In order to keep the continuity of the events related to the Abyssinia migration, some other events of that time period were skipped, which will now be described.
Hamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib (ra), who was the uncle of Muhammad (sas), still had not accepted Islam. It was his daily habit to leave his house in the early morning with a bow and arrows for hunting, and come back in the evening. One day when he just arrived home, a maid said to him:
Have you heard that Abul-Hakam [that is, Abu Jahl] just went on to say awful things to thy nephew, and cursed at him in filthy and profane language, but Muhammad (sas) did not react at all.
Hamzah (ra) was enraged; he left for the Ka‘bah, first making a circuit, and then proceeding to the gathering where Abu Jahl was sitting. When he got there, he hit Abu Jahl quite hard with his bow completely flabbergasting him. Thereafter he said:
I have heard that you cursed at Muhammad (sas). Then listen, I too follow the religion of Muhammad (sas) and I also say what he says. I dare you to speak to me like that!
The companions of Abu Jahl were aggravated at Hamzah (ra), but Abu Jahl, who was intimidated by the nerve of Hamzah (ra), stopped them and said that Hamzah (ra) was justified in saying that he had overstepped his bounds.
Hamzah (ra), who had uttered his words of acceptance of Muhammad’s religion in his outburst, was initially worried at what he had said, but then seriously thought about it and finally concluded that it was better to accept Islam. So he went to Muhammad (sas), recited the Islamic creed (Kalimah), and accepted Islam.
Hardly few days had passed since the conversion of Hamzah (ra), when Allah, the Exalted, also enabled ‘Umar bin al-Khattab (ra) to accept Islam. The story of his acceptance of Islam is quite interesting. He used to inflict a lot of pain on the Muslims. One day he thought, “Why should I not kill the instigator of this entire dissension and settle the account once for all?” He picked up his sword and went looking for Muhammad (sas).
On the way, someone saw him with his unsheathed sword and asked him where he was going. ‘Umar (ra) said that he was going to kill Muhammad (sas). The person responded, “Before killing Muhammad (sas), you should find out about your own sister. Did you not know that your sister and brother-in-law have both accepted Islam?” ‘Umar (ra) immediately turned towards the house of his sister, Fatimah.
When he got to the door, he heard someone inside reading the Qur’an, which enraged him even more. Hearing his voice, Khabbab bin al-Arat (ra), who was reciting the Qur’an inside the house, hid himself, and Fatimah (ra) hid the pages of the Qur’an. ‘Umar (ra) entered the house and said in a fury, “I have heard that you have abandoned your faith.” He then attacked his brother-in-law Sa‘id bin Zaid (ra). When Fatimah (ra) stepped forward to protect her husband, she was injured in the scuffle, but valiantly said, “Yes ‘Umar, we have become Muslims, and you may do whatever you can, we will not abandon Islam.”
This bold reply made ‘Umar (ra) look up at his sister, and he noticed that his sister was covered in blood. This horrible scene had a deep impact on ‘Umar (ra). After a short silence he said, “Okay, show me what you were reading.” Fatimah (ra) said that she feared that he might destroy the pages. ‘Umar (ra) said, “Nay, nay! I will return them to you.” Fatimah (ra) replied, “But you are unclean; the Qur’an should only be touched when you are clean. Take a bath and then you may see it.” After taking a bath, ‘Umar (ra) started reading the initial verses of the Chapter Ta Ha with an already overwhelmed heart:
اِنَّنِیۡۤ اَنَا اللّٰہُ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّاۤ اَنَا فَاعۡبُدۡنِیۡ ۙ وَاَقِمِ الصَّلٰوۃَ لِذِکۡرِیۡ اِنَّ السَّاعَۃَ اٰتِیَۃٌ اَکَادُ اُخۡفِیۡہَا لِتُجۡزٰی کُلُّ نَفۡسٍۭ بِمَا تَسۡعٰی
Verily, I am Allah; there is no God beside Me. So serve Me, and observe Prayer for My remembrance. Surely, the Hour will come; I may reveal it, that every soul may be recompensed for its endeavor.1
The grandeur and magnificence of these holy and perfect words had a bearing on the inner depths of his soul. Helplessly, he said, “How wonderful and holy are these words!” Khabbab (ra) came out of hiding and ‘Umar (ra) said, “Take me immediately to Muhammad (sas).”
