Table of Contents
The Testing of Faith in Makkah
When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ began to call his people to the worship of Allah alone, Makkah became a place of intense tension and hardship. The early Muslim community was very small, poor, and politically weak. Those who believed suffered many forms of persecution, but they were taught to respond with patience, trust in Allah, and steadfastness upon the truth.
This period is essential to understand the Prophetic mission because it shows how faith is tested and purified, and how believers are trained to rely on Allah before any worldly power or victory appears.
“Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: ‘We believe’ and will not be tested? And We certainly tested those before them, so Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful and He will surely make evident the liars.”
(Qur’an 29:2-3)
Why the Believers Were Persecuted
The Quraysh did not oppose Islam because it promoted kindness, mercy, and good character. They opposed it because it challenged their idols, their authority, and their unjust customs. The Prophet ﷺ called them to direct all worship to Allah alone, to abandon idols, to stop cheating, burying daughters alive, and oppressing the weak.
“And they say, ‘Shall we abandon our gods for a mad poet?’
Rather, he has come with the truth and confirmed the messengers.”
(Qur’an 37:36-37)
The chief leaders of Quraysh feared losing their religious prestige and economic advantage, because the idols around the Ka‘bah brought them trade and status. When the Prophet ﷺ recited:
“Say: He is Allah, One.
Allah, the Self-Sufficient.
He neither begets nor is born.
And there is none comparable to Him.”
(Qur’an 112:1-4)
this simple message of Tawḥīd threatened their entire system. The persecution that followed was not random cruelty. It was an attempt to force the Muslims to abandon Tawḥīd and to return to their old ways.
Types of Persecution in Makkah
The early Muslims faced both psychological and physical harm. Some believers were protected by their tribes, so they faced mockery, boycotts, and social pressure. Others were slaves or poor and had no tribal protection, so they were tortured openly.
Allah described how the disbelievers of Makkah tried various methods to stop the message:
“And those who disbelieve say to those who believe, ‘Follow our way, and we will carry your sins.’ But they will not carry anything of their sins. Indeed, they are liars.”
(Qur’an 29:12)
They tried bribery and compromise. They offered the Prophet ﷺ leadership, wealth, and marriage if he would stop criticizing their idols. He ﷺ replied in clear terms, as reported in authentic narrations, that even if they placed the sun in his right hand and the moon in his left, he would not abandon this call until Allah made it victorious or he perished in the effort.
Some specific forms of persecution included beating, being dragged in the streets, tying believers under the burning sun, placing heavy stones on their chests, public humiliation, and social boycotts. Families were divided when some members believed and others remained upon the old religion.
Allah reminded the believers that they were not the first to be persecuted, in order to strengthen them:
“Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while there has not yet come to you the example of those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, ‘When is the help of Allah?’ Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.”
(Qur’an 2:214)
The Example of Bilāl and the Weak
Among the most famous examples is Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ رضي الله عنه, an Abyssinian slave who accepted Islam. His master Umayyah ibn Khalaf tortured him in the scorching desert, placed a huge stone on his chest, and demanded that he deny Allah and praise the idols. Bilāl repeatedly answered with one word, “Aḥad, Aḥad,” meaning “One, One,” affirming that Allah is One.
The Prophet ﷺ later praised Bilāl and heard the sound of his footsteps ahead of him in Paradise, as mentioned in authentic reports, which shows how Allah honors those who persevere through hardship for His sake.
Another example is the family of Yāsir. ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir, his father Yāsir, and his mother Sumayyah رضي الله عنهم were among the earliest Muslims. They were tortured severely. Sumayyah was killed and became the first martyr in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ passed by them during their suffering and said:
“Be patient, O family of Yāsir, for your promised place is Paradise.”
(Reported by al-Ḥākim and others, with supporting chains)
This teaches that suffering in the path of Allah is not forgotten. It is recorded and rewarded.
The Mockery and Verbal Abuse of the Prophet ﷺ
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself was insulted, called a sorcerer, a liar, and possessed. They placed animal intestines on his back while he was in prostration, and they tried to strangle him while he was praying at the Ka‘bah. Yet he responded with dignity, du‘ā, and perseverance.
Allah comforted him through revelation:
“We certainly know that your heart is truly distressed by what they say.
So glorify the praise of your Lord and be of those who prostrate.
And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death).”
(Qur’an 15:97-99)
He ﷺ also made du‘ā for his enemies. In one report he said:
“O Allah, forgive my people, for they do not know.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)
This is a high level of patience and mercy, seeking their guidance instead of personal revenge.
