Table of Contents
Introduction
The first stage of the Prophet’s mission in Makkah was quiet, careful, and hidden from the public eye. This period is known as the phase of secret da‘wah. It began with the first revelation in the cave of Hira and continued for about three years before the command came to call people openly. In this chapter, we will focus specifically on how the Prophet ﷺ called to Allah in secrecy, who he invited first, and why this phase was essential for the building of the early Muslim community.
Beginning the Call in Private
After the first revelation and the reassurance given through Khadijah رضي الله عنها and Waraqah ibn Nawfal, the Prophet ﷺ did not rush into public preaching. He knew the nature of Quraysh, their pride in their idols, and their fierce attachment to their inherited religion.
Allah revealed:
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ. قُمْ فَأَنذِرْ
“O you who are wrapped up. Arise and warn.”
(Surah Al Muddaththir 74:1–2)
This command to “arise and warn” did not mean immediately challenging all of Quraysh in public. Rather, the Prophet ﷺ began with those closest to him, in his own home and among the people who already trusted his character. He called them quietly to the worship of Allah alone, away from the noise of the markets and the eyes of the leaders of Quraysh.
During this time, there was no public announcement from hills or gatherings in front of the Ka‘bah. There was instead gentle invitation, personal conversations, and teaching inside homes and in safe, hidden places. The Prophet ﷺ taught them the basics of faith, recited to them what had been revealed from the Quran, and corrected their beliefs step by step.
The secret da‘wah was a deliberate strategy: the Prophet ﷺ first built strong, sincere individuals in private before facing the open hostility of society.
The First Circle of Believers
The earliest response to his call came from those who knew him best and therefore trusted him immediately. This was one of the clear signs of his truthfulness. He did not need to argue with them at length; they had known his truthfulness for years.
Among the very first to believe during this secret period were Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, his wife, Abu Bakr as Siddiq, his close friend, Ali ibn Abi Talib, who lived in his home, and Zayd ibn Harithah, his freed servant and beloved companion. Each of them accepted Islam quietly, without any public declaration or show.
Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه did not keep this faith to himself. He was respected among Quraysh and had close friendships with several noble men. Through his personal efforts in this secret phase, some of the greatest companions entered Islam, including Uthman ibn Affan, Az Zubayr ibn Al Awwam, Abdur Rahman ibn Awf, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, and Talhah ibn Ubaydillah. They did not proclaim their new faith loudly, but they joined this small, growing group around the Prophet ﷺ.
The Prophet ﷺ did not gather large crowds. Instead, he focused on individuals. He measured their sincerity and readiness, and he gave each one what they could handle of knowledge and responsibility. In these earliest days, Islam spread from heart to heart, in quiet conversations, often one person at a time.
The House of Al Arqam and Secret Meetings
As the number of believers increased, it became necessary to find a regular, safe place where they could meet, learn, and pray together, away from the eyes of their enemies. They could not teach openly in the public courtyards of Makkah, so they chose a house on the outskirts of the sacred area.
This was the house of Al Arqam ibn Abi Al Arqam, a young man from the tribe of Makhzum. His home was near Mount Safa, yet it was discreet enough to serve as a private center. The Prophet ﷺ used this house as the first school and the first headquarters of Islam in Makkah. There, the believers would gather around him, listen to recitation of the Quran, learn the foundations of faith, and offer prayer together.
In this secret setting, verses were revealed that focused mainly on belief in Allah, the Last Day, and the purification of the soul. The early chapters of the Quran that they heard there, such as parts of Surah Al Muddaththir, Surah Al Muzzammil, and other Makkan surahs, shaped their hearts and their view of the world.
One of the most important forms of training in this house was patience and reliance upon Allah. They were being prepared for difficult times that would come later. The Quran described the early stages of this mission:
يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُزَّمِّلُ. قُمِ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا … إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا
“O you who are wrapped up. Stand [to pray] the night, except a little … Indeed, We will cast upon you a heavy word.”
(Surah Al Muzzammil 73:1–2, 5)
These verses, taught in secret, trained them to stand in night prayer, to connect with Allah, and to bear the “heavy word” of revelation. The house of Al Arqam was the place where this internal strength was built before public trials arrived.
Wisdom Behind Keeping the Call Secret
There were clear reasons why the Prophet ﷺ began with a secret call instead of confronting Quraysh immediately. The people of Makkah were deeply attached to idol worship and tribal pride, and their trade and social status were connected to the idols of the Ka‘bah. A sudden public attack on their religion at the very beginning would have led to immediate violent opposition before any real community was formed.