Muhammad (sas) was still at Darul-Arqam, when ‘Umar (ra) arrived and knocked on the door. The companions seeing the unsheathed sword in the hand of ‘Umar (ra) hesitated to open the door, but Muhammad (sas) instructed them to do so. Hamzah (ra) also said to open the door saying, “If ‘Umar has come with good intentions, then all is well; otherwise, I shall sever his head off by his own sword.” The door was opened and ‘Umar (ra) walked in. Muhammad (sas) stepped forward and took hold of him and said, “Umar, what has brought you here?” ‘Umar (ra) said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have come to accept Islam.” Muhammad (sas) was so pleased to hear these words that he joyously proclaimed, “Allahu Akbar!”2 Following him, the companions raised the slogan of “Allahu Akbar” with such intensity that an echo could be heard from the hills of Makkah.3
The acceptance of Islam by ‘Umar (ra) and Hamzah (ra) greatly strengthened the hearts of the Muslims and they started offering Salat openly in the Masjid al-Haram.4
When powerful people like Hamzah (ra) and ‘Umar (ra) started entering the fold of Islam, the Quraish became quite worried. After mutual consultation, at first, they sent ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘ah5 as their representative to Muhammad (sas) to convince him to stop the propagation of Islam. But when ‘Utbah failed in this mission, they gathered near the Ka‘bah and deliberated. It was decided that a few chieftains collectively speak to Muhammad (sas). Thus Walid bin Mughirah, ‘As bin Wa’il, Abu Jahl, Umayyah bin Khalaf, ‘Utbah, Shaibah, Abu Sufyan, and a few others assembled near the Ka‘bah and Muhammad (sas) was sent for. When he arrived, the Quraish said:
“O Muhammad! You are a noble person, and you belong to a noble and honourable tribe. Look at how you have created dissention and division amongst your people. We wonder what your real objective is. If your endeavour is with the purpose that you might gather riches and become wealthy, then we shall give you such wealth so you may be deemed the wealthiest person in Arabia. If you seek power and respect, we are prepared to make you our leader and chieftain. If you desire authority, we are not even reluctant in declaring you as our king. If your uproar and disturbance is due to an illness or you have been possessed, we can arrange for your cure at our own expense. If marrying a beautiful girl shall make you content, we can find you the most beautiful girl in all of Arabia. If your desire is to get all these things, we are ready to fulfill all your desires”
Muhammad (sas) listened to this address by the chieftains of Quraish quietly, and when they finished, he said:
O Party of the Quraish! I do not desire any one of these things, nor have I been possessed or fallen victim to an ailment. I am a messenger from God and have brought the message of God to you. My heart is satiated in sympathy for you. If you take heed and believe, you shall acquire the good of this world and the next. But if you reject it, I shall wait upon the verdict of my Lord with patience and forbearance.
The Quraish tried to reason, but their inability to persuade Muhammad (sas) caused them extreme agitation and anquish.
The Quraish decided after mutual consultation to boycott Muhammad (sas) and all his sympathizers, and cease all business dealings with them. In Muharram of 7th Nabawi, a formal pact was drafted which was signed by all the major chieftains, and it was hung on the wall of the Ka‘bah.
All the members of the tribes of Banu Hashim and Banu ‘Abdul-Muttalib with the exception of Abu Lahab were boycotted and placed under siege in the Valley of Abi Talib, a passage between the two mountains. The boycott included even those members of the tribes who had not accepted Islam. In addition, a few other Muslims who at that time happened to be in Makkah were also placed under siege with Muhammad (sas).
