Story of al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah

Al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah, father of Khalid ibn al-Walid, was a man of experience
and cunning, a senior among Arab seniors of his time, a man of great wealth
according to the testimony of the Holy Qur’an as we read in Surat al-Muddaththir
(Chapter 74 of the Holy Qur’an). All the clans of Quraish used to collectively share
the expense of the covering sheet of the Ka’ba one year, and in the next year, al-
Walid would pay the entire expense all by himself. In Mecca alone, he had ten
sons and ten slaves, and each one of his slaves used to trade in a merchandise
valued at one thousand dinars, each dinar weiging one qintar, talent, of gold
(equivalent to four thousand dinars).
He used to always ridicule Prophet Mu¦ammed (S). The Prophet (S) used quite
often to recite the Holy Qur’an (and sometimes he would ask others to recite it in
his presence). The Quraishis assembled at the house of al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah
and said to him, AO Abd al-Shams! What is this that Mu¦ammed is saying? Is it
poetry, sorcery, or oratory?!" ALet me hear it myself," said he, going close to
where Mu¦ammed was as he recited the Qur’an. AO Mu¦ammed! Said al-Walid,
ARecite to me some of your poetry." The Prophet (S) said, AIt is not poetry; it is
the speech of Allah with which He blessed His angels and prophets." ARecite
some of it for me," said al-Walid. The Messenger of Allah (S) recited these verses
of Surat µa-Meem (Chapter 32 of the Holy Qur’an):

‫بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم‬

‫اهُم ِّمن‬%َ‫ا َّما أَت‬%‫ ِذ َر قَوْ ًم‬%‫ك لِتُن‬ ُّ %‫و ْال َح‬%ُ
َ ِّ‫ق ِمن َّرب‬ َ ‫لْ ه‬%َ‫ أَ ْم يَقُولُونَ ا ْفتَ َراهُ؟! ب‬ َ‫ْب فِي ِه ِمن رَّبِّ ْال َعالَ ِمين‬ ِ ‫َنزي ُل ْال ِكتَا‬
َ ‫ب ال َري‬ ِ ‫ ت‬ ‫] الم‬

ِ ْ‫ر‬%%‫ض َو َما بَ ْينَهُ َما فِي ِستَّ ِة أَي ٍَّام ثُ َّم ا ْستَ َوى َعلَى ْال َع‬
‫ا لَ ُكم‬%%‫ش؛ َم‬ َ ْ‫ت َواألَر‬ َ َ‫ هَّللا ُ الَّ ِذي خَ ل‬ َ‫ك لَ َعلَّهُ ْم يَ ْهتَ ُدون‬
َ ‫ق ال َّس َم‬
ِ ‫اوا‬ ٍ ‫نَّ ِذ‬
َ ِ‫ير ِّمن قَ ْبل‬

َ‫ف‬%%‫دَا ُرهُ أَ ْل‬% ‫ض ثُ َّم يَ ْع ُر ُج ِإلَ ْي ِه فِي يَوْ ٍم َكانَ ِم ْق‬

ِ ْ‫ يُ َدبِّ ُر األَ ْم َر ِمنَ ال َّس َماء إِلَى األَر‬ ‫يع؛ أَفَال تَتَ َذ َّكرُونَ ؟‬
ٍ ِ‫ِّمن دُونِ ِه ِمن َولِ ٍّي َوال َشف‬
‫ ثُ َّم‬ ‫ين‬
ٍ ‫ا ِن ِمن ِط‬% ‫نس‬ َ ‫ الَّ ِذي أَحْ َسنَ ُك َّل َش ْي ٍء خَ لَقَهُ َوبَدَأَ َخ ْل‬ ‫َّحي ُم‬
َ ‫ق ا ِإل‬ ِ ‫ب َوال َّشهَا َد ِة ْال َع ِزي ُز الر‬
ِ ‫ك عَالِ ُم ْال َغ ْي‬
َ ِ‫ َذل‬ َ‫َسنَ ٍة ِّم َّما تَ ُع ُّدون‬

