ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Beacons of Life The Associators Plot Against the Prophet; the Prophet Migrates To Medina; and the Jubilation of the Ansar At His Arrival . The Signs Which were Revealed Concerning His Prophethood, and Other Events of His Life Until He was Commanded to Fight. Following these events, the people of Quraysh assembled in the House of Assembly (Daru'n-Nadwah), where forty of their notables were present.

It was the custom that no one was allowed to enter that house until he was over forty years of age, except `Utbah ibn Rabi `ah, even though he was less than forty years old. The accursed Satan came to them in the image of an old man. The door-keeper asked him: "Who are you?" "I am an old man of Najd", Satan replied. He asked permission to enter, and was permitted to do so.

He then addressed the people saying: "I have come to know about your meeting regarding that man (that is, Muhammad) and have therefore come to advise you, so that you should not lose the opportunity of having my sound advice." When they had all taken their seats, Abu Jahl spoke and said: "O people of Quraysh, there was once no one among the Arabs with more honour than we had - living as we were in the safety of Allah's sanctuary. The Arabs came to us from far and wide twice a year.

No one coveted our fortunes until Muhammad grew up among us. Because of his goodness, we called him `al-Amin' (the Trustworthy). Then he claimed to be the Messenger of the Lord of all beings. He insulted our gods and mocked us as men of foolish mind. He corrupted our youth, and dissolved our unity. My opinion is that we should send a man secretly to assassinate him.

If the people of Hashim demand the price of his blood, we will give them the blood price of ten men." Satan retorted: "This is bad advice, for the sons of Hashim would never allow Muhammad's assassin to walk on the earth. Wars would then be waged between you and them in your sanctuary." Another man said: "We should rather imprison him in a house, which he would not be allowed to leave. We would provide him with essential food until he dies, as did Zuhayr and an-Nabighah.

[^43] Satan rejected this view: "The sons of Hashim would never agree to this course of action", he objected. He went on: "When the pilgrimage season of the Arabs comes, they would all gather against you until they release him.