Reading about the pain and hardships forced upon these detainees is heart-rending. Companions of Muhammad (sas) narrate that sometimes, like animals, they survived by eating the leaves of wild trees. Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas (ra) states that once during the night, he felt something moist and soft under his feet (perhaps it was a piece of a date). He was in such a state of hunger that he immediately picked it up and swallowed it. Later he stated that until that day he could never know what that thing was. On another occasion, due to extreme hunger, when he found a dry piece of leather on the ground, he took it, softened it and cleaned it with water, cooked it, and ate it. He survived for three days on that piece of leather.
This painful life had been going on for close to three years, when one day Muhammad (sas) said to his uncle, Abu Talib, “God has informed me that the text of the entire agreement which was written against us has been expunged and the parchment has been devoured except the name of God.” Abu Talib reached the Ka‘bah at once where the chieftains of the Quraish were gathered, and addressed them:
How long will this cruel agreement last? My nephew has told me that God has erased the entire script of this agreement except His name. Go and fetch this agreement so that we may see to what extent my nephew is correct.
Various others said, “Yes, Yes! Indeed we should see.” Therefore, the agreement was fetched and it had in fact been devoured by termites. No word could be read except the name of Allah in the beginning of the document. A few just and kind chieftains said that they should annul the agreement stating that it was totally inappropriate that they were living a comfortable life while their brothers were going through such a terrible time. Abu Jahl made excuses but Mut‘im bin ‘Adiyy tore apart the decomposed document. As a result, the boycotted party picked up their arms and walked out of the Valley of Abi Talib. This event took place in the 10th Nabawi. According to historians, the miracle of the splitting of the moon (Shaqqul-Qamar)6, which is mentioned in the Qur’an also happened during the boycott in the Valley of Abi Talib.7
By the time the siege ended, Abu Talib and Khadijah (ra) were quite old. Their health had further weakened due to the hard and prolonged conditions of the boycott. A few days after they left the Valley of Abi Talib, both of them passed away. On account of these consecutive grievances, Muhammad (sas) named this year, that is, 10th Nabawi, the ‘Amul-Huzn (Year of Grief).
Muhammad (sas) loved Khadijah (ra) immensely and was extremely grieved at her death. For a very long time, the signs of grief were visible on his face. In later years, the mere mention of her name would bring tears to his eyes, and he would talk about her with such love that the other wives8 would long to be like her. On one occasion ‘A’ishah (ra), who was also very dear to Muhammad (sas) because of her lofty qualities was overwhelmed with sentiments and said, “O Messenger of Allah, you remember an old lady who has passed away, when Allah, the Exalted, has given you wives better than her.” Muhammad (sas) replied:
‘A’ishah, should I not remember her who believed in my truthfulness when everyone rejected me, and supported me when I had no helper?
These feelings of love would surge so strongly in Muhammad’s heart for Khadijah (ra) that ‘A’ishah (ra) said, “I never had feelings of jealousy for any of the living wives of Muhammad (sas); however, I did sometimes have pangs of strong feelings for Khadijah (ra) because of the unbounded love of Muhammad (sas) for her, and how her memories would sometimes make him restless.” It was because of this love that on every special occasion, he would send a portion of a slaughtered animal or other gifts to the friends of Khadijah (ra), and treat them with great respect.
Following the demise of Khadijah (ra) and Abu Talib, the Quraish became bolder in their persecution. Once Muhammad (sas) was offering Salat in the courtyard of the Ka‘bah, and the Quraish were having a gathering nearby. Abu Jahl said, “It would be good if someone can throw the uterus of a camel upon Muhammad.” Listening this, ‘Uqbah bin Abi Mu‘it got up and put a filthy blood-filled uterus of a she-camel on the back of Muhammad (sas) when he was in prostration while offering Salat. Fatimah (ra) came running, and removed this load off of her father’s shoulders enabling him to raise his head from prostration.
