The opposition and how revelation answered
What the sources record of those who opposed the message, the āyāt reported about them, and how their story ended.
Abū Jahl (ʿAmr ibn Hishām)
The one who forbade a servant from praying
He swore to tread on the Prophet's ﷺ neck if he saw him prostrating, then drew back in terror when he approached.
Read the full profileAbū Lahab (ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā)
The uncle who cursed the first public call
When the Prophet ﷺ called the clans from aṣ-Ṣafā, Abū Lahab said, 'May you perish — is this why you gathered us?'
Read the full profileal-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah
The one who called the Qur'an magic handed down
Ibn Kathīr records that Abū Jahl pressured him after Quraysh feared he might accept Islam, and that he then denounced the revelation.
Read the full profilean-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith
Described in ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm as opposing the call with Persian tales
Ar-Raḥīq records that he followed the Prophet's ﷺ gatherings with tales of Persian kings and asked whether his own accounts were better.
Read the full profileUmayyah ibn Khalaf
Bilāl's رضي الله عنه master and torturer
He tortured Bilāl رضي الله عنه on the burning sand of Makkah.
Read the full profileʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl
The head of the hypocrites in Madinah
He said that when they returned to Madinah, the more honoured would drive out the humbler.
Read the full profile
Sources and accounts
Ḥadīth references open their collection. Biographical accounts attributed to ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm are book accounts, not independent authentication of each report. Open the book
Abū Jahl (ʿAmr ibn Hishām)
The one who forbade a servant from praying
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2797He swore to tread on the Prophet's ﷺ neck if he saw him prostrating, then drew back in terror when he approached.
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2797The report connects this incident with the concluding passage of al-ʿAlaq, while preserving a narrator's uncertainty about the source of the revelation statement.
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2797He was killed at Badr.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 396296:6–19 — The report connects this passage with his attempt to prevent the Prophet ﷺ from praying; the revelation statement retains a narrator's source qualification.
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2797Biographical account and appearances
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1794a; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1794b; Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3963; ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, al-Mubārakpūrī
Abū Lahab (ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā)
The uncle who cursed the first public call
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4971When the Prophet ﷺ called the clans from aṣ-Ṣafā, Abū Lahab said, 'May you perish — is this why you gathered us?'
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4971Then Sūrat al-Masad was revealed.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4971111:1–5 — Revealed after his words at aṣ-Ṣafā.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4971Biographical account and appearances
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4770; Sūrat al-Masad; ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, al-Mubārakpūrī
al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah
The one who called the Qur'an magic handed down
Ibn Kathīr records that Abū Jahl pressured him after Quraysh feared he might accept Islam, and that he then denounced the revelation.
Ibn Kathīr gives this as the occasion of the āyāt in al-Muddaththir about the man given wealth and sons.
74:11–26 — The one who thought and calculated, then turned away.
Biographical account and appearances
; Ibn Hishām; ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, al-Mubārakpūrī
an-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith
Described in ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm as opposing the call with Persian tales
ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, Attempts Made to Check the Onward March of IslamAr-Raḥīq records that he followed the Prophet's ﷺ gatherings with tales of Persian kings and asked whether his own accounts were better.
ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, Attempts Made to Check the Onward March of IslamBiographical account and appearances
Ibn Hishām (Ibn Isḥāq); ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, al-Mubārakpūrī
Umayyah ibn Khalaf
Bilāl's رضي الله عنه master and torturer
ar-Raḥīq al-MakhtūmHe tortured Bilāl رضي الله عنه on the burning sand of Makkah.
ar-Raḥīq al-MakhtūmSaʿd ibn Muʿādh رضي الله عنه told him the Prophet ﷺ said he would be killed; he was killed at Badr.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3950Biographical account and appearances
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3852; ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, al-Mubārakpūrī
ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl
The head of the hypocrites in Madinah
ar-Raḥīq al-MakhtūmHe said that when they returned to Madinah, the more honoured would drive out the humbler.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4905When ʿUmar رضي الله عنه asked to kill him, the Prophet ﷺ refused so that people would not say Muḥammad ﷺ kills his companions.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 490563:7–8 — His words about driving out the humbler.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4905;Biographical account and appearances
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4905; Sūrat al-Munāfiqūn; ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, al-Mubārakpūrī