzab 33: 45.

4 Narrated by ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘As: Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Buyu’ (Transactions), Hadith no. 1981; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Al-Bukhary (4461) and Ahmad (6333).

5 Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah: The Story of Bahira, vol. 1.

10. Is this the one whom Allah has sentas a Messenger?

The shallow criteria, such as power and wealth, by which the Quraish judged people barred them from the truth. Had the Qur’an been sent down to one of the chiefs of Quraish, perhaps they might have believed in it:

﴾And they say, “Why is not this Qur’an sent down to some great man of the two towns (Makkah and Ta’if)?”﴿1

Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah is reported to have said, “Had prophethood been true, I would have been more entitled to it than you. I am older and wealthier than you.”2

They begrudged the gift of prophethood that Allah U bestowed upon Muhammad ﷺ. They deemed it to be too implausible that Allah would choose from among them a poor orphan, who was not a chief or a ruler, as His Messenger. They arrogantly expressed their doubt, saying as the Noble Qur’an relates: ﴾Has the Reminder (the Qur’an) been sent down to him from among us? ﴿3

Their disapproval of the Choice of Allah is answered with a question, angry and reproachful: Are they the owners of Allah’s Mercy and Blessings to give and not to give?

﴾Or do they have the treasures (depositories) of the Mercy of your Lord, the Exalted in Might, the Real Bestower? Or is theirs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and what is between them? If so, let them ascend with means (to the heavens)!﴿4

Nothing can grant or withhold the Mercy of Allah U:

﴾Whatever Allah grants to people of mercy (i.e. of good), none can withhold it; and whatever He withholds, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the Exalted in Might, the All-Wise.﴿5

Humans own nothing of whatever is in the heavens or on the earth. Allah bestows of His Blessings and Mercy upon whom He wills of His servants and chooses those He knows are the worthiest of good. He showers His endless Bounties on them, without limit, without end.6

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1 Translated meanings of Az-Zukhruf 43: 31.

2 Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jami‘ Li Ahkam Al-Qur’an (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi), interpretation of Surat Al-An‘am [6: 124]

3 Translated meanings of Sad 38: 8.

4 Translated meanings of Sad 38: 9-10.

5 Translated meanings of Fatir 35: 2.

6 Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Sad [38: 8-10], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

11. Has Allah sent a human Messenger?

The disbelievers considered it too implausible that Allah would send a human messenger. This delusion originated from their inability to appreciate their worth as human beings, and the honor that Allah has conferred upon humankind over His other creatures. It also originated from their inability to understand the nature of the universe and that of angels1. Allah says U:

﴾And nothing prevented the people from believing when guidance came to them except that they said, “Has Allah sent a human as (His) Messenger?” Say, “If there were angels walking peacefully on the earth, We would have sent down to them from the heaven an angel as a Messenger.”﴿2

They attacked the Prophet’s humanity and used it as basis for raising doubts about his Message and rejecting it. Allah says U:

﴾With their hearts distracted, those who do wrong conceal their private counsels, (saying), “Is this (Prophet) except a human being like you? Will you submit to magic while you see it?”﴿3

﴾And they say, “What is this messenger that eats food and walks in the markets? Why is not an angel sent down to him to be with him a warner?﴿4

It is the dictate of the Constant Law of Allah that messengers should be humans who live through all human experiences of birth and death, love and loss, prosperity and adversity, illness and healing, defeat and victory, want and fulfillment, struggling, livelihood, marriage, family, progeny… and He made the last of them, whose Message shall continue to the end of time, the most perfect example of a man living on earth, encompassing the various themes of life.

All messengers had a bodily form. Allah did not create for them bodies then make them not eat! ﴾And We did not make them (the Messengers) bodies not eating food, nor were they immortal.﴿5 Eating is from the exigencies of corporality, and corporality is from the exigencies of humanity, and being created as humans, they are not immortal. That is the constant established Law of Allah, and there will never be any change to the Law of Allah.6

Human messengers live a human life, so their actual life becomes an embodiment of their law and their behavior a living model to what they preach. The real, living word is the one that influences and guides, because people see it materialized, translated into life.

