The response is twofold:

First, that is not the case. Rather, many unbelievers knew that Muhammad was the Messenger of Allah, yet opposed him out of envy and arrogance. Abū Sufyān had heard accounts confirming the Prophet’s prophethood, peace and blessings be upon him, that others had not heard, including what he heard from Umayyah ibn Abī al-Salt and from Heraclius, emperor of the Byzantines. He himself reported that he remained certain that the Prophet’s cause, peace and blessings be upon him, would prevail, until Allah brought him to Islam despite his aversion to it. Statements heard from him during the year of Yarmūk and at other times demonstrated the sincerity of his Islam and his love for Allah and His Messenger after that intense hostility.

Allah Most High says:

“Those who do not invoke another god besides Allah, nor kill a soul Allah has forbidden to be killed except by right, nor commit adultery. Whoever does these things will meet with punishment.”

“The punishment will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will remain in it forever, humiliated.”

“Except those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds: Allah will replace their evil deeds with good deeds.”

If Allah replaces their evil deeds with good deeds, then those good deeds bring them Allah’s affection. Nor is the replacement of evil deeds with good deeds restricted to those who were unbelievers. Allah Most High says:

“Allah accepts the repentance only of those who do evil in ignorance and then repent soon afterward. It is they whose repentance Allah accepts. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”

Abū al-‘Āliyah said: “I asked the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, about this verse, and they told me: ‘Everyone who disobeys Allah is