Table of Contents
The First Open Steps of Prophethood
When revelation began with “Read” in the cave of Ḥirāʾ, the Prophet ﷺ at first received and absorbed the message within a very small circle. The chapter on the First Revelation explains that moment. Here we focus on what came immediately after, when the mission moved from a private experience to a public responsibility.
Allah did not leave His Messenger ﷺ to decide the path alone. Step by step, commands came, directing how the message should spread, to whom it should be delivered first, and how the Prophet ﷺ should endure the responses of people.
“O you who covers himself [with a garment].
Arise and warn.
And magnify your Lord.
And purify your garments.
And abandon impurity.”
(Qur’an 74:1‑5)
These verses from Sūrat al‑Muddaththir mark the beginning of the active mission. The Prophet ﷺ was commanded to stand up, to warn, and to call people to recognize the greatness of Allah alone.
The beginning of the mission was not a call to power, wealth, or social status. It was a call to purify belief, worship Allah alone, and clean one’s life from sins and spiritual impurities.
The Secret Phase in Mecca
In the earliest years after revelation, the Prophet ﷺ called people quietly and carefully. Meccan society was deeply attached to idols. Direct public confrontation at once would have caused immediate and violent rejection before the small Muslim community could grow strong in faith.
So the Prophet ﷺ began with those closest to him. His wife Khadījah رضي الله عنها was the first to believe, then his close friend Abū Bakr, his young cousin ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, and his freed slave and adopted son Zayd ibn Ḥārithah. From there, Abū Bakr called a number of the earliest companions, such as ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān, az‑Zubayr ibn al‑ʿAwwām, ʿAbd ar‑Raḥmān ibn ʿAwf, Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ, and others, may Allah be pleased with them all.
The aim in this phase was to build people of strong belief and deep character before facing the hostility of the wider society. They met in private, prayed together, learned the Qur’an that was being revealed gradually, and kept their new faith largely hidden from public view.
“And be patient over what they say and avoid them with gracious avoidance.”
(Qur’an 73:10)
These early instructions emphasized patience, quiet perseverance, and spiritual training. The Qur’an at this time focused heavily on Tawḥīd, the Hereafter, and purification of the heart, so that the early Muslims would stand firm when trials came.
In the secret phase, the core method was to strengthen hearts with Qur’an, prayer, and sincere companionship before engaging in open public confrontation.
Calling the Closest Family and Tribe
After some time of quiet calling, the Prophet ﷺ was ordered to begin addressing his own relatives more openly. The Qur’an commanded him to start with his nearest family, because they knew his character best and because tribal ties were central in Meccan life.
“And warn your closest kindred.”
(Qur’an 26:214)
He gathered the members of Banū Hāshim and addressed them, saying that he could not save them from Allah’s punishment except through their own faith and deeds, even though he was their relative. It was during such calls that he clarified to his family that worldly kinship would not benefit them without obedience to Allah.
In authentic narrations, he addressed specific relatives by name, such as his uncle al‑ʿAbbās, his aunt Ṣafiyyah, and his beloved daughter Fāṭimah, and told them to save themselves from the Fire by acting, not by relying on their connection to him.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “O people of Quraysh, purchase yourselves from Allah, I cannot avail you at all against Allah. O Banī ʿAbd Manāf, I cannot avail you at all against Allah. O ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib, I cannot avail you at all against Allah. O Ṣafiyyah, aunt of the Messenger of Allah, I cannot avail you at all against Allah. O Fāṭimah bint Muḥammad, ask me whatever you wish of my wealth, but I cannot avail you at all against Allah.”
(Muslim)
This shows that from the beginning, the mission separated between tribal loyalty and divine truth. The call was based on faith and obedience, not blood or status.
No family tie can replace belief and obedience. The Prophet’s own relatives were warned that salvation depends on their relationship with Allah, not their relationship with him ﷺ.
The Call upon Mount Ṣafā
After warning his closest relatives, the Prophet ﷺ was commanded to warn the wider society of Mecca. Allah revealed:
“So proclaim openly what you have been commanded and turn away from the polytheists.”