After the death of Khadijah (ra), it was necessary for Muhammad (sas) to marry again for the training of women, but the selection of an appropriate wife was not easy. He prayed to Allah, the Exalted, and God accepted his prayers. Gabriel came in his dream and presented him a silk handkerchief saying that it (the handkerchief) was his wife in this world and the Hereafter. When Muhammad (sas) opened the handkerchief, he found it contained a picture of ‘A’ishah bint Abi Bakr (ra).9
Not long after this dream, Khaulah bint Hakim (ra) came to Muhammad (sas) and asked, “O Messenger of Allah, why do you not marry?” Muhammad (sas) said, “Who should I marry?” She said, “‘A’ishah, the daughter of your friend Abu Bakr (ra), is unmarried, and also there is Saudah bint Zam‘ah, the widow of the late Sakran bin ‘Amr.” Muhammad (sas) told her to approach both families on his behalf.
The relatives of both families approved of the marriage considering it to be their good fortune. The marriage ceremonies were performed in the Shawwal of 10th Nabawi at a dowry of 400 dirhams each. The traditional wedding-farewell ceremony (rukhsati) of Saudah (ra) from her parent’s house took place right afterwards. But the farewell of ‘A’ishah (ra) was delayed for some time because of her young age. As Saudah (ra) had the good fortune of accepting Islam in its early period she had the honour of being the first one to marry Muhammad (sas) after the advent of Islam.10
As mentioned before, Muhammad’s troubles increased after the death of Abu Talib and Khadijah (ra), and preaching in Makkah became more difficult. In Shawwal of 10th Nabawi, Muhammad (sas) decided to go to Ta’if, a well-known city forty miles northeast of Makkah, where he stayed for ten days. The chieftains of the city mocked him and the most prominent chieftain, ‘Abd Yalail bin ‘Amr, went so far as to say, “If you are truthful, then I do not dare to speak to you, and if you are a liar, then talk is useless.” To ensure that the youth of the city were not influenced by Muhammad (sas), ‘Abd Yalail made the miscreants of the city chase after him. They pursued him for more than three miles, taunting, jeering and pelting stones at him to the point that he was covered in blood.
There is a tradition narrated by ‘A’ishah (ra) that on the way back from Ta’if, Allah the Exalted sent an angel to Muhammad (sas). The angel sought the approval of Muhammad (sas) to destroy the people by bringing the two mountains together. But Muhammad (sas) said, “Nay! Nay! I trust that Allah the Exalted will produce such people among them who shall worship one God.”11
Three miles from Ta’if, in the shade of a wall in the orchard of ‘Utbah bin Rabi‘ah, a chieftain of Makkah, Muhammad (sas) pleaded before God the Exalted about his weakness, lack of strength, and helplessness. ‘Utbah, overwhelmed by seeing the condition of the Prophet (sas), sent his Christian servant ‘Addas with a bunch of grapes for Muhammad (sas). Muhammad (sas) addressing ‘Addas said, “Where are you from and what is your religion?” He said, “I am a Christian from Nineveh.” Muhammad (sas) said, “The same Nineveh which was the land of God’s righteous person Jonah (as), son of Matthew?” ‘Addas said, “Yes, but how do you know?” Muhammad (sas) replied, “He was my brother and a prophet of Allah like me.” The words of Muhammad (sas) had a deep impact on the heart of ‘Addas, and he, out of passionate sincerity stepped forward and kissed Muhammad’s hand. Muhammad (sas) before entering Makkah sent a message to Mut‘im bin ‘Adiyy requesting his protection. Mut‘im was a firm disbeliever, but having a good nature agreed to become the guarantor of Muhammad (sas).12
In that period, acceptance of Islam by a person of a tribe would generally be followed by more conversions in that tribe through him. Among these types of conversions, the acceptance of Tufail bin ‘Amr (ra) of the Daus tribe is especially worth mentioning. Tufail (ra) himself described it as follows:
Once I went to Makkah. The Quraish were quite concerned to see me, as I might be influenced by listening to Muhammad (sas). Therefore, they warned me so much that I plugged my ears lest I hear his voice and become his victim. One morning, I went to Masjid al-Haram and saw Muhammad (sas) praying in one corner. I was attracted to him, so I gradually approached him. Now, I could faintly hear him, and in my heart I said, “I am a sensible man, and can differentiate between a good and evil individual. What harm is there that I listen to this man? If it is good I shall believe it and if it is evil I shall reject it.” As this thought entered my heart, I unplugged my ears, and began to listen to the recitation of the Qur’an. By now, I was deeply moved. I accompanied Muhammad (sas) on his way home and asked him about his mission. Muhammad (sas) preached to me about the Unity of God. I accepted Islam right away and returned to my tribe to spread Islam.13,14
At that time, Persia and Rome were at war and Persia had gained dominance over Rome and had seized many of its territories. After being informed by God, the Exalted, Muhammad (sas) prophesized that despite Rome being currently dominated by Persia, in a few years time, it shall defeat Persia, and on that day the believers shall rejoice.