By focusing on secret da‘wah, the Prophet ﷺ achieved several important goals. First, he protected the earliest believers from unnecessary harm while their faith was still new. If they had been exposed too soon, some might have been broken under pressure. Instead, their hearts were allowed to grow strong through Quran, prayer, and companionship with the Prophet ﷺ.
Second, he built a core group of sincere, tested individuals who became the foundation of the entire Muslim ummah. These early Muslims shared a special bond because they had entered Islam when it was weak and unpopular. Many of them would later play leading roles in the spread of Islam after the Hijrah.
Third, the secret phase allowed time for the message itself to be clarified, organized, and lived in real lives before it was presented to the wider society. The Prophet ﷺ taught them that Islam was not only a belief but a way of life. He corrected their morals and habits. They learned to avoid lying, injustice, and immorality even before laws about drink, interest, and other matters were revealed.
Allah indicated this gradual approach in the revelation:
وَلَوْلَا أَن ثَبَّتْنَاكَ لَقَدْ كِدتَّ تَرْكَنُ إِلَيْهِمْ شَيْئًا قَلِيلًا
“And if We had not strengthened you, you would have almost inclined to them a little.”
(Surah Al Isra 17:74)
The Prophet ﷺ himself was strengthened by this careful, gradual method. As he saw one heart after another submit to Allah, his trust in the promise of his Lord grew stronger.
The secret da‘wah shows that Islam did not begin with political power or public victory, but with hidden worship, patient teaching, and quiet transformation of individuals.
Testing of the Early Believers
Although the da‘wah was secret, it was not completely free from difficulty. Some families began to notice strange changes in their relatives. A father would suspect that his son no longer bowed to idols, or a wife would realize that her husband had stopped invoking the names of their gods. Questions were asked, and suspicion slowly started to grow.
When some of those early Muslims were discovered, they faced mockery, pressure, and sometimes physical harm, even in this early stage. However, since the call was still largely hidden, the full-scale persecution that came later had not yet erupted. This period was more like a quiet preparation, with small personal tests that each believer had to face.
The Prophet ﷺ guided them to remain patient, to keep their focus on Allah, and to continue learning and worshiping in whatever safety they could find. He did not yet command them to confront their society openly. Instead, he protected them as much as possible and continued to meet them in secret locations such as the house of Al Arqam.
The Quran during this time reminded them of the stories of earlier prophets and their small groups of followers, so they would know that being few in number does not mean being abandoned. The word of Allah is always victorious in the end. Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَيَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وُدًّا
“Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds, the Most Merciful will appoint for them affection.”
(Surah Maryam 19:96)
They believed that, even if people opposed them now, Allah would place love for them in the hearts of others later, when the time was right.
Growth in Numbers and Faith
Over the course of about three years, the number of Muslims slowly grew from a handful to several dozen men and women. They were from different clans and social levels. Some were noble men of Quraysh, others were young people, and others were slaves and freed servants. They united under the single banner of faith, even though the outside world did not yet fully know about them.
Their faith deepened through frequent recitation of the Quran. They heard strong verses about the reality of the hereafter and the fate of those who deny Allah. They heard descriptions of Paradise and Hellfire, and they were reminded again and again that success is not measured by wealth or status, but by belief and righteous action.
Prayer also became a central part of their lives. Before the five daily prayers were made obligatory in their final form, they were still called to stand before their Lord in regular worship. This worship in secret strengthened their attachment to Allah more than any worldly support could have done.
They also developed brotherhood and sisterhood among themselves. Meeting secretly, sharing the same risks, and listening to the same words of Allah created a strong bond. They were learning to love and support each other for the sake of Allah, not because of tribal ties or personal benefit. This spiritual and emotional unity would later become very important when they faced open persecution together.
Preparation for the Next Stage
By the end of the secret da‘wah period, a small, solid community had been formed in Makkah. The believers were not yet many, but they were united by sincere faith and trained in patience and obedience. The Prophet ﷺ had now gathered around him a group of men and women who were ready to support him when the time came to confront Quraysh publicly.
This phase was not meant to last forever. It was a training ground and foundation. When Allah knew that this foundation had become firm enough, He gave the command to move from secrecy to openness, from private calls to public declarations. The next chapter of the Prophet’s mission would begin with the command to warn his nearest relatives and to stand on Mount Safa and call out to the tribes of Quraysh.
The secret da‘wah shows that great changes in society often begin quietly, in hearts and homes, before they appear on the public stage. The Prophet ﷺ did not rush. He followed the guidance of revelation, step by step, and trusted that Allah’s plan, even when hidden from the eyes of people, was full of wisdom and mercy.