Why were leaders of mecca threatened by muhammad?

Answer 1

Answer 1

Preserving Religious Plurality: Abu Sufyan and the Meccan Leaders opposed Mohammed because the religious plurality permitted in Mecca was critical for maintaining Mecca's important position along the Arabian trade routes. It was on account of the fact that Mecca was holy site for all Arabian faiths that spared it from internal conflict and allowed the flourishing of commerce in the city. Mohammed made clear that he intended to purge the idols from the Kaaba which would cause mass uproar and ended Mecca's position as a holy site for all Arabians.

Of course, what Abu Sufyan and the Meccan Leaders did not take into account is that nearly all Arabians would convert to Islam after the fall of Mecca.

Keeping His Own Power: Abu Sufyan was one of the Chief Leaders of the Qoreish Tribe and one of the most powerful men in all of Arabia. Should Mecca fall to the Muslims, he would certainly lose substantial power. Many Muslims hold that he was corrupt as well, meaning that he stood to face criminal acts if he were subject to Mohammed's authority.

Protecting Commerce: During Mohammed's Medinan Period, Mohammed organized and executed numerous raids on caravans heading to and leaving from Mecca, causing disruption to Arabian trade routes. Since Abu Sufyan and the Meccan Leaders were in charge of Mecca, this was something they would be expected to ameliorate.

Polytheism: It was likely that Abu Sufyan and the Meccan Leaders were fighting in defense of Arabian henotheist religions to which they ascribed against Mohammed who would demand that he abandon all gods but Allah.

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Answer 2Makkah or Mecca was not a holy site before Islam. It was just the focal trading point between the south (e.g. Yemen) and the North (e.g. the current countries of Syria, Lebanon and Turkey). The overwhelming majority of Arabs were polytheists (except minority of Christians and Jews). Hence, the Makkahs were concerned if they convert to Islam to lose this trading merit. However, Makkah (or Mecca) flourished more and more after being an Islamic town and became the holiest city for Muslims.

Answer 3 (comment on Answer 2)

Mecca was actually a holy site for most of the polytheistic and henotheistic religions of the Arabian Peninsula. This is why all of the idols were placed inside of the Ka'aba. In fact, this status as a holy city was the reason why Mecca was able to establish itself as a non-violent commercial center; Arabs would not fight on holy ground.

"In a few short years, Qusayy's system had made him, and those ruling clans of Quraysh who had managed to connect their fortunes with his, enormously wealthy. But there remained even more profit to be made in Mecca. Like all Semitic sanctuaries, the Ka'ba transformed the entire area into sacred ground, making the city of Mecca a neutral zone where fighting among tribes was prohibited and weapons were not allowed." -- Page 26, "No God But God" by Reza Aslan.

Answer 2

There were several reasons that the leaders of Mecca opposed Mohammed and his faith.

Preserving Religious Pluralism: The religious plurality permitted in Mecca was critical for maintaining Mecca's important position along the Arabian trade routes. It was on account of the fact that Mecca was holy site for all Arabian faiths that spared it from internal conflict and allowed the flourishing of commerce in the city. Mohammed made clear that he intended to purge the idols from the Kaaba which would cause mass uproar and end Mecca's position as a holy site for all Arabians. Of course, this does not take into account is that nearly all Arabians would convert to Islam after the fall of Mecca.

Politics: The Chief Leaders of the Qoreish Tribe were the most powerful men in all of Arabia. Should Mecca fall to the Muslims, they would certainly lose substantial power. Since Muslims believed that these leaders were corrupt, they likely stood to face criminal acts if they were subject to Mohammed's authority. The merchants often had good dealings with the Qoreish and did not wish to disrupt the status quo.

Raids on Merchants: During Mohammed's Medinan Period, Mohammed organized and executed numerous raids on caravans heading to and leaving from Mecca, causing disruption to Arabian trade routes. Violently attacking peaceful convoys does not speak well of your faith/group.

Polytheism: Mohammed demanded that all polytheists abandon their gods for the singular Allah. Polytheists were incensed that they should have to conform to Mohammed's standards. Some of those polytheists were Meccan leaders.

Incongruities with Other Monotheisms: Many Jews and Christians saw the revelations of the Qur'an to be bits and pieces from their traditional scriptures and religious commentaries. They felt like Mohammed was repackaging their traditions and doing so incorrectly as a result, they saw no reason to convert to Islam. Some of those Jews and Christians were Meccan leaders.

Massacres of Opponents: Mohammed massacred tribes (most often Jewish tribes, but polytheist tribes as well) that did not align themselves with him in war. Regardless of whether this was permissible, which most historians say was a valid 7th century tactic, it did not engender warm feelings between the massacred or their sympathizers and Mohammed.

Answer 3

People of Mecca were idol worshippers. They wer plunged into the darknss of ignorance. They were drunkards, gamblers, cheaters and superstitious. They buried their daughters alive and had no respect for women. They exploited the poor and the weak. They followed no rule. Their motto was, "Might is right."

When the last Prophet of Islam Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) preached the message of Almighty Allah inviting the Meccans to worship only One Almighty Allah, to be honest, truthful, fair, and straightforward in their dealings, they turned against him. They were not ready to change their traditions, culture and the power over the poor and the slaves. They felt a threat.