Had the messengers been non-humans who did not eat, sleep, marry, have a social life, or human feelings and emotions struggling within them, there would not be any rapport between them and people. They would not sympathize with the impulses that motivate humans and, conversely, humans would not follow their example.

Those who claimed in the past that the Messenger should be an angel are just like those who claim today that the messenger is far above human emotions. All of them fail to realize the truth. Angels do not live the life of humans because of their special nature and shall never live it. A messenger must be a human, must have human needs and emotions, and must experience them in his actual existence in order to delineate through his own life the practical code of living that serves as an example to his human followers.7

These followers are the ones who in turn will shoulder the trust after the death of the messengers, as did Abu Bakr As-Siddiq ؓ (nicknamed the Trustful) upon the death of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

The Companions were stunned by the news of his death, but Abu Bakr ؓ was the most resolute among them. He went out to the people and addressed them, saying: “Whoever among you worships Muhammad ﷺ, Muhammad is dead; but whoever worships Allah, Allah is alive and shall never die. Allah says, ﴾Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; and Allah will reward the grateful.8﴿”9

‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas ؓ said: “By Allah, as if people never knew before that Allah had revealed this Ayah until Abu Bakr recited it and all people heard it from him, and then I heard everybody reciting it.”10

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ succeeded. He ﷺ made his Companions a living embodiment of his faith, eating food and walking in the markets. He ﷺ made each of them a living Qur’an walking on earth; each of them a visual example of Islam. When people saw them, they saw Islam incarnate.

A Divine Book alone will do nothing. The Qur’an alone will not work unless it is materialized through people, and principles will not survive unless they become adopted behavior.

The main aim of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is to build men, not to give sermons. The Law itself is given in the Glorious Qur’an, whereas the duty of Muhammad ﷺ is to transform the abstract into concrete – men that the hands can touch and the eyes can see.11

1 Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-Isra’ [17: 94-95], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

2 Translated meanings of Al-Isra’ 17: 94-95.

3 Translated meanings of Al-Anbiya’ 21: 3.

4 Translated meanings of Al-Furqan 25: 7.

5 Translated meanings of Al-Anbiya’ 21: 8.

6 Adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-Anbiya’ [21: 8], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

7 Ibid.

8 Translated meanings of Al-‘Imran 3: 144.

9 Narrated by ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas: Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Magazi (Expeditions), Hadith no. 4097; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Al-Bukhary (1165, 3394) and Ibn Majah (1616).

10 Ibid.

11 Sayyid Qutb, Dirasat Islamiyah (Islamic Studies), chapter of Islam Striving, Dar Al-Shorouk.

12. It is only a human being whoteaches you

The disbelievers claimed that only a human taught the Prophet ﷺ, and that the revelations he ﷺ brought were only tales of the ancients. ﴾And indeed We know that they say, “It is only a human being who teaches him.”﴿1

They forgot in their stubborn resistance to faith and vain pretexts for disbelief that the Prophet ﷺ was illiterate; he ﷺ never read or wrote a single word in his life.

The Prophet ﷺ stayed among his people for forty years, quite a long time indeed. During this time he ﷺ never said that he was divinely inspired by anything or brought up words of his own. ﴾Say, “If Allah had so willed, I would not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you. Verily, I have stayed among you a lifetime before this. Have you then no sense?”﴿2

Words were conveyed to him from Heaven:3

﴾Those who disbelieve say, “This (Qur’an) is nothing but a lie that he has invented, and others have helped him in it.” In fact, they have produced an unjust wrong and a lie. And they say, “Legends of the ancients, which he got written down and they are dictated to him (read or recited to him) morning and evening.” Say, “It has been sent down by Him Who knows the secret in the heavens and the earth. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”﴿4

The Qur’an, the Word of God, is not only inimitable in the profundity of its contents and message, but also in the grandeur of its diction, the variety of its imagery and the splendor of its word painting. Its literary form and style surpasses the powers of man and defies imitation. The Qur’an itself testifies that its author is God Himself. Everything proves it – its style, its contents, its constant conformity with past, present, and future events – and its transcendent character that never shows a trace of a particular man, of any one society or epoch in history or any specific region of the globe. It is not a passing event in history; it is unchangeable and eternally present for the admiring contemplation of all men. It is the truth; the truth that proves itself, and while it appeals to reason it transcends reason and thus shows its Divine origin.5

