The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page cxlviii
GENERAL INTRODUCTION Şafa, a hill near the Ka'bah. The Meccan chief Abū Jahl, the Prophet's arch- enemy, passed by and began to pour vile abuse on him. The Prophet said nothing and went home. A woman-slave of his household was a witness to this distressing scene. Ḥamzah, the Prophet's uncle, a brave man feared by all his townsmen, returned home from a hunt in the jungle and entered the house proudly, his bow hung on his shoulder. The woman-slave had not forgotten the morning scene. She was disgusted to see Ḥamzah walk home thus. She taunted him, saying that he thought himself brave and went about armed but knew not what Abū Jahl had done to his innocent nephew in the morning. Hamzah heard an account of the morning incident. Though not a believer, he possessed nobility of character. He may have been impressed by the Prophet's Message, but not to the extent of joining openly. When he heard of this wanton attack by Abū Jahl, he could not hold back. His hesitancy about the new Message was gone. He began to feel that so far he had been too casual about it. He made straight for the Ka'bah, where the chiefs of Mecca were wont to meet and confer. He took his bow and struck Abū Jahl hard. "Count me from today a follower of Muḥammad," he said. "You abused him this morning because he would say nothing. If you are brave, come out and fight me. " Abū Jahl was dumbfounded. His friends rose to help but, afraid of Hamzah and his tribe, Abū Jahl stopped them, thinking an open fight would cost too dearly. He was really to blame, he said, about the morning incident (Hisham and Ṭabarī). The Message of Islam Opposition continued to mount. At the same time the Prophet and his followers were doing all they could to make plain to the Meccans the Message of Islam. It was a many-sided Message and of great ultimate significance, not only for Arabs but for the whole world. It was a Message from God. It said: The Creator of the world is One. None else is worthy of worship. The Prophets have ever believed Him to be One, and taught their followers so. Meccans should give up all images and idols. Did they not see that the idols could not even remove the flies which dropped on the offerings laid at their feet? If they were attacked they could not repel. If they had a question put to them, they could not answer. If they were asked for help, they could do nothing. But the One God helped those who asked for His help, answered those who addressed Him in prayer, subjugated His enemies, and raised those who abased themselves before Him. When light came from Him, it illumined His devotees. Why then did the Meccans neglect Him and turn to lifeless images and idols and waste their lives? Did they not see that their want of faith in cxxii