Notes from Chapter 7 of Adil Salahi's book 'Muhammad – Man and Prophet' (published by Islamic Foundation): The Call to Islam Goes Public (4th year of Prophethood).

1. 7. The Call to Islam Goes Public
(4th year of Prophethood)

2. 
 For around three years the Prophet Muhammad
propagated Islam in secret
 But it was now time to move into a new phase
 He was given the order by God to go public
The first public call

3. 
 He stood on Al-Safa, a small hill in the centre of
Makkah, close to the Ka’bah, and called out as loudly
as he could
 He mentioned every Arab clan of Makkah by name
and asked them to come over to him
 In no time, the word spread all over Makkah that
Muhammad had something important to announce
The first public call

4. 
 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
toward Makkah to attack you, would you believe
me?”
 “You are trustworthy, and we have never known
you to tell lies,” they answered.
The first public call

5. 
 “Well, then,” he said, “I am sent to you to warn you
against grievous suffering.”
 The Prophet continued his warning, addressing each
clan by name, calling on them to believe in God
 The people of Makkah were taken aback. They did
not expect such a direct and clear warning
The first public call

6. 
 It was left, however to the Prophet’s own uncle, Abu
Lahab, to give him a most hostile and harsh reply
 “Confound you!” he said. “Is this what you called us
here for?”
 This encouraged others to adopt a hostile attitude
 Some dismissed the Prophet’s warning as insincere,
while others were quick with their insults
The first public call

7. 
 What happened in those few moments at the hill of
Al-Safa was a historic event with great significance
 The people of Makkah were already aware that a
new philosophy was being propagated amongst
their midst
 The declaration on the hill of Al-Safa, however,
brought home to the Quraysh the scope of the new
call
A forthright challenge

8. 
 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
A forthright challenge

9. 
 The Prophet felt that it was best to have a special
gathering in which he could speak to his immediate
relatives in a relaxed atmosphere
 He invited them to a meal which was attended by
over 40 of his uncles and 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 Abu Lahab
An approach to relatives

10. 
 Abu Lahab warned the Prophet that turning away
from the faith of his people and preaching this new
faith would expose himself and his people to the
anger of the Arabs
 As he said this, he was very excited, firing his words
like threats
 The Prophet looked around and saw that everyone
was silent and that an air of depression and gloom
prevailed, he therefore said nothing
An approach to relatives

11. 
 The Prophet allowed things to cool down for a few
days before he invited his uncles and cousins to
dinner again
 This time, however, the Prophet took the initiative
and spoke to his relatives immediately after they
finished eating
 He explained to them his Message and called on
them to bear witness to it
Appeal resumed

12. 
 Abu Talib, the uncle who had taken care of him since
he was a child, pledged to give the Prophet his
support and protection
 However, he could not bring himself around to
abandoning the faith of his father ‘Abd al-Muttalib
he said
 Abu Lahab then spoke out in a burst of temper
threatening and pledging to do everything in his
power to stop his nephew from accomplishing his
mission
Appeal resumed

13. 
 These incidents help us to understand the forces that
were at play in Arabian society
 Abu Lahab, the conservative, hot-headed dignitary
did not stop to consider the merits of what his
nephew was calling to and saw only disaster for his
people if they accepted the call
 Abu Talib, on the other hand, saw that Muhammad
meant no harm and did not call for anything wrong
and thus considered it his duty to extend his support
and protection to him
Responses to the call

14. 
 Abu Lahab took immediate action to demonstrate his
disapproval of his nephew
 His two sons were married to the Prophet’s two
daughters – Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum
 He ordered his sons to divorce the Prophet’s
daughters and they complied
Abu Lahab

15. 
 Though the Prophet encountered hostility when he
proclaimed his message on top of the hill of al-Safa,
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 elders of Makkah were soon in council
discussing what steps they needed to take
The effect of the call

16. 
(Source: ‘Muhammad – Man and Prophet’ by Adil Salahi)
End