(Qur’an 15:94)
In response, he stood on Mount Ṣafā, a well‑known rise in Mecca, and called the clans of Quraysh by name. When they surrounded him, he appealed first to their trust in his honesty.
He asked them if they would believe him if he informed them that a cavalry was behind the mountain about to attack them. They replied that they had never experienced him telling a lie. On this firm base of credibility, he then delivered the core warning.
He ﷺ said to them: “I am a warner to you before a severe punishment.”
(Bukhārī, Muslim)
At this, Abū Lahab, his uncle, rejected him harshly and insulted him. Allah revealed in response:
“Perish the hands of Abū Lahab, and perish he.
His wealth will not avail him or that which he earned.
He will burn in a Fire of blazing flame,
And his wife too, the carrier of firewood.
Around her neck is a rope of twisted fiber.”
(Qur’an 111:1‑5)
This early public call made clear that the message was not a private spiritual preference but a universal warning and invitation. The Qur’an praised the Prophet ﷺ as one who conveyed the truth with clarity, even when his own family opposed him.
From the very first public address, the Prophet ﷺ tied his message to his lifelong truthfulness. The mission is built on trust in revelation and the known honesty of the Messenger.
A Clear Message of Tawḥīd in a Polytheistic Society
The core of the Prophet’s message was the oneness of Allah in worship. He was not inviting to a new tribe or a new political order first, but to pure devotion to Allah alone, rejection of idols, and accountability in the Hereafter.
“Say, ‘I am only a warner, and there is no deity except Allah, the One, the Irresistible.’”
(Qur’an 38:65)
To the Meccans this was both a religious and social shock. Their entire life was organized around the Kaʿbah and the idols they believed brought them closer to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ recited verses that directly criticized these false gods, described them as powerless, and exposed the emptiness of inherited customs that contradicted revelation.
The early revealed chapters of the Qur’an constantly repeated the message of Tawḥīd, the coming Day of Judgment, the stories of earlier nations that rejected their prophets, and the severe regret that awaits those who turn away.
“So remind, if the reminder should benefit.
He who fears [Allah] will be reminded.
But the wretched one will avoid it.
[He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire.”
(Qur’an 87:9‑12)
The Prophet ﷺ did not compromise the central truth to gain acceptance. Although he called with gentleness and mercy, he was absolutely clear that worship belongs to Allah alone and that associating partners with Him is the greatest injustice.
The unique foundation of the mission was uncompromising Tawḥīd. Every reform in society, character, and law flowed from this single truth: only Allah deserves to be worshipped.
The First Followers and Their Sacrifices
As the message spread, people from different backgrounds embraced Islam. Many of them were weak in the eyes of Meccan society: slaves, freed slaves, poor people, and those without strong clan protection. Yet in Allah’s sight they were honored by faith.
Among the earliest were Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ, Khabbāb ibn al‑Aratt, ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir and his parents, and others. Their new faith often brought them severe persecution. Tied under the hot sun, dragged on burning stones, or beaten, they remained firm.
“Of the believers are men who were true to what they promised Allah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits, and they did not alter by any alteration.”
(Qur’an 33:23)
Bilāl رضي الله عنه was tortured by his master Umayyah ibn Khalaf, yet he kept saying “Aḥad, Aḥad,” meaning “The One, The One,” affirming the oneness of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ later praised his steadfastness and heard the sound of his footsteps in Paradise in a famous narration.
The Prophet ﷺ said to Bilāl: “O Bilāl, tell me of the most hopeful deed you have done in Islam, for I heard the sound of your footsteps in front of me in Paradise.”
(Bukhārī)
The mission began not only with speeches and arguments, but with real lives transformed and tested for the sake of Allah. Their sacrifices demonstrated that this faith was not a passing idea. It was a commitment worth enduring pain and loss for.
From the first days, Islam demanded real sacrifice. The earliest Muslims accepted suffering in the world to seek Allah’s pleasure and the reward of the Hereafter.
The Prophet’s Character During the Early Mission
Throughout the beginning of his call, the Prophet ﷺ was known for his patience, mercy, and concern for his people, even when they insulted him. He never repaid abuse with abuse, nor harm with unjust harm. His concern was to save people from misguidance, not to defeat them personally.
