Refuting the Suspicion that Says: The Prophet was almost Tempted Away by the Polytheists

 Refuting this Suspicion

Those polytheists understood a verse from the Quran in a wrong way. Now we will introduce this verse and explain:

” Verily, they were about to tempt you away from that which we have revealed (the Qur'an) unto you (O Muhammad ), to fabricate something other than it against us, and then they would certainly have taken you a friend!* And had we not made you stand firm, you would nearly have inclined to them a little. In that case, we would have made you taste a double portion (of punishment) in this life and a double portion (of punishment) after death. And then you would have found none to help you against us.“ 

(Al Israa’: 73-75)

The reason of this verse was because a legation from “Thakeef” (one of Makkah’s tribes) came to the Prophet saying:” if you just wait one year till we get what will be given to our “gods” (stone statues). Once we get all the presents we will destroy them and embrace Islam.

the Prophet almost accepted their offer but Allah protected him and made him stand firm.

When the Almighty Allah says:” you would nearly have inclined to them a little“, which means: you were near to change your mind but Allah protected you with sanity and infallibility.  But if you would have accepted their idea, Allah wouldn’t forgive you for that.

And all who know the Islamic culture, know that “to incline”; being near to do the action without doing it, isn’t a sin and doesn’t cause punishment.

This is clear in the Prophet’s Hadith:” no one is punished for his thoughts unless they turn into actions.”

We conclude that Muhammad (PBUH) didn’t commit a mistake because of his infallibility given to him by Allah.