The First Command to Preach: The Beginning
of Muhammad’s Mission and the Early Individual Call
Muhammad was deeply shaken by the sight he witnessed. Fear and awe overcame him, and he returned home in a state of distress. He said to his family: “Cover me, cover me.” They wrapped him in a garment, and while he was in this state, Gabriel came to him and delivered the command of his Lord:
“O you who are wrapped up, arise and warn. And your Lord glorify. And your clothing purify. And uncleanliness avoid. And do not confer favor to acquire more. And for your Lord be patient.”
These verses were the first revelation that commanded Muhammad to call people to the message. With them began the stages of his mission, as he was instructed to warn those who had not yet found guidance in the new faith.
This verse can be seen as marking the end of the era of pre-Islamic Arabia and the beginning of a new age for the Arabs: the age of light, or the age of Islam. It is important to note that the term “Jāhiliyyah” (the Age of Ignorance) does not mean that Arabs lacked knowledge or civilization. Before Islam, Arabia had developed societies, and many of its kingdoms possessed culture, achievements, and glory. Rather, the term refers to confusion and error in religious matters. Islam came to end this spiritual misguidance and call people to the worship of one God and adherence to a single faith.
The Individual Stage
This was the first stage of Muhammad’s call. During this period, he secretly invited members of his household and his closest companions to Islam. He called them to the fundamental principles mentioned in these verses: belief in God and rejection of idol worship.
The Public Call to Islam: From the Secret Mission to Open Preaching
Among those who accepted Islam during the early period were Abū ʿUbaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ and al-Arqam ibn Abī al-Arqam, whose house became a center for the secret preaching of the new faith. Along with them, a number of freed servants and poor people also embraced Islam. This secret call continued for three years.
The Call to Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib
This was the second stage of Muhammad’s mission. It began when the following verse was revealed:
“And warn your nearest relatives.”
Muhammad then invited the people of Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib and gathered them together. He said to them:
“I do not know of any young man among his people who has brought his people something better than what I have brought you. I have brought you the best of this world and the Hereafter.”
Some of them believed in him, while others rejected his message. His uncle Abū Lahab and his wife were among the harshest opponents toward him. Abū Lahab shouted at him:
“May you perish! Is this why you gathered us?”
Then the following verses were revealed:
“Perish the hands of Abū Lahab, and perish he. His wealth will not benefit him, nor what he has earned. He will burn in a Fire of blazing flame, and his wife, the carrier of firewood, will have around her neck a rope of twisted fiber.”
This stage marked the beginning of openly proclaiming the new faith and prepared the way for the third stage of Muhammad’s mission.
The General Call
After the revelation of the verse:
“Therefore proclaim openly what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists,”
Muhammad began calling people to Islam publicly. He invited all groups of society: the nobles and the servants, his relatives and strangers. He called the people of Mecca, then extended his message beyond it to other lands. He also invited the pilgrims who came to Mecca from different regions.
The Quraysh Opposition to Islam: Causes and Early Stages of Resistance
The Resistance of Quraysh: Its Causes and Stages
As mentioned earlier, the call to Islam began secretly, and news of it eventually reached Quraysh. However, during the secret phase, Quraysh did not pay much attention to it, as they did not imagine that the message would grow stronger, spread widely, and attract many followers.
But once Muhammad began proclaiming his message openly, Quraysh expressed their anger toward this new religion and adopted every possible means to eliminate it. Before discussing these methods, or what can be called the stages of resistance, it is important to explain the reasons that led Quraysh to oppose Islam with such severity.
Reasons for the Resistance
From studying the life and values of the Arabs of that time, we can identify several reasons behind their opposition to Islam and the Muslims:
1. Tribal Leadership and Competition for Authority
Quraysh could not distinguish between prophethood and political leadership, or between religious authority and kingship. They believed that accepting Muhammad’s religion meant accepting his leadership and granting authority to him and his family from Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib.
At that time, Arab tribes were engaged in intense competition for prestige, influence, and power. Therefore, Quraysh could not easily surrender its authority to Muhammad and Banū ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib while allowing its various clans to lose their status and position.
2. Equality Between Masters and Servants
Arabs placed great importance on social classes, believing that every person had a position that should not be exceeded. However, Muhammad’s message established equality among people as a fundamental principle, making no distinction between a master and his servant. It even declared that a servant could be better than his master if he possessed greater piety:
“Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.”
Because of this, many of the nobles refused to accept a religion that challenged their traditions, changed their social foundations, and placed them on equal footing with those they considered inferior.
