One Thing That Stopped Quraysh Leaders From Accepting Islam - Our Prophet 4 - 42/71

So, they tried to negotiate with the Prophet. Nothing worked. But they did not know how to discredit the Prophet. What do we do? They wanted to know more about the Qur'an without showing their interest, right? Because they are denouncing him. You do not want to admit that there's something special about the Qur'an. So, they decided, you know what? Let us secretly eaves drop. Let us hear what this Qur'an is about so we know how to disqualify it.

So, one Hadith states that Abu Sufyan, Abu Jahal and Al-Akhnas, three elite members of Quraysh, they randomly went to the Prophet's house at night. They are like, Let us go and hear what this Qur'an is. Because we have heard Muhammad reads the Qur'an all night long while standing on his feet to the point where his feet would swell. So they go, each one goes in a corner in the midst of the night. They are not aware of each other's presence. They happen to go to the Prophet's house. They are standing behind the house of the Prophet in each direction. And they are listening.

Everyone is sleeping at night except Muhammad. He is standing on his feet. He is reciting the Qur'an in a sad, beautiful voice. He is crying out of his love for Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala. They get mesmerized. The historical accounts say, from the night till dawn, they were just there, still, hearing the words of the Holy Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi.

At daybreak they left. As they were leaving, they bumped into each other. Abu Sufyan tells Abu Jahal, hey, what are you doing here? What are you doing here? What are you doing here? And then they realize, look, keep this between us. If our people know we are coming to listen to Muhammad, that is going to encourage them to listen to Muhammad. So, we act as if this did not happen. Like, okay, Let us not expose each other.

The second night, they come back again. They were just pulled like a magnet. They heard the verses of the Prophet. The third night. After the third night, they made a pact. They made each other swear and make an oath, we will never come back to hear Muhammad. Because they really figured, you know, if we keep doing this, others will find out. We will start believing in him. Subhana Allah, look at the stubbornness. They know what he is saying is right, but they just do not want to accept the truth.

So, Al-Akhnas says, I went to see Abu Jahal. I told Abu Jahal, look, what we heard was not normal. You have to admit that. What do you make of it? The words that you heard from Muhammad, what do you make of them? Look at the words of Abu Jahal. It shows you the root cause why they rejected the Prophet. Abu Jahal said, look, Bani Hashim have high status. Bani Hashim always used to do good. Then we, other tribes, we started learning from them. They started giving charity, we started giving charity. You know, they had a position, we tried to compete with them until we became equals. Now they are high ranking, we are high ranking.

Suddenly, out of the blue, they have got someone who is a Prophet who is receiving revelation. Where the hell am I going to get revelation from? How am I going to compete with that? Jealousy! Now, Bani Hashim have a virtue I can not match. Where am I going to bring a 40-year-old man like him, who can say what he says and who can receive revelation?

Everything else, we competed with Bani Hashim. We did! We are at par with them. This I can not compete. So, I have no choice but to disqualify him. Jealousy! Subhana Allah! The reason why Quraysh rejected the Prophet, jealousy! Why him? Why did God choose him to be His Messenger? Why not me? Why not my tribe?

And the same exact reason why Muslims rejected who after the Prophet? Imam 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib, 'alayhi as-salam! Allahu Akbar, what this jealousy does? Allahu Akbar! The Hadith, says "Al-hasad ya'kulu al-Iman kama ta'kulu an-nar al-hadhab". Have you seen dry wood, how the fire devours it, consumes it? The Hadith says, 'Jealousy eats your faith like fire eats wood.' Allahu Akbar. That is true and we have seen many, many people in society, brothers and sisters, who ruined their faith because of jealousy. Family members, relatives, community members. We need to be careful. Allah does test us with jealousy.

So, they rejected, they rejected the words of the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi. Now, Walid Ibni Mughirah, he was Khalid's father. Khalid Ibn Walid, right? He also heard the words of the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi. You know, once he came to the Prophet. The Prophet read a few verses of the Qur'an. The verses of the Qur'an moved his heart. He was touched by them. But he was confused. What do I do?

So, he hurriedly went back to his people. He told them he met with some leaders of Quraysh. He is like, look, this guy's words, they are not normal. They are not the words of a human being. And then he gives beautiful descriptions of the Qur'an. He tells them, look, I am the most eloquent man in Arabia. He was known for his eloquence. No one can surpass me when it comes to eloquence, but I swear by God, "wa la Allahi inna li qawlihi halawah"-'there is the sweetness about his words', "wa inna 'alayhi la talawah"-'it is polished, it is impeccable.' "wa inna a'lahu lamuthmir, wa inna asfalahu lamughdir".

Beautiful, eloquent words in describing the Holy Qur'an. Look at the words of the Prophet-'from every direction you look at them. If you look at them from above, they are like a fruitful tree. They give you fruits, they give you something.' "wa innahu ya'lu wa ma yu'la 'alayh"-'The verses of the Qur'an, they supersede everything. Nothing can match these words.' "wa innahu la yuhattimu ma tahta"-'If you want to compare anything to the Qur'an, it destroys everything else.'

I can not say he is a poet, because his people told him, oh, you know, Walid you are our leader, you are eloquent. So come out, in public, and discredit Muhammad and say, oh, this is just poetry. People will trust you because you are a famous poet, you are very eloquent. He said, I can not, I can not. It doesn't make sense. This is not poetry! For me to say that he is a poet. I can not say that. So, he started to think and think and think. The Qur'an mentions this "Innahu fakkara wa qaddara" (74:18). The Qur'an mentions his evil mind. Even though he knew this was the truth. Look at his descriptions. But he thought and thought, how should I disqualify? How should I disqualify? Until he thought "in hadha illa sih-run yu'thar"-'this is pure sorcery, this is magic'. (74:24). That is what I am going to tell the people.

So, he made an announcement, Oh, people. You hear the words of Muhammad, right? It pulls you, right? Yes, exactly. It attracts you. Right? They did not know where he was going with this. They are like, yes, exactly. So is he right? No, this is all magic. And that is the effect of magic. People believed him. And he really did damage to the Da'wah of the Holy Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi.