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7

The Call to Islam Goes Public

FOR THREE YEARS, or perhaps a little longer, Prophet Muhammad continued his efforts to propagate Islam, maintaining secrecy as he was commanded by God, but it was now time to move into a new phase. He was given the order to go public. This order is mentioned in the Qur’ān: “And say: I am indeed the plain warner.” (15: 89) “Proclaim openly all that you have been bidden [to say], and leave alone all those who continue to associate partners with God.” (15: 94) He was also told: “Warn your immediate kinsfolk and spread the wings of your tenderness over all the believers who may follow you.” (26: 214-15) These were plain orders, and his response was soon forthcoming.

As he was to show throughout his years of prophethood, Muhammad (peace be upon him) was never to hesitate in carrying out, in letter and in spirit, every commandment he received from God. He therefore stood on al-Ṣafā, a small hill in the centre of Makkah, close to the Kaʿbah, and called out as loudly as he could every Arab clan of Makkah, mentioning them by name and asking them to come over to him. At that particular time and in that particular city, this was the surest way of getting the news to everyone. In no time, the word spread all over Makkah that Muhammad had something important to announce. People were rushing to him from all quarters of the city. When they gathered around the hill, Muhammad put to them this question: “If I were to tell you that armed horsemen are beyond this valley heading towards Makkah to attack you, would you believe me?” “You are trustworthy, and we have never known you to tell lies,” they answered. “Well, then,” he said, “I am sent to you to warn you against grievous suffering.”¹

Shaykh Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī al-Ḥasanī Nadwī says that the Arabs’ first answer in Makkah was evidence of their realistic and practical approach. They were responding to a man whom they had known to be honest and truthful and always to give sincere advice. He was standing on top of a hill where he could see what was beyond. In their position, they could not see anything beyond what was in their valley. They had no reason not to believe him, whatever he said. This was a natural opening which secured a testimony from the audience – in other words, it established Muhammad’s credentials, which were well known to his audience.²

Commenting on the Prophet’s statement that he is a warner of a grievous suffering, Shaykh Nadwī says that it outlines the position of a prophet who knows the truth which lies beyond what ordinary people can see or understand. It was a warning which combined perfect intelligence with maximum lucidity and clarity of purpose. It was the shortest way to address the minds of the Prophet’s audience.

The Prophet continued his warning, addressing each clan of the Quraysh by name and said, “God has ordered me to warn my immediate kinsfolk. It is not in my power to secure any benefit for you in this life, or any blessing in the life to come, unless you believe in the Oneness of God. People of Quraysh, save yourselves from hell, because I cannot be of any help to you. My position is like one who, seeing the enemy, ran to warn his people before they were taken by surprise, shouting as he ran: ‘Beware! Beware!’”

The people of Makkah were taken aback. They did not expect such a direct and clear warning. It was left, however, to the Prophet’s own uncle, Abū Lahab, to give him a most hostile and harsh reply. “Confound you!” he said. “Is this what you called us here for?”³

This encouraged others to adopt a hostile attitude. Some dismissed the Prophet’s warning as insincere, while others were quick with their insults. No single voice was raised in approval as they began to disperse.

A Forthright Challenge

One can imagine how distressing this incident was to the Prophet. As the people left, he stood alone on the hill, realizing that he now faced the whole world with no human support apart from the three dozen or so people who had responded favourably to the new call. He realized that the path ahead was an uphill struggle which might involve a conflict with his nearest and dearest. Taken in the context of the tribal Arabian society at the time, this must have been very hard for Muhammad (peace be upon him). He realized, however, that an advocate of a great message must not look for friendships or social ties if he is to put his message, as he must, above all considerations and above all human values.

Yet what happened in those few moments at the hill of al-Ṣafā was a historic event with great significance. It should be remembered that although the Prophet was making his first public announcement of his mission, the people of Makkah were aware that a new philosophy was being propagated in their midst. They were not, however, aware of the aims and intentions of the Prophet and his early followers. The declaration on the hill of al-Ṣafā brought home to them the scope of the new call. The aim was to bring about a total change in the life of Arab society: its values and standards, its sense of purpose, its practices and its whole direction. The Prophet, in effect, told his townspeople that they would have to change the whole set-up of their society if they wished to win God’s pleasure. That is why the opposition which met his declaration was so fierce.

It takes great courage to challenge an established idea or a social tradition. People normally do not like to be told that they are wrong, especially when it comes to long established habits and traditions. Hence any call for a change is bound to be met, at least initially, with opposition. It is for this reason that many of those who call for social change find it judicious to make the change they advocate appear moderate and gradual.

