Most Read in the Category of The Assignment of the Duty of the Prophethood and First Muslims

The fifth year of the prophethood of the Messenger of God…

Year 615…

The pressure, torture and trouble of Quraishi polytheists (mushriks) on Muslims increased day by day. Muslims had faced a circumstance in which they could not worship comfortably.

A safe place was needed to worship and to learn Islam and the teaching of the Faith. The Messenger of God himself searched for that place and found it. It was the house of, Arkam bin Abil Arkam bin Asad, one of the first Muslims, located in a narrow street in the east of the hill ‘’Safa’’. That house was suitable for entering and going out secretly and for controlling the street.

The Master of the Universe, our Prophet (pbuh) was the teacher and the first Muslims were students there. They informed the other Muslims about what they had learned there within possibilities. In this sense, we can regard Arkam’s house the first Islamic school, the first university that the Prophet had taught.

Till Umar’s acceptance of Islam, the Messenger of God carried out the duty of teaching and informing about Islam there. A lot of people including Umar were became Muslims there.

Arkam Bin Abil Asad left his house to his son on the condition that it would not be sold and passed by inheritance to anybody.

This house, which has a great importance in the history of Islam, is now called  “Daru’l-Khayzuran”; it is opposite the Kaaba and is used as a religious school today. (1)

THE MISFORTUNES THE FAMILY OF YASIR SUFFER

Yasir had come to Mecca from Yemen.

Here, he was under the protection of Abu Huzayfa bin Mughira who was from the Sons of Mahzum. Afterwards, Abu Huzayfa wed him to his slave, Sumayya and two sons entered the world through this marriage: Ammar and Abdullah…

The polytheists, including the Sons of Mahzum who were at the forefront, did not cease subjecting this family, whose every member had become Muslims to unbearable torture and intolerable persecution. The Sons of Mahzum would torture the family on a stony area that had become as hot as hellfire, so to speak, during a time in which the sun’s heat was scorching so that they would abandon their faith.

The Prophet advises patience!

One day, while the polytheists were cruelly persecuting the Yasir family, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) appeared. When he came across this heartbreaking situation, he advised them to be patient by saying, “Be patient, O Yasir Family! Be patient, O Yasir Family! Be patient, O Yasir Family! Your reward is heaven; be patient, O Yasir Family!”

Yasir, who was suffering on account of this torture, asked, “Oh God’s Apostle, how long will this last?”, to which our Holy Prophet (PBUH) answered with a prayer:

“My Lord! Do not withhold your compassion and mercy from the Yasir Family.”

Some time after this situation, Hazrat Yasir gloriously surrendered his soul to His Creator under the unbearable torture that he faced. In this way, he had attained the honor of being the first “martyr” among the Muslim men.

Sumayya, Yasir’s wife, a rather old, weak, and frail woman, was handed over to Abu Jahl to be tortured.

Abu jahl would audaciously say, “You have testified to Muhammad because you have fallen in love with the beauty of his physical appearance!” to this old, physically weak, and lonely woman whom he continuously tortured.

When Hazrat Sumayya, an example of a true believer, retorted with the harshest remarks that could be said to a polytheist, Abu jahl further became furious and stabbed her with his spear; she was the first martyr among the women.

What Befell Ammar

What Ammar suffered was heartbreaking: He would be forced to wear an iron casing and would be taken outside when the sun scorched the entire face of the Earth with its full heat and as a result, his bone marrow would melt in the iron casing.

When Ammar was relieved from being tortured for a brief moment, he rested next to our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and awaited some consolation. He expressed his state by saying, “We have experienced every kind of torture, O God’s Apostle.” (PBUH). Once again, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) provided advice and offered a supplication:

“My Lord, do not have anyone from the Ammar family experience hellfire.”

Being branded with fire was another kind of torture that Hazrat Ammar was subjected to. On another day, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) came upon him while he was suffering such torment. He placed his holy hands on top of Hazrat Ammar’s head and said to the fire “O Fire, just as you were cool and safe for Ibrahim (PBUH), be so for Ammar!” Afterwards, he informed Ammar of this news:

“O Ammar, you are not going to die from this torture but you are going to live for a long time.  Your death will be at the hands of a wild crowd.” (2/3)

“I have the contentment of belief in my heart!”

On another day, Ammar was crying because of the torture that he faced. When our Holy Prophet (PBUH), the Example of Compassion, saw Ammar in this state, he wiped his teardrops and said, "Did the disbelievers capture and push you into water? If they capture you again, say this-and-this to you, and then continue to torture you, say what they want you to say so you can be freed.”

This permission was given to Ammar so that he could save his life from the hands of the cruel polytheists!

Awhile after this permission was given, Ammar was again captured and continuously tormented by the polytheists. While he was being tortured, the following offer was made to him:

“We are not going to cease torturing you until you curse at Muhammad and say that worshipping Lat and Uzza is more favorable than his religion!”

Poor Ammar was desperate; thus, he uttered the polytheists’ words. The oppressors achieved their goal and released him.

Ammar went straight to our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) presence. When our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “It can be seen from your face that you have been freed” Ammar responded:

“By God, I have not been freed!”

“Why?” asked our Holy Prophet (PBUH.) Ammar answered: “I was forced to abandon you. They forced me to say that the religion of Lat and Uzza was more favorable than yours.”

Ammar was sad and confused. He was standing straight in front of our Holy Prophet (PBUH) in a state of nervousness and fear as if his entire world had come crumbling over his head. He had been saved from the torture and persecution that the polytheists subjected him to but now he had come face-to-face with another danger!

“How was your heart when you uttered the polytheists’ words?” asked our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

Ammar replied with an answer that came straight from his heart:

“I found that the comfort and contentment that is in and the loyalty that I have towards my faith is stronger than steel.”

Upon this, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “There is no sin upon you, O Ammar! If they capture you again and want you to repeat this, then repeat what they say and be freed.” (4) Ammar’s heart was overwhelmed with relief when he heard these words.

Upon this incident, God, the Exalted, sent down the 106th verse of Surah an-Nahl:

“Anyone who, after accepting faith in God, utters unbelief― except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith― but such as open their breast to unbelief― on them is Wrath from God, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty.” (5)

In that case, permission is given to a believer whose heart is determined to accept faith. When he/she comes across a situation in which his/her life or an organ of his is in danger of being eliminated by an enemy, it is permissible for him/her to utter words of unbelief with the tongue alone. However, it must be remembered that this is only permissible when the heart is filled with belief. Besides, it is best to take the chance of becoming a martyr by saying the truth and protecting the dignity/honor of Islam and not to utter a single blasphemous word, even if it is only through speech. In this matter, it is considered more virtuous to perform one’s religious duty to the fullest extent than to exercise this privilege. (6)

HAZRAT ABU BAKR SUFFERS TORTURE

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was sitting in Darul Arkam amid many of the first Muslims. With Hazrat Abu Bakr at the forefront, they were all fervently longing to explain the doctrine of Tawhid to the polytheists. They requested permission from our Holy Prophet (PBUH) to actualize their wish. However, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) did not want to relinquish his habit of precaution since such an undertaking would require the passing of some time. He said, “We are small in number, we will not be enough for this task.”

However, these new Muslims were so enthusiastic and zealous in their faith that they were unable to stay put in their place. At last, the Master of the Universe (PBUH) went with them to the Masjid al-Haram. They all sat on one side; a group of polytheists was also there.

Hazrat Abu Bakr, who burned with his love for God and His Messenger (PBUH) could not suppress his desire to proclaim the truths that he carried in the depths of his heart to the people; so, he turned to the polytheists and shouted about the exaltedness and holiness of having faith in God and about the wretchedness of idolatry.

The polytheists who were filled with enmity and hatred towards the Muslims attacked Hazrat Siddiq and injured him, leaving him with blood flowing. He was only saved when a few people from his tribe, the sons of Taim, intervened.

Hazrat Abu Bakr became unconscious after having been subjected to the pounds of the polytheists’ shoes with iron nails. They took him back home while he was in this unconscious state. He remained unconscious for an entire day and regained his consciousness during the evening.

It was as if he had not received so many beatings and that it was someone else’s eyes and face that was drenched in blood since the first words that spilled from his mouth were:

“What is God’s Apostle (PBUH) doing? What kind of state is he in? They had insulted him”

These words were just an example of the immense and magnificent amount of loyalty that Hazrat Abu Bakr had towards our Holy Prophet (PBUH).  Without looking at the bloody state that he was in and without minding the pain of his bruises and wounds, he wanted to learn of the Master of the Universe’s (PBUH) condition. Moreover, he asked about him amid the presence of those who strongly opposed our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

They offered him food and water and said, “You were left hungry and thirsty, do you not want to eat and drink?”

Whereas he kept on asking, “What state is God’s Apostle (PBUH) in, what is he doing?”

His mother did not know of our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) cause. At that time, she was among those who had not attested to faith. In any case, she was bound to learn about the condition of God’s Apostle (PBUH). Hazrat Abu Bakr said to his mother, “Go and ask Hattab’s daughter, Umm Jamil and bring news about God’s Apostle (PBUH) to me”.

Umm Jamil was a fortunate woman who had become a Muslim. Nonetheless, she acted with discretion and prudence due to what she had learned from our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

When Hazrat Abu Bakr’s mother said to her, “Abu Bakr asks you about the condition of Abdullah’s son, Muhammad”, Umm Jamil replied, “I do not know anything but if you like, we can both go to your son.”

Actually, Umm Jamil knew of our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) condition. However, she had answered in this manner because she was taking into account that she may be in the wake of a trap.

When Umm Jamil saw that Hazrat Abu Bakr’s eyes and entire face had been severely bruised, her heart became deeply saddened and she could not contain herself from shouting, “a tribe that deems this fitting for you is undoubtedly savage and aberrant. I pray to God that He takes your revenge on them.”

Despite having learned from Umm Jamil that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was safe, Abu Bakr’s heart was still not at ease and so he said to his mother, “By God, I will not eat or drink until I see God’s Apostle (PBUH)!”

She had no other choice but to take him to our Holy Prophet (PBUH). However, how could he go in this condition? How could he walk to Darul Arkam?

When there were few people around, he went to our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) presence by tottering and leaning on his mother and Umm Jamil. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Abu Bakr embraced one another like two close friends who had not seen each other for years. After he saw our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) condition with his own eyes, he said, “May my mother and father be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of God! I am only saddened that that savage and aberrant man (Utba bin Rabia) dragged and rubbed my face against the ground and brought it to an unidentifiable condition; however, I am not upset about anything else.” (7)

At that moment, Hazrat Abu Bakr’s heart was burning ablaze with his love of being in the service of Islam.

He presented his mother to our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and said, “This is my mother, Salma. I desire that you pray to God on her behalf and hope that God will save her from hellfire for your sake.” (8)

This sincere wish conjoined with a severe prayer and right there at that moment, Lady Ummul Khayr Salma joined the ranks of the fortunate (the Muslims.)

[1] Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 3, p. 267; Abu’l-Walid al-Azraqi, Kâbe ve Mekke Tarikhi, Trns., p. 426; Prof. Dr. Muhammed Hamidullah, İslam Peygamberi, V. 1, p. 80.

[2] Hazrat Ammar was killed in the Battle of Siffin at a much later time. Hazrat Ali argued that Muawiya’s adherents were rampageous. However, Muawwiya interpreted it differently. Amr bin As said, “The ones who are rampageous are his murderers; generally, we are not.” (See. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, The Letters).

[3] Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 3, p. 248.

[4] Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 3, p. 249.

[5] an-Nahl, 106.

[6] Hazin, Tafsir, V. 3, p. 136; M. Hamdi Yazır, Hak Dini Kur’an Dili, V. 4, p. 3132.

[7] Halabi, Insanu’l-Uyun, V. 1. p. 275.

[8] Halabi, Insanu’l-Uyun, V. 1. p. 276.

The 16th night of the month of Ramadan had passed.

The 17th of Ramadan was a Monday night.

The mount of Nour and everything around it were covered with a deep and significant quietness to be able to hear and listen to what would be said soon. Maybe, out of respect to the ones who would speak and listen to.

It was past midnight and almost dawn. The exceptional time when nightingales sing and roses give out pleasant scents with all their beauties. The extraordinary time when those who mention the names of God are enthused and attain endless pleasure!

Gabriel (may God be pleased with him), the angel of divine revelation, took the shape of a most beautiful human being and was quite delighted. The environment smelled wonderful. The manifestations of fear and hope, and excitement and peace were intertwined.

Gabriel (may God be pleased with him) was very joyful because he would meet the last Prophet, the Prophet of the prophets and he would talk face to face with the Sultan of Lawlaka, who would deserve the title, “the Beloved of God” with his belief, worship, contemplation and struggle.

The expected moment finally came.

Gabriel (may God be pleased with him) appeared before the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his human form, sending out divine radiance around in the dark night. He spoke to him in a loud but calming voice: “Read!”

The heart of the Master of the Universe was filled with wonder and fear. His heart shivered!

He answered: “I do not know how to read.”

Gabriel hugged him and held him tight; then, Gabriel released him, saying, “Read!”

The Master of the Universe gave the same answer, “I do not know how to read.”

Gabriel hugged him for the second time and held him tight; then, Gabriel released him, saying, “Read!”

The Master of the Universe said, “I do not know how to read. Tell me! What shall I read?”

Thereupon, the angel recited the first verses of the Surah of Al-Alaq from the beginning to the end, which, through God Almighty’s ordering, he was in charge of conveying to the Prophet (pbuh):

“Read in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read: And your Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who taught (to write) with the pen, taught man what he knew not.” (Al-Alaq Surah, 96:1-5) (1)

The Master of the Universe (pbuh) was at the heights of excitement and amazement and recited what he heard word by word. The verses that came down became established both in his tongue and in his heart.

Gabriel, who fulfilled his task, disappeared suddenly.

“Cover Me!”

The Messenger of God (PBUH) shook with awe and excitement at having received a Divine revelation, left the cave, and went straight towards Mecca.

He encountered many peculiarities on the road. The mountains, rocks, and trees greeted him by saying, “Assalamu Alaykum Ya Rasullulah” (May peace be with you, oh Messenger) and congratulated him on his exalted duty.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) arrived home. He had lost his breath in the face of the magnificence of this situation.

All he could say to his faithful wife, Hazrat Khadija Kubra, who anxiously greeted him was, “Cover me! Cover me!” (2)

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) who sought solitude at mount Hira was now in his home and was now alone with his thoughts.

He woke up a while later. Even if it was a very small amount, it was obvious that he had reached some level of comfort and peace. He narrated what had happened to Khadijah al-Kubra in detail and said,

“I am scared, O Khadijah! I am scared that I will be harmed!”

Those words of our Prophet definitely originated from his desire to feel safe regarding reaching the eternal happiness and honorable duty.

Hazrat Khadija possessed eminent capabilities as well as a level of understanding and discernment that qualified her to be the first wife of the most esteemed Prophet, whom she fully trusted. She affirmed the Master of the Universe’s (PBUH) wish about feeling safe with these words:

“There is no reason for you to feel any kind of fear or worry. Do not be sad, God will never embarrass a servant like you. I know that you always speak the truth. You perform duties that have been given to you and safeguard that which has been entrusted to you. You interact closely with your relatives. You treat your neighbors in a very kind and caring manner. You help the poor. You open your doors to strangers and entertain them as guests. You help the community during disasters and tribulations! Oh my Uncle’s Son, persevere. By God, I hope that you are this community’s prophet.” (3)

What did Waraqa say?

Doubtlessly, everything that had happened was not insignificant and did have some meaning.

It was up to Hazrat Khadija to learn by inquiring.

Whom could she go to? Who could understand these affairs? And whom could he trust in?

Hazrat Khadija thought for a long time and finally determined the person whom she would consult with: Her uncle’s son, Waraqa bin Nawfal.

Waraqa bin Nawfal was an elderly man and a Christian in the pure sense. His eyes could not see yet his heart was enlightened. He read the Bible and Torah and had learned many things from them both.

Without wasting time, Hazrat Khadija went to go see her uncle’s son with our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

Waraqa first listened to our Master (PBUH). As our Holy Prophet (PBUH) explained what had happened to him, Waraqa’s face was changing color. When our Master (PBUH) finished speaking, Waraqa exclaimed: “Quddus! Quddus! The angel that you saw is the Holy Spirit, Namus al-Akbar, that the Exalted Lord sent to Prophet Musa. You are this nation’s Prophet. Ah! If only I were younger so that I could be with you when you invited the community to the truth. And if only I could live long enough to be of help when the tribe expelled you from your homeland.” (4)

These expressions comforted both Hazrat Khadija and our Holy Prophet (PBUH) to some degree. However, there was one thing that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) did not understand: Why would the tribe expel him from his homeland?

Waraqa answered his question: “Yes, they are going to expel from you from here since whoever has received a revelation has been the recipient of hostility. If I am able to reach the day when you will invite the community to truth then I will help you in every way I can.” (5)

Waraqa bin Nawfal was speaking the truth - a reality that had to be exposed…

After this, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Khadija left Waraqa bin Nawfal’s home.

