TM Mwagr and Ad~'mi!J^45
became increasingly aware of the danger the new religion posed: this was
a straightforward rebellion against their gods and their custOms, and it was
cvenmally bound to endanger the chiefs' power. They first decided to
send a delegation to the Prophet's uncle, Abu Talib, who had so far been
protecting his nephew. They asked him to ~peak to Muhammad and make
him stop spreading his message, which they considered dangerous and
un acceptable because it directly attacked their gods and their ancestors'
heritage. Abu Talib took no action after their first visit, so they came back
and insisted that the matter was urgent. Abu Talib then sent for his
nephew and tried to convince him to terminate his activities in order not
to embarrass him. Muhammad's answer was firm: "0 my uncle, 1 swear
to God that, should they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in
my Jeft hand in ordet for me to abandon this cause, I would not abandon
it before He [God] had made it triumph or I had perished for its sakeJ,,21
In the face of such determination, Abu Talib did not insist; in fact, he
assured his nephew of his permanent support.
A new delegation came to the Prophet and offered him goods, money,
and p ower. H e refused their offers one by o ne and confirmed that he was
interested o nly in his mission: calling people to recognize and believe in
God, the One, whatever the price might be.
I am not possessed, nor do 1 seek among you honors or power. God has
$ent me to you as a messenger, He has revealed me a Book and has ordered
me to bring you good news and warn you. I have conveyed to you my
Lord's message and J have given you good advice. If you accepr from me
what J have brought, this will cause you to succeed in this world and in the
hereafter; but if you reject what r have brought, then I shall wait patiently
until Go~ jndgcs between us.^22With those words, Muhammad was setting the limits of possible com-
promise: he would not stop conveying his message, and he would trust in
God and be patient as to the consequences of this decision in this world.
In practice, hostilities had now begun: dan chiefs kept insulting the
Prophet and saying that he was insane, possessed, or a sorcerer. Abu
Lahab, his unde, pressured his two sons to divorce the Prophet's daugh-
ten, whom they had married, while his wife re:ished tossing the house-
hold garbage Out into the street as Muhammad ?assed by.