Persecutions on Prophet PBUH and his followers

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent when Quraysh used to worship
idols, boast about their ancestry, lineage and wealth, enslave the common folk,
and give full rein to their lusts and desires. As a result, they naturally tried to
stop the Prophet’s call in any way they could.

Verbal and mental torture

The disbelievers were not satisfied with just denying the Islamic call; they
employed many methods to confront and repel it. These ways included
ridiculing and mocking Islam and the Prophet (peace be upon him), and those
who followed him. One time they claimed that the Prophet (peace be upon him)
was medication, another time that he was a lying, and a third time that he was
a crazy poet…and they spread other different charges and contradictory claims,
all of which only proved that they were lying and making up false claims.
Whenever they saw the Prophet (peace be upon him), they used to look at him
with anger and infuriation, as Allah (Glorified is He) relates, {And the disbelievers
would almost trip you up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say,
‘Surely, he is possessed!’} [Surah Al-Qalam: 51].

They used to also laugh at the Prophet (peace be upon him) when they saw
him, sarcastically saying, as Allah (Glorified is He) relates, {Is this the one who
talks about your gods?} [Surah Al-Anbiya: 36]. And whenever they saw any weak
Companions, they used to sarcastically and mockingly say, {Is it these who Allah
has favoured from among us?} [Surah Al-Anam: 53].

When their ridicule and mockery which they employed to stop this religion
failed, they resorted to trying to stop people listening to the Prophet (peace be
upon him) and the noble Quran, as whenever the truth from Allah (Glorified is
He) reaches people, they quickly believe in it. Therefore, they used to raise their
voices whenever they heard the Quran, and make loud noises whenever they
saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) trying to call someone to Allah (Glorified
is He) or trying to recite Quran to him. The disbelievers used to encourage each
other to do this. Allah (Glorified is He) says, {The disbelievers say, ‘Listen not to this
Quran, but talk at random in the middle of its [recitation] , that you may gain the upper
hand!’} [Surah Fussilat: 26].

But the Prophet (peace be upon him) continued to call people to Allah
(Glorified is He), confronting his enemies, Quraysh and its leaders, and their
efforts to stop the call. They purposefully raised arguments and spread doubts
about the religion, especially about the resurrection after death. They were
skeptical about it, use to put forward arguments against it, and claim it was only
an ancient myth. Allah (Glorified is He) relates what they used to say, {What!
When we die and become dust and bones, could we really be raised up again!} [Surah Al-
Mominoon: 82].

Allah (Glorified is He) relates that they used to also say, {Shall we show you a
man who tells you that when you are all scattered to pieces after total disintegration, you
shall [then be raised] in a new creation?} [Surah Saba: 7].

However, the Quran used to refute their wrong ideas and views, giving rational
replies in more than one ayah, all of which they could not contest in the least.
One such example of these ayahs is Allah’s saying, {And he makes comparisons for
Us and forgets his own creation. He says, ‘Who can give life to [dry] bones and
decomposed ones [at that]?’ Say, ‘He will give them Life Who created them the first time!
For He fully knows all creation’} [Surah Yasin: 78, 79].

Physical torture
When this method of trying to stop Islam and the call failed, Quraysh began to
try to physically harm the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions
(may Allah be pleased with them), believing that by harming the Prophet (peace
be upon him) and torturing his Companions the believers would weaken and
therefore submit to them and obey them. But all of this was of no avail, as it is
impossible to remove faith that had mixed with the inner structure of the heart
from a heart and mind which has tasted the sweetness of faith!
Below are examples of how the polytheists harmed the Companions (may
Allah be pleased with them):

Abu Bakr
-One day, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up to give a sermon
in the mosque in Mecca, so the disbelievers hit him severely. One of those who
hit him was Atabah ibn Rabi’ah, who hit Abu Bakr on his face with two open
sandals until one could not distinguish his nose from his face. Bani Tameem
came to help Abu Bakr, pushing the disbelievers away from him. They then
carried him, wrapped in a cloak, to his house. They feared that Abu Bakr might
die, and took an oath that if he did die they would kill Atabah ibn Rabi’ah.
Uthman ibn Affan’s
Uthman ibn Affan’s uncle used to wrap Uthman (may Allah be pleased with
him) up in a mat made of palm leaves, and then put a fire under it. It has been
reported that when he entered Islam, his uncle Al-Hakim ibn Abu Al-Aas ibn
Omayyah tied him up strongly and swore that he would not free him until he
left Islam. Therefore, Uthman swore that he would not leave Islam. When his
uncle saw how determined Uthman was in remaining a Muslim, he let him free.
Musaib ibn Umair
-When Musaib ibn Umair’s mother learnt that Musaib (may Allah be pleased
with him) had embraced Islam, she starved him and then pushed him out of her
house. He used to have very many luxuries in his life before Islam, but after the
torture his skin became as rough as the skin of a snake. The Companions used
to even carry him because he had become so weak.