‫ قَلِيال َّما‬،َ‫ َدة‬% ِ‫ا َر َواألَ ْفئ‬% ‫ْص‬

َ ‫ ْم َع َواألَب‬% ‫الس‬
َّ ‫ل لَ ُك ُم‬% ِ ُّ‫ ِه ِمن ر‬% ‫وَّاهُ َونَفَ َخ فِي‬% ‫ ثُ َّم َس‬ ‫اللَ ٍة ِّمن َّماء َّم ِهي ٍن‬% ‫لَهُ ِمن ُس‬% ‫ َل ن َْس‬%‫َج َع‬
َ %‫ ِه َو َج َع‬%‫وح‬

ِ ْ‫و‬%%‫ك ْال َم‬

‫ت‬ ٍ ‫ أَئِنَّا لَفِي َخ ْل‬،‫ض‬
ُ %َ‫ يَتَ َوفَّا ُكم َّمل‬: ْ‫ل‬%%ُ‫ ق‬ َ‫افِرُون‬%%‫اء َربِّ ِه ْم َك‬%%َ‫لْ هُم بِلِق‬%%َ‫ق َج ِدي ٍد؟! ب‬ ِ ْ‫ضلَ ْلنَا فِي األَر‬
َ ‫ أَئِ َذا‬:‫ َوقَالُوا‬ َ‫تَ ْش ُكرُون‬

َ ‫ َربَّنَا أَ ْب‬:‫ُوس ِه ْم ِعن َد َربِّ ِه ْم‬

‫صرْ نَا َو َس ِم ْعنَا فَارْ ِج ْعنَا‬ ِ ‫ َولَوْ تَ َرى إِ ِذ ْال ُمجْ ِر ُمونَ نَا ِكسُو ُرؤ‬ َ‫ ثُ َّم إِلَى َربِّ ُك ْم تُرْ َجعُون‬،‫الَّ ِذي ُو ِّك َل بِ ُك ْم‬

َ‫اس أَجْ َم ِعين‬

ِ َّ‫ أَل َ ْمأَل َ َّن َجهَنَّ َم ِمنَ ْال ِجنَّ ِة َوالن‬:‫ق ْالقَوْ ُل ِمنِّي‬ ٍ ‫ َولَوْ ِش ْئنَا آَل تَ ْينَا ُك َّل نَ ْف‬ َ‫صالِحًا إِنَّا ُموقِنُون‬
َّ ‫ َولَ ِك ْن َح‬،‫س هُدَاهَا‬ َ ْ‫نَ ْع َمل‬

[
In the Name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.
Aleef Lam Meem. (This is) the Revelation of the Book in which there is no doubt,
from the Lord of the worlds. Or do they say, "He has forged it”?! Nay, it is the
truth from the Lord of the Worlds so that you may admonish (thereby) people
to whom no warner has come before you in order that they may receive
guidance. It is Allah Who has created the heavens and the earth, and all
between them, in six days, and He is firmly established on the throne (of
authority): You have none, besides Him, to protect or intercede (for you): will
you then not receive admonishment? He regulates (all) affairs from the
heavens to the earth: In the end (all affairs) will go up to Him, on a Day the
span whereof will be (as) a thousand years of your reckoning. Such is He, the
One Who knows all things, the hidden and the open, the One Exalted (in power),
the Merciful One; He Who has made everything which He has created
excellently. He began the creation of man with (nothing more than) clay, and
made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a despised fluid: He
then fashioned him in due proportion and breathed into him of His spirit. And
He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and
understanding): Small thanks do you grant! And they say, "What?! When we lie,
hidden and lost, (buried) in the ground, shall we indeed be in a renewed
creation?!” Nay, they deny the meeting with their Lord! Say, "The angel of
death, (the one who is) in charge of you, will (duly) take your souls (away at the
time of death); then you shall be brought back to your Lord.” If only you could
see when the guilty ones bend their heads down before their Lord (saying,)
"Our Lord! We have seen and we have heard: Now, then, do send us back (to the
world): We will do righteous deeds, for we do indeed believe (now).” If We had
so willed, We could certainly have brought every soul its true guidance: But the
word from Me will come true: "I will fill Hell with jinns and men all
together.” (Qur’an, 32:1-13)
When the Prophet (S) finished reciting the last verse quoted above, al-Walid
shuddered and his hair stood up. He went home without giving Quraish an
answer.
Quraish, therefore, went to Abu Jahl and said, AO Abu al-µakam! Abd al-Shams is
inclined towards Mu¦ammed's creed; have you seen how he did not come to us
with a follow-up? Abu Jahl went to him and said, AO uncle! You have caused our
heads to stoop down in humiliation and have exposed us and made our enemies
happy on our account by you inclining towards Mu¦ammed's creed. al-Walid
said, AI have not inclined to his creed, but I heard something he said which is
quite weighty, a speech because of which the skins shudder. AIs it an address
that he delivered? asked Abu Jahl. al-Walid said, ANo, it is not, for an address is a
continuous speech, and this is prose some parts of which are not similar to
others. AIs it poetry? asked Abu Jahl. ANo, al-Walid answered, Afor I have heard
all types of the Arabs' poetry; it is not poetry. AThen what is it? asked Abu Jahl.
ALet me think about it, answered al-Walid. On the next day, he was asked again,
AO Abd al-Shams! What do you say about our query? He said, ATell people that it
is sorcery, for this will affect people's hearts better. It is then that the Almighty
revealed the following verses to express His Wrath at what al-Walid had
attributed to Him and to His Prophet:

