Salman ibn Fahd al-'Awdah
To restrain, kill or drive you away
IN THE SAME manner that Pharaoh unleashed a campaign of misinformation and slander against Musa, and Azar against Ibrahim in order to threaten their future and the future of their message; Prophet Muhammad encountered similar campaigns and conspiracies from the pagan Arabs after he publicly declared his call. Allah Almighty however exposed their schemes and protected His Messenger. And [remember, O Prophet] who those who were bent on denying the truth were scheming against you, in order to restrain you [from preaching], or to slay you, or to drive you away: thus they have [always] schemed: but Allah brought their scheming to naught – for Allah is above all schemers. (Surah Al-Anfal: 30)
With reference to their attempt to ‘restrain’ the Prophet, this measure was very much similar to what is known today as the imposition of house arrest. For the Prophet was prevented from traveling outside of Makkah or migrating to anywhere else to propagate his message. This procedure as it was employed then also implied the consideration of imprisonment and control of the Prophet with rope and chains to the degree that he was unable to move around as he wished. The issue of murder and physical extermination was also very apparent. The other measure was that of expulsion and exile of the Prophet from his homeland. To restrain you, or slay you or drive you out” (Surah Al-Anfal: 30). This is the understanding of the verse as it was explained by Ibn Abbas and transmitted from him by Ahmad and Al-Tabarani.
And so the conspirators’ plots were foiled and the end result will be with the Prophet and his believing followers till the day of Judgement. In confronting the Prophet, never did Quraysh think that they were opposing a man whose followers Allah had destined to become millions in every age, or that they were opposing someone whose name would be resounded from minarets five times a day in the East as well as the West.
It never occurred to the polytheists who fought the Chosen Prophet that hundreds of years after his death his followers would become such a force that the powers of the Earth would always be apprehensive and conspiratorial about them. It never crossed their minds that the Islamic lands would erupt in anger because a vile individual had decided to abuse the persons of Allah’s Messenger . As was the case with the British writer Rushdie after he wrote his book “The Satanic Verses’ which maligned the Prophet Muhammad , his blessed wives, (mothers of the faithful), and his noble companions. Angry demonstrators flooded onto the streets and capitals of countries throughout the world. Calls were made for his trial and execution even in western countries. As for Rushdie himself, he went into hiding out of fear of Muslim anger. The publishing house which published the book also bore the consequences. Yet Muslim rage has never subsided because of this provocation in which the culprit violated the person of the Prophet; the greatest and most beloved individual to Muslims everywhere.
Episodes like this expose and maliciousness of those who combat the Prophet and his Call through deception and hypocrisy. They praise the Prophet with their tongues, staging official celebrations to mark historical occasions in his life – his birthday, emigration, Night Journey and Ascent and other innovated practices. They sing songs of praise about the Prophet and yet they resist his law, his message and religion so as to diminish its presence in society. They oppose those who call to this way through outrageous schemes which expose their sick souls whilst they shroud with external tribute to the Prophet.
