“They say: ‘If we were to follow this guidance with you, we should be snatched away from our land.’ Have We not established for them a secure sanctuary to which fruits of all kinds are brought as a provision from Us? But most of them do not know.”
(Al Qur’ān – 28:57)
This is what the Qurayshite unbelievers used to say as an excuse for not accepting Islam. When we reflect on this, we realise that this was indeed the main reason for their denial. In order to appreciate it fully, we should bear in mind the position of Quraysh in those times, a position which they felt would be undermined if they were to accept Islam.
What initially lent eminence to the Quraysh in Arabia was their descent from Ishmael. When, thanks to the sagacity of Quṣayy ibn Kilāb, the Quraysh became the custodians of the Ka’bah and settled down in Makkah, their importance grew.
Here is God’s first answer to the excuse the Quraysh offered. This response amounted to saying: “Is it not because of God’s special favour that it is looked upon with respect and veneration by all, and every year thousands of people come to it as pilgrims? It is thanks to this favour that you have become the leaders of Arabia and the major beneficiaries of the flourishing international trade of your time. Do you think that by rebelling against God Who, in the first place, bestowed this favour on you, you will prosper, and that you will be instantly destroyed if you follow God’s Religion?”