7- The disavowal of the Polytheists
When the Messenger of Allah (a.s.) along with his companions were going to conquer Mecca, he wanted once again to invite the inhabitants of that city to Islam. So he wrote a letter in which he asked them to refrain from cruelty and fighting, and just think of Allah and His Mercy. He gave them hope that Allah would forgive them if they repented. At the end of the letter, the Prophet (a.s.) pointed out to them the Sura of Bara’ah (disavowal).
The Prophet (a.s.) proposed the task of delivering the letter to the people around him and wanted someone to perform this duty, but all of them refused that dangerous mission. When the Prophet (a.s.) found no responses, he chose Abu Bakr to carry out the task and announce the Sura of Bara’ah before the in habitants of Mecca. When Abu Bakr went on his way, the Archangel Gabriel came down saying to the Prophet (a.s.), “O Mohammad! No one should do this mission except you, or a man from your family!” Then, the Messenger of Allah (a.s.) called me and asked me to carry out and perform that diffiwlt mission. He asked me to go after Abu Bakr without any delay, and take that message from him, he said that I myself, should announce the Sura before the Meccans. I went to Mecca with the Sura, but what can I say about the people of Mecca? If they were free to do anything they wanted to do, they would have shown me their dark and deep hatred and grudges. They would have cut my body into pieces, and put each piece on the top of every mountain! As you know, they were ready to sacrifice their wives, children and wealth, to realize their wicked plots against me! However, I achieved my mission completely and delivered them the message of the Prophet (a.s.). After that, some groups came and threatened me. Some people talked about appointing me in a high position in the city and giving me a lot of money. Some others showed their old enmity against me, but I just did what the Messenger of Allah (a.s.) had asked me to do. Is it not true?”
All of them replied, “Yes it is true, O Commander of the Believers!”
Then Imam Ali (a.s.) looked at the Jewish man and said, “My Jewish brother! These are the seven instances of my sufferings before the death of the Messenger of Allah. We have not enough time to explain them completely and fully!” The wise Jewish man looked at Imam Ali’s face for a while, and then some tears came in his eyes.
The instances of Imam Ali’s sufferings after the death of the Prophet (a.s.):
