which culminated later in the worship of Mary and the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him). It distorted their monotheistic doctrine and gave rise to the notion of sonship and divinity of the Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him).
Reference to some Christian teachings and rituals appears also in Salmān al-Fārsī’s quest for truth. He was drawn to Christianity on observing them in prayer in a church. Gradually he was persuaded of the truth and superiority of this faith. About a practising Christian scholar of Syria he reports: ‘I did not come across anyone more punctual in prayers, concerned about the Hereafter, indifferent to this world and devoted to worship than him.’ He was critical of popular Christianity which was removed far away from the original faith. His mentors practised true Christianity.53
About the Christian mode of worship there appears an interesting report in the context of the Christian delegation of Najrān that had called on the Prophet (peace be upon him). After ʿAṣr prayer they performed their prayer at the Prophet’s mosque, facing eastwards. As the Kaʿbah was declared the Muslims’ qiblah, they faced southwards. The Prophet allowed Christians to pray facing their own qiblah.54 A degenerated Christian scholar of Syria was notorious for usurping others’ belongings, especially charity money. This points to the concept and practice of charity among Christians.
Notions about the Superiority of Christianity and Judaism:
The Makkan Quraysh and their chiefs held the two major faiths – Christianity and Judaism in awe, and regarded these as superior to their own faith. They acknowledged their truth and exalted status. What accounted for it was the Quraysh’s ignorance of and deprivation from the Scripture and divine faith. They were overwhelmed by the religious knowledge possessed by the Christians and Jews and the latter’s conviction that these were the best faiths. Accordingly the Quraysh turned to them in all religious affairs and trusted their opinion. In view of the same impression many Arab seekers of truth had abandoned their ancestral faith and converted to Christianity or Judaism. This is borne out by the account of the three Ḥunafā’. One had even preferred Christianity to Islam. It emerges from the event related to ʿAddās that his Qurayshī masters, ʿUtbah and Shaybah regarded his faith superior to Islam, even when ʿAddās bore out the truth of the Prophet’s message and kissed his hands and feet.55
Several Qur’ānic verses and reports of the day point to the Quraysh’s belief in the superiority of Christianity and Judaism in Makkah.
The same point comes out in Salmān’s quest for truth. He was originally a Magian of Iṣṭakhr and was impressed by Christian worship in a church. He regarded it as superior to his faith. According to another report, he turned into a Christian, as he was deeply moved by the conduct of a monk. He visited Syria in his quest for truth and gained insights into Christianity as he lived in the company of a Church father there. After his death he stayed with other Christian scholars in Syria, Ninevah, Nuṣaybīn and ʿAmūriyyah. At the latter’s directive he came to Arabia to call on the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him). Because of the treachery of his companions he was enslaved and arrived as a slave in Madīnah. After meeting the Prophet (peace be upon him) he embraced Islam.56
Judaism, Christianity and Islam as Perceived by the Quraysh:
After the Prophet’s advent the religious scene of Makkah was changed altogether. It affected the social life greatly with far-reaching ramifications. Although the Makkans believed in the superiority of the People of the Book, their faith and their knowledge, it did not disturb their social life in the least. Their religious institutions and thought were not influenced by it. Judaism did not have any bearing on the Makkan social life. For there was not any sizeable Jewish presence there before or after the Prophet’s advent. The few Jews there were absorbed in the wider community. This is evident from the affair of Adina, the Jewish neighbour of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib al-Hāshimī. This was an isolated incident without any implication for the local society.57 Christians were more in number. However, most of them were slaves and did not influence the course of events. However, when Ḥunafā’ accepted Christianity, it made some ripples which died down soon. For two Christians left Makkah and one turned to Islam. The Ḥanīf faith did make some sections of Makkah and many individuals weary of the conventional religion of the Quraysh, provoking them into looking for a sound faith.
It was in this social setting that the preaching of Islam commenced, encompassing almost every family and member of the Quraysh. According to Ibn Isḥāq, Islam had made its way into almost every Quraysh household. Not only isolated individuals, entire families or most of their members had embraced the new faith. What hurt the Quraysh and Makkan chiefs most was: i) Their youth had accepted Islam which hurt their interest. It constituted a sort of rebellion on the part of the youth against the elders, especially their supremacy and ii) All the Qurayshī families stood divided, with some as Muslims and others clinging to the ancestral faith. The latter hit them harder for it dented their family and social life.
Islam posed a serious threat to their faith. Such a danger was not faced by them from Christianity or Judaism. The major articles of Islamic faith – monotheism, afterlife and messengership – had changed their religious outlook which had its deep bearings on their society. These beliefs, together with other Islamic teachings sounded a death knell for idolatry and polytheism in Makkah. The Islamic code of conduct had pitted Muslims in real life as a formidable rival to the polytheistic Quraysh. The Quraysh chiefs realized it well that the success of Islam would deal a deadly blow to their political, religious and social order. They feared obliteration and it was a justified apprehension.58
The irony was that the Quraysh chiefs and Makkan opponents of the Prophet (peace be upon him) recognized that Islam is a genuine faith which spelled out a sound, correct way of life. They acknowledged the veracity of Islam and the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) yet they could not affirm it publicly or verbally. The language and style of the Qur’ān, its message and teachings and the pious conduct of its bearer, spread over forty years, compelled them to uphold the soundness of Islam yet they were prevented by their interests to do so. It spelled their death politically. As a result of this conflict they suffered from psychological problems. They therefore resorted to a variety of pretexts and tricks for opposing Islam which weakened their own faith further. They took to hurling baseless charges against the Qur’ān, the Messenger of Islam and the Islamic faith. They knew well the falseness of their allegations. They sought help from Jewish scholars for discrediting Islam and for leveling a host of charges. All this, however, brought into sharper relief the truth of Islam which convinced even them. The only resort open to them was to assassinate the Prophet (peace be upon him) for putting an end to Islam. This nefarious practice has been followed all along by the forces of falsehood. In contrast, true faith always seeks to win over the heart and mind of people, ensuring them the best in both the worlds. This conflict between truth and falsehood always gives rise to such responses. Falsehood tries to banish truth. The bearers of truth are forced to emigrate. In line with the same, Muslims had to leave Makkah and take refuge elsewhere.
EVOLUTION OF THE MUSLIM MINORITY IN MAKKAH
By quirk of fate the true faith of Islam always had its beginning and progress in a polity dominated by non-Muslims. Muslims were always in minority in their town. It helped establish their identity in a multi-faith, pluralistic society. Their religious order was set up in opposition to the mainstream culture and civilization. Little wonder then that Islam faced stiff opposition. The old order could not put up with them, especially the reform introduced by Islam. This battle between truth and falsehood has been waged from the days of the Prophet Ādam to the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him), the
