The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement Blog

Issue 19

Issue 19 [@17:28]: Abdullah Al-Araby – Director Pen vs. Sword publications – “Only a few relatives and friends accepted the religions at that time. And he had many foes so the revelations of that time were very peaceful.”

Rebuttal 19 – Essentially, Abdullah Al-Araby (see Issue 4) is trying to build upon Serge Trifkovic (see Issue 18) and is mocking a few details while glossing over the rest. Maybe he is referring to first three years of Muhammad’s ministry, out of the thirteen in Makkah, when he preached only to a limited circle and by then the converts had increased to forty. [Muhammad the Prophet – p. 44]

Al-Araby, what must one expect in three years, but “only a few relatives and friends accepted religion at that time.” Please don’t tell us that all of the Makkah, or whole of Arabia or for that matter whole of Arab world belonged to Muhammad’s inner circle. Of course not. Despite the ever increasing physical torture and persecution, Islam had forty converts by the third year that grew to about fifty in the fifth year, but they were definitely more that twelve. Some of them were actually bodily dismembered by pulling of camels in opposite directions, others molested and killed in front of family members. Not one of them recanted. Not one of them sold Muhammad for thirty pieces of silver. Not one of them spat on Muhammad’s face. These might be your standards for fellowship of a Divine but not for Islam or in Quran or for Muhammad.

Essentially, Al-Araby implicitly is in footsteps of persecutors of Muslims in Makkah and like them he is essentially resorting to dignified sneering and jeering [Muhammad the Prophet – p. 50]. Quran addresses this kind of behavior:

83:29. Those who had severed their ties (with God) used to laugh at those who believed,
83:30. And when they passed by them (- the believers) they winked at one another (by way of ridiculously finding fault with them),
83:31. And when they returned to their companions they returned exulting with pride,
83:32. And when they saw these (Muslims) they said, `These are surely the straying ones!’

By the fifth year of the call, the number of Muslims had grown to fifty, who in the face of persecution were forced to migrate to Ethiopia:

16:41. We will certainly provide a goodly abode in this world for those who emigrated (from their homes) in the cause of Allâh after they were dealt with unjustly. And truly the reward (that they shall have) in the Hereafter is greater still. If the disbelievers but knew (it would have been much better for them).
16:42. These are those (emigrants) who patiently persevered and put their trust in their Lord (alone).

The following is a speech delivered by Jafar in the Court of King of Negus (Ethiopia). He was one of the above immigrants who were on the verge of being extradited back on the instigation of the emissary from Makkah:

“O King! we were an ignorant people, given to idolatry. We used to eat corpses even of dead animals, and to do all kinds of disgraceful things. We did not make good our obligations to our relations, and ill-treated our neighbours. The strong among us would thrive at the expense of the weak, till, at last, God sent a prophet for our reformation. His descent, his righteousness, his integrity and his piety are well-known to us. He called us to the worship of God, and exhorted us to give up idolatry and stone worship. He enjoined us to speak truth, to make good our trusts, to respect ties of kinship, and to do good to our neighbours. He taught us to shun everything foul and to avoid bloodshed. He forbade all manner of indecent things telling lies, misappropriating orphans’ belongings, and bringing false accusations against the chastity of women. So we believed in him, followed him, and acted upon his teachings. Thereupon our people began to wrong us, to subject us to tortures, thinking that we might thus abjure our faith and revert to idolatry. When, however, their cruelties exceeded all bounds. we came out to seek an asylum in your country, where we hope we shall come to no harm.” [Muhammad the Prophet – p. 53]

Consequently, the King of Negus, a Christian, did provide asylum to the Muslims. Now, the burden is on you, Mr. Al-Araby. Where is Muhammad wrong in secular history? The above extempore speech is from a commoner of Makkah who was being persecuted for issues that might make you migrate yourself. If what was happening in Makkah then was happening now, will not Humans Right Watch take up the matter? Will not ICC at Hague take up their case? Interestingly, Jafar is not even quoting Quran that you and your documentary tries to malign into peaceful and non-peaceful verses. Whose side are you on? The persecuted or the persecutors? Are you denying history, trying to distort history or trying to create one? Mr. Al-Araby, the above speech answers the earlier question as to why Muslims tolerated torture and killings and did not sell Muhammad for pieces of silver. They had seen the truth. They could not shut their hearts and minds from it, no matter what the price they had to pay (and not receive).

What Al-Araby might not be aware of is the moral law that pervades God’s world. Read the following verses carefully in context of the above emigrants and in the light of history that Al-Araby and the documentary under discussion is trying to reverse:

83:34. Now, on this day (of Judgment [and history]) it is the believers who will wonder at the disbelievers,
83:35. (Seated) on raised couches of (dignity [in history]). They (- the believers) will be looking (at the miserable state of the disbelievers in Gehenna [and History]).
83:36. (Then it shall be said,) `The disbelievers have been duly requitted for (the misdeeds) that they used to do.’ [and the history bears witness to all this]

Every single word of Quran came out true. Take Uthman ibn Affan as an example. He was one of the helpless migrant who later rose to be the third Caliph of Muslims. Just click the link and glance at his “empire” and tell us if the above verses were false. On the reverse you may have read of Amr ibn Hishām. He too was considered wise like the participants of this documentary and was called Abu-l-Hakam – father of wisdom. He was the leader of the vociferous opponents and torturer of Muslims. History now calls him the famous Abu-Jahl – the father of ignorance for the mere fact that he was arrogant and ignorant of moral history unfolding in front of him. One can be wiser than him, especially when the hindsight is 20/20.

Readers: By now the documentary that was heading towards making a fabricated case of peaceful vs. violent verses is trying to gel together. But we will hold off discussion of verses until the insinuators actually quote a verse.

Note: Use of [Brackets] are editorial comments by the writer of this Rebuttal and are not part of the original cited sources.

References:

The Twelve Apostles – Wikipedia
Judas Iscariot – Wikipedia
Mathew 26:67 – Biblos
Uthman ibn Affan – Wikipedia
Amr ibn Hishām – Wikipedia
Muhammad The Prophet – Muhammad Ali
Holy Quran – Nooruddin