It is impossible that it is the creation of a man, let alone an illiterate. The Stories of the Prophets, narrated in the Qur’an – from Adam ﷺ to ‘Isa (Jesus ﷺ) – could not have been read by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the Old or New Testaments, as he ﷺ could not read in the first place:

﴾Neither did you (O Muhammad) read any book before it (this Qur’an), nor did you write any book (whatsoever) with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted.﴿6

The disbelievers insisted on describing these true stories as mere tales or legends in order to strip them of their power of advising, reforming, and instructing. They went further in their attacks by claiming that since Muhammad ﷺ was an illiterate, he had them written down and recited to him morning and evening in order to memorize them: ﴾They say, “Legends of the ancients, which he got written down and they are dictated to him (read or recited to him) morning and evening.”﴿7 And they were answered: if this is so with the realities of the past, what about the future events and the secrets the revelations unfold: ﴾Say, “It has been sent down by Him Who knows the secret of the heavens and the earth.”﴿8 Certainly, it has been dictated to him by the All-Knower Who knows everything that is on earth and in heaven.

This sign of illiteracy, in fact, testifies to the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ. Allah kept him illiterate to eliminate any suspicion about the source of the revelations he ﷺ would receive and to be the One Who taught him all knowledge.

From Allah U man obtains all knowledge, all secrets of this existence, this life, this soul. The Prophet’s knowledge was only from there, only heavenly; from the one single source that is unrivalled by anything else.9

The Divine Education of the Prophet ﷺ started with the first divinely inspired word spoken to him, “Read.” Lady ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said10:

The first of the Divine Revelations that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ received were good dreams. Any dream he ﷺ saw came true, as clear as daylight.

Then seclusion was endeared to him. He ﷺ used to retire to Hira’ Cave and engage in Tahannuth (worship) for a certain number of nights before returning to his family to replenish his supplies for the same purpose.

He ﷺ would return to his wife Khadijah and replenish his provisions for a similar period. He ﷺ continued so until the truth came to him while in Hira’ Cave.

The Angel (Gabriel u) came to him and said, “Read!”

He ﷺ said, “I am not a reader (i.e. I do not know how to read).”

He ﷺ narrated, “So the Angel took me and powerfully embraced me until I was exhausted, then released me and said, ‘Read!’ I said, ‘I am not a reader.’ He took me and powerfully embraced me for a second time until I was exhausted, then released me and said, ‘Read!’ I said, ‘I am not a reader.’ He took me and powerfully embraced me for the third time, then released me and said: ﴾Read in the Name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, Who has taught by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not. ﴿11”

Right from the very first moment of blessed contact with Heaven, and before taking the first step along the way of the Message that he ﷺ was chosen to deliver, Muhammad ﷺ was instructed to read in the Name of Allah; that is, to seek to have the power to read by mentioning the Name of the Lord: ﴾Read in the name of your Lord﴿, starting with the Divine Attribute of creation and initiation ﴾…your Lord Who created.﴿

The Revelation then speaks in particular of the creation of man and his origin: a coagulated drop of blood that sticks to the womb. That little origin of simple composition that reflects the Grace and Mercy of the Creator more than it reflects His Power. It is out of the Grace of Allah U that He has elevated this blood clot to the rank of man, who can be taught and who can learn.

There also emerges the truth of man being taught by his Creator. The pen has always been the most prevalent learning tool and has always had the most far-reaching bearing on the life of man. This fact was not as clear at the time of revelation as it is now. But Allah is the All-knower of the value of the pen. Hence this reference to the pen at the beginning of His Final Message to humanity, in the first Surah of the Noble Qur’an; even though the Messenger ﷺ charged with the conveyance of this Message could not write by the pen.

Had the Qur’an been his own composition, he ﷺ would not have stressed this truth in the very first moment. But it is certainly a Revelation and the Message is Divine.12

1 Translated meanings of An-Nahl 16: 103.

2 Translated meanings of Yunus 10: 16.

3 Sheikh Muhammad Mitwaly Ash-Sha‘rawy, The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad.

4 Translated meanings of Al-Furqan 25: 4-6.

5 Athar Husain, The Message of Qur’an.

6 Translated meanings of Al-‘Ankabut 29: 48.

7 Translated meanings of Al-Furqan 25: 5.

8 Translated meanings of Al-Furqan 25: 6.

9 Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-Alaq [96: 3-4], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

10 Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Bid’ Al-Wahy (The Beginning of the Divine Revelation), Hadith no. 3; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Al-Bukhary (4572, 6467), Muslim (231), and Ahmad (24768).

