Chapter Six

Baraka’s eyes smiled as if to exclaim, “I knew it!” Her foster son, whom she so adored, now a man of forty years, informed her that he was a Prophet of Allah. Of course, she accepted it immediately and wholeheartedly, for she had witnessed his perfect character and extraordinary events for years. She was not alone. Those who lived with the Prophet ﷺ and knew him best finally had an explanation for his distinctive aura. The first to accept his Messengership was his support Sayyida Khadīja, his ward and cousin Sayyiduna ‘Alī, the Prophet’s beloved free slave Zayd ibn Ḥāritha, and his precious daughters Zaynab, Umm Kulthūm, Ruqayya, and Fāṭima (may Allah be pleased with them all). They made up the core family that formed the nucleus of Islam’s beginnings; the spark that would ignite human reformation.

When people live in darkness for some time, they become accustomed to it. Therefore, the nūr (light) of guidance was introduced slowly as Allah the Exalted at first commanded the Prophet ﷺ to approach those close to him, “O you, enveloped in a cloak, stand up and warn, and pronounce the greatness of your Lord.” (Surah al-Mudaththir 1-3) For some, the nūr lightens the soul, brings warmth, and gives sight to their surroundings. They rub their eyes momentarily and then enter its embrace. Others, however, find the light disconcerting as they wince their faces, close their eyes, and raise their arms to block its rays.

The Light

Sayyiduna Abū Bakr exemplified the first group, those who were instantly drawn to the light of the prophetic message. In the words of the Prophet ﷺ, “Every single person I invited to Islam stumbled, hesitated, and considered the matter, except for Abū Bakr.” He was an intelligent, gifted nobleman sought after and respected by the rich and poor, the young and old, commoner and tribe leader among the Quraysh of Makkah. He had long been a good friend of the Prophet ﷺ, and he immediately set to the magnanimous task of spreading the nūr his friend was given. His personal calling illuminated many souls and led to the conversion of ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān, ‘Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ‘Awf, Sa‘d ibn ‘Abī Waqqāṣ, Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwām, and Ṭalaḥa ibn ‘Ubaydulla. Islam spread quickly throughout the town among those with hearts like yearning receptacles. Abū Bakr’s sincerity with Islam’s clarity caused many individuals from different tribes and areas to change their ways. They would meet quietly and ponder over Revelation in the House of Arqam. Thus, the homes of the Prophet, Abu Bakr, Arqam, and others were like lanterns in a moonless night. With rays upon rays emanating from these lanterns, the enlightenment of Makka’s darkness began in secret.

The proclamation was straightforward: There is but one God, and Muhammad is His Prophet. Submit to your Creator with proper belief and practice what you have been commanded from good and refrain from evil. It was refreshing and harkened back to the pure religion of their patriarch, Sayyiduna Ibrāhīm. Humanity was experiencing an awakening with the Prophet ﷺ guiding them gently by the hand.

As nūr started piercing through the darkness, quiet preaching could no longer contain it. Thus, Allah the Exalted commanded, “Warn the nearest people of your clan and be kind with humbleness to the Believers who followed you. If [your clan] disobey you, then say, ‘I am not responsible for what you do.’” (Surah al-Shuʻarā’ 214-216) Obeying his Lord, the Prophet ﷺ stood immediately atop Mount Safā and faced the members of Quraysh. As a Prophet, he had knowledge of things unseen. As vividly as they saw him atop the Mount, he saw the Day of Judgement and Jahannam crouched in anticipation. His divine task was to warn them. However, history has shown us that darkness often rises when light rises. When the Prophet ﷺ presented the nūr of guidance to his clan, his own uncle Abū Lahab was the first to oppose him. From that moment and place, one ﷺ would spread the message to the entirety of mankind while the other fought it with closed eyes and raised arms.

The Darkness

The nature of oppression is cowardice. The Makkan oppressors were no exception. They descended with brass brutality upon the brittle and vulnerable among the Muslims. With a defiant word, Bilāl, the African slave, was made to burn atop the summer sand and below a crushing boulder, while Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt was scarred by fire. Sumayya gave her life to her Lord while her family and her Prophet ﷺ were made to watch her trauma. Mus‘ab ibn ‘Umayr was stripped of his health and wealth until only his Islam remained. ‘Uthmān ibn Maṣ‘ūn lost an eye for his religion, and Khālid ibn Sa‘īd suffered beatings, dehydration, and starvation at his father’s hands. Abū Bakr endured multiple attacks. After one particular beating while his mother agonizingly gazed, Abū Bakr laid at death’s door concerned only about his friend ﷺ. One after another, the Companions sacrificed themselves for nothing more than the pleasure of their Lord and the company of His Messenger ﷺ. May Allah the Exalted be pleased with them all!

