The Quraish requested Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to refrain from speaking out against their idols. They further requested that if this was not possible, then they could come to a compromise where Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) should worship their idols for one year, and they would worship his deity for the next year and so forth. When the Quraish made this proposal, the following surah was revealed:

قُلۡ یٰۤاَیُّہَا الۡکٰفِرُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۱﴾ لَاۤ اَعۡبُدُ مَا تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۲﴾ وَ لَاۤ اَنۡتُمۡ عٰبِدُوۡنَ مَاۤ اَعۡبُدُ ۚ﴿۳﴾ وَ لَاۤ اَنَا عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدۡتُّمۡ ۙ﴿۴﴾ وَ لَاۤ اَنۡتُمۡ عٰبِدُوۡنَ مَاۤ اَعۡبُدُ ؕ﴿۵﴾ لَکُمۡ دِیۡنُکُمۡ وَلِیَ دِیۡنِ ٪﴿۶﴾

Say! O you disbelievers! I do not worship what you worship, nor do you worship that which I worship. Neither will I worship that which you worship, nor will you worship that which I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion. (Surah Kaafiroon)

‘Utbah took his leave from Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and returned to his associates, but the ‘Utbah who returned was not the same ‘Utbah who went. This is why Abu Jahal exclaimed, “’Utbah does not look like the same ‘Utbah. It seems as though ‘Utbah has turned into a Saabi (one who has renounced the religion of his forefathers).”

After Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied to ‘Utbah bin Rabee‘ah, he recited the following verses of the Qur’aan Majeed before him:

حٰمٓ ۚ﴿۱﴾ تَنۡزِیۡلٌ مِّنَ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ ۚ﴿۲﴾ کِتٰبٌ فُصِّلَتۡ اٰیٰتُہٗ قُرۡاٰنًا عَرَبِیًّا لِّقَوۡمٍ یَّعۡلَمُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۳﴾ بَشِیۡرًا وَّ نَذِیۡرًا ۚ فَاَعۡرَضَ اَکۡثَرُہُمۡ فَہُمۡ لَا یَسۡمَعُوۡنَ ﴿۴﴾ وَ قَالُوۡا قُلُوۡبُنَا فِیۡۤ اَکِنَّۃٍ مِّمَّا تَدۡعُوۡنَاۤ اِلَیۡہِ وَ فِیۡۤ اٰذَانِنَا وَقۡرٌ وَّ مِنۡۢ بَیۡنِنَا وَ بَیۡنِکَ حِجَابٌ فَاعۡمَلۡ اِنَّنَا عٰمِلُوۡنَ ؓ﴿۵﴾ قُلۡ اِنَّمَاۤ اَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثۡلُکُمۡ یُوۡحٰۤی اِلَیَّ اَنَّمَاۤ اِلٰـہُکُمۡ اِلٰہٌ وَّاحِدٌ فَاسۡتَقِیۡمُوۡۤا اِلَیۡہِ وَ اسۡتَغۡفِرُوۡہُ ؕ وَ وَیۡلٌ لِّلۡمُشۡرِکِیۡنَ ۙ﴿۶﴾ الَّذِیۡنَ لَا یُؤۡتُوۡنَ الزَّکٰوۃَ وَ ہُمۡ بِالۡاٰخِرَۃِ ہُمۡ کٰفِرُوۡنَ ﴿۷﴾ اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ لَہُمۡ اَجۡرٌ غَیۡرُ مَمۡنُوۡنٍ ٪﴿۸﴾ قُلۡ اَئِنَّکُمۡ لَتَکۡفُرُوۡنَ بِالَّذِیۡ خَلَقَ الۡاَرۡضَ فِیۡ یَوۡمَیۡنِ وَ تَجۡعَلُوۡنَ لَہٗۤ اَنۡدَادًا ؕ ذٰلِکَ رَبُّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ ۚ﴿۹﴾ وَ جَعَلَ فِیۡہَا رَوَاسِیَ مِنۡ فَوۡقِہَا وَ بٰرَکَ فِیۡہَا وَ قَدَّرَ فِیۡہَاۤ اَقۡوَاتَہَا فِیۡۤ اَرۡبَعَۃِ اَیَّامٍ ؕ سَوَآءً لِّلسَّآئِلِیۡنَ ﴿۱۰﴾ ثُمَّ اسۡتَوٰۤی اِلَی السَّمَآءِ وَ ہِیَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَہَا وَ لِلۡاَرۡضِ ائۡتِیَا طَوۡعًا اَوۡ کَرۡہًا ؕ قَالَتَاۤ اَتَیۡنَا طَآئِعِیۡنَ ﴿۱۱﴾ فَقَضٰہُنَّ سَبۡعَ سَمٰوَاتٍ فِیۡ یَوۡمَیۡنِ وَ اَوۡحٰی فِیۡ کُلِّ سَمَآءٍ اَمۡرَہَا ؕ وَ زَیَّنَّا السَّمَآءَ الدُّنۡیَا بِمَصَابِیۡحَ ٭ۖ وَ حِفۡظًا ؕ ذٰلِکَ تَقۡدِیۡرُ الۡعَزِیۡزِ الۡعَلِیۡمِ ﴿۱۲﴾ فَاِنۡ اَعۡرَضُوۡا فَقُلۡ اَنۡذَرۡتُکُمۡ صٰعِقَۃً مِّثۡلَ صٰعِقَۃِ عَادٍ وَّ ثَمُوۡدَ ﴿ؕ۱۳﴾

Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) asked ‘Utbah bin Rabee‘ah, “O Abul Waleed! Have you said what you wish to say?” When ‘Utbah replied in the affirmative, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Very well, now listen to what I wish to say. I neither crave for your riches and wealth nor do I have any inclination towards your leadership and rule. I am the Rasul of Allah Ta‘ala whom He has sent to you with His divine message. He has revealed a divine book unto me and has commanded me to give you glad tidings of His reward and warnings of His punishment. I have conveyed His message to you, and as a form of good counsel and wishing good for you, I have cautioned you. If you accept this message, it will be a source of success for you in both the worlds. However, if you fail to accept this message, I am willing to exercise patience until Allah Ta‘ala passes judgment between us.”

(To be continued)

(Extracted from Seeratul Mustafa 1/186)