Al-Nur

7. This incident also shows how bitter the opposition to truth can become when the message is presented in a pure and uncompromising form, especially when people feel that their own position is under threat. Some opponents are simply worldly-minded. They may resist a mission of truth, but their hostility usually remains within certain limits. They may try to defeat its advocate, but they do not necessarily seek to disgrace him. An incident from the time of the Battle of Uhud illustrates this. As the Makkan army marched towards Madinah, it passed through Abwa, where Aminah bint Wahb, the Prophet’s mother, was buried. Some hotheaded members of the Quraysh suggested digging up her grave and dishonouring her remains. Others among the Quraysh strongly rejected the proposal and prevented it from being carried out. (Akhbar Makkah by al-Azraqi, Vol. 2, p. 272) They were on their way to fight the Prophet, yet they were unwilling to stoop to such a degrading form of insult. Certain Jewish opponents, however, who regarded themselves as the sole guardians of truth, took a different course. They seized upon various incidents as pretexts for attacking the Prophet and tried to damage his moral reputation. According to this account, they were chiefly responsible for the campaign of slander mentioned above.