One day as some of the chieftains of Quraish were sitting in their group in one corner of the Masjid Al-Haram (Makkah), our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) was residing alone in another one. This was the time when many were being moved by the message preached by the Prophet and accepting Islam. The growing numbers of Muslims was disturbing to the Quraish.
On such a note, Utbah bin Rabi’ah suggested to the Quraish chiefs there, “Gentlemen, if you like, I would go and speak to Muhammad and put before him some proposals; maybe that he accepts one of them, to which we may also agree, and so he stops opposing us.”
They agreed to this and thus Utbah went and sat next to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him). When he turned to him, Utbah said, “Nephew, you know the high status you enjoy in the community by virtue of your ancestry and family traditions, but you have put your people to great trouble – you have created divisions among them and consider them to be fools; you talk ill of their religion and gods and say things as though all our forefathers were pagan.”
He continued, “Now listen to me and I shall make some suggestions. Consider them well, maybe that you accept one of them.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) said, “Abul Walid (a very respectable term in Arab culture), say what you want to say and I shall listen to you.”
On this note Utbah said, “Nephew, if by what you are doing, you want wealth, we will give you enough of it so that you will be the richest man among us; if you want to became an important man, we will make you our chief and will never decide a matter without you; if you want to be a king, we will accept you as our king; and if you are visited by a jinn, whom you cannot get rid of by your own power, we will arrange the best physicians and have you treated at our own expense.” ‘Utbah went on speaking in this strain and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) went on listening to him quietly.
The Prophet then asked, “Have you said, O Abul Walid, what you had to say?” After Utbah confirmed, the Prophet continued, “Well, now listen to me.” Then he started reciting Chapter 41, Surah Fussilat and Utbah kept listening to it.
Coming to the verse of prostration (verse 38), the Prophet prostrated before Allah, then raising his head said, “This was my reply, O Abul Walid, now you may act as you please.” Hearing this, Utbah arose and walked back. The chiefs saw him afar and said, “By God! Utbah’s face is changed. He does not look the same man that he was when he went from here.” The people asked him, “What have you heard?”
He replied, “By God! I have heard something like which I have never heard before. By God, it’s neither poetry, nor sorcery, nor magic. O chiefs of the Quraish, listen to what I say and leave this man to himself. I think what he recites is going to have its effect. If the other Arabs overcome him, you will be saved from raising your band against your brother, and the others will deal with him. But if he overcame Arabia, his sovereignty would be your sovereignty and his honour is your honour.” Hearing this, the chiefs spoke out, “You too, O father of Walid, have been bewitched by his tongue.” Utbah replied, “I have given you my opinion, now you may act as you please.”
This incident, which is a drop from the ocean of Seerah (life history of Prophet Muhammad) is not so uncommon to many. This episode is imbibed with great number of applicable lessons. The first and foremost being the great skill of listening.
We acquire this ability before we start to utter even sounds, let alone words. But by time, this talent is taken for granted. And many fail to finely tune this ability giving vent to eloquent speaking. Whereas both speaking and listening need to go on a balanced ratio. Listening is not mere hearing but is greater than it. It is the best communication skill.
It is a leadership quality as depicted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him). He waited until Utbah had completed his talk without interruption, though he spoke humiliating against him. Even after Utbah’s completion, he confirmed it before he proceeded with his answer. Giving chance to the opposite party and listening to them with patience and tolerance is a prodigious moral, even while they degrade with baseless culpability or rubbish offers.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) replied too, it was not on defence basis or an argument or debate. Rather they were authentic lines from the Holy Qur’ān. Responding without opening a debate platform, from accurate sources is undoubtedly the highest level of professionalism. As the saying goes, “Speak in such a way that others love to listen to you. Listen in such a way that others love to speak to you.”
If analysed from another perspective, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) was basically ‘offered’ to abandon the truth he was practising and preaching. The bribes and offers were of that era but exist today too in different forms and shapes.
When truth is presented against the flow of trend and majority, the power-holder’s very first step against it is rejection. This is followed by mockery by all formulas. Once these steps too fail to suppress it, starts the second phase; threat, bribe and offers. While the truth seekers remain unmoved by this too, commences the third and final stage; torture and boycott.
This has taken place in past and time is and will prove – History repeats.
Although apparently the obstacles seem to be insurmountable; the weapon of good morals and character can smash and melt them away.
Finally, the power behind the determination to stand with the truth, unperturbed in spite of great offers; it is nothing but a firm faith on the strength of the mission.