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Candidates should study the main events of Prophet Muhammad PBUH's activities in Makka and his experiences with his opponents.
After receiving the first revelation, Prophet Muhammad PBUH did not immediately preach to the public. Instead, he began calling people to Islam quietly and privately, sharing the message only with those he trusted most.
Why secret preaching?
Who were the earliest converts?
In these first three years, approximately 40 people accepted Islam. They came from different backgrounds, which showed that Islam's message was for everyone — rich, poor, free, and enslaved.
| Category | Early Converts |
|---|---|
| Women | Hazrat Khadija RZ (the Prophet's PBUH beloved wife — first to accept Islam) |
| Men (Companions) | Hazrat Abu Bakr RZ, Hazrat Ali RZ, Hazrat Zaid bin Harris RZ |
| Other Companions | Hazrat Usman bin Affan RZ, Hazrat Zubair bin al-Awwam RZ, Hazrat Saad bin Abi Waqqas RZ, Hazrat Talha RZ, Hazrat Abdur Rehman bin Auf RZ, Hazrat Abu Ubaida ibn Jarrah RZ, Hazrat Bilal RZ, Hazrat Abdullah ibn Masud RZ |
Note for students: There is a scholarly discussion about who was the first man to accept Islam — Hazrat Abu Bakr RZ, Hazrat Ali RZ, or Hazrat Zaid bin Harris RZ. Hazrat Khadija RZ is universally accepted as the very first person to embrace Islam.
Three years after the first revelation, Prophet Muhammad PBUH received divine instruction to take the message of Islam to the public. This marked a major turning point in his mission.
Prophet Muhammad PBUH went to the hill of Safa in Makka and gathered the clans of the Quraish. He called out to them and asked whether they would believe him if he told them an enemy was about to attack. They all said yes — they had never known him to lie. He then warned them about punishment if they rejected the oneness of Allah SWT.
However, Abu Lahab (the Prophet's PBUH own uncle and a fierce enemy of Islam) reacted with anger and insult, which caused the crowd to break up and leave. This was the very first experience of public opposition.
Prophet Muhammad PBUH invited his relatives to a dinner and spoke to them about his mission. He told them he was bringing them the greatest gift anyone could offer — success and happiness in this life and the life to come — and asked who among them would support him.
Only Hazrat Ali RZ, who was still a young boy at the time, stood up to offer his support. The others mocked and left.
Realising that public gatherings were difficult, Prophet Muhammad PBUH moved his preaching to a private location — the House of Al-Arqam, also known as the House of Islam, situated near the Ka'ba.
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