The Prophet in Makkah

THE PROPHET IN MAKKAH emperor, and “it might be that kings will not take kindly to the message that you preach.”134 The Prophet was desperate to find a tribe that would afford him protection, for there was no other way to continue his mission. Once, he went to see a tribe which went by the name of Banu ‘Abdullah. After the Prophet had, as usual, called them to Islam and presented himself to them in the hope that they would grant him asylum, he said: “Banu ‘Abdullah, what a beautiful name your forefather had.” But they were untouched by his evident goodwill and rejected his proposals.135 The last three years of the Prophet’s time in Makkah were spent among various tribes, looking for one to grant him asylum. Yet despite his untiring efforts, no tribe was ready to take him in. Some of the people he approached used to taunt him, saying, “Isn’t it high time that you despaired of us?” Eventually, God gave the tribes of Aws and Khazraj, which hailed from Madinah, the courage to extend the Prophet their support. There was one particular psychological reason for their decision. In their vicinity dwelt Jewish tribes, notably the Jews of Khaybar, who had possession of the most fertile lands in the area and control of the region’s commerce. Many of the Aws and Khazraj were given employment by them, but the work was so hard and the recompense so inadequate that it was more like slavery for them. (Mention is made of this by the Prophet when, after the emigration to Madinah, he had