6.2 Persecution of the Muslims

A New Phase of Hardship

When the Prophet ﷺ made the call to Islam public, the opposition of Quraysh moved from mockery to open cruelty. At first, they had hoped to silence him with ridicule, arguments, and social pressure. When this failed and the number of Muslims grew, especially among the weak and the youth, Quraysh deliberately chose persecution as a policy to crush the new faith and frighten anyone who considered accepting Islam.

This persecution did not begin as a single, organized campaign from the very first day. It rose step by step, in intensity and in method. The Seerah shows that Quraysh tried almost every possible way to break the resolve of the Prophet ﷺ and his followers, but every new cruelty only brought clearer verses from the Quran and stronger patience from the believers.

Reasons Behind the Persecution

Quraysh did not attack the early Muslims simply because they believed in God. They already believed in Allah as the Creator, but they refused His exclusive right to be worshipped. The message of “La ilaha illa Allah” threatened several things that Quraysh considered essential to their way of life.

First, Islam rejected all idols. This meant an end to the religious authority of the custodians of idols and to the flow of trade that came with idol worship. Allah described their attitude:

قَالُوا أَجَعَلَ الْآلِهَةَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا ۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَيْءٌ عُجَابٌ
“They say, ‘Has he made the gods into One God? Indeed, this is a strange thing.’”
(Quran 38:5)

Second, Islam removed the false superiority of tribe and lineage and replaced it with the standard of Taqwa. This was a direct challenge to the social order of Makkah, where nobles ruled and the weak were ignored. The Prophet ﷺ recited verses that declared all people equal before Allah:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ
“O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you.”
(Quran 2:21)

Third, Quraysh feared the loss of their political standing among the Arabs. If they accepted that revelation came to Muhammad ﷺ, they would surrender the leadership they held as guardians of the Ka‘bah, and their traditions would be judged by the new revelation.

Because of all this, they decided to place maximum pressure on the followers of the Prophet ﷺ, especially those who had no tribal protection.

Who Suffered the Most

The persecution in Makkah did not fall on all believers in the same way. Some had powerful clans that could defend them, while others were slaves, freed slaves, or strangers in the city. Quraysh calculated carefully who could be harmed without fear of revenge.

Those who suffered the most were the weak and the poor. These included slaves like Bilal ibn Rabah, women such as Sumayyah bint Khayyat, and men without strong tribal backing, such as Ammar ibn Yasir and his family. The Prophet ﷺ himself was protected for a long time by his clan, Banu Hashim, through the support of his uncle Abu Talib, even though Abu Talib had not embraced Islam. This did not stop Quraysh from insulting the Prophet ﷺ, but it placed some limits on how far they could go in harming him physically.

At the same time, some nobles who accepted Islam faced a different type of persecution. They were mocked, pressured by their families, and threatened with loss of status or wealth, but physical torture was more usually reserved for those who could not defend themselves.

Forms of Torture and Abuse

The methods Quraysh used to persecute the Muslims show how determined they were to return them to disbelief. They used emotional, social, and physical torture. Some were locked in houses, deprived of food and companionship, and threatened with divorce or expulsion from the family. Others were beaten, starved, and placed under heavy weights in the burning sun.

A famous and heartbreaking example is the family of Yasir. The mother, Sumayyah, the father, Yasir, and their son, Ammar, were subjected to severe torture. They were taken out to the burning desert and forced to lie under the sun. Spears and whips were used against them to force them to curse the Prophet ﷺ and deny Allah.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by them and comforted them with words that show both his gentleness and the reward of patience. It is narrated that he ﷺ said to them:

«صَبْرًا آلَ يَاسِرٍ، فَإِنَّ مَوْعِدَكُمُ الْجَنَّةُ»
“Be patient, O family of Yasir, for your promised place is Paradise.”
(Reported by al-Hakim and others)

Sumayyah bint Khayyat refused to abandon her faith. Abu Jahl insulted her and then killed her with his spear. She is widely known by the scholars of Seerah as the first martyr in Islam. Yasir was also killed under torture. Ammar, under unbearable suffering, uttered words that his captors wanted to hear while his heart remained firm in faith. He came to the Prophet ﷺ in great distress, and Allah revealed a verse that became a principle for believers under compulsion:

إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِيمَانِ
“Except for one who is forced, while his heart is at rest with faith.”
(Quran 16:106)

Pinning Muslims to the hot sand, placing hot stones on their chests, withholding water, and beating them until they fainted became known practices among some of the chiefs of Quraysh. They wanted to turn the early acceptance of Islam into something frightening so that others would hesitate to join.

The Story of Bilal ibn Rabah

Bilal ibn Rabah, an Abyssinian slave owned by the cruel Umayyah ibn Khalaf, became one of the clearest examples of perseverance under torture. When he accepted Islam and declared the Oneness of Allah, Umayyah reacted with rage. He took Bilal to the open desert at midday, laid him on his back on the burning ground, and placed a huge stone on his chest so he could barely breathe. He then ordered him to give up Islam and praise the idols.

