Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets — Page 62
MUHAMMAD : SEAL OF THE PROPHETS 62 Talib responded to them: ‘It is a preposterous proposal that I should adopt as my son one of your youths and should bring him up and provide for him, and in return I should hand over my son to you that you may kill him. I would never be a party to such an exchange. ’ On this Mut’am bin Adi said to Abu Talib: ‘Your people have made every effort to settle this matter without giving rise to a conflict, but you do not seem inclined to accept any of their proposals. ’ To this Abu Talib retorted: ‘I am not receivin g fair treatment. Mut’am, I perceive that you are also inclined to support your people and to behave unfaithfully towards me. If your people persist in being unreasonable, I have nothing to say. “You can do whatever you like. ” The leaders of Quraish then took counsel together and agreed that each tribe should coerce such of its members as had embraced Islam to repudiate it. They imagined that if this device proved successful Muhammad would be deserted by his companions, and, bei ng left alone, would not be able to carry on his mission. When Abu Talib came to know of this, he too called together Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib and, having apprised them of what he had learnt, proposed that they, on their side, should resolve to safegu ard Muhammad in every respect. To this all present indicated their agreement, with the exception of Abu Lahab, who had become a determined and inveterate enemy of Islam. This device of Quraish obviated any inter - tribal conflict, but exposed individual Musl ims to all manner of persecution at the hands of their respective fellow tribesmen. Attention may be drawn to some instances by way of illustration. Uthman bin Affan was of Banu Umayya, and was a person of