REVELATION CEASES

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) faced an incident called “the Suspension of Revelation.” after a while. It was evident that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was greatly saddened and distressed by this break in the deliverance of revelation, an incident whose wisdom we cannot fully grasp and which has been more-or-so described in the following way: Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was so distressed that the earth was becoming too tight for him and he wanted to be saved from its restraint. During this time, either Jibril (Gabriel) or Israfil  appeared to our Holy Prophet (PBUH) for the purpose of consoling him. (6)

The Messenger of God (PBUH) was faced with sadness for an exact forty–day period. Since the world is a center that is composed of an indefinite number of Divine wisdoms, everything that takes place within it undoubtedly has a purpose. Sometimes it is possible or impossible to catch the purpose behind these kinds of circumstances with the tiny measuring scales in our minds. However, not knowing their Divine wisdoms and reasons is not by any means proof that they are without wisdom and reason. Above all, it is not possible for a duty like prophethood, in which everything has been specially programmed by the pen of wisdom, to be insignificant. For this reason, there were many wisdoms and reasons behind the delay in the deliverance of revelation. However, we are not aware of them. There are many scholars who interpret this situation in various ways. Here is a summary of some of these views:

1) God’s Messenger (PBUH) greatly panicked in face of the first revelation and the heaviness of the situation had jolted his soul. This incident occurred so that his soul could find some peace, be rested and prepared for the forthcoming revelations.

2) Our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) was being prepared for the burdens and tribulations that he was about to face.

3) The deliverance of revelation was delayed so that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) could long more deeply for the next revelation. (7)

REVELATION RESUMES

After a hiatus of forty days, revelations were continued to be sent down to our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

He explains its resumption as follows:

“One day, while walking, I suddenly heard a sound in the sky. When I raised my head and looked at the sky, I saw the angel who came to me (Jibril, Gabriel) seated on a throne that was in between the ground and the sky. I shuddered and collapsed to the ground. I returned to my home and said, “Cover me! Cover me!” Upon this, God the Exalted sent down this revelation:

“O thou wrapped up (in a mantle)! Arise and deliver thy warning! And thy Lord do thou magnify! And thy garments keep free from stain! And all abomination shun!” (8) From then on, the revelations began to come and there were no interruptions in between. (9)

The discomfort in our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) ceased when revelation was continued to be sent down; his inner realm reached peace and tranquility. By appointing our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who was adorned with perfection and moralistic beauties from head to toe, to prophethood, God elevated him to the position of being the most distinguished and eminent individual among human beings. Thus, an extant law of the universe meaning, “every species has a distinguished and superior constituent that is the pride and joy and source of admiration for its kind”, which also applies to the circle of humanity.

“One of the names of God among asma al-husna is the greatest; similarly, there needs to be a perfect man among God’s creatures; God gathered and assembled all kinds of perfection that had been dispersed in the Universe in him, and made him His pride and joy.

“That perfect entity had to be a living being since the most impeccable creation among every species in the universe is a living being. That being had to be a conscious being since a conscious being is the most glorious among every species. That entity that had no and will not have a replicate had to be a person since humans have the unlimited ability to advance among conscious beings.

“That human being had to be Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) since not a single historical account, from the beginning of Hazrat Adam till now, shows nor can show an individual who is similar to him; that remarkable individual has encompassed half of the Earth and one out of five types of people under his holy dominion, has continued to rule his dominion with his spiritual sultanate for 1350 years (now it has been 1,400 years), and has attained the authority of being the Ultimate Master.

“By uniting his friends and enemies, he attained the highest degree in good manners and challenged the entire world at the beginning of his prophethood. This individual, who has shown more than a 100 million people the Quran (whose declaration leaves everyone weak) at every given minute, was without a doubt the most distinguished being among all creatures; it cannot be anyone else other than him.

“He is both the seed and fruit of this universe.” (10)

 [1] aL-Alaq, 1-5.

[2] Bukhari, Sahih, V. 1, p. 7.

[3] Bukhari, ibid, V. 1, p. 7.

[4] Ibn Hişam, ibid, V. 1, p. 254; Ibn Kathir, Sirah, V. 1, p. 404.

[5] Bukhari, Sahih, V. 1, p. 7; Muslim, Sahih, V. 1, p. 97-98.

[6] Tajrid Translation, V. 1, p. 13.

[7] Abdullatif as-Subki, al-Wahyu Ila’r-Rasul Muhammad (pbuh), p. 89.

[8] al-Muddaththir, 1-5.

[9] Bukhari, Sahih, V. 1, p. 7; Muslim, Sahih, V. 1, p. 98; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad (h. 2846); Tirmidhi, Sunan, V. 5, p. 592.

[10] Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, Mektûbat, p. 284-285.

Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas was only a 17 year old young man filled with excitement and energy. During this period, he saw a dream: While he was in pitch-black darkness, a bright moon rose instantly and he began to follow a moon-lit road. Afterwards, on the same road, he saw that Zaid bin Harith, Hazrat Ali, and Hazrat Abu Bakr were walking ahead of him. He asked them, “When did you all come here?” and they responded, “Now.” (1)

Three days after his dream, Hazrat Abu Bakr, who showed remarkable exertion and zeal during the era of secret conversions, mentioned Islam to him. Afterwards, Hazrat Abu Bakr took him to our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) presence and after receiving knowledge on Islam from the Master of the Universe (PBUH), he immediately became a Muslim. (2)

Both his mother’s and father’s pedigrees were connected to our Holy Prophet (PBUH). Since the family of Hazrat Sad’s mother belonged to the Sons of Zuhra, Hazrat Sad was considered to be our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) maternal uncle. For that reason, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) paid Hazrat Sad a great compliment by saying, “Here is my uncle, Sad. If anyone has an uncle like him, then he should show me.” (3)

Hazrat Sa’d and his Mother

Hazrat Sad’s mother was not pleased by her son’s conversion to Islam. How could her son abandon the religion of his forefathers and follow a new religion without her consent? Hamna was aware of the respect and attachment that her son had towards her. She was determined to dissuade him from Islam and have him return to idolatry. One day she said to him:

“Are  you not the one who says that God commands you to take care of your relatives and to show continuous kindness to and do favors for your parents?”

“Yes”, replied Hazrat Sad.

Upon hearing this response, Hamna expressed her true purpose with the following words:

“By God, until you disavow what Muhammad has brought forth, I am not going to put anything into my mouth until I die from thirst and hunger. The people are going to blame you for murdering your mother.”

Until that day, Hazrat Sad had submitted to all of his mother’s wishes and had always pampered her. However, he had now testified to God and had submitted to His Messenger (PBUH) with the fullest sincerity in his heart. And of course, everything was going to be ranked in accordance with his faith.

When Hazrat Sad saw that his mother was refraining from eating and drinking, he went by her side and said, “Oh mother, even if you had 100 lives and were to sacrifice each one so that I would denounce Islam, I would still keep firm with my faith. Now, if you wish, you can eat or choose not do so.” (4)

Upon hearing this answer, Hamna’s stubbornness melted against Hazrat Sad’s steady faith in the truth; she quickly began to eat and drink. Once again, disbelief and polytheism were crushed and defeated by faith and the greatness of Tawhid (the doctrine of Oneness of God).

God presented an eternal criterion for the believers by sending down the eighth verse of Surah al-Ankabut upon this incident that took place between Hazrat Sad and his mother: “We have enjoined on man kindness to parents: but if they (either of them) strive (to force) thee to join with Me (in worship) anything of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not. Ye have (all) to return to me, and I will tell you (the truth) of all that ye did.” (5)

This time, Hamna made another attempt to turn her son away from Islam: One day while Hazrat Sad was praying in his home, his mother called the neighbors to imprison him by having them all shut the door. In the meantime, Hamna, whose heart had been so hardened by polytheism that she could torture her own beloved child, shouted:

“He will either abandon the religion that he has entered or die!”

By looking at this example, it is possible to understand that a mother can torture her own son when her heart has been darkened from disbelief and wickedness and when it is devoid of compassion and mercy!

Every attempt that had taken place had counteracted Hamna’s interests since Hazrat Sad’s son, Amir, had followed his father’s tracks and became Muslim.

This time, Hamna, who had become completely ill-tempered, took Amir by the scruff of his neck: “I am not going to rest under the shade of this date tree nor am I going to eat and drink until you leave the religion you are following!”

As soon as he heard his mother’s vow, Hazrat Sad, who had experienced the unbounded pleasure of having faith in God and submitting to His Messenger (PBUH), went to his mother and said: “Oh mother, do not you dare rest under the shade nor eat and drink until you reach the station of hellfire.” (6)

Hamna could not manage to do anything but keep silent in the face of this phenomenal amount of faith and unwavering perseverance and willpower.

The Courage of Hazrat Sa’d

It took place at a very crucial and most difficult period for the Muslims on account of the continuous persecution and torture the polytheists inflicted on them.

Hazrat Sa’d was praying in the Abu Dubb valley with some of the other Muslims who were among the first to embrace the glorious faith. Abu Sufyan, a leading figure among the polytheists, came to them with a few other unbelievers by his side. When the polytheists made the claim that the Muslims’ form of worshipping was a groundless practice, the two sides went at each other’s throats. With the bone of a camel’s chin that he held in his hands, Hazrat Sad wounded the head of one of the polytheists. When the other polytheists saw this, they lost their audacity and began to run away. And the Muslims chased them until they exited the valley.

In this way, Hazrat Sad had become the first companion to shed blood in the way of God. This was also the first instance in the history of the Islam in which blood had been spilled.

At the same time, Hazrat Sad bin Waqqas, who was immensely generous, was one of the ten companions who had been given the glad tidings of Paradise. He participated in all of the holy wars during our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) time. During the Battle of Uhud, he devoted his body as a shield for our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and threw arrows at the polytheists in such a manner that allowed him to become the recipient of an address that no other creature has ever had the honor of receiving:

The Messenger of God (PBUH) said to him, “Oh Sad, do not stop shooting your arrows, may my mother and father be sacrificed for you!” (7)

Hazrat Ali would say:

“On the day of the Battle of Uhud, God’s Apostle (PBUH) only addressed Hazrat Sad with the words, “Fadaka Abi wa Ummi” (8) (May my mother and father be sacrificed for you). (9)

During the same battle, God’s Messenger (PBUH) would say, “Oh Lord, this is your arrow” each time Hazrat Sad shot one and would pray for him in this manner:

"O Lord, direct his shooting and respond to his prayer." (10)

It is through our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) decree, “O Lord, respond to his prayer” that he was able to attain wealth with the acceptance of his supplications alongside his heroism, bravery, arrow-shooting skills, and. Just as the enemies of Islam feared his sword and arrows, the Muslims feared his supplications for the same reason. They would be extremely hesitant to hurt his feelings. (11)

Hazrat Sad, who at a young age became a Muslim during the era of secret conversions and the springtime of Islam, continued to spend his entire life in the service of Islam thereafter. He was appointed as the commander of the army that marched to Iran during Hazrat Umar’s reign. And by leading this army to victory in the Battle of Qadisiyya, he conquered the country of Kisra and incorporated it into Islamic territory. Therefore, he was given the title “the Conqueror of Iran”.

[1] Ibn Athir, Usdu'l-Ghaba: 2/292
[2] Ibn Hishm, Sirah: 1/266; Ibn Sa'd; Tabaqat: 3/139; Tabari, Tarikh: 2/216
[3] Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba, V. 2, p. 33; Ibn Athir, ibid, V. 2, p. 291.
[4] Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba, V. 2, p. 31; Halabi, Insanu’l-Uyun, V. 1, p. 280.
[5] According to the decree in this verse, the child (offspring) is obliged to adhere to his/her parents’ commands that do not go beyond the bounds of Islam and are legitimate. This kind of obedience is required of the offspring/child. Otherwise, if a parent commands and encourages his/her child to commit deeds that are illegitimate and that go beyond the bounds of Islam, then it is incumbent on one to not obey  because: “Servants are not to be obeyed and their commands are not to be met when they advocate something that necessitates disobedience to God.” (Nasafi, Tafsir: 3/251)
[6] Ibn Athir, ibid, V. 2, p. 292.
[7] Ibn Sa’d, ibid, V. 2, p.139.
[8] The expression, “Fadaka Abi wa Ummi” should not be taken literally since it is used in its customary context. These words express a state in which someone is highly pleased and content. The individuals who uttered these words were highly praised.
[9] Muslim, Sahih, V. 7, p. 125.
[10] Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat: 3/141
[11] Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, Mektûbat, p. 149.

One of the first figures who embraced Islam during the period in which many secret conversions took place and as a result, faced cruel persecution by the polytheists was Hazrat Bilal Bin Rabah (he was also known as Bilal Habashi).

Hazrat Bilal attained the honor of becoming a Muslim by means of Abu Bakr while he was enslaved to Umayya b Khalaf, one of the most merciless enemies of Islam. (1)

The light of faith that surrounded Hazrat Bilal’s heart became an unlimited source of courage for him at once so much that as a slave, he did not shy away from openly declaring his faith in defiance of all sorts of torture, coercion, and persecution inflicted by his master and the other polytheists.

The heart in which faith has not entered is harder than a rock and a conscience in which the fear of God cannot be found is more insensate than a boulder. It is futile to search for compassion and mercy in a person who possesses this kind of heart and conscience. A person is considered as a beast in the spiritual sense when he/she is under this condition.

Like all the other merciless enemies of Islam, Umayya bin Khalaf also possessed this kind of heart and conscience and Hazrat Bilal was enslaved to a master who was void of compassion and mercy.

In the eyes of this merciless man, it was a serious crime for Hazrat Bilal to testify to God who is One and who was his Creator and to be loyal to the Prophet of this Creator, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)!

Torture

For that reason, Hazrat Bilal was subjected to inhumane torture. Sometimes, he was starved and left thirsty for 24 hours and at other times a chain was attached to his neck and children were hired to pull him in the streets of Mecca.

Nevertheless, Umayya bin Khalaf’s efforts were all fruitless. Hazrat Bilal had testified to faith and had submitted to God. His heart became a rose garden with the love that he had for our Holy Prophet (PBUH). For that reason, even while he was groaning bitterly under all this torture and cruel persecution, he did not give up shouting his cause at the polytheists’ faces: “Ahad! Ahad! God is one!

After Umayya bin Khalaf rubbed and burnt the back of Hazrat Bilal, who did not make the slightest concession against his faith despite facing all kinds of torture, against the sands and stones that burned fiercely under the scorching heat and put a morsel of meat that had dried under the sun into his mouth, he would have a portion of a boulder placed on Hazrat Bilal’s chest and would say:

“I swear that I am not going to give up torturing you until you disaffirm and reject Muhammad and his religion and worship Lat and Uzza!”

However, along with every cell in his body, Hazrat Bilal would become a monument of faith and by risking his life, he would shout:

“I do not accept Laz and Uzza. God is One! God is One!” (2)

Umayya bin Khalaf would lose his temper altogether upon hearing these words and would increase the torture until Hazrat Bilal fainted and then would walk away. Afterwards, Hazrat Bilal would regain consciousness at a much, much later time.

The only point of endurance for Hazrat Bilal in the face of all of this unbearable torture was his exalted and magnificent faith. Having faith in God, Who holds the universe under His possession, means having confidence in His endless power and a standing point that does not falter or collapse for a believer. In this brave manner, he was declaring this reality to the whole entire world: “Faith is both light and power. A person who attains true faith can challenge the universe”. 

On another day, Hazrat Abu Bakr was passing by and saw that Umayya bin Khalaf was subjecting Hazrat Bilal to continuous torture. “Are you not afraid of God? Until when are you going to continue torturing this poor man?” asked Hazrat Abu Bakr.

Umayya answered, “You are the one who has corrupted his belief. Purchase him if you want him to be saved.”

Hazrat Abu Bakr said, “Oh Umayya, I have a slave who is of your faith. He is stronger and more powerful than Bilal. Will you accept if I exchange him for Bilal?”

“I accept”, replied Umayya. Then afterwards, he laughed and said, “But I want you to give me his wife, too.”

“Alright” replied Hazrat Abu Bakr.

Once again, Umayya laughed slyly and said, “I want you  to give me both the slave’s daughter and wife.”

Hazrat Abu Bakr answered, “Alright” upon this request.

However, it seemed as if this unruly polytheist, Umayya, wanted to drive this matter to a slope. This time, amid his treacherous cackles he requested:

“In addition to them, I also want 200 dinars!”

Hazrat Abu Bakr was angered and furiously replied, “You are a shameless man. You continue to lie.”

This time, Umayya said, “No. I swear to Lat and Uzza that if you do what I have requested then I will fulfill my promise.”

Upon this, Hazrat Abu Bakr replied, “They are all yours” and saved Hazrat Bilal from that cruel man.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) asked Abu Bakr, who had purchased Hazrat Bilal, “Oh Abu Bakr, are you going to have any rights over him?”

Hazrat Abu Bakr then replied, “No, oh Rasullulah, I have freed him.” (3)

Some time later, Hazrat Abu Bakr, purchased and freed Hazrat Bilal’s mother, Hamama, who was also a slave. (4)

Hazrat Bilal Habashi was our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) personal muezzin. He never wanted to separate from our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) side for even a second. When the Master of the Universe (PBUH) passed away to the afterlife, Hazrat Bilal could not bear staying in Madinah al-Munawwarah due to the immense love that he had for our Holy Prophet (PBUH) as a person and for his high moral conduct and felt obliged to move away. When Hazrat Abu Bakr, who was the caliph during this period, insisted that he stay by his side, Hazrat Bilal said, “Oh Abu Bakr, if you purchased me for yourself then keep me by your side! But if you purchased me for the sake of God then release me so that I can partake in jihad in the way of God.”

Upon this, Hazrat Abu Bakr consented to his departure. Hazrat Bilal went to Damascus and there he participated in the military campaigns on behalf of Islam during Hazrat Abu Bakr’s reign as a caliph. (5)

[1] Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 3, p. 232.

[2] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 340; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 3, p. 232.