ْ َ‫ ثُ َّم ي‬ ‫دًا‬%‫هُ تَ ْم ِهي‬%َ‫َّدت ل‬

ُ‫ َكالَّ! إِنَّه‬ ‫ َد‬%‫ ُع أَ ْن أَ ِزي‬%‫ط َم‬ ُ ‫ َو َج َع ْل‬ ‫ت َو ِحيدًا‬
ُّ ‫ َو َمه‬ ‫هُودًا‬%‫ َوبَنِينَ ُش‬ ‫ت لَهُ َماال َّم ْمدُودًا‬ ُ ‫] َذرْ نِي َو َم ْن خَ لَ ْق‬

‫ ثُ َّم‬ ‫ َر‬% ‫س َوبَ َس‬

َ َ‫ ثُ َّم َعب‬ ‫ر‬% َ ُ‫ َسأُرْ ِهقُه‬ ‫َكانَ آِل يَاتِنَا َعنِيدًا‬
َ %َ‫ ثُ َّم نَظ‬ ‫ ثُ َّم قُتِ َل َك ْيفَ قَ َّد َر‬ ‫ فَقُتِ َل َك ْيفَ قَ َّد َر‬ ‫ إِنَّهُ فَ َّك َر َوقَ َّد َر‬ ‫صعُودًا‬

‫ ال تُ ْبقِي َوال‬‫قَ ُر‬%‫ا َس‬%%‫ا أَ ْد َراكَ َم‬%%‫ َو َم‬ ‫قَ َر‬%‫ َسأُصْ لِي ِه َس‬ ‫ إِ ْن هَ َذا إِالَّ قَوْ ُل ْالبَ َش ِر‬ ‫ إِ ْن هَ َذا إِالَّ ِسحْ ٌر ي ُْؤثَ ُر‬:‫ فَقَا َل‬ ‫أَ ْدبَ َر َوا ْستَ ْكبَ َر‬

[‫ َعلَ ْيهَا تِ ْس َعةَ َع َش َر‬ ‫ لَوَّا َحةٌ لِّ ْلبَ َش ِر‬ ‫تَ َذ ُر‬
Leave Me and him whom I created alone and gave vast riches, and sons
dwelling in his presence, and I adjusted affairs for him adjustably, yet he
desires that I should add more! By no means! Surely he opposes Our Signs. I will
make a distressing punishment overtake him. Surely he reflected and guessed,
but may he be cursed how he guessed! Again, may he be cursed how he
guessed! Then he looked, then he frowned and scowled, then he turned back
and was big with pride, then he said: This is naught but sorcery narrated (from
others); this is naught but the word of a mortal. I will cast him into hell. and
what will make you realize what hell is? It leaves naught, nor does it spare
aught. It scorches the mortal. Over it are nineteen (keepers). (Qur’an, 74:11-30).