injuredus,untilfinding nosafetyamongthem, wehavecome toyour
country and hope you will protect us from their oppression.
BackinMecca,economicandsocialboycott wasimposedagainstthe
Prophetandhisfamily.Therefore,theProphetandhisuncle,AbuTālib,
alongwiththeir relativesfrom theBanu Hashim,tookrefugeforthree
yearsinthe“mountainpassofAbuTālib,”afortinoneofthevalleysof
Mecca.Noonehadanydealingsortransactionswiththemandtheydid
not dare to leave their place of refuge.
The idol-worshippers of Mecca,althoughat the beginningthey con-
sideredinflictingallkindsofpressuresandtorturessuchasstrikingand
beating, insult, ridicule and defamation of the Prophet, occasionally
would also show kindness and courtesy toward himin orderto have
himturnawayfromhismission.Theywouldpromisehimgreatsumsof
moneyorleadershipandtheruleofthe tribe.ButfortheProphettheir
promisesandtheirthreatsonlyresultedintheintensificationofhiswill
anddeterminationtocarryouthismission.Once,whentheycametothe
Prophetpromisinghimwealthandpower,theProphettoldthem,using
metaphoricallanguage,thatiftheyweretoputthesuninthepalmofhis
righthandandthemooninthepalmofhislefthand,hewouldnotturn
away from obeying the One God or refrain from performing his mission.