Page 136 - Self-Sacrifice in the Qur'an's Moral Teachings

Self-Sacrifice in the Qur'an's Moral Teachings

increased their opposition. Due to Abu Talib's position within the tribe
and the protection he extended to the Prophet (saas), the Qurayshi
leaders had hesitated to move against our Prophet (saas). But now that
Abu Talib was dead, they resorted to all manner of pressure, suppres-

sion, torture, threats, and cruelty to stop him and prevent the Muslims
from practicing their religion.
After ten years of preaching, the still increasing levels of verbal
and physical oppression caused our Prophet (saas) to decide to address
the tribes who lived outside of Mecca. With Zayd ibn Harith (ra), he
went to Ta'if to invite the Thaqif tribe to accept Islam and protect the
Muslims from the Qurayshi unbelievers. He stayed with them for ten
days, explaining Islam to the tribal leaders. But the people of Ta'if wor-
shipped Lat, and none of them accepted his message. He spoke to each
leader individually, but saw that they were ignorant, arrogant, and
hostile, and endured their bad treatment with great patience.
Our Prophet (saas) tried every way to protect the Muslims living
in Mecca, where each Muslim was living under the threat of death, tor-
ture, starvation, or exile. He showed his superior moral character by
walking to Ta'if and doing all he could to show them the true way.
Even though they treated him badly, he endured all of these things so
that Islam would spread and the Muslims would be secure.
When he returned to Mecca, our Prophet (saas) saw that the
Muslims were more oppressed than ever. So, he began to preach the
message to the Arab tribes who visited Mecca to perform the pilgrim-

age in its proper season and to attend Mecca's periodic festivals. He ex-
plained the Qur'an to them and invited them to accept Islam with great
patience and trust, all the while enduring whatever abuse was thrown
at him by Abu Lahab and other unbelievers.

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