11 Translated meanings of Al-‘Alaq 96: 1-5.

12 Adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Al-Alaq [96: 1-5], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

13. Do not listen to this Qur’an!

The chiefs of Quraish well perceived the overpowering influence the Noble Qur’an had on souls. They failed to overcome it themselves. They resisted it, not with reason, sound argument, or facts, but by making loud insolent noises; singing and joking in the midst of its recitation so that even true listeners may not be able to hear.

They were too proud to believe and incited people not to listen to the Qur’an, saying, as the Noble Qur’an relates:

﴾“Do not listen to this Qur’an, and make noise in the midst of (reciting) it that you may overcome.”﴿1

They went to extremes in obduracy, and to further frustrate the Messenger ﷺ and stop him from inviting them to Islam, told him: Our hearts are under coverings, so none of your words reach us. In our ears is deafness, so we hear nothing of your preaching. Between you and us is a barrier, so leave us alone and persist in your way for we shall persist in ours.2The Noble Qur’an quotes their words, saying:

﴾“Our hearts are within coverings from that to which you invite us, and in our ears is deafness, and between us and you is a barrier, so work (on your way). Indeed, we are working (on our way).”﴿3

It was only near the end of the fifth year of prophethood that the Prophet ﷺ was able to recite the Qur’an to them in their assemblies and gatherings, and it only happened by way of surprise, without anyone discerning his intention before he ﷺ began the recitation.4

In Ramadan of the fifth year, the Prophet ﷺ went to the Sanctuary, where there was a large assembly of the chiefs and dignitaries of Quraish. Suddenly he ﷺ rose among them and began reciting Surat An-Najm.

It was the first time they had heard the Words of Allah, for they had persisted in what they had advised one another: ﴾“Do not listen to this Qur’an, and make noise in the midst of (reciting) it that you may overcome.”﴿5

But when the Prophet ﷺ surprised them with the recital of the Surah and the Holy Words of Allah struck their ears – the most fascinating they had ever heard – he ﷺ captivated their feelings.

They all forgot their previous advice and listened attentively, thinking of nothing else, to such an extent that when the Prophet ﷺ reached the powerful, awe-inspiring images in the last Ayat of this Surah, and then recited: ﴾So fall you down in prostration to Allah, and worship Him (alone)﴿6 and prostrated himself, none of them could restrain themselves and they all fell down in prostration.

In reality, it was the wonderful moment of truth that cleaved through the obdurate souls of these proud scoffers, and they could not help but prostrate themselves.

They stood aghast when they realized that the Words of Allah had conquered their will and made them do the very thing they had been trying hard to annihilate. Severe reproach and blame followed from every side from their co-Mushrikin who had not been present on the scene. They began to fabricate lies and calumniate the Prophet ﷺ, alleging that he had praised their idols and ascribed to them the power of intercession.

They brought forth this glaring falsehood to establish an excusable justification for prostrating themselves with the Prophet ﷺ, because they were people addicted to lying and intrigue.7

1 Translated meanings of Fussilat 41: 26.

2 Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Fussilat [41: 5], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.

3 Translated meanings of Fussilat 41: 5.

4 Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Rahiq Al-Makhtum; Second Phase (Open Preaching): The Diverse Tactics Used In Fighting the Islamic Call.

5 Translated meanings of Fussilat 41: 26.

6 Translated meanings of An-Najm 53: 62.

7 Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Rahiq Al-Makhtum; Second Phase (Open Preaching): Prostration of the Mushrikin with the Muslims.

