Life-of-Muhammad

30Life of Muhammad saThere is something lofty and heroic in this journey ofMuhammad sa to At-Ta’if; a solitary man, despised andrejected by his own people, going boldly forth in the nameof God, like Jonah to Nineveh, and summoning anidolatrous city to repent and support his mission. It sheds astrong light on the intensity of his belief in the divine originof his calling (Life of Muhammad sa by Sir W. Muir, 1923edition, pp. 112-113).Mecca returned to its old hostility. The Prophet's sahome town again became hell for him. But he continuedto tell people of his Message. The formula, "God is One",began to be heard here and there. With love and regard,and with a sense of fellow-feeling, the Prophet sapersisted in the exposition of his Message. People turnedaway but he addressed them again and again. He madehis proclamation, whether the people cared or not, andpersistence seemed to pay. The handful of Muslims whohad returned from Abyssinia and had decided to stay,preached secretly to their friends, neighbours andrelations. Some of these were persuaded to declarethemselves openly and to share the sufferings of otherMuslims. But many, though persuaded at heart, did nothave the courage to confess openly; they waited for thekingdom of God to come to the earth.In the meantime revelations received by the Prophet sabegan to hint at the near possibility of migration fromMecca. Some idea of the place they were to migrate towas also given to him. It was a town of wells and dategroves.He thought of Yamama. But soon the thoughtwas dismissed. He then waited in the assurance thatwhatever place they were destined to go to wouldcertainly become the cradle of Islam.ISLAM SPREADS TO MEDINAThe annual Hajj drew near, and from all parts ofArabia pilgrims began to arrive in Mecca. The Prophet sawent wherever he found a group of people, expounded to