Within the prophesized time, the war took such a complete turn that Rome became victorious over Persia and conquered all of its lost lands.
When the people of Makkah and Ta’if refused to listen to the message of God, Muhammad (sas) turned his attention towards other tribes. The best occasion to reach out to the other tribes would be the fairs of ‘Ukaz, Majinnah, and Dhul-Majaz, as well as the days of the Hajj. The Quraish became increasingly apprehensive that the people participating in these fairs may be influenced by Muhammad (sas). Therefore, Abu Lahab made it a habit to follow Muhammad (sas) around to counter his influence. The same was the case with Abu Jahl, but the Messenger of God would go to every tent, and deliver the message of the Lord of all the worlds. Most of the people would reject him, but some pious-natured people would accept.15
To call in every direction is our duty today,
The pious-natured would eventually listen.16
This period was extremely challenging for Muhammad (sas). Whichever tribe he went to greeted him with derision, mocked him, and ridiculed him. One tribe would throw stones at him, and the other would turn their back by calling him names. The truth is:
Inviting every loose talker is not an easy task.
Every step is treacherous; every path is a forest full of thorns.17
While meeting various tribes at the time of Hajj, he came across a few people from the tribe of Banu Khazraj. They had come from Yathrib to request Quraish’s help in the preparation of the Battle of Bu‘ath. Muhammad (sas) invited them to Islam. One of them said, “By God, the cause of Muhammad (sas) is better than our cause.” But the leader of the group stopped him.
Sometime after the Battle of Bu‘ath18, in the month of Rajab, 11th Nabawi, Muhammad (sas) again met with the people of Yathrib and preached to them resulting in the acceptance of Islam by six persons. Following this event, Islam began to receive significant success in Yathrib.
Islam was going through immensely challenging times. Recorded history proves that it was the most arduous time in the history of Islam. Sir William Muir mentioning this period says:
“Mohammad thus holding his people at bay, waiting in the still expectation of victory; to outward appearance defenceless, and with his little band as it were in the lion's mouth; yet trusting in His almighty power whose Messenger he believed himself to be, resolute and unmoved; presents a spectacle of sublimity paralleled only by such scenes in the Sacred Records as that of the prophet of Israel when he complained to his Master, ‘I, even I only, am left.’ Nay, the spectacle is in one point of view even more amazing…
“‘Say unto the Unbelievers,’ such was the reiterated message from on high, ‘Work ye in your place. Wait in expectation; We too in expectancy are waiting.’”19
At the time of Hajj, Muhammad (sas) set out in search of the people of Yathrib. He came across a small party of twelve people from Yathrib including five who had affirmed the truth the previous year and seven who were new. The group of twelve met him in a valley, and after describing the situation of Yathrib they formally pledged allegiance at his hand. This pledge is known in history by the name of the First Pledge of ‘Aqabah, named after the place ‘Aqabah located between Makkah and Mina. ‘Aqabah literally means a high mountain passage.
At the request of these new Muslims, Muhammad (sas) sent Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair (ra) to Yathrib with them as a teacher. The efforts of Mus‘ab (ra) bore fruit with the blessings of Allah, and Islam became well known in every house of Yathrib, and many influential people of Banu Aus and Banu Khazraj accepted Islam.
