During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) when he began his mission in Makkah, the leaders of Quraysh met in their assembly Dar an-Nadwa and discussed how to prevent the message of Islam which was increasing in popularity. They focused specifically on what they should tell the Arabs coming to Makkah for Hajj. After a lengthy debate, Quraysh agreed to accuse Muhammad (saw) of being a sorcerer possessing the Sihr al-Bayan (magic of words). They then dispersed among the congregations of pilgrims warning the Arabs against listening to Muhammad (saw) and depicting him as a magician of speech. They said that his Message separated a man from his brother, or from his father, or from his wife, or from his family. [1]

One time a highly respected and influential poet at-Tufail ad-Dawsiy entered Makkah. Quraish feared that At-Tufail would meet the Prophet (saw) and convert to Islam so they prepared for him hospitality that included every kind of joy, comfort, and ease. Then they went on to warn him about meeting the Messenger of Allah (saw). They said to him, "He has charming speech like magic and he makes division between a man and his son, and a man and his brother, and a man and his wife. I fear for you and your people from him. So do not talk to him nor listen to any talk from him."

At-Tufail narrates: "So by Allah, they were still insisting on me not listening to anything from the Prophet (saw) and not meeting him. And when I went over to the Ka'bah, I filled my ears with cotton so as not to hear anything he had to say when he spoke. There I found him standing praying at the Ka'bah, so I stood close to him. Allah refused nothing but He made me hear some portion of what he was reading. I heard a fine speech, and I said to myself, "Oh, may I lose my mother! Indeed I am an intelligent poet. I would not fail to recognize the good from the ugly. What is it that hinders me from listening to the man and what he says? If that which he brings is good, I should accept it, and if it is bad..."

I stayed until Muhammad departed to his house. I followed him until he entered his house, so I entered behind him and said to him, "O Muhammad, verily your people have told me such-and-such about you. By Allah, they kept making me afraid of you until I blocked my ears with cotton in order not to hear your words. But Allah willed that I hear, so I heard a fine speech. Set forth to me your message."
So the Messenger presented to me Islam and recited to me from the Qur'an. By Allah, I had never heard a speech better than it, nor a matter more just than it. So, I surrendered and bore witness to the truth.

I said, "O Messenger of Allah, indeed I am a person of credibility among my people and I am returning to them to invite them to Islam, so call on Allah to make a sign for me that will be a help for me in that which I call them to." He said, «اللهم اكفني عامر بن الطفيل»

"O Allah, make for him a sign." [2]

Quraysh's prevent propaganda campaign failed and in fact had the opposite effect by spreading Islam far and wide to Arab tribes at the Hajj who hadn't heard the message before. As the saying goes, "There is no such thing as bad publicity."

Today the leaders of Britain have had a similar debate on how to prevent Islam and in fact came up with a similar solution to Quraysh which is now enshrined in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 where nurseries, schools and universities have a legal duty to prevent students being ‘radicalised' by Islam.

What this means is PREVENT officers will be hired, trained and dispatched to educational establishments across the country to teach the kids ‘good Islam' (approved by UK Government) and ‘bad Islam' (way of the Prophet (saw), Sahaba and the Saliheen). This will spread Islam far and wide to schools in areas where there are no Muslims as happened when Quraysh undertook such a campaign. Telling school children that something is ‘bad' and not do it many times has the opposite effect and simply makes the ‘bad' thing more appealing. This can be seen with the government's anti-drug campaign which the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has said "may even increase the risks of drug use".[3]
Something similar may occur with the ‘just say no to Islam' prevent agenda. More people will be exposed to Islam and some will inevitably convert as happened with At-Tufail during the time of the Prophet (saw).

The government and media believe they are working against Islam in their draconian laws and hate-filled articles but in fact they are contributing to the Islamic revival because the Islamic thoughts are Haqq and no matter what lies and misinformation are thrown at the Haqq it will ultimately succeed.

Allah (swt) said,

((بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ ۚ وَلَكُمُ الْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ))

"Rather We hurl the truth against falsehood and it cuts right through it and it vanishes clean away! Woe without end for you for what you portray!" [Al-Anbiyaa: 21:18]

And Allah (swt) said,

((وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ))

"They were plotting and Allah was plotting, but Allah is the Best of Plotters." [Al-Anfaal, 8:30]

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Abdul-Kareem Newell

Notes:

1. Taqiudeen an-Nabhani, ‘Islamic State' (Dowlah Islamiyya), p. 11

2. Khalid Muhammad Khalid, ‘Men Around the Messenger', p. 474

3. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/11447217/Anti-drugs-lessons-are-counter-productive-Governments-drug-experts-tell-Theresa-May.html