Life-of-Muhammad

12Life of Muhammad salest Abu Bakr ra should misunderstand, began a longexplanation. Abu Bakr ra stopped the Prophet sa fromdoing so, and insisted that all he wanted to know waswhether an angel had really descended upon him fromGod and had given him a Message. The Prophet sawanted to explain again, but Abu Bakr ra said he wantedto hear no explanation. He wanted only an answer to thequestion whether he had had a Message from God. TheProphet sa said, "Yes" and Abu Bakr ra at once declaredhis faith. Having declared his faith, he said, argumentwould have detracted from the value of his faith. He hadknown the Prophet sa long and intimately. He could notdoubt him, and he wanted no argument to be convincedof his truth. This small group of the Faithful then werethe first believers of Islam: a woman full of years, aneleven-year-old boy, a freed slave living amongstrangers, a young friend and the Prophet sa himself. Thiswas the party which made the silent resolve to spreadthe light of God all over the world. When the people andtheir leaders heard of this, they laughed and declaredthat these men had gone mad. There was nothing to fearand nothing to worry about. But as time went on, thetruth began to dawn and as the Prophet Isaiah as (28:13)said long ago, precept upon precept, precept uponprecept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, andthere a little; began to descend upon the Prophet sa .THE FAITHFUL PERSECUTEDGod began to talk to Muhammad sa in "anothertongue". The youth of the country began to wonder.Those in search of truth became excited. Out of scornand derision began to grow approval and admiration.Slaves, young men, and hapless women began to collectaround the Prophet sa . In his Message and in histeaching there was hope for the degraded, the depressedand the young. Women thought the time for therestoration of their rights was near. Slaves thought theday of their liberation had come and young men thoughtthe avenues of progress were going to be thrown open to