[3] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 340; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 3. p. 238; Halabi, Insanu’l-Uyun, V. 1, p. 299.

[4] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 340; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 3. p. 238; Halabi, Insanu’l-Uyun, V. 1, p. 299.

[5] Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 3, p. 238; Ibn Hajar, al-Isaba, V. 1, p. 169.

The circle of conveyance was expanding gradually. Happiness caressed the souls that had testified to Islam while the hearts that had not saved themselves from polytheism were in a state of panic.

“Therefore expound openly what thou art commanded.” (1) When the Divine mandate came, naturally, the Master of the Universe (PBUH) could not stay still. He wanted to show his countrymen the path to spiritual and worldly happiness as soon as possible.

During this time, he slightly expanded his circle and notified the Meccans of his prophethood and the religion of Islam on Mount Safa. (2)

God’s Apostle (PBUH) went on top of a high rock on Mount Safa and called out to the Meccans in a loud and resonant voice: O Sahaba! (O Community of Quraysh, come here and convene, I have important news for you!)

The Meccans were puzzled. Who was shouting? Were they in the face of danger? Had an enemy invaded their land or was an important message to be forwarded to them? They did not delay in responding to this call and gathered on Mount Safa at once. What had happened? The person making this call was Muhammad-ul Amin (Muhammad the Trustworthy.) What did he want? What news did he bring? What was he going to say?

With great curiosity they asked, “O Muhammad, why did you gather us here? What are you going to announce?”

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) did not lag in his response. At a moment when all minds fully gravitated towards him, when all eyes filled with looks of curiosity were directly focused on him, when all ears paid full attention, and at a moment when everyone was anxiously waiting, he delivered this eloquent response that was filled with several logical proofs:

O Community of Quraysh! Our similarity is like a man who sees the enemy and runs to his family and shouts “O friends!” since he is afraid that the enemy will harm and reach his family before he does.

O Community of Quraysh! If I were to tell you there were enemy horsemen on the other side of this mountain and that they were about to attack you in the morning or towards the evening, would you believe me?”

They had never heard Muhammadul-Amin (Muhammad the Trustworthy PBUH) tell a lie nor say something that had surpassed the truth. In unison they all replied, “Yes, we affirm your honesty because we have not seen anything but propriety from you. You are not a person who makes false allegations.”

After addressing the public, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) called each of the Qurayshi tribes by their own names and continued speaking:

“In that case, I inform you of a great punishment that is ahead. God the Exalted has commanded me to warn my closest kin of the punishment in the hereafter. I invite you to say, “Allah is One, there is no God.” I am His servant and Messenger. If you accept what I have said, then I guarantee that you will enter heaven. Also know that I cannot be of service to you in this world nor in the hereafter unless you say, “Allah is One, there is no other God but He.” (3)

Abu Lahab Again...

Abu Lahab was baffled in the face of these words that addressed the mind, heart, and soul. He took a rock in his hands and threw it straight towards the Master of the Universe (PBUH) and shouted, “'May you perish for this! Is this what you have summoned us here for?”

Nobody else said anything in dissidence among those who were listening. They only dispersed into whispers of conversation among themselves.

Abu Lahab, the Person who Deserves Hell...

With his actions, Abu Lahab now deserved Divine punishment and enmity.

He would pay dearly for his violent hostility, lasting grudge, and hate that he had towards God’s Apostle (PBUH). God heralded his frightening aftermath in Surah al-Lahab:

“Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and perish he! His wealth and what he has earned shall avail him naught, Soon shall he burn in a flaming fire; And his wife, too, bearer of slander. Round her neck shall be a halter of twisted palm-fiber…”

Regardless of whoever spoke out in dissidence, God would continue to complete our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) light. For that reason, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was neither afraid of nor shaken by the ugly allegations made against him and was able to continue on his path in an immensely dignified and serious manner.

MALTREATMENT AND INSULT INFLICTED UPON THE PROPHET

After our Holy Prophet (PBUH) declared his prophethood and invited the community to Islam on Mount Safa, the polytheists of the Quraysh tortured him and targeted insults at him, and their abuse continued to increase.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) invited them to the doctrine of “Tawhid” (oneness) whereas they insisted upon idolatry and polytheism, which they called “the religion of their fathers.”

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) invited them to the path of virtue and happiness both in this world and the hereafter whereas they tried to keep away from virtue and happiness just as a bat tries to flee from the light.

The Master of the Universe (PBUH) invited them to live humanely and to exhibit dignified behavior while they gallivanted by exhibiting ugly and dishonorable behavior and trampled over human dignity and honor with their feet.

He wanted them to enter Paradise and invited them to commit deeds that would earn them these incomparable blessings whereas they continued to commit deeds that would lead them to eternal punishment and hellfire.

Through his invitation, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) wanted to save them from falling into asfal as-safilin (the lowest of the low) and elevate them to a’la illiyyin (the highest of the high places), ranks of worth, and stations that would empower them to execute sublime duties. Nonetheless, they continued preoccupying themselves with worthless activities that would result in their entrance to the bottom pits of hell (asfal as-safilin.)

Of course, the polytheists who exhibited such desires and behavior would oppose our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) invitation, would struggle against him without mercy, would try to make him ineffective through all their means and break his perseverance, fortitude, courage, and zeal. For that reason, they attempted to commit all kinds of torment, persecution, insults, and murder attempts.

Undoubtedly, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was not the only one who faced such circumstances. Every prophet who has been sent was treated harshly, held in contempt, and subjected to torture and persecution by his tribe and community. Alongside these commonalities and other traits that all of the prophets shared, these prophets did not refrain from explaining their cause and did not make any concessions from their faith despite the torture, insults, persecution, and murder attempts they faced. As the amount of torture and persecution that they were afflicted with increased, their love, enthusiasm, and seriousness in their mission in working towards having the truth heard grew even more.

Abu Lahab is Leading

Abu Lahab and his wife, Umm Jamil, were among the leaders of those that tortured and persecuted the Master of the Universe (PBUH).

Aba Lahab would continuously stalk our Beloved Prophet (PBUH), would strive to get the crowd to stop listening to him, and would attempt to instill doubts and apprehensions in their minds.

That day, God’s Apostle (PBUH) was inviting the crowd to testify to the Oneness of God and his own prophethood at the Ukaz Fair: “O people! Say La Ilaha Illallah so that you can save yourselves,” our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said to the crowd.

Abu Lahab came from right behind and shouted, “O people! He is my nephew; he is lying to you, stay away from him.” (4)

This was an example that is and was filled with many lessons:

His nephew was inviting the crowd to the path of happiness and to have faith in God whereas he, the paternal uncle, was opposing his own nephew by yelling at the crowd to not listen!

Abu Lahab did not stop there.

One day, he threw rancid filth at the front of the door of our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who was his neighbor.  At that moment, despite not yet having become a Muslim, Hazrat Hamza caught up and spilled the filth and the rancid substances upon Abu Lahab’s head.

All that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said in the face of his neighbor’s ugly action was, “O Sons of Abd Manaf! What kind of neighborliness is this?” as he swept away the filth in front of his home.

This man, who the Quran mentions will burn in the fierce fires of Hell, would sometimes stone our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) home just to bother him.

Abu Lahab Sends his son so that he will torture the Prophet!

Abu Lahab did not want to be alone in torturing and persecuting the Master of the Universe (PBUH).

One day, he commanded his son, Utaiba, to harass our Holy Prophet (PBUH). Utaiba went to our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who was reciting Surah an-Najm during that time. Upon hearing this, Utaiba remarked, “I swear by the Lord of an-najm (the star) that I denounce your prophethood” and arrogantly spat toward the Master of the Universe (PBUH).

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) only replied to him with this invocation:

"O my Lord! Subject him to the power of a dog from among Your dogs."

His (PBUH) prayers were never left unrequited; thus, his imprecation was answered sometime after the above incident. While Utaiba was sleeping among his friends in Hawran, a place that was in the vicinity of Yemen, a lion came and tore him to shreds!

The acceptability of his prayers is just one aspect of our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) many miracles.

Wood Carrier of Hell

Umm Jamil was the wife of Abu Lahab, the most violent opponent and enemy of the Islamic cause. This woman, referred to as the “wood carrier” in the interpretation of the Holy Quran, had become so mad and so wild in the face of the Islamic cause that she would sprinkle hard, spiked shrubs every day on the path that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) walked without showing the slightest sign of boredom; in fact, she derived great pleasure from this action.

An incident related to Umm Jamil is as follows:

While our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was on Mount Safa and openly delivering the Divine invitation to the Quraysh for the first time, she and her husband, Abu Lahab scolded him and even affronted him. Abu Lahab shamelessly said, “'May you perish for this! Is this what you have summoned us here for?” and hurled a rock that he had lifted from the ground towards our Holy Prophet (PBUH). Upon this incident, God revealed Surah Tabbat, which mentions the ugly behavior and aftermath of Abu Lahab and his wife.

Umm Jamil could not contain herself once she heard this surah. She carried a rock and went to the Masjid al-Haram. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was sitting there with his loyal friend, Hazrat Abu Bakr. Umm Jamil saw Hazrat Abu Bakr but did not notice our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who was sitting there right next to him. She said to Hazrat Abu Bakr: O, Abu Bakr! Where is your friend? I heard that he has satirized me. I am going to smash his mouth with this rock when I see him.”

Since Umm Jamil’s eyes could only see Hazrat Abu Bakr and failed to notice our Holy Prophet (PBUH), she had no choice but turn back since she could not achieve her goal. (5)

Of course her eyes could not see!! How could a “wood carrier” of Hell dare to see our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who was under God’s protection and grace?

Abu Jahl’s Hands Remain Suspended

Abu Jahl also had a similar experience.

One day, he made a promise to his tribe:

“By God, if I see Muhammad prostrating I will smash his head with this rock!”

The next day, he carried a huge rock that was difficult to lift. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was in prostration. Abu Jahl’s arms stiffened and froze in the air right as he was lifting the rock and about to hit our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) head. They stood there until the Master of the Universe (PBUH) finished his prayer… When his prayer finished, Abu Jahl’s arms loosened; (6) since there was no longer any need for them to remain frozen.

Another Attempt by Abu Jahl...

Despite everything, Abu Jahl did not cease his attempts at disturbing our Holy Prophet (PBUH); and on another day, he swore, “By God, if I see Muhammad in prostration, I will step on his neck and rub him against the floor.”

Right then, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) appeared. When Ibn Abbas explained the situation to him, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) became angry and without waiting to go through the door, he climbed (jumped) over the wall to enter the Masjid al-Haram. He recited Surah al-Alaq till the very end and prostrated.

Those who were around him immediately said to Abu Jahl, “O Abu Jahl there is Muhammad!”

As soon as Abu Jahl started to walk toward our Holy Prophet (PBUH), he returned. Those who were watching were puzzled and asked, “What happened? Why did you return?”

Abu Jahl responded in an even more puzzled manner:  “Do you not see what I see?” and then added, “By God, an enflamed rift opened between him and me.” (7)

In this manner, God protected His Beloved Messenger (PBUH) from the torture and murder attempts made by the polytheists’ leading figures!

The Prophet refers the Quraysh to God Almighty!

The torment, insults, and murder attempts that the Quraysh polytheists subjected upon our Holy Prophet (PBUH) took place in various forms.

One day, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was praying in the Kaaba in a very reverent manner. A group of polytheists had gathered around the Kaaba and were talking with one another; Abu Jahl was also in this group. He leaped forward and asked the group, “Which of you will go and bring the stomach of so-and-so’s slaughtered camel and bring its rumen and placenta in their bloody state and place them on top of him while he is prostrating?”

Uqba bin Abi Muayt, who had been blinded with rage, came forward, said “I will do it” and left. Sometime later, this man, whose soul had been darkened, appeared next to our Holy Prophet (PBUH) with a camel’s rumen in his hands.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was unaware of anything and had already gone into prostration.

The raving Uqba placed the camel’s rumen between our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) shoulder blades.

The polytheists, whose souls and consciences were buried in darkness, watched the scene as they laughed loudly.

Hazrat Fatima came running when she heard that her Honorable Father (PBUH) was being subjected to the polytheists’ despicable cruelty. She held the rumen and tossed it towards the group of polytheists.

When our Beloved Prophet (PBUH) completed his prayer the words, “My Lord, I leave the Quraysh to you” spilled from his holy lips and were repeated thrice.

Afterwards, he recited the names of the ringleaders individually and referred them to God, who is the Possessor of Infinite Power. (8)

Abdullah b. Amr Narrates:

Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr explained another instance in which the polytheists insulted and troubled our Holy Prophet (PBUH):

“One day the leading figures of the Quraysh gathered in a place called Hijir and I was also there. The Quraysh were talking about God’s Apostle (PBUH) and said:

“We have never shown as much patience to anything as we have to this man’s mission. This man accuses you of stupidity. He has insulted our fathers and grandfathers, has condemned our religion, has ruined our unity, and has defamed our idols. We have been patient with all that he has done.”

“While the Quraysh were discussing this, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) suddenly appeared. He came walking and kissed the Hajar al-Aswad. Afterwards, he walked by them to circumambulate the Kaaba. In the meantime, the Quraysh were dissing at him. God’s Apostle (PBUH) was greatly saddened. I noticed his sadness from the immediate change of color that was seen on his face.

“The Messenger of God continued his circumambulation. When he passed by the group of Qurayshis, they teased him. He got very sad. I noticed that he was sad by looking at his face.

“When God’s Apostle (PBUH) walked by them for the third time, the Qurayshis continued to diss at him in the same manner.

“Upon this, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) stopped and said to them:

“O Qurayshis, do you hear my words? I swear by God, Who possesses my existence in His powerful hands, that a disaster is going to befall upon you.”

Our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) address deeply influenced the crowd. No one moved from his spot. At last, even those who initially spoke against our Holy Prophet (PBUH) the most and provoked their friends (primarily Abu Jahl) tried to please him by saying:

“O Abal Qasim! Go in peace. By God, you are not among the ignorant or among those who do not know themselves.”

“God’s Apostle (PBUH) walked away.

“The next day, the Qurayshis gathered at Hijir again and I was among them once more. In the same manner, the leading figures were talking about God’s Apostle (PBUH) and said:

“You keep talking about what Muhammad has done to you and the news that has been brought regarding him. However, when he stands in front of you and says bad things to your face, you let him free and do not touch him.”

“Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) appeared while they were talking.

“The Qurayshis quickly sprung up from where they were sitting and surrounded him. They cited his words regarding their idols and religion and asked, “Are you not the one who made these comments about us?”

“The Holy Prophet (PBUH) answered, “Yes, I am the one who said them.”

“And they all pounced on him upon hearing this answer. Someone clung to his throat. In the meantime, someone ran and notified Hazrat Abu Bakr and he rushed to the Haram ash-Sharif. Amid his tears, he shouted at the polytheists: May God damn you! Do you want to kill an individual who says, “My Lord is God?”

“When our Holy Prophet (PBUH) heard this he said, “Leave them alone, O Abu Bakr! I swear by God, Who possesses my existence in His powerful hands, that I will deal with them all.”

“The Qurayshis got scared, quickly dispersed, and released our Holy Prophet (PBUH) upon hearing these words.” (9)

The ugly acts our Holy Prophet (PBUH) were inflicted because he said, “my Lord is God” and invited the community to this Divine reality did not end here.

On another day, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was found praying near the Kaaba again. As soon as he placed his forehead on the ground before the presence of his Supreme Creator, the savage Uqba bin Muayt took his cloak, coiled our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) throat, and squeezed it with all of his strength in order to choke him.

During that time, Hazrat Abu Bakr was able to catch up and save our Holy Prophet (PBUH) from this savage. Then, he recited the following verse from the Quran as if he wanted the entire universe to hear: "Would you kill a man because he says: My Lord is God, and he has come to you with clear signs (proofs) from your Lord? And if he is a liar, upon him will be (the sin of) his lie; but if he is telling the truth, then some of that (calamity) wherewith he threatens you will befall on you." Verily, God guides not one who is a Musrif (a polytheist, or a murderer who shed blood without a right, or those who commit great sins, oppressor, transgressor), a liar!" (10)

Attempt to Kill

A group of disbelievers from the Sons of Makhsoum among whom were such fierce enemies of Islam as Abu Jahl and Waleed Bin Moughriah came together and decided to kill the Noble Prophet (pbuh) after lengthy discussions. Waleed Bin Moughriah was to do it.

When the Prophet Muhammad, (pbuh) started to recite from the Holy Qur’an in the namaz (stated prayer), Waleed came very near to him. His ears heard his voice reciting from the Qur’an, but his eyes could not see him around.

Waleed became bewildered. He went back to his friends to tell about the incident. Then they all went there. Yet again, they could see nothing. When they were in the back, the voice came in the front, when they were in the front; the voice came from the back. Finally, they left there astonished.

The Most Difficult Day for the Prophet

Once, the Master of the Universe left his house and started to walk. All of the Qurayshis that he met, slaves and free people, rejected him, teased him and insulted at him as if they had agreed before. That day was the most difficult one of the troubled days. 

The Prophet, who had risen like the sun of mercy in the universe, returned home due to those insulting acts of the polytheists. He covered himself and lay down in order to relieve his sorrow.

[1] al-Hijr, 94.

