After our Master received the command, “Therefore declare openly what you are commanded” he climbed on top of a high rock on Mount Safa and called out to the Meccans in a loud and resonant voice: 

“O Sahabah! O Sahabah! (O Community of Quraysh, come here and convene, I have important news for you!)” 

The Meccans were puzzled, for only very important news would be announced in this way…

Everybody started asking each other with curiosity while hustling toward Safa, “Who is shouting?” “What’s going on?” “Why are we being called?” 

“It’s Muhammad al-Amin (Muhammad the Trustworthy!” “Nobody knows why he’s calling us” “It must be important!” etc.

In a very short time, the Meccans had gathered at Mount Safa. With great curiosity they asked, “O Muhammad, why did you gather us here? What is going on? Are we under attack? What are you going to announce?”

Our Master did not lag in his response:

“O Community of Quraysh! Our similarity is like a man who sees the enemy and runs shouting to his family to warn them against the danger…

O Community of Quraysh! If I were to tell you there were enemy horsemen on the other side of this mountain and that they were about to attack you in the morning or towards the evening, would you believe me?”

They had never heard Muhammad the Trustworthy tell a lie nor say something surpassing the truth before. In unison they all replied, “Yes, we affirm your honesty, you are Muhammad the Trustworthy, we have not seen anything but righteousness and propriety from you. You are not a person who makes false allegations.”

Our Master continued:

“In that case, I inform you of a great punishment that is ahead. Allah the Exalted has commanded me to warn my closest kin of the punishment in the hereafter. I invite you to say, “Allah is One, there is no God/s or idols/deities, there is only Allah.” And I am the servant and the Rasul of Allah. If you accept what I have said, then I guarantee that you will go to heaven, but if you don’t, I’m afraid I cannot be of service to you neither in this world nor in the hereafter…”

Abu Lahab was baffled and enraged in the face of these words... For his nephew was addressing the entire Quraish and there wasn’t a single clan in Quraish that wasn’t related to our Master…This was his extended family! He immediately picked up a rock and threw it straight towards our Master shouting, “May you perish! Is this what you have summoned us here for?”

Little did he know that the curse he made that day to our Master was going to be cast upon himself later… As our Master says, “There are two angels present when one makes a prayer who say ‘Amen, may an equal amount come to you too!’ If the person has made a curse and the addressee is deserving of this curse, the curse will hit him, but if the addressee is not deserving of this curse, then it will turn back to its source and hit the person who made it!”

Hence Abu Lahab was in fact cursing himself!

The stone he threw fell at the foot of the hill Muhammad (saw) was standing on… Nobody else said anything… They merely whispered among themselves as they quietly dispersed…

Abu Lahab would pay dearly for his violent hostility and hate towards Allah’s Rasul (saw). Allah heralded his frightening aftermath in the Quran:

“May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined... And ruined he is!

Neither his wealth nor his earnings availed him!

He will be subject to a blazing Fire!

His wife as well... As a wood-carrier!

With a rope of palm-fiber around her neck!”[1]

Regardless of whoever spoke out in dissidence, Allah would continue to complete our Master’s light. For that reason, no matter how much it saddened our Master to experience and witness such events, he was neither afraid nor shaken by the ugly allegations made against him. Later when some of his followers were subject to severe torture and the unbelievers continued to provoke and aggravate our Master, Allah revealed the following verses, enabling our Master to continue on his path with strength and dignity:

“Therefore, declare what you are commanded (the knowledge of the reality and Sunnatullah) then turn away from the dualists!

Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers!

Those who take deities/gods besides Allah (who created the worlds and their essence with His Names) ... Soon they will know!

Indeed, We know how your breast is constrained because of what they say.

So, engage in the tasbih of your Rabb (continue your existence through your servitude to your essential reality) as His Hamd (evaluation of the corporeal worlds) and be of those who prostate (eradicate their constructed identities/egos)!

And serve your Rabb (engage in the practices of prayer and servitude to your Rabb) until there comes to you the certainty…”[2]