OPPOSITION INTENSIFIED
When the Quraysh saw that the pressure on Abu Talib had failed, they decided to make life unbearable for the Prophet and his followers. Slaves, the weakest sections of the society, were the worst sufferers. Their masters beat them brutally and some of them were beaten to death. But they suffered all this patiently. Abu Bakr spent much of his wealth on freeing these slaves.
Even the wealthy Muslims were not spared. They were also persecuted. Their own relatives turned against them. After the death of Abu Talib and Khadijah, people were emboldened to persecute the Prophet. They threw rubbish on him as he passed through the streets. They spread thorns in his path. They made noises when the Prophet stood up in the Kabah to pray.
The Makkans did all that they could to turn people away from the Prophet. But in spite of all their efforts Islam continued to spread. Some of the powerful men of Makkah accepted Islam. Hamzah, the Prophet’s uncle, Umar ibn Al-Khattab, who was famous for his bravery, and Abu Dharr Ghifari were among them.
The Makkan chiefs were more enraged than before. They made life so difficult for the Muslims that a number of them migrated to Abyssinia, an area nearby, with the Prophet’s permission. At first fifteen men and women migrated to Abyssinia. Slowly, the number reached 83.
This safe haven of the Muslims made the Makkans all the more angry. They sent two of their men to Negus, the king of Abyssinia. These men brought him precious gifts and requested him to turn these ‘ignoble’ people out of his land as they had forsaken their forefather’s religion to follow a new religion. Negus sent for the Muslims and asked them to explain their case. Thereupon Jafar, son of Abu Talib, briefly explained to him the teachings of Islam and recited some portions from the Quran from the chapter called ‘Mary’. Negus was very impressed and he said:
“Go forth into my kingdom; I shall not extradite you at all.”
Then he turned to the Makkans and said:
“Go away, I cannot give up these people. They are following the true faith.”
With the passage of time, the Makkan chiefs became more and more bitter. They felt that it was Muhammad’s clan, the Banu Hashim, headed by Abu Talib that was responsible for all this misery and that if they had given up Muhammad, all his activities could have been stopped without delay. They made it known to the Banu Hashim that if they did not surrender Muhammad to them, they would have to suffer the consequences.
The tribes of Makkah entered into an agreement. They agreed to cut off all dealings with the Banu Hashim. No one was to sell anything to them. The agreement was signed and hung up in the sacred Kabah. This was the seventh year of prophethood.
This period of boycott was one of great hardship for the Banu Hashim and the Muslims. While this ban was in force, Abu Talib, the chief of the Banu Hashim, had to take refuge in a narrow valley, which came to be known as Abu Talib’s Pass. For three years, the Prophet and all his relatives lived in this valley. Many of the Muslims joined them. All supplies to the valley were cut off. The Banu Hashim had to live on the leaves and roots of trees.
Finally, certain kind-hearted Makkan leaders took pity on the Banu Hashim. They tore to pieces the agreement hanging in the Kabah so that the Banu Hashim could come back to their homes. But soon after this, Abu Talib the Prophet’s uncle, died. His health had deteriorated during the three years of hardship. Although Abu Talib had not accepted Islam, as head of his clan he had protected the Prophet from his opponents.
After his death, Abu Lahab, another uncle of the Prophet, became head of the Banu Hashim. He was the bitterest enemy of Islam and Muslims. He made it clear to the Quraysh that Muhammad no longer enjoyed his clan’s protection. In those days, it was impossible for an individual to survive without the protection of his clan.
Khadijah, the faithful wife of the Prophet, also died soon after the ban was lifted. Both these deaths took place in the 10th year of prophethood.
The loss of Abu Talib and Khadijah saddened the Prophet, for they had been great sources of strength to him. It was their deaths that made the enemy bold enough to persecute him. One day when the Prophet was praying in the Kabah, Abu Jahl put a piece of cloth round his neck and twisted it hard. He would have strangled the Prophet had not Abu Bakr rushed to his help in time.
Day by day, the situation worsened. So the Prophet decided to go to Taif, a neighbouring town, 40 miles from Makkah to spread the teachings of Islam. He was accompanied only by his servant Addas. He spoke to the leaders of the town and invited them to accept Islam. They paid no heed to his message. They were such evil people that they did not stop at that. When the Prophet was leaving the town in a dejected state, he was chased by street urchins instigated by these chiefs. They abused him and threw stones at him as he walked out of town. They continued to pelt stones at him, until the cover of the darkness of night came in before them and the Prophet. He stopped on the way in an orchard to rest. He was badly hurt, bleeding profusely. Yet he only prayed for their guidance. He did not curse them. In all humility he addressed God in these words.
“Lord! Forgive these people, for they know not what they do.”
In the tenth year of Prophethood the angel Gabriel came to take the Prophet on the miraculous journey to the heavens known as Miraj. They first went from Makkah to Jerusalem, the Prophet riding on a winged horse. At Jerusalem, the Prophet said his prayers in the Temple of David, where all other prophets joined him in prayer. Then he ascended to the heavens still accompanied by the angel Gabriel. God granted an audience to His messenger. It was on this blessed occasion that the Prophet received God’s commandments including the prayer to be said five times daily. The Prophet then came back home. All this took place overnight.
There are two views about this heavenly journey. Some hold that this ascension was made by the Prophet’s soul, while others hold that it was made by his body. According to Umm Hani, the
body of the Prophet was never missed from his bed. Rather God caused only his soul to travel. Aishah, the Prophet’s wife, was also of the same view. A third opinion is that Miraj from Makkah to Jerusalem took place in the flesh, while from Jerusalem to the heavens it took place only in spirit.
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