In the second stage of the call to Islam, Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) invited the public people to the new religion at the time where the tribe of Quraish started to accuse him of mockery and of being a magician.
At Your Service O' Prophet Mohammad (14)
Public Phase of the Call to Islam
In the second stage of the call to Islam, Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) invited the public people to the new religion at the time where the tribe of Quraish started to accuse him of mockery and ridicule, and of being a magician, insane and the like.
In the meantime, Allah Almighty revealed to his Messenger to declare the call to Islam in public regardless of repercussions:
"Then declare what you are commanded," Al-Hijr (94).
Prophet Mohammad Calls Quraish
Historians stated that when Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) received the holy verse, he climbed up to Safa Mountain located in the proximity of the holy Kaaba and called out as loudly as he could: "Ya Sabahah!', the term which was a well-known cry used to assemble the community in a state of emergency.
They all responded and arrived from every direction to listen to his speech. Then he said: "O Banu Abdul-Muttalib! O Banu Fihr! O Banu Ka'b! If I told you that beyond this mountain there is an army which is about to attack you, would you believe me!"
"Yes," they replied, "you are noted for truthfulness, trustworthiness and sincerity."
Then the Messenger of Allah said, "I warn you of the wrath of Allah. I am His Prophet. You should accept this as true and believe it forthwith. Stop worshipping idols. Worship Allah. Obey His commands. Reject bad actions and turn from them so that you may attain Salvation."
The people were silent, except Abu Lahab (the Prophet's uncle) who said, "May you perish for this! Did you only summon us here for this!" Then, folks moved away and went to their affairs.
First reaction of Quraish was to accuse the Prophet (pbuh) of lying. But what were the reasons behind the arrogance and stubbornness of the tribe's main figures towards the Messenger of Allah despite that he was deemed as the honest and trustworthy man, and wasn't noted for any lie or any sin before the prophethood>
Reasons behind Quraish refusal to accept Islam
"And they said, 'Why was this Qur'an not sent down upon a great man from [one of] the two cities?'," Az-zukhruf (31).
The first reason was the envy of the Messenger (pbuh). Some of Quraish leaders were hoping to be "the prophet of this nation" instead of Mohammad bin Abdullah. This was shown by Walid bin Mughira, one of the polytheists leaders in Mecca, who said: "Is the prophethood to be bestowed on Mohammad, while I, the greatest of the Quraish and their elder, am to get nothing? And there is Abu Masud, the chief of the Saqeef. Surely he and I are the greatest of the two towns (Mecca and Taif)."
Also, Umayyah ibn Abi As-Salt and Abu Jahl used to express similar desires in front of the Prophet (pbuh).
The second reason was that the call to Islam contradicted with the desires and privileges of Quraish leaders and would restrict their inhumane and unethical attitudes. Abandoning such habits would require sacrifices and huge efforts for which they were not willing.
It was known that polytheists used to take advantage of the poor and the weak slaves in Mecca and elsewhere for their interests, but the Prophet (pbuh) came and began to give those poor and needy a new spirit, and started to assure them of the concept of human dignity and freedom, and to encourage them to get liberated from the control of tyrants and arrogant who rejected Islam and tried to constantly eliminate the divine Mission, because Prophet (pbuh) was used to confirm that all people are equal before the justice.
The third reason was that they were afraid of being expelled by the polytheist Arab tribes if they believed in the Message of Mohammad (pbuh). Harith Ibn Nawfal, a prominent figure at the time, told the Messenger of Allah: "We know what you're saying is right, but what prevents us from accepting your religion is the fear of the Arab attack to expel us from our land, and we cannot deter them."
Then Allah revealed to the Prophet (pbuh) that:
"And they say, 'If we were to follow the guidance with you, we would be swept from our land.' Have we not established for them a safe sanctuary to which are brought the fruits of all things as provision from Us? But most of them do not know." Al-Qasas (57).
The Prophet's steadfastness and the spread of the call to Islam
Despite all the attempts, Prophet Mohammad continued to call on people to worship The One Allah, The indivisible, and to present the principles of His Message, without caring for the challenges and confrontations, keeping steadfast in his calling on the public, individuals and groups, without despair or doubt in the victory that Allah Almighty promised him to achieve at the end.
Teachings and principles of the Prophet (pbuh) began to spread out among the Meccans and other people due to his steadfastness towards pursuing the great goals.
The first days of the announcement witnessed new people who accepted Islam, including Abu Dhar al-Ghafari, Ammar bin Yasir and his parents, Bilal al-Habashi and others.
Edited and Translated by E. al-Rihani