Yet here was the Prophet (peace be upon him) standing on the hill, calling all people, warning them and asking them to accept a total and comprehensive change which embraced all aspects of human life, practices, values, ideology. His courageous action deserves much more than our admiration. One looks to the Prophet for guidance. From him one learns how to play the role of an advocate of Islam, and how to convey its message to others. His action shows that one should not compromise when it comes to explaining what sort of social change the adoption of the Islamic way of life will involve.

This accounts for the accusation of ‘extremism’ or ‘fanaticism’ which is usually laid at the door of the advocates of Islam. Nothing is more erroneous than such a charge. Muslims generally – and in particular those among them who take upon themselves the propagation of Islam – are very tolerant, compassionate, honest, frank. Frequently, however, their frankness is mistaken for rigidity; their honesty for fanaticism. The true advocates of Islam are neither rigid nor fanatical; they simply state their case with honesty and clarity. Their message does not accept compromises; hence they insist on maintaining its purity.

The Prophet also wanted to approach his immediate relatives with his message. As already mentioned, he always implemented God’s orders in letter and in spirit. When he called all clans in Makkah and addressed them from the top of the hill of al-Ṣafā, he actually implemented this order taking the words ‘your immediate kinsfolk’ to mean all the Quraysh. As this phrase could be understood in a narrower sense, the Prophet thought of a way to speak to his immediate relatives about his new faith, which represented the only way for humans to save themselves from misery in this life and even greater misery in the life to come. However, he feared that his uncle, Abū Lahab, would do everything possible to spoil his efforts. Abū Lahab, whose real name was ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, was known by his title, which meant ‘the father of a flame’, because he had a bright face with reddish cheeks. He was very rich and narrow-minded, feeling that the traditions of Arabia must always be accepted by everyone. He could easily lose his temper when anyone suggested that fathers and grandfathers were mistaken in their practices or traditions. A criticism of pagan beliefs was sure to be treated by Abū Lahab as an intolerable outrage.

A Gentle Approach to Relatives

Faced with the probability that Abū Lahab might spoil the occasion, the Prophet felt that it was best to have a special gathering when he could speak to his immediate relatives in a relaxed atmosphere. He therefore invited them to a meal which was attended by over 40 of his uncles, cousins and second or third cousins. When they had finished eating, the Prophet was beginning to prepare himself to talk when the initiative was taken away from him by none other than Abū Lahab who said to him:

These are your uncles and cousins. You may speak to them, but you have to leave off apostasy. Do not turn away from the faith of your people, and do not expose them to the anger of the Arabs. Your people cannot face up to opposition by the whole of the Arab nation, and they cannot be expected to face them all in war. Your people are aware of what you intend to invent in their faith. They have not been heedless of what you are doing and what you advocate: rebellion against religion and against the traditions inherited from our forefathers. Take care, then, of yourself and your father’s offspring. To be certain, the Arabs will not leave you alone, and it will not be difficult for them to kill you. It is better for you that you revert to the religion of your fathers and grandfathers. Otherwise, we will have to put you in confinement until you are cured of the illness you are suffering so that we can spare you an attack by the Arabs. It is better that we deal with you until you have regained your mind and recovered from your illness. It is certainly better that your father’s offspring take you to task and put you in confinement if you persist with what you are doing. This is easier for you and them than an attack by other clans of Quraysh supported by other Arabs. I have never heard of anyone who caused his father’s offspring anything worse than you have done.⁴

As he said this, Abū Lahab was very excited, firing his words like serious threats. His cheeks were red with anger and when he finished he trembled because he could not control himself. The Prophet looked around. Everyone was silent and an air of depression and gloom prevailed. He, therefore, said nothing.

The usage of the phrase ‘your father’s offspring’ by Abū Lahab was a common usage in Arabia’s tribal society. The Prophet’s father, ʿAbdullāh, did not have any children other than him. It should be remembered that ʿAbdullāh was married for only a couple of months before he travelled on a journey to Syria and died on the way back. ‘Father’ in this sense does not mean the immediate father; in fact, it means the grandfather or great-grandfather after whom the clan is called. Therefore, ‘your father’s offspring’ means the whole clan, including cousins and second or third cousins.

