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Kaleef K. Karim

For far too long critics and those have hatred towards Muslims generally have down-played the history around the Muslims who suffered persecution and murder in the early period of Makkah (Mecca). Modern critics of Islam have down-played or falsified that part of history in order to make the Muslims in Madinan period as the aggressors when they retaliated against their persecutors. It is important to note that the early Muslims faced a lot of persecution and oppression due to them rejecting their former polytheistic faith and accepting Islam. As such, the early Muslims for years gave the message of Islam secretively to those who were near them for fear of them being being found out and persecuted. Those who had strong tribal ties via their families and converted to Islam, their lives was safer in comparison to those who didn’t. Those who didn’t have tribal connection or were from lower caste were often tortured and even murdered as a result of them abandoning their paganistic beliefs. For example, Ammar Ibn Yasir’s mother, Sumayyah and father Yasir were tortured to death for them not renouncing their new faith, Islam. This was also the fate of Ammar Ibn Yasir’s brother, Abdullah. Others, who were still alive, faced a lot of torture. Bilal, Khabab and many other companions and including the Prophet (p) himself were constantly tortured and persecuted by the pagans in order to force them to abandon their Islamic faith for polytheism. The constant persecution the early Muslims faced made a group of them go into exile to Abyssinia. The remaining ones suffered relentless tortures which as a result led to the remaining ones also being forcefully exiled out of their land to Madinah.

The critics say that the Prophet (p) and his followers deserved to get tortured and murdered for merely speaking about monotheism and rejecting polytheistic beliefs. It seems that they find what Prophet Muhammed (p) preached against idolatry more grievous, more painful than Muslims getting oppressed, tortured and murdered. According to them critics, Muslims preaching and exercising their free speech deserved to be tortured and murdered. The claim that the Prophet Muhammed “reviled” the idolater’s forefathers and “insulted” their gods is based on lies. These are the words of the Quraysh which has no truth to it. This statement is similar to the one found in the Quran where the polytheists accuse the Prophet (p) of being a “soothsayer” or “sorcerer”, or a “magician” none of which were based on any evidence, but rather claims made by the polytheists to discredit the Prophet Muhammed’s character. The Prophet Muhammed (p) preached Islam to others with the best wisdom. He never reviled nor degraded any gods or their forefathers.

Below we have documented case by case incidents where companions of the Prophet (p) or himself were tortured, persecuted and murdered as a result of their conversion to Islam:

(1) – “The First Martyrs Of Islam: Sumayya Bint Khubat And Yasir“

(2) – “Uqba Ibn Abi Mu’ait Attempted To Murder Prophet Muhammed“

(3) – “Quraysh Threatening To Kill The Prophet For Teaching Monotheism“

(4) – “Bilal Ibn Rabah: Tortured By The Polytheists Of Quraysh“

(5) – “Quraysh Punishes Those Who Listen To Recitation Of The Quran“

(6) – “Quraysh Polytheists Beat Abdullah Ibn Masud For Reciting The Quran“

(7) – “Quraysh Mushriks Attempted To Murder A New Convert To Islam“

(8) – “Zubayr Ibn Awwam Endures Torture In The Hands Of Quraysh“

(9) – “Conversion To Islam And Persecution: Uthman Ibn Affan’s Early Life In Makkah“

(10) – “How Abu Jahl Stirred Up The Meccans Against Innocent Muslims“

(11) – “Khabbab Ibn Al-Aratt’s Life In Makkah: Conversion And Persecution“

(12) – “Abu Jahl’s Attempt To Assassinate The Prophet Muhammed“

(13) – “Abu Bakr And Talha Ibn Ubaydullah Tied Together“

(14) – “Arqam Ibn Abi Arqam’s Treatment In Makkah And His Exile To Abyssinia“

(15) – “Abu Lahab’s Wife Attempts To Murder The Prophet Muhammed“

(16) – “Umar Ibn al-Khattab In Pre-Islamic Days Beat Those Who Professed Islam“

(17) – “Abu Fukayhah Juhani’s Persecution“

(18) – “Suhaib Ibn Sinan Endures Persecution“

(19) – “Umar Ibn Al-Khattab Attacked For Publicly Declaring That He Became A Muslim“

(20) – “Unnamed Muslim Woman Tortured By Quraysh Idolaters“

(21) – “Abu Dharr al-Ghifari’s Persecution In The Hands Of Quraysh“

(22) – “From Persecutor To Defender: Umar Ibn al-Khattab’s Early Days“

(23) – “Ammar Ibn Yasir Persecution And Torture By The Quraysh Polytheists“

(24) – “Analysing The Incident Of Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas Shedding The First Blood”

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