Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets (Migration I)

Muhammad Zafrulla Khan
This was the turning point in the life of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, and in the history of Islam and the world. The Holy Prophet was deeply attached to Mecca where he had been born and spent more than half a century of his life. Here he had married, and had children, and here he had received the divine command to wipe out idolatry and call mankind to the worship of One God. It is true that he and those who identified themselves with his cause had endured great hardships in Mecca for the sake of their faith. But they had been sustained by God’s repeated assurances of support and ultimate triumph. They bore the severest persecution cheerfully and with steadfastness, and for all of them who had been left in Mecca after the two migrations to Abyssinia, the final departure from Mecca was a wrench. But God’s will was their supreme law, and giving effect to it was their greatest pleasure.

Hitherto, the precepts of Islam had been few and simple but they had wrought a marvellous and mighty work. Never had man witnessed the like arousing of spiritual life, and faith that suffered sacrifice and took joyfully the sacrifice of all for the sake of conscience.

From time beyond memory, Mecca and the whole peninsula had been steeped in spiritual torpor. The people were sunk in superstition, cruelty and vice. It was common practice for the eldest son to take to wife his father’s widows, whom he inherited with the rest of the estate. Pride and poverty had introduced among them the crime of female infanticide. Their religion was a gross idolatry; and their faith the dark superstitious dread of unseen beings whose goodwill they sought to propitiate and whose displeasure to avert, rather than belief in an over-ruling Providence. The life to come, and retribution of good and evil as motives of action were practically unknown.

Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets (Steadfastness II)

 by: Muhammad Zafrulla Khan 

The situation of the Byzantines at the time when this revelation was received was considered so hopeless by Quraish that one of them laid a wager with Abu Bakr that this prophecy would not be fulfilled. But all expectations of Quraish, both with regard to the Byzantines and the Muslims, were frustrated and disappointed by the subsequent victory of the Byzantines, and the decisive and shattering defeat of Quraish in the battle of Badr.

About the same time, the Holy Prophet was vouchsafed a revelation that indicated that he would have to migrate from Mecca, but that God Almighty would restore him to Mecca in triumph. The words of the revelation were: ‘He Who has made the teaching of the Quran obligatory on thee, will most surely bring thee back to the place of resort’ (28:86). This also was a double prophecy of grand import, which was fulfilled in an extraordinary manner.

Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets (Steadfastness I)

 By: Muhammad Zafrulla Khan 

Having met with disappointment and frustration in every direction, the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, made up his mind to proceed to Taif and invite its people to Islam. Taif is a well-known city, distant about forty miles from Mecca to the southeast. It was the home of Banu Thaqeef. It was a rival city to Mecca and many influential and wealthy persons lived in it. Meccans also acknowledged its importance. This is affirmed by the Holy Quran, where it is said: ‘They ask: Why was not this Quran sent down to some great man of the two cities, meaning Mecca or Taif?’ (43:32)

Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets (Persecution II)

 By: Muhammad Zafrulla Khan 


Hamzah was an uncle of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him, and was very fond of him. He was accustomed to spending his day in hunting. On returning to Mecca in the late afternoon he would perform a circuit of the Ka’aba and would look in at the small parties of Quraish who generally met in the courtyard of the Ka’aba at that time of the day, and then return home. One day, on his return from hunting, one of his maids said to him, ‘Abul Hikam (Abu Jahl) has just been reviling your nephew Muhammad, who did not say a word in reply.’ Hamzah was greatly agitated on hearing this and, after performing a circuit of the Ka’aba, he advanced towards the party among whom Abu Jahl was seated, struck him with force on the head with his bow and said: ‘I have just heard that you have been reviling Muhammad. Now, listen. I also follow the religion of Muhammad, and say the same as he says. If you consider yourself a brave man, now is the time for you to speak up boldly.’ The companions of Abu Jahl stood up in his support and some grave incident might have ensued, but Abu Jahl was affected by the bravery and daring of Hamzah and restrained his companions, saying, ‘There is reason for Hamzah to be upset, for I have indeed been at fault.’ Thus the matter went no further.