Walid ibn al-Mughira

The historians Ibn Hisham (d. 833), Ibn Durayd (d. 837) and Ibn Habib (d. 859) identify Walid as the "derider" of Muhammad mentioned in the Meccan suras (chapters) of the Qur'an.[12]

Walīd ibn al-Mughīra was one of the Quraysh leaders who were indirectly mentioned in several verses of Qur'an. He was one of the five principal offenders of Muhammad, the others being al-Aswad ibn al-Muṭṭalib ibn Asad, al-Aswad ibn ‘Abdu Yaghūth, al-‘Āṣ ibn Wā’il ibn Hishām and al-Ḥārith ibn al-Ṭulāṭila (from Banu Khuzā‘a).

Walid was a personage of great influence among the Quraysh. After he heard Muhammad reciting, Walid went to Quraysh and said: "I have just heard Muhammad's words, which for sure are neither a human's nor a jinn's. They are euphonious and relaxing, like a tree full of reachable fruits. They are of the highest quality and cannot be out-perfected." He told them, "The time of the fair has come round again, and representatives of Arabs will come to you and they will have heard about Muhammad. So agree upon one opinion without dispute, so that none of us will give the lie to the other." He recommended that they call Muhammad a sorcerer who has brought a message by which he separated a man from his father, brother, wife or family. The Quraysh accordingly warned the people attending the fair about Muhammad’s doing. So, according to a Muslim historian, "Allah revealed verses 11–25 in Sura 74 concerning al-Walid."[13][14]

One day Muhammad was sitting with Walid in the Kaaba when Nadr ibn al-Harith came and sat with among the assembly of the Quraysh. When Muhammad spoke, al-Naḍr interrupted him. Muhammad responded until he silenced him. Then he read to them all:

"Verily ye and what ye serve other than Allah is the fuel of Hell. You will come to it. If these had been gods they would not have come to it, but all will be in it everlastingly. There is wailing and there they will not hear." (Sura 21: 98–100)

After Muhammad had left, ‘Abdullah ibn al-Ziba‘rā al-Sahmī arrived. Walid said to him, "By Allah, al-Naḍr could not stand up to Muhammad just now, and he alleged that we and our gods are fuel for Hell." ‘Abdullah replied, "If I had found him, I would have refuted him. Ask Muhammad, 'Is everything that is worshipped besides God in Gehenna with those who worship it?' We worship the angels; the Jews worship ‘Uzayr; and the Christians worship Jesus Son of Mary." Walid and those with him in the assembly marveled at ‘Abdullah’s words and thought that he had argued convincingly. When Muhammad was told of this he said: "Everyone who wishes to be worshipped to the exclusion of God will be with those who worship him. They worship only satans and those they have ordered to be worshipped." Then this verse of the Quraan was revealed:

"Those who have received kindness from us in the past will be removed far from it and will not hear its sound and they abide eternally in their heart’s desire." (Sura 21:101–102)[15]

"They say: “Why was this Qur'an not sent down upon some great man from the two (main) cities?'" (Sura 43: 31) It is considered that Qureish thought one of such men to be Walid ibn al-Mughira.[16]

One day as Muhammad was going round the Kaaba, Walīd approached him along with al-Aswad ibn al-Muṭṭalib ibn Asad ibn ‘Abdu’l-‘Uzzā, Umayya ibn Khalaf and al-‘Āṣ ibn Wā’il to offer him a proposition. They said: "Muhammad, let us worship what you worship and you worship what we worship. If what you worship is better than what we worship we will take a share of it, and if what we worship is better than what you worship, you can take a share of that." The response to this proposition was:

"Say, O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship, and you do not worship what I worship, and I do not worship what you worship, and you do not worship what I worship; You have your code of life (Deen) and I have mine.” (Sura 109)[17]

One day Muhammad passed by Walīd, Umayyah ibn Khalaf and Abu Jahl ibn Hisham. They reviled and mocked him, which caused him distress. The Quraan addressed this situation:

"Apostles have been mocked before thee, but that which they mocked at hemmed them in." (Sura 6: 10)[18]

In another incident when Walīd insulted Muhammad, Allah revealed Sura 68 simultaneously, including the line:

"Cruel, after all that base-born."

This exposed his illegitimate birth. The Muslims considered this a miracle when the allegation was later found to be true.

When Walid and his friends persisted in constant mockery of Muhammad, this verse was recited:

"Proclaim what you have been ordered and turn away from the polytheists. We will surely protect you against the mockers who put another god beside Allah. In the end they will know." (Sura 15: 94)

According to a Muslim tradition, the five mockers suffered divine vengeance.

The same Yazid told me from Urwa (or it may have been from some other traditionist) that Gabriel came to the apostle when the mockers were going round the temple. He stood up and the apostle stood at his side; and as Al-Aaswad ibn Al-Muttalib passed, Gabriel threw a green leaf in his face and he became blind. Then Al-Aaswad ibn Abdu Yaghuth passed, and he pointed at his belly, which swelled so that he died of dropsy. Next Al-Walid passed by. He pointed at an old scar on the bottom of his ankle (the result of a wound he received some years earlier as he was trailing his gown when he passed by a Khuza’i who was feathering an arrow, and the arrowhead caught in his wrapper and scratched his foot – a mere nothing). But the wound opened again and he died of it. Al-Aas passed. He pointed to his instep, and he went off on his ass making for Al-Taïf. He tied the animal to a thorny tree and a thorn entered his foot and he died of it. Lastly Al-Harith passed. He pointed at his head. It immediately filled with pus and killed him.[19]

Walid died in 622 (1 AH), without accepting Islam.[20]