بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Circle 6: Propaganda ‘Libel’ Against the Prophet (saw) and his Da’wah
In this halaqa we will discuss on the second tactic used by the Quraysh against the Prophet’s (saw) da’wah which is Propaganda ‘Libel’ against the Prophet (saw) and his Qur’anic da’wah.
When the Quraysh realized that nothing could prevent the Prophet (saw) from his call, they started mocking, ridiculing and repudiating him, through alleging him of witchcraft, sorcery, poetry, and sometimes fabrication. The Qur’an documented all these claims as follows; Allah (swt) said:
بَلْ قَالُوا أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلَامٍ بَلِ افْتَرَاهُ بَلْ هُوَ شَاعِرٌ فَلْيَأْتِنَا بِآيَةٍ كَمَا أُرْسِلَ الْأَوَّلُونَ
But they say, “[The revelation is but] a mixture of false dreams; rather, he has invented it; rather, he is a poet. So let him bring us a sign just as the previous [messengers] were sent [with miracles].
[Al-Anbya 21:5]
أمْ يَقُولُونَ شَاعِرٌ نَتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ رَيْبَ الْمَنُونِ
Or do they say [of you], “A poet for whom we await a misfortune of time?”
[At-Tur: 30]
وَقَالُوا يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِي نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَجْنُونٌ
And they say, “O you upon whom the message has been sent down, indeed you are mad.
[Al-Hijr: 6]
After the documentation of their propaganda they were refuted by the Qur’an as follows; Allah (swt) said:
فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِمَا تُبْصِرُونَ
So I swear by what you see
وَمَا لَا تُبْصِرُونََ
And what you do not see
إنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ
[That] indeed, the Qur’an is the word of a noble Messenger.
وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَا تُؤْمِنُونَ
And it is not the word of a poet; little do you believe.
وَلَا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
Nor the word of a soothsayer; little do you remember.
تَنْزِيلٌ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
[It is] a revelation from the Lord of the worlds.
وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الْأَقَاوِيلِ
And if Muhammad had made up about Us some [false] sayings,
لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ
We would have seized him by the right hand;
ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَ
Then We would have cut from him the aorta.
فَمَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ حَاجِزِينَ
And there is no one of you who could prevent [Us] from him.
وَإِنَّهُ لَتَذْكِرَةٌ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
And indeed, the Qur’an is a reminder for the righteous.
وَإِنَّا لَنَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مِنْكُمْ مُكَذِّبِينَ
And indeed, We know that among you are deniers.
وَإِنَّهُ لَحَسْرَةٌ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ
And indeed, it will be [a cause of] regret upon the disbelievers.
وَإِنَّهُ لَحَقُّ الْيَقِينِ
And indeed, it is the truth of certainty.
فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ
So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great
[Al-Haaqqa: 38-52]
The Qur’an clearly exemplified the stand of Waleed bin Mughira. He represented people who ridiculed the da’wah; those who when they came to seek from him a word against the Qur’an which the Quraysh would agree on and face with it visitors who come for pilgrimage should they ask them about the Prophet (saw) and the Qur’an. Allah (swt) said:
كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ لِآيَاتِنَا عَنِيدًا
No! Indeed, he has been toward Our verses obstinate.
سَأُرْهِقُهُ صَعُودًا
I will cover him with arduous torment.
إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ
Indeed, he thought and deliberated.
فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ
So may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.
ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ
Then may he be destroyed [for] how he deliberated.
ثُمَّ نَظَرَ
Then he considered [again];
ثُمَّ عَبَسَ وَبَسَرَ
Then he frowned and scowled;
ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ
Then he turned back and was arrogant
فَقَالَ إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا سِحْرٌ يُؤْثَرُ
And said, “This is not but magic imitated [from others].
إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ
This is not but the word of a human being.
سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ
I will drive him into Saqar.
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا سَقَرُ
And what can make you know what is Saqar?
لَا تُبْقِي وَلَا تَذَرُ
It lets nothing remain and leaves nothing [unburned],
لَوَّاحَةٌ لِلْبَشَرِ
Blackening the skins.
[Al-Muddaththir: 16 – 29]
Finally, after all these difficulties, efforts, and strains, Waleed bin Mughira uttered his last words about the Qur’an; which confirm nothing except the miracles of the Qur’an and its highest status. Waleed said:
“By Allah I have heard words from Muhammad which are neither from human, nor from Jinn. By Allah his words are so sweet, very attractive, they are like a tree with lots of fruits on it and with strong roots. Indeed, they are high above and nothing could come on top of them”.
It will continue in UQAB Issue 11… In Shaa Allah.