The Truth:
According
to Muslim historians, the Meccans were actually quite tolerant of Muhammad
preaching his new religion. Mecca was an open society where different
religions were respected. Polytheists, Jews and Christians lived and
worshipped side-by-side, especially during the holy months, when pagan pilgrims
would travel long distances from beyond the city to perform their rituals at the
Kaaba.
Muhammad brought on the resentment of the local people
not by preaching Islam, but by breaking with
Meccan tradition and cursing other religions:
When the apostle openly displayed Islam as Allah ordered him, his people
did not withdraw or turn against him, so far as I have heard, until he spoke
disparagingly of their gods. When he did that, they took great offence
and resolved unanimously to treat him as an enemy. (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 167),
"[Muhammad] declared Islam publicly to his fellow tribesmen.
When he did so, they did not withdraw from him or reject him in any way, as
far as I have heard, until he spoke of their gods and denounced them."
(al-Tabari Vol.VI, p.93)
Although asked to stop, Muhammad continued to stir up trouble by “condemning”
the local religion, causing the Meccans great anxiety:
[The Meccans] said they had never known anything like the trouble they had endured
from this fellow. He had declared their mode of life foolish, insulted
their forefathers, reviled their religion, divided the community and cursed
their gods (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 183)."We [the Meccans] have never
seen the like of what we have endured from this man [Muhammad].
He has derided our traditional values, abused our forefathers, reviled our
religion, caused division among us, and insulted our gods. We have
endured a great deal from him." (al-Tabari, Vol.VI p.101)
Not only was this an insult to the people and their traditions, but it also
threatened the local economy, which depended on the annual pilgrimage.
Still, they were so eager to live at peace, that they offered Muhammad money if
he would stop stirring up trouble:They decided to send for Muhammad and to
negotiate and argue with him... When he came and sat down with them, they
explained that that they had sent for him in order that they could talk
together. No Arab had ever treated his tribe as Muhammad had treated them,
and they repeated the charges... If it was money he wanted, they would make him
the richest of them all; if it was honor, he should be their prince; if it was
sovereignty, they would make him king. (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 188)
Further proof that the Meccans did not have a problem with Islam existing
side-by-side with their own religion is found in the episode known as the
Satanic Verses. According to Muslim historians, Muhammad briefly agreed to
their demand to cease disparaging the local gods and recognize the rights of
others to their religion:
When [the Meccans] heard that, they rejoiced. What he had said about their
gods pleased and delighted them, and they gave ear to him… When he came to the
prostration and finished the chapter, he prostrated and the Muslims followed
their prophet in it, having faith in what he brought them and obeying his
command. Those mushrikūn of Quraysh and others who were in the mosque also
prostrated on account of what they had heard him say about their gods. In the
whole mosque there was no believer or kāfir who did not prostrate. (al-Tabari,
the Tarikh Vol. 1) The Meccans were clearly relieved that the unprecedented tension over religious
beliefs was broken. They rejoiced by praying alongside the Muslims at the
Kaaba. They accepted the Muslims once Muhammad accepted them.
Unfortunately the period of peace and brotherhood was short-lived.
Muhammad soon reneged on his words after his own people began to question the
contradiction between his previous claims and his new-found tolerance for other
faiths. This incident, particularly his about-face, had the effect of
ratcheting up the tension and hostility all the more.
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