THE PROPHET�S FATHER AND UNCLES

We must admit, however, that Muhammad was consistent.  He reserved his power for saving his ummah, those who believed in Allah to the exclusion of AllAt and �UzzA, and in his own apostleship.  He did not use it to save even his dearest and nearest ones like his father and uncle.  Regarding his father, he told a questioner: �Verily, my father and your father are in the Fire� (398).  But he was somewhat more kind to his uncle, AbU TAlib, who brought him up and protected him but who did not accept his religion.  About him, Muhammad tells us: �I found him in the lowest part of the Fire and I brought him to the shallow part� (409).  But even this shallowest part must have been roasting the poor uncle.  Muhammad assures us that �among the inhabitants of the Fire AbU TAlib would have the least suffering, and he would be wearing two shoes of Fire which would boil his brain� (413).  Would you call that much of a relief?

Though Muhammad took pride in �establishing ties of relationship,� he himself repudiated all ties with the generations of his forefathers and their posterity.  �Behold! the posterity of my fathers . . . are not my friends,� declares Muhammad (417).  On the Day of Resurrection, their good works will not avail them.  �Aisha, the Prophet�s young wife, reports: �I said: Messenger of Allah, the son of Jud�An [a relation of hers and one of the leaders of the Quraish] established ties of relationship, fed the poor.  Would that be of any avail to him?  He said: it would be of no avail to him� (416).

God�s mind is made up with regard to the polytheists; therefore, a true believer should not even seek blessing on their behalf. As the QurAn says: �It is not meet for the Prophet and for those who believe, that they should beg pardon for the polytheists, even though they were their kith and kin, after it had been known to them that they were the denizens of Hell� (9:113).

author: ram sawrup