AR-RAHĪQ AL-MAKHTOUM (The Pure Nectar). A Treaties On Prophet Muhammad's Biography.* *Part 34*

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*AR-RAHĪQ AL-MAKHTOUM (The Pure Nectar). A Treaties On Prophet Muhammad's Biography.*

*Part 34*

*A CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL WAS SET UP TO PREVENT PILGRIMS FROM LISTENING TO THE CALLING OF THE PROPHET (Blessings and Peace be upon him) BY THE UNBELIEVERS*

There was something that concerned Quraish very much: it was that the proclamation of the calling was made several months ago and it approached the season of pilgrimage, so the various deputations of Arabs would come to Mecca and listen to the call of Muhammad (Blessings and Peace be upon him). Therefore, they agreed to say a word to Arabs about Muhammad (Blessings and Peace be upon him) so that his calling would not influence them. They went to Al-Walīd Ibnul-Mughīrah to have discussions on this word. Al-Walīd said to them: "Agree to a single opinion about him and don't differ over it lest some of you should belie or contradict others." They said: "But we want you to talk and give a single opinion to adhere it. He said: "No, but I want you to talk first and I will listen to you." They said: "We say that he is a diviner." He replied: "No, by Allāh he is not so. We see diviners how they show their passions and rhymed prose." They said: "He is mad." He said: "He can never be lunatic. We are aware of insanity; he had nothing to do with its obsessions, unconsciousness and spasms." They said: "So he is a poet." He said: "He is not a poet. As we know all types of poetry." They said: "He is a sorcerer." He said: "He is not a sorcerer. As we knew well sorcerers, their blows and knots.

After making all their false suggestions, they said: "So, what can we say?" He said: "By Allāh, his words are favourable and charming. And if you say a word of that, it will be known as false. The nearest thing to say about him I'd to state that he is a sorcerer who brought sorcerous words to separate by them a son from his father, a person from his brother, a man from his wife and a person from his clan. This, in my standpoint, can make Arabs turn their backs on him."

Some narrations indicate that when Al-Walīd objected to all their suggestions, they said: "They, show us your unobjectionable opinion." He said to them: "Give me some time to think about it." So he took a long time thinking about his final view and at last he said the aforementioned words. On Al-Walīd, Allāh revealed sixteen verses of the chapter of Al-Muddathir (from verse 11 to 26). As for the verses which depicts his thinking, they read:


Surah Al-Muddathir, Verse 18-25:

إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ

Verily, he thought and plotted;


فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ

So let him be cursed! How he plotted!


ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ

And once more let him be cursed, how he plotted!


ثُمَّ نَظَرَ

Then he thought;


ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ

Then he frowned and he looked in a bad tempered way;


ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ

Then he turned back and was proud;


فَقَالَ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ

Then he said: "This is nothing but magic from that of old;


إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ

"This is nothing but the word of a human being!"


As soon as the council agreed to such a decision, they hastened to implement it. They stood in the roads of coming pilgrims to warn them of Muhammad (Blessings and Peace be upon him) and talk about his story.

As regards Allāh's Messenger, he went out following people in their houses and markets to invite them to the worship of Allāh. But Abu Lahab was keeping track of the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) to dissuade people from listening to him by saying: "Don't obey such a liar who changed his religion."

Despite Quraysh's preventive procedures, the Prophet's calling was known to all Arabs and he was talked about all over Arabia.



*{To be continued In-sha-Allāh (If Allāh Wills)...}*


*"And keep reminding, because reminding benefits the believers."* (Qur'an 51:55)