The Public Call
📢 The Public Call — The Proclamation at Mount Safa
﴿ And warn your closest kindred. And lower your wing [show kindness] to those who follow you among the believers. ﴾
— [Ash-Shu'ara: 214-215]
📖 Introduction
The End of the Secret Phase
After three years of secret preaching...
The number of Muslims reached about forty men and women...
Praying in secret... Studying the Quran in the house of Al-Arqam...
Then the divine command that would change the course of history descended!
The time for proclamation had come!
🍽️ The Banquet of Banu Hashim — Starting with the Nearest
📅 The Context
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| The command | ﴿And warn your closest kindred﴾ |
| The wisdom | Start with family before strangers |
| The guests | Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib (about 40 men) |
| The executor | Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه |
📜 First Scene — The First Banquet
The place: The house of Abu Talib...
The food is little... but it suffices for all!
The men sat down to eat...
They were all satisfied from an amount that normally would have sufficed only for a few!
The people looked at each other amazed...
But before Muhammad ﷺ could speak...
Abu Lahab stood up and said:
"Your companion has bewitched you!"
The gathering dispersed before they could hear the Prophet's ﷺ words!
📜 Second Scene — The Second Banquet
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not despair...
He ordered Ali to prepare the food again...
The Banu Hashim gathered once more...
The Prophet ﷺ rose to address them:
"O Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib!"
"By Allah, I know of no young man among the Arabs who has brought to his people anything better than what I have brought to you"
"I have brought you the good of this world and the Hereafter"
"Allah the Most High has commanded me to call you to Him"
"So which of you will support me in this matter, on the condition of being my brother, my successor, and my representative among you?"
Everyone remained silent...
No one spoke...
Then Ali ibn Abi Talib stood up — the youngest among them! — and said:
"I, O Messenger of Allah! I will be your minister in this!"
The Prophet ﷺ placed his hand on Ali's neck and said:
"This is my brother, my successor, and my representative among you. Listen to him and obey him!"
The people rose laughing, mocking Abu Talib:
"He has ordered you to listen to your son and obey him!"
⛰️ The Call at Mount Safa — The Decisive Day
📍 The Place and Time
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| The place | Mount Safa — in the heart of Mecca |
| The view | Directly overlooks the Kaaba |
| The call | "Yā Ṣabāḥāh!" — the cry of warning of danger |
| The attendance | All the clans of Quraysh |
📜 The Scene — The Ascent and the Call
A bright morning...
Muhammad ﷺ climbed onto the rock of Safa...
His voice echoing through the valleys of Mecca:
"Yā Ṣabāḥāh! Yā Ṣabāḥāh!"
This was the Arabs' cry when they wanted to warn their people of imminent danger!
People rushed from everywhere...
Those who couldn't come sent someone to see what was happening...
The clans of Quraysh gathered around Safa:
Banu Hashim... Banu 'Abd Manaf... Banu Zuhra... Banu Taym... Banu Makhzum... Banu Asad...
💬 The Historic Speech
"O people of Quraysh!"
Heads turned... Silence fell...
"If I told you that there is an army of horsemen in the valley ready to attack you, would you believe me?"
They answered with one voice:
"Yes! We have never known you to lie. You are the Truthful One, the Trustworthy!"
The Prophet ﷺ took a breath and said:
"Then I am a warner to you before a severe punishment!"
📢 The Call to the Tribes
"O Banu Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy! Save yourselves from the Fire!"
"O Banu Murra ibn Ka'b! Save yourselves from the Fire!"
"O Banu 'Abd Shams! Save yourselves from the Fire!"
"O Banu 'Abd Manaf! Save yourselves from the Fire!"
"O Banu Hashim! Save yourselves from the Fire!"
"O Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib! Save yourselves from the Fire!"
"O Fatima daughter of Muhammad! Save yourself from the Fire!"
"For I cannot avail you anything before Allah!"
Everyone remained silent... shocked...