[2] The Messenger of God had thought about how to inform all of the Makkans about Islam and his prophethood. In the end, he found it appropriate to stand on Safa Hill. He planned to address people from that hill; everybody would come and listen to him. It was a common habit among Arabs of that time to walk up to the top of a hill, mountain or a high place and to shout “Ya Sabahah” when a person feels a danger or an enemy that will attack unexpectedly or a sniper. Upon this call, people would take measures and get ready to face the enemy. (see Abu’l-Hasan an-Nadwi, as-Siratu’n-Nabawiyya, p. 87; Tajrid Translation, V. 9, p. 246).

[3] Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 1, p. 199-200; Bukhari, Sahih, V. 3, p. 171: Muslim, Sahih, V. 1, p. 133-135; Tabari, Tarikh, V. 2, p. 216.

[4] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 287.

[5] Ibn Hisham, ibid, V. 1, p. 381-382; Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, V. 1, p. 684.

[6] Ibn Hisham, ibid, V. 1, p. 319-320; Qadi Iyad, ibid, V. 1, p. 688; Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, Mektûbat, p. 164.

[7] Qadi Iyad, ibid, V. 1, p. 690-691.

[8] Muslim, Sahih, V. 5, p. 180.

[9] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 309-310; Tabari, Tarikh, V. 2, p. 223.

[10] al-Mu’min, 28.

Hazrat Talha bin Ubaidullah followed Hazrat Uthman’s tracks by embracing Islam.

He went on a journey for the purpose of trade. While he was at the Busra fair, a priest who lived there shouted, “Is there anyone here who is from Mecca?”

Hazrat Talha answered, “Yes, I am a Meccan.” “Did Ahmad appear?” asked the Priest.

Hazrat Talha then asked, “Who is Ahmad?” The priest answered, “He is the son of Abdullah bin Abdulmuttalib. Mecca is the city from which he will emerge. He is the final Prophet and will arise from the Harem ash-Sharif. He will be obliged to migrate to a rocky and barren place that is a date grove.”

The priest’s words captured Talha’s attention and as soon as he arrived in Mecca, he asked the people if there was “any news?”

They replied, “Yes, Abdullah’s son, Muhammad-al-Amin (Muhammad the Trustworthy) claims that he is a prophet and Abu Kuhafa’s son, Abu Bakr, has become his follower!”

Upon hearing this, he immediately went to Abu Bakr and asked, “Have you subjected yourself to Muhammad?”

Hazrat Abu Bakr answered, “Yes. I have and you should go and subject yourself to him! He is inviting the people to the truth and reality.”

They quickly went to our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) presence after Hazrat Talha explained what he had heard from the priest to Abu Bakr. When Hazrat Talha, who had instantly become a Muslim, explained what the priest had said, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) smiled. (1)

The polytheists could not stand the fact that a virtuous person like Hazrat Talha had become a Muslim. Nawfal bin Adwiya, one of the Quraysh’s fiercest wrestlers, tied him to a rope and tortured him.

Hazrat Talha, who had embraced Islam at a young age, was one of the ten companions that had been given the good tidings of Paradise. In respect to him, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “One who wants to see a martyr should look at Talha.” (2)

He was an immensely generous and brave companion. His fingers were crippled due to holding the arrows that were shot at our Holy Prophet (PBUH) during the Battle of Uhud. He did not separate from our Master’s (PBUH) side despite having been afflicted with nearly 80 wounds in the same war. (3)

1. Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat: 3/214-216; Ibn Hajar, Isaba: 2/220-221

2. Bukhari, 2/107; 4/211-212

3. Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat: 3/219; Ibn Hajar, Isaba: 2/221

Hazrat Khadija’s conversion to Islam in an unhesitant fashion made our Holy Prophet (PBUH) extremely happy and increased his enthusiasm. There was someone in this world that had accepted and had attested to his cause.

The second person whom our Holy Prophet (PBUH) invited to Islam was again one of the closest to him; and that person was Hazrat Ali. He was under our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) discipline since he was four or five years old. As a result, he had incomparable manners and a higher sense of wisdom and morality than his peers.

One day, he saw our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Khadija praying. He looked at them in awe and after they finished praying, he asked, “What is this?” Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) answered, “Oh Ali, this is the religion that God loves and that He has chosen. I invite you to believe in God, who is One and to refrain from worshiping Lat and Uzza, who can neither benefit nor harm humanity.”

Hazrat Ali paused for a moment and looked towards the ground with his sweet, childlike glance. He then replied, “This is something that I have not seen or heard until now. I cannot say anything without first consulting with my father, Abu Talib.”

However, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had not received permission to openly declare his cause. For this reason, he warned Hazrat Ali, “Oh Ali! If you choose to follow what I have said then do so, but if you choose not to, then keep what you have heard and seen a secret. Do not say anything to anyone.” (1)

Hazrat Ali promised to keep this a secret upon hearing our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) warning. He spent the night thinking. Together with the sunrise, a sense of enlightenment arose in his heart. He went before our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) presence, “When God created me, He did not ask Abu Talib for permission; therefore, I will seek God’s advice so that I can worship Him” and he became Muslim. Hazrat Ali, who attained the honor of being “the first child to become a Muslim”, was ten years old at the time. (2)

Taking precautions is always favorable. However, it is especially favorable when a new cause is beginning to spread. By telling Hazrat Ali not to recount what he had seen and heard to anyone for the time being, God’s Messenger (PBUH) was taking precautions, acting wisely, taking gradual measures, and setting an example for us. God’s Messenger (PBUH) was always careful to apply precautions and took timing and conditions into consideration very seriously; such conduct was vitally importance during his prophethood.

Zaid bin Haritha, who our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had adopted, followed Hazrat Khadija and Hazrat Ali by converting to Islam.

After their conversion, the ties that Hazrat Ali and Hazrat Zaid had towards our Holy Prophet (PBUH) were strengthened and renewed. From then on, they would not separate from our Master’s (PBUH) side and they performed their prayers and worshipped with him.

From time to time, Hazrat Ali would go to the Kaaba with our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and perform his prayers there.

Before Afif Kindi became a Muslim, he had gone to Mecca with the intention of shopping and saw our Holy Prophet (PBUH), Hazrat Khadija, and Hazrat Ali praying. After he became a Muslim, he related the account with envy:

“I really wish I had become a Muslim at that time and that I had been the fourth person among them!” (3)

Despite our Holy Prophet (PBUH) not having openly declared his cause to the public at that time, the unbelievers were not pleased that they were praying at the Kaaba and did not want the two to worship differently from them. For that reason, at a later time, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Ali deemed it more suitable to pray in the fields and valleys.

Hazrat Ali’s parents were after him

This condition of Hazrat Ali, in which he did not separate from our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) side and followed him like a shadow, caused his parents to panic and worry. Lady Fatima, in particular, was overly worried. She said to her husband, “your son is wandering with Muhammad too much. Be careful that nothing happens to him.”

Abu Talib was an understanding person. He wanted to learn the situation directly from our Holy Prophet (PBUH). One day, he followed our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Ali. He found them praying in one of the valleys in Mecca. He asked the Master of the Universe (PBUH), “Oh, my brother’s son, what religion is this?”

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) replied, “Oh, Uncle, you are among those whom I invite to the truth. You are supposed to be among the first to accept this invitation since you are the most deserving out of everyone! Abandon the practice of idol worshipping and believe in the One True God.”

Abu Talib was absorbed in thought for some time and at last he said, “I cannot separate from my old religion. However, continue to practice this religion that you follow! By God, I swear that while I am alive, no one can hinder you from completing your mission and do to you anything that you do not like.” Afterwards, he turned to his son and asked, “Oh, my dear son, what is this religion that you follow?”

Hazrat Ali replied, “My dear father, I too have testified to God and His Messenger and have attested to every message that he has brought from God. I followed him and prayed together with him.”

Upon this, Abu Talib said, “Oh son! It is befitting that you enter the religion of your uncle’s son willingly.” He will only invite you to beneficence. Submit to him!” (4) By saying these words, he made our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Hazrat Ali happy. He then walked away from there.

When he returned home, Lady Fatima hastily said to him in a harsh tone, “Where is your son? My servant saw him praying with Muhammad on the site of Jiyad. Do you approve of your son changing his religion?”

Abu Talib replied, “Be quiet! By God, it mostly falls upon the uncle and the father to support and help.” By saying these words, he expressed that there was no need to worry and concern. Afterwards he said, “If my ego complied with my wish to leave Abdulmuttalib’s religion, then I would subject myself to Muhammad since he is gentle, trustworthy, and pure.” (5)

[1] Ibn Kathir, Sirah, V. 1, p. 428.

[2] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 262.

[3] Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 8, p. 18.

[4] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 264.

[5] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 264; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 8, p. 18; Tabari, Tarikh, V. 2, p. 214.

The Everlasting Light of Islam (PBUH) continued to secretly enfold and capture hearts. The first Muslims were trying their best to learn about and live in accordance with the Divine cause with the fullest sincerity in their hearts.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had not yet announced his cause openly; however, despite this, there were those from many places outside of Mecca who had received news on the awaited appearance of the Last Prophet (PBUH). One of these individuals was Abu Zarr who belonged to the Ghifar Tribe.

During the Age of Ignorance, Abu Zarr despised idol worship. He had been searching for the truth for many years and was a distinguished poet among the Arabs. At first, upon hearing the news, he told Unais, who was his brother and a better poet than him, “All right, go to the person who has appeared in Mecca. Meet him and then inform me of whatever you learn about him” so that he could determine whether or not this person was the Luminous Guide he had been searching for.

Upon his brother’s instructions, Unais went to Mecca, spoke with our Holy Prophet (PBUH), and then returned.

Abu Zarr asked, “What news did you bring? And what does the community say about him?”

Unais replied, “The person I saw recommends the community to do good unto others, to refrain from committing harm, and has excellent manners.” Then, he continued:

“The people say that he is “a poet, a soothsayer, and a magician.” However, I have heard the sayings of soothsayers before and what he says is by no means the words of a soothsayer. I have compared what he has said to all sorts of poems and I did not find any similarities between them. His words go beyond and completely differ from poetry. From now on, it is not fitting for anyone to call him a poet. In brief, I swear that Muhammad (PBUH) is loyal. Those who attempt to make various allegations against him are the liars themselves.” (1)

Abu Zarr said to his brother, “You did not provide me with much news to comfort me. Yet I have to go and see him for myself.”

Unais warned him, “Go, but watch out for the Meccan community since they have formed an enemy front line against Muhammad.”

Afterwards, Abu Zarr set off on his journey with a staff in his hands, a waterskin on his back, and a leather pouch that was filled with his provisions. He crossed the desert and went straight to the Kaaba upon reaching Mecca. He searched for God’s Apostle (PBUH) but could not find him since he did not know nor recognize him. He did not dare to ask anyone and did not deem it suitable to do so since his brother had said there was a severe struggle between the polytheists and the Muslims in Mecca and the Muslims were living in a very critical time period.

He did not have any choice but to stay in the Masjid al-Haram; so that was what he did; and he overcame his hunger by drinking Zamzam water.

At one point, Hazrat Ali saw him crouching over in a corner in the Masjid al-Haram. When he passed by him, Hazrat Ali said to himself, “I believe this man has come from a faraway place” to which Abu Zarr replied, “Yes, I have come from afar.”

“Come, let us go to our home” said Hazrat Ali, and took Abu Zarr to his home as a guest. They both behaved cautiously and with discretion; and for that reason they spent the night without opening up to one another.

When the morning came, Abu Zarr went to the Masjid al-Haram again to ask about and look for our Holy Prophet (PBUH). However, he was once again unable to receive any information regarding our Master (PBUH) from anyone.

And once again, Hazrat Ali went by his side while Abu Zarr hopelessly waited in a corner and said out loud to himself, “Has the time not come to learn where this poor man is headed?” When Abu Zarr heard this, he replied, “No…”

In response to his answer and in the same manner as before, Hazrat Ali said, “In that case, let us go home” and took Abu Zarr to his home as a guest.

This time, they opened up to one another. At first, Hazrat Ali asked, “Why and from where did you come?”

“If you promise to keep it a secret, then I will explain,” responded Abu Zarr.

When Hazrat Ali replied, “You can be sure of that”, Abu Zarr disclosed his true purpose: “I am from the Ghifar clan. I heard that an individual who has announced that he is a prophet has risen from here. I want to meet him; that is why I came.”

Hazrat Ali understood his sincerity, “You made the right decision by telling me. I am now going to the Messenger (PBUH). Follow me and go in from where I enter. If I see someone on the road whom I fear will harm you, then I will stop by a wall as if I am about to straighten my shoe. In that situation, do not wait for me and continue walking.”

They left Hazrat Ali’s home. Hazrat Ali was in the front and Abu Zarr was following him from behind. They were able to reach the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) presence without having to face any abnormal circumstances.

Abu Zarr said, “Peace be Upon You, O God’s Apostle.” (2)

After our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “May the Compassion of God be upon you”, he asked, “Who are you?”

Abu Zarr replied, “I am from the Ghifar Tribe.”

“How long have you been here?” asked the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

“I have been here for three days and three nights”, answered Abu Zarr.

“Who is feeding you?”

“The zamzam water was my only food. I put on some weight and I did not feel any thirst or hunger.”

Upon this, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) answered, “The zamzam is a holy and filling food.”

Then, Abu Zarr said, “Oh God’s Apostle, tell me about Islam.”

When our Holy Prophet (PBUH) defined Islam, Abu Zarr immediately recited the shahada (testimony of faith) and became a Muslim. (3)

He declared that he became a Muslim

The piece of advice that our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who never let down his guard and never threw his caution to the wind, offered Hazrat Abu Zarr, who had now been honored through his conversion, was:

“O Abu Zarr, for now, keep this a secret and return to your homeland. Come back when you hear that we have openly made our announcement.”

Hazrat Abu Zarr, who was now enthusiastic and excited, replied, “O God’s Apostle, I swear by God Who has sent you as a Prophet of Truth that I am going to openly declare my faith here in front of the polytheists.” Then, he stood up and ran straight to the Kaaba where he fearlessly shouted before the polytheists: O the Community of Quraysh! I testify that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger!”

This brave exclamation infuriated the polytheists. They all descended upon him at once and beat him until he fainted. They would have killed him if Hazrat Abbas, who had not converted to Islam at the time, had not come and explained that Hazrat Abu Zarr belonged to the Ghifar Tribe which controlled the trade route to Damascus!

However, Hazrat Abu Zarr was not intimidated by this intense attack since his faith gave him the courage and passion. On the second day, he fearlessly shouted about God’s oneness and His existence and that Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) was His Messenger before the polytheists in the same manner and at the same place. Once again, he was subjected to the polytheists’ heavy blows and Hazrat Abbas intervened: “Shame on you all! Do you want to kill someone from the Ghifar Tribe? Do you not know that they are to be found on your trade route?” By saying these words, he was able to save Hazrat Abu Zarr from the polytheists’ merciless blows. (4)

After this incident, Hazrat Abu Zarr returned to his homeland so that he could invite his clan and tribe to the true religion and he remained there until the sixth year of the Hijra (migration). For this reason, he did not join the Battles of Badr, Uhud, and Khandaq. Nonetheless, he did not separate from our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) side in the battles that were to follow.

[1] Ibn Sa’d, Tabakat, V. 4, p. 224; Muslim, Sahih, V. 7, p. 153-154.

[2] The first person to utter that kind of greeting in Islam is Abu Dharr.

[3] Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 4, p. 224-225; Muslim, Sahih, V. 7, p. 153-154.

[4] Ibn Sa’d, ibid, V. 4. p. 255.

It was a few years before our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was given the duty of prophethood.

The “Suq Uqaz”, which was one of the two famous fairs, was filled with hundreds of people of a multitude of colors in Hijaz. There also were many Arab gentlemen among them. In the meantime, a patron saint, who was beyond a hundred years in age, appeared riding on top of a red-haired camel. His eyes were sagged down and he had become bent double due to old age. However, this horseman, who had an enlightened soul, was Quss b Saida, the elder of the tribe of Iyad. Quss, who believed in the existence and oneness of God as well as the Day of Resurrection, was the Arabs’ poet, orator, and judge. This individual, who had become legendary due to his eloquence, addressed the hundreds of people who were completely silent and were listening to him attentively:

“Oh people, come, listen, and commit the following to memory! Draw a lesson! Those who live will die and those who are dead will feel deep regret. Whatever is meant to happen will occur. The rain will pour, the grass will die. Children are born and then take the place of their parents. They all pass away at the blink of an eye. Incidents occur one after another and they all seem to chase each other. Listen carefully and pay attention; there are lessons to learn in the sky and on the ground. The Earth is a large council and the sky is a high ceiling. The stars move and the oceans come to a halt. What arrives does not remain and what leaves does not come back. Are they content in the place they go? Or do they fall asleep there as well? I swear, I swear that there is a religion in the presence of God that is more beloved to Him than the religion that you follow. There is a prophet of God who is about to appear and his arrival is very soon. His shadow is right on top of your heads. How happy is the person who puts his faith in him (the Prophet PBUH); May he guide him to the true path! Shame on the unfortunate person who will oppose and rebel against him! Woe on the ummahs that spend their lives in heedlessness!

Oh, people! What happened to (where are) the fathers, grandfathers, forefathers? Where are the family relations? Where are those fancy palaces and the tribes of Ad and Thamud that heightened those marble buildings? Where are the Pharaoh and Nimrod who boasted of their wealth and said to their tribes, “Am I not your greatest lord?” They were far more superior to you in terms of wealth and power. What happened to them? This ground ground them and dispersed them as dust in its mill. Even their bones have rotted and have dispersed. Their homes have fallen apart and are without owners. Now dogs enliven their grounds and territories. Avoid becoming heedless like them! Do not follow in their tracks! Everything is fleeting. Only God is everlasting. He is One and does not have a partner or a guardian. Only He is to be worshipped. He was not born and He did not give birth. There are many lessons to learn from those who have passed away. Death is a kind of river. There are many places in which you can enter but it does not have a place from which you can exit. All things that are big and small pass away. That which goes away does not come back. “I know for certain that whatever happens to everyone else will happen to you and me. “ (1)

Strangely, when Quss addressed the crowd with his magnificent speech and notified them of our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) arrival, which was very near, he was unaware that the individual whom he mentioned was among the crowd that was all ears.

