Openly Conveying the Message

In the following days, the Messenger of Allah continued his call to the true religion. While some people insisted on denying everything, others complied with his calling and became enlightened with the faith. Upon the revelation of the new verses that read, “So from now on, proclaim what you are commanded to convey openly and in an emphatic manner, and do not care (whatever) those who associate partners with Allah (say and do). We suffice you against all those who mock” (al-Hijr 94–95), which Archangel Gabriel had brought, our Prophet stood on top of the Safa Hill, and shouted, “O the people of Quraysh!” All who heard the news, “Muhammad is calling out from on top of Safa Hill!” gathered around him. Full of curiosity, they called out, “O Muhammad! What is the matter?”

In response, the Messenger of Allah asked, “If I were to inform you that enemy warriors were about to fall upon you from behind that hill, would you believe me?”

“Yes! We would believe you! For we know you never lie and you are the one of great honesty,” they replied.

Our Prophet had found the answer he was hoping for. Afterwards, he called out, “O the sons of Fihr! O the sons of Abdul Muttalib!” and mentioned the names of all the families of the Quraysh tribe, and he said to them, “I have been entrusted with a duty to warn you. Come and protect yourself from the Hell-fire. I invite you to embrace faith by declaring ‘Allah is One and there is no deity but Allah.’ Until you say, ‘La ilaha illallah (There is no deity but Allah)’ I cannot be of any help to you either in this world or in the next.”

As soon as the Messenger of Allah finished his words, his uncle, Abu Lahab, who was also among the crowd, picked up a stone and shouted, “Shame on you! Is this what you gathered us all here for?”

Then, he threw that stone in his hand at our Prophet. Our Prophet, however, continued with his call, saying, “O the people of the Quraysh! Save yourselves from the punishment of Hell! I have nothing to protect you from the punishment of Allah!”

No one else in the crowd behaved in the way Abu Lahab did, but they did not accept what they had heard just now, either. They just talked among themselves and went on their ways. Upon the rejection and enmity of Abu Lahab, Surah al-Masad, which begins with the verses, “May both hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined are they!” (al-Masad 111:1) was revealed by Allah.

After this open invitation to Islam on Safa Hill, everyone in Mecca had heard about Islam. The Messenger of Allah, who had been inviting the sons of Abdul Muttalib to Allah at every chance, had started to gradually extend his circle of invitation to Islam. From that point on, he would go to the Ka’ba without hiding, perform Prayers there, openly call people to Islam, and freely read the Qur’an. Just like the Prophets that had come before him, he said, “O my tribe! Come and be a servant to the One Allah Who has no equal.”