Invitation extended

Aft the Revelation of the 214th verse of Sura Shu’ara, “Invite your kinsmen and relatives to embrace Islam." Holy Prophet (PBUH) invited his uncles and their sons to a banquette and told them about the Message of God.

Upon listening to all that Mohammad (PBUH) had to tell, Abu Lahub one of the uncles of the Prophet spoke. "Your family cannot afford to light against the whole of Arabia and so don't be a fool. Your father's family must he enough for you. If you insisted on your message, it would be easier for Quraish to turn against you and call the rest of Arabia to their help and I should take the lead and get hold of you." Mohammad (PBUH) did not say anything and kept quiet.

After some time Holy Prophet (PBUH) once again invited them and after praising God declared his prophet hood but nobody in the family was in a mood to listen to him or to accept what he had stated.

When preaching to the family did not bear any fruit. God revealed the verse: "Expound openly what you have been commanded and don't bother about those who join gods with Allah " (Sura: AI-Hijr. V: 94)

In order to comply with the Command, Holy Prophet (PBUH) announced that he has to tell them an important thing so all the citizens of Makka should gather near Mount Safaa. When on the appointed time people, including the family members of Holy Prophet (PBUH) gathered there, the .Apostle, standing on a higher place, addressed them.

"O ye people of Makka, will you believe me if I tell you something important for you?

All those who were present there univocally said. "We believe you because we know that you have never lied and you are indeed man of your words."

Holy Prophet (PBUH) informed them that God had chosen him to be His Messenger to them so that he wanted to invite them to obey His Commands and if they ignored his forewarnings God's displeasure would befall upon them like His wrath.

Holy Prophet (PBUH) had hardly completed his statement when Abi Lahub shouted upon him saying. "For this gab you had invited us here! Well, it wasn't that important. You have wasted our time. It would have been better for us to attend to other things rather than to come here." And. then addressing to the people he told them not to pay any heed to Mohammad because he was not in his senses and didn't know what he was saying. People dispersed and left for their homes. Holy Prophet (PBUH) was left there with Alit (RA) and Zaid (RH), only.

After this, the relatives of Holy Prophet (PBUH) started opposing him openly and jested and taunted him. When tribesmen of Quraish especially Abi Lahub and his wife Um-e-Jameel felt that their affronting remarks are losing their edges they opted for more hurting methods. Although Abi Lahub and his wife both belonged to the nobility of Makka, morally they were too low. They pelted stones upon the house of the Apostle damaging the wooden windows. Not only this but they also urged the loafer gays to pelt stones and throw the filth and refuse of the dead animals in Holy Prophet's house.

Whenever Holy Prophet (PBUH), would conic out of his house, the loafer and vagabond street boys who were under the influence of Um-e-Jameel and Abi Lahub would pelt stones causing injuries to his head and face and when he would return to his home wiping his bleeding face his wile Khadija, seeing all that would felt sorry for him and inquired. "Does it hurt too much?" He would tell her, "When a person really knows that why and for whom he is facing these hardships then he doesn't bother much about the pain." Abi Lahub's wife would mine sharp thrones on the paths where she expected him to pass. When he would take out the thrones from his feet, they would bleed. He was tortured to such an extent that one day with a very heavy heart he submitted to God Almighty. "You know better than anybody that none of them is ready to embrace Thy religion." On this occasion Gabriel came with the following Verses of Sura.

''Tell them openly what ye have been commanded and turn away from those who join false gods with Hm. We cure indeed on your side against those who mock and scoff. Those who appoint others beside God soon will come to know. Indeed We know how thy heart is distressed at what they say. You ought to concentrate upon the Attribute of thy Lord and prostrate before Him in adoration and serve thy Lord until you are filled with certitude of your success.” (V: 94-99)

When, on the other hand, Abi Lahub saw that Holy Prophet (PBUH) is not deterring from his mission of preaching the reality his meanness reached its optimum level. Two daughters of Holy Prophet (PBUH) Ruquia and

Um-e-Kalsoom who were married to Abi Lahub's two sons. Abi Lahub got them divorced from his sons and sent them back to Holy Prophet's home with the message that it did not suit the sons of Abi Lahub to have the daughters of a person like Mohammad as their wives because today everybody in Makka hates and condemns Mohammad and to have relation with such a person is a matter of shame for him. Khadija felt very hurt but Holy Prophet (PBUH) consoled her and his daughters and advised them to have forbearance and patience.

Although like a sympathetic father, disruption of his daughter's matrimonial lives was a shock for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) he did not let any weakness fall upon him despite every psychological pressures and family feuds and continued to carry on with his mission tirelessly. His kinsmen and other people of Quraish kept on torturing Holy Prophet (PBUH) for four years and the intensity of their afflictions kept on growing with every passing day, so much so that they decided to get rid of Holy Prophet (PBUH) once and for all. One of the reasons for this extreme decision was the fact that Holy Prophet (PBUH) had been practically proclaiming the Message of God without any fear of his family members or tribesmen of Quraish. He would proclaim:

"Do not worship the gods that you create by your own hands. Worship the Lord who has no partner and is the Master of the whole universe.”

When the relatives and the tribesmen of Quraish asked Holy Prophet (PBUH), “Do you want us to quit worshipping those gods that our forefathers had been worshipping?"

Holy Prophet's reply was, "Yes! Give up worshipping man-made gods and worship the One and the Only God that has no partner." This reply further infuriated people of Quraish and they started to think about some extreme measures to get rid of Holy Prophet (PBUH).

Holy Prophet (PBUH) would go to Ka'aba and worshipped God Almighty. The least that Quraish could do was to prohibit him entering the premises of Kaaba, the House of God.