§Persecution of Muslims
§Summayah & Yassir
The next few years
for the Muslims were extremely difficult. They were difficult for the Prophet
Muhammad (sw) also.
People in Makkah started making up rumours
about the Prophet. They thought he was a magician or was doing black magic.
They didn’t
understand how he could come
up with such beautiful Quranic words.
They also could not
understand how more and more people were becoming Muslims.
They offered the
Prophet (sw) money and wealth to stop teaching Islam as they were scared.
But the Prophet (sw) replied:
‘I am not possessed nor do I want honour or power. God has sent me
to you as a messenger’…
Allah also defended
Him (sw) in the Qur’aan.
But the leaders of Quraysh kept insulting Him (sw), they called him insane,
possessed and a sorcerer.
Abu Jahl even made his sons who
were married to the Prophet’s daughters divorce them.
His proper name was Amr, nicknamed Abu Lahab & Abu Al-Hakam.
Abu Jahl stopped insulting the
Prophet (sw) when his uncle Abu Hamza said he had become Muslim. Everyone was afraid of him as he was
very strong and powerful.
He and Abu Talib protected the Prophet(sw). Although the leaders and
chiefs turned to the weak Muslims as targets of abuse now.
The tribe leaders
starting attacking and oppressing the Muslims, especially the weak ones.
One example is of
Bilal (rd) who was a slave and tied up by his master. He was tortured by
being tied up on the hot desert sand with a huge rock placed on his chest.
They wanted him to
give up his belief in Tawheed, but he kept saying ‘God is One.’
Abu Bakr (rd) freed Bilal by paying
gold coins to his master. Bilal (rd) was an extremely pious
Muslim with such strong Imaan (faith).
He later became the
first ‘Muadhin’ of the Masjid in Medina.
As he had the most beautiful voice.
Abu Bakr (rd
) freed many other slaves that converted to Islam.
A man named Ammar became Muslim after
attending meetings in al-Arqam’s house. This is where the Muslims would come and listen to the
Prophet (sw) secretly.
They had to hide
their beliefs in case of being attacked.
His parents Sumayyah and Yassir also accepted Islam after Ammar taught them about it.
Abu Jahl targeted this family next.
He tied up Ammar’s mother and father outside in the sun and beat them over and over
again.
Like Bilal, they
kept saying Allah is one ‘Lailaha ilalaah’ and would not give up.
The Prophet (sw) once walked by them and
said: ‘Be strong Yaser’s
family, our meeting point is in Paradise.’
Sumayyah never gave up her belief & insulted Abu Jahl. He got so angry that he
stabbed her to death.
Still furious he
then killed her husband Yassir by beating him to death.
They were the first
Martyrs in Islam,
Shaheed. They died for Allah & gave their life for Islam. And
Allah has promised
them
Jannah in return.