The Boycott of Banū Hāshim
When tribal pressure and torture did not stop the message, the Quraysh leaders agreed on a harsh social and economic boycott against the Prophet ﷺ, his clan Banū Hāshim, and all those who supported him, whether Muslim or not. They wrote a pact and hung it inside the Ka‘bah, agreeing not to trade with them, not to marry them, and not to sit with them.
For about three years, the Prophet ﷺ and his family were confined in a valley known as Shi‘b Abī Ṭālib. Food became so scarce that the cries of hungry children could be heard from outside. Some companions reported that they were forced to eat leaves of trees.
This period was a test of patience both for the Muslims and for those non-Muslim relatives who protected the Prophet ﷺ out of honor and kinship. Eventually, some compassionate individuals in Makkah felt the cruelty was too severe, and the boycott ended.
Allah reminded the believers that provision is in His Hand, not in the hands of people who try to starve or control them:
“And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and its place of storage. All is in a clear record.”
(Qur’an 11:6)
The Year of Sorrow
Shortly after the boycott ended, the Prophet ﷺ experienced a deeply painful time. His beloved wife Khadījah رضي الله عنها passed away. She had been his closest supporter since the beginning of revelation. Then his uncle Abū Ṭālib died. Although he did not accept Islam, Abū Ṭālib had protected the Prophet ﷺ from many physical harms because of tribal customs.
With both of them gone, the Prophet ﷺ lost two pillars of support, one in his home and one in his society. This year became known as “the Year of Sorrow.” Yet, instead of giving up, he turned more fully to Allah and continued the mission.
Allah taught him the correct perspective on hardship and success:
“So indeed, with hardship is ease.
Indeed, with hardship is ease.
So when you have finished [your duties], then stand up [for worship].
And to your Lord direct all your longing.”
(Qur’an 94:5-8)
The repetition shows that with every difficulty there are multiple forms of ease, in this life and the next.
The Journey to Ṭā’if
Seeking new support for the message, the Prophet ﷺ went to the nearby town of Ṭā’if. He approached its leaders, invited them to Islam, and asked them to protect him. Instead of welcoming him, they mocked him and incited the children and foolish people to throw stones at him.
He ﷺ left Ṭā’if wounded and bleeding. In this state of pain and rejection, he raised one of the most moving supplications, expressing complete humility and trust in Allah. Part of its meaning is that he complained of his weakness, his lack of means, and his insignificance in the eyes of people, but he affirmed that as long as Allah was not angry with him, he did not mind what he faced.
Shortly after this, Allah honored him with the Night Journey (al-Isrā’ wa al-Mi‘rāj), which will be discussed in its own place. This sequence shows that intense hardship can be followed by special mercy and elevation from Allah.
Allah said:
“So be patient, as were those of determination among the messengers, and do not seek to hasten for them (punishment).”
(Qur’an 46:35)
The Prophet ﷺ thus became the perfect example of a messenger of determination who remains firm despite rejection.
The Command to Be Patient
In Makkah, the Muslims were not yet allowed to fight back physically. They were commanded to restrain themselves, to forgive, and to endure. This was not cowardice, it was training and purification, and it was due to their small numbers and weak position.
Allah repeatedly commanded the Prophet ﷺ and the believers to be patient, and promised them a reward:
“And be patient over what they say and avoid them with gracious avoidance.”
(Qur’an 73:10)
“And be patient, for indeed Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.”
(Qur’an 11:115)
Sometimes patience meant refusing to compromise on matters of belief, even when the offer seemed to promise peace. The Qur’an directly rejected the idea of “halfway” worship:
“Say: O disbelievers.
I do not worship what you worship.
Nor are you worshippers of what I worship.
Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship.
Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship.
For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”
(Qur’an 109:1-6)
True patience is remaining firm upon the truth without watering it down to please others.
The Three Forms of Patience in Makkah
During this Makkan period, the believers were trained in all three main forms of patience. Islamic scholars describe these three as:
- Patience in obeying Allah.
- Patience in avoiding what Allah has forbidden.
- Patience in accepting the painful things that Allah decrees.
All three appeared clearly in their lives. They continued to pray, recite the Qur’an, give da‘wah, and act with good character even when it was dangerous. They avoided returning to idol worship, to corrupt customs, and to immoral behavior, even under threat. They accepted poverty, insult, torture, and loss, while keeping their hearts attached to Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The believer who mixes with people and bears their harm with patience is better than the believer who does not mix with people and does not bear their harm.”
(Reported by Ibn Mājah and others, graded ḥasan)
This shows that patience is not isolation from society, but living within it while holding firmly to faith.
Glad Tidings for the Patient
During this period of persecution, many verses of the Qur’an came to give glad tidings to those who remain patient. Allah praised them and promised them special nearness and reward:
“And give glad tidings to the patient,
Those who, when a disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.’
Those are the ones upon whom