The Master of the Universe (PBUH) was appointed as a prophet shortly after Quss bin Saida, to whose heart God granted guidance and beneficence during the Age of Ignorance, gave his speech.

However, Quss passed away during this time. Consequently, he was not granted the opportunity to meet with our Holy Prophet (PBUH) whose arrival he mentioned would be soon.

Many years passed…

Together with the leading figures, Jarud bin Ala, who was the Bani Iyad’s ruler and an elder who followed Hazrat Isa’s religion, went to see our Holy Prophet (PBUH) with the intention of learning his character. After he learned the purpose with which the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was sent by asking questions, he said, “I swear to God, Who has sent you as the Prophet of Truth, that I learned of your attributes in the Bible. Maryam’s son heralded your arrival. May peace and blessings be invoked upon you continuously and praise be to God for sending you. Extend your hand. I testify that there is no God but Allah and that you are God’s Messenger” and became a Muslim. His friends followed his example and became Muslims as well. (2)

The Master of the Universe (PBUH) was extremely pleased and asked, “Does anyone among you know Quss bin Saida?”

Jarud answered, “Of course, O Messenger of God . We all know him. I know much about him because I always follow his path.”

Thereupon, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) answered:

“The sermon that Quss bin Saida read upon a camel during the Suq Uqaz in which he said, “The one who lives will die and the one who dies will feel deep regret. Whatever is meant to happen will occur” never leaves my mind. He recited other words of a strange and wonderful eloquence that I find I do not recall.

“Hazrat Abu Bakr, who was present at this gathering,  quickly stepped in, “Oh Rasullulah, I was present at the Suq Uqaz that day. I remember all the words that Quss bin Saida spoke. I will recite them if you grant me permission.”

Afterwards, he recited the aforementioned discourse from the very beginning to the end.

Upon this, someone else from the assembly rose and recited a few other of Quss’ poems. In these poems, he openly declared that Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) would be sent from the Sons of Hashim and the Haram Sharif as a prophet.

After all of this, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said:

“I hope that on the Day of Resurrection that God Almighty (Allah) will resurrect Quss as a separate nation/ummah.” (3)

[1] Ahmed Cevdet Paşa, Kısas-ı Enbiya, V. 1, p. 62.

[2] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 4, p. 221; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 6, p. 560; Tabari, Tarikh, V. 3, p. 161.

[3] Ahmed Cevdet Paşa, ibid, V. 1, p. 62.

The Master of the Universe, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), understood that he had been privileged with a divine mission at Hira and that he had been appointed to prophethood.

However, this heavy and massive duty had many responsibilities that had to be fulfilled.

He knew that this was a matter that would not be easy to fulfill in the society that he lived in.

From that moment on, our Master (PBUH) went one-on-one with the world and was going to convey the message that he received from God to the general public. Of course, this could not be seen as a simple task.

God’s Messenger (PBUH) estimated from where and how he would begin his holy and honorable duty to humanity very well.

He first explained the situation to his wife, Hazrat Khadija, who was closest to him. Hazrat Khadija unhesitatingly believed in him and attained the honor of becoming the first Muslim.

Afterwards, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) taught her the manner of ablution that he had learned from Hazrat Jibril (Gabriel) and led her in two rakah prayer which he had also learned from Hazrat Jibril.

This two rakah prayer that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) performed (1) was the first prayer that he led as an imam; he performed that prayer a Monday. (2)

1. At the beginning, it was obligated as 2 rakahs of prayer to be performed twice a day (the timing of the prayers resembled the timing of our morning and early evening prayers-fajr and maghrib). Much later, tahajjud was added to this. After 5 rakahs of prayer were determined during the ascension (Miraj), the obligation of the night prayer (tahajjud) was changed to supererogatory prayer for the ummah (community of believers). Nevertheless, it continued to be an obligation for our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

[2] Tahirü’l-Mevlevi, Müslümanlıkta İbâdet Tarihi, p. 25.

A religion that would address all of humanity and embrace the entire world was not going to remain a secret for too long. Since this religion was being sent as the means through which humanity could attain both worldly and spiritual peace, it was necessary to openly convey this message to the people.

God has attributed everything in the universe to the law of gradualness. Those who do not submit to and abide by this law will undoubtedly become unsuccessful in due time.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) complied with this law upon receiving a mandate from God. He did not openly inform the people of his prophethood and Islam for a period of three years. He was incredibly cautious and prudent in delivering his message and explained the situation only to those he fully trusted.

We see that his decision was the cause for Islam’s success. Within the three-year period of the Era of Secret Conversions, many people took their place within Islam and strengthened his cause.

After the three-year period ended, there was no further reason for this invitation to remain a secret. The polytheists of the Quraysh had more or less heard everything and the Islamic cause had garnered much strength through many people. By virtue of this, the time had come for the call to Islam and the realities of Tawhid (the doctrine in the belief of God’s oneness) to be openly announced to the entire world.

The Invitation to his Close Relatives

God informed our Holy Prophet (PBUH) through revelation on where he should begin to openly deliver the invitation:

“And admonish thy nearest kinsmen” (1)

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) knew that this undertaking would not be easy. For this reason, he did not leave his house for some period of time. During this period, he called Hazrat Ali and said to him: “Oh Ali, God orders me to warn my closest relatives of the punishment in the hereafter and this is very difficult for me. I know very well that I am going to see them attempt to make accusations against me in regards to something that I do not like once I mention this matter to them.”

We see that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was worried that he would be subjected to accusations made by his relatives once he began to openly explain his cause to them. For that reason, he deemed it appropriate to stay in his home for some time and think everything through.  When Hazrat Safiyya saw that he had been absent and had not left his home for a long period of time, she went to go visit him along with his other aunts to learn about his condition. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said to them, “I have no complaints about anything and I am not ill. However, God has commanded me to warn my closest relatives of the punishment in the hereafter. I want to gather the Sons of Abdulmuttalib and invite them to testify to God.”

His aunts answered, “Invite them, but never dare try to invite Abu Lahab because he will never accept.” Following this, they said, “After all, we are women” and left.

Organizing a Feast!

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) then said to Hazrat Ali, “Prepare a meat dish that is enough for only one person and fill a cup with milk. Then gather the Sons of Abdulmuttalib, I want to talk with them. I am going to notify them with what I have been commanded to say.”

Hazrat Ali immediately fulfilled his order.

When morning came, all of our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) uncles, including Abu Lahab, who had not been invited, and two women amounting to a total of 45 individuals, convened in Abu Talib’s home.

A Miracle

The meat in the pot was only enough to fill one person, and so was the cup filled with milk.

The Master of the Universe (PBUH) broke the meat into pieces and said to those who were attending the feast, “Bismillah (In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate), help yourselves!

Everyone at the feast ate from those pieces of meat until they were full. Lo and behold! What did they see?  The meat remained in its place with very little missing from it.

They were amazed and began to drink from the cup filled with milk. They drank till they were satiated and they saw that the milk had not decreased. They were astonished!

After the meal was completed and just as our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was about to speak, Abu Lahab intervened and addressed the crowd: We have not seen such an instance of black magic until now. Your friend has cast a great spell upon you all.”

Afterwards, he went as far as to affront the Master of the Universe (PBUH) and bellowed loudly so as to disrupt the crowd.

The crowd dispersed before our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had the chance to speak.

The Second Visit and God’s Messenger’s Address to his Relatives

After that inconclusive feast, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) arranged another event and gathered his relatives through the means of Hazrat Ali.

He rose to his feet after the meal finished and said: “Praise should only be given to God and I praise Him. I only seek help from Him. I believe and trust on Him. Just as I am undoubtedly aware of this fact, I also make known to you that there is no god other than Allah. He is One and there is no being similar to Him.” Afterwards, he disclosed his purpose:

“Surely a person who is sent to go look for pasture would not lie to his family. By God, even if I were to have lied to the rest of humanity, I still would not have lied to you. Even if I were to have deceived everyone else, I still would not have deceived you. I invite you to testify to God who is the Only True God. I am His Messenger, who has been specifically sent to you, the community, and all humanity.”

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) continued to speak:

“By God, just as you fall asleep, you will also die, and just as you wake up from your sleep, you will also rise and be accounted for all of your actions. You will be rewarded for your good deeds and punished for your bad deeds.  As a result, you will stay forever either in Paradise or Hell. You are the first from among the people that I have frightened with the fear of punishment in the hereafter.” (2)

When our Holy Prophet (PBUH) finished speaking, Abu Talib rose to his feet and said, “We will help you lovingly and sincerely. We have embraced and accepted your advice and have affirmed your words. Those who have gathered here are the sons of your grandfather. Consequently, I am one of them. I swear that the person to run the quickest among all those who run to fulfill your goals will be no other than me. Continue doing what you have been commanded to do. By God, I will not refrain from surrounding and protecting you for the slightest moment. However, my soul does not obey me to abandon the religion of Abdulmuttalib. I will die as a follower of his religion.”

His other uncles also affirmed his words and did not say anything to displease our Holy Prophet (PBUH).  There was only one exception, and that was Abu Lahab, who had opposed to the Islamic cause from the very beginning. He leaped forward and said, “Oh Sons of Abdumuttalib, by God this is a misfortune. Dissuade him from this before others hinder him. If you are to obey him being, you will be subjected to mortification and defamation; if you try to defend him, you will be killed.”

The brave answer to the most savage enemy of Islam came from Hazrat Safiyya: “O, brother! Does it suit you to leave your brother’s son and his religion helpless? By God, the living scholars say that a prophet is to emerge from Abdulmuttalib’s progeny. He is that Prophet!”

Abu Lahab arrogantly replied to his sister’s noble words: I swear that this hope is in vain. Besides, a woman’s words are at the level of an obstacle and a chain that is attached to a man’s foot. When the families of Quraysh and the entire Arabs riot together, what power will we have to resist them? By God, we are like a morsel that can be easily swallowed for them.”

Abu Talib was immensely annoyed by Abu Lahab’s words. “O coward” he said, “By God we are going to help and protect him as long as we live.”  Afterwards, he turned to our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and said, “Oh my brother’s son, let us know when you want to deliver the invitation so we can be armed and emerge together with you!” (3)

“Who will Help me?”

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who had only listened to all that was being said up until that point, rose to his feet and said: Oh Sons of Abdulmuttalib! By God, I do not know anyone else from among the Arabs who has brought something that is more auspicious and superior than that what is most beneficial for both your life here and in the hereafter, which I have brought to you. I invite you to testify to two words that are easy on the tongue and that weigh heavily on a scale: Ashhadu anlaa ilaaha illallaahu wa ashhadu anna muhammadar-rasulallah (There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.) Then, he asked, “In that case, which one of you accepts to become my helper and vizier by following me on this path?” (4)

Nobody uttered a sound. All heads were bowed towards him. They were unable to find the strength to look at God’s Apostle (PBUH). However, there was only one person who looked very carefully into our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) eyes. And that person was Hazrat Ali, who was only 12-13 years old at the time. He rose. However, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) told him to “sit down.”

The Master of the Universe (PBUH) asked his question thrice. And only Hazrat Ali replied each time: “O God’s Apostle, I will help you although I am much younger than them all.” (5)

Some pursed their lips upon hearing these words, some were amazed, and some jeeringly smiled. Afterwards, they left the meeting without taking the meeting seriously.

Hazrat Ali’s heroism and bravery at a young age made our Holy Prophet (PBUH) immensely happy. He was not sad or in despair since he could not get the result he had wished from the meeting. Only God could give guidance.

1.Surah ash-Shuara, 214

2. Tabari, Tarikh: 2/217; Ibn Kathir, Sirah: 1/457-459

3. Halabi, Insanu'l-Uyun: 1/285

4. Tabari, Tarikh: 2/217; Ibn Kathir, Sirah: 1/459

5. Tabari, Tarikh: 2/217; Ibn Kathir, Sirah: 1/459

Hazrat Abu Bakr had been one of our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) closest friends for a very long time. They would get together and meet with one another in a very sincere fashion.

His most striking feature was that the ugly customs, bad manners, and lifestyle of the Age of Ignorance had not corrupted his disposition and that disbelief had not contaminated his mind, heart, and soul. He was a renowned merchant. The tribe’s leading figures always benefited from his ideas. He was the one who had solved the blood feuds of the Quraysh. Another one of his important characteristics was that he knew the ancestries, pedigrees, strengths, and flaws of the families of Quraysh very well.

Our Master (PBUH) had just begun to openly deliver his invitation. However, his cause had spread from ear to ear and it was heard by the leading figures of the Quraysh.

Hazrat Abu Bakr had just returned from his journey to Yemen. Abu Jahl, Ukba bin Abi Muayt, and some of the Quraysh’s leading figures went to his home to welcome him. Hazrat Abu Bakr asked, “What happened while I was away from Mecca? Is there any important news?”

They answered, “Oh Abu Bakr, there is a huge affair! Abu Talib’s orphan, Muhammad, has claimed to be a prophet. We deemed it suitable to wait until you returned from Yemen. Go to your friend and do whatever is necessary.”

Hazrat Abu Bakr immediately went to the home of the Master of the Universe (PBUH):  “Oh, Aba’l Qasim! Is it true that you claim to be a prophet, and that you have separated from the tribe, and have rejected and have reviled the religion of your forefathers?”

At first, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) smiled at the words of Abu Bakr, who he had been friends with since childhood. He said, “Oh Abu Bakr, I am God’s Messenger who has been sent to you and all humanity. I invite humanity to the one true God (Allah). You should testify as well.”

At one moment, lightning flashed in the realms of Abu Bakr’s mind and heart. He was hearing these words from the Muhammad the Trustworthy (PBUH), his friend whom he had known very well since childhood, the person whom he sincerely loved and respected, and the one from whose lips he never heard a word that contradicted truth. Without hesitating, he immediately embraced Islam and became a Muslim. (1)

Our Master (PBUH) considered Abu Bakr’s not showing any sign of hesitation in the face of this invitation as a huge virtue by saying:

“Everyone whom I invited to Islam, with the exception of Abu Bakr, paused, hesitated, or was astonished. However, when I explained Islam to him, he neither paused nor hesitated.” (2)

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was extremely happy that his esteemed friend had become a Muslim. In regards to this matter, our mother, Hazrat Aisha, related the following:

“No event has made our Holy Prophet (PBUH) happier than Hazrat Abu Bakr converting to Islam in the world.”

A dream that Hazrat Abu Bakr had seen beforehand at a much earlier point in time came true in the following way: In his dream, he saw that a moon had descended to Mecca. It then split into segments and spread to the homes in the city. Afterwards, he saw the reassembling of the pieces and the entering of the moon into its own home.

At that time, some scholars among the people of the book interpreted the dream. They said the awaited prophet would arise from Mecca very soon and that Abu Bakr would follow him and take his place among the fortunate. (3)

Hazrat Abu Bakr did not hesitate to openly disclose that he had become a Muslim.

His conversion to Islam caused a great echo among the Quraysh since he was an esteemed, reliable, sound individual who was always true to his word. His amiability and sweet nature had made him beloved to the tribe.

Hazrat Abu Bakr represented the first link on the chain of Muslim men that were free. Due to his conversion to Islam, this chain of faith slightly widened, the roads expanded further, and the fortunate that walked on the straightforward streets increased. Including Hazrat Bilal-Habashi, the following were the first representatives in the various classes to have become Muslims:

From the women, it was Hazrat Khadija,

From the children, it was Hazrat Ali,

From the free men, it was Hazrat Abu Bakr,

From the freed slaves it was Zayd bin Kharisa,

From the slaves it was Hazrat Bilal-Habashi (Radiyallahu Anhum).

[1] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 268; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 3, p. 171.

[2] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 269; Ibn Athir, Usdu’l-Ghaba, V. 2, p. 206.

[3] Suhayli, Rawdu’l-Unf, V. 1, p. 165.

Habbab bin Arat was the freed slave of a woman by the name of Umm Anmar, who was also an enemy of Islam. He was a blacksmith who made swords. He had been in contact with our Holy Prophet (PBUH) for a long time.

He became a Muslim during a time in which our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had not yet settled in Darul Arqam.

During those days, becoming a Muslim and openly declaring one’s faith meant risking one’s own property and life. Despite this, Hazrat Habbab bravely declared and revealed that he had become a Muslim without showing the slightest sign of fright.

Torture

The polytheists of Quraysh tortured and persecuted him when they heard that he had become a Muslim. It was as if Umm Anmar had gone mad due to her rage. She had him tied and branded his head with heated iron. Hazrati Habbab was now being tortured through the means of his livelihood!  However, it was all in vain! His heart had already been ignited with the love of faith.

One day, he came to the presence of God’s Messenger (PBUH) and complained about Umm Anmar and the pain on his head. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) prayed, “Oh God, help Habbab!”

Immediately after his prayer, Umm Anmar became afflicted with a severe headache. She would consistently moan due to her intense pain. At last, someone suggested that she have her head branded with fire. As a result, Hazrat Habbab branded her head for some period of time.