Allah Himself described the tenderness of his heart:
“There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer, [he is] concerned over you, and to the believers he is kind and merciful.”
(Qur’an 9:128)
When mocked, he was told to remain steadfast and leave their punishment to Allah.
“So be patient, [O Muḥammad], over what they say and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting.”
(Qur’an 50:39)
He did not use harshness unless revelation clearly required firmness. He was commanded to call with wisdom and good instruction.
“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best.”
(Qur’an 16:125)
From the beginning, the mission combined unwavering truth with beautiful manners. This combination attracted hearts that were searching for honesty and mercy.
The early mission teaches that the message of Tawḥīd must be delivered with wisdom, patience, and mercy, without bending the truth or responding to harm with injustice.
The Gradual Expansion of the Call
After the first secret years, the call in Mecca did not remain limited to a small inner circle. It gradually touched more people across different clans and social groups. The Prophet ﷺ recited the Qur’an near the Kaʿbah, prayed where others could see, and taught his companions openly at times, even while many new Muslims still tried to protect themselves by hiding their faith.
The first place that served as a kind of gathering point was the house of al‑Arqam ibn Abī al‑Arqam near Mount Ṣafā. In this home, away from public eyes, the Prophet ﷺ taught the Qur’an to those who came, and the small community organized itself spiritually.
Although the details of their meetings belong more to the broader story of the Meccan period, the important point here is that the Prophet ﷺ did not let fear stop the mission. He balanced caution and wisdom with the clear duty to convey the message to whoever was ready to listen.
“So remind, [O Muḥammad]; you are only a reminder.
You are not over them a controller.”
(Qur’an 88:21‑22)
His responsibility was to explain and warn, not to force people. Acceptance or rejection belonged to the people themselves, and judgment belonged to Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ was tasked with conveying, not coercing. The mission began with clear communication, leaving guidance and misguidance to Allah’s will and people’s choices.
The Mission as Mercy, Not Hatred
Even in the earliest days, the Qur’an made it clear that the sending of Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ was a mercy for all worlds. His mission was not based on hatred of people, but hatred of falsehood and injustice, so that people could be saved from it.
“And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.”
(Qur’an 21:107)
This mercy appeared in many ways. He prayed for those who harmed him. He hoped for guidance for the toughest of his enemies. When the angel of the mountains later offered to crush those who persecuted him, he declined and expressed hope that their descendants would worship Allah alone. Such episodes are rooted in the same spirit that guided him from the beginning.
He ﷺ summarized his role in a simple and powerful way.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “I was only sent to perfect righteous character.”
(Aḥmad)
The first steps of the mission carried this aim. By calling to Tawḥīd, correcting belief, and purifying hearts, the Prophet ﷺ was laying the foundation for a community built upon truth, justice, and good character.
At its very beginning, the mission of the Prophet ﷺ was defined as mercy and moral perfection, not as worldly conquest or tribal victory.
A Universal Responsibility from the Outset
Although the mission began in Mecca, among his own people, the Qur’an from the early years pointed out that his message was not limited to one tribe, language, or land. Allah informed him that he was sent to all people.
“And We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner, but most of the people do not know.”
(Qur’an 34:28)
The first years focused on Mecca because that was his environment and community. But the horizon of the mission was already global. This explains why, even during the Meccan years, he conveyed the message to visiting tribes during seasons of pilgrimage and trade. Those early seeds would later bear fruit when Islam spread beyond Arabia.
The mission therefore began in a small, persecuted circle, yet with a vision that embraced all of humanity. Every step in Mecca, from the secret phase to the open call on Ṣafā, was the opening of a path that would eventually reach people of every color, language, and land.
From the first days in Mecca, the Prophet’s mission was for all of humanity, even though it started within a small and vulnerable community.
In this way, the mission began: quietly in a small home and in a cave, then openly on a mountain and in the streets of Mecca, built on the certainty of revelation, the strength of Tawḥīd, and the mercy of a Messenger who desired guidance for all.