A momentous event occurred involving the disbelievers of Quraysh. It should serve as a guiding light for those who do not fully acknowledge the weak in society.

Whilst the Messenger ‎ﷺ was with the elders and nobles of Quraysh, seeking to unite them and to teach them the Quran and what the religion taught, when the blind Companion ‘Abdullah bin Umm Maktūm approached him ‎ﷺ. He was from the early Muslims. The Prophet ‎ﷺ was engaged with the people and had gained their trust to the degree of anticipating their acceptance. ‘Abdullah interrupted him ‎ﷺ: “O Messenger of Allah! Teach me what Allah ﷻ has taught you.” His interjection was considerably elongated. The Messenger ‎ﷺ was troubled by that and was displeased with his interrupting his conversation. He ‎ﷺ was anxious that turning his attention to the poor man may cause those heads to become disheartened. So, he ‎ﷺ averted from him. Allah ﷻ realigned him ‎ﷺ on that matter by saying in the beginning of Sūrat ‘Abas:

“He frowned and turned away. Because the blind man came to him. What could inform you but that he might grow. Or take heed and so the reminder might avail him? As for him who thinks himself independent. To him you pay regard. Yet it is not your concern if he grows not. But as for him who comes to you with earnest purpose. And has fear. From him you are distracted.”

[Blessed Quran – 80:1-10]

After that, the blessed Messenger of Allah ‎ﷺ never frowned at a questioning man. When ‘Abdullah bin Umm Maktūm would approach him, he ‎ﷺ would say: “Welcome to the one for whom my Lord realigned me”.

Miracle of the splitting of the Moon

When the idolators saw that their proposed demands would not be accepted from them, they schemed to try another way. It was to subdue the Messenger ‎ﷺ by demanding miracles. They surrounded him and goaded: “O Muhammad! If you are right, show us the miracle we ask for. Split the moon in two for us!” Allah ﷻ granted him ‎ﷺ this miracle and he ‎ﷺ split the moon in two. The Messenger of Allah ‎ﷺ appealed to them: “Bear witness!”

This event is reported by ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ūd, one of the early Muslims, and is narrated through numerous transmission paths. It is also reported by ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbās and others, and from them a multitude of narrators have reported it. The narration, thus, became a mass-transmitted al-mutawātir narration. Allah ﷻ has mentioned the event in His ﷻ blessed Word at the beginning of Sūrat ul-Qamar:

“The hour drew close and the moon was split in two.”

[Blessed Quran – 54:1]

When the naysayers saw this miraculous happening, some said: “Ibn Abī Kabsha has spellbound you!” So, concerning them Allah ﷻ revealed:

“And if they see a sign they turn away and say: a prolonged illusion.”

[Blessed Quran – 54: 2]

Then, after that, they asked the Messenger ‎ﷺ for more miracles, not intending anything by it except obstinacy and stubbornness. Some of what they said is recorded in Sūrat ul-Isrā:

“And they say: We will not put faith in you till you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us; or you have a garden of date-palms and grapes, and cause rivers to gush forth therein abundantly; or you cause the heaven to fall upon us piecemeal, as you have pretended, or bring Allah and the angels as a warrant; or you have a house of gold; or you ascend up in heaven, and even then we will put no faith in your ascension till you bring down for us a book that we can read…”

[Blessed Quran – 17:90-93]

Allah ﷻ did not answer them except by instructing:

“Say: My Lord be glorified! Am I not but a mortal messenger?”

[Blessed Quran – 17:93]

Allah ﷻ knew of the obstinacy and stubbornness that they concealed within them. They would not believe irrespective of the signs that came to them. Allah ﷻ informs in Sūrat ul-An’ām:

“…That which tells you that if such came to them they would not believe.”

[Blessed Quran – 6:109]

How can virtue be anticipated from those who say, as Sūrat ul-Anfāl tells:

“And when they said: O Allah! If this be indeed the truth from You, then rain down stones on us or bring on us some painful doom!”

[Blessed Quran – 8:32]

They did not say: if this is the truth from You, then guide us to it!

Such is the way of the prophets that when they see the stubbornness of the seekers of miracles – who demand miracles only to debilitate the messengers – the messengers do not ask Allah ﷻ to manifest those miracles. It is so that destruction of the people does not follow suite, like what happened to the nations of ‘Ād and Thamūd. This is what is meant by His ﷻ saying in Sūrat ul-Isrā:

“Nothing hindered Us from sending portents save the folk of old denied them…”

[Blessed Quran – 17:59]

This happened to ‘īsā, peace be upon him, too when he stood before Herod Antipas, who had demanded a miracle. However, ‘īsā did not succumb to his demands. When Herod saw this from him, he mocked and returned him to his enemy Pontius Pilate. All this after initially feeling sorry for him and expressing a wish to meet him. This is recounted in the twenty-third chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

When the polytheists saw their inability to counter the Muslims with evidence, they adopted a policy of fatal aggression. It was similar to that chosen by the nation of Ibrahīm, peace be upon him, when they were debilitated by him. Sūrat ul-Anbiyā says:

“They cried: Burn him and stand by your gods…”

[Blessed Quran – 21:68]

As for these people, they intensified their harassment of everyone who embraced Islam, in a desperate effort to obstruct their obedience of the Messenger ‎ﷺ. They left no stone unturned. He ‎ﷺ guided his followers: “Spread out in the land, Allah ﷻ will soon reunite you!” They enquired of the best direction and he ‎ﷺ pointed towards al-Habasha.