The Prophet in Makkah

THE PROPHET IN MAKKAH The lower classes said: “By God, this Arabian has spoken the truth.” As for the upper classes: they said, “By God, he has attacked us with words which our slaves will find irresistible. God damn, our predecessors. How stupid they were to think lightly of this community.”107 When he and Abu Bakr arrived in Madinah in the thirteenth year of the Prophet’s mission, about 500 people came to meet him. They greeted the newcomers with these words: Welcome! You are both safe with us. We accept you as our leaders.108 The Prophet’s preaching alone had made him the leader of the people of Madinah. The first inhabitant of Madinah to whom the Prophet had preached Islam was probably Suwayd ibn Samit al-Khazraji. When the Prophet had given him an outline of the teachings of Islam, Suwayd said: “It seems that your message is the same as mine.” “What’s your message?” the Prophet asked. “The wisdom of Luqman,” Suwayd replied. When the Prophet asked him to explain the wisdom of Luqman, Suwayd recited a few poems. “I have the Quran,” the Prophet said, “which is far superior to this.” He then recited a few verses of the Quran, and Suwayd immediately accepted Islam. He went back to Madinah and preached the message of Islam to his tribe, but they killed him.109 After this, a chieftain of Madinah, Abu’l Haysar Anas ibn Rafi’, came to Makkah. With him was a group of youths of the Banu ‘Abd al-Ashhal tribe. They had come to Makkah