What are the stylistic characteristics of the Qur’an?.Part3

Upon understanding that Walid was inclined towards the Message, the people of Quraysh said: “Walid has deviated from the path of his forefathers. By God, all the people of the Quraysh will follow him and will deviate from this path.” Abu Jahl heard of this and he said: “Do not worry, I will dissuade him, and bring him back.” Abu Jahl went to Walid and said sadly: “O Uncle! Your tribe has mobilized and is collecting money and property.” When Walid asked the reason for this Abu Jahl replied that they were collecting money to give to Walid. He again asked the reason for this and Abu Jahl said: “Because they have heard that you went to Muhammad hoping for something from him.” Walid responded: “The Quraysh certainly know that I am one of the richest among them.”

Abu Jahl then told Walid that he should speak against Muhammad so that they could hear and understand that he was not supporting Muhammad and that he denied the Message. Walid responded: “I do not know what to say! There is no one among you who knows poetry better than me. Nor is there anyone who knows the poetry of the jinn better than me. What Muhammad said does not resemble any of these!” But, Abu Jahl insisted and told Walid: “Your people will never be pleased with you unless you say something against him.” Walid asked for some time to think. He thought for a while and then stood up and went to the gathering of his people; they demanded that he declare Muhammad crazy. But Walid said: “No, by God, he is not insane. We have seen insane people; the way one talks disjointedly and behaves foolishly in that state is known to all. Who would believe that what Muhammad presented was the incoherent speech of a madman?” Some people then stated that he should be called a soothsayer. Walid said, “He is not a soothsayer. We have seen the soothsayers. What they murmur and what they utter has no resemblance whatsoever to the Qur’an.” Some other people said they should call him a poet. In return Walid said, “No, he is not a poet, for we know poetry in all its forms, and what he presents conforms to none of those forms.”

Some said they should call him a liar. Walid asked, “Have you ever heard him lie?” The people had to answer in the negative, but this left the problem of what they should call him. Walid asked for some more time to think. He finally said: “This is bewitching magic which could have been learned only from masters. This cannot be the words of a human being.” These words made Walid’s people happy, and they were all in agreement. The following verses were revealed concerning this incident and Walid:

Leave Me (to deal) with him whom I created alone, and I enabled for him abundant wealth, and children around him as means of power; and I have granted him all means and status for a comfortable life. And yet, he desires that I should give more. By no means! Surely he has been in obstinate opposition to Our Revelations. I will oblige him to a strenuous climb. He pondered and he calculated (how he could disprove the Qur’an in people’s sight). Be away from God’s mercy, how he calculated! Yea, may God preserve him from the evil eye! How he calculated! Then he looked around (in the manner of one who will decide on a matter about which he is asked). Then he frowned and scowled. Then he turned his back and (despite inwardly acknowledging the Qur’an’s Divine origin), grew in arrogance. And he said: “This is nothing but sorcery (of a sort transmitted from sorcerers) from old times. This is nothing but the word of a mortal.” (Muddatthir 74:11-25)