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LECTURE 6
First 4 years after Revelation
Details about modes of revelations
So, revelation has started and will continue for 23
years. It is important for us to know that the source
of revelation was one, and it was Allah (swt) but the
modes of revelation differed.
So it is important for us to know what they were:
Mode 1
The period of true vision. It was
the starting point of the
Revelation to the Messenger of
Allah (saw)
Mode 2
What the angel invisibly cast in the Prophet’s mind
and heart. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "The
Noble Spirit revealed to me ‘No soul will perish until
it exhausts its due course, so fear Allah and gently
request Him. Never get so impatient to the verge of
disobedience of Allah . What Allah has can never
be acquired but through obedience to Him.’"
Mode 3
The angel used to visit the Messenger of Allah (saw) in
the form of a human being and would speak to him
directly. This would enable him to fully understand
what the angel said. The angel was sometimes seen
in this form by the Prophet’s Companions. He would
often come in the form of a man in white, or in the
form of the handsome companion by the name of “
Mode 4
The angel came to him like the toll of a bell and this was
the most difficult form because the angel used to seize
him tightly and sweat would stream down his forehead
even on the coldest day. If the Prophet (saw) was on his
camel, the camel would not withstand the weight, so it
would immediately kneel down on the ground. Once the
Messenger of Allah (saw) had such a revelation when
he was sitting and his thigh was on Zaid’s, Zaid felt the
pressure. He said it almost injured his thigh.
Mode 5
The Prophet (saw) saw the angel in his actual form.
The angel would reveal to him what Allah had
ordered him to reveal. This, as mentioned in (Qur’an
in Surah An-Najm (Chapter 53 - The Star), happened
twice [?]
Mode 6
What Allah Himself revealed to him
in heaven i.e. when he ascended
to heaven and received Allah ’s
orders of Salah (prayer).
Mode 7
Allah’s Words to His Messenger (saw) first hand
without the mediation of an angel. It was a
privilege granted to Moses (as) and clearly
attested in the Qur’an , as it is attested to our
Prophet (saw)in Surah Al-Isra:146 (Chapter 17 - The
Journey by Night).
The Prophetic call can be divided into
two phases:
These two phases are distinctly demarcated:
1. The Makkan phase: nearly thirteen years.
2. The Madinese phase: fully ten years.
Each of the two phases had distinctive features that
are discernible through scrutiny into the
circumstances and the verses from the Qur’an that
characterized each of them.
This class will focus on:
The Makkan period/phase only—
and the second part will focus on
the Madinese phase insha Allah.
Today, we will deal with 4 years
following revelation:
.After receiving the revelation from Jibril (as) and talking
to Warqa Ibn-Nawfal, the Prophet (saw) was now
ready to start his journey and spread his message. This
message intended:
1) to make people desert idols and worship Allah
[Taweed]
2) And spread reform on earth, all over the world.
What means were available to Prophet
for these purposes?
None– he (saws):
 Was on his own,
 Had no supporters,
 Had no money,
 Had no followers.
But he (saw) had one thing:
deep belief in his message, high principles, and
twenty years of preparation—remember I told you
that the strength of this message in its ideology. It is
the ideology—all thinkers, psychologists, scholars of
the world bring about ideologies, each one hoping
that their ideology would be the best. Imagine when
you have the IDEOLOGY of the Creator of the
world itself. There is nothing above it.
He had four surahs from the Qur’an:

Surat Al-Alaq that emphasized the value of knowledge

Surat Al-Muzzammil advising of night prayer

Surat Al-Muddaththir that ordered him to rise up

Finally, he had Al-Fatihah that asserted that he was the Prophet of mercy to all
mankind. His message was for reform not for destruction.
Prophet (saw) had to plan :



Many people think that spreading Islam was a
random process—and then everything miraculously
fell in place.
Not at all, it was based on a wise time plan.
The Prophet’s plan consisted of gradual steps;
moving from one step to the next depending on the
success on the previous step. Methodology in place.
First step :
The first step on the road to reform was not to break
an idol or use violence; it was to merge within
society and choose exceptional men and women
who would be the deeply rooted foundation of the
message.
Characteristics of these chosen few:
high morals,
 great resilience
 and success.
The Prophet’s choice was not random but selective.
Strong followers that would spread the message
and gain more followers.

