2. The Beginning of the Mission
Attheageofforty,whenhewasinspiritualretreatinthecaveofHirā’,
hewasgiventhe missionof propagatingthe newreligion.Atthat mo-
mentthefirstfiveversesofsūrah 96 wererevealedtohim.(Thiseventis
knownasbi’that—being raisedtoproclaim God’smessage.)Thatvery
dayhereturnedtohishouseandonthewaymethiscousin,‘AlībinAbi
Tālib,whoafterhearing theaccountofwhat hadoccurreddeclaredhis
acceptanceofthefaith.AftertheProphetenteredthehouseandtoldhis
wifeoftherevelation,shelikewiseacceptedIslam.Soonafter,Zaydibn
al-Hārithah(aloyalslavewhomhetreatedlikehisownson)alsobecame
a convert.
ThefirsttimetheProphetinvitedpeopletoaccepthismessage,hewas
faced with a distressing andpainful reaction. Out of necessity he was
forcedhenceforthtopropagatehismessagesecretlyforthreeyearsuntil
hewasorderedagainbyGodtoinvitehisverycloserelativestoaccept
the message.Heorganized afamilyfeastandinvited fortyofhis kins-
men.Atthegathering,Muhammadaskediftheyhadeverfoundhimly-
ing?Thegeneralresponsewas:‘Wehaveneverfoundyoulying.’Then
heasked,“IfIweretotellyouthatyourenemieshavegatheredbeyond
thesandhillstoattackyou,wouldyoubelieveme?”Theyreplied,‘Yes.’
Then he said:
IknownomaninallArabiawhocanofferhiskindredamoreexcel-
lentthingthanInowdo.Iofferyouhappinessbothinthislifeandinthe
hereafter.GodAlmightyhascommandedmetocallyouuntoHim.Who,
therefore,amongyouwillassistmehereinshallbecomemybrother,my
heir and my successor.
Butthiscallwasalsofruitlessandnooneheededitexcept‘AlībinAbi
Tālib,whoinanycasehadalreadyacceptedthefaith.Accordingtothe
historicaldocumentstransmittedfromtheImamsofAhlu‘l-baytandthe
extant poems composed by Abu Tālib, Abu Tālib had also embraced
Islam;however,becausehewasthesoleprotectoroftheProphet,hehid
hisfaithfromthepeopleinordertopreservetheoutwardpowerhehad
with the Quraysh.
Afterthisperiod,accordingtoDivineinstruction,theProphetbeganto
propagatehismissionopenly. Withthebeginningofopenpropagation