Countering Islamic Propaganda: Abu Jahl, Umaiya and Sa'd's Death Threat

TheReligionofPeace

TROP is a non-political, fact-based site which examines the ideological threat that Islam poses to human dignity and freedom

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Persecution in Medina?

A Muslim from Medina
Threatened in Mecca

From Discover the Truth:

These authentic reports thoroughly debunk the baseless and fictitious claims made by some, that when Muhammad (p) moved to Medina, he just went on robbing and looting the Quraysh caravans. On the contrary, history is supreme witness that the hostilities were started by the Quraysh when they continuously persecuted the Muslims to the extent that they made them flee their birth-place to Medina. No sooner the Muslims fled the Meccan persecution to Medina, then the Meccans followed them there still to threaten and declare war against them. Hence, the Muslims, 1400 years ago, had no choice but to defend their community for survival. And this was the cause and the beginning of the hostilities.
(January 22, 2016)

What the Apologists Want You to Believe

A Muslim from Medina went to Mecca and was threatened with death by a Quraish leader - according to DTT. From this, we are supposed to assume that trading routes from Mecca were passing freely through Muslim terroritory without harassment, and that the Meccans were the ones who provoked an armed conflict.

What They Offer as Proof

An authentic hadith verse from Sahih Bukhari does indeed say that a Muslim from Medina (Sa'd) was in Mecca following the hijra and got into a heated argument with a Quraish leader (Abu Jahl). The Quraish leader pointed out that this Muslim (a prominent leader in Medina) was wandering around Mecca safely while giving shelter to Muhammad.

Abu Jahl then told Sa'd that had he not been in the company of Umaiya (another Quraish), he would not be safe to come and go as he pleased. In anger, Sa'd issued a personal threat to cut off Abu Jahl's trading route through Medina (Muhammad's territory) - thus implying that the caravans had been passing unhindered to that point.

What They Leave Out and Why They are WrongWhy They are Wrong

There were two haj events between the hijra (when Muhammad fled Mecca) and the Battle of Badr. By the second haj, Muhammad had begun raiding and killing the Quraish. DTT therefore poses that this episode, involving Sa'd, occurred a year earlier during the first haj.

By this time, Sa'd had made a military alliance with Muhammad against the people of Mecca, which left the Quraish feeling unsafe. It was therefore not unreasonable that he be confronted by Abu Jahl.

The full verse paints a much different picture than DTT suggests. Sa'd was a guest of another prominent Quraish, Umaiya, at the time, suggesting that relations between the two groups had been friendly prior to Muhammad stirring up trouble. Rather than play the role of polite guest, Sa'd began shouting at Abu Jahl and threatening to cut off his trading routes. It is within this context that the counter threat occurred.

There are actually two sahih chains of narration recorded by Bukhari. Only one says that Abu Jahl implied that Sa'd was 'unsafe" had he not been a guest of Umaiya. Interestingly, both chains record the threat that Sa'd made against his Quraish host, Umaiya. When the latter, who was literally protecting Sa'd at that moment, intervened in the argument to tell Sa'd not to shout at Abu Jahl, Umaiya himself was told that Muhammad had said he would kill him.

Yes, according to the same verses employed by DTT to prove a supposed death threat against a Muslim from Medina is evidence that Muhammad had been plotting to kill the Quraish. How inconvenient for Discover the Truth!

The Muslim, Sa'd, was allowed to perform the haj and return safe and sound, even though harboring a sworn enemy of his hosts. His friend Umaiya was murdered, mutilated and thrown down a well by the prophet of Islam about a year later - along with his son.

In the end, this passage does not prove that the Muslims were under persecution in Medina. It proves that they were allowed to perform the pilgrimage in Mecca - and conducted themselves ungraciously despite the tolerance shown by their hosts.

Neither does this refute or profide justification for Muhammad's caravan raids. The Sira records that they began unnecessarily a few months later and had become deadly by the next haj. Nothing in this verse contradicts that.

If anything, the verse shows that Muhammad seethed with bitterness over his eviction and was plotting to kill those responsible - which he later did.

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List of Attacks

Persecution in Medina?

A Muslim from Medina Threatened in Mecca

From Discover the Truth:

What the Apologists Want You to Believe

What They Offer as Proof

What They Leave Out and Why They are WrongWhy They are Wrong

Further Readings">Further Reading

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A Muslim from Medina
Threatened in Mecca