Stories from Early Islam — Page 75
Fear Not, God is with Us When the opponents of the Holy Prophet saw saw that Islam was making progress and that there was a steady increase in the number of Muslims, they were greatly provoked. They had employed all means of persecution to stop progress, as they considered Islam to be a definite threat to their way of life and to their beliefs and doctrines. No one was secure against per- secution, not even the Prophet saw himself. The worst affected were the slaves who accepted Islam. Their masters inflicted unbearable torments upon them in vain attempt to force them to renounce Islam. They Were taken out during the scorching heat of the mid-day sun and were made to lie down on their bare backs on the burning sands and rocks, while stones were heaped on them. Boys were incited to make them victims of their cruel sport. They would tie ropes to the ankles or the neck of a slave and drag him through the streets paved with rough stones, leaving him with bruises and cuts. As the Muslims had a strong faith, they bore all those suffer- ings with patience and remained steadfast. There came a time when life was made so impossible for them in Makkah, that they decided to migrate. They went to Yathrib, where Islam had spread already and Muslims were living peacefully. Family after family left the city and made their way to Yathrib secretly. Sometimes a whole street would be emptied in the course of one night. In the morning the Makkans would see