The Opposition Intensifies

Even wealthy Muslims were not spared. They were also persecuted. Their relatives turned against them. After the death of Abu Talib and Khadijah, the people felt nothing was left to stop them from persecuting the Prophet. They threw garbage at him as he passed through the streets. They spread thorns in his path. They made noise when the Prophet stood up at the Kabah to pray. The Makkans did all they could to turn the people against the Prophet. However, despite all their efforts, Islam continued to spread. Some of the most powerful men of Makkah accepted Islam. Hamzah, the Prophet’s uncle, Umar ibn AI-Khattab, famous for his bravery, and Abu Dharr Ghifari were among them. The Makkan chiefs were more enraged than before. They made life so difficult for the Muslims that many migrated to nearby Abyssinia with the Prophet’s permission. At first, fifteen men and women migrated to Abyssinia. Slowly, the number reached eighty-three. With time, the Makkan chiefs became more and more