ALL KINDS OF OPPRESSIONS AND BOYCOTTS

The activities aimed at preventing the conveyance of the Qur’an were not limited to this alone, but they also resorted to many forms of oppression and persecution never even dreamt of. Many, including Bilal al-Habashi, Ammar ibn Yasir, Suhayb ar-Rumi, and from among the women Nahdiyah and Umm Abis were subjected to persecution. While the Prophet was praying in the mosque, Uqba threw the intestines of a camel onto his back. In view of these events, the Muslims initially considered migrating to Abyssinia, thus the migration to Abyssinia began.

Abu Bakr set out on the journey, and on the way he met Ibn ad-Daghina. Ibn ad-Daghina asked Abu Bakr where he was heading, he replied: “The Quraysh have driven me out of my homeland, I am going to a place where I can worship my Lord in peace and liberty.”

Ibn ad-Daghina said: “You are a worthy, honorable man who respects his family, helps the poor and destitute, entertains his guests generously,” and told Abu Bakr to return to his homeland and remain in Mecca.

The Quraysh agreed on the condition that Abu Bakr abstained from reciting the Qur’an in public.

Abu Bakr continued to recite the Qur’an in a room of his house. When the women and younger members of the society began to abandon the belief of their forefathers on hearing Abu Bakr’s recitation of the Qur’an, the polytheists went to Ibn ad-Daghina and complained in an attempt of silencing the Book of Allah.

On another occasion, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud was beaten by the polytheists until his face was bruised and covered in blood for reciting the Qur’an aloud in the Ka’ba.

This is generally how the days passed, however, the Quraysh’s oppression towards the Muslims was increasing with every passing day.

Powerful and highly respected men such as Abu Bakr, Hamza and Umar embracing Islam alarmed the Quraysh immensely, and in 617 CE they declared a boycott against the families of Hashim and Muttalib, they were to cease the establishment of family ties, they were not to exchange their daughters in marriage or trade with these two families. An extremely difficult three years passed, and eventually the boycott ended in 619 CE.

In 620 CE the Prophet travelled to Taif in the hope of conveying Islam, but nobody listened to his call. The habitants of the city stoned the Prophet until he was covered in blood, and he departed from the city in a state of grief.

 

Akgul, Muhittin. Tafsir: An Introduction to Qur’anic Exegesis. Tughra Books Press, Inc. 2013