One day the holy prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was offering his supplication or Salat in the Ka’bah. Taking advantage of this situation the chief of the conspirators and unfortunate pagan leader Abu Jahl threw camel’s stomach and intestines over his head (pbuh) and started abusing him (pbuh). After a heavy struggle Muhmmad (pbuh) could detach this heavy and suffocating load from his body.
Abdullah bin Zada’n’s slave girl was witnessing this act of terrorism of the pagan boss Abu Jahl. Incidently after some minutes Hamza (r.a.) returned from hunting. He had straightway come to offer his prayers in Ka’bah.
As he finished his circling of Ka’bah the slave girl disclosed this whole incidence to him. As Muhmmad
(pbuh) was very beloved nephew of him he could not control his anger.
Abu Jahl was still sitting in the Ka’bah. He (r.a.) immediately rushed to Abu Jahl and hit him heavily with the bow in his head. Abu Jahl got such a wound that it started bleeding.
Hamza shouted:”How dare you do that non believer man?” Hamza (r.a.) added: “Look I am embracing Islam come do what you can do to stop me”.
And he immediately rushed to the holy prophet Muhmmad (pbuh)’s house and fulfilled all the procedures to become a Muslims from a pagan.
Tales of bravery of Hamza (r.a.) were already famous in the entire Arabian region. As he joined Muhmmad
(pbuh) it proved a big boost for Muslims who were a suppressed minority in Mecca during those days.
Hamza (r.a.) was martyred by a slave called Vahashi and a non believer woman Hinda in a battle. He is also known a “Saiyadusshohadaa”
meaning “the leader of the martyrs.
The Revelations:
The angel Jibr’aeel (a.s.) frequently used to visit as and when commanded by Allah (s.w.t.) during Muhmmad (pbuh)’s life. During his (a.s.) visits he revealed various verses of Ayaats of Qur’an to Muhmmad (pbuh) as sent by Allah (s.w.t.). These Ayaats were in Arabic language. This tradition of revelations continued for a period of almost 23 years.
These revelations were of different types and length. Some times only a few verses or Ayaats, a part of chapters or Surah of Qur’an and some times a whole chapter or Surah.
As Muhmmad (pbuh) was constantly opposed by unfortunate pagans they used to ask him very difficult questions aimed for proving him wrong. In response to their questions some revelations also came.
During those days paper was not easily available as it is today. So these revelations were recorded on various available materials like Barks, Palm leaves, Shoulder bones of animals and even Leather. As and when the revelations came the companions (r.a.) or Sahabas (r.a.) of the holy prophet (pbuh) used to memorize them soon. Even they used to recite these revelations in their daily prayers or Salat (Qur'an 80:13-16). Some companions (r.a.) of the holy prophet were special writers for writing these verses.
The angel Jibr’aeel (a.s.) used to teach how to arrange these Ayaats while writing. Muhmmad (pbuh) then
instructed his companion (r.a.) how to arrange these ayaats in written form and their order of writing also.
(Qur'an 75:16-19, 41:41-42).
Muhmmad (pbuh) also recited these ayaats. Once a year this recital was witnessed by Jibr’aeel (a.s.) to authenticate and check the accuracy of these Ayaats in presence of Jibr’ael (a.s.) (Qur'an 17:106). This tradition of revelations of verses to Muhmmad (pbuh) continued for 23 years. It ended in the year 632 (C.E.).
Later on these Ayaats or verses were compiled in a book form. This book is known as the holy Qur’an. The word Qur’an itself is also revealed in the holy Qur’an. One should remember that. The holy Qur’an does not contain even a single word from the holy prophet (pbuh) himself. The language of Qur’an is in the first person form.
The torture and persecution:
As their all ways and means of deterring Muhmmad (pbuh) totally failed the Pagan Quraish became violent towards the holy prophet (pbuh) and his follower minority group. They started boycotting, beating and harassing new Muslims.
The boycott was social and economic both. Those poor slaves who became Muslims were brutally beaten. The first among these poor new Muslims was a lady named Umme Ammar
(r.a.). She was mother of Ammar ibn e Yaseer (r.a.).
Those new Muslims who were not slaves and from wealthy or influential families of Mecca were also not left.
They were not allowed to go out of their houses just like house arrest.
The misguided and unfortunate Pagan leaders put forth a condition that if they left Islam and came back to their original belief they will be allowed to move freely.
They started harassing the holy prophet (pbuh) himself also.
Whenever and where ever they found Muhmmad (pbuh) they did not miss a chance to insult him, for example they threw animal excreta and filth on him (pbuh) may it be in the streets of Mecca or while offering his daily Salat or prayer in the holy Ka’bah.
But the truth prevails:
Even after facing so many hardships Islam kept on flourishing. New Muslims of Mecca remained firm in their ideology. Allah (s.w.t.) asked Muhmmad (pbuh) to remain patient and continue preaching the message of the holy Qur’an. He (pbuh) asked his followers (r.a.) to remain patient because he had not received any message and not to retaliate against this persecution of Quraish pagan terrorists. In the year 615 C.E. their torture and harassment crossed limits.
This was the fifth year of his (pbuh) mission.
Considering the unbearable torture Muhmmad (pbuh) advised and
allowed most of the Muslims to migrate to a nearby country known as Abysinia which is now known as Ethiopia. A Christian king named Najjashi or Ashabah or Negus was the ruler of Abysinia then. Secretively a group of eighty Muslims with some children also emigrated to Abysinia in small groups.
The moment they crossed Arabian coast the Quraish pagan leaders got the news of this migration. They were desperate not to let Muslims live peacefully. By the earliest they sent their two envoys to the King Negus.
They demanded that this group of Muslim emigrants should be handed over back to them i.e. the Quraish pagans of Mecca.
Wisdom of the King Negus:
Inspite of all the conspiracies of Pagan Quraish the King Negus proved wise.
He had heard different revelations about the holy prophet Jesus or Isa (a.s.) and Mary or Mariam (a.s.) from these Muslims (Surah Mariam or Chapter 19 “Mary” of the holy Qur’an). Negus denied the demand of Pagan envoys. The Muslim emigrants were allowed to worship their religion and live peacefully in the Kingdom of Negus i.e. Abysinia now Ethiopia and Eritrea.
The Inhuman Boycott of Muslims by Pagan Quraish:
Repeated defeats on various fronts frustrated the pagan Quaish. They became furious then ever. They declared total boycott of the holy prophet Muhmmad (pbuh)’s entire clan the Bani Hashim. It was total social and economic ban on Bani Hashim clan. It was so inhuman and cruel that they did not allow reaching food or milk for infants and children.
This boycott lasted for continuous three years.
Inspite of these terrible hardships they could not deter the holy prophet Muhmmad (pbuh) from his path of truth. The frustrated Pagan Quraish leaders contacted Muhmmad (pbuh) for a conditional compromise. The condition was that all the parties should practice both the religions meaning that they will follow Islam also and continue their Idol worship as ever undisturbed along with it.
When Muhmmad (pbuh) heard of this he replied to this condition by reciting one Ayaat or verse of Qur’an which was from the Surah or Chapter No.
109 of the Qur’an. The nearest meaning of which was: “For you your religion and for me mine”. This compromise did not work.