According to Tor Andrae, the attack upon the ancient gods of the Arabia peninsula by Mohammed was so great that the people and their leaders were united in determined resistance. The attack struck a blow at men’s innermost convictions and a genuine living faith. Meccan were smart enough to realize that the claims of the new prophet was involved a certain measure of power and prestige. And as a matter of fact, even in Mecca, Mohammed was occupied with the creation of a religio- political society, a state within a state. The exasperation of the Meccan society is recorded by Baihaki in his book Poof Of Prophecy, as a recollection of Amru ibn al Aas “I was once present when the chief among the idolators assembled at the ka’ba. They were discussing Allah’s apostle, and said: “Never have we had to tolerate from anyone what we have had to tolerate from this man. He slanders our fathers, criticizes our religion, divided our people, and blasphemes our gods. Such grievous things have we tolerated from this man.” Hearing this discussion Muhammed, who happened to be nearby, said “Men of Quraysh! I will surely repay you for his with interest”. This admonition was to ring very true not only for the Quraysh but the whole pagan world very soon. When Prophet Muhammed came to Medina, he remembered his promise to the pagan Quraysh and from the very outset worked on a blueprint for the establishment of community on the basis of religion that shall also be “a social and political organism”. His umma would be religious in a special way l it would not only adopt a religion but will also be adopted by a religion, “A Prophet came to each “umma” or nation but the followers of each prophet also constituted an “umma”, a kind of political entity. The foundation of the theory of a separate nationhood based on religious identity was unmistakably laid. “(Sharma, p, 64).
References
Andrae, Tor Mohammed: The Man and His Faith, Tr. Theophil Menzal. https://almuslih.org/…/Andrae-T-Mohammed-The-Man-and….
Sharma, Shashi, S. Caliphs & Sultans. Rupa, New Delhi, 2017.
Notes: Imam al-Bayhaqi (994-1066 AD Abu Bakr Ammad Ibn Hysayn Ali Ibn Khusrawjirrdi al Bayaqi) was a Sunni scholar and hadith master of his age.
Amr ibn al-As ibn Wa’il al-Sahmi (585-664 AD) was an Arab Commander and companion of Prophet Muhammed. He led the Muslim conquest of Egypt and served as its governor in 640-646 and 658-664 AD. He was the son of a wealthy Qurayshite and embraced Islam in 629 and played important role in the new religion.