14. If we wish we can say the likeof this Qur’an

DescribingHis Ever-Glorious Book, Allah U says:

(Say, “If the whole of mankind andjinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could notproduce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help andsupport.”)1

Yet, thepagans of Quraish arrogantly claimed that they could say the like of thisQur’an; to them it was nothing more than the tales of the ancients:

(And when Our Ayat (of the Qur’an)are recited to them, they say, “We have heard this (the Qur’an); if we wish wecan say the like of this. This is nothing but the tales of the ancients.”)2

One of those transgressors who pushed the Words of Allah out oftheir lives and embraced error was An-Nadr bin Al-Harith. An-Nadr had gone toAl-Hirah Kingdom where he learned the tales of the kings of Persia, and peoplelike Rustum and Asphandiar, as a way to counteract the words of the Prophet rand attract people away from the Qur’an with lies and myths. Whenever the Prophetrrose from a gathering in which he r reminded people ofAllah and warned them of the punishment that befell the previous nations,An-Nadr would sit in his place and say, “O people of Quraish! By Allah, mytalk is better than his. Come to me and I will tell you a tale better thanhis.” Then he would relate to them tales of the kings of Persia, Rustum,and Asphandiar.3

Ibn ‘Abbas talso narrated that An-Nadr bought a songstress, and whenever he heard thatsomeone wanted to embrace Islam, he would hastily take him to his songstressand say, “Give him food and drink and sing to him. This is better than thatto which Muhammad is calling you.”

AnAyah concerning him was revealed,4 saying: (And of mankind is hewho purchases idle talks (i.e. music, singing, etc.) to mislead (people) fromthe Path of Allah.)5

1Translated meanings of Al-Isra’ 17: 88.

2Translated meanings of Al-Anfal 8: 31.

3 Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah:The Harm An-Nadr bin Al-Harith Inflicted on theMessenger of Allah r, vol. 1; Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-RahiqAl-Makhtum; Second Phase (Open Preaching): The Diverse Tactics UsedIn Fighting the Islamic Call.

4 Jalal Ad-DinAs-Suyuti, Ad-Durr Al-Manthur, interpretation ofSurat Luqman [31:6]; Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-RahiqAl-Makhtum; Second Phase (Open Preaching): The Diverse Tactics UsedIn Fighting the Islamic Call.

5Translated meanings of Luqman 31: 6.

15. Bring us a Qur’an other than thisor change it!

By way of mockery and scoffing, the disbelievers asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to bring them a book other than this Qur’an, which condemned neither their gods nor their way of life. Or to change it altogether by replacing the Ayah speaking of punishment with an Ayah of reward, and the censure of their idols with praise of them, and the things unlawful with making them lawful, and to omit any mention of resurrection1. Allah U says: ﴾And when Our Clear Ayat are recited to them, those who hope not for their meeting with Us, say, “Bring us a Qur’an other than this or change it.”﴿2

Allah U told his Messenger ﷺ to answer them saying: ﴾Say (O Muhammad), “It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I only follow that which is revealed to me. Indeed I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the torment of a Great Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection).”﴿

The adverse attitudes of rejection, avoidance, and denial built barriers within the disbelievers and placed heavy locks that sealed their hearts against the Noble Qur’an, allowing in no air or light. They obstructed their reflection on its Words that are able to remove the blindness, break the locks, pour in the light, refine the feelings, awaken the hearts, and purify the souls3. ﴾Do they not then reflect upon the Qur’an, or are there locks upon (their) hearts?﴿4

1 Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jami‘ Li-Ahkam Al-Qur’an, and Muhammad ‘Ali As-Sabuni, Safwat At-Tafasir, interpretation of Surat Yunus [10: 15].

2 Translated meanings of Yunus 10: 15.

3 Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, Surat Muhammad [47: 24].

4 Translated meanings of Muhammad 47: 24.

16. If this is the truth, rain down upon usstones from the sky!

In straying from truth instead of praying for guidance, the disbelievers of Quraish defiantly called down damnation upon themselves, preferring it to being guided aright.

Abu Jahl said: “O Allah! If this (the Qur’an) is indeed the truth (revealed) from You, rain down upon us stones from the sky or bring us a painful torment.”

In response, Allah U revealed1: ﴾But Allah would not punish them while you (O Muhammad) are among them, and Allah would not punish them while they seek forgiveness.﴿2

Although they deserved the damnation and punishment they called for, Allah U did not bring them down upon them. He U has given respite as long as the mercy He has sent continues to survive among people, in person during the Prophet’s life, and in principles and practice after his death (the Qur’an and Sunnah).

