Imam Ali (peace be upon him): When Surah al-Shu'ara was revealed — at the end of which is the verse: "And warn your closest relatives!" (al-Shu'ara/214) — the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) commanded me and said: "O Ali (peace be upon him)! Prepare some food, even if it be the trotters of a beast, or a handful of grain and a bowl of milk, and go to the Quraysh and invite them." So I invited them. They gathered, more than forty men. Among them were Abu Talib (may Allah have mercy on him), Hamza (may Allah have mercy on him) and Abbas. I prepared the food the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) had ordered me to make and placed it before them. They laughed in mockery and derision. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) dipped his finger into the four sides of the bowl and said: "Say بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِیمِ [In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful] and eat." Abu Jahl said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! What are we to eat, when any one of us eats a whole sheep together with four bowls of food?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) replied: "Eat, and show me how you eat." So they ate until they were tired. But, by Allah, no trace of any of them having eaten was visible in the bowl, and the food did not diminish at all. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) urged them: "Eat!" They answered: "Who can eat more than this?" The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) ordered me to lift it away, and I lifted it. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) drew close to them and said: "O my people! Know that Allah is my Lord and your Lord." Abu Lahab shouted: "Rise up, for Muhammad has bewitched you!" They rose and left. I followed them and wanted to attack them, but the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said to me: "O Ali (peace be upon him)! Do not do that. Come close to me." I left them alone and drew close to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). He said to me: "We have been commanded to warn them of the divine punishment, not to fight them, for that too has its own appointed time. Instead, prepare for us another meal like this one and invite again those you had invited." The next day I did as I had done the day before. When the guests gathered and ate, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to them: "I know of no young man among the Arabs who has brought to his people anything better than what I have brought you concerning this world and the hereafter." Abu Jahl said: "The affair of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) has preoccupied us. If you confront him with a man like himself who knows sorcery and soothsaying, we will be rid of him." Utba ibn Rabi'a cut off his speech and said: "By Allah, I know about what you have said." Abu Jahl said: "Then why do you not debate with him?" Utba said: "I do not think he is a sorcerer or a soothsayer." Abu Jahl, addressing the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Are you better, or Hashim? Are you better, or Abd al-Muttalib? Are you better, or Abdullah? Are you better, or Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), the crusher of tyrants and the breaker of the backs of the greatest of them? Then why do you consider our fathers misguided and revile our gods? If you seek leadership and lordship, we will place it in your hands and you will be our chief for the rest of your life. If you want women, we will marry you to ten of the noblest of our women. If you want wealth, we will gather for you such wealth as will make you and your children after you independent. So, what do you say?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) replied: "بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحیم* حم* تَنزِیل مِّنَ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِیمِ* کِتَابٌ فُصِّلتْ آیَاتُهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِیًّا ... فَإِنْ أَعْرَضُوا فَقُل أَنذَرْتُکُمْ صَاعِقَةً مِّثْل صَاعِقَةِ عَادٍ و ثَمُودَ [In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Ha Mim. A revelation from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A Book whose verses have been detailed, an Arabic Qur'an ... But if they turn away, say: I have warned you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt of Ad and Thamud]." At this, Utba put his hand over the mouth of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and adjured him by Allah not to continue and to be silent. Then he rose and left. After him, all those present rose too, but they did not join him. He went to his house and did not come out of it. In the morning the Quraysh went to him. Abu Jahl said: "Rise, let us go to him." They entered upon him and sat down. Abu Jahl said: "O Utba! Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) has bewitched you!" Utba rose to his feet and said: "O basest of men! By Allah, were you not in my house, I would kill you in the worst manner! Woe to you! You said Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is a sorcerer, a soothsayer and a poet. We obeyed you. We heard him speak to us with words from the Lord of the heavens. I adjured him not to continue, and he fell silent. And this, when you yourselves have named him the Truthful, the Trustworthy. Have you ever seen a lie from him? But had I allowed him to finish what he was reciting, punishment and destruction would surely have come upon you."