The Prophet in Makkah

THE PROPHET IN MAKKAH Instead, the human aspect of his life emerges from a study of the Quran. The Beginning of the Prophet’s Public Mission When, at forty, the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation, he reacted as any normal human being would in such a situation. He was meditating in the Cave of Hira’ at the time. Petrified, he returned home, where his wife Khadijah awaited him. Being an impartial judge, she was in a position to view the situation objectively. She could see that the Prophet’s experience, far from being a bad dream, must have been a sign that God had chosen him. “It cannot be,” she said, “God will surely never humiliate you. You are kind to your relatives; you always give the weak a helping hand; you help those out of work stand on their feet again; you honour guests. When people are in trouble, you assist them.”91 The Prophet went about his task in a manner befitting one who was to preach a new message in a society attached to traditional beliefs and customs. He proceeded cautiously, following an entirely natural sequence. At first, he had to work in secret. This is how the historian Ibn Kathir describes an incident that occurred at the beginning of the Prophet’s mission: ‘Ali, son of Abu Talib and cousin of the Prophet, came into the Prophet’s house while he and