Appeal Resumed

The Prophet allowed things to cool down for a few days before he invited his uncles and cousins to dinner again. One or two of the Prophet’s aunts suggested that he need not invite his uncle Abū Lahab but, having considered the matter carefully, the Prophet did invite him. For one thing, Abū Lahab was his next-door neighbour and he could not leave him out when he was inviting second or third cousins. For another, Abū Lahab might have been tempted to create trouble if he was left out. More importantly, however, the Prophet never despaired of a change of heart taking place, even in the case of a determined enemy. So Abū Lahab was among the Prophet’s guests. This time, however, the Prophet took the initiative and spoke to his relatives immediately after they finished eating. He said:

Praise be to God! I praise Him, seek His support, believe in Him and rely on Him. I bear witness that there is no deity other than God, the only God who has no partners. A forerunner does not tell lies to his own people. If I were to tell lies to all mankind, I would not tell one to you. By God who is the only deity, I am God’s Messenger to you in particular and to mankind in general. He has commanded me to call on you to believe in Him, saying: “Warn your immediate kinsfolk.” I am calling on you to say two words which are easily pronounced but weighty in God’s scale: to bear witness that there is no deity other than God and that I am His Messenger. By God, you will die as you sleep, and will be resurrected as you wake up, and you will be held to account for what you do, and you will be rewarded well for your good actions and suffer retribution for your bad ones. It will be either heaven forever or hell forever. Children of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, by God, I know no one who has brought his people anything better than I am bringing you. I am offering you the happiness of this world and of the life to come. Who will accept my call and support me in furthering it?

Abū Ṭālib, the Prophet’s uncle who had taken care of him ever since he was a child, the grand old man of the Hāshimite clan, said: “We dearly love to help you and we certainly accept your advice and believe what you have said. Assembled here are your father’s offspring and I am but one of them, although I am the quickest with my favourable response. Go ahead with what you have been bidden and I pledge to continue to give you my support and protection. I find it hard, however, to abandon the faith of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib.”

It was perhaps this answer by Abū Ṭālib that infuriated Abū Lahab more than the Prophet’s own words. In a burst of temper, he said, “What shame! Stop him before he is stopped by someone else. If it comes to that and you abandon him, then you will be overwhelmed with shame; and if you try to protect him you will all be killed.” There were apparently further heated remarks by Abū Lahab, who could not control his temper. Abū Ṭālib, however, maintained his positive attitude. All those who were present inclined towards Abū Ṭālib’s view, realizing that it was their duty to protect Muhammad and that they could not put their clan to the shame of abandoning him. Abū Lahab, on the other hand, went out, still furious, threatening and pledging to do everything in his power to stop his nephew from accomplishing his mission and changing the religion of the Quraysh.⁵

These incidents help us to understand the forces that were at play in Arabian society. Abū Lahab, the conservative, hot-headed dignitary, did not stop for one minute to consider the merits of what his nephew, Prophet Muhammad, said. He looked at the whole issue only from the narrow angle of what was likely to happen as a result of it to the clan of Hāshim and more narrowly to its sub-clan of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib. Viewed from this very narrow angle, Muhammad’s call spelled disaster for his people. Abū Lahab was not even prepared to look further than that. He considered it his duty, and the duty of the children and the grandchildren of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, to stop Muhammad from pressing ahead with his call.

On the other hand, the wiser and older brother, Abū Ṭālib, looked at his tribal duty from a different angle. His nephew, Muhammad, did not mean any harm and did not call for anything wrong. He was only advocating an idea. If it transpired that the idea was met with opposition, then so be it. The Hāshimites and, more particularly, the smaller clan of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib had no option but to extend their support to their man, Muhammad. After all, Arabian tribes fought fierce and long wars to protect or avenge their sons for matters which were much less important than that. Indeed, even when a tribesman committed a crime, his tribe gave him protection.

Abū Lahab continued with his hostility. He took immediate action to demonstrate his disavowal of his nephew. His two sons, ʿUtbah and ʿUtaybah, were married to the Prophet’s two daughters, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthūm. He ordered his sons to divorce the Prophet’s daughters and they complied. These two daughters of the Prophet were then married, one after the other, to ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān.

In his hostility to the Prophet and to Islam, Abū Lahab was supported by his wife, Umm Jamīl Arwa bint Ḥarb, the sister of Abū Sufyān, who was later to become the leader of the Quraysh in its determined opposition to Islam until Makkah fell to the Prophet and its population accepted the new faith. Umm Jamīl was perhaps even more hostile to the Prophet than her husband. She would ridicule him and throw dust and harmful objects in his path; she composed songs abusing him and sang them on occasions.⁶

The hostility of Abū Lahab and his wife to the cause of Islam and their active opposition to it, and abuse of the Prophet, brought them denunciation by God Himself, who revealed a powerful short sūrah of the Qur’ān, mentioning Abū Lahab by name and warning him and his wife of their approaching doom. The sūrah may be rendered in translation as follows: “May the hands of Abū Lahab perish: doomed he is. His wealth and his gains shall not avail him. He shall be plunged in a flaming fire, and his wife, the carrier of firewood, shall have a rope of palm fibre round her neck.” (111: 1-5)

