The Prophet in Makkah

THE PROPHET IN MAKKAH religion had placed their idols there. There were even statues of Jesus and Mary within the walls of the Kaaba, which had thus become a place of pilgrimage for people of all denominations. This was why four months had been made sacred—so people would be free to visit the Kaaba during that time without fear of being harmed or attacked. During the four months people used to flock to Makkah, Makkan traders did excellent business. Were the idols to be removed from the Kaaba, people would stop visiting the city, and its inhabitants would suffer immense losses. So there were many people with a vested interest in the continuance of polytheistic practices. They feared that if monotheism were to spread in the land, Makkah would suffer drastically; the area would be reduced to the uncultivable valley that it was. Additionally, due to their position as patrons of the Ka’bah, the Quraysh had come to lord over tribes far and wide. Their caravans used to travel east and west, far beyond the boundaries of the peninsula. Following long-standing pacts, they used to do business with tribes as far afield as Persia, Abyssinia and the Byzantine Empire. Therefore, the Quraysh thought accepting Muhammad as a prophet could only result in neighbouring tribes—in fact, all the polytheists of Arabia—breaking off the commercial agreements they had made with the Quraysh. That would also be the end of their hegemony over the Arabs. This is the meaning of the verse in the surah of the Quran entitled