After the first dictation or revelation in the cave, there were no more for some time. Then the revelations returned and continued throughout Muhammad’s life
After the first dictation or revelation in the cave, there were no more for some time. Then the revelations returned and continued throughout Muhammad’s life.
After the first dictation or revelation in the cave, there were no more for some time. Then the revelations returned and continued throughout Muhammad’s life.
At the beginning the passages dictated were more poetic but became more concerned later with what would happen to mankind if they did not listen and also with laws for the new society that was being formed.
The Qur'an as it is today is not chronological – it is an assemblage of pieces of dictation over the whole of Muhammad’s life.Most scholars would see the the Qur’an as falling into three stages: Early and late Meccan and Medina.
The single most important part of the message Muhammad had to relay was that there is only ONE God.
The single most important part of the message Muhammad had to relay was that there is only ONE God.
This was a challenging and uncomfortable message of religious reform as it called for the destruction of all the idols – and he had to recite this message to the Quaraysh, the guardians of the Kab’ah and of the idols therein!
The Quaraysh quickly realised the threat this posed and ridiculed Muhammad (think of St. Paul in Ephesus!) – so much so that none of the respectable people in Mecca would take him seriously.
Muhammad was accused of making up the Qu’ran and seen as a threat to be suppressed.
Muhammad challenged the business and social practices of his society which exploited the poor and needy.
Muhammad challenged the business and social practices of his society which exploited the poor and needy.
He opposed ancestor worship which was strong among the tribes.
He challenged the status of Mecca as a place of pilgrimage for believers in many local tribal gods.
He emphasised individual responsibility and life after death for each individual – this was great at variance with the communal, tribal ideas of the society of his time.
The first converts came from his own household.
Early Islam depended on strong family ties – Muhammad gave his daughters to two of of his followers and he eventually married the daughter of another.
The early converts came from slaves and young people and great pressure was applied to them to renounce the new faith.
The early converts came from slaves and young people and great pressure was applied to them to renounce the new faith.
Some Muslims had to flee from the branch of the Quraysh who opposed Muhammad. Abu Talib (from the Hashim branch of the Quraysh), one of Muhammad’s early followers and protectors, and Khadijah came under intense pressure but they resisted. However they both died within a year and Muhammad was vulnerable and could see no way forward.
In 620ce, representatives from the city of Yathrib saw Muhammad and became convinced he was a prophet. They agreed to only worship the One true God and Muhammad chose 12 leaders from Yathrib to become the leaders of the Muslim community in this tribe. He also told his supporters in Mecca to leave and go to Yathrib.
The Quraysh in Mecca saw Muhammad’s involvement with the Yathrib (the people of the town of this name) as a new threat. The Quraysh did not want him and his disciples to leave their control and to go to the Yathrib (which was the town where Muhammad’s father had died).
The Quraysh in Mecca saw Muhammad’s involvement with the Yathrib (the people of the town of this name) as a new threat. The Quraysh did not want him and his disciples to leave their control and to go to the Yathrib (which was the town where Muhammad’s father had died).
40 men from a number of tribes in Mecca agreed to kill Muhammad – but they excluded any representatives of the Hashim tribe who supported him. It was reasoned that the Hashim could not attack all the tribes represented by the 40 in revenge.
The 40 stood guard outside Muhammad’s house, but his cousin, Ali Talib, took his place in bed and Muhammad and Abu Bakr were able to slip out of the city and flee to Yathrib. He arrived on September 20 620 ce which, 15 years later, became fixed as the first day of the Islamic calendar.
The Hashemites who rule Jordan today are descended from the Hashim who supported Muhammad in these early days (although they also formally disowned him and removed protection from him at one stage).
The Hashemites who rule Jordan today are descended from the Hashim who supported Muhammad in these early days (although they also formally disowned him and removed protection from him at one stage).
In Arabia, loyalty to clan and tribe was and is central – individuals only survived by being members of a tribe. Muhammad had little choice but to make military arrangements immediately to protect his new followers – only by so doing could he have obtained the respect needed by other tribes as they had left their old tribal loyalties to follow Islam. Indeed Islam effectively became a new tribe – albeit one that could be joined by members of any tribe.
Yathrib was renamed MEDINA – the city of the prophet. The muhajirun (companions) who had come from Mecca welcomed him and so did the ansar (helpers who aided him to come to Medina) but many did not want him there, including the Jewish population of the city.
