9.2 The Jealousy of Peers These words of Abu Jahl are most significant. One of the main reasons why Mohamed's peers would not believe was because they were jealous of him. He was one of them, a man, not an angel, who had grown up among them, lived the same life, and belonged to the same tribe. Why then was he followed, honored, and obeyed? Why did people listen to his teaching? They thought only with a narrow tribal mentality full of competition and struggle for supremacy in honor and power. They seemed to know very little about Mohamed's real aims.