The Universality of Dawah

They realize that under the banner of monotheism all men become equal in the real sense. As humble servants of one great God, they all become true human beings with a right to human dignity. By finding their true place in the world, they achieve the greatest position that man can aspire to. When Mughirah ibn Shu’bah entered the court of the Iranian warrior, Rustam, he made a speech to the courtiers gathered there. As Ibn Jarir explains, his words had a devastating effect on all who heard them: “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.’” (Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. III, p. 36) When, in the thirteenth year of his mission, the Prophet arrived in Madinah with Abu Bakr, 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.” (Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, Vol. III) It was the Prophet’s preaching alone which had made him leader of the people of Madinah. The first inhabitant of Madinah to whom the Prophet 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 own tribe, but they killed him. (Tarikh al-Tabari, p. 232) After this, a chieftain of Madinah, Abul Haisam Anas ibn Rafe’, came to Makkah. With him was a group of youths of the Banu Abdul Ashhal tribe. They had come to Makkah to make an alliance with the Quraysh on behalf of the Khazraj, one of the main tribes