Life-of-Muhammad

Life of Muhammad sa 207approaching and he was in the grip of the death agonyhe turned from side to side exclaiming: "May the curseof God descend upon those Jews and Christians whohave converted the graves of their Prophets into placesof worship" (Bukhari ). He had in mind those Jews andChristians who prostrated themselves at the graves oftheir Prophets and saints and addressed their prayers tothem, and he meant that if Muslims fell into similarpractices they would not be deserving of his prayers butwould, on the contrary, cut themselves asunder fromhim.His extreme sense of jealousy for the honour of Godhas already been referred to in the biographical portion.The people of Mecca sought to place all sorts oftemptations in his way to persuade him to give up hisopposition to idol-worship (Tabari). His uncle Abu Talibalso tried to dissuade him and expressed his fear that ifhe persisted in his denunciation of idol-worship, AbuTalib would have to choose between ceasing to give himhis protection and the bitter opposition of his people.The only reply that the Prophet sa made to his uncle onthat occasion was: "If these people were to place the sunon my right hand and the moon on my left, I would notdesist from proclaiming and preaching the Unity of God"(Zurqani ). Again, during the Battle of Uhud when aremnant of wounded Muslims were grouped round himat the foot of a hill and their enemies were giving vent totheir feeling of jubilation at having broken the Muslimranks in shouts of victory and their leader Abu Sufyan racalled out: "May Hubal (one of the idols worshipped bythe Meccans) be exalted! May Hubal be exalted!" theHoly Prophet sa , in spite of realizing that his own safetyand that of the small band of Muslims who weregathered round him lay in keeping silent could restrainhimself no longer and directed his Companions to shoutin reply, "To Allah alone belongs victory and glory! ToAllah alone belongs victory and glory!" (Bukhari ).It was a common misconception among the followersof different religions before the advent of Islam that