Mecca's Society Before Islam

Mecca's Pre-Islamic Society

• Life in Mecca was difficult for the poor.
• The Quran teaches about rewards for giving charity.

Siham's Story

• Siham remembered Mecca as a place with hundreds of idle gods surrounding the Kaaba.
• Pilgrims were expected to be generous to the gods when they traveled to Mecca.
• Religious figures used divine arrows to answer questions and were sometimes cheated.

Treatment of Slaves

• Slaves were whipped but their souls were free.
• Losing a game meant becoming a slave.

Change in Mecca

• Pilgrims were overcharged for goods and services.
• Talib criticized the exploitation of pilgrims, while his brother defended it as necessary for survival.
• Talib's nephew, Muhammad, would bring change.

Muhammad's Revelation

• Muhammad, at 40, retreated to a cave outside Mecca to pray and meditate.
• He was troubled by injustice in Mecca, including slavery, mistreatment of women, greed, gambling, and idol worship.
• Muhammad encountered the Archangel Gabriel, who commanded him to read.
• Gabriel revealed the first verses of the Quran to Muhammad.
• Muhammad was shaken and doubted his sanity after the experience.

Khadijah's Belief

• Muhammad told his wife, Khadijah, about his cave experience.
• Khadijah assured him that he was not possessed and that God wouldn't allow evil to overtake him.
• Khadijah was the first believer in Islam.
• She consulted her cousin, a religious scholar, who warned that Muhammad would be accused of lying and cast out.

Early Preaching and Followers

• Muhammad preached in secret for three years.
• Others joined Muhammad, including his adopted son Zaid and his cousin Ali.
• The Quran taught that there is only one God, the God of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.
• It emphasized equality, compassion for the poor, and respect for women.

Siham's Conversion

• Siham learned about Islam from Muhammad and embraced its teachings.
• The Quran taught that all the gods of Mecca are powerless.
• Muslims declared their faith by pledging: "There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet."

Opposition and Persecution

• Some viewed Muhammad's teachings as dangerous and sought to stop him.
• Bilal, a slave, converted to Islam and was persecuted.
• Bilal was whipped for professing that all the gods are powerless.
• Abu Talib was warned that Muhammad's preaching threatened the power and wealth of Mecca's leaders.

Public Declaration and Resistance

• Muhammad publicly declared his message on a hill in Mecca.
• He called on the people to abandon their gods and worship the one true God.
• He warned of God's punishment for those who disobeyed.
• Abu Talib stopped Muhammad from preaching further, but followers declared they would no longer practice in secret.
• Abu Bakr bought Bilal's freedom for ten gold pieces after Bilal was tortured.

Muhammad's Early Preaching and Opposition

• Muhammad's preaching and conversion of pilgrims concerned leaders in Mecca.
• Some believed Muhammad's revelations were magic.
• There were concerns that Muhammad's teachings would disrupt the peace in Mecca.
• Abu Talib was pressured to stop Muhammad's preaching to maintain peace.
• Muhammad refused to stop preaching despite the pressure.
• Muhammad declared he would continue until God's word prevailed or he perished.
• Abu Talib pledged to protect Muhammad regardless of the consequences.
• Some questioned why they should become enemies of Mecca for one man.

Persecution and Early Converts

• Muhammad and his followers faced increasing opposition.
• Some Meccans tried to stop Muhammad from praying.
• Some individuals defended Muhammad, even if it meant violence.
• Some converted to Islam, despite the potential consequences.
• Sumaya was the first martyr of Islam, killed for refusing to renounce her faith.
• Due to persecution, some Muslims were advised to seek refuge in Abyssinia.

Emigration to Abyssinia

• Abyssinia was ruled by a Christian king known for his kindness.
• Muslims sought refuge there to escape persecution in Mecca.
• Meccans sent envoys to Abyssinia with gifts to persuade the king to turn over the Muslims.
• The Abyssinian king listened to both sides before deciding.
• The Muslims spoke of their faith in one God and the teachings of their prophet.
• They emphasized truthfulness, care for parents, helping neighbors, and giving to the needy.
• They characterized Jesus as the servant, messenger, word, and spirit of God.
• The king recognized similarities between Islam and Christianity.
• The king refused to hand over the Muslims and allowed them to live freely in Abyssinia.
• The Meccan envoys returned to Mecca empty-handed.