In the past, the disbelieving nations who rejected their prophets and remained corrupt were totally destroyed. From the time of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ until the end of this world, humanity is protected from total destruction, even if they are corrupt, and even if they do not believe.

Allah has sent Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as a mercy for all of humanity, whether they believe or disbelieve. Anyone who believes in him will attain mercy in this life and in the hereafter, whereas people who choose not to believe in him will be saved from suffering the fate of total destruction in this world, as happened in the past to the disbelieving nations of Nuh (Noah ﷺ), Lut (Lot ﷺ), and Pharaoh:

﴾And Nuh’s (Noah) people, when they denied the Messengers We drowned them, and We made them as a sign for mankind.﴿3

﴾And We made the highest part (of Sodom) its lowest and rained upon them stones of fire-baked clay.﴿4

﴾They belied the Signs of their Lord, so We destroyed them for their sins, and We drowned the people of Pharaoh. They were all wrongdoers.﴿5

﴾Such is the Seizure of your Lord when He seizes the towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His Seizure is painful and severe.﴿6

They will be saved from this fate out of the Mercifulness of Allah U towards existing humanity. But the pagans of Makkah did not appreciate the magnitude of this mercy, nor were they grateful. Instead, they invoked Allah to hasten their share of punishment: ﴾And they say, “Our Lord, hasten for us our share (of the punishment) before the Day of Reckoning!”﴿7

1 Narrated by Anas bin Malik: Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Tafsir Al-Qur’an, Hadith no. 4281; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Al-Bukhary (4282) and Muslim (5004).

2 Translated meanings of Al-Anfal 8: 33.

3 Translated meanings of Al-Furqan 25: 37.

4 Translated meanings of Al-Hijr 15: 74.

5 Translated meanings of Al-Anfal 8: 54.

6 Translated meanings of Hud 11: 102.

7 Translated meanings of Sad 38: 16.

17. Your God has forsaken you

The suspension of revelations for a time was perhaps the hardest thing on the soul of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, unequalled by any other trial he ﷺ faced while conveying the Message of His Lord, and made worse still by the gloating of Quraish: “The Lord of Muhammad has forsaken him!” And their insults: “O Muhammad! I hope that your Satan has finally left you.”1

Communion with Allah U was the provision of the Messenger ﷺ along the arduous path among reluctant souls in the face of conspiracies and harm poured down on the Call and the preacher of the Call by disbelieving tyrants.

With the suspension of revelations this provision stopped, the gushing spring withheld, and his heart felt a strong longing, left lonely on the path with no supplies.

This was an unbearable experience.

A flood of love and mercy was then revealed, consoling, comforting, assuring, and giving hope:

﴾By the morning brightness. And (by) the night when it covers with darkness. Your Lord has neither forsaken nor hated you. And indeed the hereafter is better for you than the present (life of this world). And verily, your Lord will give you (all good) so that you shall be well-pleased.﴿2

This was all purely for Muhammad ﷺ, for his tired soul, his worried mind, and his pained heart. Your Lord has never forsaken you as they claimed, and never will. He U never hated you or deprived you of His Mercy, Protection, and Refuge, past or present. Remember:

﴾Did He not find you (O Muhammad) an orphan and gave you a refuge? And He found you unaware and guided you? And He found you poor and made you rich (self-sufficient with self-contentment)?﴿3

He is ﴾Your Lord﴿ and Protector forever. The ever-gushing spring of His Bounties never receded and more is in store for you that shall make you well-pleased… success, removal of obstacles, prevalence of your faith, and triumph of truth. These, the thoughts of your mind and the desires of your heart, while facing disbelief, obduracy, persecution, intrigue, and gloating mockery… ﴾Verily, your Lord will give you (all good) so that you shall be well-pleased.﴿4

1 Narrated by Jundub bin Sufyan: Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Tafsir Al-Qur’an, Hadith no. 4569; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Al-Bukhary (4600), Muslim (3355), and Ahmad (18043).

2 Translated meanings of Ad-Duha 93: 1-5.

3 Translated meanings of Ad-Duha 93: 6-8.

4 Adapted from Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Ad-Duha [93: 1-8], thirty-sixth edition, Dar Al-Shorouk.