The leaders of Quraysh gathered and formed a council of twenty-five of their notables, appointing Abu Lahab as its head. The notorious Abu Lahab was the paternal uncle of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A). After careful deliberation, they decided to confront Islam through every possible means, determined to halt the rising tide of faith that threatened their false beliefs and worldly authority. They chose to slander the Holy Prophet ﷺ and to subject the new believers (especially the weak and unprotected) to severe torture.
Abu Lahab took the lead in this new wave of persecution, unleashing his hatred openly against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He forced his two sons to divorce Ruqayyah (R.A) and Umm Kulthum (R.A)—beloved daughters of the Prophet ﷺ , and mocked him cruelly when his young son passed away, calling him the man cut off with offspring. During the seasons of pilgrimage and public gatherings, he would continue spreading lies and warning people against the Prophet (SAW)'s message, hoping to turn hearts away from the truth.
His wife, Umm Jameel bint Harb, joined him fully in this cruelty. She shared her husband’s deep hostility toward the Holy Prophet ﷺ and expressed it through deliberate harm. She would scatter bundles of thorns along the paths the Beloved Prophet ﷺ walked, seeking to injure him. Sharp-tongued and driven by malice, she delighted in stirring discord, earning the Qur’anic description of “the carrier of firewood.” When she heard of the revelation condemning her actions, she rushed to the Mosque with stones in her hand, intending to strike the Holy Prophet ﷺ. Yet Allah, in His mercy and protection, veiled her sight. Though the Prophet ﷺ sat beside Abu Bakr (R.S) , she saw only Abu Bakr (R.A) and angrily threatened him, boasting of her rejection of the Prophet ﷺ and his call. She then departed, unaware that Allah had shielded His Messenger ﷺ from her harm.
As mentioned earlier, Abu Lahab and his household inflicted these painful acts of harassment despite their close blood ties to the Holy Prophet ﷺ, for he (Abu Lahab) was his uncle and their homes stood side by side. Sadly, only a few of the Prophetﷺ’s neighbors restrained themselves from harming him. Some even went so far as to throw the entrails of a goat upon his back while he stood in prayer. The Prophet ﷺ would gently lament such cruelty and the loss of basic neighborly honor, yet they remained blinded by error. On one occasion, as the Prophet ﷺ was prostrating in prayer at the Ka‘bah, Abu Jahl cruelly urged his companions to bring the filthy remains of a abdominal contents of a camel and place it upon his back. ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ait rushed to carry out this shameful act, and the disbelievers burst into mocking laughter. At that moment, Fatimah (R.A), the beloved daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, passed by. With tender hands and a heart full of pain, she removed the filth from her father’s back. The Prophet ﷺ then raised his hands in supplication, calling upon Allah’s justice against the chief perpetrators (i.e. among them Abu Jahl, ‘Utbah and Shaibah ibn Rabi‘ah, Al-Waleed ibn Utbah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, and Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘ait). History later bore witness that each of these men met their end at the Battle of Badr, while the Prophet ﷺ gracefully emerged as a model of patience, mercy, and unwavering trust in Allah’s decree.
Slander and backbiting became a painful weapon used by the leaders of Makkah, especially Umayyah ibn Khalaf, in their campaign against the Prophet ﷺ . One can only imagine the suffering of those believers who had no clan or protector. Abu Jahl would insult and threaten converts of high standing, especially merchants, seeking to ruin them. As for the weak and defenseless, he showed no mercy, beating them mercilessly and subjecting them to unbearable torture. Yet through every trial, Allah protected His Messenger ﷺ, exposed false pride, and strengthened the faith of those who endured for His sake.
Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umair (R.A), once raised in luxury, was starved and expelled from his home by his mother when she learned of his belief. His body weakened, his skin withered, yet his faith only grew stronger.Among the other most heartbreaking accounts were those of Ammār ibn Yāsir (R.A) and his noble parents. They endured relentless torture—beaten again and again, their bodies pressed against the burning sands; yet their hearts remained firm in faith, steadfast in patience, and unwavering in their devotion to Allah, the only God. Sumayyah bint Khubbat (R.A), ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir (R.A)’s mother, was brutally killed by Abu Jahl, becoming Islam’s first woman martyr
Abu Fakeeh Aflah (R.A), a freed slave of the clan of Bani ‘Abd Ad-Dar, was among the helpless victims of Makkan cruelty. His feet were tied with ropes, and he was dragged through the streets of Makkah. Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt (R.A) suffered similar, relentless torture; his hair pulled, his neck twisted, and forced to lie on burning coals with heavy rocks on his chest to prevent escape. Other Muslims of rank endured being wrapped in raw camel skins or encased in armor and cast onto the scorching sands of Arabia.
Moreover, the female converts like Zanirah (R.A), An-Nahdiyah (R.A) and her daughter, Umm ‘Ubais (R.A), and many others faced persecution of the kind
Moreover, among the earliest and bravest women to embrace Islam were Zanīrah al-Rūmiyyah (R.A), al-Nahdiyyah(R.A) and her devoted daughter, Umm ʿUbays (R.A) These noble women, though weak in the eyes of their persecutors, bore immense suffering for the sake of faith; enduring cruelty, humiliation, and hardship with hearts full of īmān and souls anchored in patience. Their quiet endurance became a lasting testimony to the strength of belief and the honor Allah grants to those who remain steadfast.
Despite the cruelty and suffering, the light of Islam only grew stronger. Chains, fire, and mockery could not break hearts filled with faith, nor silence tongues devoted to the truth. Through patience, sacrifice, and unwavering trust in Allah, the early believers transformed pain into honor and persecution into triumph. In their steadfastness, Allah revealed that truth is never defeated by oppression; and that from the hardships of Makkah would rise a message destined to illuminate the world.
Reference
Al-Mubārakpūrī, Ṣ. al-R. (2002). The sealed nectar: Biography of the Noble Prophet (Rev. ed.; I. D. al-Faruqi, Trans.). Darussalam. (page: 92-99)
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