Social Boycott and Hardship

• Meccans implemented a social boycott against Muhammad and his followers.
• The boycott included cutting off trade, marriage, and assistance.
• The agreement formalizing the boycott was hung in the Kaaba.
• Muslims were forced into exile, facing starvation and hardship.
• Some Muslims sought refuge on a nearby hill to survive.
• Muhammad's wife, Khadija, sold everything she had to provide for the community.
• The boycott lasted for three years.

Relief and Continued Opposition

• Muhammad received a revelation that the boycott pact had been destroyed by insects, except for the words "in the name of God."
• This was seen as a sign from God and led to the end of the boycott.
• The end of the boycott brought a brief period of peace.
• Khadija died shortly after the end of the boycott, marking a period of sadness.
• Abu Talib was also dying and requested that the leaders of Mecca not attack or preach against Muhammad.
• Abu Talib died without openly accepting Islam.
• After Abu Talib's death, Muhammad and his followers faced increased danger.
• Meccans sought to turn people against Muhammad through poetry and accusations.

The Migration to Yathrib (Medina)

• Muhammad learned of believers in Yathrib, inviting them to come.
• The people of Yathrib pledged to protect and defend Muhammad.
• Muhammad instructed Muslims to migrate to Yathrib in secret.
• Leaders in Mecca plotted to kill Muhammad to prevent him from gaining power.
• Muhammad learned of the plot and asked Ali to sleep in his bed to deceive the assassins.
• Muhammad and Abu Bakr fled Mecca and hid in a cave.
• The Meccans offered a reward for Muhammad's capture.
• Muhammad and Abu Bakr safely reached Yathrib.
• Muhammad declared Yathrib as Medina, the city of the Prophet.
• Muhammad established a community based on brotherhood and equality in Medina.

Conflict with Mecca

• Muslims left behind possessions in Mecca, which were seized and sold by the Meccans.
• The Muslims in Medina were facing starvation.
• Muhammad led an expedition to intercept a Meccan caravan to reclaim their possessions.
• The Meccans sent an army to protect the caravan.
• The Battle of Badr occurred, where the Muslim army, despite being outnumbered, achieved victory.
• Abu Jahl was killed in the battle.
• The Meccans, after defeat at Badr, sought revenge and planned to attack Medina again with a larger army.
• Muhammad consulted with his people and decided to meet the enemy at the mountain of Uhud.
• The Muslims initially had the upper hand, but a mistake by some soldiers led to defeat.
• Muhammad was injured in the battle.
• The Meccans, led by Abu Sufyan, returned to Mecca without occupying Medina.

The Battle of the Trench

• Mecca raised an army of 10,000 to attack Medina.
• Muhammad decided to dig a trench around Medina for defense.
• This was a new tactic unknown in Arabia.
• The Meccans were frustrated by the trench.
• After days of attempts, the Meccans launched an all-out attack.
• During the battle, there was severe starvation, and Muslim women threw stones onto the attackers.
• Muhammad prayed for God's help.
• Ultimately, the Meccan confederates retreated.
• Muhammad dreamed of entering the Kaaba.

Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and Conquest of Mecca

• Muhammad decided to travel to Mecca for pilgrimage.
• Meccans refused to allow the Muslims to enter Mecca.
• Negotiations led to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, a 10-year peace agreement between Muslims and the Meccans.
• Under the treaty, Muslims would be allowed to enter Mecca for pilgrimage the following year.
• This opened opportunities for the spread of Islam.
• Khalid ibn al-Walid, a Meccan military leader, converted to Islam.
• The Meccans broke the treaty.
• Muhammad gathered an army of 10,000 and marched on Mecca.
• Abu Sufyan, a leader of Mecca, surrendered to Muhammad.
• Muhammad entered Mecca without bloodshed and granted amnesty to the population.
• Idols were destroyed from the Kaaba.

Final Years and Death

• Muhammad forgave and promised no executions.
• Muhammadlived for a few years after returning to Mecca.
• Muhammad died in Medina at the age of 63.