Quraish in a fixAs the enmity of persecutors increased, so did the number of the Prophet’s followers. The
Quraysh were baffled about how they were going to stop the people from taking the Proph-
et (r) and his teachings seriously. Makkah was a commercial center frequented by tribes
people from far and near and during the Hajj, or when it is about to draw near, a plethora of
them were to come again. The people coming to Makkah had somehow to be kept at a
distance from the Prophet (r), lest they should hear his sermons and digest his words, or
that they may contemplate or reflect and meditate upon them.
They went to Walid Ibn Al-Mughira, who was old and a man of standing, to seek his ad-
vice. He said, “O people of Quraysh, the time of Hajj has come around when delegations of
the Arabs will come here. They have all heard about this man, so agree upon a common
ground hence you do not contradict one another and each one of you says the same
thing.” Different suggestions were put forward but Walid was not satisfied. At last, he was
asked to suggest some way out. Thereupon he said, “The most convincing thing in my
opinion would be that all of you present him as a sorcerer. You should say that he has
brought a message through which he creates a rift between fathers and sons, or where
brothers fall out from brothers, as well as husbands part ways with their wives and that
families break up under his influence.”
The Quraysh came back to the shenanigan suggested by Walid. They sat when the time of
Hajj commenced, warning everyone to keep clear of Muhammed, repeating what they had
already agreed upon each other. (Ibn Hisham, Vol. I, p. 270)
CRUELTY OF THE QURAYSH
The persecutors of the Prophet (r) were consumed by a rancor disregard for every con-
sideration of humanitarianism and kinship; their torture was embittered by the refinements
of cruelty and their misbehavior and rudeness was helpless and ineffective enough to pol-
lute the sacred asylum held as the holiest sanctum by the Arabs.
One day while the Prophet (r) was praying at the Ka'bah, a company of the Quraysh oc-
cupied their places in the sanctuary. ‘Utba Ibn Abu Mu’ayt brought the fetus of a camel from
somewhere and when the Prophet (r) prostrated in prayer, he laid it on his back and shoul-
ders. The Messenger of God (r) remained in prostration until his daughter Fatima (May
Allah be pleased with her) came running and threw it off him. She called down evil upon the
one who had done it and the Prophet (r) also joined her in the condemnation. (Al-Bukhaari)