This was during the first 3 years:
In the books about the Seerah (the Prophet's
biography) the first three years are described are
as a secret phase, because it was by special
invitation only. It wasn’t an open invitation, and
hence was done in secret.
Who was the Prophet’s first choice:
Was a woman. Who? Khadijah (raa). All scholars
agree that the first one to prostrate to Allah after
the Prophet (saw) was Khadijah (raa).
This is a matter of pride for all women that the first
believer after the Prophet (saw) was a woman.
The second person was:
Abu-Bakr (raa). He did not hesitate or ask for time to
think like others; on the contrary, as soon as the
Prophet (saw) spoke to him about Islam, he
accepted it at once.
And two children:
Ali (raa) embraced Islam when he was ten [some sa
13] years old
followed by Zayd Ibn-Haritha (raa).
The Prophet (saw) now had four followers.
Abu Bakr got to work right away in
dawa:
Abu-Bakr (raa) understood that the Prophet (saw) was seeking extraordinary people.
Therefore, in his first week of Islam, he gathered six other followers who were
among the ten followers promised to enter Jannah (paradise). They were:
1.
Othman Ibn-Affan,
2.
Talha Ibn-Obaidullah,
3.
Al-Zubair Ibnul-Awwam,
4.
Abdul-Rahman Ibn-Awf who was a successful merchant,
5.
Saad Ibn-Aby-Wakkas who conquered Iraq,
6.
and Abu-Ubaydah Ibnul-Jarrah who conquered the Levant (Sham countries).
All of their deeds in scales of Abu Bakr
(raa):


All the good deeds of these great men will rest in AbuBakr's scale on the Day of Judgment. Abu Bakr's loyalty
and commitment to the message were key to his success
in converting such great men in his first week as a
Muslim
He might have been thin and weak, but if his faith were
to be weighed against the faith of the entire Ummah,
his scale would be heavier.
Islam continued to spread:



Over a period of six months, the number of followers increased to
45, most of them were young men whose ages did not exceed 30
years. They were 27 men, and 18 women. They consisted of 34
wealthy and eleven poor companions.
They were from 16 different tribes. So, they were integrated in
society. There was a Muslim in every household now.
These companions were of different social backgrounds: Ammar IbnYasser and Belal Ibn-Rabah, the slaves, Othman Ibn-Ma'zoum, the
great wealthy lord.
Let me repeat my question once again,
would you have been chosen?
Remember that the same
criterion apply for
accompanying the Prophet
(saws) in Jannah.
Everyone in Prophet’s household
embraced Islam:
The household consisted of 9 members:
1.
the Prophet (saw),
2.
Khadijah (raa),
The four daughters:
1.
Zainab,
2.
Ruqaya,
3.
Um-Kolthoum,
4.
and Fatima,

in addition to his maid: Um Ayman

and two young men:
1.
Ali Ibn-Abi-Talib
2.
and Zaid Ibn-Haritha.
We envy the first followers:


I remember a saying of Saad Ibn-Aby-Waqqas, "There was
a day when I represented a quarter of Islam!" He was the
fourth one to embrace Islam.
Story of Al-Ash'ath Ibn-Kays narrated that once he came in
the season of Pilgrimage to Makkah, for he was a merchant,
to finish a business deal with Al-Abbas (raa) the Prophet's
uncle. He said that while they were conversing, he saw a
man, who was the Prophet (saws), coming out of a tent. He
looked at the sun, and then started to pray. Then he was
followed by a young man, who stood beside him to pray.
Al-Ash'ath continues . . .
Finally a woman came out from the tent and joined them
in prayer. Al-Ash'ath was astonished and asked AlAbbas about what they were doing. He told him they
were praying. He then asked who they were. Al-Abbas
replied, “He is Muhammad my nephew, the young man
is Ali my other nephew, and the woman is Khadijah,
Muhammad's wife. He claims to be the Prophet and
they are his only followers.”
Abbas asks if Al-Ash’ath wants to meet
the Prophet (saw) . . .
Then Al-Abbas asked Al-Ash'ath whether he wanted to be
introduced to Muhammad, but Al-Ash'ath refused and
preferred to finish the business deal. Al-Ash'ath, who
entered Islam twenty years later, regretted the fact
that he could have been the third person to join Islam,
and stand beside Ali. Do not waste your chance to
contribute to the revival when the opportunity knocks on
your door today—it is the gold rush of hasanaat
today.
Some wish they lived during his time:




