The Prophet in Mecca

The First Revelation (610 CE)

Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah was 40 years old — a successful merchant known as al-Amin (the Trustworthy) — when he received the first revelation. He had developed the practice of tahannuth (retreat for worship and reflection) in the Cave of Hira on Jabal al-Nour (Mountain of Light) above Mecca.

The night of revelation: The Angel Jibrail appeared and commanded: “Read (Iqra’)!” Muhammad said: “I am not one who reads.” Three times Jibrail embraced him tightly and commanded “Iqra’!” — then revealed:

“Read in the name of your Lord who created — Created man from a clinging substance. Read, and your Lord is the most Generous — Who taught by the pen — Taught man that which he knew not.” (96:1-5)

Muhammad returned to Khadija trembling. She wrapped him in a cloak and declared: “By Allah, He will never disgrace you. You maintain kinship, speak truthfully, bear others’ burdens, earn for the poor, are hospitable to guests, and help those in need.” She then took him to her cousin Waraqa ibn Nawfal — a Christian scholar who confirmed: “This is the same Namus [divine revelation through Gabriel] that was sent to Moses.”

See also: Nubuwwa, Why The Quran

The Early Community (First Three Years)

For the first three years, the da’wa was private (sirriyya) — the Prophet taught only those closest to him:

Khadija — the first Muslim, immediately
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib — the first youth, in the Prophet’s household
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq — the first free adult male from outside the household
Zayd ibn Haritha — the Prophet’s adopted son
Others: ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, Talha ibn ‘Ubaydallah, Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam, Abu ‘Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah — all joined within the first years

Then the divine command: “Warn your closest relatives.” (26:214) — the private became public.

The first public declaration: “Then proclaim what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists.” (15:94) — the Prophet stood on Mount Safa and called the Quraysh, announcing: “If I told you that an army was about to attack from behind that hill, would you believe me?” They said yes. He said: “Then I warn you of a severe punishment before you.” Abu Lahab responded: “May you perish for eternity — is this what you called us for?” — and Surah al-Masad (111) was revealed in response.

The Persecution

The Quraysh’s opposition intensified as the Prophet’s message threatened both their religious authority (as keepers of the idols) and their economic interests (the Ka’ba was the center of Makkan trade).

Methods of persecution:

Social mockery and insults
Throwing garbage and dirt on the Prophet (done by Abu Lahab’s wife Umm Jamil and others)
Physical torture of the Prophet’s followers who lacked tribal protection
The attempted assassination plot that triggered the Hijra

The martyrs of early Islam:

Sumayyah bint Khabbab: The first martyr of Islam — an elderly woman and slave who was tortured to death by Abu Jahl for refusing to recant her faith. Her husband Yasir was also killed.
Bilal ibn Rabah: A slave, tortured under the scorching sun with a boulder on his chest, shouting “Ahad! Ahad!” (One! One!) — bought and freed by Abu Bakr
‘Ammar ibn Yasir: Son of Sumayyah and Yasir, tortured to near-death; the Prophet comforted his family: “Be patient, O family of Yasir — your promised meeting is Paradise.”

See also: Ahl Al Bayt, Five Pillars Of Islam

The Year of Grief (‘Am al-Huzn)

In the tenth year of prophethood (619 CE), two crushing losses hit the Prophet within months of each other:

The death of Khadija: After 25 years of marriage, the first and most beloved wife died. The Prophet never ceased mourning her — years later, when a friend of Khadija’s visited, he would honor her for Khadija’s sake.

The death of Abu Talib: The Prophet’s uncle and protector — the Quraysh had respected Abu Talib and refrained from direct physical harm to Muhammad because of tribal honor. Abu Talib’s death removed this protection. The Prophet tried to give him the shahada on his deathbed; he died without it — and the verse was revealed: “Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills.” (28:56)

The Trip to Ta’if: Having lost his two greatest supports, the Prophet walked to Ta’if (a city-state near Mecca) seeking new allies. The Thaqif tribe rejected him, drove him out, and set their children to throw stones at him until his feet bled. He took refuge in an orchard; the slave Addas brought him grapes and heard his story and wept, kissing his hands. — The lowest moment of the Makkan period.

The Night Journey and Ascension (Isra’ and Mi’raj)

Shortly after the Year of Grief, the divine gave the Prophet the greatest spiritual consolation of the Makkan period: the Night Journey (Isra’) and Ascension (Mi’raj). The Prophet was taken from Mecca to Jerusalem and then up through the seven heavens to the divine’s presence — where the five daily prayers were established.

See also: Isra Wal Miraj, Khatam Al Anbiya

The Makkan Surahs: Quran of Revelation

The Makkan surahs are characterized by:

Short, powerful verses (ayat) with intense rhythm
Themes: the divine’s oneness, resurrection, the Day of Judgment, the signs in nature, the soul, earlier prophets’ rejection
The first-person divine voice at its most direct: “By the sun and its brightness…” “By the dawn…” “By time…”
The Arabic of the Makkan surahs is considered among the most sublime in all of Arabic literature

The contrast with Medinan surahs: Medinan surahs tend to be longer, more legalistic, addressing the specific needs of the new community-state. The Makkan surahs are the Quran’s poetry and theology — the eternal foundation.

The Prophet in Mecca — The Makkan Period of the Seerah