The Life of the Prophet (saws)

7. The Call to Islam Goes Public

For around three years the Prophet

Muhammad continued to propagate Islam in secret

But it was now time to move into a new phase He was given the order by God to go public

The first public call (1)

He stood on Al-Safa, a small hill in the centre

of Makkah, close to the Ka’bah, and called out as loudly as he could

He mentioned every Arab clan of Makkah by name and asked them to come over to him

In no time, the word spread all over Makkah that Muhammad had something important to announce

People were rushing to him from all quarters of the city

The first public call (2)

When they gathered around the hill,

Muhammad put to them this question: “If I were to tell you that armed horsemen are beyond this valley heading toward Makkah to attack you, would you believe me?”

“You are trustworthy, and we have never known you to tell lies,” they answered.

“Well, then,” he said, “I am sent to you to warn you against grievous suffering.”

The first public call (3)

The Prophet continued his warning, addressing each

clan by name, calling on them to believe in God The people of Makkah were taken aback. They did

not expect such a direct and clear warning It was left, however to the Prophet’s own uncle, Abu

Lahab, to give him a most hostile and harsh reply “Confound you!” he said. “Is this what you called us

here for?” This encouraged others to adopt a hostile attitude Some dismissed the Prophet’s warning as insincere,

while others were quick with their insults

The first public call (4)

What happened in those few moments at the hill of

Al-Safa was a historic event with great significance The people of Makkah were already aware that a

new philosophy was being propagated amongst their midst but…

The declaration on the hill of Al-Safa brought home to the Quraysh the scope of the new call

The aim was to bring about a total change in the life of Arab society: its values and standards, its sense of purpose, its practices and its whole direction

A Forthright Challenge

The Prophet felt that it was best to have a

special gathering when he could speak to his immediate relatives in a relaxed atmosphere

He invited them to a meal which was attended by over 40 of his uncles and cousins

When they had finished eating, the Prophet was beginning to prepare himself to talk when the initiative was taken away from him by none other than Abu Lahab

A Gentle Approach to Relatives (1)

Abu Lahab warned the Prophet that turning

away from the faith of his people and preaching his new faith would expose himself and his people to the anger of the Arabs

As he said this, he was very excited, firing his words like threats

The Prophet looked around and saw that everyone was silent and that an air of depression and gloom prevailed, he therefore said nothing

A Gentle Approach to Relatives (2)

The Prophet allowed things to cool down for a

few days before he invited his uncles and cousins to dinner again

This time, however, the Prophet took the initiative and spoke to his relatives immediately after they finished eating

He explained to them his Message and called on them to bear witness to it

Appeal Resumed (1)

Abu Talib, the uncle who had taken care of him

since he was a child, pledged to give the Prophet his support and protection

However, he could not bring himself around to abandoning the faith of his father ‘Abd al-Muttalib he said

Abu Lahab then spoke out in a burst of temper and threatened and pledged to do everything in his power to stop his nephew from accomplishing his mission

Appeal Resumed (2)

These incidents help us to understand the

forces that were at play in Arabian society Abu Lahab, the conservative, hot-headed

dignitary did not stop to consider the merits of what his nephew was calling to and saw only disaster for his people if they accepted the call

Abu Talib, on the other hand, saw that Muhammad meant no harm and did not call for anything wrong and thus considered it his duty to extend his support and protection to him

Responses to the call

Abu Lahab took immediate action to

demonstrate his disapproval of his nephew… His two sons were married to the Prophet’s

two daughters – Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum He ordered his sons to divorce the Prophet’s

daughters and they complied

Abu Lahab

Though the Prophet encountered hostility

when he proclaimed his message on top of the hill of al-Safa, the effect of that proclamation was tremendous

Every household in Makkah was talking about the new message and what change it would bring about in the lives of the Arabs

The elders of Makkah were soon in council discussing what steps they needed to take

The effect of the call

(Source: ‘Muhammad – Man and Prophet’ by Adil

Salahi)

End