It may be true that the Prophet encountered some hostility when he proclaimed his message on the top of the hill of al-Ṣafā. He might have been confronted by an arrogant uncle who could not see further than the end of his nose. But the effect of that proclamation was tremendous. Every household in Makkah was talking about the new message and what change it would bring about in the lives of the Arabs. The fact that there was a nucleus of a community of believers made it easy for the Makkan people to take a reasonably correct measure of the implications of the new call. They realized that the change it was sure to bring about would be total. Hence, the elders of Makkah were soon in council discussing what steps they needed to take.

The Quraysh’s Complaint

It should be said in fairness that the chiefs of Makkah did not take any action worth noting against the Prophet in the early stages. When he started to criticize their pagan faith and ridicule their idols, however, they began to think that the matter was much too serious to ignore. Yet, they could not do much about it because Abū Ṭālib protected his nephew against all threats. To ignore such protection by the Makkan chiefs would contravene one of the basic conventions of their social set-up. Therefore a small delegation composed of a number of the most influential people in Makkah went to Abū Ṭālib complaining about his nephew’s behaviour. The delegation included the two brothers ʿUtbah and Shaybah, sons of Rabīʿah from the clan of ʿAbd Shams; Abū Sufyān Sakhr ibn Ḥarb from Ummayah; Abū al-Bakhtarī al-ʿĀṣ ibn Hishām and al-Aswad ibn al-Muṭṭalib from Asad, Abū Jahl ʿAmr ibn Hishām and al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah from Makhzūm; the two brothers Nabīh and Munabbih sons of al-Ḥajjāj from Sahm and al-ʿĀṣ ibn Wā’il, also from Sahm. They made their complaint clear to Abū Ṭālib and they offered him the choice between telling Muhammad not to criticize their ways and ridicule their idols or allowing them to take such effective measures as they might deem necessary to end the trouble. Abū Ṭālib, who continued to follow the religion of his people, spoke to them gently and calmed them down. He did not promise them much.⁷

The Prophet continued to preach his message regardless. The crisis with his people increased in intensity. Feelings of hostility spread. So the delegation went again to Abū Ṭālib and said to him: “Abū Ṭālib, you enjoy a position of honour and respect among us. We have requested you to stop your nephew, but you have not taken any action. We certainly cannot just sit and do nothing when he continues to speak ill of our forefathers and to ridicule us and our gods. You have to stop him or we will fight him and you over this question until one of the two parties is destroyed.”

Abū Ṭālib was in a dilemma. He did not like to quarrel with his people, yet he could not bear to let his nephew down. So he called Muhammad and explained to him what had taken place between him and his visitors. He then said to him: “You see the difficulty of my situation. Do not put my life and your life at risk, and do not burden me with what I cannot bear.”

The Prophet felt that his uncle might be contemplating withdrawing his protection so he stated his own position with the greatest emphasis he could muster: “Uncle, should they give me the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand in return for abandoning my call, I would not do anything of the sort until God has brought this message to triumph or until I have perished.” The Prophet was under the pressure of such strong emotions that tears sprang to his eyes. He started to walk away, but his uncle called him back, saying reassuringly: “My nephew, you may go and say whatever you like. I will never withdraw my protection from you, and never will I let you down.”⁸

The Prophet was happy with his uncle’s support and continued to preach his message undeterred by the Quraysh’s opposition. They, however, felt that their opening approaches to Abū Ṭālib had brought no positive results. They had to contemplate other measures. The hardliners among the chiefs of Makkah were gaining the upper hand.

NOTES

1. Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah, Dār al-Qalam, Beirut, Vol. 1, pp. 280-281. Also, Amīn Duwaydār, Ṣuwar Min Ḥayāt al-Rasūl, Dār al-Maʿārif, 4th edition, Cairo, pp. 144-145; al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ, al-Maktabah al-Raḥīmiyyah, India, Vol. 2, pp. 702-703.

2. Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī al-Ḥasanī Nadwī, Muhammad Rasulallah (The Life of the Prophet Muhammad) Academy of Islamic Research and Publications, Lucknow, India, p. 111.

3. Amīn Duwaydār, op.cit., p. 144.

4. Ibid., pp. 138-139.

5. Ibid., pp. 139-141.

6. Ibn Hishām, op.cit., p. 380.

7. Ibid., pp. 282-284.

8. Ibid., pp. 284-285.