Hazrat Habbab was in Fire and Flames

One day, the polytheists who were devoid of compassion and mercy lit a huge fire in front of Hazrat Habbab. They laid him on top of the fire, stepped on his chest, and left him there for some time. (1)

Many years later, Hazrat Umar became the Caliph of Islam. In one occasion when Hazrat Habbab was next to him, Hazrat Umar mentioned the accounts of hardship and cruelty that they had faced by saying: “There is only one person on the surface of this Earth who is more worthy of this congregation.” Hazrat Habbab was curious and asked, “O, Caliph (Head of the Muslims), who is this person?”

Hazrat Umar responded, “It is Bilal.”

Hazrat Habbab replied, “O, Caliph! He was not tortured as much as I was since there was someone to protect Bilal from the the polytheists’ infliction of cruelty. Whereas I did not have a guardian then; nor do I have one now”. Afterwards, he continued to explain how the polytheists laid him inside of a fire:

“One day the polytheists held me and lit a fire. They placed me on my back inside the fire. Then one man stepped on top of my chest and did not leave me until the floor cooled!” After he spoke these words, Hazrat Habbab opened his chest which had been mottled due to the burns of the fire.

Hazrat Habbab Applied to our Holy Prophet (PBUH)

Despite having been inflicted with all kinds of torture and persecution, Hazrat Habbab did not make the slightest concession from his faith and did not refrain from displaying his unceasing love for God and His Messenger (PBUH). He was a slave and was not in a position to overcome the polytheists. He did not have any choice but to apply to our Holy Prophet (PBUH) regarding the torture and persecution he faced. And that  was what he did. One day, he went to our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) presence and said, “O, God’s Apostle, will you not pray for us so that we can be saved from this torture, to which we are subjected?” Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) provided the following answer which is filled with many lessons and glad tidings:

“There were certain individuals among the communities that came before you whose entire skin and flesh was peeled and shaved off with an iron comb and even this kind of torture did not turn them away from their religion. Of course God will complete this mission (Islam) and will make it superior to all other religions in such a way that an individual who rides his animal alone from San’a to Hadramut will fear no one but God and his sole earthly worry will be of wolves attacking his sheep. However, you are all in a hurry.” (2)

His Response to As bin Wail

As bin Wail, one of the most savage individuals among the polytheists, had an important debt that he owed Hazrat Habbab. One day Hazrat Habbab went to ask for his payment. This savage polytheist replied, “I am not going to pay my debt until you disbelieve Muhammad.” “I will abandon everything yet I will never deny him; neither in this world nor after I die”, answered Hazrat Habbab. Upon this As bin Wail arrogantly said, “will I be resurrected after I die? In that case, be patient. I will pay the debt I owe you on the day I am resurrected and once I am reunited with my property and children.” (3) Upon those words of As b. Wail, God Almighty stated the following in the verses He sent down:

“Hast thou then seen the (sort of) man who rejects Our Signs, yet says: "I shall certainly be given wealth and children"? Has he penetrated to the Unseen, or has he taken a promise with (God) Most Gracious? Has he penetrated to the Unseen, or has he taken a promise with (God) Most Gracious? Nay! We shall record what he says, and We Shall add and add to his punishment. To Us shall return all that he talks of, and he shall appear before Us bare and alone.” (4)

Just as Habbab would risk every type of danger by declaring that he had become a Muslim, he would also be preoccupied with teaching and instructing new Muslims on how to read the Holy Quran. When Hazrat Umar furiously entered the home of his sister and brother-in-law with his sword drawn, this self-sacrificing companion was reciting and teaching them the verses that had been recently sent.

1. Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat: 3/165

2. Bukhari: 4/238-239

3. Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat 3/164-165

4. Surah Maryam, 77-80

It would be useful to know and to recognize the moral state of humanity and the world before the Master of the Universe (PBUH) was appointed as a prophet. Only then will we be able to understand how he saved the humanity from a social, political, religious, spiritual, intellectual darkness and perversion.

During the end of the sixth century of the Gregorian calendar…

This was an era in which disbelief, heresy, and immorality had descended over humanity with all of its might and were trying to suffocate humanity. The prominent and significant countries of that time were:

Byzantine, Persia, Egypt, India, Alexandria, Mesopotamia, China, etc.

In all of these countries;

A correct belief system did not exist

The people during that time suffered qualms of conscience, had gone mad (so to speak), were rampant, and did not know what they were doing.

They worshipped phenomena that took place in the universe and things that had been created by God. Humanity would prostrate before the stars, fire, as well as bone dry, lifeless rocks and idols while claiming they were “Gods!”.

Since souls and the conscience of humanity were buried in the deprivation and darkness of not having faith in God; nothing was considered to be the creation of the Divine power and the universe was considered to be meaningless, unnecessary, and pointless. Those poor individuals, who were devoid of faith, wisdom, and understanding, knew that a letter, a word, and a book could not come into being without a writer; however, they were writhing in the misery of accepting that the universe, which contains hundreds of thousands of mysteries and wisdoms, was without an owner and without reason.

In this deplorable state, the entire world was expecting and in need of a prophet who would reintroduce the belief in Tawhid, God’s existence and His oneness, and cleanse the heart of disbelief and depravity.

People had been divided into classes

Humanity had broken into several classes, such as the wealthy, the poor, the strong, and the weak; there was a great disconnection and gap between the community and the government officials. There was a considerable amount of tension among the classes.

Due to the tyranny and injustice that was committed by the higher social classes, the lower class resembled a barrel of gunpowder that was ready to explode at any minute. Let us take a glance at the state of Iran during that time as an example: “Like many primitive societies, the Iranians were completely separate from one another. The top three classes were entirely detached from the fourth caste, which was all the way at the bottom. The highest three classes consisted of the priests, judges, warriors and officials who were either called Magipads or Mobads since they were from the Magi Tribe; the farmers and artists constituted the fourth class”. The common people, who were the community, consisted of free city dwellers, slaves, and serfs. Their duty was to work in the fields or in the military without receiving any payments or rewards for their services. They were completely left to themselves and were stuck with insurmountable obstacles. They could not advance in their stations in any way; there was even no hope for them to become townspeople, although the latter openly benefited from their goods and property…” (1)

The Eastern Roman Empire’s condition was even more deplorable. “Its society had been divided into many secondary classes. They were: 1) A class called Curule. They were landowners who were not enlisted in the military and could not get involved in any kind of trade. 2) Tributaries, just like their counterparts in Persia, included those who had no land of their own, those who paid poll taxes, and those were bound to guilds that passed by inheritance from fathers to sons. 3) The military class. As one writer said regarding this matter: “The farmers who cultivated the soil were nothing but tools that clothed and fed the king’s court.” (2)

Finlay, who was an eminent historian on the Middle East, summarized the Eastern Roman Empire’s (Byzantine) miserable condition as follows: “History has probably not seen a community whose morals were as withered as that of the Greeks and Romans who lived in the period between Justinian’s death (528-565) and Muhammad’s birth, and who lacked as much self-control and virtue”. (3)

The European community was in the ruthless hands of the aristocracy, the knights, and the clergy, and its condition was no different than that of a dumb animal. Those in power could purchase and sell the community’s constituents whenever they wanted and the latter did not have the right to object. Those who were sold practically became slaves. Even if they were not slaves in the fullest sense, those who did not have the power and strength to separate from their masters would eventually become servants. Nobody had the right not to like his master, nor did anybody possess the authority to choose him. However, there was this one condition: in some uncivilized countries, servants were able to go to another home by first paying their masters a sum for their freedom; this was considered to be a huge favor.

In summary, all countries other than the Arabian Peninsula had caste systems in which people had been divided into separate classes and looked at each other with enmity, hate, and brutality. This world, which was in a miserable state, was in need of a great prophet who would declare that humans were God’s most esteemed creatures, they had all descended from one father, and that they all had specific rights in the same proportion, like the right to freedom, and who would change feelings of hate and animosity into feelings of love, respect, and friendship. This situation called for and was in dire need of this Great Prophet.

Slavery was an official institution

Human beings are both reverend and honorable. However, appreciation of this fact is only possible with true belief.

The people of that age, whose hearts were deprived of faith’s glory, did not respect humans, were  unaware that humans were the most reverend beings on the Earth, and were savage enough to sell and purchase their fellow beings.

Those unfortunate people who were labeled as slaves were being sold and purchased at auctions like ordinary merchandise. The masters were fully authorized to insult, torment, and make their slaves work however they wanted.

Humanity was in desperate need of someone who would end this savagery and ingratitude and was in need of a guide who would not withhold his light of compassion from anyone.

Sectarian fights persisted

The belief in the fallacious trinity had replaced the doctrine of Tawhid, the oneness of God, which Hazrat Isa (Jesus) had conveyed and preached.

The priests produced a completely different religion in place of what Hazrat Isa had taught.

Likewise, other countries, particularly the Eastern Roman Empire, were committing inconceivable acts of torture and tyranny in the name of religion. For example, historians mention how Phocas, the Patrician, poisoned himself in order to escape from being forcefully converted into Christianity. (4)

Those who left the Mazdaism faith, which prevailed in Persia, or those who betrayed this religion were mercilessly executed. Scratching out the eyes, crucifixion, stoning, as well as starving and leaving someone to die thirsty were all standard death penalties.

While Confucianism and China had advanced in civilization, they were living their most chaotic days and were on the brink of collapsing just before the Sun of Bliss (PBUH) emerged.  Civil wars did not cease and the society was at one another’s throats due to sectarian differences.

During the period of Islam’s emergence, Abyssinia was full of clashes that occurred between siblings.

Immorality Prevailed

Humanity, which was deprived of the modesty, fear, and virtue that come from faith, was committing all sorts of lewd behavior and had trampled over its dignity and honor by freely performing vulgar acts.

Gambling, alcohol, and immoral types of pleasure found their place among daily activities. Continuous killing, continuous acts of adultery, mugging, and raids almost swept away the blessed and divine significance from humanity.

Here is one example:

Morality had been completely wiped from the Byzantine Empire and had become so dead that the patriarch of Constantinople himself solemnized the marriage between the Emperor and the latter’s own niece. (5)

To them, a woman was no different than a simple commodity that could be purchased and sold.

Yes, the end of sixth century A.D. was the century of such barbarism, unbelief, idolatry, ignorance and cruelty. All kinds of anarchy, blasphemy, various perverted belief systems and all kinds of debauchery were ruling the world in this century.

Humanity had probably never witnessed such perverseness, immorality, atrocity, and terror since its creation.

Humanity was devoid of a spiritual guide and was like the flowing water in an untamed river as it crashed into stones. With each crash, it lost a bit of its heart, soul, conscience, and honor. Every door that it knocked was shut on its face.

Humans had turned into beasts since they did not know who God, the Supreme Creator, was and had not found the essential path that He had drawn for them by means of His prophets. These wild beasts were ready to swallow someone at every minute and were smeared in blood; they caused the wind of anarchism and unrest to blow everywhere.

Humanity had become an orphan, the universe was mourning, and the Earth resembled a ring of sorrow. Everyone was considered an enemy by others, and everything was considered meaningless, soulless, and aimless.

Humanity’s sorrowful screams, which resulted from not having a true guide, were ringing in the skies; the universe, its smallest particles and the sun were crying together over humanity’s miserable condition.

The Sun of Bliss, with all of his glory, was meant to rise in the horizon of humanity so that humans could be happy. The universe’s smallest particle, its sun, its mountains, its stones, its animals, and its people would be saved from being considered insignificant, meaningless, and pointless. Everything would be known as a letter of God that was written and presented to be people so that they would draw lessons from them.  Pure faith could take the place of disbelief, justice could replace tyranny, peace could replace uneasiness, knowledge could take the place of ignorance, and bliss could replace misery. All believers would be friends and siblings. The universe’s rage could turn into happiness.  The stars could laugh and the atoms could whirl like dervishes. The sun, moon, ground, and sky could continue their mission lovingly and ardently.

Man should know that the real wisdom and purpose of his creation, his transfer from the darkness of non-existence to the realm of existence is to know God Almighty, to believe in Him and to worship Him. Thus, he will attain real peace and bliss.

[1] Prof. Harun Khan Sherwani, İslam’da Siyasî Düşünce ve İdare, Trns by Kemal Kuşçu, p. 8.

[2] Prof. Harun Khan Sherwani, ibid, p. 10.

[3] Prof. Harun Khan Sherwani, ibid, p. 11.

[4] Prof. Harun Khan Sherwani, ibid, p. 11.

[5] Prof. Harun Khan Sherwani, ibid, p. 11.

When the Master of the Universe (PBUH) reached the age of thirty-eight, he started to hear some voices and some lights around. And sometimes he was called as, “O Muhammad!” from unseen.

Yet he was then still unable to understand what those strange voices and lights meant. However, he knew that such occurrences were not meaningless and not for nothing and spent days pondering over them.

From time to time, he told his venerable wife, Khadija, about them and often they two spoke about them. His wife, Khadija, the only source of comfort then, kept consoling him during their conversations.

This state of Muhammad (PBUH) continued for about one year.

True Dreams

At the age of 39, the period of “True Dreams” started. The events that were to happen the day after were being shown to him in his dreams in a way between wakefulness and sleep. It was so much so that the dreams he had in the night were taking place during the day as he had in his dream. (1)

This state went on about six months, which can be considered a preparation period for receiving divine revelations.

He seeks loneliness

After this six-month period, the Master of the Universe’s holy spirit was searching for complete solitude. His greatest desire was to distance himself from the community and to remain alone with his thoughts… because his soul was getting discomforted by the indecency, cruelty, and gloom that was found in the society in which he lived.

He was made to love loneliness, He could abandon everything that he possessed but he would never abandon being alone with the universe and his realm of contemplation, away from people.

For that reason, he did not stay much in Mecca and was seen to choose desolate places that were far from people and to be consumed in contemplation in these places.

During these periods of solitude, he asked why the mountains, rocks, the earth, the sky, and the universe had been created, why people were sent to Earth, and what their aim and purpose was. The boulders of Mount Hira, the immense deserts, the sun, the moon, the shining stars, nor the passing clouds could answer his inquiries. He passed his days and nights in wonder since he could not find the answers to his questions.

Yes, the Master of the Universe’s holy spirit craved solitude in the outwardly sense whereas in reality, he carried the desire of being in the presence of God within the depths of his soul. This desire was to reach an endless existence within solitude.

This condition was seen in almost all of the prophets before they received revelations. Before his prophethood, Hazrat Musa spent 40 days fasting in solitude in the mountain of Tur. Similarly, Hazrat Isa was consumed in worship for forty days in a peaceful forest as he remained far from the world. (2)

THE MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE IN HIRA

The year was 610 in the Gregorian calendar.

The Master of the Universe (pbuh) was forty years old.

He had a regular custom that he had been doing for years. He would spend the month of Ramadan with contemplation, worship, and prayer at the cave at the hill of the Mount of Hira. (3) It was quiet and serene in there. It was the best place for him to be left alone with his reflection. His blessed soul, which was bored with the corrupt atmosphere of the society he lived in, found tranquility and peace over there. (4)

The Messenger of God did not worship randomly in the cave of Hira; he worshipped in accordance with the religion of Hanif, the religion of Ibrahim, his ancestor. (5)

One day in the month of Ramadan, he went there again for worshipping and contemplation. He made his way to the mount of Hira with provisions that his wife Khadija (may God be pleased with her) prepared for him.

The universe observed every step that its Master took with respect and stood in a deep silence. Yet, that stillness was not in vain. It was full of wisdom.

                    The Mount Hira                                            The Mount of Nour      

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) accompanied the stillness with his reflection, which thus brought about some harmony. It was as though the universe whispered to his great soul as saying, “The reason why I was created is you. It is you who will explain my meaning best and that I am full of wisdom and lessons. Therefore, I am grateful to you.”

The Master of the Universe (peace be upon him) was now in the cave at the hill of the Mount Hira, where he soon was to be worthy of having divine revelation. He was engaged with his worshipping and contemplation.

[1] Bukhari, Sahih, V. 1, p. 6; Muslim, Sahih, V. 1, p. 97; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, V. 2, p. 153.

[2] Sayyid Sulayman Nadwi, Asr-ı Saadet, Trns by: Ali Genceli, V. 1, p. 44-45.

[3] Mount Hira: It is about 5 km away from the house of the Messenger of God. The cave is on the top of the mountain. Three sides of the cave and its arch consist of crumbled and piled rocks.  It is high and long enough for a person to stand without the head touching the arch. It is interesting that the direction the cave extends is the direction of the qiblah. The entrance is a hole that is quite high. It can be reached by stepping on a few stairs made of rock.

[4] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, 1/252

[5] Badiüzzaman Said Nursi, The Letters, 260

Arabia - which covers a significant place in terms of politics, geography and trading on the world map - was not any different from other countries. Like everywhere else, everything was in a miserable, disgraceful situation except for its language and literature.

Let us have a short look:

Religious Situation

In terms of belief, Arabia was writhing in a state of absolute anarchy, and strange beliefs were to be found everywhere within her borders.

Some of the people were unbelievers and did not accept anything other than life on the Earth. They would say, “What is there but our life in this world? We shall live and die, and nothing but time can destroy us” (1), and would continue to spend their lives in a state of so-called pleasure.

When the Honorable Messenger (PBUH) began to receive revelations, God would address those people with the following words:

“Say: "It is God Who gives you life, then gives you death; then He will gather you together for the Day of Judgment about which there is no doubt": But most men do not understand.” (2)

Some of the Arabs believed in God and the Day of Judgment, however, they did not acknowledge the prophets.

