Orientalists

Occasionally Muslims are confronted with attacks on diin, within which we may not have knowledge. Often the "proof" of those claims are based on orientalist research, I'd like to highlight one such example that has been explained in The Noble Life of the Prophet (p.495-496).

Why did the Muslims return to Mekkah from Abyssinia, the place of the first hijra?

According to Orientalist claims the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned something positive about the idols of Mekkah. After which, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) reached the verse of prostration in Surah An Najm, the Muslims and Polytheists all made prostration. The claim goes on to state that after this point the persecution of Muslims ended and thus the Muslims returned from Abyssinia to Mekkah.

Regarding this claim Dr. 'Ali Muhammad asSallaabee said this is "a myth that has found currency mainly in the books of Orientalists, who intentionally try to circulate it so that they can make the claim that it is an established incident in the Prophet's biography. It is a myth because it is based on unauthentic narrations." Imam ibn Hajar also mentioned that it is impossible for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to have uttered such false words."

Regarding the actual reason for the return of the Muslims from the first Hijra to Abyssinia, it is thought that the reason it because two strong and influential individuals embraced Islam, namely Hamzah ibn 'Abdul Muttalib and Umar ibn alKhattaab (may Allah be pleased with them). However, upon returning to Mekkah the Muslims realized that Muslims were still being persecuted and thus the second Hijra to Abyssinia began, this time with a much larger group of Muslims.

wa'Allahu 'alem.