After Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) rejected this proposal of the Quraish, they said to him, “Very well, if you do not accept our previous proposal, then we wish to make another proposal which we hope that you will accept.

“You are aware of the fact that your people are in poverty, and this city of Makkah is also in constraints. We are surrounded by mountains on all sides, without any trace of greenery and lushness. Thus, request your Lord, who has commissioned you as a prophet, to move the mountains of this city elsewhere so that this city becomes more spacious.

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﴾