The Quran describes these people in the following verse:

“What kept men back from belief when Guidance came to them, was nothing but this: they said,

"Has God sent a man (like us) to be (His) Apostle?” (3)

They could not comprehend how a person could be a messenger and they thought that an angel should be appointed to such a role. The Quran, with its following verse, told those people how unreasonable their claim was:

“If there were settled, on earth, angels walking about in peace and quiet, We should certainly have sent them down from the heavens an angel for an apostle.” (4)

And some of them believed in God; however, they would not believe in the afterworld, in resurrection after death and punishment and reckoning in the hereafter.

The Quran addresses this group of people with the following verse:

“And he makes comparisons for Us, and forgets his own (origin and) Creation: He says, "Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed ones (at that)?" (5)

And the Quran answers those people with the following verse:

“Say, "He will give them life Who created them for the first time! For He is Well-versed in every kind of creation!” (6)

The majority of them worshipped idols that were made of stones, wood and sometimes of halwa, and would say:

“We only serve them so that they may bring us nearer to God.” (7)

Yes, the majority of Arabs used to worship idols which were made of the aforementioned materials during times of war and they were in a miserable and disgraceful state since they sought help from them. They had filled the Baytullah, the first house of Tawhid on the Earth, with 360 idols.

Hazrat Umar, who is renowned for his justice after having been honored with his conversion to Islam, reminisced about one of his memories in which he used to worship the idols during the Era of Ignorance:

“There were two things that we did during the Age of Ignorance. I cry when I remember one of these accounts and I laugh when I remember the other,

“This is the matter that makes me cry:

“We used to bury our daughters alive. I do not know how we were able to do this to innocent and helpless babies who were in need of compassion. When I think about it, my heart breaks into pieces and I cannot help crying.

“As for the matter that makes me laugh, we used to have idols in our homes during the Age of Ignorance. When we embarked on a journey, we would construct these idols from flour or halwa and would worship and pay tribute to them during our journey. And when the journey lengthened, we would eat the idols that we had just worshipped and honored once we became hungry. Is there anything funnier than this? As I remember this, I laugh at and understand the silliness of our actions.”

However, traces from the religion of Tawhid that Prophet Abraham had conveyed could be seen in Arabia as well. The people who used to follow these traces were called the “Hanif” regardless of the huge amount of time that had passed since Hazrat Abraham’s arrival and the heedlessness that was prevalent in their present time. As a matter of fact, the word “Hanif” is used to refer to Hazrat Abraham in the Quran: “Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was hanif (translated as “true” in English translations) in Faith” (8)

Those people who were called the “Hanif” despised the idols and believed in the oneness and existence of God. In fact, Waraqa bin Nawfal, Ubaidullah bin Jahsh, Uthman bin Huwairith and Zaid bin Amr, considered it despicable to prostrate before idols that could not speak, hear, harm or benefit anyone, and openly declared this during a fair that was organized to honor one of those idols. (9)

There were people who were able to understand that it was pointless to worship lifeless idols through using their reasoning and crusaded against this false belief. Umayya bin Abi Salt, the famous Arabian poet and leader of the Taif tribe, was one of them. He read the holy books during the Age of Ignorance and converted from idolatry to Abraham’s religion.

He was the first poet to have found the expression “Bismika Allahumma”. Later, Arabs liked this expression and began to include it as a prelude in their books.

He would mention the need for a prophet in his poems and declared that prophets were indispensable for humanity. Since he had learned from the Holy Books that a prophet would rise among the Arabs, he also desired this role. For this reason, when our Holy Prophet was appointed to prophethood, Umayya became a victim of jealousy and envy and did not accept him. Moreover, he recited his poems in remembrance of the idolaters who were killed in the Battle of Badr. (10)

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) narrated a few hadiths about Ummaya who died without faith during the second year of the Hijra (migration).

One day, the Messenger (PBUH) was riding with Sharid bin Suwaid, who sat behind him. He asked the Companion: “Do you know anything about Umayya’s poems?”

The Companion answered: “Yes, I do” and began to recite some of his poems. Having liked the poems so much, the Messenger (PBUH) asked Sharid to recite some more.

The Companion finished reciting the whole poem. And the Messenger said:

“Umayya was very close to being a Muslim.” (11)

In another narration, the Messenger said: “Umayya’s poems had faith yet he stayed in aberration himself.” (12)

A famous Arab orator by the name of Quss bin Said should also be mentioned. We will discuss his khutbah that heralded our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) arrival as a messenger at a later point.

Idols

There is a story about how these idols were first introduced to Makkah:

Amr bin Luhay was the first person to bring idols into the city and encouraged people to worship them. (13)

When Amr went to Damascus, he passed by someplace called Maab, and saw a tribe having descended from Noah that was worshipping idols. When he asked them why they were worshipping idols, they answered: “We ask for help from them and we receive help; we ask for rain and we get rain.”

Upon this, Amr wanted an idol so that he could take it to Makkah. They accepted his wish and gave him an idol named Hubal. (14)

Amr took Hubal with him to Mecca and put it there. He encouraged people to worship it. Ignorant people became convinced and started to worship idols.

This is how the first idol was brought to Makkah and how people began to worship idols.

Every Tribe had a Different Idol of Their Own

After that, idolatry began to spread in Makkah. Every tribe had its own idol.

Quraysh worshipped and considered Uzzah to be the greatest idol.

The tribes of Aws and Khazraj used to worship an idol named Manat which was located in between Makkah and Madinah in a place called Mushallal. At a later time, these two tribes began to worship the idols Lat and Uzza alongside Manat.

Wad, which was the idol that belonged to the tribe of Kalb, was in someplace called Dumatu’l-Jandal.

The tribe of Huzail used to worship an idol called Suwa which was in Ghatafan.

The Haywan, which was one branch of the tribe of Hamdan, used to worship an idol called Yauk which was somewhere in Hamdan.

The tribes of Tayy and Nasr used to worship an idol called Yaghuth. And the people of Himyari tribe used to worship Nasr.

The Sons of Bakr and the tribe of Kinana used to worship Sa’d. (15)

The aforementioned tribes used to worship those idols and ask for help, rain and victory from them. According to their belief, these lifeless, soulless items made of stones or wood were capable of making their wishes come true.

However, anyone who is sane enough knows and agrees that lifeless, soulless items can neither give benefit nor cause harm to people. They have neither the capability nor the power to help people.

Nevertheless, the Arabs of that time were so unreasonable that they were not able to think of this truth.

The Messenger of God (PBUH) would to come in order to save those people suffering from ignorance and aberration in terms of faith, with the light of knowledge and righteousness. He would undertake the duty of giving them light and peace.

Moral Situation

The moral situation in Arabia during the Age of Ignorance was in a completely miserable state. Wretched desires and deeds prevailed over the community; alcohol, gambling, fornication, lying, theft, cruelty, in short, all kinds of immoral acts were widespread all over Arabia.

The strong used the whip of cruelty against the weak. At the same time, the strong were always right and could have the weak and powerless do whatever they wanted. The amount of importance that was given to the life of a fly was not given to humanity. People who were taken as captives in raids were either killed under torture or were sold as slaves in markets like simple items.

Women were regarded as simple and cheap commodities that could be bought and sold. Young maids were encouraged and even forced to commit fornication so that money could be made through them. The Quran mentioned this behavior, which does not comply with human dignity, and prohibited them from committing this ugly action:

“…But force not your maids to prostitution when they desire chastity, in order that ye may make a gain in the goods of this life. But if anyone compels them, yet, after such compulsion, is God, Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (to them)” (16)

A woman could live with more than one man at the same time. Such a woman would notify the public of her decision by planting a pole on the roof of her house.

A step-mother could inherit her step-son from her husband just like a household item.

The Tradition of Burying Girl Infants Alive

Some Arabs who lived in the desert considered having daughters to be shameful and a disaster. For that reason, cruel fathers would bury their daughters alive upon their birth or would throw them into wells, sometimes without even giving anyone a chance to see them.

They tried to prove this cruel tradition right by putting forward some imaginary reasons.

They used to say:

“They will grow and taint our honor one day, or they will become wretched. Moreover, they will become a burden on us because of their living expenses and we will not be able to meet their needs.” (17)

Sometimes a mother would have a hole dug up in the ground as the birth drew near. As the baby girl, who just came into the world, opened eyes for the first time, she would immediately be thrown into the hole and be covered with soil.

Other fathers would dress up their daughters in beautiful dresses when they reached the age of six as though they were taking them for a visit to their relatives, but would instead take them to the desert. Those poor children would be left in the graves that had been prepared for them and would be buried alive by having soil thrown over them.

Those who did not want to kill their daughters would have the latter dressed in thick, woolen gowns and isolate them from the society by sending them away to herd sheep or camels.

The Quran tells us of this barbaric tradition that the Arabs living in the desert practiced in the following verse:

“When news is brought to one of them, of (the birth of) a female (child), his face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief! With shame does he hide himself from his people, because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain it on (sufferance and) contempt, or bury it in the dust? Ah! What an evil (choice) they decide on!” (18)

Someone who practiced this barbaric tradition in the Age of Ignorance and later became a Muslim tearfully related the following to the Messenger (PBUH):

“O Messenger of God! We are a people who lived during the Era of Ignorance. We used to worship idols and kill our daughters. I used to have a daughter. She used to come to me in joy when I called her.

“One day I called her again. She came running and followed me to a well which was not so far from our house. I held her hand and threw her into the well.

“Her last words to me were:

“Daddy! Daddy!”

The Master of the Universe (PBUH) could not help crying upon hearing this violent memory. He cried so much that his beard got wet with his tears. Then he said:

“Verily, God leaves what you did in the Era of Ignorance there, unless you do it again. He does not transfer it into the Era of Islam.” (19)

At that time, high virtues called compassion and mercy had been removed from spirits, hearts and consciences. Besides, in a heart where belief in the Sultan of the Universe does not exist, in a conscience where fear from that sultan does not exist, there will be no place for compassion, mercy and virtue.

Political System

Arabia did not have a proper political system and social system in the Era of Ignorance. The majority of the people were leading a nomadic life. They were separated into tribes.

A tribe is a community which determines its own social system.

These nomadic tribes were continuously in conflict with each other. They were ready to attack and dishonor someone else and steal his goods at any given moment. Incursion and plunder were their means of livelihood. They used to attack an enemy tribe of theirs and take away their camels and enslave their women and children.

There had not been a time in which there was peace. If a tribe wronged another tribe, that tribe would try to gain revenge by applying the philosophy of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

Wars, fighting and incursion were so rooted in their souls and lives that they would fight each other if they could not find any hostile tribe to fight against. The poet Qutami intends to express this situation with these lines, “If we cannot find anyone else, we will attack Bakrs, who are our brothers.” (20)

They had been living as tribes and clans for a long time and never thought about uniting around a central government. For this reason, the Peninsula was deprived of civilized and social laws. Therefore, cruelty, conflicts, battles and fights continuously occurred. Anyone could do anything he wanted if he had enough power. The powerful and reputable would always get away with everything they did. (21)

Literary Situation

In addition to all of this, it is an unobjectionable fact that Arabs were at the zenith of talent in literature, rhetoric and eloquence at the time Islam emerged. There was no nation in the world that could challenge them on this matter.

Poetry and poets meant everything to them because poetry was the only trustworthy mirror that could reflect the social life, traditions, and beliefs of their ancestors.

Poets were esteemed and received much respect in society, so much that Arabs always preferred that a famous poet rise from their community as opposed to a strong hero. A poet was the only one who could spread their fame, which was the Arabs’ sole aim. They feared a poet’s satires as they feared snakes.

Poets were considered to be heroes by them. Tribes would wage war on one another over the single word of a poet. Likewise, wars that had persisted for years could be resolved by the single word of a poet.

In old times, poetry was called, “an Arab’s notebook.” The Arabs’ moral values, traditions, religion, and rules could only be known through poems that were passed from generation to generation.

There were many factors that supported and encouraged poetry during those times. A strong poet would elicit esteem for both his tribe and himself.

Moreover, fairs that had been organized at certain times played an important role in the development of poetry. Those fairs were a kind of literature exhibition. At those fairs, poetry and rhetoric competitions were organized in the presence of juries. Poets and rhetoricians came from various places to recite their poems and speeches and would do their best to beat one another. They took great pride in defeating their opponents.

At last, juries would choose the winner and the winning poem would be written with golden letters on a linen fabric and hung on the Kaaba’s wall.

Suq Uqaz, which was between Taif and Nahla, was the largest of all the festivals. Mostly, poetry competitions were organized there.

At the same time, these fairs used to serve as a sort of exhibition in which all tribes would come together for commercial, social, and political activities. People who wanted to save the slaves they knew by paying ransom, to settle their problems, to find their enemies, to read poems and to make speeches would go to those fairs.“Holding poetry in high esteem resulted in the deep scrutiny of language.”   In this way, literature, eloquence, and eloquence were at their peak in Arabia by the time Islam emerged. An invisible hand was preparing the minds and souls for the preternatural wording of the Miraculous Quran.

Because the Arabs had an eminent talent in literature, the Quran was sent down during the zenith of literature, rhetoric, and eloquence. It challenged Arabian poets and rhetoricians to compete with its miraculousness and conciseness. However, it was not long before that they understood that they had to quit and that it was impossible to compose a counterpart to this unique book.

The style of the Quran is so concise, so sweet, so clear and so fluent that Arabs who were experts in literature could not hide their surprise. One day, a scholar of literature who was from among the Bedouin Arabs, read the verse “Therefore expound openly what thou art commanded, and turn away from those who join false gods with God.”fell down in prostration.

This action infuriated the idolaters. They looked at him hatefully and shouted: “You became a Muslim too?”

“No”, said the litterateur. “I just prostrated before the eloquence and fluency of this verse.” (22)

Imru’l Qais was one of the poets of Muallaqa. One day, his sister heard the verse “Then the word went forth: "O earth! Swallow up thy water, and O sky! Withhold (thy rain)!" and the water abated, and the matter was ended. The Ark rested on Mount Judi, and the word went forth: "Away with those who do wrong!” she went straight to the Kaaba and took down her brother’s poem, which was hung on the wall at the top of all the other poems and said: “Nobody has anything to say any more. Even my brother’s poem cannot stand before this eloquence.” When others saw that the most famous poem had been taken down, they took down the other poems down one by one as well. (23)

The oldest and most famous examples of poetry in the Age of Ignorance were without a doubt the “Muallaqat as-Sab’a” (Seven hangers). Those poems were recited by people and transferred from generation to generation, reaching many centuries ahead.According to a strong view, these poems were collected by Hammad ar-Rawiya.

The poets whose poems were hung on the walls of the Kaaba are as follows:

Imru’l Qais, Tarafa, Labid, Zukhair, Amr bin Kulthum, Antara (a.k.a. Nabigha), Haris bin Hiliza (a.k.a. A’sha).(24)

The religious, moral, political, social, and literary state of Arabia was like this during the time in which our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was going to be given the duty of prophethood.

Of course, there was need for someone who could change this scene that disseminated violence and barbarism.  And that person was already decided by the command of pre-eternal Fate: Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh).

He was going to change the world’s physical and spiritual condition with the Divine Light he brought with him… He was going to turn the faces of people from this world to the hereafter, from that which is fleeting to the Eternal Beloved One; by doing this, he was going to provide people with worldly and unworldly happiness.

This person, who was to be appointed as a prophet by God, was the person who would declare that man was not unattended, that everything in the universe, from atoms to the solar system, from stars to galaxies, rotated and traveled for a holy aim and that the universe served a lofty aim with all of its constituents.  

This person was going to save humanity from the swamp of immorality, in which they were about to be drowned, by teaching them the most beautiful lessons of morality.

This person was the person who would give the best answers to questions like, “Why was the universe created?”, “Where do people come from?”, “Where will they go?”

This person was going to inform people about God, who is the Owner of humanity, of what He wants from humans, what He likes and what He dislikes clearly.

This person was going to guide not only a specific tribe or a specific nation but also the whole of humanity with orders that he would take from God.

Like the whole world, the Arabian Peninsula, was also looking forward for that person to come in order to complete such significant duties.

[1]Surah al-Jathiya 24
[2] Surah al-Jathiya, 26
[3] Surah al-Isra, 94
[4] Surah al-Isra, 95
[5] Surah Ya Seen, 78
[6] Surah Ya Seen, 79
[7] Surah az-Zumar, 3
[8] Surah Aal-i Imran, 67
[9] Ibn-i Hisham, Sira, 1/237-238
[10] Baghdadi Muhammad Fahmi, The History of Arabic Literature: 1/19
[11] Zabidi, Tajrid Translation: 10/38-39.   
[12] Baghdadi Muhammad Fahmi, The History of Arabic Literature: 1/43
[13] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 79.
[14] Ibn Hisham, ibid, V. 1, p. 79.
[15] Ibn Hisham, ibid, V. 1, p. 80-84.
[16] An-Nur, 33
[17] Al-An'am, 151
[18] An-Nahl, 58-59
[19] Ad- Darimi, Sunan, V. 1, p. 3-4.
[20] Ahmad Amin, Fajru’l-Islam, Trns by: Ahmed Serdaroğlu, p. 37.
[21] Ahmad Amin, Fajru’l-Islam, p. 37-38.
[22] Ahmed Cevdet Paşa, Kısas-ı Enbiya, V. 1, p. 78; Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, Sözler, p. 350.
[23] Ahmed Cevdet Paşa, ibid, V. 1, p. 79; Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, ibid, p. 416.
[24] Ahmad Amin, ibid, p. 102.

