The Prophet Muhammad Pocket Guide

terms of this treaty, the Muslims were to go back without visiting the Kabah. They were to come again the following year and stay in Makkah for just three days. The companions of the Prophet were very upset at the terms of the treaty, it seemed to them that the Makkans had been dominant and they were made out to be subservient. But God declared in the Quran that it was a ‘Clear Victory’ for the believers. The future events would show how the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah would pave the way for the spread of Islam across Arabia. The peace treaty removed the danger of war and people were able to mix freely with any tribe they liked. This gave the non-Muslims an opportunity to have a closer look at Islam. During this period of free interaction, Islam became a subject of general discussion. The call of Islam spread rapidly. The Arabs, impressed by the virtues of Islam began to enter its fold in large numbers. Within the next two years the number of Muslims greatly increased. Dawah — The Mission of the Prophet The Prophet Muhammad at first started to secretly communicate the message of Islam. Members of his immediate family were the first to accept Islam. Abu Bakr Siddiq was the first person outside the family to accept Islam. He in turn called his friends to God and Islam, and some of them, like Uthman and Abdur Rahman bin Auf, accepted Islam. The Prophet Muhammad used to visit the homes of the Makkans, calling them towards Islam by reciting the verses of the Quran. Umar said that the Prophet came on many occasions to call him towards Islam. The Prophet Muhammad would also address people gathered at the Kabah. The Kabah was the place of pilgrimage and it would have people coming to it from Makkah as well various parts of Arabia. The Prophet would recite to them verses of the Quran, narrating to them the power of God and the powerlessness of the idols they worshipped. He had to face ridicule, anger and opposition. People said that he had become mentally unstable and was a magician. They even tried to bribe him to stop propagating Islam. The opposition became relentless and even Abu Talib, his uncle, who was his guardian and protector, pleaded with him to abandon Islam. Prophet Muhammad replied that even if the people opposing Islam were to place the sun in his right hand and the moon in his left hand, he would not stop propagating Islam. The Prophet’s Letters to the Kings The Prophet Muhammad sent letters to neighbouring kings inviting them and their people to Islam. Among the rulers who were sent letters were Heracleus of the Byzantine Empire; Negus, the ruler of Abyssinia; Maquqas, the king of Egypt and Al Mudhir bin Sawa, the ruler of Bahrain. Some selected companions were entrusted with the delivery of these letters. The Prophet Muhammad had a ring made of silver inscribed with the words “Muhammad the messenger of God.” He used to seal his letters with this ring. These letters, short and simply written, gave the basic message of Islam. Here is the letter which the Prophet wrote to Khusru Parvez, the king of Persia: “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent. From Muhammad , God’s messenger, to Khusru, the leader of Persia. Peace be to him who follows right guidance, believes in God and His messenger, and declares that there is no deity save God, the only God, Who has no partners, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. I wish to convey to you God’s call, for I am God’s messenger to all mankind, sent with the task of warning all those who