Perhaps during these days, the Holy Prophetsa thought that a centre for the propagation of Islām be established in Makkah, where Muslims could gather without any hindrance to offer their prayers, etc., and where the propagation of Islām could formally yet quietly take place with peace and calm. For this purpose, a location was required which could serve as a headquarters. Thus, the Holy Prophetsa selected the house of a new Muslim named Arqam bin Abī Arqamra, which was situated at the foot of Mount Ṣafā. Thereafter, the Muslims would gather here, and it is here that they would offer their Ṣalāt. It is here that seekers of truth would come and where the Holy Prophetsa would preach the religion of Islām to them. It is for this reason that this house has found reverence in the history of Islām, and is renowned by the name Dārul-Islām.
The Holy Prophetsa worked in the Dār-e-Arqam for approximately three years. In other words, the Prophetsa made it his headquarters in the fourth year of his prophethood and worked in it until the end of his sixth year. Historians write that the last person to accept Islām in the Dār-e-Arqam was Ḥaḍrat ‘Umarra, the acceptance of whom strengthened the Muslims to the extent that they left the Dār-e-Arqam and began to preach openly.1
Those who accepted Islām in Dār-e-Arqam are included amongst the pioneers. Among these, the most renowned are: Muṣ‘ab bin ‘Umairra, who was from the Banū ‘Abdid-Dār. He was very handsome and striking, and was held very dear among his family. This is the same noble young man who was sent as a missionary to Yathrib prior to the migration and through whom Islām spread in Madīnah. Then there was Zaid bin Al-Khaṭṭābra, who was the elder brother of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umarra. He was martyred in the Battle of Yamāmah after the death of the Holy Prophetsa. Ḥaḍrat ‘Umarra was very grieved by his demise. Hence, during the reign of his caliphate when some person recited an elegy before him in remembrance of his brother, he said, “If I could write such verses, I would also have written an elegy in remembrance of my brother.” That person responded, “O Amīrul-Mu’minīn!2 The blessed death endowed to your brother is such as if my brother had received the like of it, I would never lament or write an elegy for him”. The disposition of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umarra was very sagacious. He responded, “By God, the way you have consoled me with this statement, none has done the like of it.” After that, he never expressed grief for his brother’s demise in this way.3
Another one to believe in this era was ‘Abdullāh bin Ummi Maktūmra who was blind and was among the relatives of Ḥaḍrat Khadījahra. There is an interesting narration with regards to him that once when the Holy Prophetsa was fervently preaching to an honoured chieftain named Walīd bin Mughīrah, bin Ummi Maktūmra quickly came to the Holy Prophetsa and wished to pose an inquiry pertinent to a religious matter. But in his eagerness, he did not notice the gathering and the task in which the Holy Prophetsa was occupied, and ignored the etiquette suitable to a gathering of the Holy Prophetsa in such circumstances. With respect to the situation at hand, the Holy Prophetsa disliked his interruption, and his face showed signs of displeasure. It was the nobility of his character that the Holy Prophetsa did not say anything to him; rather, he turned away from him and continued his discourse with Walīd. ‘Abdullāh bin Ummi Maktūmra remained oblivious to his mistake, but he was saddened by this inattention and he thought that perhaps the Holy Prophetsa preferred Walīd over his modest self on account of his greater status. This speculation however, was completely false and baseless, because at the time, the question was not of rich or poor, rather the Holy Prophetsa was engaged in preaching to someone who received very little opportunity to listen to such words, and bin Ummi Maktūmra on the other hand had the luxury of his company more often. For this reason, the Holy Prophetsa did not desire giving up such an opportunity and disliked Ummi Maktum’sra interruption, which in fact was against the etiquette of the gathering as well. Nonetheless, the level of the noble character of the Holy Prophet was such as when he was informed of Ummi Maktūm’sra heartfelt sadness and a Qur’ānic revelation was also revealed in regards to it, the Holy Prophetsa greatly consoled him and spread his blessed mantle, and sat him upon it, as per the custom of the Arabs.4
Then, among those who became Muslim in that era was Ja‘far bin Abī Ṭālibra who was the biological brother of Ḥaḍrat ‘Alīra and was a close relative of the Holy Prophetsa. With regards to Ḥaḍrat Ja‘farra, historians write that he greatly resembled the Holy Prophetsa in his physical attributes and character. Then there was ‘Ammār bin Yāsirra who was from the Mudhhaj tribe and lived in Makkah with his father Yāsirra and mother Sumaiyyahra. Then there was Ṣuhaib bin Sinānra who was generally known as Ṣuhaib the Romanra. However, in actuality he was not Roman, rather, when his father was sent by the Sovereignty of Iran as an employee, he was captured by the Romans and made a slave. For some time he remained among them as a slave after which he was finally purchased by ‘Abdullāh bin Jad‘ān Quraishi, a Makkan chieftain and set free. When Ṣuhaibra became Muslim the Holy Prophetsa said as a positive presage, “This is our first Roman fruit”. Ṣuhaibra was such a devotee to the company of the Holy Prophetsa that after the Prophetsa had migrated to Madīnah, he set out to migrate to Madīnah. The Quraish stopped him and said, “You came into us as a poor slave, now you have become rich in our midst, thus, we shall not permit you to go.” He responded, “Take the entirety of my wealth, but let me go.” The Quraish permitted him to leave on this condition. When the Holy Prophetsa was informed of this, in great happiness he said, “Ṣuhaib has made a very beneficial trade indeed.” When Ḥaḍrat ‘Umarra was fatally wounded during his caliphate, he appointed Ṣuhaibra in his place (who was present at the time) as the Imāmuṣ-Ṣalāt5. Therefore, it was Ṣuhaib who led the funeral prayer of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umarra. Perhaps during and around the same era, Abū Mūsā Ash‘arīra became Muslim as well. Abū Mūsāra lived in Yemen and was astonishingly melodious. So much so that in one instance the Holy Prophetsa said, “Abū Mūsā has received a portion of David's melody.” This is the same Abū Mūsā who was appointed an arbitrator between Ḥaḍrat ‘Alīra and Amīr Mu‘āwiyah during the caliphate of Ḥaḍrat ‘Alī.
1 * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Muḥammad bin ‘Abdul-Bāqī Az-Zarqānī, Volume 2, pp. 8-9, Bābu Islāmil-Fārūqra, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
* Tārīkhul-Khamīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan Dayār Bakrī, Part 1, p. 296, Dhikru Islāmi ‘Umarra, Muwassasatu Sha‘bān, Beirut
2 Leader of the Believers (Publishers)
3 Usdul-Ghābah, Volume 2, pp. 146-147, Bābu Zaid bin Al-Khaṭṭāb, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut (2003)
4 * ‘Abasa (80:2-10)
* Jāmi‘ul-Bayān ‘an Ta’wīli Āyatil-Qur’ānil-Ma‘rūf - Tafsīruṭ-Ṭabarī, By Abū Ja‘far Muḥammad bin Al-Jarīr Ṭabarī, Volume 30, pp.64-65, Tafsīr Sūrah ‘Abasa Makkiyyah, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)
* Usdul-Ghābah, Volume 3, p. 759, ‘Umar bin Qais bin Zā’idah, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut (2003)
5 Leader of Congregational Prayer (Publishers)