None of the applied acts of torture and persecution could restrain our Holy Prophet (PBUH) from delivering his message. Furthermore, his uncle, Abu Talib, did not object to anything he said or did and would protect him instead.

This time, the polytheists tried something else. Ten individuals from among the leading figures came to Abu Talib and said, “O Abu Talib, your nephew has cursed our idols, has decried our religious practices, said we were stupid, and continued saying that our fathers and forefathers were on the wrong path. Now, you need to detain him from saying and doing such things or you will have to move out of the way.” (1)

What could Abu Talib do in the face of such an ultimatum? On one side, there were his tribe’s customs and traditions and on the other side, the genuine love that he had for his nephew! Which one would he prefer?

At last, he was able to dismiss the committee through his soft and kind words. (2)

Second Complaint to Abu Talib

The polytheists made another offer to Abu Talib when they received no results following their first complaint. “O Abu Talib, you are among one of our elders and are one of our leading figures. We petitioned you to dissuade your nephew from his actions. However, you did not comply with what we wanted. By God, we will no longer put up with his disapproval of our fathers and forefathers, his allegations that we are stupid, and his insults against our idols. Either you will dissuade him from doing this or we will continue fighting both of you until one of the parties is eliminated.” (3)

Abu Talib realized that he was facing a very dangerous situation. He did not want to be abandoned by his tribe but he could not abandon his nephew, the Master of the Universe (PBUH), either. What could be done in this situation? After thinking very deeply for some time, he called forth our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and begged: “O, my brother’s son, the leading figures have petitioned me and repeated what you had said to them.  Please feel sympathy for yourself and for me! Do not put upon us a load that we cannot carry. Give up saying words that displease the tribe.” (4)

This was a very delicate situation. Until that day and in some way, Abu Talib had been his sole protector from among his tribe. Was he going to forgo his protection?

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) was downcast upon hearing this proposal and thought deeply for some time. Afterwards, in the comfort of knowing that God was the true Guardian, he replied with an answer that was as sharp as a sword: “O Uncle, know that if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left in return for my giving up this cause, I would not give it up. Either God will make this religion dominant, or I will die in His service." (5)

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH was concerned that his own uncle would abandon him, thus he burst into tears while saying these words. It was as if his holy tears were trickling upon his uncle’s heart. How could his uncle leave him alone after seeing him in this state? How could he abandon his nephew whom he loved personally and very dearly?

Abu Talib understood that his nephew, who possessed indestructible willpower, would never give up exclaiming his cause, therefore he hugged him and said: “My Nephew, continue your work, do whatever you want. By God, I am not going to surrender you to anyone for any reason whatsoever.” (6)

After making this promise, the polytheists absolutely understood that Abu Talib would not leave his nephew alone and would continue to protect him despite everything.

Another Offer Made to Abu Talib

The polytheists could not tolerate seeing so many people running to attain Divine Guidance right before their eyes. They thought of some other maneuver. They appealed to Abu Talib once more and made the following offer:

O Abu Talib, let us give you Umara bin Walid, the strongest, toughest, most handsome, and the most intelligent youth from among the Quraysh for you to adopt as your own son. You will benefit from his intelligence and help. In return for this, you will give us your brother’s son; we will kill him! A man in exchange for another man, what more could you want?

Abu Talib responded to this senseless offer, “First, give me your own sons so that I can kill them. Only then will I give him to you.”

The polytheists reacted to this offer: But our children are not doing what he is doing!”

Abu Talib did not leave these words without an answer as he replied in a stern manner: “By God, Muhammad is much more auspicious than your own children. And you are making me this ugly offer? How can this be? You will give me your own son for me to raise and then take mine so that you can kill him? I will never permit this to happen! (7)

The polytheists’ spite and hatred came to a head. These bad feelings were no longer directed towards our Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Muslims alone; they had now shifted towards Abu Talib as well.

Fate had a strange twist; the negative attitude the polytheists struck towards Abu Talib helped the Sons of Hashim take our Holy Prophet (PBUH) under their wing. There was only one individual who avoided protecting him: Abu Lahab.

During this time, Abu Talib gathered the Sons of Hashim and warned them to be careful in protecting our Holy Prophet (PBUH).

Abu Talib’s action led the polytheists to finalize their decision to kill God’s Apostle (PBUH)!

They convened at the Masjid al-Haram to execute their inauspicious plan. Abu Talib heard this and gathered the youth from among the Sons of Hashim. He immediately went to the Kaaba with them and threatened the polytheists once he arrived there: “By God, if you kill my nephew, Muhammad, know that none of you will remain alive. We will not stop following you until we and you perish in this path.”

The polytheists did not utter a single word against Abu Talib’s threat and they quickly dispersed.

At the end of his speech, Abu Talib spoke about the Master of the Universe (PBUH) as follows:

“How could this person, for whose sake the clouds were invoked for rain, be abandoned? He possesses such kindness; the orphans depend on him just as the widows and the poor trust in him. The destitute from among the Sons of Hashim take refuge in him.

“O Community of Quraysh! I swear to the Baytullah that you are mistaken for disclaiming him and that you are overcome with empty dreams. Do you think that your assassination of Muhammad will take place without a fight as we all circle around him? We will not release you until we all die around him, until our children cause us to forget about, and until we stop defending him.” (8)

New Intrigues of Polytheists

After all this, the polytheists of the Quraysh understood that our Holy Prophet (PBUH) would not succumb to their inflicted torture, force, and tyranny.

For that reason, they continued to contrive new plans and tried to invent imputations and slanders against him. Their goal was to belittle his exalted character (God forbid), to have the people think poorly of him, and to hinder the people from hearing about his sublime purpose and goal.

They gathered around Walid bin Mughira, one of their elders whom they highly respected and regarded in this matter. They began to talk about our Holy Prophet (PBUH), the representative of the thriving Islamic cause that was bestowing immense happiness within the hearts of its followers.

Walid bin Mughira, one of their founding fathers, spoke to his friends, who circled around him and whose faces reflected the ugliness of disbelief, “O Qurayshis, the Hajj season has arrived. The Arab tribes are going to flood our territory. Surely, they have heard of Muhammad’s situation. They are going to ask you a series of questions. For that reason, we must share and agree upon some idea regarding him so that we will not fall into some conflict.”

This was a sly idea. Separate and differing ideas would surely put them in a situation in which their words would be unbelievable and unreliable. Thereby, they would not be very influential upon the influx of people.

The Qurayshis wanted to hear Walid bin Mughira’s opinion on how to take precaution in this matter. They said, “Tell us about your ideas, thoughts and precautions regarding this matter too so that we can make the same claims and behave in the same way.

However, Walid wanted to hear their ideas first.

The polytheists proposed their ideas, “We will call him a soothsayer.”

Walid did not agree with this idea and said, “No, by God, he is not a soothsayer. We have seen soothsayers and what he recites is not what the soothsayers mutter and invent. A soothsayer will tell both the truth and will lie. However, we have not heard a single lie from Muhammad!”

The polytheists then said, “In that case, we will say that he is mad.”

Walid objected to this as well, “No, he is not mad, either. We have seen mad people and know what insanity is. His state does not resemble that of an insane person at all.”

The polytheists made a third offer, “Then we will say he is a poet.”

Walid did not deem this option as appropriate, “No, he is not a poet. We know of every kind of poems and his recitations do not resemble any kind.”

The polytheists made one last offer, “We will call him a magician.”

Walid did not deem this option as acceptable, either.

“No, no! He is not a magician. Besides, we have seen their spells and the magicians themselves. His recitations are not what the magicians recite and blow, nor is it what they knot and tie.”

The polytheists, whose every offer had been rejected transferred the burden to Walid, “Then tell us what to say, Father of Abdushshams.”

Walid’s response was surprising: “By God, there is a completely different kind of sweetness in his words. No words can be sweeter than his. He is a light. He possesses such sweetness; he is like a date tree with lush fruits whose roots have grown in very fertile land and in water-filled gardens and whose branches extend to its surroundings.”

The polytheists were alarmed upon hearing this expression. Had Walid, one of their “masterminds” from whom they sought advice, become a Muslim? Walid left them and went to his home, which further increased their worries; they even began to say, “Walid has left his religion.”

However, Walid had not left his religion. He had withdrawn to his home to think about what kinds of slander and accusations would be most suitable. After he made his decision, he came back to the polytheists and said:

“Out of all of the options that you have mentioned, which are all bound to be proven to be lies and as being completely groundless in a short time, saying that he is a magician is the most plausible one. He has arrived with such a captivating message that it is driving a wedge between children and their fathers, brothers, husbands and their wives, as well as clans and their tribes.” (9)

They all agreed upon this view. From now on, they were going to call our Holy Prophet (PBUH) a “soothsayer” (God forbid) and attempt to keep him away from the community by spreading this allegation and slander.

In the verses that God Almighty sent, the cunning plan of Walid b. Mughira was referred to as, “Woe to him! how he plotted!”; God informed us about the end of him as follows: 

“Soon will cast him into Hell-Fire!” (10)

The Master of the Universe (PBUH) was not a soothsayer as the polytheists had said he was since a soothsayer’s words are based on estimation and are ambiguous. Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) spoke the truth and of reality which every sound mind would affirm. His words were far from being ambiguous and based on estimation since they had very clear and definite meanings.

He was not crazy as they had claimed since his friends were not the only ones who witnessed the excellence of his intelligence; his most unruly enemies also testified to this truth when the occasion arose.

He was not a poet as the polytheists had claimed since the bright, luminous truths that he mentioned were far from needing the ornamentation of poetry.

God Almighty sent a verse that addressed our Holy Prophet (PBUH) following the allegations, slander, and planning the polytheists had devised:

“Therefore, remind (mankind of Islamic Monotheism, O Muhammad). By the Grace of God, you are neither a soothsayer, nor a madman…” (11)

[1] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 283-284; Ibn Kathir, Sirah, V. 1, p. 473.

[2] Ibn Hisham, ibid, V. 1, p. 284; Tabari, Tarikh, V. 2, p. 218; Ibn Kathir, ibid, V. 1, p. 473.

[3] Ibn Hisham, ibid, V. 1, 284; Tabari, Tarikh, V. 2, p. 218; Ibn Kathir, ibid, V. 1, p. 474.

[4] Ibn Hisham, ibid, V. 1, 284; Tabari, ibid, V. 2, p. 220.

[5] Ibn Hisham, ibid, V. 1, p. 285; Tabari, ibid, V. 2, p. 220; Ibn Kathir, ibid, V. 1, p. 474.

[6] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 285; Tabari, Tarikh, V. 2, p. 220; Ibn Kathir, Sirah, V. 2, p. 475.

[7] Ibn Hisham, ibid, V. 1, p. 285; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, V. 1, p. 202; Tabari, ibid, V. 2, p. 220; Ibn Kathir, ibid, V. 1, p. 475.

[8] Ibn Hisham, ibid, V. 1, p. 295.

[9] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 288-289; Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa, V. 1, p. 512-513.

[10] al-Muddaththir, 19-26.

[11] at-Tur, 29.

The torture, persecution, insults, difficulties, and obstacles that the first Muslims were afflicted with were also tests sent by God. For example, it did not just end by saying, “I have testified to faith.” The amount of loyalty, sincerity, and patience in faith had to be measured as well.

There had to be an excessive level of difficulty, persecution, and torture so that those who truly carried the desire of belief in their hearts would testify without paying attention to such inconveniences, whereas those who did not sincerely carry this desire would be separated from the true believers.

As a matter of fact, the following Quranic verse indicates this issue:

"We did test those before them, and God will certainly know those who are true from those who are false." (1)

Thus, the most important measure of one’s sincerity in faith is not bowing before the difficulties, torture, cruelty, and persecution that he/she may face.

Such unbearable persecution, torture, cruelty, and insults could not break the courage of those genuine Muslims who submitted to God and His Messenger (PBUH) in the truest sense. The polytheists could not hinder them from standing their ground in the circle of guidance or prevent others from running to that circle. The torture, persecution, and insults were like the wood that caused the fire of Islam to burn more strongly and to shine more brightly. As the polytheists continued with their acts of torture and persecution, the Islamic cause was developing at a greater speed, being spread, and continuing to reign with its light over hearts.

Undoubtedly, tyranny and violence have never been able to continuously overcome and suppress the truth in any era, nor have they been able to muffle or enslave it. On the contrary, the truth has been able to defeat tyranny, cruelty, and darkness and has annihilated them on many occasions.

The incomparable courage, immense patience, and magnificent amount of fortitude the Muslims showed against the persecution and cruelty during the Era of Bliss are full of lessons for today’s Muslims to learn from and they possess such a high level of sublimity that can bring those who truly possess prudence and a sense of justice to tears.

Even Leone Kaitano, an Italian writer, historian, and a staunch enemy of Islam, could not contain himself from making this confession:

“What is bewildering is that there was not even a single apostate among them!”

Actually, what is bewildering is that a writer who makes this type of confession can continue being hostile towards Islam instead of submitting his heart and pen in the way of Islam and continues to close his eyes amid broad daylight so as not to see the sun.

[1] Saba, 3.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) had not yet announced Islam openly to the public.

During this stage, Hazrat Abu Bakr was very enthusiastic and took immense efforts in explaining Islam to his close friends.

One day, he mentioned Islam in one of his conversations with Hazrat Uthman and took him to our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) presence.

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH), whose bright face always had a smile, said to Hazrat Uthman, “Favor heaven, which is God’s beneficence. I was sent as a guide to you and all of the humanity!”

It was as if Hazrat Uthman had lost himself (but in reality, had found himself) in the face of our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) simple, sincere, and miraculous words, as the testimony of faith spilled from his lips: “Ashhadu anlaa ilaaha illallaahu wa ashhadu anna muhammadar-rasulullah!” * Afterwards, he explained a dream that he had previously seen while returning from Damascus: He said, “Oh Messenger of God, during the time in which we were in between Muan and Zarqa sleeping, a town-crier shouted, “Oh those who are sleeping! Wake up! Ahmad (PBUH) has appeared in Mecca!” And we heard about you once we arrived in Mecca!” (1)

Torture

The joining of Hazrat Uthman, who possessed a gentle nature, good manners, modesty, and generosity, in the ranks of Muslims bothered the polytheists immensely. Individuals from his tribe strived to torment and oppress him. However, he stood up to every kind of anguish and torment and did not show the slightest deviation.

His uncle, Hakam bin Abu'l-As, would tie him with a rope to a pole and while beating him would say:

“So, you have forsaken your forefathers’ religion and have taken interest in a new religion? I swear I will not free you until you return to the religion of your forefathers.”

Hazrat Uthman, who was a model of fortitude, answered:

“By God, I will never leave the religion of reason and truth!”

He was left to face this torture and persecution for days on end. However, he did not make the slightest concession from his faith. At last, his uncle was humiliated in the face of Hazrat Uthman’s greatness and fortitude and was left with no other choice but to free him. (2)

Hazrat Uthman, who was of medium height, heavily built, tan skinned, and had a very handsome face and a thick beard, was a pure and upright person in nature. He forbade himself from drinking alcohol during the Age of Ignorance. He was one of the fortunate people who felt deep joy in spending his wealth for God’s sake. He was a hafiz (one who had memorized the Quran.) During the nights, he would finish reciting the entire Quran in his prayer (salah).

Hazrat Uthman, who was one of the ten companions who was given the good tidings of Paradise, was at the same time, our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) son-in-law. Initially, he married our Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) daughter Ruqiyyah, but when she passed away, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) made him marry his daughter, Umm Kulthum. For that reason, he had acquired the nickname, “Zinnurayn”, “Possessor of Two Lights. (3)

1. Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat: 3/55

2. Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat: 3/55

3. Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat: 3/55

Abu Bakr’s conversion garnered many secret conversions to Islam at a much greater speed. Those who had attained the fortune of becoming Muslim wanted to share this happiness with their families and those who were close to them. They were struggling to save them from the tortures of disbelief and the immorality of the Age of Ignorance.

We see that Hazrat Abu Bakr was ahead in this matter. The following are the names of a few people who embraced Islam by his means during the period of secret call to Islam:

Uthman bin Affan,

Zubair bin Awwam,

Abdurrahman bin Awf,

Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas,

Talha bin Ubaydillah (Radiyallahu Anhum). (1)

These five companions would then take their place among the ten people that were given the good tidings of Paradise.

While new names were being added to the list of Muslim men, the light of Islam was being spread among the women day by day. After Hazrat Khadija converted to Islam (she was the first person and woman to do so), we see that Ummu Fadl, the wife of our Holy Prophet’s uncle Hazrat Abbas who had not converted to Islam at that time, Hazrat Abu Bakr’s daughter Asma, and Lady Fatima, the sister of Hazrat Umar who also had not converted to Islam at that time, took their place among the first women to have embraced Islam.

The invitation to Islam was now being passed through two channels. The men and women were continuing to spread the light of Islam to the members of their own sex with love and zeal. It should be mentioned that the women were being drawn to the appeal of faith more quickly. This could be due to their susceptible nature that is more easily affected.

The polytheists did not stay put in the meantime. They began to slander, insult, and look down upon those who had been guided to the truth. However, none of these tactics could scare those fortunate and happy people of the Age of Happiness whose hearts were engraved with their faith in the reality of God, nor could they turn them away from His cause. In fact, they could not even render the slightest shred of doubt. The people’s threats and scare tactics were weak and feeble like a dust particle amid wind or like waste in the wake of a flood when compared to the believer’s faith in and fear of God.

[1] Ibn Hisham, Sirah, V. 1, p. 268-269.