Allurements, Temptations, and Challenges

Allurements and temptations, and number seven, setting challenges — this following narration points to both number six and seven. It's a narration by Ibn Isḥāq, from Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the leaders of Quraysh met, and they were next to the Kaʿbah, and they said, "Let's send for Muhammad and speak with him. We want to exhaust all different ways, and we don't want to give him any excuse — let's try everything with him." So they sent someone to call the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Ibn ʿAbbās says that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came rushing — he was eager to come and meet with the leaders, because he thought there might be a change of heart. Maybe now they wanted to respond, maybe they were willing to soften their stance — so he came to them in a hurry.

When he arrived, ʿUtbah began speaking to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him); there were many others around, all of the leaders. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to them: "God has sent me to you as a messenger. He has revealed the Book to me, and has ordered me to bring you good news and warn you. I have brought you a message from my Lord, and have given you counsel. If you accept what I have brought you, then that is for your good on earth and in the hereafter. If you reject it, I will wait for God's decision, until He decides between myself and you." These are the approximate words of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

They said, "Alright, if you are turning down all of our offers..." Then: "You know how narrow our land is." Anyone who has seen Makkah knows it: narrow valleys surrounded by mountains, mountains all over, a very rough environment, the weather of it and all of these mountains, and very narrow. So they said, "Oh, Muhammad, you know how narrow our land is, and how poor we are, and how difficult our life is. So how about you go to your Lord who has sent you, and tell Him to move these mountains away — just level them, and give us more space and land. And then why don't you ask Him to make some rivers flow in Makkah, like the rivers of Syria and Iraq? We want to have some rivers like other people have. And then we want you also to go to your Lord and tell Him to bring back to life some of our forefathers — and we want you to bring back to life Quṣayy ibn Kilāb, because he was a truth-telling shaykh, and we want to ask him if what you are saying is true or not. And then, Muhammad, if you do that, and our forefathers agree to what you say, then we'll follow you."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) responded and said, "This isn't why I have been sent. I have only brought you from God what He has sent me with. I have informed you of what I was sent to convey to you. If you accept it, then that is your good fortune on earth and in the hereafter. If you reject it, I must wait patiently for God's decree, and for Him to judge between us."