But?
The response that one of the companions gave to
those who saw him smile after the Prophet (saw)
died.
What does the Prophet (saw) say about us?
When you meet him—the angels may prevent you!
End of three year phase with success:
After three years, the number of Muslims had
increased by more than a hundred. Quraysh did
not notice this rise, which meant that the
Prophet's plan had succeeded. Three years had
passed without confrontation or conflict, and now a
few of the elite were on his side, and Islam was
inside every house in Makkah. Three years had
passed and marked the end of the first phase
We need to move on to the next step:
Now the Prophet (saws) had to take the next step; he had
to announce Islam to the masses. Now was the time for
the idea to reach everyone, everywhere.
So, starts another phase called: proclamation of the
Call in Makkah [Dawa Jahriyyah]—and this continues
from the beginning of the fourth year of Prophet hood
to almost the end of the tenth year.
Strength in numbers and quality—both:


There is strength in numbers and quality of those—
quality always takes precedence over numbers.
They were strong together, but their goal exceeded
this small group of believers, it exceeded their small
circle to include all the world. So, they will work
from the inner circles to the outside circles—
systematic. There is a methodology.
Revelations ordering this phase:
Two ayahs descend on the Prophet (saws):
1.
first, "So profess openly what you have been commanded and veer away
from the associates (Those who associate others with Allah)" (15:94),
warning him of opposition and harm.
2.
The second ayah states that it is no more the phase of selection: ""And
warn your tribe (O Muhammad [saw]) of near kindred." [Al-Qur'an
26:214]."
! Notice here that the Inspiration did not tell the Prophet where to start, but
he was only ordered to make the matter public, but he was left to
come up with his plan for action.
Prophet (saw) starts with his extended
family:
The Prophet (saws) starts with his own family, not with the whole
of Quraysh. So he:
1.
He invited all his family, men and women, to a feast.
2.
He let them eat first,
3.
then as soon as he started to speak, he was interrupted by AbuLahab who spoke ill of Muhammad's message, and warned them
of the grave consequences that would befall them if Muhammad
were not stopped.
4.
The Prophet (saws) did not lose his composure or temper; he did
not even put his case forward on that occasion.
Abu Lahab stole the show:
"These are your uncles and cousins, speak on to the point,
but first of all you have got to know that your kin
people are not in a position to withstand all the Arabs.
Another point you have got to bear in mind is that your
relatives are sufficient unto you. If you follow their
tradition, it will be easier for them than to face the
other clans of Quraysh supported by the other Arabs.
Verily, I have never heard of anyone who has incurred
more harm on his kins people than you."
Learn in Dawa to avoid arguments:
The Prophet did not want to start his call for Islam with
an argument with his uncle, Abu-Lahab’s. Indeed,
Abu-Lahab’s response was not out of hatred to the
Prophet (saw), on the contrary, the Prophet was
dear to him ever since he (saws) was born to the
extent that his two boys (Otba and Otayba) were
engaged to the Prophet's two daughters (Ruqaya
and Um-Kolthoum).
What was Abu Lahab’s problem?
Abu-Lahab was worried about his business, he knew
that this message will turn Quraysh against them.
The new religion called for removing the idols
from the Ka'ba, which meant that the other tribes
whose idols will fall would seek revenge by
attacking their commercial caravans. Therefore, he
chose to show everyone that he was against
Muhammad to avoid any problems.
Warning don’t be an Abu Lahab!
What did he do?
Do not ever choose your personal interests over the
truth. That is what the Surah Al Masad talks
about—and it is one of those Surah’s that we learn
very early in our childhood so that we learn this
lesson very early.
The Prophet (saw) tries again with his
extended family:
Once again, the Prophet (saws) invited his family for a
second feast, but this time he decided to talk to
them while they were still eating. He did not
exclude Abu-Lahab from the invitation, if he did he
would be hostile.
Prophet (saw) says:
"I celebrate Allah ’s praise, I seek His help, I believe in Him, I
put my trust in Him, I bear witness that there is no god to be
worshipped but Allah with no associate. A guide can never
lie to his people. I swear by All? , there is no god but He,
that I have been sent as a Messenger to you, in particular
and to all the people, in general. I swear by Allah you will
die just as you sleep, you will be resurrected just as you
wake up. You will be called to account for your deeds. It is
then either Hell forever or the Garden (Paradise) forever."
He told them about Islam:
The Prophet (saw) started to talk confidently telling
them about Islam and how he was the Prophet
(saw), “O sons of Hashem, rescue yourselves from
the Fire; O sons of Abd al-Muttalib, rescue
yourselves from the Fire; O Fatima, rescue thyself
from the Fire, for I have no power (to protect you)
from Allah in anything except this that I would
sustain relationship with you."
Family differ in reacting:


