The Prophet in Makkah

to make an alliance with the Quraysh on behalf of the Khazraj, one of the main tribes of Madinah, who were embroiled in a conflict with the other main tribe, the Aws. The Prophet heard that they were in Makkah. He went to see them and said: “Shall I tell you about something even better than what you have come for?” He then explained to them the meaning of belief in One God. A youth among them called Ayas ibn Mu’adh told his people that what the Prophet had told them was much better than what they had come for. The delegation, however, did not agree. “Leave us alone,” they said, “We are here on other business.” They returned to Madinah. Soon afterwards, the vicious and devastating battle took place between the Aws and Khazraj known as Bu’ath. According to Khubayb ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman, two people from Madinah, Sa’d ibn Zararah, and Zakwan ibn Qays came to Makkah and stayed with ‘Utbah ibn Rabi’ah. When they heard about the Prophet, they went to see him. The Prophet called on them both to accept Islam and recited a passage from the Quran. They accepted the Prophet’s invitation and became Muslim. Rather than return to their host’s house, ‘Utbah, they returned to Madinah after seeing the Prophet. They were the first to communicate the message of Islam to the people of Madinah. This was in the tenth year of the Prophet’s mission, three years before the emigration to Madinah.