🔥 Abu Lahab's Response — Eternal Damnation
📜 The Scene
Amid the solemn silence...
Abu Lahab stepped forward — the Prophet's ﷺ uncle —
His face filled with anger...
He shouted:
"May you perish for the rest of the day! Is this what you gathered us for?!"
He picked up a stone intending to throw it at his nephew!
The gathering dispersed... everyone went home...
📜 The Divine Response — Surah Al-Masad
The response came down from heaven, swift and decisive:
﴿ May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, and may he perish. His wealth and what he has earned will not avail him. He will burn in a Fire of blazing flames. And his wife, the carrier of firewood. Around her neck is a rope of palm fiber. ﴾
— [Surah Al-Masad]
💡 Remarkable Reflection
| Observation | Significance |
|---|---|
| Open challenge | If Abu Lahab had accepted Islam — even hypocritically — he would have invalidated the Quran! |
| The result | He died in disbelief, confirming the divine promise |
| The miracle | This is one of the prophetic miracles of the Quran |
⚔️ Quraysh's Strategies — Total Confrontation
1️⃣ Defamation and Mockery
| Accusation | Quranic Response |
|---|---|
| Magician | ﴿The disbelievers said, "This is a lying magician"﴾ |
| Madman | ﴿Your companion is not possessed﴾ |
| Poet | ﴿It is not the word of a poet﴾ |
| Soothsayer | ﴿Nor the word of a soothsayer﴾ |
| Ancient legends | ﴿They said, "Tales of the ancients which he has written down"﴾ |
| A human teaches him | ﴿The tongue of the one they refer to is foreign﴾ |
2️⃣ Pressure on Abu Talib
The leaders of Quraysh went to Abu Talib repeatedly...
📜 The First Delegation
Quraysh: O Abu Talib! Your nephew has insulted our gods, criticized our religion, called our ancestors fools, and led our fathers astray.
Either you make him stop, or you let us deal with him!
Abu Talib: He responded with gentle words... and they left.
📜 The Second Delegation — The Threat
They returned with a firmer delegation:
Quraysh: O Abu Talib! You have age, honor, and rank among us.
We asked you to make your nephew stop but you haven't!
By Allah, we will not tolerate this anymore until you make him stop, or we will fight both you and him until one of the two sides perishes!
📜 The Scene of Confrontation — The Sun and the Moon
The matter became heavy for Abu Talib...
He sent for Muhammad ﷺ and said:
"O son of my brother! Your people have come to me and said such and such..."
"Spare me and spare yourself, and do not burden me with what I cannot bear!"
The Prophet ﷺ thought his uncle had abandoned him...
So he spoke these immortal words:
"O my uncle! By Allah, if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand to make me abandon this matter until Allah makes it prevail or I perish in its defense, I would not abandon it!"
Then he wept ﷺ and rose to leave...
Abu Talib called out to him:
"Come back, son of my brother!"
When he returned, he said:
"Go, son of my brother, and say whatever you wish. By Allah, I will never hand you over to anything!"
3️⃣ Negotiation and Temptation
When pressure failed... Quraysh resorted to temptation:
📜 The Scene of 'Utba ibn Rabi'a
The place: Near the Kaaba...
'Utba ibn Rabi'a — one of the wise men of Quraysh — sits before the Prophet ﷺ:
'Utba: O son of my brother! You are one of us, of the best lineage and highest rank.
But you have brought to your people a grave matter that has divided their community...
Listen to me, I will offer you things:
- If you want wealth — we will gather for you from our wealth until you are the richest among us
- If you want honor — we will make you our chief and decide nothing without you
- If you want kingship — we will make you king over us
- If what comes to you is a spirit of jinn — we will seek a physician for you and spend our wealth to cure you
The Prophet ﷺ remained silent until 'Utba finished, then he said:
"Have you finished, Abu al-Walid?"
He said: Yes.
"Then listen to me."
