thepeopleofMeccareactedmostseverelybecausetheIslamicmessage
—ofworshippingOneGodandofequalityamongthebelieverswithout
anydistinctionofrace,colouror wealth—faredcompletelyagainstthe
statusquo.Mostpainfulafflictionsandtortureswereinflicteduponthe
Prophet and the people who had become newly converted to Islam.
Forexample, Bilal, an Ethiopianslavewho had accepted Islam,was
takenbyhismasterUmayyawhotiedhimontotheburningsandofthe
Arabian desertandplacedalarge stoneonhis chestwiththe warning
thathewillbeleftinthatstateuntilherejectsIslam.Buttheonlysound
heard from Bilal’s lips was:“Ahad! Ahad!”(One God! One God!)
TheseveretreatmentdealtoutbytheQurayshreachedsuchadegree
that agroup of about 100 Muslims,under leadership of Ja’farbin Abi
Tālib,lefttheir homesandbelongings,andmigratedto Abyssinia.The
ProphethadtoldthemthattheywouldfindtheAbyssiniankingtobea
justruler.WiththeintentionofstoppingthespreadofIslam,theQuray-
sh pursuedthem to Abyssiniaseeking theirextradition. ButJa’farelo-
quentlypresentedtheMuslims’casetotheAbyssinianking,andthere-
quest of the Quraysh was rejected. Ja’far said:
OKing! Wewereplungedin the depth ofignorance andbarbarism;
weworshippedidols,welivedinunchastity,weatedeadbodiesandwe
spokeabominations;wedisregardedeveryfeelingofhumanityandthe
duties of hospitality andneighbourhood; we knew no law, but of the
strong—whenGodraisedamongusaman,ofwhosenoblebirth,truth-
fulness,honestyandpurityweareaware;andhecalledustotheUnity
ofGodandtaughtusnottoassociateanythingwithHim;heforbadeus
theworshipofidols;andenjoinedonustospeakthetruth,tobefaithful
toourtrusts, to bemerciful andtoregard the rightsof neighbours;he
forbadeustospeakevilofwomenortoeatthesustenanceoforphans;he
orderedustoflyfromviceandtoabstain fromevil;toofferprayers,to
render alms, to observe the fast.
Wehavebelievedinhim,we haveacceptedhis teachingsandhisin-
junction to worship God and not associate anything with Him.
Forthisreasonourpeoplehaverisenagainstus,havepersecutedusin
ordertomakeusforgotheworshipofGodandreturntotheworshipof
idols of stone and wood and other abominations. They tortured and