| To restore symbolically
the 3 blessings and to restore the loss of Jesus' success
over Satan's 3 temptations, Mohammad underwent 3 temptations
offered by the Quraish. A deputation approached the Prophet
and offered the following tempting terms to leave his give
up his mission. |
| "If your ambition
is to possess wealth, we will amass for you as much
as you wish; if your aspiration is to win honor and
power, we are prepared to swear allegiance to you as
our overlord and king; if you have fancy for beauty,
you shall have the hand of the finest maiden or your
own choice". |
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| Mohammad respond with:
"I am neither desirous of riches nor ambitious
of dignity nor of dominion. I am sent by God, who has
ordained me to announce glad tidings unto you. I give
you the words of my Lord; I admonish you. If you accept
the message I bring you, God will be favorable to you
both in this world and in the next. If you reject my
admonitions, I shall be patient, and leave God to judge
between you and me." |
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Mohammad's rejection
of the Quraish temptations was viewed as an insult which increased
their plotting to get rid of him. However, because Mohammad
had successfully restored the tribal level (by uniting his
powerful tribal kingfolk, Banu Hashim, around himself as the
Prophet) the Quraish were unable to attack or kill the Prophet
physically, without confronting the whole tribe in a bloody
battle. Consequently, as a new scheme to destroy the Prophet
and his protective tribe, the Quraish issued a formal social
and economic ban (blockade) on the Banu Hashim tribe. This
ban was a public rejection of Mohammad's prophethood by most
of the Quraish tribes, signified the failure of the clan level
restoration at this point, and brings to close the first 7
year course of alternative restoration, with tribal level
restoration fulfilled. |
Mohammad's
2nd Course of Restoration (Clan
Level) |
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Foundation
of Faith
The Banu Hashim
tribe lived in a state of want for 3 full years, suffering
often the pangs of hunger and thirst. During these 3 years
and the following 3 years the Hashim tribe endured persection
with constant faith in God and Prophet Mohammad (never complaining)
and through such suffering, established a condition to separate
Satan from themselves. The followers of Mohammad supported
and protected him at all times, even though their physical
lives were often threatened with death. |
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This constant
support of the Prophet restored the failure of the followers
of Jesus, who fled away from Prophet/Messiah Jesus, when
their personal lives became endangered because of his persecution
persectuion. This constant faith established the Hashim
tribe in the Abel position under the leadership of Prophet
Mohammad.
In the 10th year of Mohammad's mission, just after the end
of the Quraish boycott, Khdijah and Mohammad's dear uncle
and protector (Hazrat Abu Talib) died. With the loss of
these two powerful and great supporters, the Prophet and
Hashim tribe had to face grave difficulties. Because of
this constant rejection and apparent impossibility of the
Quraish tribes (Cain position) uniting with the Hashim tribe
(Abel position), Mohammad decided to go elsewhere to establish
the clan level restoration.
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| Therefore, for
the purpose of clan level restoration, Mohammad journeyed
to a town called Taif, 40 miles from Mecca. Here he stayed
for 10 days teaching the people his revelations, inspite of
constant rejections and ridicule. Unfortunately no one accepted
Islam here and the Prophet himself endured a stoning that
drew much blood and threatened his life. However, the indemnity
condition established through Mohammad's keeping fiath in
God (on the clan level) while suffering so and faced with
the threat of death, allowed him to successfully begin the
clan level restoration, a short time later during the pilgrimage
to Mecca of many outside tribes. |
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The Holy Prophet called
on each of these outside tribes (who were performing the
Pilgrimage) and expounded to them the theories of Islam.
However, the Quraish and Abu Lahab managed as usual to see
that none of the outsiders paid any attention to the Prophet,
and the consequence was that whenever Mohammad approached
any tribe, it harshly rejected him. This rejection continued
until Mohammad met a few men from the Khazraj tribe of Median.
Now these particular men knew and were expecting a Prophet
as prophesied in the Jewish scriptures and when they
grasped the beauty of Mohammad's teachings, they believed
at once that he was the prophecied Prophet. These men then
returned to Medina and began to spread the good news of
Mohammad's Prophethood. The following year 12 men from Medina
visited Mecca and promised to support Mohammad and his mission
with their lives, at what is called the Pledge of Aqaba.
This Pledge of Aqaba and
the consequent spreading of Islam to various tribes in Medina
by these 12 men and Mohammad's disciple (Musab-bin-Umair),
successfully established Mohammad's restoration work beyond
the tribe level into the clan level. Islam spread fast in
Medina, sometimes whole tribes accepting in one day. The
next year's pilgrimage brought roughly 70 men to Mecca to
make the Pledge of Aqaba. At this time the Medinans invited
Mohammad to return to Medina and lead their tribes. Mohammad
however, decided to wait for God's command to transfer the
center of his work from Mecca to Medina.
By the time of the 70 Medinans'
Pledge of Aqaba,the persecution of the Moslems in
Mecca had reached its summit and all known forms of torture
were obstinately meted out to the Muslims. Consequently,
the Prophet decided that the persecution might end in a
general massacre and so he advised his followers to seek
immediate safety in Medina. Under perfect secrecy the Moslem
families in twos and threes left Mecca and went over to
Medina where they were warmly received. |
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