Who was behind the Prophet’s secret call for three years in Makkah al-Mukarramah?
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The questioner : Who was behind the Prophet’s secret call for three years in Makkah al-Mukarramah?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent in Makkah, and its people were not upon a religion; few of them knew anything about the religions at that time. For this reason, they were described as the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. It is well known that if a man like this appears in a society overwhelmed by ignorance, shirk (associating partners with Allah), and kufr (disbelief), his call will not lead to success and guidance unless it is conducted with wisdom and soundness. There is no doubt that it is wise for the call of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) at that time to be secret. He would approach a man in whom he hoped for good and invite him to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). This call would take hold in his heart in every way, and he would enter Islam. Then the Messenger would come to the second man, and the third. Those who were invited to Islam and embraced it would likewise connect with those in whom they hoped for good and acceptance, and invite them to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). And so on, until a community formed around him. At that point, it became appropriate for him to make the call public and declare it, because he had supporters. This is the secret behind the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was not commanded to declare the call from the very first moment. Rather, the matter was delayed until there were people around him. This is the wisdom in the fact that the first call was secret. And so it should be for the one who calls to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) in a society overwhelmed by ignorance and misguidance: he should call this one, and that one, and that one, until people form around him and his front is strengthened. At that point, he declares what he is calling to. Because if he had declared what he was calling to from the very beginning, there would have been fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), quarrels, and disputes, and he would not have been able to achieve his objective. Yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent in Makkah, and its people were not upon a religion; few of them knew anything about the religions at that time. For this reason, they were described as the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. It is well known that if a man like this appears in a society overwhelmed by ignorance, shirk (associating partners with Allah), and kufr (disbelief), his call will not lead to success and guidance unless it is conducted with wisdom and soundness. There is no doubt that it is wise for the call of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) at that time to be secret. He would approach a man in whom he hoped for good and invite him to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). This call would take hold in his heart in every way, and he would enter Islam. Then the Messenger would come to the second man, and the third. Those who were invited to Islam and embraced it would likewise connect with those in whom they hoped for good and acceptance, and invite them to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). And so on, until a community formed around him. At that point, it became appropriate for him to make the call public and declare it, because he had supporters. This is the secret behind the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was not commanded to declare the call from the very first moment. Rather, the matter was delayed until there were people around him. This is the wisdom in the fact that the first call was secret. And so it should be for the one who calls to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) in a society overwhelmed by ignorance and misguidance: he should call this one, and that one, and that one, until people form around him and his front is strengthened. At that point, he declares what he is calling to. Because if he had declared what he was calling to from the very beginning, there would have been fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), quarrels, and disputes, and he would not have been able to achieve his objective. Yes.
The questioner : Yes.