Editing Persecution of Muslims (section)

===Early Islam===
{{Main|Persecution of Muslims by Meccans}}
In the early days of Islam in [[Mecca]], the new Muslims were often subjected to abuse and persecution by the [[pagan]] Meccans (often called ''Mushrikin'': the unbelievers or [[polytheist]]s). Some were killed, such as [[Sumayya]], the seventh convert to Islam, who was allegedly tortured first by [[Amr ibn Hisham]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |edition=2nd |publisher=[[Brill Academic Publishers]] |volume=7 |pages=360–376 |last2=Welch |first2=A.T. |last1=Buhl |first1=F. |title=Muḥammad |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia of Islam]] |isbn=978-9004094192 |year=1993}}</ref> Even the [[Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad in Islam|Muhammad]] was subjected to such abuse; while he was praying near the [[Kaaba]], [[Uqba ibn Abu Mu'ayt]] threw the [[entrail]]s of a sacrificed camel over him. Abu Lahab's wife [[Umm Jamil]] would regularly dump filth outside his door and placed thorns in the path to his house.<ref>{{cite web |title=From the Beginning of Revelation |url=http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/MH_LM/from_the_beginning_of_revelation.htm |access-date=19 September 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051109035218/http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/MH_LM/from_the_beginning_of_revelation.htm |archive-date=9 November 2005}}</ref>

Accordingly, if free Muslims were attacked, slaves who converted were subjected to far worse. The master of the [[Ethiopia]]n [[Bilal ibn Rabah]] (who would become the first [[muezzin]]) would take him out into the desert in the boiling heat of midday and place a heavy rock on his chest, demanding that he forswear his religion and pray to the polytheists' gods and goddesses, until [[Abu Bakr]] bought him and freed him.<ref>Sodiq, Yushau. Insider's Guide to Islam. Bloomington, Indiana: Trafford, 2011. Print. {{ISBN|1466924160}} p. 23.</ref>