Life of Muhammad — Page 16
sa 16 and beat him. Zubair bin al- ‘ Aww a m ra , a brave young lad who later became a great Muslim general, was wrapped up in a mat by his uncle, smoked from underneath and tortured by suffocation. But he would not recant. He had found Truth and would not give it up. Ab u Dharr ra , of the tribe of Ghaff a r, heard of the Prophet sa and went to Mecca to investigate. The Meccans dissuaded him, saying that they knew Muhammad sa well and that his Movement was only a selfish design. Ab u Dharr ra was not impressed; so he went to the Prophet sa , heard the Message of Islam straight from him and was converted. Ab u Dharr ra asked if he could keep his faith secret from his tribe. The Prophet sa said he could do so for a few days. But as he passed through the streets of Mecca he heard a party of Meccan chiefs abuse the Holy Prophet sa and make vile attacks. No longer could he keep his faith secret, and he declared at once: "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and that there is no one like Allah; and Muhammad sa is His Servant and Prophet sa. " This cry raised in an assembly of disbelievers seemed to them an effrontery. They rose in wrath and belaboured him until he fell down senseless. The Prophet's sa uncle ‘ Abb a s ra , not a convert yet, passed by and began to remonstrate on behalf of the victim. "Your food caravans pass through Ab u Dharr's ra tribe," he said, "and angered at your treatment, his people can starve you to death. " The following day Ab u Dharr ra stayed at home. But the day after he went again to the same assembly and found them abusing the Holy Prophet sa as before. He went to the Ka ‘ ba and found people doing the same. He could not restrain himself, stood up and made a loud declaration of his faith. Again he was severely handled. The same thing happened a third time, and Ab u Dharr ra went back to his tribe. The Holy Prophet sa himself was no exception to the cruel treatment meted out to the Faithful. On one occasion he was in prayer. A party of disbelievers put a mantle round his neck and dragged him; his eyes