Life-of-Muhammad

30
Life of Muhammad sa
There is something lofty and heroic in this journey of
Muhammad sa to At-Ta’if; a solitary man, despised and
rejected by his own people, going boldly forth in the name
of God, like Jonah to Nineveh, and summoning an
idolatrous city to repent and support his mission. It sheds a
strong light on the intensity of his belief in the divine origin
of his calling (Life of Muhammad sa by Sir W. Muir, 1923
edition, pp. 112-113).
Mecca returned to its old hostility. The Prophet's sa
home town again became hell for him. But he continued
to 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 sa
persisted in the exposition of his Message. People turned
away but he addressed them again and again. He made
his proclamation, whether the people cared or not, and
persistence seemed to pay. The handful of Muslims who
had returned from Abyssinia and had decided to stay,
preached secretly to their friends, neighbours and
relations. Some of these were persuaded to declare
themselves openly and to share the sufferings of other
Muslims. But many, though persuaded at heart, did not
have the courage to confess openly; they waited for the
kingdom of God to come to the earth.
In the meantime revelations received by the Prophet sa
began to hint at the near possibility of migration from
Mecca. Some idea of the place they were to migrate to
was also given to him. It was a town of wells and dategroves.
He thought of Yamama. But soon the thought
was dismissed. He then waited in the assurance that
whatever place they were destined to go to would
certainly become the cradle of Islam.
ISLAM SPREADS TO MEDINA
The annual Hajj drew near, and from all parts of
Arabia pilgrims began to arrive in Mecca. The Prophet sa
went wherever he found a group of people, expounded to