At the beginning, the call for
Islam started with his household. The first to call for this
message was his wife, Khadija bint Kuwailid who soon willingly
responded to it for she had already been aware of that and since
the first moment of her getting married to Muhammad (P.B.U.H.)
that she would be the wife to a commissioned prophet.
In addition to all that, she had
been living with him for long years and she knew too well his
temperament, his manners, his honesty and his spiritual
relationship with the heavens.
Then, the Prophet directed his way
towards his cousin and brother in – law, Ali bin Abi Talib
(P.B.U.H.) who was not polluted by worshipping idols nor even for
one moment or believing in polytheism.
So, the importance of the
existence of Ali bin Abi Talib side by side with the Prophet lies
in the fact that he was distinguished by his obedience and
subjection to him as well as of his being courageous and
stalwart, and that was what the Prophet was urgently in need of
in his call for Islam during that stage.
Both Ali bin Abi Talib and Khadija
bint Khuwailid were the first to pray with the Prophet (P.B.U.T.)
and they both were sharing with him his entry to the guru of Hira
until the first nucleus of this get-together has been completed
with the company of Zayd bin Hartha
(P.B.U.T.)
During this stage of the call for
Islam, the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) depended upon the style of Al-
Nakhaee in worshipping and keeping contact with those who have
faith in this message who for many times have encountered from
the very start several individual conflicts with the disbelievers
and the polytheists of Quraish.
After the reach of this first
nucleus (which was implanted by the Prophet) (P.B.U.H.) the level
which qualified it to break into the awaited struggle, came then
next to it, the stage of announcing the message in public and its
very outset, stemmed from the heavenly commandments: " And then
warn your closest relatives." (Al-Shu'ara:314)
And from here, he (P.B.U.H.)
called the individuals of his clan who had been caring about the
tribal considerations, not trespassing the wise and elderly of
the society or deviating from their laws in use at that time. The
call of the Prophet was crystal clear and quite frank as the call
was determined to demolish all that was built on the falsehood
and the injustice of the pre-Islamic era.
It is quite natural to see this
new call encounter at the very outset entire rejection and the
first to stand against the Islamic Call and become hostile to the
Prophet (P.B.U.H.) was his uncle Abu Lahab.
How did the Call for Islam Gain
Ground?
This chapter deals with the
details of the declaration of this call to take its effect in
public. Narrators declare in their writings and records that a
divine command came to Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) calling him to convert
the call from the stage of secrecy into the stage of publicity,
the Prophet gave an order to Imam Ali bin Abu Talib (P.B.U.T.) to
prepare a banquet wherein the people of his clan and relatives
and highly remarkable characters know what Muhammad (P.B.U.H.)
will bring to them of news for he is well reputed for good
manners, honesty and high spirits.
But the fanatical pre- Islamic
zeal prevented them from verifying what he had brought to them
this time. No sooner had he initiated the talk than was
interrupted by Abu Lahab (the Prophet's evil uncle) who was
cursed in the Quran menacingly ordering him to discontinue the
talk about the call for Islam. As a result of that, this
gathering unfortunately dispersed and came to no
avail.
The following day, the Prophet
renewed the order to Ali bin Abi Talib
(P.B.U.T.) by preparing another
banquet and invited the men of his clan to it. No sooner had the
feast been over than Abu Lahab said:
"O people of Abdul- Muttalib,
Muhammad said: "By Allah, I swear I haven't ever witnessed a
youth from the Arabs could bring to his nation a more favorable
thing than what I have brought with me to you. I have brought to
you the best of what is in this world and in the
Hereafter."
Allah, the Blessed, the Glorified
had ordered me to call you for accepting him according to what I
was ordered; so, who of you would keep safe his faith with me and
support me with regard to this affair by admitting him to be my
brother, my trustee and my successor after me?"
The whole gathering has kept
silent except Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (P.B.U.H.) who rose to his
feet and said: "I, Messenger of Allah, am ready to be your
minister for what Allah has commissioned to the people but the
Prophet (P.B.U.H.) ordered him to sit down to repeat the call for
the second time but again nobody stood up to answer the Prophet's
call except Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (P.B.U.H.)
At seeing Ali's strong persistence
on responding to the Prophet's question, the Prophet turned his
face towards the overcrowded gathering there and said to them:
"This is my brother, my trustee and my caliph amidst you after my
departure. Listen to him and obey me."
On hearing that, the whole
audience stood up but, the Prophet repeated the order for
confirmation and making them pay more attention saying: " This is
my brother, my trustee and my caliph at which the whole gathering
had become in a state of bewilderment and turned their faces
towards Abu Talib and addressed him ridiculously: " You are
ordered by your 'son' to listen and obey."
Sun -
22 Jamadilawal 1446H -
