Infidels and the Companions of Mohammad

Despite the fact that the infidels of Makka acknowledged the high moral character and appreciated the gentle mannerism of the Holy Prophet and that he enjoyed the patronage of his respected uncle Abu Talib, they seldom spared a chance to tease and torture him and his followers rather their treatment for his followers was even severer and harsher.

 Whenever Abu Jehal would come to know that someone powerful and strong man of Makka had embraced Islam he would scold and rebuked him and threatened him with dire consequences and if he would come to know of anyone poor and weak person becoming a Muslim, he would physically beat him up and incited others as well to harm him.

When Usman (RA) Bin Uffan embraced Islam his uncle wrapped him up in a mat made from date-leaves and hung him over fire to choke him by the smoke.

When the family of Mus'ab Bin Umair, who had been reared up with love and affection, came to know about his embracing of Islam they out cast him from the family. When he had to face the torments of an isolated life in the desert his skin started to crack and came off from the flesh.

When Amaar Bin Yasir and his parents who were slaves of Bannu Makhzoom, embraced Islam, they were tortured to death.

They were made to lie on the hot sand of desert under the scorching heat of the sun and a heavy stone was placed on their chests so that they could not move. Another way to inflict torture was to dip their heads forcibly in the water unless they agreed to their demand of scolding the Holy Prophet and praising their gods: Lat and Uza. Amaar had to submit to their demand to save his skin but when he came to the Holy Prophet and wept, the Holy Prophet rehearsed these verses of the holy Quran to console him,

-Anyone, who after accepting Faith in God, utters disbelief, - except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith, - but such who opened their hearts to Unbelief on them is wrath from God and theirs will be a dreadful chastisement."

Amaar finally died of the much inflicted punishments. His mother Samia was the first martyred lady of Islam who was stabbed to death by Abu Jehal using his spear.

Khabab Bin Urt was the slave of Um-c-Ammar. His mistress belonged to Khiza Tribe. She told her tribesmen to punish him. They made him to lie on the burning charcoals and put a heavy stone upon his chest. They plucked his hair and twisted his neck to torture him.

Faqeeh's real name was Aflaj. He was the slave of Bani Abdul Dar, His master used to tie his feet and drag him on the hard rough ground,

Omar (RA) belonged to Bani Eddi Tribe. When a maidservant of his tribe embraced Islam, he thrashed her till he couldn't beat her anymore and would leave her only because of his exhaustion.

Few of the Companions of Holy Prophet were wrapped in fresh cow-skins and were fell in under the sun to dry up. Few were made to wear the war guards made of iron and lie on scorching burning charcoals.

The first slave that embraced Islam after Zaid was Bilal Habshi (RA). In Arabia anyone having any one of the three things used to be considered as the most ill-fated and the first one was to be a stranger in the land, second was to be a slave and the third  one was to have a black skin. Unfortunately Bilal had all these three things simultaneously in him. When his master came to know of his embracing Islam he took him along out of Makka and after undressing him he tied his extremities and made him to lie on the hot sand under the scorching sun and a heavy stone was placed on his chest and told him that he could be released only when he would declare that he had turned away from the faith or he would remain there until he is dead. Bilal (RA) refused to submit to his master's demand and agreed to lay his life for his faith.

In the meantime, Abdullah Bin Usman who was known as Abu Bakkar (RA) happened to come to know about Bilal, he offered a handsome amount to the master of Bilal to buy him front him. When the master considered the proposal he liked to have the money instead of a dead slave. After having succeeded in buying him Abu Bakkar set him free.

Labina and Zunaira were two maidservants of Omar Bin khitab. When he heard about their becoming Muslims he said, he would punish them with whipping till their death or they have to quit their faith. When the ladies despite having bleeding all over refused to quit their faith in Mohammad, Abu Bakkar came to know about them, he offered a handsome e amount to Omar to buy them. Omar sold them to Ahu Bakkar who set them free.

The fourth lady who embraced Islam was Ghazzia (RA). She was an Arab nomad and was bold like any Arab Bedouin man. When she embraced Islam, Quraish tried to scare her but she was adamant enough to remain firm on her stance and kept on preaching Islam. When Quraish saw that she is not going to desert Mohammad, they arranged to abduct her and handed her over to a caravan that was going away from Makka. She was blindfolded and was tied on the back of a camel. The people of the caravan were ordered to not let her have any food or water on the way and when she would die of thirst and hunger they were to throw her dead body in the desert so that the beasts of desert could feast them on her Flesh.

It is said that on the fourth day Ghazzia fainted due to thirst and hunger but on the fourth night she felt moisture upon her lips. Someone was trying to give her water. She couldn't see who it was but she did quench her thirst. When the people of that caravan contrary to their expectations found her alive and fresh they couldn't believe their eyes. And when she related the event of the previous night to them, they were deeply moved and released her with a feeling of reverence for her because none of them had given her water to drink.

