The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 223
VII - Days of Struggle 223 “The Chieftains of your people wish to speak to you. Come to the courtyard of the Ka‘bah and listen to what they have to say. ” The Holy Prophet sa would himself remain in search of such opportunities so he set off immediately. After their traditional greetings, the Quraish began their discourse saying: “O Muḥammad [sa] ! Look at how you have created dissention and division amongst your people. Betraying the religion of your forefathers you have slandered the great men of our nation. You have cursed at their honourable gods and labelled their respected men as those who think not. What greater defamation and humiliation can a people face than what you have done and continue to do. But in your case, we are bewildered as to what we should do and what we should not do. If your endeavour is with the purpose that you might gather riches and become wealthy, then we shall give you such wealth as you may be deemed the wealthiest of us all. If you seek power and respect, we are prepared to make you our leader and chieftain. If you desire authority, we are not even reluctant in declaring you as our king. If your uproar and disturbance is due to an illness or you have been possessed, we can arrange for your cure at our own expense. If marrying a beautiful girl shall make you content, we can find you the most beautiful girl in all of Arabia. ” The Holy Prophet sa listened to this address by the chieftains of the Quraish quietly, and when they finished, he said: “O Party of the Quraish! I do not desire any one of these things, nor have I been possessed or fallen victim to an ailment. I am a messenger from God and have brought the message of God to you. My heart is satiated in sympathy for you. If you take heed and believe, you shall acquire the good of this world and the next. But if you reject it, I shall wait upon the verdict of my Lord with patience and forbearance. ” The Quraish responded: “O Muḥammad [sa] ! Thus, you accept none of our proposals. If it is thy prophethood you wish us to accept, then come and let us decide. You see how barren and dry this country is. Nothing can be seen except dry rocks and stones, and infinite mounds of sand. If you are truly the messenger of God, then pray to your God that he might bring forth streams the like of Syria and Iraq.