The Truth:
It’s true
that some Muslims did suffer persecution at Mecca, but the extent of this is greatly exaggerated by modern-day storytellers, who are desperate
to justify subsequent Muslim aggression.
It is important to note that Muhammad himself was the
source of bitterness against the
early Muslims, yet he was protected from
personal consequence by his powerful uncle, Abu Talib. Muhammad’s biographer
recorded many instances in which the leading men of Mecca beseeched Muhammad
(either directly or through his uncle) to stop mocking the religion of their
ancestors:
Abu Sufyan, with other sundry notables, went to Abu Talib and said: "You know
the trouble that exists between us and your nephew, so call him and let us
make an agreement that he will leave us alone and we will leave him alone;
let him have his religion and we will have ours." (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 278) Muhammad
felt safe in rejecting their peace offering because he did not have to be accountable for the trouble that he was causing.
This undoubtedly compounded the frustration of the local leaders, some of whom then took it
out on other Muslims over whom they had power. These were primarily slaves
and lower ranking family members.
Modern apologists are fond of repeating an
apocryphal tale concerning the martyring of an elderly woman named Umm Summayah. She was one of the first converts to Islam and a slave of Abu
Jahl, an adversary of Muhammad. According to the contemporary version of
the tale, Umm Summayah died of a spear thrust from Abu Jahl.
Unfortunately, there is scant evidence to support this (it is not
contained in reliable accounts and Ibn Kathir admits that it was probably fabricated: "This account lacks a complete chain of early authorities" vol.1 p.358).
It is more likely that Umm Summayah died of stress while exposed to the heat at Mecca:
The B. Makhzum used to take out Ammar bin Yasir with his father mother,
who were Muslims, in the heat of the day and expose them to the heat of Mecca,
and the Apostle passed by them and said, so I have heard, 'Patience, O family of
Yasir! Your meeting place will be paradise." They killed his mother,
for she refused to abandon Islam. (Ibn Ishaq/Hisham 206)
This is the only recorded death of a Muslim who had suffered persecution at Mecca.
It is not supported by either Bukhari or Sahih Muslim, although Ibn Sa'd does
make a reference to the event that appears to be based on Ibn Ishaq/Hisham's account.
It is unclear why there is not more emphasis and detail about the
death of Umm Summayah
if she were actually bayoneted. (Interestingly, there is more evidence to
support the death of Muhammad's own daughter from the stress of Muslim
persecution following her father's death).
Beyond this curious event, which would have occurred after the
Muslims became physically aggressive with
Abu Jahl and the polytheists, there is nothing to substantiate the wild tales of
deadly abuse that today's Islamophiles are fond of claiming.
It is critical to note that, despite the detailed list of
indictments against the Meccans that are scattered liberally and redundantly
throughout the Quran, it never once says that any Muslims were actually killed by
their adversaries during the thirteen years prior to their eviction.
Instead, the worst of crimes is detailed in Sura 2:217:
"...but graver is it in the sight of Allah to prevent access to the path
of Allah, to deny Him, to prevent access to the Sacred Mosque, and drive out its
members."
Allah's indictment against the Meccans is that they evicted Muhammad from Mecca (the only eviction
of record) and were denying he and some of the other Muslims the
ability to visit the Kaaba during pilgrimage.
There is no mention of death inflicted on the early Muslims. Instead
the same verse attempts to convince them that they are justified in killing Meccans
merely for not wanting to have anything to do with them. The verse goes on
to say:
"Tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter"
At the time, Muhammad was urging his people to attack merchant caravans from
Mecca, which involved killing the drivers and stealing the goods. This
became the primary source of income for the Muslims at Medina, and Muhammad
became a wealthy man by appropriating a fifth of all loot collected for himself
(on Allah's command, of course).
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