Abu Dharr Al-Ghafari

When Abu Dharr Al-Ghafari (may Allah be pleased with him) heard about the
Prophet (peace be upon him), he travelled to Mecca to ask about the Prophet.
The people of Mecca hit him until he fell unconscious. He nearly died from the
beating. Abbas saved him from his attackers.
Bilal ibn Rabah
As for Bilal ibn Rabah (may Allah be pleased with him), he was Umayyah ibn
Khalaf Al-Jumahi’s slave. Bilal’s master used to torture Bilal by throwing him on
the sand on his face or back and then placing a huge stone on his chest. That
was when the sun was at its hottest at the time of mid-day. He would then say
to Bilal, "You will not be released from this until you die or disbelieve in
Muhammed and worship Al-Lat and Al-Uzza." But Bilal remained patient and
just kept repeating, "One; one." Eventually, Abu Bakr bought him, giving
Umayyah a polytheistic slave he had. After that, Abu Bakr freed Bilal.
Ammar and his mother and father Yasser
Moreover, Ammar and his mother and father Yasser (may Allah be pleased
with them) used to be taken to the wilderness when the sand there had become
very hot, and torture them with the hot sand. The Prophet (peace be upon him)
passed by them when they were being tortured and said to them, Yasser (may
Allah be pleased with him) died from the torture. As for Somaya (may Allah be
pleased with her), she had talked roughly to Abu Jahl, so he stabbed her with
his weapon in her private parts and she died as a martyr. She was the first
martyr in Islam.
The enemies of Islam intensified their torture of Ammar (may Allah be pleased
with him), torturing him in many different ways—one time dragging him on the
ground, another time with a stone on his chest, and a third time immersing him
in water until he nearly drowned, saying to him that they would not leave him
until he reviled the Prophet (peace be upon him) and spoke well about Al-Uzza
and Al-Lat. He said what they asked him to say, and so they stopped torturing
him. But he went at once to the Prophet (peace be upon him), crying. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him, <‘What has happened?’ Ammar replied,
‘Something very bad, Oh Prophet. Such-and-such happened.’
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘What do you feel in your heart?’ Ammar
said, ‘I am convinced of the faith.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘Oh
Ammar, if they put you to the same torture again, you may utter the same words.’
Then Allah (Glorified is He) revealed the following from Surah Al-Nahl, {Anyone
who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters disbelief–except under compulsion, his heart
remaining firm in faith–but such as open their breast to disbelief, on them is wrath from
Allah} [Surah Al-Nahl: 106].

Khubbab ibn Al-Arat

-As for Khubbab ibn Al-Arat (may Allah be pleased with him), a sixth example
of those early Muslims that were tortured, the polytheists tortured him
severely; they used to burn his back with burning coal and stones that had been
heated by fire, and twist his neck.
Amer ibn Faheera
Amer ibn Faheera (may Allah be pleased with him) embraced Islam early in
the call, before the Prophet (peace be upon him) established Dar Al-Arqam. He
was not of high position in Mecca, so they tortured him severely, but this did
not make him leave Islam. He used to look after Abu Bakr’s sheep.
Abu Fakeehah
Abu Fakeehah (may Allah be pleased with him), whose name was Abu Yasar,
was Safwan ibn Umaiyah ibn Khalaf Al-Jumahi’s slave. He embraced Islam with
Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him). Umaiyah ibn Khalaf took him and tied a
rope around his legs, and then ordered someone to pull him. Next, he threw him
into some burning coals and let some insects pass by him. Umaiyah then said to
him, "Is this not your Lord?" Abu Yasar then said, "Allah is my Lord and your
Lord, and the Lord of this, too." Therefore, Umaiyah strangled him strongly.
Umaiyah’s brother, Abu ibn Khalaf, was with Umaiyah at the time. He said,
"Torture him more until Muhammed comes to save him with his magic."
They continued to torture him until he fell unconscious and they thought he had
died. He later regained his consciousness and Abu Bakr, the truthful one, bought
him and freed him.
Zeinab, Um Ubais
With regards to the believing women, Zeinab, Um Ubais, Labeeba and An-
Nahadiya, they were similarly tortured very severely by their masters, but they
did not leave their religion, may Allah be pleased with them [adapted from the Blessed
Garden].

Response of Prophet and his Followers

The response of Prophet Muhammad and his early followers when facing
torture and persecution in Mecca can be discussed in four key aspects:

Patience and Endurance:

Prophet Muhammad and his companions demonstrated remarkable patience
in the face of physical and emotional torture.

They endured verbal abuse, physical harm, and social ostracism without
resorting to violence or retaliation.

This patience is a fundamental aspect of their response, emphasizing the

importance of steadfastness in the face of adversity.

Non-Violence and Forgiveness:

Despite the harsh treatment they endured, Prophet Muhammad and his
followers did not respond with violence or seek revenge.

They promoted forgiveness and encouraged their followers to respond to

cruelty with kindness. This non-violent approach reflected the teachings of
Islam and the emphasis on forgiveness and compassion.

Prayer and Faith:

Prophet Muhammad and his companions relied on prayer and their faith in
Allah (God) to find strength and solace during times of persecution.

They sought spiritual guidance and believed that their faith would ultimately
prevail over the trials they faced.

This aspect highlights the role of faith and spirituality in providing resilience
and hope in difficult circumstances.

Migration to Medina:
In response to escalating persecution in Mecca, Prophet Muhammad and his
followers made the historic migration (Hijrah) to the city of Medina.

This migration was a strategic response to protect the Muslim community from
further harm and establish a more secure environment. It demonstrated their
willingness to take necessary steps to ensure their safety and the continuity of
their faith. In summary, the response of Prophet Muhammad and his early
followers to torture and persecution was characterized by patience, non-
violence, reliance on prayer and faith, and strategic measures like migration to
ensure their survival and the spread of Islam. These aspects reflect the
resilience and commitment of the early Muslim community in the face of
adversity