Abu-Lahab, far from changing his attitude,
continued his opposition to the Prophet,
while Abu-Taleb, his other uncle kept his promise to
his late father of taking care of Muhammad,
pledged to help and protect him (saws) as long as
he lived.
Abu Talib says:
"We love to help you, accept your advice and believe
in your words. These are your kins people whom you
have collected and I am one of them but I am the
fastest to do what you like. Do what you have
been ordered. I shall protect and defend you, but I
can’t quit the religion of ‘Abdul- Muttalib."
Abu Lahab says:
" I swear by Allah that this is a bad thing. You
must stop him before the others do." Abu Taleb,
however, answered, "I swear by Allah to protect
him as long as I am alive."
Prophet (saw) gains protection of his
family:
He (saw) achieved target from the feast, he gained
the support and protection of his family. This does
not undermine his trust in Allah. Islam teaches us to
rely on Allah’s protection at all times, but also to
take all the necessary measures and precautions.
But he also wanted them to believe [to
follow him]:




Hamza and Al-Abbas turned their faces away;
Abu-Taleb was reluctant to leave his father's beliefs
although deep inside he felt Muhammad’s honesty.
The rest of the family sat in silence.
No one followed him, except for one young kid, Ali
(raa) who was also invited, and answered the Prophet's
call and gave him his hand to pledge loyalty.
Now to deal with Quraysh:
The time had come to announce Islam to everyone [in Makkah]. So, the
Prophet (saws) did the following:
1.
He chose a famous spot in Makkah (the mountain of Safa)
2.
climbed it,
3.
and he started, boldly, to call people to gather. Let the Prophet's
strength be an inspiration to you never to be ashamed of your
religion, always be strong and daring. Remember the ayah: “This
is Book, sent down upon you, so let there be no distress in your
breast because of it. You are to warn with it, and it is a
Remembrance to the faithful.” (7:1-2)
He cried out loud:
"O Bani Fihr! O Bani 'Adi!" addressing various tribes of
Quraysh till they were assembled. Those who could not come
themselves sent their messengers to see what was
happening. Abu Lahab and other people from Quraysh
came and the Prophet then said, "Suppose I told you that
there was an (enemy) cavalry in the valley intending to
attack you, would you believe me?" They said, "Yes, for
we have never known you to tell anything other than the
truth." He then said, "I am Allah's Prophet to you, I am a
warner to you in face of a terrific punishment."
Abu Lahab—his uncle—stands up to him:
"May your hands perish all this day. Is it for this
purpose that you have gathered us?" Then the
Qur'an was revealed: "Perish the hands of Abu
Lahab—perish he! His wealth shall not avail him,
Nor what he earned, He shall be scorched by a fire,
ablaze . . .” (7:1-2)
Why was Abu Lahab’s sin great?
Abu-Lahab was the only one whose name came in such a manner in
Qur'an because:
1.
he was the first one to provoke others to defy the Prophet. The
Prophet (saw), a virtuous man, did not even answer him.
2.
Because he was a family member, he gave the power to others to
discredit the Prophet (saw).
3.
He set a bad example for others, the Prophet (saws) said, "He who
sets in Islam an evil precedent, there is upon him the burden of
that, and the burden of him also who acted upon it subsequently,
without any deduction from their burden."
Prophet (saw) preaches to Quraysh
about Islam:
He talked to people about salvation and attracted
them to religion. He did not start with warnings of
hellfire, but with promises of Jannah. He wanted
religion to appeal to them. Therefore, he did not
push them away with words about torment and
pain. He (saws) said, "oh people, say there is no
deity but Allah and you will prosper."
Quraysh starts to become violent:
After this incident Quraysh stopped being neutral
towards Muhammad (saws). But how was it
received by the Prophet (saw) and his followers?
It was met with peace because one could never fight
or kill one’s own people.