When a maidservant of Abu Jehal named Samia embraced Islam, he called her and ordered her to forgo the new religion. Upon hearing Samia's reply, he got furious and started whipping that frail maid till she fainted. When Abu Bakkar (RA) heard about this, he went to see Ahu Jehal. There he saw her lying on the ground. He told Abu Jehal that he wanted to buy her, Abu Jehal was so angry that he refused to sell her. Ahu Bakkar raised the bid to one hundred Dinars. Abu Jehal sullenly refused that too. Upon this Abu Bakkar offered him one hundred and fifty Dinars hut was again turned down. Ahu Bakkar kept on increasing the bid but Abu Jehal's reply remained the same that he won't sell her. When Ahu Bakkar saw that Abu Jehal would not sell his maidservant to him he tried afresh and offered him as much ransom as it was customary to pay in the form of camels against the blood of a victim. Technically, it was called Abl-e-Qazia, in other words. Abu Bakkar (RA) offered him to ask for any amount which he could have wished in that context but how great was his malice against the Holy Prophet and his followers that even this offer could not make him release that poor maid. Till that day Abu Bakkar (RA) had bought freedom for six slaves but he could not succeed in salvaging Samia from the bondage of Ahu Jehal.

When the women of Quraish came to know about everyday whipping of Samia by Abu Jehal they gathered and pleaded to Abu Jehal to spare her, But. Abu Jehal was not a man who could he persuaded to leave his stubbornness. When he saw that he could not make Samia to abandon her faith, he decided to kill her.

He made her to stand before the holy Ka'aba and before the people of Makka he inquired from her for the last time that whether she would give up her new faith or not. Samia's reply remained unchanged and she said. "I’ll not quit my faith in Mohammad's Religion." And, upon hearing this Abu Jehal pierced her with his spear in front of the people of Makka. Samia was the first woman who was martyred for embracing Islam.

It is said that when Holy Prophet was told about the efforts of Abu Bakkar (RA) for salvaging Samia he prayed in Abu Bakker’s favor saying, "God may keep the brightness of your face.'

After killing Samia chiefs of Quraish including Abu Sufyan, Abu Lahub and his wife forbid everybody in Makka to sell their slaves to Abu Bakkar (RA) because they had estimated that the new religion was getting popular amongst the poor, slaves and down trodden people and Abu Bakkar was salvaging the slaves who would embraced Islam.

When few notable people like Usman Bin Uf'wan who was the nephew of Abdul Mutlib, Abdur Rehman Bin Ouf, Saad Bin Abi Waqas, Talha Bin Ubaidullah and Saad Bin Umro embraced Islam the Quraish grew really very worried because Islam was taking its roots even in the influential people of Makka. Therefore, they devised new techniques to torture and tease the Holy Prophet.

Holy Prophet's life was always in danger. Whenever he would come out of his home to go to Ka'aba, scoundrels of Makka, who would be awaiting him would pelted stones and threw filthy things upon him. They had grown so bold that even the sanctity of place like holy Kaaba could not stop them. Both the times when the Holy Prophet was physically attacked and attempted to be murdered, that was within the premises of holy Ka'aba. The first Muslim who was martyred was killed in the Kaaba.

Once when the Holy Prophet was returning home from Ka'aba people of Quraish pelted stones upon him so heavily that he wounded seriously and fell. Next day when he couldn't reach the Kaaba, the Muslims gathered there started worshipping at their own. And, when they all prostrated they were attacked suddenly. Resulting, this assault many Muslims wounded badly and Haris, stepson of Holy Prophet was martyred in the holy Ka'aba. After this incident, people of the Quraish tribe established a tight surveillance of Kaaba so that the Holy Prophet or any other Muslim could he stopped from entering the Ka'aba.

When the Holy Prophet concluded that he and his companions could not worship in Kaaba, he selected a place in the out skirts of Makka for the purpose. This place was comparatively lower than its surrounding lands. He started going there twice a day along with his companions for performing Salaat.

 One of the enemies of the Holy Prophet who excelled in his animosity for the Holy Prophet was Abu Sufyan the foster brother of the Apostle. The only solution of the problem, according to him was to get rid of the Holy Prophet by killing him.

Abu Zar Ghaffari, a very devoted companion of the Holy Prophet belonged to the Tribe known as Ghaffar. That tribe was settled in the north of Makka. People of that tribe had no respect for the sacred months and they used to attack the caravans to loot them. They even did not spare the pilgrims visiting the holy Kaaba. Once in the month of Zeqad the lunar month, which according to the Bedouin Arabs was considered sanctified for war shedding blood, people of that tribe looted a caravan and killed all the males, females and the children of that caravan, Abu Zar Ghaftari who till that time had not embraced Islam felt great repentance and guilt to be a part of that massacre. And, he broke away from his tribe and left it. After wandering in the deserts for months he reached Makka, where he heard about the Holy Prophet and his teachings, and he decided to see the Holy Prophet.

In his quest to see the Holy Prophet, he inquired about his residence from a passerby. That man taking him a Muslim looked at him strangely and started shouting to call the other people to help him in beating a Muslim who had set his foot into their trap. Abu Zar Ghaffari upon realizing the situation tried to flee but Quraish followed him and showered stones upon him. When he felled and lost his conscious, they left him there considering him dead.

When Abu Bakkar came to know about the happening with the help of another Muslim in the dark of the night he picked him up and aided him to recover. Upon recovering his conscious he told them that he was not a Muslim but warned to see the Holy Prophet. Next day he had the meeting with the Holy prophet and embraced Islam when he learnt about his teachings.

Later on Abu Zar Ghaffari earned the repute of a staunch believer. His endeavors made his whole tribe become Muslims and the tribe that was notorious for its banditries became one of the most peace loving tribes.

This event clearly shows that the people of Makka had turned so much hostile against the Holy Prophet that if a person happened to merely ask about the Holy Prophet they would started pelting stones at him taking him a Muslim or considering him a would be Muslim. And, that the antagonistic approach of the people of Makka had made the life of' Holy Prophet and his followers miserably difficult and hard.