The Holy Prophet (S) did so and then the events that you...

The Holy Prophet (S) did so and then the events that you have heard about took place. This struck terror into the hearts of the chiefs of Quraysh and its wealthy and powerful people. The first thing that they did was to try and bribe the Holy Prophet (S). They went to Abi Talib and told him that if his nephew wanted leadership, they were prepared to grant the Holy Prophet (S) absolute authority over their community.

"If he wants wealth, we will give him so much wealth that he becomes wealthier than all of us. If he wants to be a king, we will appoint him as our king. Just ask him to stop saying these things." Being concerned about the safety of the Holy Prophet (S) and his enemies' plots, Abi Talib went to him and told him the message of the chiefs of Mecca. He probably gave the Holy Prophet (S) some advice and recommended that he tone down his remarks to some extent.

Maybe he told the Prophet (S) that his dogged persistence was unnecessary. "Dear uncle, even if they place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left to prevent me from achieving this goal, I swear by Allah that I will not do as they say until God grants us victory over them or until we all get killed," [^2] the Holy Prophet (S) replied. Then the Holy Prophet's (S) eyes were filled with tears and he stood up to leave.

Having observed this faith and steadfastness, Abi Talib was impressed and said, "Dear nephew, go and say whatever you like." He told him to pursue his goal. "I swear by God that I will not give you away, no matter what I receive in return." This steadfastness bred more steadfastness. This steadfastness on the part of the Holy Prophet (S) strengthened the roots of steadfastness in the heart of Abi Talib.

Pursuing the goals, not fearing the enemy, not being tempted by what the enemy has to offer and not being dependent on the privileges that the enemy offers to prevent one from following the path one believes in, give rise to resistance, peace of mind and trust in one’s divine path and goal and in Allah the Exalted. There were not more than thirty or forty of them. These thirty or forty people tolerated all those hardships and increased in number on a daily basis.

Each day they were witness to what they did to Ammar and Bilal. They were witness to the torturing and martyrdom of Sumayyah and Yasir. They were witness to these things, but they still converted to Islam. That is the way truth is promoted.