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37
THE FIRST STAGE
STRIFE IN THE WAY OF THE CALLTHREE YEARS OF SECRETE CALL:
It is well-known that Makkah was the centre for the Arabs, and housed the custodians of Al-Ka‘bah.
Protection and guardianship of the idols and stone graven images that received veneration on the
part of all the Arabs lay in the hands of the Makkans. Hence the difficulty of hitting the target of
reform and rectitude in a place considered the den of idolatry. Working in such an atmosphere no
doubt requires unshakable will and determination, that is why the call unto Islam assumed a
clandestine form so that the Makkans should not be enraged by the unexpected surprise.
THE EARLY CONVERTS:
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) naturally initiated his sacred mission right from home and then
moved to the people closely associated with him. He called unto Islam whomsoever he thought
would attest the truth which had come from his Lord. In fact, a host of people who nursed not the
least seed of doubt as regards the Prophet (Peace be upon him), immediately responded and quite
readily embraced the true faith. They are known in the Islamic literature as the early converts.
Khadijah, the Prophet’s spouse, the mother of believers, was the first to enter the fold of Islam
followed by his freed slave Zaid bin Harithah, his cousin, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, who had been living with
him since his early childhood, and next came his intimate friend Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (Abu Bakr the
truth verifier). All of those professed Islam on the very first day of the call. Abu Bakr, and from the
first day he embraced Islam, proved to be an energetic and most zealous activist. He was wealthy,
obliging, mild and upright. People used to frequent his house and draw nigh to him for his
knowledge, amity, pleasant company and business. He invited whomever he had confidence in to
Islam and through his personal efforts a good number of people converted to Islam, such as
‘Uthman bin ‘Affan Al-Umawi, Az-Zubair bin ‘Awwam Al-Asadi, ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf, Sa‘d bin Abi
Waqqas, Az-Zuhri and Talhah bin ‘Ubaidullah At-Tamimy. Those eight men constituted the
forerunners and more specifically the vanguard of the new faith in Arabia. Among the early Muslim
were Bilal bin Rabah (the Abyssinian), Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah from Bani Harith bin Fahr (the
most trustworthy of the Muslim Nation), Abu Salamah bin ‘Abd Al-Asad, Al-Arqam bin Abi Al-Arqam
from the tribe of Makhzum, ‘Uthman bin Maz‘oun and his two brothers Qudama and ‘Abdullah,
‘Ubaidah bin Al-Harith bin Al-Muttalib bin ‘Abd Munaf, Sa‘id bin Zaid Al-‘Adawi and his wife Fatimah -
daughter of Al-Khattab (the sister of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab), Khabbab bin Al-Aratt, ‘Abdullâh bin
Mas‘ud Al-Hadhali and many others. These were the Muslim predecessors. They belonged to various
septs of Quraish. Ibn Hisham, a biographer, counted them to be more than forty.
Ibn Ishaq said: “Then people entered the fold of Islam in hosts, men or women and the new faith
could no longer be kept secret.”
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) used to meet and teach, the new converts, the religion in privacy
because the call to Islam was still running on an individual and secret basis. Revelation accelerated
and continued after the first verses of “
O you wrapped in garments
.” The verses and pieces of
Sûrah
(chapters) revealed at this time were short ones with wonderful strong pauses and quite fascinating
rhythms in full harmony with that delicate whispering setting. The central topic running through
them focused on sanctifying the soul, and deterring the Muslims from falling prey to the deceptive
glamour of life. The early verses used as well to give a highly accurate account of the Hell and the
Garden (Paradise), leading the believers down a new course diametrically opposed to the ill
practices rampant amongst their compatriots.
AS-SALAT (the Prayer):
Muqatil bin Sulaiman said: “
Salât (prayer) was established as an obligatory ritual at an early stage
of the Islamic Call, a two rak‘ ah (unit of prayer) Salât in the morning and the same in the evening;
“And glorify the praises of your Lord in the
‘Ashi
(i.e. the time period after the mid-noon till sunset)
and in the
Ibkar
(i.e. the time period from early morning or sunrise till before mid-noon).” [40:55]
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