Then he recited:
﴿ Ha Mim. A revelation from the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A Book whose verses have been detailed, an Arabic Quran for people who know... ﴾
— [Fussilat: 1-3]
He continued reciting until he reached the verse of prostration, then he prostrated ﷺ.
'Utba stood amazed...
Having placed his hands behind his back leaning on them...
Listening with his whole being!
💬 'Utba's Testimony
'Utba returned to Quraysh with a changed expression...
Quraysh: What happened, Abu al-Walid?
'Utba: By Allah, I have heard words the like of which I have never heard!
By Allah, it is not poetry, nor magic, nor soothsaying!
O people of Quraysh, obey me and consider this my affair. Leave this man alone!
By Allah, these words that I have heard will have great consequence!
Quraysh (mockingly): He has bewitched you with his tongue, Abu al-Walid!
📊 Table of Quraysh's Offers and the Prophet's ﷺ Refusal
| The Offer | The Prophetic Response |
|---|---|
| Wealth — We will make you the richest | "I did not come seeking your wealth" |
| Kingship — We will make you king | "Nor honor among you nor kingship over you" |
| Treatment — We will cure you of the jinn | "Allah has sent me as a messenger" |
| Exchange — We worship your god one day, you worship ours one day | ﴿Say: "O disbelievers! I do not worship what you worship"﴾ |
🔍 Why Did Quraysh Oppose?
🔴 Religious Reasons
| Reason | Quranic Evidence |
|---|---|
| Attachment to ancestors | ﴿We found our fathers following a religion﴾ |
| Fear of the idols' wrath | They believed the statues protected them |
| Denial of resurrection | ﴿When we are dead and turned to dust, that is a remote return﴾ |
🟠 Economic Reasons
| Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Pilgrimage and trade | Idols attract pilgrims = wealth |
| Mecca's status | Monotheism threatens their commercial supremacy |
| Financial interests | Idol worship is a lucrative business |
🟡 Social Reasons
| Reason | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Pride and jealousy | ﴿Why was this Quran not revealed to a great man of the two cities?﴾ |
| Equality | Islam puts the slave on the same level as the master |
| Power | The leaders fear losing their influence |
🔵 Tribal Reasons
| Reason | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Rivalry between clans | Why the choice of Banu Hashim? |
| Fear of hegemony | Prophethood + Siqaya = total domination |
💎 Pearls of Steadfastness
📜 The Hadith
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to his uncle Abu Talib:
"By Allah, if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand to make me abandon this matter until Allah makes it prevail or I perish in its defense, I would not abandon it!"
— [Sira of Ibn Hisham]
💡 The Lesson
These words summarize the Prophet's ﷺ position on any compromise:
The matter was not negotiable!
Neither the sun nor the moon...
Neither wealth nor kingship...
Neither threats nor temptations...
Could turn him away from his mission!
📝 Lesson Summary
🎯 Main Events
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| The command to proclaim | Revelation of ﴿And warn your closest kindred﴾ |
| The Banu Hashim banquet | Two invitations, Ali first supporter |
| The Safa call | "Yā Ṣabāḥāh!" — The general warning |
| Abu Lahab's response | "May you perish!" and revelation of Surah Al-Masad |
| Quraysh's attempts | Defamation, pressure, temptation, boycott |
| The Prophet's ﷺ steadfastness | "If they put the sun in my right hand..." |
✅ Lessons Learned
| Lesson | Application |
|---|---|
| Proclaiming the truth | Is a duty regardless of the consequences |
| The message is not for sale | At any price |
| Trial is a constant | On the path of truth |
| Steadfastness | Is the key to victory |
❓ Questions for Reflection and Review
- Why did Allah command the Prophet ﷺ to start with his closest relatives?
- What was Abu Lahab's reaction? And what was the divine response?
- What offers did Quraysh make to the Prophet ﷺ?
- Explain the meaning of the Prophet's ﷺ words: "If they put the sun in my right hand..."
- Why did Quraysh reject Islam despite acknowledging the Prophet's ﷺ truthfulness?