The Prophet in Makkah

THE PROPHET IN MAKKAH T here are two main periods of the Prophet Muhammad’s life: the Makkan and the Madinan, derived from the towns of Makkah and Madinah. Place names tend to assume historical significance over and above their literal meaning, and Makkah and Madinah are no exceptions. They may initially have just names of places, but now they have become symbolic of the two faces of the Islamic coin—two aspects of the process by which Islam has come to the world. On the one hand, Makkah is symbolic of “dawah,” or calling people to the faith, while, on the other hand, Madinah is symbolic of revolution. One can put this another way and say that Makkah was where Islam’s “dawah power” was first activated, while Madinah was where this power achieved supremacy. This verse of the Quran tells the whole story of both Makkan and Madinan Islam: Muhammad is God’s Messenger. Those with him are hard on the unbelievers but merciful to one another. You see them bow and prostrate themselves, seeking the grace of God and His goodwill. Their marks are on their faces, the traces of their prostrations. Thus they are described in the Torah and the Gospel: (they are) like the seed which puts forth its shoot and strengthens it, so that it rises stout and firm upon its stalk,