Abu Jahal would stand at the edges of Makkah warning arriving pilgrims of a madman in town, and Abu Lahab did the same regarding his own nephew, warning visitors that Muhammad ﷺ had gone mad and was a magician who would captivate anyone who listened to him, and urging them to cover their ears and turn away if they saw him.
This attempt to keep people away from the Prophet ﷺ instead became, for more than one person, the very reason they first sought him out.
Other events recorded around the same time. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
He is my own nephew and he has gone crazy. I warn you, do not listen to him, because if you do, you will be mesmerized. He is a magician who will captivate you. So when you see him, turn around, put your hands in your ears, and do not listen to him.
Said to pilgrims arriving in Makkah for the pilgrimage season, warning them away from the Prophet ﷺ before they could hear him, just as Abu Jahal had done.
Careful, there is a madman in town.
Said to pilgrims as they arrived in Makkah, standing outside the city to warn them away from the Prophet ﷺ before they could hear him recite.