Foundation was strong:
Although the followers were only about 200, while Makkah’s
population was around 25.000 to 30.000, those followers
were able to shake Quraysh's resolve because they were
deeply rooted in the society. We can learn a lot about
dawah, for we should:
1)
Not prefer isolation,
2)
We must be flexible.
3)
we must address people in their language without losing
our sense of the religion.
Quraysh tries to counter-act
They started spreading doubts about the Prophet
(saws), mocking and ridiculing what he said, trying
to cause psychological and physical harm, until they
even attempted to kill him (saws).
Tackled Abu Taleb first:
They asked Abu Taleb to intervene and advise his nephew to
stop his activities. In order to attach a serious and earnest
stamp to their demand, they chose to touch the most sensitive
area in Arabian life, viz., ancestral pride. They addressed
Abu Taleb in the following manner: "O Abu Taleb! Your
nephew curses our gods; finds faults with our way of life,
mocks at our religion and degrades our forefathers; either
you must stop him, or you must let us get at him. For you are
in the same opposition as we are in opposition to him; and
we will rid you of him.“
Abu Taleb’s response:
Abu Taleb tried to appease their wrath by giving
them a polite reply.
Al-Waleed bin Al-Mugheerah
Was asked to deliberate on this issue. Al-Waleed
invited them to agree on a unanimous resolution
to characterize the Prophet (saw). However, they
were at variance. Some suggested that they
describe him as Kahin, i.e., soothsayer; but this
suggestion was turned down on grounds that his
words were not so rhymed
Let’s call him Majnun



i.e., possessed by jinn; this was also rejected because no insinuations peculiar
to that state of mind ware detected, they claimed.
"Why not say he is a poet?" Some said. Here again they could not reach
a common consent, alleging that his words were totally outside the lexicon
of poetry.
"OK then; let us accuse him of practicing witchcraft," was a fourth
suggestion. Here also Al-Waleed showed some reluctance saying that the
Prophet [saw] was known to have never involved himself in the practice of
blowing on the knots, and admitted that his speech was sweet tasting root
and branch.
They come to a decision:

He, however, found that the most plausible charge to be
leveled against Muhammad [saw] was witchcraft. They
adopted this opinion and agreed to propagate one
uniform formula to the effect that he was a magician
so powerful and commanding in his art that he
would successfully alienate son from father, man
from his brother, wife from her husband and man
from his clan.
Allah sends ayat describing Al-Waleed’s
scheme”
" He reflected and assessed—curse him how he
assessed! And curse him again how he assessed!
Then he paused to consider, Then he frowned and
grew sullen, Then turned his back and swelled
with pride, Saying, ‘This is nothing but sorcery,
time worn; Nothing but human speech." [74:1825]
He spoke to people, all the time his uncle
following him and . . .



His uncle Abu-Lahab would tell people that his nephew
Muhammad was insane and incited them not believe
him.
They even sent one of them, Al-Nadr Ibnul-Harith, to
Persia for a year to learn tales and fables like the ones
Muhammad narrated.
They went to the extent of claiming that the Prophet
was a secret agent for a foreign nation!
Nothing could stop the Prophet (saw)
He (saw) dedicated all his time and efforts to his
message, to the point that Allah pitied him: “And
will you perchance, torture yourself by following
in their footsteps, if they do not believe in this
discourse, in grief for them?" (18:6)
Followers increased . . .
In spite of their attempts to shake the trust in him, the
number of believers was in constant increase,
because truth always prevails. The Prophet (saw)
did not waste time defending himself, he was
focused on the message—he was never mad for
himself (saw).