better, or ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib? Are you better, or ʿAbd Allah?” The Prophet ﷺ gave him no reply. Utbah went on: “Then why do you revile our gods and declare our forefathers misguided? If what you want is leadership, we shall raise our standards behind you and you will remain our chief as long as you live. If it is marriage you seek, we will wed you to ten women of your choosing from whichever households of Quraysh you desire. And if it is wealth, we will collect our riches for you until you and your descendants after you are fully provided for.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ remained silent. When Utbah finished, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Bism Allah al-Rahman al-Rahim (In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Compassionate): Ḥa Mīm. A revelation from the All-Merciful, the Compassionate …” (Surah Fussilat 41:1–2). He recited until he reached, “I warn you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt that struck ʿĀd and Thamūd” (41:13). At that Utbah placed his hand over the Prophet’s mouth and, appealing to their kinship, begged him to stop. He did not return home but stayed away from his family.

Abu Jahl said, “People of Quraysh, by Allah, we think Utbah has defected to Muhammad; he must have been captivated by his food. It can only be that some need has befallen him. Come, let us go to him.” They went to him, and Abu Jahl said, “By Allah, Utbah, we only thought you had abandoned our religion. If you are in need, we will gather enough wealth for you so that you have no need of Muhammad’s food.”

Utbah grew angry and swore by Allah that he would never speak to Muhammad again. He said, “You know full well that I am among the richest men of Quraysh, yet I went to him”—and he related what had happened—“and he replied with words that, by Allah, are neither sorcery, nor poetry, nor soothsaying. He recited: ‘Bism Allah al-Rahman al-Rahim: Ḥa Mīm. A revelation from the All-Merciful, the Compassionate, a Book whose verses are set out clearly, an Arabic Quran for a people who understand …’ (41:1–3) until he reached, ‘I warn you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt that struck ʿĀd and Thamūd’ (41:13). I put my hand over his mouth and implored him, by our kinship, to desist. You know that when Muhammad speaks he does not lie, and I feared that punishment would overtake you.” This was narrated from him by Yaḥyā ibn Maʿīn.

Dāʾūd ibn ʿAmr al-Ḍabbī said: al-Muthannā ibn Zurʿah related to us, from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, from Nāfiʿ, from Ibn ʿUmar, who said: “When the Prophet ﷺ recited before Utbah ibn Rabīʿah, ‘Ḥa Mīm. A revelation from the All-Merciful, the Compassionate, a Book whose verses are set out clearly, an Arabic Quran for a people who understand …,’ he returned to his companions and said to them, ‘O…’