The following year at the time of Hajj, Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair (ra) brought 70 people with him who were either Muslims, or desired to accept Islam. Muhammad (sas) met these people in complete seclusion at ‘Aqabah. Muhammad’s uncle ‘Abbas (ra) was also present with him and although still not a Muslim, had great sympathy for him and was his well-wisher.
The people of Yathrib came with the intention of taking Muhammad (sas) with them to Yathrib. Since Muhammad (sas) also had received Divine intimation about it, therefore, ‘Abbas (ra) addressing them said:
O party of Khazraj! To this day, our clan had been the guarantor of the safety of Muhammad (sas) during the time of every danger—if you wish to take him with you, we will agree to your request only if you take full responsibility of his security; otherwise, give a forthright answer, for true speech is good.
Al-Bara’ bin Ma‘rur (ra) replied:
‘Abbas, we heard you, but we want to hear directly from Muhammad (sas) about the responsibilities that he expects us to carry.
After reciting a few verses of the Qur’an, Muhammad (sas) made a brief speech in which he explained the rights of Allah and the rights of people and said that he only wanted to ask them to protect him the way they protected their own dear ones and their relatives. Al-Bara’ bin Ma‘rur responded:
O Messenger of Allah! By God, the One who raised you with truth, we shall protect you with our lives.
Thereafter, Muhammad (sas) stretched forward his hand and the 70 faithful pledged their allegiance to Muhammad (sas) which came to be known as the Second Pledge of ‘Aqabah.20
1 Ta Ha, 20:15-16.
2 Allah is Great. [Publisher]
3 Ibni Hisham.
4 Masjid al-Haram is located in Makkah and is also called the Sacred Mosque or the Grand Mosque. The Ka‘bah, the holiest place of Muslims, is located inside Masjid al-Haram. [Publisher]
5 One of the prominent leaders of the Quraish. [Publisher]
6 At one occasion, a group of disbelievers of Makkah insisted on being shown some sign. It was night and the moon was full. Muhammad (sas) pointed his finger at the moon, and it appeared to those who were present that the moon had been split, so that half of it was visible on one side of the mountain and the other half on the other side of it. This event is described in the Qur’an (Al-Qamar, 54:2-4). [Publisher]
7 Find a very useful note about the miracle of the splitting of the moon in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Urdu edition, published by Islam International Publications, 1996, p. 168.
8 Muhammad (sas) married again multiple times after the death of Khadijah (ra), but during her lifetime she was his only wife. [Publisher]
9 Bukhari Kitabul-Manaqibil-Ansar (Virtues of the Companions of Muhammad (sas)) and Usdul-Ghabah.
10 Read a brief note about the number of wives in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Urdu edition, published by Islam International Publications, 1996, p. 432.
11 Bukhari, Kitabul-Bad’il-Khalq (Book of the Beginning of Creation).
12 On his way back from the Ta’if journey, a delegation of Jinn appeared before Muhammad (sas). For details, see Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Urdu edition, published by Islam International Publications, 1996, p. 184.
13 Please see a note about Mi‘raj and Isra’ in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Urdu edition, published by Islam International Publications, 1996, p. 189.
14 See the ordainment of the five prayers and the philosophy of the Islamic teachings in Sirat Khatamun-Nabiyyin, Urdu edition, published by Islam International Publications, 1996, p. 208.
15 Rum, 30:1-11.
16 Durr-e-Thamin, a collection of Urdu poems by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). [Publisher]
17 Durr-e-Thamin, a collection of Urdu poems by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as). [Publisher]
18 Before the migration of Muhammad (sas) to Yathrib (Madinah), the two idolater tribes, Aus and Khazraj fought a fierce battle which was known by the name of the Battle of Bu‘ath.
19 The Life of Mohammad: From the Original Sources by Sir William Muir and T. H. Weir, p. 126, Published at Edinburgh by J. Grant, 1912.
20 At-Tabari and Ibni Hisham.