The Prophet ﷺ remained protected by Abū Ṭālib’s tribal influence, but not due to the Quraysh’s lack of trying. At their behest, Abū Ṭālib approached his beloved nephew and asked him to desist from his message. With tears streaming from heart and eyes, the Prophet ﷺ offered this reply, “O my uncle, by Allah, if they were to place the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, and ask me to abandon this course, I would not turn from it until Allah makes it victorious or I perish therein.” Abū Ṭālib sat silently, absorbing the weight of his nephew’s words. His heart was torn between his love for the Prophet ﷺ and the burden of familial and societal obligations. On one hand, he admired the unwavering conviction and purity of his nephew’s mission, which resonated with the deepest truths of his own heart. On the other, he foresaw the relentless opposition and danger that lay ahead, knowing the depth of Quraysh’s enmity. Despite his inner turmoil, his resolve to protect his nephew solidified further, driven by a mix of paternal affection and a deep-seated sense of justice. In that moment, Abū Ṭālib’s silent strength spoke volumes, a testament to his quiet but profound support. So powerful was his stance that Abū Ṭālib reflected his nephew’s commitment with a promise to protect him until his last day. Not to be deterred, the Quraysh then turned to propaganda and spread lies about him ﷺ. They announced he was a soothsayer, insane, a possessed poet, and a magician. Yet the people realized that only the title of Prophet applied, and they continued to enter Islam in droves. In defeated desperation, they turned towards physical persecution. Abū Jahl threatened the Prophet ﷺ repeatedly until one day, while the Prophet was prostrating beside the Kaʻba, he had the innards of a camel placed upon him. At other times, they attacked him, set thorns on his path, poured filth at his door, and constantly barraged him verbally.

In the darkness of these nights, Allah the Exalted would, at times, alight a new star for the Muslims. Stars like the Prophet’s ﷺ uncle and brave warrior Ḥamza and the Qurayshī noble and man of principle ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭab entered Islam at crucial moments. With these two, the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ grew bolder and proclaimed their Islam openly. However, it was not yet time for daybreak.

During this time, some of the Companions fled to Abyssinia, seeking solace from the Makkan sorrow. The Quraysh pursued them even there. The world, despite its enormity, could not contain their malice. The Christian ruler Negus protected the Muslims during their stay as honorable guests to an honorable host.

However, the Quraysh would ratchet their rancor another rung for the Muslims that remained in Makkah. In the seventh year of the Prophet’s messengership, they decreed collective punishment on the tribes of Banū Hāshim and Banū ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib. They banished the two tribes along with the Prophet ﷺ and his family to a valley, and in a document hung from the Kaʻba, forbade intermarriage and trade with them. The boycott was brutally enforced until survival became the only goal. The people ate leaves while the cries of children went unanswered. As if the night was not dark enough, they were now plunged into the depths of the ocean, wave upon wave.

The Year of Grief

Throughout all this, the Prophet ﷺ, his Companions, and Islam persevered. The truth remained a lighthouse at sea, guiding those lost in the darkness. After three years of the boycott, a divine intervention disintegrated the document and ended the blockade. However, it was not without consequences.

Abū Ṭālib persisted in his promise of protecting the Prophet ﷺ despite a crippling price to himself. He accepted everything on behalf of his nephew except one thing. Soon after the boycott, Abū Ṭālib passed away, not having accepted his ﷺ prophethood. This was a heavy lesson on humility and dependency that surely weighed on the Prophet ﷺ and the ummah. A man may embody every good trait and even have earned the love of a Prophet, but still, the matter belongs to Allah the Exalted. “You cannot give guidance to whomsoever you wish, but Allah gives guidance to whomsoever He wills, and He best knows the ones who are on the right path.” (Surah al-Qaṣas 56) Sayyida Khadīja stood by the Prophet ﷺ through everything. Messengers endure a life of difficulty that perhaps only their wives genuinely feel. Her enduring loyalty was matched only by his love for her. She, too, passed soon thereafter as another victim of the boycott. He would remember her through the rest of his prophetic mission. This was the Year of Sorrow which left our dear Prophet ﷺ empty and exposed, internally and externally.