Guillaume--Life of Muhammad.pdf - Radical Truth

'92 The Life of Muhammad
beside him.' They clapped their hands and said, 'Do you want to make
all the gods into one God, Muhammad? That would be an extraordinary
thing.' Then they said one to another, 'TJ.1is fellow is not going to give
you anything you want, so go and continue with the religion of your fathers
until God judge between us.' So saying they departed.
Abu Tiilib said, 'Nephew, I don't think that you asked them anything
extraordinary.' On hearing this the apostle had hopes that he would accept
Islam, and he said at once, 'You say it, uncle, and then I shall be able to
intercede for you on Resurrection Day.' Seeing the apostle's eagerness he
replied, 'Were it not that I fear that you and your father's sons would be
abused after my death and that Quraysh would think that I had only said
it in fear of death, I would say it. I should only say it to give you pleasure.'
As his death was near, al-'Abbiis looked at him as he was moving his lips
and put his ear close to him and said, 'Nephew, by God, my brother has
spoken the word you gave him to say.' The apostle replied, 'I did not
hear it. J
God revealed concerning the people who came to him with their propo-
').79 sals: '~ad. By the renowned Quran, Nay, those who disbelieve are in pride
and schism' as far as the words 'Does he make the gods one God. This is
an extraordinary thing. Their chiefs went off saying: Go and remain true
to your gods. This is a thing designed. We bave not heard of this in the
last religion,II (meaning Christians because they say) 'Verily God is the
third of three." 'This is nothing but an invention." Then Abu Tiilib died.
THE APOSTLE GOES TO THAQIF TO SEEK HELP
In consequence of the growing hostility of Quraysh after Abu Tiilib's
death the apostle went to Tii'if to seek help from Thaqif and their defence
against his tribe. Also he hoped that they would receive the message which
God had given him. He went alone.
Yazid b. Ziyiid told me from Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Quraci: 'When the
apostle arrived at al-Tii'if he made for a number of Thaqif who were at
that time leaders and chiefs, namely three brothers: 'Abdu YiilayJ, Mas'ud,
and I:Iabib, sons of 'Amr b. 'Umayr b. 'Auf b. 'Uqda b. Ghiyara b. 'Auf b.
Thaqif. One of them had a Quraysh wife of the B. Jumal). The apostle
sat with them and invited them to accept Islam and asked them to help
him against his opponents at home. One of them swore that he would tear
up the covering< of the Ka'ba if God had sent him.' The other said,
"Could not God have found someone better than you to send I" The third
said, "By God, don't let me ever speak to you. Uyou are an apostle from
God as you say you are, you are far tad-important for me to reply to, and if
you are lying against God if is not right that I should speak to you [" So
the apostle got up and went, despairing of getting any good out of Thaqif.
l Sura 38. 1-6. 1 Sura 5. ".
3 Sura 38.6. 4 For this idiom see Tab. GloH., S.V. mara!.
The Life oj Muhammad
I h 193
ave been told that -he said to ther "S' I
h
0, ,CClIlg t lat )'OU
1
have actc j
ave, (eep the mattcr secret" f h 1 h . -( as you
about it so that t _ , ,o~ e was oat that his people should hear
But they' did not hde y \\OUldd be stldll further emboldened against him (225)
a so an stine up their 10 t' d 1 . . 280
and cry after him'l .' u S an s aves to lI1sult him
refuge~in an ()rch'1~~\1)e~o~lr~\\dca~1~ together, and compelled him to take
who \\ie . . , 'I . gll;~5 to t. tha h. Rahi'a and hIS hrother Shavba
and he ~l~~eItf~l: ~~: ~l~~~i 1Fe lo~as who kId followcd him \\'cnt b~ck,
\vatched him, observing \~'h~t ~le '~1:'~I:e ~n~ S'~tl.thcre while the two men
told that tl _ ( 0 en ure rom the local louts I Was
her "\\71 :e apostle had met the wornan from the B. }umah and 'said to
I', T lat has befallen us from your husband's people:"
\\ hen the "pOstle rcachnd " 't I . 1 .
I I
. ' sa'e y 1e sal( , so I am told "0 G 1 1'1
comp am of my weakness Ii I >, .' OC, to lee
Most ?vTcrcif I Th _' tt e resource, and 10wlIDess before men. 0
u , ou art the Lord of the weak I TJ
To \vhol11 wilt Thou confide me ~ T [' an(. IOU art m,Y Lord.
. () one a ar \vho \\'111 I ' " ; ()
an enemy to \vh) TI ) . 111SlJSe me. r to
. - ,( In lOU last given pOwer Over me;: I r Tl
angry wah me I care not Thv f: " ' . .' , lOU art not
in the light of l'h . . ~