Bilal answered with a single word that became a symbol of Tawhid and steadfastness:

أَحَدٌ أَحَدٌ
“One, One.”

He repeated this again and again. His body was weak but his faith was strong. The people would gather to watch and mock, but every time they heard him say “Ahad, Ahad” their anger grew. They could not understand how a slave, weakened by torture, could refuse to bend.

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رضي الله عنه saw what was happening to Bilal and felt deep pain for him. He went to Umayyah and offered to buy Bilal. Umayyah, seeing Bilal as worthless, agreed. After the purchase, Abu Bakr set Bilal free for the sake of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ praised this action and it became known that many early weak Muslims were freed by the spending and kindness of Abu Bakr.

Later, when the Muslims became stronger, the honor of Bilal increased. He became the first mu’adhdhin of Islam and stood on the roof of the Ka‘bah calling the Adhan at the conquest of Makkah, while many of those who had beaten him were forced to hear his voice raised in the praise of Allah alone.

Social and Economic Pressure

Not all persecution took the shape of visible torture. Quraysh also used social and economic tools. Many Muslims were cut off from trade and employment. Some faced boycotts from relatives who would no longer buy from them or sell to them. Business partnerships were broken. Others were disinherited, and young men and women were threatened that they would lose the right to marry within their tribe.

Parents locked their sons in their houses to stop them from attending the gatherings of the Prophet ﷺ. Some women were confined and constantly warned that they would be divorced or separated from their children if they did not leave Islam. Young converts were told that they would be stripped of their share of family wealth.

This social persecution was extremely painful in a tribal culture where belonging to one’s clan meant safety, respect, and survival. For many of the early believers, accepting Islam meant choosing loneliness and poverty over comfort and acceptance. Allah praised this sacrifice in the Quran:

وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا فِي اللَّهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُوا
“And those who emigrated for Allah after they had been wronged...”
(Quran 16:41)

Even before the physical act of migration to Madinah, leaving idols and family customs for the sake of Allah was a kind of inner hijrah, a migration of the heart from the old ways to the new truth.

How the Prophet ﷺ Responded

During this period, the Prophet ﷺ did not allow his followers to respond with violence or revenge. He was commanded by Allah to focus on calling, teaching, and building faith. The Quran revealed in Makkah frequently called the believers to patience, trust in Allah, and leaving the final judgment to Him.

Allah said:

فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا
“So be patient with a beautiful patience.”
(Quran 70:5)

He also said:

ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ
“Repel [evil] with that which is best.”
(Quran 41:34)

The Prophet ﷺ used to console the companions by reminding them of previous prophets and the trials of their followers. One narration mentions that he ﷺ said to a companion complaining of the persecution:

«قَدْ كَانَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ يُؤْخَذُ الرَّجُلُ فَيُحْفَرُ لَهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيُجْعَلُ فِيهَا، فَيُجَاءُ بِالْمِنْشَارِ فَيُوضَعُ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ فَيُشَقُّ بِاثْنَيْنِ، وَيُمَشَّطُ بِأَمْشَاطِ الْحَدِيدِ مَا دُونَ لَحْمِهِ وَعَظْمِهِ، مَا يَصُدُّهُ ذَلِكَ عَنْ دِينِهِ...»
“Those before you were seized, and a pit was dug for them in the ground, then they were placed in it. A saw was brought and placed on his head and he was cut into two. And iron combs were passed over his flesh and bones. Yet this did not turn them away from their religion...”
(Reported by al-Bukhari)

Then he ﷺ promised that Allah would complete His religion and that Islam would spread, but he did not allow them at that time to take up arms in Makkah. The focus was on forming a generation whose hearts were firmly attached to Allah, not to immediate victory.

Growth of Faith Through Trials

The period of persecution shaped the character of the early Muslim community in a way that comfort could not. Every believer in Makkah knew that accepting Islam had a cost. There was no worldly advantage that came with Shahadah. This purified intentions and made faith sincere.

Allah spoke directly about the purpose of such trials:

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ
“Do people think that they will be left to say, ‘We believe’ and they will not be tested? We certainly tested those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars.”
(Quran 29:2–3)

Through torture, boycotts, and insults, Allah raised a generation of believers whose hearts did not depend on wealth or status. When the command to migrate came, and later when the command to fight in defense of the community was revealed in Madinah, these same believers were ready to sacrifice and obey.

The Makkan persecution also revealed the deep care the Prophet ﷺ held for his followers. He walked among them, comforted them, prayed for them, and searched for any path that would ease their burden, such as allowing some of them to migrate to Abyssinia. The pain of his people affected him deeply, but it never made him turn away from his mission.

The story of persecution in Makkah is therefore not only a record of cruelty. It is also a record of patience, truthfulness, and trust in Allah. It prepared the way for later stages of the Seerah, where the same people who lay on the burning sand of Makkah would stand as leaders, teachers, and carriers of Islam to the rest of the world.