Chief of the Prophets

Chief of the Prophets — Page 77

Chapter Five 77 Visits with Different Tribes When the people of Makkah and Ṭā’if refused to listen to the message of God, Muḥammad sa turned his attention towards other tribes. The best occasion to reach out to the other tribes would be the fairs of ‘Ukāẓ, Majinnah, and Dhul-Majāz, as well as the days of the Ḥajj. The Quraish became increasingly apprehensive that the people participating in these fairs may be influenced by Muḥammad sa. Therefore, Abū Lahab made it a habit to follow Muḥammad sa around to counter his influence. The same was the case with Abū Jahl, but the Messenger of God would go to every tent, and deliver the message of the Lord of all the worlds. Most of the people would reject him, but some pious-natured people would accept. 1 To call in every direction is our duty today, The pious-natured would eventually listen. 2 This period was extremely challenging for Muḥammad sa. Whichever tribe he went to greeted him with derision, mocked him, and ridiculed him. One tribe would throw stones at him, and the other would turn their back by calling him names. The truth is: Inviting every loose talker is not an easy task. Every step is treacherous; every path is a forest full of thorns. 3 While meeting various tribes at the time of Ḥajj , he came across a few people from the tribe of Banū Khazraj. They had come from Yathrib to request Quraish’s help in the preparation of the Battle of Bu‘āth. Muḥammad sa invited them to Islam. One of them said, “By God, the cause of Muḥammad sa is better than our cause. ” But the leader of the group stopped him. 1 The Qur’ān, Rūm 30: 1 to 11. 2 Durr-e-Thamīn, a collection of Urdu poems by Ḥa. rat Mirzā Ghulam Aḥmad as. [Publisher] 3 Durr-e-Thamīn, a collection of Urdu poems by Ḥa. rat Mirzā Ghulam Aḥmad as. [Publisher]