One day our Master was sitting on Mount Safa facing the Kaaba, engaged in prayer… Abu Jahil happened to be nearby with two of his slaves… When he saw our Master, he ordered his slaves to go and throw dirt on him and to insult him… No matter what they did or said, our Master did not respond to their demeaning heartless behavior at all, he simply kept his silence and went home. 

Meanwhile, Safiya’s former female slave who had been released from slavery was watching everything Abu Jahil and his slaves were doing from afar… 

Later that day Hadhrat Hamza was returning from hunt with his bow around his neck and his sword on his waist… After hunting, it was Hamza’s ritual to first circumambulate around the Kaaba, greet the idols and catch up with the folk, before going home…

As he was on his way to the Kaaba Safiya’s former slave stopped him and said, “O Umara’s father… You should have seen what your brother did to your nephew today!”

“What did he do?” asked Hamza…

“He was sitting on the hill there, then Abu Jahil and his slaves went and threw dirt on his head, they insulted and ridiculed him with harsh words… In return he said nothing, he silently left and went home… If you had seen it surely you could not have been able to tolerate it…”

“And did you see it?”

“Indeed, I did…”

Hamza was furious… He went directly to the Haram al-Sharif, where he found Abu Jahil sitting with a group of polytheists. He hastily walked up to them, took his bow off his neck and smashed it on Abu Jahil’s head with a mighty blow…

“Is it you who dares to insult and ridicule Muhammad’s religion!? Know then that I too am from his religion! I say what he says! Do you have the courage to stand against me and do the same to me too? I dare you to do to me what you did to him!”

Abu Jahil apprehensively tried to exonerate himself:

“But he denies our gods and says they are nothing but stones, he confuses our children…”

“You deify and worship other things besides Allah! I bear witness that there is no god/s, only Allah! And I bear witness that Muhammad is the Rasul of Allah!”

Hamza had neither accepted Islam prior to this event, nor had he become a Muslim… With the heat of this event, he had sporadically uttered the Word of Unity… Upon this a few men from the Sons of Mahzum stood up and questioned, “What’s going on Hamza? Have you deviated from your religion? We thought you were one of us?” 

Hamza replied with certainty:

“So, what if I have changed my religion? I agree with everything Muhammad says and I will stand by his side from this day on. If you are true to your stance, come on and stop me!”

Abu Jahil intervened in attempt to prevent chaos:

“I admit I severely insulted and ridiculed my nephew; I deserved this blow… Don’t touch Hamza, let him be…”

When Hamza went home, he found himself in a whirlpool of thoughts… He started feeling a little unsettled, his ego – feeling bruised – was trying to sway him:

“You are one of the most distinguished men of Quraish. Why follow an outcast who has deviated from the way of his clan? You are a man with a good reputation, much loved and respected by everyone, everyone is going to disrespect and degrade you from now on…”

Hamza was having a difficult time, what was he to do?

Suddenly he had a thought… He left his home and went to the Kaaba… He stood in front of the Kaaba’s door and started to pray…

“O Allah… If the path I have chosen to walk on is the right path, then please assure my heart, lift away my doubts and secure my faith… But if this is not the right path then please show me a way out, indeed you are the giver of guidance and salvation…” 

He went home and went to bed with a sense of relief... The next morning, he went directly to our Masters house and told him about everything that had happened… It was clear that Hamza’s time for faith had come, he just needed a little encouragement… Our Master explained everything in detail, they had a long fulfilling conversation after which Hamza was absolutely relieved and convinced:

“My dear nephew… I have become utterly convinced that you are a man of truth… I bear witness that there is no god, only Allah, and that you are indeed His Rasul!”

After this the following verse was revealed:

Can the one who We enliven (with the knowledge of the reality) while he is dead and to whom We give the Nur of insight with which he can live among people be equal to the one who is left in darkness from which he can never escape? Thus, the deeds of those who deny the knowledge of the reality have been made to seem pleasing to them.[1]

The first part of this verse is in reference to Hadhrat Hamza while the second half references Abu Jahil…